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Rivals or Friends, chapter 3
Conner thought it was good to have a third person at the lunch table. Max had the habit of going silent at times, leaving a conversation one-sided when it was just the two of them. Dan helped fill that gap. Plus, Dan was a very cheerful person, and that feeling was infectious.
After school, the three of them gathered at the Kent's farm, dressed in workout gear.
"First, I'm going to work on your endurance," Max informed them. "We're going to go on a five-mile run. I want to get a feel for how much I can push you before I really start in earnest."
"I'm surprised," Conner said. "I figured you'd have us hitting long grass or something odd like that."
"Grass is for cows," Max remarked. "We'll do some stretching exercises to warm up before we begin."
Conner was disturbed to see just how limber Max was. He knew he could be as flexible as his brother, but his higher muscle mass meant he wasn't. Dan was also surprised at how far Max could stretch.
They started running. Max let them set the pace which proved to be a lesson in its own right. Neither Conner nor Dan had much experience in running long distances, so they started out faster than they should have. While they were hardly staggering at the end, their pace had notably slowed. Conner gained a new appreciation for his powers; telekinetic flight wasn't physically taxing like long distance running.
"You should have paced yourselves better," Max remarked at the end, not out of breath at all.
"Why aren't you tired?" Dan panted.
"I run ten miles each morning," he explained.
"Ten? No way!"
Max smiled. "The first thing we're going to do is work on your endurance. I want you to be able to do five miles without any problems."
It took a couple of weeks, but Conner and Dan were eventually able to meet Max's goal. It helped that they were already in good shape; they just needed to learn how to pace themselves. This was important because Max informed them that there would be no random flailing or punches. They were to be disciplined and restrained.
Dan also became a member of an impromptu study group. He wasn't in honors classes like Conner and Max, but there was a good deal of overlap between the subject matter in their classes. It helped Conner to explain other concepts to Dan, and Max made any corrections or helped Conner with things that gave him trouble.
Conner could tell that Max liked having Dan around. It wasn't that his outward manner changed, but he seemed comfortable with him. There weren't many people Max was comfortable with, and they were all ones that Max regarded as being close to him.
Before they went to bed one night, Conner remarked, "You're really starting to relax. You've begun making friends outside of your other identity. That's good."
Max paused before answering. "You're right. It's unusual of me. I know that I should be cautious and have run a background check on him. There is the possibility that he is not what he seems."
"I don't think you need to worry about it. Besides, you're finding out what he's capable of by having him near and coming into contact with him."
"There exists the possibility that it's an act."
"Now I'm regretting that I mentioned it to you."
"It's a very low possibility and not worth investigating."
"How'd you come up with that?"
"If he were an agent of some sort, he would have had his schedule match ours or moved to make it that way. At this point, he has not. He also does not have the physique of an adult, further reducing the probability that he's an agent."
"So, you're not going to run a background check."
"No. If he were coming into less contact with us, I might be more suspicious. However, at this time, I am not."
"Why are you comfortable around Dan? It took you a while to do that for everyone else."
Max paused before answering. "Perhaps it is because he has no preconceptions of me. It's not a case where we have a past as opponents or that I'm regarded as your clone. I believe knowing there are no preconceptions allows me to relax to a certain extent."
"So, because he doesn't expect anything, he frees you from having to deal with those expectations. Interesting."
"You're the only other one that I think I've adapted to this quickly since I left the Agenda."
"I think you had some personal issues to deal with before working out your relationship with me, and those took a while."
"Actually, it was that mission we did together for the Groups. Seeing you in danger like that did something to me. It's difficult to explain because I don't quite understand it myself."
"I don't think I've ever heard you admit that you didn't understand something. This may be a first."
"I don't like showing weakness," Max admitted.
"You don't have to be on your guard around me. We're family."
"I know."
"You like driving me crazy, don't you?" Conner accused. "You're trying to incite me. That's the only way you can explain this."
"I'm sorry," Max apologized. "I don't mean to do this. It's just the way I am. I'm trying to change."
Conner sighed. "I didn't mean to get angry. I know you're trying to change. It's just that you have this defensive shell that can drive me crazy. I know you don't mean to do it."
There was a pause, and Conner continued, "I think that making your own friend from scratch will help. Tim and Dick are great, but you got introduced to them by someone else. I think that starting a friendship without someone else giving you a basis will do you good."
Max sighed. "I'm emotionally stunted."
"You'll get better."
Conner was surprised that he had gotten along so well with Dan. He originally disliked him, on account of his wanting to fight Max. He grew on him, probably because he was so free and unguarded with his emotions. It was a refreshing change from Max and Tim. That wasn't to say that he appreciated them any less, it was just that their guardedness made their all-too-rare smiles that more valuable.
"I'm becoming reflective," he muttered to himself. "Who would have thought of it?"
"Talking to yourself is rarely a good sign," Max commented.
"It's only bad when you answer back," Kon said with a smile.
"Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"
"Isn't that my line?"
"It normally is," Max acknowledged with a nod. "However, I am willing to listen to you as you have listened to me. It shouldn't be one-sided."
"I was thinking about how Dan has been like a breath of fresh air. He's very open with his feelings. It's nice to have an angst-free friend."
"In our line of work, it is rare to meet someone without some sort of tragedy lurking in his or her history. It's a very strong motivating factor. Dan is not part of that world and most likely does not have that sort of motivation."
Conner thought back to his friends from Hawaii. "It is certainly rarer. Sometimes it's nice to be around people who are comparatively carefree."
Max looked at his brother. "It makes me sometimes wonder why you didn't make a lot of friends at school before I came. You're certainly more outgoing than me and can be more sociable and charming."
"No, you see, I'm the bad one who's only become tolerable since my good brother came and helped me get my life in order."
Max frowned. "I wish you wouldn't say garbage like that, even in jest. Why didn't you adjust to school and make friends?"
"So now you're analyzing me. This really is a role-reversal."
"Yes, it is. You're even trying to avoid my questions, which makes it all the more a change of positions."
Conner gave Max a salute. "You are correct. I'm not sure why I didn't adjust to living here. Perhaps it was an act of teenage rebellion; I was used to living on my own."
"Perhaps the location was a contributing factor as well. I don't wish to speak ill of it because some people stay here their entire lives, but..."
"Smallville is a really boring place," Conner finished. "That may have had something to do with it. I was really glad to consistently get away on the weekends."
"I'm glad that you're happier."
"So am I."
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I apologize for the slow pace of this story. The next story I'm working on is a "Superboy and Match" one that focuses more on external events.
Any and all comments welcome!
