Life with superheroes

"Clark is feeling a little uncomfortable today, please don't disturb him," Mike said.

Hearing this, the two younger boys looked worried.

Mike nodded to himself. No matter how noisy these three brothers could get, their bond remained strong.

"Dad, is my brother feeling bad?" Charles asked, concern in his voice. Eric, standing beside him, touched his head anxiously.

Mike nodded and said, "So, don't bother him today."

Both boys obediently nodded.

"Once Clark's on break, before you go back to school, I'm planning to take you on a trip," Mike revealed a plan he had prepared a few days ago.

"Dad! You're so nice!" Charles cheered.

"Woooooo! Hooray!" Eric joined in.

The two boys cheered excitedly. Mike raised his hands to calm them down, and the boys immediately stood still.

"But," Mike added with a serious tone, "if you don't behave well in the meantime, I won't take you with me."

The boys' faces tensed up.

"Ahem!" Mike coughed lightly, then pressed down on their heads playfully. "So, do your best, alright?"

After that, Mike left the room with a smile.

Later that night, Clark's energy had improved, and his control over his newly awakened abilities had strengthened significantly.

After dinner, the family watched TV for a while. Once Eric and Charles had gone to bed, Clark cautiously entered Mike's room.

"Clark?" Mike, seated at his desk, turned and looked at his son.

Clark avoided eye contact. "Dad, I don't want to go to school tomorrow."

"Why?" Mike asked.

"I... I just need to rest," Clark mumbled.

"Clark." Mike stood up, walked over to his son, and placed his hands on Clark's shoulders. He looked into his son's evasive eyes. "You're not a good liar."

Clark dropped his head, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Dad."

Mike gestured towards the bed and patted the spot next to him. "Come here, let's talk."

Clark slowly shuffled over and leaned against the bed, swaying slightly, as if waiting to be scolded.

"Why don't you want to go?" Mike asked.

Clark hesitated, his eyes dodging the question. "I just don't want to go tomorrow."

"Clark, running away won't solve anything."

Clark nodded slightly in response, but remained silent.

Mike gently touched his son's head, his heart aching. "Are you worried your classmates will look at you differently? Afraid they'll laugh at you?"

Clark looked up, surprised at how well Mike had understood his fears, and then nodded.

He had bolted out of the classroom like a madman and locked himself in the utility room. Surely, his classmates would make fun of him.

"If you don't go tomorrow, then what about the day after?" Mike asked.

Clark hesitated again, shaking his head slightly.

"You see? Running away, even for a day, won't make it better," Mike said softly.

Clark nodded again.

"Problems can only be solved when you face them, Clark. No matter what happens, our family has your back. I will always support you," Mike reassured him.

"I know, Dad," Clark whispered.

"Good! Then it's nothing to worry about!" Mike smiled. "Like I said before, you can handle your classmates on your own. If any of their parents get involved, I'll take care of them."

Clark finally smiled.

"Oh, by the way," Mike added, "after this session ends, we'll go on that trip."

"Yeah!" Clark exclaimed, his spirits lifted. "Thanks, Dad."

Mike leaned in and kissed Clark on the forehead. "Now, go on, get some sleep."

Clark nodded and left the room, his steps noticeably lighter.

Mike sighed as he returned to his desk. "Growing pains… so bittersweet," he thought.

An hour later, a card materialized from Mike's hand, only to disappear immediately after. He glanced at the system's progress bar. 98%.

Mike sighed again, feeling helpless. He had thought he'd advance to the next level within three years, but the progress had slowed down significantly.

Six years later, he still hadn't reached the next stage. The agonizingly slow progress made him question whether it would ever happen.

"Stop thinking about it. Just go to sleep," he told himself.

...

The next day, encouraged by his father, Clark mustered up the courage to attend school.

Meanwhile, Mike began planning the family trip's route and destination. Eric and Charles, eager for the trip, behaved exceptionally well, keeping quiet and staying out of trouble.

Everything seemed to be going fine... except for Clark.

As he had feared, Clark faced a lot of stares at school—curiosity, doubt, and even some malicious looks.

Even though the kids were still young, they already had their own cliques and their own ways of doing things. Clark, with his handsome features, good behavior, and kind nature, was well-liked by the teachers and many of the kids. But as much as some liked him, there were always those who were jealous, and some who simply disliked him.

"Hey! Utility room boy!" a taller kid called out, blocking Clark's path.

Mickey, the class bully and every teacher's worst nightmare, had zeroed in on him.

Clark frowned, glanced at Mickey briefly, and tried to walk around him toward the bathroom.

But Mickey wasn't going to let him off easily. He spread his arms wide, blocking Clark's path again, and sneered. "Come on, tell me, what were you doing in the utility room yesterday? Stealing stuff? Hiding food?"

Clark's temper flared. "I don't steal anything!"

"Oh yeah?" Mickey laughed, rolling his eyes mockingly. "I heard your dad's a thief too! So that makes you a thief!"

Clark clenched his fists. He had disliked Mickey for a long time, but now the bully had gone too far.

"Don't talk bad about my dad!" Clark warned.

"Oh, so it's true!" Mickey grinned maliciously and shouted, "Everyone, come look! It's Clark the Thief!"

Other kids started to gather around. Emboldened by the attention, Mickey's excitement grew.

For the first time, he felt like a star.

"I heard his dad's a thief, so he's a thief too! His whole family are thieves!"

"He steals money, food… they're all thieves!"

Clark's icy blue eyes flashed with anger as he roared, "You're talking nonsense! You better stop!"

Mickey flinched at the intensity in Clark's voice but quickly tried to regain his bravado.

He marched up to Clark, towering over him. "What, are you gonna hit me?"

Clark, remembering his father's advice and knowing the consequences of his own strength, lowered his fist.

Seeing this, the other kids started booing.

Mickey, basking in the attention, raised his chin and gave Clark a shove. "Thief! Coward!"

Clark stood his ground, but Mickey, startled by how solid Clark felt, took a step back, his face flushing with embarrassment. He swung his fist at Clark, but it only hurt Mickey's hand on impact.

Just as Mickey raised his other hand, a voice cut through the crowd. "What's going on here?"

The teacher had arrived. The crowd scattered instantly. Mickey tried to slip away, but the teacher grabbed him by the collar.

"To the office, Mickey. And Clark... you too."

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Thank you for reading guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Don't forget to give me my oxygen, my power stones

If you want, you can read extra chapters on [email protected]/adam001