Teaser: Time Shards continues with my first big story of 2009. Time Shards 3
Some Clana, some Clois, and guest starring Shayera Hol - Hawkgirl
Orange Shard - UltraVIlle
Scene: The Kent Farm
The Eye of Rao directed Clark’s next choice for a time shard. He spilled out onto the gravel access road leading to the North Pasture. He felt something! Clark’s elbow was skinned and bleeding, which was never a good sign. Had this shard robbed him of his powers?
Clark quickly glanced around, and there was no visible kryptonite in the area. He didn’t feel the nausea and dizziness usually associated with a drop in his effective abilities. As a test, he tried to focus his x-ray vision…nothing! Superman was indeed powerless.
“Now what?” he grumbled, unsure as to whether the Eye of Rao would work without his supernatural powers. “This is the last time I use this damn thing!” Clark muttered. If that was true, he’d failed again. This time the failure would be spectacular. What if he couldn’t find his way back to the true reality? Earth would be devastated, possibly sooner than later.
Clark got up, dusted himself off, rubbed his sore elbow, and began walking towards the farmhouse. The trail seemed exceptionally long, but he realized that he was walking at the common speed of a human. It would take some getting used to, not zipping about.
This can’t be how it ends, he considered in silence. No saving the world, no Lois, no Lana, no Chloe, no nothing. He would be an ordinary farmer. Maybe this was his true fate? He analyzed. After all, Earth had been here long before he came, and despite Darkseid, would be here long after…he died.
Death had been Superman’s constant companion over his last one hundred years of real life. Kara, his Kryptonian cousin, and Laura Lake, the highly genetically modified metahuman, had been the last important people in his lengthy life to die. Clark’s thoughts clouded as he increased his pace.
Superman pulled out the Eye of Rao again. The first five facets, containing blue, green, amber, amethyst, and violet shards were dimly lit. The orange one, which he was in, gleamed brightly, an indicator of where he was. The last three facets, scarlet, golden yellow, and white remained dark.
Clark shook his head, hoping that the gem’s darkness didn’t mean that his failing journey was over. Did it simply indicate that those shards hadn’t come into existence yet? He wondered as he approached the yellow and white ranch house where the Kents had raised him.
Before he reached the porch, a red convertible sports car roared up the unpaved driveway, skidding to a stop a mere few feet from where Clark was standing. He hadn’t flinched, though if the car had hit him, it likely could have killed him. He wasn’t used to being powerless at all.
Lois Lane stepped out carefully, staggering slightly as she spied him. Clark was glad to see a familiar face, though he had no idea how this shard’s Lois would react. As she drew closer, Superman noted that Lois looked tired, haggard, and worn out. Her usually cute face was thin and her eyes were dark.
Lois’s hair was long, straggly and reddish blonde! Clark didn’t care for that look at all. She stood face to face with him, and he observed that she was far too skinny, and her cheekbones were gaunt. Clearly, his most famous love hadn’t been taking care of herself. “Hi Lois.” He forced a smile.
“Clark, it’s good to see you.” Lois’s voice seemed weak and harsh. She hugged him, and Clark felt how slight her frame had become. She couldn’t have weighed all that much, he thought.
“So, how are you?” Clark asked warily, afraid of what she might say. “Much better, now that I’ve found you.” Lois’s voice was a hair above a whisper. Without his super hearing, Clark could barely make out what she said. “Oh? Was I lost?” He quipped lamely. Lois backed away, and grinned thinly.
“No, but I was.” Lois said tearfully. “I’m leaving him for good this time.” Clark was puzzled, though the hairs stood up on the back of his neck, a decidedly human reaction. “Who?” He asked. Lois frowned. “Who? Lex, that’s who!” She snapped. Clark felt nauseous, and this time it had nothing to do with kryptonite. He recoiled slightly, and gathered his thoughts.
“Good for you, I guess.” Clark spat out. Lois cocked her head. “You’ve been after me for years to dump him, and now I finally had the guts to do it.” Superman winced. He recalled Lana saying something similar in one of the past shards, possibly the original reality that he’d come from.
“Will you be staying in Smallville?” Clark asked, politely making conversation. “Smallville? Where’s that?” Lois folded her thin arms across her chest. “You mean, am I leaving Reeves Grove, don’t you?” Clark nodded, thoroughly puzzled. “Of course, I’m just tired.” He replied lamely. Which was in fact, the truth.
“There was a town here called something else, I can’t remember what. Too many cocktail parties over the years, I wonder about my mental faculties sometimes.” Lois added. “It was literally wiped off the map by a massive meteor shower, and twin tornadoes that obliterated the place.”
