It was 1:00 am on a Saturday when Yang wondered into the school yard. She had been out partying with friends, doing a little dancing and a lot of drinking. As she made her way to the front door a ball of orange energy formed in the sky and headed straight for her. Yang didn't notice the energy ball until it was to late.
Clark was just about to climb into bed when the sound of thunder rumbled through the air shaking everything in the room and an orange light illuminated shone throughout the windows. He was up so late because he had been out on patrol. Bart had staid home so that he could catch up on some sleep. As the light faded, before anyone could get up Clark super sped out of the building to investigate. His widened in shock when he noticed Yang lying unconscious on the floor.
"Yang! Yang are you okay?!" Clark asked as he ran over, picked her up bridal style and began to make their make to the front entrance. Yang groaned and slowly opened her eyes.
"C..Clark, whats going on?" She asked drowsily. "And not that I'm complaining or anything but why are you caring me?" Clark looked down at her a surprised look on his face.
"Yang, you don't remember that bright orange light, or how you came to be unconscious in the school yard?" Yang now gave Clark a curious look.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Before Clark could respond a great number of staff and students came rushing out of the building. The leader of the group was Professor Ozpin, followed closely by Glinda Goodwhich and Milton Fine.
"What happened?" Ozpin asked worry for one of his students evident in his voice.
"I'm not sure," Clark responded. "And she isn't either." He nodded to Yang still in his arms.
"Seriously I'm fine, I don't know what this orange light is but I'm okay." Yang exclaimed as she stood up as an attempt to prove that she was as fine as she said she was. However when she tried to take a step she wobbled and nearly fell over if Clark hadn't been there to support her.
"Your fine are you?" Clark asked rhetorically.
"Please, it's just because I've been drinking." At this time the rest of team KRWBBY made their way to the front to see their two teammates.
"What is going on?" Ruby asked. Yang opened her mouth but before she could say anything Clark responded.
"After that orange light I found Yang unconscious with no memory of the last few seconds." The teams jaws dropped.
"Guys I'm fine really."
"I found you unconscious with your memory missing. That's anything but fine," Clark responded.
Ozpin now stepped in to handle the situation. "Clark, if you could please help Yang to the nurses office. We will meet you there shortly." Clark gave the Professor a nod before him and the rest of their team made their way to the nurses office.
Yang sat on a examination table as the nurse checked her pupils.
"She's a healthy, fit young woman. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with her." The nurse reported, much to the teams relief.
"Ha! I told you!" Yang called out. After explaining what she could remember to the teachers Yang and the rest of team KRWBBY headed back to bed.
The next morning The team woke up to find Clark working at his computer.
"What you doin Clark?" Ruby asked.
"Checking what the weather forecast was for last night. I'm trying to see if there's any information on the orange light of the thunder sound." He replied without taking his eyes off the screen.
"Anything interesting?" Blake asked as she strapped on her boots.
"We're not supposed to get a storm for another day."
Yang stretched her arms above her head as she rose out of bed. "Clark, I know you love me but please stop worrying about me," she requested.
"Oh ha ha," Clark laughed sarcastically as he finally looked up from the computer screen.
"Don't worry Clark," Ruby chimed in. "I'm sure the teachers will figure out what it was. What we should be more worried about are these exams coming up."
"Your right, I'm just curious as to what the light and sound where," Clark explained as he shut down his computer. Bart couldn't help but notice that Clark didn't appear to be telling them everything. Later that day when they were alone Bart decided to question Clark about it.
"So, why are you really so curious about this orange glow?"
Clark paused for a second, a look of guilt spreading across his face. He sighed aloud before answering.
"Last summer, I lost my powers," he began. Bart's eyes widened in shock.
"How?" He asked curious as to what force could have taken all of Clark's powers and how this was relevant. Clark paused. He still hadn't told Bart about him being an alien. He had been planning to but still hadn't said anything.
