Chapter Seventeen
Linda took a right hook from Clark. The punch cost her a fraction of a second and in that time Clark got his hands around her throat. Furious at this lapse on her part, Linda reached up, grabbed his hair and rammed his head down even as she shot her knee up into his face.
Clark went down and she was on top of him. Linda laced her hands together in a ball, about to smash it against Clark's face. Using all his strength, he threw her away mid - punch.
She rolled on the dirt as she got up, a bit frustrated that she didn't get to perform her attack very well. He's surprisingly as fast and as strong as herself.
Clark's been battling it out with Linda but he regarded that fact that she's got quite a stamina and strength for an ordinary girl. But then again, Clark had established to himself that Linda is anything but ordinary.
The fact that they share the same powers didn't escape Clark's observation. Some of the mutated people he fought way back would usually manifest bruises and cuts due to his powerful assaults. Though with Linda, those signs are no where to be seen.
Except for her deep in take of breaths, which is the only sign of her exhaustion, she doesn't appear to be seriously hurt or battered from his kicks and punches. Linda seems to be invulnerable.
Her super speed also mystified Clark. He has never encountered or fought any mutated beings that equaled his speed.
Linda did a cartwheel, kicking Clark in the process. She lashed out with her fist at him, but he was wiry and quick and very hard to hit. With his lighting reflexes, Clark was able to defend himself from Linda.
She knew very well Clark's technique. He waits for her to attack and when she already gave her all and is tired of all the maneuvers she's got to deliver, that's the time that Clark would go in for the kill.
"Clever," She reckoned, keeping her guard. "Very clever indeed."
Not wanting to be out witted by Clark again, Linda distanced herself from him by back flipping a few feet away from him as soon as she was finished with her attack.
As expected, he did insert a punch, but luckily for Linda, she got away from that spot near him.
Change of plan. Linda realized that the only way she would gain the upper hand in this battle is when her enemy would be in a helpless or vulnerable position.
She ascends into the air, one knee raised towards her chest as she gazed down on him. An assault from the air would be a great idea.
"Impressive." Clark thought, his mind racing to come up with something to counter her. "Now let see if I can impress her."
He squinted his eyes, as Linda prepared to swoop down on him for a punch. Red glowing laser like lights shot from his blue eyes, targeting Linda. The red laser passed almost an inch away from her head, thankfully, and hit the rusty metal railings of the old foundry. Sparks bursts upon its contact with the metal.
Stunned by Clark's display of power, Linda covered her head with her hands as she hovered, fearing that the laser had burned a straight line on her hair and scalp.
She touched the top of her head and was delighted to know that it wasn't burned. She's lucky that Clark's still getting used to the power. On with the battle.
Clark fired another round of those lethal heat/laser visions for his enemy. Linda realized that she must find something to protect herself. She soared higher up close to the foundry's roof while dodging the lasers firing from below her.
Using her resourcefulness, Linda tore a heavy metallic pipe that was ones a portion of the series of metal pipes that were attached at the roof. She used the pipe to shield herself from the powerful lasers emitted by Clark. The pipe was understandably brittle because of its old age thus she feared that it wouldn't hold out much longer. Sooner or later due to the constant blasting by Clark, the pipe would give and get destroyed.
Linda plunged downward holding the metallic pipe, towards Clark, avoiding the lasers at the same time.
Clark could read her move, she would use the pipe to her advantage. She would use it as a weapon to take him down.
As predicted, she swung the heavy pipe for Clark. He automatically used his speed to avoid being hit. Unfortunately, Linda anticipated the move and swung the pipe around and bashed him on the torso.
Clark groaned in pain as the pipe and his body made contact before his back finally collided with the already cracked concrete wall. Bits and pieces of concrete crumbled down on him.
Pain crept throughout his body after a while. He struggled to get back on his feet after the fall. Then he remembered Lana. Clark shot a glance on Lana's lifeless body lying on the dirt.
He figured that if he fails to apprehend Linda in this fight, then Lana's fate and the entire town of Smallville would be in trouble. Clark wouldn't and couldn't let that happen.
No, not to Smallville, not to his friends, not to his family and not to Lana. Even if it means to put to death the girl he has fallen in love with.
