By David Mycock Time Wave 7
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.
(Smallville)
Clark and Raya arrived back in town just as his watch's alarm went off to let him know it was ten thirty, as he came to a stop he noted the two centre was basicly deserted which is exactly what he wanted. At securing the help of Bruce, Oliver and Arthur he felt much better about their chances of bringing the Justice League together years earlier than it had in the memories he had from his future self.
He knew he still had much to do before they were ready to take on Lex, he was also wearly that something unexpected may happen to worsen the situation but he refused to focus on that. He super sped to where he remembered the capsel was and then with his super strenght he smashed his fist straight through the ground until he felt the handle of the capsel and then pulled it out and super sped away followed by Raya leaving the few who came out to investigate the noise to stare at the whole that seemed to suddenly appeared in the ground.
"Here it is" Clark said showing Raya the beacon with a smile as they came to stop at the edge of the town
"That is indeed a beacon and the markings are indeed those of Dax-Ur, I find it amazing he has hidden out here for a hundred years or more" Raya said as she looked the beacon over
"Not really Raya" Clark responded "He fell in love with a woman before he ever went through with his plan to try and save this world so he easily blended in with the humans" he explained at her confused look "Plus he was here for a few years studying the yellow sun and it's effects on our people before even that so he knew how to make himself appear as one of them" he added
"Do you truly believe he will aid us?" Raya asked as she handed the beacon back
"I think so, he came here to make up for his sins and helping to safeguard it will help do that" Clark answered "If Brainiac should come to earth then it becomes even more his fight Raya, with his families life on the line I am sure he will help" he stated confidently "You ready?" he asked as he held the beacon up so Raya could hold it as well
Raya nodded and waited until Kal-El spoke Dax-Ur's name and the beacon activated bathing them both in a white light before they vainished.
(Gotham City, Batcave under Wayne Manor)
Batman almost growled in frustration of Nightwing and Huntress argued over what he had just told and shown them regarding the newest threat, they both seemed to think it was a huge prank. The fact that he wanted to go and look for Talia and Ra Al Ghul was also causing some tension but he was not going to change his mind, he had found within the files a secret file his future counterpart must have infused into the signal sent to Clark which gave him much more information about what was to come but he was keeping that to himself.
The secret file gave him a list of the peple who would join Lex Luthor's army including some of his worst enemies beside the Joker, he had shivered at how many names were on the list and one of the names that stood out was Bane's. How Luthor had managed to combine them in a single coheavsive army was a question he kept asking himself, his future self's message was disturbing in another way as it was clear he had been deeply affected by the deaths of Talia and their unborn son as well as the loss of so many friends. He had become bitter and filled with nothing but anger and hate and that was something he wanted to avoid, one thing he wondered was if Clark was aware of the secret message or if his future self had put it in without telling anyone.
"Bruce, you can't just drop everything on the word of some kid" Nightwing shouted breaking his train of throught
"Yes I can Dick" he replied slowly "Clark was not lying about anything he said I could tell" he added as he walked towards where the Batplane was "I have also gone over the files he gave me they are not fake and as for the data crystal itself it is unlike any technology I have ever seen or heard of on earth" he stated turning to glare at his original partner "I cannot take the risk of not believing him, the fate of the world is much bigger than even protecting Gotham" he added
"If this Clark is right Bruce how does he plan to stop Luthor?" Huntress inquired deciding on a more level tone as it was clear Bruce had made up his mind on his course of action
"It's clear part of his plan revolves around assembling the team showed on the files I just showed you, which you were a part of" Bruce responded "As for actually fighing Lex I am not to sure" he added "But whatever it is I will do everything I can to help" he went on "Tell me if you knew someone you loved or will love was to die and the world made to ruin what would you do?" he asked
Nightwing and Huntress didn't answer because they knew in that situation they would do everything possible to save that person and the world, they watched in silence as Batman got in the Batplane and left without another word. They both turned back to the screen which showed a frosen image of a devastated world a world Clark Kent assured would come to be if things were not changed.
