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--there we go!

( the feed opens up to just his face, a satisfied grin plastered across his mouth now that he sees that he did, in fact, get this thing to work. it doesn't quite reach his eyes, though; they're a bit red, definitely swollen. don't judge him. )

Hi! My name’s Jon Kent. I’m looking for my mom and dad. My dad’s name is Clark, and my mom is Lois. My dad looks a lot like me, just bigger? My mom has brown hair. I’m sure they’re fine, but I haven’t been able to find them yet.

( the grin shifts into something a bit more sheepish, free hand raising to adjust the big, bulky glasses sitting on his nose. )

And uh. . how do I know which room’s mine? Why are there ogres outside--?

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That's just what demons do, is it not?

Radiate corrosion, toxicity, evil. Corrupt every last good thing that dares to stray near them. Devour happiness like an insatiable parasite.

You don't look like a demon. You look like a human to me.

Oh? That's funny.

I thought I was human, too. It's a common mistake. I'm sure those superheroes of yours won't be fooled for an instant, though. Heroes can always tell when someone's only pretending to be one.

( wow. that's rude. here he was, trying to keep his secret identity secret, and you gotta point out that somehow, he's not doing this hero business correctly. )

Where're you?

( he'll come find out for himself. )

[Listen, you can't bring up people named Superboy and Supergirl and expect them to NOT]

Golly, calling the heroes on me already? They'll find me out in the garden. The flowers are lovely this time of year, even if they're dying.

( there’s no further response to the network, because really--why bother? jon does consider the pros vs cons of finding them without his costume on: pros are, it’d be probably super obvious on who he is if he just suddenly showed up as superboy after asking them where they were. cons: how he is supposed to do anything about their. . past misdeeds if he’s still in civilian clothes. he’s not supposed to be acting like anything other than an ordinary kid when he’s not wearing it--but.

either way it’d be suspicious, right? it’s not a costumed hero that shows up to find them, but jon himself, hands tucked into his jacket pockets and hat pulled down low over his face. )

[...They're confused.

They genuinely thought he was going to go get those Superfolks to come fight them.

Instead, they get the kid they saw on their screen, looking small and unimpressive and not at all like a supernaturally-powerful adult. They're... ha ha, they're kind of underwhelmed. They were bracing for battle against a true hero.]

Oh. Just you? I thought you were bringing friends.

[They fold their arms neatly behind their back as they turn to face him. Smile that cute, cherubic, rosy-cheeked smile. Cant their head to one side, let their hair sweep against their shoulder.]

Aren't you scared? One kid against the sort of demon who can take on an entire world... that's pretty daunting to think about, is it not?

It's not. I can handle myself, and I can definitely handle anything you throw at me.

( but he is watching them carefully, listening for the sound of their heartbeat, the air filling their lungs. he's not wellversed in listening for telltale signs of--anything, but jon's going to try anyway. )

Are you a demon? Because you really don't look like one. ( he knows that they already answered him before, but you can't really listen for the telltale signs of lying when it's over a video feed. )

What makes you confident what a demon is supposed to look like?

[The funny part in all this?

They really are just a kid. Nothing more than a ten-year-old swinging an old pruning knife around.

But kids are impressionable beings. Enough people say something, and they start buying it. "You're not really human, are you?" Asks someone they loved. "Keep pretending to be one," an adult advises them. "Human... no, WHATEVER you are," someone they look up to sneers. They listen, and they accept. If you do bad things, you have to pay for them, after all. There are certain consequences to your actions.

They might be lying about their so-called demonic nature, but despite everything, despite the insistence to the contrary that the people of Wonderland have tried to offer... they genuinely do believe it.]

What else do you call a being who is summoned? A being who comes when you call its name. A being who exists not for their own sake, but to fulfill a given purpose. The sort of being who possesses people. Who holds the power to destroy hopes, dreams, entire worlds in the palm of their hand.

What else can that possibly be, if not a demon?

( he doesn't know, exactly, what a demon looks like. he knows of the demons and aliens that have been shown on the news, knows how those specific ones look, but--everyone's different, right? this person, though?

feels human. the beat of their heart sounds human, the blood rushing through their veins feels human. jon--may not be able to tell the physical differences between himself and humans, or his dad. but the sound of someone breathing when they have two hearts is definitely different than one. being human shaped doesn't make someone human, jon knows that well, and he can tell, from listening to them, that they believe the things they're saying.

which ultimately just reminds him of damian, a little. someone raised to think bad things about themselves--someone taught that they are bad. maybe it's the same as it is for this person. )

What do you mean, possesses people? I. . everyone's different. Everyone has the power to destroy hopes, dreams--all of that. That's nothing that only a demon could do. Humans can, too. Humans come when you call their names too, right? And everyone exists for a reason. I don't really understand where you're coming from, but. .

Maybe you're more human than you think.

Wowie. No wonder you know a Superboy and Supergirl.

That was the single most generically saccharine thing I've ever heard. The most empty motivational hero-speech anyone could ever ask for!

[Maybe you're human, but just a dream-destroying person-possessing kind! Everyone exists for a reason, even if that reason is "to ruin absolutely everything you touch!" Shucks! Golly! What an inspiration!

They, of course, respond in the way a bad guy is supposed to when confronted by a pure-hearted hero who sees the humanity deep within them. By falling to their knees and weeping in relief that th-

Oh, wait, no.

By laughing in his face.]

You've only known of my existence for maybe 12 minutes. How about you take the patronizing assumptions about who or what I really am and cram them up your nose? This paper-thin attempt is, frankly, just sort of insulting.

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