Authors Note: Hey Guys! So yes, it's been a while since I updated. Sorry! I think it was the shock of Smallville actually being decent... And two CLois hugs? It killed me dead. But I finally got my butt in gear and I'm uploading chapter 11. Single update this week, but it's one of my favorite chapters. Hope you like it.
~Chapter Eleven~
~January 2010~
Clark's hand balled into fists as he fought to maintain his composure. He surveyed the small village and forcefully kept his emotions in check. He'd only been travelling for nine weeks, and he'd already seen some horrible things. Sickness, unsanitary conditions, and of course, poverty. He'd been prepared for all of that, it's why he set out to travel: to do as much as he could. But he hadn't expected this. If there was one thing he had genuinely thought to be extinct, it was this. Famine. In the year 2010, there shouldn't be anyone still dying of hunger, not when there was still food left in the world.
He shook his head once again when the village elders offered him a meagre plate of food. The meat was covered in mould and had probably gone bad some time ago, and the roots had been pulled too early and were small and dry, but it was all they had. A feast, one they could spread amongst an entire family, which they were offering to him.
He'd heard the cry for help from a few miles away and flown over to find a little girl in the river, desperately holding onto a branch, while her brother and sisters tried to get to her by forming a human chain. He'd dove in to rescue her and had easily managed to get them back to the bank, despite the strong currents. It turned out that they were the nieces and nephew of one of the three village elders and he'd been welcomed as a hero.
He'd never felt more like anything but. The children were starving, as were their parents. The only thing they really had was water, but they had to trek several miles to get to part of the river where the water was clean and it was treacherous area. The soft bank often gave away, as it had today. The little fish they caught wasn't nearly enough to feed the population of the village. And their crops, which would normally allow them to live somewhat reasonably, had been destroyed by the rain which had also managed to nearly flood parts of the village and drown a lot of their animals. To make matters even worse, all the standing water had attracted swarms of mosquitoes and flies, and a lot of the people had gotten sick.
"Don't you get help from anyone?" Clark asked, "don't they send you food and medical supplies?"
The men looked at each other and frowned, and for a moment he feared he'd gotten the dialect wrong and that his accent was unrecognisable, when the youngest of the three turned to him.
"We have heard of it from people who travel through our lands. But it is too far away for us to get to." He told him. "They need evidence that our town exists to give us food, so all the men must go to get food for their families. We can send a few, but they will not get enough for everyone."
Clark nodded. "And you can't spare all the men for the time it would take them to get there and back again." He angrily shook his head. "What good is it if the people who really need it can't get to it!"
The elder tilted his head slowly from left to right. "Do not worry for us," he told him. "Our village has survived greater trials than these and you have given us hope. You saved my niece and for that we are grateful. Please rest here before you continue on your journey."
Clark looked around once more. "Thank you for your hospitality," he told him. "I hope that you will let me help where I can though, while I'm here. I grew up on a farm and maybe there are some things I can do."
The old man bowed. "You have saved a life," he answered. "By our laws, we are in your debt." He waved over a young girl. "She will show you your hut." He told him.
Clark nodded and inclined his head toward the elder. "Danki." He said.
The hut that had been offered to him was small and smelled damp, but it was sturdy and didn't seem to be leaking. Clark quickly changed into dry clothes and set out to explore the small village. Half an hour later, he felt worse then when he'd started. Returning to his hut he collapsed on the mat that had been laid out for him. He could show them how to better work their fields and harvest their crops. He could help them rebuild and teach them how to avoid flooding in the future. But he couldn't do anything about the immediate problem. He needed to get these people help now - food, cattle, new crops and seeds.
Clark glared up at the ceiling of his hut and for a moment he wished his parents or Jor-El were there with him. He could really use some guidance right now. Rolling over he reached for his backpack and dug out his laptop. He'd have to fly up a good dozen feet to get a signal so he could call home, but it would be worth it, as long as no one saw him. He switched the laptop on and sighed, this was not how it was supposed to go. He'd known it would be hard to see all the suffering and injustice up close, but that had also been a deciding factor when he chose to do this. If he was going to help this planet, he needed to know who needed the help the most.
And running home to mom and dad wasn't an option. He'd promised himself that he would do this on his own, that this journey was the time to become the man he needed to be. This was the path to his destiny and he needed to walk it alone. Clark's hand moved over the little control, moving the mouse around the screen. He hesitated for a moment, considering his options as he gazed at his background. The picture had been taken at the airport the day he'd left. His parents, Lois, Chloe, Lana, Pete and himself were all smiling back at him; Jimmy had taken the picture. Staring at his family, Lois' soft voice resounded in his head.
