Jonathan was shocked, surprised, and stunned about the man, his Kryptonian grandmother kept trapped in this forcefield…

His face, just older… A beard, longer hair, looking a bit like a hippie. Wearing this weird garment that had a shocking similarity with that one, his psychotic Uncle loved to wear. Just without crest and that stuff.

"What the hell?" was everything Jonathan was able to get out when he saw 'himself'.

"Hi!" his older self said simply.

"Okay, he is here! Now spat out the truth and tell us how you took my powers?" Jordan moaned.

"Wait, it really happened?" his brother asked shocked and looked with big eyes on his twin.

"Jordan, stay calm!" Lois demanded.

"You… tell your future self to speak!" Jordan told his brother now.

"Wait… ME? What do I have to do with it?" Jonathan asked.

"Boys, stop fighting!" Clark demanded, placing himself in-between the boys to keep them away from each other. Then he turned to the adult Jonathan again. "Okay, Jonathan your younger self is now here! Your grandmother listens, we all listen! Now please tell what brings you back to our time to take your brother's powers?"

Everyone was silent after that question. The older Jonathan smiled mockingly. His younger self still couldn't get away his eyes from his older self. Lois became pale and Clark could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He honestly feared what he was going to hear…

They knew, this man (their son and brother) had obviously put a lot of effort and power into his plan to take Jordan's powers. But why? Jealousy? Anger? Or is something going to happen that is Jordan's fault?

"Okay… we listen!" Clark said.

"Oh… for once you listen to me?!" the older Jonathan said. "Of course, when it is about powers, having powers and getting them back you listen more than on other occasions!"

"Is that an accusation?" Clark asked shocked.

"Call it whatever you want!" the older Jonathan said. "I want to tell you a story… It's a story about a young boy! Ambitious, full of eagerness, many friends, having a great future ahead of him… And suddenly, out of the blue, it turns out he is the son of the most powerful man in the universe! And that his own twin has inherited nearly all of his incredible powers."

"Jealous!" Jordan accused him, cutting him off and looking over to his offended brother who looked back on him with big eyes.

"He is forced to leave everything behind! His life, his friends, his future. All to support the family on their destiny to turn his brother into the next Superman! At first, he thinks that he has something from it, too! That his parents, who barely made time for him in the first 14 years of his life, acknowledge him, too and spend time with him. Especially his father, whom he always thought that he loves his job more than him. That's what he promised! To be more around and that everything changes! He also looked forward to experience something new! But the only thing that changed was that everything became more difficult! And soon he realizes that everything was a lie!"

"I didn't lie! I…" Clark tried to defend himself.

"KAL, don't interrupt him!" Lara cut him off before turning to the adult Jonathan again. "Continue!"

"Thank you! Well, he thinks things will change if he is just patient enough. But soon he has to figure out that the whole 'family-bonding' is just meaning that everything has to be for the best of his superpowered brother, while he has absolute no right to say or demand anything. His only purpose in life has to be to be an emotional support animal to his brother and to do the chores around house and farm, his superpowered father is too lazy for."

"This is…" Clark tried. But once again Lara cut him off.

"KAL! SILENCE!"

"His brother gets absolutely everything he wants! He gets taken on flights, gets proudly introduced to their grandfather and later to their grandmother…" Jonathan pointed on Lara at that point. "…they allow him to cheat with his superpowers, to abuse his powers for his advantage and every time he messes up or ruins his brother's life or his future, they accept it. They don't even punish him when he breaks his brother's arms. No surprise the superpowered brother gets more and more arrogant. Up to the point he starts to make fun of all of his brothers attempts to be good at something or make his parents proud."

Adult Jonathan looked on his brother with a hate on his face that finally let the powered twin shudder.

"He is patient! He endures every rejection, every humiliation, the bullying he receives for his brother's mistakes, the lies he get about what is going on and the trouble he is going to face. And not only that, everyone in his family and in the awful town they have forced him into keep showing him that he does not belong there. Not into the family, not into the town and not into the team. And no matter how much he tries, nobody wants to give him a chance to prove himself, because he eighter has no powers, nor is a cheat who uses X-K. It get's so bad, that he even takes some X-Kryptonite by himself, just to hear at least once from his father, that he is proud on him."

Clark became pale. He remembered how he told Jonathan that he is proud on him during that game, when he was on X-K.

