Chapter 33
Clark stood on the roof, his eyes scanning the distance for any sign of disturbance, but was greeted with only a cold breeze and large billowing white clouds. The morning was turning to afternoon, the sun peeking out from behind the clouds every few minutes to remind him how good it felt. With the warmth of the sun and the sound of the wind in his ears, his heart began to beat furiously, nervousness setting in.
It could come at any minute, yet something itched at the back of his neck. He was sure it had been nervousness, but as the minutes wore on and the feeling didn't go away, he began to wonder. He quickly turned to J'onn, who had been rather silent. "Something feels wrong."
J'onn turned to face the young man. "How do you know?"
Clark's eyes went back out to the mountain as he tried to put words to the strange feeling. "I don't know what it is and I can't put a finger on it, but something just feels wrong. The hairs on the back of my neck have been on end for almost five minutes."
With a wary eye, J'onn searched the enclosed area for any sign of intelligent life, but found only animals and the remaining people in the hotel. "I cannot find anything with my mind."
"Then it's nothing," Clark added.
"Never discount what you feel. Sometimes in the direst of situations it is best to react to how you feel. If something has you on edge, then I believe something is amiss. We simply do not have these strange feelings for nothing; they are trying to tell us something."
"Either I am incredibly inept at comprehending my own feelings, or something is manufacturing them. Could Brainiac have manipulated anything around us to throw us off?"
"Anything is possible Kal-El. Brainiac is many things if not a highly intelligent computer program. It will likely run simulations of what is to happen, but as any program, it has limitations. I don't know the extent of its limits, but I have learned underestimating an enemy is a poor decision."
Clark looked around the vacant ski hill and said, "Do you think we're underestimating it, even after the measures we have taken?"
"Possibly," J'onn replied. "It's hard to understand something as complex as a computer program, and even though it is of your same origin, Krypton, it is a mystery to us."
"It seems like any plan we may come up with will be thrown out the window in a matter of moments."
"That's what any battle is like, Kal-El. You can come up with a million different plans, but once the battle is engaged, quick thinking becomes much more important than any other plan."
"So that's why there is no plan B?"
"Plan B is simply reacting to the failure of plan A. Plus, we are not an army, we are only two. When a battle comes to down to a few characters, personal reaction and feelings come into play, that's why the General is to stay up on the hotel why we confront Brainiac. His experience has to do with hundreds of men under his command, giving strict orders that must be followed, but with us it's different. This isn't war, this is a fight."
Clark snorted. "A fight with six billion lives at stake."
-
Lois waited nervously as the door opened and Chloe came out first, Jimmy swaggering a little behind her. From the pale face and to the wobbling knees, she could clearly see the young man was thoroughly hung-over.
"Uncle," Chloe piped up, "this is Jimmy." She pushed her boyfriend in front of her and close to the general, her eyes closing and waiting for the verbal chastising that was sure to follow. After a few seconds when no one had said a thing, she opened her eyes to see Sam shaking Jimmy's hand.
"That's a weak grip you have there," Sam said pointedly, his eyes not betraying his disappointment.
"He had a little too much to drink last night," Lois said on Jimmy's behalf.
"I see." He let go of the young man's hand and looked him up and down. "Stand up straight."
Jimmy struggled to do so, but managed with the help of Chloe.
Sam eyed him like a fresh recruit, something Lois cringed at the sight of. She knew full well what was coming next and she braced herself for it.
"Jimmy is it?" Sam asked.
"Yeah," the photographer answered softly, his head pounding.
"I guess making a first impression isn't your thing, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I trust my niece, but most of all I trust my daughter. If she says you're a wonderful man and worthy of my niece, I'll agree."
Lois almost did a double take, her eyes bulging out ridiculously large. "What!"
Sam turned to his daughter and shrugged. "I've put up with worse."
"What!" she asked again.
"I remember having to pick you up off the floor some nights when we were back on the base."
"And you chewed me out every time! What makes this any different?" She was feeling angry at the fact that Jimmy wasn't getting the same treatment she used to.
"He's not my son, nor do I really have any right to yell at him." When his daughter's mouth fell down and her eyes stayed wide, he grinned. "Well, we could get him into some fatigues and then I can yell at him."
Lois glared at her father as Chloe stifled a laugh. She was about give her cousin a piece of her mind for laughing at her, but a soft rumble began to shake her. Her eyes narrowed and suddenly the floor began to shake violently, the glasses that had been on the table falling off and shattering on the floor.
"I don't feel so good," Jimmy said as he doubled over and vomited on the floor, almost hitting the General's boots.
"Chloe, you and Jimmy stay right here. You too Lo," Sam ordered.
As her father turned around and began for the bedroom and the door, she ran after him as Chloe helped Jimmy. "I don't think so," she retorted as she was only a step behind him.
