"Friend" - Chapter 5: Saying Goodbye
Clark starts towards the door, Chloe quickly goes after him.
"What do you mean? Where do you think he went?"
"Lex was in here just before you guys came in, he mentioned Walter King, and that he's meeting with him at the mansion today, now. I think Danny might be headed there, probably to kill King."
"How would Danny know where this Walter King guy is at?"
"I don't know, maybe Simon is directing him there. I know it might not seem reasonable, but I have a hunch."
"Alright, well we'll go down there then and check it out."
"Uh…yeah, alright," Clark starts, weary of possibly having to use his abilities and Chloe seeing him. "Someone should stay here with Mrs. Walsh, she still looks pretty shaken."
"I will," Pete offers.
"Ok, Pete, thanks," Clark replies. Lana quickly walks up to Clark and Chloe.
"I want to come too, I can get someone to cover for me here."
"I don't know Lana…this could get dangerous."
"Danny could be in danger too, if Simon exists than Danny could get caught in the middle, and if that's the case I have to come and try and help him. I'm coming no matter what you say, Clark."
"Ok, Lana…we better hurry, Lex could get caught in the middle of this too."
"Get going you guys, there might not be much time left," Pete urges them. The three hurry outside, Chloe goes to the driver's side of her car and takes out her keys. Clark wants to just use his superspeed and get there much faster, but he can't think of any good excuses. Chloe opens the door and unlocks the rest. Clark and Lana get in and soon they are making their way to Lex's mansion.
At that same point in time, at the Luthor Ancestral Home, Lex watches Walter King pull up in his limo. He seems very upset as he quickly opens the door, ignoring the driver who was about to open it for him, and charges into the home. Lex walks back over to a pool table where he was playing a little game quietly by himself. He knocks the 8-Ball into the right corner pocket as the door bursts open and King enters, this time without his bodyguards. "Welcome, Walter…how's it going?"
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" King shouts.
"You seem upset, is there something wrong?"
"You screwed me over you little prick!"
"You seem surprised," Lex laughs, hitting another ball into a side pocket.
"So you think you can go behind my back and turn my friends into enemies? You don't know who you're dealing with!"
"I just had a little chat with each of those big names you mentioned the other day, seems they're not as loyal as you might have thought. They were actually kind of eager to bail out on you and your big plans of world domination. Calling you a madman, a fool, but mostly a bad businessman. You should have known better, Mr. King."
"No one makes a fool of Walter King…no one! Not even Lex Luthor!"
"You sure about that? Because I'm quite sure I've already done that." King looks furious, watching Lex Luthor take pleasure in his defeat, his humiliation makes his blood boil.
"Wipe that smile off your face Luthor…cause I'll be the one having the last laugh." Lex looks back at King. A frown crosses his face as King slowly reaches into his coat and pulls out a small black pistol.
"You plan on shooting me? I never had much respect for you, King, and now I have less. Shooting me would be so cheap and worthless, much like you."
"I'll take great pleasure in watching you die." King begins to squeeze the trigger. Lex Luthor stands strong, staring into King's eyes. Strange noises are soon heard. A very loud banging fills the room, sounding like a herd of elephants are trampling through the halls. The doors instantly break away and fly many feet across the large room. King and Lex instantly take notice, having no idea what's going on. Little Danny Walsh stands there in the doorway, looking in their direction. "What's going on?" King asks.
"I won't ever let you hurt my mother," Danny yells. An instant later a ghostly green fog moves into the room with incredible speed. It's mass becomes larger, growing around Lex and King. An eerie bright green light shines throughout the fog, making it shimmer. It takes shape; parts of the fog encircle King like the tentacles of an octopus, while the center glows the brightest. King is completely silent, unable to look away from the ghastly entity and it's almost hypnotic green glow. The tentacle-like fog continues to wrap around him, getting closer and closer with each passing second. Lex begins to back away as he watches the mass of green grow larger, filling the room with the fog.
Soon, Chloe's car pulls up to the Luthor Ancestral Home. She parks next to the limo; and the three quickly get out and head towards the door. Clark stops to talk to the driver of the limo. "Is this Walter King's limo?"