"Bart there's something you need to know about me. You may want to sit down." Bart did as was suggested and sat, curious as to want Clark could be hiding. He already knew he had super powers, what could it be that was making Clark so nervous. Clark sat next to Bart before continuing. "Bart, I'm... I'm..." He let a loud sigh. "I'm an alien." Once again Bart's eyes widened in surprise. "Are, are you serious?" He asked nervously, which was very uncommon of him. Clark just shook his head in response. Seeing as how Bart hadn't run off Clark decided to continue. I come from a planet called Krypton. My parents sent me to Earth just before Krypton exploded. I am the last son of Krypton." Clark looked at his friend who for once didn't have anything to say. For the next few minutes they sat in silence, Bart's jaw hung the whole time as he starred at his friend. Finally Bart composed himself. "That is so cool! I mean not the part about your planet blowing up but you being an alien!" He yelled a smile spreading across his face. A wave of relief washed over Clark at his friends acceptance. He probably should've known that this was how Bart would react. "I can't believe you didn't tell me this before! So does that mean you have a space ship, can I see it? What other alien life forms are out there? Did everyone on Krypton have the same powers or was it different depending on the person?" Bart asked full of excitement. A smile spread across Clark's lips. They talked for almost two hours as Bart bombarded Clark with questions and Clark answered them as best he could.
"So, why are you telling me this now and what does it have to do with losing your powers and how is it connected to the orange glow?" Bart asked his final question, for the moment at least.
"How about I show you?" Clark responded. "Stay here." A few seconds later Clark arrived back holding a large winter coat and offered it to Bart who took whilst raising an eyebrow. "Ahh dude, what's with the coat?" He asked as he slipped it on.
"You'll see," Clark teased. "Now follow me, we're going to Smallville."
The duo soon arrived in the Kawatche caves.
"What are we doing here?" Bart asked as Clark walked over to a wall of the cave. Clark put his hand over the octagonal dent on the wall and to Bart's amazement three circles of symbols appeared around the dent. Clark then pressed three specific symbols and the wall far wall of the cave began to split in two creating an entrance for them. Once inside Bart found a large rock in the shape of an octagon with a small slit in it. Up until this point Clark had been silent, getting ready to show Bart something only him and Chloe had seen. "You ready?" He asked.
"For what?" Bart asked curious as to what has about to happen. Clark only smiled as he inserted an octagonal key into the slit and removed it again. There was a flash of white light which caused Bart to close his eyes. The next thing Bart knew was the feeling of being extremely cold.
As the light faded Bart slowly opened his eyes. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd both been and looked shocked today. Instead of being surrounded by rock they were surrounded by massive pillars of ice. Bart did a 360 degree turn, before starring at Clark.
"Welcome," Clark greeted him, "to the Fortress of Solitude." Bart looked around at the magnificent structure. "Okay, two questions where are we and why is it so god damn cold?!" He asked as he rubbed his arms for warmth. Clark chuckled at his friends discomfort.
"I can answer both of those questions with one answer. We're in the NorthPole. Jor'el can you show us where we are?" At Clark's request a holographic map of the planet appeared and a purple dot indicated where the Fortress was.
"Wow," was all,Bart managed to say.
Clark explained that the fortress was for him to study his people and learn about krypton. He also explained who and what Jor'el was. When Bart finally got over his shock he asked his question that he asked before. "So, what does this all have to do with your powers going away and this orange glow."
"Last summer, I made a deal with Jor'el. I could stop these two evil Kryptonians but had to come back here by sunset, if not then he would make me human. I didn't make it back." Before Clark could continue Bart butt in. "I thought you said you were the last of your kind?"
"Sorry, these Kryptonians had been flown off the planet before it's destruction and came to Earth so that I could join them or kill me and bring back there leader General Zod. In the end I sent them to another dimension were they're trapped forever. But we'll talk more about that later. So Jor'el took my powers and at first I was happy. I didn't have to lie to my friends. I didn't have to worry about people finding out about my secrets, everything was perfect. Then I got shot and I kinda died. Jor'el made Lionel Luthor his oracle and possessed him and brought me here. Afterwards Jor'el returned Lionel home and wiped his memory of my alien heritage and this place . Once I was here Jor'el healed me, returning my powers, however someone I cared about had to die. I didn't want to do it but it was to late." Clark paused as he remembered the consequences of getting his powers back. "And I think this orange glow has something to do with it." Bart processed this for a few minutes before he became extremely worried.
