Chapter 2: Heritage

Jon and Jordan joined their father out on the front porch, trying not to feel too silly about wearing winter jackets when the morning was pleasantly warm. Lois stepped out last, happy.

“Ready?” Clark asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Jordan said, though he looked confused.

“Are you . . . I mean, are you going to fly us there like that?” Jon asked before blushing. “I mean. . . .”

Lois smiled. “He doesn’t need his uniform to fly.”

“Oh. I mean, of course he doesn’t. I, uh, nevermind,” Jon said as Jordan bumped his shoulder teasingly.

“Do you want me to wear it?” Clark asked, a little amused.

“Uh. I was just curious,” Jon admitted.

Clark chuckled. “One moment,” he said, before disappearing and reappearing in a blink, his cape settling behind him.

“Whoa.” Jordan and Jon both gaped.

“I know it’s a little weird at first, but you’ll get used to it,” Lois said before looking at Clark. “Back before dinner?”

He nodded as he stepped between Jon and Jordan. “Hold on,” Superman said, wrapping an arm around each of them. He then beamed at Lois and shot up a moment later.

They flew through the sky faster than either had imagined possible, and the strangest part was the lack of nausea. Instead, a comfortable sensation settled around them, buffering them against the wind and acceleration, allowing them to see the world pass by without discomfort.

And then they landed in what their father appropriately called: the Fortress of Solitude.

Jon and Jordan looked around in wonder.

"This makes all those snow forts we made as little kids look like frozen ant hills," Jon said.

"Did you make this?" Jordan asked.

"No. This did," Clark said, holding out a red shard.

"What is that?" Jordan asked.

"It’s a sunstone crystal. Think of it as a computer drive that contains the entire history of Krypton. It also holds the AI of my father and is capable of creating and programming other crystals if given the correct resources," Clark said, walking deeper into the ice structure.

"Sounds like magic," Jordan commented.

Clark chuckled. "Well, it's true what they say, 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'.

"And we'll get to learn about it all?" Jon asked, growing excited at the thought.

"Yes, but you'll first need to have a good grasp on math and science."

Jon nodded slowly, frowning slightly as he thought about his most recent math scores.

Clark led them further in. "After my dad died, I felt pretty lost. I had a lot of questions about who I was, why I could do the things I could do. So I came here, found my answer." He plugged the sunstone crystal into the side of a lone podium in the middle of the chamber.

Suddenly, a blue, translucent man with graying hair appeared.

"This is your grandfather, Jor-El," Clark said proudly. "Father, this is Jonathan and Jordan."

"You brought your sons to me. Why?" the man asked.

"Because, unlike we thought, Father, at least one of them is manifesting abilities," Clark stated, gripping both of their shoulders. "I'd like you to scan them again and compare the results to the last scan."

"Very well, Kal-El, though you do understand it's unlikely anything has substantially changed," Jor-El said.

"Whether it has or not, I'm going to start their Kryptonian education. It's time they begin learning about this part of their heritage," Clark stated.

"If that is your wish," Jor-El said before looking at Jon and Jordan appraisingly. "Jonathan, please step forward here so I may scan you."

Jon did as instructed and soon after Jordan was scanned as well.

"It will take me an hour to analyze the results," Jor-El said.

Clark nodded and happily guided his sons back to the podium. "That's fine, we can start our first lesson." He pressed something on the ice surface and a holographic image of an elaborate city appeared. It was soon joined by Jor-El's voice.

"Your family history begins in Krypton’s second-largest city, Kryptonopolis."

Jon and Jordan stared in wonder.

The hour passed faster than any of them had expected and soon they were in front of Jor-El once more.

"I have completed my analysis. Compared to the first scan taken when they were three months old, there is an insignificant difference of photo-nucleic effect in both Jordan and Jonathan's current scans," Jor-El stated.

"Insignificant? How can that be? Whatever amount there is, it allowed them to survive several thousand pounds of metal poles landing on them," Clark pointed out.

"Their cells can only store minimal amounts of energy from the Sun. And while Jordan's cells appear to have slightly more than Jonathan's, the difference very well may be variance in the measurement collection and not actually present," Jor-El calmly said.

"We will test them again in a few months. I was four years old before any of my abilities began manifesting. Perhaps it is only a matter of time," Clark decided.

Jon and Jordan looked at each other in surprise before reflecting on what it could mean for them. Jor-El went on.

