They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, and their capacity for good... I have sent them you, my only son.
Conner has dozed off on the couch for a few hours, deciding that waking up early wasnât his favorite thing to do. He truthfully was waiting for his father to come home, and got sucked into a marathon of some ridiculous reality show. He still doesnât understand why thereâs so many, but he didnât feel like punching criminals today. He hears the door open â and truthfully hears Clark from down the hall. âYouâre back!â His body is sitting up now with excitement. âI love you, DAD, but you shouldnât try cooking food with your heat vision again. It could be fun, can we bring Krypto? Are we flying there â OR?â
Clark laughed at Connerâs words, nodding his head while scratching idly at the back of his head. âYeah. I still say it would have been worth it if the brownies had turned out, but they didnât. They could have been used as bricks with how solid they were.â He recalled, shaking his head at the memory, largely because of how absurd it was. Clark had rarely ever used his powers in such a careless way, but when it came to trying to make Conner happy, he seemed to let a lot more loose than he did at any other time. âOf course we can bring Krypto. I was actually thinking we could walk though? You know, do some normal, human, family stuff the normal, human, family way.â He added with a smile
As Clark got home from his first day back at The Daily Planet, he was in high spirits. It felt nice to be getting back to the regular routine of things, although it would still be at least a few more days before he could return to the other part of his life; after all, it could potentially arouse suspicion if the day that Clark Kent returned to Metropolis was also the same day that Superman did. That meant that since he wouldnât be flying around in a red cape and blue tights, he could use that time to do something else that was important, and so after giving Krypto a scratch behind the ears, he came into the living room looking for his son, and found him lounging on the couch. âHey Kon, I was thinking we could maybe go to the park tonight. You know, get some fresh air, enjoy some of the last bits of good weather weâre gonna have before winter comes. Maybe toss the football around a bit?â He suggested with a small shrug of his shoulders and a smile âWhat do you think? Good idea, like that time that I entered us in the Father-Son Tractor Pull back in Smallville? Or, is this more like that time that I thought it would be a good idea to try and make you brownies using my heat vision, and accidentally set the kitchen on fire?âÂ
âah, no, you are not the first person i have seen who decided to not dress up, clark. it rather seems to be a trend tonight â first bruce, then dick and now you. not that it is a bad thing, you all look wonderful nonetheless.â diana replied, giving her friend a smile. as he mentioned that he had been away, she gave a nod, understanding what he meant; knowing it wouldnât hold much meaning to anyone outside of the league. âah, yes â how was your trip?â she asked, raising a brow. she figured sheâd learn more in depth of what he had found at a later time, or perhaps hadnât found, and she didnât mind waiting for that. âthings are certainly interesting here. it is a lot to adjust to, of course, and i always worry about the state of themyscira, butâŚâ she trails off, shrugging her shoulders. ânew york, gotham and metropolis need me more than themyscira does right now, if it is here, that is. and if it is, i feel it is likely they are unaware anything even happened. no big changes out in the ocean, i would presume.âÂ
âWell, did anyone really expect any different from Bruce? At least heâs wearing a colour that isnât blackâ Clark laughed, shrugging his shoulders. âAnd as for Dick, well we gotta cut the kid some slack. He looks like heâs practically sleepwalking. Poor guy.â Dianaâs question about his trip brought a small frown to Clarkâs features as he shook his head. It wasnât the ideal location to go fully in depth about his mission, but he still wanted to give her something anyway.âNot nearly productive as Iâd hoped it would be Iâm sorry to say.â He replied with a sigh, which he was sure Diana would know translated to âI didnât find anything that might help get us back to our own reality.â He was sure that the League would have a meeting soon enough, when he could give a full report, but for now, this abbreviated version would have to do. Listening to Diana talk about how she was adjusting, Clark nodded his head, crossing his arms over his chest. He couldnât even imagine what it was like for her, not even knowing for sure if her own people were there on the world with them.âThemyscira misses you Iâm sure, but for what itâs worth, weâre glad to have you around Diana.â He said with a soft smile, placing a bracing hand on her shoulder. âWeâre going to figure this out. We canât lose hope that weâll get back home. In the meantime, we just need to continue offering our help wherever itâs needed. Now that Iâm back, I intend to protect this Earth just like I would my own.â
As one of the few people who knew the real Clark Kent, Lois couldnât help but chuckle at Clarkâs little over-exaggerated display of clumsiness. A tiny part of her heart panged at his jokingly suggestive comment, but she brushed that aside in favour of the sense of relief that rushed through her as soon as she laid her eyes on him. Whatever their current relationship was â exes, best friends, partners, itâs complicated â it was still nice to see him after a long three months in a completely new world without Clark Kent or Superman. She let her eyes flit over him quickly, giving him a once-over â he looked fine and not injured, which was the most important part, really.
