Smallville: Lost and Found [13/20]
Title: Lost and Found [13/20]
Author: Rae
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Clark, Lois, Chloe, Oliver, Lana and Kara; Clark/Lois.
Warnings/Spoilers: Set post 7x20 Arctic but other than that nope.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I haven’t claimed to either.
Summary: Brainiac has an insidious plan to bring back Zod and just when Lois and Clark might be figuring out their relationship there’s another spanner in the works.
Author Notes: We’re almost at the crux of it guys! Or at least the bit I’m excited for. Thanks so much to you guys who reviewed the last chapter, you're truly epic. It was so nice to be welcomed back when I personally would have gone Terminator on my ass.
Word Count: 2,096
Previous chapters: |Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Destiny. A huge unknowable concept that left a perpetual bad taste in Clark’s mouth. Destined for greater things they all said, destined to be a hero they said. Clark knew better, there had to be a catch. But it wasn’t something he could risk when Lois’ life was in danger.
“Yes!” Clark said to the wind which abruptly ceased.
“It is done, Kal-El,” Jor-El intoned. The ice beneath Clark’s feet began to warm but did not melt. The ice even shifted, jostling Clark as it created a bed beneath Lois. Colour seeped into her cheeks and her breathing evened until Clark was satisfied she was fine.
“Training begins now my son.”
*
Lois frowned when she opened her eyes and tried to move, her body was stiff and it took her a moment to remember she was actually in the arctic.
“Clark?” Lois turned on to her side, expecting to see him. “Where’d you go?”
Standing, Lois rolled her shoulders, trying to get the circulation back in them. Lois turned around and Clark was sat, crossed legged and bare-chested in front of the main console of the Fortress.
“Little chilly for ice bathing Clark,” Lois forced a smile to cover her nervousness.
Clark didn’t seem to hear her, so Lois stepped forward, place her hand on his shoulder. Clark’s eyes flew open as he turned to look at her. Lois gasped, Clark’s usually warm blue-green eyes were the colour of an icy blue storm. Retracting her hand, Lois took a step back, “Clark?”
“Clark Kent no longer exists,” Clark intoned, much like the voice of Jor-El.
“What do you mean, Clark doesn’t exist? You’re right here,” Lois pointed to Clark but those eyes fixed her with an almost confused look.
“Clark Kent, son of Martha and Jonathan Kent, is a lie. A lie that is no longer needed.” Clark tilted his head and Lois shook hers.
“No, Clark is a person and you need to give him back right now.” Lois demanded.
“He existed to protect my true nature but I am ready now,” Clark turned rigidly to look at the console.
“Ready for what?”
“To fulfil my destiny.” A half smile almost touched Clark’s lips.
“Destiny,” Lois repeated, “Destined for what?”
“To become Kal-El, to embrace my Kryptonian heritage and defeat Brainiac,” Clark told her as he turned to face her again.
“And what happens to Clark?” Lois whispered, mostly to herself but of course Clark heard her.
“Lois Lane, he did this for you. He let go of his human attachments and comforts for you.” Tilting his head again, Clark seemingly couldn’t understand why she was so upset.
“Give him back.” Lois said, her voice toughening. “Give me back Clark. Now.”
“With the utmost respect Miss Lane, I am Clark.”
“No, you’re… you’re anything but Clark.” Lois took in a breath but as she did so, the world begun to swirl around her and change in all respects until she was back on the Kent farm in front of Chloe and Lana.
“Lois, hey, are you alright? One minute you were there and then you’re gone.” Chloe said as she hugged Lois, Lana looked tentatively on. “Wait, where’s Clark?”
“Clark’s gone,” Lois said wearily.
“Gone?” Lana said quietly.
“Apparently he wasn’t needed for Kal-El’s destiny,” Lois walked over to the couch and flopped down on it.
“Kal-El’s destiny?” Chloe bit her lip as Lois turned her head, “Know anything about that?”
Chloe shook her head, “It’s a bit of a dark cloud.”
