Beyond Smallville: Fan Fiction

Scorched: 

Clark held the door open for Lana and they started through the parking lot towards the school. Two pick up trucks were parked side by side. The kids from the football team and the cheerleaders were still inside them likely drinking underage.

”Hey check this out!” Terry Connor, the Crow’s running back, pointed at Clark and Lana.“It’s a geek invasion!” Randy Smith bellowed from the other truck. Wendy Scott poked her fluffy haired head out of the window. “Gee Lang, you look halfway decent.” She said, giving Lana a backhanded compliment.

“Kent, you must be despo to take the bookworm out to the dance!” Carrie Furth taunted. Lana could feel her cheeks redden and her big eyes suddenly flared yellow. Clark had turned the other way and missed the anomaly.

“Do they have a prize at the dance…say for the Loser Homecoming King and Queen?” Wendy added. “I’d bet you two would be a shoe-in!” Terry finished.

Clark felt a power surge from somewhere nearby as the hairs stood up on the back of his neck. Was Jeremy around? He hurriedly used his x-ray vision to search the area. He spotted no one except the teens in the trucks.

Lana forced herself to calm down. No! I will not let them ruin Clark and I’s night! She thought with conviction as her blazing eyes faded, returning to normal.

“Just ignore them, Lana.” Clark comforted, holding her by her slim waist. “They’re just stupid teenagers!” Oops! I forgot, so am I, Clark berated himself. Lana missed his verbal faux pas, but she picked up on Clark’s constant glancing around the area.

“I knew it!” Lana snapped.“You’re ashamed of me!” Clark nearly jumped. “What? I am not!” He defended. “Lana, I…” He caught himself at the last moment before he’d said ‘I love you’.

 “I like you very much.” Clark finished in the nick of time as they entered the auditorium. Immediately, Lana’s face brightened and she planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’m sorry, I’m just nervous.” She explained. “I mean, everyone’s looking at us!”

The crowd began to murmur and buzz as they passed the dance moderators. Jonathan and Martha Kent were two of the chaperones. They smiled proudly as Clark escorted Lana through the crowd.

The only table left open to them was the one nearest to the stage. A live rock band, Remy Zero, was just beginning to warm up. That’s not right, Clark noted, Remy Zero didn’t play at Smallville High until next year.

These timelines are confusing. Not every one is the same.

He silently debated his overall strategy as he held the chair for Lana. She sat down, just as Chloe showed up with her date, a guy that Clark didn’t know.

“Whoa! Lang! Nice!” Chloe started her instigation. ‘Who’d have thought that you and Kent would make a perfect couple?” She threw in the dig. “Yeah, a perfect pair of losers!” Randy said, as he led the other jocks and cheerleaders to the first table.

“Is that really necessary?” Whitney Fordman, of all people, derided his linebacker. Carolyn winced. “Lana, you look pretty in that dress.” She unexpectedly praised.“Thank you.” Lana blushed then gazed at Clark.

“Maybe it’s the glasses?” She tearfully removed them. “It is not the glasses, Lana.” Clark reassured her. “They’re simply rude, obnoxious, and petty jocks and cheerleaders, except for Whitney and Carolyn.” He added loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Big words Kent, can you back them up?” A defensive back challenged. Clark could smell the liquor on his breath. He ignored him. “Cool it!” Whitney warned.

Two of the school administrators slowly approached them. “Do you want to get us tossed out?” Carolyn argued. Clark was beginning to lose his patience, and there was still no sign of Jeremy Creek. He’d have to make an excuse to Lana soon and look for the mentally deranged meteor freak.

The situation inside the auditorium was still too volatile.The band continued to warm up. Lana and Clark chatted about school projects and term papers. Clark could barely recall any of them. After all, it had been over one hundred and fifty years since he’d been in Smallville High.

Lana didn’t seem to mind as she drew closer and closer to him. Eventually she rested her head on Clark’s shoulder and placed her hands in his lap. Clark was lost in the moment, yet something was still wrong.

He imagined that he saw a pulse of energy radiate outward from Lana’s head. Clark blinked his eyes, assuming that the flickering lights were playing tricks on them. Wait a minute…flickering lights? He was quietly terrified. Jeremy!

Clark was about to get up when Lana made an excuse for him. “Clark, I’m going to go freshen up. I’ll be right back.” Lana started for the ladies’ washroom and the flickering lights steadied once again. Clark was thoroughly puzzled.

 He casually strolled away from the table, though many eyes were still upon him. “Hi Mom! Hi Dad!” He waved to his parents who were located near the punch bowl and snack table. “Hey son!” Jonathan said.

Clark felt his heart ache knowing that in a few short years, his beloved Earth father would be dead, or would he? Clark began a new plan before shifting into hyper speed behind the curtains at the back of the stage.

