another chapter
So here is another chapter! Hope you're all enjoying the story. Thank you to all the people who have reviewed so far! I really appreicate the comments!
Story: 24 Hours
Pairing/Characters: Collie, Lexana, mentions of past Clana & Lollie
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: don’t own anything
Warning: slash
Spoilers: through 6x14, Trespass
Summary: The only constant part of life is change. And Clark finds out that his entire life, his views, perceptions and feelings can change . . . all in just twenty four hours.
Chapter 3
Clark was speechless. “Are you saying the drug is not made from materials on Earth?”
“Exactly,” Jor-El said, “The components of the drug are clearly that of another planet.”
Clark swallowed hard. “But wouldn’t that mean that whoever did this is not human?”
“That would be correct,” Jor-El said.
Clark’s head was spinning. “I don’t understand. What would anything alien want to do with Oliver?”
“Who said they wanted anything to do with Oliver?” Jor-El countered mysteriously. “The escapees from the Phantom Zone want one thing Kal-El and that is to see you dead.”
“Then why would they go after Oliver?” Clark asked again, a part of him already knowing the answer.
“You know why Kal-El,” Jor-El said.
“No,” Clark said, shaking his head. “It can’t be that.”
“Kal-El,” Jor-El said, his voice calm.
“NO!” Clark repeated, raising his voice this time.
“Let it out Kal-El,” Jor-El instructed, “You know the truth. There is no point in keeping your feelings inside.”
“It’s ridiculous!” Clark said, “We’re friends . . . but we don’t even see each other that much. It’s not like we were extremely close when he was around. And now he’s not even around. We hardly talk. It had been weeks since I’d seen him or heard from him!”
“Clearly they saw something that you have not yet acknowledged,” Jor-El suggested.
“It’s impossible,” Clark argued. “No, I don’t accept this.”
“The truth is right in front of you and you know it my son,” Jor-El continued.
“No,” Clark said, his voice dropping to barely a whisper. “It can’t be.”
“Kal-El,” Jor-El said, his voice gentler.
“They drugged him,” Clark said softly, “to get to me. Oliver’s going to die . . . and it’s all my fault.”
Present:
Lex had once told him that some people were meant to be alone. At the time, he knew Lex had been speaking about himself. But in all truths, Clark now realized that the statement more applied to him. Whenever he got close to someone, they got hurt. It had become a fact of life.
Oliver was not supposed to be a target. No way would he have ever assumed him to be a target. How could the zoners have targeted him? How could they have picked up what Clark himself hadn’t even acknowledged? It wasn’t fair but Clark was finding out more and more every day that life wasn’t fair.
14 hours ago:
They were sitting in silence. Nobody dared say a word. Clark had showed up and everyone had been waiting for him. But he didn’t offer an explanation nor did he give them any comforting words.
“Clark,” Chloe said, finally breaking the silence. “What’s going on?”
“I know what’s wrong with Oliver,” Clark said. “And I found out what is in his blood.”
“Great . . . then we can start working on a cure!” Bart said. Clark shook his head sadly.
“We can’t work on a cure,” Clark said. “Our only hope is getting the antidote.”
“Do you know who has it?” AC asked.
“I don’t know who has it,” Clark said, “But I do know how to find them.”
“So let’s go,” Victor said, standing up. Seeing Clark’s sorrowful eyes, he frowned. “Kent? All of us are part of Ollie’s team . . . we’re going to help and that’s final.”
“You can’t,” Clark said, not meeting their gaze. “You’ll all die. The one who has done this . . . is too strong.” Chloe gasped, in recognition. She understood, he figured she would. Just drop the right words and Chloe would follow the leads and end up at the right conclusion. His best friend was no dummy.
“Wait, so you’re just going to go on some suicide mission on your own?” AC wanted to know.
“That was the plan,” Clark said, standing up. “Look guys, I have to get the antidote. I just came to tell you.”
“Clark,” Chloe interrupted but he looked at her seriously.
“This was my fault,” Clark said, “If Oliver hadn’t met me, he wouldn’t be in this position.” His voice cracked slightly. “And you’ll never know how sorry I am. I’ll save him . . . I promise.”
