Day off!

Months have passed since Cabel had returned with Hope. Thanks to the quick intervention of Superman, the X-men were able to quickly get Cable and Hope to the future, where they would remain until Hope was ready to come back. Seeing that things were so rough recently and he had been jumping from one big fight to the next, Clark decided it was time to be a little less super and be a little more man.

" Ah, it's nice you know. My first day off in over how many years now? Eh, who cares."

Clark exclaimed as he relaxed in his chair.

" You know, you're still a wanted criminal, right now?"

Storm asked the man as she walked up behind him.

" This is Wakanda! They have now jurisdiction over here. Besides Ororo, I've been good recently. Been making more trips to the children's hospitals over the world and just last week I stopped a tsunami from flattening Japan. Stark isn't going to march his troops here to stop me anytime soon."

Clark explained to the woman.

" I will never get over your optimism, Clark. But why choose Wakanda when you can go just about anywhere in a matter of seconds?"

Storm asked once again.

" Well, I figured I'd spend more time with you Roro. You and T'challa are always either busy running the fantastic four or here helping your people. SO, I figured why not stop in and help if I can and relax when I want. Besides nothing's been happening since the whole mess with Cable and the X-men. And I can't see you at the Baxter building because Reeds a stick in the mud."

Clark explained.

" Be nice, Clark."

Storm chastised the man.

" What? I mean, I've got nothing against the guy. But it's true he's all work and no fun. Even with the amazing family he's got he still chooses work over them. I mean he doesn't even spend time with his kids. I spend more time with his kids than he does. Did you know Franklin created a black hole the other day?"

Clark explained to the woman as he ranted about Reed.

Storms eyes widened in shock.

" Did he really?"

Storm asked in disbelief.

" Yeah, I had to catch it before it expanded and sucked the planet inside of it. And Reed didn't know about it until Sue told him later that night."

Clark explained to the woman.

" Oh, and should I mention reed was right there in the room when it happened. i mean come on man."

Clark ranted.

" Clark, what happened to relaxing?"

Storm asked

Clark huffed and puffed and settled down in his seat before continuing.

" Yeah, you're right. It just irks the living hell out of me when a guy like that tries to act all high and mighty. But hey, it is what it is."

Clark said as he leaned back into the chair.

Clark and Storm sat together for hours telling stories of their past adventures. Well storm was for the most part.

" Wow, you know you guys are pretty amazing."

Clark said to the woman after hearing the second story about the phoenix.

" Well, I'm glad you think so. Not too many people who aren't Mutants feel that way about us as a collective whole."

Storm explained to the man.

" Roro, I love the X-men. You guys are like family to me. But people like Magneto and well I'm pretty sure you know the rest are what makes the people so prejudice against Mutants in the first place. Those large handfuls of Mutants who are always attacking are making it harder and harder for you guys. And for you as a mutant of color, I can't even imagine how much you struggle. And yet each and every day you hold your head high and with pride. I may be able to move planets and move at the speed of light, but you are so much stronger, kinder, and gentler than I could ever hope to be. There aren't many people on this planet I can say I respect and admire more than I do you. I hope you know that."

Clark explained to the woman, as he talked, he slowly started going on an unknown tangent. When he finally snapped back to reality, he turned to see storm smiling at gently him with her beautiful blue eyes. Clark felt his cheeks burn when he realized he said all of that out loud. He then turned his head in embarrassment to hide his blush.

Storm giggled and placed her hand softly on his massive arm and pulled his attention back towards her.

" Thank you for such kind words, Clark. No man has spoken to me so truthfully and so gently as you have."

Ororo said to the man as she looked into his eyes.

Clark felt his heart skip a beat and smiled just a little.

" Well, I'm happy to be the first. You deserve some recognition for all that you've done for the people of this planet."

Clark said to the woman solemnly

" Are you alright, Clark?"

Storm asked.

" Yeah, just thinking about the something."

Clark said to the woman.

" What is it? Do you wanna talk about it?"

Storm asked the man.

" Well, just that today is the first time I've spent my birthday alone in years."

Clark told the woman.

" Today is your birthday? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Storm asked the man.

' Well, I really never cared about it. It was usually just another day for me. When we were together Jen was the one who planned for it. So, now that I'm single again... I guess I just miss having someone to spend it with."

Clark explained.

The two sat together in silence as Clark stared out at the setting sun, however their time together was cut short by the arrival of Storm's husband T'challa.

" Hey, T'challa what's going on?"

Clark asked the approaching man without turning to look at him.

" One of these days I'm going to get the drop on you Sperman."

T'Challa said to the man.

" Not on your life panther."

