Alright this is my first EVER story so I really hope you like it!!
I don't own Smallville or anyone in it, so just read and (hopefully) enjoy!!
Cedes
Chapter 1
Clark is walking with Chloe when all of the sudden a young woman materializes in front of them
" Crap!"
Chloe screams as the woman grabs her away from Clark before he can get her away from the woman.
Woman: don't worry. I know that that sounds a little weird but I need you to trust me.
Then they dematerialize and Clark is just left standing there by himself. Then all of a sudden the woman was back, without Chloe.
"What did you do with Chloe?!"
" Put her somewhere where you can't hurt her."
"Hurt her?! What do you mean? I would NEVER hurt Chloe!"
"Really? What's your name?" The woman crossed her arms
"What's your name?" said Clark defiently
"I asked you first."
"Umm... do you really think that it's a good idea to test me right now I mean I am twice your size." Clark smirked at her
"Fine, I'll just assume that you're Lex Luther and kick your ass and tell you to NEVER come near Miss. Sullivan again, sound like a deal?"
"Wait, did you just say Lex is after Chloe?" Clark said apperhensivly
"Oh don't play stupid with me Mr. Luther I don't have the time for it."
"Ok listen, I'm not Lex Luther, My name is Clark Kent so if you could STOP calling me Mr. Luther that would be great and you can rewind to the part where you said Lex is after Chloe." Clark was a little upset that she had had the nerve to call him Lex Luther.
"So wait you're not Lex Luther?" She looked a little apperhensive herself.
"No" Clark said very clearly
"I'm going to need to see some Id please."
Clark pulled out his wallet and showed her his driver's license.
The woman grimaced"Ok, great…. you did a great job Mr. … Kent this was a … test..." She was stubbling over her words, obviously trying to come with a lie
"A….test?" Clark knew better.
"…Yes… a test….. Mr. Luther has …. Had some problems with…..Identity theft and we are checking the city to try and find the guy……and now we know that you're not the guy…….."
"Nice try, almost a good lie but why don't you try and tell me the truth."
"Are you saying that I'm lying Mr. Kent?"
"Yeah, so who are you?" He crossed his arms
"You really didn't believe the Luther story? (Clark shakes his head) well you can't blame a girl for trying and you don't need to know who I am you just need to know that I have to protect Chloe from Luther and you also need to know that I have no problem taking you down if you get in my way of tearing down Luther's hold on this city."
"Well it looks like we have the same goal so if you could just tell me your name I could probably help you."
"Why do you need to know my name? And besides how do I know your not one of his bozos? I mean your big enough, well actually you're HUGE. How tall are you, like 6, 4? But don't get me wrong I could still kick your butt and don't ever doubt that I couldn't! Got it?" she wanted to make sure that he undstood her position.
Clark was kind of taken aback, he stood back to take in the full picture, here was this 5 foot 4, woman who was wearing a eye mask that hid most of her face the only thing that he could see of her was her eyes, they were a bright green. But still he was twice her size and yet she was threatening to kick his butt if he got in her way. He wanted sooo bad to laugh at the situation, and normally he would have but she actually looked a little scary. Even though she was little, she was pretty built and Clark though he sensed something else about her but he wasn't sure. It was like he had seen her before, maybe he had saved her.
"Are you listening to me?" Clark realized that she was waiting for an answer.
"Huum? Oh yeah sure. But can you at least tell me where you took Chloe?"
The woman laughed, and Clark was sure he had definitely seen or met her somewhere, her laugh was really familiar.
"No, sorry can't do that, but I promise that she is safe for now. I will try to have her back to work on Monday."
Then she turned and ran away into the darkness, Clark tried to fallow her but she all of a sudden disappeared.
"Now how did she do that? She couldn't have just disappeared, unless….. No that's ridiculous." He was thoroughly confused.
The woman was hiding in the bushes.
"That's right, it's impossible that I just TOTALLY outsmarted you. HA!" She thought to herself. Then she disappeared, vanished into thin air.
In the woman's apartment
When the woman reappeared she was in her apartment and Chloe was trying to unlock the bathroom door.
"Chloe, I'm going to let you out but I need you to hear me out before you scream or call anyone, ok? Well I mean I know it's not ok cause well I just kidnapped you and locked you in a bathroom, but hey on the bright side it's a clean bathroom, right?"
"You're NUTS, but your not really giving much choice are you? Alright, let me out and I'll stay quite and hear you out." Chloe hopped to god that Clark would be able to find her soon, but untill he got there she would just have to keep her talking.
The woman unlocked the door and opened it and tensed, ready for Chloe to jump out at her but Chloe was just sitting in the edge of the tub.
"Alright let's start with your name." Chloe said, deciding that she wanted to start the conversation.
"My name is Hailey Storm. And before we get any further I want to know for sure that none of this is going to leave this bathroom."
"Alright, it's between you and me. Ok, next question, why the hell did you kidnap me?" Chloe was sure that if she ever got out of there alive that she deffinitely going to have to write a book about how many time she got kidnapped for being Clark's friend.
"I had to; I think that your life is in danger." The Hailey looked very serious, Chloe couldn't tell if she was in more danger with Hailey or out on her own.
"Well if my life is in danger the safest place for me is with Clark."
"Why? He's just a regular guy; I mean I know his history with Luther corp. but still he has nothing on Luther's guys."
"And you do?" Chloe realized how harsh that sounded and hoped that Hailey wouldn't be affended.
"Well I know that this is going to be hard to understand but I have… special abilities." The woman looked at Chloe like she was trying to read her mind, Chloe decided that she should play it like she had no idea what that meant.
"Special abilities?"
"Yes. Now remember our agreement that you can't yell until I've fully explained myself and none of what I say goes into that notorious news paper of yours."
Wow she really really didn't want anyone knowing that she existed didn't she!
"Yeah, I know."
"Why aren't you freaking out?" Hailey was looking at her very suspitiously
"Well let's just say that this isn't the weirdest thing I've ever heard, you know working at the paper." Chloe hoped she would fall for it.
"But you understand that I'm not lying, right?"
"I guess I don't understand what you mean by 'special abilities' ". Said Chloe, knowing full well that she was cutting it close and that Clark had better hurry his steal buns up!
"Well I think if I told you, you still wouldn't believe me so here I'll show you something. Ummmm… tell me something you have in your purse."
"What is this a magic trick or something?" Chloe was starting to be apperhensive
"Just do it."
"Alright, I've got lip gloss in here." Holding up her purse.
"Ok can you show it to me please." Chloe was getting a little nervous, this was her favorite lip gloss.
"Alright, here it is." Chloe said as she pulled it out.
Hailey looked hard at it for a second.
"Alright now put it back in your purse."
Chloe did as she was told.
"Alright, Lip gloss" Hailey said loudly holding out her hand. Then all of a sudden Chloe saw her lip gloss appear on Hailey's hand.
"How….?" Chloe stared at her in amazment
"I told you I have special abilities, I can do lots more but I'm afraid of frying your brain if I show you too many things."
"No please, show me something else." Chloe was still unsure if she should trust Hailey, she the more information that Chloe got off of her the easier Clark could take her down, espeacially if he knew what her powers are.
"Alright well here's your lip gloss back." Said Hailey focusing on the lip gloss again, Chloe saw her lip gloss rise up in to the air by itself and float to her.
"Wow!" Chloe wasn't sure if she could believe her eyes, she had never heard of anyone being able to levate something without strings before.
"How long have you been able to do that?" Chloe asked her in amazment
"Since I was born"
"Why can you do it?" Chloe realized that it probably was a touchy subject but the reporter in her wouldn't shut up.
