I always wondered, watching Smallville, why Tess-who's self-aware enough to actively fight the cycle of abuse she's repeatedly placed in-never just stood up, said 'Clark, you're an asshole', and kicked his ass until he learned to behave like Superman. (Why no, I'm not a fan of Smallville's interpretation of Superman, why do you ask? Between repeatedly getting violent with people who aren't, being a Jesus metaphor when Superman was created by Jewish people during WWII, and general idiocy, I are not happy pineapple with CW writers.)
So, in my self-indulgency, I wrote this. Please review-the only reason I'm not posting this to AO3 is because there's just no goddamn reviews over there. And let's all sit back and enjoy Tess kicking some superhero ass...
"There he is." Tess said slowly. "The prince who came to my rescue."
Clark looked up.
"I'd have thought parachuting out of an exploding jet would have slowed you down." Clark said cautiously, apparently noting Tess' tone of voice. "But you seem just fine."
"Seem being the operative word there." Tess descended the stairs.
She wondered if he was fully aware of the danger. She had dressed simply for this, if richly, just slacks and a blouse, comfortable flats in what was quickly becoming her own base of operations. None of the damage was visible, since it had all been to her brain—lucky it hadn't lowered her IQ, the doctors had said. In fact, if anything she had scored higher on almost every test...
A sudden switch in emotion would do that to you.
The world was so clear, so perfectly obvious now. She barely felt any of her former joy or hope around Clark; it was like a schoolgirl crush, gone the second she'd realized what he'd done. Instead there was only rage and vengeance.
"Tell me, Clark, has anyone ever told you the actual side effects of asphyxia?" Tess asked, quirking an eyebrow, reaching the first story floor.
"Asphyxia? Smoke inhalation, you mean?" Clark lied, badly.
"No, I mean the end result of someone pinching an oxygyn tube shut during a panic attack." Tess remarked dryly. Clark actually jumped at that.
God, this was delicious already and she'd barely even started.
"Silent stroke." Tess explained. "After everything I told you. Every chance I've given you. You threw it back in my face and gave me damn stroke."
"Miss Mercer, I didn't-"
"First, it's Ms." Tess corrected, because that was starting to get on her nerves. "Do I look twelve to you?"
Clark didn't say anything, just shook his head, but there was confusion in his eyes.
"I know who you are, Kal-El." Tess almost spat. "I've known for a long time. Did you really think I wouldn't read every damn journal Lex ever made looking for him? And did you really think Lex, a scientist, wouldn't write that down?"
Clark's eyes went wide.
"I gave you a chance. I wanted to help you." Tess said clearly. "More than anything, I wanted to help you save the world. But that is obviously not going to happen. Not just because you decided to hate me, but because you are not ready."
"Miss—Ms. Mercer, I'm not hiding-" Clark started.
"Shut up or you're fired." Tess snapped.
Clark shut the fuck up.
"Now, that?" Tess said. "Lesson one. That's called leverage. Now, you already had some on me, on that plane, didn't you? I was drunk off my ass and told you something that I probably never should have." Tess bit back a laugh at herself, because wasn't that the story of her life?
But today she was changing it.
"But I have some on you." Tess explained. "I'm your boss. I control whether or not you have a job, and trust me on this, Kal-El, you get fired with less than a month at the Planet under your belt, you're not getting hired in journalism again—and if I want, not in Metropolis again."
Clark looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"Obviously we can leave it at that, and part ways." Tess continued. "Obviously. But, well, who would I be if I was obvious? And, honestly, I really do think you can save the world. You have no idea the kind of threat this planet is under—we're already in the sixth mass extinction, by some counts, it just hasn't hit humans yet."
"Uh, what?" Clark managed.
Tess silently damned every public school in the world. "Like when the dinosaurs died, Clark." She said patiently. "A lot of species are dying very suddenly, and it's mostly because of humans, is that clearer?"
Clark nodded sheepishly.
"So. You are going to save the world, and you are going to start by going to the first aid class I've signed you up for." Tess handed Clark a paper from her desk, a flyer with the list of details. "I'm placing you as the emergency evacuation supervisor for your floor. Being a major American newspaper, especially one in Metropolis, that gives you a perfect cover for studying basic first responder techniques. And once you've done that, I will find some poor soul patient enough to teach you basic ethics. That might make you capable of what you're destined for."
