The big wide darkness of the space looked so peaceful today. It always gave Jonathan such a feeling of freedom, whenever he travelled…
A loud beeping sound announced the upcoming arrival of the ship. Everyone had to return to his seat and prepare for landing! Jonathan travelled so many times with that ship, he knew every step and every move. He was even able to fly it by himself! But today he let Kara fly, to relax a little bit before they return home.
The last week, Jonathan, or Jon-El as his name was officially now, travelled with his cousin Kara, three other members of the house of El and some other high representatives of Argo all around the Rao-solar-system to visit the various Kryptonian settlements and colonies that have been founded after the destruction of Krypton 40 years ago…
"Jon-El, we are going to arrive soon!" Kara said from the front.
"Already sitting!" Jonathan said, turned his seat into an upright position and turned it to the front.
Argo City was directly ahead of them. The only city of Krypton that survived the planet's destruction. In a minute, they will enter the forcefield, that keeps a breathable atmosphere inside, and land on the spaceship port and head home directly. Today was going to be an important day for Jonathan. And he wanted to be ready when it is time: Today they will receive new signals from Earth and Jonathan was always eager to see what's going on there.
When Kara landed the El's family's spaceship skillfully in the port, Jonathan was glad to be home.
Argo City! This place became his home in the past four years. In the house of El! Wearing the house of El crest, Jonathan knew on Earth only as the Superman-S, with pride!
Jon-El grew up as Jonathan Reynolds in Boston, after he got left behind in front of the house of his adoptive parents! A scientist and a psychologist. A happy and carefree childhood until the day, he made a terrible mistake: Doing a DNA-heritage-test, that revealed his Kryptonian origin! After eight horrific months in a cold, sterile, and dark underground laboratory in God-knows-where, he was saved by his father's half-brother Tal-Rho and spend a great summer with him in Germany.
Until the day, his Uncle Tal revealed him to his father Zeta, who recognized him immediately as a member of the house of El, which he hated so much that it didn't end well. Jonathan not only ruined his plan to eradicate the world. He also brought the Eradicator to Argo and figured out that his father is none other than Kal-El. Kal-El, whom the whole world knew as the greatest hero of all time: Superman!
Jonathan was very proud on his heritage. And especially on his father! He never knew why his father Superman abandoned him! Or how he ended up with his adoptive parents! He loved them very deeply! And he wouldn't change or replace them in any way! He always guessed that Superman (the worlds most honorable man) would never just abandon his own child. Maybe he had an affair, and his biological mother was too scared to raise Superman's child.
But that was all in the past. Jonathan was home! And even if he missed Earth, he had a family here. A family that cared for him and loved him…
Jon and Kara got out of the spaceship, got in the transport vehicle and traveled home to the seat of the house of El where they were welcomed warmly by their family members…
"How was it?" Zor-El, Kara's father and Jonathan's granduncle asked.
"Interesting like always!" Jonathan told and laughed. "It's still odd for me, when I have to explain everyone that not everything they see in the television-signals they receive from Earth is real! Some are still convinced that Vampires are real!"
It was always a lot of fun when Jonathan joined the journeys to the colonies and told the curious and inquisitive people there about Earth. And for Jonathan it was nice to share his memories of his 'home-planet' with everyone.
The big spacious building, the house of El was living in, had multiple apartments, several common areas, a banquet hall where they always ate together and of course the laboratories. Jonathan's favorite areas. As in one of those labs, they were able to create the devices they use to receive the television signals from Earth.
As Argo City's Earth-expert, Jonathan was always the first source of information about that planet. And Zor-El already promised him that they will continue their 'special project' when suddenly Alura, Zor-El's wife and Kara's mother, appeared on the terrace, too. Her face full of worry…
"Jon-El, my dear, Kara, my dear daughter, I need to talk to your father for a moment…"
And so, they left. Leaving Kara and Jon alone…
"Is it just me, or was your mother worried for something?" Jon asked.
"If it is something bad, we would know it! And you… how are you?" Kara asked.
"Me? I am fine!"
"It's just… Every time I see you telling the others about Earth, I see this sadness in your face! I saw it today, again! You miss Earth a lot, don't you?"
Jonathan became moody. he turned around to lean on the balustrade and look over the scenic park that surrounded their building and that was full of people.
"I like it here! I feel cared! I feel like home! But I was born on Earth! I grew up there! I had a lot of plans for the future! Yes… yes, I ask myself everyday how my life would be if I would be still there!"
It was an issue that bothered Jon ever since he got locked up in that lab. If he hadn't made that DNA-test, he would be still living in Boston with his parents. Go to school, play football, hang out with friends, adore Superman (whom he would still be unaware that he is his biological father), maybe developing powers…?
