1
CHAPTER 9
Chloe smiled and sang along dreamily to the song that wafted from the radio of her car as she chugged down the road at a good pace. Mrs. Kent's food had been awesome, and she was considering taking a short nap before starting her work at the Torch later that night. Whether she would be able to concentrate was a different story, since she had kissed the guy she'd been crushing on for years only a couple hours before.
Life is good, she thought as she drove. Even though things had been crazy and emotional and there was a good chance they would continue that way, she could feel nothing but...mushiness. It was amazing how quickly she had dissolved into the most romantic girly-girl since their kiss.
Get a grip, Chlo, she told herself, you're freaking 17 years old. Then, she laughed to herself. Like that's gonna change things.
Chloe found that she loved the feelings that were bouncing around inside. They were a needed reprieve from what her life had recently become, and she hoped they didn't go away any time soon. Of course, she didn't see how they could if she and Clark continued on the path they had started in his loft.
She couldn't believe she had actually kissed him. Clark Kent, the guy that had always been hung up on Lana-
Oh God. Lana...Chloe didn't know how she was gonna approach that subject. Of course, Lana's relationship with Clark had been pretty up and down. Maybe she didn't think of him that way anymore.
She shook her head to herself. Who was she kidding? Chloe knew she still felt that way. She still saw it in her eyes every time Clark was mentioned.
But then again, Lana had been pretty sneaky when they had dated. She hadn't told Chloe about it until she had found out for herself. Then she had come clean, just as Clark had.
It was the worst feeling Chloe had ever felt, finding out about those two.
Chloe suddenly felt the bitterness threaten to push its way into her mind as she thought about it. Why should I tell her? She thought selfishly, it's not like she told me until it was blatantly in my face.
But just as quickly, it was gone. Chloe deflated as she realized that she couldn't do that. She couldn't hold her relationship with Clark away from Lana. It just wasn't like her. She was an honest person about everything, even when it was better to not be.
Except when it involves the biggest secret of my life...
With that, Chloe sighed. She would just have to accept the fact that she was hiding something from the world. There was no way around it.
As Chloe topped a hill she was surprised to see red and blue lights flashing ahead on the side of the main road. Police cars were blocking the entrance to one of the many backwoods-dirt roads that were littered throughout Smallville. Curious, she slowed down and rolled down her window as she approached. A policeman strutted to the car as she rolled to a stop, so she plastered an innocent smile onto her face as she made eye contact with him.
"What's going on, officer?" she asked cutely, trying to use her girlish ways to get an answer out of him.
He shook his head as he glanced behind him where other officers were standing around with notepads and walkie-talkies drawn.
Smallville's finest.
"I'm afraid this is a crime scene ma'am. Just move it along." with that, he turned to dismiss her.
Well, crap.
Her disappointment was halted by the sound of a familiar voice, "Let her pass. She's an acquaintance."
Lex glanced at her as he approached the officer steadily, "If you have a problem with that-,"
"No no, sir. No problem." the officer slunk away as Chloe pulled her car over and hopped out. She flashed a grateful smile to Lex as she walked up to him.
"What's going on?"
He looked at her gravely as they walked toward the scene, "There was an attack here, earlier this afternoon. In broad daylight."
"Broad daylight?" Chloe frowned as she processed this, "did they catch the guy that did it?"
Lex glanced at her again, "It's not exactly a guy, Ms. Sullivan."
She paused at that. An image of the thing that nearly killed her a couple nights ago. It had been huge, and it was definitely capable of doing some damage.
"There are...remains. Just not very much."
Chloe started to feel sick. She knew where this was going.
"They think there were two people. Material and not much more was found in two different places."
"Is there a car?" she asked as she reeled from the news.
He nodded, "They're running the plates now. It shouldn't be too long-,"
"Oh God." Chloe almost moaned the words as she came upon the vehicle. It was Tyler Donovan's black truck. She could tell that the teddy bear that hung in his rearview mirror had been the one Rachel had given him a few months ago. Chloe could still remember her excited smile as she showed it to her in the Torch.
"Chloe?"
