Hello and welcome back! Happy May Day/ Labour Day!
I am suprised how quickly this chapter got out of my fingers. After the last chapter was more or less more like a filler, this brings a bit more progress to the story.
Enjoy!
Clark could feel his stomach lurch. Jonathan and suicidal were two words that doesn't belong into the same sentence for him. But according to Jonathan's browser history, the boy spent a lot of time on online counseling centers, online psychotherapy, and internet forums. He also spent a lot of time googling 'suicide thoughts', 'depression', and a lot of other things, that made it evident that Jonathan was unhappy with his life.
He also spent a lot of time in Internet-forums, on Reddit and other websites discussing Superman's powerless-child. And many people made eighter fun of him instead of thinking about how he must feel as the powerless child of the most powerful being in the universe. When their existence got revealed, Lois and Clark prohibited the boys to follow those posts or the discussions about them. And the people could be mean. It was to protect them. Jordan (Superboy) was a hype. While Jonathan (Powerless loser and fail) turned into a laughingstock. Something not everyone would dealing easy with.
Jonathan spent a lot of time with looking for ways to get out of Smallville, too. By student exchange or work programs. Or if there were programs that made it possible for him to live in Metropolis again. Or by boarding-schools and scholarships. Jonathan never felt well in Smallville, it was evident now. And the whole family was shocked when they found his old chats and the very condescending message he got from his old teammates. Making fun about him living in Smallville now.
And there were threads… really awful stuff he received from other players, from parents but also from people who were not directly involved in the football-team's businesses or don't even have kids at Smallville High School…
There were adults, telling Jonathan to kill himself to safe his grandmother's honor. People telling Jonathan a shame for his family. Lois began to cry again. And Clark felt that urge to go to those people and break their fingers. Or slap them for hurting Jonathan. But mostly he wanted to slap himself for not realizing it.
Kyle was right! Mr. Olowe was right! He was so focused on Jordan's training that they didn't realize how much Jonathan was suffering and that the Smallville of 1995 wasn't anymore. And he stayed in Smallville at any cost. Lois didn't endure the E-Mails anymore. She left the RV, went into the house, and got the writing pads that contained Jonathan's diary…
Clark was still focused on reading a very nasty E-Mail from the mother of another player, telling Jonathan to pour gasoline over himself and burn himself on the football-field when Lois came back and start to loudly read the letter Jonathan wrote to Martha on the day of her death…
In Metropolis meanwhile, Timmy Tanner and Tag Harris continued talking when they suddenly saw Jordan Kent on the TV-screen…
"HEY… Look…" Tag said. "Jordan is in TV!"
Timmy grabbed the remote control and turned it louder to listen to Jordan's plea for help to find his brother…
"You know what… Jordan was always very reserved, sealed, shy and uncommunicative. And Jon was always the open and articulate one." Timmy said. "But no matter how bad things were, they always were there for each other, and I was always impressed of how they stick together! Do you have siblings?"
"No!" Tag answered. "I am an only child!"
"Me, too! But seeing the Kent-boys together, always let wish for a brother!" Timmy said.
Suddenly Timmy's phone start to ring… it was an unknown number…
"Hello… Who?... Yes! Yes, I am! Oh…"
Tag became suspicious. He decided to not to inform Sam anymore, but he had his orders! He turned away to see the other messages he received.
"Unk, wrench F1! GH now!"
Tag knew it was serious.
"Ehm… My mom! I need to go again!" Tag lied after Timmy finished his call.
"I need to go now, too! Do you know a girl named Eliza? She was once Jonathan's girlfriend before they moved to Smallville."
"Eliza? The name rings a bell!" Tag could swear that Jonathan wailed about a girl named Eliza when they talked on the bench after he broke his arm and Jonathan was forced to watch.
"She saw Jordan's statement in TV and wants to talk!"
This was normally something, Tag should join him! But first he was forced to report to 'GH' now!
"Good luck!" Tag said before he left.
Timmy left the house a few seconds later, too! Looking around to see that Tag was already gone and nowhere to be seen.