"I am 16 years old now! According to Earth-time! I would be allowed to drive a car now! Flying a spaceship is much more fun but it is still not the same! I would go to High-School! Dating someone? I wonder what my friends do now, or how they went on after my supposed death! I… I sometimes wish I could check on them more. Or tell them that I am okay! Don't understand me wrong, Kara! I love this place! And I love you all, too! But a part of me…" Jonathan looked up on the sky dreaming about Earth. "…we are all kids of the red star Rao! But I am a kid of the yellow sun, too!"
"Oh…" Kara gave him a hug. "…you are home! This is what matters! And I am sure you will be one day able to visit Earth again. I know about your and my father's 'special project'!"
"Oh…" Jon blushed. "…ehm…"
"Don't worry! If I am honest, I would love to see Earth on my own, too one day…" Kara said.
They talked for another couple of minutes before suddenly Zor-El and Alura joined them again. Their faces full of worry.
"Jon-El, there is something you should know!" Alura said.
"What? Why you look at me as if someone is dead?" Jon said a bit worried. He could feel that they had some news for him, he might not like.
"Let's talk inside!" Zor-El said and led them inside. There was a big spacious living-room-like area in-between the apartments, they all inhabited. A nice and soft round blue couch was in the middle and they all sat down there.
"Jon-El, as you know, today we received new television signals from Earth!" Alura told.
"Yes, and I am looking forward to see them!" Jon respond.
"Yes… before you see it, there is something you should know! Because, some of the footage is very ehm… I don't know how to tell you. It might be a shock for you!"
"What? Did something serious happen?" Jon became nervous.
"No! Not that! We know, you prefer the television-signals from the city you grew up in! And right from there, there was this news footage about your father!"
"My father is one of Earth's most famous people! He is a Superhero! He is always in the news! Did something happen to him?"
"Not exactly!" Alura said. She was visibly upset. She had no clue how Jonathan will react to this reveal. "There was a revelation!"
"What kind of revelation? Did Uncle Tal decide to become a Superhero, too?" Jonathan asked. He knew from TV that his Uncle Tal changed his whole life and used his fortune for good things now. But he never revealed himself as Kryptonian to the public, or joined Superman on any missions. Which meant that his existence was still no public knowledge.
"No… but someone else!" Alura said and turned around to the podium that was in the middle of the room.
A holograph appeared and Jon could see Alura making some adjustments to show Jonathan the footage of a local-news-channel from Boston about the 'reveal of the century'. A holographic screen appeared in front of Jon, and the video start to play. A man in a TV-studio…
"…Superman has a son! As confirmed today, Superman has a 16 year old son, who now officially joins him on missions! The boy, officially dubbed as Superboy, has been revealed today during a…"
Jon could suddenly feel a cold shiver run down his back! Superman, his father he always wondered why he never lived him, has another son. The same age as him…
Jon could see the footage in the holograph in front of him and saw a boy with short curly black hair, bulky body and a suit that was pretty like that of his father's flying in to help 'his' father during a skyscraper-fire in Frankfurt. Skillfully flying in and out of the building to get the people out of the floors over the fire, while is father uses his ice-breath to extinguish the flames.
"That is…" suddenly Jon spoke English again. A language he only used to translate the footage they receive from Earth. He was primarily talking and thinking in Kryptonese by now. But now he had to yell in English. "…what the fu… aww…"
There is this boy: Same age as him! With those incredible powers, like his father's. Powers, Jonathan always dreamed about. Powers, he was training eagerly while living with Tal. Powers, he hoped to get, too but for some reason didn't develop like this boy. Who is he? And why is he living with Superman and not he! Here in Argo, Jon is living under a red sun! Here he will never develop powers! Jon looked down on the House-of-El-crest he was wearing on his blue shirt. He was proud on it! Here in Argo, it was their family's crest. But on Earth it was the Superman-S! A symbol of hope, power, heroism, justice and goodness! And this boy is wearing it…
"Who is this boy?" Jon asked everyone in English before he realized that Alura and Zor-El were not able to understand him. So he repeated the question in Kryptonese and they only shrugged.
"He has all of your father's powers under the yellow sun! So we guess, he could be your brother!" Zor-El said.
Jonathan could feel his whole world getting turned upside down again. He felt dizzy…
He had a brother! A brother with the same incredible superpowers, he always dreamt of. A brother, who obviously lived with their father. All while he lived like a normal human? What the heck is going on? Why this boy lives with his father, while he was left behind to live with others? His adoptive parents were a child-psychologist and a scientist working with metahumans? Was he dropped there on purpose to keep his powerlessness in control? Did they know that? Did Superman know about him and abandoned him because he has no powers? Or because they were too weak? This boy can everything!
"I need to get out of here!" Jonathan said and left the room to hide in the apartment, he shared with Kara and stormed into his room, where he smashed the door close so hard, that the whole building could hear it.