"Well my parents had powers so inherited some other powers I can't really show you in such a closed space, but then one day I was practicing my powers and there was a Luther corp. scientist walking by and he captured me and did test on me and soon I was able to do other things, things that none of my family had ever heard of. Luther Corp. thought that if they gave me more powers I would help them take down Superman, Lex liked to call us Avatars. My parents told me that they didn't know anything about Superman and that he was really a good guy. But I was a teenager and I rebelled when they told me I was to stop using the powers that Luther corp. had given me and I went to the scientists and asked them where to find Superman. They flew me off to a town called Smallville and I met with Lex Luther and he told me all I needed to know about Superman to take him down. So I headed off to Metropolis and I found Superman and for a while I actually thought that I was going to kill him but the one time I had a chance to kill him I couldn't. I had the thing that could kill him in my hand when I saw his face; he's just like the rest of us, human. As far as I knew he had never hurt anyone on purpose and here I was helping the people who had tested me like I was a lab rat. So I tried to run away but I ended up being in the middle of a shoot out and he saved me, even though he knew that I was the one who was trying to kill him 5 minuets earlier."
This whole time Chloe was just looking at Hailey, who she no longer viewed as a threat.
"Well it looks like you've had a couple of adventures!"
"Well now all I am focused on is taking down Lex Luther and his pathetic excuses for scientists." Hailey looked very angry
"Well maybe we should call Superman because he's been trying to do the same thing for a while."
"Yea see I'm not so sure he'd be so happy to see me." Hailey wasn't really happy to just call up Superman, someone who she had tried to kill, and ask for his help.
"Well you're going to need his help and trust me he's going to want to help you."
"I'm pretty sure that now that I have stolen his girlfriend he is going to be a little bit madder then when I almost killed him." Hailey said a little sheepishly.
Chloe jumped up.
"Whoa! Wait did you just call me his girlfriend? Cause I'm not. No, no, no, nope NOT his girlfriend."
"Alright, alright I get it NOT his girlfriend! Yeesh the way you say that makes me think that there is something wrong with him." Hailey started to laugh
"well nothing is wrong with him I just know him too well to ever want to date him." Chloe felt sorry that she had been so forword in telling Hailey that Clark wasn't her boyfriend.
Hailey started to laugh again, but then she got serious again.
"Ok duely noted. But I still don't know if I want to get super man involved with this because this is kind of a personal vendetta."
"Trust me it's as much a personal vendetta for him as it is you. Just let me call him and if he doesn't go with it then you can fly solo on it but I think that you're going to want to have his help." Chloe just hoped that Clark could get over the near assaination thing.
All of a sudden Hailey got a suspitious look on her face again.
"This isn't just a reporter trap to get superman here so he can take out a personal vendetta on me is it?"
Chloe was taken aback.
"Oh gosh no! Trust me! No I wouldn't do that to anyone."
Chloe wasn't sure why this girl was being so careful. Was Hailey not saying something?
"Alright but please don't say anything about what we were just talking about, any of it, my powers, the fact that I almost killed him, the bad water between me and Lex ok?"Hailey looked really nervous
"I promise." As Chloe said those tow works Hailey seemed to realax just a little bit. Hailey gave her a half smile and gave Chloe her cell phone back. Chloe called Clark and told him that they needed super man, and told him to not say/ do anything until they had explained everything. When Clark tried to ask her a question she told him to can it and just get there.
Chapter 2
A few minuets later super man was on Hailey's balcony, knocking on her sliding glass door. Hailey went over and unlocked the doors and opened them up.
"Come on in".
"Thanks, where's Chloe?" Clark was looking around at the meticulously clean apartment.
"She's in the bathroom, she'll be right out."
Clark looked to the bathroom and squinted at it, Hailey knew he was using his x-ray vision to make sure that this wasn't a trap. But Hailey decided to test him and see if he would be honest with her.
"What are you doing? Are you going blind?"
"No, I was just looking to make sure that you were telling the truth."
Before Hailey could respond the bathroom door opened and Chloe came out.
"Ok good, we're all still in one piece. Alright let's get this whole thing settled. Hailey why don't you start.
Hailey motioned to a room in her apartment that she had obviously made the sitting area, with a couch and a couple of arm chairs that looked really comfertable. Hailey and Chloe sat on the couch and Clark sat in the arm chair across from them.
"Alright, I know you have your super name but I don't have one –"
Chloe cut her off.
"oooohhh can we make you one???"
Hailey just looked at her
"Please??"
"Yeah I guess so" Hailey looked a little nervous and Clark didn't blam her, he wouldn't want Chloe making is super name either.
"Niice! Alright, let's think….what do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Is that a serious question?" Hailey asked with a disbeleiving look on her face.
Clark decided to step in.
"Alright how about this how about for now we call you Sly and you can think up your own name." Chloe looked at him.
"No, I like Sly; I think I'm going to stick with it." Hailey said wondering why Clark had choosen that name for her but assumed it had something to do with her being so secretive.
"Alright Sly, why did you kidnap Chloe?"
"I need to protect her from Lex Luther." Hailey was watching Clark to see if there was any sign that she shouldn't trust him.
"What has Lex Luther got to do with this?" Clark had been watching Lex and hadn't seen him do anything susptious latley, actually he seemed to have simmered down.
"Apparently Luther thinks Chloe would be willing to kill you for a million dollars, but being the faithful friend that she is she told him no, and so he threatened to kill her and then that's where I stepped in. I wasn't about to let the city's super hero lose his best friend."
Clark was floored.
"Chloe is this true?"
"Yeah but I wasn't going to tell you because I didn't you to worry."
"Ohhhh well thank you it would have been sooo much easier to hear from Lex that he had to kill you becuase you couldn't kill me!"
Clark was so surprized that Chloe hadn't told him, he was surprized that Chloe could even keep a secret from him, espeacial one of this size.
"Hey!! Focus!! Now you know so now we can deal with it. My plan was to just put her under surveillance and then take down Luther corp."
"And if you ended up not being able to take down Luther corp. and Lex killed you what would happen to Chloe?"
"I have a strong suspicion that Lex wouldn't be able to kill me." Clark saw a shady look cross Hailey's face as she said this.
"Oh really and why not?"
Hailey dodged the question.
"We don't need to focus on me right now we need to focus on Chloe."
"So what can I do?" Clark wasn't really used to taking orders from someone else with super powers, usually he was the one giving the orders but he thought that he should put that aside for now. He had a feeling that Hailey had done some serious planning for this.
"I want your help if you wouldn't mind." She looked up at Clark and he saw the insecurity in her eyes and realized that she didn't want to order him around.
"Ok, sure, if taking down Luther corp. is your only objective then yeah sure I'll help."
"Alright here's what I know----"
"Wait, I need to know if you have any special abilities, I mean I know that you're pretty good at just disappearing but can you do anything else?"
"Why is that important?" Hailey looked nervous again
"So I know if I can take you if I have to into Luther corp."
"You can take me; trust me I can take care of myself." As Hailey said this Clark was amazed at how well she was able to shift the attention off her and on to something else, this also made him a little nervous.
"Do you or don't you?" Clark wanted to make sure that she wasn't going to be able to get out of this question so he was going to push in until she answerd him.
"Yes, I do." Clark was amazed at how quickly she caved, but then realized that he would need to know what her powers were.
"Ok, what are they?" Clark saw a mix of anger, annoyence, and distrust fly in to her eyes but it left as fast as it came.
"Why does that matter? You just need to know that I can take care of myself."
"Well I know I can protect myself because I only have one weakness. So are you able to be shot or stabbed or something like that or do you have one weakness and are bullet proof besides that."
"Practically, if I know the bullet is coming". Clark did a mentel grimice, damn this girl is good at avoiding question.
"So what does that mean exactly?"
"Enough with my powers! OK? Let's just think of a strategy of taking down Luther corp. and how to keep Chloe safe."