Clark’s hearing finally picked up the trotting hooves of a horse nearby. A black and white mare with a slim female rider approached. He turned his attention from Lois to the area immediately beyond the farmhouse. Two pick up trucks sat in the back driveway between the barn and the corral.
The rider put the horse into a stop, and agilely hopped off, landing softly in the dusty gravel. The woman was around twenty, with long black hair pulled tightly into a lengthy ponytail. She wore tight blue jeans, a red flannel shirt, and brownish gold cowboy boots.
“You! What the hell are you doing here?” The young woman shouted angrily. Clark was at a loss for a guess as to whom she was referring to. The rider slipped off her black leather gloves, and headed towards them aggressively. Clark gulped when the woman got close enough for him to identify.
“Lana Lang!” Lois spat and grimaced, like she’d swallowed something spoiled. “That’s right, Lane, and what the hell are you doing on my farm?” Clark’s eyes widened. Her farm? “Actually, Lang, the farm still belongs to the Kents.” Lois corrected the annoyed girl.
“Yeah, well in a few months when I become Lana Lang-Kent, it will be our family’s farm.” Lana hissed and immediately came up to Clark, and kissed him passionately, like a lioness marking her turf. Clark didn’t resist. It had been so long since he’d kissed Lana, or any woman for that matter.
Lois glanced at her feet, clearly upset at seeing Lana and her possessive display. Lana unclenched from Clark, and stalked into the house without another word. Clark was mad at how Lana had treated Lois, especially given the fact that Lois was obviously in need of some kind of help.
“I guess I’d better go, Clark.” Lois began to tearfully back away. “Good luck at the wedding.” Clark’s stomach hurt, in yet another common human reaction. “Lois, wait. Would you care to come in for lunch?” He needed to get to the bottom of this shard, and see if it had any relevancy at all.
“I don’t think so. Thanks.” Lois turned on her heel, wiping the tears from her cheek.
“Now listen Lois, it’s still my house, and I say that you could stay for lunch. If Lana doesn’t like it, that’s too bad.” Clark offered gallantly. “Honestly, you look like you could use a good home cooked meal. Not that I’m an expert chef or anything.”
“I’d appreciate that, but I don’t want to cause any trouble between you and your fiancé.” Lois forced a thin grin. “She’ll just have to deal!” Clark smirked. “We all need friends.” Lois wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and followed Clark up the front stairs. He held the door open for her.
Lois entered the kitchen, and Lana dropped her coffee mug. It shattered on the floor. “How dare you?” Lana snapped. Clark was about to respond, when he noticed that his Earth mother, Martha Kent, had turned from washing the morning dishes to face them.
Martha looked to be about the same age as she’d been in the original time line. She wore a nice flowered blue blouse, and well-worn comfortable looking blue jeans. “I assume you’re going to clean that up, young lady!” She gently chastised Lana.
“Mom, you remember Lois Lane?” Clark purposely ignored Lana’s evil stares. “Oh yes, Lex Luthor’s girlfriend, how are you? What brings you out here to the sticks?” Martha made pleasant conversation. “It’s obvious, Mother Kent!” Lana shouted. “She’s here to try and steal my boyfriend!” Clark rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Lana. No one steals anyone’s boyfriend.”
“Listen, you worthless skank!” Lana challenged Lois, who looked hurt by the aggressive girl’s tone. “Just because Lex, your sugar daddy dumped you, doesn’t mean that you can come back here, you strumpet!” Lois was about to cry again. Martha threw the dishcloth at the sink angrily.
“Lana Louise Lang! You apologize right now!” Martha put her hands on her hips. “That’s no way for a young lady to act! Miss Lane is a guest in my house!” Lana silenced and glanced away from them. She wouldn’t apologize. “Mom, I’ve asked Lois to stay for lunch, is that okay?” Clark asked calmly.
“Of course, dear.” Martha began digging out another set of plates. “I will not eat at the same table as that…” Lana began, but she was cutoff by a deep male voice behind her. “Fine, then you’ll eat outside, young lady!” Jonathan Kent said sternly. “I’ll do just that!” Lana hissed, grabbing a plate.
“Dad!” Clark was so happy to see his long dead father, that he forgot momentarily that this was a different reality. “Maybe I should just go, thank you for the invite, Mrs. Kent, Mr. Kent. See you Clark. Good luck.” You’ll need it, she thought. “Lana, congratulations on your engagement. You’ve landed a fine man.” and you don’t deserve him, she added sourly, but silently.