-
Clark watched the mountain as rock and snow began to tumble down it, creating a cascade of grey murky snow. No words were needed as both he and J'onn continued to watch, the hotel still shaking violently below them. J'onn was hovering just above the roof to keep himself upright as Clark held onto the edge to do the same.
It lasted for only a few seconds, but it had done a number on the hill. Rocks lay strewn about the once plush ski hill, creating crevices and deep ruts that would take significant time to fix. Clark turned his head to J'onn and said. "I'm assuming that was expected?"
"I figured something like this might happen, just so that it could warn of us of its presence."
"How did it do it?"
"Does it really matter?" J'onn asked.
Clark didn't answer him, only shaking his head slowly and keeping his eyes on the hill. The snow and rocks had stopped and everything was still again. His attention was ripped away from the hill as the door behind them burst open and Lois and the General came out onto the rooftop.
"What happened?" Sam asked as he held onto his daughter's arm protectively, just in case another quake would hit.
Lois ripped her arm out her father's hand and walked to Clark, grabbing his arm and holding it tight. As she looked back, she could see something cross her father's eyes, sadness maybe, but she pushed it aside and looked back to Clark. "What happened?"
Patting her hand with his left, he turned to the General and nodded glumly. "It was Brainiac."
"Are you sure?" asked the General as he stepped up to J'onn and Clark.
"Yes," the Martian answered, finally settling back down onto the rooftop. "It should make its presence know shortly."
As soon as J'onn had finished, Clark could see a small dot in the distance. It was moving slowly down the hill, its motion methodical. "There," he said softly while pointing a finger.
"Are you sure?" Sam asked as he squinted, trying mightily to see what the young man was.
J'onn said, "Yes, it's there." He removed his army cap and tossed it to the General. "It's time Kal-El."
Clark swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. His neck felt rigid and unresponsive, as if each time he moved it he was grinding granite together.
"Dad, will you give Clark and I a moment?" Lois asked.
Sam nodded and so did J'onn, both heading for the door.
"I will be waiting at the base of the hill," J'onn stated as he looked back and closed the door behind him.
As soon as the door closed, Lois wrapped him tightly in a hug, as if she would never be able to feel his warmth again. "Don't you go and get yourself killed," she whispered in his ear, tears falling softly down her cheeks and landing on his shoulder.
"I'll try not to," he answered, pulling back and kissing her softly. He made it last, tasting her unresponsive lips for all he could. Passion was the last thing on each other's mind, but deep down he knew she was having a harder time with it all than he was. He was invincible to a degree, but he knew how hurt she would be if he died. "I'll be back, don't worry."
"Promise?" she asked, her nose almost touching his as their lips were scant inches apart.
"I promise," he replied as he laid a hand on the left side of her neck, allowing her to pull warmth from his body. Her neck was but a faint tickle on his fingertips, but he sucked it up for all he had, trying mightily to fight past the barrier that dulled his senses. After failing, but not without trying, he smiled warmly. "I-,"
She interrupted him by putting a finger to his lips and shaking her head slowly. "No, that's something people do when they aren't going to see each other again." When he smiled softly, she kissed him one last time and finally let go of him.
Clark tried hard not to let any tears out, but one escaped and fell to the rooftop. He watched it fall and when he looked back up he could see Lois's face smeared with tears and hair. Without another word he turned around and opened the door, stopping suddenly, but not turning around. With a deep breath, he walked down the stairs and wiped the wetness out of his eyes.
Stepping into the hallway and the elevator, he was greeted with the General standing in front of him. "Sir?" he asked as he came sliding to a halt.
"Good luck, son," Sam said as he held out his hand. The young man shook it and thanked him. "If all may seem lost and defeat the only option, remember one thing."
"What's that?" Clark asked with a hard swallow.
"You do not lose if you've given everything you've got."
"I wouldn't give up until I'm dead," Clark stated rather confidently.
"And that the true mark of a hero."
Clark stared at Sam and nodded. The general nodded back and the elevator door opened, allowing him to enter and press the button for the first floor. "Tell Chloe and Jimmy I'll be back,"
"Will do," Sam answered as the doors closed. "Will do," he repeated softly as the hallway suddenly became quiet.
-
Wanting furiously to shove his hands in his pockets, Clark managed not to and stepped in beside J'onn. They were at the bottom of the ski hill, both their eyes looking to the dark figure walking down the hill. "What should we do?"
"We walk," the Martian answered as he took a step and slowly began to ascend the hill
It took a second for Clark to respond, his throat tightening in nervousness, but he eventually fell in beside his friend and began what looked liked a trudge to their grave. The sun peeking out from behind the clouds was having a calming effect on him, but it wasn't enough to ease the nervous feeling deep in his gut. He didn't know what death felt like, but he could have sworn it was hanging over them. The hairs on his neck were still standing on end.