Chloe had been silent this whole time just watching Hailey and Clark and felt the tension building. She was starting to get mad at Clark, why was he being so noisy? Why couldn't he just trust Chloe's judgment and trust Hailey? She felt that maybe it was time to try and lighten the mood just a little bit.
"Hey!! You know what if I'm the one in danger I think I want a nick-name too!" Chloe mently crossed her fingers hoping that they wouldn't just snap at her and go back to being moody.
"Chloe is that really necessary?" Clark looked at her and new exactly what she was doing.
"Oh! What about Fox?" Hailey on the other hand was all for it.
"Ohhhh that's a good one!!" Chloe was surprized that Hailey had thought of one so quickly.
"Fox????" Clark was surprized that Chloe would go for that, he thought that she would want something more...suave or something.
"Ohhhh you're just jealous because my name is cooler then yours!!" Chloe laughed at the look that crossed Clarks face when she said that. Hailey started to laugh to but Clark just rolled his eyes
"Can we focus please??" Clark did a mentel head slap, he was starting to sound like Sly.
All of a sudden something crashed through the window and rolled across the floor. Clark tried to warn everyone but Hailey was ahead of him. She threw up her hand and mid-explosion it just stopped. Clark just stood there and looked at the grenade exploding inside a bubble.
"What the-" Clark had never seen anything like that, not even in the movies.
"Get Fox out of here I'll find you but I can't hold them off for long. They're going to be expecting me, GO!!"
Clark looked at her with a skeptical look
"I promise I'll find you just GO damn it! NOW."
Clark scooped up Chloe and ran out the open balcony doors.
Chapter 3
Hailey made sure that there weren't any more grenades coming through the window and then she started to head for the balcony as well but then the door burst open. And some of Lex Luther's goons came poring in. Hailey looked around as the started to corner her in the bathroom. She started to feel a little nervous because she realized just how many of them there were, they were obviously expecting Super Man to be there as well. Gosh Luther must have gotten the whole damn army to come and burst in to her apartment. All of a sudden one of the guys grabbed her upper arm so she hit him with her other hand and round house kicked the nearest guy to her. In a matter of seconds she had about 10 guys on the ground unconscious before they realized what was going on.
Well if I go down I go kicking and screaming she thought to herself. She wanted to laugh at their expression on their face when she appeared right next to them by using her shimmering powers. Hailey was doing her best but there was a lot of them and only one of her, she wouldn't be able to hold them off long. Hailey used her power of astral projection to make several of herself. This really freaked out the goons. She saw a couple of them head for the door so she used her telekinesis to slam the door closed. But then out of now where the door burst open and in walked someone who Hailey saw die two years ago. Everyone stopped and looked at him for direction.
"Leave now, I can handle her."
While he was saying this Hailey was trying to think of possible answers to the million questions that she had, she could barely believe her eyes. Maybe it was some trick that Luther was pulling to throw her off her guard, if it was, it was working. She was watching him as he lazily walked around the apartment. she was so confused, it can't possible be Alex, I swear I felt him die in my arms.
She didn't want to focus too much on that horrible memory, it was too painful to remember the way he had looked at her and told her that he loved her, not matter what she was, and how she really did feel the love that he had for her. She tried to use her empathy powers to feel what he was feeling now, but the weirdest thing happened she didn't feel anything; it was just this buzzing feeling, like the kind you get when you stick your finger in a socket.
"Don't try to use your powers on me they won't work. I'll just block them" Alex said
"Alex? What? How?" Hailey was having a hard time breathing, the whole room seemed to be spinning.
"Well after you left me to die, Lex Luther's guys found me and brought me to him and he saved me, he gave me powers. He told me about what I could do with them, the people I could take out the people I could help by killing people with my powers. Hailey, the feeling I felt when I first used my powers was amazing. I can't even explain it, but then you already know. You've know for a while. All those times it was a "family emergence" you were just going off to try and keep me from getting to feel this amazing feeling, weren't you?"
"Alex, unless you're born with powers it's very unlikely that you body would be able to handle it because it affects your whole being."
"Yeah I know but Lex thought I could handle, he had faith in me."
"No Luther hopped you could handle the abilities that he gave you so you could become his personal killing machine, don't you see? He just wants you to go around and kill the people who he doesn't like. Innocent people, Alex, people who know him for the monster that he is."
"Oh so I'm a killing machine? What about all those people that you killed? That's kind of the pot calling the kettle black isn't Hailey?" He looked at her with an odd expression that Hailey could get her finger on.
"I'm not proud of what I did under his brain wash, but I realized what I was doing and stopped before I made the biggest mistake of my life."
"Oh so you mean killing Super Man? Well you were, and still, are too weak to do so Lex sent me here to do it."
"I'm not weak just smart. And what are you suposed to do after you kill Superman? Did he tell you to kill me too? Could you do that if you had to? Could you really honestly kill me?
"Yeah, I could. God Hailey, you left me to die that night, like I meant nothing to you, and maybe I did, but none of that matters now." He said it so calm that it not only hurt Hailey but unnerved her.
"Leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I wanted so badly to take you with me; you know that just as much as I do. But we both knew that I dragging you around all over the world wasn't right. I couldn't stand to keep putting you in danger. When I left I thought you had died. I couldn't feel any life in you. How was I supposed to know that you weren't dead? So don't you DARE pin that on me."
Just then Alex waved his hands through the air and Hailey went flying in the big bookcase in her living room, she fell to the floor in a heap. Just as the bookcase started to wobble she looked upas it fell over on top of her. Super man burst through to patio doors and threw the bookcase off Hailey. Alex didn't see him but was pretty sure that it was him because of the blur he saw streaking in to the apartment. Alex watched as he threw the bookcase off of Hailey and then saw him pick Hailey off the ground into his arms. Super man looked at him.
"We aren't done here. I will find you and if she dies, I will kill you. I have no problem with that." Clark was so angrey at himself for leaving Sly by herself.
Alex just looked at him with a blank face. Super man flew out of the open door with Hailey in his arms.
Chapter 4
Hailey woke up on a couch that wasn't hers and in an apartment that wasn't hers either.
"Oh Crap!!"
She just realized that her mask had been taken off. She hid her face as some one walked in to the room.
"It's a little late for that but don't worry, Superman didn't see your face. I know there is this whole code of honor and you want to keep your identities a secret from each other so I made sure he was gone before I took it off."
"Thank you. Did Superman tell you what happened?" Hailey was still unsure if she was ok with the fact that the mask had been taked off to begin with but she would get over that.
"Yeah, well he told me what he saw going on but he couldn't hear much for some reason, he said that he couldn't figure out why."
"I have a pretty good idea why, Alex. He must have tried to put up a shield to block anyone from listening and since he is new to his powers it wasn't a full shield, but he's learning fast." Just the fact that Alex could put up a sound shield made Hailey nervous.
"Well Superman brought you straight here and we put you down on the couch and you just kind of rose up in the air and started glowing and then you sunk back down to the couch and all that was left of your injuries were cuts and bruises, I asked Super Man to x-ray you just to make sure."
"Well it's one of the powers that Luther gave" Hailey looked upset and Chloe wasn't sure why so she just sat there hoping that Hailey would open up to her. They sat there for a minuet before Hailey thought of the mess left in her apartment and gave an involuntary shudder when she thought about the previous night and Alex.
"How bad is the damage to my apartment?" Hailey didn't really want to know the answer
"I had a cleaning team go over today, there wasn't much they could do for the bookcase but everything else should be clean."
Hailey smiled at Chloe.
"Thank you, thank you so much. You've been very nice and very receptive to me just crashing here."
This earned Hailey a big grin from Chloe.
"Trust me you not the first super hero to crash on my couch."
Hailey laughed.
"Well again thank you, but now I need to go." Said Hailey as she gingerly got up from the couch.
"Wait, why?"
