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“Thank god we managed to escape.”
Sarah let out a sigh of relief as they burst out into the dark October air.
It was getting late and, even though Jordan had been having more fun than he’d expected that night, he agreed with the sentiment. He’d come a long way since moving here, but large parties could still wear him down after a while. He was never going to be as effortlessly sociable as his brother and he was learning to just accept that.
There was nothing wrong with needing a break. Especially with his girlfriend at his side.
The introverted tendencies were something that they both had in common and it had taken a lot of convincing to get Sarah to agree to this night at all. Her parents had both envisioned a large quinceañera to mark her fifteenth birthday but the girl had been very reluctant. She wasn’t someone who liked being the centre of attention, nor was she a person who gravitated towards frilly ball gowns and sparkles.
He hadn’t known much about the tradition himself but when she’d shown him a video of her cousin’s celebration from a few years ago his mouth had fallen open in surprise.
There was no way in hell he could picture her happily partaking in all of that pomp and circumstance (and, more selfishly, the thought of escorting her through it was pretty damn nerve racking as well).
But, after weeks of debate, the Cushings had arrived at a compromise.
The event went ahead, but with fewer guests, a smaller venue, and a toned down ceremony. Sarah had argued that they could still mark an important cultural tradition without turning the evening into some over the top pseudo wedding.
Lana had still insisted that they make it quite formal, though. Which was why it was being held at rather fancy restaurant just outside town, and why Sarah was currently wearing a flowing cream-coloured dress with an eye-catching glimmer.
He knew she didn’t love the outfit but the flush on his cheeks when he had first caught sight of her that evening had given his thoughts away. As he’d told her before pulling her in for a deep kiss, she did look absolutely stunning.
The way the moonlight was currently shining made her all the more striking. She seemed to glow with an other worldly perfection that he couldn’t quite describe.
As he took a seat on the bench behind the restaurant, shifting uncomfortably in the formal suit he’d forced himself into, he couldn’t help but wonder what she saw in an awkward outsider like him.
He didn’t know how he had gotten so lucky.
That awe, and the fact that he would do literally anything for her, had made the night much easier so far. He’d escorted her into the room and even slow danced as others looked on.
Two years ago, he never would have envisioned such a scene and yet here he was— dressed to the nines and dancing with the girl he’d been enthralled with since the age of seven.
Frankly, there was a lot he couldn’t have foreseen back then. And it made his head spin to dwell on it. Part of him wished that the lonely, anxious kid who had spent as much time as possible hidden in his room could see him now.
He smiled as Sarah leaned her head against his shoulder and let out another long breath.
“It has actually been pretty fun,” he commented, his arm snaking around her waist as she nestled in. He didn’t want to be ‘that guy’ but he did often find himself taking on a protective stance. Especially after everything they’d been through last spring.
Sarah was tough, and could totally take care of herself. But he did like knowing that he could take on almost anything for her, if it ever came down to it.
There had to be an advantage to those surging powers, right? Protecting the people he loved seemed like the biggest one of all.
“But getting some air was a good call.”
She nodded against his shoulder.
“Mom and dad won’t let us stay outside for too long, we’ll go back in a bit,” she replied, not sounding too annoyed by that fact. “But yeah, it has been way better than expected. My family is behaving themselves,” she paused, “and I’m pretty sure you’ve impressed all of them with your shockingly impeccable Spanish.”
Jordan was thankful that the darkness masked the flush on his cheeks.
He hadn’t been thrilled last fall when he’d been stuck with AP Spanish on his schedule but, as it turned out, it had come in very handy. He shouldn’t have been as good at it as he was after only one year of classes, but his father had recently told him and Jon why they happened to be so good at that sort of thing.
It wasn’t a power per se, but (apparently) Kryptonian brains were just wired for things like languages and math. Everything he heard just seemed to stick.
His father could speak every language on earth. And Jordan was pretty sure that he could manage that impressive feat too if he put in a little effort.
It was weird and somewhat unsettling, but he tried not to overthink it.
