"Mom? Dad?" Clark Kent called frantically.
He wasn't sure what happened.
One moment he was in the loft, and he heard some kind of commotion. .
That was just before the brilliant almost blinding flash of golden light.
Next thing he knew, he was outside the barn, feeling dizzy. It was so difficult to stand his legs were shaking.
Consequently, he was barely able to comprehend the scene before him. .
Two men were fighting. One was bald and dressed in green. The other, tall with dark hair, was dressed in typical Smallville colors: red shirt, blue pants, yellow belt buckle.
While he struggled to comprehend all this, Clark saw yellow dots before his eyes. Then he saw only darkness. .
When he came to, he was back in the loft again. As he slowly rose, he felt weak, in pain. Aches all over.
At first, Clark stood unsteadily, groaning loudly. When he tried to run, he could only stagger forward.
He tried again, but no. Super-speed was out. Were there solar flares again?
He had some vague memory that recently there were solar flares, that they messed up his powers somehow. He recalled saying at the time that one minute his powers were in overdrive, the next minute nothing.
Clark frowned. Was that right? Could that be right?
I have to move, he thought.
As Clark staggered from the barn to the kitchen, he was thinking all kinds of weird thoughts, seeing all kinds of strange things. Bizarre images.
As his head pounded, Clark saw his friends. Only they were different. There was Lex with a red goatee and a grim look. Lana wearing glasses and a deep frown. Pete and Chloe dressed in black, both glaring at him.
Because of the intensity of these images, Clark didn't notice the strange situation right away. The living room? It was covered with cobwebs.
The kitchen, too.
Once Clark did notice, he called more loudly and frantically than he had before.
"Mom! Dad!"
No answer. Just an echo.
When Clark staggered outside, there was no lowing of cattle, no roaring of a tractor engine, no indication of any life on the farm.
"Hello?"
Again, no answer.
His head ached, and he felt really groggy. Super-groggy, in fact.
As he staggered toward the road where he caught the bus to school, he tried the super-speed again.
No go. .
And he felt too weak to run, anyway.
Still feeling that pounding throbbing headache, Clark began walking into Smallville.
He wasn't sure how long he wandered or even what direction he wandered in. (Maybe more than one direction.) But then he saw it.
A tattered and torn billboard. It said:
Smallville, Creamed Corn Capital of the World
That was weird. But wait, hadn't the billboard always said that? No, no. Something was definitely different here.
Something was really wrong.
Clark mulled over this all the way downtown. Once there, he found what he thought was a deputy.
It was, in fact, Sheriff Ethan.
But Clark didn't even recognize him.
In fact, because of all his mental confusion, not to mention so much shock and stress, Clark didn't remember that some months ago Ethan had been replaced by Sheriff Adams.
For that matter, Clark was so out of it he didn't even remember Ethan had framed his dad.
As far as Clark knew, he was just talking to some anonymous deputy.
"Hey, can you help me?" he asked as he struggled to catch his breath. He was out of breath? Just from walking?
And sweating, too! Clark gazed at his glistening arms as he struggled to speak.
"Um...There were two guys fighting. There's...something wrong. Can't find my parents. I think the two guys...they did...they've done,,,,I think they did something to the farm.."
In his hazy mind, Clark struggled to form thoughts. Maybe they were meteor freaks with the power to create cobwebs. Spider-guys.
"Yeah, I think they've done something to the farm," Clark mumbled.
"Which farm?" Ethan asked.
Wiping his brow with the back of his hand, Clark made a face. "Our farm. The Kent farm." Man, he felt so dizzy.
Ethan frowned. "Son, nobody's lived out there for years. What did you say your name was?"
"You know. Clark Kent." What was going on here?
Ethan eyed him suspiciously. "You're Jonathan's...nephew?"
"His son," Clark said, more confused than annoyed. The man in front of him slipped out of focus.
"The Kents never had a son." When the man spoke, it was like his voice echoed through some metal tunnel.. "Look, I don't like jokes..."
