PART TWO

Silence filled Clark's loft. Even the outside noises--wind, birds, the hum of a tractor engine--seemed to stop. Chloe stared at Clark for a full minute, her mind blank with surprise. When she could finally speak, she said the only words that came to mind.

"Lex who?"

Clark rolled his eyes. "Chloe, I'm serious."

"So am I," she assured him. Chloe shifted in her seat, wincing when the movement jostled her swollen ankle. "But, since I don't believe you just suggested Lex Luthor should train me, I figured you had to mean some other Lex I don't know about. Otherwise, I have to conclude you've gone nuts."

Clark gave her an insulted glare. "I haven't gone nuts. In fact, it makes sense. Lex knows all about this stuff. He's always bringing people in from Metropolis to teach him fencing and self-defense. And, knowing Lex, I bet he was the best student any of them ever had. I'm sure he can clue you in on some basics you don't know yet."

With a thoughtful frown, Chloe remembered Clark describing one of Lex's fencing sessions. He'd also mentioned that the young millionaire had trained with a Navy Seal.

"Okay," she admitted. "Lex probably knows some stuff I wouldn't mind learning. But what brand of wacky logic made you decide Lex Luthor, who has a million-dollar company to run and probably much better things to do, would want to spend any of his free time teaching me, a person he barely knows well enough to call a casual acquaintance, how to fight?" She shook her head. "I can't even imagine asking him."

As Chloe rubbed her aching leg, she realized something. Clark was working real hard not to meet her eyes. He looked everywhere but at her. At the wall. At her ankle. At the floor.

"Clark?" she asked, more than a little suspicious.

"Well," he began, hesitantly, "see, the thing is, asking him won't really be a problem because...he kind of already offered."

Surprised, Chloe's eyebrows flew up so high, they almost met her hairline. "What?" she exclaimed.

Eyes almost tentative, Clark met her gaze. "Remember that self-defense book I checked out of the library a few days ago?"

"The one that turned out to be useless?"

"Yeah, that one," he easily agreed. "Well, I had it with me when I went to the Talon that afternoon. And Lex was there."

Groaning, Chloe put her hands over her face.

Clark nodded. "When Lex saw the book, he said I couldn't learn self-defense by reading about it and, if I was really interested, he'd give me a few pointers. I was trying to think of some excuse for not taking him up on his offer. Then I realized the truth couldn't hurt anything." Clark shrugged. "When I told him the book wasn't for me but for you, he said he wouldn't mind teaching you some basics instead."

After a moment of thoughtful silence, Chloe sighed. "I can see that happening. And I can also see why he'd offer to teach you since the two of you are friends. But he and I are virtual strangers."

"Not really strangers," Clark denied. "The two of you have talked."

"We don't actually talk, Clark. More like...duel with words. He thinks anything he says will end up as a quote in The Torch." Chloe gave him a challenging grin. "Tell me he doesn't."

Since he couldn't really deny it, Clark moved on. "Your dad works for him, and I think Lex really likes Gabe. Maybe that's why he offered. And, believe it or not, Lex is a much more generous guy than people give him credit for."

Chloe made a doubtful sound, halfway between a snort and a laugh.

"No, it's true. I know people think that, if he offers them something, it's only because he wants something in return. And, okay, sometimes he does. But he really seems to like doing things for people."

"Uh huh," Chloe said, still doubtful. "Take the pack off for a second, huh? I think I'm getting frostbite."

When Clark lifted up the ice-pack, Chloe studied her ankle. Her skin felt numb, and had a bluish, bruised tinge to it. Add that to the swelling, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

"So, what do you think?" Clark asked eagerly.

Chloe glanced at her friend. She knew how eager he was for her to find a new trainer. Not that he resented helping her or anything. But he hated it when she got hurt, and always found a way to blame himself for it. The fact that she healed from any injury in less than 24 hours didn't seem to ease his mind one bit.

But Lex Luthor?

Okay, the idea didn't sound as crazy now as it had at first. But it was still weird. The thought of her and Lex Luthor, in a room, dressed in sweats, sparring with each other.

But what were her alternatives? Training with Clark was helping her not forget what she'd already learned...she hoped. But he didn't have the skill to teach her anything new. Not like Merrick...

As usual, thinking the name made Chloe's heart sink. A familiar pain settled in her chest as memories of Merrick's voice--with its slight British accent and touch of humor--echoed through her mind. Not the voice of the man who tried to kill her, who she'd ended up killing instead, but the voice of her friend.

You could spend the rest of your life in Smallville, and never meet another of our kind. But go to a large city like Metropolis, and you're likely to sense another Immortal within hours. Fortunately, most will leave you alone. But there are the others...

And that was the problem. Just the thought of going to Metropolis terrified her. Shaky hands. Shortness of breath. Cold sweats. The works.

Over the years, Smallville had become her home. But she still thought of Metropolis as her city. Where she'd return one day to find fame and fortune as a star reporter on the Daily Planet. Which wouldn't happen if she was too scared to set foot outside the Smallville city limits.

She needed to learn more. She needed to believe she could handle herself if she went to the big, bad city and stumbled upon a headhunter who didn't care that they wouldn't get much power from her newbie Quickening.

"Chloe?" Clark said, probably worried by her long silence.

Sighing, Chloe shrugged. "I'll think about accepting Lex's generous offer. Okay?"

Clark grinned as he put the ice pack back on her ankle. "Okay."

TO BE CONTINUED