1500: Jack Kilroy Takes one for the team.
/Note from the author. I'm not attempting to change canon for Superman. This is a fictional work of fiction. Thanx.
Smallville Kansas; Clark Kent is in his early teen years.
"Cal-El?" I said to him.
"What did you call me?" he asked.
"Your name. It is Cal-El. It should be locked in your memory somewhere from way back when you were very young. Here; I'll help you remember," I said. I took Cal-El's memory to before he left Krypton. Briefly Jor-El and Lara-El were talking to him in the crib; and calling him Cal-El.
"I remember, how did you do that?" he asked.
"I'm a time traveler, you become very good friends with me in your future," I said.
"Am I a bad guy?" Cal-El asked point blank.
"No," I said flatly.
"I think I just killed Johnny Bartlet," Cal-El managed to get out before the water works turned on. "We were arguing over a girl," he couldn't finish.
"Did Johnny hit you?" I asked.
"Yeah he did."
"Did it hurt?" I asked.
"No, it just really surprised me," said Cal-El.
I surveyed the area. Johnny Bartlet was indeed very dead. We were in an area close to a utility shed in the middle of nowhere.
"Okay, Clark I want you to listen to me very carefully," I said. He nodded.
"I can fix this but it's gonna cost me a lot of my power. In the future; when'n'where I just left, the grown up you; is waiting for me to return. I need to get back there after I alter the timeline. But, this is the important part, you're gonna have to remember this accident; so I can't make it completely go away."
"Okay," said Clark quickly. I had this kid's undivided attention.
I reached out to the time vortex and took Cal-El by the hand. We went back to the moment when he hit Johnny. I turned invisible and stood in front of Johnny. I took the punch. My body was knocked back and Johnny's arm, along with some ribs were broken. He was alive and would recover.
"You took that punch," said Cal-El.
"Yes," I said. "Cal-El I'm gonna slap you on the butt; there's a good reason for this."
He interrupted, "I deserve a lot worse."
"This isn't about punishment. I'm one of the few people or things that can still physically cause you pain." I then hit him on the butt. It hurt, but he'd be fine. "Pain is a very valuable tool that can teach you how to not make mistakes in the future. From here on out; there's almost nothing on this planet that can hurt you. You're gonna have to watch other people and observe when they get hurt and how they react. Do you understand so far?" I asked.
Cal-El was dead set on eye-contact. "Yes sir," he said. "Your name is Jack? Is that right?"
"It is, Jack Kilroy. Okay tell me in your own words what I told you," I said to Cal-El.
"I need to realize that almost nothing can hurt me. That's sounds great but the only way I can learn from pain is by carefully watching others." I was proud of this kid.
The pain from Cal-El's punch was starting to manifest. I was indeed hurt, badly.
"Jack, you're hurt," shouted Cal-El. "Tell me what to do."
"Do you see a portal?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Just pick me up and toss me through it, gently," I said.
"You're a grown man!" he objected. Then almost by instinct Cal-El picked me up; and then tossed me through the portal. It was actually a pretty soft landing.
I had returned to the time'n'place I had left. Superman was there, waiting intently on my return. He quickly came to me. I was in a lot of pain. "Jack; can you hear me?" he asked.
I managed to nod and blink. I was having trouble breathing. "You're bleeding into your lungs," he said. "Hold on." He picked me up and there was some 'fast travel.'
I was in a crystal cavern of some sort. My guess it was the fortress of solitude. A dude in a red cape was talking to me, he had a beard. "Jack can you hear me?" he asked.
I nodded.
"My name is Dr. Steven Strange; I have been good friends with you; even though this is the first time you've meet me," he said.
I gave a thumbs up. There was some talking between him and Cal-El. I passed out.
"He's gonna make it," I heard someone say.
Six months later. I was feeling a lot better and was quite anxious to move on.
