I do not own Smallville, it belongs to its creators.

Rating subject to change.

Chapter Five

Chloe had eventually managed to get about an hour of sleep. Waking up she'd glared balefully at her alarm clock which showed it wasn't even close to time enough for her to be up yet.

Too much had occupied her mind to grant her a pleasant slumber. The conversation with her father had haunted her throughout the night; try as she might to clear her mind or occupy her thoughts with something else.

It was as the hours passed by and she lay staring up at her ceiling that everything had begun to really sink in. Feelings of anger, hurt and betrayal had overwhelmed her.

One thought had played over and over again in her mind. Her father had lied to her. He had lied to her, her entire life.

Chloe had no idea how to deal with that knowledge. Even now she could feel a weight in her throat and tears building up behind her eyes, but she refused to cry. No, she couldn't break down right now. If she let herself cry, released those feelings, she would end up easily forgiving him.

She could hold a grudge like nobody's business but it took effort and control over her emotions. Allowing herself to cry would be letting go of that control. She forgave a lot easier than she would have liked, and when it came to her father she could never quite stay mad at him. Plus it was more like forgave but never forgot to be more accurate.

Sniffling, she ran a hand over her eyes trying to stem her tears. Okay, laying down was no longer conducive since it appeared she wouldn't be catching anymore sleep. Pulling herself up from bed Chloe pushed the covers off and swung her legs around to sit on the edge of the bed.

While letting the feeling gradually return to her legs she glanced around her room. Chloe frowned as she realized her room had become quite the mess. She made note to clean it up before she left for school. The last thing she needed was her father lecturing her about neatness.

Standing up she stretched with a yawn feeling her muscles pull themselves. She ran in place a few times to shake off the last dredges of sleepiness before picking her clothes from yesterday off the floor

It took longer than she would have liked to pick up the clothes strewn around the room, and to put various odds and ends back in their proper place. But it was worth it to be able to walk around her room without tripping over something.

Chloe sat at her computer deciding surfing the web was as good a way to pass the time as any. Just as she was about to play a game of StarCraft she noticed a sticky note reminding her to reply to Justin Gain's latest email.

Justin was the Torch's resident artist, and her part-time friend, who drew a much loved comic strip called the Flaming Crows Feet. Sadly, seven months ago while crossing the street he was struck head on by a speeding car. The bastard that hit him didn't even stop to see if he was alive.

Luckily someone came across him in their car and called for help. Justin was air lifted to the hospital barely hanging on to his life. After several life threatening surgeries, he managed to pull through only to be faced with an intense regimen of physical therapy ahead of him.

Her father had driven her to Metropolis to see him as soon as he was allowed visitors. Chloe couldn't help wincing as she remembered how he had been covered in a full body cast with all kinds of wires connected to his body from a horde of machines. He had remained unconscious during her entire visit, but that hadn't stopped her from talking to him about everything and nothing for about a half hour trying to give him some comfort. She'd gone to visit him a couple of more times after with Justin being awake for some of them.

She watched over months as he slowly healed, shedding his full body cast and tentatively learning how to walk again. Yet, not everything healed perfectly. His hands had been mangled almost beyond recognition. There had been several reconstructive and plastic surgeries to try and make his hands functional again.

Though if Justin's latest letter was anything to go by that might never happen.

Dear Chloe,

How are you? I hope you're feeling better since the accident. I'm really glad you're okay. Luckily the fall wasn't as bad as it could've been for you. I don't know what I would do if you had died. The world would definitely be a lot dimmer without you in it.

Anyway, I'm due for another surgery on my hands tomorrow. Dr. Wells says it should vastly improve my mobility, but he can't give me any guarantees. Honestly, I'm starting to give up hope that I'll ever be able draw again. What am I supposed to do Chloe? Drawing is the only thing I'm good at. If I can't use my hands anymore… I don't know what I'll do if this surgery doesn't work out. I really hope it works.

But enough about me. Tell me what's been going on in Smallville. I know, I know. I must be pretty bored wanting to know what's going on in Smallville, right? Well you try spending all your time in a hospital that mostly consists of sick little kids. Really makes you wonder if you were that annoying at that age, but I digress. How's your Dad doing? What about Clark and Pete? I know you told me you and Clark are on hiatus in your friendship. Is it still that way? You know, for all his charm, Kent can be a right ass when he wants to be. Hopefully I'll be able to come home soon. I can't wait to see you again.

Best regards,

Justin Gaines

Chloe sincerely hoped Justin's surgery worked out in his favor. She knew how much his art meant to him. It was his whole world, without it… If worst came to worst, she'd try and help him through the ordeal. He had shown a lot of concern for her after her own accident, even calling to check up on her as soon as he heard.

It was always nice to see how much people cared about you. So many of her old friends from Metropolis had reached out to her in concern when they learned what happened. Chloe had realized guiltily, that she hadn't spoken to some of them in quite some time. She would have to change that.

And maybe when Justin came back they could become better friends? It was worth a shot. At the very least it seemed like he was interested in her.

She quickly composed an email updating him on her life (omitting the more recent details), and the current happenings in Smallville. Closing with a few words of encouragement, Chloe sent it off.

As she got ready for school Chloe's thoughts turned to her friendship with Clark.

In light of recent events, the problems with their friendship now seemed insignificant in comparison but not by any means non-existent. In fact now it was kinda ironic. She had accused him of keeping secrets, and now she had a secret of her own to keep. A secret she didn't even know she had been keeping until yesterday.

Had she overreacted to some of the things he said? Perhaps. On the other hand he had called out her integrity and loyalty as a friend and that had stung.

Chloe realized she had overstepped an unspoken boundary by looking into his adoption, yet she had never planned to make her findings public knowledge. It was to satisfy her curiosity only. What would the population of Smallville High care about Clark's adoption anyway? He wasn't the only person in town who had been adopted. Why did he act like her looking in to his adoption would uncover some deep dark secret? Unless he had a secret to hide.

The Kent's appeared to be the average all-American family. Yet, there seemed to be more that lay beneath the surface. Though from their suspicious reactions to her simple interview questions, part of it had to do with Clark's adoption. The questions she'd asked had barely been probing, or invasive. They were the same questions you'd ask any parent with an adopted child; she had done a little research on the subject.

Something was definitely rotten on the Kent farm. The question was: should she find out what for herself, or wait till Clark finally decided to let her in on the secret? It was a tough decision.

They had been friends for years but lately it felt like they were strangers. It had only occurred to her in recent days that their friendship lacked a certain intimacy. She could tell you any number of things about Clark. She could you his favorite colors, foods, subjects, heck, even his shoe size. But if you were to ask her if she knew anything personal about Clark, something that only his closest friends would know; she wouldn't be able to do it.

They didn't really talk about anything personal, or rather Clark never did. She wondered how she hadn't realized that before. How she would talk and pour out some of her secrets to him and he would just nod along listening, but would never really reciprocate, would never tell her what was going on in his head. Getting him to give his opinion even on simple things was like pulling teeth. Clark was like the Fort Knox when it came to keeping things locked away. Hell sometimes she thought he was more secretive than she was.

She already had an inkling of what Clark's secret was. Turning Chloe opened the top drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. Reaching in, she pulled out her special journal. It was a hardcover, black leather journal that contained all the information she had on students she suspected on having special abilities. It was coded in a special language she had made up herself consisting of numbers, letters and different languages.

Chloe flipped it open to one of the few earmarked pages at the front of the book. At the top of the page was the name 'Clark Kent' along with his birthdate, sex, and height. Continuing down there were notes on his physical characteristics, parents and how long he had lived in Smallville. Beyond that were her speculations about his possible abilities.

So far, she speculated that he had super speed, super strength, and possible invulnerability.

The only one she was completely sure of was the super speed (teleportation had been ruled out due to the gust of wind that usually accompanied his exits). There was far too much evidence in its favor, and she didn't believe in constantly reoccurring coincidences. How Clark managed to arrive at school seconds after, or even before, the bus dropped them off even though there was no evidence of anyone having dropped him off was impossible. Then there was the way he would disappear in a second, far beyond any normal human speed or that of any vehicle he could possibly get his hands on, to save the day just in time even though the danger was miles away.

She had no idea whether he was some kind of super mutant, or a meteor freak jacked to a hundred. Either way, his dual or triple power set was not normal. Clark Kent was in a category all his own.