"Hmm… Superspeed brings some perks, doesn't it!" Timmy murmured. "As if I am so stupid to not to recognize a 'Supermen of America' member!"
Timmy walked to his car and left to go to his meeting Eliza in town. Hoping he was able to distract Tag well enough.
At the Kent-farm, Lois pressed the writing pad with Jonathan's notes against her chest and cried waterfalls when she thought about the possibility that Jonathan could have hurt himself. Natalie and John-Henry decided to not to interfere when they saw Clark, Lois, Jordan and Sam having a wild and intense discussion about who offended Jonathan more…
"SEND THE DOD! WHAT FOR ARE YOU THE LEADER OF THAT ALIENHUNTER-CREW?!" Jordan yelled angrily.
"I already told you that I can't do that! Everyone will demand answers from me. And I can't go to General Hardcastle and tell her that I use DOD resources to search for my grandson who just ran away." Sam explained.
"JON DIDN'T RUN AWAY!" Jordan screamed now. "The seat was not in the right position! And he is desperate!"
"What shall I tell the DOD! That Jonathan ran away because he is the powerless son of Superman, the whole world is gossiping about! I would have to do that! When they help us, they put him into a lab immediately to study him to figure out how to make you and your father powerless, too!"
"If you would have offered to train him in self-defense, too when he needed it, he wouldn't had taken the fucking X-K to prove himself to everyone! You always went fishing with him in the past, for what? To keep sure to have a good relationship to him if he gets the powers and you train him instead of me?"
"I AM NOT PREFERING ANYONE OF YOU!" Sam starts to scream now. His voice began to tremble.
"YOU TRAINED THE WRONG GUY!" Jordan starts to cry again. "AND YOU DID!"
"NOBODY IS SCREAMING HERE!" Lois starts to yell.
"STOOOOP!" now Clark jumped in. His eyes were glowing as if he was losing control over himself again. "Yelling on each other does not bring us further!"
Suddenly everyone was silent. But they understood it. They should focus on finding Jonathan. Their mistakes were already done and there was no chance to make them undo. Everyone of them has their respective barn-scenes. All they could do was look forward and make sure they make up for everything as soon as they find Jonathan.
Jordan burst out in tears again…
"I screwed him up… I ruined his life…" Jordan cried.
"Jordan, it's not your fault!" Lois said. She wanted to give him a hug, but Jordan shied away from her.
"Lois, did he write anything in those diaries that could help us to figure out where he could be?" Sam asked.
Lois turned away to hide the writing pads from her father's view.
"We are not going to invade his privacy! He would never forgive us!" Lois cried.
"You just read in it!" Sam interfered.
"Only the first letter…"
Jordan meanwhile walked back into the RV to talk to John-Henry and Natalie again.
Natalie found no more traces that Jonathan could be suicidal. But she figured out that he was looking for plane-tickets to Germany shortly before Timmy Tanner and his parents moved back to Metropolis. To visit him maybe? Jordan thought about the irony, that Jon must pay hundreds of Dollars to get to Germany, while he could fly there by himself whenever he wanted. And for free! One more proves that Smallville was more a prison to Jon than a home. All while Jordan could fly around and see the world…
"When we were younger, Jon and I talked about visiting Timmy in Germany!" Jordan said. "Jon was always more interested in seeing the world. Whenever he saw an interesting place on a photo or in TV he wanted to go there! I can tell you at least a hundred places he would visit if he would be able to fly!"
"And this friend of yours in Metropolis!" Natalie asked.
"He blames me for everything! Jon told him about the barn-scene and he called me selfish and that I should never had gotten those powers."
"Woah… wait… does he know everything?"
"Yes… and that even longer than I and Jon do!" Jordan moaned. "I explain you later! What about your stuff here? Your A.I. once almost shoot Jon."
"I apologized multiple times for it!" suddenly Hedy, the A.I., said. "I detected an intruding Kryptonian and was not aware that he had only good intentions. I added his and your genetic structure immediately into my database to prevent more incidents in future."
"You have his DNA? Can you trace him?" suddenly Jordan had more hope.
