You never forget your first time.
"Help!"
You always think that you can't do something, that it's too tough, you'll just screw up and fail and that'll be it.
Jon Kent sat up in his bed and looked out the window, seeing the tipped over tractor on top of the neighbor in the field across the way. The son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane-Kent jumped out of the bed, his bare feet hitting the floor as he stared out of the second story bedroom window. There was no time to waste. It was now or never.
But the combination of fear, panic, and adrenaline push all thoughts of failure out of your head, and the only thought left is that someone's in trouble, and the only other guy that can save the day is three hundred miles away.
Jon Kent backed up and took a run at the bedroom window, jumping out and flying for the very first time. It took a few seconds to get his bearings, but at a lightning quick pace, flew toward the tractor, giving a good push. The man couldn't see anything but a red and blue blur, thinking that the Man of Steel had heard his cries for help as the tractor was lifted off of him.
Seconds later, Jon ran up to the man with a cell phone in his hand.
"I called 911, just stay calm!" Jon said as he sat by the man's side. The boy had yet to get a costume, and his parents hadn't yet come around to the idea of him becoming an actual hero, so he did what a presumably normal 10-year-old boy would do and held the man's hand until the ambulance arrived.
That night, my parents agreed that it was time for me to join my dad. Slowly at first, but it wouldn't be long before I was being called Superboy by the media. And someday I'm really going to prove how much of a hero I am. Someday, I'm gonna make my dad proud of me.
Action Comics #2
"Saturday With the Kents"
Written by Tobias Christopher
Six Weeks Later
Lois Lane-Kent and her husband Clark were both rushing around the kitchen, trying to get breakfast prepared. Even though it was a Saturday, they both had deadlines to meet for the Daily Planet. As Clark stood at the stove, making pancakes and eggs, using a combination of his heat vision and freezing breath to move things along, Lois was making fresh orange juice and toast.
In the living room, the Kent's young son Jonathan was laying on his stomach on the living room floor as he watched cartoons on t.v.
"Jon, you need to take the trash out!" Lois shouted from the kitchen.
"Do I have to?" Jon asked. "Tiny Titans hasn't gone to commercial yet!"
"You know the rules, son," Clark said. "You do your chores before breakfast is served."
Jon stood up and headed to the kitchen, mumbling to himself as he pulled the bag out of the can, just staring at it while his parent's backs were turned.
"Do not use your heat vision to incinerate it, young man," Lois told him.
Jon dragged the bag to the door and opened it, pulling his foot back.
"Do not kick it into the next city," Clark said. "Take it to the trashcan."
Jon took the bag out to the curb in front of the Kent farm, which was just outside of the city. It was not only peaceful, but Clark could help his son learn how to use his powers in private. "There, I took the stupid garbage out to the stupid cans. I hate trash duty, there are bees out there."
"Bees can't hurt you, son, we've been over this," Clark said as he brought the food to the table.
"What if I accidentally swallowed one? It could sting my insides, then it'd hurt me," Jon said as he got ready to sit down. "Or what if they were kryptonite bees? Or if it was a kryptonite bee and I ended up swallowing it?"
"Go wash your hands before you sit down," Lois told him. "You know better, Jon."
"There are no such things as kryptonite bees," Clark told him. "Just like there are no kryptonite laundry hampers, kryptonite vegetables, or girls that have kryptonite cooties."
Jon grumbled as he stood up and headed to the bathroom to wash his hands, being careful with the faucet. He had to be careful not to break the knobs off in his hand like he did when he first started developing his powers. That was the day his father had to give him the 'World of Cardboard' speech. Jon returned to the table to eat breakfast, wanting to get back to his cartoons.
"Dad, how come Lex Luthor's not making toys of me?" Jon asked.
"Because I wouldn't want him exploiting you," Clark replied. "It's bad enough he's doing it to me. Luckily the contracts I signed with the charities didn't involve you, Connor, Supergirl or Steel."
"You said exploiting was bad, like the time I mooned Robin because he was being a jerk," Jon said.
"No, that was exposing," Clark said. "And that's the last time you're ever going to do that, right?"
"It is now that Robin says he's going to line the toes of his boots with kryptonite," Jon said.
# # # # # # # # # #
"Hey, kids, look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane!"
A boy's hand holding a Superman action figure appeared on the t.v. screen.
It's Superman! Action packed adventures with Superman!
