The seventeenth of October was always hard on Clarence. He would take a
trip to Smallville every year with Lionel to visit the memorial. Today he
made the trip alone. A limo drove him to his destination at 3p.m.
The car stopped in front of a wall made from meteor rocks and debris. Clarence got out and motioned for the driver to go park. He was going to be a while.
It was no easy task for him to do this. Especially alone. Getting close to the wall made him feel sick and depressed. It always had ever since it had been built. He stood about five feet away reading the different names that graced it, etched in the smooth surface, just as he had a thousand times before. During his father's many speeches on behalf of the deceased, he would read them to pass the time. When he got older, and Lionel explained to him that these people had died because of him, he paid closer attention. The ill feeling he got deep inside helped him cope with the thought of causing this unspeakable tragedy. He was interested in who these people were now more than ever. It was a link to his true identity, not the fake one Lionel created for him.
The names Martha and Jonathon Kent jumped out at Lark. The memory of his father speaking their names came to him. He wasn't supposed to be there and had overheard the conversation being discussed between Lionel and two strange men in business suits.
He whispered into the cool air. "Could they be my real parents?" The question was directed to the names as if they would answer him. He heard stories about the people who lived here. Lionel always told him they were nothing but silly rumors. He wondered, if the talk about people with these great powers wasn't true then what was he? Was his whole life a lie too?
A note caught his eye. He grimaced as he reached to pick it up. He was barely able to grab it. His hand started to convulse. The veins were popping to the surface and a green glow surrounded his skin. The fifteen year old panicked. Lark thought he was dying, he was in so much pain. The minute he took the envelope he ran away from the wall.
"What the hell was that?" Clarence spoke to no one in particular but a man answered. "I don't know. What happened?"
Frightened, Lark turned to find his older brother standing with his hands in his pockets staring at him with a worried expression on his face.
"Lex? I wasn't expecting you for another hour."
The older man lifted the corner of his mouth into a little smirk. "Well, I hadn't been in Smallville for quite some time. I wanted to familiarize myself with it again. When I saw the limo I knew you were here early, so I decided to walk on over. Are you feeling ok? You don't look so good."
Clarence shrugged and ran his hand over his face. "I don't know. I always get like this around the wall." He sighed and started walking to Lex. "Our father hasn't been home at all since…" He paused and tried not to cry. Why did the wall always make him feel so damn vulnerable? He took a shuddering breath and continued. "I guess it's a good thing I don't have to see his face. I might want to bash it in."
Lex laid a hand on his shoulder. "You don't mean that." Lark looked up at Lex's face and his older brother saw something very dangerous lurking behind those eyes. Like a storm billowing in the sky.
Lark licked his lips. "I mean every word, Lex. And…just knowing how easy it would be to kill him…"
The fifteen year old's lips curled into a smile then turned into a grimace. "I scare myself sometimes. What I'm capable of. What I can't do because I'm kept on such a fucking short leash that once I'm let loose…I will explode!"
Lex furrowed his brow. Lark's cryptic words were confusing him. "What are you talking about Lark?"
The disturbed man smiled and started walking away backwards. Away from Lex and away from the wall. After he was about fifteen feet away the younger man started to run, pretty fast at first but nothing abnormal.
Lex didn't know what in the world had gotten into him. "LARK! What are you doing!?" He wasn't sure if he had heard him because in a quick burst the boy was gone, leaving Lex running after a cloud of dust in the far distance. Just as soon as Lark disappeared he was next to Lex and tapped him on the shoulder. "Looking for me?"
Lex's eyes grew round and he tried to find his voice. "H-how'd you?"
Lark's smile widened at the look he produced out of Lex. "If only I knew, big brother."
Lex shook his head. "Is this what you wanted to tell me when you called?"
Lark laughed. "Yes. You don't even know how good it feels to tell someone. I've been harboring this damn secret my whole life. I had to let you know so you would understand why Lionel had Angel taken out of my life. I told her my secret and Lionel found out." He paused at the thought of Lionel taking Lex away too.
Lex swallowed hard. "Ok, so he doesn't want people to find out about your secret? Is that….all you can do?"
Lark looked around to see if anyone was watching. There were a few people coming towards them. "I can't show you here. You are just going to have to trust me, Lex. I wouldn't lie to you. Not about this."
Lex nodded and turned to walk back to the car. "Lets go some place we can talk. I have a lot of questions and if you want my help, you are going to have to answer every single one."
The younger brother smiled. "Thank you, Lex. I'll just tell the driver to leave me for a few hours."
Lex looked at the limo and shook his head. "No, why don't you tell him to leave permanently? I will drive you back to Metropolis myself."
Lark wondered at this but didn't ask any questions. "All right. Just give me a second."
While Lark went to talk to the limo driver, Lex went back to the wall. He grabbed some meteor rocks and placed them in his pocket. He had seen what happened to Lark when exposed to them and if Lark ever got out of hand he wanted to be prepared. He couldn't take any risks where his brother was concerned. Walking back to the car he smiled at the younger man and they drove off.
