Fic: Cracks in the Steel (Clark, Conner)
Title: Cracks in the Steel
Fandom: DC Universe
Characters: Conner Kent, Clark Kent, Martha Kent
Rating: PG
Words: 712
Summary: In times of great tragedy, even the invulnerable feel pain.
Author's Notes: Written for rai_daydreamer as part of help_haiti. Thanks for the donation! Deals with the current tragedy in Haiti, in a world where the superheroes of the DCU have pitched in to help.
Clark landed in the field of the Kent family farm, taking a minute to dust some of the grime off his sleeves. It had been days since he had rested, and while he didn't need to sleep regularly like most people did, it was enough to make his mind a little foggy. All the things he'd seen the last few days, trying to help those people...some times it seemed like even Superman couldn't make a difference. He hated leaving, even for a short time, but when he got Ma's call...well, it sounded like he was really needed here.
"Oh, Clark. I'm sorry to pull you away, but..."
"It's okay, ma." Clark said as he embraced his mother. "Hal and Barry will cover for me. You said it was about Conner?"
"He came back from his shift, and he just went into his room. He seemed...shell-shocked. I know this crisis needs everyone who can help, but he's just a boy, and - "
"It's why we're trying to keep the Teen Titans on limited shifts. Most of them have never been in a full-scale disaster like this before, and it can be really psychologically taxing. But even a short time there..."
"I know you've been in situations like this before, and..."
"Too many to count." Clark said sadly. "I'm glad you called. I'll talk to him."
"I wish I could help him, but..." Martha shook her head. "It's times like this I really wish I could do more. I donated what I could, but it feels so small."
"Believe me, ma..." Clark said sadly. "We all feel that way."
-----
Conner buried his head under his pillow, trying to sleep, but the images of the last few days wouldn't leave his mind. A part of him felt ashamed for feeling this way. After all, he got to go home to a standing house and a loving family. A lot of people didn't have that right now. He knew he should shake it off, go back to work, and do what he could to help, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to get out of bed.
His head shot up as he heard a knock at the door.
"Hey, Conner. Can I come in?"
"Clark? I figured you'd still be over there."
"I'm going to get back there as soon as I can, but I've got to make sure my family's doing okay, too." Clark sat down at the side of Conner's bed. "Ma told me you were having a pretty rough time dealing with this."
"Ugh." Conner groaned. "I feel really stupid complaining about this. I mean, it's not like my angst is the biggest problem facing the world right now."
"No, it's not...but that doesn't mean it doesn't matter. We might have unbreakable skin, but that doesn't mean we don't hurt. And the things you see in a disaster zone...it stays with you."
"It just feels like whatever we do, it's not enough! For everyone I save, there's ten we can't." Conner paused, breathing heavily. "I pulled a kid out of the rubble today. He was alive, but just barely. His parents are gone. I saved his life, but what's going to happen to him now?"
"I don't know. I wish I had all the answers...but it's times like this where I realized just how powerless even the strongest of us are. For all the villains we stop, nature can do more damage in five minutes than all of them, and all we can do is react, and try to pick up the pieces."
Conner nodded. "I should go back. Try to help more, and..."
"No one would blame you if you needed to take the night off, Conner. I know this job makes you grow up really fast, but you're still a kid. You deserve a rest."
"We beat death." Conner said with a slight smirk crossing his lips. "I think I blew past the 'still a kid' phase then."
Clark nodded. Conner may have been young, but he had a heart of steel. And it made a bigger difference than he believed. It might have been an overwhelming task, but with heroes on the ground, both powered and not, they would do what they could.
Fandom: DC Universe
Characters: Conner Kent, Clark Kent, Martha Kent
Rating: PG
Words: 712
Summary: In times of great tragedy, even the invulnerable feel pain.
Author's Notes: Written for rai_daydreamer as part of help_haiti. Thanks for the donation! Deals with the current tragedy in Haiti, in a world where the superheroes of the DCU have pitched in to help.
Clark landed in the field of the Kent family farm, taking a minute to dust some of the grime off his sleeves. It had been days since he had rested, and while he didn't need to sleep regularly like most people did, it was enough to make his mind a little foggy. All the things he'd seen the last few days, trying to help those people...some times it seemed like even Superman couldn't make a difference. He hated leaving, even for a short time, but when he got Ma's call...well, it sounded like he was really needed here.
"Oh, Clark. I'm sorry to pull you away, but..."
"It's okay, ma." Clark said as he embraced his mother. "Hal and Barry will cover for me. You said it was about Conner?"
"He came back from his shift, and he just went into his room. He seemed...shell-shocked. I know this crisis needs everyone who can help, but he's just a boy, and - "
"It's why we're trying to keep the Teen Titans on limited shifts. Most of them have never been in a full-scale disaster like this before, and it can be really psychologically taxing. But even a short time there..."
"I know you've been in situations like this before, and..."
"Too many to count." Clark said sadly. "I'm glad you called. I'll talk to him."
"I wish I could help him, but..." Martha shook her head. "It's times like this I really wish I could do more. I donated what I could, but it feels so small."
"Believe me, ma..." Clark said sadly. "We all feel that way."
-----
Conner buried his head under his pillow, trying to sleep, but the images of the last few days wouldn't leave his mind. A part of him felt ashamed for feeling this way. After all, he got to go home to a standing house and a loving family. A lot of people didn't have that right now. He knew he should shake it off, go back to work, and do what he could to help, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to get out of bed.
His head shot up as he heard a knock at the door.
"Hey, Conner. Can I come in?"
"Clark? I figured you'd still be over there."
"I'm going to get back there as soon as I can, but I've got to make sure my family's doing okay, too." Clark sat down at the side of Conner's bed. "Ma told me you were having a pretty rough time dealing with this."
"Ugh." Conner groaned. "I feel really stupid complaining about this. I mean, it's not like my angst is the biggest problem facing the world right now."
"No, it's not...but that doesn't mean it doesn't matter. We might have unbreakable skin, but that doesn't mean we don't hurt. And the things you see in a disaster zone...it stays with you."
"It just feels like whatever we do, it's not enough! For everyone I save, there's ten we can't." Conner paused, breathing heavily. "I pulled a kid out of the rubble today. He was alive, but just barely. His parents are gone. I saved his life, but what's going to happen to him now?"
"I don't know. I wish I had all the answers...but it's times like this where I realized just how powerless even the strongest of us are. For all the villains we stop, nature can do more damage in five minutes than all of them, and all we can do is react, and try to pick up the pieces."
Conner nodded. "I should go back. Try to help more, and..."
"No one would blame you if you needed to take the night off, Conner. I know this job makes you grow up really fast, but you're still a kid. You deserve a rest."
"We beat death." Conner said with a slight smirk crossing his lips. "I think I blew past the 'still a kid' phase then."
Clark nodded. Conner may have been young, but he had a heart of steel. And it made a bigger difference than he believed. It might have been an overwhelming task, but with heroes on the ground, both powered and not, they would do what they could.