Title: Unraveling
Author: Scarypuffringo (e-mail: PG – 13 (for now)
Disclaimer: Most of the characters you'll find here do not belong to me, I'm only borrowing them and the whole Smallville and Superman background.
Author's note: Hello everyone!!! This is my first Smallville fic. I used to write Once and Again and Mutant X fics; of course my fics were always based on impossible couples – Eli and Grace (O&A), Jesse and Emma (MX) – and this is no different. The first idea I had was to try to write an alternative season 7 and I even asked for help to do that but my spare time is reduced to almost nothing and it would probably frustrate the other writers (I apologize for not telling you sooner and I thank you for replying my request); so I decided to take a chance and try to write this story on my own. I have to warn you that I am not an action writer, I'll try and do my best to write some action scenes but I can't guarantee they'll be any good.
This fic is focused on Clark and Chloe and how I think they should be. You'll also find here Clark and Lois (friendship/flirting), Chloe and Jimmy (angst/friendship/flirting), Kara and Jimmy (flirting/romance), Lana and Clark (romance/angst/friendship), Lana and Lex, and more.
You can find it on Kryptonsite Forums, it was originally posted there.
I want to apologize if you find any mistake here regarding Superman's mythology; I confess I'm not really good at that.
REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! No matter what you have to say about my writing, please, do not keep it to yourself. If you have any critics, don't be afraid to voice them.
I hope you'll enjoy the story!!! Thanks for reading!!
Oh, another thing. You'll find here some transcripts from season six last episode; these transcripts can be found at One
Chapter One
"No bullets! It's inside of him." Lex firmly ordered after invading the room. "Wee need the man alive."
A wraith from the Phantom Zone burst from inside of the priest, killing him instantly, then flew through the roof and into the night.
"The entity can't survive out of the human body..."
[Cut to the Luthor's mansion...
Lionel sudden entrance caused Lex to act uneasily around him.
"Oh, dear. I'd hoped married life had lessened some of your paranoia."
"As hard as it is for you to believe, Lana actually loves me."
"Oh, you know so little about women, Lex". Lionel sneered gaining another glare from his son...
[Cut to Clark's barn...
Clark spotted Lana standing in his loft; she had been waiting for him to return.
"Lana?"
"I'm leaving Lex... Clark, I already know about your powers... Just know that I will always love you."
Lana smiled and pulled Clark into a passionate kiss...
[Cut to a street outside LuthorCorp...
"I'm through with you Luthors. I'm leaving Smallville." Lana spat over the phone while treading to her car.
"All right, I'm here. I'm pulling up right now." Lionel arrived and got out of his car.
"I'm getting out of here and I'm never coming back."
Lana deactivated her car's alarm, which caught Lionel's attention. He watched Lana getting into the car and as he ran towards her, the car erupted in a huge explosion, throwing him back and completely engulfing the car in flames...
[Cut to the second floor apartment at the Talon...
"Is that the look of a reporter on the trail of a hot story or is someone trying to pick good lottery numbers?"
Lois heard Chloe joking as she walked in; she turned and showed Chloe a sequence of numbers.
"Lois, take it from someone who's gone up against the Lex Luthor army... Not only will victory remain elusive, but you're almost certain to step on a land mine in the process... Now, please, back off."
Lois flashed her cousin a fake smile, tearing the paper with the numbers in half then she watched Chloe leaving in relief. When the door slammed shut Lois put the two halves of paper together again.
"Longitude and latitude..."
[Cut to Reeves Dam...
Lois were wandering trough the tunnels until a security guard came behind her, he pulled out a pistol and Lois lashed out at the guard, knocking the gun from his hand. The two struggled some more before the guard pulled out a huge hunting knife and with a final thrust he plunged the knife into her abdomen. With a last burst of energy, Lois managed to hit the guard with her forehead, causing him to lose balance and hit his head on a pipe as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Lois did her best to walk out of there; she grabbed the knife and pulled it out of her with a shriek. She dropped the knife and continued to wander through the tunnels, trying to find a way out. She grabbed her cel phone and dialed Chloe's number.
"Chloe..."
Lois dropped her phone and lost her balance, finally falling to the ground...
After tracking the call Chloe got the tunnels below Reeves Dam then she found Lois unconscious on the ground. She turned around Lois' lifeless body, getting to see the horrendous wound in her side then she broke into tears.
