krysyuy | Free Fall [6/?] (Smallville // Clark/Lois) (Reply)

Title: Free Fall (6/?)
Author: Krys Yuy
Summary: Clark isn’t willing to risk his heart again. But when Fate gives him a glimpse into his future, the only question is – how hard will he fall?
Pairing/Characters: Clark/Lois, Chloe/Bart, Oliver/Dinah, Bruce/Zatanna, Justice League
Warning: Spoilers up to Hex.
Rating: PG-13/T
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Notes: Finally, an update! Unfortunately, I can’t promise another one soon as I have four more weeks left of my senior year of college. Schoolwork has to take precedence. Anyways, I’m glad people are liking how I write Lois. I’m feeling a little more comfortable writing her. Thanks to everyone who guessed the episode references. People came up with ones I hadn’t even seen or just missed. XD To see the episodes I was consciously referring to, please visit my LJ here. I’m not sure if this chapter will live up to people’s expectations, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Thanks to all my reviewers of the last chapter! You guys are always so awesome. It’s your comments that make me keep wanting to write more. Please read, review and enjoy!

Chapter 6: Doubt

Clark reflexively tensed his muscles as Zatanna finished her spell. He waited a few seconds, but when nothing happened, he looked away from Lois and down at himself. He didn’t feel any different. Had it worked?

He looked up to once again meet Lois’ gaze. She seemed just as puzzled as he felt. “What? That’s it?” she asked, looking over at the dark haired sorceress. “No flashing lights or sparks shooting out of your hands? No glowy aura thingy around Smallville’s head?”

Zatanna smiled at Lois from over her shoulder, though it seemed a little uneasy. “It’s not that kind of spell,” she replied. Her right arm lowered to her side again.

“What kind of spell is it then?” Lois demanded, unable to hide the anxiousness in her voice.

“A truth spell,” Oliver muttered, his eyes never moving away from Clark. “Now he can’t lie.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” Clark replied with a small frown. Anymore, anyways.

Lois latched on to one thing. “A truth spell? You didn’t say anything about a truth spell!” she exclaimed, poking Oliver hard in the back.

“Ow! Lois!” Oliver turned and grabbed her hand in mid-poke before she could strike again. “What did you think was going to happen when we said Zee would use magic?”

“You said nothing would happen if he was being honest!” Lois retorted, snatching her hand back and glaring at him. “I thought there would be bells or something! Maybe Clark would glow blue so you knew he was telling the truth!”

“Calm down,” Oliver said sternly. Lois’ glare deepened and he raised his hands in a peaceful motion. “This way there won’t be any doubt. We’ll ask our questions and then Zee can reverse the spell. No harm, no foul.”

Lois opened her mouth to retort, but then stopped as if she remembered something. Her worry seemed to increase, unintentionally causing Clark to tense again. “Wait,” she said, looking towards Zatanna. “Don’t your spells have a tendency to backfire?”

Clark watched as Zatanna shook her head, though the sorceress’ gaze never left him. “They used to,” she admitted. “I have much greater control now, though. Besides, I’ve done this spell many times before.” Her light-green eyes revealed her confidence in herself, and Clark knew he had not been wrong to trust her when she smiled reassuringly.

“Do you honestly believe we would let Zatanna perform such a spell if we had no faith in her abilities?” Bruce asked Lois, eyebrows drawn together in displeasure.

“Of course not!” Lois immediately replied, looking a bit chagrined at the very idea. “You know I don’t mean it like that, Zee, I’m just –”

“Worried, I know,” Zatanna finished. “It’s okay, Lois. I understand.” She turned her head so Lois could see she meant it. “I wouldn’t do this to Clark if it wasn’t safe.” She made a vague gesture with her hands in the direction of Oliver and Bruce. “And if these two weren’t so suspicious.”

“Enough.” Bruce walked forward until he was in front of Zatanna, replacing her as the closest person to Clark. His blue eyes were like hard chips of sapphire as he stared directly into Clark’s face.

Clark didn’t look away. Few things intimidated him, and Bruce, whoever he was, was not going to be one of them.

Bruce crossed his arms. “Who are you?”

His back straightened imperceptibly. “Clark Kent,” he answered, not feeling any sort of side effect from the spell.

