Chapter Ten
Summary: Chloe is returned ten years after she was abducted during Dark Thursday. Probably Chlark / Chruce. Set Post-Freak. Connecting events as told in the movie Superman Returns.
Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville, Superman or Batman
Alfred Pennyworth was rarely worried and never anxious. The older man basked with pride in the fact that he has always been able to mask the myriad of emotions that accompany being a trusted servant of the esteemed Wayne family – from Bruce's grandfather, Richard, to his father Thomas to the young Bruce. Granted though, that none of Bruce's predecessor made a habit of ridding Gotham of criminal elements dressed like a nocturnal rodent, armed with nothing more but technology and the hubris of youth masquerading as daring. Batman was still nothing more but a pseudo super-human attempting to do extraordinary feats but a human nevertheless. A human who can become fatigued or broken or dead. And so it is only through a pretend façade of bravado can he be partner to and knowingly send out this only remaining Wayne into the world to combat evil. This last remaining Wayne who was like a son to him; though he never really told Bruce because such sentimentality should never be exhibited by any respectable butler or valet. Except that ever since the Daws wedding, Bruce has gone back to becoming withdrawn, morose and brooding. The difference this time is that he goes out and returns only when the sun has risen, bone tired, half dead or hurt. As if by doing so, he is purging himself of something that he has almost admitted to that night when Chloe ran into Belle Reve.
Determined to draw out what has happened that night, Alfred stays up and waits in the Bat cave for Bruce's return. It is now past seven in the morning and Batman has never been out this late in the day. So Alfred continues to sit at the control room with a hot cup of tea, pinpricks of anxiety which he only acknowledges to be deep concern at the delay of his master's return running up and down his spine. It has been a week since the Daws wedding and they have not been to visit Chloe once. Aiming to take the young Wayne's mind from this obvious path of self-destruction, he means to propose a visit to Bell Reve today after Bruce has gotten some rest and make them work out whatever it was that had Bruce acting like he did not care at all what happened to him.
Hearing the entrance to the cave open and the rumble of the behemoth vehicle that Bruce drives, he goes out of the control room to meet the errant young man and berate him for causing him to stay up waiting which he is certain is not good for someone his age. He stands at the door of the docking station, tapping his foot impatiently. The roof of the vehicle opens and the one they call Superman climbs out.
"Alfred is it? Bruce… Batman is hurt. I couldn't bring him here sooner because we've been ambushed and I couldn't just leave the Bat mobile where they could find it." Superman carries out an unconscious Bruce. At Alfred's silent questioning, he further elaborates, "He got a full dose of this nerve gas that LuthorCorp was testing. Green Arrow will be here shortly with the antidote which he needed to retrieve from Dr. Lucius Fox of Wayne Technologies." As he was saying this, Superman was gently laying down Bruce on a couch and hoping for Chloe's sake that Bruce will be okay.
As if on cue, Bruce comes to and rolls to his side, gasping for air and dry heaving in between spasms of coughing fits that is rocking his entire body. After what seemed like a stretch of labored breathing, Bruce finally quiets down and passes out again. "Bruce! Stay with me. Focus!" Superman barks this order. All of a sudden Bruce sits up, this time vomiting palm-sized spots of thickened blood. Superman supports Batman in a sitting position, concern creeping into his voice, "Oliver's coming Bruce. Just hang in there." Bruce nods weakly and props himself up.
Barely above a whisper, Bruce struggles to get out his request, "Mask. Take off. Can't breathe." Alfred galvanized into action removes Batman's mask revealing a pale Bruce Wayne. Recovering a bit after having been divested of his constricting mask, some color returns to his face.
Noting the humor of the situation brought on by being saved by Clark Kent who clearly wanted to throttle him and Alfred's slipping mask of sang-froid, he laughs shakily, "Relax Alfred. You won't have to look for employment just yet. Well, I may just make it today if Oliver figures out the security code for the Wayne laboratories anytime within this lifetime." Wincing with pain, he bites his lower lip and mutters through his teeth, "What the deuce is taking Oliver so long? My lungs are burning." Clutching at his side as another spasm of coughing and labored breathing seizes him.
