A few days later, Smallville's town square was buzzing with energy.
A colorful balloon arch stretched over the entrance to the magic show, blending with the shouts of vendors and the laughter of kids. Street performers on stilts wove through the crowd, tossing handfuls of confetti into the air, sparking gasps and cheers from passersby.
A giant poster loomed overhead, featuring a figure in a top hat with a sly, mischievous grin, juggling a deck of playing cards.
"Wow! So many people!" Clark pressed his face against the car window, his blue eyes sparkling. "Dio! Look over there—cotton candy! And… is that a candied hawthorn stick?!"
Dio snorted, his red eyes flicking toward the magic tent at the center of the square. "Childish."
Locke raised an eyebrow. Says the guy who was chomping on candied hawthorn in Metropolis last time.
"Alright," Jonathan said, parking the truck and turning with a grin. "Let's go, boys."
Before he'd even finished, Clark was already unbuckling his seatbelt. He turned to Locke, arms outstretched. "Uncle Locke! Let me hold Saraphiel!"
Seeing Clark's enthusiasm, Locke wasn't about to dampen it. He carefully handed the baby over. "Okay, but hold him steady—don't—"
His words caught in his throat.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
The moment Clark took Saraphiel, an invisible ripple spread from the boy's fingertips, forming a transparent film that gently cradled the baby. No matter how much Saraphiel kicked and squirmed, he stayed perfectly secure in Clark's arms, not even wrinkling his swaddle.
A bio-force field?!
Locke's pupils shrank.
Superman's using a bio-force field to hold a baby? What kind of dream am I in?
No, wait…
Since when did Clark master a bio-force field? The kid could barely control his strength! Last time he hugged me, I thought he'd snap my ribs!
Stunned, Locke whipped his head toward Dio, only to see the blonde teen standing there, unfazed, even yawning like this was no big deal.
These two…
They've been keeping this from me?!
"Locke?" Martha tapped his shoulder, confused. "What's with the zoning out? The kids are already ahead."
"…It's nothing," Locke said, taking a deep breath to suppress his shock, his eyes locked on Clark's back.
The boy was happily carrying Saraphiel, who giggled in his arms, tiny hands reaching for a passing balloon. The invisible force field adjusted with perfect precision—firm enough to keep the baby safe, gentle enough not to restrict him.
That level of control… it was like second nature.
Dio glanced back at Locke, a faint smirk in his red eyes. "Come on, Dad, keep up."
Locke: "…"
You little punks. We're settling this tonight.
He rubbed his temples and hurried to catch up with the family.
The show was about to start.
Inside the massive tent, the lights dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight on the crimson curtain.
As the drums kicked in, magicians took the stage one by one, their dazzling tricks sending Clark into a frenzy of exaggerated gasps.
"Whoa! How'd he do that?!" His voice was so loud, the front row kept glancing back.
After a while, Dio's patience wore thin, a glint of irritation in his eyes. "Clark," he hissed, leaning closer, "that vanishing coin—"
"Oh, I bet it's hidden in a magnetic pocket up his sleeve," Clark cut in, gesturing with his hand. "And see the callus on his right middle finger? That's from years of practicing sleight of hand."
Dio's smirk froze.
"You saw that?"
"Yeah, I saw it," Clark said, scratching his head, his blue eyes glinting in the dim tent. "But knowing how it works doesn't make it less fun. Like, whoa, you can perform it that way?!"
Dio let out a cold huff, retracting The World and glancing at Saraphiel. The kid was engrossed, his dark eyes wide and round.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The host's booming voice filled the tent. "Please welcome Metropolis's youngest prodigy, only sixteen years old, the incredible magician—Zatanna Zatara!"
?
As the curtain rose, Locke felt the name tug at his memory.
Before he could place it, Jonathan nudged his shoulder. "Hey, brother, why's that young lady keep looking our way?"
Locke followed his gaze and locked eyes with the magician's playful smile. She wore a signature top hat, her black costume hugging her graceful figure, her finger subtly pointing in their direction.
"Probably 'cause I'm too handsome," Locke said, deadpan.
"Hey! It's obviously me—" Jonathan started, but a sharp look from Martha shut him up.
Zatanna began her performance, tossing her glove into the air. It transformed into dozens of shimmering blue butterflies.
Clark's jaw dropped into a perfect "O."
His eyes darted around, trying to spot any hint of a trick, but found nothing. He looked to Dio for help, only to get a "Why're you asking me, Mr. Know-It-All?" glare in return.
But the most shocked was Locke.
He couldn't figure out how those butterflies appeared out of nowhere. The phosphorescent dust from their wings even drifted down, landing on Saraphiel's nose, making the baby sneeze adorably.
This wasn't stage magic.
This was actual magic.
---
The Milky Way hung in the night sky as the Kents strolled down the path back home.
Locke carried a sleeping Saraphiel, trailing behind the family.
Jonathan was animatedly reenacting Zatanna's tricks to Martha, who laughed and looped her arm through his. "That Zatanna girl was something else. No wonder she's a top magician in the Midwest at just sixteen."
"Jonathan," Martha said with a smile, "you said the same thing about that magic show we saw in college."
"Wait…" Jonathan stopped in his tracks. "Zatanna Zatara… Martha, do you remember that show we saw? Wasn't it a Zatara too?"
Martha covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. "You're right. It was."
"Twenty-five years ago," Jonathan said, sighing. "At Kansas University. I still remember that finale—the whole theater filled with floating roses!"
Clark, walking ahead, slammed on the brakes, nearly causing Dio to crash into him. "A magic dynasty?!" His eyes lit up. "No wonder she's so good! Dio, what about that butterfly trick—"
"Ugh, annoying," Dio muttered, speeding up to dodge Clark without looking back.
"Hey, Dio!" Clark jogged after him. "How'd she make those butterflies? Couldn't The World see it?"
For once, Dio didn't snap back. He just ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
He had to admit—he couldn't figure it out either.
Glancing at his dad's knowing smirk, Dio pouted. Star Platinum probably saw right through it, huh?
Catching Dio's look, Locke winked.
Of course he hadn't seen through it—because it wasn't a trick at all. That girl was the real deal, a magician who could chant spells backward, destined to be known as the "Supreme Sorceress."
And right now? She was a young performer touring the country, searching for her missing father, Zatara.