When Devils Speak the Truth - chapter five
Title: When Devils Speak the Truth
Fandom: Smallville
Characters: As many of them as possible, from as many other fandoms as I can manage and still keep track
Genre: Future Fic, AU, slash, whumpage abounds
Pairings: Clark/Oliver, rest are surprises
Rating: R - that means adults only people, you have been informed
Warnings: MM Slash, death, torture, genocide, apocalyptic themes, sex, sacrifice,
persecution, religious stupidity.
Summary: Clark refuses his destiny and is thrust into the future, a future where he never became the hero he was meant to be. He must survive on an Earth that is dying and face friends and loved ones who can no longer be trusted. Reuniting with Oliver tests the bond they once thought unbreakable and Clark must decide what being a hero actually means.
Link to other Chapters and Stories: AshtakRa Master File
Chapter Five: Landing with a Thud
The drop into the ice seemed more precarious than flying miles up in the atmosphere, at least to Clark who was still getting used to being able to fly. Especially when he had to also carry two people, and make sure they didn't freeze, and trust that Robby directed them to the exact point. Without any device the boy just pointed to a point on the expanse of white and said, "There."
A blast from his heat vision opened up a tunnel that went down about thirty meters, at a sharp angle that meant he still flew them the rest of the way. On the bottom Robby turned around and checked his watch, then pointed again, "Ten meters straight ahead."
Given up on arguing Clark squinted and vaporised the wall of ice, they walked in and tried not to think of the oppressive mountain of ice above their heads. Sure enough, ten meters in they came to a circle of metal plates, about the size of a small car. "Let me guess," said Clark as he watched Robby closely. "We stand in the circle."
"Able to follow directions well, and smart," said Robby, the unmistakeable inflection of Oliver Queen in his voice. They stood in the circle and Clark tapped his foot impatiently, how many more of these places would they have to visit before finding Oliver?
His pondering was interrupted by a high pitch whine and the floor vibrated. Suddenly the ring seemed to leap into the air, separating and hovering around them - then everything disappeared in a flash of light. When the world coalesced back to existence the rings fell back into the floor, except this time it was a different floor, in a different room. Also they were surrounded by three men training weapons on them.
One of them, a dark haired man shorter than the others saw Lana sweep back her hood and lowered his weapon. "Stand down." The others, one dark haired and the other light brown simultaneously lowered their machine guns and stepped back and around, subtly still flanking the one who had spoken.
"Ms Lang," the leader spoke again. "Always a pleasure but I must say this is the last place I expected to see you." He looked down at Robby and an expression of exasperation and tenderness crossed his face. "You I am never surprised at - still causing havoc around the world."
"Most of it," answered Robby smugly.
Three sets of eyes now bored into Clark and he shifted uneasily, although the bullets could not hurt him he had a feeling that if they needed to incapacitate a Kryptonian these people would find a way.
The leader huffed and snorted seemingly at the same time. "He seems a lot shorter in person doesn't he?" As the man spoke more Clark recognised the accent as Canadian and much as his words were dismissing Clark as a threat his eyes continued to study him, evaluating and processing. Whoever this guy was, whatever he lacked in physical intimidation, he obviously made up by his intellect. The other two, without a doubt military, had their hands hovering continuously near their lowered weapons and had that relaxed yet dangerous stance that all experienced soldiers maintained.
Stepping forward Clark noticed the two tense up as he held out his hand to the leader. "Clark Kent."
The man took it and leaned forward to look Clark directly in the eyes. "Yes you are," he chuckled at his own idea of humour. "Doctor Rodney McKay, genius and sole surviving member of area 51."
At Clarks lack of reaction, except for a slightly raised eyebrow the shorter man with brown hair sniggered and held his hand up to cover his mouth. McKay snapped a glare at him but the man shrugged. "You always think that will impress people, even after all that's happened, and besides - its not like Mr Kent will be amazed that you work with alien artefacts, considering his heritage."
Rolling his eyes Clark had to hold back cursing loudly. Did everyone in this future know about him, and about him being an alien?
