Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 13:13:46 -0800 (PST) From: Whitney Ross Subject: Soulmates Part 3 SV3 This is fantasy fiction intended for an audience of gay males over the age of 18. It contains detailed description of homosexual activity and if you find this offensive you should not read on. This story in no way reflects the true sexual preferences of any of the characters or actors who may have portrayed them and should not, in any way be taken as a true representation of any activities that have ever been performed. Superman and some of these characters are trademarks of and copyright of DC Comics. Smallville, its plotlines, characters and ideas are the property of the WB. Please feel free to write with feedback and comments, it's the only thing that tells us you are out there reading ! Drop me a line at whitney_ross01@yahoo.com ****** He heard crashing noises as the side of the barn began to collapse. Clark turned in horror expecting to see Chris horribly injured or worse. But to his amazement he saw something else. Chris was crouched on the ground between Clark and the explosion. A bright glow surrounded Chris and extended out to encompass the explosion. As Chris crept backwards he told Clark to get out of the barn. A stunned Clark complied and he saw the barn collapse into a pile of burning rubble. Moments later Chris emerged from the ruined building, still emitting a slight glow. The glow vanished and Chris fell to the ground. Clark rushed over, afraid Chris was really hurt, but in just a few minutes Chris regained consciousness. The two of them sat for a little while as Chris recovered his strength and Clark recovered from his shock. "I guess I need to explain what happened...." began Chris ****** Clark and Chris drove in silence back to the Kent farm. Clark had told Chris to just rest from his ordeal and that they could talk about it later. Within seconds of sitting down in truck, Chris was fast asleep. Clark smiled as he watched Chris breathe, and couldn't help but notice the warmth roll all over his body as he did. But Clark didn't have time to dwell on that. He hadn't told Chris to rest just out of kindness. He needed time to think. It was pretty clear to him that Chris was another so called meteor freak and his past experiences with them hadn't been very good. In fact most of them had gone out of their way to either kill Clark or cause havoc all over Smallville. At the same time there seemed to be something different about Chris. After all he had saved Clark's life and that wasn't the usual practice of meteor people. The one recent exception to that rule hadn't turned out so well, but even Alicia had acted out of love for Clark rather than malice. So he was willing to give Chris a chance, but he would be careful not to be too open about his own abilities. By now they were back at the farm, so Clark gently awoke Chris. His hand lingered over Chris' chest to shake him and Clark was surprised when Chris reached up and pulled them against his warm body. But he assumed that Chris was just half awake and dismissed the moment. Chris was now awake and they headed into the barn so that they could talk. Chris had begun to talk but Clark caught himself checking him out from behind and again dismissed it from his mind, trying to focus. ****** The two men sat in the barn loft. There was nobody else around but Chris insisted on closing the doors to make sure nobody was listening. "It all began a little while after the meteors hit. I was in the hospital for a long time with more broken bones and injuries than most of the doctors had ever seen. They said I was in and out of a coma for weeks. The lab techs told me later that they joked about me being put on the payroll because I spent more time in the X Ray and MRI labs than some of the staffers." Clark winced a little at the thought of someone as nice as Chris being so helpless and in so much pain, but did his best to keep smiling. "I finally woke up for good about two months after the accident. It was then that I learned all about what had happened. At first I didn't remember all of it, it was just like a blur in my mind. It was a long time and a lot of nightmares later before I remembered it all. But I don't want to get into that now. Maybe later." Chris paused and Clark patted him on the shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Anyway, once I was awake I was told that my mother was dead and that my father had been badly hurt. By this time he was out of the hospital but was in therapy. He was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life you know." "Yeah, I bet that was tough", said Clark "It was but at least we had time to spend with each other. I spent lots of time in the hospital, it was close to six months after the accident before I even got to take a weekend visit to my grandparent's farm. During that time I kept up my unofficial job as the biggest user of the MRI labs. I hated that machine after a while. Its like being locked inside a big metal tube for hours. One day there was a big storm and while I was in the unit the power went on and off. It was really weird, almost like someone was draining the power then sending it back" Clark focused at this comment, remembering that several meteor people had used electricity in their powers and wondering if this was the