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Clark watched Chloe stride forward purposefully towards the lift reflecting on his upcoming showdown with Perry White. He glanced back at Lou to see that he was busy filing some kind of paperwork and reluctantly made his way for the lift. Great, my second day and I'm already being dragged through the mill. What a fantastic education Chloe gave me while working under her for the Torch...

The mild mannered reporter waited in the elevator as it ascended and stepped out onto 1980s style carpet once his floor finally arrived. Rounding the corner to the corridor that ended in his boss' office, he saw Cat Grant walking towards him. "Hey Cat, how are you feeling?"

The slinky blonde rolled her eyes, "C'mon Clark, I got drunker than that when I was fourteen. I'm fine but I'm worried about you. Please tell me that wasn't the wildest night of your life?"

"No," Clark shifted under her intense gaze, the sarcastic smile pulling from her lips not making things any easier, "but I did have fun last night, we should definitely do it again."

"I'll call your bluff this time Kent," Cat smirked moving past him, "you're probably going to need a drink after going in there."

"Is he that mad?" asked a nervous Clark.

"That drink I mentioned will probably turn into a survival party after enduring the wrath of the Chief," Cat laughed, enjoying watching the tall man cower at her words. It was a funny sight, seeing the broad shouldered Clark shrinking at the thought of what was essentially an old man.

"Wish me luck then," Clark requested, giving her a half hopeful grin.

"You're going to need it," Cat gloated once again as she glided from Clark's view.

Accepting the fact that there was nothing he could do, Clark trudged his way to the glass door. Cat had put the fear of God in him and serversl stories from Chloe uneasily rose to the front of his memory as he knocked on the door. "Come in," came the gruff voice from inside, summoning in the lamb to be slaughtered.

Clark to a deep breathe to steady himself and pushed on the fancy glass door. He had never really been in trouble at school or in college (aside from the regular meteor freaks that wrecked havoc and death upon his hometown until he heroically put a stop to it) and he was extremely nervous about his first proper telling off. It was an odd feeling for a twenty two year old. Surely they can't fire me on my second day? Lois and Chloe have got into tons more trouble than this- I know, I've had to get them out of it enough times...

"Good morning Mr White," Clark started, figuring a standard, confident-ish greeting was still in order. His body language told a completely different story, one of an eight year old who had been caught arm deep in the cookie jar.

"Good morning Mr Kent, would you mind taking a seat," Perry White instructed, pointing at the chair that Clark had only sat in twenty four hours ago. As he took his place, the old man got up. Maybe this won't be too bad. Cat seems to have over exaggerated about how angry he is. Maybe she was pulling my leg? Maybe this is just a meeting to see if I have settled i- "What the bloody hell Kent?!"

"I'm sorry sir?" stuttered Clark, not to sure how to respond to that.

"I mean Great Caesar's ghost what is wrong with you man?" The old man ranted, walking side to side behind his desk. Clark squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, trying desperately to find somewhere to look other than his boss. "I wanted you to keep an eye on Lane, keep her on some kind of leash, but you've only gone and replicated her exact behaviour. What were you thinking Kent?"

Clark paused before answering. He was glad he had never got in this situation before now. "The Daily Planet stands for truth and justice right? That means not taking Luthor's dirty money that I know he's offered you before and asking him the questions that he doesn't want answering. If that means also being booted out of his precious press conference, then so be it," Clark replied, standing by his earlier judgement. Please don't blow up in my face, please don't blow up in my face...

"So you thought it necessary to piss off the richest and most powerful man in America, bar the President, to keep up the reputation of the paper as a nitty gritty publication that still has class? Great Caesar's ghost! What do they put in that corn you love so much in the hick town that the danger loving trio Lane, Sullivan and yourself grew up in?" The ageing editor shouted, stopping his pacing and raising his arms for emphasis.

