Lois and Clark realized that all is lost…
For Lois it was a personal record: Two arrests on two consecutive days! And once again they got interrogated by the same Nathan-Fillion-doppelganger. Was it a coincidence that his name was 'Nolan'? Lois felt more and more like in a bad dream. A bad dream that consequently denied ending!
Clark meanwhile was shocked about how his son just left him again. After everything what happened. But so far, everything the boy was forced to endure was enough to drive him even further away from him. More than he already did with his act to leave Jon alone with chores…
It was a terrible experience: Getting interrogated for child-abuse, kidnapping and a lot of other things, Lois and Clark both never even dared to think that someone could accuse them off…
"I must say… In all my years as a police officer, I have never met someone who uses the military to hush up things!"
"We never did that! We had nothing to do with it! The moment we figured out what my father's unit did, we did everything to get him out there!" Lois cried…
It was useless anyway… to much has happened…
In a lucky circumstance, the DOD gave a press statement, that was aired in all news just an hour after Lois and Clark got brought to the police-station…
That the supposed 'kidnapping' was in truth due to a wrong accusation from a Smallville-citizen who wanted to hush up the scandal regarding the drug, that the town was facing. The death treats Jonathan received on his phone and that the police already investigated were prove enough for them. Then there was Candice's statement and the violent outburst of Candice's father at his own interrogation when his own crimes got uncovered.
It turned out that he lied about his heart-issues to everyone. Including his daughter! To force her to sell it. And they also got evidence that he was involved in a car-chop-ring in Smallville. The people of Smallville were suddenly confronted with all their own crimes and forced to face the fact that they were unfair and unjust to the grandson of the woman, who did everything in her power to keep the town alive and to support them. Suddenly everyone who once got money from Martha Kent as subvention or as support in an emergency, got in the focus of own investigations.
Lois and Clark were surprised when they were suddenly allowed to leave again. Turns out that the DOD, especially General Hardcastle (on order of higher ranked), and even their son Jonathan said that they have nothing to do with it and that everything was only a matter of bad timing. The DOD wanted information about the X-K in Smallville. Nobody knew about the CPS investigation at the same time. Jonathan confirmed that he had a panic-attack in the police-car which why he ran away. His parents only found him there…
When the couple left the interrogation room, they spotted Jonathan sitting in a corridor next to Mary Parker. He was wearing clean clothes again. A police-t-shirt and clean trousers. He looked over to them and quickly turned away again. The shame and the disappointment clearly shown in his face.
Clark wondered what Jonathan told them. Why the police allow them to leave again? What did the boy, to get him and his mother out of here? Whatever it was, Clark and Lois, both knew it was only to prevent anyone from figuring out the super-secret and from any more embarrassment that he would not endure…
It was far past midnight when Lois and Clark got kicked out. Forced to leave their son in the hands of that foreign woman.
"What happens with our son now?" Lois asked scared.
"Yes! What is happening next?" Clark added.
"For now… the CPS organizes him a place in a supervised facility. But your son has more friends than he needs. There are countless of offers to take him in!" Detective Nolan told and dismissed them quickly.
"We want to talk to him!" Clark said.
"You can talk to your son when he is ready! For now, the CPS takes care of him!"
It was a shock for them… so their son is indeed going to leave them! And who knows for how long? This was not a simple sleepover at a friend's place! Or a trip to a summer-camp! It was Jonathan literally moving out! And both had no clue how to prevent it! Even if they tell everyone the truth, it would only be one more reason for everyone to lock Jonathan up in a lab and accuse them of preferring Jordan because of his powers…
Once outside, Lois turned away from Clark, called for a taxi, got in and drove back to her motel… not saying a single word to her husband…
Clark knew that he was not able to talk to Lois now. For that she was too upset. Just like Jonathan, she needed now some time to calm down and sort her own feelings. Back in Smallville, he found all over traces that the DOD was in their house, too. Everything was searched. All drawlers were open. All over were footprints of boots from soldiers. His spaceship was gone, too.
Clark could guess that the DOD had high interest in it. But the ship was not important now. For years, Clark thought about giving the ship to a museum. The Metropolis Museum once offered to donate millions to any organization Superman wants if he gives them his ship for their exhibition about him. An exhibition, the boys urgently wanted to visit, and he and Lois reluctantly allowed. They were six and in the middle of their Superman-worship-phase. He will never forget how they looked when they stood in front of the replica of his first suit, or in front of the green Chrysler he caught when he made his first public safe…
Clark didn't dare to tidy up the mess the soldiers left in the house. He only sat down on the couch and looked on the picture of his parents on the chimney. They usually smile on that picture. But now it seemed as if they look on him in anger and disgust…
He was alone! All alone! That was always his greatest fear. After years of not knowing what his future holds for him, if he ever finds someone who is accepting his alien heritage, if he ever has a family… and he ruined everything.