Ethan was cut off by squawking over the car radio. The noise was so loud Clark clutched his ears. A moment later, everything slipped back to normal.
Seriously, what was going on?
Blinking his eyes, Clark tried to focus on the man he thought was the deputy. After talking on his car radio, that man got behind the wheel of his squad car and drove off without another word.
What was that about? Clark wondered. Probably that deputy just didn't know his family very well. Or he was just new to Smallville.
But what happened out at the farm?
Man, he felt so weak. Like he was sore all over.
As a dizzy and sweating Clark looked around, he saw it.
Smallville had changed.
It was like the area around him was spinning as Clark observed the changes..
The water tower bore the logo of Luthorcorp. Fordman's Department Store had been replaced with something called "Luthor Superstore." And the Talon was gone, replaced by a parking garage.
For a moment, Clark felt so dizzy everything turned yellow. Next moment, everything was back in focus, and he felt a little more steady.
In that moment, he saw two very familiar people.
His friends Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan.
They were different, too.
Dressed all in black, Chloe was wearing so much mascara she looked Goth. Pete was wearing a shiny black leather jacket with a dragon emblem. As he walked, he pounded a fist into a flat open palm.
They both walked by without a word.
Quickly, Clark caught up to them. "Hey, Chloe, Pete. What's going on? What's happened to the town? Where's the Talon?"
"The what?" When Chloe blinked, she looked irritated. "Do I even know you?"
Clark laughed. "Yeah, very funny. Clark Kent. Remember?" he said with mock emphasis. "We've been going to the same school for like forever. Well, actually, Chloe, you just got here in eighth grade. But Pete..."
Before, Chloe had seemed simply irritated. Now she was angry in a way Clark had never seen. "Look, if you're trying to pull a scam, we don't have any money."
"And it's not a very good scam," Pete said.
"A scam? Guys, it's me, Clark."
"Hey! Why don't you just back off?" Pete was right in Clark's face, figuratively if not literally. He was practically against Clark's chest but of course he had to look up. "Smallville's not the kind of place you talk to strangers."
For a moment, Clark was confused. Then he laughed. "Okay, guys. Very funny. Look, you've gone far enough with the joke. Nice new looks, by the way." He made his wince-face. "You guys mad at me about something?"
"Look, freakazoid, just back off, okay?" Pete shouted.
Clark held up two open palms. "Whoa, Pete. Take it easy."
"Back off!"
As they walked away, Clark followed from a slight distance. "Hey, Pete, Chloe, I don't know what this is about-"
Pete turned on him fiercely and suddenly. "It's about you leaving us alone! Smallville's bad enough now that Lionel Luthor has taken over." Pete practically sputtered when he spoke.
Clark squinted in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Pete gestured wildly, an apparent outlet for the rage reflected in his face. "I'm talking about the crime rate's so high, you either have to know self-defense or walk with somebody."
"Or both," Chloe said.
Pete waved his arms wildly. "Isn't all that bad enough without being bothered by you?"
Wearing a fierce glare, Pete raised a fist. Clark stepped back, holding up both hands. "Whoa! Look, Pete-"
Pete got in Clark's face again. As much as he could.
"How'd you know my name? Are you one of Lionel Luthor's spies?"
"Pete, chill," Chloe said. To Clark: "Look, just leave us alone. Maybe you could go bother some of the patients at Belle Reve? They're doing some wonderful things with medication there nowadays. Okay? All right? Just move along, stretch."
Clark just stood there, stunned and speechless.
"I'll put him on my 'Wall of Weirdos,'" Chloe muttered as they walked away.
"Got that right," Pete said. "You can put him right next to the 'Human Spider.'"
"Yeah. Peter Parker," Chloe said in a light scoffing voice. "What a dweeb."
But then just for a moment they both looked back. And they both looked just a little confused.
Only for a moment. Then they continued on.
After briefly mulling over the strange incident, Clark went off in another direction.
What had happened to everyone? As he struggled to figure all this out, Clark wandered past City Hall. At first, he barely noticed those gathered outside. Then he saw a familiar and welcome face.
