Title: Core
Author: Lydia aka Vinca
Pairing(s): Clark/Lex
Category: AU and..um stuff.
Disclaimers: Smallville characters not mine. *sniffle*
Rating: PG-15? R? I'm not really sure.
Summary: Prequel to Kidnapped
Part 4
From his position on the floor he stared up at the image gaping. The
image of Cresta-Al smiled and raised her hand. A tendril of blue
light flowed from her hand and wrapped around Clark, who was very
still with fright. The tendril looped around his waist and then
pulled him to his feet. It withdrew as his ragged breathing filled
the room.
"Don't be afraid of me Kal-El. I would never hurt you. My presence in
this pod is for the soul purpose to protect and help you. Now I know
you have many questions, and they will all be answered to the best of
my ability. But I have a pressing matter. There is barely any energy
left within the pod to keep this projection. I know Earth technology
is limited but perhaps you can find me a source to draw from? And Kal-
El please don't tell your parents about me until we have time to
talk. I think with you more calm about me, they will except it
easier."
Clark stood there for several minutes and tried to keep up with what
she was saying. The shock had slowed his thinking process down, and
he had a hard time comprehending her words. All that kept ringing in
the back of his head was, "Your Kryptonian mother." This was
his 'birth' mother! Or the representation of her. But she hadn't
abandoned him. She was here the whole time. He looked up at the
shimmering blue figure that was waiting patiently as if sensing his
need to process.
"I...I-I." He stopped and tried again. "I don't know what kind of
energy you need. Would batteries work? We have old car batteries with
some juice left in them." At her nod he ran up the stairs and to the
corner of the barn where their car things were stored. He picked up
three, and ran back to the cellar, the weight not slowing him down
one iota.
She was still there, but fading slightly bit by bit. He hurriedly set
the batteries down near her and watched as blue tendrils flew from
her hands. They pulsed as they drew in energy from the batteries. She
flickered off than was back in an instant this time with color,
besides blue. Thick black hair flowed to her waist. She was wearing
some kind of jumpsuit blue and red in color, with a long red cape
flowing from her petite shoulders. He gaze was drawn up to her
piercing hazel eyes. She smiled warmly, and he was hit by an ache
deep within his chest. Besides the rounded cheeks compared to his
square jaw, this was the face he saw everyday in the mirror. 'She has
to be my mother.' He hadn't known he said it aloud, but she tilted
her head in a sorrowful look as if sensing his pain.
She smiled at him tenderly nodded. "I am your birth mother Kal-El.
Don't be sad. We can be together now, and you can learn about our
people. You are the hope of our culture's future my son."
She 'stepped' out of the center of the pod and towards him. He gasped
and stepped back in surprise.
"You can move?"
Her laugh was warm and soft and it filled his aching heart with joy
to be able to hear it. Again as if sensing his thoughts she placed a
hand on his cheek. "It is pleasurable to see you too my child. I may
not be here in the flesh but everything I feel and think is from her
personality: her dreams, wishes and memories."
He stared in wonder and leaned unconsciously into the feel of
pressure against his cheek. "How?"
"Our people were scientists at heart my son. We were very advanced,
and had technology that Earth humans haven't even dreamed of yet. The
energy you gave me has boosted my level up enough for me to project
myself some distance. The beacon within the core of the ship sends a
constant signal of my presence. Technology that you wouldn't
understand yet helps me to touch you."
"Why...why does it seem that you know what I'm thinking? Feeling?"
"I was always connected to you since we left Krypton my child. I used
to only know your feelings, but recently when I grew strong enough I
was able to contact you directly, and in doing so, I can sense
sentiments as well." Suddenly something clicked that he just now
noticed.
"It was you in my dreams! You're the woman!" She smiled and nodded
again.
"I have been trying to contact you for a while, but while at your
institute for learning you were too far away for me to fully reach
you. When you returned here I was able to completely reach within
your mind, and summon you to me."
He dragged a mat from the corner of the room and sat down cross-
legged. He had so many things to ask and talk about it all felt like
it would explode in his chest. Cresta-Al sat in front of him and
studied his features. She had already known what he would look like
but here Earth gave him a deeper skin color than was natural for her
people whose sun wasn't bright enough to darken their skin, barely
enough to heat their planet.
That's why their race was such a sophisticated one. In order to
survive the cold, and barely growing plant life, they had to 'make'
their world hospitable with inventions and experiments. But one such
experiment blew up in proportions that none of them had fathomed. One
that had Jor-El and her scrambling to find a way send their child
safely away and to keep their race alive. She noticed then that
Clark's inner turmoil had calmed and he was studying her as well. He
might have had her features, but his father's inquisitive nature was
hidden behind those eyes. His grandfather's great intelligence
shinned out at her. He probably already far surpassed the beings on
this planet. But he hadn't revealed his powers that his family had
known he'd develop in this system, and she wondered about that. With
him saving these people a great deal wouldn't the humans appreciate
his presence? Why wasn't her son already known and revered as her
clan had been on Krypton?
