It was a beautifully clear July night on the fateful day Jon and Martha Kent were driving down the near deserted road on the outskirts of Smallville Kansas to their home. They had gone into to town to do some light shopping, and Martha was quite satisfied with the three vases she had managed to buy from the antique shop. Jon looked over to his lovely wife, her short brown hair falling just past her jaw. Her bright brown eyes returned his gave with a soft smile, when she noticed a shooting star.
"Jon, look," She said pointing to the sky. Jon smiled as he looked at it.
"Make a wish" he told her.
"You know what my wish is" Martha said. Jon smiled, it was his wish as well.
"If god wants us to have a child Martha, he will" Jon told her. "Trust me, its gonna happen soon".
As they continued down the road, Martha looked up and saw that the shooting star had now turned into one, big, bright ball of light in the night sky.
"What the hell" she remarked as the ball of light came falling from the clouds. The star landed a split second later and a large explosion sent a shockwave through the surrounding area. The Kents' truck was knocked off one side, dangling on two wheels for a moment before landing hard on all four once again. Every window in the truck shattered, along with Martha's new vases in the flatbed. Jon looked over at his wife. Martha was shaken, but she seemed okay.
"What was that?" She asked her husband.
"I have no clue" Jon answered. He opened his door and hopped out. He began making his way towards the smoking crater.
"Jon! What are you doing!"
"I'm seeing what just fell from the gosh dang sky Martha" Jon yelled back. Martha didn't feel right letting her husband do it alone, so she got out of the truck as well. "Martha, what are you doing?"
"I don't want you to get hurt" Martha said. Jon didn't respond. His eyes seemed locked onto something within the crater. When Martha arrived to the spot next to him, she saw what had stolen his attention. In the center of the crater was a long, metal pod with a rocket engine on the back. What was stranger though, was that Martha could see a crying baby through the window of the pod.
"Oh my god!" Martha exclaimed. She instantly began descending for the pod.
"Martha! What in god's name are you doing?" Jon asked.
"Can you not see the baby!" Martha said in a panic. Jon locked his eyes onto the pod again, and sure enough, there was the baby's face in the window. Jon began climbing down as Martha reached the pod.
"How do I open it?! How do I open it?!" she screamed. Jon reached her side and put his arms around her to calm her.
"Calm down" He repeated several times. "There is no need to panic, lets see if we can't figure out what is going on". Jon began examining the pod as Martha bent over and touched her hand to the glass.
"It's ok" She said soothingly. The baby locked eyes with her and soon began to calm down. "That's it…that's it".
"Lets see what this does" Jon said as he pulled a latch on the hull of the ship and opened it. There was a loud hiss for a moment before the pod latch lifted up. Jon pushed it open completely, and the young married couple just stood there looking down at the little baby wrapped in a red blanket with a large, golden "S" symbol.
Back at their home, The Kents sat at their kitchen table with the baby sitting on the edge in front of Martha.
"What are we going to do with him?" Martha asked.
"I don't know" Jon told her. "I really have no idea". The two sat their for a moment without speaking as Martha gave the baby raspberries on his tummy, much to his enjoyment.
"What should we name him?" Martha asked.
"Martha, he isn't ours…hell, we don't even know if he is human" Jon said.
"What do you mean, look at him, how could he not be human" Martha remarked. Jon gave her a stare of disbelief, then got up and walked to the window and raised the blinds, giving an extremely clear view of the space ship in the back of their truck.
"That doesn't look like anything I've ever seen on this planet Martha" He exclaimed.
"I know" Martha said.
"We have to tell the police" Jon said.
"Why?"
"Because it is the right thing to do" Jon said.
"What are you going to tell them?" Martha asked.
"The truth" Jon told her after a moment. Martha gave a disheartened look to the child, who almost instantly mimicked her grimace.
The next morning, The Kents and their visitor went to the Smallville police department. It took some time, but Jon finally received the time of a desk officer.
"Tell me your name" the officer asked.
"Jonathan Kent" he answered. Jon's eyes roamed over to Martha and the baby.
"And what is it you are reporting?"