"Do you think it's possible this Clark is right?" Nightwing inquried surprised by Bruce's choice
"I don't know but he is right about one thing the risk to the world is too great to ignore" Huntress responded "All we can do is wait and see and be ready just in case they are right" she added to which Nightwing could only nod
(Arizona, Al's Autoshop)
Clark and Raya looked around as the light faded and they could feel solid ground beneath their feet once again. To Clark the place looked exactly the same as it did when his future self had come here, he hoped Dax-Ur was still up and in a good mood.
Raya followed Kal-El as he entered the near by building which was filled with primative tools and two obviously broke cars, she came to a stop as a man of middle age came out of a side room holding a spanner before coming to a stop when he noticed their arrival
"Hello, Can I help you?" the man inquired looking them over
"Actually Dax-Ur you can" Clark said tossing the beacon to him and smiled when Dax-Ur caught it and smiled almost sadly as he looked it over "My name is Kal-El" he said
"Of the house of El" Dax-Ur said knowing it was pointless to try and deny who he was "I always knew you were survivors, and who is your friend?" he asked
"I am Raya-Sal, former assistant to Jor-El" Raya responded whilst privatly agreeing with Dax-Ur's statement of the El's been survivors "I was recently rescued by Kal-El from the phantom Zone where Jor-El sent me to survive the destruction of our home as he felt any life was better than no life" she added
"Jor-El never did anything without a purpose Raya, I think there is more to his sending you to the zone than you believe" Dax-Ur responded with a chuckle "However I doubt you came here to catch me up on recent events what can I do for you?" he asked deciding to get to the heart of the matter
"A couple of things actually" Clark said having to admit Dax-Ur had a point concerning his father and he wondered what motive he had for sending Raya to the zone other than her survival "We have a long story to tell Dax-Ur and it is important" he added
Dax-Ur looked them both over seeing no signs of hostility from either of them and considering the houses they came from he did not believe they meant him or his family any harm so he nodded and led them into his house which was behind his work place where they could sit and talk, he had no secrets from his family so it was safe to discuss it in front of them.
His wife greeted their guest with surprise when she realised they came from the same place as her husband but quickly put it aside and made them all some tea.
"Before I start I ask that you keep an open mind because some of this will sound crazy even to a brillent scientist such as youself" Clark said after thank Dax-Ur's wife who he learnt was named Grace
"I can do that, please go ahead" Dax-Ur prompted and he listened as Kal-El began his tale
(Kent Farm)
Lana woke feeling tired but she felt a hell of a lot stronger than she could ever remember feeling in her life, she had learnt a lot from Isobel during her sleep even as she wondered how she was doing it. Her first lessons on magic had been insightful and troubling as Isobel had pointed out how seductive the power could be and she would have to be careful how she tapped that power.