More baffling though was the fact that no one else seemed to realize, or at least point out what to her was so obvious. Of course, there was the possibility they knew but didn't care.

Everything else she had on Clark was pure speculation. Many of the metahumans Clark had fought and saved people from were powerful. She knew that from firsthand experience. Still somehow Clark found a way to defeat them all without a scratch. Well, except for that time he went up against Eric Summers, but she counted that as a fluke. It was very possible that Eric was stronger than Clark. In order for him to walk away from these experiences unscathed unlike the victims he rescued, he had to have some kind of super strength, or invulnerability, or both.

So far, those were the only abilities she suspected Clark of having. To absolutely confirm these abilities she would need to catch Clark using them. Which again raised quite the dilemma.

Because Clark was her friend she hadn't quite gone the whole nine yards in finding out his secret. Which for her included stalking, breaking and entering, and the occasional surveillance.

Since they were no longer friends she could more freely do these things as she had no allegiance to him. However, as his friend that would be considered a major breach in privacy and trust.

Whether she was his friend or not, investigating him still carried the stiff penalty of losing his friendship forever. IF she was caught that was.

For all Chloe knew, she could just as easily find out his secret through no effort of her own. Clark Kent wasn't exactly known for his discretion, else his name wouldn't come up in so many police reports. He was lucky his dad was friends with the sheriff, otherwise he would have long ago been put under police scrutiny from being at so many crime scenes.

And there was always the possibility he would tell her himself. But she wouldn't hold her breath for that one. If he hadn't told Pete, and she was mostly positive he hadn't, who had been his friend the longest, odds were he wouldn't be telling her any time soon. Lana wasn't even a consideration.

Chloe still very much wanted Clark's friendship. She hadn't lied when she told him he was important to her. He and Pete had become constant fixtures in her life. Losing either of them would majorly suck. Even if they weren't the best friends she'd ever had. Honestly, she didn't think she would ever share as special and close a friendship as she had with her first friend, Barbara again. Not in this lifetime, and definitely not in Smallville.

The question was: Could she stifle her curiosity where Clark was concerned? Especially when it appeared that something weird seemed to happen every couple of weeks with Clark right in the thick of it.

There was also the fact she didn't like being lied to, or put upon when he tried to cover for his strange behavior. Nor did she like nearly having her head bitten off for daring to ask him something he considered personal. He always got that defensive look on his face and treated her like she was the Spanish Inquisition. Most people didn't act so extreme about things like that where a friend was involved. The most frustrating thing was that she could never figure out with him what was and wasn't off limits. He never took the time to explain himself.

To her friendship was a two way street. You gave as much as you took; lately it seemed like she was doing all the giving, and Clark all the taking. His world revolved around himself, his parents, Lana, Lex and saving the day. There was hardly any room for her or Pete these days.

There was nothing wrong with focusing on yourself or your parents, or even making new friends. It was when you started forgetting about your old friends that things became a problem. He was spending more time chasing after Lana, and hanging out with Lex than with her and Pete lately.

It was fine that he asked her to do research for him, sometimes she was already looking into what he wanted, but it was not fine that he tended to blow her and Pete off when they wanted to hang out, or were already together. The latter happening usually when Lana was in sight.

She got that he wanted to be the hero, that was cool and everything but if he was really trying to keep his abilities a secret he was doing a shit job. By always being the hero Clark was unintentionally putting himself in the limelight. If he wasn't careful he would land himself on someone's radar who would do whatever it took to find out his secrets and use it against him.

He was so naïve about how the world worked. How did he not realize this? And if he did, why the hell was he being so contrary? She'd bet every cent of the money she stole that when it finally happened he would have that cute, but stupid and confused look on his face that he wore more often than not.

"Urgh," Chloe growled in frustration. Clark Kent could be so infuriating. Why couldn't he actually be the simple farm boy he proclaimed to be? Things would be so much easier.

Then there was also the crush she had on Clark. The crush she'd harbored since they first met.

It wasn't hard to understand the attraction. Clark was gorgeous, with his dark hair, angelic face, sharp cheekbones, pouty lips, and expressive blue eyes. Not to mention he was sweet, kind, caring, and was pretty funny when he wanted to be. He was also self-centered, self-righteous, and more than a little unobservant, but that was beside the point.

Chloe wasn't sure if continuing to try and pursue a relationship with him was the best idea. It had been almost two years and Clark hadn't shown any interest at all. She had dropped hints both big and small of having a crush on him only to receive blank, or even uncomfortable looks in return.

It also didn't help that he only had eyes for Lana Lang. Chloe scoffed in derision as she thought about Smallville's pretty pink princess. For the life of her she couldn't see what Clark saw in her besides a pretty face. Actually, for that matter she didn't know what anybody in Smallville saw in Lana Lang that made her so special.

It had actually surprised her that Clark hadn't lost an ounce of interest even after the scarecrow fiasco. You would think after witnessing how easily Lana brushed off Whitney's actions and continued to date him that Clark would get the picture. Lana Lang didn't care about him. Oh, she appeared to care for him now, but considering she had yet to bring things off with Whitney, it seemed an awful lot like she was stringing Clark along. That he was her back up if things didn't work out with Whitney, or she just liked having his full attention. Chloe didn't know which it was but it was definitely one or the other.

Trying to figure out how Lana wielded so much influence had led to her having her very own page in Chloe's journal. Chloe believed Lana had the power to influence people, particularly those who had been born in Smallville, through excreting some kind of pheromone. Considering the fact she had been wearing a piece of meteor rock around her neck since she was a child, the girl was definitely a meteor mutant.

How else could you explain her, a fourteen year old, being able to date an eighteen year old Whitney without anyone batting an eyelash? She didn't even wanna speculate about whether they were physically involved or not. Seeing as Whitney was the textbook definition of a red-blooded American male, he was fucking someone, even if it wasn't Lana.

Then there was the fact people gave her whatever she wanted with just a bat of her eyelashes; or by talking about how her parents had died. Chloe didn't even hang out with Lana but she'd been around her enough to be able to recount that sob story word for word. It was disgusting.

Her parents died when she was three. How much could she really remember about them? And if she wasn't over their deaths by now then she never would be.

Chloe wasn't sure if she did it unconsciously or on purpose. While it was amusing to assume Lana was the typical airhead, she had shown herself to be quite intelligent. Though intelligence aside, it was unlikely Lana was unaware of the influence she had over people. Chloe had yet to gather enough solid evidence to prove her theories; and short of kidnapping and experimenting on Lana, odds were she wouldn't get the chance anytime soon.

Perhaps it was time to put her feelings for Clark behind her. It would be hard enough trying to be friends again without also pinning to be his girlfriend. Look how well that strategy was working out for Clark with Lana.

Maybe she could give Pete a chance. She didn't really feel anything for him except friendship but it only seemed fair to give him a shot. After all, she had mistakenly assumed his constant flirting was just Pete being Pete rather than him actually liking her.

Still the thought of dating him didn't enthuse her in the least. Idly, she wondered if that was how Clark felt about her. It was something to think about.

Closing the journal and setting it back in the nightstand she looked over at her alarm clock. It was 4 a.m. In another hour her father would be getting up for work. If she hurried she could be in and out of the bathroom by the time he woke up.

She rummaged around her drawers and closet pulling out the clothes she would wear. Setting the outfit aside she made her way to the bathroom to get ready.

Chloe returned to her room wrapped in a towel her hair having already been blow dried. Whipping off the towel she got dressed quickly in her underwear, a pair of low slung black jeans, socks, white tank top, and forest green buttoned shirt. Rummaging through her closet she pulled out a pair of black tennis shoes to complete the outfit.

Setting the shoes by the door, Chloe plopped down on the bed trying to figure out what she would do today. Letting out a bored sigh she glanced around the room.

Her eyes landed on the files she'd stole from Hamilton and had yet to look over. Rising Chloe picked up the files and placed them in her book bag alongside her laptop. Going through them during class would be as good a time as any to read them. It wasn't like she was learning anything lately, or even needed to pay attention. The most she had to do was occasionally flip through her books.

Chloe briefly considered skipping school altogether but knew someone would notice and bring it to her father's attention. People in this town really didn't know how to mind their own damn business. But constantly liked to tell her that she should.

She checked to make sure her homework was done and safely stowed away, she heard doors opening and closing until the sound of the shower running was the only noise she could hear. Dad was officially up. Great.