"We can, of course, though I believe there is no reason to do so. This has been a random occurrence. They’ll never have enough power to produce abilities on command. Their human DNA is just too limiting. I know–"

"Don't ever say their human DNA is limiting," Clark stated, cutting him off with a surprising amount of bite.

Jon and Jordan's eyes shot to their father in surprise. It was rare to hear him angry. Actually angry.

"I apologize, Kal-El," Jor-El said, briefly glancing at the twins before resuming. "As I have told you before, their existence is unprecedented. I am merely sharing my observations and conclusions."

"You had once said Kryptonians and Humans were incompatible," Clark pointed out.

"I did," Jor-El agreed simply.

"So you could have an incomplete picture here, like you had before," Clark supplied.

"That is possible, but the change in their photo-nucleic energy levels from the time they were infants to now is less than five percent, and two percent of that could be in the measuring variance. I simply do not want to misguide you into thinking that they will eventually become like you when it is highly likely that they will not," Jor-El said gently.

Clark shook his head. "I just want us to know as much as we can so we are better prepared for the future. If they develop powers, they'll be better prepared than I was and if they don't we at least know how different they are from humans."

Jon blinked and thought of something. "Uh, Dad, could I ask something?"

Clark quickly looked at him, grateful for the interruption. "Sure, bud. What is it?"

"Would energy have been used up in protecting us from the poles? Could we just be empty right now or something?" Jon asked.

Jor-El looked thoughtful. "That is possible, but the fact remains that there is very little difference in your cellular structures from when you were infants to today. And if you are, as you say, 'empty' right now, it would mean you require more exposure to the sun than your father to 'recharge'."

"Alright, so we will just check again in a few months and keep an eye on things. Boys, please let me know if you feel any different or if anything odd begins happening with your eyes or ears. Some powers are very uncomfortable when they first appear, at least they were for me, and they can get out of control."

"Really? What happened to you?" Jordan asked.

"Well, hearing, for example. That took me out of commission for a couple weeks. Hearing everything and not knowing how to block it. . . . It was really rough, let me tell you. Every power comes with its own burden and responsibilities. So, if either of you do end up developing any, remember that."

Jon and Jordan frowned.

"So superhearing hurts?" Jordan asked.

"And it took you out for weeks?" Jon asked, stunned.

"I was eight or so, and yeah, it hurt," Clark admitted. "That's why I want us watching this. I don't want either of you blindsided like I was."

Jon and Jordan nodded in serious agreement while realizing powers were not just cool things their dad could do.

O o O

They returned home later that afternoon and quickly updated Lois on everything they had learned, though Clark stepped out to handle some Superman business in the middle.

"It was really cool, Mom," Jordan said.

"Yeah, though Dad got upset with Jor-El for a moment," Jon commented.

"Oh?" she asked, though she didn't seem as surprised as they had expected.

"Jor-El said Human DNA is limiting," Jordan answered. "Dad didn't like that."

"Ah. Yeah. If you didn't already notice, Jor-El can be a bit . . . insensitive at times in regard to certain things. Your dad thinks it's a side effect of knowing so much and such on top of being an AI. Your dad also admitted to me that he thinks most Kryptonians had a superiority complex, which makes sense. They had extremely powerful and versatile technology, understood illness and disease to such a degree it was pretty much non-existent, and they had a grasp of science that makes our understanding look like an infant's. And they were using and expanding on that knowledge for several millennia before the end. All of that would make any race conceited and over confident.

"Unfortunately, it was this that led to Krypton only having one survivor: your father," Lois explained sadly.

Jon and Jordan glanced at each other, their eyes wide.

"That . . . explains a lot," Jon whispered.

"What do you mean?" Lois asked.

"I mean, Dad is always saying not to get too proud, not to get cocky," Jon explained.

"That's more because of how he was raised by your grandparents, but I imagine you're right that learning about what had happened to Krypton and why reinforced that," Lois agreed before they heard Clark land in the back.

Soon after, he walked into the kitchen, though he was more serious than before. "Your dad's coming up the driveway."

"That’s not good. Boys–" Lois began.

"We'll go out back," Jon quickly offered, knowing when his mom wanted them to make themselves scarce. And really, he wasn't too keen on their grandfather seeing them at the moment.

