Just Another Meteor Freak

by jadedbluerose

Clark Kent has seen many strange things in his life; he's an extra terrestrial living in a town of meteor infected humans. But in the aftermath of the second meteor shower he discovers a cousin with his own strange past. What will the Kryptonian do when Danny Fenton arrives, bringing the ghosts of his own mysterious past along with him?

23. Inquisition

Chapter 22

Inquisition

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville

Danny woke early, blinking dazedly into the early spring sunlight. It had been two weeks since the debacle with Simone and her hypnotic ghost cored jewel. After dropping Ember back at her lair he had gone straight to Clockwork's tower to finally get rid of the stupid thing. Clockwork of course had smiled enigmatically and suggested that it would not be the last time he encountered the jewel. Of course that was reading between the lines, but how else was he supposed to interpret things when Clockwork started speaking riddles about the circularity of time and strange vessels. To save himself a headache he'd just thanked his ghostly mentor and headed home.

Unfortunately for Danny his dreams had been haunted by the lasting image of Clark's murderous gaze, his fist tightly drawn back over his shoulder as he held his hand poised menacingly ready to pound Danny into oblivion. While Danny was used to brushing those looks off – he'd received them from most of the ghosts he knew as well as a good few meteor infected people now – it didn't mean he liked it. Seeing that unrestrained rage in his cousin's eyes had scared him, not just because Clark had been pushed into that by Simone, but also because of the fact that Clark was one of the very few living people that could end him fully, and Clark had been prepared to do just that.

It made Danny glad that he had never told Clark some things about himself. Clark knew of his various escalades with Freakshow; but knew nothing of Vlad Plasmius or of Danny's evil alternate future self. If he could avoid it he planned on never telling Clark about either. Vlad was dangerous, and Clark was safest kept well away from his poisonous web. And his evil alternate future self, Dark Dan, was a mistake, something that Danny had learned his lesson from and the story never needed repeating to anyone other than himself.

Danny pulled himself out of bed, glancing sidelong at the alarm clock on his bedside table as he went. It was past nine which meant he was running late for school. Ruefully he forced himself into the bathroom, it had been so long since late night ghostly escapades had made him late for school that he'd almost forgotten what it was like. Almost. He had been running almost flat out since the day he had left the Zone, barely getting two hours sleep a night. He had had very little time to think about what had happened, especially considering the hypnotic harpy from hell that had almost taken Clark away from them. Really, Danny wondered where she'd picked up the idea that it would be entertaining to string Clark along in the first place.

Still, that wasn't a concern for now. Danny rushed to finish his morning ablutions before teleporting straight to school. Clark had told him that he used to super-speed to school when he was running late, which only proved that it was possible to get away with having strange powers here in Smallville too. Danny quietly snuck into his biology class, choosing to ignore the exasperated look the teacher sent him as he found his way to a seat up the back. The class seemed to drag on forever, but Danny was happy to just sit and take notes like a normal high school kid.

It was lunchtime when his phone rang. Chloe had apparently been sitting on her curiosity for too long and he had been practically ordered to go to her college dorm after school let out. Danny sighed knowing that he was fast running out of options. Clark may have broken up with Lana two weeks ago, but that was not enough to distract Chloe when she let curiosity get hold of her. If Danny wasn't careful he knew she'd copy his sister and follow him into a back alley just when he changed form. That would be bad.

While Clark may have broken up with Lana for the fear that it could be unsafe for her to know his secret, Danny had substantial proof that knowledge of his ghost half was deadly. That was mostly thanks to Vlad; he had infected his friends with ecto-acne just so Danny would be forced to find a cure, and had almost killed Jazz in a modern day gladiatorial battle. He wished that he still had them to talk to, Sam and Tuck always managed to point him in the right direction. Without any of them he felt like he was wading through fog and didn't know if he'd made any of the right decisions.

Danny knew he couldn't afford for Chloe to find out that he was Phantom. The only reason it had been okay when Jazz found out was that she was a blood relation to his mom. Without that security Vlad, or any of his other enemies, would quite happily have killed her. Danny had long since decided to keep his identity safe from anyone who couldn't defend themself, and Chloe fell firmly in that category. Unfortunately that meant that Danny was going to have to dance around the truth a lot when she put him through her personal version of the Hot Seat.

Danny sighed heavily as the final bell rang, bracing himself for Chloe's interrogation. He shut his books, carefully sliding them into his backpack alongside his sketchbook. The heavy tome Clockwork had given was now hidden beneath the floorboards of his bed; no one would find it unless they were to literally tear up the floorboards. Pulling the zip Danny swung the bag onto his back, mentally preparing himself as he slipped into an alleyway before he teleported to Chloe's dorm.

He stepped out from the shadows making Chloe jump away from her computer. Danny tended to do that sort of subtle appearance if she asked him to visit the dorm, just in case Lana was around.

"God!" Chloe exclaimed in her surprise at his sudden arrival "You're almost as bad as Clark."

Danny shook his head lightly and sent her a broad grin. "If we didn't keep you on your toes you'd get bored." Danny joked, trying to calm his own nerves. The one thing he had was that Chloe didn't know that he was Phantom, and she wouldn't find out. But that didn't make it any easier to lie to her, especially considering how recently Clark and Lana had broken up for exactly the same reason. "Besides," Danny shrugged, taking a seat on her bed "You told me to come over straight after school."

Chloe's mouth creased, and she spun around on her office chair to face him properly. The computer was busy, apparently processing a picture. The picture on screen was green and leafy, with two men in orange bio-hazard suits walking, but Danny saw a progress bar trying to clear up the image. Danny blinked once as Chloe began talking. "I think I've waited long enough. I spent four years trying to figure out your cousin and now it's your turn. Talk."

"What no cloak and dagger, just straight to the inquisition?" Danny shot back lightly.

Chloe scowled. "Yes. See today I got an anonymous tip about... well an epidemic in Honduras with connections to Milton Fine, and that got me thinking about how much you know that you really have no right to. So talk. How did you know about Fine way back then? And how much do you know about him now? How did you know about Simone's jewel and where did you get the book? And while we're on that subject what sort of meteor freak are you having so many powers?"

Danny blinked for a moment then slouched over, running his fingers through his hair. "I'd almost prefer if Clark was here." He mused quietly before looking up to Chloe. "After the accident I sort of pick up things a lot more easily. If I am given the time, I can... process stuff a lot more easily than I used to be able to." Danny hesitatingly explained, Chloe would presume that it was the meteor strike, but Danny was referring to the first time he stepped into the Ghost Portal. And it was true, he didn't know how to explain it but he had become a much faster study since that day, the main reason for his academic failings was being denied time.

"As for Milton Fine, well I think I explained about touching that crystal back in the Fortress..." Danny continued hoping that Chloe would buy the explanation a second time around. "It sort of gave me a bit of additional information. All of the crystals were designed for Clark's benefit; Jor-El wanted his son to have a full understanding of Krypton so he could be a good leader here on Earth." Danny shook his head, allowing himself to be distracted.

"I know Clark has little love for his birth father, but Jor-El really did want the best for him." Danny smiled softly.

"You know Clark wouldn't agree with that." Chloe interjected, seemingly happy to follow him on this tangent which Danny was grateful for. "He told me about a message sent with his spaceship; that Jor-El sent him to 'Rule over us with strength'. Not exactly a friendly message."

