As you may have noticed, my real life is becoming annoying and making progress very slow. As such, I do believe this will probably be the last long fiction I write. Fear not; there may still be shorts, and I will finish this (ofc).

My life apologises, as do I. I hope you are able to stay forgiving and engaged in the plot.
As usual, feedback earns imaginary cookies, cats, cheese, cupcakes and other things beginning with C.
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Chapter Nine; Deceit

'Empires are not brought down by outside forces, they are destroyed by weaknesses from within.' –Lionel Luthor (Season 1, Episode Shimmer)

Arrow watched her leave. Taking a few guilty seconds away from the information speeding to his 'work phone'. She'd been mourning someone. Not, not just 'someone', 'Gabe Sullivan'. Who was he? Friend? Relative?

His subconscious was tugging at him to move, half because he was needed by his team, half because he knew he was invading on something private. With a head filled with the memory of his parents he let the negative emotions have at him while he jogged back to the bike. No doubt the tracker would be removed within the first few hours, but maybe he'd get lucky and find a few of her favourite locations, besides, he wasn't stupid enough to not put in a second hidden tracer. Dinah worked her magic well. He grinned and gunned the engine.

At half eight, Chloe was stepping out into the evening air with Darren at her side and walking to the main building of Lex's labs. They stood tall, proud and scarily clinic. Average brick, with average factory windows and doors, but an odd sense of importance held strong through her.

"What does this one work with?"

"Lex told me it was testing medicines. I'm sure the researchers know more." He folded neatly beside her as she floated into the halls. Pristine white, filled with the hospital smell. It was enough to roll the strongest stomachs.

"You must be Miss Sullivan. Lex told us you were coming." Chloe nodded, a little suspicious Lex had her watched at every turn. Then again, Lex was over protective at the best of times. "Welcome to Paddock Labs. Mr name is Doctor Fenner I am leading the research here on behalf of Mr Luthor." Chloe nodded again and followed, her eyes trained to remember the way she came. It was almost natural to find an escape route when being led by strangers. It had happened one too many times that she had been led into a trap in the middle of a maze; the trouble with working with convicts and criminals.

Dr Fenner looked as much in authority as one could get; she had small heels that still stabbed at the air with every step, an immaculate white lab coat over her business clothes and from the blond hair tied up far too tightly in a completely controlled bun, everyone knew she ran this show. As she walked around she answered Chloe's questions without pause in her voice or her step, she never once uttered an 'umm', or and 'ahh' to think, she had all the answers already prepared. Written script perhaps? Chloe laughed internally at the thought, she was looking for ghosts where they weren't any… maybe she should just ask Arrow straight out why he was blowing up these places… If only she could trust she'd get a straight answer.

Everything seemed legit. Animals were caged, rats tested. Drugs manufactured. Sure, it wasn't going with her ethical side to see them inject a fluffy, innocent rabbit with an experimental drug, but that was all about Lex's principles again. A little hurt for a lot of good. Which if these worked, they would do good, a hell of a lot of good. Dr Fenfer insisted they were close in curing cancer, she didn't believe her, but it was nice to think there were cures in the making.

Then they came to the end of the tour, and a sealed chamber caught her eye.

"What's in there?" The doctor dithered a little, the first time Chloe had heard this, which only drew more of her inner reporters curiosity.

"Lex said you wouldn't want to see that. It's…umm… it's failed experiments." Images of mutant dogs ran in her head swimming sharks in her stomach. Lex was right, she didn't want to see that. But as they progressed along the corridor, she could see with the number of white coats going into that room with their retinal scanners and ID's and fingerprint checks… there was no way that was just a scrap room.

"And this is it. The end of the facilities." Chloe nodded, her mind still focussed on the sealed door. "If you head straight forward and take the third left you should find yourself back at reception." Chloe's feet followed Darren mindlessly. It was a lot of security for a pile of rejects…

"Wait." she hissed to Darren when the doctor was out of sight.

"Miss Chloe. The exit is this way." Chloe headed back. "No. Miss, my job is to escort you here and back."

