SVsleuth
02-28-2009, 01:31 AM
(Note: For the purpose of this fic, pretend the scene never happened where Chloe comforts Lana and knows what happened.)
Back to Normal
Clark sat on the floor of the loft for hours after she left him. He had long since regained his physical strength, but he felt as if his very soul had been sucked out of him. The pain of forced separation from her was a far greater pain than that which had coursed through his body as he kissed her good-bye - the effect of the Kryptonite which she had absorbed.
A broken man. Defeated. With little will to live. Life without her was no life at all. Tears rolled down his face as he sat there, half a man without the one who gave his life a purpose.
Near midnight, he was startled by the sound of a happy tune coming from his cell phone. It irritated him to hear such an upbeat tune, in such contrast to his mood, and he pulled it out and flipped it open, if only to end the annoying sound.
He held it to his ear, out of habit, but didn't say a word.
"Clark? Clark, are you there? It's Chloe. Clark, where are you? There's a huge fire in downtown Metropolis. The firefighters can't get to everyone quickly enough. Clark? Say something, damn it!"
Clark blinked, trying to grasp what Chloe had just told him, but his mind was far away. "What?" he finally managed to say.
"Clark, are you alright?" Chloe asked with concern.
"No. No, Chloe, I'm not alright. I'll never be alright. I can't do this. Not now. I can't."
Clark flipped his phone shut and chucked it across the loft. His head fell into his hands and a groan rose up from deep within.
***
Lana ran into the burning building at superspeed, straight to the spot where the firefighters said someone was trapped. Using her strength, she pulled away the debris, then sped to find the woman. Lifting her into her arms she ran to the nearest window and jumped out. She landed on her feet, five floors below, and laid the woman on a stretcher, where emergency personnel quickly came to her aid.
Lana ran right back into the building, searching for more people, wishing she had Clark's superhearing to help her. She did the best she could without it, and saved several more people. All the while, she kept looking around, expecting Clark to show up. She had to be careful that he not come too near her. But he never came.
***
Chloe watched the news coverage of the fire, relieved that the "red/blue blur" had apparently shown up. Then, she saw a picture of the hero placing a woman on a stretcher. It was only from the back, but Chloe could see the unmistakable dark tresses. "Lana!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, Chloe became very worried about Clark. Where was he? Why did he say he couldn't do this?
Chloe grabbed her purse and keys, and set off for Smallville. Three hours later she arrived at the Kent farm. She went right into the barn and climbed the stairs to the loft.
"Clark?"
When she caught sight of him she stopped in her tracks. He was sitting on the floor, motionless, his face in his hands.
"Clark!" she exclaimed as she ran to him and knelt down beside him. Clark lifted his head to glance at her. "Thank God, you're okay," Chloe said.
Clark just dropped his head back into his hands without a word.
"Clark, what's wrong?" Chloe asked as she lifted his chin with her hand. She could see the pain in his eyes.
"She's gone, Chloe. Forever," he whispered almost inaudibly.
"Who?" Chloe asked, not comprehending.
"Lana," he breathed.
"What? Lana's not gone, Clark. She just saved some people from that fire in Metropolis. Question is, why weren't you on the scene?
It took Chloe another half hour of dragging information out of Clark before she understood what had happened - how Lana's suit had absorbed the Kryptonite to disarm the bomb, and how she was now poison to Clark. Tears filled her eyes as she gazed upon her best friend, broken like she'd never seen him before. Chloe wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head to her shoulder in a feeble attempt to console him. But she knew nothing she could do would ever console him.
Chloe's mind raced as she tried to think of something she could do. Finally she blurted, "Jor-El. Clark, maybe Jor-El can help. Maybe there's a way he can fix this."
Clark shrugged, defeated. "I doubt it, Chloe."
"It's worth a try, Clark. It's not like you to give up so easily. What if he really can do something? What does it hurt to ask?"
Chloe's words began to reach past his pain, providing just a glimmer of hope. He nodded. "Okay. I'll ask him. But I'm not expecting much. He hasn't exactly been consistently on my side," Clark told her.
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. At least she'd gotten him to agree to try.
Chloe got to her feet, then tugged on Clark's hand to get him to do the same.
"Go, Clark. Just go," she told him as she looked into his sad eyes.
