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Lose your humanity!

Summary:

Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jordan and Sam are all determined to mend their relationship with Jonathan, who left Smallville to live with a friend in Metropolis. And Jonathan wants to solve their issues, too. But some unexpected events make everything more complicated.

Notes:

Hello and welcome to this new part of the 'Kent family issues' series.

For those who haven't read the previous ones, a little recap: Jonathan still feels neglected and unloved by his parents for being powerless. After a fight with his family, he wanted to leave but got accidentally knocked out and got a Kryptonian amnesia that had to be treated in the fortress. After a lot of (for Jon) very embarrassing things, he left to live with his friend Timmy Tanner in Metropolis for the rest of spring-break after his memories returned. On the way to Metropolis he filled his friend in with the family secret. Also because there is an Instagram-post of his 'flying-lesson' with his father going viral. After watching the report together, severel days have passed and here we are.

I wish you all, a lot of fun reading. At the end of the chapter, there is a little Halloween-scene. Enjoy! And Happy Halloween!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Clark knew that there was a lot to do to make up for his mistakes…

A few days ago, Jonathan left their house. He went to move in with a friend in Metropolis. After a terrible argument between him and Clark. That ended with Jonathan getting knocked out and temporarily losing his memories. A incident that almost killed Jon…

Things were said both regretted. And things were revealed both were not sure how to handle them…

Since Jonathan left the house, everything was so… different! So tense! And so moody!

It was such a tense in the air, it felt like one single spark could blow up the entire area. Nobody talked with each other anymore. Nobody even smiled anymore. I felt like with Jonathan leaving, the family lost their spirit.

Today is Friday. Jonathan was gone for six days now. Six days in which Jonathan never called. He just wrote messages over WhatsApp and never answered their calls. Six days in which Jonathan enjoyed Metropolis, reconnected with old friends, made new friends, got driving-lessons from his friend Timmy Tanner… thinking about it, Clark remembered his driving-lessons with Jonathan Sr. and how much both enjoyed the time together. It felt like Timmy stole him that father-son-activity. But that was Clark's own fault.

Jordan barely talked to them in the past six days. He missed Jonathan so terribly, Clark feared Jordan was falling in depressions again. Then there was the guilt and the revelation that Jonathan was afraid of him. Or that his brother even dared to think that he could had been switched at birth. His whole life Jordan was the one who often felt out of place, or like not fitting in. So he could rely on that feeling Jon must have.

Jordan and Clark were unaware of the fact that each other listened to Jonathan when he told Timmy Tanner everything and about his feelings. For that, Jordan got a better sense of Jonathan's feelings and what burden it must be for Jon to be the unpowered one. And that he couldn't expect that Jonathan's powers kicking in will solve their issues. Jordan spent a lot of time brooding and thinking about Jonathan's words and how to make up for all Jonathan gave up for him.

Lois meanwhile was busy to use all available resources to collect enough material to prevent Coach Gaines from ever getting a job at a school again. Using the Gazette to spread the news and the reveal that the former Coach knew about Timmy Ryan's X-K abuse the whole time and that everyone actually knew it and decided to turn Jonathan into the scapegoat despite his self-sacrificing attempt to limit the damage that turned him into the town's pariah.

Lois was pretty busy to confront all the parents who used to insult and verbally abuse Jonathan and face them with their own kids' mistakes. Before she left the house today, Clark could hear her murmuring about doing something 'she should have done long before'…

Sam, who was retired (again), hoped before the escalation a week ago, to reconnect with Jonathan again. But Sam was aware that his long-time reservations against Clark, that slowly expanded to Jordan had left scars, too. Thanks to Lara and her scan of Jonathan's brain, everyone figured out that he told Jonathan once that he 'has to be afraid of his father and Jordan'. That, and his insult that Jonathan is supposed to be saved all the time because he has no powers, led to his banishment from the farm. Again!

Sam, who knew that Jonathan was not a damsel in distress but a strong and determined fighter with a protective hero-instinct like his father, couldn't accept Jonathan's supposed giving-up. He was willing to fight for his grandson and for the rest of the family, too. At any cost… whatever it takes… And so, he spent the whole week with preparing a surprise…

And Clark meanwhile stood under the tree next to the tire swing looking back and forth between the tire swing and the little spot where he planted some flowers. The place where his father's crystal was buried.

He thought back to the moment they stood here all together. Jonathan's arm was in a cast. He gave the box he once got from Clark to carry around the crystal pieces. An empty box, as empty as his promises Clark realized. Jonathan was the only one present who never got to meet Jor-El. He does not even know what he looked like. But he attend to the 'funeral'. To show his respect. For a man he was afraid will reject him, because he is 'too human' to call himself an heir of their family. He didn't have to (Jon never met him), but he came. Maybe out of respect.

Clark looked on the tire swing again. Remembering how 7 years old Jonathan loved to play with it and even once throwing a football through the rope and tearing it. How happy and excited Jonathan was back then about his strength. Then he looked on the 'grave' again and the guilt overcame him again.

