Story [Superman]The Last Son of Krypton(Book 1 of 3)-- THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS HONOR!

Title: Superman: The Last Son of Krypton
Author: mrjop2
Awards:
Most Underrated Story 2011 WINNER
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
Note: This is the re-imagining of the story of Superman. What makes this different from the movies is that it is a lot more character driven, and a lot more emotional. This is what the movies have always lacked so I decided to do this re-imagination adding those missing elements
Summary: Sent to Earth to avoid certain destruction, Kal-El grows up to become Earth's mightiest hero, Superman. But his former childhood friend, Lex Luthor, is bent on destroying him. Their emotional rivalry will give birth to two villains which even Superman may not be able to overcome.
Disclaimer: The following story is meant for entertainment purpose only; not meant to infringe upon any copyright laws. No profit was or should be made on the following material. Story written: 2010. This is part one of a planned trilogy re-imagining the classic superhero. This is how I would love to see Superman come to the theaters.

I would love to hear what you all think to anyone who reads this.


right before posting each 4th chapter, I will add a recap of what has happened thus far so anyone who comes into the middle of the story can catch up quickly instead of having to read all the way from the beginning if they so chose.


Recap #1 is now posted which covers Chapters 1 through 3
Recap #2 is now posted which covers Chapters 4 through 6
Recap #3 is now posted which covers Chapters 7 through 9
Recap #4 is now posted which covers Chapters 10 through 12
Recap #5 is now posted which covers Chapter 13 through 15




SUPERMAN:
THE LAST SON OF KRYPTON


Based on the DC comics characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Inspired by:
Superman by Richard Donner starring Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder,
the Popular DC comics,
Superman: The Animated Series,
and
Smallville created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar

Music composed by: John Williams


********************PART 1********************
Chapter 1: Victory over Apokolips

Far into the opposite end of unknown region of space was a small ice planet of Krypton. This was a time of war and turmoil for the Kryptonians. As fire is the natural enemy of ice, so was the planet of Apokolips the enemy of Krypton.

Apokolips was feared amongst all planets in the system. Many planets have fallen to the might of Apokolips? ruthless tyrant, Darkseid. Every planet conquered by this tyrant was transformed from a peaceful tranquil paradise to a volcanic red planet of death or was destroyed in the process. Krypton was one of the few planets that had the military might to stand up against the dark army.

A steady flowing stream of blue and red crossfire was lighting up the blackness of space above the atmosphere of Krypton. Darkseid had tried to achieve a surprise attack on Krypton, but had failed miserably as his fleet of ten red and black war cruiser met with a dozen of Kryptonians white defenders.

Darkseid?s fleet did not retreat once they realized that the surprise belonged to Krypton as some of the council members had predicted. Jor-El was not surprised in the least. Retreating was not in Darkseid?s blood; it would be a sign of weakness. No, but at the same time, even Darkseid would know that at a certain point that it would be in his own best interest to pull back to conserve his forces, yet all signs showed that Darkseid was being abnormally persistent. This forced the question: why? What was he up to?

Jor-El braced himself as the ground beneath him began to shake. He stormed down the narrow corridor. He was in a great hall, with all the walls and the ground were made of see through crystal. Small ruble from the cryst

I have always been a massive Superman fan. I haven't read too much fan fiction, so this is the first Superman story I've read that involves his Dad so that was great to read. Thanks!

Thanks! When I began this re-imagining of the story of Superman, I wanted to tell the story similar to the original movie. Due to lack of special effects back then, they could not do something extremely spectacular. If they redid it today, I think the movie would be epic! As I write this: I wanted to go deeper detail, keep closer to the comics than the original movie did, as well as set up for other two stories that are to come after this one.

The next chapter should be here tomorrow.

Chapter 2: Catastrophe imminent

Back in his element, Jor-El was back at his lab. Since the attack from Apokolips; the unsinking feeling that, something was out place, gnawed at him relentlessly. The whole battle just seemed off. The council just wrote it all off as another victory for their military forces, but Jor-El there was no intention to the battle, and that was what was off. Darkseid was extraordinarily intelligent, and not accustomed to losing. To be conqueror of so many planets and not be intelligent was implausible. Everything he did had a goal; so when this recent battle seemed to serve no point; that raised a red flag in his mind.

The first unsettling discovery he made in his lab was a disturbance on Krypton?s surface. This obviously was no solid proof by any means that something was off. From what he could see, there was a small indentation on the planet?s icy surface. There was no evidence of any contrivance or device that had hit the planet?s surface, so anything could have happened from a meteorite to debris from one of the destroyed warships. If it was debris, then where did it go?

From what he could see, that was the only thing out of place on Krypton itself. That should have eased his nerves, but it did not. He expanded his search by secretly sending out a probe to Krypton?s moon, and found nothing out of the ordinary.

?Jor-El?? Lara voice echoed through the lab. He could hear the tapping of her feet on the crystal floor. He looked back to see his wife approaching, holding in her arms their infant son, Kal-El. He was wrapped in a blue and red blanket. ?I was beginning to miss you. You have spent all day in here.?

?I apologize, my love,? Jor-El bowed, taking her left hand and lifting it up to his lips. ?I cannot get out of my mind that something is amiss since the attack. I just cannot put a finger on it.?

?Maybe we caught a break, or maybe Lord Darkseid really was taken by surprise.?

