The Story of a Hero
Part I
Coming to SmallvilleHe looks out the viewport. This new world slow fills the viewport as his ship races to it. His mind drifts to the past. All that was lost. The price he paid. He has to do this. He will not rest till he has found and killed them all. There was no where in the galaxy they could hide. No more worlds will suffer because of them. He will stop the Monsters.
A beep brings him out of his thoughts. The ship has detected the presence of the Monsters but the Monster's technology prevents his ship from locking onto their location. The Monster's tech may be better than his but they cannot hide from his tracking skills. A quick scan reveals anomalies in one area. All the reports of strange events and beings in this one area make it clear this is where the Monsters were hiding. His suspicions are confirmed when his ship's review of the planet's computer files show an image of a local building with the Monster's writing on its side. He orders the ship to cloak and land just outside this place called Smallville. He will find the Monsters and do what must be done.
His readings show signs of something moving at super speeds thru this entire area. Not fresh but only a few days old. This proves Monsters are hiding here somewhere because only Monsters can move at those speeds. He continues his search for the building with the Monster's writing.
His search efforts are being greatly slowed by the necessity of staying out of sight. The Monsters may be able to blend into the local population but there was no way he could. The planetary survey of this world indicates that humans would be terrified by an alien's presence. His 7' reptilian form with tail and claws would certainly frighten these humans. Since he is only here for the Monsters, he feels it best to stay hidden. He bares these humans no ill will and wishes no conflict with them.
Meeting ChloeAs he prepares to move to the next building a noise catches his attention. Ducking back into the shadows of the roof top, he searches for the source. There! A human female is fleeing several males. The males drive her into a dead-end alley. They seem to want something from her. One of the males is pulling at her carryall. This is strange since he did not think males used carryalls here. The female clearly does not want to give the carryall up. She pulls a small device from the carryall and shoots something into the male's face. This causes the male to release the carryall but angers the other 3 males. They pull metal weapons from their garments. The female is shouting for help. The fear is clear on her face.
This is none of his business. Getting involved would only be risking alerting the Monsters to his presence. Still something about the female's determination holds his attention. She faces odds she knows she cannot defeat but she fights anyway. He realizes he cannot leave this female to her fate. This scene was all too similar to how Monsters operated. The strong are meant to protect not abuse the weak.
Sighing at the foolishness of risking his mission, he jumps from the roof. He lands amongst the males. They are stunned by his sudden appearance. He smells their fear. They are no match for him. In seconds, they are all down.
He turns to face the female and he is surprised not to see fear in her eyes. She even thanks him for helping her. She then collapses. As he examines her, he sees the weapon in her chest. He was too slow!! One of the males managed to stab her before he acted. Unable to watch her die, he scoops her into his arms and rushes back to his ship.
Luck is with him! The ship is able to save her. The ship warns him she will be weak and will need a great deal of food when she awakens. Of course, the nanobots would have consumed most of her body's reserves repairing the damage. His food would not meet her body's needs. He will have to do something about that but what.
After reviewing the ship's files on what humans eat, he takes some local currency from her carryall and heads out in search of food. It was simple for him to find a closed food vendor and even easier to enter it undetected. Not sure what the female prefers, he grabs an assortment of foods. He then leaves the currency on the counter. He leaves all of the currency since he has no idea what the goods he took cost.
As he reenters his ship, he is surprised to see the female already awake. He is even more surprised to see her sitting calmly in the medical pod simply looking around. There is a look of curiosity on her face but no fear. Simply amazing. She did not react at all like the planetary studies said. She notices him and says "Hi. My name is Chloe Sullivan. Thanks again for saving me from those goons. I am not sure what happened to my regular savior. And you are?"
Not sure how to answer her question, he presents the food he acquired for her to buy a moment to think. She expresses her gratitude but also laughs at his poor choices. Apparently, one does not live on "snack chips, candy and soda". He explains these were the most common items in the food vendor's store. When he explains which vendor he went to she laughs again "I guess it is unfair to expect an alien to know the difference between a convenience store and grocery store." Still she is hungry and starts to eat the food he brought.