"It was a mistake! He realizes that he made a mistake and decides to stop. But it is already too late! He becomes the shame of the family, that he never felt part of. A town that always openly showed him that he does not belong there, shows them their hate now even more! His father, who never let him feel loved and who never introduced him to his grandfather or his grandmother, calls him a shame for the family. His grandfather from his mother's side, who always spent time with him in the past, suddenly turns out to be a liar, who prefers the powered teen, too. But what should he say! Is not so mean to openly tell his brother that his grandfather only spends time with him because he has powers!"

Jordan became pale now.

"Or that his father only spends time with him because he has powers? That the great relationship between him and their father is only because he has powers, he shouldn't have at all? That he wouldn't have on that planet, he is so proud to be from and that he is not even interested in!" Jonathan said and turned to Lara. "You know, your grandson over there is just like every other 'Kryptonian' I met! Thinks he is superior to humans and so much better than everyone else!"

"What? Is that true? Do you think you are superior to the humans?" Lara asked shocked.

Jordan crossed his arms. "He is just mad that he has no powers and that grandpa saw my potential!"

"That old bastard saw a useful weapon in you! Not more! He was never interested in us and only went fishing with me because he thought it will be easier later to turn me into his super-errand-boy if we are close! Or why else he spent so much time with you and Natalie in the past few months? He couldn't turn our father into the DOD's exclusive weapon, so he tried it with his grandson. But I should had noticed it earlier! I mean why else he kept me at distance and told me to be afraid of you and to don't disturb you in your training, your business and your bonding. That selfish douchebag can burn in hell…"

"Please, don't talk about your grandfather like that!" Lois interfered with a tear running down her face. "He made mistakes! And yes, for him the work came always before the family! But he did love you, too!"

It hurt Lois to hear such bad words about her father. Even if it was true and he was a bad grandfather to Jonathan. But after what just recently happened to him, it was still very hard to hear these things about him!

"And why he gave absolutely everything to Jordan and Natalie? I tell you why: Because Jordan has powers and Natalie is a tech-genius with an own steel suit. And I am just an ordinary human without talents, intelligence, potential and skills! Back to our story… nobody believes in him. But well… he is good as a scapegoat! As an errand boy! As a loser! It doesn't matter that he does not want this life! It doesn't matter that he really thought, he could learn something new and experience something great. Or that things change when this so called 'family-fortress' gets created. A place he never gets taken to, is prohibited to see, and that is only for those in the family who can fly!"

"I told you your grandmother wants to meet you and show you some tech!" Clark defended himself before turning to his 'present' son. "Or not!"

The younger Jonathan crossed his arms and took a deep breath!

"Ever since this place was created… you and Jordan come here regularly. And I was here three times, including today! The first time to finally introduce me to Lara after telling me so long that she is not my grandmother. The second time you threw me out and prohibited me to come here again. And now! And only because you were forced! So, this place is really just yours and Jordan's fortress!" Jonathan said.

"You really think so?" Clark asked shocked.

"You prove it to me ever and ever again!" Jonathan said and turned to his future self. "I know I hate it when someone does not let me finish. But there is a question burning in me now! Why today? And why not when he broke my… ehm… our arm? Or after they ditched us so coldly? Or when his arrogance got worse?"

"I thought about it! But unfortunately, it would have prevented him saving Uncle Tal and us from our inverse-doppelganger! Now was the perfect time! He was grounded and alone at home, our father was in Bosnia, dealing with the forest-fire. Our mom at the appointment where she ruined her chance for a better life and I away for the seminar he would have ruined and let us get fired later that day!"

"Fired?!" Jonathan said shocked.

"Oh yeah! Not the last time by the way, he would have messed up with our life! But later more on that!"

"What? What would have happened?" Jonathan asked worried.

"Oh, I can't speak that out loudly!" his older self said, but he made a gesture with his right hand, Jonathan understood immediately.

"NO?!" he yelled and repeated the gesture.

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"Yes! So, at least one bad thing for me prevented!" the older Jonathan said.

Full of fury, Jonathan turned to his brother. "ENJOY YOUR POWERLESSNESS! I HOPE IT IS LONG!"

"WHAT? HOW DARE YOU?" Jordan yelled.

"What? What is that even meaning?" Clark asked and imitated the gesture with his own hand.

It was no known sign-language he knew. This was a gesture, obviously only Jonathan knew and understood, and it made him furious. Whatever it was meaning, it had to be something serious that would have happened on that seminar today.

"Are the people at that seminar in trouble?" Lois asked worried.

"No! Now that Jordan is here and powerless, the seminar will be all right and I don't have to give up another thing I enjoy! At least until he decides to mess with my life again!" the older Jonathan said with crossed arms. "But as I know you guys, you don't care. If you have powers, you can allow yourself everything! From being arrogant, up to being a psychotic mass-murder! But well… this is what Kryptonians are, or not? Arrogant, selfish, obsessed with power and feeling superior to everyone else!"