"Come one, Lois. You're a fighter... You can't die. I can't lose you. I love you too much..."
Chloe held Lois against herself. She stopped yelling and sobbed quietly, a tear fell from her eye and onto Lois, as it does, a white light swirled around them both for a second and when it dissipated Lois opened her eyes. She reached down to her wound and found that it had healed completely. Lois looked up only to see Chloe slumped against the wall, unconscious.
"Chloe? Wake up... Honey, wake up..."
[Cut to Lionel and Clark at LuthorCorp...
"You come into my life pretending to be some kind of guardian angel. You're exactly the opposite."
"No, Clark. You got it wrong, I swear."
Lionel's protest caused no affect on Clark; he dragged Lionel off the ground and pinned him against the wall.
"Your words mean nothing to me."
"Lex is tracking a wraith from the Phantom Zone..."
As Clark tighten his grip at Lionel's throat Martian Manhunter came in sight.
"Where's the phantom?" Clark asked with determination in his eyes.
"If you get infected, it could kill you.
"If anyone's gonna stop this phantom, it's gonna be me..."
[Back at the mansion...
"What happened to you?" Clark asked after noticing the scrapes and scratches on Lionel's face.
"I don't know how to tell you this... Lana... She's... she's gone."
"What do you mean 'gone'?"
"She's dead, son..."
[Back to the corridors bellow the dam...
Lex was running for the exit because the boy whose body was possessed by the phantom had freed himself, but before he could escape Clark sped in, grabbed him and pinned him up against the wall.
"Why did you have to kill her? Why?" Clark furiously demanded.
"What are you talking about?"
"Lana is dead."
As Clark kept Lex pushed up against the wall, the boy appeared at the end of the corridor behind them. Clark let got of Lex and he ran for the exit.
"At last... a kryptonian."
The wraith freed himself from the boy and rushed at Clark and when they collided, Clark was thrown back through several walls into a huge power-generating chamber, and before he can get back upon his feet he looked up and saw a version of himself.
"What just happened?"
[Outside the dam...
Lex is stopped by a police officer. Even though he appears to be in shock, babbling, the officer cuffed him.
"You're making a mistake." Lex protested.
"You're under arrest for the murder of Lana Luthor..."
[Inside the dam...
Bizarro and Clark battled. Bizarro decked Clark, sending him into outer walls of the complex, causing a massive the entire infrastructure to begin to collapse.
In the corridors, Lois tried to carry Chloe's still-lifeless body out but she is knocked down to ground as part of the corridor collapsed around...
Bizarro stroke out at Lionel, sending him against a wall, leaving him unconscious on the ground...
"What the hell are you?" Clark asked in confusion.
"I'm you, only a little more bizarre."
Clark and Bizarro collided once again. Clark get thrown so violently that he crashed through the outer wall of the dam and off into distance.
A second hole erupted with water as the Phantom burst out into the air, flying away...
Clark stood almost motionless; his eyes stuck to the sky as he tried to figure out what had just happened and where could Bizarro had gone to. His thoughts were stopped by the sound of the water violently gashing everywhere.
Clark looked over his shoulder and the memory of Lionel still being inside the Dam came to him. Though the idea of letting Lionel go rot and die tempted him, Clark knew death would only be a gift to his enemy and he wanted Lionel to live up and pay for all that he'd wronged, besides, Lionel wasn't the only one trapped inside the Dam.
Several security guards, as well as lab technicians among so many other ones, ran for their lives. Clark turned, super-speeding through the chaos that surrounded him and into the Dam again, going straight to the power generating chamber. He looked around, desperately trying to find a way to keep the whole complex from collapsing, but reasoned he was only one and there was no way he would be able to stop it.
The water tore down another wall and Clark had to super-speed again in Lionel's search. As he sped through the corridors he caught a different noise coming from one of the tunnels. He abruptly stopped and activated his hearing, tuning to the sound. The confusion in his mind grew when he realized it was a cel phone ringing. Clark ignited his X-ray vision for the object and when he found it, he was at its side in less than a second. Bending down to pick up the phone Clark's eyes widened in fear seeing the in come call...
Mrs. Kent calling...
"Lois." Clark whispered in realization.
Again his X-ray vision was on the field and he finally spotted something resembling a body three tunnels away. Clark blazed faster than a blink of an eye only to find Lois spread on the floor.
