CHAPTER 13

About twenty minutes later…

"Sorry it took so long, but there was a long line at Starbucks," Dee says as she knocks on the office door. When there's no response, she sets the tray down on her desk before opening the door. "Miss Mercer, is everything ok-" her jaw dropping at the sight of Tess lying unconscious on the floor. She rushes over and kneels down next to her; checking to make sure that Tess was still breathing, then pulls out her cell phone and immediately dials 911.

Meanwhile…

"So how's it going with the Pit bull in Prada anyway?" Lois asks as they exit the Daily Planet and start walking down the street.

"I'd appreciate it if you don't refer to her that way," he retorts as they turn a corner. "Besides, I prefer to keep my private life private if you don't mind."

"That good huh?" she says teasingly when he scowls. "Seriously though, I'm really happy for you. You deserve it– especially after what you went through with Lana last year."

He stops in his tracks and looks at her curiously. "You really mean that don't you."

She stops and turns to look at him. "Of course I do," she replies with a punch to his shoulder. "Now aren't you glad you took my advice and tried a scoop of the thirty-one flavors instead of the plain vanilla?" she winks at him as they resume walking.

She's an enigma all right, shaking his head with amusement. "So I thought you said you didn't have time to work on this article. What changed your mind?" he changes the subject.

"That's when it was going to be buried on the back page," she says as they walk towards the place where the body was found. "But with this super-endorphin angle, the scoop is a lot bigger. You just learned to dog-paddle through a story. What kind of friend would I be if I just threw you in the deep end and without a floaty?" she says teasingly as she walks ahead of him.

He rolls his eyes once more as he follows her down the street. "So what did the police officer say?" he asks as they walk down the alley

"They found evidence of a fire in the alley, but they suspect it's unrelated," she replies as they come closer to the spot where the body was found.

He looks down at the scorch marks on the ground. It's definitely not Kryptonian. "So there was no reason for us to even come down here," he says out loud.

"Common rookie mistake," she tells him. "The scorch marks are probably from a homeless hoedown. If we talk to a few local transients, maybe somebody saw something," turning around and heading towards a group of police officers talking.

He waits until he sees her talking to the officers before activating his x-ray vision and concentrating his gaze on the marks. He's surprised to see a symbol hidden just below the burnt surface.

"Well, this story just made it above the fold," Lois says as she walks back over to where Clark was standing.

"What did they say?"

"Cops say a string of hormone-jacked stiffs turned up between Metropolis and Smallville. All males. Ask me, I think we have a meteor freak on a rampage," she adds with a grin on her face as she walks back down the alley.

I think it's more than just a meteor freak, staring at the marks one more time as he pulls out a notepad and pencil from his pocket and sketches the strange symbol. "I'm going to check something out," he calls out to Lois. "I'll catch up with you at the Planet," he adds as he walks away until he finds a deserted alley, then super-speeds away.

Less than a minute later…

"Chloe, are you here?" knocking on the door.

"Come on in," she calls out. He opens the door and steps inside the apartment; closing the door behind him. "I'm glad to see you," she says with a smile as she gets up from the couch. "Your old sidekick's jonesing for a Scooby clue since Lois started riding shotgun in your Mystery Machine."

"You're not just a sidekick, but I do have something interesting to show you," returning her smile as he gives her a hug.

"So let me see it," she says as they sit down.

He takes out the sketch and shows it to her. "What do you think of it?"

She takes the paper from him. "Hmm," a thoughtful look on her face. "This doesn't look like it's a Kryptonian symbol," she remarks as she continues to look at it. "I think it might be some kind of marker, but what kind I have no idea. Sorry, Clark," handing it back to him.

"I don't think it's Kryptonian either," he says as he folds the paper and slips it back into his pocket.

"What about the journals that Dr. Swan left you? Maybe there's something in them."

"I already thought of that, but no dice," he says with a sigh. "As I see it, I only have one option left."

"Which is?"

"I have to rebuild the fortress so that I can talk to Jor-El," he replies.

"Are you sure that's your only option?"

"Can you think of anything else?" he asks as he gets up and walks over to the front door.

"No," she says. "So are you going to go to the Arctic now?

"After I go back to the farm and retrieve the crystal," he says as he opens the door.

"What if Lois calls and asks me if I've heard from you?" arching one of her eyebrows.

"Just tell her that I'm running down another lead on the story we're working on," he replies.

"Clark?"

He pauses in the doorway. "What?"

"Have you told Tess the truth about her father?"

"Not yet, but I plan on telling her tonight," he replies. "I'm just not sure how she's going to react when she finds out who her real father is."

"She's definitely going to be shocked."