For what seemed like an eternity they walked. No words were shared, both of them either too nervous or too focused to talk. As they drew closer to the figure coming towards them, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the sun soak into his body. For all the times he had saved those close to him, defeated kryptonite infected beings, it paled in comparison to what was coming towards him. The last time he had rid Brainiac from this world he had simply been an emotionally traumatized teenager, who upon faulty actions had eliminated the threat, but released and even bigger one.
Now he had guidance though, someone who could help him. He couldn't help but wonder how helpless he would feel if he had not met J'onn. The Martian was a calming influence on him, a teacher even. He taught Clark that life was not all about petty motions and trivial feelings, but having a responsibility to protect others. With gifts such as his, he should not look upon them not as a curse, but as something monumental and significant.
As the seconds slipped by and the distance closed, Clark began to make out the features of the figure coming towards him. He wasn't too surprised when it looked exactly like Professor Fine, but somewhere inside of him he was disappointed that Brainiac wouldn't show its true self. "It's Fine," he whispered to J'onn as they continued to close the distance, now only a mere two hundred paces from each other.
J'onn simply nodded, continuing to close the distance between them.
The rest of trudge didn't seem to take so long, the nervousness that had been eating away at his gut now turned to confidence. It was strange, one minute he was scared to death, but with the sun on him and J'onn beside him, he felt as if they had the upper hand. After all, it was two against one.
The distance closed and soon both he and J'onn stopped, Fine doing the same nearly ten feet away from them.
"Ah, Kal-El, so nice to see you again," Fine said as he looked smugly at the young man. When he received no response, he looked to the dark man beside him. "And the Martian, I don't think we've been properly introduced."
"Trust me, meeting you is the last thing I wanted to happen, but it seemed inevitable." J'onn stared coldly at Fine.
"Kal-El, have you learned anything since I last saw you. Have you realized how insignificant you are compared to my goals?"
Clark tried to act as hard as he could. "I trusted you once. I will not make that same mistake again."
Fine shrugged his shoulders in his dark leather coat and smiled. "It wasn't a mistake. Well, I guess it was in your mind, but in mine it didn't really matter. Releasing Zod was the goal and I succeeded."
"I trapped him back in the Phantom Zone," Clark replied, a small grin creeping onto his face.
"True, but in all reality Zod was nothing compared to me. If I had had my full resources at hand I would have skipped such nonsense. Zod was a formality. I would have squashed him like a bug once he had completed the dirty work."
"Zod wasn't the ultimate goal?" Clark asked with raised eyebrows.
"You sound surprised, Kal-El," Fine said, almost laughing at the same time.
"That's it," J'onn interrupted with a grave tone.
"Why so testy?" Fine asked, looking at the Martian. "Aren't you Martians well known for your patience?" It came out in a cocky tone rather than a direct question.
Clark watched as J'onn's jaw twitched. Fine's question played directly into hitting his friend depths, especially with the mention of his race in plural form. J'onn was the last of his kind, much like himself, and took deep offence to those who taunted him about it.
"I suggest you get on with it," Clark said pointedly as he looked back to Fine.
"I guess the quicker the better, right?" When neither answered him, he continued. "Kal-El, I have everything you could ever want. The memories of your home planet, the memories of your parents-,"
"I already have that," he interrupted.
Fine raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "I guess that fortress of yours has something in it, but I have tangible memories, not computerized voices."
Clark almost laughed, but held it in check. "You're nothing but a computer, how is it any different?"
"It's different Kal-El, don't worry." When the young man didn't respond, he continued with his offer. "In trade for this planet, I will give you krypton. And don't misunderstand me. I can give you everything you want."
"And what it that I want?" Clark asked smoothly, doing well in hiding his true emotions. Deep down, he longed for home, his real parents and the true nature of himself.
"You want to be normal Kal-El. It is that simple."
Clark stared at Fine's smug grin, unable to respond. After a few seconds of unbridled emotions running through him, he turned to J'onn, who was grinning much like Fine. "What?" he asked with a frown.
"See, even your Martian friend agrees with me," Fine stated confidently.
"I don't agree with you, Brainiac."
"Then why do you smile?"
"Because I already know the answer to your proposal."
"How could you possibly know? Human nature is in no way that predictable."
With a shrug, J'onn said. "You're right, I can't predict he will deny it, but I do have one thing you don't, and that's friends. Kal-El will make the right decision because I have faith in my friends."
"Faith is failed logic," Fine answered with a sneer.
Clark eyed the man in front of him. It was hard to believe that it wasn't actually a man under all those clothes, despite the striking resemblance to someone of the flesh. "He's right, my answer goes without saying."
"So that's a no then?"