"Now you can go on adventures with Metropolis's favorite hero as he fights against Doomsday, the Eradicator and others! And now Superman comes with realistic heat vision!"
Superman! Don't aim heat vision into other people's eyes, Superman!
"And who's that? It's Superman's crime fighting buddy, Lex Luthor!"
A Lex Luthor action figure in his green and purple armor popped in next to Superman.
Lex Luthor! Funny and brilliant super genius Lex Luthor!
The two figures high-fived each other as they stood over the fallen supervillains.
"Superman, Super Awesome Heroic Lex Luthor, and other figures sold separately! Coming soon to local Metropolis toy stores!"
# # # # # # # # # #
Jon Kent was laying on the couch in his pajamas while he watched the ad for the new Superman toyline. His parents, Clark and Lois, were standing in the doorway watching the same commercial. Lois put a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"This is bull," Lois said. "I looked at this story from every angle. Everything Luthor is doing is completely legit."
"That's what the lawyer Bruce suggested to me said," Clark told her. "The only good news is that he only has the Superman rights. He can't produce anything with Jon, Connor, or anyone else I'm close to, although I'm sure he's already working on ways around that as we speak. I can't believe after all the years we've fought each other, this is how he finally beats me."
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Lois said as Clark looked at her. "I mean, the charities are still getting funded, and this is going to make a lot of children happy."
"I can't believe you're the one who's finding the silver lining in all of this," Clark told her. "Shouldn't this be the other way around?"
"What can I say, you've been a positive influence on me," Lois said as they kissed.
"Ew," Jon said, his head barely peeking over the couch at them. "I just ate breakfast."
"Good, that means you can go outside and help Connor bale the rest of the hay," Clark told him. "Go get dressed and give him a hand."
"Do I have to? Hay makes me sneeze," Jon said, still only speaking with half of his head staring at them from the back of the couch.
"If you want to go to the city with me tonight," Clark said, seeing Jon was already halfway up the stairs, leaving a trail of pajamas, socks, and underwear behind as he rushed upstairs to get changed into his work clothes.
"Speaking of the city, I need to go to the Planet," Lois said as she started picking up Jon's clothes. "Perry's been making arrangements for me to get that big story with William and Kate."
"The teenage son of the future King and Queen of England comes out of the closet, and they specifically ask for you to get the sole interview, you should be honored," Clark said.
"I just don't know if I want to leave you and Jon alone for that long while I go to England," Lois told him as she tossed Jon's clothes into the hamper.
"We'll be fine," Clark assured her. "It'll be good for some father/son bonding Maybe I'll come with you to the Planet, the boys should be finished with their chores by the time we get back."
# # # # # # # # # #
While Jon was finishing fixing the fence that he would have to do soon anyway, Connor was baling hay by picking each bale up with ease and flying it up to the top of the barn. His t-shirt was wrapped around his waist as he was starting to enjoy working out in the sun.
"How's your stomach?" Connor asked as he touched down on the ground to grab another bale, picking it up and twirling it like a basketball.
"Better," Jon said as he lifted his t-shirt and showed him. The bruises were cleared up thanks to the yellow sun's energy healing his Kryptonian DNA. "Connor, why does Lex Luthor hate my dad so much?"
"Because people hate anything they don't understand, I guess," Connor told him. "We can do stuff that no one else can, and that scares some people."
"But why?" Jon asked. "I don't wanna hurt people, I want to help people like my Dad does."
"It's hard to explain, kid," Connor told him as he put the bale down and kneeled down to look at Jon. "I guess it's just something you have to figure out for yourself as you get older. People are gonna hate for no other reason than just to hate. But you just keep trying to do good for others. Be a hero like your old man, show people that you're not someone to be scared of."
"My dad's taking me into the city tonight to see a movie, wanna come?" Jon asked.
"Maybe," Connor told him as he flew the bale of hay up into the barn. "Sounds like fun."
# # # # # # # # # #
The Daily Planet
"Olsen, where are those pictures for tonight's edition!" Perry White shouted. "And where's that intern with my coffee!"
"On it, chief!" Jimmy shouted as he rushed to get his digital camera.
"Lane!" Perry shouted from his office as he saw Lois. "Get in here!"
"Coming!" Lois said as Clark saw Jimmy rushing past.
"Hello, Jimmy,"
"Hey, Mr. Kent," Jimmy said as he headed to his desk while letting out a yawn.