Clark looked back and forth between Martha's notebook, that the CPS-lady found in Jonathan's room, and the photo of his parents… the more he looked on it, the more he had the feeling that his parents scold him from it…
The loud knock on the door tore Clark out of his thoughts…
Who could that be on 5:50 a.m.? Lois? Jordan? The police to arrest him? Clark lift from the couch and walked slowly to the door. Not daring to use his x-ray-vision to check who was there or use his hearing. He just opened the door and was buffed when he saw Lana there…
In the meantime, in Metropolis…
Timmy walked up and down in his room and tried to sort his thoughts. Ever since the relieving call that Jonathan was found and is safe, everyone who didn't know what he and his uncle knew was only relieved and left quickly. Jay and the reporter left without asking any more questions, and his parents were still oblivious. But the whole knowledge let Timmy no peace…
Nervously Timmy looked on Jonathan's clothes and the USB-stick on his keyring, where he found the letters Jonathan wrote to his late grandmother. He didn't want to imagine how Jon must feel as the powerless son of the most powerful man in the universe. No surprise Jon took X-K only to get his father's approval.
Knowing he needed to talk to someone, Timmy took his phone and called his uncle…
Four blocks away, in his own house, Joe didn't get any rest or even peaceful sleep, too. Just thinking that he scolded Superman let him shiver. He was lying awake in his bed and stared on the ceiling before suddenly his phone on the nightstand start to vibrate. He took it and saw it was Timmy…
"Yes!"
"Uncle Joe!"
"What is it, Timmy?"
"I can't sleep!"
"Me, too!" Joe said while his sleeping wife next to him woke up.
"Joe, what's wrong?" she moaned half-asleep.
"Nothing! Sleep further!" Joe told and left the room to talk with Timmy undisturbed. "What is going on?"
"We have to tell him that we know it!" Timmy confessed.
"Yes! Yes, but how?"
"I don't know! But he was so upset. It is bothering him! And you have seen what happened! What if he thinks that we only want to help him because we know who his dad is?"
"Timmy don't even think about that! He is your friend!" Joe told and took a deep breath. "But whatever happens… this remains among us! We tell nobody else! This secret is too dangerous to spread!"
"Yes… Not everyone would help Jon after that…" Timmy said, thinking about Jon's kidnapping and the DOD. "My mom talked to Mrs. Parker yesterday… the CPS is currently looking for a place for him to stay!"
"I would offer him a place!" Joe told, looking over to the guestroom. He and his wife had each a son with their previous partners. They were 6 and 9 years old. And both boys lived with them. A teenager more in the house would not make any difference. And he knew that Jonathan was a reliable and good boy. "But he is… you know… what if they figure that out and look for other… you know instead?"
"And what if he ends up in a lab again? Or in an abusive foster family that only wants money and doesn't care for him?"
"What about your house?"
"Jon could have our guestroom! But I need to talk to my parents first!" Timmy explained. "And I would need to change some things in my room first!"
Timmy looked around again. His life-size Superman-poster and his Superman action-figures were now hidden in a big black trash-bag in his wardrobe. He knew now why Jon didn't want to talk in here. But he also had no clue how to explain to his sudden Superman-rejection to his parents, who were used to his Superman-worship. He always looked up to Superman. Now he knew that Superman was only a fake!
"But wherever he goes to… we have to confess to him first!" Timmy said.
"Yes! And that better before he figures out that we already know!" his uncle warned.
In Smallville…
There was an awkward silence after Lana's surprise appearance. She and Clark sat in the living-room. Nobody dared to begin. Even if both had countless of questions burning on their tongues.
Unlike Clark, Lois could see Clark's (adoptive) parents smiling on her from the picture. Encouraging her to be open and brave. Like they always did in the past. Lana, who looked as if she didn't sleep in a week, took a deep breath and start to end this awkward silence…
"I have some questions and I demand the full truth!" Lana said.
"Okay!" Clark said quickly and determined.
"Do you beat your sons?" Lana asked trembling.
"No! Absolutely no! The injuries Jonathan had, were from his doppelganger's attack!" Clark told. Knowing that child-abuse, was a really sensitive matter for Lana.
