By David Mycock Time Wave 5
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of smallville or superman they belong to the people who created them at the time the other characters belong to their respective creators.
Pairing: Clark/Lana/Raya
Summary: Set during season Four, Clark is hit by a mysterious wave of energy which gives him knowledge of the future and how to prevent a dark future from befalling him and those around him. He decides to act on the knowledge especially concerning Lana.
(Luthor Mansion)
Lex walked into his mansion still annoyed by seeing for his own eyes that Lana and Clark were back together, he could see it in Lana's eyes and the way she was so welcomed by Martha Kent.
He walked over to his drink stand and began to pore himself some whiskey when he heard the doors behind him open and he quickly spun and stared almost in shock as his father walked in looking for the all the world like nothing had happened to him, he watched as his father smiled at him in greeting before pouring himself his own drink
"Something wrong Lex?" he inquired after downing his drink
"Dad, what happened to you?" he asked "You've been in a coma for the last day and a half" he added
"I only remember feeling a spasm of pain in my back before passing out" Lionel replied "Has it really been a day and a half son?" he inquired looking a little off balance at this
"The cameras and alarms were all disabled dad which is how they got in whoever they were but I suspect they were after the stones" Lex responded after a few minutes and downed his own drink "They maybe trying to get rid of anyone else who has an interest in them" he continued
"Then again it could be the Teague's" Lionel shot back "Remember son they are not to be trusted especially Genevieve Teague, she is ruthless" he warned him
"I know but considering how Jason looked when I told him about you I doubt it was them" Lex responded "No someone else is out there looking for them and they are not above killing us to get them, I went to see Clark and Lana to warn them but Clark wasn't there however they are supposed to be coming over to see me later" he told his father after pouring himself another drink and move to sit at his desk
"Then we better keep our eyes open Lex just in case they strike again" Lionel advised his son before turning and began to leave "Now if you will excuse me son I have some business to take care of" he added before walking out
Lex leaned back in his seat and shook his head somewhat not too surprised that his father had recovered as he was not that easy to get rid of as he well knew. He sighed wondering who else was out there after the stones and when they would show themselves before downing his drink and began to look over the latest reports from his doctors
Outside the mansion Jor-El smiled pleased he had been able to play the part of Lionel Luthor to the point where even his son was fooled, he was still in the process of turning this vessel into his oracle but he had decided he could use it to help his son and his friends more than having them continually visit the fortress and risk been discovered by Lex or the Teague's using the caves.
(Kent Farm)
Raya was shocked by what she had been told by Jonathan Kent, she knew it was possible to send such things through time as her race had long discovered how to bend time even to the point of changing it. She knew within the fortress there was a time crystal kept for emergency uses as well as a time portal so she was not sceptical of the tale.
Still it did at least explain why Kal-El had lost his control so quickly, he was been overwhelmed by the memories of his future self which was dangerous however she was sure Lana would be able to help him refocus and put it aside for now. It was clear from the story that Kal-El still had much more to tell them but had not got around to it at this point, they would have to be careful how they went about changing the events to come or all they may do is make things worse.
In the next room Clark laid against Lana still trying to stem the raging emotions within him, flashes of what Lex would do continued to plague him and each one made him feel sick. He began to focus on Lana's presence and slowly he felt himself begin to calm down, he leaned his head against hers and listened to her comforting words as she tried to help him calm down.
He remembered feeling something like this when he had seen Lana marry Lex in the future and he had gone out to find a fight and ended up facing off against Titan one of the prisoners who escaped the zone in the future, this time the rage was worst as was the fact that he had no one who he could take his anger out on. It was difficult to see where he ended and his future self began but he had to find something to separate them so he could function better without losing his control again, he would be no good to anyone this way so he decided to have a talk with Jor-El about it later on once he went back to the fortress on his own.
