Chapter Text
*Seven Years Ago*
The sound of the ELT sent a pulse of sheer panic through Clark. Not taking any time to make his excuses to the police captain he was talking to, he shot through the sky, zipped through the air, and landed in the middle of his living room, eyes scanning for any hint of danger.
âWhoa! Dad, youâre really fast!â Jon bounced off the sofa, trotted towards Clark, and tugged on the Superman cape.
âWhatâŚâ Clark picked his son up as he took in his surroundings. Jordan was still hunched fearfully on the sofa, and Lois was standing in the middle of the room, warily eyeing a collapsed heap of a person. âWhat happened?â
âIntergang,â Lois filled in bluntly. âSomehow, he got through the upstairs window. He looks like heâs down for the count, but with the boys here I wanted some backup.â
âWell, yeah. Always.â His heart was still hammering, and he reached out to her instinctively, needing to feel her solid presence. âDid heâŚâ
She shrugged as she leaned against him. âWeâre all fine. Just a little shaken up.â
Clark himself was more than âa littleâ shaken up. They had prepared for something like this to happen ever since Luthor had revealed the truth to the world, but some optimistic corner in his brain had hoped itâd never actually happen.
He should have known better. They were all thankfully safe, but as Clarkâs fear eased, the guilt swelled up in place.
âLois, I⌠Iâm so sorry. You shouldnât be in this position.â
She shook her head. âYou know, I married Superman, too. Not just Clark Kent. Sure, I donât think either of us planned for things to be this public, not itâs not like I wasnât prepared for a little action.â
They had certainly seen their fair share of it over the years. This still felt different, though. This one was in their home. It had their kids involved.
Jonathan was putting up a brave front, but he was clinging tightly to Clark in a way he didnât tend to do as much anymore. And Jordan was burrowing even deeper into the cushions on the sofa.
âIâm going to call my dad,â Lois announced. âHe can get a team out here pretty quick to pick this guy up.â
It was a good plan, and Clark was once again grateful for the wonderful, intuitive woman he had married. There was no way he was going to leave his family for even a second; the DOD would need to handle this prisoner transfer on their own.
It still left them with a very unwelcome guest, and Jordan was currently blocked off from the rest of the house by the unconscious man. Striding across the room, Clark squished in close to Jordan. He kept a tight arm around both of his sons.
âAre you okay, bud?â
Jordan shrugged silently. His eyes didnât leave the person on the floor.
âI know itâs really scary,â Clark acknowledged. âBut no matter who is out there in the world, Iâm always going to be here to keep you safe.â
âAnd Mom will, too!â Jon chirped.
Clark chuckled. âAnd Mom will, too. Sheâs probably the bravest of us all. Weâre both going to protect you. No matter what.â
After a beat, Jordan relaxed, burrowing his face into Clarkâs shoulder and allowing himself to be carried out of the room until the DOD team arrived.
The rest of the night was subdued. Both boys were a little out of sorts come bedtime, and Lois made the executive decision for a family sleepover all in the same room.
It was yet another good idea, and Clark realized that he also needed to be comforted by his familyâs close proximity. The sound of Loisâ heartbeat and the boysâ steady breathing grounded him as he lay awake in the dark.
They were all okay. Lois had handled things amazingly and Clark had been able to respond to the ELT signal just like they planned. Tomorrow, they could talk about how to make security at the house even stronger. Theyâd get through it.
But none of that could remove the nagging anxiety that somehow, he wouldnât be able to keep them all safe.
*Present Day*
Jordan still couldnât breathe. Maybe it was because the wind was knocked out of him, or maybe it was because the weight of the metal-suited man was crushing him into the ground. Maybe it was just because he had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do.
There had been a few unsettling incidents over the years, but he had always had his mom or dad with him to see him through. Things were different now. Clearly, the independence that he had been enjoying in Smallville had come with a serious downside. For the first time ever, he was on his own.