"Lois!" He called as soon as he reached her, turning her over so he could hold her head up.
Though she was unconscious Lois did manage to moan weakly at his touch. Clark was about to throw Lois on his back when something else caught his eyes; strings of blond hair among pieces of cemented brick walls. Those next few seconds were complete torture to him as he battled with his mind, telling himself it couldn't be her. But surprise had ceased at the moment he caught a glimpse of her hair and it wasn't coming back now he found her seemingly lifeless body under the broken wall pieces. What else could he expect? Lois was on a mission to bring down Lex because of Wess and there was no way Chloe would desert her on it, especially if Lois' life was in danger.
Fearing there wasn't much time left, Clark put both girls over his shoulders and super-sped outside, placing their bodies as far as it was safer for them to be, then he ran back inside for Lionel. In a matter of seconds he found the man but Lionel was not unconscious.
"My leg, it's stuck." Lionel rapidly informed Clark motioning for the broken pieces all piled up above his leg.
Clark cleared the area and threw Lionel over his shoulder just seconds away from another collapse of a massive part of the complex. He rushed outside and carefully placed Lionel on the ground next to Lois and Chloe.
"What happened to them?" Lionel inquired at the sight of the girls' unconscious bodies.
"I don't know." Clark yelled in response and overlooked at Reeves Dam.
"There's nothing you can do." Lionel reassured, predicting Clark would want to turn around and be the hero. Clark lowered his head and sirens could be heard blaring everywhere. "Go, Clark. They can't find you here."
"I can't. What about Chloe and Lois? I can't leave them here." Clark's concern for his friends spoke louder than his own safety.
Lionel used the remaining strength in his body and crawled closer to the girls.
"I'll take care of them." Lionel offered, looking into Clark's eyes. "You need to go after the Phantom. You need to stop him, Clark."
During those minutes Clark had completely put aside the fact the Phantom was somewhere out there. He remained still for a moment, unsure where to go and felt an enormous fear creeping inside of him.
"Go, Clark... Now!" Lionel ordered and Clark saw some honesty in his opponent's eyes.
No more words were spoken, only the sound of a rushed strong blowing wind was heard. Lionel stared into nothingness, the spot Clark was standing seconds before, his hands on both girls as the rescue trucks, paramedics, as long with several police cars and firefighters kept coming from all the corners...
------------------------------------
That particular wraith from the Phantom Zone, Bizarro, was a complete and total mystery to Clark, he couldn't even begin to think where he might had gone or what his next move was going to be. Though Clark fought against it, there was only one that could help him find Bizarro.
Holding the key, Clark stepped into the cave and placed it in its place. A white dazzling light swallowed the cave's darkness and soon Clark was standing inside the Fortress of Solitude.
His eyes confusedly roamed around and a crystal got disconnected from the frozen panel, soaring, heading in his direction; uncertainty crossed Clark's eyes as he stared at the flying crystal. Every time Clark had to speak with his biological father, Jor-El, all he had to do was step into the Fortress and begin to speak, but for some unknown reason this time was different. He reached out his hand, ready to take the crystal when a dark shade blazed past him. Scolding in total and complete confusion, Clark instantly swayed and his landed on Bizarro.
The phantom clutched tightly at the crystal before speaking. "Son of Jor-El, your final hour has arrived..." He glared at Clark then strongly decked him against the iced walls, causing them to crash immediately. "At last..."
After gloating over Clark the entire place began shaking, the crystal within Bizarro's hand suddenly mutating, shifting its color from white to red, then from red to black. Fragments of place showered all over them, Clark struggled to get back on his feet at the sound of Bizarro's maddening shriek.
As the mutation occurred, Bizarro's skin was being burn along with the process; Clark watched in fear and didn't dare to step forward.
"The wisdom within these Fortress does not belong to you, Phantom." Jor-El's voice echoed as the Fortress structure seemed to rapture. "It's meant for Ka-El, and Ka-El only."
As Jor-El kept speaking in his seemingly almighty nature , Bizarro's body became infected by the crystal. It was like a living worm fiercely crawled beneath his skin; his grunting screams of agony terrifying Clark to his very bones.
"And for your greed, destruction will be your penalty."
