Chương 167: Ch.1
My world was spun for a loop as I'd never actually been born so tied into a reality since the vampire diaries and there I had the option of leaving. My parents were Johnathan and Martha Kent this time and I was at a serious loss as to what I should do.
I spent the first year of my life merely watching the couple while they dealt with raising me from my toddler form and while I slept I gave my wives and kids my full undivided attention in my symbiote form.
My swords had resealed themselves inside my soul until I was capable of wielding them again which would take years still. It was truly weird to one moment be raising your own kids then the next be in child form as well but I adapted as best I could with a lot of understanding from both Jess and Nat.
Unfortunately in the outside world, I felt no stronger than a peak physical formed baby which wasn't saying much and had an inkling that it's the same for all those coming from the marvel verse as everything here was harder, heavier and had more mass that I wouldn't have noticed if I'd been a proper native.
It was like this universe was a step up, not just in weight or power, but in laws and physical matter as well. Even simple wood felt like steel would have in the marvel universe while steel was like Gradium to my frail form. The screws on my crib were just the first example I tested my theory on until I was large and old enough that they'd switched me to a child's bed.
I was quiet and reserved by their speculation but with the help of the Phoenix Force, I was able to read the surface thoughts of their minds. At first they were worried until the doctors checked me over and gave me a clean bill of health.
The only thing odd about me at the moment was my quietness and they soon came to accept that by the time I was three. I'd met with my grandfather William a few times, but even he felt odd with me staring at him while he made faces and came around less and less.
On my fourth birthday it finally happened, a meteor shower the likes of which had me flashing back to Wakanda and being stuck for billions of years. I actually flinched a bit on the way back to the farm when the meteors hit.
The truck had flipped and I was thrown through the window, breaking my arm. I landed on a still extremely hot meteorite that came down with the naked alien boy's ship.
When my blood mixed with the rock, I heard Lucifer speaking to me. (There's your little extra present. Remember who your favorite parent is kid.)
I grunted as the naked boy helped me up before falling is his butt and cut his hand when the meteorite was exposed to him. I kicked it out of the way as I touched his bloody hand and felt my own body growing stronger, tougher and more resilient by a small degree. My wound healed up and his did as well while he grinned at me.
I actually smiled back at him as I gave him my blue jean jacket and patted his head. He giggled and we turned smiling to my parents who were staring at us upside down in the truck.
I turned and waddled to the downed spaceship while my parents yelled to get back to them. I ignored them and saw the egg like thing and wondered if I'd fit in it as I am. I'm a bit taller than Kal-El right now but that was just because of age, I think.
My parents finally made there way to me and I went over to Kal-El and hugged him, thanking my stars Johnathan had the wherewithal to wrap him in his jacket as well.
I watched as my parents grabbed a crashed truck and used it to load up and cover the alien spaceship before driving us towards town. We met the Luthor's on the way to the hospital and gave them a ride while Lionel promised my parents to repay them for the help.
He asked who were were and Johnathan told him. "They're our sons. Clark here has a tendency to run around naked so we had to chase him down when the meteors started striking. Jake found him in the barn just as we were leaving so we've had a bit of a rough day."
Lionel nodded, not even thinking twice about it. "Haven't we all."
We got to the hospital and got checked out until the needle kept breaking against my skin. Then my father stopped the tests and simply had the doctors check up my mother as she had a head wound. I ignored them all and played with Clark.
I would tag him and he'd tag me back until I got him to chase me and he dropped his current clothes and ran after me laughing. I laughed while I ran as fast as a four year old could and ended up being stopped by my father as he was berated and told to take us outside to play and to make Clark wear clothes.
For the next twelve years I devoted my life to making Clark, my little brother, laugh. I stood up for him and protected him against bullies as best I was able and while we grew up, I spent my summers and practically every day outside shirtless.
Once I turned fourteen, I began practicing martial arts and light weight lifting in secret as now my light weights were engine blocks and tractors. For the last two years of middle school and the first year of high school, I continued to each out for him and Pete Ross until Chloe arrived on the scene and I went to my sophomore year while they all began their freshman years.
I'd hit a major growth spurt as I was now six five and built like a Olympic athlete by the time it all began. I'd never hid my secret from Clark but from our parents and while he learned to adapt and never told them about it, he had come most days to talk and help me workout by spotting me or using his own strength as a press to push me further and further.
