Once when I was very young, I decided, very stupidly, to try staying up for 2 days straight one summer vacation.
That alone would have been enough to bring about enough suffering to teach me to never overlook the importance of sleep and self care, but I also got a severe case of the flu including vomiting and even more fever on top of the terrible fever shaking fuzzy feeling that the sleep deprivation gave me at the same time. And despite that insane lack of sleep, it was also paradoxically incredibly hard to fall asleep, like my body was refusing to take the medicine of sleep.
I don't know if I am currently dead, between realms, or in some weird ROB dimension, but that fever, fuzzy almost tv static feeling in my head bones and vision is nearly identical to that feeling I had years ago, with a dash of my ears feeling like they are on the verge of popping like my heads being slowly but not painfully squeezed.
And that part is what is the oddest thing and why I am not exactly sure if I am alive or not. There's a clear discomfort and an odd feeling of disassociating that this fuzzy feeling gives me, but none of the pain, not even a little. Maybe this is what it's like being reborn. Everything is dependent on a new sensory system with air instead of liquid, cold instead of heat, pressure from… Well, the point is that it's weird.
As things get slightly clearer, I can see around me. I have never been here before, but I do recognize it somewhat from pictures. It… it looks like… the North Pole? Antarctica?
Hey, give me a break everything is still fuzzy and there are multiple places that are just ice and snow in the world if this is even still Earth in the first place. I say that because in the distance I see something that DEFINTILY is not normal.
There is a tall man with black hair, with his back turned to me floating in the air, incredibly relaxed, cape floating in the wind.
Yes, cape. And even my fuzzy headed barely coherent butt can recognize that red cape and blue suit with that outside red underwear.
"Superman"
He doesn't turn, but he does land. Walking, I notice that I am following after him, my feet carrying me to parts unknown. All I can think despite all that has led to this, all that I am feeling, is that for however long or however short this meeting will be, I got to meet Superman.
Clark would be so jealous.
… Oh no, Clark
Despite how overwhelmed I am, I stop. Whatever this leads to, whatever is in my future, I owe it to myself and to everyone else to ask, to check if…
"... Is Clark… is my family ok? Do they know that…"
Superman finally turns fully around and looks at me. Despite my still somewhat fuzzy vision, I can still clearly see the short black hair, those kind blue eyes, and a smile that tells me…
"Yes. They know you're ok. And when you or they finish their journey on the road of life, youll meet at the same endpoint. Everything has been taken care of. That said, is there anything you want to tell them? Anything you want them to know before you take on this responsibility?"
While it wasn't confirmed what that "duty" was, I have read enough fanfics to put together some common tropes. I can tell I am probably being reborn as… but that's for later, for now I say what needs to be said.
"Tell Clark that he inspired me to be good, and that whatever happens to please keep that optimism because if it helped me look at the world differently, even for my last hour or so on Earth than everything I will do will be because of him, and the other people in his life can be the same. To my parents, tell them I'm sorry I didn't ever bring home a girlfriend but I got that job I was worried about and was gonna work there after a few weeks of setting some stuff up. My little sis… tell her… tell her I'm proud of how creative and smart she is, and that even though I didn't say it a lot between the brotherly teasing I did and still do love her and that I know she's gonna change the world. To my grandparents…"
And for minutes, hours, I don't know, I go on and on about everyone I was ever close to, tearing up realizing how fortunate I was to have so many people that loved me, that I could love, that it took until the end to realize how little I cherished them, how little…
I feel a hand on my shoulder, grounding me back in reality, and I realize for the first time since I have been here that the fuzziness is gone, that I can see. Looking up, I see him, and I see… not pity, I see sadness and care, but a quiet strength that grounds me even more than the hand on my shoulder that could theoretically push me into the Earth's core.
"I will remember ALL of it. And they will get the message. And Bruce? They love you too, and they know you love them too. What all of them, every single one of them asked you to hear, was to love everyone and everything. Because that is what helped them. That's sometimes all you need. And that's why I selfishly ask if you can help again?"
Oh God, I'm crying. Why couldn't I have had one of those displacement isekai treatments where I didn't have to have these feelings, where I… forget? No, I can't ever forget. That would be spitting on what made me ME. Because despite this sadness, I get something that most people don't. A guarantee the people I care about are going to be ok, catharsis that my love meant something, and a final goodbye.
It takes me far longer than I want to admit, but after crying more than I have in the last like 5 years, I feel normal. No fuzziness, no discomfort, I'm ready.
Nodding, I simply say
"I'm ready. I'll save them all. I'll save everyone I can. I'll give people hope, no, I will show them hope, that KINDNESS has meaning. Like how you've reminded me before and now. So I guess what I am saying is… thank you Superman"
Superman smiles at that, putting his hand on my shoulder, he leads me to the Fortress of Solitude that is slowly growing from the ground like the movie. We enter, the entrance is dark, and then-
…
…
I woke up. I can tell I am a baby pretty quickly since I think the initial disorientation would have had got taken care of in that vision. That, and the super senses that while extreme I can still basically control to a tolerable level.
No baby should have this vision this good unless…
Well, anyways, that's small potatoes to my current situation where I seem to be in a small ship entering the atmosphere. Despite the obvious speed, I have no fear since Kryptonian technology definitly can handle entering and crashing without damaging its inhabitants and definitely can stop itself from being identified by Earth's technology.
In seconds since entering the atmosphere, the ship already has stopped, NOT crashing, seeming to float and opening the top. I can see outside the ship what I was kind of expecting.
Beautiful greenery, a few trees near an old fashioned but well built and maintained house on a farm with acres and acres of crops in the process of growing. And most importantly, my hopefully future parents.
I didn't get to see the initial reactions obviously, but I can clearly see they are freaked out somewhat. However, nearly instantly after my ship opens up the woman, Martha Clark, comes towards me and notices me.
"Oh Jon. Its so precious. Despite everything that's happened… This is a gift, God sent us a little angel. We gotta take care of him."
Whatever happened to them, with me ignoring what it most likely could be with meta knowledge out of respect, clearly makes Jon agree pretty quickly, nodding at her and coming up to me. Wiggling his finger at me, he asks
"Well… would Clark still be a good name? After your brother?"
Tearing up, Mart… mom nods, tearing up and says
"Yeah Jon. It would be."
Making sure to handle me with care they hug each other and me, and despite how little time I have spent with them, I can tell no matter what else this world throws at me, I have been blessed with one of the greatest gifts someone can get, let alone twice: a loving family.
After composing themselves, Jon brings up something I always thought about whenever it came to Superman
"What are we gonna do about his paperwork stuff? Because he's clearly… Well, not from Kansas. Or Earth I think."
Martha doesn't seem to think much of it responding with the first thing that gives me pause
"Its fine Jon, we can ask my sister if she can get that stuff together, she's used to dealing with Vought adoption stuff, I'm sure she can help us"
…
Well. Fuck.
AN: Sorry for the time between chapters, I want to try to maintain a consistent upload schedule somewhat, but I am busy with real world stuff but I will try to at least do 1 a week.
Some things to get out of the way. Clark will have all of his proper papers, Martha's sister is not going to sell out her grieving sister's kid to her family. Also, while I will be vague on the exact numbers when it comes to tiers, let me be clear that even young adult Superman is absolutely stronger than Homelander at the start of The Boys series. I am not nerfing Superman or buffing Homelander. No, rather I am simply going to have Bruce, now Clark, start his career at 20. That's old enough to be a man, if a young man, while also young enough that he hasn't absorbed enough sunlight to get to the insane comic feats level of strength YET. He still will definitely be a lot stronger than Homelander, this is not that kind of story don't worry.