When Jor-El's words neared the end, Bizarro's anguished cries increased, the crystal in his hand emanating a blinding light that soon clothed his entire body. Another crystal got disconnected from the frozen panel, flying rapidly in Clark's direction, and when he took it in his hand, a force shield enveloped him, trapping him inside, keeping him safe. Clark felt as if his consciousness was leaving him when suddenly Bizarro's body burst into flames, turning into ashes. The wraith of the Phantom Zone no longer had his kryptonian vessel so he instinctually darted, searching for Clark's body but it ended up colliding against Jor-El's force shield, then fleeing the Fortress and out into somewhere else.
After moments that seemed to last hours that could not be counted, the shield disappeared, releasing Clark. He fell to the ground almost breathless, his senses returning to him as his eyes searching for Bizarro.
"What happened?" Clark asked, standing again.
"The vessel created from your DNA has been destroyed, Ka-El." Jor-El's voice filled the place, echoing against the frozen walls. "Though its existence was not put to end."
"What do you mean? It's still out there?" Clark blared, demanding answers but Jor-El remained silent. "If it's out there, I must find it. I can't let it keep on killing humans."
"The wraith no longer can survive inside a human body now that it once possessed a kryptonian shape."
Clark began to breath in relieve after Jor-El's words. "So, it's only a matter of time for it to be destroyed."
Although Clark's question intended to sound much more like an affirmative, Jor-El's next words presented him a whole new fact that would change everything.
"Though it can not survive inside a human body, it won't stop shifting one body after another until it lands into another Krypton Being."
"How many have escaped from the Phantom Zone? If you know, you must tell me. If there's a way to track them, tell me, so I can go and fix what I've done before more innocent people get killed." Clark was determinate to bring this war to an end no matter what he had to sacrifice. "Tell me!" He demanded.
"Like before, the wraith has an specific target, my son. You were its chosen one because by stealing your DNA code, it assumed this Fortress would succumb to its will. And now it's after another member of our family."
Clark's eyes grew large in extraordinary surprise and though he wanted to speak, his voice failed him so he listened to Jor-El a little more.
"When you were sent to Earth, a member of our family was sent here to help in your training... to take care of you. But something did not go as planned and she remained in a frozen state, sleeping all these years inside her craft. But for a reason unknown to me, she's been awaken."
The tone in Jor-El's voice was the same, robotic, resembling the sound of a celestial being, rich in wisdom but completely devoid of any kind of emotion. Even though the situation called for drastic and dramatic emergency in take action, Jor-El continued with his explanation on he's own pace, which drove Clark to the edge since he was dying with anxiety to know everything about this so-called other member of his biological family.
"She?" Clark's eyebrows arched in wonder.
"Her name is Kara. The craft she's been sleeping is under the waters of a place humans call Reeves Dam..."
"Oh no..." Clark didn't need much more to realize what had happened. "The Phantom... we battled in the Dam's tunnels... The place was destroyed because of us."
"Whatever had happened, it was strong enough to have Kara's craft to surface." Jor-El added now being aware of what caused Kara to finally wake.
"You must go, my son. You must find Kara before the Phantom."
The expression in Clark's face changed and he super-speed, heading back to Reeves Dam...
------------------------------------
Dr. Hauck... Dr. Hauck...
Lois slowly began to stir, the sound of chattering far in distance becoming stronger each second that went by. Her lids fluttered until her eyes finally opened. Taking in the surroundings, it took Lois a minute to realize where she was.
"But..." She forced her body up but laid back down, her face twisting with pain. "My head... ouch..." She winced, touching the large bandage glued to her forehead. "Ahh... great!"
Minutes later a nurse walked into the room and checked her vital signs. "You're awake, Miss Lane."
"Not so sure." Lois' sarcasm had to kick in.
"Wait here. I'm going to call Dr. Anderson to come and see you." Offered the male in his thirties before leaving the hospital room.
Lois laid still and apparently the medication was working because the terrible headache she felt slowly eased.
"Good evening, Miss Lane." Dr. Anderson announced himself the minute he entered the room.
Lois flashed him a weary smile, sitting on the bed. Dr. Anderson examined her carefully then went on filling her with some details about her conditions.
"You are very luck, Miss Lane. You hit your head pretty hard and even though you were unconscious for almost thirty-four hours, the damage was minimal. Other than a few scratches here and there, I say you're fine and you'll be good go within a few hours, after we run two mores tests to make sure everything is really okay."