?Not likely. I?m convinced that there was more to the attack than it appears. For some reason, I?m now even more certain that something is right in front of me that I?m missing. What am I overlooking??

?Jor-El, Come home with us. Do not let this eat away at you. Do not distance yourself in your work anymore.?

?Distance! That is what I'm missing!? A terrifying thought shot into his mind. How could he have been so dull to miss it?

?What is it??

Jor-El took a green crystal from several laying before him and smoothly slid it into one of the slots at his station. The room darkened; and a holographic image of Krypton, and its moon and sun, floated around the room. ?I should have realized it when the probe took longer to reach the moon than I anticipated.?

Kryptonian numbers began to scroll between Krypton and the moon and Krypton and the Sun. The results of his research brought sheer terror to Jor-El. The reaction of her husband deeply unsettled he. She had never seen such a reaction from her husband. ?What is it??

?I?m afraid Darkseid is the least of our problems. I must address the council immediately.?

* * * *

Jor-El presented his findings to the council. He did not know why he was surprised to see the disbelief in the faces of the members of the council, but he was. He continued his presentation non-the-less. ?Krypton has been placed off of its orbit. Its new path will bring us ten thousand pasons from the sun, and the results will be catastrophic. There is no telling how long our planet has been off trajectory, but one thing is certain: we only have a matter of days before this planet explodes.?

?If what you say is true, is there anything that can be done to avert this disaster?? One of the members asked.

?Not from what I can see.?

?Council,? one of the oldest members of the council left his platform to address the rest of his fellow members. He was the most respected amongst all members, and also happened to be the one who most disrespected Jor-El the most. ?This is nothing more than another one of Jor-El fanatical theories. This theory, however, is far graver than any that have been brought bef

Chapter 3: The End is at Hand

Just as Brainiac had calculated, the creature?s vision was based on heat signature. He knew that it was one of many creatures that were bred on Apokolips for one reason only: utter destruction. It had little or no intelligence; it was only fueled by death and violence. Knowing this, he was able to coax it into a trap. It sought out anything living so it could cause death. Setting up an empty science lab with heat crystals, it was only logical that the monster thought there was life to be destroyed here. Of course, for all of its effort, it would not be completely disappointed. After all, he was curious about just what the creature was capable of. That was why he requested the service of a military soldier.

As requested, the soldier kept guard inside the lab, making sure Jor-El did not try to enter. He did not know that Jor-El was closely being watched by the council and was currently not an issue. The soldier had no idea what was coming his way.

Brainiac was able to detect the creature as it pounded its way through solid ice and crystal. It was nearing the lab. Krypton had been experiencing dozens of tremors the past few days, so the tremors caused by the violent pounding of the creature did not faze the soldier. A slight facial gesture showed that he was beginning to question whether the council was hiding something from him. When the quakes began, he had to convince the council that the tremors were a seasonal anomaly. He had to tell General Zod a whole different story: that the quakes were the result of the planet returning to its when in actuality it was nearing its destruction.

While the tremors did not invoke a drastic response, the shattering of the far wall did. Giant pieces of ice and crystal sprayed the entire lab, causing the soldier to flinch and look away to shield his eyes. Returning to his senses; his military training kicked into gear. He pulled out his white laser and pointed it towards the shadowy figure standing at the unnatural, newly-created lab entrance. Its heavy breathing, which would end in a blood-thirsty growl, could be heard throughout the deathly-silent lab.

?Show yourself intruder!?

Brave to the very end, Brainiac thought; though at second thought, it probably was not as much courage as it was naïveness. What was coming through that hole was death incarnate.

The monstrosity stepped out of the shadow towards the soldier. Brainiac was intrigued when he saw the creature almost completely covered. It wore green clothing; a color not really associated with Apokolips. It even wore a mask with red-lensed goggles. The only parts of the body not covered were its massive hands. Its thick and jagged bones pierced its gray, hide-like skin; and showed signs that the creature used them as deadly weapons. At a closer look, the bone pierced the skin just above each elbow. They came out so far; they looked more like spears than part of the creature's massive skeleton. Looking at the green cloth, Brainiac assumed there were many more piercings.

It was only after the creature stepped out of the shadows when the soldier began to realize that he was already dead. The beast was so tall; the soldier had only come up to its mid-chest region. It would take two or maybe three soldiers standing side-by-side just to match its massiveness. He fired his laser, hoping against all hope that a positive result would come out of it. The only effect that came from it was a hole burnt into the clothing and an angry roar from the beast.

He had no time to react as the monster charged with extraordinary speed. It swung at the soldier as if he was nothing more than an insect. Being machine, Brainiac knew the man was dead on impact. From just the impact, he assessed five bones were crushed, including his neck. The rest of the damage and broken bones came after the airborne lifeless body crashed into the wall, leaving a streak of red staining the white, crystal-ice wall.

The display of strength was unbelievable. After witnessing its ability, the time had come for Brainiac to ma

***RECAP #1***
Chapters 1 - 3

Chapter 1: Darkseid had launched an attack on Krypton. After an impressive victory, Jor-El remained skeptic, believing there was another motive behind the seemingly embarrassing defeat. Little did anyone know that Jor-El was right as Darkseid had launch a space pod onto the planet's surface which held an unspeakable evil.