âWell, I canât say no to a man in need,â she winked back, letting affection seep into her tone. âIâll let you whisk me away from the crowd just this once. Iâll even protect you from the big bad Gotham bat.â With that, she offered him a gloved hand, tilting her head and beckoning him to follow her and step outside.Â
Clark smiled, nodding his head appreciatively. âThanks, thank you Lois. That guy he...boy, heâs a pretty scary fella, even if he is one of the good guys.â He said, before taking her hand and letting her lead him outside. Once they were away from the prying eyes and ears of everyone in the party, Clarkâs demeanor shifted to one that was much more natural, and a small chuckle escaped his throat as he shook his head. âSorry about that back there Lois. But itâs especially important that I play up the bumbling and clumsy side of Clark Kent tonight in case something happens and Superman has to show up.â He explained with a nod of his head his expression turning slightly more serious. âBruce seems quite convinced that Cobblepot is up to something, and heâs usually right about these kinds of things, especially in his own playground of Gotham.â Sighing, he shook his head, before a smile returned to his face. âBut we can come back to that in a minute. Itâs good to see you Lois. And you really are looking...swell.â A smirk found itâs way to his lips as he repeated the word heâd used earlier, his eyes taking in the sight of her, before he cleared his throat. âSo uh, how are things? How are you adjusting to life here on this different Earth?â He asked with interest. âIâm sure itâs been quite a struggle to adjust to a world where most people donât even know that youâre a Pulitzer Prize Winner.â He added teasingly.
There was only one person that Clark knew for sure would be at this party, and that was Lois Lane; because, naturally, the instant he had found out about the party and decided to go himself, he had sent her a message to inquire whether or not she would be there as well. Things between them were...complicated, but she was still his best friend, his confidant, and above all, his partner, and after three months of not seeing her, Clark was looking forward to reconnecting. After doing a fair bit of mingling without crossing her path, Clark excused himself from a conversation and set out to look for her. He scanned the crowd carefully looking for any sign of her, until his eyes finally settled on her features, a smile rising easily to his lips. âLois! Hey, Lois!â He called out, moving forward, taking the extra measure to trip over his own feet in his hurry; after all, it never hurt to play up the facade in public any chance that he got. Clambering to his feet, to the sounds of some laughter coming from around him, he walked over to Lois, a small smirk etched on his features that was only for her to see, before he put on a more mild expression. âI...golly gee Lois, I had no idea that I would find you at this party! I...you know, I must say you are looking quite....quite swell in that there costume of yours.â He said loud enough for everyone around them to hear, before he began tugging at his collar. âBoy, it sure is hot in here huh Lois? I..or...or maybe itâs just...just the sight of you in that costume, Iâm not too sure. But well..to be quite frank, I...I feel a bit like Iâm suffocating. I hate to be a bother and to, you know, to pull you away from the party and everything but, would you mind maybe just coming to keep me company while I get some air? I, quite frankly, donât feel entirely um...comfortable, going outside in Gotham all on my own.â He added, before he threw her a discreet wink.Â
The boyâs green eyes widen, forgetting about where he was originally headed as the only thing they matters right now was seeing Clark standing here again. How long has it been? Conner doesnât care if anyone was watching he just wraps his arms around him. âIâm glad youâre back here too, DAD!â Thereâs a moment where the clone wants to comment on the fact his father wasnât wearing a costume, but if he just got back that makes sense. âDid you hear about the ALIEN GOO? It was eating up EVERYTHING! It was scared or somethinâ? I tried to hold a force field around it â and made myself really tired. I passed out on Loisâ balcony after, hey â are you staying?â He pulls back from the hug, but stays close. âI missed you.â
