A few days later Lex turned up at the Kent Farm early one morning.

"Lex, what are you doing here?" Clark asked with a friendly smile.

"I came to talk to your parents."

"Lex." Jonathan tried for neutrality but the negative feelings were still there.

"I just wanted to warn you that a man named Bob Rickman is in town. He was holding a reception yesterday and told me he was going to buy the Kent Farm."

Jonathan laughed. "This farm has been in my family for a long time, I wouldn't sell it for any money."

"He always seemed to get what he wants, I just wanted you to be aware of what might be heading your way."

"Well, thanks for the heads up." Jonathan said sincerely.

"So Clark how's Lana? I heard she took a fall off her horse yesterday."

"Ugh! And now Nell Potter is trying to pressure Clark into telling stories about Kyle Tippet just to get him arrested." Martha groaned.

"Something I would assume Clark is very reluctant to do." Lex nodded.

"It looked like an accident." Clark said. "He was trying to wake Lana up when I arrived, he didn't try and fight me he just ran off. I think I scared him."

"Big man like you would scare me." Lex smirked.


Later that day Dani returned to the barn with two cups of coffee to hear an unknown male voice.

"Well Mr. Kent, it's been a pleasure doing business with you."

She saw the owner of the voice shake Jonathan's hand and then walk off giving Dani a wink and a smile as he left.

"Jonathan, who was that?" Dani asked. "Jonathan?"

When he didn't respond she conjured a table to put the cups on and shook his shoulder.

"Dani? When did you come in?"

"Just now, you were talking to that man, he said something about business."

"Oh... I- I think I sold the farm." He said weakly.

"What?! You said you would never do that!"

"I don't know what happened. One minute I was sending him away, the next I'm signing over my farm."

"Give me the contract."

"The what?"

Dani sighed in exasperation and ripped the papers from his hand.

"Oh... the contract."

"Dani? What's going on?" Martha asked as she teleported in with Amara at Dani's mental call.

"Big John over here just sold the farm." Dani spat. She shoved the contract at Amara. "See if you can't get him out of this, I'm taking him to Jean." She grabbed Jonathan and vanished.

Amara shook her head sadly. "You might as well join them, I'm going to need some time to go over this."

"I used to work in the corporate world, Amara, I might be of some use." Martha assured her.

"Thank goodness." She smiled as she duplicated the contract and handed a copy to Martha.


Clark Kent, the star quarterback for the Smallville Crows, was sitting in the cafeteria about to bite into his sandwich when someone kissed his cheek.

Then another kiss.

And then another.

Clark sat there frozen, sandwich sitting just over his teeth. He slowly removed the sandwich. Placed it on the table and turned around.

There in front of him stood three incredibly stunning identical blondes dressed in white blouses and short plaid skirts.

Unfortunately the rest of the cafeteria was gawping at what had just happened as well.

"What are you three doing here?" Clark asked cautiously.

"We are here for our orientation and tour of the school." Phoebe said primly.

"We spent the morning with Principal Frost." Mindee informed him in the same manner.

Celeste slid onto his lap and wrapped her arms around a suddenly very skittish Clark Kent's neck. "And now we are here for our tour with our very own personal and private tour guide." She said huskily.

"If you keep this up you'll have us expelled on your first day!" Clark hissed out the corner of his mouth.

"We're just making a good first impression." Phoebe smirked as she sat on his left and wrapped an arm around him.

"On who? We've already met! I've changed your diapers! You can't make more of an impression! You vomited on me!"

"Not to you darling, to the school." Mindee giggled as she assumed a similar pose on his right.

"And you are not to mention the vomit again... it was your fault for spinning me." Celeste pouted as she gave a little twist of her hips that caused Clark to squeak.

"Girls, whilst there are no explicit rules about public displays of affection, please try and avoid from making scenes that bring the whole school to screeching halt." Harry's voice was like the sound of an angel to Clark.

"See, maybe we should-"

"See you later girls, don't break him."

"Harry!"

"Yes?" He stopped and looked at Clark in askance.

"Aren't you going to say anything else?" Clark practically begged.

Harry tapped his chin in thought. "Oh yes, Laura wants to see you three after school for cheerleading practice."


"So you're Lana Lang."

