Beyond Smallville: Fan Fiction

Laura Lake : Metahuman

Superman tumbled headfirst onto a hard, slick surface. These landings are not getting any easier, he thought sourly. A loud screeching of tires snapped Clark into reality as a sports car skidded sideways to a stop, just inches from his face. Instinctively, he rolled away from the oncoming vehicle.

The car would've likely crumpled like an accordion had it hit him full on. The driver could've been injured or killed as well. Kal El righted himself to face the driver, balancing his weight on one knee. He toyed with the idea of using his hyper speed to flee into the cornfield, but the driver was out of the car far too quickly. "Oh my god! I am so sorry! Are you okay?"

A young female voice sounded frantic as she hopped to the pavement and approached him. "I'm fine…and you?" Clark asked as he shaded his eyes from the blinding headlights. "Going a little fast, weren't you?" The girl glanced away. "Yeah. Sorry about that!" She bent down to help him up.

Superman didn't need any help of course, yet he had to keep up appearances. The girl effortlessly hauled Kal to his feet. "I didn't see you!" She glanced at him and then looked for another car. "What were you doing, sprawled out in the middle of the road like that anyway?"

It was pitch black out, and Clark couldn't really identify where he was. He'd have to play it by ear. "I'm not really sure." Superman lied. "Not really sure?" The young lady put her hands on her shapely hips. Kal also noted that she was probably in her mid to late teens.

"Okay what-ever!" She extended a hand. "I'm Laura, Laura Lake…and you are?" Clark gingerly accepted her hand, noting that she had an exceptionally strong grip. Kal took a moment to compose himself, and sized up his new acquaintance. "Clark Kent."

Laura had long thick black hair, big bright green eyes, high cheekbones, a small, thin face, and a slim physique. She was somewhat taller than Lana, and roughly equal in stature to Lois. "Nice to meet you Clark." Laura said pleasantly as she sniffed the air.

"Funny, I don't smell any alcohol on your breath." She taunted as she folded her arms across her ample chest. "I'm not drunk, stoned, or a simpering mental case." Clark defended with some irritation in his voice. "Okay! Okay! Chill! Stepping off!" Laura took one step back.

"So you were what? Just sleepwalking in the middle of nowhere just before midnight?" Laura pressed. "Something like that." Superman said. "You are a strange one, Clark Kent." Laura remarked suspiciously. You have no idea, Clark thought dryly. He quickly checked his pocket for the Eye of Rao. It was right where he'd put it…but now Kal was back in his old flannel shirt and bluejeans.

"What were you doing speeding through the cornfields in the middle of the night?" Superman countered. "Yeah, well I do that sometimes." Laura explained. "I like to race this ol' Mustang out in the boonies." She gestured towards her vintage 1969 cherry red sports car. "It was originally my dad's." Laura glanced away clearly uncomfortable with the conversation.

"He passed away when I was a kid." She added. "I lost my mom, too." Clark and Laura made eye contact. "I'm sorry to hear that." Clark said sincerely. There's something about her eyes, Kal mused. Certainly they were pretty, but I see something more. It appeared that two golden discs ringed her basically emerald green eyes. The hue itself seemed unusual.

"Uh…thanks." Laura stated as two meteors streaked across the black wide open Kansas sky behind her. At least Superman assumed he was in Kansas. He x-rayed the area, and again there was no sign of Lana. This shard, the amber colored one, seemed closer to reality.

Suddenly Laura caught herself. "Duh! Why am I telling you this?" She edged towards the car. "Can I give you a lift somewhere? Unless you want to keep wandering around aimlessly among the myriads of cornstalks?"

Kal considered the offer. On the one hand, he could simply have zipped back home to the Kent Farm, assuming that this was Smallville circa 2005. On the other, he seemed inexplicably drawn to Laura. Superman could almost sense some power emanating from the young orphan. Could she be another meteor freak? In the end, curiosity got the best of him. "Sure, if it's no trouble…"

"You've already been that." Laura joked as her eyes sparkled…literally. She opened the Mustang's side door for him. "Ooh how chivalrous." Clark quipped. Laura laughed, a sound he found oddly fascinating. In Superman's mind, Laura almost seemed like a cross between Lana and Lois. He dare not get distracted. His goal was to stop more people from dying in the upcoming meteor shower.

