บท 8: World In Turmoil

June 6th, 1944 (Invasion of Normandy)

Omaha Beach

The rumbling of the motored boats rocked the soldiers back and forth. Many of them were silent as they approached the beach overhead.

Despite the pep talk earlier that night, many of them couldn't swallow down the nervous feelings that they had in their stomach. It felt so long ago for some when they were just back home listening to the radios of the earlier stages of the war. They like many other Americans felt their blood boil when they listened to the news of how pearl harbor was bombed by the Japanese Empire.

In a show of unity, many Americans gathered into troves and enlisted into the Army the falling day. The United States government declared war on Japan and the rest of the axis power followed suit and declared war back in retaliation. It was now the stage of a world war in which two powers fought to control the world as they know it.

Looking over his fellow comrades, Clark Kent, or Kal-El couldn't help but feel a sense of protectiveness. It has been around 7 years since he finished his training at the fortress of solitude. Learning all that he can about Krypton and his people has given him the knowledge of a highly civilized society. With nothing more to do there, his father Jor-El suggests for him to travel around the world and see and understand how these people lived.

When he first arrived in the United States, Kal-El was overwhelmed by the things and experiences that he felt. He saw how people lived in poverty and lived for scraps under the period of the Great Depression. Kal-El was also shown the brutality of the history of people living in that country when he experienced 'racism' in which a color of a human dictated their worth. It was so ridiculous that Kal-El couldn't wrap his head around it. Using his vision to see their skins and anatomy, Kal-El understood that there were no distinct biological differences amongst these Americans but they still treated a population of their own as inferior.

In fact it wasn't just skin color, class structure, and even the origin of birth played a role in how these people were seen.

No longer could he stand the level of mistreatment, Kal-El held on his emotions from trying to kill the perpetrators as best as he could. He was still new and must understand further the exact causes of these people's society. But feeling overwhelmed, Kal-El flies around the country before settling down in a small town called Smallville.

In that town, he was actually welcomed by an elderly couple that owned a farm. They thought that he was a jobless man in need of some work. Kal-El, introducing himself as Clark accepted the job and took up the offer to work on the farm as a helper.

Over the months that follow, Kal-El learned how to tend the land on the farm and became more used to that peaceful life. In fact, he lived like a farmer peacefully for a time before an accident occurred. Jonathan Kent and his wife Martha Kent were traveling with 'Clark' at that time to a restaurant when they both saw an incident occurring that Kal-El couldn't stand.

It was after dinner when five men encircled a young black teen that they accused of hollering at a 'white' woman. The leader of that group kept punching the poor kid as he pleaded for help among the small crowd of people that gathered after dinner.

Some people who saw this were initially shocked but looking at the boy's skin color turned a blind eye as they continued walking away.

Kal-El was about to step out and do something before Jonathan held his arm shaking his head.

Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent knew all too well about human's disgusting nature over something trivial such as skin color. They loathe how people of their own town turning a blind eye to such inhuman actions just because of the color of their skin.

With that mind in thought, Jonathan Kent approached the group of men in hopes to stop the violence. He was an old man but he believed in God's message that all men on this Earth were equal. No matter the skin color. While he rarely spoke up before since it was shunned in this small town, he couldn't bear to watch what was unfolding before him, especially with Kal-El living with them. Jonathan knows that he needed to set an example right for the next generation so that stuff like this wouldn't happen ever again.

Unfortunately, the men escalated their attacks on the poor kid before Jonathan can utter a single sentence. Realizing it wasn't worth arguing with these idiots, he sprints closer.

Jonathan sucker punches one of the men in the faces knocking him out. Three of them turned around in shock before being rushed by Jonathan.

The group of men were then pushed away by Jonathan who were very surprised by the strength of the old man.

On the ground, Jonathan punched the leader of the group with all his strength.

The other two were caught off guard initially before they got up and pulled Jonathan off their leader.

Even with the strength of the seasoned farmer, four against one is too much for the elderly man.

With Jonathan pinned down, James, the leader of the group, punches Jonathan in the stomach.

"Look here boys, we got ourselves a hero."

James knees down next to Jonathan's face before cocking his head to the beaten up black kid to his side.

"You really are trying to save this black kid? You sure you ain't drunk old man?"

Jonathan spits in front of James' face.

"Alright fine, I wanted that kid to suffer more for what he did, but alrighty then. Consider yourself lucky boy." James said, wiping his face.

With Jonathan still pinned down, James pulls out a pistol and points at the young black teen.

"You see this boy? This is what happens when y'all mess my girl."