"No. Your job entails keeping me safe. I'm going this way. If you want to keep your head you should too." Darren chuckled and set off behind Chloe. She had a streak for trouble and it thrilled him more than he would admit to encourage it. Chloe was about to make a run for the closing door when she suddenly felt Darren pull her back. The alarms had been sounded and ringing wildly. Scientists were looking around. It was the fire alarm… or some sort of biohazard alert.

"We're going out." Darren instructed. Before he could try move her an explosion sounded in the other end of the facility. "Go straight out. I'm not kidding." Chloe swiftly complied; her last brush with toxic chemicals had caused the entire fuck up that was her life. "Straight to the car." he ordered.

"Straight to the car." she repeated and he pulled his gun from the holster to advance forward toward the noise of breaking glass and fire. Chloe ran to the exit, but a flash of Green made her hesitate. Was it him? Was he here? So soon after the last hit?

She took the closest passage she found and managed to follow it to wrap around and peer out through the door of an empty room. She watched a red blur speed past her, taking records and samples. Bart? He'd changed… now an old teen with a darker shade of his mouse brown hair in a red track suit. His hand went to his ear.

"Yeah. I got the files. Cyborg, you got the locks on that door yet?" The conversation continued in his ear, then his reply sounded again. "Fingerprints, ID codes, and retina. Wow, someone's been stepping up security." Another pause. "No. I think everyone cleared out with the fire alarm. I don't see anyone." Chloe backed away, her hip hitting a sterile table and causing a clatter of instruments. "Wait." The boy's voice came to her and she ran without another thought. She had barely made a few steps before she was in his hold. "I found a feisty blonde." he spoke to the earpiece. Then turned to her. "Hey, stop fighting senorita. You want to get out alive don't you?"

"Let me go!" she hissed and kicked out, breaking his hold. She didn't know why, but somehow, letting him see her like this seemed humiliating, she just wanted to be gone. But his arms came back as fast as they used to, they wrapped around her tight like he used to years before, only this wasn't for a teenage romance, it was for her own protection. A rumble and thud came from the next room, stilling her fight again. Her captor softened, misreading her lack of fight, Chloe took advantage, jamming an elbow in his ribs and sprinting off.

"Yeah, North corridor, heading toward you Bossman." Bart spoke, but didn't pursue himself. Chloe skidded the closest corner, intending to avoid whatever surprise was lurking for her next. The surprise happened to be a leather chest colliding straight into her. For the third time of their meeting she did not reach the ground from the force, but found arms to keep her close and upright.

"Well hey there Blondie. Couldn't keep away huh?" She lifted her eyes to the smirk of the Green Arrow Bandit. "So you're so addicted to me you've started stalking me. Can't say I blame you." He laughed.

"Hardly." she snorted and wriggled for freedom, he just took hold stronger, pinning both her wrists behind her back.

"What did I say about lying? Don't make me bend you over and spank your cute little ass."

Chloe shot him back an unimpressed grin and stomped hard on his foot, making her escape again. She made three turns and half a corridor before a blur of red cut off her passage. Only this time, he saw something in her face to make him pause.

"Chl-?"

"Sh." Her eyes screamed fear, her name was not something she wanted throwing around freely. Not her real one anyway…

"Oh god… I can't believe it's you."

"Please. Don't Bart." He came closer, reading the fear in her eyes. Instantly he knew what she wanted and he gave her it.

"Sorry. I thought you were someone else." He gave Chloe a wink as he tapped his ear to tell Arrow he had her cornered. Her smile was enough of a reward. They both knew they'd be seeing each other tonight for a long over-due talk. But for now… they knew nothing of the other.

"Com'on Goldi, we gotta run. You can flirt with me later." Arrow's voice came from around the corner and Bart nudged her forwards toward him.

"You're blowing up another facility… already?!" she spat. "Do you have any idea how many people are in here? How many animals? How many lives you'll be responsible for ending?!"

"Listen short stuff, because I'm saying this once. Everyone here is either already dead, or have run out. The animals are all infected and cannot be let out. Believe it or not, but we're putting them out of their misery."

"Already dead?! You killed them?!" Her anger was bubbling again.