Without waiting for a response, Clark left. Knowing fully that Bart was faster than him and could follow him if necessary but hoping that the rest of them talked some sense into their “Impulse” and stopped him from doing just that.
He knew he left them in shock but he had no other options. They needed to be updated on the situation but at the same time, he had to do this on his own. The zoner was looking for him. So he would make it a little easier and let himself be found.
Because he was going to get that antidote. Oliver was going to live, even if it was at the cost of his own life.
Present:
Crying was unusual for Clark. It wasn’t that he was cold hearted . . . far from it actually, it was just he didn’t allow himself to cry very often. In fact, he could count the amount of times he had actually shed tears on one hand. But as memories hit him, he couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his face.
He hastily wiped them away, not wanting anyone to come in and see him in this state. He didn’t want to give any explanations and he wasn’t in the mood to lie either. During the mission to save Oliver’s life, he hadn’t allowed himself to think about how he was feeling. If he did that, he would just get distracted.
Now that he was alone, though, after it was all over, he couldn’t help but reflect. As he thought back on the past day, the feelings that he had denied then came along with the memories.
12 hours ago:
Anger, frustration, distress . . . Clark was feeling a mixture of emotions as the hours ticked away and there was no sign of the zoner. If this person wanted to kill him so badly, why was he so difficult to find?
Since he had left the penthouse, he had made several trips between Smallville and the Artic. The Artic contained a list of the zoners that were still around so Clark knew what to expect.
Now he was back in Smallville, in the fields where he had removed Zod from Lex. He was caught up in his thoughts when he heard a timid voice from behind him.
Spinning around, he saw a young woman with flowing chestnut hair and light blue eyes.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “It seems that I’ve gotten a little lost. I was hoping that you could tell me the fastest way to Metropolis.”
Clark grinned and gave her directions back to the highway that would take her to Metropolis.
“Thank you,” she said. “It’s so rare to find nice young men around here. Everyone seems to be so busy doing their own thing that nobody wants to help each other anymore.”
Clark blushed. “I’m sure there are plenty of nice people, you just have to know where to look.”
“Thank you anyway,” she said. “Bye now!”
“Bye!” he said. Then he frowned. Wait a second . . . he hadn’t heard a car pull up. He frantically looked around . . . no, no car and suddenly the woman was gone too.
Suddenly, Clark felt someone shove him and he went flying. Hitting the ground, he groaned slightly and when he got up, he found himself face to face with the same woman, all traces of innocence gone.
“You’re from the Phantom Zone,” Clark gasped, “The one who drugged Oliver.”
She smiled cruelly, “That would be me. I knew you weren’t as dumb as you look Kal-El.”
“You tricked me,” he said.
“Yes, your need to be chivalrous helped me get your guard down,” she said.
“Where’s the antidote?” Clark demanded
An unexpected punch to the jaw sent him off his feet. He knew without checking that she had drawn blood. She was a lot stronger than he had expected.
“I didn’t give you permission to talk,” she said coldly. She was now floating a few feet off the ground. “Let me look at you.” She smirked. “You look so much like your father.”
“What do you want?” he asked. “Why did you hurt Oliver?” Her eyes narrowed and concentrating, she aimed a beam of fire at him. She was too quick for him and he didn’t have time to duck.
He screamed out as the flames hit his shirt. Doing a quick roll in the ground, he put out the fire quickly but the pain of the burns remained.
“You will speak,” she said, “when I allow you to do so.” He remained silent, not wanting to provoke her further. His goal was to get that antidote and save Oliver.
Noticing his silence, she smiled in victory. “I could’ve been your mother, you know,” she said. “If that Lara hadn’t gotten in the way.”
Clark was stunned. “You and Jor-El . . .?”
“We were never together,” she said, her eyes filling with rage. “We should’ve been though. I loved him! But no, he had to go with Lara . . . he only ever saw Lara!”
“So what happened?” Clark asked, trying to subtly scan her body to see where the antidote was located.
She didn’t notice his attention wandering, too caught up in her own thoughts. “He told me he was going to marry that wench. I proclaimed my love for him! And he didn’t care . . . all he cared about was his precious Lara.”
Found it. The antidote was in her pocket. He could see the outline of a small jar resting there. Now he had to figure a way to get it from her.
