|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:19:35 GMT -5
Hide gave me the go signal to post this, so here it is. Feeling ko talaga hindi nyo ma-gegets, well maybe except for Kristine because she watches the show. Haaay pero bahala na nga. I'm also including a brief summary of everything that has happened in Smallville so you guys won't be super confused with my fic. Characters:- Clark Kent – Duh. He is Superman of course. An alien from the planet Krypton and also its only survivor when it got destroyed. His Kryptonian name is Kal-El. He can superspeed, see through solid objects, shoot fire from his eyes and has superhearing. And oh, he’s invulnerable, too. Due to his unusual heritage, he’s very secretive even to his friends. His only weakness is green Kyrptonite. Gets stripped of his inhibitions and turns to bad Clark when exposed to red Kryptonite.
- Jor-El – Clark’s biological dad. Died during the explosion of their planet. Bossy and authoritative. In the show, he is the voice in Clark’s head that keeps ordering him to distance himself from humanity and conquer the world.
- Lana Lang – Clark Kent’s love interest. She’s an orphan so she lives with her Aunt Nell. She is the usual girl-next-door: pretty, sweet, charming, thoughtful, head cheerleader. Yeah, she’s pretty much all that and so much more. A perfect Barbie doll in the flesh.
- Lex Luthor – Main antagonist of the future Superman, but in the Smallville series he’s friends with Clark. Their friendship started when Clark rescued Lex from drowning when his car took a plunge at a river. Lex is also suspicious of Clark’s true identity, because for more than one occasion he had seen Clark use his abilities. But Clark always tells him off which only furthers his curiosity and ultimately leads to their hatred towards each other.
- Jonathan & Martha Kent – Clark’s parents. Overprotective but loving. You know, the usual TV show parents – overly understanding. The too good to be true type.
- Chloe Sullivan – One of Clark’s closest friend. She’s the editor-in-chief of their HS’s paper, The Torch. Notorious for her journalistic exposé and mostly gets in trouble because of them. Overly inquisitive at times not to mention objective and tactless, kinda like the in-your-face reporter. And she’s in love with Clark, a very one-sided attraction. Poor girl.
- Pete Ross – Clark’s best buddy. He knows Clark’s secret. Pretty much the only normal teenager in the show – hormone-driven, likes cars and girls. The usual jock wannabe.
Intro:- Season 1 - A meteor shower hits a small town called Smallville. Unbeknowst to everyone, the meteor shower was merely a cover-up for a ship that landed during the chaos. Inside the ship, of course, is Clark Kent. Jonathan and Martha Kent accidentally finds Clark and his space ship. They later on, adopted him. During the meteor shower, Lex and Lionel Luthor were on a corn field. In one of the blast, Lex is caught up in the explosion, which later on becomes the reason for his perpetual baldness. Because you see exposure to those kryptonite (green rocks that mostly made up the meteors during the meteor shower) equates to genetic mutation or some kind of out-of-this world alteration. The effects it had on Lex is, he became extremely intelligent and he gained immunity to human diseases. Also, during this tragic mishap, Lana Lang’s parent gets killed.
- Season 2 – This is the season where Red Kryptonite is introduced. Clark becomes vocal about his feelings for Lana. More drama, angst, whatever. The two become a couple. But when Jor-El suddenly comes into the picture, Clark is forced to don the red kryptonite as a ring and flee Smallville. He leaves the heartbroken Lana behind and heads for Metropolis.
- Season 3 – Clark is forced by Jonathan to remove the red Krytonite ring. And because of this, he comes back to his senses and come back home to Smallville. And so upon the reunion of Clark and Lana, more drama ensues. Lana demands for an explanation while he suddenly pulled off a multi-personality act on her before he left Smallville and so on. Clark gets tongue-tied and could not offer an explanation because that would mean he would have to let Lana in on his secret. And so they break up.
The main issue here is Clark’s reluctance to tell Lana his secret. Mainly because he’s afraid that she would blame him for her parent’s death. Kasi nga naman diba, if the meteor shower didn’t happen, hindi rin mamamatay yung parents ni Lana. Basta yun yung main drama. Lana loves him kaso he keeps pulling away when confronted with his secret. The usual he loves her, she loves him but they WON'T fucking give in to their feelings and profess their undying love for each other.
Basta remember, meteor rock or kryptonite exposure = genetic mutation for humans and weakness / immobility for Clark.
Later on in the story you will encounter the name Jordan. Isa sya sa mga na-expose sa meteor rocks kaya when he touches other people nagkakaroon siya ng premonition of how that persons dies. Okay, now that that's settled, on with my story....
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:26:04 GMT -5
Kristine!!!! You better get to read this. Dahil ikaw lang tingin ko ang medyo makaka-appreciate nito. ;D ----------- Rating: PG, rating may change as the story progresses. Category: Episode rewrite? Genre: Romance / Angst Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. ----------- ACCEPTANCEBy Ghindie “If I never met you, I wouldn't like you. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't love you. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't miss you. But I did, I do, and I will.” xxxxxxxxxx Prologue“Code Red, OR Three” “Dr. Taylor…Room 215…Dr. Taylor…Room 215” The hall was filed with noise - nurses scurrying to get to their patients, doctors calling out orders, the collective cries and moans of patients…yet nothing seemed to faze the lone figure standing outside a particular room… Through the small patterned window on the door, he could see her lying on the bed. He couldn’t tell whether she was sleeping or not, with her brows knit close together and mouth slightly open, it was difficult to figure out. But one thing was for sure, she was in pain and it was his fault. Shaking his head roughly as to drown out the memories of seeing her lying unconscious on the barn floor, he entered the room. “Hey,” he croaked out, unsure if he was even allowed to speak to her. “How’s Lex?” Her throaty reply broke his heart, it was obviously taking a lot out of her to even hold a conversation. “Lex isn’t doing so good.” “I’m sorry, I know how much you wanted to help him.” He wanted to shake his head at that. She shouldn’t be apologizing, that was his job. But as he sat before her now, he wasn’t sure which of his mistakes he should be apologizing for. Must he say sorry for lying to her face every single time? Or about how he pushed her away since he got back from Metropolis? The list goes on and on. “Um…The doctors say that you’re doing better,” he replied, trying to at least lighten the mood. The doctors told him that it would take weeks for full-recovery, he expected that much… “I almost died, Clark.” …but her answer, he definitely didn’t expect. There was a tinge of accusation laced with her words, her slight frown wasn’t doing good for his depressed mood either. “I know,” was all he could say. “I always thought you were being paranoid.” “About what?” “That being around you is too dangerous…but it’s true.” Hearing her say those words, he regretted more than ever his decision to involve her in all of these. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted, she should know that by now… “Lana—” “It’s okay Clark, I know. You were only looking out for me, but you’re right …I think I have to stay away from you,” she interrupted, before closing her eyes, marking the end of their conversation. What could he have said? All rights were relinquished with his mistakes. Lana pushed her eyes closed and bit her lower lip, willing the pain to go away. The effects of the medication were wearing off and her leg was throbbing with pain. And yet she wasn’t so sure which was more agonizing – dealing with her injuries or the knowledge that she succeeded in pushing Clark away. Her vision was blurred because of the pain-relievers but she was pretty sure that those were unshed tears she saw on Clark’s eyes. She had hurt him, that much was clear. She was hurting too, very much actually, but she had to end it. She was tired of making excuses for Clark’s behavior, tired of waiting for him to finally open-up, tired of hoping… It wasn’t that she was scared of Clark, it was the opposite actually. The physical injuries weren’t the reason she pushed him away, it was the emotional torture that she couldn’t put up with. In one fleeting moment of vulnerability, she felt the overwhelming urge to take it all back – to accept him with open-arms and tell him that she didn’t mean to blame him. But she knew she had to be strong this time…for both of them. In hear weakened state, sleep was difficult to fight off so she allowed it to embrace her, but not without saying the words she was dying to tell Clark… “I’m sorry…” The empty room didn’t answer her back.
