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.
Chapter 2
Notes:
I had some weird formatting issues when posting this, so please let me know if you notice any odd paragraph/line breaks as you're reading.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
*Seven Years Ago*
âHey, boys? Calebâs here for you.â Clark watched both of his sonsâ faces light up as they abandoned their toys and raced across the living room to greet their friend.
It had taken a lot of figuring out, but finally, Clark and Lois had been able to arrange a real, in person visit from a friend for the boys. The security issues still made him worry both for his sonsâ and for Calebâs safety, but he knew that having friends was an essential part of life, and he wasnât going to let the world take that away from his kids.
Seeing the boys finally be able to play with a friend was a huge moment, and Clark indulged in watching it until Lois gently took his elbow and steered him into the kitchen.
âThey can probably do without an audience, babe.â
âYeah, youâre right. I just wish there was more we can do for the boys. Everythingâs been so tough for them since Luthor.â
Lois nodded tightly. Then she wrapped her arms around him and ducked in close. Leaning into the embrace, Clark closed his eyes. Their problems werenât exactly solved, but it felt better to face them with Lois at his side.
Lazily, his hearing drifted towards the room beside them.
âYour house seems normal,â Caleb commented.
âWell, yeah,â Jon replied. âItâs always been normal.â
âBut you donât have any, uh, space alien stuff here?â
âNo. Everythingâs pretty much the same as the last time you were here.â
Clark didnât have his eyes trained on the living room, but he could sense the wary edge in Jonâs voice as he replied. It wasnât fair, but people viewed the boys differently now that they knew the truth of their heritage. But it had to work out eventually, right? Kids were adaptable and Caleb would figure out that his friends were pretty much the same as they had always been.
Anyway, as disappointing as it might be for a seven-year-old, Jon was right. Most of Clarkâs Kryptonian artifacts were stored either at the farm or the Fortress. Originally, that had been to prevent the boys from stumbling across anything, but now it felt like a good plan for securityâs sake.
Lois was nudging him. âEverything going okay?â
âI thought you said they didnât need an audience.â
âDoesnât mean I donât want to know. Do you think they want a snack? I can take something in.â
But it was only a minute longer until the boys all trotted into the kitchen.
âMom, can we go to the park?â Jon asked, head tilted up hopefully.
Clark stilled. The constant requests for visits to the park, the library, or the swimming pool had mostly died out, and he thought his kids understood how things were now. Maybe they should have explained to the boys that just because they had a friend over didnât mean that things were back to normal.
âSorry, sweetie, remember that the park is too busy for us,â Lois replied. She tried to keep her voice light, but Clark could sense the tension behind it.
âOh. Right.â Jonâs shoulders slumped.
But Caleb was still confused. âWhat do you mean by busy?â
âShe means that there could be bad guys there. Or people wanting to take our picture.â It was the first thing Jordan had said so far, and Clark felt a bubble of guilt at hearing his already shy son explain why being out in public was dangerous for them. It was the opposite direction he had wanted Jordan to grow in.
âWell, can you fly us somewhere thatâs not busy, Mr. Superman?â Caleb asked.
Clark hesitated. Out of necessity, he had flown Caleb here, and of course the boy had been enthralled with the whole experience. But this visit was meant for the boys to be together, and he knew that Loisâ earlier instincts were right all along. Jonathan and Jordan needed to be able to play with their friend without their dad pulling attention the whole time.
âItâs still Mr. Kent,â he corrected gently. âAnd Iâll fly with you again when I take you home, but for now how about you boys play together inside? Thereâs all those Legos upstairs.â
Grudgingly, the boys trooped upstairs to dig into the Legos and that at least kept them occupied for a while. The rest of the visit passed easily enough, but as he flew away from the McDonald house after dropping Caleb off, Clark couldnât help but stew about it.
It was a good thing that the boys were adjusting to their new reality, but already the differences between them and Caleb were more stark than Clark expected. His sons couldnât walk down the block to the neighbourhood park whenever they wanted, and they couldnât even have a friend over without him being airlifted in and out. Sure, they also got Superman flights whenever they wanted, but was it worth the trade-off?
