Author's Notes: Thanks to Shezz05 for inspiring the first scene, and to all of my reviewers, I don't have enough words to express how thankful I am for all of your feedback and motivation. Because of you, I decided to make this chapter longer than I had intended.
I also want to point out something in regards to time in this story. I have purposefully left the setting up to assumption in regards to day/month. Occasionally there will be hints such as "the next day" or "it was a month away", but otherwise I will rarely or never pinpoint any actual time, with the exception of festive holidays (Christmas, etc). I did this because I want the time to flow without restraints. This story will end when Ethan is an adult, so I want to have the freedom to age him with ease without making it look skipped or overlooked. Such as, in five chapters a few days might have passed, or it could have been months. It varies, which is the point of keeping the flow loose and not specific.
The title refers to the Daily Planet's motto/tagline, which was the only way I could title this chapter with Daily Planet references, and underlining meanings throughout. I also created my first manips ever, which were for this story. Check the website in my profile and click on the page for "Ethan". There's one of Clark with young Ethan, and one of Lois holding Ethan as a baby.
As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter. There's a lot in it!
~ Straight From the Source (part 1) ~
The house was quiet as the earliest rays of sunlight blanketed the farmland and began to pass through the windows, making faint patterns across the floor and furniture. It was barely sunrise, though most inhabitants of the household were already out of bed.
All except one.
Ethan ascended the steps with bare feet, and peered into the hallway leading to his bedroom and the one across from it. He passed his grandparent's room and the bathroom, stopping outside the bedroom on his right. The five-year-old pushed open the door and smiled at the occupant sleeping comfortably underneath the blankets of his dad's bed.
He ran forward and jumped onto the bed, startling the sleeper awake.
'Lois! Lois!' Ethan's cheerful rang in her ears.
'What?' She groaned.
Lois lifted the "do not disturb" blindfold from her eyes to glare at the enthusiastic child seated beside her. She raised herself onto her elbows and looked at the clock on the bedside table, as though the dim morning sunlight wasn't enough to tell her it was very early.
'Ethan!' Lois lay back down and grumbled. 'What?' She asked again, hoping it was something important.
'You have to get up now.' Ethan answered as he slipped off the bed.
'Says who?' Lois pulled the sheets over her head in rejection to the implications of daylight.
'Daddy.' Ethan told her, and left the room to head back down the stairs.
Lois tossed off the sheets and glared at the doorway. Yawning, she reluctantly got up and dressed for work. When she finally made her way downstairs fifteen minutes later, she was not amused to see everyone else actively awake.
'Morning, Lois.' Clark greeted her with a wide smile.
He never missed the chance to tease her when she looked exhausted and in need of her morning coffee.
'I have you to blame for this?' Lois eyed him as she slumped into a chair at the table.
'Hardly.' Clark rolled his eyes. 'If you hadn't stayed up all night watching that movie...'
'That was not my fault.' Lois insisted. 'It was yours.'
'How was it my fault?' Clark argued back.
'You should have stopped me.' Lois said simply, gratefully accepting the coffee mug from Martha.
She was glad Clark didn't mention he had tried to stop her, multiple times, and she'd ignored him.
Ethan was seated beside Lois, looking to his right where she bickered with his dad. It wasn't unusual to the boy, as they spoke like that at work all the time, and he knew Lois didn't like early mornings. He swung his legs underneath the table, as his feet were still far above the floor, and continued eating his porridge with a smile.
It had been a bit rough lately, with Lois keeping her distance for reasons Ethan still didn't completely understand, but things seemed to be back to normal. He carried his bowl to the kitchen and stood on his tip-toes to slip it into the sink, which was a bit above his reach. Looking for something to do, Ethan went outside and knew his grandfather had started the morning chores, which the boy considered helping him with.
Instead, the five-year-old walked across the driveway and kept going until he reached the fence.
Climbing up onto it, Ethan sat on the fence and watched the cows grazing in the distance. He had picked two of his favourites, but still wasn't allowed into the paddock on his own. He would have asked his dad to go with him, except Ethan was so glad to have things back the way they had been with his father and Lois, that he didn't mind waiting until later when his grandfather fed the cows.
Ethan sat there for a while, until he heard the approach of high-heeled footsteps. He glanced sideways when Lois join him, and felt smug to be taller than her from where he sat atop of the fence.
'That's Betty.' Ethan pointed to the nearest dairy cow. 'And that one is Cleo.' He added, indicating to a brown one by itself.
'You named the cows?' Lois asked with a raised eyebrow.
'Only them because they're my favourite.' Ethan shared. 'Do you have to go to work now?'
'Yeah.' Lois nodded. 'I came to tell you that your dad and I might be working late tonight, so we won't see you before you go to bed.'
'Okay.' Ethan turned to lean towards her, showing his trust as he could have easily fallen if she hadn't reached for him. 'Bye.'
'Be good, kiddo.' Lois hugged him and stepped back, knowing Clark was waiting for her by the car.
'Lois?' Ethan asked quickly. 'Will you see Uncle Ollie today?'
'Maybe.' Lois answered, having no idea if she would or not. 'Why?'
'Nothing.' Ethan looked away and slouched his shoulders.
'You miss him?' Clark appeared directly beside Lois, startling her slightly, but not Ethan.
'Yeah.' Ethan sighed. 'He's busy saving people. Right, daddy?' He looked hopefully at his father.
'Probably.' Clark nodded and harmlessly seized Lois' arm to steer her to the car before she could add any additional comments.
They knew Oliver was primarily the Green Arrow during the night unless something came happened during the day, but Clark didn't think Ethan had to hear that. Explaining the duties of an important CEO of a multi-million-dollar company, and his contributions to Watchtower, wasn't something Clark wanted to go through.
Lois did not take kindly to being "dragged" back to her car, as she'd called it, which resulted in Clark's ears suffering from her ranting for most of the trip to the city. He wished he hadn't agreed to carpool with her, since they were living together and it would be more effective to travel in one vehicle, but had no way of explaining how he'd beat her to work every day. It meant he had a bit over an hour to sit and stare out the open window, trying to drown out her voice until he had something he could actually discuss or comment on.
Despite what he might tell others, he didn't consider her ramblings to be overly annoying. It was just Lois, and Clark had adapted a long time ago to the point it was almost comfortable. But today was different, with her earlier-than-usual waking noticeably impacting her mood.
'Are you even listening to me?' Lois frowned when they arrived at Metropolis.
'Of course I am, Lois.' Clark glanced at her with a sigh.
'Then what did I just say?' She challenged, parking the car and getting out.
She gave the door a hard shove and walked around to stare at him, convinced as she was that he hadn't heard a word she'd said to him the entire trip.
'I don't think Oliver's priorities are out of place, Lois.' Clark said. 'And breaking down his door isn't going to help.'
'Don't be so sure, Smallville.' Lois strode towards the Daily Planet building with Clark following behind her. 'How hard is it really to pick up the phone and call the kid?'
'He does call.' Clark defended his friend. 'Oliver called just last night. You wouldn't know that because you were too busy using up all our hot water.' He said dryly.
As they stepped into the elevator, Lois pretended he hadn't said anything.
They didn't say anything to each other as they walked towards their desks, but before they'd reached them it was clear that something was very different. The bullpen was more organised than usual, with neat stacks of papers on the desks and trash bins properly aligned, yet there was a sense of chaos all around them.
People rushed by and others talked on their phones with determination that only showed in the occurrence of a big news story.
'Did we miss something?' Lois frowned.
She looked around, trying to figure out what was going on, whereas Clark remained quiet and suspicious. They walked to their desks and noticed all of their belongings had been packed into a box, complete with their nameplates.
'Did we get fired?' Clark wondered.
'For what?!' Lois snapped, furious at the idea of someone firing her with no notice or reason.
'Lane! Kent!' A man hurried over to them. 'You've been promoted.' He said quickly, as though it was an urgent announcement. 'Come on.' He directed them back to the elevator.
Clark and Lois looked at each other, wondering what they had done to earn their promotion, then each grabbed their box of belongings and rushed after the quick-paced man. They entered the elevator and took notice of what floor they were brought too, which was several above where they had been working.
'Over there.' He pointed to a pair of joined desks and disappeared again.
The newsrooms was much like the previous one, but with less panic. The employees were clearly more adapted to the busy life of a Daily Planet reporter, and therefore far less stressed, but still as equally fast-paced.
