Title: The Stockholm Syndrome
Pairing:; Kal/Lois, Clark/Lois
Spoilers: Set in 3 month gap between season 2-3 (Exodus and Exile). It goes A/U and then jumps to season 4 time-frame.
Rating – PG13
Plot:
Clark has taken on the persona of Kal and fled to Metropolis to escape all the hurt and pain he has caused his loved ones back in Smallville. Now under the influence of Morgan Edge, he meets Lois Lane in a most unexpected way with even more unexpected consequences...
Prologue (Lois)
Lois had been looking forward to this posting all summer but some news had curbed her enthusiasm totally. Her father, General Sam Lane had volunteered to take charge at Fort Ryan to root out the problems which were threatening to envelope it.
"I cannot believe that drugs have been allowed to become endemic within the US Army. Well you know what, Lo, I am not going to allow it happen."
"What are you going to do about it, daddy?" Lois asked as they drove over the Kansas Border on the way to his new posting and her new home for the next few months.
"I am going to take the fight back to the drug dealers if I have to. It has always given me great pride to serve for my country and I am gonna make sure the troops here feel the same way by the time I leave." he announced.
"Now I need you to watch out for yourself on this one." he continued.
"Don't worry, Wes will look out for me." Lois replied, thinking of her boyfriend who just happened to be based at Fort Ryan.
Her romance with Wes Keenan had taken her by surprise. He was a such a strong personality – gorgeous, decisive and macho, all in one – and perhaps most importantly for the first time ever her father approved of him.
"I am sure he will. You know I like Wes, but I do not want you getting in a serious relationship at this age. You have your schooling to think about."
"Ok, daddy. You can trust me not to get into any trouble. Anyway remember I turn 18 on the 17th August – less than 3 weeks away I believe." she explained.
"Lo, remember the legal drinking age is 21 years. I am still not convinced you did not have something to do with setting up that illegal gambling and drinking den on the last base."
She smiled. "You have no faith in me, do you?"
The first week back with Wes had been great. It was as though they had never been apart. But then the rumours started. Her name was Jodi and she was an army bomb disposal expert who had been based at Fort Ryan just before Lois and the General arrived.
Lois was told by a number of independent sources that Wes and Jodi had struck up a very 'close' friendship. When she confronted him about it, he denied it. Eventually after indisputable evidence came to light including Jodi's request for a transfer to the base, Lois decided to call it quits.
She told her father the news but he was preoccupied with the events of the past few days. His intense questioning of some of the suspected troops involved in drug dealing had identified the kingpin of the gang as being a organised crime boss known as Morgan Edge who ruled the Metropolis underworld with an iron fist.
He had immediately passed this information over to the Metropolis Police Department, who, as a result tracked down some of his main henchman. A fire fight ensued leading to the death of two Edge's main dealers. The result was Edge declaring war on the police and other people involved. Even more worrying was some information gleamed from sources within Edge's gang – the main target for revenge was General Lane himself.
"Lois, I am sorry about Wes but you still cannot meet Chloe in the city. Firstly you are underage and secondly you may be a target for Edge's men."
"They do not know who I am." She fired back smugly.
"Lo, have you seen this morning's paper. One of Edge's men took out three cop cars with some sort of new heat weapon, as well as somehow managing to survive a barrage of bullets from the guns of 20 police officers."
Lois looked down to see a picture of a masked man on the front of the Daily Planet newspaper. Surrounding him were burnt out wreckage of police cars.
"There is no way I am going to spend my 18th birthday on the base. This is my first time in Metropolis and I haven't even managed to catch up with Chloe yet."
"Chloe can come to the base. I will get her a pass." Sam replied.
Lois knew she had to pretend to back down even though secretly she had no intention of staying on the base tomorrow night...
Prologue (Clark/Kal)
The last few months in Metropolis had been a mind blowing, living on the edge experience. It was not until now that he knew how powerful he could be and was in awe of his own potential. He could do anything he wanted and he did not have to answer to anyone; in fact it was the opposite, people were starting to answer to him. How many seventeen year olds could live like this.
He looked down at the bag of cash lying by the side of the bed and pondered whether to take Morgan Edge up on his offer of a job. Maybe working for one of the biggest crime bosses in Metropolis would buy him even more respect around this town and more to the point make him rich beyond his wildest dreams.
He headed to the club where he had VIP status, and was shocked when he saw Lana at the other end of the bar.
Lana rushed up to him and hugged him."Clark! I have been worried about you for three months and you've been hanging around in nightclub?"
"You're so cute when you're angry. Lana, if you start talking about Hicksville, you're gonna be on the next bus going back. Now I thought you were here to have some fun." he kissed her to reinforce his point. She responded but with hesitancy.
Lana pulled away. "You know you're right. Let's have some fun. I am just going to freshen up first."
Clark could tell when Lana was hiding something so moments later he decided to follow her and he found her on her cell in the back alley.
Clark grabbed the phone off her. "Who are you talking to? Who's this?"
"Clark, it's me." he heard his father's voice at the other end of the line.
"Jonathan. How's the farm?" he asked coldly with an impersonal tone.
" Clark, your mother and I love you very much and we want you to come home."
Clark was becoming angry. " Is that right? Hey, what about not dwelling on the past and making a fresh new start? Come on, you can admit it. You're happier I'm gone."
"Son, that's not true." Jonathan protested.
"I'm not your son! And you're not my parents, you never have been! You never will be!" he shouted down the phone.
Lana pleaded with him. "Clark, what is the matter with you? Your parents love you! I love you."
:"Do you always betray the people you love?" he gave the cell back to her and walked off calmly.
Clark left a message with the bartender that he wanted to talk to Morgan Edge. Five minutes later a car whisked him away to an office on the seedy end of town.
Morgan poured him a drink of scotch. "I'm glad you decided to consider my offer. But why the change of heart?"
"My past is catching up to my present. I need to disappear." Clark explained.
Morgan smiled at him "Free tonight?"
"My calendar just opened up." Clark took a seat and took a swig of the drink.
This is an account in the Grand Cayman. Here's how much is waiting for you." Morgan showed him the bank statement.
Clark sneered. * "That's a serious amount of zeroes."
"It's a serious job. I need you to take care of the daughter of General Sam Lane. She is called Lois Lane and she is coming to town tonight to celebrate her birthday. I want you to make sure she never makes it to the celebration." he showed him a photo of her.
"So basically you want me to kidnap an army brat? A cute army brat!" Kal looked at the photo.
"Will that be a problem?"
"No. It'll be my pleasure. And don't worry I will look after her."
Morgan smiled. "What you do with her is your business, just keep her out of the way long enough for me to get to her father. If she becomes caught in the crossfire and ends up a casualty then so be it."
