soupareman
05-08-2007, 06:20 PM
Hi, thanks for checking out my thread. This fanfic is something I’ve been toying around with in my head for a while. I’m going to throw you a synopsis and a prelude to see if there happens to be anyone interested. For me, readers fuel my motivation to write, so if you want to see more, please post comments or suggestions. Also if you have critiques on my style that is welcome too, I am always on the lookout for ways to improve myself.
Title: After and Before
Author: SoupAreMan
Pairing: Clana
Rating: PG-13
Spoiler Alert: “Promise” Season 6 It is not recommended that you read further unless you have seen this episode, or do not mind fics containing plot spoilers from Smallville episodes. Future installments may contain spoilers from other episodes, but will be clearly noted to keep your Smallville viewing experience safe.
Synopsis: <sales pitch>This is a Semi-FutureFic that takes place in a world where tragedy and treachery have robbed the world of Clana. (Don’t boo me off the forum just yet.) We find our hero tangled in the woes of depression, remembering the events that cost him the people closest to him, and Clark blames….Superman? What becomes of Metropolis when the Man of Steel hangs up his boots? A good question, but the bigger question is what will Clark do when he has a chance to change it all? When Clark decides to break the decree of his father that forbids him from interfering with human history, what consequences will the new future hold? Will Clana survive? Read on to find out! </sales pitch>
After and Before
The morning sunlight peered through a crack in the Fortress of Solitude, creeping slowly up Clark’s leg. How many restless nights had it been? Clark lifted his head wearily, dark circles under his eyes as proof of his insomnia. His eyes focused on the only thing around him not made of ice, something that once made him proud, now it disgusted him to look at it. When he wore it the people called him Superman, now the blue and red suit hung lifelessly from a pillar of ice and snow. He would be Superman no more, Lex Luthor had won.
The longer he stared at the “S” insignia on the suit the more the pain in his heart welled up, threatening to overtake him. When he wore that suit he had saved a dozen hostages from a terrorist group, but he couldn’t save Chloe from being gunned down a block from the Daily Planet. When he had worn that suit he had saved an oil tanker from sinking and contaminating the ocean, but at the same time a plane carrying his mother to an important senate meeting crashed, and he couldn’t be there to save her. When he became Superman it seemed he could save anyone in the world except for those who meant the most to him.
Then there was Lana, of all the people he lost, she was the one he missed the most. Lana had married Lex, even though hours before the wedding she had told Clark that she didn’t plan to go through with it. She had even kissed him, it seemed so genuine. Whatever it was passed as quickly as it came however, Lana betrayed her promise to Clark and married Lex. The marriage lasted a long time, until one day Lana Luthor seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. Clark searched for months, but there was no trace of her, and though he suspected foul play on Lex’s behalf, he was going through a major change himself…Superman.
Being Superman came with a big responsibility, and even though Clark still tried to solve the mystery of Lana’s disappearance he became occupied with the city of Metropolis. A huge crime wave had struck and, every statistic from shoplifting to murder had increased tremendously. Even with all his abilities Clark was being pushed to the limit to keep up with it all.
He had always kept hope alive in his heart that Lana would return, alive and well. He tried to prepare himself for the worst, but every time he rejected the notion that she was gone for good. Then one day as he was returning to his desk at the Daily Planet, to type up a story that was overdue because he had been subduing a fire he noticed an envelope on his desk. Being a reporter, he often received solicitations, or outlandish requests to be printed in the paper. He usually got a kick out of them, especially the ones where people claimed to be Superman. When he opened the envelope however it was a simple note that read:
Clark,
I need your help. Meet me at 3125 tonight.
~LL
It was Lana’s handwriting, Clark recognized the penmanship instantly. 3125 was part of the street address Lana had lived at with her Aunt Nell, she must be hiding out there. Clark could remember the rush of relief he felt to know that she was still alive. After eight long months of fearing the worst, he would be reunited with Lana once more and in Smallville of all places.
Clark shook his head free of the memories, slamming his fist down against the fortress floor causing the very foundation to shake. He stood and brushed the hair back out of his face, he should know better than this, to dwell on the past. It seemed however, that the past was all he had anymore. The Fortress of Solitude had lived up to it’s name, leaving him alone with his failures. He looked over at the Superman suit once more shaking his head, he wished he had never tried to embrace that destiny. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been too busy to save the people he cared about the most. Before he knew what he was doing Clark was airborne, he didn’t know where he was going, he just knew he needed to get away.