"I already made a search after your father's first visit to inform us about his disappearance. There is no trace of Jonathan Kent in the county. And I am afraid that the storm last night destroyed all possible traces of him!"
"What a fuck!" Jordan wailed and looked out of the window. "But… maybe…"
"What?" Natalie asked.
Jordan looked out of the window and saw his brother's diaries in his mother's hands.
"DNA is small isn't it! Is it also contained in teardrops?" Jordan asked. Natalie nodded. "Your A.I. might be not able to trace him. But I know an A.I. that could be! Natalie, I need your help… could you distract everyone for a few minutes…"
Outside the adults all continued ranting and yelling on each other when Jordan approached them and grabbed Jon's diaries with his speed to protect them from the adults.
"NOBODY… AND I MEAN REALLY NOBODY, INVADES MY BROTHER'S PRIVACY!" Jordan yelled. "Natalie found another clue! I take these and safe the rest of my brother's life…"
"Jordan, we…" Clark wanted to apologize but Jordan already walked into the house.
"Guys, you need to see this!" Natalie said from the RV.
The adults went back into the RV to listen to Natalie's distraction, while Jordan went into the house, took a plastic-bag to protect the diaries and flew away. First slowly and in safe distance at high-speed to go to the fortress.
Lara should be able to help…
Jordan was not as fast as his father. And would need longer than his father. But he hoped Lara would be able to use the fortress and all its advanced technology to use the DNA samples on the pads to localize his brother.
Wondering why he didn't have this idea before. Just hoping Natalie was able to distract his parents long enough for him to talk to Lara before his father arrives.
Jordan arrived in the 'family-fortress', that was primally used by him and his father only since its creation. Wondering why his father was not thinking better about the fact that Jonathan was not able to come here on his own. And Jonathan really wanted.
Jordan inserted his grandmother's crystal and Lara appeared in front of him with her usual smile.
"Jordan my dear grandson! What brings you to me? You look very worried!" Lara realized.
"Grandma, I come with an urgent request. My brother is missing!" Jordan said.
While Jordan explained the current situation to Lara (except the reason for Jonathan's departure), the adults realized that the clue Natalie found was only a hoax. And before Natalie had a chance to come up with a new story, Clark realized that Jordan left the farm again…
In the fortress, Jordan put his brother's diaries on the podium for Lara to scan them for traces of his brother's DNA.
"This is a terrible story, my dear grandson! I will do my best to help you to find your brother." Lara said. "What was the reason for your brother to leave!"
"I want to be honest to you, we had a fight! My brother has a very rough time behind him. I am so terrible worried. And it is partly my fault!"
"What do you mean with that my dear grandson?"
"Grandma… there is something you should know…" Jordan said. But before he could finish suddenly his father appeared in the fortress.
"JORDAN!"
"Dad!"
"Jordan, what are you doing here?"
"I am working on finding Jon!"
"Jordan, we all do!"
"Kal-El, my son! Your son Jordan brought me these documents with samples of Jonathan's DNA. Can we be sure that it is Jonathan's DNA?"
"Ehmm…" Clark saw the writing pads. "Yes!"
"Jordan told me that all other samples of his DNA got destroyed during a storm?" Lara said.
"Yes, there was a tornado! Long story… Mother, are you really able to help us?"
"I should be Kal! How long your son Jonathan is missed?"
"For two days! He was on the way to visit a friend but never arrived there!" Clark explained.
"Do you and your son have problems, Kal?" Lara was suspicious.
"We had a fight! I made a mistake and he got mad on me! And I want to atone for it! What can you see in his DNA sample!"
"Analysis is in progress!" Lara said. "Your son's sample is damaged! I need some time for the analysis."
"Okay!" Clark said before he turned to Jordan. "Jordan, on a word!"
Clark led Jordan outside, right in front of the entrance to talk to Jordan without Lara listening.
"Jordan, what did you think?"
"I? What did you think? You should had come here in the first place! Lara is helping us to find him. Maybe even alive!"
Jordan burst out in tears. Just thinking about his brother being dead was too much.
