Chapter 1

Not in Kansas Anymore

"Where exactly are we going anyways?" Conner asked. Asked wasn't the proper word. More like complained. He did not want to leave Smallville. He did not want to leave his friends behind. He did not want to leave Clark behind. He especially did not want to leave Tess behind.

Then again, Conner thought with annoyance, this was all Tess' idea. As if Conner couldn't take care of himself. He was half Kryptonian, for Gods sake.

"I'm taking you to meet a couple of... Friends I met during the months I was missing." Chloe answered from the wheel.

"And I can't just run because?..."

"Because Darkseid could possibly track you."

Conner snorted. Right. Track him. How in the world that was suppose to make sense was beyond him. Then again, Darkseid was apparently powerful. He'd nearly taken over Clark's mind a few months ago, which is really saying something, all things considered.

"What's the real reason?"

"I already told you the real reason."

"Chloe..."

"Will you stop being so damn stubborn!"

"I'll stop being stubborn when you start being honest!" Conner replied in a sing-song voice. Chloe's eyes narrowed and she shot him a quick glare. Involuntarily, Conner shuddered. Logically, he knew there was little someone like Chloe could actually do to hurt someone like him.

However, logic went out the window every other day in Smallville considered all the humans that had developed 'abilities' rather than dying like normal people when exposed to the massive radiation found in meteor rocks, so Conner feeling a sharp, if brief, pang of fear from Chloe wasn't that surprising.

"We should be there in a few days," Chloe began again, but Conner interrupted.

"Or... We could be there in a few minutes. I run pretty fast, you know."

"Like I said before, we don't want you getting tracked."

"How could I possibly be tracked when I can move faster than a speeding bullet?"

Chloe actually rolled her eyes at the comment. Conner frowned. He really didn't understand any of her reasoning. From his point of view, it was all very simple. Car, slow. Run, fast.

"This is Lionel Luthor were dealing with, Conner. A Lionel Luthor that actually had a Kryptonian who willingly let him study him back in his own wor-"

"Wait," Conner cut in, earning himself another glare, "I thought we were running from Darkseid? Oh, wait, let me rephrase that- you were all forcing me to run from Darkseid."

Chloe sighed.

"We are running from both. One wants to do God knows what type of experiment, and Darkseid will more than likely try and possess you. Obviously, both scenarios are not ones we'd like to see happen, so we are trying to avoid-"

"You mean, we're fleeing."

"Will you stop interrupting!" Choe snapped. "This is not fleeing! This is strategical retreat!"

Conner snorted.

Chloe resisted the urge to smack him upside the head, realizing she'd probably just hurt herself instead of him.

For a moment, Conner contemplated simply leaping out of the car and running off. He knew that there was no possibly way for Chloe to stop him. But, if he did that, there was no doubt Clark would track him down, and Conner personally did not want his brother/father/whatever-the-hell-Clark-was-suppose-to-be-to-him track him down. A scene such as that, Conner was certain, would be followed up by Tess' disapproval, something Conner really did not want.

What was Tess, anyways? Hmm. Sort of like an aunt, Conner mused. An aunt that raised him. True, he ages rather quickly and the memories were blurred since Conner couldn't remember much from up to the day he became 'stable', but he could briefly remember her, and he could briefly remember loving her. It was more a feeling than a memory. Like he knew instinctively what he was suppose to feel, even if he had no idea why.

With a surrendering sigh, Conner turned back to look at Chloe.

"So... These friends of yours, you met them-"

"After my alleged suicide."

"Ah. And you are taking me to them because...?"

"I trust them. That, and they've face things like Darkseid and Lionel before."

Conner blanched for a second. Huh. There were other beings out there like Darkseid? That in particular seemed surprising. Darkseid was, for all intents and purposes, a god, after all. Not an entirely corporeal god- they'd probably be screwed if Darkseid actually had a body of his own- but a god nonetheless.

"They've faced gods?" he asked skeptically.

"Yep!" Chloe exclaimed, before frowning. "I think... Huh..."

"You think?"

Chloe glared.

"It's complicated."

"How is it complicated? A simple 'yes' or 'no' would su-"

"It's complicated since they cast some big memory spell thing. Let's just say memories were erased. That, and records. Lots of records."

Conner blinked. Memory spells? Great, magic! Conner wasn't too fond of magic. After all, there weren't many things that could hurt him. Magic was one of them. The idea of someone casting a spell on him, messing with his mind, and taking away a part of him, however, sounded evil. He shuddered inwardly.

"I don't think I'm going to like your friends..."

