A/n: Okay, I had wanted to post a new chapter like a week, but my plans for this chapter changed, which pushed back my timetable. But it's good, because I think this chapter is stronger than my original plans (my original plan was basically going straight to what is now chapter 6, so you're still getting that, it will just be in the next upload). Anyway, lots of sibling bonding in this chapter, along with a heaping helping of angst. I hope you enjoy.
Jon had never once cut class in middle school. His friends would ask him to, but he'd never join. He had grades to keep up, parents to keep proud, a brother with social anxiety to be a role model for. Plus, there was no reason to. It wasn't like school was hard, or like he had a reason to hide. The worst thing in his life back then was a dad who was a little uninvolved. But ditching school wouldn't have helped with that.
It wasn't until Smallville when he felt the need to get away from all the bullshit.
The first time he ditched class was last year, after Jordan had broken his arm. While his anger at his brother seethed, Jon was forced to go back to school and pretend like everything was fine. But it wasn't. His potential football career was possibly dead in its tracks, he was stuck sitting out the rest of the season, and in PE, he got stuck walking the track with the other losers who wouldn't willingly participate in any of the gym activities. Unable to stand the idea of watching his friends have fun on the field while he was stuck walking around and around in circles, he had asked for a pass to the bathroom and then hid in there for the rest of the period.
No one noticed. No one made an all-call on the intercom, telling him to report to the detention room, or even back to class. No one cared.
Ditching was easy, he had realized. All you needed was a fake hall pass and a flimsy excuse. No one would check. No one paid enough attention.
"So, like, what are you thinking? Movie?" Jon asked as he and Jordan followed Nat out of the school.
"A movie?" Nat said. "Pssh. Amateurs. What do you take me for?" She walked them toward Main Street.
"Hey, maybe we should avoid going near The Gazette," Jordan suggested. "If Mom catches us ditching school again, we're dead."
Jordan worried too much. The only reason they got busted last time was because Jon stupidly went home to mope about Tegan, and Jordan got caught doing something even dumber. As long as they didn't make those mistakes again, they'd be fine.
"Then don't get arrested this time," Jon said. He turned to Nat. "You're not gonna get us arrested, are you?"
She shrugged. "I mean, I hope not."
"I knew this was a bad idea," Jordan muttered.
Nat took a turn onto a side street; they were still headed in the general direction of Main Street, but they wouldn't be walking right past The Smallville Gazette now. She still hadn't let them in on where they were going, though.
"I didn't know I had been living with hardened criminals these past couple of months," Nat said. "Just how many times have you two been arrested?"
His stomach twisted when she said "you two". Of course Nat would lump him in with that incident; he was the bad brother after all. And he had just had his own run-in with the law last month. If Jordan had gotten into that kind of trouble, then obviously Jon had to be there too. She probably assumed the whole thing had been his idea.
"That—that one was all Jordan," Jon said. He forced a smirk and tried to play it off as a joke. "Check it, while he and Sarah were off getting busted for trespassing—lamest reason to get arrested, by the way—I was off not getting lucky with a girl who was just using me. So, you know…"
The stray memory of Tegan dared to invade his mind. It shouldn't have even still bothered him. He had Candice now. She loved him. She treated him like he mattered. She wouldn't ever just use him.
"You've always had terrible taste in girls?" Jordan offered.
"Shut up!" Jon reached over and pushed his brother.
Jordan flailed over to the side a little, definitely playing it up considering his superpowers—super-balance had to be a power, right?—but Jon appreciated the effort to make their roughhousing feel normal, and even possible, again. The butterflies in his stomach started to die down.
"Wow, I didn't realize I was related to such a lady's man," Nat said dryly.
"Alright, laugh it up. At least I have a girlfriend. I don't exactly see you dating."
Nat shrugged, and she slowed down ever so slightly. Had he pushed too far? It was one thing to tease Jordan—that's what brothers did—but things were different with Nat.
"I'm still adjusting to Smallville—adjusting to this Earth, really," she said. "I've only been here a couple of months. Maybe I'm just not ready to date."
"Sure, sure."