She got up and went downstairs to find Chloe outcold on the couch, J'onn seemed to have dissapeared and Martha was busy cooking so she went and joined the older woman
"Is Clark not back yet?" she asked as Martha noticed her and gave her a warm smile
"Not yet Lana" Martha replied a little worried about her son and noting Lana felt the same way "But Raya is with him so I doubt he is in any trouble" she said hoping to cheer her up
"Yeah I know Mrs Kent" Lana agreed "I saw Isobel again, she's begun to teach me magic" she admitted "She also taught me a lot of what she learnt from her husband Xan-El" she added
"Is it going to be dangerous for you to learn magic?" Martha asked very concerned about this new twist especially as she viewed Isobel the same way she viewed Kal
"Yes it is if I tap into the power wrong" Lana admitted "But I am confident if I take my time I'll be able to do it right" she added as Mrs Kent frowned "I just have to be careful and not rush things" she said with as much confidence as she could
"If you are sure this is what you want Lana then we will support you just be careful we don't want anything to happen to you" Martha told her "Me and Jonthan care about you as more than just Clark's girlfriend" she said hugging the younger girl she sometimes viewed as a daughter
"I know Mrs Kent, and I appreciate it" Lana said with a smile "I've always felt so safe here" she added as they pulled back "With Isobel's help I will be able to help Clark stop Lex and help people in the future" she said with a smile
"Well as I said as long as it is what you want then I am happy for you Lana and I am sure Clark will be too when he gets back" Martha responded with a motherly smile "Although I am not too sure I trust Isobel just yet same with Kal, they are both wild cards and I'm worried they will not always be so helpful" she admitted
"I can understand that Mrs Kent but Isobel was only a threat when she was tainted by the Teague's and Kal was only so rebellious because Clark would not except his role as one of this planets defenders as Jor-El wanted" Lana said after a few minutes "That has all changed now" she stated with a smile
"I guess I will have to get used to that fact" Martha sighed "I know things changed Lana but I guess I had come to believe these things would never change" she added
"I better wake Chloe so she doesn't miss supper" Lana said after hugging Mrs Kent again
Martha smiled pleased that Lana seemed much more grown up and confident than ever before and it was clear she was intent on staying with Clark and helping him embrace his destiny.
(Arizona, Al's Autoshop)
Dax-ur stood and walked over to one of his windows and stared out of it as he went over Kal-El's story, he did not doubt the truth of it for a minute as he had taken part in many experiments dealing with time before he had left Krypton. Learning his and Jor-El's creation the brain interactive construct would come to earth and suceed in releasing general Zod and cause much destruction and death on earth as they had done on Krypton which would go to include himself and his family.
He had come to earth to make up for the sins of his pride in creating brainiac and what in turn that creation had done but it would seem he had not yet reached that point. He could not ignore the request for help from his fellow kryptonians especially if brainianc still made it to earth, to protect his family he would have to join them and finally clense the darkness from his soul.
"I will return with you Kal-El and assist as much as I can" he finally said closing his eyes and he released the clasp on his bracelet that held the blue kryptonite that had bound his powers all these years "Should brainiac come to earth he will need to be stopped fast, I will work with Jor-El to find just such a way" he added
"Thank you Dax-Ur, I know it's a lot of ask but to safeguard earth and our families this has to be done" Clark said noting the worried look Grace shot her husband at his choice "We're not asking you to fight just to use your mind to help us" he added
"And I will" Dax-Ur said with a nod "I have run from this for long enough, time to face my demons" he admitted
"We have one major problem I would like you to think about, my cousin is on this planet trapped in a damn" Clark told him pleased he had agreed to help "She has a crystal in her posession that holds replicants of my mother and Zor-El who was an ally of Zod and helped destroy our world, her memories of this have been removed and we need to restore them" he explained "Zor-El's replicant cannot be allowed to be born as his goal for earth was the same as Zod's which included wiping out the human race" he continued
"I see" Dax-Ur as he went over this new information "I take it you want to free your cousin as soon as possible?" he asked
"I do, Kara is a good person and she does not deserve to pay for the crimes of her father" Clark shot back "In the future she would sacrifice herself to save millions of human lives against brianianc and for that alone she is owed this" he added
"I will think on this tonight and join you at your farm tommorow where we can then visit the fortress and I will begin work on both problems" Dax-Ur promised seeing that the idea of his cousin dieing in the future hit Kal-El hard
"That's all I can ask" Clark said hoping they could retrive Kara as soon as possible because even though he had not met her in this timeline he missed her thanks to the memories of his future self "The last thing I wanted to ask you is a bit more personal, I like you have fallen for a human woman and I wanted to ask if I can borrow some of your blue kryptonite bracelets?" he asked remembering Lana had wanted him to get some for the future
"I will bring a few over tommorow Kal-El" Dax-Ur agreed with a small chuckle knowing how easy it was to want to give up all the power they had for the love of a woman
"Thank you, well I will wish you a good night" Clark said with a smile which was echoed by Raya before they both turned and left Dax-Ur to assure his wife he would not be gone too long
(Luthor Mansion)
Lex downed the large shot of whiskey before sitting down and rubbing his forehead, he was closer to learning who the mysterious new party who was after the stones was and it was beginning to get on his nerves. He was also annoyed by his failure to separate Clark and Lana, he dismissed the darker impulse within him which suggested he kidnap Lana but he knew should she ever find out it was him he would never be able to possess her and his friendship with Clark would be utterly destroyed and that was something he was not prepared to do just yet.
