A.N: I've got the next 4 Friday updates typed up and ready to go. So I am totally ahead and almost done. I hope you like how things climax and wind down. Read, enjoy and review guys!! :-)

Chapter 5

Bart sat on an ice rock in a corner of the Fortress while Oliver leaned up against a column. Both watched Clark move crystals around at a console and lights gleaming and dimming. He was still fixing the fortress.

"So this place", Oliver asked standing away from the cold ice, "It's not up 100% yet…?"

"Not exactly", he said slowly.

"But your biological father was talking to us right", Bart asked, "I'm not imagining things…"

Clark turned around and smirked.

"No, Bart, you're still sane", he said, "For the most part."

"Thanks, Stretch", Bart smiled sarcastically, "So what are you doing?"

"Jor-El brought me back from the dead", Clark said, "I'm just returning the favor."

"Clark, what about your powers", Oliver asked.

"Idon'thavethem", he mumbled quickly lowering his eyes to the ground.

"What", Bart asked.

"I don't have them", he said at a more normal speed, "After my fight with Doomsday… I lost my powers…"

"Why", Oliver asked.

"I don't know… I haven't been fully restored", Clark said, "And until I restore the fortress, I won't be either."

"Clark, we need to get you home", Oliver said, "You don't know how much people miss you… How happy they'll be…"

Especially Lois, Oliver thought.

"Oliver", Clark turned around a somber look on his face, "That's exactly why I can't go back…"

~*~

"So a real date", John smirked.

"A real date", Lois mimicked.

"Well, Miss Lane, I'm new in town so what's good here", he asked looking at his menu with a flirtatious smile on his lips.

"You can't ever go wrong with chicken", she said seriously.

"I'm kind of in the mood to take a risk tonight", he said taking a sip of wine.

"Then try the beef stew, I used to tell Clark it-"

She lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry", she whispered closing her eyes.

"It's alright", John said softly, "You cared about him a lot didn't you?"

"Yeah", she nodded.

"Can I ask what happened", he asked folding his hands in front of him.

"He saved me", she said sadly, "He saved us all…"

"He died in the attack", John realized.

"Yeah", she smiled sadly, "That was Smallville for you… always going into the danger zone, you know… and he could handle it too… just this time he bit off more than he could chew…"

"Smallville?"

"It was my nickname", she smiled, "For Clark…"

"Convinient", he laughed softly, "Cause he was from Smallville, right?"

"Yeah", she smiled, "Born and bred… Well not really… Might as well been though… The Kent's raised their son right…"

"I would have liked to know him."

"He's the best person I ever knew", she smiled sadly, "I wish you had known him…"

"So", John said closing his menu, "Chicken huh?"

She smiled thankful for his decision and realizing what it meant. He'd play it safe tonight. She ordered the beef stew.

~*~

"What the hell do you mean you can't go back?"

"It's my fault Doomsday was even on Earth", he said, "I led him to the people I cared most about. It was me. All me."

"Clark, you didn't send that monster to Earth."

"No, but I'm the reason he came to Earth", Clark said.

"And so what if you'd have landed on another planet", Oliver said, "They would have had the same fate?"

"Not if it's not inhabited", Clark said.

"You're scaring me, buddy", Bart asked, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying as soon as I fix this fortress and reprogram the crystal, I'm leaving, for good."

~*~

"Thanks for dinner", she said softly as he placed her coat over her shoulders.

"Thanks for the company", he smiled shrugging on his own coat.

She smiled as they walked down the street toward their car.

"I'm sorry about bringing him up", she said fingering the forgotten bracelet, "I just feel like he's still close you know…"

"It's understandable", he shook his head, "A lot of traumatizing events are not easily forgotten. You survived a massive attack and lost your best friend in the mist of it… I'd be concerned if you were over it already…"

"Thanks", she smiled.

They reached his car and he walked around the passenger side to open it for her. In that moment a man in a dark hoodie and all black jumped out of the shadows knocking John to the ground.

Lois let out a scream as another assailant came up behind her and placed her in a choke hold.

"Lois", John muttered.

"John", she tried to get herself out of the tight hold but stopped when she felt the pistol against her cranium.

She watched as the attacker kicked John repeatedly. She watched him bleed. She heard bone crack. She couldn't scream. She couldn't cry. And she definitely couldn't help.

"Bobby!"

The attacker holding her cried out to his partner, to get his attention.