Clark felt his heart swell as Conner threw his arms around him excitedly, the feeling persisting as he listened to the boy go on and about the things that had happened in his absence. âBreathe Conner, breathe.â Clark said with a light chuckle shaking his head fondly as he ruffled Connerâs hair. âYou donât have to tell me every detail of the past three months all at once; weâll have plenty of time to catch up on everything. Iâm back, and I donât plan to leave again any time soon. Iâm staying.â He promised with a nod. âI did hear about the Phalanx, and I heard all about how great you did with that whole situation. Iâm proud of you Conner. It sounds like you handled yourself really well.â Clark said, putting his hand on Connerâs shoulder. âBut what else have you been up to, outside of, you know, Superboy stuff? Have you gone on any dates, or made any new friends, or anything like that?â He added curiously. Clark knew that being Superboy was important to Conner, and he was proud of him for how much of himself he devoted to it, but he didnât want him to totally miss out on the more human side of life, and tried to emphasize the importance of it to the young man whenever he could.
    âi could say the same to you, going as a bumbling reporter? thatâll fool just about anyone,â he remarked giving clark a once over before offering a tight smile. he knew clark would show up eventually, it was just a matter of when - and he supposed a party thrown by the notorious penguin of gotham would have been the best place to spot him, oddly enough. âexcuse you, i still consider myself young,â he raised a brow and turned giving his friend just enough of an expression to show he held no offense to his words and was, in fact, teasing him back. âiâm going for a very on-the-nose approach, my costume is bruce wayne, heâs not the real me - you know that,â he lowered his voice to just above a whisper knowing full well that clark could hear him perfectly fine. keeping the very same tone, he continue to speak, âi donât trust our host, clark - keep an eye out - he wouldnât throw a party out of the good of his heart.â
Clark grinned at Bruceâs words about his âcostumeâ, knowing that Bruce was more than aware that the costume of Clark Kent was one he wore every day, and would continue to wear as long as it continued to fool the people around him. Clark had to admit, he could understand the humor that Bruce found in the sheer absurdity of his situation. Clark himself often marveled at just how effective his disguise was, considering it really wasnât much of a disguise at all. Still, he was convinced that the selling point of it was all in the behavior; he played the part of the mild mannered, clumsy, bumbling reporter so well that no one would ever believe that he could possibly be the strong, confident, sensational Superman, even if the evidence was right in front of their faces. Chuckling lightly at Bruceâs objection to his old comment, Clark shrugged his shoulders. âWell they do say youâre only as old as you feel. But I gotta tell ya, surrounded by all these young people, Iâm starting to feel like Iâm quickly becoming a relic of the past.â He admitted with another chuckle as he glanced around at the room filled with people, many of whom could be described as being part of The New Guard.Â
As Bruce lowered his voice, Clarkâs ears had no trouble picking up on what he was saying, and his statements spoken at this lowered volume explained a lot: Bruce had actually come as Batman, wearing the costume of Bruce Wayne, because he was anticipating that Batman would be needed before the night was out. Clark was of course aware of the villainous status of their host heading into this party, but it seemed crazy to him that a villain would invite all of these superheroes here if he intended to do something wicked. However, Clark had long since learned to always trust Bruceâs judgement when it came to this kind of stuff. Nodding his head in understanding, Clark exhaled a sigh. âSo, Iâve been back for all of about ten minutes, and here I am at a costume party being hosted by a supervillain thatâs actually some kind of a trap? It never ends does it?â He asked rhetorically, shaking his head. âIâll keep my eyes peeled for any sign of trouble, Bruce. Cobblepot would have to be a real maniac to invite us all here like this if he intends to cause trouble, but you know him better than I do, and youâre almost always right. And if you are right now, then that also means that he must be pretty confident that whatever he has set up is foolproof, which is a disturbing thought to say the least.â
Iâve decided to make things easier for everyone and for plotting purposes, Iâm going to make a full timeline of Clarkâs life from the time he was born, until the present time in the rp!