"You were impressed the first time, and the second," said McKay smugly.
"Was not."
"Yeah, you were," spoke the taller dark haired man for the first time. His American accent was heavy and had that relaxed slur that foreigners always seemed to pick on. "And so was I," he admitted, stepping forward and shaking Clark's hand as well. "John Sheppard, my apparently unimpressed colleague is Evan Lorne."
Lorne just nodded, his trust not running as far as physical contact.
Since introductions were over they were led to an adjoining room that had machines and consoles spread across the area. Clark did not need to have seen alien technology to know that most of the stuff in this room was extra-terrestrial, although it did not appear to be Kryptonian the parts were littered with crystal parts.
Sitting at a small oval table McKay immediately pulled out a chocolate bar and started snacking, not offering any around. "So what brings you to our humble abode?" he asked around his mouthful. "As you can imagine we don't get many visitors."
"About that?" asked Clark. "That thing, that transporter - how much do you now about it?" It was alien, that much Clark had deduced from all the equipment that lay about, and the fact that this entire base was probably alien in origin. Since some kind of transport device had sent him to the future maybe this one could help send him back.
"More than even your alien mind could possibly understand," smiled McKay which earned him a whispered reprimand from the taller one, Sheppard. "Oh fine," mumbled McKay. "It is a short range transport device, useful only for site to site transfer." His eyes were busily inspecting Clark again. "If you're thinking I can use it to send you back to the past you'd be wrong."
"How did you-?" spluttered Clark, suspecting this guy could mind read.
"Who do you think Oliver got to inspect your cave when you went missing?" smiled McKay. "Genius, remember."
"And not afraid to tell people, over-."
"And over."
Lorne and Sheppard were enjoying themselves, baiting the doctor who while pursing his lips at first finally cracked a laugh and pushed Lorne lightly on the shoulder. "Well at least I don't go on about the lack of colour in this place, or 'who stole all my hair product?'." He was indicating Sheppard with the second statement since the man put a hand through his short locks, somehow getting them to stick at odd angles but still look right.
Once the laughter had finished those beady yet intelligent eyes returned to Clark. "Of course you didn't know about the transporter until you got here - so the question remains as to why you are here…" He was clearly not asking and his intense glare moved from Clark, to Lana and finally to Robby. A victorious grin spread across his face and he clicked his fingers. "You're trying to find Oliver Queen."
"Let me guess," said Clark. "He's not here but you know where he should be."
"I haven’t heard from Oliver in months," stated McKay with a shrug. "Did you try Christmas Island?"
"They found us there, we barely escaped." Lana's short but precise statement seemed to make the room go even more silent than it had been. The expressions on all three men's faces hardened and Sheppard's lips visibly thinned. He and the others obviously knew who 'they' were and needed no further explanation.
"What about Ben and Johnny?" a female voice asked from apparent thin air and Clark whipped his head around but saw no-one.
"They covered our escape," answered Clark rather bemusedly. "Are you on a speaker or should we expect another visitor?"
"Actually Kal'El I've been here for some time," said the voice again and the air behind Lorne shimmered into a beautiful blonde woman. Clark immediately recognised the blue uniform as a partner to Johnny's and when he looked at her face it seemed somehow familiar.
"I'm Johnny's sister," she said, in answer to his inspection. "Susan Storm."
CKCKCKCKCK
Finding a room with privacy Susan closed the door and turned to Clark, hands on hips she gave him a good look up and down and a thoughtful expression crossed her petite features. She was somewhat similar to Lana, at least the Lana he remembered, except with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
"You were with Johnny." It was not a question but Clark nodded anyway.
"Figures - he has a knack for picking up the cutest guy in the room." Her smile was genuine and Clark relaxed a little, guessing she wasn't about to go all sisterly on him and demand where her brother was.
"I'm sure he made it out," he said, not wanting to mention Johnny was wounded when he left."
She smiled again, either in agreement or in some way revealing a bond with her brother that said she already knew he was safe.
