#and oh my god what if it was Krypton

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 121

There have been tales throughout time of it, in many forms and in many places. Some would even argue that it’s about different things, mere coincidence lest legends be really true. Of beasts and guardians and creatures of great destruction all wrapped in one. 

Some tales have long since been forgotten, left to dreams and dust  until they were merely stories. Insatiable monsters trapped in legends told at night, and guardian spirits lost to the sounds of day. The being whose body formed the land they stood upon, whose blood powered everything around them as they turned their prayer to false gods that would not save them. 

They abandoned their dead and ways of old, turning towards false light and fear of shadows growing. They pray to false idols while damning those who warn them in the same breath, denial dancing on their tongues while they know the truth all the same. 

Their pride and hubris dances amidst their veins, fear an alien feeling as they ignored the warning signs, so certain in their own power and creations. 

And yet, the rocks still shift, something great, something Ancient awakening. Metal collapses with dying screams, great swaths of earth crumbling as it shifts, scales that had not seen sun for uncountable eons revealed as the land devoured itself. 

The ground opens in wounds of green, revealing what had once been sleeping, as large as the world itself. Death giving way to life in a cocoon, an egg, the lives of many given to give birth to one entity, a being caught between, given life amidst the stars. 

[frownyalfred]

hc that Kryptonian names are kind of like true names so even though Clark grew up never hearing Kal-El until he was an adult, the second someone uses it on him he twitches and instinctively leans in a little. over time, the response gets easier to ignore, but there’s still times when Bruce (or someone else?) uses it and it just kind of. snaps his attention back over to them, Clark falling away from Kal as instinct fires at the back of his mind, hey that’s my name, why are you using it?

[taming-bats]

wait....

Does anyone else know about the destruction of Krypton? Does Clark ever tell? Is it discovered? Does he even know?

Does he hold the greiveing of an entire planet on his shoulders? As Well as the need to keep this planet safe and together and a home to him? Ohhhh my god. Ohhh my god

Does he keep it like a secret? A whole planet, nestled close to his heart so no one else can look at it, no one else can question it or taint it. Kal-El of Krypton. He is of Krypton as much as Krypton is his. His. An entire civilization living on with one man. God damn. Traditions he'll never know, a culture he never got to grow up with. Ohh my god

[ovenproofowl]

Can we talk about this for a moment? Because this scene hit for me on such a poignent level.

We've seen so many versions of Superman's origin story be it in the form of comics, cartoons or live action and nearly every one of them involves a flashback to baby Kal-El being shipped off in a pod moments before Krypton's destruction. But, in this show, Clark never learns who Jor-El really is. He doesn't know his parents were trying to save him, hell, he thinks his whole species are a bunch of monsters who were trying to invade Earth.

And then this scene comes along and it's just executed in a such a *chef's kiss* manner. Jor-El saves Clark from the ship's explosion, probably mirroring exactly what happened to him when he was a baby. That Kal-El. My Son. Live. really feels like it carries an echo of the same words spoken to him before he was sent away from Krypton.

Clark doesn't know any of this, he doesn't know what he is or where he came from, and instead of showing that to us in a flashback from his past, we instead get to watch as Clark re-experiences what it would have felt like to be sent away for his own protection. To be shot out in an escape pod moments before an explosion that would have otherwise killed him. Of having his father sacrafice himself yet again to keep his son safe.

It's reinventing the past through the present. It's telling us the same story, delivering the same heartbreak, just in a different packaging this time around. And the show pulls it off flawlessly.

Oh my god I'm not okay.

[suzukiblu]

the last son of Krypton meets Hypertime Kon, please!

“‘Superboy’?” Hal repeats incredulously as Dinah blinks a few times, cocking her head. 

“Huh,” she says. 

“Oh my god, tiny fun-sized Kal. Tiny fun-sized Kal who has a pierced ear and a fade,” Hal marvels, putting a hand over his mouth. “I don’t know how I feel about this. I don’t know how to feel about this. I need to call Flash. Immediately.” 

“Well, I’m definitely not surprised there’s a reality where you put the ‘S’ on a little earlier,” Dinah says, sparing Clark an amused look. 

“Uh,” Kon says, looking uncomfortable and shifting in place as he glances over to Clark again, very clearly looking for what to do, and Clark feels a warm burst of affection and a sort of . . . ache, almost, somewhere in his heart.

[how-very-superbat]

Lengthy Superbat Fics!

I'm not sure how to really define 'lengthy' so I'm going for 20k+ (and Superman x Batman of course)

I just looked at how many I have and oh my god this is going to be very long. I will put a *** next to my favourites

From This Day Forward by Mithen (29k) When Kal-El of the House of El must marry a wealthy Terran for diplomatic reasons, Krypton will never be the same.

Action and Re-Action by Mithen (24k) In the first issue of Justice League after the reboot, Batman told Green Lantern he had never met Superman before. This story takes that statement at face value--but what if Bruce Wayne had met him before?

Stranger in a Strange Land by Mithen (27k) (Literally how does Mithen have time for all this) Kal-El of Krypton arrives on Earth as an adult. To the Justice League's surprise, Batman volunteers to introduce him to human ways. There's an immediate bond between the two men, but cultural differences and miscommunication complicate their relationship.

"Did you all have to get sick at the same time?" by Writer_loves_tropes (25k) Alfred is away on a well deserved vacation and Bruce is left to take care of the three Bat boys by himself. He's pretty sure he can easily take care of an eight year old, an eleven year old, and a twelve year old without having to call Alfred for backup. He's Batman. Batman can handle anything, right?

An Honest Conversation by frozenpotions (60k)*** “So Bruce’s longtime best friend had suddenly decided to start eye-fucking him at random. So what? Bruce was used to being the object of this kind of attention. It didn’t bother him. It was—should have been fine. The issue was that it was Clark, and Bruce had enough trouble remaining rational about him at the best of times.” or Bruce and Clark go from friends to lovers the long, long, long way round. Featuring a number of revelations, a well-meaning but nosy son (Dick) and, most prominently, two adult men being completely and utterly useless.

as to which may be the true by susiecarter (53k) It isn't difficult to go on in the wake of Superman's death. His resurrection, though, poses a problem—especially when it turns out there's no such thing as the right moment to explain that Martha Kent's obnoxious billionaire friend? Is also the man who tried really hard to shove a kryptonite spear through Clark's face.

all each riddles, when unknown by susiecarter (52k) Clark, struggling to deal with the events of Black Zero Day, is assigned a straightforward human-interest piece—on Wayne Enterprises. Then Batman catches Superman's attention, Clark Kent starts investigating Batman, Bruce Wayne spends a lot of time arguing with hitting on Clark Kent, and Bruce's best efforts to find a way to hurt Superman start to bear fruit. And then things get complicated.

and if the sun comes by susiecarter (30k) Steppenwolf isn't interested in accepting defeat and walking away. Superman's proven that he's the key to conquering Earth, and Steppenwolf returns with a plan for how to deal with him. A plan that Bruce is able to throw a wrench into—but not without certain unintended consequences.

