Eternal Wrath Volume 2: Distraction
Here we go again, second full-blown story in the Eternal Wrath series! Note that BEFORE you start to read this one you should head over to my profile and read Eternal Wrath: Quaking With Fear.
It is what I call an "In-Between Book" which is a one-shot helping the transition from Betrayal to Distraction. There will be one-shots like these between every volume of the series.
Once that's done, you're free to read this one which picks up right after Betrayal. Hope you'll like it.
Chapter 1: The Orb
'Welcome home, my son.' Jor-El to Clark, Season 8, Episode 9: "Abyss"
February 16th 2009. 00:07 AM UTC-6. Fortress of Solitude, Arctic.
It felt so wrong.
He had been standing right at her side, laughing in joy and relief as they both finally processed why the beast wouldn't get up one more time. It was over. The fight they gave for their lives and the ones of the entire planet was over and they came out of it as victorious people who should have been celebrating their freedom.
Instead, fatality had struck them to the deepest level and all of their friends gathered around her as she rocked his lifeless body in the cradle of her arms. Chloe's shock had lifted up the moment she saw him on the ground, his blood pooling at his side. Davis Bloome had been shot dead by John and she couldn't care less about him as another man got all of her attention.
He was gone, gone for good. How could she even try to wrap her mind around that? He was one of the best people in the world and he was destined for greatness. How cruel could the world be? Taking away a hero in his prime, leaving countless people vulnerable in his wake without even knowing they were.
The world would mourn him if they knew who Oliver Queen really was. Sadly, they never would and Chloe Sullivan was left with a broken heart and the feeling of loss that would follow her wherever she went from now on. She was too caught up in her emotions to try to make sense of anything at the moment but a time would come when her mind started to harass her as it tried to imagine what could have been had he lived. What should have been but never would be.
Soon after, her friends would worry about her. After everything she'd lost in her life, could this be the thing that destroyed her? Had she lost the will to live without him around to brighten her day? It already felt like a lifetime ago since their first kiss in Emil Hamilton's apartment after his surgery.
In truth, it had only been four months ago since their relationship shifted. Four long months during which they had been kept apart by alien matters and misunderstandings. So much lost time they would never recover.
If it hadn't been for Oliver's future self, she probably would never have known what it felt like to be with him, to truly love him and be loved back.
A sudden thought disturbed her sorrowful mind. She was a wreck at the moment. What did it feel like for the man who came back in time to save them only to see his past self die in front of him?
Her head turned towards him, the only thing that was still Ollie to her. It was him. Their eyes met and right then, she knew she wasn't the only one experiencing the greatest pain possible. Her grief was matched, possibly even surpassed by his. He had seen his own Chloe die in his time, his friends get killed by the monster and then there was this... final death that were their undoing.
All were taken away from them by one single person: Davis Bloome and the beast inside him. Hate like she'd never know existed crawled under her skin. How Brainiac had fooled her to make her think he was better than Ollie? How could she ever think he was nothing else but a murderer?
The light of her life was gone. Now, she would only go by on the desire of revenge that she could never act on. Davis Bloome was dead too. A part of her was relieved, the other wished he wasn't. If only she could make him feel the pain she felt right now...
Chloe shook her head. That wasn't her to think like that. Yet, she'd never wished to hurt someone that deeply before. What kind of person would she become without the man she loved?
A sudden flash of white blinded her. She heard the surprised cries of her friends and was reminded for the first time since she realized Ollie was dead that they were there. A surprising warmth filled them and they watched as the brightness dimmed slowly to reveal smoke rising up as a large featureless body appeared.
The thing was immobile for a long time until the light suddenly died down. Two red dots went to life like a switch flipped on. It wasn't the beast, Chloe realized. She glanced at the spot Doomsday was last seen and it was still there, still dead.
The body that stood before them was nothing like The Ultimate. It was huge, taller than the monster and its form was humanoid. Still, that being didn't have a face, its eyes were two simplered points - no pupils or anything else like that, just... dots - looking back at them and its skin was chrome. It looked artificial, cold, metallic.
