Tal had no idea where to start. Or how…

But he had a theory. Jonathan was without doubt of Kryptonian heritage. Which meant, that his body should react to the sun the same way his body does. But according to what he figured out, the boy was (so far) not able to store the energy to convert them into powers.

Tal knew, the only way to figure out the real reason for Jonathan's current condition was a scan at his fortress. By his mother. But as his father was always active, there was no way that he could sneak in and talk to her in person. Zeta always insisted that he will only activate her when the plan is fulfilled, and she can witness how her own invention led to the destruction of humanity.

But Tal was scared of the thought that Jonathan and Zeta-Rho could face each other. It was a scary thought. And Tal knew that Jon would figure out things he is not ready to know. And things Tal suddenly was not so sure about anymore.

And he also had to admit that spending time with Jonathan and helping him to find his power and his potential was much more pleasant than constantly working on his mission to find X-K, perfect subjects, or increasing his influence to reach this goals earlier.

Tal and Jonathan now spend most of their days meditating, making concentration-training or trying to train Jonathan's control over the powers, he didn't have yet…

Over the past few weeks, Jonathan recovered physically almost completely from his time in the lab. Also, he became stronger by lifting weights, training his condition and running across the hiking tracks… making him the probably fittest 12 years old boy in the world. And Jonathan got faster and faster with every attempt. He sweat less and was less tired after every run. Trying to focus on the power, Tal let him feel when he run with him.

And as Tal was always with him, the Kryptonian billionaire got to know what it means to live beyond the office and the constant work…

Tal mentioned the changes inside Jonathan and that the constant training, the treatment with Kryptonian devices and the mental training made Jonathan not only stronger, fitter and faster… it also turned him more and more Kryptonian. And the training gave the already very self-confident boy even a boost of more self-confidence.

"You're getting better and better!" Tal said while he gave Jonathan fight-training in his gym.

"Thanks! I have a great teacher!"

By now, they were almost only talking in Kryptonese. Whenever Jon didn't know it he switched back to English… but he loved the Kryponian language.

Tal had known a lot about human martial arts. His own father never allowed him to train the Kryptonian martial-arts, but Tal managed to learn some skills in secret back there. With his powers, he usually doesn't need these skills, but they were a nice excuse if he must use his powers one day and he would need an explanation for his strength. Not to forget the shared time he and Jonathan had. And Jonathan loved to train to fight…

Tal was grateful for destiny to bring Jonathan into his life. The boy became way more than just a fellow Kryptonian on Earth. He became family! He became Tal's life. And the main reason, Tal remained absent from his work and from his father in the fortress…

Tal had no clue that he had to thank a desperate, traumatized and gone insane doppelganger of his brother from another Earth was fault. Because he wanted to prevent that Jonathan kills himself shortly before his 16th birthday. Because the Clark of this world was a terrible father to Jonathan who was not able to relate to his powerless son and never really cared to give Jonathan a feeling for this side of his heritage or even introduced him to his grandparents.

If Tal would had know the story of Jonathan, he would work even harder to turn Jonathan into a proud Kryptonian. And not into a desperate, left-out, and humiliated wannabe-human like Clark did in the original timeline of this world…

The fact that Jonathan had no powers yet, forced Tal to make things different then he would had if the boy has them already. But the incredible performance of Jonathan over the Java Sea proved that Jonathan was indeed capable of this kind of things. And if not… Tal didn't care! Jonathan is still Kryptonian. And the boy felt better and better with every Kryptonese lecture and every story about Krypton.

"Focus on the sounds! Can you hear the people down there?" Tal asked.

"I try… I try…" Jon responded like in trance. Trying to listen to the people in the valley.

Tal took Jonathan to a nearby viewing point. A quite spot where they were undisturbed. It was a beautiful view over the valley and the lake down there. But Jonathan had closed his eyes and focused hard on activating his superhearing and to train it for the case it suddenly kicks in and prevent a painful surprise.

Jonathan tried to focus his hearing on a rowing boat, he spotted on the lake when they arrived. Hoping to hear the two people on the boat talking. To help him, Tal stood right behind him, put his hands on his shoulders and focused his hearing on the boat, too. Hoping that Jonathan is somehow able to use the power from him like he did over Java. Tal could hear the both men in the boat talking. Jon didn't…

"… I try…" Jonathan continued. His eyes still closed he lift his head to let the sun shining on him.

"Ssshhh… Jonathan, I know you are frustrated! But don't blame yourself for your condition!" Tal was surprised about his empathy. His own father would had yelled the crap out of him and call him a failure. "Just remember what I taught you! Listen closely and focus on the sound…"

Jonathan took a deep breath again and went into a deep trance-like condition while he concentrated. So far still the only sounds he heard were the closest to him. Like the rustling grass in the wind, or the bees in the flowers. Jonathan lowered his head and moaned before he tried to focus on the sounds again.

Listening… listening…

"Try something else! Another boat! Another person… My German is not as good as yours, but I can tell you that the two men in the boat just argue about where to eat after. Burger or Döner!"

