<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383</id><updated>2011-09-02T08:49:58.323-04:00</updated><category term='notquite?pwp'/><category term='dark'/><category term='committed'/><category term='with lois'/><category term='stalker chloe'/><category term='hex'/><category term='zombies'/><category term='with clark'/><category term='supernatural'/><category term='willgiveyouwarmfuzzies'/><category term='comic'/><category term='burned beyond recognition verse'/><category term='chloeisreallyawesome'/><category term='epicomygod'/><category term='crack'/><category term='beast'/><category term='the soul&apos;s prisoners verse'/><category term='stiletto'/><category term='willmakeyouhowloflaughter'/><category term='experiment davis'/><category term='bride'/><category term='postsplit fic'/><category term='doomsday'/><category term='youngdavisinsv'/><category term='psycho jeweler cupids'/><category term='crossoverfic'/><category term='let&apos;s skip out on this wedding shall we'/><category term='season one'/><category term='plastique'/><category term='and lex luthor'/><category term='prey'/><category term='beautys beast verse'/><category term='endofshowspec'/><category term='we love nonky'/><category term='werewolves'/><category term='there&apos;s a connection'/><category term='vd writes sequels badly'/><category term='eternal'/><category term='angstwarning'/><category term='specialserviceannouncement'/><category term='ontheroadfic'/><category term='plot? davis IS the plot'/><category term='preseasonspec'/><category term='inebriated chloe'/><category term='drabbles'/><category term='fallen verse'/><category term='watchtherating'/><category term='in the basement'/><category term='dirtybadwrongohsoright'/><category term='in vino veritas'/><category term='mindrape is bad'/><category term='willbreakyourheartwarning'/><category term='turbulence'/><category term='it needed to be said'/><category term='season five'/><category term='chloe.davis.basement'/><category term='vampires'/><category term='cannibaldooms'/><category term='welcomepost'/><category term='chlavis baby'/><category term='legion'/><category term='unresolved fic'/><category term='willmakeyousohappyyouwillsquee'/><category term='lois the matchmaker extraordinaire'/><category term='infamous'/><category term='abyss'/><category term='malignant drabble series'/><category term='epic fic'/><category term='injustice'/><category term='deleted scene fic'/><category term='future fic'/><category term='bloodline'/><category term='ohthatkindofsexualtension'/><category term='au'/><category term='latheverse'/><category term='alternate universe'/><category term='starry night verse'/><category term='phantom zone fic'/><category term='puppy-eyes'/><category term='tortured davis'/><category term='perdition and salvation verse'/><category term='emptyroadsverse'/><category term='leapverse'/><category term='with EVERYONE'/><category term='slash'/><category term='bleed verse'/><title type='text'>The Chloe/Davis Fic Archive</title><subtitle type='html'>Your Comprehensive Archive for Chloe Sullivan and Davis Bloome</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>99</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-7452331352502534241</id><published>2010-12-05T19:25:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2010-12-05T19:59:46.790-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='beast'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='ontheroadfic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='it needed to be said'/><title type='text'>grazing complications</title><content type='html'>&lt;span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/b&gt;Sometimes there's nothing better (or hotter) than getting it all out in the open. And in this- with Chloe and Davis's frustrations spilling over after leaving Smallville together, inversely shows how much they need each other and just how right they are together. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;by lust_4sorrow at &lt;a href="http://lust-4sorrow.livejournal.com/74975.html?view=323295#t323295"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div&gt;1023 words, pg-13, post-beast&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;Neither Davis nor Chloe understands how the wall has formed or how they’ve gotten here. They are simply aware of the way words won’t stop leaving their lips and the pain that’s seeping in their skin, touching their bones and hearts.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;They’re fighting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They’re arguing, two forms standing tensely in front of one another in a dully decorated motel room. Davis’ hands are curled into fists by his sides and Chloe’s throat is going sore from all the yelling she’s done. The paths taken, actions done, words spoken have all fused into a wall in their minds that appears in the worst of moments, a wall so strong and unfortunate that it pulses as it takes in their current state. Neither Davis nor Chloe understands how the wall has formed or how they’ve gotten here. They are simply aware of the way words won’t stop leaving their lips and the pain that’s seeping in their skin, touching their bones and hearts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Green eyes glaring at every inch of the motel room, Chloe yells, barely thinking, just letting the anger in the air embrace her, “I hate this room and this stupid little town!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis’ eyes darken, his knuckles going white. “You think I like being here? You think I like these people or the fact that I can barely leave this fucking room because someone might recognize me? Do you think that I like being trapped?!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hearing him curse makes her wince, but she doesn’t relent. She takes sight of his shaking fists and doesn’t frighten. In the back of her frazzled mind she knows he won’t hurt her-not physically. Looking at the old flowery wallpaper of the room, another brick settles atop the wall in her brain, the cement cultivated by angry determination.  “You’re not the only who feels trapped Davis. Do you have any idea how much I despise not having a home, being on the run like some sort of animal!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The word animal makes him flinch and his fists uncurl as he steps closer to her and a growl escapes him. His eyes begin to grow wild while her eyes begin to reflect some guilt, some thought outside of hatred. Either way, she steps closer to him, her set jaw a challenge.  Davis jaw twitches, his chest heaves but his eyes are their dark, dark brown. They both know he won’t hurt her- not physically, never physically.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He snarls, speaks through gritted teeth, “No one said you had to be here. It was your decision to run, this was your idea. We’re here because of you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe blinks rapidly, his words making her throat ache. She swallows it down like a bitter pill, ignores the voice in her head that says he’s right.  She steps closer to him and focuses on keeping her voice strong.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No…we’re here because you’re an alien who just happens to have the ability to turn into a monster! We’re here because you couldn’t stop killing!” She reminds him of his past digressions and her eyes fill with tears when his chin slightly quivers.  Her hands suddenly settle atop his heaving chest, fingers curling into fists. He glances down- as if in shame-, lets his lips part before raising his hands and grabbing her wrists. His fingers close around her wrists tightly but not tight enough to leave a bruise. The subconscious tenderness makes her chest clench with guilt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If my being a monster bothers you so much, then go call Clark. I’m sure your best friend wouldn’t mind saving you from me,” he says, voice soft but immensely pained. Chloe’s lips quiver at the sound of it and she gasps when he releases her wrists and turns away, his back facing her. She steps back, arms curling around her middle, her back shaking as she watches his back remain tense. How…how could…how could she? How could they?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She shakes her head desperately, mentally kicking the wall until it crumbles and lets a river of sorrow flow down her cheek. Chloe turns and pulls the door open, then runs. She runs down the hall, runs, runs, runs passed the five year old girls playing with dolls. She runs until the hallway meets a wall and her chest is rising and falling rapidly.  She leans against the wall, feels an idle tear slip down her cheek.  Her eyes close, her teeth bite into her lip. She takes deep soothing breaths, feels the need for Davis’ arms around her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;amp; &amp;amp; &amp;amp;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two hours later her back is still against the wall, her knees touching her chest as she wraps her arms around them.  She lifts her face from her knees, opens her eyes and for the first time, notices the charm bracelet hanging limply on her wrist. She touches it with her fingers, eyes the little coffee mug charm hanging down the chain. An agonized chuckle escapes her and suddenly she’s rising and running back to the motel room. She gets there in a matter of seconds, stops when she’s about to collide with the door. Hands shaky, she lifts one, and makes a fist but doesn’t move it. She bites her lip nervously, eyes filling with tears when she hears movement behind the door. Her fist shakes and she hears him move again. She sniffles and suddenly she hears Davis’ palm hit the door and the mix of a growl and whimper.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis-“ she whispers. The door opens and she falls easily into his arms, her fist opening up so that she can cup his cheek. His strong arms wrap around her waist, pull her to his broad chest, rock them back and forth. She shakes her head, their forehead pressing together.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sorry, so sorry. I-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Shh. I’m sorry too. We shouldn’t have…I didn’t-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know.” They interrupt each other, arms tightening around each other, eyes closing at the comforting feeling.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Shh, we’ll figure out something. It’s okay-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sorry-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Me too, me too.”  They whisper desperately against the other’s lips, fingertips tracing from cheeks to collar bones to hips then back up to lips. They both aware that they need to think things over, that they’ll have to leave this town soon but right now Davis is running his hands through Chloe’s hair the way she loves and she’s running her hands down his back the way he needs and nothing…nothing else matters. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-7452331352502534241?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/7452331352502534241/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/12/grazing-complications.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/7452331352502534241'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/7452331352502534241'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/12/grazing-complications.html' title='grazing complications'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-7531509313632988154</id><published>2010-10-02T16:40:00.011-04:00</published><updated>2010-10-02T17:17:07.268-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='with lois'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='unresolved fic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='injustice'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='epicomygod'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='beast'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='ontheroadfic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='with clark'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='ohthatkindofsexualtension'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='it needed to be said'/><title type='text'>with the end of the world in your eyes</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;I've read possibly all the Beast fanfics there are for Chlavis, and none, I think may have touched me quite as much as this. There's the fact that there is Doomsday inside Davis, and that's horrible and ugly and so are the deaths it causes, but then there's the fact that Davis doesn't want to let it hurt Clark, no more than Chloe does, and Davis himself (the man who wanted his whole life to save people, build a real life with Chloe) might be the ultimate victim of this story. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;by&lt;span&gt; &lt;a href="http://autumn-whispers.livejournal.com/381727.html#cutid1"&gt; autumn_whispers&lt;/a&gt; at her livejournal&lt;/span&gt; &lt;br /&gt;2121 words, r, injustice&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The hand he rests against her jaw is sticky with blood but firm. “Look at me,” he says and when she does his lips are soft on hers, eyes wide and warm. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her mouth yields under the pressure, opens up to him. He delves deep, desperation cloying the taste of him. She feels the slick underside of his mouth against her tongue and the beast shifting, yowling inside its human prison.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;It’s easier than Chloe expects, to fall into this new life and adjust to another living person breathing beside her, a bed away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Motels become familiar; Smallville a strange, waning memory.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She calls Clark from Mexico City inside a run down Internet café, the payphone handle sticky in her hands. She watches Davis pace outside the shop with his hands in his pockets, shoulders tense and unsure. He seems lost in the flurry of people moving about their day, eyes sliding between the bodies rushing past.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He is careful not to look to the café.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe watches him until the line rings in her ear, bright and insistent. There is a small bubble of relief when it goes to voicemail. It’s easiest when she doesn’t have to fight against Clark’s pleadings or Oliver’s sharp disapproval.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Stop trying to find us,” she says after the beep, voice strong and sure. “I’m safe…we’re safe. Please stop looking. You’re making it worse,” she tells them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She knows they listen to her messages together. It's easy to imagine them, hunched over Clark’s desk in the bullpen, shoulders pressed together to listen, to formulate their next plan.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know what I’m doing. I’ve made my decision,” she tells them, careful to keep the uncertainty she knows they’re looking for from her voice. She hangs up without saying goodbye, afraid of the tremble building in her voice and the doubt leaking through.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The sun is bright, white hot against her eyes when she finds Davis in the street. The stiff line of his shoulders soften when she falls in step beside him, the worry on his brow easing. When he takes her hand in his she flexes her fingers around the rough edges of his skin, feels his gentle squeeze in return and breathes out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark stares at the Metropolis skyline, streets dark below, and waits. Minutes pass before the elevator door dings and slides noiselessly open. He can see Oliver’s distorted reflection in the windows moving towards him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Any word?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Just another message,” Clark says and turns to face him. Oliver shifts under the intensity of his gaze. “You?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They dumped their passports after they crossed the border. They’ll have new ones by now.” He sighs and Clark stiffens as the expression on Oliver’s face shifts. “Chloe’s…Clark, she’s very good at this. Part of her job as Watchtower was getting us fake papers, helping us move through South America and Europe. She has access to people who can help her disappear.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We’ll find her. Find them,” Clark says and the blind determination in his voice makes Oliver look away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe can’t tell if he’s sleeping or not, but his rhythmic breathing is better than the rickety fan that rattles above them. The room is too hot, her skin feels slick with sweat and the mattress is lumpy under her back. She’s a thousand miles away from Smallville and from any comfort or familiarity. She feels alone. Feels scared. Mostly she just feels like crying but Davis is only a few feet away, lying on his own bed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her throat burns with her swallowed sobs and she blinks rapidly, tears hot against her skin. After a few seconds when the tightness in her chest dissolves she breathes out in the silence, an unsteady sound that lingers between them. She stares at the shadows playing out on the walls and waits for sleep.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Across the room he shifts, clothes and sheets rustling. “Chloe,” he says, quiet and careful, giving her the chance to pretend she’s asleep. Her answer is noncommittal, a sound low in her throat as she turns over to face him. She can see the edge of his shadow as he sits on the bed. She knows he can see her perfectly in the dark.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They think I kidnapped you,” he says and for a moment Chloe doesn’t understand. She stares uncomprehending. “The papers…they’re saying I took you, with me. When I disappeared.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois,” Chloe says, bolts up in the bed. Her hand is halfway to the cheap cell phone before she remembers, struggling with the knowledge that she can’t call her. Not with Clark and Tess looking so closely for them. Not with all they have at stake. She pulls her hands back towards her, cradles them against the light cotton of her pajama bottoms.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It wasn’t supposed to go like this,” she says finally and the tremble in her voice betrays the resolve she’s trying to bring to the surface again. Lois probably thinks she’s dead or worse, and Chloe feels herself crumbling under the weight of all the courage and certainty that lead her here. It wasn’t meant to go like this.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sorry,” Davis says, suddenly beside her. “I’m so sorry,” he breathes into her hair and Chloe holds onto him, fingers tight and fearful. The skin of his bare shoulder is smooth and cool against her fevered skin. Her breath hitches, mouth gulping air as his hands move across her back, gentle and soothing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s ok,” he lies and Chloe prays for strength.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You have to tell her,” Oliver says, face soft as he watches Lois sleeping at her desk. She looks pale and worn out under the weight of Chloe’s disappearance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know. I just…I need more time,” Clark says. He doesn’t look at her, doesn’t look at Oliver either.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This is killing her Clark. You have to tell her about Chloe, about the truth and Davis. If you won’t, I will,” he threatens.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Ok,” Clark says, breathes out, “Ok.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’s told her once before about his secret, he can tell her again. It’ll be easier this time. He knows her response and knows she’ll accept him whole and actual. The hand he lays on her shoulder is gentle, hesitant but she wakes instantly, Chloe’s name on her lips before her vision clears and she sighs, disappointed. Her gaze flickers between him and Oliver searching, desperate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Any news?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois,” Clark starts before looking back at Oliver. “I have to tell you something.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They don’t talk much during the day and even then it’s only for necessity. Davis drives and Chloe sleeps. Days and counties blend into each other, her whole world boils down to sleeping and eating, moving from the car to another bed. Davis never asks her drive, never gets sleepy or tired but each night he lays down on the other bed in their hotel room, closes his eyes and doesn’t move until the next morning.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark looks at Lois, face flushed but alive, the line of her back sharp as she bends over the map and talks quietly into her phone. She’s writing something down, her words quick and short. After a moment she snaps the phone shut, carefully placing another push pin into the map. “They’re in Columbia,” she announces and the hope simmering in her eyes is enough to renew the straggling optimism inside Clark. It’s been almost a month without word from Chloe or any of Oliver’s sources.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“One of my contacts said someone matching their description passed through one of the border check points about an hour ago. “&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The jets ready,” Oliver tells them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s faster if I go on my own,” Clark says. “I’ll bring her back safe,” he promises Lois.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You better,” she threatens but it’s only a halfhearted warning and the smile she gives him is forced, laden with worry.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe dreams about Clark, body lain broken and bloody, at her feet like a prize. The snow is red and Doom looms over her, face a horrible mask of rage. She wakes up to Davis’s face, his hands on her shoulder, shaking her into consciousness. The tendons on his neck strain against his skin and, even in the dark, she can see the red tinge to his eyes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s close,” Davis chokes out and Chloe’s up in an instant, throwing their belongings into their bags and rushing out after Davis. She’s still in her pajamas when they get into the car, barefoot.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She’s never going to give up, you now that, right?” Oliver asks and for a moment Clark isn’t sure if he’s talking about Lois or Chloe. “Maybe,” Oliver starts, hesitantly, “you should just let her go. She doesn’t want to be rescued.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can’t,” Clark says desperately. He’s lost so much over the years but he can’t lose Chloe. She’s been his only constant, the one fixed point in his life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You have other responsibilities,” Oliver cuts in, surprised by the edge in his own voice. “Metropolis is falling apart under your struggle and Lois needs you to be strong. I’ll keep looking but you need to pull it together. You need to be the man Lois thinks you are.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know,” Clark says, but he isn’t looking at Oliver. He’s starring at the sunset, left wondering if Chloe’s watching the same one, a thousand miles away, hoping she’s safe and praying Oliver is right.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tess’s men catch up to them in Peru. Chloe is alone, unprepared and out-numbered. She’s on her knees, mouth bloody when she hears the men behind her scream. Chloe knows without looking that Davis has come for her, despite her plea for him not to. There is nothing she can do now and it grates, this helpless. It is all she can do to wait, eyes closed until the sound of men dying fades and there is only the stillness of the night.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When she opens her eyes it takes every part of her not to pull away from the creature in front of her. The thing extends its hand towards her, the first real human gesture Chloe has seen. She accepts numbly and allows herself to be pulled up from the dirty floor, guided away. She does not struggle, just concentrates on the gentle pressure of jagged bones and flesh pressing against her palm. The careful way it holds her hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When they stop at the mouth of the alley she feels it shudder beside her, skin and bones shifting, melting away. When she looks again it’s just Davis before her, alive but bloody. Human. His eyes are vast, endless with guilt and shame. Chloe feels the beast stirring inside his fragile human chest even now, waiting. It does this for her, gives her Davis, broken and empty, a shell of himself because it is easier.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe,” he breathes, and she turns away from him. “I didn’t,” he starts and she closes her eyes against the images of the torn bodies behind them in the dirty alley. She doesn’t want to remember this, remember him changing and shifting under the need to protect them, but the images feel like they’re seared against the underside of her eyelids.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We have to- we have to go,” she tells him thickly, swallowing down the hysteria she feels building.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The hand he rests against her jaw is sticky with blood but firm. “Look at me,” he says and when she does his lips are soft on hers, eyes wide and warm. Her mouth yields under the pressure, opens up to him. He delves deep, desperation cloying the taste of him. She feels the slick underside of his mouth against her tongue and the beast shifting, yowling inside its human prison.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Tell me to stop,” he says and the desperation in his voice stills her long enough to let him kiss her again. She pushes against his naked chest, his skin slick with blood and sweat but her hands fall away, ghosting over him. He slips a knee between her legs and shoves them apart. She falls forward into him and he grunts, rubs his thigh against her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not here,” she says and he breaks away from her, breathing labored and the expression on his face pained. “We have to leave, Clark-”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clark,” Davis repeats, voice dark. He shakes himself, shoulders stiff and jaw clenched. After a moment he relaxes into her and she gives him this moment, to hold her against him and breathe her in. To remember why he’s running.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Come on,” she says finally, hand settling in his for the walk back to the hotel room, to the stolen jeep and their journey farther south.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-7531509313632988154?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/7531509313632988154/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/10/with-end-of-world-in-your-eyes.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/7531509313632988154'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/7531509313632988154'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/10/with-end-of-world-in-your-eyes.html' title='with the end of the world in your eyes'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-7923826625653352295</id><published>2010-10-02T12:18:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2010-10-02T12:25:02.890-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='let&apos;s skip out on this wedding shall we'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='bride'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='mindrape is bad'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='watchtherating'/><title type='text'>burdens of lace</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;Watching Bride was akin to watching an execution to me. Straight off of Abyss, a mind-wiped Chloe goes through the motions of being happy and her whole self...right about until the time Doomsday crashes in on the wedding.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;At a few points in the episode, (Chloe's conversation with Lois) I actually had to pause because she looked so decidedly UNhappy. So pausing there, right at the wedding, I wondered what would happen if Chloe knew something was wrong. Who would she go to for help?&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;by vagrantdream at &lt;a href="http://vagrantdream.livejournal.com/41845.html#cutid1"&gt;her/my livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1269 words, nc-17, &lt;i&gt;bride&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;"I’m not right.”&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe hedged into the room the wedding guests were just starting to fill. Ahead of her were her best friend, Lois, Jimmy laughing loudly at a dirty joke... As she walked, the garter scratched into her thigh like some primitive claim of ownership. Jimmy’s, who wanted to be the one and only and hadn’t cared enough to call after he’d taken her virginity. She didn’t feel any warm prickle inside her at the thought that he’d be attempting to yank the garter off with his teeth after the reception. This felt like a parody, an inversion of what you heard you were supposed to do with your life. She felt dry, her legs creaking under her. It felt like she was losing the rest of her life, not starting it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No.” She whispered, trying the word out. Clark’s eyes zeroed in on her eerily. He looked suspicious and alarmed, though he couldn’t have heard. It seemed all wrong somehow, how invested he was in her marriage, when he had been such a small part of her life. Why was she doing this? Her memories were skewed, like her mother’s had been. It felt like something was taking control of her, something, and that was schizophrenia right there. The panic turned to a knot inside her and she was running from the uproar building behind her. Each of her steps felt lighter.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At her apartment, Chloe upended her private drawers, places Jimmy never thought to look. She drew soft fingers over a pile of computer print outs. Interviews, foster homes records, apartment leases…That was all she’d found on Davis Bloome, the heat of tension flipping dully under her skin. He’d called her three times and then he’d stopped.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It would have been wrong to answer: what kind of bride nursed such a fascination with another man? She had been a reporter who chased around stories that never came to fruition, but it seemed like she’d found it in Davis. They’d never done anything whatsoever, not until that one kiss. She’d rattled around the flower shop afterwards, desperate for his the light, fleeting touch back, wondering if… She couldn’t even remember what she’d been wondering.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe jumped at the quick knock at her door, five minutes before her wedding had been supposed to happen. She recognized the knock and the door was open before she realized she was moving. She stood there, naked at the shoulders, stripped bare. Davis. Her breaths didn’t want to come.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His eyes lingered where the veil had fallen out of her fingers. “I’m sorry.” He said. He was in street clothes, but that didn’t hide the hero he wanted to be or the way his eyes clung to her, hurting. “I didn’t come to stalk you. I almost blacked out, tonight. I saw your car. I thought it might help me make peace…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I couldn’t marry him.” She blurted out. “I don’t think that’s who I am.” She giggled, haplessly. “Marrying Jimmy wasn’t right. I’m not right.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis’s dark eyes flickered in relief and worry. “Chloe…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Please don’t leave.” She was in his arms, pressed against his chest, and the heat of him trickled over her shoulders and underneath her skin. The door latched behind his fingers, and when she lifted her mouth to brush his he held her to him for the longest time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe had been losing so much time. Davis wouldn’t be one of those minutes and hours she lost. She needed his memory filling her head, and he was filling her until she thought she could burst of the heat of it. Davis pushed inside her on what could have been her marriage bed; moving with increasing friction inside her, until her knuckles went white and tight over the garter he’d lowered into them. He soothed at the ringed mark it had left on her thigh, but he was so much. She couldn’t remember enough of this. Chloe flinched and bit until she tasted the blood blooming over the inside of her cheek.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She’d panted through Davis’s soft questions and touches, clutched at his fingers like she used to dream she had done. He confessed that his skin shattered knives, a fact that made little sense about her life in context- but it brought together one piece of the scrambled puzzle. She’d always had this feeling she would love him.&lt;br /&gt;Her fingers prickled in nerves but the line of his cheekbone didn’t feel invulnerable. She’d seen it shift and soften. Davis drew her palm over his face, turned soft questing lips into it. He’d loved her through his fears about himself, through her fractured memories, through her flight and near wedding to another man. He was only human and she needed him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nothing in my life makes sense anymore, and I now don’t want anything but you. I don’t know if it’s a connection between us-” Yet the feelings were like a solid, tangible thing that stirred all over her skin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll lead you back.” He said, like the multiple times he had taken care of her. Davis’s protectiveness was written on his face, softened behind his lips and her naïve fingers. There was a desire in his eyes that had nothing to do with the fact that she was clinging to him in a dress she’d half wrenched off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’d kissed her shoulders around the beading of the gown, and scoured tender sucks under her throat. He was paying attention to her pleasure but that wasn’t enough. Being with Davis was falling into an increasingly deep spiral that demanded contact and movement and his hands crumpling her skirt around her waist. She rubbed up into his palm until he began to ease in and out of her body. He gave her a chance to decide what she wanted, and she edged her fingertips to his shoulders and reeled him in. He stopped controlling himself long enough to fall onto her with a series of agonized, electrifying thrusts. They evened out, slicker and deeper, but each time flickered though her face and broke her into a deeper sweat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe kissed Davis unevenly, softly fumbling for his back. She had never known good. A terrible deep feeling swelled inside her and arched her back wrackingly into the bed. His cock rubbed so thickly inside there was no nudging him where she needed, just feeling him everywhere at once as her muscles stung and burned and clutched at the throbbing slick heat of him. He swayed her neck back to nip. She was pleasure-addled and pliant. Her legs folded underneath her, and he came down on her, jerking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She couldn’t see enough of Davis. He shook in a torture of exhaled breaths, soaking and burning under her skin. She dragged against him softly, feeling him twitch and wring out inside her, his face twisting in tender ecstasy. She hadn’t expected the passion between them to come this far.&lt;br /&gt;Davis rubbed his nose against her cheek, shakily cuddling her against him. He was heavy and more human than she’d ever seen him. There was a small hard part in her that needed to keep him protected and safe. Chloe wrapped arms around his waist and squeezed. Her eyes met his, sticky and longing and he stumbled over her massive, torn bridal train to lift her free. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-7923826625653352295?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/7923826625653352295/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/10/burdens-of-lace.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/7923826625653352295'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/7923826625653352295'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/10/burdens-of-lace.html' title='burdens of lace'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-2976013115035996278</id><published>2010-07-22T09:50:00.004-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T10:06:10.998-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='alternate universe'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='with lois'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='plastique'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='au'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='willmakeyouhowloflaughter'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='ohthatkindofsexualtension'/><title type='text'>davis bloome versus the pickle jar</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; "&gt; Stories with Lois are the most fun to read, just because she's as blatantly obvious about the eye fornication as we are. Pitch perfect Lois voice, and some cute/hot/messy Chlavis in a compromising situation. Of sorts. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;by kitten/nonky &lt;a href="http://z6.invisionfree.com/DefyingMythos/index.php?showtopic=1049"&gt;at defying mythos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1860 words, nc-17(for lois's potty mouth), &lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;plastique&lt;/span&gt;/alternate universe&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;Lois had only found out when they were leaving that she was the third wheel on the bicycle built for two people fucking.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The little house in the outskirts of a farm town seemed quiet. Everything was clean, if not perfectly tidy. It wasn't ideal. It wasn't without flaws, but it was a real home. Lois knew it well, and knew the otherness of her Uncle Gabe's house was completely unnatural.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Well, Chloe didn't used to bang guys in the house in high school, the brunette thought acidly. The incipient porn vibes are bound to make any place strange.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois approached with caution, sure her cousin and the hot paramedic - who was not her cousin's boyfriend but followed her everywhere – were fucking in her Uncle Gabe's kitchen. Uncle Gabe was not at home, having received a work trip only hours before the weekend Chloe, Lois, Davis and Clark were supposed to visit. It was a sign, surely. A sign Lois would have heeded had she known before they were three quarters of the way to their destination.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It started out a family trip, the two cousins going back to Smallville to visit Chloe's father. The blond mentioned it to Davis, who found himself suddenly at loose ends that same weekend, and dying to meet 'the man who raised the legendary Chloe Sullivan.' He had done everything but make a sign asking to be invited.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Including Clark had been Chloe's idea, so as to further prove the notion that Davis was just a friend like Clark was – though their mutual stalking and eyesex would forever exhibit them as bad liars. Clark had decided at the last minute not to lose his weekend at work, and given his apologies to Chloe over the phone. Lois had only found out when they were leaving that she was the third wheel on the bicycle built for two people fucking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From the way Davis' eyes scorched Chloe's skirt off when she bent to put her suitcase in the trunk, they did it hard enough to for protective gear to be advisable. Little cousin could claim chastity all she wanted, but Davis Bloome opened her car door, untangled her seat belt for her, and sang on the drive. He turned in his seat, gazed at her blond head, and serenaded her sweetly to every song that came on for a full hour. He actually sang quite well, but that wasn't the point. Chloe giggled at him, and turned pink in the face, but she also didn't stop him. Lois felt like she was going to have to dive under the car to avoid being part of the action.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They pulled up to an empty driveway, and Lois was peacefully informed it was just the three of them, as if it wasn't the bell tolling doom for her cool, relaxed weekend. She was going to have to watch every moment for the signals that preceded bouts of denial-fueled lovey-dovey crap. She would have to figure out whether Chloe was giving her the 'privacy, please' glance or the 'save me from his over-eager gonads' glance. At least there was a grace period after arrival, in which it would just look pathetically needy for Davis to feel up the tiny blond he doted upon.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He was doing a pretty good job hiding his erection as he moved luggage and accepted caressing help out of his jacket. Lois decided they were safe for the moment.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She immediately asked for the car keys and went on a liquor store run that took at least three hours. She had visited every old haunt in Smallville, and bought a variety of fudge flavours she was considering sharing if the visit wasn't too awkward.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She had been delighted to realize Smallville Video still had her on file, and rented four slasher movies. Chloe could try canoodling to those, but she wasn't the fawning, eye-covering chick. Usually, she would lean over and mention something like how a chainsaw could never start up that easily after being submerged in water, or how flares just did not give off enough light to illuminate an underground cathedral buried by mudslides. Lois was armed with everything she knew to make the awkward moments smoother, so she had no choice but to go back to the house.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There were indeterminate noises coming from the kitchen, and then a sharp shattering of glass.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“OH!” Chloe's voice, sounding choked and pained. “Davis, it's in my eye!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Damn it,” he replied, sounding contrite and a little dazed. “I'm sorry. Here, just get to the sink.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois shook her head and clutched her booze and horror movies. Trust Chloe to find a nice guy and still get hurt. Davis was even a paramedic, so he should know better. He'd seen horrific childbirth up close and personal, and the ugly effects of STDs. Lois had given him the benefit of the doubt, knowing he and Chloe had to be safe because anything else would just be stupid. Apparently, Davis was going to need those death threats after all. She put her weekend survival kit down gently.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Jeez, Dimples,” she said loudly, kicking the kitchen door open. “If a lady gives you the personal touch, the least you can do is aim.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She fixed her eyes on the details, trying to ignore any nudity and gross fluids. Everything was dripping with an intense, briny smell. He had her baby cousin bent over the sink, but they were both clothed. If anything, it looked like Chloe and Davis were re-enacting 9 ½ Weeks, or perhaps making sandwiches.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois, don't pick on him,” her infirm relative pleaded from her upside down look under the kitchen faucet. “I asked Davis to open the pickle jar.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There was a metal cover on the floor, the green colour signifying its contents. It wasn't the worst cover-up Lois had ever witnessed. It did need some polish to be believable, though.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I'll just bet you did! Who could blame you, but you have to have standards here, Chloe! It really doesn't matter how he blinds you – the point is – Blind!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bits of bottle crunched underfoot as Lois barged in to get a better idea of Chloe's wounds. She wasn't bleeding anywhere. She was even still in her bra. Davis held her in a loose embrace, his hands sturdy and gentle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I'm so sorry, Chloe,” he was saying, stroking her hair as water dribbled across her eyes. “I'm pretty sure there's no glass in there, but we should go to the hospital to check.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I'm fine, I'm fine,” the patient said, directing the first to her cousin and then repeating it more sexfully for her personal paramedic. “Davis, you don't have to be sorry, it was an accident. The pickle juice was just full of vinegar, but I'm okay now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She stood up slowly, and he picked her up to perch on the counter. Pressing himself between her knees, Davis held Chloe's face. His thumbs ran unconsciously along her cheekbones and he was breathing soothing words across her mouth as she let him study her sore eyes. If Lois was measuring generously, she might agree there was an inch of space between Davis' pouty lips reciting incantations of atonement and Chloe's soothing smile.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whoa, boy! You've got some medical intensity there, Davis, I'll give you that. Chloe, on a scale of that time with the cherry bomb to that time with the back window at the rave club, how bad is it?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Down around Davis' trim waist, Chloe's knees pressed protectively closer to his sides. She rubbed his shoulder and barely made the pretext of noticing anyone but Davis existed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It's not stinging anymore, nothing hurts. My eyes are just freaked out,” Chloe said sincerely. “Really, Davis, I'm okay. I'm okay, Lois, and none of this is his fault.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And she stroked his head like a puppy, making his whole body shift toward her hand in needy charm. Lois sighed at the identical blissfully helpless expressions on her cousin and her cousin's boyfriend.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It's so gross in here,” she muttered to herself. “DIMPLES!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He barely flicked his eyes away from Chloe's green ones, and went back into her loving gaze without prompting. If not for the height of the counter, Davis might actually be in Chloe. Lois clapped her hands to get his attention.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You're not one of those uber-Catholics who won't use condoms and birth control, are you? You don't think Xs on a calendar keep babies away?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois,” Chloe yelped. She cupped the back of his neck as if he were a baby woodland creature instead of a potential big bad wolf. “That's a really personal question.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The impersonal questions don't get the important information, Lois tried to eye-beam to her. I'm vetting his penis for landing for you!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Turning slowly, so Chloe's hands didn't fall off his shoulders, Davis faced her proudly. “I use both, because it's a good idea and if you care about someone enough to have sex you should show that by taking care of that person. I'm clean. I get tested regularly because sometimes I get called to pretty messy scenes. Blood gets on you eventually; it just happens in my line of work. Never married, no kids, GED, two-year paramedicine program, decent grades but I've never claimed to be a genius. I used to run with a gang, when I was living on the street, but that was years ago. I was arrested once, for grafitti. I don't smoke, drink or do drugs. I don't date more than one woman at a time. I work a lot, I try to keep my savings for a rainy day. I am interested in marriage and kids, eventually. Anything else?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Over his shoulder, Chloe's smug grin was topped with a little dance of her upper body. Lois scowled and leaned in to intimidate him. “How's your driving record,” she challenged. “Do you pay your taxes on time?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clear, and my insurance is up to date. I never speed, and I always signal,” he supplied calmly. “I pay my taxes on time every year.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Stalky Davis must have done his homework to impress Uncle Gabe, she thought cynically. Well, I'll keep my eye on him anyway.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good. Now, move out of the way,” Lois said sternly. She nudged his body from the snuggly hold on Chloe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She's not wearing shoes and there's glass all over-”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bracing, Lois took her cousin's arms and draped her in a fireman's carry. It was tricky for a second, then the blond settled down.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clean up the kitchen, Dimples. I'll take care of our girl, here,” she ordered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He stood back and watched in wonder as the taller young woman displayed an unusual amount of strength. Chloe waved meekly as she was carried off. He shook his head slowly, awed by Chloe's cousin, in the truest sense. Lois frightened and amazed him, and he was going to have to hide his emerging powers a lot better to fool her. The next time Chloe couldn't open a jar, she was going to have to work it out herself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At the very least, Davis didn't want to dodge leading questions about being an alien invader for the rest of his life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-2976013115035996278?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/2976013115035996278/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/davis-bloome-versus-pickle-jar.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/2976013115035996278'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/2976013115035996278'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/davis-bloome-versus-pickle-jar.html' title='davis bloome versus the pickle jar'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-2181561777654126381</id><published>2010-07-22T09:39:00.005-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T09:50:30.016-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='psycho jeweler cupids'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='committed'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='in vino veritas'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='inebriated chloe'/><title type='text'>truth serum</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; "&gt;Just how much did Chloe's braniac powers play into her surviving the electro shock machine machine in Committed? Chloe tries to find an answer to the psychotic jeweler's question and finds she's engaged, dizzy and at Davis's door. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;by vagrantdream at &lt;a href="http://z6.invisionfree.com/DefyingMythos/index.php?showtopic=1335"&gt;defying mythos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;754 words, pg-13, &lt;i&gt;committed&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;Lois told her she needed a drink. She had a couple, a warm grounding buzz through her belly jangling with the unbearable heat all over her skin. It was starting to be clear to her. She couldn't move out of this phase of hers without knowing. He wanted her, maybe unlike anyone. Maybe he was just....&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;"Do you have feelings for another man? I repeat, Miss Sullivan, do you have feelings for another man?"&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe knew that electroshock restraints on her wrists to match the lie detector were illegal cohersion, Yet, for the split moment before her new powers had crashed the device she'd thought about it.  Jimmy looked grateful, but she wasn't thinking of him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Blurred images of close cropped brown hair, a full mouth turning up in quickly covered-up dismay. He'd been inches from moving into her personal space, spilling memories of his childhood to her mere hours after they'd met. She was unavailable, but he'd been willing to risk his job for her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe wondered if he'd taste warm and minty like Clark, or like Jimmy's bubblegum, or like something more quintessentially him that she could never forget. She'd thought about  being able to brush a hand across that dress uniform of his or his how hw might have touched her with shame and picket fences and mortgages weighing on her mind.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She'd thought about it and now she couldn't stop. Lois told her she needed a drink. She had a couple, a warm grounding buzz through her belly jangling with the unbearable heat all over her skin. It was starting to be clear to her. She couldn't move out of this phase of hers without knowing. He wanted her, maybe unlike anyone. Maybe he was just....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was too late for doing this with any claim to innocence, but her hand was on the door, and thumping before she could turn and run away. The door pulled open with a sudden swing, and she couldn't see more than a tall, defined glow of blinding skin. "I want to be around you." She choked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She had a moment of his eyes,  crinkling at the red dress in confusion and her legs feeling very strange. Before she knew it Davis's hands were up on her elbows, holding her up. "Chloe. You're burning up, how did you find me--"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"It wasn't difficult." Davis had a tidy locker, and a couple of suddenly helpful ambulance partners. "I was thinking about what you said. Only now, I think you might have to kick my ass."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He let her go with loosening fingers and Chloe realized that it wasn't because he thought she was any steadier. Davis backed up in pajama bottoms and nothing else, not like he was embarrassed, but like he was courteous enough to want to dress for her. He was getting to far away. Chloe tottered forward, pressed a hand flat onto his chest. His shoulders tightened and shivered long enough for her mouth to knock into his.&lt;br /&gt;He tasted like she supposed a guy would taste after you assaulted him in the middle of the night. Toothpaste, hints of sleep and saliva and something earthy. His lips were soft but full enough, rough enough that they didn't give under hers. &lt;br /&gt;He couldn't get a word in if he tried, but his fingers clutched into her hips and drew her against his body. She could feel him through the flimsy fabric of her dress. His palm curved into her neck and he pulled his mouth away. She was so warm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"What did you have?" he rasped.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Truth serum doesn't exist, you know. I just looked at the rest and I don't know if it's worth holding onto."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His eyes were dark, shining, when he pulled away from her shoulder.&lt;br /&gt;"I want you right now. I can't say I'll be brave enough tomorrow." Her legs had reached up to strangle his waist, and she could almost feel the friction burn of him moving, the wall scraping holes in her dress.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis palmed her shoulder, let her down.  "Please." He had to give her something, something to tell her she wasn't an engaged idiot who'd just thrown herself at another man. His arms around her were a slow lulling heat, but she fought the release. There was hunger enough that his lips strained into her space.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"I've never felt the way I feel about you. But I'm not going to let it happen this way. You're going to want to talk about this." he said carefully. "I'll be here when you wake up. I'm not rejecting you. I want to be able to keep you."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe woke up at six A.M., stomach wanting to heave, and found that there was a bucket by the side of the bed, and two of his arms and legs were slung over hers. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-2181561777654126381?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/2181561777654126381/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/truth-serum.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/2181561777654126381'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/2181561777654126381'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/truth-serum.html' title='truth serum'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-196055350308231470</id><published>2010-07-22T09:38:00.006-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T10:18:26.501-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='alternate universe'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='vampires'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='crack'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='there&apos;s a connection'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='stalker chloe'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='season five'/><title type='text'>thrall</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; "&gt;Only one of the several vampire! Davis fics I'll be writing. Oh Sam Witwer as Aiden on Being Human, I wonder why? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "&gt;Chloe has her way of stalking stories and vigilante vampires.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;by vagrantdream at &lt;a href="http://vagrantdream.livejournal.com/42126.html#cutid1"&gt;her/my livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1031 words, pg-13, alternate universe&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;He was going to eat the man for the price of her press pass. It would have been satisfying if she wasn’t perfectly aware that she was a happy meal too.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe watched the vampire stalk behind the purse-snatcher. Davis Bloome, paramedic by day, fiend by night. Always took the night shifts, had an unearthly physique, distaste for coffee, duct tape over the binds of his windows, quick reactions and an uncanny amount of awards for saving lives. Not to mention, his eyes ate her when she helped him with that oxygen tank.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He wasn’t turned so she could see his eyes, but dressed in the kind of flimsy thin shirt you imagined went out with Marlon Brando. Chloe watched the impermeable shift of muscles under the thin cloth, immobile. If the utter silence thing didn’t work out he could win on awe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The man he was stalking didn’t hear him, but he started to run. He probably felt the chill. The vampire threw his head forward, a lion chasing a gazelle; he was going to eat the man for the price of her press pass. It would have been satisfying if she wasn’t perfectly aware that she was a happy meal too.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The victim slammed and crashed against the garbage can. Chloe tried not to jump at the click and muffled noise against the wall. She could nearly hear the gurgle of his blood, but that wasn’t her problem; he wasn’t the nicest guy. The garlic itched in her bra; it would be enough to weaken Davis until she could talk some sense into him. He was taking crime off the streets, but drinking the criminal wouldn’t make a positive change long term, unless it happened to be Lionel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He was coming to her; she could hear him breathing in the air, see her purse in his long fingers. She didn’t move, didn’t breathe, looked through slitted eyes. He could smell her. That was the point of jumping in front of that car, impregnating her scent with the formaldehyde and dead flesh from the morgue and then falling on the sidewalk with her purse in plain sight in the Suicide Slums. He stood above her, crouching before she realized he’d moved. He was looking at her press pass. He reached out with a cool hand, lifted her off of the road and onto the sidewalk and he didn’t seize up, already. Her lungs hurt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe noticed that of all things that he was particularly attractive, probably not all shriveled like a prune because he drank so many thieves. He had a dimple in his chin, a slim red line of blood dripping down the neck of his shirt...right against her skin as he drew close and curious. His lips were very red and probably cool if she tried to touch them... Chloe snuck in the lightest inhale, soundless.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dizzy, she felt his nose, cool and light, tracing down the side of her neck and into her collarbone. He was taking her scent and Chloe bit the shudder down; dead women didn’t do that.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You don’t smell dead.” He said quietly. He didn’t prod her, but Chloe felt her eyes flutter open slowly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I have low blood sugar…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis cocked his head. A feral, sniffing vampire knew she was alive, and trying to fool him. Clearly there were only two options, her hero speech required she not be at the disadvantage. Chloe promptly latched onto his mouth, tasting the bloody tang of about five unsavory characters. His mouth stiffened, shock but grazed her back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis pulled her legs out of his lap for balance, eyes narrowing like bright light was shining into his eyes. He had cool, soft lips though and she didn’t feel anything very sharp when her tongue was in his mouth. A cold finger skimmed down her face, and his lips parted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His fingers skimmed along her cold, goose-bumped knees. Maybe the bloodlust that meant that vampires did it in a pile of dead bodies. This was bad; this was not things were done…His hands closed under her knees, and Chloe started to think she was rather open-minded. Davis had slipped his hands under her and started to carry her. Maybe she should have kneed him in the nose instead of kissing. He was going to haul her back into his coffin or closet or freezer and make her into a shrieking vampire wife.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe jostled her leg free in a mad panic, getting her hands tangled in his shirt. She had a tazer strapped to her thigh, just about where his hands were. “Where are you taking me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Back to your apartment. It’s not safe here.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey-look-My apartm-You’re stalking me!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You left your cell phone at my apartment. I made a call; Lois guessed my name. Chloe-you could have said so. What do you think about stalking?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was better she didn’t answer that. Davis watched her and swung his other hand down for her downed purse, holding to her with one arm. Chloe dug her fingers into his back like small claws, just in case he wasn’t used to this sort of this thing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His nose pressed against her neck. Davis inhaled deeply. He was a vampire and he was going to drink her all up. She couldn’t find them but he had sharp teeth. Chloe remembered to think of mud and gray corpses… Davis lying on a slab all white and hard…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So you weren’t going to sneak in and take advantage of me some night?” She wavered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis opened his eyes and blinked at her. They seemed to get softer and deeper the longer they talked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Actually, I need you to invite me in, first.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Oh-okay. He ate people! Chloe clamped her hands down on her mouth and stared. He looked ravenous.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her fingers just crept, like Renfield and trickled down to his lips. He was pressing against her. Come to think of it, he felt a little bit like marble.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis's meal was groaning and lurching around on the floor when he lifted her up, tucking her like a small, groping bundle against him. Chloe was a little bit sorry that Clark would have a hell of a headache tomorrow morning.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-196055350308231470?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/196055350308231470/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/thrall.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/196055350308231470'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/196055350308231470'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/thrall.html' title='thrall'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-4227282848155367153</id><published>2010-07-22T09:12:00.005-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T09:34:37.434-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='chlavis baby'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='willgiveyouwarmfuzzies'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='postsplit fic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='future fic'/><title type='text'>baby foster</title><content type='html'>&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;Reccing Notes:&lt;/b&gt; After the drama and horror of Doomsday have faded,  Chloe and Davis find themselves taking one more step towards  a life together as her pregnancy test comes out positive. Wonderful callbacks to Plastique, with the influence of Davis's foster-kid upbringing and Chloe's baby-crazy hormones.