Jo Kent/Supergirl (maidofmight) wrote in dc_nextgen,
@ 2011-06-02 20:39:00

Entry tags:

My Semi-Decent Sweet Sixteen (Jon)
(Backdated to May 31st)

At 6:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, Jo Kent was awake and putting on jeans and an old t-shirt. She moved quietly down the stairs knowing that Mom and Dad were both already at work, most likely. That was fine. She was hoping not to have to explain herself. Jon was probably out helping save the world as usual, which was also fine. She /really/ didn't want to have to explain this to her big brother, because it was too embarassing.

Slipping out the house and locking the door behind her, Jo blurred into action, heading toward Smallville, Kansas with all due haste. She looked high and low for the perfect spot to practice, because she didn't want anyone to see her in case this went poorly. Finally, when she came across the old water tower, she raced to the top...and looked down. The area for miles around was deserted, Dad had told her, and she hoped it was true.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Jo Kent leaps away from the tower, sailing into the air for one, two, three, four, five seconds....

...and then gravity casts its all-seeing eye upon her attempt to fly and drags her back to the Earth with a painful thud. Undaunted, Jo rises and races back to the top of the water tower to try again.

-----

Forty-three attempts later, Jo Kent is convinced that she knows the truth:

She is the world's only defective Kryptonian.

She sits at the top of the water tower, lamenting her bad luck.

(Post a new comment)

	first_son 2011-06-03 03:22 pm UTC (link)
	"You ok?" comes a voice from above, as another Kryptonian descends towards the water tower. (Reply to this)(Thread)

maidofmight
2011-06-03 03:40 pm UTC (link)

Jo nearly jumped out of her skin. Once she regained her balance, she turned to face her brother.

"I'm sixteen. I should be able to fly by now and I can't. I can do a bunch of other stuff, but I can't /fly/." she grouses.

"I bet you and Dad never had trouble flying. Or with heat vision. Or X-Ray vision." she says.

"How can I help people when I can barely control what I can do?"

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

first_son
2011-06-03 03:50 pm UTC (link)

"I had all sorts of trouble flying... they couldn't make me stop. Mom used to have to call in powered babysitters to get me out of the high cupboards. X-ray vision..." he blushes. "When that started, I couldn't figure out how to turn it off. It made a gym class very awkward."

He sighs and sits down next to her. "Even if you never develop flying, or heat vision... you're still very capable. Policemen, firemen, soldiers... a lot of them are heroes every day without any powers. And even by super hero standards, you're very capable compared to most... there's thousands of ways you can help people."

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maidofmight
2011-06-03 04:26 pm UTC (link)

"My X-Ray vision was fine until a few weeks ago. I...kinda joined the Teen Titans and I've been helping out." she says.

"I like helping people and I olive journalism, but..." Jo falters a moment, searching for the right words, before speaking again.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's what I'm really meant to do. We've already got two journalists in the family. Not sure if there's much sense in adding a third. But I really do like saving people and it makes me feel good.

I probably sound silly, huh?" she says, looking away.

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	first_son 2011-06-03 04:29 pm UTC (link)
	"Why would that sound silly? The world could always use more honest journalists... but it can also always use more heroes. There's no reason you can't do both... after all, your powers and abilities can put you very close to situations. I think its great that you're working with the Titans." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	maidofmight 2011-06-03 04:43 pm UTC (link)
	"They're all really cool, the Titans are. Iris was awesome for speaking up for me to join. I just don't want to let them down. Or you. You make this gig look easy." she grins. "How have you been lately? I feel like I don't see you much anymore. Is everything all right?" Jo asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

first_son
2011-06-03 05:55 pm UTC (link)

"Trust me, its not ever easy. Jai quit the league, the lanterns are... always interesting, Batman is Batman... my first girlfriend recently went home to her home dimension."
It all said fairly matter-of-fact, more listing job difficulties than venting. "And then there was all the trauma around the zombies... plus the person who temporarily killed dad is still out there. Its never going to be an easy job. But all that aside, kind of finding my way again... doing ok."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

maidofmight
2011-06-04 02:18 am UTC (link)

Jo didn't realize how much Jon was going through; he never complained, or lamented his lot in life. He simply kept doig the best he could with what he had. Just like Mom and Dad. Meanwhile, Jo had lived a relatively sheltered and easy life. How could she complain when Jon soldiered on?

"Do you ever feel like you get screwed over, Jon? You do so much for other people, but you rarely get to keep your own happiness. Does it ever make you angry? she asks.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

first_son
2011-06-04 04:09 am UTC (link)

"I don't get screwed over. I chose to enter a field with a lot of risks, and its all I ever wanted to do. Some days its tough... but then I get to see a family hugging their 4 year old who would have died in a fire without me... or the kid with their cat back after it was stuck in a tree... people who still have their homes, still have their families, still have their lives... and there's nothing more rewarding. I don't look at it as how much I have to do for people... I look at it as, because of my abilities and family, how much I get to do for people."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

maidofmight
2011-06-04 05:12 pm UTC (link)

Jo thinks that over as Jon's words remind her of something her father said once.

I told your mother once that Clark Kent is who I am. /Superman/ is what I can do.

She would have to remember that in the future. For now, she wanted to enjoy her birthday.

"Are you hungry?" she asks, looking over to her brother. "I know this awesome place in Mexico that does four-alarm nachos that are to /die/ for."

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	first_son 2011-06-04 05:16 pm UTC (link)
	"Yeah, I'm starving. And, hey, its your birthday, anything you want, my treat." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	maidofmight 2011-06-04 05:20 pm UTC (link)
	"Sweet. I'll race you to Ciudad Juarez." she says. "On three." "One...two..." Jo leaps from the water tower and takes off, yelling "THREE!" behind her as she speeds off. Hey, Jon can /fly/. She needs the head start. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

first_son
2011-06-04 05:25 pm UTC (link)

Yes, Jon can fly. But that would be cheating. He grins at her stealing the head start - then drops to the ground and takes off after her on foot.

More to the point, even chivalry aside, Jon remains a big brother. By flying, or potentially even on foot, he might be able to beat her - but that's not the point. He keeps it close, right up by her shoulder as they cross the 'finish' line, but Jo wins - even as small children, she often did.

Back then, he usually let her win - because he's the big brother, and seeing the joyful expression on her face when she was faster than her big brother was much, much better than winning.

Did he let her win this time? Maybe, maybe not. He'll certainly say he gave it his best, and she was just faster, if asked. Either way, seeing her enjoy winning is still better than winning himself.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	dareyoutorun 2011-06-26 07:30 pm UTC (link)
	-(END)- (Reply to this)

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