“Ah-ha!” Lois exclaimed triumphantly. “Told you so.” She smirked in Oliver’s direction, but the green archer only rolled his eyes.

Clark, however, noticed his friend’s shoulders relax somewhat. His expression remained guarded, but the earlier warmth from the tuxedo shop swam just beneath the surface of his brown eyes. Oliver stepped up next to Bruce and asked, “Are you from the past?”

“I think so,” Clark answered. There was still nothing happening on the spell’s end, and for a brief instant, he wondered if Zatanna had actually cast it.

Zatanna stood behind Bruce’s shoulder, carefully observing the situation. She met his eyes just as he looked over at her. However, she only gave him a rueful nod, confirming that yes, she had done it.

Clark didn’t show any visible reaction to her answer, though he did wonder if he was supposed to feel any effects from the spell at all. His attention was drawn back to Oliver when his friend asked, “You think so?”

“I can’t be sure,” Clark elaborated. “I don’t know how I got here.”

Bruce’s expression revealed nothing, though his eyes had narrowed to a slight degree. “What’s the last thing you remember from your time?”

Clark paused, but it was as if a light switch had been flipped in response to the question.

Thoughts of Lois. A white glow. A cocoon of warmth. Blackness.

He took his time answering as memories rushed through his mind. They already seemed like a lifetime ago. “A bright light cloaking me and then… nothing,” he said. “The next thing I knew –” Clark cut himself off and his cheeks flushed as he remembered what came after.

Curious, Oliver asked, “What?”

Clark wanted to shake his head, but to his horror, his lips moved of their own accord and he answered unwillingly. “I was in bed with Lois.”

Everyone but Bruce turned to look at her.

Lois locked eyes with Clark, not the least bit embarrassed. “He’s my husband.” She said it like that explained everything.

The phrase acted like a jolt through his system, but Clark didn’t allow himself to think about it. He was too busy trying not to flinch at the indescribable expression that entered her eyes.

“You never said anything about a bright light,” Lois continued, her voice becoming oddly subdued.

She sounded… hurt? Clark’s mind flashed to his conversation with her at the barn and he suddenly had to make it right. “Lois, I –” He stepped towards her, but when she took the barest step back, he paused. Pain flared in his chest for the briefest of moments. The hand that was reaching towards her froze.

He remembered Lois stepping away from him in the storage room at the Daily Planet after she had locked the door. He didn’t remember it hurting like this did. His hand fell to rest limply at his side. What had changed?

Even though there was a distance between them on the roof, Clark was easily able to stare into her hazel gaze. The answer was in her eyes whether she was aware of it or not. One just had to know where to look. He examined her features thoroughly, searching. What had looked so out of place on her countenance? With a start, he recognized the foreign emotion that had graced her face even if it was but for a split-second.

Doubt.

A sick feeling pooled in his gut.

“It –” His throat was suddenly dry and scratchy, and he cleared it quickly. “It slipped my mind,” he said, willing her to believe him. “I didn’t hide it from you on purpose.”

Truthfully, the bright light had been forgotten in favor of more pressing matters. Like the fact that Lois was his wife or that he, for some reason, now went by Superman instead of the Red-Blue Blur. Or one of the many other revelations the future had brought to light. The possible means of his journey to the future paled in comparison to all of that.

How could one small detail shake her faith in him? This Lois? She had seemed utterly immovable, like his Lois in her own way.

His Lois.

An inkling of the future Lois’ reasoning came to him. He held onto that thread and tried to think like her. What was it about the light that had unsettled her? His mind went through his earlier conversation with her.

“How do you know you didn’t just lose your memories?”

Clark closed his eyes and opened them again after a few seconds, meeting her gaze. “Lois,” he said quietly, beseechingly. He ignored their audience. For now, it was only the two of them. She was his one ally in a world where everything was so very different. He didn’t realize how much her faith in him meant.

“Then stay and fight back. Look, give people a chance to see who you really are!”

She believed in him. Then. Now.

“Thank you… Clark. For telling me.”

She didn’t look away from him. Nor did she ask for an explanation. She simply waited, just as she had done earlier when they were alone on the roof.

A deep breath. “Lois,” he repeated gently. He tried to urge her with his eyes, tried to make her see his sincerity. “I told you.” The following words again caused that same mysterious pain in his chest. “I’m not your husband.”

