The Adventures Of Superboy

Don't Leave me

Lana paced in front of the Smallville county jail, waiting for Superboy to finish explaining the events of their battle with Lex Luthor, Metallo, and Dr. Odessa Vexman – Not to mention the jerk Donnie who'd tried to corrupt Smallville with his gambling dens.

Superboy told the Sheriff he'd personally fly Luthor, Odessa, and Metallo out himself while they remained locked down in the armored truck. He didn't want to risk any sort of break out or harm to Smallville's or Capital City's authorities if they came to pick them up.

Superboy came outside and Lana hurried over. "That was fast. What'll happen to them now?"

"I'm taking full responsibility and flying them back to the maximum security prison in Capital City. It'll be faster and safer."

"Oh, that's a relief." Lana bit her lip. "Superboy… what Odessa said about you and her…"

"It's not true, Lana. She was trying to make you angry. At one time she helped me apprehend some villains, but that's it."

"Were you attracted to her?"

Superboy blushed but didn't answer the question directly. "Lana, Odessa is an attractive woman, but she's always on the wrong side of the law. She switched camps again when she realized she couldn't get what she wanted. "

Lana sighed. "You. She wanted you."

"Right. That feeling wasn't mutual." His heart already belonged to someone else, and she was standing in front of him.

Lana shrugged. "Okay. You're busy. I can go visit Clark and tell him what happened."

Superboy looked down. Clark Kent. Her best friend, the fall guy, the rebound for Lana's spurned affections. He wanted to say those things, but couldn't. It wasn't fair. It wasn't her fault she felt torn between him and Clark. They were the same person and Lana often sensed it.

"Uh, no, wait, you can't see him."

"Why not?"

"I saw Clark at the bus depot when I flew into town. He may have left town already."

Lana looked disappointed but couldn't bring herself to say, 'without me?'

"Oh, he did what he had to do, I guess. He still could've told me." She sighed. "It doesn't matter. I'm going back to my parent's house. Nobody's home…as usual."

"Where are your parents?"

"Mom's in Paris giving lectures at The Louvre and dad is…" Lana swallowed hard. "I forgot, I think his last postcard said Spain or something. They'll probably meet up in Europe at some point." Lana looked at her boots. "Then they'll argue over something stupid and make up, and go out for dinner. They never really ask about me or even invite me to join them on their trips."

"I'm sorry, Lana."

She glanced at Superboy with shining eyes. "That's okay, I'm not a child. I have my hands full in Capital City. If they only knew the stuff that goes on with people like Luthor and Metallo. I don't tell them much. Why make them worry?"

Superboy sensed her deep hurt. He took her hand. "Why don't we go for a little flight? To talk."

"Really? Right now?"

Superboy glanced at the jailhouse and then smiled at her. "Yeah, why not? Let those goons sweat it out a while."

Lana grinned. "Great!"

Superboy gently put his arm around her waist and she clutched his right hand. He felt the sudden chill that ran through her. He couldn't hide his amusement.

"What is it, Superboy?"

"Nothing really. I was just thinking how long it's been since we had a flight like this."

"You've flown me places recently. I think the last time we had a heart to heart flight was…" Lana cocked her head and then snapped her finger. "Oh, after Bizarro took off with Bizarro Lana from the warehouse."

Superboy looked surprised. "No! It couldn't have been that long. That was over a year ago."

Lana shrugged. "Well, that was memorable. If you count the times you took me back to my apartment, like after you came back from getting lost in the swamps after the meteor strike. You never told me everything that happened."

Superboy cocked an eyebrow. He couldn't bring himself to mention Marissa and her son Jeremy, or the fact that he and Marissa had shared a kiss. "I told you I lost my memory. Hey, you forget when we left Adam Verrell's lair, or how about when I brought you out of that alien haunted basement? I guess you don't recall being transported onto a space ship going 'West' to Alpha Centauri?"

Lana laughed. "Okay, okay, you win! I can't believe we're actually starting to have an argument over how many flights we've taken."

"We're not arguing. We're having a discussion." Superboy pointed out.