Chapter 2: Determined to find the real reason behind Darkseid's attack, Jor-El accidentally stumbled upon a different discovery: the planet was out of orbit and was going to pass to close to the sun. The result would be the destruction of Krypton. He brought his findings to the council and was openly ridiculed by the council. Brainiac was summoned and to Jor-El's surprised, lied to the council and said Jor-El's findings were wrong. The council nearly banished him to the phantom zone right then until General Zod, a close friend of Kal-El convinced the council to spare his life.

After things settled down, General Zod confronted General Zod demanding to know how Jor-El had come to know the truth. Brainiac revealed that their little scheme to make General Zod the ruler of the planet Krypton was foiled when Darkseid's attacked caused Jor-El to accidentally come across the information. Brainiac assured that he would return the planet to it's normal orbit and they would seek an alternative plan, but little does Zod know that he is just a tool. Brainiac's true loyalty is to Darkseid and the destruction of of every last Kryptonian.

Chapter 3: After being told by Darkseid of a creature of mass destruction was sent to help tie any loose ends to assure all life on the planet perished; Brainiac set out a trap for the creature. The creature fell for the trap and Brainac was able to put a mind control device on the creature.

Now with the creature under their control; Zod confronts Jor-El only to be discover that Jor-El was building a space craft to save his son from the destruction. General Zod urges him to join him to save their people from the disaster and to lead them in an exodus to find another home world. Jor-El is reluctant, and quickly finds out about the creature which at that very moment was killing the council to make Zod ruler of all Krypton. Jor-El, disgusted with Zod's lust for power, refuses to join his old friend and banishes Zod to the Phantom Zone.


Now you are caught up to this point of the story.

Chapter 4: The End of Krypton

Brainiac had seen the whole thing from his shuttle, which was now heading off to a safe distance. Zod was a fool! He should have seen it coming. He had allowed his relationship with Jor-El to cloud his judgment; and as a result, he was now stuck in the phantom zone. That presented him with a problem. He had to make sure that every last Kryptonian perished. Yes, the planet was a matter of moments away from its demise, but he had to make sure that Jor-El did not finish that space craft for his child. There was just one way he could guarantee such was the case, and that assurance was already on its way to the rouge scientist.

* * * *

Lara was shaken by the events that had transpired, but Jor-El did not have the luxury of time to contemplate what he had just done. The shuttle was now complete and was he was now preparing it for launch. He was now putting in crystals that he hoped that his son would, one day use, to study the history of Krypton.

Lara was cradling Kal-El in her arms, still crying over the ordeal that had taken place. ?Why must we send him to Earth? It is a primitive planet. Their yellow sun will make him stand out from them.?

?He will need that advantage to survive. The people of Earth will need that advantage as well.? Jor-El knew that if he sent his son to Earth, Darkseid would eventually track him to earth. Once Darkseid learned of Earth and its ample natural resources, he would take his fleet of war ships there.

He could feel her fear of losing her son. What mother would not be feeling the same under similar circumstances? ?We will always be with him. After we are gone, Kal-El will be able to communicate to our images as if we were there with him. In some small way, we will be a part of his upbringing. What is important is that we will be there when he needs us the most.?

Lara nodded in agreement. The ground once again shook violently. Jor-El had to catch his wife on quick reflexes. The white-crystal walls and ground cracked as the quake continued to pick up strength. This time, the quake was not ending. Jor-El ushered Lara to the shuttle where she gently placed her child in the shuttle. Jor-El covered the baby with a glittering, gray blanket to keep the baby warm. ?This shuttle will keep him in suspended animation. He should remain the same age until he is awakened on planet Earth. Someone will find him and adopt him into their family. There, he will grow up until the appropriate time.? He nearly had to shout to his wife over the roaring of the quake.

The crystal door across the room shattered, but it was not from the quake. The doorway crumbled at the height of the monstrous creature as it stormed into the room. Jor-El had just shut the hatch of the shuttle in time before the beast had entered. Its green clothing had fresh red stains on them.

Jor-El stepped in front of his wife, in what he knew would be a futile attempt, to protect his wife. He had to find a way to launch the shuttle, but he knew any sudden moves would result in his immediate death. He could not defend his wife and launch the shuttle, and his heart was torn in half. The one thing he certainly could not do was stand there and wait for death to come.

As the beast stared at them through its red lenses, he noticed the device planted on the head of the beast. There was no mistaking that the creature originated from Apokolips, but there was also no doubt who was currently controlling it. ?Brainiac. Just as I suspected.?

* * * *

From a safe distance, Brainiac watched as fissures developed on the planet?s surface. The end of Krypton had at last come. An eruption of snow and ice exploded from a newly formed vent on the surface.

* * * *

The quake had intensified considerably instantly. Neither Jor-El or his wife was able to stay on their feet. The creature stumbled, but kept its footing. A crystal pillar collapsed towards the beast at the sudden intensification of the quake. With one swing of an arm, the pillar shattered into countless number of pieces.

Jor-El desperately took this only chanc

********************PART 2********************
Chapter 5: Earths New Arrival

He had misjudged the time it would take to accomplish everything he had wanted to do. Jonathan Kent had not anticipated the traffic when entering Smallville; that would prove the most damaging to his plans. Finding a parking spot was the next; followed by the long line at the coffee shop. In hindsight, he should have forgone the coffee. At least the trip to the flower shop went by fast.

