Smallville - Season 6 (A Narrative)

[oldmankent]

Episode 13: Spectrum – Part I


Part One


“The Last Step”

The weather had cleared for the moment. Chloe stood with Mensa on the ledge overlooking Jor-El’s cave. She could clearly see the mountain range in front of them that they were now going to scale. Mensa had provided warm clothing and climbing boots for Chloe. She still kept the oxygen tank with her. “He’s right. I can’t escape. The only thing I can do is move on to Sanctuary, if it exists, with him. Once I’m there then I’ll try to find a way to escape.” She didn’t know why she was alive other than that Mensa was toying with her. After all, she could not go anywhere. The right side of her face was swollen and blue from where the back of his right hand had hit her. She was shocked at how subservient she could become when confronted with Mensa’s violence.

Sing, the man who had rendered Chloe unconscious and had brought her to the encampment, stood with them. He was pointing directions to Mensa. Mensa was nodding and taking in everything that Sing said.

Sing was smiling and ready to lead the group when Mensa nodded a signal to one of his men. Mensa’s man sent a kick into Sing’s leg. Sing let out a scream and Chloe could hear the bone break. The blow sent Sing over the ledge to the exact spot where Pak had fallen 36 years earlier. He lay in the snow grabbing at his leg. Chloe could see the fractured bone protruding out of Sing’s pants. Blood stained the white snow and Sing writhed in excruciating pain.

“Why did you do that? Now he can’t move. Now he’ll freeze to death out here.”

Mensa looked at her without expression.

“And your point is?”

Chloe took a breath of oxygen and calmed herself. She had to remind herself that she was dealing with a man who made his living by causing the deaths of other people.

“But why him? He helped you. If it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t be here.”

Mensa coldly replied.

“Informers are a liability for everyone.”

The group of five men and Chloe started to make their way using the same trail that Jor-El and Pak used years earlier. The footing was treacherous. The group was tied together with a line so that if one person would fall the entire group could assist. Chloe found the going very difficult. Her body was not used to the altitude. Her muscles were not used to the demands being placed upon them. Her lungs were screaming for oxygen. She felt like she was going through gallons of water as the thin air sapped her body of moisture.

The weather was ever changing. When they started it was clear. An hour later the wind was blowing needles of ice into their faces. With every step forward Chloe felt like she was pushing against a wall. An hour after that the weather was clear again. At one point, Chloe stopped Mensa.

“Exactly, where are you taking us?”

He pointed to a spot between two mountains.

“Right there. And behind those mountains is the area on your grid that you pointed out to Sing.”

Chloe looked in the direction where Mensa was pointing. She didn’t see anything but mountain.

“But there isn’t anything there.”

“You better hope there is something there. Because if there isn’t there’s no reason for you to make the return trip.”

The group knew that they would have to make Sanctuary by nightfall or they would not survive. On the narrow trail there was no where to build a camp for the night. Without some type of shelter to protect them, the group would freeze to death as night time temperatures dropped below human endurance. The last step to Sanctuary was the most difficult. Only the strongest in mind, body and spirit could make it.

The sun was dropping below the mountains. Chloe was now being assisted by the other members of the team. She could feel the temperature dropping. Even in the thermal suit parts of her body were beginning to freeze. Soon it would be dark and it would be impossible to see anything. It would be impossible to move forward or backward.

Mensa stopped. The group had reached the final step of the trail. Chloe heard Mensa shout.

“This is it.”

Even in the enfolding darkness Chloe could see that there was nothing there. Fear now grabbed hold of her. “This is it. I’m not going to make it back.” Mensa motioned for one of his men to come forward. Chloe saw him approaching and knew there was nothing she could do. There was no strength left in her. She fell to her knees waiting for the blow to fall. But Mensa’s man walked right past her. Her eyes followed him as he withdrew a hammer and a set of stakes from his backpack and started hammering the stakes into the side of the mountain. He hammered four stakes into four corners making the outline of a square. Chloe saw cracks develop diagonally between the corners of the stakes. Then Mensa’s associate removed a small sledgehammer from his pack and swung towards the middle of the outline. The area shattered. Chloe’s eyes opened in amazement. Mensa’s frost bitten smile reached from ear to ear.

In front of them was a passageway.

Chloe rose on to her feet and followed the group into the passageway. She ran her fingers along the jagged edges of the entrance and was surprised that what she was feeling was ice. Flashlights were lit and the group made its way through the tunnel. They walked a short distance when they saw that torches had been lit before them. The torches lined the walls. The torches illuminated another opening at the end of the tunnel. They came to the opening and before them was a valley that was lit up by torch light. There was a waterfall on the opposite end of the tunnel that was flowing into a stream and the stream into a lake. The area was lush with vegetation and color. Chloe found that she had no need of the oxygen she was carrying. The group removed any covering they had on their heads and faces and soaked in the temperate warmth of the climate. Chloe thought she had never seen a more beautiful place in her life.

Mensa held a triumphant stance before the group.

“Gentlemen..”

He looked at Chloe.

“And Ladies, I give you…Sanctuary.”


**********


“The Inner Chamber”

The group started to walk down from the tunnel into the main area. Everything was strangely quiet. There was light. There were buildings. There were gardens. But there weren’t any people. Chloe saw in the distance that there were two torches that seemed to be moving towards them in the darkness. Mensa’s two men pulled automatic weapons from their packs. The two LuthorCorp employees who had been chosen for the expedition were taken aback by the sudden show of force but said nothing. The torches came into view. They were being carried by two men who were wearing the attire of Tibetan monks. In between them was an older man who was walking with a crutch. He had one leg. They walked up to the group. The man in the middle spoke.

“We have been expecting you. My name is Pak. I am the High Lama of Sanctuary.”

The words ‘High Lama of Sanctuary’ caused the two innocent LuthorCorp employees to put their hands together in prayer position and bow in respect. The legends that they had always heard of were a reality. Mensa looked at them with an amused expression. He answered Pak.

“My name is Strait. We come in peace.”

“If you come in peace, why are you carrying weapons?”

Mensa didn’t answer. “He’s a smart old man.”

“Where is everyone?”

“We thought it would be best if everyone stayed inside. We did not want to put our own people in danger.”

“That was wise.”

Mensa now realized that the best course of action was a direct show of force. He took a gun out of his inside of his coat and cocked it. He turned and pointed it at the head of one of the LuthorCorp employees and fired. The bullet punched a small hole in the front of his head and blew out the entire back of his head while exiting. While the employee fell to the ground Mensa repeated the same action with the other employee. Both men lay on the ground, their red blood staining the clean, pristine ground of Sanctuary. Chloe was stunned. Mensa’s two associates were expressionless as if they had been expecting the violent action.

“Okay, this is what will happen to you and everyone here unless I get what I want.”

Pak remained calm during the violence. He said to one of his assistants.

“Get some help and give those men a decent burial.”

Then he spoke to Mensa.

“What is it that you want?”

“Take me to the inner chamber of the Temple of the Scimitar.”

He pointed his gun at Chloe’s head.

“She’s next if you try to trick me.”

Pak saw Chloe’s swollen face and the fear in her eyes. Pak nodded his head.

“There will not be any tricks. Follow me.”

Because of his leg Pak could not move quickly. The group walked slowly to the temple. They entered the temple and Mensa quickly saw the entrance to the inner chamber. He stood by it and felt along the edges. He approached Pak.

“This might be a trap. Have your man open the door.”

Pak nodded to his assistant. He left Pak and pushed against the door with all of his strength. The door heaved open. The group was momentarily startled by the light emanating out of the opening. Mensa directed Pak and his assistant to enter the room first. He kept Chloe in front of him with the gun pointed at her back as he followed Pak inside.

In front of them stood the Cyndairian transport portal and the time portal surrounded by the Kryptonian force field. Mensa spoke to Pak.

“What is that?”

“We do not know what it is. It was left here many years ago by The Guardian.”

“The Guardian? Who the hell is the Guardian?”

“His name was Jor-El. He saved my life.”

Chloe’s expression changed when she heard the name ‘Jor-El’. Mensa saw the change. He threatened Chloe.

“Who’s Jor-El?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying.”

He raised his hand to her. Chloe stood her ground. She needed to overcome her fear.

“You can hit me all you want. I don’t know who Jor-El is.”

Mensa pulled back and directed one of his men to enter the field. He touched it with his hand and was immediately thrown back. Mensa saw the Kryptonian device that was controlling the force field that Jor-El had constructed. He examined it. It resembled a laptop computer but had Kryptonian symbols instead of a keyboard. The screen laid flat. Mensa placed his hand on the screen and received an electrical shock. He directed one of his men to fire his gun at the device. The bullets ricocheted off of the device. Chloe and the rest of the group ducked their heads to dodge the stray bullets. Mensa appeared exasperated.

“Get me a satellite hookup to our friend in Smallville.”

The satellite connection was established and Mensa started to speak to Lex. Chloe didn’t know for sure who Mensa was speaking to but she assumed it was Lex.

“We’re in Sanctuary and we’re in the inner chamber of the temple. There are some devices here I’ve never seen before and there seems to be some type of force field surrounding those devices.”

Lex directed the camera be used to focus on the items so that he could have a view on his computer. Mensa’s associate canvassed the area with the camera. The feed was sent to Smallville. Lex recognized the portals as being similar in shape to what he had seen in the inner chamber in the Kawatche caves but he did not recognize the Cyndarian symbols. The camera then viewed the Kryptonian force field device and Lex immediately recognized the symbols. He told Mensa that the symbols were Kryptonian.

“Kryptonian? What the hell is Kryptonian?”

Again Chloe’s ears picked up but this time she controlled her expression. Lex then gave Mensa instructions as to how to proceed. Before he was finished Mensa spoke.

“By the way, you owe me some money.”

Mensa directed the camera to be pointed at Chloe. Lex saw her on his screen and asked if it had been confirmed that Lionel was the mole.

“No. But it will be.”

The call with Lex ended but the Mensa directed his men to set up another satellite call.

“We’re going to need some help with this. Get me a connection with our people in Metropolis.”

The connection was made. Mensa was speaking on the phone.

“Yes. Do you know who this is? Good. I want you to follow my instruction exactly. I want you to go to Smallville immediately. Find a ‘Lana Lang’ and bring her to me.”


**********


Part Two


“Estranged”

“Look, I don’t know any Guardian and I don’t know about any Sanctuary.”

Lee Teng and her cousin were pleading with Clark. They could not understand that he knew absolutely nothing about the Scimitar and Sanctuary.

Lana had left Clark and the pair alone. During this time she took the groceries from the truck and put them away in the house. She purposely left herself out of the discussion because she wanted to know what Clark would do without her there to influence him.

“Guardian, please. We have come 8,000 miles to find you.”

“Please don’t call me that. I’m just a simple farmer from Kansas. I’m just a normal guy who’s trying to make a normal life for myself and my…”

He looked in the direction of the house.

“…family.”

“Mr. Kent, we have come from a place called Sanctuary. It is hidden in the Himalayan Mountains. Many years ago a man by the name of Jor-El visited us. He saved our leader’s life and brought him back to us. He also left us with something that he said would be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. Whatever is was he placed it in the inner chamber of our temple.”

Lee Teng then pointed to the Scimitar that Clark held in his hand.

“Jor-El left us with the Scimitar. He said that it would alert him if the inner chamber was ever opened. He also told us that if he could not respond the Scimitar would lead us to someone who would help us. Someone of The Guardian’s own blood. It brought us to you.”

Clark was torn. For the past two months he had led a normal existence. He had even dared to dream of a normal future. Now it seemed to him that dreaming would be all he would ever have. Lee Teng showed him the picture of Jor-El that Pak had drawn. Clark almost chuckled at the long hair and the moustache. But the resemblance in the shape of the eyes and the mouth were inescapable.

Lana watched from the window. She saw Clark’s shoulders slump in resignation. The woman and boy did not get in their car to leave and Clark started to walk back towards the house. Tears began to form in Lana’s eyes. He walked through the door and she knew he had made the decision to go.

“You’re going?”

“I have to.”

Now it was Lana’s eyes that were pleading as she walked up to him.

“No. You don’t have to, Clark. These people come out of the blue, show you a hand drawn picture, have some crazy kind of sword and tell you a story to get you away from Smallville. All of this could be some sort of trap. You don’t have to go!”

Clark started to walk away from Lana and through the kitchen.

“I’m getting my passport. I’m going to take a commercial flight out from Metropolis to India. I won’t use any of my powers unless I have to.”

Lana was now getting angry.

“Clark! Did you hear anything I just said?”

Clark did not return her anger but he stood his ground.

“Lana, even if this is a trap I have to go. If someone needs help I can’t ‘just say no’.”

He walked to her and placed his hands on her arms. She immediately shook them off and took a step back.

“No! No! No! Don’t touch me! If you touch me we’ll just start pretending that everything is alright when both of us know that things are not alright!”

“Lana, why are you doing this?”

“Why am I doing this? Clark, you and I just had two months of a normal life and it was wonderful. And it wasn’t just the sleeping together. It was everything. And you felt it too. I saw the way you were looking at me today when I was holding that baby. You were looking at me the same way I was looking at you when you held that little boy on your shoulders. Look me in the eye and tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing I was thinking. Look me in the eye and tell me you weren’t thinking about us being together and having a family.”

Clark did not want to argue.

“Can we talk about this when I get back?”

Now Lana stood her ground.

“I might not be here when you get back.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to Nell’s. I need to think.”

“Can’t we work this out together?”

“No, Clark, I can’t think when you’re with me. I have to work this out alone.”

They looked into each other’s eyes. They had come to a crossroad.

“I know once before you asked me if I wanted out and I answered, never. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe, I’m not cut out for the sacrifice a life with you would require.”

“Lana, can we stop this? You’re very close to saying final things.”

“Maybe, those things need to be said. Maybe, that stupid sword is an alarm clock that’s waking us up from the wonderful dream that we were in. Maybe this is what the Shaman meant when she said I would have to make a sacrifice.”

Clark came close to her but did not touch her. He saw the determined look on Lana’s face that said she was not going to let him get in her personal space.

“Lana, this is what I am. This is what I have to do.”

“I know that, Clark. It’s one of the things that make me love you as much as I do. But I’ve had a taste of a normal life for the past two months and I want that life, Clark. I see people who are married and have children and worry about things like paying the mortgage and paying for college and I want those same worries. I don’t want the worry of seeing you constantly going off into harm’s way to save the world.”

Both were silent for a moment. Lana was finding it more difficult to control the tears. She murmured under her breath.

“It’s not fair.”

Clark knew that it was useless to try to console her.

“No. It’s not fair.”


**********


“Sobriety Test”

Clark had left with Lee Teng and her cousin. Lana left the farm a short while after them and was driving towards Metropolis. Her eyes were red with tears. Although she had music on the radio all she could hear were the words between her and Clark. The passenger seat was filled with crumpled, wet tissues.

She glanced in her rear view mirror and saw the police cruiser flashing its lights behind her. She looked at her speedometer and confirmed that she was within the speed limit. She slowed down and pulled the Jeep to the side of the road. The police officer got out of his vehicle and walked towards the Jeep. Lana rolled down her window, put on her overhead light and kept her hands on the steering wheel. The policeman was tall and broad shouldered in a crisp blue uniform. “I guess he doesn’t spend too much time at Dunkin Donuts.” He wore the standard dark sunglasses that prevented anyone from seeing his eyes.

“May I see your license and registration, miss?”

Lana opened her purse in front of the officer, took out her wallet and gave him her license and registration. She asked him a question as she handed it to him.

“I didn’t think I was speeding, officer.”

“You weren’t, Ms….Lang. But you were straying over the center line.”

The officer saw the tissue box and the crumpled tissues on the passenger seat.

“Are you alright, Miss.?”

“I’m sorry, officer. I’m just very upset now.”

“Boyfriend, huh?”

Lana tearfully nodded her head.

“Have you been drinking, Ms. Lang?”

Lana shook her head.

“No officer. I don’t drink.”

“Ms. Lang. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to get out of the car. I’m going to have to give you a sobriety test.”

Lana couldn’t believe this was happening to her. She got out of her car and stood facing the officer. He towered over her.

“Okay, Ms. Lang. I’d like you to turn around with your back to me. I’d like you to extend your arms outward to your sides, walk in a straight line, one foot in front of the other like you were on a tight rope, and then turn around and walk back to me.”

Lana did as the officer requested and easily walked the straight line back and forth. The officer continued in his test.

“Okay, that was good. Now I’d like you to close your eyes, stand on your right leg only, and place your left index finger on the tip of your nose.”

Lana closed her eyes, stood on her right leg only, and placed her left index finger on her nose. She stood in this position for a few seconds.

“Can I open my eyes now?”

“Not yet, please.”

Lana thought it was strange that the police officer’s voice was no longer in front of her. She was then going to ask how long she had to remain in the position when she felt a needle go into her neck. She lost her balance from feeling the pinch of the needle but was caught by the officer who was now behind her. She briefly opened her eyes only to find she could not keep them from closing again and turning her world turn into darkness.

The white truck with the LuthorCorp insignia drove up next to the police cruiser. The officer carried Lana to back of the truck and handed her off to two men who were waiting inside. The officer went back to Lana’s Jeep and drove it off the side of the road. Returning to his own vehicle, he turned on his lights and siren and continued down the highway with the LuthorCorp truck following him close behind.


**********


“ Humanitarian Aid”

The United States Air Force Base at Grandville was on full alert. The massive C-5 Galaxy transport jet was fully fueled and waiting. The flight crew was in the briefing room receiving their instructions from the commander of the base.

“We have a crisis in Asia on the border between India and the People’s Republic of China. In a Tibetan monastery isolated in the Himalayas there has been an outbreak of plague. There is a fear that this could spread to the two most populated nations on Earth: India and China. Over two billion people could be affected by what happens in this monastery. If the plague spreads to these two countries we could have a catastrophe of biblical proportions.

LuthorCorp happens to have a stockpile of serum that is an antidote to this disease. But it would take weeks to reach the monastery by land. By that time it will be too late. Therefore, it has been decided that the serum will be delivered by an airdrop. Lex Luthor has been in contact with the President of the United States and the leaders of India and China. They have arranged to have the United States Air Force fly a humanitarian mission to the monastery. We have received permission to fly through a very narrow corridor in Indian and Chinese airspace to deliver this serum.

A LuthorCorp vehicle is on its way to the base right now with the serum.

This is a non-stop flight. We don’t have any time to waste. You will have in-air refueling three times during the flight.

I have been informed that the monastery cannot be seen from the air. In fact, its existence was unknown until the outbreak. Therefore, you are required to fly by instrumentation only at a specific altitude to an exact set of coordinates and deliver your payload by parachute over the monastery.

This is a humanitarian mission. Innocent lives are at stake.”

As the commander concluded his briefing a police cruiser, sounding its siren, drove through the gate of the base and was followed by a white truck with a LuthorCorp insignia. Behind the truck was a limousine. A six foot long by four foot wide sealed container was transferred from the truck to the waiting plane. On the container were the words:


HUMANITARIAN AID

The loading personnel were told to be extremely careful with the container. Vials of broken serum would be worthless. Lex Luthor exited the limousine and stood with the commander of the base. Both shook hands with the flight crew and wished them good luck and ‘God speed’ before they entered the aircraft.

The flight took off from the base and climbed to an altitude of 35,000 feet. Because the flight was carrying only a single container and not its usual heavy payload, the jet was able to cruise at a rate that was faster than it’s fully loaded speed. It was refueled in the air and after several hours it headed into the pre-arranged flight corridor. The jet was now flying at 40,000 feet and was being buffeted by the winds in the mountain ranges. The crew looked out at the scene below them and just saw cloud cover that occasionally was punched through by the peak of a mountain. The flight commander slowed the speed of the plane started to issue orders.

“Let’s hope they’re right with those coordinates because I can’t see a thing. Open the rear door and get the package ready.”

The rear of the plane opened up and the container was pushed to the opening. The crew had to push the container out at precisely the exact moment or it would not end up in the targeted area. It would crash in the mountains. Every member of the crew felt that the lives of millions, perhaps billions of people rested on their shoulders. The navigator then took over the process.

“We’re coming up on less than a minute.”

The pilot held the jet steady against the winds that were pounding the plane.

“Thirty seconds.”

There crew stood ready to push out the container. The ten minus countdown began. At zero, the navigator yelled “Now!” and the container was pushed out of the plane. The crew immediately went to the windows. They felt an enormous sense of relief as the parachute deployed and then the container disappeared into the clouds. They had done all that they could do. The plane then turned around and headed back towards its base.

The container floated through the clouds towards the ground. One of Mensa’s gunmen waited on the ground. He smiled as he saw the parachute break through the clouds. He had two Sanctuary residents with him. He held them at gunpoint. The container landed and the two Sanctuary residents carried it to the inner chamber with the gunman watching their every move.

Chloe was dumbstruck as she saw the container with the words, HUMANITARIAN AID, brought into the chamber. Mensa explained.

“There’s nothing like working for someone who is enormously wealthy and enormously influential.”

Chloe remained silent and Mensa continued.

“Influential enough to manufacture a crisis. The world thinks that we have an outbreak of plague. The United States Air Force has been kind enough to deliver what it thinks is serum to us and India and China have been gracious enough to let them fly through their airspace.”

Chloe watched as the container was opened. Inside was soft molding that conformed to the shape a young woman with an oxygen mask over her face. She was unconscious.

“The container is really a life support system. It contains oxygen and is pressure and climate controlled. The woman has been sedated. We wouldn’t want her to wake up and think she was in a tomb. The shock would kill her for sure.”

Finally, it hit Chloe as to who it was that had been brought to Mensa. “Oh my God!”

“Lana!”

Chloe ran to Lana and removed the oxygen mask. She held Lana’s head and started to gently shake her until Lana slowly opened her eyes. Lana sat up and looked around, not quite believing what she was seeing. Then she saw Chloe next to her. She saw the deep bruise on Chloe’s face and brought her hand up to it.

“Oh Chloe, what happened to you?”

Chloe let a smile come on her face. After all that had happened, Lana’s first thought was of Chloe. Lana then saw the strange place she was in. She saw Mensa and the two other men with guns. She saw the Tibetan monk with one leg. And then she saw the devices with the force field surrounding them. The shock took her breath away. She looked at Chloe and spoke quietly.

“Oh my God. Sanctuary. It really exists?”

Chloe nodded.

Mensa walked up to Lana with the satellite phone. He held the phone out to Lana.

“Would you like to make the call or shall I?”


**********


Part Three


“ In Flight”

Clark had forgotten how inconvenient it was to fly on a commercial airliner. Not wanting to reveal his powers, this time he would travel like a normal human being. He rode with Lee Teng in their car to Metropolis International Airport. Teng seemed to have a good supply of money and paid for Clark’s ticket. The number of flights going to India was not as numerous as the number of flights going to New York or Boston. In fact, there was only one and the trio had to wait several hours for the only flight.

The Scimitar itself had to be packed separately in Teng’s luggage. It would be difficult explaining why one should be allowed to carry a sword onto an airplane. When they finally boarded, Clark came to the realization that sitting his 6 foot 4 inch, 210 pound frame in the Coach section for the next 10 hours was going to be a very uncomfortable experience.

But the issue that concerned him the most was whether or not he was doing the right thing. He knew so little about what was going on. “Lana was right. These people did come out of the blue.” Was it right to just pick up and leave?

While he was waiting at the airport he called Lana several times on his cell phone. The only response he received was her voice mail. He was tempted to call Lana’s Aunt Nell but he was not a favorite of Nell’s and he did not want to add more fuel to Nell’s fire.

He remembered the time they spent in Tahiti and he remembered the prophecy of the Shaman. A sacrifice would have to be made in order for the two of them to fulfill their destinies. “Maybe I can’t have a normal life. Maybe, I can’t give Lana everything she deserves.”

Clark had no appetite for the airplane food and gave his portion to Leng Teng’s cousin. The boy was a growing teenager and ate everything with a ravenous gusto. The in-flight movie was a romantic comedy. It was the usual generic story of a two people meeting, breaking apart and finally getting together amid a series of comedic events. Clark did not want to be reminded in any way, shape or form of any type of romantic angst nor see a contrived ending that sets the couple on the road to everlasting happiness. His unhappiness was too real to be diverted by a movie. He tried to sleep but his last conversation with Lana kept replaying itself over and over in his mind.

Lee Teng and her cousin were overjoyed that Clark had decided to come back to Sanctuary. But they were questioning themselves as to whether Clark could really be the new Guardian. They had heard so much from Pak as to how he was saved and the powers he had witnessed. Yet, the young man with them showed no exceptional abilities. He was quiet and kept to himself. It was clear that something was troubling the young man.

The flight arrived in New Delhi and Clark had to go through passport inspections and customs inspections. Then the trio had to take a separate flight to distant northern area where they would begin their trek to Sanctuary. They went on a propeller flight that was almost the same as Chloe’s flight. Clark hoped the ancient plane would hold together long enough so that he wouldn’t be required to display any of his powers.

They checked into a hotel to unpack their luggage, get some rest and to go over Teng’s map which showed the way to their destination. Lee Teng and her cousin were exhausted from the traveling. Clark was mentally exhausted from his anxiety.

While going over the map Clark’s cell phone rang. He looked at the CALL ID and saw that the number was not identified. He was hoping that it was Lana calling him. In a way, his wish came true.

“Hello?”

There was a moment of silence before he received a response.

“Clark!”

The call ended. Clark did not know what to do. It was Lana’s voice. Was it a cry for help? What was happening to her? But more importantly, where was she calling from? Lee Teng saw that something was wrong.

“It’s my girlfriend. Something is wrong.”

Clark hesitated when he said the word ‘girlfriend’. It just did not seem to be an adequate description of what Lana was to him. Even now he was troubled that he could find the words to satisfactorily describe what she was to him. The phone rang again and Clark immediately answered it.

“Lana?”

For a moment there was silence and then he heard a man’s voice.

“I assume I now have your undivided attention, Mr. Kent”

Teng and her cousin saw lines of worry creased Clark’s face.

“Who is this?”

“That is not important. What is important is that I have Ms. Lang and unless you cooperate with me she will suffer and you will never see her again. I need you to help me with a certain device.”

“What kind of device?”

“That’s what I need you to figure out. Do we have an understanding?”

“Put Lana back on.”

“No.”

“Put Lana back on or I won’t cooperate.”

“Then you will never see her again.”

There were so many times in Clark’s life when he acted in a certain matter because he felt he had no choice. After he exited the Phantom Zone, he thought he was past that stage. But once again he would have to do things because he had no alternative.

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to come to a place called Sanctuary. Are you familiar with it?”

Clark hesitantly and then answered slowly but truthfully.

“Yes.”

“I thought you would be. How soon can you get here?”

Clark now knew that whoever was calling did not know that he was in India. He grew in determination.

“Sooner than you think.”

And he pressed the END key on his phone. He turned to Lee Teng.

“Give me the Scimitar. I don’t know why but I think I’m going to need it.”

They took the small sword out of their luggage and Clark put it in the inside pocket of his red jacket.

“Show me where Sanctuary is on the map.”

The duo showed Clark the approximate location of the entrance of Sanctuary. But they did not understand how Clark could go alone and without proper clothing to protect him from the extreme cold. Clark paid no attention to them. He then made a request of Teng’s cousin.

“Please open the window.”

They did not understand his request. The temperature was cold outside. Why would he want to open the window? Clark just repeated the request. Teng’s cousin opened the window and came back to stand with Teng. Clark spoke.

“I’m sorry I can’t go with you but I don’t have a moment to lose.”

Their jaws dropped in awe as Clark’s feet lifted off the floor and he shot out of the window like a missile. They ran to the window trying to catch a glimpse of what they had just seen but all they saw was a red streak climbing into the air at a tremendous speed. It disappeared through the clouds and into the mountains.


**********


“Conundrum”

The crowd outside of the hotel was used to feeling gusts of winds sweep down from the mountains. But they were not expecting a gust of wind to head in the direction of the mountains. People were turned about. No one could understand what had just happened. Normally, Clark would be keenly aware of displaying his powers in front of anyone but this instance of knowing Lana was in danger caused him to literally throw caution into the wind. He had always felt a type of protective instinct with Lana. He had rescued her time and again. But living with her; having her become such an intimate part of his life, not only physically but emotionally and spiritually, had transformed this instinct into something entirely different. So different, it surprised even him. He now had a total disregard for the protection of his own secret. And he now felt…anger. Anger, that someone could possibly hurt the person he loved most in the world.

He rose through the clouds and up the mountains following the path that Teng had told him about. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. He was almost at the point where he would make his final approach, the area that held the hidden passageway when his hearing picked up something. It sounded like a whisper. But it was so labored even with his enhanced hearing he could hardly make sense out of it. He stopped in midair. There should not be anyone this far up. He blocked everything out of his mind and just focused on his hearing.

“Forgive…me.”

He heard the weakly spoken words, ‘forgive me’ and he turned in their direction. He now floated in the air, scanning the ground from left to right. What caught his attention was the splash of color in the snow – the large blotch of brown against the white background of the clean snow. As he drew closer to the color he saw that the brown was actually a deep, crimson red. Then he saw the snow covered figure from where the red color originated. It was a man lying in the snow. His leg had been shattered and his blood had soaked the ground. Clark lowered himself to the man. He picked his head up. There was barely any breath to be seen. His eyes were barely open and Clark could hear him whimper.

“Let me die.”

He opened his eyes and looked at Clark. He drew on whatever reserves of strength he had left to speak.

“I have betrayed my own people. I deserve to die. I pray for their forgiveness.”

“Are you from Sanctuary?”

The man nodded.

“Show me where the entrance is.”

He weakly pointed in a general direction. Clark was frustrated. He didn’t know anymore about the location of the entrance than he did before. He picked up the man.

“Let…me…die.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

Clark then looked in the direction of the range of mountains. Mountains that were covered in snow and ice. His eyes began to turn red and he felt the heat rising in his head. He let out a wide blast of heat that scorched the entire mountain range. The snow and ice immediately disappeared and turned into flowing water. It would only be a few minutes before the water would again freeze to ice and the increased moisture in the air would be recycled into snow. But Clark now had a clear view of the entrance of the uncovered passageway. He focused his sight on the entrance and then focused his X-ray vision on the passageway past the entrance. He saw the enclosed area beyond the passageway. There were no obstacles. With the almost frozen man in his arms he shot towards the mountain to the entrance into the passageway and straight through into the enclosure.

He floated above the area amazed at what he was seeing. He was also grateful. The rescue of the man and the time spent not thinking about Lana had tempered his anger. So many times in the past he had acted hastily and the result had been disastrous. The small interval of time had given him the self control he needed.

The area was empty. His X-ray vision indicated that there were people in the buildings but they were not venturing outside. But a few were at the windows looking and pointing at him. A few started to come out of their homes and Clark floated down to the ground. They approached Clark without fear and took the man from him.

“Where are the strangers who came here?”

He was pointed to the direction of the temple and he nodded his thanks. In an instant he was gone.

He was in the empty temple and saw the light coming out from the opened door of the inner chamber. His first reaction was to speed inside but he controlled his instinct and walked slowly through the door.

Before him were two platforms. They were the same shape but one was larger than the other. The larger platform resembled the teleportation portal in the Kawatche Caves. Surrounding the platforms was a soft green light. Clark did not recognize the symbols on the platforms but he immediately recognized the symbols on the device that controlled the green light. He deciphered the symbols and learned that it was a force field.

“When you said ‘soon’ you weren’t kidding.”

Clark turned his head in the direction of the voice. It was past the platforms that were in the center of the chamber. Directly across from Clark was a man holding a gun to another man’s head. The other man was Asian and had one leg. He looked at Clark and his eyes opened wide as if he recognized Clark. Clark was about to act when the man with gun spoke.

“Look to your left.”

Clark looked to his left and saw that on the other wall of the room stood a man who was holding a woman with a gun pointed at her head.

“Chloe?”

“Now look to your right.”

At the wall opposite from Chloe stood another man holding another woman with a gun pointed at her head.

“Lana?”

Clark could see the fear in her eyes and she could see the same in his. The man across from him spoke again.

“I’ve been informed that you’re a very fast guy. So I’ve taken some precautions. If you make one move, we fire our guns. Now you may be able to save one person. You may even be able to save two people. But I doubt you can cover the distance you see before you and save all three before a bullet enters someone’s brain. Maybe you’ll save your girlfriend and let the blonde die. Maybe you’ll save your girlfriend and then try to save the blonde. But she’s farther away than our fearless leader here.”

As he said this he rubbed the gun against Pak’s head.

“If you do this he will surely die. But can you cover the distance and save the blonde too? Maybe you can. Maybe you can’t. Then two people will die. So the choice you have to make is very simple.”

Mensa drew back the trigger on the gun.

“If you choose to do anything other than what I tell you to do, someone will die.”


**********


Part Four


“Into A Beam Of Light”

“What do you want me to do?

A smile rose on Mensa’s face. “There’s nothing like having the upper hand.”

“Whatever that force field is, I want you to shut it down. And then I want to know what those platforms are.”

“What makes you think I can do this?”

“You’re here. Aren’t you? Besides, I’ve been told you’re an expert in all things, shall we say, Kryptonian.”

Clark was silent at hearing those words. He looked at Lana and she slightly shook her head, indicating that Mensa did not hear the word ‘Kryptonian’ from her. Chloe did the same thing. Clark saw the laptop type device that the force field was emanating from. He spoke to Mensa.

“I have to move and touch the device.”

“Just keep it at normal speed. And if you don’t think I mean business you can ask Ms. Sullivan over there if I’m serious in what I say.”

Chloe nodded her head to Clark.

“He’s already murdered three people, Clark.”

The thought of someone being murdered sickened Clark. He nodded and moved slowly to the device. He knelt down and read the symbols on the device. There was an area to place his hand. He set his hand down. Instead of receiving a shock like Mensa, Clark felt warmth as the area lit up. In few seconds the light died down and with it the green glow of the force field. Clark stood up and walked towards the platforms. He turned his attention back to the device when he heard a humming sound from it. It was again lighting up. This time a beam of light came from it and stopped in the middle of the room. A three dimensional image began to form. The image began to take the shape of a man and soon Clark felt as if he were staring into his own eyes.

“If you are seeing this projection than it means that Sanctuary has been violated and I am unable to return to Earth. It also means that as my descendent, you have been called to this place. I am Jor-El.”

Pak recognized the image of the man who had had saved him. Lana and Chloe stood motionless in awe of what they were witnessing. After all this time of hearing of Jor-El, they were finally seeing the person they hated for all the trouble he had put Clark through over the years and the person they admired for having the courage to send his only son away from a dying planet to Earth. Mensa held his gun firm but his eyes and ears were attuned to what he was seeing and hearing. His men held steady with the women in their clutches.

“The portals you see before you have been taken from the Planet Altair 4. They were created by a race known as the Cyndair. The Cyndair traveled throughout the known universe by use of the larger portal. It uses a beam of light for teleportation.”

Clark listened attentively. “Like the portal in the caves. Krypton must have adapted the technology for its own use.”

“The Cyndair may have been the wisest and most benevolent race to ever travel the universe. Yet their entire race was destroyed by the second portal, their own creation. It is called the Spectrum.”

Jor-El’s commentary now commanded the full attention of everyone in the chamber.

“The transport portal travels on a beam of light through space. The Spectrum travels on a beam of light through time. Into the past or into the future. The Cyndair destroyed themselves by trying to change their past. By trying to correct their mistakes. They learned too late that every event, no matter how small or trivial, has meaning. Even our mistakes make us who we are.”

For a moment Jor-El digressed.

“Perhaps our defeats play an even greater role than our victories in who we become.”

Clark felt as if Jor-El were speaking directly to him.

“In the end the Cyndair undid all of the good they had done. It was as if they had never existed.”

“I have placed these portals here on Earth for safe keeping. They were in danger of falling into evil hands on Krypton. So I sent them to Earth until I could study them and decide what to do. Obviously, if you are seeing this, I have not been able to carry out my plan. And it is now up to you to decide what to do.

I have designed this apparatus so that only a person with my DNA can operate it. Only you can operate the Spectrum. I have done this because as my descendent you have the Kryptonian training and education that is necessary to make these important decisions. Only you have the wisdom and the integrity of a true Kryptonian. In addition, you have been raised as a member of the House of El. Your pride in your heritage will inspire you to do what is right – not only for you but for this planet. A planet that I have come to respect, to admire and to love.”

The image began to fade.

“That is all the time I have to tell my story. I wish circumstances were different and we could have met. Goodbye.”

Clark felt immensely inadequate from what he had just heard. “Kryptonian training and education. Pride in my heritage.” He had avoided what was Kryptonian like it was a disease and he felt he was ill prepared for the responsibilities that were before him. Clark had always been motivated by pride. The pride that Jonathan and Martha showed whenever he did the right thing. His parents very seldom had to scold him or discipline him as he grew up because they knew that just their disappointment would be enough to motivate Clark. He hated to let them down. Now he was standing feeling as if he had let his biological father down. “There is nothing in me for Jor-El to be proud of.”

“Turn it on.”

Clark returned from his thoughts.

“Turn what on?”

“The Spectrum. Turn it on. I want to see if it does what this Jor-El guy says it does.”

Clark began to plead with Mensa.

“You heard what Jor-El said. The Spectrum is dangerous. It needs to be destroyed.”

“Destroyed? Are you crazy? If that thing does what he says it does I am going to be a very wealthy man. There are many nations that will pay a fortune for something like this.”

Mensa and his men pressed their guns against the heads of their hostages. Lana shouted out.

“Clark, don’t do it! Don’t let him use me to make you do what you know is wrong!”

Clark couldn’t help but look at Lana with admiration. “She has always had courage. I don’t know where she gets it.” Chloe nodded her agreement as did Pak. But Mensa knew that Clark would not put anyone at risk and Clark knew that Mensa was aware of this. Clark examined the device that controlled the force field. He touched some of the symbols and a new projection appeared. This consisted of Kryptonian symbols circling around him at a high rate of speed. Mensa became panicky.

“What’s going on?”

Clark reassured him.

“What you’re seeing is a Kryptonian instruction manual. Like a ‘Time Travel for Dummies’ book. It’s telling me how to operate the Spectrum.”

As Chloe was watching Clark her reporter’s instinct kicked in. Although the events of the next few seconds happened with lightening-like speed, later Chloe was able to recall every detail.

Clark found the ‘on’ switch for the Spectrum. When he activated it a light emanated straight up from the portal that was brighter than anything Clark had ever experienced with the Kryptonian transport portal. For a second it filled the chamber and blinded everyone. When the human eye is hit with such brightness a person will instinctively wince and put their hands to their eyes. The thug who was holding Lana brought his hands to his eyes including the hand that was holding the gun to Lana’s head. Despite the light, Lana was quick to react. As soon as the gun was removed from her head she slammed her heal down into the front bone of his shin and brought her elbow into his face at the same time breaking his nose and spattering him with own blood. This caused him to drop his weapon and sent him sprawling to the floor. Mensa’s other man did not let the light affect him as much. He had pulled back the gun from Chloe’s head slightly but recovered quickly and began to pull the trigger to fire the gun into Chloe’s head. Clark, seeing that Lana had freed herself, shot to Chloe and pushed her to the floor just as the bullet exited the barrel and traveled the three inches to her skull. The bullet missed Chloe and bounced off of Clark’s head. Clark grabbed him by the arm and with a flick of his wrist threw him across the room.

When Mensa saw what Lana had done he lost his concern for Pak and ran to get a hold of Lana. Lana was the key to controlling Clark. He could not have her free. He tried to grab her but her resistance caused him to just shove her rather than grab her. The shove changed her direction and her momentum carried her into the light of the Spectrum and in a moment she was gone.

“Lana!”

Both Clark and Chloe cried out her name at the same time.

Without Lana and losing control of the situation, Mensa and his men were now desperate. Mensa was astonished that within a few seconds the situation had changed from being totally in his control to having no idea what to do next. The trio targeted their guns on Chloe and Pak. Clark standing next to Chloe, grabbed her and brought her with him as he shot the distance to Pak. Pushing both Chloe and Pak down to the floor, Clark covered them with his body as Mensa and his men emptied the magazines of their guns into Clark. The bullets tore into his clothes but never touched Pak and Chloe. They ricocheted off of Clark and off of the ceiling and walls. Finally, the guns were emptied and a strange silence ensued. Clark got up and looked at the trio with rage burning in his eyes. They knew that there was no escape for them through the door of the chamber. Mensa then made a decision and took the shorter and unexpected route. He jumped into the light of the Spectrum and his men followed him.

Clark needed a few seconds to gather his wits and then one thought shouted in his mind. “Lana!” He looked in the direction of the Spectrum and launched himself into the beam of light.

End of Episode 13


**********

Stay tuned for Episode 14 – Spectrum: Part II

[*#~ ClAnAfAn99210~#*]

that was crzy up the @$$!!!!


cant wait for more!

[happycamper]

A really great update!

If I hadn't already known that Lana was going to be kidnapped, I'd have been very worried about her reactions to the need to go to Tibet. I guess she needed to decide whether her love for Clark was enough to accept his need to protect and defend (maybe it is the same thing, if to a lesser extent, those that are married to soldiers, policement, and fireman must decide).

Timely action by Lana saved the hostages, but now that they have all entered the Spectrum, what will happen to them and to the Earth?


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part One


“Past”

Clark found himself on the ground. The grass was wet with the dew of night. He felt the cold but he didn’t shiver. He looked up and saw a bright full moon in the sky. He sat up and saw that he was in a grassy field. A field that seemed strangely familiar.

“Lana!”

There was no answer to his call.

He felt a vibration in the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulled out the Scimitar. One of the crystals in the handle was lit and pulsating. In the short time that Clark viewed the Kryptonian manual he had learned enough to know that the Scimitar Jor-El had created was also a homing device for the Spectrum. Pressing on the glowing crystal would bring him back to Sanctuary. But first he had to figure exactly where he was and where was Lana.

He stood up and decided to test his powers. Was traveling through time similar to going to an alternate universe? Could his powers be used in a different time and place? A smile came to his face as he easily lifted himself off the ground. He didn’t go far, perhaps six feet. But he was now reassured that he could use his abilities if he needed. He decided not to use his abilities unless it was absolutely necessary. He was very aware of the lesson of the Cyndair.

The grassy field he was in was surrounded by a thick natural wall of tall trees. His natural hearing began to pick up the sound of voices, many voices. He focused his hearing and began to pick up individual sentences.

“Give it to him good!”

“We don’t want your kind here, boy!”

His hearing picked up the sound of a crisp snap. Each snap was immediately followed by a crack and then he heard the sound of a groan. He walked towards the sound and it took him through the line of trees. He could see a light coming through the other side and from the crackling sound he surmised that the light was caused by fire. He came out on the other side of the line and he stopped. He saw it before him and couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing. He had read about such things. He had heard that such things still existed in his modern world but be couldn’t believe that he was actually seeing it.

A burning cross.

There was a long line of horses that were tied to a lengthy fence. The horses turned their heads as he walked passed them. He stood by one and patted it on the side of its head, reassuring it that all was well so that it wouldn’t make a sound.

“Whoa, boy.”

The horses remained calm and Clark walked by them and saw the group of men before him. Their backs to him. At least 50 men, clothed in white sheets and their heads masked by hoods. In front of them stood a large burning cross and to the side of the cross was a wooden post in the ground. A man, a black man, was chained to the post. Near the post stood a man in a white sheet who was cracking a whip across the chained man’s back. Each snap of the whip brought the sound of a crack across the man’s back and each snap tore into his skin. The man held his agony inside of him. His jaw was clenched tight but blood was leaking down the sides of his mouth.

“Do you hear me, boy? I said we don’t want your kind around here.”

The torturer stopped his routine and another hooded man grabbed the victim by the hair of his head and forced him to look up at his tormentor.

“Now Ross, what’s it going to take to get you the hell out of here?”

Clark’s eyes lit up. “Ross?”

Another one of the Klan shouted out.

“Maybe, his wife will understand?”

When Ross heard that his bruised eyes opened up and a voice rose up from within his battered body.

“Leave my wife alone! She’s carrying our child.”

Hearing that, his tormentor answered.

“A child? Bringing another savage into this world. Well, we’re going to have to do something about that.”

A strength rose within Ross and he started to struggle against the chains around his arms. But it was to no avail. The skin of his wrists were rubbed raw from the shackles. Another crack of the whip ended his resistance and brought him back to his knees. The torturer drew back his arm and let the whip fly only to have it intercepted by Clark. Clark stood facing the hooded torturer with the whip pulled tautly between them.

“That’s enough!”

The crowd was stunned by Clark’s sudden appearance. Seeing him as a man alone they drew around him.

“If you don’t get out of the way, boy, you’ll be next.”

“I’m right in front of you.”

The white hoods got closer and closer. Since the phone call he received from Mensa, a rage in Clark had been growing and growing. He felt helpless in his efforts to protect Lana. He felt ashamed from the Jor-El message. He had not lived up to his father’s expectations and now he was witnessing the cruelty of bigotry. “I am not having a good day.” He heart was pounding in his chest and his breathing increased and became deeper. His face became red with anger and he became unrecognizable with a scowl. He tossed the torturer attached at the other end of the whip over the heads of the crowd and into the horses. His breath began to exit his lungs and the crowd started to move backwards. The force of his breath increased and white hoods were taken off of their owners’ heads and into the wind. Men tried to draw their revolvers but the guns were blown out of their hands. Then the men were lifted off of the ground. Some were carried into the tied horses and trampled. Some were slammed into the trees. Some were carried over the trees. In less than a minute all that remained was Clark, Ross and the burning cross. Clark stood still for a moment and composed himself.

“Whoa.”

Ross was down on his knees and unable to look at Clark. Clark walked to him and knelt beside him. Ross was speaking as if he couldn’t get the words out of his mouth fast enough.

“Please Lord. I’ve been a sinful man. Please Lord. Don’t take me now. Now that’s my wife is with child.”

Clark felt a little embarrassed as to what he was being mistaken for.

“Mr. Ross. I’m not what you think I am and you’re not dying.”

Ross looked up into Clark’s face and Clark’s recognized him from a photograph he had seen in Pete’s house when he was a boy. He was looking into the face of Eli Ross, Pete’s great grandfather.

“You’re Eli Ross.”

The panic returned to Eli.

“Please, Lord. Not now. Please, I’ll do anything.”

Clark tried to reassure him.

“Mr. Ross, I’m not an angel of the Lord.”

Ross was slowly calming down and regaining control of his breathing.

“Then who are you?”

Clark smiled at him.

“A friend.”

One of the cuts in Ross’s back was a deep wound and was bleeding profusely.

“We’re going to have to get you to a hospital.”

“Hospital? Where do you think we are? Metropolis? There’s no hospital here in Smallville. We don’t even have a doctor.”

Clark thought for a moment. He had now been awake for over 24 hours and was mentally fatigued. He controlled his breathing and tried to think.

“Then I’m going to have to help you. You have a deep wound in your shoulder. I’m going to have to cauterize it to stop the bleeding.”

Ross nodded and expected Clark to use one of the embers from the still burning cross. Instead a laser like beam came out of Clark’s eyes and he closed the wound with surgical precision. The he blew a light breath on the sealed wound and numbed it with an icy exhalation. He ripped the chains apart that held Ross’s hands and picked him up with ease.

“Where do you live?”

Ross pointed the direction and Clark lifted off the ground. There was fear in Ross’ eyes and Clark hovered off the ground. He blew out the fire from the burning cross like blowing out candles on a birthday cake. He was soon over the trees and within site of a cabin. He came down to the ground and walked toward the house. A woman who was heavily pregnant ran out of the house towards them.

“Eli!”

Clark brought him into the house and laid him on his bed. His wife began to minister to Eli. The two of them were unable to speak. Their eyes looked at Clark with gratitude and devotion. Clark was about to leave when he turned around and said.

“I don’t know if this is any reassurance but you will have a son, a grandson and great-grandson.”

He left the house with the couple expressing their gratitude in prayer. Clark realized that he needed to know more about the Spectrum before he found Lana. He took the Scimitar from his pocket and pressed the pulsating crystal and returned to Sanctuary.


**********

[happycamper]

Another great update!

In helping Eli Ross, has he already changed the past? I guess that would be one of the greatest dangers in a device like the Spectrum - even (especially?) if one were good and meant well (like the Cyndair), one would be tempted to "correct" tragedies or suffering that one ran across.

I guess it is a good thing that he intends to examine the Spectrum more closely before striking out blindly.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part Two


“Present”

Clark stepped out of the light. Chloe ran to him while Pak slowly made his way. The chamber was now filled with the residents of Sanctuary. They stood in awe at what they were seeing before him.

“Did you find Lana?”

Clark heard Chloe and shook his head.

“No. I need to know more about this thing before I can find her.”

PaK looked up to him.

“You look just like your father.”

Clark gave Pak a polite smile but he quickly walked back to the controlling device. Once again a ring of Kryptonian symbols surrounded Clark and he stood at attention as his mind absorbed all of the information circling around him. After a short while the beam of information stopped and Clark resumed keying in Kryptonian symbols on the device. A new image formed. The image of a grid. A line extended across the grid with two pulsating lights on the line.

“Clark, what’s going on?”

“The Spectrum penetrates time with a beam of light that goes back and forth like a pendulum on a grandfather clock. It swings from past to present to future to present to past.”

Clark pulled the Scimitar from his pocket.

“The Scimitar is the controlling mechanism. It’s like a remote control for a television. It is only through the Scimitar that you can place yourself at an exact place and moment in time. And it is only with the Scimitar that you can bring yourself back. If you enter the beam of light without the Scimitar you can be placed anywhere – past, present, future. Anywhere on Earth.”

He then pointed to the grid.

“This grid is indicating that the fabric of time has been disrupted. That someone has entered a period of time who shouldn’t be there. I know the time and the location but I don’t know if it’s Lana or those other guys.”

He pointed to the grid as he explained to Chloe.

“Someone has gone back in time to Montana in 1876 and someone has gone forward 17 years in the future to Metropolis in 2023.”

“And you don’t know which one is Lana?”

Clark shook his head ‘no’.

“It doesn’t matter. I have to find everyone to make sure that they haven’t changed the past and won’t have knowledge of the future.”

Clark looked at Chloe and for the first time noticed the bruise on her face. He touched her cheek.

“Oh, Chloe. What did those guys do to you?”

Again, Chloe felt ashamed for the compassion she was receiving. She had unknowingly gotten her two good friends involved in this situation and their concern was for her.

“Clark, I have to tell you something. All of this is my fault.”

Clark stopped what he was doing with the Spectrum. He had a questioning expression on his face. Chloe continued.

“I think all of this is a setup for Lex to catch Lionel Luthor as the informer we’ve been using. I was supposed to travel to India to cover the closing of the last LuthorCorp power plant. I received a call from Lionel telling me that something was happening in the Himalayas. I thought it would be nothing so I didn’t tell you or Lana. When I got here, Mensa and his thugs were waiting for me.”

“That was Mensa, the terrorist?”

Chloe nodded her head and then she began to cry.

“I’m sorry, Clark. I got in over my head.”

Clark put his large arms around Chloe and tried to comfort her.

“It’s okay, Chloe. It’s not your fault. It’s my fault.”

Chloe pulled back, not understanding what Clark was saying.

“Chloe, all of this could have been prevented if I had just completed my training. If I had only made it back to the Fortress of Solitude by sundown on the day the two Kryptonians showed up.”

“But you saved Lana that day.”

“I know. But I let my heart overrule my head. If I had gone back there’s be no Zod and none of Lex’s schemes and we wouldn’t have to go through this…this…”

“****.”

“Yeah, ****.”

Chloe made Clark look at her.

“Clark, Lana might be dead if it weren’t for you.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. I’ll never know for sure.”

“Clark, listen to me. I’m not going to let you do this. You choosing Lana has never been, is not now, nor will it ever be a mistake. You should listen to your father.”

“I know. My actions have consequences.”

“Not your dad. Your father. Every event, no matter how small or trivial, makes us who we are. Without Lana you would not be who you are.”

“And who am I?”

Chloe was silent for a moment.

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re this Guardian guy. But one thing’s for certain. You are the only person on this planet who can get us out of this.”

Lana smiled at Chloe and wrapped his arms around her shoulder.

“Chloe, don’t be so hard on yourself. Like Jor-El said, “Every event has meaning.” If you hadn’t come here we never would have known that Lex is on to Lionel. We’ll talk about what to do about Lionel when I get back.”

All of the pain Chloe had been feeling in her face disappeared with Clark’s reassuring smile. He started touching the crystals on the Scimitar and a light formed in the Spectrum. This time it wasn’t as bright as the light that had sent Lana, Mensa and Clark to random places in time. This time it was a softer shade. Clark stepped into the portal without a second thought and was carried away.


**********

[happycamper]

The only really critical point is Montana in 1876. If Mensa had gone there, then Clark needs to do something to take care of him. The future can take care of itself (and an appropriate welcome can always be made ready :lol: ).

It was good that Chloe was there for Clark, and able to get him to shed the self-recrimination funk he had almost allowed to overwhelm himself.

"Not your Dad (but) your father" :lol: Loved the line, but I guess one really does need to differentiate them...


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part Two (Continued)


“Seventh”

The first thing Clark noticed was the smell. It was foul to his nostrils. He looked around and saw that he was on a Midwestern plain – a plain littered with bodies. The corpses were mutilated, stiffened with rigormortis and were beginning to rot in the sun. All around him were arrows and spears. He was in what had been a battlefield. The bodies were in a pattern as if the men had fanned out in a circle. They wore blue uniforms. Uniforms that were now soaked with blood. Their rifles and revolvers lay at their sides. There were sporadic fires and smoke in the area. Clark estimated that the battle had ended less than an hour ago.

Clark began to walk through the carnage, careful not to step on the bodies. They were soldiers, cavalrymen with their horses just as dead as they were. Eyes wide open in pain and panic. The cavalrymen had used the bodies of the horses as barriers, as a protective wall. But it wasn’t enough against whatever it was that caused the slaughter. He stood in the middle of the massacre and saw a flag lying on the ground. He picked it up and saw a single number on it.


7

Not far from the flag was a body that was clothed differently from the others. The circular pattern had its original around this one individual. “He must be the leader.” This body was clothed in buckskin and there was long, golden hair flowing down its back. Clark looked back at the flag. “Seven? Seven? Seventh Cavalry. He looked down at the buckskin clad body. “Custer. I’m at the Little Big Horn. I’m at Custer’s Last Stand.” His thoughts turned to Lana. He moved around the battlefield with lightening like speed, examining each of the bodies. He was frantic in his search. He didn’t see Lana and he didn’t see Mensa or his men. “What if the Sioux or Cheyenne took her away?” Then he focused his vision outside of the group of dead cavalrymen and in the distance he saw three bodies that looked like they had been running away. He speeded up to them and saw by their winter clothing that it was Mensa and his two gunmen. Their bodies were impaled with arrows and spears. He thought of the irony of the situation. “They went from the frying pan into the fire.” Their scalps were torn from their heads. Clark just shook his head. “After all this time. After all the deaths that they caused. What a way to die.” By the process of elimination he now knew that Lana was somewhere in the future.

He was about to pull the Scimitar out of his pocket to go back to Santuary when he heard noise in the distance. He saw a lone warrior on horseback on a hill near the horizon. He was signaling behind him. Soon an army of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors joined him and they began to charge down from the hill to where Clark was standing. Their war cries coming ever closer.

Clark stood his ground as arrows and spears shot past him and bounced off of him. Then bullets began to ricochet off of him without effect. The warriors charged him with their horses and Clark simply pushed them into each other. The attack stopped as the warriors surrounded him. They seemed to be taunting with their war cries him but none dared move towards him.

Clark saw a dry bush about twenty yards from him. He shot off a heat beam from his eyes and the bush caught fire. The warriors backed up from him and they began to speak to each other. Clark didn’t understand the language but he recognized one word – Numan.

One of the warriors with a large headdress dismounted and approached Clark. He offered him a feathered spear. Clark assumed that this was some type of peace offering. Clark examined it and saw the exquisite detailed workmanship. It must have taken a great deal of time and effort to make this weapon. He nodded his head in acceptance. The warriors began to slowly pull back. Then he pulled the Scimitar from his jacket and held it above his head. “Like Luke Skywalker holding his light saber.” The warriors backed up even further when the sunlight reflected off of the blade.

Clark pressed the pulsating crystal and disappeared in the bright beam of light.


**********


Tomorrow, the future and something you are not expecting.

[happycamper]

A fitting end to Mensa and his men - although it was a bit too quick to my tastes for what he had done.

I smiled when the Sioux recognized Naman - his exploits must have travelled further than I would have thought.


[i]Tomorrow, the future and something you are not expecting.
???


:D :D

[C.A.chick]

Wow. I have come to love this story. And I could replace the real Smallville with this, I would do it before you can blink.

I'm surprised that Lana acted so severely to Clark's choice to help others. Interesting... I wonder what happened in the future that we don't expect... Hmm. I hope Clark can stop anything disasterous from happening.

Great job! I love your writing.

-C.A.chick

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part Three


“Future”

Lana felt cold. She remembered being pushed into the bright beam of the Spectrum and tumbling head over heels through a tunnel of light. Now she was on the ground and there was snow around her. She looked around and tried to get her bearings. “I’m in a park.” She saw the trees and pathways and began to hear the sounds of people rushing back and forth that told her she was in an urban area. She got on her feet and walked from the snow to a cleared sidewalk. All around were automobiles on city streets. Straight ahead she saw the revolving golden globe of the Daily Planet. “I’m in Metropolis.”

She was not clothed for cold weather and she started to shiver. Her first inclination was to go indoors to the Daily Planet but then her chills took a back seat to her curiosity and she started to observe the sights and sounds around her.

The city seemed cleaner and there was certain freshness in the air. The automobiles were surprising quiet. They were small and streamlined. She looked at the labels on the cars – Audi, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Toyota/GM and Honda/Ford. “Toyota/GM? Honda/Ford?” In the center of the city there appeared to be huge plasma video screens that displayed advertisements and news.

Near the Daily Planet was a newsstand but no newspapers and magazines as she knew. Customers carried small personal monitors like iPods but slightly larger. There was a terminal on the newsstand where customers plugged in their monitors and pressed a button that indicated the periodical they were selecting and then they downloaded it into their personal monitor. There was a button for the daily edition of the Daily Planet and just about every other newspaper in the world. There were the usual magazines like Time, Newsweek and Cosmopolitan. Headlines were displayed on a series of monitors. Lana did a double take when she saw the headline for the Inquisitor


Angelina & Brad Welcome First Grandchild

“First grandchild? What year is it? She looked at the display of the morning edition of the Daily Planet.


Monday, January 24, 2023

“2023? I’m in the future.” As she finished her thought she witnessed a trail of blue that streaked across the sky in between the tall buildings. The proprietor of the newsstand made a comment.

“The Man is at it again.”

His expression changed when it became clear that she didn’t know what he was referring to. Now his expression seemed to say, “What’s the matter with you? How could you not know what I’m talking about?” The lightening like streak came back and Lana’s head turned with everyone else’s. A group of school children who were standing outside the Daily Planet looked up and began to cheer.

“Go Big Blue!”

Her attention was then caught by the broadcast on one of the screens.

“President Washington conferred with members of the United Nations today…”

She the saw the image of the President. “President Washington?” She looked at the image on the screen. The hair was gray and there were the deep lines of responsibility creasing his face but she immediately recognized the figure. “Oh my God! Denzel Washington is the President!”

Her curiosity started to give way to the cold. She looked around and saw another familiar sight across the street.


STARBUCKS

Her immediate thought was of hot chocolate warming up her insides and she crossed the road and entered the warm shop. She asked for and received a small cup of hot chocolate.

“Seven dollars, please.”

Lana had forgotten that she needed money. “Well, one thing hasn’t changed. Although seven dollars is a lot for a cup of hot chocolate.” She started going though her pockets and found a ten dollar bill. She handed it to the teenager who had been waiting patiently. He took it and looked at it curiously.

“What’s this?”

“That’s a ten dollar bill. The hot chocolate costs seven dollars. I’m giving you ten so you owe me three dollars in change.”

“A ten dollar…bill. Miss, I going to have to get the manager.”