"You look worn out, Jimmy, is everything alright?"
"Oh, I've just been working nights for some extra cash," Jimmy told him.
"Why don't you just ask Perry for a raise?"
Both men stood there for a moment before they started laughing, which is when a loud ringing started hurting Clark's ears. Back at the farm, the same thing was happening to Connor and Jon.
Son of Jor-El, only you and those with enhanced hearing can hear this message. Meet me in the sky above Metropolis in five minutes, or everyone you have ever known in your city will die an agonizing death.
The noise ended as Clark tried to focus. "Jimmy, I have to run a quick errand, tell Lois I'll be back as soon as I can."
Before Jimmy could say anything, Clark rushed to the nearest empty room and took off his civilian clothes, revealing the Superman costume underneath. He flew out the nearest window and took off to the skies above Metropolis, wondering who was threatening his city time.
# # # # # # # # # #
"What the hell was that?" Connor asked as he saw Jon's nose was bleeding. "Kid, are you okay?"
"My head hurts," Jon said as Connor picked him up.
"It'll be okay, I promise. Let's get you indoors."
"What about Dad? He's going to need our help."
"You might be right, but you're my responsibility until he gets back, and right now I need to make sure you're alright," Connor said as he carried Jon indoors as he started to truly feel like Jon really was his little brother. "We'll get you fixed up, then we'll go help Clark, okay?"
"How come you're not bleeding?" Jon asked as Connor put him down on the couch.
"Because my body's used to these kinds of things, I guess," Connor said as he wiped the blood away from Jon's nose. "Your body needs time to adjust to your powers. Someday, you'll be as powerful as us."
"Do you think someday I'll be Superman?"
Connor remained silent for a moment. Jon had already claimed the Superboy title as his birthright by being the biological son of Clark Kent, so did that mean he was going to inherit the name, as well? What did that leave Connor Kent's role in the Superman legacy as then?
"Yeah, you'll make a great Superman, kid," Connor said sadly.
# # # # # # # # # #
"Alright, show yourself!" Superman said as he floated around, looking everywhere around the area.
"If you insist," a voice echoed through a microphone as a ship soon became visible. It was a large metallic skull with several long tentacles hanging down from it.
"What in the world?" Superman asked. "Brainiac?"
"Step inside, Kal-El," Brainiac commanded as a door opened. "So that we may negotiate your surrender."
Superman sighed as he hovered toward the opening, wondering what his old enemy was up to this time. As soon as he got through the door, it closed right behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED...
SUPERMAN FAMILY ALBUM
14-year-old Whitney Fordman and Pete Ross knocked on the door of the Kent house, waiting for Clark to answer so they could go on their campout. Martha answered the door and smiled at them.
"Is Clark ready, Mrs. Kent?" Pete asked.
"He'll be right down, boys," Martha said just as Clark rushed down the stairs, giving her a kiss.
"I'll see you later, Ma! Come on, guys!" Clark shouted as he ran out the door. Jonathan, sitting on the couch, continued reading his paper without looking up.
"That boy's like a speeding bullet,"
# # # # # # # # # #
"So, are we going to the usual campsite?" Clark asked as he walked alongside his friends.
"Actually, I thought we'd do something a little more exciting," Whitney told them. "We're going camping up there, in the old Snyder place."
"The S- Snyder place?" Pete gulped. "I heard that place was haunted. I heard that it changes people. You go in there happy, and you come out full of gloom and despair."
"Come on, don't tell me you guys are scared," Whitney smirked.
"I'm not scared," Clark told him. "In fact, I should come to keep you two out of trouble. Don't worry, Pete, I'll protect you."
"Thanks," Pete whispered as he lagged behind the others as they walked up the hill to the old house.
# # # # # # # # # #
Whitney slid open the window and climbed in, followed by Clark and Pete.
"Wow, look at this place," Whitney said as he looked at the living room. The furniture had white dust covers on them, and there were spiderwebs everywhere. "No one's been in here for years."
"If this place is haunted, the ghosts sure are lousy housekeepers," Clark whispered as he tossed his backpack onto a dusty chair.
"How are we gonna roast marshmallows if we're staying here?" Pete asked.
"Fireplace, buddy," Whitney laughed as he patted Pete on the back. "Clark, why don't you start a fire while I see if this place has a working bathroom. I've been holding it since we left the Kent farm."
"Why didn't you just ask to use the bathroom then?" Clark asked.
