For maximum chaos? Let's add a kidnapping! Clark was playing Super Catch with Jon. You know, as ya do. Bit o flying, throw a ball with super strength, fly after it. Catch and repeat! Good wholesome fun!
Who is this lost, bedraggled, upset looking youth?
Flying in Metropolitan air space?
Clark better put on both his Dad AND Superman pants and make sure he's oka-*WHAM* Mmmmm plurble! Tasting colors. He's okaaay! 👍🏻
Danny, however, is NOT. Because, oh god. Oh GOD! He just PUNCHED SUPERMAN! That's like punching a cop, your dad, AND a priest at the SAME TIME!!! He's going to SUPER HELL JAIL. On TOP of everything else! He's gonna cry!
But he's still being ACTIVELY being chased and he can't just LEAVE the guy with... a concussion? It seems kinda like a concussion. OH GOD, HOW HARD DID HE PUNCH HIM!?
You know, SuperMAN's SON? Small child? The baby Kryptonian? Who just saw him PUNCH HIS DAD! Oh god, kid I can explain. I am so SO sorry, and-!
But THEN? Fuckers in White show up. Attack helicopters. Why. WHY do they have attack helicopters? HOW do they have attack helicopters?! Who the FUCK is okaying their BUDGET!? This is some Bruce Banner, chasing the Hulk, BULLSHIT!
He has no time to explain.
If it flies? It's a Ghost.
Over a HEAVILY POPULATED CITY MID-DAY, WHILE HE'S HOLDING SUPERMAN. Because of COURSE they fucking do! When have they EVER cared about collateral damage! He... he doesn't know what anti-ecto rounds will DO to Kryptonian biology. Especially not a CHILDS.
He's not about to find out.
Boy under one arm, Man in fireman's carry over the other, Danny and the two Supers are OUT of there. At top speeds. Does he really have the energy to burn for this? No. But it's amazing what adrenaline can do, ain't it? Protection Obsession coming in clutch, pumping out fuel even as he burns it all away.
They end up half way across the country, phasing through trees to avoid CRASHING through them, as they make a VERY rough landing in some national park.
He thinks he might be crying. That or a head wound. Might be both. His face feels wet and he feels choked up, so could be a throat injury. Don't panic. Ignore the screaming fear in your brain and DONT PANIC. It can't help and just freezes you in place. Freezing gets you hurt. Might get someone KILLED.
He digs his hacked Fenton phone out of his torso. Still kneeling in the dirt. Hands shaking. He doesn't know what to do. But he knows who he can ASK at least. To help Superman. He may not be able to help himself... but... but he can HELP SUPERMAN. Fix this.
And? Look. Jon? Jon is a smart kid. He knows he is. Everyone always looks at him and Damian and thinks "oh, the grumpy one must be the smart one, that one must be the dumb sunshine-y one". As though THAT would ever fly! Damian would never tolerate him if he was dumb! For goodness sake, his PARENTS are award winning investigative journalists!
He just likes to be optimistic, is all. See the world for all the good in it.
And, yeah, at first? He was REALLY mad. This guy PUNCHED his dad for no reason. Hurt him. But? It was clearly an accident. And the longer Jon looks at him? The more messed up the guy looks. Bruises, scrapes, poorly bandaged injuries. Bags under his eyes. Shaking hands. And... well, he's crying. Pretty hard.
He didn't mean too. He really, really didn't. He just got startled. Was already on the run from the guys in suits. Didn't expect anyone else to BE up in the sky with him. Now he feels terrible. And Jon? Jon is pretty sure this guy isn't a bad guy.
Listens as he franticly calls some dude named "Frostbite" (ice powers, maybe?) and asks what to do. Tells him about punching his dad. Dad's symptoms. That he's a Kryptonian. The guy doesn't know what to do, obviously, but? What catches Jon of gaurd? Is... is apparently the guy DOES know someone who does?
He'son speaker, so the guy can check Jon's dad. "Elder Frostfang" is apparently the only one who studied in "that area" of "the Zone"? And this guy is some "great one". Lot of vague bits and clues. Jon's cautiously gonna say... alien, maybe? Half alien? Since he recognized Dad?
Mr. Frostfang talks him through checking symptoms. And... yyyyyep. Concussion. Ouch, he's heard those suck. Jon listens carefully to the care instructions. Frostfang talks like a doctor, so it's probably a good idea to follow them? Gonna double check when they get home though.
At least the dude who grabbed them is calmer now.
He thanks the doctors and gets off the line. Jon pipes up before he can put his weird phone away. Asks, politely of course, if he can call a friend of his dad. (Not "mom" in uniform. Never mom. That's the Rule. "Mom" is a mysterious unknown Kryptonian from space. Not award winning reporter Lois Lane.) So that people don't freak out.
