Chapter 11:
Fortress of Solitude
"Raya I told you the fortress is dead. Why are we here?" Clark asked as they entered the Fortress and followed Raya to the main console.
"It's our only hope to defeat Baron." She slowly stopped in her tracks as she realized just how badly the Fortress had been damaged. Slowly spinning in her spot to take in all that had happened. "This was all we had left of our home Kal-El."
"And now it's gone too." Clark added, the guilt was clearly etched in his voice.
"It was more than that. The Fortress was a store house for all the knowledge in the universe. At least all that we had. How could this happen?" She turned and asked him, clearly disappointed.
"I'm sorry, I don't know how to bring it back."
"Your father wouldn't have given up so easily."
Walking towards her, he began to confront her, raising his voice in anger slightly as he did. "I haven't given up. I don't know what else to do, I've tried everything."
"Everything except the training your father wanted for you."
"So why are we here?" he said in an almost demanding voice.
She continued to walk towards the main consol. "Baron is too dangerous to attack anywhere else. With the power he absorbed from the box he could wipe out half a continent."
"If he's that strong will the crystal still work."
"It should, provided we stay alive long enough to use it."
"I'm not sure it's gonna be that easy just to lure him here."
"I'm going to see if I can re-route whatever residual power is left, just enough to send out a signal. To let Baron know you are here."
Kent house, at the same time.
Martha walked through the door. "Clark we're home. Your father cancelled the rest of his meetings and we came back early. We dropped by the hardware store to get some supplies for the tractor, and spare wood, could you go help him unload the truck?" She walked towards the living room and switched on the lights. She let out a yelp, when she saw Baron standing in front of her.
"Clark?"
"Don't you mean Kal-El? He left without saying goodbye."
"Who are you? Where's Clark?"
"That's what I would like to know."
Stepping forward, Baron raised both his hands about to strike Martha down. He stopped when he heard the familiar sound signal of the House of El.
"Kal-El!" he exclaims before knocking Martha out, and rushing out of the house.
At the same time Jonathon was unloading the truck when he heard the familiar rush of wind that accompanied Clark's putting on the breaks behind him. Assuming it was Clark, he continued to pull out the tractor parts, but left the wood still in place. "Ah, Clark would you give me hand here and take the wood to the barn, Son?" he turned but was surprised to see, that it wasn't Clark standing behind him. "Who are you?"
"Senator Kent! I'm looking for your son, do you know where I can find him."
"Why?"
"Look senator, I don't have time to explain, it's imperative that I find Kal-El, I mean Clark, he may be in danger, please."
"How'd you know that name? And how am I supposed to know that your not the one that's putting him in danger?"
"Senator ple-" Cevin, was cut off when he heard his family's signal. "Kal-El." As he was about to take off a purple flash in the corner of his eye caught the attention of both men.
"Was there anyone in the house?"
"Just my wife, Martha."
"Oh this is not good, c'mon." Cevin said as both he and Jonathon raced to the house, Cevin getting there in a flash and stopping at the door, Jonathon just ran right passed him.
"Martha, sweetheart. C'mon speak to me!" he said as he crouched down next to her, and gently attempted to wake her up."
"She's fine, no signs of radiation are present, nor are there any broken bones." He walked to the sink and filled two glasses of water. He then scanned the area for where the aspirins were kept, finding them he took it as well and then crouched back next to Jonathon.
"Why two glasses of water?"
"One so she can swallow the aspirin, the other…" he cut himself off when he splashed one of the glasses all over Martha's face, "is to wake her up." He finished with a wide grin, that very much resembled Clark's own.
"She's going to have a headache, hence the aspirin."
"Thank you, but I still don't know who you are, or why you're after Clark?" Jonathon spoke.
"I'm not after him, but someone else, very dangerous is. I don't have time to explain I have to hurry north so that I can save him in time, if you'll excuse me."
As he was about to walk out he felt a strong arm on him, "You're him aren't you? Clark's brother, you're Kor-El!" Martha said, noticing the resemblance and instantly seeing the relation. Kor-E;'s eyes widened slightly before softly nodding. "Bring me back our son, we'll talk then." Seeing Kor-El's hesitancy she then added. "GO!" Then he did just that.
"Martha, are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Of course sweetheart, just trust me."
Giving her a quick kiss, "I'm glad you're not hurt."
"Me too, let's just hope that Kor-El gets there in time."