AN UPDATE: Chapter revised and rewritten (RR)
The New Clone in Town
The nighttime was all around them; in the wind, the rustling crops, and the small creatures of the night. The moon illuminated the old dirt road that countless generations of Kents had driven through from and to town. To many the sight of the almost abandoned road and the sound of the whispering wind would have them turn around and find the closest sign of civilization. Clark could have driven through that road with eyes closed but instead enjoyed the sight of the familiar path. The road had a history, but it wasn't his. This was his first time in Smallville though he had known of the place for quite some years.
He had come to accept that he would never be like Clark in more than in the sense of their powers. For starters, he didn't know how it was like to grow in a place like this, shielded by the tall crops from the eyes of the world. Then, there were the Kents. He wished he had made time to meet them, but fear of what they would think of him kept him away. Then, time ran out. The old couple was gone. He knew he would always regret not meeting them.
The dirt road came to an end and ahead surrounded by a halo of moonlight was the Kent farm house. It was exactly as he imagined farm homes to be; small but cozy and surrounded by fences and crops. It had a welcoming porch where a wooden swing was rocked back and forth by the wind. To his eyes, the home also looked fragile. He had destroyed structures many times stronger. One punch in the right place and it could collapse like a deck of cards. Not that he would do something like that on purpose, but with his new power, he was sure he could do something just as bad.
Clark got out of the old truck, having picked it up earlier to drive him from the edge of town and looked at the old home with a proud smile. More than before he feared he would wreck the place.
"It's sturdier than it looks," Clark told him when he noticed he wasn't getting out of the truck.
He took a deep breath, took the groceries Clark had bought in the way and got out of the truck to stand before the place he would call home until he gained control over his powers. Now standing before it, he didn't know what to make of it. He had lived in Mount Justice and the Watchtower and before that a pod in an underground lab. This was the first time he would be living in a place that could be called normal. When he visited the homes of friends he always felt out of place. He remembered the few days he stayed with Wally after they found him. He couldn't even sleep on a bed, preferring the closet though he had been able to smell all of the hidden food. He had the whole sleeping on a bed down now, but what about the rest?
"I will be right back," Clark said before he disappeared to the back of the house.
He could hear him putting in the fuses before entering through the kitchen door and then walking into the living room. If he planned to run, that was the time. Then Clark opened the front door and stood there for a brief moment surrounded by the warmth of the home.
He climbed the old wooden steps and stepped through the door. It was cozy; he thought when he saw the living room. There was a place he immediately liked. It was a corner of the living room where large reading chair sat under a tall stained glass lamp. Then he took in the rest of the home. Though no one had lived in the house for a while, it still radiated the feeling of being lived in. The scent of the earthly wooden floors was all around, helping to drain some of his anxiety.
"Go take a look around while I prepare us some dinner," Clark told him as he took the groceries into the kitchen.
"But-" he tried to oppose but Clark was already gone. He looked around the living room for a moment not knowing where to go. Then, on the wall, he saw frames of the Kents' lives before and after Clark. They looked like happy people. And, he knew they had been good too. He spotted one of Clark close to his physical age. They looked so much alike, though not exactly the same. Not that he expected to be the same anymore, but it was glaring to see where they weren't the same.
He turned away and climbed the stairs. He felt like an intruder just standing in the hall connecting two bedrooms and a bathroom. He could sense what was inside but didn't enter any of them. His senses were filled with memories that weren't his; pictures, objects, and intangible feelings left behind by the previous inhabitants. He didn't know how long he stood there, unable to force his hand to open a single door.
"It's ready," he heard Clark call out before he went downstairs and into the kitchen.
Just like the rest of the home, he found the kitchen warm. As they ate Clark told him of a few things he wanted him to do while there. It was simple things like keeping the house clean, taking down an old shed in the back of the house, trying to fix the tractor.
After the meal, he took him back upstairs to show him what Clark now called 'his room'. It was Clark's old bedroom. It was in the early hours of the day when Clark finally started to leave. He left his civilian clothing on a briefcase he kept in a small closet
"Take the truck to town if you need anything," he said handing him the keys.
