Smallville: Annual

Chapter 31

4/17/05 - 12:00PM  - Smallville, KS

The street had Sheriff Adams with her patrol car forming as much of a roadblock as she could manage as she suddenly saw an old man appearing in the middle of the road.

"Sheriff Adams I presume?" 

"You're this General Hardcastle fellow?"

"Correct.  I will wait here and hopefully..." Hardcastle was interrupted.  He then saw the sheriff chamber a round in to her shotgun.

"You stay right where you are."

He then raised his hands as the sheriff joined by her deputies who had their weapons drawn.

"I'm not here to hurt any human, I'm here to help."  Hardcastle then looked behind the sheriff and her deputies as he grinned at the sight of the young Superman.

"Sheriff Adams?"  The sheriff turned around as she saw Clark Kent.  She remembered telling the other deputies to tighten main street but then again after what she had heard for the past few hours.  She should have known better.

"Clark you stay right there we'll keep him here.  This scum made sure that tough gal couldn't be here, he didn't say anything about me."

"Sheriff please get away and let him through!" 

        Sheriff Adams then ordered her deputies to stand down as Hardcastle jumped over her patrol car as he turned his back to the sheriff and the other deputies.

        Clark then slowly approached as he took a look around main street noticing perhaps for the last time the Talon, the Savings & Loan, the Beanery, Frank's Auto Body Shop, Elizabeth's Dresses and the Fordman's Department Store.  It felt as if he was seeing it all for the first time as he eyed Hardcastle meeting him right at the middle.

There was a few people inside their stores but most of them were nestled inside their houses.  He could hear the men inside the tavern still talking up a storm.  He could here a camera recording for the small KMTL TV station as well as watching a reporter from the Smallville Ledger with a deputy looking down the street.  They were now watching this encounter between a cyborg from the future against one of their own residents only no thanks to Hardcastle they now knew that Clark Kent was more than just the ordinary teenaged boy who appeared to have the knack for finding trouble and was ostracized by his fellow students as an outsider.  The boy found the opportunity to join the football team and for many students and other people in the town believed he had a career in football when his team triumphed in last year's championship game.  Yet he was meant for more than touchdowns as he gave up his scholarship to Metropolis University.  Now they all know the truth that he wasn't human.  Clark could hear the voices now.  'He's better than a human.' 'Daddy is he going to win?' 'God Bless this young man.' 'Fight Clark!'  Clark never wanted this life, but now he had no choice. He will fulfull the destiny Jor-El had set for him and this man will not stop that from happening.

Right here and right now he was going to fight for destiny.

"So,"  Hardcastle said.  "Shall we do this Clark?  Are you going to surrender or are you going to resist?"

"Don't lie to me Hardcastle.  We both know why you are really here.  Please lets talk about this."

"Talk? There is nothing to talk about!"

"Oh but there is.  Now Diana made it clear to me that she couldn't tell me everything and I accept that.  But she told me what you were before I came to this world.  You are a soldier, a protector of lives not just a killer.  She knows you have a device that had brought you here and still keeps you here. Give it to me and return to your world.  I know you hold me responsible for what has happened to you and I've always believed that I have been responsible. Now I realize its because I fought what I was meant to be.