Similis

"The caves have been locked off for a reason." Lex said carefully, sliding the key to the padlock along his key ring. Of course Clark could simply snap the padlock if he wanted, but they both knew that Clark preferred doing things the 'proper' way.



"Yes." Clark agreed. "Because your father wanted to exploit them, and because Lionel thought that if only he had enough time to look through them that he would find the hexagonal key again. That would be a waste of time, because the key isn't in there." He added.



"How do you know so much about that key?" Lex stared. "And why are you so sure that it isn't in the caves? Clark, were you down there last night? Is that where you went?"



Clark sighed, suddenly tired of maintaining the rest of the lie. Lex knew so much about him already, why not this too?



"I haven't been back down there since that day, Lex. Last night I went to the village to see Professor Willowbrook, after that I walked around on top of the caves for a bit, and then went home."



"Then I don't see how you can be sure about the key not being here? After the explosion, my father thought it had been embedded in one of the walls." Lex rubbed one hand over the top of his head in a rare nervous gesture. "My theory is that it was vaporised in the blast, but Dad wouldn't even consider the possibility."



"Lionel was right about it not being destroyed." Clark stared at his feet and fidgeted uneasily. "Just after it happened I came here and walked around up top and used my vision to check. The key wasn't anywhere in the caves, then a few months ago it turned up again."



"Just like that?" Lex stepped closer. "How? And where?"



Shrugging, Clark met his eyes. "Haze." He said simply. "At our farm."



"Haze?" That seemed to bother Lex. "But how could he get it, and why would he give it to you, Clark?"



"I don't understand how Haze got the key back, but as he reminded me it belongs to me."



"It what?" Shocked, Lex simply stared at his friend.



"It was sent by my birth father." Clark said firmly. "Lex, I'm not prepared to talk about any of that out here."



"So you are Naman?" There was a hint of awe in the smooth tones, that and concern.



"Maybe." Clark might have grudgingly accepted the role, but he certainly didn't want Lex to automatically cast himself as Sageeth. "Just take my word for it, the key is mine and I'm the only person who can use it. Even so, it's not without risk."



"What risk?" Lex eyed him in disbelief. "Even discounting the bit about falling from the sky, which would mean that you're actually an alien, which I would be totally cool with by the way." He added.



Clark groaned. All the worry and the anxiety that he had gone through over his origins, and Lex was cool with it… The other youth even looked pleased.



Lex's grin reappeared. "You being an alien hardly comes as a shock, after all we both know that you can bounce bullets, and shoot laser beams out of your eyes." He reminded his friend. "Oh, and fly. Those aren’t exactly standard human attributes. What you have is way beyond even the usual meteor mutant abilities. You're pretty damn amazing, actually Clark. Lucky you just happen to be such a nice guy too."







"And there's a machine inside the caves that knows that." Clark told his friend firmly, flushing slightly at the unexpected praise. "It knows exactly what my weaknesses are, and how to use them against me. Last time it spoke to me, it blackmailed me into letting it do what it wanted with me."



"How?" Lex looked a lot less comfortable with that.



"It was quite prepared to torture or even kill my adopted parents if I didn't do exactly as it told me to. That was part of how I ended up living in Metropolis that summer." Feeling equally unsettled now, Clark frowned. "Maybe Professor Willowbrook is wrong, and this isn't such a good idea after all?"



"Then you stay out here and let me take Haze in there." Bruce spoke at last. "Perhaps the machine can be tricked into thinking that Haze IS you…"



"I will assist you, Mr Wayne." Willowbrook spoke up. "The caves belong to my people and we want to help."



"Why?" Lex was immediately suspicious. "Does Haze have something to do with the prophecy?"



"Not that I know of." Willowbrook replied politely. "Like many of my tribe, I am fond of the angel. Is that not reason enough?"



"Sorry." Lex shrugged, and unfastened the barrier. "It's in my nature to be suspicious."



"Understood." The academic nodded. "We must each be true to our natures."



"I'll come with you." Clark offered.



Jonathan put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "No."



"Dad?"



"It's too dangerous for you in there, Clark, I'm betting that the machine hasn't given up on its plans for you. Haze wouldn't want you to risk yourself unnecessarily, and you won’t be of any use to him if that thing gets you in its power again."



Obviously disagreeing, but not prepared to openly argue with his father, Clark hesitated.



"I'll go in with them." Lex told him. "I'll watch their backs, Clark. Like I said, we're good with this."



