The memorial service for Lana Luther was a large affair—very proper, very Luthor. Opulent setting, extravagant floral arrangements, majestic music. In short, it was very obvious that money was no object.
Chloe looked around the very full cathedral and wondered. Had Lana even known half of these people? Somehow she doubted it. She saw several people from their graduating class at Smallville High, a few of Lana classmates from Met U, but mostly everyone in attendance looked like corporate moguls, business men and women that most likely had dealings with Luthorcorp. It seemed like a mockery of Lana's memory.
Turning back to the front, Chloe fixed her eyes on the huge beautifully framed photo of Lana. It was surrounded by beautiful Lilies and Orchids, apparently appropriate arrangements for funerals. It was a picture of Lana from a few years back. A picture from one of the happier times of her youth. Before the burden of being a Luthor had taken its toll. Chloe was glad. It was hard enough to grasp that Lana was dead without having to look through her eyes into her broken soul as well.
The facts were few but clear. Lex and Lana had been arguing. In her haste to leave during the heat of the moment she'd tripped and fallen down the stairs, hitting her head. It was unclear whether the cause of her death was the head injury or complications of the miscarriage that took place at the hospital. Apparently both in and of themselves were serious enough to claim her life, and in an uncharacteristic move Lex had decided it didn't matter. The fact that she was dead was more than he could take.
In fact, Lex wouldn't be joining them in public mourning—at least according to Lionel, who was addressing the crowd now. "So deep is my son's grief that he can only mourn in private. But he has asked me to convey his deep gratitude for all the well wishes and fond thoughts of his wife that will comfort him in his time of grief." Lionel continued, appropriately grieved.
It struck Chloe briefly that Lex was incredibly selfish. He couldn't even exert himself enough to memorialize his own wife. But then her own grief and tears surfaced once again, and all thoughts of Lex Luthor, good or bad, were driven away.
"I see all the patients are well. Have we learned anything else that might be useful to our project?"
"Not much more than we knew before, sir. I'm sorry."
"It's no matter." The doctor's words were dismissed with a wave of a hand. "As soon as our other patient is available we'll have access to everything we need to know—probably more. Is the room ready."
The doctor nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Good. And what about that last detail?"
"The bed you asked for isn't quite ready yet. But it should be in the next couple of weeks."
"That's not acceptable. Have it ready by the end of the week at the absolute latest."
"Yes, Mr. Drake."
Edmund Drake nodded as he pictured his plan coming together, then he laughed. He was already a wealthy man and a very powerful one as well. But none of his success would compare to this.
Oliver Queen looked warily at the live video feed that Cyborg had been able to hack from inside the building.
"We'll have access to everything we need to know—probably more…"
Suddenly, a thought formed in Oliver's head and took root. Unable to shake it, he quickly dialed Chloe Sullivan, hoping with everything in him that he was wrong.
Clark trudged through the cold howling wind and snow, palming his crystal in his hand. He was alone, and really unsure as to what he was supposed to be watching for. How would he see the Phantoms to know of his danger anyway? Wasn't that the point with phantoms? They couldn't be seen?
He thought of his father's words: "Take care against distraction, Kal-El. It could mean the difference between your life or death—on earth as well as beyond." Focus returned for a time, but the sameness of the terrain soon made him forget why he was here…
"Ahhhh!" Lana shrieked as she and Clark ran for her house, torrential rain soaking them to the bone between Clark's truck and the back door.
"Brrrr…." Lana shivered. "That wasn't very fun."
"What? I thought you loved the rain." Clark teased.
"I do. But that's a little much, don't you think? I mean look at us!" she gestured between the two of them as they stood dripping water onto the floor.
"Well, at least you can change." Clark pointed out with a laugh.
"Oh yeah." Lana surveyed Clark's very wet clothing. "You do have a problem." She paused for a second longer then shrugged slightly. "Well, I guess we don't really have a choice."
Clark looked at her with questions in his eyes. "Meaning?"
"Meaning…go to the laundry room, get out of those wet clothes and throw them in the dryer. Then wrap up in one of the quilts that are in there. I'll go change."
His eyes told her that he wasn't sure that was such a good idea, but Lana had just laughed. "Aunt Nell isn't home and won't be for hours. Your clothes will be dry by then and no one will ever know."
Within ten minutes, both were back in the living room, Lana laughing at Clark wrapped in a patchwork quilt with only his sock sticking out. They settled onto the couch to watch TV, a bowl of popcorn between them. Somewhere along the line Clark, in trying to get his hand free of the blanket wrapped around him knocked the bowl to the floor. They both laughed and bending to clean up the mess managed to knock heads, which made them laugh harder. Looking at Lana, with her hair hanging wet down her back, a sweat shirt and track pants, and her eyes sparkling with laughter, Clark was hard put to think of a time when she was more beautiful. The moment between them became warm, and without really realizing it, they simultaneously leaned toward each other and kissed for the first time.
The kiss grew longer and deeper. Finally getting his arms free of the twisted quilt, he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist from the side. Lana changed her position so her legs were under her and she faced him squarely, then cupped his face with her small hands…
"Ahem."
A voice sounded by the door, and they sprang apart.
"Aunt Nell!" Lana exclaimed, and Clark was sure that if looks could kill, he'd be a dead man…"
WHOOOOSH! AHHHHHHHHHHH!
Clark didn't have time to react before the phantom was wrapped around his neck, the jolt knocking the crystal from his hand. Back and forth across the frozen land they fought, the phantom slowly choking the life out of him…
Bleep. The screen went blank.
"Kal-El! What did I say to you about being distracted? What would you have done if this had been a real attack instead of a virtual one?"
Jor-El's angry voice smarted because Clark did not have an excuse to give.
"You are here for one purpose and one only, Kal-El. To fulfill your destiny. You need to be one hundred percent focused if you…"
Jor-El's voice was drowned out by another. One that Clark wished desperately to forget.
Clark…Clark…please…Clark… she whispered over and over.
"Are you ready to concentrate?" Jor-El's voice suddenly came back to him.
"Yes." Clark prepared for another virtual tour through the Phantom Zone with only one thought:
You can never have Lana again. She is Lex's wife. This is your future now.
"Still not speaking to me, I see?"
She looked at him coldly as he entered the room. "Where are we?"
"Finland. You wanted to come here so much, I thought I'd grant your wish. Though why you wanted to be here I don't understand. I think you're a little old to believe in Santa Claus." Lex looked at her for a moment. "What were you planning to do here, Lana? Why would you come all the way to the Arctic Circle? That seems a little extreme, even to get away from me."
Lana was silent.
"Certainly you must know that hiding from me here, would also mean you'd be separated from Clark as well. Even if he weren't missing."
Lana turned to look out the window again, ignoring Lex completely.
"You can be angry with me, refuse to speak to me if you want. I don't really care. All that matters to me is that everyone thinks you're dead. And even if they don't, they'll never look for you here. So I win."
"You win?" Lana asked snappishly.
Lex smiled coldly. "Yes. Because see, you'll never see Clark Kent again."