The Double K Farm for At Risk Youth - How it Starts

[stands_for_hope]

It had been a hard year for the Kents.

The loss of a father, a husband, had hollowed out mother and son, though thankfully they'd managed to make due on the farm between the both of them. But that was just the financial parts. The farm felt empty without Jonathon Kent, their home felt empty, and Clark...

Clark was so angry with everyone, with everything. It wasn't fair.

He could do so many things, so many things, but he hadn't been able to do anything when his father's heart had given out. He hadn't been able to do anything when Jonathon Kent had dropped dead in a field while Clark was at school. He'd just been there to get pulled into the office, take the phonecall from his mother.

It was doubly hard to go through his days now. Before, there'd been a bit of a barrier between the people who liked to tease him; Jonathon Kent had been respected and folks had looked out for Clark because of it. They still looked for him, but now it was more about sympathy and less of a willingness to put themselves between him and trouble.

That's why he was here. Twelve years old, pushed against a chain link fence, holding onto the fence pole for their sake as much as his own. Anger boiled up inside him, anger enough to make his eyes start to lighten to red, anger enough to make him want to do things he couldn't do, shouldn't do. Because people were mean and cruel and they picked on weakness like a pack of jackals, even if the weakness was feigned.

I can't do it. I can't hurt anyone.

It was like a screen door trying to hold back a tidal wave. He was shaking and his eyes were so hot. He just hoped he could hold on long enough for them to get bored. Long enough for someone to wander by. He just had to hold on.

Comments

[stands_for_hope]

Clark's eyes started to turn red for a second before he turned to look at all of them.

"You might wanna stand back a little. It's hot."

[longdaysknight]

Dutifully, they all took a step back, but Emin did point a handheld thermometer toward the panel as Clark stared at it, the laser beam giving no heat but giving him a measurement as to just what temperatures the metal would reach under Clark's gaze.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark breathed in deep and focused, feeling his reserves go straight into the beams of energy hitting the metal. At first, it heated but didn't appear to be doing much else. Then the metal turned red and slowly began to melt.

The first drop of steel to hit the ground set the grass on fire for a flare of a moment before the vacuum put it right back out again.

Then he pulled away and shook it off, letting his eyes go back to normal.

[longdaysknight]

The first sound was two younger voices going, "Whoa." The next were a few keystrokes on the computer. And then Bani said, "Now that's impressive."

"I think I remember you almost getting that bad before I beat those guys up," Bucky put in.

[stands_for_hope]

"Not quite that bad," Clark admitted with a little shrug, "but it's hot. I used it to make Ma a sculpture once from some river rocks."

Martha nodded along, smiling just a little.

"It was very pretty. I still have it on my dresser."

[longdaysknight]

"Now that's something I wouldn't have thought of doing," Michael admitted. "But I'm not much of the sculpture type. Unless it's that weird modern kind that Kitt hates."

And Kitt spoke from Michael's wrist, "Will someone please elbow him for me, since I can't reach him with my door?"

[stands_for_hope]

Martha did the honors with a little grin.

"All handled, Kitt, dear.'

Clark giggled and held up the slagged piece of metal for Meghan.

"That's as hot as I could go. It was starting to feel super warm on my fingers."

[longdaysknight]

Meghan took it carefully and, still amazed, shook her head - but it was a little telling that she wasn't upset. Anyone could tell by the tiny little fireworks going off around her head like a halo. "That was around as hot as... What was it, Emin?"

"Around half the temperature of the surface of the sun - you're stronger than you think, Clark."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark's eyes went wide.

"Really?"

[longdaysknight]

Meghan nodded, still looking happy - and Mike looked at him with amazement, but not a degree of fear.

"You're amazing," he murmured, a smile growing on his face.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark blushed pink and couldn't help but go over to Mike, wrapping around him in a tight hug.

[longdaysknight]

Mike laughed, grinned wide, and hugged him tight - and Bucky hugged the both of them.

"This is so great," he murmured. "Now you know what you can do."

[stands_for_hope]

He nodded slowly before turning to look at Meghan.

"Is there anything else?"

[longdaysknight]

They all shared a glance, and Meghan shook her head, grinning brightly as a particularly blue firework soundlessly sparkled above her head. "Nope! We didn't want to overwhelm you for one thing, and for another, well, we didn't know what all we should test. Do you want us to test anything specific?" Already, the equipment was starting to gather up except for the one laptop that was humming as it burnt a disk.

[stands_for_hope]

He shrugged.

"There's the cold stuff and the senses. It's not a big deal, though. And I'm sure people want dessert and that's more important."

[longdaysknight]

"We can work together," Meghan said, "to decide what you want to test and how we should test it. You know what you can do better than we do - but I do feel safe in telling you that right now, the people we've tested or have had reports of before aren't quite a match for you. Emin isn't as fast, Neala isn't as strong - but I think you could still work with Ahdri for your floating and flying."

[stands_for_hope]

He nodded slowly at that, clearly considering what he'd been told.

"The cold thing is just this," and he held up his finger and blew the tiniest little puff against it, creating a thin shell of ice. "And I mostly use it to keep the vegetables cool before market. The other stuff..." he shrugged before looking at Ahdri.

"I be she understands some. But mostly, I wanted to get tested because... because I wanted to know if you'd ever heard of anyone like me. I think I've learned okay how to handle it. I'm still figuring some things out but I haven't had an accident in a couple years."

Martha nodded.

"You've been very good, sweetheart."

[kolodnoykovki]

"He's been really careful," Bucky agreed. "But I think it's helped that he's had me around." And then, after glancing over, he added, "And Mike. We're on the same page a lot, me and Mike."

Mike nodded his agreement firmly. "No bullies."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark sighed just a little.

"Bullies can't hurt me. I don't worry about it that much."

[secondtry]

"It's not that kind of hurt," Mike said, shaking his head and lightly prodding Clark's chest over his heart. "It's this kind."

[stands_for_hope]

"They can't hurt me there either," he said with a meaningful look at Mike, then one at Bucky with a wide smile.

[secondtry]

Mike watched him - and then slowly smiled as Clark was swallowed into a two-sided hug.

[stands_for_hope]

Which got a giggle out of him as he was covered in hug. Martha couldn't help laughing happily.

[longdaysknight]

Michael went over, though, and started to nudge them all toward the house. "Y'know, Clark, I think these two might like you a little bit."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark grinned brightly... and hefted one in either arm before starting to carry them towards the house.

"I think they do too!"

Martha held back snickering.