Clark couldnât shake the feeling that it ultimately wasnât.
*Present Day*
The headache was fading, but from what he had just learned at the fortress, Jordan wasnât sure if that was a good thing.
âHeâs healing,â his dad explained to the rest of the family as they gathered in the living room, âbut the damaged cells are being repaired stronger than ever and itâs causing a sudden increase in his abilities. The headaches and ocular episodes are from sensory overload as his superhearing settles in.â
Jon sat forward in his seat. âWait, so, heâs getting superhearing? Thatâs cool, right?â
âI mean, only if you call super-migraines cool,â Jordan muttered.
âItâll be an adjustment,â his dad said encouragingly. âI know itâs tough now with it fading in and out, but once it sets in properly, Iâll teach you how to manage it.â
The whole thing sounded totally daunting, especially when Jordan remembered the couple times already that he had been overwhelmed. How the hell was he supposed to handle that all the time?
âWeâll keep you at home until it evens out,â his mom said as she gave his arm a supportive squeeze. âI donât know what it feels like, but Iâm going to be here for you. We all are.â
âWait, Jordanâs staying at home, but I can still go to the football game, right?â Jon worried. âDad, itâs the biggest one of the season!â
âItâs not like youâre even gonna play,â Jordan pointed out.
âHey.â His mom frowned. âItâs important to your brother, Jordan.â
Feeling a flicker of regret, Jordan muttered a quick apology. Yeah, sure, it was important to Jon, but it felt totally abstract to Jordan. He couldnât even go to school right now; the thought of riding a packed bus into a busy city and hanging out in the stands sent him into an anxious spiral.
His dad was hesitating, too. âThe plan was for us all to stick together.â
âDad!â
The outburst wasnât something that Jonathan really did, and Jordan could see it had an effect on his parents as well.
âClark, you two can still go. I can stay with Jordan, and Iâll know youâll keep an ear out for trouble.â
But Jordanâs dad was shaking his head. âI know you can handle yourself, Lois, but Jordanâs powers are unstable right now. And if the stranger comes, that would make things even worse.â
A lump settled in Jordanâs throat. His episode at school had been awful, not only because he had been in such pain, but also because he had almost lost control again in full view of his peers. The thought of something like that happening when it was just him and his mom⌠Thereâs no way heâd let himself hurt her, but did he actually have any say in that?
And she wasnât backing down. âWeâll have Tal hang around,â she decided. âHe can help out with the stranger or with Jordan if something happens.â
That seemed like a decent compromise. Jordan liked his uncle well enough, and at least thereâd be someone around who knew what to do with unstable, potentially explosive powers.
But part of him just wished that it wasnât even happening.
Lois wished things were like it was when the boys were six and most issues could be solved with a hug and a bowl of ice cream. Instead, life had gotten more and more complicated, and the latest development of Jordanâs powers made that even more clear.
He had been wandering listlessly around the house all day now. Tal had put in a valiant effort to make conversation, but Jordan had shrugged all of it off, instead burying his head in his phone and flinching at any sound that he didnât expect.
It wasnât that it was actually overstimulating him; both Tal and Clark had assured her of that. Instead, it was more like he was on edge for what that sound could possibly bring. He was waiting for the moment when everything would finally settle into place and heâd be faced with filtering all the sounds of the world at once.
She had no idea what that was like, and even after she had spent an hour late last night relentlessly quizzing Clark on the whole experience, it was obvious that she was out of her depth.
Did Jordan feel that, too? He had been giving her a wide berth most of the day, and even if it went against her instincts, she was trying to give him space as he worked through all of this. In the past, he had always come to her when he needed her. Surely, it was still the same.
She was almost glad when the doorbell rang and gave her a distraction. But then she opened the door to Marcus Bridgewater.
âWhat are you doing here?â Years of dealing with public attention had led her to be even more short-tempered with people approaching her. Clark was always kind and courteous to everyone who demanded a bit of his time, but she didnât need to act the same way.
âI just came to mend fences,â Marcus replied. There was a wary, but genuine smile on his face. âI think we got off on the wrong foot.â
âYeah, well, youâre working for the man who destroyed my life. Not sure weâre going to find a lot of common ground.â She shifted her weight onto her hip. Why did he care so much about what she thought? Itâs not like they ever had to work together.