"Clearly you have no idea what goes on behind these walls. Lex's trials don't stop at animals. He's been cloning organs and destroying the lives of the meteor infected for years. He's got bodies galore under this facility." Chloe's mind went to the sealed door…

"How did you get past the retina scan? The finger prints?" Arrow tilted his head, judging her… how much did she know?

"We have some good technology." Bart snickered behind her, but was composed when she turned. Arrow nodded at him and with a wink he was off and out. "We need to get out of here." Arrow stated. "Are you going to move yourself or do I have to drag your screaming ass out?"

"I'll walk." she hissed, wanting to remain as dignified as she could in front of the man who'd had her moaning against a wall only hours ago.

"Never said walk Goldilocks. Timer's ticking."

"I can't run in these." Her eyes flickered to her heels and debated the pro's and con's of running barefoot. Yes, it might mean life, but her feet would be destroyed by the broken glass on the floor.

"Fine." he sighed and before she could complain she was over his shoulder in a fireman's lift watching the wall disappear from sight.

"Wait!" she hissed. "Darren!" she remembered.

"Your bodyguard is already out. Unconscious, but out of danger." Chloe wriggled, wishing she had chosen to destroy her feet instead. "He tried to shoot me too." Arrow added under his breath but Chloe heard it and felt better instantly, her wriggling stopped and she focussed on other issues.

"There's no-one left inside?"

He sighed heavily, foreseeing a large argument about the last time he'd answered that question.

"Cyborg. Heat signatures?" he asked the earpiece. "We're the only two left inside." he repeated to answer Chloe. She accepted it without argument which surprised him, more so than seeing her here.

Finally fresh air washed away the smell of toxins and smoke and she found herself placed atop a brick wall, Arrow standing before her, waiting for the millions of questions. As predicted it took less than a second before she was firing away at him.

"Why are you after Lex?"

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't be." he challenged.

"He has bad methods; granted. But the results are worth it. He's saving lives with the resources you're blowing up."

"Lady, what you see is a pretty nightlight for the darkness Lex likes to play in. Dig deeper." With that order, he turned dismissingly and her grab for him came upon nothing but air.

"Wait." She dropped carefully from the wall to find him stopped a fair distance away with a cocky smile.

"Don't worry darling, I haven't forgot about my promise to drive you mad with pleasure. But I've got places to be right now. We'll meet again." He spun and ran to the distance where his fellow team mates watched, mere dots against the wall. She immediately went to chase him, but with Arrow's signal a button was pushed and the air split with the explosion of the factory. Chloe instantly dropped to the floor, covering herself as the noise shattered around her. A blast of warm air brushed over her skin, but after a few seconds she lifted her head to see she was far from the blast radius and Arrow's comrades were nowhere to be seen.

When her mind focussed again she was running back to the car, intending to search for the gps tracker to find Darren's location. Instead, she found him unconsciously slumped by the car. As she ran to him she had her phone already dialling Lex… she didn't have any other option but to tell him now.

Lex remained composed as the locus that was the never sleeping press of Metropolis came to drain the juicy situation for front page news. 'Arrow strikes again', one was focussed on headlining with. The others were working on plays of an archer theme.

Money had been swapped hands and the spot light was forced to shine on the 'hero' Dr Fenner who had 'seen' the Green fiend and instantly knew she had to get everyone out so pulled a fire alarm to save everyone's lives. The papers ate it up, writing about how Arrow would have had over 200 lives on his name if not for the actions of the doctor.

Chloe had scoffed and sat in the back of an armoured 4x4 with a now conscious Darren while Lex fed them a wild story.

But the tone changed as the media returned to edit the next day's news and Lex was back in the mansion away from ears.

"He blew up another one of my facilities!" Lex raged, pacing the room, each footstep was an echo in hell. "All the research. All the papers. Everything's destroyed."

"Some electronic work may be salvageable Lex. It's not all gone." But her optimism, as rare as it was, went unrewarded.