The dots flashed white as it stared at them. Then, it went red again and the being, having said and done nothing else, simply rushed away in the same manner Bart could do. Only, the teenager was too awe-struck to pursue it.
"What just happened?"
Chloe's mind took a long moment to realize AC had asked a question but she couldn't make sense of his words as she kept staring at the last spot that thing had been. Strangely, there was feeling of emptiness on her left side and her heart skipped a beat when she felt warm flesh in her arms.
Looking down at Ollie, her red-rimmed eyes widened and she held her breath. She swore she had seen his lips move for a second. It all felt slow around her as she focused all of herself onto him. Her mind told her he was dead but her senses told another story.
Eyelids flickered. Chloe gasped. "Ollie?" she didn't recognize her own voice.
Possessed by the will to make sure she wasn't losing her mind, her fingers skimmed over his skin softly. It was definitely warmer, she noted absently as she felt a spot on his neck. Rhythmic ripples stroke her fingers.
It took her a long moment to realize what it meant. Her eyes widened in shock. A pulse! He has a pulse! Oliver Queen was still alive.
February 16th 2009. 00:46 AM UTC-6. Miller's Field, Smallville, Kansas, USA.
Clark flattened the dirt on the ground and sighed. He had just buried Davis Bloome's body. What a strange night it was. One day, the man was gone from the world, the other Brainiac lured him and the League to the fortress only to find that the beast had been split from the man and that he was destined to host Zod's essence.
The fight against Doomsday had been hard. Clark had no doubt, it was the most difficult fight he'd been into, the beast had been even stronger and more dangerous than Titan, the zoner with which he fought in an underground fight club years ago.
His last memories were that of Doomsday grabbing his leg and literally pulverise it. He had felt his bones break and his foot almost being torn away from his body. There had been large stains of his blood on the ground of his father's fortress.
Yet, he stood here, in Miller's Field on his two legs. He was perfectly fine. Clark had been woken up by John whose broad smile seemed wider than usual. He had simply told him that Davis was dead and that the team was getting Ollie to a hospital. The Martian had asked him to bury the paramedic to a quiet place and join them at MetGen after that.
If it hadn't been enough to make him dizzy, his friend had flashed him a grin before he flew away, leaving his characteristic red trail hanging behind. Clark's eyes had almost bulged out of his skull at the sight.
Confused and determined to have answers to his questions, he stood up and looked down on Davis' grave. He snorted. Grave was a relative word in this case, it was actually a simple hole covered in dirt. At least Clark had chosen the place where they both first landed on Earth to be his tomb. It was a small consolation.
Davis Bloome might not have been perfect but Clark thought the man was more a victim than anything else. After all, was it his choice if the beast wanted to kill? Oliver hated the man because he had taken Chloe away fromhim for months but that was all Brainiac's doing. He was convinced that deep down, Davis wasn't a bad guy and could have gotten his redemption.
His teeth gritted together and he sped away. He needed to know why Davis Bloome was dead.
February 16th 2009. 00:47 AM UTC-6. MetGen, Metropolis, Kansas, USA.
It was one of those nights where Emil Hamilton regretted his decision to start working again in a hospital. After all, he had a physics degree which he had worked hard to obtain years ago and he could easily live off a quiet and well-paid research job for a company or a university.
There was something else, though. All his life, Emil had sensed he wasn't complete and never understood why he felt that way. Even during the happiest years of his life which were his marriage, he always felt like something was missing.
Now he knew why. In fact, it simply took Oliver Queen asking him to be the entitled doctor to his team of vigilantes. There it was, he needed to do something good for the worldthat wouldn't be stopped by power-hungry politicians or magnates. With the Justice League, he felt... useful.
And useful he needed to be tonight. This shift was crazy. Following the supernatural event that occurred a few hours earlier, the emergency department had been swarmed by hundreds of frightened civilians claiming the red ray in the sky was the cause of their various 'infections'.
Metropolis General Hospital was the largest one in the city and county but they had recently moved to a new structure after the radiation scandal that had broken out in the news months ago. Emil, as a neurosurgeon, was a staff chief and led the emergencies. It was a raw and difficult job which could also be extremely gratifying. On a night like this however, it was hell.