Linda released the pipe from her clutches and floated higher.
"Had enough?" She chaffed hands on hips in the air.
Clark returned his stare at Linda who had an evil sneer plastered on her lips. She may look utterly adorable in that cheerleading uniform that she had on, but it still doesn't change the fact that she's evil in Clark's eyes.
His eyes felt hot, not because it was about to spill out tears, but because his heat/laser vision threatened to blast out from it. "Why is he doing this?" She asked herself, watching Clark's pitiful form. "Why does he have to look so gorgeously vulnerable?"
Linda was ready to strike again. When unexpectedly, Clark blasted his laser and it hit her hard. It sent her crashing to the dusty broken window and out of the foundry. The remaining glass shattered while Linda fell flat on her back.
The faint sound of dried leaves getting crushed under her shoes sounded, as she worked hard to stand up on her feet again. The air was misty and a bit creepy outside the abandoned foundry. A wolf's loud howl from a distance added to the frightening cries of a thousand crickets in the dark. Only the eerie moon illuminated the dark midnight sky.
"Geez," Linda thought gazing around the place. "All that are missing here are vampires and demons and this could very well be a setting for that weird TV show."
She looked up from the window where she fell out from. It was quite high. If a mere human fell out from that, chances are he/she wouldn't survive the fall.
With an effortless leap, she cleared the opening of the window and landed on the soft earth inside the foundry. Linda rolled onto the floor, jumped to her feet and brushed herself off.
Linda was shocked to find that the uniform she's wearing was badly scorched on the shoulder area, exposing her skin. She instantly regarded that the heat vision that hit her caused it.
"That's it!" She growled furiously at him.
"What? You're gonna eat your spinach now?" Clark bantered back to Linda.
Nothing had ever unnerved her quite so much as that.
She charged ferociously, leaped into a high spin and brought her leg around in a kick. Linda's heels connected with flesh and bones.
Fist flying, Clark smashed into Linda's face as she lunged for him. The impact threw her to the floor. She felt knees pinning her arms and legs painfully to the ground and a weigh fell across her middle.
"I'll make you a deal." Clark uttered panting, leaning closer to Linda with his beautiful sad blue eyes fixed on her furious light blue ones. "Leave Smallville and I'll spare your life."
He couldn't bring himself to kill Linda after everything.
"Not gonna happen. But thanks for playing!" She head butted Clark mightily, enabling her to pull out her arms, as Clark focuses on his pain.
Linda secured his grip on his collar, then punched him on his neck causing him to yelp in pain. Keeping on the offensive, Linda kept punching and kicking until she propelled him away from her. Then she rolled to her feet and dove for him.
"Woman on top." She commented, falling on top of Clark who desperately twisted while trying to get her off.
Linda had to slug him viciously until he was dazed. She jumped to her feet and tossed off Clark like a ragged doll.
In a matter of seconds, Clark was back up rushing for Linda this time. He swung his fist in a punch though she smoothly avoided the strike. She tried to spin away from him but Clark had her, hands on her messed up long blonde hair. Clark then slammed her face into the ground and she was in a split second, dizzy.
Though this maybe the case, she managed to shot an elbow into Clark's face. He let go of his hold on Linda's hair as he reeled backwards.
She gathered back her composure and was ready to fight again.
"Show me what you look like!" Linda threw a solid punch and slapped him hard using the back on the same hand. "Stop hiding behind that face you coward!"
Clark swore he saw tears welling up on Linda's eyes upon saying that. She twirled for a kick on his arm and spun his other leg for a second kick. At this moment, Clark wasn't fighting back. He was simply blocking her every move.
He was bewildered by what he heard. Linda's asking her to show her what he really looks like? Stop hiding behind his face? What was that all about?
Linda dropped to the floor and swiped his leg from under Clark. He fell with a thud on the soiled flooring of the foundry.
She raced for him, dropped to one knee beside Clark. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him a few inches off the floor.
Unleashing a punch she said, "That's for Lena!"
Then a second hard one met his face and to Clark's surprise Linda muttered through clenched teeth, "And that's for making me fall in love with you!"
"In love with me?" He thought, glad that Linda's also feeling the same way, but at the same time heavyhearted.