Danny ruffled his hair; the Kryptonian language was not the most explicit of languages the society was very different to that on Earth, more stoic. And the glyph for 'rule' was synonymous with half a dozen other words, but Danny couldn't exactly say that. "Clark learned the language literally from a cave wall." Danny eventually commented. "But when you consider the Kryptonians that have come to Earth, they weren't exactly the most compassionate of races. I think it's possible that in this case 'rule' could be more interpreted as 'guide' or something similar. I'm not a linguist, but you as a writer should know that a word can have more than one meaning."

Chloe frowned considering his answer, sending him a calculating look that did little to help Danny's unease. "Fair point." She eventually accepted with a slow nod. "Next question; how did you know about the jewel and what did you do with it?" Danny sighed; Chloe was persistent if nothing else.

"After living in a town that was being attacked by ghosts every day, I figured it would be useful to pick up a bit of ghost lore. Really it's a by-product of being friends with a Goth that I know what I know at all." Danny answered with a purposefully dismissive shrug. It wasn't a lie, but it was quite a big half-truth. "As for the jewel, well I gave it to a ghost who can hopefully keep it safe. It doesn't belong on Earth, none of those gemstones do. Not anymore."

Chloe frowned, "Ember?" She guessed with one eyebrow raised.

"No." Danny couldn't help but scoff. As much as he liked Ember she was able to hypnotise people easily enough without a mystical gemstone.

"Phantom?" Chloe guessed. Danny shook his head to hide his amusement.

"A ghost you haven't met yet, and no, I'm not telling you who they are. You won't find him on the internet anyway." Danny didn't stop smiling as her frown switched to mild annoyance. She looked like she was about to say something more when the computer pinged. The photo that Chloe had been trying to improve when he arrived had an image of Milton Fine's head concealed in leafy green foliage.

"What's he doing mucking around behind the biohazard team?" Danny mused aloud.

"I don't know, but I think we should call Clark in on this." Chloe responded, all previous light that had been in her eyes banished to a distant corner. The thought that Fine – Brainiac – was back was not a good thing, and Danny didn't know what he would be doing in Honduras. It wasn't the best place to hide from Clark since technically Clark could run there if he wanted to. If he wanted to hide then he would be better off on another continent. That meant there was something specific in Honduras that he needed.

Chloe called Clark, and a minute later there was a knock on the dorm door. "Fast, but oddly formal." Chloe commented with a confused eyebrow. "Usually when I say it's urgent you rip in here without the least regard for my privacy. Danny and I were just saying..."

"Yeah, well I didn't want to disturb you." Clark interrupted quietly. Danny frowned; he knew how much Clark was hurting. It had gotten to the point where he was constantly blocking Clark's aura for the sake of his own protection. Danny hated seeing how torn up both Clark and Lana were. He hadn't seen much o Lana since the breakup other than a brief pass by at the Luthor Mansion a week before. It was hard to see everything caving down around them, Clark felt he'd had no choice, Lana was broken hearted and it was all Chloe and Danny could do to try and pick up the pieces and avoid the painful minefield between the two.

"Don't worry, Lana's not here." Chloe commented quietly as she noticed the furtive way Clark's eyes searched the room. Danny saw the flash of guilt that washed through the crystalline cerulean as Clark's eyes drifted over Lana's bed. But it was hidden in a moment as Chloe continued speaking. "Actually, she didn't come home at all last night."

"Did she say why?" Danny asked, he hadn't really seen Lana for two weeks, and when he saw her at the Mansion she had seemed anxious, but she'd left before Danny got to ask her about it.

Chloe sent Clark a meaningful glare. "It's not another guy. She's started hanging out with a couple o med students and they keep really wicked hours."

Danny frowned, looking over at Lana's side of the room. There was her usual slew of astronomy textbooks, as well as a couple of philosophy texts. But the books on anatomy were new, and there were several books about exploring the afterlife and one about 'The Other Side' which he recognised from Sam's old bookshelf. Danny frowned, while it was possible that she was looking into ghosts after their sudden appearance in Smallville, it just seemed unlikely. But it didn't sound like she was getting herself into trouble and med students as a generalisation weren't too interested in dealing with superstitious nonsense. Danny decided to set it aside for now.

Clark cautiously came in, taking a seat next to Danny on Chloe's bed rather than rolling Lana's desk chair over. Chloe looked over at Clark, her green eyes creased sadly. "You know Clark, it will happen. Eventually she will find someone else."

Clark gulped, and Danny could practically feel the thinly veiled tension dripping off his cousin. "She deserves to be happy. So what's the problem?" Chloe and Danny both frowned at Clark's obvious attempt to change the subject. Danny himself had done the same thing with Tuck and Sam, focusing on his job rather than his own emotional issues. It never really helped, but it put the hurt away until it could be dealt with properly, in isolation.

Chloe picked up on Clark's dismissive mood and quickly turned her attention back to her computer. "Mass destruction and death in Central America." Chloe answered, pulling up the original news article that the photo of Fine had come from. It was talking about an epidemic rampaging through Honduras. But Danny couldn't figure out what Fine would be doing around an infectious disease.

"And the possibility that our old friend Milton Fine is involved." Danny tacked on, his attention focused on the screen.

"No," Clark denied. "He's dead."

"I know we thought we saw him die." Danny heard Chloe reply "But the only thing we're really sure of is that he disappeared, and so did that ship."

"He didn't die." Danny interjected distractedly; his attention still on the screen. He was reading the article for any hints of what fine was up to. It was written in Spanish, but between his knowledge of dead languages and his understanding of Esperanto he was able to piece together the article. But it didn't really explain anything more than the fact that a few blood samples seemed to have gone missing and a warning for the locals not to touch anything that looked like it might be infected.

"He died; he was speared through by those crystals on the console." Clark stiffly retorted. Danny sighed, looking between Chloe and his cousin.

"That version of Fine died, sure. But he doesn't work like that." Danny explained. "He's an AI construct, sort of like... a character in a video game. If one gets killed he can still come back so long as the original programming is still running."

Chloe frowned. "So he's still around? What's running the original programming?"

"Probably the ship." Danny shrugged.

"But the ship vanished too." Clark dismissed.

Danny shook his head. "Probably a defence mechanism. If sufficient damage were done to the currently operating construct the ship would relocate and reset. It's still out there." Danny affirmed. "The question is; why is the current construct mucking around in Honduras, and where is the ship now?"

Chloe scowled at him. "Someday you're gonna tell me exactly where you picked all this information up."

"Maybe." Danny replied with a disarming smile. "But for now I'm guessing you want Clark and I to go check out Honduras near the biohazard site?"

"It would be good to know what he's up to." Chloe answered. "How does your teleporting work again?"

"I'm not gonna teleport Clark there." Danny replied adamantly. "It was bad enough going from Metropolis to the farm; I'm not crossing half a continent with a Kryptonian. Besides, I don't know the area well enough to be able to teleport in." And that was true enough; he needed to have more on the location than a grainy picture. If he knew someone who was there he could teleport to their energy signature, but he needed something he recognised to ground him.

"We'll run." Clark supplied, his eyes fixed on the grainy picture of Fine displayed on the screen. "Just tell us where the photo was taken." Chloe nodded, fixing her attention to the screen and pulling up a couple of records.

"It's a small village, a couple of miles north of the capitol." Chloe eventually answered, biting her lip. "The biohazard team was only there for a day, but there are a couple of other villages nearby. Most have closed off, but I think the photo was taken within twenty miles of Sierra de la Botija."

Chloe printed off the page, including the zoomed in photo of Fine. Clark picked it up from the printer and sent her a piercing gaze. "How'd you find this anyway?"

Chloe bit her lip and Danny frowned, knowing the answer was not going to be satisfying. Sure enough the simple "A source tipped me off." didn't give any clue as to where the trail came from. Danny pressed his lips; the inadequate dodge as well as the swell of guilt in Chloe's green eyes suggested that neither of them would like the source. But Danny knew that with how many secrets he was keeping from Chloe he was in no real position to demand a better answer.

