A/N: Sorry about the long wait on this one. And sorry it sucks so badly. I've finally got a solid plot, though, so it'll get better. Remember to review!

Chapter 3: You Killed My Brother

Chloe stared hard at her alien friend. Once or twice, she tried to form words, but no sound came from her mouth save an astonished squeak. Her glance shifted back and forth between Clark and the woman seated on the old couch in the loft.

The odd silence wasn't helped by the young man standing awkwardly at the landing below her, whom she hadn't yet had the chance to introduce. Obviously he didn't understand why she'd stopped dead upon reaching the loft – which, by the way, had caused him to crash into her, and was why he had retreated to a safe distance on the landing – or why she could only stare speechlessly at the red-head and squeak at the other guy.

"The Phoenix?" Chloe finally managed to shriek. "The Alcatraz Phoenix?! Clark, tell me I'm not seeing things!"

"Chloe…" he warned. That look in her eyes was not easy to miss. Reporter mode was taking over.

"How did the Phoenix end up in your barn?"

"Chloe?"

"Clark, this is big news! Seriously, she killed… like, hundreds of people back there, not to mention her own boyfriend. She's supposed to be dead…"

"Chloe! Can I talk to you downstairs please?" He grabbed her by the arm and led her, gently but firmly, down the stairway to the barn floor.

"I'll… just wait up here," Alex called after them. He cast a nervous glance at Phoenix and wondered how the heck he ended up in such a mess as this…

As soon as they were out of earshot, Clark let Chloe shake her arm free of his grip. "Chloe, you're not helping right now."

An exasperated sigh was all she managed for several seconds. "This… This is the biggest front page story I've ever seen, and all you can say is, 'You're not helping'? What's the big deal?"

"This is more than just a story. There's something bigger going on here, and I need to figure out what it is."

"He's right." Both turned to see Lex and Lana returning from the house. Lex was wearing a rather grim expression. "Did you find him?" he asked, keeping his voice just above a whisper.

Clark nodded. "Yeah, he was down in the caves. Lex, it's the same guy. I can't let them take him until I get some answers."

"Clark, we agreed that the sooner this man was found, the better."

"I know. But this man knows something. And he's on those paintings on the cave walls. How do you explain that?"

A look of revelation crossed Chloe's face. "Wait, this is the same guy from the Phoenix Operation? He's here?"

Lex nodded. "Yes. And he absolutely must be returned to the staff of the Westchester school as soon as possible. Preferably before questions start being asked that cannot be answered."

The city of Metropolis was abuzz with the constant noise of its various inhabitants going to and from various work places, performing various errands and activities. In one particular office, in one particular building, Lionel Luthor was holding a conference with three of the most dangerous people currently in the state. All were completely oblivious of the teeming masses below. "I assume we have a deal then?" Lionel finished.

One man – the youngest of the group, with small, glittering eyes and a well-kept shock of dark hair – pondered the question with a serious expression on his smooth face. "So… If I can keep her subdued until he comes, I do what I like with her afterwards?"

Luthor grinned, his eyes gleaming. "I assure you, Dr. Crane, you will be permitted to tamper and play with her mind to your heart's content, so long as you keep her from escaping until I am through with her. While you, Dr. Osborne," he continued as he turned to a slightly older man with a faintly crazed look in his eye. "You are to continue your work on our Supersoldier serum. I want it finished by the time our… guest arrives."

"And my job would be…?"

As he turned to the final member of the group, Lionel put on his most malicious smile. "Your job, Miss Frost, is to lure her here. By any means necessary, I might add."

There was no emotion shown on the young blonde's face as she turned her bright blue eyes on him. "And my payment?" she asked in her thick British accent.

"Why, the little brat, of course," came the reply, with no hesitation. "As soon as we're finished with him, you may do with him as you please." He paused and met the gaze of each, making sure he had their full attention. "Remember, my friends: discretion and prudence are the keys to our success."

Alex stared blankly at his hands in an attempt to avoid eye contact with the woman sitting in front of him. He didn't make it a habit to watch the news on a regular basis, but even he knew who the Phoenix was. Though he got his information from a slightly different source.

He'd been to the funeral, heard his parents tell him how sorry they were countless times, and had the box of personal items delivered to his house. But he still refused to believe it. He was pretty sure sibling death was something you felt, not something you were told.

As he watched absently, his hands began to glow softly with a faint golden color. Swirling energy began to form on his palms, seeming to emanate from within. His blue eyes sparked with the same golden hue as a third swirl of energy formed on his chest. For what seemed like an eternity, he allowed the energy to churn and pulse before closing his fists and extinguishing it.

"Impressive light show." The voice caused him to finally glance up at the Phoenix. "Tell me, can you do anything more with it than just glow?" Her tone was not one of mockery, but of genuine interest. This only served to annoy him.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he hissed, successfully keeping most of the nervous tremor out of his voice.

"Pretty big talk from someone who's so scared," she shot back calmly.

He clenched his fists tighter. "I'm not scared."

There was a pause as she regarded him silently, probing him gently with her mind. "Why so angry at me, little one?"

"You killed my brother."

A/N: Yeah... sorry it's short, too...