My Rainbow, Chapter 10

Clark/Chloe, full cast
Season 5, "Reckoning"
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: These characters belong to the CW and DC Comics, not to me.
Read the previous chapter here.
Read the full story starting here.

Slowly, Clark's grief-clouded mind began to clear. Despite the icy roads, he knew someone would pass by before long, see the accident, and call for help.

But there was nothing anyone could do. His father and Chloe were both dead, far beyond any help anyone on this planet could offer. He lowered Chloe to the ground, staring into her still face, listening to the terrible, empty silence of a world without her heartbeat in it.

No. I can't accept this.

He wiped the tears off his cheeks, consciously pushing his grief away so that he could think again. Numbness began to seep through him, dulling the terrible agony of his loss. His brain began sifting through options, and it came up with only one answer.

Jor-El.

He wasn't fond of the artificial intelligence that was part of the Fortress. But Jor-El had more knowledge about the universe stored in a single one of his crystals than Clark could ever hope to gain. Therefore, if there was any way of fixing this disaster, any way at all...

Jor-El would know how to do it.

Clark gently picked up Chloe's lifeless body and draped her carefully over her right shoulder, then stood up. He could carry both bodies without difficulty. It would be awkward, but no more of a strain for him physically than it would be for a human to carry two feather pillows. He could get them to the caves, and the gateway to the Fortress, easily enough.

At least it would be easy physically. But emotionally-- that was a different story. Apparently he wasn't quite as numb as he'd thought he was, because as he headed for the truck to retrieve his father's body, a shudder of misery and pain went through him.

As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that it was possible there was nothing Jor-El could do to fix this. And if the answer was no... he couldn't face that alone. He just couldn't get through this by himself.

He needed someone to go to the Fortress with him, someone who cared about him, someone he could rely on. The person he'd always relied on when things got rough.

His best friend.

Deep-down, instinctive caution, as well as the discretion his parents had drilled into him over the years, had prevented him from ever taking Lana to the Fortress, or even letting her know where the gateway was.

But tonight he was desperate. He badly needed her support. And besides, if he couldn't trust his best friend, who could he trust?

He reached into his pocket with his left hand, pulled out his cell, and dialed.

"Lana," he said, his voice still hoarse with tears. "I need you."

*****

"Clark!" Lana's eyes were huge as she ran toward him through the darkness of the cave. She held a flashlight, and she waved it in his direction. "Oh, my God. What happened?"

"Accident," he said curtly, grateful that she hadn't screamed and passed out. He imagined he was a grisly sight, covered as he was in blood, and carrying two bodies on his shoulders. "Actually, I think maybe my dad had a heart attack and it caused a wreck. I don't know. I'm not sure exactly what happened. I don't even know why he and Chloe were out there." He swallowed to steady his shaking voice. "But there was a hit and run, and when I found them, they were already..."

"Oh, no, Clark. Are they both..."

"Dead. Yeah." He turned resolutely toward the cave wall. "But they're not going to stay that way if I can help it."

Waiting for Lana had only delayed him by a few minutes. He'd offered to come get her at superspeed, in order to keep her off the icy roads, but as it turned out she'd already been in her car and near the caves. He wondered vaguely why she'd been out here, where there was really nothing around here except the Luthor mansion, but he didn't wonder too hard about it. He had other things on his mind.

"Are you joking?" She stared at him, her eyes wide. "Are you telling me you might be able to reverse death?"

"Not me." He stepped toward the wall, the bodies still resting on his broad shoulders. The wall opened noiselessly, and he walked through the tunnel that led to the gateway, Lana right behind him. "An acquaintance of mine."

"Clark..." He could hear the dismay in her voice. "This is crazy."

"Probably." He set his jaw. "But I don't care how crazy it is. I'm not letting them die, damn it."

"But... they're already dead."

"I know." He turned to face her. "But I'm hoping that can be fixed."

He dug awkwardly in his pocket, drew out the octagonal key, and inserted it into the slot on the stone table.

Silver, blue and gold light shot outward, engulfing them in rainbows.

Read Chapter 11 here.