Hey! I've decided to redo this chapter so that the conversation btw Clark and Jor-El would play full out. I'm sorry if any of you felt disappointed about that not happening the way you wanted. Enjoy!

The Future of Justice

Chapter 5- Return

The Arctic:

Clark had used Brian's crystal to restore the Fortress of Solitude to its former glory. He had done exactly as Brian instructed and was very pleased to see that he was right. As he stood within his Kryptonian sanctuary once more, Clark awaited the voice of his dead father, Jor-El. He didn't have to wait long for him to speak.

"Kal-El, my son; I am pleased to see you are still alive after your ordeal with Lex Luthor. I feared you would be lost forever." Clark did not respond, but stood there silently for a while. "Kal-El, what is wrong? Why do you not speak?" Clark answered his father's voice with hurt and anger. "Why Jor-El…why did you send that orb here to Earth? Why did you not tell me about it?! I thought you loved me; you said so yourself! How could you possibly think that I might become a threat to this planet?! ANSWER ME!!"

Jor-El did not answer right away. After a moment, he finally replied. "I am sorry Kal-El; the orb was a mere precaution incase you turned away from the path I had set before you. I never wanted it to be used on you, but I also could not allow the human race to be extinguished by your hand." Clark was still not satisfied. "So you're saying that you care more about the survival of Earth than your own son?! That's inexcusable!"

"I did what I believed was right. I had no way of knowing if you would grow up to be the man I had hoped you would be. I had sent the orb to Earth to make sure that you would not become its destroyer." "Destroyer?! Is that what you were afraid I'd become? What kind of father would think his son would grow up to be a monster?" Clark yelled. Jor-El hesitated once more before replying. "Please understand Kal-El; I did it for your own good."

Clark stood quietly for a while to take in his father's words before speaking again. "You still did not tell me why you never told me about the orb." "I did not tell you because I feared you would have destroyed the only method to stop you if you ever went rogue." "I would never turn against the people I love, or destroyed Earth!" Clark retorted.

"I have realized that now, my son. I should have feared less of your well being, and more for those who would misuse the orb's power against you…such as Lex Luthor." "If you had told me of the orb a while ago, I would have kept Lex or anyone else from getting their hands on it." Clark stated. "No you couldn't; the orb can only be held by human hands. If a Kryptonian tried to wield it, their hands would burn like the sun."

"Nice precaution." Clark said sarcastically. "I could not risk another rogue Kryptonian gain control of you; that was necessary." Clark became quiet again to contemplate his father's revelations. He always disagreed with Jor-El with how he sees things and what should be done. Clark wanted to do things his way; the way everything works for him.

Ever since Clark met his biological father, he tried to run from who and what he was…and from his destiny. Even after learning that he was not sent to Earth to conquer it, Clark still rebelled against Jor-El because his methods were not acceptable to him. When Jor-El told Clark the only to stop Zod's return was to destroy his vessel, Lex, Clark couldn't do it…because he could not kill.

Thanks to Raya though, Clark seemed to understand his father a little more and decided to not run from him anymore. While Clark and his father still disagreed on some matters, there was one thing they did agree on; the protection and survival of Earth and its people. Upon understanding this, and summoning up his courage, Clark finally accepted his father's apology.

"I understand Jor-El. What's done is done; I am not angry at you anymore." Jor-El seemed glad to hear his son apologize. "I am glad to hear that, my son. Your apology is accepted." Clark smiled. "I am curious about something Kal-El. How were you able to rebuild the Fortress? There is not any Kryptonian technology here that can restore it." Clark continued to smile as he gave his answer.

"A good friend gave me some help." Jor-El was interested in Clark's vague statement. "Who would this friend be?" Jor-El asked. "Just someone I trust with my life." It was clear to Jor-El that his son would not divulge the identity of his friend, though he did not press the point. "I see; I hope your trust in this friend has not been misplaced." Clark shook his head. "I'm sure he's not an enemy; he's done so much to help that I could not think otherwise of him."

"Then there is one other matter to discuss: your training." Clark knew this was coming and had his answer to give. "You're right; I still have to finish what I started. However, I can't continue my training now; there is a huge threat I have to take care of; a threat only I can stop." At this statement, Jor-El became more serious. "What is the nature of this threat Kal-El?"

