fic: i'll see you in my dreams
Title: I'll See You in My Dreams
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing/Character(s): Clark/Oliver
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: all characters belong to CW/DC Comics
Word Count: 2556 (this chapter)
Spoilers/Warnings: set in s7, AU/slash
Summary:After a strange dream, Ollie wakes up in a world where everything is different.
Author's Notes: thanks to my lovely beta, boltgirl426!
Chapter 1
“Where am I?” Oliver was confused, as he took in his surroundings. He didn’t at all recognize it; in fact, he wouldn’t ever have imagined a place like this existed. It was made completely of ice, and crystals decorated the entire area. As he ran his hand across one, he was surprised to find that they were solid and unlikely to melt.
“You’re in my home,” said an all too familiar voice, interrupting his exploration.
He looked up and met the blue-green eyes of Clark Kent. Where did he come from?
“Your home,” Oliver echoed.
“What’s left of it anyway,” Clark replied, shrugging.
“This doesn’t exactly look like the farm,” Oliver pointed out, smirking.
Clark chuckled, which wasn’t what Ollie expected. “I wasn’t referring to the farm. This is all that remains of my original home … the place of my birth.”
“And that would be?” Oliver prompted. He knew that Martha and Jonathan Kent had adopted Clark, but nothing further on the other man.
“Krypton,” Clark answered.
“Krypton,” Oliver repeated, feeling a little stupid for his lack of communication skills, but unable to take in all that was going on. This situation just kept getting weirder and weirder.
“Yes, Krypton,” Clark confirmed solemnly. “When my planet was on the verge of destruction, my birth parents sent me to Earth. What you know as the meteor shower of ’89 was the results of my planet exploding. I arrived along with the meteor rocks. The Kents found and took me in. My real name … or at least the one my biological parents gave me is Kal-El.”
“So you’re saying you’re, what … an alien?” Oliver asked, stunned. He knew Clark had powers, but he had always assumed that he was a meteor mutant.
“You sound surprised,” Clark noted. “I would’ve thought that someone as smart as yourself would’ve figured out that I had too many abilities to be just a meteor mutant.”
“True, but you’re not exactly short, green, and seem to be lacking tentacles of any kind,” Oliver said, eyeing him warily.
“I would love to know where Hollywood got that image,” Clark said dryly. “Unfortunately, for them, it’s not true.”
“I’m sure if they knew aliens looked like you, everyone would welcome an invasion,” Oliver commented, winking.
A slight blush and a raised eyebrow was what he got for a response. It was a bit of a relief, as so far, Clark had seemed different and he wasn’t very comfortable with his frankness. Anyway, what he said was true; Clark Kent was one of the most gorgeous men he had ever laid eyes on and he saw no point in hiding that.
“Oliver Queen, are you flirting with me?” Clark teased. Though he had to admit, he liked the playful nature of this Clark.
“Would there be a problem if I said ‘yes’?” Ollie shot back.
Clark tilted his head, like he was considering it, and then grinned. “No, not from my side.”
“This is so strange,” Oliver murmured.
Of course Clark heard him. “How so?”
“First of all, I’m here,” he said. “I have no idea how I got here, and this conversation seems so surreal.”
Smile fading, Clark said, “Think about that a little. Why is it all so strange? So far from reality?”
“I don’t know,” Oliver said, uncharacteristically flustered. He paced, unable to stand still any longer.
“Did you ever consider that it may be because none of this is real?” Clark suggested.
“Then what would it be?” Oliver said sarcastically, “A fantasy?”
“A dream,” Clark corrected.
“Why would I dream of places that I’ve never seen?” Oliver scoffed.
“No one can fully understand the full capabilities of the brain,” Clark replied. “And you’re assuming that you have full control over your dreams.”
“I don’t?” Oliver said, bewildered.
“Not this one,” Clark admitted. “Most of the time, you do.”
“When don’t I?” Oliver asked, needing answers desperately. “Why wouldn’t I have control this time?”