'Okay, what the hell is going on around here?' Lois demanded to know. She dumped her box on the surface of her new desk with a loud clatter. Several people nearby them paused and looked over, then returned to their tasks.
Clark sighed, as he had no idea, and noticed the area they were now working in wasn't much different to the last. The windows were brighter and he could see more of the city, as they were higher up, but otherwise their facing desks were positioned similarly to before. He placed his nameplate on the desk, and pushed it across to its designated spot, then turned to begin filling his drawers with the small amount of belongings he kept at work.
Lois didn't share his interest in getting settled in, and had already started wandering around the room to figure out what was going on and why everyone was consistently working harder than usual. Clark didn't have to find out, because once Lois knew he was sure he'd hear all about it. He looked towards the office far across from the door and only had the chance to notice it was Tess' office, before a woman's voice yelled from within it.
'Lane! Kent!' She called. 'Get in here!'
Only it wasn't Tess' voice, even though she was supposed to be their editor and the one who runs the Daily Planet.
Clark rose and got out his phone to call her, intent on finding out why someone else was in her office, but Lois interrupted him. When she gave him a firm look to not let her walk in there alone, knowing it was someone other than Tess in there, Clark had to pocket his phone and trail after her.
With his phone called delayed, he felt further uncomfortable with the lack of information, so he took the time to read the name on the door, hoping it would give him a clue as to who he would be dealing with.
The golden letters indicated their new editor was Jacqueline West.
He stood beside Lois, each facing the woman standing behind the desk, and while neither recognised her, Clark thought her name sounded familiar. She was a former reporter herself, once working in the same newsroom they had been assigned to. If everything he'd heard about her was true, then Clark knew why the employees were working harder than they normally did.
Jacqueline West was exactly the sort of person to run any operation or event with a firm hand and no-nonsense attitude.
'So we've got a new editior?' Lois commented without hesitation, crossing her arms over her chest, as she looked the woman over to form her own opinions about her. 'That explains the rush to impress.' She said dryly.
Clark cringed and wished Lois knew when to keep her mouth shut sometimes.
'And you're the infamous Lois Lane.' West returned the narrowed-eyed expression. 'I guess I owe Jack an apology. He wasn't exaggerating about you. Good.' She nodded. 'I need reporters like you. Lane, the woman who knows how to break any hot story and won't take "no" for an answer. And Kent, the man who always seems to be the first on the scene and has a natural instinct to know where to look for the truth.'
'Is that why we've been promoted?' Lois fished for details, deciding the new editor wasn't too bad.
'No. I wanted to keep a closer eye on you two.' West sat down at her desk, which had articles already covering its surface. 'I see a lot of potential, and frankly I think it's being wasted. However, I do need to know if you're worth the investment. You have one hour to find a story and then I want to hear about it. You have until sundown to bring me an article worthy of the front page. If you fail, you're both going to the basement to work your way back up to this point.'
'That's-'
'I don't want to hear it, Miss Lane.' West gave them a firm stare. 'The clock is ticking.'
Lois marched out of the office and headed for her desk.
Clark turned to do the same, but took his time as he got out his phone and called Tess. He didn't trust the new editor if she had somehow managed to replace Tess, who owned and ran the building.
'Tess.' Clark said instantly when she answered, but anything he'd been about to say was cut off by her equally fast reply.
'If you're wondering why I didn't tell you about your new editor, then don't.' Tess sounded very busy and stressed with whatever task she was doing while talking to him. 'I'm the only one at Watchtower right now and we're having a problem with the satellite, so I didn't have time to warn you. I figured you'd find out soon enough anyway.'
'What happened?' Clark got straight to the point.
'Don't worry, Clark.' Tess assured him. 'I just stepped down as the editor, but Oliver and I still hold ownership of the Daily Planet and maintain our level of control over it. I don't want to sit in the office reading articles when I could be here.'
'And Jacqueline West?'
'She's highly qualified.' Tess said. 'She will do the job right. I wouldn't have hired her if I wasn't absolutely sure she was the right one for the position. If you need anything, let me know, but Clark...' She sighed and paused her typing for a moment. 'You might want to blend in more; West was a damn good reporter in her day. It's a risk I had to take, and it was my decision to make.'
Clark didn't like being hung up on, and he wasn't happy about not being informed, but he couldn't be angry at her for hiring West. It was true, that it wasn't up to him, and Clark knew Tess was as valuable to Watchtower as Chloe and Oliver were. The only part he really didn't like was her advice to blend in more, because it gave Clark yet another thing to worry about.
'Hey!' Lois snapped at him to get his attention. 'Do you expect me to do everything here? We have one hour, Smallville! I don't know about you, but I am not getting demoted to the basement to write obituaries and waste my time answering that lousy hotline.'
'It's only been five minutes, Lois.' Clark sighed as he joined her.
'Every minute counts!' Lois frowned. 'Now start looking, Mr Natural Instinct.'
Clark gave her a deadpan expression and shook his head, as he sat down and begun searching for a story to save them from the basement.
~ E ~
Clark tried to keep to himself during most of the hour, but could not help arguing back when Lois made a comment or two in her annoyed state. He understood she didn't want to get demoted, but her stressed determination was getting on his nerves.
When they were called back to the office ten minutes prior to their deadline, the pair had only just picked their story. West listened to what they'd found and approved, though there was still a lot of pressure on them to make it worthy of the front page of tomorrow's Daily Planet edition.
They had roughly nine to ten hours to investigate and write their story, so luckily their destination was only across the street to the Ace of Clubs.
Their press passes could get them only so far, but being friends with Oliver Queen had a lot of benefits. Clark and Lois headed inside and looked around, keeping an eye out for something they could include in the story or help them on the way to getting answers. The police had already taken statements and deemed which customers were cleared enough to leave, which was almost all of them. It was the necessary actions, which linked to the dead man who had been discovered near the large windows. A sheet covered him, and Clark went to have a look while Lois pestered a police officer for the details. He stood over to body and noticed the lack of blood or signs of a crime, apart from the fallen man who was beyond saving.
He heard a woman talking behind him in an insistent tone, but didn't turn around until she said she was with the Daily Planet. He didn't recognise her, though she seemed to know who he was because the woman marched right over to him with a professional camera in her arms and its loose strap around her neck.
She had her own press pass, though he didn't get a good look at it, and wondered who she was.
'Excuse me.' She said to him in a tone of properness rather than politeness, as she walked around him and stepped under the crime scene tape. She pulled back the sheet and started taking photos of the middle-aged victim.
Clark, without answering her, took the chance to examine the body.
There wasn't a lot to see, with no signs of being stabbed or shot, only an odd burn mark on his neck. He tried to get a better look, but the unknown woman blocked his path as she finished taking pictures and stood to face him.
'Clark, right?' She looked him over with a smile.
'And who the hell are you?' Lois joined them, her heels clacking against the hard surface of the club floor.
Her first thought cast this woman as someone who was taking their story, despite the obvious presence of the expensive camera, which was generally used by photographers from the media instead of the reporters.
The woman, who had hazel eyes, and brown hair streaked with black, turned to Lois with a less kinder look than she'd given Clark. She was reluctant to answer, but the expression on Lois' face was one of anti-negotiation.
'Lauren.' She answered. 'I'm the new photojournalist for the Daily Planet. Editor West assigned me to work with you two. If you don't mind, I have a job to do.' Lauren ducked underneath the tape and turned to walk around the club in search of anything else she could photograph.
Clark watched her walk away, and barely heard Lois telling him they had to split up to talk to the possible witnesses. Clark looked away and nodded at Lois, before he headed for the bar where one of the few employees remained. The light-haired bartender looked up at him when he joined her, her hazel eyes darker than Lauren's - who Clark was still watching with suspicion.
The bartender glanced at his press pass and was unmistakeably nervous, seeming tempted to run away to hold her silence in effort to protect herself from being involved.
'Clark Kent, with the Daily Planet.' He said formally, regardless that she'd just read those details on his press pass.
He sat on the stool, as he thought it would make him look less intimidating, and gave her his attention.
'I just have a few questions.'
'Sure.' She allowed as she continued to dry the glass in her hand.
Clark noticed she barely looked old enough to be working at the bar, but didn't comment.
'You were working when it happened?' Clark got out a notepad and pencil. 'Did you see anything?'
'I'm the one who called the police.' The girl answered. 'But I didn't see what happened. The bar was really busy, and I heard someone yelling to call 911 when the man collapsed.'
