Note: This chapter has always read weird to me, even back when I first posted it on K-Site. So if it seems that way to you also just go with it.
Chapter 13: Embracing the Darkness
Kryptonite has an odd effect on humans. Long term exposure tends to lead to various forms of cancer and mental instability. However if kryptonite, or more importantly the radiation from kryptonite, is exposed to humans during times of intense physical of emotional stress the effects can be disturbing. The human body appears to use the kryptonite as a catalyst, to either repair or offset the damage done to the body or mind by whatever outside trauma is affecting the person. These repairs tend to take on the characteristics of that trauma and as such the persons DNA is fundamentally altered. They tend to develop powers and abilities that no normal human can ever fully understand. Now this may not seem to be a problem but with these powers and abilities comes another gift, the tendency to be totally and completely insane.
Christopher Voss was on the edge of that insanity. He still felt the pain and the guilt of what the kryptonite infused blood had forced him to do. The tainted blood had been pumped into him at death. If there had not been any kryptonite contamination Christopher Voss would still have come back to life. The powerful meta-human blood would have given his body new life and vigor, he would have made an incredible recovery and not been sick for the rest of his natural life. But the blood was tainted, infected with radiation from the shattered remains of the planet Krypton that fell to Smallville thirteen years ago. The blood did bring him back to life but because of the taint it was different, distorted, warped. It gave him strength and speed, sight and smell. But it also gave him a need, a hunger, a desire to replenish the blood that his body could no longer produce. He fought it for as long as he could but the longer he fought it the more it grew, until the need overpowered his mind and he became almost pure hunger, total instinct. Once the blood lust was sated his mind returned and he remembered what he did, the screams, the taste of the warm blood, and he tried again to fight the hunger. But the kryptonite had yet to bestow upon him its final gift.
The madness crept upon him as he lay in the shadows, hiding from the daylight. He wanted to die as the flashbacks of what he had done kept appearing before him. Maybe he was already dead. he laughed at the thought, a bitter cry into the forest.
"AM I DEAD!" He shouted.
The birds in the trees took flight at the noise. The laughter came back.
"HaHaHaHaHaHaHa, is this Hell?" He screamed at nothing. He laughed as tears came to his eyes. The visions of the previous nights flooding into his mind. He laughed at the nightmare thoughts. He laughed at the horror of what he had done. He laughed at the feeling of power that over took him when darkness came and he laughed at the sweet taste of the blood he craved as it slipped down his throat. He laughed and laughed the sound echoing between the trees and into the distance.
When you are trying to find someone the obvious place to start looking is where the person lives. So as Clark and Pete walked up to Chris Voss's house Clark looked around taking in the scenery. The Voss's lived in a small subdivision on the edges of Smallville. Their house sat on the back edge of the lot right next to an old farm that had yet to be developed into another LuthorCorp housing community. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was only a few hours from setting. If what Clark and Pete had determined was true once the sun set Voss would be the most dangerous. Clark wanted to find him before that. That way he could stop him from hurting anymore people, plus the daylight would give them an advantage.
They stopped on the front porch and Clark knocked on the door. After about a minute they were wondering if anyone was at home but eventually Clark was able to hear someone coming to answer. A man answered the door. By the rumpled clothes and mussed up hair they could tell that they had woken him up.
"Mr. Voss?" Clark asked trying his best to be polite.
"Yeah thats me." The man replied with a yawn.
"Mr. Voss my name is Clark Kent and this is my friend Pete Ross. Were friends of your son Chris."
"Clark Kent? Your Jonathon Kent's boy right?" The sleepiness had started to pass and they could tell his head was starting to un-fog.
"Yes sir that's me." Clark smiled, it was always easier trying to get information out of someone if they weren't a complete stranger.
"What can I do for you boys?"
"Well sir Pete and I are working together with Chris on a Biology class assignment. We were supposed to meet Chris to do some work together and I kind of forgot where he told us to meet him. We were wondering if you knew where he was or where he might be?" Clark was not a very good liar. So he thought it best to keep things simple. Most parents were happy help when they thought their kid was doing school work.
"Sorry Clark I haven't seen Chris in about a two days. My shift at the plant rotated to nights and we mostly only see each other in the mornings right now."