"Yes…he's been in there a while, I'm not sure what's going on."
"There might be something wrong, call the police and get them down here."
"Um…ok, I will," the driver replies, at least a little confused. Clark hurries over to Chloe and Lana near the door.
"No response from ringing the bell, Clark," Chloe says.
"Let's go," he replies. The open the door and move in, almost immediately Clark senses something isn't right. As they walk quickly down the hallway they spot the green fog seeping through the large doors.
"What is that?" Lana asks.
"I don't know…" Clark starts. He tries to open one of the doors, but it won't budge. "Uh…stand back."
"What are you going to do?" Chloe asks. Clark kicks down one of the doors with ease, it flies across the room into the fog, which is now everywhere. Danny is now in the far corner of the room, watching as King is embraced by the fog. It begins to take on more shape, surging with electricity and an even brighter green shine.
"Clark! How did you do that?" Lana asks.
"We have to get Danny out of here!" Clark examines the area; the bright, electric fog has now lifted King off the ground and is crushing him. Lex has moved towards the back of the room, away from King and has just noticed Clark, Lana and Chloe's presence.
"Clark!" He calls out. Clark is about to try and get Lex and Danny out…but is suddenly stricken with a pain that forces him down to the floor. The green fog, he realizes it comes from the meteor rocks and is now unable to get up. Chloe and Lana check on him, unsure about what's happened to him.
"What's going on? Are you alright, Clark?" Chloe asks.
"I…don't know. Try and get Lex and Danny out of here, through another door…something." Clark struggles to speak, looking at his hands, very green and veiny. Chloe and Lana don't waste any time. They move through the thick fog, which seems to rise from the ground in waves of electricity. King continues to be bound by the fog, it suffocates him as the seconds pass. Chloe gets over to Lex quickly and tries to pull him out of the room, but he seems captivated by the sight of the mammoth green monster.
"Lex! As much as I would like to stay and get some pictures of this we have to get out of here now!" Chloe begins pulling Lex away, but soon a powerful force erupts from the ground beneath them, the fog whipping them out of the room, the door slamming shut behind them. Lex tries to open it but is unable to.
"What the hell is that thing?" Lex asks with a mix of amazement, anger and fear.
"Something…something I'm not sure you're ready to understand." Lex looks at Chloe, he almost wants to yell out begging her to tell her everything she knows but just turns back around and faces the door, still unable to open it.
Clark drags himself out of the room through the open area where he busted the door down. Still unable to walk or even stand, he crawls only a few feet out of the room before collapsing.
Lana races towards Danny, who stands very still, watching as King continues to have the life sucked out of him. "Danny! You have to make it stop!"
"I can't make it stop…Simon won't stop."
"No, Danny, you can control Simon, you just don't know how…but you have to try!"
"I'm sorry, Lana…"
"Do you want that man to die, Danny?" Danny pauses for a few seconds, then looks at Lana.
"No, I don't want anyone to die."
"Then make it stop Danny, you have to concentrate, you can stop this."
"No…he's too strong, I can't."
"I know you're still that good little boy Danny, and I know you don't want to be doing this but you are…in your mind, you're making Simon do this. You have to stop…the man up there is going to die if you don't try. Please, Danny, concentrate." Danny nods his head and closes his eyes tight. Lana holds on to him and watches, still able to see the very feeble, helpless Walter King.
Back in the other room, which Chloe and Lex are still locked in, Lex sits down against the door. "I saw it this time."
"Saw what?"
"I wasn't unconscious, this time I got to see it."
"Yeah…I kind of wish you hadn't."
"Why's that?"
"Because Lex, you need to know everything, all the answers…and when someone like you, a man that can obtain those answers with relative ease gets involved, it can lead to trouble."
"That sounds a bit like yourself, Ms. Sullivan. We're both looking for the answers, the key to unlock all the mysteries in this town. I intend to find that key." Chloe is a bit frightened by what Lex had just said, but also very intrigued. "You can go about finding it yourself, or you can help me and we can find it together." Chloe smiles, even though she tries not to. Lex tries the door again, this time it opens.
