A Long Day

I woke up and took a moment to just lay there, using that time to organize my timetable for the day. I had my chores around the farm and the farmer's market to prepare for. Oh, and there's another creep with the powers of a collection of bugs who is going to pop up, but I'll leave him to Clark to figure out. I got to work, and in thirty minutes, the crops were watered, the animals were fed, the chicken coop was cleaned, breakfast was ready, the house was tidy, and I was heading into the shower. "Thank you, superspeed," I thought to myself as I enjoyed a well-deserved hot shower. I stepped out and got dressed before heading downstairs.

"Morning," I said to Mom, who was eating breakfast, and Dad, who was reading the morning paper.

"Morning, son. Is your brother still asleep?" Dad asked.

I chuckled, "I don't know why a kid who was raised on a farm has trouble getting up before six in the morning."

"Clark, we're leaving for the farmers market in thirty minutes," Mom yelled upstairs to wake Clark up.

"You know you shouldn't keep doing all of this by yourself every day, honey. Get Clark to do it from time to time," Mom said, completely forgetting about grounding me.

"Do you have plans today, son?" Dad asked, putting the paper down.

"I was thinking I'd join you at the farmers market today," I replied. They both looked surprised.

"I'm glad you've decided to join us, son, but why the change? You've never wanted to go before."

"Well, I just finished writing my second album, and since I'm going to have to leave for Metropolis for a while, I figure we can spend more time together."

"Honey, that's great! But what about school?" Mom asked.

"Mom, unlike Clark, I don't use my super speed for reading articles about strange things online. I can be in a coma for a decade and still catch up in a month," I replied.

"Hey, hey, what's with the friendly fire?" Clark said, coming down the stairs.

"Because it's true, lil bro," I said, sitting him at the table and serving him a plate of sausage, eggs, and toast. "You should stop calling me that. You know, We're the same age," he said, tearing into his meal.

"If you really hate it that much, I'll stop... I'll call you lil sis instead," I said and leaned away from him as he reached his greasy hand my way playfully.

"Can I listen to the new album?" Clark asked hopefully.

"Of course," I said, and he brightened. "When it comes out, like everyone else," I continued, and he deflated. Mom just laughed at our antics.

"We should get started on-" Dad began, but I cut him off.

"The crops are watered, chicken coop clean, livestock is fed, and the produce is loaded onto the truck. Learn to take a break once in a while, Dad," I said, and he gave me a pointed look. "I've been taking a break ever since you kids started competing with chores," he said.

"Percy, son, I understand that you want to lighten the load on us, but you shouldn't take the whole family's burden and shoulder it alone." he continued.

"Dad, I promise if the load gets too heavy, I'll let you guys know. But what I want to know is why Clark is looking so down," I said, shifting attention from me.

Clark looked surprised and reluctant but finally spoke, "This morning when I woke up, I... I was kinda floating," he said after a bit of deliberation.

Mom and Dad looked a bit confused, but I spoke, "That's wonderful news, Clark!"

"It is?" He and our parents asked in unison.

"I didn't want to keep it from you any longer, but I didn't want you feeling bad if it didn't manifest in you. Come outside, let me show you," I said, and Clark, Mom, and Dad followed me out. They looked around but couldn't find me.

"Up here," I said, in flight. They looked shocked, and Clark looked scared.

"Percy, you know I don't like heights," he said, seeing my raised eyebrow.

I swished and twirled in the air as I comforted him, "Don't worry, Clark. That was just a manifestation to show you that you have the ability. It could be years until the ability is strong enough for you to actually achieve it."

"How bout it, Mom? Want a ride?" Mom chuckled nervously, looking up at me as I hovered overhead.

"Oh, I don't know about that, dear. Heights aren't really my thing either."

Dad gave her an encouraging nudge. "Come on, Martha. It's a rare opportunity. Besides, Percy will keep you safe."

I nodded reassuringly. "Absolutely, Mom. You're in good hands."

With a hesitant smile, Mom agreed, and I descended gently, extending my arms for her. She grabbed hold of my wrists, and I slowly lifted her off the ground. The sensation was new for her, and she clung to me tightly, her eyes closed.

