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“Every day, I’m getting a little weaker…and, it’s gonna continue like that…until one day, I…won’t have any powers…at all.”
Tears began falling down both of the boys’ faces as their hearts sank into their stomachs.
“You guys okay?” Lois asked softly, looking at both of her babies with concern.
Jon’s eyes continued to well up…but knowing he needed to be strong and brave for his dad, he just gave a quick nod.
Jordan, on the other hand, immediately broke down. His breath became labored as he choked out sob after sob.
“I’m sorry, Jordan,” Clark said sincerely, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder.
Jordan looked straight into his dad’s eyes…until the overwhelming grief became too much to bare. Suddenly, he stood up and walked toward the island. He tightly gripped the corners of the wooden countertop.
“It was supposed to work,” he said, looking down and trying to sniff back the tears.
“Sweetie, we knew there was a possibility it wouldn’t,” Lois said, looking over at him.
“But it did!” Jordan shouted, turning back to his dad. “You’re here! You came back!”
“Jordan, the only thing your grandfather wanted to give me was more time,” Clark said. “And he did.”
“You would’ve had a lot more if I didn’t mess up,” Jordan responded in that heartbreakingly defeated way his family had unfortunately come to know all too well.
Next thing they knew, though, Jordan had disappeared. Lois closed her eyes and exhaled. Clark continued to look where Jordan was standing just moments ago.
“Let me talk to him,” Jon said, wiping a tear off his face.
He walked over to his dad and gave him a tight hug from behind.
“I love you,” he said, before speeding out of the house, as well.
He didn’t have to use his enhanced hearing to know where exactly Jordan had flown off to. The one place on the planet he could truly be alone…if not for his caring, newly-powered twin brother, of course.
When Jon arrived at the Fortress, he saw Jordan sitting down and staring at the waves.
“Dad tells you he’s on borrowed time and your first thought is to get away from him?” Jon asked, still floating at the entrance.
Jordan didn’t even acknowledge him. Jon landed and began walking toward his brother.
“You know, I kind of miss the days when I could actually get away from you,” Jordan finally said.
“Yeah, well, I never had that luxury, so—” Jon responded, sitting down right next to Jordan.
“You were right,” Jordan finally spat out.
That regrettably didn’t surprise Jon to hear. It’s the reason he knew he needed to fly after him.
“And don’t say you weren’t,” he continued. “I needed to be a hero. And now Dad’s dying because I walked right into Luthor’s trap. Because I didn’t listen to you.”
“I think you’re forgetting that Dad was dead when you did that,” Jon said. “We’ll never know whether we would’ve been able to get his heart back or not. At least you…did something. Look, you want to blame anyone, blame Luthor. He’s the one who sent that monster after Dad. And Grandpa. The one who tried to have Mayor Lang killed. The one who hacked Nat and Mr. Irons’ suits. The one publicly slandering Mom on TV—”
“Okay, I get it,” Jordan interjected.
“The way I see it,” Jon continued, “all this means is we can’t waste time wallowing in our own self-pity. We need to take him down. Before he hurts anyone else.”
“Dude, Mom’s trying,” Jordan said, almost as if it was a reflex. Like he was conditioned to say that.
“I’m not talking about Mom,” Jon responded resolutely. “I’m talking about us.”
“What can we do?” Jordan asked dryly.
By the tone of his voice, Jon almost could’ve sworn it was a rhetorical question.
“‘What can we—'” Jon repeated, flabbergasted. “Dude, look at where we are!”
He turned his head toward the vast cavern of a glacier behind them and gestured into the open space.
“Look at what we can do,” he added softly, tapping Jordan on the arm. “I bet…I bet together, we’re unstoppable.”
“So, what, you want to fight Luthor?” Jordan scoffed.
“I want him to pay,” Jon replied, nodding. “For all the harm he’s caused our family. Our friends. He needs to be stopped. Now.”
“And what about Dad?” Jordan asked, turning his head toward his brother.
“Hey, Mom fought her cancer,” Jon responded. “And against all odds, she won. I’m not giving up on Dad, either.”
“Bro, cancer is something you can beat,” Jordan said, shaking his head. “I don’t think Dad can beat this. I mean…we put a human heart in a Kryptonian chest. I’m sure it’s like transplanting any mismatched organ. His body’s rejecting it because it isn’t compatible. We were stupid to think it’d ever work.”
“Except it does,” Jon uttered, staring out into the ocean.
“What?” Jordan asked.
“It does match,” Jon said, turning his head toward his brother. “Human and Kryptonian DNA. It’s compatible. I mean, we’re living proof of that. Twice over.”
Jordan huffed out a laugh.
“Jon, I don’t think that’s the same thing,” he said.
“Isn’t it?” Jon asked, obviously believing his own bullshit. “Dude, when we were born, we defied all odds. We are proof that two planets…lightyears away from each other…can come together to form something greater than the sum of their parts. So, I don’t know about you, but as long as I’m breathing, I’m not giving up hope. Dad wouldn’t want us to. What do you say?”
“I say you’re delusional,” Jordan countered, “but…you may have a point.”
“Damn right, I do,” Jon stated, smiling.
Jon leaned back on his elbows and Jordan just shook his head and laughed.
“Long live the Superboys,” Jordan offered, holding out a fist for Jon to bump.
“I don’t care if there’s merch,” Jon responded, dead serious. “We’re not calling ourselves that.”