Chapter 9 [Cave]

Clark tossed another stick on the fire and considered his options. He couldn't hear the wind howling or the rain pouring outside anymore. When he checked a couple of minutes earlier, he could see crystal clear blackness with the stars twinkling down on him. Still the obnoxious blue glow lit up the entire area.

Whatever the rocks had, he still didn't have his powers.

And Lana, while out of the woods in terms of hypothermia, still needed medical care. She snoozed again under his watchful eye.

He checked his watch and saw that it was 4 AM. Sunriseisn'tforanotherthreehoursyet.He exhaled deeply. The chicken soup was gone. They had no clean water. They were still cold.

But at least they had each other, right?

He rolled his eyes and set his jaw. He had to get them both out of there.

"Clark?" she queried weakly.

In a flash, he sat by her side. "I'm here."

She coughed. "Don't…beat yourself up. You're doing great."

"Wish I could get us out of here. I'm still working on it," he expressed.

She managed a warm smile for his benefit. "I…have faith…in you. Just don't kill yourself. Remember we still need that talk."

"I won't." He leaned over and let his lips brush across her forehead. "You stay alive too for us."

"I'm not going anywhere. Who'll keep…you in line?" She chuckled softly before dozing off again.

He walked back toward the caves' edge and out into the elements. He shivered in the chill air. In response he beat his arms against his chest and flexed his legs to stimulate blood flow. He gazed up into the star-lit sky.

From on high, he could see Krypton's now dead star shining crimson in the eastern sky reminding him of his primary heritage.

And yet right overhead, the Christmas star shone brightly casting its light and hope in the predawn sky while tying him to his secondary heritage as well.

"I won't forget," he vowed. "I just need to get Lana to safety. I don't care about me. I love her. Help us!"

For a minute a stillness hung over the ravine. No wind rustled. The air was still.

Then he heard a noise overhead. He made out what sounded like a helicopter. "Can't be!"

The lights of such a vehicle cut through the darkness above. A searchlight illuminated the cavern.

"HEY! HEY!" He waved his arms and ran humanly fast toward the spotlight. He wasn't going to miss their chance.

The light caught him barely a few seconds later, keeping him in its glow.

He could clearly see the white paint job and the "LC" LuthorCorp logo details on the descending craft as it rapidly descended and alighted on the frozen earth not even thirty feet from where he stood. "LEX?"

Lex opened the door allowing him and Miranda to jump out. "Think we'd forget about you two, Clark?" He grabbed a heavier parka. "Take this." He tossed his friend the coat. Even as he did so, he noted the bluish tint to the air and wondered about it. He made a mental note to himself to return and investigate.

"Where is she, Clark?" Miranda queried while trying to deal with her own feelings. Granted she wanted to both hug Lana and resent Clark for being there. "Are you all right?"

"We're dealing with things. She's pretty badly hurt from the crash." He pointed ahead of them both.

Lex had the pilot shine the light on the wrecked vehicle. "Damn!"

Miranda's heart was clearly in her throat. She imagined Lana crawling out of that wreck. "Where were you, Clark?"

"Hey! Lana called me from here," Clark answered defensively. He couldn't understand what was going on with the waitress but really didn't care at that point. "Follow me. I want to get her out of here." He led them back toward the cave as quickly as his numb legs could manage. He rushed around the corner to find Lana sitting up and rubbing her forehead sorely. "Hey! You're up!"

"Just need to stretch my back. What's that outside? It…sounded like a helicopter…." She coughed loudly into her hand. Then she saw Lex and Miranda behind him. "Lex…Miri?"

Lex smirked. "Yeah it's us. I don't like breaking in new partners during Christmas rush."

"And I wasn't going to let you down a second time. Sorry we didn't get your call," Miranda apologized while rushing over and hugging her. "Are you okay?"

"A little cold and banged up. Thanks to Clark though, I'll be all right. He built a fire and this shelter for us," Lana assured them both.

"Interesting that you got the pine branches, Clark. Not a tree in miles," Lex remarked.

Clark shrugged. "They were here when I got here, Lex. Not like I can just run out of here."

As with the night Clark had lost his powers the previous year, Lex nodded suspiciously. Although he had no reason to doubt his friend, the billionaire still did so. Between the strange glow and the mysterious pine pile, he knew the ravine merited further investigation. "True. Well your folks will be relieved. I'm going to call for an airlift to Metropolis General for you both."

Clark grimaced. "Just make sure Lana's okay, Lex. I don't need a doctor."

Miranda shook her head. "Clark, you've got to be checked out."

"Let me talk to my parents first," Clark insisted pointedly. Then he went back to Lana's side. "I want them to look you over though." He pulled the heavier parka more closely about her.

"O…okay. Just make sure…you take…too," Lana insisted.

Clark glanced outside into the blue glowing dark. He knew that this place was responsible for his malady. The sooner they left it behind, the better. He just hoped his abilities would come back once they had done so.

But that was hours in the future. For now, he wanted to make sure his love was okay. Then he could deal with the rest of the world—both his and everyone else's.