She swayed a bit, but managed to stay upright, "It's Tyler Donovan's truck. He goes to school with us," she paused as a realization dawned on her. The other person..., "the other one is Rachel Spielman. They must've come out here... Oh God."
Lex peered at her with concern, "Are you okay?"
Chloe managed a nod, then she tried to speak through the dryness in her mouth, "I knew them...she worked for me at the Torch."
"I see," he lowered his head regretfully, "Perhaps you should go. It was a mistake letting you see this."
"Why are you here?" Chloe asked with more strength than she thought she could muster.
He gave her a small, knowing smile, as if he knew all along that she would ask him that, "A few days ago something broke through the fence that surrounds my property and mutilated my guard dogs," he waited for a reaction. Chloe didn't give him one, so he continued, "it was done with such swiftness and...maliciousness, for lack of a better word, that I realized it couldn't be any wild animal."
Chloe nodded, "The thing that attacked Rachel and Tyler."
"I came as soon as I heard what had happened," Lex shook his head as he turned to look at her, "something has been let loose, Ms. Sullivan, and I intend to find out what it is."
Chloe felt a sudden surge of anger, "Out of your compassion and worry for the people who live here, Lex, or for your own curiosity and enjoyment?" She couldn't help it. It was an honest question, albeit a bit harsh.
"I am shocked that you would even ask such a question, Ms. Sullivan," Lex looked genuinely hurt, and Chloe's anger was replaced by a pang of guilt.
She sighed as she looked around, "It's kind of a shock...seeing this." Chloe forced herself to meet his eyes as she silently retracted the question.
"Yeah," Lex nodded as he followed her gaze. It seemed as if he had let the question go, "you'd better go home. There's nothing else to be done here."
She knew he was dismissing her, but she had no problem with it. Chloe suddenly felt incredibly guilty for the way she had been obsessing over her kiss with Clark. Things had happened while she had been eating peacefully with the Kents. She may have been able to stop the thing from killing Tyler and Rachel...
But she hadn't, and frankly, that sucked.
XXXXXXXXXX
Clark didn't notice his parents staring at him as he helped clean off the dinner table until his dad cleared his throat purposefully. When he looked up, they were both staring at him strangely.
"Clark, honey?" Martha asked as she took a plate from him to wash, "are you alright?"
He shrugged his shoulders, confused as to what she meant, "Never been better. Why?"
"Because you've had that smile plastered onto your face since Chloe walked through that door, son," Jonathon answered for his wife as he stood up from the table and patted his full stomach, "now, I know your mother's cooking is good, but-,"
"It's nothing," Clark interrupted, suddenly embarrassed. He hated it when his parents did this. They always assumed that he was interested in a girl every time he happened to act a little happier.
Then again...
Sighing, Clark mock-glared at his parents, "I know what you're thinking."
"Then what are we thinking, honey?" Martha asked, smiling.
"You're thinking that me and Chloe are...you know."
"Dating?" his mom answered with a chuckle, "we're not thinking it, we know."
Clark scoffed, "Dad..."
Jonathon shook his head, "You're not getting any help from me son. Even if it weren't obvious, your mother knows when something's going on."
Clark threw up his hands, "I swear, I can't talk to you two."
"Why are you embarrassed?" his mom asked as she grabbed another dish from Clark's hands, "I think it's wonderful. Her getting your powers seems to be the best thing that ever happened to your relationship with her."
"Yeah, but it's more complicated than that," Clark stopped as he realized that he had just given in and agreed with his parents, "I mean..."
Jonathon gave a short laugh, "Come on Romeo. Let's finish up the chores. If there's one thing I do miss, it was your ability to cover everything in an hour."
Clark couldn't help but nod, "Can't agree with you more."
Thankful that the conversation had come to an end, Clark followed his dad out to the barn.
XXXXXXXXXX
Lana was waiting for Chloe as soon as she walked through the front door of the house. Her stance was tense and agitated, even though Chloe could tell she was trying to cover it up.
"Hey Lana," Chloe said as she gave her friend a weak, tired smile, "waiting up for me?"
Her joke was apparently lost on Lana, "Where have you been all afternoon? Pete came into the Talon looking for you, and-,"
"It's okay. He found me. I'm heading over to the Torch now after I give him a call." Chloe knew that Lana wouldn't be satisfied with her answer.
