Lois & Clark Forums Forums Active Threads This Week

Complete Ficlet
Comments

Story

Let me know what you think.

Happy Ficlet Friday!
I was not planning to post anything today. But my daughter wrote a little story which inspired me to write a little something myself. I also realized that poor Krypto hasn’t been out for a walk in a while so I’m going to jump in and take on the Walk the Dog Challenge.

I believe the rules state that the story can take place at any time in Krypto’s existence, so I’m going to jump into the future with this one. Credit goes to my daughter, SK, for the original story “Coco and the Wolves,” included with her permission.

Walk the Dog: Storytime
By AmandaK and SK

Krypto’s tongue lolled out of his mouth as he yawned widely. Plodding into the living room, he leapt up onto the couch and made himself comfortable next to Clark’s boy-pup, Jon. Jon was using one of those devices that flashed lights and made noise, but he spared a hand to scratch Krypto behind the ear, much to the dog’s delight.

“Mom doesn’t like it when you get on the couch, Krypto,” Jon said but he continued scratching.

Krypto just huffed and tilted his head to give the boy better access.

Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps preceded another small human into the room. Clark’s girl-pup, Laura, stopped and looked around before spying Jon and plopping herself on the boy’s other side.

“Jon! Jon! Read my story!” Laura insisted. She pushed a piece of paper into her brother’s lap.

Jon frowned and pushed the paper back. “Have Mom read it.”

“Mom’s at work.”

“Then, have Dad read it.”

“Dad’s making dinner.”

“Dad can read it in like a second.”

“But I want you to read it. Please!”

Krypto huffed again and looked up at the pups. He wished they would stop bickering.

Jon rolled his eyes but put his device down and took the paper. “Fine. What’s your story called?”

“It’s called, Coco and the Wolves,” Laura answered with a smile.

Jon started to read. “Mom had a dog. The dog was named Coco.” Jon paused. “He should be named Krypto.”

Krypto lifted his head at the sound of his name and woofed softly.

“Krypto is Dad’s dog.”

“Krypto is totally Mom’s dog.”

“Whatever. Just keep reading.”

“Coco went in to a cave – into should be one word.”

“Don’t edit my copy. Just read!”

“The cave had wolves. The wolves went after Coco. Coco ran away. Mom hugged Coco and they lived happily ever after. The end.”

Laura grinned at her brother. “I wrote it all by myself. Did you like it?”

Jon shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess. It’d be better if it was Krypto though. Krypto wouldn’t run away from dumb wolves. He’d get them with his heat vision.”

“But it’s not about Krypto.”

“Well, it should be.”

“I can’t spell Krypto.”

“That’s easy! It’s K-R- um… uh…”

“See! You can’t spell it either.”

“Dad! How do you spell Krypto?” Jon called. Then the boy pushed himself up off the couch and started for the kitchen with Laura right behind him.

Krypto let out another yawn and smacked his mouth a few times. Then he rolled on his back and sprawled over the full length of the couch. Human pups were strange.

So, you've written a fic, right? Or maybe you're in the process of writing one.

Most likely, that story's universe is now different from the main LnC canon in some way, right? Its own little world, yeah?

Now...write a new story set in that world. It may or may not be "canon" to your original fic; maybe your story had Clark fighting Lex Luthor's Crazy Sister, but you want to write about them playing cards together instead. Anything goes; this is just an excuse to explore these worlds and characters a little more.

Hello!
I am looking for someone to beta and/or let me bounce ideas off of for a story I started years ago and desperately want to finish. To be honest, I'm not sure if:
- my original idea needs to be thrown out and take the pieces of it that I still like and put them in a new story.
- finish the original idea and make this story a completely independent story
- ditch the new stuff I've written and go back to the original premise

The original story is titled Zenith and has 5 parts posted on fanfiction.net. It explores the possibility that Superman's blindness was not reversed and so he leaves Metropolis to begin a new life somewhere else to keep people connecting a blind Superman to a blind Clark Kent. Let me know if you have any questions and/or would be interested in helping out. Thank you!

Complete Ficlet
Comments

Happy Ficlet Friday!
Today’s story is a standalone fic (for now… maybe), unrelated to TNTCA. It is an AU where Clark, and the world as a whole technically, had a different past than in the series. Much will be revealed as you read but don’t expect everything to get wrapped up neatly. It’s something of a no context story. I don’t know if or when I’ll continue it. But I’ve had these scenes in my head for awhile just begging to be written, so here they are.

Special thanks to QueenoftheCapes and CarrieRene for helping me hash out a title.

District K: Injustice
By AmandaK

Clark Kent allowed his eyes to wander as Perry White silently perused his portfolio. He was slightly bemused by the abundance of Elvis memorabilia, but he did not comment on it or otherwise distract the Daily Planet’s editor-in-chief.

His gaze finally came to rest on the large windows which graced the back wall of the office, or rather on what lie beyond them. It was a beautiful view. Metropolis was a beautiful city. He would love to stay there, to finally have a place he could truly call his own. But finding a permanent home hinged on being able to find permanent employment – a goal which had proved nearly impossible for him over the last four years.

He had decided to apply to the Daily Planet at the insistence of a friend, whom he had met at a journalism conference a few months ago. It was a long shot. He knew that. But the prospect of working for the top newspaper in the country was too tempting to pass up.

“Well, son,” Perry White said, drawing Clark’s attention back to him. “This is some mighty fine reporting you’ve done here.” He tapped the sheaf of papers on their end to straighten them out. “You’ve got a knack for conveying the facts, while still drawing the reader in an holding their interest.”

“Thank you, Mr. White.” Clark tried not to fidget as he awaited the editor’s verdict.

“The Daily Planet could certainly –” the editor’s next words were cut off as his office door slammed open and a human whirlwind blew in, pushing aside Clark’s portfolio to lay her own sheaf of papers front and center on the desk.

“Perry, you have got to look at this. There is a big story here. I just know it!” The small tornado gesticulated wildly as she spoke, effortlessly making herself the center of attention.

Clark bit his lip to keep himself from chuckling. She hadn’t changed a bit.

“Lois! Haven’t you ever heard of knocking? I’m in the middle of an interview.” Mr. White gestured to Clark and the woman reported tossed a glance over her shoulder before opening her mouth once more – to argue that her story was more important, no doubt.

But she didn’t get that far.

She froze suddenly, her mind finally processing who she had seen behind her. Then she spun around, her eyes wide with excitement and a brilliant smile gracing her face. “Clark! You’re here! You applied? Oh, this is just perfect! I need you on my team for this. Perry, you have to hired him.”
Clark had stood up but didn’t bother trying to get a word in edgewise. He just grinned.

“Hold up, Lois.” Perry interrupted. “You know Mr. Kent, here?”

“Of course, I know him.” Lois said. “He was my partner at the journalism conference back in February. You remember. I told you about him.”

Perry blinked a few times, digging back for whatever memory she was referencing. “Ah, yes. I seem to recall you saying he was the only reporter who could keep up with you, the only one you’d accept as a partner.”

The editor’s eyes danced as he repeated her words and Clark suddenly found himself hopeful that he might actually get this job. He hadn’t wanted to mention his connection to Lois Lane, wanting to earn his position by his own merits. But, well, since she decided to interrupt the interview, he might as well let it play out.

“That’s the one!” Lois replied and her hand suddenly came to rest on Clark’s chest, causing his breath to catch in his throat. He had to force his mind not to wander back to those delightful evenings they had spent together at the conference. He’d never met anyone like her. She fascinated him on every level. But this wasn’t the time or place for reminiscing – or daydreaming.

“Well, then,” Mr. White continued. “Why don’t you get out of here and let me finish my interview?”

Lois nodded. “Right. But I still want to talk to you about this story.” Then she looked up at Clark and smiled. “Meet me at my desk when you’re done in here.”

She left just as swiftly as she had arrived, the door slamming shut behind her. Mr. White shook his head. “Sorry, about that. Lois is a force to be reckoned with.”

“I know it.” Clark replied. He suddenly realized that he was still staring at the spot where Lois had disappeared and swiftly readjusted his focus back to the editor.

Mr. White had an indecipherable look on his face. Clark wondered what the older man was thinking. Did he realize that Clark was attracted to his top reporter? Just what was the Daily Planet’s policy on interoffice dating? Would Lois even agree to go on another date with him?