If he didn’t have super hearing, he would have missed her quiet intake of breath. But he definitely didn’t miss the sudden anxiety she tried to hide. He was overcome by the compulsion to hug her, but he checked himself.

Instead, he continued to speak, aware that she was listening carefully to his every word, though she had yet to respond. “Ask me anything. I won’t lie to you,” he said. He was suddenly reminded of the spell. He looked around at Oliver, Zatanna and Bruce.

Oh. Right. His blue-green eyes traveled back to Lois. “I can’t lie to you,” he amended, touching his throat briefly. “But I am Clark.” He willed her to believe it.

She remained both still and silent for several agonizingly long seconds. Then before Oliver could react, she ran past him and straight into Clark’s startled arms.

“I know you are,” she murmured, pressing her cheek against his. “Didn’t I tell you?” She pulled back and took off one hand he had placed on her waist. She clasped it against her heart, and the thrum of her heartbeat raced under his palm. She whispered very, very softly. “Only you could ever make me feel this way.”

He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. “Lois, I’m sorry,” he said. He could still feel her heart. “I didn’t say anything because I forgot. That’s all.”

She searched his face and smiled, albeit sadly. “I know,” she said. “It’s just… you remembering a light cloaking you… and then waking up next to me in bed…” She breathed in deeply, like she was trying to compose herself. “That light definitely has something to do with you being brought here. And that just means…”

Clark gently pulled his hand away from her heart, letting it fall to his side. “I’m not your Clark,” he finished.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but seemed to think better of it. She paused before explaining herself. “I didn’t want to believe it. Of course, you’re different from him, but loss of memories could account for that.” She reached out to clutch the front of his white dress shirt. “But now… now I have to wonder where he is. If he’s safe.”

The slightest tremor in her voice made Clark ache for her. “I’m so sorry,” he said yet again. It seemed like the only thing he could was apologize.

She shook her head and looked at him, a bit bemused. “Why? It’s not your fault.” She patted his cheek. “Don’t apologize.”

Clark was still concerned about her feelings. “Are you sure you’re convinced?” She nodded, but he persisted. “Ask me anything,” he repeated, tone serious as he looked at her earnestly.

Her eyebrow quirked up as she regarded him. Then she punched his arm. “Don’t be so doom-and-gloom. It’s not the end of the world,” she said. “We’ll figure this out. I’ll help you and I’ll find my husband.”

Clark reached out to squeeze her shoulder. “We’ll find your husband.”

She smiled at him. Confidence and ease seemed to flow back into her as if she never had her moment of vulnerability. Clark wondered at Lois’ ability to adapt and power through anything.

“Okay… not to interrupt this strange, inappropriate love fest,” Oliver said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “But if we can get back to the topic at hand…” His tone was serious, but Clark could tell it wasn’t as cold as before either.

“He’s one to talk,” Lois muttered under her breath.

Clark was the only one who could hear her. He looked down at her, a little perplexed but the corners of his lips turned up slightly nonetheless.

“Hey.” Oliver snapped his fingers twice. “Eyes here, buddy. We’re still asking questions.”

Clark faced him, feeling both amused and faintly embarrassed.

Lois rolled her eyes, but turned towards Oliver, placing herself in front of Clark. “Then ask them,” she said impatiently. “I don’t know what else he has to say to convince you.”

Oliver went silent for a moment as he thought over something. “Six years?”

Clark nodded. “Six years,” he confirmed.

Oliver paused. Then his brown eyes turned quite serious as he asked, “What did I do to you in Black Creek? And why did it work?”

Clark’s gaze slid to the back of Lois’ head briefly, but once again, his mouth opened without him willing it to. The feeling of helplessness was getting old pretty quick. But they had their questions and he would answer, as promised. They were still his friends.

“You shot me twice with your arrows,” he answered quietly. “Jor-El had taken away my powers.”

Remorse rippled through Oliver’s expression. The Queen billionaire didn’t have a chance to respond though.

“You. Shot. Him?!” Lois nearly shrieked.

Clark’s eyes went wide the same moment Oliver blanched. “Not on purpose!” he replied, raising his hands peacefully. “There was a serum.”