"Yeah," he sighs. "I really have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Say hi to ice dad for me," she replies with a smirk.

He just laughs as he super-speeds away.

About five minutes later…

"Hello, my son. Are you finally here to resume your training?"

"Not yet but hopefully soon," Clark replies as he takes out the drawing.

"So why have you come?" Jor-El asks.

"There have been a number of human males who have been found dead," Clark replies. "All of their autopsies have revealed that their endorphins and adrenalin levels were elevated. This marker was found on the ground right near the latest victim," holding up the drawing. "It doesn't look like a Kryptonian symbol to me."

"It's a hypogeous marker," Jor-El replies. "It's the royal crest of Queen Maxima of the planet Almerac," pausing briefly. "Were there fresh burn marks in the area where the body was found?"

"Yes," Clark replies.

"That indicates that she teleported in recently. They use an Urquilium bracelet that acts as a hyperdrive compressing the fabrics of time and space," Jor-El tells him. "You said the endorphin and adrenalin levels in the victims were elevated?"

"That's correct. In fact, all the men died the same way," he replies as he folds the sketch up and returns it to his pocket. "Do you have any idea why she would come here?"

"She's searching for a mate," Jor-El answers. "The chemicals must be released into her victims once she kisses them. She must have failed in her quest to find a suitable mate on her planet, so she's here on Earth to find one."

"The only problem is that humans can't take the hormone surge because they all flat lined," Clark says.

"The only kind of man strong enough to survive her kiss is a non-human," Jor-El replies.

"Like me?"

"That's correct."

"I have to find her and send her back to Almerac before another man dies from her killer kiss."

"There's one more thing you need to know," Jor-El says. "You must bring her back to the hypogeous marker and twist the Urquilium bracelet around her wrist in order for her to return to her home planet."

"I'll remember that. Thank you, father," Clark adds before he super-speeds away.

"You're welcome, son."

Back in Metropolis…

Clark returns to the Planet and sits down at his desk. "Where'd you disappear to?" Lois asks as she looks up from her computer.

"I told you that I had something to check out," he replies in an annoyed tone as he logs back into his computer. "Unfortunately it didn't pan out. So what about you? Did you find out anything new?"

"Nope," shaking her head as she leans back in her chair and crosses her legs. "Maybe this story is a bust after all."

The words were barely out of her mouth when Jimmy quickly strides up to them. "Have you heard about Miss Mercer?"

"What about her?"asks Lois.

"Is she okay?" Clark asks while trying to keep his voice calm.

"Her assistant found her unconscious on the floor of her office and called for the ambulance. They're at Met Gen right now," he answers.

Lois notes the worried look on Clark's face. "I think we should go to the hospital and find out what happened. Don't you think, Clark?" arching an eyebrow.

"I think that's a good idea," nodding back at her. "Thanks for letting us know, Jimmy," he says as he grabs his jacket.

"Any time, C.K.," Jimmy replies. "So are we still on for tonight?"

"I don't think I can after all. Can I have a rain check?"

"No problem, C.K."

"Thanks, Jimmy," he says as he puts his jacket on.

"Hurry up, Smallville," says Lois with a slightly annoyed tone in her voice as she half-runs to the elevator.

"I'm coming," rolling his eyes as he follows her into the elevator. Once the elevator doors close, Clark turns to Lois. "Thank you."

"No need for that," she replies as she presses the button for the main garage. "You'd do the same for me."

"Of course I would," he says with a smile as they exit the elevator and head in the direction of her car.

Met Gen

"What room did they say she was in?"

"522," Clark replied as they walk down the corridor of the hospital.

"There it is," Lois points out as Clark increases his stride until he reaches the door. He's about to reach for the doorknob when the door swings open and he sees Dee standing there. "How is she?" he asks as she steps out of the room and closes the door behind her.

"She has a dislocated shoulder and a concussion," Dee replies. "They want to keep her overnight for observation just in case."

"Did she say what happened?" asks Lois as the three of them stand in the corridor.

"A police officer just went in to see her to get her account of what happened. That's why I came out here."

Just then, the door opens again and the police officer comes out. "So what did she say?" asks Lois.

"All she remembers is a red-headed woman with incredible strength. The rest of it is a blur," he says as he slips his notepad into his pocket.

"Maybe she just needs a day or two for it to come back to her," says Clark.

"I hope you're right because what little information she gave me is not enough to find this woman," the officer declares. "Good day," adjusting his hat as he walks away.

"I better get back to the office," says Dee as she checks her cell phone.

"I'll stay for a little while," Clark replies.

"I'll walk out with you," Lois says as she walks out with Dee.

