-Chapter Four-

Raya

The dull sun shone over the Phantom Zone scorching through the valley, torturing the inhabitants with every minute. Unknown to most within the zone, a small hut sits just below the rocky valley and between the vast sand dunes. It is there that Clark Kent feels the scorching sun twinkle against his eyes as they finally started to open, weakly. His body was aching and he felt like he was leaning on something rough, like a rock, it cut against his back. He winced as he moved against it, his back aching from the uncomfortable position he was in.

"Where are you from?" Growled a beautiful blond haired woman pulling Clark upwards as she pressed a strange knife to his throat. She was wearing what seemed like rags made up of turbans. Her eyes had a dangerous look as though she wouldn't hesitate in slitting his throat.

"I was born on Krypton, but I was raised on Earth," Clark replied glaring at her yet realising there was no point defying her, especially since she had a knife to his throat and he was already weakened. He'd have to find a way to get away from her later, he concluded.

She looked at him closely, as though what she had heard had resurfaced some sort of hidden knowledge from years ago. "Earth?" she said slowly a touch of worry in her voice. Clark looked at her closely as the danger in her voice disappeared and she looked at him quizzitively, "Kal-El?"

"How do you know my Kryptonian name?" Clark asked defensively.

"I knew your father," she said slowly as though what she was seeing was a long awaited dream come true and a nightmare at the same time. She looked down at her hand revealing something clenched within it. Clark recognised it as the thing she used to expel the phantoms from him. It was a crystal pentagon with an S inside it; Clark recognised it as the El Family Crest. Who was this woman? Clark thought.

"How is she?" Martha asked as Willow walked into the barn, her eyes filled with tears, reddened and bloodshot. It had been the worst moment of her life telling Dawn her mother was dead; the poor girl had lost everything in just short of a few hours. It wasn't fair, she thought, why did I have to lose her as well? She was her best friend and she left her, she was too young to die. Why did she have to die? She thought as she walked into the barn. Her head was spinning; she had to be strong but damn it she needed to grieve as well.

"Will, you okay?" Xander asked leaning against a bale of hay. Everyone was sat in the barn, even the Kents. Tara stood next to her taking her hand making her feel safe again. Giles seemed lost in thought, not unlike Anya who seemed lost at what emotion to feel, he was more lost in what to think, what to do, what was he to do now?

"I'm fine," Willow said composing herself, "we need a plan."

"First of you can tell us what's happened to our son," Jonathon said stepping forth with a look of worry.

"He's trapped," came a voice from behind Willow.

"What are you doing on my property?" Jonathon asked dangerously as Lionel Luthor stepped inside.

"I'm here to help, Jonathon," Lionel replied, "I work for Jor-El."

"I don't want either his nor your help," Jonathon snapped.

"Not even to save your son," Lionel added knowingly and yet his voice was drenched with smugness. "Your son is trapped in the Phantom Zone, an intergalactic prison created by Jor-El. General Zod has escaped and is searching for the girl, he'll find her, that is a certainty and when he does the Earth and everything you know will perish."

"That's why we have to work together," Willow said stepping forward giving Jonathon a knowing look. Jonathon nodded reluctantly.

"Is there a way to get Clark out of that prison?" Martha asked with concern, "I mean if this 'Zod' is Kryptonian you're going to need him to fight."

"Zod is a General, he would kill Clark," Giles said seriously remembering some of the information he received from Swann's findings. "The only way he could have won was if he'd killed Lex Luthor."

"Lex?" Martha asked confused.

"He has been taken over by Zod," Lionel said with a note of sadness though by looking at him you could only see regret.

"So you plan to kill your own son?" Jonathon asked stonily, trying to contain his anger. He had never cared much for Lex but he never dreamed of killing him, he felt a shred of pity to Lex as he thought of his own father planning to kill him.

"We have no choice;" Lionel said solemnly, "Zod cannot be allowed to stay on this world. If that means.... killing Lex, then that is what I must do."

"Where's Clark?" came a voice. They all turned to see Lana stood there, her hand bandaged.

"Lana?" Martha said shocked to see her.

"You," Willow spat venomously lifting her arm up throwing Lana against the wall magically. She closed her hand over causing Lana to grab her throat as though she was being choked. "You killed my best friend!"

"I don't know what you mean," Lana wheezed.

"Let her go Willow," Giles said urgently.

