Smallville Redux
Chapter 05
AN: Hello again everybody welcome back. In what has to be a record for me over the last couple of years I have a new chapter up with just a few days of the last post. Anyway as always thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and all the people who added the story to favs and alert list as well. This is another dialogue heavy chapter but it will also move things on ahead as well. With that said here is the new chapter.
Start Now:
Dr. Bridgette Crosby was a woman of impeccable drive. Raised by a housewife mother and a scientist father she had grown in a very healthy environment. Unlike most men of his time William Crosby had been something of a futurist and had not wanted his daughter to settle for mediocrity in life. He had encouraged her love for the sciences and her desire to discover the secrets of the stars, he had taught her to be self-reliant but also warned her against becoming toxically independent. The result of this was that she'd risen to her position due to her ability and drive instead of who she slept with like other women of her generation.
Her ability had even caught the eye of Dr. Virgil Swann who had been a star in the field even back then. She had quickly become his lab partner and eventually had become his life partner. Now 28 years since they met she was still by his side, though now his wife and amongst the most powerful women in the world. Over the years she had been just as devoted to Veritas and the Traveler as her husband had been.
The fact they had solid proof that they were not alone in the universe had opened her mind and fed her hunger for knowledge. The message from Jor-El they received all those years ago had once they cracked it left her stunned and the mother in her had wondered what sort of calamity had occurred for someone to voluntarily send their child away to a planet so distant.
For nearly two decades she had worried about Kal-El and his wellbeing and after meeting him she was pleased that Jonathan and Martha Kent had been the ones to come across her, and later pleased when informed they had been the ones specifically chosen to raise him in the absence of his birth parents. Still she and her husband had both vowed long ago to do what they could to aid Kal-El in his endeavors and after meeting Clark were only more determined to help him.
This would explain why she could be found seated within a meeting room in Leavenworth Penitentiary as honestly she if she had never had to deal with this particular individual again she would be incredibly happy. Clark however had a good heart and so she was handling this bit of business as she both agreed with it and wanted to keep him as far away from this viper as she could.
Beside her sat Dennis Fischer, the lawyer of the individual in question. He was an unassuming man, though handsome she would admit. They had been waiting for nearly five minutes until finally the barred door across the room opened to admit the shackled form of Lionel Luthor who was dressed in a bright orange prison jumpsuit and had his once long hair cut short. Despite this she knew the most dangerous asset Lionel possessed was his mind.
"Dr. Crosby yours was the last face I expected I'd see in this place." Said Lionel upon entering and seeing her.
"And this was the last place I ever imaged I would visit anyone." Said Dr. Crosby shortly.
They were all silent as Lionel was unshackled, placed in his chair and shackled to the table. Honestly she thought the measure was too far for someone like Lionel who was no physical threat to anyone save for perhaps his lawyer, but she also knew that some standards applied to everyone across the board, this was assuredly one of them.
"So to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" questioned Lionel once seated.
"After your misdeeds came to light Dr. Swann felt it would be wise to look further into your actions and see what else he could find." Said the woman causing him to frown.
"By your presence I take it he found something he felt was important, yet he never was the antagonistic sort." Said Lionel
"We've found Lutessa and Lucas." Said Bridgett causing the man to sigh.
"Bastards both of them." Said Lionel shortly
"Spare me the bravado Lionel. We understand you were grieving but they are still your children and you threw them away." Said Bridgett.
"I have kept tabs on them."
"After you lost them for years you mean, which was still an abandonment of your duty, one which you never properly assumed. Lucas has bounced from foster home to foster home and while Lutessa luckily faired better in that regard she has no idea who she is." Said Bridgette.
"They are accidents, that is all." Said Lionel.
"They are Luthor's, regardless of their manner of conception or who their mothers are. Or has the pride in your name always been a lie as well?" retorted Bridgette.
"What would you have me do?" questioned Lionel with a sigh.
"For once be the man you portrayed yourself as, the man Lily fell in love with. You and I both know you are going to rot in here, but you can at least still ensure that they are taken care of." Said Bridgette sliding him a folder from across the table.
"My funds have apparently been frozen for the duration trial. An effort to ensure I can't take on my full team of lawyers and the government can lay claim to my fortune no doubt." Said Lionel.
