A Future Sooner than Tomorrow

The Future And Its Additions

The morning arrives and a feeling of anxious anticipation settles over the shoulders of the Justice League. They wake up battle ready, spines stiff and hands twitching at their sides.

Breaking into one of Lex Luthor's buildings will be difficult but worth it.

Breakfast is a hurried affair, hastily shovelling cereal into mouths and tearing apart toast with their teeth. Only Kal drags behind, barely touching his breakfast, brushing off the worried looks with a "I'm just not hungry."

He joins in his teammates as they walk their ways to the Zeta tubes and tries to ignore the awful coiling feeling his stomach. He tries to keep his mind in check, to push away the thoughts of what happens after.

After, he and his friends go home.

After, Kon will be left here with this universe's Superman.

After...

Kal doesn't want to know. Truly, he longs for peaceful obliviousness and to not have to worry. Nothing more would make him happier than for his letters to be enough, to be the saving grace Kon desperately needs.

He had snagged his letter to Batman from his room before going to bed yesterday and it now sits in the left hidden pocket of his suit. In the right is the picture he has of himself and Kon on the couch.

When he arrives at the Hall of Justice, he can quickly separate from the group and plant the letter in Batman's room. Hopefully, it won't be found by one of the kids first.

He hopes because it's all he can do.
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The Zeta tubes hum to life as the Justice League gets sent to the Hall of Justice. Nobody is surprised to find the future's young heroes already stood in front of the couch.

Robin, Nightwing and Red Hood (he has his helmet on already, appearing so much colder without his youthful face exposed) are all facing the Zeta tubes, seeming equally as prepared as the Justice League. Kid Flash and Kon are off to the side, looking more unsure. Kon has Kal's cape bundled in his arms.

"Are we all ready?" Batman asks. Everyone shares one determined look (slightly nervously in Kid Flash's case and Kon could almost pass as ill with how pale he's gone) before nodding. Flash walks over to Kid, patting the boy on the shoulder comfortingly. With the only ones who'd be able to see him running at super speed looking away, Kal begins the run to Batman's room.

Or, tries to at least.

Before he knows it, Kon is in his path, looking up at him (because of course, Kon also has super speed - Kal should've realised).

"Your cape," Kon says and hands the red bundle to Kal. Kal takes it, flicks it out and, seeing it in perfect condition, gladly clips the corners of it back to the shoulders of his costume.

"Thanks for taking care of it."

"No problem," and then Kon latches onto Kal's arm. Not one hand or even two, just wraps the entirety of his arms around one of Kal's like a strange kola.

Kal doesn't even think before he's asking, "Kon, what are you doing?"

Kon's tentative smile, one he's had for the duration of the little interaction, falls. Or more accurately, slams shut. Kon's eyes narrow and his shoulders stiffen and then he's pulling away, the same shut off teenager he was when they first met.

"Nothing. You know us teenagers, impulsive to a fault, right?" Kon crosses his arms, fingers digging into the blue material of his suit. His hands are still and tense but the muscles along his arms twitch with motion.