Twenty-seven residents in and around Smallville were killed, and scores more were injured during this spring meteor shower. Clark recalled that it had been the day of his graduation. The disastrous rocks had rained down from the heavens, creating millions of dollars in damage.

            If he could at least save one more person… Laura strapped herself in and spun the Mustang around, pulling a one-eighty to face the direction from which she’d come. “Uh…Clark, it would help if I knew where I was taking you.”

Laura said as the rings around her eyes glowed. This time, Superman was certain that it wasn’t his imagination. She may have some type of inner power source, he speculated. “That depends greatly on where I’m at.” Clark said evasively.

Laura cast him a sidelong glance. “Okay, I’ll bite. According to my compass, we’re heading east on whatever the hell road this is, John’s road.” She added sarcastically. “Just ahead should be an intersection with Route 9.” Clark mentally pictured the street grid in and around Smallville.

“If we head north, we’ll run straight into Metropolis, if we cruise south, it’s Grandville.” Laura informed him. Superman nodded. The geography was correct, but was the time? “I’d like a lift to Smallville, if you don’t mind. I can give you gas money…”

“Don’t worry about it. I just filled up this beast an hour ago.” Laura smiled brightly, distracting Clark from her bizarre colored eyes. “Uh…you never told me why you were out in the middle of nowhere without a ride.” Laura prodded. Just like Chloe, Kal mused. “No I didn’t.”

“Fine!” Laura spat. “I bet you ticked off your girlfriend, and she tossed you out!” Superman grinned. “Nope. I don’t have a girlfriend.” He replied. I hope, at least in this time period. If it was correct, Lana was seeing Jason, and Lois was…well, being Lois.

Laura sped up, passing seventy mph on the deserted rural road. Clark was about to call her out, and tell her to slow down. He didn’t want to waste time explaining things to the local police, or state troopers. His sensitive hearing picked up the roar of onrushing engines.

Kal used his x-ray vision to pinpoint the direction of the noise. He could see two cars, obviously racing down the empty highway. One car was on the wrong side of the street. A fully loaded semi-tractor trailer was speeding in from the opposite direction.

In seconds, there would be a horrendous accident, likely just as he and Laura were hitting the intersection. “Lookout!” Clark yelled. Laura stomped on the brakes, tearing through the floor of the car, ripping through the chassis, and dumping the transmission onto the pavement.

The Mustang’s momentum would still carry it into the middle of the crash area. He had to reveal his powers to save Laura. Clark was about to grab her, when she jumped on him, and shoved him out the passenger side door. He never hit the ground.

In a fraction of a second he’d switched into hyper speed. The Mustang skidded off the road, narrowly missing the intersection. There was the blast of the truck horn, and the squealing of tires followed by a fiery explosion.

The semi-tractor trailer was about to roll into the ditch, but was somehow righted and placed clumsily back on the blacktopped roadway. Suddenly there was relative silence, save for the explosion of one of the drag racer’s gas tanks.

Clark hauled the truck driver out of the cab and set him along the edge of the highway. The two teen racers lay on the side of the road groaning. Laura hovered over them. Their injuries were largely superficial. Cuts, bruises, and shock seemed to be about all.

The truck driver was dazed, and likely had no idea what just happened. That was Superman’s assumption, of course. Sirens already blared in the distance. “Laura! Laura?” Clark yelled above the din. “Clark?” Laura hollered back. “Where are you? Are you okay?”

Clark took a moment to reflect on what happened. He’d switched into hyper speed as Laura shoved him out the car door…with super human strength. His visual acuity had shifted, making everything appear to be happening in slow motion. He’d torn through the two racing cars, expecting to save the drivers and any passengers within…the cars were emptied just as they collided.