"A powerful new villain will soon take Earth as his own, and I have to be ready when he makes his move." "I know you will know what to do when that time comes. I pray you will succeed Kal-El." "So will I. I promise; I will return to complete my training after this threat is over. Goodbye for now, Jor-El." Clark said as he left the Fortress to return to Smallville. "Goodbye my son…and good luck."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Several months have passed since Brian's arrival, and a lot of things have changed.

Kara, who was happy to be home, returned to work at the Talon. She had gotten used to the busy hours and customers, with the guys often flirting with her. Kara just did her job and ignored them. Although, there was one guy she wouldn't mind spending some free time with as she thought about Brian. Speaking of him, things have gone well with him too.

Brian had moved in with Chloe and had been hired by her as a computer technician at the Isis Foundation. Chloe managed to come up with a false background for him, convincing all who read it would see him as Chloe's brother. Thanks to Brian, the Isis Foundation's hardware was better than ever. He updated all the software and made some adjustments to the hardware, which Chloe fully appreciated. When Chloe had introduced Brian to Jimmy, he was astounded. Jimmy couldn't believe that Chloe had a brother she never knew she had, and was happy that they found each other.

Jimmy and Brian got along pretty well, and Jimmy was glad that Brian was happy for his sister's engagement. Chloe and Jimmy began planning details for the wedding and it was as Chloe said "tiring but fun". After weeks of talking and planning, they had set the wedding day for January 5 at 6:00 PM. They had also asked Lois to be the Maid of Honor and Clark as the Best Man, who were both more than happy to do. They would have a small wedding, for family and close friends only in a small church in Smallville.

Lois had gained a strong reputation at the Daily Planet as a "promising young reporter", which new chief editor Perry White noticed when he saw all the stories she did while working for the Inquisitor, and later for the Daily Planet under Grant Gabriel. Lois got along well with him and promised that she won't disappoint him, which made him smile and said he'll look forward to reading more from her.

Lucas Luthor, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly frustrated. Despite the fact that Luthorcorp was running in tip top shape, his "real" plans were getting nowhere fast. After Metallo's failure, he tried to hire professional hardcore criminals to do his "errands". The problem was, they ended up like Metallo; failures. When Metallo screwed up, Lucas had secretly planted small cameras on his henchmen to see if whoever stopped Metallo would show up again. He was not pleased to learn it was a super powered team led by the infamous Green Arrow.

For months, Lucas was secretly at war with him. Green Arrow and his teammates were always successful at stopping Lucas from taking what wasn't his. Whenever he hired someone to steal for him, Green Arrow was there to beat them to a pulp. No matter what he tried or who he hired, Lucas couldn't win against the emerald archer and his associates. When he heard from his "boss" again on the phone, he felt tremendous fear when he heard how he was disappointed in his constant failures and always had to do the dirty work for him.

Lucas did tell him though the plan was not going as quickly as they hoped, that the subjects have been untouched and that they will be ready on time for the final phase. His unknown boss says he hopes so before hanging up. Lucas swore he would put an end to Green Arrow if it was the last thing he would do on this damn planet. He decided to fight fire with fire and would ask his boss for a personal favor when he called again.

It is now October, and another old face from the past is about to make a return to Smallville…

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The Talon:

Lois, Chloe, and Brian were having dinner in the upstairs apartment and were talking about the upcoming wedding. "This wedding is going to be great, I can feel it." Brian said while eating some mashed potatoes. "I hope so Brian; I still can't believe it's actually going to happen! What if something goes wrong btw now and Jan. 5?" Chloe asked fearfully. Lois patted her cousin's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry cuz; nothing's going to happen. It will be a perfect little Smallville wedding. You and Jimmy are going to be happy together; don't let anything worry you, okay?"

Chloe smiled back from her encouragement. "Thanks Lois, I needed that." Just when they had finished, they heard the door being knocked. "I'll get it." Lois said as she got up and headed for the door. When she opened it, she saw the last person she ever expected to see. She could not conceal the shock that had spread across her face. "Oh my god…Lucy?!"

