𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄: '𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄'

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒: 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋

𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 for the past week (his parents found out he had punched a boy's face in) and his whole world seemed to flip upside down. It didn't really matter since they had been spending the last couple of days packing up their things in Metropolis to move to Smallville.

Clark had made the executive decision to move back to his former family home but not everyone was happy. Jon was angry, rightfully so, he had worked years to build his sports career only for it to come crumbling down all because of Jordan - in his opinion. Jordan didn't really care, he didn't have much of a life in Metropolis.

Jace on the other hand didn't know how to feel, he understood the reasons for moving to Smallvile, how much better it would be for them to learn control over their powers without the noise and non-privacy the city granted them. But he would be giving up his old life in exchange; his friends, his school where he was high on the food chain, good hookups and due to his grounding he couldn't even say goodbye properly. There was no doubt he would've set up a goodbye party but his parents shut the idea down before he could even ask.

The only good thing about Smallville was Silas. Then maybe Cami and Axel who he had been getting to know better through text in the group chat Silas had made with all four of them. Silas had said the school wasn't that bad, the football team was okay and they had a good English and music class. So, there was a silver lining in it Jace had to admit.

There was also a slight problem, the guy he hooked up with at the funeral, he had no idea who it was and he would throw a pity party for himself if the hot guy was somehow friends with his dad, he was much too old to be a student which he was thankful for. He didn't like hooking up with people from his school because it caused too much drama but it rarely happened since he liked older guys. Despite his wishes, he knew it was going to bite him in the ass sooner rather than later, everything seemed to go wrong for the oldest Kent son.

Jace's room was filled with half-empty boxes, random pieces of clothes strewn about and his two guitars standing on their stands in the corner of his room after he cleaned them. He glanced around the room and sighed, the worst thing about moving was packing and unpacking, to think seventeen years could be packed up in a few boxes and two suitcases.

He shook his head, grabbed the coke his mum had gotten from the diner for their makeshift dinner and put his phone in his back pocket before walking down the stairs to finish his dinner. He had gone up to take his shoes off.

"You want me to call Coach Gines?" he heard his father ask Jon as he sat down next to him, grabbing a few fries and shoving them in his mouth.

"No, no, it's fine," Jon answered with a tired look.

"I only got two of the AP classes I wanted, and they put me in Spanish instead of French," Jordan complained and Jon shrugged, "I haven't even looked at my schedule yet."

"Mine's okay, got AP english, AP history and music thankfully," Jace replied before taking a bite of his chicken burger. He wouldn't call himself a vegan but he didn't eat any other meat besides chicken, don't ask him why - he just hated the taste of beef.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's just as crappy as mine," Jordan told Jon and lamented, "I wanted AP english too."

Jace could feel his dad's eyes on him and looked up from his burger and watched his parents share a look. Clark cleared his throat, "We actually wanted to talk to you about school, anyway."

"We have some concerns with you going right now," his mum said, patting Clark on his arm and offering support.

"Isn't that why we moved here?" Jordan asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"No, we came here so that your father and I would be around more and we'd have more time to spend together as a family," Lois said, shutting him down and Jace withheld rolling his eyes. He loved his parents but he also thought there was no point in having kids if you knew you wouldn't be able to fully be there for them. They both had important jobs and it would've been clear to see they wouldn't be able to have three kids and do their job, regardless of Superman activities.

"And to live in a safer place for me to teach you about your powers and the reason you have them," Clark said, looking at Jordan and Jace nodded along hoping it wouldn't be pointed at him. He had some ability to move things but he didn't show any other signs of the other known Superman abilities.

"Well, what do I need to learn? I'm a little stronger. So what?" Jordan shrugged defensively.

"You're a lot stronger, and you've had an ocular release of energy," Clark bluntly told him and Jordan scrunched his eyebrows up and asked, "A what?"

"Is that seriously what it's called?" Jon asked and Jace let out a laugh at the ability name.