He zoomed around the school, the parking lot, and the nearby cornfield where the scarecrow’s cross had been set. He found no sign of Jeremy. Perhaps he hadn’t made it into this timeline?

Clark guessed as he returned to his seat. Just then, Lana entered the room. Remy Zero had begun their set. Lana smiled brightly at Clark as the band broke into a slower tempo song.

This is heaven, Lana silently thought as she passed the jocks and cheerleaders, purposely ignoring them.

Clark still had to keep up appearances, and to be honest, he longed to dance with Lana again. “Can I have this dance?” He asked, charming the young beauty. Lana’s eyes sparkled. “Of course Clark, this dance and every dance forever and ever.”

Lana replaced her glasses atop her nose and let Clark guide her to the center of the gymnasium. Jonathan and Martha glanced at them with approval. Was this the quiet before the storm?

Clark and Lana danced to all the slow songs throughout the night. Time and time again, Clark had used his x-ray vision to search for Jeremy to no avail. The dance finally began to wind down.

Remy Zero had announced that this slow song was to be their last.This needs to be louder, Lana mused as she once again melted into Clark’s arms.

Behind his back, she waved a hand at the band’s stage set. Immediately the power level of the amps increased, startling the band’s technicians. The crowd winced as the volume cranked up.

It rattled the building. Clark noted the sound level increase with a grimace.The sonic assault assailed his sensitive hearing. The administrators gathered around the technicians to complain about the volume. They shrugged and pointed to their ears, unable to hear the teacher’s protests.

Mercifully, the song ended and Remy Zero said their goodnights. Clark’s ears were ringing, and he felt unusually warm with Lana in his arms. I shouldn’t feel warm, in fact, I shouldn’t notice any temperature change at all, he thought, guiding Lana back to their table.

“Oh Clark! Thank you!” Lana grabbed him and kissed him passionately.“Hey you two! Get a room!” Whitney joked, rather pleased with himself. Carolyn chuckled.

“This has been the most memorable night of my life.” Lana gushed as she whispered in his ear.“I wish that it would never end.” Clark agreed, mostly to keep her attention, yet something was still bothering him about the entire evening.

They said their goodnights to Jonathan and Martha.“Now don’t stay out too late, you two.” Martha warned pleasantly. Lana gathered her things as Clark waited nearby. He watched the jocks and cheerleaders file out of the auditorium without incident.

 The young couple then made their way out into the parking lot. The dance was over, and no sign of Jeremy, Clark observed, willing to let it go as a stroke of good luck. “Lana, would you like to go out to Reeves Point?” Clark asked before he’d thought it out.

“Sure, if you want to.” She answered without hesitation. They were halfway to Clark’s truck when a few of the jocks cut them off. The cheerleaders were nowhere around at the moment.

Chloe and her date were just getting to the area from the school. She automatically smelled trouble, and made a beeline for the confrontation.

“You dweebs have a good time tonight?” Randy asked sarcastically. “Yes! It was lovely!” Lana responded angrily, taking an aggressive stance towards the jocks.

“Lana, don’t give them the satisfaction…” Clark warned. His plea fell on deaf ears as the cheerleaders stormed out from behind the trucks and pelted Lana and Clark with eggs.

She was in tears as her eyes flared an unmistakably golden red color. Lana was furious. “Haw! Haw! Haw!” The jocks laughed. It was the last thing that they ever did.

Clark started to put the pieces together, but it was too late. Lana’s arms rose above her head. She appeared to pull lightning bolts from the sky, as the charges flew from her eyes and fingertips.

Lana blasted the jocks, cheerleaders, and their vehicles with intense bolts of raw energy. In seconds it was over. The trucks began exploding. The smaller cars had flipped over and were now engulfed in flames.

“Lana! What have you done?” Clark was horrified. The love of Clark’s life had simply killed at least a dozen teenagers, right before his eyes.

Chloe lay at their feet, severely burned and disfigured, but alive. Her date was not as fortunate. He’d died with the others…electrocuted. “I’m sorry!” Lana wailed. “I lost my temper!”

Clark didn’t know what to say or do. Lana fell to her knees, sobbing. The rest of the students and faculty looked on in complete shock. Clark hadn’t realized the problem in time to short circuit Lana’s electrical ability, as he’d done long ago with Jeremy.

 Clark was devastated. Lana would likely spend the rest of her life in prison, if she didn’t get the death penalty outright.  Martha was crying as she approached Lana and the fallen Chloe.

Sirens pierced the peaceful night air. Someone had dialed 911. “I’m sorry, son.” Jonathan said as he briefly held Clark’s shoulder. The words sounded hollow to Clark as he edged away.

“So am I dad, so am I.” He muttered as he reached into the family truck. Clark had hidden the Eye of Rao in the beat up glove box. He sadly pressed the amethyst colored gem within the silvery facet and was gone.

Would this horrid journey never end? Superman wondered silently as the eons of time spun around him.

link to chapter 9