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;Read it and tell me you don't get warm fuzzies. I dare you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;by sarcastic_fina at &lt;a href="http://z6.invisionfree.com/DefyingMythos/index.php?showtopic=1343"&gt;defying mythos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1962 words, pg-13, future fic&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;Bravado cracking, his smile faded and he nodded slowly. "I want to be everything you see in me."&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt; &lt;br /&gt;Positive. Positive. Positive.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just like the other six pregnancy tests she'd taken the time to pee on.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eyes wide, Chloe stared at the three latest lined up on the coffee table in front of her. Pregnant. She was pregnant. As in, there was a small human growing inside her stomach. Her hand fell automatically, palm splayed across her still flat navel. Gulping, she sat back into the couch, her shoulders slumping. This was… not part of the grand scheme of things. Or, okay, it might have been. Years and years into the future. But now? Now she was on the run with Davis Bloome; a former serial killer separated from the alien part of him that wanted and needed blood.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not for the first time, she questioned how her life had turned out this way. One minute she was just a curious teenage reporter, the next she had and lost her chance at the Daily Planet. And then there was sweet, naïve, normal Jimmy, who didn't fit into her life like she'd hoped he would. Not when she was playing superhero go-to-girl behind his back. And when it all fizzled apart because of the build-up of lies, not to mention her involvement with Davis, she was both distraught and relieved.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Normal was not part of Chloe Sullivan's make-up. If anything, it was the one main ingredient she was severely lacking. And after she'd used black kryptonite to separate Doomsday from the man she knew deep down was good, they ran… Away from all that threatened to separate them. Did she miss Clark? Lois? The team? Of course. But they wouldn't understand. They couldn't.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What she felt for Davis was beyond them; it was a physical and emotional connection she'd never known the likes of before. How he made her feel just by looking at her, that smile of his with dimples that spoke of such affection… She felt loved when she was with Davis. Prized and wanted; always.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So she should be happy, really. After four years on the run, they'd settled down in a nice town. Easily overlooked by most people; just a tiny little place that was often passed by without a second glance. She'd always thought herself a city girl, but it turned out so long as the rewards were in the guise of a good man who wanted to spend his whole life loving her, she'd go wherever, do whatever.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And after all their running, finally settling down in a place where the biggest news was who the new Deputy Sheriff would be was like finding normal and fitting in. Especially when all of her hacking paid off and she was able to create new and acceptable identities for them. She knew the truth, however, even if her neighbors never suspected a thing. They looked at Chloe and Davis Foster as if they were just regular people, out to make a living and enjoy their lives as they came. They had no idea that he once killed people with his bare hands; that he'd once had an evil in him that could destroy the very world.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When they looked at Davis, they saw a mild-mannered, handsome and charming man who worked at the local firehouse and lent his heroics to the small town whenever they needed. They might gossip over them, but it was hardly anything to make the hairs on Chloe's neck stand up or her spidey-sense kick in, telling them to run. Most of the word going around had to do with her and Davis being that sweet, affectionate couple that could hardly keep their hands off each other. And wasn't that exactly how they got into this position?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pregnant.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Biting her lip, she leaned forward once more to see the tests, wanting to make sure this wasn't a very unsubstantiated hallucination. And just to be extra sure, she pinched her self. Wincing, she rubbed her arm when nothing happened except a little biting pain. So it was true then, there was no getting away from it. She and Davis were pregnant; they were going to have a baby. A… She smiled suddenly. A baby.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She could fully appreciate skepticism. It wasn't as if she grew up with a great mother-figure. Moira had gone away and confined both herself and her abilities long before Chloe could truly get a grasp of what motherhood might be like. But then, she did have Martha Kent's influence, and if that wasn't the best mother alive, she didn't know who was. But seeing was not knowing and so it was with both anticipation and fear that she opened her laptop, ready to accept her current situation and study it to death. She would not walk into this blind.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Four hours.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She spent four hours on her laptop, researching everything from symptoms to techniques in helping her child learn early, to give him or her a better chance at being a small brain. The only time she removed herself from the computer was to toss away every coffee related grocery she had in the house in a fit of motherly support. Later she'd regret it and think herself baby-crazy, but at the time it seemed a smart thing to do.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe hardly looked up when the door opened and Davis walked in, tossing the keys to their beat-up blue Ford truck on the counter and shrugging his jacket off. He'd been at the firehouse overnight and usually when he returned home, she'd have had dinner ready for them or she'd have jumped into his arms, happy to see him home and eager to get him back into their room. But she was distracted today and busy, so she didn't look up from her laptop when he stepped into the living room of their small, rent-to-own house.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Uh, Chloe…?" he greeted her, eyes darting all around.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She waved a hand absently, brows furrowed atop her eyes staring at her laptop searchingly. She'd been reading up on breast-feeding and was both curious and uncomfortable. She'd have to get over these things, and soon, but she figured she was allowed her immediate response in the beginning. She was sure when their son or daughter was put in her arms, she'd change her mind. There was always the option of formula, but from what she'd read it wasn't as healthy for the baby. Chewing her lip, she knew that even while she didn't technically know their child and she'd only just realized she was having one, she wanted the very best for him or her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Suddenly, Davis was kneeling next to her, one of his large hands on her knee. "You wanna tell me something?" he asked, though the smile on his face was knowing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Attention caught, she turned toward him, not sure how she was even going to word it. Only to see he was holding one of her many pregnancy tests.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Guess it kind of speaks for itself," she murmured, frowning.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He lifted a brow, mouth curling with a smile. "That it does." He stared up at her thoughtfully. "But I think I'd like to hear it from you."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She didn't know why, but her eyes suddenly filled with warm tears. "I'm… We're…" A breathy laugh escaped her. "Guess all that hard work paid off, because we're going to have a little piece of ourselves around here in, oh… seven or so months."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She couldn't help but stare at him worriedly. While they'd talked of children at length, his biggest fear was always that somehow, some part of Doomsday might transfer over. So they'd been careful, really, on the occasions when they had enough sense to do so. And yes, she'd of course gone on the pill, but… Sometimes, life was just so hectic, and if she missed a few, she didn't even notice until it was too late. Given the nine pregnancy tests currently reading positive, she'd have to say it was definitely too late.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Seven months," he repeated, eyes falling down for a moment. "Guess I should brush up on my handyman skills and get to work on baby-proofing everything… building a crib. You think they'd let us add on a bedroom?" he wondered, brows furrowed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Davis…" She stared at him. "Shouldn't you be freaking out?"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He chuckled shortly, grinning. "I think freaking out now would be a little late." He nodded, rising to sit down next to her. "So… we're having a baby…" He moved her laptop to the table and turned so he was facing her. "A baby we didn't expect and I seem to remember avoiding." He smiled. "But, honestly… Having a child with you is not world-ending… If anything, it's a jumpstart to our world…" He stared into her eyes searchingly. "So yeah, I'm terrified. That we'll need to stock up on black kryptonite or that I will suck horribly at being a father, but…" His hand cupped her stomach, palm pressed close and thumb stroking. "This is our family… And I will do whatever it takes to make sure they know we love them."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Breath shaking as it escaped her, she covered his hand with hers. "So we're doing this… We're going to be parents?" Eyes damp with tears, she looked up at him and grinned. "You are going to be an incredible dad."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He scoffed lightly. "I've only ever had really awful foster parents, but… I think if I do the opposite of everything they did, this little guy or girl will have a much better chance."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Squeezing his hand, she reached up to cup his face. "Trust me, I know you. Davis…" She smiled sweetly. "There is nobody else in the world that I would want this baby with. Nobody else that would be a better dad."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bravado cracking, his smile faded and he nodded slowly. "I want to be everything you see in me."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead to his. "You already are."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hand smoothing through her hair, he turned his head just slightly and slanted his mouth across hers. Smooth, warm lips met in a tender kiss that soon quickened into a passion filled embrace. Dragging her into his lap, his arms wrapped tight around her; corded muscle banding around her body. Dragging her fingers through his hair, she met his furiously reaching mouth with her own, panting thickly. As his face buried in her neck, lips and teeth marking down her neck, she threw her head back and moaned. "This is how we got here in the first place," she muttered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He chuckled. "I'm not complaining."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gripping his shoulders tight, she couldn't say she was either.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In seven months, they would have a baby to call their own. The complications that might arise were unseen for now, but they could be many. Or, if Fate was feeling kind, they would get that one piece of normalcy they both deserved and their child would be an average little boy or girl that grew up under the watchful and loving eyes of two people who only wanted the best for them. Future unknown, the Fosters could only hope.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"I love you," Davis murmured against her throat, his voice hoarse and deep with truth. As his large, warm hand enveloped her stomach, he repeated the same sentiment to their unborn child, and both Chloe Sullivan and Chloe Foster felt their chest bloom with warmth.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How did she get so lucky? she wondered. Through all this, all that had happened, all that they'd run from, their lives were finally coming together in the most incredible way.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"We love you, too," she replied against his ear, closing her eyes and just holding him a moment. It was just the two of them now, but soon it would be three, and she couldn't wait.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-4227282848155367153?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/4227282848155367153/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/baby-foster.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/4227282848155367153'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/4227282848155367153'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/baby-foster.html' title='baby foster'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-1106184685806916121</id><published>2010-07-22T08:25:00.006-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T10:01:58.681-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='alternate universe'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='fallen verse'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='au'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='tortured davis'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='watchtherating'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='ontheroadfic'/><title type='text'>rest stop</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; "&gt;So Chloe and Davis run away together. After seeing Davis's clear horror in Prey, it always seemed to me that he would be the more reluctant of the two to embrace his survival and crossing the savior/saved lines he and Chloe had set up. Based &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R4mbk6E7Io"&gt;on this vid&lt;/a&gt; I made. Would that I had the vid skills to make it happen. (^-^)/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;by vagrantdream at &lt;a href="http://z6.invisionfree.com/DefyingMythos/index.php?showtopic=1166"&gt;defying mythos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1842 words, nc-17, alternate universe/&lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;beast&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;Chloe lifted herself up to him with flickering eyes. He remembered, briefly, the night they’d met, he wanted to be the hero her eyes clung to. The light in her eyes had been a heady rush. He’d woken up in the darkness of the alley that night, screaming. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As a boy, Davis Bloome had always been aware of something dark stirring over him. He hadn’t seen the eternal cycle of blood and death, then.&lt;br /&gt;“So you shut yourself off from everyone.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe thought he was afraid. As long as he could remember, Davis hadn’t taken the time to grow attached to people or places, he lived with what he was given and didn’t try for more. “It wasn’t right, Davis.” She whispered, pretty, soft green eyes sticking to his in the half-darkness. “You’re human.”  Chloe was the only person he’d met back in Smallville who would describe him like that. She had left with him soon after they found out the truth. He’d been on the edge of a breakdown, grasping at straws to assuage the transformations.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He was squelching her life by lingering near her, even now. She was aiding him; he felt it taint her as they moved from town to town, cleaning up mobs of murderers and thugs. Davis was afraid of a lot of things; he was guilty of more. Chloe understood and accepted the best compromise. She had him. “How did you live?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Something in his chest hurt, melting away inside. “I found you.” Davis whispered. She’d told him he could use his powers to stop the senseless killing. He’d wanted nothing more than to die until she’d picked him up off the ground.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His feelings for her had driven him before, one glance and he could barely speak. Chloe closed her hand over his. Her small palm fit there, hid the stretcher calluses and disappearing scars on his. “You have me.” This was charged, heavy; this was more. “I used to help people like you, but none of them cared for more than what I could do for them. You have all of me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe lifted herself up to him with flickering eyes. He remembered, briefly, the night they’d met, he wanted to be the hero her eyes clung to. The light in her eyes had been a heady rush. He’d woken up in the darkness of the alley that night, screaming.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now, Chloe knew what he was-immortal, panicked, something that ought to exist only in nightmares of what her life could have become. She didn’t look at him any differently. I don’t have forever, Davis. He kissed her before the words could be spoken.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They had been subsisting off of light touches since they’d taken to the road. Any kisses were clinging and afraid; broken as soon as one of them came down on a hard surface. It was hardest to stop. She closed her eyes like he was hurting. Her mouth was hot and yielded easily, her gulps and breaths pulling themselves into his lungs. Davis wrapped an arm around her, fingers brushing the hollow of her back before she went off balance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe rubbed him into her body. He fisted the frail cloth breath and thrust blindly. She cried out. Heat, wet cotton, denim- the blood draining its way out of his brain caught up to him. Fingers brushed his lightly, whispering the cotton down her legs, flush moisture singeing at his cock. He grabbed at them, and held on, blinking painfully. The danger here was to her. When she opened her eyes, Davis couldn’t move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Take it, quick.” She said. Chloe was beautiful- her shoulders twitching, red from his hands, a flush making its way down her neck. She hadn’t had time to let her impulses out anywhere else; they usually talked more, but when they dealt with complex feelings this way there seemed less of a chance for tears.  “I-I don’t want to do this on my own again.” She said. She smelled like apprehension and heat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her mouth found his neck and she was trying not to look at him. They’d both been taking small steps back to protect the other- but was it so hard to admit that that was useless? Her voice was small and gasping as he pushed her up against the closest surface he could find. Davis felt himself clench.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Blindness trickled into his eyes- a dark cloud vaguely reminiscent of his losses of consciousness. He could feel every contact of her knees with his, the small soft press of her tongue against her teeth, her wet intakes of breath. Chloe stumbled back into the coffee table, purplish jacket catching on the ratty lamp shade, dimming their tiny light bulb even further.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe had seen what he was capable of. She was remarkably intelligent even without an alien construct in her head. She knew what it took to preserve her life and safety and did just the opposite. Her fingers locked his mouth to her neck, pulling the buttons out of the way so he could bury his face in soft skin. He closed his eyes and dragged his tongue over a peaking nipple. She made a soft, impatient sound and pushed her body needily up to his mouth. Arousal gave way to a solid, agonizing burn and it was hard to keep perspective when she was a trying to kiss his bottom lip with clingy uncoordinated motions. He aligned them and dipped his hand between her legs, finding the solid circular motion that she liked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Y-you.” She stuttered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No. Not yet.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She groped at his lips, prised at them with her tongue, nudging him in. “Yes.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The room was swimming, a cloud of motion. Chloe had wrapped her half clothed legs around his hips where he stood. Her fingers wrapped around him for a moment, stroked against feverish flesh and he literally couldn’t see past the glimmer gleam that was her eyes. They watered and winced when he pushed inside her completely. He didn’t fare much better when her muscles trapped him in sultry clasp. Chloe shifted her head, down on the desk, licking at her mouth, holding his hands over her hips. “Slow.” He groaned softly, not understanding if it was a command or a reassurance. “I want to be with you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis thrust into her a little harder, clenching his hands and eyes shut above her, trying to forget her mouth and the soft reciprocating motions of her body; he couldn’t come like a teenager, not now, even if it felt like he had the only thing he’d ever wanted. He needed to show her. Davis considered climbing over her but her face was already clenching at the awkward position. She was trying to get him where she needed him. Her inner muscles tightened in increasingly powerful ripples. “Uhuh. That's--that's it..”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No, he thought, biting into his bottom lip desperately.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He followed her tugs, higher inside her, and it was like she was exercising some invisible magnetic pull. The soft blurriness of her eyes and her wetness and the soft movements of her lips- ‘more’ driving him pound into her like a heedless, violent animal. “No.” He muttered, stilling and gasping, nudging back inside. She was open to him, so hot he could have sworn he’d burn up if he didn’t move a little. She scratched with hot fingers and he jerked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes. Davis…” The column of her neck rolled, so white and perfect he longed to brush his fingers there. Davis pumped into her from where he stood, wishing he had the power to twist and bend himself close enough to kiss it. His power was to bring death to everything he touched. She trusted him, somehow.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her legs buckled against his back, softly, like the life had left the invisible, threatening faces under his fingers. She’d seen. Yet, she was helpless and needy and he wanted to hold her as she broke. Davis hunched his back to kiss her and her lips panted dryly against his. He clasped at her shoulders, the muscles jumping at the unexpected restriction. Chloe swiveled, legs quivering wildly as he surged in once more, a tell tale trickle signaling that he was losing it. She had to come.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There was a Chloe blanket over his thoughts, her face and her sweetness and how badly he needed her. How badly he wanted her to need him. “Yes. Yes. Y-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His hands kept their hold, nearly bruising her. Chloe jerked and he was trapped inside hot agony, wrung out with warm squeezes. He felt warm, pouring himself into her so deeply he cried out and clutched not to go to his knees. The terror and blanketing defenses in his mind shattered into oblivion. He was empty except for Chloe and she was curving his head into her shoulder, murmuring.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her hips lifted unconsciously up to his as she rode what remained of her climax out, grinding against his pelvis, lips parted tenderly. Davis could feel little shocks of it going through his system and groped to squeeze her hands while she felt it. Chloe uttered a sound and dropped her head back against the wall.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What-what is it?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think I must be in love with you.” She whispered. It had been their first time for everything. Hazed, he gathered Chloe back into his arms, her proximity like a drug in his system. It was all he wanted to hear and now all his mouth wanted to do was gape. He knew, but the words were new nevertheless.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We’re going to be doing this more once we get out of here.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis didn’t want to think of the ominous, bloody miles of road ahead of them. He didn’t have the heart to speak. Her hand trailed awkwardly against his shirt, and she was shaky and beaming. Chloe looked so- free-for a moment that it seemed almost a crime that the thing in him could hold her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey.” He breathed instead. The world had rarely been kind or good even in his ironic as life as paramedic, but he grasped onto hope through sheer will. Chloe had lived most of her life used and ignored by some of the most clueless men in the world. She loved him, somehow, unbelievably, and there had to be some order in the universe that said he would make her happy. His nose rubbed into her hair; the pang was bittersweet. He, not the beast, would kill anything that took that away from her. It felt like that time was coming closer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis would have been lying to himself if he told himself he hid it from her. The smile in the corner of her eyes had dimmed a little.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sorry, Chloe. I love you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She didn’t expect the guilt and constant terror to disappear just because she took him inside her. Yet she almost could have sworn there had been a moment when she’d seen it all leave his face. She needed that for him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You should be sorry.” Chloe told him thoughtfully, dragging her head into his shoulder. “You’re heavy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-1106184685806916121?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/1106184685806916121/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/rest-stop.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/1106184685806916121'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/1106184685806916121'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/rest-stop.html' title='rest stop'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-4678484488058104948</id><published>2010-07-21T23:59:00.006-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T10:37:50.098-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='stiletto'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='puppy-eyes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='dark'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='tortured davis'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='watchtherating'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='dirtybadwrongohsoright'/><title type='text'>i will hold you while the world falls to pieces</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; "&gt;So let's talk about Stiletto- Davis's spined alter ego drags Chloe's potential killer down  and makes mincemeat out of him. Oh so wrong, but somehow the perfect jumping place for a sexual chlavis relationship. (Just check out the tag. ;P) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;xxamlaxx's characterization of Chloe as a strong woman in control of her desires and more than capable of hiding a body is pitch perfect. We can see, right from the getgo,  why Davis is so completely smitten. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;by xxlamlaxx at &lt;a href="http://xxamlaxx.livejournal.com/196663.html#cutid1"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1189 words, nc-17, &lt;i&gt;stiletto&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;“I’m sorry for what I did earlier.” He brushes his thumb across the line of red on her neck, the superficial cut too close to her jugular for comfort. He isn’t sorry and he never will be sorry because it saved Chloe’s life.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt; The world is made of silence and concrete and the smell of copper. Blood gleams wet and red in trails on the floor, shines scarlet on Chloe’s skin as she kneels on her hands and knees beside him, grips an extra sponge between her fingers and scrubs. The crimson washes away in pink rivers of water, foamy soap, white bubbles that pop when she wipes the ground with a towel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That looks clean.” Blood has dried on Chloe’s palms, emphasizes the lines of her hands and fingers in ruby. “I’m going to go take a shower; I’ll bring you something to eat when I come back.” Chloe’s footsteps echo off the cold, isolating walls, bounce back and settle into silence as the basement doors close; a sliver of yellow light permeates the blackness of the cellar, shining from beneath the crack in the door. He waits for the light to fade, for the dark outlines of Chloe’s feet to gravitate out of sight, but instead they remain in place. He rests his ear against the cool metal of the door, hears the soft sound of Chloe crying, the thud of her body as it slides to the floor. He listens to her sob, shuddering inhalations, his fingertips flat against painted steel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe leaves after long moments of crying, of standing motionless, whispering apologies into the darkness. Chloe is as invincible as a sheet of paper in a rainstorm but he’s the only one who knows it. Chloe is supposed to be a foundation and a support beam but cement can crack and crumble just like wood rots and splinters. Expectations, responsibility, and worries are all weights on Chloe’s shoulders that his presence has no doubt only augmented. A myriad of contrite words sit heavily on his tongue and he presses his hands against the basement doors and pushes, steps into the light and freedom.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Shouldn’t you be in the basement?” Droplets of water trickle from Chloe’s wet hair, land on the cotton of her t-shirt, soak into the material immediately. There are damp, dark spots on her shoulders and brown hair rather than gold. Her green eyes are uncharacteristically miserable; she radiates vulnerability as she runs a brush through her hair.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can go back down, if you want.” She looks at him with a modicum of fear blazing in her irises. She looks at him like he’s a monster, like he’ll hunt her down and tear her up and rip bone from flesh and muscle. When their eyes meet he can see it killing the man from earlier, turning a body to ooze, a puddle of blood and skin and tissue; the scene of horror reflecting in her eyes, playing over and over like a broken movie reel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, it’s alright. Are you hungry?” She pads barefoot across the carpet, her long t-shirt stops at her mid-thigh. He tries to focus on the carpet, but his gaze is drawn to the golden, toned flesh on the back of her legs, the taught curve of her calf muscles. “I can cook you something.” Her slender hand closes around the refrigerator door handle; there are clinks of condiment bottles rattling together as she pulls it open. “Um..” She glances at him, a tinge of red rushing to her cheeks. “You might want to go downstairs and put on some clothes.” He realizes for the first time that he’s still naked, that his clothes are lying in scraps of cloth on the basement floor. “I’ll bring you a sandwich. No tomato right?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah.” He walks back down into the basement, into the cold and the quiet, finds a pair of boxers in the drawer by his cot. “You could have told me I was naked earlier.” Chloe sets the plate down on the end of his cot, draws her hand back before their fingers can touch.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You don’t buy something without inspecting the merchandise first.” Chloe is snark and wit and humor but she runs a hand through her damp hair, adjusts the hem of her t-shirt, tugs it down lower on her smooth thighs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sorry for what I did earlier.” He brushes his thumb across the line of red on her neck, the superficial cut too close to her jugular for comfort. He isn’t sorry and he never will be sorry because it saved Chloe’s life and as much as he hates what he is, what he becomes, what he will always be; Chloe is alive and there is no good and no evil in a world where he still has Chloe Sullivan. “Please don’t be afraid of me Chloe.” He holds her chin between his thumb and index fingers, gulps down the sadness rising in his esophagus when she turns her head away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not afraid.” Her palm glides over the back of his hand, gently eases it away. “Everything is difficult now Davis. I only leave the apartment when I have to, I can’t have anyone over for an extended period of time. I’m lying to Clark…I know this is the only way to protect him, to protect the world but it’s hard.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can go, if you want me to.” He’ll destroy the planet if he leaves, if he goes back out into the city of reprobates and innocents and mendicants, the city that lives and breathes and dies as easily as a human. One night and he can make the streets run silent, cause cars to sit idly on the pavement, cold engines and metal, bodies lying on the streets in heaps, shards of glass and broken concrete on the sidewalk. “Just tell me to leave and I will.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I won’t.” She smells like soap, shampoo and sweetness, tastes like water and stale coffee when she leans forward and kisses him. Her lips are silky soft, parting against his, a slick slip of tongue into his mouth. “No.” She shrugs his hands from her shoulders, uncurls his fingers from the collar of her t-shirt, preventing him from pulling it over her head, revealing what he imagines is pale skin and perfect breasts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Do you want to do this?” His voice is a strained whisper as she mouths his Adam’s apple, slowly licks a line down his chest, runs her tongue along his pectoral and abdominal muscles.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t want to do that.” She murmurs into his stomach, words muffled in his abdomen. “But I want you.” And then she sinks down, takes him into warm wetness, takes in the little boy who couldn’t love and the man who can’t help but love. Chloe swallows him hard, swallows him deep, has his heart beating rapidly in his chest and sweat forming on his skin. Her fingers migrate to the base of his cock, stroke and squeeze while she hums around him, draws out ecstasy and relaxation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We could make this easier.” He tells her later, as they lie side by side on his cot, his head on her chest, her fingers running through his hair. “We could go somewhere, you and I, away from Clark, away from the temptation.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m willing to give it a try.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He tightens his arm around Chloe’s waist, holds onto the only certainty in his life. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-4678484488058104948?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/4678484488058104948/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/and-i-will-hold-you-while-world-falls.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/4678484488058104948'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/4678484488058104948'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/and-i-will-hold-you-while-world-falls.html' title='i will hold you while the world falls to pieces'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-1238189985137212277</id><published>2010-07-21T23:29:00.010-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T09:38:30.861-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='plot? davis IS the plot'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='eternal'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='watchtherating'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='in the basement'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='angstwarning'/><title type='text'>this tornado loves you</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;So remember that time after Eternal where we were all going 'Chloe locked the door, omygod she locked the door?' Well, I was in horrible withdrawal so I wheedled my flist and the lovely simplytoopretty wrote this. She's (usually) a Chloe/Clark writer, and one of the best. Her Chlavis is among my favorites because she handles every facet of their relationship, including Chloe's insecurities and Clark's lingering effect on her. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;Chloe's terrified of the implications the beast and Davis's apparent immortality will have for her best friend, but there's something between them, anyway. Just read between the lines, at all that remains unsaid as that line is crossed. It will break your heart. And you will come back for more.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;by simplytoopretty at &lt;a href="http://simplytoopretty.livejournal.com/tag/fic:%20chloe%20sullivan"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;771 words, r,&lt;i&gt; eternal&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;Instead she finds herself nodding her head, muttering, “Yes,” unable to resist what she feels. A part of her is horrified at what she’s doing, but the larger part is rejoicing in her decision.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt; Chloe descends the stairs slowly, an almost creep. Her feet against the cement stairs are nearly soundless. Her left hand grips the wooden railing as she climbs down the stairs, darkness surrounding her. The light is bad and the shadows litter every corner.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At the bottom of the stairs she pauses. To call out or to wait for him to notice her arrival: her mind is unsettled. A part of her would like to return up the stairs and pretend she was never down here.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The choice is taken away from her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re back,” Davis says as he comes forward, out of the dark gloom. His clothing consists of dark gray sweatpants and a dark green shirt. In contrast, his skin is white, almost the color of chalk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are lights in the basement, but only one is functional. It’s the one directly above where she stands, at the base of the stairs. Pale yellow light that barely penetrates the dimness.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re back,” he repeats, relief evident in his voice. Guilt sweeps over her: a part of her had desperately wanted to run away once she got down here. He needs her and a part of her just wants to run.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She shouldn’t be here, yet she is. There’s a pull between them, she can’t deny it, and it frightens her. There’s been nothing like this in her life before.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis moves, closing the distance between them. A slice of air between their bodies. She tilts her head slightly to see his eyes, those dark pools that entrance and terrify her at the same time. His hand falls upon her cheek, a gentle caress, nothing monstrous about it. His palm is warm and she wants to lean into his touch.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yet she shouldn’t. He is, after all, a killer. A part of her screams that killing is his nature; she’s torn between sympathy and revulsion. The sympathy side is winning out, the side that sees his nature as a battle he has lost in the past but one he may be able to win in the future.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It seems to depend on her. This knowledge weighs on her, a burden she can’t simply shrug off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I missed you,” Davis says. His thumb is brushing her cheek.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I need you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe closes her eyes. It’s heady to hear these words, this admission. His fingers are beneath her chin, lifting her head just a bit, and then his lips are landing on hers. A light, soft pressure: tentative exploration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He pulls back, his hands threaded through her hair now. He looks at her eyes, assessing it seems, and then says, “I want all of you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her throat is dry and she swallows quickly. “I…what do you mean?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I want to know all of you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The answer she should give is a firm no. Instead she finds herself nodding her head, muttering, “Yes,” unable to resist what she feels. A part of her is horrified at what she’s doing, but the larger part is rejoicing in her decision.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His lips are on hers again and she can barely think; there’s a pounding in her head and it dominates everything. Fingers fumble with clothing, removing as much as nothing. His sweatpants, her jeans, their shoes. The items of clothing abandoned on the cold basement floor for now.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There’s a couch, in the corner, in the darkness. Davis presses her against the wall, her cotton shirt and jacket a barrier between the cement and her fragile skin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Here?” he says.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The light from the lamp just reaches them where they are. Darkness permeated.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Here,” Chloe says. Here is with her back against the hard wall. Here is where things are real and gritty and everything that she needs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He pushes into, their bodies joining intimately. Her fingers clutch at his cotton-covered shoulders as he thrusts in and out of her willing body. Their eyes are locked, their gaze never breaking. His eyes are dark and she gets lost in them. She can’t think.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When he comes, he says, “I love you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She bites her lip, unable to return the words as her orgasm washes over her. Pleasure spreads and there was already the pounding in her head and yet she still bites her lip to keep quiet. Despite what she feels, that tug between them, she can’t hand over that last element.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His eyes register his disappointment as they disentangle their bodies.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On her lips are the words &lt;i&gt;I’m sorry&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But Chloe doesn’t say those words. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-1238189985137212277?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/1238189985137212277/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/this-tornado-loves-you.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/1238189985137212277'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/1238189985137212277'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/this-tornado-loves-you.html' title='this tornado loves you'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-7713882890865016422</id><published>2010-07-21T23:21:00.001-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-21T23:23:49.074-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='plot? davis IS the plot'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='watchtherating'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='future fic'/><title type='text'>cotton candy liberty</title><content type='html'>&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; "&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; "&gt;Something amazing happens when Davis's biggest tragedy of the moment is Chloe being able to really let loose and...um...not feeling like he's going to make it.  Control the fangirl screaming, yeah? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;by &lt;a href="http://nonky.livejournal.com/"&gt;nonky&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href="http://nonky.livejournal.com/8188.html#cutid1"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;500 words, nc-17, futurefic&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He didn't remember the last time he had been afraid to touch her. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis Bloome mused absently that he and Chloe had finally gotten used to one another. His arms clamped around her sweaty body as she jerked her hips cruelly into his cock. She let out an exhausted cry and he cupped one hand roughly in her hair as they lurched back hard into the mattress.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He didn't remember the last time he had been afraid to touch her. His grip could splinter wood, but seemed to recognize Chloe's flesh as something ruthlessly pure; crushing it would only release that purity like an offensive of beauty. She tugged at the back of his head, telling him she was not as close as he was – demanding he slow himself down or speed her body to another climax.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was somehow flattering how she was constantly asking the impossible from him, but he could not slow down.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis actually had to wrench himself free, nearly sobbing with effort as her pussy dragged on him with every increment into the cold, lonely world outside. Chloe wanted to save him, and her body wanted to save him by extension. He braced for the pain, and eased himself with a kiss that pushed them together with sloppy suction. If he wasn't careful, he'd forget he just pulled out of her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He breathed against her puckered nipple, misting it with hot exhales. God, she was so short sometimes standing beside him, but so tall when he was trying to get down her body. The thousands of miles of twitching, distracting skin blazed under his face and hands as he rolled like a jalopy with four flat tires, running on watered down gasoline. Chloe made a sound, a flesh-toned kind of murmur and he found himself grinding on her leg.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'm not going to make it, he thought tragically. This time I won't.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She yanked on his head, actually lifting him away from her chest so he was snapped out of the sexual haze. Chloe pushed on his crown and slung her legs over his shoulders. She rolled up to him and Davis was nose and tongue deep in her juices. He feasted on her with a whole body set of motions that he was sure were absurd to watch – if either of them could have peeled their eyelids open at that moment. His hips were thrusting mid-air, balls irritated by all the motion and none of the homey feel of being notched between her legs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sticky sweetness burned down his lips and in to pool around his blisteringly thirsty tongue. He could sense her tension building, snapping, turning to ash. He could destroy her with so little of this new, alien strength, but neither of them were afraid.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The only way Chloe Sullivan would go to pieces by his actions was the cotton candy melt of golden curls warmed between her legs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis,” she called hoarsely, and his cock ached for her as if she were dead.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He gasped and moaned out the interminable journey back up Chloe's front to kiss her again.﻿&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-7713882890865016422?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/7713882890865016422/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/cotton-candy-liberty.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/7713882890865016422'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/7713882890865016422'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/cotton-candy-liberty.html' title='cotton candy liberty'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-869899995585902222</id><published>2010-07-21T23:05:00.006-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-21T23:19:55.571-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='phantom zone fic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='plot? davis IS the plot'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='eternal'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='beast'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='watchtherating'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='it needed to be said'/><title type='text'>the flip side of hellfire</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;Hopeless after his resurrection in Eternal, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;Davis makes the one sacrifice he has left. His own personal hell for Clark and the world. Chloe follows him to the Phantom Zone, and their chances of survival start trickling down. Written because I wanted to see Chloe pushed to an unreasonable extreme for having to give Davis up over and over. Also, there needs to be more phantom zone pronz. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;by vagrantdream at &lt;a href="http://vagrantdream.livejournal.com/40575.html#cutid1"&gt;her/my livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;2871 words, nc-17, &lt;i&gt;eternal/beast&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;"I'm not going to spend my life missing you, you know." &lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis held her eyes over the crackling air of the fortress. It seemed to her that the black crystal was still, poised over the portal that would take him to hell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When she'd been with Davis she had always been moving. When she met him she took slow, tentative steps to something that called to her; the guilt was rust in her mouth. Then she'd broken into a run , a blank slate and the comforting heat of him. he'd brought her back. When he'd told her he'd wait her feet were standing still but the bottom had fallen out of her world.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then, the crisis point- the equivalent of nuclear devastation under his skin and headlines that screamed cornfield killer. She chased after him in betrayal and sparks of the last love she had left. They'd run away together if that was what it came down to.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe had never said the right words, not that she'd missed him, what she felt. Davis had tried return the equilibrium to her world, change it to the way is was before he'd turned it. He'd bring Jimmy back to her on drug recovery but Chloe had seen the ugliness underneath. As his last magic trick-he was going to disappear.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Don't." She said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"This way the world can have Clark." You can have Clark, his eyes said; he'd known that Clark had taken front and center if not for who he was but what he did. So Davis was leaving to a vapid wasteland, the only place she could never get him back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"I'll have nothing." It struck Chloe that she'd always wanted her own Kryptonian hero and he was doing it the only way he could. He didn't even know.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"I'm sorry. I won't take another life"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"I'm giving you mine."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"What if I don't want it?" The lie was the set of his shoulders, the way the man who looked the world head on could not look at her face.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"It's yours. I feel something."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe knew that an honest admission of what he felt would be too much for him. He moved and before she knew it she was swung into his grasp. She held his eyes-bewildered heat and hope as his thumb traced her cheek. He closed his eyes first as the red maw swirled around them . She closed a fist over his. Davis kissed her and it was too passionate, deep and full of a thousand promises that would never be fulfilled.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"I want you." She said, but her wanting had never changed the world.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis took a step back and his mouth formed a true smile again, that kind she could never stay away from. "Good to know I hadn't completely lost it."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"I'm not going to spend my life missing you, you know." Chloe told him; she was going to live.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She reached out a hand and brushed his sleeve; his eyes flickered. When they fell into the other world together, she thought maybe she could find her equilibrium.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe struck the sand of the phantom zone with paralyzing impact in her side. Davis had shielded her from the brunt of the impact, but even then her body ached like she had landed on hot steel. Davis's face pressed against her shoulder and she felt the muscles work against her skin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"You stayed with me." he whispered. There was fear, the soft rush of breath like you heard in a romance movie. He was heavy on her and she shivered. “Don’t move.” He whispered into her neck. She fantasized about this very situation, but his tone was all wrong, wary. Chloe touched at his face, feeling the tension coiled up in him. He was hearing something she could not.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clinging to Davis, she heard nothing more threatening than shifting sands before it struck. Chloe had considered the Phantom Zone a place for wraiths, hostile ghosts, not living, hungry predators for too long.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Something slimy and razor-sharp wound over her ankle and yanked. It whip-lashed her and by extension Davis into the air. Chloe landed in a rolling heap, freezing when she wasn’t holding onto him anymore. She was the aperitif. Chloe dangled upside down in the air before the gaping hole of a mouth, rows and rows of needle-like teeth and vaguely she heard Davis yelling for her. It had her too tight. She gasped in a breath and smelled the ripe, rotting fragrance of decaying blood. She struck out blindly, blood painfully rushing to her brain. The eyes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe was plucked from the air like a doll, skin rasping. She had half a mind to kick out but she recognized the raspiness. Davis was half-transformed, his skin warring on warped black and his eyes red. He deposited her on the ground softly. A whip of sound took him from her sight, but she heard it roar out of him. There were wet, slicing noises- the impact of thick bony plates on muscled, fleshy tentacles. The tide turned as Doomsday was crushed into that maw of a mouth, let out a howl. Chloe had never been so afraid. She forced herself to limp up because she could be a distraction.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She heard the gurgle as Doomsday tore its claws through its belly at the last moment. The tentacled creature fell with a nauseating impact, and the red eyes that held hers over the carcass looked-almost- protective.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Doomsday must have taken her miles, to a decently sized cave free of tentacled monsters. It stopped short of the opening, as if knowing it’s sized would crumble the cave and kill her if it tried to find comfort for itself. The red sun beat down on it, lighting black scales to dirty orange parts of its side crusty black. Was it…bleeding?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe crawled forward, dragging her leg behind her and laid a hand on it’s side. Her fingers came away sticky and it made a little hissing sound, scrabbling back a few steps. She used to touch Davis like this and it had helped him turn back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Thank you. Hold still. I’m going to help you.” It wasn’t sentient in the same way Davis was, but it understood survival, could hear the soothing tone to her voice and stopped scrabbling away. Chloe had to get half out of the cave to reach the looming form. It collapsed into the sand with a thump.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis must have woken up about an hour later. The horrific silence of this place and his jerkily breathing body made it seem like years. Davis was sentient though; the very first thing he did was pull out of her clinging grip to assess the situation and reset her ankle. His eyes were terrified and betrayed and loving; Chloe almost wished another tentacled monster appeared just to banish the awkwardness.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re hurt.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So are you.” She indicated the black blood mixing with his own, starker on his bare skin and the muscle there. Down girl.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis knew how to deal with his own injuries, but she prodded at the uninjured skin. There were three claw-marked gauges tainted with oozing black venom right under his pectoral. The blood was more jarring on Davis and Chloe could see how it cut through to the muscle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll be fine.” Davis insisted, moving closer to the light at the cave mouth, dazed from the venom. Chloe wrapped an arm around him and pulled him back. His body was complacent and his eyes didn’t look in the shape to argue with her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The sun is red here so Kryptonians won’t heal. You'd be better off here.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Straight from the mouth of the professor of Kryptonian history, M.D.” Davis’s was sweating thickly; it was probably some sort of paralyzing drug but he was lifting an eyebrow, making an effort to smile and set her at ease.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Unwillingly, Chloe felt the corner of her mouth curl up into a smile. “That’s P.H.D, actually. You need to let me suck the venom out.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His eyes widened for a fraction of a second only. He wasn’t Clark. He knew they couldn’t mop ineffectually at it and expect the poison to go away. “Come on, Davis.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Be careful.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis held still when she pressed her lips to his chest and sucked. It didn’t feel awkward or unnatural at all. His skin was much hotter than hers, a raspy smattering of hair and skin sensitive enough to goose-bump as soon as her mouth touched him. Vaguely, Chloe wondered what his skin tasted like. She couldn’t find out like this.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She had to be extra careful not to swallow a drop because the poison would kill her in seconds. His head tilted back when she started drawing on his blood. His breaths shifted to quick and she should have been thinking about how much pain instead of how beautiful his eyes looked when they slammed shut. His hand found purchase on her waist and pulled at her top, fingers shaking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe froze as his fingers touched her skin and tried not to move much when she spat out the poison into the sand. Her mouth was numb. He was hurt, shaking against her, barely moving otherwise. She had him for the rest of her life but she didn’t know if that amounted to much more than a day for either of them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis had barely said a word since he woke, but he was starting to recover his speech. She’d been curled up next to him for nearly three hours before he finally whispered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Why did you do it?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She clenched her fist and loosened it. It was hard to be mad at him. Davis had been trying to save her all along, saved her from getting turned into a yet another afterthought and she didn’t even know if he was going to heal.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Because I’m selfish and stupid enough to be in love with you. I can’t watch you go into hell alone, and I don’t want that guy I care about to disappear because no one, not even him will make an effort to make things right.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked at her, one of his tender, searching looks. By the end of it she wanted to shift her eyes down. “I want to spend my life with you. And if it’s just you, that’s fine too.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His lips parted. “I don’t think it’s that long.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe straightened. “You’re not making it any longer by fantasizing about sending me back so you can get back to what you really want and invite more of those things to lunch on you. I get it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I just didn’t want you to give your life up for me, Chloe. It’s not worth it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There was his problem. The blackouts and the blood and death had messed him up into seeing himself as nothing more than a shell unworthy of feelings from anyone. If it had been her he would have been the first one to speak on her behalf.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Stop talking.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re the only one to ever love me.” His eyes were wet, like when he’d said it to her the first time. “I didn’t want you to suffer for it.” Davis crawled back from her a little further.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I chose it, so deal.” If she reached an arm out she could get him to hold her again. She wouldn’t. She wasn’t sorry. She was just feeling cold. Desert nights were even colder here than in real deserts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I didn’t mean it that way. I do want you here.” he said very softly. “You’re the only one.” He kept looking at her and got closer, probably to get his jacket. Chloe ignored him and sat up to wipe the poison taste from her mouth again, only to close her eyes at he licked softly at her chaffed ankle. She hadn’t expected him to return the favor. He kissed her knee and up her thigh. She held her hands stiff because they were coated in red and she was angry and she wanted nothing more than to slide them into his hair.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When he kissed her mouth the response was automatic, wanting and squirming and not having to manipulate him into not dying. His mouth was parching and hot and flush on hers, (somehow even warmer than the rest of him) and his hands were on her face like he was holding her so she wouldn’t get away. If he wanted to play it like that- Chloe scratched at his neck and he shifted her down. No doubt about his intentions now.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There was sex that was about lust, sex that was about anger, sex that was about yearning and soft feelings and this was neither and all of them. He bit at her mouth to be let in, warm humid, living heat and Chloe sucked on his tongue. His mouth fumbled under her jaw line before his mouth teased wetly between her breasts and trailed down her abdomen. White-hot heat started to spike through her. Davis dragged himself up her like some sort of animal and she knew he smelled it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe raised herself to her knees and tore at her jacket, missing the warmth but counting on him to be the heat. If she didn’t deal with the clothes he would and this was the only pair she would have for a long time. She let them drop. Her forehead slouched into his shoulder and he pressed between her legs with sudden electric pressure, hesitated and watched her eyes and seeing some invisible thing, pushed his cock inside. Chloe’s eyes watered, he was in her rough and so deep it ached.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She’d wondered sometimes, how it would be, if it would hurt. She couldn’t connect it with the vague stirrings with Jimmy that vanished as soon as he rolled over. Davis seemed like too much passion, too much for her too handle. Maybe she’d been right. Davis pulled her forward, palms huge against her face and he was just hard inside her, not doing anything at all. Chloe felt like some part of her displaced and left only room for him. She started it, aligning them to kiss him better, shifting her hips against his.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His hands closed over them and he kissed her roughly, pausing to push her into a cold, rasping wall. Chloe wanted to let him know it was uncomfortable but he’d dropped his head into her shoulder, pulsing and hot and doing something at last. Chloe’s eyes fixed on the ominous cave mouth and closed and she could have sworn she saw sparks.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis's skin thrummed over hers, her hands tried unsuccessfully to sooth the blood dripping from the reopened cut in his side and clawed at his ass instead. Davis hissed a slow breath from between his teeth and rolled her against the wall- clutching at her shoulders, elbows, her hips like he couldn’t get close enough.