Beyond Smallville: Fan Fiction

Rescue

Lana had become lucid enough to reassess her life. She’d reached the conclusion that it was time to move on before she was dragged into yet another catastrophe. Hand wringing and soul searching aside, Lana was out of options.

Lana pointed out to Clark that there was only so much more she could do to save their relationship. Clark’s feelings had begun to change as well. He could ask no more of Lana. "Clark, your destiny is far greater than our lame attempts to be ‘normal’." She said tearfully.

"The fact is that life with you would never be normal." Lana added as Clark stood by stoically waiting for her to finish her say. "I’m tired, Clark." She continued. "Tired of the lies on top of lies, the crises, and the disappearances for long periods of time."

"Please say something." Lana begged. "You’re right." Clark replied hesitantly. "I’m an alien and I don’t belong here." Lana blew her hair out of her eyes in frustration. "That’s not the point..." Clark cut her off. "Yes it is, Lana." He steeled his resolve. "It’s not fair to you."

"Your life can still be normal." He mentioned. "I’ll just sit here and..." Clark took a seat on the swing on the wrap around front porch of the neatly painted Kent ranch house. Lana settled in next to him. "No you won’t!" She interrupted him.

"You will not waste the gifts that you’ve been given. Clark, you have to face it. Jor El sent you here to protect Earth from whatever! I’m just holding you back. Besides..." She took his hands in hers. "I want to live normally. I want to get up in the morning and not fear for my life."

"I don’t want to be up all night worrying about where you are, or what form of apocalypse is heading our way." Lana concluded. "You’re just giving up?" Clark was skeptical. "Yes. There’s nothing more I can do to help you. All the money I got from Lex has been spent."

"I have some savings to start a new life. Most of the divorce settlement I spent on the Isis Foundation or have given away to charities. The government has confiscated all of my surveillance equipment." Lana cuddled Clark and leaned on his shoulder.

"Then there’s the issue of children." Lana glanced away nervously. "Lana, I’m not sure if I can..." Clark reddened. "Exactly my point." She cut him off again. "This is the only option, Clark. We need to stop fooling ourselves. One day the world will need you...more than I do."

Clark choked on his next words. "I love you." Lana kept right on crying. "I love you, too. That won’t ever change, but maybe I’m not the right girl for you."

Clark’s depressing dream was thankfully interrupted by a knocking at the door to his room. "Rise and shine, Kent! Girl alert!" Lois Lane shoved the door open catching Clark in his bright red underwear and nothing else. She snickered at the sight.

Clark had forgotten that the night before, he'd rescued his new good friend.

Last night a besotted Lois Lane had been out drowning her sorrows. Flashback: Lois sat on a barstool alone in the trendy and overpriced Club G in downtown Central City.

Lois vacantly stirred the ice in her fourth Margarita. Central City was a big college town as well, and the pretty twenty-two year old Army brat had grown tired of the hayseed boys of Central Kansas. All they cared about was sports and getting some.

They thought women were interchangeable, like tires and motor parts on their dusty old pickup trucks, Lois considered sourly. Naturally a loser happened upon Lois for the third time this evening. "Hey sweetie, you look bored, he slurred." The slick haired boy began.

"Why don’t you join us at the table off to the left?" The college pretty boy offered. Lois glanced over at their table through bloodshot eyes. They were fairly typical local students, who drank too much, and hadn’t scored one woman all evening.

"We’re going to play quarters, and every time you miss popping a quarter into the glass, you have to do a shot." He explained. Lois had gotten her fill for the evening. "You want to play games pretty boy? Here’s one! Hide and seek. You go hide and I’ll count to a billion! Ready? Set? Go!" The loser got her message immediately. Been there, done that! Lois fumed.

"Chill baby! If you don’t want to play, just say so!" Loser boy grumbled as he stalked off to lick his wounds and trash talk Lois to his buddies. "I think you’ve had enough, young lady!" The mafia type bartender told Lois discreetly. She stared over at him with glazed eyes.