“You don’t have control, because there has been an emergency,” Clark told him.
“What kind of emergency?” Ollie pursued. He didn’t like the look in Clark’s eyes and wished that they could go back to the bantering. However, it seemed that there was something more important going on.
“Have you considered why I’m giving you all these answers without any problem?” Clark continued, as if he hadn’t said anything.
“It did cross my mind,” Oliver confessed.
“It’s because you need to know this,” Clark said slowly. “Something terrible has happened, and you have to fix it.”
“Why can’t you fix it?”
“I can’t fix it,” Clark said mysteriously. “You’re the only one who can. Just remember: no matter what anyone says, believe in yourself and what you know. That will lead you down the right path.”
“I don’t understand,” Oliver said, and he didn’t really like that feeling.
“You will,” was all Clark said.
Ollie watched in shock as the scenery around him faded. Clark smiled at him, and began to disappear along with it. “No wait, don’t go. I don’t understand! NO!”
He sat up, his breathing off. Taking in his surroundings, he found that he was on his plane. Victor, Bart, Dinah and AC were staring at him strangely. As he got his thoughts in order, he remembered everything.
They had just completed a mission and were on their way home. He had just been dreaming. What did I eat last? Because that had been an odd dream. Whatever Clark had been saying couldn’t have been serious, right? Nothing had changed. Yes, it was just his imagination going crazy.
“Ollie, you okay?” Victor was the first one to speak.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said dismissively. “Just had a weird dream, that’s all.”
“Are you all right now?” Dinah questioned.
Oliver nodded reassuringly. “Yeah, I’m fine. No worries.”
Dinah seemed unconvinced and Bart grinned at her. “Don’t worry, this isn’t a frequent occurrence … most of the time, he’s normal. As normal as boss man can get anyway.” Turning toward Ollie, he added, “Come on, Robin Hood. We finally have a hot girl on the team and you’re scaring her off!”
This caused the rest of the team, including a now at ease Dinah, to laugh. Ollie rolled his eyes, and chuckled, despite the fact his thoughts were preoccupied.
“You do know that the ‘hot girl’ can shatter your ear drums with one scream, right?” Oliver shot back.
“Which is why I intend to stay on her good side,” Bart replied, winking at Dinah. She only raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
Oliver watched as the rest of the team bantered with Bart, and relaxed into his seat. Though the dream was not far from his mind, he was definitely feeling better.
When they finally arrived in Star City, they made their way to his house, and the team split up, heading to their rooms. A part of Oliver noticed that the mansion felt different … almost more comfortable and lived in, much like the Kent farm, but he didn’t let himself dwell on the thought.
After freshening up, Oliver made his way to the study, and shut the door for privacy. Now he was going to call Clark. He figured if he actually heard Clark’s voice and was assured that everything was okay, he could move on.
Hitting #1 on his speed dial (and no, he didn’t think it was weird at all that Clark was the first number on his speed dial, thank you very much), he put the phone to his ear. Much to his surprise, it didn’t ring.
Instead, a mechanical voice said, “We’re sorry. The number you have reached is not in service at this time. Please check the number or try your call again.”
That’s weird, Oliver thought. Did Clark change his cell phone number? He had just talked to him a week ago, and it had worked.
Relax, Oliver, he told himself. His phone must’ve gotten destroyed in an encounter with a meteor mutant or something. He probably didn’t have time to tell you.
Satisfied, he decided to call Chloe. She’d have Clark’s new phone number for sure.
Fortunately, this time the phone rang. After 3 rings, a familiar voice answered. “Sullivan.”
“Hey Chloe,” Oliver greeted her. “It’s Oliver.”
“I’m sorry, who?” came the confused response.
“Oliver, Oliver Queen,” he repeated, a frown marring his handsome features.
“Oliver Queen, as in the billionaire Oliver Queen?” Chloe questioned, sounding incredulous.
