The engine roared as they drove down the dirt road. Silvia was in the passengers seat of the old, worn-down ute and Clark was at the wheel. He didn't drive around Metropolis because there was simply no need to. He flew as often as he could, and if he was trying to blend in he'd just use public transport. When he went back home to Kansas though he always took his ute.

Silvia was shifting uncomfortably in her seat, eyes fixed on their surroundings as they passed. So much so that it was becoming obvious that she didn't want to be there. Tree... another tree... another tree...

Clark freed one of his hands from the wheel and placed it on her thigh reassuringly. "There's nothing to worry about. They just want to get to know you a little more."

"Your father doesn't like me... I know he doesn't." Silvia sighed but ran light fingers over his hand, grateful that he was at least trying to calm her down. "It's because he knows who I am, isn't it?"

Clark went silent for a second, eyes on the road but lips tightening into a straight line. "I'm sorry, Sil. I told them before I knew how I felt about you... I just needed some advice and they're always the ones I turn to."

"Somehow I doubt that your father's advice was anything but 'lock her up'."

"Well... you're not wrong." Clark sighed. "But they're willing to give you a chance now, all I ask is that you do the same."

"Parents aren't my thing, but I'll... try."

Clark smiled gently. "Thank you. They mean a lot to me."

"I know they do."

The dirt road slowly got rougher, and the rocks became looser. A sign whizzed by the window saying 'Welcome to Smallville' and soon the small town came into view.

The country had its own charm about it. There were people lifting heavy bags into trucks, stands selling fresh fruit and vegetables, and animals being transferred between farms. It was all very new to Silvia, but there was something sweet about it. She could see that this was where Clark had grown up.

They kept driving a little longer until the town was replaced by the occasional house, and then it was nothing but trees again. Finally, a farm could be seen in the distance. Cows, sheep, and pigs all locked in their large pens; horses in their stables.

"This is it." Clark said, expression glowing warmly. It made apparent the weight this meeting held. He loved this place so dearly that to bring her here must have meant that he was serious about her.

As they entered the driveway the loud barking of a dog could be heard and Silvia's head whipped around searching for it. There, running beside the ute, was a brown sheep dog with a green collar and scruffy fur. Silvia's eyes lit up. At least the dog could provide her with a distraction from the nerves still littering in her stomach.

As the ute rolled to a halt the door to the house swung open. Out walked the same couple Silvia had met a few months ago. The woman had her arms outstretched towards Clark and the man flashed a proud smile.

"Welcome back, son." Mr. Kent boomed.

"Thanks, Pa." Clark replied, giving his mother a hug and then turning to shake his father's hand.

Silvia found the courage to exit the vehicle but stayed right beside it, far too anxious to walk over and say hello. She did wave when they looked st her though, which earned a light-hearted smile from Clark.

He stepped over, grabbing her arm and leading her over to his parents. She gulped and held onto him even tighter.

"Ma, Pa, you've already met Silvia." Clark said, glancing down at the nervous girl adoringly. "She's very important to me."

They both looked as hesitant as before, but regardless, Martha wrapped her in a hug and Jonathan held his hand out to shake. Silvia accepted the gesture then quickly pulled her hand back to hold Clark's arm. "It's g-good to see you both again."

"You too, dear." Martha sounded a little sympathetic despite her caution and Silvia instantly knew that Clark had informed them of her past... They probably wouldn't have let her in their house if he hadn't. "Come in. I've just learnt how to cook one of Clark's favourite meals."

"Beef bourguignon?" Silvia asked curiously. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing to make if you wanted to do it well and only certain restaurants would even bother with it.

Martha nodded, but Clark looked a little surprised. He hadn't told her that...

Silvia blinked up at him. "You order it almost any opportunity you get. It wasn't that hard to figure out."

Clark grinned. "Oh, so you do pay attention."

"Only when I feel like it."

His parents went back inside, leaving the door open for the two of them. Silvia let out a shaky exhale the moment they left. She could tell that they still weren't exactly fond of her. Luckily, she didn't have to think about this very long because soon the dog came barreling towards her.

For all that muscle he leaped like a puppy and then pushed his body into hers as soon as Silvia was close enough. In seconds her hand was covered in slobber, the dogs tongue of sandpaper almost dripping with every lick. His tail wasn't wagging side to side but going round and round like a helicopter blade; any happier and she thought those dinner-plate paws might catch some air.

"How you doin', bud?" Clark laughed, ruffling the fur on his head and motioning for Silvia to follow him inside.

Silvia gave the dog one final pat before hurrying inside. The screen door creaked shut behind her and the floorboards made a similar noise beneath. The house was covered in photos, mainly of Clark but there were a select few with Jonathan as well. It was rare to see one of Martha among the collection but when she did it was with the entire family.

The majority of the furniture was made of different kinds of wood, the scent of sawdust and barn animals dominating the air. It was an unfamiliar smell to Silvia but Clark seemed almost relaxed by it.