He logged onto his laptop and began to go through his reports from Luthorcorp and the 33.1 labs, he was making slow headway in his business dealings but he had to be careful so no one learnt of the questionable things he was doing. He leaned back in his chair as he brought up the map he had found hidden in the manuscript he had brought and wondered if it was worth pursuing now that Jason had told him china had already been hit and stone removed.
(Kent Farm)
Lana, Chloe, Martha and Jonathan were eating supper discussing anything but what they were involved in as they all wanted a bit of normality for a few hours. They all looked up as Clark and Raya finally returned both looked tired but Lana quickly abadoned her chair and embraced Clark in a strong hug before she kissed him as hard as she could which Clark gladly returned
"Hey" Lana said as they slowly broke apart "I missed you" said with a smile
"Me too, but we had a lot to do and to discuss" Clark responded as they all sat down at the table "I feel a lot better" he admitted as Martha went and prepared two new dishes and placed them in front of Clark and Raya who quickly dug in
"So, what did you get up to Clark?" Chloe asked wondering what plans her friend had put in motion
"We went and recruited three of the future Justice League members and arranged to meet at the end of the week here with anyone else we can recruit" Clark said between mouthfuls "We also managed to get Dax-Ur to agree to help, he will arrive tommorrow" he added "Don't be surprised if the JL members turn up in custom to protect their real identities and before you ask we will not reveal who they really are unless they decide to trust you with that information and I am sorry Lana but this includes you as well" Clark explained before looking at Lana fearing she would get mad at him for this but she just smiled at him
"It's okay Clark, in this case it's not your secret to tell and you are trying to protect your friends or future friends I can understand that" Lana responded "Considering what these people do I can understand them wanting to protect their real identities especially if they have any family who may be targets should someone learn who they really are" she added with a smile
"How many are you planning to recruit Clark?" Jonathan asked as he finished his supper
"As many as I can dad but sadly some of them are not even active just yet" Clark replied as he finished his own meal "Bart will be hard to track down but I can look for him tommorrow and see if he want's to join us" he added
"Hold on Bart has a special ability?" Chloe asked as she remembered the young man who had befriended Clark and herself two months back
"Yeah, he can run faster than anyone else and that includes kryptonians" Clark said hoping Bart had changed enough to want to help out as he was a good guy and the man he became in the future was a great hero with many saves to his name
"How is it this Bart can run faster than us?" Raya inquired as she finished her meal and thanks Mrs Kent for it
"According to what he told me there was somekind of accident involving lightning but he would never tell the whole story not even in the future and we never bothered to push it especially once the war started" Clark answered "The point stands though that Bart turned out to be a good friend and a defender of this world" he stated to which the others nodded in exceptence
"I think you and Raya could do with some sleep Clark you both look tired" Martha interjected
Clark nodded and led Raya to his room where he said she could sleep whilst he took the guest room, as he settled down on the bed he hoped this was only the beginning of their good fortune and that things would continue to go well for them. He tried to ignore any thoughts of Raya in the next room and Lana downstairs as he closed his eyes and tried to relax, he quickly opened his eyes again when someone entered the room and joined him on the bed and he quickly deduced it was Lana.
