Clark arrived at the Fortress and, with authority, walked into the Fortress and announced. "Jor-el! I'm ready! It's time to fulfill my destiny!"
"Welcome my son! It is good that you have returned! I am pleased to see all my efforts were not in vain!"
"I'm ready! I want to fulfill my destiny! I want to find out why I was sent here!" Clark looked up and stretched his arms out in submission.
"Then, let it begin!" A bright light shot down and eveloped Clark. "Your initial training will take approximately one earth year. For you, it will seem like less time has passed. Surrounded by this field, you will have no sense of the passage of time. Your mind will be exposed to all the information that we Kryptonians managed to gather about the Planet Earth. Maps, environmental and structural information. Knowledge of tribes and languages. You will also be given information about your own unique biology in relation to this planet and how to make the most of the abilities you have and to develop ones you have not discovered."
Clark found himself unable to speak. A barrage of sounds and images passed before him. He couldn't understand it, his head felt constricted. It wasn't painful, but it was overwhelming. Just as quickly as it started, it seemed to finish. The images that surrounded him stopped and he found himself in the Fortress. Clark looked around. His only thought was that Chloe had come in and stopped the process. But nobody was there.
"The first part of your training is complete!" Jor-el said.
Clark was confused. "Complete? That was it?"
"As you were told when we began, it did take one year. The state I had to put you in, to receive the information, resulted in your inability to sense the passage of time. It has been one year!"
Clark couldn't believe it. One year had passed and he wasn't even aware of it! "I don't feel any different! You said I'd be exposed to Krypton's knowledge of Earth!"
"Kal-el, knowledge is nothing without experience. The next part of your training will involve travelling to various countries and using the very knowledge you've been taught."
"What am I supposed to do when I get to these places?"
"You will find out, simply go each country and use what you've learned. You'll know when you've accomplished what you need to."
"Jor-el. If it's been a year, I want to see my family! To let them know I'm okay."
"Kal-el, the time has not yet come for you to return. This next portion of your training will not take as much time, but you will be aware of it. It will test you, change you. It will bring to life the knowledge within you and allow you to trully fulfill your destiny! After each task is complete you will return here. You may use whatever means you choose to complete these training missions, but you must not contact those you love. You must remain separated from them for now."
Clark didn't like the sound of that, but he wanted to get this over with. "Okay, where to?"
Clark spent the next six months travelling from country to country, never going to the same area twice. Sometimes it would take a day to complete a mission. Sometimes it would take several days. Clark managed to pick up a bookbag and stationary. He figured he could write a few short articles about what he saw, then send it to Chloe as an anonymous source and she could use it to write some fresh articles that nobody else at the Daily Planet would have access to. He even wrote a couple of his own articles and submitted them to European papers on a "cash only" basis.
During his travels, Clark got the opportunity to use the various languages he'd learned from Jor-el. He learned how to help people with the least amount of exposure. On a trip to England, Clark took the opportunity to get a cleaner hair cut and, inspired by Jerry's more mature, intelligent look, picked up a nice pair of glasses from a fashion jewelry vendor on the streets of London. The lenses were just clear glass of course, but he liked the look.
On a trip to Italy, Clark picked up a few changes of clothes. He wanted to get out of his usual flanel shirts and into something a bit more stylish. Using the money he'd earned from his freelance articles, he was able to pick up a new suit and a few shirts and ties.
As Clark arrived at the Fortress, after returning from stopping a civil war between two remote tribes in Brazil, he noticed that someone else was there. It was Chloe!
"Chloe! What are you doing here?" Clark asked with hesitation. He knew if Chloe was here, something was wrong!
Chloe turned around to face Clark and just about fainted. "Clark? Is that you?"
Clark smiled. "Yeah, like the new look?"
"Uh huh! I mean, yeah, it's great. You look so grown up!" She went over to him and gave him a hug. "It's so good to see you!"
"It's good to see you too Chloe." Clark returned the embrace then pulled away. "Chloe, what are you doing here?"
"Oh yeah, that..." Chloe seemed to hesitate. "Clark, it about your parents."
Clark's eyes grew wide at the mention of the two people he loved more than anyone in the world. "What about my parents?"