Clark had felt the pressure lessen as he watched his projected mother
study him. She had a faint smile on her face, but it then turned to a
light frown. He found a frown on his face as well. "What are you
thinking about...?" He decided to cut off the sentence there. He
wasn't sure what to call her. She might have been his birth mother,
but the woman he thought of as mother was in the house a hundred feet
away. He supposed she felt his indecision about her, and smiled
again.
"Just about the past, and your life... You can call me Cresi if it
helps. It was you grandfather's pet name for me."
'Grandfather...I didn't even 'think' that far. I must have had
cousins and nephews and nieces, and uncles, and aunts, and
grandparents.' He was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling of loss
and looked up at her with burning eyes. She leaned forward and rested
a thumb on the left side of his nose, and her two index fingers
stroked his right eyebrow. The caress was oddly comforting and he
relaxed and leaned forward as well.
"I know you feel pain of loss. But know that your family loved you
greatly and would have been proud of the strong man that you've
become on this planet. Know that I am proud to call you my son." She
tilted her head as if listening to something then looked back at
him. "I'm glad these Earthlings found you my son. They took good care
of you. I've detected someone coming near, so cover the pod back up
and reflect on our meeting. We will be able to talk again soon and
you can learn all the secrets to the questions you ask Kal-El. And
walk with your head held high, son of Jor-El of Tomeria and Cresta-Al
of Qwestine."
With that she dissolved in an array of light and the pod's cerulean
pulse died away. He stood and threw the tarp over it reluctantly and
walked to the cellar door. Before opening it he looked back at the
only thing in his life that gave him so many questions, and then
comfort from the only being that could give him answers.
"I'll see you soon Cresi." He whispered. When he closed the cellar
door behind him he turned to see his mother walk into the barn and
hover near him with a concerned look.
"Clark? Are you alright? I thought I heard a noise and came out to
investigate. I don't remember hearing Lex drop you off. When did you
get here?"
"I'm fine mom." 'Better than I ever expected to be,' he thought as he
wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her back to the house. He
wanted to tell her, since he was used to sharing things with her and
his dad. But Cresi asked him not too, and he wasn't sure he was ready
to talk about it so he diverted her with a sure-fire way. "It's just
that I wanted to get home so I told Lex I'd walk and then used my
speed to get here."
His mother frowned and started into him about being careful about
using his powers around Lex since he knew how bright he was, and to
have more patience and so on. It was adorable because he was so much
older now, but he nodded his head and smiled. He thinks his life just
took a turn for the better.
*
Martha sat in the livingroom reading a sci-fi book, as Jon read the
paper and drank his evening tea. She was feeling a bit restless and
didn't know why. She just had this sense that something was going on
in her home. With a glance at Jon she got up and headed out the front
door.
Walking around the stables and coops she saw that nothing was amiss.
Then she headed toward the barn and felt a shiver run up her back. As
she slowly walked towards it she thought she heard a faint humming
sound. As she got to the door she saw Clark straighten and smile at
her. She asked him if anything was wrong but she got a negative and
was walked to the house. She was told about him running here and
tried not to tell him too much, but Clark should be careful around
Lex. The young man was entirely too smart.
But something else bothered her now. Clark was practically brimming
with confidence, and was sending an I'm happy vibe like she hadn't
ever felt. Sometimes with Lex, but not at this magnitude. She tried
to think of what could give him such a huge attitude change. Just
last night he had told her and Jon about these strange dreams and
feelings that he's been getting lately. It had clouded around him as
he did chores until Lex showed up, and they had taken off. But he was
here and happy, and she tried to let that be enough. After all,
though she treated him like the teen he once was Clark was a man now.
If he wanted to talk to her and Jon he would. With that she was
distracted with cooking dinner for two overgrown hungry men.
*
Cresta-Al reappeared sitting on the pod on top of the tarp and
filtered out Kal-El's feelings from her mind since it took energy to
stay connected with him. While the energy she had received helped her
do many of her functions, she wasn't at full capacity and she
intended to do something about that. As well as find out more of this
world that they had sent her son to.
They hadn't known about the people who lived here, but weren't to
concerned since Clark could protect himself once in the yellow suns'
glare. She was also the back up to protect and take care of Clark
when he was young, but with her systems down she could do nothing.
The best way to find out about these people was to get to an
information source. She focused hard and extended the pod's reach.
Finding what seemed to be a source of information she connected to
the 'computer' and used super speed to read about the Earth, breaking
into the primitive secured systems in milliseconds and left without
leaving a trace. When her eyes opened she smiled. She knew exactly
were to go to get the rest of her energy that was close by. She also
knew of these peoples' capabilities, as well as the danger of
Krypton's fragmented pieces that chemically changed from the suns'
glow, which in turn harmed her son. She'd have to get rid of it all.
But for now she would try to save as much energy as possible. She had
a lot to do later on.