Chapter 1: Seventeen Years Later…

Lilly ran down the stairs. She was late…again. But she could not help it. She just hated Mondays and she really could not drag herself out of bed. Quickly she threw her hair in a ponytail and pulled her coat on as she picked her bag up and ran to the door.
'Bye!' she yelled and ran to the garage. There, she jumped in her blue Toyota Yaris and drove to school. She lived outside Metropolis with her parents, near a lake, but luckily for Lilly the school was not deep in the heart of the city, because then she would never make it on time. Her parents had had some work slash colleague slash what ever party and had not been up yet. Normally her dad would wake her up, but Superman also needed his rest every now and than. Superman. Even the thought of thousands of girl admiring her father was a weird idea. It was a pretty cool idea, you know, your dad being a superhero and saving the world. The only downer was, that he was busy almost all the time with saving the world and his job at the Daily Planet. And if he was not doing that, he probably had a party or a meeting or something else to do. And then, there was her mom. Lois Lane-Clark. Sure Lilly was proud of her mother, she was very proud of both of her parents, but still. Sometimes Lilly knew the job went before the family with her mom. But could she blame her mother for that? Lois was quiet a famous reporter and was asked for many things to write about. Sometimes, Lilly just wished her parents were 'normal'. Her mom being a teacher or so and her father just some man behind some office. But if things had been like that, Lilly knew she would have complained about that too. Perhaps she should just accept things as they were. Right now, Lilly tried to deal with the idea of yet another day detention.
'Lilly!' her red haired friend Emma yelled as Lilly ran up the stairs, 'When will you ever use your alarm clock?'
'Why? I made it on time, didn't I?' Lilly smiled as she entered the classroom panting.
'O, Lilly,' Emma sighed and sat down. Lilly just smiled and stroke some hairs back as the teacher entered the room.
'Miss Clark, on time this time?' he said smiling as she laid down his suitcase.
'Always, sir!' Lilly smiled, 'Never want to miss you on Monday morning!'
'Sure,' he just said and began his lesson.

'Hi Jimster,' Lilly said as she walked into the Daily Planet. Jimmy, now a grown and married man, walked into the Daily Planet on the same time.
'Hi Lilster,' he smiled back.|
'Is my mom here?' Lilly asked before she walked further. Jimmy checked his watch and nodded.
'I think she is, or she has a meeting, but I'm pretty sure she is,' he said.
'Good,' she smiled, 'Want to share and elevator?'
'Sure!' Jimmy smiled and they walked to the elevator, 'How's your brother?'
'He's fine,' she said with a sigh, somehow people always thought her brother was much more interesting than she was. Probably because she was just a normal girl and John Powerman, since he refused to be called Superman's sidekick or Superboy. Lilly thought it was a ridiculous name, but John did not care. Powerman had been a nickname when he was small, since he was so strong. But then again – no one knew John as Powerman but only as the adventurous song of Lois and Clark who was barely ever home.

'Hi mom,' Lilly said, as she took a chair from another desk, threw her bag beside Lois's desk. Lois looked up, a bit disturbed in her work. Quickly, Lois wrote a few things down and than turned to her daughter.
'Hi darling,' she smiled, 'What a nice surprise!'
'Well, if you're not answering your phone and neither is dad, I have to come by, don't I?'
'You called?' Lois said and immediately dove to her purse and grabbed her cell phone. It said three missed calls.
'Yeah,' Lilly said, most of the time she did not even try to call, 'Grandpa and ma are coming by tonight.'
'Tonight?' Lois said surprised, 'I thought they were on vacation.'
'They were, mom,' Lilly sighed, 'And they just landed and since they'll be passing Metropolis anyway, they thought to jump by. You even told them to, remember?'
'Yeah, right,' Lois said, but did not truly remember.
'Liar,' Lilly said and stood up, 'So, I'll see you at home. And I'll cook. Don't worry. Will Johnny eat with us?'
'I don't think so. Thank you sweety,' Lois smiled, but her daughter was already near the door and just rose her hand to wave goodbye.