Clark nodded. "Thanks, Chloe. If you see Lana...tell her I'm trying...and tell her...I love her."
Chloe nodded and Clark zipped away.
***
Clark arrived at the Fortress and called out, "Jor-El! Jor-El, I need your help!"
There was no response. Clark walked over to the crystal console. Everything was dark. The fortress was dead. Clark released an anguished sigh, then turned and sped away.
Back in his loft, Clark paced, his thoughts racing. Okay, let's see...Brainiac infected the Fortress, absorbed all of it's knowledge, then took over Chloe. Then the Legion came and we extracted Brainiac from Chloe, and they took what was left of him to the thirty-first century - which means all the knowledge from the Fortress went with him. Great.
Clark paced a bit more, then suddenly stopped as he remembered. The ring! He went to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a small box. He opened it and saw the Legion ring he had been given. He lifted it out of the box and held it carefully. Should I?
***
Lana watched the evening news, smiling at the buzz about the newest super-hero who had saved several people at the fire. The reporters then wondered aloud what had become of the red/blue blur. Lana's smile faded. She had expected him to be there. She hoped he had recovered from the Kryptonite exposure. Worry overtook her, and she had to know if he was alright. But she couldn't risk going over there. Reaching for her phone, she called Chloe.
"Chloe. Have you seen Clark?" she asked, before ever saying 'Hi'."
"Well, 'Hi' to you too," Chloe laughed. "Yes, I've seen him. He..."
"Is he okay?" Lana cut in anxiously.
"Physically, he's fine, Lana. He told me about what happened to you. He's really broken up about the situation. He really needs you, Lana. I sent him to the Fortress to seek a solution," Chloe told her.
"Oh, so he was gone already. That's why he didn't show up at the fire," Lana said.
Chloe shook her head, though Lana couldn't see her. "No, that's not why. He couldn't, Lana. I've never seen him like this. He was so...deflated. Empty. He had nothing left to give, no strength to draw upon."
"I thought you said he was fine physically," Lana replied in confusion.
"I didn't mean physical strength, Lana. He's an emotional wreck," Chloe explained.
"Oh," Lana whispered, and her thoughts returned to the previous afternoon, to that heartbreaking good-bye in his loft. Just the memory of him, struggling through the physical pain, just to kiss her one last time - it tore her heart to shreds. Fresh tears filled her eyes and began to spill onto her cheeks. Lana flipped her phone shut and sank down to the floor, the sobs rising again to the surface. She'd tried to move past it, get out there and save people, make a difference. But she knew, at this moment, that she couldn't keep on doing it - not without him. She needed him just as much as he needed her.
"Oh, God," she suddenly began to pray through her sobs, "please let him find a way to reverse it. Neither of us can live this way, or be of any use to the world. Please, God. Please."
***
Clark didn't hesitate long at all. He slipped the ring onto his finger as he kept his thoughts on the thirty-first century. Everything seemed to swirl all around him, then suddenly, he found himself standing in a large room. Rokk, Imra and Garth were standing there staring at him in surprise.
Finally, Rokk grinned. "Welcome to the thirty-first century, Kal-El. Am I to assume there is a reason for this visit? I mean, when we left you only a few weeks ago, you seemed to have no intention of using the ring any time soon. What changed your mind?"
"Lana."
"Lana?" Imra asked.
Clark nodded. "Yes. It's a long story. Just...I need the knowledge from the Fortress - but all of its knowledge apparently was taken by Brainiac, leaving the Fortress dead. What have you done with the remains of Brainiac? Have you had any success in attempting to return him to the way Jor-El originally programmed him?"
"We have," Rokk informed him. "We've separated out the various components of his programming. What was original to his programming by Jor-El remains. What was added by Zod when he tampered with Brainiac, we have quarantined in a separate crystal. And everything he absorbed from the Fortress and from the humans is now contained in another crystal. That knowledge rightly belongs to you."
Rokk moved to a panel, opened a door, reached in and took out a crystal, one which looked very much like the one which had first created the Fortress. He handed it to Clark. "I think this is what you need. Be aware that both your ship and one of the stones that formed the original crystal were tampered with as well. You've seen several versions of "Jor-El" as a result of that. This time, you'll find the untainted version. Good luck."