Chloe's hands balled into fists around her bag. She really didn't want to see him right now but knew there would be no avoiding a confrontation, so she might as well get it over with this morning.

Considering she'd likely be in a bad mood the rest of the day, Chloe grabbed a small duffle bag and stuffed it with some gym clothes and equipment. Today was as good a day as any to get back into fighting form. Hopefully she wouldn't assault anyone before she made it to the Smallville Gym after school.

Making sure to grab her charged cellphone Chloe stuffed it in her purse, seized her bags and shoes, and headed downstairs to eat breakfast. Dumping her belongings by the front door for easy pick up, she made her way into the kitchen.

She started the coffee maker and began rummaging through the fridge and cabinets for something to eat before finally settling on some apple cinnamon oatmeal.

By the time her father came down the stairs she'd polished off the oatmeal and was on her second cup of coffee. He entered fixing his tie and running a hand through his disheveled hair. If the slight bags under his eyes was any indication he hadn't gotten anymore sleep than she had. Good, it served him right.

Gabe was dressed in his usual attire of black slacks, a white collared shirt, tie, and black suit jacket. Professional, but with a simplicity that matched his work environment.

Gabe walked in the kitchen to see Chloe glaring at her cup of coffee next to an empty bowl.

He let out tired sigh. It was going to be one of those days. If his daughter's early rise was any indication she had slept about as well as he had. The whole night he had tossed and turned, reliving one mistake after another.

Observing his daughter he could see slight bags under her eyes. While she looked tired, there was no mistaking the quiet rage burning in her eyes. Rage. He could deal with rage. It was better that she was feeling something rather than nothing at all. He had no idea how to deal with an apathetic Chloe, especially taking her now fully manifested ability into consideration.

Really he shouldn't have expected any different. It had been too much to hope she would take things calmly.

Gabe sported a tentative smile, "Good morning, Chloe," he called. An aggravated grunt was his only response. She didn't even bother to look up at him. He could see her fingers were wrapped tight around the mug and her entire body was coiled with tension. Gabe rubbed his eyes, "Chloe, sweetheart, please talk to me. I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but I still love you and want to know that you're going to be alright." Gabe looked at her pleadingly. There was still no response.

Chloe's only move was to take a sip of her coffee. Her gaze now focused on the table. She wasn't talking to him. She so angry right now that she couldn't even look at him let alone speak to him, anything she said would only come out hatefully. As upset as she was right now she didn't want to hurt him. It was better to say nothing.

Gabe felt his heart constrict painfully as his daughter continued to ignore him. Shit. He'd really done it this time. Chloe had never ignored him quite like this. Usually she would at least make snarky remarks and shoot glares his way when she thought he wasn't looking. No matter how angry she had never given him the cold shoulder. Things were worse than he thought. Would she ever forgive him for this?

Moving towards the table he set down his briefcase and pulled out a seat. Sitting he looked over at Chloe trying to meet her gaze. She only tilted her head further down. Running a hand over his face, "Chloe, please, look at me. I need to discuss something with you before you go to school." Gabe leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, hands clasped together.

A grimace twisted Chloe's lips at her father's words. What could he possibly want to discuss now? Hadn't they talked enough?

When she still didn't respond Gabe glared down at the table in frustration. Well if she was going to ignore him he would just have say his peace and be done with it for now. It appeared he would need to give her the space to work things out.

"Chloe," said Gabe. "While using your own ability is fine, I want you to be careful how you do it. Drawing unwanted attention to yourself here can be dangerous."

Chloe's head shot up in an instant. She glared at her father with narrowed eyes. It sounded like he knew something she didn't. But he couldn't. Could he?

Gabe resisted the urge to smirk at seeing how easily he'd captured Chloe's attention just as intended. Maybe one of these days he'd divulge some of the secrets he knew to her. But today wouldn't be that day.

"I might be your dear old Dad who works at the 'crap' factory, but I have eyes and ears open just like you do. I make it my mission to know exactly what's going on in Smallville, especially anything that might impact you. I don't know if you've noticed," He intoned mockingly, "but this town isn't exactly the safest place."

Chloe snorted. That was the understatement of the century. She knew firsthand how dangerous Smallville could be. "Oh no Dad, I was totally unaware of that," she retorted, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

Gabe's heart fluttered at hearing her finally speak. Okay, there was some progress. Progress was good.

"Well, now that you know, please be careful. I would hate it if anything happened to you. Okay?" Gabe tried to poor as much love and concern as he could into his words hoping she'd pick up on it.

Chloe resisted the urge to remind him she could take care of herself. Mostly because as of late that hadn't been true at all. She'd done an abysmal job of protecting herself, which was why she would soon be getting back into fighting form. Chloe wouldn't be caught off guard again.

"Fine. I'll stay out of trouble. Happy now?" She considered questioning him on his vague comments but decided against it. Getting into an argument this early in the morning would only make the day worse. She could do it later when she got home. Let it be the cherry on top of a shit sundae.

Gabe gave her a tight smile in return, "Absolutely."

Pushing herself from the table Chloe picked up her dirty dishes and put them in the sink. "Then I'm off to school." Without another word she walked out the kitchen. Grabbing her keys off the mantle and picking up her bags she left the house.

Gabe watched Chloe leave with a heavy heart. She hadn't even given him the chance to wish her a good day at school. Nor did she do the same for him about work. Leaning on the table he placed his head in his hands fervently wishing he could go back in time and do things differently.

It was yet another weird day in the life of Clark Kent.

This morning he'd headed downstairs for breakfast only to be greeted to the sight of his mom cradling a sobbing Ryan while his father looked on grimly.

Confused, Clark had turned to ask his father what was going on only to get the Smallville Ledger shoved into his hands.

The paper's headline read, "Criminal Slain by Luthor's Security." The story was about a man, James Gibson, who was killed while attempting to pose as one of Lex Luthor's limo drivers. When caught in the ruse Gibson shot at security and attempted to flee only to be shot and killed himself. The man's wife, Debra Burch, was later found and arrested for illegally posing as an agent for Child Protective Services. Apparently, the two were a pair of career criminals who went around committing armed robbery.

While the article was certainly informative it had done little to clue him in to what was going on. Voicing this out loud, his father had finally explained things since his mother had her hands full.

Ryan had went to fetch the newspaper that morning and thus had seen the article. Imagine his surprise to learn that his stepfather was now dead. He couldn't help breaking down in relief at realizing his nightmare was over. Martha and Jonathan, having heard his cries had rushed from the kitchen to the entry way to find him sobbing almost uncontrollably at the news.

Unable to lie to them any longer Ryan had broken down and told them everything he'd been deliberately holding back from them about his past.

It had been an uncomfortable situation for Clark as for once he had appeared after everything was said and done. Breakfast had been a solemn affair as his parents tried to figure out what to do with Ryan. As far as Ryan knew he didn't have any relatives he knew of that could take him in, leading to him practically pleading with the Kent's to adopt him.

While Clark could tell his parents were open to the idea, and he certainly wouldn't mind having Ryan for a little brother, the fact of the matter was that adoption was a process. Unlike his own adoption, it wouldn't be so easy to adopt Ryan. Not to mention the fact that adopting a child cost money and right now things were pretty tight on the farm.

He soon left for school though no feasible solution had been reached by anyone. Hopefully, one would present itself soon. One that would be beneficial to all parties involved. Clark couldn't help wondering what the future would hold for Ryan, and for himself.

So much had changed this past year. He had finally found out why he was different, why he could do things other people couldn't. He was an alien from another planet. What planet? He wasn't sure, just that it certainly wasn't Earth.

He had been so angry when his dad had finally told him. He still was a little upset with them even if he didn't show it. After all, how could they keep something huge like that from him for so long? Sure, maybe he had been too young to tell when they first adopted him but that was no longer the case. Sometimes he wondered if they would have ever told him if Lex hadn't hit him on that bridge and freaked him out with how easily he'd survived the experience. Part of him wanted to ask them when they would have finally explained things, while the other half was afraid to hear what their answer would be.

Speeding to school, Clark was disappointed to once again realize he wouldn't have Chloe or Pete to greet him there. It had been hitting him hard the last couple of days just how much he treasured Pete and Chloe's friendship. He hadn't exactly considered how lonely he would be without them.

