09: To the Rescue
Clark came to a halt on Center Street two stores down from the Smallville Bank. The men he'd overheard were rushing out of the bank towards a car, their hands loaded down with bags of money and guns. Clark tried to think of what to do when Krypto appeared at his side.
What are you doing? He demanded.
They're robbing the bank.
So call the local authorities. Is it not their job to handle these situations?
They're all busy taking care of the bomb these two set off, Clark countered. The bomb was a distraction so they could make their getaway.
So what are you going to do? Stop them? Krypto asked incredulously.
The robbers' car engine roared to life. Clark looked around wildly, his thoughts going a thousand miles a minute. He considered rushing up, grabbing the car, and holding it at bay so they couldn't drive away but that would compromise his secret. He could rip the door off and remove the key with super speed. But he might accidentally hurt the driver in the process. He settled for his third idea and just as the driver clicked the gears into drive, he shot two beams of heat vision at the back two tires. The rubber melted instantly.
"What the –? Why aren't we moving?!" the driver complained, pushing his foot against the gas pedal.
"Come on, hurry up! They're gonna find us!" his companion cried.
"Shut up!" the driver shouted. "We've got to be stuck on something! Get out and see what it is!"
"Why me?"
Clark heard the click of the driver's gun and took a step forward. He wasn't about to kill his friend in crime, was he?
"Alright, alright, I'm getting out!" the one in the passenger side said as he hastily got out of the car. "You don't have to go threatening me, Billy."
"I do if you don't do what you're told to do, Chuck!" Billy snapped. "Now, hurry up!"
Chuck moved around the car, his features hidden by a black mask with three holes for his eyes and mouth.
What are you going to do now? Krypto wondered.
Clark grinned. Well, divide and conquer is as good a strategy as any. Watch the driver until I get back.
Where are you going?
Clark didn't answer. Instead he super sped up to Chuck, grabbed him gently off the ground, and took off into the air towards the police station. Chuck's surprised scream didn't start until they were twenty feet airborne.
"What the heck is going on?" Chuck cried. As he struggled in Clark's grip, he finally realized he was flailing in the air. "AAAAGGGHHHHH! Put me down! Put me down!"
Clark decided to deepen his voice a little bit so that if he ever did happen to cross paths with Chuck in the future, he'd be less recognizable by his tone. "I would but the results wouldn't be very good for you."
Chuck struggled to look up and see who'd spoken to him but his darn mask made it impossible to tell just who it was. "I don't care!" he complained. "I hate heights! Put me down!"
"Before I do, you're going to tell me why you were trying to rob the Smallville Bank."
"I don't have to tell you anything!" Chuck said defiantly although his panic over being so far up in the air with nothing to hold him but Clark's grip shook his vocal cords as he spoke.
Clark shrugged. "You know… I might accidently drop you." Even though he had no intention of doing so, it wouldn't hurt to pretend in order to get information.
"NO! Please! Anything but that!"
"Then tell me why you were robbing the bank and why you planted a bomb at the festival."
"We're robbers!" Chuck answered frantically. "It's what we do!"
Clark's face darkened even though Chuck couldn't see it. "So you do this for sport? For fun?!"
"Yeah," Chuck admitted.
"Do you not realize the consequences you actions have on others?" Clark demanded, trying to keep his anger in check. "You injured over thirty people with that bomb and caused a fire that is hurting even more people! And you're stealing money that is their livelihood!"
Clark dropped in altitude and Chuck cried out in fear but Clark was only aiming for the police station. He set Chuck down. The poor man had fainted from the sudden descent; that made Clark's job easier. Grabbing a stop sign, he twisted the metal around Chuck and took off back to the bank to pick up Billy.
Billy had gotten out of the car since he hadn't heard from Chuck. "Where are you, you idiot?" he shouted. "We need to get out of here!"
He ran around the side of the car and looked at the tires that had melted into the asphalt. His jaw dropped. Panicked, he stood up and ran back to the car to grab the cash and make a break for it on foot, his concern for Chuck being thrown out the window as he only considered saving his own skin.
Krypto wondered if he should do anything to stop him when Clark fell out of the sky, grabbing an unsuspecting Billy from behind, before launching into the air again.
Show off, Krypto said but he was grinning because he could hear the terrified screams of Billy as Clark whizzed him away to the police station.
Like Chuck, Clark held Billy in such a way that the man wouldn't be able to tell who he was. Billy shouted a stream of curse words and exclamations that Clark decided to ignore. Billy, however, had more of a stomach for heights than Chuck had so Clark couldn't count on him being unconscious when they landed at the station. Using some quick thinking, he let go of Billy with one hand.
"What are you doing?!" Billy shouted, panicked at only being held onto with one fist instead of two while flying over town by an unknown being.
Instead of answering, Clark flicked the back of his head with just enough strength to knock the man out. Billy's squawks died instantly and his head rolled forward, his chin settling on his chest. Clark listened for his heart beat, worried he'd used too much force, but found the steady beating still there. Sighing gratefully, he landed on the steps to the police station where he'd left Chuck who was still unconscious. Taking the metal he'd placed around Chuck, Clark bent it open before prying it around Billy as well. Stepping back to survey his work, Clark nodded once to himself before taking to the sky, landing on the ground next to Krypto and the abandoned getaway car. The money bags still sat in the back.
Should we put them back in the bank? Krypto asked.
Clark shook his head. "They'll look for fingerprints and there's no way I want them having mine. Even if I don't have any records for them to trace…" he didn't want to finish the sentence but Krypto knew what he was getting at.
If you stay here on Earth, you'll have to have an identity as one of them and we don't want them tracing any evidence to you that will cause them to learn who you really are and what you can do.
Clark nodded. "Exactly."
So we're just going to leave all this money here? What if someone else comes and takes it?
Clark was just about to answer when both he and Krypto heard the sounds of car tires rolling across the pavement in their direction accompanied by police sirens. "I guess they found out about the bank robbery," Clark muttered. "Let's get out of here." And with a gust of wind, the two of them were gone just as two police cruisers barreled around the corner.
Clark and Krypto reappeared behind an abandoned carnival booth. Immediately their ears filled with the terrors of human screams, the roaring of flames, and the groans of metal. Clark stepped out from behind the booth and stiffened in dread. That bomb those two criminals had planted had really done its work. Not only was the section where the lawn mower race had occurred blazing with flames but most of the carnival had caught fire because of the piles of hay. The local firefighters were trying to douse the fires with water hoses but for every section they put out, another fire began. Police officers and festival volunteers were trying to herd the populace to safety, directing them towards Center Street.
Clark strained his hearing just enough to pick out Martha and Jonathan. To his amazement and pride they were working with the police and festival volunteers in helping others reach safe ground.
We've got to do something, Kal, Krypto said, startling Clark. These fires are not going to stop. There is plenty of fuel to keep them burning for hours. We've got to stop them before this whole town is razed to the ground.
Clark looked down at his dog, surprised. You… want to save the humans?
Krypto rolled his eyes. I value life just as much as you do, Kal. And, contrary to any belief you may have, I actually like this species.
Clark grinned. What did you have in mind to stop the flames?
Freeze breath?
Clark swallowed, thinking. In order for us to freeze the flames, the people have to be out of the picture. We don't want to freeze them too.
We can't wait that long!
I know! There's got to be another way of doing this! He thought frantically.
What if we went to each fire and used our freeze breath up close?
Do you think we'd be seen doing that?
Krypto frowned. Probably; but what other choice do we have? People are going to die if we don't act.
Clark suddenly thought of the Elbow River that ran just outside the town and a wild idea came to mind. Krypto immediately shot it down.
We can't risk that! You might pick up other debris along the way!
Not if you stopped that from happening, Clark countered.
People will wonder how the anomaly even happened at all!
Strange unexplainable things happen on Earth all the time. This will be no different. Besides, that much water would stop the fires all at once instead of us going through and blowing out all of them one at a time.
