Chapter 3

"Did ve vin?" Kurt asks, sounding surprised that they have appeared to.

"Yes, Kurt. We won," Clark says very sadly.

"Too bad they were evil. Especially the chick," Iceman says because she was seriously hot in that evil killer chick way.

"I hear you," Sunspot says in rare agreement with Bobby. "Did you see the tight little ass on her?" he asks because it was truly spectacular.

"Sure did," Iceman says with a lecherous grin.

Clark stomps off making sure to roughly bump into both Sunspot and Iceman as he goes. Rogue chases after him.

"Was was that for?" Bobby complains as he rubs his shoulder where Clark bashed him.

"You two are morons," Domino insults them. She thinks he knows what is eating Clark.

"How are we?" Roberto asks as he powers down.

Beast explains. "In the space of a short span of time Clark has gone from discovering he is in fact not the last of his species, only to find that they are fanatical followers of the person responsible for the destruction of his planet and now he has just had to exile them, I assume is what happened. Therefore he has, thus, just once again, condemned himself to being the sole survivor of his species."

"And you two idiots decided to make dirty jokes," Logan makes it clear for them. Lord even he isn't that insensitive. "Expect extra sessions with me when we get home," he promises them.


"Clark!" Rogue shouts after him. He hadn't superspeeded away yet but even so he was walking fast. "Wait!" she pleads.

Clark pauses and lets Rogue catch up. He turns his head and Rogue can see the sadness deep in his expressive blue eyes.

"Are ya alright?" she asks and gets a certain annoyed look. "Dumb question," she says while she mentally cringes at herself.

"Yes. It was," Clark confirms for her, his tone sharp and waspish. Physically, of course, he was and the sun's influence was already washing away the lingering effects of the kryptonite. Emotionally it was much more complicated.

"Those 2...ya know they're idiots."

Clark sighs. "That's not why I left."

Rogue blinks. "It's not?"

"No. Remember that the Disciples came in a ship that is still sitting there. I have to go deal with that and then remember my promise to Jor-El. That I would return immediately after I stopped the Disciples. Going to see him comes next."

"What are ya going ta do?"

"If necessary pick up that ship and carry it to the pole. Jor-El will probably know what to do with it."

"And it's occupants...what happened back there?" Rogue hasn't figured out yet.

"I have a theory. I need to speak to Jor-El to confirm it."

"Ah'll come with ya," Rogue decides.

"No." It's a firm statement of refusal.

"Why not?"

"Rogue...trust me. I'll handle this. It's about time Jor-El and I sorted out a few things and that may take awhile and you feel the cold a lot more than I do. What I need you to do is stay here and make sure those kryptonite bricks are taken care of."

"Rebury them?"

"No. Pack them up and take them to the Institute."

"Why?"

"Because I'll feel safer with them under the care of people I trust rather than left out here. I should have dealt with them before now."

"And because they can be used to make more weapons," Rogue argues, still unhappy about that.

"I don't have time to discuss that right now. When I get back I promise we'll talk about all the things we need to. Look, I need to go and you and the others need to help the town's folk. I'll be back as soon as I can to help." With that Clark blurs off.

Rogue stands there and places her hands on her hips, an unhappy frown on her face. Her head then suddenly flares up in pain, like someone drove a spike into it. Her hand goes to her head and amidst the pain there is a pick up in the chatter in her head. Normally the voices of the people she absorbs are sort of like muffled away in the distance but right now it's like she is standing in the middle of the group as they talk loudly and then just as suddenly as it is flares up it is gone.

'What was that?' Rogue asks herself. She hasn't felt anything like that since...well the closest experience was when she was tied down by that doctor at Belle Reve who was trying to learn Clark's secrets. He pumped her full of some kryptonite drug that broke down her mental barriers allowing the voices out.

Rogue wonders...the machine at Magneto's base. She thought it hadn't affected her. Maybe it did in some delayed fashion. She'll talk to Mr McCoy about it when they get home. For now she feels back to normal and they do have a lot to do. That takes priority. She turns round and heads back to rejoin the others.


