-Chapter Ten-

The Kawatche Caves

"Clark we don't know these people!" Jonathon exclaimed once Clark had returned and explained what had happened. He looked over at Clark as Clark ran through the barn looking for the book Swann had sent him before he had died.

"I know Buffy," Clark snapped back as he opened his draw taking out the over hardback books resting inside. He stopped and looked at the bottom of the draw to see what he had found, "I trust her."

"She knows your secret, doesn't she?" Martha said quietly with understanding, "she's that girl you met when you were in Metropolis."

"She saved me," Clark replied as he flicked through the book looking for the page.

"She gave you back the ring," Jonathon argued defensively though he knew whatever he said wouldn't change Clark's mind, "she let you run loose in Metropolis. Sound like someone we know?"

"She's nothing like Alicia," Clark retorted turning around angrily, his patience wearing thin. Why couldn't they just trust him? "She believed I would do the right thing... she never left my head after I put that ring back on... I was different... I could fight the red Kryponite... because of her."

Martha looked at him knowingly as he slammed the book shut seeing what he found. "You really like her don't you?" She said knowingly.

"I-I don't know," Clark spluttered looking away from his parents, he knew the answer deep down but he couldn't say it... for some reason he just couldn't. "But I trust her and Mr. Giles... Dr Swann left me this mission and I can't let these stones fall into the wrong hands."

Before his parents could argue Clark was gone with the book leaving with Martha and Jonathon, a world of worries; as usual.

It didn't take long for Clark to get back to Giles' house, everyone was there waiting for him. No sooner did he walk in Giles had taken the book from him finding page with the map in it. Clark knew Lex had the map, he had seen it but it was bad luck that Bart had stolen it before he could see it but then, he didn't count on Swann having the original.

"This amazing," Giles said in awe.

"You say that all the time Giles," Buffy said rolling her eyes.

"I know but how could we have never seen it before," Giles said.

"It was hidden within the map," Clark said, "only I could see it using my X-Ray vision... guess it was left for me as Swann said."

"Or for another one of your people," Giles said.

"Well what does it say G-Man?" Xander perked up.

"Yeah Giles, does it say where these stone thingies are?" Willow asked enthusiastically.

"Y-Yes," Giles said softly, "it's in Sunnydale.... in the tombs of the Kawatche tribe..."

"Kawatche?" Clark said this catching his attention, There were two Kawatche tribes? One in Smallville and one in Sunnydale? How could that be? Professor Willowbrook said his people resided in Smallville,; was that just one part of his people? Do they worship Naman? These thoughts trailed through Clark's mind at superspeed making it hard to keep track. "There's a tribe of kawatche in Smallville... well there was."

"Yes," Giles said walking to his book shelf and taking a book from it opening it, "this tribe. We have had some experience with in thanksgiving."

"Wait!" Xander cried horrified, "the syphilis guys? Indians sending syphilis?"

"Yes," Giles said ignoring Xander's panicked state. "they seemed to have travelled through the country over a hundred years ago... according to some witnesses at the time they seemed protective of their caves throughout the country said to be waiting for their god to return.... there are two caves.... one protecting the stone of power and the other meant to be the passage way to the treasury of knowledge as legend states."

"Where is this cave?"

It wasn't Clark that said it. But, Riley who had just walked through the door looking very serious. More serious than Buffy had ever seen him and he was a cadet boy, proper boy scout. Giles looked at him suspiciously for a moment but then looked at Clark. "It's at the far side of Sunnydale.... near the old church," he said.

"It's not far," Buffy said just a few blocks away, "that's handy."

"Should only take me a second to get there," Clark said standing up.

"There are members of the Initiative there," Riley butt in quickly looking closely at Clark, "I best take you... say your a new recruit otherwise you'll be arrested if they catch you."

Clark thought for a moment. It would be easier he thought to himself. "Sure," Clark nodded, "let's go."

"I'll go with you," Buffy said standing up.

"No," Riley interjected, "the guys are kind of jumpy around you... Clark I can get in but it'll be hard getting you in and getting them to trust me."

Buffy went to argue but Clark placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright," Clark said smiling warmly at her, a wash of reassurance going over Buffy as he smiled at her. "I'm invulnerable remember?"

"Not entirely," Buffy hissed.

"They don't know that," Clark chuckled. He nodded towards Riley, whose focus from him and Buffy flickered away as he turned to the door. Clark and Riley walked to the door putting Gile's map in his pocket.