The boy's beaten up face and body couldn't mutter a single word.

Jonathan lets out a scream in disbelief.

BANG

As soon as the pistol triggered, Kal-El in his bottled fury of all the injustice that he's seen in this country exploded. His body moved in unseen speed as he took a hold of the bullet mere centimeter from the boy's face.

Bewildered as to see the man before him, James looks at this gung before looking back at Kal-El.

The crowd gasped in shock as Kal-El stood there. His blue eyes brimming with anger as he towered over the leader of the group.

Jonathan looked up to see 'Clark' standing in front of the still beaten up black teen.

James points the gun at Kal-El and lets out another shot. But instead of bullet piercing through the man before him, it literally bounced right off like it was plastic.

With the still warm gun in his hands. James let out a feared expression.

"M-monster, what in the hell are you!"

Kal-El snorts before grasping the gun from James. With a small flex of his hand, the pistol breaks effortlessly towards the ground. Putting his hand on James shoulder before applying pressure, Kal-El can feel James bone breaking as he stared down the man.

James let out a cry in pain shouting for his men behind him to help. But they and most of the crowd were gone as the shots were fired. If a bullet did not hurt the man, why the hell did they think they could?

"If I see you set one foot in this town again, I will make sure to shatter to every bone in your body." Kal-El's eyes glowed as he spoke adding to the fear within the man before him.

James nodded in agreement as his pants pissed in fear.

Letting go of James Kal-El helps Jonathan up before reaching down and picking up the badly hurt boy.

"Let's take him to our farm to help Clark, the hospital here is white's only and it will take too long for any of the doctors to see him."

Agreeing, Kal-El, with the help of Jonathan and Martha was able to nurse the young boy back to health before helping him reunite with his mother.

Fearing what the elder couple had to say, Kal-El was surprised when they called him a hero. Martha in particular called him God's gift to Earth for his amazing abilities. Kal-El could only stand there in shock as these people were not frightened of his abilities. Jonathan and Kal-El had a heart to heart talk about human nature and how people in general had the power to do evil but also good. That night, Kal-El felt a little closer to the humans on this Earth when these elder couples not only took him in as a stranger, but they also accepted him for who he was.

That one incident changed his perspective on humans a bit in a way that he can relate.

The next few years however had grown more chaotic in the world as the Axis power began making moves. In the years that follow, Kal-El or Clark Kent at this moment was actually drafted into the war. Knowing that Clark would ultimately be fine, Martha relented and knew that if chosen to do so, Clark can win the war on his own. But knowing that Clark was still new to this country, she did not press him to reveal himself. In fact, she and Jonathan know all to well how people's greed can be.

Even so, they know that Clark will have a good change on this planet.

Remembering his past few years in the United States, Clark was awoken up to bullets flying down. As their boat approaches closer to the shores, he can feel the growing fear around him. Knowing what he needs to do now, it didn't matter what others thought of him. Kal-El needs to do what's right even if it meant people seeing him as a monster or as a hero.

"Clark! What in the hell are you doing boy!" His lieutenant cried out.

But still Kal-El didn't answer him as he walked over closer to the front of the boat. While his team was ducking down for cover. Kal-El stood there in front almost oblivious to gun fire.

With this line of sight, Kal-El knows that taking this beach will be bloody, their deaths will be on his hands if he did nothing. Growing closer to his friends during basic training, Kal-El knows that this decision here will alter the course of history forever. Maybe these will support him like how the Kent's had or maybe they will just see him as a monters.

Shaking his head, it didn't matter. Kal-El will do what's right and end this bloodshed in the world.

The soldiers around Clark looks at him in disbelief as they see him starting to hover in the air.

The German soldiers who saw this were momentarily shocked before aiming their fire at Kal-El. All of the German soldiers in bunkers who saw a floating man in the air were also starting to shoot at the lone soldier.

The still ducking US soldiers were now wondering why the Germans stopped firing at them before they too looked up in shock.

There they see a lone man floating in the sky as bullets rang out towards him. Bullets after bullets were fired until a moment of silence entered the battlefield. It was almost deafening as the smoke from gun fire and weather clouded the view. But a shadow of a man can still be made viewed.

Kal-El's eyes glowed red in power as he cracked his neck.

None of the bullets has made a single scratch on his body. Years training in the fortress of solitude has toughened his skin further and gave him new insight on warfare.

Shock and awe is what is needed right now. Overwhelming power is needed to stop all of these bloodshed.

Kal-El lets out a small smile. The insignia of House El on his chest shined proudly to all that can see.

"It's my turn."