Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville.
Summary: Set S03E14 - "Obsession" - Clark and Chloe aren't separated in the elevator; so things change.
Pairing(s): Chlark.
Clark chuckled as Chloe ranted on the evils of the Luthor dynasty; despite her misgivings with said family Chloe seemed to have bounced back, realizing her mistakes and learning from them. Unfortunately her father had lost his job due to Lex and Lionel's 'chess game' using actual people as pieces.
Though Clark was disgusted with the way that Lex had turned on his employee purely for his own gain he could, in a way, understand the decision. As a businessman the older man was responsible for his company and therefore had to put the needs of the company before the needs of others, though that didn't stop him from the feelings of guilt that surged through him at his own reaction, however; the dismissal of its importance and the ignorance at the effect it had on Chloe.
He could understand her choice, and while he still felt that surge of anger at the thought that his best friend had betrayed him for personal gain, he got that it was a lack of trust between them and his avoidance that had led to this.
He'd decided to try and spend a bit more time with her; to make sure that he could understand her a little better and, perhaps, see if she could be trusted or if he had to let her go. He didn't like it, but he realized just how badly she could damage his family should she report on his secret.
He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder as she was about to step into the next elevator, eyeing the overly occupied space.
It wasn't very well known, but Clark had a... thing about heights; they terrified him, and even though he was seemingly invincible he still couldn't shake his worries, something that was compounded as he eyed the large windows that composed this floors wallspace; staring down at the several story drop that lurked in the corner of his eye. "Whoa, why are we stopping?" His recently reinstated best friend raised an eyebrow as he jerked them to a stop, watching the glaring form of their middle-aged teacher, Ms. Kowalski disappear behind the closing doors with a 'ding'.
"We'll take the next one." He assured the blonde as she turned to look up at him, furrowing her brows in confusion.
"Okay." She waved off airily, looking toward the other elevator directly next to the one they had just missed. Her eyes lit up as she seemed to realize the source of his contention. "I'd totally forgotten that you were terrified of heights!" She grinned mischievously.
Clark grimaced as he eyed the tiny bottle-blonde. Another, even less known, fact was that Chloe knew of his fears and despite her usual attitude toward things that worried him she never showed any sympathy towards this particular facet of him. "Chloe..."
The blonde chuckled as she stepped toward the other elevator, standing next to the only other occupant. "I'd totally forgotten about your fear of heights; of the elevator jerking to a halt," She mimed a look of shock about the confined space as though worried herself. "A sudden shudder, once, twice- Oh GOD, we're all going to DIE!" She taunted, waving her arms about in the air as the other occupant, another blonde student of Smallville High, stared at her, befuddled.
"CHLOE!" He glared at her. "Stop it." He edged toward the wall nervously, trying to hide his distress.
"There, there," She consoled, reaching over to pat him on the arm. "There're only around ten elevator deaths per year, Clark. We should be fine." She nodded resolutely.
As if to contest her statement the elevator jerked to a halt, freezing as the lights stuttered and dimmed. All three students froze, eyes wide as it shuddered. "Oh no!" Clark murmured just as, with another sudden jerk, the elevator started falling.
He glanced about wildly, looking for the emergency stop and punching it repeatedly. "Crap!" He hissed, realizing that it was disconnected. He stared about the room at the other occupants, the other girl fretting as she tried to find an escape route and Chloe clutching his arm tightly as she stared about the room, doing the same.
He could stop the elevator, he realized. But first he'd need to disable the camera with his heat vision and use his strength. But... He glanced over at Chloe and the unknown girl, conflicted. They could... He shook his head, realizing that he would have to worry about the consequences later, and turned his head to stare directly at the camera, activating his heat vision.
Both girls jerked as the camera seemed to explode, turning to look at one another and then him, confused. "What...?" The other girl started.
If they didn't know about his powers now, then they knew well enough when he reached out, plunging his fist straight through the metal wall to grip the cables with his bare hands.
"Whoa!" Chloe gawked, stunned as the other girl seemed about ready to hyperventilate. "The hell?"
Clark ignored her startled exclamation, gritting his teeth as sparks flew from the hole, singing his sleeve even as they slowed to a halt. The elevator finally stopped on floor 17, red lights highlighting the number as though to mock him. If he let go they'd plunge to their deaths.
"Hello, is there anybody in there?" He took in a sharp intake of breathe as he heard voices through the gap between the doors. "Are you alright?"
Chloe drew back toward him, string between him and where they'd heard the voices. "Oh shit." She cursed, stepping in front of his outstretched arm as the doors let out a sharp, keen wrenching sound, forcibly being pushed open.
"If anybody is in there we need you to get down!" All three stared as a crowbar was pushed through the gap. "It's Luthorcorp security."
The other girl looked between them and the metal pushing through the gap in the doors and then stepped forward, putting her hands on their shoulders. "Hang on!"
They vanished in a haze of green and the elevator released with an edgy groan, plummeting toward the bottom floor.
The three reappeared on the ground just in time to stumble slightly as the elevator crashed, stepping away from one another, Chloe staring up at Clark in shock as the other girl looked across the vacant lobby where they could hear voices. "What did you just do?" Clark asked the girl warily.
The girl looked between the two of them with pursed lips. "You... Didn't want to get caught, and I..." She frowned and looked toward Chloe with a furrowed brow. "Please don't tell anyone." She begged, evidently having heard of the the resident snoop. "I wanted to help, so..."
Both Chloe and the other girl, 'Alicia.' Chloe realized, having seen the girl around the Physics lab in her spare time, turned and watched as their class, led by a Luthorcorp security officer descended toward them.
Alicia looked up at the plaid-clad farmboy. "Clark, now you know my secret too." She looked at the two of them with the eyes of a cornered animal. "You can't tell anyone." She begged once more. "Please."
"Are you three alright?" Their teacher, Ms. Kowalski ran as fast as her heels could carry, worry evident in her voice.
Clark looked between the two girls with him, gulping as he tried to formulate an excuse. "We're fine." Chloe cut in. The two turned to her in surprise, eyes bright. "We got out before it crashed, the camera exploded around the sixth floor so we took the stairs." She lied, pasting a relieved smile on her face.