âLook, Loisââ
âMs. Lane.â
âMs. Lane,â he corrected smoothly. âJust because Lex Luthor has made mistakes in the past doesnât mean that the work heâs doing today isnât important.â
Anger prickled within her. âIt wasnât a mistake to rip away the privacy of my family. It was a vindictive move designed to distract from the very real crimes he was committing. He knew exactly what he was doing.â
âWell, Superman was hiding something big from the rest of the world.â
âSuperman is a public image,â Lois countered. âClark was just living his life in a way that everyone absolutely deserves to do, no matter what planet they were born on. He could
have chosen to keep his powers to himself, you know. Instead, he decided to use
them to help people and the only thanks he got wasââ
âMom?â
Blinking, Lois turned around to face Jordan. He was standing at the foot of the stairs, hands shoved in his hoodie pocket as he stared at her with wide eyes.
She forced herself to take a breath. Usually, she could keep those thoughts inside her head, and it was best to continue that with a son who was developing the exact same powers as her husband.
âSorry, Jordan, did you hear me upstairs?â
âYeah.â He shrugged. âNot, like, heard you, heard you. Just, uh, normalâŚâ His eyes skittered across Marcusâ face.
âWell, things are fine here, sweetie. Your uncleâs in the kitchen; why donât you go talk with him for a bit?â She didnât like where this conversation was going, and having Jordan listen in on it would make it even worse.
He willingly scurried out of sight, but Marcusâ eyes followed him all the way.
âI thought heâd be at school right now.â
âHeâs been sick,â she replied shortly. It was an oversimplification, but the entire damn world already knew too much about Jordanâs developing powers, this guy didnât need a private update.
Marcusâ eyebrows lifted. âI, uh, didnât realize he could get sick.â
She glared at him. âJordan might have heat vision, but mostly heâs a kid just like any other.â
âRightâŚâ He dropped his eyes down to his feet. âLook, youâre right: this was a bad idea. I should leave you to your family.â
He trudged down the stairs and turned towards his vehicle before Lois could give him much of a response. He was driving an RV, of all things, and she leaned against the doorframe as she watched him crunch down the drive and head out onto the road.
What the hell had that been about?
Jonathan knew that he was making a bigger deal over this football game than it deserved, but he couldnât bring himself to stop. He was really starting to gel with the team, and facing off against Metropolis was a huge deal to all of them. Coach Gaines had been pushing them hard at practice for weeks, lecturing constantly about the other teamâs skills. With an increasing sense of pride, Jon had been nailing his role as backup quarterback. Maybe he would finally get a chance to hit the field this time?
He tried to temper his excitement as he waited to board the bus with the rest of his teammates.
âClark!â Coach Gainesâ eyes widened. âI, uh, didnât expect you to be on the bus with us.â
âOh, wellâŚâ Jonâs dad shrugged as he adjusted his Crows hat. âIâm here to help, right? Put me to work, Coach.â
âOkay⌠OkayâŚâ Coach Gaines nodded dazedly and Jon tried not to sigh.
Too many people in the world couldnât seem to see past his dadâs other persona, and this case was particularly weird with his usually bossy and overbearing coach tripping over himself any time Clark Kent was nearby.
âYou want to ride in the front with me?â Coach finally suggested. âThese boys know to behave themselves on the trip into town.â
It was a plan that Jonathan was also a fan of. Having his dad come on this trip in the middle of everything with Jordan and the crazy metal suit guy meant a lot but also⌠It was kind of nice to hang out with his friends in the back of the bus. After seven years, Jon could finally just be normal.
Although he had lived in Metropolis for most of his life, he hadnât gone to regular school here in years, so he didnât care too much about the school they were facing off against. And he actually didnât care that they spent the entire first quarter getting creamed by the home team. All that mattered was that he was standing with his team and participating just like any other kid. It wasnât until Timmy Ryan got his elbow sprained by a particularly rough tackle that things started to change for him.
Coach was stomping and swearing on the sidelines, and finally Jon saw his chance.
