The Press Conference

By Folc4evernaday (folc4evernaday@gmail.com)

Rated: G

Submitted: June 2018

Summary: Jon Kent reflects on how the world has changed after his
father's revelation to the world. This story picks up after
"Throne of Lies."

Story Size: 1,172 words (6Kb as text)

This story continues on from the story "Throne of Lies."

***

"I am Superman," the confession escaped his father's lips from
the handheld screen in Jon Kent's hand. A smile spread across
his face as he watched his dad disappear into a blur of red, blue
and yellow.

'*It's out,'* he thought to himself, staring at the screen in
awe. After so many years of hiding, his family's biggest secret
was finally out.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, letting out a shaky breath.
He and his sisters had spent the last ten years trying to
convince their dad it was time for Superman to step out from
behind the glasses and cape and tell the world the truth, but the
fear that had been ingrained in him for so many years kept him
from making that final leap of faith.

A lot had changed in the past eighty years. There were no longer
any super-villains bent on taking over the world out there to
test Superman and those he cared about. There was actually a lot
less for Superman to do around the world outside of his nightly
patrols and the occasional natural disaster and international
politics.

A smile spread across his face when he recalled the day his Uncle
Perry had been sworn in as president. No one expected him to win.
He'd gone against some of the sleaziest politicians and corrupt
individuals and won the presidency by a landslide. Just as he had
with Mayor and Governor. After retiring from the Planet he and
his wife, Alice, had decided they wanted to do more than just
write about the corruption in the world but to find a way to fix
it.

In a way, many of his parents' friends had done something to
help fight the corruption that had plagued the world for so long.
Uncle Jimmy had become Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet and
continued to fight against political corruption that often forced
the media to take sides on issues instead of reporting on the
truth. The Daily Planet was still one of the top-selling
newspapers in the world thanks to Jimmy's ability to get the
paper published online and branching it out into a news network
as well.

His parents had worked tirelessly to fight against the corruption
for years. It seemed like once one corrupt philanthropist was
exposed, then another would pop up. That was until Uncle Perry's
first run as mayor. Many laws were put in place to give the power
back to the people of Metropolis and keep corruption out of City
Hall. With it came the official dismantling of Intergang.

That had been a family effort. How Mindy Church had continued to
run the criminal organization from Switzerland of all places he
still wasn't sure, but her face when Superboy and Superman
escorted her into the Metropolis P.D. had been priceless. It was
one of his favorite memories.

There had been the debate when he was first developing powers on
whether he should don the cape and 's' or not. Understandably
his parents had both been apprehensive at the idea of him, and
eventually both his sisters, fighting criminals the way their
father had for so many years. Eventually, he'd talked them into
it with the stipulation of school being the focus.

Granny Kent had been so excited to create a new costume for him.
Unlike his father, his suit didn't have the bright primary
colors but instead the darker tones he favored with the familiar
'S' emblem in red sewn across the chest. When Lara had begun
her crime-fighting, she'd taken on their mother's former alias
of Ultrawoman, changing the color scheme to red and blue.

Their younger sister, Hannah, hadn't inherited the gift of
flight but had inherited the unique ability of telekinesis. She
had yet to don an official super alias but was always around to
help when needed.

"Jon?" He looked up, seeing his wife, Rachel, with their
sleeping three-year-old son in her arms. "Your dad's here."
She gestured to the window where his dad was standing in a
button-down shirt and jeans.

"No cape?" he teased, looking at his dad's attire. It was rare
he saw him like this without the glasses and without the cape -
outside of his own home anyway.

"Didn't see the point," his dad remarked with a wry
expression.

Jon looked at his front door and gave a smirk, "Well, so far Lex
Luthor hasn't come back from the dead, Intergang is still gone,
and I haven't seen as much as a paparazzi show up here."

"It helps that you live somewhere reclusive and no one knows
where to find you," his dad retorted.

"Lara hasn't called," Jon grinned. "You know if they showed
up there she'd be all over me about it."

"I might have threatened the press," his dad looked down
sheepishly.

"Of course you did," Jon smirked. There was a silent lull
between them before he turned and asked him, "How are you?"

"I knew it would happen eventually but I just never imagined
I'd be around to see it." His father's response hung in the
air and Jon recalled the stories his mother had told him of H.G.
Wells and time travel.

"Utopia," Jon reasoned aloud.

"Not exactly how I imagined it."

"It never is," Jon placed a hand on his dad's shoulder.
"How's mom?"

"You know your mother. She's worried about you three." His
dad's face cracked into a half smile. "But given this was your
idea there's not much to worry about is there?"

"It was time, Dad," Jon reminded him gently. "It was time
everyone knew the man behind the cape and glasses."

"New beginnings," his dad let out a shaky breath.

"Should prove to make things interesting," Jon added. "Now you
don't have to traipse around in that ridiculous costume. You can
just be yourself. No more hiding."

"A world that knows Superman and Clark Kent are one and the
same. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet."

"Well look on the bright side," Jon reasoned aloud, sharing a
grin with his dad.

"What's that?"

"They took it a lot better than mom did when she figured it
out."

***

From a distance a man in a bowler hat stood on the street,
staring at the coverage of the recent news that was splashed
across every paper in the local newsstand. The news circuit had
picked up the revelation and run with it over and over again.

"I am Superman."

The words were the mark of something new and exciting for the
world that was being formed. It had been worth the wait to see
the birth of a world that would become known as Utopia.

He pulled out his watch and looked at the time. "Right on
time," he said to himself.

THE END