act of another unknown meteor person. But that was silly, it had to be just the effects of the storm. "It was really scary for me. After all I was just a little kid back then and it was really dark inside with the power off. There were power surges and sparks and it was a real mess. They got me out but not before I got some nasty shocks, and I was really freaking out. They took me back to my room but I felt funny somehow, like I'd stuck my finger in a light socket or something" Chris paused and looked around as if he were sure someone was listening. Clark quickly scanned the area and assured himself that things were fine. "It was later that night that it happened for the first time. The room was still pretty dark because the power was off and they were working off of generators or something. They had brought in a portable monitor to keep track of my heart and stuff. I guess they were worried about my shocks and everything. Anyway, I rolled over in bed to reach for a glass of water." "My bed shifted a little bit and bumped the wall, the monitor stand must have been loose because it broke loose and I could see this huge monitor falling at my head. I still had 2 broken legs so I couldn't move out of the way. I put up my hands and then it happened. This glow came out of my hands and the monitor bounced off of it. It was amazing; this big heavy machine flew away from my face and landed on the floor. At first I assumed that I'd imagined it but then people rushed in to see what happened. They all said I was lucky, but I knew something different had happened. Of course I didn't tell anyone, they'd of thought I was crazy" "What happened next?" asked Clark, trying to gradually work up to asking about the meteors. He didn't want to be too obvious. "Over the next several months in the hospital I began to gradually develop my abilities. Initially it was more of a reflex kind of action. I would be able to deflect things, like the monitor, away. As I gradually got onto my feet I was able to protect myself when I was falling. But for those first months it was mostly a reaction kind of thing, protecting myself when I slipped or fell." "But it didn't stay that way?" Clark asked. "No. Once I got out of the hospital I still had to spend a few months at home recovering. While my body was still healing itself, my mind seemed to be sharper than ever before. At that time I'd just started school of course, I was just in first grade. But it seemed like all of the new work they were sending me was something I'd seen already. Before I knew it I'd not only caught up with things but was actually running far ahead." "Well that was pretty cool I'll bet", Clark interjected. "Yeah it was. In fact to tell you the truth I've never had any problems with school. I tried not to be too much of a showoff, but schoolwork never took me any time at all. It really helped, as I got older and was able to take over a lot of my grandfather's work. I was still really busy, between work and school and all. But being able to finish my homework so quickly left me time to work on developing my new abilities." Chris paused. "I hope I'm not boring you with all of this", he said. "Not at all, please go on", Clark answered. "Well anyway, like I said, I began to see how I could control this strange power I had. It took me quite a while to get to where I could actively control it. I would work out in the barn or in the fields where nobody could see me. Eventually I could open and close doors or move hay bales, but I mostly used it to play games or have fun. Like I'd move things around and people would wonder what happened. One time when I was about nine or ten I was being hassled by this older kid. So I moved his car to where it slid into a mud puddle. It didn't hurt the car but it made me feel better." Clark laughed at the image, remembering what it was like to be teased or mistreated and admiring Chris for having self control at such a young age. "After some trial and error I could do even more. But for the first few years it was more of a game, nothing really major. But then one day I was working out in the barn when and some hay bales fell over. I was only a kid and was sure that they were gonna crush me. I reacted and that was the first time I enveloped something with a power field. I moved them back into place." "Did you have more control after that?" Clark asked. "Yeah. From then on I got to where could really do everything with them. I refined them to the point that I could do almost anything. It was like on Star Trek and the tractor beams they used, it was amazing." Clark grinned at the mention of Star Trek. Although his geek image didn't need any enhancing, the truth was he loved the old shows. "So once I had control I decided I would try to help people when I could. I had to be careful because I knew if anyone found out, I would be in trouble. I mean it was weird enough being the kid whose house got hit by meteors. I didn't need anything more. "But I always was on watch and over the years I managed to keep a lot of people from being hurt. One time I stopped a school bus that lost its brakes. Another time I helped some kids trapped in a fire. It got to the point that people joked about Granville luck and how people managed to survive accidents. Course nobody ever thought of me", he sighed. Clark knew just how Chris