Disclaimer: Smallville: Superman the Early Years, and Superman, the comic and all their relevant characters, places and items, are the direct property of Warner Brothers Inc, The CW and DC comics.

A/N: As you've probably realised I am terrible at replying to reviews on time. Sad thing is though, that I actually get really, really happy when I get them, I just have a terrible case of procrastination (I take pills for it and everything :D)

Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and start thanking people now:

-To whatareweafraidof: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and yeah, Clark is being a jerk but he can't help it really, he thinks that's what he needs to do. Whatever right. I don't think I'm going to be going into Clark's side of it much, mainly because from Pandora it was pretty evident that Clark and Chloe were V. distant. Um about the Book of Rau, I don't know if I made it clear, but I tried to show that Zod already had the book of Rau in the first chapter. Basically, Chloe can't stop things from happening now.

- To Petrafan77. GAH! I know, I hate writing Clark as a jerk, because I have all kinds of mad love for him, he's pretty awesome. But it has to be done for the sake of continuity and what not. And as for the Chlollie, keep eyes peeled, it's coming soon. There is some in this chapter, but probably not what your looking for. :D enjoy anyhow, and thanks for the review.

To other readers, who haven't reviewed, please let me know how I'm doing. I would hate it if you guys weren't enjoying it, so please- feedback, good or bad, it's loved.

Much Love!

Darkeyes xo

Nostrum Terra

Chapter Three

We never fail when we try to do our duty; we always fail when we neglect to do it.-Robert Baden-Powell

"Major Zod."

Zod turned in surprise, and smiled. "Well…" he said. "Apparently you clean up very nicely."

Tess smiled back, but there was no warmth behind it. There was never any warmth. Zod had come to learn that. She walked over to him, her floor length, royal blue gown whispering around her ankles, and pulling a little, as it dragged along the floor behind her.

"I've learned that people on this planet only ever take things at face value." She said as she stepped closer to the Major and began to fix his tie. "Which is why it this evening is necessary, to make a proper impression."

"And what impression are we hoping to give?" Zod asked, his eyes following her, as she tightened his tie.

Her eyes lifted to meet his. He had always found them quite mesmerising. Blue like water, pure, and yet full of menace when set upon it. The woman had proven herself to be quite the force. He had seen many of his best soldiers wither under her clear blue gaze. It was something to marvel at.

"The right one." Tess said "I've made sure the most affluent people on the planet are here to celebrate this event."

"Really?" Zod said, at his tone, Tess paused. "Because my people tell me that you failed to secure the support of several of the richest people and organisations on this planet. I hear Wayne Industries is not represented,"

"That means nothing." Tess said. "My people have assured me that they will not stand in your way."

Zod eyed her analytically. The woman was a snake if he'd ever seen one, and he had yet to find out which side she would finally slither onto. Her words weren't enough; the snake which tempted Eve was said to have a beautiful voice also.

She narrowed her eyes in confusion at his grim expression. "You still do not trust me?"

"Is that so surprising?"

Tess looked at Zod evenly, before nodding her head slowly, and taking the silk tie into her hands again.

"Many men have refused to trust me Major Zod." She said, her voice was smooth and silky as her hands loosened the Major's tie. He swallowed as her fingers fell to the skin of his neck, and his pulse. Was it wise to allow her to touch his neck? She could easily snap it, since they were still powerless. She smirked, and her hands slid behind the collar of his shirt, and popped open the top button. "You will find, that I will be trustworthy, whether you believe me or not."

Zod glanced down at his shirt, and then back up at her with a frown.

Tess smiled; "Much more approachable" she said turning her cold blue eyes on his again. "After all, we must make the right impression."

The REO solar tower had Tess' footprints all over it. Oliver thought as he surveyed the room. The whole idea was right up her street; a ridiculously gracious gesture to Mother Earth, which happens to cost a fortune, and was only passed through the board as another act of kindness from the Most Benevolent Mercer, as she tried to save the world. Oliver chuckled bitterly sulking under his smile, as he nodded along to whichever stuffed shirt was commenting on his quick recovery, and his terrible spell, etc.

