insane100 :: Tough rocks, pal

[manorsuperman]

[ooc: Warning: not the usual Lana, and she's going to be more than a bit crass. R-rated crass. I said I was bringing her here and I am. Consider this an intro. No IC comments, unless they're very friggin meta. reporter_chloe, I know I asked you for a beta, but I got antsy.]

Clark took one last look around the barn. It wasn't really the last look, he knew. His mom was living here again and with his speed there was only a few seconds between here and Metropolis. Still, it seemed so final. A chapter of his life was closing. As much as he wanted to stay here on this farm, the place he grew up and would always love, he couldn't justify staying here any longer. Metropolis needed Superman far too much.

Suddenly a surge of pain flowed through him and seconds later heard a very familiar yet oddly chilling voice.

"Hello, Clark."

He turned to stare at the woman who'd left him years before. A woman he never thought he'd see again.

"Lana?" He watched as she moved slowly toward him, a cold spark of enmity lighting her eyes. The closer she got, the weaker he felt, and soon he spotted the problem.

The strand of green beads around her neck.

"Lana...your necklace..." he struggled to get out as he fell to his knees. "It's Kryptonite..."

She tilted her head as she looked down at him. "No shit." There was a small pause as she looked him over. "You know, it's really a shame that this is what it takes to get you on your knees. Like a little super-head would kill me."

"Why...?"

Lana took a firm hold on his face and jerked it up to face her as she bent down. "Three and a half years, Clark. It's been three and a half years. And you never even looked for me."

"...what?" He was so confused, and the pain wasn't helping. "You left me, Lana. You told me not to look for you."

He was going to continue, tell her he was respecting her wishes, but she pushed him over and kicked at his back as hard as she could.

"You fucking idiot! You can't really be that stupid!" The calm, cool venom was gone, now replaced by an intense, fiery anger. "'I need you, but the world needs you more,'" she said, mocking her own words. "What kind of bullshit is that?! I did everything for you. I killed for you. Did you really believe I could just leave you like that?!" She kicked him again, this time in the gut and seemed to enjoy it when he cried out in pain. "Lex kidnapped me, Clark. And do you know what I told him every single day? I told him you'd come for me. I told him there was no way you would believe the lies he made me tell you on that video."

"I'm so sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't," she said as if she were speaking to a child. She even knelt down to stroke his hair as she continued on in her condescending tone. "You didn't want to know. Then you would have to save me. You want so much to convince yourself you're a hero...but you're not. Deep down, you're all the same."

"Lana..." He knew what she mean. He knew who the 'all' were. He wanted to tell her how wrong she was. He'd never done anything but love her.

"I can't believe I didn't see it before. You said your planet was destroyed, but time and time again, one of you would show, or someone from some other planet. Lex has been right all this time."

"Lana, no."

"You're dangerous. We have to protect our planet from invaders like you."

"You're wrong." He looked at her, eyes pleading for her to listen. "If Lex has kept you locked up all this time, you can't be thinking clearly. This isn't you."

"But it is me. He was right about me, too, Clark. Lex and I belong together. We're two of a kind."

"No, you aren't. You aren't."

"I just didn't want to accept, just like you never have."

"You can't go back to him."

She held up her left hand. "I already have."

"Lana..."

"Don't worry. I haven't told him who you are. It'll be much more fun to watch him find out himself."

She stood up again, looking down at him with a subtle but noticeable look of disgust before walking away.

"See you in Metropolis, Superman."