I opened my eyes, struggling to keep them open against the bright fluorescent light above me, but as I blinked it became less and less of a problem. My vision was just a little bit out of focus— though it would be clear again soon—and I slowly sat up, still feeling just a little bit wonky.

There was a man dressed all in black (save for a navy shirt) sitting in the chair two meters away from the bed, playing with his smart phone. He looked up and put the phone away when he saw me sit up. His face was in the dream I had just had, just fragments here and there, of him young and like he was now. There was so much emotional pain in his life and my body seemed to just overload on it and had to do a forced shutdown.

The man opened the door, stopping a nurse to get the doctor, and then he came over to my bedside. He looked at me for a second before speaking. "Hi, Danna. You're in the Smallville Medical Center. How are you feeling now?"

"You got my name right."

Well, that was awkward. Better start again.

"I feel weird, but I'll be better soon. I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

Yeah, that was a better response.

The man held out his hand to me. "Lex Luthor."

I stared at his hand and looked him in the eye, thinking up an excuse to use. "Sorry, my hands are a little numb, but I am pleased to meet you. Wait, how does a person like you come to be in Smallville? Also, how'd you know my name?"

Mr Luthor half smiled and retracted his hand. "Smallville's been my home for some years now. Forgive me, but I went through your bag to find some identification for the hospital. Do you remember anything that happened?"

"Yeah, I remember everything till I blacked out. Thank-you, thank-you so much. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up," I said, feeling like 'thank-you' was inadequate to what I wanted to express, but there was no other words to be used.

"Haven't heard a 'thank-you' in a while. I'm just glad you're okay," he said and inhaled deeply. "Your parents are coming back from Metropolis so they'll be here in about an hour."

I frowned. "How did the hospital get their new numbers?"

"No, I went through your phone, too, to find your parents' numbers. That reminds me: put a lock on your phone," he smiled.

At that I laughed. "I'll get right on it, but maybe for times like these I shouldn't."

The door opened and a middle aged, dark haired man with glasses and a medical coat walked in. "Hello, Miss Shaw, I'm Doctor Robson," he said, coming over to me. "Can you just move on up to the end of the bed, please? Mr Luthor could you please leave? Thank-you."

Mr Luthor and I did what he asked, and then he stood in front of me. "Just need to check a couple of things. Keep your eyes open, please," he said, getting out a light and shining it in my eyes. "Good, good," he murmured and then pushed down on my fingernails, seeing how long they turned from white to pink again. "Hmm, okay. Just gonna check your blood pressure now."

Dr Robson went over to the bench beside the bed and got the blood pressure reader thing—no idea what it's called, put the band on my arm and let it get tighter on me until it got a reading. He tsked before replying. "You have low blood pressure, a little too low for my liking, Miss Shaw, but apart from that, nothing. Has this fainting ever happened to you before?"

I nodded. "Yes, a few times before."

"Did you seek medical advice for it?"

"Yes, but there wasn't anything wrong with me. There weren't any other problems; everything was normal before and after the fainting. I'm perfectly fine, doctor," I sighed.

"Well, just in case, I'd like to do a blood test, just to see if your past doctors haven't missed anything serious. I've got to go now but when your parents come, please, call me back."

"Thanks," I said, and watched him go out the door.

Mr Luthor, who had been standing quietly outside the door, slowly came back into the room and over to me. "This happened to you before?"

"Yes—well, no, I mean, not like this. Huh…you heard that didn't you? Well, I can say this is the first time I've collapsed from being…you know," I paused. "What did you tell the police?"

"I haven't called them yet. What does it matter what I say to the police anyway? Are you in some sort of trouble?" He asked suspiciously, standing beside me.

I couldn't believe he'd assume that. "Me, trouble? That's funny. But, really, please, don't tell the police anything, I'm begging you. It's just…I don't like attention, Mr Luthor, this would be too much—and my parents and I've just moved here."

"I can't just forget you were attacked. How can you guarantee he won't come after you again?"

"He won't. You've done a good job scaring him off, haven't you? Plus, I'm not going anywhere near him. You don't have to worry about me, Mr Luthor," I said, and smiled slightly. Even I didn't convince myself.

"Acting brave will get you into trouble someday. I won't tell anyone but, if anything happens, or if you think something may happen, then I'll have to."

"What did you tell the hospital then?"

He put his hands in his pockets. "I told them that I found you unconscious."

Never had I been more relieved. "Good, thank-you so much. I'm sorry for putting you in this situation."

He squinted his eyes at me. "Why weren't you in school?"

"I was, but I left…I felt sick," I explained.

He broke out into a small chuckle. "You felt sick? Well, you ended up in the right place. Why didn't you drive home or call someone to pick you up? You could have at least stayed in the nurse's office until the end of the day."

"I don't know how to drive and my parents work in Metropolis—for Luthor Corp, as a matter of fact. I didn't go to the nurse's office 'cause I knew I'd be better off at home," I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Alright," he nodded and checked his watch. "I've got to go, call me if you need me. Also, please call me 'Lex'."

Before I could say my goodbyes, he left. A minute later, the man who made me sick came into my room. He walked over to me, but I didn't feel sick anymore.

"What happened back there?! What did you do to me?" I asked angrily.

