Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or any of these characters
AN: Hello again a longer Chapter the next one might be shorter I will update soon though. As always thanks for the reviews,story alerts and Enjoy!
Chapter 12: The Boiling Point Part II
"Ms. Sullivan, are you okay?" Aquaman asked knowing that anything he said could still be heard over the com-link. Maybe hearing her voice would put Clark at ease for a few moments.
"Just peachy, what the hell are you doing here? I told Impulse not to send in the cavalry. Thanks for ruining my plan." There was a bit of snark in her tone, wait a minute he was there to save her why the attitude?
"I don't think your grasping the concept of being rescued. Plan, what plan?" He quirked an eyebrow at her statement and was truly curious. What kind of plan involved getting captured and tortured? This was not good.
"I grasp the concept quite well." She didn't look to well as she spoke, and he could only think it had something to do with whatever it was that snake injected her with. "It's you and the rest of your team that aren't all that good at this hero thing. Do you know how much of Lex's Intel involved files on you guys? You're lucky I deleted most of them before he put all the clues together."
"Yeah, I guess we're not all that good at this 'secret' part of the secret identity thing yet." He admitted one of the teams faults, true but they weren't completely inept.
"You're good at getting caught by the bad guy,though." Chloe still appeared to be groggy and a little lucid like she was falling in and out of being coherent. What did that snake do to her?
"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not the bad guy?" They both turned to see Lex Luthor back in the room.
"No you're just a snake," Chloe remarked seemingly not being able to control what came out of her mouth. "What did you do to me Lex?"
"Nothing too extreme just a little something to help you tell me the truth. And since the rude banter has gone bitter I'm going to skip to the main plot. What do you know about the Green Arrow, do you know who he is?" Lex was in her personal space again trying to intimated her and thanks to the drug it was working, a bit.
'Focus your mind Chloe only tell him what he wants to know. Focus. ' Chloe heard the Martian's whispers in her mind, they were always comforting in a time like this. Closing her eyes for a moment she did as she was told.
'It hurts John help me.' She called back with her thoughts projecting them towards him or at least hoping that he heard her.
'I can't I'm not close this is something you have to do yourself." John replied telepathically and then cut off the connection. He only used his powers on her in emergencies like when her emotions were too unstable to complete a mission. At the moment her emotions were a mess, Lex really dosed her with something strong.
Moira Sullivan could feel every bump in the road as she was carried across country in the armored vehicle. Where she was going was a mystery, that man had been moving her around like a chess piece for months. Her hope that Chloe would come save her never waved though and as she thought of her precious daughter Moira held the chain bracelet that connected her to Chloe.
She wished she could see her daughter now, much older and if anything about what that viper had told her was true, much stronger and confident too. Moira found herself wondering more and more about her progeny and what she was doing with her life.
Moira knew her daughter was coming for her, she could sense Chloe's worry for her. How she was unsure, but she remembered that they both always had that special connection with each other. Since the day of the first meteor shower when they were playing out in the field. That was the day she thought she was going to lose Chloe forever.
"Mommy…mommy I'm scared .Why is the sky falling down?" A two and a half year old Chloe asked with a shaky voice. Her mother just squeezed the child closer to her chest trying to calm her.
"I don't know baby, but don't worry mommy's going to protect you." Moira Sullivan said soothing her daughters worry's, she could see everything from the hollowed out tree they had found in their attempt to escape the meteors. The field they had been flying the kite in was now a mess and as the earth rumbled with every meteor that hit. The young woman could feel the overwhelming urge to protect her little girl surge through her.
"But mommy who's going to protect you?"The small voice was always such a curious one. Chloe was always asking her questions about anything and everything. But this little innocent question was the first time that Moira realized just how loyal and protective Chloe could turn out to be.
"I don't need to be protected as long as I have you honey," She didn't know how else to reply to her child. It seemed like a valid answer at the moment. "I think it stopped baby, I think we can go home now."
Another bump in the road transported the older woman out of her memory and back to the present, that was also the day they both got infected. They survived the meteors falling, only to trip over one of the large rocks as they tried to get out of the field. Somehow both of them had become infected that day as well. Her husband had never found out not until Moira made the decision to separate herself from her family for their safety.
Checking into that mental hospital was supposed to be the best thing for Moira and those she loved. For Chloe especially, this power she possessed was dangerous. Having your child do everything you told them to do without complaint was any parents dream, but being able to control them without their free will was just not right. Moira felt guilt wash over her at the fact that she let her ability corrupt the way she raised Chloe.
