Clark's hooked on his new little family!

YAY he's there, he's there! And he met them!! And that sculpture was so sad And he's bonding with Lois and getting to know himself and his new family! Woot!

Quite the overwhelming day for our partially reformed assassin, huh? Poor Jonathan and Martha, they never got their son. But at least Clark is getting a taste for genuine kindness now that he is trying to redeem himself.

More Smallville fun to come!

When does an almost friendship become comfortable trust and that trust a warm cocoon? For Clark, perhaps, on a simple shopping trip. But

with the return of his powers after months with out sun,
will the temptation to take to the skies overwhelm him? Will (can) he take Lois? Inquiring minds want to know.

I've been bad with my feedback on this tale, but I really like it. I found Lex' manipulation of his "brother" convincing and reasonable. I also found his decision to utterly control Kal/Clark to the point of creating an unstoppable, undetectable assassin believable.

The only thing I have difficulty in swallowing is that Clark, despite his obvious desire to be a good man, can actually become a productive member of society - or a superhero. Although, if someone had given me a quick summary of the story so far and told me I'd like it a lot, I probably would have disagreed.

I know that this Clark had few choices in his life and was controlled from the time he could talk. I also know that he killed Lois' family, albeit under orders from Luthor. But at this point, I don't see how he can forgive himself, much less get full forgiveness from Bruce or Lois.

But I do like it, from start through this chapter. There's obviously a reckoning with Lex coming, and I have to believe that Bruce, Alfred, and especially Lois will all be on Clark's side. I have no doubt that Batman can take Nigel St. John in a fight, and I'd bet Lois could take the green K from Luthor and free up Clark to do whatever he thinks he needs to do.

I also believe that you'll bring us to a point where we see Clark forgiven and trusted. Will Lois be able to love him? If a woman had killed members of my family, I would find it exceptionally difficult to love her, irrespective of the circumstances. My first inclination would be to put a couple of bullets in her brain. (I don't know that I'd actually do it, but....) I'm pretty sure that my response shows a shortcoming in me, but I don't know how else to react.

Anyway, we'll see what happens. And I just bet it'll be a real corker. Great job!

I just remembered this from chapter 1.


Maybe this tale will end as dark as it started.

It's amazing, isn't it, how something so mundane can mean so much to one person? For Clark, a simple shopping trip is a shining beacon of freedom, independence, trust, and learning to depend on others in a cooperative, rather than controlling, manner. For the first time, he's being treating as an adult and as an equal and it means everything to him.

Yes, his powers will be making a return, sooner or later. But what will he choose to do with them? Has Lois made a big enough impression on him to make him use them responsibly?

It's all coming up, I promise!

Hi, Terry!

Glad you find Lex's actions and motives believable. He's so thoroughly evil, he'd never be able to resist a personal, invulnerable assassin to dispatch his rivals with.

As for Clark, he's got a lot of growing to do before he can function in society, that much is very true. Let alone become a hero to the masses. Which, all things considered, might never come to pass, simply because no one would trust him if word got out that he used to kill people without a second thought. As it is, Lois is a bit of a rare case in that she's able to see past the enslaved assassin that he was to the man he was always meant to be.

Like you, I'm not sure I would have Lois' strength of character if I were in that situation. But, as the show itself pointed out, wherever there's a Clark, there's a Lois meant to be with him.

You're right in saying that Clark may never be able to fully forgive himself for his past, even if Lois and/or Bruce fully absolve him from his misdeeds/sins. He's got a lot of blood on his hands, and regardless of if he kills Lex or helps imprison him by testifying or what have you, it's never going to be something he can wash off. It'll haunt him until the day he dies. And the fact that he was manipulated into that lifestyle (as opposed to freely choosing it) is worse for him than if he'd willingly become the monster he used to be.

Lots of developments still to come in these final chapters, and hopefully you'll find the ending satisfying!

That...depends on your point of view.

