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Jack Jennings watched on with a heavy heart as Jonathan and Martha's kid stood like a rock in a sea of well wishers.
He knew they all had the best intentions, but Clark had to be practically numb to the heartfelt words and tearful platitudes of Smallville's residents by now. Half the town must have been through here, Jonathan and Martha were well liked.
The enormity of such a loss seemed to be lost on his wife, who had already left. But Jack felt it keenly, he had known Jonathan since they were kids, they had grown up together, they had been as close as brothers as they raised a little hell throughout the town and surrounding county, bringing a little excitement to the otherwise quiet area. All in the name of fun, in the wisdom of maturity Jack could look back on it as the recklessness of youth, but back then they had needed to do something to get rid of all that pent up energy that made it impossible for either of them to sit still. Nothing too serious, driving faster than authority figures deemed safe, chasing girls whose parents didn't approve, plus a few other things that seemed like a good idea back then. Jack couldn't help smiling. Good times.
It was because of those times that he had blown off his responsibilities as a Kansas State Senator, in order to watch out for the closest thing he had to a nephew.
"How is he holding up?" Came a voice from his side, looking across his shoulder, Jack spotted Lex Luthor, Smallville's very own bad boy turned heir to a fortune five hundred company. And the last person Jack could imagine as a friend of Clarks.
"About as well as expected, he handled the toasts and funny stories better, now that people are leaving I think it's really hitting him." Jack said as he took another pull on his bottle of beer. Senatorial image be damned, he and Jonathan had been drinking this particular brand since they were Clark's age.
"How many times could you hear 'I'm sorry' over and over before you got sick of it senator?" Jack released a snort at his words.
"You have a point, Mister Luthor." Meeting his look, Jack noticed the younger man's smile didn't quite reach his eyes and lasted a heartbeat before it fell and his focus turned back to Clark.
"Lex." He offered into the uncomfortable silence. Taking a large swallow from his glass.
"Jack." He returned to also looking in the same direction.
Lex's expression turned to anger as he spotted a familiar face heading towards Clark.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
"Black and white striped tie, four bodies back from Clarks left." Lex snarled. Jack spotted the tall man with a receding hairline, who seemed to be walking with a spring in his step compared to everybody else.
"Trouble?" Jack asked. Lex just scoffed.
"Worse. Roger Nixon, a tabloid reporter" Jack just stared at the man in question.
"What the hell does he want?"
"Nothing good, excuse me Jack." Lex headed forward to intercept Nixon.
Jack watched as Luthor sidestepped into Nixon's path. If the reporters reaction was any indication, he hadn't even realised Lex was in the same room. Whatever he wanted to say to Clark would have to wait.
Jack headed over to Clark and lead him outside for some fresh air.
More importantly, away from the well wishes of the survivor's of Smallville's tornadoes.
It just wasn't fair! Jonathan was raised in Kansas, he knew exactly what to do to stay safe. Yet somehow, both Jonathan and Martha were gone and people like Nixon where still here.
What could have caused them to get caught in the tornadoes path?
More importantly, what would become of Clark now that he had lost his parents?
Jack knew as much as he wanted to, he couldn't take Clark in. Clark needed time to himself away from prying eyes. His life was a full time job under the constant watchful eye of his very own tabloid media circus. Child services would never allow Clark to be a part of that.
Martha's estranged father was a big shot lawyer from some city Jack couldn't remember. As far as he knew, the man was the only family Clark had. Jack also remembered the aftermath of Jonathan's one and only attempt to ask the man's permission to marry Martha.
William Clark hadn't been welcome in Smallville since before Clark was adopted. As far as Jack knew, he'd never even met his grandson.
Jonathan and Martha had never said anything about any arrangements they might have made, should the unthinkable happen. Jack wondered if Clark would know.
Tomorrow, Jack decided to ask Clark about it tomorrow.
Author's Note: This story is heavily influenced by ben10987654321's "SmallvileX Earth 2" and Chunk127's "Rise Of The Syndicate". Story outlines, I recommend them to anyone. For me, the whole point of the Superman legend is that he is the hero because of who raised him, namely Jonathan and Martha Kent. In the Smallville series canon Clark Luthor becomes Ultraman. That version of Clark was raised by Lionel Luthor, so it's a given that Clark Luthor couldn't have become anything other than a monster, having been raised by a monster. I wanted to write about what could happen to Clark Kent for him to become Ultraman.