Chapter 4
Jerry and Clark entered the Talon to find Chloe and Lana waiting for them. They headed over to the table and Clark began the introductions. "Lana, Chloe, this is my dad's cousin...Jerry Kent, he's visiting with us for the next little while. Jerry, I'd like you to meet my best friend Chloe Sullivan, and my girlfriend, Lana Lang."
Jerry reached out to shake hands with both of them. "Miss Sullivan, Miss Lang." He said with his trademark grin. "It's a pleasure!"
Chloe looked up at him with her own toothy grin. "Well aren't you the gentleman!"
"You certainly do have the Kent charm!" Lana Chimed in with a grin. "But please, Chloe and Lana will be fine. You're Clark's family after all!"
Jerry chuckled a bit. "That I am!"
An awkward silence was beginning to form and Clark evidently sensed it. "Maybe we should sit down." Jerry and Clark took their seats. Jerry took his seat next to Chloe and Clark took his appropriate seat next to Lana and casually put an affectionate arm around her. "So ladies, Jerry is new in town and I figured it would be neat to show him around."
"I hope it's no trouble." Jerry chimed in. "I'm sure you kids have better things to do than to show some old freelance journalist around town!"
The freelance journalist part caught Chloe's attention. "You're a freelance journalist?"
Jerry tensed for a moment. He'd let it slip. It was part of the story and not a really big deal, but the plan was to wait until someone brought it up. "Yeah, I submit my stuff anonymously mostly, under various aliases. I'm sure you can understand I wouldn't be able to disclose those." Jerry hoped this would end the conversation on the topic.
"Of...of course!" Chloe stammered. "It's just, I'm working for the Daily Planet and it's so nice to meet a fellow reporter with such, world wide experience." She turned to Clark. "Why didn't you tell me you had a relative in the journalism field!"
Clark didn't quite know how to answer so he vetured with the truth, or at least a slightly altered version. "I honestly didn't know! He just showed up today! He knew we lived in Smallville and wound up on our doorstep."
"I needed a break." Jerry cut in. "Big cities around the world. All the noise and distractions. I needed a small town vacation!"
"Oh!" That seemed to satisfy Chloe for the moment. "Well, there isn't much to show you here. Although, maybe Lois will have some ideas."
"Lois?" Jerry realised at that moment that he really did miss his wife. He wondered if this Lois and Clark were soul mates like he and his Lois were. He'd always thought that if he and Lois had met when they were teenagers that they would have hit it off early. Evidently that hadn't happened, judging by Clark's arm around Lana.
"Yeah, Lois Lane. My cousin."
"Your cousin!" Now Jerry was flabergasted! He knew most if not all of his Lois' family and he never remembered meeting or hearing about a cousin from Smallville or one named Chloe Sullivan!
"Yeah, she's coming down from Metropolis in a couple of days. Why so shocked?"
"Oh, no reason. Just the name had rung a bell, but I've met so many people in my travels that I am probably getting her mixed up with someone else."
"Okay..." Chloe was both confused and suspicious. Something was going on here and her reporter's instinct told her to dig deeper when she got the chance. She decided to change the subject. "So Clark, why don't we take him to the Daily Planet. I'm heading back there tonight. We can hang out there, show him around and have a late dinner. I'd call Lois to meet up with her, but she's meeting with the Colonel tonight."
"The Colonel?" Jerry asked.
"Her father. Same Lane. Colonel in the military."
"Oh." This was different. His father in law was a doctor,innovator, not a military man. "Metropolis sounds good. Anyway, I think Clark and I should be going. There are some things I've heard about Smallville that I want to talk to him about. So, if you'll excuse us." Jerry got up and Clark followed, kissing Lana before leaving the table.
"Yeah, we better go." Clark conceded, knowing that they still had a mission to complete. "I'll call you later Lana."
Jerry and Clark headed out of the Talon and turned to head down the street when a voiced called out. "Clark!" Jerry and Clark turned around to see who was calling.
Jerry could tell by the smirk on the man's face and his demeanor who it was. "Luthor!" He said through clenched teeth. What was he doing in Smallville?
"Hey Lex!" Clark greeted.
Now Jerry was confused. Lex Luthor and Clark kent being civilized with each other? This was probably the most shocking difference yet! Even though this Lex looked nothing the the Luthor from his dimension, the Luthor arrogance reaked the same illusive stench. Jerry decided to try being civil for the time being. "Mr. Luthor." Jerry nodded respectively.
"Clark. Who's your friend?" Jerry could tell Lex was curious. He almost had a suspicious look in his eye. Jerry didn't trust him any more than he had trusted the Luthor in his own universe.
"Lex Luthor, this is Jerry Kent. He's my dad's cousin. He's here visiting for the next little while."
Lex extended his hand. "It's always a pleasure to meet one of Jonathan's relatives!" he said with a smirk.
Jerry hesitated and then shook Lex's hand. Lex was on a first name basis with Clark's dad? Not likely. "Thank you." Was all Jerry could muster. He had to hold himself back from breaking Lex's hand. The trouble that this man was destined to cause for Clark and his friends and family. Jerry wondered if he'd already started. He'd need to ask Clark about that later.
"So, Lex..." Clark spoke up. "What brings you to Smallville?"
"I was actually looking for you Clark!"
"Me? Why?"