Lois sighed and said, "It doesn't matter what it's called. He almost hurt a bunch of kids."

"It was an accident. I don't even know how it happened." Jordan told them and Jace kept quiet at that.

"That's exactly our point," She said.

"So I'm just not gonna go to school?" Jordan asked annoyed, his voice going up a level at their words. Jace winced at that, he hated school like most kids but it would be hard to be settle if he didn't show up with them, he would be an outcast again.

"Until we know how to keep it from happening again, yes. You won't be going either Jace, not until we figure out your ability." Clark said and Jace choked on the burger and looked up with a glare. He swallowed and let out an angry, "What? I've got control, I've only had one outburst."

"No, we need to run tests. We don't know if you'll have similar abilities to Jordan or me and until you tell me the truth of the outburst then I can't trust it was only one," Clark said and Jace shook his head and threw the half-eaten burger on the table and stood up, his chair scrapping against the table.

"That is the truth. It was one time, no one got hurt or knew it happened," Jace defended himself, he didn't appreciate being treated like a guinea pig or something dangerous. If he wanted to hurt people it would be with his fists, not some power.

Clark let out a deep sigh, clearly not believing him but Jace wasn't going to tell him. Sure, he was free with his sexuality but his family didn't know, he knew Jon was suspecting but he just wasn't ready to tell them or rather he didn't care enough to tell him. He wasn't different just because he liked guys and he really didn't want to have that conversation but he wasn't going to tell his stuck-up dad he found out he had powers after having sex with a college student.

Jace shook his head, grabbed the half-drunk coke and walked back upstairs, leaving them to watch after him. Jace was usually the most level-headed except when one of his brothers was in trouble so it was uncommon sight to see him get mad.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐄, was a lot calmer about the new situation after a good sleep. He understood his father's reasonings but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it, he wanted to go to school with his friends and go back to normal. His father had woken him up and told him to wear something warm and then left, Jace was surprised he didn't bring up his outburst. Since he couldn't go to school and ultimately smoke weed with Silas he decided to listen.

His movements were sluggish as he put on black skinny jeans (his only pair without rips in them), a plain white shirt and a grey sweater vest and brought a woolly jacket along if it was going to be that cold. He had no idea where he was going or why they needed to dress warmly when Smallville had hotter weather than Metropolis did. He assumed they were going somewhere and he hoped it involved flying since he didn't want to be in a car for so long. He might've liked fixing cars but he hated long rides.

He slipped on black boots, grabbed his phone and walked down the stairs to see his younger brother off to school, he withheld the tinge of envy that his brother was going. Jace didn't know why he was so upset about not going to school, maybe it was because he didn't want to be the black sheep anymore.

He wasn't as much a black sheep as Jordan felt but he was the oldest, he didn't have a twin and he was the artist of the family whereas Jon was the athletic one and Jordan just wanted to play games and be a journalist like mum. Jace didn't want to be either of his parents or follow in their footsteps, he hated journalism and the news and despite learning his father was a superhero, he didn't want to do that either. He just wanted a normal life where he made music and art.

Jace leaned against the foundation of the wrap-around porch as he stood on the lower stairs, watching his younger brothers interact and say their goodbyes. He knew it would be strange for them to part on the first day, they were really close despite their differences and twins just had a different bond - one he would never understand. They were each other's protectors and physical formations of support for the other even if Jon played it off.

"You know what? I just realized something...I think this is gonna be the first time I've ever gone to school without you." Jon told Jordan with an awkward smile, trying to not show how their separation was affecting him but Jordan just scrolled through his phone.

"Yeah, it is. It's kind of weird," Jordan shrugged with an equally awkward smile and Jace pushed off the bannister and wrapped his arm around Jordan's shoulders sent Jon a smile and said, "Have fun and stay out of trouble, Jonny-boy."

Jon rolled his eyes with a smile and patted Jace on the shoulder with a nod, "Of course big brother."

