Part Four:

"M'gann," the voice came from the other side of the door, "I wish to converse with you."

"Coming Uncle," she knelt before Superboy, "I'll be right back." before rising and leaving.

When the door opened back up it was not M'gann but Superman.

"Get out." Superboy growled. He was sitting on his bed, hunched over.

Superman didn't respond or react; instead he looked around the room. It was not like Wally's; there were no video-games or remote control cars or anything of that sort. Nor was it like Dick's, there were no computers or books or parallel bars. It wasn't even like Kaldur'ahm's. There was nothing to indicate that he even had any sort of fun in his life. Instead it was blank and white, as if he was a blank slate himself. Indeed the only hint of personalization was the large Superman Shielded 'S' on the south wall. It was so large that it took up the entire wall.

"Didn't you hear me?" Superboy sneered mockingly, "Get out. I don't wanna deal with you. Get out."

"Superboy," Superman sat down on a desk chair, "I'm sorry. How I reacted to you wasn't right…"

"Finally clued in have you? Too late."

"Please, Superboy. I know I don't deserve a second chance at this—"

"So what are we supposed to do then? Play catch?"

"No, just let me teach you what I know okay? Let me take you to meet my parents; let me help you."

"I don't need your—"

"I know you can't fly yet…"

That caught Superboy's attention, "What would you know?"

"It took me fifteen years being a normal kid to be able to fly; you just don't have enough solar power yet. I was a jumper too at first," Superman smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, "spend a few months in a tanning booth or bed or outside and you'll start to jump farther until you can actually fly."

"Really?" the boy's head cocked to the side as if he were a confused puppy.

"Yes, really. Our powers start out weak but they can grow to be amazing if we get enough sunlight. I can show you what you can do, if you let me…"

"You aren't just saying this so Levin won't kick you off Earth are you?"

"No. He's right, I've been an…a not very nice person, a good mentor. You didn't ask to be made did you and all you wanted from me is some sort of kinship, someone to look up to. Moreover, I've been running and hiding from you like a coward. I thought I was the last of our kind and then I find out that Cadmus grew you and yet I don't share my, our proud and rich and ancient heritage do I? No, I hoard it to myself. That isn't right and if I continue to act that way I shame my father's memory, my human parents, and myself. I couldn't be called a hero, or even a decent person. Levin just forced me to man up." He looked to his feet, something which was very odd to see the Man of Steel do, "Besides I owe his father big time, and so do you…his father died to save the Earth, to save the Sun…"

"Oh. How?"

"It's a long story and we've been made to take vows of silence about it."

"Huh."