"Is all the dangerous X-Kryptonite in the mines here because of you? If that's the case, you are responsible for all the bad things that happened in this town!"
"Until the Eradicator-crisis I didn't even know that it was here all the time!" Clark told, wondering how he could live in Smallville for years without noticing it. "And I don't know exactly why it is here! I know that green Kryptonite are leftovers of Krypton that arrived here as meteors. But X-Kryptonite… I guess Zeta-Rho send it to Earth somehow for his plan somehow manually. I honestly never investigated it closer! Even if I should have!"
"Who is Zeta-Rho?" Lana asked confused.
"Tal-Rho's father! Morgan Edge's! Long story… but no… I didn't know that it was even here! And I am sorry that it caused so much trouble! That I landed here was a coincidence, too! I could have landed everywhere in the world, but I landed out there in the fields."
"Do you know that the whole town is facing serious trouble now because of the X-Kryptonite? After the thing with Morgan Edge, everyone was forced to keep silent about it, but now it is a popular drug!"
"And I am sorry that it happened!"
"Clark… the FBI searched my office! They found prove that dozens of people are involved in drug trafficking. Even the Sheriff got brought away for interrogation. And everyone says now that your son was the victim of a slender campaign because you don't care about him, and he was an easy victim! Tell me the truth… Is Clark Kent even real? Or are you only Superman who pretends to be Clark?"
"I am Clark! But I am a bad joke as Clark!" Clark confessed. "I disappointed everyone: you, my family, my other friends, absolutely everyone who is important for me! My marriage is as good as dead, my son rejects me because he believes I reject him for having no powers, my other son believes that too and doubts our relationship, my wife hates me and my father-in-law… well… it shouldn't be!"
Clark buried his face under his hands and start to cry while he told Lana, who was still mad on him for the hidden secret but needed answers and whom Clark still saw as his best friend, everything what happened and all his mistakes.
In Metropolis…
The only one who felt well in the Kent family was Jonathan now. He woke up after sleeping better and longer than ever since a long time.
Maybe it was because of the knowledge that he had people who cared about him. Or because he was in his home city again…
Jonathan opened the window to let the Metropolis-air come in. Smelling on the scent of the big city. Enjoying it with every fiber of his body. Despite it was very early, which was never a problem for an early raiser like him, Jonathan felt great. Maybe because this was the first day of a new and better phase of his life…
Yesterday evening at the police-station, he got informed that a lot of people step in for him. His lawyer (he still couldn't believe Cody Thompson convinced his uncle to help him) was going to meet with him today. And that for free! His old friends collected money for him to support him to get out of Smallville. Gaines was under arrest. People from Smallville were forced to apologize to him by the media…
In a short version: Everything was going to get better from now! And Jonathan realized that he should have asked earlier for help in Metropolis…
But there was still one thing bothering him: What about his family?
Despite everything bad what happened, Jonathan still felt responsible for Jordan, his mother and even his father! He also knew that he could be in danger because of the DOD or people from Smallville, who didn't want to accept Gaines as the real villain. After all, he made a mistake, and he knew that. He never denied that he made a mistake. But Smallvillians can be very resentful and unreasonable. And that was what made him nervous.
But for now, Jonathan only wanted to enjoy being in Metropolis. Being open for everything that was ahead of him. His phone was still with the police, since they were investigating the death-treats he received. But he would use the phone he saw in the corridor to call his brother later. He wanted to talk to him in private and figure out more about Lara's sudden supposed interest in him…
In Smallville…
Clark meanwhile finished confessing all his mistakes, his failures and his own struggles to Lana who, since she didn't know anything about Krypton and powers, too, didn't understand everything, too. But she was shocked…
Clark denied Jonathan to know his own grandfather and his grandmother after Martha died? He allowed Jordan to use his powers to play football? Jordan used his powers to break his brother's arm? Natalie and her father come from another planet, too? And Jonathan only left because Clark preferred to cheer up Jordan after his visit at her office?
"So, you say it was my fault that you took Jordan flying?"
"No, oh my gosh! It was fully my fault!" Clark said. "I was ignorant! I was thinking that Jonathan is okay? I didn't see how much he was suffering under the move, his brother's powers and this town… aww… he yelled me directly into my face that this town is his Kryptonite and I brushed it off. And everyone is calling me either a shame for my family, or a bad father. It's possible that I will never see Jonathan again, because everyone is convinced that I reject him just for having no powers! No surprise my mother wants to take my and Jordan's powers! My family is falling apart… Jonathan will never ever talk to me, Jordan is going to never ever talk to me… Lois is going to divorce me… and if my parents would be with us now, they would kick me out and disown me, too!"