As she waited she noticed that people had plastic cards like credit cards that the cashier swiped through her machine. The transaction was quick and there were no receipts or paper involved. The teenager brought a man to the front and showed him the ten dollar bill. He looked at it curiously.

“Wow! I haven’t seen one of these in years.”

He smiled at Lana.

“Where did you get this?”

Lana wasn’t sure as to how to answer.

“I sort of found it.”

The manager addressed the teenager.

“This is called cash. This is what people used to pay with whenever they bought something.”

The boy stared wide eyed.

“Really?”

The manager nodded to the boy and then handed the bill back to Lana.

“Here, you keep this. The drink is on the house. I never thought I would see one of those again. You take care of that bill. It’s an antique. It’s worth a lot more than ten dollars.”

She stayed indoors and finished the hot chocolate. The drink was soothing and it gave her chance to think about what she was going to do. She decided that she had to find someone who would be familiar with what was happening and only two people qualified – Clark and Chloe. She decided she would go to the Daily Planet since it was nearby. But would Chloe still be there?

As she left the coffee shop she saw a crowd gathering at one of stores down the block on the corner. The sign above the store said


BORDERS & NOBLE

A limousine pulled up to the curve and a tall, curvaceous woman left the vehicle. “Lois?” Lana walked to the shop and joined the crowd. She saw a sign on the window of the store.


Book Signing Today at 2pm – Lois Lane

Lois appeared to be very sophisticated and professional. Lana was amazed how well Lois looked after 16 years. “She certainly hasn’t lost her figure.” Lois had graduated from bare midriffs and hip hugging jeans to tailor made designer fashions.

Lana walked into the book shop she noticed a display of books in the window. The main display contained a book that had a picture of Lex Luthor on the cover. His profile was crisscrossed with what appeared to be the bars of a jail cell. Lana picked up a copy of the book.


Destiny:

The Rise & Fall of Lex Luthor

By

Lois Lane

&

Clark Kent

“Clark?” She opened the book and began to read the cover insert.

Daily Planet reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent tell the story that earned them the coveted Pulitzer Prize – the rise and fall of one of the most notorious criminals to ever walk the landscape of the United States. At one time a multi-billionaire and one the most respected businessmen in the world, Lane and Kent detail Luthor’s descent into Public Enemy #1. This is a tale of deception, betrayal and murder. It is also the tale of how a few committed individuals banded together to fight for truth, justice and the American way – with a little help from a Man of Steel.

Lana turned the book over and saw the photograph of Clark and Lois. They posed leaning on a desk. Lois looked as she did in the book shop – fashionable and fit. Clark, “Clark!” was in a grey suit and navy blue tie. Even under the confines of a suit Lana could see that Clark’s chest was massive and his shoulders wide. His hair had lost the unruly look that she loved but his face had acquired a chiseled look. Lana was amazed what a difference the transformation from farm flannels to a suit and tie did for Clark. “God, Clark. You’re making me wet my pants. But what’s with the eye glasses?”

As Lois was autographing books she answered questions from the enthusiastic customers. Lana could clearly hear the exchanges.

“So where’s your partner today, Ms. Lane?”

“Oh, Clark is a brilliant reporter but he’s always been shy of publicity. I guess you can take the boy off of the farm but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.”

The crowd chuckled.

“So what else can you tell us about the big guy, Ms. Lane?”

“Who, Clark?”

The crowd let out a collective “No!” Lois smiled.

“Actually Clark knows him better than I do. I can’t tell you anything that you don’t already know. What can I say? The big guy is just…super.”

The crowd let out a collective laugh. Lana was amazed as to how polished Lois had become as a public figure.

She started to page through the book and then stopped after a couple of pages. The blood drained from her face and she felt her heart in her throat. She started to become short of breath and she could not control the tears rising in her eyes. In front of her she read the words.


Dedicated with love to the memory of the late Lana Lang.


**********

[happycamper]

I don't understand (wah!).:confused:

Clark knows where/when Lana went, so what happened?

The only things that I can think of are that: 1. Lana entered an alternate future (remembering the alternate Lana and Clark) where she and Chloe had disappeared/been killed in Tibet, and Clark had to go on without her; or, 2. Clark had been unable to go into the future for whatever reason and had been forced to wait for her arrival (Lois wasn't acting as if Clark was her husband, after all).

Can't wait to find out whatever the real reason might be! :lol:


:D :D

[C.A.chick]

Ooh. What happened? Pleae give us another update! PPMS! I hope Lana's not dead!

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part Three (Continued)


“The Club”

“Ms. Lang. Ms. Lang.”

The voice saying her name seemed distant and then became clear as Lana regained her composure. She turned around and saw an elderly gentleman. Impeccably dressed in black, wearing a Derby hat and carrying an umbrella; he smiled as Lana turned to him. He took off his hat to her and handed her a small envelope. He spoke with a distinct, cultured voice.

“This is for you, Ms. Lang.”

She looked at the envelope and saw Clark’s handwriting on the front.


“Lana”

She opened the lid and pulled out a small card. The card also had Clark’s handwriting.

“Lana,

Please follow the elderly gentleman who gave you this card and do as he says. His name is Alfred.

Please trust me.

Love,
Clark”

She swallowed hard, uncertain as to what to do. She came to the realization that being 16 years away from home she had no choice but to find out what was happening. She came to the conclusion that putting her trust in Clark was always the best thing for her to do whether it was 2006 or 2023. She nodded to Alfred. He smiled and in a gentlemanly manner gave her his arm and led her out of the shop.

In front of the shop was a limousine with darkened windows. Alfred opened the door and Lana slid in. The door was closed. Alfred got into the driver’s seat.

Across from Lana was a man around Clark’s age – his 2023 age. He was handsome and well groomed. His eyes were dark and even sitting down he appeared to be tall. Lana could see that his clothes had to be specially tailored in order to fit his athletic frame. His hair was as dark as Clark’s and cut smartly. There seemed to be a look of recognition in his face when he first saw Lana.

“Hello, Ms. Lang.”

Lana was unsure as you how to respond. The man was aware of her uncertainty. As the limousine left the book shop and joined the traffic, he pulled out a small disk.

“Perhaps the first thing I should do is show you this.”

There was a video monitor in the vehicle and he slipped the disk in it. Within a few seconds a video with Clark appeared. He started to speak. Lana noticed that his voice was much deeper and he was confident in his tone.

“Lana, the man you are with is Bruce Wayne. Please do as he says. In a few hours everything will be made clear. See you soon.”

The video ended. Lana let herself relax – a little.

“Well, Mr. Wayne. I guess I’m in your hands.”

“Call me Bruce.”

Lana was very cognizant of the wealth of her surroundings.

“I didn’t realize that a reporter for the Daily Planet kept company with someone so affluent.”

“We belong to the same…club.”

“Club?”

Wayne simply nodded. Wayne pressed the button for the intercom to the driver.

“Alfred, please take us to the airport.”

Lana spoke to Wayne.

“Why are we going to the airport?”

“To get on an airplane, of course.”

Lana nodded at the curt answer. She tried to make small talk to find out more about her situation.

“Where are you from, Mr. Wayne?”

“Gotham City.”

“Gothan City? So you’re telling me that a billionaire, you are a billionaire, right?”

Wayne nodded his head. Lana continued.

“So you’re telling me a billionaire from Gotham City belongs to the same club as a reporter from Metropolis?”

Wayne smiled as he answered.

“We share similar interests.”

Lana remained silent. She had no difficulty in seeing Clark as a reporter for the Daily Planet. She had no difficulty in seeing Lex behind bars. She was having a great deal of difficulty in reconciling the idea that ‘publicity shy’ (as Lois put it) Clark Kent was pals with a billionaire from a city as distant as Gotham City. After all, the last time Clark was friends with a billionaire, things didn’t turn out very well.

They arrived at the airport and were quickly escorted through the complex to the runway. Lana noticed that many of the security checkpoints that airports had in 2006 were not present in 2023.

“We don’t have to go through security?”

Wayne seemed amused at the question.

“No. Things have been…streamlined.”

“What about the treat of terrorism?”

“We don’t worry about that anymore.”

They were on the runway and stood before what appeared to be a corporate jet but it was very small and only had two seats – a forward and back seat in the cockpit. Wayne started putting on a pressurized flight suit and Lana was given a suit of her own.

“What’s this for?”

“It’s a pressurized flight suit. It will help you withstand the G forces.”

“G forces? How fast will we be going?”

“Once we’re out over the ocean we might approach Mach 3.”

“Over the ocean? What do you mean by ‘over the ocean’? Where exactly are you taking me?”

Wayne was now in his form fitting flight suit. Alfred handed him a helmet.

“Australia.”

Lana’s jaw dropped.

“Australia? What’s in Australia?”

“Kangaroos.”

Not waiting for Lana to answer Wayne climbed into the cockpit. Alfred assisted Lana in putting on her flight suit. He gave her a helmet and then helped her climb into the jet. The jet took off quickly and was soon at a height of 35,000 feet and cruising at 500 miles per hour.

When the jet reached the ocean things began to happen.

“Miss Lang, you are about to see some changes to the jet. Please don’t be alarmed.”

Lana sat still in her seat and braced herself. “Changes? What does he mean by changes?” The inside of the cockpit began to darken with only the instrumentation remaining lit. The outside of the jet began to change color from corporate silver to black. The raised cockpit lowered into the fuselage and streamlined the jet for increased speed. But Lana grew panicky when the wings began to change shape. The wings were no longer slightly swept back but seemed to expand into a weird but familiar shape.

“Mr. Wayne, the wings have just changed shape into the wings of a…bird.”

“Actually, it’s a bat.”

Lana looked out the window and reexamined the wings. “He’s right. It does looks like a big bat. Who would want a plane to look like a bat? If this guy is one of Clark’s ‘buddies’ I’m starting to wonder about Clark.”

Lana was shoved back into her seat when the jet began to climb and pick up even more speed. She heard a roar as the jet reached the speed of sound and then went even faster. After a few minutes she heard Wayne’s voice over the radio in her helmet.

“How are you doing back there, Ms. Lang?”

After the events of the past two days, Lana could not take anymore.

“How am I doing? Let me tell you how I’m doing! I had a terrible fight with the man I love. I get a needle poked into my neck at a traffic stop. I’m abducted and pushed out of an airplane over the Himalayas. I’m shoved head over heals into a time machine. I’m 16 years into the future and don’t know what to do. I read a dedication in a book to a dead me. I’m put in an airplane that changes shape into a bat. I’m flying so fast that my eyeballs feel like they’re being pushed into the back of my head. And to top it all off, I’m getting my period. You want to know how I feel. I AM NOT HAVING A GOOD DAY!”

Wayne did not try to make conversation with Lana for the remainder of the flight.

Before it reached land the jet changed back into the shape of a small corporate jet. It then landed in Sidney. When Lana got out of the plane she found that she was little bit woozy. The combination of fatigue, hunger and the G forces were beginning to take its toll. She wanted to eat something and go to sleep but Wayne didn’t waste time and led her to a waiting limousine. This time there was a man waiting for them outside of the vehicle. He appeared to be the same size and shape as Bruce Wayne but his hair was blonde and his eyes were blue. From his attire, he also appeared to be of the same billionaire club as Bruce Wayne.

“Ms. Lang, I’d like to introduce Oliver Queen.”

Lana shook hands with Queen.

“Don’t tell me. You belong to the same club as Bruce and Clark?”

Queen looked puzzled.

“Club?”

Wayne spoke again.

“Ms. Lang, I’ll be handing you off to Oliver. He will be taking you to your final destination.”

“And where is my final destination?”

Queen answered as he opened the door to the vehicle.

“It’s about two hours away.”

Lana got into the car. Oliver closed the door and shook hands with Bruce. He walked over to the opposite side of the car, opened the door and slid in.

“Lana, if I may call you…”

He stopped in mid sentence. Lana had fallen asleep.

Lana woke when the limousine came to a stop.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“About two hours.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t been very good company.”

“It’s understandable, considering what you’ve been through.”

“Why have we stopped?”

“This is where you get out Ms. Lang.”

Lana looked out the window and saw that she was on a dirt road in the middle of a plain that resembled the American Midwest.

“There’s nothing here.”

Queen was reassuring.

“There will be someone along in a few minutes.”

“How will I know them?”

“They’ll know you.”

Lana got out of the limo and watched it drive away. Soon it was out of sight. The sun was high in the sky. It was just a few hours ago that she was freezing, standing in the snow in Metropolis and now she was warm, waiting on a dirt road running through a green plain 10,000 miles away in Australia. The wind picked up and was blowing through her hair as she looked up and down the road waiting for something to happen.

In the distance a vehicle appeared. It was small and unclear at first but as it got closer Lana could see that it was a red pickup truck. The engine could not be heard. Lana surmised that the silence was common for vehicles of 2023. “They’re probably all hybrid engines.” All she could hear was the sound of the tires rolling over the dirt road. The truck stopped by her. She could not get a good look at the driver’s face. It was shielded by the large Australian ‘Crocodile Dundee’ hat that the driver was wearing. The window rolled down.

“Get in.”

The voice sounded vaguely familiar. The window rolled back up. Lana opened the door and climbed up in the truck. She was buckling her seatbelt when she heard.

“G’day mate.”

She turned to her left to look at the driver and looked into her own hazel eyes.


**********

[happycamper]

:lol: :lol:

Another Lana? Why such an elaborate stratagem to get her back to where she belongs? Is this some kind of joke, or something made necessary by Clark's efforts to avoid changing the time stream?

Poor thing. Being forced into the future and then being subjected to the long trip...and that other little matter...I guess she would have reacted with anger to meeting anyone other than herself. :)

Does the other Lana remember? And why is she "dead" if she's still alive?:confused:

I need to know what happens next!


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part Four


“Smith”

Lana was momentarily speechless. The mouth of the 2023 Lana next to her curved into a smile and she was fighting to keep that smile from turning into a laugh. She put the truck into DRIVE, turned the truck around and headed back in the direction she came from. Lana from 2006 could not keep herself from looking at the 2023 version. She would look at the road ahead and then quickly turn to her left to look at the driver and then back to road and then she would begin the whole process again.

The 2023 version of Lana was almost the same as the 2006 version except for a few cosmetic changes and changes that come naturally with age. Her hair had been colored to a lighter shade and now extended only to her shoulders rather than halfway down her back. She wore no jewelry. The long dangling earrings were gone. She wore very little makeup except for a light coating of lipstick and some eye liner. She wore a regular blue denim button down shirt with a pair of faded blue jeans. Not stylishly faded but faded from being worn and worked in. Her shirt sleeves were rolled halfway up her forearm and Lana could see that the 2023 version’s tan extended from her face to her arms. “She must spend a lot of time outdoors.” There were some lines that were beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. But those eyes were as large and bright as they had always been and the smile was white and easily displayed. Lana’s eyes focused on the hands on the steering wheel. She observed that there were no rings on the fingers. Lana finally brought herself to speak.

“I thought you were dead. I mean I thought I was dead. I mean..”

She stopped.

“This is all very confusing.”

“That’s okay, Lana. You’re very hungry. We’ll get some food in your stomach and then all will be explained.”

“How do you know I’m hungry?”

“What did you say to Bruce? I had a terrible fight with the man I love. I get a needle poked into my neck at a traffic stop. I’m abducted and pushed out of an airplane over the Himalayas. I’m shoved head over heals into a time machine. I’m 16 years into the future and don’t know what to do. I read a dedication in a book to a dead me. I’m put in an airplane that changes shape into a bat. I’m flying so fast that my eyeballs feel like they’re being pushed into the back of my head. And to top it all off, I’m getting my period. By the way we can take care of that last part at the ranch. But you left out that the last time you ate was right after you and Clark made love when he came in from lunch on the farm. Made love multiple times if I remember correctly. And then the two of you went to the grocery store.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Lana, what is happening to you now is a memory to me?”

Lana was silent in order to think about what she had just heard.

“What ranch?”

“My ranch.”

The truck had now entered an area that was lined with fences. There was grazing land on both sides of the road. On one side of the road Lana could see horses in the distance. On the other side of the road she could see cattle. There were horsemen on both sides of the road.

“You own a ranch?”

“I sure do. I employ about a dozen ranch hands too. I live in a world that’s very different from the world of Metropolis. It’s nice. It keeps me busy.”

The truck turned from the road into a driveway. There a mailbox at the corner. Lana observed the name on the mailbox.


Smith

Again Lana was confused. “Why do I call myself Smith? I mean, why does she call herself Smith?”

“Did you marry someone named Smith?”

The 2023 Lana tried to keep herself from laughing. She pulled the truck up to a brightly painted farmhouse. As she opened the door and exited the vehicle she answered Lana.

“No Lana, I didn’t marry someone named Smith.”

Lana got out of the vehicle and stood face to face with her counterpart. The 2023 version was somewhat heavier than Lana, about ten or fifteen pounds. But the additional weight seemed to be more muscle than anything else - the muscle grown from daily physical labor like running a ranch. Lana also noticed that the 2023 version was a little fuller in the chest and a little wider in the hips – changes that usually occur with child bearing. Again, the 2023 Lana smiled.

“Are you sizing me up, Lana?”

She walked up the steps and onto the porch. Lana followed. As she opened the door she said to Lana.

“I didn’t marry someone named Smith. I married someone named Kent.”


**********

[happycamper]

Was all this done to protect Lana in a marriage to Clark? I guess this would keep her away from Lex and anyone else in Superman's personal life.:p

In any case, the commute to Australia should be no big thing to Superman...:lol:

Lana must be confused but still very happy, and relieved that she ended up with Clark. I'd bet she was worried for a minute after seeing that mailbox. ;)

Does she get the full story or just get sent back with the bare outline?


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part Four (Continued)


“The Meaning Of Sacrifice”

The inside of the house was bright, neat and comfortable with sunshine flowing through the windows. It had the same hominess that the Kent farm possessed plus the additional artistic touches that Lana had in her apartment. They walked into the kitchen and Lana noticed a place was set on the table. Before her was a turkey sandwich, a bowl of Manhattan clam chowder and a large glass of milk. The 2023 Lana motioned for Lana to sit down and eat. She devoured the food in front of her and her weariness melted away. When she was finished she sat back in her chair feeling contented. She now began to closely examine her surroundings and for the first time she noticed a distinct lack of personal items. There were photographs of nature – oceans and landscapes. But there weren’t any photographs of Lana and Clark or any photographs with people in them.

“I don’t understand why your name is Smith.”

The 2023 Lana was sitting next to her.

“Do you know how many Smiths there are in the world? It would be very difficult to find a specific one.”

“Why would you be afraid of someone finding you?”

“My husband has many enemies. There are many who would want to hurt him by hurting me…and our children.”

Lana wanted to ask why Clark has enemies but the sound of ‘children’ diverted her attention and her eyes grew wide. The 2023 Lana continued.

“Oh yes. We are able to have children. Twins. A boy and a girl. John and Mary.”

“Jon, as in Jonathan?”

“No John as in John and Mary as in Mary. Two plain, simple names that would not cause anyone to take notice.”

“Is that why there are no photographs or personal pictures.”

2023 Lana nodded her head.

“We can’t take the chance that someone would come in here and make the connection. Legally, we’re not married. We couldn’t take a chance on someone discovering the records. But we wanted to have something. Something to reaffirm our commitment to each other even if it would only be known by us. So we made it a spiritual bond. We went back to Sanctuary and the High Lama married us.”

“The only place where you’ll see the personal touches you’re thinking of, is in our bedroom. It’s our own private little world where we try to forget about everything and everyone. It’s our own personal fortress of solitude. It’s the only place where we allow ourselves to wear this.”

Out of her jeans pocket she pulled out a gold wedding band and placed it on the third finger of her left hand.

“After eights years of marriage and two kids and Clark not being here most of the time we don’t spend as much time alone as we did before we were married. But the time we do spend together we try to make as special as we can.”

Lana was still struggling to understand the necessity for secrecy.

“I still don’t understand why this double life is necessary and why does Clark have enemies.”

“Lana, Clark does have a destiny. He has a big part to play in this world and everyone in it. He once had a vision where his father told him that he would affect the lives of many people. He would be a symbol of hope and of peace.”

Lana remembered Clark telling her about his vision. The 2023 Lana continued.

“He is all of these things and more. He is the Guardian of Earth although he’s not known by that name.”

Lana raised her eyebrows.

“He’s known to the world as Superman.”

“Supeman? Who came up with that name?”

“Lois did. I don’t know how she came up with that name. But it seems to have stuck.”

“So Lois knows about Clark?”

Lana shook her head.

“No. She still thinks Clark is a farm boy turned mild mannered reporter who happens to dress in a suit and a tie.”

The 2023 Lana then held Lana’s hand.

“But in order to protect the world and the people in it he has made enemies. For every person who loves him there’s someone who hates him. There are many who want to find his vulnerability in order to hurt him or to render him powerless. And believe me; he wouldn’t hesitate to give up his identity as Superman in a second if he knew that the children and I were in danger.”

“We decided that we could not take the risk that one day someone would make the connection between Superman and Clark Kent and then make the connection between Clark and me.”

The 2023 Lana was staring intensely into Lana’s eyes.

“Clark won’t do this without you, Lana. He has to do it but he won’t want to. He won’t want to leave you. When the time comes you’re the one who will have to make him go. You are going to have to be the one to make him fulfill his destiny.”

Lana was silent with conflicting emotions running inside of her.

“Lana, this is the sacrifice that the Shaman spoke about. It’s not the sacrifice of having to give up Clark or your dreams of children and having your own family. It’s the sacrifice of not being able to shout to the world that the two of you are one. It’s the sacrifice of not being able to tell the world who you are. It’s the sacrifice of having to do what you personally despise, living a life of secrets and lies, in order to protect the people that you love. It’s a sacrifice that I’m willing to make and a sacrifice that Clark’s willing to make so that we can be together.”

“I am the only one who knows that I am Lana Kent, the proud wife of Clark Kent who happens to be known to the world as Superman. To the rest of the world I’m Lana Smith. A single mom trying to make a life for myself and my children. And to the rest of the world Lana Lang is dead.”

“The photographs and family albums I have are up here.”

She pointed to her head.

“And in here.”

She held her hand on her chest over her heart.

The 2023 Lana looked at the clock on the wall and hurriedly rose from her chair.

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

She set two more place settings at the table. She brought out a chocolate cake and cut two slices. She then poured two glasses of milk.

“It’s almost time.”

“Time for what?”

Lana heard a car door close. She heard footsteps come up the front steps and then the front door open and close.

“Mom! We’re home!”

“Did you wipe your shoes?”

Lana heard the door open again. Footsteps went back outside on the porch. Then she heard the noise of the bottoms of shoes being scuffed on a welcome mat and then footsteps coming back in the house.

“Yeah mom! We wiped our shoes?”

2023 Lana looked at Lana.

“We live on a ranch. We have to be careful where we walk. We might step in something.”

Lana laughed to herself as she saw two seven year old children come into the kitchen. They were surprised by the unexpected guest. They stopped and looked at their mother.

“John, Mary, I’d like you to meet someone. I’d like you to meet Ms. Lang.”

Lana was impressed with their manners. Both of them came forward and shook Lana’s hand and politely said ‘Please to meet you.’ Both were tall for their age and had black hair. Mary’s hair was half way down her back while John’s was an unruly mop that came to just the top of his ears. Mary had blue eyes while John’s were hazel. Both children thought that Lana was strange when she concentrated her look into their eyes. She found the slight gold ring around the colored part of their eyes.

They gave their mother a kiss and the 2023 Lana nodded for them to sit down and have their after school snack. They hungrily ate their snacks. Lana watched in awe. She couldn’t quite comprehend that she was watching her own children. Children she had dreamed about. “It’s even better than I ever imagined.” They finished their snack and brought their dishes to the sink, rinsed them off and then placed everything in the dishwasher. 2023 Lana smiled at them.

“Go upstairs and get changed and when I get back we’ll go riding. But first Ms. Lang and I have to do something.”

Their faces lit up at hearing they were going riding. Before they left John spoke to his mother.

“Mom, is dad going to be home this weekend to take me fishing?”

“What did your dad tell you?”

“He said he would.”

“Well, if your father says he going to do something then he will do it.”

The answer put a large mile on John’s face. They walked out of the kitchen but Mary came back and whispered in her mother’s ear.

“I think Ms. Lang is very pretty, mommy.”

Seven year old boys tend to think their mothers are perfect and John was no exception. His hearing picked up what his sister had said. He came back to his mother, put his arms around her neck and whispered in her other ear.

“But not as pretty as you, mommy.”


**********

[happycamper]

I was glad I was right about Lois. ;)

In its own way, this is very sad. It's a hard choice that both Clark and Lana had to make - secrets and lies, and I assume even the ranch hands or those closest to the original Lana and Clark don't know the truth.

Truly a great sacrifice for the benefit of the the whole world, but fortunately, the future Lana seems content with her choice. If they have each other and the kids, I guess this whole situation can be considered happy, too.

The gold-ringed eyes - does that mean that John and Mary also have - or will have - power and abilities? Maybe when they're finally grown, Lana and Clark can have a time when they can really be together.

Does Lana get to meet the future Clark or her current one?

A really great update and a stark but welcome departure from any future I've read.


:D :D

[superman_lives_on]

This is definitely an unusual way of looking at a Clana future...and indeed, a good bit of a sacrifice for Lana and Clark--but at least they're together and have a family. :) That alone probably makes them feel content.

And finally--FINALLY--we hear the name of Superman being used. :D Actually, I wasn't expecting it this soon...but I'm not complaining. :)

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part Four (Continued)


“Hard To Believe”

Two horses were saddled and waiting for them. Lana was given a hat to wear as the sun was hot. They rode past the herds of cattle and onto the green plain. Soon the house was out of sight and they were riding up a hill. Lana felt none of the fatigue that she experienced earlier in the day. Her heart was light and she felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. They stopped on the top of the hill and dismounted.

“Why are we here?”

2023 Lana pointed up into the sky.

“For that.”

Lana looked up in the direction Lana was pointing. The sky was clear but in the distance she could see a dot streaking through the sky at a high altitude. The dot started to drop and slow at the same time. Soon Lana was able to see the blue and red color. The flight was silky smooth. Not like a bird flapping its wings or plane making wide turns. This was something that not even her Clark had shown before. It was a graceful movement like water flowing in a stream. And then he stood before her. Clark took 2023 Lana’s hand but he kept looking back and forth between his wife and his wife to be. He shook in head in delighted laughter.

“Wow!”

The sight of Clark took Lana’s breath away. It was not only the form fitting suit of blue or the heavy red cape draped majestically over his wide muscular shoulders. It was the way he held himself. He now had a commanding presence. He began to speak.

“Lana, I’m here to take you back to Metropolis. Clark, the Clark of 2006, your Clark is there and he’s searching frantically for you.”

“You were brought her today because Lana and I felt you were owed. You have been called upon to go through so much and you will be called upon to do so much more that we thought you were owed a peak at the future – even if it was only a temporary one.”

Lana didn’t understand what Clark was saying.

“What do you mean by ‘temporary’?”

The smile dropped from Clark’s face. He looked at his wife and then he looked back at Lana.

“I’m going to have to do something that will erase your memory.”

“But why?”

The 2023 Lana now spoke.

“Lana, imagine that you are a world class athlete and you’ve been shown the future and in it you win an Olympic gold medal. You might think that it’s your destiny. That nothing can stop it. You might think that you don’t have to do anything for it. You might not do that extra pushup or run that extra mile or put in that extra effort. And in the end, when you don’t win the gold, you’ll be left wondering why it didn’t happen since it was your destiny.”

Clark continued.

“You see, we have a lot more control over our destiny than we think. When Lex Luthor was jailed he underwent countless psychological profiles. The experts wanted to know how a man who had every advantage in life could become as evil as Lex. Was it his destiny? Was it somehow pre-determined? And they found out that he made choice to go down the road to darkness. Specifically, one Christmas Eve when he was shot, he decided that power would be the most important thing in his life and he decided he wasn’t going to let anything or anyone stand in his way. Even those who are innocent. He made a choice.

The choice to deliberately hurt the weak and the innocent is a choice that leads one down the path of darkness. And it’s one of the reasons why I chose to become Superman. I’ve chosen to do all that I can to prevent that from happening.

If you have knowledge of the future the possibility exists that you might not do everything that you need to do to get us here. You might not make all of the choices you need to make for the Clark Kent of 16 years ago to become the Superman of today.”

Lana nodded her understanding. Clark continued

“There’s one other effect besides wiping your memory clean of everything that has happened to you here. Your anxiety will also go away. You won’t have the worries that you’ve been burdening yourself with. You’ll feel confident about the future even though you won’t know why.”

Clark left his wife and walked up to Lana.

“I’m going to have to kiss you.”

He took Lana in his arms and without hesitation she put her arms around him. His confidence and presence extended to the way he held her and she felt herself melting at his touch. His masculinity overwhelmed her. She looked at 2023 Lana.

“So this is what I have to look forward to?”

2023 Lana raised her eyebrows as if she knew exactly what Lana was thinking and nodded. Clark now looked back at his wife.

“Lana, this has gotten very complicated.”

His wife answered with sarcastic humor.

“I’m shocked! Shocked! Clark Kent has complications.”

“Very funny. Lana, since we’ve been together I’ve never kissed another woman. Never even wanted to. And now I’m kissing another woman, in front of you. But it’s really not another woman. It’s you and… all of this is very confusing.”

2023 Lana walked up to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Then she spoke to Lana.

“You won’t remember this but I want to tell you that if I had the choice to start again and do it all over, I would do exactly the same thing. I would make the same choices. It’s not the life I dreamed of when I was your age but I wouldn’t trade my life for anything in this world or any other world.”

Lana smiled and nodded. She looked at Clark and closed her eyes and he brought his lips to hers. She kissed him without reservation, giving him all the love she had. When Clark pulled his lips away for hers she was unconscious in his arms. His wife spoke to him.

“John wants to know if his father is going to take him fishing this weekend and Mary wants to know if her father will build a tree house for her.”

“Tell them, they can count on it.”

Lana’s entire face lit up at the answer. She lightly kissed her husband and spoke softly.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He looked at the Lana he was carrying in his arms.

“In fact, I love you more now than I did back then.”

He was about to launch into the air when Lana stopped him.

“Clark, I noticed that when you described the effects of the memory wipe you left out the part about the immediate but temporary aftereffects when she wakes up.”

“I thought she wouldn’t remember anyway. So there’s no reason to tell her that she will feel slightly… disoriented.”

“Slightly disoriented is not a way I would choose to describe it.”

Clark remained silent but a smile grew on his face. Lana smiled with him. And then they both began to laugh. He turned and launched into the air. Lana watched him as he flew and she stayed until he was no longer in sight. As she rode away and thought about her husband flying away with the 20 year old version of herself, she had one thought.

“It’s hard to believe I was ever that thin.”


**********


Tomorrow, the conclusion of Episode 14

[happycamper]

The future Clark and Lana both seem so happy and content. That's good to know, especially for the current Lana, I think...

Now it's back to meet her Clark. So is everything resolved now, or is there any other complications that are going to pop up? ;) :lol:

Episode 14 of season 6? We can't end here, can we?


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 14: Spectrum – Part II


Part Five


“Disoriented”

Clark had searched Metropolis with a fine tooth comb and he still could not find Lana. He traveled back to Sanctuary to recheck his coordinates and then traveled back to Metropolis and began the search over again, methodically going through every street and every building. With lightening like speed he canvassed hospitals, churches, police stations and any type of shelter. A few times he stopped speeding in order to just regain his composure and take a moment to think. His search was made even more difficult because he tried to filter out seeing anything that would give him a glimpse into the future. He was tempted to check the sports record books in the Borders & Noble stores, thinking that he could place some bets on future Super Bowls & World Series games. But his inherent honesty prevented him for taking even the slightest peek.

While in Borders & Noble he did do a ‘double take’ at the guest speaker who was also autographing books. He heard a sarcastic comment about not being able to ‘take the farm out of the boy.’ He was not surprised to see that it was Lois speaking. He was surprised to see her dressed fashionably - tastefully concealing the assets that she proudly displayed in 2006.

Along the way he saw numerous displays of the letter /S\ over a yellow background. He saw this on T shirts and posters and even children’s lunchboxes. He thought that perhaps the Metropolis Sharks had changed their logo and were having a winning season.

He ended up, frustrated and worried, back in the park where he first started. He looked around and saw on a park bench the figure of a young, petite woman. He ran up to the bench and saw that Lana was sitting there with her eyes closed, peacefully asleep. “How could I have missed her?” He knelt by her and began to lightly shake her to wake her up. He spoke softly.

“Lana. Lana.”

Slowly her eyes opened and Clark came into her focus. A smile rose on her face as it did his.

“Lana, are you alright?”

Without answering Lana wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled herself to him and brought her lips to his. At first it was soft and tender and then Lana began to hungrily probe the inside of his mouth. She pressed into him with all of her strength and when it became necessary for Lana to inhale and she momentarily let her lips leave his, she let out a desperate sounding “Clark” and then resumed her heated assault.

This certainly was not what Clark expected. He thought Lana would be anxious to return to 2006 especially after the heated ‘discussion’ they had before he left for Sanctuary. Instead she seemed to only being interested in immediately satisfying a desire to feed on him. Clark was always responsive to Lana’s affection and he was finding it difficult to control his own desires even though he knew that getting back to Sanctuary should be their primary goal. He managed to momentarily pull himself away.

“Lana, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

She didn’t wait for an answer as she pulled him to sit on the bench next to her and then placed herself on his lap and began to rhythmically grind her hips into him as her hunger became ravenous. Clark did not want to use his super strength but he was finding it increasingly difficult to pull away from Lana without resorting to his abilities. Again, he managed to briefly pull away.

“Lana, its January in Metropolis. Aren’t you cold?”

“Warm me up.”

Again his mouth was smothered with hers before he could say anything. Clark felt his resolve weakening by the second but again he managed to pull away.

“Lana, what’s gotten into you?”

Her lips made their way to his neck and ear. She whispered her reply in a dreamlike voice.

“You have, Clark – many, many times.”

Even though Clark had difficulty keeping his eyes open while Lana caressed his neck with her warm breath he managed to look around and see that there wasn’t anyone in the park in the immediate area. As he brought himself to his feet Lana wrapped her legs around him.

“Clark, I love you.”

“I love you too but we have to get out of ….”

She paid no attention to his response and again sought his mouth. He kissed her deeply and then moved his lips to her neck. He felt Lana’s fingers run through his hair as his breath tingled her skin. He placed his hand inside his jacket and brought out the Scimitar. He held it up in front of him and saw the pulsating light in the handle waiting to be activated to bring them back to 2006. He felt Lana’s breath on his ear again and his eyes rolled up into his head. “God, give me strength.” He pressed the crystal and the couple was bathed in a pool of light. In the tunnel of light, Clark surrendered to Lana’s desire and brought his mouth to hers in a heated exchange.

He did not know how long he was standing on the platform of the Spectrum when he heard someone clearing their throat. He released his lips from Lana’s and looked in the direction of the sound. Watching the couple were Chloe, Pak, Lee Teng and about a hundred other inhabitants of Sanctuary. He felt Lana’s head fall to his shoulder and he heard her restful breathing as she returned to the slumber that he found her in. As he looked at everyone watching he thought back to the time when he and Lana tried to escape from the Kent house in the early morning and were caught by Jonathan and Martha. He looked at the amused crowd.

“I can explain.”


**********


“The Speed of Light”

Everyone was overjoyed that Clark had returned with Lana and that they would not be seeing Mensa and his men again. But now Clark realized that there were some decisions that had to be made and it was up to him to make those decisions. Jor-El had brought the Spectrum to Earth for safekeeping – hoping that one day he would be able to study the device. That day never came. But Jor-El was wise enough to take the precaution of having a plan to protect the Spectrum and the people of Sanctuary. That plan was dependent on having a worthy Kryptonian successor. Clark doubted his ‘worthiness’ but he was to only Kryptonian and the only person with the physical capability to do something about the Spectrum.

He asked Pak for some rope and Pak sent two Sanctuarians for it. The crowd gasped as Clark easily lifted smaller Spectrum platform and placed it on top of the larger teleportation platform. Then he tied the two platforms together and brought them outside to the grounds of Sanctuary. The crowd followed him in nervous anticipation of what he would do next. He spoke to Pak.

“I’m going to do what I think my father would have done but never had the chance to do.”

He lifted off into the sky towing the platforms behind him. He climbed up into the clouds and then above the clouds and then into the outer rim of the Earth’s atmosphere. He hovered in orbit thinking about the day that he had disabled the missile that was intended to level Smallville. This was the highest he made ever flown. But now he had to make absolutely certain that the Spectrum would never fall into anyone’s hands. He left orbit and started flying towards the brightest body in the solar system – the sun.

With the end of the rope tied to his waist, his arms extended out in front of him with his hands formed into fists, he began to move forward. He closed his eyes and concentrated. “Faster! Faster! Faster!” After a few seconds he stopped and opened his eyes and looked behind. The Earth looked to be about the size of a tennis ball. “Wow!” He turned once again to the direction of the sun. “Go!” He felt himself accelerating but being in space he felt no resistance. He decided to experiment with the weightless and lack of resistance. He came to an abrupt stop and the tow line with the two platforms went right by him. He pulled back and the two devices were pulled back to him. Then he pushed them forward and pulled them back. Pushed them forward and pulled them back until it looked like he was playing with an oversized yo-yo.

After a minute of this entertainment he went back to the task at hand and continued his journey. He continued to accelerate as he went through the orbiting field of asteroids and the burning globe continued to get closer. He then reached a point where he no longer felt as if he were moving but was now feeling as if he were standing still but everything around him was moving past him. “I must be at the speed of light.”

After about five minutes of doing this he came to a stop. The sun was no longer a large glowing ball in the distance but filled his entire view. Whether he looked to his left or his right he could not see the edge of the star. It was fascinating to watch as yellow streaks of flame shot outward and then curved back in. He stopped the platforms from moving past him. The rope had been reduced to ash and the ash reduced to molecules and the molecules reduced to atoms by the heat from the sun – as had Clark’s clothes. He floated naked in front of the sun. Feeling warmth and strength. The Scimitar that had been in his inside pocket floated with him. He took the platforms one by one, gave one final push and watched them disappear into the bright light of the star before him. He held the Scimitar in front of him. A device crafted by the father who came before him. He remembered that when Jor-El resurrected him he said “Know always that I love you.” Yes, Jor-El did love him and he loved the world that he sent his only son to. He gave one final look at the Scimitar, reared back his arm and threw it into the sun. He couldn’t help but feel that he had just done something that would make his father proud.

He turned around, quickly accelerated to the speed of light and nine minutes later stood on the grounds of Sanctuary in front of the crowd completely forgetting that he was no longer clothed. Lana had awakened and stood next to Chloe. Chloe looked at Clark. Then she whispered in Lana’s ear.

“Now I know why you’re always smiling.”


**********


“Second Chance”

Pak has some clothes brought for Clark. Everyone was now gathered on the grounds of Sanctuary outside the temple. Lana was now awake and she stood by his side.

“Clark, where did you find me?”

Clark was surprised by the question.

“Don’t you remember?”

“I remember going into the Spectrum but nothing after that.”

“You don’t remember when I found you in Metropolis Central Park?”

“No. What was I doing in Metropolis Central Park?”

“Well, when I found you, you were sleeping and when I woke you up you wanted to…you wanted to…”

Lana didn’t understand why Clark was struggling.

“I wanted to what?”

Clark’s face fell in disappointment.

“Nothing. It’s not important. What’s important is that you’re back. I’ll get you home and then you can go to Nell’s like you planned.”

Lana took Clark’s hand.

“I’m not going to Nell’s, Clark.”

Clark straightened up. His eyes grew wide.

“For some strange reason I’m not worried anymore. Take me back home with you.”

A smile grew on both their faces as they made their way over to Chloe who was talking with Pak and Lee Teng. Chloe’s face was flush with excitement.

“Clark, do you know the history of this place? It’s been here for thousands of years and no one has ever known of it. This is the story of a lifetime.”

Clark’s face grew serious.

“And you have to decide what to do with that story, Chloe.”

Chloe’s face lost its excitement.

“What do you mean?”

“Chloe, no one has ever known of this place because the inhabitants here did not wish to be known. The people here wanted to get away from the world below. Not be a part of it. It’s not for me to tell you what to do Chloe. Yes, this is a story that will make a career. But the fate of Sanctuary is in your hands.”

Pak watched Clark closely as he spoke to Chloe – measuring every one of Clark’s words. He then asked to see Clark alone and the two women and the crowd left them.

“The man you found, Sing, he is in his room. He lost his leg but he would have lost much more had you not brought him back here. He wishes to remain with us. But I am hesitant. He betrayed our location.”

“Do you believe he is sincere in wanting to return?”

Pak was silent for a moment.

“Yes. A man left alone to die thinks of many things. He thinks of what he would change if he were given a second chance.”

“Then he should be given that chance. All of us in one way or another have been given a second chance.”

Pak looked at his own missing leg and then looked back at Clark and nodded.

“You bear a great resemblance to your father and you are beginning to demonstrate his wisdom. You are his successor. You are The Guardian.”

Clark’s eyes fell downward and he slightly shook his head.

“No. No I’m not The Guardian. Not yet.”


**********


“Noble Effort”


The Daily Planet

Sunday: October 29, 2006


LUTHOR’S “NOBLE EFFORT” TOO LATE


By

Chloe Sullivan

A heroic attempt to rescue the inhabitants of previously unknown Tibetan monastery from an outbreak of plague has resulted in failure. Although the outbreak has been prevented from spreading into the neighboring countries of India and the People’s Republic of China, the two most populous countries on Earth, the Herculean effort fell short of saving the inhabitants of the monastery. United Nations’ health officials called Lex Luthor’s attempt to save the monastery a ‘noble effort’ and it is through his efforts that the plague was contained. United Nations officials have stated that the area will remain in isolation indefinitely. The remoteness of the location prohibits any attempts by health officials to journey to the monastery and assess the situation. A senior health official has stated that the monastery is now officially off limits.

Mr. Luthor could not be reached for comment but a spokesperson has said that Mr. Luthor is distraught over the entire situation.


**********


“Perfect Fit”

Lana felt Clark’s lips moving slowly over her shoulder. The rays of the rising sun were starting to come through the window. Lana attempted to get out of bed but Clark pulled her back and began his slow tantalizing of her shoulder.

“Clark, what are you doing?”

“I’m kissing your shoulder.”

Lana’s heartbeat and breathing began to increase.

“But you know what that does to me.”

He momentarily stopped and cupped her shoulder with his hand.

“I know. But your shoulder fascinates me. It’s a perfect shoulder.”

He began to kiss her shoulder again.

“Look at that. The curve of your shoulder fits my lips perfectly.”

He then grazed her elbow with his fingertips.

“And your elbow. It’s a perfect elbow.”

Lana’s back was to Clark. He was unable to see the smile on her face as his fingers traveled from her shoulder down her arm to her elbow and then he intertwined his fingers with hers.

“And look at your fingers. They fit perfectly with mine.”

She squeezed his hand as the front of his knee aligned itself with the back of her knee.

“And the way your knee fits with my knee. That’s a perfect fit.”

Lana rolled over to face him and pushed him on his back. Her lips met his as she enveloped him and she began her slow rhythmic movement. Clark lay back with his eyes closed as he felt heated sensations travel through his nervous system. He felt Lana’s breathe by his ear and then he heard her whisper.

“Now… this…what…I…call…a…perfect…fit.”


End of Episode 14


**********

When I first began writing my SV Season 6, I never thought I would make it to episode 14. It has occurred to me that I have been writing daily since the beginning of July. I really enjoyed writing the entire Sanctuary – Schism – Scimitar – Spectrum arc but now I find that my brain is fried. I need to take some time off to think. In the season of “S” titled episodes I know that I want the last episode (#23) to be titled “Superman”. And I know what I want the last scene of the last episode to look like. But for now I need to figure out how to get there.

It’s going to take me some time to figure this out. I shall return. I just don’t know when.

Thanks for your comments and your support.

[SmallvilleMan]

Great job, i can understand the brain being fried part. I'll miss the writings though, because you're my favorite writer.

[clana-lives-on]

absolutely loved it. take your time coming up with the episodes, the wait is worth it!!

[happycamper]

A great end to this arc of season six!

I'm very glad that Lana has been reassured, even if she can't remember exactly why. ;)

I will miss your almost daily updates - I've been enthralled, and the amount you actually put out over these past weeks has been truly amazing.

I guess you need to get back to your life for a while, but know that there are those here waiting anxiously for the rest of season six and for any other tales that you would be willing to share with us.

See you soon (I hope)...


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part One


“Enlightenment”

He stood motionless with his eyes closed as the multi-colored beam of light surrounded him. His posture was erect, like that of a soldier at attention. His arms were outstretched to his sides, forming a T with his body. His left hand was empty with his palm open. His right hand steadily grasped the crystal that had begun the transference of information from the Kryptonian library of knowledge.

When the Fortress of Solitude was first created and Clark began assimilating the knowledge that Jor-El had compiled; the amount of information and the speed at which it was transferred into his mind caused Clark to shake uncontrollably. That day, when the beam of light first began its circular path in and around him, Clark trembled as Kryptonian inscriptions and symbols stormed into his consciousness. But time and a new found commitment had changed all that. Now he was steady and calm as a perfect linkage had been formed between the synapses of his nervous system and the database of the Fortress of Solitude.

He stood calmly. His face basking in the glow of the light. His breathing was deep and regular. He remained in a meditative state as he felt the stream of knowledge flowing through him. He could feel the sensations from his cerebellum to his fingertips. As if he was not only learning but as if the knowledge was becoming part of his being.

Occasionally, his consciousness was interrupted by a startling item of discovery. “So that’s what happens. So that’s how it’s done.” But as the foundation of knowledge slowly built inside of him, these occasions became less and less as he began to understand more and more about the world and the universe.

After the discovery of his father’s message in Sanctuary, Clark decided to learn more of the plans that Jor-El had formulated for his son. He began spending more and more time in the Fortress of Solitude. Jor-El had changed his approach. Instead of demanding that Clark do any training or spend a prescribed amount of time becoming educated, Jor-El let Clark proceed at his own pace without any pressure. The result was that the more Clark learned, the more he wanted to learn. At first the sessions were short – an hour or two. But the sessions were now becoming longer. The current session had lasted four days. In this type of meditative state Clark did not require any breaks or sleep. It was as if he were in a trance.

At first Clark didn’t notice the effects but as he continued through Jor-El’s educational journey he became aware that he was gradually being transformed in very subtle ways both mentally and physically. He still had his strength and his speed and all of his other abilities but it was becoming easier to use his abilities and to use multiple abilities at the same time. His muscles were becoming more subtle and flexible. Even though he was fast, his reflexes became quicker. Even though he was strong he was now becoming adept at focusing all of his strength in an instant. Even though he could will himself to fly in the air, the flying became graceful as if he was born to be in the air.

The knowledge he gained, even at this early point in his training had now made him the most educated person to ever walk the Earth. He now understood things that the human race was a thousand years away of even guessing. But in the curriculum that Jor-El had established, Clark had gone no further than a human going through elementary school.

Another aspect was the physical training. Clark was not only learning new methods of focusing his mental energy but also new methods of focusing his physical abilities. Jor-El emphasized that physical abilities were not enough. There might come a time when Clark would be faced with an opponent or an obstacle that would be greater than his physical abilities. Therefore, Clark was taught to maximize his abilities by not only learning Kryptonian forms of meditation, concentration and self-defense but also methods from other worlds and galaxies. Clark learned methods of concentration from worlds where the life forms had brains with more than twice the capacity of a Kryptonian or a human. He was taught methods of meditation from beings that consisted of spirit only - beings that had no corporeal existence. Clark found himself learning methods of self defense that were not only invented by humanoids but by life forms that had more than two arms and two legs or in some cases, no appendages at all.

The light ceased and Clark arms dropped to his side. The Kryptonian crystal no longer glowed. Jor-El’s voice was heard from every corner of the Fortress.

“You have done well, Kal-El.”

“Is my training now complete?”

No, my son. You have not reached the end. You have not reached the beginning of the end. You may have reached the end of the beginning”


**********


“33.1”

Lex exited his limousine in front of the LuthorCorp building in Metropolis. He entered the building unescorted by his security team. There was not an employee who did not smile and greet him as he strolled through the complex. He did not respond verbally. He simply nodded his head in acknowledgement, never making eye contact with those who greeted him.

He walked through the lobby and through a security gate into a corridor that led him to a single elevator. To the right of the entrance of the elevator was a computer display. Lex placed his hand on the screen and it was immediately scanned. In an instant his fingerprints were confirmed and the display proceeded to its second level of security confirmation. This time Lex held himself in front of a device that scanned his right eye and matched an imprint of his retina to a historical file. Like the fingerprint, a confirmation was almost immediate. The doors opened and Lex walked into the elevator. He faced the doors as they closed and he felt the elevator lift off the main floor of the building. In the elevator was a single display monitor. The elevator came to a stop. The display flashed in front of him.


33.1

The doors opened and Lex exited. The elevators in the main lobby did not display these numbers in their operation. If you were to ask one of the employees at the information desk about Level 33.1, you would be told that there must be a mistake. If you were to insist that there was a Level 33.1, a security team would be called to escort you out of the building. Your photograph would be taken and you would never again gain entrance to a LuthorCorp facility anywhere in the world.

Level 33.1 was not even a floor or a level in the building. It had started out as a location but that quickly changed to become the name of a program. Whether the program was located on the 1st floor of the LuthorCorp building or the 60th floor of the LuthorCorp building was irrelevant. The name ’33.1’ was ambiguous enough so that if the name of the program was leaked out to the public it could mean anything from a location to the name of a new candy bar. The program was not included in any official LuthorCorp literature. Despite the annual expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars it could not be found in any of LuthorCorp’s audited financial statements. Despite the presence of dozens of highly educated and renowned scientists and technical personnel, none of their names could be found in any LuthorCorp directories. For income tax purposes, they were not listed as employees of LuthorCorp but as employees of Metropolis United Charities. Only the most gifted of investigators with a little luck would be able to find a link between Metropolis United Charities and LuthorCorp. The program had a security team that was separate from the main security team at LuthorCorp. The team consisted of former intelligence agents from around the world. Their job was not only to monitor the residents of 33.1 but to monitor the activities of everyone who was involved with the program both professionally and privately.

Level 33.1 was the program that involved research that was different from the research that the world’s scientific communities found acceptable. It involved human experimentation. At first it started as research dealing with individuals who were affected by the meteor rocks that rained down on the town of Smallville, Kansas in 1989 but it soon expanded to include a variety of individuals who exerted some type of ability that was out of the norm of human experience.

In the center of the area was a main surveillance station that monitored each of the individuals. Branching out from the station like spokes on a bicycle were corridors. Lining the corridors were doors that led to a specific area dedicated to a meteor rock affected individual. Within each area was a living area for the individual and a technological area where studies could be carried out. Each room had a number on the door. There were no other indicators as to the identity of the individual in the room or the type of work being done. In addition to the visual surveillance, each door had a sliding window that allowed someone to examine the area he was entering before he opened the door.

There was not a centralized database within the facility with information on the experiments. Such a centralized database posed the risk of being hacked. All information was sent nightly to Lex Luthor’s personal computer.

As Lex began walking down one of the corridors one of the security people hastily left the surveillance station to accompany him. He carried a key card that could be used to open every door in the area. Lex stopped at a particular door. The security guard opened the sliding window to inspect the area. He then closed the small window, slid the key through a reader and the door opened. Lex entered and the door was closed behind him.

The scientist who was assigned to this particular project met Lex at the door.

“Mr. Luthor, I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I read the daily progress report on this subject last night. I’m interested in seeing the results myself.”

The scientist led Lex into the living area. Seated in a chair was a young man, about 25 years of age. His seated posture concealed that he stood at 6 feet one inch and weighed 190 pounds. His eyes were closed as if he were asleep.

“Mr. Luthor, we’ve taken the cybernetic technology to a whole new level with this person.”

Lex seemed amused when he heard the world ‘person’.

“I prefer to use the word ‘specimen, doctor.”

“But he is a human being, Mr. Luthor.”

“He was a human being, doctor. I found him in the wreckage of the second meteor shower two years ago. We’ve not only replaced his limbs, we replaced his eyes and are using computerized sensors to replace his senses of hearing and feeling.”

“Mr. Luthor, I don’t mean to be disrespectful but he still has a heart beating in his chest.”

“The only reason he has a heart is to supply his brain with nutrients and oxygen. In spite of all our advanced technology we have not yet developed a central processing unit as sophisticated as the human brain. We are controlling the specimen’s brain with advanced microprocessors and that brain will control his cybernetic appendages. He was a human being but not any more. Now he is a… device.”

The scientist did voice any more dissent. Instead he tried to change the subject.

“This type of technology can be invaluable for military applications. Causalities on the battlefield could be returned as cybernetic units. They would be like this ‘specimen’. It would be totally under our control. Whatever he sees.”

The scientist corrected himself.

“Whatever it sees, you see. Whatever it hears, you hear. The plastic surgeons have restored this ‘specimen’ to its former appearance. An enemy wouldn’t know whether they were fighting a real live soldier or a cybernetic unit.”

Lex nodded his head in understanding.

“Right now I’m not interested in its military applications. I have a more practical use for it. Can it respond to instructions?”

The scientist nodded. He held what looked like a cell phone in his hands. Upon hitting one of the keys, the subject opened its eyes. The scientist handed the device to Lex.

“This looks like a cell phone but it is the controlling mechanism for this unit. Through the display you can see what it sees. Through the ear phones, you will hear what it hears. It has been programmed to respond to your instructions and your instructions only. You send your instructions as if you were speaking through a normal phone.”

“What name does it respond to?”

“It responds to its former name.”

Lex nodded and gave a small smile. He placed the phone to his ear and began to speak into it.

“Jason, can you hear me?”


**********


“Visitation”

Lana Lang had not visited her parents since the breakup with Clark the previous year. During that visitation Lana broke down at the gravesite. A one way conversation with her parents was not nearly enough to relieve Lana from the distress she was in at that time and it was shortly after her visit that she began to experiment with the illegal serum that caused her heart to stop. She was willing to risk death in order to see her parents’ faces. To feel their warm touch no matter how fleeting the moment. To once again feel the comfort that only a loving parent can give a child. And now so much had changed.

A year ago Lana was in a terrible state of depression. She found herself in the ultimate state of irony. She hated the only man she had ever loved and she was starting a relationship with a man she was sure she couldn’t trust. And now everything had totally reversed from that desperate moment.

Lex. “What can I say about Lex?” Lex had proven to Lana that she should never ignore her instincts. Yes, he was there for her in her time of need. But was he ever really there for her or was he really there to spite Clark? “I guess I’ll never really know. But it really doesn’t matter now.” She could now see that there was, “No. Not ‘was’. ‘Is’, a darkness in Lex that would never be overcome. That Zod should have chosen Lex to inhabit was not something that had been left to chance. Zod had chosen Lex for a reason. “They are two of a kind.”

Clark. “What can I not say about Clark?” The boy had become a man. And what a man he had become. “There is a goodness in him that can’t be described.” And yet, the growth that Clark had undergone the past year was only the start. She could see that now. They both could see it.

The sun was setting. Lana cleared away any brush and debris around the gravesite. She placed flowers between the inscribed names her parents. She lowered herself from a standing position to a crouching position, as if it would bring her closer to the ones she loved.

“Mom, Dad, so much has happened. I don’t know where to begin. I guess I should begin with Clark.”

She chuckled to herself.

“I guess everything begins and ends with Clark.”

“Six years ago when I brought him to meet you for the first time I somehow knew that he was the one who was meant for me and that I was meant for him. Maybe it was the way he listened to me. Maybe it was the sadness in his eyes. The sadness a person has when they feel that they don’t belong. But I think I fell in love with him when he told me what you said, Mom. When he told me that you said you were always looking over me. It happened in a moment and it seems that since that moment he’s always been in my thoughts.”

“You probably know about everything we’ve been through. You probably know how difficult it’s been. Our relationship hasn’t been the usual boy meets girl relationship. Some couples think they have problems. I’d give anything to have a normal kind of problem. It’s not easy having a boyfriend who has to go to alternate universes and backward and forward in time to save the world.”

A broad smile came to her face.

“But I wouldn’t trade that boyfriend for anything in the world. And I wouldn’t trade anything we’ve gone through. It seems that whatever has happened to the two of us has made us closer and has made us stronger. It only reinforces my belief that there are some people who are meant to be together and Clark and I belong in that category. The same way the two of you were meant to be together.”

“I really shouldn’t call him my boyfriend. We’ve sort of moved past the boyfriend/girlfriend stage. I can see that look on your face, Mom, don’t worry. We’re being safe. There won’t be any unplanned pregnancies. But I have to be honest with you. Carrying Clark’s child, carrying our child is something I hope to do one day. Dad, I can see that you don’t like the idea that your little girl has grown up and is sleeping with someone. Yes. I’m going to come right out and say it. I’m sleeping with him. But don’t worry. He isn’t taking advantage of me. Besides, you’d really like him, Dad. If he were here you’d see how much he loves your little girl.”

“I don’t think there’s anything more wonderful than loving someone and knowing that someone loves you back. And that nothing can ever happen that will change that love. That’s the way I always see the two of you. And that’s the way it is for Clark and me.”

“I think if we were a normal couple we’d be married by now. If not married, at least engaged. And you would be proud to have him for a son-in-law. But we’re not normal. Clark has a higher calling and I have a feeling, I don’t know why, that I’m part of that calling. Mom, he’s here for a reason. We just haven’t figured out what that reason is. But I think we’re close. Dad, he’s going to be something. Something this world has never seen. But I think for Clark to be whatever it is he’s going to be, I’m going to have to let him go. At least, for a while. Maybe longer than a while. Maybe, forever. I don’t know.”

“But I don’t want you to worry about me. It’s not like the last time I visited you. I’m going to be fine. I truly believe that if Clark and I are meant to be together, we will be together. Just like the two of you.”

She heard a rustle in the darkness. She looked up at what she thought was movement.

“Who’s there?”

She got to her feet and surveyed the area. The sun had gone down below the horizon. All she could see now were…shadows.

As she remounted her horse and began to ride back to the stable Lana could not shake the feeling that she was not alone.


**********

[SmallvilleMan]

Hmmm, guess who's back, back again....:eek:

[happycamper]

Welcome back!

So many things to think about: Clark in the process of becoming his full self; and, Lana so perfectly happy with him and yet willing to sacrifice her own happiness by giving him up - forever if need be - if his higher calling requires it. Both seem to have really grown.

In a way, it was good to see that Lex was the same as ever. His banal evil and plotting seem so insignificant in terms of what is happening with our leads.

Still, I would guess he and 'Jason' will be causing more problems and grief for everyone.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Two


“Conspiracy”

Lana and Chloe were at the Talon trying to catch up with each other. They had been good friends for so long; at times best friends, yet for the past year so much had happened in their respective lives that the private moments when two good friends share their thoughts and their lives with each other had become rare. It was mid afternoon, right after the lunch crowd when the coffee house wasn’t crowded. Lana and Chloe just about had the place to themselves.

Both of them were relaxed. It had been a long time since they had a conversation that didn’t deal with Lex and his schemes. At first it was odd trying to talk about something and skirting around the issue of Lex and aliens and time portals. But they started slowly and then built up until they were talking as if it were a daily occurrence without ever being missed. Their conversation consisted of the things young women usually talk about, people, fashion and the men in their lives.

“Chloe, you haven’t said anything about you and Jimmy. What’s going on with you two?”

An enormous smile came over Chloe’s face. Lana thought she saw just a faint shade of red start to form near Chloe’s ears.

“Before I left for India we sort of told each other how we feel about each other at the Airport.”

“At the airport? That sounds like something out of an old movie. What did he say?”

Chloe spoke slowly as if she still had a difficult time believing it.

“He told me that he loves me, Lana. And I told him that I love him.”

Lana placed her hand on Chloe’s and smiled. She was genuinely happy for her friend’s good fortune.

“Chloe, I’m so happy for you.”

Chloe smiled back and then grew serious.