He looked up in time to see her gaze wander back towards him. “I tried to kill her,” she said. “I tried to kill Lara and he sentenced me to the Phantom Zone!”
Oh God, this woman was nuts. Wasn’t there a quote? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Was that ever the truth.
“He didn’t understand,” the woman went on. “We were meant to be together! I loved him, I would’ve died for him and he sent me off! Away from my home, away from my family, just to protect LARA!” Her voice dropped. “I hated Lara and the minute I was taken away, I swore my revenge.”
Her eyes glinted “You look so much like him . . . and I bet you’re a heartbreaker just like your father was.” He opened his mouth, about to protest but thought better of it. “I’ve been watching you, Kal-El. Over the past few months, I’ve observed you. You are just like your father, you don’t see what is right in front of you.”
She paused. “The blonde girl, she loves you.” Chloe? “But you pay her no attention, you always focus on the brunette, not caring that her feelings get hurt every time you look away.”
“Chloe and I are friends,” he protested but it was as if his words fell on deaf ears.
“I felt for her, the blonde,” the woman was saying, “You men are all scum. I too was friends with Jor-El and he never looked at me as anything but that! I gave him my loyalty but did he bother? No.”
“I may not be able to get revenge on Jor-El and Lara,” she said, “But I can get revenge on you and the one that you love. I never got my love and you shall never be with yours either.”
“My love?” Clark was puzzled. “But you drugged Oliver.”
“Exactly!” she said triumphantly, “Your true love, Oliver Queen.” What? If Clark thought the woman was crazy before, he was certain of it now.
Seeing his expression, she raised her eyebrows. “You don’t see it do you? I thought it was the brunette as well but when I watched you, really watched you, I realized that it is Oliver Queen you love.”
“That’s ridiculous!” And he really should learn to think before he talked. Her expression held slight amusement at his outburst.
“Is it?” she challenged, “If you are not in love with him, why is it that protecting his identity comes first? You have known your blonde friend, Chloe, a lot longer yet you didn’t think twice before deleting her files to make sure she never knew about his double life. And then you also did not hesitate before double crossing your other friend to prevent her from recognizing that her boyfriend was the Green Arrow!”
No. Clark was not accepting this. There was no semblance of truth to her words. What he had done then was just an act of friendship. He was saving Lois, who could’ve been hurt if she had known. And besides, Oliver had known seen Clark’s abilities so he was just making sure that the blonde didn’t go blurting out what he knew. That’s what he had been doing . . . right?
“You’re in denial,” she said delightfully, “Even better. I love it when I can make you realize your love and then take it away from you! You have no qualms about letting him see what you can do . . . is that because you trust him or is it because secretly, you want to impress him?”
Clark was going to be sick. Make her stop talking, he prayed silently. There was no way she was hitting the mark on this one. Just because he didn’t love Lana anymore . . .
“You’re not very good at forgiving,” she said wickedly, “From what I can tell, you are much like your father . . . stubborn. And you hold grudges. But you forgive him easily, like when he snapped at you.”
“He was using drugs,” Clark whispered.
“And you create excuses for him all the time,” she said gleefully. “Admit it Kal-El, you love him.”
“NO,” he yelled. In one swift motion, he was on his feet and tackled the woman. Thrown off guard, she fell to the ground. She struggled but in an instant, he snatched the antidote from her pocket. Putting some distance between them, he staggered slightly.
Her eyes were now blazing. “You may have gotten the antidote but you are never going to get it to him . . . I won’t let you leave alive!” She attacked him with a fury, unleashing her wrath with an amazing bout of strength.
He managed to hold her off the best he could but at the same time, trying to keep the antidote safe. A kick to the stomach sent him back on the ground and now she was standing above him, her foot on his chest.
“It’s over for you Kal-El,” she said. “Tell your father I said hi.” But he wasn’t ready to give up yet. He grabbed her leg and pushed her off. When she tried to get up, he pressed the crystal into her body.
“Tell him yourself,” he said. The crystal glowed. Clark backed away slowly.
The woman’s eyes glowed and she let out one long scream before disappearing. There was no trace of her. The crystal lay on the ground.
Clark picked it up and looked around. Remembering the antidote and Oliver, he checked his pockets. It was still there.
