When Doves Cry Part 2 Chp 11

There was no telling how much time had passed. Brainy kept losing consciousness and when he was awake everything was muddled and seemed dreamlike until he lost consciousness again.

Along with his injuries Brainy had gotten sick, a rare thing for any Coluan that he only had a vague memory of from when he was very young. If it was anything like this he more then likely blocked it out but he was sure any childhood ailment couldn't compare to this torture.

When he was awake, or at least thought he was awake, there was usually someone there coaxing him to drink something. What little strength he had he didn't waste it arguing and both warm and cold liquids were a welcomed relief to his searing throat.

After what seemed like an eternity Brainy became aware of his surroundings again. He was in a room with walls made of dry wall and not ice, right away a good start. The room had minimal decoration but besides the bed he was in there was a desk, desk chair and a couple of boxes crammed in a closet; all of the appearances of a guest room.

The question was of whom was he a guest of?

"He's awake again," a near by voice brought Brainy's attention to the doorway.

There was a man that looked familiar but the fog clouding Brainy's mind wouldn't lift far enough for him to place where. He was older with gray hair and wore overalls and glasses.

Joining him in the doorway was a woman, also gray haired with glasses, wearing a simple blue shirt with jeans. He had only met her once but even with a number of years added to her face she was unmistakably Martha Kent.

He was in Clark Kent's house, or rather Lord Superman's house.

Though he couldn't remember thinking to do it, Brainy had sprung up with no clear plan in mind which was immediately put to a halt when his head became light, making him fall which was unfortunately onto the floor rather then back onto the bed. Instinctively he held onto his skull, trying to will it away.

"Brainy, are you alright," Martha Kent rushed over to him, putting her hands over his in a way he was sure she was trying to make him let go on his own accord so she could take a look to see if he was hurt but all he could do was hold on tighter and groan.

"Step aside Martha," the man, Jonathon Kent, stood beside her until she moved. He then lifted Brainy with a grunt and set him sitting up on the bed. "Let her take a look, Brainy, we aren't going to hurt you."

Something about his voice, commanding but kind, allowed Brainy to let go and look up at him. His head was swimming how but he had to ask, "How?"

Jonathon Kent smiled, though it looked painful, lifting a hand to gently ruffle Brainy's hair.

"You don't worry about that right now; just concentrate on getting better."

It was tempting just to fall over into slumber but Brainy didn't look away from the Kent's faces.

In turn the Kent's looked at each other, sighed and turned back to him.

"We're sorry Brainy," Martha Kent's eyes were barley holding back the gathering moisture. "Our son-"

"Lord Superman is not our son," Jonathon Kent interrupted gruffly but his eyes were having the same problem as his wife's, "Clark died with the Flash."

When the tears started to run down her face, Jonathon Kent took Martha Kent's hand and gave it a small squeeze but did not attempt to smile.

"We knew the horrible things he was going to this country, to the world," Martha Kent continued, tears having nothing to stop them anymore, "But we never knew what he had done to you, that is, the Brainy we knew before."

"It wasn't until the Justice League from that other world put a stop to it and Lord Batman came to talk to us that we found out what happened," Jonathon Kent bowed his head, shoulder's sagging.

"We were already ashamed of what he had done but you, what he did to the other Brainy was the last straw," Martha explained softly. "We cut off what little ties we had left to him, even declared Clark," she swallowed, "legally dead and had a funeral."

"We never got to see the other Brainy before he went to the future but then Lord Superman escaped and Lord Batman was too heavily injured to go after him, we knew we had to do something," Jonathon Kent was barely able to raise his head, let alone look at Brainy but his voice sounded stronger.

"We were able to get in contact with a hero that went underground when the Justice Lords formed," Martha Kent explained further. "We knew almost everyone who could stand up against Lord Superman was… altered, imprisoned or dead but the young hero, Gear, he had a piece of one that could stand a chance."

"We knew it was dangerous brining him back but Gear was able to work the programming so he had to obey us," Jonathon Kent raised his head a little more.

The word 'programming' brought back a memory from before he had fallen unconscious.

"Brainiac," Brainy wanted to shout but his voice was too hoarse. "Y-you brought back Brainiac?!"

"We needed a way to fight Lord Superman," Jonathon Kent tried to justify it.

Even though the counterpart of his own ancestor had caught him just in time to save his life, Brainy wished that they hadn't made such an attempt. The programming to obey the Kents could be overridden with time and then what would stop the machine form compiling data on the Earth and deleting it?

"You need to rest," Martha Kent tried to coax him. "We'll have a way to send you back home soon."

"How?" the demand came out harsher then Brainy intended but he couldn't find the energy to care.

"Lord Batman and Brainiac are building a new portal thingy in the barn," Jonathon Kent didn't miss a beat. "They're confident it will be done soon."

"I want to see it," Brainy demanded.

"Brainy, you're in no condition to-"

"I want to see it! …Please."

He had to see it. He had to know it was real. That there was really a way to send him home, away from this place. Maybe then he could try to block out this experience and finally feel clean again.

The Kents looked at each other, reading the other's eyes before coming to an agreement. Martha Kent wrapped him in a blanket and Jonathon Kent lifted him up.