Lately, all he could think about was how hard it was becoming to keep his secret safe from them. It wasn't as easy as it used to be. Not with all the meteor mutants running around. And wasn't that just perfect. Not only did he have to deal with his own identity crisis, he also had to stop crazy, murderous meteor mutants who were picking now to come out of the woodwork. Things had been so much easier when he thought he was just a mutant or metahuman.

As he came closer to the school Clark slowed down to normal human speed. He walked the last few feet needing a chance to gather his thoughts before class. Clark ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the strands while his face twisted in a grimace.

Everything was becoming too much. Why did things have to be so complicated? Why couldn't he have been born on this planet? Just a normal boy with normal problems. Instead he was an alien from some unknown planet with abilities that he had hide from everyone except his parents.

And he was so tired of it! Even though he'd been doing it for the last twelve years, having to constantly lie about who he was and what he could do hadn't become any easier.

He felt suffocated more often than not by the rules his parents had drilled into his head since day one. He was not to use his abilities in front of anyone. No, he couldn't tell anyone what he could do. He must protect his secret at all cost, least someone find out and tell others, which would lead to him being taken away and experimented on. No one else could be trusted.

But he wanted to entrust someone with his secret. He wanted to share it with someone other than his parents. But who could he trust when no one could be trusted?

Even with his parents by his side, and Pete, Chloe, Lana and Lex as friends, there was so much missing. His life felt like a half completed puzzle that had several pieces missing. Worse, there was nothing he could truly call his own. Sports were out of the question because he might hurt others with his superior abilities. Yet, academics were equally off limits as making perfect scores would only draw attention to himself. No, he had to be so average no one would even take a glance at him, let alone look deeper.

Being able to freely use his abilities on the farm just wasn't enough anymore. And frankly, that was more to his parents benefit than his own. Don't get him wrong, he didn't think his parents were exploiting him, and he knew they needed him to keep the farm running which was their livelihood, but sometimes it felt that way since farm was the only place where he could exercise his abilities.

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL MAN!"

So caught up his thoughts Clark barely registered where he was walking until he bumped into one of the upperclassmen jocks. The guy looked about seventeen with brunette hair, brown eyes and average looking face which currently sported a scowl. Aaron Duplantis was the name that popped into Clark's head.

"Watch where you're going, Kent!" snarled Aaron. He was rubbing his shoulder slightly wincing in pain. A few students stopped to observe the scene seemingly anticipating a fight.

Snapping him out his thoughts Clark opened his mouth to apologize but the bell rang signaling it was time for first period. Aaron scoffed before walking into the building along with everyone else.

Damn! Couldn't he do anything right? Letting out a sigh, he quickly made his way to his locker to collect his books and hurried to first period English.

He just managed to squeeze into the classroom before Mr. Jamison closed the door on him. Jamison shot him a look of disapproval which he studiously ignored. Really, the man should be used to his near chronic tardiness by now. The irony did not escape him that despite having super speed he still found a way to be late more often than not.

Inwardly chuckling, Clark took his seat near the back of the classroom. Pulling out the materials he needed from his book bag, he turned back towards the front ready to feign interest in whatever lesson Mr. Jamison had planned for today.

"Alright class! We'll be picking back up where we left off," Mr. Jamison announced loudly. "All week you have been learning about William Shakespeare; we learned about his life, his plays, and the impact he continues to have on literature to this day.

Today we will begin reading one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, Othello, The Moor of Venice. I look forward to seeing how well this class can act out the characters. Volunteers are welcome, but if none come forward I'll pick them out myself" he added nonchalantly.

There was a chorus of groans at his words. Volunteering to read aloud was one thing but being forced to do so was another. Unfortunately, Mr. Jamison was all about his students getting involved in his lessons. At least ten percent of their overall grade was for participation.

Luckily, Clark thought sarcastically, Mr. Jamison liked to call on him as much as possible. A fact that never failed to annoy him. Or Chloe. Speaking of Chloe, she was probably ecstatic about Jamison's choice of play. He knew Shakespeare was one of her favorite author's and that she loved his plays. Clark gazed around only to see she was nowhere in sight.

"Huh." That was odd. Chloe wasn't exactly one to miss school; usually because she couldn't wait to work on articles for the Torch. He wondered what could possibly be keeping her from school. The last time she'd missed had been due to illness and injury. He hoped she was alright.

Mr. Jamison shook his head in fond exasperation. "Now, none of that. This is honor's English, which means you all are some of the best students in this school, and therefore you need to be challenged." Jamison picked up one of the stacks of thin books he had on his desk. "I need a couple of volunteers to pass these books out." A few hands instantly shot up. "Excellent."

He pointed to one student near the front and another in the middle of the class.

"Alright, while that's going on, let's talk about Othello. Does anyone here know what the play is about? No? No one? Well, Othello is a tragedy. It's about a tragic hero, named Othello, being tricked by his ensign Iago into thinking his wife has been unfaithful. Othello is a Moor, which means—"

Clark proceeded to tune the teacher out as he returned to his previous thoughts.

He trusted Pete. He was Clark's oldest friend and his loyalty to him had never been in doubt. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to tell Pete the truth. He couldn't really explain why. Well, actually he did know why; Pete tended to crack under pressure, and liked to blame other people for his problems. Not exactly a person to tell your secrets to.

Then there was Chloe. Clark wasn't quite sure how he felt about Chloe at the moment. He had already mostly forgiven her for looking into his adoption but that right there made him wary of sharing anything with her. She could be a bulldog when chasing down information, and ruthless in dispensing it. Though he had to admit that maybe he had been unfair to her in his assessment that she would spread whatever she learned to the masses. As far as he knew she hadn't shared any of the personal things he and Pete, or rather more Pete, had ever told her.

Maybe he was just a little overly paranoid. But who wouldn't be in his situation? On the other hand he did know she had her suspicions. Chloe was no fool that was for sure. He was sure if they continued to be friends she would eventually find out. It would only a question of when and how. Which made making the decision to continue their friendship boil down to whether he wanted to risk that. He honestly didn't know. While it would be nice to share his secret with someone, he still didn't know if he could really trust her.

Then there was Lex and Lana.

Though he had only known Lex for a short time he felt a strong connection to him. Their friendship felt so different from his with Pete or Chloe. Yet, he was cautious of Lex at the same time. It was clear Lex had his suspicions and Clark was doing his best to throw them off. But it sucked that their friendship was based off lies from the beginning. It also didn't help that his father never missed an opportunity to tell him Lex couldn't be trusted. Even though he knew Lex better than his father, occasionally he would hear his voice in the back of his mind quietly cautioning him about telling Lex things.

Lana was a whole other can of worms he wasn't sure he wanted to keep open. Despite his best efforts it seemed like he was getting nowhere with her. Sometimes it felt like they connected and she was really into him. Other times, it felt like he was a puppet whose strings she was pulling whenever she felt like it. It also didn't help that it seemed like no matter what Whitney Fordman did she would take him back. But a large part of him still wanted to know what it would be like to date Lana, and until that feeling went away…

As far as telling her his secret goes, it was nowhere near a possibility at this time. Not unless they really became a couple and she proved she could be trusted.

However, knowing all this didn't make things any easier. Nor did his parents' constant reassurance that everything would work out, and he'd be able share his secret 'someday.' Of course, they had no idea when that day would come.

He had found himself wondering more and more often when it would be. Because frankly he felt like he would explode if it didn't arrive soon. Every day it felt like the walls were closing in on him leaving him isolated from those around him.

He wanted to share his secret. He needed to share his secret. But he couldn't. There was no way of knowing how any of his friends would react, and he didn't want to risk their fear and rejection, or worse, their scorn.

Thus, Clark Kent must remain a secret hidden in plain sight. No one could know there was more to him than being an adopted Kansas farm boy who was kind and caring to those who knew him. There was nothing special about Clark Kent. He was normal. He was human. He was—

"Mr. Kent. Mr. Kent!"

"What?" Clark stammered. He looked up to see everyone's eyes on him. He heard the laughter of some of his classmates who gazed at him with mirth in their eyes.

"So glad to see you're back among the living, Mr. Kent. For a second I thought we had lost you," said Mr. Jamison in amusement.

Clark, having no idea what was going on, decided to hazard a guess. "Uh, could you repeat the question again?"

Mr. Jamison sighed. "I really wish you would pay more attention Mr. Kent. I was asking you, how would you like the honor of playing the role of Othello?" He looked at Clark expectantly for an answer.

