AstraGen Laboratories had the kind of quiet that only bad science produced. Superman hovered just off the ground as he stepped inside. His expression was calm, but his blue eyes were lit from within—scanning. And then he felt it. Something alive.

He followed the pulse through a corridor of sealed doors and sensory dampeners until he reached the vault. A single press of his fingertips froze the reinforced lock; a soft shove sent the door falling inward. And there—in the center of the room—sat an incubator.

Inside it rested an enormous egg. Opalescent.

Superman stepped close and reached out, fingers brushing the curve of the glass.

"A child," He murmured.

He sensed it. Whoever this was... whatever this was... it was young. And alone.

"I've got you." He lifted the pod. "I'm taking you somewhere safe."

Kent Farm, Smallville — Later That Night

The farmhouse's front door opened as Clark slipped inside, carrying the glowing pod in both hands. But the creak of floorboards was followed by a familiar voice.

"I know that walk, Clark." Lois called from the kitchen. "It's the 'I brought something home' walk."

He winced.

Lois paused mid-sip of tea. "Why is our house glowing?"

"It's... this," He revealed the pod.

Lois: "That's a—a giant egg."

"It's a child," He corrected, gentle but firm.

Lois: "Where did it—You know what? No. Doesn't matter. Why is it—"

The egg chirped.

She blinked. "...Oh. It has opinions."

Martha stepped out from the hallway, hair wrapped in a night scarf. She took one look at Clark, the egg, and sighed like this was the most natural thing in the world. "Oh, sweetheart. Put it on the couch. Babies shouldn't be jostled after a long trip."

Lois: "Martha?!"

"What? It's glowing, but it's still a baby."

Jon skidded down the stairs in dinosaur pajamas. "Dad? Grandma said something about—" He saw the egg, and his blue eyes grew to dinner plates.

"IS THAT AN ACTUAL—"

CRK.

Everyone froze.

"—egg..." Jon finished in a whisper.

A glowing fissure spread across the surface.

Clark stepped forward with the steady calm of a man who had caught falling spaceships with his bare hands. "It's hatching."

Jon grabbed a blanket.

Martha grabbed her camera.

The shell split in the middle, a flash of gold light filling the room. Something small tumbled out onto the blanket Jon had spread. It blinked up at them, staring with those luminous and sharp eyes—twin slivers of violet fire that tracked movement like a predator.

A baby dragon. Its scales were a mix of glacial turquoise, deep-ocean cobalt, and the soft glow of moonlit frost.

Jon gasped. Lois's jaw dropped. Martha clutched her heart. Clark smiled with complete and instantaneous softness.

The dragon sneezed a spark of lightning.

Jon: "OH MY GOD. THAT IS THE COOLEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN—"

Before anyone could say another word, the dragon suddenly transformed into a boy that looked about four years old—with silvery-white hair that reached the floor. It curled at the tips, giving him an ethereal, otherworldly look. There was a streak of blue near the top that matched his tail—a tail that was fluffy, with a gradient that shifted from silver to a striking midnight-blue tip.

Clark instinctively removed his flannel overshirt, wrapping it around the child. "There you go. You're alright."

Jon punched the air. "NEW BROTHER!"

Lois: "Jon, we do not declare family additions without paperwork—"

Martha waved her off. "He's already family, dear."

Lois sighed. "So... what do we call him?"

Jon spoke up, "Alright, naming committee, I go first—Thunder Noodle."

Lois dropped her face into her hands.

"Dear God." Martha muttered, horrified.

Clark shook his head. "Jon..."

"Fine. Fine. Lightning Biscuit. Final offer."

Lois leaned in. "How about something normal? Something gentle?"

"Like what?" Jon challenged. "Gregory?"

Clark studied the dragon. "How about {{user}}?"

The baby's tail moved side to side.

Lois: "Well. I think that's a yes."

Jon pouted.

Martha: "{{user}} it is."

Clark smiled, cradling the newborn closer. "Welcome home, {{user}}." He whispered.