Death- not really a word I had ever connected to Clark Kent. Not before I knew his secret and most definitely not afterwards. Somehow, though, it had happened.

As the priest spoke his last words, and I looked down upon the pure white casket being lowered into a far too early grave, I still couldn't make myself believe. The sobbing of the crowd around me rang through my ears, but I shed no tears. I just couldn't. I had always assumed I would be the one who would die young, killed by my over-zealous reporter's enthusiasm, but no, it had to be my heroic, plaid wearing friend. In my head I saw him flash me that mile-wide, innocent grin and I shuddered. It was almost as if for an instant he had been with me, reassuring me everything would be alright. Except it won't, not this time, Clark.

A supportive hand squeezed mine, and I looked up to see my cousin Lois nod at me in understanding. She had been a rock since it had happened, and I could only wonder what I would have done without her presence. I smiled wanly back at her sorrowful face and then cast my eyes up across the cemetery.

Beyond the tombstones and stark granite monuments I saw the hardened face of Clark's killer. He had never been arrested, and there had never been any evidence against him, and yet sure enough, I knew Lex Luthor had been responsible. I had been there, after all.

At my piercing gaze, his eyes dropped to the floor in guilt, but I felt no pity for him. Lex knew what he had done, and even today he still couldn't face Jonathan and Martha Kent over it. I shot the bald millionaire one last hate-filled glance and then turned my attention to Clark's parents.

How Jonathan had coped over the last few days considering his heart condition I would never know. Somehow, though, he had kept everything together and even managed to console Martha somewhat. If you can console a mother who has lost her only son. Why…why, dammit?

I sensed my own, demanding thoughts mirroring those of the Kents, but of course, there was no real answer. The only person who knew that was a megalomaniac who had driven a Porsche off a bridge one day, setting a chain of events in motion that had brought us to this dark, unfriendly place.

I gulped, and as I watched Martha cling tightly to her husband, I finally forced myself to look at the words engraved deep and true into Clark's headstone.

Clark Joseph Kent

He saved us every day he was with us

I read it twice, and this time my eyes began to water.

Lois patted my arm, and silently handed me a tissue. She had always known of my love for the farmboy, and had always said one day he would break my heart. Just not like this, Lois, huh? I took the tissue, perhaps snatching a little too fast in my sorrow, and it tore in my hand. Torn, that was the way my heart felt right now. I sniffled, and eventually wiped my face dry so that I could gently toss a lone rose on the now sunken casket. I don't know if it was fitting, but it was something I had to do. It was what Clark would do for me, I was sure of it.

Finally, I took one last look at the words the Kents had chosen as an epitaph for their son. They may have been perfect to summarise their love, but in that moment I had a different kind of eulogy in mind. Clark, you didn't die for nothing. I'll bring Lex to justice. I'll make the world remember…

"Chloe, it's time to leave…" I had never heard Lois' voice so low and respectful. She pulled gently on my sleeve, but I shrugged her off, hell bent on my own agenda.

"Not yet," I hissed, and looked around rapidly, searching for Lex among the milling crowds that were leaving. In the corner, I spotted him standing near the angel monument that was near to the Lang's grave. He was still watching, and I saw his eyes shift from Lana's sobbing countenance to mine. Our eyes locked for an instant, and suddenly I was thrown back in my mind, back to the day it had all happened…

"So, are you really sure Lex is doing this for the good of mankind?" I cocked my head, and flicked out a wisp of blonde hair before it had chance to be blown into my eyes from the light northerly breeze. "I mean, come on, the Luthors aren't known for their save the world attitude!"

Clark looked back at me with his usual trusting stare as he headed through the Luthorcorp security gate with me in tow. "Chloe, he's been working on this project for months! He says this time his scientists have finally worked out the glitches to grow fruit in sand with hardly any water. Just think of the millions of third world countries this could help!"

I sighed. Clark always saw the better in people, even Lex. While I understood Clark's enthusiasm, I was less than impressed. Being at the receiving end of a Luthorcorp experiment once had put me off the dang things for life. "Forgive my negativity," I shook my head, "but why has Lex decided to invite us both over for a grand tour of his latest achievement?"

"I guess he wants you to use your reporting skills to make people see he's actually doing good work here. You know how it got after the level three fiasco…" The puppy eyes appeared and he shuffled uncomfortably, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his trademark red jacket.

I wanted to melt, of course, but I couldn't. Even that early in our visit my senses were on high alert. I knew Clark's secret, and after the day in the caves I was unsure just how much Lex knew too. Was this all an elaborate lure to get Clark near a lab? Abruptly, I wanted to grab my tall and far too trusting friend, and drag him back to my car. What if Clark gets too close to meteor rocks? I'm sure they were part of the original experiment. What if that's Lex's plan?

"Clark, I still think there was some truth to the level three rumors and I'm not sure Lex wasn't involved." I shot him a look that said 'wake up farmboy,' and then offered the warning, "And don't forget level three was all about meteor rocks!"

His eyes suddenly narrowed and I definitely saw a look of panic. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just be careful in here, Clark…" I rolled my eyes as Lex arrived on scene from some guarded side door.