"Oh! Well…that would be great. I guess?" He didn't really know how else to answer that question. It was likely even if he said no he would end up doing it anyway.

Jamison clapped his hands together. "Excellent. Now if you'd just open your book to the beginning of the play we can get started," he added sardonically. There was another burst of laughter from the class.

Clark felt his ears burn red with embarrassment. This was not what he needed today. Hopefully things would get better as the day wore on. Maybe he could find out what was up with Chloe, or call Pete.

"Mrs. Livingston, you may begin. Act I, Scene I. A Street in Venice." Jamison directed.

"Tush! Never tell me; I take it much unkindly that thou Iago, who hast had my purse as if strings were thine, shouldst know this."

Hours had passed, yet Chloe was still in a foul mood. For that reason alone—and the fact she really didn't want to have to deal with anyone—she was spending the entire school day shut away in the Torch with the doors locked and the blinds drawn. Consequences be damned.

While skipping class wasn't her style, today she was perfectly willing to risk suspension. She could use a few school free days at home to work on her projects.

Besides it wasn't like she had been spending her time unproductively. Just in the last couple of hours she had put the finishing touches on the latest issue of the Torch, gathered as much information as she could on Ryan James, studied ahead for her classes, and briefly looked into the requirements she'd need to graduate early and talked on the phone with Pete for a while.

The call started off a little awkward but the more they talked the more comfortable it became. She knew Pete had been very close to his maternal grandmother, and could hear the grief that colored his voice during their conversation. The funeral was tomorrow then he and his family would be leaving the next day.

Chloe listened as he fondly reminisced over his most precious memories with Grandma Jackson, and vented his frustration with his relatives who were getting on his nerves.

In turn she had told him of what little he had missed in Smallville in his absence. Aside from the Kent's fostering Ryan and Clark's continued pursuit of Lana, there wasn't much to tell and she had no desire to talk about her own recent troubles.

She felt a bit guilty but mostly irritated when he tried once again to talk her into making up with Clark; the first time had been right before he left. Chloe still wasn't in the mood for it even though she knew it was hurting him that his two best friends were no longer on speaking terms.

But she couldn't cave just to assuage Pete's feelings. She had to figure things out for herself and she didn't appreciate anyone pressuring her to do anything. The call had ended on a tense note.

The info she scrounged up about Ryan had been quite depressing. His mother died about a year ago and he was adopted by his stepfather, James Ryan. The man could only be described as a career criminal. How he had gotten custody of Ryan considering his record was a mystery. Though she supposed it helped that he didn't have any other relatives to take him in. No doubt having the man as his guardian had seemed better than being dumped in some foster home.

Or at least it would have been. Imagine her surprise to learn Ryan's stepfather was recently no longer with the living. A quick look at the Smallville Ledger, and there it was. James Ryan had been killed while his new wife was arrested. All of it thanks to Lex's security team, no less. It looked he'd taken her words to heart and actually gotten better security. Good for him. But bad for Ryan.

With no living relatives it was inevitable that he would be put into a foster home. Unless the Kent's decided to adopt him. Chloe wouldn't be surprised if child services hadn't already picked the poor kid up and given him the bad news. They should know who he is by now and that he was with the Kent's.

She wondered how everyone would take things, especially Mr. Kent. Lex being involved in what happened would only increase the man's dislike of him. At least she thought it would if Clark was to be believed. The way he talked made it seem like Mr. Kent hated the Luthor's almost as much as the Ross'.

Chloe let out a sigh as she propped her feet up on her desk and leaned back in her swivel chair. If she saw Clark sometime today she'd make sure to give him everything she had gathered. She certainly wouldn't need it.

Glancing at the clock Chloe saw it was almost lunch time. Urgh. She really didn't feel like having to deal with the denizens of Smallville High in the cafeteria for food that was barely edible. Unfortunately the only people allowed to leave campus for lunch were teachers and the seniors.

Chloe hummed in thought as she tried to figure out a solution. If she planned things right she could sneak off campus, get some good food and then sneak back on with no one the wiser. Or she could simply pay one of the senior's to get her some food and bring it back. There were quite a few she knew and trusted to bring back what she asked instead of pocketing the money.

As the bell rung signaling the beginning of lunch Chloe swung her legs off the desk onto the floor with her decision made. Option B it was. Hurrying, she grabbed some cash and snuck out into the hallways, blending in with the mass of students leaving classrooms to find a senior.

Half an hour later she was sitting at her desk munching on a thick muffuletta sandwich courtesy of Jason Hicks and the Smallville Deli. Complementing the meal was a bag of Doritos and a Coke.

Chloe groaned in delight as she took another bite. "This is so much better than cafeteria food," she murmured with her mouth half full. Thank god no one was here to see her appalling table manners.

Finishing off her meal with a bit of disappointment that it was already gone, she finally got down to doing what she had been neglecting for the last couple of days. Going through Dr. Hamilton's lab notes.

Dragging her book bag over to her chair she pulled out a thick stack of files. As she piled them up on her desk Chloe suddenly realized that reading through and documenting all of them would probably take hours.

She was proven right when she finally finished just minutes before the final bell rang.

Chloe rubbed her temples to try and relieve the throbbing pressure building behind her eyes. Her face scrunched up in pain as it only seemed to make things worse. A migraine was not what she needed right now. Yet, at the moment she didn't have the mental fortitude needed to genuinely process how frighteningly thorough Hamilton's research was.

Even before he started being funded by Lex the man had already gathered a ridiculous amount of data. So much in fact, she was pretty sure someone else had funded him before Lex did. That or Hamilton had been selling some of his research to companies. A lot of the experiments he conducted needed equipment that didn't come cheap. And there was no way the museum he ran made enough money to pay for it. Or, it could simply be he had used every last ounce of money he had saved up as a professor to conduct his research which was plausible. Metropolis University was one of the few public higher education schools that paid their professors extremely well.

Either way, the research he'd collected on the meteor rocks was invaluable. She felt guilty to realize all that lab equipment she'd bought for her own experiments with the rocks was now pretty much a waste. Hamilton had found just about everything she was looking for.

His lab reports without a doubt proved that the 1989 meteorite shower had irrevocably changed Smallville's environment by mutating plants, animals and even humans. He hadn't experimented on humans but he had certainly kept an eye on the goings on in Smallville. Particularly keeping an eye on people who had been near places the meteors impacted that day.

The reports were very detailed and professional. Experiments had been conducted on four different types of meteorite he'd found that came in distinct colors, which had certainly thrown her for a loop, as she had only thought the meteors came in one color, green. But nope, there were also red, blue and yellow meteorites that Hamilton had found spread throughout the county.

The results were color coded in order to reflect the meteorites they were about. The experiments were generally conducted on lab mice and the local flora around Smallville. Occasionally, Hamilton would capture, observe and run experiments on other animals too.

Green meteorites were the most potent in their effects and could be found in abundance. The green meteorites strongly emitted radiation that caused physical mutations. Those mutations could be as harmless, like gaining accelerated healing or an extra limb, or fatal such as the rapid development of cancer or a psychotic break; and those were just some of the best case scenarios as far the negative side effects go. There were very few positive ones.

Truly frightening was the fact that it didn't take much of the green meteorite to start stimulating effects. Even a small sliver of green meteorite was enough to cause harm if it was in even short prolonged contact with the skin. Also worrying was that the effects it caused varied drastically. The chance of getting the same results, even using perfect conditions, was slim to none. It made using the rocks for anything innovative near impossible.

When used on plants it caused them to become immune to disease and grow at an exponential rate. Unfortunately, those same plants weren't at all safe to eat usually inciting cannibalistic tendencies in the animals that consumed them, causing them to eat any and everything in sight, insatiable in their appetites. Chloe wished this information had been public knowledge. It would have certainly prevented what happened to Jodi.

A chill ran down her spine as a single thought occurred to her. If plants grown in direct contact with the meteorites caused cannibalism, then what about those grown on soil that had once been tainted with them?

She a felt nauseous feeling in her stomach replace the migraine she'd previously felt. God. She and her father had been eating nothing but produce grown in Smallville the last couple of years. The chances of them being infected in some way…

Chloe shook her head. Best not to think about that right now. There was plenty enough to worry about without freaking out over something that might not even be an issue. She took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing to go over her notes.