"Would his mother maybe know?" Pete chimed in hoping to find a lead.
"She probably would if she was here but her sister just had a baby and she went to Metropolis for a few days to help out with her other kids till she gets settled in with the newborn."
Pete wasn't a journalist and he wasn't great at getting information out of people, that was Chloe's forte. But one thing he had learned from watching her was that any lead was a good lead. He quickly went over in his head everything he knew about the situation trying to come up with something that might get them some information.
"Well he had mentioned that he knew of a place where we could collect some samples for class. It would have to out of the sunlight and away from people. The little critters we need to collect are really partial to that. Chris said he knew of just the right place, do you happen to know where he might have been thinking?"
Chris's Father stared past them for a moment."Let me think. There is one place you might try. Down the main road about a half mile and a couple of hundred yards off the road is a small copse of trees a few acres around. Chris and one of the neighbor boys who used to live by us built a fort out there one summer. From what I remember that would kind of fit your description."
Clark looked at Pete. "That sounds like a good place to look. Thank you very much for your time Mr. Voss."
"No problem boys. Oh and if you do find him please tell him that his mother is going to be home soon and he better have his room cleaned when gets back."
"Will do sir." Clark said as they stepped away. Mr. Voss closed the door with a wave and Pete and Clark started out towards the main road.
"So what exactly is the plan here Clark? I mean if were going up against what we think is a vampire shouldn't we get some crosses or some holy water or something?" Pete was a little nervous. Ever since finding out about Clark's secret a lot of things had fallen into place but there was still one problem. Clark would be able to take care of himself he knew that but he didn't have any super powers and meteor freaks always worried him.
"We just need to find him Pete. Once we do we can let the Sheriff know where he is and then let him deal with capturing him." He didn't like violence. With his abilities he was probably the most dangerous person on the planet and that scared him at times. He knew he could hurt and even kill someone if he ever lost control. That was why Clark always used violence as a last resort.
The sun was inching closer to the horizon as they made their way down the road and to the small forest. Clark kept a careful eye on the sky. He knew that if the sun set before they found Voss him and Pete or some innocent might get hurt. They approached the forest from the west hoping to catch as much of the daylight as possible but as soon as they entered the woods Clark knew that they were in trouble. The trees that made up the forest were in full bloom. Their branches hung down and the brightly colored leaves filtered out most of the remaining daylight.
"Pete, maybe you should stay here. I don't want you getting hurt." Clark said as he stopped to look at his friend.
"No way Clark. Your my best friend bro and with all your super powers, trust me I have no problem with you leading the way, but I got your back." Pete stared Clark in the eye almost daring him to challenge that statement.
"Alright but if anything happens just run."
"No problem there." Pete said staring back into the forest.
They made their way as quietly into the woods as possible. It was dark, Clark had a feeling that they had the right place, if you wanted to hide away from people this would be a good place to do it. They followed a small path that lead to the forest's center. Clark switched between normal and X-ray vision trying to get a glimpse of where Voss might be hiding. As they neared a small clearing in the forests center Clark started to noticed something that disturbed him. Silence. A place like this should be alive with insects and birds, squirrels and deer. But there was nothing, it was as though the forest was totally devoid of all life except for him and Pete.
At the forests clearing Clark took in his surroundings. Two large rocks sat in the center leaning against each other. There were small planks of wood scattered about and he could tell by the remains where Voss and his friend had built the fort. But there was no Chris Voss.
"I don't think he's here Clark." Pete said as he scanned the surrounding.
"Well he was here." Clark said.
Pete walked over to where Clark was by the boulders. "How can you tell?"
Clark pointed at the ground. "There is blood dried up against the side of this rock." Clark pointed to between the two rocks. It was just right for someone Pete's size to crawl into and Voss was about as big as Pete. "If he wanted to hide as best he could this would be the place to do it."
"Well ok so now what?" Pete asked mildly defeated. Why was hunting meteor freaks always difficult?
"Now we have to find out where he went. He could be out attacking someone right now." The frustration was evident in Clark' voice. He always got frustrated when people got hurt and there was nothing he could do about it.
"I know Smallville's not a big town Clark, but come on he could be anywhere."
"Or he could be right here." Another voice said.
Their eyes met and they both looked up.