"Clark, what is it Lex will do that makes you feel such rage?" Lana inquired softly
Clark did not answer instead he took her hands and led her into the room where the others were and sat down next to Raya pulling Lana down next to him
"It's not just one thing Lex will do Lana, it's the many things he will do in the future that throw up such a storm inside me" Clark said making it clear to the others what this conversations were about "I keep getting flashes of them and each one evokes a strong reaction" he added
"That is to be expected Kal-El" Raya told him "Our people experimented with this kind of time manipulation a long time ago and in each case the person involved found it difficult to separate himself from the memories of their future selves, I do not remember the specifics of how this was done in the past but I do remember one of the ways they tried to control the flow of memories was meditation" she explained
"Clark, can you control yourself in front of Lex?" Martha asked her son still concerned about seeing her son in such a state
"No I can't but Kal can" Clark responded "He will help us now because our mission is the same" he added as his parents went to object "It's the only way I can be in the same room as Lex and not do anything" he told them
"Clark, what did he do?" Lana asked
"That is a loaded question Lana Lang" a new voice interrupted them and they all looked up in surprise to see Lionel standing outside the door however he seemed different and next to him was a tall black skinned man who's eyes flashed red
"Hello father, J'onn" Clark said not surprised to see Jor-El using Lionel to converse with them or that he was with the Martian Manhunter
"My son" Jor-El responded "Raya it is pleasing to see you outside the zone once more" he added
"Thank you Jor-El" Raya responded "J'onn I am glad you will be helping us in our struggle" she said turning to the Martian
"Clark, are we sure that is Jor-El and not just Lionel acting?" Jonathan asked a little of the hate he felt for both men coming through
"It's him dad believe me" Clark responded "J'onn would be no where near him if it was not Jor-El" he explained
"So what were you saying Jor-El?" Lana inquired a little intimadated by the presence of Clark's real father
"The question you asked Kal-El has no easy answer Lana Lang, Lex luthor had perpretrated many evil acts, having seen the memories of Kal-El's future self I think the most soul destroying for him was loosing you to him next year" Jor-El answered as he sat down whilst J'onn leaned against the door
"What happened?" Lana asked very confused on how such a thing could happen here or in the future
After a nod from Clark Jor-El responded "It started with Kal-El giving up his powers to safe guard you, he became effectivily human and so he restarted your relationship" he began to explain "Things went well for the first three months bar you having to fend off certain meteor infected people who had been sent by Luthor to test Kal-El, each time you and the Kents were put in danger as was Chloe Sullivan who helped him pass these tests" he continued "However a situation arrived that could not be solved withour Kal-El's gifts but he still tried and was shot and killed during the attempt, I using this vessel took him to the fortress and revived him along with his abilities however there was a very heavy price that came with his ressurection" here Jor-El paused whilst Clark burried his face in his hands as the memories of those events came back to him
"What was the price?" Chloe inquired glancing at Clark and noted with concern he had began to shake only for both Lana and Raya to place a comforting hand on his back and try and sooth him
"A life of one of his loved ones had to be exchanged, this was not something that could be avoided as there is a balance within all things and it must be kept and so by reviving Kal-El I upset that balance" Jor-El answered
"And so someone most likely one of us had to die to rebalance things correct?" Chloe asked horrfied by this because she knew how Clark must have responded to this when he found out
"Sadly yes, Kal-El was not pleased when he found out this but as I said it could not be avoided" Jor-El answered "The return of his powers however strained his relationship with Lana Lang greatly as he retrated into himself as well as cutting of their phsyical relationship out of fear of hurting her" he began to explain again "It came to a point where Kal-El had to make a choice between telling Lana the truth or loosing her completely" he stated
Lana colured slighty when Jor-El mentioned her and Clark having a phsyical relationship but quickly put it aside and focused on what they were been told "What did he do?" she asked even as she felt Clark relax somewhat under her hand
"He decided to tell you everything and brought you to the fortress as proof before he explained all of it to you and then ended it by asking you to marry him" Jor-El answered with a small smile noting the wide eyed stared this caused not only from Lana but the others in the room bar Raya, Clark and J'onn "He gave you time to think things through and then you came back here and told him the answer was yes, I have not seen my son so happy as he was for those few hours you were his fiancee" he added before he frowned as he recalled what happened next
