An Invisible Caress or Death
Disclaimer: I wish, I wish, I wish oh how I wish, but no matter what Smallville and its characters are not mine. I only play with them, torment Clark, and then send em all back home. SIGH.
CHAPTER 9 Sex, Lies and Scandal and that's just for starters.
Clark paced his loft like a caged wild animal, his thoughts fixed firmly on what he had overheard. Lana had been pregnant. Lana was addicted to the red meteor rock; Lana tried to hurt him. Lana is living with Lex, she was pregnant to Lex, she is an addict, and no one told him.
Furiously he pulled at the padding and bandages on his neck wound, he felt like he was suffocating. No one can be trusted to tell him the truth anymore, he thought that his mother and Chloe would tell him everything, but they were just like everyone else.
Super-speeding away Clark ran to the caves, to one place where he could breathe and think. He needed his Dad but he was gone, passed on, he needed his friend Pete but he left a long time ago and never stayed in touch, he needed his friend Lex but he was trying to control him, own him and he had Lana.
Slipping the disc into the slot Clark retreated to a place where no one could reach him, the only other person he could think of turning to, and this was a last resort.
'Kal-El you have returned.' Jor-El's clipped and cultured voice echoed through the ice cavern.
'I am here Jor-El.' Clark sighed miserably, his voice still barely above a hoarse whisper.
'What is wrong Kal-El?'
'Do you care?'
'You are my son.'
'That is not an answer.'
'It is what it is.' Jor-El answered cryptically, 'do you wish to resume your training?'
'Anything to block out what ...'
'This is not a place to hide from your concerns Jor-El.'
'I am not hiding, I – I need to do this.' Clark whispered brokenly.
Jor-El remained silent for a few seconds and then a crystal slid out of the panel and hovered in the air until Clark wrapped his long fingers around it. A static charged column of energy encased Clark, images, words, symbols everything whirled around him and he took it all in. Learning about his home planet, about his people and about his family.
Jor-El formulated the training process carefully; he needed his son to accept his heritage fully and to embrace his destiny. He felt Clark's physical and emotional response to his birth-mother, Lara, and Jor-El's resolve started to crumble, Kal-El started to show the sensitivity of his mother, the caring for others that made Jor-El feel so much for his beloved.
The days passed in a blur for Clark, between the sessions in the static cocoon, and his meal and rest breaks, his physical health returned until there was no trace of his past illness and problems remaining. The only wound remaining was the one in his heart and soul and Jor-El had no idea on how to fix that, Lara was the one who dealt with the sensitive issues so well.
'I have to return to Smallville Jor-El.' Clark announced finally, his voice clear and strong again. 'It is time.'
'Yes my son it is, you have done well completing your training.'
'Thank you ... Father.' Clark said as he stared down at the disc in his hand, 'I will return soon.'
'I am with you always my Son.' Jor-El's voice caressed Clark's tortured conscious and soul, 'no matter what I am with you.'
'Thank you.' Clark whispered his voice thick with unshed tears, 'thank you for everything.'
Clark stepped out of the caves and heaved a deep sigh as he looked around at the familiar landscape, Smallville Kansas his home.
Speeding back to the farm, Clark slowed as he heard the sound of a woman weeping, no, not weeping she was sobbing. 'Mom?' Clark called as he burst into the farmhouse.
Martha Kent looked up at the sound of his voice, her eyes red and puffy from crying looked slightly out of focus, her pallor a sickly creamy colour. 'Mom?'
'Clark is it you?' Martha whispered not trusting her own voice.
'What's wrong?' Clark immediately appeared kneeling in front of her, meeting her gaze, 'what is it Mom?'
'Where have you been Clark?'
'I – I had to go.' Clark stammered blushing, 'I'm sorry Mom.'
'Clark ... it's Chloe.'
'What about Chloe? Mom what happened?'
'She was in an accident ... her car was forced off the road, the night you disappeared.'
'Mom I...'
'It's not your fault Clark, not your fault.'
'Mom is she?'
'No Clark but she ... she is in a coma, the doctors are not holding out much hope for her to ever wake up again.'
'Where ... where is she?'