"Got it," he said as now Superman started walking towards the front door.
"If anyone asks, we are related on ma's side of the family" Clark paused with a frown at the door, "tell them you are… my cousin" maybe he should call Bruce for a better background story.
"Kara won't like that," he said unable to keep the smirk off his face to which Clark gave him a disapproving look. To say that he and Supergirl didn't get along was an understatement and Clark knew it. Though they tried for Clark, they usually ended up bickering. She would throw on his face that he was a clone. He would tell her to get off her high chair and so on. It all had to do with the last war in Krypton and a very dark passage in Kryptonian history. He had talked to Clark about it a few times, but he preferred to keep those thoughts to himself. He also liked to tell himself that he didn't care.
"There are some woods in that direction," Clark pointed out the direction before he saw the place a few miles away. "There is only small prey so you won't have to worry about hunters when you train. That way is the Lang farm," Clark pointed to the west where quite a few miles away he spotted a home. "They are closest neighbors and will probably come see you. I will give them a call so they don't worry when they notice you are here."
He nodded wondering if they would give him any trouble.
"Call if you need anything little brother," Clark said with a smile before he took off to return to Metropolis.
He sat on the wooden swing on the porch and stared at the crops up ahead. He was alone but not quite. Like a whisper, his new ability was telling him of everything around him. It wasn't overwhelming like he had initially thought it would be. It was just a whisper of the constant pace of life. As the sun started to rise he sensed the crops seek out its energy. Then when the light of the new day hit him, he felt it. It was nothing like the artificial energy he was fed as he was grown. It also was not like every morning in his life when his skin tingled in the morning light. At that moment, every single one of his cells started to absorb the energy of the sun and metabolizing it to replenish what he had lost the night before. It was the first time it felt like this. He burned the memory into his mind as he took a deep breath and leaned back on the swing letting the wind dictate the sway. The memory he regained came back; he had been able to tell he existed though he had no idea of the concept at the time. He could sense every bit of his being as the sun continued to rise, reminding him of something very important he realized back then; he was alive.
The peacefulness was broken when something alien invaded his senses. He swore the hairs on the back of his head stood on end. He looked up and in the distance though camouflaged, he could tell the Bioship was flying towards him. So much for burning that moment into his memory, he thought as he left the porch and waited for them to land.
The Bioship landed keeping the camouflage before Nightwing and Miss Martian came out with his few possessions. Or at least, the ones that survived the incident in the Watchtower.
"And here I thought I would be missed," he rubbed the back of his bead, trying to keep calm. Something didn't feel right. It wasn't just the fact he had sensed the Bioship from so far away. That was probably because he was familiar with it. There was something else getting under his skin. The whisper turned into a scrape in the back of his brain; it scratched at his control.
"More like you would be missing us," Nightwing said with a smile as he placed his duffle bags on the porch. He took a quick turn taking in the whole place. "Are you sure about living here all on your own?" Nightwing asked with a slight frown. He probably thought the farm to be too disconnected from the rest of the world but it was exactly what Conner needed at that time. The scrape intensified before he turned to look at M'gann.
M'gann was levitating the boxes containing his books and others possessions to also rest on the porch. But she kept her distance, sticking close to the Bioship watching him with wary eyes and with tightly sealed lips. He realized then that she could also feel something wasn't right.
"It's for the best," he finally said to Nightwing with a strained smile, "at least until I learn how to control them so no one gets hurt."
Nightwing started to say something but then paused. He looked at him and the looked back at M'gann realizing something else was going that he couldn't sense. They were watching each other cautiously. Anyone else would have thought it had to do with their previous relationship, but not Nightwing. The way his friend frowned slightly for a moment told him as much.
"Are you going to be taking the semester off?" M'gann asked after a long uncomfortable silence. She wasn't reaching into his mind. He could tell as much. But, her eyes never stopped studying him, as if trying to unravel something.
