I, Kal-el
(I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't wait until late September or whenever it is that Season 3 will begin, so this is my take on what happens after Clark leaves. The timeline begins approximately two weeks after Clark left. Since this story is mostly his point-of-view, there will be flashbacks to reveal what happened to the other characters.
A small note for the first chapter: I have borrowed lines from the first "Superman" movie. And now, on to Clark's journey...)
CHAPTER 1: Ashes of Krypton
Snow and ice...it was all that could be seen for miles in every direction. Clark Kent trudged steadily forward, the weather not impeding his travels at all. He found the isolation somewhat comforting, for other than his father's voice in his mind, he had no company on this journey.
Not that he really cared that much about it anyway. The red kryptonite on his ring was doing its job, taking away his emotional turmoil and inhibitions. The only thing that mattered to him at all was following his father's voice, to fulfill his destiny.
He'd left the old motorcycle behind at a storage depot in Minnesota, so that if he ever had the inclination to go back, which was looking very unlikely at the moment, it would be waiting there for his return.
"Onward, my son," said Jor-el. "You're almost there."
It still amazed Clark somewhat that somehow the ship, or at least his link to Jor-el, had managed to survive its encounter with the green kryptonite key he'd inserted into it. Yet, he realized that Jor-el had planned for that eventuality. Perhaps, if he hadn't destroyed the ship, everything would have been fine. Instead, everything, at least for the old Clark, had gone to hell. The new Clark just didn't care.
Jor-el's voice had been leading him in a generally northern direction for the past two weeks. Clark estimated that his travels had taken him very far within the Arctic Circle, though for the life of him he couldn't figure out why his father had led him this far.
Suddenly, a glint of light caught his eye, and he turned to his right. Only a few hundred yards away, an awesome sight stood on the snow-covered ground. The huge crystalline structure glowed with a faint light coming from within.
"You have arrived, my son. Go on."
Clark squared his shoulders and walked to the crystal palace. As soon as he passed through the threshold, the cold vanished. This did not surprise Clark too much, as Kryptonian technology had proven to have much advancement over what he'd experienced on Earth. As he ascended a small staircase, he could see the architecture of this place was clearly unlike anything humans would build. Most of the internal structure of the building was supported by crystal columns on diagonals rather than right angles.
Clark turned and saw what appeared to be a control panel of some sort on a raised dais. He walked up to it, and the moment he came within a foot of it, a faint hum could be heard from the other end of the chamber. Clark looked up to see beams of light coalescing together into a single image. After a minute, the image had clarified into a man with white hair and an expression of wisdom on his face.
"Hello, my son," said the image. Clark was surprised that the voice was real, not just in his mind. "I am Jor-el, your father. I am certain that you have many questions for me, and perhaps we can find the answers together. First, however, there is one matter to attend to." Without warning, a white energy beam shot from the control panel and slammed into Clark. Clark had expected some sort of physical pain, but he was unprepared for the emotional anguish that suddenly overwhelmed him. Looking down at his hand, he saw that the red kryptonite had been neutralized.
"YOU BASTARD!" Clark screamed. "You ruined my life! How am I supposed to face everyone I love after what happened?" He sank to his knees as the grief overwhelmed him.
Jor-el seemed to sigh. "I am sorry, my son. While I had anticipated that there would be some emotional turmoil, I had not expected it to be as severe as it was nor that it would cost your loved ones' a life."
Clark looked up and glared at him. "Do you actually expect me to forgive you for what you've done?"
"No, I do not," Jor-el admitted. "My intention had been to show you that personal connections will be dangerous for you in the future. Your enemies could use them to exploit your gifts."
Clark smirked. "Why would my enemies attack me when I'm ruling the whole planet?" he asked sarcastically.
For the first time, emotion passed over Jor-el's face in the form of puzzlement. "I think you misunderstood what I meant by 'ruling,' Kal-el. I meant that you should serve as a guide to them, a symbol of hope and what they could be if they moved past their petty hatred of each other."
The anger had receded to a point where Clark was no longer shaking with rage, and he could think more coherently. "You should have explained that to me. It may not have changed my decision about leaving Smallville, but I would have accepted it." He sighed. "So, what happens now?"