"What happened next?" Lana asked feeling her heart beat wildly at the idea of been engaged to Clark, a dream she had more than once in the past four years even when she had been with Whitney, Adam and Jason
"Sadly when you went to see Luthor to comfort him having loosing the election rally to Jonathan Kent he noticed the engagement ring and realised you had all the answers he had searced for and began to demand you tell him, he chased you out of the mansion and down route forty straight into an oncoming bus, you were killed in the crash and Kal-El for one of the few times in his life was too late to save you" Jor-El informed them
Lana shook her head almost unable to believe that she could acomplish her dream only to have it taken away by the actions of Lex Luthor. She felt a buring anger light within her at learning this but she quickly decided to ignore it as she felt Clark begin to heave as if he was trying desperatly to control his emotions, she and Raya both stepped up their attempts to keep him calm neither bothered by the actions of the other as their only concern was Clark
"Go on Jor-El" Jonathan said hating to see his son in such emotinal turnmoil yet knowing only Lana and maybe Raya could help him right now whilst trying not to let what he was learning to influence his actions right now which was very hard as all he wanted to do was rip Lex to bits
"Kal-El became emotionaly unstable in response to loosing Lana and he came to the fortress to demand I reverse it, I told him I could not because although our powers here are strong we are not gods" Jor-El went on after a few seconds "He persisted and so I told him of the time crystal which would allow him to go back in time to try and reverse what he had done, I gave him a stark warning that fate would find a way to correct the balance even with his intervention" he explained "Kal-El nodded and took the crystal not really realising what he had done in his pain, after seeing his worst fear come true in Lana dying due to knowing his secret he decided not to tell her this time and the strain on their relationship deepened whilst Luthor acted the concerned friend throughout it all" he continued
Lana closed her eyes at this although she was not too surprised by Clark's future choice after seeing her die due to knowing the truth about him but she was sure there could have been other choices he could have made which would have helped her understand the truth as well as keep her away from Lex but now they could avoid it all if they were lucky.
"Although Kal-El managed to save you and the one called Lois Lane he was unable to stop Jonathan Kent from meeting in secret with Lionel Luthor which caused him to have a fatal heart attack" Jor-El explained
"Are you saying Clark traded his father's life for mine?" Lana asked opening her eyes shocked at this
"No, remember the life that was been balanced was Kal-El's own" Jor-El gently reminded them as Martha cried and hugged her husband trying to reject the idea of her husband dieing whilst he just hugged her and tried to keep her calm
"I can repair the damage to Jonathan Kent so he will not have to worry about such a thing happening with Raya's help" Jor-El offered hoping to calm down the emotional upheaval his tale had produced
"Lana I would rather my life was exchanged for yours or Clark's believe me, had I been given a choice I am sure I would have made sure it was me" Jonathan said hoping to comfort the girl who was clearly upset at this yet knowing he was speaking the truth that if it came down to a choice he would rather sacrafice himself than either one of them as he had lived a very good life one filled with a loving wife and a son he was proud of
Clark listened as the story of one of his worst failures was told whilst trying to block out the memories that went with the tale, the memories of Lana's broken body and his father fatal heartattack was almost too much and he took a deep breathe whilst trying to stem the guilt and anger that the memories produced. He felt both Lana and Raya rub his back and whispering comforting words to him, they were all that was keeping him in control whilst this tale was told
"Luthor finally sent another meteor infected woman after you, she had the power to control whoever she wanted which included Kal-El, whilst it was discovered why he had been kissing this woman Kal-El decided to use it as a means of killing your relationship feeling that if you were not together Luthor would loose interest in you and focus sourly on him" Jor-El continued "His plan worked and your relationship ended in pain but Luthor did not loose interest as he desired you fully both because he lusted for you and because Kal-El had once had you, he is truly a disturbed person" he added
The others all nodded in agreement with this assesment of the man except Clark who just stared at the floor, Jor-El knew that telling some of what was to come was going to be esepcially hard on his son but he knew it had to be done as did Kal-El.