“Yes,” Oliver said impatiently. “Chloe, what’s going on? You know me.”
“Mr. Queen, we’ve never met,” Chloe replied, “Despite the fact I’ve been calling your office for weeks to get an interview. They said you were out of town.”
“I was,” Oliver responded. “I just got back. But we have met! I dated Lois, remember?”
“I think Lois would’ve told me if she was dating Oliver Queen,” Chloe said sarcastically.
Oliver’s heart was racing. What was going on? “We met through Clark! You’ve helped the team as Watchtower … doesn’t any of this ring a bell?”
Then Chloe said the words that almost drove him over the edge. “Who’s Clark?”
“Clark Kent, your best friend,” Oliver said, almost yelling.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know a Clark Kent,” Chloe said smoothly. “And is this a prank call? Did you think it’d be funny to impersonate Oliver Queen and mess with my head? Nice try. Last time I pick up numbers I don’t recognize.”
“Wait, Chloe!” Oliver said. “I’m not-” But it was too late; she had already hung up.
Oliver stared at his phone, unsure if that conversation had actually happened. Chloe not knowing him or Clark? Maybe that dream had more validity than he had thought.
Call the farm. Yes, that was good idea. Scrolling through his contacts, he was relieved that he decided to keep Clark’s home phone number handy. Now it would be of use. He’d reach Clark there and then get to the bottom of this whole mess.
After finding the number, he hit ‘call’ and almost immediately, someone picked up.
“Kent farm.” Oliver almost sighed in relief as he heard the unmistakable voice of Martha Kent on the other line. Though a part of him was curious why she wasn’t in DC, he didn’t focus on it too on the thought.
“Senator,” he greeted her, “It’s Oliver. I was hoping to talk to Clark. Is he around?”
“I’m sorry,” Martha said, confused, “You got the wrong number.”
“What?” Oliver asked, bewildered. “This is the Kents, the ones in Smallville, Kansas, right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Martha told him. “But I’m not a senator and neither is my husband. There is also nobody by the name of Clark in this house.” Husband? Wait, what? Last time he checked, Jonathan Kent had been dead for the past two years. Did Martha remarry? But he was too focused on the other thing she said.
“What?” Oliver whispered. “Clark Kent? Are you sure?” The logical part of him knew that she would know best, but it just didn’t make any sense.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been here for over two decades and nobody named Clark Kent has ever lived here,” Martha said, sounding apologetic.
“Oh,” was all Oliver could come up with. “I must’ve gotten the wrong information. I’m sorry for wasting your time.”
“It’s not a problem,” came the cheerful response. “I hope you find who you’re looking for.”
“Thanks,” Oliver said, dazed. Exchanging goodbyes, he hung up. All of a sudden, his knees felt weak and he sank down on a nearby couch. He didn’t know how long he had been sitting there, his brain trying to process the information that he had learned, but a knock at the door ended up bringing him back to reality.
“Come in,” he managed to say.
The door opened slowly, revealing the rest of his team. They carefully made their way into the room, as if they weren’t sure how he’d react at their presence.
“Hey Ollie,” Victor said, being the first one to speak. “We heard some yelling in here, and we were just wondering if you were okay.”
He opened his mouth to lie and say he was fine, but found he didn’t have the strength. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted. He gazed at his team. “I need to ask you all something. Does the names Clark Kent or Boyscout mean anything to you?”
The blank expressions he got in response said all that needed to be said.
“No,” AC answered. “Should it?”
“How about Chloe Sullivan?” Oliver pursued, needing something. “Watchtower?” He eyed Bart especially to see if there was any sign of recognition at the mention of his ‘Chloelicious’ but he could tell that the name barely registered. His heart sank. What in the world had happened?
“Are you sure you’re okay after that mission, Oliver?” Dinah asked gently. “I mean, first you have an odd dream and now you’re bringing up people we’ve never heard of …”
“Look, I need a favor,” he said, not even addressing her concerns. “Victor, can you look for up a Clark Kent? Find his whereabouts and whatnot.” Remembering what Clark told him in the dream, he added, “Or he might be going as Kal-El. He’s in his early twenties, 6’3”, with black hair and green eyes.”
