thank yoou guys!
this chapter was like twice as long, but i cut it in half because...well...it was really really long. and i know a few of you will want to kill me for doing this, so sorry in advance. lol
Viren's orb-like eyes opened as wide as they possibly could.
From behind them, Clark could hear the butlers at the tables who noticed the sky's sudden change also.
"Why did the guards outside not warn us about this!"
Guilt pulled at both Clark and Viren when they remembered the charm Emmet had sent the guards' way.
"This is my father's fault…" Viren stated aloud, a hand clasped over his mouth weakly.
"No, it's not. It's my fault. I had a dream that this castle was going to bring harm to us. I knew it was going to happen…" Clark looked around with panic. "If I hadn't been so stupid thinking about how to talk to Lana…"
By now, the music had stopped and many couples were either staring at the sky or rushing off to find some place to hide. The ballroom was filled with whispers and murmurs of worry. None of them knew exactly what was happening, but whatever it was, they knew it wasn't good.
Clark looked around, trying to think of what to do. He eventually turned to Viren.
"Get as many people as possible out of here or at least away from the windows."
"We must make sure you and Mistress Lana are safe – "
"Don't worry about me, okay? I'll take care of Lana. Just get everyone away from the – "
And just then, the pounding poured into Clark's mind like hot lava. He squeezed his eyes shut at the pain it was causing him.
POUND POUND POUND POUND!
SWOOSH!
At this sound, Clark whirled back to look at the windows, which only bore the silhouette of a great black dragon for a few brief moments before the reptile smashed through them effortlessly. Shards of glass shot in every direction. The whole crowd fell to their knees and covered themselves as well as their spouses.
Clark ducked, but still his clothing and skin got caught in the glass storm's evil path. The pain was new to him, and he hoped Lana hadn't gotten it as bad as he did.
The dragon, Diaba, then landed on the hard tiles with a crunch and let out a terrific screech. It's eyes glared around the room hungrily. It seemed as through breaking through one hundred or more panes of glass was a daily routine. The lizard had no injuries on its body whatsoever.
Clark cautiously moved this arms which had been covering his face. He looked up at the beast, not even believing what was actually happening.
From the dragon's arched back Haras emerged, hissing wildly as he slipped down onto the floor. He darted in one direction, searching for prey as Diaba went another.
And from behind them, Clark saw the two beings he'd wish he'd never have to see again: Amon and the Phantom.
'Oh no…please no…there has to be a way out of this…why can't I see it? Why can't I see it!' Clark scanned everywhere, searching for Lana. He had to at least keep her from getting hurt. His mind was buzzing with possible outcomes of his current situation if he didn't find Lana and quick. He cursed whoever stopped his powers from working, knowing full well that if he had them, this situation would feel just like another Freak of the Week experience.
But he didn't have them and instead he felt weak, useless and incredibly stupid.
"So we meet again, Kal-el…" the Phantom said teasingly as it slowly hovered towards Clark.
'Where is she? Where is she! God, why can't think straight!' Sweat began to drip from Clark's forehead. He felt like he was slowly being suffocated. He couldn't hear anything except for the dreaded pounding and the sound of the Phantom's hideous voice. It was one hundred times more terrifying than a dream. This time he couldn't wake up. He had to face this beast that he himself created…with no powers to help.
"Kal-El…""Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Clark covered his ears, still trying to see Lana. It was no use. All he could see were screaming victims…victims of Death itself…each one being taken away horribly by Diaba, Haras, and Amon…
"I told you…you're wasting your time trying to fight this…" As the Phantom advanced, the familiar gusts of wind began grasped at Clark's arms and legs violently. He eventually slipped and fell backwards on the floor, knocking the wind out of himself.
"Oww.." He coughed and grimaced in pain, but continued to use he elbows to drag himself as far away from the Phantom as he could get.
The Phantom began to laugh. It was a harsh, evil laugh that made Clark's blood run cold.
"You are so terribly pitiful, Kal-El…I told you so many times…you don't belong here, you belong with me…and you can either obey me or die right now…a powerless fool…"
"I'd rather die than become something like you."
Lightning-like streaming of light shot out of the Phantom's fingertips, piercing Clark in the chest.
It felt like the light was eating away at his veins and tearing off his skin. He opened his mouth to scream, but this only made the Phantom hit him again. This time the sparks veered into his throat. The feeling was even worse, like a nest of hornets were drilling away at his lungs and mouth.
After a few minutes, the Phantom stopped and began to laugh again. "You're so stupid, Kal-El…Why didn't you obey me when you had the chance! But no matter now…now I will end this…and you will finally know how it feels to die…nice and slow…with no one to mourn your alien soul…"
Clark's breath weezed in and out and his elbows which were holding him up still were now shaking rapidly. He wasn't so sure if his weakened body could take another hit from the Phantom.
