Krypton, June 18, 1994
'so this is how the world ends' Jor-El though as he Stood at the window watching the madness unfurl in front of his eyes. The once gleaming cities of krypton were now crumbling and falling apart.
To think that only two years ago the council was in a frenzy over his theories on Ultra-violet light from a yellow planet turning a kryptonian into a demi-god. Enhanced strength, speed, durability, among others. They scoffed but now he was praying to Rao it was true.
Another explosion rocked Jor-El out of his daydreaming. Only one thing mattered now, only one. The planet was tearing itself apart. The Council could've built enough ships to save the entire population of Krypton. Now, there was only one ship, for one. His child, Kal-El.
When he proposed this scenario they all but had a rageful fury. They claimed he was warning about Galactus.
"Galactus" the Councilman laughed before it began, "He is the stuff of children's stories! That was old religious stories to keep our planet clean. You mustn't take the legends seriously."
"I still say we need to evacuate to some of the other worlds in the system. The Skrulls have fought back. Even if I'm wrong, this is as good a time as any to expand our population." Jor-El argued.
"All space travel is prohibited, Jor-El, you know this," the Councilman said more firmly. Then Jor-El knew they'd never listen. He had to plan in secret with his brother a way for their children to escape.
The ship's construction had began an entire year before the catastrophic disaster. A small, child-sized transportation device. Inserted into the ship's computer was a crystal. Jor-El and his wife, Lara, had something in there. The crystal's function was experimental but if it worked then it would affect the baby's life and that of the Earth-men.
A chasm opened up in the ground and discharged it core through a nearby skyscraper. He could feel the searing heat inside of his own room. The screams were lost in the chaos outside, and Jor-El knew that there was no time. He rushed through the yellow neon-illuminated hallway that led to the room that housed the rocket.
"Lara?!"
It was Lara, she was crying, holding their only son. She now looked as if a heavy burden had been laid on her shoulders. The fate of their son's life now lay solely in the hands of his parents.
"Yes Lara, what is it?"
"Will . . . will he make it?"
"Yes my love, our son's future is assured."
"Where is he being sent?! Where will he go?!"
"To a planet called Earth, it revolves around a yellow sun."
"What will happen to him?"
Jor-El remained silent at this next query. He had made all of the necessary calculations, figured all of the coordinates, and filled the rocket with enough fuel for the journey. Yet would that be enough?
"I don't know. I know he'll make it through. I only pray Zor-El managed to succeed with Kara"
With that last statement, they entered the dark room. A small cone of light illuminated the center of the room, revealing a small rocket. The ground shook with the force of 1,000,000 earthquakes. Krypton was being torn asunder, and their house remained erect. So far, so good.
Jor-El glanced at Lara, and immediately noticed the alarm and trepidation that washed over her beautiful visage. The worry and doubt had consumed her, and she gripped Kal-El tighter with anxiety.
"We have to hurry my dear, we're running out of time."
"You . . . you're right, Just let me sing him to sleep"
As Lara rocked the babe she sang him a lullaby about the stars and becoming one.
Lara, reluctantly, handed Kal-El over to his father, only after giving him a tender kiss on his brow. Jor-El looked at his son one last time, peering into his future, trying to convince himself of the man that this boy would become.
"You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you... even in the face of our deaths. You will carry us inside you, all the days of your life. You will make my strength and intellect your own and your mother's kindness as your very soul. You'll be apart of us as you are to us. This is all I... all I can send you, Kal-El. Farewell . . . my son."
Jor-El embraced his son, and placed him into the spaceship. The glass panel sealed behind Kal-El, and the computers began to switch on. Jor-El could smell the Kryptonian fuel emitting from the engine. With a stutter, the spacecraft exploded from its pedestal, and crashed through the window above. Shards of glass fell into the room, and Jor-El knew, it was the end.
"I love you Lara."
"And I love you Jor-El."
The two shared one final passionate kiss, and then… nothing. The planet known as Krypton uttered a final cry, and then was silenced with an incredible explosion.