His inter-dimensional half-sister had slid into their lives with such ease that sometimes Jon truly forgot that Nat wasn't from around here—it was almost scary how good he had gotten used to weird lately. But Nat wasn't from this world. She was from one even worse than the Bizarro one—one ravaged by psycho Kryptonians—and led by an evil doppelganger of Jon and Jordan's own father.
Jon had only seen images and video recordings from that world and it had given him nightmares for weeks. Especially the one of Dad's doppelganger murdering Mom's doppelganger—Nat's own mother—on live TV.
How Nat ever slept was a wonder all of its own, never mind how she held any interpersonal relationships. She had no right to be as well adjusted as she was.
"You know," Jon said, his voice cracking momentarily. He couldn't let them see him sweat. He couldn't let them see where the dark thoughts had gone—and he had to test if Nat was angry at him or not. "Jordan had the same excuse about not dating in middle school too. 'Just not ready'."
"Shut up!" Jordan pushed him back, much lighter. Barely a tap. It still nearly knocked Jon off his feet.
Nat chuckled, so it seemed there were no hard feelings. Good. He couldn't take pissing off the one sort of family member that he hadn't completely disappointed.
They cut through another side street then reached the new residency that Nat and her father had moved into a few weeks back. It was attached to an old auto repair garage that John Henry had been converting into his new workshop. Now that he and Nat were living on their own, they finally had a place to build all their new tech and gadgets—far away from Jon's incessant interruptions. Jon was under no illusions as to what he was to John Henry: a child-sized annoyance that the older man had to put up with to stay friendly with the Kents.
"We're going to your house?" Jordan asked once the garage was in sight. His voice went up an octave. "What if your Dad's home? He'll tell our parents."
"Dad's been working out of the DOD all week with your Grandpa," Nat said. "Researching Jon-El's pendant. Looking into ways to destroy it."
The butterflies were back. If they could destroy that pendant—the one that could merge Jon and Jon-El—then Jon-El couldn't hurt him. Jon-El and his deranged cult wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else. Maybe the world wouldn't end. Maybe Jon could afford to have a little hope again.
"Any news on that?" he asked.
Nat looked back at him with a frown. "Sorry."
Hope was for idiots, anyway.
They reached the door of the garage, and Nat entered in a security code. "Dad did mention something about trying to destroy the portal, though. So at least no one else would be able to come through."
That was something. If they could destroy the portal between their worlds then at least no one else would have to worry like Jon did. No one else would be in danger. The idea of everyone being safe almost gave him some peace and comfort. Almost.
"At least you don't have to worry about any of that." Jon couldn't hide the bitterness from his voice. "No chance of a Natalie Lane Irons existing on the Bizarro World, so you're safe. Can't merge if there's no one to merge with."
As much as he cared for his half-sister, he couldn't lie to himself; it wasn't fair that she got to be safe while he was hunted down by a psycho cult—hell, even Jordan's doppelganger supposedly wasn't evil. Jon was the only one in immediate danger.
The security system beeped, and the door opened, but instead of entering Nat turned and looked at him. "Jon, no one here knows what's at stake more than me. I've already lost one world. The last thing I want is to watch this Earth get invaded by a third, crazier Earth."
He was being selfish. Just thinking about himself when Nat had been through her own traumas. Everything with the Bizarro World was probably just bringing back what she had gone through on her own Earth. He should have been more understanding.
"It won't," Jordan said. He reached out for Nat's hand and squeezed.
Since when did Jordan do the comforting?
Jon's brain told him he should say something. An apology. Words of support. Anything. But his mind was blank. It didn't use to be this hard to talk to people. Especially not friends. Why did his thoughts now feel like sifting through molasses?
Before he could figure out what to say, Nat spoke up. "Come on." With the hint of a mischievous smile, she beckoned them through the garage and then into the attached residential area, swearing them to secrecy as they walked through the living room, then again as they entered her bedroom. Whatever she was working on, she acted like it was the kind of top secret stuff that went down at the DOD.
Once satisfied, Nat opened up her closet. Staring back at them was a mechanical exosuit. It was unfinished, with wires sticking out of it, but it was an incredible feat, nonetheless.
"You built your own kill-suit?" Jordan asked as Jon stared at it in amazement.
"It's still very much a work in progress, but the bones are there," Nat said.
