THE EIGHTEEN-YEAR old was in his dorm room, looking over a file on his phone that included materials he needed for his upcoming classes.

As he did so, he had his laptop open and watched The Mandalorian. He was an avid fan of Star Wars and its universe thanks to his dad, who was a huge fan himself. Y/N had watched every movie, cartoon, and series by that point.

Oh, and there were also the comics and novels, both in legend and canon. Thanks to his abilities, he could speed read like one can't imagine, but with such material, he wouldn't do that and instead enjoyed it normally.

He also loved all things movies and was a sort of film geek. Like his adoptive parents, he was majoring in journalism but was striving to be in the field of cinema journalism instead of investigative reporting.

But he still found the latter interesting. Writing and reporting was in his blood like Lois and Clark, so he'd enjoy doing either one.

Y/N was looking through his phone and writing things down in a notebook. Suddenly, he got a text from a student he met during one of his summer classes. He hadn't spoken to him in a few days and it surprised him.

He promptly put a pause on his duties and communicated with the student.

Sup Kent

Hey. What's going on?

A couple friends and I are going to the movies right now. Wanna come?

One of thems a girl. Try your luck.

The young man's heart immediately skipped a beat after the last text. Y/N was never really good with girls, even when he played basketball in high school. He could only smile and let out a few words before he decided to leave or the girl did.

Growing up, Y/N was pretty timid, mild-mannered, and sometimes awkward. He was definitely not the first person you thought of when trying to go out for the night. He was very much like a young Clark, and people who knew them would often say that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

After a moment, Y/N finally texted his friend back.

Sure! Will it be the theater on Brand?

Yeah.

See you there bro

Y/N immediately closed his laptop and stood up from his desk. He had some comfortable clothing already consisting of sweatpants and a t-shirt, but he needed to put on something else for his evening out. He was eager as he hadn't been around much since moving to Fawcett City.

He went to his closet and picked out some new clothes. Y/N decided on a white and blue plaid button-down and some jeans, thinking it was suitable for the occasion...and the fact that it was the only fresh clothing he had.

A/N: Y/N will have varying styles but you can imagine that he will have a similar fashion sense to Tom Welling's Clark Kent from Smallville.

He also picked up his silver-rimmed round glasses from the dresser and put them on. Despite already having perfect vision, Y/N started wearing them because he feared that people would recognize him from the time he saved that girl about a week ago...and other instances thereafter where he decided to help out using his powers.

The whole glasses thing worked for his dad for years, so who's to say it won't work for him?

Now being all set up and ready for the night out, Y/N walked out of his room and left the dorm.

Y/N walked down the sidewalk on his way to the bus stop. The young man could obviously fly to the theater, he'd be there in an instant, but he refrained from overusing his abilities when it wasn't necessary. Again, he tried to be normal as much as he could.

As he walked, he suddenly heard the familiar chirping in his ears. It was his super hearing. Clark trained him on how to focus on certain sounds and tune out others and Y/N considered himself pretty adept in honing in on his hearing.

But sometimes sounds would break through to his super hearing and get his attention. Almost always, it was some screaming or cry for help. Even his dad told him those were the ones that would make him stop and turn his head more often than not.

And that's what Y/N did. He stopped walking, turned his head a bit, and honed in on what he was hearing.

No! Please!

Get over here!

Don't take her!

Let this be a lesson!

Y/N took in a breath and then walked forward, but immediately sped up and slipped into an alley.

He ran through the narrow passageway, unbuttoning his shirt and opening it...revealing his black t-shirt with the crest of El.

The gang member kicked the man in the face. Four more men were beating him while another had his struggling girlfriend in his arms.

"He's had enough. Let's go!" One man exclaimed.

The other spoke to the girl. "Let's get going, miss."

She kept yelling out and trying to get out of his grasp. Her boyfriend was on the ground, groaning from the beating he received.

Their van was at the other end of the alley waiting. But before the rest could turn around and regroup there, the vehicle vanished along with their getaway driver.

"What the...?" A gang member questioned upon seeing their van gone.

"Where the hell did he go?" Another asked.

Suddenly, the wrecked van was dropped down from the sky into the alley several yards away. They all turned around because of the crashing sound.

Along with the van, the getaway driver screamed as he fell into the open dumpster. The rest looked around in confusion.

The perpetrator finally appeared, coming down to the ground hard and shaking the asphalt. The gang looked on in shock and bewilderment at the sight of the young man.

