Superman: The Ark of Krypton

Chapter 47

by

Jason Richard

Martha Kent stood in the kitchen washing the dishes as the clone watched her. The clone had been given some new clones, mainly jeans and a plaid shirt that Clark used to own. Knowing that this was a clone, naturally, made Martha Kent feel really uncomfortable. Fortunately Jonathan was close by doing other household chores. He didn't want her to be alone with that thing, which she appreciated.

The clone, meanwhile, knew something was different about their behavior, but couldn't figure out what that was. They were...awkward around him for some reason. He wanted them to be like the parents he remembered.

But then he bungled that up by sneezing and accidentally setting off his ice breath. Actually, what he thought was going to be ice breath turned out to be flame breath, but that was worse.

When Martha saw her table on fire she called, "Jonathan! Fire."

She didn't wait, but grabbed a cloth and tried to smother the flames, only half succeeding. The Clone, meanwhile, stood back in fear. It hadn't expected this, and was afraid if he did anything he might make things worse...as if his own powers couldn't be trusted. Fortunately Jonathan came in with the fire extinguisher, aimed it right at the table and put the fire out with a large whoosh.

After things calmed down a bit, Jonathan and Martha taking deep breaths, Martha cradled her hands, which were a bit sore from the fire. Jonathan noticed.

"Martha, your hands," said Jonathan.

"It's nothing dear," she said, "I just need the…"

The clone rushed out in a blur, rushed back in even faster, and held out a white box.

"First aid kit," Martha finished. "Um...thank you."

As Jonathan took the little box and got some burn ointment, Martha looked at the Clone and felt pity for the poor thing.

"I'm sorry Ma," the Clone said mournfully.

"It's alright...Clark," she said as Jonathan applied the ointment. "It's only a minor burn. I'll be fine."

Martha was still wary of this thing in her kitchen, but as it gave her that sad look like sad little puppy she couldn't help but feel sorry for it.

"I remember when you accidently sneezed off the barnyard door," said Martha, remembering the real Clark.

"That was an accident too," said the clone. "Pa got mad and said bad words."

Jonathan sighed and said, "Yes. Yes I did."

Martha couldn't help but chuckle a little as Jonathan finished treating her hand.

…

When they were alone a little later Martha exchanged words with Jonathan again with the paper and pencils. She said on her sheet that she didn't think the clone was dangerous. It couldn't help that Lex Luthor created it. It probably needed help more than anything else.

Jonathan was doubtful, but one look on Martha's face and he knew she wasn't going to let this go. He wrote back that she was probably right, but they were the best equipped to help Clark's doppelganger. That would either be Superman's AI friend or STAR Labs.

Martha wholeheartedly agreed.

…

Later that day Clark asked his Pa via text to get a sample of the clone's hair. Jonathan Kent told the clone he would send it to some doctors to figure out what happened to him, and the clone agreed. That night, as the Clone went to sleep, Clark slipped into the house and got the hair from his Pa. Clark then quickly flew up to the North Pole, dropped the hair off in one of the Ark's ship for study, and flew back...bringing with him a communicator from the Ark. The AI agreed that in cases such as this it might be prudent for Clark's parents to be able to contact it.

With that Clark watched over his parents from his apartment, waiting for news from the AI.

…

From within his apartment, using telescopic X-Ray vision and super hearing, he watched his Parents go to sleep as the Clone slept in a different room. It had taken a bit longer for them to fall asleep than the doppelganger, but they had done it. Clark, meanwhile, waited for a message off the communicator, a tablet shaped device laying on the coffee table. Clark did still need to sleep, but found he didn't need as much sleep as normal people, so he could stay up for a while.

Finally the communicator made an electronic noise.

Clark picked up and said to it, "So, what's the verdict?"

The AI confirmed that it was a clone of him. A scan of it's DNA revealed some of Rudy Jones's DNA, of course, and traces of other aliens, as well as, primarily, Clark's DNA. There didn't seem to be any apparatus or anything that would allow Luthor to control it directly, but there was no doubt it came from Lexcorp.

When Clark got the news he sighed and said, "What a mess. I just hope that poor creature doesn't cause any trouble."

...

The next morning the Clone woke up, barely remembering the events of the previous day. As it yawned and stretched in that room that still looked like it belonged to a fifteen year old boy, he saw his Clock and came to a horrifying conclusion.

"Nine O-Clock!" he said in alarm. "I late for work!"