Lana looked up from her book to see the triplets standing in front of her. She hadn't been in the cafeteria at the start of lunch so she didn't see the commotion they caused, she had heard through the final lessons of the day about how much of a player Clark Kent must be.

"Erm... hi, do I know you?" Their attitude was a little harsh and Lana was worried she was about to be threatened by the next generation of Queen Bees.

"Not yet, but we intend to make sure you do."

"Did I do something to offend you?"

"Absolutely!" The middle one said.

"You quit cheerleading!" The left one spat.

"You chose that bully over Clark Kent!" The right one pouted.

"I'm sorry?" Lana asked.

"Pfft." The left one said dismissively.

"Sorry won't cut it sister." Said the right one.

"You're just going to have to sign up for cheerleading again." The middle one declared with a sudden happy grin.

The next thing she knew two of them had her arms whilst the third carried her bag and they marched her to Laura Kinney's office.


"Seriously Clark, I thought we were friends!"

"We are Pete!"

"Then how could you not introduce me to those extremely fine specimens of womanly goodness?!"

"Hey!" Chloe objected as she hit Pete hard in the shoulder.

"What? I'm sorry but it's true. I know he's the star quarterback now but still, how did you score the holy trifector?"

"I didn't 'score' the trifector." Clark rolled his eyes. "I knew them for a few days, they went away and... apparently they are now back to complicate my life further." He frowned.

Pete just snorted. "If that's what you call a complication then I have been seriously misinformed."


Lana had no idea how she wound up on the field in a spare uniform with pom-poms in her hands, but here she was. She had to admit it did feel good.

"Come on Lana, show us what we need to know." Mindee urged.

"I don't know, I'm not a cheerleader anymore."

"The uniform says different." Celeste giggled.

"Girls, did you actually let Lana speak at all whilst you put that uniform on her?"

The triplets looked affronted as they turned to face Laura who had just arrived.

"Of course!" They chorused.

"Lana, is this true?"

"I-I-I-"

"If she can't answer then you clearly used too much influence."

"We just bamboozled her." Celeste sighed.

"We didn't give her a chance to think, that was all." Phoebe explained.

Laura knew that her friends could confuse even Harry with their shared speech, sultry moves and general intelligence. They did it often enough to her. It was how she wound up being the one 'volunteered' to be the female coach.

And that was before they used their mind powers.

"You three! Over there and start stretching!" Laura snapped.

She led Lana a few steps away.

"Lana, what do you want to do?"


"I'm afraid I only have bad news." Amara sighed as she Dani, Jean, Martha and Jonathan sat in the Kent's kitchen. "The contract is valid. Kansas doesn't have a Buyer's Remorse or Cooling Off Period for real estate so we can't use those."

"We're going to lose the farm?" Martha's hand flew to her mouth in horror.

"No. Although the contract is legal, Jonathan was not in his right mind when he sold it." Jean assured her.

"So we can still fight this legally?" Jonathan asked.

"We could, but we won't." She answered causing the look of despair to deepen on Martha's face. "Jonathan's memories show me that Rickman is meteor infected. He used his powers to get what he wanted, as of now, Harry owns everything he ever had, he will sign the farm back over to you and return all the other properties he obtained this way."

"What will happen to Rickman?" Jonathan asked, now the fear was leaving him it was being replaced by anger at being manipulated and cheated.

"He's dead." Dani shrugged nonchalantly.

"Dead!?" Martha exclaimed.

"Man like him, with the power to make people do what he wants and a disregard for the freedoms or others... what do you think he does when someone gets in his way? Or he sees a woman he wants? Harry has a low tolerance for murderers and none for rapists."


The following day Clark walked into the Beanery to see Lana and Whitney there. The cold shoulder he received was disheartening, but it didn't go unobserved. As he left, Laura, who had witnessed the conversation approached the couple and sat down.

"Disappointing, Lana." She said sadly.

"He refuses to do anything about Tippet!" Whitney defended his girlfriend.

"What should he be doing?"

"Telling the truth for a start." Lana sulked.

"So what is the truth?"

"That Kyle spooked her horse and attacked Lana."

"And that is what you remember, Lana?"

"Of course it is!"

