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Will the real Clark Kent please stand up?

Summary:

Clark touches something in Lex's study that he really shoudn't have.

Notes:

This is sixteen 100-word drabbles that make one, complete story. I had fun with it, and I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Work Text:

1.

Waiting for Lex, Clark wanders around the study. His relationship with Lex is broken, but after the man's support when Jonathan Kent died, Clark wants to fix it.

Trailing his fingertips over a bookshelf, they hit a hidden catch. The spines of five books lift to reveal a small opening. Inside is a watch, a very odd looking watch. Clark takes it out and fiddles with it.

He pushes a large orange button on the side, and a glowing doorway opens in front of him. Surprised, Clark looks at it, then walks over to peer through. Instantly, he's sucked inside.

 

2.

Collapsing to his knees, his eyes closed, Clark feels dizzy and disoriented. He feels snow melting around him and knows that he's traveled more than distance. It was spring moments ago.

That's okay. If he can find a map, he knows he can find his way back from wherever the doorway had transported him.

He opens his eyes when the dizziness abates. "Whoa! Why's everything black and white?"

As he stares around in shock, Clark hears a whoosh overhead. Looking up, he sees a man in nice looking pajamas with a cape attached flying through the air.

"Wow! Who's he?"

 

3.

Tracking the man's progress, Clark starts to follow him from the ground. The man flies down an alley, but never emerges. Instead, a man walks out wearing a suit and ugly glasses. Using his x-ray vision, Clark confirms that the suit is still on underneath the clothes.

Before he can call out, a voice shouts from behind him. "Clark, wait for me!"

Relieved at someone in the strange place knowing him, Clark turns toward the voice just in time to see a woman rushing by him. Turning to watch her progress, he sees her heading straight for the flying man.

 

4.

"Good morning, Lois. Shall we go up together?" Holding out his arm, the woman… Lois… takes it and together they enter a building. Clark's eyes widen in surprise as he sees the name The Daily Planet written above the door.

"What's going on?! Everything's the same, but also so different." Looking around more fully, Clark realizes that the cars people are driving and the clothing they're wearing all look like they come from the 1950's.

Clearly, he's in a world very much like his own. He takes a page from Chloe's book and decides he needs to do some research.

 

5.

After several hours of learning about this world's Clark Kent, and the entity known as Superman, Clark realizes that it doesn't really help. He's here because of the watch. Obviously the numbers on the face mean something, but he won't find out what, or how to get back to his own world by sitting around. He changes some numbers and presses the orange button.

He's relieved to see color in this world and quickly locates The Daily Planet. He hears screams and sees people looking up. Following their gazes he sees a woman dangling from the seatbelt of a helicopter.

 

6.

Just as he's about to leap up the tall building, Superman flies up and wraps an arm around her. Clark's eyes widen at the colorful costume, but he quickly listens in to find out what they're saying.

"Easy now, Miss. I've got you."

"You've got me? Who's got you?"

Clark smiles at their exchange, but quickly refocuses on his own difficulties since the other man has things well in hand, literally.

Based on crowd reaction, this is Superman's debut, but some quick research shows that this is the late 70's and that a Clark Kent did grow up in Smallville.

 

7.

Clark notes the numbers for this reality and then presses the orange button. He notices that his dizziness is decreasing every time he hops.

The next two worlds are bizarre. He's no more that a comic book or cartoon character, and there's no Metropolis or Daily Planet. He hops out of those places quickly.

He's quite happy to see the flying man, Superman , fly overhead this time. At least a version of him actually exists here. The cape on this one is really long, and makes the man wearing it look very regal. Clark runs to The Daily Planet.

 

8.

He gets there in time to see Clark Kent / Superman round the side of the building and head for an entrance. He's never said anything to one of these alternate hims yet, but he's considering it. It'd be nice to talk to someone, even if it's himself. He's not sure how long he's been traveling, but it's been a few days at least. He thinks he's getting a hang of the numbers on the watch, though.