"They were in a car accident Clark! They were both hurt pretty bad. They're in intesive care at Metropolis General."
Clark couldn't believe it. His parents had been hurt and he could have stopped it, but he wasn't there. Guilt began to consume him, but Jerry's words echoed in his mind. "You can't do everything Clark, but you can do something!" And what he could do was be by his parent's side and help them through, believing that they would pull though. Clark walked past Chloe and looke upwards. "Jor-el! I need to leave! My parents need me! I will return once I know they're okay! But I have to go."
"Kal-el, this part of your training is complete. You are free to go! You are ready to begin living out your destiny, but you have not fulfilled it. Not yet!"
Clark didn't hesitate. He turned to Chloe. "Time to go!"
"Okay, we can take my car when we get back to the caves..."
"Chloe...we're not going back to the caves!"
"We're not?"
"No. I promise we'll go back for your car, but I want to get to Metropolis General as quick as possible!"
"So how are we going to get there?"
Clark spun into a tornado and emerged in the uniform that Jerry had given him, sans glasses. The red cape hanging royally and the red and yellow "S" shield displayed prominently. Clark smiled and replied, "Superman style!" Before Chloe could ask any questions, Clark picked her up and they shot up into the sky.
Chloe barely had time to exhale before they were landing at incredible speeds on the roof of Metropolis General. Clark put her down and spun back into his regular clothes and put his glasses back on. Chloe stood there in shock. "Sorry about the speed Chloe. I just needed to get here really fast and I didn't want to be seen landing."
"It's...it's okay. You will have to fill me in on the details later! But for now, get down to your parents. ICU, room 406!" Chloe gave Clark a serious look and pointed her finger in the direction of the door on the roof. "Go!"
Using his superspeed Clark ran down to the ICU floor, then slowly walked to the reception desk. "Hi, I'm Clark Kent, I believe my parents are in room 406?"
The receptionist typed some information into her computer then looked up and smiled at Clark. "Mr. Kent! Please, follow me!" The receptionist lead Clark down a long hallway and around a corner. He was eventually lead into a room where his parents lay in separate beds, side by side, hooked up to multiple pieces of equipment.
Clark rushed to first his mother's, then his father's sides. The nurse looked over to him. "Stay here as long as you like. You were listed as the next of kin on file."
"Thank you! Oh, if a Chloe Sullivan is out in the waiting room, please send her in here!"
The nurse frowned and hesitated. "Okay, but she will only be able to stay for a couple of hours at the most." The nurse left and Clark returned his attention to his parents.
"Mom, Dad, I'm back! I'll help you pull though! I promise." Tears began to fall and Clark dropped his head. He was afraid something like this would happen. But he was glad Chloe had reached him. Just then he heard the door open. He turned around to find Chloe in the doorway. He ran to her and put his arms around her. "Chloe! Thank you!"
"It's okay Clark. I knew you would want to know."
Clark looked back at his parents. Both still unconscious. "When did it happen?"
"The police reports said it happened last night. They were on their way back to the farm when the car flipped and began to roll."
"Do they know what caused it?"
"That's the weird part...the front axel on the truck snapped in two!"
Clark whipped his head around to face Chloe. "The front axel? It couldn't have snapped in two! Dad always did regular inspections." Clark saw the look in Chloe's face and knew she was thinking the same thing he was. "Sabotage!"
"That's what Lois and I are trying to prove."
"Lois? How is she involved?"
"Clark, you've been gone a year and a half! A lot's changed! She visited your parents a lot since you've been gone, we all have. When she heard about it, she was determined to find out who'd hurt them!"
Clark was taken aback. He knew Lois love his parents, but apparently they meant a lot to her. "Wow!"
"Yeah, and by the way, thanks for those articles!"
"What articles?" Clark tried to play dumb, but Chloe saw right through it."
"Don't try to avoid this one Kent! I know all your other secrets and this one is no different. I know you sent me those articles. I used some of them and it did help me get promoted! I'm an actual reporter now!"
Clark smiled for the first time since he'd gotten to the hospital. "Chloe that's great! Congratulations!"
