Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville, Highlander or anything else you may recognize
So got this idea due to watching the 'Highlander' series and because of Smallville 7x4.
For Highlander it takes place after the show is over, and its between then and Highlander: Endgame (which I haven't seen tbh), so here Duncan has joined Connor during his travels for a bit.
For Smallville its during 7x4 that is 'Cure'.
Thank you to Brainstorm Sorcerer for a little suggestion with Curtis Knox and to Cer1992 for the help with Clark here, as I needed to get his reaction to meeting new people properly.
Hope all enjoy.
Chapter 1- Some help
Curtis Knox was about to dump Sasha's body at the Smallville Fertilizer Plant when Lex Luthor stepped in his way. "I applaud your ingenuity, Doctor", Lex gestured to the corpse in the body bag, "After mulching the body into the fertilizer supply, by week's end her DNA will be spread over every cornfield in Kansas."
"Oh, Lex", Knox sighed, letting go of the body bag. "If only you were a typical rich kid - chasing women across the globe instead of dabbling with science that you don't understand."
Lex said in a very firm tone. "Your killing spree stops right now. I'm not gonna let you hurt one more person."
"Countless patients are living new lives with no idea what you did to them, thanks to me", Knox argued Lex was worse than he was.
Which was true, though it didn't make Knox any less of a monster.
Lex tried to turn it around again. "How about the ones you murdered?"
Knox shrugged. "They're the chosen few, the reason I created a cure and came knocking at your door. Because I knew that somewhere in your museum of oddities I would find the ones I was looking for."
Lex took out a gun and aimed it. "Your practice is closed, Doctor. You come one step closer, and I swear to God, I will shoot you."
Knox laughed. "I'm quaking in my boots." Knox tried to step forward and attack but Lex shot him a few times in the chest as he grunted and fell down, slowly going limp.
Lex lowered his gun, turned around and walked off, only for Knox to wake up with a grunt. "Son of a bitch!"
Lex turned around in shock as the bleeding Knox got up, reaching into his chest. "I have been speared", he grunted as he walked closer, "by Mayan warriors... ...survived Mongols' arrows", he took the bullet out and threw it down, "and the cold steel of crusaders' blades." He took another bullet out of himself, now standing right in front of Lex. "What makes you think the sting of a .9 millimeter could slow me down?"
He hit Lex with his flashlight, knocking him out, and was about to hit him again when he felt a prickling at the base of his neck, his eyes widening, and turned around to see two men standing there.
One was brown-haired and of medium height, the other was black-haired and tall, both looked quite handsome, though the black-haired one was more desirable, and the two of them had wisdom in their eyes acquired over a very long lifetime.
Knox knew one of them and turned angrily to the brown-haired one. "Connor MacLeod, what are you doing here?"
"Felt you were here, decided to take you down", Connor said with a shrug.
"And who are you?" Knox asked the black-haired one.
"Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod", he introduced himself while unsheathing his sword. "Same clan, different vintage."
Connor unsheathed his blade as well and walked forwards. "I got this."
"I do not have any weapons on me at the time, so you cannot fight me without violating the rules of the Game", Knox then pointed out with a cheeky grin as Connor and Duncan exchanged a look.
Suddenly, a blur sped in and knocked Knox away into a powerline as the electricity hurt Knox badly, the whole place sparkling, and he was knocked out.
The blur stopped, revealing himself to be a tall and strong man, taller than even Duncan. His back was turned to them so they could not see his face.
He lifted up Lex and then sped away in a blur.
"Oh, him", Connor muttered.
"Yeah, him", Duncan shrugged when suddenly the guy sped back and grabbed them both before taking them over onto a building in Metropolis.
"He just ran us over to Metropolis!" Duncan exclaimed in surprise. "How fast is this guy?"
"Faster than a speeding bullet I'm sure", Connor shrugged as the man stopped in front of them, now wearing a mask.
"Who are you two and why are you here?" The tall man asked them both.
"We are here to stop Curtis Knox", Connor told the man. "And based on what you did, I believe you are trying to do the same thing."
"But he is stopped now", the man said.
