It took me a while to know what I wanted to write in this chap, but I finally know. And it's going to be a two-part chapter, since there's so much! xD

Enjoy!

Chapter 3 – Schooled – part 1

A few weeks passed, and with them, came the Team's first real mission. Deployed by Batman and everything, where they had to figure it out what was happening on an island far away (or maybe not). It was supposed to be totally covert, but they ended up blowing their cover and had to put the bad guys down.

Of course, that earned them a very big scolding by Batman, but in the end, he congratulated them for a job well done. It made Conner realized Batman was teaching them how to work. It was a somewhat twisted way, but it was working.

After he got home, Clark was there, and they ate two large pizzas to celebrate. What was weird, however, was that Claire wasn't there. When Conner asked, Clark made a very tired face that he didn't understand.

"Claire is... On a field trip, so to speak."

Conner frowned.

"She went with a few friends to a little trip to meet one of the colleges she wants to apply to. They should be back tomorrow."

"I... didn't know that."

"She only told me yesterday, before going there. Since you were already at the Mountain getting debriefed on your mission..." Clark sighed. "I get the feeling she's not really handling this whole Team of yours well."

"Why?" Conner asked, suddenly feeling bad.

"Honestly, I don't know. But when she talked about that trip on the verge of it, I got the feeling she might not be exactly happy about it."

"I don't understand. She told me she didn't want to be a super hero. She wants to be a doctor." he repeated.

"That's what she keeps telling me." Clark agreed. "But I'm not sure anymore if it is what she really wants. And maybe she doensn't know either, that's why she's being awkward about it."

They kept the silence for a while, thinking about Claire, and then Clark got up.

"Well, whatever it is, I'll talk to her when she gets home tomorrow." he started cleaning up the table, and Conner helped.

They didn't talked about Claire anymore that night, but Conner went to sleep with his sister in mind. What was going on with her?

~.~

Conner never knew what Clark and Claire talked exactly, because the next day, he was back at Mount Justice to train with Black Canary. It was going to be the first day of training since he got out of Cadmus' labs. He was very excited about this. Clark also had promised to show up so he could watch, and he was a little eager to show his father what he could do with the powers he had.

Canary was showing them basic moves, "to be sure they knew what they were doing", she said. They worked on their punches, evasive maneuvers and how to block and fall. Basic things that Conner realized he knew from Cadmus' education from very early in his life.

They were seeing Canary teach them how to beat a stronger enemy, using their strength against them, when the zeta tubes announced the arrival Conner had been waiting for.

Recognized: Superman; zero, one.

They automatically stopped the training to see the hero walking in with a small smile on his face.

"Oh, please... Don't stop for me. I just came to watch." He said, earning a smile from the team, Conner's being the biggest of them.

"You heard the big guy." Canary said, with a smile of her own. "Back to work!"

And that's what they did.

~.~

"So, what do you think?" Conner asked his father, as soon as they got out in the zeta tube next to their place in Metropolis.

"Well, your team still needs a lot of training to work together. But that's understandable, you never worked on a team before, and it takes some time to get used to it."

"To be fair, I never worked alone either." Conner said, earning a smile from his dad.

"Well, it will probably be easier for you then." they got into the apartment building and in the elevator before Clark talked again. "As for your abilities..."

"Yes...?"

"You seem to focus too much on your strength." he said, opening the door.

Conner immediately smelled something very good coming from the oven, which could only mean Claire was back home.

"Well... It's what I have to work with." he said, shrugging.

"Even if your only power was brute strength, there are other ways to work with it. Besides, you need to be careful. Our strength is good to enemies stronger than most. But most of the times, it's too much, and if we're not careful with the amount of power we use, we can hurt someone or demolish something by accident."

Conner frowned, figuring it must be true, since his father was telling him with a soothing voice and a smile on his lips.

"Seeing how we're talking about power... You need to work on your landings, too, Conner."

"My landings?"

"Robin mentioned to Batman... that mentioned not so subtly to me earlier... that your landing at Santa Prisca nearly caused a sismic event. I tought they might be exaggerating, but after seeing you landing three times on training today, I think they might've been right."

