Stolen Future: Chapter 3/20
Title: Stolen Future
Author: Märk Owen
Pairing: Chloe/Oliver
Rating: R for violence and language (this chapter, PG-13)
Warnings: None for this chapter
Timeline: AU Season 6 (Zod and beyond)
Disclaimer: Any Smallville or DC Comics related things in this story are the property of their own owners. The only thing that belongs to me here is the storyline, nothing else is mine.
Summary: In this universe, Darkseid made a pact with Zod who adopted Kal-El. He will kidnap the JLA before its creation, leaving Earth powerless. Will Chloe and Oliver ever meet? Will the JLA even form? What will happen to Earth?
Previous chapters: Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2
Chapter 3: Kill or be Killed (Part 1)
The silent fell on the nine humans who had settled themselves in a circle formation, sit on some wooden chairs, dangerously eaten by probably some alien termites; and also, some hay which seemed to be the only comfortable thing that could be used as a mattress in this little cage.
They were all again staring at each others, asking silently who should start talking. They felt like staring contests on this planets were a habit they would have a hard time to get rid of. Either they stared at their captors, trying to prove them they weren't their personals puppets or, they stared at each other in wonder of what the other was feeling.
Seeing that it could last for hours and failing to see the point of wasting time in this hostile world, Oliver gave in.
"So.." He cleared his throat nervously, capturing all the attention on him. "Since it seems that our time is counted here, I think the faster we do this, the better." he proposed, getting nods of approving from everyone. It felt weird to be in this situation, having to present yourself in front of people disposed in circle. It was like a first meeting at an Anonymous Alcoholics reunion he assumed.
"Since apparently we're gonna spend every days of our lives together till we die, I guess there's no point of hiding anything from the others. Besides, we already know some secrets of each others, right?"
My god, that's pretty awkward there! I hate awkward moments! - He complained internally.
"Well," He cleared his throat once again. "As you know I"m Oliver Queen... and also the Green Arrow" he lowered his voice on the last part, still not feeling comfortable with his exposed identity.
"I'm pretty sure everyone here knows me, and.. not that I'm egocentric or anything but.. I'm glad there are no paparazzi out there!" He tried in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood which seemed to work since he was getting some chuckles and little grins here and there.
He went on with a more serious tone, matching with the sadness of his next statement. "I've grown up in Star City till my fifth birthday and then.." he gulped. He hated speaking about that topic with most people. "My-my parents died." He looked down. Even after all those years, it was still a very painful memory. "In a plane crash." He explained and quickly continued when he saw the sad faces of the guys in front of him. He didn't want to face their pity, he had given enough about that all his life.
"Then I've been tossed from cities to cities first, then from state to state and finally country to country. I've lived in every continent on the world, in nearly every country. The only good things about that is that now I can speak fluently fourteen different languages." He smirked at the incredulous eyes in front of him.
"Well after a few years I went back to Uncle Saw's and I arrived in Kansas from which apparently some of you come from." He looked on his left to see Tess and Chloe nod and share a look. "There I met my old buddy Bruce." he smiled and waved at his brunette peer who returned the same face. "A few years went by, and me and Bruce found ourselves graduating high school." he smiled. "That's when it all started." He carried on with a dark expression.
"I decided to have a trip on my yacht, after graduating, so that I could tell my parents a last goodbye. I sailed to the place where their plane was last seen, since the authorities weren't even able to find it." He huffed. "But then, the same night, my boat was attacked by pirates. Their plan was to kidnap and ransom me. Unfortunately for them, I managed to escape the yacht but, I was lost on sea for days under a storm. After a few hours, I was starving and exhausted and I passed out on the lifeboat I had used to flee my captors. When I woke up, I was aground on an small island.
After hours of fruitless searches, I came to the conclusion that I was alone in this piece of land lost in the middle of pacific ocean. So, I tried my best to survive for a few weeks. Luckily, I wasn't actually alone on the island since there were natives on it whom I met after a few adventures with a monkey." he smirked at the funny memory. He had to run after the stupid critter who stole one of his coconuts and he ended up finding a tribe of Indians. "Thankfully, they weren't hostile. In fact they accepted me like I was one of them. They taught me everything they knew. That's where I learned how to shoot arrows." He told the group. They looked totally fascinated by his story.