"I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough! I’m no Sorority Susie here!" Lois snapped loudly. Her attitude had been bad since Oliver left her some weeks ago, and her Daily Planet editor ended up dead with a bullet or two in his gut. "Another Margarita!" She barked.

Lois dug out her small handbag and looked for some money. She had exactly one dollar and thirteen cents left. "Oops! Belay that, Gino." Lois said to the bartender. "I think that I’ve had enough. A glass of water, please." She added contritely. Gino walked away shaking his head.

Lois pulled out her cell phone and punched up her cousin Chloe’s number at the Daily Planet. Clark sat staring vacantly at Chloe’s computer screen. "Okay, spill it Clark!" Chloe ordered. "What has Lana done or not done now?" He refused to meet Chloe’s penetrating gaze.

"Lana and I are history, Chlo’" The young super hero replied. "Is that the third or fourth time this month?" Chloe asked cynically. "This is it, Chloe. She’s given up." Clark responded soberly. "Oh c’mon Clark, get a grip! You know how unstable she is." Chloe smirked. "If this keeps up you will be getting a grip, won’t you?" Clark frowned. "Funny, Chloe, real funny." He added petulantly.

"Geez, Clark, you and Lana are only around twenty one years old." She reasoned. "You have your whole lives ahead of you." Clark finally made eye contact with her. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her." He grimaced. At least the rest of her life, he thought dejectedly.

"Yeah, well I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Brad Pitt or Orlando Bloom." She said tersely. "We can’t always get what we want." She added. "No, I’m not quoting the Rolling Stones! Maybe Lana wasn’t the right girl for you." Maybe I am, then again, why would I want to play sloppy seconds? Chloe mused. I have Jimmy, who is uncomplicated and has fewer issues. If Lois was here...

"Clark, did you know that Lois is in Central City right now?" Chloe began. "So?" Clark asked absently, though he welcomed a change of subject. "What’s she doing there?" Chloe laughed. "I shudder to think, probably dancing on the tables of some trendy club by now."

"Seriously though, Lois has been down and out since losing Oliver and Grant." Chloe added solemnly. "Clark, she started drinking again. I’m worried about her." Clark nodded. Central City was the second largest city in the Midwest. It was located about eighty miles from Metropolis.

Chloe’s phone played a popular rock hit. "Speak of the devil!" She flipped open her cell and said: "Hey Lo’ what’s up?" Clark listened with detached interest. His super hearing picked up Lois’s end of the conversation.

"Hey little cousin." Lois slurred. "How’s things in the Obit Department?" Chloe rolled her eyes. "You might say that they’re dead." She replied sarcastically. "You did not just say that!" Lois giggled. Clark had never heard Lois giggle before.

It seemed contradictory to her personality type. "How’s your stud muffin, Jimmy?" Lois asked. Chloe barely heard her over the pounding bass of the nightclub’s speaker system.

 Lois had wandered towards the exit, staggering slightly. Clark attempted to tune out the girls’ private conversation. He resumed reading the info on the computer screen he was seated in front of..

Maybe I should try on line dating, He thought facetiously. Here’s the profile: Lonely alien seeks warm human female’s company for possible long term relationship, and to create a new hybrid race of mutant alien humanoids...yeah, that would get a lot of responses.

Clark reluctantly picked up an interesting part of the girls’ discussion. "Getting enough?" Lois had asked playfully. "Never." Chloe replied... "Yeah, Lo’ he’s right here." She added as she glanced up at a horrified Clark Kent.

He wildly gestured with his hands and mouthed the words ‘no, I’m not here. I just left.’ Chloe’s eyes sparkled. She’d been waiting to torment Clark all evening.

"I’ll have him swing by and pick you up." Clark slapped his hand against his forehead. "Clark, Lois lost her car keys and watch. She can’t get into her car." Chloe placed her hand over the cell’s mouthpiece. "I’d have her call the cops and tell them to bring a slim jim, but she’s totally wasted.

That wouldn’t be a smart move." Clark grimaced. "Chloe, I didn’t bring the truck." He argued. "You want me to go home and get it, and then drive eighty miles to pick her up?" Chloe put her phone on mute. "Clark, I’m worried about her. She’s been drinking an awful lot lately.

