Brave New World: Superman and Lois

Chapter 18

"What the hell were you thinking joining the football team Jordan?" Clark shouted at his son.

"I thought it might be a good way to make some friends." Jordan said.

"You mean show off without your necklace on." Jonathan said and that got Clark's attention.

"You've been using your powers?" Clark asked.

"Dad." Jordan said.

"I tried to talk him out of." Jonathan said and Clark could tell that he was being honest.

"Jonathan, I'll talk to your mom about it, but you're definitely not in as much trouble as Jordan is, since technically, you're not the one who broke our rules, you just didn't tell us that Jordan did." Clark said.

"I'll be in my room then." Jonathan said and Clark nodded, since while Jonathan was still in trouble for not telling them, he was not in as much trouble as Jordan was.

"Dad, I don't see what the big deal is? So I'm using my powers, what's the point in having them if I can't use them?" Jordan asked.

"Well for one thing your super strength gives you an unfair advantage over not only your own teammates but the other teams as well and more importantly, if you use your powers like that in public, you'll end up exposing us all." Clark said.

"What's going on?" Lois asked as she entered the house.

"Lana told you." Clark said.

"She said that the boys were in trouble, so what did they do and where is Jonathan?" Lois asked.

"He's in his room since he is nowhere near as much trouble as Jordan is." Clark said.

"What did you do?" Lois asked her son.

"He joined the football team without our permission and then proceeded to play without his necklace on." Clark said and Lois's eyes bugged out of her head when she heard that.

"Jordan, that better not be true, since if it is, you will be lucky to see the outside of your room before you graduate." Lois said.

"What's going on here?" Martha said.

"Let's just say I know how pa felt after I broke some of his rules." Clark said.

"Oh, and which rule did Jordan break?" Martha asked.

"He used his powers to join the football team." Clark said.

"Dad, please, this is the first time I've actually made friends in my life. I know that using my powers isn't fair, but honestly, for the first time in my life, I actually feel normal." Jordan said.

"Are you just doing this to impress Sarah?" Clark asked with a small smile.

"How did you guess?" Jordan asked.

"Because when your father was around your age, he wanted to join the baseball team to impress a girl too, but your grandfather wouldn't let him." Martha said.

"Look dad, I admit, when I first joined, it was just because I wanted to impress Sarah, but honestly, it became more. For the first time in my life, my classmates don't think that I'm just a weird freak." Jordan said.

"Well, you're still in trouble, but maybe, maybe we can make this work." Lois said.

"What do you mean?" Clark asked.

"I think that this might be a good way to help Jordan learn how to control his powers in public situations, especially stressful ones." Lois said.

"She's right, Clark. I understand your hesitation, but at the same time, I do think that you owe it to Jordan to let him be a normal teenager and that means letting him play team sports while he's in high school." Martha said.

"I guess if we took some precautions, it might be okay." Clark said.

"Wait seriously?" Jordan asked.

"After you're done being grounded for two weeks for lying to us about this." Clark said and Lois nodded in agreement.

"Fine. But dad, are you serious about this?" Jordan asked.

"Yes, I am, but I want to make something very clear. If you lose control even once or if I get the feeling that you're taking advantage of your powers, then you're done. I'm also going to be increasing your training so that you can focus on learning to control your powers." Clark said and Jordan nodded.

"Thank you dad." Jordan said.

"You should thank your mother and grandmother for making such a good case on your behalf. Now go up to your room. You'll be spending a lot of time there for a while." Clark said and Jordan nodded as he walked away.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Clark asked his wife and mother once Jordan was gone.

"Honestly, this is the happiest I've ever seen Jordan and while I do agree that it is reckless of him to use his powers like that, I also think that his strength kind of levels things out between him and the other kids, since he is smaller than the rest of his teammates. Still, we should take precautions." Lois said.

"I'm gonna talk to their coach, see if they need an assistant coach so that I have an excuse to keep being at the boys' practices and games without looking like an overprotective parent." Clark said.

"I think that's a good idea." Martha said.

"Too bad you and dad didn't have it when I wanted to play baseball." Clark said.

"The difference is that we didn't have any way of suppressing your powers, while you can contain Jordan's if he ever loses control." Martha reminded him.

"I know." Clark said.

Morgan Edge was currently standing in a large cavernous area in the middle of the badlands, wearing an outfit that was honestly very similar to the one worn by Superman, only his was all black and he had a different glyph on his chest.

"What is the status of our plan?" a hologram of his own real father, Zeta-Rho, asked.

"I've finally located a sufficient supply of X-Kryptonite to power the Eradicator and I believe that the location will also provide all the successful test subjects I need." Morgan Edge, or as he is really named, Tal-Rho, said.

"Really, where?" Zeta-Rho asked.

"Smallville Kansas. The only successful subject I've had so far has been from there and I believe that other people like her will show just as much success. I can finally begin to move forward with our plans." Tal-Rho said.

"Excellent." Zeta-Rho said.

"However, there is a new complication." Tal-Rho said.

"And what might that be?" Zeta asked.

"Kal-El is not the only member of the house of El to have made it to Earth." Tal-Rho said.

"Who else did?" Zeta demanded.

"Zor-El's daughter." Tal-Rho said.

"Kara Zor-El. That brat is still alive?" Zeta demanded.

"Father, she was my friend once. Perhaps she could be again." Tal said, since he and Kara had been friends back on Krypton, since they'd both grown up in the same circles on Krypton with their parents being high ranking scientists and both of them being groomed to join the science guild like them. And Tal had once had a bit of a crush on her, but he was over it now.

"You're becoming soft Tal. Kara Zor-El is just like her cousin. She will turn on you the moment she finds out what you're planning. Do not allow the past to stop you from doing what you were sent here to do. Kill her and her cousin and erase the stain the House of El brings to our race and our planet." Zeta said.

"Yes father. You're right. As always." Tal said.

"Good." Zeta said as he vanished and Tal took a deep breath as for the first time in his life since he'd come to Earth, he was wishing there was another way.