Status: Step Four: Smallville [Superboy]

[Brainiac 5]

Good, he had calmed down. As the other went to scatter the pieces of him that lay across the area (and they would have to have a talk soon about controlling his powers), Brainy used his arms to retrieve some, extending his body so that he was able to snatch those within reach, and bring them closer to himself. A few were brought over to the foot that was actually in existence, reinforcing it so that it would not break as easily as it would have, while the others went to form a pile around the ragged stump that was his leg. Of course, he could start repairing himself, right then and there, but doing the process slowly would be more… harmful, and doing it quickly, without the pieces, would render Connor’s current job useless, and use up more energy that he could really spare, at the moment.

No, he was patient, so he could wait. Even though he wished the other had superspeed at the moment.

The question surprised him, and he turned his attention towards the Kryptonian, blinking his purple eyes as the question ran through his mind. What had he called him? Wasn’t it obvious? His name, of course. Or had he just not realized that Brainiac 5 knew it?

That theory was thrown out the window before he could even state a likelihood for it (47.6%, actually), when Connor continued with his questions. He didn’t… know his name? Hadn’t been gifted with it yet? That… wasn’t good. He could’ve messed up the timeline.

For one brief moment, he hovered on the edge, trying to decide whether he should mind-wipe the other of that statement (but it wouldn’t be able to be that accurate, and he’d have to make the other completely forget about him), before he relented. He needed assistance at the moment, and if it seemed as though it would disrupt the timeline too much, he could always wipe his mind later.

Even if he didn’t want to lose his new… friend. Maybe.

“Yes, it is,” Brainy replied calmly, meeting Connor’s questioning eyes with his own mechanical purple ones. “Kon-El is your Kryptonian name. I… was unaware that you did not know of it.” The history books had not mentioned anything about it, which was reasonable, of course, and he did not know the Superman that knew Superboy, so there was no data to be gained.

He was semi going into this blind. Of course.

[Superboy]

Conner paused when given his confirmation, considering the implications of this knowledge. Not only the fact that he would one day go by that name, but also what it meant that he knew he would. For a moment he was concerned about the integrity of his timeline, but then he realized that Brainy must have already considered this and deemed it okay for him to know. He was the one who understood time travel so well, after all.

He looked down at the green object in his hand, and, as if reminded by it, went to continue picking up the pieces. It seemed as if he'd suddenly dropped the subject completely, but then he spoke up again as he picked up what appeared to be a small gear and added it to the pile in his other hand.

"I've only met Superman twice in my life." He admitted, talking as he worked, without bothering to look up, "The first time was when they brought me to the Watchtower and introduced us. We barely spoke. After that he must have spent a month in meeting rooms talking with the others about what they should do with me. Then at the end of that month, we met again. He gave me the name 'Conner', explained I was coming here. And that was it. 'So long, kid, good luck trying to be me!'"

He placed the parts he'd collected on the ground beside Brainy, and then stood looking thoughtful, with his fists placed upon his hips, so that for the briefest of moments, he was unintentionally of a striking resemblance to a certain golden statue that would one day be erected in a city park in New Metropolis.

"The fact of the matter is," He went on, dropping this accidental pose and moving away again to locate more parts he might have missed, "I might be his clone, but you know Superman way better than I do. Isn't that ridiculous?" There was humor in his tone, indicating that he saw it as a joke, but he was serious. "The name 'Conner Kent' is just a disguise he gave me out of necessity. But if there is another name... and a kryptonian one, at that... well maybe it means that one day he'll think I deserve one."

The thought of this alone brought a smile to his face, but he quickly hid it by bending down to retrieve a small part that was hidden under a clump of grass, and when he came back up and walked back toward his friend, his face was neutral again.
"You don't have to say anything." He said, "I understand. Structure of the timeline and stopping the universe from imploding or whatever. But it's nice to know. So... I guess... thanks." He smiled, and reached out to offer Brainy the small part he had found.

[Brainiac 5]

He was… uncertain of what to think about the fact that Connor had dropped the subject. Was it good? Bad? After all, he had possibly changed the timeline… But even so, Brainy was unsure of what exactly telling him his future name would do. It might have even been something he was intended to do, something that Connor would have known all along, and when the time came for him to receive a name, he would suggest it. He was the worrier, over how the time stream progressed, and he just hoped that he would not have to erase the other’s memory.