felt, and although he ached to tell him, he kept silent. "Of course the one person I couldn't help was my dad. He died in an accident at the hospital when he was undergoing treatments. So silly that he survived the meteors only to die in a freak accident." Clark could tell Chris didn't want to talk about it anymore so he didn't press the issue. But Chris thought Clark was looking at him to ask the question he knew was coming. "I know what you want to ask Clark, its ok. I've spent years trying to figure out how I got these abilities but no clues yet. I figure maybe it's one of those things that happen when you go into a coma and have brain damage and such. That and maybe the power shocks or something. But I never have gotten an answer that satisfies me" Clark was stunned; he had always assumed Chris knew the source of his powers. He knew now he had to help Chris, although he would still try to keep his own secret. "Chris, do you trust me?" Clark asked "Yeah man, I trust ya. I've never told anyone else about my powers, not even my family" Chris replied. "Do you remember Chloe?" "Sure I do" "Well I think we should go see her. I think that she could answer your questions. We can trust her too", Clark assured. Chris was uncertain at first but Clark's firm hand on his shoulder was comforting and Chris felt liked he was bathed in warmth and comfort. He knew he could trust Clark and they agreed to go see her. Clark told Chris to rest while he called Chloe. Clark went into the house and called his friend, explaining not only the background but also what Chris had told him about school. Chloe said she would help Chris but would also see what she could find out about his intelligence. She asked Clark to come later that evening. ******* Later that evening the two young men headed out to meet with Chloe. They had decided to meet at the Talon so that she could show Chris all of the information she had gathered for the wall of weird. Ever since her encounter with a furious Lionel Luthor and the knowledge that Lex had been hurt because of her web site, she had been very careful to keep things isolated. She kept everything on a laptop computer that she never connected to the internet. Clark was one of the few people that she would open this up to. She had arranged with Lana to use the upstairs apartment that had been used by the mysterious, and as it turned out, quite dangerous Adam. Chloe greeted the two of them with a smile and as they entered she couldn't help but notice the chemistry developing between the two young men. She suspected that perhaps Lana was about to be replaced in Clark's world. "Well I understand there is something I can help you guys with. But there is a price for my help. And Chris can help me with it" "What can I do?" Chris asked. "Well I've been conducting a scientific study of how people answer a computer quiz. Clark has already helped me by taking it but I'd like you to try it as well" Clark almost opened his mouth to object but realized that this was her clever way of getting Chris to take the IQ test without making a big deal over it. Chris quickly agreed to take the survey and sat down at the computer while Chloe went over to talk to Clark. "Pretty clever of you. Thanks" Clark spoke quietly. "No problem, but we should have some time to talk. It will take him at least an hour to finish the quiz", she replied. The two sat in a corner and began to play chess but it wasn't long before Chris called over to say he was done. Chloe looked at her watch in confusion, as it had only been about 20 minutes. She was sure Chris had made a mistake but when she checked, she saw he had in fact finished the quiz. She decided to have the computer do an in depth analysis of the results so she clicked the proper icon and set the machine aside. "Well, while that test is being integrated into my study we can look into what you came here for. I'll get the computer ready. Why don't you go downstairs and get us some drinks, just ask Lana", she told Chris. As Chris left Clark looked at Chloe oddly. "Ok, what's up?" Clark asked anxiously. " I know that something is wrong here." "What's wrong is that there is no way he should have been able to complete that test so quickly, unless he just guessed. But we should know that in a few minutes" "I thought the test analysis was supposed to take a long time?" Clark asked, a little confused. "No, only a few minutes for the basic analysis, the details will take a few hours, but we can get the basic results before he gets back. That's why I sent him out" "I appreciate your wanting to watch out for me but I hate to deceive him like that, he's a nice guy." said Clark "Seems to me he's a lot more than nice", Chloe replied, with a raised eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean." Clark stammered. "Don't get me wrong", said Chloe, "I don't mean to tease you or anything but it just seems like there's something there between the two of you. He is awful hot looking and you deserve the best." "Yeah but he's a guy" Clark blurted out. "Yeah, and so what. Look Clark I'm not gonna pry but I'm not blind either. I won't tell anyone your secret or even make you tell me. But if Chris is gonna make you happy then maybe you need to worry more about yourself and happiness and less about what others think." Clark didn't respond but luckily the