Krypto shook his head. Fine but if we're discovered, I blame you.
Clark raced off to Elbow River with Krypto right at his heels. Remember, keep any debris away from the water, Clark said as he leapt into the river and started to run in a circle. We don't want anything getting caught in the cyclone that could accidentally hurt someone.
I know! Krypto growled, planting his paws into the earth just as the wind from Clark's speed began to whip the air around.
Clark went faster and faster, creating a tunnel of water that spiraled ten, twenty, and finally thirty feet into the air. Feeling he had enough water circling around him, he continued to spin round and round as he left the ground, flying in circles, inching the cyclone little by little towards the burning festival. He faintly heard Krypto blasting things out of the way with his heat vision during the process.
Fire Chief Gary Kreg had seen his fair share of anomalies in Smallville, the worst being that meteor shower that happened about eighteen years ago, but what he saw coming towards him definitely fit the top ten anomaly list in his book. He'd been helping people off the Ferris wheel when someone screamed and started frantically pointing at the giant tornado heading in their direction. Now, Chief Kreg had seen plenty of tornadoes in his day but this wasn't a natural disaster heading in their direction. For one, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and for another, every time an object tried to get sucked into the typhoon, a beam of red would shoot out of nowhere and zap it into oblivion. Though Chief Kreg could hardly believe what he was seeing, he couldn't deny that what was heading towards them was a miracle. It was a cyclone of water.
We're nearing the festival, Kal, Krypto informed him as he blasted an old wheelbarrow out of the sky. What's the plan now? At the speed you're going, you'll suck up the humans along with the attractions.
Not if we cause this thing to leave the ground.
You can't be serious. How can we manage to do that?
You get in the bottom and start spinning. When you've reached my speed, lift off the air slowly. The force should keep the water spinning around you. I'm going to circle back and forth to keep its shape until we're over the top of the festival. Then we're going to fly out of the cyclone and let the water fall.
Krypto swallowed hard. Hopefully nobody is going to see us.
If we fly fast enough we won't have to. Now, hurry up; I think I'm starting to get dizzy.
Krypto leapt into the water without a second thought. At first he had to fight against the current but after a moment he was able to get back down to the base and start running as fast as he could. A few seconds later, his speed matched Clark's and he started flying, taking the bottom of the cyclone with him.
We're off the ground, Kal!
Clark directed his body back and forth, concentrating on keeping the cyclone going while he and Krypto flew inch by inch over the top of the festival. A minute later, Clark used his x-ray vision to see how far they'd come. I think we're where we need to be.
Then let's drop this thing and fly out of here!
Make sure to fly out as fast as you can. I'll meet you back at the farm. Then we can head to the festival to make sure everyone's okay.
Fine.
On three then; One, two, three!
Martha and Jonathan were just as shocked as everyone else about the cyclone flying overhead although the two of them had a better inkling of just who was causing the miracle. Their suspicions were confirmed when two sonic booms cracked through the air, rattling their eardrums. Everyone's screams were drowned out as the cyclone of water plummeted to the earth, slamming into the festival, the water immediately extinguishing the flames and drenching everyone in the vicinity. The water continued to rush everywhere but it didn't sweep anyone off their feet. It was just enough to get rid of the flames.
After stunned silence, a cheer rent the air as everyone realized that the fires were out. Exclamations of miracles and heavenly acts were voiced as people ran around hugging their loved ones. Jonathan and Martha looked at each other, their faces drenched with water but sporting huge grins.
"I think I know why Clark is here," Martha whispered.
Jonathan grinned, nodding. "He's a miracle."
The two of them shared a hug before going about seeing if everyone was alright while waiting for their son to reappear.
Clark touched down at the Kent farm shortly after rocketing out of the cyclone. Krypto joined him a second later. Surprisingly the two weren't even tired. In fact, they looked at each other and started laughing, Krypto in Clark's mind, Clark out loud.
"That was awesome!" Clark exclaimed.
Indeed! But let's not make it into a habit, shall we?
Clark grinned. "Good plan. We'd better get back to the festival and see what we can do to help clean up."
From the cheers I assume the town is well enough off. I think we should focus our efforts on finding Chloe Sullivan, Krypto argued.
The elation from being a hero left Clark immediately. "Right," he muttered, sudden fear gripping him. "We kind of revealed the secret to her, didn't we?"
Krypto scowled and nodded.
Clark sighed. "Right, let's go," he mumbled dejectedly.
The two took off running, blurring past the cornfields as they ran down Main Street into town. They slowed their pace to a leisure walk, wandering through the throngs of people who were discussing the miracle that had put out the fires. Clark caught sight of Lana and Pete near a café labeled The Talon. There was a glint of a clear diamond ring on Lana's left hand and both she and Pete were holding each other close in a way lovers would. Clark momentarily entertained the thought of giving the woman in the red dress a ring. The thought was interrupted as Chloe Sullivan appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Clark by the arm, and practically pulled him into an alley with Krypto at her heels.
The second Chloe determined they were alone she spun around to face him, her hands on her hips. For a woman eleven inches shorter than him, Chloe Sullivan was intimidating. The glare in her eyes was so intense that Clark was positive if humans had heat vision, he would have been burned. Her lips were pulled down in a scowl and her shoulders were squared as she stared him down. "Well?" she demanded.
Clark flinched. "Look, um, Chloe, this isn't a good time…"
"Clark, I know that you and I don't really know each other but don't be an idiot and try to avoid me," Chloe snapped. "And don't you even dare thing about trying to lie and say I was seeing things because I know what I saw!"
We're going to have to tell her, Clark sighed.
Krypto growled.
Chloe looked down at Krypto and Clark noticed a hint of fear in her eyes. He immediately tried to calm her, "Wow, it's okay. Krypto's just not too happy that we have to tell you everything."
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Krypto? I thought your dog's name was Skip."
"And you also thought I was adopted from Metropolis," Clark pointed out.
Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Where were you adopted from?"
Clark frowned, extending his hearing to see if anyone else was listening. There were tons of people around them; this really wasn't the safest place to talk. Sighing, he took a step closer to Chloe. "Look," he muttered, "in order for me to answer all of your questions honestly we need to go back to the Kent farm."
It was Chloe's turn to frown. "You know, I'm not an idiot. Every time someone has a secret and tells the person to talk to them alone in some discrete location it usually means: hey, let me take you some place where nobody will see me kill you."
Clark's jaw dropped. "What?! You think I'm going to kill you, Chloe?"
Chloe shrugged. "I don't know you. I just saw you do something incredibly unexplainable. You obviously have a huge secret, one so big that you lied to the Kents in order for them to adopt you and pretend you're some simple city turned farm boy!"
"I didn't lie to the Kents!" Clark countered. "They already know about me and Krypto."
That one Chloe hadn't been expecting. "What?"
Clark rolled his eyes. "Look, I want to tell you everything but I can't do it here. Please, come with me to the Kent farm. If I wanted to kill you, I would have already done it. Do you think I'd wait for your permission? Besides, my people don't kill. It's against our law."
Chloe blinked. "Your… people?"
"Like I said, I'll explain everything at the Kent farm."
Chloe bit her lip, her eyes darting back and forth. She was deeply curious, that much was obvious. If the Kents knew about whatever it was Clark was hiding, shouldn't that calm her nerves? The Kents were the most trustworthy people in town. They wouldn't let a murdering psychopath sleep under their roof. "Fine," she muttered.
"Do you mind if I take you?" Clark asked hesitantly. "I can get us there faster than a car."
Chloe shrugged. "Alright."
Clark nervously stepped forward, remembering what Jonathan taught him about controlling his strength. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Chloe. Treating her with care, he slowly swept her legs from under her and lifted her into his arms. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
We're going to have to go a little bit slower than we usually run, Clark said to Krypto.
Just don't go as slow as an earth snail, Krypto muttered before taking off as a white blur.
Clark smirked. You know, for a dog that didn't have super powers two days ago, you sure like using them a lot.