"The caves, Clark. As you know, I've taken to monitoring them since the experience Chloe and I shared involving a bright light with enough energy to power a city. I've been checking for energy readings. There have been a couple of minor spikes over the past couple of months. But earlier today, my scientists noticed a severe spike in energy levels. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that...would you Clark?" Lex seemed to have an almost knowing look in his eye.
"No Lex. I don't spend much time in the caves anymore. I don't have the time. With school, and Lana and everything." Jerry could now sense the tension between the two. If they had been friends, something had happen to create some mistrust.
"All right Clarke. I trust you." He eyed Jerry suspiciously and turned to walk away. "Oh and clark," he turned back. "Not that you need to know, since you don't spend much time down there. This latest development has prompted me monitor the site visually via satellite. I will find out what caused that burst. Take it easy Clark!" Lex turned and headed into the Talon.
Clark exhaled deeply. "That was close. Jerry, we need to get you home. I don't like the looks of this. When Lex gets a plan in his mind..."
"He does anything and hurts anyone to see it through!"
"I take it you've had your own dealings with Lex Luthor?"
"Yeah. Though I didn't meet him until after I moved to Metropolis and started working at the Planet. I knew it was him right away. He may look nothing like the Lex Luthor from my dimension, but the Luthor presence seems to be a universal constant!"
"Well, I'll have to let my parents know. And for now, maybe visiting the caves it out of the question. But there is somewhere else we can go for information."
"Where?" Jerry was curious. He thought that without access to the caves, he was out of luck.
"I'll have to show you. It's a place up north. Normally, the quickest way to get there is through the caves. But with both of us having super speed. We could get there pretty fast."
Running to to the arctic? Was he serious? Couldn't he fly? "Run? Can't you fly?"
"Well, I have. Only once as myself. But I'm kind of afraid of heights and don't really like to fly."
Jerry sensed the opportunity to take a step forward with Clark. "Well, it's time you got use to it. Let's head back to the farm and we'll leave from there." They took off in the blink of an eye and were at the farm in seconds.
"So Jerry, how do you control your floating like that. I've woken up floating above my bed, and i know how to take off into high speed flight, it's like a charged jump."
"Yeah, high speed flight can be like that. I was thinking of way to help you control it. The only thing I can think of is this." Jerry grabbed Clark by the back of his shirt. "I'm going to throw you. Try and stop yourself before you hit the ground."
Before Clark could protest he was hurled into the air. "Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He couldn't believe Jerry had just done that. He hated heights. After the initial shock wore off, Clark started concentrating on reversing his direction. He concentrated as hard as he could. He tried to remember when Lana was trapped in that twister and the focus he used. He could feel himself starting to fall. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt himself stop. He opened his eyes and noticed that he was floating just a few feet above the ground. He let out a cheer. He looked back in the direction from where he'd been thrown. He was at least a couple of hundred feet way. Way in the back fields of the farm. Then he picked up a voice with his super hearing. It was Jerry.
"I know you can here me Clark. Great job! I bet it feels like a new muscle that you never knew you had. Now use it and fly back!"
Clark looked in Jerry's direction and grinned. "On my way!" he said, and with that flew back at a steady speed.
When he finally landed Jerry was grinning from ear to ear. "I had a feeling that would work!"
"How did you know?"
"It's the old trick of throwing a child into the deep end to teach them how to swim. I figured, if you did land, the ground would suffer more damage than you. But like the "kid in the pool" you were forced to use muscles you never thought you had. The truth is floating is all about control. It's like controlling your voice. You can let it float and whisper. Or let loose and yell with as much force as you can muster. Just make sure you don't go too fast. Those sonic booms can break windows!" Jerry chuckled.
Clark started chuckling himself. "Okay, so I know I have to work on my control."
"It will happen. I was eighteen when I learned I could fly. Like you, I'm not a fan of heights, but it's a liberating feeling. It's a great way to vent your frustration without hurting anyone." Jerry's face turned serious. "Now, Clark. You said there was another place we could go, up north, that may give us access similar to the caves. I'm assuming by up north you mean the arctic?" Jerry seemed confused. What would be up there that could help them?
"Yeah." Clark could see the look on Jerry's face. "Wait, you don't have a fortress of solitude in the arctic in your dimension?"
Jerry laughed. "I have a fortress of solitude, but it's not in the arctic. It was my treehouse as a kid! What's this place you're talking about?"
Clark was about to explain and hesitated. It was a place somewhat beyond description that not even he really understood. "It's better if I show you!"
"Lead the way!" Jerry said with a grin, almost daring Clark to take off first.
Clark grinned. "Okay, just...try to keep up old man!" He laughed and took off at an uncharted speed.
Jerry grinned. "Was I that cocky when I was his age?" Jerry took off after him.
It wasn't long before Jerry and Clark were flying side by side. "Took you long enough!" Clark chuckled.
"I was going easy on you!" Jerry smiled. "So how far is this "Fortress of Solitude"?"
Clark looked down. "We're just over northern Canada now. We should see it in the next minute or so.
Jerry barely had time to come up with something else to say before he saw the structure in the distance. It was a massive structure and looked like it was made up of hundreds of crystals, varying in size. "That's it isn't it?" As if that wasn't obvious enough.
"Yep. Ready to land?"
"Lead on!"