"Because I don't like peeing in other people's houses," Whitney told him. "It feels weird."
"You're going to pee right now in another person's house," Pete reminded him.
"Yeah, but it's an abandoned house, so it's not as weird," Whitney said as he headed upstairs as Clark opened his backpack to find some matches, realizing he must have left them on his dresser.
"Great," Clark muttered to himself as he looked around to make sure no one was watching. The young man looked at the fireplace and focused as a small beam of heat vision ignited the fireplace. "Fire's ready! Pete?"
Clark looked around, seeing neither of his friends were in the room.
# # # # # # # # # #
Pete was in the kitchen, looking around to see if there was anything edible left behind.
"My Twinkie sense is tingling," Pete said as he looked around. "If there's junk food here, I'm going to find it."
Pete opened one cabinet, finding it empty before moving on to the next one. As he opened the third one, he noticed the first two cabinets had closed themselves. "What the--"
While Pete was looking at the closed cabinets, the one behind him opened, tucking the back of his shirt into it. "I know I left those open."
# # # # # # # # # #
Whitney came out of the bathroom and headed back toward the staircase, passing by several pictures hanging on the wall of various people, ranging from children to adults. As he walked toward the stairs, Whitney didn't realize that the pictures were starting to stare at him as he passed them.
A sudden chill ran down his spine as Whitney turned back toward the pictures, who were no longer staring.
"Okay," Whitney whispered as he got a closer look at one of the pictures, not realizing that his shoelaces were being tied together. "I could have sworn I felt someone watching--"
The kid in the picture winked at him as Whitney stumbled backward with his shoes tied together. He fell down the stairs, landing at the bottom.
# # # # # # # # # #
In the kitchen, Pete heard something crashing in the other room. As he tried to rush toward the sound, he jerked back thanks to his shirt being caught in the drawer, hitting his head on the cabinet. As Pete opened his eyes, he saw a barrage of kitchen knives flying toward him. Clark jumped in front of him with a tray that deflected the knives.
"Pete, get up!" Clark ordered.
"My shirt's caught," Pete told him as Clark saw more knives coming at them.
"So, take it off!" Clark shouted as he deflected the knives.
"It's cold!"
"Better cold than bleeding to death!"
Pete whimpered a little as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a pasty, thin body.
"Okay, first we're getting Whitney and getting out here, then we're getting you to a gym," Clark said as the two rushed out to the living room, where Whitney was unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. "Really?"
"Uh... Clark?" Pete asked as he pointed to the top of the stairs, where a dresser was being pushed towards the edge.
"REALLY!?" Clark shouted as the dresser came tumbling down the stairs. He ran as quick as he could toward Whitney, pushing him out of the way, just as the dresser fell top of Clark.
"CLARK!" Pete shouted.
"I'm okay," Clark said from under the cabinet. "One of the open doors landed on me, so I'm safe."
In reality, Clark's strength burst through the door, but now he couldn't break out without revealing his powers. "Get Whitney out of here! Go get help!"
"What about you?" Pete asked.
"I think I'm pretty safe for the moment," Clark told him.
Pete helped Whitney up as they headed to the door. As soon as Clark heard the front door close, he burst through the top of the cabinet.
"Nobody tries to hurt my friends!" Clark shouted. "Come on out!"
"The three of you were trespassing," a voice said from upstairs. "We were defending our home."
"You're right, we shouldn't have snuck in, but that still doesn't give you the right to try to kill us!" Clark replied. "Who are you?"
# # # # # # # # # #
"Stupid laces!" Whitney shouted as he finally gave up and tossed his sneakers into the grass. "Come on, we have to help Clark!"
"What about being scared?" Whitney asked.
"Clark saved my life in there, he wasn't scared, and neither am I," Pete said. "I'm going to help my best friend."
The two boys rushed back toward the house, just as Clark walked out, his backpack slung over his shoulder.
"You're alive!" Pete shouted as he hugged Clark. "What happened?"
"It's a long story, and it'll make for a great campfire story," Clark told them. "If you guys still want to have a real campout, that is."
"Our spot should still be there," Whitney said as they started walking. "How'd you get out of that cabinet?"
"And why didn't you grab my shirt?" Pete asked.
"I'll tell you when we set up camp," Clark promised as the trio got to their campsite, only to find Lana and some of her friends having already set up. "Or not."
TO BE CONTINUED...