It was indeed Lucy Lane, Lois's younger sister. Tall, dark hair, bright eyes, and not exactly innocent, Lucy hugged her big sister and started crying hard. While Brian was pleasantly surprised, Chloe was completely thunderstruck to she her other cousin again. Lois hugged Lucy back and tried to tell her that it's okay. After a moment, Lucy had let go and tried to straighten herself. "Lois, I'm so… so sorry for what I've done years ago. You don't hate me do you?" Lois then smiled.

"Lucy…how could I hate you? You're my sister! I might get angry at you or yell at you sometimes…but I'll never hate you, got that?" Lucy sniffed and nodded back. "Could I come in?" Lucy asked. "Of course sis, get in here." Lucy smiled again after sitting down on the sofa. While Lois went to get something for her sister to drink, Lucy finally noticed Chloe and Brian. Lucy felt very nervous around her other cousin. "Hi Chloe, how are you?"

Despite Lucy falling in with bad people and conning and lying to her and Lois when she was last here, Chloe tried to be polite. "I'm fine; I'm getting married in a few months from now." Lucy was surprised. "Oh…uh, congratulations." "Is something wrong? I can see that both of you are tense toward one another." Brian pointed out. "Nothing's wrong; just a little bit of bad family history." Lucy replied. Brian frowned. "I know what that feels like…" he mumbled. Lois then came back and gave Lucy some coffee. "Here ya are Lucy; black with no sugar, just the way you like it." "Thanks Lo." Lucy said as she drank.

After her first sip, she asked Brian who he was. Chloe smiled. "Tell you what, why don't you two swap stories; Brian tells you about him, and you tell him about you?" Lucy liked the idea. "Okay, let's hear it." For the next hour Brian and Lucy introduced themselves to one another, both surprising each other with each fact. When they were done, Lucy was speechless. "I can't believe I have a cousin I never knew I had; it's amazing." Lucy said.

"It sure is; Lois and I were both shocked when we found out." Chloe said happily. "I can't believe a nice talented girl like you had stolen money and lied to your cousins on your last visit here. Why would you do things that hurt your family?" Brian asked. Lucy looked down and shook her head. "I had a rough childhood; I just met the wrong people and did all the wrong things, all because I didn't get the attention I wanted from my dad."

"Still, that doesn't mean you should turn to a life of crime. You should reconcile with your family and be happy again; that's what families should do." Brian said wisely. Lucy smiled and nodded. "You're definitely right; that is the right thing to do. In the morning, I plan to call dad and tell him I'm ready to make up for what I've done." Lois and Chloe hugged her. "I'm so proud of you Lucy, and I'm happy your back." Lois said softly. "I'm glad too." Chloe replied.

Brian smiled along with them. "So Lucy, is that why you came back to Smallville? You want to make things right with your family?" he asked. Lucy frowned. "Yeah, but that's not the only reason." The others looked confused. "Why else would you be here?" Lois asked. Lucy started to tremble. "Someone is after me; someone bad. I came here because I thought I could be safe. They followed me everywhere and I can't seem to get away from them." "Who's after you, and why?" Chloe asked out of concern.

Just then, the door was blasted open and several nasty looking men rushed in, holding what appeared to be high tech looking tazors. Brian and the girls were shocked by the unexpected visitors. "Finally Lucy…you have nowhere left to run. Come with us now and there won't be any messes." One of the men said. Lois stood up instantly. "Back off pal! I don't know who you guys are and I don't give a damn, but you are not going anywhere with my sister!" Lois exclaimed. "What do you want with Lucy?" Chloe demanded.

None of the men answered; they just fired their tazors at the girls and Brian. The men were surprised, however, to learn that their tazors didn't work on Brian; he was completely unaffected. "Why aren't you down on the floor kid?" Another of the men asked astonishingly. Before Brian could say anything, someone zoomed in the room and knocked out the whole gang in a matter of seconds. Brian was smiling; it was Clark in his "Steel" costume. "Are you okay Brian? Are the girls hurt?" Clark asked as he removed his shades.

"I'm fine, and I think the girls are too; they're just unconscious. How did you know about these men being here?" Brian asked. "I was coming here to ask Chloe if the wedding was still on track when I saw these guys walk in here with these strange weapons. Luckily, I was wearing my costume beneath my clothes and changed in an instant before rushing in and stopping them. How come you weren't affected like the girls were?" Clark asked.