"Me…" Jon paused as he watched Martha interact with the baby. Both of them had the biggest smiles in the world. "Me and my wife found a child" he said pointing to the baby. The officer looked back.
"Where did you find the child?"
"We found him…" Jon paused again as he watched his wife and the baby play. He knew that if he told the officer what they had found, that the baby would be taken away and experimented on. The thought didn't sit well with him. "We found him in a basket on the side of I-517"
"Why are we doing this again?" Martha asked nervously as the Kents waited in the examination room with the baby. It had been three weeks since Jon and Martha found him. They had been given temporary custody, and as such, were required to bring the baby to a medical examination. They had gone to the only doctor in Smallville. He was an older, very kind gentleman. As he entered the room, a large smile was visible under his bushy beard.
"Hello Jon, Martha" The doctor said with a thick southern accent as he extended his hand. "So what is the patient's name?"
"We haven't decided on one just yet" Martha said. "But we like Clark".
"Clark's a real good name. My great grand pappy's name was Clark" the doctor told them. After each of them shook his hand, the Kents sat down in the corner of the room. The doctor pulled up a chair and sat in front of the bed where the baby was sitting. The doctor pulled a small light out of his pocket and turned it on and began shining it in the baby's eyes. The baby tried to fight it, but Martha stood up and soothed him till for the doctor. "Thank you kindly Martha" the doctor said. He moved the light from side to side, and the baby's eyes followed it. The doctor then took another device out of his pocket and looked into the baby's ears.
"Everything is looking good so far" The doctor said as he grabbed his stethoscope from around his neck. He put the plugs into his ears and then pressed the end to the baby's chest. "Hmm"
"What?" Jon asked quickly, a small bead of sweat running off his forehead.
"Eh, it's nothing" The doctor remarked. "Heartbeat is a little faster than I usually hear, but nothing too odd". Jon took a deep breath and then gave Martha a look of relief.
"Well, all that is left is to draw a little blood" The doctor said.
"Blood!" Martha exclaimed. The Kents jumped up. "Why do you need to take blood?"
"Martha, calm down" The doctor said with a laugh and a warm smile. "It is all routine."
"B-But he is just a baby" Martha said with a confident smile. "Look at him, you can tell how healthy he is". Jon suddenly caught onto what she was doing.
"Yeah, just look at him. I bet this kid can lift my truck" Jon added with a laugh. The doctor laughed as well.
"Well, I guess your right" the doctor said cheerfully. "Little Clark seems just fine." He gave the baby a smile, which in turn made the baby laugh.
Seven months later, Jon and Martha were sitting in Smallville Municipal Court. Jon held Martha's hand tightly. He was sweating lightly under his old blue suit as he looked up at the older, female judge. Martha squeezed his hand as the judge asked them to rise.
"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I have looked at your file" The judge began.
"Yes your honor" Jon interrupted nervously.
"How successful would you say your farm is Mr. Kent?" the judge asked.
"How…moderately I would say" he answered. "It has been able to provide a life for me and my wife, not to mention several generations of Kents". The judge nodded.
"I am glad to hear that, because I am happier knowing I am leaving this boy in the custody of two people who can give him everything" The judge said.
"leaving…him…" Martha repeated breathlessly.
"Are you…?" Jon never finished the question. The judge laughed and smiled.
"Yes, I am leaving young…" the judge looked at the file. "Clark with you two considering he has not matched a missing persons report, and that you have been able to give the child a proper environment over the last seven months" the judge told them. Martha almost collapsed in her happiness. Jon caught her and held her up as he held back his own tears.
"Thank you Your Honor" Jon said. "You will no regret this! Thank you very much!"
"Bailiff, will you go get the child?" the judge said. The bailiff nodded and went through a door in the back of the courtroom, and a moment later came back in with Clark.
"Momma!" Clark exclaimed as he ran across the room and threw his legs around Martha's legs. Jon picked Clark up and the family embraced.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kent, if you'll follow the bailiff out of here, there are a few papers that need to be signed".
17 Years Later"Did anyone get hurt?" Jon asked. The Kent family was sitting around their kitchen table one night. Clark had a distraught look on his face. He could not look into either of his parent's eyes, so he simply put his head in his hands.
