I would just like to say a word about the falshbacks in this story. They may or may not have anything to do directly with the 'present' narrative. What is important is that they give imporant insight into Jon's character that is essential later in the story. The goal is that you'll slowly piece together who he is, and important events in his life, then be able to get an understanding of why his is acting in a certain way.
Thanks again to Nancy for Beta Reading this for me. You're the best!
PART TWO
***Jon Kent trudged behind his grandfather as they crossed the farm’s Southwest pasture.
“I don’t want to do it,” he grumbled. “I already told you I don’t want anything to do with all this stuff.”
“And I’ve told you, Jon, you have to practice whether you want to or not. It’s the only way for you to get in control.”
Jon fingered his father’s old glasses that he was now wearing. Just a few months ago he wouldn’t have been caught dead wearing such geeky old frames, but ever since that one night when his grandmother had suddenly become a walking skeleton, he hadn’t taken them off unless he was sleeping. Control sounded nice. But there was a difference between control, and what his grandpa was suggesting here.
“I still don’t see why you’re making me learn to fly,” he argued. “You said Dad didn’t start flying until he was eighteen, why are you making me fly now?”
“Jon, your grandmother and I have caught you floating three times already. It’s the same with any of your other powers. You have to use them in order to gain control. I know how you feel about all this Jon, but you have to do this or else you’re going to end up doing something we won’t be able to explain away. What happens if you start floating in the middle of class, or you accidentally break something when a lot of people are watching? That’s just the way it is son, I’m sorry.”
“But why does it have to be this way? Why can’t I just be like everyone else?” Jon angrily brushed hot tears off his face. Upset with himself for losing his cool, he stopped walking and flopped down on the grass. Everything was different now. His glasses kept him from looking through things, but just yesterday he had pulled the banister off the staircase by just laying his hand on it. He still had problems controlling his hearing, and his breath. And if all that wasn’t enough, he had been shocked to discover that he had been floating two feet off the couch while he was watching the football game earlier this week. His grandpa sat beside him, quietly giving him a moment to calm down.
“I know it’s difficult Jon,” he began. “Your dad went through the same thing. That’s why I think you should-”
“I *don’t* want to talk to him,” Jon snapped. Jonathan senior sighed, and patted his grandson on the back.
“I know,” he murmured. Jon tried to maintain his composure, but his face crumpled.
“They had fifteen years!” he cried. “And they never told me. Why didn’t they tell me? Why did they have to lie?” Strong arms enveloped him and a small piece of the anger and betrayal he felt were carried away in the arms of someone who loved him. ***
* * *
It had honestly seemed like a good idea at the time. But now that I was dangling off an all-but-sheer rock face I was starting to reconsider. I had never intended to go this deep into the quarry, but my ankle was still stiff from last night, and it had only taken a slight stumble to slip on the loose shale. Don’t-look-down, don’t-look-down, don’t-look-down, I chanted to myself. My heart pounded in my ears, and I struggled to remember to breathe. The last thing I needed right now was to pass out. Of all the things that I thought I would die doing, I had never thought collecting rock samples would be the kicker. I had re-strained my ankle during the fall, and it was hindering my ability to climb up the rock. I felt safer just clinging to my spot, but I knew I couldn’t hold on indefinitely. Maybe if I could reach my cell phone in my pocket… I carefully released my right hand from its death grip on the rock face and started to reach down. Teetering slightly, I let out a sharp yelp. I had forgotten. Three points of contact at all times. It was basic climbing technique, but how was I supposed to do anything when one of my limbs was already incapacitated?
I was a mess. Why was it that I could do so many dangerous, life-threatening stunts without a second thought, yet as soon as I looked down I turned into a gibbering mess? I was about to descend into full blown panic when I felt a breeze at my side. Hardly daring to believe, I turned around and faced him once again. Supernova.
“Now, before I whisk you off to safety, I just want to make sure this time. Do you really need help, or do you have it all under control?” His mouth curved into a gentle smirk. He was probably so thrilled to find me really needing his help this time. But I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me all flustered. So instead I went with the more gracious approach.