The hospital was still getting acclimated to its new environment and dispatching every new arrival was becoming harder by the minute. Every staff member had been called in as a measure to treat everyone the best way possible.
Emil knew most of the people barging in through the emergency doors or brought by overworked firemen were simply anxiety-ridden people or hypochondriacs set off by a strange and unsettling event.
As he squeezed through the overfilled corridors leading to the reception room, he tried as much as he could to relay his orders towards the paramedics bringing in a woman and a child involved in a car accident. Both of their conditions were critical and needed immediate attention. "Room 35!" he yelled over the commotion.
"How much more we gonna wait, mister doctor?" A hysterical man rose from his spot on the ground, dirty blankets falling off his needle-marked arms.
Emil looked at him sideways as he passed by. "Soon, sir, very soon." he said, doing his best to sound reassuring to calm him down.
The man grumbled and started to sit down. Emil could see he would start being a problem very soon and he-
His train of thought was interrupted when a familiar face caught his eye. The high-levels of stress in his body just doubled at the sight of the young man. Emil rushed towards him, bringing the teenager towards the staff area which was empty.
"What is it, Bart?"
"Doc, it's bossman," the speedster replied, looking very much like the last time they both were in this situation. "He got stabbed and died but then came back and now he's out of it, he needs you!"
"Whoa whoa, stop babbling kid I need you to be coherent." Emil put his hands on his shoulders. "Now, what happened?"
Bart took a deep breath. "Look, all I know is that he needs a room here right now!"
The physicist saw the seriousness in the younger man's eyes. He nodded. "We're overfilled here but I can find something." he agreed. Emil would have to get a few malingerers to leave a room in a quiet corner of the building. "I imagine he needs discretion."
"Dude you got it there. They're getting him into civvy slacks right now." Bart confirmed.
"Is it like last time?" Emil asked.
The youngster simply shook his head. "It's something else."
They both stared at each other for a moment, the room silent except for the commotion outside. "Okay," Emil acquiesced, looking down at the clipboard in his hands for a moment. "Bring him to the room 22 in ten minutes. it's on the second floor." he instructed.
"Thanks, doc!" Bart's spirits were up again and he disappeared, leaving a gust of wind in his trail.
The other man decided not to think about that and focused on finding a substitute sohe could leave the emergencies and get room 22 cleared for Oliver. He just hoped it wasn't serious.
March 6th 2009. 07:04 AM UTC-6. MetGen, Metropolis, Kansas, USA.
Chloe walked into the room 22 again, closing the door behind herself. The blinds were shut just like they have been for the past two weeks and a half. Her tired eyes fell on Ollie's form wrapped under the sterile blankets of the bed. Her shoulders fell at the sight.
Of course he was still unconscious, she had only left his side to get herself a coffee two minutes ago. Chloe sighed, feeling the tears starting to build up in her eyes. Two weeks and a half and she hadn't left his side for more than a couple of hours during that time. To be honest, she hadn't had a proper shower since he had been brought in. The chairs were hard and uncomfortable and the hospital was never silent duringthe nights.
She was exhausted. Though none of that mattered to her as she knew she would not leave until he woke up and told her he was ready to go. She went around the bed and found her usual spot besides him on the cold chair she felt way too familiar with.
There were so many things going on in the outside world and the guys were keeping her updated. She had even started to work on herlaptop until Emilreminded her that wireless technology was banned on hospital ground. She spent hours beating herself up for missing something so mundane even thought Emil had told her it wasn't her fault.
Chloe's eyes stung and she figured she could just rest a little. She gently took Ollie's hand in her own and dropped a soft kiss on the back on it. A sigh left her lips as she lowered her head on the bed. The positionwas uncomfortable but she didn't care. Unfortunately she found out that even if her body was exhausted, her mind was still buzzing.
Emil was a good man and he meant well and if Chloe wanted to be honest, his prognosis was the only thing that had stopped her from just curling up at Ollie's side and cry. Her hero had been revived by the appearance of The Thing as she called it. To this day, they didn't know anything about it but she knew that without it, Ollie wouldn't be here now and Clark wouldn't have healed.