âDonât struggle,â the man told him firmly. âI just have some questions for you.â
That still didnât sound good at all. Jordan squirmed uselessly once again, feeling shame creep in at his confidence earlier tonight. Obviously, he was a long way off from being able to do anything against the threats in the world. He wasnât strong enough, he barely had any powersâ
Well, he did have one that the man hadnât thought of. The dangerous ripple of energy lived constantly in his head, even if he had promised his dad that heâd never use it without him there. Maybe this would qualify as an exception.
He slammed his eyes shut, digging deep within himself to find as much strength as he could. The surge of heat coalesced at his temples, and he pushed it outwards before his attacker could realize what was happening.
It was getting easier for him to harness the force he produced, and he kept his head level as the blast of energy left him and charged towards the metal suit. Spiralling wildly, the man blew away from Jordan and landed heavily on the ground.
Jordan stumbled to his feet. His ears were ringing, and the ground tilted underneath him as he fought to keep his balance. The danger was still very much present, but Jordan felt a surge of satisfaction. At least he wasnât completely useless in all this. He could do something.
But he was still in deep trouble. All too soon, the man pulled himself off the ground. A weird red glow was starting to come from his gauntlet, so Jordan plunged his hand in his pocket, grasped the ELT, and smashed the button.
The red light blasted against him, and a sick, weak sensation flooded Jordanâs bones. He sank to his knees as the dizziness got even worse. What the hell was that? It was totally different from anything that he had felt before. Fear coiled in his stomach once again, and he geared himself up to try to push out another blastâ
Then he heard a loud crash, and the trees around them blew down. A flash of red and blue caught his eye, and then his dad was there, standing in between Jordan and the metal suit guy. His eyes flashed red. With weakened bones, Jordan collapsed onto the ground.
âLeave my son alone,â his dad commanded. âYour issue is with me.â
âThatâs where youâre wrong, Kal-El. Iâm here to protect this world from anyone who might be a threat to it.â
âMy son is not a threat!â He raced forwards, ploughing into the metal man and sending him flying. Then he zipped back over to Jordan.
âShouldnâtâŚâ Jordan felt his eyes start to slip closed. âShouldnât you go after him?â
âLater,â his dad replied. âYouâre hurt. Iâm not going to leave you.â
âDad, IâŚâ The world was fading around him. âIâm fineâŚâ
That was the last thing he remembered before he blacked out.
Lois stared out the window at the flat landscape rolling by. The scenery looked perfectly idyllic, but her thoughts inside were anything but. Even after talking things through as a family, she still felt uneasy with what they had decided today, and that unease was certainly not helped by the chatter from her new reporting partner.
âSo, let me get this straight,â Chrissy said as she navigated a left turn. âLast night this mysterious stranger in a metal suit attacked your kid, and you guys are just going about your day like nothing happened?â
âThatâs what we decided to do when we moved out here,â Lois replied, trying to keep her voice even. Truthfully, there was no âjustâ about any of this. She felt sick about the whole thing and had barely managed to keep herself from dragging her boys back into the truck when they had been dropped off at school this morning.
But it was something they had agreed on as a family. Although Lois would feel better with the boys squirrelled away at one of Talâs properties, danger could find them anywhere. In addition, both the boys had been adamant about going to school. Jon hadnât wanted to miss out on the football game coming up tomorrow, and Jordan⌠Well, even if Lois hadnât managed to wrangle any details about his date with Sarah the other night, it wasnât a surprise that he was keen to see her again.
âClark says the suit was damaged. And heâs keeping a careful ear out,â she said, reminding herself at the same time as telling Chrissy. The boys had been annoyed at the thought of their dad paying special attention to the school today, but had quickly latched onto it as a compromise. âHe can be there the second something goes wrong, soâŚâ
It was still tough. She knew that Jordanâs powers had protected him somewhat, but his bruised face and subdued expression this morning was so out of character from what they had seen lately.
