Author: thecivilunrest
Fandom: Young Justice
Story Title: "Under Construction"
Summary: "If you're not Superman then how come you look like him?"
Character/Relationship(s): Conner Kent, Some Random Kid in That Screencap
Rating: K
Warning(s): None.
Story Wordcount: 711
Disclaimer: I don't own jack squat.
Notes: I know, I know. I know I'm not knowing for being Superboy's #1 Fan but I mean. Come on. That picture of him holding that kid is just too cute and I had to write something for it. But I don't know what this turned into, so forgive me lol. Yeah.
Under Construction
The boy is lighter than a feather in his arms, even easier to carry than M'gann or Zatanna. Conner can hear his heartbeat in his ears, feel the slow, quiet breathing rhythm beating out of the boy's chest. Other than M'gann, he's never been this close to another person, and he's certainly never been trusted around someone this small before. He finds it... nice.
He stares up at Conner, blue eyes wide, and fidgets when he looks at him. After a deep breath, the boy begins, "Are you Superman?" He points to the 'S' shield on his, and then Conner's, chest, and there's a hopeful look in his eye.
Conner inwardly cringes. I'm not Superman he remembers telling those soldiers all that time ago, and that's still a face. Conner isn't Superman. Superman is Superman. (Conner won't ever be Superman.)
"No."
"If you're not Superman, then how come you look like him?"
Because I'm his clone, an exact copy of him, from DNA strand to DNA strand and I can't help that. Conner's not stupid, the Gnomes made sure of that, so he knows how well the truth would go down with the kid that he's holding. The kid's looking up at him with hero-worshiping eyes, waiting with baited breath for his next answer.
He wonders if that's how he looks at Superman.
He hopes not. That's a lot of pressure.
"Because... I'm supposed to be like him. Only I'm not."
If you break the equation of Conner's life up enough, that's basically it. He's put the pieces together so many times, it's worn to him. Superboy was supposed to be Superman. Only he was hatched early, and instead of being what everyone wanted him to be, he became himself instead.
The only thing that Conner wants is to be Superman, which is why it's never going to be the thing that he will be. Sure, he was constructed to be like Superman physically, but never emotionally. And maybe that's his problem. Maybe that's what's wrong with him.
"Oh. Well my Mom says that we're all supposed to be like Superman! Superman is America and he can fly and shoot lasers from his eyes and he came from outer space and he fights with the Justice League and protects Metropolis and..." The boy goes on and on, and Conner listens to him in total agreement.
He likes hearing these things about the person that he... came from. (If he came from anything other than the brains of scientists and a tube.) Hearing the things that the boy lists, Conner can't help feel like Superman is one of the greatest people ever. That he's someone to look up to.
And he is, when you ignore the fact that Superman hates him enough to ignore and neglect him for months on in, to look in the opposite direction or through him when Conner just wants Superman to look at him, just once, and see something than a mirror. Something other than an it to be feared and destroyed.
But most people don't know that about Superman, and Conner is willing to ignore it for the most part.
Because whenever he sees Superman on the TV screen, the 'S' blaring, he sees someone that he wants to be.
"But Mom also says that we can't all be Superman. But we just have to try to be like him. And I try my hardest. I think you try harder, though. I mean, you save the day just like him. And you saved me. Superman's never saved me before. So thank you..." the boy trails off.
"Superboy. I'm Superboy," Conner tells him, mouth dry.
"Superboy. Thanks Superboy! You're the coolest. Cooler than Superman, now."
"Thanks," Conner says, and he wishes he could believe it.