Only Human by saltedpin (23k) Clark temporarily loses his powers, and while it's initially jarring, he gradually adjusts and tries to go about on a somewhat normal routine after telling his inner circle (which can also include the League since they're building themselves up). Problem is that he is somehow an even bigger danger magnet than Lois in this state.

Loading and Aspect Ratio byJUBE154 (45k) It had started out as a simple design, black everything with black outlines and black hood. It got a little more intense as the world went on, got wind of his ghost on the streets, and became scared of The Bat. So Bruce got a little more creative with it, Alfred and him had a good laugh over the name, the scare. So now the suit had a visible bat-theme, an insignia to drape in the shadows and to paint across the streets of Gotham: “The Batman can fly, you know, I’ve seen his wings.” (A world where nobody has wings, but people think they do, and that changes everything.)

Whoever Falls First by liodain (34k) "There's more kryptonite out there. When the Superman returns, there's going to be an all-star battle royale in the criminal underworld. Every megalomaniacal freak will want a piece of it so they can get a piece of you. And some of them will manage. They'll weaponize it and won't hesitate to use it against you, and when that happens I will not have you flailing around like an idiot." aka: Bruce teaches Clark how to fight.

Repeat Your Favourite Mistakes And Love Them All Again by watchingthestars13 (160k)*** "Oh dear," came Alfred's surprised voice from the stairs, and all of them turned to look at him. His face was a little pale as he stared at all the boys, Jason's huge t-shirt, Tim's dress, Damian wrapped in a spare cape that was in the batmobile. At least Dick was able to fit into Tim's Red Robin pants, and Jason in Damian's Robin pants. Had Bruce been a lesser man, he would've said 'dear god, help'. All it took now was for their eyes to meet before Alfred composed himself.

Opposites Eventually Attract by Pandamomochan (34k) When an accident forces Clark and Bruce to be no more than ten feet apart from each other at all times, both heroes are forced to evaluate what their relationship really means to each other.

The Long Hangover by CoffioCake (55k)*** Clark knows he should take a break: His powers are on the fritz, he feels like shit, and Batman’s treating him like a liability. But Gotham's villains seem to have it in for Metropolis' Big Blue Boy Scout and Clark won't just wait around for answers. Batman might be the world’s greatest detective, but Clark Kent is one of the Daily Planet’s most tenacious reporters. This is definitely a job for Superman.

Conflated by PamiGami (31k) “Are you sure you’re feeling quite all right, sir? I was but fairly sure the head hadn't been impacted.” “No… no, please. Listen. I’m in his body, but I’m not him. I can prove it.” Ill at ease, Clark rubbed at the back of his head, not stopping to think about the weird sensation of feeling not his own curls, but somebody else’s hair. The man continued to stare at him with piercing and scolding eyes. “I believe you.” He nodded. “Mister Wayne doesn’t say please this early in the morning.”

the cost of being a good dad by Mawiiish (96k)*** Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian are all tired of watching Bruce struggle with the stress of trying to handle the newly formed Justice League. He needs an outlet, he needs to relax, he needs to get out of the house, he needs... he needs to start dating. And what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?

Get Over It by rotasha (32k) Bruce needs to get over his inconvenient feelings for Superman and he meets an attractive reporter who he thinks can help him do just that. Little does he know...

[the-flaneur]

hello my very helpful assistant 😄 flan's busy cooking up something in her dru- sorry, very ethical laboratory. anyways, here's how you can help her today:

ENTER ONLY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING LABS

LAB ONE

☆ write a brief description of what you want the request to feature (can include smut, kinks, dialogue and more) as well as the driver

LAB TWO

☆ from below - pick a flask, choose a label, select up to four chemical compounds, choose up to three catalysts and call out who the other assistant is (driver: im down to do anyone or the grid or "recently" retired)

☆ NOTE: the final item is very important, so please never forget it, otherwise flan won't be able to start the reaction

SOME REQUESTS WILL BE 18+ and ALL REQUESTS will available under the tag (see below) #chemical attraction ♥︎

all of your concoctions/requests can be made to my asks or inbox (here), and i'll get to producing it as soon as possible.

EXAMPLE REQUESTS

hi flan! with lewis hamilton and a boiling flask labeled with a sticker i am looking to mix together, fluorine, calcium, arsenic with nail polish.

thank you <3

flask

conical: fluff

boiling: smut

round-bottom: hurt/comfort

label

sticker: fic

marker: drabble

washi tape: smau

ribbon: texts

hairtie: combination (please specify)

chemical compounds

hydrogen: "oh, shut up." "you shut up." "make me." "okay, but you might moan a little."

helium: "i'm not the jealous type, but what's mine is mine. end of story."

lithium: "don't kink shame me"

beryllium: "we shouldn’t do this" "you’re absolutely right. we should not do this"

boron: "you're so cute when you pout like this"

carbon: "move my arm is falling asleep"

nitrogen: "the problem is, if i kissed you, i don't think i'd be able to stop."

oxygen: "you've ruined that song now, thanks."

fluorine: "don't talk with your mouth full"

neon: "if you can’t take it, why did you talk back"

sodium: "fucking is a reward, but you haven’t been good.”

magnesium: "is it really that hard to love me?"

aluminium: "why aren't you dating him?" "because i'd destroy him" "he seems like he'd be into that"

silicon: "i know they're just stuffed animals, but it feels like they're watching us"

phosphorus: "you know, i could always get you off here right now"

sulfur: "you deserve so much better than me" "stop lying"

chlorine: "give me a little show"

argon: "why are you being like this?"

potassium: "watch you mouth before i decide to spank your ass"

calcium: "it's going to sound controversial, but i think that went well"

scandium: "oh my god are you actually reading the terms of service?"

titanium: "the next time you pull something like this, i'm telling your mother what we did in vegas that one time"

vanadium: "if you don't like being called a whore, then stop acting like one."

chromium: "everything you own, everything you wear i paid for. so i guess that means i own you."

manganese: "i might have slept with your shirt while you were gone"

iron: "i'm not moving, your lap is comfortable"

cobalt: "please..." "you need to learn to be better with your words, don't you think? tell me what you really want,"

nickel: “are you my cum dump?”

copper: "you're not allowed to touch my pussy"

zinc: "you could've just told me"

gallium: "are you trying to flirt with me?" "is it working?"

germanium: "if i buy it, will you stop pouting?"

arsenic: "you're just mad that that my cock fits perfectly in you now. must be a blow to the ego that we're a perfect match."

selenium: "how long have you been covering/covering up this?"

bromine: "you're like my arm rest'

krypton: "i know i'm warm, but we really have to get up now"

rubidium: "you’re starting another cult. you bitch."

strontium: "it’s broad daylight, if someone looks up they'll see you pressed against the window."

yttrium: "you're not alone i promise"

zirconium: "im sorry but i'm done waiting"

niobium: "i promised to give you something, but i didn't promise it would be an orgasm."