Sighing, Danny nodded once, but was interrupted before he could say anything further by the dorm door swinging open. Lana stood in the doorway, her eyes bloodshot as though she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. Well, at least Chloe's story seemed to check out. But Lana was nothing to the blonde girl behind her. She was a Goth, no doubt about it. Her long blonde hair had streaks of vivid red, and her red rimmed eyes were coated in a layer of thick eyeliner. But there was something more to it than that.

Danny's eyes creased as he looked in between the two girls; where Lana looked exhausted, the blonde was sick. There was something deeply wrong with her aura. It was weak, as though she were lethargic but... Danny didn't know what exactly it was. As Phantom he'd come across sick people in hospitals, dying people who couldn't be saved. Their auras tended to be weak, dimming and flickering before flaring back as they fought death back for a while longer. The blonde's aura was similar to that, but had an added... something that Danny just couldn't figure out. He looked between Lana and the girl, eyes widening as he realised that Lana had the same touch of that something, and he didn't like it one bit.

He closed his eyes tightly as he felt them flare, silver or green he didn't know, but he knew that his eyes had shifted colour in the presence of the almost death-kissed auras of the two girls. He heard the blonde say goodbye, her voice hoarse and scratchy like she had a bad sore throat. Danny immediately cut himself off, repressing his ability to feel auras at all. He didn't want to feel that sickness coming off of Lana, and with Clark in the room too it was just easier to put it aside. Silently he counted to ten, feeling his eyes return to human as he forcibly calmed himself down. He heard Lana shuffle over to her side of the room, and opened his eyes when Clark edgily tapped his arm, signifying that it was time to go.

Danny unhesitatingly followed him out, allowing Clark to lead him through the winding corridors of the dorms until the two were standing in the sun outside. Danny took a moment to sit on the steps, watching as the various students milled around. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to shirk off the last remains of the strange auras and making a careful mental note to do some private investigation when Clark wasn't around. It would be better if he had all the facts before he forced Clark onto Lana again. Although the mental picture he was building wasn't a particularly good one.

"So what's the plan?" Danny eventually asked, squinting his eyes since Clark was standing directly in the sun.

"We head south." Clark answered flatly. "We need to figure out what Fine's plans are."

Danny nodded once, getting his mind back into that frame. He mulled over everything he knew about Fine or Brainiac, but couldn't come up with a good reason for why he would be clinging around a biohazard team. It was strange. Brainiac had been designed to infiltrate Zod's ranks and investigate his troops for weaknesses. When Zod corrupted him, he still had the same general purpose, even if his loyalties had changed. The problem was his high intelligence. Brainiac processed the world a lot like a computer, meaning that the connections Danny and Clark made probably weren't the same as the logical leaps that Brainiac would make.

The two of them set off at a run, the scenes of the city almost stilling around them as Clark and Danny sped down the highway. Danny knew Clark was slowing himself down slightly; Clark was still able to run just that bit faster when there were no obstructions in the way. They ran in silence, Clark was still probably avoiding on his Lana avoidance techniques, and Danny was quietly musing over all the different scenarios they could run into when they got to Honduras. Danny didn't want to meet up with Brainiac until he knew exactly what he was up to, but he was prepared to fight him if he needed to.

Danny knew that this time around he probably wouldn't be as lucky the last time he confronted Brainiac. The first time he had been able to intimidate the android, simply because he was an unknown element. That was his only protection; Danny didn't think Fine would ever be able to process what he was. While humans may be better able to accept the impossible, Brainiac would never be able to comprehend his existence. He was in essence a highly intelligent, reactive programme. While Brainiac knew what to do with humans, and may even know how to deal with Kryptonian ghosts, he wouldn't be programmed to deal with a halfa. Danny hoped that would be enough to give him a continued advantage against Zod's follower.

Line Break

Clark ran; the skyline of Metropolis long since vanished into the sun kissed countryside of rural Kansas. It was never a long run between Smallville and the city, but it took slightly longer when Clark had to match pace with Danny. Danny could move very fast, but Clark had noticed that he was just that bit faster when it came to running on the flat. Clark looked over to his dark haired cousin, an intense look of concentration on his face as he ran. "What do you think he's planning?" Clark asked as the landscape continued to blur around them. The scenery shifted from the soft yellows of Kansas to a more sandy brown as they crossed the border into Texas.

"I don't know." Danny replied with a frown. And Clark could guess what was going through his cousin's mind. From what Danny had explained, with ghosts their motives tended to be obvious; everything related back to their obsession in some fairly obvious way. But Milton Fine wasn't like Danny's usual enemies. He was intelligent in a way that Clark wasn't sure Danny could deal with. Clark knew that Danny had been taught about Fine, but the fact of the matter was that Danny may be too used to ghosts to withstand a confrontation with Fine.

"Brainiac is complex in a way I'm not familiar with." Danny mused aloud, confirming Clark's suspicions. Danny didn't know what he was up against. "But, he's definitely in Honduras for something. After all, if he were purely hiding from you he would have been better off in Antarctica or somewhere you can't run to." Clark frowned, there was an element of truth to that, but at the same time Danny had powers that Clark didn't.

"Good point, although you could probably fly us there if you wanted." Clark replied.

"But he doesn't know that." Danny rebuffed "He doesn't know I'm Phantom, he knows I'm something... other than human, but I don't think that he would make the leap to halfa. Scientific impossibility and all." Clark frowned, conceding the point. He didn't like Fine knowing about Danny's powers, and neither of them knew exactly how much Fine was aware of. Danny seemed to rely on being underestimated a lot, but that could only get either of them so far.

"So that means that he'll believe the only way you could find them is on your own steam." Danny continued, oblivious to Clark's thoughts. "He's here looking for something. Now that article was going on about how insidious and strange this particular disease is. It's sort of like the bubonic plague, except that it weakens the outer layer of skin to the point where the small pressure from the pulsing veins is enough to break the surface. It's not pleasant."

Clark shivered at the disturbing mental image, but focused back on the main point. "But why would he be investigating a disease in the first place?" Clark asked.

"I'm not sure. I know it's oversimplifying by a lot, but let's assume this is all some elaborate way for him to get back to General Zod." Danny suggested with half a glance towards Clark. "We know that you closed him off from access through the portal in the Fortress, so now he's gotta find another way."

Clark frowned, looking back at Danny and slowing down slightly. Danny matched his pace. "You think he's trying to bring back Zod?" Clark pressed.

"I'm not sure." Danny answered. "I'm not exactly an expert in Kryptonian AI, but I think it's a safe bet to assume so. It still leaves us with the problem of why he's looking into a disease in the first place. The ones here aren't the same as the ones I've read about from Krypton. Probably Jor-El would know more..." Danny trailed off seeing the strained look in Clark's eyes. Clark didn't want to think about his birth father at all. It would take a lot to convince him that Jor-El was anything other than a manipulator who liked to play god with human life.

"If we were on Krypton," Danny eventually continued, seeming now to be thinking aloud than talking to Clark. "I'd say he was going into biological warfare so that he could gain access to a portal to the Phantom Zone. But we aren't. I don't think he knows that..." Danny stopped himself abruptly, making Clark wonder what he was hiding.

"You don't think he knows...?" Clark pressed, stopping at the roadside. By now they had passed through Mexico and were about halfway through Guatemala judging by the hilly green terrain.

Danny rumpled his hair aggressively, his eyes showing an inner debate before he quietly gave Clark an answer. "I don't think he knows that there are more ways to access the Phantom Zone than through your Fortress."

