Red – Sixteenth Chapter
Kent Farm
"You're kidding!" Jonathan said into the phone. "Thank you." He hung up and turned to Martha.
"What's wrong?" she asked him, seeing the concern on his face.
"That was the credit card company," he replied. "They were calling to verify some charges that were made on our card, last night."
Martha looked confused and Rory came down the stairs, still wearing her pyjamas.
"Someone's playing really loud rock music in the barn, guys," she said sleepily.
As if on cue, strains of music began floating through the window. Rory woke up a little more and yawned. "Any coffee, Mom?"
Martha pointed at the pot and said, "I think we should go check that out."
"Good idea," Jonathan agreed.
"Coming," Rory mumbled.
Martha and Jonathan walked outside. Rory took a deep gulp of her coffee and followed, clutching the mug in her hands.
Walking into the barn, the two parents stopped, shocked at what they saw (and heard). There was all sorts of expensive looking wires hanging from the loft, boxes from other things scattered everywhere. But the thing that really caught their eyes was the jet ski. Martha walked over to the jet ski and picked up a shirt, feeling it. "This is silk!" she shouted over the music.
Rory heard her and thought, Oh yes, never mind the jet ski! Her mind quickly caught up and she blinked. Wait a sec. Jet ski?! She supersped past her parents and into the loft.
They felt the breeze and quickly followed her, finding Clark, sitting in the middle of the loft, in front of a large projector screen, playing video games. Rory was wide awake now, staring angrily at her brother.
"Clark!" Martha yelled at him. He didn't respond.
"Clark!" Jonathan cried, but Clark still did nothing.
Rory rolled her eyes and went to the wall, pulling out the electricity cable. The music stopped, the screen flickered off and Clark looked up, eyes flaming.
"Where did you get all this?" Jonathan asked him normally before he could yell at her.
"Discount Eddie's in Metropolis. 'Open all night'!" Clark said, still glaring at Rory.
She glared right back as Jonathan said, "You mean you took our credit cards, and you bought all this junk?"
Clark's gaze flickered to his father for a moment and he said coolly, "I figure I should be allowed to have the all same cool stuff everyone else has."
"Clark Kent, you stole from us," Jonathan said angrily.
"No. I used your credit cards," Clark said as though he was speaking to someone very stupid. "What's the big deal? We don't have to pay for it right away."
Martha gasped and Rory shook her head. Jonathan grabbed a leather motorcycle jacket and tossed it at Clark, who caught it one handed. "Well, I'll tell you the big deal," said Jonathan. "The big deal is that you are going to take all of this stuff right back, right now."
"Yeah, right," Clark scoffed.
He pulled the motorcycle jacket on just as Rory spoke up. "What's wrong with you, Clark?" He looked up at her, coldness in his eyes. She went on sadly, "I don't even know who you are anymore."
"Well, sweetheart, this is the real me," he said sarcastically, spreading his arms wide. "Maybe you should stop trying to shelter me all the time, because I don't need your protection!"
She gaped at him, tears springing to her eyes. He'd never spoken to her like that, not even the time when she'd accidently ripped the head off his teddy bear. And it hadn't just been any teddy bear, but his favourite teddy bear, the one he'd gotten from their grandma before she died.
"I'm out of here," Clark said dismissively, turning and jumping out the window. Rory ran over to it and stared down at her brother, unable to understand why he was acting this way.
She didn't notice her parents come up behind her, and only heard their yells faintly, as though she was a long way away. Rory walked over to the couch and sat down on it, grabbing one of the pillows and hugging it to her chest tightly. Her parents came over, sitting on either side of her and hugging her as she cried quietly.
As before, I'm gonna skip this stuff until the bit with Chloe and the Torch. Okay?
The Torch, the next day
Chloe scrutinised the rock in her hand, taking note of the red veins running through it, spinning it around in her hands. The door swung open and she looked up as Rory and Pete came through the door.
"You guys, you are not going to believe this," she said excitedly as she stood, putting the rock down. "Our El Cheapo class rings are, in fact, fake." She paused and stared at Rory hard for a moment. "Hey, weren't you s'posed to be helping me with my exposé?"
"There's something wrong with Clark, Chloe," Rory said seriously.
"More than usual?" Chloe said, amused. The look on her friend's face made her serious too, and she said, "What makes you think that?"
Pete shrugged and said, "Last night at the Talon, the motorcycle..." He trailed off as Chloe bent over her desk to retrieve the rock. His gaze fell to her backside, and he blushed, continuing hastily, "...other stuff..."
"What kind of other stuff?" Chloe asked, curiosity aroused as she handed the rock to Rory, who turned it over in her hands, examining it.
"The kind that makes my parents think he's on drugs, or something like that. Chloe-"
"Wait a minute. Clark on drugs? Clark would have to be on drugs to be on drugs," Chloe stated with finality.