"Oh. Okay," Lana turned away from her and headed into the kitchen. Chloe followed obediently, "um...were you with Clark?"
There it was. The Question. It was a question Chloe knew would come, but she still felt surprised by it, as if she had been blind sided. Of course, she had no idea what to say. She could say yes and just leave it at that, or explain herself a little more.
"Yes." She chose option number one.
Lana paused at that, and Chloe waited intensely for her reaction. When Chloe saw tears in the other girl's eyes, she almost groaned out loud. Oh God. Apparently Lana still had feelings for him, and she had known that Chloe had been growing closer to him over the past few weeks.
"Lana, I'm sorry, but-,"
"Were you planning on telling me?"
The hurt in her words were like a punch to Chloe's stomach. Or a punch to her stomach before she had gotten Clark's powers, "Yes. I just...I didn't think it was going to be anything."
I didn't even think there was going to be a friendship.
"So it is." Lana seemed to crumple more and more before Chloe's eyes, and she felt another, completely different, pang of guilt besides the one from the police scene.
An added bonus. She thought to herself as she tried to figure out what to say next.
But she couldn't find the words to continue with the conversation. Chloe was suddenly very tired of trying to explain herself to a girl who couldn't seem to move on from something that had never worked in the first place. She was tired of Lana not wanting to let Clark go.
Besides, things were happening that were far too important to be worried about a guy, "Lana, I can't do this."
"Chloe, we have to talk about this. I'm tired of you sneaking around me, and I think-,"
"Tyler Donovan and Rachel Spielman are dead."
Lana stopped, and her demeanor seemed to collapse even more, "What? What happened?"
Lana had been good friends with Tyler, just as Chloe had been good friends with Rachel. She had been his tutor since grade school in math, and she had helped Tyler deal with the death of his mother two years before.
Chloe bit her lip, contemplating what to say, "Um, they were attacked. In the woods. They don't know what did it."
"What? It's a what?" Lana's voice rose a bit, and she began to cry, "what did it do to them?"
Chloe reached her arms out to the other girl as she began to cry softly. She wished she could shed tears, but she was emotionally exhausted, and she felt as if it were Lana's turn to grieve. They hugged tightly, their argument forgotten. Lana cried into her shoulder, and Chloe stroked her hair soothingly.
"I'm sorry." Chloe whispered, leaving Lana's last question unanswered.
XXXXXXXXXX
Several hours later Chloe found herself at the Torch, working on an article about Rachel and Tyler's death that would replace an unoriginal one about the Crows' last game. It was short and vague, one that concentrated more on their memory than what had happened to them.
"Hey,"
Pete's voice was cool, and Chloe looked up to see him standing in the doorway, "Hey Pete."
"Which one are you taking out?" he asked as he came to sit down beside her.
"The article about the Crows," she smiled apologetically, even though she knew Pete wouldn't mind, "sorry Pete. I just think-,"
"It's cool," he interrupted.
They fell into silence. Chloe didn't know what to say to him. She knew what he had seen in the loft earlier had upset him, and she hated that. He was her best friend, and it hurt her to know that they weren't on good terms.
She stopped typing to look at him. Pete was staring at nothing as he leaned over a spread of the front page of the next day's paper. He looked genuinely wounded.
Chloe sighed, "Pete, I'm really sorry you saw-,"
"It's cool," he said again, more quiet than the first, "I should've known anyway. You two were getting pretty close."
"Yeah, but-,"
"Chloe," he stopped her again as he turned to face her, "I'm having a little trouble, but I'll get over it," he gave her a weak smile, "as long as you're happy."
She bit her lip, unsure of herself. She knew Pete better than the back of her hand. His words were a small comfort, but she knew he didn't get over things very easily. She was certain their friendship was still intact, but it bothered her that he had hoped he could give her happiness for so long.
And she never felt the same way.
Karma. What a bitch. She thought as she resumed typing.
Whatever was going on between them, it would have to wait. Just as the situation between her and Lana would have to be set aside. Something was loose in Smallville that didn't belong in nature, and she knew she had to find it before it killed again.
