Clark and Patricia walked around the burned out wreck of what used to be a house. The yellow tape that declared it a crime scene barely registered as they moved to get a closer look.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Patricia asked as Clark slowly made his way through the rubble.
"I'm not sure yet, but don't you think it's odd that the F.B.I. have already closed the case?" Clark absently replied as he scrutinised the wreckage.
"You have a point. I'm no expert, but wouldn't there be less damage if this was caused by a gas leak?" Patricia asked as she stepped by what appeared to be a roofing tile that had somehow made it's way to the perimeter marked out by the yellow police tape. Blown clear maybe?
"Wow. Remind me if I'm ever a witness, not to put my life in the hands of the F.B.I." Both Clark and Patricia turned as Lois Lane made her way into view from a cluster of nearby trees.
"What are you doing here?" Clark asked. Lois strode over to the wreckage.
"Trying to find out who did this to my cousin, what are you doing here?"
"Looking for clues."
Whatever reply Lois had been about to voice was drowned out by the sound of rotor blades.
A helicopter appeared from over the tree line and four armed men in black commando gear started rappelling from the sides.
"RUN." Clark yelled. Both Patricia and Lois started running towards the slope that led to the cornfield below.
Turning to face one of the black clad men, Clark knocked the gun aimed at him away with his right hand and grabbed it's owner with his left, using only a fraction of his strength to toss the commando, who managed to clear ten feet before he hit the roof of the burnt out car. Now for the others.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Clark turned to see Patricia being held at gunpoint by another of the black clad men. One of her arms held in a painful looking lock behind her back. The look in her eyes said it all. I'm sorry.
Clark froze in place, wanting nothing more than to put the man through the last wall standing of the wrecked house, but knowing that as fast as he could move, he could never intercept the man before the trigger could be pulled. Looking past them he could see Lois glaring at the other two as they steered her back towards the wreck.
Before he could decide what to do a man in green camouflage walked over from the now landed helicopter. Stencilled on his chest pocket was the name 'Lane'.
"Hi daddy." Lois' voice carried over the noise of the rotors.
It hadn't taken very long for three military humvees to arrive and then transport everyone but the helicopter crew to Fort Ryan.
By silent agreement, Clark and Patricia decided to go with the flow for the time being. Lois' father being in Smallville seemed to take her by surprise given her loud and non stop barrage of questions for the entire trip.
While Clark knew it wouldn't have taken any effort to subdue all of the soldiers and make their getaway, one look at the way Patricia was favouring her arm that the commando had twisted told him it wouldn't be a smart move.
So instead Clark had interlocked his fingers so he wouldn't accidentally break the handcuffs they'd put on him amidst all the bumping and jostling of the high speed route to the base.
"Well, this looks like your standard army holding cell." Patricia remarked as they were unceremoniously put in a room that was a three metre cube with narrow shelf that served as a bed.
"And you have experience with these things?" Clark asked as he watched her absently rubbing her arm.
"I . . ." Patricia's head shot up to look Clark directly in the eye. "Just what are you implying?"
"Nothing." Clark's smirk was unrepentant. "Not a thing."
Patricia just narrowed her eyes at him. "Right, where do you suppose Miss Lane is right now?" Patricia asked as she looked around the room again.
"Probably still trying to grill her dad. General Lane." Clark's eyes met Patricia's as they shared a knowing look.
"So you noticed that too?" Clark nodded.
"Are you alright?" He asked as Patricia sat on the shelf that the designer had optimistically called a bed.
"Think I pulled something when that soldier grabbed me." Clark helped her off with her coat as he took a closer look.
While he was invading Patricia's personal space he saw her silently mouth the word 'Camera's?' eyes flashing electric blue, Clark quickly glanced at their surroundings before nodding his head in the affirmative. 'Microphones?' Patricia silently asked, Clark again nodded as he made a show of examining her arm.
"That guy must have had a strong grip. Looks like you're going to have some bruises just below your elbow."
Clark and Patricia jumped to their feet when the door slammed open.
"Trespassing on a federal crime scene, resisting arrest by my men, do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" General Sam Lane practically growled at them as he marched into the room with Lois in tow.