“Dark cloud? Try the mother of all insidious nimbus clouds.” Lois folded her arms and Lana made her way around Chloe to stand in front of Lois.
“Lois, there has to be a way to get Clark back,” Lana said as she looked Lois straight in the eye.
“Yeah, well, nobody read me the rulebook on when Clark decides to go Jekyll and Hyde on us.” Lois sighed.
Chloe spoke up again, “Lois, did Clark say anything about what he had to do? What his destiny was?”
Lois nodded, “Actually, he did say it was to become Kal-El and defeat Brainiac. What? You think mission accomplished and poof, Clark comes back?”
Chloe frowned, “I doubt it, but he’ll be easier to deal with once he’s defeated Brainiac. I better call Oliver, he needs to know what’s going on.”
*
Clark was already there when Chloe called, Oliver looked on as Clark unhooked Kara from the various machines and lifted her easily in his arms.
“Clark, the exposure could kill you,” Oliver told him but Clark ignored him.
“Thank you, you have been very helpful.”
Oliver stared at him in disbelief, “Sure, whatever. Clark, are you feeling okay?”
“I feel fine,” Clark turned away from Oliver and super-sped away.
*
Star labs was Metropolis’ own corner of the scientific research sky, specifically with it’s own nuclear reactor. Clark ignored the calls that tried to stop him, knocking back the few security guards who stood in front of him.
Kara stirred in his arms, “Clark?”
“Soon you will be well,” Clark’s eyes flickered down to Kara but then focused back on their path.
“What, what happened?” Kara murmured.
Clark laid Kara down on the ground while he opened the steel door that contained the reactor. Even on opening, Kara flinched, her skin turning hot as the energy burned through the Kryptonite in her system. Clark scooped her up again, taking Kara into the room and holding her as she screamed.
*
Kara stood up for the first time in days, stretching her arms before she looked back at her cousin, “Thanks.” She said quickly but Clark was staring out through a large window behind them.
“Clark…”
“Kal-El.” Clark corrected.
Kara frowned, “You said to call you Clark.”
“That’s not my name,” Clark replied, turning to face Kara.
Kara blinked, noticing Clark’s eyes. “You look just like Uncle.”
“Father has given me the gifts I need to stop the Brain Interactive Construct,” Clark told her as they began to walk.
“Look, Kal that’s great but that’s not you,” Kara put her hand on Clark’s forearm, stopping him.
Clark tilted his head again, “I am what I need to be.”
“Uh huh, what’s that? Devoid of humanity?” Kara looked hard at Clark and he didn’t even flinch.
“Humanity is a weakness in the eyes of the Construct,” Clark told her as if he was telling a small child, “I give him no opportunity to weaken me.”
“Kal-El, you may just find you need your humanity more than you realise,” Kara warned before she took flight.
*
Lois sat on Clark’s bed, her hands full of one of Clark’s plaid shirts. Kara stood with her shoulder leaning against the doorframe, “Hey.”
“Kara!” Lois jumped up to hug the blonde, Kara stiffened at first but then wrapped her arms around Lois. “Lemme guess, GI Clark saved you?”
Kara frowned, “If you mean Kal-El, yes.”
“Kal-El, now there’s a name you don’t hear everyday,” Lois smiled nervously.
“Yes.” Kara bit her lip, “Lois…”
Lois sighed and sat back down, “This is going to be bad isn’t it?”
Kara nodded slowly but not to agree with Lois, “You have to understand there are no Kryptonians like Clark.”
“I don’t understand, you’re Kryptonian,” Lois pointed out.
“I am but I was raised on Kryptonian by my biological parents, Kal-El wasn’t,” Kara sat down next to Lois, both of them watching a fixed point on the floor. “As a race, we have rights of passage, one of those is to be sent to Earth. It’s meant so that we can learn and understand the emotions you all convey so freely.”
“But Clark has lived here his whole life,” Lois agreed.