Other than the state it was in, it wasn't very different than John Henry's exosuit. Same material, similar design, just sleeker and smaller. When they asked her how she even knew how to do this, she reminded them that she had helped her father build his Steel suit—the exosuit John Henry had used to practically become this world's second Superman, sans superpowers.
John Henry had told them that she had helped him build his suit but the implication of that had never really sunk in. But now with this evidence it was official. Nat was a total badass. How was it possible that they shared DNA with this girl? The coolest thing Jon ever built was a pretty wonky recreation of the Lombardi Trophy that he made in shop class a few years ago—one that Jordan broke during a meltdown, so he didn't even have it anymore.
"It doesn't actually work yet," Nat said. "In order to power the suit I still need the key component, but I can't get it by myself. I need your help digging it out."
So this was what she needed them for? She had something dangerous, and probably dumb, in mind.
Maybe she was a bit like him and Jordan. Her Lane side was showing.
"Okay," Jon said. "Whereto?"
Whereto was the mines. Nat needed X-Kryptonite to power the suit, and the only known place in Smallville—on the planet, really—that had an abundance of unmined X-K was in the Shuster mines.
If Mom and Dad discovered what they were up to today, ditching school would be the least of their problems: sneaking into a mine, looking for the very space rocks that were used to make the drugs Jon used to vape? Getting grounded for life would be getting off easy. But Jon didn't voice the obvious. If this was what Nat needed for her suit, then this was what they had to do. Just because their parents didn't trust them to help out with this world ending shit didn't mean they had to sit around being all useless. If Nat could build a suit that could help in the coming fights, then wasn't it their duty to bring that vision to life?
The walk to the mines took a couple of hours. By the time they arrived, they had worked up a light sweat, even in the brisk, November cold—or at least Jon and Nat had. Jordan never seemed to sweat anymore.
They weren't too far out when they saw the army trucks parked outside the mines and Jon's heart sank. He shouldn't have been surprised. Everyone in town knew that the DOD had taken over the mine after the AmerTek mining company had failed to keep X-Kryptonite contained. At least, that was the excuse the public was told. That was without getting into the fact that AmerTek had been headed by members of the Inverse Society—the version of Jon-El's cult that existed on this Earth—nor that the mining company had uncovered a portal to a bizarre parallel dimension—a Bizarro World—at the center of the mines.
AmerTek had definitely been rotten, but it wasn't like the DOD was much better. Even with Grandpa back in charge, all they did was lie to everyone. No one could ever know the truth.
That's what being in their family was like too. Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie. Lie about what Mom uncovered, and the details of Grandpa's job. Lie about Dad and Jordan. Lie about yourself.
Smallville was never going to trust the DOD, especially after last year when they had put the town under martial law. And for once, Jon agreed with the rest of this town. The DOD sucked.
"Busted," Jordan said with a huff as they caught sight of the trucks. "No way in—and if Grandpa's here—"
"Grandpa's not here," Nat said. "There'd be a bigger detail of cars if the head of the DOD was here." Nat pulled a device out of her bag. "There's more than one way into a mine. Follow me."
They had to walk around the outer perimeter of the mines, and watch out for patrols, but after a couple of minutes Nat brought them to a shaft with a rickety-looking ladder. "Who's first?"
Jon and Jordan exchanged glances.
"Wimps," she teased with a smile before descending the ladder.
Jon shrugged. No time like the present. He took a step forward to follow his half-sister down into the mines. If she wasn't scared, then why should they be?
Before he could reach the ladder, Jordan grabbed his arm. "Hey." Jordan lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "Do you think it's safe for you to go in there?"
Jon couldn't believe this. He knew his brother didn't exactly trust him anymore but what kind of trouble did Jordan possibly think he could get into here?
"What do you think I'm gonna do, smash up some crystals and try to snort them?" Jon sneered.
It wasn't like X-K, in its pure form, was actually dangerous. They were just shiny, weird-looking, yellow crystals. It took serious refining and pharmaceutical knowledge in order to turn those crystals into a drug that could be inhaled and grant people superpowers. It would probably take some serious engineering knowledge to tap into them as an energy source to power an armored suit too.