34 Years Ago: The Planet Krypton is facing itâs imminent destruction. Jor-El, wishing to save his only son, while also hoping to help the people Planet Earth from destroying themselves much the same way that the Kryptonians did, sends Kal-El to Earth in a ship.
32 Years Ago: After a long journey through space, Kal-Elâs ship crashes in Smallville Kansas during a meteor shower. Kal-El is found by the young couple of Martha and Jonathan Kent, who were unable to have a child of their own. They decide to take Kal-El in and raise him as their own, naming him Clark. They hide his ship away in their storm cellar, and decide that they will keep his origins a secret.
18 Years Ago: Clark Kent begins to use his superhuman powers to help people around his hometown of Smallville. The meteor shower which brought him to Earth also brought radioactive shards of his home planet of Krypton. These shards have an adverse effect on Clark, but also have the effect of giving some of the local population superhuman abilities, which many of them choose to abuse. Clark uses his own powers to fight against them and keep Smallville safe, much to the chagrin of Jonathan Kent, who fears that people will discover the truth about Clark if he runs around using his abilities. It is around this time that Clark learns the truth about how heâs actually an alien from another planet.
15 Years Ago: Jonathan Kent dies from a heart attack. Clark blames himself for putting too much stress on him surrounding his secret. Shortly after Jonathan dies. Clark feels a strange pull which guides him to the storm cellar where his ship has remained hidden all these years. The ship would not open prior to this, but when he touches it now, it finally opens, and reveals a crystal. Taking the crystal, Clark is guided to the Arctic, where, upon throwing the crystal, The Fortress of Solitude is created. Once inside of the Fortress, Clark learns the full truth about his Kryptonian heritage from a holographic A.I of his father Jor-El, who urges him to accept his destiny to be the savior of the world, and become a symbol of hope. Clark, feeling overwhelmed by the idea of becoming such a figure, seen by the entire world, refuses, and runs away from the Fortress.
15 Years Ago - 12 Years Ago: Clark Kent travels the world on what he intends to be a journey of self discovery. As he travels, he operates as a vigilante that people take to referring to as The Blur due to the fact he moves at incredible speeds, and no one ever sees his face. His travels eventually bring him to the Titans, who he believes might be able to help him figure out who he wants to be. Here, he meets Dick Grayson, a young man suffering an identity crisis of his own. Clark listens to Dickâs troubles, before telling him the story of the Kryptonian hero of Nightwing. In talking to Dick, Clark realizes that he can no longer ignore his destiny, and decides to return to the Fortress of Solitude to complete his training under Jor-El.
12 Years Ago - 7 Years Ago: Clark undergoes extensive training at the Fortress of Solitude for five years, learning the things that he will need to become the hero of the Earth. When he emerges from the Fortress, he is Superman.
7 Years Ago: Clark moves to Metropolis and begins working at The Daily Planet as a reporter, while he also operates as Superman. He meets with Lois Lane as Superman, and is interviewed by her, telling the world who he is, where he comes from, and why heâs here. Early in Clarkâs time as Superman, Lex Luthor manages to steal his DNA, and set to work on creating a clone.Â
5 Years Ago:Â Conner is born, and Lex Luthor markets him as the next Superman. Clark can clearly tell that Conner had been created from his own DNA, and wants to take him away from Lex to stop him from exploiting him, but he doesnât want to tear Conner away from the man he considers his father, and so he reluctantly lets it be.
4 Years Ago: Lois Lane learns the truth about Clark being Superman, and they enter a romantic relationship. Earth is attacked by Zod, bringing him into conflict with Superman as seen in the events of Man of Steel. This battle causes a great deal of destruction, and ends with Clark having no choice but to kill Zod. After four years of believing that Superman was good for the world, for the first time the general public begins to see the potential danger that comes with having an all powerful alien around. Always a somewhat controversial figure, now a great deal of the general public begins to turn against Superman.