Jace heard both his parents walk out of the house towards them and Clark pointed at Jordan's phone which was in his hand and said, "No phones today." He looked at Jace who rolled his eyes but nodded after seeing his father's raised eyebrow.

Jace, Jon and Clark watched Jordan get babied by Lois as she put a green beanie on top of his dark curls and said, "Hey, try to keep an open mind, all right?"

Clark, Jace and Jordan said their goodbyes to Jon and Lois as they separated ways for the day and then there they were flying. Flying was a strange but freeing thing, similar to being on a rollercoaster, your stomach lurches down and then upwards and goes all over the place. It was also a weird thing to cling to your father and brother flying across the country towards the Arctic.

The Artic was utterly beautiful, the first thing Jace noticed was the utter silence, broken only by the occasional shifting of ice. There's also a sense of isolation that slithers through the cold landscape with crisp and cleaner air than Jace has ever breathed before. The chill in the air seeps into your bones disregarding any layers you have on. Snow-capped mountains loom in the distance, their peaks obscured by wisps of clouds.

Clark finally let go of his son's and without a word started walking towards a large cave opening a couple of metres in front of the trio. The ground beneath their feet was a mosaic of frozen textures, hard and rocky, with patches of ice glinting in the sunlight. Intricate patterns etched into the ice, formed by wind and weather over countless years and each step taken echoes softly accompanied by a quiet creak in the ice.

"Why'd you take us here? I definitely should have worn better shoes," Jordan yelled over the swirls of icy air but Clark just smirked and didn't offer a response and Jace just pulled his jacket tighter around himself as they trekked through the snow towards a large cave opening.

Entering the cave alongside Jordan they looked around in awe at the different shades of blue ice around them, the sunlight shining through the ice making it easier to see ahead of them.

"What is this place?" Jace asked as he touched the ice walls in amazement.

"After my father died, I felt pretty lost. I had a lot of questions about who I was, and why I could do the things I could do. So I came here and found my answers. Maybe this place can help you two the same way it helped me," their father told them as he walked closer to a large ice-like altar in the middle of the cave Jace and Jordan followed behind quickly listening to him talk.

They watched him pull out a pretty red long stone and Jordan recognised it quicker than Jace did and pointed out, "That's the thing from the ship."

Clark nodded and explained, "It's a sunstone crystal. Think of it as a computer drive that contains the entire history of Krypton."

Jace and Jordan shared a look of confusion and rising boredom and Jordan couldn't help but snark at his father, "So you brought us to an igloo in the North Pole to read about Krypton?"

"Not "read" exactly. It's more like "experience."," Clark told him pointedly and pressed the red stone into the hole in the ice and a hologram like a thing appeared above it showing the trio a white city. Jace nearly jumped out of his skin when a deep voice echoed through the ice cave.

"Your family history begins in Krypton's second-largest city, Kryptonopolis. Over time, Krypton's natural resources began to dwindle, and environmental degradation threatened the planet's very existence. The ruling council of Krypton failed to take decisive action to address these issues. And hope was starting to wane. The planet's natural resources were reaching exhaustion," The voice spoke out, the hologram showing a failing planet core and then it reverted to the city, gunfire echoed out and bombs were dropped," As the people discovered Krypton's fate, peace devolved into war, accelerating the planet's ruin. Our home was lost...forever." With that last word, the hologram Kyptron exploded in tiny fragments and there was a heavy silence in the cave that was quickly broken by Clark, "It's a lot to absorb, I know." He placated, looking away from the hologram.

"How'd you know to do this when you came here?" Jordan asked softly and Clark smiled and answered, "My father showed me. Well, the AI of my Kryptonian father." He then turned around as he spoke, introducing a grey-haired man dressed in black with an 'S' crest on his chest, "Jace and Jordan, this is your grandfather. Jordan, the man you're named after, Jor-El."

"You brought your son's to me. Why?" The man, Jor-El asked out and Jace noticed it was the same voice as the hologram.