"Part of the strain on your relationship also came for your search for answers about the second meteor shower and the black ship that came with it, whilst Kal-El was tryinig to hide things connected to it as well as remove the danger it and Brainiac represented you Lana teamed up with Lex to find where it had coem from and what it was doing on earth" Jor-El restarted his tale as Martha finally regained her control and tried to dry her face "It put you in danger a few times and each time Kal-El saved you however as you did not know this Lex took the credit and you began to believe he was truly a goood person who wanted what was best for you which just hurt all the more for Kal-El" he added
Lana did not know how to feel about this part but she vowed she would never trust Lex Luthor again for as along as she lived. She looked over and noticed Raya was watching Clark who seemed to be finally getting some of his contol back as he was now looking at Jor-El but she could see the pain in his eyes still and she hated to see it
"After your relationship with Kal-El ended you grew more and more close to Luthor as you tried to uncover the truth of the black ship and Milton Fine origins, he tricked Luthor into making a virus which he then injected into Luthor" Jor-El began again "A few days later Luthor was abducted by the black ship right in front of you and all you could get out of Fine was that Luthor was been prepared" he continued "Kal-El came to try and talk with you twice during this time but because he would not share what he knew with you or how he knew that Luthor would come back different your comtempt for him grew and you parted ways badly, during the insewing conflict Kal-El refused to kill Luhtor who was now the vessel of Zod and was sent into the phantom zone whilst you Lana went to Lex's side as the world began to destroy itself" he stated
"That is how you knew of me?" Raya asked "When you were banished into the zone we met" stated looking at Clark who nodded and finally spoke
"You saved me from three phantoms before taking me to your tent for aid, when you leaned who I was you helped me escape but it was at a cost of your life because we were ambushed by Zod's followers who I had banished there the year previously, I activated the portal and it sent me, you and a couple of other zoners to earth" he told her "You survived long enough to reach earth where the sun could heal you, you then tracked me down and began to teach me, you were angry by my failure which led to the fortress been damaged and I was annoyed that I had made such a stupid mistake again" he added "It's just I've never taken a life by choice only by accident and I had the crazy idea I could stop everything if I destroyed Brainiac but I was just playing into his hands" he explained
"Do not be too harsh on him Raya, he was not raised in a Kryptonian manor and is also not a solider, his life here has not been without conflict but he has little experience with the nightmare of such people like Zod and his emotions have proved to be his greatest weakness as well as his greatest strenght" Jor-El advised when he noticed Raya frown but she nodded after he spoke
"Sadly we only had a few days together before one of the escaped phantoms came after us, he was called Baern and he could drain nuclear power to power himself" Clark said and noticed the flash of hate in Raya's eyes when he said the name "He attacked us at the farm but thanks to you he was repulsed, he needed to recharge and so he went after what was left of the control centre of the black ship which Lex still had, we learnt of it thanks to Chloe and her new friend Jimmy" he continued "I tried to get Lana to tell me where it was but because I again refused to answer her she only told me it was to late the box was gone, Baern had absorbed the energy inside it and then went to the fortress to confront us" here Clark paused hating seeing the image of Raya dieing for the second time before forcing it away and continuing "He attacked again and this time he was stronger than ever, you sacrificed yourself for me again and I managed to rip the phantom out of the boy, I tried to help you but it was too late you died but thanks to your crystal now storing the energy Baern had absorbed I was able to re-power the fortress, your sacrifice was not without purpose Raya" he told her with a small smile "I owed you too much to leave you in the zone and I was willing to pay the price to come and get you now" he finished
Raya stared at Kal-El a little conflicted because it seemed Kal-El had a habit of making bad choices however it was clear he was capable of making up for these actions and dealing with the situation, leaning she had died twice for him was not too surprising as for most of her life she had served the house of El and he was the last son of Krypton he had to be protected.
This experience had clearly changed him and made him more aware of the consequences of is actions and that he had to think more before choosing a course of action in the future. She was a little surprised by how much her death seemed to affect Kal-El considering they had only know each other for a sort time in the future but it felt nice that he had cared for her and raised her opinion of him.
