Superboy and the Martian → Supermartian

~One~

"It's so quiet." Connor whispered to himself, not daring to disturb the birds that twittered among the trees that lined the road. He had a special package tucked under his arm, and he could see the town just up ahead. It lay still and quiet in the cool morning air.

"Every day's just like the one before it, in a little town full of little people. Just now waking up to say-"

"Bonjour!"

"Bonjour!"

All at once, the town burst to life. Housewives shook rugs from the window, the milkman's cart clattered past, and there was the baker, making his own daily deliveries.

"Bonjour!" Connor heard a small voice piping from the side of the road.

To his right was the forest the surrounded the town of Smallville and marked the border between the kingdom of Mars and country of Krypton, where Smallville was located. To his left was the Manor of Lord and Lady Wayne, the benevolent rulers of Smallville's corner of Krypton. And trying to shove their faces through the wrought-iron bars of the gate that surrounded the manor was Lord Timothy, Lord Wayne's ward, and Madamoiselle Cassandra, lady-in-waiting-in-training to Lady Wayne.

"Bonjour!" Connor stopped to chat with the two of them.

"Is that the next chapter of Clark's story?" Tim asked, his blue eyes growing wide.

"Yes, he's almost finished." Connor ran his finger along the side of the package. "He didn't say how it was going to end, but he said it was going to be magnificent! There's a beanstalk and an ogre and-"

"Can we read it?" Cassie begged.

"Timothy!" The voice of Lord Wayne called out the window.

"Miss Cassandra!" There was Lady Wayne.

Tim cringed. "I suppose we'll have to read it later."

Connor shook his head in sympathy. "Don't worry, Monsier Jones promised to make several copies so that as many people can read it as possible.

"Thank you Connor!" Cassandra called. The two waved over their shoulders as they ran back to the Manor's front doors through the tall grass.

Connor continued on his way, making sure the bundle of papers was secure under his arm before tucking his hands in his pockets.

He was scarcely five steps onto the cobbled streets when the whispers and the stares started up. Still, he walked tall and proud. What did they know?

"It's the Kent boy again."

"Pity. His good looked and his skill could have gotten him so far if it weren't for his family."

"He's just as crazy as the rest of them."

Still, Connor was relieved to escape the crowded streets and enter Smallville's bookstore.

"Ah, Connor!" J'onn J'onzz was from Mars, and had a deeper voice and thick accent to most Kryptonian citizens, only those who took the time to know him could really understand what he was saying. Everyone called him Monsieur Jones, a Kryptonian name,  but it didn't change the fact that he was from Mars, Krypton's longtime enemy. Most of the townspeople were uneducated, and always too busy to find the leisure time to read a book, and the prejudice against Martian immigrants didn't help J'onn's business. But to the schoolchildren and people like Connor and Clark, he was a great friend, and an even better storyteller.

"Good morning, J'onn," The upbringing from Connor's parents always helped him remember to call J'onn by his real name, instead of lazily going the easy way. It was more respectful, especially to an old friend.