"All this for just crossing a piece of yellow tape?" Lois answered sarcastically.
"Can it Lo. You and your friends here are in serious trouble." Lane's gravelly voice continued as he stared at Clark, Patricia and Lois in turn.
"I wouldn't go that far General." Patricia spoke up as she took a step in front of Clark.
"Miss Swann, I don't think you understand the situation you're in." Lane stared at Patricia hard as he reached into his breast pocket for a cigar. Clark noticed that it was the same brand as the one he'd seen in Lex's study.
"The last time I checked, a military officer, even a three star general couldn't arrest a civilian not living on a military base unless martial law had been declared. Also there are the facts that you have failed to read us our rights, take our statements, or even the glaringly obvious conflict of interest of holding your own daughter." Clark just watched in awe as Patricia made Lane's face go blank.
"She's got you there dad" Lois added.
"Quiet Lois, the adults are talking." Lois immediately shut up, her face going red as she settled for staring daggers at her father. Ordinarily, Clark would have felt sorry for her but his ears were still ringing from her rapid fire questioning on the long drive to the base.
"All true miss Swann, but I can hold you in protective custody for up to twenty four hours." General Lane continued.
"Protecting us from what?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"My lawyers know where we are. If something happens to us, they know where to look."
"Is that a fact? Now why would the Swann foundation be interested in the goings on in Smallville?"
"Because I've been giving serious thought to starting up Swann communications again and where better to start small than Smallville?"
"Say I believe you. What has Mr Kent got to do with this?"
"He's been working for the foundation over the summer, when I told him about my idea, he was the one to suggest I do it here." It was a bold faced lie, but Clark thought Patricia was telling it well.
"A rich kid in Smallville? I find that hard to believe." Clark decided to join the conversation.
"Lex Luthor lives here, but you already knew that General." Clark looked the General in the eye, then let his gaze travel to give the unlit cigar in Sam Lane's hand a significant look. He couldn't tell what the man was thinking, that blank wall the man probably thought was an expression was a pretty effective poker face.
Whatever it was, Lane spun on his heel and marched out of the room. A still fuming Lois hot on his heels.
"Well played." Patricia smiled as she sat back down on the shelf like bed.
"You too." Clark smiled back at her.
"What was that about Lex?" Clark joined her on the shelf.
"Remember what I told you I noticed in Lex's study?"
"What the hell was that about?" Lois chased her father down the corridor, he'd always had a quick stride thanks to all that marching he'd done. She knew when he didn't want to talk he chose to walk, leaving her to try and keep up. Thanks to her last growth spurt she could now easily keep up with him, but like so many things in their relationship he hadn't noticed for years.
"WELL?" Lois bumped into him as he came to a short sharp stop.
"In here." Sam Lane pulled open a door and gestured for Lois to go first, as she entered the room ahead of him fairly vibrating with frustration, Sam quickly shut the door behind her and locked it.
If the banging and swearing was any indication, his little girl was not happy with him.
"I see Lois is still the same pain in the ass I remember sir." Wes Keenan said from the end of the corridor.
"Report" General Lane ordered.
"The two we brought with us are who they say they are. Miss Swann is the daughter of the world famous Virgil Swann, billionaire, recluse, humanitarian and a few other things. Mister Kent is a local boy, extremely well connected being friends with both Miss Swann and Lex Luthor. We can't corroborate what either of them said in the interrogation room beyond the fact they know each other. But Mister Kent definitely knows your niece."
"Anything else?"
"Kid's strong. Fast too. Definitely a fighter."
"How's your back?"
"Bruised, it's been a while since I got tossed around like that."
"Don't tell me you're still upset he got the drop on you?"
"He caught me sleeping, it won't happen a second time."
"Sure it's not your pride that's bruised?"
"Have I ever lied to you sir?"
"Well, there was that story about how you got that scar over your eye."
"You knew about that?"
"There's very little that happens I don't know about, or in this case I can find out about. Remember that soldier."
"Yes sir."
"Wes?"
"Sir?"
"Don't ever let me hear you talking about my daughter like that again."