"Kal-El may of made a mistake in refusing to destroy Luthor but he still defeated Zod and then hunted down and removed the other escaped prisoners with some help from J'onn, he proved he was cable of dealing with the consquences of his actions" Jor-El stated quite proud of the way he had seen his son deal with the zoners within the memories of his future self "These events strenghed the bond between Luthor and Lana who began to believe he was working to protect mankind from alien threats when all he was doing was trying to increase own power base, Luthor then began drugging her with sinthetic hormones to make her believe she was pregnant as away of keeping her with him" he added
"If I was already with him why would he need to do that? Lana inquired feeling sick as she learnt more
"Luthor likes total control over people as well as enjoyig toying with people's emotions, you were no different in this" Jor-El answered "As your anger for Kal-El died down your love for him resurfaced and both began to find your way back to each other and Luthor wanted to stop it" he added "Kal-El's continuing rescue of you in dangerous situations did not help matters, so Luthor died to make you emotinal vulnerble by stopping the drugs which resulted in you believing believing you had miscarried your baby which devastated you however a few monts later you learnt the truth of Luthor's deception and it broke any lingering attachment you felt for him" he went on "On the day of your wedding you managed to plan a small series of events which let you finally discover Kal-El's secret, you also could no longer fool yourself into believig you did not still love him and so when he came to you you told him you were breaking it off with Luthor" he paused here as he wondered how they would take what happened next
"Did I managed to do it?" Lana asked hoping her future self was able to get out from under Lex
"Not at that time as Lionel Luthor decided that in order to protect Kal-El he needed you close to his son and so he used a threat against Kal-El to force you to go through with the marriage only later telling you why he did it, together you were able to learn of some of Luthor's more dangerous experiments which helped save lives including the life of Lois Lane" Jo-El answered "Eventually however you decided to get out completely from both Luthor's and so you faked your death using a clone Luthor had created of you to frame him of the murder whilst you fled to china" he explained quite impressed by her efforts in the future even as he knew his son would rather it had never happened "The plan worked to a pointbut sadly Luthor remained out of prison, you returned to smallville after a divorce and restarted your relationship with Kal-El once more, however the actions of brianiac who returned to harass you and the phanom known as Bizarro created many problems for you however that is another story for a later time" he finally finished
Lana sighed wondering how it was possible for any of it to have happened, how could she have been so blind as to allow Lex to get so close to her. She knew that her anger at Clark for keeping his secrets may have been part of it but she did not believe she could ever be as cold or as hateful to him as Jor-El had implied at least she hoped not. She looked at Clark and noted he looked tired but he seemed better than he had been now that everyone knew this part of the story, she shared a look with Raya and noted she to did not believe this was the end of the pain Kal-El's future self had endured and they would have to be watchful in the future
"Sounds like Lex is going to be an even bigger problem that we thought" Chloe finally spoke up pushing aside the pain she self for her friends constant struggle to be together
"Yes he will Chloe and you will truly come to hate him but I'll explain that at another time we have things to do" Clark said deciding enough time had been wasted in talking and some action was needed now "Jor-El I want you and Raya to take my parents to the fortress and do what you said you can to repair the damage to his heart, Lana, Chloe and J'onn you're with me" he stated as he stood pushing aside the pain, guilt and anger he still felt for now
Jor-El nodded again pleased to see his son push aside his emotions and focus on the problem at hand, he indicated for the Kents to follow him and they did so after hugging both Clark and Lana, Raya hesitated for a moment not really wanting to leave Kal-El's side but he quickly smiled at her in understanding and gave her a look which promised they would talk alone later on and she nodded and followed her mentor's vessel
"What is it we will be doing Kal-El?" J'onn finally spoke having stayed quite throughout the whole story having already been filled in on all of what Jor-El had learned from the memories he had exstracted from Kal-El of the future to come
"We need to find out which labs Lex will conduct his experiments in are active right now, Lana I want you and Chloe to use the computers to pull down blueprints and information on all the addressses I give you whist J'onn and I will scout them out and see if they are active" Clark replied using his super speed to write out four lists of the buildings he knew would one day contain section 33.1 labs "Once we have our list we can then plan how to strike them and shut them down once I have recruited some of the other justice league members" he stated handing two of the lists to Lana and Chloe whilst handing one of the others to J'onn along with a pen "We won't be making any contact J'onn, get in see if the lab is active and get out and mark down on the list if the lab is active okay?" he asked his martian friend
"Understood Kal-El" J'onn responded knowing this was important after listening to how bad things would get in the future from Jor-El he knew they had to move slowly so they did not tip off their enemy
"Clark, what about our meeting with Lex?" Lana asked pleased at least Clark had given her something to do to help
"We have three hours before we are due to meet him so we have time Lana, don't worry I'll be back for that now let's get going" Clark answered with a smile before swooping down and kissing Lana before he turned and left with J'onn hoping some action would distract him from the memories of his future self