"Thanks, a lot of the older reporters have been retiring, or travelling to do freelance, so a lot of us got promoted quickly. Speaking of which, are you planning on sticking around for a while?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, how would you like to get in on the investigation officially?"
That got Clark's attention. "I'm listening."
"Well, the articles I didn't rewrite as my own, I submitted to the editor to see what he thought.
"You mean the editor of the Daily PLanet saw my articles? Chloe! I just jotted those down to help you! They weren't exactly my best work! I was counting on your writing and editing skills!"
"Clark! He said if I could find the guy who wrote them, he'd give him a job."
Clark was stunned. "A job? But you started at the bottom. I don't exactly want to work the obituary section!"
"Clark, he said that those articles were the work of a seasoned reporter! I read them! He wasn't exagerating! When did you get so good with the english language?"
Clark stood there shocked for a moment. Jor-el must have exposed his mind to some advanced English. His own talent must have been amplified as a result. "It's a long story Chlo'."
"Well if you have anything recent, I suggest bringing it in to him and applying for that job! I'm sure you've got a shot. Don't worry, I haven't told him who you are. I'll save the introductions for our face to face encounter."
Clark rolled his eyes. "How long have you been waiting to rope me into this?"
"Since I first got promoted!"
Clark had to grin. He was grateful for Chloe. She was good at lightening up situations. Just then he heard a gasp. He turned around to see his mother wide awake with tears in her eyes. "Clark?" she said with a raspy voice.
Clark ran to her side. "Mom? Mom, I'm here!"
Chloe headed for the door. "I'll get the doctor!"
Martha carressed his face. "You came back?"
"Yeah, Chloe came and got me!"
"How? Did Jor-el really let you leave?"
"I gave Chloe the octagonal key to come and get me if she needed to. It turned out my training was done so Jor-el let me go!"
"Oh honey, I'm glad you're back! How's your father?"
Clark looked over to where Jonathan lay, still unconscious. "He's still out. Hopefully he'll be coming around soon!"
Just then the doctor came running in with Chloe in tow. "Mrs. Kent!" she said, surprised to see someone who'd just been in an accident waking up so soon. "Glad to see you're awake." Clark turned to greet her shaking her hand. "You must be Clark!"
"I am. Doctor...Greene is it?" The doctor nodded. "How are my parents?"
"Well, when they were initially brought in, they were both unconscious so we brought them here for serious observation, your father more than your mother. Your mother suffered lascerations and some broken bones, including two of her ribs. She also had a severe concussion. Your father, well...we aren't so sure about him." Clark looked at his father with concern. "Don't worry Mr. Kent. YOur father will no doubt pull through. But his heart rate is irregular. He got the more severe hit, being in the driver's seat. But..." Just then a loud high pitch tone filled the room. It was Jonathan.
"Dad!" Clark yelled, running to his father's side.
Martha's eyes grew wide as she turned over as fast as she could, gritting her teeth at the pain. "Jonathan!"
Doctor Greene headed to the phone and paged a "code blue" then went to get ahold of Clark.
"Mr. Kent, you have to leave now! I've got nurses on the way to take your mother to a private room! Go with her!" Clark didn't want to go, but began to back away to be with his mother.
"Mom, it'll be okay. Dad will be fine." Tears ran down both Clark and his mother's face as the nurses came to move Martha and all of her equipment. Emergency crews rushed in with other equipment and closed the curtain around Jonathan while Clark and Chloe helped the nurses move Martha to an actual room two floors down.
A couple hours passed and Clark, Chloe and Martha anxiously awaited word from the doctors. Just then, Dr. Greene knocked on the door. "Excuse me, Mrs. Kent?"
"Yes?" Martha said hopefully.
"I'm afraid I am the bearer of bad news."
"Oh no! No, Please!" Martha began to cry and shake.
"We did our best to revive him, but his injuries were too extensive. He didn't make it."
Chloe went over to comfort Martha as Clark stood there in shock. Jor-el's words had come true. A life had been exchanged for his own. Jonathan Kent, was gone.
A/N. I watched the 100th episode last night and it helped to influence my decision in this chapter. I know it was a bit dry, but it will serve it's purpose. Please read and review.