"Okay, Mom, open your eyes," I said softly. She did, and her gasp of amazement made me grin. I floated her around the farm, showing her the view from above, the lush fields, and the distant horizon.

"It's incredible, Percy," she said, her fear replaced with wonder. "I've never seen the farm like this."

Dad watched us with a proud smile, and Clark stood below, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and worry.

After a few more minutes, I gently descended and let Mom down. She embraced me tightly, a mixture of emotions on her face. "Thank you for showing me this, Percy. It's something I'll never forget."

"You're welcome, Mom," I said, patting her back. As we all gathered on the ground, Mom still had a radiant smile on her face.

Clark looked both amazed and envious. "It's incredible, Percy. But why don't I have these powers?"

"Don't worry, Clark. It's just a matter of time before yours manifests."

With that settled, we loaded into the truck and hit the road. The farmer's market was bustling with activity. Smallville residents browsed our produce, and Mom's homemade jams were a hit. My parents and Clark greeted familiar faces, introducing me to those whom I hadn't met yet.

Throughout the day, I noticed the curious glances and whispered conversations among the locals. It seemed like my public emergence had already become a hot topic. I didn't mind. I saw familiar faces from school. Pete and Chloe came by and helped with the stall as Chloe grilled me about my life and my reason for being out of the public eye for all the time I'd lived in this town. Lex came by, much to my father's agitation.

"Hey, Percy," he said from afar as he made his way closer.

"Lex," I said, tossing him an apple from the boxes. He caught it and took a bite just as he caught sight of my grimacing father. Not to be deterred, Lex extended his hand in greeting. "Mr. Kent, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said. Dad shook his hand and busied himself with moving empty boxes from one place to another, clearly not comfortable with Lex's presence. I chuckled before pointing at Clark. "See that mopey kid staring at the girl making out with the jock? He's my brother, Clark as you can see I have both the looks and the smarts in the family and he has all the heart." He chuckled "And here comes my mother, Martha," I said as I presented my mom, who was polite but a tad weary of Lex.

Lex, in turn, ordered a variety of produce and left. I noticed 'Bug Boy' creeping on Lana and also saw both Clark and Whitney take notice of it, so I paid it no mind. Chloe approached me and asked, "You like Lana too? I chuckled amused. "Why do you think that?" I asked.

"She's the prettiest girl in school, and you were just looking at her soo..." She trailed off.

"Beauty is subjective, and no, I'm not really interested in associating with her outside the boundaries of a pleasant acquaintanceship and maybe a friendship. It just bothers me seeing Clark make a fool of himself to get her attention," I answered. I didn't need to be an empath to tell that she was both curious and interested in me, and although she wasn't unattractive, I wasn't all that interested in her either. We talked, and the conversation flowed easily. I kept my answers about myself simple and plain, not revealing anything about my origin and powers but not being vague enough to arouse her suspicion as Clark often does.

As the day drew to a close, and we packed up our booth, Mom turned to me with a smile. "Percy, I can't thank you enough for being here today. It's been so special having you with us."

"It was great spending time with you guys," I replied. We headed back to see Whitney's car overturned, no doubt thanks to Bug Boy, who I decided to let Clark handle as he does need to naturally develop his hero/god complex and I would guide it in a healthier direction. Dad hit the brakes, and Clark unhesitatingly pulled his love rival out of the fire—literally. I told my parents to stay back just as the car burst into flames. I shielded the two of them from the flames and subtly used pyromancy to lessen the heat on my brother. Clark shielded the dumbass jock regardless of the temperature.

After that little exciting act of heroism, I was tasked with delivering Lex's produce. I brought the truck full of fruits and veggies to the front of the mansion and let Lex's employees deal with it as he led me inside. "Save any lives on your way over?" He jested, referring to saving Whitney.

"I just think people should drive more carefully in this town," I responded as I looked at a model recreation.

"The battle of Troy?" I asked, gesturing toward it.

