Chapter 4

At the Institute...

Everyone is gathering in front of the Gazebo near the cliff edge. The Professor had summoned them so he could address what had happened and to relay the things he needs to about what he saw in Apocalypse's mind.

Of course many of them were still healing up from their battles. Domino's arm was in a sling as her shoulder healed.

James' broken wrist was in a plaster and his ribs ached like crazy still.

In fact everyone who fought Clark was still aching like crazy frankly.

Peter was on crutches as Kitty and his aunt helped him. He was getting better. Give him a few more days and he'd be home.

Though many of them were quite beaten up but thankfully they would all recover fully in the course of time.

Chloe is next to Bobby and still clearly uncomfortable being out in the open with her new golden appearance. She's fidgeting with her sleeves, continually pulling at them, trying to cover more of herself up.

Bobby sighs and takes her hands into his own as the best way he can think of right now to stop her doing that.

Ororo is resting her head on Logan's shoulder. She was still having terrible nightmares over what Apocalypse turned her into and what she did but Logan had been there for her constantly and it helped in the sense that in many ways he understood what she had been through. Logan knew what it meant to be turned into a weapon.

Logan wasn't the best at words but Ororo had found what he did say made sense. It's just going to take time. Logan would let it take as much time as she needed. Hell look at him. Nearly 20 years later and he's still a mess. If he can get Ororo back on her feet in half the time he'll call it an achievement.

In her favour is at least she still remembers who she is. She just needs to focus and rediscover that...and he'll help her as best he can. He pointed out to her that everyday she is Ororo Monroe shows how strong she is and shows that Apocalypse failed.

Like with him when he makes it his target everyday to not be the weapon he was suppose to be that's what she has to do. Take it one day at a time.

Jean is walking up when she bumps into a certain glasses wearing alien teen. "Clark!" she calls out.

Clark stops and turns his head. "Jean," he acknowledges her. He had been trying to stay on the fringes, out of the way. He still has trouble looking at the people he hurt without being nearly overwhelmed with his guilt so he really doesn't feel like talking much. Sadly for him Jean wants to talk to him.

"I was meaning to talk to you," she starts with.

"Really?" Clark asks sceptically. "Last I checked you had not only stopped talking to me, you tore up my apology."

"Oh, you noticed that," Jean says, caught a little by surprise he had.

"Yes," Clark confirms he did indeed spot his torn up letter when the trash from Jean's room was being thrown out.

"Well it wasn't good enough," Jean declares it. "If you wanted to apologise you should have had the courage to say it to my face. As my friend you should have understood that," she argues.

"And as my friend you should have understood that sometimes I'm not very good at verbalising what I feel. That I'm more comfortable and able at writing my thoughts down," Clark retorts. "And honestly I'm still not sure exactly what you're mad about. I admit I was rude at times and if you had bothered to read my letter I did apologise but at least I do have an excuse what with Apocalypse basically manipulating me for 2 straight years. Frankly I should get a medal for keeping it together as well as I did."

"Huh?" Jean queries, not aware of any of this. Clark had only confessed it to his family and Rogue and no-one else thus far.

Clark sighs. "Jean...I don't want to fight with you but what I've been through...I need time to process," he requests they don't have this talk right now because he fears he may end up saying something that only makes everything worse.

"Clark, you need to talk about it. I'll help you," Jean offers.

"That's a kind offer Jean but for your own sake take this piece of advice. Stay far, far away from me," Clark tells her, not trusting himself right now. Not with War inside his head battling for control. If he loses this battle...there is no telling just what sort of damage he could do to her...to everyone. It's better if they just stay away until he figures out how to win this...ironical word coming up, war. He walks away to be by himself at the fringes of the meeting like he originally intended.

Jean frowns as she looks at his retreating form. What was that about?

Clark knows that wasn't his most gracious moment but after his day...he's not even sure he made the right choice you know. Two entire versions of reality are gone and this one continues...though Clark hasn't clue one how to even begin to tell that story to anyone. How do you do it? How do you explain to someone that their existence came at the price of the destruction of two entire universes?

Answers on a postcard please.