With a heavy sigh, Chloe tried to concentrate on the article. She knew it was going to be a long night.
XXXXXXXXXX
"You sent for me, son?"
Lionel's greeting was nothing of the sort, and Lex knew it. His father didn't say hello or goodbye. He spoke business no matter the situation. Now, he was asking why his son had pulled him from his office in Metropolis in such short notice to the mansion in a stunt that was sure to cost the company millions in lost time and revenues.
Friendly chats didn't exist between them. They never had.
"Dad," Lex turned smoothly, a Chardonnay in one hand, "yes, I did."
Lex had put in a request to a man of...specialized talents, and had been shocked to hear he had been missing. When he made further inquiry into the matter, he had discovered that John Thomas had last been employed by his Lionel himself, up to the day before he had disappeared. Lex knew his father well, and he knew of the things he did. If John Thomas had been found to be a problem to Lionel's business dealings, he knew his father had no qualms in eliminating him.
Lionel stopped in front of him and threw his hands wide, waiting.
Lex knew better than to answer too quickly. Instead, he simply smiled and took a drink of his wine, ignoring his father's glare as he gazed into the older man's eyes.
"Son, while I appreciate your stoic silence, I must tell you that I am a busy man. I don't have time for staring contests."
He chuckled to himself, "Why don't you stay awhile? Have a drink, dad."
"No, thank you," Lionel's shoulder's loss their tenseness, and he smiled at his son, "surely there was a reason behind this."
Lex looked at the man he had been forced to call his father his whole life. The crow's feet and frown lines were evidence of his aging, yet his coldness had not softened. Instead, it had only grown harder. The lines added a sharpness that added to Lionel's hawk-like features.
And he looked at his own son as prey. Lex knew this. He knew his father studied him as a business enemy, as someone who should be one-upped. Their relationship was a power play, with everything they could get their hands on as fair game. Nothing was off limits.
Including dark business secrets.
"Do you know a man by the name of John Thomas, dad?" Lex asked calmly as he took a seat in a luxurious chair that sat in front of the fireplace.
Lionel rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and Lex almost applauded him, "John Thomas, you say? If I'm not mistaken, he was a man who traveled the higher circles in his own way. He was a hired hit man, I believe. One who performed jobs for those who didn't trust just any thug from the street."
He didn't admit to having any association with him, as Lex knew he would do.
Bravo, dad.
"That's correct," Lex answered as he looked at his drink thoughtfully, "I received word today that he's been missing for some time now."
"Oh?"
Lionel's voice expressed complete uninterest, yet Lex could sense the questions that threatened to spill over from his father's lips lurking beneath the aloofness. He could translate every move his father made or every word his father said with some certainty.
Though he managed to surprise him sometimes.
"And what, may I ask, does this have to do with me, son?"
Lex took that as his cue to switch gears, "Everything, Dad," he rose and sat his wine down gently, "his last job was for you. He disappeared a day after he had finished the job and hasn't been seen since."
"He was a man who was too stupid to realize who he dealt with, son. I'm sure someone simply...disposed of him."
Lex shook his head as he took a step toward his father, "Someone like you, Dad?"
Lionel scoffed as he shook his head, "Have you really stooped this low, Lex, to where you have to accuse me of having some low-life murdered?"
"Because you don't so that, do you Dad?" Lex knew he had the upper hand, and he relished it, "killing is below you."
Lionel sighed, "Sometimes things need to be done in the name of business."
"And that's why you hired John Thomas. To erase a problem."
"Don't you think you may be jumping to conclusions, son?" Lionel asked with a smirk, and Lex felt a sudden surge of anger.
He didn't show it. His father would go for the jugular if he allowed such an emotion to be expressed. Lex knew he would hold it over him for a very long time.
And I can't allow that.
"Perhaps," Lex acted nonchalant, something he had perfected since he could remember, "but does it really matter?"
Lionel smiled again, "Touche, son," then, he paused, "why are you suddenly the investigative reporter? We have the Daily Planet and people like Chloe Sullivan for that."
