CampingSummary: Superman & Lois Pre-series. How did Jordan and Jon first meet Superman? Probably not how most would imagine. AU. Different childhood.
A/N: This fic will venture off from canon fairly quickly, so hold on.
_______________
Chapter 1: HurtJon was excited. They had made it to the cabin! After weeks and weeks of being told they would go that summer, they were finally there!
They’d hike, fish, make s’mores, stargaze, and play in the lake. He could hardly wait!
He glanced over at Jordan as they unpacked their things. Jordan wasn’t as enthused, but he was excited about stargazing and making a campfire. Jon also knew he’d like to bug hunt and play hide and seek with him at some point. And maybe they’d be able to make a fort if they could find enough sticks in the area?
“When will dad be back, you think?” Jon asked.
Lois looked up from organizing a few things in the little side kitchen. “It’s hard to say. He’ll have to drive to the nearby town’s grocery store, and, if they’re closed already, he’ll have to pick up what’s available at the gas station. He’ll also need to carry it all from the parking lot to here, so it’ll be a while. It’ll likely be after we’re asleep.”
Jon nodded. He still didn’t understand how they had forgotten to pick up the box of food they had packed for that week. Fortunately, they had remembered to get the cooler into the stationwagon and the cabin had a few canned foods from what his mom had said.
Jordan sighed. “I wanted to make a campfire.”
“We still can, sweetie. We can still do a few things before we head to bed, even without Dad, okay?”
Jordan nodded, relaxing a bit. “Like eat s’mores?”
“Yes, of course!” she promised. “Now why don't you two play a game while I get the fire ready?”
Jon grinned, really glad the ingredients for the s’mores had not been in the forgotten box.
“Okay, Mom,” Jordan agreed before looking at Jon.
“Hide and seek?” Jon offered.
“Yeah!” Jordan agreed.
Time sped on for Jon, and before he knew it, he and Jordan were back inside the cabin while their mom put out the campfire overlooking the lake by the back porch.
“Come on, Jordan, mom said it was time for bed,” Jon said, grabbing his PJ’s.
“Wait, I thought I heard something,” Jordan said.
They heard a door close.
The cabin’s front door.
“Dad!” Jordan gasped, hurrying out. Jon immediately followed.
They entered the living room that extended to the entryway, but suddenly froze as their eyes fell on the form standing beyond the couch and before the front door.
“Superman?!” Jon shouted, astounded.
What was Superman doing there?! Did he need their mom? He knew she wrote articles about him sometimes, but. . . .
Jon felt this was way more serious than something for a story.
Superman was standing on the entry mat, his eyes wide in surprise with his arm braced firmly against his side. He was out of breath and looked both bigger and smaller than Jon had expected. His boots and cape were as red and bright as they were on television, but there was a black mark on the flowing fabric by his braced elbow.
"Wha–?" Superman blinked at them, before grimacing.
He then crumpled, landing in a kneeling position with a pain-filled gasp, his arm still tight against his side.
"Superman!" Jon rushed forward as Jordan ran to the back door.
"Mom! Mom! Come quick!" The back door slammed open.
Jon couldn't believe what he was seeing, and at first he questioned if this man was really Superman, but he had the same build, the same uniform, the same hair and face. He had to be Superman, because who else could he be?
Jon swallowed as Superman looked up at him in a daze. And in pain.
"Superman?" Jon asked, tentatively placing his hands on the cape covered shoulder.
He was hurt. Superman was hurt! How could he be hurt?! Wasn’t he invulnerable? Though . . . wasn’t there some weird rock or something that could make him sick?
Jordan and their mom rushed into the room.
"C–Superman?! What happened? Are you okay?" Lois asked.
Jon sagged with relief and moved aside as Lois knelt in front of the Man of Steel.
"I– I'm sorry, I didn't realize–" He flinched and gasped before forcing himself to slowly exhale. "I just need to rest."
Jon pressed his hands together to keep them from shaking. He shared a look with Jordan who looked startlingly ill. This was really happening.
"Here, let's get you to the couch." Lois went forward and wrapped her arms around Superman and heaved him up to his feet, carefully doing her best not to agitate his obviously injured side.
"T-thanks, Ms. Lane." They made it to the couch, and Jon could only gap as his mom helped him sit down before kneeling in front of him, running her hands over him, as if searching for something.
"Now, what happened? What hurt you? Do you have any of it still on you?" she questioned him.
How could their mom be so calm?! How did she know what to do? Has Superman come to her before? And she was touching him as if it was no big deal!
"Energy weapon. I think it was kryptonite based, but just the power of it. I . . . I wouldn't have come if there was any—" Superman swallowed and glanced at Jon and Jordan who were beside the coffee table, behind their mom.
Jon straightened his back, trying not to look as scared as he felt. He had to be brave.
"How bad is it?" Lois asked, her voice low.
"I d-don't know. I sort of expected it to be . . . getting better by now," Superman explained.
"But it's not?"
"No."
It wasn’t getting better? Did this sort of thing happen often?
"Boys, head to bed. I'll be back in a bit to tuck you two in," she said, glancing at them.
"But mom–!" Jordan complained as Jon cut in as well.
"We can help, please!" Jon said.
She couldn’t send them away! That would be totally unfair! They could help!
Their mom looked back at Superman. Jon wondered if there was silent communication happening.
"Fine, you can help, but do exactly what I say and when I say to leave, you leave, got it?" she said, her eyes piercing into him and Jordan.