And who the hell was this stranger, anyway? He knew Supermanâs real name, had an incredibly high-tech suit, knew how to harness red solar energy into some kind of blast that had hurt her kidâŚ
Something in her expression must have clued Chrissy in, because Lois got a look of sympathy as they pulled up outside of the LuthorCorp satellite office.
âSorry. Maybe I shouldnât have brought it up.â
âNo, itâs fine.â Lois unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her bag. âBut letâs just focus on what we came here for. Do you want me to take the lead with the questions?â
âYeah, sure. Iâve actually never done an interview this big before.â
âWell, itâs probably not that big. Luthorâs still working out of Metropolis, so weâre going to get stuck with some hired peon who wonât say anything withoutâŚâ She didnât get a chance to finish the rest of her sentence. There, standing beside the reception desk was Marcus Bridgewater.
He was leaning his hip against the counter and staring at both her and Chrissy as they entered.
âUh, Lois?â Chrissy leaned in close as she murmured in Loisâ ear. âAnything you want to tell me?â
âWeâve met before,â Lois said bluntly, facing down Marcus with a cool gaze. She didnât expect to like whoever they were going to interview today, but being faced with the creep who had tried to imply that Clark was somehow abusive towards her was more than she bargained for. âMr. Bridgewater, this is my partner, Chrissy Beppo. Sheâs going to be taking the lead on our interview.â
Chrissyâs eyebrows raised at that, but she kept her professional face in place as they made their way to Marcusâ office.
âI can assure you that the work being done on site is in line with all state regulations,â Marcus told them as they settled into place. âWeâre starting the hiring process now, and will be ready to begin work within a few weeks.â
âYou say that youâre complying with regulations, but Mr Luthor has a history of violations. Just because heâs paid the fines doesnât mean it didnât happen.â
Lois felt a glow of satisfaction at Chrissyâs words. This whole âhaving a partnerâ thing wasnât so bad after all.
Marcus frowned faintly. âI donât have any control over what happened in the past, but I can assure you that Iâm doing my best work here. Just like you, I donât want to see this world destroyed by rich, powerful people.â
âAnd yet youâre teaming up with Luthor,â Lois countered.
âLex Luthor is a good partner in many ways. I know there have been some misunderstandings in the past butââ
âMisunderstandings?â A wave of rage swelled up within Lois. âThatâs what youâre calling it?â
Marcus shrugged. âNo wrongdoing was ever proven. People are always innocent until proven guilty, right?â
Ordinarily, Lois took that ideal seriously. Reporters were often too eager to tarnish someoneâs good name in search of a headline. But Luthor was different and the fact that Marcus was blind to it made her temper boil. As if the disgusting comments about Clark hadnât been enough.
âLois.â Chrissy had spoken quietly, but it managed to pierce through her fog.
No matter what, they still had an interview to do, and if she couldnât put her feelings asideâŚ
âMaybe I should leave you two to finish up,â she decided, gathering her things in a smooth swipe as she stood. âI donât think Iâm getting anywhere here.â
She left the building as quickly as she could, cursing when she remembered that Chrissy had the keys. As she leaned against the hood of the car, she tilted her head up to look at the cold, grey clouds.
âIâm okay,â she murmured into the sky on the off chance that Clark had heard what had just happened. He said he never listened in, but she knew that the boys werenât the only ones he was keeping a closer watch on today.
She probably shouldnât have let Marcus Bridgewater get to her so easily. Lots of people in the world had fallen into the Luthor trap, after all. But there was something about him that rankled her as she thought about it. An instinct deep within her told her that something was going on beneath the surface. Somehow, in some way, he was lying to her.
And she wasnât going to stop until she figured it out.
Sarah was simmering with a mix of righteous rage and excitement when she got to school that morning. The conversation with her mom and dad last night had gotten nowhere, but she was all the more determined to keep dating Jordan no matter what they said.