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In any other place, it could have been rationalized as an effort to save one or both of them. It was out of their hands now. His hands wrapped and fisted in her hair, his mouth at buried itself against her throat, almost as if he was trying to forget about everything that surrounded them. Davis hated not being able to save her from what he saw as his punishment; he took his and his evil alien parent’s responsibilities upon himself, that’s just how he was. Chloe understood. He rocked a little more violently and what she needed to say parched and cracked in her throat with a small orgasmic sound. She was drenched in heat and the blood roared in her ears.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The pleasure was like plummeting; complete freefall, waiting for another impact. It was coming, quivering through her overtaxed nerve endings again and Davis notched his head into her shoulder. She bit into her lip and drew blood and she couldn’t taste the venom anymore so she licked at his neck and his skin tasted like salt. Black closed over the sides of her vision, but she felt him tossing and quivering and his hands stroking over her knee when he spilled into her. Then her knees went.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her arguments about his culpability issues were temporarily halted by her inability to string two sentences together. Davis carried her to the corner and she curled around his arm, steering clear of the injured parts. She was warmed by the erratic sound of his heart and him but she was sticky and cold. She groped for her jacket and curled the arm of it around him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t deserve you.” He said softly, tracing at her nose with a blunt finger. “Because of you I have a reason to go on.” He rolled over and looked at her with earnest eyes. “I’ll take care of you.” Chloe nudged his shoulder and his hands seemed to develop a will of their own. “I’ll get to know the terrain. You can explain the phantoms, we can catalog the species and learn which to avoid, I’ll learn to control the beast…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe breathed in the scent of his skin and felt her ankle prickle under his roving, curious weight. She could see it already-he’d catch her things to eat with his hands and come home naked and they’d probably die of acute sexual exhaustion.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis pulled her hands over her head and kissed her wrists. They had a lot a time to make up for, and she’d almost forgotten what they had been arguing about. But she took advantage of the last moment to make her point.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m still not sorry I came.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-869899995585902222?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/869899995585902222/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/flip-side-of-hellfire.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/869899995585902222'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/869899995585902222'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/flip-side-of-hellfire.html' title='the flip side of hellfire'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-5939414305700098295</id><published>2010-07-21T22:38:00.010-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T10:04:04.917-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='let&apos;s skip out on this wedding shall we'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='bride'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='willmakeyousohappyyouwillsquee'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='watchtherating'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='it needed to be said'/><title type='text'>full as a tick, shredding ivory</title><content type='html'>&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Reccing Notes:&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt; Simply the most in-character and thud-worthy conclusion to all the connection and buildup in early season 8. If Bride hadn't been turned into a horror movie- it could have simply been this- two people no longer trying push themselves into the lives they're 'destined' to have. Skipping out of a wedding and significant garment tearing has never been so hot. Things are said that are every shipper's dream. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;div&gt;by nonky at &lt;a href="http://nonky.livejournal.com/25413.html#cutid1"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1800 words, nc-17, &lt;i&gt;bride&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;She had seen Davis like he was a full-colour figure in a black and white photograph. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He wanted her. Chloe knew he wanted her, but Davis was grappling with who he was. He didn’t feel like the guy who broke up a wedding and drove off with the bride edging closer to his lap. He didn’t feel like someone who set out to rip up the cosy and sweet home life that made him envious. He was a healer because he knew what it was like to know there was no one on the way to help. He did good things out of a realistic belief that there were enough bad things already happening.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If he was going to mix in the sea of humanity and put himself in reach of the everyday ugliness of people, Davis was going to make a difference. The best he could say about showing up at Chloe’s wedding was that he’d probably put a damper on some drinking at the reception.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He had gotten as far as pulling her hair out of the sculpted curls. He pinned her to the inside of his apartment door – like they were on the run from a wedding mob that would take her back and make her kiss Jimmy by clinking glasses. He had good timing for a first-time wedding crasher. He got there after her walk down the aisle but before the invitation to ‘speak any reservations’ why the marriage couldn’t happen.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe had been tied up in hellish swings of selfishness and honour, before she recognized it was all garbage. She chose Jimmy, and agreed to marry him. Changing her mind wasn’t something she’d set out to do, but it was an organic, natural progression. She couldn’t keep herself exactly as she was forever. She’d met Davis, changed her mind, and that was it. Jimmy would have sore feelings, and they would both be stuck paying their half of the wedding, anyway. She had made a point to have insurance to cover all but this eventuality – changing her mind wasn’t covered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There was a pause as the minister leafed through his prayer book, and Chloe’s gaze had drifted away from Jimmy and down the rows of seats. She had seen Davis like he was a full-colour figure in a black and white photograph. He was pale, but he was brighter than the sunshine lighting up her big day. He had smiled, incredibly gentle and hopeful, and she felt her feet drifting from Jimmy. Her fiancé actually reached out to help her, thinking her shoes were giving her trouble. When she drew her hand back, Jimmy got the message. He wasn’t fast enough to talk her out of it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She didn’t run, but she didn’t stop for the people who climbed uncertainly to their feet. She didn’t answer the yelled questions, or look back to the man deflating under the minister’s encouraging grip. Clark and Lois were stunned, her cousin grinning in that slightly insensitive way that showed Lois’ delight in chaos. Davis stayed stiffly sitting down, his shoulders jerking with tension until she stopped at the end of his row. He shoved along without apologies, knowing how hard those steps back down the aisle must have been. He was determined Chloe wouldn’t be going through anything else alone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They grabbed at each other, and fled, agreeing without any discussion to go to his place. Chloe didn’t know what would become of her things at the apartment. She was ready to let them go. Any sense of loss was held off by a growing excitement low in her belly. Davis had given her his jacket, but the shivers were shocks of emotion. She had upended every bit of her history. Guilt was a part of it, but the largest part was startled joy. She had thought about her thousands of dollars of debts, her elaborate dress and hairstyle, her expectant groom and guests; then leapt in the opposite direction. She had fooled all of them right up to the last second. She had surprised herself most of all.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I want you to take me,” she told him, swaying in his arms. Davis winced as her thigh rubbed hard along his erection. Chloe could nearly hear his patience grind. She pushed his jacket off her arms. “You’ve been so good and patient, Davis. I love that you’d wait for me. I – love – everything I know about you, and I’m sure I’ll love the things I don’t know yet.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His brown eyes were hypnotic, sweet and melting with a spark of slow burning heat. He would send her flowers and do this right, but Chloe didn’t need the trappings. She felt the rightness, warm and wet between her legs and pounding in her heart. She dug her fingers into the fine silk of her dress, wrenching at it uselessly. They needed to be naked on each other.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’ve just made a really big decision,” he said softly. His hand kneaded in her hair as if he believed she must have a headache to soothe. “You know I love you –“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes, I do know. We’ve done the talking and it got us here, but I’m flying in my head,” Chloe told him. “I’m feverish and crazy and the only thing to do is rip me out of this dress and get on top of me. Please.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis blinked hard, his mouth parted while they breathed closely. His hands drew out from her hair and brushed down her arms. He took her hands and held them, but his body pushed nearer in a telling move. He was pouring out heat. Want was never the question.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You might regret me, once you hear it all,” he told her seriously, slowly massaging her fingers in his own. There was an engagement ring on one that needed to be sent back to Jimmy, but he wasn’t going to collapse in guilt over it. The timing was wrong for their meeting, but finding Chloe had been right.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t wuss out on me, Davis,” she teased. “I can guarantee you will regret me on a regular basis. You will look to the sky and pray to whatever will listen to stop me from being who I am in the particular way that’s bugging you. If it didn’t bother you sometimes, we’ll have mistaken our feelings. If we can’t be brave today – on my busted up wedding day – we need to rethink.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He couldn’t think, wouldn’t allow anything to be wrong about having Chloe in his apartment and halfway to his bed. Inside his fantasies, this had gone on a million ways and not one of them had involved sitting her down for a serious talk about a new five-year plan. He wanted to be a good guy, not a saint.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That dress had to be expensive,” Davis said. “I don’t even know how to get you out of there.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He prided himself on not leering as her breasts rose in the low neckline, swelling against the ornate fabric. The soft press of curves to his chest was going to the top of his list of favourite memories, though. Chloe stepped up, tilted on heels that must be killing her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Rip it up,” she said, lips held in a wavering smile. “It’s a part of a bigger lie, tying me up. I don’t want to be trapped anymore. I want you to tear it away and fuck me in the shreds of the stupid thing I nearly did with myself.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His hands ran up her shoulders, around the back. Davis pinched the two sides of the dress and yanked. The zipper gave with a metallic scream; the rest of the fussy structure was falling on itself. Beads and crystals were dropping in a glittery mess to his rug, and he paused at the lingerie lovingly cupping Chloe’s luscious breasts. She poked his side and pushed the fabric down, sighing as it caught on the end of the ruined zipper. Davis gave up on the top and worked his way through the layers of skirt, tearing slits up as far as he could. The decorated middle of the dress was resisting, and he jostled her body as he fisted both hands in the sharp sequins.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe laughed, deep and throaty as more of her body was bared. He kept ripping through the pretty purple silk underneath. Giving up on complete nudity, he yanked the fabric off her pussy and spread her with his fingers. Davis was down on his knees, pulling her thighs forward to him as he tasted warm moisture. He stood up so fast she wobbled, but he was catching her under her ass. He seemed to have more than two hands – too fast to be human hands, at least. She was aloft, long scraps of white rustling, then she was down.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis got them to the bed, just barely. He even talked himself out of the single massive thrust that his cock was aching to do. He eased in, sensing acceptance and a little bit of discomfort. He had known Jimmy couldn’t be as big. Psychology alone would have prevented it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Somehow her nervous breathing told him as much as moans and screams. Chloe told him when his light, steady, polite thrusts were too soft. She grabbed the back of his neck to keep his weight down hard on her body. She pushed bits of skirt out of his way and tore the top of her teddy down until he could lap and nip at her breasts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes, Davis, good-hard, fuck,” she mumbled, lips blurring in words so low he couldn’t pick out their meaning. “Knew it-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He wanted to understand what she was telling him – it had to be important to gasp it out with his pushes emptying her lungs forcibly. Chloe’s fingers were pinching and goading, her inner muscles riding him in a pattern he couldn’t map with his sanity. There was the break, coming for both of them. When they both lost all semblance of rational thought, he would comprehend all of it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She cried out his name as her pussy milked him of any uncertainty, and Chloe proved stronger than he’d imagined. As he jerked and hissed, she steadied him. She watched his face and could tell just from that what he needed to keep himself from collapsing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Knew what,” Davis asked a little later. He still had to peel her out of the ruined wedding dress, and had a feeling his work with accident victims would come in handy. In a pinch, he was quick and careful with a pair of shears.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Knew you,” she mumbled happily. “I looked at you and I knew who you were before you said your name. Something changed inside me, and it was permanent.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His hand moved from cupping her breast to tracing softly over her heart. “That makes the two of us,” he whispered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-5939414305700098295?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/5939414305700098295/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/full-as-tick-shredding-ivory.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/5939414305700098295'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/5939414305700098295'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/full-as-tick-shredding-ivory.html' title='full as a tick, shredding ivory'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-5236972769444205279</id><published>2010-07-21T22:25:00.006-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-22T08:24:50.288-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='dark'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='beast'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='tortured davis'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='angstwarning'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='dirtybadwrongohsoright'/><title type='text'>your placid fears</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/span&gt; &lt;i&gt;Chloe doesn't know what she wants, but he understands anyway.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;I really don't have words for how this girl writes angst. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;The connection between Chloe and Davis melded with the destiny that hangs over Davis; this is what epic is made of. This is a variation of beast I would have given my two front teeth to see (!!). Chloe and Davis at their most electric, all in the microcosm of one tortured kiss.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;by lust-4sorrow at &lt;a href="http://lust-4sorrow.livejournal.com/69627.html#cutid1"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;528 words, pg-13, &lt;i&gt;beast&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;“I’m not a good man,” he murmurs at her. The words hurt her more than loud screeching.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’s kissing her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His lips are subtle against hers but all she feels is his lips and the words he sprouts from them. The words that seem to rip the secrets inside her to shreds. She feels his usual hesitance, the yearning for the pretence of proper man that lies there.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe presses her forehead to his, the force meant to give Davis a message she isn’t fully sure she’s even thinking. He seems to understand it anyway, gasping out a breath and tightening a hand around her hip for a fraction of second before his usual mental battle pulls him away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She shifts her position, trails her nose down his soft cheek as if to soothe it. Grasping the bottom of his dark –always dark- shirt, she pulls them closer together. She’ll later tell him that the closeness well unfamiliar for the simply sake of humility.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yet he’ll see it –he’s always looking for something in those gazes- , spot the lie from a mile, or perhaps only a few steps away and grasp onto it’s implication. His chest is almost flush to hers but it’s not enough, never enough. Closing her lips, searing them into a thin, tense line Chloe keeps the desperate sound rising from her gut at bay. Davis’ eyebrow is furrowed, a line of unfortunate emotions marring his forehead.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis-&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not a good man,” he murmurs at her. The words hurt her more than loud screeching.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With a sigh, Chloe lets her breathing placate the concern and push it back directly underneath the surface. She supposes that will always be a problem. Closing her hand into a fist, she finds strength in the cotton –so much simplicity atop such complexity- covering him. With a pattern of tug, sigh, tug, sigh, gaze, tug, sigh, tug; he’s leaning in again, surrendering.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His lips are harsher this time, the press of them sure to leave her own lips swollen. Her insides throb with the promise of this. She cups his cheeks, occasionally touching his closed eyelids with her fingertips, marveling at the heat radiating from them. She stops the kiss for a moment –only once, never again- as if to put an end to the heat of his gaze that glares no longer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Quickly enough she’s kissing him again, feeling the fire of his dark eyes turn into deeps imprints of his hands around her hips and anywhere else she needs them except for around the fragments of her almost electronic heart.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’s lifting her up effortlessly and she wants to squeal but finds that the air around them is far too heady for her to comply. His knees seem to buckle under the weight of his want, need and he murmurs in a tone so pained it’s almost a whimper.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I may- I- I’ll hurt you Chloe,” she shakes her head in denial of this. They’re both aware of her stubbornness.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She kisses him until his kryptonian induced fears are far away. To perhaps terminate her own she asks him tenderly not to break her heart. When he begins breaking the world instead, she laughs at the irony. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-5236972769444205279?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/5236972769444205279/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/your-placid-fears.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/5236972769444205279'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/5236972769444205279'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/07/your-placid-fears.html' title='your placid fears'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-316986359031734999</id><published>2010-06-09T01:42:00.005-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-21T22:37:03.656-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='bride'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='dark'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='cannibaldooms'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='angstwarning'/><title type='text'>confrontation</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; "&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;This is one of those narratives inside in-love-dark!Davis's head that breaks my heart. Chloe goes back to see Davis after his messages, but before her wedding when he already knows just what he is. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;by&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;xxamlaxx at&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href="http://xxamlaxx.livejournal.com/173732.html#cutid1"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;389 words, pg-13, &lt;i&gt;bride&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;“Davis, I just got your messages, what’s wrong?” Emerald shimmers with concern and guilt congeals in the pit of his stomach, reacts adversely to the human remains slowly being digested inside him. Even after the kiss she still cares.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’s never seen Chloe look more beautiful. The wedding dress clings to every inch of her skin, white fabric outlining the curves of her body, the hour-glass shape of her hips and stomach, the firm swells of her breasts. All flesh he can never have, a present wrapped so sweetly for another, a lovely bride for another man. Her skin and hair glow golden, radiating sunshine, bright grass green eyes and rosebud lips; a figure from an elegant museum painting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Blood is splashed on every surface of the ambulance, bright red, gleaming wetly, staining metal crimson, guts and bones and carnage everywhere. His hands are slick with the substance of life, salty, oxygenated liquid, what is left of a body is strewn in the seat beside him, exposed bone and stringy muscle. He wipes his face desperately on the sleeve of his coat, smearing the material maroon. His mouth is acerbic with the taste of…….the taste it craves, hot, bitter copper.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, I just got your messages, what’s wrong?” Emerald shimmers with concern and guilt congeals in the pit of his stomach, reacts adversely to the human remains slowly being digested inside him. Even after the kiss she still cares.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nothing.” She’s stepping closer to the window; the air is fetid with decomposition and blood. “This is a bad time Chloe.” He’s sitting in a luke-warm puddle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You left me eight voicemails, make time.” She starts to open the door, the sun begins to set behind her and it reflects brightly off the pools of red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I have to go.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tires squeal and the engine roars, he watches the exhaust fumes make the hem of her dress flutter, ripples of white in the fading sun. He scrubs the ambulance with a frightening fervor, garbage bags that drip and content that squelch wetly when they land in the dumpster. Then it brings tremors and incipient transformation, his body aches, fingers warp to claws, teeth elongate painfully, spikes and spines erupt from him in unbearable bursts of searing agony. His thoughts dwindle to dying embers, a fading glow, extinguished within seconds. It is finally free, prey is in abundance, the heat and saccharine taste of humans is on its tongue.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It finishes the meal quickly, because the girl is its sole objective; the human consciousness that dwells within it can’t be trusted to retrieve her any longer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-316986359031734999?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/316986359031734999/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/06/confrontation.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/316986359031734999'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/316986359031734999'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/06/confrontation.html' title='confrontation'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-1842199029914752992</id><published>2010-06-09T01:33:00.003-04:00</published><updated>2010-06-09T01:37:57.455-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='alternate universe'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='unresolved fic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='drabbles'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='doomsday'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='angstwarning'/><title type='text'>dusted in ash</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; "&gt;This will make you hurt very much. About the beauty/beast aspect of Chloe/Davis and Davis being caught inside Doomsday, a cycle of rage and pain and brief moments of lucidity that he can never stop. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;by &lt;a href="http://restlessme.livejournal.com/"&gt; restlessme &lt;/a&gt;  at &lt;a href="http://restlessme.livejournal.com/20582.html?view=102502#t102502"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;177 words, &lt;/span&gt;pg-13,  &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;doomsday&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;Cool hand brushes his face and he leans into the touch, craves the tough so much he could scream. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He gasps in breaths through lungs that are far unused to the actions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The room darkens around him with quickening breaths that leave his mind spinning in dizzying circles&lt;br /&gt;(like when he was younger and pretended it was just a game).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Heart beats with new blood, hot blood that burns his veins as he struggles to sit.&lt;br /&gt;Fires bloom to life around him, edge closer but he feels no heat; no pain.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He's so unsure about what has happened, so confused as to what kind of monster he is.&lt;br /&gt;Monster trapped deep inside him, monster making him think sick thoughts (he's not sure if it's the monster or him).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Cool hand brushes his face and he leans into the touch, craves the tough so much he could scream.&lt;br /&gt;Would scream, does scream because the touch is so cooling it burns into his soul.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She sobs above him, tears stinging open cuts upon his face that stitch themselves back together.&lt;br /&gt;His lips open, struggle to speak through vocal chords that were moments ago blackened by ash (dusted with age).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Chloe", he gasps, eyes flashing red as she sadly smiles.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5512809909358248383-1842199029914752992?l=chloeanddavis.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/feeds/1842199029914752992/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/06/dusted-in-ash.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/1842199029914752992'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5512809909358248383/posts/default/1842199029914752992'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://chloeanddavis.blogspot.com/2010/06/dusted-in-ash.html' title='dusted in ash'/><author><name>vagrantdream</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/16530130771869594814</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gb9jGM9Aqx4/SeAE6K9sJRI/AAAAAAAAABs/mqEQDAkNICc/S220/97-xtaylorr22.png'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512809909358248383.post-4218848983076796925</id><published>2010-06-09T01:18:00.004-04:00</published><updated>2010-06-10T01:24:04.224-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='with lois'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='willbreakyourheartwarning'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='epic fic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='season one'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='au'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='with EVERYONE'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='and lex luthor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='tortured davis'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='willmakeyousohappyyouwillsquee'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='it needed to be said'/><title type='text'>the villain of the story</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;Reccing Notes:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;This, in my humble opinion is the best early season AU fic of all time. Have the Kents find Davis instead. Take Davis and his almost madonna-like Chloe love and tortured catholic manpain, vigilantism, stretch it over a full season, and give Chloe's first love a hella lot more depth. Do justice to EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER'S STORYLINE, even Justin's. Add one animalistic, insanely hot Chlavis sex scene....&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;And you still might not have something half as good as this. It's all there. Why are you still listening to me ? READ!&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;by &lt;a href="http://seriousfic.livejournal.com/"&gt;seriousfic&lt;/a&gt; at &lt;a href="http://seriousfic.livejournal.com/273949.html#cutid1"&gt;her livejournal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;57876 words, pg-13 through nc-17, way too good for canon but (pilot through tempest before going deliciously au) &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5512809909358248383#" name="ToggleMore"&gt;Davis has a recurring nightmare, one where he has no parents, no friends, no life. He’s in a cornfield, like that little kid from the Twilight Zone wished him away from the Kent Farm. He sees himself from the outside, different, like a funhouse mirror so finely skewed that you can’t pinpoint what’s changed. Then there are men, aliens that are human somehow. They put the other him in a cage and take him away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As he gets older, Davis realizes that the him in the cage never went away at all.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="collapse"&gt; &lt;br /&gt;Davis has a recurring nightmare, one where he has no parents, no friends, no life. He’s in a cornfield, like that little kid from the Twilight Zone wished him away from the Kent Farm. He sees himself from the outside, different, like a funhouse mirror so finely skewed that you can’t pinpoint what’s changed. Then there are men, aliens that are human somehow. They put the other him in a cage and take him away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As he gets older, Davis realizes that the him in the cage never went away at all.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex is exploring the mansion when he sees the man in white. Biohazard. He’s not surprised that his father brings his work home. It’s the most Lex sees of him since the meteor shower, his cowardice. Like his mom’s died all over again, only instead of well-wishers and silence, the castle hums with some ubiquitous activity that seems to have made a point of excluding him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex goes back the way the man in the biosuit had come. It leads down to the wine cellar, where the clean, slightly perfumed scent of the castle heeds to the fetid smell of the underground, wet soil filled with worms and the bones of buried men and women. Lex does not like the wine cellar. It reminds him of funerals.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the doors has a keypad, like a tumor of the cancer invading his home, taking his father away. He knows the code is either Mom’s birthday or Julian’s, and it turns out to be Julian’s. Inside is a disappointment. There’s a cage and a baby. It’s odd, but his boyish mind had given him images of space aliens and mythological beasts, a slimy creature that has replaced or is controlling his real father. Something he can kill.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The toddler is crying. It, he, stops for a moment to notice Lex, his blue eyes like some rare mineral unearthed in this mine. Turquoise or sapphire. He’s jolted out of his attempt to reconcile his fantasies of intrigue with this mild creature when the toddler starts crying at the top of his lungs. Lex runs and doesn’t stop until he’s in his room, pulling back the dust cover on his bed as if he’ll hide under it. Like a child. Like a weak child.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Instead he digs into his closet, tears burning his eyes as he shunts away his mother’s things, his precious hoard of memories, to get to the preschool toys. Bright colors, rounded edges. No wonder he outgrew them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex gathers them up in a backpack, smuggles them down to the toddler. He wastes a good hour seeing how the thing responds to each toy. The toddler seems to figure them out quickly, boring of some and arranging the others in a shape that evolves from an S to an hourglass to an 8. The toddler’s joy is infectious too, his eyes so pure and unjudgmental. Lex tries to convince himself he’s not having fun playing Sesame Street games with a baby. He fails.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And that’s Warrior Angel,” Lex says, turning the page for the toddler, then leaning forward until all he can see is those blue eyes. “I’m gonna be just like him when I grow up.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is that so?” His father’s voice is warm, but Lex can guess that’s more for the toddler’s benefit than his. He knows with his father, warmth is just an absence of cold, something to dazzle the press. Something that died with Mom. “What are you doing down here, Lex?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The door was open.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The door was open.” His father’s eyes are as cold and indignant as glass. “If you’re going to lie, son, at least show me the courtesy of doing it well.” His hand bites into Lex’s arm. There. There’s the fury hidden in his voice, lurking beneath the surface, buried under the ground. Lex nearly cries out, but doesn’t. He doesn’t want to scare the toddler. “I am your father, after all.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He drags Lex out of the wine cellar, so fast, so powerful, and Lex’s feet pedal to keep up. When his father lets him go he lands on all fours, skinning his knees. “Lex, you are never to be with Clark unless an employee is present. Am I understood? Never be alone with Clark.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Fixating on the new information is enough to trick his body into not crying. “Clark?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clark Lucien Luthor,” his father says off-handedly. “He’s your new brother.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It’s his first day of school and Davey is going to be confident. He’s not going to have a black-out. He put his entire allowance in the collection plate last Sunday and then he had a long talk with God outlining all the reasons he can’t have a blackout on his first day of school. He even went to the Sunday school teacher about it and she told him God worked in mysterious ways. That was fine; he’d spend all Saturday morning on a blackout if it just meant none of the other kids saw him as a freak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’s on the bus and it’s so far so good. He’s getting off the bus and he can feel it, he’s not going to lose a single second.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then, on the way to class, a little blonde girl sneaks next to him and asks if he believes in UFOs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davey Kent faints dead away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The four minutes of Davey’s blackout are the longest four minutes of Chloe’s life. Lana is crying and screaming that Chloe killed him, she saw it, and Pete is telling her to shut up, and Chloe is bent over Davey, trying to see what’s wrong. Narcolepsy? Food poisoning? Voodoo curse?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Finally, she remembers the story her mother told her last night. The story of Sleeping Beauty.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She gathers her courage, then reminds herself that cooties aren’t like ghosts, they’re not real. It’s really more of a headbutt where only their lips touch than a kiss, but when she opens her eyes, Davey is looking up at her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What’s a UFO?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The teacher arrives and takes Davey to the school nurse and Chloe is in for weeks of mockery, but the important thing is Davey.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When he opened his eyes, Chloe could’ve sworn they were a deep, blood red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe sits down across from Davey at lunch. She’s smiling at him and looking at him… Davey protectively pulls his juicebox closer to him. She probably thinks they’re married now. Awful of a girl to marry a guy while he’s sleeping. He’ll have to ask Dad if he had to marry Mom because they slept together.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe leans close to him, like she’s giving him the answer to a test. “You’re weird.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Am not! Shut up!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s okay. I think weird’s cool. Did’ya know there’s a lizard that can shoot blood out its eyeballs?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davey’s face screwed up, like he was carefully considering this prospect. “Nah! No way!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe takes one of about a million books out of her backpack and shows him a picture. It’s the grossest thing he’s ever seen. Awesome.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He doesn’t let her drink from his juicebox, but he does carry her million books for her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And she knows about dinosaurs and UFOs (that’s aliens) and all sorts of Indian stuff! There were Indians in Smallville a hundred years ago, she said.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sounds like a smart cookie,” Mom says.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She’s the smartest girl in school!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Well, you just stick close to her then,” Dad said. “I married the smart girl and look where it got me.” He grabbed a slice of Davey’s first-day-of-school pizza pie. “Looks like our boy’s gonna grow up to be quite the ladykiller.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think it’s a bit too soon to start on that.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Just remember to ask yourself one important question.” Dad’s slice of pizza flopped around as he gestured at Davey. “Is she cute?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mom blew a soda straw wrapper at Dad. “Say grace.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As Dad made a quick prayer, Davey made his own. Well, God, you didn’t keep me from blacking out. He thought of Chloe and the taste of her chapstick on his tongue. But whatever works.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just so long as she knew he was never gonna marry her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark was ten years old when his father pushed him down the stairs. He remembered it because last night Lex had read The Little Prince to him and when Clark had asked why the Prince let himself be bitten, Lex had said it was because he was alone. That didn’t seem right to Clark. After all, the Prince had the pilot to keep him company.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It bothered him so much that he’d explained the situation to Lionel. And then, as they’d gone down a flight of stairs, Clark had felt Lionel’s hands pressing into his back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Oh, later Lionel would tell him he’d imagined it, that it was natural for children to irrationally blame something for painful accidents, Clark remembered the exact force and position of those hands. He had fallen, scared out of his wits, then he’d stopped with his head smacking against a carpet. He’d sniffled.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t cry.” Lionel came down the stairs in a rush, but never breaking stride. “You have great power, my son. It’s lain dormant long enough.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then the testing started. Once a week, every week, six hours at a time. They determined how hot he could be heated before feeling pain, how cold he could get before losing consciousness, a million different facts carved out of him. He was strong. He was fast. He was tough. He could breathe ice, hear for miles, see through walls. And every week for six years they tested how his powers had grown. Once, Lex asked where Clark went. For five hours, Clark thought Lex was worried. When they started testing how sharp a blade had to be to cut his skin, he realized Lex was just jealous Lionel was spending time with him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And at the end of each session, Lionel would take him by the hand to the adult kitchen, where Chef Laurence would fix them hot chocolate or banana splits or pancakes in the middle of the day. Lionel would rub his back and tell him how brave he was, how he was fulfilling his destiny. He’d call Clark his little traveler.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lionel’s weekly phone call had consistency as its only virtue. How are your grades? (Fine.) How’s Clark? (He’s good.) Gotten into any trouble? (No.) And, of course, “Put Clark on the phone.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clark, it’s your father,” Lex called to his roommate’s side of the dorm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark bounded up from the couch like a Golden Retriever noticing his master’s key in the locks. He didn’t notice the bitterness. He never did.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll take it in my room.” Clark was years younger than Lex, but his body had already eclipsed his brother’s lanky frame. His shoulders were broad, his smile was dazzling, and he was MVP of the school’s lacrosse team. Girls and boys alike competed for his attention, a chance to be with him and Ollie, golden boys among the sterling silver rich. The most Lex had ever got was to tag along, a half-hearted request to Clark’s friends to stop picking on him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All he wanted to know was why some people had grand destinies… and he wasn’t one of them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clark, so good to hear your voice again.” Lionel’s voice was a rich purr, warm as a summer day, apple pie, childhood. “How are your classes?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, you know how it is. As long as you’re paying attention, it’s as easy as parroting their bilge back to them. No critical thinking required.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s why our little lessons are so important. While your classmates are studying the Old World, you are shaping the new one.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know, Father. I won’t let you down.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s my boy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lex is doing great,” Clark piped up. “His paper on xenobiology got an A+. A couple of scientific journals are fighting over publication rights.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then you’ve been taking good care of him?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes, of course, but-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lionel overrode him. “Lex isn’t like you. He’s not special. Much as it pains me to say, I think the Luthor genius may have skipped a generation.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex very calmly, very deliberately pulled the phone cord from the wall. He had known his father felt that way. His jaw clenched. He had known.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“There’s more to Lex than you’ve seen. You should give him a chance.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I gave him a chance and it ended at his mother’s grave.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first day of high school was weird. He introduced himself as Davis instead of Davey, and at lunch he sat together with Chloe, as always, and Coach Arnold singled him out for the football team as soon as he saw Davis’s shoulders. That was all fine. But in 8th period, just when he was almost home free, he started feeling queasy. Not like a blackout; that darkness was soothing. This hurt. He tried to grit through it. 90 minutes, that was all.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe noticed his teeth gnashing and his fingers turning white around his No. 2 pencil. She passed a note. Are you alright? He crumpled it as a fresh wave of pain washed over him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Miss Lang, would you please come to the front and read the Hippocratic Oath?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lana demurely decoupled from Whitney’s affections and went to the front. As she passed Davis, he doubled over in agony. Vomit spewed out of his mouth, splattering the tiled floor and Lana’s spaghetti-strap sandals. Lana screamed, hand flying to her green necklace. As the class laughed, Davis spilled out of his chair and staggered for the door, butting into it before his clammy hands locked on the knob. He turned with all his might, finally budging it, and tumbled out into the hall.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Uproarious laughter and Mr. Jensen’s attempts to restore calm followed him all the way to the bathroom. He guzzled water, splashed his face with it, poured it over his close-cropped hair. The pain was gone, but the memory of it was like a brand, flaring up with each breath.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He has a medical condition, assholes!” he heard Chloe shout from outside, then she stampeded into the men’s room.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey!” Eric Summers shouted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Beat it or eat pepper spray.” Chloe dug into her purse.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He beat it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Are you alright?” Chloe asked, trying not to note how the muscles stood out on his arms as they leaned on the sink.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m just peachy,” Davis ripped towels from the dispenser until he had enough to wipe his arms and face off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah. If you wanted to make a good impression on the prettiest girl in school, eating the chili for lunch was probably a bad idea.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I didn’t throw up on you.” Davis scrubbed his tongue with a paper towel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, I’m… not…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How’s Lana?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She has Whitney to help her get over the horrifying ordeal. And if you’re making a list of people to run into in dark alleys, leave him off it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis wadded the paper into one soggy ball and dumped it in the trash. He stood there, listening to the black garbage bag crinkle. “You ever ask yourself why?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Why what?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Why God gave me this illness, or took your mother away?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“God didn’t take my mom away.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know. Hell.” He leaned against the wall. “I shouldn’t have brought that up.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s okay.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, it’s not. I have two parents who love me and here I go comparing myself to what you’ve been through? I’d spend a year in a blackout if it would bring your mother back.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t say that. You barely knew my mother.” And just the thought of Davis alone, trapped inside his own body, made her want to throw her arms around him and not let go.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know you.” Davis stood up straight, looming over Chloe like a mighty oak. Chloe shook her head, trying to throw the metaphor. “Anyone who could raise a daughter that turned out like you…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis…” It was so easy to believe, seeing him standing there in all his strength, that he was invincible, a rock. He wasn’t. “We should go see the school nurse. You might be coming down with something; usually you’re healthy as a horse.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So how was school?” Martha asked, ladling out the green bean casserole.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis thought about it. “I vomited on the head cheerleader’s shoes.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It could be worse,” Jonathan reasoned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She was wearing sandals.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I knew it. I knew I shouldn’t have let him eat cafeteria food.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Martha, calm down…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That food is sold by the lowest bidder!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stood up. Something was off. Looked wrong, felt wrong, sounded wrong. He went to the front door while Ma and Pa had their spirited discussion on the merits of boxed lunches. Through the window he could see a cloud of dirt, like a car had just rolled by. He went outside. As soon as the door shut behind him, high beams snapped on, pinning him. Davis was surprised to find he wasn’t blinded. He could see perfectly, past the harsh light, to Whitney sitting at the wheel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stepped forward. Who did this jerk think he was? It wasn’t like he had deliberately gotten sick. Did Whitney think he was better than Davis, just because he was a big tough guy in fifty pounds of safety gear?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The F-150 screamed forward and Davis screamed with it, striding forward like he was going to rip Whitney right out of his truck. Whitney turned at the last minute, the tail of his truck almost hitting Davis as it swerved. Breathing hard, Davis watched it peel off into the night.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jonathan and Martha ran out to join him. “You could’ve been killed!” Jonathan cursed. “Who was that psycho?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not a clue.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Despite Lionel’s uncertainty, Lex had learned from his father. He bided his time wile his temper cooled. It took a long time. Then he waited until Clark was watching TV with him, an evolutionary throwback to their childhood friendship. The show went to the commercial and they laid where they were on the couch and loveseat, too comfortable to move, just watching the silent movie commercials flash by.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex looked over the popped collar of his unbuttoned business shirt at Clark, an Hollister-clad demi-god in repose. “Clark, you’ve my brother and I love you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Uh-huh. You want me to get you a beer?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clark, I’m serious.” Lex rolled up into a sit, his black socks hitting the hardwood floor, his nimble fingers straightening his clothes in the fastidious manner he used when he was feeling important. “There are things I should’ve told you a long time ago. I was waiting for dad to tell you, but… I think you deserve to know.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark took his hands out from under his head. “Know what?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That you were adopted.” Lex’s tone was so serious Clark didn’t even think he might be kidding.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But Dad told me he covered up my birth so that his enemies couldn’t---he took me to mom’s grave.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We were in Smallville. It was just after the meteor shower. The town archives had taken a hit. There were a lot of orphans. I suppose he took pity on you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Damnit, Lex!” Clark rose to his feet with such violence that Lex shrank back. “You think I don’t know what you’re doing? You think I don’t know you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nobody knows me.” Lex slumped, reached for Clark’s beer. Clark pushed him away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You have no idea how hard it is being your brother!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And you have no idea how hard it is being me! Always trying, never being perfect…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not the reason your hair fell out!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex stared at him in total surprise. Then he began to laugh. Clark joined in, braying out that deep belly-laugh that always made Lex’s low chuckle seem insincere and snide.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I always wondered how you could ever be my brother. I guess now I know.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex laughed harder at the dagger twisting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The bus stop on FM 290 was pretty much just Davis and Chloe. Davis walked there, while Chloe’s father Gabe dropped her off there on his way to work. He could drive her all the way to school, but she said she liked riding to school with her friends. And she did. She just liked waiting to ride to school with Davis more. Not so much when he was telling her about attempted vehicular manslaughter.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, you have to call the cops!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, Whitney would just love that. Try to get the star quarterback arrested before a game? He’d skate and I’d be the bad guy who couldn’t take a joke.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But you can’t let him get away with that!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Turn the other cheek, Chlo. It’s what the good book says.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A familiar engine growl scratched Davis’s hearing. Whitney’s pick-up rumbled down the far side of the road, skidding to a stop across the lane divider. Facing Davis down, Whitney at the wheel, five letterman-jacketed jocks riding shotgun and in back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good book say anything about that?” Chloe asked, worry behind her sarcasm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Have a sling and some rocks ready?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whitney stroked the engine a few times. When Davis didn’t budget, he let the F-150 jerk forward like a dog on a leash. Davis didn’t blink. He felt, on some instinctual level, like he knew Whitney, better than if they’d been brothers. They were two predators, alpha wolves, and only one of them could have this territory. So Davis, very calmly, lifted his leg and kicked Whitney’s headlight in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis!” Chloe shouted, part surprise, part warning.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whitney had gotten out of the truck.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis was so angry his hands wouldn’t stop being fists. He jammed them into his pockets. Whitney stampeded up to him, immediately giving Davis a shove. Davis spilled backward. He felt a prickle scraping at his skin, like something was probing his weak spots from the inside.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe grabbed his arm and shoulder. Davis’s anger cooled like someone had thrown a switch. “Whitney. It was an accident.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Doesn’t matter. There are some things you just don’t get away with.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis gently moved Chloe out of the way. She dug into her pocket for her cell phone, 911, but Davis waved her off. That would just get Whitney’s buddies on her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whitney came on, right hook. Davis felt his head turn, rock back. He didn’t feel any pain, just surprise at the abrupt motion. Whitney struck him again and it was like he was on a roller coaster. Blows rained down on his stomach, but all he felt was a little shortness of breath.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis ran his hand down his face, causing not a twinge. “You done?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whitney’s fist moved like it was in slow-motion. Davis watched it until the knuckles brushed his jaw, then he felt his head abruptly fly to the side. He kept jerking back and forth at the end of Whitney’s fist, but he never even got dizzy. Then he heard Chloe cry his name. Davis brought his head down in time to see Whitney shove Chloe to the ground. The thing inside him pressed up against the center of his palm and pushed through…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His fist moved. Without thinking, Davis could feel his body streamlining itself like an Olympian throwing a discus. He realized with a sick lack of caring how much force he was exerting. He saw with a horrifying, arousing clarity how Whitney was spun around by the punch, bones distorting, skin tearing. Whitney hit the ground with four gashes in his cheek. Davis felt a dull pain in his knuckles, but it quickly went away. He saw the jocks back up when he took a step toward them, but he only helped Chloe up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Are you okay?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Am I okay!?” Chloe felt his face, turning it from side to side. “You don’t have a scratch on you!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Guess Whitney’s punches are as weak as his passes.” Davis booted Whitney’s prone body toward the jocks. “Get him out of my sight. When he wakes up, tell him if there’s a next time, I’ll punch him twice.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Once the jocks had driven off, Chloe checked Davis for a concussion with a penlight. Then she unzipped his sweatshirt and put her hands on his chest, fanning out from his heart. “Does that hurt?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No.” Davis watched the hand he’d punched Whitney with like it might disobey him. There was blood all over the back of it. He wiped his hand on a cornstalk. The skin over his knuckles was bruised white. He hid it in his pocket. No reason to worry Chloe anymore.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe put her hands on his upper ribs, feeling him breathe. “Does that hurt?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She moved her hands lower, feeling the dark hairs of his stomach through his thin cotton T-shirt. “Now?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her hands moved sideways, caressing his waist, slipping into his jean’s waistband. His own hands hovered between them, wanting to go to her, but he didn’t want to taint her light clothes with blood.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe’s fingers pressed harder into his flesh. “Does that hurt?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The schoolbus crested the nearest hill. Chloe pulled her hands back and Davis zipped up his sweater, realizing flecks of blood had dotted his shirt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Today, the entire bus was strangely silent. Chloe sat with Pete and Davis sat alone across the aisle. He chanced a look at his knuckles to see they were their normal hue. Someone got a cell phone call and it spread up one side of the bus and down the other. He just tried to keep his head down and soldier through, until the cops came for him in 8th period.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He was really getting to hate Intro to Pre-Med.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Deputy Adams and Principle Kwan were there. She searched through his backpack while Mr. Kwan told him how Whitney Fordman had been taken to the hospital.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, we got into a brush-up,” Davis admitted, “but I was only defending myself.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And how ‘brushed up’ was Whitney Fordman when you last saw him?” Adams asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He had a glass jaw. I punched him once, that’s all!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“With a set of brass knuckles?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What!? No, did he say that, that’s bullshit!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He has twenty-one stitches, you don’t have a mark on you. You wanna tell me what sounds like BS?” She dropped the backpack at his feet. “Clean. Turn around, hands on the wall.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Are you kidding me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Does this look like the face of a kidder?” Her hand dropped to her flashlight. “Anytime you’re ready, Mr. Kent.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis bit the inside of his cheek and let it run through his teeth slowly. He felt like a pot boiling over. Did she think that flashlight would hurt him? He’d spent the morning getting worked over by the star quarterback and now he’d never felt better. What could she do?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Despite Kwan’s attempts to keep order, students were crowding the doors. Davis felt Chloe’s eyes on him, her unspoken wish for him to stay cool. He turned and put his hands on the lockers. As the bell rang and the student body of Smallville High started home, Deputy Adams patted Davis Kent down like a common criminal.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At least he didn’t have a black-out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hands carefully embedded in his pockets, Clark walked the perimeter of Lex’s office. To the untrained eye, it was furnished with the same untasted taste any decorator would employ, but Clark could discern how Lex’s tastes shied away from the cold steel and leather Lionel favored. Not toward anything, just away from their father.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If I’d known you were coming over, I would’ve cleared off the bunk beds.” Lex swirled his brandy, watching the sun filter through it and the ice within. “So what brings the Head of Special Projects to the aptly-named Smallville?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark made a B-line to Lex’s desk like he found the room’s opulence tawdry. His hair was slicked back and he’d abandoned his affinity for primary colors in favor of a dark suit and blood-red tie. “I’d hardly say I’m the Head of Special Projects, Lex.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Let’s not talk formalities. It wastes time.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I didn’t know your time was so valuable.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If it isn’t, what are you doing here?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark smiled thinly. “Just shooting in and out for a few days. We haven’t talked much since Father and I went on our trip. You’re not still sore about that, are you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“As inconceivable as I find the notion of anyone outside of law enforcement wanting ‘face time’ with Lionel? No, Clark, I don’t envy you one bit. I’ve learned to become self-sufficient in the past few years. All you’ve learned is how to be a more obedient lapdog.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark carefully considered the glass Lex had poured him before sitting down and knocking it back with competitive streak on full display. “Better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This isn’t hell, Clark. This is Smallville.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark dropped the smile. “I can see I’ve caught you at a bad time. I’ll be back later, when you’re feeling more… charitable.