Clark zips along to where he thinks the ship is. He got it's location off the Professor who got if off Logan but his 'fitness' teacher doesn't know Smallville all that well. Anyway time is short since the military know where it is. They'll send more. That only takes time.

It takes a small search before he comes to a stop near the black ship. Well that sure was more impressive than his own little ship. He has ship envy.

He's in luck. The military haven't come back yet. Clark takes a moment to look at the carnage his 2 fellow Kryptonians caused and guilt wells up inside him that he hadn't been here to prevent this.

There is so much he wishes he could do for these people. Unfortunately it is too late for him to do anything. All he can do now is make sure this ship can't harm anyone else.

Clark walks up to it and runs a hand over the black surface which is surprisingly cool to the touch. Small dots of white energy appear all around where Clark's hand is touching. They coalesce together and a white energy beam strikes him sending him flying through the air to land hard enough to carve out a small crater with his body.

Clark then watches as the ship becomes criss-crossed with bluish-white lines of energy before it vanishes in front of his eyes. Clark picks himself up. His jacket is scorched black where he was struck and that really smarted. He walks to where the ship was. There is nothing left. No trace it was ever here.

One might assume it self-destructed or something but Clark doesn't think so. Call it a hunch but he just knows that ship is still around somewhere. He knows who he can ask about it.

With nothing more to be done here he zips back to the caves.


The Fortress of Solitude...

Clark reappears in a flash of light. It had taken him a moment to work out he could use the key to activate this...um...

"Portal," Jor-El responds to Clark's thoughts. "We called them portals. The one in the cave is also a receiving station. It allowed travel to Earth as easily as you travelled here."

Clark takes a moment to absorb that stupendous fact. "You mean you could almost just walk to Earth from Krypton?" he asks for that incredible concept to be confirmed.

"Indeed, Kal-El," Jor-El confirms how that was the case.

"I succeeded in my mission. The Disciples are gone."

"You have done well, my son," Jor-El praises him.

"I have a question. That ring they used. It opened a doorway to this Phantom Zone you mentioned didn't it?"

"Your guess is accurate," Jor-El confirms.

"They can never come back?"

"The key they used was for opening one-way portals into the zone only. To create an exit portal can only be done through this Fortress and only if you open the doorway."

"What is this place really?" Clark asks.

"A monument, a repository, the core of Krypton's knowledge and technology preserved past it's own destruction. A place where your people's history is preserved for you to learn who you really are and where you come from."

"Can anyone find this?"

"The Fortress is undetectable by any means of surveillance humans possess and if someone should stumble upon it it possesses defence systems, both passive and offensive."

"Like?"

"A passive method of deterrent would be that the Fortress will generate an intense storm should someone approach forcing them to turn around."

Ok. That sounds not so bad. At least it isn't killing people. "And offensive?"

"As you may imagine, my son, we possessed forms of defensive technology beyond what humans can even imagine. That is only one of many things I need to teach you."

"We'll get to that but first I have to ask about the 2 from the ship. Do you know their names?" Clark asks, since he never did find out and he feels like he should know the names of the people he's sent to some prison forever.

"Nam-Ek and Aethyr. Two of Zod's most loyal and ruthless lieutenants."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Clark asks about why he never knew that he wasn't alone.

"Tell you that the only survivors of our race are irredeemable criminals. Monsters who killed without remorse or pity. Whose crimes are virtually unspeakable. Do you think you were ready for such a burden?"

Clark looks into himself. "No," he says with a sigh.

"I understand Kal-El. Your desire to not be alone. I am sorry our race's tragedy falls upon you. If it can provide any comfort I can assure you the majority of our people were not like them."

"Why could no others be saved?" Clark asks a question that has often crossed his mind. "If the Disciples escaped why no others?"

"The risk was too great."

"What risk?"

"That Zod's poison could escape Krypton. That could not be allowed. During the war all methods of interplanetary travel were deliberately destroyed so that neither Zod nor any of his followers could leave. No-one was to leave the planet until after the war was resolved."

"Except for me."

