"Oliver stop." Chloe said "If she wanted to attack us in any way we would be extremely crispy by now."
Oliver didn't lower his weapon he just glowered at the young woman who stood there with her hand remaining in the air. Jesse gulped thinking about how ugly it would be if he just finished her off. It was weird being on this end of the quiver too.
"She's right you know." Jesse said trying to smile.
Slowly, she turned to face the two taking each of their features. Chloe stared at Jesse curiously and Jesse tried to hide her excitement about seeing them.
"Then again, I think a thank you is in order. After all, Helios isn't exactly a loveable character to be around." She added with a nod of the head.
"Well neither are you electrode." Oliver remarked harshly.
Jesse raised her eyebrows at him as her lips twitched almost smiling.
"And who are you?" he added
"Jesse Shocke." She replied
Oliver snorted at the name then cocked his head to the side.
"Wait…" he said lowering the bow "Shocke?"
Jesse nodded with a small smile.
"Am I missing something?" Chloe asked
"Oh yes." Jesse said
"I know people with that last name." Oliver mumbled slowly
"That you do. They're my parents to be exact." Jesse said "And in about ten months you'll see this little face."
Oliver looked at her skeptically.
"So…you're from the future then?" Chloe asked
Jesse turned to Chloe for the first time and smiled brightly. In the next instant Jesse was inches in front of her and hugging her tightly. After a few seconds she pulled away.
"I-I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." Jesse said in the awkward moment
For several moments the three just stood there tensely looking from one to the other. Jesse was the first to speak.
"I'd love to attempt to explain things, but I don't have time and it wouldn't be a good idea." Jesse said looking around "Is this where watchtower really started at? I heard stories but…wow is it really depressing."
Chloe smirked as she walked over to one of the many computers within the large room.
"So what's your mystery friend's name?"
"Why? You won't find him in the database." Jesse said as she walked around exploring a little
It was hard to believe this was where it really began. From here it only grew into places all over the world. She remembered her first time over here in America. They said she was a top priority…a weapon. How was a child to know what that was, what she was? Nobody told her and she was punished for it.
For months she had been tested on and asked how she had come across this ability and if it was meteor induced. Again and again she'd cry that she didn't know what that was and yet they still prodded her with needles and tests. They never let her go. She was only a little girl at the time with no idea what they wanted from her. 33.1 was what it was called. A dreadful place, but he saved me. Oliver said he didn't stop until he found me, Jesse thought. It was a long three years before that rescue.
"Jesse." Chloe said again
Jesse's head snapped coming out of her thoughts.
"Huh?"
"What exactly is going on? I mean is there anything we can do?" she asked.
Right as Jesse opened her mouth Oliver broke in.
"I say we get that ring working and send her back to her future." he said quickly.
"Oliver…" Chloe started
"I don't have a future to go back to." Jesse said hurtfully thinking about Connor and looking at Oliver.
He looked away and opened the first aid box. That wasn't the answer he expected. No future? How does one handle that?
"So…" Jesse started trying to think of something else to talk about "Where's everyone else?"
"Everyone else?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah, Clark, Victor, Bart?" she asked "This place is a bit barren."
"They have their own missions to attend to." Chloe responded with a light laugh "And right now we do too."
"Right…Helios…" Jesse said "He's probably out looking for his own fearless leader at the moment."
"Fearless leader?" Oliver asked
Both he and Chloe were looking at her strangely.
"You have no idea do you?" Jesse said.
There was no answer from either of them.
"You might want Clark here." Jesse suggested.
Chloe glanced at Oliver then turned to the computer putting Clark's number on the screen. Jesse looked between the two and couldn't help but wonder. She wanted to ask, but didn't want to get in the middle of things and with the looks Oliver was giving her she needed to be careful. He didn't make her feel so comfortable. Back home she remembered he was always there making her smile. He'd been in her shoes, the whole parents being killed thing. Never once had he seen her as the stranger…till now. It made her want to cry, but there wasn't time for that.
"So what year are you from?" Oliver asked catching her off guard
"Can't exactly tell you that." Jesse answered
He huffed as he closed the small box.
"What can you tell us?"
Jesse's pulse raced not that it was anything new. Her heart beated a hundred or so beats faster than the average heart as it was, but this was different. He was mad at her.
"What's the 911 Chloe?" Clark's voice bellowed into the room.
"She is." Chloe replied pointing at Jesse
All three sets of eyes were now on her and she felt suddenly nervous. Three of the world's greatest heroes looked to her.
"Speak Shocke." Oliver said
"Ummm…" she started feeling her fingers twitch electrically.
"Now." He said louder.
"Lex is alive." Jesse said quickly "And I mean very alive."
Oliver was on his feet and making his way towards her now.
"How do you know this!" he exclaimed.
Jesse ran scared and hid behind Clark. Of the people she could be scared of it was Oliver. He didn't even have abilities and she could just stop his heart right then and there. Instead, she cowered behind what would've been known as the man of steel. It was amazing to see him thought. She'd heard stories about him too, but had never seen him being he disappeared in 2013. He had been put in what was called the phantom zone…no one could reach him and a few people died trying including his cousin Kara. Then again that's what the history books said who knows how off they could be, like they were with Watchtower. He was still a helluva sight to look up at.
"Oliver stop. You're scaring her." Clark said. He glanced down at her.
"I'm scaring her? She just belted out that the man that has tried to have all of us killed multiple times in the past is actually alive." Oliver said.
Oliver looked at her and his eyes lightened with guilt. She's actually frightened of me, he thought, what did I do to her in the future? What will I do?
"How did you find out?" he asked
Jesse sighed knowing it was going to be a long story.
"We didn't even know." she said "Not till it was too late. There was a traitor on the inside."