"Oh no he's not, what you did simply knocked him out", Duncan said with a cheeky grin.
"That's impossible!" The man exclaimed.
"You run faster than a speeding bullet and find a man surviving a fatal injury impossible? Color me shocked", Duncan quipped.
The man sped off, then sped back a second later. "He's not there, looks like you were right. What is he?"
"He is like us", Connor told the man. "He is an Immortal."
The man's eyes were wide in shock. "What do you mean…like, he can't die? Was he created by these meteors?"
"He is older than any meteors, so are we by the way, even if we don't look it", Duncan told the man. "His real name is not Curtis Knox."
"What's he called then?" The man asked.
"His real name is Vandal Savage, and he is an Immortal, one of the oldest ones to ever exist too, possibly the first, he has existed since prehistoric times", Connor told the man.
"You're kidding, right? Meteors freaks and powers is fine, but existing from that long, immortal? Really?" The man asked him.
"You can choose to believe or not believe us, but we tell the truth, besides, you do things others can't, not even meteor freaks, tell us, why is this so hard to believe?" Duncan asked him.
The man, Clark Kent, thought about it himself now. Well, he had seen impossible stuff, he himself was impossible too. But then again, it was due to scientific reasons, meteors from Krypton and all that, pieces of it.
But magic did exist, Lana had been possessed by her own Witch ancestor, and Lois and Chloe had been possessed by Witches as well.
In context of all that, Immortal people existing wasn't impossible for sure.
"You know what? Here's something to make you believe", Duncan smirked and jumped off the building.
"Hey-" Clark was about to run and save him but Connor held up a hand.
"He'll be fine. He loves pulling stuff like that", Connor told Clark as they heard a splatter and crack a second later and cringed at imagining the pain, mostly Clark.
Half a minute later, Connor said. "Take me down."
Clark nodded and grabbing Connor, sped down to the ground, and to his shock, Duncan was getting up, cracking and twisting his body to put his bones back in place, which made Clark cringe.
"See? I survived something fatal too, and so can he there", Duncan gestured to Connor as he staggered up. "So, what do you say?"
Clark sighed. "I believe you, I guess, and your intentions too. Knox is a bad Immortal I guess."
"One of the worst", Connor told Clark. "If we tell you who we are, will you tell us who you are? We could use your help here."
Clark thought about it for a few seconds, then decided the offer sounded fair enough. "All right, I agree."
"I am Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod", Connor introduced himself to Clark.
"And I am Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod", Duncan then gave his own introduction.
"You two are Immortals too, right? How old?" Clark asked them.
"I was born in 1518", Connor shrugged.
"1592", Duncan said with a wink as Clark looked at them both in shock.
"Whoa!" Clark said, before sighing and taking off his mask, revealing his face to them.
"Ah, you're a handsome young lad", Duncan tapped his shoulder playfully.
"Yeah, name's Clark Kent", Clark told them his name. "As you can see, I'm different too."
"Yes, meteor freak, right?" Connor asked. "Apologies for using 'freak'."
"Actually, I'm an alien", Clark revealed, and now it was Connor's and Duncan's turn to be shocked. "From a planet called Krypton. The meteor shower was pieces of my home world when it got destroyed. I've been raised here my whole life though."
"Well, that's a shock", Duncan said with a sigh. "I've seen everything, but aliens is a first."
"For me too", Connor agreed. "But since you revealed who you are to us, we believe you."
"I'll take you to my place", Clark then said as he sped them both to his barn, and they recovered quickly, looking around. "This is my place, I live here with some people."
"Hmmm, good place, simple and fulfilling, home", Duncan noted.
"What more can you tell me about Immortals?" Clark asked Connor and Duncan.
"We existed since the dawn of time", Connor explained to him in a serious tone. "Immune to disease and anything of the like. And this starts once we receive a fatal wound."
"Why does this happen? Why do you lot exist?" Clark asked.
Connor remembered the words his mentor Ramirez had once told him. "Why does the sun come up? Or are the stars just pin holes in the curtain of night, who knows?"
Clark realized that no one knew the true origins of these Immortals.
"And what about Knox?" Clark asked.