"Yes, this will take some time," he said taken by surprise. He really hadn't thought at all about his degrees until then. He was not far from finishing. It would be a year at the most after he went back to classes. Though he had no idea of how long it would take him to gain full control over his new ability. It could be a few months or years. For all he knew, he would have to give up his civilian life. Then, he realized she was still studying him. He would never admit it, but he felt unnerved. What was she seeing that he couldn't?
"It's not that difficult to control," she said clearly annoyed as a frown marred her face, "it's all in your mind. You should already know how to control it."
He and Nightwing had a difficult time not looking shocked. Though they could tell the words were meant to be comforting, they came out full of spite and contempt.
"You grew using yours," he said through greeted teeth. The scrapping had turned into tearing, "mine just-" he stopped when they heard the Bioship groan as if something heavy was pressing on it.
"Stop hurting her!" M'gann shouted extending her arm towards him and her eyes glowing red. He clenched his teeth as he resisted the force trying to throw him back. He would crash into the house if he gave in.
"M'gann stop!" Nightwing shouted before she snapped out of it with wide frightened eyes. Then, the glare returned but not as intense as before. She turned around and boarded her ship.
"Sorry, I am still…" he closed his eyes tightly. The tearing on the back of his mind was back to scraping, but it still made it difficult for him to concentrate, "I think you better leave. I really have no idea how to control this."
"I understand," Nightwing said placing a hand on his shoulder and void of fear even after what he had seen, "I still want you to contact us if you need anything." He handed him a new communicator, "no matter how insignificant you might think it is if you just want to talk…"
"I know, I know," he said forcing a smile to pacify his old friend. He watched them leave glad and confused by what had happened.
He left all of his things in the living room before collapsing on the couch face down. Only those few moments had exhausted him. He knew he should be getting up but chose to stay like that a while longer. In truth, he thought, from that point on it was all up to him. He didn't have a schedule to follow; no missions, or classes, or anything that he didn't want to do. There had always been some type of order to his life and now there was none but the one he chose if he chose to have one. It was complete maddening freedom and he was spending it resting on the couch.
Just five more minutes…
He put away his clothes in the bedroom. His laptop that barely survived the incident charging. His books went to the empty spaces in the bookshelf. It was a pleasant sight to see them fit just right. He took down the old shed on the back of the house but wondered what he was supposed to do with the remains. He took a look at the tractor and wondered if he should send it to a museum instead. It was no secret he liked working with machines, but he was not a miracle worker. He explored the house and the surroundings with less hesitation knowing he would have to eventually. The place was spotless and he wondered how often Clark had it cleaned. He did all of this within an hour and before he headed to the woods Clark told him about.
He cut through the rustling fields. There was no need to run as it was still early in the day. It wasn't even midday. He walked at a steady pace wondering how he would keep himself sane. There had to be more for him to do while there besides breathing and training.
888
Jannet Lang sat on her living room. She had turned the TV down a few minutes ago when she answered a phone call from no other than Clark Kent. The boy she had seen growing up in the neighboring farm always called them during the holidays so she was pleasantly surprised to hear from him before then. Then, he explained the reason of his call which explained why Mrs. Braverman had made the silly remark that the Kents' old truck was hunting the town's road. It probably had been Clark driving his nephew up to the farm.
"Are you sure Clark? Leaving a young man to live in his own?" she knew if left to their own devices men, young or old, had the tendency to get into trouble.
"He is very responsible Mrs. Lang. Believe me," Clark said with a laugh.
"Well, you have always been a good judge of character, just like your parents were. I just hope the town's kids won't give him much trouble. Youth is so restless during the summer. You and Lana were no exception," she lost the count of times the sheriff brought the two of back home because they kept sneaking where they shouldn't. Still, in her opinion those two and Peter Ross helped more than trouble the sheriff with the bizarre occurrences from years back.
"Yeah, I remember," she could hear Clark's smile, probably remembering too. "I better go Mrs. Lang. My plane is about to take off back to Metropolis and you know, the stories don't write themselves," and he was no longer the boy that would stare at her daughter with love stricken eyes. What a shame.