"Actually sir Dr. Swann apparently spoke with the Attorney General who is willing to allow you to move assets solely to be held in trust for your children. The file Dr. Crosby presented is a proposal to open trust funds for them that Dr. Swann will act as the custodian of until they come to the appropriate age." Said Fischer, the lawyer speaking up for the first time.
Opening the file Lionel took a while to look over its contents. As he looked it over however his mind was flying through processing both the information and ironing out a scheme to save his fortune, even if as the good doctor said he knew he'd never be granted freedom from his confines again.
"I want changes, Dennis take this down." Said Lionel waiting for the man as he readied a small notepad and a pen.
"Lucas and Lutessa are to receive 10 billion each, on the condition that they complete their schooling with at least a bachelor's degree in their chosen field and business management. Separate funds will be set aside to complete their schooling. Lucas will be given the complex in New York and may take residence in the penthouse. Lutessa may claim the Beverly Hills property and take residence in the penthouse there. The Metropolis and Smallville properties will be signed over to Lex as will 70% of my remaining assets upon his 30th birthday."
"Hopefully they let us get away with that much." Said Dennis.
"I worked hard to build my fortune, I'll not let them seize it to get them out of the debt they created to other countries." Said Lionel with a scoff.
"Do your assets include your Luthor Corp shares?" questioned the lawyer.
"No, split them equally between Lutessa and Lucas as part of the trust, but give ten to Lex which he can have immediately." Said Lionel.
"This will take you completely off the board." Said Dennis.
"For now. Well let the government have their victory, in this case at least." Said Lionel
He had no doubt that they were going to lose this case, the trial was pretty much just for show. However he wouldn't allow himself to just rot away and be forgotten. It may take time, years in fact but he was Lionel Luthor he would make his way back onto the stage soon enough.
Saturday night found Clark with Chloe on his arm touring the Metropolis Museum at a charity gala within the Luthor Hall Collection. While he had been tempted to go with something more in his usual color scheme of blue and red Chloe and Kara had convinced him to change up his style. As such he wore a black suit with a green shirt along with a black tie. His hair had been slicked back. It wasn't something he was truly comfortable with but both girls had been adamant that for a multiple relationship he needed to be seen as desirable by women at a glance, not just after they'd gotten to know him. Chloe meanwhile was dressed in a dark green dress that matched his shirt. Lex had invited Clark and he had in turn invited Chloe as it was supposed to be their date night.
The two of them had gotten plenty of compliments and had surprised many when their identities were revealed as many remembered the names of the unknown reporters that had effectively taken down Lionel Luthor. One person who had engaged them for a while was a reporter for the Daily Planet who had been surprised that they were a pair of high school kids, and many understood when Clark revealed that they actually lived in Smallville and were sympathetic when Clark revealed what had happened to his friend that had driven him to get the situation known. In a bit of inspiration Clark stated that Chloe was actually the journalist and had dragged him in because he was a better writer. Chloe chimed in however stating that Clark had too many interests to be tied down to one thing at the moment between football, writing and his science projects.
"Ah to be that young and free to do as I like." Mused one of the men surrounding them who had introduced himself as George Owens.
"Word of advice you two, whatever fields you choose to pursue make sure it's what you and enjoy and gives you a sense of fulfillment. Most people don't realize they wasted time in the wrong fields until they've reached their late twenties and early thirties." Said one of the women who had introduced herself as Stephanie Thompson.
Eventually the two teens were able to separate themselves and move on from the group. They soon came to stand in front of a case containing an armored chest piece adorned with jewels as well as a snake shaped like an 'S'.
"Remind you of something." Said the girl with a cheeky grin.
"Stop." Said Clark lightly a faint dusting of red on his cheeks.
"You know, it belonged to Alexander the Great." Said Lex approaching them.
Like many of the men in attendance Lex was wearing a suit only his with a which shirt and a slim black tie.
"The design is supposed to symbolize strength and courage." Said continued the young man.
"Well it was definitely ceremonial; you don't go into battle wearing jewelry like that." Said Chloe.
"Yeah, I can't exactly see it either." Said Clark.