"More importantly Kal'El, he brought you to us."
"Please call me Clark, and I'm not sure if that will do you any good. Everywhere I go trouble seems to follow."
"I'm kind of used to that," she said jokingly. "I wonder Clark, has anyone said why you are so important - or do they just assume you know?"
"They think I can save the world," he said glumly.
"But you don't?" Susan walked around him and as his gaze followed her he saw more of the room. In the corner was a single table, with a few unlit candles and a picture of Susan with a man Clark did not know. She saw his look and went over to it, picking it up she momentarily held it to her chest before replacing it on the table.
“Reed was working on some calculations that involved fusion and power requirements.” Reed must have been the man in the photo and since Johnny had already mentioned his death Clark felt it best not to ask about the man himself. “I wonder if Clark Kent, who believes he cannot save the world could tell me why the ability to create nuclear fusion would be so important to the world we are in?”
“Fusion could reignite the sun,” Clark said as soon as the thought entered his head. “Whatever Lex did to it he must have somehow disrupted the fusion reaction, and all we need to do is jump-start it.”
Susan, while looking pleased that he had guessed the truth, snorted slightly. “All? Even with all the equations Reed had one major problem to overcome - a delivery system.”
As her eyes settled on him Clark realised what she meant. He could be the delivery system, he could fly and could survive in a vacuum, even perhaps in the corona of a star. “Do the others know about this plan?”
“No,” answered Susan. “Dr MacKay does of course, he has continued Reed’s research. Until you arrived though we had no way of delivering our bomb and what use is false hope in a world with little enough hope to go around.”
“Bomb?”
An extremely sad look came over Susan’s face. “I have both wished for this day and dreaded it.”
“Why,” said Clark, moving forward to comfort her.
“Because,” she was close to tears when she answered. “The bomb is-.”
“Susan, Clark!” yelled Robby, barrelling into the room and almost running into Clark. “Message from our contact in Washington - somehow they’ve located us and will be sending in a missile strike. We’re leaving right now.”
CKCKCKCKC
Whatever the craft was it was sleek and deadly, and much as they were once again on the run Clark had to appreciate that they weer doing it in style. Sheppard was piloting with McKay as co-pilot while Susan and Lana sat in the back talking quietly. That left Clark with Lorne and Robby, the latter filling in Lorne on their adventures so far.
“Of course I always said Bruce was bad news, but I managed to get Clark out anyway.” A raised eyebrow at Clark from Lorne let him know he knew Robby’s story may have been embellished in some way. The man had warmed to Clark somewhat, for what reason Clark did not know but it was after Susan had a quiet word with Lorne. He had resisted the urge to listen in but Clark was sure he had heard Johnny mentioned, which produced an impressed whistle from Lorne. Not only did this whole world seem to know his heritage but they were also being informed of his sleeping habits. After that Lorne was happy to spend time with Clark on their flight central America. Apparently their next location was the Yucatan Peninsula, one of the few pieces of land not yet covered in ice and snow.
“So?” asked Clark. “How did you all end up in Antarctica studying alien artefacts?”
“Classified,” murmured Lorne, not quite meeting Clark’s gaze.
“You’re kidding - from what I understand there are no governments left so under what command structure are you keeping up the military façade?”
Lorne grinned a little self-effaced. “They call me a freak but I believe we can still win this and the United States will rise form the ashes, and with it our democratic freedoms.”
“Really?”
“For sure.” Lorne excitedly grabbed Clarks knee. “There is still a government in exile, just a few senators and such but they hang on, and there are military units all throughout the world just waiting for the word.”
“I find that hard to believe,” said Clark, the world was coming to an end and these people still planned for a grand retaking of power by the people.
“Believe it - your mother left quite a legacy.”
At Clark’s bemused expression Lorne almost choked on the water he was drinking. “They haven’t told you?”
If it was to do with his mother he hadn’t asked, the possibility too horrible to face with everything else. He shook his head.
“Martha Kent,” said Lorne, with a touch of awe. “Was the last true President of the United States of America.”
Tbc…