Chapter Six: Trying to Regain a Life

Clark had cooperated through all of the tests, and one day, finally took the courage and decided the next chance he got he would go for it.

Most of the scientists had left for the day. They had been testing the limits of his heat vision. He would wait until almost everyone left

There were only a few guards left in the large room, but they weren't paying any attention to him. He was in a corner that was partially out of view. He used his heat vision to melt the door, in order to buy himself some more time before they brought in the Kryptonite. Then he turned and started trying to melt a hole through the lead wall. If he could just weaken it enough he could use what strength he did have and break through. He slammed his body against the wall, just as the guards had rushed over to try and stop him. He couldn't stop now; he was so close. He turned and saw three of them advancing on him. He grabbed a hold of one of the machines that had blocked him from view and hurled it towards them. None of the guards got back up. He finally burst his way through the wall. Immediately he felt the effects of the Kryptonite; but he kept going. He wasn't going to let that stop him, not ever again. Suddenly alarms were going off everywhere, his head was already spinning. Guards were all around him; he was getting weaker with every step.

"If I don't get out now, I never will." Clark said to himself.

He used all the strength he had and used his super speed to get to the top level. He turned a corner and was able to see a door, but as he did, he collapsed. The effects of the Kryptonite were so great that he stayed conscious only long enough to see why.

As the sunlight from the windows shifted in the breeze, he saw green light reflected everywhere. He figured Kryptonite must be embedded in the entire first level. Then he blacked out.

Two months later...

For the first month, Clark woke to a familiar darkness. He wasn't lying on the mattress; he was on the floor. He ached everywhere; he figured they were doing this to punish him for trying to escape. They had purposefully tried to make him as uncomfortable as possible. Whenever he was out of the little room, he was brought to the familiar exam room and tightly strapped to a table where they performed their tests.

Clark no longer resisted them anymore. He couldn't. Eventually, Clark Kent faded, and Kal-el emerged.

After that first month, he was brought back to his cell. He promised himself he would never do anything like that again; at least until he was positive he wouldn't fail.

It was getting harder to remember simple things about his old life, and he tried less and less. He almost wanted to forget; it made living this life easier, not knowing what he was missing.

But there was still one person he couldn't quite remember, or forget. He couldn't remember her name, but her face was always fresh in his memory. She would talk to him and comfort him in his dreams; or when he was lying alone on the mattress trying to think of nothing, he would she her face. She soon became all he thought about; she became his reason for his endurance.