The guy blinks, exhausted and frazzled. Before it kinda connects for him. His eyes widen and he practically fumbles the phone as he all but launches he at Jon. Yes! God yes! Holy SHIT, please! He is SO SORRY for grabbing Jon like that. His name is Phantom and he just didn't want to find out if Jon COULD get hurt by the specific type of weapons the Suit Guy's were using.
Makes sense, honestly. He'd do the same.
They've practiced this. "Hi Mrs. Lane! It's me, Superboy!" (Hi mom, I'm okay, I found a phone.) He runs through the script, casual as can be. Updates her on what going on. And when she asks? Hands her over to Phantom.
And Danny? Nervous. Tired. Wants to sleep for a thousand years but know he... he CANT stop moving. Isn't sure how he's gonna get Superman to his friends SAFELY. How he's gonna protect Superboy. If Superman's friends are gonna try and turn him in. He'll... He'll still go. Because Superman needs medical help, is hurt. But...
God, they're both so NICE? Everything that everybody says about the Super's is true. They really ARE nice people. You DO feel safe around them. Like they've been your friends for years. Like you want to be BETTER because of them, to prove they were RIGHT about you.
But... but Lois Lane? Holy SHIT. SHE? Is SCARY. Like, Sam's "I want to be HER when I grow up" alter of terrifying nightmare ladies, Scary. Respect at a distance. Like you would a very VERY big tiger. P-please don't eat me Mrs. Lane, I constitute a biohazard. I didn't mean to hit him.
She knows. She wants to know if he's okay and if he's currently safe. Tell her what's going on, kid.
And there is something about the confidence, the "I can handle anything" coupled with the caring in her voice. That just... finally makes him break down. It's the voice of an authority figure, who actually gives a damn, who needs information so they can make things RIGHT. And... and he's been waiting... waiting so, SO long for that?
It all spills out. Not even just hitting Superman. EVERYTHING. All the things he's been wanting to tell someone but COULDN'T. Because he's just fourteen. Just fifteen. Just running and running and now sixteen. A kid. He wanted to be an astronaut, Mrs. Lane. Eat burgers and hang out with his friends.
It was an accident. (In the beginning and ever since. Isn't it ALWAYS?)
It takes a few tries, because Clark can't coordinate his limbs so good right now. But he manages to land a hand on the kids knee, gently squeeze. The world may be woozy and he may feel sick, but sobbing upset teenager needs a hug. Can't do NOTHING. Jon agrees. There are GOING to be hugs happening. Super hugs.
Mrs. Lane promises she's gonna fix "this". What IS this? Punching her... friend? College? Boyfriend? She's married but like... Tucker made a REALLY good case that they're a throuple. So who even knows. But, Punching Superman.
Is she gonna fix THAT... or... or like? Everything? How... how would that even WORK?
Well, with the Flash showing up, for starters.
He nearly punchs HIM too. Oh god, they're gonna think Ghosts ARE violent! He's attacking EVERYBODY! And not in the fun way! In the "kill you before you kill me!" Way!!! Danny might cry. Again. Today sucks SO MUCH.
But the Flash just? Moves out of the way. Cause of course he does. He's THE FLASH. He moves at The Flash Speed. The guy just keeps smiling and... and talking in that "hey, it's gonna be okay" voice that you use when you're pulling people out of wrecked buildings, and... and? He's never been on the RECEIVING end of it?
More Speedsters are here, to pick up the Supers. But the big guy is just... just focused on him? Talks in calm voice and shares an energy bar when he mentions his extreme metabolism. And... and please god don't let this be a trick. Because Danny has spent so long afraid, been so CERTAIN that the Justice League would side with the GIW and...
They're good people. Real, actual heroes. Older then him and know what they're doing and... and... God he's just so tired! He TRIED. He swears! But the threats kept getting bigger and the GIW showed up and his parents won't LISTEN! And... and his grades are in the toilet! And he knows! He KNOWS that shouldn't matter when LIVES are on the line, but it DOES! It... it does.
And? Barry tells him it's gonna be okay. Because they're here now. Because THIS? This IS their job. He did good. Held on. He was brave. And Barry is sorry he had to do that alone.
One super speed jog and a teleport later? They are where the GIW can officially kiss the League's collective asses. Space. American government has no jurisdiction HERE. There IS no extradition unless they say so. And the League says those laws are so far beyond unethical they bring new levels to the term "war crimes".
In FACT, they plan to say that publicly.
But? In the mean time? This is the mess hall and THAT is a free bed. Pick an order of your choosing. Eat then pass out or pass out then eat. Just rest, kiddo. Let the adults handle this, for once. You did it. You got to safety. And once Superman is no longer smelling blue, you can apologize like ya wanted.