No longer waiting

AU Set after Freak. Chloe Sullivan is following a story on meteor rock research. Pauline Khan has called her specifically since she is an "expert" on investigating them in Smallville for years. She asks Clark to come with her to be sure that was all that was being researched. Jimmy Olson her boyfriend finds out that Clark is tagging along and is not happy about it.

Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories

(S.T.A.R. Labs, Metropolis)

"I still don't know why he needs to be here." Jimmy Olsen said bitterly looking at Clark Kent with deepest loathing. "I told you already Jimmy, Clark knows more about the meteor rocks than I do, S.T.A.R. Labs said they made a new discovery, I might need his help." Chloe Sullivan said smiling at her boyfriend as sincerely as possible to just let it go. Jimmy really did like Clark and that was the problem. He was a good guy and his girl's best friend.

"Ah, you are here, good, good." A man appeared wearing a S.T.A.R. Labs coat and badge came into the waiting room. "I am Dr. Klein. I am here to escort you and answer any questions you have." Jimmy was smiling, finally an easy assignment. Clark and Chloe however kept a neutral expression; with meteor rocks it was never easy.

The area with green rocks was fortunately for Clark sealed off. After exhaustive tests, according to Dr. Klein, the green rocks appeared to have mutigenic properties in the form of radiation that is harmful to humans. That was not what they were there about. "Yesterday we brought the meteor rocks into this room for further study."

"What rocks?" Jimmy pointed to the area Dr. Klein had was leading them too.

Five researchers were unconscious on the floor of the lab. "Oh no." their guide said rushing to a button on the wall. Slapping it down an alarm began to blare through out the entire section of the building. An automated voice from the overhead speakers declared, "Locked down procedures initiated, all sectors on lock down until further notice."

"Look!" Jimmy said pointing into the lab. Two figures dressed in black with masks came out from behind the workstation tables. He took a picture.

From what Clark could see the thieves escape route was closed off because of the lock down. Doctor Klein saw the intruders heading toward them. He fumbled for his card to get them out of the room. One of them pulled a strange looking gun from a belt. They all ducked as a laser like weapon cut a hole in the Plexiglas doors holding them in the lab.

It was too late. One of the thieves had a weapon trained on Jimmy as the other was on top of the doctor. Clark could only watch. What could he do? Jimmy had is camera and Dr. Klein was a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist. If he used his powers he secret could be revealed, but they were all in danger. So far he could tell they had not killed anyone. The lab workers were still alive and just knocked out. Maybe they should just let them go.

Chloe had other ideas. They had ignored her so far. One of them was trying to take the badge from Klein. The door they had come through was thicker than the lab so she assumed they could not use the laser weapons. The other was going for Jimmy.

She had a heavy purse. You never knew what was going to happen. She swung it at the intruder's head. Clark groaned when he saw her going after the one reaching for Jimmy. He launched himself at the one going after the doctor. He was moving faster than a normal person, but suddenly he moving quickly into the person's fist.

It stung. A regular punch he would have felt nothing much, but this fist was not made of flesh. The other thief had stopped Chloe and was holding the weapon it used to cut through the lab to her head. So far neither trespasser said a word. They made no demands, but were doing whatever it was going to take to get out.

He grabbed the person's arm and forcefully jammed the weapon to the head of the thief. It was a slight strain to do it. These guys were stronger than normal as well as faster. "Let her go!" Clark demanded. The other person moved his head indicating they should get out of the way. Shaking his head Clark said, "No let her go first." He pushed the weapon into his captive's head.

In a surprising move the person holding Chloe turned the weapon from her to Clark and fired.

Leaping back the beam cut into the other person's arm as he got out of the way. There was no scream of pain, no yell and no blood.

Sparks were coming out of the arm. A Robot!

Still holding the stolen property in the other hand the robots stood side by side. Dr. Klein opened the door and began to walk down the hall.

Whatever was in the bag it was not hurting him. Chloe saw that Clark was not falling over in pain being so close to the rocks as they were herded along. Clark noticed too and caught her eye. All he did was shrug a little. They got to the next door and Dr. Klein's access card no longer worked. "I-I-don't u-understand." If the robot could have expressed itself it would have been frustrated and annoyed. It pointed its weapon harder again Chloe's head.

"It doesn't work. Here try yourself." He held out the card, but they did not take it. The machines looked at each other as if trying to decide what to do next. Clark did not want to think about what they would do if they could not get out. He had to do something quick before they tried something more desperate. Even if he had to reveal what he could do.