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No rush,” Lex said as his brother left.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis Kent woke up from the strangest dream he’d ever had. He’d felt at peace, content, utterly Nirvana-ed out… and yet at the same time he’d felt the kind of white-hot rage that felt too big for your body, the kind that made you almost shake apart. Complete split, yet it was like they balanced each other out. He hadn’t felt so well-rested in ages. He was going to tell Chloe about the strange mix of dream and nightmare when she told him something that made him wonder if he was still sleeping.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, did you hear?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That? Just now? Yes, I did.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe scooted closer to him on the squeaking leather bus seat. “Last night, someone… or something… crumpled Whitney’s pick-up into a volleyball. They found it in the backseat of Deputy Adams’ cruiser.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, it is tornado season,” Pete quipped.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sometimes it felt like nothing happened in Smallville for weeks at a time, so wanton destruction dominated the conversations going on around him. Davis just sat back, enjoying his renewed anonymity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Did you have anything to do with this?” Chloe asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, Chlo, I’m a space alien. I used my alien powers to wad up a truck and drop it on a cop car.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I was just wondering.” Chloe scratched her ear. “If it was, your secret would be safe with me.” Her hand abruptly came down, slapping the cracked brown leather between them. “Hey, you think this has anything to do with those dead jocks?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What dead jocks?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Over the past few weeks, three football players from the Class of ’89 have turned up dead. The coroner’s report labeled them as lightning strikes, but one of them was found inside a building.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Maybe it was a really tall building.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe laughed and Davis ruffled her hair. “You’re in a good mood. Did Lana Lang invite you to the Spring Formal?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, no, I am still regrettably stag and those dancing lessons are still a poor investment.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, that’s… too bad. You know what’d be weird? If the two of us went together. Not even together, just at the same time.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know, that could be fun…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Great! When are you picking me up?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Uh… six?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Great!” Chloe smiled - she had a really nice smile - and the bus lurched to a stop. Like part of the same jerky motion, Chloe’s lips shot against his, then she was running for it. Davis couldn’t figure out how much was fear and how much was exhilaration.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Uh, what just happened?” he asked Pete.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Brother, you just got hit by the Sulli-Van.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark pushed through the cornstalks, feeling his armor crinkle around him. He didn’t need it, but it showed solidarity with his men. He still refused the headgear. His own eyesight was better than the commandoes’ visors.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He still remembered his father’s reaction the first time he had told Lionel about his powers. The slow creak of the letter opener moving up his arm, finally growing dull against his skin. Then the battery of tests probing his limits, his gifts. He might have been driven mad if it weren’t for his father, always there, always comforting him. Telling him how special he was. How he had a great destiny.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark shook himself free of the memory. He could hear clearer, see further, and fight harder than any man alive. He was a hero right out of Greek myth. And he had a quest as pernicious as Hercules ever had.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He pushed another cornstalk aside. To his senses, the other men were stomping everywhere, making enough noise to be heard from space. It could get on anyone’s nerves.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He flanked the man whose heartbeat he’d heard, coming out of the crops to see it was a farmboy strung up like a scarecrow. African-American. Someone had a very poor understanding of racial relations. Clark came up behind him. “Where’s Creek?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Wha? Who’s there?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You want down, tell me where Creek is.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who’s Creek?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark held the picture in front of his face. “Jeremy Creek.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hanging there all evening had taken its toll, but the kid jerked to life. “You’ve gotta stop him! He said he was going to the school dance, I think he’s gonna hurt someone!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t worry about it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark tore a palm-sized paper slip from a box on his belt, pulled off the Band-Aid pad, then pressed the chloroform to the kid’s mouth and nostrils. Once he stopped struggling, Clark pulled apart his ropes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Get him to a hospital.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What about you?” one of the men asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’d only slow me down.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe had never suspected it would be so nice. Her feelings (if any) for Davis were a big sticky morass of Don’t Go There and he was so repressed she wondered if the Kents were closet Bible bashers. He always seemed to hold tight to his feelings, only ever favoring her with a half-smile or a dull chuckle. But ever since that cathartic blast to Whitney’s jaw, it was like he’d unleashed the beast. Maybe he’d go all caveman on her. Wouldn’t that be fun.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But all she’d expected was for him to get her punch and mock what passed for fashionistas in Smallville. But then the DJ had started a slow number and he’d asked her to dance and then they were so close, nothing between them, no secrets. Only, she could think of one thing she’d never told him for fear he would think she was some kind of freak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The song ended, the AV club scrambled to find another, and Chloe stayed with Davis on the dance floor. “Can I show you something?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Right now?” Davis asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, it can wait.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The music started up and the student body began to groove, for lack of a better term, to Backstreet Boys.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, now’s good.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe led him by the arm out of the gym and out under an open-walled walkway. The night was as cold as it was beautiful. Chloe clung to Davis for warmth and because she could.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jeremy Creek watched them break away from the party and into the school. They looked like a cute couple. He was glad he didn’t have to kill them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rubbing on the now-healed skin where ropes had once cut across him, he went to the water main. Once the sprinklers were on, he would let the power out, the path of least resistance. It was too late for Smallville, but maybe this could serve as a warning. Maybe now they’d understand his pain.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Creek spun around. The face went with the powerful voice. Square jaw, perfect cheekbones, Aryan-blue eyes. He was dressed all in black like some kind of cat burglar, with the metal links on his handcuffs the only color.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Perfect. Another jock.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I did play a mean game of lacrosse.” Clark watched with rapt fascination as Creek’s hands lit up electric blue. “I’m not here to fight you, Jeremy. I’m here to help you. You’ve had your revenge, now what? Blow up the school? You’ll be hunted down like a dog. Or, you could be a hero.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What’re you talking about?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark looked to Creek’s right. When he exhaled, ice formed on the brick wall. “You’re not the only one with powers. There are others like you. Want to meet them?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe, what is all this?” Davis’s hand ran over the titles of print-outs, newspaper clippings, and photos overflowing from the corkboard.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Some would call it an oversized scrapbook.” Chloe forced herself to be as cool for Davis as she had been for her mirror. “I call it the Wall of Weird.” She taped up an article on Whitney’s truck to the wall. “It all started with the meteor shower. Since then, weird things keep happening.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis picked up a photo of himself as a child, his eyes dotted with red marker.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You… kinda got me interested in all this weirdness. If it weren’t for you, this probably would just have been a phase.” Chloe pulled the curling Polaroid out of his hand. “I wanted to cure you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I didn’t need a cure. I needed a friend.” Davis touched her cheek.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh god!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis pulled his hand back. “What?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I thought you were going to-did you know Red-Eyes sightings tend to increase at the full moon?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Red-Eyes?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And usually on my dad’s property. You wanna help with my stake-out? It’s not a school night, but I’ll totally understand if you have homework.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, I’m not-I’d love to. Chloe, are you okay?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She seemed winded from saying so much. “Great! You think Pete’s here yet? Let’s go check on Pete!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis left the Torch offices with his frazzled friend. Sometimes, it felt like Chloe Sullivan was from another planet.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex strolled into his study to find his fencing partner waiting for him. He took the towel from around his neck and gave his wet scalp a drying rub. Giving the belt of his mauve bathrobe a firm tug, he stepped out of his slippers and onto the carpet, letting it absorb his dripping. “Gina, you seem to have put on weight.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark smiled behind his helmet’s mesh. “What’s the matter, Warrior Angel, finally willing to acknowledge the supremacy of Devilicus?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex hid his grin as he turned to pick up a foil. When he turned back around, his face was featureless as marble. “Fencing’s a game of skill and strategy, Clark. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer an arm wrestling match?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“A lot’s changed since we were kids, Lex.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex surged forward, scoring on Clark’s chest before the younger Luthor could even more. “I doubt that. En garde, by the way.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Thanks for the warning.” Clark backed up, holding his foil warily. “You know if you apologized, Dad would have you back in Metropolis before the day was out?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex pressed another attack, this time meeting stiff resistance. “I’m not apologizing for his overprotectiveness.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He didn’t want me to find out I was adopted from you,” Clark batted Lex’s foil aside and reversed his sword to whack Lex’s side. “Can you blame him?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Same old Clark, never looking under the surface. I’m surprised Lionel hasn’t ground that out of you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Trust?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Naiveté.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark blocked Lex’s violent lunge. Momentum smashed them together, blade against blade. “I trust you.” Clark broke the lock, throwing Lex on his back. “Father doesn’t see your potential, but I do. There’s so much we can accomplish together, as brothers.” He stood over Lex, offering his hand. “Father’s opening a Special Project division here. I’d like your help.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Are you asking me or informing me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That depends on your answer.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex took his brother’s hand. “What’s this division called?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“33.1.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe was at her Mac, putting the finishing touches on her article about Jeremy Creek, who’d come out of his coma weeks before his old tormentors started dropping like flies hitting a bug zapper. Lois lounged on Chloe’s bed, reading Teen Beat’s cover story on Clark Luthor with the occasional lick across her lips. Or at least, she had been.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So let me get this straight. You didn’t show him your bra, you showed him the Wall of Weird?” Lois howled.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t see what my bra has to do with anything,” Chloe replied off-handedly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ever since flunking out of VMI (“Disciplinary reasons my ass,” Lois had snapped, “they’re biased against women!”), Lois had been attending Smallville Community College. The General had virtually put her under house arrest with the Sullivans, not wanting a repeat of the Lucy episode.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Since then, Lois had been Chloe’s babysitter, tutor (though it tended to work the other way around), and now best friend. She even helped out with the Torch occasionally, although mostly in finding new and exciting ways to mess up spell-check.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. We all have our weird bits. I rate my gay porn collection on a scale of one through ten. But I don’t tell people that on a first date.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”It wasn’t a date. We went to the dance as friends.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m going to stop you right there, because I think I see your problem. Chloe, he’s a teenage boy. Teenage boys are dumb and horny. For some people, that’s a turn-off. You can turn it to your advantage. Say he comes over to help you catch the red-eye. Answer the door in my old cheer uniform, tell him you were trying it on.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t want to come off as desperate”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You asked him out on a monster hunt. You define desperate.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t want to brainwash him. I just want to know how he feels about me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois sat down on Chloe’s desk with a smile. “Of course he likes you. I’ve been babysitting the two of you for depressingly long enough to know that. Just be your Sullivan-Lane self and charge in. If he doesn’t feel the same way, at least you can stop wondering about it. And if he does, you can still borrow my cheerleading outfit.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis put his flashlight under his chin. “You really think there’s some monster walking the cornrows of Smallville?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe kept her flashlight trained on her father’s crops. “Just a green-eyed monster.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe, my roguish good looks are nothing to be jealous of.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe turned around, shining her flashlight in Davis’s face. The hunt for Red-Eyes was on hold. “I’m talking about the evil eye you’ve been giving Sean Kelvin since he got my number.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You deserve better, Chlo.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Like who?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked around uncomfortably. “You shouldn’t settle, that’s all I’m saying. The guy’s a dog.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And I should wait for someone more honorable.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis covered her flashlight’s glass with his hand, getting the light out of his eyes. The subdued glow came only from his flashlight, pointed at the ground. “Yeah.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Someone who respects me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Exactly.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Someone I can trust.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She took his flashlight in her hand and switched off. Now there was only the moonlight bleaching Chloe into silver, highlighting the curves of her face.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;An epiphany struck Davis like lightning. Chloe liked him. Liked him. And she wanted him to kiss her. And he had no idea whether he wanted to… Okay, he wanted to, but was it just because she was a pretty girl and his friend who he wanted to be happy and really pretty-beautiful, even-and smart and funny and a good friend and suddenly something pushed through the crops, colliding with Davis. They hit the ground, then were caught in the beam of Chloe’s flashlight.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She recognized the moment-killer. “Greg? Greg Arkin?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He was on his feet in an instant. “Run!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis heard a helicopter’s rotors, people rustling through the crops. They scattered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gabe Sullivan watched the searchlights scanning the fields outside his home and thought if only this could happen every time my daughter wheedled her way into ‘hunting Red-Eyes’ with a boy alone in the middle of the night.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Can’t you do something?” Chloe asked, waving the butcher knife she’d armed herself with for emphasis. “This is private property.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, try telling them that. I’ve called the police. They’ll handle it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We should make a break for it,” Davis said. He was watching the commandos through the windows, catching brief glimpses of them as they moved through the cornstalks. “You really think anyone with that much hardware is going to back down because someone flashes a badge at them?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Assuming they aren’t the government,” Chloe said. “Or Luthorcorp… same difference. I’m going to go check on Greg. Being hunted like that must’ve scared him out of his mind.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She went upstairs, leaving Gabe alone with Davis. Davis sat down, hands on his knees. “Why Greg Arkin, that’s what I don’t understand. Don’t tell me someone’s after his bug collection…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe screamed. In a flash Davis had hurdled the banister and was up the stairs, Gabe trailing after him. They found the shower still running and the window broken open. Chloe was nowhere in sight.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis crouched down to pick up Chloe’s knife. The blade was covered in blood.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh God.” Gabe blanched. “Is that-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, it’s not Chloe’s.” Davis shut off the shower spray.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How can you tell?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know, I just-“ He prodded something fleshy in the drain. “He’s molting.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What ever has your daughter, it’s not Greg Arkin anymore. I’m gonna need to borrow your car.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe woke up to the feel of blood trickling down her scalp. She remembered going upstairs, hearing the shower running, than Greg had come out… saying something about how the men in black had caught him feeding, then more about molting and breeding, but all she could process was the skin hanging off him in girthy swathes. Then he’d come at her and she’d plunged the knife into him, but Greg had only smiled…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She looked around. She was in the old mill; she could recognize it by the meteor rocks lighting up the darkness. Something warm and sticky coated her back and Chloe tried not to ponder the irony of her plan for Davis.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey, Chloe, do you like kids?” Greg asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She struggled. Couldn’t break free. She was trapped like a fly in a web.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He tapped her face with two fingers like a pair of antenna. “Mm. You’re no Lana Lang, but you’ll do. That’s what evolution is all about, adaptation.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s why you’re doing this?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Greg shrugged meagerly. “Biologically, we only exist to pass on our genes. And our children will be stronger, faster, better. In their new world, it won’t matter what clothes you wear or what car you drive.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Greg.” Her fingers were nearing her lips. “Greg, fight it. This isn’t you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”It is now. I’m a predator. Who would want to fight that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The door to the mill flew open, lock splintered. Davis stepped inside. “Let her go, Arkin.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Greg hissed and vomited webbing over Chloe’s face. “I’m not sure what insect starts a mating ritual that way, but you gotta admit, it’s kinda cool.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis rushed him. Greg lunged, hitting Davis with both feet. Kent flew back, tumbling into the green glow of the meteor rocks.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s my nature, Davey. Red in tooth and claw. I couldn’t fight it, even if I wanted to. And why would I want to?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Because it’s gonna end with my foot on your throat.” Davis tried to sit up, his legs went out from under him. He felt the same nauseating drowsiness start up that had made him vomit on Lana Lang’s shoes. No! Not now… Numbness spread up his arms, veins stood out on his flesh…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You don’t look so good, Davey. That’s what I hated about being human. So damn fragile…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis was going into shock. His eyes rolled back in his head as a grand mal seizure wrecked his body.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Greg put a foot on his throat. “You can’t fight nature, Davey.” He pressed down. Davis went still.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rubbing his hands together, Greg turned back to Chloe. A hand grabbed him by the ankle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Greg turned to see Davis, no longer pale and sweaty but flushed with a gray hue, his eyes tinted red. Greg tried to jump, but Davis held on. He slammed Greg back down, splattering gravel, then grabbed a chunk of meteor rock. Greg’s scream was all too human as Davis brought the Kryptonite down on his head.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It took a moment of blood-soaked reality for Davis to realize what he’d done. Greg laid under him, skull caved in, limbs curling inward. Without conscious thought, he wiped down the meteor rock and stood up. Greg was still… churning.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stepped back as thousands of beetles burst out of Greg, leaving only his skin and clothes. Davis wondered if it were flammable.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After checking on Chloe, Davis ran back to Gabe’s pick-up and the bottle of motor oil he’d seen in the back. The rest was easy. Why should he and Chloe have to suffer through the scrutiny of an investigation? Greg had been the one at fault. He’d reaped what he’d sown.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Once Davis had started the fire, he ripped Chloe out of her cocoon. She regained consciousness as he carried her outside. “Davis?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s alright. I’ve got you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex had the urge to run a hand over his bald scalp, a childhood tic that he hadn’t indulged in years. It wasn’t as if he was ever going to feel his hair growing back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Something about the elevator ride into the depths of the Luthorcorp Building had him on edge. Perhaps it was how at ease Clark seemed. Lex had always sensed a certain… un-belonging about his brother. A skittish reluctance that made Lex feel uncomfortably superior. Here, Clark was in his element and Lex was on foreign soil.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You know how Father keeps going on about how Smallville is your test? He wasn’t lying to you, Lex. For the last decade, Smallville has been the biggest science project in the world.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Testing what?” Lex asked as the elevator rumbled to a stop.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark smiled and ushered Lex through the open doors.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Level 33.1 was a long corridor with glass doors on either side. A security camera monitored them getting out, and Lex noted a card slot on the elevator panel. He tried one of the doors. It wouldn’t budge.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This is what you’ve been running, Clark? A prison?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“A containment facility. For those with gifts that would go unappreciated by the masses. Here’s someone you might remember.” They stopped at a glass door. Behind it, Jeremy Creek turned the pages of a book. Lex remembered seeing him twelve years ago, strung up in a cornfield. He looked worse now.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The meteor shower,” Lex realized.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It wasn’t just a bunch of rocks. The meteors came from a world that was destroyed in a dimensional shift; think of it was the universe’s biggest particle accelerator. The debris was bombarded into the island of stability. An entirely new element: Kryptonite.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It changed him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He can absorb and redirect energy. Imagine how useful that ability will be, once we know how to recreate it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A burst of flame flared up behind Lex. He whirled to see it breaking against a glass door.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Coach Arnold is having a little more trouble adapting to his new circumstances,” Clark quipped. “You’d think winning his 200th game would mollify him a little.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So what’s the endgame here, Clark? You’re just going to… keep them, is that it?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They’ll be released. Once we’re done with them.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex gave in, ran a hand over his smooth scalp. “What gives you the right?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark smiled brightly. “It’s my destiny.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I thought Luthors made their own destiny.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark’s smile was rictus-still. “As you’re so keen to point out, I’m not really a Luthor.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex remembered. How could he forget the decision that resulted in his present exile? The scary part was he couldn’t bring himself to regret it, and he knew his father wouldn’t have either.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Let’s not fight, Lex. With Kryptonite, we can save the world. We can make our father proud. I don’t want to do that alone.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He offered his hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex took it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Looks like the Luthor boys are here to stay.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On Buffy, the Slayer was facing down a squad of improbably martial artsy vampires. Chloe ate her precious buttered popcorn, throwing a kernel at Davis’s mouth everytime the ‘drinking game’ said to.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You know, you could just make me a bowl of popcorn. Or share.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe rolled her eyes at Davis’s suggestion. “I am sharing. God, are those geeks really going to be the Big Bads? Why does every show suck once it hits its sixth season?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You think that’s bad, imagine when it reaches eight.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They’ll probably make Buffy a lesbian or something.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, and then everyone gets married.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I hate wedding episodes. If I ever get married, promise me you’ll start some drama at the ‘forever hold your peace’ part. No one ever objects at weddings anymore.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I promise.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dawn was annoying. Chloe threw a kernel at Davis’s mouth. It added to the growing collection in his lap.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What’s wrong, Davis? Is the mix of teen angst and supernatural adventuring not working for you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I guess I’m just… pondering the moral implications of it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe set her popcorn aside. “Yeah, all that premarital sex… boo!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s not what I mean. All those demons, they have souls. What Buffy’s doing is like vigilante justice.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What’s she supposed to do, tie ‘em up and leave them for the cops? They have to be stopped. They’re monsters.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And you don’t think she ever feels bad about killing vamps?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I read a fanfic once where Buffy had a good cry over that, but then she remembered that by slaying, she was keeping all her friends safe.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Ah, fanfic, Chloe? You know that’s just poorly-written gay porn.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Some of it’s well-written,” Chloe said defensively. “Hey, stupid question, but you’re not still thinking about the mill, are you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis sighed. Chloe scooped a handful of popcorn off his stomach and laid down on top of him, popping it kernel by kernel into his mouth and watching him chew.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Feeling better?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It comes and goes,” he admitted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You couldn’t save him. After he set that fire, you were lucky to get me out. If you’d gone back in, you would’ve died. And I like you not-dead.” She set her head down on his chest. “You’re more snuggly this way.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But do you think Arkin deserved to die?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe scoffed. “He ate his mother! I know all life is precious, yadda yadda, but I’m not sending any flowers to the funeral. You?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No.” Davis wrapped his arms around her. “None at all.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Talking with Chloe was strange now, a foreign language. Before they could talk for hours, launching volleys when the other paused for breath, debating everything from Star Wars to the Panama Canal. Now, knowing how Chloe felt, Davis’s words seemed to be floating in lead. He wanted to kiss her, well, not kiss her, but something, only it was like walking on Meteor Lake now that it had frozen over. He was never sure of his footing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just say it, you pussy, work out the details later. He opened his mouth just as Chloe opened hers. “You go first,” he said, grateful for the dodge.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sean Kelvin asked me out.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They were in the cafeteria, lunches pooled between them, sitting on the table and looking out at the student body. Davis’s eyes automatically scanned for Sean, found him wolfing down steaming chili. Looked pale.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, he seems like a real cool guy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, I was going to turn him down, but what else do I have to do on a Saturday?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah. And hey, free food.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Actually, I think we’re splitting the tab.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, have fun.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You too. When you…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Catch up on chores, I guess.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Cool. So, what’d you want to tell me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I forget.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis hammered another fencepost into the ground. Despite the October chill he was stripped to the waist, kept warm by his constant activity. In fact, he felt like he was boiling.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jonathan Kent pulled into the driveway, surprised to find Davis still working outdoors. He’d been working since Jonathan had left for Metropolis, hours before. “You been inside any?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nothing needs doing inside.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Son, we both know business hasn’t been booming lately, but working yourself into the hospital won’t do a lick of good. Get in the car, we’ll go see what your mother has for dinner.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stuffed a slice of steak into his mouth, wolfed it down in three snaps of his jaw, then swallowed a bite of baked potato whole. Five spoonfuls of casserole joined it, then a long pull off a thick mug of water.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll tell you to slow down before you choke yourself, but obviously that’s not a problem,” Martha said, staring in disbelief.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis didn’t hear her. He was disemboweling the pork chops.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s a growing boy,” Jonathan said. “I went through the exact same thing at his age.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Maybe not the exact same thing,” Davis said, mouth full. He swallowed, wiped his jaw with a napkin. “I didn’t think I was hungry, but as soon as I saw all this food it was like I hadn’t eaten in months.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’d take that as a compliment,” Jonathan told his wife.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, you know if anything seems… different or confusing to you, you can tell us.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis helped himself to another steak. “Well, there is one thing.” He began to saw into the meat with great aggression. “Chloe and Sean Kelvin are going on a date.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Rose Greer told me about him, isn’t he the one who broke Tina’s heart after their double date with Lana and Whitney?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah. She’s the smartest girl in school, so what does she see in that-“ Davis’s knife scraped the plate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Son, let me tell you a little story about when your mom and I were dancing around each other.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Aw, dad, not another platitude.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s not a platitude. It’s a story.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You notice he never tells fables?” Martha quipped.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Or anecdotes,” Davis noted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jonathan cleared his throat and the youngest Kent popped more steak into his mouth, chin braced on his hand for the long haul.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Now, Martha and I weren’t what you’d call official, but I considered us-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Unofficial,” Martha said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then one day I see her chatting to this chowderhead…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He wasn’t a chowderhead, his name was Kyle Tippet and he was very sweet.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Do you want to tell the story? Well, they were laughing and brushing against each other and I tell you, I wanted to knock that fella’s block off for making time with my girl. But I didn’t!” He quickly assured Martha. “What I did do was realize how special your mother was and how I wasn’t the only guy that could see that. So the next day I went to her and said ‘Martha, you are going with me to the movies on Friday and that’s final!’”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I recall there being flowers,” Martha said. “And poetry.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Rumors of poetry aside, do you see what I’m getting at here?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think so.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This Kelvin kid, if he’s half the dog I hear he is, Chloe could get really hurt. You should tell her how you feel.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know how I feel…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He felt less when she wasn’t around. With her, he felt safe, sure, loved, happy. He wanted to keep her safe. He wanted to hold her and not let go.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think she’s working late at the Torch. I should check up on her. Tell her… something.” He got up, left the table.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Came back. “Can one of you drive me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis had never realized how creepy the school was after hours. Early dusk turned it into a sea of darkness with islands of light, scattered and distant. Even the janitors had left. Hearing only the echo of his own footsteps, he went to Chloe’s offices.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No comforting light. No reassuring stream of typing. He was about to call Chloe’s cell when he heard something softly crumple under his heel. He looked down. It was a rose petal. In the dark, they surrounded him like traps. Kelvin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That son of a bitch! Davis felt feelings so irrational they seemed to make more sense than the rest of the world. Loss. Violation. Anger. Such anger. It was the purest emotion he’d ever felt, burning away all contradictions, making everything so simple.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He followed the trail, after Chloe, after Sean. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but his footfalls sounded like bombs dropping. Or maybe he could just hear them more clearly. It seemed to Davis that he’d never thought so clearly in his life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then he heard a scream, Chloe’s, and all he could see was red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis broke into a run, his passage scattering rose petals like so much chaff. The world obligingly blurred at the edges. He thundered through the doors to the swimming pool and saw Chloe, one leg trapped in the frozen pool. Sean was walking across the ice. Deathly pale. Almost upon her. Both were still as statues.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If there were any room in Davis’s mind, he would have realized they weren’t moving slow, he was moving fast. But he was operating on an instinctual level now, and someone had threatened his mate. Someone was going to die.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe felt a sudden breeze whip her hair around and when she turned, Kelvin was gone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis slammed Kelvin through a set of double doors and crushed him into the school’s trophy case. Sean’s head smashed a picture of Jonathan Kent winning the state championship. Whatever speed Davis had briefly accessed, it was spent. The world spun forward.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He locked a hand around Sean’s throat and jerked him upward, raking his back on broken glass. “What were you doing to Chloe!?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Relax, Kent. I was just trying to get warm.” And like he’d stuck his hand in a freezer, Davis felt Sean’s icy pallor travel down his fingers, all the way to the wrist. His hand froze, the very warmth of its blood sucked into Kelvin. Davis pulled away, leaving a layer of skin behind. He saw his reflection in the ice that had become his hand. His eyes were glowing a hellish red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis turned, horrified by what he’d seen, and his hand struck a row of lockers. It broke. Fragments tumbled through the air in brief constellations, rained down like hail. Davis folded over, stunned. His hand was gone. He’d never shake his father’s hand, never run it through Chloe’s hair. He was a freak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then, with that burst of rage, blood leapt from the stump. It coalesced around the bones that shot from his flesh like daggers, becoming veins, tendons, muscles, skin. Davis watched his new hand become a fist.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I thought I was the only one…” Sean muttered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis rose to his full height, flexing his hand in growing acceptance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Cool power. You’re like me, aren’t you? You have a hunger in you too, that’s how it works! I can see it in your eyes. You have to kill people, I have to stay warm. We’re the same. Hey, we should go to the Icecapades together!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis turned on him. “Enough with the ice jokes.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh. So that’s the way it’s gonna be. You’re gonna pretend there’s a difference between us.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis fished into his pocket. “There is a difference.” He raised his hand above his head and flicked the lighter on. “I’m still breathing.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The flame hit the smoke alarm. The sprinklers came on. And Sean Kelvin felt his body instinctively pulling the meager warmth from the water, freezing it as soon as it touched his skin. He screamed as he was frozen solid.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis watched the statue blink. “You played a good game, Sean…” He tapped Sean’s eye. The iceman tilted backward, shattering on the ground like fine china. “Too bad you froze up in the last quarter.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis was absorbed in pushing the melting remains of Sean Kelvin around with his toe when Chloe freed herself from the ice. She had grabbed a fire ax and gone after Davis while dialing 911. Chloe had just hung up when she found him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His back went rigid, ashamed. “Chloe.” He didn’t turn around. “You okay?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Dandy. Where’s Kelvin?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He… got away. Made this ice to slow me down. How weird is that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She threw her arms around him, yielding to his protection. “God! Arkin, Arnold, now Kelvin… how many of these freaks are out there?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know.” It felt wrong. She was treating him like some kind of hero. Couldn’t Chloe see what he’d done, what he was?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He held her and pretended he wasn’t surprised at how light she was, so soft and so warm. Then he felt something in him reacting to Chloe. She was no longer hugging him so much as pressing against him, then her hair brushed his cheek as her head turned. Davis’s stomach twisted at the same time his heart did double-time. Now? She had to feel this way now?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Uncertain, yearning, her lips moved toward his. He turned at the last moment, letting her kiss his cheek. Not now. Not here.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well,” she said, breaking away from him. “Looks like I’ve got a guardian angel.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis heard only the ice cracking under her foot. “Something like that.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois revised her list, deciding she hated retirement homes more than hospitals. They had the same kind of funky smell, but people went to hospitals to get better and only came to homes to die. She was definitely hoping she died before she got old.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One more minute of pill duty and she was going to need some herself. Going outside for a smoke, she nearly plowed into a rampaging Lana Lang. “Can you watch Harry a minute? I need to call my boyfriend. I try to be supportive of him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, sure thing.” There was something wrong about that girl. While she went inside, Lois walked out on the pier over Lake Old People. Harry was looking out at the water. “Mind if I smoke?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Only if you share.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How do you lose a retiree?” Chloe asked twenty minutes later.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know!” Lois checked behind the couch in Harry’s room. “I turn my back for one minute and he goes from Harry Bolston to Harry Houdini! I am not a professional caregiver! Yesterday, I was watering the flowers! And he was in a wheelchair, how was I supposed to know it had rocket boosters or something?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe checked the last closet. “What are you even doing here? The last thing I recall you volunteering for was a bikini car wash.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It saved the rec center, didn’t it? And as for why I’m here-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark Luthor poked his head in the door. “So I hear you’re missing an old person?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois didn’t, as a rule, swoon. However, to Chloe’s endless amusement, she did have a sort of sigh.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Why? You have one you’re willing to spare?” Chloe asked, just before Lois gave her leg a stout kick.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m fresh out at the moment, but maybe if we all looked, we can find him before he crosses the border.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Great idea!” Lois cheered. “Chloe, you search the building, Clark and I will look outside.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe knew which way the wind was blowing. “You two enjoy the view.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We’ll look high and low,” Clark promised smarmily.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That left Chloe alone. She fanned herself sardonically. “Any more like you back home, Mr. Luthor? Woof.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then she noticed the picture on the wall and the darts sticking out of it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, when did the vending machines start offering Haterade?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois would give the retirement home one thing. It had some prime real estate. With the bright sunlight perfectly balancing the shady trees, the crisp green grass melting underfoot, and of course the company, Lois couldn’t think of a better way to be looking for a dirty old man.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So, what’s the pride and joy of Luthorcorp doing washing bedpans?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Community service,” Clark said smoothly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois laughed. “Great, you’re not one of those stuffy, humorless millionaires I hear so much about.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m going to tell Bruce you said that. Really, if there’s one thing my father’s taught me, it’s to always respect my elders.” Pain flittered across Clark’s face like an old war wound acting up. “Always.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, my dad’s a hardass too,” Lois joked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s not like… he’s not like that. He’s just very… paternal. He wants me to live up to my full potential.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Me, I think potential’s useless if you can’t decide what it’s for. Hey, I might have it in me to be the best elephant masturbator in the world, who gives a crap? Ain’t happening!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think you have the potential to be much more than an elephant masturbator. You did just rope a multimillionaire into a geezer hunt. There are presidents who can’t do that.” Clark stopped, putting a hand on Lois’s arm. “Lois?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes Clark? Can I call you Clark?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think Harry has well and truly flown the coop. Looks like I owe you an old guy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll settle for dinner.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark’s eyebrows made a bid for his hairline. “In Metropolis, girls don’t tend to be so forward.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Really? I’ll have to leave it off the world tour. Pick me up at 8?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If I can fit in it between being a rich playboy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Right, let me give you my number-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t worry about it. I’ll find you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not listed.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m rich. I have abilities beyond the ken of mortal men.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis felt the worn bone of the rosary beads travel through his fingers. His loft hardly had the atmosphere of a proper church, but it gave him privacy and solitude, both of which he valued. The rosary was a gift, passed down from his grandfather to his mother and now to him. Even as a boy, his mother’s Catholicism had seemed so much more real than Jonathan’s Protestant faith. The tenets of original sin and its forgiveness had resonated heavily upon him, and now, only with the rosary in hand did he feel peace replace the restlessness constantly driving him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He counted off the decades as he read. “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.’ And he said unto them, ‘I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.’"&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His phone buzzed and he answered it to be greeted with a blitz of Chloe-sounding noise. “Wait, what?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He heard Chloe take a deep breath. “I think Harry Bolston has rejuvenated himself to go on a killing spree. And my cousin has a date with Clark Luthor.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, I believe the part about Harry Bolston, but what’s this about Lois and Clark Luthor?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Never mind that, I just thought you ought to know!” She laid it out quick. The piano teacher that Harry Bolston, nee Volk, had failed to kill 60 years ago had been found dead. Chloe had found a dartboard with her picture on it in Harry’s room. And Harry had gone missing near a pond full of meteor rocks.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So you’re sure he’s young again and doesn’t just have the proportionate strength and speed of pond scum?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, one of his targets is your dad.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis felt the world turn red again. He fought to keep his clenching hand from crushing the phone. “One?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Jim Gage is the other. The cops won’t believe me, I don’t know what to do…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, stay calm. You call my dad, warn him, I’ll take care of Gage.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Be careful. I’d… I’d hate to have to give your eulogy and explain how you got killed by an octogenarian.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hood up, hands in his jacket pockets, Davis stalked the sidewalk outside Gage’s house. I probably look like a serial killer, he mused. How apropos.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He dug into his pant pocket and felt the rosary. Didn’t count it, just gave it a quick squeeze. This was God’s work. He’d been given this… gift for a reason. No one ever said being a disciple would be easy. Look at Saint Paul. He’d been decapitated. Being apart from Chloe was one thing, but being apart from his head?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Maybe he should get a dog so he could look like he was taking it for a walk when he was hunting. Funny the things you thought about when you were about to kill someone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe, sprawled at his feet, her cheek nuzzling his thigh, golden hair tickling his skin- Stop it! He had to pay attention. A telephone repairman was at Gage’s door. Could Volk have cut the phone lines, then posed as a repairman to get in? It’s what Davis would’ve done. If he were a murderer. But he wasn’t.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not really.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis walked across the street and lawn, feeling the sprinkles dapple him. The water was cold when it hit his face. Not at all like blood. He wiped it off. Looked in the living room window. The repairman was going through his toolbox. You’re losing it, Davey. It’s all in your head. C’mon. Demons? Superpowers? You’ve finally gone off the deep end, just like Chloe’s mom. Remember the nightmares? You two are gonna be cellmates and she’s gonna watch you, just like when you came over to play, because she knows. You’re gonna abandon Chloe. Just. Like. Her. Mom.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Shut up,” Davis whimpered into the window, his breath fogging the glass. “I’m a hero. A crusader.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The repairman pulled piano wire out of his toolbox. Volk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis crashed through the window as Harry looped the wire around his victim’s neck. Davis punched him in the back of the head, then flung him away. Gage hit the floor, gagging.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Get out of here!” He helped Gage up. “Run!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The beast sensed danger. Davis turned just in time to feel cold steel enter his stomach. Volk had a knife.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Kids these days.” Volk twisted the blade.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis shoved him back with the last of his strength. It wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working? He needed the Red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This man was a murderer. He’d killed two people. He’d planned to kill Jonathan. Planned to take away Davis’s father.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Red welcomed him back with open arms.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis plucked the knife out of his body, the wound closing up as Volk watched in disbelief. “I’m sorry, was this what you were hoping for?” He drove the knife into Volk’s chest. Again and again, manmade jaws snapping, flesh tearing and blood falling, the Red staying longer this time, demanding a greater sacrifice. Until Volk’s entire chest was a bloody mess, ribs exposed, organs unspooling. Davis watched his heart beat its last.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The cops would arrive soon. He should wipe the knife down and leave it. Bring gloves next time. But he didn’t want to let it go. He wanted a trophy to mark his victory, something to replace the scar he couldn’t keep. Hiding it in his jacket, he ran.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I hope I don’t make you too self-conscious, but no one’s ever taken me flying on a first date before,” Lois said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark shouted to be heard over the rotors. “If you know of a decent Italian restaurant in Smallville, I’m sure my pilot would appreciate the off-time.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I mean you come on strong.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You have a problem with strong men?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not as long as they can back it up,” Lois smirked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. “Lois, I think you and I are going to get along just fine.” His phone rang.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think your bullshit detector might be pointed the wrong way.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark shot her a look as he answered. “Yes? Understood. Right away.” He snapped the phone shut. “I’m afraid I have to step out for a moment. I’ll catch up on the restaurant.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How, with your teleporter?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t be ridiculous.” He knocked on the pilot’s compartment. “Bring us down.” Turned back to Lois. “I’ll run.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Blood ran down the walls and dripped from the ceiling. Even the hardened mercenaries who stood watch were unnerved by the ferocity of the killing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex stepped around the pools of blood. “I don’t think we’ll be getting any answers out of him. What do you think, Clark? Good resume for your team?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, it depends on how many words he can type per minute.” Clark knelt down to examine the body. “Cuts go deep, shows power. But that’s not enough to prove he’s a Kryp.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With a creaking-stretching-sucking noise, what was left of Harry Volk’s body tanned like leather. The skin wrinkled, the hair turned white, but the blood stayed the same.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But he was,” Lex said, crouching beside Clark.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So. The game’s afoot.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So you hear about Eric Summers?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, what?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Got busted spying on Holly with a telescope. His parents are cracking down hard.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sucks to be him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis paused, rolling the basketball in his hands. He felt the pebbled texture for another moment, then shot. The basketball soared over Pete’s head and dropped through the hoop. Pete sighed as he went to retrieve it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“As much fun as it is watching you enjoy your growth spurt, you know your parents are gone, right? We could be having a party.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis fought the melancholy’s return, but it won, as it always seemed to. “Not much in the mood for a party.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If it’s a party, Lana’ll be there. She’s easy as pie.” Pete tossed him the basketball. “I hear she’s lost her virginity to half the football team. And blown the other half.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How long have you known me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What makes you think I was talking about you? I’ve got needs too, ya know. But hey, I’m sure we can arrange for Chloe to meet you there, super-virgin.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Maybe I’m not in the mood for that either.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Did you die while I wasn’t looking? This is the same Chloe we’re talking about, right?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis tossed him back the basketball. “Three points. Go for it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pete looked over Davis’s shoulder. “Hey, Davis?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis turned around. A man in a sweat-soaked janitor’s jumpsuit pushed his way out of the cornfield, stumbling, stirring up pockets of dust every third step. He blurred like a mirage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Earl?” Davis called.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Earl fell to his knees, biting down hard on his lower jaw as a sandstorm sprang up around him and died back down. “Davey… help me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They took Earl to the pick-up, holding him down when he had a seizure, and finally they lifted him into the truck bed. Pete rode in the back with him, signaling Davis to stop when Earl had one of his seizures. Whatever caused them, they were powerful enough to make the truck swerve all over the road if it was in motion.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Finally, they got to the hospital. By then, Earl seemed to have it under control. He kept asking for Davis’s father. A nurse on her cigarette break saw them, and then there were orderlies and a stretcher and Pete was filling out forms while Davis called his parents.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They arrived two hours later. Davis walked through the glass as his father talked to Earl. He’d been a farmhand several summers back, taking Davis to ballparks and movies while Jonathan was busy trying to perform a miracle with the lean farming season. They’d pulled through, like they always did, and Earl had gone off to work for&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Luthorcorp,” Jonathan spat. “He was working at their fertilizer plant when there was an explosion. Ever since then, he’d been having those… jitters.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Any idea what caused them?” Davis asked, carrying the coffee they were bringing back to Earl’s room.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He says that the explosion was on Level 3, where Luthorcorp was experimenting with meteor rocks.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Meteor rocks?” Davis remembered the weird allergic reaction he’d had to them in Arkin’s mill, the black-out. “Dad, when Earl has one of his attacks, it’s like an earthquake. Could meteor rocks really do that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s what I wanted to know. I called the plant. They have no record of an explosion. Neither does OSHA or the newspapers. They won’t even say there’s a Level 3.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis took this in. “My class is going on a fieldtrip to the Luthorcorp plant in a few days. Maybe I could…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, no. The Luthors have a lot of money, and you can bet they didn’t get it by playing nice. People get that rich, they think the laws don’t apply to them. If they did have something to do with what happened to Earl, what do you think they’d do to you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can handle myself.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Since when? You’re sixteen years old.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I am, aren’t I?” Davis held the tray out to Jonathan. “Can you take this? I need to make a phone call.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Every time they were on a bus, Davis and Chloe would ride pressed into the same bench, Chloe at the window, Davis with a foot up against the back of the seat in front of him, squeezed together by the road. Chloe’s thigh against Davis’s, his arm against the side of her breast. It was an awkward, secret piece of intimacy, broken only by Pete occasionally leaning over the seat in front of them to chat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Over the last few weeks Davis had been pulling in on himself, like he was allergic to her and a touch could make him break into hives. He’d even sat across the aisle from her sometimes. But on the class field trip to Luthorcorp Fertilizer Plant 3, he took her hand and started talking like a dam had been built between them and just busted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She agreed to it. Grudgingly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I will never forgive you for this,” Chloe said as they got off the bus in front of the plant, where Chloe’s father worked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s not that bad,” Davis said, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “You do get to keep your firstborn son.