A/N: STOP RIGHT HERE! If you haven't read my previous oneshot, "Gone Away," you need to read it before this one. It'll make much more sense. I've been playing around with this in my head on and off for over a year and finally got the gumption to sit down and write it. Thank you for reading and feel free to let me know what you think!

In the darkness, there was nothing. He had a feeling there had been nothing for quite some time, but the thought didn't frighten him. There was a gentle breeze whispering across his subconsciousness, a murmur, letting him know all was well and that the Nothing was nothing to fear at all.

And then Nothing drifted away, becoming something more.

The black faded and the world became a sea of clouds, massive in size and endless in sight. Yellows and pinks clashed with purple streaks as colors of a glorious sunset painted the sky. Its movement was slow and grand, like the first few notes of a symphony.

No, wait. The sky wasn't moving. That was wrong. It was him. He knew it was - because nothing had ever felt so familiar in his life. The skies were his, the wind obeyed his every command, lifting him higher and higher. He only had to think it, and his body instinctively knew what to do. It was a part of him, as natural as breathing.

He thought he heard a voice, but easily pushed the notion from his mind. A flash of color whipped into his line of vision and he turned his head. It was a cape - a magnificent red cape that fluttered in the wind behind him. He looked down at his chest and instead of being shocked, he regarded the symbol with a quiet smile, almost as if he had momentarily forgotten who he was, but just as quickly remembered; who he was always meant to be.

Day 369, January 17th, eight hours, seven minutes - subject's brain patterns have been steadily increasing in activity for several days now -

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He dove forward as if in slow-motion, letting gravity take control as he plummeted through layers of clouds. The air was cold against his face and he grinned, elated.

- body is fighting the kryptonite solution. It seems his body has decided that it's time to awaken. Subject shows no sign of significant pain or trauma. Beginning draining process momentarily...

The voice was louder now, but like a fly buzzing around his ear, there was no reason to be concerned. There was no cause for worry, no need for fear - nothing but the sky stretched to infinity before him and the wind rippling through his suit. He slowly raised his arms out in front of him, his hands curled into fists, ready to add the final burst of speed that would send him out of orbit, into space, beyond the stars...

And suddenly, that world was gone.

Conner gasped for air, sputtering in a panic. His palms were flat against the slick surface in front of him, his hair wet and dripping down his face. His breath was stuck in his throat as he heaved, his vision unfocused as he frantically tried to get his bearings. Everything was blurry and curved inward, like he was sitting at the bottom of a glass. It was too familiar, but he didn't know why.

He felt a swooping feeling in the pit of his stomach as if he had fallen. How had he ended up on the ground? Who had knocked him out of the sky? One hand flew to his chest to grab his symbol and he stared dumbfounded at his bare chest, nothing but tiny green droplets covering his skin.

Who was he?

"Superboy! Superboy, look at me! Look at me!" Someone was yelling at him. A man - did he know him? Dr. Hamilton put his hand up to the glass and tapped. The noise sounded like gunshots in his ears and he covered them with a groan. His next words were muffled and it was several moments before he could lower his hands and attempt to concentrate.

"Look at me, my boy. Yes, that's it! Look right here! Keep looking right here!" Hamilton grabbed a small recording device from his front pocket and began to speak. Conner was mesmerized by the tiny red glow and only heard every other word that was spoken.

"369 days, Eight hours, twelve minutes - Superboy has awoken from cryo-sleep. Displaying significant disorientation and expected weakness of limb, but so far no other symptoms detected. Will now determine mental stability post-experiment."

Dr. Hamilton leaned closer to the glass. "Superboy, what is your name? Can you tell me your name?"

Conner's tongue felt heavy in his mouth, but his vision was beginning to clear. He closed his eyes and shook his head, immediately regretting it as the glass began to spin again. "S-Su... Superboy?" No, that couldn't be right. That wasn't his name. He was a man. He was Super-man... Wasn't he?

"No, no, your human name. Your real name! Come on now, think hard, your real name!" Dr. Hamilton urged him, his voice tinged with worry. His hand was turning red from gripping his recorder so tightly.

He tried to think. He had been in the clouds. He had been flying. But before that, what had happened? Who had he been? He had so many questions and absolutely no idea where to start.

He ignored Hamilton's continued pleas, ignored the ringing in his ears and the slow tilt of the world around him and stared at the small puddle he was kneeling in. He stared into it as if it might hold all the answers, if he could just look deep enough into the emerald green abyss and pull them out.

He was suddenly drawn to the starkness of his black shorts, the ones he did not remember putting on and which felt so alien to the red and blue suit he normally wore.

Green... Black...

And it all came rushing back like a dam that had finally burst, freeing his mind from the Nothing and returning every lost second back to him. He remembered everything, triggered by memories of a green girl in a black t-shirt.

Conner met Hamilton's eyes for the first time and pushed wet bangs from his forehead, feeling calmer. Still, his voice was unsteady as he spoke for the first time in over a year.

"My name is Conner Kent, Doctor Hamilton." He felt very dizzy very quickly, and knew he was about to pass out. He grabbed a fistful of the doctor's coat and weakly hung on, like a child. "Did it... Did it work?"

Conner's world became Nothing once more, and he spun back into the darkness before he could hear a reply.