"Because unlike we thought, Father, they're manifesting abilities," Clark answered and the three of them watched Jor-El walk closer to them, with a watchful gaze. "Well, then... it is possible for us to further our Kryptonian heritage after all. And you two, Jordan and Jackson, you two will be the ones to do it."

There's another bout of heavy silence in the cave while Jace and Jordan had large smiles on their faces until a face pops up in Jace's mind, his younger brother, Jon. So he takes a step forward drawing everyone's attention to him as he asks the hologram of his grandfather, "That's great and all but what about Jon? Is there any way he could have powers like us?"

He looks at Clark for a moment and looks back at Jace before answering, "If they do not manifest then I'm afraid not."

Jace mulls his answer over and speaks up hesitantly, "But surely his Kryptonian DNA is laying dormant, could we use our DNA to kick start it or override it if it doesn't manifest? Maybe he just needs a stressful experience like Jordan." He liked science a lot better than maths but he wasn't a biologist especially not with Kryptonian DNA.

Jor-El taps his chin in thought and says, "Perhaps, I will look into it."

"Thanks pops," Jace says with a smirk.

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 of the day at the 'Fortress of Solitude' and learning everything about Krypton their father was willing to share, the possibilities and dangers of their powers they flew back home. They were gone most of the day and arrived a little while after Jon finished school who clearly did not have a good day like Jordan and Jace did. It was solemn in the Fortress and talking about a dead planet and near dead race but Jace bet it was more interesting than school.

Jon didn't tell Jace and Jordan about his day, just tried to move the subject onto what they did at the Fortress and rambling on about how cool it was to have powers. They didn't get to talk for long before their mother, rushed them into the car to go to some council meeting in town. Jace had no idea why they were going since they had just moved into Smallville, let alone him and Jordan since they were supposed to be sick.

When they arrived at the Town Hall, Jace was staring down at his phone, thumbs moving as he texted Silas who was already inside with Axel and Camilla. Lois was near running with her heels on as she rushed inside, giving her sons a non-heated glare as she sternly said, "We won't be here long, so don't make a scene. No fighting."

Jace looked up with a roll of his eyes, putting his phone away, he didn't understand why they had to put up all these personas to befriend the townspeople who were somewhat wary of them. He nodded when her eyes passed over him and she walked off to grab a seat, he kept behind his brothers while they walked over to Sarah and her younger sister.

It was awkward watching Jordan try and somewhat flirt and see Jon try and be a matchmaker, he didn't understand what was happening because he thought Sarah had a boyfriend but all to their own. He patted them on their backs when he saw Silas wave at him from the back of the room sent a smile to Sarah and walked off towards his friends.

"Hey not cool. Ditching us on your first day," Silas started when he reached them and he scoffed, pushing a pouting Silas away from him and replied, "I didn't mean too, got a cold man."

"Then why are you here?" Camilla asked from the sidelines, her eyes stayed on Morgan Edge, the man who was driving his mom up the conspiracy wall.

"I don't know, does your mum do anything understandable?" Jace joked nudging her shoulder.

Cami's mouth quirked up with a smirk and she shook her head with a laugh and said, "Guess so."

"Oh look, he's so hot," Axel said, pointing at the back of someone who looked a little familiar. Silas looked over and grinned, grabbed Jace's arm and started dragging him towards the man. "Woah man," Jace started but Silas ignored him and said, "I know you're super worried about the English course so come meet the new teacher. He's pretty good!"

Jace let out a sigh but there was still a smile on his face, he really wasn't in the mood to socialise, especially with teachers right now. Spending the day in the Arctic took a lot out of him but luckily he hadn't had any signs of losing control.

"Yo, sir!" Silas called out and the man turned around and looked down at the pair with a smile and it somewhat faltered when he met Jace's similar expression. It was Alex, the man from his grandmother's funeral, the man he had made out like a teenager in heat... which he was. Of course, he made out with his new teacher, Jace wanted to bury himself into a six-foot hole and never come out and eventually die.