Trusting his instincts, he sits down next to the pod "The translation of my name is not exact but in English the closest is Draggon. I come from a planet far from your world. I am here hunting Monsters. Many of your years ago, my people and much of the galaxy were enslaved by the Monsters. These Monsters killed billions. Lush vibrant worlds became cold lifeless rocks just for daring to wish for freedom. No matter what was tried, the Monsters conquered world after world. They were unstoppable.
When they can to my world, they came as gods. You see my people were simple primitives easily tricked by the monsters. They stripped us of our freewill and remade us. Their horrible experiments killed many but those of us that survived were a thousand times stronger and faster than before. Our hides were now nearly impenetrable. We could heal just about any injury within moments. We could focus our life force into energy beams which we could fire from our hands or eyes. We became the ultimate living weapons. Weapons capable of killing even other monsters. My people were the shock troops of the monsters for centuries. We were hated almost as much as the monsters themselves.
Eventually, monster's evil turned on itself and a bloody civil war erupted. Their home world was destroyed in this war but still they fought amongst themselves. It seemed their madness would destroy the whole universe but suddenly everything changed. During one battle as I stood at my master's side as he battled a monster from an opposing house. My master's victory was certain. As his last act before he died, my master's opponent used a device on me. The device awakened my mind and will. For the first time I thought and felt for myself. The realization of what I had been made into, all that my people had lost and were forced to do filled me with pure rage. My rage was so strong it spread amongst my people like wildfire. Scientists believe my people are latent telepaths and this awakened that power if only for a moment. I don't know. All I knew was the monsters must pay. I turned on my master an slew him.
As one my people turned on the monsters. The monsters killed millions of my people but these victories cost the monsters dearly. They had made their living weapons too well. With our rage driving us, we would not stop no matter what. We drove the monsters from world after world.
Despite all our power, the monsters would have destroyed my people. Their technology was just too far beyond ours. It was not until the other races united behind us that we were able to tear apart the monster's empire. Already splinted by their civil war, they were not able to stop us.
Once our freedom had been secured, the freed peoples formed a new galactic empire that would respect all beings. This was a time of renewed hope and optimism. It was during this time of celebration that some of us realized that not all the Monsters were gone. The new government just wanted to forget the Monsters. They did not want to face the fact that the Monsters were still out there. Yes the Monsters had been defeated but if they were not destroyed they would be back. This could not be allowed to happen. Never again could the Monsters be allowed to threaten the universe. A few of us swore to stop the monsters.
Over the years we have been very successful in destroying the Monsters. In fact, it is widely believed that the Monsters are no more. I know better. I know your world hides a few of the remaining Monsters. I am here to find and kill them.
You see you world is the perfect place for the Monsters to hide because on the surface they look just like your people and under your yellow sun, they become even more powerful. For reasons we don't understand, a yellow sun gives the Monsters amazing powers. Their strength increases a hundred fold; they can fly, and are all but indestructible. Your primitive technology has little chance of detecting them and your weapons have no hope of harming them. Your world is the perfect place for them to start rebuilding their empire."
Chloe lowers her head absorbing all that he has said. She says "You are talking about Kryptonians aren't you? You don't have to worry about them. My friend stopped them. He prevented their empire from getting started." Stunned by what she said he asks her how this is possible. Chloe then explains that her friend is a Kryptonian who was raised by humans. She claims he is a hero and not a Monster.
Sadly, he has seen this before. More than one world has fallen for the Monster's savior ruse. They come pretending to be friends. Usually revealing themselves after stopping a major crisis which the poor trusting locals don't realize that the Monsters created the crisis in the first place. Curing a great plagued was one of the Monster's favorites because if the locals rejected them as "saviors" the plague would resurface and wipe out the locals. He explains all this to her.
She tells him he is wrong. "Clark is a hero. I know. He has saved my life and the lives of many others more times than I can count. If you give him a chance, you will see he is not a monster."
He has seen her misplaced loyalty in other of the Monster's minions but she is so sure he is a hero. He doesn't see how this is possible but he finds himself agreeing to give Clark a chance. This little human female reminds him of his lost mate. His mate was also a force of nature.
Realizing she has eaten all the food, she comments "I can't believe I just ate all that junk. When I started eating I just could not stop. I should be so sick but I am still kind of hungry. What did you do to me?" He apologizes for not telling her sooner but the hunger is a side effect of healing her injuries. He offers to get her more food but she declines.