Even for her, this is abnormal. I think she’s got a problem. Besides, she’s so blitzed that she probably wouldn’t even notice that you were sans truck." Clark put up his hands in resignation."Fine, I’ll just invent another stupid lie to cover my tracks." He sighed. Lying was just too easy of late, he mused.

Chloe smiled. "Thanks bro’ I owe you one." Clark nodded. "Big time!" Chloe flipped her phone back to talk. "Lois? Lois?" She could barely hear her cousin’s voice. "I’m sending Clark over to help..." The connection broke as the phone clicked off. "Damn it!" She put the phone back in her desk.

Chloe turned to face Clark. "I love Lois like a sister, but she’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Since your dad died, she hasn’t really been the same." Chloe admitted. "Really?" Clark found that interesting. "I guess we all have to grow up sometime. Maybe she just can’t deal."

"I don’t know Clark, I’ve never seen her this bad. After your dad, Wes, Oliver, and Grant, she may be past her breaking point. I also think that she’s obsessed with bringing down Lex." Chloe stated worriedly. "I’ll go and get her." Clark confirmed. "Maybe I can find her keys and watch."

Chloe reached into her purse and pulled out two crisp twenty dollar bills. She handed them to Clark. "What’s this for?" He scoffed. "In case of emergency." Chloe smirked. "Like what?" He retorted. "In case you need bail money, gas money, to pay a bar tab, or get a motel room." She teased.

"Nice!" Clark scowled. "Thanks again Clark. Who knows? You may be saving a life or two tonight by keeping my drunken cousin off the roads." She said half seriously. "Guilt trip much?" Clark asked sourly. "See you." With that, Clark dashed away in the blink of an eye.

His wake scattered papers in all directions. You know, I’ll never truly get used to that, Chloe shook her head as she reclaimed the items.

A few moments later the Man of Steel slowed his speed as he approached the lights at the outskirts of Central City. He reduced his momentum to a fast jog and came up to the rear entrance of Club G. The pounding beat of the bass speakers had already started to give him a headache. 

Clark warily paid the ten dollar entrance fee at the door and set about searching the chattering audience for Lois. He winced every time the DJ hit a beat. I’d better do this quickly, he thought, scoping out the dance floor first, and then the horseshoe bar at the club’s rear wall. 

There she was! Lois was wearing a nice, simple, low cut black spaghetti strap dress and was calmly sipping a tall glass of water with a twist of lemon. She doesn’t look like she’s in distress, Clark mentally grumbled. He worked his way towards her, snaking his way through the crowd. 

A few of the female co-eds dancing together watched Clark appreciatively. He was woefully underdressed for this establishment, not that he cared. He wore his trademark red plaid flannel shirt, blue jeans, and work boots. Frankly Clark was surprised that the bouncers let him in. 

The burly guards at the club’s entrance didn’t even bother to card him. Then he realized why. Just beyond Lois, engraved in a large wall mirror behind the bar, were the brightly painted initials “LL”. Naturally, the nightclub was owned wholly or in part by Luthorcorp.

Nearly every girl’s head turned as Clark walked past, and he finally reached Lois. The place was obviously a meat market, he observed. “Hey Lois!” Clark shouted over the aggravating din.

At first Lois scowled, expecting another loser guy (or girl!) to hit on her. When she recognized him, Clark thought that she looked…strange. Lois smiled brightly and peered at him through glassy eyes. Clark forced a polite return grin.

 He wrinkled his nose. Lois’s breath reeked of tequila. That alone would have been enough incentive for the police to bust her.

Chloe had done the right thing, he mused. “Hey Smallville! What brings you all the way out here?” Lois slurred. “You!” Clark said abruptly. “Your cousin’s worried about you, remember?” he nearly shouted over the sonic assault, making his headache worsen. 

Clark reluctantly took a seat next to her. “Oh Chloe’s a worry wart! I’m fine!” Lois leaned towards him seductively with a lusty grin on her face. Uh huh, Clark thought sourly. “I lost my damn car keys and watch, though.” 