Clark mentally shook off his wayward stream of questions and tried to put on an air of professional confidence.

“As I was saying, before we were interrupted,” Mr. White shuffled through the new pile of papers on his desk, relocating Clark’s portfolio. “The Daily Planet could certainly use a writer with your strengths.”

Clark breathed slowly, stifling the urge to celebrate prematurely.

“That, combined with Lois’s, ahem, glowing recommendation, brings me to a fairly solid conclusion.” Mr. White stood up and reached across the desk to offer his hand. “Welcome to the Daily Planet, Mr. Kent.”

Clark couldn’t hold back his smile as he shook the editor’s hand. He could hardly believe it. This was really happening. He was going to work for the top newspaper in the country – and with Lois.

He was so excited that it took him a moment to realize, Mr. White had stopped smiling and was frowning pointedly at Clark’s extended arm.

Clark dropped his gaze to his own forearm, where his shirt sleeve had ridden up farther than he would normally allow. The band on his arm wasn’t so different from that of a wristwatch, except that it had no discernable clasp and the medallion at its center wasn’t a watch. A glowing, green letter K stood out plainly against the otherwise black metal.

Clark sighed and slowly dropped his hand, pointlessly pulling his sleeve back down as he did so.

Mr. White sat back down heavily, opening and closing his mouth a few times before finally breaking the silence which had settled over the office. “Is, uh, is that what I think it is?”

Clark sighed again but forced himself to meet the editor’s gaze steadily. “Yes, sir.”

“So, you’re a… uh…”

“Yes, sir.” Clark repeated, not waiting for the man to finish his question. There was no point. Everyone knew what the green K stood for. Taking a deep breath, Clark asked the question which had the potential to shatter his hopes. “Will this…” he lifted his arm slightly. “…affect my being hired?”

Mr. White leaned back slowly and let out a heavy breath of his own. “You know, son, I really wish I could say it doesn’t. However, the newspaper board…”

He trailed off and Clark suddenly found that he didn’t want to hear it. Not again. He stood up and gathered his things, taking his portfolio off Mr. White’s desk. “I understand,” he said. “Thank you for your time, Mr. White.”

He forced himself to keep his steps even as he left the office and headed for the ramp up to the elevator. He didn’t want to stay any longer than necessary. He couldn’t bare to face Lois now. She would want to know why. And if he told her… she’d look at him differently. They all did.

“Clark!” her voice caught him halfway up the ramp. His steps faltered, torn between running the rest of the way out of the building and turning to face her one last time. “Where are you going? I need you with me for this story. Perry better not have given you something else.”

She grabbed him by the arm and steered him back down the ramp and towards her desk before he could protest.

Sighing heavily, he figured he ought to bite the bullet and tell her before she got started into whatever she was working on. “Lois, I…. I can’t work on this story with you.”

“What do you mean, you can’t? Listen, whatever puff piece Perry gave you can wait. I’ll handle the Chief. Now, this is what I have so far –”

“No. Lois, you don’t understand. I didn’t get the job.”

She paused, blinking up at him as though his words didn’t make any sense. “You didn’t…” Then she frowned sharply. “What?! How could you not get the job? Perry was practically salivating over the idea of my finally accepting a partner.”

Clark shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t matter why. I just didn’t.”

“No.” Lois jabbed a finger at his chest and repeated herself firmly, “No. You are going to march back in there and demand an answer. There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t have a job here.”

“No. Lois, it’s fine. I don’t need to –”

“It is not fine! Let’s go.” She grabbed his arm again and propelled him back towards Mr. White’s office. The moment they were both inside, she slammed the door shut and turned on her editor-in-chief. “Perry, what is this? Why didn’t you hire Clark?”

Clark wished the ground would just open up and swallow him. “Lois, please don’t.”

But Lois wasn’t listening. She barreled on – “You’ve read his work. Surely you can see that he’s perfect for the Daily Planet.”

Mr. White cleared his throat and looked awkwardly back at his top reporter. “Well, Lois, it’s really not my place to say…”

“You must have a reason.” Lois pressed. “What is it?”

Mr. White’s gaze shifted to Clark and he lifted a hand in a helpless gesture. “Kent?”

Clark bit back another heavy sigh. He didn’t want to do this. But Lois wasn’t going to stop until she had an answer and Mr. White was too good a man to out him without permission.

Lois looked back at Clark and suddenly seemed to realize that he knew perfectly well why he didn’t get hired, but didn’t want to tell her. “Clark, what is it?” she asked, gently.

Just do it, he told himself. Reaching across his body, he pushed his right sleeve back just far enough to reveal the black armband emblazoned with the letter K. He watched her face as he did so, waiting for the kind look in her eyes to devolve into fear and hatred. He didn’t want to see it and yet, he couldn’t look away either.

Lois blinked twice and her mouth parted in a silent gasp as she registered what she was seeing. Then her eyes flew up to his and her head tilted to the side, curiously. “You’re Kryptonian?” she whispered.

Clark found himself unable to speak, so he nodded mutely. He could hardly believe that there wasn’t a trace of fear or revulsion in her eyes. He’d already know that she was unlike any woman he’d ever met, but this was something else. He’d never expected that any human woman could accept him for what he was – an alien.

Before he could let his thoughts wander too far down that path, the kindness vanished from her eyes and a fire lit behind them.

Clark shut his own eyes. Of course, it was too good to be true.

But when Lois spoke again, her ire wasn’t directed at him. “That’s why you won’t hire him?!” she turned on Mr. White like a dragon ready to strike. “Because he’s Kryptonian? Perry White, I can’t believe you! I never imagined that you, of all people, could show such prejudice!”

“Now, Lois, you know that’s not me.” Mr. White stood up and laid a calming hand on his irate reporter. “I don’t care if he’s human, Kryptonian, or Martian so long as he can write well and bring me headlines. But the suits upstairs… well, you know as well as anyone how prevalent anti-Kryptonian feelings are on the board and among our readers too. Ever since the invasion –”

“What invasion?!” Lois cut him off. “The Kryptonians came in peace. Just because a few hotheads thought they could mount an insurrection and take over the world, doesn’t mean the entire race should be held accountable. Yet, they’ve all been confined to District K for the past fifteen years.”

Clark felt he should at least make an attempt to smooth things. “We’re not confined anymore,” he began, but Lois ran over the top of anything else he might say.

“Oh, yes. How could I forget? Now you can leave, but only if you wear an armband laced with a radioactive substance – the only substance known to hurt Kryptonians.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and she wasn’t finished. “And if that wasn’t bad enough, they mark it with a glowing, green K so that everyone can tell who’s an alien and who’s not. I’m sorry, but how can we not all see the injustice going on here?!”

“Lois, I’m not saying that any of it is right,” Perry said. “It’s just the way things are.”

“It’s racism! We should be holding protests to put a stop to this, not taking part in it with discriminatory hiring practices. The Daily Planet ought to be leading the charge, like they did during the Civil Rights Movement. And you!” Lois suddenly spun around, turning the full force of her fervent tirade on Clark. “How can you just stand there and accept this?”

Clark took a step back, ill-prepared to defend himself in this. “I… it’s no use. This is why I’ve stuck to freelancing. No one will hire a Kryptonian.”

“Then why aren’t you and the other Kryptonians out there fighting for your rights? Do you all just accept being permanently unemployed?”

Clark shook his head. “As far as I know… I’m the only Kryptonian who lives outside of District K. Everyone else works the mines or has Kryptonian jobs within the colony.”

Both Lois and Perry looked taken aback at this revelation. “Wait,” Lois said. “I thought they made enough armbands for everyone. I thought the Kryptonians could come and go as they please.”

“We can. And some do come and go. But, for the most part, everyone stays in or near District K.”

“Except you.”

“Except me.” Clark acknowledged. He watched Lois open and close her mouth a few times, clearly wanting to ask more questions – most of which he had no desire to answer while standing in the office of his might-have-been employer.

Fortunately, Lois seemed to realize they were getting off on a tangent. She shook her head. “Regardless, you ought to have the right to seek gainful employment. We have laws about that.”

Clark shrugged. “But do those laws apply to Kryptonians? We’re not exactly considered American citizens.”