After coming up with this theory, Chloe's panic had come back for a brief moment. If Ollie was revived, could the same thing happen to Davis and Doomsday? Clark had reassured her by confirming several times that Davis was still dead. The monster however, was another story.
It didn't matter anymore though as Victor had sent it flying into outer-space just a few days after Ollie's admission to the hospital. She couldn't thank him enough for coming up with that idea and making it work.
So it came back to Davis. Emil, Chloe and all of the team essentially came to the conclusion that he too had been resuscitated for a brief instant but, as John's bullet was still lodged in his brain at this moment, it killed him again and for good this time. Meanwhile Ollie came back because the blade that killed him was simply ice which melted with the wave of warmth brought by The Thing and allowed his flesh to reconstitute.
In fact, Ollie had a brief moment of consciousness right after being brought to MetGen until he closed his eyes again a few minutes later. He hadn't made much sense and Emil concluded that since a celestial party brought him back to life, his body was trying to copy with the fact that it should be dead but wasn't.
In short, Emil decided to put Ollie in an induced coma to help his body regenerate. He would wake up when the process was done and should be perfectly fine as his vital already showed. Chloe's relief had been palpable when Emil told her that but she was still anxious tosee the man she loved up and about once again.
That said, there was one last dark spot on the picture. Overall, everyone in the team was fine, Doomsday and Davis were gone and even if Lex was on the run, he hadn't manifested himself in the meantime and had obviously been injured by the beast which should keep him out of the game for a long while.
That wasn't what worried her. Actually the problem was much closer and was also half the reason of her tears at the moment besides Ollie being in a coma. The true question was: if everything was fine and Ollie was alive then where the hell was Oliver?
Ollie's future self had disappeared into thin air the second his younger double went back to life. He hadn't left or their friends would have seen him, he couldn't have been teleported or he already would have contacted them. None of that happened, Oliver was well and truly gone but why and how were the remaining questions that clouded the minds of everyone in the League.
Even, Clark who had wanted to know what happened after he blacked out in the fortress had softened when he saw her distress and went out to look for Oliver, to no avail. He, Bart and John came back empty-handed, confirming their theories.
Two weeks and a half later, the world knew nothing about it as Oliver Queen was officially reported to be overseas for a sudden partying spree and most of the population was more preoccupied with the infamous event of the night of February the 15th. America especially had seen its population's overall agitation spike up after that nightand the authorities did their best to refute any crazy alien theories proposed to them.
That made Chloe smile cynically. If only they knew . That didn't stop governments from trying to clear up the whole thing. A few days ago, Victor told her he'd noticed several surveillance satellites scan the Arctic area close to Jor-El's Fortress multiple times. Clark had already activated a camouflage mechanism that rendered it invisible from the sky but they all feared that thegovernment would set up some secret expedition to investigate there like Luthorcorp did to look for Lex.
A gentle hand stroke her blonde strands, she moaned lightly. A familiar chuckle followed by a dry cough pulled her back to reality. Her eyes flew open and she rose her head. Chloe soon met two brown orbs she had missed so much these past few weeks. Her hand flew to her mouth.
"You... you're awake?" she murmured tentatively, afraid to move.
His smile blinded her and Oliver opened his mouth to speak, his grin morphed into a grimace. "Water?" his hoarse voice squeaked.
Chloe's breath shuddered as she reached the bottle and filled one glass in a rush, her hands shaking as she brought it to his lips. He brought his own to steady hers, she gasped at the contact as he gulped down the entire glass.
"Easy Sidekick." he sounded more like himself now.
She swallowed hard, dropping her hand on his arm. "How do you feel?" she asked softly.
His smile came back. "I just need to..." he grabbed her, tugging her towards him. Chloe climbed on his bed carefully but he was having none of that and pulled so she was literally sprawled atop him, burying his face in her neck. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes.
"My god you're really here." he whispered unsteadily. "We're really free!"
That was when she felt the tears rolling down her neck. Her heart stopped for an instant, feeling herself react the same way. "I'm here," she mumbled back. "Ollie, you need to take it easy..."