Just when Clark was having mixed emotions with what Linda confessed just now, someone shrieked for them to stop.
"Stop! Stop!"
They both turned their heads to check who it was, with Linda still clutching him by the shirt.
The shouts were coming from Lena, who bursts running into the foundry's door together with three other people. She's with her half brother Lex Luthor and Clark's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kent.
"Lena, wh-what are you doing here?" Linda released Clark and stood straight. Her gaze traveled to Lex and lastly to the Kent couple. There goes that pang of guilt again.
"Linda, Clark is not your enemy! You've been tricked into believing that he was Lena's attacker." Lex explained joining her sister. "You had the wrong guy."
"Clark's not the monster you're after." Mrs. Kent couldn't control herself from saying. "He-he's just like you."
"What?" She returned her glance to her best friend, who's nodding vigorously. "Wha- what are they talking about?"
Clark meanwhile, got up to his feet and brushed the dirt from his clothes. He mouthed the words 'Mom, Dad' to his parents who were looking directly at him.
"The son of Jor -El, Lyn." Lena exposed with teary eyes. "Clark's the guy you've been looking for all this time."
"No." She whispered under her breath in disbelief to Lena's statement. Linda pivoted her head to examine Clark. "No. He can't be."
Just as Linda, Clark was baffled by what Lena retorted. Though at the mention of his real father's name, Jor - El, he was alarmed for some reason.
"We found Clark the same way the nun at the orphanage found you," Mrs. Kent held her husband's hand tightly. Reliving that moment brought tears in her eyes. "He came with the meteor shower, in a ship. Just like you did."
Linda cracked a small smile, shaking her head, telling herself that it's not true, "No."
She ran her fingers through her hair, all sorts of emotions and thoughts raging deep within her.
"The bracelet. You told me that that alone can confirm his identity." Lena reminder her friend. She dug on her pocket for the bracelet and took it out for everyone to see.
The bracelet she now held was glowing strangely. Which means somewhere in that place is a piece of the Omegahedron. But where?
Lena threw the bracelet to Linda and she caught it on mid air. She stared at the markings.
"Give me your hand." Linda requested Clark, who moved a little closer and willingly offered her his hand.
She approached him and rested the glowing bracelet on Clark's palm. With her help, he slowly closed his hand.
All at ones, a powerful light leaked from the spaces in between Clark's fingers. It's happening.
Linda covered her mouth with her hands in utter shock. When the light seized to glow, Clark opened his hand and revealed the still glowing bracelet.
She picked it up and checked for the markings. It has changed. The portion where it said 'The Son of Jor - El' in Kryptonian is now erased from the accessory. Task number one has been completed.
"Kal - El." Linda managed to utter as tears began escaping from her eyes. "It's you."
Clark was a bit confused on how Linda knew what his real name is. She knew who he is. And what about that part where his Mom said that Linda also came to earth at the time of the meteor shower? Also on a ship?
She abruptly wrapped her arms around Clark's shoulders. Linda was crying for some reason and Clark knew that those tears are not tears of sadness but tears of happiness.
Then it occurred to him, if Linda came to earth just like he did, then- could it be possible that she's just like him? They are of the same origin, the same kind. A fellow Kryptonian.
Clark found himself hugging her back. All this time he was made to believe that he was the last survivor of the planet Krypton. But now, here's the proof enveloped in his arms, that he's not alone. No - not anymore.
Lena and Mrs. Kent cried with them in joy. Lex and Mr. Kent were delighted with the news as they watched the two.
Without warning, suddenly, a strong powerful force lifted Lex, Lena, Mr. and Mrs. Kent to their feet and was violently thrown out of the foundry. Someone or something doesn't want them to be there.
Clark and Linda broke the hug as they watched helplessly with what happened to their loved ones.
"I was enjoying the show." A female voice spoke from the dark corner of the foundry. "I loved the way you two tried on killing each other. So priceless, so exciting, so invigorating."
Standing on their ground, they awaited for the owner of the voice to step out of the dark and reveal her identity.
"No thanks to those freaks, now I have to take down both of you." She finished. They could hear her heels crushing the rocks from the ground as she started to walk towards them.
Slowly she came into the open. Shocked registered on Clark and Linda's face.