Clark's eyes wandered over to the photo of Martha and Jonathan Sr. again. It seemed to become more and more unbearable with every passing second. Then his eyes wandered down on Martha's notes again.
"You know what… I think it is time to accept that Smallville is indeed not the picture-perfect place I believed it to be!"
"What do you mean with that?" Lana asked.
"That means, I think it is time, that I do what was long overdue!" Clark told determined, took the notepad and left the house in a blur.
Lana, who witnessed Clark's superspeed for the first time (she didn't count his TV appearances) looked on the open door with big eyes. She came here to get answers, and to know if it was worth to fight for their friendship. Seeing Clark so determined to fight for his family, let her think if it was really worth to fight for their friendship, too…
In Metropolis…
Timmy was relieved that it was Saturday, which meant that he doesn't need to go to school today and that he had good chances to talk to Jonathan. He already arranged with his uncle, that he does that alone! Too many people would scare Jon.
When he sat with his parents at breakfast, both asked a lot of questions. Like: What he figured out afterwards? Or: Do you know now what the thing is?
Timmy felt bad for lying to his parents, but he knew that this was too much! Especially for his parents. After finishing breakfast, Timmy drove with his mother (who had a shift at the airport today) to the next subway-station. There he took the train to New Troy and arrived at the address; Mrs. Parker told him yesterday after Jon was found.
Jonathan, who knew that Timmy wanted to show up, waited for him already outside. And Jon was visibly happy to see his friend, who had this awkward smile on his face.
"Hey!"
"Hey!" Timmy responded. "You look better!"
"Yes, I feel a lot better!" Jon told while they began to walk.
"Jon… you need to know something… I… ehm… I don't know how to tell you that… but… ehm… you know… your brother was at my school yesterday at midday…"
"You talked to Jordan?" Jon asked. "About what?"
"Well… he apologized to me for the incident at my house and… he told me about how he…"
Timmy suddenly stopped talking when a man passed them and looked at the boys. Timmy was suddenly too nervous to discuss that here in public.
"Could we… could we talk about this somewhere where it is quieter?"
Jonathan, who actually felt better in this crowded area, accepted. He knew the park was not far…
In Smallville…
While Timmy left his house, Clark arrived at John-Henry's place. Latter looked very tired, too. He came out to talk to Clark to not to disturb Jordan, who was sleeping on the couch. Clark was upset and came straight to the point.
"How is Jordan?" Clark asked, knowing that his powered son was struggling, too now.
"He cried the whole night! Asking himself if anything he reached was legit. But now he is sleeping! He is very exhausted!" John-Henry told. "And he asked for his brother the whole time!"
"Of course…" Clark said with his head lowered in shame. "…John… it is possible that none of us is allowed to see Jonathan for a while. Including Jordan! It will break his heart. But in the meantime, I am going to make some arrangements here in town. Could you distract him a little bit today? It would be better if he stays out of the public today!"
"What do you plan?"
"Something I should have done long ago!" Clark wailed and looked on the notebook again.
"Clark, before you leave… Does the DOD know about… me and Nat, too?"
"No, I don't think so!" Clark said. "But you two should take care, too! I am so sorry that you got pulled into this!"
"Aww… I just did what you once told me! Get your son out of the DOD prison! But I never dared to believe that it would be Jonathan! Even if Hedy recognized Jonathan as Kryptonian, too!"
Clark shuddered at that thought. John-Henry's suit-A.I. saw Jonathan as Kryptonian, too but he didn't even take him to his fortress.
"Just… ehm… keep an eye on Jordan! I need to go and confront some people…" Clark told and left again. He used his hearing to check if Jordan was really sleeping before he left and made sure to not use his powers to not wake the boy up.
"KAL, I demand to see Jonathan!" Lara's voice echoed in his hearing again.
Clark shuddered. Sooner or later, he would have to go to her (without Jonathan) and tell her what happened and that it was unlikely that she meets him in the next time. And she seemed more demanding with every passing hour. Jordan could hear this, too. Clark looked on the notebook again and decided to start with the human-part of his problems first! For once, the Kryptonian-part needs to wait…
In Metropolis…
Jonathan and Timmy walked through their old neighborhood and reminisced about their childhood here. Timmy choose to talk to Jonathan about the thing when they are in the park. It was Saturday, but he knew that at this daytime, the park was still relatively empty. A good opportunity.