Lois turned around, gently pressing Clark’s arm, and left quickly. “I hope you’re proud of yourself, Lana!” Clark admonished her. “That was very mature! I suppose you didn’t notice that Lois was in bad shape and could’ve used our help.” Jonathan flashed a grin at his son’s level of maturity.
“Clark, she’s bad news!” Lana said in a more conciliatory tone. “She and Lex have tormented all of Reeves Grove over the years. Have you forgotten that he foreclosed on my Aunt Nell’s flower shop? Foreclosed on our favorite coffee shop, The Talon? Foreclosed on dozens of our neighbors’ farms?”
“I’m sure Lex and Lois aren’t perfect, Lana, but there’s two sides to every story.” Clark added. “Did you stop and think that Lois may be trying to turn her life around?” Jonathan proudly patted Clark on the back as Martha smiled. The kids are finally growing up, she thought wistfully.
“That’s fine, Clark.” Lana said sheepishly, “But she can turn her life around without your help.”
“Honey, could you call Kara downstairs for lunch?” Martha asked Clark. Lana resumed her duties setting the table, listening as Lois’s sports car roared off into the distance. “Sure, mom!” Clark was curious to see what his younger cousin was up to in this time line. He slowly went upstairs.
He spotted four closed doors on the second level. The ranch house was now a four bedroom split- level. The first room he entered was fairly clean, with pink curtains on the windows, trimmed with white lace. He saw a small pile of common girl’s clothes in a corner. Lana’s room? He guessed.
When had Lana moved in? Clark wondered silently, before going on to the next room. The windows had blue curtains with red sashes, and a pile of men’s clothes in another corner. My room, he assumed, and moved on to the last room in the upstairs. He knocked on the door politely.
“Kara? It’s time for lunch!” He called into the room. Silence. A moment later Kara answered. Clark was shocked to see her and the disarray her room was in. “Whatever, Clark. What was all the commotion?” His younger cousin asked. Kara wore dark eye shadow, bright ruby red lipstick, and had her long blonde hair wrapped tightly in dreadlocks. He didn’t care for her look at all.
Kara’s room was decorated from ceiling to floor with obscure rock band posters, black curtains, and a matching black bedspread. Her clothes, mostly black and blue colored, were strewn about the room haphazardly.
“What’re you staring at?” Kara asked smartly. “I’ll clean my room when I feel like it. We can’t all be perfect like you.” She pushed passed him, bad attitude and all. Clark shook his head. Kara was acting like a typical teenager, which worried him to no end.
The strange lunch was atypically silent, with Clark trying to get a handle on what this time shard was all about. The Eye of Rao had directed him specifically to this time line. As of yet, it seemed irrelevant, though he enjoyed the company of his ‘family that could’ve been’.
Jonathan, Martha, Kara, and Lana all surrounded him, though he couldn’t help feeling bad for this time line’s Lois. Was his alternate family dysfunctional, or unusually normal? Clark still hadn’t sorted it all out yet. The girls were the first to finish eating and clean up.
Clark sat back with Jonathan and Martha, waiting for one of them to give some clue as to what was going on in the world. “I’m heading over to Lucy’s.” Kara announced without any further explanation. “Just a minute, young lady.” Jonathan stopped Kara in her tracks.
“Are your chores done?” Jonathan asked. “Yes, Uncle John.” Kara replied automatically. “And how about your homework?” Martha put in. “All set and ready for you to check, Aunt Martha.” Mrs. Kent nodded. “Fine. You can go.” Mr. Kent decided, and Kara was gone. Clark wondered if she still had her powers. It didn’t appear that she had, but Kara wasn’t interested in sharing any family time.
“I worry about that girl.” Martha commented. Lana was reclining in the living room chair, and hadn’t said a word to Clark since Lois left. Since when is Lana a drama queen? Clark mused silently. “She’s a good girl, Martha. “ Jonathan reassured her. “Kara just needs to find her own way.”
“Mom, how long has Kara been living here?” Clark asked suspiciously. Jonathan stared at him blankly. “Since we adopted her from the Kansas Orphanage, thirteen years ago, why, son?” Jonathan answered. “I guess I sort of lost track of time.” Clark said truthfully. Literally, he thought.
Just outside, a slim shadow crossed the grassy lawn between the barn and the ranch house. A distinct thump was heard, as a young woman landed, perched atop the barn roof. The flyer had long red hair, and carried a dangerous looking mace.