Smallville, Kansas, November 29, 1994
Martha looked out towards the barren fields of Kansas. That one word struck her. Barren. All her life she wanted to be a mother. And yet fate just took it away. She stared outward from the truck window.
Jonathan knew his wife's emotional state but knew he's only make it worse, so he left her alone. Simply looking at her though made his heart break.
Jonathan let out a long sigh, and then went back to his driving.
The truck then began to rumble, the Earth shook and the tired swerved off the road Everything that wasn't bolted down began to vibrate. The couple looked out the window to see an immense light come streaking down from the sky and crashing into a field nearby. All at once, the shaking stopped.
Within minutes, the truck stopped and the couple was outside, Jonathan leading the way, shotgun in hand. As they came closer to the impact sight, they noticed a small rocket come into their field of view, a thin layer of dust surrounded it, giving it a mysterious look.
"A rocket…?" Martha marveled.
Jonathan aimed his shotgun at the rocket as a compressing sound was heard, and a hatch slowly opened. Jonathan's jaw dropped as he lowered his gun, and stared wide eyed at the sight and suddenly, a sound that he never expected met his ears; the sound of a crying baby.
Martha bent and turned, and to his amazement, he saw she was holding the crying infant, wrapped in red blankets. He watched in total awe as she rocked and quieted the baby, who was soon holding itself to her chest.
"It's a baby…" Martha said, quickly climbing down the crater.
"What kind of an idiot puts a baby inside a rocket?" Jonathan scratched his head, curious as to what new alien hoax it was now.
Martha kept him bundled in the blankets, as she picked the boy out of the rocket and carefully took him out of the crater. She poked him playfully as the baby laughed with joy for the first time in a long time. He waved his hands, trying in vain to catch her finger that she kept pulling away at the last second.
"Martha," he said, his voice escaping from his words, "I know what you are thinking and we are NOT keeping that baby."
The playing suddenly stopped, and Martha looked her husband straight in the eyes, "Jonathan," she mildly scolded (and half begged), "he's got nowhere to go!"
"Yeah, but—."
"What would you have us do, send him to an orphanage telling them we found him in a rocket? We've tried every conceivable method and WE can't have a baby…he's got no parents…" her voice trailed off.
"He IS kind of cute," Jonathan admitted.
All at once, the baby grabbed Jonathan's shotgun and threw it to the ground with such force that it was bent. The couple looked at each other, aghast.
"What in the world have you gotten us into?" Jonathan said. The baby looked up at him. Those eyes, those piercing blue, Innocent eyes.
He stepped forward, placing a careful hand on the back of the little boys head. He turned and looked up at Jonathan, cuing in wonder.
Martha looked around, "Ethan?"
Jonathan frowned, "I don't think so. Hiram?"
Martha rolled her eyes, "I know. Why don't we use my maiden name?"
"Clark?" Jonathan said. "Clark Kent. I think it fits."
Martha hugged the smiling boy, "Me too."
Smallville, Kansas, September, 2009
Clark had just finished putting in his backpack. The early school year could be unpredictable but darn it, he'll be ready for it.
"Hey clark!" Pete ross said.
"Hey pete." Clark said.
"Did you hear about the game?" Pete Said.
"Yes" Clark said. "Granted i'm not sure if it'll last"
"Oh come on Clark, where's your school spirit."
"Probably somewhere where it's easy to stay firm." Sam loeb said as he walked further with his crutches.
"Hey sam" Pete and Clark said. The three headed to class.
"So where's Lana?" Clark asked.
"I think she's about…" Sam answered before clark bumped into a girl and fell down.
"Be right there" Sam finished.
"Clark are you ok?" Lana asked. Clark noticed her red hair was tied up in a ponytail today, that weird but it could be weirder.
"I'm fine" Clark said getting up.
"So no we're all together, let's get to class before mr. Sale chews us out on it. Luckily they managed to get to class. As the day went on though and they went to the other classes…
"Clark!" Clark was snapped out of a daydream.
"Uh… yeah?"
"What is the allegory of the wizard of Oz?"
"There isn't an allegory." Clark said. "It was a thought experiment that was misread and grew out of control, and even though some facts line up other elements of the story don't match to reality."
