Present, Watchtower
Dr. Emil Hamilton looked closely at Clark’s blood results under a microscope. “Well, if being able to use a regular needle on you with no meteor rock wasn’t already an indication, this certainly proves it. You have less than .5% of kryptonite in your bloodstream. Not enough to kill you, but enough to keep you from getting your powers back,” Emil said, peeling off his rubber gloves.
“Is there anything I can do about it? Any way to get rid of it?” Clark asked anxiously.
“Maybe if there was some way to neutralize it…” mused Emil, as he turned to his computer, searching for something on the internet.
“Neutralize it…” Clark repeated, mulling it over, wondering how he might accomplish that.
Then he remembered. “Like Lana’s necklace,” he said out loud. Emil gave him a puzzled look, and Clark continued on to explain. “Years ago, Lana had a green meteor rock necklace. And, long story short, it was neutralized by a blast of light from my space ship,” he said somewhat sadly, recalling when his ship had exploded so many years ago. ”That same –energy might be accessible in the Fortress. Jor-El may have a way of helping me get rid of it,” Clark said optimistically.
Emil eyed Clark skeptically. “Interesting. I honestly have no idea,” he said, shaking his head. “But it might be worth a try, at least.”
~L&C~
Clark drove back to farm, the feelings of hope and worry warring within him. There still hadn’t been any signs of Lois or Joel. Clark knew they were lost in time somewhere, but without knowing when, he wasn’t sure what he could do. Even if he had his powers, he didn’t have a second Legion ring to go after them.
Still, Clark thought it was important that he get his powers back first. Maybe Jor-El would have a way of finding Lois and Joel.
Clark reached the farm and parked his truck. He hadn’t been in the barn since Lois and Joel had disappeared, and he was reluctant to go in there again. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach, wondering why Lois had been up there in the first place. She knew how dangerous the ring was as well. How could she have just let the ring make them disappear?
He hoped it hadn’t been on purpose, doing something foolhardy like looking for some way to right the wrong that Slade Wilson had done to him. Clark sighed; she wouldn’t be so foolish to do something like that with Joel with her. Maybe it had just been an accident?
Clark headed towards the barn. Whatever had happened to them, Clark hoped that whichever iteration of himself Lois ran into, that he’d help them somehow return home.
Clark climbed the stairs to the loft, once more wondering what Lois could have been doing up there. He walked over to his bookshelf, and found the disk that would take him to the Fortress. He hoped Jor-El could help…
~L&C~
Clark headed into the Kawatche Caves, realizing he hadn’t been there in a long time. As Clark entered the caves, he noticed the faint smell of a bonfire, and saw some beer cans lying on the ground. It might not be a well-known spot in Smallville, but apparently some teenagers knew about it.
Clark took out the disk and laid it on the table, creating a portal of light. He stepped into it, feeling the cold wind of the Fortress blast him in the face as he was transported from the caves. He had never noticed how cold it was there before, and gained new respect for how well Lois had handled her visits there, especially during the birth of their son.
Clark felt a pang of worry, thinking about them. But he hoped they’d find their way back to him soon. And if not, then Clark would find a way to locate them. Perhaps he could contact the Legion somehow – but he needed his powers first.
“Jor-El!” Clark called into the wind. “Can you do anything about the kryptonite in my body? Can you help me get my powers back?”
“Kal-El, Earth is vulnerable to the darkness that threatens it.”
The darkness… Clark had almost forgotten, being so overwhelmed with his own problems.
“This darkness… how can I fight it?”
“Only one pure of heart can repel the darkness away, Kal-El.”
“Pure of heart,” Clark whispered to himself. The only person he knew that was truly pure was his son. But surely a baby couldn’t fight something like the darkness… Clark believed it was his responsibility to get rid of it. He had, after all, let it into the earth through the portal with the Book of Rao, however unintentionally. He sighed, hating how he felt like his very presence sometimes caused more harm than good.
“And my powers? I will fight this darkness, Jor-El. But I can’t do it without my abilities.”
“Kal-El, step into the light, and I will restore your powers,” the voice said above him.
“Though it will take more than strength to fight the darkness, Kal-El.”
