The two that are One Ch. 4

“And Kal-El...this may hurt you...”

The light then brightened to an intense blue...

And pain, mind numbing pain spiked through Clark’s body, and he let out a terrible scream…He put his hands to the sides of his head, it felt like his head was splitting.

“Clark! Clark!” Bart yelled, shaking the kryptonian in front of him…

“What’s going on?” Oliver asked, Bart took a moment to answer.

“He just suddenly started screaming bloody murder! Before all that he was just staring blankly at the wall!” Clark seemed to snap out of it just moments later and stood up, looking to Bart, then to two objects that had seemingly materialized to his hands.

“Let’s go,” He said, Bart however, was confused.

“What happened? What was with that light, and where did you get those?”
Clark looked at both objects in his hands.

“From my father, that’s where I got them. As for what happened…” He grinned and was suddenly gone, dust up in the air. Bart grinned and ran after him. He’d gone to the car and had gotten into it.

“Come on Bart! You can’t run all the time!” He yelled out of the window and Bart rolled his eyes, getting into the passenger seat. Clark turned on the webcam mirror and started up a conversation with Oliver.

“I got what I came for, and more.” He said, starting up the car and driving out of the shelter of the caves and going back onto the highway. Bart was examining the item to get Zod with.

It looked a lot like the S shield Riah had given him in the Phantom Zone, save that it was colored a deep ruby red along the S.

“At some point or another…I’m going to need to find ‘the other me’.” Clark said after a long silence.

“Either before or after I find Zod. I don’t know if he’s still at the planet or not. But I’m going to put my car back at the apartment’s parking lot then go search.”

“No.” Oliver said, Clark looked up at the web cam mirror and saw the stern look on Oliver’s face.

“You need to play that you are still vulnerable. For now, you need to restore the Fortress.” Oliver said.

“I have to at least try to find him! Then I’ll go to the Fortress. I just need to make sure that he’s not at the Daily Planet…”

Oliver just sighed.

“Fine, but be careful….and get on the flying thing…”  Clark sighed and just shook his head before concentrating on driving again.

An hour passed before he pulled back into the parking lot of the apartment building. He and Bart got out and he then locked the doors.

“Ready?” He said to Bart.

“Let’s race,” Bart said with a grin, putting the sunglasses on. Both he and Clark sped away.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Clark was soaring over the tops of trees and just wandering where he could. It was so peaceful out in the quiet woods of Canada. There was a growl nearby and a cougar leapt out at him. Almost instantly he delivered a powerful punch that made it splatter into a billion bloody pieces. The blood splattered all over the ground. Clark dodged the droplets of blood easily and picked up the still warm heart of the cougar’s.

“Hm. It could have used being invulnerable to an advantage.”
He dropped the heart and walked over to a pond and washed his hands clean of blood. He then stood up. He looked up at the sky and had a longing to be like the birds of the air and to be able to fly with them. He bent his knees…And before he knew it he was flying through the sky, amongst the clouds. He grinned and blasted some birds apart with his heat vision. He landed just outside a city and sped into it, quickly stopping and going by a newspaper stand. He took out his wallet and gave the $0.75 to the man for a paper from the Daily Planet. He took the paper offered him and walked back towards the sidewalk when someone bumped into him.

“Hey, watch where you are going you mother fucker!” Yelled the man. Clark stiffened and grabbed the man’s shirt and dragged him away out of the sight of people. Before speeding back into the forest. He slammed the man against a tree trunk. The man was now scared out of his mind. Clark’s face was in shadow now.

“Do you always cuss at people like that?” He growled in a low husky voice that in every single way spoke subtly that the man was going to die.

“I…I…” The man started to stammer, Clark put his hand to the man’s throat.