He had no clue if his plan will work. But Jonathan was worth to try…

Carefully, Clark used a shovel to open the ground and to get on the crystal pieces to put them into 'Jonathan's box' again. Then he closed the grave again to hide the fact that he opened it and flew to the family-fortress. A place, his mother Lara suggested for the whole family, but Clark reserved only for him and Jordan. Ignoring Jonathan's concerns that it is only for the family members who can fly.

Lara was mad. Mad and disappointed that her son, she thought became such an honorable and strong hero on Earth, neglected his son and preferred the one who got powers over him and treated the powerless one like he has no right to even meet his grandparents. And mad because her son ruined her attempt to give her other grandson a sense of his origin, too.

Clark knew that there was no apology and no reason for his mistakes. And that Jonathan's powers, Lara told were coming soon, were not the solution for the rift between them, that grew ever since the boys learned the truth and the family moved to Smallville.

Clark landed on the open terrace of the fortress and went inside. The box with his father's crystal inside in his hands, Clark went closer to the podium and activated his mother's crystal.

"Did you and your son reconcile?" was everything Lara said. No hello! No formal greeting. She began straight with the issue.

"Not yet! But I am working on it…" Clark began before he saw his mother turning away again. "… mother… please… listen! I am really on it! I swear by my soul. And I planned something! But I need to hear your experts opinion."

Lara faced him again and crossed her arms. Clark felt so scared like never before by his biological mother's holographic image. But she was right: She saw Jonathan's memories. She knew him better than anyone else in the entire universe. She knew better than anyone else what Jonathan wanted and what he needed. She saw all the moments Jonathan needed someone but was left alone because Clark preferred to train Jordan or bring him to the fortress while Jonathan felt more and more unloved and unwanted.

"What is it?"

"Well… you know I procrastinated to introduce Jonathan to his grandfather until it was too late..."

"And your reasons were absolutely unacceptable! Being Kryptonian has nothing to do with powers. No matter that humanity is convinced of that. If you would share more about our world with the humans, they may be less afraid or biased on our people."

"Yeah…" Clark's face became red. This was a matter for another time. "… but… ehm… what I meant to say, I hoped there would be a way to retrieve some data from Jor-El's crystal. I hoped, I would find a way to show him his grandfather at least."

Lara guessed it as a desperate and ridiculous attempt, but also as a well-meant gesture. Her son simply doesn't know better.

"I need to see the leftovers of your father's crystal. I see what I can do for Jonathan." She really wanted to help Jonathan.

She always wanted to meet both her grandsons. Ever since she was in the body of her son's friend and learned about their existence. And especially after everything she learned about her son's Tal's plan and how the boys got hurt. And she was happy when she met Jordan for the first time. Waiting for Jonathan to show up. And devastated to learn, how her son first did not introduce him to Jor-El, then never took him to meet her and then saw in his memories how much the boy felt left out. And that only because of powers.

Clark nodded at her respond and put the pieces on the examination table so Lara could see if there was anything left. Clark watched her closely and really hoped that there was a way to recover anything, so Jonathan would at least get a picture of his grandfather.

"The crystal itself can't be restored. But I can recover some of the data on it. I should be able to get enough and safe it here. And maybe I will be able to create at least an image of your father for Jonathan." Lara explained. She was optimistic that Jon gets at least to know how his grandfather looked like.

"Thank you!" for the first time in almost a week, Clark smiled.

"Where is he?"

"He… is with a friend now. In Metropolis! He… was born there and grew up there until he learned who I am. He will return home tomorrow."

"Does his powers have been showing up?" Lara asked.

"Not that I know!" Clark said.

The powers were like a red trigger for Jonathan. It was Jonathan's fear that he only get's Clark's respect and his love if he has powers. Clark knew that and Lara knew that, too.

"If you would have taken your son Jonathan to your grandfather, too and if you would had involved him more and considered that being Kryptonian is more than having powers, he would be prepared better. You can't spare him from his origins!"

"It was not my purpose!"

"I talked to him, and I saw his memories. He was so fixed on being human and being normal. He thinks that he is not normal! But he is! This is the way he was born." Lara said. "If you want human children, you must adopt human children! But just like Jordan, Jonathan is of Kryptonian descent, too. And he needs to know about his origins, too. I've seen how much he is struggling with his identity and his place in the world. What would you say if the people on Earth would all say that you don't deserve to know anything about the world just because you are not like them?"

Clark thought about it. He didn't like it. "Jonathan… is a good boy. Strong, self-confident, stubborn like a Lane… pride like an El… supportive like a Kent… he deserves better. And… you are right mother! If I had taken him to the fortress, too and involved him better in anything or gave him a sense of it… it… aww…"

"When your son had no memories… and was only himself… he was so keen to know everything. How happy he was to learn about our family history, about Krypton and our language. This is what I and your father were hoping for when we send you to Earth. Not that you teach them to fly. To live on the legacy of our people. Our culture, our language, and our technology. You don't share anything of Krypton with the humans on Earth."

"Many humans fear me! No matter how many good things I do!" Clark explained. He sometimes thought about it. Giving humanity more information about Krypton, about himself or some technology. But in the wrong hands, this stuff could cause great chaos.

