A/N:My only excuse here is that I've been sick for the last week and the last thing on my mind was rhyming. I hope you'll forgive me and enjoy the latest installment…

Chapter 5

Chloe sighed. This wasn't going well. With one ill-chosen question, it looked like Pete had turned the whole crowd against them. She opened her mouth to say something, but Pete was dragging her out into the hallway, his eyes rounded in apprehension. "Chloe, please! Let's get out of here!"

"For crying out loud! Get a grip on yourself, Pete!" Chloe tried to tug her arm out of his hand, but he was holding on extremely tight. The pain must have distracted her from hearing an elevator lift descending to their level behind them. She would have been extremely interested (and amused)to see silver stilettos peeping out from under an expensive and conservative business suit, but Pete was panicking.

"But these people are really creepy…"

"It's just a… a party, Pete!"

"Well, I want to leave."

"We can't go anywhere 'til I get to a phone and call my dad."

"Then ask the weird bald guy or someone…"

"Let's wait a minute, Pete. We don't want to interfere with their party more than we have."

"This isn't some Town Hall meeting you're covering, Chloe."

"So they're a little weird. Who cares? Are you prejudice or something?"

"Chloe, I'm cold, I'm wet and I'm totallyfreaked out!"

"We're here together. There would be too many loose ends for them to try and hurt us. There's nothing to worry about." Chloe's eyes narrowed. All the people before them were rising, staring fixedly at something directly behind them. Quickly, she looked behind her and started laughing. When the music started, she just knew it was going to be good.

The gate was flamboyantly thrown open and Chloe was as mesmerized as Pete as they staredat the made-up face and fluffy hair that was just above the conservative Armani suit. "How'd you do? I see you've met my motley little gang. They're a little brought down because, when you knocked, they thought you were our friend Chang. Don't get strung out by the way I look." He pranced his way into the ballroom as he sang, Chloe and Pete inexorably pulled in his wake. "Don't judge a book by its cover. I'm a billionaire man by the light of day but by night I'm one hell of a lover."

With that he pulled at his clothes and they tore apart as pieces just velcroed together at the seams. Underneath was the outfit that went with the shoes: a bustier and panty set combined with fishnet stockings. Chloe looked at him calculatingly. She wondered briefly how much the set cost and then realized that she had no one to share them with even if she did buy them. She sighed as the crowd around them moaned in delight at the show.

The vision wasn't done. "I'm just a sweet Transvestite from Metropolis, Kansas, USA. Let me show you about or listen to you shout. You look like you both could shoot me. Or if you want something visual that's not too abysmal… We could take in an old Chris Reeve's movie."

Pete tried to talk to him quickly. The scene was weirding him out more than usual. Unfortunately all his attempts were totally ignored as Lionel greeted his guests. "I'm glad we caught you at home. Could we use your phone? We're both in a bit of a hurry."

Chloe felt she should support him with a quick, but quietly sarcastic "Right!" but he didn't stop there.

"We'll just say where we are then go back to the car. We don't want to be any worry." Pete looked at Chloe. They could tell they weren't going to get very far with the crazy guy.

Suddenly Lionel whirled and spoke directly to them. "So you go caught with a flat! Well, how 'bout that."Chloe looked at him consideringly. He didn't seem surprised at their troubles and they hadn't told him what was wrong with her car. This was definitely more than it seemed! "Oh kiddies, don't you panic. By the light of the night, it'll all seem alright. I'll get you an expensive mechanic." He turned from them, strutting toward a throne revealed when Lana pulled the curtain's rope. "I'm just a sweet transvestite from Metropolis, Kansas, USA."

Lionel lounged on the throne, surrounded by Lex, Lana and Lois. "Why dont'cha stay for the night."

Lex leered at Chloe. "Night!"

"Or maybe a bite."

Lana grinned at Pete. "Bite!"

Lionel smiled and shivers crawled up Chloe's spine. "I could show you my favorite obsession. I've been watchin' a man with dark hard and a tan and he's good for increasing my tension." He slowly rose from his sitting position, every movement calculated to make a ballerina cry in shame. "I'm just a sweet transvestite from Metropolis, Kansas, USA. Hit it here!" he shouts and spanks himself. The aisle made by his guests remained where it had been created and he pranced down it toward the elevator. Chloe wondered if he could teach her how to do that without breaking her ankles. "I'm just a sweet transvestite…"

The crowd echoed him, totally captured in his thrall. "Sweet transvestite!"

"From Metropolis," he purred and they joined him for the final "Kansas, USA!" He entered the lift and twirled around. "So come up to the zoo, and see what I've got for you. I see you shiver with excitement." He looked them up and down. "But maybe the rain is… um… really to blame. So I'll remove the cause… but not… the symptom!" With that the door slammed shut and he quickly disappeared from sight.

Chloe practically had to shove her hands in her pockets because she wanted to clap. It had been quite the performance. But now she was dying to know what Lionel Luthor had secreted away in this mansion of his.

A/N: As is my usual, I will respond to the most current reviews here… And for all of you that have taken the time to write a little somethin' somethin', please receive my heartfelt thanks. As is my usual, I will respond to the most current reviews here…And for all of you that have taken the time to write a little somethin' somethin', please receive my heartfelt thanks.

Snowbunny3: Thank you oh so much for your positive comments. I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far…

Lenore Raven: Did I really fake you out? I'm so surprised! How did you like the live production of Rocky? It's really amazing, isn't it? I could go on, but this really isn't the place for that, is it? How do you like my version of Sweet Transvestite?

MarkMark261: I'm considering your title "I can make Superman"… I have a couple other ideas that I'm going to toss around in this brain of mine. Quick recap of characters so far: Narrator – Martha, Janet – Chloe, Brad – Pete, Riff Raff – Lex, Magenta – Lois, Columbia – Lana, Frank – Lionel, and finally Dr. Scott – Jonathan Kent. There are really only two characters left… Rocky & Eddie. Now your challenge will be who's what in those roles. One "should be" pretty obvious.

In regards to Chloe & Pete not recognizing anyone, I think I'm starting to fix that. And they aren't in "heaven" or "hell", but they definitely aren't in mainstream reality! (And wasn't the idea of Pete doing the Electric Slide hilarious! I mean, I definitely had to come up with a dance that was outdated, but still current enough that people would know what the crap I was talking about!)