Clark joked back as he got up from his seat, he then walked over to the man and shook his hand.

" We shall see. I'm sorry to interrupt your gathering but it is time for us to return to the baxter building. Reed is in the process of working on another one of his contraptions and has asked us to join him."

T'challa explained to storm.

" I see. Why don't you come along Clark?"

Storm asked the man.

" Eh why not, guess it should be fun messing with reed a little."

Clark said as he placed his boots on.

" Okay, let's go."

Clark suddenly said.

" What do you mean, we have to get to the jet first."

T'challa said to the man.

Storm smirked and walked up to the man and wrapped her arm around his shoulder for support, confusing T'challa.

" Please, T'challa there's no need for jets when you ride the superman express!"

Clark joked.

He grabbed the ranting T'challa by his collar and lifted off the ground.

The flight to New York was quick and easy, although T'Challas frantic squirming made it hard to not accidentally drop the man. Thankfully they arrived at the building before that happened.

" Don't you ever do that again!"

T'challa yelled at the man as he walked into the building, Storm right behind him laughing.

" Come on, T'challa we got here so much quicker than if we would have taken your jet right."

Clark asked the man.

" Clark!"

Clark heard two young voices call out to him. He turned his head to see the two small children of Reed and Susan storm running up to him. and smiled brightly.

" Frankling! Valeria!"

Clark called out to the two kids, picking them both up as they jumped into his arms.

The kids wrapped around the man's body and hugged him tightly, laughing in joy as the man hugged them back.

" Hey! Blue what's going on? You here to give me a rematch?"

Ben asked Clark as he walked into the room, hopping for a chance to win the money clark keeps taking from him in cards back.

" Nah, I came to see how my two favorite spider monkeys."

Clark said to the man as he squeezed Franklin and Valeria.

" Hey, I'm smarter than a spider monkey!"

Valeria pouted and complained.

Even though she was only a child Valeria was still a super genius, perhaps even more so than her father.

" Is that Clark, I hear in there? Did you come to take our money again?"

Johnny asked as he walked into the room.

" No, Johnny I'm not. Why does everyone think I only come here to take your money?"

Clark asked.

" Because you do!"

Johnny and Ben both yelled.

Storm and Clark both laughed at the two men.

" Yeah, Yea! Laugh it up."

Ben grumbled.

Clark conversed with the two men while Franklin and Valeria climbed him like a tree. However, Clark's attention was drawn once again by another person joining the group.

" Johnny! Ben! Have either of you seen the kids?"

Sue asked as she walked into the room.

She was looking down at her phone at the time so didn't see who else was in the room that is until her kids called out to her.

" Mommy! Mommy! Look who came to see us!"

Franklin yelled to his mother.

Sue looked up to see who it was the two were talking about.

Though Sue had chosen to try and fix her marriage with Reed, Clark still had a special place in her heart. So, anytime the two met things tended to get a little awkward.

" Hey, Clark. What brings you here?"

Susan asked as she approached the man.

" I came, to see how you and the kids were doing."

Clark replied.

The others looked at the two, the small space between them hinting that things were more than they appeared.

Suddenly the alarms inside building went off, and turrets came out the wall and fired Clark.

Clark grabbed Sue and the kids and covered them with his body to prevent the projectiles from hitting them. Clark quickly removed his cape and placed it around them, thanks to how extremely durable his armor was the cape was more than capable of surviving explosions with no problems. Clark then turned and blew each of the turrets up with his heat vision.

Taking his chance reed wrapped around the man's body and started trying to suffocate him. However, Clark grabbed the man's body and started spinning, twisting reed up more than he had intended before spinning in the opposite direction. The force flung reed from Clark and smashed him against the wall with force.

" Are you out of your mind, Reed?!"

Clark yelled at the man in disbelief.

" You almost hit Sue and the kids!"

Superman exclaimed

Clark walked over to Susan and the kids and unwrapped his cape from around them revealing sue and her scared children.

" Are you alright?"

Clark asked Sue and the kids.

Franklin and Valeria nodded.

Clark helped Susan to her feet and grabbed the two frightened children, hugging them tight, before turning and glaring at Reed once again.

" Are you happy, Reed? Are you so jealous that you'd attack your own family to get to me?"

Clark asked the man.

" Yeah, that was kina stupid even for you stretch."

Ben said to the man.

Reed looked around the room to see glares coming from everyone and felt shame for his actions. However, his and everyone else's attentions were all drawn to the massive image of the Hulk that appeared outside the building.

" Puny Humans. I've come to smash!"

Hulk declared.

The fantastic four and Superman looked on at the returned Hulk clad in armor girded for war.

" This cannot be good."

Clark simply stated