It was useful— especially when trying to impress your girlfriend’s extended Mexican family.
Her Abuelo had nearly erupted with delight when Jordan had introduced himself in perfectly spoken Spanish— and even though he tried not to eves-drop he’d heard a few great-aunts and uncles telling Kyle Cushing that his daughter had chosen a wonderful young man.
Secretly, he hoped the whole thing would help convince Sarah’s dad that he was alright. The man didn’t hate him, but he’d never been particularly warm either.
Jordan had a feeling that her father would have preferred to see her with a traditional small town jock type rather than Clark Kent’s somewhat awkward son. And that no one would ever be good enough for his daughter.
There probably wasn’t much he could do to change that, but every little bit helped.
“You should not be better at Spanish than me,” Sarah said playfully, tilting her head up towards him and offering a smile that made his heart skip. “It’s totally unfair that you managed to get that good in two semesters.”
His joy from the sight beside him was marred by the fact that she was sort of right.
He shouldn’t have been that good at it. And he wouldn’t have been if he was just human.
Like he pretended to be.
It had been fun partaking in some of the traditions attached to part of Sarah’s background that night. But it had made him think about his own cultural connections too.
He’d certainly never had a celebration like this. The Lane’s were old English-American stock and they just marked the ‘typical’ holidays in a ‘typical’ way. And the Kent family had been the same.
As he’d told Sarah before, he hadn’t grown up feeling connected to any other place.
Now, however, he knew that he did have something.
A very strange and unusual something.
And he was still trying to figure out how he felt about all of that.
The powers that were bubbling inside of him with increased intensity made his Kryptonian side impossible to ignore. According to a recent visit to his grandmother’s AI, he was now on track to inherit every one of his father’s traits. He’d put on a brave smile at the news, most for his father’s sake, but the discomfort had swelled inside.
It had truly started to seem like his human-ness was slipping away.
There was no choice but to embrace it, he supposed. He couldn’t stop what was apparently a natural biological process. And sure, having a lot on common with the world’s greatest hero wasn’t the worst fate.
Sometimes, it was definitely a struggle, though. The last several months had been about constant readjustment and control. And the sudden emergence of his brother’s own powers had only added to the family drama. Jon had been surprisingly angry about the whole thing and there had been countless tense arguments in the last while.
Plus, it didn’t help that (because of his insane uncle), Kryptonians weren’t exactly popular at the moment. Sure, Superman himself was still seen pretty favourably. But confessing to his own oddities was now more likely to bring fear than ever before.
Especially in Smallville, after everything that had gone on.
Jordan felt a frequent internal conflict between a curiosity about his roots, and the discomfort of knowing how terrifyingly different he was.
He couldn’t help but look down towards Sarah as he thought about her many possible reactions to the big revelation. He had to hold onto the hope that she would look past it and see the real him, when the time came. But he wouldn’t be totally surprised if she recoiled in fear and disgust.
He was definitely far from normal.
He drew a long breath, unable to ignore the cool tingle in his throat.
“Sorry. I just seem to have a knack for languages,” he replied, fairly truthfully. He cleared his throat, trying his best to push the more troubling aspects of all of that aside, “not gonna lie, though. I won’t complain about earning brownie points with your family.”
Sarah snorted in response.
“You definitely did,” she replied, glancing back towards the back door of the venue before placing a quick peck on his cheek.
He blushed again, revelling in the wonder of having her at his side. His life may have been complicated, but this was one place where he felt he would always fit.
“I’ll figure out a way to get my revenge,” the girl joked playfully, “are there any languages I can start learning for future family events?”
He knew she was just kidding but, for obvious reasons, the remark made his stomach twist.
There was one, of course. A language he’d been purposefully avoiding ever since Zeta-Rho had taken over his mind and forced the words from his lips. He could still remember snippets of it, and he hated that the experience had tainted something that should have been his. But it was what it was. Maybe one day he’d finally feel past all of that and be able to tackle that element of his own background.
Right now, it felt too soon.