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:26:43 GMT -5
Chapter I
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.” - Washington Irving xxxxxxxxxx “Clark, you’ve been up here the whole day. What’s wrong, honey?” Seeing Clark sitting on the sofa, head cradled on his hands instead of him hunched over his telescope or reading a book was a sight she was starting to get used to. He’s been doing it since that day… “It’s nothing, mom.” He answered, without looking up. “Well, I don’t think you’ll be sulking for a whole week over nothing. It’s about Lana, isn’t it?” Clark smiled a bit at that. His mom definitely knows him best. For a whole week, he was holed up in his ‘loft’. Pete has visited more than once, persuading him to accompany him to who-knows-where and ‘check out the girls’. But always, he rejected his invitations telling him that he still needed to figure out what to do with the Lex-situation. It was partly true. Lex’s accidental discovery of his powers had kept him awake many nights. He was torn with his emotions – a small part of him was thankful that Lex was institutionalized, since it kept the chances of other people knowing his secrets pretty slim. The rest of him was berating him for thinking such thoughts. Guilt has decided to keep him constant company these past few days. His mind was chaotic, as well as his emotions, Lex wasn’t the only one that kept him restless. It was mostly because of what she said... “…and I were thinking the same thing. Clark? Clark honey, were you even listening?” “Huh? I’m sorry mom, I must’ve spaced.” Martha just gave him a sympathetic smile then walked over to sit beside him. “Your dad and I talked about what happened to Lana and both of us thought that it would be better if you gave her some time to think.” When she saw the look on Clark’s face she quickly continued, “We’re not blaming you for anything, I know you were only protecting her. Lana cares about you, even I can see that. But she’s probably very confused right now, you’ve kept so much from her. Just give her some time.” “I don’t think giving her more time would make things better, mom. She told me to stay away from her. I think she finally realized that wanting to have a relationship with me is insane.” He was hurting, yes. But he also felt betrayed somehow. He initially thought that maybe Lana would see past through this and consider the times he had saved her. That maybe the good things he did would outweigh the bad ones, not that he did them intentionally. He knew thinking that way was unfair for her, but maybe it was just his way of coping up with the pain. He turned to his mom, and she had this look that told him to continue “I dunno, I’m just so confused right now. I feel like I’ve done so many bad decisions, and other people are paying for it.” “You can’t blame yourself for everything that is happening. You can’t control these things.” Martha wasn’t sure how to console her son, she was sure he was hurting pretty bad. It wasn’t fair that he had so much responsibility either. “But I sure can control my decisions, mom! Lana wouldn’t be lying on a hospital bed right now if I just kept her out of this!” He knew he shouldn’t be venting out his frustrations on his mom, but everything seemed to be against him, he just couldn’t hold it in. “or if I’ve just been honest with her…” He added in a whisper. xxxxxxxxxx “What was I thinking? I shouldn’t even be here.” With a heavy sigh Clark pushed the Talon doors open and is immediately greeted with the sight of his friends and schoolmates attending Lana’s welcome party. “Lana…”His mom was right, he couldn’t stay away from her forever. His concern for her and the burning need to see if she was alright overrode any guilt-feeling he had. So with a bit of hesitation he moved to find her. Even with his towering frame it was still difficult to maneuver through the crowd. And then from the corner of his eyes, he saw her. From where he stood, he could only stare at her. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Even with the crouches and her slightly bended frame, she could still light up any room. “Lana…” She wasn’t sure how it was even possible, but she heard him. Amidst the music and all the talking, she heard him call for her. Maybe it was the way he spoke her name, the way it rolled off his tongue…or the slight hesitation she could sense in his normally definitive tone. Whatever it was, it was the most beautiful sound in the world. She looked up and offered him a small smile. For one ephemeral moment, his fears vanished. Her simple gesture offered him incomparable comfort. That maybe…somehow…she had forgiven him. They stared at each other until Lana broke the moment by looking away. One of her friends has called for her attention. As she moved away, Clark could only follow her with his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to run up to her and tell her everything about him, to just come clean. He loved her. To see her smile was the one constant thing he adored in this world. He wanted it so much that the desire was almost consuming him. He would do anything for her. If she asked for him to leave her, he would. And sadly, she did just that. Now it was his turn to keep the end of the bargain. “You know, you can save the whole world, Clark, but you gotta take care of your own heart too.”Remembering his mother’s words awakened what he considered selfish desires. He wanted to be happy, too. And only one person could make that happen. As he finally made up his mind, he slowly made his way to Lana. He was gonna tell her everything. Midstep, he abruptly stopped, his mind assaulted with conversations of the past… “It’s not their fault, no one asked to be different,” his eyes pleaded with Lana. “Life would just be so much better for everybody if the meteor shower never happened.” Her words cut through him deeper than any Kryptonite made weapon could.
“I was protecting you.” It was true. Protecting her was utmost in his mind. He didn’t want to hurt Lana, but he was scared that not being honest with her would. “From what? That’s the part I can’t figure out, because, Clark the only thing that keeps hurting me is you.” Her confession only proved his greatest fear.
“You think it’s easy keeping a lid on your secret? I’ve gotta think about it everytime I’m around other people to make sure I don’t slip. I gotta say ‘meteor rocks’ not ‘Kryptonite,’ and I gotta cover your unexplained exits.” For him, Pete’s confession were more than enough reason to hold back from Lana.And as sure as the sun sets, his life held true to course – the one thing he wanted most was the only thing he couldn’t have. With tears threatening to spill out of his eyes, he walked out the door… Lana watched him turn to leave. She was confused. A moment ago, he appeared to be approaching her, apparently wanting to say something important. She wondered what weakened his resolve. “Why are you leaving again, Clark? How will we be able to get past this if you won’t tell me anything?” she whispered to herself. In her frustration her mind revisited memories of similar circumstance. “But I wasn’t affected by the meteor rocks,” he said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “If you were…it would be okay.” She meant it. She wouldn’t have cared if he was capable of transforming into the most hideous of beasts or could sprout wings in a blink of an eye. None of those mattered to her.
“I may not have a choice,” it was maddening how he kept isolating himself in his self-imposed prison. She tried so many ways to make him realize that…“You always have a choice…” she breathed out. Now, if only they heard each others thoughts…
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:27:19 GMT -5
xxxxxxxxxx “You know, Clark, if that is your definition of hands-on training then I bet that by the end of the week there would be less applicants for the cheerleading team and more reporters than Chloe could handle,” Lana said with a smile, standing at the door of The Torch office. She was thankful that her voice came out steady considering the conflicting emotions she felt moments ago. Seeing Clark leaning down on some random female has given rise to unfamiliar feelings of jealousy. She knew it wasn’t her place to act like a possessive girlfriend, since it was pretty clear that their relationship was anywhere near the romantic territory. But given the previous events that transpired between her and Clark she can’t help but feel a bit insecure. It was like they were drifting further apart and she can’t do anything about it. “Lana! Uh hi!” She let out a small laugh at Clark’s reaction, he appeared a little too surprised. She wasn’t sure why though, but she had an inkling that it was may be because he didn’t expect her to be the first to break their silent treatment-a-thon. Had she really hurt him that much? “So..uh..how you feeling?” Clark said, noticing that Lana no longer had the walking stick with her. Seeing that Clark was trying to assess her condition, she paced about the room some. “Well, the leg’s feeling better if that’s what you’re asking” she replied, nodding at the girl as she walked past her and out of the room. “Uhm, Chloe met her at some concert. She’s a transferee from Grandville. And I was stuck with the job to show her around the school as well as help her out with her homework,” he supplied helpfully. Lana just looked at him in question, then smiled shyly. She figured that she must’ve stared too long at the girl. “Great. Now I really seem like a jealous girlfriend. Way to go, Lana," she wordlessly reprimanded herself. “Look, Lana, I’m really sorry if I haven’t been around a lot lately. It’s just that...I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me,” he said, whispering out the last few words. “Yeah, about that,” she started, trying to maintain eye contact with Clark. And finding it a very difficult task, given the way Clark seem to look at everything but her. “I was hurt, Clark. And pretty much rattled by the accident, so the things I said…the way I said them...I didn’t mean them. Well, actually… I…I did, some of it. But I hadn’t meant to hurt you. I’m sorry.” “Some of it?” “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, considering all the times you saved my life. I also don’t want you to think that I blame you for what happened to me. I was just so frustrated, I guess,” she said. “I’ve been trying so hard to get through you since you got back from