Jordan stared at him blankly. "I meant... cause the tunnels... they could be unstable... I meant physically safe… for either of you… you or Nat."
"Oh." Jon could feel the heat rushing to his face as his stomach twisted into knots again. He should have kept his mouth shut. Why didn't he just keep his mouth shut?
"Jon are you—"
"I'm fine…" Jon said hastily, before Jordan could dwell on it. Jordan always turned everything into so much bigger of a deal than it needed to be. "Look, if anything happens, I'm sure you'll protect us, Superboy." Jon forced a smile, then descended down the ladder before Jordan could say another word.
The bottom of the ladder led to a winding passage. It was a tight squeeze at first, but eventually it opened up to a wider tunnel where they could all move side-by-side. Nat had a map and some sort of scanner, plus she had been inside the mines a little while back, helping her dad collect X-K for his suit, so she seemed to know her way around. This was her scheme, after all. Her half-brothers were just backup to keep her safe and do the heavy lifting. The muscle.
As they walked the long tunnels, dirt and gravel beneath their feet crunched with each step. Jon's body aches spread to his feet. They hadn't even reached the X-K yet; they still had a whole excavation project, and then another walk back home later on. Had he really gotten this out of shape since he lost football? Was he really that pathetic?
Jon's nose crinkled. The air was stiff. Dusty. It stank of rotten eggs. "God, it's worse than Mom's cooking in here," he muttered.
"Don't exaggerate," Jordan said, and Jon's heart sank. His brother didn't even want to rag on Mom's cooking with him anymore? But after a beat, Jordan added. "There's nothing as bad as Mom's cooking."
Jon looked back at his brother while the words registered, and then a smile cracked on his lips as they both broke out into a fit of giggles. It was the first time Jon had laughed in… God, he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed. Not in a real, heartfelt way, at least.
"Hey, jerks, stop picking on your mom and keep up," Nat said from further up the tunnel. She waved her scanner around as it beeped.
The twins both tried to stifle their laughter, and Jon gave Jordan a slight push before they jogged ahead to catch up with her.
"That smell is probably just sulfur," she explained. "Don't worry, I've got my scanner rigged to alert us if it reaches toxic levels."
"And that's when we really better watch out." Jon smirked. "That's when the demons will get you." He took a fake lunge at Jordan who jumped in fright. Jon couldn't help but laugh again. Jordan was just too easy.
Jordan composed himself and shoved Jon back. "Jerk." His tone was still light, though.
"Baby." Jon pushed the taunting just a little further. He always kept pushing and pushing—sometimes until Jordan snapped. Why? He wasn't quite sure. Just couldn't help it. Didn't know how to keep his mouth shut, Mom always said.
Nat stopped and turned back at them. With only their flashlights, it was hard to make out her eyes. Was it a glare? An eye-roll? Were those brows furrowed? "Jordan, don't let him scare you. There's no such thing as demons." Nat turned back around, continuing back down the path. "Machete-wielding psychopaths, though…" She turned a corner.
Jordan glanced over at Jon, his eyes wide in terror. Jon bursted out in laughter once more as his brother ran after her. Jon jogged behind while Jordan begged Nat to tell him if she was just messing with him or not, all the while pushing away a little nagging thought.
There might not be any demons in these tunnels, nor psychopaths straight out of a slasher film, but there were definitely monsters.
The portal to the Bizarro World wasn't far. That was where Jon-El came through. He had flown through these tunnels—maybe even the same ones they were walking through now. Any day now more people from the Bizarro World could follow suit.
Could the soldiers guarding the portal really stop them?
No.
Nothing could stop what was coming.
It took a while, and they had to walk through several twisting passageways, but eventually Nat led them toward an opening at the end of a tunnel: a large, spacious cavern. The cave roof was several yards above their heads—so high that even with their flashlights pointed at it, they could barely make out the top.
In the center of the cavern was a rock formation. Throughout it shined yellow patches of glowing crystals. X-K. The entire rock had X-K buried just beneath it.
"Let's get to work," Nat said with a smile.