âLooks like you need a QB, Coach,â he commented casually, bouncing on his toes as he looked out onto the field.
Gaines pivoted slowly. âYouâre right on that, Kent. You think youâre ready to play?â
Jonathan drew a breath to respond, but Coach Gaines cut him off.
âYou know, actually, it doesnât matter. Either way weâre heading for a loss. Youâre up, #12.â
Barely believing his luck, he flashed a smile towards his dad before he trotted onto the field. All those hours at practice, all the sweat and effort and drive⌠It was all going to pay off. And who knows? Maybe heâd be even better than Coach Gaines thought he would. Maybe heâd turn the whole game around, earn the team a touchdown, and get the game ball. Maybe heâdâ
The harsh sound of a whistle cut through his musings, and he turned to see the ref waving and jogging towards them.
âTimeout!â he called.
Confused, Jonathan watched as Coach Gaines went over to talk to the coach for the Metropolis team. Whatever was wrong, it was obviously a big deal. Both men were waving their arms and glaring at each other. Then Coach Gaines looked at Jon with a weirdly heavy expression.
Stomach clenching, Jon jogged back over to the sidelines in time to meet up with his dad and Gaines.
âTheyâre refusing to play if Jonâs on the field.â
Jon felt his stomach tighten further at his coachâs words. âWhat? Why?â
There was an uncomfortable silence, and then it finally clicked. He was Supermanâs kid. Of course a bunch of high schoolers would think that it was unfair for him to be playing against them. Even if they were totally wrong about it.
His dad seemed to be fully aware of the problem. âLook, I understand where the issue might be, but Jonathan doesnât have any powers. Weâve been checking regularly for that very reason. If they want to see documentation, I can provide that.â
Shoulders drooping, Jon pulled off his helmet. The whole âno powersâ thing had been weirdly uncomfortable for a while now, and having it be the center of conversation right now just⌠Well, it sucked. He was the only kid here whose biology was being called into question, and yet he was also a total failure as a Kryptonian.
âThat might be good in the future,â Coach Gaines allowed. âBut it doesnât help us now. The Metropolis team got a call into the HSFA and weâll have to forfeit the game if I keep Jon on the field.â
Glancing over to the rest of his team sitting on the sidelines, Jon felt a weight settle in his throat. They would be better off with literally no one on the field rather than Jon.
âItâs fine,â he said stiffly, letting the helmet slip through his fingers and fall to the ground. âI donât have to play.â
âJonathanââ
âNo, Dad, itâs whatever. I should have known this wasnât going to work out.â He couldnât face saying anything to his teammates, and so he just pivoted on his heel and walked towards⌠Well, he didnât even know where the hell he was going. All he knew was that he had to get away.
There were people in the stands, the locker rooms were the other direction, and any second he was going to run into someone from the Metropolis team.
His dad was jogging up beside him. âJon.â
âDad, can we just get out of here? Please?â
There was a beat of painful silence, and then finally his dad nodded. âYeah. Of course. Hold on.â
They landed in a barren cornfield, and it didnât take Jon long to spot the farmhouse in the distance. They were back in Smallville. Back in the place where he had thought for one stupid moment that he actually belonged with the rest of the world.
âJon, can we talk about this?â
Shrugging out of his jersey and shoulder pads, Jon stared down at the dirt. âWhatâs there to talk about? I thought I could be on the team and it turns out I canât, soâŚâ
âI should have done more checking into it,â his dad said. âI shouldnât have assumed that everything would be okay.â
Jon let out a huff. âYeah, well, Coach Gaines should have, too. Like, he didnât check at all before heâŚâ Offered Jon a chance, let him get attached, let him hope.
âI think the whole thingâs kind of unprecedented, bud.â
That was certainly a painful truth. It had been his reality for years now, and he was sick of it. Being unprecedented sucked.
âBut look, Jon, we can still figure things out. I can appeal to the HSFA and make your case. Thereâs really no reason why you shouldnât be allowed to play, and we can prove that.â
By having his pitiful limitations documented and submitted to whatever idiots were in charge of the High School Football Association? He didnât want them digging into the embarrassing truth of his powerlessness. Not that he actually wanted powers. He just wanted⌠Well, he had no idea what the hell he wanted. All he knew was that he needed his dad to butt out.
