3 Growth

As the years passed, Clark and I hit thirteen. We'd grown in body, mind, and power. I hadn't stopped absorbing the sun or magical energies since I was three, and now, a decade later, I felt pent up. It took me a while to figure out what was bugging me. In my past life, even though I wasn't very interested in superhero stuff, I had a friend who constantly spoke about his favorite comics. From one of his rants, I remembered that Tamaranians go through a type of chrysalis during puberty, which would allow them to activate their dormant abilities if they had any.

So far, my abilities included superhuman strength, superhuman speed (including superhuman reflexes and agility), superhuman durability, superhuman stamina, self-sustenance on ambient energy, and minor telekinesis. I was excited to see them get stronger, even though with my solar and magical energy absorption, I was already much stronger than Clark, who even with my guidance was unable to achieve a higher rate of passive energy absorption for long periods of time.

A couple of years ago, I made the terrible and tragic discovery that this world didn't have my favorite pop musicians, not even their parents existed. So with a heavy heart, I made the decision to 'shoulder the burden' of the fame, fortune, and luxury their music brought them by, ahem, 'borrowing' the best songs from my past life and releasing them in this one.

"What? Don't look at me like that, I need the money, and the fame won't hurt either." Like many great things about me, my reincarnation didn't just give me super handsome looks and superpowers; I'd been reborn with a melodic voice, and I intended to make the best of it.

The farm, even with me, Clark, and Dad doing our best, was still losing more money than it earned. Mom had even taken to baking and selling pastries to earn just a bit more income. I'd made my intention known to my family, and Dad rejected it outright. However, when I told him that I'd already emailed a snippet of my first song and gotten an offer for $10K and 40% of royalties, they were shocked. Dad grumbled and argued, but Mom took my side, seeing that our lack of money made the entire family situation a bit tense.

Later that week, I was sent a vehicle to take me to Metropolis City. Dad didn't want to accompany me, but Mom, being a reasonable person and someone who was raised in the city of Metropolis, came instead. I'd already read the laws pertaining to contract signing, and thanks to my superpowers, mainly speed, I was able to read and reread enough content on contracts that I wouldn't need a lawyer – not that I could afford one even if I did. I used up all my saved allowances from working on the farm to buy presentable clothes, and when we reached the record label building, I was a bit surprised to see someone I thought I wouldn't meet for a few years yet.

My mother, who was accompanying me, was also looking shocked. "Did you think I'd let my grandson walk into a contract with a bunch of hyenas without legal backup?" the older man said.

"Dad! It's so good to see you in good health," Mother said to the older man dressed in a suit, a bit emotionally.

He approached, and his face softened. "How have you been, Martha?" he said with a hint of guilt at having been estranged from his daughter's family due to arguments with Dad. He looked at me and smiled. I could tell that his aged face wasn't used to smiles.

I strode forward and extended my hand. "Hello, Grandfather. Clark and I have always wanted to meet you. Thank you for coming today."

He shook my hand before we were ushered into the tall building and boarded an elevator. The employee who had escorted us to Metropolis and the building was stunned at my appearance and had listened to the recording I offered. He couldn't stop asking how I was able to think up such amazing lyrics. 'Thank you, amazing musicians from my past life,' I thought to myself.

My grandfather William, my mother, and I entered a lavishly decorated office with four people—three lawyers, no doubt there to intimidate me and my mom to take a crappy deal, and the owner of the record label himself. I strode in much more confidently than my mom but without the arrogance of my grandfather. We took seats and began to discuss the terms of the deal.

Grandpa William turned out to be a very successful and shrewd lawyer because, by the end of it, the deal was a $350K signing bonus, 70% of royalties, and a 12-song album deal. My mother, an intelligent woman in her own right, looked at her father with admiration, seeing him in his natural habitat fighting for her son. The other lawyers were left twiddling their thumbs and scratching their heads at how this had happened. I couldn't help but see a satisfied smile on Grandfather's face. It looked predatory and confident.

"Well then, now that that's settled, let's actually listen to this young man's music," the owner of the record label, Cameron, said. He looked nonplussed at the contract being higher than he'd offered. We were ushered into a lavish recording studio. I took the mic, cleared my mind, and began to sing the song, a part of which I had submitted. By the time I was done, shocked faces greeted me. Grandfather looked sullen, and Cameron looked excited, grinning ear to ear.

"If I'd known you sang like that, I wouldn't have stopped until they doubled the signing bonus," he said with a wry look on his face. The album took me a few hours to write, as I had heard the best songs from my past life so often they were etched into my memory. After two months of recording, editing, and publishing, my songs were all over media, whether it was online streaming services, CDs (yes, they were the thing back then), and radio stations. I had chosen the stage name 'Muse' because I couldn't think of anything better.