"Chloe..." Rory tried again.
"What?"
"Exactly. What is this?" she asked, casually tossing the rock back and forth between her hands.
"Be careful!" Chloe grabbed it back and replied, "My exposé. The one that you promised to help me with, remember?"
"I get it, Chloe. What's up with the rock already?" Rory asked irritably.
"I'm getting there," Chloe replied. Walking behind her desk, she held out her hand and said, "See this lovely, $350 piece of school spirit?" Pete and Rory nodded impatiently and Chloe continued, "It's a rip-off. The Jewellery Company was substituting worthless meteor rocks for rubies to save money."
Rory stared at her, things finally beginning to make sense to her now. Pete, however, didn't believe her."Chloe," he said, "the ring's red. Meteor rocks are green."
Chloe said smugly, "Not the load they found near Hobbes Pond." She held the rock out for him to see. "Note the red vein."
Pete took the rock and looked at said vein, pieces of the metaphorical puzzle falling into place, just as they had for Rory only seconds ago.
Chloe continued, oblivious to their discovery, "I'm gonna force a recall, cause every single one of those rings is made with this. You can read all about it on page one of today's Torch." She turned away, retrieving something from her desk and Rory was gone, papers rustling slightly as she left.
Pete ran out after her. Chloe turned back to an empty room. She looked around, blinking, then realized something. "He damn well better bring that rock back!" she muttered hotly.
Kent Farm, like 5 minutes later (Remember, Pete drives a really fast car and he broke all the speed limits. Which I do not recommend.)
"Mom! Dad!" Rory yelled as she supersped into the house.
"Please, honey, no superspeeding in the house, 'kay?" Martha said.
"Emergency," Rory replied, dropping into a seat.
"What, another one?" Jonathan asked.
"Bigger than all those that have come before," she said dramatically. "Pete and I, we worked out why Clark's been acting all weird."
That caught their attention. "Really? What?" Martha asked, her maternal instinct coming to the surface, not that it was ever far away.
Rory looked down and swore when she realized she didn't have the rock. "The ring... the rock..." She tried to remember what Chloe had said. "Oh! Chloe said that the rings, the class rings, the jewellery company put red meteor rocks on them instead of rubies to save money. And Pete and I, we figured that if the green meteor rocks affect us, then the red ones must as well."
"If you're right, then thank God you didn't get one as well," Martha said with concern.
"Where is Pete?" Jonathan asked.
Rory smacked her head and said, "I left him behind, I was so worried about Clark and he – he's got the rock!"
"What rock?"
"The rock, the meteor rock, the one with red streaks in it – I should go find him –"
Suddenly they heard a car screech up outside, then footsteps running towards the house. Pete burst through the door and handed the rock to Rory, practically skidding to a stop. "You told them, right?"
"As much as I could without this. See the red vein?" she asked of her parents, pointing it out to them.
They took a good look and Pete said, "Chloe's gonna force a recall because all of the rings are made of this stuff."
"And you really think that this is what's causing Clark's behaviour?" Jonathan asked, looking at Pete's ring.
"Well, that is when it all started, right Pete?" Rory asked.
Pete nodded and finished for her, "When he put on that ring."
"So you think that if the green rocks affect you two physically, then the red ones affect you... emotionally?" Martha asked.
"Yeah. Or it could be mentally, I mean maybe they screw with our attitudes, values and beliefs or something," Rory said.
"It would explain the personality changes," Jonathan said, handing the rock back to Rory.
"The longer he – and you," Martha began, directing the last bit at Rory, "are exposed to the green rocks, the worse it gets."
Rory went pale as she realized what her mother meant. "If the same is true for the red ones..."
They stood there in silent for a moment, then Jonathan said quietly, "God help us all."
"We have to find him and get the ring off of him," Rory stated determinedly.
"Yes, but how?" Martha said, frustrated. "If he doesn't want to do something, then none of us are strong enough to force him. Not even you, Rora."
"Hey!" Rory said, insulted. "He might be stronger, but I'm faster! Besides Mom, the thing is that Clark has a weakness, just like everyone. As much as I hate to... we could use it against him."
Jonathan said sternly, "Then you are not to be there, understand? We'll have to put it in the lead box, and once it comes out it will hurt you too."
The rational part of Rory knew that he was right, but the stubborn part of her wanted to argue that if Clark tried to run, she was the only one who could catch him. "Fine," she said sulkily.
Jonathan smiled.
That random cornfield where this bit happens, the day after that one up there (I think)
Jessie ran through the cornfield, glancing over her shoulder every couple of seconds, feeling as though her lungs would burst. She checked behind herself again and slammed into what felt like a brick wall. She fell to the ground, groaning a little in pain.
Clark watched with an amused expression as she pulled herself to a sitting position. He squatted down so they were on eye level, watching her eyes grow wide in fear as she saw him.
"Please don't do this," she begged.