"Because my sources tell me that you went on a little adventure the day Mr. Thomas went missing," Lex paused for effect, "into the Smallville woods, Dad. Precisely where John Thomas was reported to be heading to that day."
Lionel chuckled, "A simple coincidence, son. I simply had to meet with him in a secure area to discuss some business. Whatever happened to him after that is of no concern to me."
Lex sighed, "I will find out what happened to him. Whatever you're hiding will come to light, I guarantee it."
"Oh, you can certainly find another man to do your dirty work for you, son," Lionel replied as he turned to go impatiently, "I'm sure you will find someone willing to do whatever you ask."
Lex paused. It was no secret that some of his business dealings had been...questionable, but it unnerved him to hear his father talk about it as if it were perfectly...moral. He cringed inwardly at the word. Since Lex had taken over the plant in Smallville he had draw a line between the difference in his...actions when it came to business and his personal life.
Even though friends had gotten stung by his strange sense of ethics before.
The whole picture had not yet revealed itself to Lex yet. He had a strange hunch that the thing that had attacked his dogs, and later the teenagers, was connected to the disappearance of John Thomas. In fact, he was fairly certain that the thing was John Thomas. Lionel had strange ways of dealing with his annoyances.
The sound of the door closing caused Lex to look up from the fire that burned in the hearth. His father had taken his leave. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he turned toward his desk. It seemed as if he had gotten nowhere to the casual observer, yet Lex knew differently. He had gotten the answers he needed.
And yet, there were more questions.
XXXXXXXXXX
We kissed right here.
Clark smiled, almost goofily, to himself as he stared at the spot in the loft where he had held Chloe close to him and leaned down to place his lips on hers. It had been amazing, and he hadn't been able to think about anything else since.
I'm such a dork, he thought to himself as he moved to his telescope. Still, he couldn't help it. All he saw was her smile, her dimples. He wondered how he had gone so long without noticing how beautiful she was.
Then again, he had been preoccupied by Lana. She had once been the girl he always thought about, dreamed about. Now, he knew he had finally moved on. She didn't plague his thoughts any longer. She had been replaced by a cute, bouncy little blonde. And while they still had some things to work out, like her powers, he had never felt happier.
He wondered what she was doing as he gazed through his telescope at the millions of stars that blanketed the sky in a strange, random dance.
I wonder if she's thinking about me...
Suddenly, he heard the painful scream of a cow. It was long and agonized, and Clark jumped at the sound. He tried to see through the darkness into the field, but he couldn't make out anything. He started down the stairs from the loft quickly as he mulled over what could be causing the animal to wail so horribly.
Then, it was cut short. Something had killed it, Clark was sure of it.
"Clark!" his Dad was calling for him, and he ran towards the house as his father strode down the stairs of the porch, "did you hear that, son?"
He could only nod.
Jonathon had his shotgun with him, and with a nod, they began walking toward the field purposefully. Clark finally hesitated when they reached the fence, "Dad, I-," he paused, "I don't have my powers anymore. Maybe we shouldn't-,"
"We can't just stand here while something kills the cattle, Clark," Jonathon answered as he opened the gate and walked through, "I'm sure it's just a coyote."
Clark felt sick as he followed his father through the gate. He was truly worried, since he didn't have the ability to protect anyone, including himself, from whatever might be out there.
The herd began to wail as a group, and Clark turned his head a bit as they walked. It sounded as if they were coming closer...
"Son," Jonathon stopped, "they're coming this way."
The cries were just over the hill, and they waited as the cattle got closer. They appeared a few short seconds, loping crazily from whatever had killed the first cow. They were terrified.
Clark was too.
The next thing they saw made Clark gasp. What followed close behind the herd was a huge...thing. It was black, and it's skin shone as if it were a coat of armor. The thing's long arms tapered into the longest, sharpest claws he had ever seen, and it swung them at the straggling cattle wildly as it ran alongside them.
"Oh my God," Jonathon breathed as they watched it, "what is that?"
Clark could only stare.
XXXXXXXXXX
Chloe tapped her nails on the steering wheel nervously as she drove toward the Kents'. She hadn't planned on staying out anymore, since she had felt every emotion possible within the span of 12 hours and was ready to crash for the night, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she talked to Clark.