At this Alfred moves to the communication center to contact the Green Arrow, leaving the two men alone. Superman rakes a hand through his hair and exhales loudly.
Bruce noting the uncomfortable tension decides to address the pacing Kryptonian, "Look, I know we've had our differences and I know that when I told you that I love Chloe that you'd rather wish me dead, but thanks. Thanks for still having my back and bringing me here."
Clark looks at Bruce grudgingly and shakes his head, "I don't wish you dead and whatever differences we've had. However, wrong I think you are for Chloe or that neither you nor I deserve her, if you are to find yourself in that situation again, I will save you. Because, I believe that we can't choose who we save. I am not God."
After another stretch of uncomfortable silence, Bruce nods solemnly, "I'm sorry. Can you please tell her that?"
"Tell her yourself. I think she'd rather hear it from you directly. Whatever it is you've done. That's between you and her and though my entire being will rebel at the idea of letting you near her again, as you said, there should be honor between two people who love her. So in all honesty, it's taking all of my willpower right now not to bash your face in because whatever you've done, haven't done, said or didn't say to her, hurt her"
"I…uh…we…."
Cutting him off, "Look Bruce! I don't need to hear it."
"Judging from the stricken look on your face, I do think that you need to hear this. Whatever you may think, nothing happened between us. We nearly kissed. But I pulled away because Chloe's special and I just think that I'd only be taking advantage of her if I allowed it to happen. I want our kiss to mean something to her."
Clark's breath hitched at this revelation – apparently from what Bruce said, he inferred that it was Chloe who moved in for the kiss first, Clark was determined to do right by his friend even as he struggles with the unbearable pain, "Chloe is a beautiful person. Sometimes, she doesn't know how breath-takingly beautiful she is and that's because of me. I must have done a number on her in high school by acting beastly and being blind all those years. So, whatever happened between you two, it's my fault. When you pulled away, it brought back all her fears and it was high school being played out all over again. Just, try to explain it to her. She may just shrug it off but Chloe's not the kind of girl who would just kiss some random guy arbitrarily."
A brief flame of hope suffused Bruce's face at this, "What are you trying to say?"
"Just don't fall into the same tar pit of stupidity that I have fallen in. Talk to her." Clark was struggling under the crushing weight of the idea that he has just set the wheels in motion for Bruce and Chloe to work things out which effectively dims any possibility of having a future with her, of being loved back. As he ponders on this being the most difficult thing he has had to do so far, he wonders how many times can his heart break into a million pieces and how many times can he plug the holes that's left by each missing piece before he finds that he can't do it anymore. Feeling the unbearable need to escape from the same room where Bruce was, his voice hoarse and brusque he took his leave to wait for their fellow Justice league member outside until the arrival of the antidote which they have administered barely in the nick of time.
For several nights thereafter, it was Superman keeping the streets of Gotham safe and shuttling to and from Metropolis in super speed, not resting or stopping even for a bit up as if by running, he is driven by a need to outstrip and leave his pain behind him.
It was two weeks more before Clark was able to go back to Belle Reve and visit Chloe. Just barely an hour ago, he was nursing a gun-shot wound that managed to graze his skin because the bullet's tip was made of Kryptonite that left him still sore. However, he did not want to delay seeing Chloe any longer, Clark gingerly sits down at the visitor's lounge waiting for Chloe to come out. While waiting, he has been trying to make sense of the unsuccessful attempts by the Justice League to shut down 33.1 laboratories recently. It seemed like Lex somehow knew what their plan was and more worrying still, the secrets and weaknesses of key members of the Justice League. First there was Bruce and the use of gas because his suit is made entirely of Kevlar. And then just a couple of days ago it was Oliver. Stranger still that his most recent encounter with Kryptonite was when he opened a package sent to Clark Kent at the Kent Farm containing the meteor rocks as if whoever sent it also knew his secret. May be later in the evening, he will fly back to his icy fortress and consult with Jor-el because of late the Kryptonite-aided wounds he has received take longer to heal. As he was turning these thoughts over in his head, he notices a familiar form, clad in trademark royal purple making his way out of the Belle Reve wards. Probably feeling that he was being observed, the man turned around to survey the visitors' lounge and picked up Clark's unmistakable figure.