'There you go,' Lilly smiled and placed the lasagna before Martha and Jonathan. Jonathan rubbed his hands and smiled.
'Delicious,' he grinned. Lilly looked at the clock, again. It was almost seven o'clock. Her parents were still not home and she would be picked up at eight. Martha saw it and wanted to lay a gentle hand on her granddaughter's shoulder, but Lilly already jumped up and gave everyone some lasagna. Without looking at them, Lilly sat down, folded her hands and bend her head. She knew her grandparents a bit.
'Would you say grace, grandpa?' she murmured. Jonathan and Martha looked at each other and Jonathan spoke a prayer. The rest of the dinner was filled with simple chatting about the holiday, school, friends, John and of course Lois and Clark. Lilly kept looking at the clock. It was almost eight o'clock, she still had to change and her parents had still not come home! Martha noticed and laid her hand on Lilly's knee and smiled.
'Did you, by any chance, have other plans for tonight, dear?' she asked friendly. Lilly shove her dark brown hair behind her ears and blushed a bit.
'I was going to the movie with some friend,' she said.
'Some friend?' Jonathan said suspicious with a fatherly smile on his face.
'Yeah, Bradley. Bradley Cooper, remember him?' she said, when she saw her grandparents looking at each other, 'The soldier.'
'O right!' Jonathan immediately said and started talking like a teen girl, 'Grey eyed, brown hair, tall, muscular, handsome, strong jaw line, Bradley…Yeah we remember him.'
'O, Jonathan!' Martha said and gave her husband a motherly look, 'Don't do that.'
'Do what?' Jonathan said raising his hands, 'I didn't do a thing!'
'O stop it!' Martha giggled, 'You go prepare yourself, child. We'll wait for your parents or your brother.'
'Are you sure?' Lilly said, her parents would be home sooner than her brother and they were already late. When Martha told her it was alright, Lilly jumped up and ran up the stairs. Quickly she redid her eye-liner and brushed her hair again. She threw some clothes and shoes on. After some hesitation Lilly also decided to wear the ten thin silver bracelets her mother had given her. The silver necklace she had been wearing would do just fine. Quickly she grabbed her purse and threw some last things in it and than walked down the stairs. Just when Lilly walked down the last stair, the doorbell rang. Martha opened the door and welcomed the young man in. Lilly had met Bradley through her best friend Emma, on a party. Emma's cousin was a soldier too, working on the same post as Bradley. They got along pretty well and when Bradley was send out, they kept writing and she was one of the first he always went too when he got home. Lilly had a bit of a crush on him, but was afraid to tell him or admit it to herself. She always told Emma that it was the age different, since Lilly was seventeen and Bradley twenty-two. But both knew that was a lie. Lilly smiled when she saw him walking in. He shook his body, so the raindrops fell of his coat. Even though Lilly loved him in his uniform, she thought he looked amazing in his simple jeans and black sweater.
'Is it raining that hard?' Martha said surprised, as she looked at Bradley.
'Makes a man tough, ma'am,' Bradley smiled, but was already looking at Lilly. She smiled and put her coat on.
'Well, you two have a great time!' Martha smiled and handed Lilly an umbrella. Lilly smiled and gave her grandmother a kiss on her cheek.
'I'm so sorry mom and dad aren't home yet,' Lilly apologized, 'And I have no clue where John is, I'm sorry.'
'Don't worry, child,' Martha smiled, 'You be good now and have fun.'
'Thanks, grandma,!' she said and quickly opened the umbrella as she walked out. Bradley walked close beside her as they walked down the path to his car. Gently he lead her to her door first and let her step in the car first, as he quickly ran around the car to his door. He shivered a bit when he sat behind the wheel. It was pretty cold and wet for October. Lilly smiled at him and suddenly did not know where to leave her hands. Bradley looked at her.
'You look beautiful,' he smiled. Lilly blushed a bit and looked to her knees.
'Thank you,' she said as she stroke her hair behind her ears.