Where he landed was a place that was full of memories and nostalgia. The Kent farm had long since passed it’s glory days. When Clark moved to Metropolis and with Martha Kent tied up with her duties as Senator, the Kent farm had ceased to be a farm and took on more of a safe haven from the madness of the world. Clark scanned the fields of overgrown grass with a pang of sadness tugging at his heart. Everything about this place brought back memories of his childhood, his parents, and his friends. Clark reluctantly walked up the stairs leading to the loft of the old barn, finding it much the same way as he had left it the last time he was here. His footsteps fell heavy on the wooden floor, glancing around the room as if seeing it for the first time. The life he had here on this farm seemed like an eternity ago, though it had been less than three years since he had traded this loft for an apartment in Metropolis.
He cast his eyes downward as his foot came in contact with something on the floor. He bent over to retrieve the offending object, picking it up blowing the dust that gathered on it. It was a framed picture of Lana and him, taken by his mother during a picnic. The glass covering the photo was cracked in several places, but the happiness on their faces still glowed through. It was always supposed to be like that, Clark thought to himself sighing inwardly. Things had changed though, changed for the worse.
He moved over to the outlook, now his eyes could see at magnification far beyond the telescope he used to peer through when he was younger. There it was, the house that Lana used to live in, the house Clark went to after receiving that note, the night of his reunion with the love of his life. A night he remembered vividly.
It was the night of a terrible thunderstorm in Smallville, and Clark had a hard time telling the difference between the claps of thunder and the sound of his heart threatening to beat right of his chest. He touched down a ways off from the house, not wanting to risk Lana seeing him use Superman’s abilities. He walked up the drive and could see her slender figure sitting on the porch swing. A flash of lightning revealed her face for an instant, but in that instant he fell in love all over again.
“Lana.” he called out, barely able to choke the words out. She had seen him as well and she seemed to be going through a similar moment. She jumped from the swing and raced down the porch steps toward him. Clark had to be careful not to break into super speed as he ran to her, not wanting to spend another moment without holding her. When at last they finally came within arms reach they embraced, rain drenching the both of them, droplets beading up on their faces, disguising their tears.
“Lana. Where have you….” Clark started, finally breaking the moment, only to be cut off as Lana placed a finger on his lips, hushing him. She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest to which Clark replied by letting his arms fall back around her. Neither moved for a long while, but Lana finally pulled back just far enough to look into his eyes.
“Clark.” She smiled up at him. “I knew you would come. I always could count on you.” Her smile slowly faded as she recalled her dire situation. “I think you should come inside, I have a lot to tell you.”
Title: After and Before
Author: SoupAreMan
Pairing: Clana
Rating: PG-13
Spoiler Alert: “Promise” Season 6 It is not recommended that you read further unless you have seen this episode, or do not mind fics containing plot spoilers from Smallville episodes. Future installments may contain spoilers from other episodes, but will be clearly noted to keep your Smallville viewing experience safe.
Synopsis: <sales pitch>This is a Semi-FutureFic that takes place in a world where tragedy and treachery have robbed the world of Clana. (Don’t boo me off the forum just yet.) We find our hero tangled in the woes of depression, remembering the events that cost him the people closest to him, and Clark blames….Superman? What becomes of Metropolis when the Man of Steel hangs up his boots? A good question, but the bigger question is what will Clark do when he has a chance to change it all? When Clark decides to break the decree of his father that forbids him from interfering with human history, what consequences will the new future hold? Will Clana survive? Read on to find out! </sales pitch>
After and Before
The morning sunlight peered through a crack in the Fortress of Solitude, creeping slowly up Clark’s leg. How many restless nights had it been? Clark lifted his head wearily, dark circles under his eyes as proof of his insomnia. His eyes focused on the only thing around him not made of ice, something that once made him proud, now it disgusted him to look at it. When he wore it the people called him Superman, now the blue and red suit hung lifelessly from a pillar of ice and snow. He would be Superman no more, Lex Luthor had won.
The longer he stared at the “S” insignia on the suit the more the pain in his heart welled up, threatening to overtake him. When he wore that suit he had saved a dozen hostages from a terrorist group, but he couldn’t save Chloe from being gunned down a block from the Daily Planet. When he had worn that suit he had saved an oil tanker from sinking and contaminating the ocean, but at the same time a plane carrying his mother to an important senate meeting crashed, and he couldn’t be there to save her. When he became Superman it seemed he could save anyone in the world except for those who meant the most to him.