Today was the highly anticipated meteor shower. This was not just your typical meteor shower. These meteors were passing through earth?s atmosphere, making them clearly visible in daylight. An event like this happened less than a handful of times in earth's history where the meteors came so close that they could be seen despite the sunlight. The event had attracted scientists and thrill seekers alike. Even though most of the meteorites were expected to burn up in the atmosphere, that did not stop some people from hoping to be lucky enough for a souvenir.

Heading out of Smallville proved to be a much easier task. He was pretty much the only one leaving town. He pushed his red Toyota pick-up as hard as he dared without the possibility of being pulled over. Yes, he was a friend of the sheriff, and that went a long way; but that did not give him the license to break the wall. Jonathon was a stickler for the law. He was one of the biggest contributors to the Smallville police department. As a result, the police were often willing to cut the Kents slack. Jonathon would never take advantage of that.

His farm was only a few miles on the outskirts of Smallville. The dust rose from beneath the tires of the pick-up truck as he pulled into his extended driveway. Up ahead was his home and barn; both were made by his father many years ago. His father had built this homestead by the sweat of his own brow and not through some hired construction company.

He parked right in front of his front porch. He quickly climbed out of the truck and ran up the two steps up onto the front porch when something hit him. ?The flowers!? He quickly rack back to his truck to grab the flowers on the passenger seat. He rushed back up to the porch. The screen door groaned as Jonathon threw it open. ?Martha??

Entering from the front door, he was now in the living room. Their home was very antiquated and simple. Jonathon was opposed to new technology because people became too lazy and dependant on technology.

Martha was not in the living room. Across the living room, through a duel-sized doorway, was the dining room with a handmade table made for six. Jonathon had a knack for carpentry and made the table with his own bare hands. When he made the table, he had anticipated having several children who would take-up the empty spaces. That dream had not become a reality.

?I?m in the kitchen,? Martha?s voice called out.

Jonathon walked around the couch, into the dining room and turned right through the single-sized doorway into the kitchen. Martha was finishing up washing the last of the lunch-dishes and was now drying her hands on a green hand towel. The kitchen was one of the smallest rooms in the house. There was barely enough room for the two of them to stand next to each other.

Martha looked up and saw the flowers in his hands and was able to give him a slight smile. He handed her the flowers, just happy to get that faint smile that he did. Without showing any more emotion; she commenced looking for a vase, for the flowers.

?Don?t worry about the flowers. How about you and I go find a special spot and watch the meteor shower.?

?I don?t feel like it,? she replied as she found the vase, and began filling it with water.

?Martha,? He walked up from behind her and placed his hands on both of her shoulder. ?I think getting out of the house will do us both a world of good right now.?

Martha?s response continued to be cold as she put the flowers in the water. ?I don?t wanna go out, Jonathon.?

He turned her around to face her, clasping her upper arms. ?Forget about what the docto

Chapter 6: Meet Clark Kent

Years had gone by since the life-changing day. Jonathon had tried to make Martha see reason; but once she held the baby in her hands, there was no saying no to that woman. They had begun the process of adopting the child. Of course, they could not tell the government that they found the child in a space ship from another world. Instead, they had told them that the child was left at their front door step. After months of doing research, they had not been able to find anyone else who claimed to be his real parents; which the Kents knew they would fail. That cleared the way for adopting the boy; who was, at that point, one year old. At least, that is what Jonathon and Martha had anticipated. They had to make-up a birthday for him and give him a name. Martha came up with: Clark.

Clark was now twelve years old. Enrolled at Smallville Junior High, he proved to be supremely intelligent. He was the top of his class; and like any other smart kid, was the subject of immense teasing. Clark was teased quite a bit, but bullying was not actually an issue for him. He was taller and more buff than any of the other kids in his grade. As a result, bullies were very intimidated of him.

The glasses Clark wore did not help things any. No one realized that the glasses were fake. He wore them, more so, for the support of a friend. One time, Clark went to his father and told him about his friend who had an extremely rare condition called Hallermann-Streiff syndrome. As a result, he was shorter than everyone in his class, and had to wear glasses. Clark wanted to make his friend feel better with all the intense bullying he was receiving. Impressed by his compassion; his father suggested wearing glasses just like his friends, and that is just what Clark did.

For a young boy, Clark more mature than most kids his age. The teasing did not bother him in the least, and he had more sympathy for people than most people three times his age. There was another perk that came with his personality; at least, it would become a bigger advantage one day. This characteristic was exceedingly pleasing to the opposite sex. Being just past the coodies phase, there was one, in particular, girl in Clark?s class that liked him. Her name was Lana Lang. During class, he would look over his shoulder to catch her staring at him. After quickly realizing she had been staring, she would turn away and pretend as if nothing happened.

After lunch came recess. Clark rushed to get to the door leading to the playground. As he got out, he saw that the playground was already full of kids from other grades. He walked amongst all the chaotic play to find his friend. Clark had recently discovered that he had better than average hearing. If he concentrated hard enough, he could drown out every single voice to find the one voice amongst almost a hundred kids.

Using his talent, he eliminated everyone near the swings, because most of the kids there were girls. Next he focused on the jungle gym, but he did not recognize any of the voices there. He did not even bother with the hopscotch area. He then picked up on a group of kids cheering. Those voices he knew belonged to the bullies of the school. He could also hear a kid grunting, as if he had taken a punch in their gut.

That was where his friend was. ?Hey!? Clark called out to them as he ran towards the group of bullied.