Clark waits until they're out of sight before stepping into the room. "How are you feeling?" he asks in a concerned voice as he drops a kiss on her cheek and pulls a chair over to sit down.

"I have a heavy metal band playing in my head right now," opening her eyes to look up at him. "Looks like we won't have our date tonight," she says with a sigh.

"That's okay," he says while caressing the top of her head. "I'm a very patient man," he says with a smile.

"I know you are. That's one of the qualities I admire most in a person," smiling up at him before closing her eyes again.

"Maybe I should come back later when you're feeling a little better," he says as he starts to rise from his chair.

She reaches out to grab his arm. "You don't have to go," she says. "You can stay for a while."

He sits back down and she lets go. "Are you sure?"

She nods her head slowly. "I'm sure. Besides, I have to tell you something about the woman who attacked me."

"You remember what happened?" his eyes widening a little. "What did she look like?"

Tess describes the woman to him. "There were things the mystery woman said that I couldn't reveal to the police officer."

"Such as?"

"She believes that the owner of the crystal is Kryptonian and her perfect mate."

"She said that? " staring back at her with surprise. "What else did she say?"

"She referred to the crystal as a beacon. Remember I told you earlier that a burst of light shot out of it?"

"I remember," he says. "She must have seen it and that's why she showed up on Earth in the first place," he remarks as he gets up from the chair and walks over to the window. He stares out of it for a moment, then turns around. "I found out who she is," he says at last.

"You did?" sitting up and staring at him with surprise. "How did you do that?"

"I rebuilt the fortress and talked to Jor-El," he replies.

"I had a feeling you would," she says as she lays her head back down on the pillow. "What did he say?" He goes on to tell her everything Jor-El told him. "So only a non-human can survive her killer kiss," she says as soon as he's finished. "It certainly narrows her choices."

"I know," he says as he sits back down in the chair next to the bed. "Since there have been numerous deaths, maybe I can access the police wire and find out if there's a pattern."

"That's a good idea," agreeing with him.

"I'll have to go back to the Planet, but I'll be back as soon as I find her," he says as he gets up.

"Clark?"

He looks down at her. "What?"

"Be careful."

"Of course I will," he says as he leans forward to softly kiss her lips. "She can't hurt me after all," he quips as he straightens up.

"I know that, but you don't know what might happen if she kisses you. What if her kiss brainwashes you in some way, or causes you to do something you wouldn't normally do?"

"I just won't let her kiss me," he replies.

"Easier said than done," she says with a small frown on her face. "You are a man after all. You may not be able to resist her."

He sighs and sits back down. "I promise to do everything in my power to not let that happen. Okay?" taking her hands in his and softly kissing them.

"Okay," she says as he gets up once more and heads over to the door. "Clark?" He turns in the open doorway. "I just want to tell you that if something should happen between you and Maxima, I won't hold it against you."

"Nothing is going to happen," he insists as he leaves the room and closes the door.

She lays her head back down. I hope you're right, she says to herself as she closes her eyes again.

Back at the Planet…

Clark logs back into his computeI r and brings up the police wire website. After a few minutes, he finds out that a German business man was found outside the Ace of Clubs. He reads further and discovers that several more men were found at similar places in Metropolis.

I should try to access the video camera. Maybe I can find an actual picture of her, he decides. It takes him almost thirty minutes before he's able to break the firewall and access the video camera. It's about time, he mutters to himself as he fast-forwards through the footage looking for a woman that fit Tess' description.

He continues scanning the footage until he spots the back of a red-headed woman and slowly advances the footage frame by frame until he can almost see her face. He's about to click the mouse one more time when the lights flicker and the power goes out.

Damn, he scowls as he stand up and starts to walk around the deserted office. He hears a sudden swoosh and turns around to find the red-headed woman standing on the stairs.

"Clark Kent," she says with a smile. "That's a strong name. I like it."

"I know who you are and what you want," he tells her in a firm voice.

She super-speeds up to him. "You don't know how long I've searched for you," she says as she throws herself at him.

"I don't think-" his words trailing off as her lips crash down on his. "I want only you," she whispers.

"No," he mumbles and pushes her away. "I don't want you," taking a few steps back.

"We'll just see about that," she replies and promptly pushes him. He flies across the room until he ends up on the floor in the opened elevator. "I'm the queen of Almerac. I always get what I want," she declares as he stands up.

"You don't take no for an answer do you?" he says as he starts to exit the elevator, but she grabs his arm and pulls him back in.

"No man can resist me," pushing him against the elevator wall. "You're going to come back with me to my planet and rule beside me as my king," ripping his shirt open and running her palms up his bare chest while putting her lips on his.