“Lana, can I ask you a question?”

Lana nodded her consent.

“How do you and Clark do it?” You’ve been through so much. More than should be expected of any couple. Yet the two of you just seem to accept it as part of the package and then you move forward. Lana, there are times when I think about what you and Clark have been through and it leaves me in awe.”

Lana was pensive, reflecting on what Chloe was saying.

“It took me a long time to reconcile myself to the type of relationship that Clark and I have. There were many moments and there still are moments when I think that somehow life is being unfair to us. But then…”

She was silent for just a moment.

“But then he holds me in his arms and I forget about all of my worries and all I know is that I feel safe. As crazy as it sounds, with all we’ve been through, he somehow makes me feel safe.”

She looked Chloe in the eyes and a smile came over her face.

“Plus it helps that he’s really hot and very good at certain…certain…things.”

“Lana!”

“What can I say, Chloe? I just love him to death.”

Lana looked at her watch and began to rise from the table.

“Chloe, I have to get back to the farm. I have to make Clark dinner.”

“My, we’re getting very domesticated. Aren’t we?”

Chloe took hold of Lana’s hand and tried to prevent her from leaving.

“I just like making him dinner, Chloe. He works very hard. Even with his powers he’s always working on the farm. For the first time in years, the farm’s profitable. I like doing things for him. He takes care of me…”

Lana saw a snicker begin to form on Chloe’s face.

“He takes care of me and I’m not just talking about you know what. He takes care of me and I like taking care of him. No. I take that back. I don’t just like taking care of him. I love taking care of him. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be? Two people taking care of each other.”

Chloe wouldn’t let go of Lana’s hand.

‘Well, I’m sure he can take care of himself a little while longer.”

Lana sat down again.

“Chloe, you’re keeping me her for a reason. What is this? Some sort of conspiracy? What’s going on?”

“Lana, I’m supposed to keep you here as long as I can. Jimmy is at the farm helping Clark. Clark is doing something for you.”

Lana couldn’t help a smile from forming on her face. Chloe stopped her before she started to ask.

“Don’t ask me Lana. I’m not supposed to say anything.”


**********

Lex sat his desk looking at the display on his laptop computer. The cell phone that Lex was given at Level 33.1 was open and connected to the computer. On the screen was a display of the outside of the Talon. He spoke into the phone.

“Give me a closer view of the two women sitting at the table next to the window.”

The picture on the display drew closer to the window until Lex could clearly recognize the blonde and the brunette sitting at the table. He spoke again.

“Enhance your hearing sensors. Let’s see of we can make out what they are saying.”

It started with some static but then the words became clear.

“Jimmy is at the farm helping Clark. Clark is doing something for you.”


**********

Lana just sat at the table slowly shaking her head in wonderment. Thinking about the man she loved. She momentarily glanced to her left looking out the window. Across the street stood a man that she was sure she recognized. “No. It couldn’t be.” She stared intently and a gasp was about to leave her mouth.

“Lana, what’s wrong?”

A truck passed in front of the window as Chloe asked her question. After it had passed Lana refocused her vision to catch sight of the figure.

But in that moment whatever was there had disappeared.


**********


Merry Christmas!


The next update will be on January 1, 2007.

[SVsleuth]

omk, are you SURE the next update will be on Jan 1? That's what you said 2 updates ago.But, hey, I'm not complaining. I love this story. Can't wait for more. PPMS!

[happycamper]

I won't even try to guess what Clark and Jimmy are doing...:)

Who did Lana see? And how could he disappear so quickly (although she should be used to that after the airport scene and others over the years ;) ). And what about the surveillance. Is that now gone too?

I guess Lana and Clark's lives really are filled with 'so much.' But I disagree with her, life is unfair to them.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Two (Continued)


“Mouse”

Although Chloe tried she was unable to keep Lana at the Talon much longer and soon afterwards the two women arrived back at the Kent farm. Chloe pulled up to the house in her Volkswagen. Lana could see from her seat that the doors of her Jeep were open. It appeared that Jimmy was loading something into the vehicle. Lana watched Jimmy let out an expletive when he saw the two women and he ran to the house. He opened the door, poked his head inside and yelled something. He then closed the door and walked back to the Jeep. He stood there with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. Lana exited Chloe’s car and walked up to Jimmy.

“Jimmy, what’s going on?”

Jimmy tried to act nonchalant and clueless but it was too late. Besides Jimmy Olsen always had a problem keeping his emotions from showing on his face, especially when he was happy. If he had ever decided on a career as a poker player he would be penniless. The expression ‘poker face’ was not meant for Jimmy Olsen.

“Going on? Nothing’s going on.”

“Then what are you doing in my Jeep?”

“Oh yeah. Your Jeep.”

Jimmy was spared the pain of trying to make any other excuses as Clark came through the door of the house. He was carrying a small suitcase. He looked at Chloe and Chloe looked back and shrugged her shoulders as if she were saying “I did the best I could”. Lana saw the suitcase in Clark’s hand and recognized it as her own. She then looked in the back of the Jeep and saw two more suitcases. One she recognized as Clark’s because it was old and had previously belonged to his parents. The other suitcase was newer and she recognized it as her own. The case that Clark was carrying she recognized as the matching smaller case. Lana had absolutely no idea of what was going on but she was eager to find out. She walked up to Clark and looked him in the eyes.

“Clark, what are you doing with our suitcases?”

Clark waited a moment before answering. It was always enormously satisfying to him when Lana used words such as ‘ours’ and ‘we’. It gave him an emotional reassurance to know that Lana thought of the two of them as a couple.

“Well, Chloe was supposed to keep you occupied for another thirty minutes.”

Both Chloe and Jimmy had now joined the couple.

“Clark, I tried but you know how smart your girlfriend is. It wasn’t long before she knew that something was up.”

Clark smiled and nodded his head. He was appreciative of Chloe’s effort. He took Lana by the arm and walked with her away from Chloe and Jimmy so they could be alone.

“This is supposed to be a surprise. I was going to pick you up at the Talon and then I was going to surprise you by driving directly to Metropolis International Airport.”

“The Airport?”

“Yes, Lana. I’m taking you on a trip.”

Lana was flabbergasted that Clark would ever plan a real ‘trip’.

“Clark, where are we going?”

Clark reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded black cap. He unfolded it and placed it on his head. The two large ears attached to cap answered Lana’s question.

“Disney World? You’re taking me to Disney World?”

He removed the cap and handed it to her.

“Disney World, Universal, Sea World, Discovery Cove. You and I are going away for ten days.”

Lana’s mouth hung open in total surprise.

“Ten days!”


**********

Lex viewed the scene at the Kent farm as if the camera were located on the roof of the barn. He was looking down on everyone. He saw that the two couples had separated. Chloe and Jimmy were standing together and looking at Clark and Lana. Lana’s face grew bright and she threw her arms around Clark. He dropped the suitcase he was holding and easily picked her up. She held him tightly around the neck. Lex had heard the words “Disney”, “Universal” and “Sea World”. As he watched Lana hugging Clark he saw her lips form the words ‘I love you so much.” He then spoke into the cell phone.

“Jason, I think we’ve seen and heard enough here. Proceed to Metropolis International Airport. Come back to LuthorCorp first and we’ll prepare you for your trip to Orlando.”

The picture on Lex’s computer went blank and he closed the laptop.


**********

Lana kept hugging Clark. She did not want to let go. Her eyes were closed and she buried her face into his neck and ran her fingers through his hair.

“Lana, you have to let me go. I need to get your Jeep loaded.”

She quietly whispered in his ear.

“But I don’t want to let you go. Can’t you hold me and load the Jeep at the same time?”

“I can but if I do I’m sure Jimmy will start wondering how I’m able to do this.”

Lana’s eyes opened and she let Clark lower her to the ground.

“Jimmy. I sort of forgot about him.”

Lana watched Clark as he loaded her last suitcase into the Jeep. They started walking back towards Chloe and Jimmy.

“Clark, how did you know what to pack for me?”

Clark pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pant’s pocket.

“Chloe made a list for me.”

Lana took the list and examined it. She nodded her head.

“You seem to have covered everything. You even packed my underwear?”

“Yeah, I packed it. Although I have to admit, packing women’s underwear, especially the silky, lacey stuff, is not the most comfortable thing for a man to handle.”

Lana handed the list back to Clark.

“You don’t seem to have a problem handling the silky, lacey stuff when you’re taking it off me.”

Lana left Clark speechless with her response and started walking back to Chloe and Jimmy.

Lana joined Jimmy and Chloe and Clark was only a couple of steps behind.

“How long have you two known about this?”

Chloe answered.

“Clark has had this in the works for a while now. He’s got tickets for everything and he’s got it all planned out.”

Lana looked up proudly at Clark and put her arm through his. Then her smile disappeared and a look of concern appeared on her face.

“Clark, who is going to take care of the farm while we’re away?”

Clark reassured her.

“Chloe and Jimmy are going to stay here and take care of the place. I’ve been showing Jimmy around and he has a list I made for him of things that need to be done daily.”

Lana looked at Jimmy with a dubious expression.

“You’re going to take care of the farm?”

Jimmy nodded.

“You’re going to be up at dawn to milk cows? You’re going to bale hay and things like that?”

Again Jimmy nodded. Chloe reassured Lana.

“Don’t worry, Lana. I’ll make sure everything gets done.”

Lana then cast her view on Chloe.

“You two are staying her together? Alone?”

Both Chloe and Jimmy nodded together.

“Well, that explains a lot.”

Clark took Jimmy by the arm and walked away from the women.

“Jim, do you have any questions about anything?”

Jimmy shook his head. Clark continued.

“Well, I have a question. Where are you and Chloe going to sleep?”

Again, Jimmy was having a problem keeping his emotions from showing on his face. He began to turn red as he answered Clark’s question.

“Well, I was hoping we could sleep in your bed.”

“The bed Lana and I sleep in?”

Jimmy nodded his head sheepishly. Clark had a better poker face than Jimmy. He appeared to be serious but he was laughing to himself.

“Just make sure you change the sheets before Lana and I get back.”

A smile grew on Jimmy’s face.

“Oh, no problem, CK.”

“And make sure you take your work boots off before you walk into the house.”

“Why?”

Clark pointed to Jimmy’s shoes.

“Jimmy, this is a farm. Right now you’re standing in cow manure.”

Jimmy looked down at his shoes.

“Oh ****!”

“Exactly.”


**********

[happycamper]

So Lex and Jason are going to interfere with Clark and Lana's vacation - just how low can a pair of villains get! :lol:

I thought Clark was more oblivious about human interactions - maybe it only applies to himself. After all, he understood instantly why Jimmy volunteered to take care of the farm...with Chloe. ;) Somehow I thought he would have been more disturbed by the situation...

Loved the final lines - an oldie but a goodie!


:D :D

[SmallvilleMan]

mickey!;) I like it

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Three


“Day One”

After some last minute instructions to Jimmy and Chloe, Lana and Clark were on their way to Metropolis International Airport. Because of the bucket seats in her Jeep Lana couldn’t move over to sit next to Clark as she would have in his truck. So she did the next best thing. She took hold of his right hand and kept it by her. Clark did his best to keep his eyes on the road but he was very aware that Lana had eyes only for him. About a mile away from the farm he broke the silence.

“What?”

Lana said nothing. She just kept her head turned in Clark’s direction, kept the smile she had on her face since he told her of the vacation and kept his hand warmly enclosed between both of hers. He repeated his question.

“What?”

“Just when I think I know you as well as I possibly could you do something to surprise me.”

Clark smiled at her in return.

“Clark, how can we afford to do this?”

Now it was Clark’s turn to pull his hand away but to take Lana’s hand with his so that he was holding close to his chest.

“I’ll answer your question in a minute but I don’t think I ever told you how much it means to me when you ask a question like that.”

Lana didn’t understand.

“You didn’t say, ‘how can I afford this?’. You said, ‘how can we afford this?’. Lana, there have been many days when I thought I would always be alone. When I thought there was no one out there who was meant for me. When I thought only in terms of ‘I’. I can’t tell you enough how much it means to me that you think in terms of ‘we’. I look at you and I not only realize that I’m not alone. I realized that I’ve never been alone.”

Lana held Clark’s hand even tighter when she heard his words.

“The answer to your question is that the farm is profitable. We’ve made some money. And I’ve never taken you anywhere.”

“But Clark, that’s not true. You’ve taken me to the Grand Canyon, to Tahiti and to the Mid-East.”

“Lana, I’ve never taken you anywhere as a normal person. We’ve never been anywhere as a normal couple. I thought that just once, we should do something together like normal people do. Just think about it Lana. Most people take a vacation to get away from work. We not only need to get away from work but we need to get away from Phantom Zones and alternate universes and Spectrums and terrorists and a whole bunch of other stuff that normal people never have to worry about. And as far as affording this is concerned, I used all kinds of discounts and coupons and we’re staying in a condo just outside of the Disney complex that’s cheaper than if we were to stay at the Disney Hotel. It has a kitchen. We can make our own meals rather than overpaying inside of Disney. Living with you has taught me a little something about saving money.”

Lana turned to face the front of the vehicle with a smile as wide as her face would allow.

“I like you, Clark.”

Clark was a little surprised at Lana’s use of the word ‘like’.

“I know you like me.”

“No. You know that I love you. I’m telling you that I like you. There’s a difference. I love you. I belong to you. I make love to you. I let you possess me. I’ve committed myself to you. But I also like you. I like being with you. I like talking to you and I like listening to you. It’s wonderful for me to be with you. For me it’s enough to just sit here with you and hold your hand. You’re my lover but you’re also my best friend. There’s no one in the world I’d rather be with than you.”

Clark looked at Lana.

“You’re my best friend too and there’s nothing I’d rather do than be with you.”

He turned his attention back to the road and both were silent for a moment. Clark disengaged his hand from Lana’s and slowly moved his hand to the inside of Lana’s left thigh.

“So when can I possess you again.”

Lana pushed his hand away.

“Animal! Don’t think for a minute that you’re going to join the Mile High Club. You’re just going to have to wait until we get to Florida.”

“Lana, we don’t need to be on an airplane to join the Mile High Club.”

Lana answered in an amused but determined tone of voice.

“Clark Kent, get your hands back on the steering wheel.”

Clark now placed both hands on the steering wheel and concentrated on the road ahead. Lana sat back and then a devious smile came over her face. She leaned over to Clark and began kissing him on the neck, her warm breathe tantalizing his skin.

“Lana, you can’t do that to me while I’m driving. Besides, I thought you said I would have to wait until we reached Florida.”

She whispered in his ear.

“You are going to wait until we reach Florida. But there’s no reason why I can’t give you a peek of what will happen once we get there.”


**********


The next update will be on Monday: January 1, 2007

[maitriniazngurl]

Great update!! I loved it! Its so sweet! Lana was totally teasing Clark...

I can't wait till tomorrow!

[happycamper]

Glad to see you back earlier than announced! :)

A little interregnum between major events, allowing Lana to torture Clark just a bit...:lol:

Why Disneyworld instead of Disneyland? I thought good planning on Clark's part would have resulted in the choice of the resort with less to do, leaving more time and energy for other attractions...:lol:

But I get the impression that the trip is going to be less happy - and safe - because of the plans of Lex and Jason. :mad:


:D :D

[C.A.chick]

Oooo! You updated sooner! Cool... Poor Clark, having to resist Lana while she's teasing him.... Can't wait to see what happens with Jason being in Florida too. PPMASAP!

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Three


“Day One (Continued)”

Although numerous airline flights depart Metropolis International Airport for Orlando, Florida, there was only one flight that was departing in the evening hours. Jason Teague was booked for this flight under the name of Jason Summers. He arrived at the airport before Clark and Lana and checked in with a single piece of luggage.

Had Jason been capable of independent thought he would have considered it to be ironic that the security personnel at the airport would have held him for questioning had they passed him through an X-ray machine rather than letting him walk through a metal detector like a normal passenger. The cybernetic parts of his body were made of a non-metallic material and would not raise an alarm. However, an X-ray would have shown the world that the person who looked like a normal human being did not have a normal human skeleton. It would have shown that, except for his spinal column, he did not have a skeleton at all. But Jason did not look like a piece of luggage and he easily passed through airport security.

There was a large crowd in the boarding area - mostly couples and families with children. Jason remained by himself and did not join in. Since the couples were occupied with each other and the families were trying to contain the excitement of their children, no one paid attention to him.

His boarding pass showed that he was to be seated in the last row of the plane next to the window. After first class, he would be the first to board the plane and the last to leave. There was little chance that he would cross paths with Lana and Clark. But because of his location, they would always be in front of him where they could be observed.

In order to prevent the detection of an unauthorized personal electronic transmission during the flight of a plane, Lex had decided not to contact Jason during the flight. Jason was programmed to lie back in his seat, turn his head towards the window so that it would be difficult for someone to see his face as they walked down the center aisle of the plane, close his eyes and simulate sleep as soon as the plane leveled off. Observing his deep slumber, the flight attendants would not disturb him for meals or refreshments. Because he was essentially a machine there was no need for him to use the rest rooms and because he was seated next to the window he would not need to move for anyone. His breathing would be slow and regular. He would only attract attention in that people would be surprised that someone could sleep so quietly for so long on an airplane.


**********

The last time Lana had been at Metropolis International Airport she was leaving for Paris. Although she was excited for the change of Paris that day had been a disappointment for her when Clark failed to show up to drive her to the airport. As they were walking from the long-term parking lot to the entrance of the airport Clark stopped and stood silently on the sidewalk.

“Clark, what’s wrong?”

“I’m just remembering the time I stood here when you were leaving for Paris.”

Lana moved close to him.

“You never told me you were here.”

“I was late. Then I saw you with…”

“Lex.”

Clark nodded. Lana’s eyes opened wide.

“Then the white rose was yours?”

“You found it? I let drop from my hand. I thought I would never see you again.”

“I found it. I still have it and we’re together and I’m never going to leave you again.”

They continued walking hand in hand with just their carryon luggage. They checked in, went through security and then went to the gate. The gate for their flight was one of four gates in a separate section of the airport. They had gone through security faster than Clark had planned and they now had a little over an hour before their flight boarded. As they sat in the waiting area Lana noticed that one of the other gates had a flight that was departing to another city before their flight to Orlando. She noticed at the gate that couples were kissing goodbye. They would kiss until the person departing would reluctantly let go and board the airplane. Lana thought for a moment, then stood up and took Clark by the hand.

“Come with me.”

She led Clark to the waiting area of the departing flight, placed her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to hers. Although Clark was surprised by this move he didn’t object and soon found himself lost in Lana’s trancelike embrace. He tenderly kissed her, softly caressing her lips with his own. He spoke softly at the same time.

“Lana, you do know we’re in public?”

She barely answered back as she did not want to disengage from Clark’s lips.

“But everyone thinks that we’re kissing goodbye like the other couples.”

Clark looked up as he kissed her and saw that there were other couples that were making their goodbyes. He laughed to himself and then resumed his blissful interlock with Lana.

The airline personnel who worked at the gate were accustomed to seeing couples kiss goodbye and they never disturbed anyone. Sooner or later one would pull away and reluctantly board the flight. They became concerned when all of the passengers had boarded the departing flight except for the very attractive dark haired couple that seemed unaware of anything except themselves.

Clark and Lana found out that no matter how much they tried to control the intensity and intimacy of their kisses it was a losing battle. They found their bodies pulling closer and closer as their kissing intensified. They began to explore each other with the same innocent curiosity coupled with a smoldering passion as they had a hundred times before. It would have gotten entirely out of control had they not heard someone clearing their throat. They stopped and saw that a flight attendant was standing next to them.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but the flight is about to leave.”

The couple found it difficult to hold back their laughter. Clark answered.

“That’s okay. We’re not going on that flight anyway. We’re going to Orlando.”

The flight attendant did not seem to understand Clark’s answer.

“You mean you’re not leaving on this flight?”

Both Lana and Clark shook their heads ‘no’. The attendant continued.

“And the two of you are going to Orlando together?”

This time both Clark and Lana nodded their heads ‘yes’.

“Now I’ve seen everything.”

Clark and Lana left the area and moved to the next gate that had a departing flight and continued their ‘pseudo goodbye’. They did this until the flight to Orlando began to board.


**********

The flight was overbooked, as are all flights to Disney World. As he entered the plane Clark found himself envying the passengers in first class as he passed through to the coach section. Each row had 3 seats. Lana took the window seat. This left Clark right in the middle of a coach row. Right in the middle with his 6 foot 4-inch frame. In the aisle seat was a boy who appeared to be around ten years old. The flight departed on time and was soon cruising at 35,000 feet.

They unbuckled their seat belts and pulled up the armrest so that it was no longer between them. This enabled Clark to have more room and enabled Lana to lean against him. The total surprise of Clark planning a trip for the two of them was still with her. As she looked out the window she began to daydream of her and Clark on future excursions. She whispered in his ear.

“I think I should teach you to speak French.”

“Why?”

“You might take me to Paris one day. It is the most romantic city of Earth.”

Clark surprised Lana with his response.

“The most romantic place on Earth is wherever you happen to be and I already know how to speak French.”

“When did you learn to speak French? You took two years of Spanish in high school”

Lana molded into Clark like a kitten as he whispered ‘I love you’ in Lana’s ear in French. Then he said the same words in Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, Latin, Aramaic and Swahili. Lana leaned back towards the window in amazement.

“You can speak those languages fluently?”

Clark nodded.

“Did you learn these languages in the Fortress?”

Again Clark nodded. Lana was astonished that someone could learn so much so quickly.

“I can also speak several Indian dialects along with Andarian and Krell.”

“What are Andarian and Krell?”

“Those are languages that are not spoken on this planet.”


**********

Jason’s sleeping was like a computer in ‘standby’ mode. His system was operating but appeared to be unconscious. Although his eyes were closed and face turned in the direction of the window, his hearing was picking up everything that was being said in the entire coach section of the plane. Conversations between flight attendants, parents trying to entertain their child, whispered words of affection between couples. Every word was recorded in a hard drive that had been implanted in his head to replace part of his brain. From the front of the cabin, thirty rows in front of him, to the rest rooms behind him, Jason had been programmed to listen to and record everything.

While everything was recording his programming also began a filtering process of eliminating everything except for the targeted conversations. He would hear, “Mommy, I have to go the bathroom.” The conversation would then be matched against a predetermined voice print. If the recorded voice did not match the print it would be deleted.

Jason methodically did for the first hour of the flight. Recording, examining and deleting conversation after conversation until he came to a conversation that produced a match to the voice prints.

“I think I should teach you to speak French.”

Program Step One: “Compare voice to print.”

“Voice matches print. Go to Step Two. ”

Program Step Two: “Continue surveillance. Go to Step Three.

Program Step Three: Continue recording.”

“je t’aime.”

Program Step: “Identify Language.”

Program Step: “Language is French. Do to Step Two.

Program Step Two. “Translate”

“I love you.”

Program Step: “Compare voice to print.”

“Voice matches print. Go to Step Two. ”

Program Step Two: “Continue surveillance. Go to Step Three.

Program Step Three: Continue recording.”

When Jason had isolated the voices that matched the prints in his memory all efforts to record and analyze any other conversations were halted. For the remainder of the flight he focused his attention on the two match voices only.


**********


The next update will be on Wednesday: January 3, 2007

[happycamper]

A very interesting update!

Unfortunately, it looks like Jason has some special abilities of his own. So is he a robot that just looks liks Jason, or some sort of cyborg? I guess Victor is very luck he didn't share this fate.

I loved Lana and Clark's little kissing game. Remarkably effective, but I never heard this before as applicable to plane departures. :lol:


:D :D

[Clarkloisclois]

Simply Fantastic. =)

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Three


“Day One (Continued)”

Clark noticed that the young boy next to him was reading a Warrior Angel comic book. The boy seemed to be alone. Clark decided to start a conversation.

“Warrior Angel? Visitor from another planet who helps the weak. Pretty cool. I used to have a very good friend named Ryan who was into Warrior Angel.”

The boy was a little wary of Clark. He was always told not to speak to strangers so he was hesitant to speak to Clark. Clark heard a woman’s voice from across the aisle.

“It’s okay Michael. He seems like a very nice man.”

The woman appeared to be in her mid to late fifties. She was a little bit overweight. The type of weight that usually accompanies age, a lifetime of hard work and child bearing. It was obvious from the dark color of her hair that it was dyed to turn away the oncoming gray. Her smile indicated that she was very happy that someone was talking to the boy. There was a man seated next to her who was bald and seemed to be a little bit older. They appeared to be husband and wife. She spoke cheerfully to Clark.

“I’m Marie LoSapio and this is my husband Tony.”

Tony, who was reading a copy of Pro Football Weekly, nodded hello and went back to his magazine.

“And this is our grandson, Michael.”

Michael took the cue from his grandmother and began to speak to Clark.

“Warrior Angel is cool. Too bad heroes like him aren’t for real.”

The boy went back to reading his comic book. Clark was taken aback by the boy’s cynical tone. Marie prompted the boy to switch seats with her. Being that her husband was engrossed in his football magazine and her grandson was non-conversational, Marie welcomed the chance to speak to someone, anyone. She took the boy’s seat and began speaking to Clark and Lana.

“So you’re going to Disneyworld on your honeymoon?”

Clark and Lana looked at one another and didn’t know how to answer Marie. They didn’t know that Marie LoSapio was the type of person who noticed everything and everyone and made everything and everyone her business. She didn’t see it as being a nuisance. She saw it as being a good neighbor. She was a mother and a grandmother. She had over 50 years of experience on this Earth. Why shouldn’t she share her wisdom with everyone? She saw Clark and Lana’s awkwardness and then noticed that the couple wasn’t wearing wedding rings nor was Lana wearing an engagement ring. Marie raised her hand to her mouth.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Tony always tells me I’m too nosy and have a big mouth. But I can’t help it. You two seemed like newlyweds at the airport. You seemed so happy.”

Both Clark and Lana were surprised that someone other than the flight attendants had noticed them at the airport.

“Tony and I used to do the same thing before we were married. It was a lot easier back then. There wasn’t any type of security that we had to go through.”

Clark and Lana introduced themselves and then Lana responded to Marie’s observation.

“Marie, we are happy. Very happy. We’re just not married.”

Lana said silently to herself, “Not yet.”

Marie asked Clark to change seats with her. She convinced him that he needed to stretch out his long legs with the aisle seat. Michael now seemed to be pleased that Clark was across the aisle from him. Clark Kent always had such a friendly countenance that it was only a matter of time before people warmed up to him. This was now happening with Michael. The conversation that began with a comic book moved to school and then to sports. To Clark it seemed that Michael was a very lonely boy. Someone who kept everything inside. Someone not very different from him. Marie sat next to Lana and began a very animated conversation as a mother would with a beloved daughter that she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“It’s not everyday that you see a couple like you and Clark. It’s obvious the two of you can’t live without each other. Why aren’t you married?”

Lana found Marie’s boldness both a little embarrassing and refreshing at the same time. She could not take offense because Marie was just so good natured and genuinely interested in Clark and Lana. Marie LoSapio was one of those people you come across in life who cannot be resisted.

“Well, Clark and I are young. We’re only twenty.”

“Nonsense. Tony and I were only twenty when we were married. Right before he joined the Marines and left for Vietnam. We’ve been married for thirty five years. When two people are in love the way you two are in love you shouldn’t wait. It should just be see each other and wham! Get married.”

Lana was having difficulty containing her laughter but there seemed to be a bizarre type of common sense in what Marie was saying. Marie continued in her interrogation.

“You’re living together, aren’t you?”

Lana nodded without hesitation. A look of disappointment came over Marie’s face.

“What does your mother say about that?”

“Mrs. LoSapio…”

“Call me, Marie.”

“Marie. Marie, my mother and father died when I was three.”

Now a look of sadness came on Marie’s face. She nodded her head in understanding and placed her hand on top of Lana’s hand. It was at this moment that Marie LoSapio decided that Lana Lang needed a mother and she was just the person to take on the job.

“Well, as someone who is old enough to be your mother, let me tell you what my mother said to me and what your mother would tell you if she were here. God rest her soul.”

Lana, who did not ask for Marie’s advice but found herself eager to hear Marie’s words of wisdom,

“Why would a farmer buy the cow when he can get the milk for free?”


**********


The next update will be on Friday: January 5, 2007

[happycamper]

:lol:

Answer: To ensure a steady supply of what he needs?

:lol:

A sweet and funny interlude. I'm trying to figure out if this family is going to play an unexpected role in Lex's planning. I'm assuming they will, because of Mrs. LoSapio's insistence on mothering Lana and Michael's cynical tone about heroes...

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Three


“Day One (Continued)”

Occasionally Clark would turn from his conversation with Michael and glance at Lana. Lana and Clark had already developed that secret code that only couples have. The code that enables them to glance at each other and know what the other is thinking without the use of words. Clark had trouble keeping his laughter to himself when he saw the look Lana gave him. The conversation with Marie was turning into one of the most entertaining events of Lana’s life.

During the rest of the flight Lana was unable to say more than a total of ten words to Marie. She learned that even though it was obvious that she and Clark were in love she should be married before she started living with Clark. After all, Tony had wanted to be intimate with Marie before marriage “A typical horny man” and she would not let him touch her before a gold band was put on the ring finger of her left hand. “A girl can never be too careful.” She learned that Tony and Marie owned a small Italian restaurant in Metropolis. Tony’s brother, Paul, who lived in Orlando, also owned a similar restaurant. Both restaurants happened to be named ‘LoSapios’. It was the type of place that served good food and plenty of it. During the week it would be filled with families and on Saturday it would be filled with couples who were making it ‘that special place’ in their memories. Marie and Tony had six children together. All of them turned out to be fine upstanding citizens who were now doctors, nurses or stay at home mothers. Lana learned that when she and Clark marry (Lana was amused that Marie didn’t say if she and Clark marry’) they should start having children right away because children make life worth living and even though Lana was only twenty she had to be very aware of her biological clock. She learned that the secret to good gravy (gravy was what Marie called her pasta sauce) was slow simmering and the liberal use of oregano. She also learned that Tony and Marie were active in their church and their community. They were the type of people who worked all their lives and asked for nothing. But they were always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. The type of people Lex Luthor disdainfully calls ‘salt of the earth’.

Their grandson, Michael was actually Michael junior. He was the son of their first born child. Michael LoSapio had been the apple of his parents’ eye. His life was one of achievement and he made his parents proud in everything that he did. As a graduate of the Annapolis Naval Academy he became an officer in the Marine Corp. He married and he and his wife had a son. After several years of steady promotions, Michael was sent to Iraq. Then a terrible sadness came over Marie as she told Lana the story of how she and her daughter-in-law were walking home from church on Sunday morning when they saw the Marine vehicle in front of their house and two officers waiting for them. Their lives had never been the same since that day. But the news of Michael’s death by a roadside bomb hit their grandson the worst. The boy had adored his father and now there seemed to be an emptiness in his life that no one could fill. Marie and Tony hoped that the trip to Disneyworld would help crack the shell that the boy had built around himself. They hoped he would somehow learn that it was okay to have some fun.

Lana looked across the aisle and now saw that Michael had taken a liking to Clark. The boy hung on Clark’s every word. Michael’s grandfather was now involved in the conversation too. Tony was happy to have someone to talk sports with especially the Metropolis Sharks. Tony was a big football fan but since Marie cared little or nothing for sports and all of his children were now out of the house, he had no one who shared his passion. Tony was a little bit like Ralph Kramden of The Honeymooners. He complained about his wife’s meddling and non-stop chatter. Clark expected to hear “Bang! Zoom! You’re going to the moon, Marie!” but it was clear that Tony was devoted to Marie and could not ever consider being without her. They had worked side by side for over twenty years to make their small restaurant successful. Even with all of the chatter and arguing, there was no place Tony and Marie would rather be than with each other.

For the remainder of the flight Lana and Clark threw occasional glances at each other. They could see from each others’ face that there was no escape. Whether they wanted it or not they had been made part of the LoSapio family.


**********

It was after midnight when Clark checked into the complex of rental condos just outside of the Disney complex. The flight had been delayed for landing. He and Lana made their way to a distant end of the airport to retrieve their luggage. Then it was to the car rental counter. A minibus took them to the car lot where they selected a Ford Fusion and drove from the airport to the complex. As much as Lana wanted to remain awake she couldn’t stop herself from falling asleep in the car. Clark quietly opened her car door, slipped his arms underneath her and gently picked her up out of the car. Her head nestled onto his chest. He opened the door of the condo and walked through without turning on the lights, using his X-ray vision to guide him. He made his way into the main bedroom. Everything seemed neat, clean and in order. He pulled back the covers from the bed and place Lana down onto the firm but comfortable mattress. He took off her shoes and then covered her. She unconsciously snuggled into the pillow and began what appeared to be a deep sleep. As he kissed her on the forehead a slight smile formed on her face. He closed the door to the bedroom and went back into the main living area. He turned on the lights and then unloaded the car. He decided not to unpack anything because he didn’t want to take the chance of waking Lana.

Even though it was late he decided that they needed some groceries so that they could have breakfast in the morning and to load their backpacks with lunches, snacks and something to drink for their excursion into the Disney complex. He left a note for Lana in case she woke up, telling her that he would soon return. He drove to an all night grocery store and began filling his shopping cart with food. Seeing that there was only one grocery clerk on duty this late and he was engrossed in reading a copy of the National Enquirer, Clark decided to super speed throughout the store, pulling what he needed off the shelves and filling his shopping cart. The clerk barely noticed that the customer who entered the store at 1:32am was checking out with a cart full of groceries and 1:33am. He did notice that the cart the customer was using seemed to have a peculiar smell. He didn’t see it but the rubber wheels had burned off due to the speed at which the cart was pushed through the store. Shopping carts are just not made to move at a zillion miles an hour. The entire rubber tread burned off the wheels. In order to prevent the cart from digging into the floor of the store, Clark, holding on to the handlebar, easily lifted the cart off of the floor a few inches so that it appeared he was pushing the cart when, in fact, he was carrying the cart. The clerk just brushed off the smell as one of those late night anomalies that occur to people who work the graveyard shift and went back to his magazine.

It was the end of a long day. Clark had put everything away and now he was ready to sleep. He briefly debated with himself as to whether or not he should sleep in the other bedroom and not disturb Lana. He decided against it. Clark and Lana were now at the point where they were used to sharing the same bed and found it uncomfortable to sleep alone. He noticed that she had not moved even a fraction of an inch from where he left her. So he slid into bed beside her, turned on his right side so his back was to her, closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep.

He did not know how much time had passed when he opened his eyes feeling a hand on his arm. Slender, well manicured fingers glided over his skin. His back felt the pleasing sensation of warm breath and silky hair on his skin. He turned around to face Lana. She nestled her head underneath his neck while her hand was now stroking his other arm. He did not need any of his enhanced senses to know that the clothes she had gone to sleep in had been removed.

“I thought you could hardly wait to possess me.”

He didn’t need words to answer. He gently pushed her back and began to kiss her lips. He then moved from Lana’s mouth and began to lightly kiss the outside of her shoulders while his hands began their own sensual exploration. He slowly moved his way inward gently nibbling as he approached Lana’s neck. Her breathing quickened as did his own excitement as his lips glided ever closer to her neck. She adjusted her head as his lips reached the base of Lana’s neck and began to move upward towards her ear. Now Clark was at the tiny corner just underneath the earlobe. His breath caused the corners of her mouth to curve upward and a cooing sound rose from her throat. She pulled on his arm, prompting him closer, inviting him over her.

Their eyes open, they stared at each other in the darkness, studying each other, soaking in the essence of the other. He lowered his lips to hers. At first it was just a peck, a nibble as her lips achingly reached up to meet his and then desperately lingered as he playfully pulled away. Lana’s arms slid underneath his and held him steady. His mouth descended on hers. They probed each other, savoring the flavor and then they began their rhythmic dance. Swaying to a melody that only they knew.

Clark pushed himself up and looked into Lana’s face. Even in the darkness he could see her large eyes glistening, beckoning him with desire. It was always at this moment that he felt a unique sensation. As if he was in a dream but not dreaming. And then the reality would hit him like a lightening bolt. He actually was living his dream. He could never quite come to grips with the fact that after so much heartache, after so much angst, after so many trials, that she was here with him. He vowed he would never take this gift for granted. She had spoken of his possessing her yet he was the one possessed. Even with all is powers he was weak beside her for Lana held his heart in her hands. At this moment he did not know where Clark Kent ended and Lana Lang began. He cursed himself for not having the words to express what he felt and he summed up his feelings with the only words he knew.

“I love you.”

Lana’s eyes would not leave his. She knew exactly what he was thinking even though they never spoke about it. For his thoughts were her thoughts. His feelings were her feelings. And she answered in the only way that she knew and he could understand.

“And I love you.”

Her fingers reached into his hair and pulled him down to her to complete their journey. Reaching a fulfillment that both knew could only be achieved with the other.

Afterwards they lay together. Lana’s back to Clark’s chest. His arms were around her and she stroked the muscles of the arm that lay across her waist.

“Clark, I want to ask you something.”

Almost off to sleep, Clark was barely able to answer.

“What?”

“You don’t think you’re getting the milk for free? Do you?”


**********


The next update will be on Sunday: January 7, 2007

[happycamper]

Originally posted by oldmankent
“You don’t think you’re getting the milk for free? Do you?”
I don’t think so. It seemed very hard earned, to me.

I like the LoSapio's, and wonder what role they are going to play. Michael already has a hero figure, but I would guess he could certainly use another.

I've never heard of pasta sauce refered to as gravy. I'm familiar with New York and New England, so I wonder if that could be a regional (Kansas? :lol: ) saying?

Everything seems so happy, so I wonder what terrible things are in store for them because of Lex and Jason...


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Three


“Day Two”


Jason was the last person to deplane the flight from Orlando. His programming caused him to return the flight attendants’ and pilot’s smiles as he disembarked. The attendants were mystified that he had slept through the entire flight and woke up exactly as the plane taxied into the gate. Upon exiting his communications module began to operate and everything that he recorded regarding Clark and Lana was uploaded to a satellite and then transferred to Lex’s waiting laptop.


**********

“je t’aime.”

Lex raised his eyebrows in the same manner as Mr. Spock as he listened to the recordings of Clark Kent telling Lana Lang how much he loved her. “How the hell did Clark Kent ever become a linguist?” He was able to identify every language but he was mystified at the end when he heard what sounded like a clicking of someone’s teeth.

Jason’s programming had filtered out every other sound on the plane. The only sounds that could be heard were the voices of Clark and Lana. Lex listened intently. He could even hear the wisps of breath between the syllables of their words.

“Did you learn these languages in the Fortress?”

Lex listened carefully. “Fortress? What Fortress?” Clark didn’t answer and Lex wished he had a video of the conversation. “The answer must have been non-verbal. A nodding or a shaking of the head.” He came to the conclusion that if Lana knows about some kind of Fortress than it must exist. He replayed the language he couldn’t identify, trying to make some sense what he just considered to be noise. Then he heard something he wasn’t expecting.

“Those are languages that are not spoken on this planet.”

Lex’s face lit up. He thought that this must have been how Edison felt when he discovered the light bulb.


**********

A rental car had already been reserved for Jason at the airport. It was to have darkened windows so no one could look inside the vehicle. All of the rental car facilities were in the same proximity. Clark and Lana rented their car from Hertz while Jason, not wanting to be seen and recognized, rented his vehicle from Avis, speeding through the long lines of people as a preferred customer. He parked his vehicle across the street from Hertz, waited for Lana and Clark to drive out and then followed them.

Although it was late at night Jason did not have a problem seeing through the darkness. His vision was programmed to use infrared. He easily followed the couple to their complex. He changed to thermal imaging and recorded Lana being carried into the house. The thermal imaging could see through the walls of the house that had been cooled down by the darkness of night. The imaging also picked up the heat from small animals such snakes and lizards that come out at night to feed. Jason’s imaging was aided by Clark not turning on the lights. The imaging did not record any heat from Clark’s body and Clark remained invisible in the darkness. He clearly saw the heat from Lana’s body but did not pick up anything from Clark.

Jason’s programming tree caused him to make the decision not to follow Clark to the grocery store. This late at night, one car following another into the deserted parking lot of an all night grocery store would surely be noticed. Even by someone as unsuspecting as Clark. Jason stayed at the complex and waited for Clark’s return.

The next day Lex reviewed the images that had been sent to him. Lex noted that Clark came back to condo with three large grocery bags. He also noted that the entire trip took less than twenty minutes. He was dumfounded as to why Jason’s thermal imaging picked up the heat from Lana’s body but did not pick up anything from Clark. He then remembered when he had Clark under surveillance almost a year ago by Paul Rodriguez. Rodriquez’s sound equipment easily picked up Clark’s and Lana’s lovemaking from their liaison in the loft. But Rodriquez said that the thermal imaging equipment had malfunctioned. “It didn’t malfunction. It just did not pick up Clark.”

The lack of Clark’s image did not discourage Lex from studying the images from their bedroom even if those images showed only one person. About fifteen minutes after Clark entered the house the heat in Lana’s body began to increase. The outline of her body showed her to be reacting to something or someone moving above her. As if she was being made love to by a ghost. After this session ended the heat decreased and she was motionless. But the activity started again less than two hours later. This time Lana was moving above someone. As if she was making love to a shadow. Lex had always been envious of Clark. Witnessing these images only caused that envy to reach pathological levels. “Don’t these people ever sleep?” The one possession of Clark’s that Lex coveted the most was Lana Lang. Hearing her reach heights of ecstasy on Rodriquez’s audio tapes and now seeing her in ecstasy in Jason’s thermal images cause Lex to reach levels of hate that even he didn’t know he was capable of. Yet he could not pull his eyes from the images in front of him.


**********

Had Jason not been mostly machine he might have fallen asleep in his car sometime during the night. But because he was mostly a machine he stayed alert. The sun rose and heated up the house and the surrounding area, making thermal imaging useless. His vehicle was not noticed by anyone. It was just another rental car on a street filled with rental cars in a complex filled with tourists. While he waited he fed himself a jar of baby food. This contained sufficient nutrients to sustain the living human portion of his body.


**********


The next update will be on Tuesday: January 9, 2007

[happycamper]

I almost feel sorry for what has happened to Jason. Relying on baby food for sustenance? Ewww.

I guess Lex's obsessions won't allow him to leave Lana and Clark alone. But they already have inadvertantly given away too much on this trip, confirming Lex's suspicions. So what is Lex going to do about all of this?

One quibble: picking up heat? From snakes and lizards?

Can't wait until Monday night!


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Three


“Day Two (Continued)”


**********

Most tourists left the complex early enough in order to be at Disney World when the gates opened. This was not the case with Lana and Clark. They might have had sufficient rest to make the morning opening had they gone to sleep as soon as they arrived at their condo and stayed asleep. But this was not the case and they did not regret it. They were on vacation and an increase to their normally frequent lovemaking was as much a part of that vacation as rushing to any tourist attraction. Wishing upon a Disney star would have to wait while they made their dreams come true in each others’ arms. It was almost noon before they left the condo with their backpacks and drove the short distance into Disney World.

Clark Kent was six feet four inches tall and around two hundred and ten pounds of solid muscle. He had experienced things in his short life of twenty years that no other person in the history of Earth had ever experienced. With Lana by his side he had seen the beauty of the island of Tahiti, the majesty of the Grand Canyon and awe inspiring history of the Mid-East. In his most recent adventure he stood atop Mount Everest looking down on the world below. Yet, going to Disney World brought out an emotion in him that none of these experiences could match. He felt the playful innocence of a child.

From the parking lot he and Lana marched hand in hand to the entrance of The Magic Kingdom. The hand in hand gave way to a lazy stroll with their arms around each other. While other couples and families rushed to catch the monorail and the ferry boat that would take them inside the world of Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio and Cinderella, Clark and Lana walked slowly taking in every image, registering every feeling and cherishing the overwhelming feeling of normalcy with each other.

They took the climate controlled monorail that traveled above ground across the man made lake and through the Disney resort complexes. The couple couldn’t help but notice how excitement grew in the faces of the children and their parents as the above ground train moved ever closer to The Magic Kingdom.

Lana noticed that once they were through the gates of The Magic Kingdom Clark knew exactly where he wanted to go. He led her to the attraction, ‘It’s A Small World’. She was surprised that of all of the attractions they had before them, he would choose one that was so simple and one that was not of a newer vintage. They sat in a boat that took them through child-like scenarios of the various societies that compose the human race. As the boat sailed through each scenario the song with the same words of the attraction was played in the various languages of those societies. Lana leaned her head against Clark’s shoulder. She placed her hand on his chest and felt his heart beating.

“Clark, why did you choose this attraction?”

“I don’t know, Lana. Maybe it’s because it reminds me of being a little kid again. Maybe it’s because my adoption meant more than just a child being taken in by parents. When my mom and dad adopted me I adopted this world – this world and the people in it. Every man, every woman, every child, every race, every language.”

A small tear came to Lana’s eye as she rested her head on Clark. She could choose many moments in their lives that cemented her love for Clark – the rescue from the twister or the willingness to sacrifice himself in order to defeat Zod. But it was the small, quiet moments – holding her hands in the loft on his birthday, telling her to take a chance at Lex’s rehearsal dinner, or right at this moment when he was declaring his love for the inhabitants of this planet, when she loved him the most.

From this attraction they started their tour of the entire park and while touring the park the idea of the attraction was hammered home for both of them. They saw people from every continent and every color. Enhanced hearing wasn’t needed to know that many different languages were being spoken. Occasionally Clark would overhear a family trying to figure out where a particular attraction was. They would be speaking in a language that was not English. Clark would graciously offer his assistance and guide the family. Lana started a game where they would hear a language and she would try to identify it before Clark. Spanish and Japanese were easy to identify. Polish, Lithuanian, and Yiddish were another matter. With every group that they assisted, they received thanks, handshakes and bows. Many times they were complimented on not only being the nicest looking couple ever seen but the nicest ever seen in temperament and friendliness. The activity of meeting people at the attractions became as much a pleasure to Lana and Clark as being at the attraction itself.

The sun was hot. Clark had brought plenty of sun block for Lana. Their backpacks were filled with bottles of water that were emptied as the day wore on. Whenever they wanted they stopped and ate from what they had packed rather than spending premium prices on the usual amusement park food.

At the attraction called ‘Space Mountain’ the couple met the LoSapio’s and their grandson. The attraction is a within an enclosed structure. It travels and down and sideways at high speed as any roller coaster but it does this in darkness. The passengers are unable to anticipate each sharp curve or drop. Therefore, everyone is kept on edge. Each car seats three and Michael insisted on sitting in the lead car with the couple. Having spent the entire day being spun and dropped with their grandson, Marie and Tony were fast approaching the end of their endurance. They were happy to sit this one out and let Michael ride with Clark and Lana.

The ride began its normal course of moving up, up and up and then went into a sharp drop. It is normal to hear the screams of the passengers with each change of direction but soon those screams became loud and desperate as each twist became sharper and the passengers were being heaved in their seats. The ride was picking up even more speed.

The LoSapio’s saw that panic was taking hold of the attendants outside of the attraction. Disney technicians and security personnel ran to the attraction and a barricade was set up to keep away spectators. The LoSapio’s concern became acute as they heard people saying that the ride was out of control.

Clark began the ride with the objective of enjoying it like any normal human being. He would not use any of enhanced senses to brace himself against the unknown. But with the first out of control scream he knew that something was wrong. He saw the skeletons of Lana and Michael ahead of him being heavily bounced to the left and to the right. The seat restraints were holding but if this continued there would be back and neck injuries to many people – if the ride made it to a safe stop.

Clark focused his hearing. He filtered out all of the voices and all of the screams. He focused on hearing the automatic braking system on the rail underneath the car. He should have heard the friction of one metal surface against another enabling the car to slow down. Instead he heard – nothing. He shifted the focus of his hearing and heard the voices of panic outside of the ride. Clark broke off the seat restraint that was shielding him and threw it away. He bent over and slammed his fist through the floor of the car. He reached through the hole he created and took hold of the rail that ran underneath the car. Sparks flew over his hand, through the hole and into his face as he began to brake the car. Along with the sparks came smoke caused the friction of his hand against the rail. To the passengers behind the couple’s car the darkness was lit up with sparks and they could smell the smoke. This caused their screams to become even more hysterical as their senses told them that there was a fire in the car ahead of them.

Clark slowed down his car enough so that the cars behind him collided ever so slightly with his car. He did this so that each successive car began to link up and form one continuous line. He then slowed them all down at the same time. The screams died down as the speed decreased. Finally they reached the bottom of Space Mountain – the bottom and daylight. Children were crying. Adults were experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath and just about everyone had some sort of strain to their neck or back. But everyone heaved a long sigh of relief when the ride came to a stop. Dozen’s of Disney attendants were at the bottom of the ride and ran to assistance of the riders. The restraints were locked into place. Each passenger was manually released from the restraint. Medical personnel were present to assist with any injuries.


**********

Lex saw the images of the events of Space Mountain as they were happening. Through Jason’s eyes he could see the unconscious technician lying on the floor in the control room. The computerized braking system had been torn out of the control panel.

The technician would later testify that whatever happened did happen with lightening like speed. One moment he heard the hinges being torn off the door to the room and the next moment someone was upon him. It all happened so quickly that he was unable to identify his assailant.

Although it is dark to the passengers inside Space Mountain everything is visible to the video cameras inside the enclosure. The images transmitted through the video cameras are seen by the monitors inside the control room and digitally recorded. Lex smirked as he saw the fear in Lana’s face while she was being forced back into her seat. He was able to see Clark release himself from his restraint. He saw Clark lift his fist up in the air and then punch it downward. He couldn’t see what Clark had punched but he assumed it was the floor of the car. His eyes opened wide as sparks and smoke filled up the viewing screen. He thought back to the time he arranged the release of three inmates at Belle Reeve. Inmates he sent to test Clark by holding his family and Lana hostage. The images from that time did not give Lex the information about Clark that he wanted. But having Clark at ease, on vacation, away from Smallville seemed to be doing the trick.

“Okay, Jason. That’s enough for Space Mountain. Destroy the recording of the ride and get out of there.”


**********

Clark jumped out of his seat and ran to Lana. He ripped her restraint out of the car and helped her to her feet.

“Are you alright?”

Lana was out of breath but nodded that she wasn’t injured. Clark held her in his arms and she buried her face in his chest. Michael, who between them, was breathing too hard from the excitement to notice that Clark had ripped out the seat restraint. An attendant released Michael and then saw that the seat restraints had been torn from the car and then his jaw dropped when he saw the hole in the floor where Clark had sat. Clark spoke in a calm, non threatening voice.

“You’ll be hearing from our lawyer.”

Michael ran past the barricade into the waiting arms of his grandparents.

“What a rush!”


**********


The next update will be on Thursday: January 11, 2007

[happycamper]

I love "It's a Small World." :)

You brought out what I always thought was the real attraction at Disneyland/world, a near return to childhood.

Unfortunately for Lana and Clark, they were subject to another probe by Lex. I guess endangering the lives of dozens meant nothing to him.

Except for that, they had a near perfect day. I liked how you showed us Lana's love being re-confirmed when Clark revealed his love for the entirety of mankind, and then actually helped people from all over the world.

Now if Clark could only discover what it is that Lex is doing...


:D :D

[SmallvilleMan]

Clark has a lawyer?:eek:

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Three


“Day Three”


**********

Clark and Lana did not linger with the other almost victims of the almost crash at Space Mountain. They did not want to be questioned especially after the attendant noticed the hole in the floor where Clark was sitting. They left the attendant dumbfounded with their pseudo threat of a lawyer and they quickly made their escape from the scene and were soon out of the park and back at their complex. One incident had turned a magical day into a terrifying memory.

Both of them took a deep breath as they entered their condo. Lana covered herself with her arms as if she were chilled. She then started to shake all over. Clark recognized that the experience had greatly frightened Lana. He covered Lana by wrapping his own arms around her. Clark was so large and Lana so petite that he practically engulfed her with his own body. He started to gently stroke her hair and speak softly to her.

“It’s alright now, Lana. It’s okay. You’re safe. Everyone is safe.”

Lana put on a false smile and tried to make light of her distress.

“With all that we’ve been through you’d think by now I’d be used to this.”

Even though Lana had been through countless harrowing experiences in her lifetime she had not built up a tolerance for those experiences. Clark recognized this and was grateful that Lana had not become reconciled to the horrors that befell her. In Clark’s mind there was no one more undeserving of all of the terrible encounters Lana had endured through the years and no one more deserving for peace of mind. The whole purpose of this getaway was to display his gratitude for all that she had been to him. To have it start out in such a manner greatly distressed him.

As close as she was to Clark she moved even closer. Clark lifted her up and carried her to their bedroom. They lay in bed together and he gently kissed her forehead, trying to comfort her and speaking words of love and affection. He didn’t reveal his own fear that he had almost failed to protect the most important person in his life. “No matter where I go it’s always the same.” Lana began to feel soothed from the warmth of Clark’s body. She stopped shaking and closed her eyes. The fright and the adrenaline had exhausted her and she fell into a deep sleep. She stayed in the same position without moving a muscle and slept for the rest of the night. Clark stayed by her side without moving an inch, ready to comfort her should she need him.


**********

The next day Clark drove Lana to a place called Discovery Cove. Discovery Cove is a type of beach/water park resort that allows only a limited amount of people to enter each day to prevent overcrowding and to maximize the Discovery Cove experience for those fortunate enough to gain admittance. Its man-made lakes are extensive and crystal clear. A lazy river gently flows around the perimeter of the park while easy listening music is played over its sound system. There are fresh water areas to bathe in along with salt water areas that contain a variety of tropical fish and other marine life. Its beaches are maintained in pristine condition. The resort provides its patrons with a specially made sun block that is biodegradable so as not to harm the marine life and customers are served a sumptuous buffet meal.

With all of the hectic activity in the Orlando area of rushing from park to park and from attraction to attraction, it is the perfect place to take time out and relax.

This consideration was not lost on Clark as he sought to relieve the stress from Lana’s mind.

The couple donned the required wet suits and began to explore the fresh water area. They swam together slowly and peacefully into a waterway and then found themselves alone inside a cove with a manufactured waterfall flowing above them. Clark was tall enough that his feet reached the bottom of the man made lake while Lana treaded water. She leaned against him and he took hold of her. Her thick wet hair was slicked down her back all the way to her waist. Clark stroked her hair and held her close. He could never quite come to terms with the beauty of the woman in his arms. Her long silky hair, her large oval eyes, the perfect complexion and slender figure always captivated him. Before they were together Lana had captured his heart from afar. Now that they were together she held his heart in her delicate hands. Lana could never quite get over the strength in Clark’s arms. Not only the physical strength but the emotional strength he provided. Being held in his arms not only reassured her of his love but confirmed her place in his life. Lana Lang knew that there was no one more important in Clark Kent’s life than Lana Lang and such a realization crystallized her own feelings. There was, is, and would always be only one man in her life – Clark Kent.

It was always moments such as this that an unseen and unknown force would compel them to lock onto each others’ eyes. Even if they wanted to they were unable to break off the gaze of the other. A second unseen force would form a shield around them and enclose them in a world of their own making. For Lana there was only Clark and for Clark there was only Lana. They could hear the splashing of the waterfall outside of the cove but soon that sound disappeared as they focused their senses on each other only. Lana could see Clark’s breathing increase as she ran her hands on his muscular forearms. Clark knew the signals well. Lana’s small hands ran up to his wet hair while his large hands encircled her waist, his fingertips meeting. A third unseen force then closed the distance between their bodies and their lips would make their irresistible rendezvous. Usually their kisses would deepen in an intensity that would lead to love making. This time they kissed each other lightly and often. Smiles came to their faces as if they were savoring a tasty appetizer. Lana broke the sequence of kisses for just a brief moment.

“This is nice, Clark. This is just what I needed.”

“There’s more. I have a surprise for you.”

Clark led Lana to another section of the resort. In this section there were several underwater enclosures that held about a half dozen dolphins.

“Lana, you now get to swim with a dolphin.”

Lana was ecstatic at hearing this. A resort attendant assisted her in getting hold of the dolphin’s large upper fin. The water bound mammal then pulled Lana around the area. Clark could see she was having a wonderful time. She waved for him to join her. The attendant let Clark swim to Lana and the dolphin. He gently stroked the magnificent animal as it bobbed its head up and down. The dolphin was making some squeaky sounds and Clark listened intently. He then spoke to Lana.

“Our friend thinks you are a magnificent creature. He says it’s been a pleasure escorting you.”

“The dolphin thinks I’m a magnificent creature?”

Clark nodded his head. Lana gave him a skeptical look.

“You speak dolphin?”

“I’m learning the languages of all of the intelligent life forms in the twenty eight known galaxies. Dolphins are considered to be an intelligent life form.”

Lana looked at Clark in amazement. He continued.

“There are certain planets where dolphins are the dominant life form. The same way humans are the dominant life form on Earth.”

Clark felt the need to elaborate further.

“Lana, I think I’m beginning to understand why I’m here. It may be that I’m not only here to protect humanity. I may be here to protect all living things.”


**********

Jason did not follow them into Discovery Cove. Getting lost in the crowd would have been very difficult since attendance was limited. He stayed in his vehicle outside of the complex within view of their Ford. He sat motionless with his mind empty. Or was it?

Lex Luthor had rescued what was left of Jason Teague in order to transform him into a tool. His appendages were replaced with cybernetic devices to give him strength and speed. His skin was transformed into a sensory field so that when he felt something he could analyze its molecular components. His eyes and ears were replaced with communication devices so that whomever was controlling him could see and hear what Jason was seeing and hearing. Part of his brain was replaced with a computerized central processing unit. A unit that could control all of the devices throughout his body while at the same time would enable Jason to be controlled by someone else. But Lex could not replace Jason’s entire brain for the simple reason that a total replacement wouldn’t work. The human brain is still the most sophisticated computer ever created and Lex needed that sophistication for such a sophisticated ‘device’ as Jason. But neither Lex nor the scientists who worked for him ever asked – when does a human cease to be a human? Can the brain be shut entirely shut down? Where does ‘thought’ come from?

As Jason sat in his car, unmoving, flashes of memory crept into what was left of his brain.

“There’s no good reason why we shouldn’t be together?”

“Jason, I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me.”

Lex never bothered to ask if a device would have memories.


**********

Clark and Lana spent the remainder of the day relaxing in the Florida sun, enjoying the water and the company of each other. During the course of the day both of them would take turns at looking at one another without saying a word and both would be met with the same response.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Why are you looking at me?”

“Because I like looking at you.”

This brief exchange became a prelude to a lingering kiss. It was late in the afternoon and the kisses increased in frequency and the lingering increased in intensity. Clark broke off the latest encounter and lifted his head up as if he were listening for something.

“Clark, what’s wrong?”

“Somebody’s coming.”

“Who?”

Lana soon had her answer.

“Clark, how did you do it?”

Clark looked up from his comfortable position at the side of Lana into the excited, wide eyes of Michael LoSapio.

“How did I do what?”

“How did you rip out the seat restraints at Space Mountain?”

Clark and Lana just looked at each other.

“Michael, don’t let your imagination run away with you. Those seats were defective.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

Clark and Lana turned to the direction of the voice. Coming up behind Michael was his grandfather, Tony. And coming up from behind Tony was Marie.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite couple in the world!”

Clark saw Lana’s eyes roll up into her head. Tony crouched down and placed his hand on Clark’s shoulder the same way he would have proudly placed his hand on his own son. He gave Clark an enormous smile.

“Clark, let’s leave the ladies alone so they can discuss what women talk about and let’s you and I take a walk.”

Clark gave Lana a look. Lana just shrugged her shoulders. Clark rose from his lounge chair and Marie immediately took his place. Lana gave Clark a hopeless look as Marie immediately began talking about any subject that happened to enter her head.

Clark walked with Tony with Michael in between the two men. Tony had his arm around his grandson’s shoulders. They walked up to the open air bar. Tony ordered a beer for himself and a birch beer for Michael. Clark just had a club soda.

“Clark, do you remember when we had that world-wide blackout last year and Metropolis was almost burnt down to the ground?”

Clark almost gagged on his club soda when he heard the question. “How could I forget?”

“Yes, Tony. I vaguely remember that night.”