The two walk back into the large room, everything is quiet, the green fog is gone now, Simon is gone. Lana sits on the floor, holding Danny, who made it all go away. "It's ok now, Danny, it's all over." Lex looks at the young boy, wanting to know so much about him, but he doesn't say anything. Clark staggers back into the room, Chloe quickly runs over to him.
"Clark! What happened to you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Chloe…what about you guys?"
"Everyone seems to be ok, except…" Chloe starts, noticing the body of Walter King, lying on the ground in the corner of the room. They walk up to him, as does Lex Luthor. Lex kneels down and checks for a pulse.
"His neck is broken," Clark says. Lex glances at him with an eyebrow raised. Lana approaches the three with Danny.
"I think we should get him back home."
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. You guys get out of here…I'll call the police about King."
"What will you tell them?" Clark asks.
"I don't know," Lex replies after a short pause. "I'll think of something." The three walk off towards the door. "Bye Danny." Danny turns around and looks at Lex, their eyes lock on each other for a few seconds, but Danny soon turns his head back around and walks out of the room. Lex remains standing for a few moments, he walks over to Walter King's body and looks at him. He reaches into his pocket and takes out his cell phone, then dials 911.
The next afternoon, at the Kent Farm, friends and family have gathered to say goodbye to Chloe Sullivan. Her car is parked at the end of the driveway; she's ready to set off to start her internship at the Daily Planet. Her father Gabe waits by the car as she walks over to the group of people. Martha approaches her and gives her a hug. "Have a great summer, Chloe, and you be careful up there in Metropolis."
"I will Mrs. Kent," Chloe replies with a big smile. Jonathan gives her a big hug as well.
"I'm sure we'll be seeing your name on the front of the Daily Planet in no time."
"We'll have to see about that, thanks a lot Mr. Kent." Chloe gives Pete a big hug afterwards.
"What are we going to do with out you?" Chloe smiles.
"I don't know, but you call me as soon as another frozen Popsicle man or a firebreather turn up around here, ok?"
"You know I will, have a great summer, Chloe." Chloe moves over to Lana, the two exchange smiles and then hug.
"You're going to have so much fun, Chloe, I hope you have the time of your life."
"Thanks, Lana…I never thought we would ever be real friends, but now I know I won't need or want to refer to you as the pom-pom princess ever again." The two girls laugh, all their differences and problems with each other resolved. A moment later a black limo pulls up next to Chloe's car. Lex steps out of the back and walks up to her, saying hello to her father as he passes him. "Lex, I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"I wouldn't miss the chance to say goodbye to the future star reporter." Chloe laughs a bit. "You and I are on very similar paths, Ms. Sullivan, and we share a lot of the same common goals. This is just the first step on your journey, and I hope you find success and happiness in what you pursue. And, if you have any trouble in Metropolis you know who to call." Lex smiles and winks at her. Another smile crosses her face.
"Thank you, Lex." Chloe walks over to Clark, the two exchange smiles. "I guess I'll miss you the most scarecrow," Chloe says with a laugh.
"It's really going to be different, Chloe."
"Yes I know, but I think you can manage without me for a few months, plus you WILL visit me."
"Of course I will. So, I made you a little something." Clark takes out a black binder, filled with pictures and news articles and other little mementos and hands it to her. "It's a scrapbook, just a little piece of Smallville you can take with you to Metropolis. Chloe looks through it, passing article clippings from the Torch and various other things. She gets to one of the last pages, a picture of Clark and Chloe in the 8th grade when they first met. She looks up at him, a rush of emotions taking over.
"Thank you, Clark, this means a lot to me."
"Now once you get to Metropolis I want you to call me, and keep calling me, I want to hear all about it."
"You know I will." A couple of moments pass, Clark leans over and kisses Chloe on the cheek.
"Goodbye, Chloe."
"Goodbye, Clark." The two keep smiling for a few seconds; Chloe then walks back towards the car, stopping at the passenger's side door. Clark walks over to the group and they all wave goodbye, Chloe smiles and does the same. She and Gabe get into the car and close their doors. The engine starts and the car slowly drives out of the Kent Farm and then further and further out of sight down a dirt road, heading for big city Metropolis.