"I violated the Council's edict when I constructed your ship...but I could not let you die with us," Jor-El says, a tinge of sadness in his tone which is more emotion than Clark has ever heard before. "You are our redemption Kal-El. You are Krypton's legacy which is why I am so insistent on your path."

"More like domineering," Clark mutters. He runs his hand through his hair as he sits himself down on a raised ice platform. "The ship vanished when I went to it. It's not destroyed is it?"

"No. What you witnessed was a Trans-Warp jump."

"It moved somewhere else."

"Yes."

"You're not telling me something," Clark just has a feeling. "Come on. Spit it out before it bites me in the ass."

"Your language leaves a lot to be desired Kal-El," Jor-El criticises.

"Yeah, well, your withholding information from me leaves a lot to be desired in terms of your parenting skills," Clark retorts.

"What you encountered was not a ship...precisely. It is my...failure," Jor-El says with a tone of deep regret.

"What do you mean?" Clark asks, puzzled by that.

"The war had caused the destabilisation of Krypton's planetary core. There was a risk of a chain reaction amongst the radioactive elements within the core, resulting in Krypton's destruction. As the planet's chief scientist I was tasked with finding a solution. The solution came in the form of a technology created a century earlier by one of Krypton's finest scientists, Dax-Ur. The technology carried great risk. It was the ability to destroy worlds. Dax-Ur, himself, could not carry this burden upon his conscience, the fact he created the potential for such destructive power and vanished never to be seen again."

"This technology...you thought it could save Krypton," Clark deduces.

"Programmed correctly with proper safeguards I believed it would not only stabilise the core but help in the rebuilding afterwards. To this end it required what you would call an Artificial Intelligence. It required to think and to innovate. I dubbed my creation the Brain Interactive Construct, shortened to Brainiac. In a short time after it was made functional it proved to be so successful the Council decreed it was to be given control over all automated systems that were under the Council's control."

"What happened next?" Clark asks since Jor-El called it his failure so something must have happened.

"Zod. He managed to override my safeguards and corrupted Brainiac's programming, making it serve him. After Zod's defeat Brainiac carried out it's final command from it's master. Instead of stabilising the core as it was suppose to Brainiac pushed it past the critical point from which there was no return. From today's events we can make the following assumption that it then constructed the ship you encountered to hold it's program and took the 2 Disciples off the planet before Krypton's destruction."

"What will Brainiac do?"

"Endeavour to finish what the Disciples failed to do. Free it's master."

"How?"

"It can take many forms. Imitate perfectly its own creators, including our gifts given to us by the yellow sun."

"But only I can free Zod," Clark reiterates what Jor-El said.

"Yes."

"So it must either trick me or force me to do so."

"Your analysis is correct, Kal-El. How it will do this I cannot anticipate. I suspect Brainiac will take some time analysing its current situation before acting. You must be watchful and wary for its return."

"I will," Clark promises although how he'll do that he doesn't know. "What about this training you mentioned? Before you speak know I will not accept staying up here indefinitely. I have much to do back home."

"You are badly in need of rest Kal-El. I know of your mental troubles."

"Yeah and whose fault is that?" Clark accuses. "And no way in the name of Rao am I trusting you to poke around in my head again. You can forget it. I'll tear this place down first. To hell with you and to hell with Krypton's legacy!" Clark snaps, his temper close to being lost completely.

There is an uncomfortable silence that prevails for awhile.

Clark's temper calms. He hadn't meant to snap. It is just...how can he trust Jor-El with his mind ever again after the summer? He lets out a weary breath and rubs his face. "I went to Nova Roma," he mentions in a quiet tone, just feeling like a change of subject might be good.

"A place I remember fondly," Jor-El replies, his tone much softer, almost nostalgic as if he is reminiscing.

"Yeah but did you have to sleep with Selene? I'm never getting that image out of my head you know," Clark complains, making a suitable face of revulsion.

"A...misjudgement on my part," Jor-El confesses. "I did not know her true nature although she was most lovely to look at."

"That's not helping."

"You are young Kal-El and still have much to learn in the area of the heart...as did I at that time."