"Chloe, it's me." he replied, pulling her back so he could see her face. "I'm him."
It took a moment for her to catch up. Surprise dawned on her face, she was about to say something when he spoke again. "I have his memories." he exhaled a shaky breath. "My god I'm so happy to be here!"
"Ollie, I..." she smiled nervously. "I don't understand..." Uneasiness churned in the pit of her stomach.
He shook his head, grinning warmly. "I'm Ollie, your Ollie but I have his memories," heexplained. "Heck I think it's more than that, I have his feelings, his emotions, his-"
"You mean," she cut him sharply. "That you and your future self sort of... merged?" her brow furrowed as she waited for his answer.
He chuckled, genuine adoration filling his eyes. "You got it right, professor."
She sat up in his lap. "What? The two of you are in your body?" she questioned. "Like two minds in one body or.."
He shook his head, cupping her face. "I am still the same guy and I'm the only one in there," he pointed to his head. "But I also got everything that made Oliver him. Chloe, if you knew the horrors he'd seen!"
Her lips parted in shock. "It's amazing." she whispered. "We spent the past weeks looking for Oliver, we thought he was dead."
"No need for that, we're the same guy now." Oliver leaned over, taking her lips.
Chloe moaned, unable to resist as she melted against him, deepening the kiss. Her fears vanished with each stroke of his tongue against hers. Her lungs burned and yet she didn't want to part with him. Moments later, she was forced to and sucked in a breath desperately. She mated their foreheads together.
"You need to know what happened while you were gone," she started, her exhaustion suddenly erased.
"Mmm, okay but I have one request first," he interrupted.
She gazed at him curiously. "Um.. okay?"
He smiled, laying back down on the bed and taking her with him. "What are you doing?" she whispered urgently as he settled her to his side.
"What? I'm getting comfortable." he chuckled.
"But, the nurses..."
"To hell with the nurses, Chloe." He shot back sternly, pinning her gaze. "I need to ask you something first, just listen, okay?" she shut her mouth and nodded, looking up at him with large eyes. Oliver simply watched at her for a moment.
So beautiful. He thought.
"Honey I... we've wasted so much time already," he started, looking around. "I don't know how to say that but-"
"Ollie?" Chloe gently turned his face towards her. "I'm listening."
He licked his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. "I mean after everything that happened, I realized that if we wait too long, I might never get a shot at being with you, really being with you." he shook his head. "I don't know what the future is going to be for us but I'm sure of one thing: Ilove you." his grin came back. "I never felt that way before, I love you so much and I know I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't get to show you that." His mouth felt dry for a different reason now. "Would you... What if we stopped taking things slow and just be together like we've wanted for so long?"
Her eyes watered once more. "I love you too, Ollie." she told him. "And I'd like nothing more than that. Like you said, we've wasted too much time." she gave him a small smile, leaning up to kiss him again, sweetly.
Oliver nudged her nose with his. "So," he said. "One day at a time?"
She nodded, a hopeful smile gracing her lips. "One day at a time."
March 6th 2009. 10:32 AM UTC-6. MetGen, Metropolis, Kansas, USA.
The late morning found Chloe still laying in Oliver's embrace on the hospital bed. He had fallen asleep about an hour ago and she hadn't looked away from him since then. She needed to make sure he wouldn't fall back into his coma or leave her for good.
The lulling sound of his even breathing was the only thing she heard and his movements in his sleep was the proof she needed to know that he was just sleeping.
Emil came by several times to check on them. While the man had had a disapproving look in his eyes when he had found them in this position, he hadn't said anything and instead focused on having Oliver do some tests to ensure him of his good health.
Later, their doctor had shown them the results, announcing them with a relieved smile on his face that Oliver's body had completely recovered and that he simply needed torest for a few days until his energy went back.
Oliver hadn't been fond of that idea, figuring that he basically spent the last month sleeping here and he didn't want more of that. However, after Emil told them he would be released in the afternoon, the blond had quieted down, satisfied and drifted off to sleep anyway. He had tried to fight it until Chloe jokingly assured him she wouldn't move one inch during that time, it had eased him.