"He is the oldest Immortal that we know of, and a very bad one, one of the most powerful ones too with his Quickening", Duncan explained, then noted Clark's confused look. "That would be the energy an Immortal has. Only by beheading can one die, and beheaded Immortal's Quickening passes onto the Immortal who beheaded him."
"And if there's no Immortal nearby?" Clark asked.
"It creates a foundling, a human baby who is Immortal", Connor said, exchanging a look with Duncan, who was a foundling himself.
"However, Knox is so powerful that even beheading by someone who is not an Immortal does not kill him, he can control his Quickening to bring his head back and restore himself", Duncan said, surprising Clark once more. "Only an Immortal can take him out forever."
"Which is why you two are here", Clark realized. "Well, once Lex wakes up I will ask him some more, can you two meet me tomorrow at the hospital? Or do you have any place you're staying at here? If not, you can stay here."
"It's all right, kid, we have a place to stay", Duncan assured as he tapped Clark's shoulder and the two walked off. "We shall meet you tomorrow."
Next day
Chloe had gone missing, taken by Knox, and Clark didn't find anything in Knox's office other than his pocket watch, with Connor and Duncan alongside him.
"He is in the same town I know, we can try to find him", Connor told Clark. "Immortals can sense each other."
"Well, we have to do it quick", Clark said when Lex came in with 2 men, surprising Clark, and Lex was surprised by the two men Clark had with him.
"Who are you two?" Lex asked.
"Russel Nash", Connor told Lex his fake name.
"Duncan", Duncan simply said with a shrug, neither of them liking Lex already. He was a man corrupted by the power he had. Not the spoilt rich kid type, those were just airheaded, sheltered idiots.
No, he was someone who wanted to achieve something, and didn't care who he hurt in the process.
"They are with me, they are helping me out", Clark told Lex.
"With Knox?" Lex asked.
"We were sent to investigate him", Connor shrugged, and he and Duncan even had fake government IDs given to them by Joe Dawson.
"Where did Knox take Chloe?" Clark then demanded.
Lex told Clark genuinely. "Look, Clark, I want to stop Knox as much as you do. I've checked every address we had on file. They're all dead ends."
Clark pointed out. "He didn't disappear into thin air, Lex."
"No, but he's had a lot of experience covering his tracks", Lex said into his cell phone. "Send me the pictures on Knox." He told Clark. "I used face-recognition software to run an image search." A beep.
Lex showed Clark an image of Knox from the World War II era. "There we go."
"World War II", Clark noted.
Lex showed some more images of Knox from various time periods. "This is Knox in 1888. And here he is in 1675. Clark, he's had 1,000 names, and he's lived for centuries. That's why you can't kill him. Curtis Knox is immortal."
"Well, that's info", Duncan said with a shrug and chuckle.
"You don't seem too surprised", Lex noted.
"The world is a strange place, Mr. Luthor", Connor said, stepping forth as he and Lex seemed to have a staring contest of sorts. "There are meteor showers, people with superpowers, an archer who is like a modern day Robin Hood. Monsters."
At last word, Connor was staring directly into Lex's eyes, as if peeking into his soul.
"So an Immortal doesn't surprise us much in comparison", Duncan added as Lex looked away from Connor.
"Don't think he could have gotten far, he dropped this in his struggle with Chloe", Clark said as he lifted up the pocket watch, and turned it around to see the inscription on it.
"Este Perpetua", Duncan read what it said. "It translates to 'May you live forever'. It's a Roman greeting."
Lex looked it up and noticed a place called the 'Victorian Arms'.
"The Victorian Arms?" Clark noted.
"Knox was the robber baron who owned it. He lived there in the '20s", Lex told them.
"I think he still lives there", Connor realized, exchanging looks with Clark and Duncan.
Knox started cutting into Chloe, drawing a little blood as she screamed, only for Clark to speed in as grabbed Knox and hurled him across the room, shattering a lot of equipment.
"Chloe?" Clark called out as he started unstrapping her, and then Connor came in, taking off the other strap.
"Who are you?" Chloe asked.