"Lana?"
Linda took a right hook from Clark. The punch cost her a fraction of a second and in that time Clark got his hands around her throat. Furious at this lapse on her part, Linda reached up, grabbed his hair and rammed his head down even as she shot her knee up into his face.
Clark went down and she was on top of him. Linda laced her hands together in a ball, about to smash it against Clark's face. Using all his strength, he threw her away mid - punch.
She rolled on the dirt as she got up, a bit frustrated that she didn't get to perform her attack very well. He's surprisingly as fast and as strong as herself.
Clark's been battling it out with Linda but he regarded that fact that she's got quite a stamina and strength for an ordinary girl. But then again, Clark had established to himself that Linda is anything but ordinary.
The fact that they share the same powers didn't escape Clark's observation. Some of the mutated people he fought way back would usually manifest bruises and cuts due to his powerful assaults. Though with Linda, those signs are no where to be seen.
Except for her deep in take of breaths, which is the only sign of her exhaustion, she doesn't appear to be seriously hurt or battered from his kicks and punches. Linda seems to be invulnerable.
Her super speed also mystified Clark. He has never encountered or fought any mutated beings that equaled his speed.
Linda did a cartwheel, kicking Clark in the process. She lashed out with her fist at him, but he was wiry and quick and very hard to hit. With his lighting reflexes, Clark was able to defend himself from Linda.
She knew very well Clark's technique. He waits for her to attack and when she already gave her all and is tired of all the maneuvers she's got to deliver, that's the time that Clark would go in for the kill.
"Clever," She reckoned, keeping her guard. "Very clever indeed."
Not wanting to be out witted by Clark again, Linda distanced herself from him by back flipping a few feet away from him as soon as she was finished with her attack.
As expected, he did insert a punch, but luckily for Linda, she got away from that spot near him.
Change of plan. Linda realized that the only way she would gain the upper hand in this battle is when her enemy would be in a helpless or vulnerable position.
She ascends into the air, one knee raised towards her chest as she gazed down on him. An assault from the air would be a great idea.
"Impressive." Clark thought, his mind racing to come up with something to counter her. "Now let see if I can impress her."
He squinted his eyes, as Linda prepared to swoop down on him for a punch. Red glowing laser like lights shot from his blue eyes, targeting Linda. The red laser passed almost an inch away from her head, thankfully, and hit the rusty metal railings of the old foundry. Sparks bursts upon its contact with the metal.
Stunned by Clark's display of power, Linda covered her head with her hands as she hovered, fearing that the laser had burned a straight line on her hair and scalp.
She touched the top of her head and was delighted to know that it wasn't burned. She's lucky that Clark's still getting used to the power. On with the battle.
Clark fired another round of those lethal heat/laser visions for his enemy. Linda realized that she must find something to protect herself. She soared higher up close to the foundry's roof while dodging the lasers firing from below her.
Using her resourcefulness, Linda tore a heavy metallic pipe that was ones a portion of the series of metal pipes that were attached at the roof. She used the pipe to shield herself from the powerful lasers emitted by Clark. The pipe was understandably brittle because of its old age thus she feared that it wouldn't hold out much longer. Sooner or later due to the constant blasting by Clark, the pipe would give and get destroyed.
Linda plunged downward holding the metallic pipe, towards Clark, avoiding the lasers at the same time.
Clark could read her move, she would use the pipe to her advantage. She would use it as a weapon to take him down.
As predicted, she swung the heavy pipe for Clark. He automatically used his speed to avoid being hit. Unfortunately, Linda anticipated the move and swung the pipe around and bashed him on the torso.
Clark groaned in pain as the pipe and his body made contact before his back finally collided with the already cracked concrete wall. Bits and pieces of concrete crumbled down on him.
Pain crept throughout his body after a while. He struggled to get back on his feet after the fall. Then he remembered Lana. Clark shot a glance on Lana's lifeless body lying on the dirt.
He figured that if he fails to apprehend Linda in this fight, then Lana's fate and the entire town of Smallville would be in trouble. Clark wouldn't and couldn't let that happen.
No, not to Smallville, not to his friends, not to his family and not to Lana. Even if it means to put to death the girl he has fallen in love with.