And here I am. She thought as she rounded another curve. She hadn't been able to get Tyler and Rachel out of her head. She knew that if she had done something about the thing that had attacked her she would be expecting to see Rachel in the Torch office tomorrow. She would listen to her gush over her boyfriend yet again.
I would give anything to hear her talk about Tyler again. Chloe had never really been close friends with Rachel, but they had talked about almost everything in the office over the last couple of years. They had given each other advice about the littlest things to the biggest.
Chloe would really miss her.
She pulled into the Kents' driveway a little faster than she should have, but she didn't care. She only slowed down as she approached the barn, and even then Chloe had to pump the brakes hard to avoid driving into it.
She heard the wails of the cows as she stepped out of her car, and she looked toward the field to see Clark and his Dad staring at something.
"Clark!" she yelled as she walked toward him.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Clark!"
He heard Chloe shout his name, but he couldn't turn away from the monster that had appeared over the hill. His stomach turned sickeningly as her voice carried past him and toward the thing. He felt his dad stiffen, and Clark knew he had done the same.
They waited tensely, and Clark felt like he was going to throw up as the thing stopped and turned it's head...to look straight at them.
Oh God. They were in trouble, and Clark realized he had never felt so vulnerable and useless.
"Dammit," Jonathon swore, and he grabbed Clark's arm as they both turned to run toward the house.
Clark saw Chloe's blonde hair, and he concentrated on that as they fled from the thing. She was jogging toward them, smiling wearily. It quickly faded as they approached her, and Clark waved his arms wildly at her to turn around. She slowed down, then stopped.
"Chloe, there's something out there!" Clark yelled as they got closer.
She looked toward the field, "What? I don't..." then, she paused, and her eyes widened, "oh my God."
Clark watched as she seemed to shrink back in fear at the thing, and he knew her instincts still hadn't changed since she had received his powers. He could see her body tense as it went into fight or flight mode, despite the fact that she would be the protector of Clark, his Dad and his Mom.
XXXXXXXXXX
There it was. There was the monster that had nearly killed Chloe...that had slaughtered her friends.
She couldn't help the bile that rose in her throat from the intense fear she felt. It didn't matter that she was stronger and faster. The monster wasn't natural, and her instincts knew it. The thing was capable of so much damage that Chloe still felt the need to flee from it. It was closing the distance from the field to the barn quicker than she would've liked, and she knew she had to do something or Clark and his Dad would be its next victims.
And Chloe couldn't bear to have that on her conscience as well.
Clark's eyes were wide and terrified, and she wondered for a fleeting second if she had looked like that to him when he had been the "hero", if she had looked that vulnerable and helpless.
I'd give anything to be that again. She didn't like the responsibilities that she now carried with her, even when she was in danger. Chloe felt...knew that she didn't matter. If she had the power to help, then she would do it.
Even if she didn't want to. Even if it meant she would fight to the death.
"Come on!" she yelled as they stumbled past her, panting. She knew that she would need to stand between the thing and her friends.
Chloe took a deep breath as the thing drew nearer and flashed a quick smile to Clark, who was bent over behind her, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, "Here goes," she said to him, unable to keep the quiver out of her voice.
Then, she turned back to the monster and sped toward it. She was in front of it in less than a second, and it stopped as she confronted it. The thing drew itself up to its full height, and Chloe had a sickening feeling of deja vu as she craned her neck to look up at the thing.
How in the Hell am I going to do this? She thought as the monster threw an arm back to swing at her with bone-crushing swiftness.
Then, as quickly as she thought it, she knew. She took a step inward, ignoring the vague nausea that began in her stomach, grabbed its raised arm and brought it down quickly, pausing just long enough to throw her elbow into the thing's face. It stumbled back and emitted a deep, agonized roar. The sickness subsided as the distance was widened between her and the thing, but she didn't hesitate to close it again as she stepped in again and punched the thing's chest as hard as she could. The monster fell beck and landed on the ground with a resounding thud, and she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of satisfaction.
Damn right.
But then, the thing was up just as quickly as it had fallen, and this time it seemed to be sweating some kind of thick, light green substance. It covered its black skin, creating the sensation that it was wearing armor. She had a flashback of the night she had encountered it. It had looked shiny, just as it was now.