The BargainPausing for a moment, she then says "Your offer raises a question. Am I your guest or prisoner?" He reassures her she is a guest but he must also admit he is not sure what to do at this point. He has already endangered his mission by helping her. He must know if he can trust her before he allows her to leave. Her admitting she knows one of the Monsters means he can't risk her alerting him to my presence. He hopes she can understand his point of view.
Again she amazes him by say "I understand your situation. However, Clark and my other friends will start to look for me if I am gone to long. If you promise not to hurt Clark until he has had a chance to prove he is different then I will promise not to warn Clark. Now, there must be some way I can earn your trust? You have all this super alien tech. There must be a way for you to observe me remotely? Some sort of bug?" He does have such a device. Again some inner voice tells him she is someone he can trust. Taking a huge gamble, he agrees to let her leave as long as she wears the device. He attaches the device to her wrist and explains it will allow him to see and hear everything within a 10' radius of it.
As he prepares to take her to her dwelling, there is an awkward moment. Her garments were destroyed during her treatment and she is uncomfortable traveling without some sort of garment. He apologizes for not realizing this social necessity of her society. He wears a simple skin suit which helps maintain his preferred body temperature but not for any social reasons. Many of his people do not wear any garments when on a world, preferring to feel the sun and weather on their bodies. His ship is able to create a skin suit to fit her smaller body. She marvels at how comfortable the garment is.
Chloe comments "It's like a second skin. It moves completely with me. It does not even feel like I am wearing anything"
Draggon explains "The skin suits were designed to make it easier for space travelers to go from world to world. The suit not only helps maintain the body's ideal temperature but is also process viruses, toxins, and other harmful things. This allows a traveler to land on a world without risking illness/harm. There is the added benefit of preventing local diseases from spreading to other worlds. In the years before skin suits, extensive precautions had to be taken to safely go from world to world."
He insists on carrying her to her dwelling. He tells her whereas her wounds are healed, her body is still weak. Chloe surprises him again by not arguing. She simply says "Just don't let Clark know I let you carry me home on our first date." She smiles. He realizes this is human humor but he is too slow to respond and the moment passes.
Once at her dweller Chloe checks her home communicator. There are several messages for her. Listening to the messages, Chloe realizes she has been gone longer than she thought. Chloe asks me "How long has it been since you rescued me? It seemed like only a few hours."
I tell her "I rescued you 2 of your days ago."
"Two days!" she says. "Lois and Clark must be totally freaked. I have to call them. You can stay while I call them if you want." I accept her invitation partly because I am curious to hear what she will tell them.
When Chloe calls Lois, Lois does not answer so Chloe leaves a message letting Lois know she is Ok. Chloe explains that she has been working on a big story and lost track of time. She apologizes to Lois for causing her to worry.
Next Chloe calls Clark. Clark does answer. He immediately starts asking Chloe a ton of questions all focused on is she Ok. Chloe starts to explain she was just working on a story. Clark insists on coming over to check on her.
Hearing Clark is on his way, I jump out the window and onto a nearby roof. Sure enough seconds later Clark comes running at super speed into Chloe's apartment. This strikes me as odd for two reasons: One the Monster ran and did not fly and two this Clark seems genuinely concerned about Chloe. Clark looks her over and suspects something is not right. He tells Chloe he is going to "scan" her. He looks her over again and remarks "Chloe What happened? There is scarring that looks like you were stabbed. Did your power heal you? Why didn't you call me before going into danger?" This Clark is clearly upset. I have to wonder if this is concern for a fellow equal or more of frustration at a disobedient pet. My master was quick to punish those of us that did not take proper care of "his" property.
Suddenly, Clark turns to the window. Damn, I forgot how much the Monster's senses are improved on this world. I try to move deeper into the shadows. Clark starts to head out the window when Chloe suddenly sighs and collapses. Clark spins and catches her before she falls on the floor. As he picks her up, I see her give a knowing look in my direction. "Chloe. Clearly you are not all right. Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?" Clark asks.
"Clark I will be fine. I just need some rest." Chloe replies. Clark does not seem to agree with her but he does not push the issue. Chloe tells Clark to go home so she can go to bed.