Skipping over how or even if he ever tells that story for the moment and back to the choice he made...he supposes, it doesn't matter now whether he was right or wrong because the choice is made. He can't undo it. Now he has to live with it and forge a future in this world...preferably one that doesn't end like the one Apocalypse showed him. He has a lot of work ahead of him because despite it all he's more convinced than ever that this world needs him to be Superman. For better or worst this is the choice he's made.

And maybe he won't be the greatest version of Superman that has ever existed in this Multiverse but all he can do is what he has always done.

Try his best to do his best.

That's all anyone can do right?

The Professor brings the meeting to order and begins. "Thanks to you all," he means it sincerely, "we have averted catastrophe. It was not without its price however," he reflects on the consequences. Hundreds and possibly thousands of new mutants...when there shouldn't have been this many so soon. Plus there was what Clark did to protect them all. No-one knew how that was going to pan out and Charles knows it has not put off indefinitely the clash that is coming with the anti-mutant forces.

"But steel is forged through fire," he uses the analogy. "And like it we have been made stronger," he truly believes that is the case. He is so very proud of them for what they achieved. "We are prepared for what the future brings," he tells them and then explains how he knows this.

"I know this because I have glimpsed it in the mind of Apocalypse," he explains. He saw some of what Apocalypse saw on how the future pans out.

"Many challenges still await us..."

The White House and outside many protesters...anti-mutant protesters with signs saying 'Mutants Go Home!' and 'Mutant Registration now!' and alike.

"But I saw some who had been our enemies become friends..."

It is the opening day of a new term at the Institute and in the hall is not dozens but hundreds of students being welcomed...and the one doing the welcoming; Emma Frost.

"And with a heavy heart I saw the dearest of friends become the most terrible of enemies..."

It was Jean, older, in a black costume, metal around her was twisting, reality itself seemed to be twisting. Jean cries out in pain as her body begins to glow with golden fire before it explodes outward taking the shape of a great fiery bird, that seems to consume Jean as it makes its cry...a birth cry into the universe.

"I saw my X-Men grow and change..."

In the hangar in front of a more advanced version of the x-jet, dressed in black uniforms, there was older versions of Beast, Iceman, Colossus...and next to him a blond woman wielding a sword that was practically glowing with white energy/fire of some sort, resting it across her shoulders...who she is Charles doesn't know...there was also Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Storm, an adult X-23, contrasting brightly against the black uniform the golden skin and blond hair of Chloe, what is quite clearly an adult Polaris, the green hair is a dead give away standing next to an adult Havok...and floating down in front; Rogue, wearing a long brown coat over her black uniform...and no gloves indicating that sometime down the road she'll once again regain control over her absorption powers...and that's not the end of it. Not by a long shot. Behind them are so many more. Some the Professor knows being older versions of his current students, some are students yet to come. One sticks out because of how much she looks like Storm with her white hair and can only be her daughter...and funniest thing of all in this vision the sign on the Headmaster's door he gets a glimpse of; 'Headmaster Logan'. That's going to have Charles in hysterics for days, the idea of Logan running the school one day.

"And, of course, I saw that some people never change..."

Magneto and the Brotherhood; Quicksilver, Blob, Toad, Avalanche most prominent and so many other mutants engaged in some sort of battle with human soldiers on an island Charles doesn't recognise but he can guess they did something to anger his old friend. It seems that's a battle that is long yet to be waged between him and his old friend over the direction mutantkind takes.

"I saw one of us transformed into a symbol of Truth and Justice..."

Sweeping through the air, more like a great golden God than a man, Clark, dressed in some sort of blue armoured suit, moulded to his body, his family symbol emblazoned on his chest in red and gold, red boots on his feet and a red cape attached at the shoulders with his family symbol on it in black.

"And following his lead many others..."