In the kitchen was a table made of oak. Four plates sat full to the very edges on each side; Martha waited patiently reading the cover of the newspaper Jonathan held up. Clark pulled the seat out for Silvia before going to his own on the opposite side.

"Thanks, Ma. It looks great!" Clark beamed.

"Yes..." Silvia said through the anxiety laying on her chest. "Thank you, Mrs Kent."

The food was pretty good. At the very least Silvia could tell that Clark was overjoyed to be having his favourite dish and his mother's cooking all in one. As her stomach began to feel bloated Silvia's eating started to slow, but Clark was already on his fourth serving.

It hadn't been quiet like she had expected. Martha, Jonathan and Clark all sparked multiple conversations between the three of them but for the most part Silvia stayed silent. She didn't feel welcome in their 'family time'. Of course, she wasn't fortunate enough for it to stay that way.

"So, Silvia..." Jonathan spoke up, taking another forkful of beef. "Clark says that you've helped him save Metropolis a few times."

"W-Well I..." Silvia stuttered, not sure how to answer.

"He's also said that you're a murderer."

Silvia tensed. It felt like her body was encased in ice and unable to move, let alone speak.

"Pa!" Clark retorted, forehead crinkling in disapproval. "I never said that."

"Son, you said that she's killed."

"That's over. It isn't something that needs discussing." Clark sounded like he was almost pleading with his father to drop the subject.

"It's alright, Dorothy..." Silvia suddenly found her voice again, though her breathing was rapid and shallow. She could feel her pulse pounding in her temples. It was a relief that she was sitting down because her legs shaking. Like hail on a glass pane, the drumming of her fingers was as relentless as it was loud. Each click of the chipped nails on the table echoed the tumultuous thudding of her heart beat. Her face, rigid with tension, belied uncertainly. "He's right, I have killed people. It's not something I can hide."

Jonathan's eyes struck her, as stern and intimidating as a furious father rousing on a child. "I wouldn't usually ask but you are dating my son. I appreciate your honesty but if I'm honest I don't think you're right for Clark... or this family."

"Jonathan!" Martha gasped though she didn't exactly disagree.

"Pa, that's not your decision to make!" Clark said rather loudly. "Please, you said you wouldn't start anything."

"I'm sorry, son." Jonathan replied unwavering. "But it's important that we stick to our morals. She goes against everything I've taught you."

"I understand." Silvia replied quietly. "I'd feel the same way if I were you... I'm not going to try and excuse my actions because there's no reason good enough, but Clark is lucky to have you. You taught him how to be a man the world could be proud of but I had to learn through experience. I had no one to teach me right from wrong, and no where to go for help. You may not agree with what I've done but trust that my intentions were always good."

"Your intentions can't be good if you're willing to kill for them."

"I know you won't ever comprehend it because you haven't been through it so I won't try and explain what you can't understand. Whether you accept me or not though, I'm grateful to you both." Silvia somehow managed to smile at them but it looked like a struggle to maintain it. "You raised a great man. He not only saved me, he showed me that there is hope to be found in the world I'd given up on. Without you he never would have been able to do that. So, thank you."

The feeling of Clark's hand on top of hers startled Silvia slightly but not as much as the loving kiss he placed on her cheek. His parents grew quiet. Jonathan in particular wasn't sure what to think of the girl. He still didn't trust her and that was the main problem.

Just as Clark was staring down at Silvia adoringly there was a bang farther than Silvia could usually hear, but it was so loud that she could. Clark instantly stood from his seat. "Something's wrong. I need to go."

"Be safe, Dorothy." Silvia said, the worry already sinking in.

Clark turned toward her regretfully. "I'm sorry... I hate to leave you in such an awkward situation."

Silvia shook her head. "No, it's alright. We've already had the 'it won't be easy' talk. Now go before it gets worse."

Clark nodded, giving both of his parents a wave before leaving. He was gone in an instant, no trace that he was even there except for the empty plate on the table.

It was odd being left with his parents, especially when they didn't exactly see eye to eye. Thankfully Jonathan and Martha had gone to do some farm work after Clark's departure so there wasn't another uncomfortable conversation.

Silvia was just pondering how much she already missed Clark when she heard something break through the earth. She rushed out only to see a massive crater in the front yard. A rock burned in the hole then cracked open.

Out came a robot... one she had never seen before. It looked weaved together by  machines she couldn't even begin to understand. It's glowing eyes turned to the right and its heavy legs marched through the farm.

Silvia was having so much trouble registering what she had just witnessed that she didn't even think to follow the thing until she heard a frightened scream. Silvia jumped at the sound, head snapping in the direction it had come from. The robot was approaching the Kents... and fast.

She ran as she'd never run before, with neither hope nor despair. Her mind was blank, focused only on getting to Clark's parents in time. Fate had placed her in a position of responsibility and she had accepted the burden without question.

Just as the droid was honing in on Jonathan, who was shielding Martha with his own body, Silvia had leaped into the air and tackled it to the ground. The machine made a whining noise like cogs scraping together, and with a flick of its arms it had thrown her off.