Metropolis, but the only time you actually noticed me was when you needed my help. It’s like you don’t even realize that I’m there, Clark.” “Lana, you know that’s not true,” he countered, stepping closer to Lana and grabbing her shoulders lightly. “I care about you a lot and—“ “I don’t know if I believe you anymore,” she cut him off, looking him in the eye. “I just don’t understand why you keep pushing me away. I can only take too much, Clark. And I’m beginning to think I’m reaching the end of my limit.” “Things are not that simple, Lana.” Clark could see the disappointment on her face so he continued, “Just know that I want nothing more than to be with you.” He said it with such conviction that Lana allowed a small smile to appear on her face. “Then what’s stopping you?” “I…” He wasn’t sure how to answer that. They’ve had this talk countless of times before, the one where he keeps pulling away then offering her different excuses, some of which doesn’t even make sense to him. So he decided to stick to the reason closest to the truth. “I…uh…I’m not sure. I just need a little more time.” She sighed, apparently not convinced with his answer. “Then take all the time you need, Clark. Just don’t expect me to be waiting for you forever. I’ve got a life besides you.” With that she turned to go, leaving him feeling helpless. Clark wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there until Chloe appeared on the doorway with an amused smile on her face and a cup of mocha frappe on one hand. “So what’s with the statue pose? Is this one of those times when I have to wind you up? Seriously, Clark, one moment you act like a kid with ASD then…” she trailed off, seeing as how Clark wasn’t even responding. “Are you okay?” she regarded him seriously this time. He sighed. “She hates me now, Chloe.” Chloe didn’t have to ask who ‘she’ was. Only one person can get Clark in an emotional whirlpool. “If the way she stormed off the room was any indication, then yes I have to agree with you. She seems pretty mad,” she hadn’t meant to sound nonchalant but past experiences taught her that those two can’t stand not talking to each other for long. “No…no. It’s different. She really hates me now.” He closed his eyes a moment when he finally realized that he was actually opening up to Chloe. He wondered if he should continue, he hated to appear clingy, but maybe he was allowed to act weak just this once. She cringed at how her previous statement must’ve sounded. It surely made her appear insensitive. Sensing his hesitation, she moved closer to Clark, hoping that their physical closeness would provide enough assurance to convince him to speak up. “It’s okay, Clark. You can tell me. I’m here as your friend,” and not as a nosy reporter she continued in her mind. She wasn’t sure if her last statement was an unspoken encouragement for Clark or was it more of a reminder to herself. After their recent fight, rooting from Clark’s discovery of her ‘alliance’ with Lionel, this was the first time that Clark approached her willingly. And she was not about to ruin it. For the sake of rebuilding their friendship she must put aside her Journalistic nature. And….her romantic feelings for Clark. She swallowed a nonexistent lump in her throat. “Chloe, would you hate me if I kept something from you?” “Well, I have to know, what are you—“ she stopped before she could continue. Phew. That was close. It’s just that the tone he used in asking had her so intrigued. Clark gave her a confused look. She just shrugged. He took that as a signal to continue. “It’s not that I don’t trust her. But it’s just that I…I’m so terrified that the truth will the change the way she feels about me.” “Clark, it all depends on how much you care about the person. Maybe the fear is understandable, but if you love them like you say you do, then everything’s worth the risk even if it means rejection.” Clark was actually surprised at how this conversation turned out. Initially, he expected Chloe to immediately shift to her inquisitive self and prod him incessantly about this ‘truth’ he’s keeping from Lana. But from the looks of it, she seemed really sincere in helping him out.
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:28:03 GMT -5
Chapter II
“Love comes when manipulation stops; when you think more about the other person than about his or her reactions to you. When you dare to reveal yourself fully. When you dare to be vulnerable.” - Dr. Joyce Brothers xxxxxxxxxx “Hey Clark!” “Hey,” he answered, smirking. “I guess Mr. I-don’t-want-to-be-touched is pretty selective, huh?” Clark teased as he watched the nurse shuffle out of the room. “What? Of course not.” Jordan laughed, trying to sit on the bed and eyeing his hospital gown with distaste. All he had was a couple of bruises, but his father insisted that he stayed at the hospital just to be sure. “Then what was that all about? I can tell you’re suddenly enjoying all the attention.” “Yeah, I think I am,” he answered, suddenly in a contemplative mode. “And that’s thanks to you, Clark. When I woke up they were gone.” “The visions?” “Maybe I was destined to lose them when I met you,” he answered with a smile. He stepped out of the room when Jordan’s dad came in. They needed their father and son chat. Besides, he still had somebody else to visit. Clark was truly glad that Jordan was offered a chance to be normal, he seemed a pretty good kid. Now as he looked at Lana sleeping, he wondered if she will give him another chance, too. It’s only been a week since she was released from the hospital after the barn accident. Between that and being rescued from a burning house, her body gave out. The doctors advised her to stay in the hospital to recuperate. They assured him that it was nothing serious, she just needed to rest. He had been so close to losing her again, but thanks to Jordan’s ability of premonition he was able to save her on time. His mood suddenly changed when he remembered what Chloe said about Mr. Altman. Their coach didn’t turn out as lucky as Jordan and Lana. His body was found the day after the fire incident, completely burned. “I guess not everybody gets a second chance, huh?” he said in a sad voice, taking Lana’s hand in his and running his thumb over her knuckles. Seeing Lana in this condition reminded him of Jordan’s first premonition of her. He said that Lana would die of old age, in her deathbed with her husband. It was a peaceful way to die, but Clark’s heart clenched at the image. He was certain it wouldn’t be him who would be by her side when that day comes. He was told of his future as well. His was unending, full of uncertainty. Obviously a destined path laid out for him by his father, Jor-El. “I’m afraid of what lies ahead,” he confessed to the sleeping Lana, “There are so many things I can’t control. It makes me feel like an outsider of my own life.” Maybe it was his overwhelming feelings for her. Perhaps it was the calmness her presence always brought him. Or…Desperation. Fear. Rage – just thinking of any other man touching her, loving her ate him up inside. Whatever emotion it was, it drove him to continue… “But maybe I can change that. I want you there, Lana. I want to see you in my future. As I will be in yours. I love you.” he breathed out as he gently cupped her face. Saying those words meant so much to him, they entailed a decision. No matter that she was still asleep. This next moment will be his liberation. It will be hers, too. “I—” Whatever he was about to say was cut off when he heard the door slowly creak open. “Oops didn’t mean to interrupt!” A voice said in embarrassment. “Oh hey, Chloe!” he quickly turned in her direction, embarrassed that somebody caught him in such an emotional moment. “No, no, it’s okay. I was just heading out for a cup of coffee anyway. Want a cup?” “Yeah, sure. Thanks,” she regarded him with a raised eyebrow. Clark was acting weird, kind of jumpy. She wondered what he was doing. She shrugged it off. Placing a basket of apples on the side table. Moments later she heard the door close. “Hey” Lana greeted her suddenly, her voice sounding a little too awake for someone who just opened their eyes. “Whoa! Don’t scare me like that!” Chloe said, hands clutching the front of her blouse. “I thought you were asleep.” “No. I’ve been awake for a moment now,” she answered, a bit distracted. Her eyes did a quick scan of the room. She had expected Clark to be here. All the things he said… “Yeah, you just decided that it was cool to freak me out.” “Where’s Clark?” she asked, ignoring Chloe’s comment. She made a ‘What?’ face when Chloe turned to her with a smirk. “Well, so much for your ‘I think I need more space’ drama,” Chloe teased her friend. “He’s out, grabbed a snack or something.” “Oh.” Just then the door opened to reveal Pete and Clark. “Hey Lana, how you feelin?” Pete asked. “I’m great,” Lana answered him, but kept her gaze on Clark. “Heeeyy you forgot my coffee,” Chloe whined, seeing Clark empty-handed. “Pete drank it. Go beat him up.” Clark laughed at Pete’s reaction. He walked over to Lana’s bed when he saw Chloe closing in for the kill. The two fell into an uncomfortable silence until Lana commented on the fruits that Chloe brought. “Aren’t these a little too green to be considered apples?” she asked good-naturedly. “They look like meteor rocks to me. Maybe they are.” she continued to make fun of Chloe to ease the tension between them. Also, in hopes of keeping her mind off of Clark’s earlier confessions. “I hope they aren’t.” Clark spoke in a low voice, only enough for Lana to hear. “Hmmm?” she managed to answer, tearing her gaze from Chloe and Pete’s playful bickering to focus on Clark. “I said, it’s good they aren’t meteor rocks,” he continued to say in a hushed tone, a wary smile on his face “coz they make me sick.” “What?” Lana’s head snapped to his direction at that. “Hey! Cut it out, Chloe!” Pete’s voice breaking the moment between the two. “Hey Clark! I think we should go. Chloe’s damaging me beyond repair!” he continued laughing, as he ran out the room. “Yeah, sure.” Clark said, as he stood up from his position on the edge of Lana’s bed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He waved at Chloe, before giving Lana a loving gaze. “Clark, wait!” Lana tried to call out. “Thank God for quiet times!” Chloe said in exasperation, as she leaned on the door, closing it in the process. Lana didn’t respond. She too was busy thinking about everything that Clark said.