molybdenum: "i'm bad at texting, so i always hope that you're the first one"

technetium: "let me take care of it. let me take care of everything"

ruthenium: "is it a bad time to tell you i have [your phobia]"

rhodium: "im so horrible to you" "no you're not"

palladium: "why is there rope next to the bed"

silver: "i don’t want to be able to walk tomorrow.”

cadmium: "you dumbass, don't ever do that again"

indium: "would you like to explain..." "no, but maybe there is something I could do to make you forget about it?"

tin: "i know for a fact that you can be a hell of a lot louder than that.”

antimony: "after all this time and you still can't look me in the eye"

tellurium: "i can't remember the last time i did something so fun with someone"

iodine: "i was expecting a written apology, but this is so much better"

xenon: "i have a headache and it looks just like you.”

cesium: "stop throwing things at me"

barium: "do you really think you can get away from me?"

lanthanum: "do you trust me" "no" "smart"

cerium: "i like the way your hand fits mine"

praseodymium: "because i care about you"

neodymium: "i trusted you...with everything"

promethium: "if you stay, you'll get hurt too"

samarium: "would you have believed me if i did?"

europium: "don't make promises i know you can't keep"

gadolinium: "can you please just hold me?"

terbium: "can i bother you for a sec?" "you always bother me, but go ahead"

dysprosium: "you cancelled plans for me?"

holmium: "my clothes look better on you that they do on me"

erbium: "i dont like it" "you don't like anything" "well i like you and [you specify]"

thulium: "no tickling, or no kisses"

ytterbium: "did i mean anything to you?"

luteium: "does your daddy know you call me daddy too?"

actinium: "n-no, don't cry. i hate it when you cry"

thorium: "but you have me now"

protactinium: "please don't go"

uranium: "i’m literally naked on your bed and you’re talking about work?”

neptunium: "you're hurt, let me take care of you"

plutonium: "you're staring" "i like seeing you happy"

americium: "stay...please"

curium: "i...i just needed to know you were ok"

berkelium: "you'll back off if you know what's good for you"

californium: "didn't you say we were friends"

einsteinium: "this is why we can't have nice things"

fermium: "not out here please"

catalyst

flan: au [request a specific one]

red pill: sub!character

blue pill: sub!reader

glue: dom!reader

lip balm: dom!character

lemon juice: driver!reader

sand: idiots in love/denial

salt water: crack fic

bath water: size kink

soap: exes to...

bubbles: fix it fic/sickfic

nail polish: daddy kink

shampoo: overstimulation

lotion: possessive/jealous sex

slime: accidentally launching relationship

copper coin: cnc/dubcon

flowers: leaving the window open/door unlocked

silver jewellery: age gap

gold jewellery: miscommunication

rock: neighbours

paper: love triangle

plastic bag: enemies to...

tissue: rivals to...

ink: 100% platonic friendship

foam: found family

water babies: secret admirer

ceramic: forced proximity

yarn: roommates

water: childhood friends to...

fruit: married couple/established relationship

beads: fake relationship

heat: brother's best friend

ice: best friend's brother

bark: body swap

grass: reverse tropes [specify]

© the-flanuer || do not copy, rewrite or translate any of my work on any platform.

[siremasterlawrence]

Superman: The Evolution of A Pussy

The fortress of solitude the impenetrable force of nature in the middle of the freezing cold ocean, Superman uses his x-ray vision to peer through the roof to see a strange old shadowy figure looming down over him and to see him. Clark Kent flew out of the vicinity in to the air as he is lifting higher in to the atmosphere as he reaches the man staring him down with such malice and Clark is astonished to see how this man’s nerve is breaking him in all kinds of ways he is grows unnerving more and more.The man smirks raising his hands in the air he summons of gust of whirls under him as it blows like a tornado it is surrounding the fortress and begins to shoot upward in to the sky launching it like rocket it aims up towards it hitting him head on as it sped in to space.

The man flew after him in to space as the tiny crater broke in to a million pieces as if hits Clark one at a time, the man watches his own destruction as each one glow with a heavy green tint landing on top of him he falls back to earth in a glorious display of power. Clark is unconscious as the man floating before him with a little effort of swinging his hand he shoves him to the side surrounding him by a green bubble covering him as they travel beyond the area and they head in to a new arena where I have began to plan it all. The man and the emerald bubble free falls to the deep, dank, and dark underground that I have built to harbor myself as well as others I have taken in to my aids to help me to take over the city and the world at my whim and I am madly in love with them all as my humble slave.

His lips are so tender as I place him on to the medical slab laid to rest in a massive blue lit bubble covering over the body encasing it as it lifts him upward in to the air and it is holding him in place as if spun him about preparing him for my minds control and I begin the process snappingup all of it.I walk to the edge of the room flipping on the light switch as the light shines on him, it is also shining on me as I step on to the machine entering the floor panel pad as the glass covers him and the glass shuts me in as it is locking me in to the space as it stirs on the air circles in swirling through the room. The air descending down upon us causing a rush as the energy burst in to my body with a electrical output that is sending my nerves to spiral crazily through my spine before shooting through the pad it lifts and dives right in to Superman’s body sending him unconscious.

“it is a Knight’s Tale programming.” I state as it commence.

“Reprogramming commences “

“Clark Kent! Can you hear me?”

“Yyyyeeeessss!”

“Do you know who I am?”

“That criminal that came to to…”

“What? Came to what?”

“I don’t remember…”

“Would you like my help?”

“I have no other choice “

“Yes or no”

“Begrudgingly yes!”

“You little shit”

“Please”

“That’s better “

“Your name is Clark Kent”

“Yes! Absolutely correct “

“You have been living a lie”

“No! I have not “

“Oh really? Last son of Krypton”

“Don’t call me that”

“Why not?”

“STOP PLEASE!”

“Feel my hand on the sides of your head and embrace it.”

“Feel my energy soul through you “

“Soul to soul exchange “

“You love me”

“I love you “

“Lois, Kara, your parents, your kids, and your clones.”

“You never loved them “

“I hate them”

“Increase the hate and accept it”

“I will kiss you, you will love it and succumb “

“Mmmm! Yes! Taste so good”

“I am your Master, Lord, God and everything else in your life.”

“Yes Daddy”

“Did you refer to me as”

“Yes daddy”

“Why?l

“Because I love you “

“I know only you “

“When I snap my finger you will wake up and kneel in submission “

“Yes Daddy”

The end

Captain America: A Centennial Criminal

Clark Kent Aka The Man Of Steel Superman The Last Son Of Krypton rose from the life less ash of his old life spread across the ground and swoops in the air as he rose to his full height in power and stood tall above me. He looks down in deference of his power compared to me his absolute ruler of his world, he peers down at me in other bliss with a smile washing on to me In excitement as he swoops up in his arms with a bright smile. Under my instructions for him he sprints up smashing through theceiling glass as it scatters to the ground as if it is raining and he speeds across to a very random research facility and begin to spin like a drill to the basement. Borrowing downward in spiral as the floors broke beneath him landing in a perfect spin

on the basement floor as the alarm system blares out, the red let radiating all over the hall covering the place in a dark red as a warning and Clark laughs seeing the signs up for hazardous area. He grabs it yanking it off of the wall as he crumbles it then threw it to the ground in a rage using his heat ray vision to burn it, the guard race down the hallway way to face him as he blast them with his heat ray and outstretches his arm forming a hole in them. Clark laughs like a lunatic sending them flying in to the wall of it as he blew past the wall he he shifts push his feet on to the wall as he shoves himself forward and launches in to the laboratory a deck below coming to a holt as he smashes through the glass.