Jon followed his brother and half-sister toward the formation. With every step, his aches lessened. The excitement was getting to him. As soon as they got this X-K—and Nat got it home and applied it to her suit—they would have another weapon in the coming battle. He didn't have hope—no, that was still for suckers, but this was something to make tomorrow not seem so dreadful.
"I feel kind of funny," Jordan said as he approached the rock.
"I'm not surprised." Nat offered Jon some mining tools while she began to scan the wall. "X-K is basically a power-up for you Kryptonians. You're probably feeling stronger. More energized."
A tingle went down Jon's spine and his knees suddenly felt very weak. No, that couldn't be why his aches were going away. He was clean. And he wasn't Kryptonian—he wasn't like Jordan. This was just excitement.
"But—it's not like I'm vaping it or anything." Jordan took a step away from the rock, his usual rosy cheeks turning an even deeper shade of crimson.
"I don't think it matters. Kryptonite—the rock—hurts your dad just by being near it, right? So X-K—real, pure, crystallized X-K—should logically work the same way, even without getting refined into a gas. No inhalation needed."
Maybe it was affecting Jordan differently—but just him. He was the Kryptonian one. He was the one with powers. It couldn't be affecting Jon. It just couldn't. Kryptonite hadn't affected Jon when he had been exposed last year, so there was no way that X-K could—not in this form, at least.
X-K crystals didn't affect humans. They just didn't. And Jon was human.
Wasn't he?
Jordan lowered his hammer. "I don't… I don't want to be on X-K, Nat. This stuff messes with you. What if I go all psycho? You didn't see Jon—" Jordan's eyes cast over to him.
Whatever he was or wasn't—human or Kryptonian— it didn't really matter. It wouldn't change that look of disgust in Jordan's eyes—the same look his parents had every day now. Jon lowered his head. He didn't need to see that face. He had it memorized. He saw it every time he closed his eyes.
"I mean—I didn't mean that Jon. You know I don't—"
"Whatever." Jon wasn't about to hash this out with them. He knew what he was—what he had done. Talking about it wasn't going to change things. "We doing this or not?"
The silence was deafening, but Jon didn't dare spare a glance at either of his siblings.
Finally, Nat spoke up. "Jordan, I don't think X-K would have the same side effects on you—at least not in this form. I wouldn't suggest you go inhaling the manufactured kind, but this is just a naturally occurring effect of the rocks. Kind of like how the different weaponized forms of kryptonite can have different effects on you too."
The memory of Jordan's Kryptonite sickness last year crept into Jon's brain—of his brother shivering and gasping for air as his lungs froze over. Yeah, the chemical versions of the Kryptonite were definitely worse. Made sense that the chemical version of X-K would be too.
What was Jon thinking trying that shit? How could he have put that into his lungs after he saw what regular kryptonite had done to his dad and brother? Was he just the world's biggest idiot?
"If you really don't want to do this, we don't have to," Nat said. "I guess… I guess we could head back…"
"No…" Jordan sighed heavily. "You're probably right. Besides, I don't feel, like, bad or anything. Just, I don't know. Energized?"
That was the same feeling Jon had. Same feeling he had when he took his first hit of X-K too, just not as intense.
Maybe this was a bad idea—maybe that thought should have occurred to them before they ever stepped foot into the soldier-guarded mine full of space minerals and a portal to a world ruled by an evil cult that wanted to destroy this world.
But they needed Nat's suit. Which meant they needed the X-K.
"Look, Jordan," Jon finally spoke, his voice cracking. He cringed. Did Jordan and Nat notice? "If—if you, like, start feeling agitated or something, or, like, start acting weird, we'll leave. Okay?"
Was he acting weird? Would Jordan and Nat pull him out? Or would his junkie-ass backsliding just be collateral damage?
Jordan gave him a short nod. "Okay… you okay?" he asked. "It's not affecting you or anything?"
Jon's extremities went numb, and his legs wobbled. Did Jordan know? How did Jordan know? Instead of answering, Jon stared at his brother.
"Jon… you okay?" Nat asked.
Her voice knocked him to his senses. "Yeah," he choked out. "Fine… I'm fine. No, I'm not affected. I'm not like Jordan—I'm the human one, remember?"
"Right," Jordan said, but something in his voice told Jon that he was suspicious.