"I owe them a lot, without them, I would have my skeleton pieces being used as toothpicks by the macaques of the island right now." he laughed nervously. "I promised to myself that if one day, I was able to leave this island, I wouldn't waste my life anymore in alcohol and women and actually, help people in need." Oliver counted. "And thank god, I was saved. Two years after my arrival, A boat came by and picked me. I was back into civilization and - so I honored my promise. I trained myself for months, both physically and mentally to become the Green Arrow." He smiled.
"I started a year ago. It was tough I can tell you." he chuckled. "I had a hard time dealing with the lack of sleep and in the end, It became almost unbearable, a few times I nearly ended up killed during night patrols. That's when I realized that I couldn't 'save the world' on my own." He looked in the direction of Bart, everyone imitated him making the young speedster grin and rise his chest proudly. Oliver smirked before going on. "A few months later, I met Bart, I discovered the amazing things he can do and offered him to work for me as my partner in crime. He patrolled in streets the nights I slept and vice versa." he winked at the teenager who beamed in response.
"After that, time went by and we discovered strange kidnappings in the Metropolis area so we decided to go there and investigate. That was the real reason I went to Kansas." He looked at Chloe apologetically. "Then, Chloe you know the following." She nodded. "A week later, I was having an interview with Chloe when we both got kidnapped by some sort of red glowing bubble, coming out of nowhere. Next thing we know, we were on this planet." he gestured for the ground, earning some noises of recognition from the others as he mentioned the 'red bubble'. "I think that's the best summary of my life I've ever done!" He laughed causing the others to follow his example, they still haven't completely realized what was really happening to them yet.
"Okay I think it's my turn now," Chloe spoke up and looked at Oliver who nodded. "I'm Chloe Sullivan, contrary to Oliver, that's totally normal you don't know me because I'm not famous nor billionaire." She looked at him with a bright smile, he smirked in return. His emotional outburst with Chloe a few moments earlier had helped him regain control over his emotions and find his smile again, even if it was a little forced because of the situation.
"I'm a Metropolis native but I moved to a little town nearby my birth city when I was a few years old. It's called Smallville. There I met Tess." She grinned radially at the redhead who was seated close to her. "Over the years we've become best friends, and we've never left our sides for long." They shared a knowing glance. The bond they had built over the years was strong between them, they were like sisters.
"But, When I was seven, my mom left and never came back, she didn't give any reasons about that and I still don't know where she is." She looked down, as Tess slid a hand on her shoulder to support her. She knew how hard it was for her because she was there a few moments after it happened. But the worst came later. "And then," she sniffled "three years later, my dad died in an accidental explosion at work." Everyone seemed to feel sad for her, and Oliver felt his heart tighten a little at her revelation, he knew way too well how much pain it caused to loose their parents.
"My family couldn't take charge of me so I was adopted by the Kent's in Smallville." She smiled sadly while Tess continued to support her. "They've been wonderful parents, the best on Earth you could come across." Chloe grinned with teary eyes. "Thanks to them, I was able to get my life back on the road. I've become a good pupil and after graduating, I joined the Daily Planet as an intern. Journalism has always been my dream and I was so glad to join what's considered as the best newspaper in the world. My life has been still for almost two years when my editor ordered me to interview the newly arrived billionaire in town: Oliver Queen!" She smirked at him. "That's during this interview that we've been kidnapped together, and then.. we woke up here. Simple as that." She ended her resume.
Everyone nodded in understanding and Tess went on. Everybody spoke till no one was left. In the end, they all knew almost everything about the others. Tess was born in Smallville, the only child of a poor family of farmers. There, she spent all her childhood with Chloe till they graduated high school. Since Tess was a brilliant student, she was sent to Harvard, to study biology. She spent a few months working hard trying to get a diploma and living a normal life. Then, she'd been kidnapped by a red bubble when she was on her way back home after a long day of work.