Clenching his jaw, Clark begged and pleaded to himself to remember more of what Wakanda had told him…it was the only thing he could think of that would save him now…he closed his eyes…
The Kryptonian symbols he'd seen before flashed across his vision again.
'They mean…under - right - hand? But what's that have to do with me? I don't have anything under my hand except…wait a minute…'
He quickly opened his eyes, looking down at the bloodstained tile on which his hand rested directly in the center.
"Under right hand…" Clark whispered the translation to himself with pride.
The Phantom laughed harder his arms now stretched out, ready to attack once again. He had yet to notice Clark's change in expression.
"Tonight, dear Kal-El, shall be the last night you'll ever remember you're pitiful, wasted life…or you're equally useless little…'princess'…"
At that last unallowable statement, Clark mercilessly balled his left hand into a great fist and jammed it into the tile under his right hand. The tile crumbled and gave way into a small chamber underneath. Clark eagerly stuck his hand inside and felt something metal and cold.
Impatiently he lifted his hand out of the hole. The first thing he noticed was that his hand was bleeding badly from the harsh contact it had with the floor. But the next thing he saw, however, was the lengthy and deadly looking sword he clasped now in his palm.
By now, the Phantom had looked down and noticed what Clark had discovered. It's howling laughter stopped almost instantly.
"What – where did you get that?" it asked in a scared and less intimidating tone than before.
Clark pulled a smug grin on his face, almost to the point where he looked possessed.
"I guess you'll never know."
"You can't kill me…" the Phantom stated, though sounding somewhat unsure of himself. "You would never intentionally kill another…"
Clark rose from his place on the floor, blood dripping from the side of his mouth. He moved the sword over to his right hand as he spoke.
"You're right. I wouldn't." He let a brief pause occur before adding, "But you're nothing but a evil, demented piece of fantasy that's been haunting me since I was born. And now it's your time to leave."
With more strength even the regular super-powered teen had had, Clark thrust the sword forward. It jabbed through the Phantom's dark, eerie garments and the ghost shrieked loudly. The wind that had been swirling around Clark was now surrounding it, whipping and yanking at Clark's sword until finally a blast of vapor exploded and the spot in which the Phantom had occupied was now gone.
For a few moments, Clark stood there, trying to comprehend what he'd just done. The thing that had hurt and scared him his whole life was gone forever. He took a few gulps of air and then looked down at his newfound weapon.
The handle was made purely of gold and there were Kryptonian symbols on it. On one side it read: 'truth' and the other: 'justice'. He moved it around in the air. Contrary to all the metal it was made out of, the sword barely weighed anything at all.
"Oh my God! Jake!"
Clark's smile dropped at the screaming he'd just heard. He looked up at where the shouting had happened and his mouth practically fell at the sight.
Jake was lying on the ground unconscious, blood oozing out of two distinct holes pierced in his neck. Lana was kneeled beside him, slapping him on the cheeks softly in a weak attempt to wake him of his stupor.
"Haras…" Clark whispered under his breath.
Quickly he jogged toward them. Lana looked up as he came towards her. When he reached her, he kneeled down and they embraced for a moment.
"That snake jumped out and bit him. I don't know what to do. What if he dies, Clark? What if we all die?"
Tears streamed down her cheeks and Clark brushed them away furiously.
"We aren't going to die, Lana. I promise you."
They looked at he each other for a moment. Clark smiled and then noticed something moving behind her.
"Lana, look out!"
He pushed her out of the way to reveal a lunging Amon aimed straight towards where Lana had originally been. It's teeth were sharp and clearly visible and it's claws are dripping with fresh blood.
Clark gripped the sword in his hand, ready to whack the living daylights out of the second most terrifying thing he had ever faced. He felt perfectly calm and ready…ready to actually kill this thing…
Pound…POUND..POUNDPOUNDPOUNDPOUND!
Amon's eyes swirled and glowed like two hot coals. They seemed to go on endlessly. Clark tried to throw himself off their eerie attraction, but he was slowly being pulled towards them...he couldn't even remember where or who he was…
POUNDPOUNDPOUNDPOUND!
Amon let out one more hideous roar before he collided into Clark.
"CLAAAARK!" Lana shrieked, her hands covered her mouth as she wept endlessly.
The fallen hero landed backwards onto the ground, his once blue eyes now pitch black and glazed over. He looked down at his chest which now felt like a thousand knives tearing at his flesh – there were four deep cuts sliced diagonally through it, created by Amon's claws. Red blood poured from his chest, seeping onto his bright white shirt.
Lana looked on in horror, not sure of what to do. Countless people were injured or dead around her. Jake was gone. Even Clark was gone. There was no one left to protect her…
And Amon was coming back for seconds.