He had succeeded. Now all he had to do was go back and pray that he was not too late.
Story: 24 Hours
Pairing/Characters: Collie, Lexana, mentions of past Clana & Lollie
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: don’t own anything
Warning: slash
Spoilers: through 6x14, Trespass
Summary: The only constant part of life is change. And Clark finds out that his entire life, his views, perceptions and feelings can change . . . all in just twenty four hours.
Chapter 3
Clark was speechless. “Are you saying the drug is not made from materials on Earth?”
“Exactly,” Jor-El said, “The components of the drug are clearly that of another planet.”
Clark swallowed hard. “But wouldn’t that mean that whoever did this is not human?”
“That would be correct,” Jor-El said.
Clark’s head was spinning. “I don’t understand. What would anything alien want to do with Oliver?”
“Who said they wanted anything to do with Oliver?” Jor-El countered mysteriously. “The escapees from the Phantom Zone want one thing Kal-El and that is to see you dead.”
“Then why would they go after Oliver?” Clark asked again, a part of him already knowing the answer.
“You know why Kal-El,” Jor-El said.
“No,” Clark said, shaking his head. “It can’t be that.”
“Kal-El,” Jor-El said, his voice calm.
“NO!” Clark repeated, raising his voice this time.
“Let it out Kal-El,” Jor-El instructed, “You know the truth. There is no point in keeping your feelings inside.”
“It’s ridiculous!” Clark said, “We’re friends . . . but we don’t even see each other that much. It’s not like we were extremely close when he was around. And now he’s not even around. We hardly talk. It had been weeks since I’d seen him or heard from him!”
“Clearly they saw something that you have not yet acknowledged,” Jor-El suggested.
“It’s impossible,” Clark argued. “No, I don’t accept this.”
“The truth is right in front of you and you know it my son,” Jor-El continued.
“No,” Clark said, his voice dropping to barely a whisper. “It can’t be.”
“Kal-El,” Jor-El said, his voice gentler.
“They drugged him,” Clark said softly, “to get to me. Oliver’s going to die . . . and it’s all my fault.”
Present:
Lex had once told him that some people were meant to be alone. At the time, he knew Lex had been speaking about himself. But in all truths, Clark now realized that the statement more applied to him. Whenever he got close to someone, they got hurt. It had become a fact of life.
Oliver was not supposed to be a target. No way would he have ever assumed him to be a target. How could the zoners have targeted him? How could they have picked up what Clark himself hadn’t even acknowledged? It wasn’t fair but Clark was finding out more and more every day that life wasn’t fair.
14 hours ago:
They were sitting in silence. Nobody dared say a word. Clark had showed up and everyone had been waiting for him. But he didn’t offer an explanation nor did he give them any comforting words.
“Clark,” Chloe said, finally breaking the silence. “What’s going on?”
“I know what’s wrong with Oliver,” Clark said. “And I found out what is in his blood.”
“Great . . . then we can start working on a cure!” Bart said. Clark shook his head sadly.
“We can’t work on a cure,” Clark said. “Our only hope is getting the antidote.”
“Do you know who has it?” AC asked.
“I don’t know who has it,” Clark said, “But I do know how to find them.”
“So let’s go,” Victor said, standing up. Seeing Clark’s sorrowful eyes, he frowned. “Kent? All of us are part of Ollie’s team . . . we’re going to help and that’s final.”
“You can’t,” Clark said, not meeting their gaze. “You’ll all die. The one who has done this . . . is too strong.” Chloe gasped, in recognition. She understood, he figured she would. Just drop the right words and Chloe would follow the leads and end up at the right conclusion. His best friend was no dummy.
“Wait, so you’re just going to go on some suicide mission on your own?” AC wanted to know.
“That was the plan,” Clark said, standing up. “Look guys, I have to get the antidote. I just came to tell you.”
“Clark,” Chloe interrupted but he looked at her seriously.
“This was my fault,” Clark said, “If Oliver hadn’t met me, he wouldn’t be in this position.” His voice cracked slightly. “And you’ll never know how sorry I am. I’ll save him . . . I promise.”
Without waiting for a response, Clark left. Knowing fully that Bart was faster than him and could follow him if necessary but hoping that the rest of them talked some sense into their “Impulse” and stopped him from doing just that.