"I do have one last thing for you, my son," said Jor-el. "A sort of journey, if you will. That is, if you are interested."
Clark looked at the image of his father in contemplation. His father's face now held compassion along with the ever-present wisdom. While he still felt resentment for having been manipulated, he nevertheless felt a connection to the man in front of him, despite the fact that he was only a ghost of the past, and he did genuinely want to know where he came from. "Sure, why not," Clark replied.
Clark felt something moving within his mind, and the real world faded away.
****
When Clark opened his eyes, he found himself flying past the stars of deep space.
"Come with me now, my son," said the voice of Jor-el, "as we break through the boundaries of your Earthly confinement." Clark could feel the presence of his father moving with him. As they traveled, Jor-el imparted knowledge and guidelines to him. "It is forbidden for you to interfere with human history. If they are to learn from their past mistakes, then their past cannot be altered by your hand."
Clark saw a flaming cloud coming up to them, and Jor-el continued, "As we pass through the flaming turmoil that is the edge of your own galaxy, we will enter the realm of the red Krypton sun, source of your strength and nourishment...cause of our eventual destruction."
Clark reeled from this. A supernova...of course. What else could have destroyed an entire planet?
"The planet Krypton, my son, as it was," Jor-el pointed out. Clark looked and saw a snowy white sphere of a planet. They flew to the surface, surveying the vast cityscape, and Clark had his first taste of the world where he had been born.
"The sum total of knowledge spanning the twenty-eight known galaxies has been imbedded in the crystal control panel," Jor-el said. Clark realized that in this way, Krypton would never truly be forgotten.
As they flew past more stars, Jor-el continued, "By the time we return to the confines of your own galaxy, one of your months will have past." Jor-el was silent for a while, and then he said, "Live as one of them, Kal-el, and discover where your strength and your power will lead you. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-el, if they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For that reason above all, and their capacity for good, I have sent them you...my only son."
Clark felt his father's presence receding, and the stars faded from his sight.
****
Clark blinked his eyes open and looked around the chamber. The image of his father was nowhere to be seen. Clark suddenly realized that the link was broken, and he was now free to think for himself again. He quickly checked his digital watch, and it confirmed what Jor-el had said. Another month had indeed past.
Clark got up and began to walk back to the entrance, when he suddenly felt something else within him. He closed his eyes and focused. Without much effort, Clark floated off the ground. He opened his eyes and smiled slightly. He had come close to discovering this on his own, but his little trip had finished the mechanism in his mind to master levitation.
He knew that things would never be the same for him once he returned home, but it was something he had to do. He had to face the consequences of his actions, and he had to be more responsible in the future so that such events would not repeat themselves. As Clark accelerated and flew out of the crystal structure, he accepted his destiny as the Last Son of Krypton, and swore to himself that he would never again cause those he loved to suffer by his actions.
****
Jonathan Kent hauled another bale of hay into the barn and placed it onto the stack with a grunt. Wiping sweat off his forehead, he remarked on the fact that it never took this long just to do the hay, not with Clark...
Jonathan sighed to himself. Clark's disappearance two months ago had left heaviness in his heart. While he still felt that Clark should have trusted them with what he had been planning to do, he realized that he had overreacted. Clark probably shouldn't have put the key in the ship because he didn't know what was going to happen, but he had the right intentions. In any case, Jonathan blamed himself for Clark's disappearance.
Jonathan turned as he saw Martha walking over to the barn. Losing the baby had been saddening enough, but Clark vanishing had nearly torn them apart. They had routinely called the authorities to find him, but they knew it was hopeless. Having found out from Pete that Clark had taken a red kryptonite ring, it was doubtful he would ever return voluntarily.
Martha walked in and brushed some hair from in front of her eyes. "How's it going?" she asked.
"Alright, I guess," he replied. "It's just taking a lot longer than it should."
It was clear that Martha had picked up on his implication, because she felt a sob hitch in her chest. "I miss him so much, Jonathan," she said softly.