Dr. Anderson finished his explanation and left the room; minutes later Lois was taken out to have her brain examined...
------
Back at the Reeves Dam, Clark dived as deep as he could, searching for any signs of Kara's spaceship but found nothing instead...
------
"Damn..."
The driver cursed, feeling the hot coffee burn his jean-covered skin. He'd been driving for hours and had already broken all known traffic laws regarding speed. The young man looked down and tried to wipe the coffee with his hand but got frustrated. Looking around, he saw the road was practically empty, so he stretched his arm, trying to reach his bag on the back seat, leaving the road sight ahead of him for an instant. At the second he turned to focus on the road again, his eyes grew at the sight of someone standing meters away from the car.
Pushing the breaks further down, the car was stopped, its headlights illuminating the black empty road. "Are you okay?" He asked aloud, stepping out of the car.
His mouth mumbled clumsily as he stared at the figure in front of him. Starting from feet, his eyes made their way up to her face. Jimmy Olsen was stunned, perplexed and totally out of reaction before her. Right in front of him a young woman with long waved blond hair, her big green eyes growing wider as she stood, studying him, completely naked.
Jimmy didn't know if he was shocked because he almost rolled over someone or because he couldn't get himself together from the stunning vision of her.
"Ar... are you hurt?" He asked, carefully walking in her direction. She said nothing but stared. "You're all wet..."
"Is this Earth?" She cut his phrase, her voice coming out calmly and extremely inhumanly like. Her eyes wandered around, trying her best to recognize the place.
If the situation wasn't already odd, it only became odder with her sudden question.
"Hummm... yes... it is." Jimmy wasn't sure but answered anyway, assuming she was in some kind of trance or that she was mentally ill.
"Are you Ka-El?" She asked firmly looking into his eyes.
"Ka-El?" Jimmy frowned at the name but brushed it off quickly. "No, I'm not. Listen, I'm going to the hospital now... I can take you there."
The blond coldly looked at him, her expression flashing some kind of unawareness. Jimmy nodded knowing trying to get her to talk to him was useless. "I'm gonna get a blanket in my car so..."
Jimmy whirled and opened the back door of his car to get the blanket to cover her but when her turned to look again, she was already gone.
"Where is she?" His face puzzled at the empty road...
------
"Mr. Luthor, I..."
His attorney tried to explain the situation but Lex wasn't up to listen. "I don't want to hear what you have to say, Mr. Simko."
"Mr. Luthor, you have to listen to me." Mr. Simko tried again but it was useless.
Lex walked around circles for a moment, his attorney still spoke, explaining that somehow one of LuthorCorp's surveillance video ended up in the hands of the officer in charge of the case and some other items that indicated Lex as the only one suspect of Lana Luthor's murder.
A devilish certainty in his eyes seemed to sparkle as he glared at his attorney. "I don't care if Lana in her living self came here claming I'm the one who killed. Your job is to get me out of here." He swirled and had his back to Mr. Simko. "Now, starting from the fact that I had to spend the last... What? Thirty-six... forty hours, maybe?" Lex turned again and approached the man closely glaring into his eyes. "Since I'm still here, Mr. Simko... It means you're not doing your job very well. And that makes me a very upset boss... What are you going to do about it?"
Mr. Simko was forced to swallow all of his pride, his head nodding in agreement as he reassured Lex he was doing his best and that soon he would have Lex to be released.
"You have six hours." Lex warned when his attorney began to leave.
The attorney paused in his walk only to listen Lex's words echoing behind him. Lex's eyes burned in hatred as he watched the man leave...
------
Lionel Luthor was finishing gathering his belongings, preparing himself to leave the hospital room he'd been for the day when a light knock came on the door.
"Can I come in?" Her low voice soothed his worries as much as her smile bid his heart to pulse.
"Martha?" Lionel put his coat on and flashed a smile at her. "What are you doing here?"
"I came as soon as I could after your call."
Lionel shook his head, almost regretting his decision to call her and let her know what had happened to all of them. "You shouldn't have left Washington for this. I am sure Clark has everything under control."
"Have you heard from him?" Martha asked in concern and he silently answered her. "You call me saying that my son has an evil clone determinate to kill him, that he had to go after this... this thing or otherwise the world as we know will cease to exist... that Chloe and Lois spent the last hours being unconscious... that Lana is dead... And you still want me to simply stay in Washington, play the good Senator part, pretending nothing is happening?"