"My father gave it to me as a strategy tool; he believes that business is like war," he said nodding.

"Even if that specific war started over a trophy wife?" I replied, and he chuckled. "You know a lot of things; what interested you in history?" His question took me back to my past life when I was 'the kid with the weird name', prompting a moment of honesty.

"It started when I was curious about what my name meant. Sure, most people call me Percy, but I was still curious what Perseus meant. So one day I opened a search browser and found what it meant."

"To destroy," he answered

"I was worried at first; I was a kid and didn't want to destroy anything," he smiled at this, and I continued, "Then I found the mythical Perseus, son of Zeus, the greatest Greek hero before Heracles and slayer of monsters. I was elated; I thought to myself then even destruction can be a force of good, that I, like the mythical hero figure, could be a hero by vanquishing evil. However, digging further into who he was most notable for slaying, I saw the truth."

He looked confused, "The truth?" He asked.

"Perseus the 'Hero' was most known for slaying the gorgon Medusa, a priestess cursed by the goddess Athena because she defiled her temple by 'allowing' herself to be raped by Poseidon. That discovery, even though a myth, showed me that heroism, good, and evil are all subjective and that I should try to find who I am not just based on my name or family but based on my character," Lex considered me for a second, and I could sense the turmoil in his mind as he searched for his character without his father's influence. I decided to let him ruminate on that and excused myself.

I headed back to the farm to end the day. I hadn't been asleep for an hour before I was awakened by my enhanced sense of hearing, picking up a shuffling in my room. I was instantly alert, and my eyes and hands glowed, ready to blast whoever or whatever had intruded into my room. Even Clark knows it's a very bad idea to interrupt my sleep. I looked in the direction to find a small snake just staring at me with green-slitted eyes. Its scales were shaped like small sharp leaves, a mix of reds, yellows, and greens.

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It was small, no longer than a foot, and wasn't poised to strike, not that I would've cared if it was. Even if I stood still and allowed it to bite me, it would've shattered its fangs before breaking my skin. It stared at me, and I stared back. I knew it wasn't normal. It, like me, was absorbing the magic in the air, the same way I have since I was three, but on a much smaller scale. If I had to compare it, it would be like a dripping faucet compared to a flooding river.

Reaching out with my empathic ability, I couldn't sense any hostility. Instead, I was bombarded with a cocktail of awe, fear, pain, hunger, and longing. I spoke calmly and slowly, "I'm going to reach out to see if you are injured, okay? Don't bite me, as you'll only hurt yourself." Hoping it understood me, I reached out empathically again and found a mix of agreement and resignation. I stretched my hand out and picked up the little supernatural danger noodle and brought it closer for examination. The snake was much lighter than its size led me to believe. Living on a farm for over a decade, I, of course, came across many snakes, usually gophers or corn snakes, but none had tried absorbing magic. I also saw a terrible burn stretching from its belly to its tail. However, the most prevalent emotions I felt coming from the snake were hunger and longing along with something akin to insecurity.

"What do you need me to do, little guy?" I asked, and to my surprise, I felt the snake's offense.

"Girl?" I asked unsure, and the snake bobbed its head. I thought about how people bonded with familiars and shared vitality with them in movies and books, so I tried saying, "I, Perseus, Hydrus, Kent, accept you as my familiar," and the snake stared at me like a dumbass. A chuckle bubbled out of me, and I thought of something else. The snake couldn't bite me if it tried, so I made a tiny cut on my index finger with my teeth as the sword Lex had gifted me proved useless, and the snake nodded. I brought my finger closer, and the snake bumped it with her head. I waited for a second, and the blood print sunk into the snake scales and formed a sigil I instinctively knew meant 'familiar' before vanishing. The snake seemed to be shocked by a jolt of energy for a second before the wound began to crumble away, and fresh scales came out to replace the old. I was so excited that I had done my first magic that I almost wanted to jump into orbit for a second. However, I calmed myself down and tried to explore this newfound connection and realized I could now communicate with my familiar telepathically and understand her verbally.

