A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter of the story. Surprisingly enough, I didn't get as many reviews as I would have thought… but perhaps that's because more people use the computers at work and school than I thought… ;D I shouldn't be surprised. Before I was trying to be "good, that was me!

Chapter 20

When they stuttered to a stop in the woods outside of the foundry, both felt a pressure hit them. It was as if they were fighting a battle against someone else's will. Chloe could feel a headache coming on and actually fell to her knees as the pressure increased. But she fought it with every fiber of her being. She would never allow herself to become the mindless slave of the Transmission again. After a few minutes, she could feel the pressure lifting a little and was able to get back to her feet. She noticed that Clark was leaning heavily against a tree and felt better about her own reaction. "Clark…" she asked softly, unwilling to cause him pain if his headache was anything like hers and because she wasn't absolutely certain if they wouldn't be overheard.

When he didn't answer immediately, she went directly to his side and put her hand on his arm. Immediately, she noticed his muscles relax and realized that her headache had also subsided to a mild twinge. He looked at her and smiled. "That was incredible, Chlo. I couldn't believe the pressure…"

She nodded, unwilling to rehash the experience. "I know, Clark. But that lets us know one important fact… We've found it." As one, they turned to the innocent looking building. Chloe shivered at the waves of negativity flowing from it and Clark put a comforting arm around her shoulder. She felt blessed that he would and could support her right now. There had been a couple times when she felt like she would fall apart, but he'd been there… refusing to allow her to break apart. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's get this over with…"

She would have stepped forward, but Clark's arm stopped her cold. She looked up at him in confusion. He was just staring at the building, but his face was grim with purpose. "Chloe, I can't let you come."

She laughed, but trailed off as she realized how serious he was. "But Clark…"

He shook his head to forestall her arguing. "Chloe, I can't let you get hurt again. This is my battle. The Transmission wants me to rule the world. You would be extraneous to it. It might just decide to get rid of you while it could."

Chloe looked at him and realized that she was starting to get more than a little angry at her best friend. "Clark, don't be stupid. I'm going with you." He shook his head. Her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned into a mutinous line. "And how exactly are you going to stop me?"

He looked down at her with shocked eyes. "What do you mean?"

She put her hands on her hips as if she were lecturing a particularly insubordinate student. "Clark, that thing took me and my friends over. It took me captive. It tortured me for information. I have more of a score to settle with it than you do. In fact, knowing what it does, you're the one who's not safe. You should stay out here while I program in the antidote."

"Chloe, that would be stupid. You could get hurt." He was pleading with her, but she couldn't allow those green eyes to sway her.

"You're right, Clark. That would be stupid. Almost as stupid as if you went in alone." She took his hand and looked at him earnestly. "We're stronger together as a team. I can protect you somewhat from kryptonite and you can protect me from everything else. And it may be that I have to program in the antidote while you fight the defenses." She shrugged and gave him a small smile. "Besides, we started this together and we should finish it together."

He looked at the building and then back to her. Suddenly, his eyes filled with pain and that scared Chloe more than anything else. "Chloe, when I was on red kryptonite, I didn't mean…"

Chloe knew exactly what he was doing and felt like she was going to be sick. He wanted to apologize now in case he didn't make it. She knew in her heart that he would do something stupid rather than have her get hurt. "Clark, don't."

He looked at her in shock. "But Chlo…"

"Seriously, Clark. I don't want to hear it." Her eyes hardened into flinty green emeralds. "You weren't yourself and you didn't… didn't follow-through."

He looked a little green around the gills at the thought. "But it shouldn't automatically excuse…"

Chloe sighed deep in her heart. She wanted more than anything to tell him to forget it, but knew that wouldn't happen in a million years. "Clark, if you want to apologize, fine. But don't do it now. I want you to have something that you want to fight for survival against. You can tell me later."

Clark opened his mouth to say something, but the look on her face told him that if he tried again, she would personally shove some kryptonite up his behind. He gave her a weak smile and nodded.

Hand in hand, they crept toward the building. Like the courthouse, it was disturbingly silent… not even the rustle of animals in the trees. In response, they were also fairly silent. Clark remembered from early exploration of the building that there were actually only a few rooms, so he waspretty confident that it shouldn't take too long to find the Transmission.

Therefore, it was quite a shock that, in the very first room they looked, the Double-Ls were lain out on the floor. I never realized how appropriate that abbreviation was before, Clark thought. Chloe quickly moved to their sides and checked the pulse of each one. "They're still alive," she breathed in relief.

That same relief hit Clark like a ton of bricks and he wished he could have sat down for a minute. But then the questions came. "But why? Wouldn't they have been useful in any kind of defense action?"

Chloe looked at them sharply and then her eyes lost focus as she thought hard about that question. When she looked up at Clark, her eyes were panicked. "Clark, did you notice that town seemed rather empty when we were leaving?"