The omega symbol that Clark had seen on Wilson still gave him nightmares. Whatever the darkness was, it was a great evil, and Clark wasn’t sure how he could fight it. But he had to find a way to conquer it… part of him hoped that Lois and Joel would stay away until he figured out how to stop it. But he knew the thought of never seeing them again terrified him more. No, he needed them to return – and he had to be ready to protect them when they came back.
Clark stepped into the beam of light, pouring down from the ceiling. He felt an immediate purge in his body, like an intense radiation purifying him. Then, a warmer beam came down upon him, strong as the sun, restoring his powers once more.
~L&C~
2008
Lois stood in the Kent kitchen, holding Joel. She glanced around, uncertain about when
they were. She noted that Joel’s highchair wasn’t in its usual corner, so she knew they weren’t home. Lois let out a frustrated sigh, staring angrily at the ring on her finger. Was it broken, or something?
She didn’t have much time to think about it, as she heard the kitchen door open behind her. Lana stood there, with a bundle of wildflowers in her hand and a smile on her face.
Lois resisted the urge to roll her eyes in disgust… why did the ring have to keep tossing her into a time where she was confronted with Clark’s old flame?`
“Lois, what are you doing here? And with a baby, no less?” Lana laughed, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Um, I’m just… um, babysitting. Is Clark around?”
Lana smiled in a way that told Lois she had landed sometime when things were cozy between her and Clark. She resisted the urge to scream in irritated frustration, wishing she could wipe the smug grin off Lana’s face. Lana had caused nothing but heartache for Clark, and had constantly sidetracked him. They weren’t good for each other, though it took years for them to see it.
“Guess things are going well for you two,” Lois commented dryly.
“Things have been---amazing between Clark and I. I don’t know… it’s like, he’s finally opening up to me.”
Just then, Clark appeared on the stairs, bounding down them, and immediately pulled Lana in for a kiss, barely acknowledging Lois. Lois cleared her throat, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable in the room.
“Hi, Lois,” he said off-handedly, barely looking at her.
Lois studied Clark, finding it odd, even in his Lana-obsessed haze, that he was so blasé towards her. Looking back, she recalled that even during their most antagonistic times, he had always acknowledged her in some way. This didn’t seem to be the Clark Kent she knew.
Joel started to get fussy, and Lois knew he needed to eat again, and probably needed a diaper change as well. Lana and Clark were all but about to start necking and Lois didn’t want to stick around for the show. She suddenly felt very raw inside, and wished she could disappear in front of them.
“If you’ll, uh, excuse me. I gotta take care of this little tyke,” Lois said, turning to the fridge to see what she could dig up for Joel. Not seeing anything there, she noticed some bananas on the counter that were ripe enough that she could mush them up for a meal.
As she reached for a knife, her eyes met Clark’s. Lois stared at him for a moment, and she was surprised by how flat his eyes looked, almost lifeless. She felt a chill go up her spine, and she realized that she wasn’t looking at her Clark. There was something else going on…
Lois glanced down at Joel, seeing him get more agitated as the seconds ticked by. He kept glancing at Clark uneasily, and Lois had the sudden urge to get out of there – the moony eyes Lana was making at Clark, notwithstanding.
Lana and Clark moved into the living room, apparently unable to keep their hands off each other. As Lois fed Joel, she kept glancing over at Clark, puzzled by what she had seen.
There was something definitely off about him… Could it be kryptonite? Clark had explained to her how various forms of meteor rock affected him, but nothing he had described explained the sort of almost zombie-like quality she had seen in his eyes. It was – like he was a different person.
As that thought took hold, Lois felt herself grow even more anxious. While part of her was relieved that it wasn’t her Clark sucking face with Lana on the couch right now, she wondered where her Clark really was. Lois finished feeding Joel, wondering what she should do. She wasn’t sure when they were, though she knew it had to be at least three years ago, when Clark and Lana were still an item. But that didn’t tell her much about her own goings on in this time period… she didn’t know what would happen if she ran into her present self or what repercussions it may have. So she thought it best to keep a low profile, and stay near the farm.
Lois thought about retrying the ring, but she was concerned about Clark. She wouldn’t leave him if he was in trouble. Though, reason told her he had obviously gotten out of whatever trouble he was in, she still felt it necessary to at least sort out what was going on. All she knew was that the man in the living room wasn’t her future fiancé, and Joel seemed to sense it as well.