Again Chloe took the decision out of his hands. She had a taser gun in her hand slamming it into he captor's head scrambling its circuits. It fell to the floor apparently deactivated. The other moved hitting the taser out of her hand slamming her into the wall. Dazed she grabbed at the bag with the meteor rocks with one arm. Clark was heading to the one attacking Chloe fast, but even at super speed he was almost not on time. To Klein and Jimmy it looked like Clark was like a snake striking. He was able to deflect the robots deadly punch.

It slammed through the wall hitting the power conduit to the lab. Thousands of volts began to flow into the machine. Clark grabbed Chloe as she held to the bag on her shoulder. The power went though the arm into Clark then into her. "Clark!" She screamed grabbing him and the current went back into Clark. The bag touching her began to glow bright blue and then white.

The light caused Jimmy and Dr. Klein to shield their eyes.

"Chloe wake up." She heard her voice. "Come girl, you need to wake up." She did not feel tired, maybe she should get up. "Clark?" she said then opened her eyes. There he was smiling in relief. "Are you okay miss, that must have been quite a shock." Dr. Klein said watching her get to her feet with Jimmy's help as Clark backed off. "Yeah I'm ok." She assured them getting her feet under her.

The meteor rocks laid smoking on the floor and the robot too. Actually both robots. Sparks were coming out of the one Chloe hit with the taser. Clark took the mask off that one. It looked like it was wearing another mask. It was black and orange. It then slid off revealing a video screen underneath. "Well done. Not many can stop my bots, you are to be congratulated, however you have caused me some inconvience to accomplish my mission."

"Who are you?" Chloe asked, but one look she knew who she was looking at. "Ah, that will be for another time. Just know that if we should cross paths again you will not be walking away. I have my eye on you." The fact that the man had only one eye visible did not make the situation funny at all. They could feel the menace coming from the man on the screen.

Then he blinked way and the robot fell into pieces.

The police and emergency crews made it to them finally. Chloe insisted that she was fine and since she had no cuts or burns or any visible injuries to they let her go. Jimmy told them excitedly that he got a picture of the screen while Chloe and Clark were talking to whoever it was.

"His name is Slade."

"Huh, how do you know that?" Jimmy asked. "He caused a stir in Star City awhile ago. Research for the Daily Planet in the basement remember." She told her boyfriend who should have known better.

"What was with the robots?" Clark asked her puzzled. "It is how Slade operates. He never gets his hands dirty most of the time, they are high end, his own creations, and no one manufactures anything like them." she told him.

"Why did you fight back, they could have killed you?" Jimmy asked a little upset at her bold actions. Chloe just shrugged. "I have seen what meteor rocks can do to people, I didn't want to see them used for anything that could hurt people." Jimmy looked confused, but still upset at her actions. "They had a gun to your head, they could have shot you." Jimmy said exasperated that she was missing the point of what he was trying to say.

"Look this was very hard day on all of us." Clark said before she could retort. He knew he was only preventing the inevitable fight that was coming, but if he could spare Jimmy public humiliation he would try to keep the damage to a minimum. Jimmy could see he was trying to help him, but did not feel he was wrong and needed to get her to see that. "It has been a hard day, but it could have been harder if she got herself shot."

Clark could see Jimmy was not going to take the chance to let the issue go for now. They both could see she was starting to get angry. "So I should have just let them get away with it. It was too late to hide, they already hurt the people in the lab, they could have done the same to us.'

"But those people were just knocked out." Jimmy tried to justify surrendering. That was not the right thing to say. "Uh oh," Clark whispered to himself. "Really," she said advancing on him. "So you could see those people were alive, you could tell that we were not going to be next. Slade is a killer, we were lucky, and those people were lucky, normally people who get in his way die." She tried to reason with him. "So somehow you knew those robots were Slade's?" he said anger catching in his voice trying to return her observation with his own.

"I did not know they were Slade's, but I did know they looked like they could have killed the people in that lab." She was begining to form tears in her eyes, but Clark could tell they were from her anger that was building even higher. "I just don't know why you could not have just cooperated, you put us and yourself in a lot of danger because of what you did." Jimmy said exasperated.

If he was trying to make her feel guilty he was failing miserably. "How many times have you been kidnapped Jimmy? Do you know what happens when you are?" At that he was at a loss. No really he didn't. Well, he did remember the time with the plants and the ranger. That would not have ended well, but he had to be right, she put them in danger, if she got hurt… "Chloe you are very important to me, if you got hurt, if you were killed…" his voice trailed off. He was trying to show he really cared about her and he really did.

"Jimmy, what are you saying?" she wondered not understanding his reasons for her to not get hurt. "You aren't a hero, you are a reporter. You report the news, you don't become it, that's why.." he could see he was not saying the right words and realized he needed to shut up quick, but it was too late. "Why what?" she backed him up to the wall.