Clark was silent a minute. Then he looked up.
"I'm not doing this." He said. "My father—he's taught me everything I know. I don't need to study under some half-assed evacuation procedure-"
"You are not studying evacuation procedures." Tess said irritably. "And, funnily enough, I don't remember asking."
Clark glared.
"You could have killed me." Tess said quietly. "I will not let that happen again. Whatever it takes."
Clark nodded slowly. "So do this, or I don't have a job anymore."
"Do this," Tess explained, "Or you don't have a job anywhere. And I'll damn well make sure it's as far-reaching as I can manage. LuthorCorp has interests outside of Metropolis. Your life can be an absolute misery."
Clark nodded slowly, then set the paper down. "Fuck you." He said, turned, and left.
Tess watched him go, and let out a long breath of air.
Fuck.
Time for Plan B.
#
Clark wasn't sure if saying 'he loved Chloe' was entirely accurate. He didn't love her. And she might have had a crush on him at one point, but she didn't have one anymore.
But he loved Chloe.
She listened patiently while he explained that his boss was threatening him, and he had no idea what to do, and then sighed. "I told you she was bad news, Clark." She finally said.
"She knows who I am!" Clark exclaimed. "How does she even know that? Lex couldn't have been that clear! He didn't know until the end!"
"She just blew up a plane and survived. That's kind of a clue, Clark." Chloe pointed out, already typing on Isis' systems. "One day you're going to have to choose between saving her and saving the world."
"No. Never." Clark said, shaking his head. Anyone could be saved. Anyone could be forgiven.
Even Tess Mercer. Even Lex Luthor.
"Well, let's focus on the immediate threat first." Chloe said. "If we destroy her evidence, she won't be able to prove who you are, and that keeps you off the front page of the Daily Planet."
Clark grinned, shoulders sagging in relief. "If anyone can do that, you can." He said gratefully.
Chloe nodded. "Go pull up some couch. This may take a while."
Clark obediently retreated, going over to one of the public computers to play around on the internet for a while. Maybe he'd find a news story to bring to Lois. She seemed to like that. And she was...she was...nice? Interesting?
Anyway, could Tess fire him if he had a story?
Time passed. Clark got up after a few hours. "Can I raid the fridge?" He asked.
"Upstairs, in my apartment." Chloe told him.
"Thanks, Chlo." Clark said.
He made his way upstairs, into Chloe's apartment, and opened her fridge. She had sandwich makings, and Clark was finding that being a cape took a lot more energy than just farm chores. He started fixing himself a sandwich, humming under his breath.
Should he involve Jor-El in what was going on? Probably best not to—he'd just be disappointed that Clark had gone and let a human get the drop on him. Or angry that he'd given Tess a stroke. Damnit, he hadn't meant to do that, just knock her out for a minute!
He stared at the sandwich. His appetite was still there, but the joy was gone from the food.
He prayed Chloe would find something, and suddenly he really wished there was some kind of memory-loss pill he could feed Tess, too. Then everything could go back to normal.
He ate, washed and put away the dishes, and wandered back down. Chloe seemed finished with her search; she was studying a map, a layout of the Luthor castle.
"What'd you find?" Clark asked.
Chloe looked up. "So she's getting all her information from hard-copy objects. That means someone has to go in and steal it. Given how carefully she hides her toys, I think you and Ollie should tag-team this. Let Oliver distract Tess, and you super-speed around and grab the diaries, which seem to be the main source of all this." She gestured at a print-out picture of a book. "Looks like that."
Clark picked up the picture. "Sounds good. I'll head out at midnight, then."
"I'll let Ollie know." Chloe said. "Given how he likes distracting Tess, I think he'll need a head-start."
And then it would be over, Clark thought hopefully. Then Tess wouldn't have any leverage, and they could all go back to pretending everything was normal.
And she'd be fine. She had the advice of the best doctors in the world. And he hadn't seriously hurt her—she'd said she was lucky, that meant everything was okay, right?
Everything would be fine.