"I can't believe what I hear! Kryptonians are a peaceful and pride race! We always treated other races with respect and coequal!" Lara said before turning to the younger Jonathan. "What did your father tell you about Krypton?"

"Mother, I…" Clark interfered.

"Kal, I am talking to your son! Jonathan, please tell me the truth!" Lara said. "What do you think about Krypton? What does your father teach you about it?"

"Nothing!" Jonathan confessed. "When it is about Krypton, he only shares it with Jordan! But well, Jordan has the powers! He is Kryptonian! And I am a human!"

"Just like your brother you are Kryptonian, too! Why do you think you are not allowed to know anything about your own heritage?" Lara asked shocked.

"Well… he didn't want to introduce me to Jor-El and he didn't want me to introduce to you! I had to be the perfect, easy, not trouble-making child that says yes to everything. No matter if it's bad to me or if it's ruining my life? He told me once, that I am Kryptonian, too! But I see myself not as Kryptonian. Being Kryptonian is only about having powers!"

"This is not true!" Lara said offended. "On Krypton, nobody had powers! Krypton is full of culture and knowledge!"

"And Jordan doesn't care about these things!" the older Jonathan continued. "He only cares for his powers! This is everything he learns here and everything he cares about!"

"As if you care about Krypton?" Jordan moaned.

"Ask my younger self and Jordan anything about Krypton, they won't be able to answer it!"

Lara turned back to the boys and start to check this theory…

"How many inhabitants did Krypton have?" she asked. Jonathan shacked his head, showing it was useless to ask him anyway, as he didn't know anything. Jordan made a face as if he was thinking about it but he realized that he didn't know it! So he shacked his head, too. Lara was shocked that her grandsons couldn't answer this simple question!

"981 million!" the older Jonathan answered for them! "The most populated planet in the Rao-solar-system! Followed by the neighboring Daxam with 802 million inhabitants!"

"Correct!" Lara said proudly. "What was our capital?"

"Kryptonopolis!" Jordan shot out quickly, as it was the first that came into his mind. But Lara was not satisfied with that answer.

"Kryptonopolis was our home-city! But it was never the capital!" Lara said. "Jonathan, do you know it?"

Jonathan once again shacked his head. "I don't know any city on Krypton. I didn't even know that the places there have names!"

"Kandor!" the older Jonathan answered for his younger self. "Located in the wide scenic Tobora-alley at the coast of the Faot-Ocean! During the civil-war, prior to the destruction of Krypton, Argo became provisional capital briefly!"

"That's correct!" Lara said proudly again.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?" Jordan yelled. "I thought you hate Krypton!"

"You would hate Krypton, too if you only experience bad things from it!" the older Jonathan said and crossed his arms. "But you don't know what I mean. You had all the good things about it: You got the powers, a father who likes to spend time with you and got made a hero! All I got from being part of this family was broken arms, near-death-experiences, scolding, getting called a shame and the constant feeling of being useless! I am totally rightful to hate Krypton! I just think like every other human on Earth, that nothing good comes from Krypton!"

"Oh, I am so sad to hear these things! Kal, how could you exclude your own son from his heritage?" Lara asked visibly shaken.

"I never meant to let you feel left out! Or let you think that you are not allowed to know your grandfather. Just… there was never the right moment to…"

"There were countless of occasions." The elder Jonathan cut him off. "And I was interested in it. But you made it clear that only those with powers are worth your love, your compassion, and your attention. The real Kryptonians! So I had to deal with all the problems that Krypton brought over my life alone. I had to deal with the hate and the rejection from the Smallvillians alone. I had to deal with Coach Gaines' abuse and his scapegoating alone. And with the trouble and the stress that being Superman's useless and powerless son brings."

The elder Jonathan was visibly upset and fought his tears while he remembered all the bad things that had happened to him ever since they moved to Smallville.

"I mean, why you still try to ignore that Smallville has no future and no potential? That place has nothing and it is only preventing me, Jordan and Mom from developing. Sure, I believe you that it was once a nice place. But it is and it will ever be my Kryptonite! It was from the first day, I told you that and you ignored my concerns because you don't understand and because you are not able to feel with me. You were always different and you have no idea what it means to be a human. That's why you were always unable to relate to me. Because you are unable to be a father to a powerless child!"

Clark could feel his heart drop and his face turning red at this accusations. It made him pensive.