"Well darker times call for darker methods. His opponents thought he was invincible." Said Lex.
"Hopefully he never bought into it. That's a sure-fire way to get killed, especially surrounded by enemies like he was." Said Chloe
"Well that's an interesting outlook." Said Lex in surprise.
"Everyone has weaknesses, its part of life. Even the Greek Gods were said to have their share of them." Said Chloe getting an understanding nod from Lex.
"I didn't know you were such a history buff." Said Clark.
"I'm not, I'm just interested in people who ruled the world before they 30." Said Lex.
"Don't worry Lex, you've still got a few years left." Came a new voice as Lana made her way over.
Lana was wearing a silver dress with a new silver necklace
"Lana, I didn't know you were coming." Said Clark in surprise
"Really, Lex didn't tell you." Said the girl eyeing Clark and Chloe
"Sorry, it must have slipped my mind. I'll leave you guys to talk." Said Lex before walking off.
"You two have been popular tonight." Said Lana after a moment.
"It's the story. Nobody knew who we were, once they found out there was a lot of interest in talking to us." Said Clark.
"Speaking of our mark just showed up. I'll catch up with you guys later." Said Chloe before moving off.
"Did she really spot someone or was that an excuse to leave us alone?" questioned Lana softly.
"Mayor Adams just walked in. Chloe wants to get her opinion on the Smallville situation." Said Clark in reply.
Lana could only nod at this. While it had been about two months since the environmental teams started arriving, Smallville was still no closure to returning to business as usual for the time being. Plus Mayor Adams was new on the job as the last mayor William Tate had been arrested after confessing to murdering Lana's great aunt Louise nearly two months ago.
"So how have you been?" questioned Clark.
"Since the break-up you mean?" returned the girl knowingly getting a shrug.
"Honestly it's a relief. I think a part of me only accepted dating him because I was supposed to. Cheerleader, quarterback they've always kind of gone together." Said Lana.
"Well movies and TV" said Clark.
"Exactly. I only became a cheerleader because my mom was. I mean it can be fun at times too, but I just wanted to feel a connection I guess."
"I get that. You just need something were you can relax and escape a little bit, just be yourself. Once I found something I was a bit happier." Said Clark.
"Really?" questioned the girl.
"Yeah, for a long time I thought I needed to be one thing and tried to force myself to be that and I just wasn't happy. Recently I realized I didn't have to be just one thing, I could be more. Once I accepted that it was like a weight lifted from me." Said Clark.
"Looks like Nell's flagging me down. I guess it's time to eat. You want to join us?" Said Lana after a few moments
"Not tonight. Come by tomorrow, there's some things I wanted to talk to you about." Said Clark.
"Sure Clark, is eleven good?"
"Perfect." Said Clark with a smile that she returned as she walked off to join her aunt.
"Clark don't forget the bus." Came the whispered voice of Chloe causing his eyes to widen.
Stepping outside he could see he still had time as the street was seemingly empty except the homeless man and his dog sleeping at the bus stop. As if it had waited for his arrival he watched as the bus came turning around the corner and with his enhanced vision could see the driver clutch at his heart before pitching forward and losing control of the bus. As the bus swerved up the street and neared the bus stop Clark jumped into superspeed running up to it and tapping the bus just hard enough to alter its course just slightly before returning to his place on the steps. Back in normal time he watched as the bus missed the bus stop by about a foot before it slammed into the wall of the building across the street.
"Call an ambulance!" called Clark back into the building before taking off at a fast but human pace.
Reaching the front of the ambulance he saw the driver through the door had collapsed onto the ground and wasn't moving.
"Clark!" came the call of Chloe.
"Find the emergency release, it looks like he had a heart attack!" called Clark before the back door suddenly opened and someone stumbled out.
"I've got it I'm a doctor." Called a woman just before leaping into the bus, before he could move to the doors himself.
In the end the ambulance arrived within 10 minutes of the call and the bus driver thanks to the doctor had been fully resuscitated by the time they arrived. Another doctor had also been there and had helped the person who had stumbled out of the bus. Both of them would be fine though both were taken in ambulances to the nearest hospital. Clark however allowed himself to be pulled back into the museum by Chloe and Lana, though he didn't show it internally he was happy in that this time he managed to save the man at the bus stop and not give away his secret at the same time.