As soft as she could, Lilly closed the front door and placed her heels by the coats. She waited till she heard the sound of Bradley's car faded and than slowly walked up the stairs. If her dad was home he would hear her for sure, but Lilly tried to make as little sound as possible for her mom. So Lilly tried to float up the stairs, though she knew damn well she could not fly, and walk back to her room. But when she reached the last stair and almost entered the hall, the balcony door on her right side opened and her dad flew in. For a moment they just looked at each other. Both looking a bit busted.
'Where do you think you're coming from?' Clark asked, knowing it was around two o'clock in the morning.
'Some bar, with Bradley. You?' Lilly said, knowing her mom hated it if her dad left in the middle of the night.
'Russia,' Clark said and shrugged his shoulders, 'Wait, Bradley?'
'Goodnight, dad,' Lilly said quickly and wanted to walk on, but her dad flew before her and blocked the way. Lilly sighed and rolled her eyes.
'What were you doing with him all night?' Clark asked.
'We had a wild orgy, dad,' Lilly said, 'Come on! We went to the movie, then talked a bit in a small bar.'
'Nothing more?' Clark asked, raising one eyebrow.
'Nothing more,' Lilly said, telling the half truth. Bradley and she had been talking a bit in a small bar, but really only a bit. Lilly thought her dad did not need to know what they did the rest of the time. Suddenly the door of the master bedroom opened and Lois looked at Clark and Lilly.
'If I wasn't so tired you would both be grounded,' she said and yawned, 'Now go to bed!'
'We'll talk in the morning, young lady,' Clark said.
'Sure, if Russia doesn't need you again,' Lilly snapped.
'Excuse-' Clark wanted to start his entire speech about how it was his duty to save the world again, when Lois quickly interrupted him.
'Bed, mister Kent!' she said, 'And you too, miss Kent!'
'I have a name, you know,' Lilly muttered, but still did as she was told.

'Well you are looking good,' Emma smirked as she looked at her half-sleeping friend. Lilly yawned and sat down beside her in class.
'I know,' Lilly moaned and laid her head on her books.
'Seriously, Lil, you look horrible, what did you do?'
'You know that knew horror-movie? Yeah, I went to it last night with Bradley.'
'With Bradley?' Emma said amazed, 'How was it!'
'Horrible,' Lilly moaned again, 'That movie was so scary, Em, I don't think I will sleep for the next few years!'
'Well, thank goodness you never exaggerate things, right?' Emma teased, 'But how was it with Bradley?'
'It was good,' Lilly smiled. Their teacher walked in and Lilly quickly opened her book.
'Just good?' Emma said, 'Tell me more!'
'After class,' Lilly said and took her pen. Nothing big or spectacular had happened, but it was big enough for Lilly to walk with a smile on her face the entire day.

Well, not the entire day. As soon as she got home the entire family awaited her – even her brother. There is something you have to know about John. As the son of Superman, he also had the powers of his father and he also served the world with that. Though John was twenty-two he could act like some teenager and Lilly's dad all in one. Most of the time he was out somewhere saving someone and Lilly barely saw him. Yet know they were all there: Clark, Lois and John. Lilly placed her bag by the stairs and walked towards them.
'What did I do?' she did not even bother to greet them. A family meeting like this could only mean two things: she had either done something wrong, or someone had died. Since her mother was not crying and the three of them looked annoyed, Lilly knew she had done something wrong.
'Sit down, Lilly,' her father said and looked at a chair. Lilly did as she was told and sat down with a sigh as she folded her arms together.
'Look,' her father took a deep breath, 'it is normal for a girl your age to develop some feelings for some boys.'
'Dad, come on,' Lilly rolled her eyes, 'We have had this conversation like a thousand times before!'
'And I will keep telling you them until you listen!'
'Listen? I didn't break any of your stupid rules, dad! Bradley and I just kissed – nothing more!' Lilly was yelling right now.
'Oh, come on, Lilly,' John sighed.
'What? Do you know more than I do?' Lilly snapped, 'Have you been spying on me again?'
'I have not,' John said and looked at their parents, 'I swear, this time I didn't.'
'And even if he did-' Lois began, but Lilly jumped of her chair.
'No, that still would not be ok!' she yelled, 'Look, I may not have superpowers but I'm not stupid and I'm not helpless!'
'We never said you were, honey,' Lois said, trying to calm her down.
'Not to my face,' Lilly snapped back.
'Watch your mouth, young lady!' Clark said with a deep voice.
'Or what? You'll fly me to space? Lock me up in some self-made jail? Freeze breath the death out of Bradley?'
'Lilly,' Lois was shocked by the words of her daughter.
'No, I have had enough of this!' Lilly threw her hands in the air and walked towards the stairs.
'Come back here at once!' Clark yelled.
'No!' Lilly yelled and ran up the stairs, 'Go save some country, Superman, I don't care!'
'Lilly!' Clark yelled, but the loud bang of Lilly's door made it clear she did not want to talk anymore.
'I don't know what is going on with her,' Lois sighed as she grabbed her bag, 'but it better be over when I get back home.'
'You're leaving?' Clark said surprised.
'Yes, Clark,' Lois sighed, 'I have that meeting remember?'
'O right,' he said, 'Well I have to go too, so we'll just talk to her when we get back. What about you, Johnny?'
'I don't know,' he shrugged, 'I think I'll stay here for a while, until I'm needed somewhere.'
'Leave your sister alone, alright?' Lois said and walked towards the frontdoor.
'Bye mother,' John smiled.
'I'm serious!' were Lois's last words before she shut the door.