"Okay." Clark nodded. "But any trouble, anything at all, and you get yourselves out of there at top speed!"







Echoes followed them along the winding passages and Bruce shivered, despite the warmth of the youth cradled in his arms. Wrapping the blanket more tightly around Haze, he trailed Willowbrook further into the caves.



Lex kept up, walking just a few short paces behind them.



"It might be best if you hung back a bit more, Lex." Bruce suggested, as Willowbrook held up a hand for them to slow their pace. "If anything does go wrong, you need to be able to get out and alert Jonathan and the authorities." He very deliberately did not mention Clark.



None of those present wanted to drag the other youth into danger, especially since Clark might well be the only thing keeping Haze alive. Surreptitiously Bruce gazed down at the youth in his arms and tightened his grip just a little more.



"You'd better make sure that nothing happens, Bruce, I really don't think that the Sheriff will be very happy to come all the way out here for any of us." Lex advised wryly. "Besides; however terrifying she is to us mere humans, I doubt she would be able to do much in this situation."



"The Sheriff would come out here for Haze." Willowbrook reminded them both softly. "However, it would be advisable that you do keep a greater distance from now on, Mr Luthor, we are approaching the place."







They walked on only a little further, before Willowbrook called a halt again. Bruce didn't know exactly what he had been expecting, but this was better than anything his imagination had come up with. Around them the dark walls climbed uninterrupted to a shadowed ceiling, the surfaces painted here and there with groups of figures and curious symbols.



"Look." Lex pointed across to one pictogram standing in isolation on a far wall. "Look at the wings on that figure, that's an Angel! I thought I remembered seeing one somewhere down here." He frowned at Willowbrook. "I thought that your legend didn't have any mention of Haze?"



"As far as we know, that image is a representation of Naman discovering that he has the power of flight." Willowbrook replied politely. "Although, as you are aware," He looked at Bruce, "Our tradition is largely oral, and there are many different versions by now, therefore many possible interpretations to the images."



"I suppose that if that was meant to be Haze, he'd have to be able to shoot lightning from his eyes?" Lex supposed. "I've seen him do some odd stuff, but not that. Have you ever seen Haze do anything like that, Bruce?"



A chill sensation trickled over Bruce. For a second he had a mental image, a flashback to when Morgan Edge had them trapped at gunpoint during the gala dinner, Haze's eyes had blazed power and the angel had restructured a wall to protect Jonathan and Kal.



"Yes, Lex," Bruce whispered. "Actually, I have."



"Then maybe Clark is not Naman?" Willowbrook speculated. "This throws things in an entirely different light…"



"Thinking of light," Lex said suddenly, "What's causing that glow?"



In the dimness, a soft light had begun to appear over Haze.







"Kal-El?" A harsh voice demanded. "What are you doing with him?"



Bruce jerked out of his reverie. From the corner of his eye he watched Lex sink back into the shadows, subtly motioning for Bruce to ignore him.



"Speak, intruders." The voice demanded. Lights strobed out of the solid wall only a few feet away, and Bruce was aware of a curious stinging sensation as the beams trailed over him.



"We have brought our friend here. We had hoped you could heal him." Willowbrook announced, stepping forward.



"Kowache." The machine voice stated.



"That is correct." The professor nodded.



"This other one is not of your people though." The light around Bruce increased slightly.



"No. He is also a friend." Willowbrook replied.



"Come closer." The machine instructed. "Both of you."



Stepping nearer to the wall Bruce waited, heart pounding.



"Place Kal-El on the ground beside the opening."



Bruce frowned. What opening? Even as he looked, he saw part of the wall simply vanish. Whatever lay beyond it was too bright for Bruce to look at, and with watering eyes, he rested Haze carefully down on the stone floor.



"Step back from him."



Seeing no other alternative, Bruce complied.



The lights intensified, gleaming wisps of shining mist snaking out of the opening and wrapping around Haze.



"What is this? A trick? This is not Kal-El!"



"We never said it was." Bruce wasn't going to let anything speak to him like that. "This is Haze."



"He bears the touch of El, and some of the pattern of Kal-El, but this body is not of Krypton…" The machine snapped. "Explain this! Or the youth dies."







"No!" Bruce leapt toward Haze, intending to pull Haze clear of the danger. However even as he moved, the machine was reacting. A beam shot out of the opening, and instead Bruce found himself pinned against the far wall, like a butterfly on a collector's card, coughing as the air was slowly squeezed from his lungs.





