Episode 1 –Superman- Part 2

As he walked towards Tess' room he couldn't stop thinking about what Lois had said. Was Lex just messing with them? Setting them up on yet another convoluted game or could he really not know them? Clark distractedly entered the room and saw a different blonde then the one he was expecting.

"Chloe! When did you get here? Why didn't you call me? I'd have…"

"Clark, its alright I got here a couple of hours ago and I know how busy you've been with everything..." Chloe said smiling at her best friend as she stood up.

"Chloe, you know I'm never too busy to come get you." he said as they embraced in a comforting hug.

"I didn't realize how much I needed that, thanks Clark."

He gave her a small smile, " So how did you manage to get Oliver to take a break?"

She shrugged. "Perks of being the wife..."

Clark eyed her with confusion.

"Honestly Clark your non-verbal's say more than sermons. I… I don't know ok… I walked in and I felt like I was interrupting you know…"

"Chloe, you know Oliver loves you. Tess is just… you know... his first love and even though we eventually move on and realize that they weren't what was meant for us it doesn't mean that we ever stop caring about them…"

"Clark, I get what you're trying to say but Oliver isn't you. He didn't spend his entire adolescence pining after Tess. He essentially got scared and screwed up and then when he tried again she got scared and screwed up. The bond they share... this unspoken understanding about why they do the things they do... its still there. And lets face it... at the highlight of you and Lana; well you guys never had that. That is what you have with Lois."

"Chloe, it's what he has with you..." he stressed to her.

"I know you're trying to help and don't get me wrong Clark, its not that I doubt that he loves me… I'm just beginning to wonder if I'm meant to be the long haul girl… maybe that's just not who I am." She said with a sigh as she sat back down.

Clark sat in a chair next to her, silently offering comfort as he held her hand.

CRASH!

The loud noise ricocheted through the penthouse. His penthouse. This was all his… He supposed if he had to be a complete blank slate it helped that he got to do it as a billionaire. But he had to have written something down. Some clue as to who he was and not just what he read online. Those pictures of him with supermodels and at gala events said nothing to him. They revealed nothing. He'd been married three times according to his biography. Two marriages were quickly annulled. Although one wife ended up in prison the other seemed to just disappear. His third wife seemed of particular interest. Lana Lang Luthor was stunning. They all were. Clearly he had a thing for beautiful brunettes. But he couldn't stop staring at her image. He divorced this one and apparently was once accused of her murder. But he was exonerated. Was she actually still alive? There seemed to be no record of her but he had a feeling that it was more of her doing than his. Maybe she could fill in the pieces. After all to reveal to any of his employees that he didn't know who he was would be seen as a weakness. He would be admitted into Belle Reeve by sundown. Even though he might not remember much he knew enough to know that was something he shouldn't allow to happen. He'd retrace this woman's steps. Lana Lang Luthor. If she were alive, she'd have dropped the Luthor. She might have even dropped the Lang to go underground. Who else's last name could she have taken? Lex opened up his laptop and began to search. Did she have any other family in Smallville?

He was running in the dark. He had to get to her. He had to save her. She was lying in a pool of blood. Dying. Dead. Red hair. Blonde hair. Red hair. Blonde like the sun. Red like blood.

Oliver woke with a start. He sucked in a deep breath and rubbed his face feeling the sweat on his brow. The nightmare wouldn't stop showing him that he'd been too late. He was always too late. Oliver rubbed his hands over his face a little more roughly and shook his head. He wouldn't be able to get back to sleep after that.

"Oliver, sorry didn't mean to wake you." Emil said as he walked in.

Oliver shrugged. " Don't worry about it. Has there been any change?"

"I'm sorry Oliver... But no..." he sighed. "Honestly at this point its all up to her."

Oliver stretched as he stood up. "She'll wake up Emil. I know she will she's just got to remember she's got a reason too."

As he walked down the corridor he saw Clark walk out of Tess' room and head toward him. "We need to talk"

"Okay…" Oliver stretched the word trying to sound as lighthearted as he could in front of his friend. He nodded curtly. "Talk."

Clark he raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Let's head up to the roof. I have to leave anyway." Clark said as he led them toward the elevator.

Oliver followed Clark toward the elevator and silently boarded behind him. He watched Clark punch the number to a floor and smiled tightly at his foreboding friend.

Ding… 7th floor…

Ding 9th Floor….

Ding 11th Floor….

Ding 14th Floor …

"You ever wonder why they skip the 13th floor? I mean its not like we don't know it's the 13th floor..." Oliver said. The silence was starting to bother him.