"Well it appears that you're going to be in more danger with me now that Lex has employed Alex.
Chloe looked at Hailey with a quizzical look.
"Alex was my first boyfriend in high school, we started dating freshmen year. But after we graduated and started college I started not being able to control my abilities because of stress and I was afraid I was going to hurt someone, so I started going to a run down junk yard and practicing and blowing off some steam, that's when one of Lex Luther's goons found me, you that whole story already, but anyway, when I got back from Luther Corp. I was really nervous that someone was going to see that I was different, and that Alex was going to break up with me because I was different, but he didn't. Well I started to do Lex's chores and one time Alex fallowed me, but this wasn't just one of my assignments this was a mini World War III. It included my family and all of the rest of Luther corps. lab rats, Alex saw one of them point a gun at me when I wasn't looking and he took the bullet for me, not knowing that I could protect myself, he just thought that I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. When I ran over to him, there wasn't much I could do he had gotten shot in the chest and the bleeding was bad, I couldn't tell if it had hit his heart all I knew was that I was helpless to help him. Well to make a long story short, one of the Luther people saw him with me and then they took him to Lex and he gave Alex powers and brain washed him to think that I just left him there to die."
Hailey was really upset at this, but she tried to hide it as well as she could.
"But you didn't." Said Chloe in a attempt to be reassuring. But Chloe saw that her words didn't have much impact on Hailey.
"I know, I tried to tell him that but there's no getting through to him right now, he's still really angry. So I think Super Man will have to protect you by himself but I still want to help with the take down of Luther Corp. So when you see Super Man can you tell him that I'm still in I just don't want to endanger you more?"
Hailey had obviously made up her mind and there was no way Chloe or anyone else could change it.
"Yeah, Sure...are you sure this how you want to deal with this? I mean what if Alex attacks you again? Are you going to be able to protect yourself and god forbid it should get to this point but would you be able to kill him if you had to?"
Hialey grimiced
"I'm hoping that it won't get that far."
They were both silent for a while, then Hailey stood up.
"Well it was nice meeting you Chloe!"
"You are always welcome back even if I'm not in danger. I hope to see you again!"
"Something tells me that this isn't the last meeting that we'll have!"
Hailey picked up her cloths and left. When Chloe was sure she was gone she picked up the phone that she had left open and talked to the person on the other end.
"Clark we can't just let her walk out like that!"
"I don't think that we are going to be able to control it but I'm on my way there to see if I can talk to her as me and not as Super Man."
"Good Luck!!!" Chloe sooo hoped that he didn't make a fool of himself.
Chapter 5
Clark hung up the phone. His head still trying to process what he'd just heard he super sped across town to Chloe's apartment. And stopped in an alley way. He walked around the corner and knocks a woman right off her feet.
"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry."
The woman glared up at Clark and Clark realized that it was Hailey.
"Its ok, I've fallen harder."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Clark couldn't believe his luck! He was such a clutz!!
"Yeah I'm fine. What were you doing in the alley?" She looked up at him suspitiously.
Clark tried to think of an excuse.
"I wanted to throw away my coffee cup, and I noticed that there was dumpster down there."
Clark prayed to god that there actually was a dumpster in the alley because if there wasn't then he was in trouble. But Hailey didn't notice, she was examining her jeans which now had a small tear at her knee which was bleeding. Hailey noticed Clark looked concerned.
"It's just a little scrape, my car is right around the corner and I have some band aids in there. I'll be all set."
Clark was trying to find a reason to stay with her a while longer to see if he could get her talking, but he didn't want to alarm her.
"Well will you at least let me buy you a cup of coffee to make it up to you?" He hoped that she liked coffe.
Hailey wanted to say yes because, well come on, lets face it, Clark Kent was pretty darn handsome, but she didn't want any chance of him recognizing her.
"Please? It's the least I can do." There was no way he was going to let her get out of this as easily as she dodged his questions.
He looked at her with his puppy face and she couldn't help but to smile.
"Alright just let me go get some band aids."
Clark gave himself a mentel high five.
"Ok, here I'll walk you to your car, just incase some other guy wants to take my position as bubbling idiot and try and knock you over."
Hailey laughed.
"Well, I think you've got that position covered just fine and I don't think that any one is going to try to take if from you! But if you insist, my car is this way."
Hailey started walking and Clark fallowed her to a huge SUV. Clark was surprised that Hailey could handle such a big vehicle and apparently he didn't hide his surprise very well because she rolled her eyes.
"What? You think because I'm a woman or because I'm short I can't handle a SUV?"
"No, I just thought that you would be a little sports car type of woman." And that was the honest to god truth.
Hailey Laughed
"Well I kind of am, I have had my eye on this Mazda Miada for a while but I think for this city that a SUV is better for me because people can't push me around so easily."
Clark laughed.
"That is very true."
Hailey unlocked her car and climbed up into the passenger side and opened the glove compartment and grabbed a first-aid kit. Clark watched her and noticed how meticulous she was about how she organized everything just like her apartment. Hailey noticed him watching her.
"Alright I admit it, I'm a little OCD."
Clark started to laugh.
"A little? From what I can see you have the band aids organized by size and then color."
"Ok, Ok, so what? I like to be organized, is that a crime?"
Clark was laughing again. Hailey started to laugh to. Clark helped her to put on her band aid and they headed off to the nearest coffee shop. After a while Hailey realized that he hadn't even asked her name, she hadn't asked his name either. Even though she already knew it, that's what people do when they first meet each other right? So Hailey introduced herself
"Oh my gosh, I got so caught up in my knee that I forgot to introduce myself, My name is Hailey Storm."
Clark realizing his mistake and hoping that she didn't suspect anything hurried to introduce himself.
"My name is Clark Kent."
Clark laughed hoping that it sounded natural; he was never really that great of an actor. But if Hailey suspected something he couldn't tell because she stuck out her hand for him to shake it without a look of suspicion. They sat for a while and went through 3 cups of coffee before Hailey looked down at her watch and her eyes grew wide.
"Oh No! Is that really the time? Oh! I'm sooo late!!"
"Oops! I didn't even realize that we were sitting here for so long! I'm so sorry!" Clark was shocked that he could sit there and talk with her for so long.
"No it's ok; I should have been watching the time. Now I just have to think of an excuse for being so late."
Clark looked down at her knee. She looked down as well and realized what he was thinking.
"You could say that you were in the middle of a mugging and had to stay and talk to the police."
"Ohhhh that's good! But are there a lot of muggings in this town?"
"Umm well, let me put it this way, no one has ever mugged me."
"Maybe that's because you run them over and knock them to the ground before they have a chance to."
They started to laugh.
"Well will I get to see you around some time?"
Hailey stood up and gathered her purse and her keys,
"I'll make sure of it! Bye Clark."
Bye Hailey!"
Hailey walked to her car and as she was taking out her keys her cell phone rang she checked the caller ID but didn't recognize the number. She picked up the call but before she could say anything the caller started talking
"Hailey I need to talk to you." Hailey could just tell that something wasn't right from the tone in superman's voice.
"Alright, what's going on? Did Chloe give you my message?"
"Yeah I got it but I need your help, Alex found her and he's on his way there and I won't be able to hold him off for long."
"I'm on my way, when I get there, I want you to get Chloe out of there. Don't worry about me."
"Sorry Hailey, we tried that already, we need to take him down now."
"Just wait until I get there."
Chapter 7
Hailey changed her cloths in to her costume and flew to Chloe's apartment. When she got there the door was hanging off the hinges and all the lights were off. Hailey went in to the apartment slowly, listening and looking for anything. As she looked around she had the feeling something was off, the door was hanging off its hinges but nothing else in the apartment was disturbed. She thought she heard movement to her right. So she started to walk cautiously towards the closed bathroom door. She slowly reached for the door handle and yanked it open.
