Waytoevil: Hey, sorry this one took so long to get up. I've been pretty busy lately.

Super-hero Fan: Thanks. I like to think of myself as creative too.

Author's Note: Sorry this one took so long to get up. There, I apologized twice now. Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait. Oh, and I'm sorry if this chapter is a little shorter than the usual ones, but hey, at least I got it up right? Oh, and just in case, the Johnny introduced in this chapter, is not Jonathan Howlett.

Chapter 4: The Legend Grows

Chris sat there on the bench outside the school waiting for Chloe. They were supposed to drive together to the police station where they were holding the criminals that she was supposed to interview.

However the pictures on his camera were pretty interesting. He'd taken a few to test out his new digital camera. A squirrel, an old guy, Chloe, Clark, the school, a really angry looking dog that didn't appreciate the flash, all great pictures forever stored in the camera's memory.

"Ready to go?" Chloe asked with a smile as she came up.

Chris combed his hair behind his ear so as to get his shoulder-length hair out of his face. "Sure thing." He said with a smile as he stood up.

"Great, my car is right over here." She said as she started to walk into the parking lot. Chris followed her to her red beetle of a car and got in the passenger's side.

"It's nice from the inside." Chris said looking around. "But not that nice of a thing to get hit by."

Chloe laughed as she started the car up. "I said I was sorry."

Chris just smiled as he put the seatbelt on, and Chloe drove away. The ride was relatively quick, they didn't say much. Until they were actually, there at the police station.

"For now just let me do the talking." Chloe said with a smile. "You take notes, and pictures."

"Sure thing." Chris said with a nod as they went in. It took a little while, but eventually they were let into the back to see the two thieves that Chris recognized from the night before. He sat down, and opened a notebook as Chloe began the interview. He never really looked up.

"Hi, I'm Chloe Sullivan, from the Torch." Chloe introduced herself. "I heard you two claim to have been stopped by a monster?"

"A demon more like it." Said the one towards the back of the cage.

"A demon?" Chloe asked holding out the tape recorder.

"We know it sounds nuts, but we ain't crazy. We know what we saw." Said the other. "We were driving away with the cops on our tails, so we turned onto a dirt road. After a few minutes of driving we hear this… loud bang on the top of our car. I'm driving so I swerve, thinking we hit something."

"I looked up." Continued the one in the back. "To see what I thought were spikes coming through the roof of the car. I didn't know what it was. Suddenly the car roof is peeled back, almost like one of them sardine cans, and there's this huge…" He stopped.

"Creature." The other continued. "He… If it was a he, was hideous. He had long greenish hair, dark gray skin, and claws instead of fingers, fangs instead of teeth, and those eyes… I'll never forget them. Green, and glowing like there were lights behind them."

"And he had two huge wings!" The one in the back chipped in. "He just up and yanked us out of the car."

"I figure we flew up a couple hundred feet." Said the other.

"And then next thing I know we're on the ground." The one in the back continued. "We fired several rounds at the thing, but it just wrapped its wings around it, and then the cops came. When we turned back around the thing was gone."

"Figure it flew away or something." Said the other.

"And you came up with this… why? Are you going to try for an insanity plea?" Chloe asked curiously.

The men fell silent, almost as if they hadn't thought of that. "Maybe we will." The one answered. "But they know we did it. The creature left the bag with the goods, so they've got all the evidence they need."

"You said that the creature peeled the roof of your car back, correct?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah that's right." Answered the one in the back.

"Well if that's true wouldn't they come across that evidence when they examine the car?" She asked tilting her head a bit.

"I suppose." Answered the one. "If there's anything of the car left to examine. I'm not sure what happened to it after we got yanked out of there."

Chris looked up for a second as he sat back on the bench behind Chloe.

"And what do you expect to happen if they find evidence to support your claims? After all this is Smallville." Chloe said with a smile.

"Nothing really." The one man shrugged. "They've still got the stuff to convict us. I guess it just means that some people learn the truth. There's something of a monster out there."

"Maybe it's not a monster." The one in the back said as he stood up. "Maybe he was trying to be a hero."

