Indestructible: Four Times Clark Kent Should Have Died

Title: Indestructible: Four times Clark Kent Should Have Died
Season: Season 2-6
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the CW and the Creators of Smallville, but what I wouldn’t do if I owned Clark, Lex or Oliver ;-)
Couples: Chloe/Clark friendship
Category: One-shot, Fluff
Edited By: dh1031



Smallville 2002

(Clark POV)

I felt the heat searing against my flesh. I reached out and my hands touched the glass of the furnace door. I banged slightly but before I could lift my hands again, I felt my body sliding down as the flames blared over my head. No…I’m not going to let these guys win…

I’m not going to let them steal and hurt people. I squatted down as I felt my clothes burning from my body. I stood up swiftly, balled my fists and kicked the furnace door. The door flew off its hinges as flames shot out from the now open door.

I could feel the blisters on my face, but as soon as I stepped out of the fire I could feel them starting to heal. I stood there and glared at the open doorway of the warehouse. I’m not crazy about my powers all the time…most of the time I complain about them.

Its days like these though, that I’m glad I am who I am…I searched around the warehouse until I found a foundry worker’s uniform. I put it on and sped home. Less than three minutes later I was walking through the kitchen door.

My parents looked up and my mother’s eyes widened as she ran over to me. Her face was full of concern.

“Clark! Oh my God, what happened?”

I swallowed hard as she moved her hands over me making sure I was okay.

“I saw one of the hijackers, he goes to our school. I followed him to the old foundry, but before I could do anything, they jumped me.”

My dad took my arm and led me to the kitchen table so I could sit down and relax. I didn’t bother telling him that I was more than okay, just upset. My dad spoke with disbelief in his voice.

“Clark, you couldn't stop 'em?”

I shook my head.

“No, I think it has something to do with refined kryptonite. They had a huge amount of kryptonite bars…the same ones that were in Lionel's safe. That's what they stole from the truck.”

My parents stared at me with disbelief in their eyes at what I was telling them. To be honest nothing really surprised me anymore…My dad’s voice brought me out of my thoughts.

“Clark, what would they be doing with kryptonite?”

“They're melting it down and inhaling it. That's what's giving them incredible strength.”

My mother’s worried voice interrupted my dad and me and we both looked at her.

“Jonathan, we have to bring in the police.”

He nodded.

“Yeah.”

My dad moved over to the phone and I jumped up from my seat to stop him.

“Don't you understand dad? The police can't do anything.”

“Clark...”

I shook my head and they could see how upset I really was when I spoke.

“Dad, they threw me into a blast furnace! They overpowered me! How are the police going to handle that? If I was anyone else, I wouldn't be here right now…”

Smallville 2003

(Clark POV)

I heard the blare of a gun being fired and I turned in the direction it was coming from. The whoosh of the bullet had me squinting into the trees to try and see who shot it. I held my hand up to catch the bullet and when it made contact with my hand the splat of it going through made my eyes widened.

It came out the other side and ripped into my chest, lodging there. I yelled out and my body flew back violently from the force of the bullet as I slammed to the ground with a thud.

“Aaah! Aaah!”

I winced as I felt the meteor rock flowing through my system. My dad screamed my name as he came running over to me.

“Clark? Clark!”

He kneeled to the ground and I felt his hands rolling me back onto my back. I could hear myself whimpering as I tried to speak. I gritted my teeth in pain.

“Dad... ah... Dad...”

I felt my dad lift my head and place it on his knee as he looked down at me with concern on his face and spoke.

“Clark, I got you.”

*****

Several hours later after my mom and dad spent close to forty-five minutes extracting the bullet from my chest and my nap to end all naps I went after Van. I shook my head as I glanced out the window. Everything wound up working out…

Everyone is okay…I’m okay…but for a minute there…I really thought I was a goner. I could feel my body giving out on me the longer the meteor rock was inside me…and when the darkness took over me…I thought I’d never wake up.