"Yeah, probably but why couldn't you tell me about this last time I asked?"

"You had a trial to complete. That took precedent."

Clark sighs. Trials, tests, his whole life seems to be dominated by them. "Did you?" he asks suddenly.

"Did I what, my son?"

"Debate with your father what you learned on Nova Roma," Clark asks about something he remembers from the memory pendant.

"Frequently and passionately. All I ever wished was to make Krypton better, to save our race from our own arrogance and indolence. We had become so set in our ways, convinced we had achieved some form of perfection and we had lost that drive, the dynamism that got us to that point in the first place. We were stagnating as a civilisation. Zod saw it too but his solution to the problem was...extreme, as you know."

"Overthrow the authorities and put himself in charge, you mean?"

"Yes."

"You sound...sad?"

"No-one starts as evil, Kal-El. Zod was once much like myself and sought peaceful reform. He was my friend and I had to watch as he became lost to his own internal darkness. I will not watch you, my son, fall as well. It is why I am so harsh. I must be."

"Or you could have trust in me. How about that?"

"Remember what I said, Kal-El. There are two moments for you to seize your destiny. The 1st has passed. The 2nd draws nearer every day."

Clark quietly groans. Back to the destiny stuff. "Don't suppose you care to enlighten me on what this day is?"

"You are not ready."

"How did I know you would say something like that," Clark mutters in complaint. "Look, I do wish to know about home but I can't stay here. There are so many people that require my help. You understand that, I think...or at least the you, you were, that went to Nova Roma...he would."

"There are many aspects of your thinking I don't agree with, my son."

"Yeah and was that any less true with you and your father? And is that necessarily a bad thing?"

Clark blinks in surprise at what happens next. Jor-El reluctantly chuckles. Clark never imagined to hear Jor-El laugh. Wasn't sure Jor-El even had a sense of humour.

"Does that mean you agree with me?" Clark asks, hopeful for a moment.

It's a short moment. "No. I still believe you too clouded by human emotion. However, I am impressed by how you passed the trial of the elements despite those limitations."

"Um...thanks...I think," Clark says with a puzzled brow.

"You may return to your friends, Kal-El," Jor-El permits him. "We shall discuss your training another day."

"You serious?" Clark asks, taken aback by that. He never thought he would see the day Jor-El would let him off doing something.

"I can sense your weariness Kal-El. You need rest. In your current state I don't believe you could absorb your training with the completion required. I will summon you when I believe you ready."

"Um, wow, ok. Not sure what to say to that one."

"Thank you, father, would be sufficient."

Clark doesn't say that. He gets to his feet. "Before I go, just to clarify, my mother was better to look at than Selene, right?"

"Your mother put into the shade the shinning moons of Krypton."

That idea makes Clark smile. He makes ready to leave but before he does he has 3 more words to speak. "Thank you...father."


Smallville Medical Centre...

Chloe had arrived and was checking up on her cousin. She rushes over to the bed Lois is in and gives her cousin a great big hug.

"Easy there, couz. You might give people the wrong idea," Lois jokes.

Chloe makes a face at Lois for that comment. "So how are you, really?" she asks, wanting to know how Lois actually is.

"Well my head hurts," Lois complains first off. She had stitches in the cut on her head. "And my knee is messed up worse than a boxer's face after 30 rounds. You know they want me to stay in here for a week!" she complains in shrill tones.

"Well you should do what the doctors say, Lois. Besides if your knee is that bad you're not going to be doing much anyway," Chloe argues.

"But I hate sitting around, Chlo," Lois whines.

Chloe knows that. God does Lois ever complain when she is bored and has nothing to do.

Lois' expression changes. It becomes reflective. "Chlo," she says softly.

"Yes, Lois?"

"I saw a spaceship today and aliens."

"Oh, um, you sure?" Chloe asks, trying to think of what to say that protects Clark. "I mean you did hit your head."

"Don't patronise me Chloe," Lois says sternly.