"Does this mean that Yang's life could be at risk?" He asked even though he knew the answer. Clark solemnly shook his head. "I didn't just come here to show you, I also came here to speak to Jor'el" he explained. "Jor'el what did you do to Yang?" Clark called out. There was nothing but silence for several seconds before Jor'el responded.
"I have done nothing to Yang Xiao Long."
"Don't lie to me!" Clark responded his anger rising. "Please leave her alone. You can do want ever you want to me but please leave her and anyone else alone," he begged.
"I am sorry my son, the wheel of fate has already been set in motion. Even you can not alter destiny." Clark begged for Jor'el to leave Yang alone a while longer but there was no response. Eventually they left, both saddened that Yang was still in danger.
"Maybe Jor'el isn't responsible for what happened to Yang," Bart suggested as they were teleported back into the caves in Smallville.
"How else do you explain a strange orange glow from the sky attacking someone I care about that fulfils Jor'el's promise." They ran home in silence until they both received a text from Ruby.
'We have an emergency! Yang was doing some training and she lost all feeling in her hands. We took her the nurses office and she has these weird red veins all over her shoulder. Please guys get here now!'
After reading the text the duo began to run even faster desperate to see their team mate and help in any way.
They barged into the nurses office to find the rest of their team surrounding Yang. "What happened?" Clark asked.
"Where have you guys been?" Weiss asked. "And why is are you wearing that coat?" Blake asked nodding towards Bart. In all the rush Bart had forgotten to take the coat off.
"Ahhh..." Bart began before Clark interrupted.
"We were out, what about Yang." He looked down at his teammate sitting on an examination table. "Hey," she greeted the two new arrivals. Usually Yang's voice was full of excitement and energy, now however it was weak and lifeless. She slowly lifted the left sleeve of her shirt to reveal a number of red veins across her shoulder. Both boys gasped at the sight. At the sight Clark felt even more guilty.
"Yang, I'm so sorry," Clark apologised.
"For what?" Yang asked confused. Clark realised what he had said but before he could respond Professor Ozpin, Glynda Goodwhich and a number of nurses and doctors entered the room.
"What's going on?" Clark asked. The adults all looked at one another desolate and glum expressions covering their faces. After what felt like and eternity of silence Ozpin spoke up.
"I'm afraid that Yang is," he paused as it was a struggle for even him to say it. "She dying." The team gasped. They could all feel tears coming to their eyes. Even Blake, who never seemed to interested in anything and emotionless began to cry. "There's nothing we can do, she doesn't have long" Ozpin explained. "We'll leave you alone." With that all the adults left the room leaving the team alone.
Ruby grabbed Yang in a hug as tears rushed out of her eyes.
"No!" she wailed "You can't go, please I need you!" She wailed. Yang weakly hugged her back but didn't say anything, she just hugged her sister and cried along with her. Clark's emotions quickly changed. He went from sad to incredibly angry, angry at himself. It was his fault that Yang's life was about to end, it's his fault that that a girl is gonna lose her sister and an even bigger number of people are about to lose a friend. The world is also gonna lose one of the best huntresses in training. Then an idea hit Clark, there was one person left who could help. He didn't get his hopes up, but there was one person left who could possibly save Yang's life. Everyone was to distracted to notice him leave the room.
Milton Fine sat in his office typing on his computer. Suddenly a gust of wind disrupted the room causing loose papers and books to go flying. Milton turned around to see a serious looking Clark.
"Hello Kal'el," he greeted the younger Kryptonian.
"I need your help." Clark stated. "Its Yang she's dying from some Kryptonite disease. Please you have to help me."
"Ahh yes, your bargain with Jor'el. It looks like he has come to fulfil." Clark's expression finally changed to one of curiousness. "How did you know about that?"
"I know a lot," Milton replied. Clark didn't question him further on the subject.
"I am aware of Yang's condition. Very unfortunate."
"Please I'll do anything, we have to save her." Clark begged. Milton Fine thought this over for a few seconds.
"There is one option but I wouldn't recommend it."
"What is it?" Clark demanded desperate to find a way to cure Yang.
