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‘Useless! Failure! You'll never be like him!’
Konner Kent’s chest tightened as he tried reaching out toward the darkness around him. His breathing grew erratic with every movement he made.
‘Gotta get out of here…gotta escape!’ His legs felt like sandbags tied them down. Each got progressively heavier and heavier with each step he took. ‘The voices…’
‘Lonely caged brat! Utter failure!’
Kon crashed into a wall and rubbed his cheek as he slowly reoriented himself. His hand brushed passed the supposed “wall” and felt the familiar texture that was glass.
‘Oh no, not this again…’
Kon spun around and began running away, only to crash into another glass wall. He punched the wall, but his fist rebounded, causing the glass to vibrate around him. He banged the wall again, but with each punch, the ringing grew louder and harsher against his ears.
‘No, no no…’
Kon felt something brush past his cheek as lights flickered on around him. His heart immediately sank as he realized where he was. Bubbles rose around him, brushing past his body, popping when they reached the top. The teen heard voices coming towards him that grew louder and louder with every second.
‘No…’ Kon covered his ears, but he could clearly hear the scientist talking about him. ‘No, I don’t want to hear them!’ No matter how hard he shut his eyes, he could feel the gaze of the observers, marking down every impurity, and flaw that they could find. Kon remembers it as clear as day. Always getting graded, and pushed to perfection no matter how hard he tried.
Kon’s eyes opened again and he could fully see the scientist staring at him. Some looked rather sad watching the teen through the glass. Others looked, fearful of him. Kon was a byproduct of Lex Luthor and Superman; that kind of power would make nearly anyway uncomfortable.
‘Begin testing him, he must be ready and perfect by the time the conference happens…Lex demands it!’
“No-” Kon cried out. He remembered how harsh those tests were, he hated them; he hated how he didn’t know what was going on, he hated every push, and shove he was forced to do to appease them all. He hated being stuck on this one-way track with no way to go but down.
“I won’t go!” Kon punched the glass, causing it to shatter into a million shards. He fell through the bottom, feeling the weightlessness overtake him as he descended.
He drifted into the emptiness of the void, shutting his eyes as the darkness slowly overtook him.
‘Kon?’
‘Kon!?’
‘Konner!’
Three beams of light broke through the darkness, filling the teen’s body with a warm glow. It felt comforting to him and somewhat familiar. Like he’s experienced this warmth many times over.
Konner quickly sat up from his resting spot, breathing heavily as sweat dripped from his brow. “Where-”
“KON!” The teen felt a pair of small hands hug him tightly. Kon looked down and spotted Jon embracing him.
“Jon?” Kon blinked while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Where, what happened?”
Jon quickly pulled away, his eyes red and puffy from crying. He rubbed his face and sniffled at his brother, and took a deep breath. “Well, you said you were going to take a quick nap after helping the farm. But then I heard you crying and screaming and I got so worried about you! Are you okay?”
Kon blinked and pushed out a laugh before giving his brother a big hug. “I’m sorry, Jonno, I’m okay; I just had a bad dream that’s all.”
“A bad dream?”
Kon nodded at Jon who rubbed his eyes.
“Oh, I know what can fix that! Be right back!”
Kon watched Jon run off into their home, smiling a bit to himself as he stared up at the sun.
“That dream…that wasn’t a dream, that was a nightmare…” Kon sighed and froze as he heard helicopters and cars racing toward his location. “What the?”
Kon stood up and watched as a helicopter circled above him; kicking up sand and dirt in the air. The teen glared as a limo drove over the fence, tearing up the grass as it stopped next to Konner. The teen clutched his fist and gritted his teeth as a figure stepped out of the limo.
“So,” the bald figure scoffed. “This is where you’re staying now, boy?”
“Don’t call me that, Lex!” Konner yelled, “I got by Konner now. ”
“Konner?” Lex laughed, “What is that some sort of pet name people gave you?”
“No, it’s not just a name! It’s important to me. What are you doing here anyway?”