"That's the second time you've called it the Phantom Zone, what happened to calling it the Ghost Zone?" Clark asked with creased brows as they started running again. He was curious, usually Danny wouldn't make a mental slip like that, after all surely the Phantom Zone and the Ghost Zone were names for the same place. A place that Clark himself had visited with an unconscious Danny in his arms, bitten by freezing winds and an icy blue sky.

Danny avidly shook his head. "No, they're different. Very different. The Phantom Zone was sort of like a prison for the worst of the worst on Krypton. Your... Jor-El helped create it to keep the rest of Krypton safe. It's a bad place." Danny stopped speaking, and in his eyes Clark saw fear. There was very little Clark had seen that made Danny scared, but if the idea of the Phantom Zone had traumatised Danny to the point where he couldn't talk about it... Clark instantly knew that he never wanted to experience the Ghost Zone's judicial system.

Clark and Danny slowed down. Danny had become eerily silent, a dark look circling through his eyes. By now the jungle had become a lot thicker and the road had long since vanished into a hard packed dirt trail. Clark took his eyes off Danny and looked towards the village that had appeared through the undergrowth. It was small, perhaps only twenty small wood huts all up. The people were bustling busy, and there were a few small carts selling wares along the main street. However, lively as the children were, the adults all looked worn. The epidemic must have taken a lot out of them, and it was clear that there were one or two huts that had been abandoned.

Clark led the way into the village, hearing Danny following a couple of steps behind him. He pulled out the photo of Fine that Chloe had given him, his brown head of hair apparent despite the graininess of the image. Taking a deep breath he led the way over to a young woman who had just finished bartering with a merchant. Unfortunately Clark's Spanish was pretty much limited to 'gracias' which wasn't going to get them very far. The woman looked confusedly between the photo and Clark before shaking her head. Clark was about to give up when Danny tapped his shoulder before stepping forward to talk to the young woman himself.

"Perdone, señora, mi amigo y yo estamos en busca de un caballero llamado Milton Fine. ¿Serías tan amable de concederme el honor de conocer si usted ha puesto los ojos sobre su rostro?" Danny said, and while Clark couldn't make out what he had asked he did understand the badly concealed giggles that the young woman hid behind her hand.

"No lo he hecho, pero creo que Jorés pueda tener." She replied, her eyes sparkling with silent mirth as she gestured off towards a small boy sitting happily in the dirt outside a hut. He held something in his hands and was gently smiling as he moved it through the air.

"Gracias, señora." Danny said, grabbing Clark's arm and tugging him towards the boy. He was young, maybe five or six. Like many of the villagers he was clothed in a well worn t-shirt. Its soft grey was baggy on his small frame, but was clearly well loved.

"What was that about?" Clark asked in a soft whisper, gesturing back to the now openly laughing young woman.

Danny sighed, shaking his head. "I'm guessing that she's laughing at what I just said. I think it translates to the English equivalent of 'Excuse me, milady, my friend and I are currently looking for a gentleman called Milton Fine. Would you kindly bestow upon me the honour of knowing whether you have laid eyes upon his countenance?'"

Clark didn't even bother to hide his laughter. "Great translator you are, next thing you'll be asking where the next jousting tournament is." Clark rubbed Danny's hair affectionately, even as Danny batted him away.

"Excuse me, but I'll have you know I am an active knight. Besides, it's not my fault that I'm limited to dead languages. At least she understood what I was trying to say which is better than you just waving a picture around." Danny replied, trying to redeem himself, but Clark was still happily snickering at Danny's language skills. It was better than nothing, but it was pretty hilarious to think that the best Danny could manage was so old fashioned.

The two of them made their way over to the boy, and Clark's eyes widened as he saw exactly what his toy was. It was small and made of carved wood, but looked exactly like Fine's spacecraft, and the boy was moving it like a toy airplane through the sky. "Can you ask him if he's actually seen the ship?" Clark asked, nudging Danny with his elbow.

Danny nodded and crouched down in front of the young boy. "¿Perdón, pero has visto el barco del cielo?" Danny asked gently, gesturing towards the small toy.

The boy looked askance at Danny, and Clark could only assume that Danny was messing up the translation again. "¿Carroza de los dioses? ¿Quieres que te muestre allí?" The boy said, and Clark looked to Danny for any indication of what the boy was saying.

Danny just smiled at the boy. "Si, por favour." he answered before looking back to Clark. "He asked if I meant the 'Chariot of the gods' since I asked for a 'sky ship', and if we'd like him to show it to us." Danny whispered to Clark as the little boy stood up, leading them out of the village and through the trees. There was no clear path, but the boy was happily talking to Danny as they went. There was a moment's pause before Danny gave a small laugh, his eyes briefly landing on Clark before he spoke once more.

Danny apparently felt Clark's gaze because he looked briefly to Clark "The boy asked if you're mute, since you're leaving all the speaking to, well, me. But he also said we're not the first people to ask about the ship. A couple of weeks ago Fine and a 'tall, thin bald man' came by, asking to be shown the spaceship. I think Lex is on the same trail as we are."

"Naturally." Clark replied with no small amount of venom. Of course Lex was investigating the spaceship; he couldn't leave anything to do with Krypton alone.

"Not naturally." Danny replied quickly, but before Clark was able to mount an argument Danny was talking again. "I know you don't like Lex, but in this case I think he's being toyed with. The only reason we're here is because Chloe happened to see a photo with Fine in it. I'd bet Fine laid a trail to pull Lex in; otherwise Lex would have talked to Jorés by himself. My question is, what does Fine want with Lex?"

Clark frowned, but was saved having to reply when the boy gestured towards a clearing in the forest. Clark stepped through first and was both shocked and dismayed to see a large pentagonal scorch mark in the forest floor. There was no doubt that the ship had been here, nothing else had the same dimensions as the spaceship, nor did Clark know of anything that could leave such a mark without touching anything else.

Clark looked over to Danny who was surveying the scene keenly. The little boy who had led them there was already disappearing back into the jungle. Clark was about to call out a thankyou when the ground trembled. Clark's attention immediately turned to his cousin, just in time to notice a small sliver of blue escape from his mouth, like the small fug of breath on a cold day. Clark watched as Danny's eyes widened, jumping between a space in the forest and the trail where the boy had walked off to.

"Clark, find Jorés and take him back to the village." Danny barked, his eyes set on the forest at the far side of the clearing. "Now!" Clark blinked once at Danny's sudden urgency, but realised that something in the forest must have spooked him. The only thing that put Danny on alert like that was ghosts, so that probably meant there was a dangerous ghost in the area. Clark didn't need another second, he raced back along the path, scooping Jorés up in his arms and running him back to the relative safety of the village.

As Clark set the boy down there was a tremor, the whole village shook violently as the ground beneath them trembled. Clark spared a glance to the forest in the direction he'd just come from where a cloud of birds erupted fearfully from the treetops. The earth continued to shake, sending the villagers running into the relative safety of their huts. The main street was abandoned, the wares from the shopkeepers spread messily across the ground. It was then that Clark noticed the foul scent that had mixed with the soft smell of the forest. The air became foul, a strange mixture of rotting flesh and damp decay which was undercut by the disgusting stench of rotten eggs. Jorés tugged at Clark's wrist, pulling him towards his hut.

"¡Tenemos que correr! ¡Es Cizin! ¡Date prisa!" The boy exclaimed, tugging fearfully at Clark in an attempt to force him inside. "¡Es Cizin!" Clark pulled his hand away, now determined to find out exactly what was going on. He tried to comfort the little boy as he left, but needed to find Danny and whatever it was that had found them in the jungle. They had come here to try to find Milton Fine, and Clark had been convinced by the black scorch mark that Fine had long since gone.

