PG-13

Red Shard – Clark begins the final leg of his Time Shards trilogy. The odyssey carries him into previously unknown lands, where he must continue his quest for an elite group of super beings that will become the Justice League, and The Legion of Superheroes.

The Hex Factor: Guest Starring Zatanna

Pairing: Clark/Lois. Clark/Diana

Clark and the talented magician Zatanna tumbled onto the floor of the barn loft hideaway that was home to Clark for many years of his early life. "Ouch!" Zatanna rubbed her tender buttocks. "Is it too much to ask for a seatbelt?" She asked him cynically.

Clark smirked. "You're the one that wanted to fly Clark Kent airlines." He quipped, helping Zatanna to her feet. The promising young sorceress checked her magic spell book first for damage. The ancient brown leather bound book was unscathed. She checked the yellowed pages as well.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why would you want to hitch a ride out of a time line?" Clark began to grill Zatanna, having a general mistrust of any magical being. "How're you planning to get back? I mean what if a shard fails, and you die or get stuck outside of time?"

"Not to worry, Clark." Zatanna said. "Once I'm here, I can spell cast my way around the realm. Also, my crystal ball instructed me to go along with you on your adventure." Clark stared at her blankly. "Aw come on! A crystal ball?" Zatanna scowled. "Ye of little faith. Magic is more than pulling rabbits out of hats, making coins appear or disappear, or sawing people in half."

"Are you sure you can control all this?" Clark scoffed. "Magic is more of a faith or a type of religion." Zatanna explained. "It's a tool, a tool that requires a skill. I use magic as easily as you can use a hammer and nails." Clark nodded, unsure if the leggy beauty actually answered his question.

"Smallville! What the hell?" A familiar shrill voice hollered up from the loft staircase. "Why is it that every time I see you lately, I either wind up with a major headache or short term memory loss?" Clark and Zatanna exchanged glances. Lois climbed up the stairs removing pieces of straw from her golden brown hair. "Do I know you from somewhere?" She questioned Zatanna.

"Uh oh!" Zatanna remarked. "Yeah! Big time!" Clark shook his head. "Mind you, I'm a patient woman." Lois continued her minor rant. "I don't mind having one of our lip locks interrupted, but to find you sprawled out in the loft with another woman is pushing it, don't you think?"

"This is my friend, Zatanna." Clark reddened. "A pleasure." Lois forced herself to be civil and shook the young spell caster's hand. "Zatanna…Zatanna…" Lois winced. "Oh yeah. You were at my cousin Chloe's birthday party at the Ace of Clubs. I assume you're not doing a personal magic show for my boyfriend." Clark flushed a deeper red as Lois referred to him.

"We're actually working." Clark began lamely. "Okay, I'll bite! Whatcha workin on?" Lois absently grabbed Zatanna's spell book. "Neat old book!" She commented as a horrified look crossed Zatanna's face. "Lois! Don't touch that…" It was too late. The book spun in Lois's hands.
The books pages flipped as a bright yellow and white light poured from it nearly blinding Lois. "Oh crap!" Zatanna exclaimed. She grabbed Clark's hand and then Lois's. They subsequently disappeared in a puff of white smoke. The barn was empty. A few strands of hay smoldered in the dusty daylight.

"Wah!" Lois yelled as they reappeared in a green meadow flanked by a creeping whitish silver fog. The air smelled dank and musty. Clark wrinkled his nose at a familiar, though pungent aroma. Zatanna stood nearby, fuming. "Lois! Give me the book!" She ordered curtly.

Lois ignored her, instead focusing on her feet. "Ew! What the hell did I step in?" Clark fought back a laugh, remembering that it was likely a dangerous situation that they'd soon find themselves in. He hadn't long to wait. A galloping group of horsemen approached.

They were traveling at a high speed based on estimates by Clark's superior hearing. "Uh Lois, maybe you'd better get…" He began as the first of the riders approached them. "Out of the way, scarlet wench!" The first grubby horseman yelled. Lois half turned to face him. "What did you…?"