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:28:42 GMT -5
xxxxxxxxxx “I thought I’d see you here.” “Lana. Hey,” Clark stepped away from his telescope to meet Lana halfway as she ascended the stairs. He lightly stroked her arm when she came within reach, “I’m sorry if I wasn’t able to pick you up this morning. Chloe beat me to it.” “Oh,” she responded, both to what he said and his affectionate touch. “Well, you know Chloe. Always the early bird. She told me that her dad was out of town and after being totally spooked by some horror film she saw, she couldn’t wait to have me back.” “I never figured Chloe to be somebody easily spooked.” Clark moved to sit on the couch, gesturing Lana to follow. “Yeah, me too,” she answered half-interested, her mind on a more serious topic. Something about Clark and meter rocks to be specific. She was here on a mission. What she didn’t know was that Clark was set on his own personal mission, too. Clark saw the look on her face and recognized it to be the one she has every time she would confront him with something. “Cla—” Clark’s abrupt motion as he stood up from the couch cut her short. She was about to continue when he suddenly reached out his hand, indicating that she should stand up as well. “The sky’s especially beautiful tonight,” he said as he led Lana to the window. “I’ve been up here for more than two hours now, just staring at the stars.” Lana wasn’t sure where this conversation was heading but she decided to just ride along. “That’s a pretty long time for star-gazing, even for you. You’re not planning on relocating on some distant planet, are you?” She had expected him to laugh at her little joke but she was caught off-guard when he turned to her with a very serious look on his face. “I would if I can,” he rasped out, his nervousness apparent. But still he maintained his intent gaze on her, watching her reaction closely. “Besides, it’s not like anybody would welcome me if I do decide to come back,” he looked at her expectantly. Silence. It took her a moment to process everything he said. It took another minute for her to realize that he actually said ‘come back’. So he’s been to outer space before? That or he’s implying that he’s an alien. Impossible. Aliens were green and ugly. Clark was far from both descriptions. She managed to cough out a nervous laugh at the thought. Clark was simply being ridiculous. Any moment now he’d be telling her that this was just some weird joke. But his serious expression had her worried. Very worried. She decided to voice out her main concern, “Come back? What…Clark, what do you mean by come back?” “As in return, Lana,” he answered her easily as if it was something very obvious. He then turned his head to stare at the black endless canopy that lay above them. “You’ve always known that I’m adopted, right? Meaning I’m not from around here,” he continued, putting special emphasis on the last word. He hoped she’d catch on. He’s a nervous wreck as it is, so he prayed that he won’t have to spell it out for her. Okay, now he was really starting to scare her with all this cryptic talk. If she didn’t know better she’d think Clark is on something. She wanted so badly to laugh everything off, regard it as a part of Clark’s strange sense of humor, but something told her that this was not to be taken lightly. Her mind was reeling with all the possible interpretations to what he meant by ‘come back’ and ‘not from around here’. Despite Smallville being tagged as ‘The Twilight Zone’ by locals, she still was very much in touch with reality. And her reality wasn’t supposed to include this kind of talk. “You’re confusing me, Clark. What exactly are you getting at?” “I’m just doing something you’ve always wanted me to,” he answered, this time avoiding all eye contact with her. “I’d do anything for you, Lana,” he felt the need to add. She had enough of his mystery talk for one night so she just asked straight out, ignoring his last statement. “Which is?” “I’m letting you in.” His answer made her want to cry. And for an entirely different reason.
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:29:23 GMT -5
Chapter III
“In true love the smallest distance is too great, and the greatest distance can be bridged.” xxxxxxxxxx She wasn’t sure how she made it to her room. If she were to look in the mirror she bet she looks worse than somebody who has been run over by a horde of elephants. Her eyes were glazed over, a distant look on them. She was walking in a daze, her mind overloaded with everything that Clark said that it had no room to process proper psychomotor skills. She fell face-down on her bed. She remembered Jonathan coming up the stairs to call Clark for dinner, conveniently saving her from the strange conversation she found herself in. She left without a word, not even bothering to look at Clark. Everything he said… No matter how hard she tried to come up with a different conclusion, it all added up to one thing. Clark Kent isn’t human. And honestly, she was a bit scared. She knew she had told herself many times in the past that it wouldn’t matter if Clark turns into a werewolf at night or develops scales when splashed with water, so this shouldn’t bother her much. But that was then. That was before she knew the truth. She hadn’t expected it to be something literally and figuratively out of this world. Before, she had convinced herself that Clark had been affected by the meteor rocks which ultimately provided him with abilities not possessed by normal men. That was something she could handle. A genetic mutation. Nothing more. But Clark’s case is different altogether. She supposed he didn’t even possess the same genetic make-up humans had. Suddenly she was reminded of the look on his face during the end of their conversation. He looked so vulnerable. Immediately, she felt guilty for leaving him without saying something. Anything. Just to assure him that everything would turn out okay. Right now she just needed some time to think. To let everything sink in. Regardless of the onslaught of emotions she was experiencing, one thing remained very clear. She still cared about Clark Kent. Nothing could change that. Especially after what he just told her. He had trusted her completely. That was what she had always wanted, right? Right. "Oh no, what did I just do?" Clark bared his soul to her and she repaid him by walking out. Shaking her head a few times in an attempt to clear her jumbled mind, she stood up. She had to go back to the Kent farm and talk to Clark. She had to let him know that she accepted him. Human or not. He will always be the same Clark Kent to her. xxxxxxxxxx Clark stared up at the ceiling, his arm behind his head. The ticking of the clock on his side table being the only sound heard added to his shallow breathing. He couldn’t sleep as there was too much going through his head. After Lana hastily left, he had a talk with his father. He admitted to Jonathan that he had told Lana about the meteor rocks and his birthplace. As expected his father reprimanded him for his lack of better judgment and for not consulting them first. He went on and on about the possible repercussions of his decision, both for him and Lana. “You’re putting both yourself and Lana in danger, son” were his exact words. They had a long discussion, but in the end he had convinced his father that he loved Lana enough to trust her with his life, proved by admitting to her foremost his vulnerability to meteor rocks. And that he would take full responsibility of whatever consequences his decision entailed. He had been so confident to his father then. So positive about everything. Now alone in his room, his fears reawakened, assaulting him with fervor. His father’s interruption robbed him of a chance to explain everything to Lana. He hadn’t had the opportunity to assess her reaction, was she disgusted of him now? Watching her walk away without a word just doubled his fear of rejection. He could handle it if the world refused him. He could live with everybody rejecting him. But rejection from Lana would break him. There was a reason he chose to disclose those things to Lana, about the kryptonite and his alien heritage. He felt that if Lana accepted him despite of those things then telling her about the rest would come easy. He didn’t want to indulge Lana with the trivial things about him first and then have her reject him when he comes to admitting the stranger parts of his life. Partial understanding is the last thing he needed. He wanted Lana’s entire acceptance. It was all or nothing for him at this point. He knew it was unfair for both of them his decision to put his life on hold until Lana decides. But he couldn’t help it. Lana was his personal representation of the human kind. She was his sole link to this strange world. Her decision would make or break him. If she fell short of acceptance for him he would try to recover, move on with his life. He had to. But if he could choose, he’d rather hear her say… “Clark?” He was jolted from his lying position upon hearing that voice. He felt his heart race, the hair on his neck standing on ends. She was calling him. He looked around his room, expecting to see her standing there. Then he realized that his sensitive hearing must’ve perked up during his deliberation. He supersped to the main door and hurriedly opened it. “Lana” He obviously caught her off-guard, her hand raised in mid-knock was enough proof. He stood mesmerized by her presence yet again. Then it hit him, in his excitement he forgot that Lana wasn’t aware of his abilities yet. “I uh move fast?” he offered. Lana gave him a short nod. He sighed. True, she was standing before him now but for whatever reason he had no idea. Was she here to accept or reject him? He unconsciously held his breath. Lana wasn’t aware that her silence was wrecking havoc on Clark’s nerves. While she was driving on her way here, she had been debating on the best way to confront Clark about his revelation. Part of her was hurt that it took him this long to admit everything to her. She felt betrayed that despite all her efforts to approach him, he always resorted to lying to her. She didn’t even want to get started at the lying part. But staying at her room to think had cleared her head, allowing her to focus on the more important things – like, now that Clark has opened up to her, the lying routine between them would hopefully be put to an end. Getting mad at him at this moment would only break the progress that took them so long to develop. Also, her mind was riddled with overlapping thoughts. She was still a bit uneasy about all this. But as she stood at his doorstep, her determination was renewed. She drew strength from the memories of his words... “But maybe I can change that. I want you there, Lana. I want to see you in my future. As I will be in yours. I love you.”He needed her. It was an exhilarating feeling for her - to be desperately needed by Clark. It was also a terrifying realization at the same time. Because she knew deep inside that she needed him with the same intensity. Clark has decided to make her a major part of his life. It was time she made hers... “I’m just doing something you’ve always wanted me to. I’m letting you in.”"Clark, can I come in?"