But he was now stuck in an earthquake, and the scent of perverted death hung rank in the air. And suddenly the possibility of Fine still being around didn't seem so unlikely. The villagers had all hidden screaming 'Cizin' in fear, Clark didn't know who or what that was, but if it was in some way connected to Fine then Clark knew he had a responsibility to find out what was going on and to stop him.

Clark dove back into the jungle, retracing the path through the leafy green foliage as he attempted to find his way back to the clearing. But when he got back he gasped. The pentagonal scorch mark had been completely decimated leaving only a smoking crater in the ground. Some of the trees nearby had been smashed to splinters and a couple had blackened scorch marks, still steaming from the heat. The trail led away from the village, a pathway of raw destruction piecing its way through the leafy jungle. Clark followed the path, knowing that he'd find Danny at the end.

Clark ran through the forest, slowing himself down so that he didn't trip over the various rocks and fallen, uprooted trees that were in the way. The rancid smell that had surfaced in the village had intensified, forcing Clark to bite down his gag reflex as the smell clawed through his nostrils. He was getting closer if the power of the foul odour and the constant quivering of the trees was anything to go by.

Then there was an almighty crash as one of the trees shattered to splinters and a black and white blur flew past him, coming to a skidding halt twenty feet back where Clark had just come from. Clark ran over, but the blur was back in action. Clark saw Phantom's white Cloak fluttering in the breeze as he picked himself up, his white head shaking quickly as Phantom pushed himself into a defensive stance.

The ground shuddered once more, settling into a steady rhythm that felt like footsteps. Clark's eyes followed Phantom's deep into the jungle foliage, and Clark couldn't help but gape as he saw the glowing figure easily picking its way through the foliage. Tall trees fell heavily behind it with every earth moving step, and the stench that followed him buried itself in Clark's lungs, burning him from the inside. Stinging tears leapt to Clark's eyes at the noxious scent, and he envied Phantom's ability to hold his breath since he certainly wasn't breathing now.

The figure stepped out of the shadowed undergrowth and into the limited sunlight of the clearing Phantom had created with his crash landing. Clark froze. The figure had green skin, marred by countless scars. The green skin was contrasted against pitch black tribal tattoos, stretching down his arms and all the way up his neck to encircle his vivid red eyes. His flesh was gaunt, clinging in close to his skeleton making him look emaciated. The only clothing he wore was a loincloth, accentuated with sticks and bones hanging loose like a skirt. He had a large headdress on, decorated with blackened bones and spindly black feathers. Around his neck swung a necklace laced with human eyeballs, all tied together in a long string woven from the optic nerves. Clark repressed a shudder at the sight of the man; he looked like death incarnate, ready for some tribal war.

The figure – ghost – roared loud, his eyes fixed firmly on Phantom. There was a blast of green and brown and Phantom was thrown back once more. Clark didn't know what else to do, so he employed the tactic Danny had advised months ago to deal with the Box Ghost. Clark sent a blast of heat directly towards the green ghost's skeletal frame, but the ghost just laughed.

Clark gasped as the bright crimson eyes turned to him. Before he could move he was thrown back, a powerful green blast pounding into his chest and sending him flying into the ground. He groaned as he pulled himself up, throwing himself out of the way as a second blast landed right where his head had been a moment before. Clark's eyes searched the clearing for any sign of his cousin, but saw nothing before he found himself having to duck again. A sharp exhale passed his lips, he wasn't prepared for this. None of the meteor freaks had been able to blast him with energy, and Clark's chest still stung from the first attack.

Thinking fast he raced over to the ghost, landing a swift uppercut to his jaw just as Phantom appeared beside the ghost delivering a spinning kick to his stomach. The ghost was thrown back, crashing heavily through the trees, but he got back up quickly. He spoke, but Clark couldn't even recognise the language. His voice was ethereal and cruel, the rasping caw of crows and the scraping of cold rocks. Phantom took a staggering step back, his eyes wide with fear. But it was hidden a moment later as he steeled himself, his white cloak fluttering over his shoulders like a lone knight on a battlefield.

Phantom stared the ghost down, replying coldly in that same strange tongue. The ghost barked a reply, baring his sharp spiked teeth before he sent an explosion of green towards Phantom. Phantom easily dodged, but the charge from the ghost's other hand came straight towards Clark. Clark smelled the sharp tang of energy in the air, cutting through the scent of death that oozed off the ghost. He closed himself, readying himself for impact, but felt nothing. There was a loud gasp in front of him, and Clark opened his eyes to see Phantom take the charge of energy straight to his chest.

Clark gasped as Phantom's eyes flared silver, and somehow, even though there was a trace of green oozing from his lips he grinned.

Line Break

Danny stared off into the forest undergrowth searching, something big had set off his ghost sense and he didn't know what. He heard the shuffling of Clark's feet as he ran Jorés away to the village. Danny needed to make sure the area was clear, this ghost was powerful and he couldn't afford for the boy or Clark to get hurt. Danny was happy to help Clark deal with Milton Fine, and the trail they had been set on was informative in the clues Fine had left, but Clark didn't know what to do with ghosts. He wasn't like Sam or Tuck, hadn't lived through the worst that ghosts could give. So Danny had decided to protect Clark from them. He had enough going on between Brainiac and the meteor freaks.

The problem was that Danny was exhausted. He wasn't used to long runs, hadn't been when he was fourteen and failing at the President's Fitness Test and still wasn't nearly three years later. That said, not many people could claim to have run two and a half thousand miles in just over an hour. But he had to set that aside at the approaching danger. The ghost was still a long way off, but Danny suspected that the ghost was the cause of the constant tremors shaking the earth beneath his feet. There was a crash, the sound of splintering wood, and Danny felt the ghost come closer.

Danny gasped, it was powerful. The ghost's aura signalled violence, the sharp pain of cut stone and brutal massacre. And it was still half a mile off. Phantom didn't know what exactly had brought the ghost out, but knowing his intent was more than enough. If this ghost wasn't sent back to the Zone, no, if he wasn't hand delivered to Clockwork, then he would happily massacre the village, and the next one, until everything in his path was dead. Danny couldn't let that happen, but with his energy as low as it felt he didn't know how long he could last against this new threat.

It was then Danny noticed the smell, the rancid odour of burnt ectoplasm mixed with the insidious edge of rotting flesh. Danny gagged once before shifting into his ghost form. The cool rings slid over him and removed completely the need to breathe. He could focus now with the pervasive scent set at bay. Phantom sighed, feeling the slight shifting as his cloak floated in the breeze, the tension mounting as a pre-battle surge of energy whipped through his core. He half smiled; it had been a long time since he'd faced a challenge.

There was an almighty clamour as the ghost finally surged forth into the clearing. Phantom took an involuntary step back. He knew very little of Earthly mythology, only what had been lectured to him by Sam and Clockwork. What he did know was the many cultures that ghosts sprang from. This one was clearly Ancient Mayan, probably a warrior. But his outfit was still wrong, and his body was worse. The green skin meant little to Phantom, it was common among ghosts. But the dark tribal tattooing stretching up his arms and down his chest, encircling his eyes, they marked him as a fierce fighter. But his ghostly skin was stretched taught across his skeletal frame, and his costume was decorated with bones rather than soft feathers. And the eyeball necklace strung around his neck made Phantom shiver.