A sudden gush of pain jolted throughout Silvia's body. Her stomach ached from where its metal arms had shoved her off, and her back from the hard landing. Still, she got straight back to her feet the moment the robot did. It was a horrible idea to not bring any of her guns...

Silvia frantically searched for anything to use, but all she found was a fairly large log of wood that had yet to be chopped. She groaned, bending down to pick it up. The weight was incredible even for her. Every muscle strained, sweat poured from her face, and her teeth were clenching so hard that she could have sworn that she felt them cracking under the pressure.

When she got it off of the ground the real effort was not dropping it. With all of her strength she swung it backwards and then towards the droid. The wood hit against its head and split into two. "Oh shit..." Silvia cursed, dropping the broken log.

At first she thought her efforts were for nothing... but then she looked closer. A wire had detached from its neck and was sparking loosely in the air. The loss of support had left its head sloping. This wasn't going to be easy but at least she now knew that it was possible.

Suddenly its fist was slamming into her face while she sunk her punch into its torso. Blood pooled in her mouth as the robots stomach dented. Silvia stumbled back for a brief second before diving back at the droid, eyes narrowed in determination.
It dodged her fist and came up with its own; for a brief instant, her blue eyes widened before she managed to tilt her head back and slam it into the robots. Stars burst in her vision but she shook it off, blinding throwing a sloppy kick. It caught her ankle in mid-air and twisted it until a loud 'crack' sounded.

Silvia screamed in agony, only barely managing to yank her leg away. The pain only enhanced her focus, like the serum had been released in her mind again. She threw her body weight behind the fist that edged closer to its face, she hit its jaw with such force crimson pooled between her fingers. Now there was blood on her knuckles and a bruise above her right eye, not to mention her broken ankle. She could feel none of it.

The droid drew its fist back again and it ploughed into her stomach, it was like hitting a train head on. Her guts smashed together, blood vessels bursting. She repaid this by punching its jaw and it hung off its face at the sheer strength she had used. Silvia continued this battering until it fell to the floor.

She grabbed hold of one of its arms, pulling and twisting until it began tearing off. She let out a growl at the effort it took. Her back throbbed, her arm muscles felt like they were ripping apart and her lungs stung with each inhale. She had almost pulled the arm off completely when it slammed her into the nearby barn. The structure broke and she went straight through.

Her head was spinning and a stray bit of wood had pierced right through her thigh. She hissed at the feeling but it only set off more adrenaline... her instincts heightened. She heard someone, likely Jonathan, throw something at the robot and Martha's terrified panting. She shakily got back up and limped out. It was right in front of the Kents again.

No. She couldn't let it touch them. She ran, this time like an animal. Her ankle would roll and crack with every step, and her thigh would pour more blood from its wound. She jumped onto its back and placed both hands on either side of its skull. She pushed with all of her might, trying to squash its head in. It didn't budge... It was getting closer to Jonathan. Her muscles rippled and tore as she applied ever ounce of pressure that she could.

"Just die already!" She grunted, feeling her hands begin to fracture.

The moment she somehow scraped up an extra hit of power she applied it to the droids skull and felt every bone in her fingers and hands break one at a time. It's impossible to feel another's pain, but the scream that tore through Silvia's throat came close. It was the kind of scream that puts every other thought on hold and roots everyone close in the very same agony. Even through her blurred perception she could feel the pain.

She wanted to stop. God, it hurt more than anything she'd ever felt... but she couldn't. That thing would kill Clark's parents if it got the chance. Any agony that coursed through her was aimed at crushing the droids head, and with one final cry of anguish as the last bone in her hand snapped, she succeeded.

As the droid fell so did Silvia, trembling in torture. Her whole body was begging to go limp and she couldn't move her hands at all. She felt someone grab her arm and help her up. She gave a sharp inhale at the pain but was too delusional to scream again. Jonathan carefully lifted her elbow to get a better look at one of her hands.

"God... Martha! Call an ambulance!" He said seriously and his wife dashed into the house. Silvia's hands were a bloody mess, unmoving and with white bone piercing through the skin. Jonathan tapped her shoulder, trying to keep her conscious. "It'll be alright, Silvia. You did a good job... Thank you... Maybe I was wrong about you. My son wouldn't see something in you if it wasn't there."

Silvia's mind was a blur but his approval managed to reach her. She smiled, it was forced and hazy but it was there...then it happened. Jonathan gasped, his hand moving from her arm to his own. His fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt and he grunted. Martha exited the house and Jonathan dropped.

The blonde leaned forward to catch him, hooking her arms around him and breath hitching at the pain the jolted up her hands. Martha shrieked and sprinted over, tripping right at her husband's side and taking him in her arms.

"Jonathan?!" She bellowed but he wasn't breathing anymore... Silvia could hear it. His heart had given out.

"Clark..." Silvia said through her daze. The world was flipping and turning around her in double but she forced her eyes to stay awake. "Clark!!"

And then he was there, his blue eyes filled with tears.

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