Chapter 12: Goodbye To You
*****
Martha, Jonathan and Pete stood outside the window pane staring inside intently as the two prepared for surgery. Lana calmly put on her face mask and nodded to Dr. Klein's instructions as he spoke. When the good doctor asked one of them to assist him, she immediately volunteered. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be the one to be there for him, even if it meant watching the man she loved be cut open. Lana pulled the green kryptonite out of the lead cabinet and gently placed them on the markers that Dr. Klein had made out of chalk on the floor. She grimaced when she saw Clark's reaction - his vitals dropped slightly. Dr. Klein brought his cart next to the patient as Lana scrubbed up. Jonathan and Pete watched on in silence, but Martha buried her face in her husband's chest and began to shake. Mr. Kent stroked her hair and shoulder and gently rocked her against him.
Just as the doctor injected Clark with an epidural, Lex walked through the door and joined them, his face slightly flushed
"How is it going?" he asked.
"They're just about to start," Pete replied, not once taking his eyes off his Clark.
Lex bit his lip and looked nervously inside. The kryptonite made him uneasy but it was the only way they could get through Clark's skin. He prayed silently as the Dr. Klein reached for the scalpel. Just as the blade was about to make contact, Clark broke out of his fugue, his head snapping up as his body pulled into an upright position.
"Clark? Clark? Can you hear me?" Lana asked.
Clark looked toward his left and stared into the wall, his breathing returning to normal. "It's calling me..." he whispered.
Dr. Klein and Lana looked at each other, puzzled for a moment before Clark shot straight through the wall. The mansion shook as Clark burst through wall after wall, leaving a trail of large holes and debris in his wake. Lana quickly scrambled off the floor and looked through, just in time to see him disappear into the far horizon.
"CLARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed.
"What the hell was that??" Lex asked incredulously as the group entered the operating room and stared at where Clark had made his conspicuous exit. All their mouths were agape until Lana spoke.
"He said it was calling to him..."
"What was calling to him?!?" Martha shouted in hysterics.
They all looked at each in confusion until Jonathan realized where he had gone. His trail pointed straight back toward the farm.
"The ship..."
*****
They piled into two of Lex's sports cars, Lex at the helm of one, Pete, the other, as they raced down the road toward the Kents' farmhouse. The sun had set but on the horizon, a white glowing could be seen blinking in the distance. The wind picked up and the earth began to shake. When they finally arrived, they found Clark sprawled on the ground where the cellar once stood. The structure had been blown apart, the ship now floating above what was left, an almost blinding light being emitted in every direction. They exited the cars and walked towards it but the wind it was generating kept them at bay. Instead they took cover behind the cars and watched on helplessly as the craft pointed itself toward Clark.
"What's happening? I can't see!" Martha yelled.
They all tried to peer over the car but the dust and dirt blowing around them obscured their vision. Clark bellowed as the ship began to vibrate, a loud pulsing buzz assailing their ears. The pulses throbbed with increasing frequency like contractions inside the womb. Three flashes of light followed before the ship parked itself firmly back on the ground and the dust began to settle.
They all immediately ran towards Clark and desperately tried to revive him. His eyes slowly opened as he saw the faces of his friends and family looking down at him. Lana looked down at Clark's belly and promptly covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Clark's gaze followed hers - the unsightly bulge was gone. He shot up and looked around, wondering where his baby was - the others followed suit.
Suddenly a loud metal clank was heard as the cockpit of the ship slowly opened. Sitting inside was a plump giggling baby, her head turning side to side, taking in her surroundings. There was a light glow from the cockpit window, making the hazy image of the child very angelic. Her skin was smooth, her eyes big, round, a hazel/green colour. She was strangely calm for a newborn, though her mouth was slightly open and drool dripped down the side of her mouth. Clark grasped Lana's hand as they ventured slowly toward their baby, their eyes locked on their daughter. She looked straight at them as if she knew and smiled a toothless grin. Martha and Jonathan hugged and Pete and Lex looked at each other with amazement.
However, their joy quickly turned to fear and confusion. When they got within a foot of touching their newborn baby, Clark and Lana were thrust upon the ground by a powerful unseen force. Suddenly the ship began to power up once again. The group stopped celebrating as a short, loud screech permeated the air, causing everyone to hold their ears. The ship rose off the ground and began to waver from side to side. Baby Kent looked back at them one last time before the cockpit closed on top of her and the ship began to turn away and up toward the sky. The ship began to hum once again.
"NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" they all screamed as the unthinkable occurred. The ship stayed still for what seemed like an eternity as the hum became more and more deafening - the vibrations shook the ground, causing shockwaves in the earth before shooting up into the sky and disappearing behind the clouds with a thunderous roar. They looked up at the sky, mouths agape, tears in their eyes, disbelief in their minds and undaunting anguish in their hearts.
Lex's pager went off, but in their reverie, no one noticed and if they did, they would not have cared. All their hope in the world had just evaporated into the night sky. Lex looked down at his pager display and saw three simple words. "It is done." He sank to the ground, his tears cascading even more as he clasped his head in his hands.
*****
Thirty miles away on the highway leading to Metropolis, a single black limousine sat parked on the shoulder. Its windows broken, its seats and occupants soaked with blood. The driver lay slumped against the wheel, his passenger reclining in the backseat, his hair defiled a deep shade of crimson. Lionel Luthor swallowed painfully and whispered, "Lex...." before gasping his last breath.
