December 2006, Three miles north of Terran Resistance Headquarters, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
The snow blew across the Appalachian Mountains. A lonely, frightened figure refastened his clothing around him. Determined, he marched through the snow. Tap, tap, tap: his cane touched the obstacles in his path. Tap, tap, tap: he moved forward. Tap, tap, tap: he wondered what color darkness was. He wondered what color was – he’d never known. Tap, tap, tap: This was stupid. My first time out after the bombing and I get lost. Usually the wind and the warmth of the sun help me find my way home. And now the sun is gone and the wind constantly changes. How can I get home, now?
He struggled through the snow. Don’t want to stop. To stop means to die. He moved forward. Tap, tap, tap: he narrowly avoided the stream. He stopped long enough to shiver. Tap, tap, tap.
Ten minutes later
He heard footfalls behind him. The light footsteps gained on him. He held his cane steady, prepared to defend himself.
“Jeremy?” He heard the concern in her voice. “Are you all right?”
He felt the air grow warm.
“Sure,” he answered, “if you can call blundering out in the snow being all right.” He cursed. “I thought I was just half a mile from the cave. Then the damn wind and some stupid animal knocked me off my feet. I lost my direction and I’ve been getting more lost ever since!”
He turned sightless eyes towards her.
“It’s not my fault I was born blind! I’ll never be normal! I’ll always be different. Everyone laughs at me! I’m a freak and I look like one.”
She sighed.
“You don’t think people laugh at me? I have people who look at me and run. I see the fear in their eyes. I know I’ve never hurt them, but they run from me in terror.”
He spoke a little more harshly than he intended.
“But it’s different for you!”
“How?” Frustrated, she raged. “Because it’s somehow ok for people to laugh at me? It hurts more than I could ever say. ‘Here she comes! She’s so green! She makes me barf, just like a machine!’ People think I don’t hear, but I do.”
The red-haired man watched the two of them talk. From his vantage point, he saw them brush off a rock and sit on it. Intrigued, he observed quietly.
“Linda.”
“Yep, little Linda Danvers, whose parents tried to sacrifice her to Hell. Little Linda Danvers who couldn’t even hack it as a demon. Yep, that’s me, Linda. Want to watch me scare the populace? I even got thrown out of the one group where I ever belonged. They’ve tried to make it up to me, but it still hurts so much. Sometimes I’ve wondered why I keep trying.”
“But you’re not blind like me! You don’t know what it’s like!”
“What it’s like to pity yourself? What it’s like to ignore a family that loves you? What it’s like to have a father who becomes frantic the second you’re missing? To have a family who believes in you and wants you safely home? I so envy you that. I never had that. Fred Danvers would have happily danced on my grave.”
“But you’re the great Jade! You’re one of the most powerful beings who ever lived! You’re a hero.”
“That’s not what’s important.”
“Linda! That’s what makes you Jade! You’re a hero with incredible power. You awe everyone. You’re not a cripple like me. Isn’t being a superhero what matters to you?”
She answered firmly and sincerely.
“No.”
“But you’re here because you’re a hero.”
“No,” he heard the vulnerability in her voice. “I’m here because someone decided to believe in me. Someone who didn’t have to, pulled me out of the trash pile. Someone who didn’t have to, gave me a home.”
He heard her hesitation.
“I try to be smart. I know I’m not, but that’s ok. I’m just a simple farm girl, not a scientist or anything. I try to do the right thing. I like to think I do. I’ve carried more power than you could ever imagine. I like to think I’ve done it wisely.”
She stared into the snow.
“You know, it’s the color of his flame that shows in my skin. He saved my soul. My grandfather, who I know believes in me. No matter what happens to me and no matter where I go, I’ll always have that.”
He heard her turn towards him.
“See, he didn’t have to believe in me. But he saw something – a little spark no else noticed. He took a chance on me.” He could sense her smile. “I hope he’s proud of me. I think he is.”
She relaxed just a little.
“Guess that’s all I really got to say. That’s what’s important. Be glad for the people that love you. Show them you’re happy to have them. And when you see someone who’s struggling, show them that you believe in them. That’s what will matter to them. That’s what they’ll remember. You got a lot to offer. You got a good heart. Don’t be afraid to show it.”
“But who would pay attention to me?”
“Lots of people. You affect every person you meet and many you never will. We’re all tied together.”
He heard the pain enter her voice.
“If I’d met you before, you might have been the one person who could have saved me from my blackest night.”
She found her strength again.
“You’re a good person. You don’t have to be God. There’s already enough people who think they ought to be.” She giggled. “Just be a friend. There’s lots of people like me that could use one. You listen to me. That’s awful hard for me to find.”
“Well, why wouldn’t I?” He wondered. “You’re one of the best people I know and you always try so hard to help. You’re…” He smiled at her. He knew she was smiling at him.