“Well do know what can be worse than that?”

Clark was silent for a moment. “There’s something worse than being stuck in a two dimensional hell called a Phantom Zone while at the same time the woman I love being abducted by the destroyer of my home planet? This I have to hear.”

“What’s that, Tony?”

Tony placed his arm around Clark’s shoulders and gave him a big smile.

“My wife, once she gets her mind made up about something.”

“What exactly has your wife made up her mind about?”

“She’s decided that you and Lana should be married and she’s determined to make it happen. So you and Lana are invited to dinner with us tomorrow night at my brother’s restaurant.”

“Tony, Lana and I are flattered at the invitation but we have plans to…”

Tony cut off Clark.

“Clark, I don’t think you understand. If I don’t get you and Lana to come to dinner with us tomorrow night Marie will make my life miserable. You don’t want me to have a miserable life, do you, Clark?”

Clark sat back in his stool and was silent. Michael was smiling happily at him as if he was welcoming a big brother to the family. In his life Clark had faced natural disasters, assorted meteor freaks, demons, criminals, renegade Kryptonians, Phantom Zones, and the Luthors. He was beginning to think that these things were nothing compared to most irresistible force he had ever met – an Italian grandmother by the name of Marie LoSapio.


**********


The next update will be on Saturday: January 13, 2007

[happycamper]

Clark can't allow Tony to have a miserable life, can he? It's not for himself that he's going to have to marry Lana, it's for Tony sake! :lol:

A nice peaceful interlude after all the excitement of the roller coaster. It looks like Michael did keep his promise, even if he now suspects/knows something...

Poor Jason is starting to remember his life - or Lana at least. So is he now going to act on his own to disturb Lana and Clark independent of what Lex is doing?

This certainly doesn't seem this is going to be a relaxing vacation...:(


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Four


“Day Four”

It was the end of the day and Clark and Lana were loading their gear into the trunk of their rental car. They were in the parking lot and Lana was standing next to Clark as he closed the trunk and then opened the passenger door of the car for her. Before she got in she took a glance around the parking and the Discovery Cove complex.

“I think this is one of the nicest days I’ve ever had.”

She was about to enter the car when she noticed a car across the street from the complex. It wasn’t the car that was noticeable. It was the driver. He seemed to be staring intently at her. Lana had 20/20 vision and did not have a problem focusing her vision on the driver. A knot formed in her throat. Clark noticed that her attention was drawn to something.

“Lana, what’s wrong?”

The driver of the car that Lana was looking at quickly turned his head away and drove the car away. Lana stood still for a moment. Clark placed his hand on her arm and she turned to him.

“Nothing’s wrong. I think I just had too much sun today.”


**********

They never tired of lying in each other’s arms after their lovemaking. In fact, this relaxed aftermath was as much a part of their personal ritual as the lovemaking itself. In many ways it was an even more important part. It was during these quiet moments that Clark found himself to be the most vulnerable. It was during this relaxed time that he found it impossible to keep his thoughts only to himself. He willingly opened himself up to Lana. This was when Lana discovered how lonely Clark was as he grew up. Yes, he had friends but he always had to keep a part of himself hidden, especially when it came to games and sports. The day he saw Lana taken up into the twister, Clark without hesitation went after her. But at that time he had no idea if he could withstand such a force of nature. But he was willing to lose his life for Lana. It hurt him so terribly that he had to deny what he had done for Lana. He wanted so much to reach out to her that day in the loft as she walked away from him. “You can’t hide out here forever.” She learned of the pain he felt when he lied about not loving her. For Lana these moments cemented their relationship. Lana had always been adamant about honesty and openness in any relationship. She didn’t want to be protected. She wanted to be a partner. And now she was one.

Clark had thought that he had always understood Lana but it was during these moments that he discovered just how complex a person she really was. Her loneliness was as real as Clark’s. First, the pretty girl. Then the popular teenager. Then the beautiful woman desired by many. Resentful of the protective attitude of the boys and then the men in her life. Resentful of being viewed as a prize. He learned that no one other than Lana Lang had the right to make a decision for Lana Lang. She never felt a connection with anyone until she had met Clark. “You’re the one who listens. You’re the one who’s here.” She thought her life had ended the day that Clark’s heart stopped on the emergency room table. They had been so happy and then it was over. She came to the Kent house later that day looking for…for…something. She didn’t know what. And there he was. And Lana felt that God had given her a gift. By sparing Clark’s life, He had spared her own.

There was no denying that there had always been an enormous physical attraction between Clark and Lana. The handsome Adonis and the beautiful Venus adored one another. The more they made love the more they wanted to make love. Each one knew exactly what to do to satisfy and fulfill the other. A year of truly being together without separation, caused them to recognize that they were bonded together physically and emotionally. They could not bear to be apart from each other. Lana knew that her happiness was totally dependent on being with Clark and Clark knew that his future was totally dependant on Lana. They no longer could conceive of being without each other. And if such a though entered their minds they hurriedly chased it out, feeling guilty as if they had committed a crime.

Clark sat up in the bed. Lana had her head on his chest. Listening to his heart. Her hand running up and down his arm. Her head was underneath his and he breathed in the clean showered scent of her hair.

“So what did you and Marie talk about while I was with Tony and Michael?”

“Well, let’s see. Marie told me all about her children and grand children…again. There’s a lot more to her than you think. She’s not only a devoted wife and mother but she built a business with Tony and they’ve been running it for twenty years.”

“Speaking of their business, we’ve been invited to dinner at Tony’s brother’s restaurant tomorrow night.”

“Oh, Clark. Do we have to?”

“I tried to get out of it but Tony wouldn’t let me. He said if we didn’t go Marie would make his life miserable. She’d make him go furniture shopping with her during football season.”

“Why is she determined to have us for dinner?”

“Because she wants…”

Clark hesitated.

“Because she wants what, Clark?”

Clark let out a sigh.

“Because she wants to see you and I married.”

Clark didn’t see the smile that came on Lana’s face.

“Is that bad?”

“Is what bad?”

“You and I being married.”

Clark became to stammer. Lana’s smile grew wider and she sensed his discomfort.

“Don’t you ever think about it, Clark?”

“Think about what?”

“Think about being married.”

“Well…yeah. Yeah, I think about it.”

“Good.”

Lana closed her eyes and fell asleep in Clark’s arms. The smile remained on her face.

Clark barely slept a wink.



**********


The next update will be on Monday: January 15, 2007

[happycamper]

It seems that Lana has found a fellow conspirator in Marie. :lol: It's funny who slept so well and who it was that didn't...:lol:

I really enjoyed your exposition on Lana personality. It is nice to be reminded that there is a real reason for the way she acts, and that she's not just a harpy with an obsession for the truth. I think we all realized what drove her in the earlier seasons, but it seems so many have gorgotten since.

I just wish she had told Clark what she thought she had seen.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Four


“Day Four (Continued)”

When they weren’t being attacked by aliens and harassed by Lex Luthor, Clark and Lana were like any other typical young couple. They spent a good deal of time going to the movies. So visiting the MGM Studio part of Disney World was a special treat for them. They were captivated like small children as they saw the acted shows of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. Lana screamed with glee while Clark felt sick in his stomach as they cruised up and down and across a galaxy far, far away in the Star Wars simulator. And they sat back and relaxed as they went on the tour of MGM motion pictures starting with James Cagney and ending with the creature from Alien. They sat in a make believe subway car and screamed with everyone else as they went through a simulated earthquake. They didn’t pack a lunch this time. Instead they ate lunch in a restaurant that had been modeled after a drive-in theater. They ate cheeseburgers sitting side by side in a convertible while they watch the trailers from 1950s grade B monster movies on a large drive-in screen.

Lana had brushed off what she saw the previous day when they were leaving Discovery Cove. Everyone knew that Jason Teague was dead. He was killed in the second meteor shower. “It must just be my imagination.”


**********

Lex directed Jason Teague to take the precaution of changing rental cars. He went back to the agency and requested a different make of car with a different color. He followed Clark and Lana from their condo into the MGM complex. He made sure that he kept a good distance away from them and used his telescopic vision to track the couple. He mixed into different groups of visitors so that it appeared that he wasn’t alone.

He stayed outside the drive-in restaurant and waited for the couple to exit. When they came out it appeared that they were walking towards the Indiana Jones exhibition. Lex transmitted instructions to him.

“Jason, they’re going to the Indiana Jones exhibition. Get there before them and find the controls for the fuel lines to the exhibit. I’ll have further instructions once you get there.”


**********

The Indiana Jones exhibition was packed with spectators. Clark and Lana arrived early and were able to get a seat in the front row. The exhibition is a display of the stunt work and special effects from the movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark. There are simulated fist fights, sword fights and gun fire. The climax of the show deals with the scene of Indiana Jones fighting a husky Nazi soldier while a trail of fire creeps slowly towards an airplane resulting in a spectacular explosion. The fire is controlled by gas pipes underneath the stage. Enough fuel is supplied to make the explosion look realistic without being harmful to the actors or the audience.

The exhibition started with the actor portraying Indiana Jones evading a giant round rock-like ball rolling after him. The show then moved to various stuntmen trading punches, shooting at one another and falling off buildings. Then came the climax of the show. The crowd was thrilled as the two actors were struggling with each other while the trail of fire edged ever closer the airplane that was spinning around on the ground.

The fire reached the airplane and the explosion ignited. The actors feigned being thrown from the explosion. But the flames were not extinguished as they had been every single day since the exhibition began. The flames shot upward and outward past the stage. The actors grabbed one another to move out of the path of the fiery burst. The audience in the front row screamed as they felt the heat from the oncoming fireball. Clark with his lightening-like reflexes covered Lana with his body as the heat of the flame singed his back. For everyone except Clark everything was happening in an instant. Clark was now in an accelerated mode. For Clark everything was happening in slow motion.

With Lana covered by his body, Clark turned his head and saw the heads of the people in the front row being instinctively thrown back as the flames inched closer. He saw their faces beginning to turn red from the heat and knew that if he didn’t do something immediately the redness would soon become blistering and the blistering would become something far worse. He turned his own face in the direction of the oncoming flame, inhaled and let out a burst of his freeze breath.

The burst of breath hit the stage like a category 5 hurricane. The actors were thrown back by the force of it. The flames retreated back to their origin and then were extinguished in a coating of ice. The ice immediately melted from the residual heat. What was left was a large puddle of water on the stage. The crowd screamed and then screamed again when whatever had happened ended so quickly. The people in the front seats cried out as if they were expecting something terrible and then they grew strangely silent when they realized that their faces had been heated but not burned. Children were crying as parents checked them for injuries and then held them to console them. The roof of the stage enclosure had been burned through and debris fell into the water on the stage. The actors stood around shaking their heads, unable to figure out how such a thing had happened or how such a thing had been stopped.


**********

Lex focused his attention to the scene on his laptop. Through Jason’s eyes he observed Clark and Lana. One second they were sitting together. The explosion ignited. The explosion ended. And the next second Clark had Lana shielded with his body. The expected destruction did not occur. “Whatever happened, happened within a couple of seconds.” He replayed the digital image again and again. Then he began to slow down the image. Slow enough so that he could see the flames move closer to the audience inch by inch. He focused on Clark. Clark covered Lana with his body. He looked quickly from side to side to look at the crowd. Then he faced the explosion. “What the hell!” Lex’s eyes grew wide as he saw Clark inhale and then let go an exhalation that was icy white in texture.

“I’ll be damned.”

Finally, Clark was checking Lana. She held him closely while the rest of the crowd panicked around them.


**********

“Clark, what happened?”

“I’m not sure. It seems that they lost control of the stunt.”

One of the Disney attendants hurried past them to join the other attendants trying to calm down the audience. Clark caught his attention.

“Excuse me!”

The attendant thought the couple was calling for help.

“Are you alright?”

Clark reassured him.

“We’re fine. But has something like this ever happened before?”

“No. Never.”

The couple looked at one another and their thoughts were the same. First it was Space Mountain. Now it was Indiana Jones. Clark and Lana were trying to convince themselves think that these ‘accidents’ were a coincidence. But their experience and common sense wouldn’t let them. Clark’s face dropped. “Isn’t this ever going to end?” Then their thoughts turned to the moans from the children around them. At the same time they asked themselves the same question. “Who would purposely put children and innocent people in danger?” Their eyes met and a sadness came over both of them as they arrived at the same answer.


**********

MGM was closed down for the remainder of the day as the complex became filled with fireman, police officers, ambulances and Disney executives. Everyone was trying to find the answers to two questions. One, in a place that was known for extensive safety precautions, how could such a thing have ever happened? And second, how was such a thing snuffed out before it became a disaster? How had a miracle occurred? The exiting crowd was given tickets for another day. Clark and Lana walked hand in hand back to their car. Both were silent but Lana knew well the appearance of Clark’s slumped shoulders. Clark finally broke the silence. Lana knew exactly what he was going to say.

“Lana, maybe we should go back home to Smallville.”

Lana looked into his eyes. Clark could not disguise the burden he carried.

“Clark, this isn’t your fault.”

“But Lana…”

“Clark! No! We’re not running. We’re not going to let Lex chase us out of having a life together.”

Clark was taken aback that Lana had spoken the name that was foremost in his mind.

“Lex?”

“Clark, I know you’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking. We have to find out how he’s doing it and why.”

Clark slowly nodded in agreement. Clark had comforted the person he loved after the incident at Space Mountain. Lana knew it was now her turn to bring comfort to the person she loved.

“Let’s go back to condo. Get cleaned up. Have sex and then go to dinner with the LoSapio’s.”

Clark did a double take at the matter of fact way in which Lana expressed her plans for the evening. A smile came over Clark’s face and his broad shoulders straightened out.

“In that order?”

“Well what did you have in mind?”

“Let’s go back to the condo. Have sex. Get cleaned up. Have sex. Then have some more sex. Go to dinner with the LoSapio’s and then end the day with some more sex.”

Lana smiled and put her arm in his.

“Are you sure you’re up to it? No pun intended.”

“ There’s only one way to find out.”

**********

“Clark! No! We’re not running. We’re not going to let Lex chase us out of a normal life.”

Lex paused the audio feed he was listening to. “Damn! That girl is smart. She would have made a wonderful Luthor.” He spoke into the cell phone.

“Jason, let’s lay low for a couple of days. Go back to your hotel and wait there until you hear from me. Let’s make them think that everything is normal. Then we’ll see what Kent is really made out of.”

Lex listened to the remainder of the conversation. A scowl formed on his face as he listened to the couple’s plans for the evening. He was seized by an uncontrollable urge to drink himself into a blind stupor.


**********

Jason went back to his hotel room. He sat silently in a chair in the dark. There was no need for lights. For television. For sleep. No need for food other than the simple baby food that kept his organic matter functioning. He closed his eyes. He was parked like a car in a garage. But in his mind flashed images of a tall steel tower. A woman with an unusual tattoo on her back. His eyes opened as he recalled the sound of a gunshot while standing on a cliff over a river.


**********



The next update will be on Wednesday: January 17, 2007

[happycamper]

Another great update!

They seem to both know that the accidents are no longer a coincidence, as well as the cause of their problems. Given what's happening, is Lana now willing to mention her sighting of Jason to Clark?

Jason is remembering more of his past. But will any future awareness result in an attempt to help Lana and Clark, or to hurt them?

I guess the only good thing is how displeased Lex must be at the happiness of Lana and Clark!


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Episode 15: Shadow


Part Four (Continued)


“Night of Nights”

Clark would have preferred to wear a pair of blue jeans with a red tee shirt but one look from Lana told him that this was not a good idea. They were being treated to a sit down dinner in a fine Italian restaurant and even though they didn’t want to be there, Lana was adamant that they should be well mannered and dress appropriately for the occasion. Clark wore a pair of khaki pants, an open collared blue button down shirt and a navy blue sport coat. It took him about twenty minutes to shower, shave and get dressed. He watched television while waiting patiently for Lana to get ready. She said she wasn’t going to go overboard with dressing up for the occasion but Clark thought otherwise as she had been in the bedroom with the door closed for over an hour.

When the door finally opened and Lana came out Clark’s heart jumped into his throat. Lana was dressed in a tightly fitting, semi low cut white dress that rose to just above her knees and white high heeled shoes. Her full, shiny black hair flowed freely down her shoulders and back and cascaded over a pair of large gold earrings. The white color of the dress accentuated the slight tan she acquired from a couple of days in the Florida sun. What astonished Clark the most was Lana’s use of makeup. Lana Lang’s facial features were such that the use of makeup was rarely necessary. There were no blemishes to cover up and her naturally chiseled features stood out on their own. However, when she did wear makeup, she used just enough to just slightly highlight her exotic features. Just a touch of mascara and eye liner made her eyes enormously large and provocative. Just a light coating of lip gloss made her mouth irresistibly inviting. Her minor enhancements blended in perfectly with her tan. Clark sat motionless in his chair. He could not remove his eyes from Lana. His unrelenting attention made Lana self conscious.

“Clark, what’s wrong?”

Clark silently thought to himself. “Here I am, a twenty year old male at my sexual peak. Actually, if I was a human male I’d be at my sexual peak. So I really don’t know when my sexual peak is. But here I am a twenty year old male with the most beautiful girlfriend in the world and she’s standing right in front of me, dressed like this and she thinks something is wrong.”

It was difficult for him to speak. He spoke the first non-sexual thought that came into his mind.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t remember packing that outfit.”

“You didn’t. I packed a few things myself while you were showing Jimmy the farm. If I left the all the packing to you, you would have had me in shorts and tee shirts during the day and only teddies at night. Actually, you would have had me in teddies during the daytime too.”

Clark rose from his seat and circled around Lana. He placed his arms around her waist and his face to her neck. He inhaled. The fragrance of her perfume consumed him. He began to caress the skin of her neck with his lips. She placed her hands on top of his and she bent her neck to the side to accommodate him. Lana closed her eyes and began to feel the same all encompassing sensations roaring through her body that she felt only a short time ago when they arrived back from MGM and Clark had taken her in his arms. She was starting to lose herself again. She struggled to bring herself out of the euphoric state that Clark’s touch always placed her in. She opened her eyes and gently pulled his hands away from her waist and her neck away from his lips. She turned around and faced him.

“Haven’t you had enough?”

Clark was silent in thought for a moment, thinking about an answer to Lana’s question. He tried to pull his eyes away from her but was unable to do so. He had no recourse but to answer truthfully.

“No.”

Lana punched him in the arm and wouldn’t let him re-encircle her waist with his hands.

“You’re impossible. We’re late as it is.”

He pulled her back to him.

“Well if we’re late as it is, what’s another thirty minutes?”

“Because you know as well as I do, thirty minutes will turn into an hour and an hour will turn into two hours and before we know it the sun will be rising.”

She took him by the hand and led him out the door.

“Besides, I spent over an hour making myself look like this and you’re not going to ruin my work and I’m hungry. You’ll just have to wait to ravish me until after dinner.”

Clark let himself be led out the door by a woman a foot shorter and over a hundred pounds lighter. Her words echoed in his head. “After dinner!”


**********

Clark and Lana had expected the dinner to be a boring, mundane affair. It was anything but that.

‘LoSapio’s Italian Restaurant’ appeared to be a nondescript little place on the street from the outside but once Clark and Lana entered they found the restaurant to be warmly inviting and unique. The walls were painted with scenes from the land of Italy. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The dining area was large with about two dozen red table clothed tables surrounding what appeared to be a dance area in the center of the room. Lighting was romantically subdued in the dining area and there were candles on each of the tables. There was a large bar off to the side with a television showing a baseball game with the sound turned down and closed captioning visible.

As Clark and Lana entered they saw that the entire dining area was filled and the bar area was filled with people waiting for tables. At the entrance was a massive man with the same bald head as Tony LoSapio. When Clark and Lana entered his eyes lit up as if he were greeting old friends.

“Goodness gracious! You’re even more beautiful and handsome than Marie said you were!”

He embraced Lana in his massive arms and gave Clark a sturdy handshake. Marie and Tony, who were already seated at one of the tables, rose to enthusiastically greet the couple. Marie took hold of Clark’s head and brought him down to her height to kiss him on the cheek. Tony put his arm around Lana as if she were his daughter.

The couple thought they would be immediately escorted to their table. Instead they were taken around the entire dining area and bar and introduced by Paul to everyone as ‘good friends’ of his. It appeared as if everyone knew one another. Everyone seemed to be someone else’s cousin or in-law. Clark and Lana felt as if they were being welcomed into one gigantic family.

The women who were silver haired seniors gushed over Lana and asked her question after question after question. She answered politely but had other answers running through her head. How many boyfriends did she have? “I have Clark. Why would I want another?” How do you stay so thin? “Running away from meteor freaks and a bald headed billionaire keeps the weight off.” They made compliment after compliment regarding her hair, her complexion and her sense of style. Then they pulled out pictures from their purses showing Lana their children and grandchildren. They would repeatedly look at Lana and then at Clark and say, “Oh, you will have beautiful children together.” She was asked repeatedly if Clark treated her well because if he didn’t then they all knew a real nice guy that she should meet.

Almost all of the men tried to test their strength when they shook Clark’s hand. All were frustrated that they not only could not break his grip; they couldn’t even change the expression on his face. As Paul led him around the bar he was immediately handed a beer. Paul waved off Clark’s concern about being under twenty one. He was affectionately slapped on the back as if he was a routine customer. Repeated comments and questions were made about his size, his physique and his handsome features. He was comically taken aback by the elder men’s curiosity about his love life. Actually his sex life. Like Lana he answered politely but had other answers on his mind.

Clark noticed that there were a series of photographs over the bar of couples on their wedding day. There were six photographs in frames of women in wedding gowns and men in tuxedos. There was a seventh frame that was empty. Paul put his arm around Clark.

“I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering what those pictures are doing up there.”

“I was curious about that.”

“Those are couples that Marie brought in here, determined to get them married. As you can see, she was successful.”

“What’s with the empty frame?”

“That’s for the next couple she decides to work on.”

Clark’s eyes grew wide at hearing this. Then Tony came over and took Clark away from Paul to bring him to the table. He spoke on the way.

“So Clark, were you and Lana anywhere near MGM today?”

Clark was hesitant to answer. Paul didn’t wait for an answer and went to his next question.

“Did you hear what happened at Indiana Jones?”

Again he didn’t wait for an answer. He looked Clark in the eyes.

“I have a great deal of respect for a person who keeps his good deeds to himself. Not like that bastard billionaire in Metropolis who plasters all his charitable donations in the front page of the Daily Planet.”

Tony ran his hand over his own hairless head.

“Twenty years ago I would have called him a bald bastard billionaire but as you can see I’m not in a position to mock someone else’s hairlessness.”

A broad smile came to Clark’s face. He was now feeling totally comfortable with Tony. He was starting to feel totally comfortable with everyone.

“The guys who do things not for the glory or the fame or the money but just because it’s the right thing to do, those are the guys who will be remembered.”

They joined Marie and Lana at the table. Lana and Marie were as Clark expected. Lana was silent and Marie was talking nonstop.

Upon being seated a cadre of waiters began to tend to them. Bottles of wine were brought to the table along with overflowing plates of antipasto. Lana was stunned when she was told that this was just the appetizer. Clark heartily ate everything that was placed in front of him. Lana took small samples of everything trying to keep from filling herself before the main part of the meal. Marie repeated coaxed Lana to “Eat! Eat!” But Lana resisted the temptation to overfeed herself and continued her disciplined sampling of the food. The two couples ordered their entrees and while they waited Tony and Marie kept Clark and Lana entertained with stories of how they met and courted and married.

“Marie was from a very conservative family and I wasn’t. In her family no one was allowed to talk during dinner. Whereas, in my family, you couldn’t get anyone to shut up. The first time I met Marie’s family was on New Years Day. The biggest college football day of the year. The Orange Bowl. The Sugar Bowl. The Cotton Bowl. The Rose Bowl. And what did Marie’s family watch? Nothing!”

“That’s right. We didn’t watch TV. We talked with each other.”

“Yeah. You talked alright. You know what Marie’s family talked about. Marie’s family, when they got together, had three main topics of conversation – who’s sick, who’s dying and who’s dead. Clark and Lana, you should hear these people.”

Tony started to imitate members of Marie’s family.

“‘Oh. I got a pain.’ ‘Oh. I’m on a new medication.’ ‘I just had an operation. You wanna see my scar?’ I sat there listening to this and I thought – what am I getting myself into?”

Marie did not remain silent for long; she had her own stories about Tony’s family.

“Tony is right when he says I was brought up in a conservative family. I didn’t live in a lunatic asylum like his family. Now you should have seen Tony’s family when I first met them. It was on Thanksgiving and I met his brother Paul and his four sisters for the first time. He introduced me to his sisters and they were all talking about the size of their boyfriends. And I don’t mean their height and weight. What kind of family does something like that?”

The conversation went like this for the rest of the meal. Clark and Lana had nothing match Marie’s and Tony’s stories. At least nothing that they could talk about. They certainly couldn’t talk about Zod or Phantom Zones. So they just sat back and ate the food, drank the wine and enjoyed every single minute of their evening. Marie noticed their polite silence.

“You two don’t talk very much.”

But Tony was ready to respond.

“How can they talk when you never shut that hole in the middle of your face?”

Before Marie could respond to Tony a group of five black tuxedo clad men entered the dining area. Three of them carried violins and one carried a mandolin. The one without a musical instrument began to sing. They went from table to table asking for requests and playing and singing the requested tune. As they moved among the crowd the place became very lively and as they made their way to Clark’s and Lana’s table a sense of anticipation began to take hold of the crowd. At last the five gentlemen surrounded the table.

“Is there something you would like to hear?”

Lana and Clark didn’t know how to respond since all the songs they had been playing were in Italian. However, Marie and Tony answered without hesitation.

“Amore!”

Marie and Tony left the table and went to dance floor as the group began their song.

“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.

When the stars start to shine like you’ve had too much wine, that’s amore.”

Tony began to lead Marie around the dance floor as if they were forty years younger. Two people who were totally familiar with each other and who had done this dance many, many times before. And as Tony and Marie danced the entire restaurant began singing the song. The people at the tables and the people at the bar followed the singer’s lead as if this were a common occurrence.

“When the stars make you drool just like pasta fazool, that’s amore.

When you dance on a street with a cloud at your feet, you’re in love.

Clark and Lana now found themselves joining the crowd in the singing even though they didn’t know the words. They easily picked up the melody but substituted “La La” for the words.

“When you walk in a dream but you know you’re not dreaming, signore.

Scuza me but you see back in old Napoli that’s amore!”

The restaurant erupted in applause as Tony and Marie took a bow and then walked back to the table. The group then surrounded the table again and focused on Clark and Lana. The singer spoke.

“Sir, it is now your turn.”

Clark didn’t know how to respond. The lead singer recognized his uncertainty.

“We have a special tune just for you and your beautiful lady.”

Clark rose from the table and extended his hand to Lana. She followed him to dance floor. She placed her hands in his as they looked into each others eyes. The musicians began to play a slower melody and the singer was singing in Italian as the crowd was silent. The subdued light became even dimmer and everyone focused their attention on the dark haired couple on the dance floor.

Both Clark and Lana began to feel the effect of the romantic melody that was circling around him. Lana drew closer to him and placed her arms around his shoulders and her head on his chest. She whispered to him.

“Clark, I don’t understand the words.”

He began to translate.

“Al Di La means you are far above me. Very far.

Al Di La, as distant as the lovely evening star.

Where you walk flowers bloom.

When you smile all the gloom turns to sunshine.

And my heart opens wide.

When you’re gone.

It fades inside and seems to have died.

Al Di La I wondered as I drifted. Where you were?

Al Di La the fog around me lifted. There you were.

In the kiss that I gave was the love I had saved for a lifetime.

And my heart opens wide.

And I know you are mine.

With each word Lana held him tighter. She pulled her head back from his chest and their eyes met. As it had so many times before their lips closed in on each other. Her hands clasped around his head and his arms encircled her narrow waist. To Clark and Lana the crowd disappeared and the music was silenced. They had no sense of time. The couple released their embrace and Clark took Lana by the hand and led her off of the dance floor and through the exit of the restaurant. The crowd enthusiastically accepted what normally would be considered a rude gesture. The music stopped and Paul approached Tony and Marie.

“I have to give you credit, Marie. It looks like you’ve done it again.”

Tony spoke.

“It works every time.”

The crowd stood on their feet and began to applaud Marie and she stood and bowed to everyone. Tony left and the table and walked out of the restaurant to catch a glimpse of the love stricken couple. Outside, he looked both ways up and down the sidewalk. Their rental car was still parked by the curb but there was no sight of the couple. “Where the hell did they go?” He looked up into the moonlit sky and thought he saw a large shadow cruising into the night sky. “No. It couldn’t be.” He shook his head from side to side as if he had to clear his senses. He walked back into the restaurant and spoke in a loud voice.

“Hey Paul! What are you putting in the Chianti?”


**********

Clark held Lana in his arms as he flew towards the lighted sky of the Magic Kingdom. It was near closing time and fireworks were being set off in the sky above Cinderella Castle. Even though it was a moonlit night, everyone’s attention was focused on the fireworks display. Clark and Lana could move freely through the unlit sky without worry of being seen.

Below them were tens of thousands of voices echoing ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ as the fireworks burst above them. Over the land of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, the land of Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio, the land of Snow White and Wishing Upon A Star, Clark and Lana glided – oblivious to the parades and the lights below them. Seeing only each other’s eyes. Not a word had been spoken since they left the dance floor. Clark inhaled and finally spoke.

“Lana, I love you. I’ve always loved you and I always will love you.”

Lana’s chest was feeling heavy with anticipation and her breathing was increasing.

“Clark, I love you and I always will love you.”

The fireworks had ended. The couple was suspended in the darkness far above Cinderella Castle.”

“Lana, there are so many questions I don’t have the answers to. I don’t know where my life is leading me or where I’m going to end up. But I do know that wherever it is I don’t want to be without you.”

He was silent for a moment and then spoke slowly and clearly.

“Lana, will you marry me?”

Tears were beginning to build in Lana’s eyes.

“Yes, Clark. I’ll marry you…I’ll marry you when you return.”

End of Episode 15


**********


Look for the next episode, “Serpentine” to be posted on Thursday, February 1, 2007.

[happycamper]

The LoSapio’s certainly seem like a family I'd like to know! Does Tony actually suspect; will he remember what he didn't see?

This update was very romantic, with a near perfect proposal of marriage.

It's just too bad that all that happiness is being sabotaged and subverted by the machinations of Lex.


:D :D

[Trent083]

This one of the best ive ever read, keep up the good work

[oldmankent]

Episode 16: Serpentine


Part One


“Night of Nights”

Clark held Lana in his arms as he flew towards the lighted sky of the Magic Kingdom. It was near closing time and fireworks were being set off in the sky above Cinderella Castle. Even though it was a moonlit night, everyone’s attention was focused on the fireworks display. Clark and Lana could float freely through the unlit sky without worry of being seen by the spectators below.

Below them were tens of thousands of voices echoing ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ as the fireworks burst above them. Over the land of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, the land of Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio, the land of Mary Poppins, Snow White and Wishing Upon A Star, Clark and Lana glided – oblivious to the parades, the noise and the lights below them. Seeing only each other’s eyes. Only aware of being held in each other’s arms. They had not spoken a word since they left the dance floor. Clark inhaled and finally spoke his mind.

“Lana, I love you. I’ve always loved you and I always will love you.”

Lana’s felt her chest heavy with anticipation and her breathing was increasing. As often as Clark told her these words, she never grew weary of hearing it. She never grew weary of saying it. “Could this be it? Is he really going to ask me?”[i]

[i]“Clark, I love you and I always will love you.”

The fireworks had ended. The couple was suspended in the darkness far above Cinderella Castle.”

“Lana, there are so many questions and I don’t have the answers to any of them. I don’t know where my life is leading me or where I’m going to end up. All I know is that when I’m with you I happy and I don’t ever want to be without you.”

He was silent for a moment. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest. His mouth was dry. Clark was so nervous that for a brief moment he thought he was sweating. How often he had thought about this was he was about to do and now it was upon him. He held Lana in his arms and spoke the question that had haunted him since the day he was forced to turn back the clock. He then spoke slowly and clearly. He spoke it with humility.

“Lana, will you marry me?”

Tears were beginning to build in Lana’s eyes. But the ends of her mouth were curving upward. There was never any doubt as to what her answer would be. There would be no hesitation in giving her answer.

“Yes, Clark. I’ll marry you…I’ll marry you when you return.”

Clark couldn’t keep himself from smiling. His heart was light. Lighter than it had ever been. But a surprise question rose from inside of him.

“Return?”

Lana tightened her hold of her arms around Clark’s neck.

“Clark, you and I both know that there is something you have to do first. Before we left for Florida you spent days in the Fortress of Solitude. I know you brought me here because we’ve never had a real vacation. But I also know you well enough to know that you brought me here to tell me something. You’re going away. Aren’t you?”

Clark pulled his head back slightly. This was one of those increasingly frequent moments where Lana astonished him with her insight. “How is it that this one person knows me so well?”

“Lana, I have to find out why I was sent here. I have to find out if there’s a reason for everything that I…that you and I have been through.”

Lana smiled at him.

“I know that, Clark. I understand. And I know that there is a reason and I know you are going to find it. That’s why I said that we should be married after you return and not before. As much as I want to be married this minute I know that right now there’s something more important.

“Lana, I don’t know how long it will take. But something tells me it might be a very long time. With all the time I’ve spent in the Fortress, Jor-El told that I’ve only reached the end of the beginning of the training he has planned. It might be years. I don’t know if we can wait for years.”

“Clark, no matter how it takes I’ll wait for you.”

He felt her warm breath in his ear as she whispered.

“Besides, I’m really worth the wait. If you think its good now wait till you see how it gets when I become Mrs. Kent.”

They hanged suspended above the Magic Kingdom paying little attention to the exiting crowd below. The noise was dying down. The night was warm and Clark held Lana close to him. They closed their eyes and brought their lips together as they had countless times before. But this time they felt a difference. They felt the self assuredness of now knowing that their future, even though uncertain in its ultimate destination, was secure in their being together. Together as husband and wife.

“If I have to I’ll wait a lifetime for you, Clark Kent.”

Lana noticed that a look of concern had grown on Clark’s face.

“Clark, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t…I don’t have a ring to give you.”

The worry that took hold of Lana when she saw Clark’s face melted away.

“You don’t have to give me a ring, Clark. Having each other is enough for me.”


**********

Clark left Lana at the condo and then flew back to the now closed restaurant and retrieved their car. When he arrived back at the condo he noticed that the place was dark except for a candle burning in the window. Upon entering he noticed a series of candles on the banister leading upstairs. He felt the compulsion to race upstairs but he walked slowly and blew out each candle along the way. He entered the bedroom and saw a single lit candle on the nightstand. Lana was sitting up in bed with the sheet pulled up to her neck. Clark sat on the bed by her. He placed his hand behind her head and drew her to him. His kiss was soft and tender. Lana placed her head on his shoulder. She spoke quietly.

“I’m so happy.”

“Really? Even with all of the uncertainty?

Lana nodded.

“How can I not be happy? All of my dreams have come true.”

Lana placed her hands behind Clark’s head and let the sheet she held fall to her waist as she pulled Clark to her. Clark felt her cool, soft skin against him.

Tomorrow would be another late start.


**********

[happycamper]

Lana really does know Clark well, even to the point of letting him go for a spell.

While the setting as described must have been near perfect for a proposal, the lack of a ring showed a remarkable lack of foresight, even if the blunder was so readily forgiven.

The LoSapio’s will be so pleased!

But what about Lex and Jason? What is going to happen before they can proceed with their lives?


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part One (Continued)


“Day Five”

Jason sat in his room in the dark. His microchip enhanced nervous system was in stand-down mode as he waited for instructions from Lex. Like a television waiting for someone to press the ‘ON’ button on the remote control. He had been in the same seated position for the last 24 hours. His eyes suddenly opened as brain activity that scientists had assured Lex to be ended began to reactivate. A chain reaction began to take shape in the synapses of his nervous system. A single deep seeded memory became active and began to trigger another memory that then triggered another memory. One after another he began to recall brief, isolated moments of his life. Meeting a beautiful woman on a sidewalk café in a city. The smell of coffee. Standing on a high school football field. Kissing the same woman from the sidewalk café. Smelling her perfume. Seeing her dance with another man at an unidentified function. Feeling jealousy at seeing her with the other man.

Jason’s eyes were not only opened but his electronically controlled pupils began to dilate of their own accord. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deep breaths into what little lung capacity that he possessed. His heartbeat increased and blood increased its flow through what was left of his vascular system. There was an absence of controlling outside voices in his head. No remote instructions to follow. He rose from his seat and looked at his hand. He flexed his fingers. Studying them in the darkness of his room with his infrared vision. Again he recalled the image of the woman. He recalled the memory of the touch of her hand against his face. He touched his own face. His brain registered the electronic impulses of the micro circuits in his cybernetic skin not the nervous impulses of flesh against flesh.

“It’s not the same.”

He became startled by his own thought. For the first time since his construction the thought was his own in a voice that his memory recognized as his own. The voice of Jason Teague. His brain sent impulses to his vocal cords and those cords began to vibrate. The air from his lungs rode over the vibrating vocal cords and for the first time since the second meteor shower he issued a sound of his own creation.

“Lana!”

He associated the name with the woman but he was uncertain of the role she played in his life. “She knows. She knows who I am.”


**********

The following afternoon Lana and Clark made the trip to the Universal Studios center. Universal Studios is a massive complex celebrating the magic of movie making. Clark and Lana walked for hours in the warm sun. They rode a dual bicycle in the light of the moon with ET. They joined the crowd in the Men in Black exhibit but they refused to shoot their toy guns at assorted alien life forms. Considering Clarks heritage, they thought that the hunting down of aliens was not a desirable sport. And Clark resisted the temptation of using his X-ray vision in the darkness of The Terminator exhibit. They were whirled about from building to building on the Spiderman ride and ran away from thousands of scarabs on the Mummy ride. They splurged and treated themselves to dinner at the Hard Rock Café.

Clark and Lana walked hand in hand as they always did but this time both of them noticed that something was different. Because of the words they had spoken to each other the night before they now walked hand in hand with a certain light heartedness and a certain sense of mystified delight. “This is the person I’m going to marry. This is the person I plan to spend the rest of my life with.” Two people saying to themselves and to everyone in sight that all is right with the world. Lana squeezed Clark’s hand as she spoke.

“Clark, I want to ask you something.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“We’ve seen all these great romantic couples today – Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, Omar Sharif and Julie Christie – where do you think we rank with these couples?

“Oh we’re much better than those couples.”

Lana was surprised that Clark expressed himself with such certainty. He elaborated.

“For one thing, we’re real and they’re not.”

Lana nodded her head in concurrence. Clark continued.

“For another thing, those couples only had to survive wars and revolutions. You and I have bigger things to deal with, like saving the Earth from destruction.”

Lana placed her arm in his and smiled as she waited for his last point.

“And finally none of those women can possibly compare to you. If it was you in the Gone with the Wind Clark Gable would never have said ‘Frankly, my dear. I don’t give a damn.’ He would have stayed home.

“You’re just prejudiced”

“You’re damn right I am.”

The sun had set and night was upon them. They decided to take one last ride before leaving the exhibits to go into night life portion of the complex. They sat in the front of car that took them through the Jurassic Park exhibit. At the end of the ride the car took a steep drop and everyone either held on tightly for the drop or raised their arms high in the air to demonstrate their bravery. A camera takes a photograph of everyone in the drop and the digital photographs are displayed as everyone leaves the exhibit.

Clark and Lana stood by the picture booth waiting for their particular photograph to be displayed on the monitor. They decided to buy it when it came up. Clark was paying for their picture when Lana looked at another monitor as it displayed the passengers in the car following theirs. Lana smiled at seeing the excited expressions of the passengers and then her smile disappeared. The display was about to change when she took Clark buy the arm.

“Clark, buy the picture of the car following us.”

“The car following us?” Why?”

“Just buy it!”

Clark was taken aback by Lana’s explosive tone. She softened her voice.

“Please.”

Clark paid the extra money to buy the photograph. Lana led him to a bench and they sat down together examining the photograph. Lana pointed to the figure sitting in the car of the multi-seated car. There in the back, without an expression on his face, neither holding on to the safety bar nor raising his arms in the air sat… Jason Teague. Clark couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“No. It couldn’t be.”

“Clark, it is. It’s Jason.”

“Jason’s dead.”

“He’s not. He’s been following me.”

“He’s been what?”

“Clark, I saw him in Smallville before we left for Florida and I saw him looking at us outside of Discovery Cove.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Clark, I thought it was my imagination.”

Clark saw the worry in Lana’s eyes. He put a reassuring arm around her.

“It’s okay. I would have thought the same thing. Let’s go back to the condo and figure this out.”


**********


“Moon Rocks”

They sat together outside on the patio deck just outside their kitchen. Clark had surveyed the neighborhood to ensure that Jason was nowhere near them. They had spent the last hour drinking iced tea and trying to piece together the puzzle. Clark then rose from his seat and paced back and forth, summarizing the chain of events as they knew it.

“Two years ago a second meteor shower hits Smallville and one of those meteors comes crashing down on Jason in my parent’s house. My dad and Lois uncover my mom first and take her to the hospital. When they return to the farm Jason isn’t found and everyone assumes that his body was completely obliterated by the meteor. Not a trace of Jason is found. In the hospital you get a note from Lex saying that you owe him one.”

Clark stopped and Lana continued.

“When you get back from the Fortress, Lex is there to tell you that your parents are at the hospital. He must have come to your farm after your parents left for the hospital and found Jason. Or found what was left of him.”

Clark was now speaking.

“Only Lex would have the resources to get Jason out of there and keep it a secret. Now, two years later, Jason comes out of the Luthor closet and is following us.”

Lana picked up.

“And at the same time we have two unheard of accidents at Disney World. Accidents that just happen to be where we are and where you have to intervene in order to prevent a disaster.”

Clark nodded. He looked at Lana and then a smile grew on his face that extended from ear to ear.

“What are you smiling at?”

“Beauty and brains. I’m a lucky guy.”

Lana rose to meet him and buried herself in his arms. She leaned against him, feeling comfort in his muscular chest and arms. She lifted her head to look up at him.

“So now what do we do?”

“We catch him. He doesn’t know that we know about him. Let’s call the LoSapios and make plans to go the Typhoon Lagoon tomorrow. We’ll hang out with them and I’ll get lost in the crowd in the wave pool. I’ll sneak out, double back behind everyone and find him.”

“Clark, with so many people, how will you be able to pick him out?”

Clark let go of Lana and picked up the photograph.

“Look at him, Lana. Everyone in that picture has some sort of expression on their face. Fear, excitement, something. Everyone except Jason.”

“Like he isn’t human.”

“Or he’s been dehumanized. Remember what Lex did to Victor?”

Lana’s eyes opened wide. Clark continued.

“My guess is that Lex did the same thing to Jason. I’ll use my vision and pick out whoever is made up of the most hardware.”

Lana smiled at Clark. Then she thought of something.

“Clark, if we go with the LoSapios they will want to know what happened to us the other night.”

“I’ll tell them the truth. We were overwhelmed by the romantic evening so we went outside and I proposed to you. Something I had planned to do anyway.”

“If you planned to propose to me, they will want to see some evidence of that.”

Clark thought for a moment. Both of them looked at the full moon that filled the night sky.

”Okay. Why don’t you call them and I’ll get some evidence.”

Clark didn’t wait for Lana to respond. He lifted off into the night sky and was soon out of sight. Lana called the LoSapios. She got the impression that they were expecting to hear from her and Clark. They made plans to meet the next day at Typhoon Lagoon. As she hung up the phone she noticed that Clark had returned. She walked back out to the patio.

“Where did you go?”

Clark pointed up at the full moon.

“Up there.”

“The moon? You went to the moon? What for?”

He held a gray moon rock in front of her.

“For this.”

Lana watched as Clark closed his fingers around the moon rock. A bright light shot through his fingers. Her jaw dropped when he opened his hand and in the middle of the gray dust in his palm laid a perfect diamond. He blew the dust away and pulled a gold band from his pocket.

“I kept the ring from the last time I proposed to you.”

“You kept it? Did you plan to propose to me again?”

“Sure I did. It was just a question of when.”

He welded the diamond to the band and placed it on Lana’s finger. She was speechless and could not take her eyes off of the glistening stone.

“Is this evidence enough?”

Lana still couldn’t answer.

“From now on whenever you look at the moon you’ll be reminded of where your engagement ring comes from.”

Lana jumped up to Clark and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him on every part of his face. Finally she stopped and the two of them locked on each other. Clark held Lana in his arms and walked off the patio towards the bedroom.

“Clark, the LoSapios will want to get an early start.”

“Not too early I hope.”


**********

[SmallvilleMan]

1st and foremost:cool:

[happycamper]

So Clark and Lana now know that Jason has been following them, just as he is beginning to remember who he once was. But is he going to be friendly, or a menace?

The LoSapio's are going to be pleased that their matchmaking seemed to have such a good effect. BTW, does Clark manufacture flawless diamonds?


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Two


“Day Six”

Clark and Lana arrived at Typhoon Lagoon at a time they considered to be early – for them – around 10:30am. However, the LoSapios had been there when the doors opened – an hour and a half earlier. Clark and Lana entered the park with dark sunglasses to help disguise their slightly blood shot eyes. Eyes that were weary because they spent most of the night not sleeping.

On seeing them, Michael LoSapio ran to the couple and led them to the spot where Tony and Marie were sitting. There were already two beach chairs set aside for the couple. Clark and Lana gave everyone a smile and a hello but Tony and Marie could see that the smile was out of the politeness. The couple was tired and that they were trying to make the best of the early morning situation. Tony and Marie gave each other a look indicating that they understood what prevented the handsome couple from getting a good night’s sleep. On the other hand, young Michael could not understand why Clark and Lana were so fatigued.

“I don’t understand. Why are you guys so tired? What were you guys doing all night?”

Marie saw the slightly embarrassed expression on the couple. She pacified her beloved grandson.

“You’ll understand when you’re older, Michael.”

Marie was about to inquire as to what happened to Clark and Lana two nights ago when they disappeared from the restaurant but the morning sun reflected off Lana’s left hand and the gleam of her diamond hit Marie in the eyes. A look of astonishment crept across Marie’s face and she grabbed hold of her husband’s arm.

“Oh my God! Tony, look at this!”

Marie swept over to Lana and took hold of her hand. Now Lana’s smile was genuine as she proudly displayed her engagement ring. Marie’s smothered Lana in her arms and then she smothered Clark with kisses. Tony’s eyes opened wide as he examined Lana’s hand.

“Holy smoking tomatoes! That’s quite a rock.”

He looked at Clark.

“Marie and I had you two pegged at the airport. We thought all you needed was a gentle push in the right direction. Marie can’t help herself. She thinks it’s her destiny to be a matchmaker. From the looks of that ring it looks like you didn’t need much pushing and you had this planned all along.”

Clark began to show his natural shyness at all the attention he and Lana were receiving. But he was unable to conceal the truth.

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it…Thought about it a lot.”

Lana was touched by Clark’s humble confession. She wanted to hear him reveal a little more so she decided to join in on the good natured kidding. She stood facing Clark and removed his sunglasses along with her own.

“Oh yeah. So how long have you been really thinking about this?”

Marie and Tony stood back letting the couple have their fun. Marie poked her elbow in Tony’s side and whispered to him.

“Remember when we were like that?”

“When did we stop being like that?

As Tony answered he grabbed his wife by her backside. Marie let out a ‘Yelp!’ and pushed his hand away but not without first smiling.

“Oh you devil!”

Lana continued to prod Clark to reveal his thoughts.

“So how long have you been thinking about this?”

Clark answered shyly.

“I first started thinking about it in Kindergarten.”

“Really? Kindergarten? You made up your mind that you wanted to marry me in Kindergarten?”

Clark lowered his eyes and nodded his head.

“Clark, please don’t be disappointed if I tell you that I didn’t feel the same way in Kindergarten. It took me a little longer to realize that I wanted to marry you.”

Although Clark was happily surprised to hear that Lana felt the same way he braced himself for disappointment, thinking that Lana’s feelings towards marriage were only recently developed.

“How long?”

“First grade.”

Even though they were outdoors in a crowded public area the force that pulled the couple together could not be denied. Lana let her hands flow to Clark’s arms and she caressed the sinewy muscles in his forearms and biceps. Lana closed her eyes and raised herself to meet Clark’s lips. Her arms reached around his neck while his arms encircled her waist and pulled her up to him, lifting her feet off the ground. For the moment, Typhoon Lagoon, the LoSapios and the world did not exist. All that existed was the entrancing presence of the other. They could have continued for hours like this but they were interrupted by Michael’s groan.

“Ah, man! Gross!”


**********

The couple relaxed for the next hour taking in the sun. Clark applied suntan lotion to Lana’s back. Although Clark didn’t need it she did the same to him even so as not to arouse suspicion. They looked at each other and Clark spoke quietly so no one else could hear.

“It’s time.”[i]

Lana nodded and whispered in his ear.

[i]“Be careful.”

Lana amazed Clark. Even with all his powers, she still worried about him. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and then he stood up.

“I’m going in the wave pool. Does anyone want to join me?”

Michael immediately jumped up and followed Clark to the wave pool.

The wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon has three operating modes. The first is that of a regular pool with no waves at all. The second is the standard mode in which a continuous stream of waves is generated that lift up all of the swimmers in the pool. The third mode involves the creation of a large tidal wave that overwhelms all of the swimmers. It was this third mode that Clark would make his move.

He and Michael entered the pool and bobbed about as the waves lifted up hundreds of swimmers in the water. They spoke about video games, sports and television. Michael’s favorite television show was ‘24’. He wanted to grow up to be just like Jack Bauer. A guy who always gets the job done. Clark walked farther and farther into the deep end of the pool and Michael was having trouble following him as the water was over his head.

“Michael, I’m going to get some exercise now. Don’t try to follow me.”

“But Clark…”

Clark didn’t wait for Michael’s answer as he lowered his head into the water. He forced himself to the bottom of the pool underneath everyone else. In order to elude the attention of the lifeguards he started swimming in a zig-zag pattern back and forth at a very fast pace at the deep end. The lifeguards would only notice someone who was stationary in one spot underneath the water. Not someone who was swimming so rapidly that they easily blended in with the waves and was never in one spot for long. The others swimmers thought that the rapid movement of the water underneath their feet was just part of the waves being generated.

If Jason was following the couple his attention would also be diverted. If he watched Lana only than he would not follow Clark into the pool. If he followed Clark into the pool than he would lose Clark. The waves were moving up and down rapidly and Clark could hear the wave generators building up power in order to create the tidal wave. The tidal wave built up and let go. A roaring boom signaled the beginning of the wave and crowd became excited. At the boom Clark shot up out of the water just behind the crest of wave like a Polaris missile. The crowd noticed nothing unusual as everyone anticipated being overwhelmed by the wave. In a blink of an eye Clark was out of the water and laying flat on the top of a hill that overlooked the entire complex.

In a methodical manner, Clark began mentally sectioning off areas of the water park and focusing his X-ray vision on the crowd. He used his vision in stages. At first his vision just uncovered what was beneath the clothing. He was somewhat distracted by this because he saw some very attractive women but there were more than enough overweight and out of shape people to cause him to quickly change to examining people in a more than skin deep manner. He was now viewing the skeletons of the crowd. Along with bones he saw a variety of body piercing, hip replacements and, to his surprise, quite a few breast implants.


**********

Michael left the pool and ran over to Lana and his grandparents.

“Lana, I think something’s happened to Clark. He went under the water and never came up.”

Tony bolted to his feet and was about to alert the lifeguards but Lana stopped him.

“It’s alright, Tony. Clark is alright. He knows what he’s doing.”

“But Lana if Clark didn’t come up he could be…”

Lana wouldn’t let him finish.

“Tony, Marie, Michael. You’re going to have to trust me on this. Clark is just fine. He’ll be back when he can. Just sit back and relax.”

Tony and Marie saw that Lana was not alarmed so they sat back in their lounge chairs. Marie spoke.

“That farm boy of yours is more than just a farm boy, isn’t he?”

A smile grew on Lana’s face and she answered without looking at Marie.

“In more ways than you think.”


**********

Clark moved from right to left in his surveillance. He came to the area where Lana and the LoSapios were sitting. He studied Lana’s small skeleton. “Jeez Lana. Even your bones are beautiful. Which reminds me. I think we’re a couple of hours overdue for me jumping your bones. Or is it your turn to jump my bones? I forget.” He laughed slightly at his own joke and his eyes moved upward and behind where Lana was sitting.

He focused on a small hill overlooking the wave pool and found what he was looking for. In his vision were a backbone, two arms and two legs but they weren’t human. It appeared like image he had seen with Victor but these appendages seemed much more sophisticated. “Jason Version 2.0.” He came out of X-ray mode to normal vision and then he went into close-up mode. In his sights was Jason Teague. He was wearing shorts and a tee shirt. He was standing alone in some tropical brush about a hundred yards away from Lana and the LoSapios. Clark could tell that he was focused on Lana but Jason’s face was expressionless. “It’s time to find out what’s going on.”

Clark speeded through the area until he was in the brush standing right behind Jason. He placed his right hand on Jason’s shoulder. Someone standing behind him was the last thing Jason expected and he immediately turned around to see Clark standing before him. Clark could see that Jason was struggling to form an expression on his face. Clark grabbed him by his arm. With a flick of his arm Jason threw Clark out of the brush they were in and into a tree. Clark was momentarily startled at Jason’s strength but he quickly recovered. He stood up and faced Jason expecting Jason to come forward in a frontal attack. Instead Jason froze for just a second and then ran away in a speeded up mode. Rather than stop him, Clark decided to follow him. Both men were running at a pace in which they were invisible to passers by but visible to each other. Although Clark could have caught up with Jason whenever he wanted, he decided to keep his distance.

The two men speeded out of the water park, out of Disney complex and into the downtown Orlando area. Jason speeded into a hotel and Clark followed. Jason speeded up several flights of stairs. Clark also ran up the stairs and knew the floor Jason exited on because he was traveling so fast that the door to the floor did not have time to shut before Clark arrived. Clark walked down the hallway and saw that all of the doors were shut. He activated his X-ray vision and clearly saw Jason sitting down in one of the rooms. He used his strength to open the door of the room. He expected Jason to attack him. Instead Jason remained seated with his eyes closed.

Clark now performed a more thorough scan. The hardware inside of Jason was much more extensive than that of anything Clark had seen before. Except for approximately half his brain, part of his jaw and a small portion of his lungs and digestive system, there wasn’t much left of Jason that was Jason. Clark was amazed that so much of his brain was composed of computer circuits. “Are you a man or a machine?” Clark thought the later. In his brief confrontation with Clark, Jason had acted like a computer that was not programmed for the task before it. He like a computer that had too many windows opened at the same time. He froze. He shut down.

Clark remembered the almost disasters at Space Mountain and Indiana Jones. He surmised that Jason was a machine that was being used by Lex to follow him and to discover what abilities Clark possessed. Clark was used to the idea that Lex had always pursued him but now Lex had reached a new low point. He was willing to sacrifice innocent people in order to satisfy his obsession about Clark Kent. Clark was filling with rage. He stepped back from Jason and began to focus his heat vision. He was about to incinerate Jason when he stopped. “I don’t have any proof. I could be wrong.”

He walked away from Jason and sat down at the desk. He picked up the phone and dialed Lana’s cell phone number. He told her he was fine and he was with Jason. He needed her help. Within a half hour she arrived at the room.

“I’m sure the LoSapios must think we must be the rudest people they’ve ever met. They were totally mystified as to how you could have left the park and then called me to join you.”

She saw Jason sitting in the chair and became just as confused as Clark. Clark then began to tell her what he knew.

“Lana, he’s about 90% machine. He has a little bit of his lungs and digestive system left and about half of his brain. Other than that he all machine. Lana I don’t know what to do. I was ready to destroy him like he was a piece of junk. But what if he’s still part human? Then I would be killing him. I just can’t do that.”

Lana empathized with Clark’s dilemma. During the time they had lived together she had learned of his deep respect for human life. What the two of them thought was a simple decision was not so clear cut. She knelt by Jason and Clark stood up watching over them.

“Jason, can you hear me?”

She repeated this several times without success. She placed her hand on Jason’s face.

“He’s warm. The same way you and I are warm.”

Jason’s eyes opened and his hand reached out and grabbed the hand that was cupping his face. Clark was about to rip the arm off when Lana stopped him.

“It’s okay, Clark. He’s not hurting me.”

Lana looked directly at Jason’s face and saw that his eyes, while open, were lifeless. They were incapable of conveying emotion. His breathing began to increase. His fingers, while not squeezing her hand, seemed to be feeling her skin as if it were a new experience. He spoke.

“Epidermal tissue with a slight coating of suntan lotion. Temperature of 98.7 degrees Fahrenheit. ”

Clark and Lana looked at each other. Jason was analyzing the texture of Lana’s skin. Jason let go of Lana. She spoke.

“Jason, do you know who I am?”

He spoke dryly, mechanically. Without emotion.

“I know you. You are Lana.”

“Jason, what are you doing here?”

“I am here.”

“But what are you doing here?”

“I am here.”

Clark changed his questioning.

“Where do you remember Lana from?”

Jason thought for a moment.

“Paris.”

“Where else?”

“Smallville.”

“Jason, why did you follow us to Orlando.”

Jason was silent and unmoving.

“Did you cause the accidents at Space Mountain and Indiana Jones?”

The result was the same.

“Did Lex Luthor send you here?”

Jason did not answer.

“Lana, I think he’s a machine and he’s been programmed to give those responses.”

Jason’s hand lifted once again and cupped Lana’s face the same way she cupped his. Again he spoke in a monotone voice.

“I can touch you but it’s not the same.”

Clark looked at Lana.

“What does he mean it’s not the same?”

Tears began to form in Lana’s eyes. Her heart was breaking for Jason. Yes, she was now with Clark. Engaged to Clark. Wanted to spend the rest of her life with Clark. But she could not forget that at one time, Jason Teague was a warm human being who had loved her. She answered Clark.

“I think the remainder of his brain is recalling a memory of me. As a machine he can analyze what I’m made of but he can’t feel the real me as one person to another. Clark, when you touch me and I touch you there’s something that passes between us that’s more than just the molecules of our skin. Jason can no longer feel that but he remembers what it was like.”

Jason’s stood up from his chair and walked forward. Clark’s first reaction was to place Lana behind him to protect her. They watched Jason walk to his backpack and get out a spoon and a jar of baby food. He ate the baby food and returned to the chair. He sat back and closed his eyes. His breathing was barely noticeable. Clark was the first to speak.

“I think we’ve just seen Jason perform a maintenance function like a machine. But at the same time he has the memories of a human being.”

“Clark, I think Jason has retained some of his old memories before the meteor shower but he’s not able to make new memories.”

“So what do we do?”

Both Clark and Lana were silent. The moral dilemma weighed heavily on the two of them.

“Lana, if he’s not able to make new memories than he won’t remember us in his room. We’ll have to follow him to see what he’s about. It’s the only way we’ll ever be sure of what to do.”

“How are we going to follow him if he’s following us?”

Lana saw a smile form on Clark’s face. A similar smile spread on her face.

“Clark, are you thinking the same thing I’m thinking?”


**********

[SmallvilleMan]

Nice chapter, I thought of this story last night when they talked the photographer in the episode.

[happycamper]

Very nice!

I think they really have a dilemma, here. Jason is a machine working under program, but still has a touch of humanity (unlike his creator, who has none).

However, both Clark and Lana seem to know how to keep track of Jason/cyborg, but I wonder if they can keep him from contacting Lex.

The LoSapios's have been given some hints about Clark. Are they starting to catch on?


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Three


“Tower of Terror”

The sun had not yet risen. Jason’s eyes opened as the communications chip in his head became activated.

“Jason, we’ve waited long enough. It’s time to see what Kent is made of. Change your vehicle and follow Kent and Lang.”