"Hmmm…." Clark shrugged.

… Ding 17th floor…

"We've got to walk from here." Clark said as he walked towards the stairwell.

"Clark man… you're killing me… this is worse than our desert walk… I mean I haven't kissed Lois lately, so I'm not that worried I'll go flying off the roof but still..."

Clark smirked back at him." Trust me, Oliver, if you'd kissed Lois lately... flying off the roof would be the least of your worries."

He winked as he opened the door to the roof.

"Well that's comforting… I guess." Oliver said stepping out behind him.

"Sorry for the mystery but I don't want to worry Chloe about this... plus I kind of want to talk about her as well and … well Tess too…" Clark said a bit uncomfortably.

"Alright then Big Blue... business first." Oliver slowly smiled as he leaned back again the door.

"Big Blue? Don't you think I have enough code names what with the one Lois decided on?" Clark said as he rolled his eyes.

Oliver laughed. "You love it man. It's got to feel good for the woman you love to want to name you..." Oliver whispered with a grin. "Superman... Besides with the amount of blue you wear I think its fits and well Big Red was taken."

"That's good to know." Clark said on a half smile. "And I don't plan on admitting I like it any time soon. So…"

" Don't worry Clark your secret's safe with me."

Clark cleared his throat suddenly. "Ok onto the business... Lois confronted Lex…"

"What! Is she insane? He just stabbed his own sister!" Oliver said straightening up quickly.

Clark held up his hand. "I know. Trust me, I already went there. But I have to admit her going in head first paid off. Something's off with Lex. He didn't know who she was."

Oliver just shrugged." So he pretended to not know Lois…"

"That's what I thought but Lois… She thinks there's more to it and I'm starting to agree with her. The only thing I can figure is something happened to him between the time I last saw him when he knew everything and the time you found him with Tess. Did he recognize you?"

Oliver tried to think back on that day and shook his head. "I was more concerned with getting Tess out... but he did act weird."

Clark arched his eyebrow.

"Weirder than he usually acts anyway."

"See?" Clark asked.

Oliver nodded agreeing. "Which means only Tess can tell us for sure what happened."

Clark nodded solemnly.

Oliver he ran his fingers through his hair. "She needs to wake up Clark. The longer she stays like this…"

Clark stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I know… I spoke to Emil earlier. And I spoke to Chloe. Oliver, I know how important Tess is to you but…"

" I know I'm married, Clark. I have a great wife who loves me. And I love her... I do…" Oliver said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"But…" Clark volunteered.

"But… In an odd way they both made me who I am. Tess was the first person I wanted to be a hero for. I wasn't a kid when I met her Clark. I was floundering, running around spending my trust fund. I'd basically decided no body was worth it. And then I met her and realized somebody was … It freaked me out loving somebody that much and I messed it all up. Then there's Chloe... once again I'd lost myself and she showed me the way back. I just thought I'd moved on you know. I was so angry at Tess and then we developed this truce and then for the first time in our relationship we were actually friends…" Oliver drifted off.

" I'm sorry Oliver. I'm not trying to interfere or… I don't know…I just don't want to see any of you get hurt." Clark said as he placed a comforting hand on his friends shoulder. "Not you, not Chloe and definitely not Tess."

"Sometimes that's inevitable Clark... Sometimes it just is what it is…" Oliver said as he headed back down to Tess' room and his wife.

As she crawled out of the laundry vent Lois couldn't believe what had just happened. She'd told Clark she'd let him handle it and she meant it. But the lure of the story was just too strong.

She'd decided to do a little recon on Lex's penthouse but who knew she'd get trapped there and witness him wrecking stuff. She knew she was right. He wasn't pretending. He didn't know who she was or anyone else for that matter. It was there in his eyes... the barely concealed panic. Men like Lex didn't like being out of control.

"The least you could do is tell me what exactly you were doing there. And I just helped you get out of Laney…" He said.

Lois stopped dusting herself off and looked up slowly towards the voice. First seeing long legs in dark trousers a narrow waist with broad shoulders finally up to his dark eyes twinkling with amusement as he offered her a hand up from her crouching position.

"Must you call me that? And this is so not the place to have this conversation." She said in between clenched teeth.

The handsome dark haired man smiled his perfect smile at her. "Hey I'm not the one that was spying in Lex Luthor's penthouse and who nearly got caught if I hadn't made such an elaborate distraction."

He was right. She hated it when other people were right.