"Oh that's right. We never argue."

Superboy rose higher and she maneuvered closer. He gazed at her. "Why should we argue? Where will it get us but hurt and angry towards each other?"

Lana wanted to refute him, but held her tongue. She wanted to tell him that if they could actually disagree on matters, she'd feel as if they were involved in a true relationship. She and Clark sometimes disagreed, but they remained close. Would Superboy understand her reasoning? It was a ridiculous to her even, and he'd disapprove of her warped logic. Superboy wasn't dumb by any means. He was insightful, and very mature.

"You're right, as always. We shouldn't argue."

"Thank you, I…" Superboy flew faster above the treetops. "Wait a minute. What was that, 'as always?' Was that sarcasm?"

"Wow, Superboy! You're pretty sharp." She noted glibly and kept her attention on the terrain as they swooped over dairy farms. She waved at the farmers below and they waved their hats back.

Superboy grumbled and shook his head. Lana cringed. She hated when he did that. It made her feel even more inferior in his presence. A minute of silence passed. Her last comment had goaded him.

"Why are you trying to pick an argument with me now? What are you trying to prove, Lana?" He finally asked.

She almost laughed when she heard the strain in his voice. While she was known for her temper, she learned too well that Superboy had one also. He hated to waste time on trivialities and the foolish behavior of the mere mortals that irked him, even if he never complained. Despite his long suffering, Lana saw it in his body language. The way his pronounced jaw would tighten, and he'd cross his arms. Or the one expression that got on her nerves – when he raised his brows and rolled his eyes with a smirk.

" Wait, hold on. Me pick a fight? Why do you think I'm picking a fight? I'm not trying to prove anything!" Her voice rose steadily. "Didn't I just agree we shouldn't argue?"

"But you obviously don't agree."

"You're making a mountain out of molehills. No, you're making a mountain out of nothing!" She retorted. "Superboy, watch out for that windmill!" She shrieked and ducked her head against his shoulder.

"Woah! Sorry!"

Superboy hadn't been paying attention and he immediately soared higher, just barely missing the windmill's top. Lana's nails dug into his hands but kept up a bold front and let him continue to glide her. Superboy drew her nearer protectively.

"Lana, are you upset because I didn't say anything to you at the casino? What was I supposed to say right then and there? I'd just stopped a desperate man from shooting a roomful of innocent people and killing himself. You suddenly grab me and drop this bombshell that you're staying in Smallville. You expected me to have some kind of instant reaction. I barely processed it."

Lana glared at him and loosened her grip. Superboy in turn huddled her tighter. In her stubbornness she was liable to let go and fall from his arms. She wriggled to make more distance between them.

"Oh…oh, I see. You don't care that I won't be coming back to Capital City. It doesn't bother you at all. I understand perfectly now. My house is down there."

"I know where it is." He muttered.

"You do? I don't think you ever saw it."

"Clark mentioned it to me. He said it has that ancient sundial out front that your father got from the Amazon rain forest."

"Oh yeah, that old thing. At least it's accurate. So, are you going to answer me? Oh wait, I forgot, you don't have any reaction to this."

"That's not true and you know it, Lana."

Superboy heaved a sigh. The truth was out. As Clark Kent he'd known for days that she planned to move back here and the mere thought of it ate him up inside. He chose instead to focus on capturing the terrible trio. With Luthor's high frequency device, and Metallo's kryptonite heart blasting him, Superboy was forced to fly away from Capital City unless he wanted his eardrums to burst and his brain to implode from the concentrated pain.

He'd seen the intensity in Lana's eyes, but the deeper he looked, he understood the real reasons she wanted to leave. Fear and longing. Lana Lang was the bait to his enemies. He lost count on how many times she'd nearly died. She desired to be around him, but there were only so many traumas she could take.

Superboy's flight came to an end and he lowered her onto the path before the house. Lana plunked down on the swing with one leg up.

"Lana, I know what you want me to say, but if it will stand in the way of your happiness here, I'm not going to tell you that if you leave it would…"

"Would what?"

