The clouds rush by, the sky ahead bursting by in a blue blur. The dark of space and the shine of distant stars and planets. I rush by the atmosphere, hitting space and turning, floating and flowing, watching the planet go by below.

I love it. I love flying. Softly listening to the Beatles in my earphones. It’s like the most special thing in the universe. Just floating and letting it all go. My white cape billows behind me slowly and almost weighted. I take out my earphones, listening. That’s when I hear them. Back home, all the people calling out their issues and I dart through the sky, the clouds rushing back to meet me. 

A little boy reaches up towards a tree, “Batman, come on! Come on down, Batman!”

“You named your cat Batman?” I ask, floating just above him. He’s wearing a Batman shirt, faded and cracked logo peeking out at me. I smile and float up, seeing a cute little black kitten scared and shivering on the branch.

“Okay… c’mere little guy…” I reach for him and he sniffs at my hand, bumping against it with a soft mew, “See? I’m not so scary now.” I gently pick him up and float down to the kid. He smiles and takes little Batman from me.

“What’s your name?” I ask, smiling.

“Jake.” the kid says, in awe that it finally clicked that Superman saved his cat.

“Well Jake, take good care of Batman!” I turn and Jake blurts out.

“Do you have a cat too, Superman?!” 

“Well no, I have a dog named Krypto though.” There’s the memories of Smallville, running through the fields with my best friend. I look up towards the sky.

“He’s my best friend, and I want you to take good care of your cat. Make sure you give him a lot of love, okay?”

“Okay, Superman!”

Taking off again, there’s a little old lady loaded down with bags and ambling towards the other side of the street and I speed to her side, “Here, I’ll carry your things for you, miss!”

“Oh, that’s quite alright, Superman. I’m sure you’re busy.” The woman has a walker and she smiles up at me.

“Oh this? No, I’m not too busy. ‘Specially not too busy for people.” She laughs a little and I walk with her, my cape billowing as I wave at the people in cars. They forget their frustrations and almost wave back if not for the green light to flick on.

The old lady and I walk onward, “What’s it like, dear?” she asks.

“What’s what like?”

“Flying. I’ve always wondered.” she smiles and I notice she’s almost nostalgic in a way. That gives me a smile too, always happy to talk to someone.

“Well… it’s amazing. I could go to the moon, I could go anywhere in the world I could want. But, I always like it here.” I smile, “It’s all I’ve ever known, really.”

“If you were to go anywhere, you’d stay here?” she asks.

“Yeah. That’s-” Before I could finish a squad car speeds by and stops briefly.

“Superman! There’s a situation at a bank on 5th and East!” he yells at me. Of course, I could hear it but I appreciate the call.

“You got it! I’m on my way!” I salute and shoot into the air, flying right for where he said it’d be.

---

The woman stands tall in the middle of the bank, a duffel bag of cash slung over her shoulder. Wearing a bright red jacket and having long, flowing orange hair like fire. She's wearing a black dress that ends at the end of her thighs, red gloves and red boots.

"Superman! To what do I owe the pleasure of catching your attention?" she asks with a sly smile, I cross my arms.

"Put back the money, miss." I smile, "I hate fighting ladies, so don't make me have to break that streak."

"Aww, so concerned!" she lashes out her hands and flames jet out from them, I close the distance in seconds, the bag bursting into sending its money fluttering through the air. I sweep up the rest of it and plunk it down on the teller's desk.

"See? You can't win, Miss..." I sigh, "Listen, it'd just be easier to tell-" she cuts me off with a huge burst of flames, I cross my arms and my suit takes the brunt of it. That's definitely gonna hurt.

"Call me Volcana, sweetie!" she calls back with that same smile, her glimmering orange eyes distracting me because what the hell am I supposed to do? I can't fight her head on!

I loop around and get in close, grabbing her wrists gently, "Listen, Miss Volcana. I really, really don't wanna fight you." 

Her cheeks redden, but she smiles and fire flashes from her, blasting me back before she cuts her losses and takes off with me lagging behind. We fly almost neck and neck with the flames streaking by me.