Both had no clue that Lara used their absence to scan not only the DNA samples, but also the content of all three writing pads. Hundreds of entries about his life in Smallville, and what it means to be Clark Kent's son and Jordan Kent's brother. And Lara was shocked…
"I want to find him, too! Believe me, I could never forgive myself if something happens to him. You… you are right! I should have come here long ago. I should have brought your brother in here more often! I should have included your brother better in everything. And I shouldn't have let your brother feel left out. Jordan… look at me…"
Clark could see how devastated Jordan was. How panicked and worried.
"…we will find him!" Clark said and gave his son a hug. "I promise!"
"KAL!" Lara's voice yelled over the whole area.
Lara was suddenly so mad! So angry. Clark never heard Lara's voice like this. So mad and so angry! He and Jordan walked back into the fortress to see Lara looking on them with such a fury.
"Is this true?" she asked furious.
"What?" Clark asked.
"Is it true what your son wrote?" Lara asked, pointing on the writing pads.
Clark looked on the ground to see the writing pads being not where they were. Obviously, Lara scanned the content of them, too and understood them. She never spoke any Earth-language! But her A.I. was able to speak, read and understand every language of Earth. Including Jonathan's diaries…
"Mother, I can explain!"
"You lied to me, Kal! And you, too Jordan! You lied to me that Jonathan has no interest in his Kryptonian heritage, and I was heartbroken. Instead, I must figure out that the only reason I see him so rarely is that you purposefully excluded him from learning about his heritage! And not only that! You also forced him to give up a life he was enjoying, to live at a place where he only receives hate and rejection!"
"Mother, I know it sounds much. But I had good intentions with our move to Smallville!" Clark wanted to explain.
"You had good intentions when you didn't introduce Jonathan to Jor-El? Or to me? The first time I met him, I could see how nervous he was! And the few times he actually came here he felt so out of place! And now I know that it was only because you did everything to exclude him from his own heritage. And that just because of powers!"
"Jonathan never had a problem with being powerless!"
"And why you continually show him that you prefer Jordan and his powers?" Lara said acussingly. Clark became pale. And he saw Jordan loweing his head in shame. "You told Jonathan that it is good that he got spared from his own heritage while you tell Jordan how proud you are on him for having powers?!"
"Ehm… this is a long story!"
"Jordan was never supposed to have powers at all!" Lara yelled now. That statement was a huge surprise for Clark and Jordan. "Just like you were never supposed to have powers, Kal! These powers are just a side effect of Earth's yellow sun. But they have nothing to do with our culture! Our lifestyle! Or our legacy! Jonathan was interested in our culture but now he hates his own heritage and denies it. And that only because of powers, no one of you two were ever supposed to have! Would you have ever introduced your sons to me or your father if they never developed powers?"
Clark looked back and forth between Jordan and Lara with open mouth and with an expression full of shock.
"I… ehm… I… wanted to tell them sooner or later!"
"But you preferred to only introduce Jordan to me and your father! While Jonathan has the same right to meet me and learn about Krypton! This is unacceptable Kal! Not only that this was very morally reprehensive, but it is also a great shame for our name. This symbol…" Lara pointed on the house of El crest. "…means hope! And thanks to your mistakes, Jonathan sees this symbol only as a symbol of rejection and pain!"
Clark lowered his head in shame.
"Kal, your son wrote in his notes that you avoid any chance to introduce him to me even if his life depends on it. And according to the result of my scan his life really depends on bringing him to me!"
"What?" suddenly Clark was even more scared.
"But to keep sure that you really bring Jonathan to me and not avoid any more visits, I have to keep sure that you don't use Jordan's powers as an excuse to hurt his feelings any longer…"
Suddenly a bright beam of energy light up the room when Jordan got hit by it. And Jordan could feel immediately how it was affecting him. Clark had no time to respond…
Just a few minutes later, both were back home at the farm.
Jordan sat silently on the couch, with his family around him while his father explained what happened in the fortress…
"Lara… took away your powers?" Sam asked shocked.
Jordan only nodded.
"How long? What for?" Lois asked.
"As long as we haven't brought Jonathan to the fortress to get him scanned and to give me and everyone else a lecture that being Kryptonian is more than just having powers! So, Jon stops denying his heritage!"
