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Still Defiant! SI [Marvel/DC] 66: A Peaceful Dawn
🕑 Added 2025-05-05 11:11:56 +0000 UTC66: A Peaceful Dawn
in the present, November 12, 2007
His return to Smallville had not been without complications.
On better days, Daniel would have taken only a few minutes to get from New York back to his farm, even at a moderate speed—mainly because he enjoyed admiring the scenery as he flew and feeling the wind on his skin.
On this day, feeling the wind against his face was almost like feeling sandpaper trying to flay him alive.
Needless to say, that made his trip home anything but pleasant. It didn’t help that he had to divert his course more than once to intervene in several incidents he came across along the way. Pain or not, he was still a hero, and if someone was in trouble and needed his help, he couldn’t simply ignore them.
With less grace than usual, Daniel landed in the backyard of his farm and staggered toward the steps of his porch, his usual firm and confident posture slowly falling apart.
Now that there was no one around he needed to pretend to be “okay” for, Daniel moved as he truly felt in that moment—like a damn terminal patient on the verge of collapsing.
His hand shoved the door open with more force than necessary, snapping the lock and sending it slamming against the wall as it swung open, hinges creaking in protest.
It was a miracle he hadn't torn it clean off its frame.
“I’ll fix it tomorrow,” he thought with mild annoyance as he walked into the dark house. Without bothering to turn on any lights, he made his way to the living room and slumped onto the couch, making the wood creak.
With his eyes fixed on the nothingness of the ceiling, he began taking several deep breaths to control the tremors in his body as best he could. The pain—however irritating and bothersome—was still bearable up to a certain point—he just needed to learn to endure it without going mad in the process.
“I’ll have to cut back on my patrols,” he thought, frowning. Normally, he liked to dedicate eight hours a day to his hero work, but given his current condition, that would be complicated.
As he mulled over the thought, he heard quick footsteps approaching, accompanied by the arrival of a pleasant, familiar scent. He didn’t even need to turn around to know that Carol had reached his backyard, stepping into his house as if it were hers too.
As she crossed the entryway, the girl paused momentarily upon noticing the door's condition. Then she turned to him with a raised eyebrow and concern shining in her eyes.
But any question she was about to ask was cut short by Daniel’s next words.
“Carol, help me undress.”
“...Eh?”
.
Several minutes later—and contrary to any strange expectations Carol might have had—Daniel did not end up completely naked. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the middle of the living room, still in his boxers, with his arms resting on his knees.
The girl finished carefully folding the hero suit she had helped him take off, then stood in front of him with slight hesitation.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked, and he nodded.
“It’s fine. I’m ready. Do it,” he said seriously, making her purse her lips for a moment before taking a deep breath and then beginning to exhale over him.
The icy wind hit Daniel’s body like a raging blizzard, instantly forming a layer of ice on his skin. The temperature inside the house plummeted, and in a matter of seconds, frost began creeping across every surface of the room.
“Enough,” Daniel said after nearly a minute, his voice prompting Carol to stop.
Waving her hand to clear the thick icy mist that had flooded the living room, Carol couldn’t help but stare in bewilderment at the state Daniel was now in.
Where moments ago there had been only him, there now stood a massive block of ice encasing his entire body, leaving only his head exposed.
'Yes, this is exactly what I needed,' Daniel thought, letting out a sigh of relief as the bitter cold surrounding him dulled his body's pain ever so slightly. It wasn't enough to extinguish it completely, of course, but at least it helped.
“What happened?” Deciding it was a good time, Carol asked the question that had been on the tip of her tongue since she arrived.
Although she had noticed his heartbeat speeding up several times throughout the day, she hadn’t given it much importance, since it seemed like something fleeting—unlike other occasions.
It wasn’t until she heard on the news that there had been an accident at the science fair Daniel had gone to that she knew something had happened.
She just… hadn’t expected it to be anything serious. But seeing him now, she realized it wasn’t that simple.
Seeing her doubt, Daniel could only offer her a small smile before beginning to explain how his day had gone.
During his account, Carol’s expression shifted through a range of emotions, her blue eyes losing a bit of light each time he mentioned some of his interactions with Susan, until finally settling into a deep frown and a worried look upon hearing that an anomalous energy from another dimension was wreaking havoc inside him.
“We should go to the Fortress and use one of the immersion chambers,” she said with a hint of urgency, stepping forward, but Daniel shook his head, rejecting the idea.
“This isn’t something one of the chambers can help me get through.”
“But...”
“Hey, I know it seems bad, but you don’t have to worry too much. I’ll be fine. It’s a bit uncomfortable, yeah, but it’ll all be over in a few days and it’ll be like nothing ever happened,” he assured her with more confidence than he actually felt. And hearing the certainty in his voice, Carol instinctively relaxed.