"Speak, man of the Kowache!" The machine demanded angrily.



"The injured one is Haze, brother to Clark." Willowbrook began. A second restraining beam snapped on, bathing the academic in active energy.



"Be careful what you say, it may cost you your life…" The machine warned. "Kal-El has no brother, even as Clark."



"I would be proud to give my life if my death would spare Haze." Willowbrook managed to say. "Clark has taken Haze as his brother. Can you not see that they wear the same face?"



"This one is important to you then?" The AI enquired.



"To all of us." The professor replied with an effort.



"And to Kal-El?"



"…very." Willowbrook was beginning to choke.



The machine considered that notion. "Interesting." It said at last. "Very interesting."



"Leave them alone." A single voice rang across the caves.







"Human?"



"Some people would disagree about that. I'm Lex Luthor." Lex stated, boldly striding over the hard packed floor. "If you harm them, or me, the whole of this cave system will be destroyed."



"A foolish boast."



"Not really. My finger is on the button even as we speak." Lex grinned. "I'm sure you can check that out, can't you?"



"Your finger is on a control, that much is true… Clever," The voice echoed out from the hole in the cave wall. "A wireless communication device, with remote control of the various explosive charges that were placed within the cave system by your workers…"



"Stop choking my friends." Lex glanced hastily at Bruce and Willowbrook. "Now."



"It does not serve the purpose that they end yet." The machine decided.



Lex looked quietly smug.



Gratefully Bruce gasped in a lungful of air. The pressure on him lessened but not by much: he was still held to the wall like an insect on flypaper. Across the way, Willowbrook appeared to be faring much the same.



From his vantage point Bruce could also make out a pale green circle that formed quite suddenly at Lex's feet. From what he could tell, Lex didn't seem to have noticed it yet. And I've no way to warn him!



"Your device has been neutralised." The machine announced.



The bald youth stared at it in disbelief. "What?"



"Manipulation of external electrical energy is well within the capacity of this unit." The voice said somewhat smugly. "Transmissions from your device are being neutralised."



"Let's see, shall we?" Lex countered smoothly. He pulled the cell phone from his pocket and pressed a button. "Ah." Snapping the phone shut, he slid it back into his coat and shrugged. "Now what?"







"Now we try something else." Another voice announced. Clark floated smoothly down from the shadows near the ceiling.



"You have mastered flight, and stealth." The machine noted in approval. "Excellent. Your father would be proud of you."



"My father IS proud of me." Clark told it, "And it's Haze that has been working with me on refining my abilities. I want him restored."





"Indeed?" The light pattern around Haze changed, and the humming noise from inside the opening became louder. "Approach, Kal-El, and welcome."



"No tricks." Clark warned.



"As you are the Heir, there will be no need for such." The voice agreed.



Reluctantly, Clark walked over toward the opening. As a tendril of light rippled out over him, he stood his ground, eyes locked on Haze. After a moment the extra light dissipated, leaving Clark free to move. Whatever the test, it seemed that he had passed it.



"Curious that the other shares your outward appearance. Curious also that there is a mind-bond between you. Provided by the other, no doubt. Interesting." There was a noticeable pause. "This one has some highly desirable survival abilities. Perhaps a consort does indeed provide the required incentive?" The machine mused aloud. "You would not choose to attain superiority for yourself, however you might do so to protect another?"



"Whatever I do is my choice, not yours." Clark reminded it. "Mind your own business and keep out of my way unless I invite you in."



"Good. You are learning the techniques of command." The voice whispered slyly. "However," It added, "ensuring that you have everything necessary to achieve your destiny IS part of the purpose for which this unit was constructed."



Glaring angrily at the machine, Clark bit down on the retort that he was itching to say. "Then tell me if you can heal Haze, and restore him to full normal function." He told the machine. "That is what I want you to do right now."



There was a faint increase in the light around the prone form.



Biting his lip, Clark waited tensely.







"It can be done." The machine announced. "However, there is also a bond between your chosen and this other." The light around Haze altered to a faint pinkish colour, and a small faint rope of glistening particles sparkled briefly between Haze and Bruce. "What of that, Kal-El?"



Clark bristled with anxiety. "Don't interfere with it!" He said sharply.



"But surely you wish your consort to be exclusively yours?" The cold voice suggested.



