When Devils Speak the Truth chapters 8
Title: When Devils Speak the Truth
Fandom: Smallville
Guest Characters: Johnny, Ben and Susan from Fantastic Four; Sheppard, Lorne and McKay from Stargate Atlantis; Mystique, Pyro and Iceman from X-Men (movieverse)
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 Masterfile
Chapter Eight: Red means stop...green means go
The stealth jet may have been capable of escaping detection but it would not have won any style awards. Clark had to ask Oliver twice if it was really his; it was just so unOliver like in taste and décor. No flashes of green, ornate figurines or archery induced patterns. Stark, utilitarian and most panels were missing, just the bare insides of the wiring and insulation.
The ride was not smooth either; Sheppard apologised but said the stabilisers were shot and they couldn’t exactly get spare parts. After a particularly nasty bout of turbulence Clark was tempted to just fly himself. Two things stopped him; one, abandoning his friends would be awkward and the other was he feeling tired, even weaker. Flying may just have been beyond him at this point.
“Coming up on point alpha,” announced Sheppard and Lorne came back to check on everyone’s gear. They were going to jump at low altitude while Sheppard took the jet to a hidden airfield across the mountains. Lorne tested the straps of Clark’s parachute and grinned self consciously.
“I know, you probably don’t need a chute but we’re trying to keep your presence a secret; a group of chutes is one thing to be reported, a flying man will get too much attention.”
“Its fine,” answered Clark, standing with the others as the door slid open and all they could see was the darkness of the nightscape. “You’re not coming with us?”
Lorne shook his head and flicked a thumb at McKay, sitting typing madly on a laptop. “The doc still needs a babysitter, we’re part of the plan, just not this one. Good luck.” The man tapped Clark on the shoulder and pushed him out the door. The cold wind hit him like a slap in the face, hurting more than it should and for a moment Clark felt blind panic; he could see nothing but black in every direction as the air whipped past him. In only a few seconds his wrist monitor flashed red and his chute deployed, jarring him up. There was no warning of when he would hit ground and his feet just suddenly ploughed into something and he was hip deep in snow.
CKCKCKCKCKCK
Half an hour later they had grouped together and were heading for the complex’s perimeter, only a few miles walk to the west, not that direction had much meaning. As they got closer Clark saw floodlights in the distance and could make out the shadows of low-set buildings. About two hundred yards from the fence they finally met up with their allies; like many of the people Clark had met so far they were initially suspicious before relaxing slightly when they shined their torches to his face. Oliver must have been circulating photographs as well as a list of his abilities all these years.
Kal’El of Krypton, the once and future hero of Planet Earth. He will come in the time of greatest need and show the way to a future full of promise of wonder. Through Kal’El the world will finally come together and humanity will be ready to take the final step to the stars. Adopted son of the late great President and born on another world he has the power to bring all evil to heel and destroy the pain and misery that infects everything. This power will save everyone from despair and restore hope to the survivors.
The story spread by Oliver sounded grand and it probably served to at least counter some of the religious fervour, but then it could also feed it. Clark still refused that he would have to murder Lex, or anyone, to justify himself as some kind of foretold hero of humankind. In defence of himself or others he may have taken life, and would - but that was a far cry from premeditated killing. Oliver had just said they would face that when the time came; it was not reassuring but time was short and so apparently was Oliver’s temper.
“However robbed you feel Clark, remember that it was you who left me - all these years and through all the pain I was alone. There were other lovers and even other heroes, but they were not you. There is only one person who has my heart and it is Clark Kent. The world freezes, my friends suffer and die and I see nothing but horror - all I ask is that you consider the possibility of doing this one thing, however wrong it seems, to end it. To once and for all bring this war to an end and provide us with a future. You will never understand, Clark, what I have lost and what I would now sacrifice to finish this. Heroes can prevail Clark, but they don’t always survive”
They had barely spoken since. Only McKay and Lana had been unsurprised when Oliver emerged from the inner temple; McKay probably provided the technology for the creation of Robby and Lana was a seer. Once he had appeared leadership immediately fell to Oliver and no-one questioned his orders. This, if anything, showed why he had remained hidden; had he taken Clark around the world they would have followed but perhaps not really believed that Clark was the Kal’El. They did now and would tell others.