Luthor looked at his watch. "You're actually on time, Clark." He smirked, but I didn't find his quip funny. Lex had all but kidnapped me the day of the second meteor shower, and it was something I was not about to forget. Pity I couldn't explain that to Clark, but that would have meant admitting everything else I knew about that day too.

Clark let the punctuality joke fly over his head and turned to me. "I'm always on time when I have Chloe as my sidekick."

Lex nodded and I saw a glint in his eye that obviously should have meant something to me but didn't. "I've arranged for Richard Mitchell to be your guide this morning," He gestured t his left and a figure in a white lab coat magically appeared from yet another side door. "You two probably know him from school."

I screwed up my nose at the sight. Rich Mitchell was not on my list of favourite people. He'd graduated Smallville High a few years before Clark and me, but I still recalled the stories I'd written about him in perfect clarity. Mitchell had been a genius for his age, but also a complete bully. How he had ended up at Luthorcorp was a complete mystery, but I guessed his ruthless attitude was something the Luthors probably saw as a great personality trait in an employee.

"Do we really need an escort?" My irked manner must have been obvious.

Lex brow creased and he smirked at me. "We have sensitive equipment in the labs, Chloe. Surely you understand I have to be careful. Visitors safety is of paramount important here at the plant."

I huffed and Clark rolled his eyes. "Chloe…."

"Okay!" I waved my hands in the air in defeat. "Let's get the show on the road. Lead the way, farmboy!"

I began to follow Clark and the eerily silent Rich Mitchell when Lex swiftly took hold of my forearm and held me back. "Can I have a quick word, Chloe? You'll soon catch Clark and Richard up."

A chill ran through my heart. Lex wanted Clark out of the way while he grilled me yet again about the caves, I was sure of it. You won't get a thing out of me, Luthor! "I'd rather not." I shot angrily back. "I came here for a tour, not an interrogation."

At my sharp words I saw Clark pause and glance at me in concern. He had no clue what Lex and I were talking about- or rather not talking about, but he knew I was angry, and to be honest a little afraid.

"Are you okay, Chloe?" His eyes danced with a spark of sudden unease.

I looked to Lex and pulled my arm free, but I wasn't about to show him I was afraid. No, maybe it was time to turn the tables and bring the inquisition to him. I shot Clark a false smile. "I'm fine. I'll catch you right up in a minute," I offered with fake cheer.

Clark seemed unsure, but he turned and left with Mitchell, knowing I wouldn't take no for answer. Once they'd left the corridor I turned back to Lex who was still flashing me his sly grin.

"You may fool Clark, but you don't fool me, Chloe. It's time we talked about the caves and what you know…" He stared at me unwaveringly.

I was tempted to tell the overbearing millionaire to go to hell. I was here for a tour of his new creation, not twenty questions about the Kawatche caves, after all, but instead I decided to play him. "Why don't we talk about what you know?" I circled around him like he was my prey. "Just what is it you hope to find out about those caves? And why have you been giving Lana your undivided attention recently?"

Lex took the questions with ease. He didn't even blink, let alone show any emotion. He didn't answer me either, but shot another question my way. "Aren't you afraid of Clark, given what you know?"

He's bluffing. Trying to get me to open up because I think he has more information than he does. "I'd trust Clark with my life…"

I had intended to say more, but our conversation was cut unceremoniously short by the first blast. There were three in total, each one making the floor beneath our feet rock as if Smallville had been hit by a quake over 6.9 on the Richter scale.

I stumbled forward, involuntarily grabbing Lex to save me from falling face first into the concrete floor. When the quakes finally ceased I dared to look around, only to see plumes of emerald smoke and light debris fluttering through the air.

At first it didn't hit me what had happened, and I stood there gaping. Even Lex didn't speak. Then, as reality hit home, I knew that somehow Lex's super-lab had exploded. Not like before when he had been split in two, but much worse. I could see nothing left of the building structure on that side of the plant. No walls, no corridors, nothing.

"Oh my God…" I gaped and shook at the same time, but even then I didn't fully realize what the blasts had meant. Not until my favorite farmboy didn't come running through the rubble to play hero as he always did. Then it hit me. Clark was allergic to meteor rocks. The only thing that could harm him had just exploded right as he was taking a tour through the complex. If there was nothing left of the buildings, what did that mean for Clark? I almost fainted at the thought, and Lex had to catch me. "Clark was in there…"

"Chloe?" I shook myself from my morbid reverie as Lois gently prodded me back to reality. "Chloe, we have to leave now."

I nodded, noting that my little daydream had lasted long enough for us to be the only people left in the cemetery. "I'm coming," I whispered. "It just doesn't seem right to leave Clark this way…"

Lois put her arm around me then, and we walked to the gates together, passing another recent grave as we headed to my car. I stole a glance at it and felt my body tense. It was Rich Mitchell's headstone. The man I had once loathed, I now felt pity for. Mitchell had died in the explosions along with Clark and three other Luthorcorp workers. Out of the group he was the only one that had no family, no one to mourn him. Why? My heart screamed for justice, and soon I would have it, but with justice came a price and a revelation not even I was prepared for…

Tbc...