Life with superheroes

Mike glanced at the two brothers still brawling and calmly stepped aside to answer his phone. He figured they couldn't harm each other too seriously in a short amount of time, so there was no need to worry.

"Hello, this is the Kent house."

"Mr. Kent! This is Clark's teacher. Clark just ran out of the classroom and locked himself in the utility room! No matter how much I call, he won't come out! Please come to the school quickly!" The teacher's voice was frantic, and she hung up without waiting for Mike's response.

A serious expression crossed Mike's face as he strode over to the two boys rolling on the ground, wrestling. Grabbing each one by the collar, he hoisted them both up with ease and spoke coldly, "You two, behave. I'll let Mary watch you for now—I have to step out."

Mary and Bob were fortunately at the farm today. The two boys, sensing Mike's stern mood, nodded quickly, understanding that Mike's current expression was one to avoid provoking.

After setting them back down, Mike quickly called for Mary, then jumped into his car and drove to the school as fast as he could.

When he arrived, the teacher was pacing nervously outside the classroom.

"Mr. Kent!" The teacher sounded relieved but still shaken. "Follow me, quickly!"

Normally, Clark was a well-behaved student, and this unusual behavior had the teacher deeply concerned.

Mike followed her through the hallway, and as they approached the utility room, Mike began to piece together the reasons behind Clark's sudden outburst. He had a good idea of what was happening.

They stopped at the door to the utility room, surrounded by curious children. Mike turned to the teacher and asked, "Could you take the kids away from here, please?"

The teacher, freckle-faced and wide-eyed, looked at Mike for a moment before she complied, ushering the children away.

Once the hallway was cleared, Mike knocked gently on the door. "Clark, it's me."

"Dad! Dad!" Clark's voice trembled with fear and confusion.

"It's me," Mike repeated, keeping his tone calm.

"Dad, my head… it's so noisy in my head! My head's going to explode!" Clark's voice was filled with panic.

Just as Mike suspected—Clark's abilities were growing, and with them, new powers were beginning to emerge.

"Clark, listen to me," Mike said, leaning against the door. "I need you to focus. Focus all your attention on my voice."

"I—I can't, Dad! I don't know how!" Clark's voice wavered between terror and despair.

"You can do this, Clark. Just listen to me and focus."

"I'm trying!"

Mike took a deep breath and began talking to Clark about the past, telling him stories to distract him from the overwhelming noise in his mind.

After several minutes, the door finally creaked open. Clark stood in the doorway, his face pale and his eyes filled with tears. As soon as he saw Mike, he rushed into his arms, burying his face in his father's chest.

"Dad!" Clark whimpered, clinging to him.

Mike knelt down and wrapped his arms around Clark, comforting him. "It's alright, son. You're okay."

Clark, still shaking, looked up at Mike and asked, "What's wrong with me? Am I sick?"

Mike smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from Clark's forehead. "You're not sick, Clark. You're perfectly healthy."

He stood up, lifting Clark in his arms. "Let's go home so you can get some rest."

Clark nodded tiredly, resting his head on Mike's shoulder as they left the school. Mike spoke with the teacher briefly, explaining that Clark needed a bit of time off. Once the formalities were settled, they headed back home.

Clark fell asleep on the drive, completely drained from the ordeal. When they arrived home, Mike carefully carried him inside.

As soon as Mike stepped through the door, Mary greeted him with visible relief. "Thank God you're back!" she exclaimed, clearly overwhelmed.

Mike glanced over at Eric and Charles, who were standing unusually still and quiet. Charles even straightened his clothes, trying to appear innocent.

"Brother!" Eric called out, spotting Clark in Mike's arms.

"Hush," Mike whispered. "Clark needs to rest."

Eric pouted, but before he could speak again, Charles quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, stifling any further noise.

"Mmph! Mmph!" Eric mumbled, his eyes widening in protest.

"Good job, Charles," Mike said, giving the boy a nod of approval.

Charles puffed out his chest proudly.

"Thank you for watching them, Mary," Mike said, offering her an apologetic smile.

Mary let out a deep sigh. "If you hadn't come back when you did, I think I would've lost my mind," she admitted.

Mike chuckled softly and headed upstairs with Clark in his arms. Once they were out of sight, Eric immediately peeled Charles's hand off his mouth and glared at him. "You're such a suck-up!" he accused.

Charles just smirked. "I'm smarter than you, that's all."

As Mary watched the exchange, she decided it was time to leave the Kent house for the day. These two boys were too much to handle.

Seeing Mary leave, Eric's grin turned mischievous. He balled up his little fists and fixed Charles with a determined look. "Okay, genius. Now use that smart brain of yours to guess what I'm going to do next."

Charles's eyes widened, and before Eric could make a move, he turned and bolted up the stairs, screaming, "Dad! Dad! Eric's going to hit me!"

Eric chased after him with a sneer. "Get back here!"

Upstairs, Mike heard the commotion, pressing a hand to his temple to ward off the headache that was quickly forming. He glanced down at Clark, who had stirred but not woken.

"It's okay," Mike whispered, gently patting Clark's head. "Go back to sleep."

Clark hummed softly, rolling over and drifting back into peaceful slumber.

Once Mike was sure Clark was settled, he stood up, his soft expression hardening as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. The loud thudding of footsteps from upstairs made his jaw tighten.

"Stop right there!" Mike's voice boomed through the house.

Eric and Charles froze on the spot, standing one in front of the other, their wide eyes darting toward the stairs. Both looked like they were contemplating escape.

"Dad! Eric's going to hit me!" Charles whimpered, putting on his best pitiful face.

Mike's eye twitched. Charles was turning into quite the little actor.

Eric scowled, fists clenched. "He's a suck-up, Dad! All he does is kiss up to you!"

Mike reached out and flicked Eric on the forehead. "Don't talk about your brother like that."

Eric pouted, rubbing his forehead, while Charles snickered quietly.

But Mike wasn't done. He flicked Charles next. "And you—you are a suck-up."

Charles stiffened, his smirk vanishing.

"Wow, Dad! You really said that?" Eric's eyes widened in mock shock.

Mike crossed his arms, face stern. "I'm the father. I can say whatever I want."

Eric instantly wilted under his father's gaze.

"Both of you, come with me," Mike said, heading toward their room.

Eric and Charles glanced at each other nervously, their gazes darting toward the stairs.

"Don't even think about it," Mike warned.

They sighed and followed him into their room. As soon as they entered, Mike's eyes twitched again at the sight of toys scattered all over the floor.

"These two…" he muttered to himself.

The boys pointed at each other simultaneously. "He did it!"

Mike crossed his arms and sighed. "I'll give you five minutes."

Without a word, the two boys scrambled to pick up the toys as fast as they could.

Watching them, Mike couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. They were smart kids, but also extremely mischievous. He had to be stricter with them than with Clark, or else the two would run wild.

Although they were twins, they didn't look much alike. Eric had sharper, more pronounced features, and his personality was brash and direct. He was fiery and impulsive. Charles, on the other hand, had softer features, and despite his innocent appearance, he was much more cunning and calculating.

Still, they were both adorable in their own way.

Mike rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Not bad. We're a good-looking family," he mused quietly.

As the boys finished cleaning, Mike coughed lightly, causing them to snap to attention.

Their mischievous antics were over—for now.