"Yes sir! The Generals daughter is a ray of sunshine and a delight to everybody she meets." Wes attempted to say with a straight face. He failed.
Sam Lane fought his own smile as he headed for his office. It was a good thing Wes Keenan was a damn good soldier, he couldn't lie to save his life.
Ever since the explosion at the safe house, Chloe Sullivan had been in hiding. The scenery had changed every week. Her surroundings in all that time had been the same eight men who worked in pairs in twelve hour rotations. As far as she knew her father had a similar arrangement. All thanks to my Uncle Sam.
So it was something of a surprise when Sam Lane, three star army general and overprotective control freak had her brought to his base for their weekly chat four days early.
Chloe had been driven through the gate entrance without so much as a look from the guards, escorted past the block that held her uncles office and driven straight to a grey box like building she'd never seen before.
Her feet had barely touched the ground when without so much as a word spoken her two shadows ferried her along empty corridor after empty corridor before she came face to face with her grim faced uncle.
"We need to talk."
"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Chloe asked Lois as they both watched Clark and his new friend in the interrogation room.
"The princess is probably complaining about how her cashmere sweater has been stretched." Lois answered with her usual lack of tact. Their reunion had been tearful. After a thorough talk with her uncle to determine that no she hadn't been in contact with anyone but him. Thanks for the show of faith General, I see where Lois gets it from now. Chloe had been whisked into another room where Sam Lane had thrust her into an irate Lois' path.
Whatever Lois had been ticked about had been dropped for the time being. No doubt Chloe would find out soon enough.
Chloe's eyes were fixed on where Clark Kent and Patricia Swann were sitting so closely together. She'd be lying if she said she was comfortable with the looks they were giving each other. Especially the looks Miss Swann was giving Clark.
Seeing Clark again had been one of the things Chloe had been looking forward to. She had known it wouldn't be much longer before she testified against Lionel Luthor and could then go back to her life. Go back to Smallville, back to the Torch, back to her favourite farm boy. And with Lana Lang out of sight and out of mind, maybe Clark would finally get a clue and see what was right in front of him!
Lois looked from her recently returned from the dead cousin to the farm boy and his trust fund girlfriend. "She's probably trying to convince him to go back to New York with her, so she can take him shopping . . . . and get him to ditch the plaid shirts. . . . and the giant bunny ears . . . . did you know I rode here on a unicorn?" Lois snarked when she realised Chloe wasn't actually paying attention to her. All of her focus was on the couple on the other side of the one-way glass.
Chloe ruthlessly cut down the feelings of unease that welled up inside her. "He'll turn her down, his home is in Smallville."
"Of course he will, why would he accept?" Lois agreed hesitantly, not sure if they were still talking about the same thing anymore.
"He spent one summer working for the legendary Virgil Swann, the man who almost single handedly improved communications technology so that in the space of a decade we went from having cellphones the size of a suitcases, to ones smaller that a deck of cards." Chloe refused to give a name to what she was feeling as she spoke.
"Exactly, he worked for her dad, the great and powerful Swann. She's a spoilt, skinny trust fund brat, while he's a big dumb hick. Nothing going on between those two at all." If Chloe had bothered to look, she would have noticed Lois watching her keenly. Instead she was focussed on Clark as he got that familiar far away look in his eyes. The one he usually got right before he had to rush off somewhere.
"Exactly." Chloe agreed. Again not bothering to look, she missed Lois' knowing smile. Chloe's sweet on the farm boy! Filing this information away for later blackmail or gossip purposes, Lois waited a whole second before changing the subject to what she really wanted to talk about.
Clark smiled as he listened to Chloe's voice. She was alive. I was right.
"What is it?" Patricia whispered. Sitting so close to Clark had allowed her to feel the tension leave his body. "Good news?"
"I can hear Chloe talking. She's here."
Her head whipped round to look him directly in the eye. His hearing is sharper than baseline normal too? Although Patricia honestly wondered why she was surprised, he could see more than she could, so it stood to reason he could hear more than she could too. She was learning so much about him today.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an alarm going off.
"What is it?"
Clark tensed up like a hunting dog.
"Trouble."