"Thanks," Clark replied. "I just hope we can find the answers we need."
"Well," Rokk told him, "If you don't, please come back again. Maybe Brainiac 5 can help."
Clark gave a nod, then, placed the crystal into his pocket. He then pulled the ring off of his finger. A moment later, he found himself back at the farm, in his loft. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crystal, then zipped off to the arctic.
Clark opened his palm, and the crystal floated up and pointed at the dark, lifeless Fortress. Understanding, Clark grabbed the crystal and threw it with all his might directly at the Fortress. When it struck, the Fortress crumbled to the ground and disappeared into the snow. Then, the earth began to quake as a brand new Fortress began to rise up out of the frozen ground. A beautiful light emanated from its every crystal. Clark stood there, gazing at it in awe. He had forgotten just how beautiful the Fortress could be.
After a few moments standing spellbound, Clark remembered why he was here, and sped into the Fortress.
"Jor-El!" he called out.
"Kal-El, my son. It is good to hear your voice. What can I do for you, my son?" Jor-El asked in a kindly voice.
Clark was taken aback at this kinder, gentler Jor-El - until he remembered how Raya had described the real Jor-El. A huge grin spread over his face, as he realized he had never "met" an untainted image of Jor-El before. He was overcome with emotion.
"Father," he managed to choke out, as his eyes began to fill. "May I see you?"
A crystal rose up from the console and Clark took it into his hand. Immediately, a holographic image of Jor-El materialized a few feet in front of Clark. Clark moved toward it and reached out as if to hug his father, but his hand went right through him.
"This is only a holographic image, Kal-El. In order to provide substance, I would have had to clone myself, the way Zor-El did. But such a thing goes against my principles. This reproduction, then , is the best I can give you, my son."
Clark nodded his understanding.
"Father, I need to know how to neutralize Kryptonite, or how to remove the nanite suit from Lana, including the Kryptonite she absorbed, without harming her," Clark tried to explain.
"Kal-El, I'm not sure what you're talking about. But, all the knowledge of the 28 known galaxies collected by Kryptonians is at your disposal here. You may peruse it at your convenience, and absorb as much of it as you need. It was meant for you alone. Hopefully, the information you seek will be found."
"My training," he said as he nodded. "Yes. I've put it off for far too long - though I suppose it's a good thing that I never trained using the infected Fortress. Well, I guess now's as good a time as ever, since I know this Fortress is untainted. Hopefully, the answers I need will be there."
Clark returned the crystal to the console, and "Jor-El" vanished. He then lifted another crystal from the console and a column of bright light enveloped him. Images and Kryptonian text swirled all around him. Clark's eyes darted around at superspeed, taking in the information. When Clark had absorbed all the information from that crystal, the light faded. He replaced the crystal, and selected another. Another column of light engulfed him. Clark continued to assimilate the knowledge of the crystals, losing all sense of time as he did so. At times, he was drawn into various holographic worlds, where he interacted with various beings, as part of his training. He had no need for food or sleep as he continued this process.
***
Chloe found Lana sitting on the floor in the midst of a circle of used up Kleenex. After much coaxing, she finally got Lana to agree to come with her to the Kent farm, to wait for Clark. Chloe knew that if Lana could be comforted at all, it would be in the one place where she had spent so much time with Clark.
Lana sat in the car while Chloe went in search of Clark. She looked in the barn and in the house, and out in the fields. There was no sign of him. She went back to Lana.
"He's not here. He went off to the Fortress last night, so I guess he's still there. Come on, let's get you settled back in your old room. I'm sure Clark won't mind," Chloe told Lana.
"But what if he comes back, and I hurt him again? I can't stand to see him tortured like that, and know it's because of me," Lana said with a shaky voice.
"I'll leave him some notes - by all the doors, on the fridge, and in the loft. Surely, he'll find one of them, and be cautious," Chloe rationalized.
Lana nodded, not having any better ideas. "Okay. But, please, Chloe, don't let him come near me. I'd rather die than hurt him again."
***
Lana had been at the farm for two months. Clark had not returned. She grew more despondent with each passing day. Chloe had her hands full, running back and forth from Metropolis to Smallville, in order to take care of both Jimmy and Lana.
Lana was sitting on the porch steps when suddenly, a rush of air hit her in the face and Clark was standing but ten feet from her.
