-Love me a Clark Kent bashing-

Conner sat cross-legged on the floor, staring intently into his book of Frankenstein; he really liked the story, and felt bad for the monster. He turned the page excitedly, resting the novel on his legs and freeing one hand to reach down and pet Wolf.

"Superboy?" Someone called. "Conner?"

"Wait." He finished the paragraph and closed the book, effortlessly memorizing the page number. "What?" 

"Where are you?"

"Here." He stood up and looked around. He just spotted WonderWoman, who must have been the one calling. "What?"

"I was wondering," She said softly, finally locating him. "While we're working in the mountain, would you like to help Superman go get some of the groceries we need?"

Conner wasn't much for displaying excitement, but his eyes lit up like blue fairy lights. "Yes." He told her.

"I think you'll be going in ten minutes, so get ready." Diana said, smiling at his eagerness. "Do you want to put on a different shirt? I think Flash and Black Canary got some nice new ones for you."

"No." Conner crossed his arms across his chest.

"Alright Then. Don't forget to put on your shoes." She told him.

"Can Wolf come?" The little boy asked.

Diana shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Okay." Conner sat down, reaching out to hold Wolf's face with both his hands. "I'm going now, so stay."

Diana smiled down at the child and stood, heaving a sigh. Now it was time to convince the older one.

Yep, Clark was a bit hesitant at first...

"No! I'm not taking him out into public! He's hard enough to control as a teenager."

"Clark," She sighed. "He's so excited, and he won't be much trouble, he's been reading his book all morning. We just need you to watch him for an hour."

...But he came around eventually.

"One hour." Clark said. "I'll go get the groceries you need, and bring him back, that's it."

"He's in his room, putting on his shoes."

"Fine." Clark grunted. "Where's his room?"

The Kryptonian was discomforted to find out his clone's room was less of a room, and more of a small closet. There was certainly no room for fully-grown Superboy to lay down in there, which gave Clark the even more unsettling realization that his clone must sleep fully standing in a small, cramped closet.

He pushed the door open and found the boy sitting in the pitch dark, pulling on his sandles. "I'm leaving."

"I know." Conner stood up, pulling his book up with him.

Clark looked the boy over: he was wearing the children's jeans the other's had grabbed on their shopping trip, and his massive, adult-sized S-shield shirt. God, Clark already couldn't wait for this to be over.

"Come on, then." 

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Conner followed after his father contently, face buried in his book. This might be the best day ever. He was actually alone, one-on-one, with his father. His father who wasn't trying to ditch him! It didn't feel real!

Clark hated this. He kept catching bits of people's conversation down aisle, talking about how adorable he and his 'son'  were. He knew people always got fanatic at the sight of any male parenting a kid, but he'd hoped it wouldn't happen to him until he'd had a child.

He stopped to grab something from the shelf and felt the four year old run into his leg.

"Sorry." Conner said.

"Just watch where you're walking." Clark told him. 

"I know." Conner nodded and immidiately stuck his face back in his book. Clark rolled his eyes and continued his way down the grocery list.

Conner followed obidiantly, catching many people's attention. Believe it out not, it's pretty unusual to see a four year old reading Frankenstein.

"Put that away for now." Clark took the novel from him. 

"Wait- I'm reading!" The child protested. "I didn't see the page number."

Clark dropped the book closed in the cart. Conner followed after him, arms hanging at his sides. He trailed after Clark like a lost puppy all the way to the checkout.

The lady checking them out kept leaning over the counter, craning her neck to see Conner. "Is this your son?" She asked affectionately.

Conner nodded.

"I'm just babysitting." Clark replied, taking the several bags, and looping them over his arms. He headed for the automatic doors, jerking his head for Conner to follow. Which he did.

The two emerged onto the street again. Clark checked his watch. He still had twenty minutes to watch Conner, and they could easily get back to the mountain in ten. Thus, he made the executive decision to stop for coffee. He approached the nearest coffee shop and glanced in the window.

"Wait out here." He told Conner.

"Why?" Conner asked. "Do I watch the bags?"

Clark shook his head. He didn't trust the boy with that. "Just stay put here for a minute." 

The four year old silently hopped up on a park bench to wait, staring straight ahead. Clark went into the shop. 

Conner counted the seconds. To pass the time, he hopped up and wandered across the storefront to look out at the docks and the ocean. He wondered where exactly Kaldur was in it. The Ocean covered about 360 million square kilometres, and it's average depth was a little over three kilometers, and his friend could be anywhere in it. Conner thought that was interesting.

Clark was glad to get away from the kid for a minute. He was relieved to step in and get a cup of coffee, knowing that the clone was still on that bench outside. Only, when he emerged, Conner wasn't.