She was right under his desk and he was headed straight for it after slamming the door behind him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Luthor but your 2 o'clock is here."

"Send them away... Reschedule for another day. I don't care just get rid of them." Lex said. It was clear to her he was exasperated with the secretary.

"Luthor, if you think you can just blow me off yet again..." a new voice walked in to Lex's private study.

Lois recognized the voice. It'd been some time but she'd recognize it anywhere.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Luthor... The gentleman insisted and…"

"Just go! Look its not a very good time as you can see… I'll be happy to pick this up, say tomorrow?" Lex said.

Lois could just see the wheels in Lex's head spinning trying to find a way to know who the man was. That's when she caught the man's eye. She knew he'd help if only to tease her merciless about it later. He suddenly coughed trying to cover up amused laughter.

"Well Luthor, I suppose I can afford to be patient. Why don't you walk me out to the elevator and we'll discuss the when and where?"

"Fine..." Lex said as they walked out of the study.

Lois took the opportunity to shimmy her way back into the air vent and made her way out of the penthouse.

"Wait did you just say elaborate distraction? You knew I was there all along didn't you?" Lois said on a huff.

He helped her up with a smug grin. "Oh come on Laney, you didn't think I'd walk into Lex Luthor's office with out sweeping the place first did you?"

"Well its nice to know your sense of paranoia is still intact." Lois said as she smiled back at her old friend.

"Ah, and finally I get a smile." The dark haired man said smiling back at her.

"Don't get too excited now…" Lois said flashing him her engagement ring.

He raised his eyebrows in amusement. "So the rumors are true… I can't wait to meet the poor bastard who decided he could take you on. But first... how about you clue me in."

She scowled at him. "How about you tell me what your doing in Metropolis and meeting with Lex Luthor... I didn't know you two were friends…" Lois said as they made their way out of the back of the building into the alley.

"We're not exactly... Friends." he smirked at her.

Lois rolled her eyes at him.

"But, I did spend a semester at Excelsior which is where I first met the bald wonder as you like to call him." he shrugged. "And stop changing the subject, Lois. You could've gotten seriously hurt. I have it on good authority that Luthor isn't to be trifled with." He said all humor gone from his visage.

"That's exactly the subject. See Luthor over there." Lois said pointing back at the building down the block. "Just stabbed his own sister, who happens to be a friend of mine – one of my bridesmaids to be exact – and there's no evidence to be found."

"Of course there isn't. Men like Luthor don't leave evidence. You should know that." He said as they stopped at the crosswalk.

"I know that but that doesn't mean I'm going to just sit back twiddling my thumbs in the mean time." Lois was starting to get agitated.

"And the idea of leaving it to the police to figure out never crossed your mind...?"

"Oh please… pot meet kettle... I'd think of all people you'd be the last one to lecture me on taking things into my own hands." She said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"You're not me! And this isn't just some petty criminal or that guy I had to save you from in Bangkok, Lois this guy's dangerous. I think you should just let me handle it."

"What! Oh please… I'm hardly a fragile…. And I didn't need you that one time to save me..."

He held up his hand to her as he took out his cell to read over the text message he'd just received.

NEW INTEL... RETURN TO THE CAVE ASAP… AP

"Look I have to go but don't think this conversation is over." He turned around to leave but stopped to spin back toward her and kissed her quickly on the mouth. "There's never a dull moment with you, is there Laney?" He winked and hurried off.

"Did he just… urghhh… " She swiped her mouth as she headed back toward the Daily Planet. She needed a lead on what happened to Lex and she wasn't going to find it on the sidewalk.

He flew through the night sky circling the hospital he watched Oliver walk into Tess' room. He felt bad for his friends. But he couldn't make this decision for Oliver. Oliver had to figure things out on his own. He was tired of interfering with other people's personal lives. He learned his lesson. People had to make their own decisions, their own mistakes. He spun around flying towards Lex's penthouse and found him typing furiously on his laptop. He was clearly looking for something. He debated confronting him but if Lois was right, and he believed she was, what possible reason could Superman have for talking to Lex Luthor. He continued flying while keeping an eye on the city. He smiled finding that familiar heartbeat in the crowds. It led him home.

She was on the roof of the Daily Planet waiting for him. She smiled at him as he descended into her waiting arms.

"It's been a long couple of days, huh Smallville?" Lois asked tracing the \S/ on his chest.

He sighed." As long as they all end like this we'll be fine."

She smiled as the sun set behind him giving the city of Metropolis a soft glow.

- End of Chapter 1-