He was slightly weaker than me so it only helped for a time and since I was far more well trained, he'd taken to listening to me ramble on about control, mind over matter and letting things fade away while you focus on what was important to achieve your goals.
He did however ask a few times why I was able to walk and talk around Lana without ending up a total klutz. I didn't have an answer for that that didn't make me suspicious so I merely shrugged it off saying. "Maybe it's because I don't feel attracted to her?"
He snorted. "She's the hottest girl in school! How could you not be attracted to her?"
I shrugged. "That's your opinion? I don't know bro, I'm just not into preppy chicks. Maybe you'll grow out of it and be able to ask her out this year?"
He rolled his eyes and I brushed it off with my usual workout. He finally changed the subject. "You spot me this time."
I smirked. "You wanna work out to impress her?"
He sighed. "Just spot me ok?"
I nodded. "I always got your back."
I began pressing on the metal reinforced plate we used and he grunted. That's when I realized the true difference in our strength. I'd been growing stronger either from the workouts or the constant sun exposure or a combination of both while he'd barely grown any by regular stands since the year before.
He pressed back and I modulated my output to give him the best results. When he started to get used to it, I'd apply just a tad more strength until he was actually sore for a few seconds.
Chuckling the day began as I blurred inside to grab a shower before school. After dressing and grabbing some toast, I headed to wait for the bus telling Clark as he went inside. "Don't be late. The bus will leave without you this time."
He rolled his eyes saying. "Then I'll catch up."
I shrugged. "Have it your way. Just be careful ok?"
He nodded and I sat on the fence until the bus showed up and headed to the back with Pete and Chloe. "Ten bucks says Clark is late. He had half an hour this morning."
The both smirked. "You're on!"
I chuckled and as if I was a prophet, he missed the bus. I took their cash and they groaned as Pete said. "It's a statistical fact that Clark Kent can't catch a bus on time."
I nodded sagely and told them. "I even warned him not to be late but alas, the young grasshopper shall never catch the early worm."
Chloe snorted at my mixing of analogies and I smirked at Pete's laughter. I could tell he had eyes for her and she had them for Clark so I stayed out of that tangled hornets nest to the point of refusing to give advice.
I'd simply pointed out my own lack of a love life and while Pete pointed out the girls that seemed interested, I pointed out they wanted me for my body and that's where we differed. While I'm looking for something primal, I may settle for a quickie with the right girl but it wouldn't be with a preppy hot one just for her looks alone.
When we got to school, Clark showed up out of the blue and I chuckled at Chloe's response on his short cut being through a blackhole. Clark mentioned Lana and wondered off so I told them. "Five seconds, double or nothing."
Pete retorted. "Ten seconds!"
Chloe shook her head. "I'm gonna have to agree with Jake on this one."
When Clark fell five seconds in I told Pete. "Pay up."
He gave me a twenty and I thumbed to Chloe. "Her too. She was in as well by calling it."
Pete groaned but I merely chuckled and told Chloe. "I'll have you situated at the torch as the new editor by lunchtime."
She agreed with a smile and I left to head to my locker to put my books away and grab my class books only for the first period. School was relatively boring so I mostly hung out all day in the Torch where the teachers agreed that so long as I did my work, I'd be left alone.
It was the strongest bit of magic I could muster to compel them to agree to that but it was also well worth it. I was the photographer and a decent journalist for the science and school news section. I left sports and Chloe's freaky stuff alone and only reported on events, faculty meetings and student council news.
On the bright side I'd already mastered most of the Kryptonian powers as if trained with them night and day after I'd activated each one as I finished the last. The only one I hadn't begun training was flying and only because it was a very public thing to do especially with cameras, satellites and binoculars that can spot me easily.
So in fact I didn't need to leave the Torch to know what each of my articles are going to be about. That evening Clark has his first run with destiny as he was hit by Lex's car while he was walking home.
I'd already been home doing chores as my last class is a free period for self study. When Clark came home he told me about saving Lex and what it felt like while he helped with my workout.
I didn't comment on his seemingly thrilled feelings about saving people as I didn't want to affect how he turns out in the end. I only told him after we were done working out. "Baby steps little brother. You're not yet ready to step down the road that leads to revealing who you are. It's a slippery slope from fame to disaster. Governments would kill to use you as a lab rat to try and make some sick version of a super soldier for wars. I can't protect you from the world and especially not from that."