"Take care dear," she said with a pleased smile. He had turned out to be a good man. She was sure Martha and Jonathan were and would always be proud of him.
Not long after, her husband returned from town with the supplies they would need for the rest of the week. She walked up to him with a smile she knew was giving her away. But that was how it was with old couples like them; they just knew each other too well. Still Lewis Lang didn't pry it out of her. He knew she enjoyed every moment she held on to her little secret. When done they sat in the kitchen with warm cups of coffee. He gave her a curious look to which she only smiled even more.
"Well?" Lewis asked before laughing at seeing her blush.
"You are no fun," but she still smiled. "I got a call from Clark. It looks like his cousin will be living in the farm for a while."
"That blond girl all on her own?" he remembered she had been extremely shy around others. He couldn't even recall seeing her with friends in town. Most of the time he saw her it was while helping Martha around the farm.
"No, this one is a boy. A little older than her, though," and this was indeed a very interesting piece of information. They had never heard of another cousin.
"Really? I never thought Martha had such an extended family," Lewis then remembered Martha really didn't like talking about her family. It seemed she had become estranged from them when she married Jonathan instead of some city bigshot like they wanted her to. City folk, figures. Still, that didn't stop the Kents from adopting Clark when Martha's cousin passed away in a car accident.
"His name is Conner, and it seems his last name is also Kent. It's funny how the world works. Anyways, he said the boy was taking a break from college. Clark thought sending him here would be a good idea," Jannet said with a pleased smile.
Lewis couldn't help to laugh "a city kid wouldn't know how to get in trouble around here. It was a good call."
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Conner couldn't shut it out. The whispering which started as comforting was now vexing him. Why couldn't he shut it out? Yeah, it was great to feel in contact with everything around him, but it was also very distracting. The heartbeat of every being, the invisible growth of the greenery, and how his every breath changed his surrounding; it was all stunning but also very diverting. That just wouldn't do while in missions. Instead of shutting it down, he tried to minimize it but ended up sensing even more; the cells in the blood, every bit of pollen in the air, the particles of the sunlight. It was too much and his head felt like it was going to explode. He sank to his knees taking deep breaths, but even that made it worse. His neurons were shooting through the synapses trying to make sense of everything he was feeling.
Then, it all turned down. He didn't know how he did it but somehow it was a very small whisper. As he fell on his back he realized it was simply because he had tired himself. He closed his eyes and took a break. It had been less than half an hour and he was already tired. He couldn't help to laugh as he ran a hand down his face. Not even his usual training left him this tired. He usually had to go on missions that lasted days to get anywhere near this point. The damp forest floor made wonders for him. Still lying on the ground, he closed his eyes. He had no idea where he was going with this, but trying to shut out the world again wasn't an option. Instead, he concentrated on something that was close to him; a stick.
He tried to visualize the stick going to him. This dampened the whisper of the world a little which almost made him lose his concentration. Then he heard creaking sounds and opened his eyes wide. Floating over him were dozens of branches and the canopy was bending towards him. He counted that as progress.
The days that followed were much the same. He had no real plan every morning besides looking after the house and training. Most of his time went into training, which he sometimes switched from the forest to the extensive fields when he felt braver. He knew there was no one around for miles, but it still made him nervous. There was very little he could say if he over did it and someone noticed it.
In the mornings, coffee was brewing in the kitchen as he watched the sunrise. It was strange to be alone for so long, but he found it a good change. He usually sat in the living room going over some of his previous college projects or reading a book if just to kill some time. The more he thought about it, the more he didn't like taking time off his degrees. At least, he could build on some of his knowledge while there. He stayed away from the news knowing that Nightwing would get in contact with him if he was needed.
All that he week he had been training and decided to take a day off. After breakfast, he picked at some of the old photo albums he found in the closet. The Kents weren't big on pictures until Clark came into their lives. He wondered if they found their lives as monotonous as he was at the time. As he went over the pictures he wondered if he would have been as happy as Clark had he been given the chance to grow in the farm. Not with powers, just a regular kid. Would he have been like Clark who smiled in every picture?