Just before he can speak, an older couple gets out of a car. "Clark!"

This world's Clark turns. "Mom! Dad! What a surprise."

9.

 

Clark stops in shock. This Clark's dad is alive! In the other realities he's visited, some things are always the same in some form or other. There's always Superman, The Daily Planet, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and Clark's father is always dead.

His own father's death still hits him hard sometimes. Seeing this Clark's father, to know he got to keep his dad for so much longer, is one of those times.

He watches their hug enviously, but also gratefully. He'd been starting to believe that his father was destined to die, no matter what. He's glad that isn't true.

 

10.

Looking at the happy scene, Clark decides not to interrupt them. He pushes the orange button again and materializes on a hilltop.

Looking around, he spots two men reclining on a blanket and feeding each other some grapes.

Clark uses x-ray vision to see if he recognizes one of them. Odds are, at least one of the two men should be this realities version of Superman / Clark Kent.

Focusing his eyesight, he brings the two men into stark relief. He centers on the larger of the two men first. "Oh my god! One of them looks exactly like me!"

 

11.

Slowly approaching the two men, Clark is startled to realize that the other man looks a lot like Lex, only with hair. The two are obviously lovers, and it makes him a little hot under the collar to think of him and his Lex like that. And not in a bad way.

He's relieved for once that he can tell who Clark Kent is. He's always had to wait to see the man flying, or hear someone call his name to be sure before.

"Excuse me? Clark Kent? I…"

"Not another one! Jeez, I'm not Clark Kent. I'm Tom Welling."

 

12.

Clark can only stutter.

Tom snorts. "Would Clark do this?" He pulls the other man close and kisses him. A long, hard kiss that has Clark shifting uncomfortably as his pants tighten.

As Tom releases him, the other man laughs. "No, but I bet he wanted to. I know Lex certainly did. All those looks the two shared…"

Tom hugs the other man. "You'd be right, Michael. But, I was married then." He turns to Clark. "Look kid, I appreciate that you're a fan, and the whole look-alike thing, but Smallville was a show, and Clark Kent just a character."

 

13.

Clark nods. He should've known that having another him to ask questions of was too good to be true. Looking down, he spots a set of golf clubs. He grabs one out and quickly twists it into the shape of a heart. "Thanks for setting me straight, Tom. It was nice to meet you both. Here's something to remember me by."

Clark hands over the metal heart, and turns to walk away. He's pretty sure he knows how to set the watch for his home universe now. Tom's voice stops him.

"Who are you?"

Clark turns back. "I'm Clark Kent."

 

14.

Clark enjoys the look of cold shock on their faces, but he's in a hurry to get back. "Really, thanks for everything guys. You've given me a lot to think about."

Pressing a new set of numbers into the watch Clark steps through the door that opens. With relief, he sees a familiar room. Looking around he spots the safe still open. Putting the watch back and closing the safe, Clark turns quickly when he hears the sound of feet getting closer.

Lex strides in. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long, Clark. What can I do for you?"

 

15.

Clark lets his eyes roam over Lex. Apparently, he hasn't been gone long from this universe, but it's good to see Lex look the way he's supposed to. He remembers the comment Michael made about the looks Lex and Clark shared on the Smallville set, and Clark has to admit that he and his Lex do that as well.

Clark holds Lex's gaze and moves close enough to hug. Watching carefully, he sees Lex's nostrils flare and his eyes widen just slightly. "You have a scientific background, Lex. I learned a few things, and I'd like to test a hypothesis."

 

16.

A few hours later, Clark leaves the mansion in a much better state of mind than when he'd entered it. The scratches have disappeared from his back, along with the soreness in his ass. Knowing that Lex's soreness will last a little longer makes him grin.

For some reason, he's content knowing that there's a version of him out there that got to keep his dad. He doesn't know why that makes him feel better, but it does.

As he nears the farmhouse, delicious smells hurry his feet. What a perfect way to end this day. With his mom's pie.