"I know, honey," he said, coming to wrap his arms around her. "I miss him, too. I never should have blamed him for this. It's true he acted rashly, but he was manipulated. I see that now."
"Don't blame yourself, sweetie," she said. "Clark felt that this was best for all of us. He didn't want to see any of us get hurt again."
"I just can't help thinking that we'll never see him again," Jonathan said, a single tear trickling down his cheek. "Especially with that damn ring on his finger."
"We can't give up hope," Martha said firmly. "Without hope, we have nothing."
The Kents just stood there holding each other for a minute, comforting each other. Suddenly, Jonathan noticed a noise off in the distance. It almost sounded like...
"Oh, my God," Jonathan breathed. He let go of Martha and sprinted out of the barn toward the driveway.
"Jonathan, what is it?" she asked as she ran after him. However, she stopped short as she saw the motorcycle turn into the driveway.
Clark brought the motorcycle to a stop about ten feet from his father. He killed the engine, and slowly walked to meet him. Before he could say a word, Jonathan had enveloped him in a strong embrace. "I knew it was you. I memorized that engine years ago," he said.
"Dad..." Clark started.
"It's ok, son," Jonathan said as he pulled back. "There's nothing to forgive. I'm just glad your home."
"Me too, Dad," Clark said, his voice breaking on a sob. He turned and walked over to Martha. "Mom..."
"I missed you so much, sweetie," she said as he pulled her into a hug.
"I missed you too, both of you," he replied. Pulling back, he continued, "I know I can never make up for what I did, but I'm hoping we can all move forward from what happened. I am sorry for what happened."
Jonathan and Martha looked at each other, and then back at Clark. "We never doubted that son, not for a moment," said Jonathan. "You just need to be able to trust other people sometimes and not do things yourself, ok?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Clark said, smiling slightly. "So, am I too late for dinner?"
"As a matter of fact," Martha said as they all turned and headed into the house, "I think the chicken is just finishing up right now."
****
Lana Lang sat at the foot of the tree, crying silently to herself. The summer had been one of the loneliest she'd ever had. She had been devastated when Clark had left, and it had only gotten worse. Chloe had blasted her for hiding the fact that she and Clark were together, but she was genuinely shocked when Lana told her what had happened at the Kent farm. Chloe had softened a little after that, but she and Lana had barely spoken to each other since then.
Lana wondered when it would end. First, she lost her parents to the meteor shower. Then, she lost Whitney to the war. Now, she lost Clark to his own grief after finally connecting with him. It seemed like a curse. Everyone she ever loved had died or disappeared. How many more people would she lose in her life?
Lana was broken from her musings by the sound of footsteps. As she looked up to see who was approaching, her breath froze in her throat and her eyes widened. She stood up on shaky legs. "Clark..." she breathed.
Clark stepped closer to her. "Lana, I..." He never had a chance to finish that sentence, for the petite girl in front of him had thrown herself into his arms and captured his lips with hers. Lana felt all the pain of his absence fade away in light of his return. She had dreamed of this for two months, against all the seemingly insurmountable doubts. Now, those doubts had been proven wrong.
Clark held Lana tightly, allowing the love and warmth from the kiss to radiate through him. Lana parted her lips, and Clark gladly took the invitation, caressing her tongue with his as he deepened the kiss.
Lana pulled away after about a minute to catch her breath. "When did you get back?" she asked breathlessly.
"Just last night," he replied. "I had to go home first, straighten things out with my parents." He sighed. "I missed you."
"You too," she said, leaning against him. "But you're back now...right?" She was scared that this wasn't real, that he would vanish at any moment.
"Yes, Lana, I am," Clark confirmed. "I can't even imagine how much you've gone through since I left, but I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I love you, Lana."
"I love you too, Clark," she said softly, leaning up to kiss him again. "Don't leave me again...please?" She was almost begging him.
"I promise I'll never leave you," he said, wrapping his arms around her again.
Unbeknownst to the two young lovers, a figure was watching them with a look of contempt. "Well, looks like you've finally come home, Clark," Chloe said darkly. "I wonder where you've been the last two months..."
TO BE CONTINUED...
