Disclaimer: Smallville doesn't belong to me, none of the characters or series are mine.

Chapter Four: A Ruined Life

When Clark wasn't thinking of ways he could escape, he spent his time remembering the life he so desperately wanted to get back to. He had stopped trying to get answers from the guards; in fact he hadn't spoken at all in days. For a while, he had attempted to keep track of time by his meals, but that had gone up in smoke, when the doctors had decided to keep him in the exam room and they started him on an IV. He figured he was there for at least a week. The only things that kept him sane were his memories. They were also the only things that he knew they could never take away from him. Or so he thought.

Clark lay on his mattress, hoping that everyone he loved was still safe. The door opening suddenly interrupted his thoughts. He was immediately crippled, waiting for the guards to grab him. He had long ago stopped trying to fight them; in the end all he ever got himself was beat about the head. This time after exiting his cell, they made a left turn, instead of right. They took him to a lower level into a large, brightly lit room. They left him and exited the room. After they closed the door, he could no longer feel the effects of the Kryptonite. Though not that meant he felt like himself. He figured because he was surrounded by the Kryptonite so often, he never was at the top of his game; but at least he was fighting for consciousness. As far as he could tell, he was in the room alone, he tried to look beyond the walls, but forgot that they already knew that his powers were useless against lead. Suddenly the door opened again, and again he was paralyzed as he watched a team of people enter the room. Then he saw someone who paralyzed him, without the effect of the Kryptonite.

Dr. Swann entered the room.

"Hello, Kal-el. I hope you have found your accommodations to not be too horrible; but they are unfortunately necessary."

It caught Clark off guard to have someone talk directly to him. He still could not find his voice to respond, even if he had wanted to.

"I thought I would come check out our progress so far. Today, we will be testing the limits of your abilities. This will require a lot of time and cooperation on your part, which of course, you will give us."

In between the tests, and the samples, Clark carefully planned his route of escape. Since they only let him out of the room long enough to let him collapse on the mattress, he figured his best bet was to super speed out while they brought I equipment. Once he got out of the building he knew he would be fine.

The Kent's House

"Mr. Kent, I was wondering if I could talk with you and Mrs. Kent for a few minutes. It's very important." Mr. Kent motioned for Lana and Jason to come in.

"Sure Lana, is everything alright?" Jonathan called for his wife. "Martha!"

After Mrs. Kent joined the group, Lana carefully explained all that had happened to her since that day in Paris. Mr. and Mrs. Kent listened in silence.

"...And when I went down to the caves this morning, and I looked at the symbol, it understood what it meant. The symbol is my name. That day in Paris changed me; those other symbols in the cave mean something. Something that is about both Kal-el and—Oh! I...I mean both Clark and I. I'm sorry; I don't know why I said that. I feel something between us...like I am connected to him." Lana hadn't realized the truth, until she had spoken it, but she knew it was the truth.