"Lana!" yelled Clark as his eyes fell upon his love's screaming, tear soaked face. She was trapped. Prisoner of flames and smoke. The high school in which she had been tutoring in was ablaze, set on fire by Jake Demores. Clark had seen him around before and knew he was a trouble maker, but never guessed he would do this. But Jake was arrested by now as Clark had caught him using his speed first to find him, then his superhuman strength to stop his attempts at making a fast getaway in his car. But that was of no good to Clark, Lana was in peril and he was seemingly unable to help her.

The fire had gathered a big crowd, everyone in Smallville was there. There were too many people, too many witnesses. Clark had tried several times to attempt to save Lana, but was always talked out of it quickly by his father Jonathan who stood by his side, terrified for the young girl's life as well.

"But Dad, she'll die!" begged Clark in a raised voice.

"Listen to me son, you'd only do more harm than good. Let the firemen handle this." was Jonathan's emotional reply. It was hard for him to say these ghastly words. If this girl that his son loved so very much died today, it would lay on his head. It would be his fault alone for not letting Clark save her. "Everything's going to be ok." he whispered, more to himself than to Clark.

"Help me!" screamed Lana as she disappeared from the window. Everyone who had gathered gasped and no one said a word. Lana had passed out from smoke inhalation and was in serious danger now.

"Dad I can't let her die!" shouted Clark as he broke free of his father's grip and pushed through people until he had reached the boundaries which the firemen had put up. Two firefighters tried to stop Clark form entering, telling him to get back. Clark never heard a word. he was fixated on Lana. With a shove of both his arms, the firefighters took to the air and landed hard on the cold concrete, twenty feet away. The crowd gasped once more as Clark disappeared into the high school at an alarming speed.

"Lana?!" he shouted. "Where are you?!"

Using his superhuman speed and strength, the young son of Krypton went from room to room in sheer seconds, knocking down doors and walls where needed. Flashes of his love racing before his eyes as finally her figure came into sight. She lay on the floor, surrounded by flames.

"Lana!" shouted Clark as he walked through the fire and picked up her lifeless body. Now for a way out thought Clark as he looked back to the door. It was engulfed in flames. It would be easy for him to pass through and be unharmed, but not Lana. Then, as if by luck, Clark noticed the window from which Lana had beckoned. Immediately he threw his foot through it, shattering it and jumped. It was a two story jump but nothing for the young Kent boy. He landed on the grass of the high school and lay Lana on her back as paramedics rushed to his side. They administered CPR and soon Lana, to many cheers and smiles, started breathing again.

"Are you ok?" asked Clark.

Lana looked to him, her eyes focused on nothing but him. "I...I saw you." she whispered.

"Saw me?" asked Clark.

"Walk through the fire." she replied. The two paramedics looked up at him with weird looks. Then, as if in synchronization, the crowd all began whispering at once and pointing to Clark.

"He shoved those firefighters like they were nothing." came a hushed voice. Then another.

"See how fast that kid ran......like a bullet."

"He's not even burned."

Clark looked back to his father who was glancing around nervously and they locked eyes as his father motioned for him to come. Clark nodded and knelt down to Lana, who seemed a bit afraid. "Lana I......." was all the young Kent said before he was interrupted.

"Get away form her! Freak!" yelled Whitney, Lana's boyfriend. He rushed to his girlfriend's side and gave Clark a warning look. "Don't you touch her Kent."

"Son!" called Jonathan Kent. "C'mon Clark! We need to leave now!"

The son grudgingly obliged and slowly made his way towards his father. People silently stared at Clark in fear and everyone backed off from him as he made his way. "What is he?" whispered someone.

"This is not good." Jonathan told his son. "Not good at all."

"I couldn't let her die mom!" shouted Clark. "I had no choice."

The Kent family were gathered in their kitchen of their house, the sun slowly setting outside.

"You had no choice?" asked Clark's mother.

"It was either use my powers or let her die. So I chose to use my powers." Clark said. Jonathan sighed. "What are we going to do?"

"Tell them he had an adrenaline rush." said Martha.

"People with adrenaline rushes don't throw grown men twenty feet, Martha." retorted Jonathan.

"Well then what do you think we should do?" asked Martha.

"I don't know," sighed Jonathan.