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:30:05 GMT -5
xxxxxxxxxx Lana shifted in her seat for the millionth time, plucking at loosened threads she found on the cushions of the couch. This was uncomfortable. Both of them haven’t spoken a word since she entered the Kent household. Sounds of silverware hitting glass could be heard from the kitchen. After a few moments Clark emerged, a pitcher and two glasses on both hands. “Juice?” he asked awkwardly. After filling a cup and offering it to Lana, he set the rest on the center table then took the chair from across her. Lana mouthed a ‘thanks’ and took a quick sip, her throat unusually dry. "Okay, so how should I begin?" “Clark..I..uh..I’m sorry for walking out like that. I guess I was kinda freaked out,” she said, letting both her hands rest on her knees. She smiled, assuring him in her own way that she was okay with it now. “Yeah, I understand,” he replied, immensely relieved by that simple smile from Lana. A little too relieved, that it loosened his tongue some. “At least you didn’t get mad, like Pete did.” “Pete…knows? You told…him?” Uh-oh. Not good. He shouldn’t have brought that up this early in their conversation. The look in her face told him she was not pleased with the information he just blurted out. He cleared his throat before replying. “He found out. Found out,” he found himself repeating. “I had no choice but tell him. I know, I know I should’ve told you first but I—” “No, no that’s not what I meant,” she shook her head, her cheeks burning up. Did Clark think she was upset? Although she’d be lying if she said wasn’t a bit disappointed that Clark chose to tell Pete first rather than confide in her, but what was important to her now was that he finally told her. The order in which her name came in Clark’s who-should-I-tell-my-secret-to list is the last thing on her mind right now. “Oh. Then what…?” “I…just uh…,” Shoot! How was she supposed say this. She didn’t want to come as mistrusting or judgmental, Pete was her friend too but... “Doesn’t he slip...I mean…do you not…,” she trailed off. “Very articulate, Lana” She took a deep breath before finally mumbling a soft, “I’m sorry.” While Lana was fidgeting and nervously wringing her fingers, Clark was grinning like mad. Oh so that was what this is all about. Lana, protective much? She was cute getting all flushed and nervous like that, so he allowed himself the pleasure of watching her for a few moments. He drank in her appearance like a thirsting man would water, the way she conspicuously tried to glance at him then shyly turning away. The way she bit her lower lip.… Okay, he thought he’d tortured her with his silence long enough. Looking at her bowed head, he tried to assure her. “It’s okay, Lana. Pete has handled my secret well,” he explained, his lips stretching into gentle smile. “Contrary to his happy-go-lucky demeanor, he can be pretty reliable.” “Oh…Oh, I figured that much,” she replied, trying hard to redeem herself. “I wasn’t trying to—“ Her rambling stopped when Clark leaned in and gently held her hand. She shivered slightly at the unexpected contact. He always had that effect on her. She looked up and saw him gently smiling at her, a reassuring look in her face. She found herself returning the gesture. They stared at each other for awhile until… “Lana?” In that one word Lana could sense all his fears, his doubts, his hopes – everything he felt at that moment contained in one whispered utterance. It was funny how they seem to be so in-tuned to each other’s feeling. How they could tell what the other was feeling with not so much as a word or a gesture. Briefly looking down at their still entwined hands, she stared at him coaxing him to return her gaze. When their eyes held, she reached out to touch his face. She allowed herself the almost forbidden pleasure of feeling his cheek, her fingers trailing the contours of his face. She didn’t care if he belonged to a different race. He felt human. He is, to her. And that’s all that mattered. “Clark, it’s alright. I’m still here aren’t I?” His smile was glorious.
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:31:18 GMT -5
Chapter IV
"And I can't remember life before her name..." - John Mayer xxxxxxxxxx “Clark, my man, what’s up with you?” Pete asked while playfully jabbing Clark on his arm. They were already half way through their History class and Clark has yet to blink. “Hmm? Oh. Uh…I’m good. I was just—” “Staring at Lana. I can see that.” Pete completed for him, shaking his head. He grinned when Lana, who was seated 2 rows in front of them, suddenly turned in her chair and caught Clark’s gaze. It took all his will not to laugh when she blushed and smiled shyly before returning her attention to their teacher. Their endless mating dance was driving him nuts. *Ringggggggggggg* He let out an exaggerated sigh of relief as the bell rang. Any more screentime of Smallville’s very own Romeo and Juliet was gonna make him burst into cute little brown butterflies. Ack! Maybe it would do him good to keep distance from the love birds. Ever since the past weeks the two were inseparable. Clark told him that he had confessed everything to Lana – his heritage, abilities, all that there was to know. At first he was against Clark’s decision, he knew how hard it was to keep his secret. Lana was his friend. So he wasn’t so keen with the idea that she now had to share the same load of hiding Clark’s secret. But seeing Clark so happy was enough to make him change his mind. He jogged to the lockers to catch up with Clark. They were supposed to head straight to the track after class. He was glad to spend more time with his friend. At least they still shared the same love for dirt bikes. “Hey! Your gears with you?” he asked, pulling out his helmet from his locker. “Yeah, Pete about that. I think I have to cancel.” “What? O c’mon man! This is our one chance to show off to those Grandville airheads!” Before Clark could reply, Lana walked up to them and acknowledged him with a quick ‘Hi’. Okay, now he didn’t have to ask why Clark refused to race with him. He stood transfixed as he watched Clark grab a jacket from his locker then hand it to Lana. As if that wasn’t enough, he also had to watch Lana deposit her books in Clark’s locker then locked it herself. Both his eyebrows rose as he witnessed the exchange. He could only think of one word to describe what just happened. Cute. And he was pretty sure ‘cute’ wasn’t supposed to be associated with Clark. Him and Clark, they were buddies. They were men. And men shouldn’t be described as cute. He smirked. So they were sharing lockers now, huh? Damn. “Hey Lana,” he started, intent on finding the status of his best friend’s love life. “Hey. Heading out to race again?” “Yeah. Clark was supposed to come, too.” He grinned as Clark glared at him. “Oh. He didn’t say.” Lana then turned to look at Clark. “You can go with Pete if you like. I’m sure Chloe and I can finish the job at Talon in no time.” “Nah, it’s okay. Pete can race by himself. Right, Pete?” “Well…” he wasn’t sure how to continue. Maybe trying to fish Clark out of Lana’s net wasn’t a good idea after all. “Clark.” Lana cut in. “Go. It’s okay,” she added the last part with a reassuring smile. He watched as Clark face lit up, getting excited all of a sudden. He then concluded that watching those two interact was like watching Discovery channel. Always suprising. Educational and entertaining, too. “Okay! I’ll try to catch up with you guys later,” Clark said as he started shoving racing gears into his back pack. Before Pete had the chance to realize what was happening he found himself being dragged to the exit by Clark. Lana gave both of them a small wave, before heading to the other direction.