I know I’ve said it before, but its times like these I’m glad I’m not like anyone else…

Smallville 2004

(Clark POV)

I stood in the loft looking out the open window when I heard footsteps on the stairs. I sighed and turned around ready to say that I was fine for about the hundredth time to my mother when I noticed a blonde head peaking around the stairs.

Chloe made her way up and she must have seen the surprise on my face. She gave me a small grin and spoke.

“Surprised to see me?”

I nodded.

“Yeah,”

She motioned to the steps.

“I could go.”

I shook my head.

“No, it’s okay. I just thought you were my mom. She’s been coming up here checking on me every half hour or so. It’s good to see you…how are you holding up?”

She shrugged and took a few steps toward me.

“I’m okay I guess…I can’t get a statement from LuthorCorp, which I suppose doesn’t surprise me, but I mean, a huge chemical explosion causes everybody to relive their worst nightmares? And what nobody demands answers? And then there’s no sign of a lawsuit. It’s like this whole thing is just being completely forgotten about!”

I gave her a strange look. I’ve known Chloe since we were 13…something is definitely wrong. I haven’t seen her this worked up in a long time. I cleared my throat.

“I’ve seen you worked up before, but this is more than amped, even for you. What’s going on?”

I saw her body relax a little as she plopped down on the coach. I walked over and sat next to her. She sighed.

“I guess it’s just displaced anxiety.”

I raised an eyebrow and waited for her to continue. She rolled her eyes slightly and looked away from me as she spoke.

“I found my mom, Clark.”

I moved off the couch and kneeled in front of her so I could catch her eyes. When she looked at me I spoke in a soft voice.

“Wow. That’s...Chloe, that’s great.”

She snorted slightly

“Yeah, I mean I put my feelers out for years, and something, three months ago, finally came through, so... um, it turns out she’s, um... not exactly MIA, so to speak.”

I watched as her eyes filled with tears before she continued.

“She’s in a mental institution.”

Oh god…I swallowed hard.

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged.

“The real kicker is it’s hereditary.”

When she turned her head away from me I spoke in a soothing voice as I put a hand on her arm.

“Listen, hey. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned it’s that you’re not destined to follow in your parents footsteps, all right?”

She chuckled lightly and swiped at her eyes.

“Yeah, thanks.”

She pulled away from me slightly and gave me a small smile. I moved back onto the couch and she turned so we were facing each other.

“So, popular question of the day. What is Clark Kent’s worst nightmare?”

I hesitated. I wanted to tell her…but I knew I couldn’t…not really anyway so I gave her the best explanation I could.

“When I woke up everyone that I knew was gone. I was completely alone.”

She gave me a sympathetic look and took my hand in hers.

“I wish I could say that I’ll always be there for you, but somehow I get the feeling that may not be a promise I can keep.”

I smiled; she paused, and looked me over before speaking again.

“You were the only one who came out of it, Clark, and I don’t think it’s because you’ve been taking your vitamins.”

“Chloe…”

“Look, you know what? You don’t have to tell me. I know that I gave you my word that I was going to stop all this prying but...In these last few months, I really got a taste of what it was like to keep my mom’s secret, and I’ve never felt more alone.”

I could understand that…

“It’s weird when people think they’re so close to you but have no idea what you’re really going through.”

She looked into my eyes and I felt like she was reading my soul. Chloe is my best friend…sometimes I feel like she could be more, but there’s something that always stops me from pursuing that line of thinking…sometimes I think she might know me better then anyone…

Her voice brought me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah. I’d hate to live my whole life like this. But after ‘fessing up, it’s amazing how quickly that feeling of loneliness disappears. I mean, if you can’t tell your best friend, who can you tell? Right, Clark?”

I gave her a small smile and nodded. I should have died today…I almost did… even though I can’t tell Chloe who I really am it’s times like these where I’m glad I am what I am…


Smallville 2005

(Chloe POV)

I watched Clark pace back and forth in the loft like a caged animal. I cleared my throat.