Arthur, had an unbelievable story. At first, everyone was skeptical but he had strong proofs. The guy was what we could call a hybrid, half human, half fish. Apparently, his mother was an Atlante and his father a human. He lived till he was 9 in a realm underwater. But, because of some sort of political conflict, a war was declared and he was forced to exile. His mother was killed during the war so, he had to leave the water and went on lands. From there, he was raised by his father.
He lived in Miami for most of his life and after graduating high school, Arthur joined a local university in purpose to learn about marine biology but he hardly came in the classes. After discovering the pollution level of waters and the lack of reaction from the governments, he decided to fight people who caused harm to his vital environment. While traveling around the globe, he became some sort of ecological terrorist, by blowing up every polluting facilities he came across, always checking the building twice in case anyone was left in before the explosion.
As he was swimming in direction of Australia, the bubble plunged underwater and took him in. When he regained consciousness, he was on Sedna and the soldiers, injected him a chemical substance he assumed was a product which prevented his body from becoming too thirsty since he needed to drink a full bottle of water every hour if he didn't want to be weakened. After that, he was sent to the room where they all first met.
Dinah, from her side, had had a very still childhood in Gotham City before moving to Metropolis in her teen years because of the increasing level of crime in Gotham. After her mother died in unknown circumstances, a man went by looking for her and proposed to train and teach her everything she would need to fight for justice. Her mentor turned out to be Ted Grant, a former heavyweight boxing champion who apparently had known her mother in the past.
She had hardly completed her training with him that, she was kidnapped by the kryptonians. When she arrived here, they quickly installed a device around her throat. A sort of necklace made in hard metal from which two needles stood out and were plunged in her vocal cords, rendering her unable to use her sonic scream that she had developed since she was twelve.
Hal, seemed to be an older version of Bart. The guy was full of life and joking around. It contrasted with his dreary past which became with a mournful event. Once, his father was a successful pilot for the Air Force basement near Coast City. Hal took him as model. When he was very young, he saw his own father burn alive in an accident during a test flight for the army. From there, his mother raised him and his two brothers alone in their house of Coast City.
He swore to himself he would one day become pilot like his father, and he did. He joined a specialized school for pilots when he was fifteen. Hal was very skilled in the matter and quickly became a very good test pilot for the Air Force. Months later, he was in flight with his comrades when the red bubble appeared right in front of him and absorbed Hal by passing through the plane like a ghost would do. Right now, the army should have found his plane crashed in the middle of the sea with no one inside and wondering how Hal could have disappeared like that. If only they knew about Darkseid, Hal would be the last thing in their minds.
Victor was probably the one who was the less affected by his kidnapping. He seemed to have suffered a lot in his life and before the kryptonians kidnapped him, he was completely alone. He spent all his childhood in Granville near Metropolis, his young years were calm and full of happiness when one day, his parents, his little sister and he had a car accident a few weeks before his eighteenth birthday. They all died in the accident except him. In fact, when he woke up, he found himself being tied on an operating table and a crazy scientist telling him he had saved him. In reality, the guy had replaced all his damaged organs by robots parts. Now, most of his body was composed of metal and wires.
The scientist turned out to be paid by the one and only Lex Luthor who had had found a test subject for his newest project in Victor. Fortunately, thanks to the help of a laboratory assistant, he succeeded to evade the lab he was being held in. The cyborg then went to find his girlfriend Katherine and they together fled and hid from Lex. But, the changes in Victor's body, were too much for her, she became afraid of him and they broke up a few months after his evasion. It nearly destroyed him.
Not caring about his safety anymore, he went back to Metropolis where he lived as a homeless for months, wandering alone in the dark streets of the city and waiting for death to get to him. At one point, he was captured and sent on Sedna. For him, living as homeless on Earth or prisoner on Sedna, didn't change anything. He was from far, the most destroyed of them.