Next were the blue meteorites which had regenerative and healing properties. They could heal just about any ailment. Cancer, disease, infection, even lost limbs weren't a problem. The only downside was that the effects of the blue meteorite were only felt through constant exposure until the aliment was healed. However, just being surrounded by the blue meteorite did seem to boost the immune system.

Red meteorites were just as potent as the blue ones and also needed constant exposure. Unlike the blue, red affected its specimens mentally and physically. It appeared to loosen inhibitions in test subjects, making them more daring, seeming to intoxicate them with its effects. The moment the meteorite was removed, the effects wore off returning subjects to their normal behavior.

And last but not least was the yellow meteorite, the most interesting of them all. The yellow meteorite appeared to negate the effects of all the other three. And that was it. Dozens of tests had been run on yellow meteorites by itself but it appeared to produce no other effects.

Interestingly, the effects of all the meteorites could be blocked by the use of lead. Hamilton noted the moment he found that out he began wearing lead gloves whenever dealing with the meteors for extended periods in order to reduce their effect on him.

Chloe gathered up the folders and shoved them back into her bag. She picked up the tablet on which she'd written notes and flicked through it, making sure she had the most important stuff written down. Satisfied she placed it into her bag. Just as she was zipping it up the final bell rang.

Time to hit the gym. Chloe went around organizing the room and shutting down the computers. Finished, she picked up her bag, unlocked the door and stepped out into the crowded hallway. Making sure to lock the door behind her Chloe set a brisk pace toward her car trying to go unnoticed.

Luck was on her side as she was able to make it to her car without anyone spotting her. As she pulled out of the parking lot intending to head for the Smallville gym, she had the sudden urge for a cappuccino and reversed course.

Her lips pursed as she thought of finally having to deal with people. The Beanery would no doubt be packed even if it was a Tuesday. So, that only left the Talon which was practically still a ghost town even on its best days. But did she really want to have to deal with Clark and Lana?

Caffeine. Or no caffeine. Caffeine. Or no caffeine.

Chloe let out a long suffering sigh as she headed for the Talon. Caffeine it is. It would give her the jolt she needed for her work out and help marginally improve her mood. Those two things alone made having to put up with the '0love triangle from hell' worth the effort.

Chloe walked into the Talon only to find it bustling with people. She barely held in a scream.

It wasn't even Friday! Why the hell were so many people here today? There had been no special advertisement on the board above the Talon, so it made no sense for so many people to be here. Though the place could boast that they had higher quality coffee, it did little to change the fact that those employed to work here clearly didn't know how to prepare it properly. Which meant the Beanery was still the de facto place to drink at least a decent beverage and hang out with friends.

Scanning the place, Chloe caught sight of Lana frantically serving drinks to patrons. A decided lack of Lana Lang made going to the Beanery seem more desirable. Luckily it appeared Clark had chores to take care of after school so he wouldn't be here for quite some time. And there was the fact Ryan would be tagging along with him. He might chose to stay on the farm and hang out with the kid who might very well become his little brother.

However, as much as she didn't care for the Talon's coffee, she'd at least give them the fact they had Mrs. Kent's baked goods. That was some pretty good incentive to come here as far as she was concerned. Still didn't make up for the bad coffee though.

Taking another look around the place Chloe managed to spot an unoccupied table sequestered away in a corner. Steeling herself, Chloe pushed past the throng of customers in her way till she was at the front counter.

A skinny brunette with glasses smiled, giving a nervous greeting, "Welcome to the Talon. How can I help you?"

"Yeah, can I get a vanilla cappuccino with four shots of expresso?" The various baked goods lining up the counter caught her eye. "Also, a strawberry muffin and a slice of apple pie too?" she asked with a sheepish grin.

The girl raised an eyebrow in surprise but nodded as she rang up her total. "Sure. That'll be $9.34." Chloe handed over the money.

Moving off to side she tapped her fingers against the counter as she waited for her order to be filled. Bored, she turned to observe the people around her. There was a group of jocks seated around one of the largest tables laughing and joking around. A couple feet away were some of popular crowd taking in hushed tones while shooting glances at certain people around them. And scattered all over the place were students doing their homework, adults chatting with friends, and others on laptops surfing the web.

Just as she was about to turn back around to see if her drink was ready she spotted Lex Luthor striding through the Talon's doors. He looked impeccable as always dressed in an expensive suit, Armani this time, sans tie with his customary long black coat. A small smile played on his lips as he gazed around.

"Here you go," said a cheery voice, snapping Chloe out of her perusal of Luthor.

Turning around she flashed the girl a smile in thanks before picking up her purchases. Carefully balancing her cappuccino and plate of goodies, Chloe made her way to the thankfully still unoccupied table.

Managing to successfully place her food and drink Chloe gratefully sank down onto a plush chair taking a big sip of her cappuccino. A sigh of contentment escaped her. Wasn't it a shame that this was the most relaxed she'd been all day?

Yet, she couldn't wait till she got to the gym. Things would become a lot clearer there.

Lex was pleasantly surprised to walk into the Talon and see it near packed to capacity. This is certainly a strange turn of events. The last time he'd checked in on the place it had practically been deserted. Now it was teeming with adults and teenagers alike.

Walking in further, he spotted Lana moving around serving customers. A cursory glance showed Clark was nowhere in sight. Probably taking care of chores on the farm or with that kid, Ryan. He had a sneaking suspicion Clark would soon be celebrating the addition of a brother to his family. He wished Clark all the best in that endeavor. On rare days he wished Julian had survived infancy and he'd have had a brother to share things with.

Seeing Lana was back at the counter Lex headed over to speak with her.

"I see things are going well. What's your secret?" asked Lex.

Lana turned around startled to see Lex behind her. "Lex! Hey, yeah, things are going great. I'm actually a little amazed myself at how well business is going, though I'm not complaining," she explained with an excited smile.

Lex gave her a smirk in return. "Well, let's hope our luck holds up." He paused trying to think of why else he'd come in here. Right. "Can I get a coffee, black, please?"

"Of course," Lana beamed, turning around to fix his order.

Lex shifted his gaze around to survey the Talon once again. He was just about to turn around when he spotted Chloe Sullivan tucked into a corner with a slightly stressed look on her face. Interesting.

"Alright Lex, one piping hot black coffee."

Grabbing the coffee, Lex pulled a twenty out of his pocket and handed it to Lana. "Keep the change." Changing direction he headed straight towards Chloe. He hadn't seen her and Clark hanging out for quite some time. Yet, every time he tried to bring it up Clark usually danced around the subject. Perhaps Chloe would be more forthcoming.

"Fancy meeting you here, Ms. Sullivan," Lex greeted. Without waiting for her permission he set down his drink and pulled out a chair. Seated comfortably he gauged her expression. Currently she looked both confused and annoyed with his presence.

Chloe stared as Lex Luthor just invited himself to sit at the table with her. She was pretty sure that despite how relaxed she might have felt on the inside, she had made damn sure to look uninviting on the outside so no one would bother her. Yet, here Lex was, apparently ready to chat her up.

"Yeah, I guess," she said carefully. "I just needed a snack, some caffeine and quiet, but two outta three ain't bad." Chloe gave a bland smile.

Inwardly, Lex frowned at Chloe's lack luster answer. He wouldn't pretend to know Chloe that well but a distinct lack of energy and enthusiasm from her definitely wasn't the norm. Aside from when he visited her in the hospital she was usually quite lively.

"I suppose not. Though I would ask why you thought you'd find any kind of quiet here at the Talon?" asked Lex curiously.

Chloe couldn't help the small smirk that spread across her lips. "Well, not to be rude or anything, but the Talon isn't exactly a hotspot of activity. At least, it wasn't the last couple of times I was here. I thought it would hold true today, but apparently I was wrong. It seems to be a running theme of late." You would think her ability would make life easier. But if anything it had made things more complicated.

Lex simply raised a brow at her words. Hmm, something was definitely up. Could a certain flannel clad farm boy have something to do with it? Only one way to find out.

"Things are just off to a rocky start. It's only been a couple of months since we opened. I think in time the Talon will give the Beanery some stiff competition. You just wait and see."

Chloe couldn't help snorting at Lex's optimism. "Sure, sure. And one of these days you'll go streaking through Smallville." The sudden mental image of Lex doing just that brought a dreamy but devious smile to her face. You couldn't see much from the clothes he wore but she was sure he had a nice physique.