"It may as well be. We had samples there that we cannot possibly recreate. Refined Meteor rocks mixed with cancerous cells on their way to a cure Chloe. Do you realise how valuable this research was?!" He was seething, his pacing increased as he spoke. "This is the last time Chloe. All of the work. The effort. The time. The man hours. The development of the chemicals." He whipped around and changed direction sharply. Chloe moved herself from his path. "How many times will he-" He stopped pacing suddenly, and the rage funnelled to a more ponderous route. Clearly his thoughts had led him down a different track. His sudden stop had his eyes focusing on her hard with concentration. "With you there…" he started, nearly ready to accuse her. But his tone kept sincere and almost sympathetic as he spoke. "He could have killed you…"

"But he didn't." she answered as his quiet asked for an answer.

"Find him for me Chloe! I want him, I want him now!" His inner conflicts were changing his temper quickly. On and off, on and off; the most dangerous of times to talk to a Luthor.

"It's not that easy. He covers his tracks well. He believes he's doing good for the city." she explained, expecting another bout of anger, it didn't arrive. A silent calm, the still after the storm, anger faded to be replaced by thoughts, ideas, plotting secrets.

"Then bait him." Lex was back to his picture of ease, pouring himself another drink and swirling it around the handcrafted glass before talking an artful sip that would signify the checkmate to Arrow's life.

"Bait him? With what?" Chloe got a sinking feeling she was soon going to be tied to a pole screaming for Arrow's help and tricking him again, she was about to mention how that had turned out last time, but his reply came first.

"I have an empty facility. All I need to do is get him there and we can erase this Arrow character once and for all. I'll even let you have the honour." Chloe smiled, but she didn't feel like it. Half of her was saying she shouldn't be doing this anymore; Jolly Green wasn't so much of a terrifying giant as a big softie.

Was she on the wrong side of the line here? It was the first time she'd doubted her allegiance with Lex, he'd saved her from so much, was Arrow right about Lex only showing her the nightlight of his darkness?

Still, until she decided she needed all the information she could get.

"Tell me more oh great one." With Lex, flattery could get you a great deal of places, if you knew the right points to rub.

The plan finalized in a few hours, everything mapped out, facilities created from paper and ink, methods of capture devised and prepared to execute. Nothing could go wrong in her eyes. But she felt so at unease with the idea. It was only a matter of a few weeks before this went down and she'd be condemning a man.

Lex walked past Chloe's shoulder, reading the fake new shipping records, the only barely covered details he approved of. It would be easy for Arrow and his team to pick the files out of the Luthor's lots and head straight into the trap without another care. They were walking dead if they set foot in there. Chloe knew in every cell of her body something was wrong, but was this just because this man had touched her, or was it because of something else?

Lex waved her goodnight as war raged in her head. After hours of wakefulness in the bed she decided she had no other option but to intervene, she needed more time more evidence before she could play jury and executioner. Arrow thieved, but he hadn't harmed anymore. He'd destroyed property, but he saved those in need. He'd saved her life… he was doing no maltreatment.

But there was this part of her, the part that drove her to fight, the part that kept her alive when she was alone. It whispered a sinfully sweet idea to her, an idea that bloomed into a full blown luscious daydream. In just a week she could be out of Lex's hands, out of Lionel's grasp… away from the Luthor name in every essence. She could be working for a newspaper in a city anywhere in the world, her name would have glowing references of recommendation, her bank account would never go sour: she could finally live. She could take a holiday every day if she wanted, she could leave her past behind her and start anew. She could make friends she could keep, she could have time as her own. It was what she wanted for a long while, and she could have it. There was a price… but hadn't she paid also?

'What was so bad about her life?'; that was what outsiders asked at her when she dared to even frown. It was the trapped feeling, the leash that Lex could tug at any moment. He could drag her to his feet if he so chose. He had before, he'd demanded she return to him more than once. It was usually only a few week until she'd completed some task his lackeys could not be trusted with, but then she was shooed away again.

To finally be free… she sighed at the clouded dream. It was already far from her, but Arrow could eliminate that distance entirely. Just his name. That was the agreement. No harming him, no capture. Just his name. Chloe breathed out slowly and precisely. There was no harm in a name, it would probably be some run down junkie from the streets anyway. The more she lied to herself the more she felt the burden of the guilt from her deal. This could destroy someone's life, she could be taking a man from everything he knew with one swoop.