“You’re not here illegally either,” Lois countered. Then she turned back to her boss. “Perry are you sure you can’t go over the Board’s head on this. They don’t even need to know he’s Kryptonian.”

But Mr. White was already shaking his head. “If they find out and learn that I knew and hired him anyway, I could lose my job. I’m sorry, Lois. My hands are tied.”

Lois frowned and was quiet for a moment. “Well, I’m not afraid to risk losing my job over this,” she finally said with an uncompromising edge to her voice. “I may not be able to give Clark the job he deserves, but you can bet I’ll be writing an editorial about this. And if the Daily Planet won’t print it, I’ll find someone who will.”

Mr. White opened his mouth as if to protest, but shut it again without speaking. He merely sighed and waved his hand dismissively, clearly aware that nothing he said would stop Lois once she set her mind to something.

With a sharp nod, Lois turned and grabbed Clark’s arm for the third time that day. He followed along mutely as she led him out of the editor’s office and up the ramp towards the elevators. As they waited for the car to arrive, Clark wondered at the amazing woman by his side. He’d never imagined that anyone, aside from his parents, would fight for him with such passion and determination. Lois Lane was a force to be reckoned with and, while he didn’t think she would be able to make much of a difference in this particular case, he looked forward to seeing her try.

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside but Lois didn’t select a number. The moment the doors were shut, she wrapped her arms around his chest in a tight embrace, causing Clark’s breath to catch in his throat. They’d hugged before, at the end of the conference when they’d said goodbye, but this was different.

“I’m so sorry, Clark,” she whispered into his chest. Then she leaned back to look him in the eye. “This isn’t fair. And I swear to you, I will find a way to make it right.”

Clark sighed and shook his head. “Thank you, Lois. But it’s not worth it. I’m just one man. No one is going to care whether or not I can get a job.”

“I care.”

Somehow, those two words gave Clark the courage to believe that maybe she could make a difference. Maybe not for him, right now, but for Kryptonians in general, in the long run. If anyone could change the world, it was this small woman, right here in his arms.

“What are you going to do now?” she asked.

Clark shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve only got enough money for a few more days in Metropolis. If I can’t find a job by the end of the week, I guess I’ll be headed back to Smallville.”

Lois tilted her head to one side, a thousand questions shinning behind her eyes. “Not District K?”

“No. District K was never my home.” Sighing again, he cut her off before she could continue her questions. “Listen Lois, I don’t want to give an interview or be the subject of a story.”

If she was disappointed by his words, she didn’t show it. She shook her head and looked down at her feet. “I’ll admit, I’ve always wanted the chance to interview a Kryptonian. So little is known about your race, your culture, your home world.”

“I’m not your average Kryptonian,” Clark pointed out but didn’t elaborate.

“I’m starting to see that.” She looked up and smiled gently. “And I do want to know everything about you. But you were my friend first, Clark. Anything you tell me is strictly off-the-record unless you say otherwise.”

Clark found himself smiling back at her, somehow no longer so upset that he didn’t get the job. He still had Lois. And he couldn’t ask for a better friend. “Thank you.”

Before either of them could say anymore, the elevator doors slid open again, revealing a frantic copy boy who stopped short and looked between them. “Uh… hi, Lois,” he said nervously. “Are you still using the elevator? Cause the Chief needs me to get down to obituaries and uh…”

“It’s fine, Jimmy,” Lois said to the younger man before turning back to Clark. “I need to get back to work myself.”

Clark nodded. “And I should probably see if I can find some.”

“Call me tonight, okay?” she said as she stepped off the elevator, making room for Jimmy to step in.

“I will.”

The elevator doors closed between them but, for the first time in years, Clark no longer felt completely cut off from humanity.

Chapter 3: Sharing

Jon watched as Jordan closed his eyes on the couch.

“How long till the super hearing levels out?” Lois asked.

“My parents said probably a week if I show him how to control it, so I'll help him begin adapting tomorrow, once he's rested,” Clark answered. “It's really up to him though. No one can do it for him.”

“How long were you out of commission for?” Jon asked.

“A couple weeks,” Clark admitted. “But I didn't have the special headphones and had no idea how to focus or even that I needed to focus. My parents did their best to help, but there wasn't much they could do. We hadn't understood what was happening then.”

Lois grimaced sympathetically before looking resolute. “So hopefully Jordan will have an easier time of it than you did.”

Clark smiled. “I hope so. Ironically, the imbalance is also helping him here by serving as a bit of an inhibitor. My mother believes that will help him adjust. She also detected that the imbalance is equalizing some.”

“So the imbalance is shrinking? It'll eventually disappear?” Jon asked, hopeful.

Clark nodded, clearly relieved as well. “Yes, that's what my mother believes, though she doesn't know how long it will take.”

“I’ll call Principal Balcomb and Tann first thing in the morning,” Lois said, squeezing Clark's hand.

“So what about his riding lessons?” Jon asked. “I mean, this happened at the Darrens, right? What are they going to think about Jordan now? They have to know what happened wasn't normal. I mean, they saw light flashing out of his head!”

“I'm going to talk to them tonight, because you're right,” Clark said, resigned.

Jon's eyes widened. “You mean . . . are you going to tell them?”

Clark glanced at Lois before looking back at him. He slowly nodded. “We'd rather them know the truth than draw . . . damaging conclusions.”

Jon grimaced in grim understanding.

O o O o O

Will didn't know what to think. It was why he was still at his brother's house instead of home with his wife. His mind was currently mush. He had no idea what to do, he only knew he couldn't risk telling anyone what had happened.

Clark’s boy, a kid he had been instructing for weeks, had suffered a bizarre seizure before being whisked away by Superman that afternoon. He was still struggling to grasp what had even happened.

How Superman had just appeared, telling them to call Lois, before shooting away with Jordan the next second.

And Jordan had called out ‘Dad’.

Why had he done that? Had it been from a subconscious realization that he had needed help, so had fallen back to some primitive impulse to call for a parent even though neither were there?

But then why had Superman responded? Sure, he had super hearing, but to have responded so quickly when no one had called out ‘Superman!’ . . . ?

And, the fact remained, that had NOT been a normal seizure – or at least not a human one.

Jordan’s head and ears had been flashing with red and white light as his body seized.

Was Jordan . . . not Clark’s?

Was the reason why Superman had responded so swiftly because he always kept an ear out . . . for his son?

Did Clark know?

Lord, he hoped so.

He looked up at his brother, Nick.

“Do you think he knows?” Will asked, resuming the conversation that they had been having off and on for the last few hours.

“Lord, I hope so,” Nick stated before growing contemplative.

“What?” Will asked.

“He's got to know. Him and Lois . . . there's no way that love can be faked. But if Jordan is . . . not Clark’s, then Jon might not be either,” Nick pointed out.

Will nodded in agreement before taking a deep breath. “But if he knows. . . . Man, what would that mean?” Will rubbed his hand across his face, at a loss.

“You know . . . maybe it was an arrangement,” Nick slowly theorized, always the one to seek the happiest answers in the attempt to make sense of chaos.

“What?” Will asked, bewildered.

“No, no, think about it. Clark was sick how often as a kid? A LOT. You remember Mom and Dad talking about how worried his parents were about him all the time? Maybe whatever was going on prevented him from being able to have kids?”

Will lifted an eyebrow. “So then they asked Superman to be their donor?! Seriously?! Nick, that's really reaching.”

“Is it? Lois Lane named Superman, the only survivor of his people. Maybe they talked and she learned he didn't want to be the last of his kind? And come on, I know you remember Superman's first TV interview. His attraction to her was obvious. So, is it really a stretch that they saw an opportunity to make everyone happy and took it? Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Clark was the one who proposed it!”

Will couldn't help it. He started laughing. “Nick, do you hear yourself?!”

“Well, what's the alternative then?” Nick countered.

“You know the alternative, and while I don't like it, it's a bit more believable and realistic,” Will said, no longer laughing and suddenly deflated. “No one likes to admit heroes we adore make mistakes, but. . . .”

“You think they had an affair,” Nick stated flatly.

“Well, it is the most likely scenario, and Clark is the forgiving type, and I don't see Superman making a bad situation worse by lying about it or forcing Lois to hide it from Clark. They would have worked through it, and by the exchange I had on the phone with her, it sounded like they had. She had said they'd explain.”

