Chapter 16: An End to a Hero's Journey Pt. 1

Kal and Chloe watch as their surroundings literally melt all around them. The evil experimentation lab walls turn soggy, and begin to slide down into a vortex of no return. Chloe holds on to Kal for her life, and his cloak whips around in some unknown wind.

"Kal! What's happening!"

The wind is so loud, that not even Kal can hear Chloe's voice. He watches his surroundings while holding onto Chloe. The walls soon become unrecognizable as they whip around faster and faster, a sudden burst of yellow light slams into Kal and Chloe from far above, while another blast of green light collides from far below. At the same time, a blue stream of light hits them from their left, and a blast of red light impacts in their right sides. Kal screams loudly as the lights cause so much pain, he tries to shield Chloe, but she's also affected by it. She starts to cry as the intense pain makes her muscles spasm. Chloe closes her eyes, but Kal watches as their surroundings change, and shows the Earth moving very fast around the sun, but it's moving backwards. The moon spins so fast, that it only becomes a blur, and Earth continues to spin backwards, until it slows, and then stops. The power blasts disappear, and the last thing Kal remembers is Chloe holding onto him, as the world darkens and Chloe and Kal fall unconscious.

Chloe awakens from unconsciousness. She rubs her eyes to focus on the world around her, and feels a warm sensation on her forehead. She moves her hand, and pulls back blood. She looks around, people all around her. The old laboratory where Kal and she were is now gone, replaced with a familiar building. People stand all around her, and one person, and elderly woman, helps her up.

"Oh my… are you okay, miss? You seemed to fall unconscious."

"Yes, I'm fine, but my friend…" Chloe starts, but looks around. Kal is gone, only a small bloodspot is left, obviously from her own forehead. Chloe looks around frantically, but does not see Kal.

"What friend, miss? You were alone the whole time." The elderly woman says quietly. "Now hurry along, I think the Smallville High School students are going to be here soon for the Luthor-Corp field trip."

Chloe walks slowly with the group, and then walks into an empty elevator. She presses a button, and the door closes. The glass windows show her all of the ground floor of the Luthor-Corp facility, and for a split second, she swears she sees a black flash. Chloe Smiles Slightly, and as the elevator stops, she watches the facility, waiting for the right moment to save her black cloaked friend.

Luthor-Corp Facility- 5 minutes Earlier

Chloe and Kal decelerate their molecules, and fall onto the cold floor of the Luthor-Corp facility. Kal awakens quickly, and in super speed, he gets up, and runs past several people, narrowly missing an elderly old woman, who is slowly turning to see what made the weird sound as they reappeared. Kal hides in the shadows in the back of the Luthor-Corp facility, and suddenly remembers where he is.

He is at the Luthor-Corp Field trip that happened so many years ago. So many years since he saw Alicia's face. So many years since he felt her soft sweet lips against his in a kiss that would last forever. So many years of loneliness… so many days of working to bring peace to Gotham City, and so many nights of crying himself to sleep. Kal lowers his head slowly, and silent tear drops fall to the ground. His super hearing picks up the sound of a rackety old engine… a familiar sound that he used to hear every morning as he went to school. The sound of a rusting bus engine.

He pushes back against the wall and watches Chloe walk into an elevator, it lifts her high above the plaza. The laughter of teenagers roars into the Luthor-Corp plaza, and Kal sees many familiar faces. A younger version of Chloe and Pete, both playfully pushing each other, and then Kal sees Alicia again. Her long, blonde hair moves slightly in the air-conditioned room, and a younger version of himself walks next to her, and even from across the plaza, he can hear Clark's alien heart beat incredibly fast. Kal has missed these feelings for a very long time. He has not felt love in over 7 years, rarely has he felt happiness, and even if he has felt it, it was not because of himself, it was the fact that saving a life meant something, like a sort of repenting his ways, yet he knows there is only one way to do that. And that is to save Alicia. No matter what.

Kal then feels a strange eminence from across the room. Kal watches as another elevator door opens, and Lionel Luthor walks into the plaza. His face shows that he does not want to be here, and for good reason. Kal watches as Alicia whispers something to Clark, and she catches Lionel watching her and Clark. She flips him off, and Clark chuckles slightly. Lionel grinds his teeth, and Kal starts to silently laugh inside himself. Suddenly, something hits Kal in his mind.

You must find the exact right time to fix all this, and to protect the future of me, you, and most importantly, the life and future of our baby.

A flash of the younger version of Chloe's camera sets off that Clark and Alicia have left the building. Kal super speeds outside, and over to a familiar black van. He hears two people inside, both men.

"Think it's time to contact Luthor on the two students?"

"Sure. He will be glad from this news."

Kal suddenly rips open the door, and grabs the first guy. Without hesitation, he breaks the man's neck, and does it again to the second man in the driver's seat. Kal grabs the driver's cell phone, and looks at the number. He presses the button marked: SEND, and listens as the phone rings.

Lionel's familiar voice answers.

"Have you any new news today?"

"Lionel. It's been a long time."

"Who is this? How did you get this message?"

"I suggest you keep your voice down, lest you want to look guilty of sum action you have not started yet."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you want to see me and seek the answers you are looking for, walk outside the Luthor-Corp building and look innocent."

Kal closes the cell phone, and walks out of the black van, closing the door behind him. He runs into the back alley, and then jumps an unearthly 60 feet to the ceiling of an adjacent building, and then waits anxiously for his prey to exit his safe haven.

Lionel, almost on cue, slowly walks outside, and watches his surroundings. He looks to his right, and Kal takes his chance and jumps at Lionel in super speed, too fast for anyone to see. He grabs Lionel, and rockets into the air, soon landing on the ceiling. A guard sees Kal, and shoots at him. Unfortunately, the guard is armed w/ kryptonite bullets, which fly faster through the air than regular bullets, and one strikes Kal in his ribcage. Kal, with all his strength, fires his heat vision at the guard and at Lionel, ultimately killing both of them. Chloe sees this happening, and pounds on the glass, but Kal can't hear her. His hood falls, and Chloe sees every sign of pain, anguish, suffering, and sadness fill his face. Kal speeds off the building, and heads towards Smallville, his last destination in hand, the last of a Hero's Journey, to save the one woman he loves.