"I'm not, Lo. Believe me I wouldn't do that but that field where you said it was...there's nothing but a hole in the ground. Mr Logan told me." Which is true. She spoke to him before she came see Lois and he had just gotten back from the fight with the 2 Kryptonians and had checked on the ship and it was gone. Probably because Clark took it for reasons which Chloe totally understands.

"I know the truth Chloe. I saw it with my own eyes," Lois persists.

"Then I believe you, Lo," Chloe says because she can't sit here and accuse her cousin of lying.

"People need to know what happened here today," Lois says with determination.

Oh boy. "Lo. I believe you but there's no evidence."

"All the military personnel that were killed," Lois argues.

"Meteor strike they're saying," Chloe gives what the military are actually saying about that. The cover-up has already started.

"Oh what a load of hogwash!" Lois spews, unable to believe she is hearing that.

"Lois..." Chloe starts to say.

"I saw what happened Chloe! I was there! They can't do that!"

"They are doing it Lois. I'm not happier about it than you are but the bottom line is that there is no evidence. Without evidence there is nothing we can do. Any story we write would look like science fiction and I don't want to kill my career any more than I have already when I made my deal with Lionel Luthor by writing a story we can't substantiate. I'm sorry Lois. You have to accept reality."

"The hell I do," Lois denies that.

Chloe takes Lois' hand into her own. "Hey. Look, you know I will back you up over anything but really think about what you are saying. You want to claim aliens are real without one shred of proof. If someone else had proclaimed that before today you would have laughed your head off at them."

"Well, ok. I probably would have," Lois concedes. "And given them several cutting remarks."

"Yeah. There's that too."

Lois lets out a loud sigh. "Dammit. You have to admit though that would be a hell of a story."

"Yeah. It would," Chloe knows and she could have written it herself nearly a year ago after learning the truth about Clark but she wouldn't do that to him.

"I'm not giving up on it, Chlo. There has to be some proof. Those men's families deserve better than some cock and bull story."

This is the difficult part of knowing Clark's secret. Lois isn't wrong. The families do deserve better than some cock and bull story yet to protect Clark Chloe just has to let the lie be told.

"And what about the aliens? What were they doing here? Were they just the first? Is it..."

"Whoa there couz. Slow down. Remember you're stuck in this bed for a week and that leg will probably take longer than that to heal completely," Chloe advises, partially out of genuine concern for Lois' health. "The answers will still be there. The truth can't be buried forever."

Lois takes a breath and calms herself. "Yeah. You're right Chlo. What would I do without you, huh?" she asks with a wry grin.

Chloe smiles but on the inside she is hating herself for lying through her teeth.

"I'll find the truth, Chloe. I promise you that," Lois swears.

"Guess I am turning you into a reporter after all."

"Must be in the genes. So you'll help?"

"Sure, Lois," Chloe says with zero enthusiasm and a mental cringe because to protect Clark she just told another lie. She can't help. Worst. Cousin. Ever. That's what she is. Some days Chloe hates being her.


"Why is she on the ceiling?" Jean wants to know. She had come back to see Scott and found the little girl they saved had decided to stick to the ceiling.

"I'm at a loss," Scott admits. "I don't think it was anything I said."

"That means it was something you said," Kitty smart-mouths off. Yes, she's there too. She and Peter finally managed to catch up with everyone. Heck they're all here to do a regroup.

Jean finds she agrees with Kitty. Scott could be monumentally insensitive at times even if he is not meaning to. She tries to encourage the girl down with no luck.

Kitty look to her boyfriend. "Spidey, you think you could?" she requests, gesturing with her head by nodding in the direction of the ceiling.

"Leave this to me," Spider-Man promises. He jumps to the wall and pushes himself off and flips to land on the ceiling and sticks there in a crouch. "Hi there!" he waves goofily at the little girl. "It's nice to have company, isn't it."

"H-how do you stick?" the little girl asks because he wore clothes and she needed to have bare hands and feet.

"Oh sorry. That's a trade secret," Spider-Man jests. "So what did the mean man in the red visor say to you?"

"I didn't say anything," Scott insists.

"Shh," Jean tells him off and lightly slaps him on the shoulder.