Lionel lowered his head; he knew better. Martha was not a woman who ran from her responsibilities but she was mother before she was a Senator.
"I'm sorry, Martha. I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay, Lionel... Thank you for warning me." Martha forced herself to smile and the two left the room...
------
"Hey? Big guy?" Lois was getting annoyed, so she called harshly but the nurse still didn't answer her.
Lois had been taken to have two more tests run and during the exams she kept on asking thousands of questions and still she got no answer.
The nurse pushed the wheelchair into her hospital room and had Lois back on the bed. "Dr. Anderson soon will come and fill you in with the results."
"No... wait!" Lois' voice made the male stop. "My cousin... You must know something about her. She's, she's blond. Her name is Chloe, Chloe Sullivan. I'm sure we came here together. Can you tell me anythin..." Lois started her non-stopping round of questions but the nurse had orders to fulfill, so he started to walk again. "Where are you going?"
"I need to check another patient, Miss." He coolly answered, although he wanted to strangle her so maybe that would get her to shut up.
Lois chuckled at his statement. "I was talking to you, big guy. Don't you think leaving while I was still talking is kinda rude?" She raised an eyebrow at him but from the look on his face he didn't share her thought.
"Okay... You don't know anything about Chloe. I get it! So... can you, at least, tell me how did I get here?"
"I'm afraid, I am the one responsible for that."
Lois was mute as she heard Lionel's voice coming from behind the nurse. At Lionel's sudden appearance the nurse took it as he cue to go. Lois only watched Lionel carefully approaching her bed, her forehead decorated with frowns.
"I happened to be around when Reeves Dam started to collapse."
"Huh?" Lois eyes narrowed in suspicious but she soon relaxed a little when Martha entered the room. "Mrs. Kent!"
Martha grinned warmly. "Hello, Lois! How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been hit by truck!" Lois joked causing Lionel and Martha to lightly laugh. "But better!"
"Glad to hear that." Martha placed her hand over Lois'.
Martha's presence took Lois away from her unanswered questions for a few minutes but as the silence dragged in its suspense, questions were thrown at the visitors without mercy.
With a forced smile on her face, Lois asked. "Mr. Luthor, what about Chloe? You brought her here too, right?"
Lionel and Martha couldn't help but exchange glances in self-consciousness.
"Yes, I did."
"Is she okay? Can I see her?" Lois eagerly went on; noticing there was something else they were not telling her.
Lionel cleared his throat and spoke again. "I believe you're wondering why you slept for a whole day..."
"Yeah! Another question that moron with no brain but muscles refused to answer me... I mean, I was never an early-bird but thirty-four hours of sleep? It's a little too much even for me. "
Lois' hint of sarcasm usually was a little overused and even sounded rude sometimes but at a moment like that it seemed to ease the tension that hung in the air while they spoke.
Lionel faked a snort and went on. "I'm sorry, Miss Lane but we were all only following orders."
"How's that?" She frowned.
"Your father told us it would be better to have you on..."
"Wait!" Lois shortly cut Lionel's phrase. "You talked to the General?" Lionel nodded and she was outraged with the news. "I can't believe he ordered to drug me!"
"He said you'd be putting up fight and probably wouldn't allow the doctors to do their jobs. So... We did it for your own good, Miss Lane."
"It figures!" She sneered, feigning resentment.
It appeared to Lionel and Martha that Lois had put aside her questions over Chloe's condition but they were wrong.
"About Chloe..." She started again. "How..."
"Why don't you rest a little, Lois?" Martha offered a sympathetic smile.
"I slept too much already, Mrs. Kent... Chloe, whe..."
"I know. But don't you think you need to be fully recovered? I know how much you hate hospitals and having to spend another day locked in this place isn't something you would want." Martha was never a good liar, she preferred to offer something else instead of lying. "Why don't we let her rest, Lionel..."
Martha was already ushering Lionel while she still talked.
"I agree, Martha." Lionel nodded and followed Martha's command.
Lois moved on the bed, fixing her position while she watched Martha and Lionel's attempt to flee the room and avoid her questions.
"Hey!" She called harshly forcing them to turn on their heels and look at her. "What the hell is going on here?"
Lionel and Martha exchanged glances and turned to her again. "I... I... What... what do you mean, Lois?" Martha stammered, trying her best not to act uneasily but failing miserably.