“I get it” she replied—though she was still worried. But since he seemed so sure, she decided not to press further and instead sat down beside him.
Noticing how she stayed there, staring at him fixedly without saying anything else, Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“Shouldn’t you be heading home?” he asked with slight uncertainty, and she shook her head.
“I can help you faster if I stay close,” she said decisively.
Under different circumstances, Daniel might have argued a bit more to get her to leave, but tonight he didn’t have the energy for that, so he simply sighed and accepted it… more or less.
“At least get in bed,” he added after a moment's thought. If Carol stayed there all night, watching him without blinking, he felt he wouldn't even be able to try sleeping.
Upon hearing that, Carol almost refused again—but then processed what he'd said and seemed to change her mind.
“Okay...” she replied with a hint of shyness, getting to her feet and starting up the stairs.
Watching her figure ascend toward the second-floor bedroom, Daniel snorted under his breath and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.
He didn’t succeed.
.
.
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When the sun was still a few minutes away from rising and the roosters had yet to start crowing, Daniel emerged from the block of ice that had encased him and began cleaning up his living room.
Removing the ice was simple, but drying everything that had turned to water proved a bit more complicated. Even so, he managed to take care of most of the mess in a short time and, with nothing else to distract him, headed upstairs to find something to wear.
His movements were slow, though no longer clumsy. Even if he hadn't managed to sleep, at least he had meditated, and with that he had managed to find a certain dose of mental peace that allowed him to keep enduring his body's condition without resembling a hungover drunk.
Upon entering his bedroom and seeing Carol sleeping peacefully among his sheets, tightly hugging his pillows, he couldn’t help but click his tongue in mild envy.
'Weren’t you worried about me? Then why am I the only one who couldn’t sleep?' he thought with amusement.
For a moment, he was tempted to lie down on the empty side of the bed, but in the end he gave up on the idea. Ignoring the sleeping beauty, he made his way to the wardrobe and got dressed simply.
A gray shirt and a pair of blue jeans—everything a man needed to look sharp!
After putting on a pair of brown boots and grabbing the backup ‘mask’ he had stored in a hidden compartment, Daniel left the room without bothering to wake Carol. Since she seemed to be having a good dream, he figured he could let her enjoy it a little longer—at least until she needed to head home.
And speaking of heading home…
Approaching one of the windows, Daniel looked toward the Kent farm and sharpened his hearing, just to make sure Carol’s parents hadn’t noticed her absence.
'One of them’s still asleep,' he noted, hearing a slow and steady heartbeat. On the other hand, there was a much more active pulse - clearly belonging to someone who should be engaged in demanding physical activity.
Focusing his gaze, he spotted the figure of Carol’s father in the distance, working on a section of the farm’s fence. He seemed to be replacing old posts with newer ones.
'An early bird.' Judging by how calm and unhurried he looked, he assumed the man still hadn’t realized his daughter was missing.
Drumming his fingers lightly on the window frame, Daniel watched him for a moment longer before deciding to go meet the man.
'Looks like it’s time to greet my fath— ahem!—neighbor,' Daniel quickly corrected himself, pushing any strange thoughts out of his mind.
.
.
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"Seems a bit early to be starting the day," Jonathan Kent blinked in confusion and looked up to see the person who had spoken so suddenly.
Standing in front of him, on the other side of the fence, was a young man with a strong build and tall stature. His brown hair and grayish eyes—so pale they were nearly blue—stood out under the soft light of dawn, surprised the older man a little.
The kid was almost as handsome as his own younger self!
"And you are?" Jonathan asked, not recognizing the face before him. No… that wasn’t quite right. Something about him felt familiar, though he couldn’t place why.
"Daniel Evans," he replied, extending his hand. Recognition flashed in Jonathan’s eyes upon hearing the name.
Now he understood why the young man seemed familiar—the boy reminded him of his father, a man Jonathan had known in his youth and shared good times with.
“Kid! I thought I’d never see you!” Jonathan exclaimed warmly, gripping his hand tightly. If it weren’t for the fence between them, he probably would’ve pulled him into a strong hug.
It had been nearly a year since Jonathan and his wife, Martha, had heard that Daniel had returned to the farm that once belonged to his grandparents. Of course, they’d also learned the reason behind his return. It was heartbreaking to hear what had happened to the Evans family, and that’s why the Kent’s had decided to give him space, not wanting to intrude on his grief.
Given how little was known about him and the almost complete lack of activity at the property, Jonathan had come to believe Daniel had already gone back to the city. He hadn’t expected to find out that the boy was still living in Smallville.
Seeing the range of complex emotions flicker across Jonathan’s face, Daniel sighed inwardly.
Originally, he had planned to show up in disguise, using the face he usually adopted when trying to blend in with ordinary people. But something inside him had said that wouldn’t be right.
Not just because this was Carol’s father—but also because he had learned, some time ago, that his own father in this world had grown up in Smallville before leaving town for college.
