Chapter 1 Part 4
Fear, it was the most natural thing that he had felt as it had been a part of him for his entire life. The Professor had just told him that he had encountered a Kryptonian before and recognised him as one. For the past two years since his father told him the truth he had wondered if there were anymore like himself out there. He had gotten the answer a few weeks ago when Virgil Swann contacted him, there was nobody else.
Now though the professor had told him that he had encountered another Kryptonian on Earth years earlier. It was strange knowing that he wasn't the only alien to visit the Earth. Part of him couldn't help but wonder if there were any others on Earth hidden away, despite what Dr Swann had said.
However as he stood on top of the cliff overlooking the ocean he couldn't help but wonder, why Earth. It was obvious to him that there was life on other planets, so why was he sent to Earth. Out of all the planets in the cosmos, why was this little blue ball the one he was sent to. The other thing that often plagued his mind since finding out the truth was, why didn't his biological parents come with him.
He had grown up as Clark Kent and he loved his adopted parents but there was always something missing. At first he didn't know what it was but after learning the truth he understood. He wasn't human and would never be, he was an alien and he was alone. There was so much about himself that he kept suppressed, even before his father told him the truth. Growing up he always felt different and he knew that he didn't see the world the way others did, didn't think like others do. So he learned to lie, to hide those parts of himself that he knew others couldn't understand. It was a sad truth but one he knew was true, Clark Kent was nothing more than a lie. A lie to fit into a world where he didn't belong.
The part of him that was human for a lack of a better word was currently terrified over the fact that the professor knew about what he was. The human persona that he had built over the years while suppressing his not so human side, had become dominant. However there was also his Kryptonian side there in the background and it was basically telling him to `Grow the hell up`. Chloe had been right when she told him that he was constantly afraid and he knew that as well as she did. But it wasn't his Kryptonian side that was afraid, it was his human side.
In truth he very rarely let what he now knows as his Kryptonian side out. Of course when people are in danger he allows his natural instincts to take over and it was only in those moments that that side of him comes out. The fight with Juggernaut had been a perfect example of that because despite knowing that he couldn't beat the professor's brother, he felt no fear. It was strange and he wouldn't admit it aloud, but he enjoyed the fight. It was freeing to be able to let go even if only for a short while, to cut the ties that held him down. "Hey Clark... You ok?" Jean's voice said breaking Clark out of his thoughts.
Clark turned his attention towards the red head as she approached. "Just thinking that's all... Do you need something?"
Jean shook her head in response. "No... It's just Chloe was wondering where you'd gone and I figured since your not one for crowds, you'd go somewhere quiet."
"Yeah... I just needed some time to myself." He responded as he turned his head back to look over at the ocean.
"I'll leave you alone then." The red head stated as she turned to walk away to leave Clark to his thoughts.
"How did you cope with it?... Being so different at such a young age... Realising how dangerous you could be." Clark asked causing Jean to stop and turn back to him.
Walking up next to Clark she herself looked out over the ocean and let out a small sigh. "It wasn't easy... Thinking back on it, my powers back then were a little out of control... I can still remember causing things to start shooting across my house when I would get upset or angry... To make matters worse I would get even more angry and upset because I was angry and upset."
"The first Christmas with my parents... It was the first time I can remember seeing snow." Clark stated as he let out a small sigh as a memory played out in his mind. "I was only three and a half and I got so excited about the snow that without thinking, I gabbed onto my mother and tried to run outside... I dislocated her shoulder in the process and if she hadn't screamed out in pain, I may have done a lot more damage." Shaking his head at the memory he looked up towards the sun as it was setting and closed his eyes as he felt his skin tingling slightly.
Jean was actually shocked by what he had said and she couldn't imagine what that must have been like for him, especially at the age of three. To dislocate your mothers shoulder just by trying to pull her outside into the snow. She realised that it must have absolutely terrified him and she couldn't imagine what she would have been like had something similar happened to her.
She had also noticed the way Clark seemed to react to the sun as he closed his eyes and she found herself feeling a little curious about it. "What is it about the sun?" She asked.
Clark opened his eyes and turned to look at the red head. "Umm... I'm not exactly sure to be honest... When I was growing up... If I ever got hurt, all I needed to do was go out into the sun... It's hard to explain... But when I'm out in the sun, I can literally feel every cell in my body tingle and vibrate... It's relaxing and that's the only word I can find to describe it."
"You know for someone who doesn't like opening up... You've been doing a lot of talking with me." Jean stated with curiosity in her voice.