Lana smiled at the feelings Clark's kiss gave her and she swore she would not allow anyone to come between them again although she suspected she would have to make an allowence for Raya, she could see the attraction the two felt for each other in their eyes as well as what she suspected Isobel's advice last night truly meant but if that came to be she actually was surprised to find she felt no hostility towards Raya which was slightly confusing before shaking it off and following Chloe
(Luthor Mansion)
Lex looked up as someone entered only to frown when he noticed it was Jason taking his father's advice to heart he decided not to take the young man lightly. He watched as Jason made himself a drink before sitting in front of him
"My lead in china gave me a bit more, the guy who took the stone was dressed exactly like Kent dresses, jeans, blue t-shirt and a red jacket" Jason informed him frowning still hating the fact that he had lost Lana to the farmboy whilst trying to think of a way to get her her back
"Really" Lex said leaning back in his chair "It does indeed sound like Clark but how could he have got to china so fast?" he mused "I went over to see him and Lana today but he wasn't there, according to Lana they have plans that will keep them busy until one when they are supposed to meet me here at one" he told the younger man "Mrs Kent said he wasn't there because he had somethings he had to do before he met up with Lana for the day" he added smriking inwardly at the distaste he could see on Jason's face at the mention of Lana and Clark spending time together
"Maybe he's on his way back from china right now and won't be back until one" Jason suggested "Maybe we should see if he is on any planes coming back from china just in case" he pressed hoping to get something on Kent before drinking some of his whiskey
"I guess it's possible" Lex said knowing his mysterious friend was capable of a lot but he still did not see how he could have gotten to china so fast seen as he had seen him only the day before "I'll look into it anyway just to be sure" he added deciding it couldn't hurt "Anything else?" he asked looking back at the report he had been reading from his newest lab
"My mother suspects your father has one of the stones" Jason said surprising Lex once again "He stole it from Virgil Swan's assistant who is now dead" he added
This piece of news perked Lex's interest and he narrowed his eyes at the idea his father had been playing him once again, was it possible that was why he had been attacked. It was also explain his rather calm response to leaning he had been in a coma for a day and half not wanting to let on there was more to the attack that there seemed.
If his father had one of the stones or used to have one the question became why had he not gone in search of the other two, was he just waiting for him, the Teague's or Clark and Lana to find them so he could steal them later. If whoever had attacked his father now had the stone it became all the more important to find out who they were and where they were hiding and decided to see what Clark and Lana's reaction to this news would be maybe it would give him a clue to what they were truely up to.
He summoned one his aids and gave them orders to search all incoming planes from china for Clark Kent, if his friend was lying him about his interest or lack there off in the stones he would find out one way or the other. He needed to step up his own search for the stones as well instead of sitting here, suddenly he stopped and went over what had happened at the beginning of the year when he had found one of the stones only for his plane to be attacked on it's way back to Smallville by something or someone that had intercepted him in the air and somehow summonded the stone to them and he wondered if they and the ones who had attacked his father were connected somehow.
"I guess I'll be having a long chat witgh my father when he gets back from whatever business he went to deal with, he woke up earlier this morning" Lex informed Jason who looked surprised by this
"Did he give you any clues as to who had attacked him?" Jason asked knowing his mother would want to know about this and any information he could gather on this new threat that stood in their way of getting hold of the stones
"No, all he said was he felt a spasm up his spine" Lex responded watching Jason closly in case he gave away anything in his facial expression but could see nothing that indicated he knew more that he stated
"This is getting very complicated with this new threat Lex, Lana maybe in more danger than she knows" Jason suddenly having an idea which could separate her from Clark "Maybe if you press this you can convince her to come and stay in the mansion where she would be much safe" he suggested
Lex suddenly began to smile liking this suggestion because not only would it get Lana away from Clark's influence it would also give him a chance to get closer to her and let him undermine her trust in Clark as no matter where his friendship with Clark stood he wanted Lana for himself and he was determined to get her
"A good idea I think I'll suggest it later on when she comes and see's me, I'll let you know how it goes" Lex finally responded "I am sure she will except because she knows this place is well protected" he added forgetting for an while that his own father had been attacked within it's walls as he mind strayed into fantasy
Jason nodded before finishing his drink and leaving the mansion feeling unsettled with Lana been clsoe to Lex anymore than he was when she was with Kent but thinkning he could malnipulate Lex to do what he wanted before he decided to report to his mother what he had learnt.
(Fortress of Solitude)
Raya felt a sense of peace fill her as she arrived in the last safe heaven of her people, the fortress of knowlegde was one of the pinicals of Kryptonian technology and seeing it made her feel like she was home. She was pleased to see Kal-El had managed to find all three stones of power and raise the structure he would need so he could undergo his training, it showed that even though he was reluntant or at least had been to embrace his destiny he was trying to do what was best for the future.
She watched as Jor-El explained how he would repair the damage Jonathan Kent had sustained whilst been in possession of the powers of a Kryptonian, she knew humans were not supposed to have such powers as their bodies were not able to survive the strain for long. Jor-El would have to make some alterations to his vessel so it could survive longer with the powers it now had access to. She knew from Jor-El's tale Brainiac had prepared Luthor before he became a vessel for Zod in the future so he could survive having the powers of a Kryptonian.
