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Damn! Damn! Damn! If Clark was the type to use profanity, the air would be blue with it. He hurt, he hurt so damn much. Every time this happened to him, every time something stole his powers, he was reminded yet again just how fragile human life was. But still, if there was a way that he could become human, he would. It would put an end to the danger he, his family and friends were constantly in.
Sitting here, bleeding, battered and chained, he wanted to laugh as once more his mind wandered. Of all the things that he should be thinking of now, as his best friend, her cousin and the woman he had once wanted and still loved, had been high jacked by goodness knew who, was what it would feel like if Jason sucked up the skin on his neck now, if he bit at his nipple. Both were things that the man had been want to do and Clark had enjoyed, but what would it be like to have him suck a bruise into his skin, to scratch lines on his back? Much better than the ones that 'Chloe' had given him no doubt.
'Focus, Clark', he told himself, this was not the time. As he shifted slightly, the chains clinked as he tried futilely to get comfortable. He pulled at them but of course it was useless. He slumped back against the wide wooden ladder he was bound to and thought about the three women, Chloe, Lois and Lana Lang. Every week one of them, one of his friends, family, acquaintances, people he saw nearly every day went through something. Something that would either put them in peril, in the medical centre or the grave.
And it was all his fault.
He knew he was not truly responsible for the decisions that people made but if it were not for him, not for his arrival on this planet trailing all those meteor rocks in his wake, people would not become mutated, infected or plain and simply be driven insane.
He looked at the chains again thinking. Well if he could not break them he was going to have to think his way out of this one. The metal too hard, he guessed he should work on the wood. Every movement hurt. He could always just sit here and wait for his parents to return home he supposed. He pulled uselessly at the chains again.
It was bad enough that Lana and co had somehow managed, using magic of all things, to rob him of his powers but what would happen if she managed to use them? There had already been a couple of instances where through fluke or design his powers had been transferred to some unsuspecting person and it never went well. The only one that had seemed to have managed any control over the new found invincibility and strength had been Lionel Luther. Yet even he had wrecked havoc. Mainly on Clark's social life it was true, but still.
Now someone obviously already powerful and predatorily minded had control. He really began to curse under his breath.
"Clark? Oh my God! Clark!" Jason ran over to the youth's side, his eyes taking in all the cuts and bruises and what looked like nail marks scratched into the broad chest. "Clark? Oh damn it, Clark? What the hell happened to you?" He had to touch him to make sure that he was okay.
"Jason?" he said as if he was dreaming. "What're you doing here? You're supposed to be in hospital. Are you okay?"
"Me?" he said incredulously, "Are you all right? What happened?" It took a while but he finally managed to loosen the chains and then he helped Clark to stand. He pulled him to himself and held him close. Jason buried his face in the brunet hair for a moment just to feel it against his face then pulled back. "Did Lana do this to you?"
That embrace had hurt but he was not going to complain. "Yes, but its not her, I know it, all three of them. I have to go and…"
"Whoa," releasing Clark, as he struggled in his arms, but only to hold onto his shoulders tightly, shaking him until he stilled and looked at him. "Take it easy, take it easy. You need to rest. Where is she? I need to find her."
"She's with Lois. And Chloe. But they're different. They're not themselves. It's like their bodies have been taken over." He knew Jason would think that he had gone insane but after what the three had just done to him he knew he had not imagined it. "And you're not the only one that needs to find Lana. And Chloe. And Lois too!" There was a bitter edge to his voice.
Jason shook Clark again. This was not the time for him to be jealous. He slipped his hands to hold onto the uppers arms and started to pull Clark over to a bench where he got him to sit. He was surprised he managed it so easily even though Clark was still resistant. Whatever had happened here, Clark seemed a little different too. He felt weaker.
Jason's hands were tight on his arms and he was aware of a whole new feeling as the man managed to pull and push him around somewhat against his will. He looked up into the concerned face as Jason's eyes seemed to be mapping every inch of his own.
As the man looked around and saw the remains of Clark's shirt, he swiftly moved to pick it up then very gently, wincing himself, began to clean the blood from Clark's face, from his nose, his lips and chin. Clark batted at the hand saying, "Jason, I have to go after them."
"We can take a moment to look after you before you run off and save the world," he said with only half a smile. He knew they had little time but this hurt and battered youth deserved a little attention surely.
"But the girl's! They've been possessed or something." Anything could be happening to them and Jason insisted on tending to him. At any other time he would be grateful but he knew where the trio was headed. He had to get to the caves.
"They have," Jason confirmed. "In fact, this is gonna sound kind of out there. Lana has been researching a 17th century witch. She tracked down her spell book, and when she touched her hand to the page…"
"Wait a second. Lana's been possessed by the spirit of an evil witch?" If they had been living anywhere else, Clark thought his voice would be incredulous not just enquiring, but they were not, they were in Smallville, Kansas.
"Yes. Isobel got into Lana by using the book. So we've got to find her and destroy the book. Any idea where they went?" He had tried but he had failed, failed Lana and he needed to make this right. He should have paid more attention, listened to her as she continued to be consumed with curiosity over her ancestor. His inattention had led to this, to Lana being consumed and to Clark beaten and somehow broken. He just was not the same. Jason had been remiss and now he had to act.
"Uh, I'm not sure," Clark lied. "Um, why don't you check the school? I'll go to the Talon." He had to get Jason to leave so he could go to the caves, he had to keep him out of this.
"All right," Jason agreed but he did not sound convinced. He stood back as Clark appeared to be steadier on his feet and began to dress. "Clark, call my cell if you find them, okay? Don't- don't try anything alone. Just be careful, okay?" He began to leave then turned back. "Why would they be going to the school?"
"What?" Clark looked up worried.
"The school. Why would Isobel want to go to the High School?" She was a seventeenth century witch, released to do some long ago started plan from what he had been told.
It was the first thing that had come into Clark's head. He had to get Jason to leave him. Had to send him out of harms way. "The Talon then. She must have gone there."
"No. I just came from there." He turned on the spot, his brow scrunched in thought, his teeth worrying at a thumb nail in frustration. "Are you sure they didn't say anything?"
"Jason, I…" he did not know what to say, did not know how to get the so obviously apprehensive man to leave him. And as he looked up at him, worry and anxiety were in his eyes. The older man was looking to him to be able to help, to be able to tell him something, anything that could lead to the missing girls.
"Yes?" Jason asked hopefully. He moved to the now dressed youth and put his hand to his shoulder again seeing a slight wince at the contact. He used his hand to gently Clark's shoulder, to rub the hurt away as he stared into those clear grey orbs. "I'm so sorry that bitch hurt you, baby. But….she's hurting Lana too. Please can you remember anything?" He had seen softness in the eye as he called him baby, not the first time he had used the endearment, and he had seen the tightening around them as he mentioned Lana.
Clark dropped his head. Yes, he knew Lana was in trouble, and knew better than Jason that so was everybody else. He could see how much Jason needed to find her, and he made a decision he was sure he would come to regret but, "I think they are heading to the caves."
"Caves? What caves?" He had no idea what Clark was talking about, he had never heard about them before. "Why?"
Moving from under Jason's hand, Clark walked around him and then towards the barn door. "I don't know. Its just something I heard them talking about." He was about to break into a run but Jason called after him.
"Wait. I'll drive."
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TBC...