He throws the glass window aside of him to reach out for the shirt as he grabs a frozen Steve Rogers like a popsicle stick inside of his pod and he flew in to the air one again smashes the ceiling flying back to my base with such accomplishment as he heads on home. He soars back him free falling to the ground causes a earthquake in his quake as he kneels down, placing Captain America In the pod as well flip another switch as he shuts down the area and he watches in to great delight and the machine gets to work for him. “He was unconscious when I arrive Master Lawrence!” Superman replies taking my hand in his as he leans down taking my hand even tighter as he kisses my hand up to my shoulders with so much love and lust in his eyes.

“The machine is all prepped Master”

“Commence boi”

“Watch his eyes go blue and roll back “

“His body begins to sink”

“Falling to the floor “

“In pain he aches “

“Mmmm! He is pleased”

“Sexual release?”

“Precisely “

“Oooooohhhhh”

“Do you hear me?”

“Ffffuuuucccckkkkkk”

“He is amusing Master”

“No Duh!”

“You are so thrilling “

“How so boi?”

“You forced me to succumb”

“Submit in to submission “

“Kneel at my feet “

“I love you Master”

“Can you hear me Steve?”

“Yes! I can hear you “

“I love you Steve “

“You love me too”

“Stop screwing up your face”

“You love me to…I know you “

“Yes! I love you too”

“I am your Master”

“You are my…no you lie”

“How can I?”

“I am your God!”

“Sir Yes Sir”

“I am touching your head and channeling you.”

“Accept my will”

“Yes! I accept “

“On to you feet”

“Sir Yes Daddy Sir”

The end

The end

[rustingcat]

Midnight

"Kara, can you come over to look at something?" Lena asked with clear worry in her voice. 

They’d spent the past 6 weeks since the decision having their lunch breaks in the lab, checking daily on the pods. So it was unusual for Lena to call her in the middle of the night, Lena's concerned voice woke her up in a second. 

Kara made it to the lab just as the clock struck midnight. She hurried to Lena's side, feeling a shot of anxiety run through her body. In those few milliseconds she already had the worst scenarios run through her mind; did their baby have a terrible mutation? Did they develop a terminal disease? Were they already dead?

Kara swallowed hard as the air around her felt thicker and harder to breathe. "What's wrong?"

"It could be a problem with the machine, I'm just not sure I'm reading it right. Look at this." Lena pointed out to the live ultrasound view on the terminal. They only got it working recently, prioritising it last in favour of more important tests. "It could be the angle, or I don't know, I might be reading it wrong." Lena continued.

Kara studied the screen closely, following Lena's finger as she pointed the anomaly out. The image on the screen was clear, as Kara's eyes grew bigger with the realisation and her smile spread bigger on her lips. "Oh, Rao." Her hand went to cover her mouth in shock as she took a slight step back. Joy and anxiety spread freely in her body.

"So it's-"

"Twins!" Kara exclaimed loudly. "Oh Rao, we're having twins!"

"Dear lord." Lena slammed down on the nearest chair, clearly not as excited as Kara was. "I really hoped I was reading it wrong."

"What? Why? It's great news Lena! Double the excitement!" Kara always wanted a sibling growing up on Krypton, specially she wanted a twin like her mother.

"It's double the trouble. Kara, do you know how hard it is to handle twins? It's two human-Kryptonian hybrids running around causing trouble and refusing to sleep."

"I know, I know, but it's still exciting! They'll have the perfect playmate to play with, someone to always understand them at every stage of their life, someone to confide with when things are tough and the world doesn't make sense."

"I… it's still going to be super difficult."

"Being super is kind of my speciality." Kara said with a smirk.

"Don't play cute with me Supergirl, you know what I mean." Despite the jab she seemed to have calmed down a bit. "I didn't even know that twins were possible to get in the machine to be honest." She added.

"Oh yeah, it is. Twins actually run in my family, I probably should've mentioned that." Kara bit her lip. 

"Yes," Lena muttered. "Speaking of sharing important information, I think this is probably a good time to have that talk." Lena said reluctantly as she got up from the chair and gestured for Kara to follow her to the couch.

Kara did and took the seat next to her. She wasn't sure she was ready to confront it yet, to make it real, but then again the image on the screen was very real, and Kara promised to do everything in the world to keep those two little beans safe and sound.

"What should we start with?" Kara cleared her throat, preparing herself mentally and physically for it.

"God, we have so much to talk about. We're going to raise half Kryptonian children together in a few months, there's a lot to cover. We'll probably not get to everything today, but we can start with what we can for today. Like where are we going to live? Are we even going to live together?" 

"Of course we'll live together!" Kara quickly responded. "If you want to of course, I wouldn't force you to do anything, I just think that it would be better. For the babies and stuff." Kara cleared her throat again.

"Yes, I think that would be for the best." Lena agreed, her cheeks slightly flashed. "Now, the question is which house. Considering your house doesn't even have one bedroom, I would say it's out of the question. My penthouse has only two and a half extra rooms, which in the long run might be a problem if we wanted to include a home office and a room for each child."

"Right, well, getting a new place is expensive. And I know you have money but this is a responsibility we share, so I want to be able to contribute equally. We're gonna need a really big house with lots of rooms, preferably in the downtown area. That's gonna be really expensive. I am making much better money in my new position, so I can start saving up and might be able to afford something in a year or so if I get a good mortgage."  And cut off some of her food supplies and any fun purchases and so on. It wouldn't be ideal, but it was doable.

"Hmm." Lena's eyebrows furrowed as she pondered their options. "Well, the apartment below me is actually empty for security reasons, we could possibly take over it and connect it to my place. The renovation should be much cheaper and give us more time to save up for if and when we want to get something bigger." Lena was obviously a genius. She never doubted that, but she still felt herself filled up with pride and joy every time Lena made it apparent.

"What about the security measures?"

"We can figure out new ones. Plus we can probably open up a convenient roof entrance for when you need to leave quickly." 

"Right. Well, how big are the renovations? Do you know how long they'd be and how much it's going to cost?"

"I'll have to get back to you on both once I settle on a construction company, but I would imagine it would probably take a couple of months." Lena shrugged.

"Okay, so if you need a place to stay, you can stay with me and once it's done we can move in together, as a family." Kara smiled at her excitingly, reaching out to take her hands. Lena's eyes darted immediately to their joined hands, but made no move to take them away. "I assume the place is yours so you don't pay rent."

"Haha no." Lena chuckled.

"Mortgage?" Kara tried.

Lena raised an eyebrow "Kara, need I remind you that I'm an actual billionaire?"

"Yeah, okay. I just feel bad because this is your place, like you paid for all of this."

