Chapter 19
Integrity
Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Smallville
The headline in the newspaper jutted out against the stark white of the Daily Planet paper. In bold font it proclaimed its title, reminding Martha of exactly what had happened in recent months. 'Widow to take Senate Seat; Martha Kent Assumes her Husband's Position' Martha sighed, putting the paper down on the kitchen bench. It was only just under two months since they'd buried him and it still seemed too soon to be trying to move on. But she needed to, and Martha felt honour bound to follow through now that she'd accepted.
She took a seat at the table, gently gathering all the papers she'd been reviewing together and sliding them into her bag. She had a meeting that she needed to get to, and Lionel had kindly extended the offer to take her there. Martha was still unsure of what to make of the man's advances. He had been surprisingly kind and supportive through this whole time, giving her a touchstone to help ground herself against. She was glad he was here for her, but sometimes he'd push the envelope a little too far and made things difficult. She didn't know what to think.
There was a faint knock against the front door. Martha confusedly looked up at the kitchen Clock. There was still an hour before Lionel was going to pick her up for the conference in Topeka, and Clark had blurred out that morning saying that he was going to Metropolis with Lana.
"Danny, is that you?" Martha called out, but when there was no response she stood up from the table and went to the front door to find out what was going on. She pushed open the door, but saw no one outside. She was about to pass it off as the wind when she looked down. There was a large yellow envelope sitting on the porch. A sticker in heavyset font reading 'MARTHA KENT' was stuck on the top. Frowning she picked it up. It was heavy and bulky, whatever was in there was atypical to anything she'd ever received.
Slightly worried she returned to the kitchen, ripping the envelope open as she set it down. She pulled out a small portable DVD player, it was silver and plain. Martha was confused, who would be sending her something like that? Trying to stomp down the anxiety building in her chest she opened it, and it automatically loaded a disk. Martha's eyes widened as she watched. It was short, barely ten seconds of footage, but played in slow motion it was damning. There was no way she wanted this ever to get out.
Mortified she set the DVD player down, eyeing it as if it were a snake, coiled and ready to strike. Who could have sent that? What did they want? If they ever decided to take that video to the media... Martha shivered at the terrifying images her mind conjured up. Men in long white lab suits dragging him away, glimmers of green and silver as they tested their weapons. Bright blue eyes dimming as a scalpel carved a Y shaped incision across his chest. And experiments; endless, debilitating, dehumanising experiments.
Martha jumped as the phone rang, a sharp noise blaring against the silence of the otherwise empty house. Fearfully she picked it up. "Hello?" She whispered
"Good day Martha." A gravelly voice replied through the phone. It was unnatural, sounding as if it had gone through some voice modulator.
"Who are you?" She demanded, trying to gain some control of the situation.
"Who I am doesn't matter" The mechanised voice replied.
"How did...?" But Martha was cut off.
"If you want that little video to... go away, you will bring us $500,000. Cash. Understand?" The cold voice demanded.
"No, I understand, but I don't think I can raise that much." Martha shakily replied.
"Try hard. You will come to the alleyway behind the Sixth Street Warehouse. Midnight. Tonight. Alone." The cold voice instructed and Martha shivered, barely managing to squash down her fear so she didn't sound terrified.
"Alright. I'll be there." She replied steadily. Listening to the sharp dial tone as the man on the other end of the phone hung up. Shakily she set the phone down, looking fearfully at the DVD player and what it symbolised.
There was a knock on the door, Martha quickly spun around, half expecting to see a dark figure wearing a black balaclava in the doorframe. But it was only Lionel Luthor, standing proudly in a pool of sunlight behind the screen door. Martha's heart slowed as the fear left her system, she needed to calm down and take control. "Life only asks of you what it thinks you can handle" Martha thought to herself, remembering her father's face as he told her that.
"Lionel." She said, steadying her breathing. She carefully positioned herself so her back concealed the condemning DVD player.
"I'm not too early am I?" Lionel asked lightly. "Didn't we say 11.30?" Martha shook her head. With what had just happened, she almost forgot.
"Oh, right. The conference in Topeka." Martha said, walking over to the screen and pushed it open, inviting the gentleman inside. As subtly as possible she put the DVD player back in its envelope and lay a few papers over it. Hopefully Lionel wouldn't notice it.
Martha heard Lionel walking towards her as he lightly said "You'll save a full day if you take the helicopter, senator. But if you think it could be a... a conflict of interest to accept help from LuthorCorp..."
"No, no, no" She reassured, trying to draw attention away from her own unease. "It's just that... something's come up and I'm going to have to reschedule." Martha watched as Lionel's gaze drifted away from her, landing on the table. Martha only hoped that he wouldn't notice.
"What is it, Martha?" He asked gently. "Is everything alright?" It didn't really sound like he'd noticed, just that he was concerned about her missing the conference.
"Nothing I can't handle." Martha replied firmly, sending him a small reassuring half-smile, which felt completely false to her.
Lionel took a step forward, smiling protectively. "Oh, I don't doubt that for a minute." He frowned for a moment before seeming to come to a decision and heading towards the door. He turned around to face her as he stood in the sunlit doorway, looking like a modern day knight as he stood in the sunlight. "If you need a ride in the future, or anything, anything at all, please don't hesitate." He offered, kindly. "Please, call me."
"I will. Thank you." Martha found herself replying with a shaky nod. With that he was gone, out the doorway and leaving Martha alone with her worries. This video... she didn't know how to fix the problem, how to protect him and make sure he stayed safe. She hesitatingly picked up the yellow envelope, looking up to the ceiling and silently begging for Jonathan's advice. He'd know what to do and she needed him desperately. Martha went up the stairs to her bedroom, she needed to figure this out and fast.
Line Break
Phantom smiled as he flew through the vibrant green sky of the Zone. After meeting Victor he'd decided to spend some time with his friends in the Zone. At the top of the list were Dora, Ghostwriter and Frostbite, but Ember had managed to make her way onto the shortlist. Over the past few weeks since finding out about red kryptonite he'd been spending quite a bit of time with the punk diva, and he'd found out that once you got past the whole 'I'm gonna take over the human realm by using music to turn people into mindless drones' thing, she was actually quite nice.
Dora had been happy to see him, and had thrown a huge feast for lunch when he got there. It always surprised him how much ghost food he could actually eat, the same as a normal human his age, whereas in the Real World he had trouble eating more than a third the recommended amount. After lunch Dora made him do a practice bout with Garth, and had clapped loudly when Phantom was able to disarm his opponent within a minute of the fight beginning. It was a pleasant visit, and one that was long since overdue. While ghosts may not notice time passing so much, Phantom had and it was startling how much had changed over the nine months since he'd last seen his liege.
While he was at Frostbite's he'd been given a full tour, something he'd missed out on when he visited all those months ago. He'd been embarrassed to see the elaborate shrine, dedicated to him and the battle where he defeated Pariah Dark. Then Frostbite had shown Phantom the Map of Infinite Realms, or 'Infi-Map' for short.
Seeing that was amazing, the Zone was enormous and there were so many different ghosts to be found. The map not only showed you where to find something, but it could actually take you there too. More than that, like many ghostly artefacts Frostbite explained that it had a mind of its own, and could take someone not only where they wanted to go, but where it deemed they needed to be. It could even find portals between the two realms, showing not only where, but also when the portal would open. The power of such an artefact was phenomenal, and Frostbite had kindly offered that Phantom could use it whenever he liked.