Thinking of what she had learned so far of what was to come darkend her mood, Luthor was clearly a dangerous person and a sutible host for Zod which is most likely why he would be chosen as a host. Kal-El and his allies had many challenges to face and she was commited to helping as much as she could even as she wondered if it was possible she and Kal-El could get closer than just friends and forced mates.
Considering the looks he sometimes gave it she believed it was possible he felt more for her than she at first believed, the changes made to their dna made it possible for their race to survive by making them attracted to other Kryptonians but it also made them care for them which could lead them to actually truly devople feelings for one another. Only two things stood in her way how Lana would respond once she learned of the growing pull she and Kal-El felt towards each other and the second one she did not know Kal-El that well just yet. Shaking her head she quickly began to assist Jor-El as he prepared Jonathan Kent for surgergy, she had plenty of time later to think about this.
(Just Outside Smallville)
Clark looked at what appeared from the outside an abodoned building but from his memories of his future self knew would one day become a lab for 33.1, he saw flashes of himself, Bart, Oliver, Victor and Arthur taking this place down.
That was the birth of the justice league and their war of Lex's attemps at power, he should have helped them more but he was distracted by tracking down escaped zoners and trying to save Lana from her choice of been Lex's girlfriend. He shook his head knowing he had no time for guilt now, none of that had happened yet and if he was lucky would never happen now he just had to continue making the right choices. He could no longer act on just his feelings or his gut instincts, he had to be logical and plan accordingly to the situation if they were to have any chance of stopping the war that was to come.
As he used his ability of flight to fly up to the top of the building his thoughts strayed to Raya and for a minute he paused as he felt the same pull he had been feeling ever since the memories of his future self arrived inside his mind, the pull had only grown stronger since he had met Raya in person. He would have to talk to her soon and then he would have to talk to Lana and Jor-El, he suspected what was happening to him and he needed to make sure it did not cause any problems especially between him and Lana. He sighed before going back to his attempts to find if this building was already a lab for 33.1 having already discovered two others whilst he knew J'onn had found three more after they had met briefly to compare notes and he knew soon he would have to start recruiting the people who would become the Justice League.
(Smallville High)
Lana and Chloe worked side by side downloading all the information they could find on the addresses Clark had given them as well as any blueprints they could find. Both knew Clark was slowly working himself up to taking action against Lex and both were conerned how all of this would turn out in the end but they knew Lex had to be stopped before he brought the war Clark's future self had seen down on them.
"Things are going to get bad aren't they?" Chloe suddenly asked facing her friend trying not to allow herself to be olverwhelmed by her fear of what was to come
"Yes they are Chloe, but we have a big chance to change it all for the better" Lana said stopping to face her friend with a small smile "Think about what we have just learnt about the future that hurt a lot to hear how things could turn out but I know Clark will do everything he can to stop it from coming true this time as will I" she added with determination "Mr Kent is been fixed up so he won't suffer that heart attack and we will soon have more allies to help us, we need to have faith in ourselves as well as each other Chloe that we can do this" she advised watching her friend calm down a little
"You're right Lana" Chloe admitted "Any idea what you're going to do about Raya's growing closeness to Clark?" she inquired
"I won't get in the way of them trying to keep their race alive Chloe but I will not give up Clark either, I think I might have to share him with her if what Isobel told me was anyting to go off" Lana replied after thinking it over
"Doesn't that bother you?" Chloe asked surprised by Lana's lack of anger at this
"Less than it would have before all of this happened Chloe" Lana told her "I don't know why but somehow it does not make me as angry as it would have before, maybe Isobel is helping me to understand it's nessacary or maybe it's just me that I am willing to do anything to keep Clark this time" she explained
Chloe stayed quite this time knowing she herself could never share her lover with another woman no matter the circumstances, but she was happy to see Lana was determined to make things work with Clark this time no matter what.