“How convenient.” Lois rolled up the sleeves of her long-sleeved T-shirt and started towards him. “You better run, Robin Hood.”

“Lois, don’t you think you’re overreacting?” Oliver asked, but he was already taking a step backwards.

“Not at all,” she said, smiling sweetly. She came within a couple feet of him and cocked her left fist back.

Oliver tensed, raising his hands to defend himself; but at the same, almost seemed ready to make a run for it. Clark could practically hear his friend’s thoughts race as he considered his options. Lois was in mid-swing when Clark supersped and caught her wrist.

“Lois,” he said, a note of reprimand in his voice.

She pouted. “I hate when you say my name like that,” she said, pulling her wrist out of his grasp. He let her go easily. She crossed her arms and glared at Oliver. “Clark won’t always be around to protect you.”

Oliver made a sound of disbelief.

“It wasn’t his fault,” Clark said gently. “He didn’t shoot me on purpose.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that he still shot you.” Lois was obviously focusing on one part of the story.

“And I’m sorry it happened,” Oliver said. His tone was sincere as he looked at Clark. His face was no longer guarded. “I would never purposefully –”

Clark cut him off. “I know.” He smiled.

Oliver’s expression notably warmed. “I appreciate your confidence in me… Clark.”

Clark’s smile brightened.

“Took you long enough,” Lois said, frowning.

Oliver sighed. “Lois, I didn’t mean to,” he insisted.

Lois closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, Clark noticed her fire had calmed somewhat. “Of course. I know.” She stepped forward as if to hug him, but when he opened his arms, she punched his shoulder instead.

Oliver flinched and clutched his shoulder as Clark cried, “Lois!”

Lois blinked wide-eyed at him. “What?” she asked innocently. “It wasn’t his face.”

Clark sighed. Well, he couldn’t say he was surprised.

“So…” Lois looked at Oliver and Bruce coolly. She began rolling her sleeves back down one at a time. Clark had a fleeting glimpse of a bracelet on her right wrist before her sleeve covered it again.

Huh. He only saw part of the bracelet from the side for a split-second, but he felt like he had seen it before. Weird. He never usually paid attention to jewelry.

Clark’s attention turned back to Lois as she continued, “Are you satisfied?” She crossed her arms as she stared down the two billionaires.

Oliver rubbed his shoulder. He nodded, though he regarded Lois with a sour face. However, his expression softened as he looked over at Clark. “I do believe this is Clark’s past self,” he said. A smirk formed on his lips. “There’s still a certain innocence, don’t you think, Bruce?”

“Yes.” Bruce’s expression didn’t give anything away, and Clark couldn’t be sure if the dark haired man actually agreed in the spirit of joking or seriousness.

Oliver nodded. “Well, I don’t have any more questions. Bruce?”

Bruce didn’t answer, only contemplated Clark quietly just as he had the entire time they were on the roof. Clark didn’t twitch at all, though he could tell Lois was readying herself for another verbal confrontation. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” the dark haired billionaire finally asked.

“Just your first name,” Clark replied.

Something flickered through his stoic face before he held out his hand. “Bruce Wayne,” he said, tone solid and steady, “of Wayne Enterprises.”

Clark shook his hand firmly. Another billionaire superhero. Of course. “Clark Kent,” he replied. A grin lit his mouth. “As you might have guessed.”

The corners of Bruce’s lips tugged upwards for a quick instant, so fast that Clark was sure he imagined it. It merely added to his mystery, like his earlier more carefree attitude at the party. But watching him now, Clark doubted anyone could crack the dark haired billionaire’s stern countenance. It wasn’t hard at all to imagine Bruce Wayne as a superhero. Criminals probably buckled under his severe and unforgiving stare. Bruce had an air of strength and complete authority about him. It was the kind of subtle power that hid in the shadows until just the right time.

“You have a great poker face,” Clark commented, unable to resist.

Bruce nodded shallowly. “I’ve been told.” This time he smirked and Clark discerned that he wasn’t completely humorless. Bruce held out his hand behind him and waited until the lovely dark haired sorceress placed her hand in his.

Clark watched as Bruce led Zatanna to stand next to him. Bruce squeezed her hand and began, “This is my –”

“Zatanna Zatara,” she said. She held out her free hand to him and smiled. “But you can call me Zee.”