[Feeling better?], I tried, telepathically. A hissing voice responded in the room, but I could understand the hisses [Hunger, no more, Magic, feasted until full, Name massster, give name]. As the little snake slithered onto my hand, I took a moment to contemplate just how little it took to fill her up. The amount was very negligible; she coiled around my wrist once as that was the extent of her size. I didn't even have to think for three seconds before several names popped into my head. Jörmungandr, the Viking sea serpent, Meretseger, the Egyptian Snake Goddess, Hydra, the Greek Snake Monster, Quetzalcoatl, The Feathered Serpent God. Or I can name her something silly but endearing like Slithers. But one name put a cheeky grin on my face, and so I chose it instead of all the others. As soon as I said the name aloud, the snake merged into my wrist and became an intricate tattoo with the head turned toward my palm.

The next day I was walking the halls of the school when a voice hissed in my mind, [The femalesss want to mate with massster] my familiar hissed.

[Yes, Nagini, I know they want to mate with me, but they just aren't interesting enough for your master.] I replied, holding back laughter. [Massster is correct, thessse femalesss are unworthy to mate with massster]. She was quiet for just a second before adding [Sssome of the malesss want to mate with massster too,].

I stumbled [No! ehem, I am not interested in males, but the females here just don't do it for me. Now be quiet, Nagini].

Later that day watched as Greg, AKA Bug Boy, attacked my father and brother in the barn to make sure nothing went wrong, and the events played out almost as they would have on the show, except Clark was the one throwing Greg around, One shove too strong and Bug Boy was thrown through the wooden wall and escaped. As I was making my way over to act surprised, I heard two hushed whispers. The voices sounded similar in age to mine, so I took flight and soared high into the night, heading in the direction of the hushed argument.

I looked down to see an argument between two oddly dressed individuals who were doing a pretty good job of being sneaky. If it weren't for my enhanced senses, I wouldn't have known they were on our property. They were dressed in black magician outfits, not the mystical kind of magician, but the stage magician kind, complete with top hats and tux jackets.

"I'm not saying we attend the school here; I just wanted to see if we can meet him while we're here anyway!" the male intruder said. He was tall and skinny almost unhealthily so.

"I don't know why Dad sent you with me in the first place. You were the one who let a fledgling disaster spirit escape because you wanted to practice silent casting during a mission," the female intruder accused. Long black hair, shimmering blue eyes, and an hourglass figure caught my attention just as much as her hands waving a prop-looking wand that caused the air it passed through to flicker with energy.

"It was just one mistake; you don't have to ride me about it for a whole week!" the male interjected.

"We've had to look for it for an entire week thanks to you!" his companion whispered-yelled.

I was already close enough to know who one of them was, but I had to act oblivious. There was no need to hide my powers; these were future 'good guys,' and they could be my key to actually using magic!

"Care to explain who you are, what you are doing on my land, and why I shouldn't start blasting?" I said, startling them as I flew down, hands and eyes glowing for effect. The man froze, but his companion spoke what to me sounded like gibberish, but I felt her magic mobilize with each word. I superspeed behind her and grabbed her from behind, my hand firmly on her throat.

"One more syllable out of you, and I snap your pretty neck, miss. Nod if you understand me," I spoke in an almost soothing and cool tone, and she nodded as her companion snapped out of it.

"I don't want to hurt either of you and as a show of good faith, I'm letting go. Don't betray my good faith, as that would have some dire consequences," I continued and let go, also putting out the light show.

"It's you! You're Muse, What are you doing here?" The boy said excitedly. As Zatanna Zatara caught her breath, she rushed away to who I can only assume is Zachary Zatara, her cousin's side, looking at me half in disbelief and half in trepidation.

"I will be asking the two of you the questions. Again, what were you doing on my farm?" I said, letting my eyes sparkle with energy for a moment.

"Wait, wait, we were tracking a spirit! The trail ended here, we were just trying to help!" Zachary answered quickly.

"Oh, why didn't you say so sooner," I said as I came closer, hands raised in mock surrender. "Do you want to talk inside?" I motioned to the entrance of the barn. The two shared a look but followed.