And there was certainly no way he was going to tell Sarah about it.
“Nah, just boring old English,” he lied with a shrug.
She shot him an exaggerated scowl.
“I’ll figure out a way,” she replied stubbornly. “Mark my words.”
Jordan chuckled quietly, pulling her in closer as a slight breeze drifted past. He’d recently realized that he didn’t really feel the discomfort of temperatures anymore but he had felt her shiver.
He hoped his (un)natural warmth helped a bit. Though he knew they’d probably have to head back inside soon.
“My family already loves you, no effort necessary,” he offered, enjoying the sight of her small smile as he spoke.
That was undoubtedly true. His parents liked Sarah a lot, and liked that they knew her family. And Jon had become one of her closest friends too.
They were all inside now, also enjoying the festivities and taking their minds off things, for a change. It had been particularly good to see his brother chatting and laughing with people again.
Ever since he’d unexpectedly taken off across the farm at top speed, he’d been far moodier and more withdrawn than usual. After a year of adjusting to being ‘the human one,’ he suddenly wasn’t, and that shift wasn’t going well.
“Fine, I’ll admit that I’ve charmed your immediate family,” Sarah replied with a quick wink, “but I want to meet your extended family one day too. And you’ve proven tonight that having a few tricks up your sleeve can help.”
Jordan felt another churn inside.
“My family is small,” he replied, once again offering a partial truth.
He didn’t really have much extended family. And there were very few people he’d actually be able to introduce her to properly. There was his grandpa, who she’d already met. And Aunt Lucy who rarely came by and didn’t really get along with his mom. Kara would probably be game as well, when she was able to take a break from her own super duties.
But that was really it. Everything else was too weird and secretive. He had an inter-dimensional half-sister who he’d introduced to Sarah as a family friend. Plus an imprisoned Kryptonian uncle (who he wished he had no connection to), and a great Aunt and Uncle who currently lived in Argo City, the last fragment of his father’s home planet.
And the newly discovered AI of his Kryptonian grandmother probably counted too. But clearly, he wouldn’t be able to invite Lara Lor-Van to any sort of family gathering.
His actual grandparents had died decades ago, on a place that had been lost amongst the stars.
As he thought back to the busy restaurant, which was filled with close to thirty members of Sarah’s extended family (which was fewer than the fifty her father had originally wanted to invite), he realized how incredibly small his circle was in comparison.
It was fine, and he loved the close family he did have. Though it did seem to highlight just how isolated they happened to be.
That was par for the course, he supposed, when your father was technically an alien whose home planet had been destroyed. He’d never asked, but he suddenly found himself wondering if he’d once had more relatives.
And if there had been anything comparable to a quinceañera back there to mark the passage of time.
As one of only five people on earth with Kryptonian blood, it felt like something he should know.
Jordan silently burrowed that away for later.
Even without his super hearing, he could hear a lively tune starting up inside. He didn’t recognize it, but he knew enough about world music to know that it was a Mexican tune. He watched as Sarah straightened her body and let out an amused laugh.
“Sounds like my Abuelo has managed to charm the DJ into putting on his favourite album,” she remarked, shaking her head.
It definitely wasn’t their taste, nor any of their friends, but it did have a good beat. Jordan didn’t hate the thought of going inside, even if his sensitive ears would find the volume a bit much.
“¿Deberíamos volver a bailar?” he asked, grinning cheekily as he stood up and offered her his hand.
She gave another patented eye roll but accepted the help anyway.
A moment later, she was standing up and she gave him a light shove (that he remembered to pretend to feel).
“You know my Spanish is terrible,” she said with a small huff.
Jordan tried to give her his most charming smile and it seemed to work.
“I asked if we should go back in and dance,” he said, boldly wrapping his arm back around her and turning them towards the door.
It still felt surreal, standing there in the moonlight with this gorgeous, brilliant, funny girl who somehow seemed to enjoy his company too.
She smiled up at him and he smiled back.
“Sí,” she replied with a twinkle in her eye, using one of the words she did know with confidence. “Let’s head back in.”