The ghost eyed Phantom, evaluating him with his darkened crimson gaze. Like so many powerful ghosts he had no pupils, no whites; only deep pools of blackened red that held cold contempt for anything living. "I am Cizin." The ghost announced proudly, his voice setting off tremors in the air with the resonance of grating stones. "God of earthquakes, Great Tepal of death. I am the bane of Chac, the keeper of lost souls. For millennia I have reaped in the blood of weak and pitiful mortals. And you, xiipal have encroached upon my territory."

Phantom didn't react. He wouldn't let himself. This ghost had been in the real world for so long, done so much harm, and yet no one had sought to stop him. It seemed ridiculous, Undergrowth had been in hiding for nearly four hundred years before he came to Smallville, but this ghost had been committing atrocities unchecked. Phantom's jaw set, and he felt his eyes flare bright. He wouldn't let this stand, wouldn't let this ghost continue taking human life, even as tired as he already was. Not while there was still energy in his core.

"I think it's more you've encroached on real world territory. Go back to the Zone." Phantom shot back, gauging the ghost's snarled reaction.

"I am a god," Cizin shot back, his teeth grating angrily as his red eyes flared the colour of fire. "And you, chan koxol, can do nothing. My domain is here, and I will not return to Xibalbá until Kukulcan himself defeats me in battle."

"I don't care." Phantom replied hotly. "I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone else, and if that means doing Kukulkan's job for him, then I say bring it."

The ghost blinked for a moment, but Phantom wasn't going to give him an opportunity to press his advantage. Phantom shot a warning ectoblast at Cizin, a small attempt to try and get him to back off. But it did nothing but aggravate the ghost. Danny felt himself being thrown back as the earth beneath him shifted, sending him hurtling backwards. His back slammed into a tree and a shower of splinters burst around him.

Phantom stood up, briefly turning intangible and sinking through the ground. It was a good technique for surprise attacks, and worked effectively this time. Phantom zeroed in on the ghost's aura, bringing himself up to full speed in the earth and surging forth to deliver an ectoplasm charged hit to Cizin's stomach. The skeletal ghost was sent flying, several trees collapsing in his trajectory. Phantom followed quickly, dodging under the bright green jet of Cizin's return fire. Trusting his instincts he flickered out of visibility just long enough to sweep the feet out from under the ghost.

Cizin had obviously been on Earth too long if he relied on gravity the way he did, he came crashing down to the ground with a feral growl. But this seemed to draw out the more bestial instincts in the ghost. Phantom soon found himself weaving through a veritable minefield of not just bursts of ectoplasm, but the ghost's own telekinetically charged boulders. He was ducking around trees as they attempted to collapse on him. He was distracted by the near constant fire, unable to land many blows of his own as the ghost circled back around him.

Phantom was struck heavily in the back, sending him sprawling in the muddy jungle floor. He slid along the forest track for a moment, until he came to a screeching halt against a boulder. He felt his neck crack, an injury that would have broken his neck if he were fully human. But he couldn't afford to let himself be distracted anymore. He pulled himself up, straightening his neck and throwing himself out of the path of the next fiery blast. He coughed once, knowing that the last blow had dealt more lasting damage than just to his neck, but he had bigger problems.

The ghost was right on him, his teeth flashing wildly, thin sharpened spikes that were more reminiscent of a jaguar than a human. Phantom felt the ghost's long skeletal fingers press into his chest, the bony claws digging deep to press against his core. Phantom let out an anguished cry, that morphed briefly into a primal version of the Ghostly Wail. The sonic blast sent the ghost flying backwards, soaring off into the trees.

Phantom collapsed to his knees, his hands pressed against his chest as he felt his core fluctuate. For a moment he felt nothing as the world distorted. He saw green, he saw red, he saw blackness and stars all swirling together as his core attempted to stabilise itself from that vicious physical assault. Then he was flying, the heavy blow delivered straight to his gut coming out of the darkness and sending him soaring. He felt himself skidding through the forest, his back impacting once more against a tree. But there was someone else near now. And that mere presence was enough to bring him back from the bleariness that had been overtaking him.

Phantom looked up, feeling more than seeing the approach of the ghost. What he hadn't been expecting was for Clark to be back, and it was a mixed blessing that he was. Clark was not in the best of moods, but there was a small sliver of positive emotion that Phantom clung to like a lifeline, that small bit of Kryptonian strength was enough to pull him back to something like full consciousness. The bad thing was that Clark was now in the sights of a powerful ghost. One which Danny knew Clark couldn't handle.

That became painfully obvious when Clark sent a heat blast at the ghost. But Cizin was too strong for that to do anything more than sting. It would take temperatures closer to the searing heat needed to melt carbon to do any damage to that ghost, and if Clark could manage that Phantom didn't know. The ghost just laughed it off, focusing his attention now on Clark. Before Clark could do anything he was being shot by a searing burst of ectoplasm, and Phantom felt the powerful energy radiate out from the blast itself.

But Phantom wasn't going to let an opportunity like this go to waste. He didn't like Clark playing decoy, so as soon as he could he flew up and delivered a charged spinning kick to the ghost's stomach. Clark seemed to have a similar idea as he dealt a heavy punch to the ghost's jaw. Their combined attack sent the ghost flying through the forest, several trees collapsing to splinters in his wake. But it wasn't enough, and Phantom was coming to realise how very few ideas he had to combat this ghost. His powers weren't even particularly unique, they were just so strong, and Phantom hadn't been in peak fighting position to begin with.

"You can't stop me, xiipal." The ghost's cruel voice cut through the clearing. "You can't stop death, I am ever present, immortal, the darkness that waits at the end for all who live. Humans must fear me, and tremble in the knowledge that there is nothing they can do to escape. But you, xiipal. You are new to me." The ghost paused for a moment, studying him with his cold red eyes. "You have the powers of a god, you are one of us. And yet you live. Join me; with your strength you would have the world at your feet. The mortal humans would fear you, and you are young to our kind yet. Let me teach you our ways. Or..."

The ghost paused for a terrible moment "You can watch as I bring the world to its knees. You cannot stop me, there is nothing that can. I have been lenient for over a thousand years, but it is time to see the rise of a new age. One where all mortals bow to their rightful ruler, the true face of Xibalbá, Cizin."

Phantom froze for a minute, and the offers of Vlad and his own evil alternate self echoed loudly in his head. He stepped back, before finding his own resolution and meeting the ghost firmly in the eyes. He had not bowed to their whims, and he was not going to subject himself to the whims of some Mayan ghost who presumed himself the god of death.

"You are not the first to ask me to join them." Phantom answered coldly, feeling bile rise in the back of his throat. "I doubt you will be the last. But I don't care what power you offer, how strong you think you will be with me by your side. I will not bow to you, and I will stop you." Cizin stared at him for a moment before he retaliated. Cizin's hands burst to light with emerald energy, and Phantom swooped around the blow Cizin threw at him. What he wasn't prepared for was the second, much stronger blast, instead of being a painful follow up shot, flying straight towards Clark who wasn't moving out of the way.

Phantom didn't think. His core was still aching, he could feel green ooze seeping through his own dormant lungs, felt the misalignment of the bones in his neck. But the pain was nothing. Through a darkened blur he slid in front of his cousin, protecting him from the blast. It hurt, Hecate did it hurt. He felt like every pore of him was aflame, and he knew that this was the ghost's true power. It was instant death, plain and simple. If any truly living being were touched by that then that was the end. But Danny had taken it; he could take it because he had already died once. He'd already survived his death. And because of that he could protect. He had kept Clark safe from harm.

Phantom felt a wave of energy wash through him, cleansing him, restoring him. A wave of energy that had nothing to do with the relief Clark had for his own safety and everything to do with fulfilling his own obsession. Phantom couldn't help it. He smiled.