He shut close the photo album when he reached the pictures where Clark was the physical age he was stuck on. Neither one had ever talked about it; about how he was different. He shook his head trying to make the thoughts away. There was no point on thinking things like that. He had come to terms with this a long time ago. He hated it but accepted his truth. He was going to look like this all of his life. He would have to eventually change his civilian name, start all over again in some new place. Only Rao knew how many times he would have to before he grew sick of it and just pulled back from humanity. Could he keep coming back to the farm? No soul had dropped by since Nightwing and Miss Martian had left. Surely this was a place he wouldn't have to abandon.
Then, he thought of the kids currently on The Team. It felt like it had only been a year since Nightwing stopped being Robin. Kid Flash, Beast Boy, Wonder Girl, Blue Beetle, and the current Robin would all grow too. They would become adults and he would be forever sixteen, forever a kid… forever Superboy.
His cup of coffee started to crack. He picked it up fast and hurried to the kitchen sink just in time to watch it crumble into fine pieces. It was time to get out of his head and go somewhere else. He didn't want to go to the woods or the fields. After a quick check of the kitchen, he thought making a quick run to the town's grocery store would be a good idea. He didn't really get a chance to see much the night he arrived, not that he expected to find a lot.
As he drove the truck down the road he found his previous thoughts flying out the open window and lost in the golden fields. He turned on the radio trying to find something decent. He found a country song that he thought might be popular in the area. It wasn't really his type of music but it made the trip to town much more enjoyable. He spotted a few people on the road which seemed surprised to see him, or more likely see him driving the truck.
"Was that the Kent's truck?" his hearing allowed him to hear someone ask the driver.
"Jannet said Clark sent his cousin here for a while. A college student or something like that taking a break," the driver had responded, "or you are going to tell me you believed Braverman's story about the truck being haunted?"
He tuned them out as he finally caught sight of the town. As he found a place to park he wondered if the founders of the town knew the place would always remain small. He hoped it did. As he got out of the truck he found the streets less cluttered and cleaner. Though, there was much more to the town than he understood at the time. As he walked down the street he could hear the whispers and feel the stares. It seemed they had known about him almost from the day he had arrived.
"Gosh, he looks so much like Clark," he heard a woman say as she pushed a baby stroller.
"I know, right? But he looks so serious. Clark had such a cute smile," her friend said not doing a good job at hiding she was looking at him from the other side of the street.
"Well, you know city people," the woman pushing the baby stroller said with a shrug.
Why did he have to park so far from the grocery store? He tried to hurry through the streets.
"I bet he can't even catch a football," he heard a man say who had passed him walking in the opposite direction.
"But I bet he can probably tackle the hell out of your kid," his friend said with a short laugh.
So maybe runs to town would happen less than he thought.
"His cousin? He could be his son" there was a café up ahead where an old couple sat watching him more discreetly than the rest.
"Don't be silly," said the husband.
"How old is he anyways?" the wife asked.
"No idea, but I heard he is taking a break from college. He could be his brother, but Clark is not old enough to have a kid that age," the old man said wisely.
"I guess you are right," the woman said as he passed them.
When he finally reached the grocery store he wanted to sigh. He had the feeling he wouldn't leave town unquestioned. A few days ago he had talked to Clark through the phone to compose a more believable story besides him just being his cousin, from Clark's mother's side of the family, who also happened to have the last name, Kent. They really should have talked with Batman about this. Deceit was more down the bats' alley.
He picked a few things as fast as he could before rushing the single cashier in the store. The old lady attending to it gave him a questioning look through her half spectacle glasses.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked her after a moment. People were starting to line up behind him and trying to get a better look at him.
"What about a good morning young man? Or did Clark not pass any of the manners his parents taught him?" she was so small, her hair fully white, but her voice was imposing.
"Good morning," he said.