"And you're gonna help me pay for the renovation to make it ours. Plus, don't worry, we'll have plenty of expenses. We still have a whole lot of shoppings to get done."

Kara's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Not before the three month mark. We want to make sure before we buy." She had a point.

"Yes I know," Kara nodded in disappointment. "I should probably talk to Kal at some point, maybe he and Lois can give us some advice on raising half Kryptonian twins." She suggested.

"Good idea. Although, it's best to talk to them after we tell everyone else, meaning after three months."

"Why does it feel like forever?" 

"Eager to become a parent?" Lena teased.

"A bit." Kara answered honestly.

Lena only squeezed her hands in response. They sat together in silence for a moment before Kara made a realisation.

"Oh!" She got up from her seat, startling Lena as she rose.

"What? Kara is everything alright?" Lena asked, concerned.

"I first thought it was some new parts in the machine, but it isn't." Kara felt her eyes getting blurry with tears. "I can hear them." She turned her head to Lena once she reached the pod. "I can hear their little hearts."

Lena walked up to her and interlocked her fingers with Kara once more. "They'll be here soon." Lena promised. Kara put her forehead to Lena's, closing her eyes and focused on the tiny beating sound. "I can't wait to meet them."

Read in order in AO3

[cyanide-sippy-cup]

Alright, TL;DR, they fucking cooked. COOKED I tell you!

Aww, they're really cute, it's like siblings

Hydrogen snowball fight!

"What happened here?" So she doesn't know about the violence of Krypton then. She sees conquering as more of a "we're taking over your planet" "okayy! :)"

Also oh cool hypnosis

I legit said out loud "oh, Kandor! See, I th- THAT'S KANDOR?!"

Oh ABSOLUTELY NOT. Brainiac is fucking Darth Vader levels of ominous!

CLARK NO DO NOT TAKE HIS HAND

OH SHIT THIS IS WHERE THE PARADEMON AND THANAGARIAN ARE

A GREEN LANTERN?? AND ITS LIKE A MARTIAL ART??!!! I FUCKING LOVE THIS SHOW

Red sun, cool cool

Oh my gods they made Superman kneel in the most brutal way they fucking cooked

YOU TAKE THAT THE FUCK BACK

Oh so the heat vision incident in the city was hypnosis

JIMMY CAN BREAK THROUGH LETS GO

THATS THE PLANET FROM THE REVEAL SHE WAS HYPNOTISED DURING IT

Oh dang cool mural

MALLAH AND BRAIN

Oh that teaser is interesting

This Brainiac is my favorite now. Hands down. This is peak.

Also if Michael Emerson ever does something horrible all my posts will age terribly but my GOD I have no intention to stop singing this man's praises, this voice acting is GOD TIER

[promptcorner]

Here’s another note from the same wip as the Death by Coffee Post.

(Let your imaginations run wild)

“Okay, everyone listen up!” Dick said, clapping his hands together to get the group’s attention. The sound carried over the bustling noise of the airport, causing Damian and Jon to pause in their conversation. “While we wait for B, let’s go over some ground rules!”

“What?”

“Hugh.”

“Ok!”

“Tt.”

“Alrighty then! Rule number one: Don’t die!”

“Most of us kinda already broke that one, Dicky.” Jason whispered to Dick.

“Then don’t die again!” Dick whispered back. “Alright! Rule number two: No hospital visits!”

“Uuuuh— Cass performed the Heimlich on me and Duke in the food court,” Jon said while raising his hand. “And I saw Tim consume ten cups of espresso before we even got to the airport terminal.”

“True.”

“Yep!”

“Ten—!?!”

“Hey! Keep your eyes to yourself!”

“… Still not technically a hospital visit! But duly noted! Okay! Rule number three: Don’t hurt anything or anyone!” Stephanie slowly raised her hand, which prompted Dick to point in her direction.

“Yes, Steph?”

“Do feelings count?” She asked.

“… Yes?” Dick said, voice strained.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Soooo— I may—,”

“Shush, shush, shush..! I don’t want to know,” Dick pinched the bridge of his nose before adding, “And lastly, rule number four: learn something.”

“Awww poo! Homework already? I just started vacation!” Jon whined.

“We learn ‘something’ new on the daily,” Damian said. “This last ‘rule’ barely qualifies as a rule.”

“Yeah— not your best list, Dickens.” Jason added.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this… But I agree with Demon Brat and company.” Tim said.

“Word!” Steph called out.

“Yeah, Jon voiced my thoughts exactly,” Duke said. “Also, I think you need to update your rules just a little bit.”

“…”

“…”

Dick let out a hefty sigh, “I’m learning that I can’t take you guys anywhere.” Cass patted him on the shoulder while holding back a chuckle.

Jon grumbled for a beat before realization slowly climbed up his face, “Hey wait! I’m not even going with you guys!”

Damian flicked his attention to him, “Tt. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“Wait what? Your not?” Duke and Jason asked.

“Ooooh, oh my god you’re right, you’re not!” Tim said. “I forgot you and Lois were going to Italy.”

“Wow, guess you’ll have to add no kidnapping to your list of rules, Dick.” Steph snickered. Cass was leaning on Dick, quietly laughing.

“Hush!”

“Oh thank Krypton that I don’t have to do homework.” Jon said as he slumped in his seat.

Damian’s phone buzzed to life with a notification. He opened it to find a message from Danny.

Daniel: update on the haunted dream hotel! grandma mason and tucker found it!!! 👻👻👻

we’re taking a plane up there today 🛫

just hope we don’t run into any issues 🫡

that would suck 😭😭😭

what’s been happening on your end? any more encounters? visions? 👻

Damian released some tension from his shoulders. As he wrote out a response, his family’s flight came into view.

(Note: Damian (15), Jon (16), Danny (15), Tucker (15), and Sam (15)— everyone else’s ages are simple math that I don’t want to do)

((Note: Tucker and Tim become hacker buddies and brothers in coffee war crimes as the fic progresses; but that’s just a B plot))

[cer-rata]

Anger Management

Orion: ...Once again Kal-El, I really think this is a bad idea.

Clark: Therapy is almost always a good thing!

Orion: For your kind, perhaps. But mortal emotional issues are neither metaphysical in nature, nor do they require a motherbox to quell.

Clark: But most people do have daddy issues.

Orion: ...Kryptonian--

Clark: Look, maybe it won't work, but you already agreed, we're here, and it can't make anything worse.

Orion:

Orion: Very well.

Clark: Great! Now remember, this is an anonymous, meta-inclusive therapy group, so feel free to actually describe how you feel when you get angry.

Clark: Even the weird bits.

Orion: I don't think they will be able to comprehend what--

Clark: Oh my god, work with me here.

Orion: ...Alright.

Orion: Saying "oh my god" to me is actually somewhat funny.

Clark:

Clark: Anyway, what I was getting at is if you want to show them your little...uh...rage form thing--

Orion: Do you really want to risk me making Jon-El the "Last Son of Krypton?"

Clark:

Clark: Point made, let's go in.

Two hours later...