Spider-Man crawls up close. "If you want you can whisper it in my ear," he says in soft reassuring tones.

She seems unsure of that before leaning up to his ear and whispering. No-one else hears what she says.

"Uh huh. I see," Spider-Man comments with a nod of his head as he listens. "Ok. That's definitely means he deserves a wedgie."

Kitty bursts out into a laugh before she can cover her mouth and nose with her hand.

"I didn't say anything," Scott once more insists, throwing his hands up in aggravation.

Spider-Man manages to convince the girl to come down and he wraps an arm around her before dropping serenely to the floor. He doesn't reveal what she said keeping it a secret. He looks to Jean. "You mentioned something about a woman who's in charge of the mutants around here?"

"Yeah. She's here with the Professor talking to the Mayor...I think," Jean qualifies herself.

Spider-Man looks down at the girl in his arms. "We'll go talk to her and see what she knows about your parents ok?"

The girl nods her agreement and Spider-Man carries her off.

That leaves Jean and Kitty to give Scott some looks.

"I didn't say anything!" he insists in exasperation that he isn't being believed.

Jean and Kitty share a look that shows how neither of them is believing that.


Out in the car park the Professor finds himself trying to be peacemaker between Lilandra, Mayor Tate, Sheriff Adams and the military commander. It's not easy to maintain some semblance of civilised discussion at times.

At the moment Mayor Tate is attempting to give what sound like perfectly reasonable arguments as to why the meteor mutants in Lilandra's community shouldn't help with Smallville's rebuilding. The man is a consummate politician, trying not to sound offensive but the basis of his arguments are starkly simple. The offer is coming from mutants and they can't have that.

Lilandra had a few brief tempting thoughts about frying the Mayor's brain. Forgive her for being human. "Mayor Tate," she interjects into the conversation. "While a moment is needed to remember those we have lost today, we all wish to have Smallville restored as soon as possible, yes?"

Mayor Tate takes a moment to see if there is any point he can contest. There isn't. "Yes," he is forced to agree.

"Then please tell us how you will explain to the homeless and the bereaved why you are refusing to use a resource that could accomplish that faster because trust me that is a question that will be raised in the press," Lilandra makes the veiled threat.

"I-it's not that simple."

"Because we're mutants?"

"You're trying to put words into my mouth," Mayor Tate is too savvy to be caught out like that.

"Not at all," Lilandra feigns total innocence. Of course if she wanted to put words into his mouth...well she is a telepath ya know.

Charles intervenes. "Mr Mayor, if I may, I know today has been a tragedy but the sign of a truly great man is someone who takes a tragedy and turns it into something magnificent. This is an opportunity to turn Smallville into an example...a beacon of hope for the whole world. A demonstration of how mutants and humans can together create a better tomorrow out of the ruins of yesterday. You can be that man, remembered by history, who led the way. For the man who chooses that path will be revered as a visionary who was ahead of the pack."

Mayor Tate contemplates that. He feels he has done a more than satisfactory job being mayor but in the end he is only the mayor of a small town. He isn't getting younger and his chance at leaving a greater legacy is fading. This could be an opportunity to put himself in the history books. "You are right, Professor Xavier. This is an opportunity...but let us deal with the tragedy and mourning of this day first," he proposes.

"Of course," the Professor agrees.

Mayor Tate looks at Lilandra. "Ms Neramani, we'll talk tomorrow in my office if that is fine for you."

"Of course," Lilandra repeats the Professor's words. "I look froward to us working together, Mr Mayor."

Sheriff Adams discreetly rolls her eyes at how the Mayor has been suckered. Politicians. They're idiots...but she bites her tongue because as much as she has issues she also can't deny that Lilandra has helped keep things quiet around here. In the end she's a pragmatist and anything that helps keep law and order is something she supports.

The other 3 depart leaving the Professor and Lilandra.

"Nicely played," Lilandra telepathically compliments him.

"Thank you," Charles returns.

"You know it doesn't change how he feels about mutants."