"Help!"
You always think that you can't do something, that it's too tough, you'll just screw up and fail and that'll be it.
Jon Kent sat up in his bed and looked out the window, seeing the tipped over tractor on top of the neighbor in the field across the way. The son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane-Kent jumped out of the bed, his bare feet hitting the floor as he stared out of the second story bedroom window. There was no time to waste. It was now or never.
But the combination of fear, panic, and adrenaline push all thoughts of failure out of your head, and the only thought left is that someone's in trouble, and the only other guy that can save the day is three hundred miles away.
Jon Kent backed up and took a run at the bedroom window, jumping out and flying for the very first time. It took a few seconds to get his bearings, but at a lightning quick pace, flew toward the tractor, giving a good push. The man couldn't see anything but a red and blue blur, thinking that the Man of Steel had heard his cries for help as the tractor was lifted off of him.
Seconds later, Jon ran up to the man with a cell phone in his hand.
"I called 911, just stay calm!" Jon said as he sat by the man's side. The boy had yet to get a costume, and his parents hadn't yet come around to the idea of him becoming an actual hero, so he did what a presumably normal 10-year-old boy would do and held the man's hand until the ambulance arrived.
That night, my parents agreed that it was time for me to join my dad. Slowly at first, but it wouldn't be long before I was being called Superboy by the media. And someday I'm really going to prove how much of a hero I am. Someday, I'm gonna make my dad proud of me.
Action Comics #2
"Saturday With the Kents"
Written by Tobias Christopher
Six Weeks Later
Lois Lane-Kent and her husband Clark were both rushing around the kitchen, trying to get breakfast prepared. Even though it was a Saturday, they both had deadlines to meet for the Daily Planet. As Clark stood at the stove, making pancakes and eggs, using a combination of his heat vision and freezing breath to move things along, Lois was making fresh orange juice and toast.
In the living room, the Kent's young son Jonathan was laying on his stomach on the living room floor as he watched cartoons on t.v.
"Jon, you need to take the trash out!" Lois shouted from the kitchen.
"Do I have to?" Jon asked. "Tiny Titans hasn't gone to commercial yet!"
"You know the rules, son," Clark said. "You do your chores before breakfast is served."
Jon stood up and headed to the kitchen, mumbling to himself as he pulled the bag out of the can, just staring at it while his parent's backs were turned.
"Do not use your heat vision to incinerate it, young man," Lois told him.
Jon dragged the bag to the door and opened it, pulling his foot back.
"Do not kick it into the next city," Clark said. "Take it to the trashcan."
Jon took the bag out to the curb in front of the Kent farm, which was just outside of the city. It was not only peaceful, but Clark could help his son learn how to use his powers in private. "There, I took the stupid garbage out to the stupid cans. I hate trash duty, there are bees out there."
"Bees can't hurt you, son, we've been over this," Clark said as he brought the food to the table.
"What if I accidentally swallowed one? It could sting my insides, then it'd hurt me," Jon said as he got ready to sit down. "Or what if they were kryptonite bees? Or if it was a kryptonite bee and I ended up swallowing it?"
"Go wash your hands before you sit down," Lois told him. "You know better, Jon."
"There are no such things as kryptonite bees," Clark told him. "Just like there are no kryptonite laundry hampers, kryptonite vegetables, or girls that have kryptonite cooties."
Jon grumbled as he stood up and headed to the bathroom to wash his hands, being careful with the faucet. He had to be careful not to break the knobs off in his hand like he did when he first started developing his powers. That was the day his father had to give him the 'World of Cardboard' speech. Jon returned to the table to eat breakfast, wanting to get back to his cartoons.
"Dad, how come Lex Luthor's not making toys of me?" Jon asked.
"Because I wouldn't want him exploiting you," Clark replied. "It's bad enough he's doing it to me. Luckily the contracts I signed with the charities didn't involve you, Connor, Supergirl or Steel."
"You said exploiting was bad, like the time I mooned Robin because he was being a jerk," Jon said.
"No, that was exposing," Clark said. "And that's the last time you're ever going to do that, right?"
"It is now that Robin says he's going to line the toes of his boots with kryptonite," Jon said.
# # # # # # # # # #
"Hey, kids, look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane!"
A boy's hand holding a Superman action figure appeared on the t.v. screen.
It's Superman! Action packed adventures with Superman!