Clark starts to leave but pauses at the door. He says "I am glad you are ok Chloe. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything." Chloe smiles and replies "Thanks Clark. Now get out so I can get ready for bed." She playfully shoves him out the door.
After Clark leaves, Chloe signals to him from her window. He reenters her apartment. "See Clark is not a Monster. He is truly the nicest person on this planet." Chloe remarks.
He is not impressed "I have seen other Monster's treat their pets as well as he treated you. I saw nothing that convinced me he sees you as an equal. In fact, he was very condescending towards you. He clearly feels you don't take adequate care of yourself."
Chloe turns red and replies "I am nobody's pet!! Clark really does care about me and all humanity as equals. He has risked his life more than once to protect not just me but this whole world."
"Someone protecting their property does not mean they view that property as anything other than something they own." he retorts.
Chloe's response is "You are as stubborn as Clark so that shows you are not completely different. You really need to give Clark a chance not just for him but for yourself as well. I have seen hate consume friends in the past. If you let it consume you too, then you are just another Monster. I don't think that is who you want to be."
This human is truly amazing. Her point is all too true. Has he let himself become just like the Monster's he hunts. He is disturbed to find he can't answer that question. All he can say is "You are right. I don't wish to be a Monster. Very well. I will do my best to give your Clark a fair chance to show me he is not a Monster. I must warn you though. I will not let anyone even you stop me from doing what is necessary should he prove himself to be just like the rest of his race."
Chloe replies "That is all I ask. However, if you decide you have to kill him, you will have to kill me first. I will die to protect Clark."
Once Draggon leaves, Chloe collapses on her sofa. "What a day! I just met another alien. Smallville must have a giant alien magnet somewhere or something" she thinks. An alien just told her he is here to kill her alien friend and what does she do. She promises not to warn Clark. How could she make such a promise? As she replays the scene in her mind, she realizes why. Draggon did not hide anything from her. He was very honest and straight forward. She really believed ever word he said and somehow she knows he will keep his word. Now she just has to show him the Clark she knows and everything will be fine. "That shouldn't be too hard right? Everyone likes Clark, well except Lois and probably Jimmy and then there is Lex. Oh this may not be as easy as I thought." races thru Chloe's mind. Unable to think about this anymore right now, she lets sleep over take her.
The next morning Chloe wakes up starving. She goes downstairs to the Talon and winds up eating a huge breakfast. "Boy, I hope my body knows what to do with all that." Now full and feeling more like herself, Chloe makes a few calls.
She tells Lois that she will be out of touch for the next several weeks working on a big top secret story. Lois offers to help but Chloe declines. Lois ends the call with her usual "Take care of yourself and call if you need me." Next she calls Jimmy.
This is a hard call but she knows he will worry about her. Even though they are not together, Jimmy still does care. If only she could have worked things out but she knows it was not meant to be. She hopes Jimmy can find someone who makes him happy. She lets Jimmy know she is working on a big story here in Smallville and won't be back to Metropolis for awhile. He half heartedly offers to help but is clearly relieved when she says no thank you.
She sends her editor an email asking to work from Smallville for awhile. Perry replies that is fine as long as her stories are on time and he includes a few minor pieces for her to work on. They are all Smallville area related. She likes Perry. He is the first editor she has worked for who seems to understand his reporters.
Now she is free to focus all her attention on showing Draggon that Clark is not a threat. She just has to do this without Clark figuring out what she is up to. Clark is at first surprised to see Chloe volunteering so much of her time but he is grateful. There are still phantoms to track down and Lex is clearly up to something.
Draggon spends the next few weeks shadowing Chloe on her adventures. It easy to see why Clark expresses such concern over Chloe not taking care of herself. She repeated puts herself into the path of danger which Clark often saves her from.
He observes Clark save several people, right several wrongs, and even show kindness to strangers. Nothing convinces him that he is not a Monster. These acts could just be part of his long term plan.
Take for example this group of heroes he assembled. They go out night and after night to punish evil. I have seen this pattern all to many times. The Monsters start out as heroes fighting evil. They gather local followers who believe they are doing good. These followers believe they are protecting people but all to soon it is the Monsters deciding what is right and wrong. Who needs to be punished and why. By this point, the local heroes are in too deep. These heroes have become just more shock troops for the Monsters. The tragedy being they never sees it coming.