"ARRRRRRR"
"Ahhhhhhhh"
Hailey ducked as Chloe swung a baseball bat at her head.
"Hailey!! Ohmigosh!!! You SCARED me!!! What the hell is going on?? I got a call from Superman telling me to trash my apartment to make it look like I was kidnapped and to hid in the bathroom with a baseball bat until he got here."
"Well he told me that Alex had found you and that I had to get here fast to help him out. Have you seen Alex?"
"No, not that I know what he looks like."
"Alright you get back into the bathroom if I need you to come back out with the baseball bat I'll yell fox. Ok?"
"Yeah sure, but what are you going to do?"
"Not that they door isn't a nice touch but I'm just going to make it a little more believable."
Chloe looked around and shrugged her shoulders. When Hailey was sure that she was safely in the bathroom Hailey started to do some home decorating. Then she sat and waited. She didn't have to wait long until she saw someone appear in front of the door. She hadn't heard foot steps and she was pretty sure that if it was Superman he would have announced himself, but she didn't want to attack Superman so she pulled up her invisibility shield.
The person walked slowly in to the room, Hailey could just tell but the way he walked who it was, she had known that walk since she could remember, it was Alex. Hailey's heart began thumping so loud she was sure that he would hear it and just kill her right then and there. But apparently Chloe moved in the bathroom because he started to walk to the bathroom, very slowly. That was Hailey's cue, she flipped on all the lights with her telekinesis. Alex stopped mid step and looked right at her. Hailey's heart skipped a beat because she thought that she was still invisible but then she realized she was standing in front of the light switches. But it seemed that Alex knew it was her anyway because he stood up straight and crossed his arms over his chest and looked around the room with a half smile on his face.
"Am I the only one having deja vu? " Alex said.Hailey knew exactly what he was talking about. He was talking about one their one year anniversary Hailey had decorated her room and told Alex to meet her there and when he walked in to her room she had left the lights off so he would have to turn them on and when he did she was hiding and she made him find her.
Hailey moved around the room purposely bumping into things so she could led him away from the bathroom, he took the bait. He just randomly started throwing fire balls. One zoomed by her head and she figured that that was a little too close for comfort. She made an astral projection of herself appear right next to him.
"Ya missed me!"
Alex tried to hit her but Hailey made her disappear and reappear on his other side and push him to the floor as he was in mid-swing. But Hailey knew she had to be careful because what ever happened to her astral self would happen to her as well. She toyed with Alex for a while trying to buy herself some time, waiting for Superman to get there. After a while she figured that it hadn't been Superman who called it must have been Alex planting a trap for her.
"Hailey, Hun, you can't hide for ever. I will find you. You know that right? I mean come on! I'm " Alex the lion". Remember that Hailey? Do you remember watching Madagascar with me?"
Yeah she did, after they saw it together she had given him that nick-name because the character in the movie reminded her of her boyfriend. Hailey saw that he was right though, she couldn't keep up her shield, she was too tired and she still had to get Chloe out of there. She let down her shield
"You know someday, when you not such a jerk, I'm going to have to give you pointers on how to play hid and seek, that way maybe next time you won't look like such a butthead."
"Ohhhh come on Hails!! I think I did a good job, I mean I smoked you out of your hole didn't I?"
By this time he was right by the bathroom door. Hailey did some quick thinking. she started to walk closer to him, backing him up closer to the bathroom door.
"Yeah, you did just like a FOX!"
Right on cue Chloe jumped out of the bathroom with the wildest battle cry Hailey had ever heard and nailed Alex right on the head with the bat. Alex crumpled to the floor in a heap.
Chloe was shaking bad so Hailey took the bat from her.
"You did a great job. Are you ok?"
Chloe regrouped herself.
"Normally I would say no, but this guy is a jerk so I don't feel bad at all. It's just that my adrenalin is racing!!"
Hailey laughed and Chloe gave her a tired smile.
"Alright well sleeping beauty isn't going to be sleeping for very long so let's get you out of here, Ok?"
"Please!! Let's go!!" Chloe was nervous that Alex was just faking and was going to jump up and attack her any second.
"Have you ever flown with Superman before?"
"Yeah why?"
"Because we'll move faster if I fly."
"You can fly?" Chloe was amazed at the powers that Hailey had and they just seemed to keep comming.
"Yup! Alright you should get some gloves and a coat. OH you are probably going to want to put your hair up so it doesn't get tangled, but, do it fast ok?"
Chloe rushed off and got all her stuff. Chloe led the way to the roof.
"Do you know where we might find Superman?"
"Well I don't know where he lives but I could call him and tell him to meet us some where if I can go get my cell."
Hailey didn't want to chance it, Alex might be waking up.
"No, why don't I fly you to my car and you can use my cell."
"Ok."
Right then they heard Alex yell Hailey's name and some rather rude insults so they decided that it was time to go. Hailey flew them to her car and by the time that they got there she was really tired. She gave Chloe her cell and Chloe called Superman and told him what happened. In about 2 minuets flat he was there.
"Are you guys ok?"
"Yeah we're fine. I'm a little shaken up but I'm ok. You might want to go check Sly though; she seemed a little off after she flew me here."
"She flew you here?" Clark was surprized
Chloe nodded"Do you know if she's ever flown anyone before?"
Chloe shook her head. Superman nodded and went over to Hailey how was just inside a little alley away a little ways away.
"Hey Sly, are you ok?"
Hailey had been trying to regroup herself, the flight was harder then she thought, and she had over estimated her energy level so she was feeling sick but she didn't want Chloe to get worried so she walked off pretending like she was just giving Chloe privacy and Chloe had understood. But all of a sudden she heard Superman's deep voice right behind her so she stood up straight fast and tried to look normal, even though she thought that she was going to pass out.
"Yeah, I'm good"
Superman gave her a look that made Hailey understand that he knew she was lying, but she continued like she didn't notice, he had already had to save her once, and she didn't want him to think she couldn't handle herself.
" I was just trying to think of somewhere where we could put Fox and she'd be protected. Obviously she can't stay with either of us because Alex has done his homework and knows where to find me and where to find you, I'm assuming by the egg sized lump on your head."
Hailey had just noticed a lump on the side of Superman's head that looked like he had been hit with something like a 2x4.
"Have you thought of anything." Clark was still angry at himself for letting Alex get that close to him.
"Nothing that I'm happy to go rush off and do."
Chloe chimed in.
"At this point I would be ok if you stuffed me in a box until you got rid of this guy. Well the box would need a TV or something but, seriously!"
"Well the one place that I would trust some else's life with isn't necessarily a box."
"What are you thinking?"
"Chloe how do you feel about New York?"
Chapter 8
"New York" Said Clark and Chloe together.
"Yeah, New York." Hailey looked really nervous
"Why New York?"
"That's where my family is. They have powers and they would be able to hide and protect her."
"How are you so sure that they won't get there butts handed to them by Alex as well?"
"Because there are 4 of them and only one of him."
"Not that I wouldn't love a trip to New York but with your history with Alex, don't you think that if I went missing that that would be the first place he would look?
"That is one of the reasons that I didn't want to do it. But I've been thinking if we explain it all to them then maybe we can set up traps for Alex."
"Why do you say traps, with an "s"?" Clark was nervous of even thinking of using Chloe as bait.
"I say traps because Alex is smart and he knows how I think and he would be able to avoid a trap that I lay but if we all think of a few then he defiantly wouldn't be able to avoid them all."
Clark really didn't want Chloe to be bait, but he realized that there was no other choice.
"Alright, I think it will work."
"Are you sure that this is what you want to do? I mean, Hailey what about –"
Hailey cut her off.
"All that matters to me right now is your safety. You don't need to worry about anything but what you're going to be buying while you're in New York, Ok?"
