Upon arriving home, Clark notices the blinking light on the answering machine. Since he's carrying the groceries, being the one with super-human strength, he asks Lois to check the machine.
As Clark is putting away the groceries, at a relatively human speed, he hears lois' famous cry. "Clark! Get in here!" Clark goes into superspeed, puts away the groceries and is at Lois' side in a matter of seconds. "Clark, you may want to listen to this."
"Hey Clark," It's Martha, she sounds frightened and unsure, something not typical of her character. "Something's happened here in Smallville. We're not sure what exactly it is, but it's something we think you need to see. I'd go into more detail, but I'd rather do that in person. Don't worry about calling when you get this message, just get here as quick as you can! We love you! Oh and feel free to bring Lois, you two always manage to figure things out better when you work together!"
Lois looked at Clark who was obviously stunned by the unusually high amount of panick in his mother's voice. "Clark. Clark, are you alright? What do you think is going on?"
Clark remained speechless for a moment longer then, as if still in a trance spoke softly. "I have to go to Smallville. We have to go...now!" Clark supersped upstairs and returned seconds later with a suitcase. "I've packed a few of your usual pieces you normally bring when we go to see my parents, I hope that was alright."
Lois, still shocked from her husband's newfound urgency starts to stammer. "Wh...what. Okay, why the urgency?"
"I know that tone. My mother only used it once before. When she talked about the people who came snooping around the farm after I "arrived". It's the tone she uses when it has something to do specifically with me and my origins."
"You think what's happened has something to do with Krypton?"
"Maybe, or something to do with Superman. I'm not sure, but I'm not waiting to find out. Now, if you're ready," clark starts to spin and re-appears in his trademark blue suit with the bag slung around his neck and shoulder and hanging behind him., "the Superman express is preparing to depart."
"In that case..." Lois jumps into his arms, "all aboard!"
Clark smiles. "Next stop, Smallville!"
The flight to Smallville required the ultimate amount of restraint for Clark. He was going as fast as he could, without hurting Lois, or causing the biggest sonic boom the world had ever known. It was nearing dusk in smallville and as Lois and Clark approached the tiny town, they noticed something that hadn't been there last time. At least a doze sets of industrial flood lights formed a circle around and area that, the last time they were there, was a farmers field. Now, from a bird's eye view, it looked like giant had dug a big hole in the sand and piled what he'd dug up into a giant hill!
"What do you suppose that it?" Lois asked.
"I don't know. But something tells me it's why we're here!"
Lois and Clark touched down outside his parents farm house. The screen door opened as Martha and Jonathan came running out to greet them. By the time they reached them, Clark had changed back into his civies and was greeting his parents with hugs all around. "Oh Clark," Martha began. "We're so glad you're here!"
"Mom, what's going on? You sounded so pannicked over the phone!"
"Come inside and we'll explain what we know so far and why we needed you here so quickly."
The four of them went inside and within a few minutes they were all sitting at the kitchen table, sipping tea. Clark's eyes were fixated on his parents, waiting for any kind of description as to what had happened. His parents took their seats and looked at each other for a moment, almost deciding which one would talk first.
Jonathan was the first to speak. "Clark, son, I'm guessing you saw lights on your way in."
"Yeah, I'm assuming that has something to do with why I'm here."
"It does. Last night there was a storm, but it wasn't typical. Winds were mild, but the clouds were a shade of...I guess you could call it black, but was darker, more sinister."
"That when we noticed it." Martha jumped in.
"Noticed what?" Clark asked.
"Your treehouse Clark." Jonathan continued. "It was glowing, or should I say, something inside it was glowing."
"What could be inside your treehouse that could be glowing Clark?" Lois asked.
Clark knew exactly what was glowing, but didn't know why or how. "Lois, do you remember when I told you about that globe, the one from my birth parents that told me where I was from. The one that changed from Earth to Krypton?"
"Sort of. You said it had been hidden where no one would...wait a minute," Lois began with an almost incredulous look on her face. "Are you telling me that a globe, that contains important information about your true heritage is being protected in a treehouse!"
"Lois, calm down!" Clark was frustrated at the tangent she was taking, but knew how to calm her concerns. "Think about it. It's the last place anyone would ever look for it. It's safer there than in Metropolis!"
Lois thought about this for a moment and relaxed. "Okay, I suppose your right. But what does that globe glowing during a storm have to do with that giant hole in the ground?"
"When we saw the light, I went outside to investigate." Jonathan began. "As I approached the treehouse, a bold of lightning went in at an angle and hit the globe. The strange part was, the stream of lightning stayed there for a few minutes then disappeared back up into the clouds and the globe stopped glowing. I barely had time to take it all in before I saw several bolts lightning strike at the same time in the very field where the caves formed."