**********

When they returned to their condo from Jason’s hotel Clark and Lana called the LoSapios. They apologized for their sudden departure from Typhoon Lagoon and began to explain as much to the LoSapios as they could about their situation with a certain bald headed billionaire from Metropolis. In his conversations with Clark, Tony LoSapio had revealed a certain anti-Luthor bias. He and his wife were now only too happy to help the couple in any way that they could. This was just what Clark and Lana wanted to hear.

Michael LoSapio sat in the rear seat of the Ford Fusion as Clark and Lana made a return trip to MGM Studios. The first trip was cut short by the incident at the Indiana Jones exhibition. Management at Disney had issued free return tickets to everyone who had entered the park that day.

Michael was tremendously excited at the prospect of spending the day with the young couple. He felt at ease with Clark and he felt he could talk about things that he felt embarrassed to talk about with his mother and his grandparents.

“Clark, can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask.”

Michael spoke slowly as if he was unsure of what he wanted to say.

“When did you know that you were in love with Lana?”

Clark and Lana looked at one another. Both had to make an effort to keep a laughing smile from crossing their faces.

“What’s her name, Michael?”

Michael became unnerved at hearing Clark’s question. He thought he was being very cautious and unrevealing in his question.

“Who’s name?”

“The name of the girl you want to talk about.”

Michael became resigned to the fact that he could not hide his secret.

“Angela.”

“Do you like Angela?”

Michael became very shy with his answers.

“Yes.”

“Does she like you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, don’t you think you should find out?”

Michael waited a moment before he answered.

“She kissed me.”

Lana turned around to look at Michael.

“She kissed you?”

“Yeah. One day after Sunday School.”

“Well, I think that’s a pretty good sign that she likes you.”

“But how should I treat her? How should I treat someone to let them know that I like them?”

It was Clark who answered.

“Michael, I can’t tell you what you should do but I can tell you what you should not do.”

Lana turned from looking at Michael to looking at Clark.

“If you really like her and she likes you then you should trust her. You shouldn’t keep any secrets from her. You should let her see every part of you. And you should never exclude her from anything. That’s what you shouldn’t do. Take that from someone who’s learned that lesson the hard way.”

Lana took Clark’s hand and held it. She turned to Michael and nodded her head.

“What he said.”

Lana felt the vibration from her phone. She opened it up and read the text message.


“GOT HIM – T”

“It looks like Tony and Marie found Jason.”

Lana typed a message on her phone.


“WHERE IS HE?”


“6 CARS BEHIND U. WE’RE 2 CARS BEHIND HIM.”

Clark and Lana nodded at each other. They had given Tony and Marie the photograph from The Mummy ride at Universal Studios. They would take Michael with them for the day and Tony and Marie would trail them keeping their eyes pealed for Jason. Once they found Jason, Tony and Marie would keep tabs on him while he followed Clark and Lana. They would communicate via text messaging through their cell phones. If Jason made any kind of move Tony and Marie would alert Clark and Lana immediately. Michael was overjoyed in taking part of this cat and mouse game. He felt very grown up.

They entered the park and began to take Michael to every exhibit in their path. Although Michael loved his grandparents he was thrilled to be accompanied by a couple that didn’t treat him like a child and who could keep up with his limitless energy. At every stop Lana received a text message from the LoSapios as to Jason’s whereabouts. Jason was always about a hundred yards behind Clark and Lana and the LoSapios were behind him. Clark, Lana and Michael strolled throughout the park without incident, waiting for Jason to make his move. They even visited the now reopened Indiana Jones exhibition. Before the performance Lana text messaged Marie.


“WHAT’S HE DOING?”

The response was always a little unnerving.


“WATCHING U.”

Lana showed Clark the message. Both shared the same reaction. “What’s he waiting for?”

It was getting late in the day and the trio was to embark on their last adventure – the Tower of Terror. The Tower of Terror is a large elevator that holds several dozen people strapped into seats. In darkness, the elevator rises to the top…and then drops. It rises again and then drops again. Sometimes it travels a few feet downward. Other times it’s a great deal more than a few feet. At intervals a door opens in the elevator revealing to the strapped in passengers the wide open expanse of the MGM park and then it drops.

The passengers are conveyed into the elevator already strapped into their seat in a car that travels down a long dark tunnel while music from The Twilight Zone plays in the background. The anxiety mounts as they move ever closer to the elevator shaft. Once the car enters the shaft and the doors shut the tension is at a fever pitch.

Michael sat between Clark and Lana as the car moved towards the shaft. The couple was as excited as Michael and they smiled at each other as they saw the anticipation build on Michael’s face. Michael had dreamed of this ride but he knew his grandparents were leery because of their own physical limitations. Now he was getting his chance.

They were almost in the shaft when Lana’s phone vibrated. Even though she was strapped in she managed to remove the phone from her pocket and read the message.


“HE’S GONE.”

“Clark! He’s gone!”

Clark looked at Lana not fully understanding what she was saying.

“Jason! He’s gone!”

Under different circumstances Clark would have sprang into action. But he was strapped in a seat in a crowd. “What do I do?” He looked at Michael sitting next to him.

“Michael, you’re sick.”

“What?”

“Michael, there’s no time to explain. You have to do this. We have to get out of here. I need you to act sick so we can stop this car.”

Michael was beginning to get very upset.

“Michael, you’ve got to get the job done. The same way Jack Bauer would get the job done.”

Michael waited only a second and then he began thrashing against his seat. The restraints were hurting him but it did stop him from acting as if he were having a convulsion. He started screaming at such a pitch that his voice drowned out all of the other passengers. Lana saw what Michael was doing and she joined in.

“He’s having a seizure! My nephew is having a seizure! We’ve got to stop!”

The attendants were used to seeing people panic as they entered the shaft but they rarely saw someone throwing themselves back and forth posing a danger to himself and to the other passengers. They stopped the car and the restraints lifted. Clark stood up and lifted Michael out of the seat carrying him in his arms. The attendants surrounded the trio.

“Clark, didn’t you give Michael his medication this morning?”

Clark saw what Lana was doing and he played along.

“I thought you did.”

“Jesus Christ! You men expect women to do everything!”

Clark told the attendants he would take Michael to the Aid Station. The couple carried Michael out of the Tower and the ride proceeded. The LoSapios saw Clark carrying their grandson and ran to him.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Clark reassured them as he hugged Michael.

“Michael just won the Oscar.”

He turned to Tony and Marie.

“What happened?”

“Jason’s gone. One moment he was there and the next moment he was gone.”

Clark stood up straight and surveyed the area. He looked back at the Tower where the car he had just left was rising to the top.

“He’s in the Tower. He’s in the shaft.”

Tony was about to ask how Clark knew that but Clark had disappeared out of sight before he could get the words of his mouth. Marie and Tony looked at Lana. She gave them a small smile.

“This is very complicated.”

Michael’s mouth dropped as he stared at the Tower.

“Wow!”


**********

It was Lex’s intention to have Jason snap the immense cable that pulled the elevator car upward. He expected Clark to come flying through the roof of the car to take hold of the cable and pull the passengers to safety. Clark would be revealed not only to Lex but to everyone in the car and then to the world. Through Jason’s eyes he saw the cable in Jason’s hands. Then he heard through Jason’s ears.

“Jason! Stop!

On the display of his laptop stood Clark Kent.


**********

“Jason! Don’t do this! Those are innocent men, women and children in that car.”

The cable moved upward, gliding through Jason’s grip. The cable dropped suddenly and he and Clark heard the screams of the passengers below them. The cable started moving up through Jason’s grip again.


**********

“Jason! Snap the cable! Now!


**********

Clark and Jason stood facing each other.

“Jason, I know you’re somewhere in there. Jason, don’t do this. You don’t have to do this.


**********

Lex was speaking loudly into his speaker phone. His voice was echoing inside Jason’s head.

“Jason, you are a device! Do as I command! Snap the cable!


**********

Jason’s eyes were expressionless. But they stared off in this distance as if Jason were conflicted. The cable dropped once again and the screams of excitement were echoing in the shaft.

“Jason, you are a human being. You are not a machine!

Clark swallowed hard. “Please. I don’t want to use my powers. Don’t make me destroy you.”

“Jason! You always have a choice.”

Jason’s lifeless eyes looked at Clark. His hand let go of the cable. The passengers continued on their journey through the Tower of Terror never knowing that their lives were being held in the hands of the two men standing above them.

Jason started to grimace. His hands were shaking. He raised his hand and poked his finger into his eye and pulled in out. Electrical sparks came forth and wires were pulled out of his skull. He stuck two fingers in the empty socket and pulled out a computer chip. He dropped the chip to the floor and smashed it with his foot.


**********

The computer monitor showed Jason’s hand rise up to his eye. Static filled the screen and then it went blank. Lex listened into his headset. There was nothing but silence.

“Son of a *****!”


**********

With his right arm Jason pulled on his upper left arm until he tore the sleeve of his shirt off and then the surface of his arm. Somehow Clark thought he would see flesh and blood. Instead he saw computer circuits and a thick, black viscous fluid pouring out of Jason. As the fluid came out Jason’s knees buckled and he dropped to the floor. Clark sped to his side.

“Jason, don’t do this. Tell me what to do so I can help you.”

Jason’s head tilted upwards to face Clark. He shook his head.

“No. Let me be.”

With his good arm he grabbed Clark and pulled him down to him. He whispered in Clark’s ear.

“He knows.”

Clark wanted to hear Jason say Lex’s name. He needed to know how much Lex knew.

“Who knows? What does he know?”

The light dimmed in Jason’s lone eye and his hand dropped from the hold on Clark’s shirt. The last remnant of air emptied from his lungs.

“He… knows.”


**********

[SmallvilleMan]

:cool:

[Trent083]

WOW

[happycamper]

A bit of humanity - and vindication - for Jason at the end. Good.

But what are they going to do with Lex, and how are they going to explain themselves to the LoSapios.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Four


“Heaven or Hell”

Lex sat at his desk staring at the blank screen on his computer. When he lost contact with Jason his first instinct was to toss the laptop across his office. But he forced himself into calmness. “Now is not the time for anger. Now is the time to think clearly.” He poured himself a scotch and drank it down in one swallow. He poured himself another drink and began to nurse it as he sat thinking of his next course of action. “I think it’s safe to assume that Jason no longer exists. I’ll have to let the ******* geniuses on 33.1 know that their experiment with the use of a human brain didn’t work.” He placed a sheet of paper on his desk and he began to write down his thoughts with a dark felt tipped pen.

Zod
Power
Zod = Power

Clark
Power?
Does Clark = Power?
Maybe.

Does Clark = Zod?
Maybe.

Clark?
Clark?
What do I know about Clark?

He recalled how Clark stopped the runaway car at Space Mountain.

Clark = Strength.

He recalled how Clark blew out the explosion at the Indiana Jones exhibition.

Clark = Super Lung Capacity.

He remembered that Clark subdued the effects of the explosion before anyone was aware of what had happened.

Clark = Speed
?
Maybe.

What else do I now know about Clark?

Clark speaks different languages.
A farmer from Smallville High School can speak every language in the world.
How did that happen?

Fortress.

Lana spoke of a Fortress.

What is the Fortress?

Where is the Fortress?

Fortress.

What is the Fortress in relation to Clark?

Is the Fortress the key to Clark?

Is the Fortress the key to Power?

Lex nodded his head and took a sip of his drink. “If Clark is the same as Zod, I need to know where he gets his power from. If Clark isn’t the same as Zod, I still need to know where he gets his power from. Who knows about Clark?” He began to write his thoughts down again.

Who knows about Clark?

Clark.
Clark knows about Clark.

Forget Clark.
Can’t get near him.

Lana?
Certainly.
Can’t get near Lana.
Not anymore.
Protected by Clark.

Martha?
Certainly.
Can’t get near Martha – State Senator – Maybe a U.S. Senator - Too Popular.

Lois?
A muffin peddling college dropout.
Doubtful?
Lois doesn’t know the time of day.

Jimmy?
Doubtful.
Jimmy Olsen hasn’t been around long enough to know anything.

Chloe?
Chloe knows Clark longer than anyone.

The mole inside LuthorCorp.
Who is the mole?
Lionel?
Maybe?

Who would be the logical contact for the mole outside of LuthorCorp?

He placed his felt tipped pen down and thought for a moment. He picked up his pen and wrote again.

Chloe.

Chloe knows about the mole.
Chloe knows about Clark.

Chloe knows everything!!!

The last thing that Lex did was to draw a large, thick circle around Chloe’s name.


**********

Michael ran to Clark as soon as he saw him walking back from the Tower of Terror. He hugged Clark as if he would never let him go. Clark was surprised at Michael’s reaction. He was surprised that Michael had formed such a close bond with him in so short a time. He placed a reassuring arm around Michael.

“It’s okay, Michael. It’s all over now.”

Lana, Marie and Tony followed Michael. Lana placed her arm through Clark’s and leaned against him. There was just an overwhelming desire in her to establish physical contact with Clark. It was becoming as normal as breathing.

“Jason?”

Clark shook his head.

“Where is he?”

“He’s gone. I didn’t want anyone to find him. I returned him to his elements.”

Tony and Marie placed their hands on Michael’s shoulders.

“We’re proud of you, Michael.”

It reminded Clark of what Jonathan used to say to him. Then Tony addressed Clark.

“We’re also proud of you, Clark. Clark we’ve seen you do some things that are…unique. But you’ve done it to help other people. Marie and I can see by the way Lana looks at you that she loves you more than anything in the world. I don’t think she would feel that way about someone who wasn’t special and who wasn’t good.

He stopped for a moment and then continued.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that you don’t owe us any explanations. Our son, Michael’s father, always had an inner instinct about doing the right thing. It can’t be explained. It’s just there. You and Lana seem to have that same instinct.”

Clark was filled with humility at the LoSapios’ faith in them.

“I appreciate that, Tony. I’d like to give you an explanation. I just can’t. Not now.”

He spoke to Lana.

“I think Lex knows.”

“Everything?”

“Enough.”

“Clark, then there’s only one thing we can do.”

Clark nodded.

“I have to finish my training.”


**********

The first thing that Chloe noticed was the cold. She was in darkness. She was cold and her head ached. The coldness was close to her skin. She realized that she was naked and laying on something that was very cold. She was unable to move her limbs. Something was keeping her from moving.

The area around her began to light up and she saw that she was strapped down on stainless steel table. She lifted up her head and saw that there were thick leather straps across her legs, her arms and her waist. She was not wearing any clothes but someone had placed an adult diaper around her bottom. The walls and ceiling of the room were white. To the wall on her left was a clock with the hour, minute and second hand pointed at twelve. To her right was a device that appeared to be some sort of electrical generator. There was a display on the generator with a needle. The display was color coded. Going right to left from green to yellow to red.

She heard a door open and footsteps walking towards her. She lifted her head and recognized the tall, thin black clothed figure walking towards her. She looked up and saw Lex Luthor standing above her.

“Hello, Chloe. Welcome to Level 33.1.”

“Lex, what are doing?”

“Ah. What am I doing? Well, in a way I guess you can say that I’m giving you an exclusive interview. You will have access to the inner workings of Lex Luthor’s mind. You will get to see a side of me that no one else has ever seen.”

“How did I get here? Where’s Jimmy?”

“Jimmy is asleep in Clark’s bed at the Kent farm where the two of you have been having a love fest. He will be asleep for the next twelve hours. Not even the painful sounds of the cows begging to be milked will be enough to wake him up. Last night I had a team extract you from the Kent farm and put Jimmy to sleep. We took you from the bed the two of you shared as you were. We didn’t have time to bring a change of clothes.”

“Why am I in an adult diaper?”

“There won’t be any bathroom breaks. And what you are about to go through can be very messy.”

Chloe was scared when she woke up. Now she was terrified. Lex recognized this. He was enjoying her seeing her in fear.

“A year ago I was possessed by a being named Zod. Zod was from another world and being possessed by him gave me extraordinary abilities. Such abilities that I could control this world all by myself. But fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view, Zod was somehow made to depart from me and all of these wonderful abilities left with him.

Now, don’t get me wrong. That’s okay. I got along without those abilities before. I can get along without them again. I’ll just have to learn to control this world by other means.”

“You want to control the world? You’re insane.”

Lex gave a small laugh.

“That’s the reaction I expected from you. But let me continue. Now I have tried other means to do this. Zod left a remnant of mind control with me. But I was prevented from using this to its fullest power and now that remnant has disappeared. Zod left me with a certain knowledge of quantum singularities and Phantom Zones that no one else in this world knew about and I tried to construct a corridor through this Zone to an alternate universe to access vast amounts of energy but that very expensive project went awry. I tried to discover the secrets of a place called Sanctuary in the Himalayas but that didn’t end up the way I wanted.

By the way thank you for that article extolling my humanitarian efforts to stem the tide of the outbreak of plague in that area. I’m sure you were well aware that there was no outbreak of plague but I was touched by your words.”

Chloe said nothing.

“Hmm. No reaction from smart mouthed investigative reporter. I’ll have to mark this day on my calendar. I’ve had all of these setbacks. I asked myself – why? How is it that so many things can go wrong? The answer is a simple one. There is a mole in my organization. Now I have my suspicions as to who that mole is but one of the two reasons that you are here is to confirm those suspicions.”

“What’s the other reason?”

“I want to know everything there is to know about Clark Kent. Without Zod’s abilities I can still control this world. It will take longer and be more expensive but I’ll still get there. But another person with those abilities could prevent me from doing this. I think that person is Clark Kent.”

Chloe tried to summon up her courage.

“You’ll never get away with this, Lex. You already confessed to me what you’ve done. I’ll let the world know.”

Lex smiled at her.

“But Chloe, I am getting away with it. Jimmy will not wake up for another twelve hours. When he does wake up it will take him a couple of hours of searching and phone calls to figure out that you’re missing and no one has seen you. He will call the police and they will inform him that because you are over eighteen years old you are considered to be an adult and he can’t report you as a missing person until twenty four hours have passed. That puts him into the day after tomorrow. By that time we’ll be done here. And as far as you telling the world about me, well, you’re assuming that you are going to be alive to do that.

And that’s not going to happen.”

He was now walking around the table and speaking at the same time.

“You are going to die here, Chloe. Your body will be found in some out of the way area and it will be mutilated beyond recognition. It will take some DNA testing and a couple of weeks before you are positively identified. By that time my people in the police department and at the Daily Planet will have circulated the idea that your death is the result of a sacrificial ritual by a bizarre cult. You will be eulogized as someone who had an enormous amount of potential and your premature death is a great loss to this world.

Now you and I are going to play a game called Heaven and Hell. There is no doubt in my mind that because you are such a good, upstanding person, full of integrity, that if heaven exists there is place that reserved for you there. So it isn’t a question of whether or not you’re going to make it to heaven. It’s a question of when.

Now I may be uncertain as to the existence of heaven but I know for a fact that there is such a place as hell. I know this because this room is about to become your own personal hell.”

He grabbed Chloe’s head with his hand and turned it so she could see the clock on the wall.

“That clock is about to begin ticking. It is going to count off the last twelve hours of your life. Those twelve hours will be your own personal Hades, Chloe. The place of never ending pain. It will be twelve hours but it will seem like an eternity.”

He then turned her head to the generator on her right.

“That is an electrical generator. There is an insulated rod that is attached to it. That rod can be placed anywhere on or inside of your body. It can also be attached to this table. I’m sure that you are aware that steel is a conductor and this stainless steel table will carry electricity to every square inch of your body if I want it to. Now look at the display. I can generate electricity that can range from a small dose, like accidentally sticking your finger into a light socket to enough electricity that will barbecue you.”

He felt Chloe shaking.

“Don’t think you’re going to pass out, Chloe. I have a team of medical people waiting outside whose job it is to keep you conscious. Don’t think you’re going to die before I’m finished with you. I’ll give you a blood transfusion just to keep you alive.

And being electrocuted in real life is not as easy to recover from as what you see in the movies. You’re not going to be like Rambo and just shake it off. Even if you were to live you would have tremors for the remainder of your life. Your beautiful, blonde hair would fall out. I doubt you would ever be able to type on a keyboard again.”

Chloe tried to control her shaking so that she could speak.

“What happens at the end of twelve hours?”

“If you haven’t told me what I want to know at the end of twelve hours, I will take you into another room and inject into you a newly developed truth serum and you will tell me everything I want to know whether you want to or not. It’s a serum we’ve developed from meteor rocks. You had a sample of it a few years ago. We’ve altered it so that instead of giving it to interviewer we give it to the interviewee.”

“I don’t understand. Why not just give me the truth serum now?”

“Where’s the fun in that?

Tell me what I want to know and you will reach heaven painlessly within a few minutes. Try to protect Clark and whoever the mole is and your journey to heaven will become very, very long. ”

He walked over to the generator and turned it on. He adjusted the frequency dial so that the needle was at in the middle of the green area of the display. He held the rod by the insulated portion and came back to the table.

“Start the clock!”

The second hand on the clock began moving to the right.

“What is the Fortress?”

Lex could see the look of recognition in Chloe’s face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He brought the rod down onto her.

“Wrong answer.”


**********

[Trent083]

Holy !#@$

Why are Al/Miles writing for the show when there are writers like you out there????

Id love to see a few episodes written by some of the authors from here, OldManKent, Cardinal, AJ, SVsleuth, smallvilleman, damn that would make for some entertaining tv.

Keep up the good work

[happycamper]

Poor Chloe.

I guess Lex can't see that there are others who are simply untouchable. Hurting her is a very bad mistake, although I guess that isn't going to help her in the short term.

I hope Clark does something before he leaves...


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Four (Continued)


“End Game”

“How strange that it should come to this. I’m only twenty years old and I feel like I’m…What do I feel like? Am I feeling anything anymore?

Oh! Yes…I’m still feeling. Lex made sure of that. I’m still feeling…everything.

I have to turn my head completely to the left to see the clock. I can’t use my peripheral vision from my left eye. I can’t see out of my left eye anymore. What does the clock say?

11:55. Have I really lasted twelve hours? Five more minutes. Five more minutes and this will be over with. Five more minutes till I…die.

Oh God! I’m going to die.

I feel everything but nothing feels like it should. I can’t wiggle my toes. I know my toes are there but instead of feeling them wiggle I just feel a sensation like my toes are on fire. A little while ago, I think it was a little while ago. It could have been five minutes ago. It could have been five hours ago. I don’t know. I’ve lost my sense of time. I was able to lift my head to look at my toes. They weren’t on fire but they felt like they were on fire. Now I can’t even lift my head. Maybe it’s better that I can’t lift my head. Maybe it’s better that I can’t see what he’s done to me. I don’t I want to see what I look like.

The strangest thoughts are entering into my head.

What was that book I read?

A Tale of Two Cities. Yes. That was it.

What was that guy’s name? The hero. He was always drunk but he sobered up in the end. Changed by the love of a woman.

Sidney…Sidney Carton. That’s the guy.

What did he say? What did he say at the end when he was walking up to the guillotine?

‘It’s a far, far better thing I do than I’ve ever done before. It’s a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.’

He said that at the end. They were going to chop off his head and he thought he was lucky because his death had meaning. He was taking the place of the husband of the woman he loved. He died so her husband could live and she could be happy.

Is that what this is about?

Am I going to die because I love Clark? There I’ve said it. I know you love him, Lana. I love him too. Don’t resent me for it. He was always yours.

How could I not love him?

Yes. I love Jimmy. I think if I had the time I would have grown to love him more than Clark. I just didn’t have the time.

Oh God! He’s coming again!”


**********

“This is very frustrating.”

Lex was wiping his head with a towel. It was several hours ago that he had removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. His shirt was soaked with sweat. He sat on the stool looking at the floor. The medical team stood behind him. Several times they were called in to revive the victim on the table. He looked at the clock.

“Five more minutes. I can’t believe she’s lasted this long.”

His anger was building to a fever pitch. Lex tightened his grip on the rod. He turned the voltage dial into the red.

“Chloe, you always did know how to piss me off!”

He inserted the rod into the table.


**********

“The light is coming back. Damn them. They brought me back. They call themselves doctors. Don’t they know the Hippocratic Oath? ‘First, do no harm.’

He just had to take one last shot.

They’re going to bring me into the other room. One of the attendants is unbuckling the straps. I don’t think I can walk. He’s going to have to carry me. Carry me or drag me.

The clock says 12:00.

I made it.

I made it to the truth serum.

Oh no. The truth serum. I forgot about that.

Oh God! He’s going to make me tell him everything.

I’m so tired and mixed up. I don’t even know if I told him anything. I don’t think I did. But it’s been so many hours. I don’t know.

Please forgive me, Clark. I just don’t know.

He kept hammering away at me and I just don’t know.

He’s not going to drag me.

He’s picking me up.

Lex and the others are already in the other room.

Good.

That gives me one last chance.”


**********

Lex and his assistants were in the other room getting the equipment ready to administer the truth serum when they heard the scream from the attendant.

“My eye! She pulled out my ******* eye!”

They turned around and saw the attendant on his knees. His face and chest was covered with blood and fluid. Chloe was on the floor. She was crawling. She was crawling towards the generator. The attendants ran to the man on the floor. Lex saw what Chloe was trying to do. His concern was not for the attendant but for Chloe.

“Stop her!”

He was at the entrance to the room. Chloe was at the generator. With one hand she grabbed hold of the electrical rod and held it close to her. With her other hand she turned the voltage regulator all the way up into the red. Past the highest voltage that Lex had used on her. Her finger was ready to flip the ON/OFF switch to ON. She sat back and looked Lex in the eye.


**********

“I made it.

Come closer to me you ******* and I’ll take you with me.

He’s standing there. Watching me.

Coward.

Only one thing left to do.

It’s a far, far better thing I do than I’ve ever done before.

Please, Clark, Lana, don’t forget me.”


**********

[Smallville/Superman]

that sure is a clana fantisy that i will make sure never happensy Ii wouldye have liked it if in this story chloe is the one engaged with clark andy lana in thy one tortures by lex

[Smallville/Superman]

editted

[happycamper]

I can't believe you're doing this to Chloe...

I agree she would die for Clark, but...

You're really being awful to your readers.



:D :D

[SmallvilleMan]

*Speechless*

[oldmankent]

Part Five


“Legacy”

Lex had showered and changed his clothes. He sat at his desk thinking of the past twelve hours. “One tough cookie. The ***** weakened only once. Once, when I asked her about the Fortress and turned up the voltage. The first electrical shock. After that she never flinched.” Lex thought about Chloe and his envy of Clark increased when he realized that there was no one in the entire world who would do for him what Chloe did for Clark. “But there would be plenty of people lining up to throw the switch.”

“She said ‘North’. Whatever the hell that means. North.” He turned around and looked out the window at the night sky. He mentally traced through the constellations. He lifted his hand and extended his index finger. He began tracing with his finger. He stopped. “The North Star.” He dropped his hand and turned around to his desk. “Two years ago I brought Chloe home from a hospital in the Yukon.” He opened up the intercom to his executive assistant.

“I want satellite photos of the entire Arctic circle. I want to see everything. If there’s a single icicle I want to see it. I want those photos in 48 hours.”

He did not wait for a response and turned off the intercom. He turned his thoughts back to the interrogation. “She never revealed anything after the first shock. Not even the name of the mole.” He thought about everything Mensa told him about Lionel before Mensa disappeared in the Himalayas. “It has to be Lionel.” His intercom lighted up.

“Yes.”

“The trash has been disposed of, sir.”

“Good.”

He shut off the intercom and the doors to his office opened. Lionel walked through the doors.

“Lex, I just spoke to an Inspector Henderson from the Metropolis PD and he asked me if we had any contact with Chloe Sullivan. It seems that she’s a missing person. I told him we haven’t seen her. Have you seen Ms. Sullivan?”

Lex kept his eyes on his laptop. He answered without looking at his father.

“I thought a person had to be missing twenty four hours before they were considered a missing person.”

“It seems the mayor got a call from Martha Kent. As a courtesy to the good senator the twenty four hour requirement has been waived.”

Not looking at his father, Lex nodded in head in understanding.

“No. I haven’t seen her in months.”

“I didn’t think so.”

Lionel turned back towards the door to walk out of the office. He reached the door. Opened it and then he stopped. He spoke with turning around to look at Lex.

“What did you say?”

Lex stopped what he was doing and looked at the door.

“What?”

“What did you just say?”

“I said I haven’t seen Chloe Sullivan in months.”

“No. Before that.”

“I thought a person had to be missing twenty four hours before they were considered a missing….”

Lex stopped himself. Lionel was back in front him.

“If you hadn’t seen her in months how did you know that she’s been missing for less than twenty four hours?”

Lex remained seated but said nothing.

“What have you done with her, Lex?”

From the inside drawer of his desk Lex pulled out a gun and pointed it at his father. He walked around from his desk, keeping the gun pointed at Lionel’s head. The two men were now in front of the desk facing each other. Lex had his arm extended so that his gun was only inches away from Lionel’s forehead.

“I rid myself of a pest. You know about pests. Don’t you, Dad? A mole is a very annoying pest. Don’t you think?”

Lionel was silent and then nodded his head. He knew exactly what Lex was talking about.

“She told you. You forced it out of her.”

Lex’s mouth broadened into a smile.

“No. She didn’t tell me anything. You just did.”

Lex continued.

“Are you sufficiently up on your Bible to know who Judas was?”

Both men were silent. Lex shouted out.

“Answer me!”

Lionel thought for a moment and then answer.

“Yes. I know who he was. He was a son of mine who became a punishment for my sins. Payback for the life I’ve led.”

Lionel summoned up his courage and tried to control his breathing. He sized up the situation as a game of poker. He would bluff.

“You’re not going to shoot me, Lex. You’ve done many terrible things but you’re not going to shoot your own father.”

Lex’s smile faded. He looked at his father and then looked at the gun. He un-cocked the trigger and placed the gun down on his desk. He looked his father in the eyes.

“You’re right. I’m not going to shoot you……I’ll take care of you with my bare hands.”

Lex totally took Lionel by surprise by lunging at him. He grabbed Lionel around the neck with both of his hands.

Lionel was stunned by Lex’s vice-like grip. It seemed that in a single second, all of the experience of fighting during his lifetime, all of the martial arts lessons, all of the physical training had been forgotten. Everything was overcome by the all powerful desire of Lex Luthor to squeeze the life out of the man who had given him life.

Lionel grabbed Lex’s arms and tried to break to the hold. He threw punch after punch into Lex’s midsection without effect. Each blow, each punch took more and more energy from Lionel as his body was being starved for oxygen.

Lex swung his father around and pushed down onto the desk. He now used his weight against his father and pressed down on him.

Lex’s face was inches from Lionel’s and he saw the realization in Lionel’s eyes that his own flesh and blood was about to murder him. Lionel’s hands weakened and fell from Lex’s arms. Lex felt his father tremble and with Lionel’s last breath he heard…

“Lex…”

Lionel’s body went limp. His eyes remained open, staring up at the ceiling. Lex released his grip and Lionel’s body slumped from the desk onto the floor. Lex stood over him and began to breathe deeply, regaining control of himself. “Sometimes you just have to clean house. He walked back around his desk. He placed the gun back into the top drawer of the desk. He turned on the intercom. He thought of a television show he had taken a liking to.

“Dad, you’re fired!”


**********

[Trent083]

Another awesome update

[Max001]

Wow... Just... Wow...

If I had just a small percentage of the imagination, and the skill you have I would consider myself a very blessed man. I spent part of yesterday and today reading this from start to finish and throughly enjoyed each sentence of this story.

I also considered how large the budget would be if this was the actual season they were running on TV right now and I laughed out loud at the realisation :lol:

[oldmankent]

Part Five (Continued)


“Interruption”

Clark and Lana decided to end their vacation two days early and return to Smallville. They said their goodbyes to the LoSapios the night before and exchanged phone numbers. They promised Tony, Marie and Michael an invitation to the wedding whenever it would take place and a photograph of the couple for the wall behind the bar at their restaurant. They moved forward their flight home by two days. Their bags were packed and they were getting ready to check out of their condo. Lana was putting some last minute touches to her makeup. Clark was waiting for her. The television was on but he wasn’t watching it. His mind was occupied by thoughts of what lay before the two of them and by the conversation they had the previous night.

Their last night at the condo was not filled with their usual unrestrained, all consuming lovemaking. It was a night for serious discussion regarding the future course of their lives. Once they returned to Smallville, Clark would resume his training with Jor-El in the Fortress of Solitude. He had no idea of how long the training would take or what it would involve. He had no idea of what the end result would be. All that he knew was what he had learned in the last several months. Jor-El had a plan to protect Earth and the people in it. Without Clark that plan could not be carried out. And now that plan was needed more than ever. Whatever form that protection was to take was irrelevant. Clark would accept the destiny that was intended for him.

For an entire year Lana had been at Clark’s side with only brief interruptions. The danger that they faced together had been constant. Despite the objections she had vocalized when he left to face the dangers created by Lex, particularly in the Phantom Zone and at Sanctuary, their love for each other only deepened. She had come to the conclusion that the dangers were not only to them but to the entire planet and to everyone and everything they cared for. The activities of Lex Luthor were not only a threat to Clark and Lana. They were a threat to the human race. Lana had come to the realization that it was no longer an issue of the two of them being safe and secure. It was bigger than that. “Either everyone is safe or no one is safe.”

At one time she had been a business partner with Lex Luthor. It was a small business but working together caused her to respect and admire him. In the tumultuous period when Clark did not share his secret with her she had turned to Lex and he was more than willing to take Clark’s place. But now she was with Clark and that’s how it was going to stay. As she reflected on her past with Lex she always asked herself, “Was he always the way he is now and I just didn’t see it, or did something cause him to turn to the dark side?” She always came up with the same answer. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s up to Clark and me to stop him.”

Lana would wait for Clark to complete his training. She would wait for him as long as it took. They would be together and nothing was going to stop them.

Their discussion was ended and their decisions had been made. Lana leaned against Clark. He encircled her with one of his arms. They held each other tightly as they considered the immense weight lying on their shoulders. At the same time their eyes opened wide. They had discovered a great truth about themselves that few people ever have to good fortune to discover.

Their lives had a purpose. Their lives had a great purpose.

Clark sat in front of the television reviewing the commitment they had made in his mind. A commitment made to each other and to the world. The program that was being broadcast on the television was interrupted.

“We interrupt this program to bring you this special bulletin.

Multibillionaire and world renowned businessman, Lionel Luthor, has died of an apparent heart attack.”

Clark stood up in front of the television.

“Lana! Come here!”

Lana came running down the stairs.

“What? What is it?”

Clark just nodded at the television.

“We have learned just moments ago that world renowned businessman and industrialist, Lionel Luthor, has died at the age of…”

“Oh no!”

Lana moved close to Clark. A video of Lex Luthor appeared.

“It is expected that Lionel’s Luthor’s only son and heir, Lex Luthor, will inherit billions from his father’s estate. Lionel Luthor was the owner of various properties around the world, an extensive art collection and stock holdings in numerous multinational corporations. It is estimated that his estate is worth more than $7 billion.”

Clark shook his head at the news. “The rich get richer.” Lex was now being interviewed on television.

“The world has always viewed my father as a healthy, robust man. But what the world didn’t know was that for the past three years my father was in remission of a devastating liver disease. He was living on borrowed time. I’m afraid that the disease had taken its toll in other parts of my father’s body and weakened his heart. He collapsed suddenly and died in my arms last night.”

The broadcast showed tears flowing from Lex’s eyes. Clark spoke.

“Lex is lying. Lionel wasn’t in remission. He was cured.”

Lana looked up at Clark.

“How do you know that?”

“I never told you but there was an incident when we were seniors in high school when Lionel and I exchanged spirits.”

“What?”

“When Lionel was in prison he possessed one of the three stones of knowledge. The stone enabled him to exchange spirits with me. He walked out of prison in my body. I remained behind bars locked in his body. Eventually, our spirits ended up the right place. But he had a terminal disease before my spirit entered his body and that disease was gone when my spirit left his body.”

Clark was holding Lana tightly. The telephone rang. He left Lana and picked up the phone.

“Mom! We just heard on TV. What?”

Clark was silent. Lana could her Martha’s voice on the other end of line but she could not make out the words. She saw the color drain from Clark’s face.

“Are you sure?”

“How did it happen?”

“Is Jimmy okay?”

Lana’s concern became acute when she heard Jimmy’s name. Clark placed the phone down. His legs seemed to be unable to hold his weight and he dropped into a chair. Lana turned off the television and came to him.

“Clark, what is it? What’s happened?”

Clark looked straight into her eyes.

“It’s Chloe…She’s dead.”


**********

[Trent083]

WOW

[happycamper]

I had been hoping it wasn't true...but Chloe is dead, and now so is Lionel.

Is Clark going to delay his training until after he resolves the current crisis?

I believe Clark should let Lex see the entire world - on his way down from however high Clark can throw him. I've always wondered about the morality of Superman and what everyone seems to accept as a refusal to kill. To me, it seems that allowing someone to live who will kill and kill again is the more immoral choice. Better to save lives by cleaning up such problems on a permanent basis.

Your Lex is evil through and through, and now has killed Clark's closest friend. I am interested in exactly how your Clark is going to resolve the problem of Lex...


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Six


“Last Rites”

Jimmy Olsen had awakened with a splitting headache. The bed that he and Chloe occupied the night before now held only him. He went downstairs to the kitchen thinking he would find Chloe making him breakfast. A reward as he saw it for his unbridled libido. Not entirely expert but certainly energetic. He then realized that it was way past breakfast time. The sun was high in the sky. “What the hell. How did I oversleep? He could hear the cows in distress, crying to be milked. “Clark is going to kill me.” But of more concern was the fact that Chloe was nowhere to be found. Her car was still at the farm but she wasn’t. He checked the barn. He checked the nearby stables. He called her cell phone. He called Lois. He called the Daily Planet. No one had seen Chloe. He got in Chloe’s car and started searching around the Smallville area. The Talon. The grocery store. Everywhere that he could think of. No one had seen any sign of Chloe.

He called the police to tell them that his girlfriend was missing. Their first question was, “How long has she been gone?” and he could not answer that question with any degree of certainty. He had slept so long and he did not know when she left him. Although the police were polite they informed him that if Chloe was a child they could do something immediately but because she was an adult they had to wait a minimum of twenty four fours before issuing a missing person’s report. The police seemed to think that Chloe’s absence was the result of a lover’s quarrel and that she would show up when she was ready.

There aren’t many feelings worse than helplessness and that was exactly what Jimmy Olsen was feeling when he got off the phone with the police. He then did the only thing he could think of. He called Martha Kent in Topeka and explained the situation. Martha, who was aware of everything that had transpired over the last year with Clark, Lana, Chloe, Lionel and Lex, took immediate action. She started calling in political IOUs. Within the hour, an investigative team from Smallville was at the farm and the Metropolis Police began an All Points Bulletin within the city.

No clues of an abduction were found at the Kent farm. There wasn’t anything to show that a crime had been committed. However, it was noted that Chloe had not taken any clothes with her. At this point, Martha remembered about the condition of Chloe’s mother. She informed the police that although Chloe never exhibited any symptoms, there was a history of mental illness in her family. Search teams were then formed and the densely wooded areas surrounding Smallville were searched.

Two hours after Lionel Luthor’s passing a body was found in one of the wooded areas. It was covered with leaves and branches. It was found on some sort of makeshift stone platform. Police would later describe it as a crude altar. The body had been mutilated and then burned beyond recognition. It had been mutilated to such a degree that it would be impossible to make an identification using dental records. The height and weight of the body was close to those of Chloe Sullivan. When Martha was informed that it would take several weeks to do the standard DNA testing she made a call to the director of the FBI in Washington DC. Within two hours an FBI investigative team was in the field and DNA samples were being flown back to the FBI Crime Lab.

The initial investigative consensus was that the body was the remains of a sacrificial victim of a cult. Early the next morning Martha received the preliminary results of the DNA testing from the FBI Crime Lab. Although it would take some time to confirm the results, in all probability the victim was Chloe Sullivan.

It was then that Martha called Clark.


**********

The flight back from Orlando was a noisy one with children who wished to remain in Disney World but there were two people who sat in complete silence. At one time Lana had found it necessary to point out to Clark that when trouble arises couples join together. He did not have to bear every burden alone. He had learned this lesson well and now he held nothing back from Lana. She also took her own words to heart and shared her grief with Clark. Both of them came to the conclusion that facing this calamity apart from one another would have been unendurable. It wasn’t that the grief was lessened. The grief was shared and that sharing further solidified the bond between them.

The couple had looked forward to returning and announcing their engagement. Now such an announcement seemed inappropriate. There is a time for grief and a time for joy. Now was not the time for joy. Lana removed the engagement ring from her finger. The couple would say nothing of their engagement until they felt the time was right.

When the couple arrived back at the farm Lois, Jimmy and Martha were there to meet them. Although everyone was grieving, Jimmy was in the most distress. His relationship with Chloe was just in its infancy and the loss was devastating. Perhaps even life altering. As the Kents had done so many times before, with Lana, with Chloe, with Lois, with Lionel, even at times with Lex, they welcomed a new member into comforting, supportive unit that was their family, and that member was Jimmy Olsen.

Martha, Lana and Clark looked at each other and said nothing. But they were all sharing the same thoughts. It seemed only a short time ago that a team five people was meeting in the loft to strategize as how to combat the threat of Lex Luthor. Fighting a secret war that where the world was at stake. Now that team was down to three. No army in the world could lose forty percent of its force and expect to win a battle. Yet, Martha, Clark and Lana knew that was the challenge they faced – against an enemy that had seemingly inexhaustible resources.


**********

The open casket of Lionel Luthor was laid out on the top floor of LuthorCorp Tower in Metropolis. Deep bruises around his throat were expertly covered up with makeup.

The line to view him extended for blocks around the plaza. Most of those in line were people who were curious onlookers. They wanted a glimpse of a man that they read and heard about. Someone that they had little chance of meeting while he was alive. Lex Luthor stood by the casket at attention like a soldier while all of the spectators passed by.


**********

The closed casket of Chloe Sullivan was on view at the Smallville Funeral Home. As her father, Gabe, sat with Martha, Clark, Lana, Lois and Jimmy, friends and neighbors from Smallville and Metropolis came to try and bring comfort to her father and to each other. Although Clark was tempted to use his X-ray vision to view the remains, he complied with his mother’s request not to do so.


**********

The funeral service for Lionel Luthor took place at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in central Metropolis. Limousines lined up along several blocks of the city along with security teams. The service was led by religious leaders representing Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. His casket was carried by the chief executive officers of IBM, Mobile Oil, and Intel, two United States Senators and the Vice President of the United States. The entire legislature of the State of Kansas was in attendance along with the governor, the mayor of Metropolis, and the state delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives. Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Germany, India and Japan flew in for the service.

Members of the Metropolis Opera House sang hymns accompanied by the Metropolis Boys Choir.


**********

The funeral service for Chloe Sullivan took place at Saint Michael the Archangel Church in Smallville. The service was headed by the elderly pastor and two altar servers. Her casket was carried by Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, Pete Ross and three friends from her high school graduating class. The small church was filled to capacity and those who could not enter stood outside. The entire congregation sang hymns accompanied by a lone organist. Those friends and family who traveled from a distance for the service were taken in overnight by the Kents and other neighbors.


**********

Lionel Luthor was laid to rest in a stone mausoleum that had an eternal flame burning before it. Lex was the first person to leave as soon as the proceeding ended.


**********

Chloe Sullivan was laid to rest a Smallville Cemetery in a standard plot in a casket that was paid with money from her life insurance policy. The Kents and other friends pledged made an agreement to take care of the plot and share the expense. Everyone passed by the casket leaving a flower or some other remembrance. Martha, Clark, Lana, Lois and Jimmy stayed with Gabe Sullivan until the crowd left the cemetery and they were the only ones remaining.


**********

“Martha, can I speak with you for moment?”

Martha turned to Lois.

“What is it, Lois?”

“Martha, you’ve been wonderful to me and being your Chief of Staff has been a great experience for me…”

“But?”

“I’m going to resign my position. My sixth sense tells me that the police are never going to find those responsible for my cousin’s death. I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until justice is served.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“We all know that Chloe was on her way to being a top level investigative reporter. Maybe it’s up to me to take her place and the first thing for me to investigate is her death. I have an interview set up at the Daily Planet for next week. If I’m lucky I’ll get a chance to start out on the bottom floor just like Chloe.”

Martha placed her arms out to Lois and the two women embraced. Both with tears in their eyes.

“Lois, you will be a great investigative reporter.”


**********

Jimmy and Lois accompanied Gabe on the drive back to his home in Metropolis. Martha, Clark and Lana were in the kitchen of the farmhouse. They made themselves a little something to eat and drink but hardly a word passed between them. The magnitude of the emptiness was just beginning to make its presence felt. Clark looked at his cell phone and saw Chloe’s number and found it difficult to believe that he would never dial that number again. A vision came into Lana’s head of Chloe standing by her side at her wedding and she knew it would never come to pass. Martha looked at her dining table where Chloe had sat so many times. Martha always prompted her to eat more. She would never sit at that table again. The silence between the three was deafening.

Clark moved over to Lana and whispered quietly to her.

“Do you think this would be a good time to tell her?”

Lana looked at him curiously. He elaborated.

“About us?”

She nodded.

Lana placed her hand in her purse and was about to put her engagement ring on her finger when two men came to the back door of the house. They knocked on the door and Martha answered.

“Yes?”

“Good afternoon. I’m looking for Senator Martha Kent and Mr. Clark Kent.”

Martha let the men in the house and Clark and Lana joined her.

“I’m Senator Kent and this is my son, Clark.”

The men nodded to her. Then the first man handed Martha and Clark an envelope.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Senator but I have something for the two of you. We’re from the offices of Knight, Albertson, and Loeb. I’m serving you with this request to appear at our offices in Metropolis, tomorrow at 11am. This serving has been witnessed by this gentleman accompanying me. If you have any questions you can call the number inside the envelope.”

Both men turned and left the house. The trio had no idea of what the request was for. They opened their envelopes and read the letters inside. Lana read along with Clark. She gasped when she finished reading.

“Clark, you’re being requested to attend the reading of Lionel Luthor’s will.”


**********

[SmallvilleMan]

I loved it. My first thought when I read Chloe's death was that Clark would want to get Lana to safety as soon as possible. Guess he didn't go into panic mode.

[Max001]

Haha wow. I hope Clark gets a big chunk of Luthor Corp. Looking forward to you describing Lex's facial expressions in great detail :D

[happycamper]

The contrast between the funerals was done extremely well. As mentioned previously (if for a different individual) on Smallville, the attendance of Chloe's funeral was overflowing with loving friends.

The destiny of both Lois and Jimmy seems set now, and the only difference is that Clark still has Lana. I guess that Lex is very lucky that his role in Chloe's death is still unknown.

Although another difference may become apparant at the reading of Lionel's will.

I just hope that sudden unhappiness causes Lex to slip...


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Seven


“Last Will and Testament”

The offices of Knight, Albertson and Loeb were located in the legal district of Metropolis across the street from the Metropolis Courthouse. Clark drove Martha and Lana in Lana’s Jeep and parked in one of the parking garages next to the courthouse. They entered the offices that were located in a high rise building and were struck by the obvious display of wealth and power. Lionel Luthor used the most expensive of professionals in all of his business activities and his legal activities were no different. Both Martha and Lana were adamant that Clark wear a suit for the occasion. For Clark to wear a suit two days in a row was unheard of but he gave in to the demands of the two most important people in his life.

They were greeted by the executive secretary and asked if they would like anything to eat or drink. They declined. They were then led to a conference room where the three legal partners were waiting for them along with Lex Luthor and his personal attorney. Lex showed surprised on seeing them.

“What are they doing here?”

“Your father requested in his will that Senator Martha Kent and Mr. Clark Kent be present at the reading of his will.”

Lex was visibly annoyed but made no further objection. The conference room contained a large rectangular oak table with burgundy colored leather cushioned chairs around it. The three partners sat on one side while Clark, Lana and Martha sat on the other side. Lex and his attorney sat at the distant end away from everyone else.

“I don’t understand why my father used the legal services of a firm different from our family attorney.”

“After Black Thursday, your father approached us to create a codicil to his last will and testament. We’ve provided this to your attorney. I’m sure he will attest to its legality.”

Lex’s attorney nodded to him. Lex spoke quietly.

“So what does this codicil mean?”

His attorney answered.

“It means that he created an addendum to his will and that addendum supersedes his previous will.”

Lex nodded his understanding. He sat back in his chair but was clearly uncomfortable with what he was hearing. The senior partner began to read.

“I Lionel Luthor being of sound mind and body do hereby establish the last will and testament.

Of all of the wealth and property I have accumulated in my lifetime I have always considered my greatest possession to be that of time. Therefore, I have never sought to waste my time in any way, shape or form and I will not waste your time today with long dissertations about my life and what I have learned in that life. In other words, let’s get down to business.

I’m sure that a variety of dignitaries delivered very impressive and complimentary eulogies at my funeral. But it is no secret that the life I have led has been, shall we say, less than virtuous. Perhaps in my passing I can atone for some of the pain I have caused others while I lived.

But this atonement cannot be accomplishment in the passing of my estate to my only child, Alexander Luthor. If anything, he will only seek to use what I would have left him for his own selfish, self-centered pursuits.

However, there are two people who have shown me what it means to put the needs of others before my own selfish needs and desires. Two people who had no reason in the world to trust me. Yet they took me into their family and made me feel like one of their own. Two people who have caused me to examine my life and have unknowingly prompted me to do in death what I never sought to do in life. To do unto others as I would have them do unto me.

Those two people are Martha Kent and her son, Clark Kent. Martha has been the guiding light of conscience for me and Clark has been the son I should have had. In his case, instead of the son learning from the father, I have learned from him.

Therefore, I bequeath my entire estate to Martha Kent and Clark Kent. It is to be divided into equal shares between them. I attach no conditions to this. I have learned to trust their judgment in life. I will now trust their judgment in death.

Lionel Luthor.”

Lex immediately rose from his seat.

“This is bull****! Obviously my father was not of sound mind and body.”

One of the partners interrupted him.

“Your father anticipated your objections, Mr. Luthor. Attached to his will are the medical and psychiatric testimonies of a number of renowned physicians and psychiatrists attesting to his physical and mental well-being. In addition, your father took the added step of having his will witnessed in an extraordinary manner.”

The partner passed the document to Lex’s attorney.

“You will note that the names of the three witnesses have the seals of their respective offices stamped on the document.”

Lex’s attorney examined the document and then spoke quietly to Lex.

“Your father had his will witnessed by the President of the United States, the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Pope. This is about as legally binding and full proof as a document can get.”

Lex’s face turned blood red. He stormed out of the office with attorney following behind him.

The three partners rose and each took a turn in shaking the hands of Martha, Clark and Lana.

“Congratulations, Senator Kent, Mr. Kent. You have now joined a very exclusive club. You are now billionaires.”


**********

[Max001]

Woot! :lol:

That was great, man. Can't wait for the next part! :D

[happycamper]

The will read as expected, of course, but it was still wonderful to 'see' Lex's reaction to what his father had said.

It seems that there is some justice in this world, after all.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Eight


“Final Word”


AN EDITORIAL OPINION


By


Dan Dailey

Editor-in-Chief

For The Daily Planet

I have had the pleasure of serving our readers at the Daily Planet for the past 45 years - twenty of those years as Editor-in-Chief. Over the years I have written hundreds of editorials expressing the opinions of this newspaper. Today is the last editorial I will ever write as Editor-in-Chief. I will be retiring. My wife and I will be moving from Metropolis to the suburbs of South Carolina. I plan to be spending a lot of time on the golf course and visiting my grandchildren. My good friend and colleague, Perry White, will be replacing me as Editor-in-Chief. I know he will serve you with the same devotion and integrity as I have tried to do these past 45 years. I know he will continue the Daily Planet’s quest for the relentless pursuit of the truth.

My first day at the Daily Planet began with being part of the team that covered the Cuban Missile Crisis. Since that time we have covered the Vietnam War, Neil Armstrong on the moon, Watergate, the Iran hostage crisis, the Challenger disaster, the first Persian Gulf war, the fall of Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union, 9-11, the second Persian Gulf war, Hurricane Katrina and Black Thursday. Through it all, humanity marches on. Fashion and music change. Technology changes. But human beings do not change. Every event, every crisis brings out the worst in the human race and it brings out the best in the human race.

This past week we saw both the worst and the best of the human race in the deaths of two people. One person known throughout the world. The other person known only to her friends and family and to those who had the privilege of working with her.

Chloe Sullivan, 20 years old was a junior reporter with this paper. She started out on the bottom floor of the Daily Planet writing obituaries. She was a ‘natural’ investigative reporter and I have no doubt that she would have been one of the best reporters this newspaper would have ever seen had she lived. Instead she met up with the worst of humanity. She was sadistically and brutally murdered. I’ve been told that this horrible crime was committed by a bizarre cult and the police are making every effort to bring the murderers to justice. I can only hope and pray that the police are right.

The same night that the life of Chloe Sullivan was stolen from her, world renowned businessman and billionaire, Lionel Luthor, died from an apparent heart attack. In a highly unusual twist of fate, Mr. Luthor did not leave his estate to his billionaire son, Lex Luthor. And while an extra $7 billion dollars would have been nice, Lex Luthor won’t be hurting. He still has his own abundant personal fortune and a controlling interest in LuthorCorp. Instead Lionel Luthor left his entire estate, an estate with a value of over $7 billion, to Senator Martha Kent and her son, Clark Kent. In the great lottery of life Senator Kent and her son have hit the jackpot. Most people with such a large sum of money would go on a personal spending spree. But Senator Kent and Clark have decided to show us the best of humanity. They are giving the money away. The have liquidated their share of Mr. Luthor’s assets and have made donations to a variety of charities both at home and abroad. Charities such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children and a host of others. Homeless shelters and hospitals across the United States will see the benefits of these donations. Senator Kent, whose key interest is the education of our children, had set up a variety foundations with this money in her pursuit of educational excellence.

This is from a family that has struggled for most of its life on a farm in Smallville. A family that was close to losing that farm just four short years ago. Now with being left $7 billion one can be charitable and still have enough left over to live comfortably for the rest of one’s life. Mr. Kent has chosen not to do this. He has given everything away. He could have bought himself a new truck for the farm, a high definition television or taken an extensive vacation. He hasn’t kept a single, solitary dollar. I’ve been informed that the only money he has spent for his own personal use is money he has contributed to the education of a ten year old little boy in Metropolis. A boy who lost his father in Persian Gulf and who wishes to remain anonymous. Along with the personal contribution, Mr. Kent has established a scholarship fund for all of the children who have lost parents in that distant conflict.

The best of humanity.

And so as I step away from the position of Editor-in-Chief I’d like to leave you with this final thought. My sixth sense, the experience of an old newspaperman who has seen just about everything tells me that we should keep an eye on this young man. I have a feeling that one day we will be seeing and hearing a lot of him.


**********


End of Episode 16


Beginning March 1st - Episode 17 – Schizoid

[Max001]

Great update oldman. A fitting end to a great man's career. So Clark gave everything away, huh? I can't say if I would have the strenght to do that myself.

[happycamper]

A fitting end to the episode. Hard to imagine giving away that much, but it was nice that the actions of the Kents were noted.

Also fitting that Chloe was mentioned. Both murders have had a great impact. But I believe (hope, at least) that Lex will never guess which murder would have the greatest negative impact to his own life.



:D :D

[oldmankent]

I was going to wait until March 1st to post the next episode but then I get all excited and I have to post.

This begins the final four episodes and last story arc of SV Season 6.


Episode 17: Schizoid


Part One


“Nowhere to Run”

The windshield wipers of the Jeep were on high as Lana drove through the heavy rainstorm. She was driving north on Highway 40. North towards the Luthor Mansion. She drove into the gate and the security guard stopped the car, He was visibly annoyed that he had to leave the dryness of his shelter to go out into the storm. He walked up to the door. Lana lowered her window and the guard shined a flashlight on her face.

“Humph! He’s been expecting you. Go right in.”

She drove up the driveway and parked her car near the front door. She ran from the car to the door not giving a second thought that the downpour that was soaking her. She rang the doorbell and one of the servants answered and let her in. It had been so long since she had been in this place. She never thought she would return but here she was. The servant didn’t bother to greet her. He simply pointed her in the direction that she was already familiar.

“I’m sure you know the way.”

She walked down the hallway carrying the remnants of the downpour with her. She noticed that many of the paintings and other works of art were missing. Although Lex owned the mansion, just about all of the artwork that was housed in the mansion was owned by Lionel. And since his death those works of art were passed on to Martha and Clark. Those paintings and statues were either returned to the countries of their origin or they were donated to museums around the world. Those that were not donated were sold to fund their charitable donations.

She stood before the main the room of the mansion. She inhaled deeply. ‘I’ll do whatever it takes.” She opened the dual doors. The fireplace was lit. Lex was at the far end of the room. Sitting at his desk in front of his computer. “Some things never change.” He closed his laptop and stood up.

“Lana, I’ve been expecting you.”

She walked forward towards him.

“Then you know why I’m here.”

They were standing just a few feet apart. Lana tried to maintain her composure. On the drive to the mansion she tried to convince herself that she had to deal from a position of strength. To deal with Lex without emotion. But the pressure had been building up inside her and she could no longer contain her anxiety. Her eyes opened up to the deluge that had built up inside of her.

“Please, Lex. Let him go. I’ll do anything.”

Lex backed away. A smirk formed on his face.

“Oh. This is better that I thought it would be.”

He walked back behind his desk and sat down. He felt like a king sitting on his thrown. Lana stood before his desk.

“Lex, he’s my life. You know what it’s like to love. I love him. I’d give up my life for him. Just let him go. I’ll do anything.”

Lex did nothing but stare at Lana. She walked around his desk so that she was next to him. She opened her raincoat. Shaking on the leftover rain onto the tiled floor. Letting Lex gaze onto what he had always coveted. She recognized that desire in his eyes. If this is what it would take than this is what she would use. She lowered her voice.

“I know you want me, Lex. You always have.”

Lex was growing uncomfortable. He stirred in his chair. Lana saw his uneasiness and she grew bolder.

“Even when I was a teenager, I could see it in your eyes. You were just biding your time. Waiting for me to become legal.”

She dropped to her knees before him.

“Now you can have me, Lex. I will give myself to you willingly. You can have me. You can have me until you tire of me. Just let him go.”

Lex thought for a moment and then he stood up from his chair and walked away from Lana.

“You would still be doing it for him. You love him so much that you would be willing to give yourself to the one person he hates most in the world and who hates him in order to save him.”

Lana was trembling. She was unable to control her fear. She was unable to control her fear for the only man she had ever loved. Lex recognized this.

“Sorry, Lana. It won’t work.”

“Please, Lex. I…I beg you.”

“Beg! Yes! Beg! Beg, you b****! Stay on your knees and beg me to give you back the Clark Kent that you love. You and that…and that farm boy of yours, giving away what rightfully belongs to me. Pissing away seven billion dollars. Giving to the ‘needy’ and the ‘less fortunate’.”

Lex said the last words with distain.

“And look at you now. Without a pot to piss in. In front of me. Begging for him. Do it, Lana. Beg.”

He walked to her and stood above her.

“Beg!”

Lana was on her knees and she placed her hands together as if she were praying.

“Please, Lex. I’ll do anything. I’ll trade me for him. I’ll make Clark promise never to touch you. You know he never breaks his promises. Just set him free.”

Lex looked at her and a smirk grew on his face. He shook his head.

“No. And as far as giving yourself to me is concerned, I can take you anytime I want and there is absolutely nothing in the world that you can do about it.”

Lana rose and ran towards the door. She felt the rush of wind. Before her stood six feet four inches and two hundred and fifteen pounds of Clark Kent. He blocked her path and grabbed her arm. Holding her steady so that she could not move. He looked at Lex as if he were looking for guidance.

“Let her go, Clark.”

Clark released Lana. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. She slowly moved away from him and then ran away. Lex walked to Clark. The two men stood side by side.

“Let her run, Clark. There’s nowhere in this world for her to run to.”


**********

[Max001]

I'm confused. Was she willing to do that because she new that Lex wasn't going to rest until he had beaten Clark or did he already have him?

As always your writing is superb, looking forward to the next update.

[Hahaveryfunny]

Just one word..HUH? PPMS!
PS. CLANA FOREVER!

