video; anonymous location

[andaway]

[Kal-El seems to be posting from a cafe in the water sector, judging by his surroundings. A cafe that has seen better days. Kal's face makes it obvious he wasn't expecting the cafe to be in such a state when he got there, seeing all this go on without being able to help is really hitting him hard.]

Superman here. I'm aware the rationing is the hot topic nowadays but there isn't... much I can do about that. I will do my best to help out Roger's food bank and if anyone needs me to do so don't hesitate to contact me but for now you will have to forgive me for deviating from the topic.

This last month I have noticed a lot of foreigners that happened to have powers with them that were... not sure what to do with them at best, outright scared of them at worse. I want to help with that.

I am a super-powered being myself, we are called 'metahumans' in my world. I was thinking maybe there should be some kind of... way for us to meet, to talk about our problems. To train each other if our powers are similar, to help us out when it's needed. I'm not sure where I was going with this but that... well, that was my suggestion.

[A little shrug and a smile] I would like to hear people's opinion in it?


[Private to Evandau]

I was told you were in charge of the rationing?

Comments

audio;

[shorttempered]

I don't need help with my powers, but if you need any help on the helping front, I could... help... with that. [That feels like the new record for saying "help" in a sentence.]

I've got flight, super strength, super speed, and I have no idea what being able to hold your breath for hours at a time is called. Super diaphragms?

audio;

[andaway]

[What? No superhearing?]

I have always called it 'superbreath', but then again most of my powers are defined by simply adding 'super' in front of it. [True story.]

For how long have you had your powers, son?

audio;

[shorttempered]

[Go choke on a lemon.]

I dunno, superbreath just sounds like you can do something by breathing really hard.

A couple years. I got my powers at 17 so I'm considered a late bloomer... but I've exceeded everyone's expectations ever since.

audio;

[andaway]

[Rude.]

Well, I do that too. I make ice- but I call that Ice Breath. [He's really starting to see the way he names things might not be the best.]

Actually that's more or less when I got mine as well, but my cousin also got them earlier. I guess I'm a late bloomer myself.

audio;

[shorttempered]

.... Well that's... straightforward. [He gets why your name is Superman now.]

Oh good, I was worried you were going to disqualify me or something when you asked about my age.

audio;

[andaway]

I wasn't aware I had the authority to disqualify you. I'm no one's boss.

audio;

[shorttempered]

I meant about that mentoring thing. You are the one putting it together, so that makes you the boss.

audio;

[andaway]

I'm merely suggesting the idea, and offering my help if anyone needs it. I'm hardly the boss.

So you have had your powers for years?

audio;

[shorttempered]

No offense, but you should probably consider yourself the boss. I'm not saying you have to be a jerk about it or anything, but if this thing gets off the ground it'll need some kind of leadership.

About... two years now.

audio;

[andaway]

I'll do my best to keep things organized, but I'm planning on pretty much let everyone do its thing. ...As long as that 'thing' isn't dangerous, I'm not stupid.

Then you must be pretty experienced.

audio;

[shorttempered]

Still, I think a little more structure is probably in order there.

[Thanks for that confidence boost, Supes. Even after everything he did, he still feels like an amateur.] I guess. I've seen a lot in those two years.

audio;

[andaway]

[Kal smiled a sad smile to himself, not that Mark could see it. He was working on being less condescending when it came to kids and teens but...]

I'm sorry to hear that. I wish people so young didn't have to deal with that kind of thing.

audio;

[shorttempered]

[You wouldn't be the first, Kal.]

I've been "dealing with that kind of thing" for as long as I can remember. My dad... was... a superhero too.

audio;

[andaway]

[Was. Either he retired or... well. Died. And Kal thinks there are better ways to find out which one it is without asking, which could make the kid sad.]

You got your powers from him then?

audio;

[shorttempered]

[And turned supervillian. And then reformed. Needless to say he isn't welcome on Earth.

Mark nods.] Yeah. It's a genetic thing.

audio;

[andaway]

Some sort of metahuman gene perhaps? [They do have that in his world.]

audio;

[shorttempered]

Err... no. I'm half-alien. [So not mentioning Viltrumite unless he has to.] My dad wasn't from Earth. My mom's totally normal.

audio;

[andaway]

Oh, really? [So that's what a son between Lois and himself would be like?]

Can I ask your father's heritage then? Or would that be rude?

audio;

[shorttempered]

[Yes, pretty much.

Damn it, Clark.] I... can't pronounce it.

Sorry.

audio;

[andaway]

[A little 'hum' of understanding.] That's alright, I was only curious.

I am fully alien so I was wondering what other alien offspring would look so humanoid.

audio;

[shorttempered]

Wait. You are? For real?

audio;

[andaway]

Yes, Kryptonian. I know I look mostly humanoid so it's hard to tell until I use my powers though.

audio;

[shorttempered]

My dad's race is humanoid too. I think my dad once said our race was something like a 99% match to humans.

Sorry, I've never heard of Krypton. Then again I don't know too many, no matter how many times I've been in space...

audio;

[andaway]

It's- it's not a planet anymore. It imploded shortly after I was born. [You'll have to forgive him for changing the subject. He's a) way more interested in what Matt just said about his heritage and b) talking about Krypton always makes him sad.]

99% match is an incredibly big match for two separate species. Are you sure Humans and your father's race don't have anything to do with each other?

audio;

[shorttempered]

[WHOOPS. Good job, Mark. I'm sorry.

Not that we--I--know of. Honestly I barely know anything about the--aliens.