Her joke soon became reality because she fully intended to stay at his side until the exhaustion swept over her and she closed her eyes, figuring a few minutes of shut-eye would do her some good.
Three hours later, the door to their room opened without warning, pulling Chloe out of morpheus' arms. The telltale sound of heels clicking against the floor then stopping abruptly had Chloe rubbing her blurry eyes so she could focus on the tall woman towering over her.
She couldn't depict her face until the guest leaned over her. "You've got some 'splainin to do, cuz!"
Chloe's eyes widened. "Lois?"
The brunette scoffed. "Who else?" she said, sitting down on her bedside. "You thought you could hide this from me? Chloe I'm family, how could you not tell me?" there was a hint of hurt in her voice.
Chloe sat up higher in the bed, trying her best not to wake up the man at her side. "Lois what are you rambling about?" she sighed as the haze still clouded her mind.
Lois gave her a look. "He did a number on you if you can't even admit the obvious." she replied dryly.
Her younger cousin yawned. "Lois." she warned.
"What?" she asked innocently. "You're not gonna tell me that hunky piece of male grabbing your ass right now came in your bed by accident?" she nodded towards Oliver who started to stirr.
Chloe's jaw dropped open. "First it's his bed, second... he's not grabbing my ass!" she assured, glancing down at Oliver's hand dangerously close to said-part of her anatomy.
Lois smirked. "So you climbed into his bed, way to go cuz!" she cheered.
The blonde made an indignant noise and glared at her cousin. "Will you stop?"
"I'm teasing you, Chlo!" Lois smiled, affectionately brushing some hair out of Chloe's face. "I knew I was right when I told you there was something between the two of you all those months ago."
Chloe sighed. "Here we go again." she mumbled. "It's recent development, Lo."
Her cousin made a show of gaping at her. "You mean you haven't jumped his bones, yet?" she joked.
A sudden blush crept up her face, Chloe wished the ground could swallow her. Lois' smug expression became one of utter shock. "No way!" she squealed.
"Lois!" Chloe chastised her even as she flushed even further.
Beside her Oliver yawned, his eyes blinking in their direction until they found Lois. He groaned. "Oh please, that's the worst way to wake up." he complained.
The daily planet reporter glared at him. "Watch your language around me, I just learned you've been banging my cousin all this time and I might just decide you're not good enough for her." she told him sternly.
Oliver gulped, slowly moving his hand away from Chloe. "Err.."
Embarrassment didn't even begin to describe what she was feeling. "Lois, I told you not to!" Chloe said, a hint of whine in her tone.
"Oh come on, it's so much fun watching him squirm!" Lois brightened.
He rolled his eyes. "In case you haven't gotten it yet, I'm in a hospital." he said. "You're supposed to take it easy on me!"
"Cry baby." Lois turned her eyes skyward.
"Enough you two!" Chloe glared at them both. "Lois, what are you doing here?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I got a call from AC asking me to come back because he thought you might need someone around to cheer you up. He was worried." she added when Chloe was about to talk.
Chloe went silent, looking down. There were so many emotions running through her right now. She made a mental note to thank AC for bringing her cousin back to Kansas even if it must have been one awkward conversation between these two.
Having Lois being with her and Oliver now made Chloe want to tell her cousin everything about the league, something the reporter might suspect but not realize the full extent of the cousin was family and Chloe hated lying to the people she loved, all of this for one single person.
"Oliver we need to talk." the door burst open once more, revealing that very same person barging in the room.
The billionaire glared at him. "Hello to you too, Clark." he uttered darkly. "I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking."
Clark scowled until his eyes fell on Lois sitting with her cousin on the hospital bed. His stance faltered. "Lois?" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm visiting friends." she replied, her tone a bit too harsh.
The alien looked uncomfortable for a moment. "Okay," he swallowed. "I..."
"What do you want, Clark?" Chloe asked quietly, sensing her friend might not be in for a social call.
"Actually... I wanted to talk to you and Oliver." he said tensely. "Bart told me you were awake." he turned to the other man.
"How nice of you," Oliver rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "Go on, Clark."