It was time to proceed with my chrysalis. I'd pushed it back as long as I could, and I wouldn't be able to decide when it would happen if I waited longer. I made the decision not to inform my family about it, as I wouldn't be able to explain why Clark wouldn't be going through it without revealing that we are from different species. I told my parents and brother that I'd be incommunicado for a month, working on my music in Metropolis and preparing for the upcoming tour. It was true, but I'd be leaving a week earlier.

I found a cave deep in the forest, far from home, sealed the entrance with a massive boulder, and allowed the blocked energy to envelop me. A crystalline structure grew around me, dense energy emanating from it, and I blacked out.

When I came to, I was cocooned in the same glass-like structure, but it felt devoid of any energy. I easily broke out and left the cave, sealing the glass cocoon behind me. I checked my phone and saw a few messages from my family, wishing me good luck, and a dozen reminder messages about the upcoming meeting in three days.

I looked inwardly to check if anything had changed. Instinctively, I knew that I had gained more than just enhanced stats from this. Thermal and radiation immunity, advanced longevity, enhanced senses, pyrokinesis, flight, regeneration, empathy, starbolt projection (emitting focused solar energy from my hands as concussive energy blasts carrying great destructive force), stellar energy vision (projecting and emitting stellar energy from my eyes with incredibly destructive force), and energy construct creation (manipulating any assimilated energies into various shapes and forms).

I wanted to experiment with these new abilities, but I had to go to the meeting, and I understood that these skills were best tested in battle. So, I only flew around for a while, using my enhanced senses to make sure no one was around, before running through uninhabited farmland to Metropolis.

A month later, I returned to Smallville and met up with my family. They had missed me, and I them. My relationship with Clark had only continued to grow, even if we didn't agree on all things. I was always willing to lend an ear when he had something weighing on him. We were rapidly approaching fourteen, and soon we would be heading to high school. I hadn't made many appearances in town, so everyone knew that the Kents had two sons: Clark, who was everywhere, and 'the other one' that nobody had seen. Thanks to that and hiding my true name from the media and refusing any personal questions during interviews, I had remained a rumor in this town.

"I'm home!" I announced as I entered the remodeled and redecorated farmhouse.

"Hey, Percy! Why didn't you call? I would've picked you up," Clark said excitedly.

"Forget that, how'd you like your present?" I asked in response.

He gave me a bear hug and said, "It's the coolest thing ever, thanks! I can't believe I have my own truck," he said as he pulled back.

"Percy, son, I appreciate your care for your brother, but you really shouldn't be throwing money like that around," Dad said in a lecturing but caring tone.

Clark returned to the dining table where he sat before, as Dad came in with a hug of his own. "Dad, the loans on the farm and the house have all been settled, and the royalties are still flowing in every month. I will be careful with spending, I promise, but there is no use in amassing money and not enjoying it a little," I said in a placating tone as I pulled Mom into the hug.

"Say, you got enough for me?" I asked her, gesturing to the breakfast she had made.

"Oh, sit down, I always make enough for you, even when you went to Metropolis," she responded.

"Hey, Percy, check this out." Clark handed me today's paper. It read: Rising star 'Muse' revolutionizes pop music with his groundbreaking album.

"Percy, honey, your father is right to worry. Your face is all over the news and media outlets now, so you have to be careful. Sometimes all people want to see is a spoiled child star abusing his money and influence. Not to mention your... other qualities," she said, looking me up and down.

One side of me wanted to think that she was only talking about my powers, but another also knew that my looks made me easily mistaken for a playboy. I was tall, ripped, extremely handsome, and desirable. It had been a bit of a joke at first when I started to mature a couple of years ago, but now, as I looked much better than even the most paid male models, it had become obvious. The unusual color of my eyes and hair only added to the charm I naturally exuded. Dad was good-looking in his youth, and Clark has a handsome appearance, but they looked like the average Joe Schmo in comparison.

"Don't worry, Mom, I won't bring my harem around the house until you guys go to sleep," I said, feigning sadness.

She scoffed and slapped my shoulder as Dad laughed uproariously, shortly joined by Clark. "Who are you laughing at, brat? You still holding a candle for Lana?" I asked Clark, and he blushed his stupid simp blush I had tried to remove from him time and time again. It was my one failure in this life, sigh.

Now that I am fifteen it was finally time to enter high school. As I got ready, I looked in the mirror. What greeted me was my taller than average frame, a perfect combination of jacked and ripped, piercing gold eyes, and shoulder-length silver hair. I wore a wine-colored button-up rolled at the sleeves, left some buttons open, black dress pants and shoes, and a watch on my wrist.