Jordan opened the door and chivalrously held it for her as she walked past.
The party was still in full swing and the music flooded the room. He was actually (and uncharacteristically) excited to get back into it but he found himself taking one last look towards the night sky before allowing the door to slam shut.
No matter how much fun he had, or how content he felt, he knew that part of him would always wonder about a distant star.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Most onlookers would probably chalk it up to bad parenting, but Clark had given up on trying to get the boys to go to bed at a decent time nowadays.
Despite being at Sarah’s quinceañera celebration until nearly midnight last night, and getting up just after six that morning, neither of his sons seemed tired in the least.
Even though it was nearly one am.
On a Sunday.
Clark knew the science, and knew that most teenagers needed a solid night of sleep to excel.
But he also knew that his sons weren’t most teenagers. That had become glaringly apparent over the last year and a half.
He didn’t say it, especially since he knew how moody Jonathan had been about the topic since his powers had started setting in, but they were clearly both like him.
More so with each passing day.
He barely needed to sleep at all, and that seemed to mean that his half-Kryptonian children were totally fine with about three hours of rest.
Especially after a long day in the autumn sun.
He wasn’t shocked, then, to discover them both sitting in the living room scrolling on their phones as the news played quietly in the background.
As he walked around the corner, Jordan looked up and gave him a small smile.
“All good with that flood?” his son asked a man he casually nodded towards the TV.
They’d seen the late night news coverage of the recent events in Bangladesh, he realized. And neither of them really seemed to bat an eye at that sort of thing recently.
Though he did note that Jon wasn’t smiling in the same way that his brother was. His lips were pressed into a thin line as he continued to look down at his phone.
“Yeah, the villagers were all successfully evacuated,” Clark shared as he made the decision to join the boys in the room for a bit. “By the time I got everyone out there had been some pretty devastating property damage, though.”
He flopped down heavily onto the nearest chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose beneath his unnecessary glasses.
Obviously, he always put lives before property. But there were times when he wished he could do more. Those poor people had lost everything now. He was powerful, but he was only one person— he couldn’t always do it all.
“Take us with you next time,” Jordan said, only half jokingly. “We could speed people out of their homes while you super-breath the flood waters back.”
He immediately shot the boy a look that said “no way.”
Joining in was something Jordan had started talking about recently. And while he wasn’t fully serious at this point Clark could tell that his son was contemplating it with increased intensity. Frankly, it was becoming a more tangible idea now that Jordan’s powers had been growing at a rapid pace.
He hadn’t started developing them until he’d turned fourteen but now, apparently, he was on course to gain the full gambit of abilities at the same time Clark had. According to his mother, Jordan would nearly be his match by eighteen.
And now Jonathan was starting down his own path as well. The boy had gained two abilities in as many months (speed and x-Ray vision). Clark did sympathize with the sudden and rapid turn of events and he knew why his son was having a difficult time.
Lois assured him that Jon was going to be fine after a bit more time, but he couldn’t ignore the persistent guilt he felt.
Sometimes, he did wonder if things would have been easier if they’d known the truth sooner. It was a lot to process that shocking information while facing your own monumental changes.
There was nothing he could do about that now, however. The choice had been made and all he could do was help his boys cope with the difficulties that came with being Superman’s sons— and try to keep their lives as normal as possible.
“I’m not taking you guys along on rescues. You’re fifteen, and your only job right now should be school.”
He’d basically said the same thing before and Jordan didn’t look surprised in the least. He let out a dramatic sigh but Clark could tell he wasn’t actually upset.
“Once we can fly you want be able to stop us,” the teen pointed out victoriously.
Clark felt a flutter of anxiety but there wasn’t much he could say to that. Jordan had had a few bouts of sleep-hovering recently and his mother’s AI had declared that flight was on the horizon. Once the power fully set in, it would be hard to hold them him back if this was the life he truly wanted.
Clark silently hoped that they still had a long while, though. And he knew that they would have to have many serious discussions about what that choice truly entailed.