[SmallvilleMan]

Hmmm, I wonder how Lex got control of Clark.

[happycamper]

Ouch!

I really am looking forward to finding out the back story on this sudden change.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part One (Continued)


“ Standing Before The Abyss”

Lana ran through the mansion as fast as her feet could carry her. She ran out into the rain and back into her Jeep. She knew that Lex would have never given in to her but she had to take the chance. Take the chance that he would have a moment of weakness. Now there was only one chance left to save Clark. One desperate chance. She drove as fast as she could out of the complex. The guard at the security gate did not try to stop her. As soon as she left the main room of the mansion Lex called the gate and told them to let her go.

She speeded south on Highway 40 back in the direction of the farm. She was soon going past the speed limit. Five miles over. Ten miles over. Twenty miles over. She knew the dangers of the road. It didn’t matter. She had to get back to the farm. She passed car after car on the road during this rain and wind swept night. The lights from the oncoming vehicles blinded her. Drivers were blowing their horns and shaking their fists at her. She pulled into driveway of the farm and drove up to the farm house. Despite her reckless driving she did not have time to count her blessings on arriving safely. She ran to the house, leaving the Jeep running and the door of the vehicle open.

Lana ran into the house and up the stairs to the bedroom she shared with Clark. She went to the chest of drawers and opened the top drawer. Inside were all of Clark’s small personal things. A wristwatch. Car keys. Ticket stubs to the first major league baseball game that they had attended. “I didn’t know you were so sentimental, Clark.” In front of her on top of the chest of drawers was a framed picture of the two of them. Standing together at Typhoon Lagoon. Their faces were gleaming as Lana proudly displayed her engagement ring to the photographer. The photographer was Tony LoSapio. She held the photograph before her. She thought back to that wonderful day. “It was the happiest moment of my life.” Then she stopped herself from drowning in the sentimentality of the moment. Everything had changed. “Stop it, Lana. Concentrate. Find the damn disc!” She placed the photograph down and continued her search through the top drawer. Finally, in small box, next to the colorless meteor necklace, she found what she was searching for. The octagonal disc with the Kryptonian inscriptions. She held it tightly in her hand and ran back into the storm into her car.

Leaving the car door open had soaked the inside of the Jeep but she paid no attention to it as she sat in a puddle of water on her seat. She was now back onto Highway 40. Now speeding in the direction of the Kawatche Caves. She drove into the dirt road leading to the caves. Clark had been there often but Lana never had the need to go – not until tonight. Ahead of her was a gate. “When did they fence this place off?” Again, she left the vehicle and ran to the gate. The mud of the road engulfed her feet making it all the more difficult to walk. The fence was at least ten feet high with razor wire on top. There was a chain and a lock on the gate.

Lana went back into the Jeep and reversed it. She came to a stop and put the car into NEUTRAL. She revved up the engine and shifted the car into DRIVE. The four wheel drive of the vehicle pulled the Jeep through the mud and it crashed through the gate. She found the entrance to the cave and went into the darkness with just a flashlight to light her way. Although she was now sheltered from the rain, the dampness of the air in the cave did nothing to dry or warm her. She looked around with her flashlight at all of the inscriptions on the walls. “How the hell did Lex ever figure it out?”

She found the rear chamber. The chamber with the octagonal platform. The portal. “At least, they haven’t sealed off this part. Lex has figured out part of the secret but not all of it.” She stood before the platform and inserted the disc into the slot. The chamber lit up in piercing gold light. She felt the rush of wind against her. And then she experienced being carried through a corridor of light and within a few seconds she was standing in the Fortress of Solitude. Her water logged clothes made the Arctic cold even more acute. She started to shiver uncontrollably. Lana realized that she didn’t have much time. She would not be able to last long in the subzero temperature. She stood looking at the crystal pillars pointing upward like skyscrapers into the sky. “Now how am I supposed to do this?” She did the only thing that she could think of. She shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Jor-El!”

Her voice echoed in the Fortress. There was no response. She shouted out again with the same result. Her jaw was freezing up and her limbs were turning numb. Her head felt heavy with her soaked hair starting to freeze.

“Jor-El, please. Please help me.”

The Fortress lit up and a voice emanated from every corner.

“My child, I know why you are here. There is little you can do. There is little we can do.”

Lana felt her knees buckling. The cold was overwhelming her. Jor-El continued.

“The key to Kal-El’s destiny has been taken from him. There is little we can do. This world is lost.”

Lana never thought it would come to this. With all that she and Clark had been through. And now to be told that it was all for nothing. Lana summoned all of her strength.

“Jor-El, send me to the other side…the other universe. Let me bring back help.”

“You risk losing both worlds. The Kal-El of that universe would have no power in this one.”

“I just can’t stand here and watch the man I love become a minion to Lex Luthor. I have to take the risk.”

“You will not survive for long in the other universe. The physical laws are different. Kal-El can survive because he is Kryptonian. Your human body will weaken and die. You may have only hours to live in the parallel universe.”

“I’ll take that chance. It’s the only way.”

The Fortress was silent. Jor-El did not answer.

A purple crystal rose from the center console. Lana took the crystal and placed it in a slot in the console. Before her opened the Phantom Zone. It oscillated back and forth. The colors changing in intensity. The freezing cold that paralyzed Lana was now overcome by something more formidable – fear. The fear of the unknown as she faced the pulsating abyss before her. Her admiration for Clark grew. “My God, Clark. How did you ever face this?” She forced herself to move forward. She edged ever closer to the ominous Zone. She closed her eyes and stepped through.


**********

The cold had disappeared and Lana found herself in total darkness. There was no sense of space. No sense of dimension. She was encased in darkness as if darkness itself consisted of a solid mass. A claustrophobic fear ensued and that fear became compounded as Lana reached out with her hand and realized that she could not see her hand. She could not see even a fraction of an inch in front of her. He mind tried its best to comprehend her surroundings and the only answer that she could rationalize was that the Phantom Zone was complete and total nothingness. “Oh Clark, how did you keep your sanity in here?” She no longer felt the cold. She did not feel anything. In order to feel there must be something that can be felt. In order to hear there must be something to be heard. Lana was experiencing total sensory deprivation. “If there’s a hell this must be it.” Without a sense of space there was no sense of time. Lana had no idea of how long she was in the Zone. It could have been seconds. It could have been decades. Alone, with only her thoughts.

Out of the darkness came a pinprick of light. The pinprick grew larger. “I must be moving.” The light in front of her was now larger. Although it was bright, it did not cast a reflection. Even though she could see the light she was still in darkness. The light was upon her and then she found herself being shot out of the Zone in the Fortress of Solitude. She lay on the floor in the fetal position on the floor in pain. “Was I shot out or was I spat out?” She wrapped her arms around herself. Lana was just as cold as she was before. She was just as wet as she was before. But now added to her discomforts were deep bruises from the landing. “Clark, it’s a good thing you’re made of steel.” She heard the Zone pulsating behind her. As she looked at the Zone it closed up as if it had never existed. “Don’t have much time. Have to get moving.” She rose slowly and made her way to the teleporting platform of the Fortress. She stood in the center of the Platform and was then transported through the same tunnel of light to the rear chamber of the Kawatche Caves. She was no longer in the Arctic cold but the rain was the same. She exited the caves into the driving downpour and realized that there was no Jeep waiting for her. She would have to make her way to the Kent farmhouse on foot. She took notice that the caves were not fenced in.

She began to run but the cold, the fatigue and the bruises reduced the run to a jog and then to a slow jog and then to a staggering walk. She was out on the highway. Cars lights illuminated her. Their horns blowing as they passed her. Her lungs were straining for air. Lana had always kept herself in good physical condition with regular jogging but she never could have anticipated running under these conditions. A pain pierced her side. Still she ran on. At last, she came to the fence of the Kent farm and she moved as quickly as she could up the driveway. She saw the light coming from inside the house. The Jeep and the truck were parked near the garage. She staggered up to the door and banged on it as hard as she could. She heard a voice that she recognized as her own. “Who could that be this time of night?” The door was opened and she looked into a pair of large hazel eyes. Eyes that opened even wider in astonishment.

“Please, help…me.”

Everything turned into darkness as Lana Lang collapsed into the arms of Lana Lang.


**********

[Max001]

For god's sakes help her!! :lol:

[happycamper]

I'd forgotten about the alternate world. I'm glad you brought it back full circle at the end of your season six.

And now we have two Lana's...


:D :D

[Hahaveryfunny]

Great story. LANA help Lana, um yourself. LOL! PPMS!

[oldmankent]

Part Two


“Back Unto The Breach”

Clark sat on the chair by the sofa watching the person who had collapsed in Lana’s arms. She had been soaked through to the bone. They removed her wet, mud stained clothes and washed them. Those clothes were now in the dryer. Lana took notice that the clothes were exactly the same as clothes that she owned. But what she noticed even more was that the running shoes were worn on the soles in the same places as her own.

They wrapped the woman’s hair in a towel and the rest of her in Lana’s soft terry cloth robe and then covered her in blankets. Her skin was cold to the touch as if she were suffering from hypothermia. Clark X-rayed the woman and found no broken bones but there were deep bruises on her legs and arms as if she had taken a bad fall. Scratches on her face indicated that she must have been moving through trees with low branches. They were both asking themselves why this woman, who was the identical image of Lana, was desperately running to them and what was she desperately running from. Lana was brewing some herbal tea to give the woman once she was conscious.

“What do you think, Clark?”

“It could be another trick from Lex.”

“You don’t think he cloned me, do you?”

“Hey. Remember Emily Dinsmore?”

Lana walked from the kitchen with the teapot and sat by Clark.

“Lana, she seems to be suffering from hypothermia as if she’s been somewhere very cold. I’m going to try and warm her up.”

Clark cast a broad beam of soothing heat, changing an ordinary blanket into a heated blanket. The woman wrapped inside began to stir as if she began to warm up and grow comfortable. She opened her eyes. The woman looked at Clark with a loving expression that made Lana uneasy. She spoke softly as if she had woken up to Clark as a matter of routine.

“Clark.”

Then she became more aware of her surroundings. She realized that she was naked, wrapped in a robe and a blanket. She also became aware that she was very sore. Clark and Lana helped her sit up. She took a sip of the tea Lana offered her and gave her a smile.

“Just like I make it at home.”

She gave the tea back to Lana and began to stir as if she was desperate to get moving. She placed her hand on Clark’s.

“Clark, you have to come back with me.”

Clark and Lana looked at one another, not understanding.

“Clark, it’s me. Lana. From the other universe. I came through the Phantom Zone to get you.”

Clark looked at her cautiously. She recognized that Clark did not believe her.

“Clark, I’m the Lana who saved you when Lex was just about to cripple you in your barn. I’m the one who brought you to the Kawatche Caves and then you took me to the Fortress of Solitude. You were beat up badly. Your nose was under your eye and your ribs were broken. You were spitting up blood. You came back to your home, here, through the Phantom Zone.”

Clark now believed her but he was astonished that he would ever see her again.

“Lana! What are you doing here?”

Then Clark looked at his Lana and then back to her counterpart.

“This is going to get confusing.”

“Clark, I need you to come back with me. Lex has done something to my Clark. He controls him somehow.”

Lana was speaking at a fast pace as if she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth fast enough. The couple was having difficulty understanding the gravity of the situation. They slowed Lana down and she began to tell her story.

“It started about a month ago after Chloe’s death.”

The reference to Chloe caused the couple to glance at each other.

“I don’t know what Lex did but it’s like Clark is a zombie. He follows Lex’s commands to the letter. He’s always at Lex’s side now. It’s like Lex is using him as some kind of enforcer.”

Clark wanted to helpful but he knew his limitations in the alternate universe.

“Lana, I don’t have any powers in your universe. I’d be just as helpless as everyone else.”

Clark thought about what he just said. He thought about a world that was helpless to someone with his power and that power being controlled by Lex Luthor. The other Lana fell back onto the sofa. She could no longer keep her head upright.

“Lana, you better get some sleep. We’ll talk about this when you wake up.”

She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled herself up.

“Clark, I can’t live in your universe. Jor-El told me I would only have a few hours. If I don’t get back to my world, I’ll die.”

Clark tried to pick her up but she stopped him.

“Then I have to take you back now.”

“No. I’m not leaving without you. I’m not going to live in world that’s run by Lex Luthor.”

Clark stood up. He and his Lana walked together into the kitchen. Lana remembered the last time that Clark went into the Phantom Zone. She remembered that she thought she would lose him forever. She still felt the same way. He saw the worry in her eyes.

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re going to have to go back with her, Clark.”

Clark was surprised by Lana’s answer.

“Do you want me to go back?”

Lana placed her hands on Clark’s chest and looked up into his eyes.

“No. But if we had the same situation here I’d be doing the same thing. I know what she’s going through, Clark. Besides if Lex is controlling Clark in that universe than the potential exists that he could control you in this universe.”

“But Lana, it might be me against me.”

Lana looked at her counterpart lying on the sofa, barely able to move.

“Clark, look at what she’s gone through to get here.”

As always, Lana was Clark’s conscience and he knew she was right. Clark nodded his head in agreement.

“Okay, I’ll go back with her.”

He was about to walk away from Lana when she grabbed him by the arm.

“Hey! You just remember one thing.”

Clark stopped and looked at her with a quizzical expression.

“She may be me but you belong to me.”

They both looked at each other for a moment. Lana spoke

“Did that just sound as messed up as I think it did.”

Clark smiled as he nodded. The clothes were now clean and dry. Lana helped her counterpart get dressed. Every movement was a struggle as Lana’s counterpart was steadily weakening. Her counterpart tried to make conversation while she struggled with her clothes.

“So are you two engaged?”

Lana nodded her head.

“So are we but we haven’t told anyone yet. We didn’t think it would be right to announce it after Chloe died.”

Lana was amazed that the two exact same things could be happening in different universes.

“Did he ask you at LoSapio’s restaurant?”

“No. He asked me when we flew above Cinderella Castle in Disney World.”

Both stopped talking for a moment. Both thinking that everything was the same but at the same time not the same. Somehow the universes were not quite in sync.

They were ready. Clark picked up the alternate universe Lana and carried her to the door. His Lana waited for him. She placed a soft kiss on his lips and whispered in his ear.

“Bring her Clark back to her and then bring yourself home to me.”

Then Lana spoke to her counterpart.

“You take good care of my fiancé.”


**********

Clark moved at a speed that was lightening-like but slow enough not to hurt the weakened Lana. He held her carefully in his arms as he flew through the storm to the Kawatche Caves and then teleported to the Fortress of Solitude. He chose the appropriate crystal and the pulsating Phantom Zone opened up before him. He stood before it with Lana in his arms.

“What’s the matter, Clark?”

“Going into a two dimensional hell is not something I look forward to.”

Lana could see the worry in his eyes. Worry that was identical to the man that she loved. He gave her a polite smile and then lifted off into the Zone. Although this time he wasn’t chasing after a nuclear armed missile but the memory of his imprisonment by Zod had been burned into his mind. Even though he knew that there would be light at the end of this tunnel of darkness the fear and anxiety of being in the Phantom Zone was still with him.

They exited the Zone. As soon as he came out of the Zone he fell to the floor of the Fortress of Solitude with Lana on top of him. He fell as if he had been dropped. The pain from the fall was the first indication that his powers were gone. The second indication that he would have to operate as any helpless human was the cold that was quickly freezing his limbs and his lungs as he breathed in the air. Lana had regained her normal strength. She was dry now but just as cold as Clark. They quickly made their way to the teleportal platform and were taken back to the Kawatche Caves.

They could hear that the storm was still raging outside.

“I drove my Jeep here. So at least we can drive back to the farm.”

Lana walked quickly and was a few steps ahead of Clark. She stepped out of the cave and immediately felt an arm on her shoulder.

Standing in front of her and around her Jeep were Lex Luthor’s guards.


**********

[SmallvilleMan]

Nice...........

[oldmankent]

Part Two (Continued)


“History Lesson”

Lana felt her arm being twisted behind her back. The flashlights of the half-dozen men from the Luthor mansion were aimed at her face and blinding her. She could hear the men around her but the images were blurred.

“Mr. Luthor thought you’d be in there. Our orders are to escort you back to your home.”

Lana was dead tired, hungry and bruised over large portions of her body but she felt her will stiffening. Anger always had that effect on her. The man who held her was pushing her towards her vehicle and she struggled to resist.

“Let her go!”

The voice was firm but unemotional. All of the men turned towards the sound of the voice. Clark was standing ramrod straight at the entrance of the cave with no expression on his face. The flashlights shined in his face. Clark used all of his self-control to keep himself from wincing.

“Get that damn light out of my eyes or I’ll light up your ass.”

The flashlights quickly came off his face and he walked towards the group. The men moved backward as he moved forward. He could see the fear on their faces.

“Mr. Luthor just told us to come here and take care of Ms. Lange. How did you get here so fast?”

Clark took the chance that the men had some knowledge of his abilities.

“Is that a trick question?”

The men started to grumble amongst themselves. Clark decided that the best course of action was to be assertive.

“I was sent here to make sure the job gets done right. I’ll take charge of Lang and make sure it gets done right. Now get out of here.”

He saw that there was some hesitancy. He raised his voice.

“Is there something I said that you do not understand?”

The downpour had re-soaked Lana and now Clark was soaked through. He was now trying to control himself from shivering in front of the others. Trying to act as if the steady rain was nothing to him. “I do not feel cold. I do not feel wet. Repeat after me. I do not feel cold, wet, tired, irritated and angry. I am a zombie.” He maintained his trancelike expression.

Lana was released. Although she wanted to run to Clark she decided to keep her distance so that suspicions would not be aroused. The guards drove away. Clark and Lana made sure the guards were out of sight before they drove away in her waiting Jeep.

They arrived back at the farm and began to dry off. As Clark took a hot shower he realized that for the first time he was feeling how wonderful it felt to warm up after being wet and cold. He thoroughly appreciated being soothed by the hot water.

Now both Clark and Lana were warm and dry. They sat in the living room. For the first time in a long time Lana felt safe and secure. Even though it wasn’t her Clark and he didn’t have any powers, she was with a Clark. A Clark who had the same upbringing and beliefs as her Clark and she found that fact to be very comforting. Lana had computer printouts and newspapers clippings with her as she began to explain what had happened.

“It started after we donated away everything that Lionel had left to Clark. One day Clark went into town and didn’t come back. I went looking for him and saw him with Lex. I tried to approach him but it was as if he didn’t even recognize me. Over the next couple of weeks I didn’t see him and there was a lot of talk as to how Clark was doing anything and everything that Lex told him to do. Shortly after that Lex became very active in certain business dealings. He began to acquire interests in a variety of enterprises.”

Clark looked at the newspapers and printouts. Lana continued to explain.

“Every one of the people involved in making a deal with Lex declined at first. Then they had some sort incident before the deal was made. Their houses would be burned to the ground with no evidence of arson or any type of accidental start to the fire.”

“Like something heat vision would do?”

“Exactly. There would be car accidents in the middle of empty highways. The cars looked as if they had run into a brick wall. It began to be rumored that if a person crossed Lex something would happen to that person and they would never see it coming. Clark was now with Lex constantly, like he was some type of enforcer. Then this happened.”

Lana showed Clark a local newspaper clipping of a local church being burnt down. He didn’t understand what the church had to do with everything. Lana explained.

“Clark and I were planning on being married at this church.”

Clark nodded his head in understanding. He and his Lana had discussed the same church. Lana continued.

“I took my chances and pleaded with Lex to release whatever hold he had on Clark. But there wasn’t anything I could say…anything I could offer him…that would move him. “If Lex is using my Clark and his powers I don’t understand why he would do it in this way. Why wouldn’t he just use Clark to take whatever he wants whenever he wants?”

Clark began to speak.

“Conquering is easy. Control is difficult.”

Lana looked at Clark with a questioning expression.

“Milton Fine may have been a menacing Kryptonian artificial intelligence device but he was also an excellent history teacher. He had a unique perspective on human history. It is easy to conquer. It is much more difficult to control what you’ve conquered. Human history is full of lessons of people who could be conquered but couldn’t be controlled. Sometimes the resistance lasted for generations. Lex is not a conqueror. He’s a controller, a manipulator. He enjoys it. He thinks of it as a game. It makes him think that he’s smarter than everyone else.”

Clark began to reference the materials Lana used.

“Look at what he’s acquiring. Interests in energy, finance, telecommunications, food. Lex is looking to influence all of the vital areas that affect the human race and keep the world moving. Human beings are not easily controlled but they are easily corrupted. As Lex gets his fingers deeper in the areas that affect the well being of human race he will corrupt all involved. The world will become dependent on the good will of Lex Luthor. It looks like if Lex meets resistance to his offers he uses Clark to persuade others to come over to his point of view. Clark is Lex’s super secret weapon. He is looking to conquer and control without anyone knowing it.”

“So what do we do?”

“The first thing we have to do is find out how Lex is controlling your Clark. Judging from the way the guards treated me they must be aware that Clark had become special to Luthor. They never before treated me with that amount of respect and…fear. I may not have any powers but together you and I will have to use our wits. We can’t outmuscle Lex so we’ll have to outsmart him. If Lex is secretly using Clark in his most sensitive undertakings he might also be entrusting Clark with certain secretive information. Tomorrow…”

Clark looked at the clock and saw that it was after midnight.

“Today, before the sun rises, we’ll put you a hill overlooking the Luthor Mansion with a pair of binoculars. I’ll go to LuthorCorp in Metropolis and try to fake my way into Level 33.1 and see if I can tap into their mainframe and see if I can figure out how Lex is controlling your Clark. You and I will be in contact by cell phone. We’ll use text messaging so that your Clark won’t be alerted with his super hearing. It will be your job to make sure that all is normal at the mansion. If you see anything out of the ordinary or if you just feel that something isn’t right, send me a message immediately. Remember, Clark can be at 33.1 before you even finish dialing my number.”

Lana nodded in understanding. They decided that they had to get a couple of hours of sleep before sun rose.


**********

Clark was trying to sleep downstairs on the sofa but sleep was not coming easily. It seemed strange that he was downstairs and Lana was upstairs in the bedroom. He tried closing his eyes but felt a hand on his shoulder. Lana stood before him.

“Clark, I know this sounds weird but could I ask you for a favor?”

“Sure. What is it?”

Lana sat down next to him.

“Would you hold me? It seems so long since Clark and I were together.”

Clark wrapped his arms around Lana and she buried her head in his chest. He could feel her tears through his tee shirt.

“Clark, I’m so scared.”

“I’m scared too, Lana.”

He patted her head like a parent comforting a child.

“But I promise you this. I won’t leave here until we get your Clark back. My Lana once said to me…Either everyone is safe…”

Lana finished the sentence.

“Or no one is safe.”

Clark nodded his head as he spoke.

“I guess that goes for both universes.”


**********

[happycamper]

I see you've been very busy writing...:)

Self-sacrifice came so easily to the other Lana. I guess she knows, too, what life would be like without Clark.

But a Clark without powers is no match for one that has them. I hate to think what their eventual confrontation will be like.


:D :D

[Max001]

Originally posted by happycamper
But a Clark without powers is no match for one that has them. I hate to think what their eventual confrontation will be like.


I wouldn't be so sure. He should still have his Kryptonian intelligence and the Clark that Lex is controling knows that the other one dosen't have any Physical powers. That gives AU Clark a certain advantage if he plays it smart.

[oldmankent]

Part Three


“Access”

The storm had stopped sometime during the night. Clark and Lana were able to sleep for about three hours. Before dawn Lana was situated on hill that overlooked the entire Luthor mansion complex. She had a clear view of the mansion and the grounds, the security guards, and the helicopter pad. She tried her best to blend in with the surrounding area by dressing in green and brown. She had a pair of binoculars that had once belonged to Jonathan Kent.

“These aren’t my best colors, Clark.”

Clark let out a small laugh. He cupped her face with his hand.

“You be safe. If you feel something isn’t right. Send me a text message and then get out of here as quickly and as quietly as you can. I’ll meet you back at the loft.”

He thought, “If I can.”

Lana nodded her head and gave Clark a smile. He made his way back down the hill to the highway and into Lana’s Jeep. The sun was just beginning to rise above the eastern horizon. Clark would have a two hour drive to Metropolis and Lana would have to stay put for those two hours.

As Clark drove he went over the plan in his mind. It was a plan that was heavy with risk. The biggest risk was his initial assumption. The assumption that Lex felt he had enough control of Clark that he would view Clark, if not as a trusted lieutenant but as a controlled weapon. A weapon that also needed to know what Lex knew in order to be fully operational. He hoped that Lex had given Clark access to Level 33.1 and to the computer records at 33.1. The second biggest risk was assuming that all of Lex’s people now knew that Clark was working for Lex and that Clark was in some way…special. And that they feared him and his powers. The third biggest risk was Level 33.1 itself. Did it really exist?

Lana lay flat on the ground surrounded by trees and bushes. The ground was still wet from the storm. She brought a poncho to lie on so that she wouldn’t soak through from the ground. She knew she could not afford to get uncomfortable and have to move. She needed to be in place for the next several hours.

Clark drove to a parking garage several blocks from the LuthorCorp complex in Metropolis. He wore a gray raincoat and carried a medium size duffle bag with him as he walked the several blocks to the complex. About a block away, he discarded the raincoat. Underneath he wore his standard red jacket, blue shirt, blue jeans and work boots. He crossed the street and entered LuthorCorp. He continually reminded himself that he needed to control his voice and his facial expressions all the time. No matter what he saw. No matter what he heard. He must always be self-controlled. He took out his cell phone and text messaged Lana.

“GOING IN.”

He waited a moment until she responded.

“GOOD LUCK.”

He entered the building.

The two guards took immediate notice of him.

“Good morning, Mr. Kent.”

Clark did not look at the guard or respond in any way.

“Mr. Kent, I’m going to have to inspect your bag.”

Clark stopped and looked at the guard.

“Why?”

“It’s standard procedure, Sir.”

Clark pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and began to punch in some numbers. He spoke just before he hit the CALL key.

“I’m going to call Mr. Luthor and tell that I’m being held up with a needless inspection.”

The two guards looked at each other and then relented. They waved Clark through. Clark stood in the lobby. “Now where do I go?” He saw businessmen entering the elevators. He saw a group of high school students beginning to take a tour. He saw at the end of the lobby a door that was guarded. He decided to walk towards the door.

Clark walked at a steady pace and maintained his focus on the door. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that the guard was looking at his face. “Do not make eye contact.” Within ten feet of the door the guard opened the door for Clark as if he had done it many times before. Clark passed through the entrance without ever breaking stride. He heard the guard greet him and then he heard the door slam shut behind him. He looked ahead and saw that he was in a long corridor without doors on either side. He took a deep breath and then realized that there could be surveillance cameras viewing him. He regained his composure and started walking down the corridor.


**********

Lana had been still for two hours. Approximately one hour after dawn she spied Lex and Clark leaving the mansion. Clark was in his customary red jacket. Lex was in a jogging suit. Lex started to jog around a running path that extended the perimeter of the mansion. Lana estimated that it must have been a mile in length and Lex ran at a fast pace around it four times. Clark ran with him. Through the binoculars she saw that Lex was breathing heavily as one would expect but that Clark was barely exerting himself. Lex ended his routine and he and Clark re-entered the mansion.

A half hour later Lana received Clark’s text message. She typed in her response. She kept her eyes pealed at the mansion and on the phone at the same time. She took deep breaths in order to control her nerves.


**********

Clark walked down the corridor and saw that there was a single elevator at the end. To the right of the elevator was a computer display that appeared as if it were there to scan fingerprints. Directly above it on the wall was another computer display that appeared as if it were there for a retina scan. “Which one do I do first?” From the back of his mind rose a bizarre desire to flip a coin. He suppressed the desire and placed his hand on the computer display. He started to count to himself. “One…two…three…four...” A message came up on the display.

FINGERPRINT VERIFIED….KENT, CLARK
PROCEED TO RETINA SCAN

Clark became aware of a single bead of sweat at his hairline. He found himself thankful that his hair was unkempt and fell a little over his forehead. He moved his head slightly forward so that his face was in front of the display on the wall. An infrared beam shined into his eye and a thin line of light moved downward from the top of his eye. He did not count this time. Within a few seconds a message came up on the display.

RETINA SCAN VERIFIED….KENT, CLARK

The dual doors of the elevator immediately opened. Clark walked into the stainless steel enclosure and the doors immediately shut behind him. As he turned around to face the door he felt the elevator smoothly rise. There were no displays as to where he was or where he was going. All he could do was wait.

He felt the elevator stop. A darkened display lit up.


33.1

The doors opened.

He walked through into a central administrative area. Long counters with computer terminals surrounded by corridors that extended like spokes on a bicycle. “So it really does exist.” He remembered Lionel mentioning rumors of 33.1 but even Lionel with his exalted status as the founder of LuthorCorp could not confirm those rumors. There were a number of people in lab coats who were moving back and forth between the centralized area and the corridors. One of them approached Clark.

“Mr. Kent, how can I help you today?”

Clark spoke slowly and kept his tone of voice at a steady level.

“I need to access your mainframe. Mr. Luthor requires certain information.”

The attendant thought for a moment.

“Mr. Luthor isn’t with you today?”

“No. He had other business to attend to.”

Clark heard the attendant murmur ‘Hmm’. He then started to walk away from Clark.

“Well, you can have your usual station.”

Clark then realized that the attendant expected Clark to know where the ‘usual station’ was situated. He quickly followed the attendant and saw that there was glass enclosed cubicle with a chair and a terminal. The attendant opened the door to the cubicle and Clark entered. As he entered, force of habit caused him to say.

“Thank you.”

The attendant looked at Clark strangely. Clark proceeded to the chair and the attendant closed the door behind him. The attendant walked to the central area. Clark could see out of the corner of his eye that the attendant was looking at him. He sat still, staring at the darkened monitor in front of him. He placed his hand on the mouse and the monitor lit up.


ENTER USER NAME

He typed in ‘CKent’ and crossed his fingers. Then the next request appeared.


ENTER PASSWORD

“Damn.” Every fiber of Clark’s being wanted to scream. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw that the attendant was no longer looking at him. He was tending to some paperwork. “Lex probably made the password. What would be a password that he would associate with me?” He typed in what he considered to be the obvious.


LANA LANG

Immediately he got his answer.


INCORRECT RESPONSE. RE-ENTER PASSWORD

Clark wanted to rub his chin with his hand but kept himself from doing so. He realized that he could not go on indefinitely entering passwords. After a certain number of tries the system would shut him out. He took another try.


CLARK KENT

The response was the same. Clark estimated that he had one last try at the password before the system shut him out. In addition, the possibility existed that security would be alerted. He was about to type in another set of words when the door to the cubicle opened. It was the same attendant.

“Mr. Kent, can I get you a cup of coffee?”

Clark thought for a moment. “I made a mistake when I said Thank You. Do nothing.”He briefly lifted his eyes to look at the attendant and then he moved his eyes back to the screen. His hands were placed on the keyboard. The attendant didn’t repeat his question or say anything else. He closed the door and went back to the counter. Clark now focused on the task at hand. He thought of Chloe and asked himself what would Chloe do? He closed his eyes. “What is the one thing Lex thinks of more than anything else in the world?” He typed in the words.


LEX LUTHOR


**********

Lana had been waiting for some word from Clark. He had messaged her that he was going in the building but she had not received any word that Clark had successfully penetrated 33.1. “If there really is a 33.1.” She looked at her watch and saw that fifteen minutes had passed. Fifteen minutes that seemed like an eternity. She put the binoculars to her eyes and looked down at the mansion. There didn’t seem to be anything going on that was out of the ordinary. Guards were patrolling the grounds. Limousines were being washed. It looked like a crew of mechanics was working on the helicopter.

She felt her phone vibrate and she looked at the display.

“I’M IN.”


**********

The display in front of Clark looked like an ordinary WINDOWS display. He saw a SEARCH command in the upper right corner of the display and he entered his name. He stared at the response in front of him.

THE INFORMATION YOU REQUESTED IS LOCATED AT THE LUTHOR MANSION LOCAL AREA NETWORK.

DO YOU WISH TO ACCESS REMOTELY? (Y/N)

Clark took a type breath as his heart pounded in his chest. He heard himself whispering a word he rarely spoke.

“S***.”

The information he needed was on Lex’s personal computer.


**********

[Max001]

Cool update. Looking forward to finding out what's controlling Clark :eek:

[happycamper]

Lana and the other Clark are taking some big chances...

How are they possibly going to get the information from Lex's laptop! And where is Chloe when you really need her!!


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Three (Continued)


“Countdown”

Lana felt her nerves ease when she received Clark’s message. For a moment she relaxed and closed her eyes. She wanted to keep her eyes closed but she knew she would fall asleep if she did so. After a few seconds she forced her eyes open. She did not expect her phone to vibrate again so soon. She looked at the display and saw that a series of messages were coming in.

“NEED YOU TO DIVERT”

“LEX’S”

“ATTENTION”

“PERSONALLY”

“FOR 10 MIN.”

Lana’s mouth dropped as she read the message. “Clark, I’m Lana Lang. All five feet three inches and one hundred pounds of me. I’m not James Bond.”


**********

Clark was not surprised at Lana’s response.

“R U OUT OF UR F****** MIND?”


**********

It wasn’t long before Clark responded back to Lana.

“NEED LL AWAY FROM PC.”

Lana knew that Lex spent an enormous amount of time in front of his computer. She would have to climb down the hill, gain entrance to the mansion, go to see Lex and get him away from his desk.


**********

Clark sat motionless as Lana’s response came in.

“WILL TELL U WHEN I’M 5 MIN AWAY FROM SEEING LL.”

He used all of his self control to keep himself from chuckling at her next message.

“WISH ME LUCK…007”

It was now Clark who was worrying about Lana. He did not look at his watch to see how much time had passed. He continued to stare at the display, pretending to be reading. With his peripheral vision he could see the lab attendants scurrying back and forth. Occasionally he saw the attendant he had first met when he entered 33.1. His phone vibrated.

“BEGIN COUNTDOWN.”

He looked at the time in the lower left corner of the computer display and he began to count off five minutes.


**********

Lex was viewing the previous day’s financial results on his computer when his phone rang and he was told that Lana Lang was at the entrance to the mansion. He instructed the guards to let her enter the grounds. As he waited he switched screens to the 33.1 testing results from the previous day. In a few minutes the doors opened and Lana walked in.

“Green and brown? Those are unusual colors for you, Lana?”

Lana walked from the door over to fireplace.

“I’m thinking I need some changes in my life, Lex.”

Lex’s curiosity was aroused.

“Like what?”

Lana sat down in chair by the fireplace.

“Why don’t you come over here and we’ll talk about it.”


**********

“Five…four…three…two…one…zero.” Clark had counted down the five minutes. He turned his attention to gaining remote access to Lex’s personal computer.


DO YOU WISH TO ACCESS REMOTELY? (Y/N)

Clark punched in the Y key and then hit ENTER.


ONLINE WITH LUTHOR MANSION LOCAL AREA NETWORK

He typed in his name in the SEARCH command and saw a file labeled CKENT appear. He opened up the file and began to read as quickly as he was able to. In his own universe he would be able to process volumes of information in a few minutes. In this universe he was a normal human-like reader. He skimmed the information quickly. He bypassed personal information and the history with Lex.

Lex had recorded that Clark had powers of strength and breath. He discovered these powers with Jason Teague when Clark and Lana went to Orlando. The discovery of speed and heat vision came later. Clark was surprised that Lex did not yet discover his X-Ray vision and especially, flight. “So he doesn’t know everything.” He was also surprised that there was no mention of Kal-El, Jor-El, Krypton or the Fortress of Solitude. He was especially surprised that Lex did not make the discovery of Clark’s weakness with meteor rocks. Lex’s focus seemed to be on something that he found in the inner chamber of the Kawatche Caves. Something that led him to…

“England?”


**********

Lana glanced at the clock on the wall while Lex sat next to her. “Three minutes down. Seven minutes to go.” Lex was uncomfortably close to her. He was viewing her with an expression on his face that she interpreted as either curiosity or hunger.

“Lana, what changed between last night and this morning?”

“I’m a practical person, Lex. I’ve always had to look out for myself. That hasn’t changed.”


**********

Clark continued to scan the information. There were clues on the portal platform in the inner chamber of the Kawatche Caves. Clues that no one had paid attention to. “My focus was always on the stones. Not on the portal itself.” These clues led Lex to someplace in England. And in England, Lex found some type of artifact. Clark clicked on the word ‘artifact’ and a photograph was displayed. It was some type of round object. A black crystalline orb about the size of a softball. On the orb was an image that Clark had never seen before. It seemed to be some type of insignia.


\S/

Clark looked at the image. He had seen it before. “Metropolis! In the brief time I was in the future when I was looking for Lana. I thought it was a new logo for the Sharks.” He remembered that when the Spectrum had taken him 17 years into the future, he had seen the image everywhere. Now this ‘orb’ with this image was being used by Lex to control Clark in this universe. “Whatever it is, it must exist in my universe.” He continued to read.

Evidently Lex did not pursue studying the orb. Once he discovered that he could control Clark with it he decided that the window of opportunity existed to gain controlling interests in the vital areas of the world using Clark as a persuader. After this task was completed, Lex would turn his attention to the study of the orb and the study of Clark.

The orb was located at the Luthor mansion.


**********

Lex rose from his seat and began to walk back to his desk.

“Let me be candid, Lana. I could take you anytime I want and you know it. Why should I be interested in your ‘companionship’?”

Out of the corner of her eye Lana saw from the clock on the wall that seven minutes had passed. Lex was walking back to his desk. His back was turned towards her. Clark needed three more minutes.

She rose to her feet and quickly walked to Lex until she was behind him. She placed her hands on his back and he turned towards her. She looked up at him as her hands traveled to his shoulders. She pushed herself up to his face so that their lips were just a fraction of an inch apart. Lex could almost taste her warm breath.

“Yes. You can take me anytime you want. But you won’t like me that way.


**********

Clark was almost finished. He was about to close up when he saw a linkage with Chloe Sullivan’s name on it. He opened the linkage.


**********

Lex felt Lana’s warm breath. She was close. So close. Yet not quite there. He removed her hands from his shoulders and pressed the intercom button on his phone set.

“Clark, come in here.”


**********

Clark was struggling to control himself. Before him were images of the systematic torture and death of Chloe Sullivan. Standing over her in every image was the figure of Lex Luthor. Lex did most of the work. He seemed to enjoy it. He only handed Chloe off to someone else when he was tired. He even took time out to eat a sandwich while he watched Chloe writhe in agony.


**********

Clark entered the room and stood before Lex and Lana without an expression on his face. Lana faced him. She willed herself not to cry. Lex stood behind her and placed his hands around her waist and his face to her neck. She cringed as she felt his breath on her skin.

“Now Lana, you were talking about me not liking you in a certain way.”

She pulled herself away from him. A certain self-satisfied smirk came over his face. Lana pulled back her right hand and struck him across his face with all of her strength. The slap did not remove the smirk from his face.

“That’s what I thought. You were never a devious person, Lana. Now is not a good time to start.”

She turned from him and walked towards the door. Clark made a motion to stop her but Lex shook his head indicating that she was to pass.

Lex felt his face.

“That will be all, Clark.”

Clark left the room and Lex walked back to his desk. He sat down and resumed examining the 33.1 results.


**********

Clark left the cubicle carrying the duffel bag he had brought with him. After what he had just seen it was requiring all of his self control to maintain his composure. He passed the central counter and saw that someone had haphazardly left a small chunk of meteor rock on the counter. Without anyone seeing he placed the rock in his coat pocket. The doors of the elevator opened before him and he entered. The doors closed behind him.

The attendant who first greeted him watched him as the elevator doors closed. “Something’s not quite right.” He picked up the phone and hit the key that was the direct line to the Luthor mansion.


**********

Lana had left the mansion and began making her way back up to her secluded spot on the hill overlooking the complex. She took care to make sure that no one was following her. All she could think of the emotionless expression on Clark’s face. She was trying to control the nausea she was feeling. Nausea that first began when she felt Lex breathing on her neck.


**********

Lex momentarily stopped his examination of the 33.1 results and picked up his phone.

“Yes, doctor. What is so important?”

“That’s impossible. He’s been here at the mansion. In fact, he’s standing in front of me right now.”

Lex held the phone away from his ear as he began to think. An expression of grave concern grew over his face. He shouted at Clark. In less than a second Clark was out of the mansion.

“Clark! Get to 33.1 now! Someone’s impersonating you!”


**********

Clark had exited the elevator and walked down the corridor. He knocked on the door and the guard outside the door opened it. Clark exited the corridor. The exit to the LuthorCorp building was across the lobby directly in front him. He turned to his right and walked into another corridor that led to the men’s room.


**********

Lana gathered up the binoculars and other belongings at her spot overlooking the mansion. She began to walk down the hill to the highway and would then walk back to the farm. “I hope you got what you needed, Clark.” All she could think of was getting home, taking a shower and washing off the filth left on her by Lex’s hands.


**********

A flash of red and blue flew across the lobby of the LuthorCorp complex and down the corridor to the elevator for Level 33.1. The door that the security guard stood by opened and closed without him even knowing it. It was only at the fingerprint and retina scans that Clark became visible. He had to wait a few precious seconds for the computer to verify his prints. The elevator was to only way into Level 33.1.

Clark exited on 33.1. The attendant was just putting down the phone from his very brief call to Lex.

“Mr. Kent, did you forget something?”

“That wasn’t me. What did he look like?

“He looked like you. Same clothes. Same everything.”

“Find out what the imposter was accessing and get back to me.”

Clark didn’t wait for an answer as he re-entered the elevator. Once again on the ground floor he speeded into the lobby and quickly began scanning for someone who looked like him.

A group of well dressed businessmen were leaving the complex. No one took notice of a tall, athletic looking businessman in a blue pin stripe suit with a dark red tie, crisp white shirt and wearing shined black wing tip shoes. A businessman carrying a leather briefcase that was walking out of the men’s room. His thick black hair was combed neatly back from his forehead and his piercing blue-green eyes were covered by a pair of thick dark rimmed eyeglasses. He exited the building in the same manner as the other businessmen. As is their routine, the security guards were more focused on people entering the building than exiting the building. The tall businessman hailed a cab which took him to a parking garage several blocks from the building.

Later that night a janitor would find a medium size duffel bag in the men’s room. In the bag was a red jacket, blue tee shirt, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of work boots.

The janitor brought the duffel bag and its contents to the LuthorCorp Lost & Found. There were no inquiries regarding the bag.


**********

[Max001]

Woo! Good thing AU Clark thought ahead, huh?

Great update, can't wait to see what happens next.

[Hahaveryfunny]

Whoa! Poor AU Clark seeing Chloe's death. Like that he came prepared. Now free this realities Clark quick! WOOT WOOT FOR CLANA! PPMS!

[happycamper]

The plan seems to be working so far, and Lana and the alternate Clark have a lead on how to fix what's happened to her own Clark.

But now the truth about what happened to Chloe has come out. There really are certain things that are unforgivable, and given what and to whom Lex did this, I truly believe this falls under that categorization. Nothing is sufficent other than a slow death, so I wonder how both Clarks are going to respond.

Now I also wonder if Lex is going to tie in Lana's visit with the activity of the 'imposter.' Is this going to put her in great danger?


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Four


“Things To Do”

Lex and Clark were in the main room of the mansion when Clark’s cell phone rang. He opened it up, said ‘yes’ and then listened. He closed the phone without further comment.

“Your personal computer was accessed from Level 33.1 by the imposter. They’re not certain as to what information was examined.”

Lex seemed perplexed.

“How is that possible? I’ve been here all day. I would have seen someone trying to gain access to my computer. And I don’t understand how he could have the same fingerprints and retina configuration as you.”

Lex was silent and thought a little longer. He asked Clark what time his computer was accessed and Clark told him. Lex thought a little longer. “Why that little…” He stopped himself.

“Clark, I have a job for you.”

Clark did not respond. He was simply waiting for Lex’s orders.

“Clark, you are to go back to your farm and you are to kill Lana Lang.”

Lex was seeing resistance beginning to show on Clark’s face. He had not seen this since he first began using Clark.

“Oh! Are we having some difficulty with my request? Well, let’s see what we can do about that.”

Lex pushed a button on his desk and the wall unit opened up and revealed the door to a large safe. Lex opened the safe, walked in and came out holding a black crystalline orb the size of a softball. On the orb was an image.


:superman:

In Clark’s presence, the orb glowed in Lex’s hand. Clark seemed to be drawn to it. He moved forward.

“Stop.”

Clark obeyed Lex’s command and stood in his place.

“I don’t know what this thing is or why it has such an effect on you but I’m going to spend a lot of time finding that out when I’m finished making all of the business acquisitions I need to make. Now go do what I just told you to do.”

Clark turned around and began to walk out of the room. He stopped when Lex spoke again.

“Oh, Clark. I almost forgot one thing.”

Clark stopped and waited. His back turned away from Lex.

“Before, you kill Lana…punish her.”


**********

Lana had made her way back to the farm. She took a hot shower and made herself something to eat. After a very long day and previous night, she felt much better. Being young, she was recovering quickly from the bruises suffered in her trip through the Phantom Zone. She had changed her clothes and she was waiting in the loft for Clark to return from Metropolis.

She heard footsteps. Heavy footsteps that she recognized as Clark’s. She ran from the top of the loft to the floor of the barn. She saw the familiar red and blue in front of her.

“Clark, what did you find…”

She stopped herself and looked at the Clark in front of her. “Where’s your blue suit?” She then recognized the lifeless expression on his face and knew why he was there?

“Oh my God!”

She looked around and saw that there were only two exits from the barn. The entrance that Clark was standing at and the window at the top of the loft. Lana quickly surmised that she would have to run back up the steps jump out of the window and hope that somehow she didn’t kill herself in the fall. She began to run up the steps. She had run only a short distance when she heard the rush of wind and saw Clark standing a few steps above her. Heat vision streamed out of his eyes and burned to a cinder the step in front of her. Even though she was fully aware of Clark’s powers, she was still astonished at seeing his powers. Especially now when his powers were directed at her.

Clark took a slight inward breath and let out a little puff. Lana flew off the steps and onto her back on the ground. The previous night’s bruises were again making their presence known and now there were new ones joining in. She saw Clark standing on the steps. She looked to her side and saw the unguarded exit. Her mind told her that she didn’t have a chance in making it to the exit but her survival instinct took over. She rose from the ground and ran towards the door. Before she was able to move a few feet Clark was standing in front of her.

He inhaled deeply and blew Lana across the barn into the back wall. She stayed suspended on the wall by the force of his breath. She started the feel the crushing effects of Clark’s breath as her cheeks began to move inward into her face like that of an astronaut undergoing training in a centrifuge. She wanted to scream in pain but she couldn’t keep enough air in her lungs to move over her vocal cords in order to create a sound. Lana was awed at Clark’s lung capacity. His breath just seemed to be without end. Her mind told her that soon her ribs would crack and then splinter and then push inward puncturing her lungs. The force of the wind would not allow her to close her eyelids and she felt her eyeballs being pushed into the back of her head.

Suddenly, she dropped down to the ground and fell flat on her face. Her lungs strained as she sucked in air as if she had been saved from drowning. She moved her head up to look at Clark and saw that he was writhing on the ground in enormous pain. Standing above him in a blue pin stripe suit was the Clark Kent that she was expecting.

“I never thought I’d be glad to be holding one of these.”

Clark was holding the chunk of meteor rock he had taken from the lab. Lana’s Clark was on his back. His counterpart placed the kryptonite on the ground a few feet above his head. It was far enough from him that he couldn’t move it and it was close enough to keep him incapacitated. Lana was helped to her feet by the blue suited Clark. She couldn’t help but bury her head in Clark’s chest. He held her tightly, thinking of his own Lana back home. She looked at her Clark lying on the ground and wanted to run to him to help. His counterpart held her back.

“I wouldn’t do that. Not yet.”

Lana knew he was right. But knowing he was right didn’t help the pain she was feeling for the man she loved. She looked up at Clark.

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

Clark nodded his head.

“So what do we do now?”

Clark spoke in a decisive tone as if he had already made plans.

“You stay here with Clark and the kryptonite. Stay far enough from him so that he’s out of business but alive. Whatever he says to you, don’t listen. Don’t do anything with him until I get back.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ve got four things to do. First, I’m going to change clothes and go to the mansion and pretend I have my powers one more time. Then, I’m going to get whatever it is that’s controlling Clark and bring it back here.”

Clark started to walk away.

“Clark, that’s only two things. What else are you going to do?”

Clark spoke without facing her.

“I’m going to kill Lex Luthor in your universe and then I’m going back home and kill him in mine.”

Clark turned to face Lana. His eyes were bright with an intensity that she had never before seen.

“This ends tonight.”


**********

[Max001]

:eek: Is about all I can say.

Ok, maybe not. That was a great update. I can't help but think Lex is going to know though.

[oldmankent]

Part Four (Continued)


“This Moment”

Clark changed into the red and blue clothes of his counterpart and then waited until nightfall. He drove Lana’s Jeep to a distance from the mansion where he would not be seen and parked the car in the brush on the side of the road. The thought occurred to him that if he wasn’t successful in what he was attempting to do he could end up dead at the hands of Lex Luthor or in jail because he had absolutely no powers with which to make his escape easy. He thought it ironic that he could end up in jail in an alternate universe.

It was his intention to use the darkness to cover his entrance on the grounds of the mansion. Without seeing his approach, he hoped the guards would think that he had speeded into their presence. As he slowly walked through the brush and onto the grounds of the mansion, he thought about the training he had undergone up to this point with Jor-El in the Fortress of Solitude. He thought of all the forms of self defense and training in flexibility, speed, strength and coordination that he had undergone. Now he knew why. It was for this moment. Jor-El had anticipated that there might be a time when Clark was operating without his powers or dealing with someone who had equal powers. The training was intended to ensure that Clark was not at a disadvantage in such situations. The training was intended to ensure that he would become overly dependent on his physical gifts, to ensure that he would use his head as well as his body.

He was on the grounds of the mansion in the shadows. He saw two guards pass by him and then he stepped out of the shadows walking in the opposite direction of the guards. The guards heard his footsteps and drew their guns.

“Stop right there! Halt!”

Clark continued his play acting and never broke his stride. He was now in the light and the guards could clearly see his figure. He kept on walking and did not pause at their command. He heard them re-holster their guns.

“That guy scares the **** out of me.”

“Yeah. I never know if he’s coming or going.”

He was now in the mansion. The servants greeted him but he did not respond. He continued the façade and walked through the dual doors into main room. He closed the doors behind him and turned the latch to lock them. It had been almost a year since Clark had been in this room, yet so little had changed. Lex was at his desk working at his computer. There was a half empty glass of scotch on the desk. The fireplace was lit, bringing some light to the dark, cavernous room. He walked to the desk and sat down. Lex looked up from his computer and was surprised that Clark was not standing at attention in front of him.

“What did she say at the end?”

“You tell me. You were the one who was there.”

Lex gave Clark a quizzical look. He did not understand what Clark was referring to.

“I was asking you, what did Lana say just before you killed her?”

“And I was talking about Chloe Sullivan.”

Lex was silent, still not understanding what was happening.

“Do you really think I would let you kill the love of Clark Kent’s life?”

The expression of Clark’s face, the sound of his voice, the intensity in his eyes now told Lex that something was different. This was not the same Clark Kent who left his house several hours ago. Lex quickly moved to open one of the drawers in the credenza behind him and pulled out the black, crystalline orb. Lex held it in front of himself, expecting the glow that he had previously seen. The orb remained dormant.
Lex said slowly.

“Who…are…you?”

“Let’s just say…I’m not from around here.”

A look of realization began to take hold of Lex.

“You’re the imposter. Where’s the real Clark Kent?”

“The Clark Kent of this world isn’t working for you anymore.”

Lex thought for moment. He was putting it altogether.

“You’re the same Clark Kent who passed through here several months ago. No wonder you’re able to resist this.”

He placed the orb down on his desk.

“But I doubt you’ll be able to resist this.”

From under his desk Lex pulled out a gun and pointed it at Clark. He expected Clark to react with fear at the sight of the gun. Instead Clark sat motionless in his chair looking Lex right in the eyes.

“Come on, Lex. Do you really need that? You had me at your mercy one time before. I bet you’re just aching to finish the job.”

Lex continued to point the gun at Clark. He recalled the severe beating he had given the person sitting in front of him. He had him on the brink of death until Lana interfered.

“Well, your father always said you were a coward.”

Lex’s eyebrows rose and Clark could see that he had struck a nerve.

“I’ll take care of you the same way I took care of him.”

At this comment it was Clark’s eyebrows that were raised. He now understood that Lex had caused both Chloe’s and Lionel’s death. Clark decided to push Lex’s hot button.

“You’ll never be the man your father was. Torturing helpless women is more of your style. ”

Lex couldn’t keep himself from smirking. “I needed a good workout.” He placed the gun back into the credenza and rose from his seat.

“I don’t know where you’re from but you should have stayed there.”

Clark rose from his chair, walked around the chair until he was behind and then flung it out of the way. Lex saw his piece of furniture splinter into pieces as it crashed against the wall.

“That chair costs more than the Kent farm earns in a month.”

“So sue me.”

Clark backed up as Lex walked around to the front of his desk. The two men now stood about ten feet apart. Lex had unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled the sleeves up his arms. Clark had removed his jacket so that he was just in a tee shirt and jeans. Lex spread his feet wide and was in an attacking stance. Clark spread his feet at shoulder width and had his hands level with his chest with his hands open. Lex looked Clark up and down from head to toe. Clark eyes did not move the lock he had on Lex’s eyes.

Lex prepared himself to launch a spin kick at Clark. He anticipated that Clark would focus on Lex being left-handed. He would feint to his left then spin completely around with his right leg and hit Clark in the solar plexus. The wind would be knocked out of him and then Lex would go in for the kill. This battle would be finished quickly.

Lex moved forward and was surprised when Clark stood in place, holding his ground. He moved to his left, stopped, lifted himself off the ground and spun his right leg around. He expected to hear a thud and then a groan. Instead he found himself landing back on the floor, slightly off balance. His kick had hit nothing but air. Clark was several steps to the right of where Lex thought he would be.

“I believe that kick was supposed to go like this.”

Clark lifted himself off the floor. As he spun 360 degrees his right heel hit Lex in the chest sending him into the air and across the room. Lex was on his back on the floor. The kick had caught him by surprise and knocked the wind out of him. What surprised him even more was the speed at which Clark was at his side, taking his arm and pulling him up to his feet.

“Here, let me help you up.”

Clark was now behind Lex and let loose a backhanded punch to his kidneys. In addition to the pain, Lex now found himself hitting the wall on the other side of the room. He crumpled to his knees. His lungs were desperate for air. Somehow Clark had known exactly what points in the body bring maximum pain. Lex looked up and saw the crossing pair of ancient samurai swords on the wall that he had brought from Japan. He grabbed one of the swords and turned around expecting to face a weaponless Clark. Once again Clark was not where Lex expected him to be. A chop to his hand caused him to drop the sword and another blow sent him back to the other side of the room. As he looked up he saw that Clark had already flung the sword into the wall above his head. He turned around and saw that Clark had the other sword of the pair and was waiting in a stance holding the sword above his head with his right hand and his left hand pointed outward towards Lex. “Where the hell did he learn this?”

Lex took the sword above his head and Clark allowed him the first move. Lex came at him with a series of jabs that Clark easily deflected. Clark was now on the attack swinging at all areas of Lex’s body as if he were in one continuous motion. Lex had no time to adjust. With a slashing blow Clark hit Lex with a focused intensity that caused Lex’s sword to fly out of his hands. Lex realized that had Clark wanted to, he could have severed Lex’s hand with the blow. For the first time he also realized that he was losing this fight. Lex expected Clark to swing away again. Instead Clark, in a chivalrous gesture, threw his own sword away and launched a kick that set Lex crashing into his desk. He scrambled desperately to his feet and saw that the half finished drink of scotch was still on his desk. He heard Clark behind him. He had one chance. Lex grabbed the drink and threw it in Clark’s face, blinding him for the moment.

Now Clark was on the defensive. Blow after blow was being sent to his midsection as Lex moved forward. Clark was dazed and let loose with a wild overhand punch that Lex easily avoided. He grabbed Clark by the arm and using Clark’s own momentum, threw Clark over his shoulder. But it was at this moment that the value of his training came to fruition. Instead of falling on his back as Lex expected, Clark landed on his feet. Without looking Clark let loose a backward kick with his left leg that hit Lex in the jaw just as he was moving forward to pounce on Clark. Clark then spun another 360 degrees and kicked Lex with his right leg. Blood and teeth spewed out of Lex’s mouth.

Lex was now faced with a barrage of blows for which he had no defense. Lex had no answer to the ferocity of Clark’s attack. As Lex had done to him, Clark now prefaced each blow with a declaration.

“This is for trying to take Lana away from me!”

Lex’s right ear rang from a back hand blow to the side of his head.

“This is for not letting us live our lives in peace!”

Lex’s left ear now screamed out in pain as Clark sent a blow to accompany his right ear.

“This is for Lionel”

Lex felt his nose pushed upward in his head as the socket of his cracked and his cheekbone shattered. He was now laid over his desk, totally unable to defend himself. He saw the orb next to him and tried to take hold of it but Clark easily took it out of his hand. Lex’s eyes were rolling up into his head and he was about the lose consciousness.

“This is for Chloe!”

Clark stood above him with the black orb in his hand. Lex’s last conscious view was that of Clark raising the orb, readying it to send crashing into his skull.

Clark held Lex by his shirt with one hand and had the org raised in the air with his other hand. He looked at the emblem.


\S/

There was something compelling about it that he did not understand and he could not take his eyes from it. He looked at the orb and then he looked down at the bloodied and beaten form of Lex Luthor. Clark suddenly realized that this universe had caused him to lose more than his power. It was for this moment that he had been trained. It was for this moment that he had been trained to control…himself. He now knew that he was in great danger of losing something infinitely more valuable than his power. At this moment he was in great danger of losing his destiny.

He let go of Lex and let him drop to the floor. Clark looked at the orb and then looked down at Lex. He spoke in a whisper.

“You’re not worth it.”


**********

[happycamper]

Two updates - you're a writing machine! :)

I expected more resistance from Clark about his tasking from Lex, and being able to hurt Lana at all was a surprise. But in typical villain fashion, Lana was saved because Lex needed to have her hurt before being killed.

I've never understood all the aspects of Clark's destiny. To me, ending the possibility of evil is "good" when that evil will only hurt and kill others again. Consequently, I'm not sure that alternate Clark did the right thing by allowing Lex to live. Shouldn't Clark be free to do what is needed to save other lives?

Please make sure alternate Clark picks up the laptop on the way out. Jail - if even only temporarily - is better than nothing!


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Five


“The Key To Destiny”

Lana’s heart was breaking. It had been hours since her Clark had been incapacitated by the kryptonite. Hours that he had been on the ground in the barn in agony. And Lana had felt his agony with him. His face had taken on a green pallor and he was now lying still. His eyes were closed. His breathing was shallow. “Please, Clark. Please come back soon. I don’t know if I can stand to see him like this much longer.” She was then haunted by another fearful thought. “What if he doesn’t come back? What if Lex wins? What do I do then?”

She shook off her fear.“This is Clark Kent. Whether he’s from this universe or another universe he’s still the same person and he’s coming back just like he said he would.”

The glare from the headlights of the car entering the Kent driveway caught her attention. She heard the car door slam shut and then footsteps coming closer to the barn. In the entrance before her stood Clark Kent. Tall and broad shouldered. Under left arm he held a laptop computer. In his right hand he held a black, crystalline ball.

She ran to him and then stopped herself as she looked back on the man lying on the ground. She realized that this was another Lana Lang’s Clark Kent. Her place was by the side of the man lying on the ground. Clark looked at her, understood and smiled. Lana returned a smile filled with relief.

As he entered the barn and walked closer to Clark the orb began to glow.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know what it is but I know what is does.”

As he drew closer the Clark on the ground began to stir. He opened his eyes. Clark knelt over him with the orb.

“Lana, take away the kryptonite.”

