AN: Sorry about the delay. I was working on a challenge fic that turned out to be a real…well, challenge. But it shouldn't be as long until the next update. Part five is already half finished.

PART FOUR

"Ye-ouch!" Chloe exclaimed. Using the passenger door of the truck for support, she rose up out of her seat. "Damn it!"

Hands gripping the steering wheel, Clark laughed. He couldn't help it. The entire drive from Smallville, Chloe had been 'fighting' with the sword hidden under her coat. At first, he was concerned. But once he realized the thing wasn't really hurting her…Well, now it was just funny.

"Why don't you just put it in the back until we get there?" he'd asked at the beginning of their journey.

"No." Chloe shook her head. "I should be able to do this. I mean, I saw
Merrick sit down while wearing his sword all the time, and it never gave him any problems. I just have to get used to it."

Shaking his head at her stubbornness, Clark glanced in Chloe's direction…and found her glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Laugh again," she warned, "and, invincible or not, I will find a way to hurt you."

Wisely, Clark swallowed his next chuckle, and wiped the smile off of his face. Clearing his throat, he focused on the road ahead.

Beside him, Chloe carefully lowered herself back into her seat. Then she squirmed a few more minutes, obviously trying, with little success, to get comfortable.

"I hope we're not late," she said as she looked at her watch. "I'd kinda like the chance to blend in before things get started."

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Clark said, voicing his concerns yet again. "I mean, crashing a funeral?"

"Hey, it's all we've got. Robert Ramirez knew Merrick, which means he might have known about Immortals. And, right now, he's the only link I have to finding out more about what I am."

"But you can't exactly interview a dead man," Clark argued.

"True. But we might see or overhear something. If we claim we knew Ramirez, we might even get invited to the wake or something. And you'd be surprised how much people let slip while reminiscing about their dearly departed loved ones."

Clark couldn't contain a bit of a shiver. The whole thing seemed kind of morbid to him.

"Relax, Clark. I'm not going to grill the bereaved for information. All we have to do is listen."

Clark opened his mouth to say something else, but finally decided to let the matter drop. There was no use arguing about it now. Chloe had made up her mind. And, besides, they were almost there.

*****

As the Metropolis skyline loomed on the horizon, Chloe's heart started to race. She took a deep, shaky breath, and gave thanks that she wasn't the type to have panic attacks. Because, if she were, she'd be having one right now.

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, but the voice of her teacher.

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 others who won't think twice about taking your head.

Was it any wonder the thought of going to Metropolis terrified her?

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 an ace reporter. Which wouldn't happen if she was too scared to set foot outside the Smallville city limits. She already turned down an offer to spend the day shopping with Lana and Nell while her roommate was visiting her aunt. And even while asking Lex for tickets to the softball game, a part of her knew she wasn't going to go.

In a way, she was glad for this fact-finding mission. No matter how scared she was, there was no way she could turn down the chance to find out more about the mysterious man who brought her her sword. And possibly learn more about what she was.

*****

By the time they reached Serenity Gardens Cemetery, Chloe had managed to calm down. Mostly. Because, seriously, what were the odds she'd actually run into another Immortal today?

As she got out of the truck, she straightened her clothes, which were rumpled after the long drive. In order to blend in at the funeral, she'd dressed all in black. From the coat specially designed to conceal a sword—another gift from Merrick—to her turtleneck, slacks, and boots. As she looked down at her all black ensemble, she wondered if she might have overdone it just a little.

She turned to look at Clark, who was walking around the hood of the truck. He was dressed casually in slacks, a white button-down shirt, and a black jacket.

"You ready?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be," he muttered. He looked so close to pouting, Chloe would have laughed if they were anywhere else but at a cemetery.

Shaking her head at his lack of enthusiasm, she stepped into the grass.

*****

Joe Dawson stared at the coffin. He still couldn't believe Robert was dead, killed in such a random, senseless way.

The Watcher glanced at the young man's family, and could almost feel their hearts breaking. He knew his grief paled in comparison to theirs. Still, he felt the loss.

Sighing, he leaned more heavily on his cane. He didn't just feel loss. He felt guilt.

"Joe," his companion asked, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

After a pause, Dawson nodded. "Yeah. Thanks Mac."

As the service began, Joe remembered the young man he met so many years ago. He'd helped to train Robert. The moment they met, the two men formed a connection, and became very close in a surprisingly short period of time. As the young man left for his first assignment, Dawson promised to keep in touch. Only, with one thing or another…

The 'phone call he got a few months back was the first he'd seen or heard from the younger Watcher in years. And Robert hadn't called for a friendly chat. No, he had a dilemma. After being inactive for decades, his assignment, William Merrick, was killing again. For months, Robert watched the Immortal terrorize Metropolis. And there was nothing he could do about it.

The dilemma wasn't uncommon for a Watcher. They were supposed to observe and record, but never interfere. It was a hard rule to follow when your assignment was a serial killer. When you watched, with your own eyes, as they selected their victims.

Robert called Joe for support. He wanted someone to help him remain detached, to stick by the rules he'd sworn to obey. But Joe Dawson wasn't as strict about the rules as some of his peers. Blame it on his personal experience with Immortals, but Joe now believed there were some cases when they had to interfere. When truly evil Immortals had to be stopped, preferably, by one of their own kind.

So Joe told Robert to sit tight, that he was going to send someone to help him. But, before he could set things in motion, the problem was solved. William Merrick was dead, killed by his own student.

During their last phone call, Robert sounded so happy. He hadn't gotten into too much trouble for 'letting' Merrick find out about him, or even for delivering a sword to Merrick's student. He had a new assignment, an Immortal who was almost as much of a boy scout as Duncan MacCleod. And he promised to visit Joe, so the two of them could truly renew their friendship.

Only, now, he was dead.

Joe was sinking deeper into melancholy when he felt the man beside him stiffen. Turning to look at his friend, he saw a familiar expression on Mac's face. An expression that said there was another Immortal nearby.

*****

The two teens made their way across the cemetery, towards the group of people beneath a large shade tree. It seemed the funeral services for Robert Ramirez were already in progress. The mourners stood silent, heads bowed, as the priest spoke. It was such a somber scene, Chloe almost felt bad about intruding.

Then, as they got closer, she felt it. A stabbing ache in her temples. An electric hum, like a thousand voices whispering in each ear.

With a startled gasp, Chloe stumbled to a halt.

"Chloe?" Clark asked as he came to a stop behind her. "Are you okay?"

Chloe barely heard him. Heart pounding in her chest, eyes wide with the beginnings of panic, she studied each of the funeral attendees, let her eyes rest on them all, one after the other. When her gaze settled on one man in particular, the buzz in her head stopped.

Tall and commanding, he stood a little apart from everyone else. Hands clasped behind his back, he looked totally in charge, in control. A long, tan overcoat hung from his shoulders, its length fluttering in the breeze. And he was staring at her, a frown clouding his handsome brow.

Heart jumping into her throat, Chloe stepped back, slamming into Clark.

"Whoa!" Clark hands settled on her shoulders. "Chloe? What's wrong?"

"H-he…" Stuttering to a stop, Chloe swallowed and tried again. "An Immortal. There's another Immortal here."

(To Be Continued)