Chloe looked at her for a minuet and then nodded her head slowly.
"Ok, so here's what I thought we should do, I am going to drive back to my place so I know that my car won't get broken in to or stolen or anything. So you guys can either fallow me or ride in the car with me."
"We'll ride."
So they all climbed in to her car. When they got going Chloe asked her what the rest of the plan was.
"Well I was thinking that it would be easier and faster to get to New York if we flew."
"Um I have a problem with that plan, I can't fly." Chloe said.
Hailey laughed.
"I already thought of that, I was thinking that, if it's ok with you Superman, we would take turns flying her there." Hailey glanced in her rearview mirior
Superman looked at her concerned.
"Sly, are you sure you can even fly all the way to New York, let alone caring Chloe. I mean, if across town was hard, well, New York is a bit further, well a lot further."
"Yes, I'm sure. And for your information across town wasn't hard I just hadn't had time to regroup."
"No offence Sly, but if there is ANY chance that you're going to drop me, then I'd rather stick with Superman." Chloe wasn't sure that Hailey could handle flying al the way to NY let alone carry her too.
"I can carry her the whole way if it would be easier."
Hailey thought for a minuet.
"Alright Superman you carry Fox and I'll carry the bags but we're going to have to soup up the bags if you're going to super speed fly".
"Why?" Chloe gave Hailey a quizzical look.
"You'll see."
Hailey looked out of the corner of her eye and gave Chloe a sly smile, now Chloe was really intrigued, but Superman who was sitting in the back was still a little worried. He wasn't totally convinced that she could make it on her own.
Soon Hailey stopped in front of her building and she and Chloe took the elevator while Superman opted to fly to her balcony. Once they were all inside, Chloe and Superman just kind of stood there, doing what Hailey asked them to and trying to stay out of her way as she gathered a lot of stuff. Finally she was done and when Superman looked at the bags she had collected and counted them. 1...2…3…4…5...6...7!!!!
"Ummmm Sly, why are you bringing so many bags?" Asked Clark.
"Not all this stuff is just for me. There are some cloths for Chloe because even though my mom lives in NY that doesn't mean her fashion sense does, there are some supplies that we are going to need as well."
Hailey walked over to the bags with a huge canteen that barely fit in her hand. She opened it and dumped some of the stuff on the bags. Superman and Chloe looked at her. Hailey just smiled a big smile.
"Alright who's ready for a trip to New York?!?!"
And with that she locked her front door and turned off her lights, left a note one her front door stating that she was gone on a business meeting and would be back in a couple of days.
As she headed for the balcony she waved her had and the bags all levitated and fallowed her out. Superman and Chloe watched her in amazement.
"Alright what's this "cool" thing you wanted to show us?" Chloe asked, she had been waiting as well as she could, but now she really wanted to know.
"Well when Luther corp. had me as their lab rat they wanted to see if they could replicate the human torches powers and guess what!!!"
Hailey snapped her finger and it lit on fire. Chloe screamed and Superman ran forward, but he stopped when he saw her smiling. Hailey started to laugh at the look on his face. Chloe started to walk, slowly, forward to check it out.
"I guess its good think I started small, you guys probably would have thrown me in a lake if i hadn't!"
"What do you mean "if you hadn't started small" asked chloe with wonder and amazment all over her face.
"I mean picture this but all over."
Chloe gasped
"Does it hurt?"
"No, in fact it's easier then just flying, it takes up less energy."
Superman looked at her, then looked at the bags. Hailey knew what he was thinking. And she pulled out the huge canteen again. And shook it. Superman nodded. Chloe hadn't even noticed the silent conversation going on she was to busy examining Hailey's finger, she went to touch it and Hailey pulled her finger away.
"Chloe don't you know not to stick your hand in fire."
"So it's real fire?" Chloe was still amazed at the fact that she could be on fire but...not.
Hailey just nodded her head.
"Alright are we all ready to head out?"
Superman and Chloe nodded their heads. Hailey grabbed the bags and Superman wrapped Chloe up in his cape and they both took off in to the air.
Chapter 9
Through out the whole trip Superman looked over at Hailey to make sure she was ok. They had to stop a couple of times because Chloe's legs where cramping. Every time they stopped Hailey offered to take Chloe and give Clark a break but he always said no, he didn't need a break but if she needed a break that he could carry the bags as well. But Hailey just gave him a "yeah right!" look. But every time they stopped he noticed she was fading faster and faster. Finally Clark saw the bright lights of New York. Hailey motioned for him to land. When he got to the ground Hailey looked really worn out.
"Alright here is what you need to know, my family is pretty well known for their powers so you'll definitely recognize them, if you don't live under a rock. Another thing is that when I left I left not on the greatest terms with my parents, things were said that can't be taken back and I'm not sure how happy they will be to see me but they will put those feelings aside so that they can help you, I promise."
Superman looked at her.
"Are you sure that you want to do this?"
"I will do what ever I need to do, in order to keep you guys safe. But before we burst in on them I want to call my uncle to give him a heads up."
Superman and Chloe nodded and Hailey took out her cell phone and walked a little ways away.
Clark looked at Chloe.
"Who are parents?"
"Doesn't her name ring any bells, especially now that we're in NY?"
"There are thousands of people who have the last name 'Storm'."
"Yeah but how many of them have super powers, and are well know?"
Clark starred at Chloe trying to figure the riddle out. Then it hit him.
"Johnny Storm AKA the Human torch!!"
"Johnny is her uncle, her dad is Mr. Fantastic and her mom is The Invisible Woman."
"She's related to the Fantastic Four?" Clark was so amazed
Hailey had finished a phone conversation that hadn't gone well only to come back and hear that Superman and Chloe were talking about her.
"Yes I am. And they are expecting us so we should get going."
Hailey piled the bags in her arms and started walking. Clark was really confused, they were still well outside the city and yet she was going to carry 7 bags and walk the whole way? He wanted to ask her but he could tell from the way that she was walking now probably wasn't the best time to ask questions.
"We're meeting my family outside of the city it's about a 5 minuet walk from here. Oh and Superman can you try not to think so loud I already have a migraine from the flight up here and it's only going to get worse now that we're in the city."
Clark was thoroughly confused now. How the hell did she know what he was thinking?
"I know what you're thinking because-"
All of a sudden a woman appeared out of no where
"She can read minds."
It was Sue Richerds. Hailey's step faltered as the rest of her family can out of the cover of the trees. They all stood there for a second, no one moved they just looked at each other uncomfortably. Her Uncle John was the one who made the first move.
"Welcome home Hailey. We've missed you."
He walked over as Hailey put down the bags and gave her a huge hug. Clark saw Hailey relax when she felt the warmth of his hug. When they pulled apart Clark thought he saw Hailey use her super speed to wipe a way a tear but he wasn't sure. She turned to her mother, Sue.
"Mom, I…."
Sue walked over to her"Shhhhh. Its ok Hailey, I'm just glad you came back."
Ben Grimm walked over to her a scooped her up in his arms.
"Me too kid, I'm glad you finally came back, but, Yeesh! It took you long enough!!"
"Uncle Ben!! Put me down!!"
"You promise you aren't going to go run off again right?"
"Uncle Ben, you said that to me when I was 5!"
"And it still applies!"
"Yes I promise, for right now, I'm staying in NY."
Ben put Hailey down. Hailey walked over to her father, Reed. He was the only one who had hung behind. But Hailey walked straight up to him.
"Dad, I know that you don't like that I have these extra powers but I was hoping that maybe you could put that aside and help me protect this woman."
Reed stared at Hailey reproachfully but Hailey held his gaze. They stood there and stared at each other for what seemed like hours while the tension built and built. Finally Sue stepped.
"Hailey of course we will help your friends hunny. You don't even have to ask."