But then the other spoke, and he listened attentively, purple eyes widening at the content of his speech. Brainiac’s immediate response, his immediate knee-jerk reaction, was to defend Superman. To defend him, and to explain why, because he probably knew Superman better than anyone, both through their relationship and through his research, but he kept quiet, the words at the tip of his tongue, and he found himself thankful for it, as the other stopped.

For one, breath-taking moment, it was like looking at Superman, looking at the wonderful man that he so idolized, so adored, so loved, and the Coluan could do nothing but watch, as it appeared that the other was Superman, was that wonderful, wonderful person, and though he was repeating himself, he couldn’t help it. It was… him.

That moment passed, as the other shifted, and Brainy found himself blinking himself out of such a state, casting a glance at the pile beside him as he wondered if the other had seen his… attentiveness. But it appeared not, as Connor continued to speak, and… Brainy understood him. He got him, he felt his pain, he knew what the other felt like. To have that one person to look up to, that one person who you wanted to be, who you wanted to love you back, to let you into their trust, their fold… And have it so close, yet out of reach. He… got it.

Accepting the last piece, Brainiac hesitated for one moment, wondering if he could say it. He felt like he could share without getting blank looks, without people trying to understand and couldn’t, and… he wanted to confide in someone, even if it was someone that he might have to wipe later. And it couldn’t hurt, could it?

Averting his gaze onto his leg, as he assembled his parts, creating a badly hewn ‘mock’ leg, Brainiac 5 spoke, his voice… both pained and sympathetic. “I… understand.” He sighed, moving that last piece into place, flickering his gaze up at Superboy, before he averted his eyes once more. “I’m odd for a Coluan, even for a Brainiac Coluan, and I rejected the hive mind. I didn’t want to be another code in the program.” As he spoke, green tendrils of himself, thick wires, sprouted from his stump, integrating the broken parts and forming into his purple leg. “So I made an idol out of Superman, and now, even though he is my teammate… I do not mean the same to him that he does to me.”

And his leg was complete. Extending his arms to push himself off the ground, Brainy met Kon-El’s eyes for a brief moment. “Even when things are so physically close, they can be too far away, can they not?” He sympathized, having them right there, being their namesake and standing in their shadow, or wanting to share just a shred of their light in their hole of darkness, yet not being able to.

It was... odd, to speak of such a thing. But his teammates already knew, he could not tell Superman, and he... felt he owed it to Superboy. To make up for his misdeeds. Besides, wasn't it appropriate, to share such a thing when the other had? As a sort of 'bonding moment'? He had never been in this situation before, but he thought that was the correct response...

[Superboy]

The relatively small part of his brain that was still dedicated to analyzing Brainy picked up on the emotional tones in his voice before he registered the words that accompanied them. What he then went on to say gave him a few more clues about his background, such as coming from a planet where the populace had a 'hive mind'. And he had broken free of it. It seemed that, because of Superman, he was an individual. Unique. Apparently the two of them had a lot more in common than Conner had first thought. Because of their hero, they were both lone specimens of their kind surrounded by creatures that weren't quite the same, that couldn't understand.

A voice in his head pointed out that he wasn't a unique individual like Brainy at all - he was a copy, an imitation by design. But this voice didn't bother him. Because at this moment he was enjoying the fact that he had found what might have been the one person in the galaxy who he could relate to, even though they were from different planets - different times, even. Well. Brainy had found him, actually.

"Look at us." He replied, after considering his companion's words, "Just two disciples standing in the same shadow, clamoring for attention." That sounded rather tragic though. In his head, he revised his suggestion, and decided that it was more like having a brother and vying for their father's attention. "Wonder how many others there are like us throughout the universe, all wanting to be a part of the legend."

He stood in silence for a few moments more, contemplating everything. Superman, Brainiac 5, his future, the future. And then all at once he seemed to realize that they'd been moping around in a field for too long and it was getting embarrassing for him.

"Anyway." He said, the change in the tone of his voice acting as a topic marker, "Nice job on the leg. Maybe you can teach me that trick next. Looks like it could come in handy if I'm not quite as invincible as we think I am." With a smile to try and lighten the situation, he stretched his arms over his head and took a few steps away.
"Alright teach, you ready to go again? What's next on the list?" He faltered, lowered his arms and glanced back at his friend, "That is... you still want to go on with the training, don't you? I promise not to explode you anymore."

