The
Black Coats
Written By: The Ascended Ancient
Chapter VI:
"Investigation"
In his hotel room, General Samuel Lane struggles with a decision. He knows what the Black Coats are likely to do to Smallville, and he desperately wants to stop them. However, in all likelihood, any attempt to bring them down will just get him on their radar again, something the good general didn't want. For over half an hour after Clark left the general just sat on his bed. Then he got up and walked out of his room.
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In Smallville High, students begin to rush out of the building as the bell that signified the end of the school day sounds. Amid the throng, Clark Kent struggles to catch up to Chloe Sullivan.
"Chloe!" he shouts. She turns around and looks at him.
"Hey, Clark," Chloe says. "What's up?"
"Chloe, I know you probably don't want to hear this," Clark begins, "but I think your..." He trails off, staring at something over Chloe's shoulder. Chloe turns around and sees Josh walking towards her.
"Hey, Chlo," the colonel says enthusiastically. "Ready for that afternoon in Metropolis I promised you?"
"Absolutely!" Chloe's very excited. She turns to Clark. "I'm going to co-write Josh's story with him at the Daily Planet office."
"Oh," Clark says. "Um, wow, Chloe, this is... really great." Chloe looks puzzled.
"Clark... is something wrong?" she asks.
"No," Clark tells her. "No, everything's just fine."
"C'mon, Chlo, I'm on a deadline," Josh tells her with a chuckle. Chloe turns to go with him.
"Bye, Clark!" she calls back over her shoulder. Clark watches them leave warily.
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Clark walks down the streets of Smallville at a slow, leisurely pace. People pass him on their way to various places, and Clark ignores them. He looks very worried. Suddenly he notices something out of the corner of his eye. He turns and sees a red Chevy drive by. At the wheel is General Lane. Before the car can get too far away, Clark follows it. He runs through the crowd of people at normal, human speeds, never taking his eyes off the general's car.
Eventually, General Lane leaves the heart of town and starts to head through a more rural area. Keeping out of sight, Clark uses his super-speed to stay very close to the general's car.
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General Sam Lane pulls up in front of the Black Coat's compound without incident. He steps out of his car and is immediately approached by two armed soldiers.
"Excuse me, sir," the first soldier says, "but no civilians are allowed past this point. I'm afraid you'll have to leave."
"I'm not a damned civilian!" the general says, clearly agitated. "I'm Lieutenant General Samuel Lane, United States Army. I want to speak to Colonel Hammond."
"I'm sorry, sir," the first soldier apologizes, "but there is no one here by that name."
"I know he's in charge of your operation, private!" The general is growing impatient. "Tell him Uncle Sam is here for a little talk. Believe me, he'll want to speak to me." The first soldier nods to the second one, and the second soldier heads inside the compound.
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At the fringes of the nearby woods, Clark watches all of this carefully. He sees the second soldier come back with another man, and uses his super-hearing to listen in on their conversation.
"Major Woodward," General Lane greets. "I guess your boss was feeling too important to meet with me."
"Colonel Hammond is currently out on assignment," the major tells him.
"Would that assignment have anything to do with my niece?" the general growls.
"I'm not at liberty to say, sir," Jeremy replies.
"Listen, I still remember Little Rock," the general says quietly. "I am not about to allow that to happen here in Smallville."
"I don't think you have any choice in the matter, Sam," Woodward tells him. "The Internal Threat Control is not subject to the laws of other branches of the military."
"That decision was the biggest mistake our government ever made," Sam growls.
"The Powers That Be don't seem to think so." The major's tone is smug. "And I think they'd look down on you for that opinion, general." Woodward steps closer to Samuel. "Be careful, Sam. You're walking a dangerous path."
"I can take care of myself. Goodbye, Jeremy." General Lane turns around and walks back to his car. He drives off.
In the woods, Clark super-speeds off into the distance.
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In Metropolis, Joshua Hammond and Chloe Sullivan step into Josh's apartment. They're locked in a passionate embrace. They close the door and walk over towards the bed, never once separating their lips. Josh pushes Chloe down on the bed and climbs on top of her. He leans in and they kiss some more.
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General Sam Lane gets out of his car in front of the Smallville Inn. Before he can enter the hotel, Clark approaches him.
"General Lane," Clark says, "what happened at Little Rock?" General Lane just stares at Clark.
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Josh Hammond's apartment is quite a mess. Several pieces of furniture have been overturned, and various articles of clothing are scattered all over the floor. In his bed, Josh lies with an arm around a sleeping Chloe. There's a blanket over them, but it's clear they're both naked underneath. Suddenly we hear a beeping sound. Josh gets up and walks over to his pants. From the pocket he pulls out a cell phone. He walks over to the corner of the room and takes the call.
"This is Hammond," Josh says into the phone. He's quiet for a moment, then says, "Understood." He walks back over to the bed and slides up against Chloe. He wraps his arm around her.
A few moments later, the door to the room is broken in, and a bunch of soldiers in black trench coats storm in. Chloe is startled awake, and Josh pretends to be the same.
"Who the hell are you?" he demands. The soldiers ignore him.
"By the authority of the government of the United States of America, you are both under arrest," one of the soldiers tells them. The other soldiers toss the two prisoners bathrobes, which Josh and Chloe put on. Their hands are then cuffed, and they're escorted out of the room.
End of Chapter VI
Author's Note: Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events. So, what did happen at Little Rock? And what's going to happen to Chloe? Stay tuned, because the answers will be coming soon. "Explanation", Chapter VII of The Black Coats is coming soon.