"There's a couple of things wrong with those questions sir," Clark responded with a little more courage having been given confidence from the allegation that Smallville was the problem. "Lex Luthor is now running a campaign to work in the White House, therefore it's more important than ever before to find that something dirty on him that everyone who has actually met the man knows he is hiding. It's my job to do that as well as helping Lois stay out of trouble. And if there's anything wrong with that hick town, it's that there was nothing to do there so, unlike most of the reporters you have out there, we had to put ourselves in life threatening danger every dayjust to have some fun!" Clark bellowed back, standing up. "Sir," he added meekly, returning his bum to the leather seat, trying to lapse back into the bumbling Clark Kent persona.

There was a very pregnant pause.

Suddenly the old man broke out into a roaring laugh, bending over double and clutching his stomach. Clark sat there, his hands (which would be clammy if not for the whole alien thing) nervously, clumsily intertwined, watching his Editor in Chief sob in hysterics awkwardly. Finally the man recovered, wiping his eyes. "Great Caesar's ghost, I haven't laughed like that since Jimmy Olsen suggested that his bow ties were cool," he managed, struggling for breath. "You've got balls Kent, I'll give you that. I'll also give you this; if you screw up like that again- doesn't matter if it's front page material- I'll have your desk so fast you'll-"

Clark saw the explosion ripping from the top of the building opposite the Daily Planet before he heard it and made a split second decision. Instantly switching into superspeed, the last son of Krypton jumped from his chair, flipping over his boss in a manoeuvre that would have fit in well in a cheesy cop movie. Landing on the other side, he threw out his arms to protect the old man as the he watched the giant pane of glass flex and bulge towards him before shattering into an uncountable number of pieces.

Perry White picked himself off the ground, staring at the shards of broken glass that now stuck out of every surface in his office at odd angles. He was confused to find that he hadn't been injured in the slightest and he turned towards the source of the explosion. "Great Caesar's ghost! Kent get out there," he shouted his instructions, spinning around at a pace not normally associated with his age, to find that the mild mannered reporter had gone. "That's why you hired him Perry," he muttered to himself, carefully picking up his phone.

xxXxx

Author's Note: Heyooo my fellow fans of Smallville and thanks again for dropping by for the 23rd chapter of this ongoing fic. I am so grateful for your support, whether it is through views, reviews, follows or favourites. So thank you for that.

I really really enjoyed writing this chapter. It was both serious and silly at the same time and I can't get enough of Cat's and Perry's characters. They are ridiculously fun to write and I hope you find that I have represented them well enough. I'm not sure how many Ghosts we saw in the chapter but I'm sure it's a fair few. Almost onto the epic battle that I have literally been planning since February when this all began but first a couple most perspectives. I know, I am the worst tease in the world.

Onto my favourite people: reviewers! (Trust me, there's more love every time I repeat that hahaha). To the guest who wrote a couple reviews all the way back in chapter 3 and 4, thank you for taking the time to read my story. I don't think I'll include Chloe's power as it always seems like a cheap cop out in some fanfiction that it's used in. It just seems a bit overused. But I would like to introduce Bart, god knows when, probably in about three years at this rate! What does ppms mean? Thanks again. Thank you Honey in the Sunshine for the review and I love your screen name. How can anyone be depressing about about Chlollie? They are my OTP after all! haha I am happy beyond belief that you like the multi plots/perspectives aspect. I was getting worried about if it was getting too complicated. I hope you enjoy this chapter and see you next time! Thanks malugargula, that's stupidly kind of you :) I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope this chapter is a good as the last lot! Onto the best person ever: Flpirate305. Firstly, can I ask you what the meaning is behind your name? It makes me laugh, not in a bad way I just like pirates... I agree, the mystery would be better- I'll implement that into later plot lines- I just like depicting his descent into madness in detail. Your comment about Oprah made me laugh out loud. I have to confess at loving the sisterly bond between Chloe and Lois and they are so fun to write. And I can promise you for sure the Green Arrow is always around, hiding something up his quiver. Thank you, America was the best. I wasn't really into Disney but it's not really got the same importance/hysteria over here to be honest. I love any accent really, but with the spread of American TV, it has to be said that your accents are cute haha Hope you enjoy and thanks again!

I'll see you all next time and check out my new fix: Out of Time, if you want. I appreciate that you are all very busy though. Cheers!