"You were raised in the city, weren't you? You look so much like Clark but you are nothing like him" the old woman said with a frown as she kept ringing his purchase.
Well, that was because he was actually only his half-clone, but he couldn't tell the old lady that. Instead, he chose uncomfortable silence as she rang his items.
"You are the boy living in the Kent farm, right? Clark's nephew?" she stopped midway and stared at him with a defying look.
"Cousin," he corrected though he was sure she already knew, "I am taking a break from college and came here at Clark's suggestion."
"Not all you thought it would be, is it?" she said with a smirk.
"It's peaceful, it is just what I needed," he said calmly which only got the woman to raise her eyebrow at him. She usually got to Clark as a kid with questions like that but the edgy look the kid was giving her told her that he wouldn't be an easy target.
"You say you are his cousin, I thought Clark was an orphan before the Kents took him in," she said looking for a crack on his responses.
"He is, his biological mother was Mrs. Kent's cousin, sister of my mother," who of course didn't exist but in files they had recently altered in case anyone tried to look into them.
"You look young to be in college," the woman said tilting her head. She was sure this boy looked like Clark when he used to attend high school but his height made things tricky.
"Thank you," he said with a strained smile. The matter of his age was something he preferred to stay away from for obvious reasons.
"So he can smile, and even joke," the old woman laughed finishing to ring his purchase, "there you go. Hope to see you again soon boy."
"Thanks. Have a good day," he said before the old woman laughed even further and commenting about him learning fast.
When he finally left the store he heard everyone start whispering all at once. That was a complete torture but they probably got all the answers they had wanted.
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OLD CHAPTER VERSION
Becoming Superboy 2
It was nighttime by the time they made it to the Kent farm. Even in the darkness of the night he could see the house was a simple and even fragile looking (in his eyes) thing. He started to have doubts. He really didn't want to wreck the place Superman grew up. He didn't have the chance to meet the Kents but he had heard plenty of times they had been wonderful parents to his mentor.
"It's fine, is sturdier than it looks" he pushed him forwards, much like a parent does a child when facing silly fears, "wait here for a moment" and he disappeared to the back of the house to get the fuses changed. Soon there was light in the kitchen before he appeared at the kitchen door.
He gave him a quick tour of the house, showed where he would be staying, and asked him to take care of a few things while he stayed there. He thought it was a fare trade for letting him stay.
"Take the truck to town if you need anything" he said tossing the keys his way.
"Got it," Superboy caught the keys to the old truck parked outside.
"If anyone asks, we are related on ma's side of the family" he paused with a slight frown, "tell them you are… my cousin" maybe he should call Bruce for a better backup story.
"Kara is not going to like that," but the slight smirk on his face told Superman that the boy would be too happy to see Supergirl upset. Those two didn't see eye to eye most of the time, especially since Kara kept throwing to Conner's face that he was a clone. It had to do with a dark passage of Kryptonian history, which Conner liked to act as if it didn't bother him.
"There are some woods in that direction where you can practice without being bothered. You might also receive a visit or two from the Langs. They are the only neighbors nearby. I will give them a call later so they don't worry when they notice someone is here"
By the time he was done fretting and gone the sun was starting to pick in the east. He sighed as he sat outside in the porch. It was very peaceful. He thought with a smile. Then the hairs on back of his neck stood up and he looked up. He stood up and a few minutes later the Bio-ship landed. Keeping the camouflage, M'gann and Nightwing came out of the ship with his bags.
"And here I thought I would be missed" he said rubbing the back of his head. He had felt the ship come from so far away; he didn't get why, but hoped it was simply because he was familiar with it.
"More like you would be missing us. Are you sure about living here all on your own?" Nightwing said placing the bags he had been carrying on the porch. M'gann levitated the ones she had been carrying until they were next to him. She kept close to her ship and kept her lips on a firm line.
"Better alone than hurting someone; I have no clue on how to control my powers"
Nightwing started to open his mouth to say M'gann could help him, but then he noticed how Superboy wouldn't even look in her way. It was not an option. They were okay now, but not that okay.