After Victor was Bart's turn. The speedy-guy was born in Chicago were he spent his first thirteen years peacefully with his family. One day, an unexpected event changed his life forever. He was very stubborn and curious and this day, he couldn't resist, picking a look inside a private lab. He ended up drinking a strange red drink which tasted like a horrible chemical substance. Having a hard time breathing, he exited the lab with difficulty and crawled in the middle of an empty street nearby, hoping that someone would see him.
A few minutes earlier, a storm a storm had risen and when Bart was feeling his last breath coming, a thunder struck him and he was magically healed from his breathing issue. Feeling relieved and still not believing his luck, he happily ran back to his home but, oddly his legs were kicking violently and he left his spot with an amazing speed, leaving behind him only a blur of red since he loved wearing this color. A few more tries later, he found he could run faster than light itself.
Thrilled with this power, he used it all the time but his parents became afraid of him and a few weeks later, they kicked him out of home. Bart became a petty thief, in hope to survive he was stealing food. One night at Star City, Oliver found him enjoying the meal he had just stolen from a luxurious restaurant. The Green Arrow told him he was capable of doing much greater things than becoming a thief and managed to convince him to join his team. They quickly became friends and worked together to protect Oliver's birth city. A year later, he was captured by the bubble when he was in Mexico, looking for the local food he was craving.
Finally, Bruce talked. He explained how quiet his life was till his parents were murdered in front of him by some drug addict. He was then raised by his family's butler; Alfred. As Gotham was a very dangerous town, Alfred decided to send him to Excelsior in Topeka instead of one of Gotham's high school. There he met Oliver. In a matter of weeks, the both of them became best friends and developed a brother-like relationship.
But, after high school, Oliver was declared missing for two years and Bruce had to go to Princeton University. He asked Alfred to fund an expedition to seek for his lost friend, but the team showed up empty-handed several times. Thinking his brother was dead, he buried himself in studies when one day, the district attorney of Gotham, demanded the judge to liberate his parent's murderer. Bruce went to the audience intending to kill the bastard but a woman hired by the Gotham's mob boss preceded him.
Later, his childhood friend, Rachel showed him how the city was affected by the economical crisis, and the main mobster of the city: Carmine Falcone was destroying everything his parents stood for. Bruce went to confront Falcone about what he was doing to Gotham but he ended up being kicked out of the old man's personal club. A few minutes later, he was running toward a boat in hope to leave America and travel around the world so that he could learn more about criminals and fight them. But, at that moment, he was kidnapped by the bubble.
Most of their stories were unbelievable, they all shared several common points, they had all been abused by life at some point and were all going to stand for justice. Now they were united in a cell on an alien planet but still, they felt they've found what could be great allies, friends, and even perhaps, a new family.
If Zod's words were right, they were destined to be heroes, which meant they probably would have met one day even if Zod had never captured them. Maybe they would have become a team, who knows?
They've know each others only for a few hours but already, a feeling of mutual respect and friendship was going through them all. They all knew it would be the only good thing coming up on this hostile territory. A smile crept on their lips. They may be in deep trouble but at least, they were not alone anymore.
"Rise! Rise!"
The two words echoed in the cell as the wire doors were slammed open. From his position, Oliver saw by the corner of the eye the alien inmates quickly stand up before the soldiers. He figured they should do the same or things were going to get ugly for them.
"Stand up guys, we should stand up!" he whispered as they all quickly obeyed.
Steps were heard approaching, they were all wondering what the guards were here for as Basqat appeared in the room.
"You!" He pointed at Oliver. "General Zod would like to see you."
He stared at the soldier, trying to see what was coming for him, he turned to look at his peers who all nodded in support and looked worried for him.
Basqat losing patience, grabbed him forcefully by the neck and shouted, "Come! Now!".
As he dragged him towards the doors, the soldier looked at his subordinates and nodded toward the humans. "Take them to the arena! General Zod wants them to watch." He ordered. "Don't forget to tie up the kid by the ankles!"
"Yes Sir!"
PART TWO