A few years ago, I dated a woman who was a major fan of Smallville. Being an old-school superhero fan, I never really watched this series--until I started watching it with her. I must admit it was a great deal of fun. I also found myself falling madly in love with Chloe Sullivan, who was performed with great charm by Allison Mack.

I liked the character so much that I made Chloe--along with Lana Lang--a guest star in Batman & Benson 3. But when that story was finished, I found myself missing Chloe terribly (does this make me sound really strange? Oh well...welcome to my life). And so, I came up with the idea of having Chloe star in her own adventure. Olivia Benson does not appear in this story--but it does take place after the events of B&B 3. It fits into the very same B&B universe, which seems to be growing larger by the day.

The Adventures of Chloe Sullivan

"Just Another Day...."

Chapter One

Chloe Sullivan awoke that morning to the sound of ringing--yet it wasn't her alarm clock. As she rolled over in bed and stared bleary-eyed at her nightstand, Chloe was annoyed to see that she still had ten more minutes before the alarm sounded. And the ringing actually came from her phone.

Grumbling under her breath, she answered it. "Hello?"

"Chloe, I think I got another lead on that mysterious power surge," Lana Lang said on the other end. She sounded way too perky for this ungodly hour of the day. "How soon can you come over?"

"Lana? It's seven in the morning--no, wait, it's not even quite seven yet! You think you could at least wait until I'm fully awake?"

"Go wake up and then come over," Lana excitedly told her. "But hurry!"

When Chloe hung up the phone, the alarm clock radio abruptly came to life as the voice of a local radio DJ screamed: "Good morning, Metropolis! It's seven o'clock! If you're still in bed, get up! What are you sleepyheads still doing under the covers on this glorious--"

He was cut off when a grumpy Chloe reached out and switched off the radio. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…shut up…."

Chloe finally woke up while standing under the shower, which she had turned slightly colder than usual to freeze out the sleepiness. Once she was done, she dressed and got ready. Breakfast was just a quick cup of yogurt--she didn't want anything too big today--and she was out the door.

Chloe decided to leave her car in the parking garage and took the monorail instead. The station was conveniently located just below her on the ground floor of her building--with the rail line running through the bottom floor of Lana's condominium building as well. As she sat in the monorail car, staring out at the sunny views of the ultra modern buildings of Metropolis, Chloe reflected on the latest crisis that she and Lana were dealing with in this fabled city, the largest in the state of Kansas.

After the Starro fiasco in his super-secretive Warehouse 15 facility--which had been located on the outskirts of the city--Lex Luthor had been quietly moving elements of his research and development complex back within the Metropolis city limits. Lana and Chloe had been watching Luthor like a pair of hawks--specifically, they've been watching the movements of Mercy Graves, Luthor's right hand woman (as well as assassin, and all-around thug) for the past few days.

And Graves was a busy little bee, running all over Metropolis, getting stuff ready, supervising the movements of large trucks and equipment. It actually wasn't hard for Chloe and Lana not to notice all of this activity. On the surface, it just looked like business as usual for LexCorp, a major, legitimate corporation. But it's owner, Lex Luthor, was anything but a normal CEO. He had successfully used his business to hide various illegal activities in the past--with his latest pet project, the mutated starfish that became the mind-controlling Starro, coming very close to destroying the world.

'Thanks to Superman and the other superheroes, that crisis was stopped before it got any further out of hand,' Chloe thought with relief. 'And if anything good came out of the Starro fiasco, it was the formation of the Justice League.'

After a ride that lasted barely ten minutes, Chloe got out of the monorail once it arrived inside Lana's building. She took a few minutes to buy the latest edition of the Daily Planet at the newspaper stand section in the book shop at the monorail station, then took the elevator up to Lana's penthouse.

Using her key to enter Lana's home, Chloe found Lana just where she left her last night: hunched over the computer. Lana was clad in dark dress jeans with a similar color tank top--which was the exact same outfit that she wore when Chloe last saw her.

"Chloe!" she said excitedly. "I think we caught LexCorp performing another secret experiment last night!"

"Did you get to sleep?" Chloe asked, concerned.

"Um, I think I fell asleep here for a bit," Lana said, waving it off. "But you won't believe what I--"

Chloe grabbed hold of the office chair that Lana was in and leaned over her. Lana looked like hell; her eyes were bloodshot and her breath smelled of stale coffee. "Lana, you didn't get to bed at all last night, did you?"

"How could I sleep now, Chloe? When we're so close?"

"Close to what?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Lana gestured at the bank of computer screens on her large desk. "The Special Crimes Unit investigated a call about a strange noise on the docks. One of their helicopters picked up a brief energy signature--as if something was running--before it just disappeared. I did some checking into those abandoned warehouses on the docks, and guess who owns some of them?"

"Luthor," Chloe said. "Did the SCU check with him about this?"

Lana frowned. "I tried to speak with Inspector Turpin about this earlier, but he just gave me the brush off."