'The only way to initiate change is by accepting that the current situation is wrong. And the only way for anyone to know that the current situation exists, is if journalists tell the public the truth.'
The mouse hovered over the Skype icon for several seconds before he moved it up and clicked on the word processor instead.
Settling himself more comfortably Clark began to type. Pouring everything out he wrote quickly, not bothering to reread or edit until he'd finished. Going over it again, he ran a hand through his hair, at a loss as to what to do next. Finally he gave a mental shrug; he'd send it to Lois and see if she could do something with it. She had contacts pretty much everywhere, maybe she could get someone to take notice and help out these people with the information he provided. They deserved the chance.
Exiting his hut he looked around carefully before swiftly rising in the air until he had a signal. Quickly sending his story to Lois, he descended again and returned the laptop to his bag. Standing out on the field he surveyed the village and took a deep breath. He would do as much as he could here, and hopefully Lois could also put some pressure on people thanks to his observations. For now, it would have to do.
He didn't know how yet, but he'd figure out a better way to help these people. But for now, this would have to do.
Today was not going to be a good day.
Lois quickly shut down her computer and gathered up her notes and stuffed them into her bag. She tried to quell the growing bad feeling that was threatening to take hold of her. She hoped Clark could get it together for his talk with Lex. Even if didn't have anything to do with the weapons, he was still the number one suspect when it came to the research being done.
She bit her lip as she shrugged on her coat. The whole weapons ordeal was complicated. If there really was someone pulling the strings like her source insisted, then he had to have a substantial amount of power. He had a cut in the weapons, but he was obviously in it for the money. And he didn't care that the city was beginning to tear itself apart from the inside out. If Lex wanted money he would procure it any way he could. But this? Despite what she'd told Clark she was beginning to have her doubts. All this reeked of someone indifferent to the problems in the city. Lex was always trying to better the city, advocating for charities and donating money left and right.
"Unless he's creating mayhem just so he can fix it and come out looking like the hero." She mumbled darkly.
It made sense, in a twisted, Luthor sort of way. And if he managed to crack the Black ship's Kryptonian technology and infuse it into his take of the weapons, he would have a private army with unbeatable weapons that every country in the world would be after to also acquire. She groaned at the thought. 'Please, let me be wrong.'
With a sigh she swung her bag over her shoulder when Jimmy entered the nearly deserted Bullpen.
"Jimmy, good. I have your equipment." She turned back to her desk and unlocked her drawer to retrieve his camera. She handed the bag to him with a smile. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."
Jimmy blushed. "Thanks for talking to Chloe." He responded shyly.
Lois grinned and linked her arm through his. "I take it things are going okay now?" she asked as they began to walk.
Jimmy nodded happily. "We talked a lot," he answered, fiddling with the camera bag. "I think we can finally move forward now."
Lois squeezed his arm. "I'm glad." She told him genuinely.
Jimmy smiled again as Lois lead him into the elevator. "So, where are we going?" he asked.
"Lunch."
Jimmy frowned. "Uhm, Lois, I was actually here to do some work. I need to catch up on some things."
Lois shrugged. "Nothing that can't wait an hour. The work will still be here."
Jimmy chuckled. "That's what I'm trying to avoid actually."
He didn't protest again as they made their way out of the building and began to walk towards the restaurant. Stuffing his hands into his pockets against the cold February air, he turned to Lois. "Did your lead pan out yesterday?" he asked curiously.
Lois hesitated. "Yes and no," she answered. "It was a good tip, but it raised a lot of new questions and we're not sure if it's connected or not."
Jimmy nodded. "What does CK think?" he asked.
Lois snorted. "Not. As far as he's concerned the two things are completely separate. And if they are connected then he doesn't believe Luthor's behind it."
Jimmy faltered as they reached the restaurant. "Luthor?" he repeated. "You think Lex is behind the weapons sales?"
Lois shrugged off her coat and followed the hostess to a table by the window. When the hostess had left with the promise that a waiter would be with them soon, she turned her attention back to Jimmy. "Honestly I'm not sure if Lex is connected to the weapons. But what we found last night? I'm about 95% sure he has something to do with that."
"Whoa." Jimmy muttered. "I really thought he was turning over a new leaf. I even talked to him at the awards ceremony, day before yesterday!" he shook his head. "How bad is this thing?" he asked.
Lois turned her head to stare out the window. "If he succeeds, it could be very, very bad."