They looked back to see him coming at them. ?Beat it, it?s Supernerd!?

Even though there were five of them, none of them wanted to deal with Clark. They ran away, running back into the school building. Reaching his friend, he picked up the glasses and handed it back to him. Another unfortunate symptom of his syndrome was the inability to grow anybody hear whatsoever, including his scalp. With the black, plastic-framed glasses; his size; and his naked scalp, he would always receive the brunt of all the bullying in the school. ?Are you okay, Lex??

Lex Luthor put on the glassed Clark handed back to him as he looked up at him. His face was streaked with tears, and his lip was swollen

Chapter 7 will be coming sometime by Saturday or Sunday. I just decided to get the recap up early.

***RECAP #2***
Chapters 4 - 6

Chapter 4: As final attempt to stop Jor-El from saving his son from destruction, he sends the mind-controlled beast to kill Jor-El and Kara, but before the beast can do the job, the planet began to give way and it fell into one of the crevises. This provided Jor-El just enough time to launch his son off the planet, saving him from the explosion.

Chapter 5: A daytime meteorite showers over the town of Smallville has made the town very popular. To try to help his wife get over the fact of her inability to conceive a son, Jonathon Kent brings Martha Kent outside to watch the shower. However a large meteorite failed to burn up in the planet's atmosphere and just misses them, crash landing in a cornfield. Jonathon goes to report the incident to the police sheriff, but Martha discovers a baby in the crater.

Chapter 6:The Kents adopt the baby and names him Clark Kent. Now 12 years old, Clark is at school when a bunch of bullies begin to beat up on his friend, Lex Luthor. Clark comes to the rescue and saves Lex from the bullies and takes him to the nurses office. Clark later comes hom where he slowly is beginning to realize that he is developing some unusual gifts including super hearing and super speed. The Kents are quick to dismiss these things when Clark accidentally sends the screen door flying with super strength. This was one sign that neither parents could dismiss.


Now you are caught up to this point of the story.

I'm not the biggest Superman fan in the world, but this is really good. I eagerly await the next chapter.

Thanks for reading!I was beginning to fear all my hard work I am putting into this story was going to go to waste. I wanted this to be my best written work I have ever done. I'm very proud of how this story is turning up.

Thanks again for reading, I hope you continue to joy the story.

Chapter 7: The Birth of Evil

Clark just could not concentrate on school the next day. His mind was racing with everything that his father had revealed to him yesterday. It still sounded preposterous. As much as it hurt, he could handle the fact that he was adopted. What he could not handle was that there was the possibility that he was not even from this planet. How could anyone believe such a strange thing? It had to be some kind of practical joke played on his parents.

Everything was still rolling around in his head, as he walked down the school hall. He was nearing his classroom, when an eighth grader stepped in front of him. Clark still toward over him, since he was about the size of a high-school teenager, but that did not stop this bully.

This particular bully was pretty much the most popular kid amongst all the bullies. His name was Johnny Corben. He was loud-mouth, disruptive kid in the eighth grade. He probably spent most afternoons, afterschool, in detention. Not much was known about his parents, though. Rumors were that they were divorced, and that his father was a security guard, by night; and drunk out of his mind, by day.

Whatever his situation was, it appeared that he was going to be the first bully to test the boundary that they had set for themselves, regarding Clark. ?Hey, Supernerd!?

The irony of a smaller kid trying to bully a taller kid did not escape him, but Clark was just not in the mood for this. ?I?m really not in the mood, Johnny.?

?What?s the matter, dork? I don?t think you?re all that scary.? He was trying to find a nerve, to get Clark to respond.

?Not now, Johnny,? Clark?s temper was flaring, but was still able to keep his emotions at bay. His father had always taught him to never let other kids get under his skin.

?You?re always sticking up for that bald-headed dweeb, but who?s gonna? stick up for you? I don?t think you?re as tough as you look.? He tried to shove him, but it was like trying to shove a brick wall. Clark hardly felt a thing. He tried harder, but to no avail.

?Are you done now?? Clark asked, raising his right eyebrow.

That only infuriated Johnny. He hated to be embarrassed in front of his friends who were watching from a distance. ?You?re dead!? He no longer cared if he was caught by the principal; no one was going to make him look stupid in front of his friends. He went for an amateurish right hook, probably learned from watching boxing on television.

Without even flinching, Clark raised his right hand and caught Johnny?s fist in mid-jab. ?You should thank me. I just saved you from breaking your hand.?

Johnny snapped his arm back, rubbing his fist. ?Geez, you are a freak.? Johnny walked away in retreat.

Thankful that it was over, Clark headed towards his classroom.

* * * *

Recess could not come soon enough. Clark was just glad there were no pop quizzes today, because his mind was everywhere except the classroom. After eating his bologna sandwich alone, he went outside to the playground and sat on the bench. He watched as all the kids played and enjoy their thirty minutes of freedom. His mind was too busy for play right now.

?Clark!? Lex came, out of nowhere, to meet him at the bench. ?Good news, my father didn?t notice my lip.?

?What? Oh, that?s good,? Clark replied coldly.

Lex knew something was wrong. ?What?s wrong??

?Last night, my dad told me that I?m adopted,? Clark responded.

?Oh, bummer,? Lex said, not sure what to say. ?Sometimes I wish I was adopted.? Lex looked down, recounting all the times he had wanted to run-away. ?Anyway, may this will take your mind off things a little.?