"Okay Will," Buffy said quickly After Clark and Riley left. "Could you hack into the mainframe of this Initiative for me?"

"Err... I'm not sure it's kind of a big secret underground facility I don't know if I'd be able to even get into it, let alone find it," Willow said nervously looking around for a little help but Giles was deep in thought and Xander was eating as always with Anya looking dreamily; bored.

"Please try," Buffy replied reassuringly smiling to her.

"What's this about Buff?" Xander asked with his mouth full. He picked out a bit of a doughnut as it dangled on his cheek.

Buffy looked a little disgusted by yet another one of Xander's eating habits. "I have a feeling Walsh hid something... Something Adam might be know about... Something dangerous."

"I'll try," Willow said quickly.

"Thanks Will," Buffy smirked looking over worriedly at a pensive Giles. What was he thinking? And why did he look so much more serious than he usually was? It was like he was thinking of a big bad coming? What was it?

Riley was right, the initiative troops were jumpy around the area. It was just a church, Clark thought as he passed the leering eyes of the troops with Riley. Did they know? Had they found it? Was he too late? Where they guarding it?

"Riley? Are you sure they haven't found it?" Clark said with a look of seriousness to mask his worry, if they found it... he'd have failed.

"Not that I know of," Riley said walking through the small cemetery surrounding the church. "No... I don't think so. If we had I'd have known about it."

"Good," Clark said as he stood in the middle of the cemetery staring at the ground looking around closely seeing only the empty caskets of decayed bodies and bones scattered across the cemetery. It made Clark's heart ache to see some of them laid resting there, some of them new to their graves with bite marks in their necks. A part of him wanted to just fire a blast of heat vision at them and put them out of their misery, but he couldn't... they had a second chance. It might not be good one and yes, they may be evil but they still had the choice to turn back. In Buffy's emails she had mentioned Spike helping them out a couple of times, for money of course, but its a start. Maybe these vampires deserved the same chance. He could hear Buffy saying he was naive, that they could never change, but Angel changed and maybe Spike could too.

"Clark?" Riley asked confused.

"Sorry," Clark said looking down his eyes widening at the entrance, "I found it," he pointed to a crypt, "it's over there."

Riley nodded walking with Clark to the Crypt it didn't take long to get in, Clark made short work of that ripping open the doors and climbing within the crypt. Clark stopped at the crypt. "I don't feel comfortable ripping open someone's resting place," Clark said softly.

"Well it has to be done," Riley said understandingly. He looked at Clark closely, "And that's an order."

Clark smiled grabbing the tombstone digging his hands into the stone and ripping it from the floor to find a hole underneath. Its dark and yet candles seem to be leading the way to somewhere. "This is it," Clark said walking to down the steps. Riley follows breathing heavily as he did.

Clark looked around the cave it was smaller than the Kawatche cave yet it had the same type of feeling, full of wonder and paintings that made only half sense. Strange drawings of creatures, monsters, a dark monster with a light inside him, a monster bound by a leash and trying to grab for a light and a woman fighting the strange monsters a symbol over them. Soul. "Buffy?" Clark said quietly.

"What about her?" asked Riley trying to hide the accusing tone that Clark couldn't mistake.

"These drawings I think they're about her," Clark said curiously stroking the paintings he felt something in the wall calling to him. The same high-pitched hum he usually heard from Kryptonian artefacts yet, it was softer as though trapped somewhere.

"I thought these drawings had something to do with you?" Riley snapped looking around and at Clark.

"I thought so too," Clark said following the noise. He turned to Riley with confusion, "are you okay?"

Riley nodded, "sorry just confusing this place... that and I'm getting the willies down here."

"Yeah," Clark said softly focusing on the noise again stopping at a wall were like the Smallville caves an indentation can be seen around symbols the same as the others in the cave, all with monsters and symbols. What did they mean Clark thought? Exiles in hell, betrayed and saved, one must be chosen and the time turns back to start again? What did it mean? Clark thought, Exiles in hell? Was that him and Buffy? Did it mean Metropolis? What did Buffy have to do with him? He pressed his hand on the indentation. It glowed. A Blinding light illuminating from behind the wall as...

Clark groaned in pain as a green glow appeared from behind him. He staggered as the cave rocked with the wall moving. A reluctant Riley stood holding Kryptonite. "I'm sorry Clark," he gulped sadly, "I have no choice."

"Riley... Please..."

"I can't," Riley said, "this is how it has to be..."