Clark for his part had to admit that she was right and he had spent some time thinking about that himself. For some reason he didn't understand, he felt comfortable around the red head. "I'm not trying to make a pass at you." He began to say as he felt himself blush slightly. "But for some reason I feel comfortable around you... Don't ask me to explain it because I haven't got a clue myself... And there's the whole thing about you being able to see my memories when I'm asleep or unconscious."
"The professor told you about that?" The red head asked a little surprised that the professor would reveal something like that.
"Yeah... He figured I needed to know." The alien teen said in response before letting out another sigh. "You should be careful... I have no idea what could happen to you if you started looking through my mind... It could be dangerous."
"Dangerous, how?" Jean asked now with concern in her voice.
Clark knowing that he couldn't give too much away knew that he needed to tell her something. He was being honest in saying that he didn't know what could happen since his mind isn't like a human's. There was no telling what reading his mind could do to Jean. "My mind processes information differently than yours... I'm not being arrogant or anything, but I couldn't think as slow as you or any of the others... Even if I tried... I can process information so quickly that the world around me can seem like it is frozen in place... At the speed my mind works... I don't know what would happen to you, if you could read my mind."
Jean raised her eyebrow at the feeling slightly insulted but as she looked into Clark's eyes she just knew he was being truthful with her. With that realisation any annoyance she was feeling towards what she guesses is her new friend, was now gone. "So what the world just freezes around you?"
Clark nodded at that in response before speaking. "Yeah... I think it's partly to do with the whole super speed thing... Being able to process information that quickly comes in handy when you can move as fast as I can... At the speed I can move... Quick thinking is needed to avoid, hazards."
"I know your way stronger than any of us and that your pretty tough considering you took on the Professor's brother, who from what he told us is virtually unstoppable... But..." Jean trailed off on that as she remembered the promise she had made not to pressure him. "Never mind."
"Your wondering what else I can do." Clark said to which he got a sheepish nod from the red head. The Kryptonian teen let out another small sigh as he knew it was eventually going to come up again. However he was also grateful that the red head stopped herself from nagging him about it. But as he looked at her he realised that since he had already told Logan that there was no harm in telling her. Both Chloe and his mother had already encouraged him to let the mutants know about his powers, even if he doesn't tell them where he's from. "Ok... Where to start." He began to say and instantly noticed Jean's face light up as she realised he was going to tell her. "As you already know... I'm really strong and tough, bullet-proof to be precise... Then I have the whole super speed thing, although I don't know how fast I can actually travel... I can also shoot beams of infrared radiation from my eyes... That's pretty handy when I need to re-warm my food... And then there's... There's..." He wasn't sure how to approach his last ability considering he was standing next to a rather attractive young woman.
Jean had been listening and was quite shocked by the list of Clark's powers. Instantly she knew that he definitely wasn't your average mutant and she wondered if he was what the professor called an Omega Level Mutant. However right now she could tell that he was rather nervous about telling her what this last power was and she had to admit that she was curious. "Then there's what?"
Oh how am I going to explain this one. Clark thought to himself before speaking. "Ummm... Well I kinda have the ability to see through..."
\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men
As the evening came both Chloe and Scott realised that Clark and Jean were nowhere to be found in the mansion. After going to see the professor they discovered that both Clark and Jean were out the back of the mansion overlooking the ocean. Now knowing where the two were Scott and Chloe went to get them as it was time for everyone to have a session in the danger room.
"So... How come you don't need to wear a visor if you have my power now?" Scott asked the shorter blond.
"I'm not sure to be honest... When I absorb someone's abilities, I gain and understanding of how that power works... I don't know why you cant turn it off." Chloe responded as she was able to turn the optic blasts on and off at will. The question of why Scott couldn't was one she had thought about herself.
Scott thought about that for a second and a theory popped straight into his head. "When I was a kid I ended up in a coma for a month... I know that I did suffer some brain trauma, so maybe that's why."
"Maybe." Chloe responded as they carried on walking through the back. "I just focus my eyes on the target I'm trying to hit, and then it just happens."
"Maybe one day I'll get it under control... It's kind of annoying having to wear glasses and a visor all the time." Scott stated as he let out a sigh. "So have you noticed anything going on between Clark and Jean?"
Chloe shook her head at that. "No... But with Clark you can never tell what's going through his mind... It may be a case of Jean is the only person here apart from the professor that Clark's actually had a real conversation with."
As the two approached the cliff they were surprised to hear both Jean and Clark laughing. "It really wasn't all that funny... I was in gym class climbing the ropes with Pete, when all of a sudden his skin just disappeared... I could see all his muscles and bones, it scared the crap out of me." They heard Clark say causing Chloe to gasp in shock as she recognised the story that Clark was telling Jean. Clark had told her about what had happened when his x-ray vision first kicked in and she had to admit that she was surprised that he was talking about it. Maybe I got through to him after all. The blond thought to herself.