They're fun, came Krypto's reply just as Clark took off after him.
Chloe gasped as the wind smashed into her body forcing her into Clark's chest. The impact hurt a little bit and Clark immediately apologized the second the wind stopped twenty seconds later. "Chloe, are you okay?" he asked, panicked, setting her down.
Chloe rubbed the inside of her right arm. "I'll be fine. I just wasn't expecting to smack into steel is all. What are you made of anyway? Are you an android?"
Clark smiled. "I'm definitely not a robot. Come on in." Chloe followed him up the steps of the Kent porch into the house. "Do you want some lemonade?" Clark asked as he went into the kitchen to get a glass. "I've found myself becoming addicted to it… well, I guess that's a figure of expression since I really don't need it in order to survive."
"I get it," Chloe smiled, her unease beginning to lessen. "I guess I'll have a glass."
Clark poured one for both of them and then looked down at Krypto. "Do you want any?"
Heavens no. I'll have some water.
Clark shrugged. "Have it your way." Chloe looked from Clark to Krypto as the former got a dish from the kitchen cupboard and poured water into it before setting it on the floor. "I'll tell her everything. Feel free to interject any time you want," Clark said before indicating for Chloe to follow him into the living room.
"So, wait a second, you can talk to your dog?"
Clark grinned. "Yes. He and I share something called Convergence. It's a rare special bond formed between a Kryptonian and an animal from Krypton."
"Kryptonian? Krypton?"
Here goes nothing, Clark thought. "Chloe, do you believe in aliens?"
Chloe shrugged. "I don't need to really believe in them anymore, Clark, since Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern arrived on Earth we know there's life on other planets."
Clark paused at that. "Wait, there's a Green Lantern here?"
Chloe seemed taken aback by his outburst. "Um, yeah. He's been around for about a year."
Did you know that Krypto?
No, Krypto muttered, just as surprised as Clark.
"I need to meet him!" Clark exclaimed aloud, suddenly excited.
"Hey! Before you go super speeding off to try and find him, why not finish explaining yourself to me!" Chloe countered.
"Oh, right," Clark muttered, sitting back into the couch.
"You were telling me about aliens. Does that mean that you're one of them?" she asked, her heart racing a little.
Clark swallowed the rest of his lemonade in one gulp and put the empty glass on the coffee table. Looking Chloe right in the eye, he revealed, "My real name is Kal-El. I was born on a planet called Krypton. It was destroyed when I was only a year old. My father, Jor-El, is a scientist. He knew of the coming calamity and warned my people but only a few believed him and left the planet before it exploded. My people have been traveling through space for over seventeen years looking for an abandoned planet we could colonize. So far we haven't found anything. We've stopped at other inhabited planets to repair our ship and refuel; Earth happens to be one of those stops. But, because your species is… young to the concept of life on other worlds, and rather distrustful of alien ships, we docked away from your planet and my father alone was sent here to negotiate with your people's leaders to obtain a metal your planet has in order to repair the damages to our ship, the Endurance."
Chloe stared at him for a moment, taking everything in. "Alright…" she muttered, "I can believe all of that. Except one thing you said doesn't make sense. If your father is the only one who came here to negotiate with Earth's leaders, what are you doing here?"
Clark smiled sadly. "I was getting to that. I have a love for other worlds. I can honestly say that some worlds I love more than my own."
You mean you just love this one more than your own, Krypto interjected.
Clark sent him a look which Chloe didn't miss but decided not to pry over.
"When I was seven, I disobeyed my parents and left the Endurance to explore an alien world that thrived on trade. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that they also flourished in the intergalactic children slave industry."
"That actually exists?" Chloe cried, shocked.
Clark nodded darkly. "I was taken by a collector and would have been subject to slavery had my father not come into contact with the Green Lantern Corps. Four Green Lanterns appeared in the private market I was held in and rescued all the children. Abin-Sur returned me to my father. After that, I was forbidden from leaving the Endurance. Even after I became an adult, I had to watch my friends leave the ship while I stayed behind." Clark grew quiet for a moment before muttering, "My father's rules drove me to bitterness and just a few days ago I told him that I hated him. After that fight, he drugged me into unconsciousness and the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the Kent's barn.
"I suppose he was trying to redeem himself. My father gave me the one thing I've always wanted: freedom. He chose the Kents because they lived in a discrete location where I could display my powers without drawing the eyes of your peoples' governments. For some reason, the Kents practically forced me to allow them to adopt me" – at this, a large smile came over Clark's face – "they truly are the best. I'm honored and grateful that they have showed such kindness and love to me, an alien! They look at me as though I am their own son and if I was completely honest with myself, I admit I see them as my parents. I don't mean to sound ungrateful for I love my real parents very much but… considering the relationship I have had with my father for all these years… it is hard for me to respect and honor him the way I have Jonathan Kent. I am ashamed to admit that."
Clark hung his head. Chloe didn't know what to say so she said nothing at all. She could tell there was more that Clark needed to tell her so she waited until he had composed himself.
Clark took a shaky breath. "I do love my father. He is a great man. He's finally given me what I have always wanted and I honor and respect him for that. I really love Earth. I know I'm not one of you but I feel… so attached to this place and your people, like I belong here. It's a feeling that has grown every passing minute. Your cultures fascinate me. The fact that you display passion openly astounds and excites me! Kryptonians do not display physical contact of any kind except behind closed doors in remote, private locations. But here! Here your people display affection for the entire world to see as if it were normal! I love that! I love that you all are different and yet the same. Kryptonians are bland compared to the colorful ethnicities humans have. It's astounding and beautiful!"
Kal, you're beginning to rant.
"Oh, yeah, sorry," Clark suddenly stopped expounding.
"Huh?" Chloe asked, confused.
Clark grinned sheepishly. "Krypto… he told me I was beginning to rant. My apologies."
Chloe shook her head. "This is so weird. I'm not used to seeing someone able to communicate with their dog like you do."
"I'm sure it's not a common thing you find on Earth."
"I guess not," Chloe chuckled. "So, besides being able to talk to your dog telepathically and having super speed, what else can you do?"
Clark rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, let's see… I have freeze breath, heat vision, x-ray vision, microscopic vision, invulnerability, super hearing, super strength, and I can fly."
Chloe's eyes widened. "Wow."
"Chloe, I need you to understand something though. My powers come from the radiation of your yellow sun. Krypton lived under a red sun so my people never learned about these things."
"Wait, so you're saying that you woke up and poof you had super powers?" Chloe asked incredulously.
Clark nodded, "Yeah. As hard as this is to believe, two days ago, I was just like you."
Chloe sat back into the sofa, imagining what it must be like to one day wake up and suddenly have super abilities. "That must have been terrifying," she opined.
Clark sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You have no idea. I mean, I love having these powers – who wouldn't? – but I'm terrified I might hurt someone in the process! I have to treat everything I touch as if it were cardboard, including people."
Chloe instinctively reached forward and put a reassuring hand on Clark's shoulder. He jumped a little from her sudden contact but didn't shy away. His eyes met hers and he found her smiling. "You have a good heart, Kal-El."
Clark smiled. "Please, call me Clark." Chloe raised an eyebrow. "I… like the name," he muttered, staring at his hands.
"Okay… Clark. So, how long are you going to stay here?"
"Until my father finishes repairing the Endurance or until someone turns me into the government," Clark muttered nervously.
"I'm not going to tell anyone!" Chloe began fiercely.
Clark noted her heart beat was normal and her eyes were bearing into his without blinking. We can trust her.
I agree, Krypto said from the space on the rug he occupied. Should we tell her about the meteor rocks?
I don't see why not. Maybe it'll be nice to have someone besides the Kents looking out for us. "I appreciate your integrity, Chloe," Clark said with a grateful smile.
Chloe smiled back. "Hey, no problem. It's kind of nice having a super hero for a friend."
"Friend?"
"If that's okay with you?" Chloe asked uncertainly.