“Speak for yourself,” Jonathan muttered from his spot on the couch, his eyes narrowing but still fixed determinedly on the phone.
Jordan sighed and looked at his father pointedly, as if he wanted him to fight Jon on his ongoing denial. But Clark gave a slight shake of his head.
Pushing his son didn’t feel right. He deserved to take the time he needed to cope with things.
Clark knew how hard it could be to feel different. And to have your body change against your will. He wished that he hadn’t passed those particular burdens down.
When Clark didn’t pipe in, Jordan decided to continue.
“You’re my twin brother, Jon,” he pointed out, eliciting another scowl from his brother, “you’re as Kryptonian as I am.”
“Whatever, Superboy,” came the bitter retort.
The father took note of the growing tension in the room (these scenes had been all too common lately), but before he could start to diffuse things Jordan looked back towards him.
His expression didn’t look argumentative or annoyed, surprisingly. Instead, he suddenly looked intensely curious.
“Dad,” he started slowly, his eyes still locked on his father. “When we were at the quinceañera yesterday I started wondering…”
Clark nodded in response, wanting to know what was on his mind.
The teen continued.
“I know lots of cultures on earth have coming of age celebrations and stuff,” the boy paused and Clark was quite sure he now knew where this was going. Although he wanted to provide confident answers, he did feel that flutter of discomfort welling again. “Is there a Kryptonian thing like that? A special celebration at a certain age or something?”
The father certainly hadn’t been expecting that question when he’d entered the room but the thought had actually crossed his mind last night as well. He may not have grown up on Krypton, but his father’s AI had trained him well. This was a question he knew the answer to, and he found that he was actually a bit excited to share.
They hadn’t had nearly enough discussions about Kryptonian culture yet. Mostly due to his own feelings of hesitancy and guilt. He didn’t want to present them with too much too soon.
It was more important to him than he often let on, though. He cherished what he had learned from Jor-El, especially now that the version of the man he’d known was lost forever.
The knowledge he’d gained was a gift, and it was something he could pass on to his sons. And thankfully, it was far less painful and terrifying than burgeoning powers.
Still, he couldn’t help but glance towards Jonathan for a brief moment. The other boy was clearly listening closely while pretending not to care.
Hoping it wouldn’t be to much, Clark started his response.
“Yes, actually,” he said, nodding towards Jordan as his eyes once again flickered at Jon. “Krypton had something called a Day of Passage. It was a ceremony meant to mark the beginning of adulthood.”
“Did you do that?” Jordan asked quickly, his blue-green eyes growing wide.
Clark swallowed at the memory.
“Sort of,” he said, a sad smile crossing his lips. “When I first stayed at the fortress my father went through a version of the ceremony. I don’t quite know how similar it was to how it would have been on Krypton, but it was the best we could do in the circumstances.”
He could still remember it vividly and the thought did bring a swell of emotion inside of him.
Jor-El had recited the traditional passage of a Kryptonian text and declared that he was now a fully grown member of the House of El. Had they been back home, the man had explained, he would have been wearing his family crest and been presented to attendees as ‘Kal-El,’ rather than with the ‘son of Jor-El’ title typically used for formal occasions in childhood.
But in Clark’s case, that hadn’t happened. There had been no one else in that solitary place. And he hadn’t worn the family crest until he’d gone back to Kansas and adapted the suit his mother had made.
In a way, it had felt fitting. His passage had involved both Kryptonian and human family members.
As much as part of him had yearned for the place he had never known, he’d taken great comfort in the home he had.
“Do we get to do that?”
Clark could not hold back a soft chuckle at his son’s sudden enthusiasm.
The truth was, he hadn’t really considered it before. He was still getting used to the fact that his boys knew everything now, and the fact that they were more like him than anyone had ever thought.
He’d spent so much of their lives keeping things hidden that sharing things like this still felt surreal.
On the other hand, it warmed him to know that his son was (apparently) so keen. His sons had as much right to that culture as they did to the one here, and it was his job to keep those traditions alive.