It was a relatively small park, but it had a playground, some outdoor-sport-equipment and enough space to run around. They reached an empty bench next to the fitness-equipment and settled there. Timmy looked around. There was a man training, but he was wearing headphones and was not able to hear them.
"Hmm… the man there looks familiar!" Jonathan murmured.
"Jon… what I wanted to tell you… ehm… well… as I said, your brother showed up yesterday. He told me… some weird stuff again. About the thing… about that your grandmother is really mad on him and… that he wants to give it up for you…"
"He can't live without the thing!" Jon interfered. "Believe me… it's all he has! Without it, he wouldn't be able to handle his life! My parents and my grandfather had taken care that his whole life is just about it! I don't believe he would give it up! But honestly… I don't want to talk about it! The thing has ruined my life enough! I have now a chance to get my life back on track and think about what to do with my future."
Jon had to smile at the last sentence. Indeed, he could now start to rebuild his life and get a perspective for the future. A future that had nothing to do with being in the shadow of his brother or being the whipping boy of an entire backwards town…
"Jon, I need to make you a confession! After your brother was at my school, I became curious. And after I and my uncle went to the hospital and learned about your disappearance… I… I was scared. I… I went back home and… tried to look for answers and I… ehm… Oh my god, I am so sorry! I am so so sorry! I shouldn't have done it! It was so shabby!"
"What? Hey, Timmy… I got spied out, knocked out, kidnapped and humiliated… there is nothing that can be as bad as what you think you have done!" Jonathan reassured his friend. "You helped me to escape Smallville. You did more form e than I ever expected you to do. It can't be that worse!"
"I found the letters you wrote to your grandmother!" Timmy confessed and put his hands over his face to hide his shame.
Suddenly it was silent…
Jonathan could suddenly feel his heart drop. The air seemed to get 20 degrees colder. The traffic around the park seemed to mute. It was if the whole planet suddenly stopped moving. Even the man who was doing pull-ups nearby, suddenly looked on them as if they were an exciting scene in a movie, you can't look away from.
"You… you read them?" Jonathan asked with a trembling voice.
"The first one!" Timmy confessed. For a short moment, Jonathan got calmer. In the first letter, there was nothing about the Super-secret. But Timmy wasn't done with his confession: "And… the first part of the second one!"
Suddenly Jonathan's heart stopped beating for a brief moment before it began to beat faster and faster while his whole body suddenly seemed to feel hotter and the sweat start to pour out of every pore of his body…
"So… you know… what the thing is?"
"Yes!" Timmy confessed. "And I am so sorry that I invaded your privacy! I understand why you didn't want to share it! Or why you were scared to tell anyone! I shouldn't have done it!"
"Does anyone else know?" Jonathan asked, feeling his face blushing.
"My uncle Joe! Coach Patterson!" Timmy confessed.
Jonathan shuddered at the thought. He liked Coach Patterson, and he always had a good relationship with the man, he often imagined wearing the same stuff Colossus wore in the last X-Men movie. He was mad! Mad, embarrassed and ashamed… It was one thing when his own family knew about his powerlessness. But Timmy and Joe Patterson?
"When you are mad on me now, I understand it! I wouldn't have told it to anyone, too!" Timmy continued. "And I would understand if you would accuse me of being hypocrite and only wanting to help you because I am… you know! But… after everything you told me… I am not a fan of your father anymore. And I am never going to be a fan of your brother! And I… I shouldn't have invaded your privacy… I just…"
"He took him flying!" Jonathan interfered.
"What?"
"That's why I fled from Smallville!" Jonathan suddenly began to confess. "I talked to my dad about my problems, and he took Jordan flying to cheer him up and to show me that my place is in Smallville where everyone hates me! That's why I ran away…"
Jonathan was mad on Timmy! But unlike his family, Timmy really seemed to care about him. And for some reason he suddenly felt kind of relieved! As if he gets a chance to get all his frustration out better just by talking to him…
"Timmy… what we talk about never leaves your mouth! But… now that you know the truth… I think I can be open to you about the thing! Even if I would rather talk about that the man over there looks like Joe Manganiello, or about other things. But some things need to be said…"
"I listen!"
"Great! That's all I ever wanted from my parents!" Jonathan said.
And so, he began to tell his story again. This time uncensored and full! And indeed he start to feel much better…