"Well consider me your first," he declares and tears himself away so he could button his shirt.

"That is unacceptable," she answers. "You're the one that I want."

"I don't want you," brushing past her and stepping out of the elevator. She follows him as he walks back to his desk. "You need to go back to your planet," turning around and folding his arms across his chest.

"Not without you," she answers.

He's about to reply when a glint of gold on her wrist catches his eye. That must be the Urquilium bracelet. He looks up at her again and an idea begins to form in his head. "Maybe we shouldgo somewhere private and talk about this," he whispers huskily as he grabs her by the waist and super-speeds them away.

"Finally a man with some fight in him," she whispers in a breathless voice as he pushes her up against the building in the same alley she teleported into. "None of the men on my planet had the stamina to keep up."

"I have plenty of stamina," he replies with a smirk. "Maybe if you hadn't come on so strong, things could have turned out differently between us," he says while still holding her in place.

"I know what I want and I go after it," she answers as he lets her go and starts to walk away. "When I was a little girl, I heard the stories of the brave and gallant men of Krypton. Men worthy of standing by a queen's side."

He turns back around and gazes at her. "When I learned your planet had been destroyed, I prayed for survivors. And then I saw your beacon."

He nods his head sadly. "The beacon didn't come from me," he says as he walks over to the scorch marks.

"It doesn't matter," she says as she walks over to him. "I found the last son of Krypton, and you're everything I wished for. A man who is my equal," taking his hand and resting it on her waist. "When we kissed, I felt your passion," taking his other hand and also placing it on her waist. "So much stronger than I've ever felt from any other man. You want me as much as I want you."

"I said I don't want you," he says. "I want someone else."

She glares at him. "You can't possibly mean the red-headed woman I encountered earlier?"

He looks back at her with a dreamy smile on his face. "She's the one."

Her eyes narrow at him. "No one on this planet will be a better match for you than me," her hands moving up to touch his upper chest. "It's our destiny to be together."

"No," his hands moving from her waist to grip her wrists. "My destiny is here, and you're not a part of it," twisting the bracelet.

"No!" she cries out as the bracelet activates and she frantically tries to hold onto him, but the power emanating from the bracelet forces her to let go and she disappears into a pinkish white light. He looks down at the ground and sees that the marker has disappeared.

He smiles to himself and heads back to the hospital.

The next evening…

Clark is in the loft staring out the window when he hears footsteps coming up the stairs. He turns around and sees Tess. "I thought we agreed that I was going to pick you up," he narrows his eyes slightly.

"I needed some fresh air," she quips as she walks over to him.

"Likely story," he replies with a snort. "So how are you feeling?"

"I'll feel better when I can get rid of this sling," she answers with a sigh.

He nods as they both stand there staring out the window. "So maybe we should talk about what happened last night."

"You were sleeping when I arrived at the hospital and I didn't want to wake you," he says as he walks away and sits down on the couch. "Come here," patting the spot next to him.

"I give the orders," she smirks as she sits down. "But I'll let it go – this time," winking at him.

He chuckles a little and leans back against the couch; his arm loosely wrapped around her shoulders. "So how was her kiss anyway?"

"We only kissed a couple times, but I immediately pulled away each time," he answers.

"That didn't really answer my question."

He quirks his brows. "Does it really matter how she was?"

"No," she quickly replies. "I'm just curious, that's all."

He cups her face and gazes into her eyes. "She wasn't you," lowering his lips and lightly pressing them against hers.

They kiss for a little while until breathing becomes a problem and they pull apart. "Why is it that I always need to catch my breath whenever we kiss?" looking at him with a curious expression.

"I'm an amazing kisser, that's why," he replies with a teasing smirk.

She just shakes her head and rolls her eyes as she rests her head against the couch. "Yep. I've created a monster all right."

He smiles and pulls her closer. "You wouldn't have me any other way."

"You're right," she answers with a grin.

"You're the one that I want. I don't need anyone else," He whispers while brushing a few strands of her hair off her face.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she answers with a smile. "So what else did she say?"

"She said we were destined to be together, but I told her my destiny was here and she wasn't a part of it."

"So do you think we're destined to be together?"

He ponders her question for a moment. "There's no doubt in my mind," he answers with a coy smile. "What about you? Do you think we're destined to be together?"

"I feel the same way as you," she replies just as coyly. "Now kiss me again, Mr. Kent."

"Yes, Miss Mercer."

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: I decided that for the purpose of this story, Jimmy and Chloe never got engaged. Therefore, there was no wedding, no Doomsday, and Lana never came back for the AOS - which I HATED by the way. Chloe didn't get infected by Brainiac so the mind wipe never happened.