"And your own son fears you, too! And now he fears himself and his powers! He was so embarrassed for not knowing anything about Krypton when he faced me. But he is normal! He is what he is born as: The son of a Kryptonian! Just like his brother! I will help you with your plan. But I tell you Kal… I don't do it for you. I do it just for Jonathan!"

"Of course!" Clark agreed and was grateful for his mothers help.

Jonathan left a lasting impression on her! Clark realized it. In those few hours they spend together, Jonathan and Lara grew so close together. Even before she saw all his memories and realized how bad he got treated. She wanted to bring him on the same level as his brother. Clark understood that. He failed in it… that's why he decided to ask for help this time. And so, he assisted his mother in recovering as much as possible data from Jor-El's crystal…

Jonathan meanwhile stood in the bathroom of Timmy Tanner's house and prepared for the party he, Timmy and their friends would attend to tonight…

It was a great week. Jonathan hadn't sleep so well in months. And the Tanners were so kind and friendly to him. Finally Jonathan got a chance to feel like a teenager again. And not like a failed Kryptonian experiment that does not deserve anything.

But as much as Jon wanted this week to never end, he was forced to return to Smallville tomorrow…

School was going to start again on Monday. He missed Jordan. And there was an appointment with principal Balcomb again. And Jonathan wanted to face his haters, who all came up with lame apologies, hoping he could convince Timmy's parents to pull back the charges. But Timmy's parents were definitely not going to do that. Jonathan was determined to show everyone that he is not afraid of them and that they will regret that they hurt his friend who had nothing to do with anything.

This time they were not able to blame him for everything. This time they knew that they scored an own goal.

And he wanted to look into Mr. Gaines (the title coach he already lost for good) directly into his eyes and confront him with his own mistakes. The video of Mr. Gaines confession, that he knew about Timmy Ryan's doping all the time was still running threw the Internet and put a shame on the team, nobody couldn't ignore. And this time, nobody was able to blame Jonathan for it. A woman from Smallville tried to. But that brought her only trouble with the police and a terrible shitstorm in the Internet.

And there was of course the Instagram-post of that pilot who revealed to the world that Superman is giving flying-lessons to a boy, everyone was convinced is his son. The whole world demanded answers. The people, the politicians, the DOD…

Every time Jon thought about it, he felt that urge to vomit. But he had to go threw this. His parents really kept their promise this time. They didn't publish anything. Really waiting for his opinion and his statement. And the fact that they let billions of people wait only to respect him, felt actually good. Like they really care for him this time. And he was looking forward to meet Lara again. He really liked her, and she liked him.

But Jonathan didn't want to spend his last day in his real home-city with brooding about tomorrow. He wanted to have fun!

After dinner (Mrs. Tanner will going to make her awesome salmon-pasta) Jon and Timmy will go to a party of one of Timmy's friends. Jon wanted to have fun before his unavoidable powers will force him to pretend that he is normal. He wanted to laugh with others. Hang out with others. Here in Metropolis he was able to be himself. In Smallville he was forced to hide on a farm from a town full of people who never let him feel welcomed.

Jon just finished to wash his face when he heard a knock on the bathroom door…

"Jon, Jay has called. He will pick us up at 7."

"Nakamura?" Jon asked back.

"Yes!"

"Good! I want to thank him for his support."

Jay Nakamura was a friend of Timmy who ran his own online paper, he called 'The Truth'! And he published the truth about Jonathan's former team. They already met and Jonathan needed to thank him again. The only thing that bothered him a bit was the way Jay was glaring at him. Like he had a crush on him…

Jon grabbled the towel next to the sink to dry his face when it suddenly happened…

It was like the towel in his hands suddenly grew so tall Jonathan was able to see every little fiber. With a loud shriek Jon dropped the towel, shut his eyes close and when he opened them again, he saw everything normal again…

"Jon, is everything all right?" Timmy asked from outside the bathroom.

"Ehm… yeah…" Jon murmured.

It was odd! The last time something like that happened was briefly after he took X-K for the first time. In shock Jon rubbed his eyes… He swore to himself to never ever touch that stuff. The only plausible reason for what happened was that… no! No, not now! He begged that it is not true!

Jon turned around to grab the body-spray from the shelve. But as soon as he held the spray-can in his hand it happened again…

His vision changed and the spray-can literally grew in his hand so big, that Jonathan was able to see every little unevenness on the normally polished spray-can. With a loud shriek, Jon dropped the spray-can and looked around. His vision slowly turned back to normal but suddenly Jon was able to see the corridor beyond the wall…

"Jon?! Jon, what's wrong?" Timmy asked. Now he was worried.

"No, no, no… Please… This is just imagination…" Jonathan wailed and rubbed his eyes. Hoping to turn off his sudden x-ray-vision by this…

"Jon, I come in now!" Timmy said much more worried.

"I am okay…" Jon wailed. But it was a lie.

When he turned around to the door, the wall to the corridor and the door were gone. All he saw was a skeleton approaching him.

"Is really everything all right?" the skeleton asked with Timmy's voice.

This time, Jon let out a terrified scream and stumbled backwards into the bathtub…

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