"Nice to see you again Jace," the man said after a beat of silence, gulping thickly making his adam's apple prominent. Jace would've swooned at his thick accent if it wasn't for the fact Silas was right next to him and he loved his best friend but he didn't want to explain how well he knew the teacher.

"You've met before?" Silas asks with a raised eyebrow, glancing between the two. Jace noticed the scared look in Alex's eyes and the strained smile and he felt bad.

"Yeah at the funeral." Jace answers Silas and turns back to Alex shakes his hand and says, "Jace Kent, sir. Silas told me you're the new English teacher?"

Alex's eyes widen as he looks Jace up and down pulls his hand away and gulps. "Oh um yeah, I'm Mr. Tough Grip there."

Jace shrugged, pushing an air of confidence out trying to fake an easy going smile, "...Thanks."

"It's really Smallville for a reason," Silas jokes, patting Jace on the shoulder and mock salutes Alex with two fingers and starts walking off, once again dragging Jace behind him.

Jace sat next to Silas while Axel slid into the empty seat next to him leaving the blue-eyed Kent in the middle. Jace leaned into the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, tiredness ebbing at his body and crossed his arms over his chest. Jace closed his eyes and laid his head on Axel's shoulder, not caring about whatever the town council or Morgan Edge had to say.

He knew his mother would be complaining about whatever happened all through the car ride back and continue talking about it when they got home. He was unaware of the eyes watching him cuddle into his new friend's shoulder, wondering if it was as romantic as it looked, even though he shouldn't he hoped it was platonic.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 news was given to both Jordan and Jace Kent - they would never be like their father, they would never be proper Kryptonian, Because as stated by their Grandfather, "Jace and Jordan will never have enough power to produce these abilities on command. Their human DNA is just too limiting." It didn't matter that Jace had used a new ability unheard by Kryptonian, he had never shown any of the other 'normal' Kryptonian powers and his telekinetic abilities were sparse and weak and he had to really push to use them.

The news affected Jordan who for once had power just in his reach, something to show he was capable just like his brothers more than it did Jace. Jace didn't particularly want to be the next "Superman" or "Superboy" as Jon snarkily nicknamed them. Sure having abilities would make his life easy and more fun but he didn't want to become a hero, the cons outweighed the minimal amount of pros - if there were any. Despite not caring as much as his brother, it still affected him and put him in a mood, especially with how crass and blunt their grandfather had stated they would never be like their father in any way.

It seemed that rooting their entire lives to live in Smallville was now a waste and the gloomy mood emitting from his father and brother was putting him more on edge. The whole Kent household was having a bad day, the tension was palpable in the air when Clark, Jordan and Jace reached the Kent Farm where Lois and Jon were getting ready for the Cushing BBQ.

Jordan stormed into the house with Clark and Jace on his heels and Jordan yelled over his shoulder as he moved to the stairs, "I'm not going to the Cushings'."

"What happened at the Fortress?" Lois asked in confusion, looking between Jace and Clark for an answer but Jordan stopped on the stairs and answered her, "I guess we found out what I always knew. I'm not special."

Jace moved to comfort his brother, knowing how much he wanted to have powers. "Jordan, it is a process. We will go back, we will test you again, and we'll see how you progress over time," Their father told him placating but Jordan scoffed. Clark looked at Lois and said, "Maybe they should just stay home."

Before Lois could answer Jon came down the stairs and said, "What? Why? Baby have another bad day?"

Jordan turned to his twin with a scowl and yelled, "Screw you!" Jon's face scrunched up in anger and argued back, "No! I am sick of your crap, okay, Jordan? This is not just about you! I got the shaft."

When the words settled in Clark's mind he immediately moved away from comforting Jordan to ask, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what does that mean?"

Jon rolled his eyes and answered, pointing at Jordan, "It means that Don Draper over here kissed Sarah at the bonfire party, so now her dick boyfriend and the entire team are out to get me!"