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Can we rethink that deal? I’m bad with kids anyway.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sorry, the ink’s dry. Just pull the dear daughter crap on daddy dearest, we find Level 3, Luthorcorp pays the bill for Earl’s cure, you get the story. And we get to snoop around, you love snooping around.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I do. Though if you wanted to get me alone in a dark corner, all you had to do was ask.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis blushed and removed his arm. Even Chloe couldn’t seem to believe she’d said it, but went on.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Maybe play some Barry Manilow…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They walked through Luthorcorp’s front door and spent the next half hour listening to Gabe Sullivan’s lame jokes and, in Chloe’s case, praying for the sweet release of death. Then her prayers were answered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Could everyone please get down on the ground?” Earl mumbled. He lifted a gun, yelled “Now!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark was so concerned he almost sped right into the staging area, but at the last second he looped around and slowed down in an alley. A minute later, he had pushed past the reporters and badgering parents to find his father.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lionel Luthor was in the middle of a swarm of men, like different herds all drinking from the same watering hole. There were men in business suits, men in paramilitary uniforms, policemen, plant workers, and a chosen few reporters hanging on his every word.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Dad!” Clark rushed to him. “I came as soon as I heard. Is it true Lex went in?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Give us a moment, please,” Lionel said to the throng. It was not a request. Bodyguards sprung into action, giving Lionel and his son some breathing room.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is it true?” Clark insisted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Son, your brother chose to take a risk. I thought it reckless, but Lex is well past the point of caring what I think.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then let me go in there, I can take Jenkins down in two seconds!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Brave words, Clark, but we’re surrounded by the press. Imagine if your secret came out. People would fear you, try to exploit you. And then all the protection I’ve given you would be for nothing.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Of course, father. You’re right. As always.” And Clark looked through the plant’s walls, searching for his brother.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis couldn’t believe it. Earl Jenkins, his old friend, his father’s right-hand man, was holding him and his whole class hostage. It seemed the perfect cap to his new life. Everything else was going to hell, why not Earl? The Red tempted him to stand up, step through the bullets, and put a stop to Earl’s jitters for good. But Chloe was here, and he couldn’t bear for her to look at him like he looked at himself in the mirror.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While Earl raved at the security camera, stuttering with jitters, Davis crept over to Chloe. “You alright?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t worry, I’m kinda getting used to insane mutant danger. This is going to make a heck of a story.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He clapped her shoulder. “Good, you have your priorities in order.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, can I ask you a personal question?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis bit his lip. This was it. Life-threatening situations made people think this way. He certainly thought of Chloe every time he killed. She was going to ask if he loved her. And what could he possibly tell her?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“On the night Harry Volk died, you said you were going to protect Jim Gage. You were there.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I told you, Chloe, it was a commando, like the ones chasing Arkin.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They had guns. Not knives.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis felt it like a punch in the gut. She knew. It was over. Any relief he might’ve felt was swallowed up by the knowledge that he’d lost her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, I’m not accusing you of anything. I don’t know what you’re going through or where you are right now. But you’re my friend. And nothing can change the way I feel about you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He numbly felt his hand moving to her, pressing slowly against her cheek. She was real. That surprised him somewhat. Her eyes closed and she twisted a little under his touch, letting his hand roam down her face, her graceful neck, then over the delicate curve of her collarbone to feel her heart beat. Even. Sure. Safe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nothing is going to happen to you,” he promised. “I won’t let it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Of course not. You’re my guardian angel.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He buried his face in her hair. “Do you have any idea how special you are?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She put her arms around his shoulders and squeezed. “When I’m with you, yeah.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stood, letting her arms slowly lapse from touching him. He turned. “It’s over, Earl. Let’s end this before anyone gets hurt.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The gun pointed at Davis. “Sit down, Davey. I don’t want to hurt you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know you don’t. And you’re not going to.” He put a foot forward. Another. “Put the gun down.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Earl quaked as another jitter hit him. “You don’t want to do this.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know. I just don’t have a choice.” He took another step. The gun was against his chest. “You do. Put the gun down.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Earl screamed as another jitter hit him. His free hand shook out, knocking Davis across the room. The hostages screamed. Earl slammed his hands into the wall, feeding his vibrations into it. The room shook. Pipes ruptured, spewed smoke. Cracks split the floor, spreading toward the hostages.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Teeth gritted, Earl forced it down, leaving only the grit tumbling from the ceiling and the sound of slow applause.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Very impressive, Mr. Jenkins,” Lex Luthor said as he walked into the middle of the hostage situation. “Now if you’re done holding up the class, how would you like to see Level 3?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As soon as the double doors closed behind Earl, Davis moved like a bullet, its gunpowder ignited. He’d worried loose a pipe from the wall and slipped it into his sleeve; now he jammed it through the handles, barring the door so Earl couldn’t double back. “Alright, everybody out! Exit’s that way, don’t stop until you see cops. Go!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The hostages surged like one organism, stampeding down the hallway and streaming out the door. Davis looked around for stragglers, saw only one. Chloe. She was huddled on the floor.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis jogged to her side. “C’mon, Chloe, class dismissed.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She didn’t move. A thought struck Davis, and he dropped next to her like the notion had drawn blood. Normally he was good at telling when someone was not breathing, but fear blurred his eyes and there was debris near her head, stained the same red as her sodden hair. He felt for her pulse, pressing her fingers into her flesh like he could push his hope into her and force her heart to beat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was him. He’d confronted Earl, he’d brought this on her…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He felt a pulse. Davis leaned down and kissed Chloe in brief gratitude. Scooped her up and carried her out the door. His heart still beat like a volcano erupting, both in fear for Chloe and in outrage for her. How dare Earl do this! There was no excuse. Davis’s sympathy for him was dwindling quick, and it was only the weight of Chloe in his arms that pulled him back from the threshold. If it had been anything other than Chloe nearest to him, he would’ve torn it apart and not stopped there… He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He emerged into sunlight, blinding. A street festival of joyous reunions thrummed in front of him. He corralled Whitney away from a tonsil-cleaning by Lana. “Take her, don’t set her down until you find an ambulance. I’m trusting you. Don’t let me down.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The way Whitney took hold of Chloe, like she was a sleeping baby, and the way he promised he would take care of her, made Davis look at him in a kinder light.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, your eyes,” Whitney said, jaw slack.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked at his reflection in a puddle. His eyes were a demonic red, like a fire within him was raging out of control. If that was the case, thinking of Chloe’s blood was gasoline. Some of it was on his sleeve…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She stirred, called his name weakly. He couldn’t let her see him like this, he couldn’t be near her like this. If he hurt her… But he already had hurt her. Him and Earl.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His parents saw him, called to him. He turned and walked back into the plant.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Son, where are you going!?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Earl’s still in there.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This isn’t possible,” Lex said as the elevator jerked into motion. Jenkins had just hit a concealed button for the 3rd floor. A floor that shouldn’t have existed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s what I’ve been saying for the last two years.” Jenkins dug the gun barrel deeper into Lex’s skin. Lex didn’t think he was going to use it, but all it would take was one spasm at the wrong time…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The elevator shook. Lex winced before he realized it was coming to a stop. The doors opened. A catwalk bridged a vast open space.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex shook his head. “Clark would’ve told me about this.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Earl prodded him with the gun. “Move.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex walked out onto the catwalk, his steps echoing mechanically. Clark couldn’t have known. Could he? Of course, it would be just like Lionel to only trust his golden boy, the boy he handpicked instead of the one he was saddled with like some genetic disorder.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex turned to face Earl. “We’ve both been lied to. It’s obvious we’re in the same boat…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Boat? Buh-buh-boat? Lionel Luthor took everything from me! Now I’m going to take something from him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex had time to think something vaguely blasphemous of Someone’s idea of irony. Earl pointed the gun at Lex’s head. Then another jitter twisted him into a ball and back again repeatedly, like a toy being broken. The gun flew out of his hand. Lex watched the painful contortions, fascinated. A real-life Kryp. Intriguing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Earl latched onto the handrails to stay up, causing the entire catwalk to quake. Lex lost his footing. On all fours, he scrambled for the other side. Behind him, the metal shrieked, almost overwhelming the disc-scratching noise of Earl’s jitters. Then, Lex was weightless, the ground stolen out from under him. The catwalk had broken. He snatched a guardrail as he fell, slipped off it, dropped, grabbed Earl’s legs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They floated there, hanging off the broken catwalk, and Lex thought with odd calm so this is what it feels like to die. This is what Mom felt. Earl was blubbering “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” and the catwalk kept tilting down like a clock-hand. Lex closed his eyes, felt himself being pulled upward. Heaven was probably too much to hope for, so he opened his eyes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the hostages was pulling Earl up, and Lex along with him. As soon as Earl had his arms wrapped around the guard-rail, the farmboy offered Lex a hand. Lex took it, and there was no mistaking how little effort it took him. It was like Lex weighed the same as a sheet of paper.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then he set Lex down and ignored him, staring at Earl. Lex didn’t see his eyes, but from the way Earl reacted, that was probably a good thing. Earl curled into a ball, not going anywhere, and the farmboy took several deep breaths, his shoulders unknotting, his hands relaxing into a splayed rigor mortis, only a little less tense than fists. He said something like “she’s alive” before turning to Lex.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You okay?” the kid asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m fine, thanks to you.” A Kryp? He didn’t seem dangerous… anymore. “Lex Luthor.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know who you are,” he said, too rapidly to be polite. “I’m Davis Kent,” he added apologetically, offering his hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex shook it. “Nice to meet you. Especially just now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah.” Davis looked at the drop. “Crazy the things you can do when your adrenaline’s pumping.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The rest, Lex could’ve predicted in his sleep. Davis faded into the background with his parents. Clark gave Lex a brief hug and Lionel clapped him on the shoulder with a private squeeze to remind him who he belonged to. But as he fielded questions, Lex found his eyes drifting between two extremes. Earl Jenkins being led into a paddywagon, to be run through the system for a few weeks before ending up in 33.1; and Davis Kent reunited with his family, a short blonde girl hanging off his neck. Rejoicing in being alive.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first chance he got, Lex dialed Roger Nixon. “Hi Rog. I’ve got a new assignment for you. Davis Kent.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Trailing the ambulance that held Earl was easy. Davis just turned his headlights off and let the Red show him everything. When the ambulance stopped at a gas station, he made his move. He parked a mile behind and ran while the driver used the restroom.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis forced the lock and climbed into the cab. Earl looked up at Davis from where he was strapped down, seeing a silhouette blackened by the setting sun. “Davey, thank God! Get me out of here, they’re taking me back to Luthorcorp, they’re going to do tah-tah-tests on me…! Davey?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s not my name anymore.” He walked around Earl to the head of the gurney, where a strap held Earl’s neck. He grabbed it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It wasn’t his fault. He’d given Earl every chance to change his course. But the beast inside Earl was too strong. It had to be stopped before it hurt anyone else.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sorry.” He pulled on the strap, drawing it taut around Earl’s throat. “It’s better this way.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Earl just gurgled, looking up at Davis with muddled eyes. Like he couldn’t understand what was happening to him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis gave the strap one last pull. “You’re free now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Someone had left the ambulance’s radio on.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Put on my blue suede shoes&lt;br /&gt;And I boarded the plane&lt;br /&gt;Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues&lt;br /&gt;In the middle of the pouring rain&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis held it together. He’d gotten good at that. The storm of fear and recrimination raging inside him, what was it compared to the Red? And he could control that, couldn’t he?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He got home, staggered inside, stripped off his outerwear as he went up the stairs. Fell into bed facefirst and thought about how loud he could scream if he let himself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A thought struck him. He got up and ripped through his CDs until he found the mix Chloe had burned him. He shoved it into his radio and pressed play.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;W.C. Handy -- won't you look down over me?&lt;br /&gt;Yeah I got a first class ticket&lt;br /&gt;But I'm as blue as a boy can be&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He turned it up until he was sure no one could hear his fractured sobs under the music, as he collapsed slowly inward on himself, pulled to the ground as if Hell had its hooks in him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then I'm walking in Memphis&lt;br /&gt;Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale&lt;br /&gt;Walking in Memphis&lt;br /&gt;But do I really feel the way I feel?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His phone rang. He ignored it until it reached voicemail, then he heard Chloe’s voice. He answered before he could think about it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah. It’s funny, just hearing you pick up is… I feel better.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis scrubbed his face with his hands, pulling himself up to sit on his bed. “Yeah. Me too.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Saw the ghost of Elvis&lt;br /&gt;On Union Avenue&lt;br /&gt;Followed him up to the gates of Graceland&lt;br /&gt;Then I watched him walk right through&lt;br /&gt;Now security they did not see him&lt;br /&gt;They just hovered 'round his tomb&lt;br /&gt;But there's a pretty little thing&lt;br /&gt;Waiting for the King&lt;br /&gt;Down in the Jungle Room&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You know when I told you I was fine? Well, I was being gung-ho. I just had this really… fucked-up nightmare about us being back in that plant and I was wondering… okay, there is no way to say this without coming across like a complete wuss, so would you like to keep me company? We can watch King Kong. I’ll share my popcorn, you can geek out about the spider pit… hell, I can geek out about the spider pit.” She paused, her voice cracking a little. “I just don’t want to have nothing to think about but Arkin and Kelvin and all the others. I want something good.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He knew what he should’ve said. I don’t quite know what these things are. But someone has to stop them. And you deserve someone with clean hands, not with blood. Instead, he said “I can’t. I have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow, farm stuff.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He couldn’t have a life with her, not without trusting her with this, and she’d never understand. She would think he was a freak. A monster.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then I'm walking in Memphis&lt;br /&gt;Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale&lt;br /&gt;Walking in Memphis&lt;br /&gt;But do I really feel the way I feel?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, okay. Cool,” Chloe said, though it obviously wasn’t. “I’ll just grab a stuffed animal or something. Mind if I call him Davis?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis almost smiled. God. He didn’t deserve her anyway. “I’d be honored.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They've got catfish on the table&lt;br /&gt;They've got gospel in the air&lt;br /&gt;And Reverend Green be glad to see you&lt;br /&gt;When you haven't got a prayer&lt;br /&gt;Boy, you've got a prayer in Memphis&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He had to protect Chloe. Even from himself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is that Walking in Memphis on the radio?” she asked, desperately trying to shift the subject.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah. Yeah it is.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I love that song.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I did too.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now Muriel plays piano&lt;br /&gt;Every Friday at the Hollywood&lt;br /&gt;And they brought me down to see her&lt;br /&gt;And they asked me if I would --&lt;br /&gt;Do a little number&lt;br /&gt;And I sang with all my might&lt;br /&gt;She said --&lt;br /&gt;"Tell me are you a Christian, child?"&lt;br /&gt;And I said "Ma'am I am tonight."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex moved the photograph at the edge of his finger, lazily dancing it around his desk. 24-hour surveillance. 24 hours of Davis Kent being a farmboy without a care in the world. He knew his suspicions alone warranted 33.1’s involvement. All it would take was a phone call. But he liked having something he could keep from the rest of his family. Whatever Davis was, he wasn’t some freak who got a power and started killing people. He was something special. A hero, maybe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whatcha got there, Lex?” Clark asked, sauntering in like he owned the place. What made it even more annoying was that he somewhat did.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Just a pet project.” Lex shuffled the photos away before Clark reached his desk. “And what brings you here today? Come to rub my head for luck?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who needs luck? I have obscenely high cheekbones and a date with Lois Lane.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The same one from last month? I’d have thought she’d reached her expiration date by now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She’s much more special than you realize.” Clark hopped up on Lex’s desk. “She has a lot of… moxie.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And now I know who to take with me if I ever time-travel to the 1940s.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lex, I really like this girl.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex didn’t need to look to know that Clark’s eyes had gone from sharp to puppy dog. He had fallen for that too many times to get burned again. “So I take it you won’t be attending the museum exhibit?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And now Clark’s face would be scrunching. “Museum?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The big building with lots of old stuff that I’ve been talking about for the last week. You’re my plus-one. But I guess your latest fling comes first.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I told you, she’s not like that.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Wake up, Clark. They’re all like that. Because you’re rich. Because you have power. It’s Being A Luthor 101.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She’s not another Victoria.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex looked up from his desk for the first time, eyes cutting into Clark, and the younger Luthor knew he’d pushed his brother too far. “Lex, I’m sorry, I just wanted you to be…” he trailed off into mumbling. “Happy for me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex stood up and fixed Clark’s collar. “Enjoy your date.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis’s cell phone played the theme to that old Battleship Galaxy show, which really wasn’t as funny as Chloe had thought it was, but he kept it as a ringtone anyway. He dumped a bucket of cool water over his back and answered it as his own blood slid off him. “Hello?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis Kent?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis shifted the phone to his other ear and reached for his overshirt. He suddenly felt exposed. “Mr. Luthor.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Please, call me Lex. Mr. Luthor is my father. And occasionally my brother.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The shock of being dialed by a billionaire left Davis without a filter for his stupid questions. “How’d you get my phone number?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I own the phone company,” Lex answered matter-of-factly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Ah. Okay, uh, Lex, what can I do for you?” Davis asked as he strolled around his loft, away from the blood spreading on the floor.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How do you feel about history?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I hear those who don’t learn from it are doomed to repeat it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And you don’t want to be doomed, do you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two hours later, Davis was in Metropolis, dressed in his Sunday best, staring at the icon of Alexander the Great with Lex Luthor. “How’d you like to ride into battle against someone wearing that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex grinned. “I’d prefer to slip something into his drink before he had a chance to put it on.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“C’mon. You wouldn’t want to square off with your enemy mano-e-mano and see who’s better?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“’Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.’”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sun Tzu.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not bad for a farmboy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, it really comes in handy when I’m milking cows.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As much as Davis disliked the old city mouse/country mouse thing, he had to admit he was breathing rarified air. Even in the car ride over, he’d been impressed with the sheer number and sophistication of the cars they shared the road with. Even the smallest building could tower over Smallville’s water tower. He wished Chloe was there to see it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the museum, his father’s hand-me-downs looked particularly shabby. He tried to hold his arms so people wouldn’t notice the elbows in his jacket wearing thin. Lex, wearing a tailored suit like a second skin, led him from exhibit to exhibit seemingly at random, though always with an eye for Alexander or similar world-conquerors. He seemed more knowledgeable than the tour guide. The most Davis could say of her was that she was a natural blonde. Probably.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I wonder what it was like,” Davis said, staring at a portrait of Alexander. “He gave orders to go to war, knowing thousands would die. How did he live with that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sure he had his reasons. Maybe he was touched by divine madness.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re saying it was his destiny?” Davis shook his head. “No. Too easy. At some point, he had to have made a choice.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Did he? Knowing how he was raised and the world he was born into, maybe he never even got a chance to say ‘this is what I want’.” Lex rubbed his lips with his thumb. “Still, he literally ruled the world. Who would say no to that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey, deviled eggs.” Davis snatched one from a passing waiter. “So you think it was all the march of history, social movements, and Alexander was just in the right place at the right time?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think one man can make a difference… so long as he has the right opportunity.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So we’re back to destiny.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m a Luthor. I make my own destiny. How about you, Kent?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis played with his tie a little. “My dad didn’t want me to come here.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex’s left eyebrow piqued. “So why did you come? After all, your father might be right about me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis panicked. “He didn’t say… he’s not… I don’t know.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes you do. You want to know if your world is all there is. Your father doesn’t want you to know there’s more.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Maybe I just wanted a kickass article for the school paper. ‘I spent the night with Lex Luthor’.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex’s right eyebrow joined his left. “You might want to rethink your title.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, usually Chloe takes care of that. She’s my editor.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And do all your editors make your lips-“ Lex demonstratingly flicked a finger near his mouth-“pull up at the corners?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis took a deep breath. Something about hearing Lex talk about Chloe made his protective streak surge.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Kent, don’t listen to that man, he’s a shameless degenerate.” Clark Luthor ambled up to them with a truly epic straight face. “I should know, I taught him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis glanced over to Clark, who looked suitably awe-inspiring in a white tuxedo. Chloe’s cousin was tipsily hanging off his arm, overflowing from her low-cut dress with each deep breath. Davis felt a pang of hormones for her, but dismissed it as a false positive, like sunlight reflecting off the moon. The family resemblance was subtle, but there.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clark.” Lex was too surprised to riposte. “What are you doing here?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Do you really think I’d miss an exhibit on my homeboy…” his eyes darted away “-Alexander the Great?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But you weren’t invited.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We crashed!” Lois said in a drunken whisper, which wasn’t a whisper at all. “Oh, hi Davey. What’re you doing here?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Answering to Davis.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I did that once. It got really confusing.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark introduced himself, offering his hand for a shake. Davis returned the favor. Unlike the understated firmness of Lex’s handshake, Clark went straight for the alpha male position. Soft hands, no calluses, never worked a day in his life… yeah right. Davis squeezed right back, deciding then and there that they weren’t going to be the best of friends.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey, Clark, you wanna hold hands, I’m right here,” Lois said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark pulled his hand out of Davis’s. “You saved my brother’s life. I suppose I owe you a thank you.” Clark belabored putting his hands in his pockets.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sure Lex would’ve done the same for me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No. Probably not.” Clark winked at Lex.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So, the famous Clark Luthor,” Davis said, voice deliberately light. He kept watching Clark’s eyes, looking for the telltale flicker of imminent violence. “I thought you’d be older. I wouldn’t be surprised to find you in line at the cafeteria.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark gave Lex another ‘where did you find this guy?’ look. “I was home-schooled.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh. My mom thought about home-schooling me. She didn’t.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois made another valiant attempt to break the tension. “So, this is how the infamous Lex Luthor spends his weekends.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I like to save the virgin sacrifices for weekdays. There’s less of a crowd.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark cocked his head. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to save a bum from a runaway bus.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois laughed out loud. “I have never heard it called that before.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The night wore on, the string quartet changed their sheet books, Lois had more to drink, and Davis obliged Lex when the bald man slipped him martinis. His head a little cottony, Davis found himself walking with Lex through the lonely astronomy wing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The amphitheatre was designed as a scale model of the solar system, with all the exhibits between orbits. The only light came from the miniature sun, which reflected off the planets and cast long shadows. Davis weaved between the various moon-booths. “So, Clark Luthor…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s adopted.” Lex undid his cufflinks and loosened his tie. “Very. In the plant, how’d you save me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know. Maybe you just made the right choice to lay off the fajitas.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And maybe there’s something you’re not telling me.” Lex twitched a smile. “Which is your right, of course. But if there is something more to you, be sure to watch your step out there. Heroes don’t always get the welcome they deserve.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked back at Lex from behind the sun, its light forming craggy shadows on his face. “I’m no hero.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Say, I really hate to interrupt you two lovebirds,” a thick Metro accent broke in, “but Lex, I need a word.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex turned to see Phelan, hiding behind his badge literally instead of the usual metaphor. It was clipped to his belt, revealed in the way he crassly leaned against the Earth model with his coat thrown back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Courtesy,” Lex drawled. “There’s a word you definitely need.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Get rid of the kid before I smell his breath and run you in for corrupting a minor.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s right, Davis,” Lex said. “You’d better leave Phelan and I to our business.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You gonna be okay?” Davis asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s a cop. What could be safer?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So that’s why Chloe and you should slap tha skin-wagons,” Lois concluded. “Thanks for holding my hair, by the… way.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Any time,” Davis said. “No, I don’t mean that. Let’s go wash up.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They went to the washroom’s sinks, where Lois successfully rinsed her mouth with water from Davis’s cupped hands.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Because you’re a nice guy and Chloe should lose it to a nice guy, not like Wes Keenan, that jerk… me,” here Lois put a hand to her chest and somehow managed to miss. “I’m into bad boys. You’re not a bad boy, are you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not when I can help it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Thas good. Because Chloe could use a good boy. Someone to keep her grounded, ya know? Someone ta take care of her. Now Clark, he takes good care a me. He’s my man of steel!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, thank God I now know that.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois shook her teeth in the faucet stream. “Did I vomit on anythin’ expensive?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, I got these shoes very cheap.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis found Lex again in the museum’s Native American exhibit. His eyes danced over the spears and tomahawks before he forced them to Lex, who was standing in front of what looked like a cave wall. His hands hung by his sides, an empty martini glass in one, as he looked down at a plaque.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“’Made possible by the generous donation of Lionel Luthor,’” Lex said in his slender, sarcastic voice. It lowered. “My brother found this behind a cave-in. He’s a man of many talents, Clark. Everything comes so easily to him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stood off to Lex’s side, also drawn to the strange language written on the excavated rock. It was almost familiar, something about the precise geometry of the lines. One particular cave drawing, a two-headed beast colored red and blue, called to him. He actually reached for it before Lex stopped him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They do frown on that here,” Lex said. “You like it? It’s Naman and Sageeth.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Naman?” Davis asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It means ‘Traveler’. Naman is the great figure of Kawatche prophecy. You know the story… the Chosen One, sent down from the heavens to protect the Earth.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes. Fell down in a rain of fire, so you can imagine how excited the Kawatche were about the meteor shower. As I recall, he has the strength of ten men, which he needs to hunt down the phantoms.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Phantoms?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Escapees from Kawatche hell. Supposedly, they can possess people, and Naman will ‘chase them out.’”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Demons.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If you’d prefer.” Lex chuckled. “I apologize, Clark was always fascinated with this stuff. Personally, I found Sageeth more interesting.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who’s he?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The red one. His name means ‘destroyer’. He and Naman used to be inseparable, but the prophecy says that one day Sageeth will turn against Naman and become the bearer of darkness. What I could never figure out is if Naman is so great, why would Sageeth oppose him? Then I started wondering when the people of Earth asked Naman to protect them. With all that power, he could be corrupted.” Lex looked at Davis. “You’d have to be pretty brave to stand against such a formidable enemy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not brave.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You never really know who you are until the fire rains down. In that instant, with that choice, you know what you’re made of.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What choice would that be?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whether you accept your destiny or run from it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And what did you choose?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex smiled. “I chose to stand and fight. My destiny may not be the greatest, but I’ll fight it every step of the way if I find it lacking. How about you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t really have a destiny.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Maybe not. But you never did answer my question.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stepped away from the cave excavation. The Kawatche exhibit seemed to press in on him, every wolf figurine baying at him, every arrow pointed at him. “What question would that be?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Your editor. Chloe Sullivan, right? Nice girl. She seems to think that the meteors are responsible for more damage than Luthorcorp pollution, which I always appreciate. But what do you appreciate?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She’s a good friend.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex circled him. “And how do you feel about your good friend?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I love her.” Saying that felt like torture devices were being taken off him. “It’s complicated.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Does she love you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He didn’t even have to think about it. “I hope so.” Admitting that brought the rush of gloom he’d expected, but also an unpredicted, unreasoning giddiness. He rubbed at his grin with the side of his fist.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then trust me, it’s simple. I’d be lucky if one woman out of the next hundred I meet was interested in me instead of my money. You’re young, honest, and you have a full head of hair. Just make it work. She could just be your destiny. And here ends my lesson on love. Next time, ask me about a coup d'état. It’s more my speed.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You shouldn’t-” Davis started, but it was already too late. His left hand was shaking. He balled it into a fist and walked off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I didn’t mean right now,” Lex called after him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s a school night,” Davis said, not turning back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“’Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize,’” Davis quoted from memory. 1 Corinthians 9:24.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He whipped the rod over his shoulder, feeling its claws dig into his back. He didn’t even want to cry out, the pain was that bland. It was good that he could control it, shutting down pain could buy him precious seconds when he went about his work, but it also made him feel more lost. Wasn’t he at least entitled to his suffering?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“’Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.’”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’d been weak. He’d stopped to consider a world where he wasn’t… this. A world where he and Chloe could… be. It wasn’t possible and he should stop letting himself be tempted. His work was so much more important-it just didn’t feel as important as a smile from her, a joke, a look. But how could he protect her if he was just a man, like he wanted to be with her?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“’Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.’”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He whipped himself again. His wounds didn’t even have a chance to bleed before they closed up. He was getting stronger, faster, smarter. It was perverse. Like his body was rewarding him for each kill. He tossed the rod aside. Fifty bucks on eBay and within days it had outlived its usefulness. He thought about cutting himself, but sudden nightmare logic wondered what might get out if he opened his skin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“’No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.’”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She wasn’t like other women. They were cold and hard, jaded. They knew what they were giving and what they were getting, all carefully weighted and factored in. There was no giving, no feelings. It was just another kind of business deal.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex seemed comfortable with that. Clark wasn’t. He had a tendency for ‘bringing home strays’, trying to make things work when everyone said they were doomed. It got him into trouble-jealous lovers, bad break-ups, paternity suits-the things that slid off Lex like melting ice, clung to Clark like tabloid remoras.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Still, with Lois perched on his lap in literally the finest lingerie money could buy, he couldn’t bring himself to regret his outlook on life. It was his one great weakness, but it was also the only weakness worth having.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois nuzzled his neck, rubbing against him like the world’s classiest lap dancer. “Admit it. This is better than another board meeting.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“My dad is going to kill me,” Clark laughed, leaning forward so Lois could untuck his shirt, fingers skipping over his waist.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Ah, I’m sure he’ll let you off with a light beating.” She guided his hands to her breasts, kissing his fingers before she let them touch her. “And I promise I’ll kiss it better.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois wasn’t like anyone else. Never any half-measures with her. No compromises. She arced against his touch as he curled his hands around her waist, pressing her to him like he’d never let her go. Reaching back, she dropped her bra, but surged back against him before he could catch more than a glimpse. With her lips against his, he could only imagine the sight of her flesh currently rubbing against him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If you don’t slow down, I’m gonna lose control,” Clark groaned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois tongued his ear before whispering into it “That’s the idea.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark felt a quickening heat in his groin, matched in his fingertips as if Lois were too hot to touch, and even in his eyes, making him blink away tears.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois pulled away long enough for him to wipe at his eyes. “I’ve had that. Sex so good you have to cry.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I haven’t.” No matter how much Clark rubbed, tears kept coming. They singed his hands.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not yet.” She sunk down, skin now only connecting with his in fleeting snatches, everything but her eyes cast invisible by shadows. He felt her tongue scathe, cat-like, over the lines of his abs and the contours of his ribs. His eyes burned like embers and he squeezed them shut, trying to quell it. Her tongue dipped into his belly button and lower as her fingers found his belt buckle. His eyes shot open. The bed he was looking at, still neatly made for the evening to progress to, burst into flame.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh my god!” Lois cried, jumping up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s never happened to me before!” Clark said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It has to me, but that’s Tijuana for you.” Lois emptied an extinguisher into the bed, putting it out. “Well, bed’s a wash.” She stomped her foot a few times. “Floor’s still good, though.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…” Clark crossed his legs, hopefully underlining his seriousness. She deserved to know his secret, and of all the woman he’d known, she seemed the most trustworthy. The most worthy, period.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But then, he had almost flambéed her just now. And as long as they’d been going out, some things ran deeper. It was time for a change, but not here, not yet. It wasn’t being a coward, it was just being prudent. Besides, it was shaping up to be a lovely evening.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You look beautiful in the firelight.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois smiled. As it turned out, the floor was very good. Before thoughts of anything but Lois were violently ejected from his head, Clark pondered who to ask for advice on telling Lois his secret. Making her a part of the family, so to speak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He wondered what Lex was up to.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A fist rammed into Davis’s abdomen, making the contents of his stomach roil violently. He also felt a rib splinter. It was nothing new, but usually he could see who was hitting him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After making the connection between Lex’s stalker and the ghost of Smallville High, Davis had traced the invisible man to Jeff Palmer’s doorstep. Now he was in Lex’s office, fighting to save Lex from the stalker’s overprotective, transparent, insane brother. Life was a rich tapestry.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A vase to his left stirred. Davis ducked as it launched himself at him. All this provocation with no target was driving the Red mad. If he didn’t suppress it, it would rip apart Lex just for being there. He recited Bible verses to himself, trying to distance himself from the rage. “Ye, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s comforting,” Lex grumbled. His face jerked to the side, red blooming on his cheek.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re going to defend him?” Palmer’s disembodied voice echoed. “This son of a bitch didn’t think my sister was good enough for him! He preferred to spend his time with whores and sluts!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t refer to me in the past tense,” Lex said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis backed off, keeping his arms up to ward off attack. “Jeff, you’re not going to like how this ends. Turn visible. We can work something out.” He backed into Lex’s desk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”It’s too late for that! He ruined everything!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis’s eyes darted around, searching for a clue to Palmer’s location. Lex doubled over with sudden violence; another blow.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Once you’re gone, my sister can finally be at peace!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis reached backward until his hand settled around a letter opener. “Jeff, your sister sucks cocks.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“My sister is a-”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis flung the letter opener. It spun end over end, stopping at the source of Palmer’s voice. There it stopped in mid-air, the blade turning red with blood. Davis smelled eyeball ichor. The letter opener dropped with Palmer’s invisible body.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Only child,” Davis finished under his breath.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Fake-nursing his healed wounds, he went to untie Lex.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nice shot,” Luthor said, wide-eyed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I pretended I was playing strip darts with Chloe.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Freed, Lex rubbed his wrists. “Davis, I think he’s dead.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis turned around. Blood was spreading from nowhere, outlining a motionless form spread-eagled on the floor. “Oh. Oh God. He’s dead.” Davis whirled back to Lex. “I didn’t want him dead, I swear! I didn’t mean it!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s alright.” Lex stood and walked to his liquor cabinet. He poured a glass of brandy, knocked it back, then poured another for Davis. “Drink up.” Davis was motionless. Lex pulled him back before the spreading blood reached his shoes. “It’s for your nerves, Davis, drink it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis reluctantly did. “What happens now?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re my friend. I’m not going to let your life be ruined because of me. Our pal here is going to stay disappeared, I have people who will make sure of that. And you are going to forget this ever happened.” Lex straightened up Davis’s clothes. “You saved my life. You didn’t do anything wrong.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re right, you’re right.” Davis poured himself another drink. “Thank you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex smiled. “You’re a good friend, Davis. I have to go make some phone calls. Help yourself to whatever you like.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis toasted him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It wasn’t until Lex left the room that Palmer became visible. From the steady motion of his chest it was obvious he was alive. After pouring another glass, Davis walked up to him. He downed the drink and, in the rush of the burn, stomped on Palmer’s throat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jeff’s windpipe shattered, ensuring he’d never wake up. Davis went for another drink, no longer wondering what he’d become.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s avoiding me,” Chloe said from the cold comfort of the passenger seat of Lois’s Oldsmobile. Ever since Davis had gotten that truck from Lex, he hadn’t ridden the bus with her anymore, fuel economy be damned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s not avoiding you,” Lois said. “You’re overreacting because you’re a teenager.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He quit the school paper. I am the school paper!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes, he’s palling around with Lex Luthor when he could be writing about cows with two heads. Clearly he’s developed a deep personal animosity for you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We don’t study together anymore. He doesn’t answer my phone calls. We don’t even sit together. It’s like he’s cutting me out of his life and I don’t even know wuh-why.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Are you gonna cry? Because if you need to cry, I can pull this car over and fake a very convincing doctor’s note to get you out of school,” Lois said, bluntly compassionate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe wiped at her eyes. “I’ll be fine. I just don’t wanna lose him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Honey, you don’t have him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe thumped her head against the window. “I know. But sometimes, it’s like he’s with me but then he’s stolen away. Like there’s something between us I can’t get past. He wants to be with me, I can feel it, he just… can’t.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s gay?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No way, he and I…” Chloe ran a hand through her hair. “He’s not gay.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I believe you,” Lois deadpanned. “But he’s definitely interested?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He keeps looking at me. He always gets flustered when I catch him. It’s kind of cute.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, maybe he’s the kind of guy who likes the woman to take the first step and this is all some passive-aggressive attempt to get into your pants. So just walk up to him and tell Davis you want him. To go on a date. It’s feminist and it sets a good precedent of you telling him what to do.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No way! My head would explode on the first syllable. I’m not… you!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You could be,” Lois said with a grin. “One growth spurt and you’d have the Lane Cannons.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I prefer people looking at my face,” Chloe replied. No matter what, her cousin always seemed to be able to ferret a smile out of her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, you really want to press delete on the drama, do what I did to Bruce Wayne. Tell him how you feel, only don’t tell him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You lost me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Write him a letter! You don’t have to send it, just get all your hormones on the page so you can approach him as an adult. A really small adult, but still an adult.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Wow, Lois, that scheme is neither harebrained nor half-baked.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know. To tell the truth, I’m a little surprised myself.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You got sloppy, kid,” Phelan said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And to think, Davis had been relieved.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After all, if the police knew what he was doing, surely they also knew why. Maybe God could finally stop testing him. The burden could finally pass to someone else. Of course, it was a lie. Every miracle came with a price, every genesis had an exodus. And if you weren’t of the chosen people, you were only destined to burn.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis sat in an empty classroom, Phelan leaning against a nearby desk. He felt the Red stirring inside him, like his mother’s fears had come true and he’d swallowed razor blades in a candy apple. He greeted it with a resigned detachment. Not yet. Be patient. You know I won’t fight you when the time comes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He tried to think of Chloe, which always drove the Red back, but realized he couldn’t quite remember all of her. What color were her eyes? What color did she paint her nails? What did her laugh sound like?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Phelan read Davis’s distress as his evil genius act working. “That body Lex had me dump, for instance. You put a boot print on his neck that fits your shoe size exactly. Not too smart.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not a lot of people with feet as big as mine?” Davis mouthed off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then you killed Bob Rickman. Big mistake. You angry your father was selling the farm, so you made sure Bob bought the farm?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Bob was a demon. He had the power to cloud men’s minds. He used it to cheat countless people as well as commit murder.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“A demon.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Mm-hm. Just like Jeff Palmer. You’re a detective. When you buried him, didn’t you detect he was translucent?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I just assumed he was one of your pal Luthor’s experiments. Wouldn’t be the first.” Phelan strolled up to the chalkboard. “But as long as you’re doing the Lord’s work, maybe you can exorcise one of my demons.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Try Al-Anon.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Funny. I like that in my murderers. Ah.” He picked up an apple from the teacher’s desk. “We’re on the same side, Dave-o. Fighting the forces of darkness. I just need your help. There’s this IA rat who doesn’t understand that the ends justify the means. You don’t have to kill him-I could do that myself. Just scare him a little. Cut off a few fingers. Quote some Bible verses.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not the villain in a fucking Ashley Judd movie,” Davis growled.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Phelan slapped his cuffs down on Davis’s desk. “You wanna watch your mom’s face while a jury finds you guilty?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Principal Kwan knocked on the door. “Detective Phelan, are you done?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked up from the cuffs to Phelan’s face. “No, I don’t.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good. Keep that in mind.” Phelan walked to the door. “Don’t do drugs.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark watched Lex line up his shot, the pool cue drifting between his manicured fingers. Lex took a deep breath and stopped, his cue absolutely still.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Rob any banks lately?” Clark teased.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex scratched. Reached for a brandy sniffer. “Every time something goes wrong in Smallville they blame me. When forty cakes went missing from that bakery, they…” His phone rang. Lex answered it. As soon as he heard who it was, he gave Clark a lopsided smile. “Hello Davis.” He walked out onto the balcony. “The cable company finally set the plasma TV up. Would you like to come over and see if there’s anything good on?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis sounded like he’d been out in the cold so long the warmth had frozen out of his voice. “Phelan. You know him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is he troubling you? I can handle him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t bother. Just tell me about him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s one of any number of disposable napkins my father keeps around to clean up messes. He’s a thug, but he has his uses.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not a good guy, is he?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No. He’s not.” Lex would’ve explained how sometimes a bad guy could be the right man for a job, but he suspected Davis already knew.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The line went dead.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You fail, Jedi.” Davis brandished his lightsaber at Chloe. “You’ll be brought to justice like the rest of Lord Vader’s enemies.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Cut!” Chloe cried, and Pete lowered the camera. The video shook accordingly. “Why are you holding your lightsaber backwards?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know, it just feels right.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And justice? Sith hate justice!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They formed the Empire. From their perspective, they’re keeping the peace by fighting the Rebels. And the Jedi were jerks, let’s face it. They kidnapped kids and indoctrinated them into their celibacy cult. And why is Yoda so hung up on little kids anyway?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Save it for the Jedi, Davey.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis. It’s not that hard.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe paused the video. Davis had been so adamant about abandoning his childhood nickname once he’d entered high school. He’d pinched his lips up tight whenever someone called him Davey, before explaining the name on his birth certificate was Davis as if calling him anything else was a dire insult. He’d lightened up after Chloe had hacked the school’s computer to say he was David Kent. Of course, Chloe had regretted it once she figured out why.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After the Kents had told him he was adopted, it turned out his name was one of the few things he’d inherited from them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe took another look at Davis’s chiseled face, sighed, and dug out her notebook. Later… maybe… much later… she’d do it on some of that Sherlock Holmes paper, in ink, maybe even in cursive. For now, she’d settle for just getting it down with graphite.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hi, Davis,” she said, pencil automatically scrawling behind her words. “It’s Chloe… obviously. I don’t really know how to begin here, so I guess I’ll just start from the start… I’m crazy about you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stood on the sidewalk outside the church, wondering if this was what a vampire felt like. He didn’t dare take a step toward it for fear he’d be repelled, sniffed out. It was even overcast, as if the light wouldn’t touch him. God knew what he’d been thinking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A car pulled up behind him. Davis could smell Phelan’s splashed-on cologne from miles away, but he waited until the horn honked before he turned. It was a nice car, convertible. Corruption paid well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Phelan. Just the man I was looking for.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You thought about my offer, kid?” Phelan lowered his Ray-Bans with slender fingers. “A few hours’ work, and no more summer jobs pushing popcorn. Once you’re under my wing, you’re set for life.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re right, Phelan. This may be a golden opportunity for me.” Davis got into the car.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know when it started, really. Maybe it was all set in motion before either of us was even born. But there’s something inside me, this force, this… need. I need to look at you. I need to take care of you. I need to talk to you and be with you. God, I feel so stupid saying this, but you’re my best friend and I’m so… glad for that. I just wish you could be more. Then things would be perfect.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis felt the roar of the engine, tactile under where the soles of his shoes met the floor, and felt the wind snatch at his hair. He savored it. Phelan was saying something about the injustice of the universe, how he did more good than harm, while he only took what he was owed. Davis wasn’t listening. He felt like he had heard it all before, all cover songs on the same old music.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The bridge was up ahead.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s like there’s this thing growing inside me, this presence that’s taking over my life. And… it’s you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis reached over and put his foot down over Phelan’s on the gas. Now he noticed what Phelan was saying, the rapidly dawning realization, the panic. He’d still heard it all before. No one ever believed they were about to die.