“Who is that guy and why are you so obsessed with him?” Victor wondered aloud.
“I’ll explain everything later,” Oliver promised. “Just do this for me, please.”
“Sure, boss,” Victor agreed. “I’ll get right on it.” He left the room, without a glance backwards. The other three just stood there awkwardly.
“Is there anything you needed us to do?” AC asked.
“No, thank you,” Oliver replied. Standing up, he said, “I am going go outside. Maybe some fresh air will help clear my head.” Seeing their concerned expressions, he smiled and added, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
They nodded, but didn’t seem fully convinced. Walking past them, he headed to the backyard. Oliver had no idea how long he had been standing out there. Hours passed like minutes, Oliver just staring out but not really seeing anything. What the hell had happened? He had only been asleep for a couple of hours. More importantly, how had Clark come into his dream?
“Oliver?”
The voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned around to see Dinah.
“Hey,” he greeted her. “What’s up?”
“Uh, Victor had the results you wanted,” she informed him. “He wanted me to come tell you.”
“Okay, I’ll be inside in a minute,” he responded. “Thanks, Dinah.”
She nodded and went back inside. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he followed her. Finally, he would find Clark and everything would soon make sense.
Walking into the living room, he found Victor, AC, Bart and Dinah seated, all of them looking serious.
“What’s the verdict?” Oliver asked.
“You might want to sit down,” Victor suggested. Frowning, Oliver did just that. “Ollie, I looked everywhere … searched through all types of databases to find either a Clark Kent or a Kal-El. I came up with nothing. There is no trace of this guy that you described.”
“What are you saying?” Oliver questioned, even though he knew perfectly well what Victor was leading up to.
“I’m saying that there’s no one on Earth going by that name. Clark Kent doesn’t exist.”
Chapter 2
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing/Character(s): Clark/Oliver
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: all characters belong to CW/DC Comics
Word Count: 2556 (this chapter)
Spoilers/Warnings: set in s7, AU/slash
Summary:After a strange dream, Ollie wakes up in a world where everything is different.
Author's Notes: thanks to my lovely beta, boltgirl426!
Chapter 1
“Where am I?” Oliver was confused, as he took in his surroundings. He didn’t at all recognize it; in fact, he wouldn’t ever have imagined a place like this existed. It was made completely of ice, and crystals decorated the entire area. As he ran his hand across one, he was surprised to find that they were solid and unlikely to melt.
“You’re in my home,” said an all too familiar voice, interrupting his exploration.
He looked up and met the blue-green eyes of Clark Kent. Where did he come from?
“Your home,” Oliver echoed.
“What’s left of it anyway,” Clark replied, shrugging.
“This doesn’t exactly look like the farm,” Oliver pointed out, smirking.
Clark chuckled, which wasn’t what Ollie expected. “I wasn’t referring to the farm. This is all that remains of my original home … the place of my birth.”
“And that would be?” Oliver prompted. He knew that Martha and Jonathan Kent had adopted Clark, but nothing further on the other man.
“Krypton,” Clark answered.
“Krypton,” Oliver repeated, feeling a little stupid for his lack of communication skills, but unable to take in all that was going on. This situation just kept getting weirder and weirder.
“Yes, Krypton,” Clark confirmed solemnly. “When my planet was on the verge of destruction, my birth parents sent me to Earth. What you know as the meteor shower of ’89 was the results of my planet exploding. I arrived along with the meteor rocks. The Kents found and took me in. My real name … or at least the one my biological parents gave me is Kal-El.”
“So you’re saying you’re, what … an alien?” Oliver asked, stunned. He knew Clark had powers, but he had always assumed that he was a meteor mutant.