Then there was Lana, of all the people he lost, she was the one he missed the most. Lana had married Lex, even though hours before the wedding she had told Clark that she didn’t plan to go through with it. She had even kissed him, it seemed so genuine. Whatever it was passed as quickly as it came however, Lana betrayed her promise to Clark and married Lex. The marriage lasted a long time, until one day Lana Luthor seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. Clark searched for months, but there was no trace of her, and though he suspected foul play on Lex’s behalf, he was going through a major change himself…Superman.
Being Superman came with a big responsibility, and even though Clark still tried to solve the mystery of Lana’s disappearance he became occupied with the city of Metropolis. A huge crime wave had struck and, every statistic from shoplifting to murder had increased tremendously. Even with all his abilities Clark was being pushed to the limit to keep up with it all.
He had always kept hope alive in his heart that Lana would return, alive and well. He tried to prepare himself for the worst, but every time he rejected the notion that she was gone for good. Then one day as he was returning to his desk at the Daily Planet, to type up a story that was overdue because he had been subduing a fire he noticed an envelope on his desk. Being a reporter, he often received solicitations, or outlandish requests to be printed in the paper. He usually got a kick out of them, especially the ones where people claimed to be Superman. When he opened the envelope however it was a simple note that read:
Clark,
I need your help. Meet me at 3125 tonight.
~LL
It was Lana’s handwriting, Clark recognized the penmanship instantly. 3125 was part of the street address Lana had lived at with her Aunt Nell, she must be hiding out there. Clark could remember the rush of relief he felt to know that she was still alive. After eight long months of fearing the worst, he would be reunited with Lana once more and in Smallville of all places.
Clark shook his head free of the memories, slamming his fist down against the fortress floor causing the very foundation to shake. He stood and brushed the hair back out of his face, he should know better than this, to dwell on the past. It seemed however, that the past was all he had anymore. The Fortress of Solitude had lived up to it’s name, leaving him alone with his failures. He looked over at the Superman suit once more shaking his head, he wished he had never tried to embrace that destiny. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been too busy to save the people he cared about the most. Before he knew what he was doing Clark was airborne, he didn’t know where he was going, he just knew he needed to get away.
Where he landed was a place that was full of memories and nostalgia. The Kent farm had long since passed it’s glory days. When Clark moved to Metropolis and with Martha Kent tied up with her duties as Senator, the Kent farm had ceased to be a farm and took on more of a safe haven from the madness of the world. Clark scanned the fields of overgrown grass with a pang of sadness tugging at his heart. Everything about this place brought back memories of his childhood, his parents, and his friends. Clark reluctantly walked up the stairs leading to the loft of the old barn, finding it much the same way as he had left it the last time he was here. His footsteps fell heavy on the wooden floor, glancing around the room as if seeing it for the first time. The life he had here on this farm seemed like an eternity ago, though it had been less than three years since he had traded this loft for an apartment in Metropolis.
He cast his eyes downward as his foot came in contact with something on the floor. He bent over to retrieve the offending object, picking it up blowing the dust that gathered on it. It was a framed picture of Lana and him, taken by his mother during a picnic. The glass covering the photo was cracked in several places, but the happiness on their faces still glowed through. It was always supposed to be like that, Clark thought to himself sighing inwardly. Things had changed though, changed for the worse.
He moved over to the outlook, now his eyes could see at magnification far beyond the telescope he used to peer through when he was younger. There it was, the house that Lana used to live in, the house Clark went to after receiving that note, the night of his reunion with the love of his life. A night he remembered vividly.
It was the night of a terrible thunderstorm in Smallville, and Clark had a hard time telling the difference between the claps of thunder and the sound of his heart threatening to beat right of his chest. He touched down a ways off from the house, not wanting to risk Lana seeing him use Superman’s abilities. He walked up the drive and could see her slender figure sitting on the porch swing. A flash of lightning revealed her face for an instant, but in that instant he fell in love all over again.
“Lana.” he called out, barely able to choke the words out. She had seen him as well and she seemed to be going through a similar moment. She jumped from the swing and raced down the porch steps toward him. Clark had to be careful not to break into super speed as he ran to her, not wanting to spend another moment without holding her. When at last they finally came within arms reach they embraced, rain drenching the both of them, droplets beading up on their faces, disguising their tears.
“Lana. Where have you….” Clark started, finally breaking the moment, only to be cut off as Lana placed a finger on his lips, hushing him. She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest to which Clark replied by letting his arms fall back around her. Neither moved for a long while, but Lana finally pulled back just far enough to look into his eyes.
“Clark.” She smiled up at him. “I knew you would come. I always could count on you.” Her smile slowly faded as she recalled her dire situation. “I think you should come inside, I have a lot to tell you.”