"I..." Conner suddenly was frustrated. "I don't know how to land any other way."

"I figured it." Clark smiled more brightly, making Conner confused. "That's why I tought we could benefit from my day off at the Planet today."

"Oh... That's why you showed up there?"

Clark laughed. "Yeah. Turned off my phone so no one there could reach me. Did some League things, and now I'm about to have a very good lunch with my kids. Right, Claire?"

"Almost done!" she answered from the kitchen. "Hi Con!"

"Hi... So, after lunch?"

Clark smiled, his eyes shining. "You'll see."

~.~

After lunch – a very good spaguetti with meat balls – Clark and Conner helped Claire clean the kitchen. Well... they basically threw her out to have her shower (since she didn't when she got home earlier from the trip), and cleaned up the kitchen by themselves.

By the time everything was clean – including Conner's big sister – they all sat at the couch while Clark excused himself and went flying through the window. An emergency nearby, Conner was glad he could hear.

"So... how was your trip?" Conner asked.

He wasn't happy to see that Claire's light expression turned grim.

"It was nice."

"It doesn't look like it."

She sighed. "Well... First, I'm sorry for leaving without telling you anything. Dad said you were worried."

"Well, when my sister just disappears... Of course I'll get worried. Isn't that normal?"

She smiled, knowing there was no sarcasm on the question. He honestly didn't know.

"It's completely normal. I'm sorry."

"Okay... Where did you go?"

"Oklahoma." she sighed. "It was a waste of time, but my friends wanted to go."

"Where did you wanted to go?"

She smiled.

"New York. Boston. I want to apply to Harvard or Columbia, but it would be a much longer trip. Which we can't afford right now. Maybe I'll ask dad to fly me over sometime. I still have a year of high school to go through, anyway."

Conner didn't know how to respond to that, so he just kept quiet. Fortunately, Superman came flying through the window a few seconds after.

"Ugh, dad, you smell like fire." Claire whined.

"Well... It was a big fire." he said. "I'll be right back."

He went to shower, and Claire turned on the tv and they watched the news for a while, their minds a little away from the world. And then, Clark was back – with a new and clean Superman suit on.

Conner frowned. "Why did you put another suit on?"

"Because we're getting out." he smiled. "Come on, we're gonna work on your landings."

He had to blink twice at that. And then, "You gonna train me?"

Clark smiled. "Of course. It just took me that long to actually know what you need. But I'll try to make some time at least weekly so we can train together."

Conner smiled brightly, and then got up, excited.

Claire's voice took him out of his excitement, though. "Have fun, you two."

He looked at her and saw that she didn't had taken her eyes of the tv. Clark noticed too, so he decided to do something about it.

"You wanna come too, sweetheart? I hate the idea of leaving you alone on my day off." he said, but Conner could see it wasn't the only reason.

Claire looked surprised. "What, to train or just watch?"

"Whatever you want to do." Clark assured.

She blinked a few more times, having trouble processing the invitation, Conner could see. But then, she smiled brightly and hugged her dad, fiercely.

"I will love to!" she squealed, making both Clark and Conner laugh. "I'll be back in one sec, let me change first."

And she run off to her bedroom.

"I hope you don't mind." Clark said to him.

"Of course not." Conner assured while turning off the tv. "It's gonna be fun."

Clark smiled, and Claire was back on gym clothes, a big smile on her lips. "I'm ready!"

"Let's go, then." Clark was a blur, locking the doors and windows, with the exception of the window at the living room. "Now, both of you, by my side."

They did as they were told, and Clark hugged them, holding them in place, one in each side of the hero.

"Ready?"

"Yes, dad. Come on!" Claire was excited like Conner never saw her before, making him giggle a little.

"Ok, ok. Hold on tight."

And then he was off the ground, taking his two kids on each side of him, going fast and high, to somewhere Conner didn't really mind asking, as long as he was with them. With his family.

As usual, tell me if there are mistakes so I can fix it and improve :)

See you soon. (I hope)