Chapter 4
"Miss Lang, better luck next time. Mr. Fordman, the same. Perhaps it would be better if you spent more time studying, and less time with your girlfriend. Miss Sullivan, well done. I'm glad some people can pay attention."
Then she came to Clark, their eyes meeting for a moment before she smiled.
"Excellent work Mr. Kent. Keep it up."
He just nodded, and Natasha continued on, critiquing some students and praising others, handing out the last exam as the bell rang for dismissal. The class walked out, leaving Natasha alone with her thoughts. Well, one thought in particular. A thought that gave her hope and also filled her with dread. She sighed, deciding she would talk to Clark about it later. In the end it would be his decision. Besides, she had another person she needed to speak to.
"Miss Romanoff, please come in." Principal Reynolds said after his secretary had announced Natasha's presence. She walked into the office, noticing the mahogany desk he sat behind, and the two wooden chairs in front of it. The chairs were placed in such a way that whoever sat in them was forced to look up at Reynold's. It was a classic tactic meant to make someone feel inferior. That, plus the lack of anything personal in the office only confirmed what she had already determined. Reynolds was a man who loved his power, and little else. Which would make what she was here to do easier than she thought.
"So, how has your first week been?" He asked after it had become apparent that she wasn't going to sit down.
"About what I expected. But I'm not here to talk about my week." She told him seriously.
"Then what are you here to talk about?"
"The Scarecrow tradition. It needs to end."
"Miss Romanoff...Natasha. You are not from around here. You don't understand what the Scarecrow is. It's a tradition that has been in place since before I was a student here. Asking the students to halt that tradition could cause a lot of problems."
"Then don't ask. Last time I checked, high school wasn't a democracy. As for any supposed problems you may have, I'm sure you can explain them away by citing student safety. After all, that is the truth."
"I'm afraid I don't quite follow you. It's just a harmless prank."
Natasha sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Reynold's stupidity. He was more concerned about tradition than he was about people's lives.
"I beg to differ. Tying someone to a post and leaving them to hang there overnight in nothing but their boxers is not a prank. It's torture and attempted murder. When someone is tied to a post they can die from prolonged exposure to the elements. Not to mention the amount of pressure that is being put upon them just to breath. It's more likely that someone will die of asphyxiation. Now tell me, what's more important? The people who will be upset because you got rid of a tradition or the people who will try and sue the school when someone ends up dead because of your so-called prank?"
"Point taken. I will address the issue. If there's nothing else?" He asked, and she shook her head.
"No. Thank you for your time." She said before walking out of the office. Now all she had to do was talk to Clark.
"Do mine eyes decieve me or is Clark Kent actually walking into the Torch?" Chloe asked from where she sat next to Pete.
Clark just laughed before sitting in the office's other chair.
"I'm sorry. It's been a busy couple days."
"Sure Clark. I think you've just been busy with a certain brunnete we all know." She replied, and Clark groaned.
"I'm not interested in Lana Lang."
"Bull." Pete broke in. "You've been in love with her since you were five years old."
"In my experience the people you loved when you were five years old aren't the people you love when you're in your teens and twenties." Natasha said from the doorway.
"Miss Romanoff. Something I can help you with?" Chloe asked, and Natasha resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the jealousy she heard in the blonde's voice. Chloe's infatuation with Clark was well known. In fact, the only person who didn't seem to know about it was Clark.
"No thank you Miss Sullivan. Mr. Kent, can I have a moment of your time when you're done here?"
"It would be my genuine pleasure." He replied, and she smiled before walking out of the room.
"What does she want with you Clark?" Chloe asked, and Clark shook his head.
"No idea."
"Well whatever it is, it can't be about schoolwork." Pete said, making Chloe glare at him.
"And just how would you know that?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense. It's not like he needs extra help in class or anything."
"He's still in the room you know? Anyway, I just came to drop off that interview you wanted Chloe. I'd better go see what our newest teacher wants."
"Whatever Clark." She replied, not looking up as he walked out. Pete just walked over and put his arm around Chloe's shoulders.
"You wanted to see me?" Clark asked where he stood just outside Natasha's door.
"I did. Come in."
He did so, choosing to stand across from her as opposed to taking a seat. Natasha raised an eyebrow, but didn't react otherwise.
"People are going to talk you know. If we keep meeting like this." He said, and she smirked.
"Let them talk. I could really care less what the majority of these people think of me." She replied, and he laughed.
"I get the feeling you didn't just want to chat. Otherwise you would've called or just shown up outside my door."
"You're right. Call me paranoid, but I didn't want to run the risk of someone listening in on our conversation. Which is likely to happen if we discussed what we're about to over the phone. As for showing up outside your door...well your dad would just love another reason to hate me." She said, and he just looked at her in confusion.
"I'm not making much sense am I?"
"Not really no."
"Okay. Well, I was thinking about our conversation last night, and I think I can help you control your powers so that you don't-"
"Kill anyone else?" He asked bitterly, and she just nodded, knowing that there was no point in sugarcoating it. Clark had killed someone, and neither of them could change that fact, much as they might wish to.
"Yes. You know what I'm capable of, who I was before I met you. I know how to fight, but more importantly, I know how to do it so that I ensure the outcome I want. If I wanted someone dead, I killed them. If I wanted them unconscious or immobile, I did that too. I can teach you to always get the outcome you want. You'll never have to kill anyone else again."