She glanced around in dismay...
more coming soon.
Some Clana, some Clois, and guest starring Shayera Hol - Hawkgirl
Orange Shard - UltraVIlle
Scene: The Kent Farm
The Eye of Rao directed Clark’s next choice for a time shard. He spilled out onto the gravel access road leading to the North Pasture. He felt something! Clark’s elbow was skinned and bleeding, which was never a good sign. Had this shard robbed him of his powers?
Clark quickly glanced around, and there was no visible kryptonite in the area. He didn’t feel the nausea and dizziness usually associated with a drop in his effective abilities. As a test, he tried to focus his x-ray vision…nothing! Superman was indeed powerless.
“Now what?” he grumbled, unsure as to whether the Eye of Rao would work without his supernatural powers. “This is the last time I use this damn thing!” Clark muttered. If that was true, he’d failed again. This time the failure would be spectacular. What if he couldn’t find his way back to the true reality? Earth would be devastated, possibly sooner than later.
Clark got up, dusted himself off, rubbed his sore elbow, and began walking towards the farmhouse. The trail seemed exceptionally long, but he realized that he was walking at the common speed of a human. It would take some getting used to, not zipping about.
This can’t be how it ends, he considered in silence. No saving the world, no Lois, no Lana, no Chloe, no nothing. He would be an ordinary farmer. Maybe this was his true fate? He analyzed. After all, Earth had been here long before he came, and despite Darkseid, would be here long after…he died.
Death had been Superman’s constant companion over his last one hundred years of real life. Kara, his Kryptonian cousin, and Laura Lake, the highly genetically modified metahuman, had been the last important people in his lengthy life to die. Clark’s thoughts clouded as he increased his pace.
Superman pulled out the Eye of Rao again. The first five facets, containing blue, green, amber, amethyst, and violet shards were dimly lit. The orange one, which he was in, gleamed brightly, an indicator of where he was. The last three facets, scarlet, golden yellow, and white remained dark.
Clark shook his head, hoping that the gem’s darkness didn’t mean that his failing journey was over. Did it simply indicate that those shards hadn’t come into existence yet? He wondered as he approached the yellow and white ranch house where the Kents had raised him.
Before he reached the porch, a red convertible sports car roared up the unpaved driveway, skidding to a stop a mere few feet from where Clark was standing. He hadn’t flinched, though if the car had hit him, it likely could have killed him. He wasn’t used to being powerless at all.
Lois Lane stepped out carefully, staggering slightly as she spied him. Clark was glad to see a familiar face, though he had no idea how this shard’s Lois would react. As she drew closer, Superman noted that Lois looked tired, haggard, and worn out. Her usually cute face was thin and her eyes were dark.
Lois’s hair was long, straggly and reddish blonde! Clark didn’t care for that look at all. She stood face to face with him, and he observed that she was far too skinny, and her cheekbones were gaunt. Clearly, his most famous love hadn’t been taking care of herself. “Hi Lois.” He forced a smile.
“Clark, it’s good to see you.” Lois’s voice seemed weak and harsh. She hugged him, and Clark felt how slight her frame had become. She couldn’t have weighed all that much, he thought.
“So, how are you?” Clark asked warily, afraid of what she might say. “Much better, now that I’ve found you.” Lois’s voice was a hair above a whisper. Without his super hearing, Clark could barely make out what she said. “Oh? Was I lost?” He quipped lamely. Lois backed away, and grinned thinly.
“No, but I was.” Lois said tearfully. “I’m leaving him for good this time.” Clark was puzzled, though the hairs stood up on the back of his neck, a decidedly human reaction. “Who?” He asked. Lois frowned. “Who? Lex, that’s who!” She snapped. Clark felt nauseous, and this time it had nothing to do with kryptonite. He recoiled slightly, and gathered his thoughts.
“Good for you, I guess.” Clark spat out. Lois cocked her head. “You’ve been after me for years to dump him, and now I finally had the guts to do it.” Superman winced. He recalled Lana saying something similar in one of the past shards, possibly the original reality that he’d come from.
“Will you be staying in Smallville?” Clark asked, politely making conversation. “Smallville? Where’s that?” Lois folded her thin arms across her chest. “You mean, am I leaving Reeves Grove, don’t you?” Clark nodded, thoroughly puzzled. “Of course, I’m just tired.” He replied lamely. Which was in fact, the truth.
“There was a town here called something else, I can’t remember what. Too many cocktail parties over the years, I wonder about my mental faculties sometimes.” Lois added. “It was literally wiped off the map by a massive meteor shower, and twin tornadoes that obliterated the place.”