"Yeah but come on... Are you telling me that you've never once abused that little power of yours?" They heard Jean ask with a little mirth in her voice.
"Well there was this one time I leaned about Chloe's birthmark..." Scott heard Clark say before Chloe interrupted them with a scream.
"CLARK KENT, IF YOU CARRY ON WITH THAT STORY I AM GOING TO HURT YOU... AND REMEMBER I KNOW HOW." Chloe screamed as she realised where this story was going.
Both Clark and Jean jumped as they heard Chloe's scream. As for Clark he turned towards the blond and give her a sheepish grin. "Sorry Chloe... We were just talking about some of my more embarrassing moments with my powers."
"Yeah, Yeah." Chloe responded as she and Scott approached the alien and the red head. "Have you told her any embarrassing stories about your heat vision? or should I."
Clark's smile instantly faded at that and he raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'll stop if you will." He said as he really didn't want to get into what actually triggered off his heat vision.
Both Scott and Jean looked at each other and they both knew that there was an interesting story behind whatever it was that Clark and Chloe were on about. "So what's up?" Clark asked hoping to break away from where the conversation was heading.
"We've got an evening danger room session." Scott stated.
"Oh sorry, I totally forgot." Jean said with a bit of sadness in her voice. The last few hours talking with Clark had been great and she found that she really liked him. They had both been so open with each other and it surprised her how easily she could talk to him. She knew without a doubt that even if he didn't joint he institute that she had made a great friend and she didn't want to give that up so easily.
"Ok then, shall we go." Chloe said before the four teens started to walk back to the mansion.
\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men\S/X-Men
As the x-men made their way into the danger room along with Chloe, Clark stayed in the observation room. Chloe and the professor as well as Jean tried to talk him into joining the session, but he turned it down. In truth Clark wasn't really sure that it would be fair since from what he could tell, nothing in that room could really slow him down. "So, why these sessions?... Are you preparing for the end of the world or something?" Clark as the professor who was sitting in his wheelchair in front of the controls.
"As much as I hope for the best when the day that humanity learns about the existence of mutants, I am also aware that our reception to the world may not go as I hope." Charles stated before letting out a small sigh. "The danger room is designed to help the students gain better control of their powers as well as prepare them for any hostile reception they may receive."
"Hope for the best, but plan for the worst." The alien teen said in response.
"Essentially yes... However there are also times when the X-Men are called upon to stop other mutants from causing chaos and destruction with their powers." The professor said as he turned his attention back to the controls. "Alright students, this will be a lighter session than normal since Chloe's new here." He said over the microphone so that the students inside the danger room could hear. Then he turned back to look at Clark. "Are you sure you wont join them?"
Clark shook his head at that. "I'm sure... As a said to Logan earlier... From what I can tell, nothing in that room will do much to slow me down."
"When the new upgrades are installed I think you will be surprised at what we will be able to do." Charles said back before again turning to the controls and activating the microphone again. "Alright students, lets begin."
For the next half an hour Clark watched from the observation room as Chloe and the X-Men fought off everything that the professor unleashed on them.
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As the danger room session came to an end Chloe had to admit that she was pretty tired. It had been an interesting session and from what the others had told her, that was a light workout. "So how did we do?" She asked aloud as Clark and the professor walked into the room.
"You did pretty good Chloe." Clark responded with a smile.
"I say next time, I just lock you in her on your own." The blond said in response since she was still a little annoyed at Clark for not getting involved.
"Yeah, like why didn't you have to do it?" Kitty asked.
"I doubt that the danger room has anything in it that will even slow Clark down." Jean responded before anyone had a chance to say anything. Then another thought popped into the red heads, head. "Clark... Why don't we test your powers?... You know, see how strong and fast you really are." At that all the students nodded with genuine curiosity over what Clark could actually do.
Clark looked at Jean for a few seconds and in truth he was actually curious about how strong and fast he really was. He had lost any kind of way to measure his powers, years ago. Turning to the professor he raised an eyebrow. "Is that possible?... To test my powers like that... I lost any way of doing that years ago."
The professor thought over that and a small smile formed on his face. "Yes I believe there is... The danger room has sensors in it that will allow me to track how fast you can move... And there is a high powered hydraulic weight that can put out a force of around fifteen hundred tons... As for your other abilities, I don't have a way to test those accurately at the moment... However if you would like to test your speed and strength, I would be more than willing to accommodate you."
"Come on Clark, you know you want to." Chloe said with a small smile.