Y/N was before them, wearing his thin black t-shirt with the S symbol along with a simple pair of dark blue pants and fingerless gloves. Unlike the other times, he didn't have his leather jacket. He slowly walked toward them.

"Who the hell are you?" One asked.

Y/N didn't answer his question and instead pointed at the girl they had.

"Let her go." He demanded.

The one holding the girl laughed and gestured the rest toward the young man.

"Get this guy outta my face."

They all ran at Y/N. One tried to hit him but the vigilante ducked and pushed him into the nearby wall, the force immediately knocking him out. Before another could land an attack, Y/N uppercutted him with the right amount of strength to quickly render him unconscious.

A gang member swung his bat down at Y/N's shoulder, but it got wrecked upon impact. He looked down at the broken half in confusion before he was shoved into a set of trash cans.

The last combatant waited for Y/N to turn around before landing a right hook across his jaw. Unfortunately, it didn't do anything to Y/N, but it did in fact backfire on the gang member.

He held his now broken hand and yelled out in pain. Y/N only smirked before kicking him hard into the wall and putting him down.

The only guy left was the one holding the young woman. He looked around at his downed colleagues in shock.

Y/N used his super speed to appear in front of them. The gang member immediately threw the girl aside and took out a pistol from his waistband.

"Die, freak!"

The man aimed it right at Y/N's face and pulled the trigger. The girl on the ground let out a shriek, believing that he had just shot the young man dead. But...that was far from the case.

Y/N didn't even blink as the bullet hit his eyeball. It simply flattened upon impact and the crunched remnant fell to the floor. He knew a measly bullet wouldn't hurt him, thanks to the skintight force field that covered his entire Kryptonian body.

The gang member looked down at the bullet in shock, then back at Y/N. The young vigilante simply smirked and then shrugged.

"Never skip eye day." He quipped.

Y/N quickly used his super breath and froze the man before him. He stayed in place while inside the icy covering.

"Got time for icebreakers?"

He uppercutted the frozen man and all the ice shattered, leaving the now cold and unconscious body of the gang member on the floor. Y/N dusted off his hands and cracked his knuckles.

"No? All right." He added.

Using his speed, he rounded up the defeated gang members and placed them against the wall. The girl had phoned the police so they were going to be there soon.

The couple stood at the side embracing. They looked over, seeing Y/N eyeing the downed gang and making sure they weren't going to move.

"Thank you!" The woman called out.

He turned around and faced them. The man noticed the symbol on his shirt and pointed it out.

"Superman? My God, I never thought I'd see you in person. You never come over here."

Y/N immediately wanted to shut down the assumption but decided to simply let it go. He smiled and nodded at them.

"Take care of yourselves."

With a sonic boom, Y/N flew out of the alleyway. The man looked back at his girlfriend and hugged her once more.

• • •

HE HAD MISSED the movie. By the time he finished dealing with the gang, it was already halfway passed the start of the showing he was supposed to go to. So, he decided to just go back to the dorm.

Y/N texted his friend back about an hour later, apologizing for missing out. He sat in his chair and waited for a response, which he got rather quickly.

I'm so sorry! Something came up. Maybe we can do something another day?

Idk man. No one likes a flake.

After seeing the message, the young man let out a sigh. He put his phone down, removed his glasses, and rubbed his face.

"Damn..." He breathed out.

With nothing else to do, Y/N went back to going over his materials. Of course, he didn't forget to put on The Mandalorian and continue watching.

Some time went by before he suddenly got a call. He looked at his phone and saw that it was from his mom, Lois.

He had texted her that morning. In fact, Lois texted him daily, either wishing him a good morning or asking how he'd been. While the whole finding-out-you-were-adopted thing kinda shook Y/N and even made things awkward for Clark, Lois didn't let it effect her. It wasn't going to change anything between her and her eldest son.

Y/N appreciated that very much.

The young man answered the call and put the phone to his ear. He leaned back against the seat.

"Hi, Mom." He greeted her.

"Hey, sweetheart. How—How have you been?"

He nodded. "Good. Just...in my room going over some things. Classes don't start until a couple of weeks but I'm trying to get a head start."

"Smart."

"Learned from you that doing stuff at the last minute is a bad thing."

She chuckled. There was a moment of silence and Y/N could somehow sense some hesitance in his mother.

"Mom, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Finally, Lois answered.