He shook his head. "Maybe you don't need to protect me."
I sighed and rubbed his head. "Perhaps I'll feel the same one day, when I'm dead. But until that day comes, I'd protect you until my dying breath. It's what big brothers do."
He stilled and a few tears fell from his eyes as he gave me a hug that I returned. The next day after school Lex sent a truck as a thank you gift and Clark got into it with dad. He finally had enough with being treated with kid gloves and showed dad he was durable and different by sticking his arm in a wood chipper.
My big brother instincts kicked in and I yanked his arm out after sticking mine in and shoved him back while I checked his arm. When I saw he was fine, even though I already knew he'd be inside, I slapped him upside the back of the head. "What were you thinking huh?"
He looked a bit ashamed until dad noticed my arm was untouched as well while the wristbands I had on were shredded. I ignored them as Clark said. "I didn't dive in after Lex's car, he hit me at sixty miles an hour. I knew I'd be fine because I done it before."
I growled. "And if you'd had some kind of adrenaline rush or a freak accident here? You'd be missing an arm! Think next time Damn it!"
Dad didn't even comment on my cursing as I stormed away and Clark slinked away you into his fortress of solitude in the barn's second story. I grabbed a shower and after Clark disappeared from the storm cellar where he was told his heritage, dad and mom sat me down and asked how I'd been fine from sticking my own arm in.
Sighing, I told them about my bouts of strength and the training I'd done over the years. I mentioned figuring I'd caught whatever Clark had and since none of us had the answers I'd only ever told him about it. Then I mentioned overhearing what was in the storm cellar and remembered the day we found him and how I'd felt stronger after landing on a green rock during the meteor shower and Clark helping me and his blood mingled with mine when the green rock made him sick and he fell, cutting his hand.
They went really quiet before Johnathan asked. "Do you get sick around meteor rocks as well?"
I shook my head. "No, they don't seem to effect me at all. I even cleared out the rocks in the back forty to make sure it wasn't a fluke and to keep Clark from getting sick during chores."
He sighed in relief a bit before asking. "How strong are you? Are you as fast as Clark?"
I chuckled. "I'm stronger but he's faster. I don't exactly practice much but I do seem to have whatever makes him strong and fast. I haven't told you because you walk on eggshells with him and I don't want the same treatment. I control my gifts, they don't control me. Besides, it kind of helps to have a secret weapon when it's chore time."
That had them smiling until dad sighed. "In that case, we need you to watch out for Clark, protect his secret and keep him safe."
I rolled my eyes. "I already do that so nothing new really."
Dad chuckled. "Oh, and you'll be taking on most of the farm work from now on. I'll just be doing the morning chores except on weekends."
I folded my arms. "Then I'll be getting paid for the extra work. Clark pays me half his allowance for all his work so I expect at least that much."
Johnathan raised an eyebrow and asked. "Oh he does now does he?"
I shrugged. "That's between me and him. Ruin my deal old man and you'll be eating Clark's cooking next time mom's in metropolis for her beauty salons and hair cuts."
He went big eyed before nodded. "Fair enough. If you're old enough to bargain, you're old enough to live with the results. Though I will have to speak to Clark about what he does in his spare time."
I chuckled. "That's easy, he looks at horses through his telescope and reads books like Nietzsche. He's a real equestrian connoisseur."
Mom and dad shared a look and I shrugged. "Let's not get off track. Forty a week plus an extra twenty on weekends and I'll wash the truck out every Sunday and Wednesday night."
I held out my hand and he frowned before nodding. "Acceptable but if your grades start to slip you'll be detailing the tractor as well."
I agreed and he shook my hand before I blurred and completed all the chores before standing back in front of him a bit haggard from the smell of cow manure. I'd held my breath but even when it's gone on a farm, it's never really gone.
I went upstairs for a shower and some sleep. The next day a dead body dropped in town and I went with Chloe to get pictures for her. When I noticed the meta human who did the deed, I slipped away and cornered him a couple blocks over.
He talked some crap about not knowing who I was messing with before shocking me. I became immune and smirked as I gained his ability as well. I turned the tables as he wasn't immune.
I short circuited him and he lost his memories. I left him wondering the ally without even seeing me leave. I put it in a cops head to go check him out and he was admitted into the hospital.