Kara stood up again and walked over to the window, “Clark Kent has all the emotions of a human but none of uniqueness of his Kryptonian heritage, and in the face of someone from Kryptonian, it is either his greatest strength or his greatest weakness.”
“So what? Jor-El just bops Clark on the head and takes away his ‘weakness’?” Lois felt angry now, angry that what had made Clark special had been the reason he was changed.
“Lois,” Kara paused as if she was trying to find the right words, “His weakness is not his humanity but his disdain of his heritage. Because of it he will never be human, never normal. And without fully accepting himself, he cannot use all the abilities he possesses.”
“All the abilities? The ones Clark has now are pretty useful,” Lois shook her head, “This is ridiculous. All of it. Just give Clark back.”
Kara’s eyes were wet when she turned back to Lois, “Only Clark can decide if he wants to come home.”
*
Lois had been storming around in the barn since her talk with Kara. Every now and then she would pick up something that would remind her of Clark, then throw it to the ground.
“What you feel is anger,” Clark said simply as he stood on the stairs leading up to the loft.
Lois’ mouth tightened into a thin line, “Really, you got all that from me stomping around, throwing things?”
“Yes.”
Lois threw up her hands, frustrated, “What are you even doing here? Shouldn’t you be off fulfilling your destiny or something.”
“There is more to my destiny that destruction Miss Lane,” Clark said in what Lois could only call a ‘happy’ tone.
“Lois.” Lois said, facing off against Clark. Arms folded in front of him, Clark had never looked larger or more imposing, “My name is Lois!”
“Yes, Lois Lane, born 1986 to Ella and Samuel Lane…” Clark reeled but Lois grabbed his arms, “No, Clark. Lois, just Lois.”
Clark leaned his head to the side in that infuriating way that had Lois blowing steam out of her ears, “Lois.”
Lois smiled and nodded, “Right, now you. You’re Clark.”
Clark pulled away abruptly, “I am Kal-El, the last son of Krypton.”
“Okay, Clark, I get that you needed more superpowers when Kara was sick but she’s better now and she can help you.”
Clark shook his head, “Kara cannot interfere with my destiny.”
“I don’t believe in destiny, or fate. It’s just crap. Crap that has turned you into nothing more than a foot soilder,” Lois couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice.
“You may not believe, Lois. But there are things I must do.” Clark said evenly.
“Then why?” Lois sighed, her body tired from fighting.
“I do not understand.”
“Why the hell are you standing here? If your destiny is so much bigger than the rest of us,” Lois’ anger was palpable, it was one thing to lose Clark to a bizarre slight of Kryptonian nature but to have it shoved in her face was another thing.
Clark’s eyes flashed from their unusual ice blue back to their normal blue-green warmth. Lois saw it and she didn’t let go, “In week I’ve seen my cousin kidnapped, yours poisoned within and inch of her life, you in a smack down fight with a computer and you turned into the Kryptonian tourist information desk. I stood by your side through all of it. So tell me Kal-El of Krypton, why are you still bothering with us humans?”
With eyes still so familiar, Clark pulled Lois to him with a hand around the back of her neck. Even as Clark’s lips crashed over Lois’, Lois tried to pull back but Clark kept her held to him with his other hand on her hip. Helpless against Clark’s strength, Lois let her hands wind around his neck as he lifted her up to his height. Lois could barely breathe but it didn’t stop her from matching Clark’s passion with her own, had Clark been able to bleed, he no doubt would of from the bites Lois was giving him.
After a long moment, Clark set Lois down. Flushed and unkempt Lois felt a sadness settle on her when she realised Clark’s eyes were ice blue again, his body tense and without emotion.
“Clark?”
“This was a mistake, I should not have come here,” Clark turned to leave.
Lois nodded numbly, her eyes filling with unshed tears, “Right…”
But as Clark made his way outside the barn, Lois could not see as he bent his knees and pushed, launching himself into the sky. Instead descending to the ground Clark held trajectory for two towns before he could fly no more.
A fate, a destiny; my soul’s born purpose which I knew.