Linda released the pipe from her clutches and floated higher.
"Had enough?" She chaffed hands on hips in the air.
Clark returned his stare at Linda who had an evil sneer plastered on her lips. She may look utterly adorable in that cheerleading uniform that she had on, but it still doesn't change the fact that she's evil in Clark's eyes.
His eyes felt hot, not because it was about to spill out tears, but because his heat/laser vision threatened to blast out from it. "Why is he doing this?" She asked herself, watching Clark's pitiful form. "Why does he have to look so gorgeously vulnerable?"
Linda was ready to strike again. When unexpectedly, Clark blasted his laser and it hit her hard. It sent her crashing to the dusty broken window and out of the foundry. The remaining glass shattered while Linda fell flat on her back.
The faint sound of dried leaves getting crushed under her shoes sounded, as she worked hard to stand up on her feet again. The air was misty and a bit creepy outside the abandoned foundry. A wolf's loud howl from a distance added to the frightening cries of a thousand crickets in the dark. Only the eerie moon illuminated the dark midnight sky.
"Geez," Linda thought gazing around the place. "All that are missing here are vampires and demons and this could very well be a setting for that weird TV show."
She looked up from the window where she fell out from. It was quite high. If a mere human fell out from that, chances are he/she wouldn't survive the fall.
With an effortless leap, she cleared the opening of the window and landed on the soft earth inside the foundry. Linda rolled onto the floor, jumped to her feet and brushed herself off.
Linda was shocked to find that the uniform she's wearing was badly scorched on the shoulder area, exposing her skin. She instantly regarded that the heat vision that hit her caused it.
"That's it!" She growled furiously at him.
"What? You're gonna eat your spinach now?" Clark bantered back to Linda.
Nothing had ever unnerved her quite so much as that.
She charged ferociously, leaped into a high spin and brought her leg around in a kick. Linda's heels connected with flesh and bones.
Fist flying, Clark smashed into Linda's face as she lunged for him. The impact threw her to the floor. She felt knees pinning her arms and legs painfully to the ground and a weigh fell across her middle.
"I'll make you a deal." Clark uttered panting, leaning closer to Linda with his beautiful sad blue eyes fixed on her furious light blue ones. "Leave Smallville and I'll spare your life."
He couldn't bring himself to kill Linda after everything.
"Not gonna happen. But thanks for playing!" She head butted Clark mightily, enabling her to pull out her arms, as Clark focuses on his pain.
Linda secured his grip on his collar, then punched him on his neck causing him to yelp in pain. Keeping on the offensive, Linda kept punching and kicking until she propelled him away from her. Then she rolled to her feet and dove for him.
"Woman on top." She commented, falling on top of Clark who desperately twisted while trying to get her off.
Linda had to slug him viciously until he was dazed. She jumped to her feet and tossed off Clark like a ragged doll.
In a matter of seconds, Clark was back up rushing for Linda this time. He swung his fist in a punch though she smoothly avoided the strike. She tried to spin away from him but Clark had her, hands on her messed up long blonde hair. Clark then slammed her face into the ground and she was in a split second, dizzy.
Though this maybe the case, she managed to shot an elbow into Clark's face. He let go of his hold on Linda's hair as he reeled backwards.
She gathered back her composure and was ready to fight again.
"Show me what you look like!" Linda threw a solid punch and slapped him hard using the back on the same hand. "Stop hiding behind that face you coward!"
Clark swore he saw tears welling up on Linda's eyes upon saying that. She twirled for a kick on his arm and spun his other leg for a second kick. At this moment, Clark wasn't fighting back. He was simply blocking her every move.
He was bewildered by what he heard. Linda's asking her to show her what he really looks like? Stop hiding behind his face? What was that all about?
Linda dropped to the floor and swiped his leg from under Clark. He fell with a thud on the soiled flooring of the foundry.
She raced for him, dropped to one knee beside Clark. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him a few inches off the floor.
Unleashing a punch she said, "That's for Lena!"
Then a second hard one met his face and to Clark's surprise Linda muttered through clenched teeth, "And that's for making me fall in love with you!"
"In love with me?" He thought, glad that Linda's also feeling the same way, but at the same time heavyhearted.
