Clark could still smell the burned ash of the terrorists. Their screams echoed in his mind. Somewhere he felt sick, taking a life, even that of a monster was not something to be celebrated, but he knew that doing that was the right thing. Those terrorists had escaped justice, he'd done his research, the governments of the world had let them off for too long, nobody was doing anything and people were dying. The innocent children and women who'd thanked him after the deed had been done, had assuaged him somewhat. Still the thoughts echoed in his mind. Was he right?
He landed on the flat ground. He quickly changed and stepped forward in his black suit, he walked forward, opened the gate and stepped into the light. People were there talking, milling around. They looked around when he stepped forward, everyone stopped. Someone came forward and offered their condolences, Pete Ross, he thought it was, he nodded, and kept walking. He stopped before his ma and pa. Ma Kent looked dignified as always, whilst Pa Kent looked tired. "Clark." His Ma said.
"Ma." Clark replied. He knew he'd been an idiot, his wife had died and he'd run off, he had a son who needed him and he'd run off. His Ma said nothing else but stepped forward and hugged him, his Pa clapped him on the back.
"Dad?" His son asked, sounding surprised, that hurt.
"Jonathan." Clark said moving back from his parents.
Jonathan stood there, dressed in black, looking very handsome, and Clark felt a lump in his throat. "I…" His son didn't say anything else, he just stepped forward and pressed himself against him.
"I'm sorry, son." Clark said. "I should have been there from the start."
"It's fine Dad, you were grieving." His son replied, as ever the reasonable one.
"No, it's not son." Clark pulled back slightly and looked at his son. "You're my son, Lois was my wife, and your mother. We should be there for one another. I was an idiot, and I promise you I'm not going anywhere now."
Jonathan said nothing, he merely stood there, his shoulders shaking, then softly he asked. "You promise?"
"I promise." Clark said, and he meant it, he'd never leave his son again. Jonathan stepped forward and they hugged again. As they did, Clark promised that he'd do everything in his power to protect his son, Lois' son, the world might be a horrible place, but Clark swore then and there that his son would never face such horrors again. He had the chance to change the world for good, and he was going to take it with both hands. Not for himself, but for the little boy he was holding in his arms now. For this boy, who reminded him so much of Lois it hurt. This boy who had so much hope and promise. Clark would not allow the world to stamp the hope out of him.
Clark heard his Pa cough slightly and broke the hug with his son, reluctantly. He looked at his Pa and Ma and said. "I'm sorry, I know I was irresponsible."
His Ma and Pa didn't say anything they merely nodded. Then there was the sound of light footsteps and Clark found himself looking at the General. "Clark."
"General." Clark greeted in return.
"Good to see that you feel well enough to re-join the civilised world." The general replied curtly. He then turned to Jonathan. "How are you holding up, son?"
"Good, thanks, Sir." Jonathan replied.
"Good." The general said, then he made to leave, but stopped. "The Royal Family are here as well, Kent, make sure you speak to them properly before going." Clark nodded, with Lois dead, Jonathan was now fifth in line to the throne, that was a headache in of itself.
The general walked away, and Ma and Pa soon left as well. Leaving Clark with his son. There was a silence for some time, then Clark asked his son. "What have you been doing, Jon? I've been told you've been getting into fights." Not that Clark could blame his son, but with the powers they both had, Clark did not think that was the smartest thing to do.
His son shifted slightly, in the same manner Lois would when she knew she'd done something not quite right, but didn't want to admit to it. "Some people said some things, I responded in kind."
Clark sighed. "We've spoken about this before, Jon, you can't go around hitting every person who says something you don't like!"
"Well someone had to defend the family, Dad! You were away, and people were saying all kinds of nonsense about Mum. I wouldn't let it stand!" Jonathan replied.
Clark tensed. "What sort of things were they saying?"
His son shifted again, and Clark knew that Jonathan was about to lie, so he merely looked at his son, Jonathan sighed. "They were saying that she was too outgoing for her own good, that it was only fair she got what was coming to her for trying to attack a good man in the President. I couldn't let them slander her like that, not when she's…." his son trailed off, and looked as if he was about to cry, Jonathan took a deep breath. "I gave them a bit of rough riding, and then sent them on their way."
Clark knew he should give his son a bit of talking to, but he couldn't find it in himself to do so, instead he merely nodded. Before he could say anything more, Caitlin Snow appeared, and Jonathan's manner changed. He went from being rigid, to being relaxed and a soft smile appeared on his face. Clark smiled, he recognised that. A slight tinge of sadness came over him then. He turned and walked away, toward the church proper, before he could enter though, Bruce stood in front of him. "We need to talk Clark."