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Phelan beat at him, but at this point, Davis couldn’t even feel it. He took hold of the steering wheel and pulled it to the side. The car hit the railing and ripped clean through.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I love you, Davis.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The car hit the water. Davis savored it. The water rose up and swallowed him down and he stayed under, letting it pull him down further and further. He kept one hand on Phelan’s seatbelt, stopping him from disengaging it, but aside from that he just watched the sky through the churning water. It took a long time for the waves from a car crash to settle. He didn’t pay any attention to Phelan’s death.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And I know even as I’m saying this, even as I write it down… that I can’t tell you. I don’t know what you’re dealing with, but I don’t think you can handle this right now. So I’ll wait. I’ll be your best friend. I’ll be whatever you need me to be. Because one day you’ll be what I need. I just have to be patient.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eventually Davis decided to come to the surface. It wasn’t any pressing need for air, or the fact that air bubbles had stopped trickling out of Phelan’s throat. He just didn’t want to be down there anymore. He let go of Phelan’s seatbelt, which had crushed in his hand, and unbuckled his own. Then he swam a ways downstream, letting the current carrying him for the most part, before finally coming to the surface.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then he screamed and screamed and screamed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was another leftover night, the kind Martha didn’t like to admit existed. The Kents reheated whatever they could find and ate in front of the TV. Davis just ate baked beans cold from the Tupperware container. They said drowning was a peaceful way to go, and Phelan had died the same as any demon. But he hadn’t been. He’d been a man, flawed and fallible, but Davis had judged him, found him wanting. Vengeance is mine, thus saith the Lord… but I helped.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Cop killer. The words slashed into Davis’s thoughts, bounced around his skull like a sniper’s bullet. He was past the point of no return, on the dark side of the moon. No one could hear him now. Judge not, lest ye be judged. That was in the Bible too.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was all over the news. The reporter said it was probably an accident, but Davis could read between the lines. The sheriff would find the busted seatbelt. They would suspect foul play. His fingerprints were on the car, but the river must’ve wiped them off. But what if someone had seen him get in the car? It’d been the middle of the day. Just one person looking out their window and they’d know. Chloe would know. And she’d look at him like a monster.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“A dead cop in Smallville,” Martha exclaimed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Anyone remember when this was a nice, quiet town?” Jonathan asked. “Before the Luthors moved in?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis said nothing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;History class was another boring sermon on the American Revolution. Davis doubted it’d been as noble as the teacher made it out to be. Nothing was. He spent the class practicing not looking at Chloe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The bell rang and he was the first out of his seat, not in any hurry, just with long strides that carried him toward the door and away from Chloe. She caught up to him. “Hey, you heard about the cop killing? Crazy, huh?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Crazy,” he confirmed. “I gotta go. Big project due.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What’s it on? Maybe I can help.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m fine, thanks.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then maybe we can get together sometime, grab a burger. Milkshakes on me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis shouldered past a slow student. “Really busy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe grabbed his backpack, jerking him to a grudging stop. “Are you seeing someone?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What would that have to do with anything?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I asked first.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, alright?” He hoisted his backpack, which she let go of. “I just… don’t have time.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“For me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“For anything. That includes you.” He disappeared into the crowd, washed away as they slipped into class.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe stood in the middle of the hallway, not knowing what to do. She held it together. At least, she didn’t not hold it together.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois put an arm around her shoulders and led her cousin into the guidance councilor’s office, where she worked for some walking-around money.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not crying,” Chloe insisted, sniffling. “I have fucking allergies.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Runs in the family,” Lois assured her. She handed Chloe a tissue. “He is so not good enough for you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe didn’t argue the point. She wiped her nose and threw the tissue away, then began massaging her temples. “I wrote him that letter.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Did it help?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sure!” Chloe burst into laughter. “Now instead of thinking I’m in love with him, I know it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois frowned. “Can I see it?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe morosely dug through her backpack, bringing out a much-folded piece of notebook paper. Lois read it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s very… honest.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m pathetic.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re not pathetic. You’re the least pathetic person I know. You’re just all messed up on hormones at the moment. Date him, don’t date him, in ten years you’ll be laughing your ass off each time he cameos in your diary.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What if he’s on drugs, though? Or in a gang?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe, it’s Smallville. What’s he gonna do, spray-paint the cows before he tips them?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I should talk to Mrs. Kent. She must know what’s going on.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“For now, get to class. I get bonuses based on attendance records.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe nodded and zipped up her backpack. “He’s hurting, Lois. I can tell.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And you’re not?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe set down her backpack. “I think he might’ve had something to do with Harry Volk’s death.” She laid it all out as Lois sat down on the desk, arms slowly crossing, then tightening around her chest.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Have you gone to the police?” Lois asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No! I can’t. It’d ruin his life. Volk was a murderer, and if Davis killed him while trying to protect some innocent man from that monster… who gives a shit?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Point taken,” Lois said, standing up, pacing in the close confines of the office.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Someone knocked on the door. “Miss Lane?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Beat it!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric Summers poked his head in anyway. “Miss Lane, I really need to go home, I can’t go on a field trip with my dad…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I said beat it. What, don’t you need to know English to go to high school? Go see the school nurse.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She says I should tough it out.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, she’s the one with a medical license! Shoo!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric closed the door. Lois locked it. In the interval, Chloe had started crying again. Lois gave her some more tissues.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can’t imagine what it must be doing to him, suffering through this all alone. He’s such a good guy, I can’t imagine what taking a life would do to him… no, no I can. It would destroy him, Lois.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hold on, you don’t even know that he’s done anything. What if he just got there and he saw who did it? What if he got there and he saw the body? I mean, c’mon, it’s Davis Bloom. He was literally a choir boy, remember? The guy wouldn’t hurt a fly.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then what’s wrong with him?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s a teenage boy! You think he needs an excuse to be moody? You’ve just spent too much time with that wall of whack, it’s got you seeing axe murderers and conspiracy theories everywhere. Just relax… no, you should lie down. Lie down and I’ll get you a Coke. Wait, you like Sprite, don’t you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m fine.” Chloe glanced at the wall-clock. “I need to get to class, I’m already late…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re sure you’re going to be okay?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s not me you should be worried about,” Chloe said, all out of tears, and then she was out the door.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois picked up Chloe’s letter from her desk. She really hated teen angst.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis closed his locker to find Lois was leaning against the wall, previously concealed by the door. He wondered if she was a drama queen or if his life just seemed more melodramatic these days. “Can I help you, Miss Lane?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois shoved a piece of paper against his chest. “Read it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not really in a literary mood.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s from Chloe,” Lois said, her voice dripping with scorn.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis took the letter and started to read.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I get what she sees in you, even if you seem to be doing your best to hide it. I guess being a good guy isn’t as cool as it used to be. But what’s the appeal in hurting Chloe? She is awesome and I know you’re smart enough to see it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis closed up the letter with numb hands, slumping against the lockers as if wrung dry. “I’d never hurt her. I’m trying to protect her!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“From what?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He handed the letter back to her. “Something dark.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Geology fieldtrip. Davis sat alone in back of the bus, feeling nausea come and go. It’d been a while since he’d had a kill and that left a stirring that traveled through his body, like a hunger or a thirst. Like a lust.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe sat near the front. She didn’t look back at him. He watched her golden hair ripple with each bump in the road. It took his mind off his appetites.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The bus came to a stop, ending the assault of rowdiness on his ears. Everything grated on his nerves like rusty nails. Except Chloe. He followed her off the bus, not daring to get too close.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was still overcast, the storm that’d been gathering the last few days now was black as it was going to get. Davis could feel the charge of ozone in the air, the moisture begging to become rain. He saw Eric Summers awkwardly flirting with Holly and Holly’s boyfriend taking offense, testosterone as thick as humidity. He walked through it and wasn’t touched. He was cut off from their world. No direction home.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis sought out the minerals on his checklist and tried not to think of blood.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”We should talk,” Chloe said, sitting down on the boulder next to him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Probably. I seem to be getting out of practice.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois told me she gave you my letter. And after I finished ax-murdering her-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t joke about that!” Davis said, quietly, but so vehement that Chloe actually flinched back as if struck. “It’s not funny.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Did you find out something about your birth parents?” Chloe ventured. “Something bad?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis laughed harshly, again with the dark forcefulness that made Chloe feel as bruised and raw as he must be. “I guess you could say that.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So what is-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis cut her off. “I know you’re waiting for me. You think someday I’m going to look at you and realize how amazing you are. And I do.” He reached for her, but his arm couldn’t extend all the way. It hovered between them, the fingers compulsively closing in agitation. “How could I not? I’d have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to see how special you are. But it can never happen. I am not worth waiting for.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, whatever’s going on with you…” she reached for his outstretched hand. “Let me help.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He jerked his arm back. “You can’t help me, Chlo. Nobody can. Goodbye.” He forced himself not to look back as he walked away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis took his seat, once more at the back of the bus. He braced his head against the window. His reflection stared at him. He could drive his head through the glass and it wouldn’t leave a scratch.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whitney Fordman sat down beside him. “Hey, Davis, can we talk?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You can. I’ll listen. Maybe.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I deserve that. I deserve a lot that hasn’t caught up with me just yet, so I’ve been kinda doing the rounds, catching up with everyone I’ve been a douchebag to.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“When’d you start, last August?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Last week, actually. When my dad went to the hospital.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis almost asked if he was okay, but he reminded himself he didn’t care at the last minute.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s been having heart troubles for a while. That’s what I was angry about, not you and Lana and the shoes. You didn’t deserve that, and I’m sorry.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Apology accepted,” Davis answered with a little hesitation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Thanks. You know, you’re the first person who’s really meant that? I can tell. How weird, huh? You’re the golden boy. What would you know about needing forgiveness?” Whitney looked down. “I never really believed that church stuff, you know. No offense, but it seemed like a load. But, if my dad doesn’t pull through… I’d kinda like to know what happens to him. If you’ve got time to talk.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Has anyone seen Eric?” Mr. Summers bellowed from the front of the bus. Davis had had him all semester and he had never called Eric ‘my son’ or ‘my boy’ or anything like that. Davis had used to think that was weird.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll find him,” Davis said. Anything to keep Chloe from taking her place as another regret, or from having to give Whitney an answer he didn’t know anymore.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He found Eric on top of the dam. Balanced on the railing like a scarecrow on a post, arms outstretched to meet the flaring storm clouds, the Von Bondies’ ‘Not That Social’ bleeding out of his earphones. Davis looked over the railing. Long way to fall. He climbed up beside Eric, waited to be noticed, just like him. It was peaceful on top of the world.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What are you doing up here?” Davis asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Same thing you are.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I came here to find you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric just laughed. “This is living!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked down. “It could become dying real quick.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Ya know, I got a skateboard for Christmas last year. My dad made me give it back. Said it was too dangerous.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Eric, you. Are going. To die.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re right. You’re right.” Eric shook his head, suddenly contending with vertigo. “Help me down?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sure thing.” Davis heedlessly hopped back onto solid ground. “You can’t let the bastards grind you down. I think that’s the crux of it. You just have to keep catching the curveballs.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then the finger of God touched him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The entire world was light and a transcendent pain, the kind that blissfully distracted you from some other, more continuous hurt. He felt a sudden absence, like he couldn’t catch his breath, then on an entirely different level felt the concrete scraping his arms and back. He’d been laid out. His hip hurt where he’d landed on his rosary, the beads biting into his flesh.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Still mentally feeling out his sense of missing, he looked around. One of his shoes was lying on its side, the tongue smoldering. The prayer beads rolled around the ground like little dice. His limbs twinged when he sat up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The railing they’d been standing on was red-hot. A pale hand clung to it, sizzling like bacon on a frying pan. The pathetic image swam out of focus. When Davis’s vision cleared, the hand was gone. I couldn’t save him. Of course not.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis got up, sorting it out. The sound of thunder helped. They’d been struck by lightning. Davis had landed on the dam. Eric had fallen off it. I really don’t have anything to offer but death. He put his shoe back on and made his way down the dam. No particular hurry. He’d killed enough people to know what the human body could survive.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But as he descended, he heard a voice shouting for help. Davis broke into a run. He came to the dam’s run-off to find Eric washed up on shore, at the head of a cloud of blood. Bone jutted out of his leg, a compound fracture. Davis thought of putting him out of his misery, but just as quickly shouted the idea down. To his surprise, it didn’t linger, disappearing into the ether as if in shame.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t try to move,” Davis said, and the words, the compassion, came easily. “I’ll get help.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, wait… something’s wrong… why doesn’t it hurt…? Am I dying?” But while Eric was spilling out his hyperventilating inner monologue, his fracture was being sucked back inside his leg, the skin covering it up like lips smacking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re not dying,” Davis said, breathless. “I think…” He took out the boot knife he’d been carrying for what seemed like an eternity, flicked the knife out, ran it along his arm for two inches. The cut didn’t heal. The blood flowed freely. “I’m free.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He helped Eric walk back to the bus, although Eric didn’t need the help. Davis was practically dragging him along anyway. “We have to keep this secret. Just between us, okay? We’ll talk later, but for now…” Davis was almost too overwhelmed to speak. He realized he’d broken into a wide grin. He felt the line of his jaw, just to make sure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Our little secret,” Eric agreed. “You don’t tell my dad, I won’t tell… anyone.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good deal, good deal. We’ll tell them you fell in the river, your pants snagged on a rock. Got that?” Eric nodded. “Repeat it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I fell in the river and my pants got cut on a rock,” Eric repeated proudly, flush with the excitement of their shared secret. Davis suspected it was the first time he’d been in someone’s confidence.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good man.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They got back on the bus. Davis did most of the talking, while Eric just playacted contrite embarrassment. He was pretty good at it. Mr. Summers accepted their explanation with a blistering “We’ll talk later” directed at his son. Davis collapsed into his seat, head back, eyes closed, not realizing he’d taken his customary seat by Chloe. He concentrated on the slowing trickle from the cut on his arm. The dull, windy ache was perfect.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You look pleased with yourself,” Chloe said acidly twenty minutes into the trip, when it was obvious he wasn’t going to move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis opened his eyes. The blood on his arm was a dry brown that cracked with every flex. He chuckled softly to himself. And just that morning, he’d been burning bridges with Chloe. It seemed like some half-forgotten nightmare. “Chloe, I…” he stopped.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Words were too thick, too great a reminder. He blinked and simply wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. He’d never be able to say what a relief it was when she completed the embrace, arms pulling him near to her, chin settling on his shoulder, hands patting his back. The nightmare was over. He was home.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric molded his hands into fists. They’d always felt impotent before, his fingers fitting together loosely, his palms feeling nothing but clammy. But now his fists felt like weapons. Lightning had struck him and he’d survived. He felt stronger, dangerous, like everyone had better keep their distance. All his life people had been putting him down, telling him who to be, what to think.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Well, no one was ever telling him what to do again.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe gave Davis one last pat to the small of the back before gently pushing him off her. He was fidgeting like mad, his lips twitching toward a disbelieving smile, looking like he was trying to keep from bursting into song. He kept his hands on his knees, fingers dancing against his jeans. Chloe had only seen him get this excited a few times. Never about her, of course.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What’s going on? Seriously, what’s going on? You owe me an explanation. First you say you can’t even be my friend, now you want to take me to the prom? Your mood swings are enough to give a girl whiplash. What the hell’s changed?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Everything.” Davis babbled like a little kid with a sugar rush. “I know you deserve the truth, and I know I’m sending some major mixed messages here, but that’s my fault. I’ve been… distracted lately. I’d love to tell you about it, I really would, I want to, it’s just that I can’t talk about it right now. I honestly can’t.“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Why not?” Chloe demanded.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis coughed, forced himself to slow down. Some secret sadness tugged at his expression, pinching his lips together. He scrubbed it from his face. “It’s complicated. But I swear to you, I’ll tell you everything, and soon. But right now… not right now… it’s over, it’s done with, that’s all that matters. You’re the best friend anyone could ever ask for.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Outside, it had finally begun to rain, casting the cloudy day fully into a hazy twilight. Headlights scythed through it, passing the bus to flash on its passengers. Davis was a point of Zen calm, nirvana, and despite it all, Chloe was happy to see her friend at peace.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The bus rumbled to a stop and the students made a run back into the school. Chloe hugged her messenger bag under her like a baby in a war zone. When she looked back, she saw Davis getting off the bus in measured steps. The rain plastered his hair to his forehead and trickled down his face and he just stood there, letting it wash over him. Euphoric.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark came into Lex’s office quite unlike himself. He wore jeans and a red jacket over a blue T-shirt for one thing, pretty miserable even by lounging standards. He’d been dressing down for Lois too much. He was anxious as well. Clark paced a few times over to and away from Lex’s desk, to his older brother’s labored amusement, before finally slumping down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. The message his body language sent was horrid; he was virtually prostrating himself before Lex by Luthor standards. But Clark sat there with his eyes closed, calm finally settling into his body.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Lex, you’re my brother and I love you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What’s this about?” Lex asked, hands folded like he was greeting a slacking employee.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark grinned a little at his brother’s cynicism. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, something I should’ve shared with you a long time ago. And, I’m going to do it. I’m going to tell you. You deserve to know and you’re going to know.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So tell me,” Lex said, closing his laptop and he settling back into his chair. This promised to be interesting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark opened his mouth, thought better of it, looked off to the side. “Better if I show you.” He abandoned the chair for the sword rack by the window, picking up one of Lex’s katanas and unsheathing it. Lex buttoned down tightly on his protests, just crossing his arms like he had thought of something suitably nasty to do to Clark if his time was being wasted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark held up the katana, then reversed it so it pointed at himself. Lex’s eyes opened wide as he realized Clark’s intentions. He sprung out of his chair, mouth open to shout-a noise that never came, as Clark drove the sword into his chest with a crash of metal. Shards of the blade peppered the floor at his feet as Clark withdrew the hilt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex worked his mouth closed, his eyes still unable to keep from darting between Clark, the hilt, the broken sword. “Clark… that was an antique…” he managed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark set it down. “We have a lot to talk about.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Popcorn popped on the stovetop. It was Tuesday. Usually, Chloe would be watching Buffy. Usually, she’d be watching it with Davis. But she wasn’t really in the mood for moral ambiguity and existential angst that evening, so she’d let Lois talk her into watching Ugly Betty. Apparently, Lois lived on Ugly Betty. Chloe didn’t care, so long as it didn’t require a lot of thought or pessimism. She’d just finished repeating Davis’s behavior to Lois, who sat with her thumb on the mute button like Chloe had taken up beatboxing in the middle of a family reunion.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Weird, right? Maybe he was on drugs. And now he’s gone to a Scientology center and gotten his Thetans zapped so he thinks he’s cured, but really he’s just counting down to a relapse.” Chloe hurriedly took the popcorn off the stove. She hated when people let her rattle on like that. Davis probably would’ve stopped her with a little defusing quip.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois spoke: “So we’re entertaining the possibility he’s joined a cult now?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Why, what do you think happened?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Obviously, he uncovered the truth about his murdered birth parents, went on a quest to avenge their deaths, and now that it’s over he can settle down with you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe sat down beside her, popcorn salted and in a bowl. “Anyone ever tell you that you have a writer’s gift for imagination, Lois?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“All the time.” Lois shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth. “I know how these things work. He probably cheated on you with a skanky ninja chick, that’s why he looks so guilty all the time.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe found herself lost in examination of a popcorn kernel. “Davis didn’t hook up with a ninja, okay?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay. Putting the mystery that is Davis Kent in the cold case file for the moment, are you going to give him a second chance?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I probably shouldn’t, I know… I mean, he pulls this shit literally in the same hour, I can’t live with that drama in my life… but Davis, the old Davis I mean… he wouldn’t say it was over unless he meant it. What’s really weird is how… okay I am with him not in my life. We used to be inseparable, we even used to do this together, but now we’re on different continents and it’s okay. I’m really okay with that. Maybe I’m not really in love with him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois patted Chloe in a big-sisterly way. “Love takes time, Chloe. It’s not sea monkeys. He used to carry your books for you. You danced with him at Earl Jenkins’ wedding.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”He stepped on my toes,” Chloe said, a little smile sneaking onto her face.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So the question you have to ask yourself is… is he worth it?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s not like I have a lot of options.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, there’s a ringing endorsement.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is the show on yet?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois smiled and un-muted the TV.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The doorbell rang.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Speak of the devil,” Lois groused, muting the TV.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll get it!” Chloe shoved the popcorn bowl into Lois’s arms and hopped the back of the couch, brushing her hands off on her jeans and taking out her retainers before answering it. “Justin Gaines? What are you doing out of the hospital?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin smiled at her, offering a bouquet of flowers with hands still wrapped in thick bandages. “Well, it’s not an invitation to the slumber party, but I’ll take what I can get.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Of course I’m happy to see you!” Chloe gave him a hug. “I just thought you were still recovering from the crash.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I kinda am… not so tight?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sorry.” Chloe backed up. Took the flowers. “They’re lovely.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They didn’t have any that were also smart and talented, but I think those fit you well enough already.” Justin’s cheery smile never wavered. “I got your e-mail. I thought you might like a friend. And if you also need someone to have comfort sex with, that’s good too.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe smelled the flowers. “Rain check?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sure. Just give it time. I’ll grow on you like a wart.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois stared forlornly at the TV. “I am never going to get to watch this.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Summers household was about as ritzy as a place in Smallville could get. Manicured lawn, white picket fence, Porsche in the driveway. Davis had heard Mr. Summers had been a professor at Metropolis University, until his health had forced him to take a ‘low-stress’ position teaching public school. Davis didn’t think ‘low-stress’ was in Mr. Summers’ vocabulary.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He knocked on the door. Mrs. Summers answered. She wore a housedress and pearls and her face was a battleground, with Botox the latest weapon deployed against the hated enemy, time. “Hello, are you here about the car?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, I’m here to talk to Eric.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh.” Ctrl-Alt-Delete, reboot. “Eric is grounded. He was a very bad boy on his class field trip.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m here to help him on a class project.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What class?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“For God’s sake, let the boy in, Vivian!” Mr. Summers shouted from inside. “We all know Eric could use the help!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Vivian stepped aside. Davis, equally abashed, walked in. The house was clean enough to be preserved as a museum exhibit at any moment, one of those places where you got the feeling they vacuumed as soon as you left.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s upstairs,” Vivian said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis nodded gratefully and went up. The door to Eric’s room had the accoutrements of a young boy who’d never taken them down. Police tape, stop signs, ‘keep out.’ The artificial yellow was the one real color in the muted house. Taking the hint, Davis knocked on the door.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s open,” Eric said, disgruntled.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis walked in. Eric was sitting on a beanbag chair, controller in his hands, playing Final Fantasy. “Oh, hey Davis.” He held up his controller. “Only allowed to play Teen games.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis closed the door behind him. “Eric, we need to talk.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric paused the game. “The powers, right?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’ve kept them secret, right?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“My dad doesn’t have me strapped to a lab table, does he?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good. You have to keep control of them; otherwise they’ll be in control of you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can handle it. Grew up in this house, didn’t I?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“There’s something else.” Davis sat cross-legged on the floor. “There’s a reason you have these powers.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Like I’m not entitled to them after growing up with der Fuhrer for a dad?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked at him uncomfortably. “No, you’re not. Haven’t you ever read Spider-Man? With great power comes great responsibility.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And what’s your great responsibility?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis got up and pulled Eric to the window. “There are thousands of people out there. Some of them are corrupted. They have powers like us, like you, only they use them for evil. I think… they’re demons.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So what do I do?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You stop them. I’ve slain about a dozen. Now it’s your turn.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric shook his head. In a few short sentences, Davis had stripped him of his newfound bravado. He wouldn’t forget that. “I can’t do it. I can’t kill anyone!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I thought like that too. I learned.” Davis patted Eric’s shoulder, very gently. “They’re not people, they’re demons. You just have to keep that in mind.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric looked at him, slowly, eyes alight. “How many people have you killed?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The number sprang to Davis’s mind, but more than that he felt shame, suffocating him. He finally said. “Too many.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric laughed, like it was a joke, but stopped when he realized Davis didn’t think it was funny.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll do my best.” Eric stared out the window, wondering what those white picket fences were hiding. “Davis, will you help me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Of course.” Responsibility passed. He thought of Chloe, eating popcorn, watching Buffy. “If the Apocalypse comes, beep me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis didn’t quite understand the appeal of pool. Lex liked it, but Lex could have any game, any vice. Why pool? Was it just the simplicity of it or did Lex like feeling like a common man?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked at Lex, with his sleeves rolled up and his shirt untucked, and reminded himself there was nothing wrong with being a common man.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So, have you slept with Chloe?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis blanked. “Wha?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex lined up his shot. “Davis, you’re glowing.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis actually looked down before remembering things like that didn’t happen to him anymore. “No, I just… had a good day.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So our intrepid reporter still has Justin Gaines affixed to her?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How do you know about that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois Lane. The woman’s an incurable gossip. Heaven help us if she ever has to keep a secret of any importance.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She doesn’t love him,” Davis said, driving his cue into billiard chalk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Keep that in mind. And remember that just because there’s a goalie, doesn’t mean you can’t…” Lex sunk a shot, “score.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“One of Clark’s quotables?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He has his moments,” Lex confessed. “Sometimes, I wish I could adapt to the life of a corporate raider as easily as he has. He truly is his father’s son.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The lights went out in a crash of thunder. Davis sighed. “Lex, you’ve really got to do something about your flair for the dramatic.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t worry, the back-up generator should be coming online any second.” It didn’t. Lex hung up his cue. “Okay, worry.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He swept to his desk, and even though the Red had left him, Davis could still sense the distress Lex was bottling up. The hostage crisis, Palmer, Helen’s betrayal - Lex had been through a lot. Davis wondered how good a friend he’d been to him. Then he saw Lex pulling a pistol out of a drawer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whoa, Lex, it’s just the storm.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“One thing I’ve learned in Smallville is to never take anything at face value.” He tossed Davis a flashlight. “Let’s see about that back-up.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis had always liked the dark before. It was cool and welcoming. The light blinded you. It defined you. In the dark, you could be anything. Some of his fondest memories were nights with Chloe, escaping the oppressive summer heat, watching the stars and wondering what their stories were.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But without the Red, the dark threatened. His flashlight was an ineffectual weapon against it. He stuck close to Lex.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Something pinged. Some leftover habit from the Red, triggered. There was an intruder. “Something’s wrong,” Davis said. “Wait here.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m going to the generator, Davis.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis had already turned back. “Better hurry.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex’s office didn’t seem chic in the dark. It traveled back in time to its medieval roots. Davis kept an eye out for ghosts and goblins.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There, behind the massive painting of St. George came a sound like rats in the wall, only louder. Davis pulled on the painting to find it was mounted on a hinge that swung open to reveal a vault door.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A man stepped through it, Davis backpedaled. The man was all in black except for a glowing green tattoo. It faded.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Thief!” Davis cried, for lack of anything better to say, and swung at him. His punch passed right through.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The robber laughed and punched back. Davis went down. Two more men with green tattoos stepped out of the vault. They carried heavy-looking duffel bags. The lights came back on, stabbing Davis’s eyes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They ran, literally passing through Lex when he stepped into the doorway. He watched them go, unreadable, then looked back into his office. “Davis!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis pushed the icepack away. The EMT gave him a look and put it back against his black eye. Davis clenched his teeth. It was so… irritating to have this little ache linger with him, causing him more pain in the long run than being stabbed, or a dozen other things he’d lived through. But then, he wasn’t that man anymore. He didn’t have the Red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I want to assure you, these men will be found and dealt with,” Lex said, standing impassively by the back of the ambulance Davis was sitting in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“By the police? I’d love to know what kind of prison could hold men who walk through walls.” Davis tried to rein in his bitterness, now that he didn’t have the Red to blame. He gave Lex an apologetic look.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’d be surprised what a prison can be.” With that, Lex left to make another phone call.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe saw the ambulance and assumed the worst. “Davis!” She rushed past the EMT. “Davis, oh my god, are you okay?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s SVPD custom to send out two squad-cars and an ambulance whenever Lex stubs his toe.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll get that,” Chloe said, taking the icepack and pressing it against Davis’s bruise a little harder than before. The EMT shrugged and moved on. “Justin and I were just passing through when we heard the call on the police scanner.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Justin?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, right.” Chloe turned around to Justin Gaines, who was standing back, erratically illuminated by the police lights. He came forward like a vampire Chloe had invited in. “Davis, you remember Justin Gaines.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not really. Davis took Justin’s offered hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe’s told me so much about you,” Justin said, smug smile in place.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Really? She hasn’t mentioned you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, I think that’s enough shaking,” Chloe said. She pulled Justin’s hand away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis did his best to block Justin’s presence out. “Chloe, I saw a glowing green tattoo on all three of the guys. I think it might be meteor rock. That could explain how they walk through walls.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They walk through walls?” Chloe repeated, excited.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin cleared his throat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis went on. “So I was thinking tattoos like those you don’t get just anywhere. Maybe if we call around, we could find these guys…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Actually, Justin and I were just headed to the Beanery. Pete says the Smiths are playing there.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You wanna come with us? I’ll let you buy me a latte.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, I…” Davis pushed down on her arm, taking the icepack away from his black eye. “I’ve got things to do.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis saw Eric in the lunchroom, alone. He sat down beside him. Eric didn’t notice. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Holly and her boyfriend.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I could take that guy apart with one finger,” Eric said. “It’d serve him right.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Save it for the demons, Eric.” Davis pulled a file folder out of his backpack. “I’ve got some for you now. Three guys with meteor rock tattoos, all with criminal records, all big spenders as of a few weeks ago. Wade Jennings, Blade Sawyer, and Jensen Root. They have a place just outside of town. We should check it out.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric gave Holly one last look. “Yeah. Sure.” They stood. “Hey, Davis, lightning… that’s like a sign from God, right?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis hesitated, faltered. “I wouldn’t go that far. Maybe you just pissed off Thor.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis had done a lot of things he wasn’t proud of. Now he watched one. He watched Eric get out of his truck and walk toward the hide-out, where death metal thumped and screamed. Eric stepped inside. The music cut off in a sudden crash, replaced with screaming. Blood splattered one of the windows. The lights flickered and Davis heard a roar he could only call bestial.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis reached into his pocket, wished he still had his rosary.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whitney Fordman phased through the wall and ran, clutching his bloody stomach. Eric went through the wall too. He left a hole.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Before he could catch up to Whitney, the quarterback fell, passing through the ground. He didn’t come up. The back of his letterman jacket protruded from the dirt like a burial shroud.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric wiped off his crimson hands with a wet nap. “He called me a wimp once. Look at me now…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whitney was one of them? He seemed like…” Davis shook his head like he had some water in his ear. “He seemed better than that.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who cares? He got you arrested, remember? Fuck him, he got what he deserved.” Eric spat on the letterman jacket.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Let’s just go,” Davis said, taking the truck out of park.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric climbed in next to him. “Anything you say, boss.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin looked at the Wall of Weird, smiling with a happiness Chloe could never understand. He had done it. Penetrated into the deepest recesses of who she really was. He’d pared Davis out of her heart and taken his place and it felt good. She was his. Body and soul.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Cafeteria food scandal,” he read. “It doesn’t seem as freaky as cattle mutilations.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You never tasted the meatloaf.” Chloe sipped her latte.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin looked again at the article and saw Davis had written it. His fingers knotted with the desire to rip it down. “You must’ve been scared, having those freaks after you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It wasn’t so bad. I had Davis.” Chloe realized what she’d said. “Watching my back, I mean.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t blame him.” He rubbed her shoulders. “That is a great back.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe bit her lip, trying not to feel uncomfortable. “I sent the license plate numbers of the car that hit you to my contact in the DMV. Since it’s not the whole thing it’ll take a while, but he’s optimistic.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Wow. You have a contact in the DMV. How’s that even work?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We’re in the same Scrubs community on Livejournal. So I’m expecting a fax any day now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good, good.” Justin looked back at the Wall of Weird. “You know, you don’t have to worry about them anymore. I won’t let any of them get near you. I can protect you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What are you talking about?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re not the only one with a secret.” Taking Chloe’s hand, Justin spun her around like they were dancing. “Close your eyes and don’t look down.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If my eyes are closed, what difference does looking down-holy crap!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She was floating. Chloe was actually walking on air. And Justin was holding her up, or tethering her down, or… she needed him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Justin, put me down.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Just try to enjoy it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Put me down now!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin moved her down a touch harder than necessary, making her feet slap against the floor. “All those letters you sent me about pushing the boundaries of science and uncovering weird phenomena, now you’re afraid of me?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe shook her head. “I’m not afraid. It’s just a lot to take in.” She stopped, but his eyes held hers with an intense flare, forcing her to admit there was more. “Everyone else I’ve met with these kinds of powers has been corrupted by them.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not like that!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know you’re not,” Chloe placated. ”How about an interview for your girl? You can tell me how this happened to you. Take a seat.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe got her tape recorder from her purse. When she saw that her taser was inside too, she carried the purse back with her and set it in her lap. Justin sat across from her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s the meteor rocks, Chloe. They’re magic.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was easy to break the lock on Justin’s locker with his new powers. Eric watched the U of the lock snap in two and he smiled. He had already done it three times, with the mischievousness of a young boy testing his limits and finding them pliant. Holly’s locker had her cheerleading uniform in it, still smelling of her perfume. Lana’s had a mosaic of magazine cut-outs forming a reflection of her own face. Chloe had pictures of her and Pete and Davis nestled inside her notebook. And Davis’s was empty except for the pile of textbooks at the bottom, pens rolling beside them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin had pictures of Chloe taped on the walls, some from last year when she’d worn her hair up. They orbited a drawing of her. His book pile bottomed out into a sheaf of paper. Eric toed the books aside and looked at the papers. The newspaper articles were about Justin’s doctor and suits brought against him for malpractice, all dismissed or settled out of court. Below them was a drawing of the man in the newspaper photos, his hands lost in red ink.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good read?” Justin asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Once, Eric would’ve shied away from a confrontation even with a punk like Gaines, but not now. He stood to his full height and was surprised to find it was greater than Justin’s. He could’ve sworn Justin was taller before he went to the hospital. Maybe he’d just slouched.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I like the pictures. Grisly stuff, but good artwork. Exceptional, in fact…” He tossed them to Justin, who fumbled them. The stack of drawings and clippings exploded against his arms. “-for a guy with no fingers.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment. Now why don’t you get out of here before I get you thrown in detention for breaking and entering?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I was just leaving. Give my love to Chloe, enh?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As soon as Eric was gone, Justin slammed the locker shut with his mind. Eric would get his, but first things first. He had a date with Chloe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The thought of Chloe with Justin no longer filled Davis with rage. That kind of sustained anger had left with the Red. The lingering regret was much worse.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So Chloe’s name on his caller ID was like a lifeline. She asked to meet with him. He agreed without a moment’s thought.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They agreed to hook up in the barn. He waited on the loft, watching the stars come out. Finally, the headlights of her Bug washed over him. He looked out the window as Chloe and Justin got out of the car.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Regrets. That was the real price of power.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He went downstairs to greet them. “Hi Chlo-Justin.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey!” Chloe took a step toward him and held it, hands shoved in her pockets. “I just had to share, it’s so… cool!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis smiled at Chloe. She never did have time for melancholy when there was a story to be had.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Justin, show him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin looked from Chloe to Davis and back again. “We can’t trust him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Show me what?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s my best friend. Justin, come on. He’s harmless.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Alright. If it’ll make my girl happy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis glanced aside as they kissed. My girl. Bastard.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He noticed the hay on the floor rising, like leaves caught in a gust. There was no wind. The hay danced around Justin as he stood there, Chloe in his arms. “Pretty cool, huh?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Ice-cold.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Awesome!” Eric said, wrapping his lips around a bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade he’d brought over when Davis had called him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis paced the barn, still feeling Justin’s intrusion like a pin in his flesh. His thoughts were a maelstrom he couldn’t escape. Justin was a demon. But he was something else too. He hadn’t hurt anyone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis sat down. He’d called Eric, hoping that if God wouldn’t speak to him, He’d speak to Eric instead. “How is a single aspect of this awesome?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“God has basically given you permission to kill the boyfriend of the girl you love. How is that not awesome?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked at him sharply. “I don’t think Justin’s bad. He’s just… wounded.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah?” Eric took another drink, reached into his coat. “Look what I found in his locker.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What are you doing in his locker?” Davis asked as he looked at the sheaf of papers Eric had pulled out anyway.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Looking for this. Pretty gruesome, huh?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked away, into Eric’s eyes. “We’ve done worse. It’s not illegal to have a fantasy, Eric. He hasn’t hurt anyone.“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yet. We can stop him before he kills.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah. By talking to him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric dropped the pictures to the ground. “Why do you even care, Gandhi?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe loves him. If she loves him, there must be some good there. She wouldn’t be in love with a killer.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And is this the same Chloe who can’t figure out you’re the town hero?” Eric asked, smirking. “Don’t think she’s much in the brainpan.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Shut your mouth.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric cringed at the harshness in Davis’s tone, then recovered, hoping Davis hadn’t noticed. “Make me.” He drew up to his full height. “Get it straight, Kent. You’re living vicariously through me, not him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t touch him. That’s your warning.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis felt an unexpected lightness as he walked up the steps to Justin’s front door. It didn’t feel like he’d lost Chloe, it felt like he’d let her go and now, she was free of the shadow world that had taken him and wanted to spread to her. He could forgive Justin for being with her. He just couldn’t forgive himself for the opposite.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He knocked on the door. Justin answered in a housecoat and Wonder Woman boxer shorts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, I thought you were the pizza guy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not guilty. Mind if I come in?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, sure.” Justin stepped out of the way, belting his robe. “Sorry about the mess, I wasn’t expecting anyone over until my date with Chloe tonight. Oops.” He smiled. “Sorry.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s okay.” Davis walked in. The house was cozy and lived-in, but with odd shadows on the walls in the shape of major appliances.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We had to sell a lot of shit. Hospital bills.” He held up his bandaged hands. “Money well-spent, huh?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Justin, we need to talk.” He followed Justin into the kitchen. “It’s important.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“To you, I’m sure.” Justin dug a Mountain Dew out of the fridge. The toaster and microwave were nowhere in sight. “I know what this is about. You mind?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He tossed Davis the bottle. Davis twisted off the cap and set the bottle down on the table.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe used to talk about you all the time. It wasn’t hard to read between the lines. But you never sealed the deal and now she’s with me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes. She is,” Davis said carefully. “But that’s not what this is about.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Isn’t it? You want Chloe, but now I’ve got her. And it’s tearing you up inside.” Justin drank.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis waited for him to finish his chug and wipe his mouth on his sleeve. His eyes were faraway, but his voice was constant. “I know you blame the doctor for your hands. I know you’re still furious over the hit and run.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin’s voice hitched, fingers tightening on the bottle of Mountain Dew. Or trying to. “And why shouldn’t I be? Eight months and no arrest!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This isn’t about him. It’s about you. You have a choice. You can live in the light or in the dark, but you can’t do both. And the longer you spend in the dark, the harder it is to find your way home. The more you find has changed… gone away. I know you want to be good to Chloe. So did I. But you have to choose.” Davis sat down gingerly, wearily, like he was nursing a wound. “Murderers can’t be in love. There’s no room for it in their hearts.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin just stared at him, wondering where that voice could come from that it could sound so lost. “Why do you care? Why are you hurt?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis laid his palms flat on the table. “She deserves to be happy. Maybe you do too. So be happy. Don’t be angry. Don’t be vengeful. Don’t be bitter. Just be happy. That’s all.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin held still for a long time, waiting for Davis to say something else, his hands shaking. He kneaded them against each other. “When the car hit me… it was like I’d broken in half. He didn’t even slow down.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can’t draw anymore. I loved the feel of the paper under my pencil. It still hurts sometimes.” Justin wiped at his eyes. “You want a drink?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis stood up slowly. “No. I’m good.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After Davis left, Justin spent a long time looking at the DMV report he’d stolen from Chloe’s fax machine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He went to find Chloe’s number.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It felt weird to be doing this without Davis, like a betrayal. But the Red told him it would be okay, and who was he to argue with the Red? Davis was the one who was no longer faithful to it. And he’d never accepted help, so why should Eric?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He listened to the beat of Justin’s heart as the villain moved around, into his bedroom, then in view of a window. Eric wasted no time. He burst through the wall, so fast he was almost part of the gray dust cloud. Both were on Justin before he could react.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric’s knuckles burned. He quenched them in Justin’s heart, not realizing until his bloodlust had passed that he had grown claws. Justin went down, gasping, bleeding. He tried to pull himself up on a bedpost. Eric rested his foot on the back of Justin’s head, letting him feel the tread. Then he lifted his foot up. Then he brought it back down. Then he left.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Long months of keeping the Red locked inside permitted Davis the control to hold himself steady as Eric invited him in, brought him up to his room. Then Davis exploded, grabbing Eric by the lapels and slamming him against the closet door so hard it almost cracked. He knew Eric had his powers now. It didn’t make much of a difference.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You didn’t have to do that! I talked him down!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric breathed deeply, trying to be nonchalant about Davis flinging him around like a ragdoll. “He was planning to kill whoever ran him over. We both know it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No we don’t. He was an innocent man. You still believe that, right, innocent until proven guilty?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric shoved Davis back, pitching him into a bookshelf. It cracked, spilling paperbacks onto the floor. Davis fell on all fours, the breath knocked out of him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I did it for you!! Do you know how many people I’ve saved? Have you kept track? Women, kids, old folks. I’m a fucking hero. So what if he was innocent? I still beat the spread. You really think God is going to judge me for one little high school student? You think God never killed an innocent person? All the firstborn in Egypt, you think they all deserved it?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis wiped the blood from his mouth. “No one deserves it, Eric.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think you’d better go.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Or what? You’ll kill me too?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m only supposed to kill murderers, right? I think I’d be in the clear. You’re just a has-been, trying to relive past glories.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis spat blood on the floor. “Nothing I did was glorious.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis didn’t go to school the next day.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He tried to. He picked up his backpack and walked to the place where he and Chloe once waited for the bus together, but when he saw her there alone, as forlorn as the figurehead of a wrecked ship… He couldn’t even bear to look at her. She was shut to him by a moat of sadness. He walked home, locked himself in his room, and looked in his Bible. The words were cold and dead on the page.