Phantom shook his head, a small smile on his face as he skirted around Skulker's Island. He still wasn't happy with the hunter ghost since his attack when he was trying to take care of Victor. Skulker had blasted him from behind, sneaking around his ghost sense while Phantom was focusing on keeping the ectoplasmic bridge in Victor's arm intact. Fortunately Skulker hadn't taken any heed of Victor, instead deciding to play a long game of tag with Phantom. When Skulker was finally in the thermos Phantom had had to take care of a couple of ghost wolves that had somehow wandered into the city and were terrorising a couple of backpackers outside their hotel.
It had taken Phantom a good half hour to find Victor again, relying on the almost useless hot and cold system of his obsession, following the pull to the greatest urge of protect. In the end it was Clark who had burst Victor out, but Phantom had been able to at least help them escape cleanly. Although he had learned that it was not fun trying to teleport with a Kryptonian on board. Clark was so much higher density than anything he was used to, and trying to pull him along while his duplicate raided the lab for information had left him with a splitting headache.
Phantom shook his head, he didn't want to be thinking of Skulker at the moment, and instead angled himself towards Ember's door. He knocked politely and was greeted by a smiling Ember who invited him in.
"Hey Ember" Phantom said as she led him through the backstage hallways of her lair.
"Hey Phantom." Ember replied, giving him a small smile. It still felt strange for the diva to smile at him like that, but it was a sweet one all the same. "How're things on the flip side?" she asked curiously as she plonked into her red sofa.
"Not too bad." Phantom answered with a shrug. "Between school and Clark's friends I've got my hands full." Ember shook her head.
"I don't know why you bother with school." She said dismissively. "It's not like you'll ever use it." Phantom rolled his eyes at her.
"Still human, it's the law." Phantom answered dismissively, knowing that Ember just wouldn't get it. It was often like this between them. She'd make a comment about some of the flaws of the human world, he'd put up a token argument, and then they'd spend the next fifteen minutes talking about why it was stupid for humans to think that way in the first place. Danny had only ever conceded to her twice, and he was not going to remind himself of what that was about.
That part of Ember was a lot like Sam; the anti-establishment, overtly vocal, and outrageously rebellious side of her. But Ember was just so not Sam in so many other ways. Ember was a lot more sadistic than Sam had ever been, and didn't really care if someone got hurt so long as they got out of her way. Sure, Sam used to threaten, and a swift kick from her combat boots hurt, but she was a lot more subtle about it. Then again, unless you accidentally trod on her toes Ember was actually quite nice. Phantom's brow creased as he realised that somewhere in this he'd come to consider the blue haired ghost a friend.
Phantom ended up spending a couple of hours with her, just chatting. She was still a bit broken up after her relationship with Skulker. Apparently the two had tried dating for a while, by the sounds of it since just after the time Ember had tried to take over Amity Park with Youngblood. But they hadn't been right for each other, Skulker apparently obsessed over hunting too much, always choosing the hunt over a date with Ember. And Ember had admitted that the mechanical ghost didn't inspire her musician's heart. Phantom didn't make much comment other than to say when she was ready she'd find her guy. Ember had smiled at that.
It was nearing dusk by the time Phantom returned to the Real World, but he had one last person he needed to visit. Phantom slipped back into his human form as he walked up the storm cellar stairs. He tended to open his portals down there since it was almost certain that no one would be in the storm cellar. In some ways it was a lot easier keeping his secret on the Farm. There were more places he could hide and fewer people around to take notice, but Clark often had Lana, or Chloe over in the loft, and Lois was a regular visitor too.
Danny came out the door, his head shaking. He looked up, taking note of the golden clouds in the reddening sky as the sun sank towards the horizon. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect, Lex's personality was devilishly close to Vlad's and he'd already proven that he knew no bounds when it came to his goals. But something about Lex pulled at Danny's core. The rejection and loss that Lex had felt, the cruel resentment that had been shown to him all his life, and then the apparent betrayal of Clark, it was all too familiar. Having faced his own dark side, Danny could understand the temptation of that path. It would be so easy to just give in and turn his back on the light.
Yet there was still hope for Lex. And that is what inspired Danny. He was still trying to make the world a better place; his ultimate goals were for the betterment of humanity. If he just had someone to guide him, to be his moral compass, then Lex had the potential to do great things for humanity. The only problem was that he was easily manipulated by an artful word, and of course he was obsessed with understanding the whole world scientifically. What he had almost done to Arthur Curry was deplorable, what he had done to Victor Stone was worse. But Danny honestly believed that if he kept pressing he could help protect Lex from becoming a monster, protect Lex from himself.
Without another thought he headed off towards the Luthor Mansion.
Line Break
Clark smiled as he touched the slightly worn fabric of his old football jersey. The soft fabric brought back memories of games, the cheering of a crowd as the ball flew through the air, the gentle encouragement of the commentators, pressing him forward, and the way everything else, all his worries, all the pressures in his just vanished and all that mattered was the calm serenity of the game.
"I haven't seen that in a while." Clark looked up to meet Lana's soft brown eyes. He set the jersey down, turning to smile at the brunette.
"I guess Victor kind of reminded me of the glory days." Clark replied, a happy smile passing his lips.
"Why'd you quit anyway?" Lana inquired, fumbling over the words as she tried to clarify her question. "You were... you always seemed so at peace on that field. Like everything that weighed you down just evaporated."
The smile vanished. He had loved playing, but the pressure to use his powers, to make himself the best player on the field was too much. At school the cost of losing a game was so much less than at the university, sure he'd been offered a whole bunch of scholarships, but the cost of risking corrupting values instilled into him by his father was too much. But he couldn't tell Lana that.
"It's just a game." Clark shrugged. Stomping down his true feelings, how could he possibly explain that he'd given up because he knew the temptation to cheat using his powers would become too great?
Lana looked disappointedly at him, her brown eyes wavering sadly. "Clark why do you do that?" She implored.
"Do what?" Clark asked evasively, suspecting what she meant.
"Hide what you're really feeling." Lana supplied. She shrugged, regret crossing into her eyes. "Seeing Victor and Katherine together, how in love they are, it kind of reminded me of our glory days." She paused; her sad brown orbs piercing Clark's eyes, making his insides squirm with guilt for the pain he was causing her. "And you know how much I love you, Clark. But we just seem to keep going around and around. We can't move forward."
"I know." Clark stated blandly. This was so hard, knowing that he was hurting her, but telling her the truth would hurt her more. It was a catch 22 and he hated every minute of the guilt he gave him.
"Just tell me the truth Clark. Do you still love me?" Lana demanded, and Clark felt his heart shattering. If there was one thing he was sure of it was that. Every minute of every day he loved her, and he wished she could know how much he cared, but his secret... he couldn't risk losing her for his secret. He knew she'd accept him, but nobody else would let her rest if she knew.
"I've always loved you." Clark replied heavily, meaning every word. "And I always will. No matter what happens." He watched Lana's eyes fill with pain, regret, disappointment and even rejection. He tried to ignore the way her eyes glittered, tears lacing around the edges of her eyes as she left him alone, staring at the old jersey.
He wished things were still that simple still; that somehow he could go back to how things were in school. Back when it was just finding out who the meteor freak was and making sure they didn't hurt anyone. Back when it didn't matter that he was keeping such a big secret from Lana because she didn't even notice. But it seemed that ever since Danny moved in, no, since the second meteor shower everything had become so much more complicated. Ruefully Clark folded the jersey away, storing it safely away in its trunk once more.