With that in mind, he figured it wouldn’t be surprising if Jonathan Kent had known his father, or at least remembered him. If he showed up claiming to be an Evans, using a face that resembled neither his father nor grandfather, it would almost certainly raise unnecessary suspicions.
That’s why, in the end, he chose to use the same appearance he had created for the Baxter Foundation’s science fair—close enough to his real face to still resemble his father, but different enough that the farmer wouldn’t recognize him as Defiant.
Which, judging by Jonathan’s reaction, had undoubtedly been the right choice.
“I’ve been a little busy,” he said as a vague excuse. “Sorry for not coming by to say hello earlier.”
Jonathan waved his hand, brushing it off.
“Don’t worry about that, son. I’m just glad to see you’re okay, after what happened…” the man suddenly trailed off, realizing what he was about to say and looking at him apologetically.
“It’s fine. I’m not a kid anymore, Mr. Kent. You don’t have to tiptoe around me.” Hearing this, Jonathan nodded and gave him a smaller but understanding smile.
“You’re right. You’re even taller than me now—Hell, taller than your father, too!” he said with a warm laugh. “That definitely didn’t come from him.”
His words lightened the mood, shifting what had nearly turned tense back into something friendly.
Daniel also let out a brief laugh, remembering how his father used to complain about his height all the time—and how he and his brother had both ended up towering over him. Apparently, that hadn’t changed… not even in another world.
Their conversation flowed naturally, and before they knew it, several minutes had passed as they talked about various topics. Jonathan did most of the talking, sharing with Daniel some of the things he and his father used to do in their youth—old memories he hadn’t thought about in a long time but now recalled with fondness.
"I’m sorry—it seems I’ve taken up quite a bit of your time, Mr. Kent," Daniel said, interrupting the talk as he felt the sun begin to shine directly on his face and heard a rooster crowing from the farm. His sharp hearing even picked up that Carol’s mother was already starting to wake up.
“Eh, it’s fine. I woke up way too early anyway,” Jonathan replied, not too worried about his work being interrupted. He really could have started later in the day, but that morning, in particular, he’d woken up with a bit more energy than usual, so he grabbed his tools and decided to get some manual work done before his wife and daughter got up.
Sometimes, a man just needed to be alone with his thoughts and something to keep his hands busy. Though a good chat reminiscing about the past wasn’t bad either.
“How about I help you out?” Daniel offered suddenly, making Jonathan look at him with mild surprise before shrugging.
“Only if you come have breakfast afterward,” he offered kindly.
Seeing how friendly he was with him, Daniel couldn’t help but feel a certain pang of guilt. Not that he had done anything wrong, but it certainly felt very incorrect to be treated like this knowing he had his daughter sleeping in his bed—which sounded worse than it really was, though that wouldn’t do much as an excuse if Jonathan ever found out.
Shaking his head to himself, Daniel nodded, accepting the invitation and climbed over the fence to start helping.
Even though he didn’t have much experience with that kind of work, Daniel learned quickly and soon managed to match the older man’s pace. Of course, he had to fake a bit here and there to avoid raising suspicion, but overall the two worked together quite smoothly while continuing to chat.
.
Some time later, at Daniel’s house.
With the sound of birdsong reaching her ears, Carol began to open her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered a few times as her mind, still slightly clouded by sleep, started to clear. The first thing she noticed was how soft the bed she was in felt, as well as the pleasant scent of the sheets and pillows.
Snuggling a little deeper into the blankets, she breathed in that familiar fragrance she liked so much, a satisfied smile forming on her lips. However, the moment she felt sunlight filtering through the window, her eyes flew open.
In a flash, she sat up in bed and looked around, suddenly remembering with a wave of nervousness that she wasn’t in her own home.
‘What time is it?!’ she wondered in a bit of a panic. Carol had planned to return before sunrise, but Daniel’s bed had turned out to be much cozier than she expected, causing her to sleep in longer than intended.
Jumping to her feet, she walked over to the nearest window and looked out at the rising sun on the horizon, trying to estimate the time
‘I still have time,’ she thought, letting out a sigh of relief, Neither of her parents should have gone to her room to wake her just yet.
With less tension than before, she began smoothing her slightly messy hair and slipped on her shoes, ready to say goodbye to Daniel and head back home.
However, just before leaving the room, she stopped.
‘Eh?’ Had she seen wrong?
Taking a few steps back, she looked out the window again—this time focusing her gaze on the land around her house.
Why were Daniel and her father chatting so amicably while fixing the fence?
"......!?"
Confused, Carol wondered if she might still be dreaming. Instinctively, she pinched her thigh, and when she felt the small sting of pain on her skin, she realized this wasn’t a dream.
For a moment, she stood frozen in place, not knowing what to do. Then, a second later, a shiver ran through her body and, without thinking, she bolted out of the room.