"Are you going to be taking the semester off?" M'gann asked after a long silence.
"Yes, I will have to" he said as a frown crossed his forehead. He hadn't thought about his degree until then. Well, he was almost a year away from finishing so hopefully this wouldn't take more than one semester to get under control.
"Is not that difficult to control," she dared say, "those type of powers" and even Nightwing had a hard time not looking shocked. Was that spite?
"You grew up using your powers, mine just…" and though his tone was calm and even but a moment later they heard the Bio-ship groan as if something heavy was pressing on it.
"Stop it!" M'gann shouted before Superboy jumped worried, the sound stopped. She glared at him before turning and marching back inside her ship.
"Sorry, I still…" he closed his eyes tightly before taking a deep breath, "I think is better if you leave. I really have no idea of how to control this"
"I still want you to contact us if you need anything" Nightwing said placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, "no matter how insignificant you think it might be, if you want to talk about it you…"
"I know, I know," he forced a smile to pacify his friend before Nightwing handed him a new communication, he meant it.
The rest of the day he spent putting away his things. He found it tedious as he kept feeling his surrounding and that distracted him at times. When done he walked around the house picking here and there and then outside; which was like he expected like any farm to be. He spotted the barn Superman wanted him to take apart and then he spotted the old rackety tractor that he wanted him to fix. He knew he was good with machines but he was not a miracle worker. Deciding to start on that later he walked in the direction of the woods his mentor had told him that night. He took his time getting there as he really didn't have idea of what he wanted to do but get some training done. Still he had no idea of where to start.
Not that far away Jannet Lang hung up the kitchen phone and went outside where she approached her husband who was returning from town. She took her sweet time helping him unload the materials he had brought wondering how she should tell him someone was living in the Kent farm. Her husband knew she had something interesting to say the moment he spotted her little smile trying to hide her excitement.
"Well, spill it out already," he said laughing at her reddened cheeks.
"You are no fun," but then she smiled, "I got a call from Clark. It looks like his cousin is going to be living in the farm for a while"
"That blond girl, all on her own?" he couldn't recall her name but he had seen her once from afar while she helped Martha with some work around the farm.
"No, this one is a boy. About the same age" and that was even more interesting. He had never heard of another cousin.
"Really? I never thought Martha had that much of an extended family" Martha had been a city girl, and very independent from her family from what they understood.
"He said his name is Conner and that he was taking a break from college. Clark doesn't want him going rogue so he sent him to stay here" she said with a pleased smile.
Her husband laughed, "good call, there is very little kids can do around here to get into trouble" well, their dear Lana did but she was a child from a whole different batch!
Returning to Conner, he was not having a good time. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate he could not pacify that feeling that made him feel in contact with everything around him. Every time he tried to control it and minimize it, it just grew and grew. He could feel everything living around him, the grass, the trees, the animals, worms, moss and then some more. It was too much and he was starting to get a headache. Finally he was able to stop but it had taken a toll on him. He sank to his knees taking deep breaths. He felt sweat run down his face and laughed before collapsing on the ground. He couldn't remember ever feeling that tired. The humid forest ground felt comforting against his heated face. He closed his eyes and after a few minutes dared to try again. This time he tried to concentrate on something near him; a stick.
He visualized said stick going to him; at the same time he tried to block the feeling of everything else. Then something snapped and he opened his eyes to see a few dozens of branches floating over him. At least he was getting somewhere.
The following days went much like this. With no real plan but just idle wondering and practice. Most of the time he would practice in the forest, or if he felt braver in the middle of the fields; though he knew there was almost no one around in miles he couldn't help feeling watched.
The coffee was usually brewing when the first rays of sun touched the sprouting fields of the Kent farm. He relaxed into the sofa with a fresh cup. He guessed he felt idle because he was not going to classes as he was used to in the mornings. He didn't like taking time off college. He only had a few semesters to go before finishing his degree. Still, he kind of liked it here. He tried to imagine how it was for Superman to grow in this place like a regular kid. He wondered if he had been given the chance what type of kid he would have been.