“Me, well I’m here to take you back.”
“Back?” Kon took a step back as he stared at his “creator”. Why does he want him back? He remembers Lex casting him aside after multiple failures, so why now?
“Yes, back, Lex Corp needs its Superman after all.”
“Haven’t you forgotten, Lex? I’m not Superman!”
“Ah, but you could be again! Don’t you miss the glamorous life? All the glitz and fame at your fingertips? Certainly better than this horrid place.”
“How’d you even find me in the first place?” The teen shouted as Lex stepped over the wooden fence.
“It’s so easy what you can do with money, boy. Now, will you accept my offer?”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then whoever lives here dies. I know people live here, this home is too big for one single person, let alone a failure of a clone to live here.”
Kon froze at Lex’s threat. He can’t let him get to Clark, Lois, and Jon…He can’t let that happen. Kon bit his lip and sank his head. He has to protect them, and if it means giving up the life he enjoyed, then so be it.
“Okay, Lex, I’ll-”
Suddenly a loud BOOM struck the pair, causing dust to fly into the air, separating the two. Kon covered his face as he spotted a caped figure standing in front of him.
‘Clark?’
“Superman?” Lex stood back as the caped figure glared at him. “What are you of all people doing here?”
“I’m protecting my son from the likes of you!”
“Your son?”
‘Your son?’ Kon thought as Superman nodded.
“Yes, this boy is my son!” Kon felt a hand on his shoulder as Clark pulled him in. “You so much as lay a finger on him, so help me.”
Lex stared back at Superman and then Konner and adjusted his tie. “I see, now this makes things interesting…how adorable that a clone gets adopted by the very person he was created from. How poetic.”
“He’s not a clone, Lex!” Superman shouted in anger, “He’s a part of my family, and you’re not taking him away from us.”
“Us?” Lex raised a brow as he felt a familiar piercing gaze from behind him. He turned around and spotted Lois Lane, glaring at him with her deep purple eyes. “Oh, Lois, it’s so nice-”
SLAP!
Lois pulled her hand away and pointed to Lex’s chest. “You stay away from our son, you get off of our property right now, or you’re going to get more than a slap.”
“How dare you raise a hand against me!”
“Listen, Lex; I know what horrors you put my son through, and I am willing to pay them back in full if you plan on staying here!”
Lois and Clark stood in front of Konner, who looked back and forth between Lex and them.
Lex rubbed his cheek and shook his head. “Fine, I’ll leave, but mark my words, this won’t be the last you’ll see of me.”
“Fine by me.” Clark huffed. “You so much as lay a finger on my family, I’ll be sure to throw you in jail faster than Flash.”
“Hmmph.” Lex went back inside his car and drove off, leaving behind the Kent’s home.
Kon looked down at the ground and stared at Clark. “Thanks- Cl-”
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay, Kon!” Lois hugged the teen and pressed her cheek against his. “Jon told us that he saw the cars and helicopters and called us here.”
“You guys, flew here?”
“Well, I flew us here.” Clark laughed as he placed a hand on Kon’s shoulder. “Are you okay, son?”
“I…uh, yeah…you guys called me son.” Konner blushed a bit as he kicked the ground.
“Well, of course? You are our son just like how Jon is our son and is your younger brother.” Clark smiled and embraced the teen in a tight hug. “You’re family to us, and this is your home.”
“I…” Tears fell from Konner’s face as he hugged his Dad. This familiar warmth from before filled his entire body. “Thanks, Dad, Thanks Mom.”
“Don’t forget me!” Jon popped up from behind Konner and held up something to his brother. “I have just the thing to help you feel better Kon: a fudgiscle! Your favorite!”
“Aren’t those your favorite, Jon?” Lois teased.
“Yeah, but if I like them, anyone would, right?”
“Kid’s got a point, dear.” Clark laughed.
Kon smiled at his family's bright smiles and hugged Jon as he took the ice cream. “Thanks, everyone…thank you for being home.”