Author's Note: This is a chapter I should have posted quite a while ago. I'm sorry for the wait. Enjoy
Legacies
Chapter 5
Johnathon Kent
Kent Family Farm
Smallville, Ks.
Following the museaum fiasco, Clark finally made good on his word and returned home to introduce his mom to Conner. Landing on the doorstep of the old homestead standing on the front porch he watched his dad ruff his hair exasperated as he tried to figure out what he was going to tell his mother. Bracing himself he took a deep breath and looked back at Conner.
"You ready?" he asked smiling slightly.
"As I'll ever be." he replied softly. Clarked knocked on the front door and a second later his mom answered it. An older woman in her 80s smiled back at him as she stood in the doorway with a warm expression.
"Hello son." she greeted.
"Hi mom." he replied and sidestepped allowing her to see the Boy of Steel.
"This is him." he added.
Martha Kent was a slender old woman, her gray hair tied up in a bun as she looked at him fully. A look of suprise came across her face as she cupped her right cheek wearing a pink short sleeved shirt with yellow flowers, blue jeans and glasses. Conner stood rigid as he looked back at his grandmother unsure how to handle the situation and slightly gritting his teeth as she came towards him.
"Hi..." he said cautiously.
"Hello. You are a sight to see." she said cupping his face. He had every impulse to retreat from this strange woman as she examined his features.
"You have his eyes and his strong chin." she smiled as he finally broke away from her.
"Uh, thanks?" he said unsure.
"He's definantly your son Clark." she said getting an alarmed reaction from her son.
"I'm sorry I didnt mean to trouble you Clark." she added lightly. A even demeanor broke across his face a moment later.
"It's..something I'm getting used to." he answered.
"Why dont you come inside. There's some people I want you to meet." she said.
"You have guests? Besides us?" her son asked looking back at Conner as she lead them in.
"Since Johnathon had his heart attack, I've had others to keep me company." she said as they walked through the house into the kitchen. Clark and Conner stopped short in the entryway to see a group of women and women close to her age sitting around the dinning room table.
A smile and chuckled played on the reporter's face as he looked back at them. Conner however wasnt as clued in and tried to figure out who they were.
"It's been a long time son." a man with gray hair stated.
"You know these people?" Conner asked.
"Dont they look familar?" he replied. The elderly group smiled back at Conner as he tried to place who they were.
"So this is your boy huh Big Blue?" the man asked. His eyes widened.
"Your...your the..." he said in shock.
"The surviving members of the JSA. Ted Grant, Ma Hunkle, Charles McNider and Jay Garrick. Better known as Wildcat, Red Tornado, Doctor Mid-Nite and the original Flash." Clark introduced as they each nodded and waved at Conner. The Boy of Steel raised an eyebrow hearing one of the names.
"Red Tornado? But I thought..." he started. Ma pressed her hands together and brought forth a tiny red cyclone in the palm of her hand as she smiled.
"Oh." he said.
Ted was a man in his sixties with a gray buzz cut that was turning white at the back and sideburns, and wore a black shirt that showed his strong physique and had a couple facial wrinkles. Jay was a man simular in age to him with dark brown hair that was likewise turning gray at the base with a few wrinkles and wore a green vest with a diamond pattern along with a lighter green dress shirt and dark slacks. Ma was an older woman with a few added pounds in a red blouse-like jacket with a white floral shirt with floral patterns underneath and tan capris. And had gray haired tied up in a bun and glasses. McNider was a bald old man with white hair and pale blue eyes and seemed significantly older than his peers, with a cane clasped in his hands as two more people entered the room.
"These are they're associates Libby Lawrence, Liberty Belle and Carter Hall the Society's Hawkman." Clark added.
"Your the first Hawkman?" Conner asked.
"I am." he stated.
Carter was a slightly middle aged man with blonde hair that was turning gray at the bottom and had a blonde mustache, goatee. While Libby had long gray hair that came down to her shoulders and wore a dark red sweater and dark dress pants.
"And you've been keeping her company all this time? Wait, how long ago did he have his heart attack?" Conner asked his father. And saw the dour look on his face.
"Six days ago." he replied.
"Six days? What happened?" Conner asked.
"John had a heart attack when Brainiac attacked the farm." Martha told him solumly.
"That's horrible. Where is he?" he asked.
"He's at Metropolis General." she told him.
"Can we see him?" he asked earnestly.
"He is doing some better. Oh, you want to see your grandfather dont you?" she smiled. His face went red for a moment, he wasnt sure why. But it was what he wanted...if he had a chance.
"Uh, sure. Is it all right if we do?" he asked Clark.
"I dont see why not." he said placing his hand next to his ear.
"Watchtower, this is Superman requesting a Zeta beam to Metropolis General. Stand by for coordinates." he said as the group was transported out a second later.