"Goodnight Clark" Lana said as she snuggled into his side as he pulled the covers over her as well wanting more sleep herself and promising to tell Clark about her meetings with Isobel tommorrow
"Goodnight Lana" Clark responded basking in the feeling of falling alseep with Lana in his arms
Outside the guest room Jonathan was about to enter and tell Lana to sleep in her own room when Martha intercepted him and shook her head with an almost annoyed look on her face
"But" he tried to protest before his wife cut him of
"They need this right now Jonathan, they need to connect fully" Martha told him having noted how much Lana had missed Clark all day "They aren't going to do anything like what you suspect they just want to feel the other close by and considering what's to come it's going to be rare when they can feel like any normal couple and you know it" she added leading him to their own bedroom as Chloe settled on the couch for the night.
"Well as long as they remember the rules" Jonathan said knowing he would not be able to do anything now that Martha had made up her mind to trust Clark and Lana would be sensable
"They will, you have to remember they've been seperated for a while and are only now coming back together only this time without the barriers that have always kept them at arms length" Martha reminded him "In the days to come they will begin to fully build their relationship and I do not expect it to fail again with the way they have been talking and looking at one another I expect her to become my daughter in law soon enough" she continued as she changed into her night clothes "They also have to factor in where Raya comes into the relationship and how that will work, so I am content not to make things any more differcult for them and just allow them to find their way on their own" she finished as she got into bed
Jonathan could only smile knowing his wife was correct, with Lana now knowing the full truth about Clark and excepting it he fully expected the young woman to marry their son down the line as had been evident when she asked Clark did to pick up the blue kryptonite which would allow them to have a family of their own.
It was clear to him Lana was planning a long term relationship with Clark this time around and if he was honest with himself he couldn't think of a girl he'd rather have as a daughter in law. His wife was also correct that with the danger they faced they all deserved some time to feel normal and to do normal things especially with the one you loved, he also had to agreed Clark, Lana and Raya had some serious discussions to get through so he decided to do as his wife had and trust they would find their own way without rushing things.
Raya settled down for the night pleased to feel the soft matress underneath her, this was the first time she had slept in a bed since she had entered the phantom zone and she felt the bliss of been able to sleep without the fear of been caught unaware by one of the zoners. It had been a very long day and she was still processing a lot of what happened and what she had learnt, Kal-El had opened up to her with things it seemed he had not yet confessed to Lana and that surprised her.
The meetings with the people who would become allies in the future had gone well and she had been impressed that they had all listened to what they to tell them and had enough trust to believe them, she had to admit Jor-El had been right the humans had a great potencial within them if they could avoid the pitfalls any civiliasation faced. She closed her eyes and began to dream of the future they would create and the family she was sure she and Kal-El would raise alongside his family with Lana
(Star City, Queen Tower)
Oliver Queen again watched through the files Clark had given him, the more he watched them the more he prayed he was strong enough to help them avert what he had been assured would come. He had run the files through filters to see if they had been faked but he could find no signs of tampering, he had played the taped conversation with Clark and Raya through his system and the computers could detect no sighns of falsehood in their speech patterns which had convinced him all the more that what he had been told was the truth and that chilled him to the bone and made him shiver.
He stood and walked to the window and looked out into the night wondering who else Clark was recruiting, he had some ideas based on what he had seen on the files but still he was wonderng exactly which people he would choose to bring into this. He was also looking forward to meeting people like himself who were dedicated to helping others something he was now convinced Clark was one of, they had a lot to work through but if they made it he decided he would join this Justice League if it was decided to keep it alive.
(Ghul Mansion,Middle East)
Batman looked at the mansion which was where he had tracked Ra and Talia down to, he was across the dune which hid his plane. He didn't know exactly why he had come just that since learning he and Talia could be a couple and raise a family he had felt compled to try and start the relationship as fast as possible.
