Dashel Garnett is an everyman: nothing special, nothing spectacular, and nothing peculiar. He watched, listened and learned. He always sat in the middle of the class. He answered when called on- usually with the right answer. He was an A/B student with a C filtering in from time to time. He was not even a friend of Clark Kent's or Pete Ross's. He was a year behind them in school.
However, Dashel had known for a while that CK was different from just about everyone else. When Dashel was in Kindergarten, he had seen a known bully get thrown out of a first grade classroom. CK was standing inside the door with a determined look on his face. Pete was standing at his side scared and worried. Similar unexplained occurrences had happened throughout Clark's school career.
The real reason Dashel was here had to do with his cousin. It was her night to close at the Beanery. Dashel's mom had volunteered him to walk her to her car since his family lived around the corner. He walked into a scene from a horror movie. His cousin was being pushed by some psycho into the street. The street itself was bad enough, but worse a semi was barreling down the road at her. CK appeared out of thin air, tackled her, and covered her with his own body. Shock cemented Dashel to the sidewalk. He knew he had just watched his cousin die. Miraculously, CK stood up with his jacket smoldering hugging his very alive and bewildered cousin. Then CK ran after the psycho and caught him. It was amazing.
Realization of just how different CK was, landed on Dashel as if the semi had hit him. He also came to the conclusion that his family owed the Kents big time.
So, when Pete had discreetly asked around for help; Dashel discreetly said yes.
Now here he was waiting for his mark to show up for the party. A boisterous shout signaled Lex Luthor's entrance into the hangar. Eerily quiet, Lana followed. Dashel glanced at Sullivan, she nodded and they crept out of the office. They duck walked behind the remains of the counter. They checked their respective tasers and bolted towards Lex and Lana.
The sight before them quickened their resolve. Both Clarks were down and most likely dead. Rivulets of blood snaked across the floor. Coldly, Lex shot Pete three times point blank. Dashel and Sullivan hastened their movements until they were directly behind the billionaire and the cheerleader. Tasers placed into the backs of the traitorous pair; they zapped them into oblivion.
Pete and Clark had figured that Lex would use Kryptonite to take down the Clarks. They had not considered that piece of Kryptonite though. Lana, it seems, had broken off a piece on the way back from the field. Sullivan bent down to Lana's prone form and removed the necklace. She snapped it shut. She moved to where Pete and CK had dropped while Dashel checked on Clark.
As feared, both Clarks appeared quite dead; Pete on the other hand, was gasping for air. Sullivan checked him over quickly, no blood. She smiled. Three shots point blank right into the vest.
"Thank you," she whispered looking up. "Are you able to get up?" She asked a little louder.
Pete shook his head. Sullivan patted him on the shoulder, "Let me get CK and Clark to the ship along with this," she held up the necklace, "and I will come back to help you. Hang on, we're almost there Pete."
Others had been positioned around the hangar; they came out of hiding with their makeshift gurneys. Quickly, they lifted Clark and CK onto them and rolled them to the back of the hangar. Sullivan threw the necklace to Dashel.
"You know what to do!"
Dashel nodded in response and ran after the others.
Clark and Pete had devised a back-up plan. Chloe, Dashel, Sullivan and a few others had made a grocery run to an army/navy surplus store while Clark was in China. They purchased tasers, a vest, and some zip ties; so far very wise investments.
Sullivan bound Lex and turned her attention to Lana. As she grabbed Lana's hands, something poked her in the head. She deliberately and slowly turned to face the business end of a modified assault weapon. Lex's security force had silently entered the hangar. She noticed others being round up inside the hangar including Chloe. The soldiers were herding the group to her and Pete's position in the middle of the hangar bay. At least, Clark and CK were still safe.
Sullivan watched with some amount of concern as Chloe stumbled her way across the floor. Her health was really started to deteriorate. Chloe gave a weak smile in return.
"I decoyed the security boys. Both Clark and CK are hopefully hidden in the shed." she whispered to Sullivan.