Over these weeks, Chloe continues to impress him. After each adventure Chloe points out how noble and heroic Clark's actions were and he counters with how nothing he does puts him in any true danger. He points out she showed far more bravery because she was in true danger. Her open and sincere arguments force him to face his own prejudices. The fact he is an alien does not bother her in the least.
She does ask questions about his past and other worlds but never pushes. She even provides local foods for their meetings. Much of which is not to his taste except what she calls pasta. He finds he cannot get enough of this pasta. Particular a dish called Lasagna. Chloe finds this very amusing and refers him to a cartoon animal called Garfield. He finds himself laughing with her. He did not think he knew how to laugh.
She tells him about growing up in Smallville. She tells him how hard it was for her growing up without her mother. She talks about how she always wanted to be a reporter. She shares her hopes and dreams. Also, she talks a lot about her relationship with Clark.
Chloe "I used to be in love with Clark but that was before I understood what real love is. You see I wanted Clark for myself back then. I did not understand that loving someone is not about possessing them. It is about sharing your life with all its flaws with them. That was a hard thing to learn.
My relationship with Jimmy is what really helped my figure that out. I really like Jimmy. He is handsome, fun and so caring but I found I could not share my life with him. I know Jimmy blames Clark and his secrets for our break up but it was not just Clark's secrets that I couldn't share but several of my own. My power for example. I knew Jimmy could not handle me being meteor inflected. It was not fair to Jimmy to keep dating him when I knew this. I don't know if I will find someone and that is Ok. I know who I am and what I want to do. Of course, I hope I will find someone. If/when I do, I will be able to share all my life and they will be able to share all of theirs.
Now Clark and I are best friends. I am happy helping Clark save people. He really does have a destiny. He will make the world a better place."
"Many conquers promise to make the world a better place. You have to be careful who defines better." interjects Draggon.
Chloe replies "I know. That is why my friendship with Clark is so important. He needs friends to keep him grounded. Also, by being a part of groups like Oliver's Clark is forced out of his comfort zone. He sees that others will fight for what they believe is right. He is reminded he is not alone in his efforts. All this keeps Clark from being anything other than Clark. Did that make sense?"
As for me, Clark helped me find my calling. I grew up thinking I wanted to be a reporter. It was all I ever dreamed of being. I realize now that I want to be part of the story and not just watching. I realize I have a destiny too. Every hero needs someone behind the scenes helping track down the villain and I am that someone. I really enjoy helping not just Clark but Oliver's team as well fight the good fight. I know I am not like them and could never be on the front lines so I stay behind the current."
Draggon tells her about the other worlds. How many are still rebuilding after the war. He tells her about the battles he fought and the friends he lost. He finds himself sharing more with Chloe than anyone since he awakened.
One night he finds himself even discussing his mate. A topic he has not dared to broche since he awakened. He met her before the Monsters came. She was smart, beautiful, and strong. He speaks of how he loved the way the water made her scales glisten in the sun. They were to be bonded. They were to raise a family. The Monsters took all that away.
He tells Chloe something he has told no other living being. "I was among the first to worship the Monsters as gods. I willing let them remake me. Reborn, I helped enslaved my village. When my mate begged me to stop, I killed her. Others have told me it was not my fault. That the Monsters had made me into little more than a robot but I still should have found a way to stop myself."
Chloe approaches. She takes his head in her hands and kisses him on the forehead. She then wraps her arms around him. She holds him this way for a time. He finds it strange but comforting. He feels wetness on his skin. He looks at Chloe to see tears in her eyes. She says "No wonder you call them Monsters. I am so sorry for all that you lost. Don't worry you are not like them. Believe me I know a hero when I see one."
Her words are meant to soothe him but they anger him. "I am no hero. I am doing what is necessary. I am doing my duty. Those with power have a responsibility to protect those without." He storms out of Chloe's apartment.
He returns to his ship. How dare she call him a hero! He knows he is no different than the Monsters. He kills. Heroes can always find a better way that is why they are usually only found in stories. There is so much blood on his claws.