"Move thine arse, maiden, or I shall smite you myself!" A second angry rider bellowed as he quickly approached Lois's position. "Lois!" Clark dove at her waist, using a textbook football tackle, and his blinding speed. Zatanna dove in the opposite direction when it became clear that the horsemen wouldn't stop. Clark intercepted Lois and the two of them flew into a thick, greenish hedge.

Zatanna, meanwhile, flipped backwards onto a muddy rise. Apparently the experienced magic user had some surprisingly swift moves of her own. "Smallville! As much as I would enjoy a roll in the grass with you, this is hardly the time or place." Lois, ever quick witted, responded.

"That's just it, Lois. We have no idea what you've done." Clark rebuked her as he helped her back on her feet. "Maybe we should start with what exactly you two were doing!" Lois countered, ineffectively trying to keep the angry edge out of her voice.

"This is exactly why I can't stand magic!" Clark complained as they crossed back over to Zatanna's side of the gravely, mucky roadway. "Kent! Don't start!" Zatanna snapped, as she vaulted back towards them. "Nice gymnastics, bad attitude!" Lois checked out the young magician.

"Magic is like a weapon. It can be used for good or evil, defense or offense." Zatanna lectured, as her tone softened just a bit. "I thought that you said that you could control this magic power of yours." Clark retorted. "I can. Lois can't. In fact, I'm at a loss to explain why Lois was able to do any magic at all." Zatanna narrowed her big brown eyes.

"Okay, I appreciate your close contact with me, Smallville, but I'd hardly call it magical." Lois sniped. "The book, Lois." Zatanna held out her hand, palm upward. "Fine, here's your damn book!" Lois tossed the ancient text across the dusty road. Zatanna was barely able to snag it, before it would hit the ground. Clark brushed his tousled hair off of his forehead.

"Anyway." Lois smiled lustily. "I enjoyed your heroics, Clark, and your attempt at defending my honor." Zatanna rolled her eyes. "Oh for…" Clark put up his hands in resignation. "Whatever! Zatanna, can you just get us out of here before something else happens?"

"It's not that simple, Clark." Zatanna brushed off the spell book. "It never is." Clark groaned. "Lois possessed the book and did magic. We must undo what she's done." Zatanna explained patiently.
"Lois, have you ever had any magical experience before?" She inquired. "Well, there was this one guy, that I …" Zatanna's eyes widened. "Oh pu-lease!" Clark grumbled.

"Let me rephrase that question." Zatanna sighed. "Have you ever been magically inclined, meaning given magical abilities or accidentally cast a spell?" Lois shook her head. "No." Clark said, "Yes." and explained about the ancient witch Isobel, aka Lana Lang.

"That presents a problem." Zatanna flipped through the spell book, and frowned. "You were really dancing around in your barn in your underwear?" Lois's eyes sparkled. "That must've been quite a sight to see." Clark reddened. "The problem is that only Lois can undo the spell." Zatanna clarified.

Four horsemen galloped towards them, but were riding at a more reasonable pace than the previous two. "Patrick! Look at this!" The first rider, a young man with long curled blonde hair began. "What is it, Liam?" A young dark-haired man asked as he slowed his steed to a trot.

"Wayland! Thomas! Come quickly!" Liam called behind him. "It looks like a charlatan and his concubines!" Patrick observed with disdain. Clark groaned. "This just gets better." He mumbled. The final two riders pulled up alongside his friends.

"Hey! Who are you calling a concubine?" Lois challenged, rolling up the sleeves on her soiled blouse. "You dare speak to me, strumpet?" Patrick whipped a shiny sword out from its sheath on one side of the horse, pointing it at Lois. "Perhaps I should cut your lying tongue out!" He added angrily.

"Ha! Don't bother, brother!" Wayland chuckled. "Of what use would she be in her line of work without a tongue?" He taunted, as the other riders laughed rudely. Now Clark was getting pissed. "Zatanna, let's go before this gets ugly!" His eyes flared briefly red.