Superman lands in front of a group of costumed heroes, stands, his arms folded across his chest, radiating power and authority. With him Spider-Man is easy to identify as Peter is still in the same red and blue webbed costume. There is also Nightwing, only her current homespun costume is gone, replaced by a proper uniform, black pants and boots, red top with the wing design emblazoned on the front of it in black, and no longer a coat but a proper black cape with the wing design on the back in red and a domino mask over her eyes. Then there's AC, dressed in an orange scaled looking top and green pants, holding a golden trident in his hands. Charles knew he wasn't being told the whole truth about him. Appearing in a golden flash is what Charles assumes is Bart, dressed all in red with a hooded mask over his face and a lightning bolt motif on his chest. There is also Cyborg, his half-armoured form impossible to mistake. A figure dressed in a long hooded red coat that reaches the ground, the face hidden behind a plain white cloth mask. The Shroud pops into Charles' head as a name but who it is he doesn't know...until they pull the hood back and the mask down to reveal an older looking Kitty, looking weighed down by many difficult experiences, certainly a long way from the happy-go-lucky girl he teaches. He wonders what it is that could have possibly happened to her. Dressed all in fire oranges and reds, a long coat over red vest top and pants and orange boots, like she basically is now is Volcana, still standing with her brother...and joining in that sentiment the Scarlet Witch. The Goth look is long gone, Wanda's hair long and curly, looking quite beautiful and lovely, yet regally powerful, dressed in all scarlet red, a coat that opens up at the bottom over pants and boots and gloves. The last figure Charles can't identify. He is dressed in a green hooded top, green pants and boots, wielding a bow and arrow, looking a bit like Robin Hood...and in the background there are even more who have answered the call and followed Clark but Charles can't really see them clearly.

"But one thing was clear, no matter what awaits us..."

The Professor's worst nightmare. A sky full of Sentinels...seemingly led by a smaller, much more advanced looking one.

"Terrible or wondrous, the X-Men will always be there, ready..."

And he sees that. Teams of his X-Men fighting for equality, fighting against those whose mantra is intolerance whether they be humans or mutants. His X-Men fighting to protect the world even when it hates and fears them.

"And of that I am proud," he states his true feeling of them right now and how he will always feel for them. Whatever the future brings, he can promise that. He will always be proud of his X-Men.

To Be Continued in SmallvilleX: Evolution Year 3...

Author's Note: Considering what Clark's been through I think his instinct is to protect everyone from the danger locked away inside his own mind by pushing them away from him. So I made some changes to the Professor's visions with Emma being the one to switch sides and Magneto continuing on with his war, in particular over some island...can you say Genosha anyone? Point is while Magneto has changed subtly over the years in the end his main goal is the same in pursuing whatever path it takes to ensure mutants survive and prosper. In the show Logan was not in any glimpse of the future(maybe evo foresaw his recent death?) but I had to include him somehow so the headmaster bit...plus I wonder who the father of that white haired child of Storm's is? The woman with the glowing sword is totally obvious seeing as she's standing next to her brother. Right, yes Superman and his team! There are others I could have included but chose not to. That's 10 as it is so I just left it vague as to others in the background that can't be seen properly. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews.

AN1: It's been close to 5 years now since I started this series and I'm going to be honest here I need a break just for a rest and to think and plan Year 3 out. I have found it increasingly unwieldy dealing with so many characters and I need to consider how I'm going to deal with them. Most likely if I continue more of them will just disappear into the background. Like I said need to think about it but if you want a spoiler I have the titles and summaries already thought out for what would be Year 3 broken up into 3 stories just like Year 2.

SmallvilleX: Evolution Year 3.1: Hellfire Burns Eternal: The fallout from the battle with Apocalypse continues as the X-Men start a new school year with a new Principal, Milton Fine, who seems to have an unhealthy obsession with Clark...and he is not the only one as mystical and demonic forces gather to destroy the prophesied Star Child.

SmallvilleX: Evolution Year 3.2: Clones, Copies and Collectors: Spidey deals with the Clone Saga courtesy of the Green Goblin while Jean comes into conflict with a woman who exactly shares her face...and oh yeah the Collector of Worlds comes to add one of Earth's great cities to his collection. Can Superman stop it? I sure hope so.

SmallvilleX: Evolution Year 3.3: Kneel Before Zod: The prophecy has been spoken. Zod is coming.