"You don't get it, do you Cizin. I won't give up. I won't give in, and I'm not gonna let you harm anyone. You say you are the god of death, that mortals should fear you? You are nothing. You say you are the awaiting darkness? Then I will be the light. I am Danny Phantom, and I will stop you."

From then it was quick. Having tasted Cizin's true power he knew what he was. He knew his own power, his obsession, his own strength of will, could overcome this overconfident ghost. Phantom felt his eyes flare, and he released a blast of arctic ice, instantly freezing Cizin to the forest floor. Without a second thought he pulled out his old Thermos, tugging the ghost inside and containing him until Danny could take Cizin to Clockwork. Phantom may not like dealing with the Observant's, but Clockwork would take care of the murderous ghost properly.

Phantom allowed himself a small laugh as he collapsed boneless to his knees. The aches that he had set aside until he had captured Cizin coming back full force. He felt the cool white rings slide over him, shifting him back to his human form without his own violation. The forest swam around him, and he dimly heard Clark saying something before he faded into the calming embrace of unconsciousness.

Line Break

Clark raced over to the unconscious form of his now human cousin. Danny had defeated the ghost, entrapping him in the Thermos and away from harm. But Clark was troubled. During the whole fight it felt like Danny was blocking him off, standing like a protective shield between Clark and the ghost. Danny was always so keen to help Clark with his meteor freak problems or with Milton Fine, that Clark had assumed that he would be fine to let Clark help out with the ghosts.

Leaving aside the fact that this ghost had been a lot tougher than the Box Ghost, Clark wasn't sure what to make of such a barrier. Had it always been there, and this was the first time he had gotten to see it? Surely not. Danny had let Chloe come along to fight Undergrowth, and all she had was an ecto-gun. But then again, Danny hadn't really let her into the fight either, he'd let her have a couple of pot-shots at the minions, but kept the big villain almost to himself. Chloe had had to force her way into the fight herself.

But Danny knew about Clark's powers. Surely Danny would be happy to let him help out. Clark wanted to help, and after all the training that Danny had put him through Clark felt that he was ready to prove himself. But Danny had blocked him off. Had jumped in front of many of the attacks Cizin sent his way. Had sent Clark away, to the village, rather than let him stay to help. The question was why. And Clark wanted answers.

A bush rustled nearby, and Clark jumped to attention, focusing on the source of the noise. It was that little boy, Jorés, who had shown them to the sight of Fine's ship; the same boy who Clark had run back to the village to keep safe. He was staring wide eyed between Danny and Clark. His brown eyes glittering brown in the sunlight as he surveyed the clearing. There was a brief pause, filled with tension before the boy broke out into a strange smile. It was a mixture of awe, fear and unmitigated excitement.

"Tú eres los dioses!" The boy declared, and Clark's heart sunk. He didn't need to be an expert in Spanish to realise that Danny and maybe himself had just been compared to gods. He frowned, looking at Danny's unconscious form before walking over to pick him up. He was light, too light. And Clark didn't know whether that was normal or if something was wrong. There was no way he could risk running him back to the farm just now, it had been over an hour to run, and that was when both of them had been unencumbered by anything. He would have to go drastically slower if he had to carry Danny, and Clark didn't know how extensive Danny's injuries were.

He came to a decision. Danny would probably be mad at him, but he had no way of getting into contact with anyone who could help. There was no phone reception within a ten mile radius. And there was no way he was going to leave Danny alone like this. So he shifted Danny until he was slung limply across Clark's back and did his best job of asking Jorés for help back in the village. The boy nodded excitedly, eagerly guiding Clark back through the undergrowth and back towards the village.

On the way Danny seemed to rouse slightly, but he was in some form of muddled delirium and spoke nonsensical phrases. Clark wasn't sure what language he was speaking, or if it even was a language at all, but the note of terror in his voice told him that Danny was trapped deep within a nightmare. The little boy was happily leading the way, jumping across stones and happily talking in Spanish. He said the name Cizin several times, often sneaking an awed look back at Danny before continuing his easygoing prattle.

They got to the village as the sun started to dip into the horizon. The boy happily pulled Clark into what he assumed was his home, gesturing towards the single bed for Danny. He ran outside, shouting to the whole village. Clark didn't take much notice. He was too caught up in his own musings. He didn't know what was wrong with Danny, he didn't know much about first aid and still didn't really know how to help treat ghosts, other than that maybe giving Danny chocolate could help. A call to Vlad Masters would probably help, but there was still the problem of limited reception and also how to explain that both of them were in Honduras in the first place.

Clark watched over Danny's unconscious form, seeing the soft breathing and hearing the way his breath rattled in his chest. There was still a trace of blood on his lip, although the cut itself seemed to have healed. Clark wasn't sure when it had happened, but the tips of Danny's hair had taken on a distinctly white hue. The black strands ending in stark white that framed his unconscious face. Clark hated not knowing, and he hated that there was no one he could talk to ask for help. He groaned, settling himself further into the chair as he continued his silent vigil.

There was a knock at the door, breaking Clark out of his reverie. Jorés opened the front door, happily leading two women in, judging by their ages one of them was probably his mother. They were soon followed by an older man, his dark hair greying. The man looked straight at Clark. "Jorés tells us that you and the boy are gods, that you beat Cizin himself." The man said, his English was faltering, but it was better than fumbling between translations.

Clark frowned, but the man didn't really seem to notice. The two women walked over to Danny, and automatically assumed care of him as they gently nudged Clark out of the way. One laid a wet cloth on Danny's brow as the other gently felt for Danny's pulse. Jorés took a seat at the end of the bed, eagerly watching all the adults and smiling brightly at Danny's still unconscious form. "I'm Humberto," The man introduced himself warily.

"Clark." Clark replied, gently shaking the man's hand.

Humberto nodded before continuing. "There aren't many here that speak English, most of us spend our whole lives here. The first many of the village met English speakers was when the sickness started. Jorés didn't know where you came from, he said that your... friend... there spoke Spanish, but it was as if he was talking to the ancestors. He heard the two of you speaking as he guided you through the forest, and then thought that I could be some help."

"Thanks." Clark replied shortly. He wasn't sure what to think of the man. He was being warily respectful, as though he was almost scared of Clark. Clark didn't like the idea of being compared to a god, not when that was how his birth father treated humans. The two women sent the man a concerned look, gesturing towards Danny with worry in their eyes. Before one of them told the man something, her soft voice was worried and there was fear in her eyes.

The man sent Clark a sharp look. "Pame is asking if a low pulse is normal for your friend."

"Cousin, actually and yes." Clark replied, hoping that Danny wouldn't be too upset with him. At the moment Clark was more concerned with getting him better than with his secret. "His pulse is usually about thirty five beats a minute. He has a lower temperature too, he doesn't have a chill. His name is Danny."

The man nodded warily, before quickly replying to the two women. "You and the boy are gods then, aren't you? That would explain why Danny spoke with the tongue of the ancestors. Why are you here?" Clark's frown deepened at the man's question. He had never been called a god before this and didn't like it. It became more grating as the man persisted.

"We're not gods." Clark tersely replied. "But we were here looking for a man. He's gone now, but I, we need to find out what his plans are. Milton Fine."

Humberto raised an eyebrow sceptically. "We may be a humble people, but we are not foolish. The ways of the modern world are not our own, and we still recognise the signs of the old world. You and your cousin may have taken human form, but we see you for what you are. Please, unless you are trickster gods, don't try to fool us into dismissing you." The man paused, his eyes becoming more reflective.