"Clark!" she exclaimed, as she quickly stood up and backed away from him. "Stay back, Clark. Please," she begged.
Clark took a few steps toward her, and began to feel the effects of Kryptonite. He backed up a few steps. "Lana, I found it! I know how to fix things for us."
"Really, Clark?" Lana shrieked as her eyes opened wide with hope. "Well, what do we have to do? Tell me."
"You need to come to the Fortress, Lana. Follow me there?" Clark asked.
Lana nodded and was practically jumping for joy. Clark zipped away, with Lana following at a safe distance.
Clark ran straight into the Fortress. Lana, however, stopped outside of it, her eyes wide with wonder. She had never seen anything so beautiful. This is Clark's Fortress? I never imagined anything quite like this! After taking in the sight for several minutes, Lana walked cautiously inside. Her mouth dropped open as she looked up and around while she walked toward it's center. She stopped ten feet from Clark and met his gaze. "This is amazing, Clark! Why have you never brought me here before?"
"I have, Lana - but you don't remember. It's a long story. I'll fill you in later. Right now, we have something to do. Do you trust me, Lana?" Clark asked.
"You know I do, Clark," Lana answered without hesitation.
"I need you to go over to that platform and lie down on it. I can't promise that this process will be painless, Lana. It could be quite painful. Are you willing?" Clark asked.
"Clark, you know I'd endure anything if it meant I could touch you again," Lana told him. She walked quickly to the platform and lay down upon it. "I'm ready, Clark."
"Okay, just lie as still as you can, Lana," Clark instructed. He moved to the crystal console and moved a few crystals around. From high in the Fortress, two streams of bright light shot toward Lana, and the platform beneath her began to glow.
Lana felt a searing pain course through her entire body - nearly as intense as that she experienced during the evisceration part of the Promethius process. She wanted to scream, but held herself in check, not wanting Clark to stop the process. She wondered how long this would take, and how long she could hold back. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes tightly. Her nails dug into the platform beside her. But she remained as still as she could.
A full minute later, she felt the pain begin to subside. The beams of light vanished, and the platform returned to it's normal color. Lana lay there breathing deeply, as if cleansing herself of the lingering effects of the procedure.
Clark began to walk slowly toward her: ten feet, nine, eight, seven, six. He felt no ill effects. A smile crept onto his face and he closed the remaining distance in an instant. Lana sat up and Clark pulled her to her feet and into a tight hug.
"Oh, Lana, Lana!" he repeated over and over as he held her close.
"Clark! Oh, Clark, I can hold you!" she said as tears of joy spilled down her face.
They loosened their hug just enough to gaze into each others eyes, as Clark caressed her face. "I love you, Lana. I need you. Will you marry me?"
Lana lit up as a huge smile spread over her face.
"I love you, too, Clark. And I need you more than I ever realized before. Yes, there's nothing I want more than to be your wife."
Clark captured her lips with his own and caught her up into his arms, spinning her around as they both took delight in each other.
***
Chloe arrived at the farm and looked everywhere for Lana. "Great," she mumbled to herself, "First Clark disappears, now Lana. Well, I'm staying right here until one or both of them return." She parked herself on the front steps, hoping someone would show sooner rather than later.
An hour later, a gust of wind hit her in the face, followed shortly by another. Then she heard the sound of laughter. She jumped up and followed the sound - to the loft.
When she reached the top of the steps, Clark's shirt came flying toward her, and Lana's followed.
"Hello!" Chloe called loudly. "Am I to presume that you guys found a way to fix the Kryptonite problem?"
Clark looked back at Chloe with a huge grin. "Isn't that rather obvious, Chloe? Yes, the Kryptonite has been neutralized, and the nanites in Lana's suit can no longer absorb Kryptonite. Her powers remain, though. Oh, and um, we want to invite you to our wedding."
"Wedding? Eee! Congratulations!" she shrieked. Then, taking note of their state of dress - or rather, half-undressed - she suddenly became self conscious and began to back down the stairs. "Okay, well, I'll leave you two alone. Just, um...can you guys try to hold down the earthquakes this time?"
Lana laughed. "We'll try, Chloe. See ya later."
Chloe quickly made her way down the stairs and out of the barn. Well, I'm glad to see that things are back to normal around here.