Clark thought back to their whirlwind trip. He had been rather surprised that all the people who'd crowded in on him initially were totally gone. In fact, the trip had been rather easy as he'd not had to worry about dodging around anyone. And Fordman's had been surprisingly empty. He smiled at the memory of the pink sneakers and footie socks with the little puff ball in the back that he'd snagged for Chloe. She'd glared at him for a full five minutes for that one. "I don't remember seeing anyone…" he said slowly.

"That's what I thought," Chloe said shakily. "Clark, if the Transmission spreads itself too thin, it can't control everyone so completely. That's how I got through to Lex. I played his love of power against the Transmission. That awakened an emotional response that the Transmission couldn't counter fast enough." She looked up at him, her eyes distinctly worried. "Clark, it's shut everyone down. That must mean that it's working on controlling something and someone so completely…"

"You have always been too smart for your own good, Ms. Sullivan," a familiar voice said with an unfamiliar overtone. But before either could look up, Clark was slammed from behind and crashed into the wall behind Chloe.

"Clark!" Chloe screamed.

Chloe whipped around to see who could possibly have that kind of strength. It was a man encased in a strangely massive metal suit. She gasped in horror and scooted back toward Clark as she recognized him. Jonathan Kent's head was peaking out the top of it, glaring at her with such hatred and animosity that she wanted to immediately burst into tears. "Mr. Kent!"

The laughter she heard chilled her to the bones. "I thought you knew better, Ms. Sullivan," Jonathan said with a sneer. "Jonathan Kent is not here right now…"

She knew that there was no way that she was going to get through to him and turned to Clark. Thankfully, the blow hadn't caused him to lose consciousness so she just helped him sit up. When his eyes finally focused on his foe, his eyes widened. "Dad?" he whispered.

"You are not worthy to call me that, Kal-El." Jonathan looked at Clark with such disdain that Chloe was afraid that Clark wouldn't be able to fight him. She knew she could do nothing against him.

Clark struggled to his feet and Chloe assisted him. He put her behind him and walked up to his father. "Dad, can't you see that you're being controlled by the Transmission? You have to fight it."

Jonathan showed no reaction on his face and only punched Clark in the face, which flung him out the door. "There is no fighting, Kal-El. But I suppose I should not use your given name as you are unworthy of such a noble Kryptonian heritage. You have been corrupted by these humans. They have made you weak."

Clark's eyes hardened and he caught Jonathan's fist as it descended toward him. "You aren't my father," he screamed in rage. "How could you take him from me?"

But the time for words was over. Clark tackled Jonathan to the ground and the real battle began. Chloe was afraid that Clark would feel like he needed to roll over and take this beating because she knew he felt guilty over everything that had happened. But blow was exchanged for blow and Chloe had a hard time following the exchange. The two men rolled along the floor as if they were just children wrestling. She could feel the shockwaves, however, and knew this battle was titanic. But the battle was taking its toll on Clark. She knew he wasn't hitting Jonathan's head in fear of doing permanent damage and was focusing all his blows on the battle suit. But it just seemed to absorb each blow with no damage and Chloe knew Clark was tiring and it was beginning to show.

Finally, she couldn't just sit back and let this happen to Clark. She had to get involved. She waited until a moment when Jonathan was on top and pummeling Clark. Then she jumped on his back and began batting at his head. He twitched as if she was a mosquito on a bear, but she could tell it wasn't truly affecting him. The same couldn't be said for Clark. The moment she had joined the fray, he had stilled completely and could only look at her with horror. Jonathan took advantage of Clark's hesitation and continued to pound into him.

Chloe was rather chagrined at how easily he brushed off her blows and started to intensify her efforts. She was rewarded with a roar of pain as she clapped his ears hard. He paused from his beating of Clark to try and pull her off his back. But the suit wasn't sufficiently flexible enough for him to succeed. But she knew, at this point, that she didn't have much time left. Clark still refused to do anything while she was there in case he accidentally hurt her. Jonathan slowly lumbered to his feet and she knew he was going to just scrape her off his back by smashing into a wall. Then the most ridiculous and idiotic idea came to mind. Her hand was moving before she could stop it and she put pressure on the artery of the neck between the ear and the shoulder. She'd never had the occasion to use the Vulcan neck pinch before, but the continued pressure did cause Jonathan Kent to slump to the ground, unconscious.

A/N: I know the Vulcan neck pinch is a bit much, but it hit my brain and I thought it was so oddly amusing that I had to put it in!

iluvsmallville1: Sweetie, it's all the practice I'm getting on this site. Also, remember… I'm 32 and have been writing for what seems like forever. If I can't turn a phrase or describe a scene… Well, that would be sad! ;D

markmark261: You're right. I couldn't just have Clark just take the stuff. You just know he would have paid for it somehow…