“You sound surprised,” Clark noted. “I would’ve thought that someone as smart as yourself would’ve figured out that I had too many abilities to be just a meteor mutant.”
“True, but you’re not exactly short, green, and seem to be lacking tentacles of any kind,” Oliver said, eyeing him warily.
“I would love to know where Hollywood got that image,” Clark said dryly. “Unfortunately, for them, it’s not true.”
“I’m sure if they knew aliens looked like you, everyone would welcome an invasion,” Oliver commented, winking.
A slight blush and a raised eyebrow was what he got for a response. It was a bit of a relief, as so far, Clark had seemed different and he wasn’t very comfortable with his frankness. Anyway, what he said was true; Clark Kent was one of the most gorgeous men he had ever laid eyes on and he saw no point in hiding that.
“Oliver Queen, are you flirting with me?” Clark teased. Though he had to admit, he liked the playful nature of this Clark.
“Would there be a problem if I said ‘yes’?” Ollie shot back.
Clark tilted his head, like he was considering it, and then grinned. “No, not from my side.”
“This is so strange,” Oliver murmured.
Of course Clark heard him. “How so?”
“First of all, I’m here,” he said. “I have no idea how I got here, and this conversation seems so surreal.”
Smile fading, Clark said, “Think about that a little. Why is it all so strange? So far from reality?”
“I don’t know,” Oliver said, uncharacteristically flustered. He paced, unable to stand still any longer.
“Did you ever consider that it may be because none of this is real?” Clark suggested.
“Then what would it be?” Oliver said sarcastically, “A fantasy?”
“A dream,” Clark corrected.
“Why would I dream of places that I’ve never seen?” Oliver scoffed.
“No one can fully understand the full capabilities of the brain,” Clark replied. “And you’re assuming that you have full control over your dreams.”
“I don’t?” Oliver said, bewildered.
“Not this one,” Clark admitted. “Most of the time, you do.”
“When don’t I?” Oliver asked, needing answers desperately. “Why wouldn’t I have control this time?”
“You don’t have control, because there has been an emergency,” Clark told him.
“What kind of emergency?” Ollie pursued. He didn’t like the look in Clark’s eyes and wished that they could go back to the bantering. However, it seemed that there was something more important going on.
“Have you considered why I’m giving you all these answers without any problem?” Clark continued, as if he hadn’t said anything.
“It did cross my mind,” Oliver confessed.
“It’s because you need to know this,” Clark said slowly. “Something terrible has happened, and you have to fix it.”
“Why can’t you fix it?”
“I can’t fix it,” Clark said mysteriously. “You’re the only one who can. Just remember: no matter what anyone says, believe in yourself and what you know. That will lead you down the right path.”
“I don’t understand,” Oliver said, and he didn’t really like that feeling.
“You will,” was all Clark said.
Ollie watched in shock as the scenery around him faded. Clark smiled at him, and began to disappear along with it. “No wait, don’t go. I don’t understand! NO!”
He sat up, his breathing off. Taking in his surroundings, he found that he was on his plane. Victor, Bart, Dinah and AC were staring at him strangely. As he got his thoughts in order, he remembered everything.
They had just completed a mission and were on their way home. He had just been dreaming. What did I eat last? Because that had been an odd dream. Whatever Clark had been saying couldn’t have been serious, right? Nothing had changed. Yes, it was just his imagination going crazy.
“Ollie, you okay?” Victor was the first one to speak.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said dismissively. “Just had a weird dream, that’s all.”
“Are you all right now?” Dinah questioned.
Oliver nodded reassuringly. “Yeah, I’m fine. No worries.”
Dinah seemed unconvinced and Bart grinned at her. “Don’t worry, this isn’t a frequent occurrence … most of the time, he’s normal. As normal as boss man can get anyway.” Turning toward Ollie, he added, “Come on, Robin Hood. We finally have a hot girl on the team and you’re scaring her off!”