The farmboy's jaw tightened and he stayed silent, eyeing Lois warily. The latter threw her hands up irritably. "Fine! I'm not welcome here apparently!" she snapped then turned to Chloe, her face softening. "I'll wait outside."
"I'm sorry, Lois." the blonde replied softly.
"Not your fault, hon." she reassured, heading for the door while giving Clark a dirty look.
The door slammed against the wall, making Oliver wince. Someone from the staff would no doubt reprimand the woman if they were around. Not that it was his main concern at the moment as Clark watched Lois go and a tense silence filled the room.
Clark shifted on his feet, not knowing where to start. The other man exhaled shortly. "Clark-" he started.
"I'm taking up Jor-El on his offer." the alien cut him off, looking only at Chloe.
"What?" she gasped.
"I..." he cleared his throat. "Before Lex destroyed the fortress Jor-El had been asking me to follow a kryptonian schooling and I just decided to do that."
"Fine then," Oliver interrupted. "We'll manage without you for a few days, it's not the end of the world. We've been there already."
Clark glared at him. "I'll be gone for years." he retorted. "I won't be able to come back during that time."
The archer went silent, studying him. Chloe had a harder time accepting the news. "B-but what about your life?" she asked, sounding vulnerable all of a sudden. Oliver wrapped an arm around her shoulders, offering her his support.
Clark sighed. "I just gave my notice at the Planet and if anyone asks, you can just say I'm out of the country... something like that.." he explained.
She shook her head, tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. "What about your mother and what about Lois?" she asked sharply. "You think it's alright to drop that bomb on us and just vanish?"
He swallowed hard. "Chloe, it's something I have to do." he tried to pacify her.
"And so what?" Chloe exploded. "You just decided that overnight?!"
Clark glared at her. "It was not that easy!" he replied defensively. "I learned from my mistakes un-" he clamped his mouth shut, looking at Oliver.
The latter felt his anger growing. "Why don't you say it, Clark?" he taunted. "I know you blame me for everything that happened."
The alien's glare turned to him. "I'm not here to fight." he gritted his teeth together.
"Right!" Oliver snapped. "Because you just barge in here without even saying hello and you basically lay all the blame on my doorstep so that you can go have some daddy-time with your kryptonian father but no, you're not here to fight." he sassed.
"I did not bring all of my friends with me that night, you did this!" Clark raged. "One of them could have died because of you!"
"Oh cut the crap, Clark!" Oliver shouted. "They know what they're doing they're not kids! I never forced them and in the end you should be glad we were here otherwise who else would have pulled you out of that hole?!"
The alien shook his head. "I thank you for saving my life but it doesn't make everything okay." he replied tensely.
"Because leaving will?" Oliver shot back smartly.
"You can't understand." Clark pursed his lips.
The blond snorted. "Right, okay." he began. "I'll shut up now because I think I'm gonna bit your head off if I keep talking and this isn't about me." he said, looking sideways at Chloe whose glare never left Clark.
The alien's anger left him as he addressed Chloe. "I have to do this." he said softly.
"You think you have to do this." she corrected. "But you know what Clark? If you want to make another mistake then go on, I'm not going to stop you. I have enough of cleaning up after you." she finished, her voice wavering as she turned towards Oliver, hiding her face in his neck. The latter hugged her tight, doing his best to ignore the other man.
Clark hung his head low, starting for the door. "Goodbye, Chloe." he whispered.
"Goodbye Clark!" she mouthed him off bitterly.
After he left, Oliver pulled back from Chloe slightly, tilting her chin up. There was a lone tear sliding down her cheek. His heart tightened. "Babe don't cry..." he murmured.
"I'm sorry." she sniffed. "I'm just so mad at him, he didn't even try to ease us up to the idea of him leaving and he comes in here insulting you while you're recovering..." He could hear the anger building up in her voice.
She sighed and embraced him again. "He was an ass lately... but he's still my best friend."
Oliver swallowed hard, a strange churning in his stomach. "Is it..." he licked his lips. "Is it all he is to you, Chloe?" he whispered.
He felt her freeze in his arms, his heart squeezed painfully. Chloe pulled back, grasping the sides of his face so their eyes met. "Oliver." she said sharply. "Where did you get that idea?"