"The only way you can save Yang is to destroy the Fortress," Milton revealed. "Once it is destroyed so will Jor'el's grip on Yang." Clark agreed with the plan without hesitation. Before they left for the Fortress Clark went see Yang and tell Bart what he was doing.
"Hey guys," he greeted the team. All of them had raw eyes from crying Ruby was holding Yang's hand and sitting next to her. Yang herself had only gotten worse. The veins had spread all down her arm an covered half of her face, she was also extremely pale and sickly looking and lay on the examination table with her eyes closed. Weiss turned to their leader angry at how he had left without a single word.
"Where the hell have you been?!" She demanded.
"I'm sorry for leaving," Clark responded. "I was upset and angry. I... I just couldn't standby without trying to do some thing,"
"Well if the trained doctors couldn't do anything then I doubt you can!" Weiss yelled.
"Weiss come on, he was just trying to help," Bart attempted to calm her down.
"Yeah, well he wasn't much help was he," Weiss replied before turning back to Yang. Clark sighed and slumped his shoulders. Bart knew Clark would never leave without a good reason so he walked over to him and went just outside the door.
"Why did you really leave?" He asked. A small smile spread across Clark's face.
"I found out how I can save her."
"What! How?" Bart asked, a spark of hope igniting in him.
"I have to destroy the Fortress," Clark answered. Bart never imagined this would be the answer to Yang illness. However it made sense when Clark explained the hold Jor'el had on Yang.
"How did you figure out you had to destroy the Fortress?" Bart asked is friend who ten minutes ago had no idea how to save Yang. Clark paused for a second, Milton didn't want Clark to tell anyone about him being an alien as well and Clark wasn't about to betray him after everything he had done.
"I can't say at the moment. Don't tell the others that Yang will be okay, I case something goes wrong." Right before Clark went to find Milton Fine Yang called out for him. Her voice croaking and weak. Clark walked over to her and held her hand. "I'm here," he told her.
"Can you guys give us a minute?" Yang asked the rest of the team. The team reluctantly left leaving Clark and Yang alone. "Clark," Yang began. "When I'm gone I need you to watch out for Ruby."
"Your not going anywhere, I'm gonna get you cured and healthy again" Clark replied. With that Clark let the others back in and sped away. A few minutes later Clark and Milton arrived in Smallville and quickly made their way to the fortress using the caves.
Once inside the Fortress Milton gave Clark a Black crystal similar to the other ones in the Fortress.
"Stab it into the console," Milton commanded. "It'll trigger the self district mechanism." Clark walked over to the console. "You will never hurt me or anyone I care about ever again." Without hesitation Clark thrust the black crystal into the console. Suddenly the Fortress began to shake and a red glow illuminated all around them. Clark watched as chunks of the Fortress began to fall. He was surprised to say the least when he felt the agonising pain of Kryptonite. He slowly turned around getting weaker by the second to see Milton Fine holding a chunk of Kryptonite.
"I couldn't have done it without you, you're the only one who can affect the Fortress," Milton told the stunned Clark Kent.
"The meteor rock?" Clark asked wondering how Milton wasn't being affected by it. "Your not even Kryptonian, are you?" Milton smiled at the struggling Kent.
"I was created by a Krytonian, but I'm a whole lot smarter." With this he advanced towards Clark still holding the Kryptonite out in front of him. He forced Clark onto a block of Crystal. "Thanks to you General Zod will be free. The one true Kryptonian will rid this world of its filth and recreate Krypton in his image."
"You lied to me!" Clark yelled full of rage. "Jor'el never infected Yang, it was you, wasn't it?"
"To think you would destroy all that is left of Krypton for one pathetic human life is pitiful." With that he placed the chunk of Kryptonite on Clark chest and walked to the centre of the Fortress. "Welcome to our new home, general Zod." A portal opened in the air and inside was a glass plane with Zod inside. As Clark weakened he couldn't help but tell himself how he had failed. Because of him Yang would die and General Zod would take over the planet. He had let his parents, friends and teachers down. He had let everyone down.
Right before Clark slipped into unconsciousness he felt the painstaking effects of Kryptonite fade away. He opened his eyes to see Bart in his impulse suit smiling, the chunk of Kryptonite no where in sight.