Clark shook her hand next. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said sincerely.

An amused twinkle entered her eye. “Likewise.”

“Okay, you’ve all been officially introduced to each other,” Lois said, placing a hand on Clark’s shoulder. He recognized the impatience in her tone. “Can you take the spell off him now?”

Zatanna raised her arm, but Bruce grabbed her wrist and pulled it back down. “Bruce,” she said, obviously displeased. She tried to yank her hand away, but he kept a firm grip on it. By the sorceress’ exasperated sigh, Clark knew it was only strong enough to hold, not hurt.

“Do you know why you’re here?” Bruce asked him.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Are you a danger to the Justice League?”

“No,” Clark answered again, straightening his back slightly at the adverse nature of the questions.

Bruce was obviously asking these questions for the safety of his companions, but it didn’t make it irk any less. Out of the corner of his eye, Clark could see Lois opening her mouth again, furious, but he placed his left hand over the one she had on his right shoulder. He squeezed once, a sign telling her it was okay. She bit her cheek, understanding but not liking it one bit.

“However temporary, do you feel yourself capable of filling Superman’s role?”

Immediately, Clark wanted to say yes, but his mouth closed just as it opened. He now recognized the feeling of the spell tingling along his skin. “I don’t know,” he answered, though the words didn’t come from his own thoughts. At least, he didn’t believe they did.

He paused. Why did he say that? He had spent the better part of the last year running around the city doing what exactly what Superman was doing. Saving people. Stopping crime. They were the same person! He was perfectly capable of doing what Superman could.

Thoughts unbidden raced through his head. There was the pure excitement and animation exhibited by the civilians of Metropolis, the pictures he had seen of the superhero flying, and Jimmy’s glowing endorsement, not to mention the unmitigated pride in Lois’ voice.

“But I just assumed you were off saving the day like you do.”

It should have inspired confidence. And it did. But it was slowly being overshadowed by a passing fear that had planted itself earlier in the back of his mind. The spell, however, urged it to grow as a result of Bruce’s question.

Could he really live up to the expectations of this future?

“Stop it,” Lois whispered.

He looked down at her, blinking.

She returned his gaze with an irritated, yet worried one of her own. “I know that look,” she said quietly. “So whatever you’re brooding about, stop it. There’s no reason for it. Especially now.”

There was no way she could know what he was thinking. She couldn’t possibly understand –

Bruce, oblivious to Clark’s spinning thoughts, relentlessly continued. “Did anything unusual happen before you were sent here?”

“Just the light,” Clark responded automatically, forced to shelve his depressing reflections about his superhero identity.

Bruce expanded the parameters of his question. “What about earlier in the day?”

Clark’s brain was already in the midst of pondering the consequences of possible answers when he felt the spell again. He didn’t try to fight it, knowing it was pointless. Instead, he braced himself for the reactions from his companions. “I used the Legion ring to turn back time,” he answered.

Bruce frowned as Oliver exclaimed, “What?”

Zatanna remained conspicuously silent, though her eyes had widened somewhat.

Lois’ nails dug into his shoulder. He turned his head, expecting her to be angry, but she only seemed vaguely puzzled.

Oliver looked mildly frustrated. “You didn’t think that bit of info was relevant?” he asked.

“Not really, no,” Clark answered truthfully, turning his attention back to his friend. If Lois wanted to know something, she would ask. “I destroyed the ring after using it.”

“What?” Oliver repeated, a bit scandalized. “Why?”

“Controlling time is dangerous. It always comes at a price,” Clark stated solemnly, reciting the same explanation he had given Chloe. He didn’t feel any sense of powerlessness, and realized if he were willing to answer the question, the spell wouldn’t affect him. Resisting, however, was another matter entirely. “It was better I got rid of it.”

“The Legion doesn’t just give those rings away like free candy, Clark!” Oliver exclaimed. Clark had the distinct feeling Oliver was more upset about the ring rather than the fact that he had used it to turn back time. The archer continued, “It’s an honor to be given one. It means they trust you.”

“No one should ever be given power over time,” Bruce interjected. “Clark…” Bruce looked over at him appraisingly, respect coloring his tone. “… was right to dispose of it.”

Oliver evidently disagreed, but instead asked, “Why did you turn back time?”