Clark’s hearing finally picked up the trotting hooves of a horse nearby. A black and white mare with a slim female rider approached. He turned his attention from Lois to the area immediately beyond the farmhouse. Two pick up trucks sat in the back driveway between the barn and the corral.
The rider put the horse into a stop, and agilely hopped off, landing softly in the dusty gravel. The woman was around twenty, with long black hair pulled tightly into a lengthy ponytail. She wore tight blue jeans, a red flannel shirt, and brownish gold cowboy boots.
“You! What the hell are you doing here?” The young woman shouted angrily. Clark was at a loss for a guess as to whom she was referring to. The rider slipped off her black leather gloves, and headed towards them aggressively. Clark gulped when the woman got close enough for him to identify.
“Lana Lang!” Lois spat and grimaced, like she’d swallowed something spoiled. “That’s right, Lane, and what the hell are you doing on my farm?” Clark’s eyes widened. Her farm? “Actually, Lang, the farm still belongs to the Kents.” Lois corrected the annoyed girl.
“Yeah, well in a few months when I become Lana Lang-Kent, it will be our family’s farm.” Lana hissed and immediately came up to Clark, and kissed him passionately, like a lioness marking her turf. Clark didn’t resist. It had been so long since he’d kissed Lana, or any woman for that matter.
Lois glanced at her feet, clearly upset at seeing Lana and her possessive display. Lana unclenched from Clark, and stalked into the house without another word. Clark was mad at how Lana had treated Lois, especially given the fact that Lois was obviously in need of some kind of help.
“I guess I’d better go, Clark.” Lois began to tearfully back away. “Good luck at the wedding.” Clark’s stomach hurt, in yet another common human reaction. “Lois, wait. Would you care to come in for lunch?” He needed to get to the bottom of this shard, and see if it had any relevancy at all.
“I don’t think so. Thanks.” Lois turned on her heel, wiping the tears from her cheek.
“Now listen Lois, it’s still my house, and I say that you could stay for lunch. If Lana doesn’t like it, that’s too bad.” Clark offered gallantly. “Honestly, you look like you could use a good home cooked meal. Not that I’m an expert chef or anything.”
“I’d appreciate that, but I don’t want to cause any trouble between you and your fiancé.” Lois forced a thin grin. “She’ll just have to deal!” Clark smirked. “We all need friends.” Lois wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and followed Clark up the front stairs. He held the door open for her.
Lois entered the kitchen, and Lana dropped her coffee mug. It shattered on the floor. “How dare you?” Lana snapped. Clark was about to respond, when he noticed that his Earth mother, Martha Kent, had turned from washing the morning dishes to face them.
Martha looked to be about the same age as she’d been in the original time line. She wore a nice flowered blue blouse, and well-worn comfortable looking blue jeans. “I assume you’re going to clean that up, young lady!” She gently chastised Lana.
“Mom, you remember Lois Lane?” Clark purposely ignored Lana’s evil stares. “Oh yes, Lex Luthor’s girlfriend, how are you? What brings you out here to the sticks?” Martha made pleasant conversation. “It’s obvious, Mother Kent!” Lana shouted. “She’s here to try and steal my boyfriend!” Clark rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Lana. No one steals anyone’s boyfriend.”
“Listen, you worthless skank!” Lana challenged Lois, who looked hurt by the aggressive girl’s tone. “Just because Lex, your sugar daddy dumped you, doesn’t mean that you can come back here, you strumpet!” Lois was about to cry again. Martha threw the dishcloth at the sink angrily.
“Lana Louise Lang! You apologize right now!” Martha put her hands on her hips. “That’s no way for a young lady to act! Miss Lane is a guest in my house!” Lana silenced and glanced away from them. She wouldn’t apologize. “Mom, I’ve asked Lois to stay for lunch, is that okay?” Clark asked calmly.
“Of course, dear.” Martha began digging out another set of plates. “I will not eat at the same table as that…” Lana began, but she was cutoff by a deep male voice behind her. “Fine, then you’ll eat outside, young lady!” Jonathan Kent said sternly. “I’ll do just that!” Lana hissed, grabbing a plate.
“Dad!” Clark was so happy to see his long dead father, that he forgot momentarily that this was a different reality. “Maybe I should just go, thank you for the invite, Mrs. Kent, Mr. Kent. See you Clark. Good luck.” You’ll need it, she thought. “Lana, congratulations on your engagement. You’ve landed a fine man.” and you don’t deserve him, she added sourly, but silently.
