Chapter 2: A New Friend

The screaming matches are nothing new in any household. But it was much more frequent in the Anderson household. It was just this morning that Daniel had one with his stepson. Hah! He would laugh at the word 'stepson'. He was no stepson, he was the devil. He had a feeling that something was really weird with Alex. His mother was always able to keep his antics in check. Since she died, he had a feeling that Alex was trying to hurt him. It was like Alex blamed Daniel for Lynn's death. He tried to through to him but to no avail. By now the relationship between them had deteriorated from bad to worse.

Daniel growled as he sped his truck nearing the turn. "That fucker thinks he knows everything. Wait till I get through with him, he will be homeless and regretting the day when he thought of going against me."

In his drunken haze he did not notice himself drifting to the opposite lane. As soon as the turn came he saw a car come into view, he impulsively steered himself into the guardrail at the edge of the cliff. He tried his brakes but they didn't work. Just he was about to crash his truck through the guardrail down the cliff, he heard a gust of wind and abruptly his truck stopped. He immediately regained his senses and in the rear-view mirror, he saw a dark head rise from below the bed of the truck. Then he saw his eyes, most cerulean blues he had ever seen; but before he could clearly see the face, his savior disappeared from his view the same way he had arrived.

"It was a boy. I tell ya' it was a boy." the man tried his best to describe the event with his bedazzled brain to the chief of police, "It was 'im. I tell ya. Stopped my truck and WHOOSH, gone."

"I've had enough. Put him in the tank and let him sober up", the chief yelled and looked out the window. What the heck is in the water around here?

That was too close, Clark was still thinking about this morning as he entered through backdoor. He smiled as he heard the proud voices of his parents. Maybe this thing is worth it.

"FATHER AND SON RESCUED FROM FLOOD!"

"FAMILY HOME FIRE EXTINGUISHES ITSELF!"

"Don't forget that one, 'WHO IS THE SUPERBOY?'" Jonathan laughed.

"No one believes that nonsense anyway, Jonathan." Martha smiled back from her plate. "But you're still worried."

"Well, I gotta admit that he's doing a great job stayin' out of sight for these months, but still..."

"Of course, I'm staying out of sight, Dad" Clark commented as he entered through the backdoor. "Seriously, look what I'm wearing?!"

"Clark, why aren't you putting on your cape?" Martha remarked.

"I don't like it. For goodness sake, I am wearing this underwear on the outside. How embarrassing is that! I can't wait to wear it on the inside."

"Clark Jerome Kent, don't tell me you're not wearing your underwear?!" Martha pointed her fork at him.

"Yes ma, I'm."

"Is it clean?" Martha asked back.

"Come on Ma, I'm sixteen now." Clark whined.

Jonathan started laughing at him, Clark and Martha joined him.

"Hello?" Alex answer his cell. He grinned as he paused to hear the other side, then he spoke in a fake concern, "Yes he is my father. What happened?"

His smile faded as he heard the other side, "Oh Thank God, He is alive!" He tried not to sound sarcastic to the chief of police, "Really? Someone clipped his brakes? Why would someone do that?" He paused again, "Yes sir. THAT is a MIRACLE. Yes, I'll pick him up. Thank you very much, Sir."

As soon as he ended his call, he smashed his cell phone into a wall, "MIRACLES ... DON'T ... EXIST! You might have survived this time but someday, Daniel, someday you'll be dead and I'll be out of here." Then he was out of the door.

Alex was kind of a genius from a young age but there was always a sinister edge in his little science projects. His mother had kept him in check. He might have not been strong enough to fight back but he had very sharp brain. He thought of every plan to kill his stepfather and executed it though every time by some or other MIRACLE he survived.

Next time you won't be so lucky, Alex thought as walked his way to the police station. He caught something in the corner of his eyes. There was a small green rock at the side of the road. It had a strange glow about it almost imperceptible. He put it in his pocket and walked away. He would work on it later first he had to do something.

"Sorry, Lana. I'm late."

"Clark Kent, where the hell were you?" Lana yelled at Clark as he reached Lana's aunt's floral shop.

"I was ... um ... I was working with Jor El, you know my SPACE DAD. Time flies fast during the workout. I came as fast as I could without destroying anything," Clark answered.

Lana calmed down, "Well, at least you showed up to help with setting up the booth. No one else did..." She looked at Pete Ross with his girlfriend at a distance. " ... at least not to help."

"So, how's your other work? Superheroing around? Wow, how cool is that, huh?" Lana beamed at him and turned to her work.

"No, it's stressful." Clark sighed. "And it's not superheroing, if that is a real word which I am sure it's not. I am just helping people."

"Every hero says that. Anyways, get me the pot with the tulips. It must be..." She turned around and shook her head. "And there he goes 'helping people'. Sure do your thing." She looked the floral mess surrounding her. "No help needed here."