"They are here to help", Clark assured her when the green liquid in jars, clearly liquid Kryptonite, started affecting Clark.
"Clark!" Chloe called out as Knox lifted a sword, but then Duncan came in, swinging his own sword and taking a pose.
"Come on, Vandal, show me what you have", Duncan challenged as Vandal Savage glared.
"There can be only one!" Savage roared as he charged and clashed blades with Duncan, the clash producing some sparks.
"What the hell?" Chloe muttered.
"Life is strange", Clark told her, still grunting, and pointed to the jars. "Get those away!"
Connor kicked the jars off into a corner as Clark freed Chloe.
Duncan charged, leaping as Knox blocked his sword strike, and then they clashed swords a few times, with Knox ducking to avoid a swing, and then blocking the next. Sparks were produced every time they clashed.
The clashing continued as Savage dodged another swing before jumping back to avoid another. Duncan swung his sword but Savage side-stepped to avoid it.
They clashed again, now in a deadlock as they struggled before Savage started pushing Duncan back, and Duncan planted his feet hard in the ground before both backed off.
Clark tried to go help but Connor put up a hand. "Do not interfere. Let this play out."
"Why's that?" Chloe asked.
"We have our rules in the Game, they must not be broken", Connor warned.
"Game? What Game?" Chloe asked.
"Long story Chloe", Clark told her.
Knox struck again as Duncan blocked and they drew blades against each other before Duncan swung but Knox ducked, and then Duncan tried to flip kick but he avoided again. Duncan tried to stab but Knox side-stepped, only for the sword to go through his shirt, making a hole.
Duncan pushed Knox back a little as Knox drew his sword against Duncan's, and then Duncan took the sword out.
They clashed once more, sparks flying off, before Knox kicked Duncan back, and then he looked down to see Duncan had managed to wound him while stabbing his shirt, though it was healing.
Knox then charged as Duncan blocked 3 swings, then he struck out as Knox blocked his swings, and Duncan then spun in the air while swinging his sword, only for Knox to block again.
But Duncan put some pressure and Knox's sword was lowered while his shoulder got a cut.
Duncan swung again as Knox dodged and then he swung at Knox who used his sword to block again, and then leapt to avoid another swing while leaping behind Duncan and striking his back with the sword, making a cut there too.
The two turned to face each other and clashed swords once more, producing sparks, as Duncan then ran up the wall and swung but Knox blocked while backing off.
The clashing continued before Knox shoved Duncan's sword onto the wall, shattering the whole wall.
"Whoa!" Chloe muttered as Knox kicked Duncan's side thrice before Duncan pushed back, and then Knox did a spin kick, hitting Duncan's face and sending him down again.
Duncan rolled back up as Knox charged and Duncan blocked his swings, then dodged one, then blocked some more as they were in a deadlock, then Duncan elbowed Knox's face, sending him back.
He then leapt with a swing which Knox tried to block but was sliced on his chest, being sent back as Duncan stood there.
Knox glared angrily and they clashed again before Knox backed off and leaping onto the wall, leapt down with a swing which Duncan blocked but the force from it sent him back still and produced a shockwave that made even Clark wince.
They clashed blades again with sparks emanating before Knox spin kicked Duncan down but he also sliced his stomach while falling, making Knox back off.
Duncan got back up and they stood, with Duncan pointing his sword outwards as Knox held his own up, and then they charged, clashing and exchanging positions, as they clashed again.
Knox ducked to avoid a swing from Duncan before they clashed swords again, and Knox avoided another swing. Duncan thrust forwards but Knox side-stepped while clashing Duncan's sword and Duncan was sent staggering forwards.
Knox then charged, swinging for Duncan, but Duncan dodged as Knox's swing destroyed some medical equipment, and then flat-lining was heard as Knox's wife started flat-lining.
Knox was horrified as he tried to revive her but nothing happened as she died and he fell to his knees. "My god. What have I done? No, no. No. No! What have I done? No. No. Please don't leave me. Please. Look at me."
But she was gone, and Clark watched with a sad sigh.