"No, thankfully" Clark answered. "Lana almost did, but luckily I was able to get her out before the fire got to her. I think she suspects something though"
"And this was the thing with your eyes again?" Martha asked.
Clark nodded "One of them. I thought I had learned to control it too…" Clark threw his head back and sighed. "I am so sick of these…these…abilities."
"Now Clark, I don't think there is any reason for you to get all bent out of shape over this" Jon said. "You'll learn to control your gifts. You have them for a reason, I'm sure of that."
"Gifts" Clark repeated bitterly. "They're more like a curse." Clark looked up at his parents. "Do you have any idea why I would have these? I mean…why am I a freak?"
"Your not a freak Clark" Martha said. Clark gave her a look of disbelief, then jumped to his feet and walked out side. His parents followed him. As they reached the door, they watched as Clark easily lifted the entire truck with one hand.
"This is not normal Mom!" Clark exclaimed. Clark gently put the truck back down. Jon looked at Martha with a nervous expression, something that did not escape Clark's attention. "That face!"
"Huh? What face?" Jon asked.
"That face you just made" Clark replied. "That is the face you make when you are hiding something. You made last month when mom kept almost finding out about the surprise party we threw her".
"I don't know what your talking about" Jon remarked.
"What are you hiding?" Clark requested. "I want to know now. If there is something I should know, tell me". Jon and Martha looked at each other, then Jon turned to Clark nodding.
"Ok" Jon said. "You win."
Moments later, Clark stood in his storm cellar with the most shocked look of his life. Sitting mere feet from him was the ship that had brought him here. His parents stood at the base of the stairs, Jon had his arms around his wife.
"We should have told you earlier" Jon said. "But…it was hard to." Clark didn't say anything; he simply took a few steps forward and touched the ship.
"We're so sorry Clark" Martha said through a few stray tears. Clark released the latch and opened the ship up. Inside, the red blanket he had been wrapped in that fateful day so many years ago was folded up rather neatly. He touched the golden "S" like symbol on the blanket, and he didn't know how, but he recognized it.
"Clark…" Jon said.
"Leave me alone" Clark demanded. Martha began sobbing as Jon led her up the stairs out of the cellar. "How could they keep this from me?" Clark asked himself. He grabbed the blanket and held it against himself. It was the softest material he had ever felt. Clark pulled the blanket out of the ship and began inspecting it. Suddenly he noticed what looked like a compartment on the right side of the ship. Clark reached to touch it, and after pressing his fingers against it, a small slot opened up. Inside, a metal orb sat motionless. Clark looked at it curiously, then reached forward and grabbed it. He began inspecting it when all of a sudden it began to hum. A small piece of the orb slid open, and a white light flashed onto Clark's forehead. Unknown to Clark, the symbol on the blanket was now projected onto his face. Clark looked down at the orb for a second. He was startled when everything began to fade away.
"Hello Kal-El" said a deep, confident voice. Clark jumped around and saw a man who looked almost exactly like him wearing black and white robes. The "S" symbol was on his chest in red.
"What did you call me?" Clark asked.
"Kal-El" the man answered. "That is your real name."
"And who are you?"
"I am Jor-El" he told Clark. "I am your father." Clark stood speechless for a moment.
"My…father?" Clark repeated.
"In a manner of speaking, yes" Jor-El said. "I am a recreation of your father's consciousness. I have his memories and his thinking patterns, but I am not your father".
"Where is he then?" Clark asked.
"I am dead Kal-El" Jor-El said gravely. "Our entire planet is dead."
"Planet?"
"Krypton" Jor-El said. Suddenly Clark found himself in a foreign environment. He was floating in the sky above some kind of futuristic city. Flying cars zoomed past him as people crowded the streets below him. Jor-El was standing next to him. "This is where you were born."
"And…it is all gone now?" Clark asked. Jor-El nodded.
"Yes, destroyed from a chain reaction when the core of Krypton became unstable" Jor-El said. "I presume that if you are seeing this, you arrived on Earth safely."