(Fortress of Solitude)
Martha looked up as Raya sat next to her after two hours of waiting, she was very worried about how things were turning out and even more after hearing what could happen in the future not only to her son and Lana but to her husband as well. She was relieved it seemed Jor-El was trying to undo some of the damage his past actions had brought about and it seemed he truly meant they were no longer at cross purposes and were all now working for the same thing
"Is it over?" she asked the woman who she suspected could become quite close to her son in the future if what she had seen and sensed was correct
"Yes Martha Kent it is" Raya said with a smile "Your husband is recovering as is Lionel Luthor's body" she added "They should be able to move in another hour or so, our techniquies in this area far outclass yours" she said at the look on the other woman's face
"Why did you have to operate on Lionel's body?" Martha inquired
"So it does not suffer the same damage as your husband did when it had the powers of my people, humans were never meant to have such power" Raya explained "The strain is to much on your bodies, but they can be ultered so they can handle the stress longer which is most likely how in the future Lex Luthor was able to survive been the vessel of Zod and suffer no ill effects" she continued
"I see, well I am just glad Jonathan is going to be okay" Martha said "I do not want to see what happened in the future come true, I could see the toll that took on Clark and the more things we avert the better things will get especially for him" she stated with a small hopefull smile
"Indeed Martha Kent" Raya agreed "Kal-El needs to try and separate as much as he can the guilt anger and pain from his future memories as best he can" she told her "The more things he changes for better the more I believe Kal-El will change and begin to fully master himself and become the one of the defenders this world needs" she finished
Martha decided not to comment on that knowing that Clark was now determined to embrace his destiny having seen what had happened by refusing it, and whilst a part of her was proud he was taking on such responsibility another part feared where it could lead him.
(Kent Farm)
Clark looked up as Lana and Chloe returned each holding a file which he guessed contained all the stuff he had asked them to find, he smiled and kissed Lana as he met her half way whilst Chloe went and sat at the table joined a second later by J'onn who had just returned from his last location
"Did you manage to get everything?" Clark asked as he walked to the table and picked up the ring with the red Kryptonite knowing he would have to use it to survive his meeting with Lex
"Yeah we had no problems bar two specific buildings but we have what you asked for" Chloe responded with a smile "So how many labs does Lex have up and running?" she asked in reply
"Seven so far" J'onn was the one who answered as he began to look through one of the files "Each one holds many meteor infected people as well as many labs designed to find out how they have their powers and also what is so special about the green meteor rocks that they can transform people so much" he informed them
"Sounds like it's going to be tough to shut them down" Lana mused
"Only until we get some allies Lana, now we better go and see Lex" Clark responded before he slipped the ring on and felt it take immediate effect "This should be fun" Kal said smirking at them "Baldy won't be getting his way no matter what he does" he promised before he led Lana out of the house
"That is so creepy" Chloe muttered before she took the other file and began to look through it hoping Clark's darker half didn't do anything stupid that could give them away
(Luthor Mansion)
Lex was looking out of the window wondering when Clark and Lana would show up thinking of the best way to go about convincing Lana to stay at the mansion, he had to be careful how he did this or he may cause her to start disliking him as he had when Clark had found out he had continued to investigate him.
He turned as he heard his doors opened and Clark and Lana entered with Clark's arm around Lana's waist and her head resting on his shoulder, he fought down the urge to frown at the look of love in their eyes
"Lana said you wanted to tell us something Lex, something about out lives been in danger" Kal said with a smirk as he sat down yet made sure his kept hold of Lana's hand which she didn't seem to mind
"My father was attacked Clark by some unknown intruder, he woke up after a day and a half, I think someone else is after the stones and they are targeting those others who have an interest in them" Lex responded after a few minutes "I think Lana is especially in danger from these people considering her circumstances, I think it would be best for her safety if she move into the mansion where I can keep an eye on her" he told them before been cut off by Clark
"Lana is staying at the farm with my family Lex and believe me she is safe there" Kal said interupting the man, he could feel the hate and anger from Clark within him and he wanted nothing more than to punch him full power but he knew he had to keep his cool which was why Clark had chosen to trust him to do this "We will keep a close out for any starngers, I think you should watch the Teague's more than anyone else" he added before he stood with Lana and began to leave
"Clark you wouldn't have been anywhere near china would you latly?" Lex asked a little off balance by Clark's forceful comeback
"Why would I have any reason to go to china Lex, another thing to think about is how the hell I would afford such a trip" Kal said his voice dripping with repressed anger "Try and focus of what is actually true Lex instead of listening to hear say and flights of fancy" he added before making sure to kiss Lana for a few long seconds before he and she left arm in arm with each other whilst Lex tried to stem the anger he felt at seeing them in such a loving embrace