I don’t put a lot of speed into it. My goal is to tire her out, not fight her at all. Firebolts whiz by me, twisting back around but I turn on a dime, the flames passing harmlessly by me but not towards a billboard, burning right through it. Blowing on it, I fly on, going straight up as Volcana follows me, almost swirling flames around me, but I barrel my way through them no problem. It’s actually getting really fun! Volcana and I dart and dance through the air.

She grins and I outrun her, with her catching up and the sun’s ahead of us. The clouds far below. She pants and floats gently towards me.

“What the- Wow, you…” she huffs, leaning against me, “Sheesh…” that’s when I remember looking at the sun.

“Oh shit!” I squeak, “Uh… Volcana, just ah… turn yourself in, okay?”

She watches as I zoom away but that's for good reason. She wouldn’t be happy I tired Volcana out, she likes it when I fight my villains! Shit shit shit!

---

Lexcorp is shaped like a giant L. If ego had a name, Lex Luthor was it. But my girlfriend is kind of the same. The clean, almost way too sterile hallways and plain white walls make it look all kinds of futuristic. All I could think of was how late I’d be and how much she’d be mad at me. But on my way over I grabbed some flowers I picked myself. Of course leaving enough for other people because that’s kind of dumb to take them all.

"Whew! I made it, Lexia!" I exclaim with a smile as my girlfriend stares over her desk at me. Her dark eyes narrow slightly as she pulls a comb through her slightly messy short red hair. Perfectly wavy once again, she crosses her black nailed fingers and glares at me.

She's wearing a suit, black jacket and silver tie, smart looking skirt, and everything with clean and perfect lines. Orderly no matter what. I grin and thrust the bouquet towards her. She doesn’t even bother taking it.

"You're late, Superman."

"Superman? Call me by my name, please?" I ask, putting it in a vase.

Lexia rises and clicks over on her heels, "I will call you by your name if you do one thing right. One little thing."

"But Lex-"

"Adatata..." she puts her finger on my lips, "No. You didn't do that right. You were supposed to subdue her through violent methods."

"But she would've hurt more-" Lexia sighs and squeezes my shoulder, that usually means shut up. I crumble a little.

"Okay..." I sigh, falling quiet. Dad would've hated this for me. He'd come in and tell her to knock it off, I bet. Mom too if she didn't have the Planet in her back pocket. Alexandria Luthor has the entire city, every bit of it, in her hands.

Including me.

"A little loss of life would mean more money for me, you know that." Lexia kisses me on the lips briefly, "When I tell you to stop, you stop. When I tell you to fight, you fight. You're my Superman."

I can't help but have a sting in my eyes from the tears I want to cry but that only makes her worse. Lexia gently touches my cheek.

"Aaron, darling, don't cry." she huffs, “It’s only 

I want to. I want to so badly. Maybe I could go on the moon later and cry? Go to Mom and cry? I wanna cry. I wanna scream. I wanna hit things! Because this isn't right! This whole thing.

"Can... can I take a minute?"

"Sure, but hurry back." she walks back towards her desk, "We have a gala tonight and they're expecting you in your suit."

"Again?"

"Yes."

I bolt. I don't want that. I don't want this. I want to fly further and faster, maybe turn back time if I fly fast enough. Lexcorp falls away from my feet as tears run down my cheeks, I know where to go. I know where I could think without her. Where I could be safe. Of course it's nowhere in town, but I just... I need him. I land in front of his gravestone and sit.

"Hey Dad. I... I miss you." I start, "I stopped a robbery! I know all you hear about is cats and cars and fires, disasters too." A smile grows on my face.

"Oh? My tears? Well... Lexia... She almost made me fight someone today. But I flew the lady out of town and talked her down. I mean I got a little singed but-" I shut my mouth and touch the stone.

"What would you do, Dad? I'm scared Lexia's gonna shut down the Planet and I can't just break up with her because then it'd be like you and Lex all over again." I almost wish he was like Grampa Jor-El. Like a hologram. Just so I can talk to him and get answers.

It's like he's God but in a bad way because he's just a guy. Dad'd get this thinking look on his face, graying eyebrows furrowing and his finger on his chin, probably pace a little. I have all this power but I'm too scared to break up with a woman.

"I just wish you were here, Dad. You always knew what to do, and what to say, and... and you were everything to me. Now everyone is looking at me the same way." I curl into a little ball, "I miss you. I know I already said that but it's the truth!"