*****
THE END
*****
Martha, Jonathan and Pete stood outside the window pane staring inside intently as the two prepared for surgery. Lana calmly put on her face mask and nodded to Dr. Klein's instructions as he spoke. When the good doctor asked one of them to assist him, she immediately volunteered. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be the one to be there for him, even if it meant watching the man she loved be cut open. Lana pulled the green kryptonite out of the lead cabinet and gently placed them on the markers that Dr. Klein had made out of chalk on the floor. She grimaced when she saw Clark's reaction - his vitals dropped slightly. Dr. Klein brought his cart next to the patient as Lana scrubbed up. Jonathan and Pete watched on in silence, but Martha buried her face in her husband's chest and began to shake. Mr. Kent stroked her hair and shoulder and gently rocked her against him.
Just as the doctor injected Clark with an epidural, Lex walked through the door and joined them, his face slightly flushed
"How is it going?" he asked.
"They're just about to start," Pete replied, not once taking his eyes off his Clark.
Lex bit his lip and looked nervously inside. The kryptonite made him uneasy but it was the only way they could get through Clark's skin. He prayed silently as the Dr. Klein reached for the scalpel. Just as the blade was about to make contact, Clark broke out of his fugue, his head snapping up as his body pulled into an upright position.
"Clark? Clark? Can you hear me?" Lana asked.
Clark looked toward his left and stared into the wall, his breathing returning to normal. "It's calling me..." he whispered.
Dr. Klein and Lana looked at each other, puzzled for a moment before Clark shot straight through the wall. The mansion shook as Clark burst through wall after wall, leaving a trail of large holes and debris in his wake. Lana quickly scrambled off the floor and looked through, just in time to see him disappear into the far horizon.
"CLARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed.
"What the hell was that??" Lex asked incredulously as the group entered the operating room and stared at where Clark had made his conspicuous exit. All their mouths were agape until Lana spoke.
"He said it was calling to him..."
"What was calling to him?!?" Martha shouted in hysterics.
They all looked at each in confusion until Jonathan realized where he had gone. His trail pointed straight back toward the farm.
"The ship..."
*****
They piled into two of Lex's sports cars, Lex at the helm of one, Pete, the other, as they raced down the road toward the Kents' farmhouse. The sun had set but on the horizon, a white glowing could be seen blinking in the distance. The wind picked up and the earth began to shake. When they finally arrived, they found Clark sprawled on the ground where the cellar once stood. The structure had been blown apart, the ship now floating above what was left, an almost blinding light being emitted in every direction. They exited the cars and walked towards it but the wind it was generating kept them at bay. Instead they took cover behind the cars and watched on helplessly as the craft pointed itself toward Clark.
"What's happening? I can't see!" Martha yelled.
They all tried to peer over the car but the dust and dirt blowing around them obscured their vision. Clark bellowed as the ship began to vibrate, a loud pulsing buzz assailing their ears. The pulses throbbed with increasing frequency like contractions inside the womb. Three flashes of light followed before the ship parked itself firmly back on the ground and the dust began to settle.
They all immediately ran towards Clark and desperately tried to revive him. His eyes slowly opened as he saw the faces of his friends and family looking down at him. Lana looked down at Clark's belly and promptly covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Clark's gaze followed hers - the unsightly bulge was gone. He shot up and looked around, wondering where his baby was - the others followed suit.
Suddenly a loud metal clank was heard as the cockpit of the ship slowly opened. Sitting inside was a plump giggling baby, her head turning side to side, taking in her surroundings. There was a light glow from the cockpit window, making the hazy image of the child very angelic. Her skin was smooth, her eyes big, round, a hazel/green colour. She was strangely calm for a newborn, though her mouth was slightly open and drool dripped down the side of her mouth. Clark grasped Lana's hand as they ventured slowly toward their baby, their eyes locked on their daughter. She looked straight at them as if she knew and smiled a toothless grin. Martha and Jonathan hugged and Pete and Lex looked at each other with amazement.
However, their joy quickly turned to fear and confusion. When they got within a foot of touching their newborn baby, Clark and Lana were thrust upon the ground by a powerful unseen force. Suddenly the ship began to power up once again. The group stopped celebrating as a short, loud screech permeated the air, causing everyone to hold their ears. The ship rose off the ground and began to waver from side to side. Baby Kent looked back at them one last time before the cockpit closed on top of her and the ship began to turn away and up toward the sky. The ship began to hum once again.
"NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" they all screamed as the unthinkable occurred. The ship stayed still for what seemed like an eternity as the hum became more and more deafening - the vibrations shook the ground, causing shockwaves in the earth before shooting up into the sky and disappearing behind the clouds with a thunderous roar. They looked up at the sky, mouths agape, tears in their eyes, disbelief in their minds and undaunting anguish in their hearts.
Lex's pager went off, but in their reverie, no one noticed and if they did, they would not have cared. All their hope in the world had just evaporated into the night sky. Lex looked down at his pager display and saw three simple words. "It is done." He sank to the ground, his tears cascading even more as he clasped his head in his hands.
*****
Thirty miles away on the highway leading to Metropolis, a single black limousine sat parked on the shoulder. Its windows broken, its seats and occupants soaked with blood. The driver lay slumped against the wheel, his passenger reclining in the backseat, his hair defiled a deep shade of crimson. Lionel Luthor swallowed painfully and whispered, "Lex...." before gasping his last breath.
*****
THE END