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:32:06 GMT -5
xxxxxxxxxx “Remember, you’re doing this for Lana. It’s gonna be okay. Deep breaths, deep breaths,” a shaky voice whispered – the hushed sound bleeding into the eerie silence of the room. A sense of foreboding dominating the air. Sweat began to form in small beads on his forehead. He held his breath. Quiet. There must be complete silence. The beads of sweat coalesced, forming larger drops. His courage was wavering. His resolve was tested like never before. Sweat fell to the floor, breaking into infinitesimal fragments. It was time. He would see this to the end. Slowly and with great trepidation he turned around… He glanced at the full-length mirror once again, clenching his jaw at the reflection he saw. He had a big pink mug-shaped head dress with the words ‘Talon’ all glittery and shiny. He also wore an equally colorful shirt and a ridiculously large glove on his right hand. The pants he wore were even worse, with sketches of cartoon characters splotched all over. His shoes were beyond description. “Ugh. This is ridiculous!” “What is? I think you look cute.” Clark jumped, as if he had stepped barefoot on a live wire, not that he would feel it. But still! He turned to see Lana standing at the threshold of her apartment, a huge grin on her face and her eyes sparkling with repressed mischief. In any other situation he might’ve melted at the sight of her, but right now he felt very embarrassed. Last night had been a great date for both of them. They went to watch a film then ended up in his loft, all cuddled up and exchanging hot kisses. He felt so giddy that when Lana teasingly proposed that he should become the clown for today’s event, he unthinkingly agreed. He was certain that Lana had been joking then, but he consented anyway. He sighed. Due to low sales for the last month, Lana decided to expand the coffee shop and start catering to the younger crowd. Pastries of all sorts and colors, chocolate cakes and fruit shakes were added to the Talon menu. And of course what better way to attract kids is to have a mascot whose appearance could put a 64-color crayon box to shame. “This isn’t funny, Lana” “What? I’m not laughing.” “Yes you are. You’re all red in the face for trying not to laugh out loud.” “Why so modest now, Clark? Just last night you were all nods.” “I was nodding between kisses,” he murmured. But she heard it anyway. Thoughts of the previous evening flitted through their minds, further adding to the rush of blood coloring both their cheeks. “Soooo…uh,” Lana began, suddenly uncomfortable with the fact that they were all alone in her apartment. Alone. In a room. With a bed. Uh-oh. Information overload. Must not imagine Clark’s kisses. “Uhm you go ahead and retouch your make-up. I’ll wait for you downstairs.” “This is not make-up!” was the indignant reply. He smiled when he heard her giggle as she descended the stairs. Oh the things he does for this girl. xxxxxxxxxx The Talon was buzzing with noise, a bunch of kids scurrying around the coffee shop. Lana was delighted that her idea had worked. She just hoped this sudden change wouldn’t intimidate the older patrons. These kids can be pretty scary sometimes. “Hey, hey kid. Hey! Cut it out! Lana a little help here?” Lana put her tray down and rounded the counter to see what had Clark pleading for her assistance, fearing the worst. There he stood, a terrified look on his face. She trailed her eyes lower, seeing a menacing little girl harassing her Clark. The girl appeared to be only around 2 years old. Invincible Clark Kent intimidated by a child? An adorable little girl to be exact. She snickered. “Easy, Clark. You’re scaring her.” “What? I’m scaring her? She’s the one who keeps grabbing my crotch! Whose idea was it to include Elmo’s face on my pants anyway? And on the crotch area no less!” “Clark” she said in a reprimanding tone. She walked over to pick the little girl up who was jumping up and down, intent on seizing the elusive Elmo print on her boyfriend’s pants. “Hey there. What’s your name?” Instead of answering, the girl wiggled out of her grasp and scurried away, but not before throwing a quick glance at Clark. Catching her fleeting look, Clark said with a sigh, “See that? She’s planning her revenge right now.” Honestly though, he enjoyed entertaining all the children but there are some really unrelenting ones. Just like that kid who spent the last 30 minutes demanding him to cut his pants off and hand her Elmo. Kids. He shook his head. Lana playfully hit him on the arm. “She’s just a kid, Clark. But I’m really glad that you went through with this. It’d be difficult to find a replacement for you on the last minute.” Clark didn’t say anything. He just closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned towards her. His lips were so close they were almost touching hers. “You know what would really make this all worthwhile?” he asked, his voice husky. “Hmmm…I don’t think I want to know.” Lana shook her head weakly, her tongue darting out to lick her suddenly dry lips. She felt the familiar warmth climb up her cheeks at his proximity. Having his body this close to her was making her dizzy with want. She couldn’t care less that any minute somebody could barge in and catch them. “Yes you do,” he spoke softly, his hot breath washing over her lips. Lana’s eyes closed as she unconsciously tilted her head up to receive his kiss; her senses already coming alive in anticipation of the pleasure. “I have to go.” Hazel eyes opened in surprise, “What?” “I have to go and get changed. These clothes are itchy,” he answered playfully, still maintaining their close distance but pulling his head back to gauge her reaction. She frowned when she realized that she played right into his hands. The amusement in his eyes made her want to call back little Miss Elmo-obsessed-kid and leave him to his demise. “That was mean,” she said, a cute pout gracing her face. How embarrassing! An almost-kiss from him was enough to get her momentarily disoriented. “Adding a sash to my already horrible ensemble was too!” he replied, grudgingly picking at the neon green cloth that slung around his shoulders. She giggled, snaking her arms around his neck. He’s just too cute for his own good. “I really have to go. You know, farm chores.” He leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She sighed as she reluctantly released her hold on him. “Okay.” “Pick you up at 7!” With that he supersped out of the backdoor. After locking the door Clark left in, she walked out of the storage room and was confronted by none other than Miss Elmo. “Where is clown man?” the little girl demanded as she narrowed her eyes at Lana.
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:32:54 GMT -5
Chapter V: Chimera
“The most dangerous thing is illusion.” xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx “If you have any sense of self-preservation left, I suggest you come up with a better explanation, Baron,” a voice hissed in barely contained anger. “But Mr. Luthor—” “Lex?” Clark timidly opened the door to Lex's office. He took a tentative step towards the other two occupants of the room, unsure whether he should intervene or not. Lex forced himself to relax when he saw Clark approaching. He poured himself a glass of brandy then motioned Baron to leave the room. “What was that about?” “A minor factory mishap, nothing to be concerned about,” Lex answered dismissively. Clark looked unconvinced but decided to let Lex’s eccentricity slip this time. “So what brings you here, Clark?” “Well, I…uh…I was” Clark trailed off. “Clark, your attempt at modesty is unnerving,” Lex stated with a smirk. He chuckled when Clark grinned back. “So now that your misplaced humility has been taken care of, let’s get back to my initial question. What is it you need, Clark?” “Uh…I was wondering if you could provide us a ride to Metropolis…this evening.” “Us?” “Yeah, me and Lana. I’m taking her out to see a theater play.” “Oh. So you’re planning to win your ladylove’s affection by dramatic poetry, I see. You do me proud, Clark.” “Yeah, I learn from the best.” “Ahh flattery.” They both shared a laugh before Lex continued, “Be here at 5, I’ll have the limo ready by then.” xxxxxxxxxx “Don’t you think we’re a little early, Clark? Lex might still be in a meeting or something.” “Well you know me Mr. Excited,” he replied as he took in Lana’s appearance. “Beautiful.”Clark motioned for Lana to enter Lex’s office first. As she passed him, he leaned in close. "Thanks for coming Lana. You look amazing.” Before Lana could answer, a loud crashing sound permeated the scene. Clark immediately took a defensive stance and stood in front of Lana protectively. Seconds later, sounds of gun shots fired in rapid succession filled the air. The door of the room closest to where Clark and Lana stood flung open, revealing a man in blue overalls. “Contain him!” Lex’s voice rang out through the halls of the Luthor mansion. “I want him alive!” Several of Lex’s hired men scrambled to restrain the escapee. One of them leaped up and grabbed the man from behind. Clark stood shell shocked as the man who attempted siege, upon skin contact with the fugitive, glowed in a blinding light before dropping to the floor unconscious. The man picked the gun dropped by the fallen bodyguard and aimed it directly at Lex. “You ruined my life, you bastard! You turned me into a monster! I’m going to make you pay!” Clark watched in slow motion as a bullet was fired. He moved towards Lex to block the fatal shot, running into him and knocking him unconscious. “I dunno how you did that kid, but I suggest you get out of the way or I’m gonna be forced to kill you!” he shouted, aiming the gun at Clark. "Now move it!" Clark opened his mouth to reply but the words stuck in his throat when he noticed the change in the man’s appearance. The skin covering his body was now a sickly yellow. His right arm was twitching uncontrollably and appeared to be disintegrating into thin air. A few seconds more, his forearm disappeared completely. Without another warning, the man pulled the trigger. Acting on instinct, Clark turned his back towards him and shielded Lex with his body. The gun clicked, but nothing happened. And then it clicked again, and again, and again until it eventually grew desperate. Clark glanced backwards and realized that the man had run out of ammo. The man threw the weapon away and instantaneously dived towards Lex’s office. Clark then returned his attention to Lex to check his condition. “Clark!” Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Lana was in that room! He supersped towards her voice. He paled when he saw Lana already lying unconscious on the floor. Picking her up, he shook her gently but firmly, “Lana, baby, wake up. Please…no…wake up! Lana!” Sounds of movement behind him diverted his attention away from Lana. He moved to turn around but was stopped short by a hand on his shoulders. He looked down as he saw his body glow, much like what he witnessed with Lex's bodyguard. Suddenly he felt his eyelids grow heavy, as if all his energy had been sucked out of him. A disembodied chuckle caused him to spin around. He watched in horror as the skin on the man's right elbow stretched and gradually his forearm reappeared. Clark's hold on Lana tightened as he witnessed the supernatural regeneration of the man's limb, but just after a few moments his grip loosened as he felt his body slide to the floor before he completely blacked out.