When they hooked him up to a machine, he short circuited the machines each time until they figured out he was the one electrocuting everyone and he must've shorted out his own brain or fried it.
As for the whole scarecrow thing, the moment Whitney shoved Clark down, I cleaned his clock a beat half the football team's ass as well. Nothing permanent but black eyes and bloody noses all around with Whitney being the worst off as he'd lost two teeth and I broke his nose before the others came at me.
It was after school but it didn't stop the teachers from showing up and pulling us apart. I'd fucked them up and was left with a bloody ripped shirt from where they bled on me and ripped it as they tried to hold on from falling out.
Clark got back up after the teachers helped him away from Whitney who was wearing Lana's meteorite necklace. We were all pulled into the principles office for a round of who started it and boy did I nearly get the shaft. I told them I'd heard Whitney saying something about making someone this years scarecrow and when I saw him attack my brother, I slugged him.
Then I explained the jocks coming at me in threes and fours until they all looked like bloody pandas. I told the coach who was trying to get the principle to write off Whitney's actions as boys being boys while saying the jocks were just trying to protect their friend. "And I was trying to protect my brother from not just a physical assault as you seem to call boys being boys, but years of mental trauma. Perhaps if some staked you out in a cornfield naked and beaten for a whole night then you'd see things in a different light!"
He narrowed his eyes. "You listen to me you punk-"
I stood up, towering over him and growled. "Go ahead, I'm listening."
The rage and bloodlust I was emitting silenced the words in his throat as you could nearly hear his balls shriveling up in fear. The principle spoke up. "That's enough! Both of you! Mr.Kent, I'm afraid your actions here leave me no choice but to call your parents and suspend you for a weak. As for you coach, I'll be speaking to the school board about your boys will be boys attitude. This school does no encourage bullying. An enquiry into your hands off approach when dealing with such things will be recommended to the school board. Expect a review of your teaching methods to be done soon."
I turned to the principle. "Fair enough. As for Whitney, I'd like to know what's being done to the one who instigated this and intended to assault my little brother in such a manor. Do note this is my calm face, and unlike most in this town, I do know a great lawyer and I can in fact pay for it especially since it would go to court."
The principle shook his head. "Me.Whitney will be barred from the dance and given two weeks suspension as well as recommending a he see the school councilor for his actions. A recommendation I extend to you as well."
I shook my head. "I'll pass. I've no issues with anyone so long as they're not out to harm my family. If it were anyone else, I'd simply have split up the fight and stopped it there. I simply have issues with those that wish to harm those I care about. It's not something a councilor is qualified to deal with and no one in this town has decent therapy money, except maybe the Luthors and you can tell they don't use it."
I turned to the coach who was red in the face before turning back to the principle. "Call my parents when you're ready. I'll make sure to have someone grab my school work for the week. Now if that's all I have a farm full of chores to do and a brother to console."
The principle nodded and I left without looking back. I heard the coach yelling at the principle as soon as the door closed and ignored it all. Later that evening I got chewed out by mom and dad until I told them what they were planning to do to Clark and they dropped it.
I asked Chloe to pick up my school work for the next week and sent Clark to ask out Lana to the dance figuring she might go as friends to have a night of fun to fix her bad luck.
He was worried about the meteorite necklace but I assured him it was still with Whitney. Several hours later he came home smiling as he'd actually had a great time with the girl of his dreams and his friends. The next day I stayed home and did farm work until Clark got back and we went to the farmer's market with the crops.
I set up the stand while our parents shopped around and like usual, I sold off all the vegetables like they were wheat grass at a vegan starvation camp. It wasn't even magic or psychic abilities either. I'd enriched the soil with dirt from my own inner world and it had mixed with the soil we had already.
Add the unicorn and dragon dung fertilizer the house elves retrieved for me from my inner dimension and it made the crops not only grow quicker but were also more nutritious and better tasting. I really had needed to clear out the back forty for the extra space to grow more crops s.
We usually sold high as places like metropolis high grade food supply stores bought in bulk from us, but on days like today it wasn't about the extra cash that was practically being dumped into our college funds. It was about buying and selling in the community and keeping close ties with our neighbors.
Days like today were when I shined the most as I offered to fix tractors, cars and even houses and barns for a decent price. I was quick, efficient and always had a workable solution. As such the community loved me as I'd worked on nearly everyone's vehicle in the tristate area at one time or another.