THE END
***
***
Back to Normal
Clark sat on the floor of the loft for hours after she left him. He had long since regained his physical strength, but he felt as if his very soul had been sucked out of him. The pain of forced separation from her was a far greater pain than that which had coursed through his body as he kissed her good-bye - the effect of the Kryptonite which she had absorbed.
A broken man. Defeated. With little will to live. Life without her was no life at all. Tears rolled down his face as he sat there, half a man without the one who gave his life a purpose.
Near midnight, he was startled by the sound of a happy tune coming from his cell phone. It irritated him to hear such an upbeat tune, in such contrast to his mood, and he pulled it out and flipped it open, if only to end the annoying sound.
He held it to his ear, out of habit, but didn't say a word.
"Clark? Clark, are you there? It's Chloe. Clark, where are you? There's a huge fire in downtown Metropolis. The firefighters can't get to everyone quickly enough. Clark? Say something, damn it!"
Clark blinked, trying to grasp what Chloe had just told him, but his mind was far away. "What?" he finally managed to say.
"Clark, are you alright?" Chloe asked with concern.
"No. No, Chloe, I'm not alright. I'll never be alright. I can't do this. Not now. I can't."
Clark flipped his phone shut and chucked it across the loft. His head fell into his hands and a groan rose up from deep within.
***
Lana ran into the burning building at superspeed, straight to the spot where the firefighters said someone was trapped. Using her strength, she pulled away the debris, then sped to find the woman. Lifting her into her arms she ran to the nearest window and jumped out. She landed on her feet, five floors below, and laid the woman on a stretcher, where emergency personnel quickly came to her aid.
Lana ran right back into the building, searching for more people, wishing she had Clark's superhearing to help her. She did the best she could without it, and saved several more people. All the while, she kept looking around, expecting Clark to show up. She had to be careful that he not come too near her. But he never came.
***
Chloe watched the news coverage of the fire, relieved that the "red/blue blur" had apparently shown up. Then, she saw a picture of the hero placing a woman on a stretcher. It was only from the back, but Chloe could see the unmistakable dark tresses. "Lana!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, Chloe became very worried about Clark. Where was he? Why did he say he couldn't do this?
Chloe grabbed her purse and keys, and set off for Smallville. Three hours later she arrived at the Kent farm. She went right into the barn and climbed the stairs to the loft.
"Clark?"
When she caught sight of him she stopped in her tracks. He was sitting on the floor, motionless, his face in his hands.
"Clark!" she exclaimed as she ran to him and knelt down beside him. Clark lifted his head to glance at her. "Thank God, you're okay," Chloe said.
Clark just dropped his head back into his hands without a word.
"Clark, what's wrong?" Chloe asked as she lifted his chin with her hand. She could see the pain in his eyes.
"She's gone, Chloe. Forever," he whispered almost inaudibly.
"Who?" Chloe asked, not comprehending.
"Lana," he breathed.
"What? Lana's not gone, Clark. She just saved some people from that fire in Metropolis. Question is, why weren't you on the scene?
It took Chloe another half hour of dragging information out of Clark before she understood what had happened - how Lana's suit had absorbed the Kryptonite to disarm the bomb, and how she was now poison to Clark. Tears filled her eyes as she gazed upon her best friend, broken like she'd never seen him before. Chloe wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head to her shoulder in a feeble attempt to console him. But she knew nothing she could do would ever console him.
Chloe's mind raced as she tried to think of something she could do. Finally she blurted, "Jor-El. Clark, maybe Jor-El can help. Maybe there's a way he can fix this."
Clark shrugged, defeated. "I doubt it, Chloe."
"It's worth a try, Clark. It's not like you to give up so easily. What if he really can do something? What does it hurt to ask?"
Chloe's words began to reach past his pain, providing just a glimmer of hope. He nodded. "Okay. I'll ask him. But I'm not expecting much. He hasn't exactly been consistently on my side," Clark told her.
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. At least she'd gotten him to agree to try.
Chloe got to her feet, then tugged on Clark's hand to get him to do the same.
"Go, Clark. Just go," she told him as she looked into his sad eyes.
Clark nodded. "Thanks, Chloe. If you see Lana...tell her I'm trying...and tell her...I love her."