THE END
This Fanfiction Copyright 2002 Rich Wheeler
Clark starts towards the door, Chloe quickly goes after him.
"What do you mean? Where do you think he went?"
"Lex was in here just before you guys came in, he mentioned Walter King, and that he's meeting with him at the mansion today, now. I think Danny might be headed there, probably to kill King."
"How would Danny know where this Walter King guy is at?"
"I don't know, maybe Simon is directing him there. I know it might not seem reasonable, but I have a hunch."
"Alright, well we'll go down there then and check it out."
"Uh…yeah, alright," Clark starts, weary of possibly having to use his abilities and Chloe seeing him. "Someone should stay here with Mrs. Walsh, she still looks pretty shaken."
"I will," Pete offers.
"Ok, Pete, thanks," Clark replies. Lana quickly walks up to Clark and Chloe.
"I want to come too, I can get someone to cover for me here."
"I don't know Lana…this could get dangerous."
"Danny could be in danger too, if Simon exists than Danny could get caught in the middle, and if that's the case I have to come and try and help him. I'm coming no matter what you say, Clark."
"Ok, Lana…we better hurry, Lex could get caught in the middle of this too."
"Get going you guys, there might not be much time left," Pete urges them. The three hurry outside, Chloe goes to the driver's side of her car and takes out her keys. Clark wants to just use his superspeed and get there much faster, but he can't think of any good excuses. Chloe opens the door and unlocks the rest. Clark and Lana get in and soon they are making their way to Lex's mansion.
At that same point in time, at the Luthor Ancestral Home, Lex watches Walter King pull up in his limo. He seems very upset as he quickly opens the door, ignoring the driver who was about to open it for him, and charges into the home. Lex walks back over to a pool table where he was playing a little game quietly by himself. He knocks the 8-Ball into the right corner pocket as the door bursts open and King enters, this time without his bodyguards. "Welcome, Walter…how's it going?"
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" King shouts.
"You seem upset, is there something wrong?"
"You screwed me over you little prick!"
"You seem surprised," Lex laughs, hitting another ball into a side pocket.
"So you think you can go behind my back and turn my friends into enemies? You don't know who you're dealing with!"
"I just had a little chat with each of those big names you mentioned the other day, seems they're not as loyal as you might have thought. They were actually kind of eager to bail out on you and your big plans of world domination. Calling you a madman, a fool, but mostly a bad businessman. You should have known better, Mr. King."
"No one makes a fool of Walter King…no one! Not even Lex Luthor!"
"You sure about that? Because I'm quite sure I've already done that." King looks furious, watching Lex Luthor take pleasure in his defeat, his humiliation makes his blood boil.
"Wipe that smile off your face Luthor…cause I'll be the one having the last laugh." Lex looks back at King. A frown crosses his face as King slowly reaches into his coat and pulls out a small black pistol.
"You plan on shooting me? I never had much respect for you, King, and now I have less. Shooting me would be so cheap and worthless, much like you."
"I'll take great pleasure in watching you die." King begins to squeeze the trigger. Lex Luthor stands strong, staring into King's eyes. Strange noises are soon heard. A very loud banging fills the room, sounding like a herd of elephants are trampling through the halls. The doors instantly break away and fly many feet across the large room. King and Lex instantly take notice, having no idea what's going on. Little Danny Walsh stands there in the doorway, looking in their direction. "What's going on?" King asks.
"I won't ever let you hurt my mother," Danny yells. An instant later a ghostly green fog moves into the room with incredible speed. It's mass becomes larger, growing around Lex and King. An eerie bright green light shines throughout the fog, making it shimmer. It takes shape; parts of the fog encircle King like the tentacles of an octopus, while the center glows the brightest. King is completely silent, unable to look away from the ghastly entity and it's almost hypnotic green glow. The tentacle-like fog continues to wrap around him, getting closer and closer with each passing second. Lex begins to back away as he watches the mass of green grow larger, filling the room with the fog.
Soon, Chloe's car pulls up to the Luthor Ancestral Home. She parks next to the limo; and the three quickly get out and head towards the door. Clark stops to talk to the driver of the limo. "Is this Walter King's limo?"
"Yes…he's been in there a while, I'm not sure what's going on."