But though I am promised, my soul I give to you.
Author: Rae
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Clark, Lois, Chloe, Oliver, Lana and Kara; Clark/Lois.
Warnings/Spoilers: Set post 7x20 Arctic but other than that nope.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I haven’t claimed to either.
Summary: Brainiac has an insidious plan to bring back Zod and just when Lois and Clark might be figuring out their relationship there’s another spanner in the works.
Author Notes: We’re almost at the crux of it guys! Or at least the bit I’m excited for. Thanks so much to you guys who reviewed the last chapter, you're truly epic. It was so nice to be welcomed back when I personally would have gone Terminator on my ass.
Word Count: 2,096
Previous chapters: |Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Destiny. A huge unknowable concept that left a perpetual bad taste in Clark’s mouth. Destined for greater things they all said, destined to be a hero they said. Clark knew better, there had to be a catch. But it wasn’t something he could risk when Lois’ life was in danger.
“Yes!” Clark said to the wind which abruptly ceased.
“It is done, Kal-El,” Jor-El intoned. The ice beneath Clark’s feet began to warm but did not melt. The ice even shifted, jostling Clark as it created a bed beneath Lois. Colour seeped into her cheeks and her breathing evened until Clark was satisfied she was fine.
“Training begins now my son.”
*
Lois frowned when she opened her eyes and tried to move, her body was stiff and it took her a moment to remember she was actually in the arctic.
“Clark?” Lois turned on to her side, expecting to see him. “Where’d you go?”
Standing, Lois rolled her shoulders, trying to get the circulation back in them. Lois turned around and Clark was sat, crossed legged and bare-chested in front of the main console of the Fortress.
“Little chilly for ice bathing Clark,” Lois forced a smile to cover her nervousness.
Clark didn’t seem to hear her, so Lois stepped forward, place her hand on his shoulder. Clark’s eyes flew open as he turned to look at her. Lois gasped, Clark’s usually warm blue-green eyes were the colour of an icy blue storm. Retracting her hand, Lois took a step back, “Clark?”
“Clark Kent no longer exists,” Clark intoned, much like the voice of Jor-El.
“What do you mean, Clark doesn’t exist? You’re right here,” Lois pointed to Clark but those eyes fixed her with an almost confused look.
“Clark Kent, son of Martha and Jonathan Kent, is a lie. A lie that is no longer needed.” Clark tilted his head and Lois shook hers.
“No, Clark is a person and you need to give him back right now.” Lois demanded.
“He existed to protect my true nature but I am ready now,” Clark turned rigidly to look at the console.
“Ready for what?”
“To fulfil my destiny.” A half smile almost touched Clark’s lips.
“Destiny,” Lois repeated, “Destined for what?”
“To become Kal-El, to embrace my Kryptonian heritage and defeat Brainiac,” Clark told her as he turned to face her again.
“And what happens to Clark?” Lois whispered, mostly to herself but of course Clark heard her.
“Lois Lane, he did this for you. He let go of his human attachments and comforts for you.” Tilting his head again, Clark seemingly couldn’t understand why she was so upset.
“Give him back.” Lois said, her voice toughening. “Give me back Clark. Now.”
“With the utmost respect Miss Lane, I am Clark.”
“No, you’re… you’re anything but Clark.” Lois took in a breath but as she did so, the world begun to swirl around her and change in all respects until she was back on the Kent farm in front of Chloe and Lana.
“Lois, hey, are you alright? One minute you were there and then you’re gone.” Chloe said as she hugged Lois, Lana looked tentatively on. “Wait, where’s Clark?”
“Clark’s gone,” Lois said wearily.
“Gone?” Lana said quietly.
“Apparently he wasn’t needed for Kal-El’s destiny,” Lois walked over to the couch and flopped down on it.
“Kal-El’s destiny?” Chloe bit her lip as Lois turned her head, “Know anything about that?”
Chloe shook her head, “It’s a bit of a dark cloud.”