Lois thought about calling Chloe, but again, she worried about paradoxes and getting involved in things in the past that she didn’t really understand. No, she thought what she needed to do was try and get Clark alone. Maybe she could figure out the truth if she spoke to him one on one—which didn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon, judging by the kiss-fest happening on the sofa.
Lois sighed, and hefted Joel on her hip. She grabbed Clark’s keys and didn’t even say a word before she headed down the steps to his truck. She’d have to find a way to secure Joel inside, but luckily there was a store only about a mile away, so she wouldn’t have to travel far for diapers.
Lois strapped Joel in the middle back seat, which had an x-style seatbelt. If she was pulled over, she’d be in deep trouble, considering she didn’t even have a license on her. But Joel needed diapers…
She realized she didn’t have any cash on her either. But, she recalled that Clark usually had some stashed in his glove compartment, and she was not disappointed. She found a twenty dollar bill, and smiled at how reliable Clark was… well, is – in the future, her present. She wasn’t so sure what was up with this Clark, but she was determined to find out.
~L&C~
Lois returned not twenty minutes later, without incident. Thank God for small towns and therefore fewer police officers.
But she had diapers, and that was the important thing.
Lois grabbed the Pampers and Joel and headed up the steps to the Kent farmhouse. She really hoped Lana and Clark were done with their make out session and hadn’t moved on to… other things that Lois really didn’t want to think about.
Lois entered the kitchen, not seeing anyone around. “Hello?” she called, but didn’t get an answer.
Lois grabbed a clean, large kitchen towel and some Wet Ones she found in the kitchen drawer to get Joel cleaned up. She laid the towel on the sofa and then sat Joel on top of it. He was smiling at her, and she couldn’t help smile in return.
“At least I have you with me, kiddo,” she whispered with a sigh. She kept him entertained with silly faces as she changed his diaper, all the while wondering how and when they would get home. The ring didn’t seem reliable, but it couldn’t just toss them endlessly around time, could it?
Lois heard some footsteps behind her, just as she finished changing Joel. She picked up his dirty diaper to throw it away in the kitchen, when she saw Clark. His presence made her jump, her uncertainties about what she had noticed about him earlier coming to the fore once more.
“I’ll get out of your hair soon. Just, uh, well… “ she glanced around, trying to think of an excuse for still being there.
Clark eyed her carefully, and seemed indifferent to her and Joel’s presence. “Hang out as long as you like. Lana and I are leaving in a bit anyway,” he said blandly, reaching into the fridge for a soda.
As he leaned over, a sliver of afternoon sunlight shot through the curtain, flashing for a second onto his face. Lois saw it change in the light, looking almost metallic. She schooled her features to hide her shock as he stood back up to face her. If she wasn’t convinced before that something was wrong, she had no doubt now.
This wasn’t Clark.
Lois was tempted to confront him, but she worried about Joel. Whoever this guy was, she didn’t know if he had Clark’s powers or what harm he could do to her and Joel. But, at the same time, she could slip the ring back on her finger and vanish into whenever…
Her heart pounding, Lois made her decision. She shifted Joel into her left arm, preparing to put the ring on, if need be. “So… um, you don’t quite seem like yourself, Clark. Is everything okay?” she asked.
He paused in sipping his cola, giving her a half grin. “Why wouldn’t everything be okay? I have everything I ever wanted… and Lana and I—we’re going to finally leave Smallville.”
Lois covered her shock, picking up Joel’s giraffe on the counter and handing it to him. She couldn’t believe that Lana hadn’t figured out that something was wrong with Clark. He would never leave Smallville… besides that odd stare in his eyes, Lois could see that this guy wasn’t behaving at all like the Clark Kent she knew and loved.
“Oh? And where will you go?” she asked, her mind racing as to what could have happened to the real Clark.
“Away from here… far away,” he said.
Lois nodded, torn between fear and anger… had this—thing--- done something to Clark?
What if her Clark was in trouble somewhere? What if he needed rescuing?
“So, um, you’re just going to leave the farm? What does Mrs. K think?”
Clark eyed her suspiciously. “I haven’t told her yet.”
“Don’t you think you should? I mean, who’s going to take care of this place?” Lois pressed.
Not-Clark waved his hand flippantly in the air. “I don’t know. I’ll sell it.”