[Brainiac 5]

He smiled wryly at the other’s words, finding a slight humor in it. “There could be many,” he stated, considering it. The Coluan doubted there were others like that in his timeline, simply because it was so long ago, but here, in this point? Yes, most likely. “But we can actually do something about it, and not just dream.” That had been all he wanted, for so long, to be a hero, like Superman. That was why, when the thief attacked the Time Institute, he had been ready to jump into action, and when the Legion had been there, and had been impressed by his prowess and his attacks, the first thing that he had done was quit and go to try out, immediately.

Brainy had never shared how absolutely important and integral to him it was that he had passed with flying colors. The first step away from the shadow of his ancestors, and towards the light of Superman.

“And we know him,” he felt obligated to point out, as well, smiling slightly. “We know him as more than just a legend.” Superman, in all his imperfections, was still the most amazing person that Brainy had ever gotten the fortune to meet. And nothing would ever change that for him.

…And there was the convient change in topic. Good. The normally emotion-shuttered Coluan wasn’t sure he could handle more of this, however appropriate it was.

“Of course I wish to continue,” he told Kon-El, rising up slightly so that they were the same height (he was aggrieved to notice that it was more than just a little height addition). “You didn’t do it on purpose, and I have had far worse. That was not much.” An annoyance, yes, but it wasn’t anything life-threatening, not like when he had had a malfunction. That had been… not fun. At all.

Though the fact that Superman had been willing to go so far for him had brought quite a warmth.

He paused, considering what they should do, before his mind easily lit upon it, and it was obvious. “You need to work on controlling your strength, first. You cannot always smash through things.” Though Superman did have the annoying habit of destroying the Legion’s walls…

There were several options on what they could do, but Brainy knew which one that he preferred. Take a tree, and then have the other attempt to control his punches on it. One that would only fracture the bark, one that would break through, but not all the way, one that would entirely bash through the tree… that sort of thing. Yes, that would be perfect.

[Superboy]

Conner kept an amused expression as he watched Brainy bolster his height to match his, but he was also mystified by what he claimed - that the injury he had given him was only minor compared to some others he'd suffered. Given how quickly and easily he had recovered, he was able to believe that.

"Sounds like you can take hits like the man himself, if that's true."
He guessed that for a creature that was at least partially mechanical, the ability to mend oneself was not only invaluable, but probably necessary to level out the playing field with enemies that weren't made out of nuts and bolts. Or whatever the futuristic equivalent was of nuts and bolts.

Brainy then brought up the issue that they were to deal with next, and Conner nodded.
"Right." He said, "Since I don't have super speed yet, my strength and invulnerability are my most important aspects, so controlling them is vital. Something like that?"
Not to mention that if he was going to be running around saving the day in a big city like Metropolis some day... well, he'd be run out of town by an angry mob if he destroyed half the place every time he was trying to protect it. That would be somewhat counter-productive.

Not to mention, once he had his strength a little more under control, he could spar again without worrying about dismantling his opponent. And while he was on that matter, the same skills would be needed from keeping what happened to Brainy from happening to any old bad guy. One that was made of softer stuff that couldn't be as easily popped back into place. Imagine the mess of it.

He shuddered at the thought, which, since the thought went unvoiced, must have looked quite strange, before turning his attention back to his mentor.

"Okay, what did you have in mind?" He asked, and started punching the empty air beside him in preparation, his former energy having clearly returned to him. Powered by the sun, he was really just like a giant Energizer Bunny.

[Brainiac 5]

He blinked in surprise at the statement (ignoring the amused look on the other’s face), before shaking his head and replying. “Survive them, yes, but not like how he can. I can repair myself if it’s nothing too vital, but it takes up energy, and I can’t usually do it in the middle of the battle.” Brainy made a slight face. “And it’s not the most pleasant feeling, to fall to pieces.” No, it wasn’t, even if he could be repaired. Yes, it didn’t hurt him the same way that it hurt others, but… it still did.

It probably would not, had he not separated himself so much from the hive mind (but he was still a part of it, however distant, he always was), but he wouldn’t be himself. So it was yet another price he had to pay to be individual.