"What is this about?" Martha cried, "You're choking her! Let her go!"

"You helped Zod get free, you as good as killed her," Willow hissed choking Lana more, tears dripping from her black eyes.

"I can't remember... last thing I remember is Fine meeting with Lex," Lana gasped.

"Willow please... let her go," Tara whispered placing a hand on Willow's, "I know you're hurting but you don't want to do this... we can't do this."

Willow let her go sighing with both regret and sadness. What had she just done? She had almost killed her. Tears welled in her eyes. She crumpled in Tara's arms for once letting out all her grief.

"I'm sorry..." Lana wheezed, tears of pain and regret in her eyes, she had no idea she had been responsible for that monster taking over Lex, "Fine warned us something was coming... I think it might be this 'Key' Zod is searching for he seems intent on getting it. Whatever it is."

"The key is here," Lionel said stepping forward, everyone looking at him disbelievingly. What was he doing? They all thought, "There is something you must know."

The woman dabbed at Clark's wounds, he winced in pains as the wounds shot a sharp pain. He was not used to pain, being impervious to it all his life. "What's your name?" he asked her curiously yet still suspiciously.

"Raya," she said continuing to dab at his wounds, "though names don't mean much here."

"Where is here?" Clark asked her.

"Jor-El created this world to hold the prisoners of the twenty-eight known galaxies," Raya explained.

"So you're a prisoner?" Clark asked suspiciously.

"I may be trapped here but I am not one of those prisoners," Raya replied a little hurt. She dabbed the cloth into the water and continued to clean Clark's wounds.

"So what are you doing here?" Clark asked suspiciously.

"I came here voluntarily," Raya explained, "your father wanted the whole of Krypton to go into the Phantom Zone when he found out of its end, but the Council refused. I volunteered to go inside so a bit of Krypton would survive. Your father gave me this crystal to protect me from the phantoms that attacked you."

"They're inmates?"

"One of the worst," Raya replied solemnly, "their bodies were destroyed once they came in here for their terrible crimes. No doubt they will report back to the other inmates about your arrival."

"How did you know Jor-El?" Clark curiously, "my father I mean."

"I was one of his assistants," Raya replied, "I helped him build your ship. He was so careful with every bit of planning. Right down to your baby blanket."

"Why didn't he come into the Zone with you?"

"Because he wouldn't stop trying to save Krypton and your mother wouldn't leave his side," Raya replied.

"That doesn't sound like the Jor-El I know," Clark replied standing up and looking away as though a great truth had been revealed to him.

"Then you don't know Jor-El," Raya chuckled, "his only redemption for being unable to save Krypton was by sending you to Earth."

"Why?"

"To save it?" Raya replied confused, what does he mean 'why' he should know, "Earth is on its way of meeting the same end as Krypton. You should know this it's part of your training."

"I haven't started my training," Clark replied, "I mean how can I trust a man who has brought so much pain in my life."

"Pain is part of anyone's destiny Kal-El you can't escape it," Raya snapped angrily not like the way Clark spoke about her mentor. He had no idea of the great things he was to do, she thought, "you must save the world."

Clark looked at her bowing his head and getting to his feet. "I have to go," Clark said with determination limping towards the doorway of the hut. "I have to stop Zod."

"Zod? Zod is on Earth?" Raya gaped in shock and terror.

"How?"

"The Key," Clark said guiltily, "Jor-El or Jor-El's Fortress made it in human form to try and hide it from Zod. But Zod found it. I tried to stop it with a few of my friends, but I guess we were too late."

"I know of the human you speak of," Raya said with shock stepping out of the hut, Clark followed her. He stopped dead at the sight he saw before him. "I found her in the dunes; the portal must have killed her. She's lost a lot of blood."

"Buffy," Clark replied looking at Buffy's lifeless body before him. He collapsed to his knees. Tears dripped from his eyes, "she wasn't the key.... she didn't have to die."

"No, she didn't," echoed a loud voice, a voice Clark had not heard in nearly a year. He looked up to see Nam-Ek stood looking down on both him and Raya. "But, as I said to you before Kal-El... the few must be sacrificed for the needs of the many."

"I'm glad you're here Nam-Ek," Raya said stepping forward smiling up at Nam-Ek, "I was about to bring our guest to you... I think we've found our ticket out of here."

Clark looked up at her in shock. "I trusted you," he spat.

"Trust is for the weak," Raya replied coldly.