Momentarily dumbstruck at her statement, it took Lex a moment to form a coherent response. How in the world did streaking through Smallville enter into this conversation? Shaking his head, he opened his mouth to respond until he recalled her previous statement.

"Why exactly, is the idea of the Talon becoming actual competition for the Beanery laughable?" Lex asked stiffly. There was nothing wrong with the Talon. He'd had it equipped with everything it could possibly need to thrive. No expense had been spared.

Chloe gave Lex a searching look trying to figure out if he was serious. As he kept staring at her, she was perturbed to realize that he really wanted to hear her reasoning. "Are you sure you want to hear what I have to say? Or are you just pulling my leg?" Chloe said with narrowed eyes. She wasn't in the mood to be toyed with today.

"I assure you, Ms. Sullivan. I am very much interested," he replied, a little surprised by her guarded look. What had he done to inspire that?

Judging that he was being honest, Chloe shrugged. "Alright then. But don't say I didn't warn you. Also, didn't we agree to call each other by our first names? You're not holding up your end of the bargain you know." She took another sip of her cappuccino. Meh, it was getting cold. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. She'd wash it down with Mrs. Kent's cooking.

Lex's lips twisted in a smile. Here was the Chloe Sullivan he knew. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I'll try to remember from now on. And your warning has been duly noted. Please, enlighten me." Lex leaned back in his chair ready for whatever Chloe threw at him.

"Let's see, where to start. How about the name 'The Talon?' Of all the names you could've picked, why that one? It's not anymore original than 'The Beanery' I'll give you that, and I realize it's the name of the buildings original owner picked, but you own it now. Why not give it a different name in recognition of new ownership? Just because the place can be considered a historical landmark doesn't mean things have to stay the same."

Lex opened his mouth to respond but Chloe cut him off. She was just getting started.

"Then there's this god awful Egyptian theme. Maybe it was in 60 years ago, but in the modern era, not so much. Here it just comes off as gaudy and retro, and not in a good way. I assume Lana had some input into the decorating? What am I saying? Of course she did. It just screams her 'unique' sense of style. At least the Beanery has a homey feel to it rather than a pretentious one."

Lex tried to speak but interrupted once more. Chloe had leaned forward. The previous lack of energy and fatigue on her face was gone. In its place was an expression of determination with Chloe's eyes alight with passion and her face glowing with vigor.

"Oh yeah. Can we talk about your employees' inability to properly brew coffee? Did you even put them through proper training? Besides Mrs. Kent's baked goods, the rest of the food is only decent. And…that's about it," Chloe said ending her rant. She downed the rest of her cappuccino in one go.

Lex could only stare in befuddlement. He'd expected a few complaints. Not a full blown rant! Lex reached for his coffee to take a sip. He needed a few extra moments to gather his thoughts to form a good reply.

Chloe watched as Lex tried to form a rebuttal to her unexpected rant. She felt a sliver of amusement and satisfaction at watching him use a classic stalling tactic.

Lex set the coffee down and cleared his throat, "Well, that was certainly…something. You've obviously put a lot of thought into this."

Chloe scoffed. "This place might be a few months old but for Smallville it's still a hot topic of discussion. Those complaints aren't just my own opinions. There are other people who feel the same. Unfortunately, there's also the fact that Lana has partnered herself with a 'known' Luthor." Chloe raised her hands to make quotations marks at Lex's name.

Of course, Lex thought, being a Luthor never failed to raise people's hackles. How far away did he have to go where the name Luthor meant nothing nefarious to people.

Instead of voicing his thoughts he responded, "Really? Perhaps a consumer poll is in order." While he wasn't thrilled to hear about customer complaints, learning them would certainly go a long way in improving business. And there were some things he agreed with her on.

He'd wanted to change the name but Lana insisted on having the place pay tribute to its beginnings. The décor definitely wasn't his style but he'd left that up to Lana. He had figured she would come up with something. And she did. It just wasn't as nice as he thought it would be. But that had been okay because it really was her project. Practically all the planning had been in her hands. All he contributed was the funding and supplies for the Talon.

Honestly, he could care less if the business went under. There were plenty of ways to make his money back if it didn't start netting a profit.

Yet, Lex didn't particularly like failure. Part of him was tempted to try and help Lana out, while the other urged him to let her sink or swim on her own. The majority of the failure would be on her head not his. But he'd let her know about the complaints.

"You've made some valid points Chloe. I'll be sure to pass them on to Lana," he acknowledged and left it at that. Just cause he agreed with her didn't mean he had to let her know on what.

Chloe blinked, surprised by his calm response. She'd thought he would be at least a little defensive but nope. It only strengthened her suspicion that Lex had only let Lana keep this place running as a favor to Clark. Talk about a grand gesture. It seemed the only thing he was capable of.

Deciding not to make a big deal out of it she said, "Glad to be of help. Now is there is any reason you decided to come and sit with me?" Chloe already had an idea of why he'd approached her. Clark immediately came to mind. Picking up a fork she took a bite of her apple pie.

Equally playing things cool Lex asked, "Why does there have to be a reason? Perhaps I just came by to enjoy your company, hmm? Ever think of that Chloe?"

"No," she said bluntly, "because you never have before. Try again." She took another bite of pie savoring its flavor. Yum. If only she could eat this forever and not get fat.

A bit taken aback by her bluntness he tried again. "Is it so impossible to think I enjoy your company?" He asked.

Chloe chewed slowly as she processed Lex's question. Swallowing she fixed him with a 'do you take me for a moron' look. Lex nearly, nearly shifted under her look. Thank god for his training as a Luthor. If he been anyone else he likely would have cracked. Outwardly, he showed no reaction what so ever.

Setting down her fork Chloe clasped her hands together. "Let's set some things straight. First, no, I don't think it's impossible for you to enjoy my company. I know I'm the life of the party," she said somewhat mockingly. "Second, this is literally the only other time you've sought me out besides when you visited me in the hospital. Its been weeks since then. Why have you waited till now?" Chloe asked, as the annoyance she'd felt all day began to leak out. She knew she shouldn't be taking it out on Lex but he'd place himself within firing range.

"And last, but not least, we aren't friends Lex. We're friends of a friend. Why do I say that? Well, there's the fact that we don't hang out, I don't know your phone number so we don't call each other to talk, I don't see you on a daily or weekly basis, I've never invited you to my home, and you only invited me to your own because of our ill-fated interview.

What else? Oh! When have we ever interacted for reasons that didn't in some way involve Clark? There's also the fact that really I know nothing about you, nor you about me. Does any of this mean I don't want to be your friend? No. It's simply me stating facts and waiting for you to tell me how being skeptical of your reason for approaching me out of the blue is somehow out of line? Because me and you both know why you're here."

Chloe released a breath as some of her pent up frustration dissipated. That had felt pretty good. Maybe she needed to speak her mind more often instead of holding back? Eh. She'd think about it.

In just the space of a few minutes Lex once again found himself speechless, and more than a little miffed. She had seen right through him. A feat not many could accomplish, his father had made sure of t.

Everything she'd said was true. They weren't anything close to friends, rather acquaintances, and distant ones at that. There wasn't anything he could say to refute her statements that wouldn't make him look like foolish. Yet, she hadn't used him being a Luthor against him, so that was encouraging. And she was willing to start a friendship with him.

A different approach was needed in this situation. So, Lex opted for something he didn't do often: open honesty. "You're right, we aren't friends, but I'm willing to change that if you are," Lex said, looking at her imploringly.

"As for the reason I approached you. I wanted to ask about you and Clark. I haven't seen the two of you together in a while, and Clark's being tight-lipped about things. I wanted to see if you could tell me anything about what was going on."

Chloe folded her arms giving Lex a scrutinizing look. He sounded genuine in his desire for them to become friends. Friends with Lex Luthor. Chloe took a second to ponder that. What the hell, she'd give it a shot. He couldn't be the worst friend she'd ever made. At least she hoped not.

Chloe smiled at Lex, "Sure. Let's give it a shot."

Lex returned her smile glad that he hadn't made a fool out of himself. Distrust came much more easily to him, and he'd anxiously been waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Chloe to admit that she'd just been playing with him. Fortunately, that hadn't happened. "Alright then. Now, are you going to answer my question?"