"Oh, I love Döner!" Jonathan smiled. "When I was in Germany a few years ago I ate it."

"We get you Döner later! Just continue with what I taught you!" Tal said.

Jonathan start to focus again.

Still everything he was able to hear were the closest sounds… but suddenly a weird ringing was in his ears… A strange sound followed by a voice…

"Clark, what do you think about the new model? Is the sound better?"

Jonathan opened his eyes in awe and was relieved.

"Yes! Did you hear that?"

"Who? I hear a lot of people!"

"A man asked a man named Clark if the sound of the new model is better!" Jon said. "In American English!"

"Can you focus on that again?" Tal asked. For a brief moment, he heard a shrill sound, too. "You may hear someone in America?"

Jonathan had no clue that he heard his own grandfather, who just tested a new, more effective ELT-model with a nicer sound then the old one.

"Wow… Okay… I try…" Jonathan turned around again, closed his eyes, and focused like he did before.

Jonathan tried to repeat it again and tried to listen again…

Suddenly he heard a siren of a French police-car. Jon lifts his hand to point into the direction of the police siren.

"A police-car… A man ranting in Russian… A jet… right over us…"

Jonathan still had his eyes closed. But Tal looked up to see indeed a jet airliner cruising right over them. High up there and too far away to be heard by anyone. But Jonathan was able to hear the engines…

"Yes! Yes… go on Jon! I believe in you!"

Jonathan continued listening. His mind still focused on the power and how to get the sounds of the whole world into his ears. Suddenly he heard a loud bang and his ears and his head felt as if they blow up any moment.

Jonathan start to scream in fear when he held his ears and fell on his knees when he felt the pain burning in his head and shooting tears in his eyes…

"Jonathan, what's wrong?"

Jonathan winced in pain while he hold his ears at the sudden mess of chatting, honking, barking, yelling and chirping in his ears… Screaming in pain. Before it suddenly ended as abruptly as it began.

"Ouwch… That… aww…"

"Jonathan, are you okay?" Tal asked worried.

"It's over…" Jonathan said relieved. "It's over!"

"Let's make a break… I promised you a Döner, right…"

Just shortly after, Tal and Jon sat on a bench in front of a Döner food stand by the lake and enjoyed their lunch.

"Boah… It tastes even better than I remember!" Jon raved.

Tal looked on the flatbread with meat and vegetables in his hands and wondered how Jonathan was able to eat the spicy dish. Kryptonian dishes were always made of just three to four ingredients and (compared to Earth food) pretty bland. While Jonathan could eat the extra spicy sauce with ease, Tal hesitated but ate a bit just to keep up appearances.

"I hope… when my Superhearing kicks in, it does not hurt like it did before!"

"As soon as you have it and you have it under control you will be not feeling it painful!"

"Uncle Tal…"

"Ehm… we are in public…" Tal hissed.

"Right… sorry…" Jon whispered. "Uncle Morgan, you think we can do the other activity again. You know… the cozier one, I could feel better?"

Tal smiled when he realized what Jon meant…

Just an hour later, both were floating in the foyer of Tal's house again. The curtains were closed to prevent someone from outside seeing them flying in the house. Tal held Jon tightly to let him feel the energy his body emitted when he was flying. And Jon enjoyed the power while he tried to concentrate on this power to emit it, too.

"Focus on the power!" Jon told himself.

"Your body is suited for these powers. I know you can do it!" Tal encouraged him.

"Omm… shu… wa…" Jonathan spoke a Kryptonian meditation phrase. While he closed his eyes and focused on the power again.

He was so deeply focused on his wish to fly. He wanted to fly like his Uncle and like Superman! A man he secretly still hoped to meet one day. Jonathan was so deeply focused, he imagined himself over his hometown Boston. Wearing a suit like Superman does. Levitating over the City Hall Plaza and watching the city like a hero.

Jonathan was so deeply in his dream, that he didn't notice Tal carefully letting off of the boy to let him float.

In his daydream, Jonathan was still flying over the city when he suddenly saw Superman floating right in front of him. And they were not over Boston anymore. They were over the Plaza in front of the famous Daily-Planet-building. Smiling on him proudly, giving him a thumb-up.

"Well done, I am proud on you!" Superman said.

Happier than ever, Jon opened his eyes, to see that Uncle Tal was floating several feet away, with a smartphone in his and winked happily. Jonathan had barely time to realize what happened when he suddenly fell like a stone and crashed on the mattress, Tal placed on the ground before they start…

"I WILL NEVER LEARN TO FLY!" Jonathan wailed while he and Tal sat on the kitchen-table a few minutes later.

"Jon don't give up! At least you made it to float for a couple of seconds! And I am really really proud on you!" Tal said with a smile that was brighter than ever.

Jonathan grabbed the smartphone Tal used to film him 'flying'. But it actually only showed his crash.

"Uncle Tal, something is wrong with me! How can I be Kryptonian when I am not able to fly?"

