By Sparki <SisSparki@aol.com>
Rated: G
Submitted: June 2002
Summary: A lighthearted story about Lois and Clark/Superman's oldest son, who is proving to be a "Chip off the Old Clark."
Feedback and comments welcome at SisSparki@aol.com
***
Clark and Lois Lane Kent were watching TV when Lois spied a small blur flying overhead. Lois turned to her husband.
"Clark, what was that?"
The blur whizzed past again.
"It couldn't be — " Clark said.
The blur sped by again.
"It's a bird!" said Lois.
"It's a plane," said Clark.
The Kents heard childlike laughter coming from the blur.
"It's MARTIN!" Lois and Clark said in unison. Lois plucked her infant son from thin air and cuddled him in her arms, admiring the soft, dark, downy hair, the smooth pink skin, the sparkly brown eyes so like Clark's. Their miracle baby. Dr. Klein said that Clark and Lois would never have a child, but when Clark was exposed to Kryptonite, conception was possible, and now they had little Martin, the light of both their hearts. Baby Martin Kent, named after Clark's mother Martha, looked just like his daddy. Now, he was just like his daddy in another way.
"My boy flew!" Clark exclaimed, a huge smile decorating his handsome face. "A chip off the old block!"
"He's a Kent, all right," said Lois, hugging the baby, who wriggled out of his mother's arms and sped around the room again, laughing.
FIVE YEARS LATER…
The Kents were in the kitchen. Clark was feeding his baby son Gordon a bottle. Lois was baking cookies. Three-year-old Clarkie — Clark Junior — was scribbling in a coloring book. Martin, the Kents' oldest boy, was doing his kindergarten homework. The phone rang, and Lois answered it.
"Yes," she said. "Yes." Pause. "I see." Pause. "The matter will be dealt with."
Lois hung up the phone and shooed the two older boys upstairs to play. Martin flew upstairs and Clarkie, who had inherited his dad's super speed but not his ability of flight, zoomed up after his big brother.
Lois turned to her husband.
"Clark, that was Mrs. Stradlater, Martin's teacher," she said. "Apparently, Martin has been telling his classmates he's superman, and Mrs. Stradlater thinks he's lying."
Clark placed Gordon in his high chair and stood up to face his wife.
"Mrs. Stradlater thinks Martin is WHAT?"
"She thinks Martin is making up stories about being the son of Superman."
"That old biddy!" Clark snapped. "Lying! I'll show you who's lying!"
***
Next morning in the kindergarten class at Metropolis Elementary School found little Martin Kent and his classmates shooting the breeze.
"My daddy flew me to school this morning," he stated. "He's Superman, and he flew me here faster than a speeding bullet."
"Yeah, right," said little Kathryn Reeves. "Martin, you're a big fat liar. Your father isn't either Superman."
"He is so," said Martin indignantly. "And I'm gonna be a superhero just like him when I grow up."
"Martin Kent, your daddy is not Superman," said young Tommy Cain.
"He is so."
"Is not," chimed in five-year-old Nanci Hatcher.
"Is so."
"Is not."
"Is so."
Soon, Martin and his playmates began yelling at each other, and Mrs. Stradlater walked briskly to the corner of the room where the shouting match was taking place.
"What is going on here?" she demanded to know.
"Martin's starting about his daddy being Superman," whined Tommy Cain.
Mrs. Stradlater turned to Martin, her hands on her hips.
"Martin, what did I tell you?" she snapped. "Make-believe is nice for games, but you shouldn't try to get people to really believe something that is not so."
"But it isn't make-believe."
"Martin."
"It isn't."
"Martin Kent, I don't want to hear another word about your father and Superman," she said. "Now come along. It's sharing time."
The children gathered in a circle, and one by one, the children showed and/or told about items of interest.
"And what did you bring to share, Martin?" asked Mrs. Stradlater.
A tall, handsome man wearing a suit and glasses walked into the classroom.
"This is my daddy!" said Martin.
"Martin brought his father to share," said Kathryn Reeves.
Mrs. Stradlater rolled her eyes.
"Hello, Mr. Kent."
"This is my daddy." Martin announced. "His name is Clark Kent. He's a news man. He puts the news in the newspaper."
Clark Kent described his job at the Planet.
"But that's not all."
He spun around and appeared before the children and teacher sporting his tights, cape, slicked-back Superman hairstyle, and the S on his chest.
"I told you he was Superman," said Martin triumphantly.
"That's just a costume," said little Joanne Schuster. "He's not really Superman."
"Who else but Superman could do this?" said the superdad, flying around the room. Young Martin zoomed off and flew beside his father as the children and Mrs. Stradlater stood there gaping in amazement.
"I'm sorry, Martin," the teacher said meekly. The children apologized too.
***
Later, Martin and his dad were taking a walk when they saw little Katrina Harris from down the block, a playmate of Martin's. She was crying.
"My kitten is stuck in a tree and I can't get her down!"
Martin flew up into the tree, got the kitten out, and handed the fuzzy creature to his friend.
"Thank you, Martin."
Martin turned to his father.
"I guess I'm a superhero too, Dad."
"Yes, you are."
***
At the dinner table that night, Clark told Lois about Martin's rescue. Lois smiled at her two super guys.
"You know what they say," she said. "Like father, like son."
THE END