Brian pointed at his pants belt. "Force field belt; never go anywhere without some sort of self protection." Brian said proudly. Clark smirked. "You are just full of surprises, aren't you?" he asked. Brian chuckled. "You could say that." As Clark went to pick up the girls, he was surprised to see Lucy with them. "What's Lucy doing here?" Brian shrugged. "She said she came to patch up things with Lois and Chloe, but she also came here to hide from someone. Apparently, these men were here for her on that someone's orders."

"Who exactly are they? Do they work for Lucas?" Clark asked as he turned around to look at the unconscious thugs. "I don't know who they might be; they weren't exactly in the mood to chat. I also don't know if Lucas had sent them; if he did, what he does he want with her?" Clark shook his head. "I don't know but we should get the girls to the farm. Hold on." Clark saw something as he picked up Lucy; a small chip located inside her jacket. "It's a tracker; that must be how they keep finding her." Brian said.

"Well, they won't find her anymore." Clark said as he crushed the device in his hand. He then turned back to Brian. "Come on; let's get them out of here before they wake up." Clark said while nodding at the thugs. "Right behind you Clark." Brian said as he picked up Chloe while Clark picked up both Lois and Lucy and they moved out immediately.

"After I drop off Lois and Lucy at the farm, I'll come back for you and Chloe." Brian shook his head and smiled. "That won't be necessary; I have my own method of moving in a hurry." To Clark's bewilderment, Brian instantly floated in the air. Clark couldn't believe it. "Are you…a Kryptonian?" Clark asked. Brian shook his head again.

"No; I'm human. I'm able to fly because of this." He then showed Clark a gold colored ring on his right ring finger. "A Flight Ring; another invention of mine. You can see what its purpose is." He said as he flew off with Chloe in his arms. Clark laughed to himself as he super sped right behind him; Brian was indeed full of surprises.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Unknown location:

He was sitting and eating his fancy dinner when he got a call on his cell phone. "Did you get her?" he asked. "No sir; someone jumped us and she got away again." "Well then, find her again!" "That's another thing sir…we found the tracker in pieces on the floor." The big mysterious man slammed his fist on his table, shaking it slightly. "Damn it! How could you morons let this happen? Do you realize how important she is?!" The henchman on the phone responded nervously. "We'll find her boss; she won't escape us again."

"She better not!" He then hung up his cell. He folded his hands breathed slowly to calm himself down. 'I can't believe she gave me the slip again; Lucy is good. But in the end, she'll be right where we need to her to be.' Just then someone entered, and it was someone that the man knew. "Why, Mr. Luthor; I wasn't expecting you here. Come for a bite?" Lucas stood in front of him and shook his head.

"I'm not here for the meat; I came to see if your men have caught Ms. Lane yet." The man snorted. "She'll be in your grasp; it's only a matter of time until my men capture her." "That's not what I overheard just a moment ago, Mr. Mannheim." Mannheim widened his eyes and choked on the meat he was eating. "You heard?" "Every word Bruno; I'm not happy to hear she slipped through your grasp yet again. And I'm sure that he wouldn't be happy either if he found out."

Mannheim got on his feet instantly. "Listen kid; I have everything under control, understand? Don't tell the big guy anything. Besides, you're just as scared of him as I am." Lucas grabbed Mannheim by the collar and sneered. "That is beside the point Bruno. If you don't bring in Lucy Lane, and soon, we'll both be cooked alive. He didn't supply you and your "Intergang" with advanced weapons just so you can mess it all up! Got it?"

Bruno snorted. "Got it. Now release me or I'll bite your nose off." Mannheim threatened. Lucas had let him go and was about to leave before he turned around and asked him one more question. "Say, Mr. Mannheim…what kind of meat is that anyway?" Mannheim just smiled. "Someone who failed to bring me Ms. Lane when we found her in Sweden." Lucas looked like he was going to puke. "You disgust me…literally." He then walked out.

As Bruno Mannheim continued to eat, he hoped that the plan would finish soon… so that he wouldn't worry about being someone else's meal.

To be continued.