"Let me guess, he said it was police business," Chloe muttered in annoyance. She knew from bitter experience that trying to get information out of Inspector Dan Turpin was like trying to squeeze water from a rock with your bare hands. "I can always stop by the Daily Planet and see if Clark has uncovered anything. And, if he hasn't, maybe we can both look into this together."

Lana smiled. "See? I told you this was a good lead."

"Yes, it is, Lana," Chloe replied. "But you can't keep running yourself ragged like this."

"But what we're doing here is important, Chloe," Lana insisted. "Somebody has to keep a watchful eye on Lex and his dirty dealings--or else we'll wind up with another Starro, trying to destroy the world."

"I'm with you in this, Lana," Chloe told her. "I'm your partner through thick and thin. You know that. But even Clark takes some time off every now and then. You really need to just take a step back and give yourself a rest, ok?"

"Ok," Lana said with a nod.

Chloe watched her carefully. "You promise?"

"Scout's honor," Lana said. She handed her a sheet of paper. "Here's the address of the warehouse. Good luck with your investigation, and be careful!"

"I always am," Chloe said, as she left the penthouse.

Chloe caught the first monorail car that left Lana's building. Taking a seat, she glanced at her watch and saw that it was only eight o'clock. 'Clark might not be at work, yet.'

She picked up her cell phone and called him. He answered after the first ring. "Hello?"

"Clark, it's me," Chloe said. "You at work yet?"

"I'm running a little late today, Chloe," he said. "Had to help my neighbors with a problem."

Chloe nodded in understanding. Clark had just told her in code that he had just been out on a rescue mission as Superman. "It's about our mutual 'friend,'" she said, speaking in her own code that meant Lex Luthor. "I'm on my way over to see you, now."

"Ok. See you when I see you."

When she arrived at the Daily Planet stop, Chloe exited the monorail and went straight up to the main staff office. She knew the place well, having briefly worked here before being fired, thanks to Lionel Luthor. She supposed the firing--which had been completely unwarranted--was what started her on this current drive to keep watch on Luthor's shady dealings.

After the Starro incident, Chloe teamed up with Lana--who had been made independently wealthy, thanks to a hefty divorce settlement she received from Luthor, who unsuccessfully tried to have her killed, first. Together, they formed Lex Watch, which served as the unofficial name for their foundation--which was funded with Lana's millions--that kept a careful eye on all operations of LexCorp.

Chloe paused when she saw Clark standing by his desk. She let out a little sigh as she gazed at the perfect specimen that was Clark Kent. Chloe had been friends with Clark--and had carried a torch for the guy--since their high school days in Smallville, long before she found out about his secret powers, and before he had even assumed his Superman persona. And while knowing about Clark's other life as the Man Of Steel was exciting, Superman was just a part of Clark's life. For Chloe had always been, and always will be, deeply in love with Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet.

Chloe frowned when she got the uneasy feeling that she was being watched. When she abruptly glanced to her right, she saw Jimmy Olsen, who sat at his desk. He had his camera up to his face, aimed right at her, and when he saw that Chloe noticed him, he quickly dropped the camera and tried to look casual. "Hey, Chloe…."

Chloe stared at him suspiciously. "Were you just spying on me, Jimmy?"

"What? No! I-I was just…you know…checking out the camera, and, you were… you know…right there, and…."

"Ok, um, a word to the wise, Jimmy: what you were doing just now would be considered stalking," Chloe said, as she kept a stern mask over her features. She knew Jimmy was harmless; yet that didn't stop her from having some fun with him. "You might just want to consider that the next time to want to 'check' your camera on a woman without her knowledge, ok?"

She turned and left Jimmy with a mortified look on his face. But before she could even approach Clark, Chloe ducked behind a column in the vast office. Clark was seated at his desk, intently reading something in his hand--and while he did this, he absently chewed on a pencil. Chloe thought he looked so cute just now, and she couldn't help but steal a moment to hide so she could watch him.

Until she was startled by a sharp voice that said, "Chloe, what the hell are you doing?"

Chloe spun around and found herself face to face with Lois Lane, her cousin. She stood with her hands on her hips. "Are you stalking Clark?"

"What?!" Chloe cried, stunned. "No, I wasn't--"

"You're hiding behind a column, spying on Clark," Lois said, loud enough for the entire office to hear. "If that's not stalking, then I don't know what is!"

"Well, she does constantly keep tabs Lex Luthor on a full time basis," Jimmy spoke up from his desk. "If that's not stalking behavior, then I don't know what is…."

"But stalking Lex Luthor is good, because he's evil!" Chloe blurted out. Then she placed her face in her hands. "Oh, God, what am I saying?"

"So you freely admit that you need help?" Lois asked. The slight smile on her face showed that she clearly enjoyed watching her cousin writhe on the hook. "That's great, Chloe. Because that's the first step to getting some serious psychiatric help."

"All right, guys, c'mon," Clark said, as he came over to them. "You've had your fun. Now leave Chloe alone."