Lex pulled out a pocket size steel case and handed it to Clark.

?What is this??

?I took it from my dad?s desk.? Actually, everything did not go as well for him last night as he had told Clark. His father immediately noticed his lip and tried to get him to tell him what happened. When he refused, he cursed him out and said he was worthless. That was one of the most painful things his father had ever said to him. As revenge, he ?borrowed? this artifact off of

Chapter 8: Growing up in Smallville

?That is completely reprehensible,? his mother replied. Clark had never seen her mother get riled up like this before. She usually was the most mild-mannered person he knew. ?Anyone who treats their son like that should be burned at the stake.?

?There?s no hiding it: Mr. Luthor?s a poor excuse for a human being,? his father added. ?I?m sorry, Clark. I wish there was something we could do for Lex, but the law is on Mr. Luthor?s side.?

Clark had a feeling he was going to say that, but that brought him no comfort at all. His best friend had been taken away from him. He was never going to see him again. Now he was all alone in junior high school. He was not afraid of the bullies like Johnny Corben. He was pretty sure his increasing abilities would protect him; it was more a matter of moral support.

?I?m sorry, Clark,? his mother tried to comfort him with a hand on his shoulder.

?Listen son,? his father said, sitting down at the table with him. Something told Clark that he was about to change subjects. ?The last two days have been real hard on you. I?ve come to a decision. Every afternoon, after school, you and I are going to spend some time exploring your gifts.?

?What?? he did not know what to make of this news. It sounded a lot like more work.

?You have special gifts, Clark. You can never use those gifts off this farm. No one, outside the three of us, is to know about these gifts.?

?Why??

?Over time, you?ll understand,? his father replied.

Clark saw him nodding to his mother who, in turn, left the kitchen. She was only gone for a second when she returned. On the table in front of him, she placed two baseball mitts and a baseball. ?What?s this??

His father smiled. ?Part of your training. Not only that, but it will sever as a little father-and-son time. So how about it son? Up for some catch??

* * * *

At first, Clark did not understand how playing catch was considerd 'training'. After awhile, though, the answer came to him. While playing catch, he and his dad would talk about a vast array of topics. One time, while playing catch, they talked about Lex, and how much he missed his friend. As the talk progressed, Clark started to get emotional. As his emotions started to grow, he had lost control of his strength and threw the ball too hard. His father was lucky to leap out of the way as the ball sailed past him, and continued flying for another two miles. That was when he knew the truth. Playing catch was more than a father and son bonding, it was a training exercise to be able to control his strength under stress.

To exercise his super speed, Clark continued to do what he had always done. The moment he would get home from school, he would race home after the bus had left. His times were getting better and better as time went by.

Other abilities had come through the years, as well. Most, Clark had to deal with alone. The one that disturbed him the most, was the red laser beams from his eyes. When that power manifested itself, there was lots of chaos in the Kent?s house. He quickly learned how to manage that power, but that ability scared him the most. The ability that disturbed his parents the most, was his ability to see through anything.

The talent he liked the most was discovered entirely by accident. Helping his father out on the farm, Clark was on the second level of the barn. He was clearing the way for haystacks when a coon startled him. Clark stumbled back and fell off the ledge. Instead of falling and seriously hurting himself, he hovered high above the ground. His father was even more surprised by this discovery than he was. As time went by, he learned that it was more than just hovering he could do. He could full-out fly.

Learning to fly was not hard, but keeping himself grounded proved to be the hard part of the training. He had fallen in love with flying so much, that he wanted, so much, to take to the sky and fly high above Smallville. He dreamed of it, but his father had warned him that doing so could expose himself to the world.

Clark was four

Chapter 9: First Rescue

Clark?s heart was racing. Even though he was matching the speed limit of the highway, it felt as if he was going half-that. He had been looking forward to his evening out with Lana. As cliché-ish as it may sound, life seemed better whenever he was around her. All of his problems no longer mattered when he was with her.

Clark turned on the radio as he drove down the highway. Playing some classic country music in the back-round always tended to put Clark at ease while driving. He was the kind of person who preferred background noise, especially when studying. His father never understood that. While Clark was doing his homework, his father would occasionally walk by and turn off the radio.

Clark had just happened to know the song that came on the radio. He found himself whistling along with the melody and tapping his fingers, to the beat, on the steering wheel.

An orange flash caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Looking around, he waited to see if there was another flash. For a moment, he did not know if that flash was real or in his mind?s eye. Perhaps he had passed something on the road that reflected the headlights of his truck.

It was almost totally dark now; and anything, as bright as what he thought he saw, should have been easy to spot. His nerves had just started to calm down when a fire ball streaked across the sky. ?What is going on??

Clark narrowly avoided crashing when an explosion sent asphalt shards flying right in front of his truck. Pulling hard on the steering wheel, the truck peeled sharply around the newly formed ditch. The sky was now raining fire all around him. His mind was racing, wondering what the smart thing to do was. If he stopped the truck, would he be any safer than trying to outrace the firestorm?

He had no time to make a decision. His truck was already flipping in the air like a coin. The engine was on fire from the impact of the meteorite. The windshield shattered as the truck landed on the hood.

It did not take Clark long to gather his wits. The blaze from the front of the truck was growing bigger by the second. It was only a matter of seconds before the whole truck would catch on fire. Despite what had just happened, he was not sore in the least. Over the years, he had discovered that he was incapable of being cut or bruised. That did not mean, however, that he was exempt from emotional trauma.