The Coluan smiled at the response, inclining his head. “That’s a correct analysis. And… given the circumstances, learning how to control your strength would be best.” He didn’t wish to cause the other guilt, but… it was a fact. Perhaps they would spar, later on, or another time, if their paths ever crossed again (he hoped they would, he was enjoying his time with his newfound friend), so it would be best to drill this into the other.

Especially because it would be bothersome if he accidentally showcased it in front of noncombatants.

Gesturing for the other to follow him, he floated over to the edge of the ‘ring’, by the trees, and transformed his hand into a small laser, carving the numbers 1, 2, and 3, into three respective trees as he spoke. “You will punch each of these trees. On the first, I want you to just fracture the bark. The second, break into the tree, but not through it, the third, punch all the way through the tree but without causing it to fall over. You need to leave enough room around your punch.” They were certainly thick enough for that.

The numbers, carved above Connor’s and Brainy’s floating height, resembled those carved by a knife, except far smoother and uniform, like those on a printed page. “Questions?” he asked, turning in midair and refocusing his gaze back on Kon-El.

It seemed very straight-forward and simplistic to him, but then again, he was a Brainiac.

[Superboy]

The sensation of going to pieces, and having to but himself back together. Now that was something he was glad he'd never have to experience. Well, it was very unlikely, anyway. Which was fortunate too, because Conner didn't expect that putting himself back together would be as easy as Brainy made it look.

He followed his mentor to the border of trees that surrounded them, and paid close attention while he was given his next 'assignment'. The premise seemed simple enough, but he'd never tried to do anything like this before. If he had been asked to break a tree in half, it would have been done by now, and it would have looked good too. If he'd wanted to pluck the thing straight out of the ground, he didn't imagine that'd take much doing either. But then, this was a control exercise, and that was what it would train him to have.

He was asked if he had any questions and he couldn't help but pipe up.
"Yeah, just one. What did these trees ever do to you?" He asked, looking to his floating friend and quirking an eyebrow questioningly before turning his attention back to the trees.

"Okay. Let's do this..." He murmured, revising his stance. He'd given up his combat one for a much more sensible position. He with his body at a right angle to the target, feet planted firmly on the ground. Both his arms were up, his right one pulled back and his other one hovering in front for balance. The trees were wide - he couldn't miss them, but still he squeezed one eye shut and focused on the exact spot he was going to try and strike.

Fracture.

He repeated the word in his head, trying to visualize the insides of the tree, the layers it was made of, and attempting to figure out the exact amount of pressure he'd need.

Fracture...

His fist shot forward and shot back again to its original position, and somewhere in between there was a cracking sound. On the tree marked 1, he was elated to see, there was now a definite dark split in the bark running up and down from where he had made contact.

He grinned, and looked to Brainy for his reaction, hoping his teacher was as pleased with this flawless first attempt as he was.
"Nothing to it." He quipped, and shifted a couple of steps to take up the same position in front of the next tree.

Break into. He thought this time, Not through...

He didn't take as long sizing his target up this time. Perhaps the boost of confidence after his initial success was the cause. Whatever the case, he shot his fist forward again, just a little too hard, and a little too fast, and even as it was cracking through the bark and into the body, he knew he'd failed. The bark at the back of this one exploded outward.

"Damnit..." He muttered, hanging his head, his arm still in the tree. He removed it with a tug which splintered the object further. This time he didn't look to Brainy for a reaction, and his expression was decidedly more grim as he looked to his third enemy. Now it was personal. Two out of three wasn't bad for a first go. He needed this one to get him that.

He planted his feet for the third time, and took a deep breath before raising his arms again. This one shouldn't be a problem, at least. He just had to replicate the exact speed and force he'd used with the last one, since what had happened to that one was what was supposed to happen to this one. Straight through. One clean movement. Concentrate.

Did he falter, mid-punch? He must have done, because something went wrong and the back half of the third tree was suddenly exploded into the barks of its brothers behind it, and the giant trunk was roaring and swinging down toward him.

Gritting his teeth in frustration with himself, he threw his hand straight up and caught the falling tree as if it were made of cardboard. He sighed deeply, staring at the ground and facing the reality of his failure with this one. First the sparring accident, and now a one-out-of-three score on his second test? He was doing awfully.