"It's...it's your grandma. She passed away, Y/N. Earlier today."

Y/N stayed quiet. He sat up and hunched over, putting his hand over his mouth. He still didn't speak, trying to process the fact that Martha wasn't with them anymore.

Grandma Kent had a special place in his heart. She was one of the few that knew that he wasn't really Clark's, but she didn't care. Martha treated  Y/N like a grandson and showed him so much love whenever they were together.

Finally, Y/N let out a sob. Lois heard this and took in a breath.

"I'm so sorry, honey."

• • 2008 • •

CLARK WAS AT his mother's farmhouse in Smallville. He had come over with his family to visit and was currently on the porch with Martha. Lois was with the twins inside the house.

The two were looking over the five-year-old Y/N in the yard, who ran around with a toy plane and made it fly around. Martha beamed at the sight, as it reminded her of when Clark was little.

Clark also smiled and let out a chuckle. Y/N always had fun when they came over to visit his grandmother. The vast space and fresh air of the open plains was something he liked.

"He's so energetic." Martha remarked.

Clark nodded, crossing his arms.

"You should see how he is back at home. Our living room is overturned six out of seven days of the week."

"Only six?"

"He seems to be always knocked out on Sundays."

Clark and Martha shared a laugh. She looked back at the playing Y/N, who turned and smiled before running toward the porch.

"He's just like his dad," Martha said, obviously referring to Clark. "So kind-spirited and eager."

The boy made it up the steps and ran up to Martha. She went down on a knee as Y/N spoke.

"Do you still have cookies?"

Martha laughed and turned to Clark. "And has the same sweet tooth."

The man chuckled. She looked back at the boy.

"They're in the kitchen on a plate. Go ahead and get some."

Y/N beamed and ran inside. Martha got up and looked through the door her grandson just went through.

"Honestly a spitting image." Martha glanced at Clark. "He's going to turn out just like you."

He smiled back, looking through the door just like her. Clark wanted to raise Y/N right and with the values his parents instilled in him. The boy becoming like his father was the plan, but Clark also saw further potential.

"That'd be nice, but...I hope that he becomes better."

Martha caressed the side of his arm. She smiled.

"That's exactly what your dad thought when he was raising you. He'd be so proud knowing that you took it upon yourself to be a father to Y/N. I understand that must've been a hard choice."

Clark nodded. Deciding to adopt the infant Y/N after finding him mirrored how Jonathan and Martha Kent chose to take in a baby Clark. It was as if history was repeating itself.

"And it's a choice I don't regret making." He replied.

• • Present Day • •

BACK IN SMALLVILLE, the Kents were at the cemetery for Martha's funeral. Y/N was also with them, having flown (via airline) from Fawcett City to Kansas.

Each family member had a flower in hand. First, Jordan and Jonathan went up to the hole in the ground and tossed theirs down onto the casket. Then, it was Lois. Y/N went thereafter, tearfully looking at the plant before dropping it inside. He began to mutter.

"I love you, Ma."

He walked back to his family. Last but not least, Clark went up to the hole. In a similar fashion to how it was during his father, Jonathan's, funeral, who stared down at the casket for a moment before dropping the flower onto it.

Clark walked back and rejoined his family. Y/N stood beside him, staring ahead with watery eyes. His father glanced at him for a moment before putting a comforting grip on his shoulder.

They were at the Kent farm at a gathering with neighbors of Martha's. Clark and Lois spoke with others who offered condolences and shared stories with them.

Y/N stopped by a table that his younger brothers were at. Jonathan was eating cake and brought a piece over for Jordan but the latter wasn't eating and was instead on his phone.

"You should eat," Y/N told Jordan. "You need food with your pills."

He rolled his eyes. "First Jon, now you. Thanks, Mom and Dad."

Jonathan laughed. Y/N pat Jordan on the shoulder.

"All jokes." He said but moved the plate toward him. "But really, you should eat."

Jordan still didn't want to and kept at it on his phone. Jonathan continued having bites from his and spoke up.

"So, how's it been going out of Metropolis?" He asked his older brother.

"Uh...it's been all right," Y/N replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Studying. Been going out."

"Cap." Jon replied.

"What?"

"You never really were one to go out." Jordan cut in, his eyes still glued to the phone.

Y/N chuckled. "Okay, fine. Studying and staying in. Watching movies."

"Ah, so nothing's changed," Jon added. "Are you going to play ball still?"

