Next day, Moscow, Russia – A Dangerous Slip

The restaurant hummed with quiet conversation, the clinking of silverware against porcelain filling the air. But to Chloe, the world had suddenly gone silent.

Her own words echoed in her head, repeating like a siren she couldn't turn off.

"He disappears."

She hadn't even realized she had said it.

Jimmy was staring at her now, his smirk widening, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous. He had been playing her, guiding the conversation, leading her exactly where he wanted—

And she had walked straight into his trap.

Her heart pounded. Stay calm, Chloe. Stay calm.

The Hunt Begins

Jimmy leaned forward slightly, his voice smooth, casual—but filled with an unmistakable sharpness.

"You know, that's an interesting choice of words."

Chloe forced a nervous laugh, shifting in her seat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jimmy didn't blink. "Come on, Chlo. We both know Clark is… different."

Chloe clenched her jaw. "Clark is Clark."

Jimmy tilted his head. "Sure. But he always shows up at the perfect time, and—like you just said—he disappears at the worst moments."

Chloe swallowed hard, willing her hands to stop trembling. Damn it. Damn it. She had to shut this down.

"Jimmy, stop." Her voice was firm, but it lacked the conviction she needed.

Jimmy wasn't stopping.

"In all the time I've known Clark, I've never seen him injured. Never seen him sick. Hell, I've barely even seen him bleed." Jimmy's voice was softer now, like he was piecing a puzzle together out loud. "It's like he's not—"

Chloe shot up from her chair, knocking her glass over.

"He's human!"

The words came out harsher than she intended, raw and defensive, shaking with unspoken emotion.

A few people at nearby tables turned to glance at them.

Jimmy just smirked.

That reaction was all he needed.

She had panicked.

She had never panicked before.

Chloe realized it too. And it terrified her.

Her breathing was uneven as she grabbed her coat, not even caring that she had spilled her drink. She needed to get out.

Jimmy leaned back in his chair, watching her with amused curiosity. "Touchy subject, huh?"

Chloe turned away, her voice shaking. "I'm done with this conversation."

She walked out fast, her heart hammering, her mind screaming at her for the mistake she had made.

She never looked back.

But Jimmy sat there, watching her go—smiling to himself.

Because now?

Now he knew.

Somewhere in the Arctic Ocean

The cold, unforgiving waves churned as a fiery streak cut through the sky, crashing into the vast ocean with a violent explosion of steam. The water hissed and bubbled around the sinking wreckage of the Kryptonian escape pod.

For a moment, all was silent.

Then, a figure emerged from the depths.

Clad in black armor, his face shadowed by a battle-worn mask, the Phantom of Zod's army pulled himself onto a nearby iceberg. His glowing red eyes scanned the horizon, taking in the unfamiliar planet before him.

Earth.

His mission was clear—find Kal-El.

With a surge of unnatural speed, he vanished into the snowy expanse, leaving the shattered remains of his ship to sink into the abyss, erasing all traces of his arrival.

The hunt had begun.

Kent Farm, Smallville – Clark's Room

Clark lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind a storm of emotions.

His father's death still weighed heavily on his heart.

Chloe's betrayal—was it a betrayal?—tormented him.

And Jimmy… Clark clenched his fists at the memory of what he had seen in that office window.

The image of Chloe kissing him.

It shouldn't have mattered. Chloe was free to make her own choices. But why did it hurt so much?

A knock on the door.

Clark didn't react. He knew who it was.

Lois.

The door creaked open, and she stepped inside. She had tried to talk to him multiple times over the past few days, but he had shut her down every time.

Lois sighed, crossing her arms. "You're really making me work for this, aren't you, Smallville?"

Clark exhaled but didn't respond.

Lois hesitated before stepping closer. "Look, I know I messed up, okay? I said something I shouldn't have. And I hate admitting when I'm wrong, but I was. So, can you stop being all broody and at least yell at me or something?"

Clark finally turned his head, looking at her with tired eyes. "There's nothing to talk about, Lois."

Lois groaned in frustration. "Ugh! That's exactly what someone not over it would say."

Clark sat up, rubbing his face. "Lois, it's fine. You don't have to apologize again."

Lois narrowed her eyes. "But you haven't forgiven me, have you?"

Clark looked away. He didn't answer.

Lois sighed again, softer this time. "I was angry. And I wanted to get through to you. But what I said… it wasn't fair."

Clark finally met her gaze. "No, it wasn't."

Lois looked at the ground, her voice quieter. "I said you were selfish."

Clark's jaw tightened.

"That you run away when things get hard," she continued. "That you don't let people in. And maybe—maybe that's true sometimes. But what I didn't say is that I know why you do it. And that's on me."

Clark studied her. "Then why do I do it?"

Lois took a deep breath. "Because you care too much."

Clark blinked, caught off guard.