"Now you can go on adventures with Metropolis's favorite hero as he fights against Doomsday, the Eradicator and others! And now Superman comes with realistic heat vision!"
Superman! Don't aim heat vision into other people's eyes, Superman!
"And who's that? It's Superman's crime fighting buddy, Lex Luthor!"
A Lex Luthor action figure in his green and purple armor popped in next to Superman.
Lex Luthor! Funny and brilliant super genius Lex Luthor!
The two figures high-fived each other as they stood over the fallen supervillains.
"Superman, Super Awesome Heroic Lex Luthor, and other figures sold separately! Coming soon to local Metropolis toy stores!"
# # # # # # # # # #
Jon Kent was laying on the couch in his pajamas while he watched the ad for the new Superman toyline. His parents, Clark and Lois, were standing in the doorway watching the same commercial. Lois put a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"This is bull," Lois said. "I looked at this story from every angle. Everything Luthor is doing is completely legit."
"That's what the lawyer Bruce suggested to me said," Clark told her. "The only good news is that he only has the Superman rights. He can't produce anything with Jon, Connor, or anyone else I'm close to, although I'm sure he's already working on ways around that as we speak. I can't believe after all the years we've fought each other, this is how he finally beats me."
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Lois said as Clark looked at her. "I mean, the charities are still getting funded, and this is going to make a lot of children happy."
"I can't believe you're the one who's finding the silver lining in all of this," Clark told her. "Shouldn't this be the other way around?"
"What can I say, you've been a positive influence on me," Lois said as they kissed.
"Ew," Jon said, his head barely peeking over the couch at them. "I just ate breakfast."
"Good, that means you can go outside and help Connor bale the rest of the hay," Clark told him. "Go get dressed and give him a hand."
"Do I have to? Hay makes me sneeze," Jon said, still only speaking with half of his head staring at them from the back of the couch.
"If you want to go to the city with me tonight," Clark said, seeing Jon was already halfway up the stairs, leaving a trail of pajamas, socks, and underwear behind as he rushed upstairs to get changed into his work clothes.
"Speaking of the city, I need to go to the Planet," Lois said as she started picking up Jon's clothes. "Perry's been making arrangements for me to get that big story with William and Kate."
"The teenage son of the future King and Queen of England comes out of the closet, and they specifically ask for you to get the sole interview, you should be honored," Clark said.
"I just don't know if I want to leave you and Jon alone for that long while I go to England," Lois told him as she tossed Jon's clothes into the hamper.
"We'll be fine," Clark assured her. "It'll be good for some father/son bonding Maybe I'll come with you to the Planet, the boys should be finished with their chores by the time we get back."
# # # # # # # # # #
While Jon was finishing fixing the fence that he would have to do soon anyway, Connor was baling hay by picking each bale up with ease and flying it up to the top of the barn. His t-shirt was wrapped around his waist as he was starting to enjoy working out in the sun.
"How's your stomach?" Connor asked as he touched down on the ground to grab another bale, picking it up and twirling it like a basketball.
"Better," Jon said as he lifted his t-shirt and showed him. The bruises were cleared up thanks to the yellow sun's energy healing his Kryptonian DNA. "Connor, why does Lex Luthor hate my dad so much?"
"Because people hate anything they don't understand, I guess," Connor told him. "We can do stuff that no one else can, and that scares some people."
"But why?" Jon asked. "I don't wanna hurt people, I want to help people like my Dad does."
"It's hard to explain, kid," Connor told him as he put the bale down and kneeled down to look at Jon. "I guess it's just something you have to figure out for yourself as you get older. People are gonna hate for no other reason than just to hate. But you just keep trying to do good for others. Be a hero like your old man, show people that you're not someone to be scared of."
"My dad's taking me into the city tonight to see a movie, wanna come?" Jon asked.
"Maybe," Connor told him as he flew the bale of hay up into the barn. "Sounds like fun."
# # # # # # # # # #
The Daily Planet
"Olsen, where are those pictures for tonight's edition!" Perry White shouted. "And where's that intern with my coffee!"
"On it, chief!" Jimmy shouted as he rushed to get his digital camera.
"Lane!" Perry shouted from his office as he saw Lois. "Get in here!"
"Coming!" Lois said as Clark saw Jimmy rushing past.
"Hello, Jimmy,"
"Hey, Mr. Kent," Jimmy said as he headed to his desk while letting out a yawn.