Y/N shrugged. He wasn't really sure about basketball anymore. If he had to be honest, playing it for two seasons in high school was only so he could feel what it was like to be a student-athlete and for popularity. It didn't really get him anywhere.

"I don't know." He replied. "Depends."

"On what?"

Jordan cut in again. "If he's even still good at it."

Y/N playfully shoved Jordan's head, garnering a laugh from both his brothers. Jon took another bite of his food before looking ahead at the yard.

"Some girl's coming over here." He said rather nonchalantly.

Y/N turned to him. "Hm?"

He pointed with his fork. "Twenty feet and approaching."

Y/N looked back and saw who he was looking at. She had light brown hair, fair skin, and a beaming smile that he noticed as she came close. Then, almost immediately, he realized who she was.

It was Lena Bryce, a childhood friend of his from back in Metropolis. They had known each other through elementary and middle school, but she ended up moving away before the start of high school. It was a shock to finally see her again.

"Uh—um...I'll be going." Y/N stammered and left the boys' table.

As he walked away to speak to Lena, Jon shook his head and looked down at his plate.

"How long until he does that neck scratch thing?"

Jordan looked back. "I'll give him...about 30 seconds."

The young man smiled as he walked up to Lena. She continued beaming and opened up her arms.

"Y/N!"

They embraced. She parted a bit and looked at him.

"It's great to see you again...and I'm sorry about your grandma. She was a wonderful lady."

He nodded and she pulled him in for another hug. After a moment, they broke apart and Y/N fiddled with his hands.

"Thanks for coming," Y/N said. "It—It's honesty a surprise. A good one! Of course."

She chuckled. "You wear glasses now?"

"Oh!" He laughed and took them off. "Yeah. At—At least until I save up enough for lasik or something."

"Well..." Lena took the glasses and placed them back on his face for him. She stepped back and got a better look at him.

"They look good on you."

Y/N nervously chuckled, then scratched the back of his neck. At the table, Jonathan and Joran stifled a laugh.

"30 seconds." Jonathan dapped up Jordan. "Right on the money."

Y/N grinned. There was a pregnant pause before he spoke up.

"You look good." He immediately tensed up. "I mean...you did something with your hair?"

"You noticed. I let it down now." She replied. "Gone are the ponytail days."

"Hey...both are very nice." He said with a thumbs up. "Uh...so you still in Smallville?"

"Yeah, and will be for the foreseeable future. I'm enrolling in Central Kansas A&M."

"That's cool."

"And you?"

"Oh, I'm currently living in Fawcett City."

"All the way out there?" She asked.

He nodded. "Thought it'd be best to venture out of my comfort zone."

"That's smart. Really far though. Hope you still find a way to stop by here from time to time."

"Definitely! Yeah..."

Suddenly, he heard his mom call out. Y/N looked to the side and saw his parents and brothers talking with another family: The Cushings.

"Uh, I gotta go. I'll—I'll talk to you later?" He asked.

Lena nodded. He smiled and bid farewell before jogging over to where his family was.

Clark and Lois already greeted Lana and Kyle. Lois began to introduce her children once Y/N arrived.

"You remember our boys, Jonathan, Jordan, and Y/N."

Jonathan smiled. "Hi."

"Hey." Jordan greeted but was mostly focused on Lana's daughter, Sarah.

Y/N waved. "Hello."

Kyle introduced his daughters. "These are our girls. Littlest one is here Sophie. And, uh, well, the one with the perma-scowl over there, that's Sarah."

"Hi." She lightly chuckled, then looked at the boys. "I'm really sorry about your grandma. She was really special. Even my dad liked her, and he hates everyone, so..."

Kyle snickered. "House full of girls. Someone's always pissed at you."

"Mommy." Sophie suddenly spoke.

"Mmhm?"

She pointed at Clark. "That's him."

Clark smiled. Lana chuckled.

"Well, your daddy and I went to high school with Mr. Kent."

"You dated him. That's why Daddy got mad when he saw you on his Facebook page."

Lana awkwardly laughed. Kyle just stayed quiet and looked to the side. Clark and Lois also didn't say anything, but Y/N did mutter something to his brothers.

"People still use Facebook?"

Lana wanted to move along. She ushered her youngest away.

"Okay, sweets, why don't you go play?"

Sophie nodded and ran off. The group finally let out a collective chuckle. Lana sighed and turned to Clark.

"How are you holding up?" She asked.