“I guess,” Nick said grudgingly.

“Though, I don't know if she meant Clark and herself or herself and Superman. . . .”

“Or all three of them,” Nick interjected, still holding onto his optimistic theory.

Will shook his head. He and his brother both loved the Kent family, and the idea of Clark, ‘little Kent’ (he was over five years younger than them), being put in such a position was disheartening. What would Martha have thought? Or had she known?

Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door and startled.

They looked at each other before getting up.

“Clark?!” Nick asked, surprised as he opened the door.

“Hi! Uh, sorry. Tami said you both were here when I called Will's place and she said to just come on over,” Clark explained in a rush.

“Oh, no problem,” Will said in a daze, coming beside Nick. “So is, uh, is everything okay? Is Jordan okay?”

Clark smiled nervously. “Yeah, he'll be fine. He's home now.”

Nick, realizing they were just standing there dumbly, quickly stepped aside and motioned him in. “Oh, sorry! Come in, come in! I, uh, doubt you want to talk out here.”

Clark smiled appreciatively and entered, though he looked incredibly anxious. Will didn't blame him. He was pretty nervous himself.

They sat down in the living room, gathering around the coffee table. They all knew the coming conversation would be unlike any they had had before and Will had no clue what to expect.

Where was Lois? What had happened? What would happen now?

“Thank you for calling Lois and being as calm as you were on the phone,” Clark began, clasping his hands together.

Will waved away his thanks. “I'm just glad Jordan's okay, or will be okay. It looked . . . pretty serious,” Will said as Nick nodded.

“It's, uh, we weren't sure if it'd be, uh, this is, I mean–sorry. I'm . . . this is – Wow, sorry. This is hard,” Clark floundered.

“Clark, it's alright. You can relax,” Will said, his own nerves calming as he saw how flustered Clark was.

“Yeah, Clark. It’s okay. We figured . . . we figured it out,” Nick said.

Clark’s eyes widened. “You did?”

“Yeah, and we want you to know, no matter how this happened, we will always do everything we can to help your family. We understand this can never get out,” Nick said.

“And although we can only guess at the exact circumstances, we know Jordan's . . . biological father is, well . . . Superman,” Will said with a side glance at Nick.

“Oh. Um. Well, that is . . . uh, true, but there's a bit, um, more to it than that,” Clark stumbled. “You see. . . .” He stopped, frustrated by his inability to speak a coherent sentence. He took a deep shuddering breath. “Okay.”

Will blinked as Clark stood up and walked a few steps away before turning back around. He forced himself to relax as his eyes settled on them.

“Very few people in the world know this. It’s . . . it’s a dangerous secret, and I’m sorry for involving you because it’s definitely not an easy secret to keep either,” Clark said.

“It’s okay, Clark. We’ll keep the secret with you,” Will promised.

“Yeah. Blood or not, your boys are Kents,” Nick agreed, reinforcing what the whole town had declared after the whole Coach Gaines fiasco.

Clark swallowed thickly and pursed his lips, barely keeping the sudden lump in his throat from overwhelming him. He gruffly cleared it away with a cough. “Thank you. That means, that means a lot.” He cleared his throat again. “But you need to know something else. Jordan, and Jon, they are blood. My blood. They’re truly mine,” he clarified, before taking off his glasses, fully exposing his face.

Will reared back, his brain slowly processing the impossibility before him.

“Y-you’re . . . Superman?” Nick gasped, grasping the reality a bit faster than Will.

Clark smiled sheepishly. “Yeah.”

“What?” Will asked, flabbergasted. “But, but, as a kid, you were sick all the time!”

“I wasn't exactly sick,” Clark-Superman said apologetically. “I was just . . . developing powers. Whenever I missed school, I was learning to control them.”

Nick gasped again. “So what's happening to Jordan. . . .”

“Happened to me,” Clark admitted.

“Whoa,” Will breathed, looking Clark up and down.

He really was Superman. He could see it now!

Will forced himself to refocus. “Uh, please, sit down,” he said.

He could hardly think with Superman standing up.

Clark tentatively returned to the chair across from them and put his glasses back on.

“So what exactly happened today?” Will asked, latching onto the first thing that surfaced to help ground him.

Something other than the reality that Superman was in his house and that he was really Clark Kent.

Oh, wow! Martha and Jonathan Kent had raised Superman! His family was friends with the Man of Steel! Superman had played at his family's farm as a kid! Ridden their horses! Helped them build the barn out back!

“Jordan’s, uh, super hearing kicked in. It takes time to learn how to control,” Clark said, drawing Will back to the present. “The whole collective sonic frequency is intense without control and can cause, well, what you saw.”

“How long did it take you to learn how to control it?” Nick asked, his eyes perpetually wide.

“A couple weeks. We're hopeful it won't take him as long since I'm teaching him. When it happened to me, well, Mom and Dad were playing it by ear. No pun intended,” Clark said, and Will could see he was beginning to relax, though still wary.

“How old were you? No, wait, were you about eight?” Will asked, thinking back.

Clark startled. “Yeah. How did you know?”

“It was right before I got my driver's permit. I overheard our parents talking about how your . . . dad had rushed home after a call from your mom. You had collapsed or something? After that, we didn't see you for weeks,” Will recalled.

Clark nodded, looking a little dazed by that tidbit. “Yeah. I collapsed in the kitchen. It had been too overwhelming.”

“Does Jordan have any other powers?” Nick suddenly asked, growing excited and curious. “Since your hearing came in when you were eight and Jordan's at, what, fourteen, does that mean his powers will all mature later? Is that because he's half-kryptonian? What about Jon?”

“Nick!” Will said, scandalized by his brother's shameless nosiness.

Clark laughed, surprising Will.

“It's okay. It's actually . . . nice to be able to talk about it,” he said, relaxing. “And yeah, since they're half-kryptonian, we're not sure how much the twins will be like me yet. For the longest time they seemed completely, well, human. We don't know what to expect to be honest. A year ago, they weren't really absorbing sunlight, but now they are.”

“Is this the first display of a power?” Nick asked.

Clark grimaced. “Technically, the first was right after my mom's memorial service.”

Will and Nick both stilled. “The accident in the barn?” Nick asked.

“Yeah. The twins are nowhere near as . . . sturdy as I am, but they've become a bit harder to hurt, thankfully,” Clark admitted.

“Wow. Is there . . . stuff we should look out for? I mean, when Jordan’s ready to return to his lessons, how might other powers surface?” Will asked, suddenly wondering if other powers were as . . . alarming when they first manifested.

His thoughts inevitably went to heat vision.

Clark straightened, troubled. “Um. I suppose any changes to his vision. Or if he comments on having a headache or being dizzy, that could be the start of an optical ability. X-Ray vision for me was very disorienting when it first showed up. And as for heat vision . . . that's emotionally driven, but it came with migraines first.”

Clark looked at them hesitantly, and Will was struck by the emotion within and knowing this was also Superman. “I, uh, understand if you'd rather not continue–”

“Don't finish that sentence!” Will exclaimed, surprising even himself.

Clark blinked at him. Will took a deep breath. Grief, he had just yelled at Superman!

“Look, I'm not going to lie and say I'm not totally freaking out on the inside right now, because I am, but this isn't going to stop us from doing what we've been doing since our family first met yours,” Will explained.

Clark swallowed and nodded his gratitude. “Thanks. You two are, well, the first outside the family to learn. I wasn't sure how you'd react. I know it's a lot.”

“It's going to take a bit to sink in, that's for sure,” Nick admitted. “I mean, you're Superman!”

Clark smiled nervously.

“The kid who got in trouble for sneaking chocolate bacon to snack on during class grew up to be Superman,” Will added, amused, before his thoughts abruptly went elsewhere. “Oh man! Tal-Rho is your brother! And you got stabbed!”

Clark rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle. “Yeah. . . .”

Will shook his head, feeling rather scrambled. “And Lois and the boys were here that whole time you were in Japan, having to act like you were okay.”

Clark sighed. “Yeah.”

“Well, if anything like that happens again, they won't be alone,” Nick decided.

Clark stilled, utterly touched. He swallowed thickly. “Thank you.”

