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OTC 58.6
Discuss your relationship with the person in your life who has had the greatest impact on who you've become. (Formerly 57.2) Superman is an NPC.
Superman wanted to see Kon. That was never a good thing.
It wasn't that Kon was scared of Superman. That was stupid. Superman was everything that was good and he would never, ever (intentionally) hurt Kon. And Superman would (probably) not hate Kon no matter how much Kon screwed up. Hell, he hadn't hated him after the Luthor DNA thing came to light, and Kon couldn't really do worse than he'd done there. Superman (probably) wouldn't even really get mad. Kon couldn't think of anything bad he'd done lately, but that could be worse. Kal could be disappointed.
Kal almost never got angry at Kon, but he got disappointed way too often. Seemed like Kon couldn't so much as get a kitten from a tree without doing something wrong. And Kal would explain what it was in that thoughtful, caring, well-meaning way that made Kon feel fifty times as guilty as he would if Kal just yelled at him like a normal parent. Not that Kal was Kon's parent.
So when Kal phoned ahead all formally and asked Kon to come meet him in Metropolis, Kon knew something was up, and it would probably be bad. He spent about ten minutes ranting to Bart about how Kal was just trying to ruin his life like always until Bart pointed out quite calmly that shouldn't Kon be going now? So Kon grumbled, pulled on his jacket, and flew out to Metropolis.
He hoped Kal wasn't too disappointed. Kon had been trying, he really had. He wanted to do the right thing, he always did, but he wasn't Kal, it wasn't obvious for him, and he screwed up so much.
They met on the roof of the Daily Planet. Kal looked up at him as he landed.
"Conner, thanks for coming. We need to talk."
Kon gave him a shaky smile. "You know me. Always good for talking!"
Kal spared him a smile, then continued. "I know it hasn't been easy for you, coming back to life and all."
Kon shrugged. "It's been okay." There was a but coming. He just knew it.
"I mean, I've been there. You remember, of course."
"Yeah." If Kal hadn't died, Kon wouldn't exist. If he hadn't come back, Kon would be Superman.
"So, I know what it's like. And I just wanted to say…"
Here it comes. I understand it's been hard for you, but…
"I'm proud of you."
Any minute now…
"You've been doing a really good job."
Kon frowned a little. It didn't sound like criticism. "What?"
Kal smiled at him. "At everything. I'm proud of you, Conner. You've been doing a lot of good in Hawaii and everywhere."
Kon blinked. "I—thanks."
"And I have to ask a favor."
Kon looked up. "Sure, anything." It was pretty much true. He might resent Kal sometimes, but he was Superman. He'd never ask for a favor from Kon if it wasn't something important, and Kon would never say no. Disappointing Superman was sort of like kicking a puppy, if the puppy had superstrength and heat vision and commanded the respect of the entire world and the JLA and most of the universe.
Kal started flying, motioning Kon to fly along. "Well, you know about New Krypton, of course."
"Yeah." Kon followed him. He wasn't sure exactly what New Krypton had to do with him. He was pretty sure they hated humans, and he was part human.
"I'm leaving." Kal looked over at him seriously. "I think they'll need guidance, and I can do that. But that means living on New Krypton and leaving Earth."
"Wait, what?" Kon burst out. "You can't leave! I mean, the city's attacked like, every five minutes! Who's gonna protect—"
"I was hoping you would," Kal said.
Kon was so surprised, he stopped in midair. "What?"
"I know it's a lot to ask." Kal turned and faced him. "You love Hawaii, and you've got a house, and Bart, and I know you probably don't want to just move on a whim, but if you could, I'd really appreciate it."
"I just—me? You'd trust me with your city?" Kon said dumbly.
Kal put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I can't think of anyone I'd trust more. I'm asking Mon-El to help out too, but he'll need your guidance."
"I… wow. Yeah, of course I'll do it." Kon smiled a little and looked up at Kal. "You really trust me?"
"I do." Kal smiled. "And I'm sure you'll enjoy living closer to Tim and Cissie."
"Heh." Of course Kal knew about that. He could hear everything. "Thanks. I won't let you down." Kon hoped.
"I know. Do you need any help moving?"
"Huh? No, I don't think so. Um, where do I stay?"
"You can share Mon-El's apartment for now. And I've talked to Oracle. You're enrolled in Metropolis University starting this fall. So you'll have a dorm room."
"What?" Kon looked down. "You shouldn't've done that. I applied and they said no."
Kal shook his head. "Your situation is unusual. You haven't had a usual childhood or schooling experience. But you are smart and capable and if you could put half the things you've done on your resume any school would beg to have you." He smiled a little and quirked an eyebrow. "Superheroes have it tough a lot of the time. Believe me, I know. But for once you can have things go your way."
Kon frowned. "But isn't it lying?"
"You don't have to accept it."
"No, I—I'm just surprised." Kon smiled hesitantly. "I—thank you, Kal. This is great."
"You're very welcome. I have to go now. I want to say goodbye to Lois."
"Heh." Awkward. Kon grinned. "You have fun. I'll just go move in."
It wasn't until Kon was halfway back to Hawaii that it hit him.