Kara and her parents meanwhile looked on the footage and saw their other nephew shining next to his father…
"Kal-El has another son? But why Jon was abandoned?" Kara asked. Her parents could only shake their heads.
"We don't know! But considering his story and everything he told us about him not really having powers on Earth… I have a terrible feeling that Kal-El might have abandoned him because off that!" Zor-El explained.
"You really think Kal-El could be like that?"
"If he comes after his father?" Zor-El continued. "Kara, there is something about your uncle I haven't told you yet…"
Jon meanwhile, was walking up and down in his room. It was dull, like everything but he had a lot of holograph-devices in it to create decorations and pictures of things he used to love on Earth. Not knowing what to do with this reveal. He had a brother! With powers! His whole life he was thinking that his biological parents were simply not able to care for him. Because Superman didn't know about him. But his father had obviously kept his brother! They look the same age…
Jon felt that urge to cry. To scream. And to throw something on the ground to shatter it.
He had already tons of unanswered questions and accepted that he might never get answers. And now he got countless of more on top. Jon threw himself on his bed and buried his head under the pillow. His relatives in the living-room were still shocked. Zor-El continued telling his daughter some things about Superman's father.
"I don't want to believe it! Kal-El being someone who abandons his offspring just because it doesn't have powers? For me that makes no sense!"
"Not to forget the shame he would bring over the house of El, if it's true!" Alura said. "We should look after him."
Jon was tossing himself around in his bed and glared on the ceiling now. Using a small portable holographic device to let the image of his adoptive appear. It was created from his memories on them. He watched his parents and thought about their live on Earth. They were happy! They had a good live! They were great parents to him! They could never answer him who his real parents were or why he was abandoned by them. Jon missed them so terribly… Then he changed to a picture of his biological father and his 'brother'…
Suddenly Jon could feel a sharp pain in his head…
Jon could feel that he was falling. His whole body felt like being on fire… pain… he could feel pain of disappointment and hurt… Jon was not in his room anymore… he stood on a farm… he was back on Earth! On a farm. He had no clue where he was, but this place looked so familiar, too! And he saw his father flying with his brother… leaving him behind just to hurt him…
"JON-EL!" Alura's shocked voice yelled from the distance. But Jon was trapped in a nightmare.
His family could hear weird sounds and entered to find him having a seizure…
Earth-Krypton…
The Clark of 'Earth Krypton' was alone in his fortress could see that the alarms on the device, he used to travel to other Earths, went on. Something was going on…
That was confirmed by the sudden appearance of 'Connor' in his fortress. And he was furious. With all his power, Connor pushed Clark against the wall so violently that Clark roared in pain…
"The BARN… why I have so strong vision about the Barn-scene?" he yelled. "You did it right? You did it again and changed destiny? What for? To pretend that you didn't fail me?"
Angrily Connor, who was actually his death son Jonathan in a cloned version of his original body, smashed his father violently on the ground multiple times before he flew off… leaving his father alone.
"STAY OUT OF OTHER JONATHAN'S LIVES!" he yelled and left.
Clark mentioned that something was going on…
Another Earth…
A young man in his twenties was walking around in his Alaska hometown when he suddenly had this intense vision of one of the most painful memories in his life. The day his father coldly showed him that he prefers his brother. He suddenly had this picture in his head again. And it was so intense…
"Connor? Are you okay?" the woman next to him asked worried.
'Connor' start to tremble and had to hold himself on the pole of a streetlamp. Leaving a big bulge in the pole when his super-strength got out of control…
"Connor?! What's wrong with you?" the woman asked shocked. She saw his eyes glowing. But she knew what to do. "Breath! In and out… in… and out…"
'Connor' followed that instruction and his eyes stopped glowing.
"Something is wrong! I had a vision!"
"A vision of what?"
Tears shoot in his eyes when he explained her what he saw.
"You should consult your grandmother!" the woman said worried. She knew her husband didn't like it. But it had to be! "Go… We'll be fine!"
Connor lift, went to a safe spot where nobody could see him, and used his speed to get away… His wife meanwhile (pregnant in seventh month), took the shopping bag, her husband dropped and went on to pick up their three-year-old son from the babysitter…
Earth TUD25…
On Earth TUD25, Jonathan froze in place and let his keys drop when he was just about to open his truck. For some reason he had a very intense flashback of that day, his father ditched him to go flying with Jordan…
A tear ran down his face when he thought about all the pain. It shot in his head and played in his mind. He tried to stop it, but it was like someone forced him. Jon fell on his knees and could feel something… As if someone is watching him from the distance…
Suddenly he had a vision of a futuristic-city and a place that looked like Alaska… and some other places…
Back in Argo City…
Jon felt losing control over his body when he suddenly had to puke and lost consciousness…
His worried family called the doctor immediately while taking care of him…