Chapter 5 [Sullivan House]

Disaster spread across LuthorCorp's latest subdivision. Fire jumped from structure to structure. Residents huddled at a safe distance. Searches struggled to account for any missing people. Calls to 911 went unheeded. Horror numbed them in that moment. Homes and Possessions disintegrated. Wind blew Ash higher and higher across the countryside.

Pain continued….

Chloe leaned against Lana's blazer. Shock left her irresponsive. Her eyes remained riveted on her former home. Disbelief crumbled conscious thought. Her head bowed. Tears coursed down her cheeks. Her hands seized onto Lana's. Sobs choked her voice.

Lana stood tall. The elements dispersed Arighatto's hidden dust. Her strength had returned. Still, Loss claimed still more from her. Clothes? Computer? Possessions? Reader, those could be replaced. Chloe, Nell, the Kents, Miranda and Lex remained safe. Clark's telepathic soothing eased her frazzled nerves. Lex's reassurances had come by phone to her. Chloe was safe….

…Gabe…Gabe Sullivan, Chloe's father…Gentle, Warm Hearted, Intelligent Man…granted Horrible Sense of Humor…but a great man, nonetheless. Tremendous and patient host not to mention friend. Love for Daughter guided his mind's last thoughts before the end. That man murdered….

Emotions boiled over inside of Lana. Resentment and Anger burned over Arighatto's continued games. Memoria taunted her with visions of her own parents' deaths. Still, she could not cave. Strength and Resolve held for Chloe's sake. Strength beyond mere abilities…rather from Jor-El's advice. Stolid façade buried said feelings. I'm failing. I can't even help Chloe. I can't help these people. All of these abilities…

FAILING? I SAY NOT! I FEEL THOSE HUMAN EMOTIONS INSIDE OF YOU. YOU STAND TALL AND HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH! YOU CAN NOT GO NEAR THE FLAMES BECAUSE OF THE METEOR DUST! YOU ARE AN EXAMPLE TO THE OTHERS, LANA. I KNOW KAL-EL DOES NOT RESPECT ME AS HE SHOULD. YOU, HOWEVER, ARE SHOWING YOUR WORTH ONCE AGAIN! HOLD THE LINE! A DAUGHTER OF KRYPTON AND THE HOUSE OF EL CANNOT DO ANY LESS! YOU ARE MEETING THAT STANDARD NOW! Jor-El rebutted.

I wish I could do more. I feel alone. I can't expose us any further. Mr. Arighatto's waiting for me to try. He has something ready for Clark and me to try. Lana surveyed the catastrophe in progress. Where are the fire department and Sheriff Adams? She patted Chloe's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Lana, we…we couldn't save him. What did he ever do to Lionel Luthor and Mr. Arighatto? What?" Chloe muttered. Her eyes bobbed up to meet Lana's. "I know it was too late."

"I wish…I wish…Your Dad was so kind. He was great. He didn't…deserve this." Lana felt a familiar strumming across the Link. Breeze rustled her hair. She turned to find Clark standing at her side. "Clark?"

"Lana? Chloe?" Clark grabbed onto both of them. "I'm glad you two are okay! Mom and Dad are coming. I had to be sure." He looked over the flames. "I can't believe he did it again! He was just making fun of Dad and me in the barn this morning."

"We were just talking, Clark." Lana frowned. Emotions cracked her poker face. She leaned close to him. He didn't just blow up the house, Clark. He used kryptonite too. He never stops.

He won't. We have to be strong. Clark supported her. Words failed him further.

INDEED, KAL-EL. YOU MUST BE STRONG FOR YOUR FELLOW HUMANS AND ALLIES, Jor-El admonished. PARKER NEEDS SOMETHING. YOU SHOULD HELP HIM. PERHAPS LANA AND YOU MIGHT GET HIM THERE FASTER?

Jor-El, Sheriff Adams will want to see Chloe and me. We need to tell her our account. Lana looked to Chloe and then to Clark. Questions as to the Sheriff's and Fire Department's location persisted. "Clark, Chloe tried to call 911! They can't get through!"