"How is that anything to do with you?" Clark spat back, sensing that he had inadvertently allowed the damn machine to manoeuvre him again. Not for the first time, he wished he had Lex's talent for verbal fencing, or Bruce's skill of thinking several steps ahead.



"Another part of the task of this device is to ensure the continuity of the House of El." The machine informed him.



"Then don't get in the way of what I want!" Clark was furious now, angry that the device was still trying to manipulate him into following Jor-El's twisted plan. As his anger grew, Clark felt his eyes begin to warm, a hint of red appearing in the lights reflecting within the cave. He was so tempted just to blast the vile thing, now that the wall was open and there might be vulnerable parts exposed. His peripheral awareness automatically tracked over Haze. The angel's vital signs were steadily growing weaker.



He's getting more pale and fragile by the minute…I gotta get the AI to heal him! It was only that fact that stopped Clark from trying to fry the machine there and then. But how to convince it to do what he wanted, without seeming weak?



I gotta think of something smart to tell it! What would Lex say if he were trying to get Lionel to go for this? Or Bruce? Better yet - how would Kal deal with this? C'mon Kent, try to think like an arrogant, self-centred prick mixed in with hints of cunning alien bastard…



Suddenly inspiration struck. Perfect!



"Humans have a finite life span," Clark stated firmly, projecting a confidence that he didn't really feel. "Haze and I don't. I only have to wait and he'll be mine. Haze may not be as physically powerful as I am, but as you noticed he does have some impressive mind gifts. I have already decided that trying to force Haze to conform to my way of thinking would be counter-productive, and besides there are definite short-term benefits to having certain humans around." He added casually, hoping that both Bruce and Lex would understand, and forgive him...



"Logical." The machine approved. "And you are content to share this one with his human bond mate until then?"



"If Haze dies, none of this will go to plan." Clark reminded it, trying to infuse a little of Lionel's innate snobbery into the response. "Now, do as I tell you, and heal him."



"Your strategic skills are also improving, Kal-El." The device concluded. "That is a positive sign. It is gratifying to see that you are accepting your heritage at last. It is necessary though that you are aware that the healing process will not be easy on your companion, and that it will also take time to recalibrate the necessary devices to match his unique physiology."



"Are you going to release the others?" Damn! Clark could have kicked himself for even giving it a choice, he should have simply ordered it to let them go, but even with all his abilities he couldn’t unsay a thing once it had been said…



"It would not seem wise. Once we are otherwise occupied they may attempt to interfere in some way."



"They won't." Clark told it.



"To ensure that they will not." The cold voice asserted. "They will not be set free until the process has completed."







Seeing that it was pointless to argue, and as he had gotten the machine to agree to most of what he wanted, Clark abandoned the effort. Haze could be dying while he was standing trading words with the device. Arguing was only wasting time, as well as tying Clark into bigger and bigger knots.



"Haze…" He knelt beside his 'twin'. The cave floor was cold, and Haze's skin was cooling noticeably. "He's getting chilled." Clark called to the device.



The light in the other chamber swirled. "Then you must warm him, Kal-El. The device is not ready yet and the majority of this system's resources are involved in the recalibration."



It's admitting that it's vulnerable! He could probably damage it now! Maybe even destroy it?



Yes, and it would almost certainly take Haze along with it …



The machine spoke again. "However similar in some ways, the companion's biology is not yours, and these changes must be precise. You have heat, Kal-El, share it with your consort. If he is worthy of you, he will survive a little longer."



"What?" Clark stared at the pale body. "But I could hurt him if I use heat vision. It's too fierce."



"There are other ways at your disposal to resolve the problem, however you are correct that remedial action should be taken quickly, Kal-El."



"Stop calling me that! What are you suggesting? That I sit here and cuddle Haze?" He asked sarcastically.



"You are Kal-El of Krypton, it is your name and your birthright. As to the necessary action, how are you to stand up and proclaim this one as yours in front of an entire world if you cannot demonstrate possession of him here in front of a few captive humans?"



Sensing that his hesitations were only giving fuel to the device's suspicions, Clark picked Haze up carefully and pulled him onto his lap, sliding Haze so that the other youth's legs rested to either side of Clark's hips.



Shared bodily heat, right … Thank god Dad's not here to see this!



Embracing Haze with one arm, Clark adjusted his grip until Haze's head was nestled at the junction of Clark's neck and shoulder. Grabbing up the blanket he draped it around the angel. "I've got you." He murmured. "You're with me now, Haze." He ran his hands lightly over the cool skin, gently encouraging Haze's circulation.