"You're taking this very well, Smallville," Lois told him. "Considering that she's stalking you."

"That's because I'm used to it by now," Clark said, deadpan.

Chloe, feeling her cheeks blush with embarrassment, just shook her head and stormed out of the office.

"Chloe, c'mon!" Clark called after her. "We were just kidding!"

"That's nice," Chloe said with a wave over her shoulder, as she kept walking. "Have fun! Talk to you later, Clark."

Chloe let out a heavy sigh as she got back on the monorail at the station downstairs. She knew full well that they were all just kidding her--with the exception of Jimmy, who was no doubt getting his sweet revenge, the little creep--but Chloe couldn't very well speak to Clark about a Superman matter with Lois standing right there. If nothing else, that was one trump card that Chloe held over her know-it-all cousin--the fact that she knew Clark was Superman and Lois didn't.

Besides, Chloe had been genuinely embarrassed because…well, let's face it, she actually had been spying on Clark like a lovesick schoolgirl.

'Snap out of it, Sullivan,' Chloe told herself. 'Stay focused on the mission. Besides, it's been pretty obvious lately that Clark's only got eyes for--'

Chloe was startled out of her reverie when she noticed a very familiar looking woman that was seated a couple of rows ahead of her. The woman was stocky, with spiky blonde hair, and sat with the attitude that she owned the monorail.

'Mercy Graves?!' Chloe thought with shock. What were the odds that Lex Luthor's right hand woman would be riding the very same monorail car that she was? Chloe sunk lower in her seat as she wondered if Mercy had seen her board the car earlier. But a more important question was, where was Mercy going right now?

The answer to that question came when the monorail stopped at the Metropolis Shopping Plaza, where Graves got up and left the car. Chloe, who had buried her nose in her copy of the Daily Planet in an effort to hide herself from Graves, quickly got up and followed the woman.

'What's she doing here?' Chloe wondered, as she shadowed Graves through the shopping mall. 'Is she meeting somebody?'

When Graves entered the Walburns department store, Chloe was close behind her. Chloe paused every now and then, as she pretended to look at an item or two--in an attempt to appear as if she were just another shopper--while she still kept a careful eye on Graves.

She watched as Graves made a beeline to the back of the store, and then followed her. Graves was heading for the lingerie section--could she be meeting someone back there?

'I'll find out in a minute,' Chloe thought, as she spotted Graves, who was looking through lingerie. Then Chloe's mouth fell open in shock when she realized that Graves wasn't meeting anybody after all. Mercy Graves, ice-cold blooded assassin, was actually shopping for underwear!

'Um, well, I guess even bad guys have to shop for the basics,' Chloe thought, as she settled in beside a mannequin for a long stake out. She watched with a frown as Graves picked out a frilly, lacey number. As hard as Chloe tried, she just couldn't image Graves wearing that outfit. Then she tried to imagine who Graves would trying to impress in that get-up.

'Wonder if it's Lex,' Chloe thought. Then she visibly shuddered at the mental image of Lex and Mercy having wild sex. 'Ugh! Stay focused, Chloe….'

After paying, Graves left the lingerie department--but instead of heading back towards the front of the store, where the monorail was, Chloe was surprised to see that Graves now walked in the opposite direction.

'She's not taking the monorail back?' Chloe thought, as she discreetly followed. 'Maybe she's going to a meeting with somebody right now.'

Graves left the store through a side entrance, and when Chloe went through a few seconds later, she saw that it led to an alleyway in between the stores at the mall.

Chloe glanced around in puzzlement, but all she saw were garbage cans and a container that held folded up cardboard boxes in a dead end. There were doors leading back to the mall at the opposite end of the alley, but Mercy couldn't have gotten back down there so soon without--

"Well, look who it is," a familiar female voice said.

Chloe spun around and saw Mercy had stepped out from behind the cardboard box containers. Mercy aimed a lethal-looking gun right at Chloe. It wasn't a regular gun that shot bullets, but some kind of a ray gun that looked like it was straight out of a science fiction film.

"Hello, Mercy!" Chloe said, trying her best to act natural. "What a surprise! You just here picking up a few things, too?"

"Just picking up some goodies for the bedroom," Mercy replied. "As well as taking out the trash…."

With that, the gun began to hum as the barrel--which was pointed straight at Chloe's face--glowed an ominous red.

"Wait, just wait," Chloe said, as she held up her hands. "There's been a big mistake, here. Now, I don't know what you think--"

"Did you seriously think that we didn't know about your stupid little foundation?" Mercy asked. "I mean, Lex Watch? Come on, Chloe--you and Lana couldn't have thought up a better name than that?"

"Um, you have any better ideas?" Chloe nervously asked.

"You know what I think? I think Lex Watch is about to lose one of its members," Mercy coldly said. "Right now."

Chloe stared in terror as the ray gun, now fully charged, glowed almost as bright as the sun. Chloe wondered with dread if this would be the very last thing she would ever see.

To Be Concluded....