"Good." Ms. Simone said. "Although the same can't be said for it's predecessor alice in wonderland." then strangely it was like ms. simone's skin had dissolved and she was a walking skeleton. Clark blinked then things were normal. 'Ok that was just weird' Clark thought
Soon the bell rang, and the students got up to go to the last class.
"Ok, now" Mr. Kirby said. "Today as you're aware of, we'll be discussing Costumed heroes, specifically Captain America and the J.S.A." As Class went on clark did get a weird feeling in his eyes but he couldn't understand why.
"Clark are you ok?" Lana whispered.
"Yeah just…" clark rubbed the bridge of his brow and, heat? Where was that heat coming from?
"So class…" the bell went off. "You may proceed."
As the students left clark then felt his eyes get hot, really hot.
"Oh my God!" Mr sale said. The heat dissipated, thus seeing that Kenny Braverman's notebook was on fire.
"What the FUCK?!" he said. "Who did that. Someone had to do it!" Kenny began shouting.
"Kenneth I-" Sam said.
"Did you do it?" kenny said. Clark eyes narrowed, his teeth clenched. How could he suspect a kid his a form of bone cancer to be able to set a notebook on fire from behind him?!
"Mr Braverman either you…" Mr sale said.
"Leave him alone Kenny!" Clark said. Kenny simple looked at clark and threw his fist in clark's face but clark catched it. Soon he was pulling away to no avail. He then jerked his arm to the left which caused clark to let go but however…
"Oh God My arm!" Kenny said. When he rose his arm was broken in two different places.
"Jesus Christ!' everyone in the classroom was shocked. Before anything could happen clark ran away.
"Clark wait" Lana, Sam, and pete were yelling at him but he was already far away.
He ran to his farm. He instantly dropped onto the couch, his mind was a wreck. 'Oh god what have i done!'
The next day Clark tried to go one without meeting interacting with anyone but. He saw kenny walking towards him, clark tried to get out of the way but still bumped into kenny braverman.
"Clark" said kenneth.
"Uh… Kenny i'm sorry about the arm" Clark said.
"Don't be sorry clark." Kenny said. Behind him were members of the cheerleading squad "This is the best day of my life."
"Oh you poor thing. Does it hurt?" one of the cheerleaders, a blonde said. Accidently touching Kenny's arm
"A little." kenny said. Clark was about to walk away when he bumped into Lana, Pete, and sam.
"Hey guys" Clark said.
"Lana said you this strong as a kid." Pete said. "Why didn't you tell us and how did you gain strength like that?"
"I'd rather not know frankly" Sam said.
"I called yesterday. I left a message with your mom." Lana said
"Sorry lana. I didn't feel like talking to anyone." Clark responded.
"Not even me?" lana asked, Before clark could respond.
"Wanna sign it lana?"
"I'll wait until the pep squad dispresses for pom pom practice"
"How about you clark?"
Clark then felt odd as he began to see their skeletons.
"Clark are you ok you don't look so good" Kenneth said. Then clark saw his arm, broken. He started to run away. "Where are you going?"
Soon clark was by himself. Slumped against the wall he felt shame flow over himself. He could hear lana calling him.
"You're not okay are you" Lana said.
"No. I saw through the cast. I broke his arm. It was my fault"
"it's not your fault. You were just defending sam."
"I shouldn't have grabbed him. My dad told me not to. And even though he didn't say it he knows it's my fault too." Clark said.
"Well for what it's worth i didn't think Kenny minds." Lana pointed out.
"You weren't there lana. You didn't hear his bone snap. You didn't hear his scream" Clark said.
"You remember the first time said the first time you learned you were strong? We were playing hide-and-go-seek and i was in ben hubbard's field. I heard the thresher but i didn't know it was coming right at me. Somehow you did. You came to get me out of the way then the blades broke when they hit you and we were both okay and you said 'I'm stronger than steel. Cool'"
Clark's face softened at the memory.
"What you're capable of it's still cool clark." Lana said. Clark's face then hardened again.