The next morning it was a contemplative Clark who came down for breakfast. Considering that it was only just nearing 7 in the morning he had about four hours before Lana came over. It gave him enough time to complete his chores but his mind was currently elsewhere which his parents easily noticed.
"What's wrong Clark?" questioned Martha.
"I had another meeting with the Monitor this morning." Said Clark
"Again! It's only been a week since the last one." Said Jonathan frowning.
"This will be the last one apparently. He's decided to grant me another boon and changed the way my memory pendant works. Unlike before where only Kara and I could access it, I can now let humans use it as well." Said Clark.
"That doesn't sound so bad." Said Jonathan grudgingly
He's changed it so that they'll get their own memories as well, but that will come with emotions as well." Said Clark.
"It sound to me like its at least a way to get your friends back. Oliver and Arthur, it's a way for them to trust you easier." Said Martha
"I hadn't thought about that." Admitted Clark.
"This about Lana or Lex?" questioned Jonathan.
"Lana and Chloe and Lois. I already know not to bother with Lex or Pete, they have clean slates and can be better people this time. But the girls they went through so much, and sure they could get their skills but all of that could weight so heavily on them." Said Clark softly.
"Honestly honey I think you'll need to trust them to make the decision and handle the consequences. If you truly want to make a relationship work with one of them, much less all of them you'll need to be truthful about this." Said Martha.
"Well I have to make the new pendants before anything else anyway. What I have now are basically the master, childhood and adventure pendants." Said Clark.
"Eat, then take care of your chores. That will get it off of your mind, then you can work on new pendants" said Jonathan after a few moments.
Lana was nervous as she made her way over to the Kent Farm. She had broken up with Whitney shortly after the last time she had been in the loft when Clark had returned her necklace and revealed his meteor rock allergy. Knowing his goal at the time among a host of other feelings she'd broken things off with Whitney and had decided that she would wait for Clark to come to her. That said she had been watching and noticed that Clark, Chloe, and Pete were much closer than before though Clark and Chloe were generally together without Pete due to all of his practice, workouts and other commitments.
Over the last week however she had noticed a change in Clark, he had seemed lighter as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and was smiling more as a result. After their talk the previous night she now had an idea of why, though still no clue to what had changed. She had gone out for a ride on her horse this morning if only to burn off some of her energy and nervousness only for it to start coming back as she made her approach. Slowing her horse to a trot she took a deep breath before releasing and after stopping dismounted and tied him to a post.
"Wish me luck Lou." Whispered Lana softly as she rubbed his head.
Before she could make it far in she was greeted by Martha Kent who gave her a smile before directing her to the loft in the barn where Clark was. Smiling and trying to hide her nervousness she thanked the woman before entering and after climbing the stairs found Clark seated on the couch with a pensive look on his face.
"Morning, this a bad time?" said Lana
"No, just nervous I guess." Said Clark causing her to relax a bit finding she wasn't the only one but smiled as he motioned her to join him on the couch.
"Look Lana, you know I like you. But I have a lot of secrets, things I keep for a very good reason. If we do this I need to trust you can keep those secrets too." Said Clark seriously.
"Clark whatever it is I'm sure things will be ok." Said Lana.
"Well for starters I found out about my birth family. I am along with my cousin currently the last of my people." Said Clark causing her eyes to widen in shock
"God Clark, I'm so sorry." Said the girl
"It's fine, I've had time to come to terms with it. My people we were much more advanced than anyone else than you can currently imagine." Said Clark before withdrawing a small piece of metal from the pocket of his shirt that resembled a miniature shield.
"There's a lot to tell you, but I think it will be better and faster to show you. This is called a memory pendant; it allows you to store and share memories. This contains about nine years' worth of memories that my future self accidently sent to me."
"Your serious." Said Lana in surprise.
"I am. Think carefully though, this has been altered by a third party you could say and will allow you to see your own memories for that time as well. I'll warn you though that not all of them are good and I have no clue what you will see with yours if you decide to do this." Said Clark.
"How does it work?"