He hears Chloe speaking to him thru the bracelet. "Draggon. I am sorry I upset you so. I can only imagine what you went thru but I have gotten to know you these past few weeks. You are not evil. You" He shuts off the device. He does not want to hear more. What madness has driven him to share so much with this human? He has let her distract him from his mission. He should never have let that happen.
The next evening he travels to Chloe's apartment for what he expects to be the last time. Chloe greets him with a smile. She is pulling a wonderful smelling lasagna from the oven. She says "Feeling better? I thought lasagna would help."
"There is no more time for pleasantries. It has been one Earth month since my promise and I still only see a monster. You have failed to convince me that your Clark is different from any of the others. It is time to be done with this business. I must deal with him and get back to my hunt."
Chloe says "I had hoped you would at least trust my opinion at this point. Isn't there anything that will convince you?"
"There is only one thing that will convince me. Are you truly prepared to die to save him?
"Gladly" is all she says.
JudgmentEver since Chloe started working on her latest big story, Lois has not seen her but Chloe at least called once a day. Yesterday Chloe did not call. Lois has called her cousin Chloe several times over the last 24hrs and still no response. Lois started off annoyed but is now worried. Lois decides to head over to Chloe's apartment.
At Chloe's Lois finds the front door ripped off its hinges. Strange symbols are written across one wall in what looks to be blood. The apartment is trashed. A blood trail leads to a shattered window. Lois is stunned by what she sees. Clearly, Chloe fought her attacker but the amount of blood splattered around the room does not bode well. "Chloe must be hurt pretty bad. Oh God, she may be dead." thinks Lois. Lois calls the only person she can think of.
"Hello. This is Oliver. Hello" says Oliver Queen.
Lois says "I need your help Ollie. Chloe. Someone took her. I they may even have killed her. There is so much blood. Please help me. Ollie."
Oliver "I am tracking your location. Stay put I will be there as quick as I can."
Lois can't even reply. She drops the phone and starts to search the apartment for clues. This writing on the wall looks familiar. If only Lois could remember where she saw it before.
Clark's phone rings. It's Chloe. "Hi Chloe." He says.
"Clark I need you. Come" Chloe tries to say but the call is cut off.
Clark races to Chloe's apartment. He bursts thru the door. "Chloe" he shouts as he takes in the chaos that used to be her apartment. He is stunned to see written on one wall in Kryptonian with what he feared was Chloe's blood was "Come meet your fate Monster. I await you at your dwelling." Clark races to the farm.
As Clark approaches the farm he scans it with his x-ray vision. He sees 2 figures in the barn. One is clearly Chloe. The other some kind of monster. It must be another escapee from the Phantom Zone.
As he rushes into the barn, he sees his worst nightmare. Chloe is literally nailed to the far wall. Her lifeless eyes stare accusingly back at him. They say "Why didn't you save me?"
Standing in front of her brutalized body is an alien monster. This reptilian creature is roughly humanoid in shape. It stands 7' tall and has a thick tail. Clark can see Chloe's blood on its claws. Clark does not know where this thing came from but it will pay for what it did to Chloe.
Draggon speaks "If it helps Kryptonian, she was a loyal pet. She did everything she could to protect her master. No matter how I tortured her, she would not betray you. Her kind is so fragile and she broke far more quickly than I had planned. I was just starting to enjoy her screams when she died. Once I am done with you, I will have to try again with another of your pathetic pet creatures. I am sure with billions to play with I will be able to amuse myself." He laughs dark and evil.
Clark replies "I will stop you monster. Nothing will stop me from avenging Chloe and protecting this world from you." Clark charges at superspeed.
The rage on Clark's face reveals the Monster Draggon knew was lurking inside. On this world, Clark maybe faster but Draggon was made for combat. Clark's attacks are clumsy but with his anger driving them he manages to land a several blows. Draggon is pleased that the monster has managed to hurt him. Draggon had feared a monster this young would not be much an opponent. Now, Draggon can enjoy this fight.
Realizing his punches are not stopping this creature, Clark changes tactics. He uses is super breath to freeze the water in the air around Draggon trapping Draggon in a block of ice. Draggon is not impressed and he easily shatters the ice around him.
Next Clark tries his heat vision. Clark is surprised his heat vision does not seem to hurt this monster. Draggon laughs (which sounds like a growl to Clark) at Clark's attack. His hide has withstood far greater temperatures.