"Wait, how are you speaking english?" Clark wondered.
"I am not actually speaking" Jor-El told him. "The device in your hand is beaming this into your mind."
"I have so many questions," Clark said.
"Of course you do. However, this is not the place" Jor-El said. The images of Krypton faded away to blackness once more.
"Huh?"
"Go here" Jor-El said as a holographic globe appeared. He touched a spot in the North Pole, and a red dot began to blink. "There you will find a Kryptonian outpost from when our people first discovered this planet. From there, this orb will be able to activate what is needed for me to answer all of your questions."
Martha was cleaning the dinner plates when a massive explosion came from below the house. Startled by the sound, she looked out the window to see the blur left by Clark flying off. The sound had been from Clark breaking the sound barrier as he lifted off. Martha felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched her sun disappear over the horizon.
Some time later, Clark found himself zipping around the North Pole in nothing more than tee shirt and jeans. However, he didn't feel the cold very much. Clark's eyes moved all around, trying to find the place his father had told him about. He flew around till he came to a massive ice wall. Clark inspected it, then opened his eyes wide and began to concentrate. A red beam of energy shot from Clark's face. He could feel the intense heat coming off of it. He moved his head around, making sure he didn't miss one spot of the wall.
After some time, Clark stopped as what he was searching for came into view. A building had been hidden in the ice. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. It looked like it had been plucked from the vision of Krypton he had seen in his cellar though. I was at least a couple hundred feet wide, and several stories high. Clark floated down to the ground and approached what he figured was the door. As he came close, a light blinked on over the gate, and Clark instantly found himself being scanned.
"Well…its good to see this stuff still works" Clark thought to himself. After the light had finished scanning him, the door slid open. Clark, with his blanket and orb in hand stepped in. He found himself what appeared to be a gigantic lab. Machines and equipment were everywhere. Clark walked around, looking at the large computer on the side of the room. He began to approach it, and suddenly it blinked on. An alarm began to sound as strange symbols flashed on the computer. Clark knew this couldn't be good. A door on the other side of the room opened up, and a bulky droid entered. It was humanoid in its shape, with a round, white body. The droid began speaking in a language that Clark had never heard before. It lifted its arm and a gun extended from an opening in its palm.
"Woah woah woah woah woah!" Clark exclaimed as the robot suddenly fired a large blast of energy at Clark. Clark dodged the blast, but failed to see the metal tendrils flying towards him from the robot's body. The tendrils wrapped themselves around Clark's wrists, and with all his strength, he found he could not break free. The droid lifted both of its hands this time, and charged two large blasts for its prisoner. Clark struggled as much he could, but the tendrils would not let go of him. Suddenly thoughts of Martha and Jon flooded his head. They had kept this secret from him, but he still loved them greatly. He wasn't about to just let this thing kill him. Clark shot the tendrils with his heat vision and freed himself. He bolted towards the robot as it fired. Clark dodged the blast and struck the robot as hard as he could. It flew back and hit the wall. Clark pressed his attack and began striking the droid again and again. Finally the robot went limp once Clark had thoroughly smashed it in. Clark dropped to the floor and looked around. Not too far away from him his orb was sitting on top of the crumpled up blanket. Clark walked over and picked it up. He looked around the room.
"There has to be something in here that will help me get my answers" Clark told himself. Clark walked back to the computer and looked at it. The alarm was still going off, and was now beginning to bug him. Clark took another step towards the computer when the orb shot out of hand. It floated in the air for a moment before several slots opened up and cords shot out. The cords whipped around till they found jacks to plug into. Clark watched as the orb sent a white shock of energy down to the computer. The screen went black and the alarm turned off. "Now what do I do?" Clark asked. The orb sent another surge of energy, and a door in the back of the room opened up. Clark could only see the blinding white light coming from in there. "In there?" Clark inquired pointing to the door of light.
Suddenly the word "YES" appeared on the screen. A moment later they changed to "GO".
"What ever you say" Clark remarked as he turned to move towards the door of light. Before entering Clark looked back at the computer, which still had the same glaring command up. Clark took a deep breath and leap of faith as he entered the chamber beyond.