Chapter 10: Fishstick and Batboy

Clark looked down at him, not amused. "You're fast too, why don't you do it?"

"Cuz I am a runner, not a swimmer... Sheesh... Just do it dude!"

Clark looked around, expectancy on everyone's face. Lois was ginning, clearly seeing if he would take the challenge. He gulped, turning back to Bart. "No way... I won't do it."

"Come on me amigo! Are you chicken? Afraid you'll lose?" Bart taunted.

" Smallville, come on! Just live a little!" Lois called behind him.

That made Clark snap. "Fine!" With that he stalked off towards the large crowd.

The girls got out and followed the boys as Clark announced his challenge. Everyone turned to look at them, wanting to see what person would dare challenge Arthur next. Then the crowd parted, revealing the current champion.

He was a tall blonde man, about Oliver's height. He had on green swim trunks and held onto an orange towel. He sneered as Clark approached, clearly enjoying his current fame. "Fresh meat?"

"Whatever, I'm just here to race." Clark said, just hoping to get this over with.

Bart tapped him on the shoulder, trying to catch his attention. "Now remember to swim fast, but not too fast mi amigo. It'll really impress these girls if you win, but you can't just swim like a bullet. Maybe if you just put on some good speed at the end of the race it'll be good." He slapped him on the back then, signaling him to go for it.

They agreed it would be a down and back race with one turn. Then they got to their positions. "On your mark. Get set... Go!" the announcer yelled, causing Clark and Arthur to spring into action.

Arthur was fast, probably Olympic Speed level as he made the first stretch. Clark judged his speed and sped up a bit to catch up. Arthur seemed to sense his speed increase, and sped up as well. Clark turned milliseconds after Arthur, putting on more speed. He in sped up in turn. As they neared the finish line, Clark put on one last burst of speed, keeping to a hopefully believable level. Arthur noticed only a second to late as the touched the wall together.

As they both came up he turned, an accusation on his lips. Clark saw his distress and shushed him before he said anything stupid. At the moment, no one seemed to notice they were moving a little too fast.

"AND IT'S A TIE!" The announcer roared as shocked fans roared in surprise. The two started to get out, still holding eye contact with each other in suspicion.

Then a swoosh filled the air. Clark turned, catching sight of a dart that had been shot into the lap pool. Then the entire pool sparked, sending up a cloud of steam. The random watchers and students left, crying hysterically as only the girls, the guys and Arthur were left behind.

"Where are the stupid lifeguards?" Lois cried, confused at their absence.

Clark turned, using his x-ray vision to try and find them. And he did. They were all tied up and knocked out behind the pool locker room. How had they not noticed that before?

As Clark opened his mouth to comment, an arrow came shooting down towards Oliver. Clark acted on instinct, catching it before it could get to his friend. He looked down at the arrow, noticing that it was handmade and extremely old. He turned to Oliver, holding it out to him. Oliver just stared at it, paralyzed.

Lois finally spoke up, "Umm... Who's shooting at us? And how in the world did you catch that!?" Chloe put a hand on her arm, trying to calm her.

Clark turned around, scanning the area for the man who shot the arrow. He caught sight of someone in the bushes just beyond the fence, apparently snooping around. Clark looked at Bart, signaling where he saw the man. He nodded, catching his meaning.

"I think I'm gonna head to the bathroom." Clark said, scuttling away.

"Me too!" Bart said, hurrying after him.

"That's the oldest excuse in the book!" Arthur called after him.

"Whatever fishstick!" Bart returned.

With that they were gone. Dinah approached Oliver and the arrow, gasping when she recognized it. "Isn't that?"

"Yeah... It must be Slade..." Oliver was confused. He had killed Slade, hadn't he? And yet here was his arrow, the same one he had used to shoot him in the heart. He knew that the one he sent through his eye was still on the island, so had Slade survived and kept this arrow all this time?

He turned to look at Dinah. Well, Dinah had survived... Somehow... So why not Slade?

Chloe came up then, demanding his attention. "Hello! Earth to Oliver and Dinah! What's so special about that arrow?"

Oliver stood up, scrambling for an explanation. Dinah just stood there shocked. She thought Lois was the only one with that level of assertiveness.

As if reading her mind she said, "Yeah, Lois isn't the only one who knows how to speak up. Now, what's the story with that arrow?"

Oliver sighed, "Let's just say it's a memento of a failure."

Bart and Clark quickly caught up to the shadow. Bart blocked his path as Clark picked him up by the scruff of his neck. "What have we here, mi amigo? A crazy archer perhaps?" Bart taunted.

Clark rolled his eyes, dragging the kicking man back towards the pool area.

"Let me go!" the man yelled as he continually tried to take down Clark. He hit every pressure point he knew of, and nothing! This man just kept on walking. Reaching down into his belt he pulled out a bat shaped taser, charged it, and attacked Clark.

Clark looked down at him, amused. "If you haven't figured it out yet, it's gonna take a lot more than that to take me down."

The man seemed to give up then, sensing a losing battle. "I don't know what y'all are talking about! I was trying to track the crazy archer who was shooting at y'all. He disappeared right as I almost had him. If you hadn't interfered I might have been able to figure out where he went!" He huffed.

About then he and Bart had returned to the group. "Look who we found!" Bart yelled excitedly.

Clark threw the man down in front of Oliver.

Oliver looked down, sighing. "Wrong guy. That's Bruce Wayne. Don't tell me you don't even know what he looks like either Clark."

Clark looked down, shocked. "Maybe I should pay more attention to celebrities. Anyway, he did put up a pretty good fight and attempted to taser me... So what else was I supposed to assume!"

Bruce shrugged him off then, giving him a suspicious look. "Well you're the steel wall who won't budge."

Bart laughed at that, earning himself a glare from Clark and Bruce.

Oliver stepped between them then, filling them in on what he had learned from the arrow. They both looked shocked, then enraged. He had tried to kill their friend.

"We'll catch Slade, Oliver, no matter what it takes!" Clark promised.

Diana interrupted then. "Well, since you have forgotten our existence, would you mind explaining exactly who you are?" She eyed them all suspiciously, measuring them up. Something was odd... about all of these men.

"Oh, and you can tell us how you caught that arrow while you're at it. You all smell fishy to me." Lois added on, her curiosity bringing her to question the men. Her cousin had told her about a lot of crazy stuff that happened in Smallville, and now she was thinking maybe Clark was part of that.

"It was just his reflexes, Lois! He-"

"Don't even try to defend him. I can smell a mystery from a mile away. And we are all gonna have to be in the same field of knowledge if we are going to take down this 'Slade' character. I know I can defend my own, but I need to know exactly what I'm getting into!"

They all looked at Lois, silently agreeing with her sentiment. Clark looked around, measuring up the people there. They all seemed trustworthy. He sighed, making up his mind.

"I tell you what, we are going to have to band together as a group. Whatever is said and revealed in this group, stays in this group, got it?" When they all nodded he let out the breath he was holding. "We better get out of here for this talk. Let's head to the Little Blue Cafe."