Chapter 4: Unshed

"You shouldn't regret something that once made you smile"

On the helicopter ride to Metropolis, it had been quiet between Bruce and Johnny. The young man was confused by what was going on by the simple fact that he didn't know what was going on. Anxious and nervous at the same time, he waited to ask his questions when it was a little quieter, he could barely think.

"We're here," Bruce announced.

Johnny looked down and saw they were landing at an airstrip, with a private jet waiting on ground.

"This isn't the place?" Johnny wondered aloud.

"We're headed back to Metropolis"

Johnny turned. "What?"

"It's going to be all right"

"I don't want to be in Metropolis!" Too many memories resided there; he didn't want to relive them. "Please," he begged. "Couldn't I just meet him halfway?"

"I'm sorry, Johnny. I know you don't want to be there, and you're father knows that too, but there are things you need to know"

A quick flash of the last couple of days enveloped Johnny's mind, and he willed himself to follow his presumed 'Godfather's' orders. He and his father are going to have an interesting chat.

A couple of hours later, they arrive in Metropolis. Johnny avoided looking out of the window; he knew how much his parents loved it here. Despite the bustling streets and the economic popularity, it felt like a barren wasteland to him inside.

Johnny hated feeling weak in moments like these.

He wanted to get over it, live his life to the fullest, but there's that void, so present within himself that it won't leave.

"You ready?" Bruce asked, gesturing for him to leave the plane first.

Johnny quietly nods.

Stepping off of the few steps that led down to the ground, in the distance, Johnny saw the all-too-familiar figure of his father. He quickly straightened his shoulders and masked his face and walked towards him with confidence.

Clark quickly saw his son's changed demeanor, regretting that he should've done this sooner. They can't make up for the past, but he hoped they could pursue a future.

When he and his son were a few feet apart. "Hi Jonathan," he greeted warmly.

Johnny internally winced; his father was the only one that uses his full name occasionally.

"Dad," he returned.

There was silence.

"How are your eyes?" Clark asked, knowing his son would know what he was getting at. Bruce had called him before they departed Massachusetts. Jonathan's abilities were developing at a rapid rate.

Johnny looked temporarily confused at the question. There was nothing wrong with his eyes. And then, it dawned on him… he knew.

He quickly turned to glance at his Godfather, but he received a blank expression in return.

"What am I doing here?" he made himself to ask.

Clark took a deep breath, an action not lost on his son. "To tell you everything"

"The Daily Planet." Johnny stepped out of yet another helicopter. "What are we doing here?"

"You know that your mother and I worked for the Daily Planet when you were younger, right?"

Johnny looked at him in surprise. His father was talking about his mother, and he did so without sadness.

"I remember," he answered wearily. He's read countless of articles written by both his parents growing up. Sometimes, it was required reading.

"We spent a lot of time right here in this very spot," his father pointed out on the surrounding rooftop of the renowned newspaper building. "I asked her to marry me here," he revealed thoughtfully.

Johnny didn't know what to think of his father's sudden openness.

"Why are you doing this? Why now?"

"Because we kept things from you, we wanted to give you a life free of emotional complications. Even with the best of intentions, we ended up hurting you anyway"

"I don't…" then everything that's been happening to him in the last couple of days made semi sense. "You know, don't you… about what's happening to me?"

"After you were born, you were just a normal healthy baby boy, and after a while, your human DNA remained dominant. We thought it'd stay that way"

"What are you talking about?" Now Johnny was more than just confused. Talk of DNA and dominance were a little too much to comprehend.

"Come on, take my hand"

"What?" Johnny exclaimed, even more confused. "No!" Just then, his father turned his back on him and step on top of the ledge. Johnny begins to worry. "Dad, what are you doing?"

Clark, still with his back turned from his son, removed his glasses, letting it fall behind him, the lens crackling on the ground upon impact.

"Dad!"

His son's voice became distant. He deserved to know now.

To Johnny, he was growing scared of his father's actions. He's standing atop a ledge, hundreds of feet off the ground, what was he going to do? Fly!

"Take my hand"

"You're crazy"

"Trust me"

"How can I?" he argued. "You're going to jump!"

"No I'm not"

"Then what do you call that?"

Clark weakly smiled and finally turned to him. Johnny gasped when he saw the insignia that blazed across his chest. It was the symbol of Superman.

Johnny shook his head in disbelief.

"Please, son. Take my hand," he whispered in a low voice.

Without another word, Johnny took his hand and stared at him in wonderment as unshed tears glistened in his eyes.

To be continued…