Chaos In The Flesh

Chapter 32 (part 4)

Jonathan Kent: Burn it Down (Linkin Park)

"You're finally back. I was wondering when you were going to let me talk to you again."

Jonathan took a deep breath, and rubbed his face with the snow around him. As the cold burned his skin, he wondered what sort of hell he deserved to be stuck in such a wearisome dream loop with his psychotic grandfather

The cycle repeated, as explosions broke in the sky–

"I have a life, you know," Jonathan fixed the collar of his shirt and pulled up his jeans that were falling down a bit. He didn't change into pjs before bed, so this was the next best thing. "One that doesn't involve me spying on random superheroes to get information for a grandfather more interested in seeing me through dreams rather than in person."

Jor-El rolled his eyes as he walked towards his large range of crystals. His black cape billowed around his feet as he walked, nearly taking out Jonathan's eye with the corner of it.

"So I'm the bad guy for wanting you to be your best self?"

"You're the bad guy cause you're manipulating me into thinking that what I need and then making yourself look like the victim," Jonathan countered. "I overheard Jordan talking about the concept with his therapist on zoom. Sounds like this trait runs in the family."

Jor-El looked back over his shoulder. "Watch how you speak to me."

All that I needed, was the one thing I couldn't find–

Jonathan glared at his grandfather's back and began to look around. The area looked the same as always. A few crystals laid in the snow near his grandfather's feet, strewn about as if they were nothing more than paper-weights.

As his grandfather looked and flipped through his holograms, Jonathan picked up a few crystals and moved to the corner of the ice room.

Maybe if there was some way to make a light shine through the crystals to reveal why they were all on the ground, then maybe he could see why his grandfather was so obsessed with this superhero business...

As if the Fortress of Solitude heard him, a small dias lifted from the snow. A small hole was cut in the middle of the dias, encouraging him to place the crystals in.

Checking over his shoulder, his grandfather still had his back towards him and was furiously typing something on his holograms.

And you were there at the turn, waiting to let me know...

Jonathan turned back around and placed the first crystal in. A small hologram appeared before him and it was a simple memory of Joanthan showing his grandfather the bracelet made out of Wonder Girl's rope. Taking out the crystal, there was another visual, but this time, it was of Clark and Jonathan fighting.

The third crystal showed his grandfather as a monster in the reflection of a mirror. He had cloudy blue eyes with icy white skin and gaunt features, as if he had just been raised from the dead.

Blinking, he paused the memory and looked around the room. He knew the room... he knew those clothes and the decorations. But... why did his grandfather have a memory of Sarah's room?

Jonathan silently turned off the memory and grabbed a few more crystals. Other memories began to be relived: Sarah's constant panic attacks and never ending cycle of little sleep; the voice in the back of Jordan's head, always making him rethink and over analyze what he was seeing; memories of a dark and hidden world with stalagmites and rivers of fire... memories with the enemies he was struggling to fight.

We're building it up to break it back down–

Jonathan removed the final crystal and felt his vision tunnel and his knees go weak. His head felt too heavy and the pit in his stomach hardened as his throat dried up.