"Fordman, perhaps you should keep your mouth shut and cool down." Laura snapped. "If Kyle Tippet goes to court then Lana will have to testify. If she can't answer my questions now then how will she handle a pushy lawyer?

"Now, Lana, what do you remember?"

Lana hesitated, but then closed her eyes. "I remember waking up and Clark leaning over me."

"Did you remember seeing Tippet at all?"

"No."

"Clark told you Tippet was there, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"You told your aunt?"

"Yes."

"And how long did she spend that night ranting about the weird and dangerous man that is Kyle Tippet?"

Lana sighed. "Quite a while."

"What does that matter?" Whitney demanded.

"Because it means that I am channelling my aunt."

"And disrespecting Clark, someone you know would defend you in a heartbeat." Laura said as she stood up and walked back to the counter.

Lana said goodnight to Whitney before making her way home to apologise to Clark. The following morning Kyle Tippet was released from jail.


Lana had heard of the commotion the three new girls had caused in the cafeteria but this morning was the first time she witnessed it for herself.

She was sitting on the wall outside the school reading a book when she noticed the noise level drop. She looked up to see Clark Kent walk in surrounded by said three girls. Each girl was wearing a very short and light summer dress. Very light.

Two of the girls were draped on either side whilst the third walked slightly ahead.

Lana was stunned... along with the rest of the school.

"Why are you doing this?" Clark hissed.

"Don't you find us attractive?" Mindee pouted from his left.

"Very."

"Good, then consider us your girlfriends." Celeste said with undisguised glee from his right.

"All of you?" Clark asked in confusion.

Phoebe stepped back seamlessly switching out with Celeste. "We may look like three separate girls, Clark, but we are a hive mind. It was why we chose to bond with Harry, he was the only one who could accept all three of us and what that meant. We believe you have that potential as well."

"Lana!" Celeste called out.

Although Clark was relieved when all three girls detached themselves from his person, he suddenly felt very naked.

Clark followed the girls to speak to Lana, he wasn't sure why. He was fairly certain that he should be running as fast as his super speed could take him in the opposite direction.

"Hey Lana." Clark waved weakly.

"Clark... so these are your girlfriends? All of them?" She asked pointedly.

Clark just stood there. He had no idea how to respond.

"We just asked him." Mindee smiled happily.

"He's so handsome." Celeste sighed dreamily.

"And he is the most decent person in the school." Phoebe finished with a firm nod. "We would be fools not to snap him up before someone else does."

Clark started to blush lightly.

"Of course, once you dump Whitney we'll be happy to share, there's more than enough of him to go around." Mindee said with a slight tease.

Clark's eyes widened slightly in shock and fear. "Bye!" And then he was gone as fast as he could without using super-speed.

"You really enjoy teasing him, don't you?" Lana smirked.

"Just a bit." Celeste admitted.


"Harry! You have to help me!" Clark begged as he rushed into the Doctor's Office.

"Let me guess, she's got blonde hair, blue eyes, telepathic powers and comes in a pack of three." Harry didn't turn around or look up but Clark could hear him smiling.

"Yes! They're making me out to some sort of... I dunno..."

"Sex symbol? Playboy? Casanova? Playa'?" Harry teased as he hopped up on the bed.

"I have no idea... I just know that they are making me very uncomfortable."

"Then ask them to tone it down."

"Ask them?"

"A novel concept I know, but give it a shot." Harry said sarcastically.


"So Clark, where's your fan club?" Chloe asked.

They were out on a geology trip but the Cuckoos were nowhere in sight.

"They had some extra meetings with the Principal." Clark shrugged.

"What! You're not going to deny that they're your fans?"

"I have decided to let them do what they want, as long as they tone it down around me."

"Those three do not strike me as the type to do what anyone wants."

"They listen to Harry and Laura. Not to mention Coach Summers. They do seem to enjoy riling Principal Frost though." Clark said pondering that last one.

"I can't believe I had to wait till Lana brought them round before I was introduced." Pete groused.

"Considering you could barely pronounce vowels without drooling on them I don't think it really mattered." Chloe scoffed.

They soon had to finish up due to the oncoming storm. Eric Summers, the son of the teacher and no relation to Scott, was missing so Clark offered to find him.