"Helios?" Chloe asked.
"No." Jesse said "Alexis…she was what I guess people called a firestarter."
"Is it like your little…thing?" Oliver asked waving a hand at her.
Jesse nodded.
"So what kind of meteor fr-" Chloe paused
Jesse straightened up the sudden frightened feeling was being replaced with irritation.
"You were about to say it weren't you?" Jesse said.
Chloe took a step back feeling uneasy.
"Go ahead, say it." Jesse challenged her.
Chloe looked down hearing small zaps and saw her fingers were flowing with electricity.
"Say it." Jesse said colder this time
The light and computers in the room flickered as Jesse's eyes started to get static like her hands. She was only just beginning.
"Meteor freak." Chloe whispered, her eyes not meeting Jesse's.
Jesse looked away now too. So many people called her that for the longest time.
"I'm not a meteor freak…" she said quietly "I was born this way."
The lights stopped flickering and the electric blue static in her eyes faded. She'd killed her mom this way. Her dad protected her from the moment she was to the moment she was taken which ended in his death. she didn't remember much of him, but imagined that he was a sweethearted guy.
"You're meta." Chloe said in awe.
Chloe's face had brightened with gaining that knowledge.
"I've never met one before." she added as she looked at Jesse up and down.
Chloe then took her hands forgetting about the static and screamed from the sudden shock. Oliver jumped and took a step toward her precautiously.
"Sorry." Jesse apologized shaking her hands out. "I didn't mean to!"
Chloe took them again not caring and observed them. She was filled with wonder. She moved to her eyes where the lighting could be seen in them like that of a plasma ball light.
"So you can do that…all over?" Chloe asked.
Jesse gulped and nodded. How had trying to explain a crisis gone to an observation study. Jesse couldn't complain. Trying to explain her life on the run wasn't something she wanted to do.
"You're not going to stick needles in me too are you?" Jesse asked just to be sure.
"No!" Chloe exclaimed "It is fascinating though. This doesn't even touch the wall of weird."
Jesse started laughing right then.
"What?" Chloe asked.
"I have that book. I always read it. It's my favorite." Jesse answered "It's just funny that you say that too."
Chloe looked at Oliver in surprise. Clark on the other hand was still from the fact that Jesse had told them that Lex Luthor was alive and by how she looks with her messy clothing which could pass off for a screwy Halloween costume, it's not good.
"Jesse…" Clark started.
Both Chloe and Jesse looked up at him. Even Oliver looked at him wondering what he had to add to this.
"I don't mean to pry but…"
"You want to know more don't you?" Jesse finished.
Clark nodded. Jesse let out a heavy sigh. The man was all about the business.
"Okay." She said "Can we do it tomorrow? I figured that I could patrol for a little while, just in case kind of thing."
Oliver's eyebrows raised that instant unsure if that was a good idea and with her wearing her dirty future look, it wasn't.
"Oh no. Not looking like that." he interjected.
"Would you prefer me going in green?" Jesse said sarcastically.
He glared at her making her laugh at him. He was funny when he attempted to look annoyed. She knew he wasn't because it was good come back. He liked a person who could tussle with the best and the best just so happened to be the people she thought of as family.
"Actually, why don't you just get some rest." Chloe suggested instead "I imagine that we've all had enough excitement for one night."
Jesse nodded and turned heading for the door.
"Where are you staying?" Clark asked catching her off guard. Jesse stopped and looked back over her shoulder. she couldn't go to her parents, she didn't exist yet. Jesse shrugged.
"I don't know."
"Why don't you stay with Clark?" Chloe suggested.
"Out in Smallville?" Jesse asked gulping down her excitement. Too much excitement and she might blow the roof of the building, literally.
Chloe nodded.
"It's a lot of corn, but that's it." she said "Relax, this isn't the future."
"Um…thanks." Jesse mumbled with a nod.
Turning she looked at the man of steel. Not only did she get to meet him, but she would be staying with him. Connor would be so jealous, she thought.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up." Jesse said.
Clark looked at her curiously.
"Being an endless source of lightning like electricity gives me the ability to also be faster like lightning. Though I do over shoot stopping points. You know, that whole lightning never strikes twice." Jesse half laughed trying to joke. Clark nodded awkwardly then sped from the room taking the air with him. Jesse smiled dumbly amazed.
"You'll have to come by tomorrow sometime so you can help me look for the other one." Chloe said.
"I'm more of a search kind of girl." Jesse said "Out in the field?"
She was always put out on the front lines as the offensive. It also helped a lot with her rage problems. Seh could beat up a few goons and feel better at the end of the night unless Connor wanted a sparring session.
"Well, you're going to be behind a computer…deal with it."
Jesse rolled her eyes and zipped out of the building towards Smallville. Even in the past Chloe still loved to play boss, though she was good at it that was undeniable. It was still in the back of her mind, wondering if the Green Arrow had finally taken up his spot by Watchtower.
"How did you find me?"
"Sir, let me explain…" Helios started, his voice quivering
"Explain? You've broken into my house."
"With good reason. Your future is be compromised." Helios said with his head lowered
"My future? How would you know about my future?"
"I'm you're right hand in ruling it." Helios said "The girl who jumped back here is here to kill you."
"And you're going to stop her?"
"Whatever it takes." Helios said
"Good. I'm going to need someone like you when the time comes to take back what I've lost."
Helios looked up at Lex Luthor who now stood in front of him and smiled. The future would soon be back to its natural order and Jesse would fail. Those ingrates would know where they belong soon enough.
"Now…tell me where we can find some of your other friends." Lex said with a cruel grin
The majority hadn't even been born yet, but there were a few he knew of…teachers of his. they'd be in top shape right now and more than willing.