"For now the appearance he will put on matters more than his personal attitude. Once you and he have been seen in public agreeing to work together he'll have a hard time going back on his word. I do know that puts a burden on you too which I apologise for."

"No need, Charles. I knew the burden I would carry the day I chose to become the leader of our little community."

"Yes. You will have to tell me how that came about one day."

"Over dinner, perhaps?" Lilandra suggests.

"Certainly...although I'm afraid with our respective responsibilities that may be awhile off."

"I can wait. I'm certain you're worth it."

"I'm certain I can say the same about you."

"Naturally," Lilandra quips.

Charles laughs. Lilandra was quite a woman.

"Didn't know you knew how to play politics," she remarks, going back to that.

"I've been forced to learn how to play."

"There are other games I could teach you to play," Lilandra says with more than a flirtatious edge to her thoughts.

"I'm sure I could teach you a few things too," Charles ends up returning the flirtation and then can't quite believe he is doing it.

"I look forward to that," Lilandra says with a small eager grin.

Before the mental flirtations can continue Spider-Man arrives with the little girl. "Sorry to interrupt but I need help," he apologises.

"Not at all, Spider-Man," the Professor assures him that it is ok. "What is the problem?"

"She is," he says in reference to the little girl. "Oh this is Linda by the way," he reveals she told him her name. "We seem to have misplaced her parents...which I have total sympathy with. I misplaced myself about 5 years ago and I still haven't found...myself."

Charles shakes his head in acceptance of Peter's bad humour.

"Anyway I don't know how long it will take to find them and Linda doesn't have anywhere to go so..." he looks to Lilandra.

"We'll be more than happy to take her in until then," Lilandra makes the jump. She walks over and kneels down to the girl's height. "Hello, Linda. I'm Lilandra," she introduces herself with a kind, warm, open expression. "I promise we'll do all we can to find your parents."

Linda is a little unsure but there is something about this woman...like the red-haired girl, that gives a warm trusting feeling inside. She stretches out her hand and Lilandra takes it into her own.

Spider-Man bends down. "Well I guess this is goodbye but hey, if I'm in the area perhaps you and I can...hang around."

Both Charles and Lilandra groan at that but Linda giggles.

"Yay!" Spider-Man makes a small cheer. "Someone who likes my humour." Under his mask Peter grins at the fact he made the girl giggles before he departs to find Kitty. Maybe she can help him think of what he is going to say to his Aunt to explain where he has been all this time.

"I need to apologise," Charles says, feeling the time is coming where he and Lilandra must part for now and he wants to say this.

"Apologise for what?" Lilandra queries, puzzled.

"For not giving your situation here in Smallville more of my attention sooner."

"Charles," Lilandra says with an appreciative smile for his desire to help. "As I said earlier you cannot possibly fight every battle of mutantkind nor should you be expected to."

"Perhaps but as you said Smallville is also rather unique because of the influence of the meteors. Today may have only exacerbated the situation."

"You...you don't know," Lilandra realises something from his words.

"Don't know what?"

"After our reveal in the summer Lex had his men go all over Smallville and collect every piece of meteor rock they could find."

Charles is stunned by that piece of news. "For what purpose?"

"Officially just to clean it up, to make Smallville safer for its citizens."

"And unofficially?"

"You tell me. I suspect you know more about what the Luthors get up to."

Charles knows Lex and Lionel made some sort of deal with SHIELD about the stones...he wonders if that deal stretches into other areas. Could Lex be continuing Lionel's research into the meteor rocks which Charles knows did interest the military at one point. "I know nothing for certain...but I will make some inquiries," he promises. He looks up at the charming beautiful woman before him. "My X-Men and I are going home shortly for a brief rest but I promise you Lilandra, Smallville shall not be forgotten. We will offer what aid we can to help in its rebuild and I will offer what assistance I can to aid your situation here."

"We can discuss that over that dinner you promised me," she replies with a warm smile.

"I promised you?" Charles question that. She proposed it.

"A gentleman always offers the lady dinner. Surely you agree with that," she says with silky tones.

"O-of course."