"My patience is wearing thin Chloe. Tell me everything you know about the Green Arrow or I'll hurt your little…" He was still threatening her, but she cut Lex off before he could finish.
"Everything, really?...That would take too long,...let's just start at the beginning...I hear he's good with his hands." Chloe's speech was broken and slurred, but somehow she smirked for a moment trying desperately to not let everything she knew about Oliver and his hero act spill out. At her defiant answer Lex pressed a button on his control device causing a heat vent to lower towards Aquaman.
"Your little friend here isn't as much of an air breather as the rest of us. I'm sure you're already aware of this. You were always such a little know it all." The endless string of insults was not surprising to either A.C or Chloe. "Just a little heat and he dries up like a scallop. Now with that said are you willing to let someone else die to protect a guy in tights?"
"I would give up my life…to protect the Green Arrow…" She still couldn't control the words coming out of her mouth and she regretted this fact more and more.
"Really? Isn't that interesting." Lex turned to look at A.C as if accessing the situation, then turned to the door at hearing the latch open, he turned his back to them retrieving some papers from the men in Lab coats.
"Don't let him get to you, he's just a snake…my life is worth the Green Arrow's identity." A.C spoke weakly the heat was getting to him, they had to get out of here and soon.
"Don't worry A.C… we're….almost done here." Chloe whispered back knowing that Lex was out of earshot. It was almost time to go but not just yet John was already waiting for her signal.
"Your genius is more astounding then I thought. Looks like you and Clark have been busy little bedbugs. Way to keep a man Chloe." It was like Lex took pride in what he was saying and even not being that coherent Chloe could tell he was enjoying himself.
"I honestly…. I don't know what you're talking about…and you can get…that in ink too, after what you dosed me with… you bastard."Apparently the truth serum also came with instant insults and released more of Chloe's brazenness, not that she thought she had anymore.
"Wow with all your investigative skills you don't know what's going on inside your own body. Here I am telling you how clever I think you are and you're not even aware that you're pregnant." Lex bit back for a moment letting her adjust to the new information. "I hope our little fun didn't hurt the little one."
The rest of the team heard the startling revelation about their favorite petite blonde. Even Clark as he laid in agony on the floor of the lead lined room. Chloe was going to have a baby, but who was the father? Not him, that was for sure.
The Green Arrow stopped in his tracks in the middle of the corridor as he heard the news. She was pregnant, he was going to be a father. He wasn't ready for fatherhood not yet, he was still trying to figure out who he was as a person what his place in the world was. Oliver quickly pushed all those thoughts to the back of his head as he heard footsteps coming from behind him.
"Hey, earth to Arrow. You want to join the land of the living?" Cyborg's voice alerted him to the men coming around the corner. With in an instant the three security guards were on the floor. The Green Arrow beat them all himself not letting Cyborg get even one punch in. The half human half robot was taken aback by just how fast and strong his leader suddenly got.
Without another word the green leather clad hero turned and started to run in the direction of where Chloe and Aquaman were being held with Cyborg close behind. The urgency of their mission had just doubled in Oliver's mind. Not only was Chloe's life at stake, but so was that of an unborn child. His unborn child, that snake was going to pay dearly if anything happen to either of them.
Chloe took in the information, pregnant how could she be pregnant and how far along was she? She and Oliver had been together for about three months and they were always safe. Though she had to admit they did it a lot. Something about that leather and the adrenalin rush after Oliver's patrols. But now was not the time to think about such things her life was in danger and so was the one growing inside of her. She had to get out of here now.
"You look deep in thought, don't worry I'm sure Clark will love the child as much as you think he loves you and if he lets you that deep into his life he must have told you his secret. What is it?" Lex's relaxed demeanor didn't affect Chloe the way he thought it would.
"The great answer… to the mystery that is…. Clark Kent, that's a simple one." Chloe leaned forward as she talked like she was telling a secret. Lex leaned in as well following suit. "The big secret…. is, Clark Kent is…. in love with Lois Lane. It's such a secret… he doesn't even know it yet."
"You're playing a dangerous game Chloe." Lex spat out growing irritated with her with each passing second, and his irritation grew when the lights suddenly went out. "Get the power back on, don't let them escape."
"A.C status report, is everything okay? What's happening?" The Green Arrow asked frantically through the com-link. The whole facility just went dark and then the backup generators kicked in. The lights were even dimmer than before and as the team noticed the change they heard a scuffle over the little communication devices in their ears.
"You're not going anywhere Chloe." They all heard the threat followed by a strangled scream and then a gunshot causing them to run faster than before towards the steel door to the small lab.