Lois turned around, gently pressing Clark’s arm, and left quickly. “I hope you’re proud of yourself, Lana!” Clark admonished her. “That was very mature! I suppose you didn’t notice that Lois was in bad shape and could’ve used our help.” Jonathan flashed a grin at his son’s level of maturity.
“Clark, she’s bad news!” Lana said in a more conciliatory tone. “She and Lex have tormented all of Reeves Grove over the years. Have you forgotten that he foreclosed on my Aunt Nell’s flower shop? Foreclosed on our favorite coffee shop, The Talon? Foreclosed on dozens of our neighbors’ farms?”
“I’m sure Lex and Lois aren’t perfect, Lana, but there’s two sides to every story.” Clark added. “Did you stop and think that Lois may be trying to turn her life around?” Jonathan proudly patted Clark on the back as Martha smiled. The kids are finally growing up, she thought wistfully.
“That’s fine, Clark.” Lana said sheepishly, “But she can turn her life around without your help.”
“Honey, could you call Kara downstairs for lunch?” Martha asked Clark. Lana resumed her duties setting the table, listening as Lois’s sports car roared off into the distance. “Sure, mom!” Clark was curious to see what his younger cousin was up to in this time line. He slowly went upstairs.
He spotted four closed doors on the second level. The ranch house was now a four bedroom split- level. The first room he entered was fairly clean, with pink curtains on the windows, trimmed with white lace. He saw a small pile of common girl’s clothes in a corner. Lana’s room? He guessed.
When had Lana moved in? Clark wondered silently, before going on to the next room. The windows had blue curtains with red sashes, and a pile of men’s clothes in another corner. My room, he assumed, and moved on to the last room in the upstairs. He knocked on the door politely.
“Kara? It’s time for lunch!” He called into the room. Silence. A moment later Kara answered. Clark was shocked to see her and the disarray her room was in. “Whatever, Clark. What was all the commotion?” His younger cousin asked. Kara wore dark eye shadow, bright ruby red lipstick, and had her long blonde hair wrapped tightly in dreadlocks. He didn’t care for her look at all.
Kara’s room was decorated from ceiling to floor with obscure rock band posters, black curtains, and a matching black bedspread. Her clothes, mostly black and blue colored, were strewn about the room haphazardly.
“What’re you staring at?” Kara asked smartly. “I’ll clean my room when I feel like it. We can’t all be perfect like you.” She pushed passed him, bad attitude and all. Clark shook his head. Kara was acting like a typical teenager, which worried him to no end.
The strange lunch was atypically silent, with Clark trying to get a handle on what this time shard was all about. The Eye of Rao had directed him specifically to this time line. As of yet, it seemed irrelevant, though he enjoyed the company of his ‘family that could’ve been’.
Jonathan, Martha, Kara, and Lana all surrounded him, though he couldn’t help feeling bad for this time line’s Lois. Was his alternate family dysfunctional, or unusually normal? Clark still hadn’t sorted it all out yet. The girls were the first to finish eating and clean up.
Clark sat back with Jonathan and Martha, waiting for one of them to give some clue as to what was going on in the world. “I’m heading over to Lucy’s.” Kara announced without any further explanation. “Just a minute, young lady.” Jonathan stopped Kara in her tracks.
“Are your chores done?” Jonathan asked. “Yes, Uncle John.” Kara replied automatically. “And how about your homework?” Martha put in. “All set and ready for you to check, Aunt Martha.” Mrs. Kent nodded. “Fine. You can go.” Mr. Kent decided, and Kara was gone. Clark wondered if she still had her powers. It didn’t appear that she had, but Kara wasn’t interested in sharing any family time.
“I worry about that girl.” Martha commented. Lana was reclining in the living room chair, and hadn’t said a word to Clark since Lois left. Since when is Lana a drama queen? Clark mused silently. “She’s a good girl, Martha. “ Jonathan reassured her. “Kara just needs to find her own way.”
“Mom, how long has Kara been living here?” Clark asked suspiciously. Jonathan stared at him blankly. “Since we adopted her from the Kansas Orphanage, thirteen years ago, why, son?” Jonathan answered. “I guess I sort of lost track of time.” Clark said truthfully. Literally, he thought.
Just outside, a slim shadow crossed the grassy lawn between the barn and the ranch house. A distinct thump was heard, as a young woman landed, perched atop the barn roof. The flyer had long red hair, and carried a dangerous looking mace.
She glanced around in dismay...
more coming soon.
Comment