Jon lifted up his hammer and smashed it into the rock. Anything was better than continuing this conversation.
It turns out that cutting X-K out of a rock formation was hard work, no matter what effect X-K was or wasn't having on Jon. Jordan did try using his superstrength to pry the X-K out, but he disintegrated the fragments too much, and had to resort to the mining tools like the rest of them. There would be no cheating with superpowers today.
It didn't take long into the excavation for sweat to start pooling down Jon's face. Each time he looked over at his brother, however, Jordan seemed fine. Must be nice to have super-stamina.
"Take a break," Nat said, offering Jon a water bottle.
Beside him, Jordan kept hammering into rock. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. He didn't need a break. Superboy never needed a break.
Jon shook her off. "I'm good." She was building the suit. The least he could do was the labor. He wiped some sweat off his brow, then went back to hammering.
Ding-ding. Ding-ding. Ding-ding. His hammering became almost rhythmic next to Jordan's. Nat put her hand on his forearm before he could strike again.
"No, you're exhausted," she said. "Take. A. Break."
Jon gave her an exaggerated sigh, not appreciating how much Nat was suddenly taking after Mom, but he took the water. Just a sip, and then he'd get back to work. But as soon as the water touched his lips, he couldn't help but gulp down more and more. His lips screamed for hydration. He hadn't realized how thirsty he had gotten.
When he lowered the bottle, he discovered it half empty. Hopefully she had brought more than one. "Thanks," he muttered.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Jordan was still hammering away. It looked like he had finally broken off a piece of the rock wall, and was starting work on an actual shard of X-K.
"What's with the macho crap?" Nat asked.
"Pff." It wasn't macho crap. He was just trying to not make a fuss. All he had done lately was make everyone's life harder. For once, he just wanted to be helpful.
"Jon… come on, talk to me. What's going on with you?" She was giving him that same look she had on at school, what with the wrinkled brows and pursed lips.
What was with the face? It wasn't like he had even said anything this time. Why did just existing upset people so much?
All of a sudden the cavern got quiet. No more dings from a hammer hitting rock. Jon looked over his shoulder at his brother, who had stopped working to just stare.
"Something something picture. Something something last longer." Jon sneered.
"And you say I'm the one who's not funny." But there was no heat behind Jordan's words.
It'd be easier if Jordan had been pissed. If he got angry, then Jon could fight back. Then Jon wouldn't be the ass for picking up his tools and finding a different section of the formation, further away from Jordan, to work. But Jordan had to be all calm right now.
It was like the Bizarro World up in here.
"Break's over," Jon muttered. He smashed his hammer as hard as he could. Ding. Ding. Ding. It was the only sound echoing in the cavern.
"Jon."
He ignored them and smashed more. And more, and more. Until finally some of the rocky exterior guarding the X-K broke off, leaving only the inside crystals.
Now exposed, the X-K seemed to glow even brighter. He switched to a chisel to try to loosen the shard, but as his hand got closer to the X-K, it felt warm, as if it was underneath a sunbeam. He touched the rock for a moment, feeling a light vibration humming through his fingers. It brought a smile to his face.
This wasn't right. This wasn't normal. He wasn't like Jordan. He shouldn't feel like this.
The smile dropped off his face.
Checking quickly to see if Nat or Jordan were watching him, Jon leaned in close to the X-K and grasped it with his hand. Then he tried to pull. If it was really having some sort of effect on him then he should be able to break it free, right? He should have super strength or some shit. He tugged and strained, and tried to wiggle it loose, but it wouldn't bulge. Nothing.
He wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed but whatever was going on with him, it wasn't X-K. He lifted the chisel back up and got to work. He was just as ordinary, and useless, as ever.
Hours went by, but all they got out of that damn rock was a few shards. What they had wouldn't be enough. And their time was running short. They would need to leave the mine soon if they wanted to make it back home before Mom, Dad, or John Henry noticed that they were missing.
All this work, and so little to show for it.
"I have an idea," Jordan said, after they realized they needed a Hail Mary in order for the day to not be a complete bust. "Step back."
His punching the rock idea hadn't exactly gone in their favor, but they were desperate. Jon and Nat backed away from the rock formation.