"Cyborg do your thing" The Green Arrow ordered his teammate and watched as he peeled the steel door back off its hinges and through it across the corridor.
The duo busted into the room ready to kick Luthor butt, however what they saw as the smoke cleared was not what they suspected. The scene before them caused both heroes to stop in there tracks.
""I can't find Clark, he's…" Impulse chimed in alerting everyone to his presence he had been through the whole facility looking for the Boyscout, but couldn't find him. He went silent as well as he took in what was happening in the small lab.
"Are you sure doctor?" Lana Lang processed what the physician had just told her. The pregnancy was fake, but who would do something like this? "I don't understand I saw the sonograms, I saw my baby."
"I don't know whose baby you think you saw, but I can assure you it wasn't yours. So did you give yourself injections or did you take pills?" The accusation stung her, and Lana felt anger at the thought of being used. It had to be Lex that did this to her or Lionel. One of them was responsible and they would pay. "Did you think you could get away with forcing a marriage to a billionaire by faking a pregnc…"
"Hey buddy, can't you see she's in pain. How dare you accuse her of something she obviously has no knowledge of." Lois made the fact she was there known to the doctor, her hands were on her hips and she looked like she was ready to pounce on the suspicious older man.
"Lois, it's okay, I'll be alright you don't have to do…" Lana interjected trying to tell Lois to pull back her anger and put a leash on her temper.
"No, it's not okay. Look here Doc." She addressed him by his title insultingly. "How do you still have a job with a bed side matter like that? If you did know anything about Lana Lang, you would know that she's been in and out of this hospital more than an ambulance in the last few months. Why on earth would someone put themselves through that much pain?"
"It's not my fault your friend here obviously has some mental issues. You would…" That was it, without warning Lois' fist made contact with the jaw of the rude doctor. Lana just watched and tried not to laugh at her friend's brazenness towards pretty much everything.
"Maybe that'll teach you how to talk to your patients." Lois stood proudly over the man and crossed her arms over her chest looking at Lana.
"Did you really have to do that? I don't think it was necessary." Lana was suddenly feeling better for a moment.
"He needed to learn a lesson Lana, but I think security is coming now so I'm gonna run for it. You okay with getting back to the mansion yourself?" She waited for Lana to nod an okay and then she was out the door.
Another reason to call Chloe, where was she anyway. She hadn't returned any phone calls in the last few days and Lana knew she wasn't being ignored. Chloe was probably on another story or something. She would have to call her later, at the moment Lana needed all the rest she could get.
She was a vision to his thirsty eyes, she was soaked. Drenched from the sprinkler system she had shot to help free Aquaman from his restrains. The thing that struck him the most was the way her black tank top clung to her slender form. It of course was coupled with a pair of not to tight form fitting black pants and combat boots. By the way she was dressed and held the gun pointing it at the bald vipers head Oliver could tell this was not the first time Chloe had done something like this.
"You said I was playing a dangerous game Lex…" She echoed Lex's previous statement about her actions. Without missing a beat and looking around to emphasize her point she finished it. "What you forgot to mention was I'm winning"
"You don't have what it takes to pull that trigger Chloe." Lex practically dared her to do it, what was he thinking. Probably the same thing that Oliver was thinking, Chloe was not one to take a life.
"Every fiber of my conscious wants to agree with that statement, but that was before you referred to me like I was a tool, and dosed me with a truth serum."As she replied to the over confident declaration Chloe cocked the gun ready to shoot it at a moment's notice.
"Don't do it." Cyborg chimed in ever the hero. Though this man was a monster, taking his life would not be worth the consequences.
"He's not worth it, Chloeliclous." Impulse aided in the effort to save her from committing murder.
Aquaman stayed silent on the matter as he held the billionaire's arms retraining Lex. Oliver didn't say a word either, not ready and not knowing what to say just yet. He knew she wouldn't kill this viper, and he couldn't disagree quite yet with the idea of putting a bullet in that bald head. After all that Lex had just done to Chloe and their unborn child.
That was another thing if he said anything in the next few minutes it would be directed towards Chloe and his concern for her and her condition. Even with everything they heard over the com-link in the last few hours none of the others really knew what was going on between himself and Chloe. Now was not the time for that conversation.
"Watchtower to Manhunter, report." Chloe pulled out a small device and spoke into it, still holding the gun steadily. Watchtower what a perfect codename for her, Chloe was looking out for those around her. Manhunter though, who or what was that?
"Manhunter to Watchtower, Boyscout is safe on my way." Just as the words came over the device Clark appeared in the doorway beside the rest of the small league. He was about to speak, but Oliver hushed him.