This caused the rest of the team, including a now at ease Dinah, to laugh. Ollie rolled his eyes, and chuckled, despite the fact his thoughts were preoccupied.
“You do know that the ‘hot girl’ can shatter your ear drums with one scream, right?” Oliver shot back.
“Which is why I intend to stay on her good side,” Bart replied, winking at Dinah. She only raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
Oliver watched as the rest of the team bantered with Bart, and relaxed into his seat. Though the dream was not far from his mind, he was definitely feeling better.
When they finally arrived in Star City, they made their way to his house, and the team split up, heading to their rooms. A part of Oliver noticed that the mansion felt different … almost more comfortable and lived in, much like the Kent farm, but he didn’t let himself dwell on the thought.
After freshening up, Oliver made his way to the study, and shut the door for privacy. Now he was going to call Clark. He figured if he actually heard Clark’s voice and was assured that everything was okay, he could move on.
Hitting #1 on his speed dial (and no, he didn’t think it was weird at all that Clark was the first number on his speed dial, thank you very much), he put the phone to his ear. Much to his surprise, it didn’t ring.
Instead, a mechanical voice said, “We’re sorry. The number you have reached is not in service at this time. Please check the number or try your call again.”
That’s weird, Oliver thought. Did Clark change his cell phone number? He had just talked to him a week ago, and it had worked.
Relax, Oliver, he told himself. His phone must’ve gotten destroyed in an encounter with a meteor mutant or something. He probably didn’t have time to tell you.
Satisfied, he decided to call Chloe. She’d have Clark’s new phone number for sure.
Fortunately, this time the phone rang. After 3 rings, a familiar voice answered. “Sullivan.”
“Hey Chloe,” Oliver greeted her. “It’s Oliver.”
“I’m sorry, who?” came the confused response.
“Oliver, Oliver Queen,” he repeated, a frown marring his handsome features.
“Oliver Queen, as in the billionaire Oliver Queen?” Chloe questioned, sounding incredulous.
“Yes,” Oliver said impatiently. “Chloe, what’s going on? You know me.”
“Mr. Queen, we’ve never met,” Chloe replied, “Despite the fact I’ve been calling your office for weeks to get an interview. They said you were out of town.”
“I was,” Oliver responded. “I just got back. But we have met! I dated Lois, remember?”
“I think Lois would’ve told me if she was dating Oliver Queen,” Chloe said sarcastically.
Oliver’s heart was racing. What was going on? “We met through Clark! You’ve helped the team as Watchtower … doesn’t any of this ring a bell?”
Then Chloe said the words that almost drove him over the edge. “Who’s Clark?”
“Clark Kent, your best friend,” Oliver said, almost yelling.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know a Clark Kent,” Chloe said smoothly. “And is this a prank call? Did you think it’d be funny to impersonate Oliver Queen and mess with my head? Nice try. Last time I pick up numbers I don’t recognize.”
“Wait, Chloe!” Oliver said. “I’m not-” But it was too late; she had already hung up.
Oliver stared at his phone, unsure if that conversation had actually happened. Chloe not knowing him or Clark? Maybe that dream had more validity than he had thought.
Call the farm. Yes, that was good idea. Scrolling through his contacts, he was relieved that he decided to keep Clark’s home phone number handy. Now it would be of use. He’d reach Clark there and then get to the bottom of this whole mess.
After finding the number, he hit ‘call’ and almost immediately, someone picked up.
“Kent farm.” Oliver almost sighed in relief as he heard the unmistakable voice of Martha Kent on the other line. Though a part of him was curious why she wasn’t in DC, he didn’t focus on it too on the thought.
“Senator,” he greeted her, “It’s Oliver. I was hoping to talk to Clark. Is he around?”
“I’m sorry,” Martha said, confused, “You got the wrong number.”
“What?” Oliver asked, bewildered. “This is the Kents, the ones in Smallville, Kansas, right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Martha told him. “But I’m not a senator and neither is my husband. There is also nobody by the name of Clark in this house.” Husband? Wait, what? Last time he checked, Jonathan Kent had been dead for the past two years. Did Martha remarry? But he was too focused on the other thing she said.
