Episode 1: The First Gift
Some time after he was taken in, the child known as Ultraman still hadn’t opened his heart to the Kents.
He rarely showed emotion.
If someone called “Ultraman,” he would respond.
But it wasn’t because he liked the name.
It was because responding to it felt like following an order.
⸻
Clark and the young boy sat on opposite ends of the living room couch, separated by enough space for another adult to fit between them.
The room was quiet.
Clark had been thinking about something for days.
Ultraman.
A name given by Lex Luthor.
A name for a weapon.
“Hey,” Clark finally said, moving a little closer.
The boy looked up and met his eyes.
“I’ve been thinking.”
Clark hesitated for a moment.
“I’d like to give you a name besides ‘Ultraman.’”
“…?”
The child tilted his head.
“I’m Ultraman.”
“That’s the name Luthor gave you, right?” Clark replied gently. “For family… it feels a little formal.”
A small smile crossed his face.
It was a bold suggestion considering nobody knew yet whether the boy would ever truly become part of the Kent family.
“What do you think about ‘Luke’?”
The boy froze.
A new name.
The words meant nothing to him.
A concept he didn’t understand.
Then suddenly—
“No!”
The shout echoed through the room.
“I’m Ultraman!”
His voice shook.
“It’s the name Lex gave me!”
He jumped to his feet and rushed past Clark.
As if running away.
Clark didn’t stop him.
He simply watched him go, a trace of pain in his eyes.
⸻
That night, Ultraman stayed in the guest room.
A knock came at the door.
“Ultraman.”
Clark’s voice.
“There was someone I forgot to introduce you to. A member of the family wanted to meet you.”
The door opened.
A young man stepped inside.
Shorter than Clark.
Lean build.
Black leather jacket.
“…Superboy.”
Ultraman’s voice was barely a whisper.
Superboy.
A name he remembered hearing from Lex.
Like Ultraman, Superboy had been created from Superman’s DNA.
A clone.
One who had ultimately become a hero fighting alongside Superman instead of serving Lex’s plans.
“Oh? You know who I am?” the young man said with a grin. “Did Luthor tell you about me?”
Connor Kent walked into the room.
Clark quietly excused himself and left them alone.
Connor sat down beside the boy on the bed.
“I heard somebody got offered a new name.”
“I didn’t take it.”
The answer came instantly.
“I’m Ultraman.”
His hand pressed against his chest.
“That’s the name Lex gave me.”
Connor laughed softly.
“Sounds familiar.”
Ultraman looked up.
“‘Superboy’ was the name Luthor gave me.”
Connor shrugged.
“Pretty unimaginative, right?”
He chuckled.
“‘Ultraman’ isn’t much better.”
Some things, apparently, never changed about Lex’s naming sense.
“I got another name from Clark.”
Ultraman blinked.
“Connor?”
“Yep.”
Connor smiled.
“And Kon-El.”
The smile softened.
“Those names made me more than a clone.”
The boy stared at him.
Trying to understand.
Trying to fit the pieces together.
“Luthor gave you one name.”
“Clark gave you another.”
Connor leaned back slightly.
“So maybe it’s okay to have both.”
The room fell silent.
Two names.
Both.
“…That’s hard.”
Connor laughed.
“Yeah. I figured.”
He looked out the window.
The city lights stretched endlessly beyond the glass.
“Then take your time thinking about it.”
A pause.
Then he added quietly,
“You’re already part of this family.”
Ultraman stopped moving.
Stopped thinking.
The words echoed in his head.
Family.
⸻
The next morning.
Clark was nervous.
He’d been the one to suggest the new name, but now he wasn’t sure what to call the boy.
Before he could decide, Ultraman shuffled into the living room, still half asleep.
“Morning… Ultraman.”
The child stopped walking.
Looked at Clark.
And then, with visible embarrassment, mumbled:
“…I’m Luke.”
Clark’s eyes widened.
“The name Clark gave me.”
From the kitchen, Lois looked up from what she was doing.
The boy hesitated.
Then added:
“But I’m still Ultraman.”
A smile slowly appeared on Clark’s face.
“That’s right.”
His voice was warm.
“You’re Ultraman.”
“And you’re Luke.”
⸻
Bonus
“Man…”
Jon stretched and yawned.
“That’s a pretty heavy conversation for breakfast.”
The End