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He turned the gossamer pages, looking for some comfort he could offer Chloe, and when the pages wouldn’t turn fast enough he ripped them out of the book. None of it offered any hope, any salvation, not to Chloe or him. He threw the Bible, putting a dent in the wall, and it landed on its spine and fell open, the pages stirring three times before settling.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Something made him walk the miles over to that fallen book, pick it up and strum his eyes over the pages like fingers in a lover’s hair. He read aloud, his voice catching and cracking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then she said, ‘Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.’&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe was still waiting for the bus when he returned to her. Davis could move pretty fast when he wanted to. He stepped out of the cornstalks.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe turned, wiping the tears from her eyes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I heard what happened,” Davis said. “I’m sorry.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She rubbed fresh tears off on her sleeve.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m here. If you need anything. I know I wasn’t before, but I am now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The tears finally stopped coming. “Shut up, Davis.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She threw her arms around him and pulled him close with all the strength her tiny body could muster.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Just shut up.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The funeral was small, cramped somehow. Davis wore his Sunday suit, with a new black button-down that had practically bankrupted him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You look nice,” Chloe said guiltily. She sat next to him, head only supported by his shoulder. She had webbed his hand in both of hers and that was the only thing right in this hell. It almost made it all worth it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The preacher read verses about green pastures and laying down burdens and Davis felt like laughing, like he’d heard a private joke. He wondered if he would ever feel like laughing again after today.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe let a drawing of herself that Justin had given her drift down into the grave. Davis dropped two roses in. They rolled off the coffin to the bottom of the grave, two red eyes blinking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe didn’t go inside for the wake. She stayed out by the grave, the midday sun beating down with blasphemous cheer. Davis’s only concession to the heat was loosening his tie. He stood by Chloe, her lightning rod, ready to shield her from the ills of the world the moment she asked him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Am I a good person?” she said at last.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The best.” Davis coughed. “At least, last time I checked…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”I’ve never done anything really bad, I swear to God. But everyone’s entitled to do something really bad once in their life, right? Something for them to be ashamed of and something they can be forgiven for. Everyone needs a regret.” Tears had started to flow again, and Davis couldn’t bear to stand apart from her. He melted to her like quicksilver.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, I guess,” he whispered into the smell of her hair.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She looked up at him, her eyes full and brimming with tears. “So can you let me be bad, just this once? I’m not a bad person, I just need to do something bad. Just once.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She kissed him. It wasn’t much more than an invitation, a confirmation, a yes to a question he’d never asked and always been asking. When she pulled away, it was to bury her tear-stained face in his chest.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You were always my choice.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He petted her hair until she stopped crying, then he cupped the back of her neck, tilted her face to his, and kissed her without hesitation. It was long, thought it had nothing to do with passion or lust. It was just his way of saying ‘I forgive you.’&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex stood carefully abreast of the funeral, knowing he wouldn’t be welcome, but still intrigued. An autopsy had revealed Gaines had Kryptonite in his bloodstream. He had been a Kryp. It made Lex wonder who had killed him. It had to be someone strong enough to ram through a brick wall.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex didn’t want to suspect Clark, but he couldn’t rule it out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;More presently, he watched Davis comfort Chloe. He would offer his advice, but Davis seemed to have things well in hand. Maybe he would donate to Justin’s favorite charity in Davis’s name. That seemed the kind of thing that would impress Chloe more than flashy cars.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Mr. Luthor,” his assistant intoned, announcing her presence.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes, Gina?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“There’s a man to see you. He says it’s urgent.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Bring it up,” Lex turned his back on the fresh grave. “I could use a laugh.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The man was obviously one of Phelan’s old informants, now as lost as a bee without a queen. He clutched a thickened manila envelope to his chest. “Phelan told me to bring this to you if I hadn’t heard from him for three months. It’s been three.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex held his hand out. “Well, here I am.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He said there’d be a reward.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Gina, cut him a check.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The man handed Phelan’s envelope to Lex.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How much, sir?” Gina asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, he was a good mailman… what’s the going rate for a postage stamp?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After a few flicks of her wrist, Gina handed the check to the courier.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They slept on the same floor that night. Going to Chloe’s house, which was empty as a punctured lung with Gabe away on business. They drank wine coolers that Gabe had forgotten were in the fridge and Chloe talked about Justin, like she was purging it. She had worn a black mini-dress over black pants to the funeral; they were the only dark clothes she owned. When she kicked off her pants, Davis could see the pale crescents of her ass. He took off his jacket and tie and Chloe burrowed into him like he was a security blanket, the magic kind that actually worked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think Justin was murdered,” she said, safe in his arms. The current explanation was that a drunk driver had crashed into his house, then backed up and drove off. Chloe didn’t buy it. No one really did. “I think it had to do with his powers.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You could drive yourself crazy thinking about this,” Davis said, not sure if he wanted to push her onward or make her back off. He felt as ugly as he had after killing Kelvin. Uglier.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think it might’ve been the commandos.” She was quiet a moment, her face resting against his chest. “People are dying, Davis. I want to stop this. I want to pick up the rock and show the world all the filthy things wiggling around underneath. Will you help me lift it?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked up at the ceiling, holding onto Chloe as tight as he could. “I will. I promise.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Thank you.” She kissed the patch of skin exposed at his collar. “Now, how well do you know Lex Luthor?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They kept talking until Chloe drifted away to the sound of his heartbeat. He straightened her dress before he went to sleep himself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He bore the pleasure of her touch like a weight. There was still one thing he could deny himself, one way he could refuse to benefit from Justin’s death and his own hypocrisy. He wouldn’t touch Chloe, not until he was sure she wanted him and not the grief. Otherwise, hopefully, she would use him as a salve, a stepping stone to someone who deserved her. And if it was him she wanted, for whatever insane reason, then he would acknowledge that when he could deal with it. Someday far in the future.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hiya, Lex. If you’re watching this, I guess I’m dead. Now don’t break out the bubbly just yet; I want to take the bastard who did this down with me. I figure it was either you or the Kent kid, trying to protect his secret. If it’s you, knowing his secret makes you his next target. And if it’s him, I think you’ll complicate his life quite nicely. Enjoy the show.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex leaned forward, hands on his knees. He watched Phelan’s tape cut to a shaky handheld view. Bob Rickman was on a cell phone in the middle of a vacant lot, talking business, his plans for the Kent property. Davis slid out of the shadows like they’d been embracing him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I want you to give my father back his land. And then I want you to get out of Smallville.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And I want to bulldoze your farm and put up a shopping mall. God answers the prayers of the guy with the biggest pocketbook.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not always.” Davis invaded Bob’s space, towering over him. Rickman didn’t look scared at having 6’1 of Kansas farmboy bearing down on him. Just the opposite. “How’d you cheat my dad?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, like this I imagine.” Bob grabbed Davis’s hand. “Why don’t you go for a drive, Kent? And once you’re cruising along at about 70, why don’t you drive into a tree or something?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis held onto Bob’s hand and slowly closed his fingers. “Don’t tempt me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What! Ahhh!” Bob screamed, the camera zooming in on blood pouring through Davis’s fingers. “What are you!?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis struck him in the throat, once, hard. Rickman flew back ten feet, landed, and didn’t get up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I wish I knew.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex stopped the tape.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Took a drink of vodka.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rewound it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Watched it again.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was a beautiful day in Smallville, sunny but with a cool breeze and plenty of shade for relief. Davis wore a straw hat that shaded his eyes. Despite the heat that put trickles of sweat at the small of his back, he welcomed Chloe’s body warmth when she grappled with him, occasionally kamikazing into his side as they walked along, trying playfully to dislodge him from his steady stride. It was like they were kids along. Davis felt a smile on his face and realized he didn’t have to fake it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A hand slapped Davis’s ass. He turned to Chloe. “Was that you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe looked up from the ice cream cone she was licking with pronounced innocence. She grinned devilishly. “Yeah. Sorry to use you as a sex object, but Holly and Lana were talking about us, so I thought we might as well give them something to talk about.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, so long as it’s not Old Man Jeb.” Davis looked back at the man who’d just passed him. They waved when they noticed each other looking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m just so sick of those bitches!” Chloe gestured so animatedly Davis was worried her ice cream was going to fall off its cone. “I dated Justin for one month before he died, but just because I didn’t check myself into a monastery they treat me like a black widow.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m very happy you’ve moved on.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Are you?” Chloe asked as they passed under the dappled shade of an elm tree. Davis kissed her briefly on the lips, trying to be reassuring, and she smiled, trying to be reassured. “Hey, give me your hand.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“When will I get it back?” Davis joked, holding it out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe locked her fingers in his and they started moving again. David felt the dainty softness of her hand, almost lost in his. Her hair brushed his upper arm when she leaned in close to whisper in his ear, her breath hitting his cheek when she pulled away, always to return. It was easy to believe the whole hellish business was just a nightmare, dissolving with the morning dew. He so wanted to believe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis smelled smoke.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was obvious no one else had detected it yet. He steered them down a street toward it, and by the end of the block he could see the flames licking out of the Beanery’s windows, a crowd of soot-stained refugees and onlookers crowding outside like antibodies to an infection. Two were crying, a couple, the woman sobbing “My baby! My baby!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, that poor woman,” Chloe said, while Davis could only roll his eyes. Who the hell leaves a baby in a burning building? What, did you just forget about it? He let go of Chloe’s hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Wait here,” he said before thrusting himself into the crowd. They gave ground before the big guy with the bad attitude. In a moment, he was close enough for the heat to bring up his sweat. He didn’t know if he believed in redemption. He didn’t even know if he believed in God. But doing the right thing… that he could believe in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He went into the flames.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was hot, of course. Like the blast of air when you opened an oven, multiplied by a hundred. Davis felt his skin blister and knew it wouldn’t heal for a long time. He kept low. He didn’t know how much the Red had left in him, or how it had scarred him, but his senses were more acute than many’s. Soon, he heard a baby’s cries. Upstairs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He moved, hit the stairwell and followed the smoke up. The baby wailed again, other side of the door. Davis pulled his sleeves over his hands and turned the knob.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Next room, flames were spreading fast. Half the room was an inferno. He saw the baby’s stroller. The flames were between them and widening. Davis didn’t give himself time to think. He turned a long table toward the flame, hopped up on it, and ran. His jump carried him over the flames, hot air shooting up his pant legs like liquid heat, then he landed and the ground ripped itself away from him with noisy claws.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He fell through the floor, grabbing hold of a ceiling beam to suspend himself above the firestorm below. His shoes were melting, vulcanized soles dripping down. He tried to pull himself up as the baby’s cries dwarfed the sound of cracking wood. One leg. He just had to get one leg up over the ledge and then he could die or whatever.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whoa. What an uncomfortable looking situation.” Davis looked up. Eric stood over him, the baby in his arms. She was crying. “I think you should stop playing hero, Kent. You’re not very good at it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Help me!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, now you need my help.” Eric paced, his feet treading dangerously close to Davis’s fingers. “But when a demon’s fucking your girl, then you don’t need my help. Then, you deny me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Eric, for God’s sake-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“God.” Eric knelt down in front of Davis, speaking like he’d just had a brainstorm: “Why don’t you pray to God? Ask him to put out the flames?” He tickled the baby’s chin-“Coochie-coo!”-snapped back to Davis. “Do it!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis felt the strength bleeding out of his hands. “God, please put out the flames.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t think He heard you. Louder.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“God! Put out the flames!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s not listening to you, Davis. Why would He? You’re Judas.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Eric, I can’t hold on!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Say please.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Please.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You don’t have to stress out, Davis. I heard you.” Grabbing Davis by the wrist, he pulled him up. “You should be more careful. I won’t always be there to help you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric emerged from the fire a golden hero, singed but not burnt, cradling the baby in one arm and with Davis slung over the shoulder of the other. Davis felt sunlight strike his eyes, then he was set down and had an oxygen mask pressed to his face. He gulped greedily.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A hand laced with Davis’s and he recognized Chloe’s fingers. He forced himself out of his haze to slip off the mask and tell her he was alright. She nodded and pushed the mask back over his mouth before kissing the clear plastic. “My hero.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nearby, Eric was being interviewed by the local news. Davis tried to turn away from him and focus on Chloe, but the sounds of his arrogance were hard to ignore.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Local boy makes good,” Lex intoned in his signature half-sarcasm. He noted how Chloe shifted herself protectively in front of Davis. “You, on the other hand, should probably leave the rescue work to the First Responders.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll try to remember that.” Insisting to Chloe he was fine, Davis took off the oxygen mask. “So what brings you to Smallville, Lex? I kinda thought the city council had taken out a restraining order against you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“They wish. I was just in the neighborhood on some business, but it can wait.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis breathed out of the oxygen mask.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis was still coughing when the paramedic finally got around to pronouncing him fit to walk home, late that evening. Chloe was back in good spirits, joshing with Davis about his heroics. She didn’t seem to care that they were ineffectual, just that he’d tried.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m thinking of taking up Buddhism, actually,” Chloe giggled, her arms wrapped around his waist.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s okay, when you die I’ll put in a good word with God,” Davis joked right back. “We’ll try to put you in one of the nicer circles of hell.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Mmm. And you’ll come visit?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll bring Aquafina.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They passed a newspaper machine, Chloe’s eyes darting to it like a glutton’s to chocolate. When she saw the headline of the Daily Planet, Davis felt her stiffen. He brushed his fingers through her hair protectively. “Hey, what’s wrong?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You see the headline in this morning’s DP? ‘Monsters Among Us.’”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t get the Planet.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I have a subscription. Cancelled as of this morning. Some reporter named White did a story on Justin’s death. He knows about the meteor-infected, threw up a bunch of statistics about our murder rate. He’s making it out like our town is under attack.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Maybe it is,” Davis muttered dully.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe stopped to look at him. “They aren’t all bad. Justin. Justin was good.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The sun set and they walked in the pools of light spilling out of the different houses, not thinking about what was going on behind those shut windows and closed doors. Chloe’s house was ahead of them. Gabe’s car wasn’t in the driveway. The lights were off. Chloe’s keys clinked together as she pulled them out of her pocket. She unlocked the door. The porch shaded them from the streetlights, making Chloe half-shadow.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lovely night,” Davis said, his voice not silencing the crickets’ chirping.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah.” Chloe leaned against the unlocked door, a bar of light thrown across her golden hair. “You wanna… do something?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His night vision was good enough to see her eyes, the hesitance, the slight expectancy, the small anticipation. It made him want things he had no right to. He took a deep breath he hoped she couldn’t see. “It’s late. I should go.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t you want to at least feel my tits?” She tried to play it off like a joke, dazzling smile plastered across her face, but he’d known her long enough to hear the sincerity underneath.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His heart raced. It wasn’t just the offer, it was how she’d said it, so bold and unafraid and everything he wanted it to be. Just a normal guy, making out with his normal girlfriend. Like nothing lurked behind them and nothing loomed ahead of them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Justin was good. She wasn’t over him. Would she ever be? He wasn’t being buried in dirt, he was being buried in nostalgia and young love and might-have-been.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll settle for a goodnight kiss,” Davis said, trying to defuse the sudden awkwardness with aww-shucks charm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, yeah…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was brief, unsatisfactory, like chewing ice cubes after you’d skipped breakfast. When he walked away it was with his hands fisted in his pockets, wondering when his perfect life would get back on-track.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So, how’d your date go?” Lois asked, although it was pretty obvious by the way Chloe was lazily prodding her ice cream.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m here, aren’t I?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hm?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And not, you know… there?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois decided that if Chloe got to have ice cream, then this conversation could do with a beer for her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois, how do you let a guy know you want to have sex without being a slut?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You wore that top? I think he knows.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois finished her bottle and opened another as Chloe ran through the date, from the comfortable intimacy into the unbearable awkwardness at the end.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Performance anxiety,” Lois pronounced, killing her second beer and none the worse for wear.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s a virgin? That is so sweet…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, that’s one word for it. So just relax. He’d probably at home right now, just as nervous as you are.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The morning paper had an interview with Eric ‘Superboy’ Summers. Davis thought Chloe would probably be overjoyed with that, countering the public perception of the slowly emerging meteor freaks, Kansas’s open secret. People who were supposed to stay in nightmares. Davis drank his orange juice and read the interview. When Eric said he was doing God’s will, Davis’s fingers twitched so hard he almost ripped the paper in half.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark looked at himself in the antique mirror, turning this way and that like a model on a catwalk. The tuxedo looked good on him. He grinned broadly at his reflection. “Looking good, you handsome son of a bitch.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’d look better if you knew how to tie a bowtie.” Lex appeared in the reflection, stepping out of the darkness behind him. Clark rolled his eyes as Lex did up his bowtie for him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Found a date yet?” Clark asked, earning a tightened bowtie across his windpipe. “Just offering my expertise.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I have an offer on the table.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois has a sister staying in Edge City…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clark, no.” Lex stepped out from behind Clark and straightened his own tie in the mirror. “Just so you know, this is how you wear a tuxedo.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark shook his head. “I’m spending my Saturday night at the opera. You’re a bad influence, Lex. You’ve even got me-“ He bit his lip. “I’m going to tell Lois. Tonight.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You want me to be your wingman?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I want you to be my brother.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex turned away from his reflection to Clark. “She’s a good woman, Clark. You’re making a wise choice.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know. But thanks for saying so.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gina was waiting for them when they came out of the room. Lex motioned for Clark to go on.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The tickets the opera house gave you were inadequate,” she said. “I’ve had them switched for balcony seats.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Thank you, Gina.” Lex took the tickets. “There’s an evening gown inside. I would appreciate it if you tried it on.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Mr. Luthor, I don’t understand.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m a driven man, Miss Grenier, not blind. And I enjoy your company. Join me at the opera?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Five minutes,” Gina said, slipping into the dressing room.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ll count.” Lex watched her disappear, then turned to see Clark watching him. His brother’s eyebrows rose. “Don’t start.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No secretary jokes, promise.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh boys?” Lois stood at the head of the stairs. “How do I look?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Their eyes followed her as she came down the steps. Her dress was both classical and shockingly brazen. It was red saffron, ankle-length but cut low at the cleavage, a strap cutting horizontally across the halter.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“For once, I envy you,” Lex said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark went along with the lie. “For once, you have a reason to.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex’s phone rang. He smiled indulgently at Clark as his brother took Lois’s hand and kissed it. He answered the phone. “You have forty seconds. Use them.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was Hamilton.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex listened, his eyes looking around in growing desperation, closing for a long moment, then opening, cold and unreadable. “Don’t move. I’ll be right there.” He hung up as Gina emerged, taking her glasses off. Her blue dress was more conventional than Lois’s, but if anything more stunning. She wore it with a demure beauty that would make any man want to hear what she had to say.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re a picture of loveliness,” Lex said distantly, the longing burned out of his voice. “But something’s come up. Give me regrets to Clark and enjoy the opera.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois almost gasped as she stepped out into the night air. One thing she’d never get used to about Kansas was how cold it got as soon as the sun set. Add to that the dress she’d put on instead of her nice comfy jeans and sweater and it looked like Clark would be taking a popsicle to the opera. She really hoped opera houses had central heating.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark wrapped a stole around her, which helped a little, but her legs still felt like they would snap off. She looked over at Gina, her arms covered by a coat to warm up her already cozy dress, and felt a brief flash of resentment. Frostbite in the name of fashion; it made her want to shave her head and join a commune.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then she saw Lex stepping out to his waiting limo, still straightening the business suit he’d changed into. His limo was parked right behind the Town Car Clark was taking them out in. She knew it might be nothing, but she didn’t get these kinds of opportunities often. She checked her reflection in the Town Car’s window, then gestured for Gina to get in first, then saw that Lex was still sweeping dramatically down the stairs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark held the door open wider for her. “Madam, your carriage awaits.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, yeah.” Deciding she couldn’t delay any longer, Lois made for the door. She paused halfway in. “Did my dress just rip?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, it didn’t,” Gina said, hiding her obvious impatience behind 24-hour professionalism.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I heard a rip,” Lois said. “Clark, did you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, I didn’t.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If there’s a tear, I don’t want to make it any bigger. Could you please check?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark looked her over, trying to keep things cursory despite the temptation to linger. “Definitely looks like it’s all in one piece.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Still bent over, Lois looked to Gina. “Okay, could you make sure it didn’t rip in the front?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ve never heard of a dress ripping in the front.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Could you just check?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gina looked her over. “No rips.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You didn’t look!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I just did.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You glanced!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois, c’mon, we’re gonna be late,” Clark said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A few feet away, Lex looked at the commotion, shook his head, and told the driver “Take me to Cadmus Labs.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois hustled into the Town Car. “Whew! Close call there.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You have a lot of tension, you know that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis grunted, grimacing, as Chloe popped a bone into place. That’s what it felt like anyway. He was facedown on the couch, face turned to watch TV while Chloe straddled his back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis breathed out a sigh of release as Chloe worked her fingers deeper into his neck. “You should do this for a living.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If the Pulitzer Prize doesn’t pan out, you mean.” Chloe dug her elbow into his back.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh God.” Davis buried his face in a cushion and paused Buffy the Vampire Slayer. “I don’t deserve you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Remember that when you’re shopping for a Valentine’s Day gift.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I thought that you thought that V-day was just a commercialized fake holiday made to sell chocolates.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then I remembered I like chocolate. Hint, hint.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe heard her phone ring and tried answering it before she realized it was a text message. It was from Lois. Lex was going to Cadmus Labs and it seemed important.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe tried to text back a thank you, but she settled for ‘thx u.’&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So awkward,” she said, grabbing her keys. “This is never going to catch on.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Where are you going? We got a…” Davis jerked his thumb at the TV. “Don’t leave me here to deal with Buffy and Spike’s epic love all by myself.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sorry, it’s my dad. Impromptu family outing.” She bent down to kiss the back of his neck. “If I’m late, he’ll assume I had to get dressed.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well… have fun.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As embarrassed as Clark was to admit it, the opera wasn’t as much fun without Lex. His brother had a way of transmuting the impenetrable singing into high drama, building a bridge between the ancient lyrics and the sentiments they were meant to express. Without him, Clark felt fidgety as a school kid during a lecture. Especially since Father had said their seats were rubbish (to Gina’s offense) and insisted on being joined in his private box. Already, an aria had brought a tear to his eye. Clark couldn’t tell if it was in happiness or sorrow.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A boy around Clark’s age in a powder-blue tuxedo, blurring nauseously with a red bow-tie, sat down in Lex’s seat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Son, this is Eric Summers,” Lionel said, with the ratcheted smile of a business deal being closed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The opera was predictably tense without Lex to act as buffer. Lionel eyed Lois like he was never quite prepared to accept she wasn’t a mirage, while Eric openly leered at her. Clark set his program on fire halfway through Act 2. He’d never told his father about that ability.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Afterward, Gina escorted Lois out ahead of the crowd. Eric and the Luthors stayed, watching the crowd file out and the curtain sway shut. Clark left, but looked back with X-ray vision. Watched as Lionel took a long, thin box from an assistant.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Eric, you’ve been given a great gift, and there are always those who try to exploit such gifts. Just so, there will be those who possess the wisdom to guide you on the hero’s path. It takes no great logic to see how unappreciated you are at home. Even among your peers, you’re only envied, never loved. You can’t trust them not to turn against you. So allow me to redress the balance with this token of sincere gratitude for the good you’ve done.” He presented the box to Eric. “Open it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric did, taking out a slender dagger of exotic design. He waved it as if caressing the air. “It’s beautiful.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s a Palak, what the Kawatche Indians would call a Starblade. It’s said that Naman will use it to find his great enemy. Sageeth.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who’s Naman?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“For that, I suggest you visit your local library. I think you’ll find it an interesting read.” Lionel patted Eric on the shoulder. “Good luck, my boy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric stood there, lost in the Starblade’s sharpness. As Lionel passed Clark, he said “Leave him be. We have larger problems to solve.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s a Kryp. We can’t just let him loose!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I let you run loose,” Lionel said warningly. “Remember the prophecy. Either you will kill Sageeth or he will kill you. The Starblade is meant to be used by Naman to destroy Sageeth. If Sageeth tries to use its power, the Starblade will destroy itself.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So Eric isn’t Sageeth.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes, even though his strength and speed are growing similar to yours. But he is making quite an advertisement of himself. So much so that Sageeth might think he is Naman. If that’s the case, ‘Superboy’ can lead us to the real thing. And then, you can fulfill your destiny.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The ironic thing was, despite the corporate intrigue and the avenging-Justin’s-death thing and the distinct possibility Lex would disappear her if she were found out, Chloe was having fun. All the sneaking around and the black outfits and the long-range microphone and the digital camera… it made for a damn good time. Maybe she’d been a cat burglar in another life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Of course, she had lied to Davis, which was not at all fun (well, maybe just a little, given his own sterling tendencies when it came to honesty). But as nice as it would’ve been to have the walking mountain range backing her up, a taser would probably be as much help. And she couldn’t put Davis in danger.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Cadmus Labs was on the trip to Metropolis, sandwiched between a highway and an interstate. She took the interstate, pulled to a stop in a diner parking lot, then took her mountain bike out of the trunk and bicycled through the hike. After fifteen minutes, she could see the lights of the laboratory. She ditched the bike and sneaked up on the fence, pulling her black knit cap down over her face. The outside wasn’t well-lit, so hopefully if there were any cameras, they wouldn’t pick her up if she stayed mostly still. The human eye was drawn to motion, after all.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She belly-crawled to the fence, pulled out a pair of pliers, and made herself a little hole. Then a wider one when she couldn’t fit through the first. Goddamn Ho Hos.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe saw a limousine with LEX III on the license plate. The driver was outside, having a smoke, which meant Lex was probably inside. Chloe crouch-ran to the lab, where she quickly found a backdoor propped-open. Whoever did Lex’s security work was not earning his salary.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The inside was modern but a bit dirty, high-tech but neglected. It was obviously meant to support more people than were currently on staff - Lex was probably going for low-profile instead of high security. An off-the-books operation? Chloe filed it away as she snuck through the hallways. There’d only been one car other than Lex’s in the parking lot, so unless Luthorcorp was getting really strict on car pooling, there was a chance this was all to support one project, one scientist. Hello Doctor Frankenstein.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She took a few more corners, finding unfurnished rooms and echoing corridors. Then she heard voices trickling to her. Pressing herself against the near wall, she sidestepped her way to the door. Lex’s voice slid through the window set in it. Chloe inched her head over to look through it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Repeat to me the exposure rate.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It won’t change anything,” the other man, a black man in a lab coat, said. Chloe recognized him. Steven Hamilton, Smallville’s resident mad scientist. Sensing this was going to be good, Chloe held her tape recorder to the bottom of the door where it could hear their voices more clearly. “Above twenty percent, it’s completely binary. Either you are or you aren’t.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But when?” Chloe had never heard Lex sound frazzled before. It wasn’t a good sound.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Probably during the meteor shower, like everyone else.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Everyone else,” Lex snorted. “Everyone else isn’t a Luthor.” Hamilton evidently started to say something, but Lex cut him off. “Doctor, I am not a meteor freak!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe nearly dropped her tape recorder. Lex Luthor was meteor-infected?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Do you know what this could mean?” Lex demanded. “My brother hunts people like me! Luthorcorp does experiments!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lex, calm down. There’s always the chance that it can be reversed. This is still an-an-an unknown field, we’ve barely scratched the surface.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex ran his hands over his bald head, centering himself. “I’m bringing you on as part of 33.1. Your pay will be tripled. You’ll be my eyes and ears on the inside.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t you already have clearance?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can’t afford to be involved with that. Not anymore. You’ll direct research toward finding a cure.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m sure the victims will be thrilled to hear of your Saul to Paul conversion.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t give me that, Doctor. Where did you think all the data I funneled to you was coming from? Focus on the good you can do. Enlighten your self-interest.” Lex was almost ranting, stumbling from sentence to sentence. “I won’t live my life as-“ He paused, only a half-second. “Circus freak.” His voice was closer to Chloe than before. “Doctor, do you think-?“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe ran for it. The door flew open behind her, Lex standing in the doorway, pulling a cell-phone to his ear. A corner turned, a moment later, she heard footfalls going after her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She pushed through what she thought was a door back outside, found herself in a large dark room, what looked like a lot of hiding spaces. She threw herself into one, the space under a desk. Simple thing, just a thick plank over two file cabinets.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Behind her, the door slammed against the wall. The lights came on with a blinding intensity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“As you may have noticed, you caught me at a bad time,” Lex said, slightly out of breath, but not from the chase. “I haven’t brought my security along. I wanted privacy. Joke’s on me, huh? Joke’s always on me…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A clatter made Chloe jump. He was kicking things over, throwing them around.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But that’s alright! It’s fine, really! If you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe heard a click.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You know what that was just now? That was the sound of the safety being turned off on a Beretta 9MM. And this…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She heard a louder click.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“-is the sound of a round being chambered into that Beretta 9MM. Feel like coming out yet?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Shoes prowled the floor, ratcheting up Chloe’s nerve with each little tap.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s not going to get any easier the longer you wait. I’m not going to calm down. I am calm. I am very calm. You know, I came to this town to start over? But I guess there really aren’t any new beginnings. In the end, your sins always find you out.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His shoes stepped into view, leather, expensive, shined to perfection. Chloe could see her reflection in them. She backed up, crawling out the other side of the desk and then squeezed past an office chair under another desk. Lex’s footfalls rang behind her, circling around her old hiding place.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not really going to hurt you,” Lex said quietly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe backed into something, her wrist feeling something cool and round before it toppled. Shattering glass. She turned around, because even though she should’ve been running she was still Chloe and she had to know what it was, and she wasn’t disappointed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was a flower, but not like any flower she’d seen before. It had petals like a sunflower, but the core wasn’t that friendly little spot of brown. It was more petals, disappearing down like teeth in a shark’s mouth. And it was moving, spreading somehow, then curling inward like a sphincter before spraying her, something that smelled sweet as a candy shop but made her sneeze, just in case Lex needed to know where she was any easier.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But then, why should she be afraid of Lex? Some pampered rich bitch with a gun? He hopped the desk between the two of them and while he was on his dismount she charged him, flat-out kamikazed into him, knocking him back over the desk so he hit the floor in a tangle, taking the keyboard of the computer with him. Chloe tipped the monitor over on him, then picked up the gun.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Someone was rushing the door, but she fired a few rounds at the doorway, stopping when she heard a squeak and quickly retreating footsteps. Then she sashayed out of there, bicycling back the way she came and getting back into her car. She dropped the gun out the window like a piece of litter, then drove off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was too bad she’d stopped her recorder during the chase, but she still had enough to make Lex squirm. Of course, that seemed like a big fat bore at the moment. And she was all tired. She supposed she should get back home and go to sleep.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then in the morning, she could see about arranging some company.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex wiped at the cut on his forehead with a wet cloth, not even noticing if it was making the pain any better. His mind was too busy screeching from side to side, thinking of the cells on Level 33.1, the cool efficiency with which Clark corralled the Kryps like cattle into a slaughterhouse.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hamilton didn’t point out that his cut had already healed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Damage control, doctor,” Lex said, soft as velvet. “I’ll tell Clark. Maybe he’ll side with me over my father. Who knows. Miracles have to happen sometime.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It might not come to that,” Hamilton said. “The intruder was exposed to one of my experiments, the Nicodemus flower.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t recall reading a report on that.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It was a test of Kryptonite radiation. You can’t expect me to experiment on humans.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex looked away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s virtually a narcotic. It infuses the victim with an airborne toxin, which lowers inhibitions to the point of a near-pathological recklessness.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’ll make him easy to find.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It gets better. If not treated, Nicodemus eventually causes the victim to fall into a coma.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And after that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Death.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis fell in behind Pete as he walked to his next class, not able to avoid casting a glance at Eric Summers and his troupe of fawning admirers. Eric was lifting up a blonde with one hand and appearing to enjoy himself immensely. Davis pressed his lips into a thin line and deliberately looked at Pete.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey, have you seen Chloe?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nah, she was AWOL at Geometry.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m gonna call her. Next time you see Miss Lane, you mind asking her if she knows what’s up with her cousin?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Will do.” Then Pete broke off to watch Eric juggle jocks.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis shook his head as he dialed Chloe’s number. She picked up on the fourth ring, said “Yeah?” in a voice still heavy with sleep.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey, I didn’t see you at language arts, so now I’m just checking to see if you’re alright… which you obviously are…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, I just felt like sleeping in.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh. Sorry to wake you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, it’s good that we’re both up. I’d better get to class.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, probably. Never know when there’s gonna be a pop quiz.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Mmm-hmm. What’re you wearing?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis didn’t give the matter any more thought until after gym class. He knew Chloe’s weird phone sex operator thing was probably more attributable to her occasionally crooked sense of humor than a sudden bout of nymphomania. At least, he thought so until she walked into the boys’ locker room.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It wasn’t so much that she was wearing a short skirt and a floral-print tank top that was at least one size too small. It was that no one else was wearing much of anything.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Mmm. Shower-fresh,” Chloe said as she swaggered her way down the rows of lockers, running a finger over the triceps of a particularly beefy football player before she reached Davis.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe, what are you doing here?” Davis asked, keeping a very firm grip on his towel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m a reporter. It’s my job to find out what’s kept under wraps.” With surprising speed, Chloe jerked the front of his towel forward, just enough for her to look down it. “Eep. No wonder you believe in God.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis snatched his towel back against his waist. “Chloe, you really have to get out of here before you get in trouble.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who knows, maybe some trouble will get into me.” She swiped her hand over his bare chest, picking at a dried bit of soap. “You missed a spot. See you later, Davis. Not too much later.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She left to a chorus of catcalls and similar sentiments from those who couldn’t whistle, making the best of what small hips she had. Davis changed quickly and went after her, only having to stop a few times to remember such things as his underwear going on before his pants and that he didn’t wear a medallion.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She was long gone by the time he made it out, his socks a little slimy and his hair still damp, so he circled around to the newspaper office where he found her literally in the arms of another man. And he suddenly understood why the expression stuck, because seeing someone else’s arms looped around her like they owned, like someone else was at all entitled to her, made him want to fill the cold dark space which the Red had departed, fill it with boiling-hot rage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The boy, whoever he was, looked up from his tonsil-dampening to see Davis standing there, head down like a bull about to charge, shoulders heaving, and quickly deduced he had stumbled upon a lovers’ spat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You, bricks, hit,” Davis growled, and the boy ran like a bat out of hell. “Who was that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who cares? Saw him in the hallway, asked him how he felt about hardcore journalism.” She put on a new layer of lipstick and popped her lips. “Course, I could’ve asked you if you hadn’t taken your sweet time getting here.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I was getting dressed,” Davis said, rolling the miniscule strap of Chloe’s top between his fingers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe sidestepped, letting his hooked fingers drag the strap off her shoulder. “Waste of time, if you ask me.” Now behind him, she kicked the door shut with her heel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He blinked. She was still there, the thin tank top still on, with one strap crumpled down her arm and the other just waiting to be plucked, like an errant hair you just wanted to brush away. “You’re acting weird,” he said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Define weird.” She advanced on him. “This town is pretty weird, if you stop to think about it. You’re pretty weird. I’m pretty weird. We’re pretty weird.” She flicked the last shoulder strap just a little off, so that her tank top was clinging to her instead of hanging off her. “I’d like us to be…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Normal?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Right. Proper.” Her arms paused on the sides of his neck, like she was going to wring it, before joining behind his head. “Is it weirder to want something you can’t have or pretend you don’t want something you need?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“There are-“ His lips felt very dry. He wanted to lick them, but the way she was looking at him, it would’ve been like waving a red cape. “I can’t.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It feels like you can,” Chloe grinned as her thigh rubbed against his groin. “C’mon, Davis. How about just a quick taste?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She hopped up, her legs wrapping around his waist, her weight pushing him down on a desk. If he hadn’t braced himself with an arm, Davis would’ve gotten a three-ring binder in a very uncomfortable place.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You don’t know…” he started.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He was drawn to the lines of her neck as she leaned back, almost as if she were offering herself to him. Even more than her breasts, he couldn’t help considering how soft it was, how delicate. He pressed his face to it, close enough to smell her under the perfume she was wearing. It was a good perfume. She was better.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What I want from you…” His teeth grinded against each other. “How you make me feel…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Tell me.” Somehow sensing his desire, she took firm hold of his head and pulled it against her, moving him over her skin and cleavage and throat until he was at the other side of her neck, his breath hitting her flesh in hot bursts of air like steam off a boiler. “Tell me everything.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whoa, looks like you two got here just in time for assembly,” Pete said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis’s eyes snapped open. He pulled himself away from Chloe, her scent, and dropped her on a desk. “Pete, this is…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s cool, doing a little homework on sex ed, but you’d better freeze it before Principle Kwan finds you. He is not happy about your little free love thing in the locker room.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe jutted out her bottom lip as she pulled up her shoulder straps. “Knew we should’ve met up under the bleachers.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Alright, I’ll stall him, Chloe, you get home, get some sleep-alone!” He said before she could contradict him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Right. I’ve got a story to write anyway. Lex Luthor and his dirty little secrets. Helluva scoop. Wish I could print it right here… right now.” Chloe paused, her lips nearly brushing Davis’s. “But for some reason the Torch doesn’t go to press on weekends.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe, no one goes to school on weekends,” Pete said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s right, they’re all...” Chloe shouldered past Davis, “sleeping in.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis wasn’t too worried about Chloe doing anymore “investigative reporting”. He trusted her, and he guessed that all she was doing was some really drastic means of getting his attention (probably Justin’s death having an impact on her too, finally). Still, as soon as he got home from school he gave her a call.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This is my deadline, Davis!” She held the phone to an electric fan. “That is it rushing by!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After that, he called Lois, but first he had a talk with his dad about how he had known Mom was the one. It hadn’t helped much, given how maddeningly vague he had to be about the whole business (and not just sex, but the Red and poor dead Justin), but at least it gave him a retort to his constant worry that things would implode the moment he disturbed the hard-won equilibrium he’d reached with Chloe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The seventh time he called, Lois didn’t even say hello, just “she’s in the shower, she’d done with her article, I’ll tell her you want to see her.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t,” Davis had started to say, but before he could finish Lois had hung up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hey, Lois, you mind if I borrow this?” Chloe said, wearing a shower turban and not much else. She was holding Lois’s old uniform in front of her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois looked at it. “I don’t think it’ll fit.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m going to let it in some before I head out.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And where are we headed?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Kent farm. I need to get a job application to Davis, there’s a position I have that needs filling.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois blinked. “Chloe, was that a double entendre?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah. You wanna come along?” Chloe held the uniform over Lois’s body like she was gauging if it would still fit. “Every guy dreams of two girls at once… and how does the saying go? Incest is best?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whoa,” Lois said, jerking back from Chloe. “When you loosen up, you really loosen up.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s in the blood. And you mind if I borrow Clark later? Maybe Davis is hungry for a Chloe sandwich.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“…are you drunk?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You don’t have to decide right away. I’m sure Davis will be just enough to handle for tonight. Article’s saved on the D: drive, I’d appreciate it if you did the fact-checking.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sure thing,” Lois said as Chloe disappeared upstairs with the uniform in one hand and a sewing kit in the other. “Hey, what makes you think Davis isn’t going to say no?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Because I’m not taking no for an answer.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That evening, Lois had called him to say Chloe would be a little late (“Sewing machine’s acting up, don’t ask, I just said don’t ask, but she’s on her way. You know how to practice safe sex, right?”).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;(Then she’d called him again to say “You have condoms, right? I am not having you knocking up my cuz with your farmboy spooge.”)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis glanced at the condoms, partially concealed under a loose floorboard. He was going to try to gently dissuade Chloe from her sudden mating drive (honest), but it was good to be prepared just in case Chloe… didn’t want to be dissuaded.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;By the time Chloe got to the barn, Davis was half-asleep. It was midnight, and the late shows he was watching to stay awake had devolved into Andy Rooney hawking some kind of snack bar.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Your parents are asleep,” Chloe said, stepping in front of the TV. She wore a trenchcoat that was probably very chic in flasher circles; in fact he thought he recognized it from the Halloween she’d dressed as Samantha Spade. “They’re letting you be up at twelve with a girl. They must really trust you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I try to give them reason to,” Davis yawned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I wonder if they’d be so trusting if they knew I was fucking their baby boy.” Chloe dropped the trenchcoat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis’s eyes feasted. They couldn’t stop anywhere. His gaze moved from her breasts, suddenly so much more there somehow, maybe because of the tightness of her blouse, to her narrow waist to her belly button, exposed along with the rest of her midriff. His stare was briefly interrupted by her skirt, but it was so short it might as well not have been there. He followed her smooth legs down to a pair of incongruous tennis shoes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She spun around, making it worse. Her ass was only just concealed by the hem of her abbreviated skirt. It was a Smallville Crows cheerleading uniform. Brief shorts, short skirt, bared midriff, and a tight vest. Too tight to ever fly on the field. He could see her nipples, flush against the cloth.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s Lois’s,” Chloe said, her indolent slide onto his bed excitingly conflicting with the energetic red uniform. “Fits pretty good, don’t you think?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe, what’s gotten into you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nothing. Hence my dilemma.” She threw off his bedsheet. He’d taken off his shoes and socks but nothing else. He was acutely aware of how his jeans rubbed against his skin as her hands fell on his legs, higher and higher on his body. She was crawling over him, finally kneeling over his thighs as she undid his belt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis could only grit his teeth and wonder if this would break him. If he’d mind being broken.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Chloe, I like you a lot, but this…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What, Davis?” She leaned over him, one hand by his head, supporting her, the other working his pants down. “Give me one good reason I can’t have this.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t want you to get hurt.” He was hard and ready and she was so lovely and he was so busy trying to control himself, not the part of himself that wanted to love her but the part of himself that wanted more from her, that he couldn’t completely ignore the little voice that wondered if it was even worth controlling himself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She hadn’t been joking the last time she spoke and she was dead serious now. “Will I get hurt if we do this?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know. Maybe. It’s a risk.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How big a risk?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was so hard to concentrate with her hand poised just over his groin. Part of him was screaming to just go with it and with all the screaming he couldn’t tell which parts were him anymore and which parts were imposed on him. Maybe Chloe could decide. He hated himself for even thinking of putting that burden on her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How much of a risk?” she repeated. “If you think I can’t choose this unless I know the risks, then how can you deny it to me without letting me know the risks?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He fell flat on his bed, staring up into the darkness of the rafters. “There’s a part of me… you’re going to think this sounds crazy.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Try me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“There’s a part of me that’s completely… instinct. It makes me feel very protective of you. I don’t think I could keep you safe if I didn’t hold back.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So go slow.” She kissed him, hands now tugging at his shirt. “Stay in control.” She shimmied out of her blouse, letting him see the bubble-gum pink of her nipples as Davis reared up, bracing himself against the headboard. “If you can.