Author's Note: I am so sorry about the delay. By now you guys probably know I'm not a very consistent updater. I just started college, blah, blah, blah...I know its no excuse, so I'm sorry! Thanks for staying with me! I hope to get the next chapter up soon!

CHAPTER 7

Chloe slept fitfully that night. Every time she happened to close her eyes she saw the man who's wrist she had broken in the alley behind the Talon. His huge, fear-stricken eyes bore into her through the darkness behind her eyelids, as if she were still staring into his face. She could still here that scream, choked with intense pain. Pain that she had caused.

It wasn't the best feeling in the world.

Finally, after hours of tossing and turning to no avail, Chloe got up and began to get dressed. She knew that nothing could be done to help her sleep.

"So, a walk." she whispered to herself as she pulled on some comfortable tennis shoes.

Two seconds later she was walking down her driveway. She had managed to sneak out easily on account of her speed, and she was grateful for the small comfort that she hadn't woken anyone up. Chloe really didn't want to deal with Lana or her dad wondering where she was going at such a late hour, and on a school night, no less.

"Yeah right," she huffed as she turned onto the street, "school has taken a back seat."

Careful to make sure no one was lurking or out for a walk such as she was, Chloe sped down the street, not really sure where she was going. She was still drained from the events that had happened earlier, and so she didn't make an effort to break any records. There would be more time for that later.

Maybe Clark was up.

With that thought in mind, Chloe couldn't help but smile as she made her way in the general direction of the Kent farm. She felt that they had grown incredibly close over the course of twenty four hours, and she was grateful for the small comfort. Their estrangement had been almost too much for her to bear.

As the buildings became farther apart Chloe slowed even more, drinking in the moonlit scenery that surrounded her. The white glow enveloped everything, causing the blanket of dew that had fallen to sparkle seductively wherever she looked. It was quite possibly one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

Chloe found herself wondering how she had gone for seventeen years without taking time to pause in her crazy, fast-paced life to actually look at everything. To notice things like the moonlight and the stars...

She was brought out of her pleasant reverie by a loud crash that echoed from the bushes beside the road. Startled, Chloe stumbled to a stop. Her heart jumped a bit before she realized that she had no reason to be afraid anymore.

"Hello?" she called.

Her voice was met with silence, which caused Chloe to take a few timid steps toward the dark brush.

*Maybe its just an animal.* She thought as she scanned the darkness for any signs of movement.

At first, she saw nothing out of place. Convinced that a deer or raccoon had been rummaging for food, Chloe began to turn away.

There! Something shifted in the corner of her eye, and Chloe whirled back to facing the bushes. Something was definitely there.

*What the Hell?*

The dark shape looked to be much taller than Chloe herself, and at least three times as wide as her. The thing could probably give Clark a run for his money as far as tall, dark and strapping went.

"Um, okay, this really isn't good," she whispered to herself as she backed up a few steps.

Suddenly, the thing unleashed a predatory growl, which left Chloe dumbfounded for a few seconds.

*Its definitely not a person. *

Without warning, the thing crashed through the bushes and landed heavily on the road in front of her. Her heart automatically leapt to her throat as she took in its horrible features. It stood on human-like legs if not for the strange claws that extended from the huge black feet. Five razor sharp claws on each foot tapped the cement road impatiently, as if the creature had been waiting for a small, helpless human to wander by.

*And it just had to be me. *

The thick, trunk-like legs connected with a solid, dark torso that seemed to shine with an evil glint underneath the bright moon and stars. The texture reminded Chloe of a suit of armor. Its chest was broad and muscular, leaving a sneaking suspicion in the back of her mind that the thing may have once been a human. With every breath it took, its chest rose and fell rhythmically, an accompanying action to the continuous growl that resonated from the creature. Its arms were long and lethal, with sinewy muscle rippling from its shoulders all the way down to its human-like hands. Five claws also extended from each hand, causing Chloe's heart to jump yet again.