Holy shit, Superman trusted him.
He'd better not fail.
Superman wanted to see Kon. That was never a good thing.
It wasn't that Kon was scared of Superman. That was stupid. Superman was everything that was good and he would never, ever (intentionally) hurt Kon. And Superman would (probably) not hate Kon no matter how much Kon screwed up. Hell, he hadn't hated him after the Luthor DNA thing came to light, and Kon couldn't really do worse than he'd done there. Superman (probably) wouldn't even really get mad. Kon couldn't think of anything bad he'd done lately, but that could be worse. Kal could be disappointed.
Kal almost never got angry at Kon, but he got disappointed way too often. Seemed like Kon couldn't so much as get a kitten from a tree without doing something wrong. And Kal would explain what it was in that thoughtful, caring, well-meaning way that made Kon feel fifty times as guilty as he would if Kal just yelled at him like a normal parent. Not that Kal was Kon's parent.
So when Kal phoned ahead all formally and asked Kon to come meet him in Metropolis, Kon knew something was up, and it would probably be bad. He spent about ten minutes ranting to Bart about how Kal was just trying to ruin his life like always until Bart pointed out quite calmly that shouldn't Kon be going now? So Kon grumbled, pulled on his jacket, and flew out to Metropolis.
He hoped Kal wasn't too disappointed. Kon had been trying, he really had. He wanted to do the right thing, he always did, but he wasn't Kal, it wasn't obvious for him, and he screwed up so much.
They met on the roof of the Daily Planet. Kal looked up at him as he landed.
"Conner, thanks for coming. We need to talk."
Kon gave him a shaky smile. "You know me. Always good for talking!"
Kal spared him a smile, then continued. "I know it hasn't been easy for you, coming back to life and all."
Kon shrugged. "It's been okay." There was a but coming. He just knew it.
"I mean, I've been there. You remember, of course."
"Yeah." If Kal hadn't died, Kon wouldn't exist. If he hadn't come back, Kon would be Superman.
"So, I know what it's like. And I just wanted to say…"
Here it comes. I understand it's been hard for you, but…
"I'm proud of you."
Any minute now…
"You've been doing a really good job."
Kon frowned a little. It didn't sound like criticism. "What?"
Kal smiled at him. "At everything. I'm proud of you, Conner. You've been doing a lot of good in Hawaii and everywhere."
Kon blinked. "I—thanks."
"And I have to ask a favor."
Kon looked up. "Sure, anything." It was pretty much true. He might resent Kal sometimes, but he was Superman. He'd never ask for a favor from Kon if it wasn't something important, and Kon would never say no. Disappointing Superman was sort of like kicking a puppy, if the puppy had superstrength and heat vision and commanded the respect of the entire world and the JLA and most of the universe.
Kal started flying, motioning Kon to fly along. "Well, you know about New Krypton, of course."
"Yeah." Kon followed him. He wasn't sure exactly what New Krypton had to do with him. He was pretty sure they hated humans, and he was part human.
"I'm leaving." Kal looked over at him seriously. "I think they'll need guidance, and I can do that. But that means living on New Krypton and leaving Earth."
"Wait, what?" Kon burst out. "You can't leave! I mean, the city's attacked like, every five minutes! Who's gonna protect—"
"I was hoping you would," Kal said.
Kon was so surprised, he stopped in midair. "What?"
"I know it's a lot to ask." Kal turned and faced him. "You love Hawaii, and you've got a house, and Bart, and I know you probably don't want to just move on a whim, but if you could, I'd really appreciate it."
"I just—me? You'd trust me with your city?" Kon said dumbly.
Kal put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I can't think of anyone I'd trust more. I'm asking Mon-El to help out too, but he'll need your guidance."
"I… wow. Yeah, of course I'll do it." Kon smiled a little and looked up at Kal. "You really trust me?"
"I do." Kal smiled. "And I'm sure you'll enjoy living closer to Tim and Cissie."
"Heh." Of course Kal knew about that. He could hear everything. "Thanks. I won't let you down." Kon hoped.
"I know. Do you need any help moving?"
"Huh? No, I don't think so. Um, where do I stay?"
"You can share Mon-El's apartment for now. And I've talked to Oracle. You're enrolled in Metropolis University starting this fall. So you'll have a dorm room."
"What?" Kon looked down. "You shouldn't've done that. I applied and they said no."
Kal shook his head. "Your situation is unusual. You haven't had a usual childhood or schooling experience. But you are smart and capable and if you could put half the things you've done on your resume any school would beg to have you." He smiled a little and quirked an eyebrow. "Superheroes have it tough a lot of the time. Believe me, I know. But for once you can have things go your way."
Kon frowned. "But isn't it lying?"
"You don't have to accept it."
"No, I—I'm just surprised." Kon smiled hesitantly. "I—thank you, Kal. This is great."
"You're very welcome. I have to go now. I want to say goodbye to Lois."
"Heh." Awkward. Kon grinned. "You have fun. I'll just go move in."
It wasn't until Kon was halfway back to Hawaii that it hit him.
Holy shit, Superman trusted him.
He'd better not fail.
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