Lois shook her head, shocked that Lana hadn’t been able to see past this phony. “Like hell you will,” she ground out under her breath.
“Excuse me?” the guy who wasn’t Clark retorted.
“You heard me,” she spoke clearly, her heart racing. “And I know Clark, and he would never abandon the farm… just who the hell are you?” she finally blurted.
The monster that looked like Clark glared at her, and she stepped back fearfully. There was a look of evil in his eyes that shook her to the core. But just then, Lana walked down the stairs.
“Lois, what are you still doing here?” she asked.
“Just, getting ready to leave, actually,” Lois said, forcing a smile. She didn’t dare meet the fake Clark’s eyes as she grabbed Joel and fled out the door, her feet pounding down the steps.
But she couldn’t take Clark’s truck again, and besides, she had left his keys on the counter. She either had to put the ring on and hope it took her home, or find out what was going on with Clark. She sighed, uncertain what to do. She decided to head into the barn to try and think, feeling the whole time like that strange person who looked like her fiancé would pounce on her at any moment. She had no idea how Lana stood in the same room with him, let alone let him kiss her. Lois shook off an involuntary shiver as she headed up the stairs to the loft.
“Well, here we are again, Joel,” she said, looking around. “I wonder if any of Clark’s trinkets can help us now…” Lois noticed Clark’s bookshelf had an odd space unfilled with books, and she suddenly recalled that was where Clark kept the key to the Fortress. She headed over to the shelf and found the disk, sitting in a pile of dust behind it. “Why couldn’t I have found this before you grabbed that ring, huh? Maybe Jor-El can help us…”
Joel let out a fearful cry, just milliseconds before Lois felt a hand on her shoulder. The creature that wasn’t Clark looked down at her disdainfully. “Just where do you think you’re going with that?”
Suddenly, the room filled with a bright light, emanating from the disk in Lois’ hand. Within moments, all three of them were transported into the Fortress.
~L&C~
The Fortress seemed darker than Lois had remembered it, though no less cold. Joel didn’t seem affected by the blustery wind, but Lois didn’t have long to assess their surroundings, as she turned to face the creature that wasn’t Clark.
Suddenly, Lois felt a light surround her and Joel. The creature tried to step towards them, but was held at bay by whatever Jor-El was using to shield them. “Guess you’re on the wrong side,” Lois taunted.
“Leave here at once, Phantom!” spoke Jor-El’s voice from above them.
“A phantom?” Lois echoed, even more puzzled as to what had replaced her Clark.
The phantom turned his attention away from Lois momentarily. He glanced up at the ice walls around him, looking vaguely amused. “And what if I don’t? You're just a voice, Jor-El -- an echo from the past. What are you gonna do? Lecture me to death?”
Jor-El’s voice shook the walls of the Fortress. “You are not welcome here!”
Whatever Jor-El was doing to the Fortress disturbed the phantom enough that he suddenly whooshed away. Lois could see the walls shaking around them, but the beam of light Jor-El held her and the Joel in felt warm and steady. Somehow Jor-El knew who they were, and Lois was grateful.
After a moment, the rumbling stopped and the beam of light faded away. Then, Jor-El spoke again. “The lost phantom has returned, Kal-El. You must defeat him.”
Lois turned towards the sound of cracking ice, an involuntary gasp escaping her lips as she watched the real Clark emerge out of a wall of ice.
“Clark!” she breathed his name out in a sigh involuntarily. But he hadn’t heard her. Before she could register whether he was all right, Clark whooshed out of the Fortress, presumably to chase after the phantom.
“Will he be okay?” Lois asked Jor-El.
“Lois Lane, you are out of place and time… as well as my grandson,” Jor-El commented from above them.
Lois smiled. “You know who we are?”
“Yes, that is why I protected you from the phantom… “
Lois shivered in the cold wind, and pulled Joel closer to her, though he seemed unaffected. “We have to leave… will Cl—Kal-El be all right?”
“Kal-El has all he needs to defeat the phantom.”
Lois sighed in relief and pulled the ring from her pocket. “Jor-El, if you have any influence over this thing, can you help us get home?” Lois waited for an answer, but received none. Then she shrugged and held Joel tighter to her. “Well, here goes nothing,” and they disappeared into purple burst of light once more.