"Not now." Clark replied. He knew precisely what Bruce was going to want to talk about, and right now, at this very moment, Clark was in no mood.
"Then when?" Bruce demanded, he sounded agitated. "Clark, what you did…" he looked around then whispered. "What Superman did to those terrorists, whilst admirable has gotten people talking. There are questions being asked. The sort of questions we do not want asked."
Clark sighed. "Bruce, I did what needed to be done. Those monsters were going to kill more innocent people. They had innocent children in their possession for God's sake! And the governments of the world had done nothing about it. They all knew where those monsters were, and they did nothing!"
"I know Clark, and whilst I know that you're not going to suddenly go on some murderous rampage, the governments of the world might not. And with what we know about the President, you know maybe being a bit careful wouldn't hurt." Bruce said.
Clark simply stared at Bruce, this man he'd known for almost two decades, this man who he saw as his friend above all others, apart from Oliver, and he realised something. Bruce was terrified. Terrified that the order they'd managed to build would come crumbling down. That the world would finally need them to do more, to do the thing that Clark knew deep down Bruce wanted to do. Clark nodded, then pushed the doors to the church open and walked passed his friend. Let Bruce worry about that. Clark nodded to Father Thomas, a man he'd known his entire life. Clark sat at the front, his son, Lucy, and her family, the general, Ma and Pa alongside him. Father Thomas waited until the church was full, then he spoke. "Lois Lane, she was a force of nature. Driven, determined, loving, caring, fierce and protective. Lois Lane embodied everything it means to be a good person. As a journalist, she was unafraid of risks, of making enemies, she wrote what needed to be heard and read, instead of what was safe, and for that she rightfully won the respect of the world. There is a saying in Ancient India, that every few thousands of years, there is a person who can make the gods themselves pay attention and change. Lois Lane was that person."
Father Thomas stopped speaking, and moved away from the Pulpit. Clark took a breath, then stood up and made his way to the pulpit. He took out a piece of paper, where he'd written down what he'd wanted to say. He didn't look at it though, memories assailed him. Lois dunking him in water at school, Lois and he talking in the barn, Lois and he dancing. Lois and he kissing, hugging, so many memories. He smiled softly, then spoke. "Lois was, and is the love of my life." He looked around the room, filled with people who had known Lois throughout her life, he looked at their son, the greatest thing to have ever happened to either of them. "She was filled with life, with energy, with passion and fire. She was a force of nature, and she knew it. She made sure that everyone knew what she thought and why she thought that, and she was willing to listen to others, to help them with their problems. The first day I worked at the Planet, she made me a list of dos and don'ts. I still have that list and follow it to this day." That caused a laugh. "Lois was someone who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I knew that the moment I realised how lucky I was to have her in my life."
Clark looked at Jonathan then, and everyone else disappeared. "When we married, it was the happiest day of my life, until our son was born." He stopped then as he didn't think he could say anything more, he took a breath then continued. "Lois and I love you so very much Jonathan." He finished then and walked down the steps back to the aisle and hugged his son.
The general spoke, but Clark did not hear his words. Much later, he carried the coffin along with Jonathan, Oliver, Bruce, the General, Lord Howard and two others, and placed it in the ground. The soil was placed over it, words were said, and then people began leaving. Clark and Jonathan stayed though, standing next to the grave, neither of them were speaking. Jonathan broke the silence. "What will you do now, Dad?"
Clark didn't answer immediately; he was still trying to figure that out himself. The silence stretched on for a time, then he said. "I will do what needs to be done." It wasn't an answer, not really, but he didn't know what else to say.
His son sighed. "I'm going to the diner for a bit, do you want me to get you anything?"
"No, thanks son." Clark said, he watched as his son walked away, stopping to glance briefly at the tombstone.
There was silence then, Clark stood there before the tombstone and the grave, not quite believing that this had happened. Not believing that Lois was gone, that she would never breathe again. He knew there were ways to bring her back, but he knew Lois she would not want to be brought back, not after what they'd seen happen to Sara. He closed his eyes and exhaled. "I promise you, Lois, I will change the world. I'll make it the world we always wanted it to be. For our son, I will make this world safe and the way I know it can be. Like we always talked about. I promise you." He bent down and kissed the tombstone. "I love you." He forced himself to get up and walk away from the grave, he didn't look back once, as he made his way out of the yard and toward the farm. He had made a promise and he fully intended to keep it.