This is why you don't get involved with taken people, Jace couldn't help but think. Not that Jace had anything to say since he made out with his new English teacher and would a hundred percent do it again.

"That's why you didn't get the playbook?" Jordan asked, the anger dropped from his voice and guilt had slipped into it.

Jon nodded, "Yeah, genius. I guess super perception isn't one of your powers."

Sensing another fight, Clark took a step forward and said, "Okay, okay, you know what, Jonathan? You and I, we can go out front. We can run plays."

"No, babe, not right now," Lois said and turned to her sons on the staircase counting, "Listen, sweetie, I am sorry about the playbook. That really sucks. And I'm sorry going to the Fortress didn't meet your expectations. You're probably so disappointed, but now's not the time to wallow in everything that's gone wrong since we came here. We moved here to be closer as a family, and we got invited to this dinner as a family, and we are going as a family, so get dressed."

Lois turned around and went to storm off but Jace's voice stopped her, stopped everyone in the house. "You know what? No. This is what's wrong with this family, no one is allowed to feel anything! No one can have a bad day without having to talk about it and then get immediately shut down. We've had to sort our own shit out for years while you guys go off and play big-shot hero journalists. You won't even let either one of us process what happened today all because you want to make a good appearance with the Cushings when you and Dad are the only ones who care." Lois and Jace took a step back in shock at their son's words.

The usual peaceful and quiet Kent son was ripping into them and he wasn't finished, "We aren't allowed to have different opinions to you or dad and I'm sick of it. You call it disrespectful to disagree or talk back but I call it communication. Just because we're young, doesn't mean our thoughts and feelings are suddenly invalid all because of a fucking BBQ."

Jace took a deep breath in after he finished, unaware his eyes had tinged red for a brief moment but Clark had noticed and taken a step in front of his wife to shield her. Jace's eyes caught the movement and frowned at the movement, his shoulders deflating at the meaning and stormed up the stairs, slamming his door shut.

The other Kent sons looked at each other shocked, ignoring their grudge with the other seeing their normally calm brother yell, he had never talked on the topic of their parents choosing work over them which they felt they did sometimes. It had lessened when they found out their father was an alien superhero but they still didn't like being the last opportunity to go tell a good story or some stranger that needed help - they didn't like talking about it because it made them feel selfish and ashamed but they just wanted their parents in their lives.

But they were trying and that's what mattered but clearly, it wasn't good enough in the oldest Kent's eyes. He had a temper but it was always under wraps just simmering under his skin out of sight, Jace went to the gym, went on runs, had a messy hookup or played basketball when he was angry and it was gone when he returned but he didn't have an outlet in Smallvile. Neither Kent had ever seen him so emotional, angry and vulnerable and it had never once been directed at his mother.

To say the Kents were shocked was an understatement. It seemed being in Smallvile was making Jace more angrier. It was having the opposite affect Lois and Clark wanted.

The house was silent after the loud door slamming, no one said anything and Jon and Jordan quietly got ready just sending each other looks of concern for their protective older brother. The four of them left the house soon after the argument, everyone decided it was best to leave him alone to calm down. If they tried and talked to him this raw then there was nothing stopping the angry Kent boy from doing or saying something he would regret.

The Cushing BBQ was a solemn and boring affair with the Kents trying to fit in and make friends with Jace's words rolling over in their heads. It wasn't twenty minutes in that Clark had to leave for his other job - Superman. Jordan and Jon sorted their own problems out with each other and apologised and their grudges against each other ended with a hug. The boys were your normal brothers, they fought, they said unkind things they shouldn't but they always made up.

When the Kent arrived home to their eerily silent house they quickly went to bed all ignoring the metaphorical elephant in the house - that was tomorrow's problem.

______
Honestly I don't like the Kent family dynamic in the show, there's no communication and I'm not a big fan of Lois in this so sorry if it shows. Also not a big fan of them messing Jon's character up and replacing him with a new character. It seems they only did it to create more drama and confrontation than a show about a superpower family needs.

vote and comment x

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