He almost spilled the coffee catching such an absurd thought pass through his mind. What was he thinking? He was thankful he had understood there was no point in thinking of the 'what ifs'. It wasn't necessary to embrace the truth but accept it. He was going to look like this all his life and though that would sound great for some, he didn't like it one bit. He wondered how long he would be able to stay at some places before he had to move so people wouldn't notice. He wondered if the people of the town would notice, for he would like to return here later on. Then the idea of watching his friends grow-up and he always staying the same dragged him into a dark place in his thoughts. Forever sixteen… Forever a kid… Forever Superboy…
The cup shattered on his hand and for once not because he held it too tight. His powers had such terrible timing, he sighed before cleaning the mess and deciding to get out of the house. Though he didn't feel sure about it but he needed some fresh air (not that it was lacking around the farm), he grabbed the keys to the truck and drove towards town to pick some groceries.
His previous thought flew out the open truck window and got lost in the golden fields as he drove towards the town. He turned up the radio up. It was a country song, one that he was sure was popular in the area, not really his type of music but it made the feeling of driving through the open road a lot more enjoyable.
Right now, he was just a teenager lucky enough to get to drive and spend time without any adult supervision. This was as normal as he could get to feel.
Smallville was a small Kansas town and many suspected it would always be (not that it was a bad thing as the children who left usually did great in more ways that they could imagine). Once someone got wind of some juicy news, it didn't take long before the rest of the town to know. The boy looked a lot like Clark, way too much like him, which was the first thing everyone noticed. It would be more believable if they said siblings or even father and son, but cousins? They were from a small town, not… still they wondered what the truth town's people had a hard time not staring as he went into the first store he found.
The first time he walked into town to buy food he knew that he would not be able to leave unquestioned. Clark had warned him about this, and even helped create a story, though he didn't think it was that good of a story. Deceit was more of a Bat-family thing.
When he placed the few things he needed the old lady at the counter gave him a questioning look.
"Ehm… is there something wrong?" he asked trying to not look bothered by the staring. He knew the rest of the shoppers were also picking looks at him.
"Are you the boy who is living in the Kent farm? Clark's nephew?" she felt like a child poking at something odd with a stick, it gave her a giddily feeling.
"Cousin," he corrected before the owner of the small store nodded her soft cotton head (as if she believed him) remembering the first time she had spotted Martha with Clark, so young and amiable; nothing like this boy, "I am taking a small break from college and he said this would be a good place to stay"
"But you look so young" she could have sworn he didn't look over eighteen.
"I'm actually nineteen" he hoped that sounded believable. He tried to add to the effect with his best charming smile, which was a little crooked of course. He was not used to lying to sweet old ladies, "I am ahead a few years and Clark is a little worried about that. He told me to take some time off and sent me here. He says that this is the best place in the world to gather your thoughts"
"Smallville?" laughed the old lady, "I never thought he would miss this place so much"
"You didn't?" he smiled, but this time truthfully, "whenever we go to a steakhouse he always says the ones here are still the best"
"He says that?" she raised an skeptic eyebrow.
"Is one of the reasons I agreed to come here" he shrugged, it was sort of true.
The old lady laughed, her wrinkled cheeks turning smooth with a bit of the strain. It was just like men to go somewhere new as long as there was good meat.
"He must be referring to Joe's Steak House. Is a few stores down the street if you want to check it out"
"I will," he said picking up the paper bag that had been sitting in the counter for at least five minutes.
The old lady waved goodbye to him, cousin or not the kid was alright.
When he finally exited the small store, a smile still played on his lips. It was nice interacting like a normal person, though he didn't like the part about lying to them. He had made sure to come early so that he wouldn't get too much attention but he had forgotten that this was a small town where people usually woke up earlier than most. When he walked down the street towards the truck (not that he needed it, but Kal insisted for the sake of normality) he knew he was going to be the talk of the town for quite a while.