“You’re Martha Kent’s son, and you’ve saved the world more than once, to boot!” Will declared, certain that, powers or not, Clark was still much like him at heart: just a small town family man. “Anything we can do to help you, consider it done.”

Clark put his face in his hands, needing a moment to collect himself, before looking back up.

“Just, uh, can we tell our wives? Only them?” Nick asked hesitantly. “You know how they are, and, uh, keeping this from—”

Clark laughed as he quickly wiped his damp eyes with his hand. “Yeah. If our positions were reversed, there's no way I'd be able to keep a secret like this from Lois. And, uh, once you tell them, you all should come over for dinner or something. I know there will be questions and . . . well, I know Lois will want to formally welcome you four into the fold.”

Thrilled beyond words, even though they were still in the process of comprehending all the implications of the revelation, Nick and Will nodded excitedly.

“Okay,” Nick said, utterly jittery now. “Man, this is beyond anything. . . .” He trailed off, focusing back on Clark. “Gosh, how weird this must be for you!”

Clark chuckled. “Yeah, it’s pretty weird.”

“So it's really just been your parents, Lois, and your kids in the know?” Will asked, amazed.

“And Sam, Lois’ dad,” Clark added with a nod.

“Oh man, that must have been rough,” Nick said with a grimace.

Clark winced as well, though for a slightly different reason. “Yeah, that had been a rough week, I'll admit, but Sam actually took it pretty well. I can't say he took it as well as you two,” he said with a smile. “But it definitely could have been worse.”

They fell into a comfortable silence and looked at each other.

“Well, I should head back. Jordan is sleeping, but I know Lois is anxious to hear how things went here,” Clark said, slowly standing up.

Will and Nick both stood up as well and walked him to the porch.

“Okay,” Will said, knowing he needed to get home himself and talk with his wife, Tami.

He was both excited and nervous for that conversation. She had always said Clark was special – now Will would reveal how much.

“Where's your truck?” Nick asked suddenly.

“Oh. Well, since I knew I'd be telling you, I didn't see a point in driving,” Clark said with a sheepish shrug.

Will blinked and Nick grinned, suspecting what was coming.

“Anyway, let me know when you and your wives want to come over for dinner,” Clark said, holding out his hand.

“We will,” Will assured, before shaking Clark's hand. Nick followed soon after.

“Good night,” Clark said, stepping back with a dorky wave and smile.

He then shot up into the night sky with a whoosh and a blur.

“Should we tell our wives?” Nick asked after a long moment, still looking up at the sky.

“That Superman’s a dork?” Will asked with an amazed chuckle as he headed back inside to grab his car keys. “No, they’ll figure that out themselves.”

O o O o O

To be continued in ‘Steel’

Comments

Chapter 2: Hearing

The Harvest Festival was in full swing when they arrived.

“Hey, Dad, Paul said he’d be over by the corn stand,” Jordan said.

“Yeah, Tag said they do some kind of popcorn contest?” Jon said, though a bit confused at the end.

“Okay, go on, you two. Have fun,” Clark said, waving them on.

Lois and Clark watched them hurry off.

“I still can’t believe Eliza broke up with him over the phone,” Clark muttered.

Lois sighed. “Yeah, well, I think that reflects more on her character than anything else. Of course, long distance relationships rarely work out. And while I'll likely never tell Jon this, I think it was best that it ended sooner rather than later.”

“Yeah,” Clark agreed. “I'm just glad he's bounced back as well as he has.”

“Well, I think a lot of that is due to having a super talk with his dad,” Lois said approvingly before chuckling. “And to think, you even slid ‘the Talk’ in there too! – tame as it was.”

“I wasn't going to miss the opportunity. Besides, it appeared to help,” he said with a self conscious shrug.

“Yeah, learning their dad had been . . . very patient but had turned out fine is certainly helpful,” she said with a laugh, hugging his side as they walked. “But I think what helped Jon the most was learning you've experienced a break up too, and have struggled with self-identity – although the latter is more relevant to Jordan.”

Clark nodded before they approached his favorite food stand. He looked at Lois, as if asking permission.

She sighed dramatically. “Go ahead.”

“I'm getting extra for you know who,” Clark said quietly.

She raised an amused eyebrow. “Just make sure I'm there when he tries it for the first time.”

“Okay,” he said, beaming as he bought twenty sticks of chocolate bacon.

Carrying them in a special bag, Clark and Lois continued down the street, enjoying the Harvest Festival as hours went by.

“Oh, my dad called. The RV will arrive later this week,” Lois said. “He also told me Irons has asked to talk to me again and my dad finally thinks it's a good idea.”

“What do you think?” Clark asked, a little concerned.

“I think it's a good idea. I just don't know if I should wait until after I investigate the RV or just go in now. There are a few things we still don't know about him. Like, how long was he married to that other Lois? Did they have kids? Where did they live? Did they know Superman at all? What did they do for a living before it all went to crap?” Lois asked. “I mean, I know my dad has prodded a little, but he's been wary about pushing too hard. It's clear the guy is close to just snapping completely, or at least that's what my dad has told me, and considering everything, he's probably right. How could he not be?”

Clark hummed thoughtfully, before they saw Jordan happily approaching them with Jon, Tag, and someone else.

“Hey, are you all enjoying yourselves?” Clark asked cheerfully.

“Yeah, we just wanted to let you know the Darrens are here now,” Jordan said. “So–Oh, sorry, this is Paul Lincoln. Paul, these are my parents.”

“And this is Tag Harris,” Jon quickly interjected.

Paul smiled and shook Clark’s hand before doing the same with Lois. Tag followed suit.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Kent,” they said politely.

Clark instantly recognized Paul as Luke Lincoln’s son. He had dirty blond hair and tanned skin, as well as a hefty frame that made him appear years older than he actually was. All he needed to easily pass as an adult was facial hair.

“Hi, Paul, how is your dad doing? Is your mom still making blankets?” Clark asked.

Paul’s eyes lit up. “He’s doing great, and my mom got a big order recently from a fundraiser who helps raise money for children's hospitals,” he said.

“That’s great!” Clark said. “I’m glad things are going well. And Tag, glad to finally meet you. Your parents must be very proud of you.”

Paul and Tag both smiled at Clark’s words.

“So I take it you and Jordan are going to help the Darrens?” Lois asked, looking at Paul.

Paul and Jordan nodded.

“Okay, we’ll be heading home around 10, so be sure to find us by then,” Clark said.

“Okay, Dad,” Jordan said, before they hurried off again.

Clark smiled, glad to see they were having fun and had friends.

“I’ll never get tired of seeing it,” Lois said after a moment.

“What?” Clark asked.

“Proof that moving here was the right decision,” she said, squeezing his hand.

Clark grinned before leading the way to more food stands.

O o O o O

“I am not too sure about this, Brother,” Tal said, holding up the long strip of chocolate covered bacon above the kitchen table they were seated around.

“It's the greatest thing ever, Tal. It's so good!” Clark assured, even as Tal glanced at Lois who was failing to completely hide her revulsion of the strange food.

“I will try it, then,” Tal said, before giving the bacon a subtle sniff. His eyebrow went up and he promptly took a bite.

“So . . . ?” Clark asked expectantly.

Tal's eyes widened as he slowly chewed. Savored, really. He finally swallowed.

“Brother, Smallville is a gem,” Tal stated, before taking another bite and looking quite content.

Clark beamed, looking triumphant, as Lois shook her head.

Before too long, Tal finished his new favorite treat and he eased back in his chair.

“The next time there is a Harvest Fest, be sure to let me know, Brother. Granted, I imagine you won't need to since I hope to be getting involved with Smallville myself soon enough,” Tal said.

“Oh? Are you moving forward with that proposal then?” Clark asked.

“Yes, and I suspect I'll be the new owner of the mines by the end of next month, if not sooner,” Tal said, pleased.

“Why are you so interested in the mines?” Lois asked curiously.

“Two reasons. Investment opportunity and familial protection,” he said.

Clark blinked and Lois looked confused.

“Do you know anything about an orange crystal that has some structural similarities to kryptonite?” Tal asked.

“What? No!? What are you talking about?” Clark asked, baffled.