2 1/2 Years Ago: Clark asks Conner to come and live with him, and Conner accepts the offer. Superman comes into conflict with Batman as seen in the events of Batman v Superman, as a result of what Bruce witnessed during the Zod attack. They eventually resolve their differences and come together to fight Doomsday, a powerful monster created due to the machinations of Lex Luthor. Clark ultimately perishes in this conflict.Â
2 Years Ago: Clark returns to life during the events of Justice League, and helps the others defeat Steppenwolf. He returns to his regular life as Clark Kent, and to being Earthâs Protector as Superman. Conner moves in with him. Things between him and Lois are strained due to his returning from the dead, and they break up.
3 Months Ago: Earth 52 merges with Earth 818 due to a tear in the fabric of time. Clark leaves Earth 818 and flies off into space, searching nearby galaxies for a way to return everyone back to their own reality.Â
Now: His search having proven to be frivolous, Clark returns to Earth and resumes his every day life.
diana wasnât really a drinker â and she was pretty sure it didnât have as much of an effect on her compared to others anyway â, so she stuck to drinking punch while attempting to be wary of whether or not she was leaving lipstick stains all over the glass. while she did enjoy a good party, she was aware of the host and knew to be cautious, hence why â similar to that party way back in the early 20â˛s â she had a sword down the back of her dress. her shield and lasso were stashed away as well, just in case she would need them. she hoped she wouldnât, of course, but it didnât hurt to be cautious. spotting a familiar face nearby, diana was quick to wave them over with a wide grin across her face. âit is so good to see you,â she beamed. âyour costume is wonderful. are you enjoying the party?â
@earthstartersâ
Clark grinned at the sight of Diana waving at him, and walked over with that grin still firmly in place. Her words caused a laugh to escape his lips, and he shook his head at the tease. âOh ha ha Diana.â He said sarcastically with a playful roll of his eyes. âI wouldnât have been able to come up with anything half as good as your costume anyway.â He complimented, nodding his head approvingly at the clear effort sheâd put into her costume. âEspecially not on such short notice. I just got back from being...away.â He knew that she knew what he meant by away; after all, it was no secret to the members of The Justice League that Clarkâs absence for the past few months had been the result of him searching through the expanses of space for a possible means to transport everyone back home. âSo, how have things been? How are you adjusting to this new, different version of Earth and everything?â He asked with a genuine interest; he wanted to know what life on this version of Earth was like, since he hadnât really been around to experience it yet.
Up, up and away, away from me
Now it's all right, you can all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy...
Or anything
I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees
Dick didnât want to be here. There were, quite frankly, hundreds of other places he would rather be, and one of them was not the Iceberg Lounge, the lair of one of his dadâs many enemies. He could be sleeping! Or patroling! Or giving candy to the trick-or-treaters! Or uh⌠sorting through paperwork? Yeah, he was out of options. And you didnât say no when Jim Gordon said he was suspicious and wanted more people there, just in case shit hit the fan (not what Gordon had said, but he was definitely thinking all of it). And now, here he was, dying of heat exhaustion (why did he bring the suit again? Oh⌠yeah⌠because he had to be prepared- in his defense, he brought the stealth version this time!), and staring at everyone like a suspicious bat(man?). He definitely looked like someone had dragged him out of bed and thrown a tux on him before telling him to go have fun. Normally? He would. He was usually a people person and loved events, but tonight felt like it was going to be one hell of a ride, and he was too tired to function. âPlease tell me this place has a coffee machine buried somewhere behind all the ice and alchohol,â he said to the person next to him, âI feel like Iâm going to fall asleep on my feet.â
@earthstartersâ
Clark was just getting himself another drink of punch when he heard a familiar voice and glanced up to see none other than Dick Grayson, looking visibly exhausted. Offering him a sympathetic smile, Clark glanced around the room, looking for any sign of a coffee machine. When his regular vision brought up nothing, he pulled out his x-ray vision, checking the cabinets, until, he found what he was looking for, a coffee machine; more specifically, a Tassimo. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he opened the cabinet and pulled the machine out, putting it up onto the counter space and plugging it in. âIf anyone asks, swear that you saw one of the staff pull it out after the party started. You have to be the one to say it though, because I canât lie.â Clark said to Dick in an undertone with a small chuckle, handing him a full cup of coffee, before deciding to also brew one for himself. âSo, how are things going? I mean, besides the obvious fact that youâre insanely busy to the point where you look like you havenât slept since you stopped being Robin.â He asked, his brows knit in concern for the younger man.
