"It's not working." Conner said staring intently at a pumpkin. No matter how hard he glared, he couldn't get angry enough to blow it up.

"You wanna come back to it and keep working on your super strength?" Kara asked.

Conner tried not to sigh in defeat as he nodded his head. The pumpkin had won this round. But he would blow it up. "Fine." He grumbled.

"Hey, don't look so down." Kara said after noticing his expression and put a hand on his shoulder. "You lifted up Sideswipe. And he ain't exactly small like some of the 'Bots." She added.

For some reason, he didn't try to brush the hand off his shoulder. Maybe it was because Kara was trying to teach and encourage him, not brush him off. Plush she didn't pity him, nor did Alice; not because they didn't care, but that they did care and knew how frustrating it probably got with their own powers.

The understanding he had with them made him open up enough to ask questions. "Can we go see the 'Bots?"

The default reaction he had been expecting was for her to say 'no.' But Kara did the opposite. "Sure. I know that once you meet one, you wanna meet 'em all." She added in understanding.

Conner could do no more than nod; hopefully they all wouldn't be as obnoxious as Sunstreaker. The fact it was the yellow mech who helped him with his strength in the first place was pushed to the back of his mind.

Kara looked over at the garage. "Hey, Sides', you up for a trip to the Ark?" she called to the garage.

Sideswipe came peeling out of it. "Hop in. Or I could race ya." He challenged.

"We'd win." Kara deadpanned as she got into the driver seat.

"'We'd win'?" Conner repeated as he got into the passenger seat. "You are a nice car." He said observing the interior.

If Sideswipe had been in bi-pedal mode, he would have preened. "Thank you, Conner. But I like Jason."

"What?" Conner asked blankly.

Kara smiled nervously as she lightly hit the dash, which still ended up making a small dent. "Don't mind him. He gets horribly confused, Conner."


'Now I know why Conner jumped ship as soon as Kara agreed to teach him.' Jason internally griped. 'This place can get seriously depressing and isolating. In just the two days I've been here I'm already to getting ansty and ready to just start punching walls in to do something.'

Since it was a school day, Jason truly understood what the word 'isolation' meant. No one was here, not even Megan. He knew what isolation could cause, Alice was a perfect example up until Blurr mellowed her somewhat out.

It was also incredibly lonely.

The silver lining- if the only good thing-was that no one could stop him from leaving if he wanted to. And he knew just the place to go. Jason took off for the exit and after getting out, he super speeded his way home.

No, not the home he had with Kara, but his real home. As in the one he grew up in. It didn't take long with his super speed and when his mom opened the door, she had looked shocked before she hugged him.

"How are you, Jason?"

"Fine as I can be." Jason replied sitting down on the chair at the kitchen table.

"What's wrong, honey?" Lois asked as she also sat down on a chair.

"It's my situation on Mt. Justice. Rather, it's about Conner's situation." Jason replied. "I don't know if he truly realizes it or not, but it's incredibly lonely up there. Everyone's gone during the day and they're all really surprised, more than they should be, that I have ice breath."

Both Jason and Lois snorted at that before he continued. "I mean, do they all expect that the only things Conner if going to have is super strength and the ability to jump high? Alice grew into her powers, I'm still growing into my powers, and Conner will too." He said firmly.

"But didn't Conner say that none of them knew about you and Alice?" Lois asked.

Jason nodded. "No one except Batman apparently." Then he froze as he realized what he just said. He was so getting into trouble with them if he was seen. He slammed his head onto the table, which promptly collapsed under his weight. "Whoops."

"No worries." Lois said lightly. "Richard and I have been wanting to buy a new table or some time now."

Jason smiled and was silently grateful that she wasn't freaking out. "You know, it's been a while since I hung out with my mom."

Lois smirked a little. "You still want to hang out with dear old me?"

"You're no old, mom. And yes I do want to hang out with you." Jason said seriously.

Lois nodded, but then looked a bit guilty. "I know this may seem selfish, but I was wondering; do you think Conner would mind if I interview him over the phone? It's just that since he's shown up…"

"I understand." Jason said softly. "Though if you ask him yourself, he may say yes. Big if though."

"I see." Lois acknowledged. "I'll call there later, same number, right?

Jason nodded and went over to the door. "Where to, mom?" he asked as Lois got her purse.

"We can use my car." She replied humorously. "It's just a normal day of chores for me."

"Well, to me," Jason reached out and pulled his mother into a one-armed hug, "it's a day to hang out with the coolest mom ever."