'Kent!'
Clark closed his mouth, as he had been about to ask another question, when Lauren called him over. Sighing, he excused himself and rose from the stool, but the bartender reached to grasp his wrist with her hands to stop him. Clark turned back to her and met her gaze, wondering why she'd touched him.
'I don't know much.' She said quietly. 'But another girl, Krystal, she was taking pictures of her friends when it happened. I saw one, and it looked a bit weird. You might want to ask her about it.' The bartender pointed to a woman standing near the restrooms.
'Thanks.' Clark nodded.
'You're welcome.' The girl smiled at him sadly. 'I hope you find who did this.'
She slowly released his wrist, and Clark turned to find out why Lauren was trying to get his attention.
Clark exhaled a long breath when he was once again hindered from having a moment of peace. Lois complained about the lack of answers she'd been getting from the police officers, though Clark cleverly diverted her attention to Krystal instead. The woman had platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and instantly gave the impression of someone who put a lot of effort and money into her appearance.
Lois looked a little too enthusiastic about interviewing such a person to get the picture from her, but Clark had other things to worry about.
'About time.' Lauren frowned, from where she was standing near a back wall. 'You're tall. I need your help to reach the vent up there.' She pointed high above their heads to a ventilation slot in the wall.
'I-' Clark had no time to object before Lauren stepped close to him and fixed him with an impatient look.
Reluctantly, Clark stood by the wall and helped her climb onto his shoulders. Once she was standing, Clark was very focused on her movements in case she slipped and fell. The heels pressed against his shoulders didn't hurt, but he made a comment or two about it anyway. He didn't want to let appearances slip in regards to his abilities, so he had to give the impression he was just like the rest of the humans in regards to strength and capabilities.
'A little to the left!' Lauren called down to him.
Human or Kryptonian, he could hear her fine without the unnecessarily raised tone. Clark held her ankles while he moved, to prevent a loss of balance, and wondered how he got dragged into such things. He spotted Lois heading towards him with a disgruntled look on her face, and suddenly wished he could have stayed at the office.
'Did you get the picture?' Clark asked to break the tense silence he became acutely aware of.
Personally, he didn't see what the big deal was, with him standing there with Lauren on his shoulders, but Lois watched her with a jealous glare even he couldn't miss.
'You bet I did.' Lois nodded.
She tried to show him the picture from her phone, which had been sent there by Krystal as opposed to handing over her own, which Lois had demanded, but Clark couldn't get a good view of it without moving. He suspected Lois positioned it deliberately, as she was once again looking up at Lauren with disapproval.
Clark wanted to see it, but didn't get the chance when Lauren gracefully slipped down. His instincts kicked in and he held his hands out to partially catch her so she didn't land too hard.
Lauren blushed at the action, and Lois looked ready to punch someone.
'Thanks. You have strong arms.' Lauren said with a chuckle. 'There's nothing up there.'
'In the air vent?' Lois retorted. 'What were you hoping for, a secret spy camera that conveniently captured the dead man's death?'
'It's possible.' Lauren matched her tone.
Clark stood awkwardly between the two woman and realised his already pressuring day was going to feel a lot longer than it had been so far. He wasn't sure why, but Lauren and Lois didn't look like a pair who were going to be very good friends, and he had to deal with both of them for another nine hours. He felt the odd sensation of a forming headache, which was unnatural for him, but didn't surprise him under the circumstances he found himself in.
Clark knew he was going to be caught in the crossfire between the two strong-willed women, and he wasn't looking forward to the hours ahead.
Ethan had just finished his lunch and was sitting on his rocket-printed bed.
He sighed and lay back against the covers, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars his dad had stuck to the ceiling of his bedroom. The boy hadn't asked why, but there was one star that glowed red instead of golden, almost as though it was pinpointing something significant in the night sky.
The five-year-old was bored.
He was still used to spending his days at Queen Industries, the Daily Planet, or even LuthorCorp Plaza. He was used to having his nanny, Sandy, keep him busy when he didn't know how to pass the time. He missed running around after his dad, Lois, or Oliver. The farm was interesting, but Ethan hadn't been there long enough to work out every available option he had when he became bored. So, like any other moment when he'd been in the exact same position, Ethan decided to play with Shelby.
Getting up, Ethan headed downstairs and passed his grandparents on the way to the door. It was a nice day outside, with the sun shining from behind white clouds, and the five-year-old would rather enjoy it than sit in his bedroom with his toys.
Ethan had spent most of the morning with his grandparents, but he missed the others he was used to seeing almost every day. Ethan wanted to sit with his dad at the Daily Planet, then go to lunch with Lois in the city, or spent time with Oliver and those he was fond of. He loved his grandparents and Shelby, but Ethan was still going through an adjustment period he was agreeing with less and less as the weeks went gone by.
Passing the sleeping dog, Ethan changed his mind and headed for the barn.
He'd received a strict talking-to from his dad the night before about making sure he didn't go through the stuff in the loft without permission. Even so, Ethan still enjoyed the time he spent up there, as it was peaceful and comforting. It was a place his dad went when he was growing up, to calm his mind and spend time with his own thoughts.
Ethan slowly walked up the wooden steps to the loft, and looked around for something to focus on. His gaze fell onto the telescope. The boy walked to it and had a look through it, but there wasn't much to see during the day.
He pulled the desk chair over so he could still reach the telescope even if he tilted it to change the direction of where he wanted to see. Stepping up, Ethan looked through the telescope once again and realised he had a clear view of the neighbouring house. When he saw a moving truck out the front of the unfamiliar house, Ethan realised they had new neighbours, though he didn't know who the old ones had been.
He wanted to use the telescope to try and get a better look at them, but he was distracted by the sound of a car arriving outside the barn.
Thought on the neighbours forgotten, Ethan jumped down from the chair and hurried down the steps of the loft. He rushed outside to see who their visitor was, hoping his dad and Lois had come home early despite what they'd said about working late. When the boy emerged from the barn, he wasn't disappointed to see it was neither Lois nor Clark who had arrived.
'Uncle Ollie!' Ethan yelled and ran forward to greet him.
The boy jumped into his arms the second he had gotten out of the vehicle, and nearly knocked Oliver into the side of the car.
Jonathan and Martha had heard their grandson's raised voice from the house, and headed outside to see what the commotion was. They spotted Oliver with a joyful Ethan in his arms, and headed over to say hello.
'This is a surprise.' Martha commented while the men shook hands.
'A good one, I hope.' Oliver joked and put Ethan down. 'I thought I'd drop by, since Clark and Lois are working late.' He shrugged.
It was better for his dignity that Oliver didn't mention the multiple threats he'd received from Lois, which he'd discovered earlier when he'd checked his voice-mails.
'I would have come sooner, but uh, I was busy.' Oliver said.
He'd heard about the Kents from Clark and Lois over the years, but he still didn't know them personally. He wasn't sure how much they knew about him, so Oliver decided not to say more than he felt he had to for now.
'It can't be easy, leading a double identity.' Martha said with a smile. 'And you're welcome any time.'
'Double identity?' Oliver winced and chuckled with embarrassment. 'You know about that?'
'That you're the Green Arrow?' Jonathan raised an eyebrow. 'Yeah. Clark told us.'
'Of course he did.' Oliver muttered and averted his gaze.
'I can talk about it?' Ethan grinned when he overheard.
He adored his dad and Oliver's jobs as heroes, but it was one of the hardest things in the world for a five-year-old to keep secret. Luckily, there weren't many people he interacted with enough for Ethan to want to tell them, but when he realised he could share the stories with his grandparents, it made the little boy very excited.
'Grandma, grandpa, you should see the Green Arrow saving people!' Ethan straight away started rambling about all the amazing things his idol could do. 'He shoots a rope thing and slides on it through the air across really big buildings!'
'Uh, it's nothing.' Oliver waved off the praise, though he felt smug to be the boy's favourite hero despite Clark having many incredible powers Oliver could only dream of. 'Anyway, have either of you seen a girl with black hair recently?' He asked the Kents seriously.
'No.' Martha frowned. 'Should we have?'
'No.' Oliver shook his head. 'No, just curious.' He shrugged, but wasn't relieved by their answer. 'Oh.' He heard the back door of the car open and turned around to watch his passenger get out.
'Didn't forget about me, did you?' Tess asked dryly as she tried to balance a laptop in her arms.