'Cough'
Clark jumped at the slight sound over his shoulder. He had been so immersed in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice the man standing behind him. Clark hastily stood, taking a moment to place the neat grey suit and silvery pony-tail of the gentleman who had appeared in the barn loft. The memory came to him, this was the man who had come to visit Danny on Christmas Eve, he had taken the younger boy off and had somehow managed to break Danny's arm while the two were together. Danny had said that he'd tripped and landed badly when Clark had asked, but Clark wasn't sure how much he believed Danny on that.
"Vlad Masters?" Clark said cautiously, carefully surveying the man. He was rewarded with a disarming smile and a light twinkling in Vlad's eyes.
"Clark Kent I presume." Vlad replied, offering Clark a hand. Clark reluctantly shook it, still curious as to while the man was here. From what he knew, Masters was a Wisconsin based billionaire, with wealth rivalling that of the Luthors. He obviously had some interest in the Fentons; after all he'd purposefully come out to visit Danny for Christmas, he'd offered to take Danny in instead of going to the Kents, but for Danny's refusal. And then there was the fact that the billionaire had fully paid for Danny's stay in hospital after the meteor shower.
Clark's mind screeched to a halt. If Masters had personally paid for Danny's hospital stay, he had to know Danny's secret. There was no way that Danny would have been able to hide his blood-work while he was lying unconscious in a hospital bed. So Vlad had obviously paid the Doctors off to protect Danny's secret. The question was why did Danny refuse to be around a man who had obviously gone so far out of his way to look after him? Was it just that he didn't want to trust the billionaire with his secret? Or was there more to the relationship?
"Pleasure to meet you properly, my dear boy." Masters said, his blue-grey eyes firmly meeting Clark's.
"Thanks, Mr Masters, um, may I ask what brings you here?" Clark asked. He wasn't sure what to make of the billionaire as he loosed another bright grin, lightly moving his hands behind his back. He looked confident and self assured, as if he ran the world. But his grin was not as intimidating as Lex's had become, so Clark actually found himself inclined to give this man limited trust. After all, there was no way he could be as predatorily twisted as Lex was.
"Well, my dear boy I was actually looking for the erstwhile young Daniel." Masters calmly replied. "He may have told you that I took care of him after that unfortunate incident in Amity Park, and I am keen to check on his well being. He always was such a fragile soul." Clark was unsure what to make of this. It seemed that Masters was genuinely concerned for Danny, in an almost paternal way.
"That was kind of you. Thanks for looking out for him, but he's not here just now." Clark answered slowly; he wasn't sure what to make of the man. On Christmas Eve Danny had seemed upset with the man, but Masters seemed to legitimately care for him. In fact after he had left Clark had spoken with his parents, and while his father had been wary, Masters had come off as a kind and altruistic gentleman. While he was cool and distant, the way he had looked at Danny showed both the elder Kents how deeply he cared for the young boy.
"It was no trouble, my dear boy." Masters replied quickly with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I see the Little Badger as the son I was never blessed with. Seeing him in such a condition I felt obliged to help. He is a very special boy." Masters finished with a soft smile and a gentle glitter in his eyes. Clark nodded in acknowledgement of his speech. This all but confirmed that Masters knew Danny's secret. Although Clark wasn't going to ask about it unless prompted, years of keeping his own gifts secret had taught him that.
Clark allowed himself a smile, offering a seat to the silver-haired billionaire. Masters seemed reluctant to do so, but eventually acquiesced. A confidant smile played across his lips. "So how is the Little Badger?" Masters asked "Not causing too much trouble I hope."
"He's no trouble at all." Clark freely admitted "He goes so far out of his way to help out around the farm, and he's been a big help since... since my dad passed away." Clark frowned at the last bit. It was still so recent, but it no longer hurt to say those words. Clark still desperately missed his dad, but it was getting easier to acknowledge that he was gone now that he wasn't taking his anger out on the world. He hated to imagine what would have happened if he allowed anger and hate to control him.
"Clark, I can offer few words of consolation that you've not already heard, however your family is now a big part of young Daniel's life, and if there is any way in which I can help you, please, feel free to ask." Clark's eyes creased in confusion. That was a huge offer, and an entirely unnecessary one. But it was also an offer that Lex had made years ago, long before he had abandoned any sense of morality. Clark allowed himself a smile at the offer; it seemed that some billionaires weren't so corrupted by their own wealth that they didn't care for anyone else in the world.
"Thank you Mr Masters. That's a kind offer, but my dad always believed in sticking things through, and I want to do that for him." He noticed the slight stiffening of Mr Masters, but was consoled by the charming smile he was given.
"It's charming how alike you and young Daniel are. When he and I first met he showed similar loyalty to his father, it is remarkable to see it in you." Masters said, a light smile playing on his lips.
"We have a lot in common; Chloe and Lana often say we may as well be brothers." Clark replied ruefully.
"You have become close then?" Vlad inquired.
Clark shrugged "I guess. I've only known him for seven months now, but it's kinda hard to imagine life without him around." It was weird to be saying so much, but the paternal glimmer in Masters' eyes made Clark feel that he was just looking out for Danny.
"I am glad that he found such acceptance with you. Given how unusual he is, many would not give him a chance." Masters' said, his hands neatly folded in his lap. "However, if ever he needs help, you should know that I am more than capable of taking care of his... particular needs. All you need do is ask." Clark frowned in confusion. Danny had always seemed alright with them, perhaps he had been hurt by Clark's emotional turmoil after the funeral, but he had always perked up in the end.
"What do you mean by that?" Clark asked.
"Daniel is a special boy, but he is far from subtle. By now I am sure you've noticed things about him that don't quite add up. His parents, mostly Jack, often told me how concerned they were for him, fearful that he was falling down the wrong path." Masters calmly answered, picking at his fingernails.
"I know why he's like that, and I accept it." Clark answered, watching as Masters' eyes widened. There was a flood of emotion that Clark couldn't quite follow before he settled into a confidant smile once more.
"Then we can speak candidly." Master's commented. "Young Daniel is half-ghost, this is apparently known to both of us." Clark nodded in acknowledgement, grateful that Masters had been so honest instead of circling the truth. "What you are probably not aware of are the specific needs of a half-ghost, needs which I fear he has been denying himself for too long." Cark frowned in confusion, puzzled by what Masters was suggesting.
"What needs are you talking about?" Clark asked, hopeful that the billionaire could answer some of the questions he'd had about Danny since the beginning.
"My dear boy, I would be happy to answer you, but it is a complicated subject, one which I am sure even young Daniel is still largely unfamiliar with. Much of my understanding is based more on hypothesis than on experimentation, but my hypotheses are usually accurate. However I must admit I am running short on time." He strummed his fingers against his chin for a moment before continuing. "Perhaps we could agree to meet tomorrow, I am sure I can answer many of your questions, which would in turn help young Daniel."
Clark hesitated only for a moment before eagerly accepting. It seemed that Danny knew so much about Clark, being already well versed in some of the stories of Krypton, and knowing not only what all his powers were, but also of their solar power source. Danny had been able to help Clark in so many ways because he already understood so much about Clark. It would be nice to be able to offer the same support to the younger boy.
"Then I shall look forward to meeting with you, perhaps if we meet at my hotel around one, I am currently staying in the penthouse suite in the Alexandria Hotel in Metropolis." Masters suggested.
Clark was all too keen to learn more about his cousin. After what had happened with Victor, Clark realised that he had no idea how to help Danny if something went terribly wrong, so this could probably help. "I'll be glad to."
