Catching Icarus

Chapter Six: Names and Kryptonians

"Hi," Superman waved. "Can we talk?"

Green Arrow standing right behind Superboy, shook his head passionately at the kryptonian. Making a X shape with his hands. The movement getting the attention of Superboy, forcing Green Arrow to quickly pretend to stretch.

Superboy stared quizzically at the archer. But didn't seem to notice his silent protests.

"We'll leave you two alone," Black Canary said gently. Giving Superboy another supporting squeeze in support.

He nodded albeit reluctantly to the woman. Clark swallowed heavily despite nothing being in his throat in a attempt to bury the sensation of jealously he felt at the interaction.

After the rest of the his colleagues filtered out, Clark turned his attention back at the teenager. Superboy had his arms crossed and stared directly at the ground. Doing his best to not look at Clark as much as possible. After the past few days, Clark couldn't blame him.

Clark let out a sigh which made Superboy instinctively stiffen. And he winced. Why was he so bad at this? Children usually loved him. Kara had been so easy in comparison.

"Can we talk?" he repeated, finally getting Superboy's attention away from the ground. His eyes filed with guarded suspicion towards Clark.

"No one's stopping you," he said sullen. Clark wondered if he has sounded like this when he was a teenager. He'll have to apologize to his parents one of these days.

But for now it was better to just bite the bullet.

"Listen, I know we've had a rocky start but I just wanted to ask. Can we start over? Can you give me a second chance?"

Smooth. Clark. Real Pulitzer worthy stuff.

Superman from examining Superboy the past few days expected at his worst. Rage and more rage. But instead his guarded expression became instantly desolate.

"Why?" His voice was uncharacteristically high. And Clark quickly replayed his last sentence in his head for what possible thing he could have said to create this reaction. "Why are you doing this?"

Clark knew he had made a bad impression on the kid. But somehow he didn't think it was this bad.

"Because I want to get to know you. Different universes not withstanding. You're wearing the S? I think that's enough don't you?"

But that didn't seem to put Superboy at ease. He uncrossed his arms and Superboy started to pace around him like a wolf animal.

"But I'm leaving. Maybe not tomorrow but soon. So what's the point of this. Why? Why are you doing this?"

He didn't know what the boy meant.

"Well you're family. Isn't that enough?"

Clone. Son. Whatever this boy was. Was the first blood relation he had ever encountered. No matter how temporary this might be. And he didn't want him to leave loathing him. He didn't want to be this boy's equivalent of the Justice Lords.

He had hoped his sincerity reached the boy but instead he exploded.

"You're not fair!" Superboy yelled. "Why do you have to say this? Why is it you?"

Superman was dumbfounded by the reaction but Superboy continued.

"All I wanted—It's not fair. It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Superboy wasn't even talking to him anymore. The teenage boy lost in his world as he yelled past him.

"Superboy," he said reaching out to him.

"Don't touch me!" he demanded slapping his hand away. The shock of the action surprising Clark, more than the force as he stepped back. "Why is it you? My Superman never—"

Superboy immediately froze. His face suddenly blazing red.

And suddenly all the odd pieces clicked into place. Superboy was only a month old and already fighting in missions for his justice league. The lack of knowledge of his own abilities. The child hadn't even had waffles until a few days ago.

He had just assumed with how easily he had accepted Kara, a cousin even if not in blood, that any other Superman would do the same with Superboy. But it seemed that wasn't the case.

Replaying the other leaguer's reactions when he had entered the room, he realized they must have picked up on this. And inwardly groaned.

What was he supposed to say now? He had stumbled upon a minefield of issues that Superboy had tried desperately to hide. I'm sorry that the other me was a jerk seemed insufficient.

Flash was right. Other universes were evil.

Superboy was staring at him. And he had to say something. Anything. Because the silence was infinitely worse.

"Oh," he squeaked.

Nobody understood what Superman meant to him.

Not really.

His friends thought they did. They compared his feelings to something like a spurned child abandoned by his father. But that was just scratching the surface.

Superboy knew Superman before he knew himself. Before the g-gnomes taught him about the sun they taught him about the man of steel. What he meant to the world. What a hero the man was. The inherent goodness he was supposed to be that he never could live up to. He was too angry, too emotional. Superman was a untouchable ideal that he was supposed to take over in case the man faltered or abandoned it.

Superman as far as he was taught was perfection made flesh. Patient. Caring. Giving. Loving.