"Dad!" Clark shouted. "I really need to talk to you."
Jonathan Kent, holding a picket sign, responded with a bemused smile. "I'm sorry, son. You must have me confused with someone else."
Clark was stunned. It was one thing for Chloe and Pete to play a joke like this but...
"Dad, it's me. Clark!"
"Well, I may look like your dad..."
"You are my dad! Look, there's something really weird going on. Please. You've gotta help me."
"Look, I'm sorry, I'm busy here. We're protesting Lionel Luthor's environmental policies. Ever since he became mayor..."
Short of breath again, Clark got out the words in a kind of yelp. "Lionel became mayor? When?"
Though obviously a little troubled, Jonathan attempted a smile. "Last year. Special election. One he probably bought. You must be new to Smallville."
Clark felt such a rush of emotions he thought he would go insane. "New to Smallville? Dad, I've been living here my whole life! Don't you remember? You adopted me!"
"You need to stop calling me 'Dad!'"
In Clark's mind, his dad spoke in a deep rumbling voice. And for just a moment, he looked like some kind of hideous lion-faced creature. Then the mental flash was gone.
That was followed by another wave of extreme dizziness.
"Hey, you all right?" Jonathan asked in a normal voice.
"I'm...not sure." Holding a hand to his forehead, Clark thought how the headaches were even worse than when he was developing his X-ray vision.
What was going on here?
Had some kind of meteor freak erased the memories of his father? Altered Pete and Chloe somehow? Done something to his own mind?
Wait. Lex had his own labs. At Luthorcorp. Maybe Lex could help him find some answers. Wherever he was.
"Look, I'm sorry," Jonathan said. "I don't know you."
For Clark, that stung. A lot. Worse than anything in his life.
Barely able to look up or keep his tearful eyes open, Clark spoke in a pleading tone of voice. "Don't you remember...adopting me?"
Jonathan winced. "Well, I wish that were true. My wife and I weren't able to have children."
"What are you talking about?" Clark grabbed Jonathan's shoulders. "Dad, where's Mom? Is she all right?" Seeing his father's fearful reaction, Clark let go. With eyes full of confusion, he shook his head as he struggled to speak calmly. "Martha Kent, I mean. Where is she?"
Clark had seen his father's hurt look before but nothing like this. "Martha Kent..." Jonathan swallowed hard "...died shortly after we lost the farm. Probably from all the poison pumped out by Luthorcorp!"
Clearly angry, Jonathan slapped a hand on Clark's shoulder.
"Are you one of Lionel Luthor's spies? Huh? Were you sent here to hurt me?"
"Dad, no. I...No."
For a while, both men just stood there with moist eyes. Finally, a tearful Clark spoke.
"Dad...sir...I don't understand. Why is all this happening?"
Az he swallowed hard again, Jonathan shook his head. "I don't know. But I sincerely hope you find what you're looking for."
What Clark found was Lionel Luthor making his way through the protestors.
"Mister Luthor!" Clark reached him just as he got into his limo. "Can you tell me where Lex is?"
From inside the open window, the face of the older Luthor turned to stone. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"
"N-no. No. I just really need to find Lex."
As he glared, Lionel struggled to speak. "Young man, my son went over...the Loeb Bridge in his Porsche. He ….drowned... It's been almost three years now. How dare...how dare you." Quickly, the elder Luthor composed himself. "Now if you'll excuse me."
Clark watched in stunned silence as the limo drove away, the protestors shouting and chanting in its wake. Clark felt sick, a sickness even worse than that caused by...
... the meteor rocks. Or was it actually called kryptonite?
His head felt like it was throbbing violently. What was wrong here?
As Clark staggered away, he saw another man who looked familiar. Once he realized who it was, Clark hurried over to him. In a non-super manner. Too weak and dizzy to do otherwise.
"Hey! You were one of the men at the farm," Clark said. "That's when all this started. What have you done? Are you some kind of meteor freak?"
"No. Nothing like that," the man said in a weak voice.
"Who are you?"