"Maybe he was hungry but the gunshots scared him off." The other one answered. "Who knows?"

The interview was over a few minutes later, and Chris got a picture of the two inmates in their cell, with Chloe to the side. And then a front page shot of the one man behind the bars of his cell with a truly sad expression on his face. It almost made you pity him.

Back at the Torch Chris ran the photos through the computer and out the printer, working on the next edition of the Torch as Chloe worked on her article. "What do you think? Think this thing exists?" Chris asked curiously.

"I think it'd be cool if it did." Chloe said tapping away at her keyboard. "All the weirdo's Smallville gets that just go insane and start ripping people apart, it's nice to see one of them actually do something good. I just hope it isn't a fluke."

"I guess the only way to know for sure is to check out that car." Chris said, and then wanted to slap himself for opening his mouth.

"You are a good reporter aren't you? I'm going back to the police station tomorrow to do just that, but the next edition runs tomorrow morning. Which means a follow up article." Chloe said with a smile. "I'm going to see if I can find someone at school tomorrow to give me an artist's rendering of this description here to put in that follow up article."

"Or if it does exist, maybe a picture." Chris said holding up his camera.

"If what exists?" Clark asked as he walked in.

Chloe smiled. "I guess you'll just have to read about it in tomorrow's paper."

VVVV

The next morning Chris didn't go to school right away. Instead, he had his Uncle's funeral to attend. It was rather sad actually. He came, the lawyer came, the priest came, and some guy, Bob perhaps, came from the funeral home. It was a small assembly. But Chris was just great full that he wasn't the only one to show.

His share of tears were shed, it was tough on him. This was the second funeral he had attended in two weeks. It was almost ironic though. The last one was what drove him from where he was, and this one was what brought him here.

Saddened, the service ended, and Chris went to go to whatever school he had left. He didn't feel like being alone at his Uncle's house today. Not today.

VVVV

This was bad. The whole school was abuzz. Chris was almost tackled as he came through the door. Chloe grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the torch as he was trying to walk by it.

"Wow Chloe I mean I always thought the janitor's closet was a little too low class, but the Torch?" Chris asked with a mocking smile as he brushed his arm off. "You've got quite a grip there."

"We've got a story." Chloe said in an excited tone, ignoring his janitor's closet comment. "Before school I stopped by the police station. The roof of the get a way car was ripped back. Ten holes are visible on the roof in the shape of what could have been fingers and two thumbs."

"You went to the police station?" Chris asked curiously.

"Here." She said handing him a photograph of the car, specifically the roof of the car.

"Wow." Chris said as he looked at it, he had been so stupid to leave that kind of evidence.

"Exactly." Chloe said with a smile.

VVVV

He didn't know where, but somewhere out there was a very confused young man in the shape of a demon. That had just tried to help the police. Clark Kent had also gone to the police station. He was working around Chloe. This was something he wanted to find out for himself.

Someone with abilities, that wasn't actually doing anything to hurt anyone. He was helping people. Saving lives maybe, stopping bad guys, and who knows what else. The last Clark wanted to do was talk with him.

But where does one start to look for a demon? That was a hard question, and one that Clark didn't quite know the answer to. At any rate, any work that Clark wanted to get done on it would have to wait.

Physics class was just starting.

VVVV

"I want to help you." Chris said looking to Chloe as they walked down the hall. "I want to help you find this… demon." Chris said giving a slight smile.

"Okay, meet me at the Torch after school and we'll discuss it." Chloe said with a nod as she started to walk a bit faster.

"Oh wait! One more thing!" Chris said running to catch up to her. "I know you have to get to class." He started. "But I was wondering if maybe you'd want to have dinner with me tomorrow night, and go see a movie?"

Chloe stopped for a second and seemed to consider it. "Sure." She said with a smile. "But I have to get to class, I'll talk to you after school!" She yelled as she ran off.

Chris smiled. Did he actually just do that? He asked someone out. Almost as if it was a casual every day type thing for him to do. He'd have to act confident more often; it seemed to work well for him.

The bell rang and the halls emptied as Chris ran to his first class, this was going to be an interesting day. However turning the corner he didn't stop in time to stop himself from colliding with some old guy. Chris knocked him down, and fell on top of him as he did so.