As soon as she walked in the building, she picked him out of the crowd: head buried in his locker and Jonathan standing beside him.
âHey!â She quickly closed the distance between them. âSorry I didnât text last night, butâ Holy crap what happened?!â
His face was swollen and bruised, and there was a stiffness to his movements as he turned around to face her.
âItâs not that big a deal,â he said, pulling his curls down to cover more of his face.
âYeah right! Jordan, this isâ I didnât even know you could get hurt like this!â
It didnât make sense. He had powers, didnât he? Yeah, not as strong as his dad, but strong enough that anyone in Smallville couldnât hurt him, right?
âHe heals faster but he can still get hurt,â Jonathan filled in quietly. âAnd last night this guy whoâs been after our dad decided to come after Jordan, too.â
âBut it wasnât that big of a deal,â Jordan rushed to say. âI fought him off a bit and then my dad came right away soââ He grunted, face crumpling into a wince when a nearby locker closed.
âAre you okay?â She took a step towards him.
âYeah. I just have a bad headache. But otherwise Iâm fine.â
Skeptically, Sarah chewed on her lip as she looked him over. He really didnât look fine. And even though she had staunchly defended him last night to her parents, a flutter of unease stirred within her as she took in the sight of his bruises.
How many high school freshmen got attacked like this walking home in Smallville? And what would have happened if this creepy stranger had decided to make his move when Sarah was with Jordan? Would she have gotten hurt, too? And maybe even worse than him?
But she couldnât let her nerves fail her after everything she had said to her parents last night. Steeling her nerves, she faced him square on.
âIâm glad youâre gonna heal up soon. Do you know how longââ
The bell rang, and she sighed. There never seemed to be enough time before class to do the important things. And Jon was standing right there while she was really hoping to talk to Jordan alone.
âHey, do you want to walk down the Spanish⌠Jordan? Whatâs wrong?â
He was digging his fingers into his temples as he leaned against the bank of lockers. Jon looked just as concerned as Sarah felt, and he put a hand on Jordanâs shoulder.
âJordan? Whatâs goingâ Oh, shit!â
A subtle glow was collecting at Jordanâs temples, and Sarah sucked in a gasp. She had seen that once beforeâŚ
They were drawing attention from everyone else. Murmurs rippled through the hall and Jordan hunched further down as he groaned. The glow wasnât going away.
âJordan, just breathe,â Jon coached. âRemember how you practiced with Dad? Just breathe and thenââ
âMy head hurts,â Jordan ground out.
âI know.â Jon jammed his hand in his pocket. âJust hold tight, Iâm getting Dad.â
As soon as Sarah blinked, Mr. Kent was standing in the hallway, hands on Jordanâs shoulders.
âWhat happened?â he demanded.
Curious students craned their necks to get a better look, even more invested now that Superman had arrived.
âShouldnât you guys be getting to class?â Sarah snapped. âJust give him space.â
She got a few dirty glares, but people thankfully started to move on their way.
âI donât know whatâs going on!â Jonathan hovered beside his brother. âEverything was normal and thenââ
âThe bell was loud,â Jordan explained. A red glow was flickering in his eyes, and he groaned again as he clutched his head.
âI need to get you to the Fortress,â Mr. Kent decided. Then he turned to look at his other son âJonathan, youâre coming with me, too.â
âBut Dadââ
âWeâre sticking together today, remember?â
âIâll tell your teachers where youâve gone,â Sarah volunteered. It seemed like a really small thing to offer, but Mr. Kent nodded in relief.
âThanks, Sarah. Thatâd be great.â
Then, in the blink of an eye, they were all gone, and she was left alone. Blowing out a heavy sigh, she leaned against the lockers. That had been scary. She would never admit it to Jordan, but the idea of him losing control in the middle of the school hallwaysâŚ
At least he hadnât. Mr. Kent had come and was going to help Jordan through it. Everything would be fine.
Sarah still wasnât sure if she wanted to be around for the next time something like that happened.