When he did finally look to Brainy, it was with an apologetic look on his face. He glanced up at the tree he was still holding above his head.
"Well. It could have gone worse?" He tried.
Tree number 2 suddenly cracked and fell down into the field with a ground-shaking THUD. Conner winced at the sound as if it had fallen on his foot.

[Brainiac 5]

The question made him smile slightly, rolling his eyes at the other’s comment. Geeze, that was just the sort of humor that Luornu would excel in, should she and her other two try it out. Best to keep them apart, definitely.

So Brainy observed the other, watching with approval as he closed one eye so that his focus on the tree would be better. He did not have such a problem, of course, but most human-based lifeforms did, and Kryptonians were no exception. Vaguely, the Coluan wondered curiously if he had done something like this before, or if it was just instinct. Both were rather promising options.

He watched, the silent observer, floating as the other concentrated, and then, like a whip snaking out and likely just a blur to any human eyes, Connor punched. A pleased smile found its way onto his face as he observed the result, pleased that the other had done so well. “Good job,” he told the other as he turned to look at him, floating along the distance of a few paces to be alongside the other as he moved. Let’s see if he could replicate his correct feat…

However, for some reason, the other didn’t calculate as much this time, and if he made it, it would speak of good things, as one did not usually have that much time in the middle of a battle, but he was unable to replicate it. Brainy’s face downturned slightly into a frown as he observed the tree. Had this been the third one, it would have been a good job, but he had not been supposed to be aiming for that… A pity. Perhaps he would do better at the next?

Hopeful, seeing as he had already done it once, and could likely do it again, the Coluan watched with careful purple eyes, which had been recording the entire thing for future analysis. For a moment, he thought the other would be able to, would be able to get two out of three, which would honestly not be that bad, but it was not to be. Connor had broken too much, but before he could step in, the other caught the tree trunk. Ah, good, even with his invulnerability, it would not have been pleasant for that to fall on top of him.

Of course, the sight that it made was somewhat comical, with him looking all grim and morose, staring at the ground, with a tree held aloft over his head. As the other looked up at him, Brainy fought to contain his slight smile, succeeding, and was about to speak in response to the other’s statement, when the tree behind the clone fell. As if Fate didn’t wish to be tempted like that.

For one, brief, infinitesimal moment, he hovered, trying to contain himself, before the robot burst into bright, high, childish laughter, bending over and floating higher as he did so. He hadn’t laughed in years, not for 8.12 Earth years, when he lost his first lab, and now he was enjoying himself, feeling like a kid again, and not like the most intelligent person in the galaxy, as he simply laughed.

He just couldn’t help it.

[Superboy]

At first Conner was confused by what appeared to be an expression on Brainy's face being restrained. Was he that angry with his miserable attempt that he was actually being forced to reign himself in? It was hard to tell. He wasn't used to reading the expressions of Coluans.

But then the tree fell down and everything became a lot clearer, which was ironic, considering the dust that the impact kicked up.
The younger teen was shaking with laughter, and it was infectious.
"Hey!" Conner said, raising his voice as if annoyed, but unable to stop a confused smile from invading his own expression, "Don't laugh at me! I did my best!" Even as he said this though, he had begun to laugh along with him, partially because he had to admit that his attempt was terrible, and partially just because Brainy was laughing, and even in the short time he'd known him, he hadn't thought he was ever likely to hear such a thing.

They might have been laughing at him, but for some reason it seemed to take the sting out of his failure, rather than make it worse. At the same time, his teacher wasn't being very supportive by laughing at him, and he was hardly going to let him get away with that.

Shrugging off the tree trunk he was holding and letting it fall heavily but harmlessly behind him, he jumped up to meet the hovering Coluan in a playful mid-air tackle that he was careful to make less powerful than his tree-punches. If it was so funny, he decided, he could use being brought back down to Earth for a bit.

[Brainiac 5]

Connor’s protests didn’t stop him in the slightest. In fact, if anything, they only made the Coluan laugh harder, so exhilarated by the feeling of letting himself be free and just laughing as hard as he could. It was a nice feeling. He’d have to laugh sooner than 8.12 years, next time. The other didn’t seem too offended, either, which made it better, as yes, the other had probably tried his best, but his best had been so abysmal, that he couldn’t help it. Honest!

And the other was laughing, too, so that meant it was fine. Had he be human, his sides would’ve hurt by now, but as it was, without the need to breathe, he could continue like this… well, if he wished to, forever. He didn’t really want to, though, that would not be a pleasant endeavor.