"First you sit back, I'll place it in the flat of your palm and it will activate. You will be sucked in, and for my memories you'll see things from your perspective but won't be able to interfere. For your own memories, you'll experience them as if you lived them. The first time I went through these it took about five minutes." Said Clark.
"I trust you Clark, I know you wouldn't let me do this if you thought it would hurt me or I wasn't strong enough to get through it." Said Lana before sitting back and opening her right hand put leaving it resting on her leg.
"Alright here goes nothing." Said Clark before placing the pendant in her hand.
Lana was out for nearly ten minutes, which would have worried Clark if he hadn't sat through the same thing this morning with Chloe. After breakfast he had sped through his chores, then to the cave for the materials before creating the new pendants. He'd then gone to Chloe's house and given her the choice then sat by her as she went through it. Chloe had broken down but had thanked him all the same before kissing him and declaring that she was going back to sleep. She had promised him though that she was his girl, and he didn't have to worry about her going anywhere.
When Lana awoke it was almost a repeat as she had broken down into constant apologies while peppering him with kisses. Between Whitney, Jason, Isobel and Lex she had been apologizing for a while especially about him turning back time to save her life only for her to turn around and marry Lex of all people. He'd managed to calm her down eventually and at the moment she was lying on the couch resting her head in his lap while he stroked her hair.
"You know despite everything I'm glad for this." Said the girl after a while of silence.
"Really, despite everything?" questioned Clark.
"Yeah. I mean it was a lot, a whole lot and a lot of it was bed, but there was a lot of good too, and it wasn't just the sex." Said the girl blushing slightly as did Clark.
"You looked out for me for a long time, you loved me and held on to me until you physically couldn't anymore. I promise I'll be better this time, I'll be the girl you thought I could be." Said Lana kissing his leg.
"There will be a lot of difference this time though." Said Clark.
"Yeah, high school should definitely be easier. Most of the meteor infected are already gone to get help." Said Lana.
"There's that too. Kara is of the opinion I should have multiple wives." Said Clark causing her eyes to widen before they narrowed, closing her eyes she took a breath before releasing it.
"I hate to admit it, but I agree. You'd break me easily, especially now that I can't keep up anymore. Hell even when I had the suit you still wore me out and were ready for more." Said the girl.
"Kara was thinking more along the lines of kids. Chloe backed her up." Said Clark getting a snort from her.
"Of course she did, she's liked you for as long as I have. She just couldn't force herself out of the friendzone." Said Lana
"You sure you can deal with this. A Kryptonian multiple marriage means you'll be married to them as well as me." Said Clark.
"I'm guessing you plan to bring Lois in as well." Said Lana ignoring the question.
"Yeah, I didn't plan on it being anytime soon, but Chloe convinced her uncle to move her and Lucy down here now for a more stable environment." Said Clark.
"You know I always thought Chloe was a threat, I never really though Lois Lane would be my greatest rival." Said Lana.
"You wont be rivals." Said the boy.
"Maybe not now, but we were. I didn't notice how much chemistry you too had last time. I only see it now because I've seen your memories." Said the girl.
"Speaking of, you should put some of those memories to use to make some money." Said Clark causing her to blink before turning so she was looking up at him.
"What do you mean?"
"Investing. We've moved up a bit in time but Instagram comes out next year, they're taking seed money now though. Apple stocks are really low and so are a bunch of others." Said Clark causing her eyes to widen
"coin, they didn't hit a dollar until 2011. If I put a hundred dollars in now and just left it there or even added to it before then…" said Lana in shock
"Let's not go crazy, but I thought that would help." Said Clark.
"Jesus Clark, even conservatively if we invested enough capital in the right places in time we could surpass Wayne as the wealthiest on the planet." Said Lana.
"That's not to mention any other ventures we may want to start on our own in time." Said Clark.
"Clark this changes things massively. We'd all have to major in business or finance just to keep track of the money." Said Lana.
"That's why I said not to go crazy."
"Let me up or your parents will come in here and find me sucking your cock."