"Oh, and one more thing, Daniel is particularly private and would shun any help offered. For the sake of his own personal integrity I believe it would be best if you refrained from informing him of out meeting, at least until afterwards." Clark was hesitant about that, but agreed, knowing that even after knowing Danny for so long he had shared very little into his biology. It seemed that despite Clark's honest interest Danny was being very private, and Clark needed to know more if he was ever going to help Danny the way Danny had helped him.
"Thank you for this opportunity, Mr Masters. I'll look forward to it." Clark said with a timid smile.
Masters broke out into a broad grin. "Please, young man, do call me Vlad. And I am all too happy to; it is in Daniel's best interest after all. I shall see you tomorrow in my suite then. Ta-ta." Vlad said, and with a cheerful grin he let himself out of the barn, disappearing quietly down the stairs.
Clark smiled, tomorrow he could look forward to learning more about his cousin, something which he had been keen to do ever since Danny had first showed him how he changed forms. He carefully eyed the trunk once more. It felt strangely symbolic, he was setting aside his old dreams, the life of the footballer, but now he had something new to pursue. The past would always stay with him, but he could try to look forward, be the man his father wanted him to be. And the first step was to learn as much about his cousin as he could.
Line Break
Martha frowned shakily as she sat on the end of her bed. It was seven in the evening and she didn't know what to do. She had managed to rally up the amount those people had demanded, but that was at the expense of putting another mortgage on the house. She felt hot tears prickling in her eyes. Everything since Jon's heart attack had been so hard. Nothing was going the way it should, and now to protect one of the boy's secrets she needed to take a second loan out on the house. She plucked a photo frame from the sideboard, holding the old family portrait in her hands, gently stroking fingers against the smiling face of her husband in the photo.
"Oh, Jonathan, what am I going to do?" She whispered to the air.
"Aunt Martha?" Martha looked up at hearing Danny's voice, blue eyes peering through the doorway and glittering with honest concern. He came into the room, taking a seat next to her on the bed and laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. It was too much; Jon had always done the same thing when she was upset. She couldn't hold it back anymore and the pressure was too great. For the first time since the funeral she allowed herself to cry.
She didn't know how long her tears lasted; only that she was starting to feel better. Danny was murmuring soft comforts to her, and a wave of warmth washed over her heart. She noticed the gentle arms wrapped around her, both protective and comforting. She blinked the last stinging tears from her eyes, pulling away from her nephew's sympathetic embrace.
"Aunt Martha." Danny said softly, gently patting her back as her sobs died down. "I know things are tough at the moment, but if we all stick together we can make it through." Martha met his bright silver eyes, eyes that proclaimed safety, but the doubts and fears in her heart paralysed her. She shook her head. She didn't want to bring anyone else into this; Clark could never forgive himself if he found out. She wanted to tell Danny, something about the way he looked at her faintly mirrored how Jon once had. Danny's silver eyes were kind and supportive, as if he would go to the ends of the Earth to keep her safe.
"I'm not sure we will." Martha whispered so softly it was more to herself. "I don't know what to do. I'm so confused."
"Ssh, Aunt Martha, it's okay." Danny comforted.
"It's just..." she trailed off, suddenly realising something. If she told Danny there would be nothing that would stop the halfa from protecting her, he'd get himself caught before he let her get into danger. And given that her boys' secrets were the very thing she needed to protect she couldn't risk him. So she decided to hide it, she could sort this out on her own. She had to. "It's so hard... without Jon here anymore. He always knew exactly what to say."
Martha watched Danny's eyes crease in sympathy, the silver blinking away into icy blue. "I know." Danny softly murmured. And Martha understood what he meant in the silence. Things were hard at the moment, Martha herself still felt the sting for the loss of her sister, and without Jon it all seemed so much worse. But Danny was right, if they all stuck together, protected each other the three of them would make it through alright.
Martha's conviction firmed. She could do this, sure she was scared and those men were making things so much more complicated. But even if it meant the second mortgage on the house it would be worth it just to keep her son and her nephew safe. She pulled out of Danny's embrace, thanking him kindly for comforting her. It was amazing how he knew to pop up when he was needed the most. He gave her a gentle smile and left downstairs to make dinner for the three of them.
As the scent cooking food permeated the upstairs air Martha's fingers found the portrait once more. Jon's shining blue eyes reminding her of what they'd promised so long ago. When they had taken Clark in they had promised to do whatever it took to protect him and keep him safe. She needed to do this, to keep not only Clark, but also Danny safe. Any price was worthwhile to make sure that her two boys were protected. Nodding to herself in self assurance she set the photo frame down. It was going to be a late night.
Line Break
Clark sighed as he stared into his coffee mug. After Vlad Masters had left he had decided to visit Lana and try to sort things out with her. They'd met at a coffee shop on campus, it was crowded and they'd barely managed to get a seat. However the conversation had not gone well. After meeting Victor, and seeing how entirely he was willing to trust Katherine she was subtly putting the pressure on for him to tell her the truth.
He wanted to tell her, his heart screamed for it. But the fact was that it wasn't safe for her to know. In that alternate timeline she had only known the truth for less than a day and had been killed for it. He couldn't take that risk. He couldn't end up losing her like that.
"I just don't understand." Lana said, her eyes creased sadly "Why do you always close yourself off." Her own coffee was sitting abandoned on the table. Her hands gently clasped together on the tabletop.
"Lana, I..." Clark began, hoping to find the words that could make it better.
"Clark, stop. We've done this before, and every time we seem to drift further apart." Lana looked into his eyes, the soft chocolate brown swirling with desperation. "All I'm asking is that you let me in. I just want you to trust me."
Clark frowned, looking away from her. Lately every conversation they had seemed to come down to this. And every time Clark felt that he was pushing her further away. She didn't deserve it, but at the same time she didn't deserve the danger from knowing the truth.
"I do trust you, with all my heart I trust you." Clark answered sincerely, but it was a dodge. And both of them knew it. Lana frowned disappointedly at him.
"Clark, I love you. I really do, and it breaks my heart to see you doing this. When I saw Katherine and Victor, it was just... they trusted each other completely. Even despite what had happened to him. And she was willing to listen." Lana tentatively reached out to Clark's hand, her soft fingers clasping around Clark's. "Whatever it is that you keep hiding, I want to know. I want to listen."
Clark felt his heart shattering once more; it would be so easy to just tell her. And he knew, knew from the bottom of his heart that he could trust her with his secret. But it wasn't worth the risk. He couldn't lose her, not again. Sadly he pulled his hand away, not meeting her eyes.
"Lana, I love you, but there are some things about me... I wish I could tell you, I honestly do. But..." Clark struggled, fumbling with the words.
Lana looked at him, her eyes betraying her hurt, her confusion and most importantly her disappointment. For the second time in as many days Clark watched her bottom lip firm up, and she left the coffee shop with her shoulders set in grim determination. Clark only wished there was some way to get through this without hurting her more than he already had. He groaned, looking into the depths of his cold coffee cup. All he could do was hurt her, and he was tired of it.
Clark left the coffee shop not long after, stepping up into the cold cabin of the truck. Over the course of the long drive back home he found himself musing over all the questions he could ask Vlad tomorrow. Anything was better than digging into the pain in his heart. In a funny sort of way he was excited for it, Danny had been living with them for nearly eight months now and yet there was still so much Clark didn't know.
