Connor tensed automatically when he heard movement behind him. His hand reached for the tranquilizer, but paused as he turned to face the teenager. Being scared of one's best friend was a difficult place to be. Maybe he should have allowed some of the others who'd offered to help. But no. This was Kon. If anything happened to him, Connor wouldn't forgive himself, and he knew Clark and Lois probably wouldn't forgive him either. And why should they?
He saw the red eyes, the fury raging through Kon's complicated physiology, and he took a breath. He wasn't known for being smooth. Never had been. So it was hit or miss whether he was going to do this right or get himself killed.
And then he heard that anguished sound and he knew that, angry rage-filled killing machine or not, his friend needed him. "Shhh," he said softly, edging as close to Kon as he thought the younger man would allow. "Easy. I know it hurts. Sucks, doesn't it?" Not that he'd ever been hit with Kryptonite but he'd been hurt often enough.