Clark slowly made his way along the sidewalks of Metropolis. He still had about half an hour before his lunch with Lex, and he was dragging it out as much as he could. He'd resolved to be stronger, to be more confident, to use everything he'd lived, to give him the will power to go through with this. He'd quit once before. Walked away from his life when it became hard, when it had fallen apart around him. Second chances didn't come often. And they rarely came without a price. So he would stand tall. He had to.
He could almost hear Lois' voice. "Suck it up Smallville! Just because things get a little tough is no reason to give up. It just means you gotta try a little harder."
He smiled softly. How often had she said those words to him over the course of their journeys together? When he'd carried part of her with him, her voice sometimes the only thing giving him the strength to keep going? He'd felt utterly worthless when he'd left his parents. Her voice was a bit of home; that part of his life that he'd left behind and missed desperately. Now she was here, alive and well. And almost exactly the same as he remembered her. Except more mature, wiser and more beautiful. But she was still Lois. His Lois.
He squared his shoulders as a soft, constant beating began to resound in his head. He'd broken enough promises and he wasn't going to do that anymore. This promise he was going to keep. He was going to succeed. He owed her that. He owed everyone that for the suffering he'd put them through. He'd gotten the chance to erase that life, but the memory of it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would never be able to get their faces out of his mind, the looks of despair and sadness. The sound of crying and the knowledge that he'd brought that pain upon them. He'd always remember, always know.
But never again would he let that happen. Clark took a deep breath, unconsciously matching his step to the beating he heard. Lois's heartbeat; a constant reminder that she was okay. He smiled quietly as Luthor Tower came into view. He could do this. He was ready for this.
Suddenly Lois' heart skipped, before hammering loudly in fear and shock, and Clark nearly tripped at the abrupt change. Her heartbeat didn't steady out but continued to beat erratically in panic and he fumbled with his phone in his worry as he tried to call her. It rang several times before going to voicemail and he ducked in the alley between the buildings, before shooting up in the air and following her heartbeat to wherever she was. It didn't take him long to find her although that probably had more to do with the crowd and the resounding gunshots. He landed unnoticed in an alley and sprinted forward as fast as he dared, pushing his way through the crowd desperately. He finally reached the edge of the crowd that had gathered and took in the scene in front of him in horror.
Lois had told him about the gang fight in Metropolis that had occurred right before he'd returned from his journey, which had left one person dead and several injured. Every gang in the city seemed to be getting their hands on weapons and was itching to use them. From the looks of it, this was someone's retaliation for the recent losses. A building that Clark recognised as the Metropolis Youth Shelter had been set on fire and the gang that considered this their 'turf' had responded by trying to shoot at people on the street, hoping to get one of their rivals before they took off.
The two-story building was ablaze and if the shouts were any indication, there were still people inside – kids.
Clark stumbled back, his gaze fixated on the flames and he unconsciously went over to X-Ray vision, searching the rooms for people and finding a handful of them in a room on the top floor. At least it was Sunday and the place wasn't packed with kids. He found himself at the back of the crowd and he turned, darting in an alley between a restaurant and an antique store and shot up in the air. He flew to Chloe's apartment without thinking and blindly stumbled into her guestroom. He'd pulled off his clothes and changed into his costume within seconds, and he was already on his way back before he'd actually made the choice to do this. He hadn't spotted Lois in the crowd, but he'd been too transfixed with the burning building to look for her properly. Now he tried to focus on her, tried to hear her heartbeat, her voice, anything. But all he heard were the calls for help as the burning building once again came into view.
Today was not going to be a good day. Lois hadn't even made it halfway through her appetizer when the shouting began. She wasn't even by the restaurant door yet when the first shot rang out. And by the time she was standing outside, her coat not even buttoned, the Metropolis Youth Shelter was already in flames. Several people were pressed against the buildings on either side of the MYS or lying on the ground, covering their heads, trying to avoid getting hit as shots rang out. Ducking behind a car Lois took in the scene and winced when one of the guys dropped his gun and fell to the pavement, clutching his side. Next to her she could hear Jimmy stammering into his cell phone, having had the presence of mind to dial 911.
The shooting stopped as the gangs took cover and made their escape, and the crowd that had neared, thickened at the lessening of immediate danger. The top floor of the MYS was almost completely ablaze and the ground floor was quickly catching up. The terrified passer-bys who had been unfortunate enough to have been caught in the middle of the shooting war, were now quickly making their way toward the safety of the crowd, ignoring the people who hadn't been lucky enough to get through the ordeal unscathed. Lois rushed forward even as she vaguely heard Jimmy's exclamation of protest. She crouched down next to the nearest victim and took in his injuries. He'd been shot in the leg and was moaning, which meant that at least he was still conscious. A gang tattoo was visible on his inner arm. She unbuckled his belt and pulled it free without preamble, before carefully slipping it around his leg and tightening it with a sharp pull.