Looking up from his doubled-over, mid-air position, as a thud resounded, still laughing, Brainy’s eyes widened at the clone coming at him, and before he could move, found himself tackled to the ground by a very strong Kryptonian. It was a good thing that his torso could take more of a beating than his legs, and that he couldn’t bruise, for if he was human, the two arms wrapped around him likely would’ve at least crushed a rib. Yes, strength was definitely something that they needed to work on.

Elongating himself so that he could squirm out of Connor’s grasp, and shoving the other off of him, Brainy calmed, his laughter fading but a smile remaining. “Thank you,” he told the other, sitting up on the grass. “I have not laughed in 8.14 earth years. It was… nice.”

Yes, this ally was both a friend and a keeper, the Coluan decided. Considering that he was half a clone of Superman, was rather nice, and had made him laugh were all factors in that decision. Either way, it was a good one.

[Superboy]

Well at least his aerial assault had been more successful than his tree breaking endeavors. He let his tackle victim shove him off and his own laughter finally began to die down as Brainy managed to collect himself, though it took him a second to comprehend what the Coluan said next. Eight years since he had last laughed? That was... well, he didn't know what it was. Given that he himself had aged sixteen years in sixteen weeks (and most of that had been spent slipping in and out of consciousness), and that the last two months had dragged like decades, he had no solid frame of reference when it came to time. But he was fairly certain that eight years between laughing at something was ludicrous. Even he had probably laughed more than once or twice in the last two months.

"Erm. Any time?" Was all he could say in response to his claim. Knowing that now, he was suddenly rather proud that he had been able to provide him with what might have been the most desperately needed comic relief in the galaxy. He wondered if he hadn't laughed in so long because of his cybernetic heritage, or if it was due to the future he came from being particularly bleak. "Isn't there anybody where you come from who can do something stupid enough to make you laugh?" He asked, the humor in his tone slowly being replaced by concern. He had taken a liking to Brainy, and if his future was a place where there was no laughter or happiness for him, well, he wasn't sure that he wanted him to go back.

There then came a ringing sound, which intruded upon the moment until Conner retrieved a cell phone from the pocket of his jeans, and when he had confirmed that this was the source of the sound, he rolled his eyes dramatically. He hit a button and held it to his ear, pushing himself up off the ground and back onto his feet at the same time.

"Mrs. Kent." He said into the phone, "No, everything's fine. No, I'm not in Metropolis. I just got... distracted...
...
I'm with a friend...
Yeah, well maybe I do now...
Look, I'll do the chores when -- what? No, he's not from school. I'll do the rest of the chores when I get back, it's not a problem...
...
I know, I'm fine. I see you when I get back."

He paused, and continued to listen, and then frowned.

"I can still hear you, Mrs. Kent." He said, and then the other participant apparently finally hung up and he did the same and slipped the device back into his pocket.

He closed his eyes and laid two fingers on his eyelids in a gesture of weariness that he was already well-practiced in.
"Sorry about that." He told Brainy, and then looked about at the destruction he had caused. The two trees that had fallen were still lying on the ground on either side of them. "Are we going to try that exercise again? I might get arrested for unauthorized deforestation soon..."

[Brainiac 5]

Brainy wasn’t sure why the other shifted from happiness to what appeared to be concern, but he shook his head at the question, lips pulling into a slight frown. “Most of my teammates do idiotic things on a regular basis, so it’s no change from the norm.” Lightning Lad and Bouncing Boy especially, and even though Phantom Girl’s brand of humor was one that could make him crack a smile (when she wasn’t mocking Superman, of course), he didn’t laugh. “They say I have no sense of humor, of course.”

He had a more… selective humor range than them, that was all. And laughing seemed to be more an organic lifeform action.

A ringing sound, out of nowhere, made the Coluan tense suddenly, eyes widening as he instinctive honed in on the sound being produced from… Connor? Brainy watched, fascinated, as he retrieved the archaic communication device, and began speaking. He was talking to Mrs. Kent through that device? Was that the ‘cell phone’ that he had read so much about? Fascinating! A slight smile coaxed its way onto his face at the dubbing of him as a ‘friend’ (he was fairly certain it was so the other didn’t have to explain what he was, rather than any true statement), and he listened to the conversation, intrigued.