Lana stayed for around another hour before she left though she kissed him several times before she did. He watched her ride away on her horse for a bit before turning back to the house. With Chloe and Lana taken care of that left only Lois who would be arriving in a few hours. Chloe and her dad would be meeting her and Lucy at the airport and then making the drive back to Smallville which thankfully wasn't long once you left the city traffic. With a couple of house to spare however Clark decided now would be a good time to pick up the final two stones. Rushing into the house he grabbed a flashlight then let his parents know he was heading out before he remembered he was supposed to call Kara, his parents had asked him not to go off like that on his own again.
Thankfully she was also free for a few hours and she agreed to come see him. Almost five minutes later she appeared hovering over him, explaining she wanted to finish her drink before she left. He surprised her when he floated up to meet her causing her to squeal excitedly before she hugged him tightly. Explaining his plan she was only too happy to accompany him for this mission before they flew quickly to Shanghai, China where he knew the temple that housed the stone was located
Between the two of them they located the stones hiding place quickly thanks to their speed and x-ray vison before finding the specific spot in the ground where it was hidden. Dual blast of heat vision soon had the area melted enough that a small pool of lava formed between them in the center of which was a safe space which held a statue in the shape of a horse. Once the statue was removed the ground healed up as if nothing had happened and the two Kryptonians took off just before the next patrol team arrived. From there they flew back to the cave and entered the altar room where the Crystal of Fire was already resting in place in the alter. Once inside Kara dropped the statue which shattered and inside of which was the Crystal of Air
After she picked up the stone and placed it on the alter the two stones combined causing the cousins to immediately grimace as a sharp sound assaulted their systems causing which didn't hurt as much as it could as both had already braced for it. Eventually the noise died before they could do much however Jor-El spoke up congratulating them on the retrieval of another stone. Informing the A.I they were about to go after the last stone he wished them well on the trip before the two left the altar room and soon the cave behind. With a look after clearing the cave walls the two shot back into the air in the direction of the final stone which they now knew to be in Honduras.
Eventually they found themselves hovering above the ruins of a temple deep in the jungle and after finding an entrance they soon located the stone, this one encased in a Mayan rain god statue. Once again they left as soon as they arrived taking the statue with them and returned to the cave where Kara dropped it. This time when she picked up the third stone, the Crystal of Water she handed it to Clark who looked at her in surprise.
"This is part of your destiny Kal-El, thank you for letting me walk the path with you this time." Said Kara.
Accepting the stone he surprised her by pulling her in for a short, but emotion filled kiss before he broke off. Smiling at the flushed face of his cousin he placed the third stone on the altar, immediately on the placement of the third stone the three began to glow each emitting their own light of either yellow, red or blue before fusing together and changing into a single large blue crystal that took the shape of a five-pointed shield. Once fully formed the new crystal began to float upwards before turning itself as if in presentation. At this point Kara stepped up and after linking her arm with Clark's nodded at him which led to him reaching out and grabbing hold of the crystal once its point was facing away from him.
He grit his teeth as the energy shot through his system for several quick seconds and then between one breath and the next they found themselves transported elsewhere. The earth worn walls of the Kawatche cave had been replaced by a clear sky, open space, and snow as far as even their enhanced sight could see including hills made entirely of the substance. Releasing the crystal from his gripping hand the two Kryptonians watched it float and seemingly orient itself before it stilled and stayed in place as if pointing out a destination in the distance. Grabbing the crystal once more Clark reared back and tossed it watching it fly into the distance before it stopped all on its own and hovered as it rotated to point down before shooting towards the ground and burying itself in the snow.
The cousins now holding hands watched and waited for several long moments before the ground began to shake and what appeared to be a large crater appeared. Less than a second after the crater appeared spires of ice-like crystals shot up from the crater many of which crisscrossed amongst each other while others from flatter thicker pieces that shot straight up like walls. Finally after what was only a few minutes everything stopped leaving the two to look up at the marvel that was the Fortress in awe. Gripping hands the two walked what had now become a short distance to the entrance of the Fortress neither bothered by the cold or snow. Before long the two entered into a darkened inner chamber where a rack of crystals could be seen glowing. As they approached one lifted itself and floated in front of Clark until he took hold of it and it began glowing even brighter.
"My son…" a voice that both recognized as Jor-El's echoed through the space, causing Kara to learn her head into Clarks shoulder knowing what this was.