It was strange that Danny seemed to know so much about Krypton and Clark's own powers. He kept meaning to ask Danny about it, but whenever Danny was around it always somehow slipped his mind. Danny had let some things slip; like that he had a guardian/mentor figure in the Ghost Zone that insisted on teaching him all about ghost history and culture. However Clark knew little more about this guardian than that he was a powerful ghost. But Clark was keen to know more, not just about Danny, but about ghosts in general.
By the time he got back to the farm it was late, although the house was completely empty. Clark warmed himself up some of the leftovers for dinner, but didn't pay much attention to the meal. He headed upstairs soon after, mulling over what was the most important things to ask Vlad. It was a phenomenal offer, and Clark was keen to use it. It wasn't often that a billionaire made an offer like that with no strings attached, and it seemed that Vlad was doing this simply because he wanted to do the right thing by Danny. Clark settled into a dreamless sleep, the encroaching darkness providing a relief from Clark's other concerns.
It was late morning by the time he woke up, eyes fluttering against the dismal grey that had set in overnight. He could hear his mom downstairs, probably working on some budget for the senate or something. Looking at the clock Clark realised that Danny was certainly at school by now, and while it would only be a few hours before Clark could look forward to getting some real answers about ghosts he had wanted to talk quickly with Danny before he left. Clark got out of bed, heading downstairs and making himself a piece of toast.
Heading out to the barn he realised that three quarters of the day's farm chores had already been finished, the missing hay bales in the loft told Clark that the cows had been attended to and a trip to the woodpile showed that it was already restocked. Apparently Danny hadn't been able to sleep well last night; Clark decided to add that to the long list of questions he had for Vlad.
Resolving to pick up some more hay bales when he stopped at the supply store on the way home, Clark jumped in the truck and headed out to Metropolis. The hour drive was quiet and calming. While there was a lot troubling him at the moment, the prospect of finding some answers was encouraging. Eventually the cornfields gave way to the urbanised landscape of the city. He pulled the truck into a free parking garage and set about walking to the Alexandria hotel.
After a two minute discussion he made his way up to the penthouse suite. It took up the whole top floor, the elevator opening up directly into a large foyer area. The butler standing outside the room asked for Clark's name before turning around to announce his entrance. Hesitatingly he stepped in.
Line Break
Martha pulled her car up outside the warehouse. It was minutes before midnight, and the briefcase on the seat next to her was burning a metaphorical hole in the upholstery. Steeling herself she picked it up, stepping out of her car and pulling her coat tightly around her. Her breath came out in short puffs of mist as she walked into the darkness, her arms wrapped tightly around the briefcase.
"Did you bring the money?" Martha jumped as a man stepped out of the darkness behind her. He was wearing a dark denim jacket and a black balaclava. It was impossible for her to tell anything about him other than he was tall and had more muscle mass than her son.
"Yes." She answered timidly, before stomping down on her fear and acting much less afraid than she really was. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?" She demanded, but closed her eyes in the bright light as an additional car pulled up. It was black, and the logo on the front identified it as a Renault. Martha spun around to find the blackmailer vanished. She watched warily as a dark shoe lowered itself from the driver's seat.
"Lionel?" Martha demanded incredulous as she observed the driver who had chased off the man. "What are you doing here?"
Lionel raised an eyebrow. "Well I could ask you that same question."
Martha shook her head; Clark's secret was still in jeopardy. "You have no idea what you just did." Martha replied, trying to quell the mounting fear in her stomach.
"I got worried, Martha." Lionel supplied. "I saw that package at your house this morning. I know you don't want to accept help from me, but I can't just sit back and let you walk into trouble alone."
"You don't understand." Martha shot back.
"Yes I do." Lionel calmly replied, his dark eyes filled with a note of understanding she'd not seen since Jon's passing. "I recognise the signs. You're a senator. You've got a high profile. You're in the public eye. Blackmail comes with the territory."
Gathering herself and trying to sound as professional as she could Martha asked "So, what does one do in this position?"
Lionel's reply was simple. "You can't give into blackmail, it never ends."
Martha sighed, knowing that there was so much more on the line than simple blackmail. "You don't understand. There's a lot at stake."
"There always is." Lionel answered calmly. "Let me help you."
"No, Lionel. I can handle it." Martha replied. It was necessary if she wanted to stand any chance of keeping Clark safe.
Lionel started to sound flustered and unsure of himself. "Yes, you're a very capable woman, but this is something quite beyond your experience." Lionel managed to calm himself, taking a deep breath. "What came to you in that package is of no interest to me. My only interest is your well-being. Let me take care of this for you. Please." The beseeching look in his eye and Martha's own desperation left her wilt little choice.
Timidly she nodded, noting the large smile that brightened in his eyes. He was gone barely a minute later, saying that he would make sure it all worked out. Martha stood frozen in the night, steam billowing around her in the night air as she bewilderedly watched his car disappear; the briefcase clung still tightly to her chest. It was five minuted before her heartbeat slowed enough for her to move. She returned to the car, staring blankly at the steering wheel unsure of what had just happened.
In the cold night air she began the long drive home, mulling over everything. Lionel Luthor had come to her rescue, kept her safe from the blackmailers. He had promised to take care of them, meaning that she didn't need to take the second mortgage on the house. But the most important thing was the fact that he didn't care at all what was in the video, all he wanted was to make sure that she was safe. Martha smiled at that idea. It was a wonderful feeling to believe that there was someone out there who had her back. Lionel could protect her I ways that neither Clark nor Danny could. If she just let herself trust him then he could be a reliable ally, a friend.
Martha smiled as she pulled up to the house, while her stomach still writhed in worry over the blackmailer she felt that she could put her trust in Lionel. She had to. Quietly she made her way through the house, noting the gentle breathing of her sleeping son in his room. She smiled at the thought that his secret was safe. It felt wonderful to believe that there was another man out there who would look out for her son, even if he did not know the whole truth. With a faint smile on her lips she settled in to bed for the night.
Line Break
Clark's eyes widened as he took in the palatial expanse of the penthouse suite at the Alexandria. The room he was in was the living room, and it alone could engulf the entire bottom level of his house. The decor was a soft gold, accentuated with a pale green. In the centre of the room was an elegant lounge suite, the pale gold sofa seemed to glow in the sunlight that poured through the large windows on the far side of the room. A green and gold rug sat beneath an elegant oak coffee table, fully set up for a high tea. The room felt opulent, far more so than anything in the Luthor Mansion with the way the pale colours contrasted with the vibrancy of the rich tapestries that hung from the walls.
However Clark's attention was quickly pulled from the elaborate decor to the silver haired man who stood in front of the large windows. Shoulders back with his hands confidently resting behind his back he overlooked the city. His silhouette was one of a powerful and dominant man, and Clark felt lucky that Vlad had taken the time to invite him over. His stance bespoke quiet dignity, and he looked much more in his element here than he had in the barn loft the previous day. Unsure of how to proceed, Clark coughed lightly to grab his attention.
The silver-haired billionaire turned to face Clark, breaking into a broad grin as their eyes met. "Clark, my boy. I'm delighted you came." Clark smiled, taken aback as he thanked the man for inviting him. He allowed himself to be guided over to the lounge suite, taking the proffered chair. Vlad poured the tow of them a cup of tea, settling back into his own seat.
"Now," Vlad commented after a few minutes "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but first I must inquire as to how you found out about young Daniel's particular... talents."
Clark shrugged, it wasn't as if Vlad would do anything bad with the information, and as long as Clark didn't expose his own secret then all that could come of this was good for Danny. "It was the second day Danny was here." Clark answered. "I was taking Danny on a tour of Smallville when the hunter ghost, Skulker attacked."