"The downside is that I will now be capable of doing so, even without my gifts."
"Exactly. And there's one other thing. Well, two really. If you're going to learn to fight, you need to learn to put your opponent down hard and fast."
"In other words, I inflict the maximum amount of damage possible without killing them." Clark said, and Natasha nodded.
"What's the second thing?" He asked, and she grimaced. This more than anything else was why she was hesitant about teaching him how to fight.
"There's a major risk if I teach you. The work you do putting these meteor infected away, it won't go unnoticed. Especially with what I am going to teach you. SHIELD and Hydra and goodness only knows who else, has an interest in people with skills and abilities. There is every chance that someone will come looking for you. They will want you to fight for them, and when you refuse, they will try to take you by force."
"Even SHIELD?"
"Even SHIELD. Fury appointed Phil Colson Director-"
"Isn't he supposed to be dead?" Clark interjected, and Natasha just smiled.
"Long story. I'll tell you some other time. Anyway, there are certain factions within SHIELD who won't like Fury appointing his number one man as Director. Those people will come after you. They will want to use you to gain control of SHIELD, and then wipe out whoever they consider threats to their agenda."
"I won't be anyone's weapon. I'll die first."
"It won't come to that. I won't let it."
"How do you propose to stop whoever comes for me? I don't want you hurt because of me."
"Thank you. I have some people who owe me favors. I'll make false I.D.'s for us so that if and when people show up to take you we can disappear."
"We?" He asked, and she nodded.
"We. You didn't actually think I was going to let you go on the run by yourself did you?"
He didn't respond. Instead, he walked over to the door and shut it before walking back over to her.
"Why?"
His question was so quiet she barely heard it. But she did, and it tore at her very soul. That one question, that one word was filled with so much pain. As if Clark couldn't begin to imagine why anyone would want to help him, as if he didn't believe himself worthy of her help.
"Why what?" She asked finally.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? You don't even know me."
"I could ask you the same question. Do you have any idea how much money you could get if you turned me over to Hydra? To the SVR? The Iranians would pay plenty. Come to think of it, so would every country in the world. With the possible exception of Switzerland."
"You're my friend. What other reason do I need?"
"That's why I'm helping you Clark. You're my friend."
For a moment the two of them were silent, both of them feeling as though they could get lost in each others eyes.
"So, that training you were offering...when do we start?"
"We just did."
Kent Farm-6:00 P.M.
"Our number's-"
"On the fridge, I know. Relax mom, it's only Metropolis. I'll be fine for a couple days. You and dad enjoy your anniversary."
"Clark, just...be careful okay?" His dad said, and Clark just nodded his head in response.
Thirty minutes after his parents left, he heard the front door open.
"You're early." He said as Natasha walked into the house, having traded her blouse and skirt for jeans and a gray t-shirt.
"Is that a problem?"
"Not at all. Would you like something to eat?" He asked, indicating the pasta that still sat on the stove.
"That would be great. Thank you." She said, and he just smiled before putting some pasta into a bowl, and topping it with some Parmesan cheese.
"This is really good. Did you make it yourself?" She asked, and he nodded.
"One of the benefits of growing up on a farm. I don't have any vodka but-"
"Water's fine." She said with a smile. He smiled in return before setting the glass beside her.
The two ate in silence, occasionally offering the other a smile. A few moments later they cleared the table and walked into the barn where Natasha began Clark's first lesson.
"Where's the best place to hit someone to take them out of a fight?" Natasha asked, and Clark was silent for a moment while he considered her question.
"That depends on their abilities."
"Very good. You just learned your first lesson. Never assume that every opponent can be beaten the same way. With your abilities, you have an opportunity to analyze your opponent. Take that split-second to try and determine their weakness. Then exploit it."
Clark nodded, and opened his mouth to speak only to shut it as he heard something in the loft above them. From the look on Natasha's face she had heard it too. Clark walked up the stairs, Natasha following silently behind him, the two coming to a stop in front of shaking bales of hay. Clark picked one up as Natasha grabbed the other, revealing a man who was shaking so bad he almost looked like he was on drugs.
"Earl?" Clark asked, recognizing the man as the farmhand Jonathan Kent had employed for several years.
"Clark...Need to see...dad."
"My dad's outta town Earl. Let me get you to a doctor."
"No...No Doctor...Need to get to Luthor...Level Three..Luthor."
"After we get you to a doctor." Clark said, reaching to help the man to his feet, only to be thrown into Natasha when he touched the man's arm. The two were thrown backward over the balcony that seperated the loft from the rest of the barn, Clark turning so that he landed on his back, holding Natasha to his chest.
"Are you okay?" Clark asked a moment later, brushing a strand of hair out her face.
"I'm fine. Quite comfortable actually." She said with a smirk, and he blushed before helping her to her feet. The two went back upstairs only to find that Earl Jenkins had disappeared.
"Well it dosen't look like he destroyed anything." Clark said as they walked around the barn a moment later.
"No, but I think our fall did." Natasha said, from where she stood. Clark cursed softly as he walked over to her. She was standing on top of a destroyed piece of tarp; a tarp that until a few moments before had covered Clark's spaceship.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review, and the next chapter will be up soon!