Clark may have superhuman abilities and be invincible, but he could never stand up to that kind of interrogation from her. "That is why you haven't been made a reporter with the Planet." Neither could Jimmy apparently.

Chloe backed away from him. Her face was a sea of hurt and betrayal. "When," she was struggling to keep herself under control. She was holding back her tears. "When where you planning on telling me this important piece of information about my career?" Jimmy had the look that he was never going to tell her. He was caught and he knew it. He was about to open his mouth to explain. Then she pushed him hard.

He went flying back a few feet into a heap of trash. "Wasn't expecting that." He said struggling to get up. Clark helped him and made sure he was all right. "Get out of here Jimmy." Chloe said and went down a different street until she was out of sight.

Clark made sure that Jimmy got home. He did not say much since he was himself upset a little that Jimmy kept such important information from her. Before Clark left Jimmy said on last thing to him. "She is a great reporter you know, even getting in the middle she has done a lot of good. She made a difference." Clark was about to close the door when he stopped. "You should have told her that sooner, but I will tell her you said that Jimmy." He left him standing there to go find his best friend.

XxXxXxX

Lex Luthor had got the message about the package being destroyed. It did not make him happy. He would have 'disposed' of such incompetent help. Still if he could not get it and it was destroyed then there was no need to further pursue this endeavor. Yet the scientist might have collected some data. That would need to be retrieved. It would be penance for the botched job.

He sent the order. If he were successful then maybe they would continue to work together. He had other missions that needed to be accomplished. For now he would wait. Right now he had more important things to do and a wife to know better.

XxXxXxX

Clark had looked for Chloe all over Metropolis, but final found her at the Daily Planet. It was the last place he expected her. She was working on her computer like she always did. He came over and sat down next to her. "Almost done." She said like she always did. He knew she was not pretending everything was fine, she was just doing her job like she did. This was her escape; it was what she loved to do.

He waited for her to finish. To be so close to your dream then have it denied. Clark understood that. He had wanted Lana yet now she was gone. Lex was his friend and now he was not anymore. Betrayal, lose, dreams shattered, he understood that. That is why he waited for her.

She saw him waiting for her. He sat patiently in understanding of how she felt; what she was going though, like the true friend he was to her. After all he was her personal bomb squad.

"So do you know what those robots were after?" He chose safe territory to start talking. "I just spoke to Dr. Klein a few minutes ago." She kept typing wanting to finish. "He said that the rocks were blue instead of green. They did not gather much data however, the ones they had are 'inert' now. Like any rock found on Earth."

"So that is why that Kryptonite did not hurt me." Clark said looking into her eyes. She nodded. The article was done and she saved it. Sighing she looked at the clock. Her shift was over. Normally she would drink three more cups of coffee and pull another shift. She was willing to do anything to be a reporter, but right now. All her efforts, all the work, trying to make up for her mistake she made with the Luthors. What could she do now? Would she be stuck in the basement? An image of an old myth came to mind. The curse of Tantalus. Condemned to the underworld; neither able to drink or able to eat to quell the fire within that consumed him yet he could not die. A horrifying thought, but appropriate to her nonetheless.

She looked up. The fruit out of reach was above her in the floors of the Daily Planet. Her eyes came back down resting on Clark. He was the drink just out of her reach. Clark was from the stars and just like the stars she would never be able to get there. Yet she was grateful. She had him as a great friend and she still worked for the Daily Planet. If this was as close as she was going to get than so be it. She would live her life reaching, pushing, helping, she would not stop, and like any story that reaches a dead end that is when you start to look for the truth harder.

Quickly she sent her story to copy and then stood up. "I'm hungry Clark, lets go out to eat." She demanded. He was not about to refuse her just about anything. She lead the way and he followed. Chloe did not feel like fast food, or an ordinary meal. She wanted a fine restaurant this evening. She took a glance at Clark. He was dressed decent enough. If he had to he could zip home and change into something else.

He saw the sign, but thought they would keep going. When she turned into the valet station he knew that this was where she wanted to go. It was a very glitz high-end place. Then he remembered. She wanted to go here when she became a reporter for the Planet.

Looking into her eyes questioning her intentions was defiantly out of the question. He escorted her in. "Do you have a reservation?" he host asked a little snobbishly. "Hi Clark Kent." He palmed a twenty in his hand giving it to the man and a slight painful squeeze of his hand. "We don't have a reservation, but we will take your first available." Clark did not let go of his hand.

"Of course sir, let me show you to your table." The man quickly said and Clark let go. He flexed his hand then grabbed to menus guiding them to a good table. The host did not want to shake hands with Mr. Kent again.