"I don't know if I feel flattered by the attempt to fool me or if I feel angry for treating me like some eight year old on her death bed." Lois chided them for their oversetting speech. "I don't need no pity treat here. I'm fine. Really! Now, stop dancing and answer me. What happened to Chloe? Where is she?"
Martha was the first to reentered the room, Lionel stood on the door way while she closed the distance between her and Lois; her saddened eyes no longer holding back tears.
Lois already feared something was wrong but now seeing how Martha's face had clouded, she was panicking. "What is it?" She urged in trembled voice. "Mrs. Kent, please..."
Martha swallowed down and took a much-needed deep breath; forcing a pale grin she took Lois' hand within her own. "Oh, dear... I'm so... so sorry..."
Lois was confused for a second; she looked at Lionel and his eyes lowered.
"Why?"
Martha and Lionel only remained in their spots; their eyes giving away the truth they had been hiding.
"No..." Lois' voice cracked and she began to frenetically shake her head in denial. "It can't be... No..."
Martha was taken aback; Lois' tears freely streamed down her face. Martha let go of her hand and gave her shoulder to cry on...
------
Clark was still looking for any signs of Kara's spaceship. He was scanning everywhere but it clearly wasn't on the bottom of the river. Clark came to surface and began to walk among the several muddy bushes on the riverside, and as he walked, Clark felt as if something had hit him, a second later a maddening squealing sound penetrated his ears and it was like his body had been possessed. Something called out to him, he could feel it. Clark dashed, blazing through the bushes until he spotted a shining metal a few meters away from him.
Carefully, Clark made his way and his eyes grew when he recognized the old same asymmetrical forms; the pod was opened and empty.
Clark wondered what might had happened to Kara, he even dared to think the wraith had gotten to her first. When Clark was bending, he instantly pulled himself up because he had a strange feeling of being watched. His X-rayed his surrounding and found nothing. He reached out to take the spacecraft in his hand and then rush to hide it in a safe place but suddenly something strongly blazed around him and shoved his hand away from the alien object.
Whatever that had hit him, it certainly wasn't human given its extraordinary strength. He swayed back, going for the ship again and his eyes caught something. Clark jolted a punch ahead and his fit got frozen in midair.
Clark's eyes fluttered and he saw someone's hand restraining him. His eyes lowered a bit only to find a blond young woman with big green eyes and no clothes on staring back at him.
"Ka-El?" She asked, realizing no human would be strong enough struggle against her grip.
Clark was speechless, he couldn't believe his very eyes; he only replied. "Kara?"
------
Lex had been impatiently pacing since his attorney left; he only stopped when Mr. Simko's voice was heard again.
"Mr. Luthor?" Mr. Simko called, walking side by side with a police officer.
The policeman pulled out several keys and unlocked Lex's cel.
"You're free to go." Mr. Simko announced.
Lex's mouth kicked up a little but his triumph wasn't complete, after all.
"I'm impressed, Mr. Simko. I thought I'd have to wait another day to finally see my money is not completely wasted." Lex railed as he made his way out.
"Mr. Luthor, the charges against you haven't been dropped. You'll be under major surveillance. You can not leave the country until the final trial." Mr. Simko informed cautiously.
Lex headed to the limousine that already waited for him outside, he opened its door and with one foot in, he turned to Mr. Simko again. "Thanks for everything... And you're fired!"
Mr. Simko stood on the stairs of the Police Department and watched the limo drive off...
------
Clark's eyes could not leave the figure of his cousin. The two sat on the Kent's living room; she was now dressed in one his few white shirts and a pair of old jeans his mother had left behind.
Their eyes studied each other very carefully until Clark left his spot on the couch and went to get a cup of warm milk and some apple pie his mother had cooked. He gave her the food but she only took a few sips of milk.
"So..." Clark trailed, hoping she would come out of her defensive composure but it needed more than one simple word. "You're from Krypton..."
She nodded and something in her face slightly changed. "I came here to help you, Kal-El." Her voice was soft and very girly like but a little bit robotic like Jor-El's.
Clark lifted his eyes and saw a smile creeping on her face and that act made him smile as well.
"I don't understand. Why you've been asleep for so long." Clark wondered aloud, rising a question Kara could not answer. "Who sent you here?"
"Everything you need to learn is held in Jor-El's memory. He is the only one to teach everything you need to fulfill your destiny."