"There might be something wrong, call the police and get them down here."
"Um…ok, I will," the driver replies, at least a little confused. Clark hurries over to Chloe and Lana near the door.
"No response from ringing the bell, Clark," Chloe says.
"Let's go," he replies. The open the door and move in, almost immediately Clark senses something isn't right. As they walk quickly down the hallway they spot the green fog seeping through the large doors.
"What is that?" Lana asks.
"I don't know…" Clark starts. He tries to open one of the doors, but it won't budge. "Uh…stand back."
"What are you going to do?" Chloe asks. Clark kicks down one of the doors with ease, it flies across the room into the fog, which is now everywhere. Danny is now in the far corner of the room, watching as King is embraced by the fog. It begins to take on more shape, surging with electricity and an even brighter green shine.
"Clark! How did you do that?" Lana asks.
"We have to get Danny out of here!" Clark examines the area; the bright, electric fog has now lifted King off the ground and is crushing him. Lex has moved towards the back of the room, away from King and has just noticed Clark, Lana and Chloe's presence.
"Clark!" He calls out. Clark is about to try and get Lex and Danny out…but is suddenly stricken with a pain that forces him down to the floor. The green fog, he realizes it comes from the meteor rocks and is now unable to get up. Chloe and Lana check on him, unsure about what's happened to him.
"What's going on? Are you alright, Clark?" Chloe asks.
"I…don't know. Try and get Lex and Danny out of here, through another door…something." Clark struggles to speak, looking at his hands, very green and veiny. Chloe and Lana don't waste any time. They move through the thick fog, which seems to rise from the ground in waves of electricity. King continues to be bound by the fog, it suffocates him as the seconds pass. Chloe gets over to Lex quickly and tries to pull him out of the room, but he seems captivated by the sight of the mammoth green monster.
"Lex! As much as I would like to stay and get some pictures of this we have to get out of here now!" Chloe begins pulling Lex away, but soon a powerful force erupts from the ground beneath them, the fog whipping them out of the room, the door slamming shut behind them. Lex tries to open it but is unable to.
"What the hell is that thing?" Lex asks with a mix of amazement, anger and fear.
"Something…something I'm not sure you're ready to understand." Lex looks at Chloe, he almost wants to yell out begging her to tell her everything she knows but just turns back around and faces the door, still unable to open it.
Clark drags himself out of the room through the open area where he busted the door down. Still unable to walk or even stand, he crawls only a few feet out of the room before collapsing.
Lana races towards Danny, who stands very still, watching as King continues to have the life sucked out of him. "Danny! You have to make it stop!"
"I can't make it stop…Simon won't stop."
"No, Danny, you can control Simon, you just don't know how…but you have to try!"
"I'm sorry, Lana…"
"Do you want that man to die, Danny?" Danny pauses for a few seconds, then looks at Lana.
"No, I don't want anyone to die."
"Then make it stop Danny, you have to concentrate, you can stop this."
"No…he's too strong, I can't."
"I know you're still that good little boy Danny, and I know you don't want to be doing this but you are…in your mind, you're making Simon do this. You have to stop…the man up there is going to die if you don't try. Please, Danny, concentrate." Danny nods his head and closes his eyes tight. Lana holds on to him and watches, still able to see the very feeble, helpless Walter King.
Back in the other room, which Chloe and Lex are still locked in, Lex sits down against the door. "I saw it this time."
"Saw what?"
"I wasn't unconscious, this time I got to see it."
"Yeah…I kind of wish you hadn't."
"Why's that?"
"Because Lex, you need to know everything, all the answers…and when someone like you, a man that can obtain those answers with relative ease gets involved, it can lead to trouble."
"That sounds a bit like yourself, Ms. Sullivan. We're both looking for the answers, the key to unlock all the mysteries in this town. I intend to find that key." Chloe is a bit frightened by what Lex had just said, but also very intrigued. "You can go about finding it yourself, or you can help me and we can find it together." Chloe smiles, even though she tries not to. Lex tries the door again, this time it opens.