"Eric!" Clark shouted as he watched the boy stand dangerously on the edge of the damn. "ERIC!"

Eric turned and smiled when he saw Clark. He removed his earpiece but a bolt of lightening struck nearby startling Eric causing him to lose his balance and tip over the edge of the damn.

Clark zipped forward and caught his bag. "Hold on!"

As Clark moved his other hand to grab the bag as well a second bolt of lightening fell from the sky and struck Clark in the chest. The pain was agonising but Clark held on as hard as he could. Eventually he was able to work through the pain and pull Eric up.


Harry was called to the Kent Farm the next morning, it seemed there was a problem with Clark.

"So no strength and no speed?" Harry asked.

"Am I human now?" Clark asked with a hint of hope.

"No, you are still an alien. But you appear to have been drained." Harry mused as he examined Clark.

"He was drained of his powers?" Dani asked. "Like Rogue?"

"I can't say for sure what happened, but I would venture a guess it has to do with the lightning strike yesterday. I will keep an eye on Eric Summers."

"Will Clark ever get his powers back?" Martha asked.

"Oh yeah, I can see his body trying to recharge, but his system appears to be in shock. I can fix that easily enough."

"No wait!" Clark said stepping back. "Maybe this is my chance to be human. To have a normal life."

"It won't last." Harry warned. "They will come back with or without my help."

"Then... think of this as my vacation."

Harry stared at Clark, examining him closely. "I'll let you have this Clark, for now. But I want you to start talking with Jean. You have some pretty deep identity issues that you need to work on. For the time being... I am going to modify the charm on your watch. If you get in trouble, take it off and it will activate a healing rune that will return your powers immediately."


Having deduced that the lightning strike might have affected Eric Summers as well, Harry and Emma had the Cuckoos watch him and give him a brief scan to find out how badly it had affected him. They had determined that he had received Clark's powers.

"Eric is a snobby little brat."

"All he thinks about is girls."

"But that just means he's a teenager."

Emma sighed. She loved her girls, she really did, but they never seemed to grow up. They claimed it was because they were Phoenixes. But she countered by giving Jean as an example. They usually left after that in a huff.

"Thank you for that very unhelpful report of the obvious, girls. Anything useful you can tell us?" She sent a glare at Harry who was sitting there happily enjoying the byplay.

"He is abused." Phoebe stated flatly.

This made Harry sit up and the smile vanish.

"Nothing like you were, but he does get hit and his father is emotionally abusive and controlling." She added.

"Abuse is abuse." Harry said. "I will call him in and try and remove the powers."


"Eric, good, you're here."

"Is there a problem, Doc?"

"Yes, you seem to have gotten infected by the meteor rocks yesterday when you were struck by lightning and I need to undo the damage."

"Really? I feel fine."

"Most people do at first. They don't feel too good when the shakes kick in and they start to die."

"Die?"

"Die."

"How do I know you are telling the truth?"

"You don't, but I don't have a reason to lie." Although Harry was lying on this occasion.

"If I start to feel the shakes, I'll come and see you. For now, I have places to be and things to do."

"Sorry Eric. This isn't voluntary."

"I'd like to see you try and stop me."

Harry watched as Eric moved to super-speed and smashed into the door.

Harry had charmed the door as unbreakable.

The door didn't break.

But the walls did.

And the ceiling.

And the floor.


School had been very interesting. During second period there had been a loud crash and tremors had shook the school. They had been told that it was a distant tremor from an earthquake. Clark had gotten the truth from Harry later.

Not only did Eric have a copy of his powers but he also managed to destroy several of Harry's strongest enchantments. Of course Eric was now out there with the potential to cause untold damage, he was keeping a low profile for now though.

Clark was exhausted. It was now dark out and he was still doing chores and work. He may have super powers, but as far as he was concerned his dad was the strongest man he knew. He was very happy his dad had magic to help him now.

"Clark, still hard at work I see."

He was surprised to see Lex out here so late.

"Lex, I didn't hear you."

"You seem to be hard at work." Lex repeated with a smiled.

"Yeah, I am aching all over." Clark laughed.

Lex hummed.

"Something wrong Lex?"

"Are you sure you told me everything that happened that day on the bridge?"