She saw Ethan standing nearby and quickly closed her laptop. She put it on the seat of the car and stepped aside to slam the door shut, bracing herself.
'Aunt Tess!' Ethan ran over to her as well, and hugged her around the middle. He hadn't seen her in a very long time, and had missed her too.
'Hello, Ethan.' She said and crouched down to return the hug.
'I don't think anyone could forget you, Mercy.' Oliver commented in answer to her sarcastic question aimed at him a moment earlier. 'Especially not Ethan Kent.'
'What's going on?' Jonathan asked.
He and Martha liked the company and always made an effort to get to know anyone who was clearly close to Ethan or Clark, but having Oliver and an unknown woman show up wasn't as casual as Oliver tried to make it look.
They knew there was more to the visit than it appeared.
'Tess Mercer.' She greeted the Kents and shook their hands. 'I work with Oliver. And I know about Clark – he told me himself.'
The Kents exchanged a glance and wondered what was special about Tess that their son would trust her with his secret. They realised a lot must have changed over the years in regards to his secrecy as well. Impossibly, the newer friendships he'd formed did give the impression of being founded on stronger bonds than the ones from his past. They weren't sure why his life in Metropolis was different to the one in Smallville, in regards to taking the risk of trusting someone with his secret.
Or perhaps there had been a higher necessity?
'I want a boat for Christmas, Uncle Ollie.' Ethan tugged at his shirt to get his attention. 'I want to see the whole world!'
'Christmas isn't for another month, kiddo.' Oliver chuckled. 'Wait, you mean a real boat? I uh, I don't think there's anywhere to put that around here.'
'But I want to see the whole world.' Ethan pouted.
'There are other ways to see the world, Ethan.' Tess intervened. 'Oliver?' She glanced at him, trying to press the time and the reason they'd stopped by.
She took a science bag from the back of the car, which was perfectly sized to fit various equipment, devices, and fragile containers.
Oliver nodded permission and watched her walk to the barn, with Ethan trailing curiously behind her, before he turned back to the Kents and explained what was going on.
'Clark told us about what happened.' Oliver said to Jonathan, referring to his visit to the hospital. 'Tess is going to gather some data from where it happened, to try and figure out what went on that day.'
'I wish I could remember.' Jonathan said, frustrated he couldn't help work out who or what attacked him.
'Hm.' Oliver sighed. 'Well, we'll know soon enough.'
'What do you think it might be?' Martha asked.
She could tell Oliver avoided looking them in the eye, and was surprised someone of his wealth and reputation was rather easy to read, unless he simply had his guard down around them.
'Honestly?' Oliver glanced at the barn. 'I'd rather not think about it. But we will find out.'
A silence fell over them for several more minutes, until Tess emerged from the barn with Ethan at her side. The boy rejoined Oliver, looping an arm around his leg as he stood beside him, while Tess headed to her car and put the bag in the trunk. She'd only intended to get the data back to Watchtower right away, and then pick up Oliver in a few hours.
Instead, she stopped by the driver's side door and turned to look at the Kents with a thoughtful expression.
'This can wait a bit longer. There's something I want show you.' Tess told them. 'I think you'll find it very interesting.'
Oliver looked downwards and exhaled with dread. He was very sceptical about what he thought she was talking about, but a wide grin spread over Ethan's face. The little boy knew exactly what Tess was referring to, and was excited because if his dad was there he wouldn't let her show Martha and Jonathan.
And Ethan really wanted to see it again.
'It's a shadow.' Clark stated plainly.
'That is more than a shadow, Smallville.' Lois argued and jabbed her finger at the enlarged picture sitting on the desk in front of him.
'Then it's a smudge.' Clark denied.
'You need glasses.' Lois frowned and snatched the picture from the desk.
She returned to her own and sat down to continue working on their story. The dark shape in the photo Krystal had taken was their only lead on the murderer, and Lois wasn't going to let it go. Clark, however, knew it could be extremely dangerous if the figure was able to move faster than the camera, but still leave behind a smoke-like shadow. It reminded him a lot of the blackened burn on the victim's neck, which was not at all a comforting factor.
He'd been butting heads with Lois all morning, and neither were willing to back down. It wasn't anything new to them, but when Lauren was added into the mix then tempers were further on edge. Luckily, the girls mostly ignored each other so Clark hadn't needed to jump between them yet.
At least Lauren wasn't annoying him over the photo, though Clark knew why. Lauren was a photographer, so she thought the ones she'd professionally taken with her state-of-the-art camera were far more relevant than the amateur snap from a waitress' cell phone. With those opinions, Clark wasn't surprised Lois had let the other girl do a bit of investigating on her own.
'What did the coroner say?' Clark asked Lauren the moment she returned.
His attention shifted to her, and Lois instantly looked up with an expression of irritated jealousy.
'There have been three other murders like this one.' Lauren said. 'And it was murder. We know that for sure now. The burn marks you noticed, Clark? The coroner said they were caused from an unknown acid or fast pressure. Everything underneath had been burned, almost dissolved, but he has no idea what could have caused it.'
'How'd you find that out?' Lois glowered.
'Believe it or not, Lane, but sometimes when you ask someone nicely they really do co-operate.' Lauren said bitterly. 'Being rude only gets you so far.'
'Being nice never got me far in this career.' Lois retorted. 'Why don't you just stick with your day job of taking pretty pictures? Leave the real journalism to us.'
'Is there any link between the victims?' Clark wondered.
He turned his head for a moment to focus his gaze on something further way, trying to ignore the throbbing in his head. He knew it wasn't normal for someone with his abilities and heritage to get a headache, but since it faded rather quickly afterwards, Clark focused on more important matters at hand.
'Not enough to make them targets.' Lauren sighed. 'They've all been to the Ace of Clubs at some point in the last three months. And they've all got a record, though for minor things like general thievery or resisting arrest. I did, however, find out they owed money to a company that doesn't exist. PrimeReach Corporation.' She said smugly.
'How's that for "real journalism", huh?' She smirked at Lois, who merely glared back at her.
Lauren got up and walked across the room to her own desk. She sat down and plugged her camera into the computer so she could sort through her photos on the screen. Clark and Lois got back to work on their article, which was looking to be a bigger assignment than they had time for. They still had over four hours, but no idea who the killer was or even how he/she had killed the victims.
'Lane! Kent! Lauren!' Their names were called from within the editor's office.
Clark and Lois glanced at each other with dread, then each stood and headed to the office with Lauren hurrying to keep up with them before the door closed. West sat at her desk, and removed her reading glasses as she glanced across the room at them.
'Alright, let me here it.' She said with a hint of discouragement. 'Where are we at with the story?'
'We have four victims.' Lois jumped in, without hesitation, before either Clark or Lauren could think of something to say. 'They all have some weird burn on their skin as the only indicator of murder. The coroner doesn't know specifically how they died. We have a picture of a shadow right before the recent guy died.'
She dropped the printed picture from Krystal's phone in front of West, who placed her glasses back on and examined it closely.
'It looks more like a smudge to me.' West said, to which Clark hid a smirk.
'Yeah, well...' Lois continued. 'Each of the victims had a connection to PrimeReach Corporation, which has no record of existing. I suspect a conspiracy!'
'Hm.' West removed her glasses and leaned back in her seat.
She looked at each of them in turn, then sighed.
'So basically you're telling me that after almost an entire day all we have is four dead people with no actual cause of death and absolutely no idea who killed them?'
'I...' Clark tried to think of something to contradict her words, but nothing came to mind.
'Not entirely.' Lauren added. 'I mean, we have...'
West nodded at their feeble attempts, then glanced at a rebellious-looking Lois, who merely crossed her arms in a blunt refusal to admit they had, in all journalistic usefulness, nothing.
'There is something going on here.' Lois insisted. 'Four people don't die from a flaming cigarette dipped in acid! PrimeReach, or whatever it really is, has to be involved!'
'That's great.' West said with mild sarcasm. 'But it's not going to sell papers.'
She told them the straight truth, which Lois rejected as well, while the other two shrugged and couldn't argue with what was being said.
'People are more interested in the what and who, than the where and why. They want to read something unusual - something they can talk about over dinner or on the train. Something they'll be shocked by, but feel assured afterwards.' West rose from her seat and walked around the desk to properly face them. 'That's what we do – we report, they buy, they read, and we keep our jobs. It's all in the name of truth, justice, and pay-checks.'