awkward silence was broken by a beep from the computer indicating the results were complete. Chloe went over to the machine and Clark saw her face get that look. The look he'd seen hundred times before. Every time she found something new for her wall of weird. But this time it was different. He felt his heart leap into his throat and realized in a flash that Chloe was absolutely right. All of those feelings that he'd been sidestepping were there. He was falling in love with Chris. He knew that he would have to take things slowly and he wasn't sure that Chris would even be open to a relationship. He saw Chloe had been working on the keyboard and went over to check what she was doing. "Clark, I've checked and rechecked these results. There is no doubt they are correct", she said. "So what's the word?" asked Clark. She motioned to the screen where the readout was flashing IQ Quotient result: 250 Quotient Accuracy: 99.8% Quotient Percentile: 99.999% "I'm ok on reading box scores but could you translate this for me please", he pleaded. "Well simply put, this means that our boy Chris is probably the smartest person ever to set foot in Smallville. He's smarter than most of the professors at Metropolis University put together." she replied "You've got to be kidding", Clark replied, slightly stunned at what he was hearing. "Nope. Let me put it this way. 150 is considered genius level. Einstein was probably around 200. Chris is 250. This guy is the Michael Jordan of brains. I have to wonder if this is part of the meteor's effects. I can't imagine why he didn't go to college. The guy could have gotten into Harvard when he was 12." Clark knew the answer to that question. Chris had sacrificed things so he could remain with his father and take care of his grandparents. He'd hidden his true intellect so that he could be less conspicuous. Clark felt the affection he had for Chris deepen, as he knew that Chris was finally someone who could truly understand his own efforts to hide the truth. He just hoped he could bring himself to be honest with Chris. "Well we have to tell him about this." said Clark "Yeah, but we can put it off for now, wait till all the results are done. I'll run them through some web sites so we can give him a full explanation" Chloe said. "Ok, but we need to tell him about the meteors, so I'll go get him." Clark headed for the door but Chloe stopped him with a hand on the shoulder. "Clark... he does care for you too." she said. As Clark looked at her he realized she did mean what he hoped she meant. Could Chris be gay? He decided that he would have to discuss things with Chris at some point, but not now. ****** As Clark opened the door he saw Chris heading up the stairs with some drinks and snacks. He looked like an overloaded pack mule with all of the items in his hand. Neither Clark nor Chloe needed to ask what happened. When Lana Lang wanted to treat you to a meal she made sure you had way more than you possibly needed. Of course that treat came with the price of several minutes of conversation about what was happening outside Smallville, a topic that Lana was always interested in. "Well it looks like you've experienced the Lana Lang special" Clark joked. "Yeah, I even had to promise to come back again and tell her all about Granville". Chris laughed. "But I don't mind, this is a fun place to come and Lana is a great person to talk to". The three sat at a table for a while and nibbled on food and drink while conversation steered to movies, gossip and just about everything but the reason they had gotten together that evening. Chloe told Chris that the test results would take a few days to complete because of the servers at the university and he seemed to accept the statement. As they finished eating Chloe stood up and led Chris over to her private laptop computer. "First off I want you to understand that everything that happens here stays here. I won't tell anyone your secret, you can trust me", Chloe promised. "I'm sure if Clark trusts you then you are ok", Chris responded. "Well then I think it's time that you learned something. I know it's a tough subject for you but we have to start with the meteor shower", Chloe said with a knowing smile that Clark couldn't help noticing. "That's fine. If you can help me to get some real answers I'm willing to listen to whatever you have to say" Chris replied. Clark stood back quietly, not wanting to intrude. "When the meteors struck Smallville they had some effects that nobody really understood at the time." Chloe began. "The rocks that were left behind sometimes had what we'd call unusual effects on the people and plants that were exposed to them. It took a long time for anyone to really begin to notice but." "But Chloe is the type to notice" Clark commented. "And Clark is the type to interrupt" Chloe responded. "But Clark is right. I was one of those who started to notice things a few years ago. I began compiling; please don't be offended here, what I call my wall of weird. A list of people who had odd or unusual reactions or behaviors." "One of the first victims was a young man named Jeremy Creek. Every year at the time of the homecoming game the seniors pick a freshman to be the 'scarecrow' and tie him up in a field. He was there when a meteor his and ended up in a coma. But he came out of it and had developed the ability