The stranger limped as he walked. "I'm a friend. From the future."
"The future?" At first, Clark frowned. Then, wincing slightly, he adopted a concerned look. "Look, we'll get you help."
"It will be hard for you to understand. But the other man, the one I was fighting, he traveled back in time to stop the meteor shower from happening."
Clark made a face. "Time travel? That's like science fiction."
"Most of your life is science fiction, Clark."
Guy's got a point, Clark thought. If I can be from another planet, why can't he be from the future? I'll hear him out. Groaning while holding his stomach, the stranger sat down on a bench. "This other time traveler went back to the day of the meteor shower. Caused your ship to go off course."
As the stranger waved his hand, he spoke in a low mumble. "So you see, your ship never landed in Smallville. You died inside your ship...or ended up on another planet...maybe inhabited...maybe empty..."
As he trailed off, his mouth hung open, and his gaze fell on nothing. Just for a moment. Then he rubbed his eyes before he continued..
"Anyway, after he sent your ship off course, he moved ahead to see the results." The stranger held out his hands. "And here it is. As you can see. Even without X-ray vision."
"How do you know about-?"
"I know a lot of things, Clark. I'm from the future. What's secret now is history later."
"Right. Of course." For a moment, Clark just stood there in confused silence. "But...how is it I'm still here?"
The stranger shrugged. "Before the other guy went back to the day of the meteor shower, I showed up here. Threw you into a protective time portal. That portal drew the other guy to this time. We ended up in a big fight. While we were fighting, he managed to rip your time portal open. Then he tried to blow us both up with a temporal bomb."
Clutching his stomach with both hands, the stranger groaned loudly. "I took the worst of it. Hurts just to think about it. But a temporal bomb mixed with a ripped-open time portal? It messes with your mind, your whole body. Makes you dizzy, weak. In your case, it messes up your powers, too."
"Yeah, I have been having problems. But all this is real? It's not just some illusion?"
"Oh, it's real. But there won't be another bomb. Fortunately, time travel means you have to pack light. Timeship. Terminator. Same rules. Can't take much along. That was the only bomb Lex had."
"Lex?" Clark said.
"Ah, shouldn't have told you that. But..." Frowning deeply, the stranger sighed. "Not the Lex Luthor you know. Not the Lex of this time. I'm talking about his descendant. Lex Luthor the Thirteenth."
"So...you're both from the future?"
"Right."
"This is all so much to take in." Stunned, and struck with a fresh wave of dizziness, Clark plopped down on the bench. "What...what do we do?"
"We don't do anything. I may not be recovered enough by the time he gets back from the time tunnel I threw him into."
"We could get you help."
"Smallville Medical Center is not exactly equipped to deal with this sort of thing. Besides, it'll clear up eventually. But..." Another groan along with gritted teeth and a face full of pain. The stranger was even trembling slightly. "You may have to face Lex on your own."
"I'm not sure I can." Leaning forward on the bench, Clark clutched his head in his hands. "This is all...it's just so much to take in, you know?."
Weakly, the stranger placed a hand on Clark's back. "You've got this, Clark. You can do this."
But what if he couldn't? Clark looked around at this other Smallville. As he did, he noticed the Smallville Public Library. Sitting outside was...
"Lana," he whispered. Abruptly, he stood up. "I'm going to go talk to her."
"Clark, there's no time-Well, there's time. I mean, this is time travel. Marty McFly certainly knew about that. Well, look how that turned out. At least at first." The stranger made a face. "Shutting up now."
"I'm going to go talk to Lana. Right now I could really use a friend."
"But she won't even know you," the stranger insisted. "Not to be all Clarence the Guardian Angel here. But it's true. She won't know you. So what's the point, Clark?"
"I need someone familiar right now. I'll find a way to get through to her."
With his face scrunched up in pain again, the stranger waved his hand. "Okay, Clark. Go do whatever. I'll just stay here and recover or die or whatever. Just the whole future at stake. No biggie."
"Huh?"
"Sorry. The bomb. Messes up the mind, remember? Go. I'll be fine."