"Lana, it would change a lot between us."

Lana leaned forward eagerly, hoping he'd say what she longed for. He fell silent. She sat back glumly and chewed her inner cheeks frustrated. She refused to cry. Superboy came up the porch and seated himself beside her.

"Lana, I know what the real problem is. You want to leave because you're scared. You even said so…" Superboy could've kicked himself. She'd told those personal things to Clark Kent. It was getting harder to play dual roles around her.

"I mean, you don't have to say anything. I know how you feel."

Lana laughed sharply. "How could you, Superboy?" Lana stood. "You don't know how I feel. You don't know how any of us feel. You're invulnerable! Bullets bounce off you, you get struck and don't feel pain. You shoot heat lasers from your eyes, fly, freeze things with a breath…and I'm not talking about extraordinary villains or kryptonite or supernatural things that make you weak. You do those other feats every day. You can walk down the street without looking both ways, trip without scraping your knee, or jump off a cliff…"

Her point was slowly getting lost as she rattled on. She was venting. He wanted to nip her feelings in the bud.

"In other words, Lana," He cut her off. "you're scared. You don't want to be a pawn for my enemies. I understand that. I don't want you to be in that position either."

"But Superboy, you…"

He raised a hand. "Lana, just because I don't feel physical pain on the average, doesn't mean I can't get scared either!" Superboy rose and stood over her.

"Is that true? You get scared?"

"I wouldn't lie. Would you like to know what scares me more than anything else?"

"Yes!"

"The fact that I could lose you at any time. That one day I'll be halfway around the world and some maniac will come. Or maybe some alien or criminal mastermind decides to take his revenge. That's happened countless times! it never ends! I know that."

"Superboy…I'm…"

"Think about that, Lana. Since you insist I can't feel physical pain, where do you think I hurt most?" His tone softened.

Lana was struck to the heart. Guilt ripped through her. Superboy still had a point to make and she paid close attention.

"We all live in this world and take chances every day of our lives. Whenever we step out the door and walk down the street there's a risk. You know better than anyone that I can be indisposed or vulnerable to things. It's happened before. Look at those three in jail! I've bled before; I've fought beings with powers equal and greater to mine. I'm not above human emotions if that's what you're starting to think."

"No, no, ne…never!" Lana stuttered. "I'm sorry."

Superboy clutched her shoulders. "It's okay, Lana. What I'm trying to say… you can't let fear make you shrivel up and die. We all have to stand firm and face our fears at one point or another no matter where we are. Lana, you're the bravest woman I know, but everyone has a time when they want a change of scenery. It just has to be for the right reasons."

Lana's adoration of him grew. Superboy thrust his arm out as if to show her the land. "If this is what you want most in life, and you want to start over again in Smallville, who am I to stop you? It's your real home. I always want the best for you, Lana."

Lana sniffled. "Really?"

Superboy brushed his hand over her cheek. "Yes. Because I love you."

Lana pulled him in a tight hug. She burrowed her face against his neck. "Then tell me, Superboy. Tell me you don't want me to stay here."

"Lana, please, don't leave me." He whispered, falling into a deep kiss.

Superboy pulled away and caressed her face, neck and shoulders while she looked at him stunned. "Now, I have to get those three back to the City before anything else happens."

He turned, but peered at her again and smiled. "Will I see you again soon? Back at the house of weird?"

Lana broke her loving stupor with a wide grin. That was their nickname for the Bureau of Extra Normal Matters. She and Clark used it more. She playfully punched his shoulder.

"I'll be back in Capital City in a few days. I needed to clear my head for a little while. Then I can resume being the damsel in distress."

Superboy chuckled. "I understand. But if you change your mind about staying in this old cornfield, I'll fly right here and bring you home myself. First class, Air Superboy."

He tossed his body up and backwards with a wave and took off majestically toward the setting sun. Lana sank down on the porch steps watching his form shrink into the fluffy pink and orange clouds She leaned over to pick up a small wildflower in the grass. She inhaled the scent and plucked at the petals with a sly smile.

"I'm counting on it…Clark."

The End.