“Dark cloud? Try the mother of all insidious nimbus clouds.” Lois folded her arms and Lana made her way around Chloe to stand in front of Lois.
“Lois, there has to be a way to get Clark back,” Lana said as she looked Lois straight in the eye.
“Yeah, well, nobody read me the rulebook on when Clark decides to go Jekyll and Hyde on us.” Lois sighed.
Chloe spoke up again, “Lois, did Clark say anything about what he had to do? What his destiny was?”
Lois nodded, “Actually, he did say it was to become Kal-El and defeat Brainiac. What? You think mission accomplished and poof, Clark comes back?”
Chloe frowned, “I doubt it, but he’ll be easier to deal with once he’s defeated Brainiac. I better call Oliver, he needs to know what’s going on.”
*
Clark was already there when Chloe called, Oliver looked on as Clark unhooked Kara from the various machines and lifted her easily in his arms.
“Clark, the exposure could kill you,” Oliver told him but Clark ignored him.
“Thank you, you have been very helpful.”
Oliver stared at him in disbelief, “Sure, whatever. Clark, are you feeling okay?”
“I feel fine,” Clark turned away from Oliver and super-sped away.
*
Star labs was Metropolis’ own corner of the scientific research sky, specifically with it’s own nuclear reactor. Clark ignored the calls that tried to stop him, knocking back the few security guards who stood in front of him.
Kara stirred in his arms, “Clark?”
“Soon you will be well,” Clark’s eyes flickered down to Kara but then focused back on their path.
“What, what happened?” Kara murmured.
Clark laid Kara down on the ground while he opened the steel door that contained the reactor. Even on opening, Kara flinched, her skin turning hot as the energy burned through the Kryptonite in her system. Clark scooped her up again, taking Kara into the room and holding her as she screamed.
*
Kara stood up for the first time in days, stretching her arms before she looked back at her cousin, “Thanks.” She said quickly but Clark was staring out through a large window behind them.
“Clark…”
“Kal-El.” Clark corrected.
Kara frowned, “You said to call you Clark.”
“That’s not my name,” Clark replied, turning to face Kara.
Kara blinked, noticing Clark’s eyes. “You look just like Uncle.”
“Father has given me the gifts I need to stop the Brain Interactive Construct,” Clark told her as they began to walk.
“Look, Kal that’s great but that’s not you,” Kara put her hand on Clark’s forearm, stopping him.
Clark tilted his head again, “I am what I need to be.”
“Uh huh, what’s that? Devoid of humanity?” Kara looked hard at Clark and he didn’t even flinch.
“Humanity is a weakness in the eyes of the Construct,” Clark told her as if he was telling a small child, “I give him no opportunity to weaken me.”
“Kal-El, you may just find you need your humanity more than you realise,” Kara warned before she took flight.
*
Lois sat on Clark’s bed, her hands full of one of Clark’s plaid shirts. Kara stood with her shoulder leaning against the doorframe, “Hey.”
“Kara!” Lois jumped up to hug the blonde, Kara stiffened at first but then wrapped her arms around Lois. “Lemme guess, GI Clark saved you?”
Kara frowned, “If you mean Kal-El, yes.”
“Kal-El, now there’s a name you don’t hear everyday,” Lois smiled nervously.
“Yes.” Kara bit her lip, “Lois…”
Lois sighed and sat back down, “This is going to be bad isn’t it?”
Kara nodded slowly but not to agree with Lois, “You have to understand there are no Kryptonians like Clark.”
“I don’t understand, you’re Kryptonian,” Lois pointed out.
“I am but I was raised on Kryptonian by my biological parents, Kal-El wasn’t,” Kara sat down next to Lois, both of them watching a fixed point on the floor. “As a race, we have rights of passage, one of those is to be sent to Earth. It’s meant so that we can learn and understand the emotions you all convey so freely.”
“But Clark has lived here his whole life,” Lois agreed.
Kara stood up again and walked over to the window, “Clark Kent has all the emotions of a human but none of uniqueness of his Kryptonian heritage, and in the face of someone from Kryptonian, it is either his greatest strength or his greatest weakness.”