"This again, Lex?" Clark sighed.

Lex took a forceful step forward. "I have had experts go over the evidence from that day and they checked everything, created realistic computer models and it all points to one incontrovertible fact: I hit you at 60 miles an hour and you somehow managed to not only survive but also peel back the roof of my car like a piece of tin foil."

"Really? That's what you believe? Then go ahead, take this hammer and have at it. If I survived a car at 60 miles an hour than you swinging a hammer should be cake." Clark said angrily.

Lex backed away from the brandished hammer slightly. "That's not what I want Clark."

"Then what do you want? What is it that has you making these stupid accusations?"

"That day changed me Clark! It gave me a new lease on life. All because of you. If it weren't for you then I would have run the plant into the ground just to spite my father. But... it's not what you would do... you would hate me for that and... you hating me actually scares me." Lex gave a weak laugh as he sat on the ground resting back against the fence. "I have this... thing... I don't know what it is but it's nagging at me and I can't ignore it... I just feel that it has to do with you and that day on the bridge."

"I'm just a normal-"

"No Clark."

Both men jumped at the sound of Harry's voice from the shadows.

"Tell him the truth."

"What are you talking about, Harry?" Clark asked warily.

"I'm going to tell him my secret, you should tell him yours." Harry stated firmly as he stepped forward in to the light.

"But-"

"He's your friend Clark. No, he's actually your brother. He cares for you like a brother, watches out for you. But he's hurting and he needs your trust... something that no one has ever given him before."

"What happens when-"

"Take the risk Clark. Making mistakes is not as important as fixing those mistakes. We all make them, it's almost as inevitable as death." Harry chuckled. "The difference between death and mistakes... only I am allowed to reverse death."

Lex remained silent, mainly because he found the whole situation spellbinding. Somehow he knew that his reaction to what happened today would shape the rest of his life. He didn't care about all the talk of death and mistakes, he wanted to make sure that in the future when he looked back on this day... this moment, he could say he did the right thing. He reacted the right way.

Clark sighed. "You promise to protect us?"

"It's why I'm here."

Clark turned and looked Lex straight in the eye. "I arrived on this planet during the meteor storm. I was about three or four years old and I nearly hit Jonathan and Martha's truck. They found me, took me in and adopted me. I am faster than a bullet, more powerful than the entire football team combined and I can take a Ferrari at 60 miles per hour to the hip."

Lex and Clark just stared at each other.

Neither one moved as their eyes remained locked.

"You're an alien."

"Yes."

"Super strong, super fast, super... everything?"

"I have my limitations."

Lex suddenly broke eye contact and let out a breath. "Wow... no wonder you keep it a secret."

Clark frowned, that was not the response he was expecting.

"Did you arrive in a spaceship?"

"Yeeeesss." Clark drawled slowly.

"Do you still have it?"

"Yes."

"How big is it?"

"Lex, maybe you should relax and take a seat. You are doing pretty good at hiding your excitement." Harry laughed.

"That obvious?"

"Yes." Clark answered.

"Does 'yes' mean something special on your planet?" Lex asked suspiciously.

Harry just laughed. "Lex, you are the first person Clark has voluntarily told about his secret. I think he was expecting a different set of reactions."

"You mean he was expecting me to call in my people in black vans and helicopters and every media outlet in the world?"

"He was probably also expecting you to drag a fully equipped autopsy table out of the boot of your car."

"I am not that bad."

The two older men turned to look at Clark. "Yes you are!"


"Death?"

"Yep." Harry grinned.

"As in the person who will take my soul across the river?"

"Only in literature. I tend to just send souls on to the other side. I've never been there myself."

Lex was, for the first time, sitting in the castle. Everyone was there except Jonathan and Martha. They hadn't been told about Lex's induction in to the group who knew about Clark and Harry's secret.

"And I suppose you are all his Angels of Death?" He asked the assembled women.

"No, most of us are his soul mates." Lorna smiled.

"Most?"

"Myself, Jean and Scott are a separate group of soul mates." Emma explained.

"Aren't you a little old for those three?" He indicated the Cuckoos.

"Lex, I'm approaching twenty million years old... I'm a little old for everyone." Harry said dismissively.