I was even nice enough to leave the prices open to negotiation so long as they could afford it, I didn't press. It wasn't about getting rich quick or whatever, though, I did have a decent amount put back by now. Our family name was connected to loyalty, hard work and honesty as well as helping our fellow man and friends.
While I took orders and requests for all the jobs they had lined up this year, I got to see Clark and Lana talking until Whitney came over and hugged her shoulders, giving Clark the stink eye and pulling her away to see some stall or the other.
Greg Arkin, Clark and Pete's old grade school friend I never liked, made his impression on Whitney and was told to back off for leaving butterflies in her room, which was just creepy in and of itself, not including the videos and cameras of her opening the box of butterflies.
He was definitely taking stalking to a whole new level and I hinted to Lana that she might try checking her room for any peepers and creeper's spyware when she gets home and turn over whatever she finds to the police.
After budging off when Whitney followed her over, I asked him. "How's the face? Did you learn your lesson? Don't mess with my family, period."
He nodded. "I got it man. You're right, I took it too far."
I shrugged. "Don't apologize to me, I'm not the one you tried to string up in a corn field."
He flinched and nodded while Lana asked. "Is that what happened?"
I coughed. "I'll see you two later, but I'd better hear a heartfelt apology to Clark soon or me and you will be going another round outside today."
He flinched and talked to Lana about what happened trying to play it off before she stormed off and he went to apologize to Clark. As far as apologies go, it wasn't very heartfelt but Clark hadn't really wanted one so it was fine.
Whitney took off a bit before us and dad had me and Clark load up the truck while he asked about the work that I'd be doing over the next couple weeks and if I needed a few days to get it all done. I didn't but I did however tell him that if he wanted to spend his down time taking mom out to dinners and wooing her, I would watch over the house and farm while keeping Clark out of trouble, provided he let me know before hand.
Clark had just turned sixteen and he was a bit of an introvert like myself most days so it wouldn't be hard. Dad grumbled a bit until he saw mom smiling a bit away and agreed. Chuckling I closed the tailgate and we drove home or as close to it as we could get before stopping at the scene of an incident.
Whitney has crashed his dad's truck and was trapped inside, unconscious. Clark pulled him out while I flipped the truck back over and repaired it at superhuman speeds. When I stopped, leaving it still partially damaged, I told them. "This was no accident. Someone attacked the truck. The roof has scratch marks and dents as if someone was punching at it with brute super human strength. Whoever they were, they're strong for a human."
Dad nodded and phoned for an ambulance while I pushed the truck off the side of the road and mad it look like it was crashed again. That night Clark and dad were attacked in the barn and I interfered, knocking Greg out cold after he hit me.
I'd mimicked his strength, instincts and brushed it all off as he was still bottom of the food chain stuff in the end. The police came and took him away while that whole last incident was avoided turning into something worse.
Last I heard he was being put in Belle Reve, a psychiatric institute for gifted individuals or would soon to come to specialize in them anyways. Three weeks later the next incident occurred when Clark, under the coach's pressure disobeyed dad and joined the football team.
They argued like cats and dogs while I stayed out of it. When dad asked for backup I told him. "If Clark thinks he can handle it, why not let him have his fun? I'll be there keeping an eye on him in case something happens."
I turned to Clark who looked smug. "You're acting like a child right now. This isn't about winning or showing off so don't be smug. You're taking a big risk and you could severely hurt someone. I'll be there to make sure it doesn't happen as well."
Dad looked smug now and I shook my head. "In the end it's up to Clark on whether or not to take that risk. We can only protect him so much even from his own decisions."
I slugged Clark's arm. "Don't be a show off out there. One false move and it's not just the hospital you could send those guys to, it's the morgue."
He paled and nodded and I sighed. "Now that that's settled, I've soul to till and I'm not gonna play referee between you two for the rest of the day."
I went back to my chores and they broke up the argument. A couple days later the coach started showing pyro-telekinetic abilities and I confronted him when he burnt a kid's arm. He tried burning mine and I mimicked his powers as well before breaking his jaw.
The jock lost his marbles and I called the police. I told them I saw him hurting the jock and he showed them the burned hand print while Chloe showed them a photo of the coach's abilities I'd taken the night before. The cops took it from there and took the unconscious coach away to have his jaw wired up and have him arrested.
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