He chuckled mirthlessly. "Don't evade the question, It's obvious you feel..."
"Clark has been in my life ever since I'm ten," she said, her tears renewed at the pain in his eyes. "And yes, I did love him but that was years ago." she explained softly. "I do love him now but as a brother or something like that anyway." she swallowed hard, the hopeful look in her eyes was her undoing. "What I felt for him was a schoolgirl crush that could never compare to what I feel for you now... if I'm being honest, nothing I ever felt compare to the way I love you."
He nodded, evading her eyes for a moment. "Sorry," he cleared his throat. "I'm not used to that you know... being jealous, kinda." he smiled. "I shouldn't have asked that, I'm sorry it won't happen again."
"No, Ollie!" she stopped him, her thumb running circles over his temple. "I get where you're coming from... Clark and I have this weird friendship and a lot of people can get the wrong idea." she explained. "I swear I'll do anything I can not to make you doubt the way I feel about you."
He swallowed hard. "Same goes here, Chloe." he whispered. "You're amazing and I don't want anyone else."
She gave him a bright smile through her tears. "Better?" she probed gently.
Oliver smirked. "Much better," he said. "Look at us getting all emotional."
She laughed. "Oh right, because it's not like us!"
"So not like us!" he deadpanned. "I mean we're supposed to be tough, rude people with crass all over our skin."
Chloe groaned. "Oh don't remind me I didn't have a shower in weeks! I must smell!" she complained. "Do I smell?"
He gave her a lopsided smile. "Why yes but I think it's sexy..."
She kicked him gently with her foot. "You're gross!"
They chuckled and he captured her mouth in a tender kiss. She felt his body relax against hers and that knowledge warmed her heart. The sound of voices arguing outside had her break their moment. Chloe disentangled herself from him and peered through the closed blinds.
The sight of Lois and Clark glaring at each other made her feel horrible for losing herself in Oliver while her cousin was hurting. Lois's cheeks were alit with an angry flush but she could see the strainin her eyes as Clark walked away from her.
"She needs you." Oliver broke the silence softly. They exchanged a glance. "Go talk to her."
Chloe sighed and moved towards the bed, dropping a tender kiss on his forehead. "Okay but you rest." she pinned him with a stern gaze.
He grinned. "Yes Ma'am!"
The corner of her mouth twitched as she left the room. He shook her head as he watched her leave. Making sure she had closed the door, Oliver pressed his emergency button knowing it would call Emil. He wouldn't stay one more minute in that damned hospital, he wanted Chloe to sleep in a real bed and in his arms. Plus he figured her and Lois would want not to be stuck in a place that reminded them of how Clark let them down.
Lois was his friend and he loved Chloe more than life. They deserved better than a farmboy constantly hurting them in their lives and Oliver promised to himself he would do whatever it took to change that.
March 6th 2009. 11:56 PM UTC-6. Fortress of Solitude, Arctic.
"Father!" Clark called as he arrived at the Fortress.
After what happened with Doomsday here, he had spent a few hours trying to revive the Citadel that was left innate because of Brainiac. Everything was back to normal now and it was time for him to embrace his destiny, no matter how much it hurt to leave people he loved behind.
He just came back from visiting his mother at Washington DC. Saying goodbye to her had stung him the most because he knew she had no one else after him. Martha had stayed strong in the presence of her son but he had seen through her act and the pain hidden there had been intense.
He couldn't let that deter him from his destiny though. Jor-El was right, he couldn't keep reacting to the crises after they happened, he needed to anticipate them. His training was here for that.
The appearance of the thing that saved Oliver was proof of it. He knew nothing about it except that it had come from the Orb and had needed Doomsday to be dead to be unleashed. He only hoped this new danger wouldn't manifest itself while he was gone.
"Welcome home, my son." Jor-El greeted, his marvellous voice echoing through the edifice. "Are you ready?"
Clark gulped and nodded. "Yes father, I am."
"You made the right choice Kal-El." he replied, sounding particularly proud of him. "We will start with the first lesson: You cannot make any compromises, even you and your allies have to be irreproachable..."