"You look worn out, Jimmy, is everything alright?"
"Oh, I've just been working nights for some extra cash," Jimmy told him.
"Why don't you just ask Perry for a raise?"
Both men stood there for a moment before they started laughing, which is when a loud ringing started hurting Clark's ears. Back at the farm, the same thing was happening to Connor and Jon.
Son of Jor-El, only you and those with enhanced hearing can hear this message. Meet me in the sky above Metropolis in five minutes, or everyone you have ever known in your city will die an agonizing death.
The noise ended as Clark tried to focus. "Jimmy, I have to run a quick errand, tell Lois I'll be back as soon as I can."
Before Jimmy could say anything, Clark rushed to the nearest empty room and took off his civilian clothes, revealing the Superman costume underneath. He flew out the nearest window and took off to the skies above Metropolis, wondering who was threatening his city time.
# # # # # # # # # #
"What the hell was that?" Connor asked as he saw Jon's nose was bleeding. "Kid, are you okay?"
"My head hurts," Jon said as Connor picked him up.
"It'll be okay, I promise. Let's get you indoors."
"What about Dad? He's going to need our help."
"You might be right, but you're my responsibility until he gets back, and right now I need to make sure you're alright," Connor said as he carried Jon indoors as he started to truly feel like Jon really was his little brother. "We'll get you fixed up, then we'll go help Clark, okay?"
"How come you're not bleeding?" Jon asked as Connor put him down on the couch.
"Because my body's used to these kinds of things, I guess," Connor said as he wiped the blood away from Jon's nose. "Your body needs time to adjust to your powers. Someday, you'll be as powerful as us."
"Do you think someday I'll be Superman?"
Connor remained silent for a moment. Jon had already claimed the Superboy title as his birthright by being the biological son of Clark Kent, so did that mean he was going to inherit the name, as well? What did that leave Connor Kent's role in the Superman legacy as then?
"Yeah, you'll make a great Superman, kid," Connor said sadly.
# # # # # # # # # #
"Alright, show yourself!" Superman said as he floated around, looking everywhere around the area.
"If you insist," a voice echoed through a microphone as a ship soon became visible. It was a large metallic skull with several long tentacles hanging down from it.
"What in the world?" Superman asked. "Brainiac?"
"Step inside, Kal-El," Brainiac commanded as a door opened. "So that we may negotiate your surrender."
Superman sighed as he hovered toward the opening, wondering what his old enemy was up to this time. As soon as he got through the door, it closed right behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED...
SUPERMAN FAMILY ALBUM
14-year-old Whitney Fordman and Pete Ross knocked on the door of the Kent house, waiting for Clark to answer so they could go on their campout. Martha answered the door and smiled at them.
"Is Clark ready, Mrs. Kent?" Pete asked.
"He'll be right down, boys," Martha said just as Clark rushed down the stairs, giving her a kiss.
"I'll see you later, Ma! Come on, guys!" Clark shouted as he ran out the door. Jonathan, sitting on the couch, continued reading his paper without looking up.
"That boy's like a speeding bullet,"
# # # # # # # # # #
"So, are we going to the usual campsite?" Clark asked as he walked alongside his friends.
"Actually, I thought we'd do something a little more exciting," Whitney told them. "We're going camping up there, in the old Snyder place."
"The S- Snyder place?" Pete gulped. "I heard that place was haunted. I heard that it changes people. You go in there happy, and you come out full of gloom and despair."
"Come on, don't tell me you guys are scared," Whitney smirked.
"I'm not scared," Clark told him. "In fact, I should come to keep you two out of trouble. Don't worry, Pete, I'll protect you."
"Thanks," Pete whispered as he lagged behind the others as they walked up the hill to the old house.
# # # # # # # # # #
Whitney slid open the window and climbed in, followed by Clark and Pete.
"Wow, look at this place," Whitney said as he looked at the living room. The furniture had white dust covers on them, and there were spiderwebs everywhere. "No one's been in here for years."
"If this place is haunted, the ghosts sure are lousy housekeepers," Clark whispered as he tossed his backpack onto a dusty chair.
"How are we gonna roast marshmallows if we're staying here?" Pete asked.
"Fireplace, buddy," Whitney laughed as he patted Pete on the back. "Clark, why don't you start a fire while I see if this place has a working bathroom. I've been holding it since we left the Kent farm."
"Why didn't you just ask to use the bathroom then?" Clark asked.