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:37:21 GMT -5
xxxxxxxxxx The grounds of the Luthor mansion was muddled with people. Not far from the gate was a small contingent of black-clad security officers seen clearly trying their best to pacify the situation. “For the hundredth time, Lex, we’ve got everything under control. Clark will be alright,” Jonathan's voice was tightly controlled, giving no hints of his emotions. He turned his back and moved towards the waiting truck, with Martha and the unconscious Clark on the backseat. Martha gave him a worried look as she held on her son’s lifeless hands, wordlessly pleading Jonathan to hurry home. “But Clark needs medical attention!” Lex paused for a while to take a deep breath and continued in a more calmed voice, “Mr. Kent, you have to understand that—“ “Listen to me Lex, I do understand the situation clearly. My son is unconscious right now for reasons you chose not to disclose. Now, I suggest that you stay out of this.” Jonathan hesitated for a moment before continuing, “You’ve done enough damage for one night.” Lex jaw tightened at Jonathan apparent accusation. He watched as the Kents drove away, leaving his line of sight to be directed to the background where Lana was being carried to an ambulance. Earlier that day, Baron had reported about a hostile take-over in one of LexCorp’s numerous laboratories – about a supposed ‘immobile’ human experiment injuring several of his hired scientists then immediately leaving the premises. It wasn’t until he read reports about unconscious bodies found on sidewalks that he confirmed the assailant’s identity. He clenched his jaw as he recalled the events that led to this dilemma. “Mr. Luthor, pushing through this procedure would undoubtedly be an irreversible crossing of the moral line,” the voice of Dr. Hunter crackled through the microphone and unto a dimly-lighted chamber – a small room separated from the lab by a mirror partition. “I didn’t hire you to give me moral lectures, doctor,” Lex replied, his voice betraying his smile. Given the nature of the experiment at hand, he had somehow predicted the sudden cowardice of his head scientist. There is bound to be at least one person to back down the last minute, acting as a voice of conscience he had been trained to ignore. Besides, he wouldn’t be swayed easily. If all went well, this would be a scientific breakthrough like no other. Bending the moral line is a small price to pay.
“Do it now. We’ve wasted enough time as it is. The world is waiting, doctor.”
Lex unconsciously pressed his palms on the glass wall as he watched with rapt interest when several tubes were inserted into both arms of a man lying on the metal bed. Green ooze was pumped into the plastic tubing. Through a small monitor on the corner of the room, he watched as an internal camera followed the olive liquid’s path into the man’s bloodstream, mixing with his blood and giving the resulting fluid a deathly color. He noticed Dr. Hunter discreetly step back as the body twitched, indicating the success of the introduction of liquefied meteor rock into the man’s system.
“Initial stage successful, Mr. Luthor,” Dr. Hunter said after a moment, looking straight at his reflection on the glass wall, fully aware that Lex was watching on the other side. “The body requires at least 12 hours to adopt to the experimentation, sir. The patient will remain in a coma, however.”
Lex’s mouth stretched in a triumphant smile. He opened an unlabeled folder and scanned its contents, skipping to the later part of the document.
------------------------------- Subject name: Merrick Fieldman Age: 41 Living relatives: None Medical records: In file
Notes: Patient has been in a coma for 3 years. Restoration of consciousness no longer possible. Pateint is to undergo radical resuscitation under the supervision of Dr. Hunter in exactly 1700 hours.
-------------------------------
He closed the file in a snap and looked at the now empty room beyond the transparent partition, his stare lingering on the sole body that lay in the middle of the room. In twelve hours the world would be introduced to the only man who survived years of insensibility and brought into the realm of consciousness once again.“Mr. Luthor?” A voice suddenly spoke, shaking Lex out of his stupor. “Dr. Hunter is waiting in your office, sir.” xxxxxxxxxx Lana slowly opened her weary eyes, blinking instantly as the sun assaulted her pupils. Something’s not right. She was sure the Talon apartment had no windows near her bed. She had meticulously positioned her room furthest away from any opening that would allow even the slightest sun ray to enter during mornings. She groaned and silently cursed at whoever, whatever manipulated her bed directly into the blinding sunlight. She turned to look at the clock at her side table, but was surprised to see it occupied by countless teddy bears. And her clock nowhere in sight. Weird. Lifting the comforter from her body, she realized a bit too late that they were pastel blue. Hmmm… she couldn’t remember purchasing bed covers with such colors. She gasped as she got a clearer view of the room. What the….where was she? “Lana! Get up now, honey, you’re gonna be late for school.” The sound of that voice struck like red hot needles in her ears. Impossible. She can’t be hearing that voice. She had to be dreaming. “Lana, breakfast is getting cold. Hurry down here.” There it was again. “Mom?” she whispered weakly, overcome by so much emotions to say something any louder. Forgetting all about her unfamiliar surroundings, she scurried to her feet and practically flies out of the room. After running down a flight of stairs, she skidded to a stop when she came face to face with her… “Mom?” Laura regarded her daughter with raised eyebrows. Not again. Not another morning of battling with teenage hormonal-imbalance-induced mood swings. She got almost knocked down to the floor when Lana suddenly ran to her and hugged her with a vice-grip intensity. “Honey what’s wrong?” Laura asked calmly, rubbing Lana’s back as she sobbed. “I…I can’t believe it…” came the muffled reply. “Okay, what did I miss?” a voice asked in amusement. “Why am I suddenly in the set of a soap opera?” Lana slowly lifted her face from her mother’s chest, but still keeping close to her. She was terrified that she would lose her mother again at any moment. She craned her neck slightly to look at the source of the voice. “Dad? Is that you?” “Yes, Lana, I am he. Have you any other?” Lewis chuckled as he moved towards the kitchen, intent on grabbing a toast and passing by the stunned Lana on his way there. Lana felt her world spinning. She jumped slightly as her mother reached out to touch her arm, a worried expression etched on her face. “Touch,” her mind repeated for her. If she could feel her touch must mean that she is not dreaming. But how…? xxxxxxxxxx “Jonathan, it’s been six hours now,” Martha was close to tears. She pulled her chair closer to the couch where Clark was laying down. Pushing his hair from his forehead, she leaned in to kiss him there. Clark had been unconscious for a very long time now and still they found nothing physically wrong with him, he was breathing fine and there were no traces of Kryptonite exposure evident on his body. He looked so peaceful and he would even occasionally smile in his sleep, leading her to rule out the possibility of the involvement of the green rock. “We’ll find a way. Clark is strong, he'll pull through this,” Jonathan replied, trying hard to be positive for both of them. They had been waiting for Lex to call and inform them about anything that could help them figure out what caused Clark to fall into a deep sleep. But so far all they had gotten out of Lex was repetitive apologies and hollow assurances that he would try and come up with answers. “He’s been mumbling in his sleep” “What was he saying?” “Krypton. He’s talking about Krypton. His mother, Jor-el and all other things I’ve never heard of.” Martha said softly, her voice heavy with concern. “Do you think this is Jor-El’s doing?” “We can’t be sure, sweetheart. I’m heading out to the caves.” xxxxxxxxxx “So what you’re saying, doctor, is that this man is somehow capable of feeding off of the consciousness of other people to sustain his own?” Lex asked in mild amusement. “I can understand your disbelief, Mr. Luthor. Your reaction was exactly identical to mine when I first read about the findings,” Dr. Hunter replied tensely. Somehow being alone in a room with a man, who had no qualms in organizing an extreme experimentation involving revival of comatose patients, gave him the chills. Lex gestured the doctor to hand him the documents. He silently went through the file, occasionally pausing to give way to reactions of skepticism. The doctor stood transfixed, watching Lex’s reaction. He wasn’t sure if Lex’s alternating expressions of surprise and disbelief were brought about by sick fascination or his realization of the graveness of this experiment. He suspected the former. “What of his victims? How can they be revived?” “I still can not be sure, sir. But the meteor rocks has altered Mr. Fieldman’s body, he is no longer human. The only thing that keeps him alive is his supernatural feeding behavior.” “Yes, I am aware of that now, doctor. What I want to know is his victims’ status.” “Upon skin contact it appears that Mr. Fieldman enables switching of psychological states – his victim becomes trapped in a mental prison while he stays conscious.” “In layman’s term, doctor,” Lex said impatiently. “Meaning his victims are transported to a different dimension, living a life they subconsciously desire.” “You mean like in a dream?” “No sir, but in a different reality altogether.”