"You sure?" Clark asked.
"Go," the stranger said, waving his hand "You're right. Lana. She's a good influence on you."
Clark hardly needed permission. When you're Clark Kent you go where you want when you want. Clark dashed over to the Smallville Public Library.
Sitting outside was the love of Clark's life, Lana Lang. Leaning into her book, she wore dark thick glasses, and to be honest, she looked a little angry.
As she got up to leave, Clark spoke.
"Lana."
It sounded more urgent than he would have liked. When he saw her frightened look, he quickly held up both hands. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Look, I didn't come here to be picked up or get hit on." Lana spoke with an iciness Clark had never heard in her before. Under her glasses, she had angry narrow brown eyes.
"I'm not trying to do anything like that. You looked like a nice person so I asked someone your name." Shrugging, he attempted a disarming smile.
"Ugh, what is that?" she said when she saw the smile. Just like with the deputy, it was like her voice echoed in a metal tunnel. "Are you about to kill Batman or something? And what's with the stalker routine?"
But it was only a brief illusion. Another mental effect from the explosion, Clark thought as he blinked and shook his head.
"Hey, you all right?" she asked softly. And it was real. She sounded genuinely concerned.
"I'm fine. Just headaches. Don't worry about it." As he winced, Clark went on. "Anyway, I was hoping we could be friends."
Lana gave him a look that said she was sizing him up. Slightly tense moment for Clark. But obviously her evaluation was positive. She smiled and said, "Could always use another friend, I guess. Besides, my dad always says it's not safe to walk the streets of Smallville alone."
Clark tried not to react to the news that Lana's father was alive. Instead, he grinned. "Your dad sounds like a smart guy."
"He's got a weird sense of humor, though."
"I know. I mean, so I've heard." Again, Clark made his wince-face. "Why are you out alone?"
"Some friends abandoned me. Story of my life." With a look now only slightly less icy, Lana tilted her head. "Walk with me. But don't try anything. I know how to take care of myself."
"Warning noted." Clark thought that if Lana did use her spin kick she might bounce off him. And even break her ankle or her leg or something. He'd have to be careful to pull back.
That was assuming in this new reality Lana had a spin kick.
For a moment, Clark had another mental flash. Lana with fangs. Then Lana as a zombie. Wait, more like some kind of corpsey-thing. Thankfully, the images were brief.
"You all right?" Lana asked.
"I'm fine. It's nothing. Like I said, just...headaches."
After that, they walked in silence. But judging by the dimpled grin and the big-brown-eye gaze, Lana was sizing him up again.
"You're not from Smallville, are you?"
A nervous smile from Clark. "What makes you say that?"
"Because you're actually cheerful and happy. Not like anyone around here."
Clark was amazed at how cynical Lana sounded and how it seemed so natural for her.
"You may have noticed Smallville is not the happiest place on Earth."
Clark's hands went into his pockets as he looked around absently. "Yeah, I did notice actually."
"If there's a bright center to the universe you're in the town it's farthest from."
"Hey. Good Luke Skywalker reference."
Her brown eyes shifted uncertainly, and she scowled. Clark had never seen Lana scowl. Not like this anyway. Not even when they had their argument about Whitney and Kyle Tippett.
"You know, it's funny," Lana said in a very un-funny tone.
"What's that?"
"When Lionel Luthor took over as mayor, he said he was going to rule over Smallville with an iron fist." She clenched her small hand.
Clark made a face. "Kind of a bad campaign slogan."
"Well, he kept his promise. And since then, things have just gotten a lot worse."
Inside, Clark still could not accept the idea of Lionel as mayor. Outwardly, he simply nodded. "Smallville does seem like a gloomy place." It was ironic considering how Lana had said, more than once, that everything would be so much better for everybody if the meteor shower had just never happened. "How do you deal with it?"
She shrugged. "I have a pretty good life here. I 'm a cheerleader. Had a brief stint as a waitress."
"Yeah. You broke more cups in one day than anyone else. Uh, I'm guessing."