“Actually, yes, I would like some help. This time.” My calm words managed to hide my jittery insides. He grinned, and moved towards me, putting a steadying hand between my shoulder blades.
“Just put your arms around my neck and I’ll lift you right out-”
“No!” I interrupted sharply. He paused, looking at me confusedly.
“Why not?”
“Well isn’t there some way we could do this whole rescue thing without… you know… The flying?” I was jumble of nerves. Please no flying. Please let there be a way out…
“Is there some reason you don’t want me flying with you?” Supernova’s brow was wrinkled. “Is it a personal space issue or something? Because I promise you I would never do anything to-”
“It’s not that,” I interrupted. “It’s just that… It’s that…” Oh, just say it. It’s not like this situation could be anymore embarrassing. “I’mafraidofhieghts,” I blurted out all at once. There. I had said it.
“What?”
“I’m afraid of heights,” I repeated, this time more slowly. Then he laughed. He laughed at me!!! “What?!! Do you think it’s funny or something?” I was very close to descending into full hysteria. He sobered quickly.
“Sorry, I’m not laughing at your fears. It’s just that if you really are afraid of heights, the last place where I would think to find you is dangling off a cliff face.”
“It’s not a cliff face,” I interjected. “If anything it’s a gorge, or a pit or something.” He opened his mouth as if to reply, but I was in full panic mode and in no mood for polite conversation. “And for your information, Spaceboy, I’m not exactly dangling here by choice. I fell, okay? I slipped and I fell, and now I can’t get back up because my ankle hurts and I need three points of contact and I only have three to begin with so maybe just go easy on me and-” The hand that was touching my back massaged down my spine, calming me. Then he maneuvered himself so he was hovering directly behind me. He placed two hands around my waist.
“Can you step back onto my boots?” he asked in a calming voice.
“Uh…”
“Just step back. I won’t let you fall, honest.” I tentatively reached back with my bad foot, and gingerly placed weight onto his boot. He didn’t even dip. Taking a leap of faith, I placed my good foot onto his other boot. He remained still, not even a hint of dropping downward. I let out a shaky breath. I had been conditioned over the years to always suppress my fears. A fear is a weakness, and a weakness is a trap. But Supernova didn’t belittle me for my fears. He could’ve just whisked me up in his arms and have me on solid ground before I even noticed, but instead he was willing to play into my ridiculous phobia and baby me out of the situation.
“What happens if you suddenly stop flying?” I suddenly asked, cringing inwardly at my irrationality.
“That won’t happen.” Despite my stupid question, his voice betrayed no impatience or ridicule.
“You don’t know that. All you know is that it’s never happened before.” I twisted my neck around to face him. “What if it happens for the first time tonight?”
“It’s not going to happen, okay? You’ll be safe.” He spoke in a calm, reassuring tone. I felt myself start to relax, even though I kept a death grip on the rock wall in front of me. “Jeez, I never knew you could be such a Scaredy Cat.”
“I am not a Scaredy Cat!” He smirked again. Damn that expression. “Anyway, what are you, eight? Since when did superheroes start name-calling their rescuees?”
“You started it!” he teased. I was tempted to stick my tongue out at him, but decided to take a mature stance. Plus, his face was so close to mine, I would probably end up French kissing the guy.
Oh. Wow. French-kissing Supernova. My cheeks began to heat up. But before I could indulge my fantasy too much, he was speaking again.
“Now you can keep a hold of the rock as much as you want. I’m just going to lift you up slowly okay? Kind of like an elevator.” I nodded my head. Right. The rescue. Slowly, I felt myself begin to rise up. I kept my hands on the rock face, ‘climbing’ up along with him.
“Thanks for coming for me by the way.” I tried to calm the tell-tale tremor in my voice. “Lucky me that you were nearby, huh?”
“I heard you screaming, actually.”