He knew he left them in shock but he had no other options. They needed to be updated on the situation but at the same time, he had to do this on his own. The zoner was looking for him. So he would make it a little easier and let himself be found.
Because he was going to get that antidote. Oliver was going to live, even if it was at the cost of his own life.
Present:
Crying was unusual for Clark. It wasn’t that he was cold hearted . . . far from it actually, it was just he didn’t allow himself to cry very often. In fact, he could count the amount of times he had actually shed tears on one hand. But as memories hit him, he couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his face.
He hastily wiped them away, not wanting anyone to come in and see him in this state. He didn’t want to give any explanations and he wasn’t in the mood to lie either. During the mission to save Oliver’s life, he hadn’t allowed himself to think about how he was feeling. If he did that, he would just get distracted.
Now that he was alone, though, after it was all over, he couldn’t help but reflect. As he thought back on the past day, the feelings that he had denied then came along with the memories.
12 hours ago:
Anger, frustration, distress . . . Clark was feeling a mixture of emotions as the hours ticked away and there was no sign of the zoner. If this person wanted to kill him so badly, why was he so difficult to find?
Since he had left the penthouse, he had made several trips between Smallville and the Artic. The Artic contained a list of the zoners that were still around so Clark knew what to expect.
Now he was back in Smallville, in the fields where he had removed Zod from Lex. He was caught up in his thoughts when he heard a timid voice from behind him.
Spinning around, he saw a young woman with flowing chestnut hair and light blue eyes.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “It seems that I’ve gotten a little lost. I was hoping that you could tell me the fastest way to Metropolis.”
Clark grinned and gave her directions back to the highway that would take her to Metropolis.
“Thank you,” she said. “It’s so rare to find nice young men around here. Everyone seems to be so busy doing their own thing that nobody wants to help each other anymore.”
Clark blushed. “I’m sure there are plenty of nice people, you just have to know where to look.”
“Thank you anyway,” she said. “Bye now!”
“Bye!” he said. Then he frowned. Wait a second . . . he hadn’t heard a car pull up. He frantically looked around . . . no, no car and suddenly the woman was gone too.
Suddenly, Clark felt someone shove him and he went flying. Hitting the ground, he groaned slightly and when he got up, he found himself face to face with the same woman, all traces of innocence gone.
“You’re from the Phantom Zone,” Clark gasped, “The one who drugged Oliver.”
She smiled cruelly, “That would be me. I knew you weren’t as dumb as you look Kal-El.”
“You tricked me,” he said.
“Yes, your need to be chivalrous helped me get your guard down,” she said.
“Where’s the antidote?” Clark demanded
An unexpected punch to the jaw sent him off his feet. He knew without checking that she had drawn blood. She was a lot stronger than he had expected.
“I didn’t give you permission to talk,” she said coldly. She was now floating a few feet off the ground. “Let me look at you.” She smirked. “You look so much like your father.”
“What do you want?” he asked. “Why did you hurt Oliver?” Her eyes narrowed and concentrating, she aimed a beam of fire at him. She was too quick for him and he didn’t have time to duck.
He screamed out as the flames hit his shirt. Doing a quick roll in the ground, he put out the fire quickly but the pain of the burns remained.
“You will speak,” she said, “when I allow you to do so.” He remained silent, not wanting to provoke her further. His goal was to get that antidote and save Oliver.
Noticing his silence, she smiled in victory. “I could’ve been your mother, you know,” she said. “If that Lara hadn’t gotten in the way.”
Clark was stunned. “You and Jor-El . . .?”
“We were never together,” she said, her eyes filling with rage. “We should’ve been though. I loved him! But no, he had to go with Lara . . . he only ever saw Lara!”
“So what happened?” Clark asked, trying to subtly scan her body to see where the antidote was located.
She didn’t notice his attention wandering, too caught up in her own thoughts. “He told me he was going to marry that wench. I proclaimed my love for him! And he didn’t care . . . all he cared about was his precious Lara.”
Found it. The antidote was in her pocket. He could see the outline of a small jar resting there. Now he had to figure a way to get it from her.
He looked up in time to see her gaze wander back towards him. “I tried to kill her,” she said. “I tried to kill Lara and he sentenced me to the Phantom Zone!”