Clark's grin widened in delight. "I'd really like that. And as a friend, I'll tell you one more thing. Yesterday, Krypto and I stumbled upon the meteor rocks that hit Smallville a few years ago."
"Yeah? What about them?"
"Well," Clark muttered nervously, "so far they're the only thing that can hurt us. Chloe, I think that if we're exposed to them for an extended period of time, they could kill us."
Her eyes widened. "You're kidding! But, they're harmless to humans. Why would they hurt you?"
Clark shrugged. "I have no idea but while I'm here, if we come across them or if you see them somewhere near us, can you make sure they stay away from us?"
Chloe nodded vigorously. "Of course! You saved me today and you've trusted me with the biggest secret I've ever heard. Those meteor rocks are everywhere around here; you're going to need all the help you can get."
"Thank you, Chloe," Clark said sincerely.
Chloe smiled. "You're welcome, Clark."
o0o0o
It was night; at least, it was the usual time the Kryptonians went to sleep since it was always night in the depth of space. There was one, however, who was wide awake. General Zod was sitting in his military office, his eyes staring at nothing in particular while his thoughts swirled around in his head. He'd sent a note to his wife explaining that he would be in late and for her not to wait up for him. Eventually he planned to tell Faora the secret he'd learned – along with a few select individuals – but for now, he'd keep it to himself. No, for now, he needed to gain the special powers of the yellow sun and learn to control them. That way, he could have control over everyone whom he trusted the secret to.
"Al 23," General Zod called out.
A drone floating in the air in the shape of a tear drop swooped into the room. "Yes sir?" as it spoke in a cool female voice, the metallic surface facing Zod rippled slightly.
"I request a current status report on the Kryptonian people."
"Of course, sir," the AI replied before becoming silent. A moment later, the surface rippled, "Everyone besides you is asleep sir. I would suggest retiring proven the early hour."
"I have work to attend to," General Zod said. "Thank you for the report. You may return to your duties."
Zod waited another minute before getting up and exiting the room, grabbing an oxygen mask on his way out. He walked briskly to the front entrance of the ship, looked back and forth, and swiped his crystal across the surface. The door opened immediately, exposing Zod to the open air of space. Pulling on the oxygen mask and activating it, he stepped outside and quickly closed the doors behind him.
The ship was docked on the dark side of the moon so Zod had to travel across the black surface towards the opposite to get into the sun. It took him a while but he was too determined to turn back. Like a sunrise, Zod noticed the light brightening with each step he took and the second his body was exposed to the miniscule rays of the sun, he felt it beginning to change.
"Remarkable," he whispered, closing his eyes, relishing the rays as he continued walking forward. When he was fully in the light of the sun, he found a rock, sat down, and relaxed. He planned to only be out for a few hours; he figured that would be enough time for the yellow sun's ray to affect him.
The silence was soothing. Zod loved silence. There were no voices to contradict him; no sniveling drivel that he had to put up with from those idiotic councilmen. Soon, things would be different. But for now, for now he would wait.
After determining he'd been absorbing the sun enough, Zod stooped down and picked up a rock. His eyes narrowing, he squeezed his fingers. The moon rock crumbled into dust instantly. A feral grin spread across Zod's face, his eyes dancing as he wiped the powder away, watching it as it lingered in the air of space. "That will do nicely," he whispered, turning around and heading back to the ship.
o0o0o
Jor-El rubbed his eyes.
"You know, perhaps you should rest a while," Martian Manhunter suggested kindly. "You've been working for three days straight without sunlight."
Jor-El sighed. "I told them I'd be back in three and a half days. I have ten more pounds to gather still."
Martian Manhunter put a hand on Jor-El's shoulder. Even though the Kryptonian stiffened, he didn't pull away. "Jor-El, a little sunlight would do you good."
Jor-El sighed. "The Earth's leaders said I was to mine in the dead of night. There is no sunlight to rest in, J'onn."
J'onn smiled. "Only on this side of the Earth."
Jor-El's eyes widened. "I can't go to the other side of Earth! That is out of the jurisdiction given by the United Nations."
"Your powers come from the sun, correct?" J'onn asked.
"Yes."
"Then you must allow your body to rejuvenate. You will never be able to mine the amount of iron you need if you do not fuel your body properly."
Jor-El knew that J'onn was right. Out of all the heroes, he felt closest to the Martian. "What you say is logical but I cannot defy the rules set by Earth's leaders."
J'onn narrowed his eyes. "Give me a moment to speak with them."
Before Jor-El could protest, J'onn became transparent and disappeared through the floor. J'onn traveled through the earth at a remarkable speed until he reached the basement of the United Nations building. He spooked a young couple making out between some shelves.
"My apologies," he said, inclining his head. "Please don't stop on my account." He strode past them without a backward glance before continuing up through the floors to the private offices of Gregory Kimball, the ambassador for the United States. Sarah Crow, his secretary, was a young woman in her early thirties. Her hair was pulled into a bun with a few curly tendrils hanging loosely about her face. Half-moon glasses sat on the bridge of her nose as her manicured nails clacked across the keys of her keyboard.
J'onn walked up to her desk. "Excuse me, is Mr. Kimball in?"
"He is but he's not available to see anyone today," Mrs. Crow said curtly, her eyes still on her computer screen.
"Perhaps he could reconsider," J'onn urged.
Mrs. Crow looked up ready to give a dismissive remark but halted when she noticed who it was standing in front of her. "Oh! Mr. Manhunter! I didn't know it was you, sir."
J'onn smiled. "That is quite alright."
Mrs. Crow scrambled to grab her phone, dropping the receiver a couple of times in her haste to page her boss. Flustered, she finally hit the right button and put her phone to her ear. "Yes, sir, I understand you said you were busy but, sir, the Martian Manhunter is here to see you… yes, sir." She hung up the phone. "You can go on in."
"Thank you," Martian Manhunter said kindly, smiling at her before going into Mr. Kimball's office.
Gregory Kimball had been installed as the American ambassador to the United Nations a few months ago. He was a family man, having four children of his own, and had grown up in the Midwest. He had a cheery countenance and held deep values for truth and justice. He'd come highly recommended and so far the heroes had approved of him and his representation of the United States.
"Martian Manhunter, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Mr. Kimball asked, standing up and shaking J'onn's hand.
"Mr. Kimball, I apologize for this unscheduled appointment, but I come with a matter of urgency."
Mr. Kimball's soft brown eyes clouded. "What seems to be the matter?"
"It is Jor-El," J'onn began.
"His intentions weren't false!" Mr. Kimball cried, jumping to conclusions.
"Oh, no! Of course not!" J'onn said adamantly. Mr. Kimball relaxed. "No, sir, actually I am concerned about his health."
"His health?"
"His body is regenerated under the sun's rays," J'onn explained. "He hasn't seen sunlight since he returned to Earth."
"Are you saying he's dying or something?" Mr. Kimball asked.
J'onn frowned. "I am not certain but I don't want to wait around and find out that we could have prevented his death if we had allowed him to step into the sun once in a while."
Mr. Kimball's face whitened in alarm. "Could you imagine what his people would do if he accidently died here?!"
"I can which is why I have come seeking your advice on how to best proceed concerning this matter."
Mr. Kimball sat back in his chair and put his hands together, thinking. "We can't allow the general populace to learn of him or his people's existence. Hmmm, maybe sunlamps would work? I know it's not actual sunlight but it's artificial."
J'onn shook his head. "I don't believe it will give the results necessary to restore him properly. I would take full responsibility for his actions if you will allow me to take him somewhere the sun is shining."
Mr. Kimball swallowed. "Right now?"
"Do you want to risk his health throughout the night?" J'onn asked, his frown deepening.
Sighing, Mr. Kimball shook his head. "No. Alright, you have my permission, but Martian Manhunter? If anything goes wrong, it will be your fault. You know that?"
Martian Manhunter nodded. "Like I said, I accept full responsibility. Thank you, sir." He stood, shook the ambassador's hand, and left.