Gino the bartender came up to Clark and asked him what he wanted to drink. “A tall glass of water.” He replied coldly. “Ooh! Yet another big spender! This must be my lucky night.” Gino’s voice dripped with sarcasm. He returned promptly with the water, rolling his eyes at Clark. 

Just to be nice, Clark tipped him a dollar. Lois’s gaze was straightforward and unfocussed. Finally she cocked her head, letting her chestnut brown hair fall to one side of her thin face.

In an alcohol enhanced view, she suddenly found Clark strangely attractive. “So are all of the tractor pulls, hoedowns, and monster truck rallies done for the night back in dullsville?” Lois snarked.

“Yeah, we pretty much roll up the streets at ten PM.” He humored her, enjoying her dry wit. Mercifully, the loud thumping bass shut down so the DJ could make some announcements. Clark sipped his water. 

It wasn’t as good as the bottled water back home, but it would do, he criticized. Lois moved in closer. Clark noted that her large eyes were bloodshot. It’s possible that she hadn’t been sleeping well either, he guessed. “You came all the way out here to get me? How sweet!” Lois slurred. 

“You’re such a good friend, Clarkie.” Lois said as she kissed him on the cheek, startling him. Lois rested her head on his shoulder. Yup, Lois had far too much to drink, he determined. “Ready to go?” Clark pressed after taking another sip of the overpriced beverage. 

“What’s your hurry? The night’s still young.” Lois smiled broadly. Yeah, but the dollars from Chloe, coupled with the limited amount of money I have, wasn’t going to go far in this place. Clark didn’t want to upset Lois either, fearing that she’d make a scene. 

The DJ announced over the PA that Lex Luthor himself was going to make an appearance at Club G this Friday night. Uh oh! Clark was filled with dread. “What? He’s a rock star now?” Lois snapped. “Hey Smallville! Are you gonna smack down Lex for stealing your girl?” 

Lois’s voice rose suddenly. Here we go! Clark thought warily. “He’s a pompous, arrogant, money hungry bastard! Those are just his good points!” Lois was now yelling, embarrassing Clark, and alerting the bouncers, who began to edge towards them.

“We ought to go up to that creepy old mansion and beat his ass!” Lois continued her tirade. Most of the patrons were thankfully ignoring her, assuming that it was a common boyfriend and girlfriend fight. Clark glanced around nervously. Gino was reaching behind the bar. 

“I hate jerks like him!” Lois was tiring herself out. Everyone else, except the bouncers, had lost interest in the scene. A slow song cranked up on the speaker system, much to Clark’s appreciation. It was ‘Weapon’ and adult alternative rock song that hadn’t yet become popular. 

Lois quickly mellowed. “Aw, I love this song. Let’s dance! C’mon Clark, it’ll be fun.” Lois urged, dragging Clark up off the barstool. He could’ve resisted, but again in her drunken state, Lois would cause another scene. Maybe it would quiet her down. Clark hoped. 

Lois half staggered towards the dance floor, pulling Clark along with her. He sighed. Could this night get any worse? He silently wondered. Lois clung to Clark tightly and she sang the words to the song off key in his ear, dancing ever closer. 

“Here by my side, it’s heaven! Don’t turn your back on me! Here in your arms it’s heaven!” Lois wailed. By the song’s second verse, Clark was basically holding Lois upright. Good, if she keeps this up, she won’t be a problem. Clark mused. 

There was still the matter of Lois’s car keys and watch. I wonder…He thought. Lois had carelessly left her purse unguarded atop the bar where they’d been seated. Clark used his x-ray vision to examine the purse. There’s her hand clutch with the whopping total of 13 cents… 

Oops! Female items, Cell phone, Ah! There we go! At the bottom of her purse, beneath a wad of tissues were her car keys! That saves me an awkward explanation or two.

Another slow song mixed in and Clark grimaced. It was the Lifehouse tune “You and Me” from Clark and Lana’s senior prom. Great! Will this night never end? He groused as he spun Lois slowly back towards the bar. At least the car keys wouldn’t be a problem… 

Lois sagged in his arms. Her big brown eyes fluttered open briefly. “I love you, Clark.” She whispered in his ear, before mercifully nodding off for good. “What?” Clark had heard her of course. Yeah right! She’s in love with the Margaritas more likely. He thought cynically. 