His cheeks were beginning to ache from the smiling, nearly as much as his head. Tess hadn't given him much room to recover from his hangover, and he was still blinking pain back behind his eyes. This said he was putting on a brilliant façade, if he said so himself; when he stepped in on Tess' arm, one who knew well enough would think he'd majored in Theatre. But as the night wore on, the lines he'd been repeating began to taste stale in his mouth, his easy laugh began to come bitterly in all the wrong places, the lights began to get to him, and all he could really ask for was to get out of there, and crash at the nearest bar.

It was right when he was ready to cut, that Tess began her speech. And although he had promised to stay awake, alert and sober for it Oliver couldn't, for the life of him, find the energy to listen to more than every other word. It was something about the CEO "Zod." Oliver glanced at the grim, grey man who stood behind her. He wore a black suit; no tie, and a steely look on his face. Oliver frowned, for some reason, he felt like he was being looked through rather than at, and he didn't like it.

I suppose, someone who can do that, only needs one name. He thought to himself.

Oliver chose to ignore the both of them, and sat down at the bar, figuring if he had to listen to Tess' overly rhetoric, self-righteous speeches, he might as well be drunk.

The barkeeper came up to him. "What can I get ya?" he asked. He had a New York accent… it was annoying.

"Vodka Tonic." Oliver said. "Easy on the tonic."

The barkeeper nodded, and Oliver spun in his seat to face Tess. She was saying something about the marvellous work of "Mr Zod" as Oliver took the drink from the barkeeper. He rolled his eyes, Tess had a way of using eight words where she could use one, not to mention the histrionic pauses. Mind you, when you love the sound of your own voice that much-

Oliver's thoughts were cut off as his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He set his glass down and fished it out. Looking at the screen, he felt his stomach drop into his shoes.

Chloe Sullivan's number flashed across the screen.

He stared at the phone with a scowl, there were three buzzes, before he touched busy, and tucked the phone back in his pocket, and pretending the sick feeling in his stomach, was because of the vodka… not guilt.

I've got no reason to feel guilty anyhow. He thought to himself. After all, he was busy. It was rude to answer a phone when surrounded by people. He picked up his drink and began to sip at it again. He'd changed his personal phone before he'd taken off so he didn't know how she'd got the number- that said, bearing in mind who Chloe was, it was never clear how she got anything.

Oliver frowned when his cell began buzzing again. He pulled it out, and rolled his eyes. The same number flashed across the screen. Without wavering this time, he pressed busy and turned the phone on silent.

It wasn't that he didn't like talking to Chloe… Okay, it was. She hadn't done anything; in fact she'd been one of the few who'd got the message (admittedly it had taken him yelling at her to get it) and left him alone, not trying to force him to come to terms with anything. But every time that he saw her face, or heard her voice, he was reminded of what he'd done… Of Jimmy; yellow flowers and tears…

Oliver took a deep breath. It had taken a lot more than one vodka tonic to blur those memories. He shook himself and turned back to Tess. He pulled out his phone to see if she'd given up yet. As it turned out she hadn't; he had four missed calls, and two texts. Oliver almost smiled, she was still so stubborn.

"Excuse me?" someone tapped Oliver's shoulder and he turned to see a very agreeable sight indeed. He grinned, looking her over.

Oliver imagined she was a trophy wife, or someone's arm candy. She was tall, and slim, with dead straight dark brown, near black, hair and a full face fringe, brushing against her piercing blue eyes. She was wearing killer stilettos, which made her long legs look endless, as they disappeared under a deep plum coloured dress which whispered over her thighs.

"Well." He said, still unashamedly looking her over, "How can I help you?"

The woman raised an eyebrow, apparently unimpressed, "I think your wife is looking for you?" she said holding up her cell phone.

"My what?" Oliver hissed with a dark frown on his face, he realised almost as soon as he said it, shaking his head a little. "Oh…" he took the phone from her hands

"Wife?" he said into the phone. "Really?"

Oliver heard a chuckle on the other end, a little irritated that it was at his expense his scowl deepened. "What can I say?" Chloe finally said. "I like to be creative"

"And the girl in the dress? What was that? Revenge?"