Chloe sighed. She really didn't want to talk about Clark. There was quite enough on her mind already. But, Lex had asked and they had just agreed to become friends. She could give him this.

"Clark and I have decided to put our friendship on hiatus. I can't tell you whether it's permanent or not because really I don't know. There are some issues we need to work out, and that's best done separately."

Lex hummed in acknowledgement of her answer. That was far more than he'd gotten out of Clark. "Okay, that certainly explains why I haven't seen you two together in quite some time. However, what issues are you guys experiencing? If you don't mind me asking? Did someone forget the others birthday?" he joked.

Chloe let out a small laugh. "No, it's nothing like that. This is just something that has been building for a while. Mostly Clark's inability to see me as a friend first and a journalist second. Despite my tenacity for finding out the truth, my friends and their wellbeing will always come first. I don't know why he doesn't get that when I've never given him a reason to doubt me."

"I can see how that can be frustrating," commented Lex neutrally. He didn't know Chloe that well so he wouldn't take sides. Not to mention he didn't have all the facts.

"Right?" Chloe huffed. "Then there's the fact all he's been available for lately is research. He barely hangs out with me and Pete anymore. You and Lana occupy most of his time now. Oh, and him going off trying to be the hero!"

"What?" asked Lex startled. Had he really been taking up Clark's time that much? "Chloe, I didn't realize—"

Chloe waved away Lex's apology. "I don't blame you or Lana. Clark is his own man with his own mind. No one should have to tell him to spend more time with his old friends. Anyway, I don't really feel like discussing Clark. Can we talk about something else?"

Taken aback, "Uh, yeah, sure. What do you want to talk about?"

"Umm. So what's been up with you? Work going great?" It wasn't a great question but it was the best she could come up with until to lose some of the awkwardness of a new friendship.

"Nothing much. I've mostly been immersed with work lately. Business has been booming. Soon the plant will be unable to keep up with demand, but I've been working on ways to fix that problem. What about you? For school, I mean."

Chloe groaned. "School is really boring. Nothing has been posing a challenge of late. I'm thinking about graduating early. Outside of school?" Chloe couldn't help glaring at her empty mug. "Things aren't so great. I learned some family stuff that's kinda disturbing. Really a lot has been going on and the stress has been getting to me. I feel like—"Chloe cut herself off.

Why was she telling Lex all of this? They had just become friends only a few minutes ago. She hadn't even told Clark or Pete any of this. Why was she being so open with him?

Lex was surprised at Chloe's sudden openness. Was she always this way with people she just became friends with? He guessed he'd eventually find out.

"I'm sorry things have been so stressful for you. Maybe you should find something you like doing to relieve stress. I usually play a couple rounds of pool, or drive my Porsche for a bit. As for school, if you think you can handle it then go for it. There's nothing wrong with finishing school ahead of time." He would know. He had done the same with both high school and college.

Chloe was a bit surprised at Lex's offering of advice. "Yeah, thanks, I have to discuss things with my Dad," she said with a frown. She was not looking forward to that conversation. "And I've already got the de-stressing covered. I'm going to the gym to practice my martial arts. I haven't done it in years, and with all the danger I've been getting into lately I need the practice."

Lex perked up at that little tidbit. Chloe Sullivan actually knew how to fight? "Really? You know martial arts?"

"Yes," she huffed slightly offended. "What? You don't think I'm telling the truth?" She bit out in annoyance. That just like a guy to underestimate a girl.

"No, that's not it at all. It's just a surprise is all. Clark never mentioned anything about it."

"Well, of course he wouldn't. Nobody in Smallville knows about it. I stopped actively practicing almost two years ago. I didn't see the point in telling anyone about it. They'd have wanted me to show them some moves," she rolled her eyes at the thought.

Lex raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "You stopped practicing? Why would you do that?"

A look of guilt crossed Chloe's face. "Long story short? A kid was bullying me during a rough time in my life. He pushed too far, and I kinda snapped. I lost my temper and beat him more severely than was neccesary. He ended up in the hospital and spent some time in the intensive care unit.

It's not exactly one of my shining moments. My Dad made me stop, but considering I already felt so terrible about it, I didn't put up much of a fight about it. I loved fighting but what happened ruined some of the appeal."

"Oh, wow. Sorry I asked." And really he was sorry. He could see how badly the memory was affecting her. Deciding to switch gears, "So, what martial arts do you know?"

Shaking off her morose thoughts Chloe answered, "Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a little bit of Taekwondo. I couldn't decide which one I wanted to learn more so I tried them all. Except for the last, Taekwondo. My cousin Lois practiced it and showed me some moves. Before stopping my plan had been to make my own unique style like one of the greats."

Lex watched as wistful look crossed Chloe's face. It was a shame she'd had to put her plans on hold but considering her reason for quitting it was probably for the best. "That's quite impressive. I'm partial to judo, taekwondo, and boxing myself." Lex confided with a smirk.

"No way!" Chloe sat up in disbelief. Luthor knew how to fight? Well that was at least one thing they had in common, aside from sharing a friendship with Clark.

Lex's smirk morphed into a grin at Chloe's disbelief. "I assure you, Chloe, that I'm not being facetious. Same as you, I was bullied as kid due to my appearance." Self-consciously Lex ran a hand over his head. No matter how many years had passed he was still a bit sensitive about his baldness. "Eventually I got tired of getting my ass handed to me and begged my father's driver to teach me how to fight. He was an ex-Navy SEAL. The next time someone tried to shake me for my lunch money they found themselves picking their teeth off the floor," he smugly recounted. "Of course, after experiencing the high of victory I became interested in learning more about fighting. Over the years I picked up a couple more techniques."

The assured confidence in Lex's tone partly made her believe he was telling the truth. But it was looking at his hands that truly convinced her. Those weren't the dainty hands of a man who hadn't put in a hard day's work in his life. There was a roughness and strength to them.

So she believed him, but that didn't mean she was opposed to seeing him in action to gauge how truly skilled he was.

Instead of voicing her thoughts, "Okay, I believe you," was what actually came out of her mouth.

Hearing the proverbial 'but' at the end of that sentence Lex decided to voice it, "But…"

"But, I'd rather see some proof of your skill. Considering I was just about to go Smallville gym," she trailed off leadingly.

Arching an eyebrow, Lex leaned back in his chair as he considered her proposal. He was certainly intrigued. Already he could feel his pulse racing and a tingly in his limbs making him crave for a good fight building. There was some work he needed to get done but nothing that couldn't be put off for a couple of hours.

Accepting her challenge to a spar meant getting to test her skill as well. It would be an interesting bonding experience between new friends to say the least. On the downside she wanted this to take place at the Smallville gym which meant the fight would be quite public. Being seen fighting a teenage girl, no matter how skilled she was, wouldn't exactly do wonders for his image. Unless…

Draining the rest of his coffee Lex stood up. Looking down at Chloe, "Alright. I'll accept your challenge on one condition."

Standing up as well she returned his stare. "And that condition is?"

"We'll spar but at the private gym at the mansion instead. Does that suit you?" Belatedly realizing how that might sound, he added, "Feel free to decline if the offer makes you uncomfortable. We can spar at a later date at the public gym."

Chloe had to stifle a burst of laughter at the near horrified expression that crossed Lex's face as brain processed him words.

Though she would be lying if she said his condition hadn't made her a little suspicious, but she'd give him a chance. Besides, she had been in the mansion before and knew how to escape if she really needed to. She was also sure she could kick Lex's ass if need be.

Chloe shot Lex a challenging grin. "You're on!"

A/N: And here's another one. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. From now on the narrative will be picking up speed.

So, I guess after the last chapter I need to address some things. While Intuitive Aptitude may seem like some cheap way to make a character ultra-powerful it's not, when done correctly. Yes, it gives Chloe the potential to be the ultimate human being, but like everything power such as that comes with a price and limits. Those will be revealed as the story progresses. Chloe, nor Clark, will have an easy time of things, especially not in a blended world of DC and Marvel. It would be a pitifully boring story which is part of the reason I'm writing this.

The reasons for Gabe's decisions lie in his past and will be a driving force in this story. You'll learn he had quite a bit in common with a certain Smallville character.

Also, please keep in mind the perspectives. Just because someone believes something doesn't necessarily make it true. Nor does what they see mean that is exactly what happened. There is always a certain bias in any POV.

Anyway, please make sure to leave a review and let me know what you think.