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:38:33 GMT -5
Chapter VI
"Follow me inside, outside, through the stratosphere. The moon is shining for you. It knows how I adore you. Suddenly all the sadness will just slip away and you will see what I mean if you follow me in my dreams." – Amy Rose; Follow Me xxxxxxxxxx The large clock on the wall ticked loudly, its steady beating momentarily disrupted by the sound of footsteps. The heavy footfalls turned into clanking noise as the room’s only occupant stopped in front of a large window and worked on its numerous locks. Pushing the glass door to the side, he leaned in and stared up at the sky, noticing its remarkable orange hue. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he watched the wonderful picture the setting sun created. He sighed in relief, glad that the day was finally over. The whole day had been very…weird. First, he woke up from a rather confusing dream. He remembered being in a vast field. The place was nothing like he had seen before. There was also what seemed like a rain of fire. All throughout his visit to the dream world, there was this constant image of a person hovering beside his dream-self. He couldn’t quite remember what she looked like in detail. But from what he could recall, she was beautiful. A smile appeared on his face as he tried to produce an image of her in his mind. The rest of the day was not entirely unusual except for the unshakable euphoria he felt the entire time, like he had just come home from a very long journey. He had frequently hugged his mom, which according to her, was very unlike him. But he couldn’t help himself, he felt like he missed her so much. Also, when he came out of their house he regarded everything with wide-eyed wonder, much like he was seeing everything for the first time. It was really strange. He just hoped that the next day would be more… normal. Suddenly he heard somebody enter his room. As he took in the person’s appearance, his eyebrows dipped in confusion. “Can I help you?” The girl made no indication that she heard his inquiry and instead crossed the distance between them. When she stopped directly in front of him and looked as if she was going to give him a hug, he subtly moved sideways. “Have I…met you before? “Very funny, Kal,” the brunette replied, before leaning in and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. “That line worked for me before, but now that we’re a couple I don’t think it’s necessary.” His eyes widened at her revelation. This pretty girl was his girlfriend? “Okay, I now understand Lara when she said you seemed out of it. Is everything okay?” “Yeah I just—” Suddenly he felt an intense pricking sensation all over his body. He clutched his head and fell on his knees, the rapid onslaught of images in his mind rendering him immobile. Just as quickly as they came, the throbbing on his head disappeared. “Kal! Oh my god!” she knelt beside him and cupped his face, terrified at his blank expression. “Kal? Are you okay?” “Corin?” he said after a few moments, recognition in his eyes. “What happened?” “I’m not sure… but the images…” he tried to explain while he stood up. “What about them?” Corin aked. She was very confused. First, he didn’t recognize her and now this. What was going on? “Memories. They were memories.” “And?” “They were my memories. But I don’t understand why I was suddenly reminded of them,” he said as he squinted his eyes, trying to refocus his vision. He groaned as he felt his head pound once again, the sudden overload of information making his head ache. All of a sudden, he had a vivid recollection of his past. Strange. Considering that just minutes ago, he felt like a stranger to this place. “Well, all that matters now is that you remember my name,” Corin stated in a chuckle, trying to crinkle up her nose. She knew Kal loved it when she did that, but for whatever reason she didn’t know. It was kind of weird for her actually, since she wasn’t used to it. But since the first time she accidentally did so and she caught the look of adoration on Kal’s face, she forced herself to do it every time. “What do you mean?” “Have I met you before?” she said in a manly tone, trying to imitate his voice earlier. “I said that?” “Yes. It was kind of cute actually,” she smiled. “Especially when you asked me ‘Can I help you?’” “And why do you find that cute?” he asked quite sternly, clearly not amused at her attempt at harmless teasing. “Nothing,” she replied with a frown, irked by his cold demeanor. “Come on, let’s head out for dinner.” Kal let himself be dragged out of his room, his mind elsewhere. The sooner they ate dinner, the sooner he would be able to sleep. Hopefully, his dreams would include her again. xxxxxxxxxx “Definitely Wall of Weird material!” Chloe said as she held a document to Pete’s face. “What is? The part how Lana’s attending physician can’t seem to come up with an explanation why she’s in a coma right now or the part how you magically got a hold of that file?” “Loosen up, Pete. It’s not like I’m stealing it,” Chloe smiled, feigning innocence. “I’m just borrowing it for the benefit of a dear friend. Your friend, too.” Pete sighed in resignation when he caught up with the meaning behind Chloe’s last few words. He was concerned about Lana and Clark of course, but after learning that Lex is somehow connected to all this had gotten him on the edge. Lex is not exactly on his favorite persons list. Never had been and never will be. “Okay. What’ve you got?” “Well, it says on the transcript here that the only person that survived the mysterious Sleeping Beauty coma had undergone a few sessions with Dr. Cunningham,” Chloe stated as she furiously typed on her computer. “A psychiatrist?” “Got it!” she excitedly pointed at the computer screen, ignoring Pete’s question. “Uh-hmm…records...files, interviews… Aha! Here it is! The audio record of the sessions!” After a few moments, the sound of recorded conversation filled the air. “Good Morning Peter. It appears to me that you missed our session yesterday,” a man’s voice droned out.
“I’m sorry Dr. Cunningham, I've sort of been busy the whole day yesterday and completely forgot," a softer voice replied.
“It’s alrig—““Pleasantries can be saved for later,” Chloe stated as she clicked the mouse a few times before the record played again. This time the conversation was different, having been fast-forwarded to the latter part of the record. “So you’re saying that you simply had no memories of your previous life when you were in that alternate reality?”
“Basically, yes. Probably because they had been replaced by new ones. But there was something odd about the way those memories played out.”
“What made you come up with that theory, Peter?”
“Well, I realized much later that when I came in contact with people or objects that also had been present in my reality here, I remembered bits and pieces of my life.”
“Much like a flashback?”
“…Yes. But it was in exchange for my current ones. There was one time when I remembered something about my wife and after that people I’ve met in my alternate reality simply disappeared. Like they never existed in the first place.”
“I’m lost. You mean there is somehow a barrier that prevents overlapping of realities? You remember something from your previous life and something gets deleted in your other life?”
“Yes, doctor. The same happens when you stay longer in your alternate reality, memories of your real life vanishes. At some point, you would be aware of your two realities. That’s how I came back.”
“What did you do exactly?”
“It had been a choice, Dr. Cunningham. I chose to remember.”
|
|
|
Post by saladfingers on Jan 21, 2006 1:40:00 GMT -5
xxxxxxxxxx “Come on. Sign up already!” “The drama club? Jen, are you crazy?” Lana asked incredulously, as she looked at the advertisement posted on their classroom door. “Well, this way you could at least put your talents into good use,” Jen answered smugly while pushing the door open. “Ugh! I can’t believe mom told you about this morning!” Lana replied, putting her books down on her desk with a thud. “She was really worried, Lana. It isn’t exactly normal when your daughter wakes up bawling like a baby.” “Shut up. Could you really blame me? The dream felt so real!” Lana countered, getting red in the face. “Sure, sure I believe you,” she replied sarcastically. “You sure scared Mrs. Lang. She even asked me if you were drunk last night.” “What!” “On c’mon don’t give me that look. Of course I said you weren’t. I’m very much coherent, thank you. Besides, I wasn’t the one rambling about my parents being dead!” She was about to reply but was cut off when she heard the door open and saw their teacher come in. Not given the opportunity to defend herself, she just settled for sticking her tongue out at Jen. She was being playful on the outside but inside she was scared and confused. The dream felt so real. She could still recall the look of terror on everyone’s faces and the wreckage all around her; could taste the dust on her tongue; could feel the heat of the explosion when the huge ball of fire descended on her parents. She unconsciously gripped her desk tighter at the gruesome vision of their death. “Miss Lang?” Their teacher tapped her pointer on the table impatiently, clearly annoyed to have caught an inattentive student in her class. “Yes, Mrs. Christopher?” Lana answered weakly, thoroughly embarrassed. “I asked for your permit. Where is it?” “Per..mit?” she repeated, scanning the classroom for Jen’s face. “Yes, Ms. Lang.” Finally spotting Jen, she saw her mouthing the words ‘Smallville’. After realizing what she meant, she quickly turned to look back at her teacher. “Oh. Oh that permit. I have it here,” she replied as she fumbled through her handbag, searching for a piece of paper bearing her mother’s signature. After taking the paper from Lana and shuffling it with the rest of the permits, their teacher called out names randomly – apparently grouping them for their class’ upcoming trip to Smallville. ToBeCcontinued--------- Ayan muna i-popost ko. Basahin niyo na muna yan. ;D
|
|
|
Post by hidenori on Jan 21, 2006 8:10:59 GMT -5
di ko kayang bashin lahat sabi ko kasi saglit lng ako.. saka na.. promise
|
|