"Hey!" Conner turned around. God, Clark wished he'd show some emotion on his face. It was downright creepy how he didn't react to anything. "Didn't I tell you to stay put?"

"You did." Conner replied. "For a minute. It's been four minutes and forteen seconds..."

"I don't care. Don't move."

 "I want to do something." Conner told him. "Can We do something? Please."

"No."

"I want my book back." Conner countered.

"No. You can't have it until you're back at the mountain, in fifteen minutes."

The child scowled, making Clark regret wanting him to show some emotion. "Why?"

"Because."

"I want it back!" Conner told him, raising his voice for the first time all day. He stormed up to Clark, gritting his teeth. "I want it back!"

"You can't have it back yet." Clark told him, just as firmly. He didn't want anyone on the street looking at them any more than was nessisary.

"WHY NOT?"

"Because I said so."

"But I want it back!" Conner made a grab for the bag his source matiriel had dropped the book in at the check out. 

"No!" Clark scholded, pulling the bag back. "And don't grab."

"I WANT IT BACK!" In a fit of anger, the child hit the concrete wall next to them, making it crack and dent.

That was aproximatly the moment Clark realized that he was in a public setting with a four year old throwing a tantrum, who could single-handedly destroy a city.

"HEY-" Clark exclaimed. "Do NOT do that!"

Conner screwed his eyes shut, stomping his foot, cracking the sidewalk. "I WANT IT!" He shoved Clark's legs, but he regained his balence. "I WANT MY BOOK." The boy kicked the wrought iron leg of the bench next to him, bending it in a V shape. "I WANT IT BACK!" He kicked it again, completely snapping the metal.

Clark, realizing angrily that he'd have to ditch his coffee, grabbed the boy's arm and dragged Conner down the sidewalk after him. "We're going."

"NO!" Conner squirmed to be set free. "LET GO!"

"No, we're going."

"NO!" He shrieked, tears forming in his eyes for the first time. He'd been so excited to be with Superman. 

"Yes." Clark replied. "I'm taking you back up the mountain. The others can deal with you there."

"NO! NO!" He tearfully protested, wearing the tread on his shoes trying to stop himself from being pulled. He didn't want to go back yet, he'd only been around Superman for forty-five minutes, and they didn't do ANYTHING. 

Clark sighed angrily. His clone was making a huge scene.He could feel strangers judging him. "Come on!" He told Conner impatiently.

"NO!"

"Fine." Clark let go of him. Striding away towards the mountain. 

Conner landed on the back on the sidewalk, watching Superman walk away from him. Another few tears trickled down his face. Frantically, the four year old scrambled off the concrete. "WAIT!"

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Clark entered the mountain at an impatiant march, practically dragging a teary-eyed Conner by his shoulder. 

"He's all yours." He let go of the boy by Dinah, continuing past to drop off the groceries.

"Conner?" She quickly lowered herself. helping the little boy up. He was crying, which she didn't think was possible. "What's wrong?" The little boy fell back to the floor, sitting forwards and crying in his hands. She turned up the Clark. "What happened."

"Exactly what I was wouldn't happen." Clark replied stiffly, striding past both J'onn and Red Tornado, to the kitchen. "He threw a tantrum, nearly tore down happy harbour. I had to restrain him."

"I Want My Book!" Conner yelled. Across the room, Clark took the novel from one of the bags, setting it on the kitchen counter, well out of Conner's reach, even if he was close enough to grab it. "I Want It!"

"Okay, okay, I'll get it for you if you stop yelling." Dinah told him. Immediately the boy stopped shouting. She strode across and grabbed the book, passing it to the four year old.

"I'm not sure he deserves it." Clark told her. "Not after he dented  a wall and destroyed a public bench."

Conner immediately gripped the book against his chest, worried it might be taken again. 

Black canary turned back to the boy. "Conner, did you do that?"

Despite the tear streams down his face, the boy had returned to his regular, apathetic stare. "He stole my book."

"No, I confiscated your book." Clark replied.

"I want'd it!"

Clark heaved an exasperated sigh. "and I told you, you couldn't have it."

"But it's mine!" The child argued, still hugging the book. He felt very bad for the Victor's Monster now. 

"Okay, okay." Dinah shut them both up. "Conner why don't you go find Wolf?"

Conner stood up, glaring at Superman. His face was soaked in tears, his hair was a mess, and most of his shirt had come untucked, hanging around his legs. Gripping his book, he backed towards the hall to he and M'gann's rooms.

Just then, he felt himself run into something. He looked up and saw WonderWoman. "You're back." She observed, lowering herself his height with a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?" She asked, noticing his tearstained face.

"Can you take Conner to another room?" Dinah asked her, dangerously polite. 

WonderWoman nodded, catching on. "Come on, Superboy, let's go read."