Jon knew this was an example of what their grandma called 'picking your battles'. He would gladly take it!
They nodded obediently.
"Jordan, bring me a large blanket. Jon, there should be a first aid kit under the kitchen sink. Go get it," Lois stated.
Jon and Jordan hurried off and returned as quickly as they could.
Jordan nervously held out the blanket to their mom as Jon set the first aid kit on the coffee table. They then scuttled back out of the way, but stayed as close as they could to watch.
She took the blanket and quickly draped it around him so it covered his back and shoulders. She then positioned it further so it went around and covered his legs as well.
Was Superman cold?
"Okay," Lois said expectantly.
Superman closed his eyes and tapped the center of his belt with his free hand, his other arm still braced on the side that had somehow been injured. A moment later, the top half of his uniform, along with his cape, seemed to turn into a fluid and flowed down into his belt.
Jordan startled beside Jon as they both watched in awe.
"Whoa," Jordan breathed, astonished.
"Wow! That was
so cool!" Jon exclaimed, before their eyes settled on the strange discoloration mostly blocked by Superman’s arm.
"You need to move your arm away and turn a bit," Lois softly directed.
Superman winced as he obliged, fully revealing his chest and side to them.
Their mom gasped and Jon couldn't stop from declaring the first word that came to his mind. "
Ow!"
“Yeah, that’s pretty much a perfect sum up,” Lois agreed with a grimace.
Red and purple painted his whole side, but that was merely the backdrop. Overlaying all of it was a starburst of pale gray edged with an intense, hot yellow.
"Did anyone at the DoD check you over?" she asked.
"No," Superman whispered, an odd wheeze in his voice.
Lois frowned and Jon knew she hadn't liked that answer.
"We'll try to ice it for a bit, okay?" she proposed.
"Okay." Superman actually sounded resigned.
"I know you don't like the cold, but it'll help with the pain," Lois explained. "Jon, go get some ice. Jordan, some plastic bags and towels."
They dashed off again.
Jon scooped ice from the freezer chest with a large plastic cup, all while his ears strained to hear anything from the living room.
There was a grunt and some shuffling. His mom then said something he couldn't hear, but he made out Superman's next words.
“--orry. If I knew they were up, I’d have gone to my mom’s,” Superman whispered.
Superman had a mom?!
Jon mentally kicked himself. Of course Superman had a mom! Everyone did. And didn’t his mom make his uniform? But wasn’t he alone? The last Kryptonian?
“Shh, it’s fine,” Lois said as he and Jordan returned.
Superman was now laying down, his injured side closest to the edge of the couch. His boots were at the end on the floor, and the blanket was tucked around his legs and covering his feet and loosely draped over his chest and side.
"Here, mom," they said, holding out what she had requested.
"Thank you, boys," she said, pouring the cup of ice into the bag and gently placing the towel over Superman's side. She then gently set the bag of ice on it.
Superman inhaled sharply at the weight but settled soon after. Lois put her hand over his wrist in silent support.
"We'll wait fifteen minutes," she said.
Superman nodded, glancing at Jon and Jordan.
"I'm sure I just need some rest," he said softly, trying to sound reassuring. “Sorry, boys, for disrupting . . . your camping trip. I know this is . . . a bit of a surprise.”
“It’s okay!” Jon hurried to say as Jordan nodded in agreement.
"Did you catch the guy?" Lois asked.
"Yeah. Dropped him off at the DoD." He paused for a moment, catching his breath. "I really thought it had just grazed me, but I guess not."
“So the DoD has the weapon?” she asked.
“Yeah, what’s left of it anyway.” He swallowed. “I crushed it during the fight.”
“Good.”
Jon wholeheartedly agreed. If that weapon could do this to Superman, what could it do to a normal person?
Superman took a deep breath, failing to hide a wince as his eyebrows suddenly rose with interest. “S’mores?” he asked.
“Yeah, we ate some earlier! How did you know?” Jon asked, excited.
“I can smell it,” Superman said with a smile.
“Super-smell?!” Jordan and Jon asked at once.
“I don’t use it often, but if I catch . . . a scent I like–” He grimaced again before giving a few panting breaths. He closed his eyes.
Lois lifted the ice and towel to look at his side again. Jon tried not to make it too obvious he was looking too.
The wound still looked really gnarly.
“I think you might have at least one cracked rib,” she stated.
“I think you’re right,” he wheezed.
“Should I call the DoD?” she asked gravely.
Superman’s eyes widened. “No. No, it’s not that bad.”
Why did Superman not want Mom to call the DoD? Who was the DoD anyway? They had mentioned them several times so they must be important.
“You’re not healing,” she countered, before glancing at Jon and Jordan. She pursed her lips. “Okay, if you get worse or don’t heal when the sun comes up, I’m calling the DoD.”
Superman nodded, and Jon was amazed by how his mom just dictated stuff to Superman and how, more astonishingly, Superman was fine with it!
Lois sighed, resigned as Superman closed his eyes. “If this were home, I’d dig out the sunlamp we have.”
“A sunlamp?” Jordan asked, straightening beside Jon.
“Oh yeah, you get energy from the sun, right?” Jon asked.
Superman nodded.
“A sunlamp isn’t as good, but it’d still probably help," Lois said.
“Uh, I think I saw one here in the hall closet?” Jordan said, glancing uncertainly at Superman who had opened his eyes again.
“There is?! I’ll be right back,” Lois declared.
O o O
Comments