“Linda, I think you’re a lot brighter than you like to let on.” He chuckled. “You’re not book smart, but you see things that everyone else misses. I’m glad you’re my friend.” He breathed in and out slowly. “I think I’m ready to go home now. I know my father’s going to be angry, but I’ll live through it.”
She giggled.
“Maybe Alexander Luthor will surprise you for once. Maybe he really just does want to know that you’re safe.”
“Maybe.” He turned towards her. “I think you’re right. He does believe in me.” Jeremy listened to the wind. “Thank you, Linda. You’ve given me a lot to think about.” He was silent for a moment. “It’s hard to think of him that way. He’s always seemed so distant, so powerful.”
She laughed.
“Try being dragged from Hell’s grip by a near-god!” She breathed in slowly. “Jeremy, they can only be who they are. They’re people just like us. Some good, some bad, but they both try their best. And that’s all we can do, too. We can try our best.”
He sighed.
“You’re right. We can try our best and hope that it’s enough. If it isn’t, we at least tried. And if we spend all our time hating ourselves and our limitations, we’ve wasted all the gifts we’ve been given.”
He got up. He walked just a couple of feet away.
“It’s hard for me, you know? But there are things I can do. I can help people, too. I’m kind of smart; I can help organize things. My Dad keeps finding things I can do. Guess that’s how he shows me that he cares.”
She jumped off the rock.
“So, how you gonna show him that you care, too? That’s all they really ask from us. The same as they try to give us. ‘cept they worry that they’ll screw us up.” She was quiet for a moment. “It didn’t take much to screw me up. Had too damned much help. All from the two people who should have known better.”
He turned thoughtfully.
“Linda, I just do lots of stupid things when I really do know better. I guess I think I’m punishing them. I know they haven’t done anything wrong. I realize that now. I’ll try to do better.”
“Jeremy, I’m sure you will. Once you seem ‘em as people, the worst you can do is get a little annoyed. And you get to enjoy them for who they are.”
“And you, Linda?” He smiled. “After what you’ve given me tonight, is there anything I can do for you?”
She chuckled.
“Next time get lost where it’s warm. My folks can’t afford winter clothes for me. It’s cold out here!”
He laughed. How could such a warm soul ever get cold?
“I could talk to you all night,” he smiled wryly, “but I’ve got people who are worried about me. We should go. I’ve worried them enough.”
Jeremy felt himself rise from the ground. He did not see the second green tendril that lifted the man from the forest. After a short trip Jeremy was home. Alexander Luthor found himself only a few hundred yards away. He watched his second son walk back into the cave. Alexander waved as the small green star headed home to the Tennessee mountains.
Epilogue
Alexander at in front of the fire. He stared into the flames.
“Alexander, you’ve been so quiet the last couple of hours.” Lois Lane Luthor sat down beside her son. He put an arm around her. “Jeremy showed up safe and sound and you didn’t even yell at him. You’re both acting very oddly.”
He held her more tightly.
“I couldn’t bear to yell at him. I want to live up to someone’s faith in me.”
“Alexander, are you all right?”
He smiled wryly.
“Mom, you remember all those silly stories you told me when I was a child? Where you told me that what’s in your heart is what matters most?”
“I remember. You laughed at me.” Lois Luthor smiled. “Couldn’t imagine what I was talking about.”
She saw his hesitation.
“Could you tell me one of those stories, now?”
Epilogue 2
Sentinel’s Lair
Alan Scott landed in the Command Center. He walked over to Elise Zoldar. He hugged her from behind.
“I just had the oddest experience. Alexander came up to me and said ‘Thank you.’ I asked him what he meant. He wouldn’t tell me. He just grinned.”
Elise smiled as he kissed her neck.
“I wonder. I do know Alexander’s son was lost in a snowstorm. Linda went to look for him. She took her sweet time getting back. She wouldn’t say anything about where she’d been.”
Alan nodded.
“The only other thing Alexander said was ‘sometimes, the smallest of candles burn with the brightest of flames.’”
Elise grinned. “Now I know.”
She guided him back to the opening and pointed down to the cliff below. Helena Wayne and Linda happily threw snowballs at each other and at Krypto. Excited, Krypto barked and romped through the snow. Elise held Alan while they watched.
“I know exactly what he means.” She kissed him. “And I thank you every day for her. She’s here because you brought her to us. One more reason that I love you.”
They watched a streak of blue and red try to sneak in a snowball. Instead, Helena nailed Kira Jor-El. Linda laughed. A shadow formed into a person and mashed snow into Linda’s hair. A human whirlwind rushed from below and threw snowballs at them all.
Soon, all that remained of the snowball fight was the laughter and the friendship.