Daughter of Superman

Schooled - Part 2

They ended up on a very deserted part of Kansas. Or so was what Clark told them. Madine didn't seem to mind where they were, like Conner. They just looked at their father in expectation. Clark smiled.

"You both seem awfully excited for this."

"Of course, dad." She said. "You never took me to train before."

Clark seemed unsure of what to say next, and things got a little awkward. Conner decided to clear the air.

"So, you said you were going to help me with my landings..."

Clark got out of his unsure state, and looked at him almost grateful. "Yes. It's a good way to start. First, you need to jump as high as you can, and I'll just watch and point what you need to do to keep it subtler, okay?"

Conner nodded, getting himself in a better position to jump.

"Can I do that too?"

"Sure, sweetie."

She smiled and mimicked Conner's position. Clark smiled.

"On three... One, two, three!"

They jumped. Conner put all the power he could muster into that jump, going only up, not taking any directions. He felt more than saw Madine going up with him, as high as he could, which surprised him. Madine didn't have any training, yet she seemed to be just as powerful as him. Genetics, he supposed.

He didn't do anything different when he landed, only slightly bending his knees so he could have more balance. Clark was looking at both of them in a pensive way.

"Not bad, Madine. But your landing is as rough as Conner's. We're going to work on that." He smiled to them. "The bending of your knees is a nice choice, Con, but there are other ways to land so you don't put much effort into them. Believe it or not, the wrong way can make you sore after a battle."

"Even with our invulnerability?" Madine asked for him.

"Yes, even with the invulnerability. I learned that the hard way." He grimaced. "Now, let's try it again. This time, you both try to put your weight into your toes, not so much on the whole feet. Can you do that?"

"We can try." Conner said, shrugging.

"All right, let's do it. On the count of three... One, two, three!"

They jumped again, but the landing ended up being exactly like the first. Clark told them not to get frustrated that easily. Their powers, sometimes, took a little training to get used to in the right way.

So they kept doing it. Jumping as high as they could and landing, each time differently, applying their father's advice, trying to see the best way. A way they could do it and still maintain their cover, in Conner's case.

Madine was a fast learner, which made Conner a little frustrated and he ended up going back to square one. She smiled for him, sympathetically, but he didn't want her sympathy. He wanted to be like her, and he knew he couldn't.

"Ok, I think it's time for a little break. You both wait here, I'll be back in two minutes." Clark said, flying away before any of them could think of something to say.

"Uh. I wonder if he's going to abandon us." Madine said.

"What?" Conner's eyebrows shot up, his eyes wide.

Madine noticed his expression and corrected herself quickly. "I'm just joking. I'm sure he just went somewhere to save someone. He'll be back soon."

"Oh." Conner blinked, and then sighed, sitting on a big stone nearby.