The two walk back into the large room, everything is quiet, the green fog is gone now, Simon is gone. Lana sits on the floor, holding Danny, who made it all go away. "It's ok now, Danny, it's all over." Lex looks at the young boy, wanting to know so much about him, but he doesn't say anything. Clark staggers back into the room, Chloe quickly runs over to him.
"Clark! What happened to you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Chloe…what about you guys?"
"Everyone seems to be ok, except…" Chloe starts, noticing the body of Walter King, lying on the ground in the corner of the room. They walk up to him, as does Lex Luthor. Lex kneels down and checks for a pulse.
"His neck is broken," Clark says. Lex glances at him with an eyebrow raised. Lana approaches the three with Danny.
"I think we should get him back home."
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. You guys get out of here…I'll call the police about King."
"What will you tell them?" Clark asks.
"I don't know," Lex replies after a short pause. "I'll think of something." The three walk off towards the door. "Bye Danny." Danny turns around and looks at Lex, their eyes lock on each other for a few seconds, but Danny soon turns his head back around and walks out of the room. Lex remains standing for a few moments, he walks over to Walter King's body and looks at him. He reaches into his pocket and takes out his cell phone, then dials 911.
The next afternoon, at the Kent Farm, friends and family have gathered to say goodbye to Chloe Sullivan. Her car is parked at the end of the driveway; she's ready to set off to start her internship at the Daily Planet. Her father Gabe waits by the car as she walks over to the group of people. Martha approaches her and gives her a hug. "Have a great summer, Chloe, and you be careful up there in Metropolis."
"I will Mrs. Kent," Chloe replies with a big smile. Jonathan gives her a big hug as well.
"I'm sure we'll be seeing your name on the front of the Daily Planet in no time."
"We'll have to see about that, thanks a lot Mr. Kent." Chloe gives Pete a big hug afterwards.
"What are we going to do with out you?" Chloe smiles.
"I don't know, but you call me as soon as another frozen Popsicle man or a firebreather turn up around here, ok?"
"You know I will, have a great summer, Chloe." Chloe moves over to Lana, the two exchange smiles and then hug.
"You're going to have so much fun, Chloe, I hope you have the time of your life."
"Thanks, Lana…I never thought we would ever be real friends, but now I know I won't need or want to refer to you as the pom-pom princess ever again." The two girls laugh, all their differences and problems with each other resolved. A moment later a black limo pulls up next to Chloe's car. Lex steps out of the back and walks up to her, saying hello to her father as he passes him. "Lex, I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"I wouldn't miss the chance to say goodbye to the future star reporter." Chloe laughs a bit. "You and I are on very similar paths, Ms. Sullivan, and we share a lot of the same common goals. This is just the first step on your journey, and I hope you find success and happiness in what you pursue. And, if you have any trouble in Metropolis you know who to call." Lex smiles and winks at her. Another smile crosses her face.
"Thank you, Lex." Chloe walks over to Clark, the two exchange smiles. "I guess I'll miss you the most scarecrow," Chloe says with a laugh.
"It's really going to be different, Chloe."
"Yes I know, but I think you can manage without me for a few months, plus you WILL visit me."
"Of course I will. So, I made you a little something." Clark takes out a black binder, filled with pictures and news articles and other little mementos and hands it to her. "It's a scrapbook, just a little piece of Smallville you can take with you to Metropolis. Chloe looks through it, passing article clippings from the Torch and various other things. She gets to one of the last pages, a picture of Clark and Chloe in the 8th grade when they first met. She looks up at him, a rush of emotions taking over.
"Thank you, Clark, this means a lot to me."
"Now once you get to Metropolis I want you to call me, and keep calling me, I want to hear all about it."
"You know I will." A couple of moments pass, Clark leans over and kisses Chloe on the cheek.
"Goodbye, Chloe."
"Goodbye, Clark." The two keep smiling for a few seconds; Chloe then walks back towards the car, stopping at the passenger's side door. Clark walks over to the group and they all wave goodbye, Chloe smiles and does the same. She and Gabe get into the car and close their doors. The engine starts and the car slowly drives out of the Kent Farm and then further and further out of sight down a dirt road, heading for big city Metropolis.
THE END
This Fanfiction Copyright 2002 Rich Wheeler