"What I mean is that, if Jordan wouldn't have powers, you guys wouldn't be so close as you are now, or think you are!"

Clark turned to his sons. Jordan was shocked and really seemed to think and consider these words. Jonathan turned red in shame. It was obvious that he really thought so but didn't dare to bring up that issue.

"Well, over the following weeks and months, with the ongoing crisis and the next one and the next one, I came to a conclusions: I had to leave. You are not seeing me as a full legit member of the family, you hide things from me, and you continue to ruin my life ever and ever again! It made no sense to try. So I left to live my own life. And I had to fight for it! More than you can imagine! And it gets harder when your own family supports those you press changes against at the court. Only one more prove that Smallville has messed with your brain!"

"Wait? Who you will press charges against? Did someone hurt you?" Lois asked upset.

"And what do you mean with that we support those you are trying to fight at the court?" Clark added and turned to the younger Jonathan. "Jonathan… who do you want to sue?"

"Oh… the list is long! But you would never help me!" the boy answered.

"Why do you think so?"

"Because you care more about the people in Smallville than about me!" the boy answered ashamed. "No matter how much they show me their hate, how evil and vicious they are, or that they see a loser in you, too!"

"What?"

"They see not more than a spineless loser in you, dearest father!" the adult Jonathan moaned. "Do you think anyone of them has any respect for you? Some of them think the only reason you moved us back to Smallville was because you failed in Metropolis. Most of them would do everything to leave Smallville and live somewhere else! And you can't see that the place is destined to fail. Not because of the lack of jobs and the bad economy, but because of the mentally there."

"And you really left?" Lois asked.

"Yes I did! I was willing to let everything behind me and make me a name. Without being constantly in the shadow of Superman and Superboy. Four times I had to move, I had to dump out of three colleges and lost five jobs all because Superboy over there. And not to forget the… you know!" adult Jonathan said and made that gesture with his right hand again.

"What is this even meaning?" Jordan asked upset and turned to his brother to approach him. But Jonathan instinctively pushed him away, and the now powerless Jordan stumbled backwards.

"DON'T DARE TO TOUCH ME!" Jonathan yelled.

Everyone could see that he was scared. Jonathan took back his arms and hid them behind his back. Clark watched the boy rubbing his arms and had a suspicion about what would have happened today at the seminar. But he would ask that question afterwards. Jordan meanwhile still didn't understand.

"You blame me for you being a loser who is not able to get his life under control?!"

"JORDAN, ENOUGH!" Lara yelled now. "Your behavior is unacceptable! I really start to believe that it was the right decision to take your powers away!"

Jordan was shocked about this statement from Lara and made a face as if he just got slapped. Lara meanwhile turned back to the older Jonathan and nodded.

"Continue!"

"I left! I changed my name! Made new friends, a career… found acceptation! People who don't care that I am Superman's son or Superboy's brother. I even had to fake my death, so the people stop it!" Jonathan said, causing everyone to look at him with big eyes. "But you couldn't stop, brother! I was willing to leave it be! No matter how much you hurt me or destroyed my life. I was willing to forget it and live on because I found something to feel special. But took everything from me! Again! All my friends, my future… the love of my life…"

With tears in his eyes, the elder Jonathan lift his left hand to reveal a ring on his pinkie finger. It was too small for his ring finger. So, it had to be from someone who had smaller hands than him. All eyes focused on him, the ring and the tears that flew down his face like waterfalls.

"We were going to marry. We planned to adopt a child together! Move to Europe and start all over again! A better life, away from the chaos you and the DOD brought over the world. And you took away everything from me! And for what? For your stupid ego! Too bad the General isn't here! I guess he would be happy about the 341 million deaths that all the conflicts in the world caused that were just because his stupid decisions. He can burn in hell…"

Everyone lost track after that. It was hard to listen after the elder Jonathan said that Jordan 'obviously' killed his fiancée. Only Lois sobbed even harder after the last sentence.

"That's why you came back?" Clark asked terrified.

"I have 341 million reasons to come back! And a handful of them are only because of my own desires. After loosing everything… I went to Mexico, stole a boat from a marina, shipped to this place for weeks and wanted to blow it up. I had some explosives with me, that I and my fellow group-members were able to organize… but as soon as I arrived here, Lara convinced me to try another way! And so, she joined me, let this place sunk into the ocean by herself and gave me a teleportation device that allowed me to go to Siberia, create my own fortress, and prepare for this." Jonathan told before turning to his family again. "As I already said, it was her idea! Everything was well calculated and planned. So, who fooled my plan to save 341 million people?"

Suddenly there was a dead silence in the fortress…