*****
The car stopped in front of a wall made from meteor rocks and debris. Clarence got out and motioned for the driver to go park. He was going to be a while.
It was no easy task for him to do this. Especially alone. Getting close to the wall made him feel sick and depressed. It always had ever since it had been built. He stood about five feet away reading the different names that graced it, etched in the smooth surface, just as he had a thousand times before. During his father's many speeches on behalf of the deceased, he would read them to pass the time. When he got older, and Lionel explained to him that these people had died because of him, he paid closer attention. The ill feeling he got deep inside helped him cope with the thought of causing this unspeakable tragedy. He was interested in who these people were now more than ever. It was a link to his true identity, not the fake one Lionel created for him.
The names Martha and Jonathon Kent jumped out at Lark. The memory of his father speaking their names came to him. He wasn't supposed to be there and had overheard the conversation being discussed between Lionel and two strange men in business suits.
He whispered into the cool air. "Could they be my real parents?" The question was directed to the names as if they would answer him. He heard stories about the people who lived here. Lionel always told him they were nothing but silly rumors. He wondered, if the talk about people with these great powers wasn't true then what was he? Was his whole life a lie too?
A note caught his eye. He grimaced as he reached to pick it up. He was barely able to grab it. His hand started to convulse. The veins were popping to the surface and a green glow surrounded his skin. The fifteen year old panicked. Lark thought he was dying, he was in so much pain. The minute he took the envelope he ran away from the wall.
"What the hell was that?" Clarence spoke to no one in particular but a man answered. "I don't know. What happened?"
Frightened, Lark turned to find his older brother standing with his hands in his pockets staring at him with a worried expression on his face.
"Lex? I wasn't expecting you for another hour."
The older man lifted the corner of his mouth into a little smirk. "Well, I hadn't been in Smallville for quite some time. I wanted to familiarize myself with it again. When I saw the limo I knew you were here early, so I decided to walk on over. Are you feeling ok? You don't look so good."
Clarence shrugged and ran his hand over his face. "I don't know. I always get like this around the wall." He sighed and started walking to Lex. "Our father hasn't been home at all since…" He paused and tried not to cry. Why did the wall always make him feel so damn vulnerable? He took a shuddering breath and continued. "I guess it's a good thing I don't have to see his face. I might want to bash it in."
Lex laid a hand on his shoulder. "You don't mean that." Lark looked up at Lex's face and his older brother saw something very dangerous lurking behind those eyes. Like a storm billowing in the sky.
Lark licked his lips. "I mean every word, Lex. And…just knowing how easy it would be to kill him…"
The fifteen year old's lips curled into a smile then turned into a grimace. "I scare myself sometimes. What I'm capable of. What I can't do because I'm kept on such a fucking short leash that once I'm let loose…I will explode!"
Lex furrowed his brow. Lark's cryptic words were confusing him. "What are you talking about Lark?"
The disturbed man smiled and started walking away backwards. Away from Lex and away from the wall. After he was about fifteen feet away the younger man started to run, pretty fast at first but nothing abnormal.
Lex didn't know what in the world had gotten into him. "LARK! What are you doing!?" He wasn't sure if he had heard him because in a quick burst the boy was gone, leaving Lex running after a cloud of dust in the far distance. Just as soon as Lark disappeared he was next to Lex and tapped him on the shoulder. "Looking for me?"
Lex's eyes grew round and he tried to find his voice. "H-how'd you?"
Lark's smile widened at the look he produced out of Lex. "If only I knew, big brother."
Lex shook his head. "Is this what you wanted to tell me when you called?"
Lark laughed. "Yes. You don't even know how good it feels to tell someone. I've been harboring this damn secret my whole life. I had to let you know so you would understand why Lionel had Angel taken out of my life. I told her my secret and Lionel found out." He paused at the thought of Lionel taking Lex away too.
Lex swallowed hard. "Ok, so he doesn't want people to find out about your secret? Is that….all you can do?"
Lark looked around to see if anyone was watching. There were a few people coming towards them. "I can't show you here. You are just going to have to trust me, Lex. I wouldn't lie to you. Not about this."
Lex nodded and turned to walk back to the car. "Lets go some place we can talk. I have a lot of questions and if you want my help, you are going to have to answer every single one."
The younger brother smiled. "Thank you, Lex. I'll just tell the driver to leave me for a few hours."
Lex looked at the limo and shook his head. "No, why don't you tell him to leave permanently? I will drive you back to Metropolis myself."
Lark wondered at this but didn't ask any questions. "All right. Just give me a second."
While Lark went to talk to the limo driver, Lex went back to the wall. He grabbed some meteor rocks and placed them in his pocket. He had seen what happened to Lark when exposed to them and if Lark ever got out of hand he wanted to be prepared. He couldn't take any risks where his brother was concerned. Walking back to the car he smiled at the younger man and they drove off.
*****