Just when Clark was having mixed emotions with what Linda confessed just now, someone shrieked for them to stop.
"Stop! Stop!"
They both turned their heads to check who it was, with Linda still clutching him by the shirt.
The shouts were coming from Lena, who bursts running into the foundry's door together with three other people. She's with her half brother Lex Luthor and Clark's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kent.
"Lena, wh-what are you doing here?" Linda released Clark and stood straight. Her gaze traveled to Lex and lastly to the Kent couple. There goes that pang of guilt again.
"Linda, Clark is not your enemy! You've been tricked into believing that he was Lena's attacker." Lex explained joining her sister. "You had the wrong guy."
"Clark's not the monster you're after." Mrs. Kent couldn't control herself from saying. "He-he's just like you."
"What?" She returned her glance to her best friend, who's nodding vigorously. "Wha- what are they talking about?"
Clark meanwhile, got up to his feet and brushed the dirt from his clothes. He mouthed the words 'Mom, Dad' to his parents who were looking directly at him.
"The son of Jor -El, Lyn." Lena exposed with teary eyes. "Clark's the guy you've been looking for all this time."
"No." She whispered under her breath in disbelief to Lena's statement. Linda pivoted her head to examine Clark. "No. He can't be."
Just as Linda, Clark was baffled by what Lena retorted. Though at the mention of his real father's name, Jor - El, he was alarmed for some reason.
"We found Clark the same way the nun at the orphanage found you," Mrs. Kent held her husband's hand tightly. Reliving that moment brought tears in her eyes. "He came with the meteor shower, in a ship. Just like you did."
Linda cracked a small smile, shaking her head, telling herself that it's not true, "No."
She ran her fingers through her hair, all sorts of emotions and thoughts raging deep within her.
"The bracelet. You told me that that alone can confirm his identity." Lena reminder her friend. She dug on her pocket for the bracelet and took it out for everyone to see.
The bracelet she now held was glowing strangely. Which means somewhere in that place is a piece of the Omegahedron. But where?
Lena threw the bracelet to Linda and she caught it on mid air. She stared at the markings.
"Give me your hand." Linda requested Clark, who moved a little closer and willingly offered her his hand.
She approached him and rested the glowing bracelet on Clark's palm. With her help, he slowly closed his hand.
All at ones, a powerful light leaked from the spaces in between Clark's fingers. It's happening.
Linda covered her mouth with her hands in utter shock. When the light seized to glow, Clark opened his hand and revealed the still glowing bracelet.
She picked it up and checked for the markings. It has changed. The portion where it said 'The Son of Jor - El' in Kryptonian is now erased from the accessory. Task number one has been completed.
"Kal - El." Linda managed to utter as tears began escaping from her eyes. "It's you."
Clark was a bit confused on how Linda knew what his real name is. She knew who he is. And what about that part where his Mom said that Linda also came to earth at the time of the meteor shower? Also on a ship?
She abruptly wrapped her arms around Clark's shoulders. Linda was crying for some reason and Clark knew that those tears are not tears of sadness but tears of happiness.
Then it occurred to him, if Linda came to earth just like he did, then- could it be possible that she's just like him? They are of the same origin, the same kind. A fellow Kryptonian.
Clark found himself hugging her back. All this time he was made to believe that he was the last survivor of the planet Krypton. But now, here's the proof enveloped in his arms, that he's not alone. No - not anymore.
Lena and Mrs. Kent cried with them in joy. Lex and Mr. Kent were delighted with the news as they watched the two.
Without warning, suddenly, a strong powerful force lifted Lex, Lena, Mr. and Mrs. Kent to their feet and was violently thrown out of the foundry. Someone or something doesn't want them to be there.
Clark and Linda broke the hug as they watched helplessly with what happened to their loved ones.
"I was enjoying the show." A female voice spoke from the dark corner of the foundry. "I loved the way you two tried on killing each other. So priceless, so exciting, so invigorating."
Standing on their ground, they awaited for the owner of the voice to step out of the dark and reveal her identity.
"No thanks to those freaks, now I have to take down both of you." She finished. They could hear her heels crushing the rocks from the ground as she started to walk towards them.
Slowly she came into the open. Shocked registered on Clark and Linda's face.
"Lana?"