Smallville: Apocalypse Rising
Chapter One
"Aftermath"
Blood. There was so much of it. It flowed out of him faster than the rain that descended from the sky. Lois Lane had reached the man she fell deeply in love with at the peak of the street, witnessing his fall from the heavens.
"Clark?" she cried, wrapping her arms under him, and bringing him up onto her lap.
Total disbelief was all that filled her expression; blankly staring at Clark Kent who was dressed at the blur. Her face was illuminated in a blue, gleaming light that resonating from the very thing that was stripping her lover of his life. A Blue Kryptonite dagger.
Her hand slowly reached out toward it, gripping her fingers tightly around it. A small, piercing grunt escaped Clark, and he shifted, gasping. Lois instantly pulled her fingers away from the weapon, startled by his movement.
"Clark!"
He was unresponsive, eyes tight shut, hearing distorted. A look of determination crosses Lois' eyes, and she finds the courage, wrapping her hands back around the glowing weapon and instantly pulling it from Clark's gut.
"Ugh!" he grunted, eyes snapping wide open, suddenly jolting up.
Clark looks around, the blue kryptonite dagger away from his site, and Lois Lane apparently is too. Paranoid, he frantically looks down the street, swearing he could have heard her by his side.
"Lois..."
Slowly regaining his balance, rising to his feet, Clark was fully healed; his mortal wound leaving not even a scar to remind him of his unfortunate battle. His sacrifice. Before giving it even a moment's more thought, Clark disappeared in a blurring line that shot down the street, and soon faded from sight. But Lois, who hid behind the nearest wall to where he earlier just stood, had saw his quick get away.
Her eyes fell to the dagger in her hand, covered in Clark's blood.
It slipped from her blood stained fingertips.
"Guess I can't call you Smallville anymore."
"Oh my god!" screamed a voice from the end of the street, walking slowly with a camera in his hand, "I just got a picture of the Blur!"
Lois' eyes shot open, sudden fear overtaking her. She stepped out from behind the wall as she began approaching the small kid who stares off at his image. Snatching it from his hands, she takes his camera.
"Sorry kid," she apologizes, his camera now in her hold.
She has a look at the photograph shown on the small camera screen - its nothing but a blurred line with the 'S' remaining to be the only thing in focus. A small smile forms on her face.
"Guess a career in photo journalism isn't exactly for you, huh," she laughed, handing back the camera.
He looks up at her, his eyes glowing. He's infatuated with her. Her wavy, brown hair. The twinkle in her eye. He's too busy staring at her to realise she mocked his dreams and aspirations. The kid gives off a small, faint laugh, snapping back into reality.
"Uh, yeah, I uh ..." he struggled, "who are you?"
"Lois. Lois Lane," she obliged, offering her hand, "and who would you be?"
Taking her hand, he replies, "Jimmy Olsen."
A twitch forms in the reporter's eyes, realising she's shaking the hand of Henry Olsen's brother. The very man who married her cousin. The guy who met his demise by the hands of Davis Bloome.
A small smile forms on her face.
"Nice to meet you, Jimmy."
(x)
The doors to Watchtower shot open, a gust of wind pushing them apart. Clark Kent, still in his Blur uniform (which had a large cut across his kryptonian emblem), entered. He hastily moved through the room, towards the computers, where he had hoped to find his best friend, Chloe Sullivan.
"Chloe!" he called, in hopes that she'd step out from behind the computers, or run in from one of the other rooms.
A hand creeped up on Clark's shoulder, and he turned around. A smile was widening on his face, only to find Emil Hamilton in his presence. His grin dropped, and he suddenly became worried.
"Emil?" Clark asked.
"Chloe's gone, Clark," he informed, "she left twenty minutes ago."
"Where did she go?" Clark panicked.
"She wouldn't tell me the details," Emil sighed, "but I was trying to find some answers by checking her recent files, and I found this."
Emil used the keyboard to activate the computer screen, and soon, video footage of Oliver's kidnapping appears on frame. Clark, confused at just what he was watching, steps forward, deciphering every piece of it.
Oliver Queen struggled through the vents, crawling, panting, scared for his life. The very small space he was trying to escape from began to close in, something from outside crushing in towards him.
"Chloe, if they try to signal the trace back to you, I got to go!" he shrieked into his walkie talkie, wanting to protect her from whatever is after him.
Clark's eyes widened, even more worried.
Falling forward, another large dent pushing through above him, Oliver knew this was it. He brang the walkie talkie closer to his mouth, as he said his very last words to the woman that meant the world to him.
"Chloe...I love you," he exhaled, before the top of the vent he was in tore open, and he snapped his head up to see who was after him, "Chloe! They're not Kandorian!"
And suddenly, Oliver was forced out of the vent, disappearing from the screen. It turns black.
Clark faces Emil, shocked by the footage.
"She's gone to find Oliver," he realised.
"Clark, if Chloe runs into whoever kidnapped Oliver, she won't stand a fighting chance," Emil concerned.
"What aren't you telling me, Emil?" he quizzed.
"I know this might sound insane, especially coming from me, but earlier today I was visited by Lionel Luthor," Emil informed.
"Lionel Luthor is dead."
Emil shakes his head, "I know that. But I - He - I can't explain it."
"What did he want?" Clark asked, trying to understand.
"He told me that the world was about to face its greatest challenge; that you wouldn't be able to stop what was coming, and that when it does..." he began, "...it would destroy you, along with the rest of the world."
"I guess Checkmate wasn't preparing to take on Zod," he figured, "there's something else out there."
(x)
All was quiet. The rooms were covered in darkness, seemingly empty. A large tank, and through the glass, there was nothing. Empty. Suddenly, all the lights in the room had turned on, and a figure emerged from the tank, slamming their hand on the frame, breathing heavily.
They were bald.
Distorted.
A mask was attached to their face, covering their mouth. Every breath they took, it glowed a bulging yellow. Tubes connected to the mask stretched around to the walls, keeping them contained. Imprinted on the wall next to the frightening figure, read Cadmus Labs.
A/N - So this chapter really propels things forward with some of the stories brewing. Next chapter will really delve into the characters we haven't seend yet, primarily Chloe and Tess, who have yet to be seen. And with another surprising twist at the end. Feedback much appreciated. Thanks guys! XD