Ten minutes later, he was back in the mine. He found Jor-El had fallen into an exhausted sleep. He looked rather pale. Though he knew he did not approve of touch, J'onn took the matter into his own hands. Lifting the Kryptonian into his arms, he turned transparent and flew through the Earth towards the opposite side of the world where the sun's rays shone.
Jor-El felt the warmth seep into his cells, rejuvenating his energies in a way food never had. He breathed long and deep, turning his face towards the source of whatever it was restoring his strength. After relishing the replenishment, he opened his eyes.
Yellow grass was all around him. In the distance were trees that fanned out at the top, exposing a large part of their light brown branches and trunks. Birds chattered somewhere above him and in the distance he heard the rumblings of the earth as hundreds of hooves pounded into the ground. He sat up, looking around, taking in the bright blue sky and the brilliance of the yellow sun until he found J'onn sitting next to him.
J'onn smiled. "I see that the paleness of your skin has dissipated to its proper hue."
"Where are we?" Jor-El asked, fascinated by the large gray animals he saw in the distance. They had noses that hung down from their faces towards the ground and their giant ears stuck out on either side of their domed heads, flapping back and forth to chase away the insects that hovered around them.
"Africa," J'onn answered.
"What are we doing here?" Jor-El asked, alarmed, realizing this was definitely not another part of the mine. If he remembered right, Africa was an entirely different continent than America!
"Relax, my friend," J'onn appeased. "I got permission to bring you here from the United Nations."
"Y-You did?"
J'onn chuckled. "Yes. We've been sitting here for a good five hours."
"Five hours?!" Jor-El cried, leaping to his feet. The force of his strength propelled him fifteen feet into the air before coming back down. "I didn't mean to do that," he muttered from J'onn's silent stare.
The Martian smiled. "It appears your strength has returned. With your powers restored, you should be able to finish mining the iron you need in time to return to the Endurance."
"Are you coming with me?" Jor-El asked.
J'onn shook his head. "No. Actually, the Flash will be."
Jor-El relaxed, silently grateful Batman wasn't the first to supervise him alone on his ship. "I see. Well, we should return."
J'onn nodded. "The fastest way is for me to transparently take us through the Earth but in order for me to do that, I have to touch you."
Jor-El appreciated his consideration to his sensitivity. "If that is what is necessary, you may do so," he said, expressing his gratitude through his words.
J'onn placed his hand on Jor-El's shoulder. Jor-El felt a brief shiver run down his spine and looked down to find he could see right through his body. His fascination deepened as they sunk into the ground, the light disappearing all together. Jor-El didn't know how J'onn knew where he was going in the pitch blackness that surrounded them but the Martian was able to steer them through the Earth's many layers until they reappeared in the iron mine in Alabama. J'onn let go of him and after another shiver, Jor-El was restored to being solid.
"That… was… incredible," he muttered, looking at his hands.
J'onn smiled. "Thank you."
"May I ask how were you able to see where we were going while deep in the Earth's crust?"
"My vision changes so that I may see when I become transparent," he responded. "It's not exactly like your x-ray vision but it gives me the ability to see ahead of myself."
"Fascinating," Jor-El muttered, trying desperately to curb his scientific curiosity to learn more of the Martian and his abilities. He had a job to do after all. Feeling his strength returned, he walked over to a spot and resumed digging out the iron he could see with his x-ray vision.
Several hours later, Jor-El sighed as he set the last bit of iron down on the ground he'd dug up. "I believe that is all I need for now," he muttered.
There was a whoosh in the mine as Flash appeared, his hands full of a burger and a cup of soda. Slurping on the straw and inhaling the hamburger in two bites, he burped, and wiped his mouth. "Excuse me," he said sheepishly. "I'm sorry I'm a little late; I was taking care of Captain Cold's latest scheme. Did I miss anything?"
"Who is Captain Cold?" Jor-El wondered.
Flash shrugged, "Just one of the villains I have to deal with." He walked over to the massive pile of iron Jor-El had collected. "Wow, that's a bunch of iron!" he muttered, tapping it with his knuckles. "Are you going to be able to get all of it onto the Traveler?"
Jor-El pulled out a crystal-like device, held it up to the iron, and ran a finger across its surface. A blue light shot from the crystal tip and illuminated the metal before the whole mass disappeared. "Already taken care of," he said simply, putting the crystal like device back into his pocket.
"Wow! How did you do that?" Flash asked.
"Teleportation ray," Jor-El said with a shrug. "It only transports things for short distances or else I'd use it to teleport the iron directly to the Endurance."
"That's still pretty impressive technology," Flash muttered.
Jor-El smiled, humored by Flash's reaction. "Perhaps I can give you one in the future but for now, shall we go?"
"Sure," Flash said, excited about the prospect of having his own teleporting crystal.
The three of them exited the mine, stepping out into the night. The stars twinkled above them, their small but prominent lights visible amidst the clouds. The moon shown down, it's fully lighted surface bathing the Earth in a pale light.
"Good luck in space," J'onn said to them both.
"Where are you headed off to?" Flash asked.
"Work," he replied simply.
"Thank you for earlier," Jor-El muttered.
J'onn smiled. "It was no trouble. Take care." And with a brief nod, he took off into the night sky, disappearing into the clouds.
"Thank you for accompanying me," Jor-El said to the Flash as they entered the Traveler a moment later.
"It's no problem at all. I'm actually excited to go back into space. It was pretty cool."
"It gets old after a while," Jor-El honestly opined.
As he set the coordinates for the Endurance, Jor-El's thoughts went to his son. He desperately wanted to visit the Kent farm and see how he was doing but he knew that it was too big of a risk to take. He had decided not to use his abilities to check in on Kal-El either; the last thing he needed was for his son to find out he'd been eavesdropping and jump to conclusions involving mistrust. So he settled for wondering, praying to the higher powers that Kal-El would be protected in his absence.
o0o0o
It had been three days since Chloe had learned the truth. Clark had told Martha and Jonathan what happened the second they had returned home later that day. Both of them had not been happy about the news but after a deep discussion with Chloe the next day, it was agreed that she was trustworthy to keep the secret.
It had been a long day. Clark had spent it with Jonathan out in the fields doing farm work. Clark had to hand it to Jonathan; farm life was hard. It required a lot of effort and was definitely not for the faint of heart. Though he wasn't physically tired, Clark couldn't lie that he was glad the day was practically over. He was grateful that it had been so productive, however, because it helped to distract his thoughts.
Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he was beginning to feel homesick.
He mostly missed his mother, his cousin Kara, and his friends, Zara-Ra and Ching-Mi. There had been several times that he'd had the inclination of longing to converse with them, to share with them all of the wondrous things he was learning. But it was not to be. This exile for a month on Earth he'd thought would keep him occupied but the reality was that at night, he longed to be with his friends and family. He couldn't understand why he was feeling this way because he loved Earth and everything that came with it but the undeniable reality was that he had spent the last two evenings out on the porch with his gaze heavenward.
Shortly after dinner, Clark excused himself, walking out onto the porch. Krypto didn't follow him. He knew that sometimes Clark got into these moods where he preferred to be alone. Instead the dog joined Jonathan in the living room, allowing the man to pat his head absentmindedly while he watched the news. Martha was in the kitchen cleaning up the last of the dishes, insisting to Clark that she needed to do it so as not to become a lazy bump on a log.
Instead of sitting on the porch swing like usual, Clark walked down the steps and headed into the barn. His feet seemed to unconsciously propel him up the wooden steps that led to the hayloft where extra hay was stored for the animals down below. What Clark stumbled upon surprised him. The hay had been cleared away to make a path leading to a large window that opened to display the corn fields all around them. What captured Clark's attention, however, was what was standing at the window. Fully assembled, Clark immediately recognized the telescope he used to gaze in all the time back on the Endurance.
"How did this get here?" he wondered to himself.