Their allies were an eclectic group of ages, looks and gender. There were no names discussed as time was short, instead teams were organised and designated. The team with Clark and Oliver were two guys and a woman; only once they had split from the others did they introduce themselves. The woman gave her name as Mystique and informed them it would be she who got them inside. She had a odd sound to her voice, multi-toned and she refused to pull back the hood of her coat so Clark had no idea what she looked like. Her companions were called Pyro and stranger still, Iceman.
Codenames probably but Clark had raised an eyebrow at Iceman and the man, a pale skinned guy with short dirty blonde hair grinned. “I know, a bit redundant but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.” Clark had to assume they had powers of some kind, why else would they be here and be using names that belonged in some comic book.
Moments before they set the plan in action they all inserted earpieces and sounded off, Clark reverting to his Boyscout persona. It was difficult not to say anything when Chloe’s voice came over the earpiece, telling everybody that the game was on and all players were on the field. Oliver had warned Clark not to indulge in a catch up with Chloe; she knew Clark was here and had to play by the same rules. Strangely Oliver had never mentioned if they would actually see Chloe later.
The pale pink of dawn was breaking as they drew near to the gate. While still out of sight of the guards Mystique slipped off her coat and Clark had to suppress a yelp of surprise; beneath she was naked, or at least kind of. Covered in blue skin with strange ridges it was hard to tell. She turned to Clark and smiled malevolently.
“What do you think Boyscout?” He couldn’t answer so she sidled up to him and her skin seemed to rippled before she transformed into an exact replica of a dominatrix, replete with black leather, mask and whip.
“No?” she laughed before rippling again into a bikini clad blonde, strangely familiar but Clark couldn’t quite place her. At his lack of response she pouted and made another change, this time it got a response as Clark gasped. She had turned into his mother, even making her age right how Clark rememberd her.
A growl from Oliver made Mystique sigh. “Just fuckin’ with him Ollie.” Clark had to put that in his drawer of weird shit he’d rather forget, his mother swearing and striking a pose that was overtly sexual. Thankfully she transformed back to her blue skinned form. Just as she was walking away however she stepped back and Clark was suddenly faced with a half naked Oliver Queen. His body responded before his mind could catch up and Clark’s eyes darkened with lust; Mystique saw it and nodded thoughtfully, pursing those lips that should only ever be on one body.
“As I thought,” she/he whispered. “This is more to your liking?” Not waiting for an answer she lunged forward and kissed Clark, he returned the kiss almost automatically since she did look and even feel just like Oliver. He knew he shouldn’t but being still pissed with Oliver it was like having a bit of harmless revenge.
“Mystique!” rumbled Oliver, clearly not impressed.
Clark felt the body against his ripple again and the lips he was kissing changed, still masculine but not Oliver. He pushed her away and before him was a smiling Lex Luthor, wiping his lips in satisfaction. She had made him younger as well, the image Clark would remember best.
The situation grew tense and Clark could almost feel Oliver getting ready to shoot her. Instead a coughed chuckle to the side revealed Pyro and Iceman leaning against each other and laughing furiously. Deciding she was just rattling him in order to test his mettle Clark relaxed his body and eyed the Lex form up and down.
“So do you charge by the hour or the shape, because as an alien I have certain… fetishes?”
The entire group went silent and Clark realised that probably no-one dared talk to her like this, not even Oliver. Mystique stared at Clark for a few seconds before changing back to blue and turning to Oliver in the same motion. “You never said he had such a dirty mouth on him Ollie… I like it.” She gave a high pitched laugh and started walking away.
Oliver looked at Clark, an unreadable expression on his face. “I never knew either, but I think I like it too.” Just like that their animosity faded away and they smiled at each other; the emotion and meaning must have been obvious as Pyro gave a big snort.
“We’re on the clock people, plenty of time for that later.” He winked at Iceman who blushed as Pyro stroked a hand down his arm before following Mystique.
Iceman walked up to Clark and smiled bashfully. “She can be a bitch but has a heart - before I got with Pyro… I got with Pyro, if you know what I mean. She did it to push us together, it was weird but it worked.”