Whatever this thing was, it was meant to kill.

"Uh...," she had no idea what to say or do. What did Clark do when he found himself in front of a big slobbering man-meteor thing?

The creature tensed and crouched, and Chloe couldn't help but freeze, awaiting the inevitable. It was no doubt about to attack.

Suddenly, the thing screeched loudly, as if announcing its presence. Before she could even put her hands over her ears to block out the high-pitched squeal that left her gritting her teeth, the thing lunged at her. Chloe couldn't help but scream herself as she put her hands up in defense. She flailed at the thing as it grabbed for her, stretched for her.

A wave of intense nausea washed over her as the thing came within arm's reach and she held down the urge to throw up as uselessly tried to defend herself. She could feel the strength within her waning, as if it were draining out of her completely.

Maybe it was.

*Am I losing my powers?* She didn't even register the fact that she had called them her powers and not Clark's, as she had been ever since the thunderstorm a few weeks.

Claws delved into her flesh painfully, and she whimpered even as the wounds closed themselves up.

The thing opened its mouth and let loose another debilitating wail, yet Chloe had no choice but to absorb the sound that left explosions in her ears. She pushed against the creature with all her might, yet it only advanced.

*What's wrong with me?*

Her heart pounded in her ears as she fought to keep her balance as the thing continued to come at her. She felt its strength overcoming her own, and she briefly realized that she may die, powers or no powers.

*What would Clark do?*

She gasped as the thing leaned in closer, causing her knees to give out completely. The nausea grew more intense as she fell beneath the thing's claws, and she moaned, a mixture of both fear and pain. Never before had she felt such a sensation, as if every muscle in her body had turned to jelly. Tremors of agony coursed through her weakening body, and it was all she could do to keep the creature's claws away from her face.

It was all she could do to just breathe in and out.

Again, she turned her thoughts to what Clark would do. Had he ever experienced what was going on with her at the moment? What caused it? How was she going to survive this if she could barely lift her arms, much less stand?

The thing screeched again, and Chloe screamed painfully as her head began to pound. Her ears felt as if they were about to fall off, they hurt so much.

*Oh God Oh God Oh God Oh God...*

Claws found her left cheek, and Chloe shrieked as they left three long bloody scratches in their wake. She felt the blood run down her face and onto her neck in a crimson cascade that soaked into the top of her pink shirt.

The feeling of her warm blood flowing down her face snapped Chloe back to reality. She was going to have to find a way out of this or she wasn't going to see the next morning. It was all her this time.

Clark wasn't going to save her. He couldn't.

She wrenched her head around to face the thing head on, and she found herself staring into its beady, black eyes. She could see nothing but predatory hunger there. It was completely devoid of anything that may lay evidence to it being human.

Ignoring the shooting pains and nausea, Chloe stabbed her fingers upward, hoping her fingernails would be long enough to do some damage. She felt her fingers connect with the thing's eyes, and she dug inward, wincing as she felt the thing jerk.

With a long, painful scream, the thing lurched, falling away from her, and covered its eyes.

The distance put between her and the thing seemed to help the sickness that had washed over her, and Chloe found herself able to stand up, albeit unsteadily. Still shaking, she watched as the creature staggered around for a few seconds, still covering its eyes.

Without another sound, it took off at a sprint and crashed through the bushes. Within seconds it was gone, obscured by the brush.

Breathing hard, Chloe brought a hand up to her cheek and felt the dried blood that had run from her cuts that had already disappeared. She had come close to death, and she was left feeling more scared than she ever had before. What about the powers? Were they not as foolproof as Clark had first said?

"I really hope he didn't keep that from me for his sake." she muttered as she slowly made her way back home.

She could barely walk now, but she didn't mind. She took the time to think about what had just happened. Whatever that thing was, she knew she would have to face it again. It was obviously a threat to Smallville, and she couldn't just let it run free.

Sooner or later, she'd have to figure out a way to fight it without getting deathly ill in the process.