Clark had to admit that it was nice to have a woman in his arms again. He took one last long sniff of Lois’s delicate perfume, and her herbal shampooed hair. With his superior sense of smell, he’d been able to decipher the pleasant odors from the tequila breath and cigarette stench in her hair. 

Clark used his hyper speed to zip to the bar, gather Lois’s purse and zip back, catching Lois in his arms before she could fall. No one around them appeared to be any wiser. Lois had basically passed out halfway through the last slow dance and she was still quiet. 

Time to go! Clark thought as he sped out the front door of the nightclub carrying Lois. One couple had unclenched near the center of the dance floor and looked around curiously. Soon they forgot about Lois and Clark’s sudden disappearance. 

The bouncer at the door scratched his head wondering about the breeze that seemed to come up out of nowhere. Papers, pebbles, and small sticks spun before him in a circle before settling back down on top of the parking lot pavement.

His attention was further limited by the young couple necking close to the building’s corner. Clark hunted through the lot for Lois’s car, soon locating it. He slowed to a stop, balancing Lois on one arm, while digging into her purse with the other hand. 

He grasped the car keys, beeped the alarm, carefully placing Lois in the passenger’s seat, buckling her in. After closing the door, he seated himself behind the wheel. On a whim, Clark checked the glove box atop the car’s dashboard with his x-ray vision. 

Yup, there was Lois’s watch, neatly tucked away behind a slew of maps. That about covers everything. It was just after midnight when Clark finally got on the road back to Smallville. Lois snoozed peacefully as Clark drove down the dark deserted highways. 

It made sense to him to take Lois back to the farm, rather than her apartment at the Talon. He hoped that she wouldn’t remember how Clark got her home. For some reason, he didn’t want to lie to Lois anymore, though he assumed that might be asking too much. 

Clark pulled up along the gravelly access road to the Kent Farm, and parked Lois’s car next to the ranch house. Lois was still knocked out as he carried her into the house and opted to let her sleep in his bed. He covered her with a blanket and attached her watch to her wrist. 

Clark had examined the timepiece and decided it must have held sentimental value for Lois, otherwise why would she have been so worried about it? He read the inscription on the back of the watch before placing it on her: To Lois from Mom, Love always. That made sense! 

Clark was about to go downstairs and settle onto the couch for the night, when his cell phone buzzed. Martha Kent had called. Hi son, how are you? Sorry to call so late, but I’d tried earlier…

“Mom! It’s good to hear from you.” Clark said quietly as he left his bedroom.

Clark had explained his impromptu trip to Central City, his break up with Lana, and the arrival of Kara…Martha had missed a lot while she was away in Washington. She had been coming in for Lionel Luthor’s funeral, before Clark informed her that Lex wasn’t allowing visitation. 

“Lionel deserves better than that.” Clark reiterated. “I know son, but it’s Lex’s decision to make.” Martha was growing more depressed every minute. “In regards to Lois, you did the right thing.” She added, changing the subject. “Maybe Lana wasn’t the right one for you.” 

“Lois has been doing that a lot lately hasn’t she?” Martha inquired. “Chloe seems to think that Lois has a problem.” Clark added. “She hasn’t been the same since dad died, to say nothing of Wes, Grant, and her failed relationship with Oliver.” 

“We all grieve in our own way, Clark.” Martha pointed out. “I think it’s more than that, Mom. I don’t think she has any friends, other than Chloe, Jimmy, and I. She spent a little time with Kara.” Martha listened intently. “Do you want me to have a talk with her?” 

“It couldn’t hurt.” Clark agreed. “She needs to stop that destructive behavior.” Martha mentioned. “You can’t be there to save her all the time.” Why not? A voice inside Clark’s head had kicked in, distracting him. Maybe I’m just tired… 

Clark lounged around on the couch as he talked with his mother. “I haven’t really slept well since…” Martha let the unfinished statement hang in the air. “I haven’t either.” Clark put in. “Fortunately, I don’t need much sleep to begin with.” 