Clark winced when she uttered the word 'destiny'; he had made very clear that he didn't want to have anything to with the destiny his biological father had planned for him. Clark believed he was not this savior Jor-El constantly claimed he was. Suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable, Clark stood and idly walked around his living room. He stopped when his eyes landed on a picture above this tiny table on the corner. He took the picture in his hand and lightly touched Lana's face.
Kara noticed the pain his eyes. "Kal-El?"
"It's Clark." He corrected her. The fog of shock was tremendous that he hadn't told her his Earth name until now. "My name is Clark, not Kal-El."
"You're, Kal-El. Jor-El's only son. Krypton's heir..."
"Stop it!" Clark raised his voice, ordering.
Annoyance took over when Kara spelled his alien nature. Clark's heart beat weakly; he walked back to the couch, still looking at the picture.
"Why do you look at this thing like that? With eyes of pain..." Kara asked looking at the picture in his hand.
"Do you see this girl?" He pointed at Lana and Kara nodded. "She... she... she's gone..."
"Gone?" Kara was confused. She still had a lot to learn on human language. "Where did she go?"
Clark at to chuckle at that question. "To a place where I can't never find her again... She's dead, Kara."
Kara observed Clark for a while, she could tell Lana and him were extremely close but there was still something missing in the whole scenario.
"Who is she?" Kara asked, touching Lana's face on the picture.
"Her name is Lana... She is the love of my life."
Kara stared at the picture a little longer and Clark's words echoed in her mind. She is the love of my life. Kara knew better than that and she was sure Clark knew too. But why he acted to weak towards this girl's death? What about her that stroked him so completely?
"Kal-El, this wom..." Kara opened her mouth but her speech was interrupt by the front door.
Both of their faces jolted up to look at who was coming in.
With wide eyes Martha contemplated the scene in her living room. Her puzzlement towards Kara's presence was above obvious.
"Mom?" Clark frowned, standing. Kara followed his act and stood as well.
Seeing the expression on his mother's face Clark quickly explained. "Mom, this Kara. She's from Krypton too..." Martha's eyes shifted from Clark to Kara while he spoke. "Kara is my cousin. Jor-El had sent her here."
Martha's mouth moved and random sounds were heard. "When? Why? Clark..."
"I wish I knew, mom. But I still have to find out and..." Clark halted his words and puzzled. "What are you doing here, Mom? Weren't you supposed to be in Washington?"
Martha breathed deeply, she knew it was going to be difficult. "Lionel called me. He told me about the Phantom... about Lana..."
Clark's face fell when his mother mentioned Lana.
"I'm so sorry, Clark." She offered warmly.
Clark felt his heart slowly regain strength by the touch of his mother hand over his; a bitter disgusting taste of anger rising inside when he thought of Lex. "Lex didn't have the right, mom... He's gonna pay for what he did."
Martha barely recognized her son when he uttered those words. So much anger and hate she saw in his eyes that it even scared her.
"You said you talked to Lionel... Did he say anything about Chloe and Lois? When I left the Dam he told me he would take care of them."
Martha nodded already feeling the tears threatening her eyes. "Yes, Clark. They've been taken to the hospital."
"How are they? How's Chloe?"
Taking off her coat then sitting on the couch, Martha gathered strength to go on talking. "Lois is fine. She's going to be released in the morning."
"Good. But what about Chloe?" Clark asked and for the first time noticed his mother's eyes.
Martha's eyes glimmered with unshed tears as she looked up at him. Clark felt something cutting through his stomach, his eyes never leaving his mother's.
"Mom... How's Chloe?" He insisted in his question, urging her to tell him what he wanted to know. "Mom?" In his last call, Clark's voice was rushed and demanding.
Martha knew what she was about to deliver was too much for her son. He had already lost Lana and losing the one person he trusted the most was going to kill him. She stepped closer to her son and protectively enveloped him in her arms, her fingers grazing his hair.
She pulled away for an instant, cupping his face with her hands. "Honey... Chloe... She... Oh, dear... They did everything they could."
Clark's felt his blood rushing inside his veins and an overwhelming fear was taking over him.
"Chloe... she's... She's gone."
He felt as if a knife made by kryptonite penetrated his heart. His body began shaking and tears stained his face... Martha once again locked her arms around him, reassuring he was not alone...
TBC