'I will find out what's going on.' Lois said firmly. 'There is a story here. We just need more time. There were hundreds of people in that club last night! A guy drops dead and no one saw anything? Not likely. Surely people will want to read about a conspiracy like this one? No one knows how they died!
'This is the Daily Planet.' West reminded them, keeping her gaze on Lois as she was the only one willing to protest the matter and hang onto their story until it reached the front page. 'It has to be accurate, it has to sell papers, and it must be straight from the source. That's our motto. You live it, breathe it, and let it be your motivation to rise above and beyond for the story.' West nodded.
'As long as it meets those things, I don't care how you get it as long as you get it. You've got four hours.'
'With all due respect...' Clark finally spoke, to which Lois looked thankful for and perceived his words to be her own personal back-up. 'Four hours isn't long enough for this kind of story. The sources know even less than we do.'
'Then you need better sources.' West wouldn't back down. 'If it was an easy job, you wouldn't have made it this far. Like I said, Mr Kent, I don't care how you get the truth, just get it. You have until sundown. If I don't have a complete, accurate story by then, the three of you will be in the basement for a very long time.'
She turned and sat back down, ignoring them as she reached for her glasses to read another article.
Clark and Lauren sighed with defeat, while Lois turned and marched out of the office with a huff of irritation and motivation to win their battle against a tough editor. She was going to prove herself and keep away from the basement, whereas the other two weren't sure how to move forward from there.
'I'll call the Police Department.' Lauren suggested. 'Maybe I can get a few more details, though I doubt it'll help.'
'Ask for Carlo.' Lois advised.
'Right.' Lauren nodded and headed to her desk across the bullpen to use the phone sitting atop it.
Lois mimicked her actions at her own desk, and Clark was impressed by her stubbornness to crack a big story in a seemingly hopeless amount of time. He had faith, though, that if anyone had a lot of contacts, it was Lois Lane.
Clark sat at his desk and felt he wasn't going to be much help. He considered who he could call, and how they could write this story without getting too involved. He knew it was dangerous, but Clark realised it was unavoidable unless he got them what they needed to know before Lois started kicking down doors.
'I'll get us some coffee.' Clark invented and quickly left the newsroom.
He turned into a corridor and backed inside a nearby copy room. He got out his phone and contemplated for only a second longer before he dialled the number.
'Hello?'
'Chloe.' Clark was glad she had a moment to spare, since she'd been really busy at Watchtower lately. 'Do you have a minute?'
'Sure.' Chloe answered. 'Our satellite is being completely useless at the moment, and I'm still trying to work out all the equipment Wayne Tech sent over, but the computers haven't been updated yet. What can I do for you?'
'I need some information.' Clark said.
He told her what he knew about the four victims, their connection to a non-existent company, and the mysterious way they'd died without a direct cause.
'Burn marks, huh?' Chloe didn't sound as curious as he'd expected, considering the unusual events he had presented her with. 'Well, I can tell you what you need to know to keep your job above the basement, but you're not going to like it.' She warned him. 'It sounds like Sylance.'
'Who?'
'Yeah, I didn't come up with the name.' Chloe typed at the keyboard to bring up the finer details. 'The company "PrimeReach" did exist, but it's since been destroyed. Bruce was actually telling me about this a few days ago.'
'I guess it's a good thing he finally decided to join us.' Clark was glad Tess had successfully convinced another billionaire to be a part of their league.
Oliver wasn't too impressed at first, and Bruce didn't take the Green Arrow very seriously, so they'd had a rocky start, but in the end he enlisted and was proving to be quite an ally.
'I wouldn't call it that, but yeah.' Chloe chuckled. 'Anyway, he mentioned a group of killings similar to the one you have now. It was by someone named Sylance, which is obviously not his real name. The victims had the same burn marks, though some were in extremely bad shape.' Chloe told him. 'They started in Gotham a year ago. The killings stopped, then happened in Star City. Both Batman and the Green Arrow have tried to stop him, but with no luck. They haven't even seen the guy. He blends into the shadows a little too well.'
'And now he's in Metropolis?'
'Looks like it.' Chloe said with dread. 'They stopped in Star City about a week before the first victim you're researching.'
'Thanks, Chloe.' Clark said, thinking it was enough to write a story on, even if he wasn't sure how to explain where he got the information from.
'Clark, there's more.' Chloe said in a grave tone. 'Sylance is suspected to be the person behind a mass theft from S.T.A.R Labs two years ago. It was damaged in the process, and was right before the first murder.'
'What was stolen?' Clark had a feeling it was the main part Chloe said he wasn't going to like.
'A massive stock of meteor rocks, which had been brought there from Smallville.' Chloe revealed.
'My editor is not going to like this.' Clark frowned, rubbing his temple with two fingers when his headache returned.
He found it hard to believe, but maybe even Kryptonians could get stressed and have physical consequences in the form of an aching head. It had to be the reason for his fleeting headaches he'd been getting today, ever since Clark had gone to the Ace of Clubs that morning.
'Did Tess really hire Jacqueline West as the new Daily Planet chief editor?' Chloe's enthusiasm increased. 'THE Jacqueline West? Did you know she worked with Perry White for years? Her entire career is really impressive, Clark. You are so lucky!'
'I'm not going to be so lucky if she demotes us so far down that Lois plans a hostile takeover.' Clark grumbled. 'Thanks, Chloe. I'll talk to you later.' He said and hung up.
Clark paused for a moment to absorb everything he'd learned, then sped off to get the coffee he'd promised, and returned to the newsroom. After Lois grabbed the coffee with alarmingly accurate speed, Lauren politely declined the hot drink and once again searched through her photos for something helpful. Clark returned to his desk and tried to work out how to break the news to them without revealing his source.
"Anonymous" was not going to cut it with Lois Lane when her name was going on the byline.
'Ugh!' Lois exclaimed with resentment and pushed her keyboard away. 'We need more time.' She complained. 'And a lot more coffee.'
'Or better sources.' Clark quoted West, which only earned him a glare from Lois.
'Good idea.' Lois stated sarcastically. 'Why don't you go find some, Smallville? Maybe the Green Arrow, or someone who has higher access than these outdated computers. Not even my cell phone is getting us anywhere at this point.'
A smile spread across Clark's face as he had an idea.
Lois saw it and smiled back before she quickly remembered she was supposed to be annoyed with him. He rose, and she did the same, whereas Lauren kept to herself and failed to notice their exchanges.
'I think I know how to get us on the front page.' Clark said with a smirk. 'Lois Lane, how would you like to interview a real Superhero?'
'Well, that depends. Is he red and blue?' Lois raised an eyebrow.
'No.' Clark shook his head. 'But he gave our killer a name. Is Batman a good enough source for the famous Lois Lane?'
'I dunno.' Lois smirked as she stepped close to him, looking up at him with the adoration and relief evident in her expression. 'It's a start. I'm actually impressed, Smallville. How on Earth did you manage to get Batman as your source, let alone know how to contact him?'
'Well, we can't all be the great Lois Lane.' Clark smiled. 'I had to be creative. I guess I'm just lucky.'
'Maybe.' Lois whispered. 'What other secrets are you hiding, Clark Kent? No one is that lucky.'
'Alone? No.' Clark agreed. 'But with you, Lois Lane? I feel could accomplish anything.'
After the one-hour drive to Metropolis, Jonathan and Martha still had no idea what Tess wanted to show them.
They followed her car into the city, with Ethan squirming on the seat nearest the passenger window of the truck. He knew exactly where they were going, and it took all of the five-year-old's willpower not to spoil the surprise.
Parking across the street from a tall building, the Kents got out and almost lost Ethan in the traffic when the boy took off running towards Oliver. The building looked ordinary enough, and it only confused the Kents further. They walked towards it and kept looking for any sign of indication that could tell them what was so special about the place that had made Ethan excited to be there.
They went inside and got into an elevator, then took a slight of stairs. Tess led the way to the main double doors and paused in front of them, giving the visitors a smile of anticipation before she turned and pushed the doors wide open.
'Welcome to Watchtower.' Tess said as the Kents stepped inside with awe. 'The official headquarters of the home team.'
'Wow.' Martha gasped, looking around at the computers and spacious area of the well-lit room.
Emil turned towards his unexpected company when they entered, seeing only as a distraction for the moment as he was busy working with the computers and tried to get their oddly failed satellite back online. Tess joined him, leaving Oliver with the guests, and they switched tasks to start work on analysing the data she'd retrieved from the farm.
