Clark was floating somewhere warm and comforting. He opened his eyes slowly, but all he could see was white light stretching out in front of him. He floated alone, supported by nothing at all. Dimly, he realized that there was something wrong with this, but he couldn’t bring himself to resist it. He felt like he was being wrapped up in a soft blanket and rocked to sleep. His whole body seemed to melt and fall deeper into it. Somewhere nearby, he could hear a woman’s voice singing softly. It was gentle and very kind, but also sad. He almost felt like he should remember it.

There was no way of telling how long he hung there in the bright light, listening to her sing. All the he knew was the suddenly the song cut off, her voice echoing around him in the silence. Clark blinked, coming more awake, not wanting the song to stop. Then he froze, as the light started to tremble around him. It flickered and shook briefly, then was still. He hung there, waiting. Gently, a piece of the light detached and moved towards him. He didn’t flinch away, watching it come closer. It stopped an inch from his face, and seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then it reached out to stroke his cheek, forming into a hand as it touched his skin. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen; delicately formed and glowing with the same brilliant light. He blinked in wonderment as it caressed his face.

Slowly, he reached up and touched the hand, feeling the smooth warmth of the skin. As he did, light within it grew brighter and brighter. All around him, the light intensified as well. Shielding his eyes, he looked up and saw a face staring back at him through the brightness. Almost blinded by the light, he tried to reach out for it with no avail. When he tried to call out, he found that his voice didn’t make any sound. The light was too intense now for even his eyes to stand. He threw up his arms over his face and cried out silently.

“Wake up now,” a voice called out to him. It was the same voice he’d heard singing before. He peered out through a gap in his arms, but all he could see was the light. “Wake up and find me,” it said again. “I know you will. You always do.” Clark reached out blindly, trying to catch hold of the speaker but could not. Then his whole body went stiff as he felt it touch him right on the forehead. He struggled vainly, but his muscles were frozen in place.

“You’re the only one who can,” it whispered in his ears. “Only you. It’s not enough that the others have the power, only you can make things right. It’s what you were born to do.” He listened, floating there immobile. “Now wake up,” it commanded him one last time. Something passed through its touch and into him, rocking him like a bolt of lightening. He flew backwards, out of the light and seemed to fall far away.

*****

Clark opened his eyes and all he could see was someone’s face; upside down and staring at him intently. Confused and startled, he cried out and thrashed on the ground. The face vanished and he heard a girl cry out close by and then someone was grabbing him, holding him down. It was a girl with tight looking face and long brown hair. He struggled against her as she hissed at him, “Clark! Clark, it’s us, calm down!”

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It took a moment for him to recognize her. “Tina?” he asked slowly, no longer fighting her. She nodded, relieved, and let go of him. Confused, he looked around quickly. “I’m still on the farm.” He looked up at the sky and guessed that he had only been asleep for a few hours.

“Where did you expect to be?” Tina looked tired, but relieved to see him. She was wearing a pair of faded old jeans and what looked like a military jacket over a t-shirt. Falling back onto the ground, she smiled. “Thank God you stopped struggling. I don’t think I could have held you much longer.”

“What the hell was that for anyways?” Chloe asked him suddenly. Looking around, Clark spotted her lying a few feet away, rubbing her elbows gingerly. “You almost scared me to death, you big, dumb, bastard! Not to mention knocking me over.”

Not even that was enough to stop him from smiling. “Just happy to see you,” he told her. She rolled her eyes disgustedly, but he thought he saw her grin back quickly.

“Seriously, are you alright?” Tina asked him, concerned.

Clark frowned and looked down. “Just some bad dreams,” he told her. She glanced around the farm and nodded sympathetically. He wasn’t sure he even knew what he had dreamed yet. Telling them about it would only worry them needlessly.

Standing up, Chloe brushed herself off and extended her arm to him. He took it and stood up, towering over her as he always did. “Are you going to run off like that again?” she asked him. She hadn’t let go of his hand yet. Tina looked away, smiling to herself.

He looked at her and then shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Good.” She let go of his hand and turned around, glancing around the farm. There was an uncomfortable bit of silence as she looked around. “Nice place,” she commented finally. “If it wasn’t for everything else, I mean.”

“It was a lot better once,” he told her, looking around as well. He glanced back at the gravesite unconsciously. The broken edge of the tombstone was clearly noticeable.

“Is that where…” she started and he nodded quickly. She looked around uncomfortably and tilted her head. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Clark nodded again and didn’t say anything. “We guessed that was why you ran off. Sorry that there’s not much for you to come home to though.”

“No, there is,” he broke in. Tina and Chloe both looked up at him. “This just isn’t it.” Tina looked confused, but Chloe seemed to understand. Sighing, Clark shook his head and looked around. “So how did you get out here?” he asked.

“Whitney drove us,” Tina said. “We had to take a few back roads to avoid some roadblocks.”

“And backroads in Smallville,” Chloe added, “just as bad as they sound. I thought the truck was going to shake to pieces a few times.”

“We’ve used them a few times,” she shrugged in response. “You’re lucky it wasn’t raining.”

“Lucky for you, I wasn’t going to push that pile of junk.”

“Where’s Whitney,” Clark broke in, looking around.

Chloe shrugged. “Parking the truck.”

“Hiding the truck,” Tina snapped back at her.

“Then why is it right there,” she pointed to the side. They all turned and looked as a Ford truck came tearing around the corner. Whitney was behind the wheel and waving at them frantically. The car came to a skidding halt and Whitney was running towards them almost before it had even come to a stop.

“Get inside, get inside!” he yelled at them.

They stared at him in shock. “What is it?” Tina yelled.

“Luthorcorp,” he gasped, stumbling to a stop. He bent down, holding his knees and breathing heavily. Tina held his shoulders, behind down next to him. “There’s a whole line of cars coming down the road,” he said between pants. “They already saw the car when I was parking it. They know we’re here.”