He’d spun out the other side of the farthest vehicle and caught the semi-trailer truck broadside, yanking it back onto the pavement and subsequently rescuing the truck driver.

Laura must’ve pulled the teen racers to safety, which meant that there was no question that she was a meteor freak. He’d never heard of her before this chance encounter. Superman was thoroughly confused. Meanwhile Laura was debating some similar issues.

So, young Mr. Kent has some hidden abilities as well, she mused. Laura edged away from the injured teens. One did have a significant burn on his left ankle. Good! Maybe he’ll think twice before he races his buddy again. The kids were extremely lucky…today.

Laura slipped behind the twisted burning frames of the two decimated vehicles. The cars’ parts were strewn over a quarter mile at least. She vaulted over the parked and idling semi-tractor, silently landing behind Clark. “I see you’re no worse for the wear.” She smirked.

Kal whirled to face the teen beauty. “How’d you do that?” They chorused. “You first.” They pointed at each other simultaneously. “The short story is that I was born this way.” Clark hedged. “We need to talk…but not here.” The oncoming sirens grew louder.

“I’d rather not have to answer a lot of difficult questions.” Superman added. “Back at you, Clark.” Laura’s eyes again shone a bright yellow. “I totalled my Mustang…I don’t suppose your super abilities include massive antique sports car repair?” She teased.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Kal replied. “Are you originally from Smallville?” He initiated the interrogation. Laura shook her head, as her long black hair flipped to one side and appeared to lighten in color. “Nope. In fact, I’ve never been here before…central Kansas I mean.”

Clark considered that. If Laura was telling the truth, then she probably wasn’t a meteor freak. If not, then what was she? He recalled that Bart Allen had super abilities without ever being around Smallville before, as did Arthur Curry. “We’d better go. Where are you from exactly?”

“Falcon Claw, Nebraska.” Laura answered shortly. “Really? I’ve never heard of it.” Kal responded. “I’m not surprised. It’s just another hick town like Smallville, surrounded by farms and overpriced new housing projects.” 

Superman had decided to trust the super-powered teen.

“How fast are you?” Kal smirked, knowing how that question sounded. Laura grinned. “I don’t know. I’ve never clocked myself.” Clark sighed. “Okay, let’s take your car back to my farm. We can share the burden.” Laura nodded as she tossed her transmission into the back seat.

Clark picked up the front of the Mustang easily, and Laura scooped up the back. “Ready speedy? On three?” Laura teased. “One, two, three…” The superheroes rocketed off at hyper speed, and Clark was in the lead. In seconds they were on the grounds of the Kent Farm.

The stress had proven to be too much on the Mustang, and it split in half. They dumped the pieces on the floor of the barn, much to the dismay of the cattle quietly residing within. The animals mooed and stomped their feet at the appearance of the surprise visitors. “Ooh, you have real cows.” Laura remarked. Clark nodded. “Yup. At least ten of them that I recall.”

The barn was in unusual disarray, Kal noted. In this time period both of his Earth parents were alive and well. Jonathan Kent never left his tools and personal items scattered aimlessly about. Clark was certain that he would’ve put away his father’s items. After all, it would only have taken a second. He eyed his loft hideaway suspiciously. It didn’t resemble anything that he’d remembered.

Superman heard a shotgun click. “Freeze, or I’ll pump you full of lead!” A young female voice warned from behind them. Clark whirled and gasped. Laura was already positioned to attack. The girl brandishing the shotgun was…Lana! “Whoa Lana! Don’t you recognize me?”

The woman resembling Lana was raggedy looking, with short stringy black hair that didn’t even reach her shoulders. Her eyes were dark brown and narrowed to slits as she spoke. “No! Should I?” Laura edged a bit closer. “A trespasser is a trespasser! You got one chance…”

Laura vaulted at Lana. “No! Don’t hurt her!” Clark warned frantically. She was a hair faster in reaction time than Superman. Lana fired off a blast from the filthy antiquated double barrel shotgun. It hit Laura dead center in the chest. The impact sent Lana reeling backwards, landing on her backside. Clark grabbed the shotgun from her. Laura had been knocked back a bit as well.