"Not anymore it's not I hurt kenny. I hurt him really bad. I'm afraid to touch anyone Lana."
Clark said as she grabbed clark's hand.
"Don't be afraid of that clark" she reassured.
the heat in his eyes returned.
"It's really hot in here"
"Clark… your eyes." lana said as clark's eyes caused a nearby wooden tackboard to burst into flame. This caused the water sprinkler system to go off.
An hour later
"I'd say someone is responsible" one of the many firefighters said after hearing the principle describe the situation.
Clark and lana stood there for what felt like hours.
"Clark?" jonathan said when his red pickup truck rolled up. "Let's go home"
"But pa-" clark was going to respond. Jonathan looked at clark with a sad look in his eyes.
"Right now" Jonathan said firmly. Reluctantly clark entered the truck which drove home.
"I wasn't doing anything wrong." Clark said after a long period of silence.
"I know" Jonathan responded
"I was just with lana and i… we…."
"You what?" Jonathan asked.
"It… came out right out of my eyes. What's wrong with me?"
Later...
"Nothing's wrong with you. You're special" martha said as she sat at the table looking at the slouching clark.
"You said it before all of this started, mom." clark said
"Well i meant it too. You're the most special boy in the world." Martha responded
"I think it's past time. Well past time." Jonathan said finally.
"Past time for what?" clark asked.
"Nothing clark" martha was quick to respond.
"He almost set the school on fire martha" Jonathan insisted.
"No!" Martha firmly stood.
"Martha!" Jonathan insisted.
"It'll change everything in this household." Martha pleaded.
"He needs to know." Jonathan said.
"Know what?" clark asked after hearing this.
Soon the three were walking towards the barn.
"Why are we going to the barn?" Clark asked.
"The day you were stronger than the metal blades of ben hubbard's thresher wasn't the first day we knew you were different." Jonathan said. "And it wasn't the day you blew out more than your candles veither clark."
"You're talking about my last birthday" Clark said
"november 24th wasn't your birthday clark." he responded "It's the day we found this It's the day our prayers were answered." inside the barn jonathan pulled away a metal crate and removed a wooden board. Underneath was a large metallic spaceship.
"What is that?" Clark asked
"As near as we've been able to tell it's a rocket." jonathan responded
"I know that Where'd it come from?! It's awesome!" Clark said.
"It landed in front of us. It came from the sky. And you were in it." Martha said.
Clark touched it and it stopped glowing. It then warmed up, alittle to much so. Clark dropped it and in an instant the crystal shattered. The barn was bathed in a bright light. When it faded there stood two people. A man, and a woman.
The man had black hair, a beard, and the eyes of an intellect like none other. The woman had Red hair and blue eyes, with a something going on behind them. They were both dressed in weird wetsuit/chainmail things.
"Hello, Kal-El" The man spoke looking at Clark. "I am Jor-El."
"And I am Lara." The woman spoke after.
"...Ok" Clark said after a long silence.
"We are your Parents. You're Real parents." Jor-El said.
"...oh" Clark also said looking at Ma and Pa, who were looking back.
"We come from Krypton. The Planet that was, or rather once was" Lara said.
"Once?" Clark said.
"We'll explain…" Jor-El was about to speak when…
"Can we at least sit?" Pa asked.
"Considering the length, you might want to" Lara said.
"As I was saying. We came from Krypton, a planet 27.1 light-years from Earth. You were sent here because Krypton was destroyed, we had accidentally destroyed ourselves in a civil war which caused the core to implode. In order to save you we sent you in a pod to this planet. To ensure your survival we preserved our consciousnesses onto a projection crystal. This will allow you and those you who come into contact with the crystal to see us as…" Jor-El said but stopped not knowing the word.
"Ghosts" Martha said.
"Yes… that" Jor-El said.
"Has a resonance to it." Lara commented.
"So I'm an Alien whose lived among humans" Clark said. "That actually makes sense considering." He began to lift an old tractor one handed tipping it over. Ma and Pa had to nod.
"But why earth?"
"Because of them" Jor-El said pointing to the Kents. "They could have left you but they let you Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. But always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way."