Your Kal/Clark is in many ways a Kryptonan Jason Bourne with Lois his Marie. Is there a way to continue these characterizations in other stories-the Kal/Clark chronicles or something?(she respectfully asks)

I never say never, all depends on if inspiration strikes. I was fully inspired for this story by playing a TON of Assassin's Creed Origins last year (and now Odyssey this year).

(I'll admit I watched but don't remember much of the Bourne movies, as it has been a long, long time.)

Absolutely amazing. Especially since most people often find shopping a chore. I loved Clark's reactions in this chapter. And Lois grasping that this was a new experience for him. Whether or not she knows how much it meant to him, well, maybe we'll see that in later chapters.

His awe and astonishment at his first glance at Jonathan's General Store, turning into humility as he asked more than once for help in choosing items was very realistic and shows how quickly he can learn. I loved that he chose slippers and bathrobes for everyone, and suggested they get outfitted for more than one kind of weather. Perhaps this is a glimpse into a future generous, thoughtful Clark? Certainly it is a haunting reminder of what might have been, had Jonathan and Martha found him. And Lois's initially cynical reaction was, well definitely Lois!

And perhaps the best part was the empathy he felt for Martha through one of her modern sculptures. Definitely looking forward to where you take this, and am delighted that there's more Smallville. I do wonder if that farmhouse is a bit familiar... I can wait to find out if you decide to enlighten us.

The reversal of Bruce's joke falling flat and Clark's reaction was priceless.

When I started reading this, I'm not sure I would have believed there could be so much light and humor in Clark's life this quickly. Well done!

Thanks, cuidadora!

So glad you liked Lois and Clark's (very opposite) first reactions to shopping. Lois - to her credit - is at least quick on the uptake, and really, really trying to keep in mind how much of this is new and different for Clark. Of course, as any of us would, she does forget from time to time, simply because things are so normal and routine for her.

And Clark - it's a wonder he didn't crash to his knees in thankfulness and wonder when he went into Jonathan's store. His asking for help is really double-edged - a) he really is clueless about shopping and b) it's a perfect opportunity for him to get to know Lois better. He's not manipulating her - he truly wants her opinions and guidance, but her answers also provide him some insight into her, even if he doesn't fully realize it.

And he's truly trying to make a change in his life. Of course, he's also starting to really warm up to his new "family" and he *wants* to be helpful. Not to impress Lois, but it's becoming more and more habitual for him to be thinking of others, even if he still doesn't totally view Bruce as an ally/friends. Lois is still his main concern of course - he *wants* to make her as comfortable as possible. And it's nice to see him thinking ahead - how long *will* he be laying low in Kansas? Will he have a life of his own when the dust settles?

The farmhouse - I actually *was* going to write it as the Kents' old place but, of course, none of them would actually *know* that it was the old Kent farm. So, feel free to think of it however you want - old Kent farm or random other farm.

Lots more to come - and plenty of it WAFFy!

When Bruce said that they were heading to Kansas, of course I thought that meant Smallville, and I started to wonder about the Kents. In the old Superboy comics, they moved into town when Clark was a kid and ran the general store. I was thinking that it would be cool if you had them running the general store since here they didn't have Clark to help them out on the farm.

I don't know whether you meant Jonathan's General Store and Martha's Closet to be references to the old comics, but I really like what you did with them in Clark's absence. I especially like that you played up Martha's art projects. One of the things I always liked about the Kents' characterizations on the show was that Martha, in particular, had hobbies and interests not related to being a farmer. She was a very well fleshed-out character. You built on that well and took them in a very believable direction.

Hiya!

I've actually never been into the comics so it's quite the happy random coincidence that I had Jonathan and Martha running stores (and the General Store to boot!). I, like you, always loved that Martha had all these various interests and hobbies throughout the series - one episode she was making art, another she was into lasers, etc. So, of course, I had to throw that in. If anything, I think she would have thrown herself even more into her hobbies without her child in her life.

Thanks for reading!