"The only reason I was allowed to keep mine was because Jonathan needs to be brought to the fortress as soon as possible. My mother is not able to help us to localize him. Just like Jordan's, Jonathan's genetic structure has changed. We would need a sample that's just a few days old. Instead, my mother read his diaries and she was not very happy about what she got to read! And… the scan also revealed that we must bring Jonathan to the fortress for one more reason."
"What, Clark? Tell me what!" Lois now insisted.
While Clark starts to tell Lois, Sam and John-Henry what shocking discovery Lara made in Jonathan's DNA, Jordan didn't endure it anymore. He couldn't hear this shocking story for a second time. He lifts off from the couch, left the living-room and grabbled the keys of his mother's car…
Phone and cellphone still didn't work. He wanted to ask Sarah if she could ask her mother, the mayor, for help.
Now that he was powerless, Jordan was glad that he made his licence. And driving to town, let Jordan understand even more how much his brother's live was different from his. He forgot how it is! Jordan really forgot how it is to be human. He got what he deserved! He knew, Jonathan would have told his father to bring him to the fortress, too. He would have kept sure to involve him in everything, too. He left out his brother of everything, just because the powers, just like his parents did.
At some point he got a weak cell-phone signal and was able to call Sarah. She was with her mother at school. There was a big meeting with a lot of people from town and the police about the finding of the body at school…
When Jordan arrived at school sometime later, he saw a lot of people gathering into the auditorium. It was hard to find a parking spot. And while Jordan walked towards school, he could feel how weak his body suddenly was. Wondering if this is how his brother feels all the time. One more reason to stop bragging with his powers every time his brother is more in need.
"Kent!"
Jordan flinched when he heard a male voice calling his name. He turned around to see a teenager, around his age approaching him. This boy, Jordan knew was one from their school. Not from the football-team. But he obviously wanted to talk to him urgently…
"Is it true?" he whispered.
"What?" Jordan asked.
"Ehm… Well… there is a rumor! I don't want to be pushy, but… ehm…"
"Just tell me what!"
"Is it true that your father abuses your brother and prefers you over him?" the boy whispered now.
Jordan could feel his face turning pale. Is it that what the people are gossiping about? Yeah, his father prefers him and his powers. Was their father treating him and his brother differently? Yes, absolutely! But he would never dare to think that his father is beating his brother! But honestly, he is unable to think clearly right now! Not after the traumatic events of yesterday. And not after Lara's accusations just less than an hour ago!
"No!" Jordan said apathic. "No, he is not beating my brother! But you are right! Ever since we moved here, I got a lot of more attention than my brother. And I am not proud on it! Right now, I wish I never dev… aghh… Come on… yell it out loudly to the world… I am used to it! I am used to the fact that people are talking about me and spreading lies about me!"
Jordan wanted to say loudly that he wished that he never developed powers, but once again had to hold himself back. He was about to turn around to cry when the other boy suddenly grabbed him by his hand. Suddenly he could feel that the other boy was holding a folded piece of paper. A paper that was obviously meant for him.
"Hey… I just wanted to wish you good luck on the search for your brother! No need to make a scene! Please!" the boy's voice suddenly sounds a bit scared while he pulled his hand back and left the hidden message in Jordan's hand. "GOOD LUCK!"
The boy turned around again before anyone got suspicious. Discreetly, Jordan put the note into the pocket of his jacket and walked away. Some were still glaring to him and rumored.
Jordan felt as bad as in Metropolis at school again. When everyone is glaring on him and gossiping about him. It hurt! The move to Smallville was good for him! But the absolute worst for his brother! Jordan went away and pulled the note out of his pocket, when he was sure that nobody saw him, and read it…
'45 Elm Street, in one hour, come alone, discreetly.'
I guess Lara would react like this when she realizes how much Clark left out Jonathan off his heritage, just because of powers. And Timmy, as a huge Superman-fan, of course regocnizes Tag. With Jordan being powerless now, some more things are going to be revealed in the next chapter. Stay tuned.