"I couldn't fly until I was 22! And I am sure Kal-El was not a master at your age, too!" Tal said. "Otherwise… Jonathan, you are one of us! Powers, or not… you have the right to call yourself a member of our race. And believe me you can be proud to be Kryptonian. And I think… I think it is time to introduce you to someone…"

Tal took a deep breath. He knew he couldn't procrastinate it any longer. The time has come…

The next day, Tal flew Jonathan straight to the badlands. No stopovers and no flight-training on the way. They went straight to the desert and landed right in front of his fortress.

"Here is it!" Tal explained.

"Impressive!" Jonathan respond when he saw the weird shaped mountain that was exactly like Tal described.

"Jonathan, before we go inside! I need to tell you something!" Tal said. "My father is a very rough and strict person! You might feel intimidated! And I honestly don't know how he will react to your presence!"

"Why?"

"I haven't mention this by now, but… my father has nothing for humans. The fact that you are half-human could make him not amused. So, I should talk to him before I get you in to meet him. Maybe, I can convince him to give me the sun crystal of my mother to scan you to figure out how to activate your powers and help you deal with them easier."

"Okay!"

"Wait here, Jonathan! Charge a bit in the sun while I talk to my father!" Tal said before he walked in.

Tal walked in at human speed. He admits that he was very nervous. And his nervousness was justified, when he was welcomed by a very mad Zeta…

"TAL!" the holograph of the evil man yelled. "You have been away very long!"

"Father, I apologize for my long absence! But there was an unpredicted turn of events! I found another Kryptonian on Earth!" Tal said after he bowed devoted and obediently. "And he is an relative of us!"

"WHAT?! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Father, he is Kryptonian and his genetic structure proves a relation!" Tal said before he start to tell his father everything.

Jonathan meanwhile hold his head up to face the sun and tried to focus again. They were in the wide nowhere here. All over around everything he saw was desert… He tried to focus on his hearing again. Thinking that it will be here not as painful as it was in Germany. Concentrating on the energy… on the feeling…

He could hear anything. He just heard the wind over the area and some crackling and suddenly even more sounds…

Jon could hear the weird whistling and shlurfing and it was like he could hear higher frequencies again. Fearing it could become as painful as before, Jonathan focused on a certain sound again. Something cozy. Suddenly he could hear his uncle Tal again…

"…it is the prove that there are more of us on Earth. It's not just me and Kal-El!"

"Thousands tried to escape Krypton. But all ships got destroyed in the shockwave." A much angrier sounding voice said.

"What about Argo City?"

"Argo City was a shame for Krypton with their culture and their lifestyle. The Defence-concil is destined to rule."

"Maybe someone else from the Defence-concil is on this planet?"

"Don't dare to doubt our mission Tal…"

Suddenly Jonathan couldn't hear them anymore. It was gone again.

Jonathan realized that Tal was right and that his father does not seem to be a very friendly person. Carefully explained. Tal came out of the cave a few minutes later. A bit worried but determined to find the reason for Jonathan's powerlessness.

"Be respectful when you face him!" was everything Tal said when he led Jonathan inside.

Inside the cave, Jonathan was even more impressed by what he saw. Everyone could see that this was not a normal cave. It was evident that this place was a huge technological marvel containing the knowledge, the technology and the legacy of a long lost planet. And then Jonathan saw him… Zeta-Rho! Or at least his holograph.

Zeta-Rho spotted Jonathan and looked on him with a harsh glare. Jon was a bit intimidated, but he knew that he was not allowed to show any fear, or disrespect. With his head held high, Jon came closer, made the formal Kryptonian gesture to show his respect and greeted Zeta in his accent-free Kryptonese.

"It's an honor!" Jon said. Not knowing that the man in front of him was one of the evilest Kryptonians ever.

"So, you are the Human-Kryptonian-hybrid, my son told me about! What is your name?"

"Jonathan Reynolds!" Jon quickly responds.

"Your real name!" Zeta said angrily.

"Jon-Rho!" Jon apologized.

"And you are related to the house of Rho?"

"According to the tests, yes!"

"Who is your father?"

"I am sorry, but I don't know who my genetic father or my genetic mother are!"

"You grew up with the humans, my son said. And you have experienced the same hate from the humans like my son did?"

"Not always! Just after my identity was uncovered!"

"Father…" now Tal spoke again. "…Jon's genetic structure was damaged by human experiments. He is capable of powers, but not able to activate them on command. I have no knowledge about genetics but we need an experts opinion."

"We don't need your mother for this…" Zeta said angrily. "… the one and only moment we activate her is when we have fulfilled the mission and took over this world…"

"Wait… what?" Jonathan was shocked. "What is that meaning? Uncle Tal?"

Before Jonathan could get an answer suddenly a strong beam of energy hit him and threw him off his feet. Jonathan screamed in fear and pain when he suddenly felt as if his whole body is on fire and got tossed over the ground and pressed against a rock… unable to move anymore…