What if Haze is still feeling cold, even with the blanket?



Tugging off his t-shirt Clark pulled Haze back against him and began sharing his body warmth more actively with his 'twin'. In the back of his mind he began to wonder if he had done that of his own volition, or if somehow subconsciously Haze had prompted him? Could their connection be opening again? If so, he might not need to trust Jor-El's machine at all…



"Haze…" Clark was desperate to activate the mind link between them, but couldn't seem to find even a hint of the angel. "Come on, flyboy…" He whispered. "Give me a sign, huh? Just a twitch?"



"Your consort cannot comply." The machine said suddenly.







Anxiously Clark looked up at the device. "Why not?"



"In its current state his physical body is no longer capable of responding."



"He's alive!" Clark snapped. "I can hear his heart, and he's still breathing on his own."



"There is energy in his form, and the biological processes that mimic yours remain active. You are aware of the damaged areas in his brain, yes?"



"Yes." Clark snapped suspiciously. "I looked in and saw them."



"Indeed. These areas appear to correspond to the areas in Kryptonians, and in humans, that control hearing and movement respectively. It seems likely therefore that they serve a similar purpose in the Consort's brain."



"Just get on with exactly what you're trying to say - no jargon." What was it about this thing that made him feel as if he were stupid?



"As you wish, Kal-El."



Is the damn thing mocking me? If it's taking the piss, I'll fry it anyway…



Clark didn't realise it, but a low growl rumbled deep in his throat, and his eyes began to glow with rings of ruby heat. The stone floor under his feet started to crack and powder.



"The consort cannot currently make any part of his body respond voluntarily." This time the machine voice sounded a lot more respectful.



"But he's aware?" Clark murmured, one hand absently stroking the broad back.



"Almost certainly. The pattern of energy in his brain suggests that he is in a state of heightened activity, although that is not being reflected in any physical form."



"Haze is paralysed, and he can't hear anything?" Clark was horrified to think of Haze being trapped in what was effectively solitary confinement inside his own skin. How awful would it be to be screaming in your own head, with no one to hear you?







"Your Consort may have an awareness of external sound," The machine continued to speculate, "However, given the location of the damage, interpretation of the data will probably not be occurring. The sound will most likely be meaningless to his conscious mind."



Clark narrowed his eyes and stared into the device. "Why aren't you sure?" Did it know or didn’t it? And if it didn’t, what else could it be guessing about?



"Because the Consort is neither human nor Kryptonian, and there are several areas of his brain that definitely do not correspond to those of either species." The voice replied. "Without additional data it is not possible to determine what the function of those areas might be, nor whether they are currently capable of correctly performing those functions." It added.



"Can Haze feel me touching him?"



"There is a high probability of that being the case."



So Haze at least knows I'm here, or that someone is. Clark sat there for a few minutes, processing what he had just learned. "How soon before you're ready to start healing him?" He wondered.



"The calibrations are nearly complete."



"Good." Looking down at Haze, Clark experienced a sudden surge of tenderness. Leaning forward, he let his lips brush lightly over those of his 'twin'.



"I love you, Haze." He breathed softly. "Maybe you can't hear me, but you must be able to sense that I'm here, and in case anything goes wrong, for either of us, at least this time I'm sure you already know how I feel…"



"Ready to begin the process. Your active participation in this is vital, Kal-El."



Clark stared at it. "What do I have to do?"



"Simply hold him in place. The settings have been calculated to ensure that your flesh will not obscure the process in any way."



"Okay. How should Haze be positioned?"



"Your current arrangement is ideal, however you must ensure that the consort is not able to move his head at all until the process completes. That is paramount."



"I understand." Clark agreed.







Sliding one hand up Haze's back and settling it between the other youth's shoulder blades, Clark cradled the back of Haze's head with his other hand, locking his duplicate tight against him. It occurred to him that this was something of a leap of faith, as there was no way for him to use his x-ray vision to monitor Haze's progress from this position. Sure, Clark could watch the machine as closely as he wanted, unfortunately that didn't mean that he had the slightest inkling of what it was doing.



"I'm ready." He stated. "You can start."



"First there will be a short test run to check the calibrations." The device announced. "It would be best for you to remain in place from this point until instructed otherwise."



The lights in the room dimmed momentarily, and then a broad tube of energy shot out from the epicentre of the swirling mass.



