Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or anything having to do with Superman.

Death Wish
By: Jeanka

Doctors raced around them as the intercom kept paging. The two women looked fearfully at each other as another doctor was called to room 67. They had been called in almost six hours prior by Professor Hamilton. A cell phone went off.

"Lois Lane," one of the women told the cell phone.

"Lois," Chloe Sullivan's voice shrieked on the other end. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours. I can't find her anywhere."

"Then you aren't looking hard enough," replied Lois glancing over to Lana. "She didn't just take off, especially with her father so ill. I mean, he's really sick, Chloe."

"I know, it's getting Tren to show herself. I think she's been on patrol the whole night."

"Did you try calling 'help!'" suggested Lois.

"Even if I did, she'd know it was me right away," sighed Chloe. "What do I do?"

Lois handed the phone to Lana when she noticed Professor Hamilton walking up. "Any word?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm afraid that whatever it is, it's very bad. He's condition is deteriorating, but we have narrowed the time frame of when he was infected. His only hope is time travel, but that means we need Tren. She's the only one capable of making it back in one piece with the device we have."

"Lana," Lois said turned to the other woman on the couch. "I'm going outside and screaming for Tren."

"Why bother?"

"Tren!" both women cried as Lois pulled her into a hug which was not returned.

"Where have you been?" Lois demanded and Lana informed Chloe about what was happening.

"Around," Tren shrugged it off. Lois shook her head at the girl who was an image of her father. She had Clark's hair and eyes. Her build was similar, but Tren had an attitude that matched no other unlike her father. "So what's going on here?" Tren asked glancing up at Professor Hamilton.

"Ah, yes, well… Superman is dieing," he said evenly.

Tren didn't even blink. Her only reaction was a raised eyebrow.

"He was infected by a bio-toxin back when he was a teenager. The toxin has already run its course making it impossible to treat now. His only hope is sending someone back in time to the moment of the infection and stop it from ever happening," explained Professor Hamilton.

"When do I leave?" Tren asked.

"Wait a second," said Lana. "That's it. You're just going to jump into a spinning temporal vortex and expect to survive?"

"I've done it before," Tren reminded her. "I'll be fine. Just set the coordinates right this time."

"I've already arranged everything. The only thing remaining is your good-byes," Professor Hamilton said.

"Good-byes? To who?"

"Ah-hum," Lana cleared her throat.

Tren starred at them blankly. "Oh right. Dad." She walked into the back. Doctors practically jumped out of her way.

"We're chop liver," stated Lois.

Lana sighed. "I'm going to meet Chloe. She'll be here any minute."

"Wait up," Lois said following her.

"Dad," Tren said standing over Superman. His eyes were closed, but he was floating about an inch above the bed.

"About time you showed up," he muttered. "I was beginning to think you didn't care at all."

"Anything I should know?" she asked sitting in the chair beside the bed.

"Lex Luther is not for you to judge. Be aware of him, but don't necessarily assume that he isn't my friend. Oh, and stay away from me."

"That's harsh."

Superman opened his eyes and looked at her. "Not me now. Me then."

"Well, duh."

Superman pressed his lips together and looked at her. "Honey, no matter what happens, I love you. Understand? Don't kill yourself by being a hero. Some things are meant to happ…" He couldn't get the last word out before fell into the bed crashing through it onto the floor. Several Doctors came in and Tren exited discretely to find Professor Hamilton.

"Ready?" he asked as she entered his lab.

"Let's do this."

Professor Hamilton nodded and began pressing buttons on the console in front of him. "You know what to do," he said and she moved to the center of the room as a portal began to form above her. "Don't do anything Superman wouldn't do," he said and gave her the thumbs up.

She nodded and flew up into it.

"God help her…"

TBC