“So what? Jor-El just bops Clark on the head and takes away his ‘weakness’?” Lois felt angry now, angry that what had made Clark special had been the reason he was changed.
“Lois,” Kara paused as if she was trying to find the right words, “His weakness is not his humanity but his disdain of his heritage. Because of it he will never be human, never normal. And without fully accepting himself, he cannot use all the abilities he possesses.”
“All the abilities? The ones Clark has now are pretty useful,” Lois shook her head, “This is ridiculous. All of it. Just give Clark back.”
Kara’s eyes were wet when she turned back to Lois, “Only Clark can decide if he wants to come home.”
*
Lois had been storming around in the barn since her talk with Kara. Every now and then she would pick up something that would remind her of Clark, then throw it to the ground.
“What you feel is anger,” Clark said simply as he stood on the stairs leading up to the loft.
Lois’ mouth tightened into a thin line, “Really, you got all that from me stomping around, throwing things?”
“Yes.”
Lois threw up her hands, frustrated, “What are you even doing here? Shouldn’t you be off fulfilling your destiny or something.”
“There is more to my destiny that destruction Miss Lane,” Clark said in what Lois could only call a ‘happy’ tone.
“Lois.” Lois said, facing off against Clark. Arms folded in front of him, Clark had never looked larger or more imposing, “My name is Lois!”
“Yes, Lois Lane, born 1986 to Ella and Samuel Lane…” Clark reeled but Lois grabbed his arms, “No, Clark. Lois, just Lois.”
Clark leaned his head to the side in that infuriating way that had Lois blowing steam out of her ears, “Lois.”
Lois smiled and nodded, “Right, now you. You’re Clark.”
Clark pulled away abruptly, “I am Kal-El, the last son of Krypton.”
“Okay, Clark, I get that you needed more superpowers when Kara was sick but she’s better now and she can help you.”
Clark shook his head, “Kara cannot interfere with my destiny.”
“I don’t believe in destiny, or fate. It’s just crap. Crap that has turned you into nothing more than a foot soilder,” Lois couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice.
“You may not believe, Lois. But there are things I must do.” Clark said evenly.
“Then why?” Lois sighed, her body tired from fighting.
“I do not understand.”
“Why the hell are you standing here? If your destiny is so much bigger than the rest of us,” Lois’ anger was palpable, it was one thing to lose Clark to a bizarre slight of Kryptonian nature but to have it shoved in her face was another thing.
Clark’s eyes flashed from their unusual ice blue back to their normal blue-green warmth. Lois saw it and she didn’t let go, “In week I’ve seen my cousin kidnapped, yours poisoned within and inch of her life, you in a smack down fight with a computer and you turned into the Kryptonian tourist information desk. I stood by your side through all of it. So tell me Kal-El of Krypton, why are you still bothering with us humans?”
With eyes still so familiar, Clark pulled Lois to him with a hand around the back of her neck. Even as Clark’s lips crashed over Lois’, Lois tried to pull back but Clark kept her held to him with his other hand on her hip. Helpless against Clark’s strength, Lois let her hands wind around his neck as he lifted her up to his height. Lois could barely breathe but it didn’t stop her from matching Clark’s passion with her own, had Clark been able to bleed, he no doubt would of from the bites Lois was giving him.
After a long moment, Clark set Lois down. Flushed and unkempt Lois felt a sadness settle on her when she realised Clark’s eyes were ice blue again, his body tense and without emotion.
“Clark?”
“This was a mistake, I should not have come here,” Clark turned to leave.
Lois nodded numbly, her eyes filling with unshed tears, “Right…”
But as Clark made his way outside the barn, Lois could not see as he bent his knees and pushed, launching himself into the sky. Instead descending to the ground Clark held trajectory for two towns before he could fly no more.
A fate, a destiny; my soul’s born purpose which I knew.
But though I am promised, my soul I give to you.