Clark tensed nervously, half expecting it to hurt, but when the light poured over him he felt nothing. Haze lay heavy against him, breathing steadily, heart rate level.



Clark would have dearly liked to run his x-ray vision over his 'twin' and see if anything had changed yet, however he had committed himself to this position, and dared not move now.



"Remain still." Came the order. The light burst out over them again, brighter this time and as it touched Haze, the angel reacted. A shiver of tension ran down his back.



"It's okay, Haze. We're trying to help." Clark whispered, stretching his fingers more tightly against the straining flesh beneath. For the first time in far too long, Clark felt the whisper of Haze waking in his mind. It was distant, not happening to him, but nevertheless Clark was aware of it. Abstractly he realised that he was feeling the echo as every nerve in Haze's body began firing with electrical energy.



As the light grew brighter, Haze began breathing increasingly rapidly.



"You're hurting him. This is his pain response." Clark called warily. "I can feel it too, inside him. Like he's burning."



"It is unavoidable." The machine responded. "The nerve paths are being restored. The return of sensation is the source of the pain. While unpleasant, it is a positive indication that healing is occurring."



From somewhere behind them, came a low moan.







"Bruce?" Clark worried. "What's happening?"



"The link between them has activated. The human is also experiencing your Consort's discomfort."



Clark tuned his hearing in to Bruce, noting how the his friend's heart was pounding, his breathing coming rapidly and in shallow pants.



"It sounds like he's feeling more of it than I am?" Clark told the machine. "Why?" Whatever the reason, Bruce was obviously working through a lot of pain.



"The feedback to you is being suppressed, Kal-El. You are needed to ensure that there is no movement. It is vital you retain full control."



"You're shielding me at Bruce's expense?" Clark was appalled. "Can't you do anything to help buffer him too?"



"Not without abandoning the procedure and compromising the recovery of your consort."



"Don’t stop…" The whisper from Bruce was barely audible, even to Clark's sensitive hearing. "I'll survive. Don't let it stop…"



"Keep going." Clark commanded. He was sorry that Bruce was being put through this, but the other man was right: they really didn’t have a choice.



"Very well." The machine agreed. "Now if you value your consort, hold him tightly."



"Just a little longer." Clark promised. "Only a bit more Haze, I can feel how this is hurting you, but stay with it."



As the brilliance around them rose to almost blinding levels, Clark shut his eyes tight, locking Haze in place as firmly as he dared, only too aware of how the body pressed to his writhed and trembled in agony.



The arms that had lain limply at Clark's sides came up and wrapped around him.



"That's it, hang on to me Babe." Clark could feel the strength returning to Haze's arms. The grip around him increased, and for once he was glad of his biological advantages: human ribs would have been crushed by now. Haze might not be as strong as Clark, but he was still far more than human.



"You hold on as tight as you need, Haze. I'll be fine." Clark encouraged.



"The procedure is entering the final stage. Once the colour change occurs there will be no further margin for error."



Panting, Haze clung desperately to him. Clark held firm. From somewhere behind them, Bruce let out a long anguished groan, and then the sound was abruptly cut off.







Clark dared not turn, but the sudden dull thud, as a solid human body connected hard with the cave floor, was unmistakeable.



Bruce… I am so very sorry…



Without Bruce to divert the flow, Clark's own link with Haze shifted into perfect focus, and the enormity of what the youth in his arms was experiencing shunted out into Clark. Gritting his teeth, Clark willed himself to endure it. If Haze could take this, then so could he.



Maybe I can do more than that? It isn't really happening to me, and I am invulnerable, so it can't actually harm me.



Deliberately, Clark tried to open their connection further, to drain off a little of what Haze was going through. If he could spare Haze even a little of this he would.



Desperately Clark hoped that his strategy was working, but between the screaming in his mind, the snapping of energy beams, and the brilliant patterns that danced around him, reality was reduced to a filmy veil and it was hard to tell what was in his head and what was not. Determined, he held on grimly, all the while worrying that the mind around his was beginning to retreat.



Around them, the light turned scarlet.



'I can see the colour changing, Haze! It's nearly done!'



To Clark's horror the strength of the sensation from the angel was dropping, falling away, the level of the feedback diminishing.



'Stay with me!' Clark screamed the words, not caring if they came from his mouth or his mind.



'Don't let go Haze! Don't you dare let go!'



Sparks snapped around them as the air screamed with energy.



Clark felt a sudden powerful shiver rip through him, and everything went dark.