The icy cold fear he felt though of loosing her and any child they had still gripped him, he guessed that was why he had come he wanted to put Talia on her guard. The problem was Ra himself, according to his futue self's secret message he and Ra had made peace with each other for the sake of Talia's happiness. The idea he would do such a thing for a woman was hard for him to understand but he decided that since his future self had married Talia she ment everything to him, he was willing to take a chance but he was not going in their blindly he needed a little help and so he turned and went back to the plane and pulled out his cell phone and rang the number Clark had give him
(Kent Farm)
Clark groaned as his cell went on before rolling over reluctently releasing Lana who mumbled a little in protest before going back to sleep and walking over to where his jeans were and fishing out his phone
"Hello" He said quitely exiting the room and going down stairs "Bruce I'm surprised what's up?" he asked before sitting down as Bruce explained why he was calling "Yeah I'll be there shortly" he said after Bruce finished speaking
He sighed, he shook his head knowing Bruce could be stubborn once he got an idea in his head thanks to his future memories but this time he could not fault his reasoning. It would seem by telling Bruce about been married to Talia he had opened up Bruce to the realm of hope of him building a family something Bruce had told him in the future he had never believed he could do.
"Son, what's wrong?" Jonathan asked as he came down stairs after hearing someone wondering around and wanting to check it out
"I have to go out dad to help one of the friends I mentioned" Clark said in reply "If Lana or the others wakes and asks tell them I will be back soon" he said as he quickly super sped upstairs and changed before coming back down and heading for the door
"Do you think you should take Raya with you son for back up?" Jonathan asked a little concerned by this
"No, let her rest dad" Clark replied before exiting the house and super speeding off to where Bruce said he was
Jonathan sighed before he relocked the door and turned to find Lana and Martha standing at the bottom of the stairs
"Where did he go?" Lana asked dissapointed Clark had left her when she had felt so warm and safe in his arms
"He got a call from one of the people he visited today, they needed his help so he went" Jonathan answered rubbing his eyes "He didn't want to wake anyone even Raya" he added
"I'm sure he'll be back soon Lana" Martha said rubbing the girls back noting she seemed worried
"I know he will, he always comes back to me" Lana said absently before returning to her room leaving Martha and Jonathan to hope their son did not get himself into any series trouble or they knew he would face Lana's wrath once she had assured his health
(Ghul Mansion,Middle East)
Bruce looked surprised as Clark appeared beside him only ten minutes after placing his call, the kid certainly had his skills. He pulled his mask off and watched as the kid looked over the mansion
"This is not going to be easy Bruce, are you sure you want to do this?" Clark asked "Ra may have become an ally in the future due in no small part because of your marriage to Talia but he had also seen his ways were not what was best for the world especially his daughter and grandchild" he added "This Ra is a very different man" he stated
"I know that Clark" Bruce responded "However according to my future self's message Ra can be convinced to help us to protect his daughter and any future children she has" he explained "Also once he learns what we know I think it will change how he views the world and make him change his beliefs, plus he and his organisation would be a valueable ally against Luthor and his army" he added "For the chance of having a family Clark for once I am willing to take any risk even placing my trust in an enemy" he stated with conviction
"I can understand that Bruce, I guess I shouldn't be surprised your future self put his own message in the energy wave we sent back to give me the memories I now have it's your style" Clark said staring at the mansion as Bruce put his mask back on "Hold on" he said as he grabbed Bruce and flew them up to one of the balcony's
He knew Bruce had a point if the war came again having Ra and his organisation on their side would be a big help especially in countering Lex's business ties. Still this was a big risk and one that could backfire on them but he was willing to trust Bruce's instincts and his heart which he was sure was set on Talia
He quickly x rayed the rooms they were close to before pausing on the last one which contained a young woman and a older man and he smiled as he realised he had located their targets
"Got them, hold on" Clark said before grabbing Bruce and flying them to the balcony of the last window "How do you want to do this?" he asked as he opened the window with his super strengh as quietly as he could
"Let me do the talking at the beginning" Bruce said as he entered followed by Clark to find themselves in large room which seemed to be a relaxation room considering what was in it
Clark noted Ra and his daughter were seated at a table talking and had not yet noticed his and Bruce's presence yet as they were keeping to the shadows, he prayed one last time they were not about to risk everything before following Bruce into the room.
