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mithenTitle: Chapter One: A Real Boy
Pairing/Characters: Kal/Bruce, Kara, Zhon, Selina
Notes: "The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and enslave its people.
Rating: G
Word Count: 940
Summary: Kal leaves what used to be Gotham on his trip across the country with Bruce.
Dawn was just starting to gray the skies as Kal and Bruce made their way toward the southern bridge where they'd be meeting Zhon and Kara. Kal pushed at his glasses nervously--they seemed to keep sliding down his nose. Clark. I'm Clark now, he reminded himself. I'm a human slave named Clark, son of Jonathan and Martha of the Smallville Plantation. On my way to see my folks after a decade apprenticed to learn metalworking from John Henry in Metropolis.
He didn't feel like Clark, was the problem. He felt like Kal dressed up like a human. He wanted to be Clark, but he didn't know who Clark was.
He glanced over at Bruce, then felt a shock when he realized he could glance over at Bruce, that the other man wasn't following behind him as a slave was obliged to do.
"What are you smiling about?" Bruce's tone belied his words; it was oddly bouyant.
"I'm just...happy," Kal said.
"You're not going to make a very effective slave if you're grinning like that all the time." Bruce pondered a moment. "Though you may be able to convince people you're a half-wit."
Somehow this just seemed to make Kal's smile grow wider. "That might work."
Bruce made a huffing noise but didn't seem to lose the lightness to his steps either.
Zhon and Kara were standing in front of a large flatbed truck loaded with large and small boxes. The base of the old human bridge loomed above them, massive metal girders and stone blocks. They were deep in conversation as Bruce and Kal drew near. As Kal watched, Zhon gestured vehemently to make a point and Kara put out a calming hand, then let it drop before she actually touched him.
The realization broke in on him like a flash: They're in love. As the pair turned to greet them, Kal wondered why he hadn't been able to see it before: the hesitancy, the yearning, the constraint and affection. It had always been there, but it had never dawned on him until now. Yet now it seemed something he could see easily.
He wondered what had changed in himself to give him that kind of insight.
Zhon was holding something out. "The finishing touch," he said wryly. In his hands was a silver circlet. A slave collar.
Kal took it from him and turned it over in his hands, opening it. Then he handed it to Bruce. "Would you?"
Bruce stared at him a moment, then took the collar from him slowly, not breaking his gaze. He placed the collar on Kal's neck, then paused. "I can't close it," he said.
Kal grimaced. He reached up and put his hands on Bruce's, adding his strength until the slave collar clicked shut. "There," he said.
The metal was cold on his skin; Bruce's hands were warm. "Kal," Bruce said.
He smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Clark."
Bruce didn't return his smile, just looked at him a while longer before he dropped his hands. "Let's get going."
As they opened the doors to the truck, there was a sudden movement in the girders of the bridge above them, then a thump upon the hood of the truck as Selina landed solidly on the metal.
"Well well," she said as everyone froze. "What have we here?" She took in Kal's clothing and collar, and her eyes narrowed. "I heard you were leaving town, so I came to say goodbye." Her green-dusted whip grated lightly along the hood. "You really think putting on some glasses and a collar will make you a real boy, Pinocchio?"
Kal couldn't help but smile slightly, remembering the stories Alfred had told them both. "Does that make Bruce Jiminy Cricket?"
"Perhaps." Selina's lips curved as well, a smile with no humor in it. "But be careful, Bruce. In the original, Pinocchio kills the cricket."
"Enough." Zhon's voice cut in as Kal's smile vanished. "Why are you here, Selina?"
Selina pirouetted on the roof of the car. "To wish you luck on your trip? Or perhaps to congratulate Kal on his impending nuptials?" She smiled again, razor-sharp. "News travels fast that the little prince is to be wed to an Amazon princess. A fairy-tale wedding!" She clasped her hands in a parody of girlishness. "I do hope I'm invited."
"Selina," Kal said.
She dropped her hands and looked at him closely, the mock-coquettishness falling away. "The collar looks good on you." With a backspring and flip she disappeared into the rusting steel girders of the bridge. "It makes you look almost human," her voice floated back down.
Bruce stared after her. "Is Luthor going to be a problem?"
Zhon shook his head. "I do not think so."
Bruce cast him a slantwise look and nodded.
Kara sighed, her eyes troubled. "I'll cover for you while you're gone, tell my parents I've heard from you." She pulled Kal into a hug. "Safe travels, cousin." Zhon bowed as they got into the truck, echoing her.
Bruce started the engine and the truck moved forward, pivoting around to move onto the road and then the bridge. Morning fog lifted from the bay and shrouded the crumbling stone and steel.
"Almost human," Kal muttered to himself, and Bruce glanced at him, his face unreadable.
As they reached the middle of the bridge, the sun lifted over the horizon, light gilding the fog, turning the very air around them into a blaze of glory.
"Say goodbye to Gotham, Clark," said Bruce as they reached the other shore, moving west with the sun, away from the El plantation.