At first, Lana gave him a brief puzzled look. Then: "Anyway, yeah. I was a waitress. And my dad did not like that at all. He was almost as bad as my Aunt Nell!" She laughed. "But the thing is, I have parents who love me. I have great friends like Tina Greer and Eric Summers."
Looking wistful, Lana hugged her shoulders. Clark noted she was wearing a pink sweater.
"Still, it's like something is missing. Or someone."
"I understand," Clark said.
"So you don't think I'm weird?"
"No, I don't think you're weird...Lana." Another shrug, another grin. "You know what? I'm someone who looks at the stars and wonders what his life would be like on another world."
Lana smiled up at him. "You don't have a telescope you use to spy on any unsuspecting neighbors, do you?"
"Uh, no."
More of that smile. "You know, normally I'm not this open with a stranger. But there's something about you that's reassuring. Something I trust."
"Yeah?"
"Maybe you should have run for mayor."
"I don't think politics is for me."
"What do you think you'll do with your life?"
"I'm not sure. As long as it doesn't involve putting on a suit and doing a lot of flying."
"Hello, Clark," someone said.
Clark turned, and two things happened at once. The first was he saw the man. He was a bald man. Looked a lot like Lex, only older. Lines under his eyes. And oh, yeah, a red goatee.
The other thing that happened was Clark felt the debilitating weakening effects of the green meteor rocks. Immediately, Clark was down on his knees clutching his stomach.
"I'm being terribly rude. Allow me to introduce myself," the bald-goatee man said. "I'm Lex Luthor the Thirteenth. If it's not too much of a cliché', I'm here to destroy you."
"Uh," Clark groaned.
"What is this?" Lana asked.
"By the way, I hate finding my way out of a time tunnel."
"Uh."
"You like my kryptonite suit, Clark?" After he waved his green lapel, goatee-Lex assumed an intensely grim look. "Oh. Would you excuse us...Lana?" Without even looking at her, Lex-13 pushed Lana aside.
"Hey!"
"Wow. Not every day I get to push around a historical figure like Lana Lang."
"Leave her alone!" Clark shouted. He tried to get up but all he could do was roll over on his back.
"What are you doing to him?" Lana demanded.
"Please, Lana. The grown-ups are talking. Well, one grown-up anyway."
"I've got mace," Lana warned. She pulled it out of her purse and fired. Lex-13 just stood there.
"Invisible face shield," he said, gesturing to his face.. Lana responded with a spin-kick.
"Ow," she said.
"Bored," from Lex-13. After he pushed Lana away again, he turned back to Clark. As he looked down on Clark, Lex-13 spoke in a voice as grim as the look on his face.
"You know, I have to say: this is pretty pathetic, Clark. These people don't even know you, and you actually want to fight for them?"
Clark felt like the sensation of a broken rib was pulsing throughout his entire body. Despite his pain and weakness, he spoke through gritted teeth.
"I'll...stop you."
"Really, Clark? Doesn't look like you've got much fight in you." As Lex-13 adjusted his black gloves, he glared at Clark. "Is the suit too much? Should I have gone with the kryptonite ring? So hard to get out of the museum, though. And I like to use my own inventions.".
"So do I.." As the stranger limped into the scene, he held out what looked like a silver remote control. As he walked, he rapidly clicked buttons "There. Force field down. Not so tough now, are you?. Lana, you all right?"
"I think so. Ow."
"I can relate" Bending over slightly, the stranger continued to slowly limp toward Lex-13.. "You know, Lex, what you've done is very stupid. You've killed Lex Luthor. You know, the one in this time? Your ancestor. You won't even exist any more."
Without even looking, Lex-13 held out a gloved hand, and the stranger stood frozen in place. Unmoving. Unblinking.
"Despite the best computer models, I can't always predict these things," Lex-13 said. "But I can go back and correct what went wrong. I'll be doing a lot of that from now on. Changing time. Observing the results. Keeping what I like. Changing what I don't like." A light shrug. "Nothing else to do. And plenty of time to do it."
