A/N: This is a sequel to Newcomers. I haven't quite decided if it comes before or after The Best of Times, but I don't think it matters terribly. Anyway, I hope yall enjoy. 
Then and NowJordan had seen some of this footage once, in middle school. It had been sandwiched in-between the fall of the Berlin Wall and coverage of the death of Lex Luthor, and there had been a brief class discussion about how amazing Superman was.
How amazing his dad was.
At the time, Jordan could barely lift one end of a car, but he knew what future awaited him. Or at least, he thought he did.
Cat snuggled against him on the couch now, watching the countdown for the Messenger shuttle through half-lidded eyes. At this very moment, his dad was in his grandparents' house in Kansas, trying on super outfits and selecting the perfect one for tonight. He would be watching this same live broadcast of the countdown. He would be waiting.
Jordan had attempted to wait for the perfect moment, too. He had spent countless hours sketching out costume ideas, and pondering what kind of statements to release about himself. He had signed “I'm here to help” countless times in the mirror. He had decided that, once he was ready, he would find a situation where he could make a difference. Unfortunately, the situation had found him, instead.
The televised view of the shuttle didn't change, but Cat suddenly sat up straight. He looked at her questioningly.
After a slight hesitation, her fingers spelled out B-O-M-B.
It was that time, then. He nodded and pointed at the screen. “My mother,” he signed, and mimed the cutting of the wires she had found.
A little more activity appeared on the scene, now: mostly officials in uniforms moving back and forth. Cat stared at the screen in rapt attention.
That day in college, he had been sitting in the cafeteria with his laptop, working on an assignment. Someone had tapped his shoulder, and he'd looked up to find all the students and staff being corralled into the middle of the floor by masked men with guns. One of the gunmen was apparently making a speech. All of the building's exits were blocked; the only place he could sneak off to without being caught was the kitchen.
Cat smiled. She looked at him, her eyes dancing, and then turned back to the television. At first, the screen still only showed the shuttle, but then the camera moved to track a figure in a soon-to-be-iconic cape.
In the kitchen, Jordan had grabbed an apron and a large pot. He didn't have time to figure out an impressive outfit, but he could at least conceal his face and clothes. He placed the pot over his head just as the kitchen door began to open.
On the screen, his father lifted the shuttle over his head and gracefully ascended with it into the sky. The crowd around the launch site stirred. The camera zoomed in on his father as much as possible, broadcasting the unfolding miracle to an excited world.
The students of Met U escaped from would-be domestic terrorists thanks to what sources described as some kind of robot in an apron. The story appeared on page nine of the local paper. Superman had not been available to comment.
Cat grinned at him, looking very impressed. “Your father,” she signed.
Jordan nodded.
She pointed at the screen. “He's just like you.”
He nodded again, managing not to sigh. They weren't alike; not really.
Not at all.
more snack-sized fun! 
Michael