Chloe turned over again, the bed welcoming her new shape with ease. Her eyes cast to the patterned ceiling where intricate vines danced between roses. But the rose had stopped singing its song of love to her. All she saw was the graceful fall of the blood red flower as she laid them on her father's grave. If she did this to Arrow, would he end the same? Buried beneath a headstone as roses surround his last remains.

She couldn't do that to a man. He was no menace to society, he stole for good reasons.

A shaky breath tumbled from her parted lips as her eyes started to burn. She knew what she had to do. She'd be forever imprisoned to Lex, but she'd have no dead man on her shoulders. Well, no addition to sit with her father.
She forced her hands to wipe away at her scorched eyes and stood from the bed. Her decision wavered back and forth, but her reasoning stayed true to her morals and she came back to the same solution. Either hand over a man to Lex, or hand herself over. Someone had to lose.

She'd tell Lex in the morning, but right now she wanted something to put her to sleep and Lex had more than enough potions in his liquor cabinet.

Her favourite thing about the Luthor mansion was the beauty of the night swept over it. If you stood outside you could look in at warmth glowing from stained glass windows promising a life you could never know. But it was the light swimming outside in the garden that appealed to her now, the way it broke apart the dark to light up the shy blooms of sleeping flowers. Even looking out as she stood by the window she could imagine how it would feel to have the night's air on her. Her fingers nestled a glass goblet, a manicure was fading from her fingers chipping at the artistic grace she could never learn to admire.

Her free hand reached out to trace the patterns on the glass, once upon a time she had been so awed by the Luthor mansion, she'd been jealous of Clark's friendship with a Luthor, jealous of Lex's attentions to Lana. But time had changed anything, the castle that promised flair and the gorgeous life of those with more money than she could dream became her prison. She longed for the simple days where the biggest problem was whether you could get the homework in on time. But curiosity had landed her on her ass before Lionel. He had kept her because he could, not because he wanted to. No, he had never wanted her.

Her fingers drifted from the window and she cupped the drink again. Just a glass of red wine, just a glass to take away the sting of the life she had to resign to.

"Couldn't sleep?" The soft footsteps had finally made it to her and Lex would be stood in the doorway with his hands in the pockets of trousers too expensive to be worn in the muddy paths of Smallville. She glanced over her shoulder finding her guess entirely correct, Lex was predictable. He stayed leaned on the doorframe as casual as one like him could. Chloe turned back to the window.

"Not tonight." she answered to the glass, her eyes drawing the lines between stars she could vaguely make out. Once she could tell you of the formations they made, she still could if she thought about it. But her care was gone, now they didn't make pretty patterns, they didn't tell stories of the past nor predict the future. They were just burning gas millions of miles away.

"Anything wrong?" he asked, his footsteps closing in to her. With a sigh, she turned back to him, she may as well tell him now.

"I was just going over the research. There are not a lot of faults in Arrow." she spoke fearing the words to follow.

Lex took a moment, then another. But then he strode to the desk close to her with a strange confidence. "There are other things I haven't told you about him Chloe. Things I had buried." Her brow furrowed. "Things Arrow has done that would get him the death penalty. I'll spare you the details, but there's a reason I covered them up. I want him unmasked and made to pay for his crimes, not shot on sight by police."

"Things?" she questioned. "Like what?" Lex sighed and settled into his desk chair.

"I'd rather not have them come to light Chloe, just trust me when I say he is not who you think he is. He is no saviour, he's delusional and needs help. He's taking stupid risks to disable my factories." He paused and met her eyes. "Why use explosives when a simple bug could have wiped out all of my data? Why risk taking lives? He's volatile and going to cross even more lines the longer he's kept out in the streets."

"He hasn't hurt anyone though." she argued, but Lex just inclined his head making her think again. She knew the words out of his mouth before they came.

"He knocked you unconscious, he beat my security, he set explosives, he's shooting arrows in the night like he wants to be a superhero. Is this the kind of man you can trust to keep you safe at night? A change in the wind and you could be whispering your last prayer. Trust me Chloe, I would not go to this effort to catch an innocent man." Chloe felt herself grow cold, Lex stood, taking the goblet from her hands and setting it on the desk. His thumb returned to stroke her cheek. But the gesture felt nothing like care. "This wasn't why I came to find you." he spoke with a sigh. Chloe felt a chill sweep over her shoulders a second time.