"You said you were looking for the man, Milton Fine. He came to look into the illness that has been spreading through the villages. He arrived soon after the Charriot of the Gods came to the forest, after Cizin became active once more. If Milton Fine is gone I am unaware, but he was very interested in the disease. He claimed he was from a University, and set up a tent not far out from the village. Cizin on the other hand has been more active, his powers stretching out more often. I do not know if the two are linked, but it seems that you and Danny there were the ones to defeat Cizin.

"The modern world may have forgotten gods, but here we still see the signs. There is no need to hide what you are here, not after Jorés saw Danny change his form. There are many stories of gods walking among men, disguising their true nature. I think all we can do is thank the two of you for saving us from Cizin." He man finished with a small smile, still wary, but in acceptance.

Clark was still unsure, off balance from the unfamiliar situation. He was sitting in a small hut in Honduras, talking to a man who insisted that he and Danny were gods, after Danny had defeated a ghost that apparently was a god in their culture; adding that to the fact that they had only come here on the trail of Milton Fine in the first place, Clark wasn't sure to make of the situation. He needed to talk to Danny, and he was still annoyed at having been so thoroughly left out of the fight.

There was a soft cough from the bed and Danny jerkily shot up. In an instant Clark was next to him, holding his head as Danny blearily looked around with bright silver eyes. The three adults in the room jerked back, but the little boy, Jorés, eagerly approached Danny. Jorés threw his arms around Danny in a tight hug, prattling off in Spanish a cheerful thank you. Danny took a moment to reorient himself, those silver eyes fixing on Clark for a moment before he looked to the other three occupants of the small hut.

"Gracias, le agradezco su hospitalidad." Danny whispered, sending the three a weak smile.

"It was no problem," Humberto replied, thankfully in English and Danny gave a relieved smile, sinking back against the wall for support. "You and Clark seem to have saved our village from a great evil. You have our thanks. But we are aware of the legends; if it please you it would be best if you were to continue your journey."

"I understand." Danny acknowledged. And Clark was surprised to see Danny pulling himself up. He still looked weak, but maybe that was only because Clark had become a lot better at reading Danny since he had arrived on the farm. Clark was reluctant to move Danny away from safety, to give him time to recover. But Danny was already moving. "Thank you again, we won't stay any longer. Just know that Cizin will not be a problem any longer, he will stand trial in... Xibalbá, his crimes are inexcusable and he will be punished." Danny stood himself up on shaky legs, but rejected Clark's support. He shifted into intangibility when Clark tried.

"I think we should head off now." Danny suggested quietly, guiding Clark towards the door.

"They think we're gods." Clark whispered back, noting Danny's brief freeze before he continued walking. Jorés seemed to be following them closely, racing happily around them as they walked through the village. Clark was concerned by the whispers and unhidden glances that the villagers were sending his way.

"I'm not entirely surprised." Danny eventually replied, and Clark heard the pained strain to his voice. "I think, in places like this they will always be more superstitious than where we live. In legends it is only gods that can defeat gods, so if they thought Cizin was a god then it only makes sense. Some people are gonna see you like that Clark; think you're the most powerful thingbeing on Earth. And you're gonna have to live with that, earn their trust for who you are, not just respect for your powers. If you ever want to be a public figure that is." Danny broke off, looking down to Jorés for a moment.

"I can understand why they don't want us to stay. In any culture the places where gods stay, where any supernatural being stays, they end up bringing trouble for the humans who are around them. The people here just want to keep themselves safe." Danny shook his head, crouching down to look Jorés in the eye. He whispered something to the little boy that Clark somehow missed, but the little boy broke into a wide smile before once more throwing his arms around Danny.

"Gracias!" The boy exclaimed, before disappearing back into the middle of the village. Clark looked back to see that the villagers were all waving them off cheerfully. It looked peaceful, and in the darkness of twilight everything looked normal. It felt surreal that there was a place that could just accept the supernatural like this. The villagers had just welcomed Danny into the village, even though he obviously wasn't human. Jorés had seen something of what both of them could do, but it didn't mean anything compared to the fact that they had contributed to keeping the village safe from Cizin.

Danny stopped on the outskirts of the village, looking back at the villagers. There was a pained look in his eye, and Clark saw an ocean of emotions swirl through Danny's bright silver eyes. With the hair and the eyes being the way they were Clark was sure there was something wrong. Usually the silver only lasted a minute, if that. And the last time Danny had two tonal hair had been Halloween, but he was in his ghost form then. The white tips in Danny's black hair had stayed, but they didn't look particularly ghostly at the moment.

"I can't run back." Danny murmured to Clark. Clark had figured that out, while he was doing his best to hide it from the villagers it was obvious that Danny was still in pain. Clark watched as he absently pressed his hand over his heart, a strangely protective gesture as if he had been badly wounded there.

"I figured that." Clark replied quickly. "How will you get home? I could carry you if you want." Clark offered, and that would give Clark an opportunity to lecture Danny about blocking him out of the fight. But Danny was already shaking his head."

"I'm not gonna go back to the farm tonight I think." Danny replied, his voice was strained now that they were out of hearing for the village. It was as if he felt he didn't need to hide his pain as much anymore. "I need... I need to be in the Zone for a while. I'll probably be back tomorrow, but I need to recover. Cizin attacked my core, and... I need to be in the Zone." Danny broke off. It was only then Clark noticed how diluted Danny's pupils were, how much pain he was in. He seemed half delirious with the effort to maintain conversation, so Clark nodded once. He didn't like it; there was a lot that he needed to discuss with Danny. But Danny looked like he was in bad shape.

Clark didn't even know if Vlad could help with Danny's core problem. He seemed to think that Danny wouldn't have a core, so wouldn't know how to help Danny heal. If Danny thought that he needed to be in the Zone then Clark wasn't going to deny him that. Reluctantly Clark acquiesced, watching as Danny opened a portal to the Zone. The villagers gasped as the circle of spiralling green opened in front of them, but Clark only saw his cousin feebly falling through into the mass of green as the portal closed behind him.

He shook his head, watching as the last traces of the portal vanished into the night. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the long run home. He had a lot to think about, between Milton Fine and what fragments he was learning of ghost culture. But his biggest concern was his cousin, who had purposefully stopped Clark from fighting and ended up badly wounded because of it. Clark set of on his run, the night blurring around him as he sped under the cool night sky, pacing himself as he raced across the continent. There was so much going on, and Clark just hoped that he didn't let anything slip through his fingers.

Line Break

Lana gasped, breathing heavily as the world swirled into resolution around her. Her heart was throbbing painfully in her chest, but she fought through the pain. She focused on the bright white light hanging over her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Nearly there." She gasped heavily, looking blearily as her two companions fussed over her. "I almost found them."

---

AN: Just so you know, I don't speak Spanish. At all. I do however have access to Google Translate, which probably explains any bad grammar. I tried to research this adequately, but if you're confused...

Cizin is a real Mayan God, also known as the 'Stinking One'. He is the antithesis to the god Chac, who plants the trees and brings the rain. I was just playing around a bit with the idea of Danny up against a god. 'Tepal' is the Mayan word for 'ruler' or 'king'. 'Xiipal' means boy. 'Chan koxol' means mosquito. 'Xibalbá' is the Mayan form of hell. Kukulcan was essentially king of the gods.

Just quickly, Cizin is a god of death, so he would be more in tune with what is alive and what isn't. Most of the other ghosts can't instinctively tell that Danny is a halfa.

Okay, so we know that Fine is planning something, Smallville fans will know what...

And it is apparent how much Danny is keeping Clark out of his life, despite knowing each other's secrets.

Fare the well,

Bluerose