“What??!! I didn’t… Okay, maybe I did scream. But it was just a tiny one.”
“Well lucky for you, I have good hearing.” I could hear the grin coming through his voice. Finally, we reached level ground. Supernova let me down on my hands and knees, and I waited for my shaking body to calm down. I brought myself to me feet.
“Thanks,” I told him again.
“You don’t have to answer this,” he began, “but what is a person who’s terrified of heights doing hanging around the edge of an abandoned rock quarry?”
“It’s all about confronting your fears directly,” I told him, trying to pull of a nonchalant attitude. “If I were to constantly avoid heights, the fear would just grow more and more until I wouldn’t even be able to use a step stool anymore.”
“So you just throw yourself off a cliff every month as a desensitization technique?” Amusement sparkled behind his eyes.
“No, of course not.” I rolled my eyes. “I also had to—Crap!” I exclaimed. How could I have forgotten?
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I needed to get a sample of this rock,” I explained. “That’s what I was doing here.” Supernova raised his eyebrows.
“A sample?”
“Yeah, this is a perfect example of metamorphic rock, and I was going to-”
“Wait here,” He interrupted. He was gone and back in the blink of an eye, this time holding a sizeable chunk of rock in his hand. “Will this do?” He passed it to me. I hefted it in my hand, and then peered in for a closer look.
“Yes, it’s beautiful,” I told him. “Look, you can see the stripes running across it. That’s where different minerals have been compressed over the years, forming this rock. Thank you.” He nodded in acknowledgement. Then he opened his other hand, showing me a mess of broken plastic and wire.
“I found this at the bottom of the quarry. It’s not yours is it?” I frantically felt in my pocket. Nothing. My phone must’ve fallen out when I fell.
“Oh no!” I scooped the pieces into my hand, and shifted through them. There was no way it could be repaired.
“How did you get here in the first place?” He glanced around, no doubt looking for a car.
“My car is in the shop so I took a cab as far as the driver would go; then I hiked the rest of the way. But now I can’t call for another cab to come pick me up.”
“You hiked here? Isn’t your ankle bothering you?”
“Yes. It is. Thank you so much for asking.” I was stranded with no way of getting back to Metropolis. Supernova shifted uncomfortably.
“I could always fly you back to Metropolis.”
“What? No, I… I can’t” Somehow it didn’t come out as firmly negative as I had thought it would. Maybe I was still giddy from my successful ‘climb’ out of the quarry. Maybe it was the extra-clear night air. Maybe I just wanted to spend more time with him. Whatever it was, I was in the mood for an adventure. I looked at Supernova tentatively, and he knew to push me forward.
“C’mon Scaredy, what happened to confronting your fears to overcome them?”
“Couldn’t you just run me back or something?”
“Sorry, Metropolis is too crowded and busy to try to pull a stunt like that. You’re either flying back with me or you’re hitchhiking along the highway.” I took a deep breath.
“Okay,” I whispered. Then louder: “Okay.” I stepped forward uncertainly.
“Just put your arms around my neck,” he instructed. “Here, let me hold your rock.” He took it from me, and I did as he instructed, and then placed my feet on top of his boots as before. We had only risen a couple feet before I had another attack of nerves.
“Uh, Supernova?” He stopped rising in the air.
“Yeah Scaredy?”
“About the whole thing about suddenly not being able to fly… That’s never actually happened to you has it? Not even a hint of it, right? I mean, completely out of the realm of possibility?” I glance nervously at the ground.
“It won’t happen, I promise. Just don’t look down until you feel comfortable. Keep looking at my face.” I had no problem whatsoever doing that. He had a nice face, not only physically, but also character-wise. I was a good judge of faces, and I could tell just by looking at him that he was a great guy. Not to mention all the things he had done for me in the last few days. Here he was, dragging some hysterical woman through the skies of Metropolis while he could be battling forest fires or mud slides or… Well, anything but this. Did it mean something? Did he have a special interest in me, more than the average person? No, of course not. He was just providing good customer service. That was all. I hastily pulled myself away from my train of thought.