“Shh…I’ll make it fast…and painful!” He started to squeeze…constricting the man’s air…

“Go on, do it. If I could raise a son that can kill, then kill!” and then he saw the hesitation he had had as Kal back then, and then the smashing of the red Kryptonite…

Clark released the man, but it was too late. He was dead. Clark backed away, still holding the newspaper, and fled deeper into the woods, not sure what he felt by what he had done…

“Clark you make life and death situations every day…”
Images and snatches of conversation seemed to buzz before his eyes and in his ears. To try and stop this, he unfolded the paper and started to read the headline; Red Blue Blur Not Seen around Metropolis.

He started to go on when he stopped at who had written it.
By Clark Kent. Clark frowned and looked up. Something weird was going on…
= = = = = =
Clark arrived at the airport in the car about a minute before he was due, to see his mother coming out from the building.  He rolled down the window and waved at her. She waved back and walked over to the car with her suitcase. Clark popped the trunk so she could put her stuff in back. She did so, closed it and got in.

“This is a beautiful car.” She breathed out, closing the door and buckling herself in.

“Oliver has great taste, I can tell you that.” Clark said with a smile, eying one of the cars that was starting to pull out, waiting a moment before he would go out too. Clark still wore the bandages for the impression of still being injured for common bystanders, and it was here that Martha thought he still was for she asked,
“How are the injuries coming along? I know they must not be something you’re used to but…”
“Mom, I’m fine, I went to see Jor-El.” He said, getting the car out of it’s spot and heading down the road out of the airport.

“I thought you said the Fortress was dead?” Martha said, looking confused.

“It is, I went to the caves. That’ the only other place I’ve been able to talk with Jor-El. He was able to give me my powers back.” What he didn’t mention was how it reminded him of when Jonathan had gone down there to make a deal with Jor-El, how it had strained his heart way too much when Jor-El gave him powers, but Martha seemed to see that look on his face and put her hand on his shoulder quietly.

“You still miss him…I do too, Clark, I do too.” They both fell silent for a bit not really sure what to say…it had been so long. About halfway through the ride back, Clark started to shake his head like one would try to get an irksome fly off of them. He would do it only for a second of two, but he would get this look of confusion every time, and nearly every time the car swerved.

“Clark…what are you doing?” Martha finally asked, looking at him with concern.

“Hm?” Clark looked at her for a moment.

“Something’s wrong…I can tell…Pull over, I’m driving…”

“Mom, I’m fine.” Clark protested, but then he put his hand to his head, fast, nearly wincing. He scowled and pulled the car over.

“Are you willing to sacrifice everything to get him back?”  Jor-El’s voice…

“I’ll do anything to get my son back.”  And Jonathan’s…
What did Jor-El do to him?
Clark staggered out of the car, he could hear his mom yelling, but he couldn’t hear a word she was saying… He then looked around and saw something he knew shouldn’t have been there. He knew he had to be hallucinating… Yet the curiosity and the desire to know if he was real made Clark go towards him. When Clark was just a step from him, Jonathan Kent, or his ghost or whatever it was just smiled at Clark.

“Dad…” He tried to touch his adopted father, but his hand went right through him…

“I’m finally the man my dad wanted me to be…” or was he?
Jonathan smiled sadly as Clark looked to see if Martha could see Jonathan, but no. Only he could.

“What…what’s going on?” He asked.

“That…well, I don’t know, Clark. Something brought me here…” He paused for a moment, “and I think it was you…”

“I can’t bring people back from the afterlife if you’re trying to say that, waaaay beyond my powers .”

“I know, but I have a feeling you’re going to need help in the coming few days…” Jonathan walked towards Clark, who eyed the Ghost or Spirit of his adopted father suspiciously, and couldn’t stop his when he went right…through him? Or in him? Clark didn’t know, he just knew that he felt...like he’d been shoved into hot water…Clark turned around and looked to Martha.

“Clark? Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked.

“I…I think I just saw dad’s ghost, or spirit…whatever you’d call it.”
Her eyes widened, “What did he say?”