"Because I don't like peeing in other people's houses," Whitney told him. "It feels weird."
"You're going to pee right now in another person's house," Pete reminded him.
"Yeah, but it's an abandoned house, so it's not as weird," Whitney said as he headed upstairs as Clark opened his backpack to find some matches, realizing he must have left them on his dresser.
"Great," Clark muttered to himself as he looked around to make sure no one was watching. The young man looked at the fireplace and focused as a small beam of heat vision ignited the fireplace. "Fire's ready! Pete?"
Clark looked around, seeing neither of his friends were in the room.
# # # # # # # # # #
Pete was in the kitchen, looking around to see if there was anything edible left behind.
"My Twinkie sense is tingling," Pete said as he looked around. "If there's junk food here, I'm going to find it."
Pete opened one cabinet, finding it empty before moving on to the next one. As he opened the third one, he noticed the first two cabinets had closed themselves. "What the--"
While Pete was looking at the closed cabinets, the one behind him opened, tucking the back of his shirt into it. "I know I left those open."
# # # # # # # # # #
Whitney came out of the bathroom and headed back toward the staircase, passing by several pictures hanging on the wall of various people, ranging from children to adults. As he walked toward the stairs, Whitney didn't realize that the pictures were starting to stare at him as he passed them.
A sudden chill ran down his spine as Whitney turned back toward the pictures, who were no longer staring.
"Okay," Whitney whispered as he got a closer look at one of the pictures, not realizing that his shoelaces were being tied together. "I could have sworn I felt someone watching--"
The kid in the picture winked at him as Whitney stumbled backward with his shoes tied together. He fell down the stairs, landing at the bottom.
# # # # # # # # # #
In the kitchen, Pete heard something crashing in the other room. As he tried to rush toward the sound, he jerked back thanks to his shirt being caught in the drawer, hitting his head on the cabinet. As Pete opened his eyes, he saw a barrage of kitchen knives flying toward him. Clark jumped in front of him with a tray that deflected the knives.
"Pete, get up!" Clark ordered.
"My shirt's caught," Pete told him as Clark saw more knives coming at them.
"So, take it off!" Clark shouted as he deflected the knives.
"It's cold!"
"Better cold than bleeding to death!"
Pete whimpered a little as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a pasty, thin body.
"Okay, first we're getting Whitney and getting out here, then we're getting you to a gym," Clark said as the two rushed out to the living room, where Whitney was unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. "Really?"
"Uh... Clark?" Pete asked as he pointed to the top of the stairs, where a dresser was being pushed towards the edge.
"REALLY!?" Clark shouted as the dresser came tumbling down the stairs. He ran as quick as he could toward Whitney, pushing him out of the way, just as the dresser fell top of Clark.
"CLARK!" Pete shouted.
"I'm okay," Clark said from under the cabinet. "One of the open doors landed on me, so I'm safe."
In reality, Clark's strength burst through the door, but now he couldn't break out without revealing his powers. "Get Whitney out of here! Go get help!"
"What about you?" Pete asked.
"I think I'm pretty safe for the moment," Clark told him.
Pete helped Whitney up as they headed to the door. As soon as Clark heard the front door close, he burst through the top of the cabinet.
"Nobody tries to hurt my friends!" Clark shouted. "Come on out!"
"The three of you were trespassing," a voice said from upstairs. "We were defending our home."
"You're right, we shouldn't have snuck in, but that still doesn't give you the right to try to kill us!" Clark replied. "Who are you?"
# # # # # # # # # #
"Stupid laces!" Whitney shouted as he finally gave up and tossed his sneakers into the grass. "Come on, we have to help Clark!"
"What about being scared?" Whitney asked.
"Clark saved my life in there, he wasn't scared, and neither am I," Pete said. "I'm going to help my best friend."
The two boys rushed back toward the house, just as Clark walked out, his backpack slung over his shoulder.
"You're alive!" Pete shouted as he hugged Clark. "What happened?"
"It's a long story, and it'll make for a great campfire story," Clark told them. "If you guys still want to have a real campout, that is."
"Our spot should still be there," Whitney said as they started walking. "How'd you get out of that cabinet?"
"And why didn't you grab my shirt?" Pete asked.
"I'll tell you when we set up camp," Clark promised as the trio got to their campsite, only to find Lana and some of her friends having already set up. "Or not."
TO BE CONTINUED...