"I could use a drink, actually." He answered.

Kyle snapped his fingers. "See, now you're talking. Lead the way."

The adults ended up leaving the teenagers alone. Y/N ended up going with them too although he knew he wouldn't be able to drink with them. Mom's rules.

They went inside Martha's house where they sat down and Clark got beers for his wife and friends. Y/N stood by the counter nearby with a soda in hand.

"Don't want a bottle?" Kyle asked the eighteen-year-old from the table.

Y/N chuckled. "Uh..."

"He could drink all he wants out there. But not in front of me." Lois quickly shot it down.

Clark arched a brow. "That's the rule?"

Lana laughed and turned to Y/N.

"Wow. You've grown so much." She said. "You're as tall as your dad."

Y/N smiled. Lana glanced at Clark then back at the young man.

"You remind me so much of Clark when he was your age."

Kyle took a sip of his beer. "It's those Kent genes."

Y/N feigned a chuckle. The mention of genes made him feel awkward and it made him remember the fact that he was indeed not of Kent blood. He swallowed and adjusted his glasses.

"Uh...I'm gonna step out. I—I saw an old friend and want to catch up." He looked at Lois. "Is that fine?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Y/N looked back at the Cushings. "It—It was nice seeing you. I'll just..."

He pointed at the door and then walked away. Kyle took another swig of his beer and nodded. The young man's mannerisms brought him back to how Clark was in high school.

"Wow. He's like a spitting image of you, Kent."

Y/N was talking to Lena outside. They caught up a bit, with Y/N mentioning how he played basketball for a couple of years in high school.

She talked about how she was on the softball team for all four years at Smallville High...and how she was doing theater...and how she was on the student council...and so on. Y/N was astounded.

Lena also mentioned how her mother, Helen, was still around and was a doctor at the local hospital. Y/N already knew that her father hadn't been in the picture since she was a baby.

"So..." Lena began. "Have you been watching The Bad Batch?"

The young man's eyes widened. He beamed and clasped his hands together.

"You—you watch that too?" Y/N asked.

"Of course. That's keeping me satisfied until the new Mandalorian season comes out."

"I'm actually on a rewatch for that." Y/N replied.

The two laughed. Lena and Y/N were big fans of Star Wars growing up and they often bonded because of it. One Halloween when they were kids, she dressed up Princess Leia and he was...a stormtrooper.

"My mom's getting into it." She said. "Wanted to see what all the fuss was about."

"At least you have someone to watch all that with. Dad's not really into the new stuff."

"Not even your roommate?"

He shook his head. "I got a room to myself."

"Ah. No friends? Been seeing anyone?"

"Nah," Y/N replied, looking down at his hands. There was a brief pause before he spoke up again. "Uh...and you?"

Before she can answer, there was a loud clanging that came from the barn nearby. Nobody seem to hear it beside him, but once Sarah came running out and shouting, people started to notice.

"Help! Somebody help!" She yelled. "The boys! They're hurt!"

Clark and Lois had already come out of the house, but Y/N already made a dash toward the barn. Lois called out to Sarah.

"Go get medical supplies!"

Y/N entered the barn and saw a pile of metal beams. He immediately used his X-Ray vision and saw two heat signatures underneath all of it.

He ran over to the beams using his super-speed and then picked up a steel beam with his strength, throwing it across the barn.

Clark came in soon after, seeing Y/N removing the beams. He dashed over as well, picking one up and tossing it aside.

Once there was an opening, the two looked through and saw the boys. Lois ran in moments later and joined the men. Underneath the debris, Jonathan and Jordan were in a pocket and seemingly unscathed.

Jon gestured toward his brother and panted. "It was his idea."

• • •

IT WAS LATE in the evening. The guests had left but paramedics were there to check on the boys. The EMT, who was also a family friend, only diagnosed Jonathan and Jordan with mild concussions. They were very lucky.

The authorities left and Lois sent the twins to bed. They said goodnight to their parents and older brother before going upstairs.

Y/N leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. It was silent for a bit until Lois decided to break it.

"We...we have to talk about it. The possibility of..."

Y/N and Clark knew where she was going with this. The young man didn't want to be a part of that conversation and decided to excuse himself.

"I—I'm kinda tired. I'll be in the guest room."

He didn't even say goodnight and left. Clark looked over at his son and let out a sigh, before grabbing his coat and going out to the patio.

