here we go again

[slayers_desire]

Clark had gone missing again. And this time, even though April still felt the bond, she couldn't connect to him through the bond. So didn't know where he was, or who took him, and was as confused as Lana and Chloe as they searched the barn for clues

However, April found something that didn't belong to Clark, but was not connected to his disappearance. It was a spool of thread. And it triggered a vision of Aurora. The last witch.

Knowing that she had to face her destiny, April left the mystery of Clark's disappearance in the hands of Lana and Chloe to solve. She needed someone to help her, and with Raya away there was only one person that came to mind.

Bizarro would help her. And April PINpointed to his new residence, hoping he was free. Her mind filled with concern for Clark, but also knowing that Aurora couldn't be left unattended.

Comments

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

Even having a place to himself now, her boyfriend's doppelganger doesn't get out a lot. If he does go out, it's usually after the sun has to set, to avoid any incidents with someone seeing his stone skin.

One thing he's discovered is that he likes reading. It's a completely frivolous activity, worth nothing but entertainment, but he tends to lean towards historical fiction to help him get a better grasp on humanity. He's sitting at his tiny kitchen table, reading The Red Badge of Courage, when he hears the sound of a PINpoint.

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

Her heart aches when April first sees him. Bizarro lived Clark's life for a month when he last went missing. And she really hopes he doesn't have to do it again -- it would be weird to ask.

"Good book?"

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

He nods, folding one corner of the page over to mark his place before closing it. "Civil War story. It's a classic. I've- Clark read it before, but I never have." He still has a hard time separating his real memories from the ones he absorbed. It's all like it happened to him.

"Did I lose track of the days? I thought we weren't meeting for coffee until Sunday."

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

"I am earlier because I need your help." April explains.

She holds out her hand, opening it to reveal the spool of thread. "Every time I have found one of these, I had to face one of the Witches in my dimension. The first two times were okay... difficult but okay. But this time I have to face the most difficult of the witches. The most dangerous."

"And Clark... is missing."

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

"What, again?" He's actually surprised by that.

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

"Yes. And again I don't know why... the bond is there but I can communicate with him. It is like there is this big wall between him and me."

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

"And you don't have time to look for him, because you have to face this witch now?" he guesses.

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

"Its my destiny. I just can't put it on hold." But he can tell it is tearing April apart to not be out looking for Clark.

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

"Do you want me to help?" He doesn't know why else she would be here, telling him this.

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

"Yes please. If you are available."

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

He smiles, but there's not really any humor in it. "It's not like I have a busy schedule."

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

"If I am asking too much..." April was suddenly concerned for him. And his emotional welfare.

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

"No. It'd be nice to have something to do again." Being off the farm and cooped up in this little apartment is depressing, in some ways, and he's jumping at the chance to get out and do something. Especially if it means protecting her.

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

"The Witches are personifications of the Three Fates. I have already dealt with Chloe and the past; and Laura and the present. Today it is Aurora and the future."

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

He nods, standing up. "Anything else I should know before we go?"

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

"They are Witches, and know magic. But you should be fine. Magic hurts Clark.... so..." April still feels nervous taking out her PINpoint.

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." He's never been subjected to magic before, but it stands to reason that he should be immune. After all, everything else affects them oppositely.

"Let's go."

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

PINpointing to Rome, it is near midnight in her dimension at the moment. April listens to her voices, after she first arrives.

"North."

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

Seeing the time difference, he relaxes a little bit. Feeling more confident about protecting her, knowing that the sun won't be here to weaken him. "Stick close," he tells her, keeping all of his senses sharp. He doesn't know what to expect, and he doesn't want to be taken by surprise.

[slayers-desire.livejournal.com]

They head towards a church, and just outside April pauses. "Strange. That she would seek refuge here. But this is where I sense her."

"She is waiting for me."

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

"Sounds ominous." He insists on entering first, just in case. He doesn't have Clark's instinct for trouble, but he's falling back on his survival instincts, honed from decades in the Phantom Zone.

[takenroad3evil.livejournal.com]

When they enter, they will find Aurora at the front of the church, lighting the prayer candles kept to one side.

She finishes with the last candle, before looking up. "April. And this must be your boyfriend. Afraid to face me alone were you?"

April quickly realizes that Aurora won't know that Bizarro is different than Clark, as their experiences are in the past. "Hello Aurora. I see you were expecting us."

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

"There's nothing cowardly about bringing backup," the phantom says coolly. "It'd be stupid for her to come alone."

[takenroad3evil.livejournal.com]

"It is stupid of her to expect to corrupt my mind, as she did to my sisters." Aurora replied back.

"I didn't corrupt them. I helped them see the truth."

"And now you want to see the final piece of the puzzle? Is that it?" Aurora placed her hands in her pockets.

"I want to help you return to your true path." April replied.

[bizarro-clark.livejournal.com]

He doesn't want to say anything to tip her off that he's not the real Clark, so he stays quiet, at April's side. Watching the witch with a wary eye for any signs of treachery.