"The mouse roars!" Thomas challenged. "Yes, I think it best if you and your vile harlots left the vicinity before we call on Sheriff Wycliff. Edgarsborough is not a place for your type." Lois gave the rude young men dirty looks before she crossed the road and joined Zatanna and Clark.

The young sorceress flipped through the pages of the spell book looking for a specific reference. "Why don't these things come with an index?" She muttered. "Clark, only the spell caster can remove his or her spell. It's one of those myriad of magic rules."

"Magic? Spells?" Patrick hissed. "Witches! They're witches!" Wayland echoed. "Let us take our leave, before they turn us!" Thomas urged. "Witches should be burned at the stake, my brothers." Liam said, in a deadly tone. "We must report them to the Sheriff, and possibly Father O'Hara. Perhaps he can purge them of their demons."

Lois glanced at the riders briefly. "Well, its not the first time I've been called a witch." She remarked sarcastically. "See brothers? She admits her alliance with the dark arts!" Patrick taunted. "Perhaps she is controlled by Lucifer?" Wayland speculated. "Now that, I'd believe." Clark groused.

"Clark! Not helping!" Zatanna scolded him. A new rider came up behind the young men. It was a beautiful young woman, roughly their age. She was dressed in a long, flowing, gray dress, which covered her body completely down to her thin ankles. Her curled blonde hair was piled high atop her head in an exaggerated manner.
"Lady Martengale!" Patrick exclaimed. "Don't look upon the vile harlots and their charlatan. They are cursed!" The woman checked out Clark first, than the girls, and shrugged. "Patrick, thank you for your concern, but I dare say that looking upon them will not turn me to stone." The noblewoman forced a thin grin as she spoke.

The cursed part, I believe." Clark grumbled as Zatanna put her thin finger on a specific page. "Found it!" She announced proudly. Just before all hell broke loose.

PG-13 - The Hex Factor cont'd

"Great!" Clark commented hopefully. "Lois cast an osmotic spell." Zatanna explained. "Which means what?" He asked, ignoring the four horsemen and the lady rider. "Lois picked up the spell book without having a specific spell in mind, so the book in effect, read her thoughts when she touched it." The leggy young sorceress continued. "All she has to do is recall what she was thinking about and then reverse it."

"Lois? What were you thinking at the time?" Clark watched as she glanced at him blankly. "Please tell me that you remember." Zatanna folded her arms expectantly. Lois flushed. "It's sort of embarrassing." Clark's patience was growing thin. "Lois! Out with it!"

"Well, this is so dumb." Lois smiled. "Today, Lois!" Zatanna encouraged. "I was thinking about the trashy romance novel that I'd read last night. It took place in Victorian England…it was about these swashbuckling noblemen…" Clark cut Lois off. "I never figured you for the trashy romance novel type."

Lois snorted angrily. "Give me a break, Smallville. I've been dateless for about a year…a girl's got to have her relaxing, stress relieving hobbies!" Zatanna smirked. "So we're in your fantasy, roughly two hundred years ago. Just think us back to the current time and place." The magician directed sternly.

"You'll need the book." Zatanna was about to hand Lois the spell book, when a bloodcurdling yell was heard from somewhere up above them. "Zounds!" Patrick yelped. "The varlets set a trap for us! It's the savages!" Thomas hollered. "Protect Lady Martengale!" Liam ordered as the young men drew their swords and surrounded the defenseless noblewoman.

Zatanna and Lois exchanged glances. "Zounds? Varlets? I mean seriously, Lois, who says that?" Before she could answer, an arrow spun through the air, catching everyone by surprise. The point skewered Patrick's shoulder, and he screamed in pain, blood poured over his clean white shirt.

Patrick bravely kept his sword before him, as he winced. From the trees, line after line dropped, and scantily clad young women slid down the ropes, some with wicked looking crossbows in hand. All wore variations of animal skin clothing, and homemade masks. "Amazons!" Thomas spat.