"I hope I am not distubing you" Bruce said as he finally spoke alerting the two to their presence
"Detective, I was not expecting you" Ra Al Ghul said as he stood and watched the dark knight walk out of the shadows joined a second later by Talia who looked pleased to see him "I did not know I had done anything recently to attract your attention" he added with a smirk
"You haven't" Bruce responded as he pulled his mask back off surprising both Ghul's as he usually did not do such a thing even to people who knew his real identity "I am here to talk to you both, there is a very big situation coming and I find our paths tied by it" he explained as Clark took up a position to his side and kept an eye out for any guards or other surprises
"Intriguing" Ra said thoughfully at the idea "So you wish my help?" he asked
"It's more complicated than that Ra, first you need to watch this" Bruce responded handing him the data crystal and telling him how to activate it
Ra gave him a hard look before looking at his unknown friend before his curiosity got the better of him and did as he was instructed and watched in surprise as his computer and monitor acivated as the crystal lit up, he and Talia watched as the files contained within the crystal played.
When the files finished Bruce produced a disk which was much more modern and slipped it into the computer drive
"As I verified the files were not fake I discovered a secondary message within the orginial, it was recorded by my future self for me watch" Bruce said he he pressed the play button
Clark himself was interested in seeing this message from the future Bruce and stepped closer as a much older Bruce Wayne appeared on the screen and like he saw in his future memories his eyes were cold and distant
"I am sure you are surprised to find this but I decided more had to be done to ensure the war is stopped before it starts" the future Bruce started "This plan is our last hope, if it fails the world falls to Luthor and his army, you have to help Clark and his friends stop it" he continued "I am sure by now you've been told we married and were going to have a child only for them both to be murdered by the Joker well he had help in luring her into the trap and away from safety" the message went on "First as you know we married Talia Al Ghul, strange as it may sound to you Bruce we finally found the happiness we always believed we would never have, we came to an understanding with Ra who had changed a lot by that point, however his past would come back to haunt us as his second daughter Nyssa was the one who helped Joker kill Talia" here the future paused as if fighting the memories of these events "If I know you like I do you will head out to find the Ghul's as soon as Clark has contacted you, tell them everything and remind Ghul that once before his wife's death he was just like any other man" here the message stopped and then a list of names appeared
"Those are the names of the people who will join Luthor's armies" Bruce said "It gives us a huge advantage" he added "But it does not assure us of victory" he said
"What game are you playing detective?" Ra asked with a frown finding it hard to focus at the mention of his wife Sora
"No games, this is serious" Bruce stated "At first I was convinced it was all a joke but I can find no evidence of it, as I have said I have analised the files and they are not fake, I ran the recording of Clark's explanation through a lie detector but there is no spike he was telling the truth and finally the crystal which contains the files is unlike any technology I have ever seen before" he explained
"We married?" Talia asked as she stared at the frozen image of the future Bruce Wayne "We were going to have a child?" she asked turning to face Bruce
"You did marry Bruce I was there Talia or at least my future self was" Clark said stepping forward knowing if they won Talia over they had won half the battle "It was year before the war broke out completely, you and Bruce had been seeing each other although he would never discuss his private life to us we knew you were helping him see hope" he went on "Your death and that of your unborn child destroyed him, it turned him back into what he was like when he first became Batman vengeful and filled with hate, he would track both Joker and Nyssa for two years whilst the war waged before he finally managed to track them down and kill them both and he did it with Ra's help sadly Ra himself would be killed a month later by Bane and Luthor in retaliation" he added "My head is full of memories of a future that terrifies me, I am doing everything I can to prevent it coming to be, I have come here because Bruce believes you can help us as yu helped us in the future Ra" he stated
Ra stood and faced the new comer staring him in the eye as hard as he could, he could see no trace of falsedhood in him. In fact he could see the horror and terror the young man spoke of in them, he looked to his daughter who seemed to believe them. This was something he had never incounted in his long life, the risks they spoke of were ones he would have to take seriously especially where it concerned Talia
"You are Clark?" he asked and when the young man nodded he spoke again "Tell me everything" he ordered needing all the information if he was to make such a huge decision
They all sat back down and Clark began his tale once again wishing Lana and Raya were with him as the memories were coming back much stronger than before.