Lana placed the kryptonite in a lead container. At the same time Clark placed the orb in his counterpart’s hands. The glow from the orb spread over Clark and he began to inhale deeply. A calmness came over him and he smiled at Clark. It was as if the orb had found its rightful owner. Clark was helped to sit up.

“Are you back among the living?”

AU Clark smiled and nodded. Clark waved for Lana to come to him. Lana ran to him and wouldn’t let him get up. She held him tightly and deluged his face with kisses. Clark stood above them, allowing them to have their moment. Lana spoke.

“How much do you remember?”

“I remember everything. It was awful. I knew exactly what I was doing and I couldn’t control it.”

He looked up at Clark.

“I don’t know if I can ever repay you. All I can say is thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank Lana. She’s the one who came through the Phantom Zone looking for me.”

AU Clark looked in amazement at the woman by his side.

“You went through the Phantom Zone?”

“I’d do anything for you, Clark Kent.”

Lana looked up at the Clark standing over them.

“What did you do to Lex?”

Clark shook his head.

“Not what I set out to do.”

Clark handed her the laptop.

“There’s a fine line between justice and revenge. This laptop contains everything there is to know about Level 33.1 and about the torture and death of…Chloe.”

The couple was stunned at the revelation. Clark handed them a set of computer discs.

“I made backups of the hard drive just in case Lex has a remote way of deleting his own records. There’s enough there to put him away for the rest of his life.”

Everyone was now standing.

Lex had tortured Chloe to find out the location of the Fortress. He got one word out her – north. But that led him north of Smallville to the Kawatche Caves. He found some type of clue in the caves that led him to the orb, somewhere in England. You and I had been so focused on the stones and the portal that we must have missed the clues.”

AU Clark now spoke.

“Do you think your Lex Luthor has searched the caves in your universe?”

“No. The caves in my universe are untouched. I think he must be searching north as in the North Pole.”

Lana know spoke.

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. But my instinct tells me that this orb is more important than anything else we’ve come across. More important than the Caves, more important than the stones, more important than the Fortress. I’ve got to find it in my universe before Lex does.”

AU Clark was examining the orb.

“Do you know what this emblem means?”

Clark shook his head.

Lana spoke up.

“I think I know what this is.”

Both Clark’s looked at her.

“When I went to the Fortress of Solitude Jor-El said that all was lost because something had been taken from Clark.”

The three of them looked at the orb as Lana finished her thought.

“I think this is the key to your destiny.”


**********


End of Episode 17


We are down to the final two episodes of SV Season 6. Stay tuned for Episode 18 – Sphere.

[Max001]

Awsome stuff! I'm sad that it's almost over though. I'm glad that AU Clark couldn't go through with his plan. As much as it's fun to see him go all bad boy It just doesn't feel like Clark Kent if he murders someone.

[happycamper]

Great episode!

At least they have the evidence of what happened to Chloe, and the knowledge of what Lex did to Clark...and what he was trying to do to the world!


Originally posted by Max001
As much as it's fun to see him go all bad boy It just doesn't feel like Clark Kent if he murders someone.

I disagree, it would have been for the whole world's good if he had just killed Lex (like a rabid dog). Well, I guess we have one more chance with this Lana and Clark (come on, Lana - you can make him do it!).


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Smallville Season 6 - Episode 18: Sphere


Part One


“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.”

The words of the Earth literature seemed exceedingly appropriate to Jor-El as he closed his eyes and laid back in the transport that was crossing the galaxy to the distant planet of Altair 4. A smile came to his face as he thought about his wife, Lara, and their newborn son, Kal-El. The smile disappeared when his thoughts turned to the state of affairs for his world of Krypton.

“It was the best of times.” Marriage to Lara had brought Jor-El a happiness and a contentment that he thought would never be possible. The brief but tragic encounter in his youth with the human, Louise McCallum, had darkly colored his attitude towards personal relationships for many years. The happiness achieved by a man and a woman being together was not to be his destiny. He did not complain. He did not lament what he considered to be the course of his life. He simply viewed it as a fact of his life to be dealt with the same way one would deal with being short or being exceedingly tall. You accept it and you move on. He threw himself into his studies at the Academy and then after graduation he threw himself into his work. He became the dutiful son that his parents had always desired.

The Lara came into his life and everything changed.

From the first moment that she saw him she determined that he would be the one that she would spend the rest of her life with. There was something compelling, mysterious and sad about him all at the same time. Lara came into Jor-El’s life determined to break the personal force field that surrounded him and through time and patience she succeeded. Lara had become Jor-El’s best friend, confidante and lover. She understood him. She listened to him. She challenged him. Her love was complete and without boundaries. Jor-El comforted her. He cared for her and he returned her love with a devotion that he never before thought was possible. They had no choice but to marry each other. While others viewed the ancient vows of marriage as a mere formality, Jor-El and Lara viewed marriage as a desired endorsement of their love. They could not bear to be apart.

They made their home together on Krypton. Days were spent in their work and in the society of their colleagues and friends. Nights were spent in the arms of each other. Creating a universe of their own. Like a pair of companion stars. One orbiting the other.

Jor-El had ascended the point where he thought that the love he felt for his wife could not possibly increase. There could be no greater height to attain. Then she spoke the words that revealed to him that his capacity for love was greater than he could ever imagine.

“Jor-El, I’m carrying our child.”

That this beautiful and wonderful woman should have chosen him to father her child was a gift beyond his comprehension. From the moment she shared the news with him he loved the child that was growing within her and he loved Lara even more. He now viewed her not only as his wife but as the host of the culmination of their sacred vows. She was carrying the physical representation of their love. The child was not only an entity separate unto itself, it was a part of each of them. It was them.

Jor-El was fast becoming Krypton’s leading scientific authority. The Kryptonians had discovered and understood many of the mysteries of the universe that had baffled other planets for thousands of years and would continue to baffle other life forms such as the humans. But that the love of Jor-El and Lara could be manifested in the form of a child and that he could feel such an immediate bonding with that child remained a mystery to Jor-El. He accepted the mystery as beyond his understanding and he treasured it as a gift.

As large as the universe is, Lara’s declaration now made the universe even larger to Jor-El. And as the child grew in Lara and they in turn grew in their love for the child and for each other, they began to look at the world around them. They looked at the world they would be bringing the child into.

And they did not like what they were seeing.

“It was the worst of times.” It is difficult for someone born and raised on Krypton to comprehend what was happening to their world. They were too close to the problem and there was nothing in their history that they could make reference to.

For centuries Krypton had been an enlightened society seeking the betterment of their planet and their race through peaceful discovery across the known galaxies. They governed themselves without any type of internal conflict. There were disagreements but such matters were always resolved with the goal of what was best for Krypton and its people. Now a voice rose within that enlightened society that shouted out that Kryptonians by their nature and their accomplishments were superior to all of the worlds that they had investigated, studied and left alone. And if they were superior than it is their right not only to investigate and to study but to colonize and conquer if necessary. That voice was the voice of Zod.

Jor-El and Zod had grown up as best friends. One chose the path of science while they other chose the military. Both noble pursuits. One would advance their society through science within while the other would protect their society from enemies outside their world. Zod had pursued Lara but she only had eyes for Jor-El. On the surface it appeared that this romantic triangle was cause for the break in their friendship but the cause ran much deeper and Jor-El was surprised that he had not seen it sooner. Zod was possessed with overwhelming ambition. Disagreements were no longer resolved with the solution being what was best for Krypton and its people. Disagreements were now resolved with the solution being what was best for Zod.

And Zod was not only ambitious. He was persuasive.

Jor-El, with his fascination for the humans on Earth and his knowledge of human history could see what was happening. It had happened on Earth many times. Most recently in the middle of Earth’s 20th century. A peaceful society stirred up by an individual who promised greatness. Greatness in return for one thing – obedience to him. Zod was promising such greatness and the people of Krypton were listening. Jor-El tried to persuade his colleagues of the danger of Zod by referring to human history – the insidious infection and tragedy of Nazism and Fascism but his warnings were usually met with scorn.

“Jor-El, be serious. How could you compare us with the humans? That would be like comparing the humans to an amoeba.”

Zod was now known as General Zod and was responsible for the defense of the entire planet. Jor-El felt himself compelled to enter the political arena in order to provide some sort of opposition to Zod. Jor-El sought and was granted membership on the governing counsel of Krypton. Where Zod sought power, Jor-El would seek to stem that power. In every avenue that Zod traveled to extend his ambition he would meet a roadblock named Jor-El. Zod sought to rule the people of Krypton and Jor-El sought for the people of Krypton to rule themselves. The enmity between them only increased. But the peaceful, legal maneuvers of Jor-El were being outflanked by the illegal, violent activities of the followers of Zod.

It wasn’t long after Lara’s announced pregnancy that the couple took a hard look at their lives and the world their son would be born into.

“Lara, there is a good chance that Zod will win.”

“What does that mean?”

“On Earth just before one of their global wars a man rose to power on the European continent who deluded his people into dreams of greatness. Once he achieved power his first act was to murder his enemies and all those who did not meet his criteria for the type of society he wanted.”

When Jor-El told Lara stories of Earth and its difficult history, a history filled with blood and wars but at the same time with nobility and sacrifice, she listened attentively like a child listening to a father’s stories.

“How many did he murder?”

Jor-El hesitated and then answered.

“More than six million humans.”

Lara’s breath was taken away at what her husband told her. Jor-El continued.

“Zod is becoming more influential with each passing day. If he comes to power his first act will be the elimination of his enemies.”

“What does that mean for us…and our child?”

“My name will be first on his list.”

Lara tried to control her emotions but was unable to do so. She fell into her husbands arms.

“What are we to do?”

“The answer is to leave Krypton.”

“How?”

“We build a ship.”

“But how can you build a ship, Jor-El. You know the new laws. The laws that were passed over your opposition.”

“All resources are now being monitored for usage. The use of energy and materials are carefully watched. To construct a ship that would take three of us from Krypton would arouse suspicions. But we could secretly construct a small ship. A small ship that could take one of us to safety.”

Lara’s eyes opened wide at what her husband was saying.

“One of us?”

“You and I may not be able to leave Krypton but we may be able to get our child to safety.”

For a moment Lara was silent, thinking of the implications of what her husband was suggesting. The joy of carrying their first child was now being buried in the reality of the events of their world.

“Where would we send our child?”

“Earth.”


**********

[Hahaveryfunny]

Great update. I feel so bad for Jor-el and Lara in this. Poor Kal-el/Clark too at this age! AWE. PPMS!

[happycamper]

So we come full circle back to the story of Jor-El and Zod. Are there any implications about the events on Krypton - other than simply the conflict between Zod and Jor-El/Kal-El of course - concerning what is about to happen on Earth?


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part One (Continued)


“Pieces To The Puzzle”

Jor-El opened his eyes as the transport entered the Altair system. It wouldn’t be long now until he landed in the ruins of an advanced ancient civilization that he and his late mentor, Ten-Vo, discovered years ago. The civilization of the Cyndair. The Cyndair had created two momentous inventions. One was a teleporter, a device that could transport individuals across the vast expanse of space in a blink of an eye. Krypton had adapted this device for its own purposes and used it readily. The second was a device called the Spectrum. The Spectrum transported individuals across the vast expanse of time – back into the past or forward into the future. Jor-El had not allowed Krypton to discover the remains of the Spectrum. Its misuse had destroyed the Cyndair and Jor-El would not allow the same thing to happen to Krypton. Jor-El had hidden the device on Earth in a secret place in the Himalayan Mountains called Sanctuary.

Jor-El thought about the Cyndair, the Spectrum and Sanctuary. Then his thoughts turned back to night that he and Lara made the decision to save the life of their unborn child.

“But why Earth, Jor-El. They’re primitive. Thousands of years of years behind us.”

“He will need that advantage to survive.”

“But all the powers you displayed on that planet our child will display too. Our child will be odd, an outcast, a circus performer or….”

Lara hesitated.

“Say it, Lara. I know what you’re thinking.”

“Or with his power in a world as savage as Earth our child could become the greatest criminal, the greatest force of evil that world has ever known.”

“Or our child could become the greatest force of good that world has ever seen.”

Jor-El could clearly see the expression of curiosity on his wife’s face. He continued.

“We can put measures in place that will assist our child on its journey. We may not be with the child but we can do things that will help our child grow into an adult that you and I can be proud of.”

Lara had always been impressed by her husband’s brilliance but now she was in awe of his foresight.

“Obviously, you thought a great deal about this. Tell me more.”

Jor-El would tell her and then they would implement his plan.

Secretly, over a number of months Jor-El would carry out the steps of two plans. The first plan was to construct a small ship that could sustain a child from infancy to the age of three for the journey to Earth. The second plan was to make periodic visits to Altair 4 to use the teleportal to travel to Sanctuary on Earth and then to use the Spectrum to put in place the measures that would ensure that their child would become a being worthy of the name of El. All of this had to be done without arousing suspicion of the Kryptonian government. A government that was becoming increasingly suppressive of the activities of its citizens. Jor-El and Lara would also have to maintain their routine daily functions at the same time.

The construction of the ship was the easier of the two plans. Ensuring that their child grew into the adult his parents wanted him to be without their direct guidance was much more difficult. Jor-El’s dilemma was this. How does one put into place tools that will assist a child in assimilating vast amounts of knowledge that will transform that child into a being of unimaginable strength, speed and power on planet full of beings that are known for their curiosity, tenacity, tendency towards corruption and unquenchable thirst for knowledge and power?

Jor-El’s answer was to make the education of his child a mystery. An extensive maze of clues that would lead to other clues that would lead to even more clues. Jor-El would leave in place a plethora of puzzles on the Earth that would mystify beings of human intelligence but would pull a being of Kryptonian intelligence ever closer to the solution of the puzzle. Humans may be able to solve one piece of the puzzle. They may even be able to solve two pieces of the puzzle. But only a descendent of the House of El would be able to bring everything together.

Jor-El arrived at Sanctuary in the inner chamber of the Temple of the Scimitar and never made his presence known to the inhabitants of that community. The less other people knew of his activities the better. He accessed the Spectrum and traveled backwards to different points in time to different locations on Earth and left clues and the tools his child would need in order to fulfill its destiny.

Once a human child reaches a certain age on Earth and has attained a certain level of knowledge that child normally moves on to an institution known as a university. Jor-El’s university would be the Fortress of Solitude. The construction of the Fortress of Solitude would take place through the fusion of three elements. Separately, the elements that would appear to be inscribed stones. Together they would form the catalyst that would start their child on the final road to the completion of its destiny.

Using the Spectrum, Jor-El had placed the three elements at distant points in the world at different points in the past. The artifacts were placed on the continents of Asia, Africa and South America. If discovered by human archeologists, they would be baffled as to how three artifacts of similar origin would be found in such distant places that differed in age. One element would from date from the time of the ancient Egyptians while another element would date from a time of the ancient Chinese emperors. The third element would be dated on more recent find in the plains of Peru.

Jor-El traveled to North America before its discovery by Columbus and constructed the Kawatche Caves. He carved out the caves to make them appear as if they were created by the natural geological forces of Earth. He then left clues regarding the three elements. To the casual observer or to a human archeologist, the inscriptions on the walls would appear to be ancient Native American writing. To the Kryptonian mind, these clues would be landmarks on the road to something greater.

He then constructed a hidden inner chamber to the cave. The chamber would hold the Kryptonian version of the teleportal device that the Cyndair had created. At another distant point on the Earth he left the hexagonal disc that would a passenger to a specific remote location.

Jor-El’s effort took years to complete but through the use of the Spectrum he was able to travel across the dimension of time.

The caves gave clues to the elements. But the elements were spread across the Earth. Even if the elements were found by the humans, they would have to make the connection that all of the elements were somehow related. The inner chamber in the caves would have to be discovered. Then the connection would have to be made between the inner chamber and the elements. The passenger would be carried by the teleportal to a northern remote location and would then have to use the fused elements to create the Fortress of Solitude. In Jor-El’s mind this would be too complex a puzzle for the humans. And even if the humans beat the astronomical odds of solving the puzzle all the way to the Fortress of Solitude, there was still one last missing piece. One piece that only a Kryptonian or someone with the DNA of a Kryptonian would know how to use.

Before this last journey to Altair 4 and to Earth Lara gave birth to a son. Jor-El had always prided himself on being able to express himself but this time he could find no words to described his son’s birth or the feelings that it generated inside of him. Lara held the tiny being in her arms and Jor-El knelt by her. He placed the child’s hand inside of his own and became mesmerized by its tiny fingers. Then those fingers closed around Jor-El’s index finger. Seeing his wife and their son, who they named Kal-El, it was the happiest moment of Jor-El’s life.

The birth of the child marked the last step in their plan. Jor-El constructed the final device that their son would use to complete his training on Earth and to fulfill his destiny.

The night before he was to leave on his final journey he brought the device out for Lara to see as she was feeding their child. He held before her a black crystalline orb. There was nothing in its appearance that was unique except for one thing. It displayed the unique insignia of Jor-El’s family. The insignia of the family of El.


\S/

As the child fell asleep in her arms, Lara curiously examined the orb.

“What is it, Jor-El?”

“This will be the key to the child’s destiny. This is the Sphere of El.


**********

[SmallvilleMan]

very nice

[happycamper]

You're mean to keep hinting about the orb without telling us what it actually is...;)

The history of the crystals makes a lot more sense - being deliberately placed back in time by Jor-El seems much smarter in terms of explaining how it contains the knowledge of Krypton and the essence of Jor-El. It never made sense in SMV.


:D:D

[Hahaveryfunny]

WOW, great update about Krypton's history and about the EL Family. What is that darn orb already??? PPMS!

[oldmankent]

Part Two


“The Sphere of El”

The sphere glowed as Jor-El brought it closer to the child.

“I don’t understand, Jor-El. This is not the crest of our family.”

“No. It is not. It is his own.”

Lara was taken aback by Jor-El’s words. The crests of the families of Krypton had their origins in a time far beyond anyone’s memory. The crests dated back to a time before recorded history. To add a new crest was unheard of. Jor-El spoke.

“When a Kryptonian male comes of age the crest of his family and all that it represents is passed to him. We will not be able to do this for our son. His journey will be unlike anything ever experienced on this planet or on Earth. We send to Earth in the hope that he carries the best of us. Not only the family of El but of all of us. If he reaches…”

Jor-El stopped and then corrected himself.

“When he reaches the culmination of his education and training, he will be deserving of his own crest. His own family. That is what this symbol represents. He is part of us. But he will be the first of his own family.”

“Kal-El’s journey will not be an easy one. As he grows he will discover that he has powers and abilities far greater than those around him. He will eventually discover that he is not human and then he will ask questions. But the answers will not be easy for him to find or to accept. I’ve had to be purposely deceptive so that the humans will not find the answers to Kal-El’s destiny before he does.

But as he uncovers the answers to the mystery, the richness of his heritage will unfold. This Sphere will be the final step if he accepts the course that is laid out before him. This Sphere can only be used by someone who has Kryptonian DNA. I would have made it specifically to Kal-El’s DNA but we are running out of time and I’ve had to do this quickly.”

Lara held onto Kal-El tightly. Tears were forming in her eyes.

“Jor-El, my heart is breaking. I don’t want to give up my baby. Yet, I know I must if he is to survive.”

Jor-El tried to be re-assuring.

“Lara, I don’t want to do this and I pray that we will not be forced to send our son away. But we must be prepared for the worst.”

Lara knew that Jor-El was right but knowing that he was right did not lessen her anguish.

“So what will you do now?”

“I will find a place to keep the Sphere and I will make a final examination of the family that I have chosen to take care of him.”

To hear that someone else will be raising her child caused Lara even more distress.

“What type of family have you chosen?”

“A family that helped me a long time ago.”


**********

The transport landed on Altair 4 and Jor-El made his way through the ancient ruins to the chamber that held the teleportal device. He inserted the hexagonal disc he had constructed from memory that contained the coordinates of Earth into the platform. He was transported across thousands of light years of space to the haven on Earth known as Sanctuary.

Jor-El observed that the force fields he had placed around the devices were not disturbed and that the inner chamber had not been opened. He had spent a great deal of time thinking about the ideal time and place for the placement of the Sphere. He decided to travel back two thousand years before the birth of human known as Jesus of Nazareth. He would travel to a remote, uncivilized location that was known in modern times as Great Britain.

He teleported to the time and location he desired. He stood on a plain overlooking the ocean. The area was flat and grassy. Once again, he was struck by the beauty of Earth – the blue of the ocean contrasting with the green of the plain. It appeared as if the tribes located in the area had built something at the location that Jor-El could not identify. It did not appear to be a city. Large stone monoliths had been brought to the plateau and placed in circle. The monoliths were in pairs with another single stone monolith placed on top of the pair. At first glance the trio of monoliths appeared to be a rudimentary gate but Jor-El was uncertain as to why such a large amount of them were placed in the circular pattern.

The sun began to rise and the monolith began to cast shadows on the ground. Jor-El was astonished. “It’s an observatory!” Jor-El was amazed at the humans. “Always looking at the stars!” He lifted and hovered above the setting and used his heat vision to bore a hole beneath the surface of the ground in the center of the ancient observatory. He placed the Sphere into the hole and again used his heat vision to seal the hole.

From his vantage point above the ground he could see that people from a nearby village were making their way to the structure. He was certain they had not yet seen him and he quickly teleported himself back to Sanctuary.

At Sanctuary he once again teleported himself into the past. But this it was only a few hundred years and the location was the Kawatche Caves. The entire area was unsettled and he had no trouble entering the Caves and making his way to the inner chamber. On the platform he began to inscribe clues as the location of the Sphere. The clues were inscribed in the same pattern as the stone monoliths in Great Britain. If the humans discovered the Caves and the inner chamber first, they would be confused by the amount of inscriptions and images in the Caves. They would be fascinated with the platform itself and could easily miss the clues to the Sphere. A Kal-El motivated in the discovery of his heritage and his destiny would make the connection.

Once his task in the Caves was completed he transported forward in time back to Sanctuary. His last task was to reassure himself about the family he had chosen to raise Kal-El.

Over the time that Jor-El had been putting his plans in place he periodically used the Spectrum to check on the status of the family headed by Hirem Kent. Hirem and his wife had a son and they did not give him the name of Gene as Hirem had desired. They named him Jonathan. Jonathan grew up tall and strong. He was somewhat wild in his youth but he settled down and upon Hirem’s death the farm passed to Jonathan. Jonathan married a woman named Martha and Jor-El could clearly see the love between the couple. They worked on the farm together and were always with one another. In his periodic visits Jor-El observed and was surprised that the couple did not have children. “Perhaps they are unable to have children.”

He had planned this to be his last visit to Earth. He decided to have a closer view of the couple. He followed the couple from their farm into the town of Smallville. It was on a day that the humans called Saturday. The entire town seemed festive. The streets were filled with people and there seemed to be celebrating. Buses filled with young men in some type of strange uniform that made them seem much larger than their actual size were driving down the street. A passer by greeted Jor-El and shook his hand.

“Put it there, stranger! Smallville won again. Go Crows!”

Jor-El returned the greeting but had no idea of what the man was talking about. He saw that Jonathan and Martha were walking into a shop and he followed them. Inside the shop was a variety of flora from the planet. Jor-El’s senses were filled with the colors and the aromas. There was nothing like it on Krypton. A woman walked up to Jonathan and Martha and he heard Martha ask the woman for tulips. Then she joined a little dark haired girl playing at a table nearby. It warmed Jor-El to see how affectionately Martha treated the little girl. Jor-El smiled at what he was seeing then he heard a voice.

“May I help you?”

Jor-El was momentarily startled.

“Everything here is so beautiful. I was thinking of getting something for my wife.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I don’t know.”

He began to look at the flowers in the refrigerated section and something caught his eye.

“Those are beautiful. What are they called?”

“Those are irises.”

“I’ll take one.”

The woman took a single iris and wrapped it.

“That will be $2 please.”

Jor-El had taken the precaution of replicating some Earth money and he handed the woman a $100 bill.

“Oh, don’t you have anything smaller. I’m not going to be able to break this.”

Jor-El looked dumbfounded. He didn’t understand what she meant by ‘break’. He then heard Jonathan’s voice.

“I’ll take care of it, Nell. A man buying a single iris for his wife shouldn’t be denied.”

Jor-El spoke to Jonathan.

“Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Jor-El extend his hand to Jonathan with the $100 bill in it.

“Here, you take this.”

Jonathan was taken aback.

“Oh, I couldn’t do that.”

“Please. I insist.”

Jor-El practically forced the money in the Jonathan’s hand. They shook hands and Jor-El took his flower and exited the shop. Jonathan and Martha soon followed with their tulips. They got their truck and drove out of town.

Jor-El was about to find a secluded area and activate the device that would return him to Sanctuary when he heard a noise rumbling and he saw trails of fire streaming out of the sky. The trails were headed for the town and the area surrounding the town. He saw a handsome young couple who were getting out of their car obliterated before his eyes. “Meteors! But Earth never has meteor showers like this.” The town was in panic as meteors exploded everywhere.

Then in the distance he saw the trail of something that was not a meteor. He focused his vision and saw that it was the space craft he had constructed. “Kal-El!” Then the realization hit him of what he was witnessing. “Oh no! It will happen. We will have to send Kal-El to Earth.”

Jor-El speeded out of town and followed the Kent truck. He saw Kal-El’s craft crash about a mile away from area the Kents were in. They drove away unscathed. “They’ll never find him.” Jor-El now realized that he would have to reformulate the flight path for the ship. He would create a flight path that would enable the ship to crash directly in the path of the Kents.

Jor-El transported back to the present to Sanctuary. His job was complete. He was saddened that he would actually have to implement it and he wondered about the circumstances of Kal-El’s leaving Krypton. He decided not to tell Lara about the meteor shower. She was already in anguish at the thought of leaving their son. He saw no reason to deprive her completely of hope.

This was the last time he would visit the planet Earth. A planet and a people that he had grown to love.

He transported back to Altair 4.


**********

He arrived back at the planet and prepared to depart. The flight crew could never quite understand why he came to the planet if he only spent a few hours there. They didn’t know that through the use of the Spectrum, Jor-El had actually spent years in carrying out his plans.

As he joined his group in preparation he noticed that another transport from Krypton had landed on the planet – a military transport. Several armed security officers approached him. Jor-El’s first thought was that Zod had assumed power and he was being arrested. His concern for his family was foremost in his mind.

“Jor-El!”

“Yes.”

“Sir, we are here to escort you back to Krypton. The counsel requires your immediate attendance.”

Jor-El was bewildered. If Zod had assumed power why was the counsel summoning him? Unless the counsel’s strings were being pulled by Zod.

“What has happened?”

“General Zod has been arrested. He has attempted a coup that has failed. He has been charged with conspiracy, sedition, treason and murder.”

Jor-El was hearing something that he never expected. He remained silent for a moment.

“What do you need me for?”

“You have been appointed as his prosecutor.”


**********

[happycamper]

More great background!

Like I said to the previous post, clues and devices thousands of years old couldn't be pointing to the current Kal-El. The way everything was described here is much more rational as an explanation.

How awful it must have been for Jor-El, though, to see Clark's ship land, knowing that he and Lara had to have given up Clark, and that Krypton had been destroyed. :(


:D :D

[Hahaveryfunny]

Poor Jor-el seeing his son's ship land! Its, so sad!

What the heck is the device/orb you keep writing about??? We want the answer! So, please PPMS!

Great update though!

[oldmankent]

Part Three


“Execution”

The trip back to Krypton was not a relaxing one for Jor-El. There were two matters that now weighed heavily on his mind. The first could be shared. His concern with his assignment as the prosecutor for one of the most respected men on Krypton. The second matter could not be shared with any one other than his wife. He had seen the future on Earth and that future included Kal-El. Jor-El had a difficult time reconciling the demise of Zod on Krypton and the escape of Kal-El to Earth. He and Lara had assumed that Ka-El would be sent to Earth if Zod assumed total control of Krypton. But if Zod had been arrested something else must be the cause of Ka-El’s journey? But what could it be? What would be the calamity that would cause Jor-El and Lara to send their only child away from them? And ‘calamity’ could be the only way Jor-El could describe it. For Jor-El and Lara to lose their son was an event too painful to think about.

Lara was overjoyed when Jor-El arrived home. She threw her arms around him and held him like she would never let go. He soaked in his wife’s embrace like it was a tonic. To Lara he had been away only a few days. But even the Spectrum could not wipe out the years of loneliness and the grief of being away from the two people he loved above all else. He handed her the flower he had acquired on Earth.

“Jor-El, it’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it. What is it called?”

Lara was overwhelmed with affection for her husband. Even in the midst of carrying out his plan, he would take the time to provide her with something as beautiful as this flower from Earth.

To Lara, the news that Zod had been arrested meant that they would be able to have a normal life. The danger was gone. They would be able to live together as husband and wife with their son and as many brothers and sisters as they desired to provide for Kal-El. But the expression on Jor-El’s face told Lara that something was wrong. She could see that her husband was deeply troubled.

“Jor-El, my love. What is it? Why do you smile with your mouth when your eyes tell me that you are not smiling with your heart?”

“I will tell you but first tell me what happened while I was away.”

Lara told Jor-El of the events that had occurred while he was away on Altair 4.

Over the years Zod had been coming ever closer to attaining the power he sought on Krypton. He had attracted many followers. He had become influential in all areas of Kryptonian life. But following a legal means to power was not what Zod desired. A legitimate legal process that could place him in power, could also remove him from power and Zod had no intention of ever being removed. Once in control, Zod would lead Krypton to ever greater accomplishments. He name would go down in the history of the planet as the point where time would be measured. His descendents would rule forever.

Secretly, Zod and his followers had organized and placed themselves in key areas of Krypton’s infrastructure – communications, science, energy, transportation, security and defense. His plan was to take control of the entire planet in a single day. With his followers in place in all the key areas, Zod would dissolve the governing counsel and take control of the planet.

But as he always did, Zod had underestimated Jor-El. Or rather, Jor-El’s influence. Jor-El had become more than a political opponent to Zod. To many he had become a symbol for the rule of law. A symbol of peace and justice. Jor-El’s parliamentary maneuvers in opposing Zod’s quest for power had quietly reinforced this sense of justice and law in the common Kryptonian. Zod’s insurrection was short-lived because Kryponians refused to be ruled by a single individual and believed in the rules of their society. When confronted with opposition to their plan, Zod’s followers resorted to violence. When the violence began the defense forces of the planet were called upon. Those defense forces that Zod expected to be loyal to him, maintained their loyalty to the people they had sworn to defend – the people of Krypton. When this happened the insurrection ended almost as quickly as it began.

Zod and his known followers were arrested. He was charged with conspiracy, sedition and treason. His followers had committed murder during the insurrection. Zod was held responsible for the actions of his followers so he was charged with murder.

The governing counsel was faced with a dilemma. Such crimes had not been committed on Krypton within living memory and Zod was respected as a great man. They would need someone of equal stature to be his prosecutor. There was only one person in all of Krypton who met the requirement – Jor-El.

When Lara concluded her story Jor-El could see that she beamed with pride that her husband had been chosen for the task. Lara could see that the assignment brought him no comfort.

“Now tell me what is troubling you, my husband.”

“Lara, Zod may have been arrested. The danger for us may be ended. But our son will still make the journey to Earth.”

Lara was astonished at Jor-El’s words. He then explained all that had happened on Earth. He had seen the future of Earth and Kal-El was part of that future. Everything was in place that would lead Kal-El to his destiny. The sphere was the final trigger that would transform him into a being that the Earth had never before seen.

It was not a question of would Kal-El go to Earth. It was a question of when.

Lara was despondent. Jor-El held her in his arms but she found no comfort.

“Jor-El, before you and I were married, I always thought that we were meant to be together. I believed it was our destiny. Now you tell me that Kal-El will leave us. I never knew that destiny could be such a painful thing.”


*********

All eyes on Krypton turned to Jor-El and they viewed a man who was bearing a heavy weight on his shoulders but only he and Lara knew the real reason for his distress.

The tale of Jor-El and Zod was well known. The boyhood friends who had become deadly adversaries. At one time their future seemed secure. They would be the leaders who would guide Krypton to new heights of enlightenment. Now one would be prosecuting the other and the penalty would be corporeal execution. The body would be returned to its elements and the spirit would be banished to the abyss of the Phantom Zone.

Now one would live and the other would die.

Jor-El diligently prepared for the trial. He would present the evidence before the governing counsel. For the sentence of corporeal execution to be carried out the vote of guilty would have to be unanimous. Jor-El left no stone unturned in his presentation. He presented evidence that was irrefutable.

Zod had no answer to the charges. He remained silent. One day remained. Zod had decided that his defense would be his summation.


**********

The night before the last day of the trial Jor-El was preparing his summation. He received a communication saying that Zod wished to speak to him.

It had been years since the two men had personally spoken with each other. Jor-El arrived at the prison and was led to Zod’s cell. He found Zod staring out his cell window at the stars in the sky. Jor-El spoke softly.

“You wished to see me?”

Zod left the window and walked to the force field that stood between him and Jor-El. He stood ramrod straight and looked at Jor-El without any type of emotion.

“I understand you have a son, Jor-El.”

Anytime Jor-El thought of his son a smile would come to his face. But he would not allow this to happen as he faced Zod. He merely nodded his head to answer Zod’s question.

“He should have been my son.”

Jor-El was about to turn away in disgust.

“Is that what this is about, Zod? Because if it is, I’m leaving. I’m not going to stand here and listen to your lies.”

Jor-El was about to walk away when Zod spoke.

“Don’t you want to know why I asked to see you, Jor-El?”

Jor-El stopped and faced Zod. A defiant smile rose on Zod’s face.

“You think you’ve won. Don’t you, Jor-El?”

“You will never understand. Will you, Zod? No one has won. You broke a thousand centuries of peace and led an insurrection. People died. Do you think I look at you and see victory before me? I look at you and see my boyhood friend. A friend who somehow lost his way and could never be found again. And tomorrow I will be forced to demand the ultimate penalty for a man I once thought of as my brother. This is no victory, Zod.”

“I will give you one last chance to join me; Jor-El. Together, you and I can rule this planet. We can carve out an empire in the galaxy.”

Jor-El felt only pity for his former friend.

“Have you ever loved anyone other than yourself, Zod?”

Zod was taken aback by Jor-El’ approach. Jor-El continued.

“Have you ever thought of anyone other than yourself? Have you ever loved a woman and thought only of her happiness? Have you ever looked at a child as a miracle? Have you ever been on a mountaintop and watched the sun rise or seen a flower bloom?”

Jor-El answered his own question by shaking his head.

“No. You looked at Lara as prize to be won. Not as companion to share your life. You look at my son and you see him as the would be extension of yourself to rule your imaginary empire. Not as a gift to be cherished and protected. You look on our world and the people in it as a means to your own ends.”

Jor-El stopped for a moment and gazed at Zod’s expressionless face.

“You don’t even know what I’m talking about.

What have all your victories given you?

Tomorrow, when the Phantom Zone descends on you, you will die.

And you will die alone.”


**********

“General Zod, you may now speak.”

Zod did not even look at the chairman of the governing counsel. He stood before the counsel in full military regalia. More like a conqueror than a defendant.

“I have been accused of the crimes of conspiracy, sedition, treason and murder. I have made no answer to these charges because I do not acknowledge the authority of this counsel.

I have committed no crimes because I stand above your petty authority and your limited definition of the word, crime.

The prosecutor, my old friend, Jor-El, could tell you that on his beloved Earth, there was once a man named Darwin who wrote of a theory called natural selection – the survival of the fittest.

If Krypton is to remain strong it must seek strength in its leaders. And I am that leader.

I tell you now.

Join me.

Join me and I will forget the crimes that you have committed against me.

Know this. Even if you condemn me now, my followers will resurrect me.

If I die…Krypton will die with me.”

The counsel was stunned by what Zod had spoken. There was no contrition. No plea for mercy. He stood defiant and threatening.

Jor-El rose from his chair and addressed the counsel and all of Krypton.

“General Zod speaks the truth.”

The counsel members’ posture became erect at Jor-El’s opening.

“On Earth, there was a man named Darwin who advocated a theory of natural selection – survival of the fittest.

But every known civilized society must move beyond the laws natural selection if it is to survive. The strong must not rule the weak. Every person must be free to reach their own potential. It is not for me to determine your destiny. It is not for Zod to determine Krypton’s destiny. It is for each individual to determine their own destiny.

General Zod offers our world the glory of conquest. Yet, it is through peace that we created the wonders of our world.

General Zod offers our world order. Yet, it is by giving each citizen a voice in his own destiny that our people have reached their full potential.

General Zod offers our world strength. Yet, it is in justice where true strength is always found.

General Zod was my friend. We grew up together. We went to the Academy together. He was blessed with gifts that others could only dream of. Strength, intelligence, fortitude – the list could fill volumes. But he chose to use his gifts to betray the trust of the people he had sworn to defend. Even now he does not understand that when one is given such gifts, there is no higher calling than to use those gifts in the service of others.”

Jor-El walked to Zod and stood with inches of him.

“The law of natural selection chose you to serve…not to rule.”

Jor-El now addressed the counsel.

“I ask now that General Zod be found guilty of all the crimes he has been accused of. And if this counsel finds him guilty of these crimes, I do not ask, I demand that counsel renders justice for his crimes, crimes the likes of which Krypton has not seen in over a thousand centuries. He has shown no remorse. No contrition.

I demand that his corporeal body be executed to its elements and that his spirit be banished to the Phantom Zone…for all eternity.”

Jor-El took his seat. The counsel spoke briefly among themselves. The chairman spoke.

“The members of the counsel will now give their verdict.”

One by one, the members said the word ‘guilty’. Some said with stentorian authority. Some said it in a sad whisper. The counsel was unanimous with only one vote remaining to be cast – Jor-El’s. The chairman spoke.

“Jor-El?”

Jor-El looked at the counsel members and nodded his assent. He looked Zod in the eyes and spoke softly.

“Guilty.”

Zod, who was now heavily guarded, called out to Jor-El.

“It isn’t over, Jor-El.”

Jor-El walked up to Zod until the two men were face to face.

“You are right, Zod. It isn’t over. Whether it’s Krypton or some other distant world, there will always be someone like you.

And there will always be someone like me to stop you.”


**********

The sentence of corporeal execution would be carried out immediately. All of Krypton watched the proceedings on their viewers. The dome of the counsel chamber opened to reveal the star laden sky above. In the deep reaches of space a small blip appeared. As it moved closer it grew larger. Tumbling end over end. Glistening in the sky.

Zod was standing in the center of the great hall. A force field surrounded him. He stood erect, at attention, as a soldier. Jor-El observed Zod’s face as the Zone moved closer. His eyes grew wide and his face tensed up. Jor-El saw a single bead of sweat move down his face.

The Zone was upon Zod. He put up his arms as if he could block it off but the Zone engulfed him. His face appeared as if he were screaming but there was no sound. The glistening of the Zone covered his body and from the outside moving inwards his body began to dissipate. There was anguish in his face as he looked at his hands. His fingers disappeared, then his hands, then his arms. He swept his head downward and saw that half his torso had disappeared. Finally, all that remained in the Zone was a small cloud. It pulsated in color.

A sound emerged. A voice without coherent words. A cry of agony.

The Zone folded in on itself.

And then there was nothing.


**********

[Hahaveryfunny]

Great update. Zod got what he deserved! I still feel bad for Jor-el and Lara though, they have to say good-bye to Kal-el (Clark) yet. AWE! PPMS!

[happycamper]

I always wondered how Zod was actually put on trial...:)

Jor-El must know that what Zod said is the truth, for he has the proof of Clark's arrival on Earth. He really must have a heavy burden on his heart.


:D :D

[oldmankent]

Part Four


“Extinction”

Jor-El inhaled deeply and took in the scent of Lara’s hair. Her golden blonde tresses cascaded onto him. She lay with her head on his chest. Her hand caressed the muscles of his shoulder, his chest and then the tight muscles of his stomach. His body had grown harder, tougher. He called it ‘mileage’. She looked closely at his face and saw the small lines forming at the corners of his eyes. Just a glimpse of gray was beginning to show in his hair. He looked down into her eyes and focused on the tiny gold ring that surrounded the color in her eye.

Their lovemaking had been marked with desperation. An unyielding desire to be one with each other. He had been away from her for so long. He had traveled across time. He had traveled across the universe. His loneliness had been overwhelming at times. And now they were together. It was always at this moment that Jor-El would satiate himself in the essence of his Lara. The softness of her skin. The curve of her hip. The silkiness of her hair. Her cheek against his face. His fingers softly tracing a line down her shoulder. He would envelop her with his lips and she would respond in the same manner. They would eagerly surrender to the force pulling them together. His senses became heightened. His hearing became acute with the sound of her voice calling out his name.

Afterwards they gazed in wonderment at each other and smiled that silly smile that lovers have. The smile that causes the other to ask, ‘what?’ But the answer need not be spoken for the words can never be found.

Lara noticed the lines of worry that creased Jor-El’s forehead.

“What are you thinking, Jor-El?”

“I’m thinking of how much time we may have.”

She was about to answer him when she heard a small whimper from the adjoining room. She knew that the whimper would soon turn into a cry. She left their bed and covered herself in her robe. She walked to Kal-El’s room and picked him up. She spoke softly to him and rocked him slowly. Although he didn’t understand the words Kal-El recognized the soothing sound of his mother’s voice. Lara sat with him and placed him at her breast. She looked up and saw her husband watching them. Jor-El never tired of seeing the bond between mother and child. Of all of the things that he had seen in his life, on Krypton and on other worlds, the sight of his wife and their child captivated him the most.

“Go to sleep, Jor-El. You need your rest. I’ll take care of Kal-El.”

He shook his head and knelt beside them. He caressed Kal-El’s delicate head with his large hand.

“Lara, you have given me so much happiness. I loved you when we married and I love you even more now. That we should have a child together is beyond anything I ever imagined.”

Lara was about to make her own declaration of love when they heard someone outside of their residence. Their door was being heavily pounded and men were calling out Jor-El’s name.

Jor-El left his wife and child and opened the door. He saw members of the counsel and an armed security team. The chairman of the counsel had come to him in the middle of the night. The expression on the chairman’s face was one of desperate fear.

“Jor-El, something terrible has happened!”


**********

Krypton had rid itself of General Zod and his known followers but a great number of secret followers still remained throughout all of Kryptonian society. The corporeal body of General Zod had been executed but his essence still remained within the Phantom Zone. His followers began a hidden effort to retrieve his spirit.

The science of the Phantom Zone was one the most closely guarded secrets on Krypton. The Zone was accidentally discovered by Jor-El as he experimented with teleporting platform that was recovered from Altair 4. In experimenting with the Cyndarian platform, Jor-El had discovered an inter-dimensional abyss within the fabric of space and time. The scientific and governmental communities of Krypton recognized the practical applications of the Zone. It could be used as a prison for Krypton’s most dangerous criminals. They would be alive but not alive. They would exist but be forever isolated.

Jor-El had also discovered that the Phantom Zone, when open, could serve as a corridor to an alternate universe. Tapping into the alternate universe held the possibility of harnessing enormous amounts of energy. But Jor-El discovered that the passageway was a trap. The universes were not compatible with each other. The ends of the corridor could not be opened at the same time. To do so would risk contamination and such contamination could cause a disaster of cataclysmic proportions. One could only pass through the corridor into the alternate universe through split second timing in the opening and closing of the ends of the passageway.

Jor-El theorized that contamination would cause a chain reaction in which the space of one universe would neutralize the space of the other universe. Matter would essentially cease to exist. Molecules would disaggregate into atoms. Atoms would disaggregate into atomic particles. Atomic particles would disaggregate into subatomic particles. This would continue until nothing was left. Once unleashed, the contamination would spread like a virus. The amount of damage would be proportional to the length of exposure. Jor-El theorized that once the chain reaction started it could not be reversed.

In the counsel meetings Jor-El and Zod had battled over the use of the Zone. Zod had argued that the energy derived from the alternate universe would serve Krypton for thousands of generations. Jor-El argued that the risk was not worth the benefit. The technology did not exist to keep both ends of the corridor open at the same time without contamination. Zod argued that contamination was only a theory of Jor-El’s and could not be proven. He proposed that Krypton take on a massive project to develop the technology to keep both ends open. Jor-El then argued from a moral standpoint. Even if such technology could be developed and the risks eliminated, Krypton would essentially be stealing energy from another universe. Krypton’s gain would be someone else’s loss. The counsel sided with Jor-El. The technology of opening the Phantom Zone would be kept a closely guarded secret and would not be used to access the alternate universe.

The counsel’s decision did not stop Zod from pursuing his own unauthorized efforts to access the Zone. Secret laboratories were created both on Krypton and other planets whose purpose was to discover the secrets of the Zone. There was no centralized point of operations. Each secret cell would work on a piece of the puzzle. At a time determined by Zod, all of the pieces of the puzzle would be brought together.

With Zod’s corporeal execution the efforts of Zod’s secret followers to create their own opening to the Phantom Zone became frantic. They acquired technology through theft, subterfuge, bribery and dozens of other illegal ways. Their goal was to retrieve the spirit of Zod no matter what the risks.

The night the counsel chairman desperately sought out Jor-El, the pieces of the puzzle had been fitted together. In a secret laboratory Zod’s followers had assembled the technology to create their own opening to the Phantom Zone. They were successful. They had opened the door to the passageway of the Phantom Zone.

But they had opened both ends at the same time.


**********

Jor-El did not know what was happening and the chairman of the counsel could not explain. All the chairman could say was that an emergency had arisen, the situation was desperate and only Jor-El had the knowledge and the experience to deal with it. Jor-El dressed and prepared to leave. Lara had heard everything that the chairman had said. She stood in the doorway of Kal-El’s room holding the baby and watching her husband. They looked at each other and did not speak. Jor-El was about to go to her when the chairman intercepted him.

“Please, Jor-El. We need to leave now!”

He was taken being taken by military transport to one of the remote areas of the planet. But Jor-El could see that all of Krypton had been placed on military alert. As he got closer to area he observed that people were evacuating their homes. Finally, they arrived at their destination. It looked like a military bunker that had been buried beneath the ground. The sky around it was lit. An aura surrounded the bunker. A pulsating glow that Jor-El immediately recognized.

“Oh no! They’ve opened up the Phantom Zone!”

Jor-El, the chairman and a team of guards entered the compound. It was a makeshift laboratory. Not as advanced as Jor-El’s personal laboratory but much more dangerous because it was not designed with any safeguards in mind. A team of guards had a group of people under arrest. Jor-El asked the chairman,

“Secret followers of Zod?”

The chairman nodded.

Jor-El looked closely at them and recognized one of his own assistants. A man Jor-El had treated as his own son. Jor-El requested that his assistant be brought to him.

“What did you do?”

The young man answered proudly.

“I’ve tried to resurrect General Zod.”

“You’re one of his followers?”

The assistant nodded. Jor-El continued his questioning.

“Who was to be Zod’s vessel?”

“I was”

Jor-El could not comprehend how a young man with a future would sacrifice himself for the cause of Zod. Jor-El continued.

“You opened the Zone?”

The man nodded.

“But you weren’t successful?”

The man shook his head. Jor-El spoke.

“And now you can’t shut it down. Come with me.”

The two men walked into the laboratory and Jor-El saw the Zone pulsating before him. But the pulsating was wild and uncontrolled. The walls of the area were bathed in light. The walls seemed to be disappearing and reappearing. The area of disappearance and reappearance seemed to be growing. Jor-El looked at the instrumentation. He studied the readings for several minutes and then a look of panic arose on his face. He turned to his assistant.

“You weren’t successful in retrieving Zod because you opened both ends of the Zone at the same time. The spirit of Zod is caught in a whirlpool of matter that is entering and exiting from both universes.”

He called for the guards to take his assistant away. Before he left Jor-El had one last thing to say.

“In trying to save Zod you may have killed us all!”

Jor-El spent several more minutes manipulating the instrumentation. To the guards and the counsel chairman, Jor-El appeared to be in a panicked state of mind. He ran from one area of the room to another, activating and deactivating devices. Using language they had never heard before. The chairman assumed that Jor-El was using one the Earth languages he had picked up. Several times he heard what he thought was ‘Mother Trucker!’ and ‘Son of an itch’. The chairman wondered what was a ‘trucker’ and how can an ‘itch’ have a ‘son’?

The chairman and the guards were struck by the suddenness at which the opening of the Zone ended. They breathed a sigh of relief. The chairman put his hand on Jor-El’s shoulder like a father to a son’s.

“Zod remains within the Zone?”

But there was no relief in Jor-El’s face.

“Zod is the least of our worries. Look!”

He pointed in the direction of where the Zone had once been. The zone was gone but the walls surrounding it were fading in and out. Disappearing and reappearing. And the area of the phenomenon was expanding.

“Jor-El, what’s going on?”

Jor-El was about to answer him when one of the guards, overcome by curiosity, moved next to the phenomenon and placed his hand on the fading wall. Jor-El’s warning call wasn’t quick enough. In a moment the guard was consumed and then he disappeared.

“Jor-El, what’s happening?”

“We have to get out of here. My assistant started a chain reaction with the alternate universe. Matter is neutralizing itself. It can’t be stopped. I won’t be able to determine how much damage was done until I get back to my own laboratory. I’ve transferred all the data to my own computer.”

Jor-El took hold of the chairman’s shoulders.

“Evacuate the entire area and prepare to evacuate Krypton!”

The chairman was stunned by what Jor-El had just said.

“Evacuate Krypton? We can’t evacuate the entire planet.”

As he finished his sentence the area of the phenomenon burst to double in size. Two more of the guards were consumed. Everyone ran from the building. They watched from the outside as the entire structure was overtaken by the phenomenon and then consumed. It was now expanding to the ground that the structure had been built on.

“How much time do we have, Jor-El?”

“I won’t know until I get back to my laboratory. Perhaps hours.”


**********

Jor-El studied the readings from his own instrumentation. His assistants frantically ran back and forth in their own duties. They tried to get his attention to answer their questions but he ignored them. On the wall was a geographic display of the planet. A black shadow indicated the area of the planet that had been consumed by the phenomenon. The shadow was growing with each passing minute. The sounds of panic could be heard outside the building. Sirens were sounding off. People filled the streets. The chairman of the governing counsel entered the laboratory. All were silent as they looked to Jor-El for guidance. Jor-El raised his head from his work. He stood up and walked to the display and addressed his scientific team and the chairman.

“The passageway in the Phantom Zone has been opened between our universe and an alternate universe. We’ve shut down the Zone but matter from the alternate universe has entered our universe. It is neutralizing our own matter. A chain reaction has begun.”

Jor-El heard one of his assistants whisper.

“Jor-El’s theory was right.”

Jor-El responded angrily.

“I wish I weren’t right! Releasing Zod would have been better than this!”

Jor-El composed himself.

“I’m sorry. Now is not the time for anger. The shadow you see behind me on the display is the area of the chain reaction. Matter is being neutralized in that area. What was there, no longer exists.”

The crowd was stunned at what it was hearing. Jor-El continued.

“The chain reaction will reach an end point. That end point will be reached when the chain reaction extends to our red sun. Our sun will implode upon itself and be transformed into a back hole.”

The crowd listened but did not fully grasp what Jor-El was saying. The chairman spoke.

“Jor-El, if what you say is true by the time the chain reaction reaches our sun Krypton will have been…”

Jor-El finished the chairman’s sentence.

“Consumed.”

Jor-El continued.

“Before that happens the outer crust of our planet will have disintegrated as will the axis on which our planet rotates. We will have massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.”

The chairman asked.

“How much time do we have?”

“An hour. Maybe two.”

One of Jor-El’s assistants spoke.

“What should we do?”

“Go home to your families. There is nothing else to do.”

The crowd dispersed. The shadow on the display behind Jor-El grew larger. The commotion and the screaming outside of the building grew in intensity. He sat by his instruments. Alone.

His thoughts turned to Lara and Kal-El. He rose from his chair and saw that Lara had come to him with their baby.

“Is it time?”

Jor-El nodded.

The ground was now beginning to shake. The building was beginning to crack. Jor-El led Lara to the door of another room. The door was sealed. Jor-El placed his hand on a display and the doors opened. Before them was a platform with a small streamlined space craft.

Jor-El walked to a center console and activated the launch sequence. The craft opened. Inside was a small cushioned area for the child.

Lara was holding Kal-El tightly and smothering his head with kisses. Tears were flowing from her eyes. She saw that Jor-El was doing something with the instrumentation.

“Jor-El, what are you doing?”

“I’m adjusting the flight path so that the craft will land directly in the path of the Kents.”

The walls shook and they heard other parts of the building collapsing.

“We must do this now, Lara. We have to make sure that Kal-El is distant enough from Krypton so that when our sun becomes a black hole, he will not be consumed by its gravitational pull. We have to launch now!”

They placed Kal-El into the craft. The child did not understand why it was being taken away from its mother and it began to cry. Jor-El held his wife tightly. Her last view of Kal-El was that of the child looking at her as if it were asking ‘why?’ The craft closed. Lara fell on top of it.

“No! Not my son! Don’t take away my son!”

Jor-El pulled her away.

“Lara, it’s the only way. Otherwise he will die as surely as we will.”

Lara stoically pulled herself from the craft. The couple backed away. The ceiling opened up to reveal the night sky of Krypton. The craft slowly lifted off the platform.
It rose through ceiling and aligned itself to point upwards. It began to accelerate.

Lara and Jor-El held each other tightly and strained their eyes trying to catch a last glimpse of their son.

The cataclysm was surrounding them. The screams of people could no longer be heard. They no longer existed. The wall behind turned bright white and was then consumed. Before them lay a dark expanse for as far as the eye could see. Both knew that the next eruption would be the end.

Jor-El faced Lara. He held her arms with his hands. She held the sides of his waist with her own. He looked her in the eyes and saw the small gold ring around the color of her eye.

“I want you to be the last thing I ever see.”

“My love.”


**********

The expanse consumed the planet and moved outward towards the sun. The sun turned from bright red to dark red to blood red. The sun exploded outwards and in an instant the explosion was pulled inward. Collapsing into a black hole. Its gravitational pull so dense that all light was pulled into it.

A tiny spacecraft flew into the vast darkness of space. Leaving behind a world consumed and a people extinct.


**********

The orb gave off a comforting warmth in Clark’s hands. He and his Lana watched the other Clark enter the Phantom Zone to return to his own universe. Clark placed his arm around Lana and they both looked at the orb and its insignia.


\S/

Clark thought of the words Lana had spoken.

“I think this is the key to your destiny.”

Lana gazed into his eyes and saw the tiny gold ring that surrounded the color of his eye.

“What are you thinking, Clark?”

“I wonder if we’ll ever find out what everything means.”


End of Episode 18


**********

The next episode will be the final episode of SV Season 6.
Episode 19 – Superman.

It might take me a while to write it since it has to be the climax of everything.

Thank you in advance for your patience.

[C.A.chick]

WOW!! The was great. I can't believe that the council wouldn't listen to Jor-El, and that he turned out to be completely right. And poor Kal-El, having to leave his parents behind. Great episode. I can't wait for the final episode. PPMASAP

[happycamper]

Wow, that was really good!

I'm impressed that you were able to juggle so many "facts" in your story, such as the zone being a source of powere while being so destructive/dangerous with both ends opened. You were able to tie so many things together - was this all plotted from the start?

The story itself was great, and explained how such a powerful people were able to be destroyed so totally. How come your story makes so much sense...;) :lol:

I'm looking forward to the final episode!!


:D :D

[clanas1ally]

After being told about this story by oldmankent himself, Now im hooked and have to wait for its conclusion along with everyone else reading this story.
PPMS!!!!!!!

[oldmankent]

This begins the final episode of SV Season 6.


Episode 19: Superman


Part One


“Midnight”

The despair was unending. His mind, body and soul were compressed into an area of unyielding torment. Floating out in space. Turning end over end – endlessly. Clark strained his eyes to catch a glimpse of Earth. A final glimpse. So many thoughts entered into one’s head at a moment like this. What was worse? The despair of knowing there was no escape. Knowing there was no hope. Or the regret that he never had the chance to tell her that it was all a lie. He wanted to protect her. Above all else. Above everything else. He had to protect HER. “Clark, I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me.” “I don’t love you.” At a moment like this your own thoughts serve to defeat you.

But the only thing left were his thoughts. No. Not his thoughts. ‘Thoughts’ was too kind of a word. The only thing left were his regrets. “So many regrets. So many things I did wrong. Why didn’t I tell her? Why didn’t I tell her right from the beginning?” Clark was struck by the combination. Like a one-two punch. First, you’re hit with the despair of knowing there was no hope of escape and then you’re clobbered when you realized that the only thoughts to accompany you were your regrets. “Please, if I ever get out of this place I’ll tell her the truth. I tell her about me. I’ll tell her that I…love…her. Oh God! Lana! I…love…you. Lana. Lana!”

“Lana!”

“Clark, wake up!”

Clark bolted upright in his bed. He was sweating. He never sweated. No matter how much he exerted himself. But he was sweating now. He felt her hands on his shoulders. He felt her hair on his back. She kissed the back of his shoulder. Her soft voice soothed him like a relaxing melody.

“Clark, it’s over. It was a dream. You’re okay. You’re with me.”

“You’re with me.” Clark never knew such words could be so comforting. “You’re with me.” He reached for Lana and brought her around him so that he faced her. Even without his strength she was so easy to move. So small. So light. But appearances were deceiving. She was small but she was strong. “Stronger than me.” He gazed into her large hazel eyes. He brushed back the long black hair from her face.

“Lana, I love you. I always have. I love you more than anything.”

Lana almost broke into a laugh. It was after midnight. Clark had arrived home just a short time ago. They were asleep. Together. In each others’ arms. The way it had been now for over six months. And then Clark had one of his nightmares. And now out of the blue he was telling her what she already knew. Lana looked at Clark. He was like no one else in the world. He could do things that others could never even dream of. And at the same time he was so vulnerable. So much strength and so scared at the same time. “God, I love him.”

“I know that, Clark. I know you love me. I love you, too. That’s one of the reasons why were engaged. Remember? You and I are going to be married.”

His anxiety eased up. Laughter always seemed to be the best medicine with Clark.

“Are there other reasons?”

“Well, you’re what’s called, ‘a good catch’.”

“Am I?”

“Well, you’ve got quite a future in front of you, Mr. Kent?”

The temporary relief that Lana had brought to Clark disappeared. She could see it on his face.

“That’s what I’m worried about…The future.”


**********

Clark had left the alternate universe and was now traveling through the Phantom Zone. He had left behind the alternate Clark and Lana and was now traveling through the hell hole he feared more than anything else. He knew that the Zone had closed immediately on the end that he had entered and had opened immediately on the end he would exit. But until he saw that exit nothing could relieve his anxiety. A claustrophobia caused by being in the worst place in the universe. He traveled through the thick darkness until he finally saw the speck of light in front of him. The light grew larger and larger and then he was through the Zone and standing in the Fortress of Solitude.

He inhaled deeply. “I’m home.” For a moment he thought about the Clark and Lana he had left behind. “I wonder what they’re doing right now.” He thought about his question for a moment and a naughty smile came to his face. “Stupid question.” He ached to return to his Lana but first there was some business to attend to.

“Jor-El!”

He only had to call out the name once. The Fortress became alive with light. Jor-El’s voice emanated from every corner of the Fortress.

“My son?”

“Jor-El what is the orb I found in the alternate universe. The orb with the large S. What does it mean?”

“My son, at last you have come to the moment I have waited for. The moment of decision. What you held in your hands is the final step in your education. The final step in your journey. The orb, as you call it, is known as the Sphere of El.”

Clark thought Jor-El was being a little bit overly dramatic. Jor-El continued.

“Kal-El, I have not told you the complete story of your journey to Earth and the circumstances surrounding your escape from Krypton. It was necessary to wait until this moment.”

Clark found himself surrounded by a kaleidoscope of images. With Jor-El’s narration Clark was told of all of the events that have led up to this moment. The danger posed by Zod on Krypton. Jor-El’s use of the Spectrum in Earth. The Caves, the Stones and the Fortress of Solitude. Clark now saw how everything tied together. The images faded away. Clark was struck by the brilliance of Jor-El’s plan. Everything was done to ensure that Clark and only Clark would be the one to put all of the pieces together. Jor-El continued to speak.