"Then it's settled. When you need to contact me Chloe knows how. Seen you soon...hopefully," she says with the necessary sultry undertone and suggestive look.

Charles actually blushes slightly.

Not too far away, leaning against the wall of the medical centre, Logan is smoking one of his cigars. He snickers slightly at the scene before him of Chuck and the woman.

"What?" Storm asks as she is standing next to him.

"Oh I was just thinking how everything below the waist obviously isn't paralysed."

Ororo rolls her eyes. "Really Logan," she says with a small laugh she can't help as she playfully swats him. "I don't think today's the right moment for your dirty innuendos. Lets save it for a day when so many haven't been killed, hmm?"

"Whatever you say, darlin. Whatever you say."


There was still much to be done in Smallville. That was a fact. Another fact was that the X-Men had been on the go for over 24 hours, no rest, a period that includes the fight at Magneto's base. Truth is they were all running on coffee and willpower...with the possible exception of Clark whose body was fuelled by the near limitless energy of the sun. That's why the Professor had said to Lilandra they were leaving for a brief rest. They are...before they collapse.

On the flight home the Professor thought maybe he could send small teams back to Smallville in shifts to help. That would do it.

Clark hadn't joined them. Upon his return from...his Fortress of Solitude he called it he insisted on staying and helping in Smallville, using his powers to search for missing people amongst the ruins.

Upon returning to the mansion the rest of them wearily trudge towards their respective room. At the back of the group are Kitty and Peter. The latter has his mask off and is on the phone trying to explain to his aunt where he has been.

"I know I should have phoned sooner Aunt May...I'm sorry if I worried you...I just, uh, needed to be in Bayville while my girlfriend was off risking her life...I know that may not make sense..."

It's not untrue in a way.

"You want to talk to Kitty?" Peter says in surprise at what his aunt says next.

That wakes Kitty up. She was practically sleep-walking. She looks wide-eyed and in terror at Peter having not spoken to his aunt before.

Peter places his hand over the speaker. "Please. Just confirm that I've been here," he begs her.

Kitty can't say no to that face and takes the phone. "Um...hi, Mrs Parker. This is Kitty Pryde...yes Peter has been here. He's really like totally sweet in that way...uh huh...yes...ok...you know I know he's totally sorry for not phoning you and I'm sorry too. I guess I should have reminded him earlier...it's just been like a mega long day. Just got back from Smallville...yes I was there helping evacuate the town. That's what the X-Men do, we help people...uh huh...well I'm not sure...ok if you insist...it was nice talking to you too...I'll make sure Peter gets home as soon as. Ok. Bye Mrs Parker!"

Kitty hands Peter his phone back.

"Thank you," Peter says gratefully and kisses Kitty at the corner of her mouth.

"That's no problem. Your aunt's really nice," Kitty replies. "And she invited me over to dinner this Saturday," she drops the bombshell.

Peter stops dead. "Wha-huh!"

"She wants to meet me," Kitty says with an eerie calmness.

Ok, Peter knows he should have seen this coming. His aunt has been making hints at wanting to meet his girlfriend yet he is still surprise. "Are you ok with that?"

"Sure," Kitty says. "One thing though."

"What?"

"Catch me while I faint from the induced heart-freezing panic attack I'm about to have."

Peter looks at her oddly. Kitty's eyes roll into the back of her head and Peter's superhuman reflexes are pushed to the limit to catch her. He looks down at her face in its repose. Oh yeah. This Saturday is going to be a bundle of laughs.


Author's Note: I felt it time for a slightly differently toned conversation between Clark and Jor-El. That's not to say they don't still have their problems. They do. It will be awhile before Brainiac returns. In fact it won't be in this story. As for Lois what I will do is use what happened to her to propel her to take charge of her life and pursue her goals and Clark is going to have work much harder to win her round to liking Superman given that her first glimpse of Kryptonians is them committing cold blooded murder. Take that to mean we'll be seeing more of Lois this story. In fact as a spoiler we'll be seeing more of Smallville in general and it's characters. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; the X-Men get some rest and try to come to terms with everything that has happened these last few days.