Chloe nodded and Clark zipped away.
***
Clark arrived at the Fortress and called out, "Jor-El! Jor-El, I need your help!"
There was no response. Clark walked over to the crystal console. Everything was dark. The fortress was dead. Clark released an anguished sigh, then turned and sped away.
Back in his loft, Clark paced, his thoughts racing. Okay, let's see...Brainiac infected the Fortress, absorbed all of it's knowledge, then took over Chloe. Then the Legion came and we extracted Brainiac from Chloe, and they took what was left of him to the thirty-first century - which means all the knowledge from the Fortress went with him. Great.
Clark paced a bit more, then suddenly stopped as he remembered. The ring! He went to his desk, opened a drawer and removed a small box. He opened it and saw the Legion ring he had been given. He lifted it out of the box and held it carefully. Should I?
***
Lana watched the evening news, smiling at the buzz about the newest super-hero who had saved several people at the fire. The reporters then wondered aloud what had become of the red/blue blur. Lana's smile faded. She had expected him to be there. She hoped he had recovered from the Kryptonite exposure. Worry overtook her, and she had to know if he was alright. But she couldn't risk going over there. Reaching for her phone, she called Chloe.
"Chloe. Have you seen Clark?" she asked, before ever saying 'Hi'."
"Well, 'Hi' to you too," Chloe laughed. "Yes, I've seen him. He..."
"Is he okay?" Lana cut in anxiously.
"Physically, he's fine, Lana. He told me about what happened to you. He's really broken up about the situation. He really needs you, Lana. I sent him to the Fortress to seek a solution," Chloe told her.
"Oh, so he was gone already. That's why he didn't show up at the fire," Lana said.
Chloe shook her head, though Lana couldn't see her. "No, that's not why. He couldn't, Lana. I've never seen him like this. He was so...deflated. Empty. He had nothing left to give, no strength to draw upon."
"I thought you said he was fine physically," Lana replied in confusion.
"I didn't mean physical strength, Lana. He's an emotional wreck," Chloe explained.
"Oh," Lana whispered, and her thoughts returned to the previous afternoon, to that heartbreaking good-bye in his loft. Just the memory of him, struggling through the physical pain, just to kiss her one last time - it tore her heart to shreds. Fresh tears filled her eyes and began to spill onto her cheeks. Lana flipped her phone shut and sank down to the floor, the sobs rising again to the surface. She'd tried to move past it, get out there and save people, make a difference. But she knew, at this moment, that she couldn't keep on doing it - not without him. She needed him just as much as he needed her.
"Oh, God," she suddenly began to pray through her sobs, "please let him find a way to reverse it. Neither of us can live this way, or be of any use to the world. Please, God. Please."
***
Clark didn't hesitate long at all. He slipped the ring onto his finger as he kept his thoughts on the thirty-first century. Everything seemed to swirl all around him, then suddenly, he found himself standing in a large room. Rokk, Imra and Garth were standing there staring at him in surprise.
Finally, Rokk grinned. "Welcome to the thirty-first century, Kal-El. Am I to assume there is a reason for this visit? I mean, when we left you only a few weeks ago, you seemed to have no intention of using the ring any time soon. What changed your mind?"
"Lana."
"Lana?" Imra asked.
Clark nodded. "Yes. It's a long story. Just...I need the knowledge from the Fortress - but all of its knowledge apparently was taken by Brainiac, leaving the Fortress dead. What have you done with the remains of Brainiac? Have you had any success in attempting to return him to the way Jor-El originally programmed him?"
"We have," Rokk informed him. "We've separated out the various components of his programming. What was original to his programming by Jor-El remains. What was added by Zod when he tampered with Brainiac, we have quarantined in a separate crystal. And everything he absorbed from the Fortress and from the humans is now contained in another crystal. That knowledge rightly belongs to you."
Rokk moved to a panel, opened a door, reached in and took out a crystal, one which looked very much like the one which had first created the Fortress. He handed it to Clark. "I think this is what you need. Be aware that both your ship and one of the stones that formed the original crystal were tampered with as well. You've seen several versions of "Jor-El" as a result of that. This time, you'll find the untainted version. Good luck."
"Thanks," Clark replied. "I just hope we can find the answers we need."
