Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/I Am Number Four.

Sequel to: Number Five.

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It'd been hard as hell to climb out onto the ledge, but somehow Chloe had finally made it with the help of her cousins, and after wandering for another half an hour through the different series of underground tunnels they'd found a way to the surface. The three girls had been lost in the forest, needing to find their bearings, also having to hide just in case there were still Mogadorians in the forest. Lois had climbed a tree to try and figure out where they were and where their cabin was, and the smoke rising into the air in the distance had given her a heart-clenching clue as to where they needed to go. The girls were silent as they made their way to the cabin, Chloe shoeless by now, the bottom of her feet sore and cut, but she felt oddly numb to everything. The only thing she could feel was the cold of her father's wedding band clenched in her fist.

The closer they got to the cabin, the more noticeable the scent of burning wood and metallic blood filled the air. The girls grew quieter with every step they took, especially once the first Mogadorian body was discovered. They trudged forwards, sick to their stomachs, until they finally made the clearing and came upon what had once been their home. It was in flames, mutilated bodies all around the cabin...Doll's body dead lay in front of the door where she'd obviously been trying to protect those inside.

"No." Lucy whispered, looking at the death all around her.

Lois just looked at the cabin with watery eyes.

"Dad?" Chloe called, voice choking as she hurried towards the flaming house. "Daddy! Daddy where are you?"

"Chloe!" Lois called.

Chloe rushed into the doorway, coughing as she inhaled the smoke, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Dad! Daddy! DAD!" She hurried deeper into the cabin, dodging falling pieces of wood and exploding glass. "DADDY!" She raced from room to room, screaming for her father. It didn't occur to her that she really didn't give a shit whether Moira was there or not, all that mattered to her was her father as she raced from room to room, coughing growing harsher and harsher as she continued to breathe in the smoke. "Da-." Her voice choked as she collapsed to her knees, coughing, struggling to breathe.

Suddenly she was picked up and dragged backwards, out of the rooms and out of the cabin. Lois grunted, coughing as she collapsed on the ground next to her, trying to get some of the smoke she'd inhaled out of her lungs.

Lucy raced out of the cabin after them, a large duffle-bag slung over her shoulder, a pair of Chloe's sneakers in her hands. The youngest of the girls dropped the sneakers next to the blonde and the duffle-bag next to the brunette, before turning to look back at the cabin. "There are no bodies inside."

"I realized." Chloe wheezed, still having a hard time breathing.

"That's good." Lois decided, gaze going to the house. "Means they were taken, and not killed, at least not immediately."

"What are they going to do with them?" Chloe asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Interrogate them, especially Aunt Moira. She could be considered a Lorien information broker." Lucy frowned, running her hand over her hair as she watched her home go up in flames. "If you'd been killed in that cave Uncle Gabe would probably have been as good as dead, but considering you're still out there they'll probably keep him as a bargaining tool for later on. To play on your weakness for him."

"It's not a weakness." Chloe glared at her younger cousin.

"Yeah, it is. You love him. You wanted us to leave you in the cave to die because of him. You ran into a burning cabin for him." Lucy countered. "I'm not saying that it isn't awesome you have that close a relationship with your dad, because it is, but its also your biggest weakness right now and the Mogadorains will realize that and use him against you the next time we come across them."

"But as long as he's a weakness, they'll keep him alive, so that's the good part." Lois reminded, slowly pushing herself to her feet. "If they found us here, they could have gotten to the General as well."

"I was considering that." Lucy agreed, looking around her at the forest, trees closest to the house beginning to catch on fire from the intense heat the flames were emitting. "We need to get out of here before this whole place goes up in flames."

"Aren't you two worried about your dad?" Chloe asked, unable to understand how composed they were about this.

"What good will it do for us to worry over him?" Lucy wanted to know, eyebrow raised. "It won't help his situation or ours, it will actually make it worse because we won't be thinking with our heads. We need to think clearly, and figure out our next step."

"Edge City." Lois replied, opening the duffle-bag Lucy had saved and grabbed a first aid kit, using it to cleanse and then bandage the bottom of Chloe's cut feet. "That's our next move."

"Thought so." Lucy nodded, eyes always around them, vigilant, shouldering one of the Mogadorian weapons they'd salvaged.

"Wait, why Edge City? That's all the way in Kansas." Chloe narrowed her eyes, wincing as she slipped her bandaged feet into her sneakers and stood with Lois' help. "What makes Edge City our next move?"

"Because our Fall-Back Safehouse is located there." Lois replied, shouldering the duffle-bag. "It was built in case this place was discovered, and our plans have always been that if anyone survives an attack here, we will all meet up in the Edge City Safehouse."

"So if by some miracle Doll bought Uncle Gabe and Aunt Moira enough time to escape, that's where they're going to be heading." Lucy replied, voice catching as the Chimǣra's carcass caught on fire, a stab of sadness flashing over her features before she cleared her throat and looked away. "I always hated living up here in the middle of nowhere."

Lois sighed and reached over to rub her sister's shoulder.

Lucy refused to look at her sister, instead gazing at her own shoes before shaking her head. "Let's get out of here."

Chloe hugged herself, limping slightly as she started to follow the sisters towards the back of the house, but she stopped and turned to look at the flaming cabin once more.

This war she was in the middle of was suddenly becoming more real.

Reaching into her pocket, Chloe pulled out Clark's broken chain, and her father's wedding band.

She'd already lost the two most important people in her life...and it was only just beginning.

How much more was she going to lose before this was over?

"Get your ass into motion, Chloe!" Lucy called, jarring her out of her thoughts.

Jolting, Chloe took in a deep breath and turned, following slowly after the sisters down the steep descent of the back of the hill.

The three young women walked in utter silence, the brunettes alert and ready to attack if they were ambushed, the blonde lost in her thoughts. She barely realized it once they reached the bank of the river, wondering why she wasn't surprised when she realized that a large canoe had been hidden away with some supplies and such in case something like this should happen.

The brunettes dragged the canoe out of its hiding place and righted it, filling it with the supplies and such before pushing it half into the water, half onto the bank.

Lucy climbed into the front of the canoe, putting down the gun and grabbing a paddle, motioning for Chloe to join.

The blonde reached for the duffle-bag Lois was holding, and eased herself into the middle.

Lois pushed the canoe completely into the river and jumped in, grabbing the other paddle.

Like a well-oiled machine, the sisters paddled in perfect sync, joining the current and beginning to navigate the long way down the isolated mountain they'd been living on.

Chloe gazed down at her ashen reflection.

One hand skimmed the cool water, the other was in her pocket, clenched around Five's Crest and her father's wedding band.

The war had truly begun, and her heart sunk as she realized she wasn't prepared for it.

Now, more than ever, she wished she was Numberless.

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