"Ah Skulker," Vlad interjected with a reminisce smile. "Predictable as ever I see. Please, continue."
Clark shrugged "He picked Danny up and threw him down into the ground hard enough to leave a crater. It should have hurt, but Danny just brushed it off. Then Skulker tossed him off into the cornfields. Next time I saw him there was barely a scratch on him." Clark frowned, unsure as to whether he should talk about Lex, but decided not to.
"By the time we got home even the big gash on his arm was gone, so he explained everything." Clark finished with a slight shrug.
"Fascinating." Vlad said with a small smile playing on his lips. "The Little Badger never ceases to amaze me. He must have felt he could trust you unquestioningly to have revealed such a deeply kept and dangerous secret. Even his parents never knew."
"I guess he could trust me to keep him safe, I think he wanted someone to talk to." Clark answered slowly.
"Indeed." Vlad replied with a smile. "And I am glad he did. It is a good thing he has someone close to him that knows, I fear it is incredibly isolating to be so burdened with gifts like his. But no matter. Now that my own curiosity is assuaged I am sure you have your own questions to ask."
Clark nodded, his mind whirling from the many questions he'd wanted to ask Danny but hadn't had the courage. Some things would probably be private, but since Danny knew so much about Kryptonians Clark wanted to know about ghosts. After all it was Danny who had told him that his molecules were so much more densely packed than anything on Earth. Knowing that he decided to start at the very basics.
"What exactly are ghosts?" Clark asked.
Vlad looked curiously at him before answering. "An excellent place to start, although I am sure young Daniel has offered his own explanation. In essence a ghost is an idea or specific thought pattern that manifests itself in the physical plane. This thought pattern is generally referred to as its obsession, without which the ghost would cease to exist. While some ghosts are capable of experiencing deeper and more complex thought, almost everything the ghost does will in some way relate back to this central idea.
"Here is where things become more complicated. Suppose analogously we were to examine the human brain. The thought patterns are carried along a complex web of neurotransmitters and neurological connections. This is a highly complex network of electrical signals which constitute human brain patterns.
"A ghost, however, has no 'brain' so to speak; these connections are instead made through the ectoplasm from which the ghost is made. Instead of neurotransmitters the electrical signals are transmitted through their 'bodily' ectoplasm and this generates their thought patterns. Ghosts themselves have no internal organs; all they are made from is simply different states of ectoplasm."
Vlad paused for a minute allowing Clark to catch up. Danny had mentioned something like this back when he explained that he was a halfa. He said that one of the things that made him so different was the fact that he had organs and bones, things like the human anatomy. However he was still confused.
"What is ectoplasm?" Clark asked.
"Ectoplasm itself is a difficult concept to understand." Vlad supplied calmly taking another sip of tea. "It is a substance entire unlike anything that naturally occurs on Earth; however it operates on a similar principal to the electromagnetic spectrum. As you are probably aware 'waves' on the Electromagnetic spectrum possess a dual nature in as much as they act both as a wave and as a particle, in other words they appear to have both energetic and physical presence. Ectoplasm posses this dual nature, however has different origins to the EM spectrum.
"Daniel has probably referred to ectoplasm as a semi-solid form of energy, and this is a fairly apt description given the sheer complexity of the substance. This is the simplest way to appreciate ectoplasm and has served the purposes of most scientific inquiry." Clark nodded, that made sense to a certain degree.
"So how does that work with ghost powers?" Clark pressed.
Vlad smiled at him. "Ectoplasm effectively mimics the EM spectrum; by manipulating the energy 'frequency' the ghost is able to shift in and out of visibility, move through solid objects, as well as utilising many of their other powers. However this is as far as the EM spectrum analogy can go. Some of the abilities, such as Daniel's ability to project a beam of ectoplasmic energy come from a different source, seemingly driven by the sheer force of will."
"Okay," Clark accepted. He was glad he had such a good memory otherwise he knew he'd forget most of what he was learning. "What about a ghost's core?" Clark inquired.
Vlad raised an eyebrow. "I see young Daniel has been more thorough in teaching you than I had expected. The concept of a ghost's core is not common knowledge, mostly because the ghosts do not want it to become widely known. I believe that it is a mere untested hypothesis in the wider scientific community. That is as far as officiated science acknowledges.
"However, from what I understand, ghosts draw not only their physical and will powers from their core, but it is also an integral part of their biology. No true ghost can survive without its core, and sufficient damage to the core would theoretically 'kill' the ghost, if that is the correct term to use. While I'll admit I do have more access to paranormal research than many of my peers it is still a new science and there is still much to be learned. There is also the fact that many of the ghosts that can be captured for study destabilise and dissolve before an intense exploration of their 'anatomy' can be conducted."
Clark gulped, this was too close to his own fears, but it was answering some of his questions. When Clark had been in the Far Frozen he'd gotten a brief overview on cores, this reconfirmed what he knew and also added a bit more depth. It was interesting to be learning this much about ghosts, but he was unsure of how this worked for his cousin.
"What does that mean for Danny?" Clark asked curiously.
Vlad sighed deeply. "I am not completely sure, and I am reluctant to perform the experiment. To my understanding a half-ghost may never develop a core as a stable source of power. However, I believe that while he is resistant to it, a high enough energy blast or deep puncture to his chest area could cause substantial, if not fatal damage. He has extraordinary healing capabilities and I suspect that the voltage required to harm his ghost form permanently would be more than enough to power a small country. But he, like anyone can be killed." Vlad finished with a deep frown and Clark shifted uncomfortably at the dark direction that the conversation had taken.
Clark shook his head, trying to clear things in his mind. "Okay, I get that, sort of. I mean he sort of explained once why human weapons don't hurt him as much as ghost weapons. It was something along the lines of the residual ectoplasmic trace interfering with his regenerative capabilities. Or something like that. But if he does get seriously hurt, how do I help him. He once came home with a three inch hole in his stomach, and all we could do was bandage it up."
Vlad gave a long suffering sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "Young Daniel always does manage to find himself in the most precarious of situations, it hardly surprises me. As to how to help him, over the weeks he was in the hospital the doctors and I found there was very little we could do to help him recover. Putting trace amounts of ectoplasm into his IV had the most positive effects, but I hardly imagine you have a steady access to raw ectoplasm.
"Most human made drugs have very little effect on him, he was on a technically lethal morphine drip for over a week and it did nothing to ease his pain." Vlad sighed, his grey-blue eyes clouded and heavy. "It would seem that the only way for you to help him is to bandage him up and let his body recover on its own."
Clark looked up to meet the eyes of the billionaire sadly. That wasn't what he'd wanted to hear, but at the same time it wasn't unexpected. All of the few times he himself had been physically wounded he had just had to wait it out.
"Having said that, you have likely noticed that Daniel holds a particular fondness for hot chocolate, or chocolate in general?" At Clark's quick nod Vlad continued. "I believe that for him this is one way to 'feed' his ghost half. The release of additional endorphins mimics the way true ghosts 'feed' off the emotions of humans. This is pure speculation; however I believe that this boosts the systems of his ghost half, although I am unsure if the presence of phenylethylamine affects him as well. It could replicate the effects of satisfying a 'ghostly obsession' so to speak."
