slayers_desire | the kind of future you don't want to have ((future!verse))

He's reluctant to go back to the silence, to having to hear little more than the downtrodden people being held captive with him. But he knows that her work is important, and he can't be so selfish to keep her from it. I love you. Stay safe.

The only reason that Dark Oak doesn't keep the link open is because she is about to kill someone. A Kandorian. And while she knows that Clark understands her job... she doesn't want him to experience it through the bond.

The job itself is quick and painless. She goes in shadow form. Use Kryptonite to weaken them. And snaps their neck, ensuring that they are good and dead before leaving.

Then reports back to Watchtower.

Chloe still goes by her codename, although the Watchtower base was deactivated to keep it from the Kandorians' attention when the takeover happened. She rarely smiles anymore, and never sleeps without a kryptonite knife in her hand. Nor does she talk about personal issues anymore.

"Status of target?"

"Decommissioned." One shame is the loss of a friendship between Dark Oak and Watchtower. Neither talk about personal issues. They were once so close. And now...

"Prisoner K was verified as well."

There's a bit of a pause at that. Chloe still harbors a lot of resentment about Clark's choice of confronting Zod as he did, and the consequences that followed. But she still does worry about him, deep down.

There's a lot of people she still worries about. At least they know that Clark is alive.

"Good work. Are you heading back now, or do you have another errand to run?"

"I have an errand to run." Dark Oak still requires blood. And without the safety of the farmhouse, or the protection of the Watchtower base, she has to rely on other methods.

"All right. We'll leave the light on for you. Watch your back." Finding food is hard enough for the ordinary humans in the resistance, and she won't begrudge anyone the opportunity to eat when they can. No matter what that food is.

Dark Oak is very selective for her eating habits. She only does it when she has to. And attempts to find an animal first. She would rather not sharing the feeding passions with any human. Not when Clark is being treated like an animal himself.

Leaving, she goes out to the streets. This time hunting for a different reason.

One good thing about the streets outside of the ruins of Metropolis is that wildlife is flourishing, reclaiming some areas that humans have abandoned. Birds, mice, raccoons, even deer have become more used to wandering around small towns without fear of being hunted by humans.

Some in the resistance, like "Agent Green," have taken on secondary tasks providing food for their comrades in arms. And she might see him at work, tracking a deer through town, unaware of her presence.

Altering her path, Dark Oak tracks "Agent Green" as he tracks the deer. He interests her, a hunter like she is. And perhaps she can help secure more food for those who need it.

He still keeps an eye on the sky as he goes, and a lead-sheathed meteor rock knife on his belt. But out here, away from the city, most of the Kandorians don't care what the humans do so long as they don't make any moves of resistance. And occasionally they blow up something to keep the humans' spirits down, and keep them from building.

Oliver keeps a steady pace as he follows the deer's tracks, eventually coming up on the beast grazing on someone's lawn. He crouches in the shadow of a dead tree, sighting down an arrow as he draws the bowstring back.

Dark Oak stays back and just watches. Not making any sound. Not casting any movement to alert the creature. It is a beautiful animal, and looks like it will feed plenty.

((have to help my dad with stuff, might not see you until tomorrow))

Oliver lets the arrow fly, and it buries itself in the deer's side, piercing its lung. The deer bolts, but doesn't make it far before it drops, and Oliver makes sure that it's dead with another, closer-range shot. He's satisfied with the hunt, and backtracks slightly to retrieve a salvaged, insulated cooler to pack the meat into once he has it cut apart and wrapped.

((All right, see you then))

She waits while he cuts it apart and wrapped. Mostly to watch his back as he works. The blood smells good.

Clearing her throat, Dark Oak steps out of her shadow spell. "It looks like you had good hunting."

Edited 2012-02-03 04:06 (UTC)

He looks up sharply and his hand goes for his knife, but he aborts the movement when he sees her. "Good enough, yeah. I think everyone was getting a little sick of rabbits and raccoons all the time."

"Are there any families in the heart of despair that need food delivered?" Trade a favor for a favor. She will deliver the food, and they can give her the blood from the kill.

"A couple. They never get enough to eat." Trade seems to be all that they have anymore. Few people are willing to give something for nothing. Oliver hates that it's come to that.

When Dark Oak kills for her own nourishment, there are families who always get the meat. "I can take it to them."

She admires him as the hunter he has become. But doubts he admires her. Who could.

"Thanks." At least he's hung onto his manners. That's more than some can say.

He hands over a few wrapped parcels of the meat. "Do you need anything else?"

Her needs and wants were too completely things these days. "Nothing else I need." A lot that she wanted.

He nods, understanding. "Good luck. I'll catch up with you later." Then he returns to his task.

((Anytime you want to skip ahead is fine with me. Lois will show up the next morning))

Things are so different. There was once a time Dark Oak would socialize with her other heroes. Bust her butt to gain their approval.

Now... she just doesn't care. She does her job. Kills those who need killed. Feeds those who need to be fed. And goes home to her secret base alone.

Her underground base is protected by an enhanced Buffyverse spell, where she used Kryptonite to basically case an anti-Kandorian ward around it. They can't get to her. And if they do... alarms sound so she can escape in time.

It is like living in Qua-Toth all over again. She would cry... except she has no tears left. And lays down on the bed for sleep. For another day to pass.

The red sun rises the next morning, dark and malevolent as it always is. But today, there's something new.

For Clark, the day begins as usual, trying to ignore the sounds of human suffering around him. And he doesn't look anymore when Alia, the guard for today, burns a man for stealing. That's why it comes as such a shock to hear Lois's voice, sounding confused and alarmed.

He's reluctant to give up his father's watch, but Lois's life is more valuable than holding onto an heirloom. And he doesn't hesitate to hand it over, guaranteeing her safety. For now.

While he leads Lois deeper into the prison, away from the notice of the guards, he reaches out to the bond. April? Are you there?

Rising to a red sun is not a nice thing. But better that than no sun she supposes...

Clark? I am here.

Hey. He tries not to reach out too often or too much, for fear of distracting her. Or being selfish. But this is too important to keep to himself. I have a visitor... Lois just turned up.

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