.
“Most farmers put in the posts and forget about the creosote. That’s a big mistake. If you ever think about repairing your farm fences, you should remember to apply a good amount about a week in advance. It’ll make them last longer and protect them from things like moisture and fungus,” Jonathan explained, pointing to the dark coloration on the fence wood.
“If you’d like, I can show you how to do it. It’s not that complicated,” he added as they finished setting the last post that needed replacing.
At the man’s offer, Daniel was about to nod, but right at that moment, he felt a familiar presence and heard slow, hesitant footsteps approaching. When he turned, he saw Carol walking toward them, her blue eyes boring into him with intensity.
Noticing Daniel wasn’t responding and was instead looking away, Jonathan turned as well. Carol’s expression quickly shifted back to her usual stoic look when she met his gaze.
Seeing that his daughter was already awake, Jonathan gestured for her to come over.
Doing her best to control her expression, Carol quickened her pace and soon reached them.
Completely unaware of his daughter’s internal conflict, Jonathan gave her a light pat on the shoulder with good humor.
“You’re up early. Sleep well?” he asked, making Carol tense up almost imperceptibly before she swallowed silently and nodded.
“Yes… quite well,” she replied, a faint blush on her cheeks. Her eyes slid discreetly toward Daniel, who seemed more interested in adjusting the angle of one of the posts than in making eye contact with her.
Perhaps finally noticing the awkwardness in the air, Jonathan looked at them curiously before snapping his fingers, as if suddenly realizing what was going on.
“Right, right. Sorry—I forgot to introduce you two. Carol, this is Daniel Evans, the son of one of my old friends and our neighbor. Daniel, this is my daughter, Carol.”
Going along with it, the two greeted each other as if it were the first time they had ever met.
"Pleasure to meet you," Daniel said, offering his hand with a kind smile. The girl narrowed her eyes slightly for just a moment before accepting the handshake and returning the smile.
“Likewise.”
With the formalities out of the way, Carol let go of his hand and crossed her arms.
“And… how long have you two been working together?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
"Not long,” Daniel replied naturally, though he quickly realized he shouldn’t be speaking to her too familiarly, and adjusted his tone to sound a bit more distant.
“I saw Mr. Kent working from my window and thought I’d come over to say hello. I guess one thing led to another, and I ended up offering to help.”
“And what a help he's been!" Jonathan chimed in cheerfully, gesturing toward the stretch of fence they’d been working on. “The kid’s got a strong arm. We finished way faster than I expected."
Something that probably would have taken him a couple of hours ended up being done in less than one, thanks to Daniel's support.
Brushing the dirt off his hands, Jonathan gathered the tools he had brought with him and gestured toward his house.
“Come on, now that we’re done, it’s time to regain some energy with a good breakfast. My wife said she’s making pancakes today—and believe me, son, no one makes them better than she does,” he assured Daniel with utmost seriousness, and beside him, Carol nodded in complete agreement.
“That sounds like something I shouldn’t miss.”
Without further delay, the three of them began heading toward the Kent house. Jonathan, of course, took the lead, leaving Daniel and Carol walking behind him—something they both quickly took advantage of, subtly slowing their pace to put a bit of distance between themselves and the man.
“So... saying hello to Mr. Kent, huh?” Carol whispered, just low enough for only Daniel to hear.
“Are you upset?” he asked, noticing how she was pressing her lips together in what he thought was an adorable pout.
She let out a soft huff before shaking her head and allowing her expression to soften, her blue eyes locking onto his with the same intense gaze as always.
"No... It was just unexpected. Took me by surprise, but... I don't think it's a bad thing." Somehow, seeing Daniel and her father getting along had stirred an unexpected warmth in her chest.
Even though she had wanted the two of them to meet before, she’d never brought it up for various reasons—one of them being the worry that they wouldn’t get along. But now it was clear she had been overthinking it.
Seeing that she seemed genuinely content with the situation, Daniel chose to remain silent and Keep walking. The serenity of the farm slowly wrapped around him: the rural landscape, bathed in the first light of dawn, brought him an unexpected peace. Despite the pain still lingering in his body, a strange feeling of calm took hold of him.
'I guess moments like this, rare as they are, are what make a lot of things worthwhile,' he thought to himself with a faint smile on his lips.
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Note:
A somewhat slow chapter, without major developments for future events or impactful happenings, but I felt it was necessary—sometimes I forget that this story also has a 'slice of life' tag.
Let me know what you think, should I bring more chapters like this?
Speaking of other things, I had the chance to go see Thunderbolts*. Without a doubt, it’s the best movie Marvel has released in recent times. I really enjoyed it, and if you haven’t seen it, I recommend you do.
Comments
Noob
Tyftc, more chapters like this would be great!
Asura
Thanks for the chapter🔥👋