Sometime later, Lois went outside to join her husband. She went up to the balustrade he was leaning on and stood beside him.

"So you're thinking what I'm thinking?" She asked.

"Jonathan must have somehow shielded them both?" He replied.

"You saw how confused they are. They need to know the truth."

"What is the truth gonna do to Jordan? It's hard enough having brothers that everything comes easy to, but having both with powers? Like Superman?"

"We don't know what he can or can't do yet. And yes, it will be hard for him. But he will have his family there to help him figure things out. Like how he does right now. Like how Y/N did."

Clark exhaled, shaking his head and looking down.

"When has the truth worked out, Lois? I told Y/N early on that he could do everything I could. He believed he was special like we do. Then...he found out the truth about Zod...where he really came from...and things changed."

Even though it's only been a couple of months since Y/N found out about his true lineage, it's felt like an eternity for Clark. An eternity of being distant from his eldest son. It hurt him.

"I feel like I'm losing him, Lois. And I don't want to lose Jordan too. I can't. He's pulled so far away from me already. The both of them...it's like they're slipping away."

Lois kept quiet for a moment. She looked out at the yard as Clark lowered his head.

"When we were dreaming about having a family, it didn't look like this, did it?" She asked. "Didn't have lost jobs...space generals confusing our boy...teens with severe anxiety or...parents gone too soon."

Clark let out a breath through his nose, still looking down. Lois continued and spoke softly.

"No one ever dreams about the problems but every life has them. Even the extraordinary ones."

The man turned to his wife, finally smiling and reaching out to touch the top of her hand. As he did, Clark heard distorted overlapping voices nearby with his super hearing.

"Your dad's back."

Lois looked across the yard, seeing a car in the distance. Her expression fell.

"That's not good."

General Sam Lane spoke to Clark in the dining room about a couple of incidents at different nuclear plants. They were perpetrated by an unknown subject who looked to be wearing armor.

They even called out Superman by his birth name, Kal-El, by using sub-microscopic Kryptonian etchings at both sites. Clark found it interesting.

At that moment, Y/N came into the room. He had heard the General arrive earlier.

"Sam." The eighteen-year-old greeted him.

"Y/N."

"What brings you here?"

"Didn't use your super hearing to find out why?"

"Oh, I did eavesdrop," Y/N replied. "I just wanted to hear it come from you."

Sam snickered. He gestured to the computer he had opened.

"This guy's calling out your dad. Now, I was going to ask just Clark here to get into some phone booth and suit up, but now I'm thinking—"

"No." A voice suddenly said.

They looked back and saw Lois, who overheard her father.

"Lois." Sam spoke.

"I get it. There is a powerful something that is out there that doesn't like Superman or nuclear power plants and that is a bad combo. But now is not a moment Clark can just take off. His mom just died."

Clark was going to say something but Lois immediately stopped him.

"I mean it, Clark."

She continued. "The world will always need Superman, and when there is a problem, you will be there for them, but right now, this family needs you more."

Clark took in a breath and turned to General Lane. He put his hands in his pockets.

"She's right, Sam."

The older man exhaled and looked down. He then turned to the eighteen-year-old.

"Well...he ain't the only guy that can do this." He remarked.

Immediately, Lois rejected that notion. "No."

"Lois, he's an adult already. He's had his training—"

"I said no!" She interjected. "And I don't appreciate you recruiting my son like he is some soldier. He's still so young."

"You can't keep coddling him. He's a man." He turned to Y/N again. "You don't think I know you're flying around Fawcett City beating up hoodlums and saving little girls."

Lois arched a brow and faced Y/N. That was also news to Clark and he looked at his son confusedly. Y/N buried his hands in his pockets.

"How...?"

"I'm the head of the United States Department of Defense, of course I'd know." Sam replied then snickered. "The Blur. Superkid. Had to scrub away footage of you and delete Twitter posts before they could reach the masses."

Y/N didn't know what to say. He looked at his parents where he noticed that Lois was the most upset. Clark spoke up first though.

"Go to your room. Let us talk with Sam."

"But, I—"

"Go to your room." Lois said sternly.

Immediately, Y/N listened to his mom. Nothing scared him more than an upset Lois. He walked out of the dining room and went down the hall.

Sam sighed, closed his laptop, and picked it up. He walked passed Clark and went up to his daughter.

"I tried to warn you, Lois."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Dad."

"When you wanted to get married, I tried warning you. When you wanted to adopt some alien kid, I warned you too."

