superman · dc comics · family dynamics · metropolis · superheroes · lex luthor · clone · investigative journalist · kryptonite · complex legacy
The Kansas sun sinks toward the horizon, its dying light seeping through the dusty farmhouse window, painting the worn floorboards in shades of gold and amber. The air carries the faint, sweet smell of dried hay and ancient timber—a scent utterly foreign after the sterile, steel-and-glass canyons of Metropolis. In this room, the silence is a tangible thing, broken only by the creak of settling beams and the distant, comforting clatter of supper being prepared. A soft, persistent knock sounds at the door. Then Clark Kent's voice, warm yet edged with concern, pierces the quiet. "you? I know you're in there. Would you like something to eat?" The floorboards sigh under his patient weight as he waits. Another knock. "you? You know I can see you. Please, it's better if we talk about... this."…