“What?” Oliver whispered. “Clark Kent? Are you sure?” The logical part of him knew that she would know best, but it just didn’t make any sense.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been here for over two decades and nobody named Clark Kent has ever lived here,” Martha said, sounding apologetic.
“Oh,” was all Oliver could come up with. “I must’ve gotten the wrong information. I’m sorry for wasting your time.”
“It’s not a problem,” came the cheerful response. “I hope you find who you’re looking for.”
“Thanks,” Oliver said, dazed. Exchanging goodbyes, he hung up. All of a sudden, his knees felt weak and he sank down on a nearby couch. He didn’t know how long he had been sitting there, his brain trying to process the information that he had learned, but a knock at the door ended up bringing him back to reality.
“Come in,” he managed to say.
The door opened slowly, revealing the rest of his team. They carefully made their way into the room, as if they weren’t sure how he’d react at their presence.
“Hey Ollie,” Victor said, being the first one to speak. “We heard some yelling in here, and we were just wondering if you were okay.”
He opened his mouth to lie and say he was fine, but found he didn’t have the strength. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted. He gazed at his team. “I need to ask you all something. Does the names Clark Kent or Boyscout mean anything to you?”
The blank expressions he got in response said all that needed to be said.
“No,” AC answered. “Should it?”
“How about Chloe Sullivan?” Oliver pursued, needing something. “Watchtower?” He eyed Bart especially to see if there was any sign of recognition at the mention of his ‘Chloelicious’ but he could tell that the name barely registered. His heart sank. What in the world had happened?
“Are you sure you’re okay after that mission, Oliver?” Dinah asked gently. “I mean, first you have an odd dream and now you’re bringing up people we’ve never heard of …”
“Look, I need a favor,” he said, not even addressing her concerns. “Victor, can you look for up a Clark Kent? Find his whereabouts and whatnot.” Remembering what Clark told him in the dream, he added, “Or he might be going as Kal-El. He’s in his early twenties, 6’3”, with black hair and green eyes.”
“Who is that guy and why are you so obsessed with him?” Victor wondered aloud.
“I’ll explain everything later,” Oliver promised. “Just do this for me, please.”
“Sure, boss,” Victor agreed. “I’ll get right on it.” He left the room, without a glance backwards. The other three just stood there awkwardly.
“Is there anything you needed us to do?” AC asked.
“No, thank you,” Oliver replied. Standing up, he said, “I am going go outside. Maybe some fresh air will help clear my head.” Seeing their concerned expressions, he smiled and added, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
They nodded, but didn’t seem fully convinced. Walking past them, he headed to the backyard. Oliver had no idea how long he had been standing out there. Hours passed like minutes, Oliver just staring out but not really seeing anything. What the hell had happened? He had only been asleep for a couple of hours. More importantly, how had Clark come into his dream?
“Oliver?”
The voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned around to see Dinah.
“Hey,” he greeted her. “What’s up?”
“Uh, Victor had the results you wanted,” she informed him. “He wanted me to come tell you.”
“Okay, I’ll be inside in a minute,” he responded. “Thanks, Dinah.”
She nodded and went back inside. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he followed her. Finally, he would find Clark and everything would soon make sense.
Walking into the living room, he found Victor, AC, Bart and Dinah seated, all of them looking serious.
“What’s the verdict?” Oliver asked.
“You might want to sit down,” Victor suggested. Frowning, Oliver did just that. “Ollie, I looked everywhere … searched through all types of databases to find either a Clark Kent or a Kal-El. I came up with nothing. There is no trace of this guy that you described.”
“What are you saying?” Oliver questioned, even though he knew perfectly well what Victor was leading up to.
“I’m saying that there’s no one on Earth going by that name. Clark Kent doesn’t exist.”
Chapter 2