"Wait... I thought you were dating Clark? But you're soul mates with Harry."

"Everyone in this room except you and Clark is over one hundred thousand years old." Laura explained. We've been together a long time and Harry taught us a long time ago that as long as we love a person we can express that love as long as we are honest with all our lovers."

"But we always come back to our Harry." The triplets chorused happily.

"You've never left Harry." Lorna scoffed.

"So when Clark dies you will go back to Harry?"

"Clark won't die." Harry said softly. "Technically he's immortal, he can be killed but it will take a very powerful being to do it."

"Like you?"

"I could do it, but I was referring to someone the same level as his people."

"Do you think there are more like him?"

"Not a clue. I will be investigating later, once I have a handle on Earth's issues first."

Lex sat there for a few moments in silent contemplation.

"Why haven't you told Chloe or Pete?" Lex asked Clark.

"What if they don't trust me or spill my secret to the government or the media?" Clark said earnestly.

"Clark has fairly severe trust issues." Harry explained. "To an extent they are understandable, but years of paranoia have compounded them."

"Not to mention Jonathan's own fears." Dani sighed.

"Ah Jonathan Kent." Lex smiled wistfully. "A good man, even my father will admit that without reserve, but he is very stubborn."

"What are you going to do now, Lex?" Clark asked worriedly.

"Relax Clark. Harry was right, I do think of you as my little brother." Lex smiled reassuringly. "I have a long few days ahead of me as I sanitize my files and mansion of any record of investigating you and the accident."

"Want some help?" Harry offered.

"It might take a while."

"I don't really need to sleep."

"Then the help would be welcome."


The following day Smallville was abuzz with the news about the new superhero in town. Eric Summers had foiled a purse snatching on Chloe and Pete before throwing the mugger several feet in the air and across the road. The boy had then gone on to give an interview with the town paper.

"Tell me this isn't as bad as I think it is?" Clark begged as he rushed into the Doctor's Office brandishing a copy of the Smallville Ledger.

"It isn't as bad as you think it is."

"Thank god. Wait- are you just saying that because I asked you to?" That was the problem with Harry; he didn't tend to think in straight lines. It was like trying to escape from that M.C. Escher drawing.

Harry just grinned impudently.

Clark was deterred from enquiring further as Harry's phone rang.

"Hey Lex."

"..."

"Clark just came barrelling in here asking about the same thing."

"..."

"If I can find him I can at least put him to sleep until I can shut the powers down."

"..."

"He does, it's a good idea though."

"..."

Harry laughed. "No, no relation to Scott. I'll talk to you later Lex."

"What was the idea?" Clark asked.

"Lex asked if you had a weakness that might work against Summers."

"Meteor rocks." Clark grimaced.

"The problem is, we have to be able to get close enough to him to use it."

"You want to recharge my powers." Clark said sadly.

"You can move at his speeds, you would have an advantage over him if it came to a physical fight."

"How?"

"Why do you think Brunhilde and Laura been have training you?"

"Oh... right."


"How on Earth will we find him?" Harry lamented sarcastically as he surveyed the scene before him.

The Summers' house was a disaster. Police cars were overturned the bushes were on fire... one of the cars was lodged in the roof.

"He told his parents he was going to go back to where it all started, the only place he could end it." Harry frowned.

"How do you know that?" Clark asked.

"A mild form of telepathy, it requires eye contact and it is not very effective. Not like the girls back home."

"So he's headed for the dam?"

"Probably."

Harry grabbed Clark and they vanished.


"Eric!"

They watched as Eric Summers slowly fell over the damn and plummeted to the ground below.

Harry grabbed Clark again and teleported them back to Eric.

"Wow... I can survive that?"

"Clark, how long have we been throwing you off the tower?"

"Oh... yeah."

"Just go and deal with him."

Clark zipped forward and grabbed Eric before he could move. In his right hand was a lead lined balloon filled with meteor rocks. He smashed the balloon against Eric's chest causing them both to fall to the ground in agony.

Harry stepped forward and sent a stunner at the groaning boy before he sent a vanishing spell at the meteor rocks.

"Let's get him back to the castle, I need more time to work on this one as it appears to be energy based and not exactly part of his DNA." Harry suggested.