He used one hand to steady himself to avoid falling on his head as he unbuckled his seatbelt. After a few maneuvers to wiggle out from behind the seatbelt, he lowered himself to the roof of the car amongst all the shards of glass. The heat from the fire was starting to get intense as it started to overwhelm the truck. There was no point being gentle with the truck any longer, seeing it was as good as gone. Using his super strength, he awkwardly punched the side of the door. The metal cracked as the door was ripped off it?s hinges and sailed off into the distance.

Freedom was right in now right there. He crawled out of the truck and promptly climbed to his feet and then put some distance between him and the blazing wreck.

Dad?s gonna? kill me. That was all he could think of as he watched the family truck burn. The meteor shower had ended as quickly as it started, but it left a lot of damage in it's wake. He did not need the truck to return home, or go off to see Lana; if that was what he decided to do. Under the circumstances, though, it was probably a better idea to just go home and then call Lana explaining the situation.

?Somebody help!? a desperate woman?s voice cried out.

He looked around for the source of the cry. Behind him was a two-story Tudor-style home next to a large, empty, dirt field. The house was engulfed in flames, apparently having been hit a few times by the burning meteorites.

He hated that he felt conflicted by the situation. His desire to help the family was more than he could bear, but how could he help without his powers? He could easily put this fire out without breaking a sweat, but that would reveal him

***RECAP #3***

Chapter 7
Clark learns the truth about how his parents found him. The next day in school, Lex tries to cheer him up by showing Clark his father's prize possession, a green glowing meteorite. When the metorite makes Clark severely ill, Lex hides the meteorite. Clark recovers just as Lex's father storms the playground. After smacking his son, he pulls him from the school, disgusted of his friendship with Clark Kent, to send him off to private school. At home, Lex's father continues to pound him mercilessly until Lex snapped. Lex punched his own father in the face, which earned him some of his fathers respect.

Chapter 8
Clark goes home and tells his parents about what happend to Lex today. Clark knew that he would never see his friend Lex again. To cheer the boy up as well as to train him to control his new powers, Jonathon Kent takes Clark out for a game of catch. Years later, Clark in now getting ready to graduate high school. Playing catch with his father was no longer a training exercise since he had learned long ago how to control all of his powers, but it served more of bonding time. Clark cuts the session of early because of date he had with his girlfriend, Lana Lang. Jonathen Kent returns home and puts the baseball mitts away but failed to see that something in his fire safe was glowing green.

Chapter 9
Clark is on his way to his date with Lana lang when a freak meteorite showers causes him to crash, destroying the pick-up truck in the process. Stranded, Clark notices a house on fire with a man trapped inside. Clark goes to rescue the man from the burning home but once he does, everything disappears as if none of it ever happend. There was no home there, there was no meteorite shower, and his pick-up truck was parked in the middle of the empty highway.

Chapter 10 will be here in a few days!! If anyone is still reading, I am very curious about what you think so far.

Chapter 10: Another Vision

After spending more time contemplating about it than he would have liked, Clark decided to go ahead with his date. When he spent the rest of his trip thinking nothing but what had just transpired, he wondered if he should have called it off. He worried if he was going to be able to give Lana the attention she deserved.

After parking in the parking lot behind the small country café, he made his way around to the front where, as usual, there were at least a dozen of high-school students hanging out chatting. Some were just hanging out in front of the store talking it up with their friends; others were waiting to get in to the café. This country café was a very popular evening hangout for students.

There was one girl that stood out from the rest. He nearly forgot about the ordeal he had gone through not less than ten minutes ago. Perhaps he made a good choice after all. Lana Lang was the most beautiful girl in Smallville in Clark?s biased opinion. Her hair was dark red, which matched her green eyes phenomenally well. She was a few inches smaller than your typical senior in high school. However, that definitely played to her advantage when it came to being on the cheerleader squad. Her athletic figure and her petit body made one of the best cheerleaders for Smallville?s high school football team. She was always the top of the pyramid.

That also meant that she was the envy of the school. Most of the jocks could not believe that she would willingly date a nerd like Clark Kent. He never told her; that because of them dating, he was often heckled and bullied by the likes of John Corben. Clark suspected that he had a crush for Lana; another fact that he kept from her.

Her face lit-up when she saw him coming. He could not help but melt when he saw her smile. Her smile was enough to make anyone?s bad day just disappear. ?Clark! You?re late.?

?Sorry about that. I lost track of time.?

?Well, we will have to wait a little for the next available table, but I think I know a way we can spend the time.? Lana wrapped her arms over his shoulders.

Clark grinned, as he had to bow his head so his lips could meet hers. He wrapped his arms around her, respectfully. As if seeing her was not enough to make him forget about what had happened; holding her in his arms, and locking lips with her, was. It was the part of the whole evening that he was looking forward to the most; and the date had only just begun.

His moment of bliss was rudely interrupted when John Corben and his two buddies. Nothing had changed with him over the years. He was still the jerk he was when he was a kid. He was still afraid enough of Clark not to get physical with him, so he probably decided to settle on getting an emotional response from him. ?If it ain?t the dweeb.?

Clark sighed as he and Lana broke off their embrace. From the look on her face, she was anything but happy with John?s untimely interruption. ?Great, I thought I smelled something funny,? Clark said turning around to face John.