Chloe looked down at her bloody shirt and sighed, "Great. That was one of my favorite shirts. I'll never get the blood out of it."

Again, she let loose a sigh as she continued walking.

*Being a superhero sucks. *

***

The next day at school, Clark noticed that Chloe had become a bit distant from him. Every time he'd try to talk to her, she'd just get a far-off look in her blue eyes, as if she were somewhere else completely. Not even Pete could get her out of her funk.

It was when Lana had approached him, the concern evident in her eyes, that Clark knew it wasn't just him and Pete.

"Clark, do you know what's wrong with Chloe?" she asked as she walked up to him in the crowded hallway.

He brushed his hair back from his eyes a bit nervously, not sure about what to say. What was wrong with Chloe? Something was going on, but they had no idea what. He couldn't exactly discuss the possibilities with Lana, either.

"I really don't know," he answered honestly, " she was fine when she left my house last night."

He watched as Lana smiled a bit curiously, "She was at your house? She, uh, didn't tell me that was where she was last night."

Clark felt the air between them get a bit awkward, and he was immediately sorry for it. He hated keeping Lana out of what was going on, if only for the mere fact that they looked as if they didn't want anything to do with her now. The last few days Clark and Pete had dedicated their time to Chloe and helping her come to terms with what had happened. Which left Lana out of the loop completely.

"She just came over an hung out," he said quickly as they began walking toward history, "for a couple hours."

"Oh,"

He nodded and tried to smile down at Lana, "Yeah."

As they entered the classroom, Lana looked down for a few long moments before glancing at him again. She held a smile on her pretty face, but he could sense the confusion coming from her in waves. He knew she had no idea what to think of their relationship now, and he knew that the extra time he and Chloe spent together was an added blow to the uncertainty she felt.

But it couldn't be helped.

As Clark sat down, he let out a sigh. He needed to talk to Chloe.

***

Lex shook his head disapprovingly as he surveyed the damage done to the electric fence that bordered the expanse of lawn behind the mansion. Somehow, some way, an animal had broken clean through the high-voltage wire fencing last night and killed his two watch dogs.

There was a hole at least seven feet high and four feet across put into his very expensive, supposedly fool-proof fence.

An animal, indeed.

The dogs' carcasses were nowhere to be found, and Lex had a sneaking suspicion that there wouldn't be anything left.

"A pity," he said as he turned to his head of security, "Tom, you know what I'm going to as, don't you?"

The man nodded, though a bit nervously, and Lex couldn't help but feel a small bit of satisfaction at the guard's obvious behavior.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Then I don't even need to ask how that thing got in here, took the most vicious guard dogs I could track down without so much as a peep, and get out before anyone could see anything., now do I?"

Tom gulped, "No sir."

Lex nodded, "Alright. See how much the damage is going to cost and get off my property. I don't believe I'll be needing your services from here on out."

Tom nodded and was gone without a word.

Lex turned to look at the gaping hole and studied the trail of dark blood that led into the trees. Something was definitely not right in Smallville.

But was it ever?

***

Chloe stared at the computer that sat in front of her dully, not really caring about the brand new lunch menu that the cafeteria was introducing next week. When the vice principal had asked that she cover the announcement, she had agreed, though reluctantly. Now that the time had come, she found herself not able to type a single word about food when her whole life seemed to be flipping upside down constantly, with no end in sight.

Ever since the storm, she had been dragging ass into the Torch office. It just seemed like it wasn't important anymore.

She heard someone step into the room, and she glanced up to see Clark standing in the doorway. His dark eyes were a bit timid, yet he smiled at her reassuringly. She knew he had come to talk about the way she'd been acting today. Whether she was happy about it or not, she wasn't sure.

"Hey Clark," she sighed wearily as she leaned back in the chair. She brushed a lock of blonde hair out of her eyes that partially obscured her vision as she gestured to the chair beside her.