Lex knelt down, which intensified the effects of the kryptonite. Besides the broken-rib-all-over pouding pain, Clark felt like he wanted to throw up but couldn't.
"You see, Clark, I can alter the past and I can see the future. Nothing can stop me. Not even you."
Desperate to stall, Clark spoke, albeit in a raspy voice. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because in the future, the supermen rule. I want to be the one who rules." Lex spoke with an almost glacial calm.
Clark saw the stranger just standing there. Why wasn't he doing anything?
When he stood, Lex-13 towered over Clark. "My father thought the kryptonite suit was overkill. But he always taught me to plan for every contingency. Somehow I knew even after I changed the past that just like a bad penny you would keep showing up. Somehow you always do. I guess we're alike that way, Clark. We're both survivors."
Desperate, Clark reached out his hand. "Lana...help me."
"Oh, please, Clark," Lex said. "These people don't know you. They don't care. Ugh!" he said. Or maybe "Oof!" That happened just as Lana kicked him.
Before he could recover, Lana followed with another kick. From Lex-13, another "Oof!" Then, quickly jumping up, future-Lex assumed a fighting stance. Clark watched as he and Lana circled each other.
With great effort, Clark turned to the stranger. "Why aren't you...doing something?"
"Got me caught in a stasis field. But I did manage to turn off his protective force field first. Using the device in my hand. You remember that, right?"
"Uh," Clark said, writhing on the ground.
"Wish I could do more...whoa. Lana's got quite the spin-kick, doesn't she? Well, no news to you. But I've only read about it in the history books. Oh, good. Here comes help."
Jonathan appeared beside Clark. "You okay?"
"Not really," Clark said with a groan. "Just help me...get away. Drag me away from here."
"Yeah, sure."
Once a groaning Jonathan had dragged him a good distance, Clark was able to stand. Despite his recent ordeal, he felt better. No more dizziness, no mental flashes. Talking to Lana must have helped.
Standing next to Jonathan, Clark noticed Pete and Chloe standing nearby, both blinking in confusion as they looked on.
"Listen, you guys," Clark said. "I know you don't know me. But if you help me take down that bald man over there, things can get better in Smallville."
Chloe frowned. "The bald guy? You mean, the one fighting the cheerleader?"
"The one who looks like Uncle Fester?" Pete asked.
"And wearing an ugly green suit?" from Chloe.
"That's him," Clark said with a smile and a quick nod. "Will you help me?"
Jonathan wore a thoughtful look. "You know, it's funny. I can't explain it. But I feel like somehow I know you, that I can trust you."
"Yeah. Same here," Chloe said.
"It's weird," Pete said, shaking his head. "Hey, sorry about before, man."
Clark smiled. "It's all right, Pete. There's a reason you feel like you know me. We're connected in a way I can't explain. I don't even understand it myself. Right now, though, we need to take out that guy."
"I'm with you...son," Jonathan said.
As Pete punched a flat palm with his fist, Chloe shrugged. "Not like there's anything else to do in this leafy little hamlet. Come on, Pete. Let's go help the cheerleader. Before she has a pom-pom meltdown."
"I'm ready to rumble," Pete said.
"Well," Jonathan said. "If I can't get Lionel..." Then he rushed off.
"Ugh!" Lex said as they all converged on him.
Moments later, they were all standing over an unconscious Lex. Well, except Clark. He kept his distance from the kryptonite suit. But he did get a good crack in. Verbalwise.
"You got a contingency plan for that?" he shouted with a grin.
"Good work," the stranger said. "Now let me tell you how to bring down this stasis field."
Once Clark had the stasis field down, something happened. Just like that, a ship appeared. A red, blue and gold ship.
"My timeship," the stranger explained. "Camouflage program ran out."
"Nice ride," Pete said.
"Whoa," Chloe said. "Primary colors much?"
"This is so weird," Lana murmured.
"You're right about that," Jonathan said.
The timeship was set up much like a World War II fighter craft: cockpit in the front, another seat in the back. With some kind of clear dome floating above both seats. The stranger stowed Lex-13 in the back, a lead-lined straitjacket over his kryptonite suit.