“Smallville has a large collection of what I call x-kryptonite. From what I’ve been able to determine, it’s a naturally occurring compound that accumulated in the mines. It’s rather volatile, susceptible to exploding if exposed to heat and is a potent energy source. Due to its similarity to kryptonite, I feel it prudent to ensure no one else gets their hands on it,” he said. “Admittedly, I also believe that if humans are exposed to it in certain ways it can impart kryptonian abilities to them, at least temporarily.”

Clark’s eyes widened, realizing something else. “Was that how you had planned to. . . .”

Tal looked down guiltily. “Yes, Brother. But as that is not going to happen now, we must ensure this material doesn’t ever fall into the wrong hands.”

Clark nodded. “I completely agree.”

“I think keeping this out of even DoD knowledge would be wise,” Lois stated suddenly. “I can easily imagine what they’d do if they learned such a thing existed.”

Clark nodded grimly. “Tell us what we can do to help, Tal.”

Tal smiled, though his expression was serious. “Thank you, Brother. I will.”

O o O o O

[Thursday Afternoon]

William Darren smiled as Jordan followed him into the stalls. He had been giving him riding and horse handling lessons for about a month now.

Jordan was a good kid. Not that he expected anything less. He was Clark's son after all, but it was always nice to see an example of hope for the next generation.

“You're doing a good job, Jordan. Blackberry likes you more than me now,” Will said as they guided the Clydesdale horse into the grooming stall and secured him.

Jordan smiled shyly as he picked up the curry brush and got to work. Methodically, he brushed Blackberry's coat, knowing where to go slow and where to apply more rigorous pressure.

“Will, could you give me a hand for a moment?” his brother, Nick, or (as most called him now) Doc, asked.

Will looked at Jordan. “I'll be right back.”

Jordan smiled and nodded his understanding before Will went to the neighboring stall.

Blackberry's sister, Acorn, had somehow cut herself the other day and they needed to apply the next round of antibiotic cream. She was usually pretty good, but she always did better when Will rubbed her nose while Nick worked his magic.

Will watched as his brother reached for the tube of cream when he heard Jordan gasp loudly. The brush clattered to the floor.

“Jordan?” he asked in concern as Blackberry gave a concerned neigh and scuffed his hooves.

Will stepped away from Acorn and looked around the divider into the stall, finding Jordan pressed back against the side wall with his hands holding his head in pain.

“D-dad,” Jordan gasped out.

“Jordan, what's wrong?!” Will shouted, rushing around and immediately pulling him out of the stall to hopefully prevent Blackberry from getting spooked.

“Dad!” Jordan called out, a little more clearly but in pain before he just went limp.

“Nick!” Will shouted, horrified by what he was seeing as he helped Jordan to the floor.

The boy was seizing, but that wasn't the scariest part. There were silent red flashes going off in his head, somehow visibly shining out of his ears and through his skull!

Similar to the bright glow at Superman's ears when he had been attacked by Thaddeus Killgrave with a sound weapon.

Nick began to move to help, but then there was a deafening whoosh, a blur of red and blue, and suddenly Superman just materialized!

The Man of Steel, in Smallville, on his farm!

Superman knelt down, staring at Jordan for a split second before scooping him up and holding him close, even as the flashes continued.

“Superman?! Wha–” Will started, but Superman cut him off as he stood up, his cape fanning out behind him.

“Please tell only Ms. Lane I took him.”

And then he disappeared with Jordan in a blur.

O o O o O

Lois smiled as she heard Jon hurry up the stairs to his room, having just returned from Tag's house where they had worked on some homework together. It was nice to see friendships taking hold, especially when said friendships were with kids she actually liked.

Tag Harris was a pleasant kid, and though his family had hit some hard times (like many in Smallville) they were good people doing the best they could. Hopefully with Tal, as Morgan Edge, taking a renewed interest in Smallville, financial situations for many would improve soon. She would hope anyway.

She looked outside, knowing Clark would make a few rounds as Superman before he'd pick Jordan up from his weekly lesson at the Darren Farm, though it had morphed into something more than just horse riding.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Interestingly, it was the groundline instead of her cell.

“Hello?” she answered, half expecting it to be Lana or a shopkeeper from in town wanting to ask Clark something.

‘Lois, this is Will,’ Jordan’s horse riding instructor greeted stiffly. ‘Uh, I don't know how to tell you this, but Jordan just had a seizure and Superman suddenly appeared and took him,’ Will told her.

Lois' heart froze. “Wha– Jordan had a seizure?!”

‘We were in the stalls, tending to the horses, and Jordan gasped. I looked in the stall and he was holding his head. I helped him out as he called out to Clark and then he collapsed with light flashing from his head. A second later, Superman appeared like I said and took him!’ Will explained, his voice a forced calm, but it was a close thing.

“ ‘With light flashing’? You saw light?” she asked, trying to make sense of what he was saying.

‘Yes. Flashes of light shined out from inside his head, like how when Superman had been hit by that sound weapon,’ Will quickly said, desperate for her to understand. ‘He was having some kind of seizure!’

“Okay. Okay. And Superman took him?” Lois asked, her voice strained, but she knew she had to stay calm to be able to process what she was hearing.

Was a power manifesting? If so, which one? Clark had told her that when some had first surfaced for him they had been very jarring, even painful. Was that what was happening here to Jordan?

‘Yes. Superman came and told us to call you. Only you, before he took him,’ Will said, breathing heavily but doing a remarkable job of keeping his voice intelligible and level.

“Okay. Thank you. Thank you for calling me,” Lois said.

‘No problem.’

Lois heard Will swallow and silence rose.

‘Has this happened before?’ Will asked after a moment.

“No,” she said honestly, wondering what Clark was doing with Jordan.

Was Jordan okay? Did he really have a seizure? She was certain they were at the Fortress. Should she call Tal?

‘Do you know where he took Jordan?’ Will tentatively asked.

“Yes,” she admitted.

‘Is there anything we can do?’ Will asked.

“No, just . . . when everything has settled, we'll explain everything.” She took a deep breath, wondering how they should handle what's happened before immediately shifting to damage control. “Who else was there when this happened?”

‘Just me and my brother, Nick,’ he assured. ‘And we won't say anything. We'll wait. I . . . imagine this is . . . complicated?’

Lois exhaled, relieved Smallville was such a tight-knit community. If this had happened in Metropolis, she suspected she would have been learning about it from the news instead of through a private phone call.

“Thank you, Will. We'll be in touch,” she said, wordlessly answering Will's tentative question with an affirmative tone as Jon entered the kitchen.

“Mom?” Jon asked, concerned as Lois hung up.

Lois swallowed. “Jon, come sit down.”

O o O o O

Tal took a moment to review his business schedule. Things were certainly busier since his priorities had changed, as surprising as that was, but things were good. Better than they had ever been.

“Tal! Help!”

His brother’s voice rang so loud and clear that, before he could even think, he immediately shot out of his villa in Italy.

“What is it, Brother?” he asked, stopping at the entrance of Kal-El's fortress, finding his brother waiting for him.

“It's Jordan, his hearing kicked in! Can you bring Mother's crystal? I want her opinion. He had a seizure,” Kal said quickly. Frantically.

He was in his Superman uniform but looked more like Clark than the Man of Steel in that moment.

“Of course.” Tal zipped to his sanctum and retrieved Mother's crystal and quickly returned.

Swiftly, but quietly, he entered the Fortress, coming to Kal and Jordan.

Jordan was laid out on the frigid ground, trembling. Jor-El wasn't anywhere in sight.

“I know it hurts,” Kal said softly, holding Jordan’s hand, “But you must try to focus on one sound.”

Kal looked up at him, and Tal was at a loss of what to say, so instead he went to the podium and inserted their mother's crystal.

She materialized before him and immediately took in her new surroundings and the situation.

“When did this start?” she asked, approaching.

Jordan whimpered.

“Four, five minutes ago,” Kal-El answered, his voice low. “Father said his auditory perception is causing an allodynic response.”

She nodded, agreeing with Jor-El's assessment.

“Can I do something to help with the pain as he learns control? I don't want him to go through what I had,” Kal said.

Tal frowned as he looked at Jordan who was in obvious extreme pain. When Tal's hearing had manifested, he hadn't experienced anything like this. Of course, most of his abilities had surfaced before he had even landed on Earth, while on his ship. He had been in a controlled environment while exposed to the sun and had learned a degree of control long before he had even entered Earth’s atmosphere. His father had wanted him to have every advantage possible.