"Why not?" Chloe asked, not taking her eyes of the road.

"Seriously? Memory spells and magic? I don't like magic, Chloe, and if-"

"The spell was a one time thing. I think... Anyways, that was extreme circumstance. It's not like I'm leading you to a coven of witches. However, I would like to inform you that I actually do know of a certain coven I can drag you to meet in case you're interested."

"Your joking."

Chloe shot him a look.

"You're not joking. Huh. And you know these people how, again?"

"Connections. They mean all in this world, young man."

"I still don't think this is a good idea..."

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun! You can even join in the demon hunts."

"Demons aren't real."

This time, Chloe was the one to snort.

"You're the half-alien, half-human clone of Clark Kent and Lex Luthor being hunted by a man from another dimension and by a supernatural all-powerful entity that wants to use your body as a vessel, and demons are too far fetched to believe in?"

Conner frowned. When she put it like that...

"So... Demons exist?"

"Yes."

"Then why doesn't Clark..."

"Clark has this entire aversion thing to the whole concept of killing anything, no matter what it happens to be. The man wouldn't shoot a rabbit if his life depended on it."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that, knowing Clark, instead of fighting the demons, he'd attempt to negotiate with them and sway them towards the light. Best not to bring up the topic."

Conner laughed, realizing it was probably true. While Clark wasn't above using violence, he had a strong belief that there was good in absolutely everything, no matter how small. Clark knew Lionel Luthor was evil. However, instead of actively trying to take him down, he went for the let's see if I can change him routine.

"So... These friends. They happen to be located were?"

"Los Angeles."

"On the other side of the country."

"Yep."

"A place I could easily run to."

"Conner..."

"Come on, what's the worse that could happen! I still don't see why not! Besides, according to you, these people have dealt with gods before-"

"Technically, it was only one god-"

"Whatever! Either way, I still don't see your aversion to running."

"We are in my car. I happen to like my car. I have not driven my car in months. So, quite simply, I want to drive my damn car!"

"I can carry your car all the way to L.A., then you can drive back to your heart's content. Win-win, Chloe."

Chloe growled. Actually growled before the car suddenly lurched, and she pulled over. Her hands gripped the wheel tightly and Conner silently wondered if he'd gone to far. Then, he saw her composure relax as she sighed before turning towards him.

"Fine. If," she added at his look of disbelief, "You can promise me my car will survive said run without any damage."

Conner contemplated. He wasn't entirely sure if he could pull that off. Carrying a car was nothing. Making sure it stayed in tact while running faster than a bullet? That was a little harder to pull off.

"Well?" Chloe asked.

Conner just nodded.

"Are you sure."

"Yes, I'm sure." Conner rolled his eyes.

"Fine." Chloe gestured outside. As Conner was standing, she gave him instructions to steer them towards the outskirts of L.A. and to keep off major roads. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and retort with a 'duh'.

He exited the vehicle, shut the door behind him and, looking around briefly to see if anyone was looking, crouched down and lifted the car over his head.

"Hey!" Chloe's voice exclaimed from above. "Careful, mister!" she snapped.

Conner rolled his eyes before taking off, leaving a dust trail behind. It took merely seconds for Chloe to decide this had been a terrible idea. What was she thinking, trusting the judgement of a teenage super-human that was technically not even a year old- or was he? Huh. She'd ask Lex, but he was dead at the moment.

As she glanced out the window, something didn't feel right. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the landscape change rapidly. States where flying past, cities, towns, you name it. Landmarks, rivers, mountains.

Then, Conner ran them past a place she knew she should have told him to avoid under any circumstances, but had forgotten to mention. The giant sinkhole that once been Sunnydale, California.

The effect was instant.

There was a rapid lurching sensation before the world around them glowed. Conner nearly dropped the car as he was blinded before it cleared. Blinking, he set the car down as Chloe yelled at him.

"What?" he demanded as he looked at her. The glare she was sending him was accusing. Actually, it was furious. She was furious at him, as if he'd done something terrible, when she'd agreed to let him run the way to L.A.

"Look." she merely pointed.

Conner looked up. A sign said, in great cheerful letters, 'Welcome to Sunnydale!'. Behind it was what looked like a small town. He failed to see the significance before looking back at Chloe.

"I fail to see-" he began.

"Sunnydale was destroyed three years ago, Conner! You sent us to the past!"

"I- what?" Conner blinked rapidly before looking back up at the sign.

Once the realization hit him, only a single word could make it's way into his shocked brain. Four letters, all lined up.

Shit.

He was so screwed. That, and Tess was sure to ground him for life.