Clark frowned, but accepted the truth of that. He had noticed Danny's sweet tooth, when they went to the Talon he only ever got hot chocolate, and if he made dessert it was almost always chocolate based. Funny that he hadn't realised that until it was pointed out. But that did raise an important question, one that had bothered Clark since he'd first found out about it. He'd never asked Danny because it seemed too personal, and Danny had warned him against asking about the subject in the first place.
"And is it normal for him to have an obsession?" Clark asked quietly.
Vlad's frown thinned as he thought. "I am not sure." He eventually answered. "To a point it is natural for anyone to obsess over things. Humans themselves obsess over a vast variety of issues over the course of their life. However it is difficult to draw an observable line between normal human obsession and deep rooted 'ghostly obsessions'. While I suppose it is plausible that young Daniel engages in a ghost-like obsession, it would be difficult to determine if it is drawn from his ghost half or if he is psychologically projecting his own preconceptions onto himself. Rather than having a true 'ghostly obsession' it could be, and indeed seems far more likely, that he believes that as he has a ghost half he should have a ghost-like obsession."
Clark frowned, his brows creasing in confusion. "So you're saying that his obsession is all in his head?"
"To a point, yes." Vlad quickly answered. "The biology of a half ghost is complex to say the least. He himself is a balance between two species that were not designed to coexist. Daniel is no longer a pure human, his entire body can change from physical matter into pure energy, and it is complex to observe how that affects his physiology and mental states. Compounding that with the facts that he became half-ghost at such a young age, as well as having to fight, often for his life, for the past two years; it is a wonder that he has so few observable mental difficulties. That is leaving aside the devastating loss of his entire family.
"You should know, while I am glad that he has turned to you that if ever he needs help, or even if you find you don't know what to do for him, I would be happy to extend the hand of assistance. I do care for young Daniel, and I trust that someday both of you will find me as a stable provider. I am happy to help either of you in any regard, all you need do is ask." Vlad finished with a warm smile.
Clark nodded in appreciation, thanking the man for his almost too kind offer. While Clark hoped it was never needed, it would be nice to know that if Danny ever got badly hurt there was someone they could both rely on. Clark happily shook Vlad's hand as he was guided out. By the angle of the sun in the sky he had been there for the best part of two hours.
Vlad had told Clark a lot, and given him a lot to think about. Clark frowned as he drove back towards the farm. Most of what Vlad had said made sense, but some of it was seriously concerning. Not the least of which was the possibility that Danny's protective obsession was just a psychological construct. Clark frowned, that didn't seem quite right. Everything he had seen of Danny suggested that it was a genuine ghostly obsession, but then why would Vlad suggest that it wasn't? He seemed like a kind and welcoming man, but Danny had purposefully distanced himself from Vlad, despite the obvious benefits.
For the time being Clark just wanted to sit back and observe, to try and make sense of everything that he had been told. Although it was comforting to think that Vlad was so willing to help the boy out. Clark had always been terrified that if someone found out his secret they would abuse it. But here Vlad was, not only accepting Danny's secret, but actively seeking to find ways to support him from the sidelines. Clark smiled. It seemed that there were still some good people out in the world after all.
Line Break
Danny smiled as he knocked on the door of the small suburban house. He had gone straight to Metropolis after school to visit Victor, intending on spending the rest of the day with him. He wanted to try to help him through the whole hybrid thing. It was strange in a way. When Danny had first met Vlad the first thing he had been so happy to think that he wasn't alone anymore. But then Vlad had proven what sort of a man he was, and Danny had rejected anything to do with the elder half-ghost. But with Victor things were different.
Danny now found himself in the position Vlad had been in, the most experienced half breed. And Danny was determined to do the right thing by Victor. The experience of becoming a hybrid was extremely isolating, it had made Danny feel completely cut off from the world. But Victor deserved to know that he wasn't alone, that there was someone out there who would have his back when things got tough. Danny knew all too well that they would, but he promised himself to be there for Victor.
The night before Danny had gone to visit Lex. They had been meeting up once a week for a spar for the past few weeks, and Danny was not about to let that go. But this week he had gone with slightly different intentions. Lex needed to be reminded that people were people, not his play toys. Danny had subtly reprimanded him for what he let happen to Victor, whether or not Lex had ordered it to happen, the responsibility was ultimately Lex's and Danny hoped that he had convinced him not to play god again.
It was a difficult line to walk, he was trying to be a friend to Lex and earn his trust. At the same time he was trying to sway him away from the dark path he was on. The project with Victor had been started long before Danny came to Smallville, so he just wanted to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. Finally he was trying to guide Lex towards helping people, or at least not intentionally hurting them. All the while he had to keep the lid on Clark and his own secrets. It was a very tricky situation, but if he could get through to Lex it would be worth it.
They had parted on a pleasant note, and Danny believed that the reflective look in his eye meant that something Danny had said had got through to Lex. As soon as he was outside the Luthor grounds he had teleported home, planning to get a bit of homework done before he went out on patrol. Instead he had found his Aunt crying on her bed. He didn't ask what was going on, he only wanted to comfort her. She seemed to be under a lot of stress so he had reached out with his aura to comfort her. He had hated using that skill while he lived in Amity Park, but here he found himself relying on it to comfort and calm his friends and family.
Eventually Aunt Martha had calmed down, thanking Danny for being there for them. He had gone out for a late night flight; soaring up to sit on the clouds and stargaze for a while. It was three in the morning by the time he returned home. The house had been quiet and calm, so Danny presumed that everything had settled down. As he lay down to sleep he had decided to go visit Victor, while it hadn't been long since they'd seen each other Danny thought it would be a good idea if they talked.
That was how he found himself standing outside the small house in the suburbs of Metropolis, Katherine had invited Victor to stay there while the two sorted things out and Victor had given Danny the address when he called. Shaking himself out of his reflective musings Danny reached up to ring the doorbell. There was a minute's pause before the door opened and Danny was met by the slightly confused face of Victor.
"Danny?" He asked, but broke into a big smile "Come on in. I actually wanted to talk with you." Danny was escorted into the house, through to a tastefully decorated living room.
"Katherine." Victor called, looking up the staircase "We have a visitor." Victor guided Danny to take a seat, and Danny happily slung his backpack to the side before looking up at Victor.
"So how'd it go?" Danny asked.
"Pretty well, we're gonna try to make things work." Victor answered and Danny smiled.
"I've already lost him once; I not about to let him go again." Katherine answered coming into the room. "You're Danny, right? You helped Victor out."
Danny nodded, carefully watching as she took a seat next to Victor. It was lovely to see how naturally she reached for his hand, taking solace in Victor's company. He smiled at the two.
"In more ways than one." Victor added. "Danny said some things I needed to hear, sort of helped set me back on track."
Danny frowned slightly, but didn't let the light leave his eyes. He didn't want Katherine to know the full extent of his hybrid status, the knowledge of Phantom was not safe, but he was happy to dance around the truth a little like he did with Chloe.
"I didn't do much. Just because you're a little different doesn't make you any less human. It's who you choose to be that says who you are, not what you're made from." Danny shrugged. Katherine sent him a grateful smile which was mirrored by Victor.
"Then thank you. For helping me get my Victor back." Katherine beamed, getting up to get them a couple of refreshments. Victor smiled after her as she left the room.
"I'm guessing you don't want her to know what you are?" Victor asked as he looked over at Danny.
Danny sadly shook his head. "I've still got guys on my own back that I can't seem to get rid of. Figure you don't want her brought into my mess." Danny supplied. "But I do promise to be here for you, I'm happy to talk about anything. I'm here for you."