I walked out of my room and greeted my parents. Dad was butting heads with Clark again. "All I want to do is go through high school without being a total loser," Clark said as Dad grimaced.

"Hey, hey, what's this about?" I interjected.

"Your brother wants to play football, and your dad is afraid there would be an accident," Mom supplied, happy for my intervention.

"Clark? Buddy?" I said in a teasing tone. Clark tried to look away but failed. "I won't side with either of you, but I do have some questions for you to think about. Clark, do you think it would be fair to the other kids when your physical capabilities are a dozen times stronger than theirs? Would it even be fun?" I let the question hang before turning to Dad. "And Dad, do you remember how bad it was for unpopular kids when you went to high school?" I let the questions hang as Mom asked me a question.

"Excited for your first day, honey?" She asked looking at my attire.

"I just realized this is my first introduction to the inhabitants of this town, haha."

"Honey, that's not tru-"

It took a moment for Mom, Dad, and Clark to think back, and the look of realization that crossed their faces was priceless. I laughed at the horrified look on their faces. "Alright, I'll be off," I said before getting into my sleek black 2001 Ford Mustang.

I took the scenic route and parked my car just in time to see Clark fall ass over tea kettle in front of his longtime crush, Lana Lang. My guess about her looks proved correct, as I saw her girl-next-door vibes all over her. Not ugly, but certainly not enough to hold my attention for as long as she held Clark's.

Clark was gathering his books from the ground when Lana's boyfriend started teasing him about looking like a mess. I locked my car and headed their way, ignoring the 'oohs and ahhs' from the other kids in the school, either attracted by my looks or recognized me from my interviews. Whitney, Lana's boyfriend, threw one of Clark's books at him, but I caught it mid-air, afraid my brother would look even more ridiculous when he fumbled.

Their attention was stuck on me, but I didn't pay them any mind. Pulling my brother up to his feet, tidying up his clothes, and handing him his book with a smile. "Thanks, Percy," he said, looking embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it, lil bro," I said in a normal voice. "It's not your fault the love of your life is wearing the only thing that can hurt you," I continued in a teasing voice only the two of us could hear, still smiling.

An energetic blonde rushed my way. "It's you! You're Muse!" I smiled. "My friends call me Percy. You must be my brother's friend, Chloe. Clark has told me a lot about you," I responded, not denying it as it would soon get out anyway.

Shocked gasps filled the outside area of the school, and some students took out their phones to record. "He's been keeping you secret!" "Okay, I'd love to stay and chat, but I do have to go and pick up my schedule for classes," I said, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

"Aren't you taking the same classes as Clark?" Chloe asked. Her inquisitive nature was amusing, so I answered, "Just the electives, but for STEM subjects, I'm taking advanced classes. Bye for now," I excused myself.

The day was nothing special; the students looked at me like the newest and shiniest thing all day, and the subjects were only slightly challenging. I got a few invites to hang out and gave noncommittal answers like "I'll see if I can make it" or "I'm sorry, but I've got this thing at this time in a certain location."

The day passed, and I noticed Clark's truck in the distance with Pete, his best friend, in the passenger seat. Just then, I realized that today was when Lex Luthor would have his accident. Clark would have walked home and been at the site where Lex falls into the river.

I got into my car and headed towards the only bridge separating the town from the farmland, and sure as shit, there he was, his car colliding with the bridge and falling into the river. I believed that Lex was a good guy and could have been a genuine friend to Clark in the show, but certain coincidences and circumstances along with Clark being himself made it difficult until Lex was consumed and turned into something else.

I jumped into the river and swam to his car. He was still holding onto consciousness, but as soon as he saw me within arm's reach, he fell unconscious. I bent away the car roof and fished Lex out of there. I carried him to land and performed chest compressions until he threw up the water he swallowed.

"You saved my life," he said after getting his bearings.

"I'm sure you would've done the same," I said in the process of squeezing out the water from my shirt. "Let's get you to the hospital; that looks pretty bad," I said, gesturing to a wound on his head.

I reached down to where he lay and pulled him to his feet. "Shame about your ride," I said as he followed me to my car.

"I'm Perseus Kent, by the way, but feel free to call me Percy," I said as we settled into the car.

"I'm Lex, Lex Luthor," he said, shaking my hand.

"You know cars?" He asked in an unsure tone.

"Haha, just enough to know the ones I like. So what is Lex Luthor doing in our tiny little town?" I asked.

"Work," he said, checking out the cut on his head in the rearview mirror, "My father sent me to manage a fertilizer plant here in Smallville."

"Ouch, haha, what did you do? Drive his favorite car off a bridge?" I joked.

"What about you? I didn't see any cars like yours driving around. Are you from Metropolis too?" he asked.

"Nope, I've lived here for as long as I can remember. As for the car..."