?You say something, Kent?? John was in the mood to pick a fight; which was not all that unusual.

?Absolutely nothing,? Clark mumbled.

John?s temper appeared to be rising, but Clark knew that it was just a front for his friends. He knew the kid well enough, that he was all talk. ?You have a problem??

?Yea, and I?ve been having it ever since elementary school.?

?Clark, don?t,? Lana urged softly, taking hold of his arm.

?Keep it up, Kent. There?s three of us here. We may have to teach you a lesson on respect.?

?Kind of hard to learn respect from someone who doesn?t give it,? Clark retorted. He was fed up with this kid. He knew John was afraid of him. He could see it in his face. That did not stop him from clamping his right hand into a fist. Clark saw the first and how much he wanted to deck him right there. ?You really want to try that again??

Clark could see it in his eyes. John remembered the last time he tried to throw a punch back in elementary school. It did not go well for him at all. Having that memory thrown back into his fa

Author's Note:

I am going to post one more chapter in a few days. After that, I am seriously thinking of ending this story on this site unless this story picks up some readers. If a reader does come by, then I will continue the story, otherwise: you can find the rest of the story at ff.net.

I'm still reading, I'm just a bit behind.

Welcome back! I know what it's like. I see a lot of good stories, but they are so far along. For those stories, I tend to read a chapter a day.

I'll continue the story here as well.

It's good so far. I don't see that changing anytime too soon.

Chapter 11: So Long and Farewell

?So is the new facility in Metropolis to your liking?? Lex asked, sitting behind his dark, cherry, mahogany desk. Standing opposite him was General Samuel Lane of the US Army.

Lex had worked hard to get where he was. Studying hard in private school, he graduated from a high school a year early. So for the last year, Lex had had been working in his father?s company where he proved to be a top notch business man. Since being given partial control of Lexcorp, he had made the company an impressive profit. Now he was on the verge of nearly doubling the company?s earnings.

?Lexcorp?s new facility in Metropolis is very impressive; but I must admit, I?d rather be talking this kind of business with your father.?

Lex did not have any eyebrows because of his Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, but if he did, his right eyebrow would have been raised. ?My father owns this business, and I am the heir. My father?s word is mine, and my word is his. Yes, our weapon?s department is new, and doing business with the Army would bring in a nice profit and some publicity, but we do not need your contract to survive. Having seen our prototypes in person, you know as well as I do, that the weapons we offer would prove to be an invaluable asset in saving the lives of those on the frontline. So, are you willing to swallow your pride and do business with a minor, to save the lives of your soldiers, or not??

Lex knew he had him just by the look on the General?s face. Lex was adept at reading faces. It was a technique that his father had taught him, and a gift he exploited to do as well as he did in school. The fact of the matter is: Lex wanted this account more than anything. Everything he worked so hard for was on the line here.

His father taught him: the way to get what you want for as little as possible from a salesperson was to show no interest in the item. Do it well enough, and they will start begging you for your business. When that happens, you have all the power to dictate the terms of the purchase. Though there was no monetary purchase being made here, the concept still applied. To Lex, General Lane was nothing more than a salesperson trying to sell a lucrative contract to produce weapons for the US Military.

General Lane nodded his head and grunted. ?You are your father?s son. Very well, let?s start the negotiation.?

Lex grinned. He knew that the only person who was going to be negotiating here was Gerneral Lane. Hook?line?sinker!

* * * *

Two hours later, his father entered the office holding a folder in his hand. Lex knew that his father already knew that Lex landed the military contract. He had General Lane eating out of his hand. Now came the time that he had waited a long time for. His hard labor was about to pay off big time.

?Congratulations are in order, I hear,? Lionel said with a devilish grin on his face. ?You nailed the military contract.?

?Did you even doubt me? I virtually had the military general down on his knees begging me to sign the contract.?

?That?s my son,? Lionel said as he tossed the folder in his hands onto the desk. ?You have certainly earned this reward.?

Lex stood up and grabbed the folder from off the desk. ?It?s done then??

?It?s done,? his father confirmed as he walked over to the bar in the room and begin to pour himself a half glass of gin. ?My will now states that you are my rightful heir to Lexcorp. When I am gone, you will own everything.?

Lex watched as his father took a sip from his drink. ?I?m so glad to hear you say that.?

The glass dropped from his hand, shattering into pieces. Lionel gasped as he grasped for his chest. Lex was enjoying this moment more than he had anticipated. This time was long overdue. ?What?s the matter, father? You?re acting like you just drank some poison.?

His father?s eyes were wide open, looking at him with horror. His face was already beginning to turn gray. Lex was impressed how fast the poison was working. It was money well spent. ?Wh-why?? Lionel chocked.

?It?s as you have always said, father, ?whatever you wan

I'm all caught up, and nope, you have not disaapointed.

I appreciate it! I promise that the story will only get better.

Chapter 12 will be up no later by Tuesday. Sorry it is taking a while.

The next chapter will not disappoint. It will contain a major pivotal scene that prepare you for Part III of the story. Chapter 13 will conclude Part II.

Also coming in the next chapter that will be here in a day or two is a pretty big battle scene. The adventure part of the story is about to take launch.

Fight scenes always seem to take me longer to write than anything because I have to carefully choreograph each and every move in a fight scene to try to keep it realistic.

Just hang on another day or two and Chapter 12 will be here