"Hey amigo, thought you could use some help." Clark smiled back at his friend. Milton Fine was to distracted by the Portal to notice Clark get up and run towards the console. Clark reached in and yanked out the black crystal. The Portal immediately closed and the Fortress reverted back to its old self. Milton Fine turned around to see impulse and Clark looking back at him. Milton Fine raced towards them at super speed. The duo used there own super speed to dodge. As Milton passed them Clark using his super strength gave him a shove on the back, sending him flying through the air. "Bart," Clark began but was interrupted when Milton returned and punched him through one of then Fortress' pillars. Ignoring Bart he raced over to Clark and attempted to stab him with the black crystal Clark had dropped. Clark blocked his attack but Milton continued to force down. Right before Milton stabbed Clark an arc of lightning hit him in the face. He turned to see Impulse spinning his nun-chucks around. Impulse shot a few more arcs of electricity fully aware that it wasn't hurting Milton, he was just a distraction. With Milton distracted Clark managed punch Milton in the face sending him flying. He hit the console where a crystal grew and stabbed him through the heart. It was over, Milton Fine was dead. As they inspected his body it glowed purple and disappeared. Meanwhile at a Luthor Corp warehouse the alien spaceship belonging to Milton Fine vanished without a trace. Once this had happened Yang shot up. Her illness and the veins covering her body immediately vanishing. Blake who was standing near the door beamed at the sight if her friend and ran over and hugged her. This woke Ruby who had been lying next to Yang and had fallen to sleep and Weiss who had fallen asleep in a chair next to the bed. They all got up and hugged Yang, tears of joy rolling down their eyes.
"Yang!" Ruby squealed. "Your alive!"
"Yeah, I feel good as new," she responded with a smile, the energy back in her voice. After hugging for a little longer they got the Doctors in to make sure she was really okay. Despite not knowing how the Doctors couldn't deny that she had made a full recovery. After permission from Professor Ozpin Yang was allowed to leave. As they left the nurses office they found Bart and Clark at the door awaiting there arrival. Yang raced up to them and hugged them both. Delighted to see them when she thought that she might never do so again. It was the middle of the night but no one was angry when they were woken up to find out that Yang had made a full recovery.
"I'm so happy you're okay," Velvit squealed squealed as she hugged Yang who hugged back.
"Yeah, me to," she replied. Eventually team KRWBBY got to their room although no one planned on going to sleep. They stayed up for the remainder of the night extremely grateful for the miracle recovery.
"I'm really sorry we couldn't be there when you woke up," Clark apologised for him and Bart.
"Yeah," Bart added "We wanted to be there but we were trying to find a cure." Which wasn't entirely incorrect.
"Even though there wasn't one," Blake questioned. The two boys only shrugged.
"Never give up hope," Bart told her.
The next morning as Yang entered the dining hall a massive round of applause erupted from the students who had all been worried for Yang's life and were more than pleased to see her well and healthy again. The team didn't separate once that day and remained together, going on walks, watching T.V. and enjoying each other's company.
A few days later once everything had gone back to normal Clark was once again alone with Bart, except this time he had a questions to ask Bart.
"Bart, how did you manage to get to the Fortress?" Bart looked at him and smiled.
"I ran of course." They shared a laugh over that.
"Seriously though, how?" Clark asked.
"Seriously, I ran. I remembered where the Fortress was on the hologram and I ran right there." He answered. The serious look on his face revealed that he wasn't joking.
"How fast where you running?" Clark asked. Even for Bart he must have been moving extremely fast to get the the North Pole in only a couple of minutes.
"No clue," was Bart's response.
"Alright. Why did you come? You had no idea I was in danger." Clark had found it strange how Bart arrived just as he was about to fall unconscious.
"Well you didn't tell me that it was Professor Fine who was helping you and I got a little suspicious of who could know how to save Yang, especially when your the last son of Krypton. It turned out my hunch was right." The two stood in silence for a few minutes just watching the clouds go by.
"I'm glad you came Bart, who knows where we'd be if you didn't"
"No problem man, that's what friends are for."