“I suppose we could look into it,” Clark said thoughtfully.
Across the room Jonathan let out an annoyed scoff.
“I’m going to bed,” the other boy declared tersely, standing up from his spot. It was clear from both his tone and his body language that he wasn’t liking the current conversation.
Clark wasn’t surprised, but he had to hold back a worried sigh.
“Why?” Jordan asked, clearly in the mood to push his brother’s buttons. “We both know you’re not actually tired. Because, no matter how much you try to to deny it, you’re not normal.”
Jonathan instantly glared and Clark shot the other boy a pleading look.
“Jordan,” he said in a gentle but warning tone.
He did understand his other son’s frustration to some extent, but this didn’t seem like the answer. And he wasn’t about to let a fight break out— especially now that both boys could chase each other across the state in seconds if things got out of hand.
Thankfully, Jordan seemed to drop it after another quick roll of his eyes.
Ignoring that, Clark stood up and gave Jon a goodnight hug as he passed by. The boy didn’t reject it, but he was definitely tense and the father could hear how fast his heart was pounding.
The whole situation brought a relentless swirl of guilt and worry but he tried to keep up a reassuring facade as he wished his son goodnight.
It was strange, he mused as he listened to Jon’s feet patter heavily up the stairs, how much things had changed since coming here. The son who had always been so easygoing suddenly wasn’t, and the son who had once been a huge puzzle no longer was.
One thing that hadn’t changed, though, was the worry that he was constantly making mistakes as he navigated the winding path of parenthood.
As always, he wondered how Jonathan Kent Sr. had made things look so easy.
“How much longer are you going to let him live in denial, dad?” Jordan asked, breaking the man away from his thoughts.
He frowned, wondering the same thing himself as he tried to muster an appropriate reply.
“We both know how hard this can be, Jordan,” he pointed out, hoping to draw on his other son’s empathy. His expression did seem to soften. “He just needs time.”
“Fine, I guess,” the other teen muttered, glancing towards the spot where his brother had been sitting until a minute ago, “it’s just…it’s not always easy for me to accept either, but I’m trying hard, dad.”
The man nodded sympathetically. He appreciated the honesty, and the openness that now existed between them. Still, that guilt was hard to push aside.
This was his fault. He would never truly be able to escape that.
“And when he storms around the house talking about how much he hates this stuff it makes it harder,” Jordan paused again, letting out a long breath as his hands gripped the side of the couch, as if letting out some pent up tension, “maybe we both just need to learn more about this stuff. You know, to make it feel more normal to us or whatever. I’m starting to realize that I don’t actually know that much about Krypton, even though it’s clearly a huge part of who I am,” the boy shrugged and Clark felt a confusing pang of both regret and hope.
He was surprised and touched that Jordan now wanted to know more. And sorry that he hadn’t taken more initiative himself.
It was better late than never, he supposed.
“Maybe we really should do the Day of Passage thing,” his son continued thoughtfully. “Yeah, it’ll probably feel a bit weird and stuff— but maybe it’ll also feel right. We don’t know unless we try.”
It was a fair point, and Clark felt a slow smile tugging at his lips.
His boys’ insight and maturity definitely floored him sometimes. In moments like this, it really did feel like they were hurling towards adulthood.
“That particular ceremony wouldn’t traditionally take place until you’re eighteen,” Clark informed him.
Even then, he knew the day would arrive sooner than he was ready for. And that there was nothing he could do make time slow down.
As he sat in the dimly lit living room, he felt like he could almost see it.
His boys, grown and strong. A familiar symbol draped across their chests.
Yes, things were complicated and often difficult, but he could not deny how much he liked the thought of that.
Jordan had already looked so strikingly mature yesterday as he’d escorted Sarah through her own traditional rite of passage. He’d felt a proud tingle of emotion then, and he was feeling it again now.
Even more so, as he thought about the meaning behind a ceremony that was unique to them.
It struck him, as it often did, that he was not as alone as he had once feared.