And he hated him.

The man he knew of would talk people off of ledges, would spare time to littlest cat in a tree, believed the best of even his enemies. That man thought he wasn't worth the time of day.

How could anyone understood what Superboy felt being rejected by the man who loved everyone? Who went the extra mile for everyone.

Everyone but him.

All he got were glares and excuses.

And so he tried. Again and again to prove himself worthy of the love that was denied only him. To make him look his way. But Superman refused. Kryptonians have hard heads Batman told him. He needed time said Canary.

He just had to try some more.

But instead he found himself on this world with this other Superman standing mere inches away from him. Who looked at him but trapped him under red lights while feigning to be friendly. A Superman who apologized but invaded his mind. Teasing him with actions his Superman wouldn't do before he hurt him.

"Can we talk?" he repeated causing Superboy to look up. His expression was bright and eager.

But he knew better now.

"No one's stopping you," he said.

Superman's face fell but the kryptonian pushed on.

"Listen, I know we've had a rocky start but I just wanted to ask. Can we start over? Can you give me a second chance?"

His voice sounded so sincere it made Superboy almost want to believe in him all over again.

"Why?" he asked brusquely hoping the man would get the hint that he didn't want to talk to him.

But Superman didn't.

Instead he poured out and said every word, Superboy had dreamed of his Superman saying. Time and time again. Preying on his very soul's kryptonite with honeyed words that couldn't possibly be true.

His Superman for better or worse was safe. There was a consistency in his neglect.

This one.

This one was just cruel.

"You're not fair!" he said, words unbidden spill out of him like a torrent. How dare he say this. How dare he say all this with that face?!

This world was going to be a memory. He was going to go home. How dare this Superman even for one second give him the illusion of what he wanted. How dare he?

He's still talking but's so overcome with rage that he can barely hear what he's saying.

Superman reached out. But the idea of this copy touching him makes his skin scrawl and he immediately slapped his hand away. Forcing the kryptonian to take several steps back in shock.

"Don't touch me! Why is it you? My Superman never—"

He cuts himself off, horrified he let his secret slip.

Superman in response let out a quiet, "Oh."

"Oh?" He repeated furious. He didn't know what he had wanted from the man. But somehow the lack of reaction made him only angrier. His dark secret was revealed and that's all he got?

"I didn't know."

"Well, now you do," he said with a hollow laugh.

His Superman hated him. And this one knew it. He didn't have to pretend and do this anymore at least. Shame welling in his chest as he looked at anywhere but the other kryptonian. This Justice league will probably just lock him up. Obviously thinking something Superman disapproves of can't possibly be up to any good.

It was why he barely interacted with his Justice league back on earth outside Red, Canary and the mentors. The rest of the members had always looked at him like he was a bomb about to explode.

And what if they just took this as a sign to lock him up? He didn't have the team to stand up for him here. There would be nothing he could do if they just decided to not bother.

While he was thinking of dozens of terrible scenarios, the man of steel had closed the gap between them. Superman, towering over him. And suddenly Superboy for the first time wondered if clones were counted in his No-kill rule. He wasn't as strong or as fast as the original. If the man activated his heat vision, Superboy knew there'd be no way to survive at such close range.

He forcibly swallowed. His throat suddenly dry as he realized for the first time he wasactually afraid of Superman.

Superman stared at him for what felt like a eternity before he finally opened his mouth.

"Clark Kent,"

"What?"

Superboy didn't understand what the daily planet reporter had to do with any of this. But at least it didn't look like the man of steel was going to attack him.

"That's my name. I'm guessing your Superman didn't tell you that, right?"

Superboy shook his head. He didn't even know Superman had a secret identity. And Superman sighed again

"My name is Clark Kent," he repeated, stretching his hand out to the clone. "What's yours?"

"My name is Superboy."

"Your real name."

"It's my only name."

Superman opened his mouth and closed it several times. Then before Superboy could react he grabbed Superboy's hand, shaking it firmly.

"Nice to meet you, Superboy."

Sorry for the lateness. Real life had been coming at me hard lately. I'm just not going to state update dates because it's apparently a curse.

Superboy. Especially early Superboy only has two modes. Rage and lots of brooding introspection. Getting emotions about him is actively pulling teeth. So I think a actively nice Superman would make him to explode.

I thought of making this chapter longer. But it felt like this was the natural stopping point.