"Trouble?"

"I'm hoping it won't stay." Her eyes narrowed.

"Important?"

"That depends." She felt the road block stopping the rest of the information and went to walk away but her hands were manacled by his and she was held a short distance from him. "My father intends to pay me a visit."

Chloe felt like she'd just shattered on the floor at his feet. Darkness swallowed her whole, her world tumbled, freefalling into nothingness with nothing for her to hold onto. She tugged her hands free and stepped away from Lex, making for the exit to back a bag and leave as soon as she could. Again she was stopped by Lex's hand grabbing hers. "There's a chance he won't even come. Business is heavy in Metropolis, I doubt he'll visit, he just wants to prove his omnipresent hired eyes know where you are." Chloe turned back towards Lex, ignoring his body, especially his eyes, instead downing the remaining liquid from the chalice and leaving again. Lex followed her this time. He spoke only when she pulled the suitcase from under the bed. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing Lex?" No anger, no hate… just fear.

"Chloe. It's nothing more than a power play." But he made no more effort to comfort her.

"It's your father. If he wanted a power play he'd scratch a bullet with my name and send it me in the post."

"Ch-"

"No!" she turned sharp, hissing the word at him. Her eyes felt like they were on fire, lava threatening to bubble over the rims. But the longer she argued the closer Lionel could come. She threw herself into the next task of tossing clothes from the wardrobe to the area where the suitcase was. What landed in would be taken, what didn't would be left.

"This is stupid. You can't outrun my father."

"I can try. I've done it before, and I got a good few months of peace before he dragged me back. I know my mistakes. I'm older and wiser. I have contacts and friends all over the globe-"

"And you think he doesn't?" he questioned with a harsh tone. She stopped the packing to rub her fingers over her temples.

"No. I don't Lex." she submitted, and picked up a blouse in her fingers, folding gently before jamming it back into the suitcase. Her moods were flashing on and off, weak to strong. "But I damn well know I won't be anywhere near here when he decides to arrive and terrorise again."

"Chloe. He can't do anything."

"So what would you call the scars he left me with? Is it irrational that I crave no knowledge of the man who still haunts my every peaceful moment?"

"Of course not. But maybe are you overreacting? At least stay until we know if he is going to arrive or not. You'll feel even more stupid for fleeing at the bare mention of his name." The words made sense in a small part of her brain and she allowed sense to take control.

"This suitcase stays packed." she instructed. "The second he sets a toe down in Smallville. Hell, the second he sets toe in his car, or his plane, or his helicopter, I'm out of here!" Lex inclined his head but said nothing more. A few silent moments passed as she sat seething. Lex did nothing to soothe, just left her there, she'd calm herself down. But there was something he needed from her.

"And I presume our deal with Arrow still stands."

Her head nodded with a violence so sharp he through she surely would have had to hurt herself with the motion. With the need for no more Lex closed the door on his way out and made his way to his study far from her ears and tears.

The phone was dialled and he sat with it to his ear while he pulled the newspaper on his lap. Three pages in and an article read 'Luthorcorp takeover Red Industries after three weeks of negotiating' Lionel would be busy in Star city for at least the next few months, taking over the new company meant firing, hiring and paying off anyone who could stand in the way. He wouldn't even conceive the possibility of visiting his son. But Chloe had an internal drive to ignore everything that read with the word Luthor in. Lex chucked the pages into the fire as the phone finally had a voice on the other side.

"Mr Luthor, how can I be of assistance?"

"I need you to be creative Gordon, from the first sightings of Green Arrow to the present, space out some violent crimes with witnesses reporting arrows or green leather. Make it vague and make it appalling. I don't care if he rapes, murders, mutilates or cannibalizes."

"Of course Mr Luthor, on public record?"

"No, just make them for my eyes."

Lex ended the call with that and leaned back against the sofa. Chloe would do the work one way or the other, he wanted Arrow too badly to let her back out. The feint echo of her cries bounced down the halls, it had been years since he had heard that cry from her. A secret smile came to his lips before he could stop it.

Arrow would be his.

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