He seemed surprised I delved into it right away. "Nothing. I was about to ask you the same thing, actually. What happened to you? What's your name?"

"My name is Danna, and I just fainted is all. What's your name again?"

"Clark, Clark Kent," he said and put out his hand, but I couldn't shake it.

"I can't touch you; it's the thing, you know?" I replied and he put his hand back. "We're both different, I can tell. Well, I know what people are feeling and thinking when I touch them. The drawback is that their emotions kick my ass if I'm in contact with them for too long, so I faint. Oh, right, and I'm telepathic, though it's kinda one-way. There, now you know."

Clark seemed very interested in my story now. "Three questions now. Were you exposed to meteor rocks at all? Have you lived in Smallville all your life? And how long have you had your powers?"

"No, I only just moved here three days ago from Chicago. Meteor rocks—don't think I've ever been near them, or heard about them before, and I've had this since I was thirteen."

He seemed puzzled yet almost excited. "Where were you born?"

I shrugged. "Adopted, so no idea."

"Adopted…?" He muttered, but to himself, like he couldn't believe it. "Your adoptive parents know?"

"Of course. Wait, what can you do? You have everything on me and I have nothing on you."

He held out his hand. "See for yourself."

"If I faint, wake me up and don't tell a soul I did, okay?" I asked and he nodded.

I took a deep breath and barely even grazed his fingers before I retracted my hand. I had been blocked by something and now I was seeing stars as a result.

"You're bleeding!" I heard Clark say, and he pressed a tissue to my nose.

I looked at him clearly now and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I think it's because you jammed me. I can't see a thing!"

"Maybe it's because we're both different types of…different."

"Well, can you at least tell me what you are?"

"Not yet; I don't even know what you are," he said with almost a painful look, but then he looked at me with realisation. "I think I know someone who might though. See me tomorrow after school; I live on the farm at the edge of town, just off Fisher Road; Kent Farm."

Before I had the chance to reply, he was out the door. "Fuck this…"

My parents came a little while later to take me home, they were worried about me, but I didn't tell them what really happened; they would freak. I just made some lame excuse that I was feeling just a little off today with the stress of being at a new school, which they believed. Funnily enough, no one told them it was Lex Luthor who brought me to the hospital; they just thought some random found me, and I wasn't the one to spoil the illusion anytime soon. It was best they not know anyway.

When I went to bed I couldn't help thinking that, in the space of a day, I had spilled my guts to a guy who was kinda like me, and had been rescued by a billionaire. What hell would I be in for tomorrow?

Clark's POV

I called John Jones before I even left the hospital; he would know about her if she was an alien like me.

"Clark? Is something wrong?" He asked.

"I need to speak with you. Can you meet me in the barn in five minutes? It's urgent."

"Of course; I'll be there in two."

After that I used my speed to get to the barn and wait there till he came. He arrived two minutes later.

"Tell me what happened," he said, putting his hands on his hips.

I started pacing. "I met a girl today. I saw her when I was speaking at the high school, and when I came on stage, she made me feel…I don't know, it was like Kryptonite but not."

"Go on," he said, sitting down on a bale of hay.

"Well, I was going to talk with her but she left the building. I ran out after her after my speech, but by then she had fainted, and Lex Luthor was taking her to the hospital. I spoke with her after Lex left her room and she told me everything. Listen to this: she's adopted and her powers came about when she was thirteen. She told me she knows what people feel and think when she touches them. Above all, John, she says she's never been exposed to meteor rocks. Is she like us?"

He stood up and nodded. "She's a Cosijan; the neighbours of the Kryptonians. All their powers come from their minds, whereas your race on Krypton had none since they did not have the yellow sun. Cosijans and Kryptonians would intermarry frequently as well. Taking a Cosijan bride was very popular, not just because of the strong unions they made, but also because Cosijan women are more powerful than the males of their kind."

I frowned at him. "There's more, isn't there?"

"Jor-El was a kind of ambassador to Cosija, and found the populace to be good and honest. But not everyone shared his enthusiasm for them. They were so powerful yet did not exhibit one sign of hostility, they would only defend themselves if absolutely necessary," he paused, and looked almost sad. "But Zod created a defence against their psychic powers and then he and his army wiped out almost all of them and every child your race had with them. You see, Clark, they are as weak as humans, and Zod did not like the idea of them being the dominant species to Kryptonians. I didn't want to tell you about them before this as I've searched many a planet, Clark, and the only living Cosijans I have found are elderly males."

"What's your point?" I asked, now suspicious of the look he gave me.

"Clark, if you paired up with that Cosijan woman, both you and your offspring would be unstoppable. Protecting Earth could never be easier."

I shook my head and walked past him. "She's a girl, John, not a woman. And I've been doing just fine on my own."

"I just fear that one day even your supreme skills will not be enough," he confessed, walking over to me. "Careful, Clark. I'm especially worried since I heard the name 'Lex Luthor' come out of your mouth when talking about her."

"I'm worried about that, too, and that's why I'm keeping an eye out," I said and started pacing again. "Are Cosijans trustworthy?"

"Yes, Clark, they are; there's a certain honour that they all have that makes them the perfect secret keepers. Even though you two would be a perfect match, for now be her friend, and let me meet her soon. I'll see you later," he replied and walked out of the barn.

I sighed. How is she going to take the news that she is an alien?