"You can be something so much more than what We've ever done." Lara said clearly getting emotional along with Jor-El. "It's something we hope you can understand."
Clark sat down on a work bench and looked at both sets of his parents. He remembered hearing about stories men and women who could do great things. With this revelation the world might as well be on his hands. But there was something that can be felt in their eyes.
"I do" Clark said.
"Question" Ma said. "How's that gonna happen?"
"Well first we need to train" Jor-El said both said at once.
Smallville, March, 2008
Over the past few months things became non-stop, science, training, and normal life. Though no one could tell how things would be done.
"I'm not going to kill!" Clark firmly decided.
"And you shouldn't" Pa agreed with him. "But we still need an idea."
"Well there's the option of becoming a…" Jor-El proposed.
"NO!" Clark said. "I'm not a god, i'm not going to impose my will on anyone."
"Then how else will the light be seen." Lara asked.
Martha burst into the room and slammed a book down on the table.
"This is how." She said everyone looked at the book.
"'old masks' by Jay Garrick and Andrea beaumont." Jonathan read the Title. "Wait. so a Costumed adventurer?"
"Ironic we were talking about that in history class." Clark commented.
"Wait what are costumed adventurers?" Lara asked.
"Well during the '30s and 40s men and women dressed up in costumed to fight evil." Jonathan answered. "They did what the police couldn't. The name's misleading. Some weren't really in costumes. some were. Most of the time no one knew who they were."
"Some were secret others were public. You get the idea?"
"We do, please continue." Jor-El said fascinated.
"Well the first was was some "Shadow" guy. Then came others like the sandman, the flash, and the green lantern." Jonathan smiled in nostalgia then sat down "then came Captain america. Created by some Doctor savage fella. My grandpa told me stories about him. He was the greatest of all heroes. But after the war..."
"The people turned their backs on them." Jor-El said sullen. "Just like they did on krypton."
did krypton have costumed heroes?' Clark thought.
"The last costumed adventurer is still around, some guy called 'the Bat-man.'" Martha said. "Someone clark shouldn't emulate. Never did like people who tried to scare others." she mumbled.
"Then it's settled. Kal will be one of these costumed adventurers. Though we must plan out everything else in advance." Jor-El said.
"We'll work more later, after you have rested." Jor-El said before he and lara faded out.
"How do you no get freaked out by them?" Clark said.
"we did but we got over it." Martha quipped.
The next day
"I've got really bad allergies today. It's the uh.. Pollen." Clark said to Kenny and the others after school.
"You had a stomach ache yesterday because of bad eggs and a dentist appointment the day before that." Kenny said
"It's supposed to rain anyway kenny." Clark pointed out.
"And what's with those glasses. They're way too big." Kenny said.
"They were what was convenient." clark said.
"You know what i think you're afraid to get hurt like sam or pete." Kenny said.
"C'mon clark, i'll be the couch and you can take my place and play quarterback. You always wanted too." pete said to clark after bringing him aside.
"I can't pete" clark said.
"Why not?" pete asked
"I just can't" Clark said. And pete just walked off.
"Bad eggs? Pollen? Those are really the best excuses you can come up with." lana said when she caught up with clark.
"I've never been good at lying." Clark admitted.
"You should start practicing. I'm going to set up my aunt's floral booth for the fair. Wanna come?" Lana offered.
"How about 'my mom just bought me this shirt and i can't get it dirty?'" Clark asked.
"That's just asking for trouble." Lana critiqued.
"'I, um, have an ear infection and it's making dizzy.'" clarked said.
"You're hopeless aren't you." Lana said
Later…
The fair was frankly kind of dull. It was fine but it was average. Just like last year.
"Are you smart?" someone said. Looking over clark found a booth filled with book of various subjects.
"Excuse me?" Clark asked.
"Glasses mean one of two things, either you're genetically inferior- or you read a lot" came the reply.
"I, uh, read a lot" clark said, if what Jor-El said was true then he definitely wasn't inferior.
"You'd be the only other one in a town that values the weight of a pig more than the works of nikola tesla" the voice said, soon from the back came a young man around clark's age with red hair and green eyes.