Chloe's voice was brightened as though she were grinning. "I figured I had to get your attention somehow. I didn't think you'd respond as well to getting pulled over for drunk driving."

Oliver's eyes narrowed but he said nothing.

"Though mind you, if you ask me the evening appears to be headed that way anyhow-"

"Wait-What?" Oliver said fairly loudly, looking around for the little blonde brainiac, instead he saw he was drawing some attention to himself; an old woman in a blue dress was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He smiled at her and she looked away apathetic. This was when he decided to lower his voice. "Are you …here or something?"

Oliver heard what sounded like a snort before Chloe continued. "Don't be ridiculous, I've got way too much to do to waste my time and energy at Tess Mercer's events."

Oliver began to slip away from the crowds and out onto the balcony, much to the chagrin of the girl whose phone he'd borrowed.

"But you're watching me, aren't you Big Sister?" he said with no trace of humour in his voice.

Apparently, that'd had the desired effect. There was a pause before Chloe began to reply. "… I'm looking out for you-"

"We've been over this Chloe, I didn't ask you to do-" Oliver interrupted, his voice rising.

"-Well if we're honest, it's what you pay me to do-"

Oliver laughed bitterly, "Well in that case, you're fired"

This time Chloe laughed, almost too much for Oliver's liking, he began to get the impression that she was laughing at his expense. "Good luck with that," she said.

Oliver's jaw clenched, he was irked; irked that she'd had him on the phone for more than thirty seconds, irked that she was talking to him like they were friends. He wanted her off the phone, she reminded him too much of the past; the person that he was. He wasn't that person anymore, and she shouldn't pretend he was.

"Did you want something?" he snapped. "Or can I go back to pretending to listen to Tess?"

There was a pause, but Chloe was apparently unabated. "The man next to Tess" Oliver turned back to look at the podium through the glass at the steely CEO of REO inc. "Did Tess really say his name was Zod?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah…" Oliver said hesitantly. "Seriously, Chloe how did you-"

"- I have my ways." She cut him off.

Oliver frowned again, he was going to get a tension headache at this rate. "Right.. Yeah, he's CEO of REO incorporated, the guys who built the tower. Why?"

She said nothing. Oliver began to feel a little antsy. "Chloe?" he asked.

"Zod was the evil guy who blew up Clark's home planet." Chloe said slowly, as though she was thinking and speaking at the same time.

Oliver's mouth dropped open. "W-What?" he stammered, looking back at the CEO. He'd heard about the destruction of Krypton, and if he was honest, he'd been expecting a creepy goatee, or a weird evil pet on his shoulder, like a monkey, and some wringing of hands to be in order, but Zod was doing nothing. He stood stock still next to Tess, as she talked. There was a stern kind of discipline about his expression; Oliver could imagine he was an army man, but other than that-

"He was sent to the phantom zone…" Chloe seemed to say to herself. "There's no way he can be here-"

"Look Chloe," Oliver interrupted, he stood by what he'd said about Clark's Krypto… stuff, and as soon as he'd heard 'phantom zone' he'd zoned out. "Clark really is the go to guy for this… stuff so-"

"Oliver-"

"-Why don't you talk to him about it?"

Apparently, Oliver had said the wrong thing. Chloe was silent for a good while before she said, quietly; quieter than he'd heard her all evening, "I can't…"

Oliver had to laugh at that one. Being fairly certain that the money Emil had slipped out of his account several months ago wasn't being stored in a sock under his bed, and that Boy scout hadn't grown his wings yet, it was a little hard to believe that she could find him easier than Clark Kent. "Come on, Chloe." He said snickering. "Don't tell me the omniscient, omnipresent, Watchtower can't find little old Clark Kent."

She paused again. Oliver began to get a little curious. What was going on? Did Clark break up with her or something? "It's complicated" she said finally.

"Complicated?"

"I haven't got time to explain," Chloe said. "Oliver, I need you to-"

"Nope. Sorry." Oliver said, fervently shaking his head, and hoping she could see him.