Shaking his head slightly to show that it was fine (and indeed, it had been a fascinating thing to watch), the Coluan’s eyes drifted over to the mess of trees, and though he wasn’t exactly sure what the other was speaking about, the combination of the words made it easy to guess an estimate. “Yes, perhaps it is best to not attempt that again. And that is always something that you can work on on your own.”

The other had better not stop working on the abilities he had told him to because he was not here, at any rate.

For a moment, Brainy hesitated, before speaking up in an offer that he truly meant. “We can return to your house, and I can help you with these… ‘chores’. I have met Mrs. Kent before, so it would not be too much of a shock, I believe.”

It was always hard to estimate how people would react. The one time he had met the woman, she had stared at him for a moment, before telling him that he was adorable, mussing up his hair, and offering him pie (which Bouncing Boy had consumed). He didn’t understand it.

[Superboy]

The idea that Mrs. Kent, the boring old dear that he was being forced to live with, had met Brainy before he had was one of the most surprising revelations of the day - and there had been many. He wasn't sure exactly why the concept was so difficult for him to grasp. Being the adoptive mother of Superman, she'd probably had several run-ins with metahumans and aliens and who knew what else. But she and her husband just seemed so dull that it never showed. Maybe after so many years living with and raising a child from another planet, things like meeting other extra terrestrials became mundane for them. They themselves were mundane, he could say that for a fact.

Conner considered Brainy's offer for a moment, but it didn't take him long. Who would say no to help with his boring chores?
"Okay then, if you're sure. But I'll warn you now, they're not as interesting as training. Though they are less destructive. Most of the time."

Plus, Brainy was right. He could continue to try the tree exercise even after they parted ways. He'd given him a few ideas about what he needed to practice, and that was definitely a good start.

He walked a few paces away, recalibrating the map of Smallville in his head, figuring out which way was which after their little detour. Luckily, the Kent farm was on the outskirts of town, so it wasn't a problem to just super jump home... though they repeatedly told him not to do it, 'just in case'.

He turned on the spot until he was facing the right direction.
"I take it you know the way then, if you've been there before." If not, he could just follow him. He could fly, after all, so it wasn't--

Conner was just about to go into a jump when the thought made him hesitate. Then he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the yellow ring he'd been given earlier. He had totally forgotten about it until just now, which was strange, since he was so excited to try it at the time.
He looked from the ring to Brainy.
"Maybe this would be a good time for one last training exercise?"
For some reason, he felt like he needed permission to go ahead and try this flight thing, even though he'd already been given the means. This was weird too - he hated asking for permission.
It was only a short distance from here to the farm, but if he was going to try flying for the first time, he decided he'd prefer to have someone with him who knew how to do it to back him up... and since he wasn't expecting a visit from You-Know-Who anytime soon...

[Brainiac 5]

Brainy nodded slightly. “Yes, I am aware of the… mundane quality. But I have never done them before, so it will be a new experience.” Any ‘chores’, really, not just the specific ones that Connor would have to do. Why would he have to? Keeping his lab clean was not a chore as it was a necessity, as many of the supplies and experiments he worked with were quite volatile, and he did not wish them to be combined, and there had never been anything else to do. He was a rather low-maintenance species, after all.

Drifting over and following him, he nodded once more at the question. “I know the coordinates,” he stated, before he opened a panel on the forearm of one of his arms, revealing a keypad with numbers and letters in his home language, and typing them in. Ah, that was how they traversed there. It was a much easier way to remember how to get places, when the only action that needed to be taken was remembering the coordinates.

He was about to flit upward himself, in time with the jump that it appeared that Connor was going to take (Superman had never done those, so it was an interesting thing to watch), when the other spoke up, and he stopped, blinking purple eyes for a moment, before he let a small smile come onto his face. “Of course,” he stated, floating over.

“Just slip it on, and then think of flying. It is almost entirely instincts.” If it were not, Brainy didn’t doubt that some of the Legion members wouldn’t be able to use it. Originally, they had required more thought, as he had been the only one to use them, and compared to how much his brain could process at once, it was virtually nothing, but once he had joined the Legion and was constructing it for them, he had to make allowances for the more… primitively minded race.

Thus, instincts. Everyone had them, even Coluans.