Clark: ...See? I told you they wouldn't be freaked out.

Orion, leaning a little away from him: Yes...because we were all busy being terrified of you.

Orion: Are you...are you alright?

Clark: Nope!

Orion:

Clark: But I have to be.

Clark: So I go to therapy.

Orion: I...see.

Clark: Moving on! Are you saying it didn't do anything for you at all? You said a great bit about being afraid of yourself, and how it harms your relationships. That was really poignant.

Orion: I...did admit that to a group of mortals, yes.

Clark: I'm sure it helped someone, heck, I think I even--

Orion: I realize now that I need to speak to Lightray.

Clark:

Clark:

Clark: Completely unrelated, did you know that couples therapy is also a thing?

Orion: Why are you like this--

[audreyscribes]

Kryptonian demigods. Demigods whose mortal parents were Kryptonian.

what do you think?

I hope you know Anon you just reawakened my knowledge of DC stuff, and asked this because you saw some of the DC fandom works I posted in the early days of this blog’s time. [*CRACKS KNUCKLES TO START TYPING*] {Points to Long Text below}

Oh boi. Ohhhh boi. Where do we even start with this? So much to delve into.

Alright, let’s start of what we know Krptonians; they are basically very human-like but with advanced biology where they are able to utilize their body’s energies in elaborative ways. Depending on which Earths (universes), how they come with their powers depends but let's say in this case, they can get their powers from the Sun (Red or Yellow sun). Powerwise, full-blood Kryptonians, there’s the solar radiation absorption that allows them superhuman strength and stamina, invulnerability, longevity/immortality (under Yellow sun), superhuman speed, super senses, self sustenance, accelerated healing, super breath, heat vision, amongst a few others.

As demigods though, it’ll depend greatly on their godly parent because even half-Kryptonians and Half-humans have different arrays of powers or delayed. So imagine being half god and half kryptonian? Some of the Kryptonians' aspects may come forward alongside corresponding to the godly parent’s domain, with little wiggle room.

For example, Kryptonians have already accelerated thinking so they’re more calculating and process things faster, so imagine that being the probably their main aspect when they’re also a child of Athena. They probably have their super strength and senses, but they wouldn’t have stuff like laster heat vision or something. Trade offs if you will. However, they’ll also probably have telekinesis and telepathy instead with the Kryptonian genes being brought forward by Athena’s aspects. Think of all an Owl has and put those into the Kryptonian demigod with Athena. Other quick examples include: Demeter-Kryptonian demigod being able to grow plants and burst with their solar flare ability and photosynthesis with their yellow sun absorption. Ares-Krytonian demigod having even more insane super strength and senses. Zeus-Kryptonian demigod who comes to their power of flight much earlier than most half-Kryptonians. You get the point. Then there are some that are just being a child of whatever god and being half Kryptonian. Not really any different from any other demigod problems, just with the added learning of coming into their Kryptonian powers like Jon, son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

There are probably exceptions but what is probably an OP godly parent that makes them an exception to the whole rules is Apollo, since he’s the god of the Sun. An Apollo-Kryptonian who has access to the Sun is probably going to be a full Kryptonian nonetheless. If anything a lot of Kryptonians will probably worship Apollo more above Zeus because he’s the Sun god and is the closest thing to Rao, the chief god of Krypton who is also the Sun. 

Despite being so powerful, no matter who their godly parent is, they all have similar weaknesses that wouldn’t differentiate them from normal demigods. They’re all still going to be vulnerable to magic, chi, and other mystical forces. Maybe even more affected than their half-human counterparts since they can’t be harmed by mundane means with their Kryptonian part of them absorbing the sun.  It’s also a risk because Ambrosia and Nectar are considered godly food so who knows what effect it’ll have on them as well.   They’re aspects are also probably less flexible in adaptability as well so there are no gray areas or technicality in powers; due to the fact that we’re talking about the Gods, conceptualization and representation made up by human mortals on Earth of thousands of years of civilization, culture, and history. So those concepts might not translate over to Kryptonian aspects as much due to being from literally a different planet with its own history, civilization, culture and so forth.  Like if a Poseidon-Kryptonian demigod can only control sea water and cause earthquakes, but they can’t control fresh water or anything outside of Sea water since Poseidon is the god of the sea, talk to only actual horses and not Zebras, and etc.

However, what probably the Kryptonian demigods are going to face unexpectedly is the fact they’re going to have an unexpected connection with their own Kryptonian gods and boy, that’ll be fun and no I won’t expand on that.

[butcherlarry]

Exercise Fic Recs 17

Oh my god, I read so much this week.  What is happening.

isostatic by mediant  (Superbat.  Clark accidentally proposes marriage to Bruce.  SO GOOD.  PLEASE READ.)

Fears Unfounded by OdosBucket  (Superbat, kinda.  Bruce and Clark start dating, and recently adopted Jason is worried about it.  Misunderstandings and Bruce being a good dad.)

Like Father Like Son series by ManURonaldo  (Batfam, Jason focused.  Bruce and Jason come to understand each other.  SO GOOD.)

Stranger in a Strange Land by Mithen  (Superbat.  Clark grows up on Krypton and comes to Earth as an adult.)

Safe Spaces by Cerusee  (Batfam, young Jason.  Jason and Bruce come to an understanding of who is supposed to take care of who.)

Everything Will Be Just Fine by lonelynpc  (Batfam.  Battinson is the best Goth Dad ™)

10 Things Every Brucie Fan Needs in Their Life by pomeloquat  (Superbat, an update.  Oh god, this one is so funny!  Bruce advertises himself as the nation’s boyfriend.  Clark is a super fan.  Shenanigans ensue.)

Reservations by LemonadeGarden  (Superbat.  The Batkids make bets on finding Bruce a girlfriend.  Clark’s not jealous at all, what are you talking about?  lol)

Children Will Listen by ParkerAvenue  (Batfam, wip.  Different first meeting between Bruce and Jason.  Batman befriends this adorable feral child like one would a feral kitten.)

All fae-n and games series by oliviaandersonisntmyrealnamelol  (Batfam.  FAE BRUCE FAE BRUCE FAE BRUCE FAE)

mission parameters by shipyrds  (Superbat, complete :D  FAKE MARRIAGE SUPERBAT MY B E L O V E D.)

I changed it up and got a dirty chai latte with my croissant.  DELICIOUS.  Also, a close up of the dirty chai latte because it was PRETTY.

An eastern phoebe.  I like how he was looking at me like I was sus (which, valid.  If a strange girl was walking in the woods taking pictures of me, I would be weirded out too.)

A female summer tanger!  She was not weirded out by me at all!  I swear, sometimes I thought she was posing.

A carolina wren.  I love how I got a picture of him mid call. 

Easten Bluebirds!!!  Two of them!!!!

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTTED. 

A cute little titmouse!

I didn’t get to the birdwatch station today, there were a lot of families there, so it felt crowded.  Did spot a cool butterfly though!

A bee!!

I just liked the yellow flowers.

The orange flowers with the lily pads are so pretty!