Not sure what to do, Clark closes once more with Draggon. He throws everything he has at Draggon. Clark hopes to overwhelm this creature by his sustained attack. Draggon sees Clark desperation grow as Clark slowly realizes he cannot beat Draggon.
After trading furious blows, Draggon's tail manages to catch Clark's right leg. The sharp snap is clear. Clark screams in pain and falls. "Now, I have him" thinks Draggon.
But Clark does not stay down. He manages to stand but he is no longer able to dodge Draggon's claws. Draggon scores deep wounds on Clark's chest and face. Clark's blood flows. Clark realizes he can't win but he won't give up. At the very least he will take this monster with him. He will not fail.
"Why won't he run?" wonders Draggon. Clark must realize Draggon will kill him. Draggon pretends to stumble giving Clark a clear chance to escape but Clark does not take it.
"Run! Damn you! Run! You are not a hero! Show your true colors! Save yourself!" races thru Draggon's mind. Draggon will find the monster in Clark and destroy him. He lets his hatred over take him. Draggon is merciless. Again and again he strikes Clark. No matter how many times he drives Clark to the ground Clark continues to rise. No matter what Draggon does to Clark, Clark still tries to fight on. At this point, Clark's legs no longer support him so he crawls forward. It is clear he will die before he surrenders. Draggon has never seen a Monster fight so hard much less fight so for others. Draggon is witnessing the impossible.
Draggon roars and then turns to Chloe. He says "I cannot believe I was wrong. He really is prepared to die to stop me. All the other Monsters I have fought tried to run. He does not. Even now he tries to fight me. (Clark trying feeble to grab Draggon's leg.) You are right Chloe. He is a hero." Clark raises his head and shouts "You Monster. She can't hear you anymore. You murdered her!!"
Draggon turns back to him and says "Chloe is not dead Clark. This is all a test for you. Ms. Sullivan believes in you so much she endured all this just to prove you are not a Monster." "Chloe's not dead! Oh thank god!" exclaims Clark and he finally allows himself to pass out from his injuries.
Draggon approaches Chloe and releases the status field he used to simulate her death. The field completely paralyzes her but leaves her conscious. A bit of special makeup and some contacts finished the horrible death look.
AftermathOnce she is able to move again, she rushes to Clark. She says "I understand you had to be sure but you didn't have to hurt him this bad. You nearly killed him. At one point towards the end there, I thought you were going to. I am glad you didn't. I am glad you did not become the Monster."
"You are right." Draggon says "I wanted him to fail. I wanted him to be like all the others but he is not. He is a hero. Thank you. Chloe Sullivan. You have shown me something I did not think existed. Clark is not the only hero you know. There are few beings with the courage to not only face the unknown but welcome it. Clark lives because of you." She smiles, laughs and remarks "I am happy just being the sidekick. Now, can you please heal Clark?"
Draggon picks up Clark and carries him into his ship. Chloe follows close behind. Draggon places Clark in the med bay and lets the ship treat Clark's injuries. Draggon feels a bit of guilt when he sees just how badly he injured Clark. It amazes him that Clark was able to stay conscious with such injures.
After making sure Clark is improving, Chloe says "I should clean up. This makeup you used is amazing. I don't suppose you would lend me some next Halloween." Chloe heads to my ship's cleansing unit. While she is in there, Draggon treats his own injuries. Clark hurt him more than he though possible. Still between his "natural" healing abilities and his ship's med bay, he is fully restored in minutes.
When Chloe is finished in the cleansing unit, she asks "How do I get one of these installed in my apartment? Not only does it do wonders for my hair but I feel so refreshed after using it." I smile.
She again checks on Clark in the med pod. "He will be fine. Right? I know this thing healed my knife wound but Clark looked pretty bad. Should I use my healing power to help?"
I reassure her Clark is healing and will make a full recovery. She suggests she get some food for when he awakes. I say "There is no need. The med bay can simulate full sunlight. That will provide all he needs."
Chloe looks at me funny. She says "What. Clark does not need to eat? I see him eat all the time."
I explain "His people draw their strength from the sun. They eat more for the pleasure than true necessity. They can live for months on just sunlight."
"Clark never mentioned that but he may not know himself since he was raised by humans." Chloe says.