(Fortress of Solitude)
Jor-El was monitoring his vessel Lionel Luthor as he slept and was pleased to see his conditining had worked, he was no longer a threat to his son and his allies so he would not have to control him all the time which would allow him to work on the more serious problems of helping to retrieve Kara and stop brainiac should he ever reach earth.
He was impressed by his son's actions so far and he had to admit he had been wrong to try and strong arm his son into excepting his destiny before he was ready, he was not pleased by some of the things he had seen himself do in the memories he had downloaded from Kal-El and it was easy to see why Kal-El had such a hard time excepting him as his father. He promised himself he would do much better this time, his son was already on the path to becoming one of the defenders this world needed if it was to avoid the same fate as Krypton and he now had Lana and Raya their to help him shoulder the burden and give him a reason to fight something his actions had tried to prevent to his own stupidity.
He had forgotten or ignored the lessons he himself had learned from his time on earth with Louise, he had been a fool and acted just like the people who had doomed Krypton with their arrogance. He would not make the same mistakes again, finally turning to the problems at hand he began to monitor the time stream as well just in case
(Ghul Mansion,Middle East)
Ra sat back in his chair as Clark finished speaking looking tired and worn out from reliving the memories of his future self, Ra had encounterd a lot fo strange things in his long life and he himself was one of them having survived for five hundred years so he did not dismiss what he was been told as he still could detect no falsehood from the young man and he had been staring him dead in the eye all the way through his explanation and he had not once brinked or looked away
"If everything you say is true how do you plan to stop it?" Ra finally asked looking again at his daughter and noting all she was doing was staring at Bruce who returned the look and strangely Ra could see the barriers between them were down
"I am assembling the people who would become the League as well as some other allies as we speak and then we will strike hopefull before Luthor has time to begin rasing his army and before brainiac can arrive" Clark answered "If you decide to help it will go a long way in giving us a chance against Luthor's business ties as well as some of the other people who are a threat" he added
"I need time to think" Ra said "You are welcomed to stay as guests" he added as he stood and began to leave the room noticing Bruce nodded his head in exceptance as Talia went and sat next to him
"One thing to consider Ra" Bruce said facing him once more "If you agree to help us you will have the heir you have always wanted, I will not interfer in your business ventuers as long as they do not threaten the world and if needs be I will help you if you are attacked" he stated as Talia hesitantly takes his hand in hers
Ra noticed this and knew his daughter had once again made her choice and that was Bruce Waybe only this time Bruce was willing to return her affections, he had a lot to think about especially after what Bruce had just offered in return. Clark he noted had vanished and he was impressed he had done so without been noticed, he turned and exited the room leaving Bruce and his daughter to talk about the future
(Kent Farm)
Jonathan jerked awake as something knocked on the door and he quickly made his way over to the door after getting up off the couch and he sighed as he noted Clark was standing outside and quickly let him in before relocking the door
"Is everything alright now son?" he asked noting Clark really looked tired now
"Yeah, we may have found another ally" Clark responded as they both headed upstairs "I will go back tommorrow to make sure, for now I just want to sleep" he added before quietly going into the guest room after his father had nodded and moved to his own bedroom
Clark quickly stripped to his boxers without really thinking about it and getting back into bed with Lana and pulling her gently against himself, he hoped Ra would decide to help if only to ensure his daughter's survival. He felt Lana turn and snuggle up against him and he sighed as he felt the memories of the future retreat to be replaced by his hopes and dreams