"Well," Rokk told him, "If you don't, please come back again. Maybe Brainiac 5 can help."
Clark gave a nod, then, placed the crystal into his pocket. He then pulled the ring off of his finger. A moment later, he found himself back at the farm, in his loft. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crystal, then zipped off to the arctic.
Clark opened his palm, and the crystal floated up and pointed at the dark, lifeless Fortress. Understanding, Clark grabbed the crystal and threw it with all his might directly at the Fortress. When it struck, the Fortress crumbled to the ground and disappeared into the snow. Then, the earth began to quake as a brand new Fortress began to rise up out of the frozen ground. A beautiful light emanated from its every crystal. Clark stood there, gazing at it in awe. He had forgotten just how beautiful the Fortress could be.
After a few moments standing spellbound, Clark remembered why he was here, and sped into the Fortress.
"Jor-El!" he called out.
"Kal-El, my son. It is good to hear your voice. What can I do for you, my son?" Jor-El asked in a kindly voice.
Clark was taken aback at this kinder, gentler Jor-El - until he remembered how Raya had described the real Jor-El. A huge grin spread over his face, as he realized he had never "met" an untainted image of Jor-El before. He was overcome with emotion.
"Father," he managed to choke out, as his eyes began to fill. "May I see you?"
A crystal rose up from the console and Clark took it into his hand. Immediately, a holographic image of Jor-El materialized a few feet in front of Clark. Clark moved toward it and reached out as if to hug his father, but his hand went right through him.
"This is only a holographic image, Kal-El. In order to provide substance, I would have had to clone myself, the way Zor-El did. But such a thing goes against my principles. This reproduction, then , is the best I can give you, my son."
Clark nodded his understanding.
"Father, I need to know how to neutralize Kryptonite, or how to remove the nanite suit from Lana, including the Kryptonite she absorbed, without harming her," Clark tried to explain.
"Kal-El, I'm not sure what you're talking about. But, all the knowledge of the 28 known galaxies collected by Kryptonians is at your disposal here. You may peruse it at your convenience, and absorb as much of it as you need. It was meant for you alone. Hopefully, the information you seek will be found."
"My training," he said as he nodded. "Yes. I've put it off for far too long - though I suppose it's a good thing that I never trained using the infected Fortress. Well, I guess now's as good a time as ever, since I know this Fortress is untainted. Hopefully, the answers I need will be there."
Clark returned the crystal to the console, and "Jor-El" vanished. He then lifted another crystal from the console and a column of bright light enveloped him. Images and Kryptonian text swirled all around him. Clark's eyes darted around at superspeed, taking in the information. When Clark had absorbed all the information from that crystal, the light faded. He replaced the crystal, and selected another. Another column of light engulfed him. Clark continued to assimilate the knowledge of the crystals, losing all sense of time as he did so. At times, he was drawn into various holographic worlds, where he interacted with various beings, as part of his training. He had no need for food or sleep as he continued this process.
***
Chloe found Lana sitting on the floor in the midst of a circle of used up Kleenex. After much coaxing, she finally got Lana to agree to come with her to the Kent farm, to wait for Clark. Chloe knew that if Lana could be comforted at all, it would be in the one place where she had spent so much time with Clark.
Lana sat in the car while Chloe went in search of Clark. She looked in the barn and in the house, and out in the fields. There was no sign of him. She went back to Lana.
"He's not here. He went off to the Fortress last night, so I guess he's still there. Come on, let's get you settled back in your old room. I'm sure Clark won't mind," Chloe told Lana.
"But what if he comes back, and I hurt him again? I can't stand to see him tortured like that, and know it's because of me," Lana said with a shaky voice.
"I'll leave him some notes - by all the doors, on the fridge, and in the loft. Surely, he'll find one of them, and be cautious," Chloe rationalized.
Lana nodded, not having any better ideas. "Okay. But, please, Chloe, don't let him come near me. I'd rather die than hurt him again."
***
Lana had been at the farm for two months. Clark had not returned. She grew more despondent with each passing day. Chloe had her hands full, running back and forth from Metropolis to Smallville, in order to take care of both Jimmy and Lana.
Lana was sitting on the porch steps when suddenly, a rush of air hit her in the face and Clark was standing but ten feet from her.