Clark grabbed her bag, ignoring her plea, and ripped it open, pulling out the disks. Holding them up he said, "I never realized how easy it would be to get everything I've ever wanted."
Clark heard footsteps approaching from behind. "Clark!" yelled a familiar voice.
"Pete," Clark said, amused. He stood up and turned to face him. "What, did it take the whole study group to find me?" he said cockily.
"No," Pete said seriously. "Lionel Luthor heard you mention Jessie." Looking over Clark's shoulder, he said, "Jessie, run."
She reached up and grabbed the bag and the disks, yanking them out of Clark's hand before scrambling to her feet and running. He made no move to stop her, not even glancing after her.
"How far is she going to get, Pete?" he asked. He took a step towards Pete and said menacingly, "You know no one can get away from me."
"Clark!" came the sound of another familiar voice.
Clark turned, feeling very annoyed now, and saw Jonathan, wielding a sledgehammer.
"Ah! Daddy Dearest," Clark said sarcastically. "But where is my darling sister?"
"Not here," replied Jonathan bravely. "Pete, do it."
Clark turned around and looked down at the lead box Pete was holding in his hands. He opened it, and inside were several green meteor rocks. Clark looked at Pete, fear on his face, and gasped, "Ahh. So that's why she's not here."
"Clark, I'm sorry," Pete apologized.
Clark fell onto his hands and knees, trying to take deep breaths.
"Clark!" Jonathan called.
Clark looked up at him, rage making his face ugly (chyeah, like that's possible) and formed a fist, attempting to punch him. Jonathan swung the sledgehammer down at his fist, smashing it into the ring and destroying the gem.
Clark collapsed onto the ground and Jonathan dropped the sledgehammer, dropping to his knees beside his son. Pete closed the lead box and went over to him too. Jonathan pulled Clark into his arms as Clark opened his eyes and began to look around in confusion.
"Dad?" he murmured fuzzily.
"It's okay, son. It's alright," Jonathan said, hugging him tight.
Pete patted Clark's shoulder, reassuring himself that his friend was okay.
"Thanks, Pete," said Jonathan, grateful.
Pete just nodded.
Kent Farm, later that day
Clark walked into the house, seeing his father setting the kitchen table for dinner and his mother preparing said dinner.
"Hi," said Martha.
"Hey," Clark said back quietly.
Jonathan remained silent, something Clark noticed.
"You know Dad, the things that I did, and said..." Clark spoke hesitantly, apologetically. "I really didn't mean any of them."
Jonathan sighed and said matter-of-factly, "Clark, the red meteor rocks may have affected your personality, but... we've got to face it, those feelings came from somewhere."
Clark nodded, knowing that his father had a point. A sound from the stairs made him look, and he saw his sister regarding him with cold eyes.
He turned to look at her front-on, offering her a weak smile which she didn't return. The silence stretched out until Clark said, "You know, I'm back to normal now."
"Hooray," Rory said, no emotion in her voice.
The silence went on as though they hadn't spoken.
Clark sighed and said, "Look, Rors, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of what I – he – said. It was the other me talking. The crazy one, the one that doesn't know how important you are to me."
Rory remained impassive. "How important to you am I then?"
"Extremely important," he replied, swallowing. "I don't know what I would do without you."
Rory continued, expressionless, "Well, I heard what Dad said, and according to his theory, the 'other you' is just a manifestation of all your pent-up emotions. Which basically means that you hate me."
"No I don't!" Clark yelled before she could even finish talking. Calming down, he said, "If I hate you so much, then how come I never get mad at you like normal brothers and sisters do? How come we never fight if I hate you? How come I can keep all of your secrets – the big one aside of course – secrets you don't even tell your best friend?"
Clark could see the indecision on her face, so he kept going. "Maybe – maybe a part of me sees you as a representation of what it is to be –" He hesitated, stumbling over the word. "What it is to be an alien. Maybe that's why I was so mean to you, with the ring on."
Rory finally caved, and smiled at her brother. "I'm sorry. I just needed to make sure that you really didn't somehow hate me in the depth of your subconsciousness."
"I could never hate you," Clark said loyally. Jonathan and Martha smiled at each other happily as Clark held out his arms. Rory hugged him and their parents came over, wrapping their arms around them as well.
"I'm so glad you two worked it out," Martha sighed happily.
So am I, Clark thought. Looking at his family, he couldn't help but think, We are so lucky, to have been picked up by these two.
Rory heard, and thought back to him, Family is the best, huh?
Yep.
A/N Well wasn't that nice? Anyway, sorry about the lack of updating-ness. I've been busy, and our internet stopped working so there was no reason for me to use the computer except to write, and I kept forgetting cause I suck. Fairly long chapter for you all – thanks for being so patient with me.
Xx.maddy-sparx.xX
P.S. The next episode I do will be Skinwalker – just a few excerpts from it, cause it's important.