The Frozen Hero

"What's wrong?" Soren asked.

"I'm going to open up the cabin to check."

Without waiting for an answer, Clark walked over to the plane's body.

Grabbing the edge of the window, he peeled back the metal of the fuselage as easily as tearing paper.

"I'm going in to take a look. Stay out here for now," Clark instructed.

Bending down, he squeezed into the plane.

Inside, everything was frozen solid, covered in a thick layer of ice.

The front of the cabin had been crushed from the impact, leaving only a narrow space.

Clark pried open the warped interior doors and, from the ice-packed cabin, pulled out a red, white, and blue circular shield.

From outside the plane, Soren poked his head in, "Do you see anything, Clark?"

His heart was racing.

Deep down, Soren felt like he already knew what Clark might find.

The words—North Pole, icebergs, USA plane—all added up, making Soren's sense of dread grow stronger.

He swallowed hard, feeling more nervous now than when Clark had flown him recklessly through the skies.

Clark, holding the shield, peered through the misty ice and saw, encased in the frozen layer, the figure of a man in deep slumber.

A tall, blonde warrior, dressed in a uniform with the colors of the American flag, lay still with his eyes closed, his face calm and serious.

There were no signs of aging on him.

He looked as young and handsome as ever, as if he had just fallen asleep, resting beneath the Arctic ice for more than half a century.

Clark dug him out with his bare hands.

Carrying the man over his shoulder, Clark exited the plane.

Soren's eyes widened in shock as soon as he saw the uniform.

He rushed forward, barely able to speak through his excitement, "This is… this is... the shield... Captain America!?"

Clark nodded, "I think so, but I'm not completely sure yet. Let's take him to the Fortress of Solitude. There's a medical robot there that can check his condition."

"Yeah, let's go!" Soren agreed eagerly, his blue eyes fixed on the man Clark carried, not even blinking.

Clark, with one arm carrying the man they had found beneath the ice and the other holding Soren, flew back to the Fortress of Solitude.

This time, Clark found the fortress without a problem.

The white, crystal-like structure stood on the ice like a pyramid, its triangular entrance slowly opening as they approached.

As they entered the fortress, the hologram of Jor-El, Clark's wise, white-haired father, lit up in the ice crystals above them.

He glanced at Soren and then at the man Clark carried over his shoulder.

With a warm smile, he said, "Welcome home, Kal. And welcome to your friends as well."

"Father," Clark stood in front of the hologram, a little shy as he grabbed Soren's wrist, "this is my friend Soren, whom I've known since high school. Soren, this is the hologram of my father, Jor-El. It's an AI created from my father's consciousness before he passed away."

"Hello, Mr. El," Soren greeted Jor-El with a polite nod.

Jor-El's deep gaze shifted to Soren, "Clark has told me about you, Soren. He talks about you quite often."

Soren tilted his head curiously and asked, "Really? What does he say about me?"

Before Jor-El could answer, Clark quickly pressed a button to turn off the hologram.

His face turned red, and he stammered, "Nothing important, really. You don't need to ask him. The medical room is over there, follow me."

"Hey, why'd you turn it off?" Soren muttered, confused.

He had wanted to talk to Jor-El about parenting tips for Kryptonian kids!

Over the years, Clark had only grown more rebellious, and Soren was finding it harder to manage him.

Clark mumbled some excuses, dodging the question as he hurriedly placed the man he'd been carrying onto the medical examination table.

Once the man was laid down, a small robot rolled over, extending medical tools from its body to begin examining him.

Soren stood next to Clark, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves as he looked at the blonde man who was still in a deep sleep on the table.

Just by seeing the unique shield, Soren had a good idea who this man was.

—This was the real Captain America!

Not some cosplay or statue they'd seen in New York, but the actual Captain America from the history books!

He looked just like the photos in the books: young, handsome, with high cheekbones, a broad nose, and full lips—his lower lip slightly thicker than the upper, giving him a naturally kissable and attractive look.

And those chest muscles!

Especially those impressive chest muscles, almost as big as Clark's!

Seeing a World War II hero from textbooks and comics right in front of him, Soren found it hard to believe his eyes.

The real Captain America was just a few steps away, yet Soren felt too shy to get closer, afraid that if he looked too long, Captain America might vanish right before him.

Soren felt dizzy, like he was dreaming.

The Kryptonian medical robot quickly finished its examination: all bodily functions were normal, and it detected enhanced serum at the genetic level.

He really was the Captain America from history.

Following Clark, Soren approached the exam table, eyes wide with admiration as he studied the legendary hero, Steve Rogers.

They placed the shield next to the table.

Clark was also curious about Captain America and respected the warrior.

He directed the robot to wipe the frost off Captain's face and dry his uniform.

Soren, meanwhile, couldn't take his eyes off the shield.

He finally reached out to touch it gently before quickly pulling his hand back, "Wow, it's the real shield..."

Clark chuckled.

He found everything Soren did adorable.

Ruffling Soren's hair, he asked, "What should we do with him? He's a national hero. We can't just keep him hidden here."

Without hesitation, Soren blurted out, "Of course, we should hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.—I mean, I heard there's a government agency that handles superpowered people."