Victor nodded, an understanding and grateful smile playing on his lips. "Well, I do have a few questions..." Victor admitted and Danny smiled. He happily settled himself in, fully prepared to help a fellow hybrid adjust to their new life.
Line Break
Martha sat at the table sipping a cup of coffee. It had been half an hour since Danny left for school, and Martha was quietly proud of how hard he was trying to do well. He seemed to have settled in well after being skipped ahead, and had even managed to cut down on his truancy. With only three months left of school he was happily counting down the days until graduation. All the while he managed to balance his double life. The Smallville Ledger was highly complementary of Phantom for keeping the town safe from other ghosts, although they did wonder why he'd left Amity Park.
Clark too seemed to be doing alright. Despite his relationship problems with Lana he'd left the house that morning with a smile on his face. He said he was headed into Metropolis, and Martha had assumed that he'd arranged a meeting with Chloe. Martha was glad that he was safe, really that both of them were; but Danny had the benefit of a secret identity where Clark just used his powers without any protection. This time Clark had been caught, but it seemed Lionel had swooped in to the rescue. A true ordinary hero.
There was a soft knock on the front door. 'Think of the devil' Martha thought as she looked at the greying head of Lionel Luthor. She smiled as she welcomed him in, but that dropped into a concerned frown as she realised why he was here.
"What happened?" Martha asked, looking up into his eyes. "Did you...?"
"Don't worry." He cut her off, gently waving away her concerns. "It's been solved. The man responsible has agreed never to contact you again."
Martha's eyes wrinkled in concern. "Who was he?" She asked, fearful that he could come back to make life hard for them all. If he had put that video out... it was a truly scary line of thought. Especially after Clark had told her what the GIW had planned for Phantom if they ever caught him.
"He was a police academy dropout, turned warehouse security guard." Lionel answered. His voice was light, dismissing all of Martha's worries. "He was trying to cash in at somebody else's expense."
"Did he tell you what this was about?" Martha inquired, hoping that Clark's secret was still safe, after all that was the purpose of this whole exercise.
"I didn't let him." Lionel dismissed. "I was only interested in making sure that he went away. And he did. Willingly." There was a slight pause, and Martha watched as his eyes crinkled into worry. "But, um... there is one thing that concerns me."
Martha frowned, she was truly thankful to the man, not only for saving her son, but also grateful that he had so respected the family's privacy. "What is it?" She asked softly.
"You're a public figure now, senator." Lionel said by way of answer. "How people perceive you is... It's everything. It's possible that any association with me..." He paused for a moment, his spine straightening out. It was possible now to see the cool, calculating public Lionel that the media so pursued. "With Lionel Luthor, could be dangerous to your new career."
Martha frowned, rejecting the idea. She was not going to let anyone tell her whom she could or could not associate and be friends with. "I'm not the type of person who turns her back on her friends because of what people think." Martha answered coolly, eliciting a small but comforted smile from Lionel.
"I don't know many people like you, Martha." He replied, his soft smile widening. "I admire your integrity so much. The state of Kansas is lucky to have you." Martha shook her head at this thought. It was a part of who she was, it was something that her father had taught her and her sisters growing up, and she was not going to forget it. It didn't matter what other people believed, if you found friendship in someone it was not something to be thrown away.
Lionel dismissed Martha's offer to stay for coffee, saying that he had a meeting that he needed to attend to in the city. As she watched his fleeting back she couldn't help but feel thankful for the fact that he was there to help keep things together. Clark couldn't know about this, he would never let it rest if he thought the family was in danger because of his secret. She looked over to the table where she had hidden the DVD, anxious to get rid of it and be done with the whole thing.
Martha lit the fire, the crackling flames leaping up into the kindling, it took half an hour but she finally got the fire up to a roaring heat. She picked up a photo of Jon from the mantle, tears prickling in her eyes at the memory of her husband and all he had sacrificed, not just for Clark, but for all of them. For hem she would continue, and do anything she could to keep her son safe. Setting the photograph aside she knelt down in front of the fireplace, the warmth flaring out towards her.
Martha picked up the disk, staring fearfully at it for a moment before she tossed it into the flames. She watched as the disk slowly melted, bubbling and liquefying as it was consumed by the flames. Martha smiled at the thought that it was finally over, Clark's secret was safe and she could sleep soundly knowing that he would stay that way. She walked away from the fire without a second thought, putting the traumatic events of the last few days behind her.
Line Break
Vlad Masters smiled as he looked down over the city skyline. Slowly everything was falling into place. Every piece was playing their part perfectly. Vlad was supremely enthused by how perfectly Clark Kent had reacted today. He was as openly trusting and delightfully naive as young Daniel had been the first time they had met at the College Reunion two years ago. The meeting had gone splendidly, and Vlad knew that now Clark would listen to him and take his council, with the right prodding it would only be a matter of time before Clark saw things Vlad's way.
Daniel may be counting on Clark as his knight, but little was he to know that Vlad had just made him his pawn. With two other pawns in place and his two knights closing in it was only a matter of time. There was just one more player that he had yet to put into play. He was planning on visiting the Observant's High Council very soon to solicit this particular piece. Vlad loved playing chess, and this particular game was one he was determined to win. His queen may have been lost, but the game was far from over. And Vlad was not going to let the opposing king get away from him.
"Soon, Little Badger." Vlad murmured darkly, feeling his eyes flash a cool shade of crimson. "Soon your king will fall."
Line Break
Lionel Luthor took a calming breath, schooling his face into a cool and emotionless mask. The man from the warehouse had agreed to his terms, and now all that remained to the affair was to give him his money. He was in his office at LuthorCorp, where he attended to all of his important dealings. And there was little more important than the well being of Martha Kent and her family to him. Calmly he handed over the envelope, knowing that the man would quite happily disappear once this was over.
The man handed him a copy of the disk, the last one in existence he presumed, knowing that Martha would have long since disposed of hers. The silent transaction complete, Lionel watched as the tall man left the office. This had been a most rewarding affair, he had earned the trust of Martha, and she had gone so far as to call him her friend. While he wanted more than that it was a solid first step. More than that, he had proven to Martha that he could help solve problems that she was unfamiliar with. He sincerely doubted that anyone in the Kent family had ever had to deal with blackmail before.
Lionel proudly stalked over to his desk, pouring himself a glass of scotch as he settled into the seat. He carefully slid the disk into the slot on his computer, patiently waiting for the DVD to load. The scene played, it was short but it proved everything in the world. He slowed the scene down to frame by frame to see the whole picture.
Static blurred across the screen as a wave of energy blasted out from the centre of the warehouse room.
A huge ball of fire exploded from the centre, consuming everything in its path.
The flames spiralled out, turning the whole screen into a fiery inferno.
A red jacketed Clark Kent came racing out of the flames; the unconscious form of Lana Lang is in his arms as he pulled her safely from the inferno.
Lionel froze the video on the last image, smiling softly at the image on the screen. He quietly closed the laptop, stepping away from the desk as he turned to survey the darkened city from his office window. Quietly, to the empty air he whispered seven terrifyingly easy words.
"Your secret is safe with me. Kal-El."
AN: Not the most action packed chapter, but some important stuff is going on. I was mainly working from the sub-plot in the episode 'Cyborg' because it develops the relationship between Lionel and Martha.
Plus, Lionel knows Clark's secret, and Vlad is toying with Clark.
Sorry to get so scientific, but I think that candour would go towards proving how 'trustworthy' Vlad is to Clark. Fun.
Anyhow, 'till next time,
Bluerose