“So, I’m not to sure I like your nickname for me,” I said.
“What’s wrong with Scaredy? I happen to like it.” He gave me a devastating smile. “Besides, you never told me your real name, so I had to make one up, didn’t I?”
“Oh that’s right, I never did tell you,” I blushed at my inadvertent rudeness. “My name is Kaylie Stewart.”
“Pleased to meet you Miss Stewart.” I let out a chuckle.
“Are you seriously going to call me that? Because now I’m starting to think I like Scaredy better.”
“All right. Kaylie.” We both smiled.
“I think I’m ready to go up now,” I said, steeling myself against the inborn panic. To my surprise, he let out a bark of laughter. “What?” I asked.
“Look down.” I did.
“Holy sh-!” My mouth was immediately smothered by his large hand.
“Careful Kaylie, it wouldn’t do for Metropolis to know that I make it a habit to give lifts to people with dirty mouths.” There was a wicked gleam behind his eyes.
“You brat!” I exclaim. “We must be a million feet in the air!” That blasted smirk reappeared.
“Hardly that high, but we are pretty far up.” I drew myself closer into his embrace, searching for security. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I could take us lower if you want…”
“No, I’m actually okay,” I realized, much to my surprise. “This feels a lot more secure than hanging off a cliff face.” And it did to. I had always imagined flying with one of the Kryptonians would just serve to aggravate my fears, but as I rested safe in Supernova’s arms I started to think that maybe heights weren’t too bad… Until we dipped suddenly.
“Ahh!!” I screamed, and pulled myself even closer to Supernova. If he wasn’t invulnerable I would have worried about strangling him. As it was, he only laughed.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He seemed to be asking that question a lot lately.
“I’m fine,” I replied shakily.
“Air currents,” he said by way of explanation. “They don’t usually affect me too much, but every once in a while there’s a bit of a pressure drop and… well, you know.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but I was still considerably shaken. Flying was definitely not a good idea. I could see a mass of city lights ahead. Maybe he could just drop me off at the city limits and I could hail a cab. He wouldn’t be too offended, would he? He probably had a bunch of other stuff to take care of.
“It helps to talk.” His voice interrupted my train of thought.
“What?”
“It’s a good distraction if you talk.”
“Oh, um… okay.” I drew a blank. “What should I talk about?” I asked.
“Well, how about telling me why you needed such a perfect sample of metamorphic rock. Are you a geologist or something?”
“No, not a geologist,” I said. “I’m a teacher at Riverview Alternative School. The rock was for my next lesson.”
He burst out laughing. Again. Honestly, what did he find so funny about me?
“What? What’s so funny about me being a teacher?” Maybe it wasn’t as cool and action filled as my other profession, but it still wasn’t anything to laugh about.
“Nothing,” he assured me. “It’s just that I don’t see many teachers who are willing to risk their lives for a lesson. There’s the obvious police officer and firefighter who put their lives on the line on a daily basis. Then there are the reporters who’ll do anything for a scoop. And I know of a few intellectual types who’ll go pretty far to get what they need. But you’re the first teacher I’ve met who is willing to face her greatest fear in order to bring her students a rock for her next lesson. That’s something special.”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” I began, blushing under his praise. “The way I see it, if you’re truly passionate about something then you’ll do anything for it. I love teaching, and I love my students. And if that means I have to be caught dangling of the side of a rock pit with a stiff ankle and no way home then so be it!” Supernova shook his head in wonderment.
“I was right. You are something special.” The intensity of his gaze unsettled me. What was he thinking? I smiled tentatively at him, but then as suddenly as it was cast, the spell was broken. “Here we are,” he announced, and lowered us onto my balcony. For all that I wanted the terrifying ride to end; I was very reluctant to pull away from his arms. Once again, I was safe at home, and he had no reason to stay.
