Chapter Text
Everything was hot.
Fire blazed around the rocket as it pierced through the planet’s atmosphere. The rattling of machinery and the roaring of the flames rang in the air. The control panel beeped wildly, the sign of a catastrophic mechanical failure.
And everything was excruciatingly, agonizingly hot.
To Kal-El, trapped in the doomed shuttle, it felt as if his skin might catch fire at any moment. He could barely hold onto the controls for more than a few seconds without his talons scorching. He couldn’t keep his eyes open for too long without feeling the sting of smoke. As much as his rational side told him to remain calm and find a place to crash, the panic coursing through his veins made him frantic.
A minute passed, and the flames around the front of the rocket dissipated. However, the rear of the rocket continued to burn, the ruined engine clattering and breaking apart. Now that he could see, however, Kal-El knew he had to find a place to crash. He couldn’t risk the ocean; the water would weigh down his feathers too much, and his talons weren’t designed for swimming. He had to find a place with few people, if any at all.
As his rocket tore through the clouds, he saw a city just below him, and his stomach sank. There was no way he’d be able to land undetected, not when he was flying this low and close to civilization.
I just have to make it to the north side. There’s no buildings up there.
Wrenching his controls as hard as he could, Kal-El forced the rocket to fly north. He wrapped one hand around his necklace, the last trace of his home, his family, and prayed to his gods that he could make it.
The world below seemed to race up towards him as he fell. 300 feet. 200 feet. Kal-El desperately sang out one last prayer, gritted his teeth, and braced himself for impact.
100 feet.
50.
20.
10.
I’m not gonna make it.
The rocket’s impact jolted Kal-El in his seat, causing him to slam his head against the controls, and he blacked out.
🦇🐦
Smoke filled Kal-El's eyes as he came to.
Coughing and sputtering, he tried gasping for air, the wind knocked out of his chest. It took a minute for him to fully regain his senses. His entire body ached, but nothing felt broken, which calmed him somewhat. He felt for the hatch and tried pushing it open, but the door wasn’t budging. Slamming his fists against the hatch, shoving with all his might, nothing worked. He tried the emergency exit button, but even that wasn’t working. The door had jammed, trapping him in his ship.
Kal-El felt his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Taking a deep breath, he sank his talons into the hatch as best as he could, feeling the tearing metal slicing his skin. Smoke filled his lungs with every breath, and he started feeling dizzy. With his mind swimming with pain and confusion, only one coherent thought remained.
I have to get out.
I have to get out.
I have to get out.