Lois’ grip on his shoulder tightened before he even answered. He glanced at her just in time to see the moment realization washed over her features. She returned his gaze, looking annoyed, bemused and exasperated all at once.

She knew.

Clark didn’t have time to panic, or decide if that was even the right response, before the spell worked its magic again. “I thought the world was ready to hear my secret and accept me, but I was wrong. People I cared about got hurt,” he answered, looking at Lois the entire time. “I had to make it right.”

Lois’ expression turned enigmatic and he wondered why she chose this moment of all times to remain quiet. He interpreted her emotions earlier, but he was missing something here. She was his Lois, but not. He couldn’t read her as well. Would his future self be able to decipher her thoughts? When her hand fell away from his shoulder, he tried not to be bothered. Instead, he let his own hand fall back to his side as well.

Oliver was oblivious to the sudden tension, too busy trying to figure out the more pressing matter. “So you destroyed the ring before arriving in this time?”

Clark looked away from Lois and at him. “Yes.”

Oliver turned to Bruce. “Do you think we can rule out the ring from this time equation?”

Bruce nodded. “If he destroyed the ring, I don’t see how it could play a part later,” he commented.

“Back to square one, then,” Oliver said, sighing.

Lois cleared her throat noisily and everyone looked at her. “Spell. Off. Now.” She pointed from Zatanna to Clark.

“One more question,” Bruce interrupted easily, stepping in front of Zatanna this time. Before Lois could protest, Bruce turned to Clark and asked, “Would you ever hurt Lois?”

Clark’s head snapped up at that. “No,” he stated emphatically, restrained yet passionate at the same time. “Never.”

Lois’ left fingers intertwined with his right ones, but when he looked over at her, she was already glaring at the dark haired billionaire. “You’re done, Bruce,” she said. “You know he’s Clark. Now let Zatanna reverse the spell or I will move you myself.”

He didn’t seem intimidated, but he tilted his head, conceding his hold over the situation.

Zatanna stepped around him and murmured, “You’re impossible.”

Bruce made what sounded like a murmur of agreement, but didn’t articulate his thoughts.

She sighed, but her palm was already up and facing Clark. Blue glowed in her eyes again, but this time, she muttered the incantation under her breath. Seconds later, she lowered her palm. “It’s done,” she said.

Clark didn’t feel any different. Then again, that’s what happened when the spell actually worked.

“Did it work?” Lois said anxiously. She moved in front of him and began to run her hands over his shoulders and down his chest.

Clark stopped her exploration and grabbed her hands, a bit embarrassed by her brazen actions. “Ask me a question and we’ll see if I can lie,” he said.

A twinkle entered her eye, but before he could regret his suggestion, she simply asked, “Is Shelby a girl or a boy?”

Clark scoffed. “A girl, of course,” he lied. He tried to remain serious, but the grin that lit Lois’ face made him crack.

“Well, no wonder Shelby has a gender complex. Me thinking he’s a boy, you thinking he’s a girl,” Lois commented offhandedly.

“She’s a girl,” Clark stated just for the sake of arguing with her. Her snort made his grin widen.

“Wow, is there no version of you two where sparks don’t fly?” Oliver asked, shaking his head.

Clark flushed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he denied.

Lois laughed lightly. “Keep telling yourself that, Smallville,” she said, reaching up to adjust his glasses.

Clark’s blush deepened and he looked for some kind of escape. His eyes caught Zatanna’s amused ones. “Thanks for lifting the spell,” he said.

“My pleasure,” she replied, smiling. “Though I wish I didn’t have to do it in the first place. Some people are just paranoid.”

“Cautious,” Oliver corrected with a slight harrumph. “Besides, you don’t live like we do without being a little ‘paranoid’. We had to be sure. We couldn’t have another breach like last time.”

“Last time?” Clark echoed curiously.

“You don’t need to know,” Bruce said. His voice wasn’t unkind. He was merely stating a fact. “Actually, since you’ve been here for more than half the day, I’m assuming you already know a lot more than you should. It’s best if you stay in your apartment until we figure this out.”

“Bruce!” Lois said angrily. “We can’t just lock him up like some dangerous –”

“I’m not implying that,” he interrupted calmly. “But there’s a reason we don’t know our futures. Knowledge is power. When he goes back, he could change the timeline from what we know.” He gave Lois a hard stare. “And I know you don’t want that.”