"Caves?" Lois asked.
"That hole you saw." Martha explained. "It is an entrance to a bunch of caves that were formed in that mountain of dirt. People have been going in and out since this morning when it was discovered. Geologists who came from Kansas city this afternoon said the rock looks like it's been there for decades, but it wasn't there yesterday."
Clark couldn't get his head around this. He knew what they were implying. That the globe and the caves were connected. But he couldn't figure out why. "So, you think that somehow the lightning that hit the globe, is what formed the caves?"
"It's the only explanation that makes sense." Martha said. "The fuunny thing is, you'd think if it had something to do with you, there'd be some kind of markings in the caves. Some clue as to why they were formed. But as far as everyone can tell, they're just there!"
Clark thought for a moment. "There's more to this. There's something we're missing, something no one's picked up on yet."
"Great!" Lois said with a smile. "Finding out what other's can't is our specialty!"
It was getting late and Lois and Clark decided it would be best to get some rest first before heading out to the caves. Clark laid in bed that night, unable to sleep. He looked at Lois sleeping next to him, amazed at how peaceful she looked. His own mind couldn't figure out why all of a sudden, this small town had all of a sudden had something this drastic happen. Not since his own arrival had something so unusual graced the skies of Smallville. Clark looked out the window, the very same window he'd spent so many nights looking out of as a child. In the distance he could see the hill that held the mysterious caves. "What are you hiding?" he said softly before kissing Lois on the forehead and attempting to sleep himself.
The next day Clark awoke to find himself alone in his room. The smell of his mother's famous cooking had obviously woken him. He went downstairs to find Lois at the table sipping coffee, and reading the paper. The front page had a big picture of the cave site. The headline read "Crop cirlces, the next generation?".
"Can you believe this?" Lois asked. "They're convinced aliens have landed. Someone even suggested it be opened as a tourist attraction! Geologists have sealed it off until further investigation can be conducted."
Clark laughed. "Well, a little security isn't about to stop me. I was thinking, maybe we should get an early start."
"I was thinking the same thing. That's why I'm up so early. I wanted to make sure I was ready. So when do we leave?"
Clark smiled. He loved this woman so much. She knew how badly he wanted answers and knew he would wait for her, but she didn't want him to. "Well, how about I have some breakfast with my family first, and we'll head over." He said with a grin. "Getting past security shouldn't be a problem."
Clark inhaled his breakfast and within half an hour they were standing side by side in the caves, beyond security. Clark stood there amazed while Lois remained unimpressed.
"They just look like caves! I have to admit the slight holes in the top do give it a nice look. But there's nothing here!"
"What are you talking about Lois? Don't you see them?"
"See what?"
"The symbols!"
"You're kidding right!" Lois looked Clark in the eye and could tell that he wasn't kidding.
"Lois, the room is covered in them." Clark started pointing and looking around. "They're Kryptonian."
"Wait, you can actually see them? Then why can't I?"
Clark thought for a second. "I don't know, maybe their designed so only a pair of Kryptonian eyes can see them. They look like they were written in chalk, but the symbols don't make sense. They're broken up. Wait, what's this?" Clark started walking towards a far wall.
"What do you see?" Lois was frustrated, yet curious.
"It some sort of shape. It looks like the same shape as the shield on my Superman suit, but without the S. It's huge, it's got to be at least six feet tall and four or five feet wide." Clark continued to walk towards it.
"Clark, be careful! If this is Kryptonian, how did it get here? Could it have been sent by the new Kryptonians?"
"I don't know. Maybe. But why? It doesn't make any sense. Why would they design it so only I could see it?" Clark moved even closer and then reached out. This shape. It had so much significance. He wanted to touch it, to feel what this rock was. It wasn't Kryptonite, he knew that much. But his x-ray vision told him it wasn't entirely just hard earth rock. When his fingers made contact he found he couldn't pull them away.
"Clark! What's wrong?"
"Lois, get out of here. I can't move my fingers. They're stuck!" All of a sudden the symbols lit up and became visible, even to Lois.
"Clark, I see them! I see them! They almost look, alive!" Just then the symbols start to move down the wall toward Clark. As they reached the spot where his fingers were touching they formed what looked like an eight. Then the shield turned into a bright light that shot out and shon so bright that it covered Clark and nearly blined Lois. It was then that a voice could be heard.
"Kal-el! You have come!"
Clark still couldn't move. His hands were free but he felt restrained by the light. "Who are you?" Clark yelled. "How do you know my birth name? What do you want with me?"
"I am in need of your help. All will be explained to you. I have sought you out to complete what I've started." Just then the light disappeared and both the voice and Clark were gone.