For once, his father's excessive preparations had spared him from pain.

“Other than limiting auditory stimulation, you could provide distractive stimuli, such as tactile or visual,” she proposed. “Unfortunately, that's all that can be done outside of himself. He will have to learn control, just as I understand you did.”

“What about the imbalance? Is that making it worse?” Kal asked anxiously.

“In this case, the imbalance is beneficial, limiting the allodynic response because the signal pathways are limited in strength,” Lara explained. “This is reducing the imbalance, however.”

“I have something that will help. I'll be right back,” Tal said, before shooting to his home in Australia. He picked up a jacket and noise canceling headphones before returning to Kal and his son.

“Here,” he said, handing them to Kal who immediately put the headphones on Jordan.

“Thank you, Tal,” Kal said as Jordan sagged in vivid relief.

Jordan smiled up at Tal in gratitude and Tal's heart swelled.

O o O o O

Comments

4th in ‘Come Home' series. Rewrite of 1x05-07. More dominos. Jordan and Jon learn how alike and how different they are from their father and each other.

Ch 1: Absorbing
Ch 2: Hearing
Ch 3: Sharing

Comments

Come Home
Embrace
Brother

Sound

Summary: 4th in ‘Come Home' series. Rewrite of 1x05-07. More dominos. Jordan and Jon learn how alike and how different they are from their father and each other.
____________________________

Chapter 1: Absorbing

Jordan and Jonathan stood somewhat impatiently between their parents as Lara appeared before them.

Lara had just finished analyzing the scans of Jordan and Jonathan, both the set done by Jor-El and the more thorough and comprehensive scans she just took.

“Have there been any changes since the scan father did?” Clark asked.

“Yes, there have. The absorption rate of Jonathan's cells has increased by 12%, and that rate has spread evenly across his whole body,” she answered.

“What does this mean? Will he develop powers?” Lois asked.

“At this rate, no. It is not high enough to sustain abilities. Currently, he only has access to 2 millionth of a percent of the power Kal has. However, when compared to an average human, he is more coordinated and far more durable. And if he applied the energy he has to an action, such as lifting something, he would be at least ten times stronger than an average man,” Lara explained.

Jon blinked. “So . . . my being part-kryptonian is why I'm good at football?”

“Possibly, though we don't know what your levels had been before,” Lara said. “Granted, if they had been as high as you are currently, you shouldn't have suffered a concussion in the accident.”

“So Jon is absorbing more solar energy than before? What about Jordan?” Clark asked.

Jon and Jordan grinned excitedly at each other.

“Yes. As for Jordan, his absorption rate is far higher, but it is not consistent. In certain areas of his body, it has increased by 120%, while in others it’s as low as 4%.”

“Wha–what does that mean?” Jon asked, suddenly concerned as Jordan glanced uncertainly at Lois.

“Is that bad?” Jordan asked.

“It's not ideal. The imbalance can contribute to many issues with biological functions,” Lara answered. “Everything from physical responses to mental wellbeing.”

Clark stiffened. “Would this have been an issue before, or can it only be an issue now because of the scale?”

“Any imbalance, even a fraction of what it is now, could cause difficulties,” she said, not understanding the implications of what it all meant as she raised her hand and quickly reevaluated Jordan’s scans. “And yes, there was a minor imbalance in the scan a few months ago.”

“You mean . . . this was why I was put on pills?!” Jordan gasped, growing frantic. “This is what’s really wrong with me?!”

Clark tentatively placed his hand on his shoulder. “We'll figure this out, Jordan,” he said, hoping that was the right thing to say.

Lara frowned at the exchange. “I don’t understand.”

“Last year, Jordan was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder,” Lois answered softly.

Lara looked at Jordan, who was now covering his face with his hands. “If I may inquire, what led up to that?” she asked.

“A lot,” Jordan said, frustrated, relieved, angry, and confused as he lowered his hands. “For as long as I can remember I've had night terrors, and I’ve always had trouble with . . . I get–” He took a deep breath and Clark gently tightened his grip on his shoulder in encouragement. “–overwhelmed easily. I can't really explain it; it doesn't even make sense to me.”

“I see,” Lara said. “This imbalance likely contributes to much of that.”

“Can anything be done to correct the imbalance?” Clark asked.

“There may be. I will run some tests,” she said. “It will take some time, but I believe we will be able to at least reduce the imbalance, which will improve Jordan’s overall health.”

“Okay,” Clark said, before moving directly in front of Jordan and gripping both of his shoulders with his hands as Lois came beside him. “We’ll figure this out together, and Jordan?”

Jordan looked up at him, tears in his eyes.

“I'm so sorry we didn't learn this sooner,” Clark said regretfully before pulling Jordan into a hug.

“But now that we have–” Lois interjected, knowing Clark was blaming himself, “–we can properly address it. This is nobody's fault, but like your father said, we'll get through it together. No one ever dreams about life's problems, but every life has them — even the extraordinary ones.”

Lois joined in on the hug, and Jon soon followed.

O o O o O

John Irons looked at the screen, not sure what to think anymore.

Sam leaned against the side wall of John's cell.

He had just shown him several videos, including the recent interview between Lois, Superman, and Superman's half brother, as well as several other videos taken from different vantage points of a man attacking Superman in a park before Tal-Rho violently landed and stopped the man – stopped but didn't kill.

“This doesn't prove anything,” John stated.

“Our Superman is different from the one in your world,” Sam repeated.

“They're lying! They're biding their time, giving the world a false sense of security,” John argued, but inside he wondered. . . .

“Do you truly believe that? They laid out everything in that interview. Revealed information even you hadn't known, disclosing where all the Kryptonians had come from and how your world had been overwhelmed. What would they gain by doing that?” Sam asked.

John looked away.

Sam was wrong. Superman was a threat! Him and his brother. They had to be!

But why would they admit to there being a device? Why would they tell the world about their family? Why would they expose so much about themselves and express so much . . . emotion?

They really did appear to care for each other, which was more than the Kryptonians had expressed to one another in his world where they had always been so . . . brutally mechanical. Even when some of their number were killed right in front of them, they didn't appear to be all that affected. They certainly hadn't shown the fury and concern Tal-Rho had displayed for his brother when he stopped Killgrave.

And when they had spoken kryptonian during the interview. . . . There was no way that had been done for show when they likely believed no one on earth would be able to understand them. . . .


“Oh, nothing really. I just realized I might be grateful for being stabbed,” Superman answered Lois.

Kal-El’s brother laughed before grabbing his shoulder and giving him a hard shake.

:You better never get stabbed again because I might just kill you after I save you again!:

Kal-El grinned in response before pulling Tal into a half hug. “I love you too, Brother.”


Could this Superman truly be different?

Circumstances were different here, but were they different enough?

What if Sam was wrong? What if Sam was right?

“I want to speak with Lois,” John finally said.

Sam stared at him for a long moment. “I'll see what I can do.”

O o O o O

“Guys, we got your favorite pizza,” Clark said cheerfully the moment they entered through the back door after school.

“I’m not hungry,” Jon said, before hurrying up the stairs to his room.

Clark blinked and looked to Jordan in confusion.

“Eliza dumped him this morning,” Jordan said. “Over the phone.”

“She what?!” Clark gasped, offended for Jon.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Lois said, before Clark stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

“I think . . . it might be best if I talk to him first,” Clark gently countered.

Lois looked at him, taking in his expression. “Okay.”

Clark gave her a soft but grim smile before following after Jon. A moment later, he gently knocked on his door.

“Jon?” he asked.

“Jordan just had to go and announce it to the world, huh?” Jon huffed.

Clark cracked open the door. “Even if he hadn’t said anything, it’s clear something has upset you.”

Jon rubbed his face, trying to hold it together. He did so by getting angry. “I can’t believe she just dumped me over the phone!”

“I know, bud. I’m sorry,” Clark said, stepping further into the room and sitting beside him on the bed.

“We’d been together for over a year,” Jon muttered before clenching his jaw.

Clark didn’t say anything to that, but instead put his hand on Jon’s shoulder.

Jon heaved a heavy sigh.