“I know how much you've dreamt of having a bland, generic, mundane life, but being normal is highly overrated. Besides, it makes my whole sidekick role easier if you can bring super duper strength to the table.”

He gave me a sideways look, but didn’t say anything.

“I mean, not that we didn't make a great team out there today, minus the whole part where I was kidnapped and you were shot. So, are you healing or how does that work exactly?”

He plopped down next to me, lifted his shirt, and then moved the bandage to the side showing me his heeled gunshot wound.

“Wow.”

I stretched my hand out and ran it over his flawless skin.

“Unscathed on the surface. That's not what's going on underneath, is it, Clark?”

When I took my hand away he moved the bandage back in place and pulled down his shirt.

“I guess I’ll never be able to escape who I really am. Back to the lies and hoping no one will ever ask to see the scar.”

I frowned slightly.

“Namely Lana.”

He turned his head in my direction so he could make eye contact with me. His voice was hesitant as he spoke.

“We've never talked about Lana…”

I shrugged.

“That's because we don't have to, Clark. I'm a big girl now. I do have one confession: I really liked being the only one who knew about, you know, you. For lack of a cheesier word, it just made it special, but if you honestly believe you can stay with Lana and not tell her, I think you're seriously kidding yourself.”

He looked away from me then and stared off into space.

“I don't have a choice. I can't expect her to react like you did.”
That’s true…from what Clark’s told me Pete didn’t exactly react the same way I did either, but every body at least deserves the chance to react.

“But, don't you think you owe her the choice?”

He looked at me and I could see the pain and determination on his face as he spoke.

“I can't take that risk. I've risked too much already and now someone else is going to have to pay for it.”

I frowned and watched him as he turned all his pain inside on himself. Clark is a champion sulker…if I let him he’d spend half of his time sulking in the barn, but then again I’d rather have him sulking then not here at all. My thoughts drifted back to earlier this morning…

*Flashback*

I watched Everything happened in slow motion. I heard Clark asking where the silo was and then Gabriel lifted his arm and there was a loud boom. I blinked and I watched Clark’s body jerk before he looked at me, teetered, and collapsed to the ground.

Oh god Clark…I threw my body forward towards Clark, but Gabriel held me back. I felt the air leave my lungs like someone sucker punched me. Tears pooled and overflowed, spilling rapidly down my cheeks. I screamed at the top of my lugs as I struggled against him.

“Clark! Clark! No, you can't just do this! No! Clark! Clark!”

I felt him pushing my body onto the motorcycle as I watched the blood seep out of Clark’s body. This is all my fault…By the time we got to the silo…I was numb…no…this can’t be happening…

Present

A warm hand on my arm startled me out of my thoughts. I jumped slightly, shook my head, and looked up. Clark’s brow was creased with concern.

“Chloe, is everything okay? What's going on in that head of yours?”

I smiled and gave him a small chuckle.

“Nothing Clark, I’m fine. Sorry for zoning out there. What were you saying?”

He shrugged and leaned back into the couch.

“Nothing, it’s not important.”

He was looking out the loft window again from the couch and I turned my head to follow his gaze. God the stars a beautiful even from back here…I felt his hand clasp mine and I gave him a startled look. He gave me half a smile before turning back to the window.

“Hey Chlo…”

“Yeah, Clark?”

“I’m really glad you’re okay…I…I don’t know what I’d do without you Chlo…”

I grinned.

“I’m glad you’re okay too Clark.”

As I sat there, his hand in mine, watching the stars I couldn’t help the emotions coursing through my body. Clark Kent is an amazing guy…he’s my best friend and so much more…I’ve never been so happy about his alien origins as I am right now.

He should have died today…but thank god he didn’t…Clark and I might only be friends, but something tells me we’ll be in each others lives a lot longer than any boyfriend or girlfriend will be…and maybe that’s what counts…the bond we have with each other is stronger than any I’ve ever had with anyone…

He should have died today, but fortunately for me…and the rest of the world of course…a gunshot wound to the chest won’t stop Clark Kent…he’s indestructible…