âI uh, if youâll...please excuse me for...for just a second.â Clark said to the person he was chatting with as he saw Conner walking by, before he moved over to talk to him, a smile on his face. âHey bud! How are things going?â He asked, putting an arm around Connerâs shoulder, leading him away from where all the rabble was and off to the side. Having just gotten back from being off world for the past couple months searching for a possible wormhole that might get them home, Clark hadnât had the chance to see Conner yet, and was anxious to hear how things had been while heâd been gone. âItâs good to see you Conner. Iâm glad to be back home.â He said with a nod. âWhatâs new with you? Tell me what you were up to while I was away.â
The persona of Clark Kent could be a little bit exhausting to hold up sometimes; especially at parties like this, where there were so many people. Clark played the part perfectly well enough for awhile, but there came a point when he wanted to be able to talk more freely with someone who knew who he truly was, and thankfully he spotted just the person for such a thing. Taking the extra measure to spill juice all over himself clumsily, he grabbed some napkins while muttering fretting words to himself as he walked away, taking the opportunity to move over to the corner where Bruce was standing âNice costume.â Clark said as he approached, a hint of a smirk on the corners of his lips, fully aware that he was also not wearing a costume; at least, not in the conventional sense. âWe must look like the two grumpy old guys whoâve forgotten the spirit of Halloween.â He added with a small chuckle and a shake of his head.Â
â ââââââ that might look like TOM WELLING, but itâs really CLARK KENT/KAL EL/SUPERMAN from EARTH-52. our records indicate that they are a THIRTY FOUR year old KRYPTONIAN using HE pronouns. unlike most HEROES, they CAN FLY FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET AND LEAP TALL BUILDINGS IN A SINGLE BOUND which makes them perfect for THE JUSTICE LEAGUE. (Peanut, 24 he/him, EST)
Well after much deliberation and agonizing over it, Iâve finally given in and decided to bring Clark, despite how hugely intimidating that is. Itâs a true testament to how comfortable and safe I feel with you guys here that I was able to bring myself to do this.
My version of Clark is of course grounded largely in the DCEU, particularly surrounding the events that directly effect other characters. The things Iâm tweaking have a lot more to do with Clark himself/his background. Like, for example, Iâm choosing to incorporate parts of the early seasons of Smallville into his backstory, but as this was before he became Superman, and before the world learned of his existence, that only really affects how I approach him, and doesnât directly effect anyone else.Â
Key points remain close to the DCEU though! Everything in Man of Steel occurred pretty much exactly how it did on screen, with Zod and everything with the only differences being attributed to Clarkâs backstory growing up, and how he spent his time after Jonathan Kent died. BvS and Justice League occurred exactly as they did on screen (although if you play characters from these films, and you envision things happening in a different way, donât hesitate to let me know because Iâm very flexible!)Â
Since the end of Justice League, Clark has continued to do what he does, saving people, and bringing hope to the world. Thereâs obviously a lot of pressure, when youâre considered to basically be a perfect person, and thatâs a struggle for him. Many people hold expectations that are astronomically high for Superman, and of course, he remains a largely controversial and divisive figure even to this day. Still, he does his best to just do what he believes is right, and offer his help wherever itâs needed.
Ever since the convergence of Earth 52 with Earth 818, Clark has been off world, searching through space in surrounding galaxies with yellow suns to try and find a possible way home. However, this search didnât end up turning up anything, and so he has now returned to Earth 818, accepting that for the time being, he, and all of his friends are stuck here.
EDIT: So a small tweak has been made to Clarkâs timeline. Everything in Man of Steel is canon, except that it wasnât when he became Superman. He actually became Superman four years prior to the events of Man of Steel. Man of Steel, and the situation with Zod was just the first time that the world saw the potential danger and destruction that comes with having someone like Superman around. Overall Clark has been Superman for about 7 years