Chloe was supposed to stay hidden and out of the way. That had gone right out the window when she saw the pair wheeled out of the hangar. Her muscles were constantly aching as was her head. She was in no condition to help. However, she was determined to follow and hobbled after the twin gurneys. She just was not quick enough; when she reached the back door, a security force was slinking along the side of the building. She decided to decoy them instead which led her back into the hangar. She was now Chloe, girl hostage. That she could do quite easily.
Lex regained consciousness while Cotterall cut his hands free.
"Do you have them?"
"Who Mr. Luthor?" Cotterall asked.
"CK and Clark!" He looked around frustrated. "They were incapacitated!" Lex was now shouting.
"They were gone when we got here. We are expanding our search to the out lying buildings. We'll have them soon." He stated evenly. "They couldn't have gotten off the base."
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"OK, let's get this done," said Dashel as they maneuvered into the small shed. "Freddie retrieve the key. Sarah get the rocks ready." He looked down into the faces of both Clarks, "This has got to work."
Dashel placed the key into CK's hand. "All right, expose the rocks!"
Sarah opened the box and the locket. The key shot out of CK's hand and into the slot on the ship. The ship hummed and then it glowed. A blinding light eschewed forth enveloping the room and all of its occupants. The ship started whining louder; a second more powerful wave of energy shot out knocking everyone off their feet. With the second blast, the portal altered Kryptonite turned clear. It also flung Clark and CK off the gurneys. Their bodies convulsed on the floor until the last flicker of energy ceased. Then the small ship returned to its normal dormant state.
CK sat up first; looked around the small room until his eyes fell upon his mirror image lying on the floor across from him. He let out a yell as others in the room picked themselves up. He scrambled backwards until he hit the wall never taking his eyes off Clark.
"I thought you were gone!"
A pair of hands grabbed his head. "It's OK, that's not Kal-El."
He looked at the kid wide-eyed. "CK, his name is Clark. He came to help you; he saved your life."
"Who are all of you?"
"I'm Dashel Garnett. That's Sarah Conroy…Well introductions can come later. All you need to know is that we are here to help." Dashel looked at Freddie. "How's Clark?"
"He's coming around now," Freddie called back.
Clark opened his eyes to a figure hovering above him. As he regained his focus, the figure, he realized, was not familiar.
"You're not Pete." He scowled, "And you're definitely not Chloe either."
The figure snickered, "No, I'm Freddie. How are you feeling?"
"Crappy with a side of putrid." Clark tried to sit up. It was the wrong move; the whole room listed to the side. Clark closed his eyes and waited until the dizziness subsided.
A knock at the shed's door made everyone jump. A girl slipped quickly and quietly inside the room.
"Lex's men are searching for you two," she reported a bit out of breath.
Clark and CK glanced at each other. Clark's gambit had paid off. Unfortunately, that meant his hunch had been right. Lex had betrayed them. With a large intake of air, he delivered the news of the betrayal and a short synopsis of what was going on to CK.
"Your memory will start to filter through, just be ready for it. All these people are you friends and can be trusted."
Clark felt the element still in his pocket. "Here, this belongs to you." He handed it to his counterpart.
CK just stared at it for a moment then put it in his own pocket. That quest would have to wait until later. He looked around, much later.
After the synopsis, the girl continued. "Everyone is being held in the hangar. There are about 8 to 10 guards outside and 10 or more searching the buildings. I don't know how many are inside."
"Thanks," Clark sat up. He was not up to par. The ship had healed the physical injury but its energy was still of this universe. It definitely had sped up its deleterious effects upon him. His head and muscles were outright hurting now.
"CK, you are going to have to take the guards on the outside. I will head to the hangar and stall." Clark stared through the wall. "There are 12 guards in there." He shook his head as the headache spiked. "Using my powers is really taking a toll on me."
CK looked confounded.
"I'm from an alternate universe. This one and I are not getting along quite as nicely as I would like. My Chloe and I will have to leave soon." He rolled his head around on his shoulders, "I have a job to finish first, though."
Clark stood up and dusted himself off. "Although, if I look anything like you do," he said gesturing to their faces, "we should scare the crap out of them no problem."
CK smiled. With the blood caked all over, they were definitely the gruesome twosome. CK stood up and dusted himself off.
"Let's finish this."
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A/N: Alrighty here we go! Please review!