"I guess it is," Clark answered, causing Fine to shrug again. Truth was, it was a simple answer. The idea of sacrificing so many lives with only the word of a malevolent computer program as weight was so ridiculous that he almost laughed at himself. "You didn't think I was going to say yes, did you?"
Fine shrugged again and said, "Maybe a year ago you might have, but you've changed."
"For the better," Clark added.
"You may think so Kal-El, but in doing so you have also guaranteed your death will come swiftly and painfully. After I have rid the two of you from this world I will take everything, but not before I dispatch the ones you love. If I was truly as evil as you think I am, I would make you watch me kill them, but I hold no distinction for torturing others. I simply want what is mine."
"And what is yours?" Clark asked with a low tone of voice.
"Earth of course, and everything it has to offer."
"We won't let that happen," J'onn said suddenly.
"Then it begins."
With that, Fine faded into nothingness and the air became deathly silent. Clark looked to his friend and frowned. "What's happening?"
"I'm not sure, but we should be ready for anything."
As soon as he finished, the ground began to shake beneath them again, causing them both to fall to their knees and struggle to get back to their feet. As soon as the shaking began, it stopped, allowing them to get back to their feet.
Clark shook his head clear and looked to the top of the mountain. His eyes went wider than they had ever before, causing the air in his lungs to hitch and his jaw to drop. "Dear god," he whispered. In front of him and at the top of the hill came what looked like an army. Every single one of them looked like Fine. There were hundreds of them, creating a black swath that sucked up and white around them from tree line to tree line. The impending blackness continued forward towards them, more spilling out from the top of the mountain.
"Praying won't help us," J'onn said as he allowed his human visage to shimmer away, revealing his true form.
"What are they?" Clark asked with a shaky voice.
"They are clones. Computer generated beings made for the simple purpose of destroying anything in their path."
"You never mentioned that Brainiac had the ability to construct such entities."
"I said anything was possible," J'onn snapped back heatedly. He shook his head sourly and said, "This is no time to be getting angry."
"I'll agree, but what are we dealing with, gunfire?"
"No, guns and ammunition is useless to them. They have something else at their disposal."
"What's that?" Clark asked, almost cowering in fear of the answer. Whatever it would be, it would be bad.
"You," J'onn answered simply.
"What?" Clark asked, finally able to remove his gaze from the approaching black army to look at the large green figure beside him.
"They possess every single power you do."
"Just great," Clark said with an exasperated voice, drawing his hand over his face.
"And there's one more thing."
Clark swore as he dropped his head. "What is it?"
"Because they possess all that you do, and they are made from kryptonian technology, they can also fly."
He felt his knees go weak and his stomach plummet. Almost throwing up, he managed to whisper, "Tell Lois and the others to get out. Sam will understand."
"I will do so, but there is one thing you're forgetting Kal-El."
"What's that?" Clark asked, downtrodden as he continued to watch the clones walk towards them. They had finally stopped coming from the top of the mountain, allowing him to estimate that there was nearly a thousand descending down upon them.
"You're the real thing, they aren't."
"And what difference does that mean?" Clark asked, his anger rising.
"It means that if you get hit, you get back up. They don't."
"Really?"
"Of course, they are computerized robots. One hit to the mainframe and they are - in lack of a better term - toast. Problem is that we have no clue wear that is and Brainiac has more than likely thought that through."
Clark's eyes widened as his sick feeling disappeared. "I can look into them once they get closer. Then we'll know where to attack them."
"That's all well and good, Kal-El, but Brainiac isn't stupid. What if he's lined their clothing with lead?"
His newfound exuberance suddenly disappeared, leaving him staring blankly at the army swallowing up the distance between them. He knew he had to stay confident, but it was hard when over a thousand clones were coming towards them. It didn't help that they possessed his abilities and then some. "What do we do?" he asked helplessly.
J'onn stared at the oncoming onslaught and said, "Well, standing here isn't going to help matters. I've told the General to go far away, but he didn't agree."
"Stubbornness runs in the family it seems," Clark said with a slight grin, the sickening feeling elapsing for a moment, but once he thought about Brainiac killing all the ones he loved, especially Lois, his sickness came back in the form of anger.
With determined eyes and clenched fists, his right nostril twitching, he took a step forward and said. "We might as well give them all we have."
"I expected nothing less," J'onn replied as he fell in beside his young friend. For all the differences that they shared, their origin, their powers and their destiny, today it was one in the same. To stay alive. For without them the world was doomed. He knew it would crush a lesser man than him, and the truth was that he wasn't entirely confident that Clark could handle it, but the purpose in the young man's stride told him otherwise.
Should neither of them survive, one thing was for certain. He had accomplished his goal. Clark had accepted his destiny and that was his primary objective. Helping the young man save the world was done out of friendship, something he thought he would never find.