Clark looked at Chloe for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh. "Alright, I'll do it." He finally said to which a beaming smile formed on his best friends face.
"Alright them... Clark if you wait in here, it will take a few minutes to set everything up." Charles stated before turning around in his wheelchair. As he made his way out of the danger room the other students followed behind and followed their professor up into the observation room, each curious about how powerful Clark really was.
As for Clark, as he stood alone in the danger room he wondered if he was doing the right thing. He still wasn't sure that allowing himself to get too comfortable around them was a good idea.
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As the professor and the others made their way into the observation room Jean decided to give Logan and Ororo a telepathic call since she knew that they would be just as interested in this as the rest of them were. However she also knew that they would miss the beginning since the Professor was ready to start. "Alright Clark... We'll start with a test of your speed first... When your ready." Charles stated as he pressed a few buttons on the control panel.
Clark let out a small sigh before beginning his run. At first he went at a human speed for a few seconds before shifting into super speed and the world around him instantly began to slow down.
Back in the Observation room the Professor as well as the X-Men watched with keen interest as Clark became nothing more than a red and blue blur that circled the room. Charles's and Chloe however both focused on the speedometer that was indicating Clark's speed. It had already gone past two hundred and was steadily increasing however when he reached around two fifty the speed of the increase began to slow until he reached about two eighty. 280 - 283 - 285 - 286 - 289 - 291 - 292 - 293 - 294 - 293 - 294 - 293 - 294.
"Vhoa!" Kurt stated as he took note at how fast Clark was going.
"It's something isn't it... It's also really annoying, when he just zips in or out of a room... Especially when you have loose papers everywhere." Chloe said to the group as it often annoyed her when he would do that. She was also pretty sure he did it on purpose.
"Ok Clark... You can come to a stop now." The professor said over the microphone to which Clark instantly stopped.
"How did i do?" He asked knowing that the professor could clearly hear him.
"Your speed seemed to peak at two hundred and ninety four miles per hour." Charles responded.
"That's how fast he can run." Ororo asked as she and Logan walked into the observation room.
"How did you get him into this Chuck?" Logan asked knowing how resistant Clark had been to taking part in anything.
"It was actually Jean's idea... And since Clark doesn't actually know his own limits, he agreed." With that said Charles turned back to the microphone. "Ok Clark... I'm going to lower the hydraulic weight." Then the professor pressed a few more buttons and a large metal object lowered itself from the ceiling coming to a stop at about three meter's of the ground.
Clark looked at the large round object before walking up to it. Once underneath it he raised his arms and the weight lowered itself slightly until his palms rested flatly against it. "Ready when you are Professor." The teen shouted.
In the observation room Charles activated the weight. At first the pressure was only about the weight of about fifty kilograms before it started to put on more pressure. Again everyone in the observation room watched as the indicator started to rapidly rise and a few seconds later it passes three tons. From the monitors in the room they could tell that Clark wasn't even slightly fazed by the weight.
For the next ten minutes the weight slowly increased until it had passed over seven hundred tons and by now everyone in the room was in a state of shock over the relaxed expression on Clark's face. Then as the weight approached around eight hundred and eighty tons the first signs of stress started to form on Clark's face. 880 - 885 - 890 - 895 - 900. Then everyone noticed that his legs were starting to bend under the weight and at nine hundred and twenty tons Clark dropped to one knee causing the massive weight to automatically retract.
"Man that was totally insane!" Evan stated in shock over the amount of weight that Clark could hold to which the other students nodded in agreement. However Chloe noticed a thoughtful look on the professor's face.
"Professor, what is it?" The blond asked causing the other students to look at the professor themselves.
Charles himself was still fixated on the results of the weight that Clark seemed to be able to hold. Going by the readings he didn't understand how Clark had been able to hurt his brother. He knew himself that he could drop a thousand ton's on his brother and the Juggernaut would shrug it off as it was nothing, so how did Clark injure his brother. Coming out of his thoughts though he looked down at Clark who was getting back onto his feet. "Clark, are you alright?"
"Yeah Professor, I'm fine... So how did I do?" The slightly tired teen asked.
"You were able to hold nine hundred and twenty tons." Charles responded and everyone in the room noted Clark's shocked expression through the monitors.
"Can you repeat that?... Did you just say nine hundred and twenty tons?" Clark asked in complete surprise.
"I did indeed Clark." Came the response from the professor who was still a little confused at the moment. That confusion though had not escaped Chloe and it was something she was going to ask the professor about as soon as they were alone.
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So there you are people Chapter 1 Part 4 is finished
Let me know what you think all feedback good and bad are welcome
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