âCan we just drop it?â
âJon, I get being different and how thatâs hard. When I was growing upââ
As much as he loved his dad, this was the last thing he wanted to hear right now. âDad, when you were growing up you had powers! And no one knew that you were actually an alien. Donât tell me you get it because itâs totally different. Weâre different.â He felt a flicker of regret at the sight of his dadâs stunned face. âLook, I just want to be on my own for a bit, okay?â
âYeah. Sure. Weâll talk about this later.â
Hopefully, itâd be never, but Jon was willing to take what he could get. He hauled his pads back to the house, and was just about to head inside when he caught sight of his brother moping on the porch.
When Jonathan approached, Jordan lifted his head and frowned. âThe gameâs over already?â
âNo. It, uh⌠Whatever, I donât want to talk about it.â
âOkay.â Jordan eyed him warily before finally shrugging. âWell, Iâve still got no sign of superhearing. Iâm kind of ready for it to just come already.â
Jon raised an eyebrow. âIsnât it supposed to hurt?â
âWell, yeah, but itâs gonna come eventually, right? I might as well get it over with.â
Swallowing, Jon stared at his twin brother. How was it that the same guy he had shared a room with as a little kid was so calmly (and even eagerly at some times) accepting of actual superpowers? Like it was some inevitable part of growing up just like learning to drive or having to shave.
âOh, hey, since youâre here, want to go bug Uncle Tal to take us to his fortress? I think we can convince him and Grandma to teach us some Kryptonian swears if Dadâs not there.â
Jonathan frowned at his brotherâs suggestion. Usually, he was up for a trip to visit either of his Kryptonian grandparents, but how much of the conversation today was going to be taken up with discussing Jordanâs powers? It was something that Jon couldnât relate to at all. And it wasnât what he wanted. For weeks, he had been putting in the time at practice, making connections with his teammates, developing his football skills, and nowâŚ
âJon? Bro, whatâs going on?â
âNothing!â he snapped. âMaybe I donât want to sweat my ass off in the desert learning a language that only four people in the entire world speak!â
Jordan flinched. âOkay, butââ
âJust drop it, Jordan!â Backing away from his brother, Jon hunched his shoulders. âLook, you can go be a superteen or whatever, but weâre nothing alike. Maybe itâs time we realized that.â
Did he even really mean that? It had come out faster than he realized, and he found he couldnât take them back, even after he heard the wounded gasp coming from Jordan. They were different now, right? Jordan had his whole powers thing and Jon hadâŚ
Well, he didnât know what the hell he had, but he knew what he was missing. He scuffed his foot on the wooden porch boards, unable to bring his eyes up.
âJonâŚâ
He sighed. âLook, man, I didnâtââ
A pained groan escaped Jordan, and Jon pushed through his guilt to lift his head.
Jordan was digging his hands into his scalp, eyes once again glowing with dangerous red light. But thatâs not all that was glowing. Pulsing sparks collected at his temples, racing up and down his neck as they grew in intensity.
âHoly shit⌠Jordan, whatâs happening?â
It was too much for his brother to respond. Instead, Jordan groaned again and then collapsed onto the porch. His limbs started to twitch wildly.
âDad! Dad, you gotta come quick!â Finding the ELT was beyond Jonâs capabilities right now, but thankfully his dad was keeping an ear out. He was right at Jordanâs side in a flash, head bent down in careful examination.
âItâs happening,â he announced. âI got to get him to the Fortress. Stay here with Tal, Jon.â
Head craned upwards, Jon watched his dad and his brother disappear into the sky. It had to be Jordanâs superhearing, right? Thatâs what this had all been leading up to? It was way more terrifying than Jon had thought it would be. Hopefully, the knowledge at the Fortress would help Jordan stabilize and heâd be back at home soon.
But no matter how well-adjusted heâd be when he returned, it meant thereâd be yet another difference wedged between them, joining the increasing super strength and the deadly laser eyes.
Jon and his brother would be further apart than ever before.
Notes:
Sorry, Jon. I didn't break your arm (this time) but I did break your heart! đŹ