Their discussion was interrupted as a rumbling noise could be heard outside. The three Kents rushed to the window and their eyes went wide when they saw what was happening. There had to be at least a dozen cars, each one filled to their capacity. Jonathan noticed that one man, older than the rest, was carrying a rifle.

"Martha.......Clark......upstairs....now." Jonathan ordered.

Martha ran to her husband. "Jonathan I-"

"Now!" he shouted again.

"Dad let me-" Clark cut in. He too was quickly interrupted.

"Clark take your mother upstairs, I'll handle this." Jonathan said as he went for the front door. He looked back to them before he turned the knob as Clark and Martha went up the stairs. Jonathan breathed out slightly and opened the door.

"How can I help you folks?" he asked.

"Where's Clark?" asked an unfamiliar face.

"Clark? Oh Clark's gone out." Jonathan replied nervously.

"Don't lie to us Kent." said another voice. "Where is he?"

"Now what do you want with him?" asked Jonathan.

"You know damn well!" shouted the old man who was holding the rifle. "You saw what he did today. He's a freak! We don't like freaks in Smallville."

Jonathan took exception to this and clenched his fists. "My son is not a freak!" he shouted. "Now I suggest you-"

"You suggest what?" asked the old man as he lifted the rifle.

"Mom I have to do something." said Clark as he and his mother watched secretly from the window above. Martha looked to him. "You know what your father said. They'll hurt you Clark. They only have bad intentions."

"Hurt me?!" asked Clark. "They'll kill Dad!"

"Get him Jonathan. Get him out here." ordered the old man.

"I think you better leave." said Jonathan.

A shot rang out and Jonathan shook slightly as he looked down to see a hole from which the bullet had hit, not three inches from his foot.

The rush of air blew Jonathan's hair slightly. He looked to his right and there stood his son.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"We want you out of Smallville!" yelled a voice.

"Why?" asked Clark.

"You're not human. We don't want that in our town."

"I'm not leaving. My family is here, my friends are here. This is MY home."

He walked towards the mob and a shot went off, this time directed at Clark himself. The bullet hit the young Kent's chest and fell to the ground to the shock of the crowd. With the use of his speed, Clark was now in front of the shooter. He seized the rifle and bent it in to a circle before throwing it away. But as he did this, the clicking of another gun could be heard. Clark turned around to see that a man had now placed a small pistol to his father's head.

"Get out of here!" he yelled.

"Put that down." Clark said dryly as he stared at the man. "You....you leave me alone freak!"

"I won't say it again." Clark said. "Put it down." He saw that the man was squeezing the trigger slightly. He had to do something.

"Clark?!" yelled Martha from the window.

"Don't do anything stupid." said Jonathan to the man.

Clark lost it as he yelled out in anger and stomped the ground. The ground, like everything within a hundred feet range, shook violently. Several windows of the Kent house broke and pictures fell from the walls. The old man, along with a few other people, fell to their backsides. The man who had had the gun to Jonathan's head went a bit off balance. This was Clark's chance. He ran, like lightning to the man and grabbed the pistol. He squeezed and soon the gun was nothing. He grabbed the collar of the man's shirt and easily held him up. He looked to the mob.

"No one threatens my family. Ever!" With this statement, he threw the man towards the mob and he landed with a groan.

"Get out of here!" ordered Clark, who was now breathing heavily with rage. It didn't take long, the people packed into their cars like there was no tomorrow and soon the Kent farm was quiet.

"Clark? Clark?" Martha shouted. She was at the bottom of the stairs, calling to her son who had been up in his room since the mob had left. "Clark what are you doing?"

Her question was soon answered as her son appeared at the stairs, with a backpack on. "Clark what's going on?"

"I'm done."

"Done what?"

"Packing....."

"Why?" his concerned mother asked.

"I can't stay here mom. I'd be putting you and Dad in danger. You saw what happened tonight." Clark replied.

"Clark, that's not your fault." Jonathan cut in.

"I know. But, they know my secret. I can't be here. They're all afraid of me.......even Lana." he sighed. "You know I love you both. I'll call you as soon as I can."

"Clark you're not going anywhere." Jonathan said.

"This isn't a discussion Dad. I'm sorry but I've made up my mind."

"But where? Where will you go?" asked Martha.

Clark looked her in the eyes, then to his father.

"Metropolis......."