to use electricity to kill people" said Chloe. "Then there was Ian Randall, another local boy who was exposed to the rocks and he developed the ability to split himself in two. He used that ability to kill people in order to protect his grades at school." said Chloe as she showed Chris pictures and news reports of the young man who was now in a mental hospital outside Metropolis. "Tina Greer was a real piece of work. She was a woman who had the ability to morph into any person that she wanted to. She used it to kill dozens of people" Chloe gestured to the computer screen as it showed images of a number of her victims. "She even disguised herself as one of our friends, Whitney Fordman. He was killed over in Afghanistan but she pretended to be him so she could attack some people" Clark interjected. Both he and Chloe had decided to avoid making comments about who the targets of some of the freaks had been. Over the next half hour the two instructed Chris on the many adventures they'd had with the meteor people, including the disturbed young man who had taken to hunting meteor people. They wanted to avoid upsetting him but at the same time they wanted to make sure he knew that risks came with being a meteor person. "So you think that this is where I got my abilities?" Chris asked after Chloe had finished. "Yes, I think so. The medical reports after you were admitted to the hospital said you were coated in meteor dust and had lots of little bits imbedded in your skin. In fact one police officer said that the glow was what helped them find you. So we know you were exposed. My guess would be that the power surge in the MRI acted as a sort of jump start and your abilities began from there." "Well it makes sense. I think that's probably what happened. Thanks for telling me about it and keeping my secret", said Chris. "I hate to ask this, but could you give me a look at your abilities?" Chloe asked. "Chloe..." Clark objected. "No Clark. It's ok. I think she's earned the right" said Chris. He looked around and saw a pile of boxes on the floor. A look of concentration came over his face as a green glow emerged from his hands. The boxes shook for a moment and then organized into a neat pile. "Wow, that must come in handy at spring cleaning time" she joked. "I guess it does." he replied with a smile. ***** Clark and Chris thanked Chloe and the two headed down the stairs. They visited with Lana for a little while before heading back to the farm. It was getting late by the time they returned to the farm so they quietly snuck up the stairs and into their bedrooms. Clark was somewhat restless and couldn't get to sleep. He was lying on his bed reading when he heard Chris yelling in terror from the other room. He rushed across the hall and over to the bed where he began shaking Chris. "It's ok man, I'm here" he spoke in hushed tones. He pulled Chris into his arms and rubbed his back whispering words of comfort into the young man's ear until he gradually awoke. At about the same time Jonathan and Martha appeared at the door but Clark assured them that things were under control. He didn't want to embarrass Chris by having too many people in the room. His parents quietly closed the door, knowing there son had a knack for caring for people. Clark held Chris tighter, gliding his hand gently up and down Chris' back. He felt the teen still shaking and sobbing. "What happened?" Clark asked, releasing Chris slightly. "I guess it was the discussions with Chloe but I was dreaming about the night the meteors hit my house. Like I told you it took me a long time to remember but when I did it came in nightmares. It was horrible. I remember screaming and yelling for my parents, as the world seemed to explode all around us. Then I heard them calling for me. I saw my mother and began moving towards her but...." Chris began to cry and Clark pulled him back into his arms. . and held him in his arms. "It's ok, I'm here", he whispered against Chris' ear. "Thanks, I feel so silly crying like a little kid. As I said I was walking towards my mom when there was a bright flash and explosion and she was just gone. Just like that." he gasped. Clark couldn't help reflecting that Lana Lang had experienced the same thing when her parents died. "I turned around to find my dad but couldn't see him so I headed back for the house. Then there was another bright explosion and everything went dark. When I woke up I was buried in rubble and dirt. It was horrible because I could hear noises and smell smoke and I was sure I was going to die. Every time I dream about it I feel like I'm back there." By now Chris was again softly sobbing and Clark held him tightly and rocked back and forth in an effort to comfort him. "I know it has to be tough but you don't have to worry, I'm here for you" Clark assured. Chris raised his head to answer Clark. Their faces were just inches apart. Clark couldn't resist as he leaned forward and gently kissed Chris on the lips. He froze for a moment worried that Chris would be angry but he wasn't. Chris returned the kiss and the two young men sat on the bed gentle kissing each other and holding each other in a comforting embrace. As Chris gradually calmed down Clark tucked him into bed and gave him one final good night kiss, then headed back to his own room, wondering what the next day would bring.