The boy – who couldn't be older that sixteen - gritted his teeth in pain and she winced. "Sorry." She muttered quietly. "Need to stop the bleeding or you'll go into shock."
A gun cocked next to her head and she froze. Turning her head slowly she followed the barrel of the gun up to its owner, a young boy who was at most in his early twenties, was staring down at her. He sported a similar tattoo as the boy on his arm and another on his neck.
"Back off." He told her.
Lois raised her hands and slowly stood, taking a step away from the boy on the ground. "I was just trying to help." She told him evenly.
The boy glanced down at his fallen friend and she saw the name 'Ace' tattooed on his other arm.
"He needs to get to a hospital. The wound isn't that bad but he could bleed out or it could get infected." She told him.
He looked back up to her with a glare. "We take care of our own." He hissed at her. As if to prove his point he beckoned with his hand and some other guys darted forward, grabbing the boy around his legs and torso and picking him up. He moaned in protest and Lois twitched. She watched them carry him off and returned her gaze to Ace.
"He needs help or,-"
"He'll go into shock." Ace finished. "You think it's the first time one of my guys got hit? I just told you, we take care of our own."
From above them something exploded inside the Youth Shelter and a panicked cry for help sounded. Ace gripped the gun tighter as he took in the burning building.
"There are still people in there." Lois realised with horror. "You have to help me get them out."
Ace's mouth fell open. "Lady are you crazy? The building is on fire!"
"You take care of your own don't you? What about the people in there? They're just kids!" Lois stepped towards him, "You can't let them die in there."
Ace shook his head. "Do I look crazy to you? I take care of my own and the guys that did this will pay for it."
"So you'd rather get revenge then actually do anything about what's happening now? We can still get them out and you wouldn't have to get revenge!" Lois yelled.
Ace tucked the gun into his pants. "They shot my people." He told her. "They set this place on fire on our turf. They'll pay for it."
Lois shook her head in disbelief. "They may have set it on fire, but you're walking away and letting it burn." She told him.
Without waiting for his answer she turned and made her way across the sidewalk and rushed into the building.
Definitely not going to be a good day.
The first thing she registered was the smoke. It was thick and everywhere and it made seeing almost impossible. Lois made her way through the building, her eyes watering and trying to avoid breathing through her nose. It was only when she'd made her way past the entrance hall and the waiting room into the dining room, that she came face to face with flames. Looking around desperately she spotted the stairs on her right, but a sound from somewhere in front of her caught her attention. Moving forward carefully she tried to get a better look at the dark shape, when it spun around and nearly toppled over. Reaching out she grabbed it and the person turned to face her. It was a young girl with an even younger girl clutching her legs; the latter was crying.
"Are you two okay?" She asked.
The oldest nodded and she took her arm more firmly. "Come on," she urged and began leading them back to the entrance. "What's your name?" She asked.
"Sarah," The girl answered hoarsely.
"Do you know how many people are in here?" she asked.
"The counsellor, two volunteers and 7 other kids," Sarah answered shakily. "I was just taking Emily down for some food."
They emerged coughing from the building where the police had arrived and was herding back the crowd.
"Lane!" An angry voice shouted, and Maggie Sawyer stalked up to her. "Take them." She ordered and a policeman led Sarah away, while another scooped up Emily.
Sawyer rounded on Lois. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded.
"Helping!" Lois retorted. "Where the hell is the fire department?"
"Their ETA is two minutes." Sawyer answered.
Lois shook her head. "There are ten other people inside," she informed her. "And they don't have two minutes."
Sawyer glared at her. "You are not going back in there."
"Somebody has to!" Lois screamed.
Sawyer opened her mouth to retort when there was a mad gush of wind and a window on the top floor shattered. A second later a resounding boom sounded, as if only now catching up to whatever had just happened. Taking advantage of Sawyers momentary distraction Lois turned around and quickly re-entered the building. She didn't stop this time as she reached the dining room and darted up the stairs, pausing only to grab the fire extinguisher mounted to the wall. The room was now almost completely ablaze, but when she reached the second floor it was clear that the fire had started there. The landing of the staircase was on fire and she had to jump over the flames to actually get into the corridor. The floor creaked in protest and in front of her a beam came crashing down.
The intense heat of the fire assaulted her and she shrugged off her coat, making her way carefully through the hallway as she followed the sound of crying into what was apparently a living room of sorts. There were several couches and what used to be a TV. The people inside didn't notice her at first, as the kids were all rallied around the large windows and as she neared she saw that the fire department had arrived. The three adults were desperately trying to buy time and keep the fire at bay long enough for the help to actually come, batting at the flames with blankets. There were two discarded fire extinguishers at their feet. Doing a quick head count she came up short.
