Chapter 2 – Released

Lois arrived at the Kent farm in the middle of the night.

"Clark," she called as she opened the kitchen door. Sigh. It was always open, she thought, anyone could walk in. "Clark," she called again but actually didn't expect an answer. Hopefully that's because he's out ... doing his job. She didn't want to consider the alternative reason for him not being here.

"Well, guess I'll just make myself at home till he gets back," she murmured and she put the Blur coat and Book of Rao on the kitchen table.

After pacing and sitting and wandering and eating ... and more pacing she finally lay down on the couch and fell asleep.

It was mid morning when she awoke and she soon realised that Clark had not come home. She gathered up the coat and octagonal disk - can't leave them around for anyone to find, not the way anyone can walk in – and headed off to her apartment.

Making it into work by just after lunch she was oblivious to the strange mood around. All she noticed, when she made it to her desk, was the empty one opposite. Where is he? When Lois finally settled into her work she realised there was a strange atmosphere around. She grabbed the arm of the first passerby.

"Jeff," she said, "what's the buzz about?"

"It's the boss," he replied

"Stern?" asked Lois

"No, the previous boss, Miss Mercer."

"Tess! What's she done now?"

"She was admitted to hospital yesterday and then died but her body disappeared," Jeff said. He seemed a bit uncomfortable being the one to tell her.

"What!" Lois felt her body collapse back onto her chair. After the shock wore off the reporter instinct kicked in and Lois grabbed her bag and set off to the hospital.

Clark had searched every inch of the facility but all he found was a broken communicator. The air ducts had most definitely been assaulted from the outside but had not actually been pierced. If Ollie had been inside the ducts then whoever was outside had not got him. However, when Ollie exited the ducts they could have been waiting for him. Back at Watchtower he was working with Chloe to contact all the other heroes. Clark called as many of them as possible back to Metropolis to help in the hunt for Ollie.

"How are you holding up, Chloe?" Clark asked sincerely.

"To be honest, I could be better. But," she turned to him and put on a fake smile, "no news is good news, as they say."

"Chloe, we'll find him."

Chloe's face dropped the smile. "I know Clark."

"I should really show my face at work, Chloe, will you be alright while I just check in at the Planet?"

"Yes, you go."

He arrived in the basement to see an empty desk opposite his. Lois wasn't here. Well, after yesterday he didn't know if he was ready to face her yet. After the words spoken, and the words he had refused to tell her, she may be a little confused about their relationship too.

"Kent," came a loud, deep shout. "Since you made your way back into a job here via Perry White I've hardly seen you." It was Franklyn Stern and he definitely had a stern look on his face. "I certainly hope that's because you are on a story."

Clark faltered in his reply and Stern continued before he could actually say anything. "Well, I've got a story for you. Nice and simple. That strange lightning storm last night, find out what caused it," and he turned and wandered off.

Hmm, thought Clark, easy answer: I did, but I don't think I can write that in an article. Or maybe I can? and he sat down and started typing away.

BLUR BANISHES TERRORISTS

At the hospital Lois interviewed as many doctors as she could find. Well, she tried to, but not many of them actually answered her questions. The attending doctor at the time of death confirmed that Tess was dead and even showed her the death certificate. What Lois could not find was anyone who saw the body being taken anywhere. The orderly who had been asked to wheel the body to the morgue had been the one to find the room empty. Lois went to try and find the doctor who had treated Tess on her admission. She came across an office in disarray and some very fraught doctors and nurses.

"Hi, she interrupted, "I'm hoping to speak to the doctor who admitted Tess Mercer yesterday."

"Aren't we all," came back an annoyed voice from a nurse. "He hasn't turned up for his shift and we are struggling to get in touch with him."

Tess' body disappears AND the doctor who admitted her. That's about as likely to be a coincidence as the Blur just happening to kiss like Clark. I need to look into this.

Clark managed to present his article to Franklyn Stern just before deadline. Making it read like he had managed to somehow interview the Blur Clark was able to tell a simplified story of the almost alien invasion managing to explain the strange lightning in last night's storm and also the symbols burned into the monuments around the world.

"Kent," spoke Stern, "this is fantastic stuff, just what I've been waiting to see from you. Why were you holding it back?" Clark didn't have an answer. "And I thought Lois was the one with the hotline to the Blur," he said with a confused tone. "How did you pull this off?" Clark opened his mouth to answer but his boss cut him off. "Never mind, never mind. I just want more like this from you. Now go. Find more Blur stories."

Clark was glad Stern had cut him off because he didn't know what he would have said. But he realised that he was already beginning to understand the change in himself which had brought about his confidence to write about the Blur. He had been ready to lead his own people, they knew who he was. Maybe it was time for this world to know him too. Clark headed for Watchtower and for some reason his thoughts drifted to a box he had put in his wardrobe.

Ollie awoke to darkness. Instinctively trying to reach out he immediately realised he was tied up. He wriggled his whole body and it became obvious that he was not just tied, he was chained. His arms, legs, body, all chained to a chair. The darkness was caused by a blindfold covering most of his head and either it was incredibly thick material or the room was also in darkness. As he tried to test his bonds he heard distant sounds. Shouts and scuffles from outside whatever room he was held in became closer and louder as he listened.

Boy do I wish for Clark's hearing at this moment, to know what's going on, he thought. Er ... actually no, I wish for Clark's strength. Dumb Ollie, he called himself.

The noises became louder again, then there was silence. He heard a metal door scrape open and a whoosh noise as someone came in.

"I'll get you out of these chains, keep still," came a quiet, whispered voice. Ollie's chains dropped from around his body almost immediately and he was lifted from his seat. Only one person snapped chains that fast and made a whooshing sound.

"Clark?" Ollie asked.

"No," came the reply, "I don't know who Clark is. My name is Scott."

"What's going on?" asked Ollie.

"That doesn't matter, you are safe. I freed you before they could do anything."

"What were they going to do?" asked Ollie worriedly.

"You don't want to know, but thankfully, they were distracted before they could get round to it."

"Distracted?"

"By me," came the simple reply.

Ollie heard some beeping and whirring noises and he frowned. That sounded like talking, he was sure, but he couldn't discern the meaning. Scott obviously could as he spoke and the words were definitely a reply to some question.

"Yes, he needs to be sent home." Beep. "Ok, to Star City."

"What? said Ollie in shock. How did they know his home was in Star City? "No. Not Star City ... Metropo ..." he started to say but a boom and a large flash, bright enough to penetrate his blindfold, cut him off. He then felt himself dragged forward. It felt like flying for a few seconds then the light was gone and he found himself on a hard surface in the dark again.

"Scott?" he called out. All he heard was the whooshing sound again, then nothing. Ollie reached up to pull off his blindfold and, as his eyes adjusted to the light, he realised he was in Star City ... one of his homes, but not the one he wanted to be in.

Damn, I can't travel to Metropolis as Oliver Queen as my rescuer, and therefore possibly my captors, know who I am and I can't call watchtower as Arrow in case the Kandorians are listening. I'll have to make my way there on my own and anonymously.