Hailey's posture seemed to fall when she realized her father still hadn't forgiven her. But she hid it just as fast as it came and turned to her mom.
"Thanks you guys. Are you sure that you are all ready for this?"
"Are you kidding me? I've been DIEING to find a reason to break out that old suit!!!"
Hailey laughed at her Uncle John, he was always the one who leaped before he thought.
"Alrighty then! Let's get this party started! Everyone this is Chloe and this is Superman."
"Superman?" Ben gave Clark a questioning look
Clark had noticed that Ben had been eyeing him, but he couldn't decide if it was because he had just shown up with Ben's niece or if it was because of the costume. Clark was pretty sure that it was because of the costume, but hey, Ben does live in New York.
"Well he does have a different name and identity. We had an agreement not to share names but I knew that my name wasn't going to stay hidden for long so I think I'm at the losing end of the deal!"
Clark laughed. Chloe stepped forward with her had outstretched.
"Chloe Sullivan, I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet."
Sue shook her hand.
"Hi Chloe it's nice to meet you, sorry that it has to be under these terms though."
"Oh don't worry about it, when you sign up to be Superman's best friend, you have to expect to be kidnapped at least twice."
Reed Richards still hadn't really joined the group but Clark had been talking to Ben and Johnny and had worked his way over to Reed. Finally he was standing next to him. Clark just stood there for a minuet, trying to get Reed to say something, refusing to be the first to speak. Finally Reed stuck his hand out.
"Reed Richards, call me Reed."
The way Reed said it, it didn't seem like an invitation it more felt like an order. But Clark shook his hand anyway.
"I can't tell you my real name right now but please feel free to call me Supes."
Reed looked at him with a look of distrust on his face.
"I know that it's hard to understand why I can't tell you my name but for my friends safety I need to keep my name a secret until necessary, but that doesn't mean that you can't trust me."
Reed looked at him with an odd expression on his face. Clark saw his eyes flick towards Hailey who looked like she was in deep conversation with the rest of the family but Clark had seen Hailey look his was furtively a couple of times. Reed noticing this smiled at Clark, which made Hailey, relaxes, but the smile on Reed's face didn't reach his eyes.
"And when will the right time be to tell my daughter she isn't who she thinks you are?"
"I know that it's hard to accept but it is for her safety."
"You seem to have a lot of answers but tell me this, how safe will she feel once she realizes that she's falling in love with someone who she has no idea who he is? What will be your answer then?"
Clark was a little put off because while he was saying this Reed had kept the smile on his face to make it appear that they were getting along. Before Clark could answer him Hailey walked over.
"Hey guys can you come over here? We're going to try and set up a game plan."
"Looks like we're going to have to finish this conversation at a later date, but don't worry! We will, I'll make sure of it."
And with that he walked off to join the group leaving Hailey and Clark alone. Hailey looked at Clark with a quizzical look on her face.
"What was that about?"
"I'll be damned if I know!" Clark didn't really want to tell Hailey that her father was lecturing him, he didn't want to cause anymore stress.
"Come on we should probably explain our situation to them before they get their own ideas on what happened."
She started to walk away; Clark paused for minuet thinking about what Reed had said about Hailey falling in love with him, Hailey turned around.
"Listen I know my family is weird but I promise they don't bite! Come on!"
Clark shook his head and caught up with her as she walked over to her family. He wasn't sure how he felt when Reed told him that Hailey was falling in love with him. But then Clark wondered how the hell would reed know that? Hailey hadn't said anything of that nature at all; in fact she had barely spoken to her father. But still when Reed asked him how he would tell Hailey who he really was, he was actually very lucky that she had walked over just at that moment because he had no idea what or how he would tell Hailey. He knew that he would need to tell her something as some point, so far he had been lucky, she had just gone with the flow and hadn't asked him any questions, but at some point she's going to ask him something and the least he owed her was the truth. But could he tell her the truth? So many people who he had told the truth to had died, could he live with himself if he condemned her to that? It was all too much for Clark to deal with at once so he pushed Hailey to the backburner in his mind and focused on keeping Chloe safe.
"Alright Hailey why don't you fill us in on what happened?" Said John.
So Hailey started from beginning to end. Clark admired the way that she just kept talking even when she told them about Alex. She didn't show any emotion when she told them about he had tried to kill her twice. While she was telling the story both Chloe and Clark noticed the family change, they went from happy family to serious ass kicking family. Even Ben seemed to get more solid. Clark realized not only how smart Hailey had been to come here, but also how brave she was for coming back. She still hadn't told him what she had done to make her father so mad but Clark realized that it didn't really matter right now, because for now they were all one family.
"Ok, so here is what I was thinking, do you remember when you used to stretch to get the cookies on the top shelf? Well what if we do that trap around all the doors and windows. And of course we will go through the regular safety precautions, locks get changed, everyone throws out the old key, we all get new keys but other then that, that's all I can thing of." Sue looked around as she said this, looking for more ideas.
"I can try to fire the windows again." offered John.
"Umm, I don't think we should do that again, after what happened last time. Sorry but I like the hair on my head thanks!!" Said Hailey hurriedly
"Oh are you kidding me! You were 10 and I told you NOT to go near the windows and you did anyway, it was your own fault!"
"I was 10! And I can't help it if I'm a little spacey! It's the side- effect of growing up around you!"
"Ouch!!" said john with a look of indignation on his face
"Guys, focus". Said Ben, trying to get things back on track
Then all of a sudden Hailey, Ben, and John started arguing and Reed and Sue just stepped back at let them go at it. Clark looked at Reed and Sue questioningly.
"Just give them a minuet, they'll get over." Said Sue.
They looked back and by now Hailey was tackling John and Ben was trying to break them up. Then Hailey and John both started in on Ben, the both tackled him. Chloe and Clark started laughing at the three of them. The three people on the ground suddenly realized that they were being laughed at and look up, now this is the point when Sue started laughing because Hailey was in mid swing, John was trying to get his hand unpinned and Ben was trying to get Hailey's foot out of his face. The three on the ground looked at each other.
"I can't believe it! Their laughing at us!!!" John said with somemore indignation.
Hailey looked over at Chloe who almost crying she was laughing so hard, Clark looked like he was going to fall over and her mother was just beside herself with giggles even though she tried to control it.
"Here's the game plan I got Susie, flame boy you take Chloe and Hailey you take Mr. Muscles over there. Everybody set?" said Ben, like it was war.
All three of them yelled "BREAK" and they all ran off after their targets. Ben caught his pretty easily and dunked her in the lake. John had no problem tackling his person to the ground, though she put up a hell ova fight when she was down there, but finally John dunked her in the lake. Hailey's target on the other hand was harder to catch because he could just super speed away. But finally she chased him to the edge of the lake, with her whole family cheering her on, she tackled him but just as she was pulling away so she didn't fall in to the lake Clark pulled her in with him. She shrieked and went under. When they were underwater she still was fighting with him until a hand reached and pulled them out. Clark was still sputtering
"You guys scared me there; I thought that maybe you guys wouldn't come up." Ben said still holding them in the air.
"It would have been easier to come up if he hadn't been pulling me down." said Hailey as she wiped water out of her eyes.
"Me pulling you down?! No, no, no it was the other way around" Now it was Clarks turn to have a tone of indignation in his voice.
Ben put them down and Hailey stood up straight. Clark saw her brilliant green eyes twinkle. And she pushed him back in the lake and ran for it. As she was running away she heard Clark come bursting out of the lake. She shrieked when all of the sudden she was swiped off her feet. Clark flew her back towards the lake and dropped her once he was over it, but Hailey used levitation to not fall in. Clark was so preoccupied at yelling at her he lost his concentration and fell in himself. All 7 of them were sopping wet when they finally walked away from the lake laughing.