'What is this place?' Jonathan inquired
'It's headquarters of America's League of Superheros. Or, the League of Justice.' Oliver answered. 'We're still working out the name. Clark formed it four years ago. He really brought us all together. We have people just like us all around the world, and here is the command center. Those in or near Metropolis stop by from time to time.'
'Like the Black Canary.' Ethan added. 'And Aquaman. And Impulse! Daddy has a lot of cool friends.'
'Clark did this?' Martha was so proud, though incredibly shocked as well.
Her son had made all of this possible, while still raising his son on his own in a big city. They hadn't necessarily underestimated him, but Clark's parents were still surprised by the amazing job he had done and the achievements he'd reached for to create a better world for his son, and for everyone.
'Well, I helped.' Oliver shrugged. 'We all did. But yeah, it was Clark's idea. Though he wasn't really a part of it until recently. We still call him Boy Scout sometimes.' He chuckled.
'Mr and Mrs Kent?' Chloe walked down the stairs from overhead and stopped halfway when she saw them. 'What are you doing here?'
'Tess thought they should see it.' Oliver shrugged, making a point of stating whose idea it was in case he got the blame for it.
'Chloe? You too?' Martha looked over at her.
'Yeah. Me too.' She smiled.
'Without Chloe, we'd have a really small team and no base.' Oliver praised her. 'The things she's done, and continues to do never ceases to astound us. She doesn't even need superpowers or a costume.'
'You're exaggerating.' Chloe said in a humble tone and rolled her eyes. 'Hey, Ethan.' She added to the boy when she saw him standing beside Oliver.
'Hi.' The boy nodded, shuffling his feet to keep himself from running around. He could only do that when he wasn't being supervised by Chloe or Emil.
'It's incredible.' Jonathan said, looking around in amazement.
'I like how homey it is.' Martha added, turning to face the lounge area complete with soft cushions and a coffee table. There was even a bookcase, though she noticed a toy-box in the corner and suspected Ethan had visited rather often over the years.
While Oliver and Chloe talked with Martha and explained how things worked, Jonathan walked over to the main wall of screens.
Many of them had ID profiles for some of the members, such as those Ethan had mentioned, along with several others. He saw Clark's amongst them, and his title as "The Blur". They fascinated Jonathan at first, until one near the center caught his attention. He stared at the dark-haired man with near-black eyes and tanned skin, wondering why he felt as though he should recognise him.
Emil glanced at Jonathan, then the picture he was fixated upon, but didn't comment. He turned back to Tess and conducted some more tests on the samples she'd brought him, while she went to rejoin Oliver and the others.
Ethan could find his way around Watchtower with his eyes closed - that's how well he knew the place, despite only a few regular visits over the years. But there was something new that caught his eye. A table of equipment many feet behind Emil gripped his focus, and the boy walked over to it to have a look. He grasped the edge with his hands, but couldn't quite see over it, even when he stood on his tip-toes to get a better look.
'Black Canary, online.' An electronic voice caught the attention of everyone except Ethan.
'Watchtower two, online.' Tess quickly put on the earpiece, indicating the communication hadn't been scheduled and could be very important.
Everyone moved to stand around her when the screen flickered on to show Dinah standing inside a darkened alley.
'Black Canary, what do you report?' Tess asked.
'We have a problem.' Dinah answered, giving the area a glance before she continued. 'He's on the move. The Blur was right, and this is a serious problem. Does Batman know anything new?'
'Watchtower one, online.' Chloe joined in.
'Green Arrow, online.' Oliver added. 'Do you know caused the burns?'
'I'm not so sure they are burns.' Dinah said ominously.
Ethan ignored most of the talking, still struggling to see what the silver instruments on the table could do. His hand slipped and bumped a rack containing a single vial. He froze and waited for someone to scold him. When no one did, Ethan looked over his shoulder and exhaled with relief. He hadn't knocked anything over, so he just tried to be a bit more careful in case he made too much noise.
The boy stepped down to his proper height and frowned, his vision blurring for a moment as he felt light-headed.
With a sound softer than a whisper, Ethan sneezed twice and stumbled sideways. He grabbed the edge of the table for support, and placed a hand against his head when he swayed again. With a final sneeze, which knocked a small device onto the floor, Ethan's vision returned to normal and his head felt fine again. Frowning with disorientation and unease, the boy realised he was okay and shrugged it off.
No one noticed anything could be wrong, as the five-year-old walked back to the group and wrapped his arms around Oliver's leg.
'What's going on?' Ethan asked, looking up to see Dinah on one of the computer screens, and Bart on another.
Oliver signed off and took the boy to the lounge area to entertain him. He didn't want to worry the child or have to explain the complex missions to him, and no one at Watchtower could distract Ethan better than Oliver. Martha followed, while Jonathan stayed with Chloe and heard about the situation, and she smiled when Oliver lifted the child onto his shoulders. Oliver slowly spun around with Ethan laughed at the movement, his brown eyes filled with pure trust and innocence.
'Argh!' Oliver growled playfully and pulled Ethan down from his shoulders to hold him around the middle. 'What do you want to be?'
'A bird!' Ethan requested and spread his arms wide as imaginary wings . 'No, a plane!'
With the video communications over, everyone turned to watch Oliver "flying" Ethan around in circles. Martha laughed and felt tears of joy in her eyes to seeing her grandson so happy and full of life. Tess glanced at Jonathan's expression as well and felt there was something she needed to say. It wouldn't have made sense to them before now - if she hadn't brought them to Watchtower to witness the second home it provided to those who harboured secrets in effort to protect the world from darkness.
'Welcome to the family.' She said to the Kents, and they understood.
And so, over the next few hours they would get a tour of the tower and learn just how many people knew Clark's secret, but who respected and guarded it as well as he did their own. They were reunited with Bart and Victor, then met a few newer members of the league, who had stopped for a bit of help, which Chloe and Tess expertly provided.
When Jonathan and Martha finally returned to Smallville later that afternoon, they felt as though a whole new world had been opened up to them.
Ethan was passed out on the seat by the window during the entire journey home, but they assumed he was merely tried from the busy day. Neither of the Kents suspected there might be a reason to worry, when Ethan himself seemed fine. The boy woke long enough to eat his dinner and have a bath, then he was put to bed early and fell back to sleep in seconds.
By the time Clark and Lois packed up for the night, the Daily Planet newsroom was mostly quiet. They were relieved, after a long and enduring day, that they could both head back to the farm and relax.
'Goodnight.' Lauren approached them. 'I look forward to working with you again.' She looked at both Clark and Lois.
'Likewise.' Lois answered with a smile.
'Yeah.' Clark nodded.
He wondered when the girls had started to get along.
He'd slipped out about five times in the afternoon to be the Blur, and each time he came back they were less at each other's throats and easily co-existed to finalise the story. At one point, they'd even teamed up to jeer him about the bartender from the Ace of Clubs calling for him (in attempt to get his number), while he was away. At that point, Clark almost wished they'd go back to avoiding each other with glares and hisses.
'So you're friends now?' Clark asked Lois as they watched Lauren leave the bullpen.
'What?' Lois stared at him like he was crazy. 'Hell no. I can't stand her! You really do need glasses, Smallville, if you think she and I will ever be friends.' She rolled her eyes and gathered her bag.
Clark shook his head with befuddlement, though a slight smile showed on his face, and reached into his desk draw to lift out a pair of glasses. Lois looked over at them and stepped around the desk until she was a few feet from him. She took the glasses into her hands and turned them over, then reached to placed them neatly over his eyes.
Smiling, she took a step back to judge his overall appearance and tried not to laugh.
'It's not your best look.' Lois teased. 'But I think you can pull it off.'
'Thanks.' Clark said sarcastically. 'I'm surprised you haven't joined in.'
'I wouldn't bet against you, Smallville.' Lois said as they headed for the elevator. 'Besides, I have faith in you to win this. Clark Kent is not a quitter. If Chloe and Oliver want to battle over how long you can look geeky at work and still be taken seriously, then that's their war to lose.'
'Really?' Clark raised an eyebrow as they entered the elevator and the doors closed. 'You're not getting involved at all?'
'Well...' Lois smirked at him. 'Maybe I did place a bet.'
'How long?' Clark asked with dread.
'Six months.'
'What?' Clark pretended to be outraged, when really it was part of his and Chloe's plan to make his disguise stronger.