“Of course not.” She gritted her teeth. “But he doesn’t have to be cooped up. We just won’t tell him anything unless it’s need-to-know.”

“I won’t- I won’t try to find out anything,” Clark promised as he thought of Lois. “I want to help in any way I can, including trying to find out what happened to your Clark. I can’t do that in an apartment all day.”

“He can help with patrols,” Oliver added. “This way we won’t have one man down.”

Bruce was silent for a while. “Or we could just send him back now.” He glanced at Zatanna.

“As much as I want to find out where my husband is, I’m not all that eager for you to try another spell on his younger self so soon either,” Lois said, stepping in front of Clark. He wondered if it was a subconscious or intentional action.

“Lois –” Oliver began.

“Don’t even try it, Ollie,” she said, shaking her head. “One spell a day’s the limit.” She grabbed Clark’s hand and began leading him toward the door of the roof. “Check in with us tomorrow.”

“Where are you going?” Oliver asked, running to catch up with them before they left.

“I’m taking him home. He definitely can’t go to the party,” she said. She looked back over her shoulder at Bruce. “He won’t find out anything unless we tell him.”

Clark tried to say goodbye to Oliver, Zatanna and Bruce, but Lois had already yanked him through the doorway and down the one flight of stairs that led to the penthouse floor.

“Let me just get my purse from behind the bar and we can get going,” Lois said, stopping outside the doors of the club. She put her hands on his shoulders. “You stay here. I’ll give Chloe and Casanova some kind of explanation.”

“Wait.” Clark gripped her arm before she could turn away. “Can’t I say hi to them? I wanted to wish them congratulations.”

Something flashed through Lois’ eyes and she shook her head. “I’m really sorry, Clark, but you can’t. It’s better if you don’t see –” She cut herself off. “Just stay here, alright?” She gave him a stern look and entered the still crowded party.

Clark watched her go, lingering by the doorway when his eyes caught on a familiar red hoodie. He turned his head to see Bart and Chloe standing in a corner on the opposite side of the room from the bar, talking quietly. Chloe’s back was to the entrance, but Bart was facing it. Before Clark could duck, Bart spotted him. His friend grinned and waved him over.

Clark hesitated, glancing over at Lois who was talking to the bartender. Then he looked back at Bart, who was still waving. He could make some small talk, just for a little bit. What harm could that do? He hurried over to his friends.

He was only a few feet away when Bart greeted, “Hey amigo!”

“Hi Bart,” he replied. He looked from him to his blonde best friend, who was currently finishing up a text on her cell phone. The left side of her face was visible to him, and she seemed unchanged, except for her longer hair. “Chloe.”

“Sorry, Clark. Just give me one… more… second.” She finished her text with a flourish. As she put her phone away in her clutch, she said, “Glad you could make it. Wouldn’t be the same without my bestie.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” he said, grinning. Clark moved forward to hug her warmly, but stopped short when she looked up from her purse and turned around to face him. The grin on his features faded.

Chloe’s warm smile turned puzzled. “Clark, what is it?”

Clark had felt an array of emotions upon his various discoveries of the future – surprise, delight, and utter confusion to name a few. But this was the first time something horrified him.

Chloe stood before him, changed subtly in ways only the passage of time could accomplish. Straight blonde hair reaching past her shoulders, the curves of her face more defined, and perhaps even a tiny bit taller. But then there was the hint of one too many things seen hidden behind her cheerful expression. That alone would have been enough to alert him that something was wrong, but the six years he knew nothing about had left their mark permanently for all to see.

Hidden only partially by her hair, a deep scar ran from the middle top of her forehead, through her right eyebrow and down the outer side of her face. It disappeared behind the curtain of blonde locks covering her right ear. The color of the scar had already faded, so he knew it wasn’t recent. However, by the looks of it, the injury had to have initially been a nasty blend of purples, reds and browns.

But apparently, that disfigurement wasn’t enough. The dull grey of her right eye marred what he remembered as her vibrant blue gaze. He stared at its glassy and somewhat blank surface. Fear, guilt and sorrow flooded him as he realized she wasn’t seeing anything at all.

She was blind.

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