From last time...

She wanted to try another kick, get the gun out of his hands. But she couldn't risk it, not with Kal here. And if she called for Superman--no, it was too dangerous. He wouldn't get here in time to stop a point-blank shot.

He took a step towards them when a bright blast of heat and light forced Lois to turn away. She stumbled away from the heat, only to turn and see the man had caught on fire. He dropped to the ground screaming, rolling to put out the flames. They seemed to be dying away quickly. Lois picked Kal up and ran.

And now...

She didn't stop until she reached Clinton Avenue, when her lungs and her feet and her aching arms could take it no more. She sat on the sidewalk, pulling off her heels, as Kal stood beside her with his hands over his eyes.

"You did that, didn't you?" She rubbed one foot, keeping her eyes fixed on his face. He was crying again. She pulled his hands away from his eyes, but he kept them squeezed closed. "Hey, look at me." She rubbed the pad of her thumb over his eyelid, but he only turned away. A tear ran down his cheek and his breathing was coming in huffs.

"You saved me back there you know. You were so brave."

His eyes stayed shut.

"Let's get to Clark's. Then we'll get you out of here. I'm so sorry." Though her arms protested, she hoisted him up again and slipped back on her heels.

She didn't set him down until she reached Clark's front porch and needed to ring the doorbell. Martha answered. "Hi, dear. Perfect timing. Pie's just come ou--oh, my God." She dropped to her knees in front of Kal. "It, it can't be."

Kal had placed his hands back over his eyes, but he turned towards the sound. "Ma?"

"How is this pos--oh, come here baby."

Kal ran into Martha's arms, throwing his hands around her neck. "Ma," he sobbed again, his eyes still squeezed shut.

"I got you honey. Come on," she scooped him up--how did she make it look so easy?--and carried him inside.

Lois followed them in. "Wait, do you know who this is? What's going on?"

Martha bustled over to the couch, oblivious. "Jonathon! Jonathon, get in here! You aren't going to believe this."

Clark and Jonathon emerged from the kitchen. "Oh, is this Lois' nephew?" Clark patted Kal on the head. "What's wrong, little guy?"

Jonathon shook his head. "How... Clark, this is you!"

"What do you mean?"

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Sense had finally returned to Lois' brain and she wanted answers. "This is Superman." She pointed at Kal's form, hunched up against Martha's shoulder. "Well, he will be Superman. I saw him arrive from, well, the past."

Martha and Clark exchanged a wary glance.

"Look, it's true! There was this guy with a time machine. I know it sounds crazy, but he and Lex went to Krypton and got Superman as a baby and brought him to the future. I saw it!"

"Lex Luthor was behind this?" Clark's gaze narrowed.

"Don't worry about Lex. He's currently recovering from a major bump on the head." Her eyes widened. "Which reminds me, I need to call the police."

Jonathon was rubbing Kal on the back, trying to soothe him. "What happened?"

"This guy followed us into an alley on the way here. He attacked me and--"

"Are you all right? Why didn't you call for help?"

"He had a gun, Clark!" Lois ran a hand through her hair, addled at having to relive what'd just happened. "He was going to--attack me--and then Kal used his heat vision gizmo and the guy caught on fire."

All three gasped, "What?"

"He was scared. I don't think he even realized what he was doing. But now he won't open his eyes. I think he's afraid it will happen again."

Martha sat down with Kal, pulling his arms from around her neck. "Oh, my poor baby."

Clark turned to his father. "I'm going to go look for the man who attacked them. He probably needs a doctor."

"Your poor baby?" Lois turned from Martha to Clark, and something, somewhere in her mind, clicked in a very loud and final way. "Oh, god." She slumped to her knees.

Clark's face appeared before her. "I'm so sorry, Lois. I never meant for you to find out this way." He turned back to his mom, whispering quietly to Kal. "In fact, I don't think I could have possibly remotely foreseen this way. But I promise we'll talk when I get back. We'll work all this out."

Lois took in the face in front of her, pleading with her to understand. She didn't even know who she was looking at. "Just go."

Clark paused a moment longer, then was gone in a gust of wind.

"Come on, honey, look at Momma." Martha had Kal on her lap facing her, his head between her hands. "It's alright baby. I know you're not going to hurt me." Her voice came out as a gentle chant, designed more to be soothing than to be understood.

It seemed to be working. Kal was no longer crying, though he still wouldn't open his eyes.

"I guess you know what you're doing." Lois rose and approached the couch. She didn't feel any animosity towards Martha. The fact vaguely surprised her, but it felt right. No--it was Clark who had lied to her for the better part of a year. She thought they were friends. She thought he stood for something--for Truth. And yet the two most honest men she knew were really just one scam artist.

She'd fallen for it so easily, too. She had never looked into Superman's past. She'd believed him readily when he'd implied that he'd come to Earth at the time of Prometheus. He had never outright said it, but the lie was still there. She readily believed whatever he told her. Why? Was she so easily awestruck by a hot body and flashy abilities? Because he'd saved her life, so many times? Because she'd thought, when she looked into his eyes, there was something special, something warm. For her.

What a fool. Then again, Lois was only beginning to realize how readily she fell for conmen. And she thought Lex's true character was a revelation. Ha!

"No, not really."

"Huh?" Lois turned to Martha.

"I said, not really." Martha turned her gaze back to Kal--Clark. His name was Clark. He'd even told her as much earlier today. Lois wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

"Clark never really exhibited his powers at this age. A little strength. And he was always fast, but nothing like heat vision. That didn't come on until he was a teenager."

"Oh." Lois pictured Clark in his awkward teenage years, hands over his eyes just like Kal's were now. "I guess he never encountered many violent thugs in Smallville."

Martha shook her head. "No. The first time he used them, he set the barn on fire. Luckily the cows were out grazing at the time. He didn't have much control over his abilities then, either."

Jonathon laughed. "We had him refine his power settings, so to speak, by cooking popcorn. I remember the first time he got it to where each kernel was perfectly popped, not a burnt one in there. He was so proud."

Lois laughed too, this time picturing Superman proudly holding up a bag of popcorn.

"Honey, I know this is a lot to take in all at once. I know you probably feel betrayed, but Clark's a good kid." She patted Kal on the head. He grinned a little and leaned forward against his mom's chest, obviously exhausted. "He's spent his whole life hiding this part of him." Martha gestured towards Kal.

"Do you know, he doesn't know any alien language anymore." Jonathon sat down beside Martha. Lois took a seat in the chair beside him. "He babbled it all the time when we first found him. Used to terrify me out of bringin' him into town. Didn't want anyone getting any ideas. He cried a lot then, too. Missing home, I imagine. His birth parents."

"I was thinking about that earlier," Lois said. "I can't imagine what it must be like, losing everyone who knows your language, your habits. Especially at such a young age."

"And today he lost everyone he knows again, when that Lex Luthor brought him to the future." Martha shuddered. "I'm so glad we have him back. Thanks to you, Lois."