The shotgun casings had crumpled and fallen to the floor, smoldering. Laura’s white t-shirt had two dark black spots on it where the shells hit her chest and bounced off. Lana’s eyes widened. “You! You’re one of them freaks that have been hanging around here!” She accused. 

Clark was about to lose it. “Lana! What’s wrong with you?” Laura watched the exchange with growing interest. “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with me, freak boy.” Lana snapped as Superman tossed the shotgun far out of her reach. “It’s you freaks that destroy everything!”

Meteor freaks? Clark wondered silently. Lana would never react this way towards them. This whole scene wasn’t right. “What’s wrong with freaks, Lana?” Laura taunted. “Only good freak is a dead one.” Lana answered roughly. “I kilt three last week myself!” She boasted, shocking Clark.

He stared in disbelief at his one time girlfriend. It was his Lana, meaning it looked like her, though Kal noticed that Lana’s pristeen face had a number of crow’s feet alongside each eye, and her usually light colored skin seemed darker, like she’d been out in the sun too long.

“You killed people?” Clark stifled his anger. “Freaks ain’t people. You two are the first I run across that were bulletproof, though. They all seem to bleed and die the same way, despite their witchy powers.” Lana said matter of factly, as if she were discussing the weather.

Superman was horrified. Even Laura was becoming angry with Lana’s responses. “Lana, what happened?” Clark forced himself to calm down. “Nothin’ happened freak!” She added curtly. “All of you creatures were made up at Luthor’s labs in town. Everyone knows that. If I ever get a hold of that freak-loving bastard, I’ll blow his fool head off!

He ain’t caused nothin’ but trouble for us folk.” Clark was speechless. He’d never even heard Lana curse before. This timeline had been terribly altered, he mused. Lana seemed uneducated and far too aggressive. “Ex-girlfriend?” Laura fished as Clark nodded absently.

“She’s absolutely charming.” Laura’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Momma! Poppa!” Lana suddenly yelled in the general direction of the ranch house. A door slammed, and Kal heard footsteps on the old wooden front porch. “Where are Mr. and Mrs. Kent?” Superman asked impatiently.

“What’s it to you, freak boy?” Lana sniped. “How’d you know my name…and my parents’ names?” Clark was stunned. “Whoa! I didn’t see that one coming!” Laura remarked. “What’s the matter, honey?” A man’s voice bellowed as he drew closer. “Time to go?” Laura asked warily.

“It’s them freaks again!” Lana hollered back. Jonathan Kent jogged into the barn, as Clark gasped. His Earth father was about in his mid-forties, wearing a yellow dagotee shirt, and torn overalls, and appeared bearing his favorite shotgun that he called ‘ol’ Betsy’.

“You come away from there, sweetie!” Jonathan ordered as he aimed the shotgun at Clark. “Poppa, I tried shootin’ em and the bullets just bounced off.” Lana explained as she scurried to her feet and hid behind Mr. Kent. “Oh no! Super freaks!” Jonathan exclaimed worriedly.

“Your mother is calling Sheriff Fordman as we speak. He’ll know what to do with ‘em.” Jonathan backed away, Lana at his heel. “You freaks better beat it if you know what’s good for you! I’m tired of you creatures traipsing across my property, and scaring my daughter and the animals.”

“Time to go?” Laura urged impatiently. Clark was still in shock. “Leave the car!” Superman turned slowly away from Lana and his Earth father. “Where to?” She asked without taking her eyes off Mr. Kent. “Metropolis.” Kal said solemnly. “I have or had friends there.”

“Oh good!” Laura added sarcastically. “I can’t wait to meet them!”

** Want to learn more about Laura? See her origin story listed under Laura Lake of Falcon Claw.

link to chapter 7

Laura Lake as I see her.

Young Laura Lake of Falcon Claw