Knox turned around to face Duncan in rage and got up with sword raised. "YOU-"
Duncan reacted in time and stabbed the sword through Knox's chest, before slicing sideways as his chest and arm were both sliced.
Knox fell to his knees and looked up at Duncan who said. "I'm sorry."
He then swung his sword and Knox's head was chopped off.
"What…?" Clark trailed off in shock, only for energy to rise out of Knox's headless corpse.
"Stay back, Duncan has earned this", Connor said as all three backed off, and then Knox's Quickening came out, literally shaking the whole building, no, whole town, due to how powerful it was, testament to Knox's age and experience.
The whole lab was shattered, with all equipment and windows, and Clark grabbed Chloe and Connor to prevent them from being blown away.
Duncan was thrown around here and there, before standing still and going down on his knees as the Quickening struck him hard, his face having an expression of pleasure as it passed to him.
And then it was over as Duncan rose up, feeling stronger than ever.
"How do you feel?" Connor asked.
"Like I killed the oldest Immortal", Duncan said as they shared a chuckle and tapped each other's shoulders. "Let's see how Methos reacts."
That made them chuckle as Clark said. "You killed him."
"Look, you don't kill, we respect that, but we have our rules and all that, it's different from what you do", Connor told Clark. "So respect us."
"Besides, I don't think there is much of a way to contain them", Duncan pointed out. "He is too skilled."
"Fair enough", Clark sighed, deciding he understood their reasoning. They weren't cold-blooded murderers, just people on a noble mission which had different parameters from his own.
"So, what the hell is going on?" Chloe finally asked.
"Long story, I'd love to tell it to you over a cup of coffee", Duncan said with a smirk as Chloe blushed, taken in by his charm.
"Right, sorry but I'm seeing someone", Chloe then said.
"Fair enough", Duncan raised his hands, though Chloe had to admit, he looked quite desirable.
Clark was later in his barn with Connor and Duncan as the former said. "I believe we should go now."
There was a whooshing sound as John Jones appeared, looking at Connor and Duncan. "Ah, so Immortals were who helped you take down the Immortal."
"You know?" Duncan asked in surprise.
"Telepathy", Jones pointed to his head. "Didn't read any further though, just know your names and that you're Immortal. I've met a few too before."
"Where are you from?" Connor asked.
"Mars", Jones revealed, surprising the two now.
"So they do have life at Mars", Duncan quipped while laughing a little.
Jones then spoke to Clark directly. "I know what it's like to have feelings for the people here, but the truth is, you'll outlive them all. And when they're gone, you still have a greater calling to fulfill."
"I know", Clark sighed.
"Who wants to live forever though?" Connor muttered, realizing Clark, while not Immortal like them, was still long-lived enough.
"How do you two live with it?" Clark asked Connor and Duncan. "Everyone you care about, they're-"
"Yes, most of them", Duncan sighed, thinking about all those he had lost, especially Tessa, Richie, Hugh and Darius.
"I had a wife, my great love, then I watched her wither and die", Connor said with bitterness in his voice as he remembered Heather, and Brenda too had died in a car accident in 1987. Even his adopted daughter was already older than him now. Then there was Ramirez too.
"I'm sorry", Clark said in sympathy.
"We just live in their names now, because there's still a lot of stuff worth living for, the joys of life", Duncan told Clark with an encouraging smile.
"I guess this is it then", Clark realized.
"Yes, we stopped Savage, that's what matters, but if you need us, you can call", Connor assured, handing Clark a paper with a number on it. "On here."
"You can call on me too", Clark decided, speedily writing his number on a paper and handing it to him.
"It was an honor to meet you two, especially since one of you destroyed someone like Vandal Savage", Jones said, holding out his hand as both shook it.
"Honor be ours, Martian", Duncan quipped.
"Yeah", Connor said before the two shook hands with Clark as well.
Then the 2 Immortals shared nods with the 2 Aliens and walked out, waving goodbye.
This little adventure was over but they had all gained some useful allies.
And done. Not my best work I admit but still hope the interactions and fighting was enjoyed.
Since Connor fought off Kurgan in my last Highlander crossover which was with Buffy, I decided to give Duncan the spotlight this time.
Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another update.