She and Oliver placed bets, knowing Lois wouldn't be able to resist. She'd also pick the longest, most challenging one and guarantee he'd stuck to it so she'd win. It was almost too perfect of a plan, and it was working exactly as he'd hoped.
'Hey, you're the one who agreed to it.' Lois pointed out. 'You can win this, Smallville. And I'll make sure of it.'
'I don't doubt that, Lois.'
As they walked across the street to Lois' car, Clark paused and turned his head to clearly hear the sirens in the distance. Lois was already getting into the driver's seat, but when she looked away for a second, he sped off.
Dressed in his newest Blur outfit of a blue shirt with his black symbol on the front, and his long, dark red jacket, Clark located the source of the chaos several blocks away.
It was a building fire, with bright flames flickering from every window, and thick smog clouding the sky. Clark saw the fire-fighters exhaustively trying to put it out, and used x-ray vision to see if anyone was inside. There were two people in the building – one was an adult trying to get across the third floor towards a room where a teenager was crying for help.
Clark knew he had to act quickly, because the fire was spreading and the building didn't look as though was going to hold up for very long.
Inhaling a long breath, Clark held it for a second, then released the gush of cooling air towards the building. The flames were put out, though the thinning smoke continued to seep from the unstable building. Super-speeding inside, and crashing through the door itself, Clark hurried to the third floor where the people were. He saw a fire-fighter trying to get across a stack of burned, fallen beams blocking the hallway. It was a big risk, Clark knew, because it would be too destructive to speed through the wood. He'd have to move it, and that would expose himself.
He realised, at the worst possible moment, how heavily he relied on his speed to keep his identity a secret from the world.
'Help!' The young girl's distraught voice called from the closed door at the end of the hallway.
Clark had ten seconds to make a choice.
He hoped it was the right one, because there would be no going back once he'd made it. Listening to the coughing of the girl, Clark weighed his options with very little time to truly consider them.
It came down to her life, or his secret - and to Clark, that was no debate.
He stepped forward and began to move the beams aside. The fire-fighter stared at him with disbelief, seeing his face through the smoke and realised it was the never-seen Blur. Clark was worried how the man would react, but his faith in people prevailed when the fire-fighter moved to try and help him, even if Clark clearly didn't need any assistance.
'I'll clear a path.' Clark said to the man, changing his voice to a deeper and confident tone. He couldn't be too careful, after all, and needed to seem different to Clark Kent even if he'd probably never see this person again.
'Okay.' The man nodded. 'Thank you. I'm Dennis, by the way.'
'The Blur.' Clark returned, almost giving his real name by mistake. 'Alright, Dennis, let's do this.'
He stepped forward and led the way to the girl's room, where they could hear her coughing, and cleared away large beams or broken furniture that blocked the corridor. He looked upwards at the roof with caution when Dennis passed him to reach the door where the girl was. She wasn't calling out anymore, either because she knew they were coming to rescue her or...
'Wait.' Clark said as Dennis reached for the doorknob. 'Let me check.'
He grabbed the knob, which could have been very hot, and turned it. The doorknob snapped off without much pressure, which was why Dennis was relieved he hadn't been the one to touch it. When the door was pushed open, they stood and stared at the teenage girl lying unconscious on the floor.
Without hesitating, Dennis ran forward and checked her pulse.
'She's still breathing.' He announced with reprieve. 'We have to get her out of here. Can you get her out in a hurry?'
'I intend to get you both out.' Clark corrected, hearing a creak from the roof above.
He could take the girl and save her life, but he wasn't going to leave Dennis when the ceiling was about to cave in any second to bury third floor in rubble. He wasn't willing to rely on his speed, because he had a feeling it wasn't going to be enough this time.
Looking upwards, and seeing a glimpse of the night sky, Clark realised what he had to do.
'Get her.' Clark instructed.
Dennis didn't question him and picked up the girl. Clark walked to Dennis' side and put his arm around his, keeping his gaze aimed upwards at the cracking roof.
'Hold on.' Clark warned.
Dennis, his eyes wide with realisation, lifted the girl against him like one would an infant, with her head leaned on his shoulder and one arm around her back to keep her close. He put his arm around Clark's back and held on, fearful of falling during whatever the Blur intended to do.
Clark checked Dennis had the girl, and his grip on the man was strong, then purposefully crouched down before taking a strong leap into the air. As Clark rose through the breaking roof and into the air, Dennis looked away to and held his hand over the girl's face to shield them. Dennis had expected to stop at the roof, but it was too unstable and Clark didn't risk it.
They rose higher and higher, over the building beside the one crumbling to the ground, then swerved around to land in an ally a short distance from the smoking house.
'Whoa.' Dennis said in a shaky tone.
He swallowed and got a grip on his shock, shifting the girl to hold her bridal style in his arms as it was easier to carry her.
'Thank you.'
'You're welcome.' Clark nodded. 'I'd appreciate it if-'
'I know. I won't tell.' Dennis interrupted. 'But I can't take credit for this.'
'You went in to save her.' Clark reasoned. 'You are a hero. I merely helped.'
'They would have seen you leaving the building.' Dennis added. 'They'll know I saw your face. I don't feel right about taking full credit for this, and how can I explain it?'
'It happened too fast.' Clark said. 'It was all a blur.'
Dennis smiled at the irony, his blue eyes fixing on Clark's for a second longer, before he turned and headed towards the ambulance to get the girl medical help.
Clark lingered a moment longer, then heard another sound nearby. A woman struggled against a man trying to steal her purse. Clark didn't want to leave Lois for much longer, but being a hero had its costs. Sighing, he sped to the ally nearby and was about to act when a pain seared through his head.
It was yet another headache, but this one was much stronger than before.
'Argh!'
Clark's knees almost buckled from the pressure, as an image flashed in his mind.
It had been of an ally darker than the one he faced, but the same crime had taken place. Metropolis faded from sight as Clark relived a fuzzy memory of hearing a gunshot ring in the air, and someone falling to the ground.
He was then standing over a man, who looked up at him with recognition as though he knew Clark well. His eyes were filled with tears as his blood leaked onto the ground. Clark crouched beside him, his own voice whispering "Kevin".
Clark blinked as the current moment loomed in front of him.
He sped forward and hit the gun from the mugger's hand. He pushed him into the wall enough to knock him out, then sped away. Clark had been seen enough for one night, but the image he'd just witnessed was bothering him. It had been trigged by the mugging he'd just stopped, and yet whenever the vision had happened, Clark knew he hadn't been able to prevent it.
As his head hurt again, Clark caught a flash of blonde hair beside him as he bent over a dying Kevin.
She was sobbing, and he turned to face the mugger who stood there with surprise. Clark grabbed the front of his shirt and raised him up, which caused the mugger to drop the items he had been carrying.
The gun slipped to the ground, and several pieces of jewellery, including a red-gemmed ring, which fell into Clark's jacket pocket.
His eyelids fluttered open and he was entirely in the present, realising what he had seen. The memories Clark hadn't been able to uncover for over five years, regarding the mother of his son and the missing nine days - were they coming back to him now?
~ E ~
Lois was not happy with him.
His excuses for disappearing were feeble at best, and she knew Clark was lying. He was surprised when Lois didn't harass him for more details, and merely got into the car to drive them home. She complained constantly about being left there and his lack of consideration, but Lois didn't question it.
Clark, had he not felt so tired and confused, might have found it somewhat suspicious.
Lois was still talking when they parked in the driveway of the Kent farm. They lowered their voices as they went inside, because Ethan was already in bed, and found the Kents waiting for them.
'Mum? Dad?' Clark frowned, wondering why they had stayed up to welcome them home.
'I'm going to take a shower.' Lois decided and headed straight for the stairs, still shaking her head with annoyance.
'What's going on?' Clark wondered.
'We received a surprise visit today.' Martha told him with a smile. 'From Oliver and Tess.'
Clark winced and sat at the kitchen counter, preparing to hear about the events of the day. He'd forgotten to tell them Tess would stop by, but had expected Oliver to go along as well to see Ethan. When his parents told him they were taken to Watchtower, Clark became very nervous and didn't want to say anything.
'Is there something you want to tell us, son?' Jonathan asked with amusement. 'About a secret identity you might have forgotten to mention, maybe?'
'You know?' Clark grimaced. 'Oliver wasn't supposed to tell you.'
'You are the Blur?' Martha asked for confirmation, which he nodded at and looked away with embarrassment.
'Why did you feel you had to hide it from us, son?' Jonathan wondered.
