Superman: Soldier [DC Antiverse]

The Kents

I watch an elderly woman working in a kitchen and a man sitting in a chair.

"Are you sure she will have enough money, Jonathan?" An elderly woman asks.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much, Martha. I am sure your sister will manage just fine," An elderly man says.

I walk slowly away from the house. Suddenly I hear something click.

"Turn around," a deep voice says.

I slowly turn around and see the man standing with a weapon of some kind in his hand. I quickly take the weapon from his hand.

"What is this? Some kind of weapon?" I ask, studying the weapon.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

I see a trigger at the back of the weapon. I pull the trigger and suddenly it releases a loud bang and something hits me. I look down and see a small object that flew out of the weapon. I look at the man who has a look of awestruck on his face.

"What?!"

"That bullet flew off of you like it was nothing."

"Is that what that is? Interesting."

The woman comes out of her house and sees us.

"Jonathan, who is that man and why is he holding your shotgun."

"You should have seen it, Martha, the bullet bounced off of him like it was nothing!"

"You know you are too old to make up stories!  Now, why don't you come inside and I will cook something for you, honey."

"Martha, we don't even know this boy?!"

"Don't you Martha me, Jonathan Kent!" Martha yells. She turns toward me. "Come inside, dear. You look starving!"

I head through the doorway and look around the house. It looks nice and cozy. I see picture frames of people that look just like the couple but younger. I guess these are pictures of them when they were young.

"I never asked you for your name, dear?" Martha asks, walking into the kitchen.

I don't pay attention to her at first. I am too busy looking around at the house.

"Oh, my name is Kal."

"Kal? That's an interesting name. I am Martha Kent and this is my husband Jonathan Kent."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Where are you from, Kal?"

"It's complicated."

"How complicated are we talking about?"

"Let's just say that I am not from anywhere around here. I am an alien."

Martha suddenly stops and looks at me.

"You're an alien?!"

I nod my head. I stare at Jonathan who looks like he is studying me.

"Well, that would explain how you were able to shoot yourself with a shotgun and not harm yourself."

I shrug my shoulders and turn my attention back to Martha who is still in awe.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just let me put this plate of food down on the table for you and we will keep talking."

I see Martha lay a plate of food on the table.

"Come and get it while it's hot."

I look at the food and examine it. It looks strange.

"What is this?" I ask, poking at it with the utensil in my hand.

"Meatloaf. It was my son's favorite."

I take a bite out of it. It leaves a delicious taste in my mouth.

"So what planet are you from?" Martha asks.

"I am from a planet called Krypton. I traveled here to escape the destruction of my homeworld."

"How did your planet get destroyed?" Jonathan asks.

"Our council, the leaders of Krypton, used the core of the planet for resources. However, we eventually expelled all of its energy and resources, causing it to become unstable. As a result, the instability of the core led to the planet's armageddon."

I continue eating.

"You're not afraid of me?"

"Why should we? You haven't attacked us and from what we have seen, you seem pretty peaceful."

"Thank you. I can be a little arrogant. You see, I was a soldier on Krypton before it blew up."

"My son was also a soldier."

"What is his name?"

"Clark. He was a good kid who was always willing to help others."

"Where is he now?"

The smile on her face disappears and gets replaced by a look of displeasure. I see tears falling out of her eyes.

"What's wrong with her?" I ask in a confused tone, glancing to Jonathan.

"It's nothing. It's just that our son left to serve in the military but died in action. He died saving a fellow soldier from a bomb explosion. He was awarded the Medal of Honor."

"I am sorry to hear that. I am a soldier also. He sounds like a hero."

"He was more than just a hero. He was a superman."