Martha sighed. “I don’t know if I can keep doing this.” She admitted. “At first, I enjoyed being a Senator. It was good to keep busy to keep my mind off of…” Clark nodded. “I understand. I’ve done nothing but think about it…and now that I’ve lost Lana as well…” 

He leaned back into the sofa and kicked off his shoes. “Life seems sort of hopeless. I mean, what’s the point? I know that I have responsibilities…the farm…my friends…but it’s just not enough anymore. I need something to do…you know, like a job or something.” 

(See Beyond Smallville: Evolution.) 

Martha understood. “You’ll figure it out, I know you.”

Clark hung up the phone with Martha and headed back upstairs to take a shower. With his speed he could’ve simply sped in and back out again. He found that he enjoyed taking a relaxing hot shower before bedtime.

Clark dried off and went to the hallway linen closet. He was about to pull out some new towels and washcloths for Lois, when his super sensitive hearing picked up a sound outside his bedroom window.

Clark sped into his room, where Lois was snoring undisturbed. He glanced out the window with his regular vision. Clark followed up by using his x-ray vision, but found no one. Maybe I’m paranoid and overtired, he reasoned.

Deciding to swallow his pride, he climbed into his own bed beside Lois! She would give him some grief tomorrow, but that was okay.  His gut told him to keep an eye on her.

Lois had made some nasty comments about Lex, and she’d been actively trying to find ways of bringing the corrupt billionaire down. She may have already pushed some of the wrong buttons.  

Clark wouldn’t put it past Lex to have some of his goons ‘send Lois a message.’ He considered a number of ways to protect her, and eventually fell asleep. After a while, Lois awakened, surprised to see Clark in bed with her. What the hell? She wondered, but was too tired and drunk to care.

Brainiac sped away, taking flight eventually. Young Kara hadn't been home with her cousin Kal El. How hard could it be to find a single non-human girl on this prehistoric planet? He wondered. 

Clark slept deeply for the first time in weeks, but his nightmares wouldn’t relent. First came the image of Lex and Brainiac standing among a pile of burned and smoldering bodies, human bodies! They were both laughing.

Then there was the image of Kara, being struck by Zor El. Finally, Clark saw himself, dying beneath Lex’s boot, and a ring of bright green kryptonite nuggets surrounded him.

As the nightmare continued, Clark saw himself back in his barn, a bright light shone from beneath and along the edges of the barn doors. The doors swung open and there stood…Jonathan Kent!

“Dad? What are you doing…I mean how?” Clark stammered as the image approached him.  “It’s not important now, son. I know about Lionel’s death, and Jor El’s capture of you. The real threats are Lex and Brainiac.” 

“I know, dad. Alone, I’m not sure if I can defeat them both.” Clark protested. “I can’t stress this enough, Clark…” Jonathan’s image dimmed slightly. “I haven’t much time. Lex and Brainiac must be stopped at all costs!

Remember, this is much bigger than our little world here.” “If you have to leave the farm, then so be it!” Jonathan’s image shook violently. “You must embrace your destiny. I know I sound like Jor El, but I’ve begun to realize that he’s right.

The future of mankind and so much more is at stake!” The apparition faded to a light shadow. “Will I ever see you again?” Clark asked. Jonathan pointed to his chest. “I’ll be with you in here, always.” The barn went dark, and Clark woke up shivering.

Lois had turned onto her side and placed her arm around Clark’s neck. This is too weird. He thought as Lois slept peacefully with her head on his chest. I suppose it was inevitable, Clark considered.

Lex had been given many chances to reform, and he hadn’t. Maybe it’s time to confront him and Brainiac, and let the chips fall where they may. 

Clark was beginning to doze off again, listening to Lois’s heartbeat. If I’m going to war, I’ll have to warn the other girls first. Chloe, Lana, and Kara deserved to know what they might be up against. Lana’s tearful face appeared again in his next nightmare.  

link to ch 5: Traveler