Red lasers shot from Jordan's eyes. Heat vision. The lasers ran across the rock formation, cutting out a healthy chunk.
Jon smiled. Lucky bastard's powers made everything so easy. At least they wouldn't have to keep mining.
He had had a taste of that while on X-K, but it wasn't real. It was distorted. Tainted. The X-K had felt great at first, but eventually it had started messing with his head. He knew that now—hell, he knew that the minute he tried to use those damn powers against Jordan during that stupid fight in the locker room. He hadn't been right in the head.
But real powers? He still had to wonder what the real thing was like.
It just wasn't fair. Maybe this was his penance for being the bad son; watching Jordan become the hero while he sat back like the useless dead weight that he was. Still, that didn't make it any easier.
Suddenly, X-K in the rock lit up like yellow Christmas lights. It shined everywhere, even where they hadn't seen any X-K before.
Then the cavern shook.
"Um, guys," Nat said.
Small rocks fell all around them. First pebbles, but then bigger and bigger.
"It's gonna cave in," Jon realized. "Run!" He turned around and dashed for the exit—for the passageway that they had entered this cavern through. As they ran, the rocks falling beside them were getting larger and larger. The cavern shook more and more.
They weren't going to make it.
There were too many rocks falling in their path. If they stepped any closer, surely they'd be crushed. But if they stayed here, they'd be smashed up anyway.
There was no solution. They were dead either way.
So this is how he died? After all he had survived, all the near misses, he'd finally get taken out by a bunch of rocks. Crushed to death—and while doing something stupid, too.
It was eerily similar to how he almost died last fall—the first time he was almost killed in this goddamn town. Back when he still had no idea who—or what—Dad really was. The rocks falling all around them were just like those damn pipes that came crashing down on Jon and Jordan during their accident at Grandma's funeral. Pipes that should have shattered their bones on impact. Pipes that only hadn't killed him because Jordan had covered Jon with his own body, saving them both with then undiscovered superstrength.
The truth was Jon should have died a year ago. He'd been living on borrowed time.
Rocks continued to tumble. They were getting bigger and bigger, but luckily the only pieces that had sprinkled onto his head so far were pebble-sized. His luck wouldn't last for long, though.
It was only a matter of time before the big stuff hit. Only a matter of time before he was dead—and Nat too. But not Jordan. He'd survive. He'd wake up, dig himself out from underneath the rocks, maybe even find their bodies. But Jordan would live.
Jon's mind flashed back to another night when he almost died: when Tal-Rho had sent his mind-controlled Subjekts after him and Mom. Jordan's heat vision gave off the exact same burning smell that X-K-fueled Mrs. Phans' had when she had shot off a blast at Mom's head. Or had it been Jon's head? He couldn't really remember anymore. All he could remember was diving for Mom, pulling her into his arms—as if he could actually protect her from anything—and hitting the deck. And the flames. And the way Mrs. Phans' eyes glowed as she powered up for a second shot.
Then there was when mind-controlled Mr. Cushing grabbed him—grabbed him by the neck. His eyes had had that same glow. They grew brighter and sharper as Mr. Cushing told Mom that he wasn't just going to kill her—he was going to make her suffer first.
He was going to make her watch Jon die.
Dad had arrived in the nick of time—just like in the RV incident. Just like he always did. But it didn't stop the nightmares from haunting him for weeks.
That entire night had been an ordeal, but what stuck out the most right now was the words Jordan had said after they told him about it.
It'd suck to come home and find out I was an only child.
He had said it like it was a joke, but Jordan had no idea how close that almost came to being his reality. And now, it really was going to happen. Jordan was going to wake up underneath all this rubble and find out he was alone.
Who was going to protect Jordan if Jon was gone?
Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around Jon. Wind whipped at his face as he was hit with a wave of vertigo. And then he was no longer in the cavern. Neither was Nat. Smashing rocks echoed behind them, but the tunnel they were now in seemed stable. Jon looked over at his brother who was panting. Nat let out a laugh.
They had survived. Against all odds, Jon had survived again.
A/N: I would like to thank DisatrousDaisy for beta reading this chapter for me, as well as SarahSharpe1231 for suggesting this incredible chapter name, lmao.