A picture I snapped of the same area when I first arrived at the arboretum.

Another pretty flower.

Love the flowers growing and blooming up the pole.

Another picture of the bridge in the morning.

This is the beginning of the trail I walk in the morning.  It’s been getting so green and full of growth!

[mamawasatesttube]

kara for the character meme!!

How I feel about this character

i like her SO much. i need to get to know precrisis kara so i can come up with the ultimate kara synthesis in my head, but just from what kara i do know (mainly postcrisis kara) i love her. you know that anne carson quote that's like "why are you full of rage? because you are full of grief." that is the kara zor-el character thesis tbh.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

lori luthor (HEAR ME OUT--) and also thara ak-var...

My non-romantic OTP for this character

i'm so heavily invested in the crumbs of kon & kara i got in supergirl vol 5 it isnt even funny tbh.

My unpopular opinion about this character

honestly i don't know what opinions people popularly hold about kara. uh... usually i think she just gets girlbossified? i think that's boring i love a woman with character flaws. i love her anger issues and i love her inner turmoil. i love that she still chooses love and kindness. i love that ... wait this is supposed to be an unpopular opinion. um...

oh!!! okay here's one. i don't really get why early supergirl vol 5 was all like "she's more powerful than superman!!" because it just doesn't really make sense to me? like if we keep that then is there some sort of arbitrary power-scaling on new krypton with everyone from kandor at different levels for... some reason? it felt to me like the writers were just trying to compensate for her being a #girl by being like "she punches REALLY hard though!!! even harder than a MAN!!!" or something. idk.

thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

i wish postcrisis kara could've met linda danvers soooo bad oh my god. i think about it so much. it would've been so messy but so GOOD...

[thelastspeecher]

Stanuary '24 - Week Two: Possess & Sacrifice

This takes place in my Smallville AU, in which Stan and Ford take the role of Clark Kent as seen on my favorite TV show of all time, Smallville. And that's all you get for context. I'm tired.

Enjoy.

———————————————————————————————————–

              Stan paced back and forth, pointedly avoiding looking at the eerily still figure of Fiddleford on a slab of icy crystal.  Ford, much like Fiddleford, wasn’t moving, merely standing by their friend, staring helplessly at him.  The voice of their biological father filled the cavernous crystalline fortress.

              “He will not die. It will take some time, but he will recover.”  Ford slumped in relief.  “Humans continue to surprise me with how much they resemble us.  I would not have expected him to handle a Kryptonian malady so well.”

              “Bullshit,” Stan muttered under his breath.  “Like a damn computer could be surprised.”  He stopped pacing, Jor-El’s words fully catching up in his head.

              He’s doing that sneaky thing, isn’t he?

              “How long is ‘some time’?” Stan asked.  Ford’s shoulders tensed again.

              “It is difficult to tell at this point.  It could be months or years.”

              “Years?” Ford croaked.  Stan glared at the closest crystal.  “But- but- is there anything you can do?”  The response took a while to come.

              “Yes.”  As per usual, the crystals lit with a dim glow when Jor-El spoke.  “I know of a way to speed his recovery to a mere week.”

              “Then do that!” Stan snapped.  “And why the hell didn’t you say you could?”  Jor-El was silent.  “Hello?”

              “There is a saying on Earth that I am sure your adoptive mother taught you,” Jor-El said slowly.

              Dammit.  If Mom taught us the saying, it’s not gonna be sunshine and rainbows.

              “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”

              “A free-”  Stan shared a horrified look with Ford.  “Are you joking?  We’re your kids!  You won’t help our friend who got sick because of us?”

              “You are my children, yes,” Jor-El said, the AI maddeningly patient.  “However, by both the standards of Earth and Krypton, you are adults.”

              “If we were seventeen, you’d do it without question,” Ford said, his voice tight with anger.  “But because we’re barely out of high school, you’re insisting on something in return.  Is that correct?”

              “Yes.”

              “I knew coming here was a bad idea,” Stan spat.  “Nothing good ever comes from Jor-El.”

              “Stanley,” Ford hissed.

              “Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about taking him up on his stupid offer!”

              “What choice do I have?” Ford asked.  “I won’t let Fiddleford lose months or years of his life to recover from something he would have never encountered if it weren’t for me.”  Ford looked down at Fiddleford and took a deep breath.  “Jor-El, what do you want from me?”

              “Acceptance of your destiny.”

              “Oh hell no,” Stan burst out.  Ford glared at him, but Stan steamrolled on.  “When are you gonna drop this destiny thing?”

              “When my sons have embraced it,” Jor-El said.  Not much emotion came through his AI voice, but he did sound more exasperated than usual.  “The two of you are more than the mere humans that raised you.”

              “Here comes the anti-human racism,” Stan said, rolling his eyes.

              “You have great potential.  Once you reach it, you will be as gods on Earth!”

              “We don’t care about being gods!” Stan said.  “We just wanna be us!  And ‘embracing our destinies’ isn’t part of that!”

              “You are spirited and rebellious, Ley-El,” Jor-El said.  “Much like my darling Lara.”  Stan froze, blindsided by a casual mention of their biological mother, someone that the Jor-El AI seemed reluctant to bring up.  Jor-El seized Stan’s confused pause to continue speaking to Ford.  “For-El.  I will heal your human companion.  In exchange, you must agree to study here until such a time as I determine your training complete.”

              “How long will that take?” Ford asked hesitantly.

    ��         “As long as is necessary.”  There was a pause.  “I am sure my own son would never even dream of doing so, but should you decide to leave before your training is complete, I will invoke a punishment.”

              “Ford,” Stan hissed.  Ford closed his eyes.  “Don’t do it.  It’s a shit deal.”

              “I can’t let F suffer because of me,” Ford said, his voice thick.  He swallowed.  “Very well, Jor-El, I will-”

              “I’ll do it,” Stan interrupted.  Ford’s head whipped around to stare at him.  Stan walked over to Ford and Fiddleford.  “I’ll do the training.”

              “You have yet to even fly.”

              “Just means I’ve got a lot to learn,” Stan said, fighting back his terror at the idea of being miles above the hard, unforgiving ground.

              Invulnerability doesn’t make falling any more pleasant.

              “This is true…”  Jor-El sounded thoughtful.

              “Stan, what are you doing?!” Ford demanded.  Stan sighed.

              “Look, you’ve got potential.  You shouldn’t throw that away for however long the training takes.  And you shouldn’t have to put your relationship on ice, either!  Fiddleford might annoy me sometimes, but he makes you happy.  The two of you have something together.”

              “Stanley…”

              “I don’t have anything going for me right now.  If I drop outta my life for a while, I can slide back in when training’s done without any problems.”

              “That’s not true,” Ford said, sounding pained.

              “Sure it is!”  Stan feigned a lighthearted tone.  “Anyways, you can’t stop me.  I already volunteered.”

              “I accept this exchange,” Jor-El’s voice thundered.  A warm, white glow surrounded Fiddleford.  Pink flooded back into his cheeks.

              “Stanford?” Fiddleford said weakly.