A moment later they arrived outside the hospital in an allyway. Clark lowered his hand as his family and the Justice Society members made thier way inside. Arriving at the check in counter they went up to the second floor where Clark's father Jonathon resided. After briefly talking it over they decided to let Clark and Martha go in first while Superboy remained in the waiting room with the Society.
"You could have gone in first if you wanted to." Jay told him. Conner shrugged as he looked at the floor.
"It's his dad, he should see him first. Anyway I was wondering if you could tell me what happened a few days ago." he replied.
"Well none of us were here to see it. But Martha tells us it wasnt pretty. As you know Brainiac is one of Superman's more persistant foes. Well this time he had managed to figure out Clark's identity and tracked him down to the farmhouse. He caught all of them offguard and began firing on them from his spaceship, you know the one that looks like a skull. Superman went into battle to save his parents and fought his laser beams from the outside. He also brought along another of his foes Metallo. The android with the Kryptonite heart. With all the blasts going on around them Johnathon had a heart attack on the front porch, Clark saw him go down and went ballastic, destroying his ship. When the starship crashed Brainiac and Metallo went after him. Metallo fought him while Brainiac looked on. Thinking he had the advantage, Metallo unleashed a full Kryptonite blast from his chest. But Superman was too enraged to be affected by the Kryptonite poisoning and rammed his fist through Metallo's chest shattering his Kryptonite heart before crushing Brainiac's skull in one fell swoop. In his aggitated state he let go and then rammed his fist through his jaw destroyed his computerized brain. And flew his father here not long afterward. We've been looking after Martha ever since." Jay told him.
Conner looked back at him stunned before returning his glance to the floor crestfallen.
"I had no idea." he muttered.
"The life of a hero isnt always easy, nor is it always the safest. And that goes double for loved ones. As long as we exist to fight evil, there will always be those that'll try to harm us. And unfortunatly our friends and loved ones are no exception. That's the way it always has been, and will always be." Jay replied. Superboy narrowed his eyes before looking back at him.
"So what was it like being a hero back then?" he asked. A smile graced Jay's features.
"It was something. I think if you were alive back then you would have liked it." he beamed.
"Hmm." a sideway smirk graced Conner's own. Clark and Martha came into the waiting room a moment later getting thier attention. Conner stood to face his father.
"Well?" he asked.
"He's doing all right." Clark said.
"You want to come back and meet him?" Martha asked. He nodded his grandmother held out her hand and followed her back to his room.
In room 210 an elderly man lay deathly still as monitors beeped in the background. The only signs of movement being the gentle raising and falling of his chest as he slept. Silently and gingerly his wife Martha entered the room once more with Superboy in tow. Standing in the doorway Conner peered over his grandmother's shoulder at his grandfather who lay perfectly still. There was something very offputing about the sight as he came into the room. This wasnt how he imagined meeting his grandfather, though truth be told he didnt know he had one till recently. A pain settled into the pit of his stomach as he entered the room thought still a little hesitant to actually be there. His grandmother looked back at him as she ushered him into the room around the foot of his bed bringing him up to his grandfather's left hand side next to the curtain. She gave her grandson one last look before waking her husband.
"John. Johnathon." she said softly. Her husband groaned and cinched his eyelids together as she called his name once again.
"Johnathon, wake up. There's someone else here to see you." she said.
The old man clinched his eyes once more before opening them and seeing his wife for the second time that night. A smile graced his wife's face as she looked back at him. A man with a head full of snow white hair and full of wrinkles looked questionly back at him.
"Martha? Well who else is here? Is Clark back?" he asked.
"No John, there's someone else who wants to meet you." she said stepping back. His eyes tracked over to a young man in a black shirt and saw the 'S' on his chest.
Martha put her hand on the boy's back as he nervously spoke.
"Uh, H-hello." he stuttered.
"Hello. So who are you then?" John asked. He averted his eyes brieftly before answering.
"I-I'm Superboy." he said.
"Superboy huh? So Clark finally has his own sidekick. I never thought he'd take one on." his grandfather replied.
"H-he didnt. At least, not willingly." Superboy corrected looking away.
"Oh? How so?" he asked.
"I'm a biological duplicate of Superman, he didnt know about my exsistance till my contemparies found me." he said in a soft voice.
"What do you mean?" Johnathon asked curiousier.
"I'm...Superman's clone. I was created in a lab without his knowledge. I was rescued by other heroes my own age Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad." he said looking back at him.
"Your a clone?" John asked.
"Yes sir." he muttered. The bedridden man looked up at his wife processing what he heard, a serene smile appeared on her face and he knew the answer.
"Well you know, we taught Clark that all life is precious. If your a part of him, then your part of this family." he said.
A shocked look came across his face as he looked back at Johnathon, who smiled at his grandson. His face brightened into a smile though did his best to restrain his emotions and nodded slightly at his granddad.
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Green Gallant