Oh God, this woman was nuts. Wasn’t there a quote? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Was that ever the truth.
“He didn’t understand,” the woman went on. “We were meant to be together! I loved him, I would’ve died for him and he sent me off! Away from my home, away from my family, just to protect LARA!” Her voice dropped. “I hated Lara and the minute I was taken away, I swore my revenge.”
Her eyes glinted “You look so much like him . . . and I bet you’re a heartbreaker just like your father was.” He opened his mouth, about to protest but thought better of it. “I’ve been watching you, Kal-El. Over the past few months, I’ve observed you. You are just like your father, you don’t see what is right in front of you.”
She paused. “The blonde girl, she loves you.” Chloe? “But you pay her no attention, you always focus on the brunette, not caring that her feelings get hurt every time you look away.”
“Chloe and I are friends,” he protested but it was as if his words fell on deaf ears.
“I felt for her, the blonde,” the woman was saying, “You men are all scum. I too was friends with Jor-El and he never looked at me as anything but that! I gave him my loyalty but did he bother? No.”
“I may not be able to get revenge on Jor-El and Lara,” she said, “But I can get revenge on you and the one that you love. I never got my love and you shall never be with yours either.”
“My love?” Clark was puzzled. “But you drugged Oliver.”
“Exactly!” she said triumphantly, “Your true love, Oliver Queen.” What? If Clark thought the woman was crazy before, he was certain of it now.
Seeing his expression, she raised her eyebrows. “You don’t see it do you? I thought it was the brunette as well but when I watched you, really watched you, I realized that it is Oliver Queen you love.”
“That’s ridiculous!” And he really should learn to think before he talked. Her expression held slight amusement at his outburst.
“Is it?” she challenged, “If you are not in love with him, why is it that protecting his identity comes first? You have known your blonde friend, Chloe, a lot longer yet you didn’t think twice before deleting her files to make sure she never knew about his double life. And then you also did not hesitate before double crossing your other friend to prevent her from recognizing that her boyfriend was the Green Arrow!”
No. Clark was not accepting this. There was no semblance of truth to her words. What he had done then was just an act of friendship. He was saving Lois, who could’ve been hurt if she had known. And besides, Oliver had known seen Clark’s abilities so he was just making sure that the blonde didn’t go blurting out what he knew. That’s what he had been doing . . . right?
“You’re in denial,” she said delightfully, “Even better. I love it when I can make you realize your love and then take it away from you! You have no qualms about letting him see what you can do . . . is that because you trust him or is it because secretly, you want to impress him?”
Clark was going to be sick. Make her stop talking, he prayed silently. There was no way she was hitting the mark on this one. Just because he didn’t love Lana anymore . . .
“You’re not very good at forgiving,” she said wickedly, “From what I can tell, you are much like your father . . . stubborn. And you hold grudges. But you forgive him easily, like when he snapped at you.”
“He was using drugs,” Clark whispered.
“And you create excuses for him all the time,” she said gleefully. “Admit it Kal-El, you love him.”
“NO,” he yelled. In one swift motion, he was on his feet and tackled the woman. Thrown off guard, she fell to the ground. She struggled but in an instant, he snatched the antidote from her pocket. Putting some distance between them, he staggered slightly.
Her eyes were now blazing. “You may have gotten the antidote but you are never going to get it to him . . . I won’t let you leave alive!” She attacked him with a fury, unleashing her wrath with an amazing bout of strength.
He managed to hold her off the best he could but at the same time, trying to keep the antidote safe. A kick to the stomach sent him back on the ground and now she was standing above him, her foot on his chest.
“It’s over for you Kal-El,” she said. “Tell your father I said hi.” But he wasn’t ready to give up yet. He grabbed her leg and pushed her off. When she tried to get up, he pressed the crystal into her body.
“Tell him yourself,” he said. The crystal glowed. Clark backed away slowly.
The woman’s eyes glowed and she let out one long scream before disappearing. There was no trace of her. The crystal lay on the ground.
Clark picked it up and looked around. Remembering the antidote and Oliver, he checked his pockets. It was still there.
He had succeeded. Now all he had to do was go back and pray that he was not too late.