“Maybe I should just be happy she didn’t do it over a text,” Jon said sarcastically.

“I doubt it would have been any easier face to face,” Clark said. “All break ups are rough, one way or another.”

“Have you?” Jon asked.

“What? Been through a break up?” Clark asked.

Jon nodded with a brief, hesitant glance up.

“Yes. I pretty much crawled into an REA Speedwagon rabbit hole for over a week,” Clark said.

Despite himself, Jon chuckled, baffled by the completely unfamiliar reference. “What? ‘Speedwagon’? ‘Rabbit hole’?”

Clark sighed in defeat. “They’re an old rock band.”

“Rabbit Hole?” Jon asked, still confused.

Clark laughed. “No, REA Speedwagon.”

Jon shook his head, now more amused than anything.

“I can dig out my cassettes if you want to listen to them,” Clark offered. “I think I still have a cassette player.”

“No, no, that’s fine, Dad,” Jon said quickly, now smiling.

“Okay,” Clark said, happy to see Jon's mood improve. “Well, I know it’ll take a bit of time to process things, but trust me, things will get better. It sucks right now, of course, but you won't feel like this forever.”

“Because I'll eventually get over it like you did?” Jon asked incredulously, his emotions yo-yo'ing back down before he looked thoughtful. “Who was she?”

“My first girlfriend? Rachel Harris. Very kind, fun, generous. And no, not related to your friend, Tag. Anyway, we had been together for a few months. Looking back, I can see she actually let me down as best she could, and that she did what she knew was best for both of us,” Clark said.

Jon frowned. “Huh. I wonder what she would think now, if she knew she had broken up with Superman.”

“I wasn't Superman then,” Clark pointed out.

“No, but still . . . you've always been–” Jon cut himself off, suddenly nervous.

Clark waited for him to complete the sentence, but when he didn't, Clark slowly nodded in understanding.

“You're right, I've always been different,” Clark finished for him, his eyes suddenly unfocused as he came to a realization himself. “And while I hadn't known it at the time, I've always been Kryptonian.”

Jon nodded.

“It's not something I think about much, but I suppose it's important to acknowledge,” Clark admitted.

Jon tilted his head. “Why?”

“Why it's important to acknowledge or why I don't think about it much?” Clark asked.

“Both, I suppose.”

Clark took a deep breath. “I always knew I was different. My first memory is coming to Earth and feeling the sun on my face for the first time, and hearing the voices of my parents, the Kents.”

Jon's eyes widened.

“But it wasn't until I met Jor-El that I learned why I had been sent here. Before, I didn't know if I had been sent away because I was unwanted or what. And when more and more of my abilities began to surface, I had even feared I’d been sent here as some sort of start of an invasion. There were many times I wished I had been like everyone else: normal, with no abilities,” Clark said. “But your grandparents were steadfast. They always told me I was sent here for a reason and that I was meant to use my abilities to do great things. Of course, there was a question of timing, of when I should do those things, but they had always been supportive and assured me not to be afraid of my powers.”

“Wow,” Jon said, before looking down at his hands as Clark continued.

“But all of that uncertainty was sort of what made my first break up so rough for me, I think. At the time, I was afraid there was something wrong with me. That somehow Rachel had figured out I was . . . alien, and that that was why she had broken up with me. Of course, that wasn't the reason at all, but at the time I hadn't been able to really think beyond myself and consider things from her point of view.”

“So what was the reason? Did you ever learn it?” Jon asked, leaning forward.

“She realized that she needed to figure out who she was before she could even think about having a serious relationship with anyone. And, I think subconsciously at least, she knew I needed to do the same,” Clark explained.

“Oh,” Jon said, processing. “That makes sense at least. It's important to know yourself, even if it's not easy.”

“Yeah,” Clark agreed, glad Jon had followed his answer.

“So. . . .” Jon started before trailing off.

“What?”

“Uh. I know you dated mom sometime after that, obviously, but was there anyone else?” Jon asked, trying not to sound too curious.

“I dated a few other times after Rachel, but no one as seriously until your mother,” Clark said easily.

“Really?!” Jon asked, surprised.

“Really. And, since this is as good a lead-in as any, I’m going to take this opportunity to talk to you about something else,” Clark said.

Jon immediately blushed as his eyes widened, correctly concluding the subject. “No! Dad, it's fine! We don't–”

“Yes, we do, especially since your brother is listening in from the hall,” Clark said.

Jordan's loud gasp immediately followed.

“Jordan!?” Jon asked.

Jordan shyly stuck his head in the room. “Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt.”

“How long have you been there?” Jon asked, exasperated.

“Since ‘speedwagon’,” Jordan said sheepishly.

“Come on in, Jordan. And don't worry, I don't think it'll be as bad as either of you are thinking,” Clark said.

Jon and Jordan looked at each other doubtfully as Jordan sat down opposite them.

“Now, you both are 15, and, as I'm sure you already know, wanting to become intimate with someone is a natural feeling to have as you get older,” Clark said, amazing both Jon and Jordan by his matter-of-fact tone, though they still wanted the floor to swallow them. “However, I want to tell you something I've never fully verbalized to anyone before.”

Jon bit his lip, curious but embarrassed, while Jordan was failing to hide his interest despite the topic.

“I waited until after your mother and I were married, and it’s one of the best things I've ever done for myself,” Clark stated.

Jon and Jordan's jaws dropped.

“You . . . you, uh . . .” Jordan was flabbergasted and Jon wasn't much better.

“What?! Why?” Jon exclaimed.

“As you know, my parents were pretty conservative, especially in that regard, and instructed me accordingly, which, after everything I've seen and experienced, I must admit I fully agree with now. Intimacy is an adult decision, so comes with adult feelings and adult consequences – and those consequences can include serious regret and permanent, life-altering events that are less than positive, especially if not done under certain conditions,” Clark explained.

Jon swallowed and Jordan looked stunned.

“Look, I just want you both to be responsible and to be able to enter that stage in life, whenever that is, without any regret,” Clark said. “So just consider and remember what I’ve said.”

“So it wasn't because . . . you're different?” Jon hesitantly asked.

“That did play a role, but probably not as much as you might expect. I–” Clark blushed and cleared his throat before pressing on. “I have the same impulses as any other guy, and they're likely more intense because of . . . my heightened senses, so. . . .” He pursed his lips. “Anyway, being . . . what I am was less than half the reason why I waited. The other reasons, on their own, had already been enough to convince me to wait until after I was fully committed to someone and they to me.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Jordan said slowly.

Clark took a slow, deep breath and looked at them both. “Unfortunately, there is something else. Fair or not, our family secret will affect your future relationships – friendships and otherwise. I wish there was something I could say that would make it easier, but it’s a dangerous, heavy secret that can't be shared without careful consideration and involvement from all of us.”

Jon and Jordan glanced at each other, both processing what that might mean for their future.

“So, uh, how long was it before you told Mom?” Jordan asked.

“We’d been dating for a few months when I told her, but I had known her for over a year. I had been very sure,” he said.

“Wow,” Jon said. “How did she take it?”

“Was she angry?” Jordan asked.

“Well, she actually took it all in stride pretty well, though she was certainly flabbergasted,” Clark admitted. “Before asking a million questions.”

Jon and Jordan laughed.

“I'll bet!” Jon said.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Jordan asked.

“Yeah! Can you?” Jon pleaded.

Clark laughed. “Okay,” he agreed, happy to share one of the most memorable days of his life while also knowing it would provide Jon with another distraction from the breakup with Eliza.

So he told them about bringing Lois home to meet their grandmother, Martha, before taking her outside to the cornfield where he had landed. He revealed how he had told her and how he had hovered before regaling them with her reaction.

“Wow, Mom is epic,” Jon said as they laughed.

“What's going on?” Lois asked, knocking lightly on the door and peeking in.

“Just telling them how I told you my secret,” Clark said. “And how you handled learning it.”

“You told them I called you a dork, right?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said, grinning, before looking at the twins. “Well, pizza is downstairs if you want any. And if either of you want to talk more or anything, let me know.”

“Okay. Thanks, Dad,” Jon said, far lighter than he had been, and pleasantly surprised a certain conversation had been easier than he had ever expected.

O o O o O


Comments

Complete Ficlet
Comments

Complete Ficlet
Comments