"He's dead", he said, "Let's go."

Bobby kicked him once more for good measure.

"Goodnight sweetheart", the attacker holding her whispered into her ear before hitting her in the back of the head with the butt of his gun.

Both men tossed her into the back seat of John's car and drove off down the street.

~*~

"You can't be serious", Oliver shook his head, "I know you're a lot of things, Clark, but a coward isn't one of them."

"Don't, Oliver."

"You're running away from her, aren't you?"

"Stop", Clark said gritting his teeth.

"And here I thought you loved her", he continued baiting him.

"Stop it", Clark repeated.

"No, you don't deserve her", Oliver continued, "I guess you don't even know how to love… maybe aliens can't."

Clark let out a shrilling scream and charged Oliver against the wall choking him.

"Go… ahead…", Oliver panted, "Finish… it… you coward."

"Clark", Bart was at his side, "Clark… put him down…."

Clark's eyes glared and became red with rage.

"Clark, Lois wouldn't want you to do this", Bart said trying to pull him back, "Let him go…"

Clark's dark gaze became blank and he stepped back dropping Oliver to the ground.

"Get out."

"Clark, man, wait a sec-"

"GET OUT!!"

"Okay", Bart nodded and went to help Oliver up. He picked up the blond the billionaire and led him towards the entrance by which they came.

He turned around slowly to address the angry Kryptonian who'd now collapsed on the floor.

"For what it's worth", he said, "I know you're not a coward… and I was always rooting for Lois and Clark…"

He turned and walked back towards the outside world, leaving Clark sobbing on ice cold floor.

~*~

She woke up and realized she couldn't move. She was tied to a chair in a dark room with a spotlight over her. She squinted her eyes to try and get a better look at her surroundings.

"I hope you are quite comfortable my dear."

She looked up and saw him walk toward her with a menacing stare. He leaned in closer to her gagged face.

"You have no idea the headache you and Kal-El caused me…"

She glared at him and breathed in deeply.

"No matter", he said standing straight, "A portal to the Phantom Zone can be reopened. Faora will be back to rule by my side. You'll see…"

She turned her face away from him.

"You have something to say", he asked smiling and untied her gag.

"You son of a-oomf!"

He placed the gag back in her mouth.

"Tsk tsk tsk", he grinned, "You scream at me again and I will kill someone dear to you… perhaps your sister or your father… or that cousin of yours… Now… one more time…"

He removed the gag and she glared at him.

"I'll never rule with you", she clenched her teeth her eyes ablaze.

"That's okay", he shrugged, "I don't want you anyway… just your body…"

"You bastard", she glared, "You're a monster…"

"I am of the same breed as Kal-El… is he a monster too?"

"He was raised right", she glared, "You're nothing but a tyrant."

Zod smiled and then the smile dropped from his face. He back handed her and she let out a gasp of pain.

"Disrespect me again", he leaned in closer to her, "I'll kill your daddy… and send you his head."

She bit her lip to hold back her tears. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"I'll see you soon."

He turned and walked away leaving her alone in a dark cold room, tied to a chair.

~*~

Oliver rubbed his neck as he and Bart walked into the Watchtower.

"Where the hell have you been", Chloe asked as she and Jimmy looked up.

"Arctic", Bart said as Oliver glared at him.

"Bart", he cut him off.

"No, they need to know", Bart said sadly.

"Know what", Jimmy asked.

"Clark's alive", Bart said as Oliver stumbled over to the couch and fell back on it.

"What", Chloe asked standing up abruptly.

"We found signs of life near the Arctic where the fortress should have been", Bart said, "We went and found him… he's at the Fortress now…"

"Why didn't he come back with you", Chloe asked.

"He's not coming back", Oliver mumbled from behind his arm that was draped over his face.

"What does that mean", Jimmy asked.

Oliver removed his arm.

"It means, Clark won't be returning to Metropolis or Smallville or any other country for that matter… he's not even planning on staying on Earth."

"What", Chloe asked.

"He's leaving, Chloe, soon as the fortress is fixed."

She sat back down in shock and then smiled shaking her head.

"No he isn't", she said smirking, "There's one person on Planet Earth that can kick his ass into gear. I'll call Lois… we can get her there in the next couple of hours…"

"There's a hole in that plan."

The four occupants looked up to watch Bruce, Victor, AC and Dinah walk in slowly.

"What", Chloe asked.

"Lois Lane is missing."