How much did he know? Knowing their granddad, he'd be able to tell something was up the moment he saw them. He didn't want to blow the secret right out of the gate.

They went out the back and headed into the fields to just chill. They had a lot to talk about anyway.

O o O

Sam knocked on the door and Clark answered it a blink after.

"Boys in town?" Sam asked. He did not want to risk them overhearing.

"They're out," Clark confirmed.

"Good." He followed Clark into the kitchen and opened his laptop as Lois came in. He got straight into it. "Had my team analyze security camera footage from both nuclear plants where the ruptures occurred, and this is the only commonality. Whatever did this, it’s moving fast." He clicked a few buttons, opening a different file and showing them. "That’s not all. We also discovered a sub-microscopic etching at both sites. Thought maybe it was a fingerprint at first. It wasn’t."

Clark leaned forward. "It’s Kryptonian. It says, 'You are not a hero, Kal-El.'" He shook his head. "Whoever did this knows a lot about me."

"He’s studying you, Clark. Now, I’m sure there’s a phone booth in this Podunk town where you can suit up," Sam advised.

"Now? No," Lois interrupted.

"Lois." Sam tried not to appear frustrated.

"I get it. There is a powerful something out there that doesn’t like Superman or nuclear power plants, and that is a bad combo. But now is not a moment Clark can just take off. His mom just died and there's a lot to figure out," Lois declared. She looked at Clark.

"She’s right, Sam," Clark said. "If there's an issue, you know how to call me, but right now, I need to be here. If you want me to be focused and such as Superman, I need to know things here are set."

Sam blinked. Push back was typical, but this was . . . odd.

"What’s going on?" Sam asked suspiciously.

Lois looked at Clark again before talking. Clark swallowed.

Sam mentally shook his head. For someone called the Man of Steel, he really wore his heart on his sleeve and made himself needlessly vulnerable.

"We learned some odd things concerning the mortgage and the bank. We need to look into it and make some decisions before we return to Metropolis," Lois said, stepping beside Clark and allowing him to wrap an arm around her.

Sam frowned. He doubted that was all, but he supposed Clark was right. If he wanted Superman at his best, he couldn't be distracted.

"Alright. Hopefully, this guy doesn't do anything more serious in the meantime. I hope you get whatever is going on squared away," Sam said, packing the laptop back up.

"Thanks, Sam," Clark said.

Sam nodded and headed out without a word.

O o O

"All my memories, my childhood, my parents. . . . They’re all here," Clark said as he flipped a chicken breast on the stove in their kitchen less than an hour after Sam had left. "Why would my mom want me to come home just to sell the farm?"

"I don’t think she wanted you to sell it," Lois stated.

She had just finished telling him everything she had learned at the bank and from Lana. The twins were playing videogames upstairs.

"I think she wanted you to save it," Lois concluded.

"How?" Clark asked. "You know, we’re not exactly flush with cash, especially after getting fired."

"I don’t know yet." Lois frowned. "But those reverse mortgages weren’t because the bank was feeling generous. You may have super strength and super hearing, but I have super smell, and those loans don’t smell right."

Clark nodded before giving her an amused look. "I do have super smell, by the way. I just don’t use it very often, you know." He wrinkled his nose. "Not with two teenage boys in the house. Kinda gross."

She laughed as the twins entered the kitchen.

"Hey, we heard that!" Jon complained good-naturedly.

"How far can you smell?" Jordan asked curiously.

Clark slowly inhaled, before rubbing his nose. "Too far sometimes. Right now, if I let myself, I can smell the pig farm in the other county. But for pleasant smells, I can smell the underground water source at the Wellington Farm and the fresh bread from the German bakery in town. I could probably go further, but it's too difficult to sort out unless I really know exactly what I'm seeking."

"Like a bloodhound?!" Jon snickered.

Clark chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose so."

"Have you ever used super spell as Superman?" Jon asked.

"A few times, mainly when locating explosives. Smell helps show me where to look."

"Oh! So that's what you were doing that one time!" Lois exclaimed.

"What? When?" Clark asked, confused for a moment before he suddenly turned his head, his eyes distant.

"What?" Lois asked, knowing that look.

He heaved a sigh. "Another breach in progress. It’s another nuclear facility."

"Go," Lois said calmly.

Clark sighed and handed her the spatula before disappearing in a blink. Jon and Jordan both gaped.

O o O o O

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