“But I think you’ve raised a good point,” Clark continued, looking towards his son with a slight prickle in his eyes, “I need to do a better job of teaching you guys about all of these things. And, when the day comes, you are just as entitled to celebrate who you are in the same way that our people have for generations.”
Clark didn’t speak like this often, and it did feel strange to contemplate this next step.
But the sight of Jordan’s growing grin told him that it was right.
It was his job to lead them down this unique path.
In time, he knew that they would all find their way.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Three Years Later
xxxxxxxxxxxx
As a kid growing up in Metropolis, Jonathan Kent never could have imagined a scene like this.
His life back then had been about football and friends and girls— all that regular preteen stuff.
And yet, here he was.
It was a week after his eighteenth birthday and he was standing in a Kryptonian ice fortress, surrounded by all of the people he cared about most.
He’d been to the fortress many times now, and the place had helped both Kent twins understand and adapt to their rapidly emerging powers. Their development had been unpredictable and unsteady, but they’d both arrived at the same end point now.
Jonathan flying back in the spring had marked the end of their changes. They had reached both Kryptonian and human maturity now and it was finally time to celebrate in the way he’d first heard about (much to his former annoyance) at the age of fifteen.
He and his brother had arrived at their Day of Passage.
And the thought now filled him with both excitement and pride.
The feelings of anger and fear that had once swirled within him had faded over the years. Yeah, being so incredibly different had taken time to really process, but he had gotten there in the end. He’s knew who he was— and what he was— and he had managed to make his peace.
He didn’t feel the least bit self-conscious as he stood in the middle of the large chamber, looking around at those who had gathered to mark the day.
Usually, this was a place he and his father and brother went to alone but, today, his dad had made an exception.
Their mother was there too, of course. And Grandpa, for the very first time.
Natalie and John Henry stood with them, honorary family now. And Sarah, who Jordan had let in on the big secret last year, rounded out the human contingent. She had been excited to see the place too, and had joked that an secret ice palace in the Arctic was a far cooler venue than the Mexican restaurant where she’d hosted her own coming of age party a few years back.
Everyone in that group except his mother had been looking around in wide-eyed awe, clearly impressed with this feat of exotic technology.
The people on the other side of the chamber were less mesmerized, but no less pleased to be in attendance. Kara had come, of course. And her parents had even made the long journey from Argo City to mark the occasion.
Jon had met his great Aunt and Uncle a few times before but had been surprised by this particular visit. As Alura and Zor-El had pointed out, however, Jordan and Jonathan were the next generation of their house and this was not an occasion they wanted to sit out.
They looked on proudly as the boys stepped up in front of their father and grandmother.
Jon stood with confidence, exchanging a brief glance with his brother. The other young man was currently wearing a red shirt with a very recognizable S-crest that their relatives had brought with them from what remained of their home planet. Jon’s version was blue and he wondered if it suited him as well as Jordan’s clearly did.
It was definitely strange, wearing something like this for the first time. He obviously couldn’t do so in public (though serious discussions about how they might gradually enter the family business had now begun)— but it felt right.
This was part of who he was and who he would always be.
That was a truth he had come to accept and he smiled as his father met his gaze.
Unsurprisingly, the emotion was visible on his dad’s face. He may have been one of the strongest beings on the planet but, when it came to his sons, he was unabashedly sentimental.
This felt like a big day for them all.
And Jon liked how everything seemed to converge in a way that fit who he and his brother were.
Their human and Kryptonian families had gathered here— on earth, but in a place built using the technological prowess of their father’s people.
They had been born the children of two worlds— the result of an epic love that had crossed the stars. And now, they were about to start a new chapter.
They were becoming young men, comfortable with their unique place in between and ready to protect their home with gifts that came from afar.
It hadn’t always been easy but, in retrospect, Jon knew that he wouldn’t change a thing.
“Step forward, sons of Kal-El,” his grandmother’s voice rang through the cavern and he felt a sudden rush of anticipation.
Their time had come.
“On this momentous day, in the light of this yellow star, it is time to take your rightful places within the House of El…”