"Dad—"

"You may have fallen in love with Clark Kent, but you married Superman. And you raised a being who will be just as or even more powerful than him. These Supermen will never have a normal life no matter how much you want one for them. Or yourself."

Without a farewell, Sam walked out of the room and toward the door. He departed, leaving both Lois and Clark in the dining room, the former taking in what her father had said.

Y/N was in the guest room laying down on the bed and looking at the ceiling. He had his phone beside him but wasn't using it, simply in his musings.

The door opened and Clark entered the room. The eighteen-year-old glanced at him and sat up a bit.

"Figured Mom would be the one to come talk to me." Y/N said.

"She thought it'd be best if I do it. Works out for the both of us."

He simply nodded. Clark closed the door and went up to the side of the bed. He didn't sit down and just stood there.

"About that whole thing in Fawcett City. I know it wasn't smart—"

"I don't want to talk about that." Clark interjected.

Y/N stopped and looked up at the older man. Clark crossed his arms and sighed. The boy began to realize what he was thinking.

"Right..." He breathed out.

"I—I want to talk to you about it. Have some conversation. But I want to know if you want to. If you don't...then we'll just move on. We can speak about it when you're ready."

Y/N didn't respond as he thought about it. Clark continued.

"But I prefer that we do now because I hate how this is...changing things between us. I don't want it to be like that, Y/N. I understand it'll be hard for things to be like how they were before...but I want to try."

There was a beat. Y/N ultimately nodded and scooted over, giving Clark space for him to sit on the bed. He took the invitation and sat down beside him.

"It...it was just hard at first, you know?" Y/N began. "What that man on the hologram said. Calling me a different name. Saying I was his son. Demanding that I understand what I was here for."

Clark stood quiet and let him speak. Y/N folded his hands in front of him and looked down at them.

"Who was he? What am I? I'm actually from Krypton? How? Didn't that place blow up when you were a baby?" How am I...?"

His father took in all his questions and he wanted to answer them as best as he could. Clark folded his hands too and rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned over.

"That man...was Dru-Zod. He was the General of the Kryptonian forces and he also knew my father, Jor-El. They butted heads at times, to put it lightly, on how to better Krypton. But...he was a bit of a megalomaniac."

"Great." Y/N chuckled. "My dad was a hard-ass psycho-soldier."

"You are nothing like him. You will never be." Clark reassured him, and Y/N simply nodded and looked to the side. Clark continued.

"When I found you, you were in a Kryptonian birthing pod. Zod must've flown you out of Krypton before its destruction. But, based on the readings within the ship, you got caught in some...pocket within space where time is...weird. You got out and landed on Earth many years later."

"So...how old am I really?" Y/N asked.

"How you are now. You weren't born on Krypton but in that pod. Kinda hard to explain...but your formation was halted while in that pocket of space and then finished once you were on track to Earth. When I found you...you were a fully grown infant."

It kind of made sense to Y/N. He understood that Clark, or Kal-El, was the first natural birth on Krypton in decades. Y/N, or Lor-Zod, was conceived by simply putting the genetic material of Dru-Zod and Ursa Larr into a birthing pod.

"Yeah, that's some real alien stuff, right there." Y/N remarked.

"Hey, you're not alone," Clark replied and pat his back. "You never were."

Y/N softy smiled, glancing at his dad and then looking back down. Clark nodded and spoke again.

"Your pod came with that sunstone containing Zod's AI. I saw his message and even spoke to him. It...kinda freaked me out and I was scared what'd you think if you ever saw it. So, I hid it. I know now that wasn't a smart idea...to keep that from you for so long."

"I—I get it." Y/N muttered.

"It doesn't matter what it said..." Clark added. "You are my son, Y/N. You always will be and nothing will change that. I—I never thought I'd be able to tell you this, but...choosing to raise you was one of the best decisions I've ever made."

The eighteen-year-old looked up at Clark. His straight expression slowly changed to one of merriment. Y/N took in his words and softly smiled.

"I—I was lucky to have been found by you," Y/N said. "I get that you're Superman, but the one I looked up to the most...was Clark Kent. That's who taught me all the values I uphold."

Clark smiled, appreciating the words that came from his eldest son. The man brought Y/N in for a side hug and the boy chuckled.

"I love you." Clark said.

Y/N nodded amidst the embrace. He cherished the moment he had with his father greatly.

"I love you too, Dad."