"Clark? Somehow that bastard shut down 911! How the Hell does someone do that?" Chloe sucked in a couple of breaths. "We've got to put out that fire!"

"Chloe, Lana and I can't get near it. He made sure of that." Clark sized up the fire. He looked around the scene. "Can't believe the fire department can't see the smoke into town." He grimaced. Heavy breaths efforted through his lungs as well. He saw Lex's four-seater screech to a halt nearby. "I have an idea!" He ran toward the car. "LEX!"

Lex got out of the car. He stared at LuthorCorp's investment burning to the ground. His lip curled. "I never thought. How much does he have to do?" He looked around. "Where are Chloe and Lana? Did you find Gabe Sullivan?"

"Lex." Clark motioned toward the aforementioned girls. "Lana and Chloe made it out. Mr. Sullivan's gone. We have a bigger problem. Chloe tried to call 911. Somehow it's blocked."

"Blocked?" Peter managed to get to Clark's and Lex's side. "Not even the Kingpin, Silvermane or the New York Crime Bosses could do this."

"Arighatto and the Ming T 'sai are bigger than the Maggia or Intergang, Peter." Lex shook his head. "This is insane! First Norman Osborn's building! Now my father's development! And for what? For hurt feelings and spite? One of my father's best foremen and a great man…dead? Really?"

Peter sized up the situation. His eye sorted images. His finger tapped Camera's shot button over and over again. Burning buildings, victims and the conditions imprinted on his film. His mind digested the situation. "This isn't just going to be solved here. I have an idea. Lex, can you find out what's going on with 911? Clark, I need a lift to Metropolis and the Planet. Maybe you can…you know?"

"I can do that." Clark turned to Lana. "Chloe, think you're up to talking to someone about this? Since Sheriff Adams isn't here, we have to let people know." He typed away on his phone. "Just sending Mom and Dad a text so they know." He pressed send and put the phone back in his pocket. "Okay. I'm good." He picked Peter up with his left arm. "Make sure your camera and those pictures are secure."

Pete tucked the pictures into his coat pocket. The camera remained on its strap around his neck. "I'm good."

Chloe nodded. "I'm with Mr. Parker on this one." She shot them all a firm look. "I'll handle it. I can mourn Dad later. Right now, I…I have to be strong." Icy pain stabbed through her heart. "Lana, I'll talk to the Planet."

"I'll cover for you in the meantime, Clark and Lana. Just get there and get back. Chloe, I'm sorry about your Dad. He didn't deserve this. Bad enough Dad fired him. We'll get to the bottom of it. Peter, go with them. You should take yesterday's pictures with you. I'm going to town. We need to get to the bottom of this. Chloe, you should come with Gwen, Mr. Stacy and me." Lex looked about the scene again. Paperwork and damage assessments ran through his mind.

Peter pondered Situation's intricacies and potential pitfalls. A sudden arrival in Metropolis with film less than three hours old risked precious secrets. "By the way, can you take this with you?" He handed his camera over to Lex. "Showing up with a film from Smallville in less time than it takes to drive would seem suspicious."

Peter's suggestion impressed Lex. "Good thinking, Peter." He accepted the camera. "We'll take care with this. Be careful."

Clark and Lana sped away through the woods and toward the state road beyond them. Urgency and Purpose propelled them faster and faster still. They'd need to avoid the FBI and the Metropolis PD. Still Daily Planet could accomplish their purposes overall.

"Guys, I…." Lex regarded the now-empty space next to himself. "How do they do that?" He rubbed the back of his neck. Necessity demanded a trip downtown. Then he could check the Talon and the 911 hotline. "Let's get you a coffee and some breakfast, Chloe. Then we can start for Metropolis. If you change your mind, you don't have to do this."

Chloe shook her head. "I'm not backing down, Lex. I've had enough of these games. Thanks for the understanding though. Let's get that film into the Planet." She walked toward his vehicle.

Lex nodded. Respect and Admiration boosted his regard for her in that particular moment. She pushed through Arighatto's harassment, his and Lionel's threats, Miranda's situation and their new friends' issues. She defied Trauma and Tragedy in Justice's service. He simply had to watch her to see those qualities for himself.

Mysteries upon mysteries all around….