“I don’t doubt it,” answered Clark and his face reddened as an image flickered through his head. Here they were about to bust in to a top security facility and risk their lives and he was visualising the possibility of being in bed with two Olivers; who knew, perhaps Mystique would be up for it? At a disgusted look from Oliver, who probably guessed what he was thinking Clark grinned in embarrassment. “I know, too much time with Johnny.”
CKCKCKCKCKCK
Tentatively putting a finger on the block of ice Clark peered through at the body encased within and looked back at Iceman. “A few tricks you said? Are they dead?”
“No,” Iceman shook his head. “They’ll defrost, slowly - its all about getting the balance just right.”
Mystique had taken the form of the guard’s supervisor, allowing Iceman to get close enough to do his thing. The guards had no chance to make a sound as the air around them just seemed to solidify, trapping them within blocks of ice. Pyro, with a little help from Oliver, pushed the blocks over so they were less visible. The entry was now clear.
“Okay people,” announced Oliver, touching his earpiece as well. “We’re in, we have about five minutes before they miss a check-in. Red team, begin your diversion; Blue team, secure the north perimeter.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Acknowledged.”
Clark took a last glance around the area. It was, of course, covered in snow and the trees were either dead or dying. The sun, a light pink, glinted through a scattering of clouds and staring straight at it Clark tried to put things in perspective.
The world would die. Everyone on it would die.
He could stop this from happening; to prevent further bloodshed he may have to kill Lex.
Would killing Lex really stop whatever religious fervour consumed the majority? Clark didn’t know this world very well, its beliefs and mindset even less; but he did know that people were the same no matter the place or time. They wanted to live and be safe. He could give them the opportunity to live but even Clark had his limitations; he could never keep them all safe, especially from each other. One of people’s greatest ability it seemed was making bad decisions, terrible even. Lex might have been evil, and powerful but most people had still chosen to follow him instead of stopping him. Lex could not have done all of this by himself. If he and Oliver manipulated the people much as Lex had then how would that stop anything? Deal with it when the time comes, Clark knew what Oliver had meant - Oliver would kill Lex when the time came.
Much as Clark refused to do it himself; in this world he might have to let Oliver do it.
Before leaving the jet with Oliver it was Lana who had taken Clark aside. She was going with McKay but reminded Clark that the future was fickle. As a seer she could see what will happen, but there were endless possibilities that would lead to that point. The danger, she said, is the point whereby inevitability sets in; where a person is left with the either/or choice. One way or another, no ifs or buts and third choices. Lana said that Clark would face this point and that the fate of the world would hang on that one single choice…
Kal’El of Krypton; this is not the end of your journey. Follow the path laid out and trust only your heart. For all that you have endured, for all that you will face there is but one true path. Two choices you will face, one will see all that you love die and the other will restore your destiny - but beware for what is real can be distorted by that which you hold as truth. At the moment of greatest peril you will not know the enemy, only when devils speak the truth can you be sure of the path. Hold true to your love and allow humanity to prevail
She had told him this before, it was a foretelling, but she made the point again - not even she knew what events led to this point. No pressure, thought Clark, just the fate of the world… again.
“Coming Boyscout?”
“Yes Arrow,” grinned Clark, enjoying this even though he knew he shouldn’t. Oliver was wearing a variant of the green Arrow outfit. It was still in shades of green and had the distinct figure hugging leather but there were more devices attached and no hood; everyone in this world knew who the Green Arrow was, no need for masks. Oliver had surprised Clark as well, providing him with an outfit similar to his own but without the tight leggings. The pants were still figure hugging but had more thickness to them. A dark blue thermal undershirt was overlaid with heavy black armour that covered him from up on his neck,down his torso and tapering at the waist. It had red slits in it that glowed slightly in the soft light. Oliver said it would provide some protection from the Kryptonite, the worst of it anyway. To top it off there was a patch on his arm that was an exact replica of the El family crest, silver on blue. All of the team wore one, even Mystique when she put on a jacket that Pyro held for her.
They entered the doors and Clark took one last look at the ice blocks that had been the guards. The old worry gnawed at him that this had been too easy.
Tbc…