Clark stands up and balls his fist at his side as this visitor makes his way in measured and even steps to where he was. Upon reaching him, the new arrival imitates his stance while the nurses and the few people there looked on noting the simmering hostility and distrust from both men.
"Clark, I can see that one last strong tie to the past has successfully brought us together. Curious isn't it how Chloe manages to be always at the center around which we orbit."
Anxious at seeing Lex in Belle Reve, Clark was impatient to see Chloe and find out whether Lex was stupid enough to try anything crazy but not before getting a rise out of his former best friend, "Coming back to tie the loose strings that your incompetent henchman left hanging? What do you want from her Lex? If you so much as laid a hand on her, I swear…"
Lex cuts him off, "Save it, Boy Scout." Clark picks up on Lex's use of the moniker Oliver has given him in the early days of the Justice League, "I came here to warn you and enlist your help. Chloe is not safe from Bruce Wayne. Do try to save her for once and not fail this time." As they stand there face to face, Lex seems almost sincere. His cold grey eyes retained some shadow of his former self as he said this and for once Clark almost believed him after all these years of the damaging secrets and lies that ate away at their friendship.
But then just like that, the moment was gone and where he stood, Clark saw the hard set face of his nemesis of ten years slide back into place once again. But what he said remained. Was Chloe in danger from knowing Bruce Wayne? Would Lex even bother if it were not true? In some strange way, there was a time when Lex was protective of Chloe and it could possibly be true this time as well. Of everyone, it was Chloe who could always tell Lex the truth and so became a credible moral compass who egged him to become a better person, with or without his blessing. But for now, a compelling desire to find out whether Chloe was safe drove him to super speed into her room regardless of whether Dr. Hawkins will unceremoniously turn him out for breaching hospital protocol and rules.
EXCERPT FROM FUTURE CHAPTERS
Lex's abject dejection and self-loathing worries Chloe. And as he sits there with his head in his hands, he croaks out like the broken man that he is, "Chloe I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"Sorry that you're caught in the middle of this."
"Then walk away. You don't have to do this." Chloe mourns for Lex as she sees him struggle with his conscience. She mourns for Lex and the man that he could've been. All those years of neglect and abuse has created a prison that the young man cannot scale. As Chloe watches the man that Lex has become, she sees the young boy who is up until now, even with his father long dead, desperately trying to win the approval he has pursued for so long but will never have.
"I can't. I'm in too deep. Just remember that this isn't about you. It was all the choices you made. This is who I am and I can't stop that. Save yourself. Just tell me who he is?"
Noting the despair and frustration in his voice, Chloe cautiously approaches Lex and lays her hand softly on his arm, "No one is born to be evil or good. I was hoping that you'd have come to realize by now that who you are, who you have become is a series of choices like I made mine. I've made a promise and I can't tell you. Lex, you can still be someone else. Walk away and let it go." Feeling like she has said all that she could, Chloe withdraws her hand and leaves Lex silently weeping.
Just as she has reached the door, Lex calls out, "Chloe just whatever happens, promise me that you'll stay away from Metropolis tomorrow and that you'd ask the one person you love to stay away too. At least with that I do hope that you'd think better of me."
"I always do. Just remember that I will never give up on you. I know that you'll come to the right choice." With that Chloe closes the door behind her.
EXCERPT FROM THE 2ND TO THE LAST CHAPTER
Chloe notices a letter addressed to her on her drawer and she somehow knew that it was a letter to say goodbye. With trembling hands, she opened it and her eyes traced each word hungrily, barely able to see as tears blurred her vision.
"Dear Chloe,
I'm writing all this down because if I don't, you'll beat the life out of what I have to say with your damned but ill-placed sense of nobility. And they say I'm the hero! Well even heroes need someone to save them and you're my savior. I just want to say that you can stop saving me and let me save you because believe it or not, I could take care of myself. I'm guessing you know by now that I'm not sticking to our plan and that whatever happens, this will definitely change the outcome for one of us. Only I do hope that it changes for the better for you because this is the only way I know how. I've always been a precocious child and I've always known that not everyone can have their happy ending but I should at least try to make sure that you have that…"