"…you will not remember me, I am Jor-El, I am your father. By now you will have reached your 18th year as it is measured on Earth, by that reckoning I will have been dead for many thousands of your years. The knowledge I have matters physically, historically and given fully over on your voyage to your new home. These are important matters to be sure, but still matters of mere fact. There are questions to be asked and it is time for you to do so. Here in this, this fortress of solitude we shall try to find the answers together. So my son, speak."
"Jor-El are you with us?" called Clark into the open air after the recording had finished.
"I am here my son, now nearing one hundred percent functionality. I have also already taken the liberty of transporting both ships here." Came the voice of the A.I.
"How are we on schedule?" questioned Clark.
"We are currently several months ahead of our revised schedule. It was not planned that the fortress would be operational until your summer months if you remember." Said Jor-El.
With that knowledge the two living Kryptonians and the A.I spent the next stretch of time to plot and plan.
A few hours later Clark could be found seated in the back of a limousine alongside Dr. Bridgette Crosby. He was dressed in all black, jeans t-shirt and leather jacket, it was a look that more represented the rebellious Kal but he wore it all the same. They were currently being driven down the streets of Starling City on their way to meet with Moira Queen. Dr. Crosby had apparently met with his parents in the afternoon and got on well with them thus receiving their permission for Clark to be under the mentorship of herself and Dr. Swann. Clark had met her after she had touched down at Starling City airport in the baggage claim area and they'd been together ever since. Eventually they came to their destination and after a short wait the pair of wrought iron gates swung open allowing the car entrance onto the property.
Inside the house Moira Queen sat impeccably dressed in her business attire as she prepared to greet her guest. Unlike her husband she had never really believed in Veritas as she tended to put her faith in what she could see, not in hopes or dreams. That said when a man like Virgil Swann personally calls and asks you to make time for a meeting, even someone in her position would do so. Beside her sat her daughter Thea though she was dressed much more casually than she was.
"Thea please just be polite. Though Bridgette hasn't been around in years she used to watch over you and your brother, in fact she was nearly your godmother." Said Moira.
"What's this meeting about anyway?" questioned Thea
"I'm not sure, something to do with your father. Dr. Swann wouldn't say what over the phone." Said Moira shocking her daughter.
A few minutes later the guests entered into the room guided by one of the house staff Raisa. Of the two one of them gave Moira pause as he was young, perhaps of an age with Thea. Despite this he was tall and though slim now it was clear he had a build that would later fill out with muscle.
"Clark! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Thea in surprise as they entered.
"Hey Thea, good to see you again." Said Clark with a smile that made her blush.
"Has it really been that long, she used to only reach my knee." Said Dr. Crosby.
"She's 14 now." Said Moira with a sigh.
"Thankfully I'm about to start working less office hours." Said Bridgette softly
"Clark this is Moira Queen, Moira this is Clark Kent." Said Bridgette doing the introductions.
"It's nice to meet you ma'am. Dr. Crosby and Dr. Swann told me a lot about you." Said Clark shaking her hand.
"Clark Kent, did you write the story that brought down Lionel Luthor in the Daily Planet?" questioned Moira.
"Yes ma'am, though that was a joint effort with my best friend Chloe." Said Clark.
"As much as I'd like to spend time just catching up we have a lot we need to discuss." Said Bridgette her tone giving Moira a hint that she wouldn't like all that she heard.
"Thea dear, you should return to your studies. I'll call for you when we've wrapped up the business discussion and get back to more pleasant subjects." Said Moira getting a look from her daughter who before she gave Clark a quick hug and headed out of the room.
As they took their seats to begin Moira had no idea the conversation they had would rock her world and change both her beliefs and the foundations of her family in the times ahead.
AN: That's it chapters done. Next chapter will most likely have a bit of a time skip, though still in season 1. I thought about introducing Lois in this chapter as well but it just didn't fit to me. Also Lana may have seemed a bit OC but she was still dealing with all of those memories so she was just speaking what came to mind with no filter. Also I'd like to point out again this is the younger characters receiving the memories of their older selves so personality shifts won't transfer over. Anyway thanks for reading and please review. Till next time, LATER