              “Take him and leave, For-El,” Jor-El rumbled.  “Your brother’s training must begin.  There is a lot of ground to cover.”  Ford picked Fiddleford up.  He shot one last saddened yet relieved glance at Stan before disappearing in a flash.  Stan swallowed.  He looked up at the fortress’s vaulted ceiling.

              “All right, Jor-El, it’s just you and me!” he shouted.  “Let’s get started!”

-----

              “You saw him?” Lute asked quietly.  Ford nodded.  Lute handed him a glass of sweet tea.  Ford took the glass, his hands clinging to it like a lifeline.  The McGuckets’ kitchen was as warm and welcoming as ever, despite the rain pounding furiously against the farmhouse roof.  He desperately needed to talk to someone about the latest Kryptonian development, and Fiddleford’s younger brother Lute was the only one around who knew about the “whole alien thing”.  As Fiddleford and Lute phrased it. 

Other than Mom.  And I don’t want to stress her out with this.  Lute eyed Ford’s grip on the drink.

“Uh.  Careful.  Last time ya held a glass like that-”  The warning came too late.  The glass shattered, spilling iced tea everywhere.  Lute sighed.  “Yer cleanin’ it up this time.”  He tossed Ford a roll of paper towels.  Ford began to mop up the liquid.  “So.  You saw him.  Tell me more.”

              “Like I said, I went to the Fortress of Solitude.”

              “That’s the ice castle the two of ya got?”

              “Yes.”

              “You came up with the name, didn’t ya?”

              “Irrelevant,” Ford mumbled.  “What matters is that Stan has been staying there since he agreed to do Jor-El’s training.  Now that Fiddleford is doing better, I decided to drop to check in on him.  And he…”  Ford took a shuddering breath.  “Do you recall a few years ago when you had to use Kryptonite to take me down?”

              “Yeah.  It was like you were possessed or somethin’,” Lute said.  Ford began to brush the shards of glass into his hands.

              “That’s because I was.”

              “I don’t ‘member any meteor infected folks that week.”

              “I wasn’t possessed by a human.  Jor-El did something to take me over.  He determined it was the only way I would fulfill this grand destiny he has planned for me.”

              “Grand destiny,” Lute muttered under his breath.  Ford dumped the glass shards and wet paper towels into the trash.  “Are all Kryptonian parents like this with their kids?”

              “I haven’t had a chance to meet any Kryptonian parents other than Jor-El,” Ford said dryly.  “And even then, he’s an AI.”

              “…Right.”  Lute leaned against the kitchen table, frowning.  “He possessed ya those years back?”  Ford nodded.  “How is he able to do that?  And why’d ya bring it up?”

              “I honestly have no idea how he is able to do so.  He seems to have access to Kryptonian technology us on Earth can’t even conceive of.  As for why I brought it up…”  Ford trailed off uncertainly.  Lute’s gray eyes widened.

              “No,” he whispered.  “He didn’t.”  Ford nodded.

              “Stan seems to have been possessed as well.”

              “How- are ya sure?” Lute asked weakly.  Ford shot him an annoyed look.  “Right, right.  The twin bond.  I mean, I’d certainly know if Angie was possessed.”

              “Is she getting suspicious about Stan’s disappearance?”

              “No more ‘n Fidds is, thankfully.”  Lute eyed Ford.  “By the by, Stan stayin’ at that ice castle wouldn’t have somethin’ to do with Fidds’ miraculous recovery last week, would it?”  Ford winced.  “I knew it!  There ain’t no coincidences that big in this world.”

              “I- I won’t tell you exactly how the two events are linked,” Ford said carefully.

              “I reckon I could figure it out.”

              “Even if you do, I will neither confirm nor deny.”

              “Fair enough.”  Lute opened the fridge and removed the pitcher of sweet tea.  “I won’t tell no one ‘bout the two bein’ linked, neither.”

              “…Thank you,” Ford whispered.

              “Ain’t no problem.”  Lute set the pitcher on the counter.  “So.  How do we un-possess Stan?  Want me to grab the Kryptonite?”

              “No.  I hesitate to bring Kryptonite to the Fortress.”

              “You think it might muck it up?” Lute asked.  Ford nodded.  “And yer concerned about that why?”  Ford stared at him.

              “It’s my last link to my biological heritage.”

              “It also has only brought you ‘n Stan grief,” Lute pointed out.  Ford shook his head.

              “Still, I can’t- I can’t do it.”

              “Fine.  We’ll figure somethin’ else out.”  Lute opened the cupboard and took out a cup.  “But until you’ve calmed down, yer gettin’ yer drinks in plastic.  Not glass.”  The back door slammed open.  Ford and Lute looked over.  Stan stumbled in, hair and clothes drenched from the downpour outside.

              “Stanley!” Ford exclaimed.  Stan looked up, panting.

              “Uh, hey, Ford.  I didn’t- I didn’t think you’d be here.”

              “Were you trying to avoid me?” Ford asked.

              “Uh.  No.  Just not talk to you first.  Um.”  Stan rubbed his neck.  There was a long line of red down his arm.  “Um.”

              “Are you bleeding?” Lute asked.  Stan looked at his arm.

              “Oh.  Yeah.  I guess.”

              “How?!” Ford asked, aghast, as Lute opened the cupboard under the kitchen sink and pulled out a first aid kit.

              “Uh.”  Stan laughed weakly.  “It’s got to do with why I’m back here instead of training with Jor-El.”

              “Yeah, Stanford was tellin’ me you got possessed or somethin’?” Lute said.  “Sit down at the table, I’ll get ya bandaged up.”  Stan sat obediently.  Lute came over and began to tend to Stan’s wound.

              “I only got possessed for the flying training,” Stan mumbled.

              “That fear of heights still won’t let ya fly even knowin’ ya can’t be hurt if ya fall, huh?” Lute remarked.  Stan glared at him.

              “It’s a respect, not a fear.”

              “And if you were to fall now, you’d be hurt, wouldn’t you?” Ford asked quietly.  Stan immediately looked down at the kitchen floor.  “There’s no way you completed your training.  But when you insisted on leaving, Jor-El took your powers.”  Lute paused.

              “Is he right?” Lute asked.  Stan nodded reluctantly.  Lute looked at Ford.  “How on Earth could ya have guessed such a specific series of events?”

              “He’s threatened it before,” Ford said with a shrug.  Lute’s mouth fell open.

              “Jor-El threatened to take yer powers away ‘fore?”

              “Yes.”

              “Lord above.  They need some parentin’ classes on Krypton, I reckon.”

              “Why did you stop the training?” Ford asked Stan.

              “I got sick of it.  He’s not the greatest coach.  And…”  Stan sighed.  “I didn’t want to be alone anymore.”

              “You missed yer friends and fam’ly,” Lute said.  Stan nodded again.  “That’s sweet.”

              “Are you fine with being powerless?” Ford asked Stan.

              “Being back home with everyone is worth getting bruises and needing to drive places,” Stan said firmly.  He grinned.  “Anyways, you and I both know things like this never stick.  I’m gonna be back to normal by next week.  Just watch.”