He nodded as he strode toward the seat, "Hey," he plopped down sloppily, arms and legs spilling out everywhere, "I just wanted to come by and say hi."

"No you didn't," Chloe answered him as she rolled her eyes without thinking. Sometimes he could be ridiculous as far as trying to cover up his true intentions went.

She watched his smile fade a bit, and he nodded.

*Bingo.*

She knew him inside out now.

"I noticed you were acting a lot different today Chloe," he began slowly as he looked down, around...everywhere but at her.

Chloe sighed inwardly. She knew she had been acting differently. But how was she supposed to act when she had almost died the night before? She had a lot to think about, and Clark's secrets was one thing. There had been something he didn't tell her.

Still, she wasn't about to take the bait that easily, "No, I'm fine Clark." she looked back at the computer screen and poised her hands over the keyboard. When he only say there and watched her, she sighed and turned back to him. Who was she kidding? She couldn't fool him right now after what they had been through.

"I...took a walk last night Clark," she told him.

He frowned, confused, "Okay."

"And I ran into something...that wasn't human."

Clark sat forward, the concern immediately springing into his eyes, "Are you-?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Chloe answered quickly, already knowing what he was going to say.

She stared at him a few seconds, studying his handsome face. He looked genuinely interested and worried about what she was saying.

*But you don't keep secrets from friends.*

"I almost died, Clark," she continued, expecting everything to hit the fan.

Instead, he simply sat back and huffed, "Oh no."

He knew what she was saying, which sent a surge of anger through Chloe.

"How could you not have told me, Clark?" she pleaded as she stood up. She paced around the room nervously, attempting to get rid of some of her angry energy, "I could've died from being exposed to whatever it was that made me sick, and yet you never told me about it!" her voice rose, and Chloe tried to get herself under control. She knew that nothing could get accomplished through screaming.

He put his head in his hands as she continued to vent. Chloe couldn't even tell if he was saying anything, she was talking so quickly.

"I have never been so scared in my life, Clark. That, that thing that almost killed me would have if I hadn't scratched it's eyes out. Which, you should know, was not a great experience for me," she didn't tell him that she spent an hour last night trying to get creature-gunk out from underneath her fingernails, "I walked away from that with a draw. A draw. If I had known, then maybe it would've been different."

She stopped, catching her breath. Chloe could feel her heart fluttering quickly from the frustration that threatened to make itself known in the form of tears. She did not want to cry in front of him again.

*Don't be a baby Chloe.* she thought to herself as she continued to pace.

He looked up at her, his face the picture of sorrow, "I'm so sorry."

"Well, I'm glad, Clark," she answered him venomously, "but it doesn't make up for what happened and what may have happened."

He nodded, "I know. I just...I wanted to protect you from that. From the knowledge that you're not invincible," he looked down, "I didn't know how you'd take it."

Chloe frowned as she put her hands on her hips. She could barely put into words how angry she was with him, "That's just it, Clark. I would've been fine. I have to be now. You telling me these things is a hundred times better than me finding them out on my own."

She looked down, almost afraid to make eye contact with him, "The biggest secret of your life is apart of me now. You can't hold anything back anymore, no matter how much you want to."

Clark only nodded. She waited for him to say anything, but when he didn't, she sat back down with a huff, "I really have to work on this Clark. Maybe you should go."

It pained her to dismiss him so coldly, but she still felt betrayed by the one person who meant the most to her.

She knew he took the hint when he stood up and made his way to the door. Still, she couldn't help but look up at him when he didn't leave right away. His eyes were downcast and shameful, and she knew he was regretting ever keeping such a vital piece of information from her.

"I'm...I'm sorry." he said, and then he was gone, lost within the mass of students that swarmed the hallways.

Chloe turned back to the computer, but couldn't find the strength to begin typing again. Her thoughts were engulfed by an image of Clark's sad eyes and softly spoken apology.

She sat like that for hours after the school day was over, thinking only of Clark and his newest betrayal in a long line that seemed to hurt her more and more as the days went by.