"Hello," Kal whispered, looking west out the window.
Pairing/Characters: Kal/Bruce, Kara, Zhon, Selina
Notes: "The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and enslave its people.
Rating: G
Word Count: 940
Summary: Kal leaves what used to be Gotham on his trip across the country with Bruce.
Dawn was just starting to gray the skies as Kal and Bruce made their way toward the southern bridge where they'd be meeting Zhon and Kara. Kal pushed at his glasses nervously--they seemed to keep sliding down his nose. Clark. I'm Clark now, he reminded himself. I'm a human slave named Clark, son of Jonathan and Martha of the Smallville Plantation. On my way to see my folks after a decade apprenticed to learn metalworking from John Henry in Metropolis.
He didn't feel like Clark, was the problem. He felt like Kal dressed up like a human. He wanted to be Clark, but he didn't know who Clark was.
He glanced over at Bruce, then felt a shock when he realized he could glance over at Bruce, that the other man wasn't following behind him as a slave was obliged to do.
"What are you smiling about?" Bruce's tone belied his words; it was oddly bouyant.
"I'm just...happy," Kal said.
"You're not going to make a very effective slave if you're grinning like that all the time." Bruce pondered a moment. "Though you may be able to convince people you're a half-wit."
Somehow this just seemed to make Kal's smile grow wider. "That might work."
Bruce made a huffing noise but didn't seem to lose the lightness to his steps either.
Zhon and Kara were standing in front of a large flatbed truck loaded with large and small boxes. The base of the old human bridge loomed above them, massive metal girders and stone blocks. They were deep in conversation as Bruce and Kal drew near. As Kal watched, Zhon gestured vehemently to make a point and Kara put out a calming hand, then let it drop before she actually touched him.
The realization broke in on him like a flash: They're in love. As the pair turned to greet them, Kal wondered why he hadn't been able to see it before: the hesitancy, the yearning, the constraint and affection. It had always been there, but it had never dawned on him until now. Yet now it seemed something he could see easily.
He wondered what had changed in himself to give him that kind of insight.
Zhon was holding something out. "The finishing touch," he said wryly. In his hands was a silver circlet. A slave collar.
Kal took it from him and turned it over in his hands, opening it. Then he handed it to Bruce. "Would you?"
Bruce stared at him a moment, then took the collar from him slowly, not breaking his gaze. He placed the collar on Kal's neck, then paused. "I can't close it," he said.
Kal grimaced. He reached up and put his hands on Bruce's, adding his strength until the slave collar clicked shut. "There," he said.
The metal was cold on his skin; Bruce's hands were warm. "Kal," Bruce said.
He smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Clark."
Bruce didn't return his smile, just looked at him a while longer before he dropped his hands. "Let's get going."
As they opened the doors to the truck, there was a sudden movement in the girders of the bridge above them, then a thump upon the hood of the truck as Selina landed solidly on the metal.
"Well well," she said as everyone froze. "What have we here?" She took in Kal's clothing and collar, and her eyes narrowed. "I heard you were leaving town, so I came to say goodbye." Her green-dusted whip grated lightly along the hood. "You really think putting on some glasses and a collar will make you a real boy, Pinocchio?"
Kal couldn't help but smile slightly, remembering the stories Alfred had told them both. "Does that make Bruce Jiminy Cricket?"
"Perhaps." Selina's lips curved as well, a smile with no humor in it. "But be careful, Bruce. In the original, Pinocchio kills the cricket."
"Enough." Zhon's voice cut in as Kal's smile vanished. "Why are you here, Selina?"
Selina pirouetted on the roof of the car. "To wish you luck on your trip? Or perhaps to congratulate Kal on his impending nuptials?" She smiled again, razor-sharp. "News travels fast that the little prince is to be wed to an Amazon princess. A fairy-tale wedding!" She clasped her hands in a parody of girlishness. "I do hope I'm invited."
"Selina," Kal said.
She dropped her hands and looked at him closely, the mock-coquettishness falling away. "The collar looks good on you." With a backspring and flip she disappeared into the rusting steel girders of the bridge. "It makes you look almost human," her voice floated back down.
Bruce stared after her. "Is Luthor going to be a problem?"
Zhon shook his head. "I do not think so."
Bruce cast him a slantwise look and nodded.
Kara sighed, her eyes troubled. "I'll cover for you while you're gone, tell my parents I've heard from you." She pulled Kal into a hug. "Safe travels, cousin." Zhon bowed as they got into the truck, echoing her.
Bruce started the engine and the truck moved forward, pivoting around to move onto the road and then the bridge. Morning fog lifted from the bay and shrouded the crumbling stone and steel.
"Almost human," Kal muttered to himself, and Bruce glanced at him, his face unreadable.
As they reached the middle of the bridge, the sun lifted over the horizon, light gilding the fog, turning the very air around them into a blaze of glory.
"Say goodbye to Gotham, Clark," said Bruce as they reached the other shore, moving west with the sun, away from the El plantation.
"Hello," Kal whispered, looking west out the window.