After both his parents left, John walked upstairs to his sisters door. He could see she was packing her back and knocked on the door. At first she did not reply but only whispered curses to his head. He pretended he had not heard her and knocked again.
'Go fuck yourself, John, you're not my dad,' she snapped.
'Lil,' she sighed and opened the door, 'what are you doing?'
'Making breakfast,' she sighed, knowing he could see her.
'Are you leaving?' he said confused.
'Wauw, you not only have superpowers you even have a super-brain? That's great, John,' Lilly said sarcastic.
'Come on, Lilly, don't be like this,' John sighed, 'Don't go.'
'What are you going to do about it?' Lilly turned around and fiercely looked into his eyes, 'I have had it with this house!'
'So where will you go?'
'Anywhere!' Lilly returned to her bag, 'As long as there are no superheroes and where I'm not the-child-of-Lois-Lane!'
'It can't be that bad,' John tried.
'Not that bad? John I got an F, because with two journalists as parents my writing skills should have been better! And mom agreed!' For a moment John did not know what to say. He had always been close with his father since he had his powers. John looked at his sister. Perhaps is he let her go, she would stay.
'You're right,' he said and stepped away from the door, 'You should go.'
'Thanks,' Lilly took her bag and passed her brother. Surprised John looked at his little sister. This was not the way he thought it would go!
'Lilly!' he yelled, but he could hear the front door close. Quickly he ran towards the door, but already saw Lilly riding away. She was gone.

Lois and Clark travelled home together and as they were chatting they walked into the kitchen. They immediately stopped when they saw the worried look on John's face. He wore his costume but looked powerless.
'John?' Lois said softly, afraid her voice would break him.
'She's gone,' John said, his voice sounded fragile, 'She left.'
'Lilly?' Lois looked at Clark. They immediately knew something was wrong.
'Where did she go?' Clark still asked.
'I don't know,' John shook his head, 'I called the police and I even went looking for her, but I can't find her. It's like she vanished.'
'She can't just vanish, can she?' Lois looked from her son to her husband.
'You looked everywhere?'
'Everywhere!' John said, 'But I could not even hear her voice. I found her car, but she was long gone.'
'I'll go look for her,' Clark said and kissed Lois on her forehead.
'Why did she go? Why would she ever leave?'
'Because she felt like she didn't matter,' John replied, 'She had no powers and no writing skills. She just felt like she did not belong here.'

The following months were filled with searching, sleepless nights and prayers. But nothing could be done and no one, not even Superman, could find Lilly. Emma had no idea where Lilly had gone. Bradley had no idea and neither had Jonathan, Martha or some of Lilly's other friends. It was as if she truly had vanished from the Earth.