Oh no.
The sickness was back, except this time, it was as strong as it had been the first time she had met the thing. Chloe felt paralyzed by the nausea that threatened to bring her to her knees, and she hunched over slightly, groaning painfully.
She felt the monster's presence above her, but she could only look up as it brought another arm down to hit her square in the back. Thankfully it hadn't used it's claws, but she still saw stars as she collapsed with a grunt.
"No! Chloe!" Clark's voice was the only thing she was able to concentrate on.
The nausea was creeping into every part of her body now, and she was finding it harder to even stay conscious.
Somebody... she thought as she writhed on the ground, agonized.
Then she realized through the fuzziness that she was the hero. She was the one doing the protecting. If anything, she was leaving Clark and his Dad open for attack by being put out of commission.
With a small burst of strength at the last thought, she rolled away from the thing's claws as they swung down again. It was certainly the slowest monster she had ever encountered, and for that Chloe was grateful. As soon as the pain became bearable, she was up and reviewing her options.
Come on Chloe, think.
The thing lurched at her again, and Chloe panicked. She had no idea how she was going to kill the mutant. Every time she got close enough to do some damage, the sickness from it's sweat made her want to throw up every organ in her body.
And she didn't doubt that it could happen if she got sick enough.
Then, she caught sight of the fence posts behind the thing. They were long and thick, perfect for whaling on something.
Sweet.
She sped around it and was pulling up a fence post even as it was beginning to turn around to meet her. The thing had nothing going for it but strength and...scariness. It seemed as if it didn't even have a mind. It was guided by instinct and nothing more.
It kind of made it easy to outsmart the thing.
As soon as she had the post in her hands and was set to swing, however, the thing turned away from her and toward Clark and his Dad. They were helpless, and both of them backed up a few steps and distanced themselves from one another as it began to stomp toward them.
"No!" she yelled at it as it closed the distance quickly. The thing didn't even acknowledge her, and Chloe grew even angrier as she followed it. It had lost interest in her completely when it had realized that she would put up a fight.
"Clark, Mr. Kent, run!" she shouted, and they complied. She watched as both took off in opposite directions, and the thing chose to follow Clark.. It reached out toward him and swiped, and he yelled. Chloe put on a burst of speed, and she was behind the monster in a fraction of a second. Before it knew what was going on, she swung the post as hard as she possibly could into its back. The wood broke in two as it connected, and the thing roared in agony as it was thrown forward a good twenty feet. It landed heavily on it's back and lay still for a few seconds, and Chloe took advantage of the reprieve to speed past it where Clark was standing breathlessly.
"Are you okay?" she asked as he panted.
His hair was wet from sweat, and he wiped his forehead as he stood up straight, "Yeah, I'm okay," then, Clark sighed, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this."
Chloe knew what he meant, but she didn't answer. Instead, she took a few steps toward the thing cautiously, not really sure what to do. She could tell it was still breathing by the motion of it's chest, and so she kept her distance. She could still feel the nausea from the kryptonite running through its body, but it was bearable.
"So what do we do with-,"
Her question was halted as the thing rolled to its feet with a growl, and Chloe began to set her stance for another round. It didn't attack again, only hesitated, and then took off across the field in a quick lope. It had been defeated this time.
Chloe started to follow it, but Clark's hand on her arm stopped her, "Chloe, don't."
"I have to, Clark. It might kill someone else."
"But..." he stopped, puzzled, as he reached around to his back. His hand came back with blood on it, and Chloe forgot about the thing completely as she gasped.
"Son, you're bleeding," Jonathon was behind Clark, and his brows were drawn together in concern.
Chloe took a few steps around Clark and frowned when she saw the long streak of blood that ran across his back. The thing had gotten a claw into him, and she winced as the blood began to flow a little freely.
"I thought I felt something."
Chloe looked at Clark as he said it, but didn't say anything as Jonathon began to lead him to the house.
Jonathon shook his head as they walked, "I'm just glad your mother wasn't here to see this."
Chloe silently agreed, because that would've been one more person she would've had to protect.