“The final step is for you to attain the Sphere of El.”

“Where is it?”

“The clues to the Sphere are in the Caves. The journey that you have undertaken began when you discovered the Caves. It will end when you discover the final clue in the Caves. You will have traveled a full circle like the Sphere you seek.

I do not tell you the location because you must have the desire to find it. To possess it. To use it. You must want to take this final step. The Sphere will propel you on a journey that will transform you and when you return you will take your place as the Guardian of this planet.

The ‘S’ as you call it, will be your mark. On Krypton, when a boy has come of age he is given the symbol of his family’s heritage. The ceremony to do this has gone on for thousands of generations. You have seen the symbol of my family. It was passed on to me by my father. But your journey has been unlike any other being. The symbol you have seen will be the symbol of your own family. Your own heritage. You will have earned this right.

But you must want this to happen. That is why it is up to you to find the Sphere without any assistance from me. This is not a decision to be taken lightly and only you can make this decision.”

Jor-El continued but Clark noticed that there was a change in Jor-El’s voice. It became softer.

“My son. I know that many of the things I have done up to this point have caused you pain and have caused pain to the family that raised you. Perhaps, I was too harsh in my methods. I subjected you to the same methods that I was subjected to when I was your age. Please understand. I did not have the opportunity to watch my son grow up. I was not there when you took your first step and spoke your first word. I was not there to carry you on my shoulders or to pick you up when you fell. I expected you to be the mirror image of me. But you, Kal-El, are a far a far better person than I ever was.

Children learn from their parents but I have learned from you.”


**********

Afterwards Clark was transported back to the Kawatche Caves and to Smallville. He looked at his father’s watch and saw that it was after midnight. “I should be getting home.” But he felt compelled to look through the Kawatche Caves before leaving. He was hoping that whatever the clue was it would just jump out at him. He stared at the drawing on the walls. The fire falling from the sky. The tale of the two adversaries. The images of fire, air and water. “No Sphere. Where’s a big S when I need one?” He decided that uncovering the clues could wait until morning. Again he thought about the Clark and Lana in the alternate universe. “What am I waiting for?” He flew open to farm. Put his key and the door and found Lana sitting in the kitchen. Waiting for him.

Lana jumped up from the table and leaped into his arms. Before he could speak her nurturing lips were on his. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. His mouth enveloped hers and he pulled away for a moment just to take in her fragrance and feel the softness of her skin. Her soft voice caressed his ear.

“Clark, you’re home.”

He sat down in a chair and she remained on his lap with her arms around his neck. Her first question concerned the well being of their counterparts in the other universe and her worries were relieved when Clark told her that all was now well in the other world. Then he told her about the Sphere of El and everything Jor-El had told him in the Fortress.

“Beginning tomorrow I have to go to the Caves and try to uncover the clues.”

Lana nodded her head in understanding and then leaned over and started kissing his neck.

“Clark, right now there are more important things for you to uncover.”

It was then that Clark noticed that Lana was only clothed in a bathrobe. His hands began to explore underneath the robe and discovered…nothing. Only Lana was underneath the robe.

As he rose from his seat he heard her whisper.

“Upstairs. Quickly.”


**********

Now she was soothing him from the torment of his nightmare. He didn’t want to leave Lana. But he would have to if he took this final step. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He wasn’t going to leave and not tell her how he felt.

“Lana, you just need to know that I love you. With all we’ve been through, there’s never been anyone but you. Not now. Not ever. And there never will be.”

“Clark, I know what you’re thinking. We will always be together. Even if I’m here and you’re a million miles away. Even if we can’t be together we will never be apart. Nothing is ever going to change that.”

They lay back down together. He felt the warmth of Lana next him and it felt safe enough to close his eyes.

There would be no more nightmares for Clark Kent.


**********

[SmallvilleMan]

ok, i was a little confused, but I think I got it. Nice work.

[Hahaveryfunny]

Yeah, it was a bit confusing but I think got it too. *thinking if get it or not, hmmm* Nope, didn't get it at all well I got the Clana scenes but the orb thing is soooo confusing!

GREAT UPDATE THOUGH! PPMS!

[oldmankent]

Part Two


“Dawn”

Lex Luthor sat at his desk reviewing his ‘interrogation’ of Chloe Sullivan on his computer. While most people would be repulsed by viewing a video of torture and death, Lex viewed it with a cold, calculating, clinical eye. “She said, north, when I asked her about the Fortress. What does that mean? North?” With a maniacal obsession, Lex accessed all of the resources at his disposal in the discovery of what Chloe meant by ‘north’. He used all his contacts across the globe to search the northern hemisphere. American, Russian and Chinese spy satellites combed the entire surface of the northern half of the Earth. Satellites taking pictures from a hundred miles up and still being able to see the numbers on a license plate. Lex received reports by the hour. The floor of the great room in the mansion was flooded with aerial photographs of the northern hemisphere. Lex walked along rows of photographs, examining each one for something out of the ordinary. Along with the photographs were reports from exploratory teams that had searched the frozen tundra of Siberia and ice laden plains of northern Canada trying to find that certain something. Although they did not know what that ‘something’ was. Lex’s instructions were simple. Look for something that shouldn’t be there. As his aides reported their lack of progress, Lex’s frustration became increasingly evident.

“So what I’m hearing is that I’ve spent tens of millions of dollars in the last forty eight hours, using the most expensive and sophisticated detection equipment ever created by man and I have nothing to show for it?”

His aides remained silent. No one dared answer with a ‘yes’. Lex composed himself.

“What kind of filters have we used in the aerial photography?”

“The usual – infrared, heat. Even with the filters nothing out of the ordinary shows up.”

Lex went to his liquor cabinet and began to pour himself a drink. He poured scotch into a glass and then began to put ice in the drink. He stopped and looked at the ice. Then he spoke to his assistants.

“What about water? Or ice? Have we filtered out frozen water?”

His aides were dumbfounded at the question.

“Mr. Luthor, in the North Pole there isn’t anything but ice.”

“Exactly. If you want to hide something in the jungle you disguise it like the jungle. If you want to hide something in the desert you disguise it like the desert. If you want to hide something in an area that’s nothing but frozen water you disguise it as…”

His aides all nodded at the same time. Lex shook his head. “I pay these people big money and I’m the one who has to do all the thinking.”

“Now get out of here and don’t come back until you have something to show me.”

Word went out immediately to have all surveillance satellites reprogrammed to scan the areas and filter out…water.

Lex waited for the rest of the day in his study. He wouldn’t eat or sleep. He was consumed with finding out the secret of…the Fortress. At dawn the next day his aides joined him.

“We found something, Mr. Luthor.”

His aides laid out a set of photographs of the North Pole. By filtering out water there was nothing to be seen…Except for a massive crystalline structure that should not have been there.

“What is it?”

“We don’t know. All we know is that it’s perfectly designed to fit in with its surroundings and it shouldn’t be there.”

Lex thought for a moment and then began speaking in rapid fire fashion.

“Prep the chopper to go to Metropolis Airport. Get the jet ready to fly to Anchorage. From there I want a military chopper to take us to that.”

He pointed at the structure in the photograph and then shouted at his assistants.

“Do it!”


**********

The trip took a day to complete. The LuthorCorp corporate jet had flown nonstop to Anchorage, Alaska and from there Lex secured a large military helicopter to take him to the site of what they were now calling the ‘anomaly’. Lex would not wait for daybreak and against the advice of his experts he took off at night. They were flying in darkness. Using instrumentation to navigate to the site of the anomaly. By the time they reached the area of the anomaly the sun started to rise in the sky and the rays of the Earth’s star started to gleam off of the frozen ice. A kaleidoscope of colors pierced the dawn. All who saw it were in awe of its beauty. In the middle of this symphony of light and color stood the anomaly. There before Lex and his men, in all of its splendor, stood the crystalline Fortress of Solitude.

The chopper was set down about a hundred yards from the Fortress. Lex and his hand picked crew exited the warm confines of the chopper and began to walk into the frozen Arctic.

Because of the constantly changing weather conditions, communications links were set up between weather stations on the ground along with satellites orbiting the area. Minute by minute reports were sent to the crew of the chopper. If a storm was imminent, Lex and his crew would have to leave on a moments notice.

The crew was loaded down with equipment. They moved forward in a line. Each connected to the other by a synthetic cord that could hold hundreds of pounds of weight. Lex in his excitement cut his link to the cord and moved ahead of the pack. His men tried to warn him of the hazards of crossing the ice with being using the proper precautions but Lex would listen to no one and crossed the ice without concern for himself or anyone else.

He stood in awe at the steps of the Fortress as its columns towered above him. By the time the rest of his crew and their equipment reached the perimeter of the Fortress, Lex was already inside examining the crystal control console in the center of the Fortress. He took off his thermal gloves and ran his fingers over the crystals like a child who had discovered the sense of touch. He felt almost giddy at what was happening.

The scientists he brought with him were filled with questions. What is it? How did it get here? Who built this? How could they build this without anyone knowing? Why haven’t we seen this before? Lex heard them and began to laugh.

“You don’t get it, do you? Do you think someone from this planet put this here? This was put here by the same civilization that left the stones. The same civilization that produced the spaceship that was found in Smallville built this structure. They’re probably as far above us as we are above the amoeba. To even judge them by our standards is an insult to their intelligence.”

The crew grew silent as they awaited Luthor’s instructions.

“I don’t care who built it. I don’t care how they built it or why. I want to know what it does and how I can use. We’re not leaving here until I get some answers.

Get to work!”


**********

Luthor’s team was faced with three daunting tasks: tapping into an alien technology that was beyond anything ever even conceived on Earth, keeping their equipment from malfunctioning in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet and working for a boss who is not known and respected for his patience. More choppers arrived at the scene with food, warmer clothing and more equipment. Temporary shelters were set around the perimeter of the Fortress. Teams were set up to work around the clock to try to decipher the secret of the Fortress.

In addition to the shelters and equipment, Luthor brought in security teams to put a clamp on any information leaving the area. He also utilized his resources within the governments of the nations capable of using satellite technology. Without knowing, satellites surrounding the Earth had their flight paths reprogrammed in order to bypass the North Pole. Lex was making sure that no one would know what was happening either on the ground or from the air. He was erasing any evidence that the Fortress existed or that it was even sought.

Lex waited in the warmth of one of the heated shelters while his team worked around the clock. As he waited he realized that in his haste to get to the Fortress he had forgotten to bring his laptop computer with him. He had left it at the mansion in Smallville. “If this ‘Fortress’ is what I think it is I won’t need a computer anymore. I won’t need 33.1. I won’t need LuthorCorp or the sycophants who surround me.”

The next as the sun rose, Luthor aides entered his shelter. Lex had not slept in two days but it didn’t seem to be affecting him. He seemed to be running on something more than adrenaline.

“Mr. Luthor, we think we’ve found something.”


**********

[SVsleuth]

Aw, omk, don't stop there.... I want to know what Clark is doing meanwhile....

[oldmankent]

Part Three


“Parallel”

Lana’s eyes opened as the sun began to edge over the horizon and its beams made their way through the window of the bedroom. Without opening her eyes she reached over to pull Clark to her. She was surprised and disappointed when her hand took hold of nothing. She opened her eyes and confirmed that the other side of the bed was empty. Lana knew that Clark was an early riser and had many things to take care of around the farm. But often he would rise before the sun, speed through his morning routine and then return to their bed before Lana woke up. He did this because she said she liked it when he was the last thing she would see before she went to sleep at night and the first thing she would see when she woke in the morning. They both liked to begin their day with lovemaking and end their day with even more lovemaking. She wanted him now but she knew there had to be a good reason if he wasn’t by her side. She rose from the bed, put on her robe and left the bedroom to go downstairs into the kitchen. It was there that she found Clark preparing a package for some sort of delivery. It appeared that he had a laptop commuter that he was sending.

“Clark, what are you doing?”

Clark was so intent on the task at hand that he never heard Lana come near. He jumped when he heard her voice. Lana laughed at Clark being startled. She kissed him.

“I guess you didn’t have your hearing turned on. Let me give you your first kiss of the day. What’s with the laptop?”

Clark grew serious. He momentarily left the package, went to the stove and made Lana a cup of hot tea. Lana sat down at the kitchen table while Clark served her.

“Lana, I haven’t told you this yet because I didn’t want to upset you. When I was in the alternate universe, I discovered that my counterpart, while he was being controlled by Lex, had access to Lex’s computer systems. I gained access to those systems and found out some things about Level 33.1 and…Chloe.”

The joy that Lana always felt at seeing Clark was quickly replaced with dread. When Clark became serious she knew the news couldn’t be good.

“What did you find out?”

“There is a Level 33.1 and Lex is responsible for Chloe’s death.”

Clark knew that this would be an extremely upsetting moment for Lana. He had prepared himself to be a comfort to her. He sat next to her and took her hand in his own as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Her head fell against his chest. He knew that he didn’t have to say anything. When she was ready to speak she would do so. What was necessary at this moment was for Clark to be there for Lana to hold on to. It wasn’t long before Lana wiped away her tears and regained her composure.

“Are you sure?”

“If it happened in the other universe, it probably happened in this one.”

“Then what are you doing with the laptop.”

“I had access to Lex’s computer in the other universe but I don’t have access in this universe. I can’t hack into it. I can’t go public with what I know about Lex without revealing everything about myself. So I’m doing the only thing I can think of. I stole the computer from the mansion this morning. I don’t know where Lex is but he left his laptop there. If his laptop in this universe is the same as his laptop in the alternate universe then it will contain evidence of 33.1 and more importantly evidence of Chloe’s…murder. I’m sending the computer anonymously to someone who might be able to break into it or at least know people who can break into it and find out the truth.”

Lana looked at the address on the package.


Ms. Lois Lane

Daily Planet

Metropolis, Kansas

“I’m sending an anonymous letter explaining that the computer may contain information regarding Chloe’s death. Lois should have the resources available to her to break into the computer.”

Lana listened to his words and then leaned next to him to be held. He wrapped his arms around her as he spoke.

“It’s time that the world learned the truth about Lex Luthor.”


**********

Lex had returned to the center console of the Fortress with his cadre of aides. He could see by the look on their faces that they were all anxious to tell their story and to gain his approval.

“What have you found out?”

One of his aides stepped forward and volunteered to speak for the team.

“We are standing in the center of the most sophisticated computer system ever created.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Please, let me explain Mr. Luthor. All computer programming as we know it, whether it’s your laptop at home or a Cray super computer, have one thing in common. The programming language while sophisticated in its construction is still based on a sequence of binary digits – A bit being either on or off. A zero or a one. It seems that this ‘Fortress’ as you call it, is based on something entirely different.”

“So, you’re telling me that it’s some super form of artificial intelligence?”

“I’m saying there’s nothing artificial about it.”

Lex had to think for a moment of what his aide was telling him.

“Are you saying this thing is…alive?”

“In a manner of speaking…yes. It’s not life as we know it but it’s as alive as something can get without having living tissue. While our computer programming sequences are binary, either on or off, the programming sequence for this ‘Fortress’ can only be compared to the double helix.”

Again, Lex had to take a moment to think to totally absorb what he was being told.

“DNA?”

The aide nodded his concurrence.

“Are you telling me that DNA activates this ‘computer’?

“There is no ‘activation’ as we know. There is only communication and the communication to this computer is through DNA. I shouldn’t even call this thing a computer but I don’t know any other word to use. In order to communicate it seems that the DNA has to be a particular kind.”

“What do you mean?”

“The programming sequence while resembling DNA in general does not resemble human DNA or any type of DNA from any living thing on Earth.”

Lex looked at his aides. “What a bunch of idiots.” He began to laugh.

“What a surprise. It’s obvious that this wasn’t created by humans. Why would we expect human DNA to be the key?”

Lex stared off into the distance and closed his eyes. It had been so long since he had tried to recall any type of memory of his time as a vessel for Zod. But he was trying now. “There’s something about this place that’s familiar.” He turned back to his crew.

“Do you know how this ‘language of DNA’ is communicated?”

“It appears to be through these crystals that are inserted through this center area. But we haven’t even been able to remove them out of this…this…center control area.”

Lex looked at the crystals in the console. Once again he closed his eyes to ascertain if he could retrieve any memories as a vessel. He opened his eyes and smiled. He placed his hand on one of the crystals projecting out of the console. He felt the power surging inside. He was about to pull it out and then stopped. He addressed his team.

“Leave me.”


**********

Lois Lane hated mornings. She hated alarm clocks, showering that was brief and rushed and applying makeup without the luxury of time. She hated gobbling down breakfast bars. But if she wanted to work for a major newspaper doing mornings was part of the deal. Lois did not do her best work during the morning. Actually, there wasn’t any particular time of day that she did her best work. She worked when the inspiration hit her. It could be while eating a sandwich at lunch or it could be waking up from a dream at two o’clock in the morning. But she was at the bottom of the ladder in her new profession and she did not have the influence to work when she felt like working. Not yet. So since the rest of the world did mornings she had to do mornings too.

She entered the Daily Planet, said hello the guard at the front door and took the elevator to the lower level. It was eight in the morning and already the lower newsroom was a bee hive of activity. “If it’s this crazy on the lower level what’s it like on the upper levels with the real news.” It was Lois’ intention to just drop her hand bag and her briefcase at her desk and then get her first of many cups of coffee but her plans changed when she saw a package on her desk that was wrapped in brown paper. It was address to her but there was no return address and no postage. There was an envelope on the package with her name on it also. Inside was an index card with a typewritten message.

Ms. Lane,

Do not be alarmed.
This package does not contain a bomb.
It may contain information regarding the death of your cousin.

Sincerely,

A Friend

Lois immediately tore the brown paper wrapping off the package. She held in her hands a laptop computer with the LuthorCorp insignia on the cover. She opened it and turned it. When the screen was fully lit the full LuthorCorp insignia appeared with a prompt for a password. “****!” Lois picked up her phone and dialed Perry White’s secretary.

“Hello, Sherry. This is Lois….Lois Lane. I need to see Perry….I figured he was booked for the day but I have something important….It may be something that could tell us about my cousin’s death….I know we get a dozen calls a day on that but this if different….Someone sent me a laptop computer.

Sherry, it has a LuthorCorp insignia on it.”


**********

After Clark had flown his package to Lois at the Daily Planet he came back to the farm and he and Lana made the trip to the Kawatche Caves. Together they started looking at all of the inscriptions on the walls. The fire falling from the sky. The legend of Naman and his nemesis. Lana looked over at the symbol of Isobel and shook her head. “It seems so long ago.” She and Clark separated to examine different areas. She looked at him and a smile came to her face.

“Lana, what is it?”

She continued smiling as she walked towards him.

“I was just remembering the first time I walked in these caves. It was right after I found out that Whitney had died.”

She held Clark by his hands and looked into his eyes.

“I said then that you were the one, good, constant thing in my life…and that hasn’t changed”

He couldn’t help but return her smile. It’s moments like this one, the quiet ones that reinforced Clark’s commitment to Lana. Moments like this that hammered home the reason why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

They walked into the inner chamber and examined the portal. He focused on the angular center. The area where he had first placed the three stones of power. Lana knew Clark well enough that she could see the frustration building up inside of him

“Lana, this is no good. We’ve gone over everything in this case. Lex and Lionel have had all kinds of experts down here and they never even got close to what the cave is about.”

In a fit of anger and frustration Clark let his fist fly into the wall. The only result of his fit was smashed pieces of rock at his feet.

“Jor-El said the clues would be here!

Where the hell are the clues?”


**********

Lex’s team at the North Pole was in one of the temporary shelters that had been hastily constructed. All of them had changed their clothes in order to dry off and warm up. Some were catching up on their sleep. Others were getting a warm meal. Two of them stood by one of the windows. Each of them with a cup of hot coffee. Both of them were staring at the Fortress.

“How long has he been out there?”

“Over an hour.”

“What do you think he’s doing out there?”

“I hope he’s taking one of those crystals and shoving it up his ass.”

“Yeah. I hate the son of a ***** too.”

As he finished his comment both of them saw a streak of bright light launch up into the sky from the center of the Fortress.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know but we better get over there!”


**********

Lois sat next to Jimmy Olsen has he made attempt after attempt to crack into Lex’s computer without success. They had been in Perry White’s office for the past hour. Perry sat patiently at his desk. Doing paperwork. Taking phone calls. He would occasionally glance in their direction to see if they were making progress.

Since the death of Chloe Sullivan everyone at the Daily Planet was anxious to find some sort of clue that would help bring her murderer to justice. Time and again they followed leads that resulted in nothing but frustration and wasted time. The city newsroom was abuzz with talk that Jimmy and Lois were trying to hack into a LuthorCorp computer for the answer. People waited anxiously for some sort of result that would be successful.

“I can’t figure it out.”

Jimmy dropped his head into his hands. Perry White picked up the phone on his desk and called his secretary.

“Send in Jenkins, please.”

In less than a minute a man of medium height but athletic build walked through Perry’s door. He wore a dark suit, dark tie and a white shirt. His hair was cut short like an ex-member of the military. Lois thought he looked like the type of person you would not want to get into a disagreement with. He took a seat at the computer. Both Jimmy and Lois looked at Perry.

“A half an hour ago I called a friend of mine at the FBI to see if they could send us some help.”

As Jenkins began to punch keys on Lex’s laptop he felt Perry hand on his shoulder.

“Go ahead. Do your stuff.”


**********

Lex’s team put their Artic gear back on and left their shelter to go back into the Fortress. As they made their way across the ice they stared in awe at the beam of light that was streaming up into the sky. They made their way to the center of the Fortress and saw Lex standing in the middle of a pillar of multi-colored light. Images of people and things no one recognized were spinning around. His skin had taken on a hue as if he were being bathed in the light.

Lex stood perfectly still as all of his senses were overwhelmed with information. He felt what he could only call electricity surging through his veins. The pace of his breathing increased as he became more and more excited over what was happening to him. He closed his eyes and focused on what he was learning. “A sphere? The Sphere!... I need the Sphere for all of this to become permanent…. Where is the Sphere?....The Caves?....The Kawatche Caves hold the key to the location of the Sphere.” He heard voices around him. ‘Mr. Luthor! Mr. Luthor!’ He opened his eyes and saw the Arctic team surrounding him. They were watching him in the pillar of light but none dared approached. They were frightened because they did not know what they were dealing with. Frightened as the ancient Egyptians were frightened when Moses called forth a pillar of fire. “I feel like Charlton Heston.” He looked at the crystal he was holding in his hand. He issued a mental command and the lighted ceased. His men gathered around him.

“Mr. Luthor, are you alright?”

He inhaled deeply and smiled at them.

“Never better.”

“What were you doing in there?”

“I was ‘communicating’ with the Fortress.”

“Communicating? But you can only communicate through a specific type of DNA.”

Lex looked at the crystal in his hand. Then he flexed his fingers. Feeling the power in his muscles. He recalled being taken into the Kryptonian ship. He recalled being the vessel of Zod.

“Mr. Luthor, we need to get more scientific teams down here. This ‘Fortress’ is too far beyond our understanding.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”

His men were confused.

“What do you mean, Mr. Luthor?”

“No one is to know about this place and those who do know must be silenced….permanently.”

Lex grabbed hold of one of the team members by the neck and held him high in the air. He slightly squeezed his fingers and felt the man’s neck snap. He dropped him down to the ground. The other team members gathered around the lifeless body.

“I do appreciate what all of you have done for me but I’m afraid I’m going to have to terminate your employment. I will provide your families with a generous severance package.”


**********

Being raised with military discipline from her father, Lois Lane had always considered herself a tough hombre. But no amount of discipline could have toughened against the emotional onslaught she received from viewing the images on Lex’s laptop. She and Jimmy held each other tightly and tried to be of comfort to each other but their efforts were futile.

Perry White had thought he had seen enough suffering and inhumanity in his lifetime to numb him but he couldn’t keep the tears from flowing from his eyes. The FBI agent, Jenkins, stopped the images.

“Why is Lex Luthor so interested in Clark Kent?”

Lois took a deep breath and tried to answer.

“Chloe told me that Luthor has always been obsessed about Clark. Ever since the day Clark rescued him from drowning, Luthor has thought that Clark was possessed by some type of super human powers.”

Perry White added his opinion.

“It’s probably simpler than that. Rich boy meets poor boy. Poor boy has everything the rich boy doesn’t have – family, friends, respect. Luthor must have gone insane after his father left everything to Kents. He must have gone even more insane when the Kents gave everything away.”

Perry left the small group and dialed his secretary.

“Sherry, get me Inspector Henderson with the Metropolis PD.”


**********

Lex hovered above the Fortress. Below him lay the bodies of the team he took with him in the Arctic, the burnt out shells of the shelters they constructed and the eviscerated remains of the helicopters that brought them to the Fortress. He started focusing his vision on each one of the bodies. Beams of intense heat shot out of his eyes and disintegrated each body. “Just like playing a video game.” When he was finished all that remained was ash and that ash was now being blown away by the Arctic wind. He had removed his Arctic gear and was now in his shirt sleeves. He took pleasure in his discovery that the sub zero temperatures had no effect on him. He did not know how long he would have these powers. He had to find the Sphere. “But first I need to change my clothes.”


**********

When Inspector Donald Henderson and members of the Metropolis Police Department and the Smallville Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Luthor mansion they were told that Lex had gone to Anchorage, Alaska on business. They produced a search warrant that allowed them to enter the mansion and search for further evidence related in the death of Chloe Sullivan and the matter of Level 33.1. They walked into the main room of the mansion and saw hundred of photographs strewn across the floor.

“What the hell is this?”

His men started looking at the photographs.

“It looks like Luthor has a thing for frozen tundra.”

His men were laughing at their own joke when Luthor entered the room. He was dressed from head to toe in black. Covering everything was a long black leather coat. Henderson was momentarily surprised by Luthor’s appearance.

“Mr. Luthor? We were told that you were in Alaska.”

“I was. I just arrived back here.”

“Well we didn’t see your helicopter arrive.”

“I came back by a much faster method. What can I do for you gentlemen?”

“Mr. Luthor, I have to ask you to come with me back to Metropolis for questioning.”

Lex laughed to himself before he answered.

“No. I don’t think so.”

Henderson was unprepared for such a flippant answer. He directed one of his men to approach Lex. The man walked towards him. Pulling out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket.

“Then I’m going to have to place you under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will….”

Henderson stopped his recital of the Miranda rights when Lex threw the police officer across the room and through one of the stained glass windows. Henderson and his men pulled their guns and ordered Lex to place his hands in the air. Another officer approached and was blown through the wall by Lex’s exhalation. Henderson and his men then began firing their guns. When they had finished emptying out their guns Lex extended his arms to examine the bullet holes in his coat.

“This coat cost two thousand dollars and you’ve ruined it.”

He lifted his head and looked Henderson in the eye.

“That wasn’t very nice.”


**********

Lana and Clark were still in the inner chamber. Clark was racking his brain, trying to remember anything that Jor-El said that would uncover the clue that would lead him to the location of the Sphere.

“Clark, tell me again what Jor-El said.”

Clark told her everything….again. Lana thought for a moment and then her eyes opened wide.

“Clark, the Sphere is round.”

“Well, yeah. That’s what makes a Sphere a sphere.”

“Yes. But he also said you will have come ‘full circle’. We should probably be looking for something circular.”

Clark was amazed how Lana always brought clarity to any situation. He nodded in agreement and then began looking for anything that resembled a circle. His eyes focused on the platform. He dismissed it as a circle. It was actually hexagonal in shape.

But then he focused on the markings inside the portal. There was a series of vertical slashes that were crossed like two Ts joined at the top. Two vertical lines together with a horizontal line crossing the top. A series of these symbols formed a circle outlining the inside of portal. Inside the first outline was another smaller circle of the same symbols. Clark ran his fingers over the symbols.

“Lana, look at this!”

Lana ran her own fingers on the symbols.

“Oh my God!”

“It was right here all the time. These symbols, they’re stone monoliths. Two gigantic slabs of stone with another crossing the top. Two circles of them. One outside circle and one inside circle.”

They looked at each other. Clark spoke for both of them.

“It’s Stonehenge….The Sphere is at Stonehenge in England.”

They both turned around as they heard a throat being cleared behind them. Lex Luthor stood behind them.

“Thank you, Clark. You’ve just saved me a great deal of time.”

In the blink of an eye he was gone.


**********

[oldmankent]

Part Four


“Duel”

It began over the ancient structure known as Stonehenge in England. Tourists who were attending a twilight tour of the sight said that an enormous collision occurred right above the ruins at 6:45pm GMT. News reports said that the visitors thought they saw two fiery trails streaking across the sky and then intersect above the monoliths. It was thought that two missiles had exploded. Panic followed as the visitors expected debris to fall upon them. They ran underneath the ancient stone structures but were surprised when nothing fell to the ground. As they peaked into the sunset lit sky, they saw the two streaks move off into the distance to the east. The fiery trails were moving in and out, as if they were colliding.

Military and scientific satellites across the globe backtracked the trail and discovered that the origin was in the central portion of the North America where the United States maintained its Minuteman missile silos. Aerial footage showed one trail crossing the American continent and then the Atlantic Ocean while the other trail traveled a hundred miles above the Earth and then pivoted downward like the warhead of a ballistic missile re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Both trails then intersected above Stonehenge. A spokesperson from the White House assured the public that there was not an accidental launch of American missiles or a test of any kind of anti-missile missile. In fact, no missile in the world could travel as that fast. Crossing five thousand miles in less than a minute. Even with these reassurances, nations all over the world went on defensive alert and mobilized their armed forces.

News stations were now covering the event. Television and radio programs were interrupted in every nation. The emergency broadcast system was put into effect. No one could say with certainty what was happening. The two fiery trails simply became known as the phenomenon.

The phenomenon was then seen over Paris. A collision with the Eiffel Tower caused the top part of the structure to become dislodged from the lower part of the frame. Panic ensued as Parisians expected the top part of the structure to come crashing into the street. Panic was replaced with a sense of awe as the top part of the structure held itself in place. Spectators said they were witnessing a calamity and a miracle at the same time. Alarms went off around the city as the phenomenon moved off into the distance. Each separate streak colliding with the other and then one end turning over the other.

The two trails then seemed to merge and become one single trail. It moved up and down. High into the sky and then low to the ground. Forests across Europe had a streak cut through them as splintered trees crashed to the ground. In seconds the phenomenon cut a path in trees that had stood for over a hundred years.

As the phenomenon then reached the Ukraine it took a turn straight above and into the Earth’s upper atmosphere. A low level communications satellite was obliterated as the phenomenon crashed through it. Astronauts in the International Space Station tried to focus their instruments on the phenomenon but it was too fast for them to react. Within seconds the phenomenon exited the Earth’s atmosphere and headed for the moon. Observatories around the globe were called upon to focus on the phenomenon. The Hubble Space Telescope was repositioned to try and get a clear view of it. But all of the experts agreed that whatever was happening was happening too fast to try and do any type of real time analysis. Whatever the phenomenon was, the Earth was at its mercy.

Panic spread throughout the world. Many thought the phenomenon was some sort of sign from the heavens indicating the coming of Armageddon. Governments breathed a momentary sigh of relief as the phenomenon headed past the moon. But that relief disappeared as it came back from around the moon and headed straight back to Earth.

The phenomenon re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere over Asia. Reports came in of the nighttime sky being lit up by beams of light and the snow atop the Himalayan Mountains being melted by an intense heat. The melted snow would have caused flooding with Asian and Indian villages in the path of the oncoming tide. But just as fast as the flooding began there were reports of mountains being crumbled into boulders and those boulders somehow blocking the path of the flood, preventing a catastrophe.

The phenomenon then crossed over the Pacific Ocean and crashed into the ocean near the Philippines. Ships reported being lifted by gigantic waves. Global seismographs reported intense activity without any earthquakes. The phenomenon reappeared as it emerged from the water over Easter Island.

Tourists on the beach on the island of Oahu saw the phenomenon streak across the sky. Fighter jets were scrambled at Pearl Harbor to intercept whatever it was but the phenomenon had flown over them and was now out of sight before the jets could ever leave the ground.

Traffic came to a stop on the Golden Gate Bridge as the fiery streak passed under it. Engineers at the Hoover Dam thought the phenomenon was going to crash into but then shifted upward and over the dam at the last second.

Sonic booms were heard over the Grand Canyon as the streak moved across North America. Business in Manhattan came to a halt as millions of New Yorkers outside on their lunch hour stopped what they were doing to look up into the sky.

The tourists at Stonehenge were just recovering from their experience when the phenomenon reappeared. This time it came crashing down into the center of the ancient wonder and went underneath the ground like a giant drill. They could feel the Earth rumble underneath their feet and the phenomenon remerged. But this time it separated. One streak flew off into the north and the other streak headed back towards the west.


**********

“Thank you, Clark. You’ve just saved me a great deal of time.”

In the blink of an eye Lex was gone.

The last time Clark and Lana had seen this type of Lex Luthor was on top of LuthorCorp Tower over a year ago on Black Thursday. They both realized that what they had just seen was not a vessel of Zod. This was Lex Luthor with the power of Zod.

“He knows about the Sphere! I have to stop him!”

In an instant Clark was gone from the caves. As he entered the daytime sky he focused his vision and saw that Lex was at a medium altitude streaking across the sky. “He knows how to fly but he hasn’t yet learned how to maximize his ability.” Clark knew where Lex was going but he had to get there first or at the same time. If he just followed him Lex would just keep increasing his speed to stay ahead of Clark. Clark decided not to follow Lex. He would take a different path and intercept him.

Clark launched himself into the sky until he was far above the Earth then he angled himself downward and headed for Stonehenge. As he closed in on the target he could see Lex moving below him.

Lex was casting looks behind him to see if Clark was in his view. His confidence increased as he saw that there was no one behind him and he was getting closer to his target. He was almost at Stonehenge. He activated his X-ray vision and saw the dormant globe with the strange S underneath the ground. He was stunned when Clark crashed into him from above and pulled him away from Stonehenge and away from the Sphere.

The anger in Lex’s face was beyond anything Clark had ever seen before. He collided with Clark time and again. Trying to jolt Clark out of same flight path but Clark remained steadfast and collided back into Lex keeping him from going back to Stonehenge. With speed of light quickness they launched blows into each other. Both felt excruciating pain from the blows but neither one would disengage from the fight. They grabbed hold of each other and began to turn around like a bullet being shot out of a rifle. As they did this their speed increased. The vibration from their bodies formed a pocket that surrounded them. Flames formed outside the pocket from the friction while they dueled inside. They could see and feel each blow, each kick, each punch and react to it. But to the human eye and to human instruments everything was just a blur.

They were now flying into the sunset above Paris. It was here that Lex set upon a new strategy. He pulled Clark with him and crashed into the top portion of the Eiffel Tower. He was certain that Clark would try to keep innocent people from being hurt and release him. Instead Clark maintained his hold on Lex but shot out a ray of heat vision at the top part of the Tower, welding it into place.

They were now over the forests of Germany. Lex pulled downward and they cut across the forest like a scythe. Trees fell like toothpicks. Huge trunks crashed into their faces. Still, one would not let go of the other.

Clark saw all the damage that was being done. He decided he had to get Lex away from the planet. He pulled upward and accelerated into the upper reaches of the stratosphere. They weren’t even aware that a satellite was in their path nor were they aware of its disintegration when they cut through it. They were now in outer space. Each one trying to inflict some type of disabling blow to the other but each one unable to do so.

They were on the dark side of the moon. The side hidden from Earth’s eyes. They crashed into the surface of the moon creating crater after crater. The fireball swept from around the moon like a slingshot and headed back to Earth. The re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere like an out of control spacecraft. They were now in darkness above the Himalayan Mountains.

Again Lex tried to get Clark to disengage by distracting him. He let out his own broad ray of intense heat and instantaneously melted the snow on top of mountains. Flood waters began to cascade through the valleys on the sleeping villages below. With a strength that Lex was unaware that Clark had, Clark threw the two them into the mountains and spun around like a drill. Hundreds of tons of rock exploded out of the hole they created. As they exited Clark exhaled and blew the rock into the path of the oncoming flood.

As they headed out over the Pacific Lex pulled Clark into the ocean. As they moved like a supersonic torpedo deep underneath the surface they found themselves in a world few ever see. Miles beneath the surface they crashed into the hulls of warships that had been sunk over the past century. They reached a speed where the water couldn’t move out of the way fast enough. The agitation created giant waves and millions of fish were carried away in its wake.

They resurfaced and were now over Hawaii and Pearl Harbor. Alarms were going off at the naval station below. But in an instant those alarms were behind them.

Early morning traffic was just beginning to move over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Again, Lex tried to take control of the battle and direct the two men into the bridge. Clark heaved and moved them to just below the bridge as they skimmed over the water in San Francisco Bay and then shot upwards into the oncoming sunrise.

Lex made one last attempt to distract Clark as he tried to maneuver them into Hoover Dam and again Clark found the strength to jolt Lex at the last second and keep them from crashing into the structure.

Once again, they were in full daylight as their path carried them through the Grand Canyon, over hundreds of miles of fields and highways and then the area where the towers of the World Trade Center once stood. They had now come full circle and fast approaching Stonehenge. They had battled over the entire circumference of the Earth, above the Earth, below the Earth and neither one had given way. Clark now decided to take a chance. Over Stonehenge, Lex would expect Clark to hold on even more tightly. Now Clark would let go.

They were now high above the ruins. Lex expected the battle to continue. Instead, Clark released him and dropped down towards the ground. For a moment Lex continued on the same path and overshot Stonehenge. Realizing what had happened Lex changed direction and in a panic followed and latched onto Clark’s legs as the two of them dived into the center of Stonehenge and drilled into the ground.

With his vision, Clark saw the Sphere. Clark didn’t know why but the Sphere began to glow. It then did something totally unexpected. It began to move upwards out of the ground. It began to move towards Clark.

The Sphere moved into Clark’s like a magnet to metal and he changed direction back to the surface. He launched out of the ground into the air with Lex hanging on his legs. Then Lex did something unexpected. He let go of Clark and Clark began to fly in the direction of the Fortress thinking Lex had given up the fight. Lex remained behind and then moved westward. It was then that Clark realized what Lex was doing.

Lex was going back to Smallville. Back to Smallville and Lana.

Clark changed direction and was now on Lex’s tail. As Clark increased his speed Lex did the same. Maintaining the distance between them. They were over Smallville and Lex swooped down into the Kawatche Caves and then back into the sky. This time he was heading north towards the Fortress of Solitude. Clark heard a faint “Clark!” in his ears and then heard no more. It was at this point that Clark knew he had to slow down. If he forced Lex to continue at the same speed the force would kill Lana.

He approached the Fortress. The landscape below him was barren. The Arctic wind had long since scattered the remains of Luthor’s crew and their equipment. He was now over the Fortress. Standing on top of one of the giant crystal pillars was Lex Luthor…with Lana kneeling at his feet.

Clark took a position on top of a pillar about a hundred yards across from Lex and Lana. The Sphere glowed and pulsated in his hands. He could see Lana was in a state of shock from the speed at which she was carried to the Fortress. It would not be long before she would succumb to the sub zero temperature.

The two adversaries stood facing each other. Lex shouted out.

“It’s the moment of truth, Clark! Give me the Sphere…and I’ll let Lana live!”

Clark remained silent.

”What’s it going to be Clark? Your destiny or Lana?”


**********

[Bonita_LovesSuperman]

Long updates but I like them:D

[C.A.chick]

WOW...3 fantastic updates....I can't wait to see what happens and what Clark chooses. Lana better not die! This is so thrilling. AHHHHHH....PPMASAP

[oldmankent]

Part Five


“One True Son”

“What’s it going to be Clark? Your destiny or Lana?”

Clark felt his heart pounding in his chest. Lex had his hand on the top of Lana’s head with his fingers extending downward.

“Give me the Sphere or I’ll pop her skull like a balloon.”

All of the years of questioning. All of the moments of struggle and heartache. All of the events and people that had shaped his life. Clark thought of everything he had gone through and realized that his future and the future of his adopted home would now be shaped by a single decision.

“Don’t take too long to decide Clark. I don’t think Lana will be able to stand the cold for much longer.”

Clark looked across at Lana. Her arms were wrapped around her. Her head was bowed down. Her dark hair hung in front of her face. Clark looked at her and he thought of the birthday cake she had brought to him. It was the first time they had ever really, truly kissed. He looked at her and he thought of her in a hospital bed when he promised that there would be no more secrets or lies. He looked at her and his eyes saw her lying next to him as the sun crept through his bedroom window. He looked at the pillar Lex was standing on and he realized that it was in this very spot where he held Lana in his arms and launched into the air to prove to her that he was not like everyone else.

It wasn’t long ago that they floated above Cinderella Castle in Disney World and he asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. He saw her now and a final vision surfaced from the depths of his memory. The vision of that terrible night when he saw her body lying next to her demolished Jeep.

Clark’s hearing became activated when he heard Lana’s weakened voice.

“How do I know you’ll keep your word?”

“You don’t.”

He saw the Sphere in his hands. The insignia was glowing.


\S/

“Clark, don’t do it. I’m willing to make the sacri…Ahhhhh!”

Lex had increased the pressure on Lana’s head.

“You seem to forget, Lana. If Clark can hear you so can I.”

Clark had to make a decision. Once again he was put into a position where he didn’t have a choice. Then he realized that he did have a choice. Over a year ago he was willing to sacrifice himself to save Lana and the world from Zod. Now Lana was willing to sacrifice herself to save the world from Lex. The question for Clark was this. Was he willing to sacrifice Lana? He realized there was only one decision he could make.

“You win, Lex. Let Lana go and I’ll give you the Sphere.”

Lex laughed at Clark’s proposal.

“ No. No. No, Clark. That’s not how it works. You give me the Sphere first. Toss it over to me.”

Clark held onto the Sphere just a moment longer and then he tossed it into the air towards Lex. He could see Lex’s eyes open wide and light up with desire as he was about to come into possession with the key that would give him what he desired most in life – power.

The Sphere left Clark’s hands and glided through the air towards Lex. As it floated to the half way mark between them it stopped and stayed suspended in the air. Lex looked at the Sphere and then looked at Clark. He increased the force of his grip on Lana’s head. She screamed in anguish.

“What the hell is going on, Clark?”

Clark stood speechless. The Fortress lit up and the voice of Jor-El boomed out from every corner.

“The Sphere does not belong to you!”

With the Sphere so close to being in his possession Lex lost all self control. He let go of Lana and launched himself in the direction of Sphere. The Sphere remained stationary and as Lex approached it he extended his arm and was within inches of it when he felt himself weakening. He could no longer control the ability of flight. He could no longer remain suspended in the air. The power that he felt pulsating through his veins had disappeared. He knew that when he first gained his powers that it would not be permanent unless he gained possession of the Sphere. He knew the moment would come when the powers would disappear. That moment had arrived. He dropped from the air as if he had been dropped off the roof of LuthorCorp Tower and there was nothing he could do to stop it and no one to catch him.

Clark saw Lex sprawled on the surface of the Fortress below him. He heard the faint beating of his heart. Lex wasn’t dead but he was hurt badly. Clark then propelled himself in the direction of Lana. She was now lying in a fetal position on the top of the pillar. She was barely conscious. Clark took her in his arms and held her close to him. He began to cast a low intensity beam of heat over her like that of a heating lamp. She stirred in his arms as she began to regain feeling in her hands and feet.

She regained awareness of where she was and what had happened. Fear seized her.

“Lex! What happened to Lex?”

Clark held her close as he answered.

“Lex ran out of gas.”

Lana held his arm tightly and pulled him to her. She began to realize what had just happened. She looked into Clark’s eyes.

“Clark, you were willing to give up everything for me.”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. He pushed her hair back from her face and continued to look at her.

She was breathing regularly now. A certain sense of security came over her. “It’s all over now. We can live in peace.” She felt herself being scooped up into Clark’s arms. He lifted off the pillar and floated to the surface below. She buried her head in his neck. Secure like a child in a parent’s arms. She saw Lex unconscious on the ground.

“Is he dead?”

Clark shook his head. He walked with her to the portal.

“Lana, it’s time for you to go home.”

She was about to step onto the portal when she realized what she had just heard.

“Clark, you didn’t say ‘we’. You said it’s time for ‘me’ to go home. Clark, you’re not going with me!”

He shook his head.

“No. I’m not going back to Smallville. It’s time for me to go with Jor-El. The Fortress will make sure that you and Lex will get back to Smallville. I have a feeling that not only the police will be waiting for Lex but so will the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. After I leave all of this will leave with me. It will be as if the Fortress never existed.”

He saw the alarm in Lana’s face.

“ The Fortress will return when I return.”

He took hold of her by her arms so that she faced him.

“And I will return, Lana. One day, I don’t know when but one day when the sun rises out of the east I’ll be coming over the horizon. I’ll be coming home to you.

And I will never leave you again.”

She held him tightly. Afraid to let him go but knowing that she had to. She brought her eyes up to look at him. They looked at each other, closed their eyes and drew into each other. They molded into each other as they had so many times before but this time it was different. Their lips fused with their unspoken love. Not wanting to separate but knowing that they must. Their faces were filled with the desperation of two lovers who could not bear to be apart for more than a moment. Their kiss was filled with the desperation of two people forever bonded to each other who did not know when they would see each other again. They both struggled to pull away.

“As long as it takes, Clark, I will wait for you.”

He took her hand and walked with her to the center of the Fortress. He left her as their arms extended, then their hands, then their fingers. Maintaining their connection to last possible second. Clark stood straight, holding the Sphere in his hands.

“I am Kal-El of Krypton. The son of Jor-El and Lara. I am the true son of the house of El.”

He held the Sphere in his right hand and raised it over his head.

“I am here to claim…my destiny!”

The Sphere slowly lifted out of Clark’s hand and hovered above his head. Clark dropped his arm down to his side and looked upwards at the Sphere. It began to spin on its axis like a globe. It started slowly and then accelerated to an incalculable speed. A bright golden light emerged from the Sphere and showered down on Clark. As this happened the entire Fortress of Solitude began to pulsate and glow in a multitude of colors.

The light around Clark had reached an intensity to where Clark was no longer visible. Lana raised her hand to shield her eyes from the light.

In a moment Clark and the Sphere were gone. The light in the Fortress had returned to normal.

She glanced down at Lex. In an instant his unconscious body disappeared. Taken back to the Kawatche Caves. Whatever story he had to tell, there wasn’t a shred of evidence. In a few moments this Fortress would be gone. “Until he returns.” Lana walked to the portal to return to Smallville.

Lana didn’t know why but she was overcome with a strange feeling. She couldn’t help but feel that somewhere out in the vast mosaic of the universe, a father and mother were overwhelmed with a deep sense of pride in their son.


**********


Tomorrow, the final chapter in the saga of SV Season 6.

[clana-lives-on]

so clark has started his journey to fulfill his destiny and lana goes home to wait. i wonder what will happen to lex though. update soon!:D

[Hahaveryfunny]

Great updates. Loved where you went with it.
Hope Clark comes home soon and marries Lana! After all they did get engaged during there trip to Disney Land!!! -This was a while ago, though.
Who knows about there engagement, other than them???

PPMS!!!!!

[oldmankent]

Part Six


“Goodnight”

The stable hands at the Smallville Stables began their workday before sunrise. The horses needed to be fed and groomed. The stables needed to be cleaned and fresh hay laid in the stalls. They didn’t expect any riders this early. But when the riders did come they expected their horses to be clean and the surroundings to be without unpleasant odors. Two men entered the stable. Smitty was in his fifties. He had been around horses most of his life. His hands were gnarled and permanently stained from manual labor. He didn’t mind. This was the life he had chosen and he was happy in it. With him was Curtis, a twenty year old college student who was working at the stables while he was home from college for the summer. This was his first day on the job. He still could not believe that he had got out of bed, showered, shaved, dressed and was at work and the sun still had not risen over the horizon.

Smitty who had trained quite a few summer workers in his time was easy on Curtis. It would take time for the lad to get used to the working life. “Maybe, he’ll be one of the few who actually like it.”

“Mr. Smith, does anyone actually go out riding this early in the morning?”

“Call me Smitty, Curt. Just one lady. She should be here any moment.”

“Someone actually rides this early in the morning? Before the sun comes up? In the dark?

“Yep. Here she comes right now.”

The petite woman with long dark hair walked confidently towards the two men. She wore blue jeans, riding boots and a jacket to fend off the chill of the morning.

“Good morning, Ms. Lang.”

“Good morning, Smitty. Breaking in someone new today?

“Sure am. This is Curt. Curt say hello to Ms. Lang.”

They shook hands. Curt was somewhat speechless. He had difficulty taking his eyes from the woman. She smiled at him and took the reins of a horse that Smitty had saddled and prepared for her.

“Curt, why don’t you give Ms. Lang a hand.”

Curt regained his composure and put his hands together to give Lana a lift onto the saddle.

“Thanks, Curt. See you later, Smitty. Nice meeting you, Curt.”

She rode out of the stable into the darkness. The two men stood together, watching her.

“Wow!”

Smitty laughed at Curt’s exclamation.

“You’re not the first, Curt.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re not the first summertime stable hand to come in here and become smitten with Ms. Lana Lang.”

“Does she have a husband?”

“Nope.”

“A boyfriend?”

“Nope.”

“Is she, you know?”

“Gay? No. I don’t think so.”

Smitty took Curt by the arm.

“I know what you’re thinking, Curt. You’re thinking if you were only ten years older. When I first started here and saw her for the first time I thought if I was only ten years younger. But don’t vex yourself thinking about something that can never be.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s waiting for someone. No one knows who but the whole town talks about it. Everyday, regardless of the weather, she rides out towards the east and waits for the sun to rise. She’s been doing that since before I started working here.”

“How long have you been working here, Smitty?”

“Almost ten years.”

“She’s been coming here every morning to ride in the dark for the past ten years?”

“Like I said, she was doing it before I started here. She owns a farm not far from here. The old Kent place. Lives there by herself. They say that she’s waiting for someone. People say that someone left her and she’s waiting for him to return.”

“Someone left her? He must have been nuts to leave a woman like that.”

“He must have been something special to have a woman like that wait for him.”


**********

She started her morning ritual the day following Clark’s departure. It was now the 4,383rd day that Lana had ridden out from the stables towards the east to witness the sun rising. She rode towards Evans Field and waited for the light to pierce the horizon. She had been here in rain and in snow. She had been here when the temperature was so cold that car engines seized. She had even been here the few times that tornado warnings were in effect. She would be here tomorrow if she had to. She would be here next year if she had to. Before the sun rose she would always think of everything that had happened since she last saw Clark.


**********

Lex had arrived at the Kawatche Caves before her. He had regained consciousness and staggered back to his mansion. He found the state police, SWAT teams and a brigade of the Kansas National Guard waiting for him. He told a bizarre story of Clark Kent and some type of ‘Fortress’ in the North Pole. Lana was questioned about Lex’s claims. She told the police that she didn’t know what Lex was talking about. She had known Clark all of her life. He’s just another normal human being. She told the police that she had seen Clark off at the bus station. He was catching a bus to go to the airport in Metropolis. He was going abroad. She did not know when he would return. Martha Kent corroborated Lana’s story. She also told the police that Luthor had a history of being obsessed with and harassing her son. Yes. Clark did go abroad to escape the constant turmoil in his life created by Luthor. No. She would not divulge the location. The long arm of Lex Luthor reached into many countries and she would not put her son at risk by revealing his location.

The police and the courts weighed the word of the State Senator who would soon be a United States Senator and a person who had donated her inheritance from Lionel Luthor to a variety of charitable causes against a man who had a history of being treated at Belle Reeve, to whom all the evidence pointed to a being mentally unbalanced murderer and who was now telling a preposterous story. Needless to say, there wasn’t much time spent on deciding on who was telling the truth.

The case was made that Lex’s temporary powers were the result of his illegal experimentation at Level 33.1. It was obvious that he had experimented on himself and that experiment had failed.

Because of the evidence sent to Lois Lane, Luthor was charged in the death of Chloe Sullivan and in the abduction and illegal experimentation of dozens of individuals who had been infected by meteor rocks. There was also the mystery of a team a scientists that he put together for his polar exploration. Their whereabouts was unknown. It was presumed that Luthor had murdered them although there was no trace of their bodies.

His team of highly paid attorneys tabulated the amount of prison time Lex would have to serve if convicted of his crimes. It amounted to 14 life sentences plus 100 years. His only chance of any type of reprieve was to plead insanity. He was declared insane and committed to Belle Reeve until such a time that he would be stable enough to re-enter society. It was assumed that such a time would never arrive and his ‘treatment’ would last for the remainder of his days. Lana had heard rumors that Lex sits in the confines of his padded cell telling his story to his guards or anyone who will listen. He continuously vows to break out and take his revenge on the farm boy and his girl friend that put him in this terrible place. It has also been rumored that his guards use earplugs so that they don’t have to listen to his story over and over and over again.


With news of Lex’s demise the value of LuthorCorp crashed. Investors dumped their shares at an unprecedented rate. Its businesses across the globe were divested and bought up by eager competitors at bargain basement prices. When the LuthorCorp insignia was removed from the building the citizens of Metropolis gathered in the street and celebrated in the same manner as the citizens of Berlin when the infamous Berlin Wall was torn down. The building was turned into a parking garage. Level 33.1 was removed and made into a museum. Certain history professors speak of it in the same breath as Auschwitz.

Lex Luthor, whose face had once graced the front cover of magazines such Time, Newsweek and Fortune as the businessman extraordinaire, was now on the covers of those same magazines but this time in stories likening the demise of LuthorCorp to that of Enron and WorldCom. Harvard Business School began a course in business ethics and corruption. The course routinely referred to Lex Luthor as an example of what not to be.

Lex achieved a degree of notoriety in his demise that exceeded even his own expectations. He was the subject matter of television talk shows hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw, Oprah Winfrey and Larry King as well and the subject matter for jokes by Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien. Dozens of ‘unauthorized’ biographies appeared on bookshelves almost overnight.

The computer that came into Lois Lane’s possession gave her a boost out of the basement of the Daily Planet. Her columns began to be seen in the morning editions of the newspaper. It was generally agreed that she had interesting ideas and a nose for a good story although her writing skills left something to be desired. It was thought that she would be more successful if she partnered with another reporter. Several were tried without success. It was rumored that the search was continuing.

Martha Kent completed her term as a Kansas State Senator and was then elected to the United States Senate. She served one six year term in Washington DC. She retired from politics saying that some of the politicians she met in Washington made Lex Luthor look a saint. She went back to the farm in Kansas where she stayed one winter. She moved to Florida when arthritis made its way into her joints. She sold the farm for $1 to Lana Lang.


**********

Lana got off the saddle and held the horse by the reins. She pulled a carrot out of her pocket and and the horse eagerly took it in its mouth. “Oh, you like that. Don’t you? Tomorrow morning I’ll bring you an apple. Well, I guess that depends on what happens this morning.”

The rays of the sun had begun piercing the morning sky. The weather report said it would be a clear day with hardly any clouds. The sky began to take on a golden hue. A little at first and then it began to spread. Lana could feel a tingling sensation on her face as the warmth began to melt away the morning chill. The horizon lit up. “It’s been so long. Will I even recognize him?” Lana focused her vision.

“What is that? What is that flapping in the wind?”


**********

She looked into the mirror and examined herself. The hair was shorter and dyed to a lighter shade. Small crinkly lines were starting to form at the corners of her eyes. The hazel eyes were still bright and clear. Her skin was tan. The hot Australian sun made the use of a skin moisturizer a nightly routine. She looked over at the king size bed, thinking of the night ahead and her heart began to beat just a little bit faster. The same way it did the first time in her apartment above the Talon. “It never gets old.” She rose from the seat at her dresser and looked out the window of their bedroom. The sun had been down for over an hour. The moon was rising in the night sky. “Sunset comes quickly in this part of the world.” She looked at the photographs at the walls in the room. It was the only area of the house where her memories were on display. There was Martha and Jonathan, Lois and Jimmy. She held back a tear as she glanced at the photograph of Chloe. There was a photograph of their dance at the senior prom. She and her future husband had a problem looking at the camera. Their eyes just refused to leave each other. There was the Christmas party at the old farm. “The first of many.” There was the wedding ceremony at the hidden refuge in the Himalayas. The place known as Sanctuary.

She put on her robe to cover the sheer nightgown that enveloped her like a second skin. She thought of herself as just a little fuller but definitely curvier. She was about to walk out the door when she remembered. She went back to the dresser, opened the top drawer and pulled out a box. As she opened it her eyes caught sight of the clear crystal meteor rock necklace that she wore as a teenager. But that was a long time ago and it wasn’t what she was looking for now. Next to the necklace was a plain gold band. She took it and placed it on the ring finger of her left hand.

She left their bedroom and entered one of the rooms across the hallway. A twin bed was near the window. On the walls were posters of baseball players and soccer stars. There were some clothes and shoes thrown haphazardly on the floor. She picked up the clothes, folded them and put them away. Then she placed the sneakers neatly by the bed. A smile came to her face when she saw the Star Wars characters displayed on the bookcase. “I swear. Star Wars has been around forever.” Lana turned down the bed and left the room.

She opened the door and turned on the light in the room next to it. There was another twin bed. The room was brightly colored. There were photographs of kittens and Koala bears on the walls. She noticed that unlike the previous room, all of the clothing had been neatly put away. S On the bed was a half dozen stuffed animals. he turned down this bed in the same way as the previous room, turned off the light and left the room.

She walked down the hall and was about to descend the stairs when she heard voices. She leaned back on the wall. Hidden from view. She closed her eyes and listened. She loved to listen to their voices at this time of night.

“And you came back just like you said you would. Didn’t you, Daddy?”

“Yes, I did.”

“And Mommy waited for you just like she said she would. Didn’t she, Daddy?”

“Yes, she did.”

Then she heard the two younger voices cry out in unison.

“Tell us more!”

That was when Lana knew it was time to step in. She came out from the hallway and walked down the stairs.

“John, Mary, you’ve heard enough stories for tonight. It’s time for bed.”

She heard the disappointing groans as she walked into the family room. There, in his usual chair, sat Clark with the twins on his lap. They leaned into him. Their small bodies almost looked lost in his large frame. She noticed the spark in Clark’s eyes as he saw her in her nightgown and robe.

“You’re father will keep you up all night telling you stories if I let him.”

Clark stood up and carried the twins with him. They hugged him tightly by the neck. Lana came up to them. She looked at Mary and her blue eyes and at John and his hazel eyes. She looked across at the three people she loved most in the world, taking note of the slight gold ring that surrounded the color in each of their eyes. “Remarkable!”

Clark softened his commanding voice as he spoke to the children.

“Before Mommy and I put you to bed and I want to tell you one last thing. One very important thing that I want you to remember.”

The children turned their attention to Clark as did Lana.

“ In all of my travels the greatest lesson I learned is that the most powerful force in the universe is…love.

It can make a man cross millions of miles of space to get back home to a certain woman.

It can make a woman wait year after year without word from a certain man.

It can create happiness that words can’t describe.”

He hugged his children tightly as he said this. Then he looked Lana in the eyes.

“And it can turn a simple farmer into a…Superman.”

Lana kissed John and then she kissed Mary. She looked Clark in the eyes. She stood on her toes as she brought her lips to his. Once again they reaffirmed the love that was theirs and only theirs. They reaffirmed a bond that couldn’t be explained or broken. They reaffirmed a connection that could only be accepted and cherished. The children looked at their parents and then looked at one another. Then they placed their small arms around their mother and their father and joined in the embrace. Lana reluctantly pulled away. It was time to put the children to bed. It was time to be alone with her husband. She spoke as she led them up the stairs.

“I think we’ve heard enough stories for now. It’s time for everyone to say…


Goodnight.”


The End


**********

[Schfifty-five]

Amazing!!!

[Max001]

It took me a while but I finally got around to reading the last few updates.

Bravo! I really enjoyed reading your story. I loved the final battle with Lex and all the details you put into the different locations.

[Hahaveryfunny]

LOVE IT! Great story and even better ending. How old are the twins- 5 years old???

Can't wait to read what you write for a new story. Good luck with that!!!


:D :D :D :D :D :D