"Ok why don't we go home get warm and dry and get some sleep. You look like you could use it." said Sue
She was looking straight at Hailey who was moving slower then the others, she had used a lot of energy tonight fighting Alex so she was happy when her mom suggested that they go home. She was happy to feel her family around her again. Her father Reed had even joined the fun after a while, not that he had a choice after Ben threw him in the lake.
By the time that they got in to the city and caught a cab, they were all ready for bed. They realized that they weren't going to be able to make to many more traps and they figured that Alex wouldn't have been able to find them that fast, but they didn't know just how wrong that they were.
Chapter 10
Alex had fallowed Hailey from the top of the Chloe's building. He had stuck to the shadows and watched while she tried to pull herself back together. While he watched her, he felt some of those old feelings he had had before he was given his powers. But then he saw the way that she had acted around Superman. All he felt then was anger. How could she want to be on his side? He was wearing TIGHTS for Pete's sake! Ugg! He hated the way that she was willing to pretend that nothing was wrong around him, the way she pretended that she was strong enough to fly to New York. He had fallowed them to her apartment, watched her pack up some things. While he was watching her he saw that she still had the bracelet that he had given her on their 2 year anniversary. He smiled as he remembered how excited she had been to wear it. But then he saw the way she looked at it now, with a mixture of hurt and anger. He couldn't believe how fast she was willing to just leave him, for a man in tights none the less! Alex had fallowed them to New York and watched her family reunion and watched as her family plotted against him. He watched and laughed when he saw her tackle her uncle. He remembered how many times he had seen her do that. Alex was starting to realize what Lex had meant when he had said he wasn't sure if Alex should be the one to take down Hailey. When Lex had told Alex this Alex couldn't understand because he was still so angry at her but when he was watching her the anger seemed to melt away, he realized that he would have to stop remembering all the times that he had with Hailey or else he would freeze when the time came to kill her, and she had already said that she would kill him. He watched as she was wrestling with Superman, Alex was sure that there was no way that he was going to get her to join him now. Not now since she was falling in love with that oaf in tights Superman and now that everything was good between her family and her. He had hopped that they wouldn't take her back so then she would be angry and if the time came to decide between her family and him, she would chose him. But he realized that he would have to find another way to get to her he didn't want to kill her but he was thinking that he wouldn't have a choice. He tried to think of ways that he could deal with this without going to Lex and telling him that he couldn't do it, maybe he could get some of the other Avatars to help him in secret. He jumped as his cell phone rang; he looked at the caller ID and swore.
"Luther, what do you want?"
"What if I wasn't the one using my phone? What would happen then?" Lex's voice was as annoying as always.
"Lex you need to stop with the mind games now. You already know that I am on your side; I have proven this to you by telling you that I am willing to kill my girlfriend."
"Don't you mean EX- girlfriend?"
"You know what I mean." Alex swore to himself mentaly
"Alex I don't think that you haven't accepted the fact that Hailey no longer has any interest in you, now that you work for me. I also am not sure that you can kill her without hesitating, and trust me, if she has to choose between you and Superman or her family, she will choose them and kill you if she has to."
"Lex, I can handle this. I'm not new to this, you know damn well that I have given things up for you and this isn't something that I would look back on."
"Then why didn't you kill her when you had the chance?"
"I admit that not killing her was a game that I shouldn't have started, I was just a little off my game after seeing her with Clark Kent. But I promise you that it will never happen again."
"But it did, in Chloe Sullivan's apartment. Why did you hesitate there?"
"How do you know about that? Are you having me fallowed?!"
"Hailey is one lose end that I can not have unravel, so what ever measures I have to take to make sure that she is cut loose from me, I will."
Alex looked around; he used his powers to sense anyone around. Suddenly he realized that there were about 10 other Avatars in the woods around him.
"Lex!! What the hell is the meaning of this?! Why the hell is there so many of them?"
"Hailey is a strong girl, and she is very manipulative, you have shown that you tend to be weak when it comes to her. If there was any chance of her pulling you over to her side, adding your power to the power that she has, her family's power, and Superman's power, I would defiantly like to have at least a few of my guys down there to hold you off until I got there to give you the antidote."
Alex's breath stopped short, his heart started to thump so loudly that he was sure that the other Avatars would hear it.
"There is an antidote to what ever you did to us?! Then why do I have to kill Hailey when you could just take her powers away from her?"
"You have to kill her because the antidote might not work on Hailey, and you have to kill her because I told you to. Now are you going to question me any further?"
"Of course not."
"Good, now why don't you and the other Avatars work on a strategy on how to take out Hailey and her family."
"Wait why are we taking out Hailey's family?" Alex was surprized, this was the first time that he had been instructed to take out Hailey's family.
"Because we don't want the trying to do anything stupid like seeking revenge or anything like that, right? And what happened to not questioning me anymore?"
"Sorry Luther but you can't just throw a curve ball at me like that or else there will be questions asked."
"Wrong, I can do what ever I want and throw anything I want at you because I made you, I gave you your life back and trust me I will take away just as easily, so why don't you think about that before you think to ever disrespect me again."
Lex hung up on Alex. He slammed the phone down on his mahogany desk. Who exactly does that freak think he is? For Pete's sake! Lex had saved his life, endowed him with something that Hailey never could have, and all Lex had asked for in return was that Alex just take care of one little pest. Alex had had three chances to kill Hailey and each and every time Alex had failed. Lex was starting to regret his decision about choosing Alex to take care of Hailey. That is why he sent down the other Avatars. When Lex thought about the Avatars he remembered that the lab had called a couple of minuets and asked him to head down to the lab, they had said that they had something really important to tell him. Lex stood up and straightened his tie; he glanced at his reflection as he walked out of his office, he realized just how evil he had become, but he didn't really care did he? Nope he didn't, he laughed to himself.
When he got to the lab everything was in disarray.
"Bettermen what the hell is going on??" Lex was outraged and the poor lab tech knew it.
"Lex, some of your avatars got some of the antidote! They took half of our supply."
"How the hell could you let this happen? Why didn't security kick in?"
"Well you kind of made them a little hard to subdue, none of the guards could get a clear shot, they moved to damn fast!"
"DAMN IT! How many of them were there?"
"Ohhhh right and I was supposed to stop and think to count how many mutant aliens were running around destroying my life?? …. As far as I could tell there were about 12 maybe more."
"Are the ones being tested still in there cells?"
"We haven't noticed any of them missing, except for ruining my life all the Avatars wanted was the antidote. Oh one of them left you this, well at least I'm pretty sure that it's for you."
Lex looked at what the lab tech had in his had, it was one of the cell phones that Lex gave the avatars, they were special made to withstand their powers and they also had a secure line so that none of the calls could be traced. The message light was blinking. Lex grabbed the phone and listened to the voice message, it was Alex.
"Hey boss man! How's it going? Well I bet your wondering what's going on not aren't you?? Well let me fill you in on a little bit of it, we are rebelling, we don't like that you think that because you made us you think that we are your little slaves. Oh yeah and thanks for the antidote!! We aren't sure what we're going to do with it but that's really up to us now. Oh and don't worry we will still take care of Hailey for you but I can't tell you how because in all the movies that I've seen, when the bad guy tells someone their plan, well they usually get caught. But I can tell you that we aren't going to give the antidote to Hailey, so rest assured that if she does succeed in taking us out, when she comes for you, she will still have her full powers."
Then the messages ended. Lex slammed the phone down.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!! Who the hell does he think that he is!?!? That's it, he's taken this too far. I want you to take the rest of the avatars and send them out after him, tell them I don't want them to return unless they have taken him out."
"Sir, no disrespect but I really don't that they are ready to kill just yet."
Lex starred at him with fire in his eyes.
"Then get them ready. Alex is goig to die, i'll make sure of that. Even if it means killing him myself."