The last time he'd been around the telescope… his father had come to see him. Clark's eyes widened. His father had drugged him and he'd fallen back into the telescope and knocked it to the floor. Had his father brought the telescope with him? It was the only explanation of how the contraption had even come to be in the Kent's barn. A strange feeling warmed Clark's heart and a small smile climbed his cheeks. His father had set this up for him. Touched, he walked over and looked into the telescope pointing towards the Earth's constellations.
As he gazed up at the brilliant stars, he couldn't help but mutter, "Thank you… father."
He stayed there looking at all the different stars for over an hour before his thoughts took him to other matters. He was going to hang out with Chloe tomorrow for most of the day. He wondered what exactly they were going to do. Chloe hadn't really said. Clark walked away from the telescope and lay down on the hay, his thoughts wandering…
Clark found himself leaning against a banister overlooking a magnificent city. The hubbub of city life bustled below him as people littered the sidewalks, cars honked for other cars to go faster, and the constant construction noises drilled through his eardrums as a dull hum.
A door squeaked open behind him but he didn't turn around. The smells of vanilla captured his nose as the click-click sound of familiar heels filled his ears. He smiled to himself, already knowing who it was but not bothering to turn around.
"I thought I'd find you up here."
The woman's soprano voice sent a thrill down his spine and he felt a sense of happiness; she'd been looking for him. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, trying to hide his smile. "I figured I'd get a little bit of fresh air," he replied.
The woman's thin shoulder bumped against his as she handed him a cup of coffee. He gratefully accepted it, taking sips, pretending it was hot. "So, how's your article coming along?"
Clark turned to the woman, momentarily distracted by her beauty as she tucked a long strand of her rich brown hair behind her ear. She wore a white collared shirt under a black vest, the top two buttons of her white blouse undone just enough to tease his fantasies. Her soft jaw line was tilted upwards in his direction, her hazel eyes searching his face as she scrutinized him.
Clark shrugged. "I haven't started it yet. There's a loose end I need to tie up with a source. They're supposed to call me back in about half an hour."
"Half an hour, huh?" she said, fiddling with the cup of coffee in her hands. "A lot can happen in half an hour, you know." She slyly glanced up at him, her cheeks pink.
Clark heard her heart begin to race, the pace matching his own. Grinning at her, he set his cup of coffee on the banister and slipped his arms around her tiny waist. "What exactly did you have in mind?"
She grinned, her hands looping around his neck. She lifted onto her toes to draw herself nearer to his face. "I don't know…" she muttered seductively, "maybe this…"
He bent down eagerly to meet her…
A bark startled him into consciousness. Clark flailed around, hay flying in several directions as he sat up, confused. "W-What?!" he cried sleepily.
I wondered where you wandered off to, Krypto said. You've been out here for over two hours! Jonathan and Martha are beginning to worry.
Clark felt his stomach plummet. "It was only a dream," he muttered in disappointment, flopping back into the hay.
Did you dream of the woman in the red dress again? Krypto asked curiously.
Clark sighed. "Yeah except this time she wasn't wearing red."
Do you mind sharing?
Clark shrugged before opening his mind to the dream so Krypto could see it to. The dog rested in the hay beside him a moment later. I can't help but notice that in both dreams you woke before being able to kiss her.
Clark frowned. "Well, if someone hadn't barked right in my ear, I might have this time!"
Krypto scratched his ear with his foot. Sorry, he chuckled.
Clark sighed, his thoughts filled with the dream he'd just had. "I wonder where we were," he mused.
Obviously it was a city. She asked you about an article. What does that mean?
Clark shrugged. "I don't know. I said I was waiting for a source to call me. What does that mean?"
It was Krypto's turn to shrug. And what were you wearing on your face?
"Glasses," Clark muttered, "Though I don't know why. Those things are made for those with poor eyesight but my eyesight is perfect. Why would I need glasses?"
Your guess is as good as mine.
Clark rubbed his eyes. "I need to find out who this girl is, Krypto, or else I'm going to go mad."
Krypto sat silently beside him for a few minutes. Where do you propose to start looking for her? There are thousands of cities in America alone.
"I don't know," Clark grumbled, starting to feel frustrated. "I've only got three weeks left! I love being here in Smallville but I don't think I'm going to find her by staying here."
Should we tell the Kents about your dreams?
Clark was quiet for a moment. "Maybe," he muttered quietly.
I'm sure they could help. They might have some ideas as to what a source is and why you might have been wearing glasses.
"Yeah, they might," Clark hedged.
Krypto bumped his head into Clark's arm. Why are you hesitant over this proposal?
Clark shrugged. "No reason."
Kal, is it because you secretly want to keep these dreams to yourself?
Clark froze. He shouldn't have been surprised. Krypto could read him better than anyone. "Yeah," he admitted. "They're just really special."
Krypto smirked. Oh yes… they're your own personal fantasy similar to the ridiculous novels you used to read back home.
Clark frowned. "They are not ridiculous. Those novels are classics from around the universe."
Krypto shrugged. Call them whatever you want. They are most definitely what other Kryptonians would call horror stories of explicit detail and immorality.
"That's because they don't understand the beauty of it," Clark defended.
Krypto chuckled. Whatever you say, Kal. So, are you going to tell the Kents or not?
Clark sighed. "I suppose I should. If I keep this to myself, I'll go stir crazy. Come on; let's go inside."
As Krypto followed him down the steps, he said casually, I see your telescope somehow made it to Earth.
Clark decided not to comment since he knew full well that Krypto was smart enough to figure out that the telescope was in the barn because of Jor-El. Wandering back into the house, Clark found his adopted parents sitting in the living room. Martha was busy crocheting her latest masterpiece while Jonathan was surfing through television stations.
"Mom, dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" Clark asked.
Jonathan immediately turned the television off. "Sure, Clark, what is it?" he asked, inviting Clark to sit down.
Clark bit his lip. "What I have to tell you is kind of personal," he muttered, staring at his shoes.
Martha set her crochet hook aside. "Clark, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to."
Touched that they would honor his privacy, Clark politely said, "I feel that if I don't, I'll regret it."
Jonathan and Martha shared a look before turning back to him. Clark took a deep breath and explained both dreams, not bothering to leave out the details; it would be easier for them to understand the motivation behind his longing to find the woman in the red dress by so doing. As he finished, he looked up at them. Both were contemplating what he'd just revealed.
"Those are some pretty interesting dreams, Clark," Jonathan said. "You dreamt of this woman while you were still on the Endurance?"
Clark nodded. "Yes. It was shortly after we'd crossed through the Asteroid Field."
Martha and Jonathan shared another look.
"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," Martha said while Jonathan nodded in agreement next to her. "I don't understand everything, Clark, but I have a feeling that the role this woman is going to play in your life is a significant one."
Clark nodded. "I feel that way too. I haven't felt so connected to someone before in my life and I've never even met her! I don't know what her name is, where she lives, or how I can even find her! All I know is, from the moment I woke from that first dream, I knew she was on Earth and that she's important."
"She's the one you thought of to trigger your heat vision, isn't she?" Jonathan guessed.
Clark blushed. "Yes… Honestly, I've never experienced these feelings for any of the Kryptonian girls I've grown up with. I've seen friends and acquaintances sharing similar feelings but I've never felt this way. How can it be possible to have such strong feelings towards someone you don't even know?"
Martha smiled. "Like I said, Clark, we don't have all the answers but we might be able to help you find her."
Clark swallowed. "I really want you to…" he fell silent.
"Clark, what is it?" Jonathan asked.
Clark sighed. "My father placed me here for a reason. I feel I would be dishonoring him by leaving Smallville."
"I can understand how you feel, son, but I can tell you that if you don't find out who your mystery woman is, you're going to regret it forever," Jonathan promised.
Clark blinked. "Are you saying I should defy my father's wishes of keeping me in Smallville?"
Martha took his hand and squeezed it affectionately. "What we're saying, Clark, is that you need to follow your heart."