'I don't know.' Clark answered. 'It was easier. I didn't know how you'd react, and I guess I was afraid you'd disprove.'
'Of you using your abilities to save people every day?' Martha smiled. 'We've never been more proud, Clark.'
He looked up with surprise and smiled, feeling relieved by their support and pride. He didn't get to hear anything further, however, when he groaned and another headache took hold of him.
'Clark?' Martha worried and rushed to his side.
'Argh!' Clark leaned his elbows against the counter and gripped his head, feeling a burning sensation spread through him.
He received quick flashes of images - a car speeding towards him, a police station, an emergency room, a girl with blonde hair running through a corridor, blood on his hands, and a closed hotel door numbered 210.
'I'm okay.' Clark said when his mind cleared and the pain was gone.
He gasped for breath and opened his eyes, feeling calm and strong again. Whatever had been causing his sudden recollections seemed to have worn off, though he wasn't sure how he knew that.
It was as though nothing had happened, apart from the lingering, regained memories.
He stood and glanced towards the stairs, where he'd heard his son's voice. Assuring his parents he'd just had a long day, Clark headed upstairs and almost walked into an almost-naked Lois.
'Hey!' Lois scolded him, wrapping the towel tighter around her body.
'Sorry.' Clark walked around her and headed to Ethan's bedroom.
He tried to ignore his knowledge that Lois would shortly be standing naked in his bedroom across the hallway.
He stepped into his son's room and saw the boy rubbing his eyes with his hands, sounding upset.
'Daddy!' Ethan sat upright and wrapped his arms around his neck when Clark seated himself on the edge of the bed.
'Did you have a nightmare?' Clark wondered.
'Yeah.' Ethan nodded against his neck. 'Shelby was drowning and I couldn't save him!'
'Shelby's okay.' Clark pulled the boy onto his lap and rubbed Ethan's back to comfort him. 'And he's a really good swimmer. It's just a bad dream, okay?'
Clark and Ethan sat there for ten minutes, until the boy was almost asleep.
Clark gently rested Ethan on the mattress and placed the blankets over his son, before brushing strands of hair from his face. He heard Lois' breathing by the doorway and turned to look at her with a smile, though he had no idea why.
'Is he okay?' She asked quietly.
'It was just a nightmare.' Clark walked towards her and pretended not to notice she was only wearing his red flannel shirt.
They watched Ethan for a moment, then each turned to leave the room.
Ethan yawned, and rolled over to face his desk, which was barely visible in the moonlight that streamed through his open window. He yawned and exhaled a strong breath, jumping as his lamp clattered onto the floor. The boy blinked at it, but figured the wind from the window had knocked it over, and merely rolled onto his back to close his eyes.
Ethan easily returned to his slumber, knowing Clark and Lois were home and he was safe again from the scary man in his dreams.
~ E ~
Not everyone was getting ready for bed.
In Metropolis, the lights of Watchtower were still a beacon within the city. Emil was typing away at a computer while Tess safely stored the equipment they'd been using earlier.
Emil paused and smiled with amusement, looking towards the stairs where he could hear Chloe and Oliver's harmless bickering. They were arguing about something again, but it almost sounded playful, so Emil wasn't worried.
It was when he didn't hear anything from the pair, after long hours into the night, that he would worry.
'Did Ethan ever touch this?' Tess suddenly asked. She looked at the vials on the table and the device in her hand, which she'd just picked up off the floor.
Emil turned around and glanced at the surface as well, though he wasn't sure.
'I don't think so.' Emil answered.
'What's going on?' Oliver wondered as he headed down the stairs to join them, intent on asking for an update on the results.
'Do you know if Ethan ever touched the table?' Tess asked him.
'Uh, no.' Oliver shrugged. 'Would it be bad if he had?'
'Maybe.' Tess frowned.
'We think so.' Emil added. 'And we were right. We have seen this particular strain of elements before.' He sighed with dread. 'It could be him.'
The trio looked over at the monitors Jonathan had examined earlier, each staring at the same man who'd caught his attention. His dark hair and almost black eyes made his face very recognisable to them, along with his tanned skin and the expression of intense determination in his gaze.
'Stormstrike.' Tess shook her head. 'God help us if he did this.'
Oliver didn't say anything. He looked away secretively and stepped backwards to avoid their conversation. Emil and Tess were busy re-examining the compounds and double-checking their findings, so they failed to notice Oliver's rejection to share anything he might know or try to discover additional details about their suspect.
Without a word, Oliver turned and left Watchtower, with only Chloe standing overhead to even realise his abrupt departure.
'Where is everyone?' Martha wondered.
She and Jonathan stood in the kitchen early the next morning, with the sun shining through the windows. Breakfast was on the table, ready to be eaten, but none of the other residences were anywhere to be seen or heard.
Sharing a curious glance, the two Kents made their way up the stairs and checked Ethan's room. It was empty, with the boy's covers thrown back across the end of the bed, and his teddy was lying on the floor beside it.
Worried, Martha and Jonathan knew they hadn't seen Clark since the night before, and the couch had looked untouched.
They crossed the hall to their son's room where Lois slept, and carefully opened the door. They exhaled breaths of relief, though bewilderment etched into their features as they stared at the sight in front of them.
'How did that happen?' Jonathan wondered.
Ethan was asleep, curled up in the center of the bed, with a relaxed expression on his young face. Beside him, in her usual spot closest to the door, was Lois. Her "do not disturb" blindfold was nowhere in sight. She rested on her stomach, with her right arm draped across Ethan, and her hand resting on Clark's chest. Clark lay there, as comfortable as the other pair, with his own right arm being used as a pillow by Ethan and Lois.
'We should let them sleep.' Martha insisted when her husband looked as though he wanted to march in there and lecture his son to the end of time.
She moved to carefully close the bedroom door, and knew it was an innocent scene between a formed family. While Jonathan worried he as going to have to keep a closer eye on his son and Lois, Martha thought it was about time something happened.
Ethan frowned in his sleep and needed to go to the toilet. Sleepily, he slipped off the bed and ran from the room to the bathroom on the left.
In his absence, Lois muttered something incoherent about capes and footballs as she rolled over until she was against Clark. His arm subconsciously curled around her, though she continued to use it as a pillow, and neither of them woke as they were left undisturbed.
Downstairs, Jonathan poured himself a glass of orange juice and read the paper. Martha was in a good mood, whereas he thought his morning could have started a bit less stressful.
'They did have a busy day yesterday.' He told his wife, looking down at the front page with Clark and Lois' names in the byline. 'A search is being conducted for a criminal known as "Sylance", with the help of Batman.'
'It certainly keeps them busy.' Martha commented about the job at the Daily Planet, and hinted to Clark's dedication to Watchtower. 'Oh, Jonathan did you notice our new neighbours?'
'I did.' Jonathan nodded. 'I was fixing the back fence yesterday and met Mr Kole. He seems like a nice enough fellow. He has a wife and young son.'
'How old is the boy?' Martha wondered, thinking Ethan might be able to make a new friend with the bonus of living nearby.
'I didn't ask, sweetheart.' Jonathan sighed. 'Dennis was in a hurry to get to work.'
Martha wanted to ask if he knew anything else, as she was immeasurably curious about their new neighbours, but they were interrupted by the sound of a car outside.
Wondering who could be visiting them so early in the morning, she headed to the door and recognised their surprise visitor. Martha had no idea what would bring the person to their door at this time of day, or what reason they could have for being there. When Jonathan joined her side, he was as confused as his wife by the unexpected company standing on their doorstep.
The guest wore a serious expression, and the Kents didn't think it was simply an early-morning social call.
'Hi.' Jonathan pushed open the screen door. 'Is everything okay?'
Author's Notes: I know, but the cliff-hanger had to happen!
Before I forget, I want to take the opportunity to inform you, for those who are wondering and have asked, that yes Ethan's biological mother has personally appeared in this story - as in, not just through flashbacks or being mentioned. At no point of time will I reveal who she is unless it's written in a chapter, though I would love to hear any theories you may have at any stage of this story. Any feedback you have to offer will always be greatly appreciated and motivating to me. What do you think of Lauren so far? What about the new editor? Or how did you react to certain scenes? Who do you think the visitor might be? What are your thoughts on Batman being somewhat a part of the story (unlikely ever in person, though), or the first main villain of the story - Sylance? What made you laugh, or what had an emotional impact? Please review!