“Something about being drawn over here…and that he thought it had something to do with me…He…He walked either in or through me, mom, I don’t know where he went…”

Clark closed his eyes for a moment before going to the passenger seat of the car, he sat down in it and put the seat belt where it should be, and Martha drove the car back onto the road. She kept glancing at him every few minutes. Clark put his head on his hands, not sure of what happened. Aware of the odd warmth in his chest that he tried to ignore.

The buildings came and went before Clark realized that they were close to the apartment. He started telling Martha where to turn, and they arrived at the apartment successfully. Clark took Martha’s  suitcase out of the car and carried it for her.

Clark nodded to the receptionist as they passed and went into the elevator with Martha and they both went to the right level. When he opened the door however, Shelby was waiting, growling like he hadn’t growled for ages. Martha stayed behind Clark, for he had stopped her. Clark went over to Shelby.

“Hey boy…what’s wrong?” He noticed the dog’s fur was on end as he started barking at Clark.
He went inside and knelt down by Shelby.

“Hey…come on it’s just me, I promise.” He muttered in a soft tone to the dog. Martha closed the door.
Shelby bared his teeth when Clark started to pet him.

“Shelby…” Martha spoke and the dog looked to her, barked and looked back to Clark barking again, as if trying to get her help on something.

“What? I didn’t give you enough food? Shelby…come on…” Clark tried to pet Shelby again but Shelby snapped at his hand, Clark pulled it back.

He just looked to his mother who shrugged. Clark carried the suitcase into his room and set it there. Shelby followed still growling.

“You weren’t freaking out when I was here earlier, Shelby! What’s wrong with you?” He muttered, concerned. Shelby whined before pouncing. He knocked Clark onto the ground and started barking, growling.

“Shelby!” Martha came into the room and tried to pull Shelby off of Clark’s Chest but the dog would not give. Shelby’s Claws scratched at Clark, though didn’t hurt him. Shelby rubbed his head against Clark’s chest now and nosed it, growling low now.

Clark raised an eyebrow and shrugged, petting Shelby’s head now.

“And I can be whoever I want!” A Dawn controlled Chloe said, pressing her hand against Clark.
Then he saw something he shouldn’t have seen…His dad coming from around the corner…

“Dawn!”

“You can’t stop me, Mr. Kent!”

“ I may not be able to stop you, but I can stop my Son.” The Kryptonite had hurt both her and Clark…

“It’s time for you to leave Dawn!” Jonathan had said…

Clark blinked and looked at Shelby, who was calm as ever now, had the dog been trying to remind him of this? But why? Why?!
The dog nudged at his hand with his snout. Clark laughed and pets the dog.

"You okay Clark?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He's probably just a bit off from being in here and not outside. Watch out for...dog stuff." He got up, Shelby following with a happy indifference now. Clark just didn't understand that dog.

And I doubt I ever will. He thought gravely. Clark went looking around the place carefully and found a pile of dogcrap in a corner. He muttered and then looked for some kind of dog scooper, he did and scooped it up put it in the toilet and flushed it down, he cleaned the spot with soap and water until it was fairly clean, whereupon he poured bleach over the spot and rubbed it in, now the carpet was completely white again.

Clark got up, trying to put some unease to rest and looked to his mother.

“I need to do something real quick…” He said, passing her and picking up the crystal that he had placed on the bookshelf in the front room.
She gripped Clark’s hand for a moment.

“Be careful Clark, please…I know restoring the program is important, but what if Zod is there and corrupts it?”

“I don’t think it would be corrupted easily again, or ever.” Clark says quietly. Martha sighs and hugs him.

Clark whispers oh so quietly…

“There’s kryptonite in the box on the bookshelf, keep it with you just in case, please.”
Martha nodded.

“I’ll see you later,” Clark muttered before leaving the apartment, door closing behind him. Martha went and got the lead box Clark mentioned and locked the door, sitting on the couch, where Shelby joined her and together they watched TV.