'They had to transfer her to Metropolis ... Clark where have you been?'
'I ah went to the fortress; I finished my training with Jor-El.'
'Why Clark why did you just disappear like that?'
'I – I woke up and went to come downstairs,' Clark turned his flaming face away from his mother after hearing what had happened to Chloe his reasons sound so trite now. 'I heard you and Chloe talking.'
'Talking?'
'About Lana, me ... everything.' Clark replied after a slight hesitation. 'The pregnancy and the 'Red-21' I just got so angry.'
'Oh baby I am so sorry.' Martha cried out as the realisation hit her, Clark had heard everything.
'I went to the loft for a while but ... I was just so angry I couldn't stay so I went to the fortress.'
'Clark, we need you ... Chloe needs you are you going to stay now?'
'Yes Mom.'
'Go to her Clark, perhaps when she hears your voice...'
'Did the sheriff find out who did this?'
'No, not yet.' Martha said then she blinked and sighed as she felt the whoosh of air in Clark's wake. 'Hurry son.'
Clark stood next to Chloe's bed watching the monitors with a solemn look on his face, if he hadn't been so pig-headed, or filled with self-pity he would have been here for Chloe.
'I am so sorry Chloe, I didn't know.' Clark whispered sitting down he took her small hand in his large one.
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Lex smiled as he watched the sweet scene between mother and son, a cold calculating smile. He was furious when he found out that Clark took off, not to be found, even arranging that little accident for Chloe didn't make him feel any better.
After sending Lana off to Paris for a month to recuperate, Lex set about putting his next plan into action. Clark was showing full strength of power again and this was not going to be an option.
His hand caressed the green rock sitting on the desk next to him as he thought of over how to get his prize back under control.
'Brown you're with me.' Lex barked into the intercom before standing up, his hand automatically smoothing his silk suit pants down. Picking up the piece of kryptonite, he strode out of the office softly whistling.
Lex watched the entrance to the hospital closely, he had seen Clark go in a short time ago, 'you know what to do Brown?'
'Yes Sir Mister Luther.' The large man seated behind the steering wheel said with a toneless voice.
'Excellent, now it is just time ... the cage is ready?'
'Yes Sir, Lockhart is waiting and ready, the room will be ready by the time we arrive as you ordered Mister Luther.'
'Wonderful, soon I will have my Clark Kent Collection complete.' Lex muttered giggling slightly at the thought of Clark being part of the collection. 'There, there he is.' Lex pointed to the extremely tall, handsome young man with black hair and wide green eyes dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. 'Time to come home Clark.'
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Clark spent an hour talking to Chloe, he told her about his training at the fortress, of his home planet and his parents. Finally, the nurses had to come in and shoo, him away, the doctors wanted to run some more tests. Apparently Chloe's latest tests showed some neurological improvement and they wanted to make sure that it is a step in the right direction.
Dejectedly Clark wandered out of the hospital not really wanting to return to Smallville just yet. He toyed with the idea of catching up with Oliver Queen but then dismissed the thought, they were friends but not close enough for Clark to rely on.
Then he thought of Lois, perhaps it was time to go and see her.
As he stood considering his options Clark noticed a man moving towards him, he kept close to the shadows making it hard to identify him. Curiosity getting the better of him, Clark took a step towards the shadowed man when he felt a familiar pain and weakness invading his body. Shocked Clark turned to see another man standing directly behind him holding onto a large piece of kryptonite. 'Why? Who?' Clark gasped out as he collapsed to the ground writhing in pain. The silent assailant placed the rock under Clark's shirt before putting his arms under the younger man's and pulled him upright, the other man already gone to fetch the van, bodily they threw Clark into the back and then jumping into the cab of the van drove off not caring how many people witnessed the bizarre kidnapping.
Clark felt motion beneath him and tried desperately to fight off the effects of the meteor's poison and to gauge where he was and what was happening to him.
He was lying in a cage in the back of a large van, chunks of kryptonite were stuck to the outside of the bars, and someone had gone to a lot of trouble to incapacitate him.
'Lex!' he ground out as unconsciousness took him finally, although he still writhed in agony.
TBC