“Would you like to come in for coffee?” I blurted out. Then I flushed. Of all the stupid things I could’ve said, why did it have to be coffee? He probably didn’t even drink the stuff. Now he would be all embarrassed and he would have to think of some excuse to-
“Sure,” he said. I blinked in surprise. He was coming in? Really? Giddily, I slid open the door which was thankfully unlocked. He followed me inside, and shut the door after him.
“How’s your ankle?” he asked as I started the coffee pot.
“It’s fine,” I replied. “Still a little stiff, but I think I just need to walk it off.” He nodded in response. I finished getting the coffee going and had the mugs and stuff all set out, then sat down at my kitchen table to wait for it to finish percolating. Supernova joined me at the table, and my throat went dry as an uncomfortable silence descended. I wasn’t sure what to say to him now that all imminent danger had passed. Say something! I commanded myself.
“So, uh… I make my coffee pretty strong. I hope that’s all right with you.”
“It’s fine,” he said. Mentally, I smacked myself. Of course it’s fine, you idiot! This guy can chug battery acid for breakfast, did you think a bit of strong coffee would be a problem? But I could still redeem myself. All I had to do was think of something really brilliant to say next so I didn’t look like a complete dolt.
“Oh, look, the coffee’s ready!” Wonderful. At least it gave us something to do as we each doctored our cups to the way we liked it. Three spoons of sugar and a spot of cream later, Supernova was sipping coffee from my Snoopy and Charlie Brown mug. Why did I have to get that one out of the cupboard? I was sure I had some more adult looking ones lurking about somewhere.
“This is great coffee,” he said. I smiled in response, absently stirring the contents of my mug. Make conversation! I commanded myself. Since when was I intimidated by him?
“I uh… didn’t know you had time for things like coffee. Don’t you have to be out saving the world or something?”
“I’ll keep an ear out for trouble,” he replied. “And there’s always my sister and my father to take care of things too.”
“What’s it like to have Superman as a father?” I asked. “It must be a lot to live up to at times.” I had pretty much written the book on living under your parent’s shadow. Supernova didn’t answer right away and for a moment I had thought I went too far.
“I love working with my dad,” he began. “My sister and I entered the ‘family business’, so to speak, of our own free will. He didn’t pressure us into anything. But he is always going to be the first one, and therefore the one that everyone looks up to.” He paused for a bit, and then chuckled. “Did you know that someone once refused to be helped by me?”
“What? Really?” Why would anyone refuse to be rescued by Supernova?
“It was just a couple months after I had made my debut, so to speak. This elderly lady had some car trouble and was stranded by the side of the road. I flew down and offered to take her and her car wherever she wanted to go.”
“And?”
“And she refused, saying she had waited twenty-five years to have an excuse to call for Superman and she wasn’t going to settle for some rookie son of his. She would wait for the real thing, thank you very much.” I couldn’t help but giggle. Who knew that Supernova could do such a good old lady impression?
“What did you do?”
“The only thing I could do really. I contacted my dad who swooped in and saved the day leaving me to wander aimlessly around the city looking for someone needing help across the street.” I raised my eyebrow. “It was a slow night,” he said by way of explanation.
“So you’re a resounding failure in impressing old ladies. Maybe you need to repeat another year of superhero school.” He grinned at me.
“Well the old ladies may not like me too much, but I’m actually pretty popular with the younger crowd. My sister and I have a bet going that-” Suddenly, his head shot up erect.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Burglar alarm,” he explained to me. “Sounds like it’s coming from the downtown area.” He was already standing, getting ready to leave. “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got to go check this out.”
“Yeah, sure,” I replied, bewildered by the sudden change of events. He was leaving?
“Thanks for the coffee. It was really nice talking to you.” I could see in his eyes that he really meant it, and that it wasn’t a simple polite phrase muttered at the end of an evening.
“Yeah, it was nice…” I trailed off.
“I’ll see you around, Kaylie.” He looked straight in my eyes, and somehow I believed it.
“Bye,” I whispered as he flew out my balcony, leaving me alone in my kitchen.