"Oh, no," the stranger muttered. "He's awake."
"Wish I wasn't," Lex-13 groaned.
"I never did catch your name," Clark said to the stranger.
"It's Clarence," he said.
"You're kidding," Lana said.
"Seriously?" from Chloe.
"Someone lose a bet with that name?" Jonathan asked with a chuckle.
"No doubt. Man, your parents must have been cruel," Pete said.
"Yeah, what's the deal?" Clark asked.
"They named me after the angel in 'It's A Wonderful Life.'"
"Ridiculous, isn't it?" Lex muttered. "Like everything else in our sickening utopian world."
"Quiet, you," Clarence said.
"Seems to fit in this situation," Clark said with a smile. "What's your last name?"
"Kent. Clarence Kent."
"Any relation?" Jonathan asked.
"Will be." Clarence stopped to check the restraints on Lex then he turned back to Clark. "You know, in the future, you're something of a role model."
"A role model? Me?" Clark said with a light laugh.
Clarence smiled and nodded. "And now that I've met you in person, I understand why."
"I wasn't exactly at my best today," Clark said.
"Still, I saw greatness in you." As he took his place in the pilot seat, Clarence gave Clark a thumbs-up. "I'll go back. Day of the meteor shower. Put everything back to normal."
"That'd be great. Thanks." Clark winced. "How does that work exactly?"
"It'll involves more than one of me running around, or in this case, flying around in the past. Try to avoid that if you can. Oh, by the way once the timeline is back to normal, your memory of all this should fade away in about an hour."
Clark lifted his hand in a wave. He couldn't help feeling sad, though. It was like the meteor shower was going to happen all over again for Lana. For everyone.
But overall, it seemed for the best.
As the ship vanished in a red, blue and yellow streak, Clark had the weird sensation of standing still while the world around him was spinning.
Then, Clark Kent was home. The Talon was back. Fordman's Department Store. A water tower that was Luthorcorp-logo-free.
Smallville looked normal again.
Once he ran home at super-speed, Clark found a perfectly normal kitchen. No cobwebs. Just two very familiar people.
"Mom! Dad! Great to see you guys."
"Hey, son," Jonathan said.
"Good to see you, too, Clark," Martha said as she stirred a bowl of something.. "What's the occasion?"
Clark shrugged. "Kind of hard to explain. I just had something happen that made me realize how lucky I am to have you guys. Kind of a very intense weird dream," he said with a wince.
He could tell them the whole story later.
Except of course it would fade from his memory.
Okay. Never mind.
"I just want you to know I really love you guys."
"We love you, too, son," Jonathan said with a chuckle. "But you still have to do your chores."
Even after attending to the fence, the drainage ditch, and the tractor, and after a super-speed run to the Talon, Clark was still in a chipper mood.
"Chloe, Pete," he said. "Great to see you guys!"
Chloe tilted her head back slightly. "Not that I don't appreciate the burst of holiday cheer. But what's this all about?"
Clark held out his arms. "Hey. Can't I just spread a little Christmas cheer to my friends?"
"And we'll always be friends, Clark," Pete said with a smile. "No matter how whack you are."
Adjusting his red backpack, Clark smiled. "Thanks, Pete. That means a lot." As he turned, he almost bumped into someone. "Lana!"
"Hey, Clark." When she smiled, it was devoid of all iciness and cynicism.
"Look, I just wanted to let you know, I'm really glad I know you."
Lana considered for a moment then laughed. But in a sweet way. "Wow," she said. "From the mild-mannered Clark Kent that's like an outpouring of emotion."
"I mean it, though," he said with a look more earnest and affectionate than usual. "I hope we'll always be friends. My life wouldn't be the same without you."
"I feel the same, Clark, absolutely." As she grinned, she glowed in the way only Lana could. "You know, we should get together some time and watch 'It's A Wonderful Life.' It's my favorite."
"Yeah?" Clark said. "Hey, mine, too."