Clark looked at both of them and then around the living room. "But… I like it here in Smallville. I don't want to leave you two. We were just starting to be a family."
Jonathan smiled. "Who said anything about you leaving us behind? Martha and I will be coming with you!"
"What?" Clark asked, surprised.
Martha chuckled. "Clark, you can't make this journey on your own! Your father asked us to watch over you. The only way we can do that is by joining in the hunt for this mystery girl."
Clark stared at them numbly. I wasn't expecting that.
Krypto was equally surprised. Neither was I.
"Oh, Jonathan, this will be so much fun!" Martha cried, clapping her hands together, her eyes shining.
Clark finally found his voice. "But, what about the farm? You can't just drop everything to come with me!"
"Sure we can!" Jonathan said. "We can have Ben take care of things while we're away. We'll just tell everyone we've gone on vacation."
"We were talking about going on one before your father brought you to us," Martha revealed.
"Besides, by going with you, we can continue to help you with your powers," Jonathan said.
Clark couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Kents were willing to drop everything to help him find the woman in the red dress. How were they going to afford all of this? Surely they had a budget they had to keep. He couldn't expect them to jump from city to city without having to use their finances.
"I don't even know which city she lives in," Clark said in a desperate attempt to change their minds. "We'd have to hop all over the place!"
Jonathan and Martha considered this. "We'd make due," Jonathan said after a pause.
"No," Clark said firmly. "I can't jeopardize you finances for my personal affairs."
"Clark, we want to help," Martha argued. "And we're not about to let you go tromping off into the world alone when you haven't even been on Earth for a week."
Clark frowned. "I appreciate your eagerness but I'm not comfortable with this."
"Alright," Jonathan muttered. "We've all got a lot on our minds. How about we sit on this for a day and after we've had some time to think about it, we'll talk about what to do? Does that sound fair?"
Clark didn't think he'd change his mind on the matter but agreed only after Martha nodded emphatically in favor of the proposal.
"Okay, now that that's settled, we should probably get to bed. We've got a lot of things ahead of us tomorrow," Jonathan said, standing up to stretch.
After putting her crocheting away, Martha wrapped her arms around Clark's neck and gave him a good night kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Clark," she said tenderly.
Clark couldn't help but smile as he replied, "Good night, mom."
Jonathan clapped him on the shoulder, wishing him good night as well. Clark returned the gesture before following them up the stairs, Krypto at his heels.
Well, that went well, Krypto said as he settled at the bottom of the bed.
Clark super sped into his pajamas before crawling under the covers. "That's an exaggeration. I didn't even think they'd suggest coming with me! I figured we'd stay here another week before heading out to look on our own but they're adamant about coming with us."
Perhaps you could run that idea by them tomorrow night when you discuss it again.
"Maybe," Clark yawned. "I think all of this stressing has tired me out. I'm going to get a little more sleep."
Have fun, Krypto said sleepily. I'll try not to wake you if you have another dream.
Clark scowled. "You'd better not."
Krypto laughed as Clark closed his eyes and rolled onto his side, his mind drifting to the woman in the red dress again.
As the sun began to rise, Clark woke with a start. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. Krypto grumbled as he stubbornly stayed in bed despite his body waking up. I refuse to get out of bed! He grumbled.
Clark rolled out from under the covers and got dressed.
And where are you going? Krypto asked, opening one eye.
Clark shrugged. "Out."
Clark was in another one of his solitary moods. Krypto frowned. Fine, just don't stay in the sky for too long. I don't want to have to come find you again.
"I won't go far," Clark muttered as he left the room, straightening his bright red jacket over a blue tee shirt.
As quietly as he could, he descended the stairs and headed outside through the side door in the kitchen. Sighing, Clark unconsciously found himself in the barn again in front of the telescope. He frowned before sitting down on the hay, laying back and letting his mind wander. Of course the brunette from his dreams immediately plagued his thoughts.
"Who are you?" he muttered aloud, rubbing his eyes.
Shutting them tightly didn't help; the image of the woman in red was even more pronounced. Clark once again relived her walking down the hall in the lacy red dress, her hips swaying back and forth, her long hair bouncing up and down and side to side as the most glorious smile graced her full lips and caused her eyes to sparkle. Clark groaned aloud as he relived her body slipping over the top of his, her hands slithering across his neck, her head tilting towards him.
Clark's eyes burned. Shaking his head, trying to master the intense heat, he forced the warmth away while continuing to focus on the woman as his thoughts filled with the second dream. By the time he'd gone over the second dream completely, his eyes were no longer burning. Though happy with his accomplishment, Clark couldn't help noticing the empty feeling in his heart. He thrust his palms into his hands and again groaned aloud.
"You know, I didn't think I'd find you stressed at eight o'clock in the morning."
Clark jumped as he looked around to find Chloe leaning against the hayloft barrier, the only thing preventing her from falling backward onto the barn floor. She wore comfortable jeans, and a flowery blouse, the neckline loosely tied with a ribbon. She had a comfortable smile on her face and her eyes sparkled as she raised an interested eyebrow. Her expression obviously asked the silent question of why he was in the hayloft.
"I have a lot on my mind," Clark answered.
Chloe walked over and plopped down in the hay opposite to him. Folding her arms, she said, "Well, that much is obvious since I managed to sneak up on you for the first time."
Clark sent her a lopsided grin. "Not an easy feat, Miss Sullivan."
Chloe's grin faded after a moment. "Seriously, though, what are you stressing about?"
"I'm not stressing," Clark said evasively.
Chloe gave him a disbelieving look.
Clark sighed. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to hide things from her. "Fine, yes, I'm stressing."
"About?"
Clark looked away from her. "You'll think it's stupid."
"Clark, I think I can handle anything you've got to tell me," she said confidently. "You should know that by now."
Clark shook his head. "Amazing," he muttered, "I've known her for four days and she already knows my deepest darkest secrets."
Chloe grinned. "Well, that's what a best friend is, Clark. Now, tell me what's on your mind."
Clark bit his lip, took a deep breath, and let it all out. "Okay."
He then told her everything he'd told the Kents last night. He felt himself blushing crimson by the time he finished, his eyes unable to look at Chloe, his hands playing with a piece of hay to distract himself from having to see her reaction.
There was silence for almost a full minute before Chloe spoke. "Interesting," she muttered. "You said the first dream happened before you even came to Earth?"
Clark looked up to find she wasn't teasing him nor did she appear skeptical. Instead she was thoughtful, her face pulled into a calculated expression. "Um, yeah," he said.
"Hmmm. And in the second dream, those words were the exact ones you two exchanged?"
Clark nodded. "Yes."
"She's a reporter."
Clark's jaw dropped. "Huh? How do you know?"
"Well, from the dream it sounds like you're a reporter too," Chloe said, grinning. "Tell me, Clark, have you ever had a desire to report the news?"
Clark, surprised by her question, answered automatically, "No, I'd never given it a thought before… until recently…"
Chloe's eyebrow rose. "Oh?"
"Well, I like reading the newspapers in the morning," he said. "I've always enjoyed reading and writing. But what does this have to do with the dream?"
Chloe grinned. "She asked you how your article was coming and you said you were waiting on a source to get back to you. Clark, articles and sources are associated with journalism. And you were drinking coffee, something reporters rely on when pulling long hours in a newsroom."
Clark shook his head. "How on earth you connect these dots is beyond me."
"It's what reporters do, Clark," Chloe answered smiling widely. "I've been writing articles and meeting up with sources since I was in high school. I was the editor for the Torch, the high school newspaper, all four years I went to Smallville High. I've even done a couple of articles for the Smallville Post."
"I didn't know that."
She shrugged, "We never got around to talking about that."
"So, is that what you want to do for the rest of your life? Reporting the news?"
Chloe nodded. "Are you kidding? It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do!" Her face fell a little as her heart beat a little harder. "Um, actually, one of the reasons I called yesterday asking if we could hang out was because I got a letter in the mail from Metropolis."
Clark looked at her confused. "A… letter?"