"Where are the others?" She yelled over the roaring sound of the fire.
The adults turned and stared at her, when a man pushed his way forward. "Sarah said there were ten of you, there's only eight." She continued.
"Sarah and Emily got out?" The man asked.
Lois nodded and he sighed in relief. "Thank God." He mumbled as he wiped his forehead. "He took two of the kids out, said he'd be back for the others."
"He?" Lois asked.
The children cried out and she whirled around and stopped short. There hovering next to the window was a man dressed in a suit – with a cape. He picked up two of the kids, one in each arm and turned, flying out the window with them. Lois swallowed and nearly choked, coughing madly.
"Jeff!" One of the other adults cried out desperately.
The man next to her cursed and Lois turned around; the fire was closing in on them. "Back up." She shouted as she pulled the safety pin, but it came out more like a whisper.
Jeff heard her though and pulled the other two back. Raising the extinguisher Lois pressed down on the handle and squirted, sweeping her arms from left to right. She swore as the flames kept growing. This wasn't working. "You came up here; do you think we can make it down the stairs?" Jeff asked her.
Her eyes watering from the smoke Lois shook her head. "I doubt it. Downstairs is on fire too and the exit is probably blocked by now."
She turned around just in time to see the man effortlessly pick up the last child and one of the adults and fly out the window once more. She, Jeff and the remaining woman now moved closer to window and Jeff peered down. "Holy Hell," he muttered.
Lois turned back to the flames and once again lifted the extinguisher, squirting at the nearest flames. From the corner of her eye she saw a flash of blue and then the man was back. For a moment he froze as he starred at her, before grabbing Jeff and the other adult and then he was gone. Lois turned back and pressed the handle once more but nothing happened. She dropped the now useless extinguisher and wiped at her face, the sweat was rolling over her body. She turned back to the window and saw that the man had landed and was turning Jeff and the lady over to waiting paramedics when there was a loud crack. Looking up she dove away just in time as one of the beams overhead gave out and came crashing down, blocking the windows. Yep, today sucked.
Staggering to her feet Lois looked around the room. The fire was everywhere. There was no way to make it to the door and even if she did the hallway was on fire. She scanned the room for anything that she could use for protection when there was another crack. Lois looked up warily but then another loud crack sounded and then the wall exploded. Or at least it looked like it exploded. Lois stared in wonder as the man in blue flew inside, apparently having punched his way through a solid wall.
He scooped her up without a word and then flew them out of the window. They'd barely cleared the building when another explosion sounded and rather then landing immediately he flew up, hovering for a moment to intently scan the building. Lois looked down and saw that fire fighters were busily trying to contain the fire. On the ground. Below them. Because they were flying.
"Are you okay?" The man asked, as he slowly began to descend.
Lois looked up to face him and looked at him properly for the first time. Her eyes were still tearing up from all the smoke, but even as she blinked a few times her vision didn't change. They landed next to an ambulance parked in front of the building and he cautiously lowered her to her feet. Lois took a step back and tried to fully take in the man in front of her. Her eyes travelled up from red boots, to a blue suit accented with red and yellow, a red cape, and the red and yellow emblem on his chest. She once again reached his face and gazed numbly at the man in front of her. His black hair had been slicked back, but blue eyes that she would know anywhere stared back at her.
He reached out to touch her arm. "Are you alright?" he repeated.
Lois stared at him, her throat thick. "Clark." She managed hoarsely.
He stiffened, his eyes wide. They stared at each other for a long moment, the sounds around them dimming, the people disappearing as they're eyes locked. His bewildered, guilty expression and her stricken one. A quick flash of light broke the tension and the both turned to find Jimmy standing a few feet away, camera raised. When Lois looked back Clark was staring at the Youth Shelter. He glanced back at her for a moment, not meeting her eyes before he rose up and flew back to the building. Turning slowly she watched him take hold of several of the hoses and move closer to the building. Then he seemed to take a deep breath and then the water was spraying into the building as if it were rain.
A blanket was thrown over her and she automatically pulled it closed around her. She watched Clark work to put out the fire in silence for a few moments, before paramedics got a hold of her and ushered her into one of the ambulances to be treated. She sat down on the gurney and tried to take slow, even breaths of the oxygen they'd given her. They put another blanket around her and she didn't bother to protest. But her trembling had very little to do with the cold.
Today was indeed a very, very bad day.
~ To Be Continued
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