Morning mist blanketed Kent Farm, the golden wheat stubble glinting faintly in the sunrise.
Logan was gone.
Just as suddenly as he'd appeared, the grizzled warrior had slipped away without a trace.
When Lock noticed, all that remained on the living room couch were a few crumpled dollar bills.
"Here's the latest from Kansas News."
"An update on the Smallville school bus accident!"
The TV anchor's voice made Jonathan pause mid-bacon-fry. He turned off the stove, wiped his hands, and headed to the living room, eyes glued to the screen.
"Yesterday, 37 more parents joined the protest, demanding immediate action from the government—"
The camera panned over an angry crowd, parents hoisting signs—
Our kids aren't fish bait!
The bold red letters stood out sharply.
In front of the town hall steps, a few sweaty, suited officials were scrambling to explain.
"Folks, listen up!"
"The state legislature has allocated $800,000 in emergency funds. The first construction crews arrived this morning—"
"We'll fix the roads. We'll fix the bridge."
As the words landed, the camera cut to—
The broken bridge pier.
A couple dozen workers in hard hats were setting up barriers.
A man with gold-rimmed glasses was talking to a reporter, his name tag glinting in the sun, barely revealing the word "Lionel."
"I just saw old Bob," Jonathan said, sliding bacon onto a sandwich, eyes still on the TV, itching with excitement. "His sign was practically in the mayor's face."
"What if I joined the protest? Think I'd make it on TV?"
Martha shot him a look, her knitting needles never pausing. "How old are you, still chasing the spotlight?"
"Heh."
"Don't say it like that." Jonathan grinned, nostalgia in his eyes. "Back when Lock was in school, if I hadn't been the loud parent, he wouldn't have—"
"Jonathan!" Lock's face darkened, his coffee mug creaking under his grip.
"Alright, alright, I'll drop it." Jonathan raised his hands in surrender, though his eyes still twinkled mischievously.
"Dad!" Clark's blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Keep going! I wanna hear Uncle Lock's stories."
Dad's youth?
Dio pretended to flip through his physics book, but his red eyes kept darting toward Jonathan, clearly eager for the tale.
Lock shook his head helplessly and changed the subject. "Enough about that. Jonathan, Martha, about Clark's… incident."
He didn't finish, but the implication was clear.
With the school bus fiasco blowing up, would Clark's unusual actions draw unwanted attention?
Jonathan hesitated. "Lock, if it comes to it…" He took a deep breath. "We'll take Clark and leave."
"What about the farm?" Lock frowned.
"You'd take over, right, brother?" Jonathan gave a wry smile.
"That so?" Lock thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. You take Dio with you. I'll stay, tie up loose ends, sell the farm in a year or two, then meet up with you."
The room fell silent.
Clark stared at the floor, fingers twisting the hem of his shirt.
He felt like it was all his fault. If he hadn't impulsively saved those kids…
"It's okay." Martha forced a smile, gently ruffling Clark's curls. "Jonathan, don't be so grim. No one's shown up at our door, so maybe it was just an acci—"
Ding~
The doorbell cut her off.
Everyone froze.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Hello!" a chipper, unfamiliar male voice called from outside, oddly cheerful.
Lock signaled Jonathan and Martha to stay quiet and crept toward the door.
He opened it to find a man in a crisp suit standing on the porch.
Raindrops dripped from the eaves, splashing near the man's polished shoes.
His slicked-back hair was immaculate, his badge gleaming brightly.
"IRS?" Lock exhaled in relief.
He'd been ready to knock out an investigator and flee with the family.
Just the IRS.
"IRS?" Jonathan echoed, letting out a relieved breath.
Just the IRS.
"Hello, is this Jonathan Kent?" the man asked, nodding with a smile as he removed his sunglasses. "You seem in good spirits."
"I'm Jonathan Kent."
"This is my neighbor, Lock Kent," Jonathan said, gesturing.
The man slipped inside, scanning the room and noting the relieved expressions on everyone's faces.
Good Lord.
He sniffed, his opinion of Lock and Jonathan skyrocketing.
These weren't your average farmers!
Honest, cultured farmers!
Look at them, practically beaming with relief at his arrival.
They were clearly eager to contribute to America's defense efforts!
God knows how many farmers had given him dirty looks lately.
Even with the recent policy improvements, those ignorant folks not only failed to appreciate it but complained nonstop.
Just the other day, he'd nearly been chased off, so mad he almost filed for a tax enforcement squad.
"Let me introduce myself." He pulled a document from his briefcase. "IRS investigator, Kristen Ford."
"Oh, right."
"You must be Mr. Lock Kent. No wonder I couldn't find you earlier."
Kristen flashed a bright smile, completely hiding the fact that he'd been fuming at Lock's farm gate earlier for finding no one home.
"So, you two are…?"
"Brothers," Jonathan said without missing a beat.
"Haha, my bad, both Kents, of course." Kristen chuckled, settling into a chair with his briefcase on his lap.
He was about to speak when—
A shiver ran through him.
What the…
He froze, spotting two small heads peeking over the couch—one blond, one dark—staring right at him.
The red-eyed one studied him like a frog on a dissection table, while the blue-eyed one's gaze burned with excessive curiosity.
"Haha… and these two young gentlemen are?" Kristen's hand shook, his briefcase slipping to the floor.
"My son," Jonathan said, pulling Clark close.
"My son," Lock said, ruffling Dio's blond hair.
"Full of… energy, aren't they?" Kristen forced a laugh, picking up his briefcase. "Future farmers, no doubt."
He pivoted, glancing at the TV still showing the protest. "Since you're following the news, you must have an idea why I'm here?"
Jonathan shook his head blankly. "Been busy with the harvest."
"Totally get it!" Kristen cut in eagerly, pulling a stack of colorful flyers from his bag. "You folks usually head to town to pay taxes, so I came personally with some great news!"
"Take a look."
"Starting this year, the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act and the Taxpayer Relief Act are kicking in."