I look up at the ambering sky. The shining city so far away as I sit next to him. It's peaceful. The sun lowers, and I have to get back. So I jet off and get back in my suit just in time, straightening my tie and finally being able to get out of my Superman suit. Even though I hate going to these things, sometimes Grayson's there just kinda brooding in the corner. Wayne, not Nightwing. My best friend in the entire world. He always makes it better because he's not like me.

Lexia comes out of our bathroom, dolled up for tonight with her red hair in wavy curls, "Superman, do me a favor and don't bumble around tonight. And if that insufferable little Wayne and his anti-establishment save the whale's girlfriend are there, DON'T talk to them."

"Alright..." I sigh, wishing I could be anywhere but here. Lexia grins and wraps her arms around one of mine, walking with me out into the world, instead of taking a car and bothering Mr. Graves about it, I scoop her into my arms and fly off towards the gala hall. She clings to my neck, hair billowing behind her with a smile. Almost like she’s smug, like she won. And in a way she did. She has the entire city dancing in the palm of her hand. Everything works like clockwork.

But flying with Volcana, racing her? It made me feel alive. Like those days where Dad and I would fly, Mom in his arms as we all went somewhere else for dinner than Smallville or Metropolis. But right now, I step into the glitz and glam of Metropolis’s high life, Lexia’s smile goes from smug to actually genuine. In those moments she’s beautiful. The way she grabs my hands, and I dance with her midair.

We play as the nation’s best power couple. Second only to whoever Grayson’s covering his pain with. But Lexia plays to them, and I do too. Despite the cries I hear of people who want me to save them. That’s when one blasts me out of the act, sending everything into shards. I bolt out of the room, the window opening out of my way and I rip towards the danger like a white and gold bottle rocket. Lexia yells after me.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”

“Someone needs to help, and that’s me!” I snap to myself, she can’t hear me but I can sure hear her trying to save the PR nightmare I just caused her. What happened was the biggest explosion I’ve ever seen, people running from a stage that had a bunch of younger kids around it, a lady with long electric blue hair standing straight up turns towards me…

Goddammit, it’s Livewire! Electricity builds around me and I just barely rush through the bolts, Leslie grins.

“How’dya like that, Supes?!” she snaps, “Welcome back to the limelight!”

“I never left, Leslie!” I yell back, trying to not get shocked. This is an almost weekly thing. She shows up, does some damage, maybe overloads a grid or two, but there’s something even more wrong about it.

Fire jets out of nowhere and there’s Volcana! Oh shit, this is gonna get messy. She stands there, flames in her hands as Leslie flashes up next to her. That’s not normal. Leslie isn’t a team player, in fact I don’t even know how she has-

“Fire and Lighting, nice right?” she asks, “I mean, not too shabby but ah what the hell?” she sparks, “We’re gonna take you out, Superman!”

Volcana, Livewire, and I all stare at each other almost like High Noon was on. Tensing, trying so hard to not jump the gun too early… steady… steady… We start and I blitz through their attacks, looping through the air and right back at them.

Lexia’s voice is heard just in the distance.

“Oh Aaron, you know I love you. But this? Let this be a lesson to you.” There’s an odd green glow as I double over. My powers are slowly slipping away…

Kryptonite!

“Remember your place, Superman…” Lexia snarls.

Livewire and Volcana advance and I flinch, throwing up a block just so I can ward them off. This isn’t normal. This isn’t right. Superman isn’t supposed to be like this! I grit my teeth and take the fire and lightning, my suit singing and my body going all tingly and numb.

Lexia will always have me under her thumb.

---

This has been a fun little labor of love! I'm not as well-versed in Superman, but if you want updates and a look into other fics that you might enjoy, check out the Warehouse Discord Server! Where I've been hanging out and pontificating and bloviating about my DC and TLOK fics!

https://discord.gg/8UaMA4bqKZ

I can't wait to see you guys there! But now that that's over, I want to say thank you all so much for reading this and don't be afraid to give feedback, just don't be a jerk about it and I will update whenever chapters get done, because I have more than just this I'm working on!

Anyway, see you next time for another high flying adventure of Aaron Kent, Superman!