"Sorry!" Chris said standing back up and helping the man, who was fixing his hairpiece, to his feet. "Oh hello Principal… I'm doomed."

VVVV

"Can I help you?" Martha asked the newest costumer at the counter. An Asian, or maybe a Hawaiian man in his early twenties at least who was leaning on the counter.

"Yes, I'm looking for two things, a cup of coffee with as much espresso as you can legally put in it to go, and a boy by the name of Christian Van Hart." He said holding up a photo of the boy Martha recognized.

"Why are you looking for him?" Martha asked, cautious and with good reason.

"I'm a friend of a friend of his. Name's Johnny, Johnny Namui." The man said as he took his cup of coffee. "If you see him, tell him a friend of the King is looking for him. He can reach me here." He said leaving a card on the counter along with his money for the drink.

"A friend of the King?" Martha asked slightly confused.

"It's an inside joke ma'am." Johnny said with a smile. "He'll know what I'm talking about."

The man left and got on his cell phone almost as soon as he was outside. "Hey, Jimmy?" He asked as he sipped some of his coffee. He laughed. "Okay, okay, I won't call you that." He said with a smile.

"Yeah, I think I found him. I tracked him down to his house but he wasn't home. I don't want to just show up at his school or anything…" He started. "Yeah, I know."

"You're welcome." He said with a smile. "You owe me one. Tell that fiancé of yours congrats, and I expect to be invited to that bachelor party." He laughed. "Yeah the wedding too I suppose. Talk to you later." And he hung up the phone.

Putting it in his pocket he walked across the street, drinking his coffee as he went. His red hair shone in the morning's sunlight. It was a truly beautiful spring day here in Smallville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the town was upwind from the cow fields.

"I like small towns. Beats the pants off of New York City any day." He said with a smile. Picking up a copy of the town paper from one of those vendors he sat on the park bench and red as he drank his coffee. His coat hung around him quite nicely and the town seemed nice and quiet.

Joggers were the only other people in the park. A nice newly wed couple, or dating couple, whatever. Spring was truly in the air. "It's almost as bad as Valentine's day." Johnny said with a smile.

VVVV

"I can't believe I just went up and asked her out." Chris said to himself sitting outside the school office. "I must be insane. Or at least close to it."

A few other people were there in the office. A rocker, or something to that affect, with green hair and a ripped jacket, a nerd, and a cheerleader were also sitting in the same area as Chris was. "Careful, or whoever made the Breakfast club could sue." Chris muttered to himself. "Why am I sitting here anyway? Either I'm getting suspended, or I'm getting detention."

"Would you just shut up?" The rocker guy asked a little annoyed. "You've been doing nothing but talking, and to yourself, for the past twenty minutes."

"Mr. Hart?" The secretary asked coming out from behind her desk. "The principal will see you now."

Chris shrugged and got up, going into the principal's office.

"Well all attempts to reach your parents have failed young man." The Principal said with a grim look on his face. "So you're going to stay here in detention until after school when they can come and pick you up."

Chris winced. "My parents have been dead for years, sir." He said with a slight nod. "I'm an emancipated minor. I live at my uncle's old place just outside of town."

"Alone?" The principal asked sarcastically, as if not believing Chris' story.

"Yes sir." Chris said with a nod.

"I'll check out your story, and in that case, you'll be expected to stay for detention after school, one week." The principal said. "I was going to give you three days suspension."

"Detention I suppose works fine." Chris said with a shrug. "It'll give me some time to work on the stuff for the Torch."

"Oh? You're the new one Miss Sullivan's got working for her eh?" The principal asked. "Good, it'll give you something to do to stay out of trouble. You're detention starts Monday afternoon. Being as school's already let out."

"It has?" Chris asked surprised.

"Half day today, damn teacher's Conference." The Principal said with a smirk. "Don't you ever check the schedule? There's no school tomorrow."

"Three day weekend? Cool." Chris said with a nod.

"And then a week's detention." The principal added. "Now get going."

"Yes sir." Chris said with a smile and a nod.