"Yeah," she said rubbing her arm. "Um, I got accepted for an internship at the Daily Planet. I'm leaving next week. I'll be living in Metropolis for six months, making a small name for myself. If I'm good, the Editor in Chief, Perry White, might let me stay."
"So, you're leaving Smallville?" Clark asked, feeling sad at the realization of losing his friend.
Chloe nodded. "Yeah."
Clark tried to be happy for Chloe. He knew that humans her age were at the stage in their lives where they sought to make their dreams a reality. She was moving on to accomplish her dream of becoming a reporter.
"Clark, I know this may sound completely out of the blue, but, do you want to go with me?" Chloe asked.
Clark's eyes widened. "What?"
"Well, I mean, you're only going to be here for another three and a half weeks, right? I figured you'd want to see a major city before you have to go back to your people."
"I don't know," Clark said automatically. "The Kents are supposed to be my caretakers the entire time I'm here."
Chloe frowned a little. "No offense to the Kents but, Clark, you're old enough to make your own decisions and live your own life. Do you really want to spend all your time in Smallville?"
Clark sighed, contemplating her question. "I feel that your longing to leave this place is greater than mine because you've been here longer than I have. I want to stay with the Kents but I can't shake the thought that if I do that, I'll never meet that girl."
"Not to mention that if she's a reporter, it will be easier to find her in Metropolis than here."
"How do you figure? Just because she's a reporter doesn't mean she works in that particular city. She could be anywhere."
"Ahhh, but you've overlooked something Clark. Even if they may be enemies, reporters know other reporters. Not to mention the Daily Planet isn't just a paper that circulates in Metropolis. It circulates the world. It's the biggest newspaper on Earth! If any paper will know competitors and their reporters, it's the Daily Planet."
Clark swallowed. "What you say sounds logical. But there's no way I could go with you! I don't have a place to stay. I don't have any currency. I don't exactly have the necessary documents your governments require for one to get a job either."
Chloe waved away his concerns. "You can stay with me. As an intern, the Daily Planet is not only going to pay for my six months amount of rent but also provide me with an apartment. The only thing I'll need to pay for is food and I've saved up plenty. Providing food for both of us won't be a problem. Besides, you're only going to be here for a couple more weeks anyway. It's not long term."
Clark couldn't believe his ears. The thought of going with Chloe to Metropolis just felt right. He couldn't fully explain it but the second she proposed the idea, he knew it was the right thing to do. But how on Earth could he tell the Kents? How could he leave them? They were his parents… well, his adopted parents.
"I want to go with you," he muttered, "but, what about the Kents?"
"Let's go talk to them about it!" Chloe said, leaping to her feet before Clark could fully comprehend what they were about to do. She'd gotten halfway down the stairs before Clark even made to move out of the hay. Brushing himself off, he followed her, matching her pace two seconds later as the two walked into the Kent home.
"Chloe! We weren't expecting you for another hour," Martha said as she looked up from the food she'd just placed on the table.
"Sorry to intrude so early, Mrs. Kent," Chloe apologized.
"It's no trouble at all," Jonathan said, setting down the morning addition of the Daily Planet.
"Are you hungry?" Martha asked. "I just made a fresh batch of pancakes."
"I ate before I came but thank you for the offer," Chloe said.
Clark, however, found he was very hungry. Sitting down at the table, he pulled the plate of pancakes towards him, drowned them in syrup, and ate the whole plate in less than five seconds.
"Wow!" Chloe cried. "Did you even chew?"
Clark grinned sheepishly after wiping his mouth. "Mom's a really good cook."
Martha patted Clark's hand affectionately as she took his plate over to the sink to wash it. "So, what are you two going to do today?"
"Oh, I was going to introduce Clark to the theater and the Talon," Chloe said cheerfully. "But before we go, we wanted to run something by the two of you."
The Kents looked at the two young adults curiously.
"Clark and I have been talking," Chloe began a little hesitantly over feeling their eyes on her, "He told me all about his dreams and I think the girl he wants to look for is a reporter."
"That would make a lot of sense," Jonathan mused, rubbing the slight stubble on his chin. "You did use the words source and article in your latest dream, didn't you Clark?"
Clark nodded. "Yeah; I think Chloe's right."
"I got accepted for a six month internship with the Daily Planet yesterday," Chloe announced, "And I suggested that Clark come live with me in Metropolis for a couple of weeks."
"That way you don't have to leave the farm," Clark said quickly.
Both Kents were silent for a moment. Martha was the first to speak. "Do you think that's such a good idea?"
"You're still fairly new to Earth, Clark. Metropolis is one of the biggest cities on the East Coast," said Jonathan.
Clark bit his lip. "I don't want to give the impression that I am ungrateful to both of you for taking me in as one of your own but I truly feel that this is the path I must take. I think I have a pretty good sense of control over my abilities."
"I don't know," Jonathan muttered hesitantly.
"It's the best chance I have of finding her, dad," Clark said quietly. "You said it yourself that if I don't find her that I'll regret it forever. If I stay here, I know that will come true. I love both of you and view you as my second parents but this is something I need to do."
Martha and Jonathan shared a significant look and after silent communication passed between them, Martha turned to Clark and smiled. "We couldn't keep you here anyway, Clark. Go to Metropolis and find your girl."
"Thank you," Clark said his voice suddenly thick with emotion.
Martha's eyes filled with tears. Clark had said he loved them. They hadn't voiced their feelings before but Martha had loved Clark from the moment she saw him. He was her boy, even if she'd only known him for less than a week it was undeniable. People say that it takes a long time to establish a connection with others but there is something different concerning the relationship between a parent and their child, adopted or not, and that connection was definitely shared between Clark and the Kents.
Jonathan was overcome with the same emotion his wife was experiencing as he placed a hand on Clark's shoulder. "You're welcome, son. But you have to promise us that you'll call at least twice a week and that you'll come home on the weekends."
Clark grinned. "You got it!"
"What about Krypto?" Martha suddenly wondered.
Chloe grinned. "I'm technically already breaking the rules by having Clark stay with me. I don't have an issue having Krypto around. He's not a mindless mutt like other human dogs. I think he'll be able to keep himself hidden from any prying eyes."
Krypto sauntered into the room with his head held high. She's right about that one, he said.
Clark smirked. Just don't fall for any Earth dogs in the city.
Krypto growled, offended. I find it insulting that you would even consider the possibility of me being attracted to the mindless mutts on this planet!
Clark laughed and the Kents and Chloe looked from him to Krypto.
"Care to share?" Chloe asked.
"Krypto doesn't believe he'll find love in the big city."
Chloe grinned. "I don't know, Krypto, there are some pretty high class dogs in Metropolis."
I have no intentions of mix breeding, thank you, Krypto said in a huff as he turned and left the room with his nose in the air.
Clark reiterated what he'd said and everyone shared a laugh.
"We'd better get going if we're going to catch that movie," Chloe said after checking her watch. "I'm sorry that you can't come, Krypto."
I want to sleep some more anyway, he said from the living room.
"He doesn't mind staying here," Clark assured her as he stood up. "Shall we?"
Chloe nodded. "Thanks for letting me borrow him for the day, Mr. and Mrs. Kent."
Martha smiled. "It's no trouble at all, dear. You two go and have fun! We expect to know what you think of the town's attractions when you get back, Clark."
"And we'd like you to be home before dark," Jonathan added.
Clark grinned. "Okay, see you later."
He followed Chloe out to her car and hopped in the passenger side. Chloe turned to him and grinned. "You ready to have some fun?"
Clark nodded eagerly, his elation near euphoria. In less than a week he would be going to Metropolis in search of the girl he longed to know. Ecstatic concerning the things to come, he chatted happily with Chloe as the two of them headed down the road into town.
Hey guys! Wow, this story is getting lots of love! I know this chapter was a bit of a filler but it sets the stage for what's going to be going on in the next two chapters. I'll post those soon! Thanks for reading!