"Clark!" she exclaimed, as she quickly stood up and backed away from him. "Stay back, Clark. Please," she begged.
Clark took a few steps toward her, and began to feel the effects of Kryptonite. He backed up a few steps. "Lana, I found it! I know how to fix things for us."
"Really, Clark?" Lana shrieked as her eyes opened wide with hope. "Well, what do we have to do? Tell me."
"You need to come to the Fortress, Lana. Follow me there?" Clark asked.
Lana nodded and was practically jumping for joy. Clark zipped away, with Lana following at a safe distance.
Clark ran straight into the Fortress. Lana, however, stopped outside of it, her eyes wide with wonder. She had never seen anything so beautiful. This is Clark's Fortress? I never imagined anything quite like this! After taking in the sight for several minutes, Lana walked cautiously inside. Her mouth dropped open as she looked up and around while she walked toward it's center. She stopped ten feet from Clark and met his gaze. "This is amazing, Clark! Why have you never brought me here before?"
"I have, Lana - but you don't remember. It's a long story. I'll fill you in later. Right now, we have something to do. Do you trust me, Lana?" Clark asked.
"You know I do, Clark," Lana answered without hesitation.
"I need you to go over to that platform and lie down on it. I can't promise that this process will be painless, Lana. It could be quite painful. Are you willing?" Clark asked.
"Clark, you know I'd endure anything if it meant I could touch you again," Lana told him. She walked quickly to the platform and lay down upon it. "I'm ready, Clark."
"Okay, just lie as still as you can, Lana," Clark instructed. He moved to the crystal console and moved a few crystals around. From high in the Fortress, two streams of bright light shot toward Lana, and the platform beneath her began to glow.
Lana felt a searing pain course through her entire body - nearly as intense as that she experienced during the evisceration part of the Promethius process. She wanted to scream, but held herself in check, not wanting Clark to stop the process. She wondered how long this would take, and how long she could hold back. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes tightly. Her nails dug into the platform beside her. But she remained as still as she could.
A full minute later, she felt the pain begin to subside. The beams of light vanished, and the platform returned to it's normal color. Lana lay there breathing deeply, as if cleansing herself of the lingering effects of the procedure.
Clark began to walk slowly toward her: ten feet, nine, eight, seven, six. He felt no ill effects. A smile crept onto his face and he closed the remaining distance in an instant. Lana sat up and Clark pulled her to her feet and into a tight hug.
"Oh, Lana, Lana!" he repeated over and over as he held her close.
"Clark! Oh, Clark, I can hold you!" she said as tears of joy spilled down her face.
They loosened their hug just enough to gaze into each others eyes, as Clark caressed her face. "I love you, Lana. I need you. Will you marry me?"
Lana lit up as a huge smile spread over her face.
"I love you, too, Clark. And I need you more than I ever realized before. Yes, there's nothing I want more than to be your wife."
Clark captured her lips with his own and caught her up into his arms, spinning her around as they both took delight in each other.
***
Chloe arrived at the farm and looked everywhere for Lana. "Great," she mumbled to herself, "First Clark disappears, now Lana. Well, I'm staying right here until one or both of them return." She parked herself on the front steps, hoping someone would show sooner rather than later.
An hour later, a gust of wind hit her in the face, followed shortly by another. Then she heard the sound of laughter. She jumped up and followed the sound - to the loft.
When she reached the top of the steps, Clark's shirt came flying toward her, and Lana's followed.
"Hello!" Chloe called loudly. "Am I to presume that you guys found a way to fix the Kryptonite problem?"
Clark looked back at Chloe with a huge grin. "Isn't that rather obvious, Chloe? Yes, the Kryptonite has been neutralized, and the nanites in Lana's suit can no longer absorb Kryptonite. Her powers remain, though. Oh, and um, we want to invite you to our wedding."
"Wedding? Eee! Congratulations!" she shrieked. Then, taking note of their state of dress - or rather, half-undressed - she suddenly became self conscious and began to back down the stairs. "Okay, well, I'll leave you two alone. Just, um...can you guys try to hold down the earthquakes this time?"
Lana laughed. "We'll try, Chloe. See ya later."
Chloe quickly made her way down the stairs and out of the barn. Well, I'm glad to see that things are back to normal around here.
THE END
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