"Oliver, please, I just need-"

"No. Chloe." He said more fervently.

"What do you mean 'no?'"

"I mean no, to whatever you're about to ask me, 'No.'"

"Why not?" she almost yelled.

Oliver said nothing. A tight knot was pulled into his brows, and his jaws were set, determined.

He heard her sigh over the phone, and his eyebrows rose in surprise, was she giving up? Her voice came over the speaker contrite and quiet. "Oliver." She said. "Please, don't do this to me."

Oliver frowned, not understanding what she meant.

"Everyone is gone Oliver," she said, her voice a little hoarse. "Now Clark has his apocalypse face on, and I'm getting scared. I can't do this alone anymore. I need you…"

Oliver tried to swallow the lump in his throat, it was too painful. She had no idea, how much she didn't need him. None of them did.

"You used to be one of the only people I could always rely on." She said, "Something big is coming, and I can't fight it alone. I need your help, Ollie."

Oliver was silent. He felt that burden again, the one he hadn't felt since he took of his green leather for the last time. He frowned, his shoulders felt heavier, weaker, like they would drop under the pressure. She couldn't ask this of him. He wasn't Green Arrow any more.

"Ollie?" Chloe's voice came over the speaker.

Oliver swallowed. "I'm sorry Chloe." He said. "I'm not that person anymore. I can't help you."

"Ollie…" Chloe's voice was heartbreakingly sad, thick with emotion and unshed tears. Oliver felt his gut churn.

"Goodbye Chloe." He said, and hung up the phone.

It wasn't that Oliver was trying to hurt her; he was actually trying to make her understand. This wasn't their place to interfere. There were things set down to protect people. When they interfered, things went wrong… people died. She of all people should have understood that.

As he stepped back into the room, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The whole atmosphere of the room had changed. Having not heard any of Tess' speech, Oliver had no idea what was going on. Why were so many people looking around with wide unblinking eyes full of fear? Why was Tess now telling people to remain calm? And why did Oliver have the prickling feeling between his shoulder blades that gave him the sneaking suspicion that there was a gun pointed at his back? He turned slowly and looked around the room again, and saw several people, whom he'd assumed to be bodyguards, holding very large guns. One of which was indeed pointed right at him.

His frown deepened, as he slowly lifted his arms. Yeah. He thought. This is not going to end well for me.

Chloe wasn't sure who she was angrier at; Oliver, or herself. She threw down the earpiece with a frustrated groan, and dropped her face into her hands.

How long before you get the picture Sullivan? How many freaking times-

"So I suppose that didn't go well."

Chloe looked up; Emil was standing in the doorway, with a raised eyebrow.

She sighed, "No Emil… It didn't."

Emil nodded, and Chloe looked back at her monitors, surveying the events at REO, she watched Oliver walk back into the hall and shook her head. "I can't believe I really thought…" she murmured half to herself.

"Thought what?" Emil encouraged.

Chloe turned to the Doctor. "Y'know, while we were talking, I thought… for a minute… it felt like nothing had changed." She said. "How long is he gonna need, Emil? I can't wait for him to lead his ducklings back forever, and frankly, something tells me that we don't have that sort of time."

Emil nodded; he knew there wasn't really anything to say that hadn't been said already. Chloe knew that Oliver needed time, that he was a big boy, and eventually he would work things out on his own.

Chloe noticed Emil's frown as he glanced up at the monitors, "What?"

He said nothing at first, moving closer to the screen. "Chloe I don't know what's going on but I don't think that Oliver has that kind of time either."

Chloe turned and looked at the screens. Oh Crap. She thought as she saw the guns, and goons.

"What do we do?" Emil asked.

Chloe said nothing, staring between Tess and Zod both looking strangely calm considering that the banqueting hall had turned into the council chambers of a military dictator.

"Chloe?"

Chloe's eyes fell on Oliver standing with his palms raised, as many people were, she chewed her lip nervously. "I'm thinking."

A/N: HEY YOU READ THE WHOLE THING!

Wow, you have reached new heights of awesome, and you will reach even more if you just click on that teeny tiny button which says review. FANX

Darkeyes xo