"He invented to radio" clark mentioned.
"Yes. yes he did. My name is lex luthor"
"I'm clark kent are these your books?" clark asked.
"They are" Lex responded.
"Why are you selling them?" clark asked.
"I've memorized the few that are actually useful and disproved the rest. Plus I need money. To get out of this town." Lex said, or rather rambled.
"'Are we alone?'" clark read the title of one of the books.
"Doctor Erdel's theories are rudimentary but written with a certain cretinous flair but he does raise a question everyone should seriously ask themselves clark. Do you believe in extraterrestrials." Lex said cocking an eyebrow.
"I do." clark responded, at this point how could he not.
"You should. From what i found, in 1929 an expedition team from miskatonic university discovered remnants from a precambrian city and lifeforms in antarctica from the drawing and descriptions it all matches. And from what i've learned as a wise man once said 'when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?'" Lex rambled on. "Also i have this" he pulled out a large green rock. "I found it in a ditch out behind my family's house. So tell me, do you believe in extraterrestrials?"
Clark couldn't respond. There was a tightness in his stomach, and his legs buckled. he's never felt that weak before. he felt lightheaded.
"Be careful-!" lex said as clark started to stumble over. Quickly lex jumped back as clark stumbled away, as if on a dramatic que. The weather started to darken. Clark started to recover but there was a sound from above him. Almost like it was a…
"Tornado!" Someone said. In an instant people started running away.
"Clark!" Lana screamed.
"Lana!" Clark screamed in return but when he did he turned to see that lana was on the ground clinging to grass for dear life. In an instant lana was pulled.
"LANA!" Clark screamed as he ran after his dear friend, with a mad impulse he jumped after her.
In an instant he caught her and grabbed hold of her. They both closed their eyes afraid to even open one. The force of the wind was practically pulling on them. Then it was gone. When they opened their eyes there was nothing but a calm sunny day.
"Clark, what are you…?" Lana was about to asked when they started to descend Quickly. They then splashed into a pond 1/8th of a mile further south.
"Are you-" clark was saying when they got out of the water. "Are you okay?"
"Trust me after that, i think getting wet is far from my biggest concern."
Later...
"You really did it, son? You flew?" Jonathan ask.
"I flew pa! Up, up, and away!" Clark said energized. "It was incredible!" Jor-El stood in the doorway smiling. Lara was whispering something to martha.
"And it'll only be more incredible as you age Kal-El." Jor-El said. "This bioelectric aura will charge as you mature, and make you stronger, faster, and even let you fly in the vacuum of…"
"I can fly in space!" Clark yelled in astonishment.
"Not now but soon you will" Jor-El said.
"The fair was cancelled for the weekend but at least no one got hurt." Jonathan said.
"I'm going to keep doing it pa! I'm going to help people!" Clark said. "This whole costumed adventurer thing really suits me."
"Not in those clothes you're not." martha said. "I don't know how many shirts and jeans i've found ripped, shredded, stained, frozen, and burned, but if this is becoming a habit i want you to be extra careful and i want you to wear something a little more durable." martha then pulled out a bundle of red and blue blankets.
"What are those?" clark asked.
"The blankets you were wrapped up in when we found you. And somehow they're just as strong as you are. You're going to help me cut them and sew them together with your heat vision into this." martha said.
"Why?" clark asked.
"When my grandmother came to america from germany she taught me all about it, including how to cook the apple pie your friends love so much. She helped me embrace me heritage. We don't know much about where you come from but i want us to embrace your heritage"
"No! no way! I'm not making that and i'm not wearing that" Clark said defiantly.
"Your mother went to a lot of trouble for this clark, she broke five pairs for scissors, her sewing machine, and my chainsaw. You help her and try it on. You don't want to disappoint your mother do you?" Jonathan said causing clark to grumble.
Later…
they were all looking over the costume that had been finished
"What does the 'S' Stand for anyway?" Clark asked.
"It's our house symbol. The symbol of hope." Lara said.
'You know i might what to incorporate that.' clark thought.