Lois sat on the edge of the bed. "You think if you let people in, if you let yourself be vulnerable, someone will get hurt. And when they do get hurt, you blame yourself. You carry it all—like it's your responsibility."

She looked up at him, her voice softer. "You don't have to do that, Clark."

Clark swallowed hard, looking away. He didn't trust his voice right now.

Lois waited, giving him time to process. Then, finally, she stood.

"I'll stop bugging you now," she said, heading toward the door. Before leaving, she turned back one last time.

"But, for what it's worth…" She hesitated. "You're not alone. Okay?"

Clark didn't respond.

Lois nodded to herself, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Clark sat in silence.

Not alone?

Then why did it feel like he was?

Moscow, Russia – Chloe's Apartment

Chloe sat in her dimly lit apartment, staring blankly at her laptop screen.

She couldn't focus.

Not after what happened with Jimmy. Not after the way she had slipped up.

Her mind replayed the conversation over and over.

"He disappears."

Jimmy had tricked her.

She had been so careful for years, guarding Clark's secret with everything she had. And yet, in one moment of frustration, she had let something slip.

Jimmy was smart. Too smart.

He was already suspicious of Clark.

And now? Now she had practically confirmed it for him.

Chloe clenched her fists, standing abruptly. She had to fix this.

She had to talk to Jimmy before he put the pieces together.

But as she reached for her phone, a soft knock came at the door.

She froze.

Something about it felt wrong.

Slowly, she walked to the door and peeked through the peephole.

Her stomach dropped.

Jimmy.

But there was something off about the way he was standing. His expression was unreadable, his posture too… rigid.

Chloe hesitated before unlocking the door.

The moment she did, Jimmy pushed his way inside.

Her heart pounded. "Jimmy, what the hell—?"

"We need to talk," he interrupted, his voice eerily calm.

Chloe's pulse raced.

She had made a mistake.

A big one.

And now?

Jimmy knew it too.

Jimmy leaned back in his chair, watching Chloe gather the last of the documents with a smirk that was anything but friendly. He twirled a pen between his fingers, his voice dripping with amusement.

Jimmy: "I really am sorry about Clark, you know. I mean, I talked a lot about his personal life yesterday, but you seemed really tense. Like I hit a nerve."

Chloe froze for a second, gripping the folder in her hand a little tighter. She could see it now—there was something dark in Jimmy's eyes. A bitterness that hadn't been there before.

She turned sharply to face him. For a moment, she forgot everything—the years of friendship, the trust they once had—and let the warning slip from her lips before she could stop herself.

Chloe (voice low, dangerously firm): "If anything happens to Clark, especially because of you, I will make sure you regret it."

Jimmy blinked. His smirk faded slightly, replaced by something calculating.

Chloe didn't wait for a response. She stormed out of the room, her heart pounding.

What the hell was that? She barely even recognized herself. She had let emotion get the best of her, let Jimmy see her weaknesses. Worse—she had just confirmed to him that there was something worth digging into.

She exhaled sharply as she stepped into the cold Russian night, pulling her coat tighter around herself.

Clark.

She had to talk to Clark.

Midnight Flight

Clark Kent lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling of his farmhouse bedroom, lost in thought.

Lois had tried to talk to him again earlier that evening. She had been walking on eggshells ever since that night she said those words—words that cut deeper than she could have imagined. But no matter how many times she tried to bring it up, he brushed it off with the same response:

Clark (softly, avoiding eye contact): "It's alright, Lois. No need to apologize. Let's just move on."

But was it really alright?

No.

He could still hear the words in his head. The anger in her voice.

Lois (frustrated, that night): "Maybe you just don't feel anything, Clark! Maybe that's why you never say anything—because deep down, you don't care enough!"

It was a stupid, heat-of-the-moment argument, but it had left a wound. Because it wasn't true. He cared too much.

And now, the one person who had always understood him—Chloe—was slipping away.

The weight of everything pressed down on him. His father's death. His mother so far away. Chloe…with Jimmy.

He sat up abruptly. He couldn't stay here.

The air in the room shifted as he took a breath, his muscles tensing. Then, in a blink, he was gone—soaring through the night sky, faster than the human eye could follow.

Russia

The stars blurred past him as he flew over oceans and continents, his body moving on instinct. Within moments, he was there—Moscow.

He descended, his landing silent in a secluded part of the city. He had memorized the location his mother had sent in her last message. A diplomatic conference, something about strengthening trade relations.

His mother, Martha Kent, always had a way of making things better. Even from across the world.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Clark felt the tightness in his chest ease.

Maybe here, with her, he could finally breathe.

Meanwhile…

Jimmy sat alone in his apartment, replaying the conversation with Chloe over and over again.

"If anything happens to Clark, especially because of you, I will—"

A smile stretched across his lips.

So, she's protecting him. Why?

He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk.

Clark Kent was hiding something.

And Jimmy was going to find out exactly what.