"Clark I knew you had something to do with this, wait until I tell Lana about…" Lex was grasping at the power he didn't have over the situation anymore, but he was cut off mid sentence.
"You're not going to tell Lana anything or anyone else for that matter Lex." Chloe interrupted his threats and shifted the gun closer to his head allowing the end of the barrel to make contact with his skull. Oliver was still frozen in his place as was Clark who in an instant could stop his best friend from killing his ex-best friend.
"Go ahead, if you think you have what it takes. Then do it, but you know if you kill me. You're going to lose him forever, with her grief over my death Lana's going to run straight back to him He'll never love you the way he loves her." It was a final effort to shift the control back to him and they all could tell. They all looked on still not moving letting Chloe make this decision on her own. She gazed towards Clark as Lex said his name and glanced quickly at Oliver as she heard the word love.
"Don't listen to him Chloe, he's just trying to…" Clark finally got a word in, but she ignored him.
"A little of an ego huh... Lex. I think you have overestimated your worth to a certain brunette. But you always have had a premature sense of achievement in your life haven't you." Chloe aimed low with her remark and hit her target flawlessly. "I should end your pathetic existence right here I would be doing the world a favor, saving you from hurting thousands of people with your unearthly sense of duty to mankind."
"Unearthly sense of duty to mankind, seems like your describing yourself Chloe. Admit it your just like me you…" Before he could finish the handle of the gun contacted with the back of his head knocking Lex out.
"I'm nothing like him, I'm not a monster." She dropped the gun just as the bald viper's unconscious form fell to the floor and looked towards the rest of them as if waiting for confirmation of what she just said.
Oliver was about to answer her when he saw Clark's mouth about to move, but then the Boyscout also stopped what he was about to say when they all saw a transparent figure coming down through the ceiling. They were all astounded by it, Chloe didn't bat an eyelash as she looked up and smiled at the being phasing through the solid object.
"No you're not like him Watchtower," The Martian Manhunter told her putting a hand on Chloe's shoulder in reassurance. They all were still silent not knowing what to say except Bart.
"Who are you?" Impulse asked but his question went ignored as the martian picked up the unconscious body of Lex Luthor and phased back through the ceiling of the small lab leaving them all to stare after him then to Chloe. Clark would have followed, but his concern for his best friend over shadowed any curiosity he held about this Martian Manhunter.
The whole room was hushed no one said a word in the aftermath of what just happened. They were all still too busy processing the scene that had just played out in front of them. A.C went to collecting his shirt and the rest of his gear that had been taken when he had been captured.
Chloe did the same adjusting her leather jacket as she put it on, and retrieved the rest of her stuff. This included to Oliver's surprise and Clark's horror, a smaller crossbow similar to the one the Green Arrow had in his holster. That explained the few guards Oliver had found already with a small stun arrow in their backs on his way into the facility. Where it came from Oliver could only guess, but he pushed any thought of her stealing from him to the back of his mind and was finally going to ask if she was okay when Clark spoke up first.
"Chloe, what the hell were you doing here? Are you okay?" Clark asked overlooking the fact that she had a weapon similar to Oliver's for the moment. But Oliver was sure that he would hear about it later.
Without a word Chloe turned to face them and came towards the doorway where they all stood, Clark stepped forward ready for that reassuring hug he always got after he saved Chloe. But to everyone's surprise she walked passed him and strait to the Green Arrow. Oliver stared at her from behind his darkened shades not knowing what to do or say not, knowing what she expected him to do.
Her true intent towards him was made clear in the next few seconds though, with no warning. Not even a word Chloe threw her arms around his neck bringing her lips to his kissing him hard. Chloe let the secret out about the way she felt about this man all in this kiss and as his back hit the wall behind them, Oliver's arms encircled her waist trying to studying them both from falling and pressed her body more to his.
"I love you, Lets go home Ollie…I'm tired." And that was the only thing she said finally letting herself calm down and let her guard fall for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Chloe's body felt so tired and sore.
But as she clung to her knight in shining leather and felt his arms lift her bridal style. Chloe knew everything was going to be okay. There was going to be hell to pay in explaining everything and some people may never forgive her for the things she had said and done in keeping those she loved safe. But at this moment the most important thing in Chloe's mind besides the thought of her unborn child, was that she was safe and loved here in Oliver's strong arms.
AN: Love this chapter, made Lex a bit cruel. And I know hes a big baddie but I wanted to bring him down a few notches at this point in his character development hes not the biggest bady yet. An borrowed a few lines from the web serious Riese if you've seen it you'll know which ones