Lois watched with detached interest. "Amazons? I don't remember them in my fantasy trashy romance novel." Clark instinctively protected Lois and Zatanna, squaring off against a few of the dangerous looking young women. "Maybe you skipped a chapter?" Zatanna reasoned.

She made certain that she had a good hold on the spell book, pinning it against her body, as she edged behind Clark. "Ladies, relax." He spoke softly to two of the nearest Amazon warriors. "We don't want any trouble." A cute young blonde Amazon closed in on Clark, double-edged sword in hand.

"He smells good, Tara!" She remarked. "Unlike the usual scurvy dogs we fight." She got into Clark's face, and quickly circled him like a lioness. "Amarice! Remember what day it is! We are not allowed to mate before the moon is at its fullest." Tara chastised her friend. "Mate?" Lois growled.

A third young Amazon put an exceptionally large, sharp, knife to Lois's throat, the type that fishermen use to filet fish. "Is he your consort, sister? If not, then he is fair game for Amarice, unless you prefer to challenge her to the death?" She challenged. "I might." Lois hedged.

"Do you wish to make challenge for Amarice's mate?" Tara asked Zatanna, who shook her head. "Nope! You can have him!" The sorceress quipped. "Thanks a lot, Zatanna." Clark grumbled. "Why not? We in the sisterhood have shared mates before, provided they're worthy." The third Amazon, named Jada, tempted. Clark gulped.

Meanwhile the other Amazons that had dropped from the trees had covered the young riders and Lady Martengale from every conceivable angle with their crossbows, and normal bow and arrows with quivers. "We await the princess's decree before Amarice can make challenge." Tara said.

"You know who'd really enjoy this?" Clark chuckled. "Oliver and Bart, and maybe even AC." Lois grimaced. "Let them get their own fantasies." Zatanna frowned. "You guys, this is serious. We may be in a sort of magical alternate universe, but those weapons are very real."

A taller Amazon walked up, commanding the attention of all the girls with the exception of those that had their weapons trained on their quarry. She had bright red orange straggly hair, and a homemade falcon's head mask. She lifted the mask up as she spoke. "What have we here?"

"Priestess Seponica, we have captured the intruders that dared cross our path and entered Amazon lands." A young stocky brown haired Amazon warrior said. "Out for a bloody nice ride in the countryside, are you?" Seponica's accent sounded like she'd had a traditional British or Irish upbringing. Seponica had a very large broadsword strapped across her back.

Clearly, no one wanted to mess with her. "Amarice has made challenge to the tall, brown-haired intruder for her mate." Tara explained to Seponica. "Truly?" She stared at Lois. "You would fight to the death for this one?" She drew her broadsword and waved it at Clark. Lois gulped. "Death is such a strong word…" She backpedaled.

Clark reddened with annoyance. "Be that as it may, only the princess may rule on a challenge." Seponica said and returned her attention to the riders. "You know, young riders, that to cross into Amazon lands carries a sentence of death." Seponica's eyes narrowed as she spoke.

"We are not afraid to die, harlot!" Wayland challenged bravely, or stupidly, depending on one's point of view. "Good!" Seponica sneered. "The heathen gods will smile on your disemboweled, rotting flesh!" Lois whimpered. "That is one mean girl!" Zatanna mumbled.

"Again, that is not up to me." Seponica walked slowly around the captives to face Lady Martengale. "Why do you cover your body so, lady rider? Are you in bondage?" Seponica inquired. "Now there's a phrase you don't hear too often." Lois said as her voice dripped with sarcasm. Clark rolled his eyes.

Lady Martengale ignored the Amazon Priestess proudly. "Sheath your swords, young riders. You stand no chance against my fully trained Amazon warriors. Who knows? If the fates smile on you, perhaps the princess will see fit to spare your scrawny hides." Seponica boasted, aware of the clear advantage she had over their captives.

"Just out of curiosity, Lois, which of these characters were you in the fantasy novel?" Zatanna asked warily. "Her." Lois pointed to Lady Martengale. "A damsel in distress?" Clark scoffed as Lois blushed. "Clark, every now and then, even I like to be saved." She defended.