slayers_desire | a different experience with the future

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Entry tags:

clark,
destiny

a different experience with the future

Normally, April is granted glimpses into her future, or the future of people she cares about. And when that happens she often feels drained and tired. Today a totally different experience with the future occurred, when she talked with an older red-kryptonite influenced Clark.

The initial contact and a possessive kiss had fueled her Beast. Then after using green kryptonite to null the red, April had learned more about Clark's future.

Including things she has to tell his younger self.

Even if it wasn't a vision, April feels drained all the same. And so draws herself a bath and slips into the warm, relaxing bubbles. If older-Clark was right, then his younger self should still be contactable. She just needs to figure out the right way to explain what she saw, what happened and how to not say certain things about his future.

Using her PINpoint, she calls her Clark. And there is a moment of pure anticipation as it rings.

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"Zod appeared as a tyrannical leader. With other Kryptonians as masters over the humans. The humans were in cages. Treated like slaves and trading goods for their basic needs."

"You... had your powers drained."

He can't tell which part horrifies him more, and for a long moment he can't even speak. He doesn't want to see. But something tells him he might have to.

"...show me."

"Please sit." April knows that standing would just result in falling after the vision is transferred.

She first concentrates on the vision flashes she received from future-Clark, and using her abilities to tune to the whole vision. Then by placing her hands on Clark's temple, she makes contact with his mind, and starts to show him the vision.

Her going into his mind will feel very intimate, for with a mere jolt she could access his most private thoughts and fears. And he has the same connection to her mind. The vision will flicker like a film at first... but then it becomes very real. Like they are there.

The vision is a long and bloody exercise in human fortitude. His own farm turned into a prison camp, Chloe leading a team of assassins packing kryptonite weapons, Zod setting up camp in the Luthor mansion. The red sun beating down on him, none of the life-giving energy of the yellow sun entering his body. Being dragged through the streets by Zod, so badly injured he can't even stand.

And finally, the energy field's collapse, revealing the yellow sun just in time for Zod to run him through with a glowing green blade. Twisting it, eviscerating him even as the yellow sunlight fruitlessly tries to energize him.

As it is like most of her visions, this one makes April like she is standing right there. Helpless to stop a thing. She jolts at the death of Clark in her vision and sobs.

With the vision delivered, she was ease out of his mind. Knowing that the vision would not have been kinder for Clark.

"This is what your future-self had seen."

Clark isn't even aware that he's been crying, face streaked with tear tracks. "Oh my God." It's one thing to hear about it. It's another thing altogether to watch it happen. To see yourself mortally wounded in the most brutal way possible.

Moving to hold him in her arms, April strokes his hair and comforts him. It is never pleasant to see a version of your own death.

"You can prevent it now." She whispers. "Future-you said it was only a possible outcome, but could be prevented."

He doesn't even realize he's being held for a minute, he's so deep in shock. "I..." He doesn't even know what he wants to say.

He tries a few times to say something, but nothing comes out. The only time he's ever felt this nauseated is when he drank liquid kryptonite days ago.

Clark doesn't have to say anything. April will just hold him. Comfort him. Be there for him. She understands this kind of shock. Has experienced it herself before.

He finally finds his voice. "How far in the future is that?"

"Future-Clark definitely had a few years on you. And he said it was a vision of something one year later, when he received it."

"I would say... five maybe seven years?" It was tough to estimate. April never asked Future-Clark his age.

Today has gone downhill in a hurry. "That's not a lot of time to change things."

Much as he dreads the answer, he has to ask. "My... future self... did he say anything else?"

"You future-self had a year, and mentioned that things had changed. He had hoped that with more time, you could change more. He believed in you." April uses her sleeve to wipe his face. "I believe in you."

She can't tell him about his Earth dad.

"You mentioned a Tess, and a destroyed lab where someone was experimenting with kryptonite. That was where you breathed in the red kryptonite. And that you had a Watchtower. And that Chloe's kryptonite arsenal was the only thing that would saved the world from Zod and the Kandorians."

"And I was still a good influence in your life."

"Chloe had a what? Kryptonite arsenal?" The fact that she apparently knows his weakness and his secret is alarming, to say the least.

"Under the red Kryptonite influence, you had mentioned that it had been a betrayal of Chloe and Oliver."

"I got the impression that both people were working with you in the Watchtower you mentioned."

He's beyond confused. He's never heard of Watchtower and he has no idea who Oliver is. Or Tess. Sure, he'll find out sooner or later, but right now he's in the dark.

"...I hate to think I get cryptic in the future."

"His main goal was for you to hear the message, to try to change the future. I think he wanted to protect some things, so not too much about who you become is changed."

"You were stronger. More confident. I felt that you had more trusted people in your life."

"And... somehow trusting Jor-El will help avoid this." He can't see a connection at all. He doesn't want to be skeptical, but it doesn't make any sense from where he's sitting.

"I... guess I can try." No promises, though. "If I come back one day and I've gone all... Kal-El again..."

"I will bring you back." April promises. Because really, she would only blame herself for sending him on such a mission.

"Thank you." He never doubted that she would. And he's very, very glad that he didn't decide to wait before giving her that box.

He doesn't want to think about that horrific vision or all the problems he's bound to have along the way. Fortunately, he's been provided with an adequate segue to a slightly happier topic. "Speaking of Kal-El, I've been practicing my flying."

The segue works for April. The horrific vision of Clark's future had returned all that worry about losing him. And red-kryptonite Clark off-hand comment about Zod not knowing about her, because of Lois.

"Oh? That's good! How has it been going?"

"Not fantastic," he admits. "I can get up in the air with a bit of work, and I can do any gymnast proud with flipping around and turning and things, but propulsion is still a bit of an issue. As long as I stick to hovering I'm super, though."

"There has to be some sort of trigger behind the propulsion. Do you remember what helped your other side?"

"Not really. He was pretty flat when it comes to personality." Kal-El had been more like a robot than a living person. "Maybe it's just... having somewhere I need to go? I don't know."

"You have access to the Fortress, why not start there?"

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