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis reached down, forcing his fist to spread open before it met her thigh. He moved up until her skirt was covering the back of his hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s okay,” Chloe said, her lips red, almost bruised. “Do it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He pulled on her panties until the hip strap broke, felt the warmth between her legs. Chloe tilted her head against his chest, breathing out as if in relief, hands pursed on his shoulders to hold her up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Keep going,” she breathed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He was gentle with her. More than gentle, skittish, afraid, like his touch might cut into her or shatter her if he moved too fast. It was good, of course it was good, but it wasn’t him. The edges were pared down, the colors were muted… the flavor she’d tasted was gone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe wanted more. And in this strange dream-state, in this adrenaline high that wouldn’t leave her, she could insist on more instead of settling for just short of what she wanted. She could have it all.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She only had to kiss him once, and just long enough for him to feel this was more than affection, more than pleasure, and then she felt him begin to respond. His entire body seemed to snake against her, thrumming with power. They melted down side by side on the bed, Davis’s arm at an awkward angle between her legs, now making vaguely wet sounds when it invaded her. Chloe bit her lip and fumbled with his boxers until she had them down low enough for him to kick them off.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was like his mouth was a black hole, waiting to consume all of her, accepting whatever she had to give like it was nothing compared to his passion. One hand was on her hip, digging in so hard it was actually painful, and the other was pistoning inside her, making her moan and cry out and pant. Just more for him to swallow up as his mouth burnt against hers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His hand came up to brush the hair out of her face, cup her chin, and even though he was still being so hatefully gentle with her, it was still as intense as the fingernails had been as they cut into her thigh. “You’re a virgin, right?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe grinned. “For now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So it’ll hurt,” Davis said, voice flooding with the old doubts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She rolled onto her back and slowly pulled her skirt up until it was lying across her waist. “Hurt me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He moved over her, one leg sweeping over hers and then settling onto the mattress on the other side of her with a portentous squeal of bedsprings. His tongue dragged over her neck, her ear. All she could think about was biology class, phrases like alpha male and prospective mate. Then his tongue dipped into the hollow of her throat, the valley between her breasts and lower, over her stomach, into her belly button.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe stopped him as his chin brushed over her skirt, still absurdly hung around her waist like a tutu. “What are you doing?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I, uh…” Davis’s brow furrowed as he tried to settle on a way to say it. “Cunnilingus?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s not what I want,” Chloe said, urging him back up with a welcoming smile. She felt so free, ready and waiting for whatever he had to give her. “C’mon, Davis. You know as long as you’re giving into temptation, you might as well go all the way and be completely satisfied. So how do you want to play this?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis closed his eyes, then buried his face into the side of her neck like he couldn’t bear to face her. “See that desk over there?” he whispered into her ear. Chloe looked over and saw a writing desk, populated by some notebooks, a row of novels, and pen and paper. “I want to bend you over that desk and do things to you,” he said, unable to stop a growl from coarsening his voice.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Like what kind of things?” Chloe asked, slipping out from under him, playfully backing to the desk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis got out of bed, moving after her. Chloe felt her heart rattle her ribcage as she saw him naked, hard, weirdly inhuman with the moonlight hitting him. Like he wasn’t part of her world at all. “I want to… mark you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“With your teeth, I suppose?” Chloe said, letting him catch up to her, taking his outstretched hand and digging her teeth into his wrist. His sigh as she dragged at his flesh sounded deafening in the empty night.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her fingernails scratched over his chest, his abs, his groin. “And with your fingernails?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe swept everything off the desk with an orgasmic clatter. “Sounds fun.” She got up, shimmied out of her skirt, and bent over the desk. Then she laid back, splaying herself over it. “Whatever you need from me, take it. Take it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He took hold of her by the shoulders, his hands damp and shaking now, and slowly turned her over. Then, more firmly, less in control, he pushed her down against the desk. Her nipples thrummed as they rubbed against the pitted wood of the desk, stained and frayed from years of use.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She felt his fingernails flaying her back, carving scarlet lines down the curve of her spine and making her whimper. When he reached her buttocks, his hands rubbing down their curve, then between her legs, she reared up. A hand was instantly at her throat, the back of it, forcing her head down. The side of her face met the wood and stayed there. His cock brushed against the back of her thigh as he moved in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“God, you smell good.” His voice made her jump with how close it was, stirring her hair with its passage. He spread her legs, fingers still trembling with barely restrained force, then again tore his fingernails down her flank. She cried out as welts rose up and the hand came away from her neck, now moving her hair to one side. “Teeth now,” he warned, and she braced herself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They sunk into her exposed neck, slowly, like he was biting down on a strawberry-savoring it. She writhed; she’d never felt anything like this before. It wasn’t a hickey and it wasn’t a love bite, but a prolonged… branding. Like he wouldn’t stop until blood welled up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe reached back and was able to feel the muscles of his back, corded with tension layered upon tension, shaking now as he broke the skin. Blood trickled down over her collarbone and onto her breast, the desk. His cock slid over her ass, sticky and scalding-hot. Now he forced her head back, to turn, and kissed her, sharing the iron taste of her blood. He let her up, his hands now between them as he guided his cock inside her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Harder,” she groaned.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis lost it. It was like the Red, only the thought of fighting its rise never even occurred to him. Like an animal he fell upon her, burying his face between her shoulder blades as he thrust into her. Her hands white-knuckled the edges of the desk and her mouth hung open, a formless noise of appreciation occasionally escaping, but he didn’t notice, couldn’t focus, his world had tightened to the feel of Chloe under him. It expanded in gasping increments, letting him feel the smallest of details. The sweat trickling over the small of his back and the smell of Chloe’s arousal, thick as anything, and the sound of her teeth gnashing as she bit down on her forearm to keep from screaming.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis didn’t know how long he was lost in Chloe, but she did. She gasped and heaved and slammed herself back against him, finally felt him stiffen against her and realized he was going to come inside her. His hands were on her ass, her hips, clenched tightly enough to make her find vivid red marks on her flesh the next time she showered, and she begged for more, for him, until her mouth was wide open and she was making a noise, a hysterical, desperate noise, and Davis returned to himself, his fingers tangled in her hair and his woman cooing as she sagged against the desk. Blinking, so relaxed it felt like his body was shutting down, he stepped away from her and out of her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe stirred to her feet, her hair sticking up wildly, parts of her face still shining with wetness. Her breasts heaved when she breathed, deep lungfuls of relief and contentment.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Tell me you liked that,” Davis said uncertainly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Cupping the back of his neck so she could force him to bend down and present his mouth, she showed him how much she liked it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Move over, I wanna get my snuggle on,” Chloe said after they had broken their long embrace and wandered to the bed, a little excited and a little embarrassed and mainly relieved that whatever they had tried to accomplish or prove, it had worked. She curled up against him and pulled the covers over them, finally bare skin against bare skin, feeling him cool down.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Your heart’s going a mile-a-minute…” Chloe observed, still rubbing the sweat-slick plains of his chest with a lazy interest. She sat up, working a kink out of her neck. “Not bad, Kent. I wouldn’t want it to be like that all the time, but every now and then… on special occasions… Goddamn, it felt like I was a ragdoll!” she murmured excitedly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis wiped his mouth with the back of his fingers. His knuckles came away red. “I didn’t scare you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Giving up the exploration of his chest to sag against him, arms around his neck, she said “I know you’d never hurt me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis woke up reaching for Chloe. She wasn’t there. He swung out of bed, feet coming down by small specks of red. Rose petals? He looked closer. Blood.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Grabbing a two by four, he followed the trail, breath puffing out maddened ghosts. No. No, no, no! He went down the stairs, following bloodstains that grew to the size of handprints, like someone was beating at the floor, trying to get out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He found Chloe under the hayloft, torso hung like a bale of hay. Her legs were lost in a pool of red. He vomited, the sight of her blood-darkened hair covering her breasts searing into his mind.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When he looked up, Eric stood over him, his blue suit stained with blood. A slender dagger hung from his hand. “What did you think would happen?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A rooster crowed and Davis jerked up, barely recognizing his own body in the glaze of sweat and the feverish heartbeat. He reached out and touched Chloe, lying next to him, barely warmed by the dawning sun.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I think I have a few issues.” He nudged Chloe. “Wake up, we need to get dressed. I think I can convince Ma and Pa that we were up all night studying, since we’re us, but it’d probably help if we had pants on.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe didn’t budge. Davis gave her a harder tap. “C’mon, it’s Saturday. You can nap at home.” Chloe wasn’t moving. Davis pinched her as hard as he could. Her eyes wouldn’t open.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis made a B-line for his car keys.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Five minutes after the half-dressed boy had burst into Smallville General with a naked girl wrapped in bedsheets and screamed for help, Chloe Sullivan was being examined by the ER staff. Davis was on the phone to Lex’s private number. “I woke up, she didn’t. What if it was something in me, Lex, what if it was a virus?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I find it notoriously difficult to catch an STD while saying prayers and taking vitamins. I’ll have my personal doctor examine her. In the meantime, you get dressed and don’t answer any questions until I get there.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re coming down here?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What kind of friend would I be if I weren’t there for you in your hour of need?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Although it went against every fiber of his being, Davis walked out of the waiting room and went to the nearest clothing store, where he bought the first shirt that fit him and ran back. By the time he’d gotten there, so had Lex.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I had a talk with the residents about doctor-patient confidentiality. Nothing embarrassing will come to light about Chloe, I assure you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is she gonna be okay?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex gestured for Davis to sit, then took a seat across from him. “The hospital has no idea what’s wrong with her, but when Dr. Hamilton examined her he found symptoms identical to those caused by one of my company’s experiments. A classified experiment.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis had had his head in his hands. Now he looked up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is there something you’d like to tell me, Davis?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I told you everything I know. You really think I would hold back with Chloe’s life on the line?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t know.” Lex met Davis’s stare inch for inch. “Sometimes it’s like I hardly know you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A doctor came up to them, breaking the tension with four simple words: “Miss Sullivan is awake.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis bolted up to make for Chloe’s room, but Lex grabbed his hand. “As you can see, we have a cure for the Nicodemus toxin. Give Chloe my love.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis waited until Lex had let go of his hand to walk away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And just so you know, the chief symptom of Nicodemus is a total loss of inhibitions. But she’s back to normal now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The nurses had put Chloe in a hospital gown, for which Davis was eternally grateful. He walked in to find Chloe already sitting on the side of her bed, getting ready to walk. She took one look at him and burst into laughter.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked down. He was wearing a Menudo T-shirt. “Only thing they had in my size.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who knows. Nostalgia is big nowadays. Maybe it’ll come back in fashion.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis sat down next to her, facing away from her before he forced himself to look into her eyes. “How much do you remember about last night?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“After the sex, you mean?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis nodded, looked straight ahead. “That answers that. Listen, Lex told me you were exposed to an experiment of his. Nicodemus?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, no… wait, the flower?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I guess so. He said it-“ Davis stood up, didn’t turn around, “removes inhibitions. Like a roofie.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“And you think that’s why we had sex,” Chloe realized, rubbing the bandage on her neck. Under it was a bite mark.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Can you think of a better reason?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Standing up, Chloe turned Davis around. ”Because I love you, and you love me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Those things are not what people in love do!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Obviously, they are. I knew what I was doing, I did it, and I enjoyed it. The only thing I’m ashamed of is that it took some drug to make me admit what I wanted.” Chloe sat back down, holding her head. “Whoa, dizzy. Not my best idea ever.” She looked up at him. “I’m not some fair maiden. I have wants and desires and fantasies, just like you. I’m not ashamed of it. Maybe you should stop being ashamed for me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You wanted me to do… that to you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I wanted you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So…” Davis craned his head to the side after a long moment. “We’re good.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe smiled. “Yeah. We’re so good.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The door swung open with the metallic sound of a public building. Gabe Sullivan stood in the doorway. “Hi Chloe. How’re you feeling?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe was a better liar than Davis gave her credit for. She spun a story about a Red Eyes sighting at the Kent farm, how she’d fallen asleep halfway through and Davis had brought her inside. When the Kents arrived, Davis repeated the story to them, careful not to embellish. He noted that Chloe shied away from explaining her illness.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While Martha talked with Chloe and Gabe filled out paperwork, Davis slipped out to get them all coffee. When he came back, Gabe was waiting outside his daughter’s hospital room.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, I’m not going to be one of those sitcom overprotective dads who’ll make their little girl wear a purity ring. It’s obvious you care for Chloe a lot. But I have a shotgun and I work with fertilizer. Don’t fuck with me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes, sir.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So what was it really?” Lois asked, once she’d gotten Davis alone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“She was exposed to a Luthorcorp experiment,” Davis said as gently as he could. “Lex gave her the cure,” he added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois gritted her teeth. “Son of a bitch…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis grabbed her upper arms, as if to stop her from running off and punching Lex Luthor out. “Hold it right there. We don’t know what happened. Let’s hear it from Chloe before we go off half-cocked.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Isn’t it obvious? This was a warning shot.” Lois ripped free of him, arms crossing into tight lines, voice raised as she stomped down the hall. “He makes her sick, then he cures her. Well, I won’t be intimidated by this bullshit!” When she turned around, Davis was right there, his eyes as fiery as hers. “I’m dropping the bomb on the Luthors.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis couldn’t seem to decide whether to encourage her or warn her off, so he simply said “You’re dating a Luthor.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah?” The fire that’d been burning in Lois’s belly guttered. She looked down, planting her hands on her hips, and when she spoke her voice was so low it might’ve been Chloe’s. “Maybe I shouldn’t be.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Do you believe him?” Gina asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex played the tape again, watched Bob Rickman die again. “Belief requires trust. Why should I trust anyone?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What about Chloe? What we do something about her?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex paused the tape. Watched the fear in Rickman’s eyes. “Nothing. Davis loves her.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He pressed play again. Watched Davis’s face as he killed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“If he wants to play the hero, let him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex had thought of everything. When it came time for the hospital to return the patient’s clothes, Lex had already bought the clothes that she had ‘been brought in wearing.’ Chloe colored a little when she realized that although the outerwear was off-the-rack Sears, the underwear was top-of-the-line French lingerie. She didn’t tell Davis, though. There were better ways for him to find out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And pretending to be charmed by Lex would make squashing him a lot more satisfying.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You two make a cute couple,” Gabe said as she and Davis walked out of the hospital, arm in arm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I know,” Chloe said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“In here?” Eric asked the Red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He waited.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Went inside the Talon. Sia’s “Buttons” was playing on the stereo, Lana singing along as she mopped up. Eric watched her. The Red watched her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She saw him. Jerked back, face tightening for an instant. “Oh, you scared me. I didn’t see you come in. Eric, right?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s right.” He shut the door behind him, walked down off the landing. “But what’s in a name, huh?” He stared into her. “A rose by any other name…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Aww, you’re too kind.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I was.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She took a chair off a table and set it down for him. “Sit down, I’ll get you a latte. First one’s always on the house.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric rested his hands on the chair’s back. “As I said, I was too kind. But then I learned that nice guys finish last. If you see something you want, you can’t wait for someone to give it to you. You have to take it.” He took off his glasses. “Like you did, Tina.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She dropped the coffee cup she’d been filling for Eric. “That’s not my name.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It was. Until you killed Lana. And stole her life. See, I’ve got a new best friend, and he told me all about what you did, yes he did, yes he did. The Red, it whispers things to me.” Eric walked past the chair she’d set out. “You killed your mother.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lana backed up. “It was an accident! And Lana, you have no idea how much I regret that. I wasn’t thinking straight, my mother had just died, and I panicked. I’ve spent every day since then praying for forgiveness and trying to atone for what I did.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not good enough.” He hopped the counter like an animal. “There’s no forgiveness for people like you. No second chances. No redemption.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tina backed into the espresso machine, reverting to her natural form. “Please, don’t kill me! I’ll go to the police, I’ll tell them everything! I have been… so awesome! I’ve been a great friend, a great girlfriend, ask anyone, they’ll tell you Lana Lang is the nicest girl in school! I’ve changed!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You have?” Eric said whimsically. “Then can you change again? Do you take requests?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I could… I can be anyone.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Do you know Holly?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She did.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric ran a hand over her cheek, Holly’s cheek. “Amazing. Just like I imagined.” He took his hand away. “Say you love me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I love you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He walked around her, eyeing her from every angle like a prize filly. “Say you want me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I want you.” Her voice didn’t tremble as his hand reached under her skirt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You look like her. And you sound like her.” Eric watched how Holly’s face contorted under his fingers. He’d always wondered how it would look… “Now let’s see if you pass the taste test.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Things were so easy after Chloe got out of the hospital. All traces of guilt fled Davis when he saw how Chloe smiled at him, without an inkling of accusation or regret. It was like they’d walked out of a minefield and onto safe ground, comfortable and well-worn. They hadn’t slept together since the night at the bar, but when he touched her, his hands didn’t stop at her waist or bra and she didn’t want them to.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On Sunday they went to see Spider-Man, Davis in his Sunday suit, jacket still in the car, collar popping up without a tie. Chloe giggled when she smoothed it down, like it was a running joke. They sat next to each other in the back-row, a bucket of popcorn on his lap and a cup of soda between them, the big plastic kind that cost more but came with as many refills as you liked. Sometimes Davis would put his hand under Chloe’s skirt, just squeezing her upper thigh in casual intimacy, and sometimes Chloe would put her foot up on Davis’s lap and let him rub it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Only once did he think of the Red. Someone in the front row laughed with the braying superiority of Eric and it made Davis tense up, flashing on Justin’s mangled body. No, that wasn’t his problem anymore, that wasn’t even a problem. He could handle Eric, he could steer him back on course. He had to. What else could he do about it?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It wasn’t like he had been a hundred percent sure about Justin. Maybe Gaines would’ve gone bad. Maybe Chloe would’ve gotten hurt. He didn’t know. He couldn’t know.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe picked his arm up and looped it over her shoulders, throwing in a fake yawn as she snuggled closer to him. Davis smiled and ran a hand through her hair. This was nice. This was worth it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After the movie they filed out, losing themselves in the excited murmur of the crowd. Chloe leaned under Davis’s right arm, her hand in his left pocket. “Enjoy the show?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It was a little clichéd, don’t you think?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Clichéd? He didn’t get the girl at the end. How is that clichéd?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis guided them out one of the backdoors, avoiding the log-jam by the front doors. “If they really didn’t want to be clichéd, her name would have been Gwen Stacy and she would’ve died at the end.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe knuckled him lightly in the kidney. “That’s for being a nerd who supports sexist storytelling tropes.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Keep doing that, makes me feel invincible.” Davis squeezed Chloe tighter to his side as they walked past the dumpster that was the alley’s only other occupant. “I don’t know, it just seemed to do everything you’d expect to see in a superhero story. He got his powers, he used them to get back at his tormentors, he got the girl, he fought the bad guy… anyone could’ve come up with that story. And they probably would’ve had a better Green Goblin costume.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Well, I had a good time.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then that makes it all worth it. That, and the M&amp;Ms I snuck in.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They pricked his ears in a way he could never explain. Five of them, coming from behind. Davis automatically shifted himself between them and Chloe. They were big guys, all of them, the smallest about 5’9. Leathers, muscles, tats. One of them had a nose ring like a pig.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nice night for a walk,” one of them said, the one in tattered jeans.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Definitely,” Davis said, slowly backing up, covering Chloe as she picked up on his cue and stayed behind him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Raises thoughts of… enterprise, in a young go-getter’s soul.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis took out his wallet, slowly. Pulled a stack of tens from the billfold, calmly dropped it on the ground. Kept backing up. “All I got.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not everything you got,” another one said, this one in an Army jacket full of brass chains. He looked past Davis at Chloe. Gave her a smile full of rotten teeth.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Someone with the sleeves torn off his shirt took out a rattling length of chain and rotated it with a heavy whistling sound. Whiss, whiss, whiss…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe took out her taser. Davis didn’t dare glance back, but he was pretty sure the mouth of the alley was forty yards away. Or was it fifty? If they just kept backing up, if they just got close enough to the street…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But then, it was pretty dark, and he hadn’t seen a headlight sweep by in a while. Smallville always did roll its sidewalks up when American Idol came on. The gang members were bathed in shadow, making it hard to keep them straight. Like they were just silhouettes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We don’t want any trouble,” Davis said, which was what he’d heard in an old TV show.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Won’t be any trouble. For us. Or you, if you step aside.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not happening,” Davis said, still very calm. His hands didn’t shake.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Still no trouble,” the leader said as his wingman flipped out a butterfly knife. “Dukes, take him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dukes lunged forward, blade catching the light with blinding glare. Davis didn’t try to avoid it. He knew you couldn’t ward off a knife with bare hands. He just cocked a fist and swung. Dukes ran right into it; as his knife sunk into Davis’s gut, Davis’s fist imploded his nose. His momentum, plus Davis’s Sunday punch. It sent him to the ground, face red and gooey. Davis stomped on his groin for good measure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Second guy came in, swinging the chain at him. A few feet of it, at least. More than enough to do real damage. Davis caught it with his fist, knuckles flaming with pain, then backhanded it into a thug that’d been flanking him. It landed in his throat, and Davis heard something break. The man he’d taken the chain away from stood there dumbly, as if he couldn’t grasp why his hands were empty. Davis swung the chain like a whip, snaking it around his throat and then yanking him to the ground so hard his scalp split on the concrete.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Drop it!” the leader said. In the confusion, he’d slipped past Davis. Put his hands on Chloe. He had her in a chokehold. Beside them, the fourth thug was twitching on the ground. Chloe’s taser had fallen next to him. “One wrong move and I’ll turn her spine into a pretzel, swear to fucking God!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis dropped the chain. When it hit the ground, it didn’t break like a rosary would.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Alright. You just stay there,” the man said. He was sweating copiously. He pulled a cell phone from his pocket, hit speed-dial. He was making his way backward, like Davis had been doing a few moments ago. “My boy’s gonna bring the car around. Me and blondie are gonna go for a little ride. You, you might wanna call 911, get that thing looked at.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This?” Davis asked, as he pulled the knife out of his stomach. It didn’t hurt. Nothing hurt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Someone picked up on the other end of the man’s phone, but he didn’t notice. “What the fuck?” He tightened his arm around Chloe’s neck. Put the phone to his ear. “Come get me. I know, come get me!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis spun the knife in his fingers, feeling the heft, the weight, the contours. Blood was moving down the front of his shirt and over his belt buckle. He took a step forward.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Hey! Hey! Stay back! I’m warning you!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis took another step. And another. The knife danced between his fingers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What the fuck are you doing? You think I won’t do it! I will fucking end her!” The man stopped moving to put a hand on Chloe’s chin, like a commando about to break someone’s neck.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis…” Chloe pleaded.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis took one last step and stopped, taking a deep breath.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They weren’t that far apart anymore.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Strip darts,” he said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He threw the knife.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It hung in the air, Davis watching it grimly, Chloe instinctively shying out of its path, the man’s eyes just growing wide as it got closer and closer and closer. Then it hit. The blade sunk into his forehead, right through the bridge of his nose, right down to the hilt. The man stood there. His eyes looked redder.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He fell down.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not looking back, Chloe ran to Davis. “You’re bleeding!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah,” Davis said, pressing a hand against his wound to staunch the bleeding. “I do that when I get stabbed. It’s a habit of mine.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe had her cell phone out, was dialing 911, was saying a lot of helpful things that Davis couldn’t hear.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Just so you know, I had a really lovely evening,” Davis said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex was picking petals off a flower one by one, his brow furrowed as if he were pronouncing love or hate with each one. Loves me, loves me not…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis tried to sit up. His stomach hurt. It was a good hurt, an honest hurt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Oh, you’re awake.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis recognized the room he was in. It had been Chloe’s. Or, Chloe’s had been like his. It was a hospital. They probably prided themselves on how all the rooms looked alike.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is Chloe alright?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex turned back to Davis. He wore a long dark coat over a silk shirt, purple. “She’s fine. Sleeping. They had to drag her out of here.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”How long have I been out?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“A little over a day. They had to give you surgery. That knife cut some organs on its way out.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis pulled down his sheets. A few inches over his boxers, a bandage covered his stomach. “It was worth it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex turned back around, picked up an extravagant basket of flowers that he now set by Davis’s bed, next to the call button. “Every hack author I’ve read talks about the hospital smell, so I thought I’d substitute something more pleasant.” He picked a white rose from the arrangement, smelled it. “I remember as a child, I was so confused how something beautiful could hurt to touch.” He lowered the flower from his nose. “I’m not confused anymore.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis looked around some more. There were some Get Well Soon cards, signed by friends and family. He picked one up to see a picture of a woman in a star-spangled bikini. It read ‘get well soon so you can come back and play.’ It was signed by Lois. She meant well.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Who were those guys?” Davis asked, assuming Lex would know.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Intergang members from Metropolis. They were hiding out in Smallville. Probably would’ve passed right through if you hadn’t stood up to them. You’re a hero.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Pull the other one,” Davis mumbled.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s funny, but sometimes it takes something like this to remind you how fleeting life is.” Lex walked to the foot of Davis’s bed, idly rotating the flower in his hand. “If you’d died, it wouldn’t have been as my friend. So even if this isn’t anything like the right time or place, I’d like to say I’m sorry for earlier. I was out of line in distrusting you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s alright. I haven’t been the greatest friend either.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Maybe in the future we’ll be wise enough to stop petty grievances from coming between us.” Lex slotted his hands into his coat pockets. “I’ll phone Chloe to tell her you’re up. If you need anything, just ask.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m fine.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis laid back and breathed in the scent of the flowers for a few minutes. A nurse came in to take his temperature and ask him how he was feeling; she wrote his answers down and hung the chart at the foot of his bed. A few minutes after that, his parents walked in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jonathan was bursting with false cheer; Martha was more subdued. They told him Lex was paying for his treatment. Davis didn’t tell him that he didn’t know if the one with the torn sleeves had survived, didn’t even care anymore. He thought he’d come so far.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Martha said they should leave, to let him get some rest, and Davis didn’t argue. When he was alone, he peeled down the bandage on his stomach. The hole in him was jagged, red stitched with green sutures. He touched it once. Felt cold.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe came in. She was holding Lex’s rose. Her eyes were red and puffy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Something wrong?” he asked her, pulling the sheets up to his chest.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She took a moment, rolling her head as if to indicate everything. “You’re okay. That’s enough.” She took a step closer, the door shutting behind her. “How’re you?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’ve had worse.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe laughed small. “Funny.” She sat down on one of the chairs his parents had used, hands still pursed together, fidgeting. “The doctors say they’ve never seen anyone heal so fast.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Guess I have a lot to live for.” Davis forced a smile for her. He couldn’t let this slip away. Not her. He couldn’t lose her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe nodded like she had something stuck in her throat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s dead, isn’t he? The one who threatened you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes,” Chloe said, thinking of a million ways to make it better, to tell him the cops wouldn’t be arresting him, to tell him he did the right thing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Good.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was just a word, but it sounded so final. Chloe told herself he didn’t mean it. She knew how this went, how guilty he would feel about saying that, thinking it, later on.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Do you need anything?” she asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis reached out. She took his hand and he inexorably pulled her next to him, scooting back across the bed to make room for her until she was lying next to him, her hair spilling across the same pillow.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The important thing is you’re okay. We’re okay.” She didn’t let go of his hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Of course I’m okay. I’m always… okay.” He looked away, like he had found something in the nothingness to stare at. “Good is out of the question, but I can be okay… I still remember the way you looked at me that time. Like I was a hero. I didn’t deserve that.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Would you like to be alone?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No, Chloe, but I don’t think it’s up to me. I live. I always live. I thought that was a blessing, but it was a prison sentence. Like Cain, I have to live with what I’ve done.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It was him or me, Davis. I’m glad you chose me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It wasn’t the first time I killed someone,” Davis said. His head rotated to look at her. “It wasn’t even the first time I killed someone by throwing a knife.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe was locked there, a dead weight next to him. Her hands were pinned to his like she was trying to squeeze the truth out of him. “I know. Harry Volk…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No!” Davis’s face flashed with sudden pain, sudden tears. “I killed them. All of them. Greg Arkin, Sean Kelvin, Bob Rickman… there were others.” He rolled closer to her, saw her shy away. “Earl Jenkins. I murdered Earl.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No. I don’t believe you.” Chloe couldn’t stop shaking her head. “You’re delusional, it’s all in your head.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I was possessed by a demon. Or an angel. Is there a difference? Something fallen.” The memories raged inside Davis, forcing their way out. He couldn’t stop. He never could. “It gave me these powers and I used them to hunt the demons. I thought they were demons. I don’t know anymore. I started out trying to protect people, but there was this thing in me. I called it the Red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It made me-” He winced as he remembered the blood. There had been so much blood. “It used me. But I got rid of it. On the field trip, I was struck by lightning. And it went into Eric.” The violent march of his memories stopped. He lingered on Eric, quietly, mournfully. All that hope, gone. “I tried to guide Eric down the right path, but he wouldn’t listen. And now I’m here, because the Red changed me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Even now that it’s gone, it still lingers. I can hear things and see things that you…” He closed his eyes, tried to forget that knife floating through the air. “I know how to hurt people. I tried to do the right thing. I tried…” he reached for her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She reared back, falling out of the bed, lying on the floor. “Is this some kind of joke? Chloe Sullivan, catnip for serial killers?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s the truth, Chloe. The gospel truth.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe got up slowly, pulling herself up on the back of a chair. Even when she was standing, she didn’t let go of it. Her fingers had white knuckles. “You need to rest. You need to get some sleep, Davis, right now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Stay away from Eric. I don’t think he can control the Red, not like I could.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe let go of the chair. Backed away. “Go to sleep, Davis.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She closed the door behind her.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis lay there, letting thoughts wash over him like a rising tide. He couldn’t draw his mind away from the fight, the blood and the terror and the knife spinning through the air. He was a killer. He would never be anything but a killer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But he wasn’t the only one. Intergang mobsters, holing up in Smallville. Why would they take the risk of mugging someone? Why were they there?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He reached for the flowers. He had to lean over to get them, stitching lightning into his wound. Once he had pulled it closer, he carefully drew back each petal and every stem.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The microphone was black, like the first spot of mold on rotting food.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You’re a real shitty friend, Lex.” Davis crushed the microphone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’d set it up. He knew everything.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric watched Holly as she ate with her friends, gossiping and laughing. He would so like to tell her how beautiful she was, how perfect she was, but he couldn’t think of a way to keep his praise from sounding creepy. Why’d girls have to make it so difficult, dressing like sluts and then whining whenever men looked, as if they didn’t want men to look, goddamn hypocrites…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Holly, would you like to get some coffee sometime?” he asked, but it came out as a squeak. And she was twenty feet away anyway.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric walked closer, a few steps, then leaned against the wall. He could hear what she was saying if he strained.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She was talking about how Lex Luthor had run the Luthorcorp plant into the ground, and now it turned out he was some kind of meteor freak. Eric looked at a newspaper machine, the headline screaming out Luthor’s secret, as Holly wished someone would do something about that freak.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric smiled, his eyes the lightest shade of red.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I need you to help me with some grave-digging,” Chloe said without preamble as soon as Lois answered her phone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois was at least grateful for the break from contemplating the newspaper headlines she had caused by sending out Chloe’s story. Mutually assured destruction-it sounded a lot better before everything was destroyed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Is that some reporter metaphor?” she asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Grab a shovel and meet me at the graveyard.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe hung up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thought became action very quickly for Davis. It was like the Red had never left. Damage control. He needed to find out who Lex had told about this. Then he had to stop him from telling anyone else.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To do that, he needed to find Lex. To do that, he needed to get out of this bed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It felt like he was splitting in half when he sat up. The crack of thunder at the same time made him wonder about his spine. He swung his legs out and already the pain abated. When he walked, the hurt quickly settled into a pattern he could live with.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Next on the agenda: Clothes. Transportation. A paramedic would do for both. Grabbing a robe from the dresser and wrapping it around himself, he ventured out and asked the first nurse he saw where the ambulances were, his little brother had said he was going to check them out. The nurse smiled politely and gave him directions, then hurried along at the sound of the next thunderclap. Davis wondered how hospitals got ready for tornadoes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The ambulance bay was empty except for one EMT playing solitaire. Davis caught him in a chokehold just long enough for him to still be breathing when he was let go&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis moved fast and precise. In forty seconds, he was wearing the paramedic’s uniform. Blue shirt, black pants, dark jacket. Good fit too. “Hope you don’t mind me driving,” Davis said, swiping his keys. “I only have a learner’s permit.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There was one perk to the stormy weather currently painting the sky black like spilled pain. The cemetery caretaker was long gone, the steel gate swinging in the wind. Chloe bypassed the parking lot and parked her Bug right outside it, then held the gate open while she and Lois stepped through.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois carried the shovels.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“So, are we here for one grave in particular or will anyone who’s been recently hung do?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Here,” Chloe said, stopping in front of a grave so new the flowers on it were just wilting. The headstone read ‘Robert Rickman.’&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Bob Rickman?” Lois said. “The businessman?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe took a shovel from her. “Start digging.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They got to work, as thunder rumbled above them like the sky was breaking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What a filthy job,” Lois griped, tossing off another shovelful of dirt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Could be worse,” Chloe replied tersely.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“How?“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Could be raining.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With another, still louder crack of thunder, the rainfall began.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Okay, that’s it.” Lois tossed her shovel aside. “Why the hell are we digging up a perfectly good grave?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe’s shovel hit wood. “Because I need to know the truth.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;She knelt down and scrubbed the muddy dirt off the coffin with her bare hands, until she could open it up. Bob Rickman’s skull leered up at them, the rainwater immediately chiseling at it. Chloe looked at it, shoulders heaving like she was crying.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What did you expect to find?” Lois asked from outside the pit.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I don’t…” A trickle of green water ran past the skull. “Know.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe scrambled up, whirling around to clear off the rest of the coffin. She practically ripped the bottom half of the lid open. Reached in and scooped up a handful of the dust Bob Rickman had returned to.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What she let run through her fingers was glowing green.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Meteor rocks,” Lois said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He was trying to save us.” Chloe let the rain wash her hands clean. “He was trying to protect me.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lightning exploded in epic contrast to Chloe’s quiet realization. All the puzzle pieces fitting together, slotting into place, the picture finally coming into focus. And in the flash of blue light, she saw something else.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois turned around, not fast enough, as sleet flew away from Clark’s speeding passage. He grabbed Lois by the lapels and held her over the open grave. “You!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lois!” Chloe screamed again, but she and Clark might as well have been on different worlds.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You ruined everything!” Clark gritted out, rain washing over his face in thick torrents. “I loved you and you stabbed me in the heart!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not you, Lex! He poisoned Chloe!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Chloe?” In another sky-splitting thunderbolt, Clark saw the blonde. Muddy water lapped at her feet. “You… goddamn idiot. He didn’t poison Chloe. He spared her. He could’ve had her arrested for trespassing on his property, but he didn’t! You have no idea how much Lex has done for you, for everyone! He’s helped so much!” He shook Lois. “This town is being overrun by monsters and he helped me turn the tide! We had it all under control, and now Smallville is going straight to hell!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Monsters?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark dropped Lois to focus on Chloe. “Yes, Miss Sullivan. Monsters. Like your friend Bob down there. They’re real. We’ve been keeping them in check, no thanks to you. Bad enough you helped Greg Arkin get away from us-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”Arkin? The commandoes?” Lois said, wiping her hair out of her eyes. “That was you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He turned on her, throwing off rainwater. “Yes, Lois! Try to keep up!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A shovel crashed into the back of Clark’s head. Chloe had climbed out of the grave.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark turned around. “It runs in the family, Miss Sullivan.” He snatched the shovel from her and crushed the spade into tin foil.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You.” Chloe backed up, fell on her ass in the mud. “That strength… you killed Justin!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m not a killer!” Clark threw the shovel away. “I capture them, humanely! I’m like a… a dog-catcher!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But if it wasn’t you…” Chloe remembered Davis’s ranting confession, and the last puzzle piece clicked into place. “Eric Summers. He’s killing the meteor freaks.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lightning boomed once more, drowning out Clark’s whispered “Lex.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He ran, leaving a brief empty space in the rain that disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was bad outside, dark during day like a curtain had been drawn across the sun. Winds howled like banshees and Davis saw quite a few station wagons and minivans, loaded down with both luggage and family, headed out of town. One by one, the traffic lights stopped cycling and just flashed red. At one of the last, Davis figured out the ambulance’s siren. He drove to Lex’s mansion, never taking his foot off the pedal.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The mansion was obviously only being run by a skeleton crew. The parking lot, usually full of anonymous black sedans, was now a ghost town. It made for good parking. Davis imagined even Lex didn’t have enough money to hire employees who’d weather a tornado for him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the remaining bodyguards stopped him at the door. “No visitors.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“There’s a man hemorrhaging inside! Let me through or your boss will have a lawsuit on his hands that’ll eat up to his elbows!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The guard reached for his earpiece and Davis swung, the tire iron secured with medical tape inside his jacket sleeve ending it quick. Davis stepped over the comatose form and didn’t close the door behind him, letting the storm in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Hail joined the rain, growing so loud it sounded like the mansion was just a toybox being violently shaken. Davis walked into an argument between Lex and his father, something about Lex trying to buy out the plant. When Lex saw Davis he broke off in mid-sentence, the blood draining from his face. Lionel turned to see what had agitated his son.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Mr. Luthor,” Davis said. “Can Lex come out to play?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Father, could you give us a minute?” Lex said, regaining his composure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis just stared at him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I can see why you want to stay here,” Lionel said to Lex. “The town has welcomed you with open arms.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That wasn’t a request.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lionel grandly strolled out, eyeing Davis as he passed him. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,” Lionel purred. He didn’t look back, though.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis slammed the door in a shocking burst of violence. “I thought you were my friend,” he gritted out. “Why?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex walked around the room like a captain saying goodbye to a sinking ship. “It’s complicated.” He settled behind his desk. “I trust you’re familiar with the story of Cain and Abel.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The first murderer. The first victim.” Davis nodded. “I know it.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Did you ever wonder why Cain’s sacrifices weren’t as good as Abel’s?” Lex leaned forward, into the rain-shadowed light from the window. “He knew God didn’t deserve the sacrifice.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis grabbed Lex by his tie and hauled him across the desk. “Who else knows!?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Just you and me. I thought it best it stay between friends.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Then what’s to stop me from ripping your head off like a weed?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex put his hands around Davis’s wrist, lowering it. “Because I learned from Phelan’s example.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Phelan?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He put me on your trail. Or his last will and testament did. Now if anything happens to me, your secret goes out to every concerned party in the fifty states, starting with your parents.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Slowly, Davis responded to the subtle pressure of Lex’s hands. He released Lex. “So what’s your game?” he asked, disgusted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Nothing.” Lex leaned back, adjusting his suit. “I’m going to destroy all the evidence of your extracurricular activities. A sign of good faith. We’re on the same side, Davis. It’s time we pool our resources.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m nowhere near your side.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“One day you’ll look back at your naiveté and laugh. You’re fighting a war. On the battlefield, there are no neutral parties. Everyone takes a side.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Not me. I’m retired.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex stood up as hail struck the mansion like a castle under siege. “Did you think you were the only one who knew about Kryps? My father knew. He’s known since the meteor shower.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis cocked his head. “Meteor shower?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He’s using my brother to round them up. He’s turning them into an army. Lionel destroyed this town to get me back under his heel. What do you think he’ll do to the world-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What are you talking about?” Kent demanded.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The Luthorcorp plant. He’s shutting it down. This is a one-horse town and my father just shot the horse.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“No… before that.” Davis leaned over the desk, close enough to Lex to bite his face off. “What does the meteor shower have to do with the demons?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What demons?” Lex backed up, out of Davis’s face. “Davis, the Kryps aren’t some Biblical menace. They’re people exposed to meteor rocks, what we call Kryptonite.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“People?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes, just blessed with abilities beyond the ken of mortal man.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Blessed…” Davis tried to sit down, stumbled, and sprawled on his back. “They were people,” he said, voice cracking. “All of them. Just people.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex immediately grasped the source of Davis’s agony as he knelt over the stricken teenager. “They made their choice. They were killers. You only gave them what they deserved.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Killers…” The hail shattered windows, broke roof tiles. “We were all blessed, and we used our gifts to destroy each other. Even me.” He looked at Lex with eyes that had gazed into the abyss for too long. “We’re all demons, Lex. And this is the hell we’ve made.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The door creaked open, its moan almost lost in the storm. Lionel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Get out!” Lex screamed, but as he got to his feet, he saw that Lionel’s were dangling off the floor.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric tossed the elder Luthor aside. “Hey ya, Lex. Nice weather we’re having.” He pulled the Starblade from his red jacket. “Oh, Davis, didn’t see you there. What’re you doing on the floor?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis shut his eyes. “’And whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in me to fall into sin, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea,’” he quoted. “I’m sorry, Eric. I failed you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yeah, nice to see you too. Love the outfit, really suits you, and I hear the ladies love a man in uniform.” Eric stalked closer to Lex, who was inching around his desk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I gave you a burden you were never meant to bear.” If Davis’s eyes had been open, he would’ve seen nothing but the ceiling, never even looking at Eric’s advance on Lex.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What are you talking about, Davis?” Eric’s eyes were fixed wolfishly on Lex. “This is the best job in the world. I get to kill people for God.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That occupation just doesn’t carry the same standing as a doctor. Maybe it’s your colleagues in the field.” Lex inched behind his desk as if it could offer any protection. It could. He pulled a .45 out of the righthand drawer. “That’s far enough, Mr… who are you anyway?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m the hero of the story.” He took a step forward. “Holly says hi.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex shot him in the face.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And the chest.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And the leg. And the shoulder. And between the eyes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric took another step. His wounds closed, the one in his head last. Eric touched his headshot, reaching into the wound up to the knuckle, then licked his fingers. “Mmm. Brain food.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis grabbed his leg. “No.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“What was that?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis got up, letting go of Eric’s heel but standing between him and Lex. “I said no. No more killing, no more hurting. No more.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You would defy me to protect him?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Yes. Even him.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Aren’t you forgetting something? I have all your powers!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I still have one.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This I gotta hear.” Eric waved the dagger between him. “Faith? The courage of your conviction? Mommy and Daddy’s unconditional love?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Those. And a Size 14 shoe.” Davis kicked Eric square in the groin. “Grow those back.” He knelt down to flip Eric over, planted a knee between his shoulder blades, then wrenched his head back with an arm around his neck. “Lex, why aren’t those effeminate Italian shoes running?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex ran, heels digging into the carpet when he remembered to grab his father.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lionel had regained consciousness with the volley from Lex’s gun. He pushed Lex away, spellbound by the slow-motion arc of the Starblade in Eric’s hand. It sailed over Eric’s shoulder, toward Davis’s face, only stopping when Davis caught it by the cross-guard. The Starblade immediately disintegrated in Davis’s grip.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Sageeth,” Lionel whispered.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis broke Eric’s wrist. “One thing I was always careful to avoid when I had the Red. Strangulation. You can heal, sure, but without oxygen, the brain just shuts down And once I get you in a noose, the only way you’ll wake up is for your trial.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Don’t call it the Red,” Eric gagged. “It’s the Voice of God…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He went limp.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was so tempting to pull the noose a little tighter, break the windpipe, the spine, then fall into the comfortable routine of denial. He didn’t. It was still tight enough to turn Eric’s throat red while the rest of him turned white.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex watched Davis tie off the curtain rope he’d used as a noose, not panicked, just overtly intrigued.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis sat back against Lex’s desk. “Don’t take that off until you have him secured. Chains, bars, guards… whatever works.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric’s eyes were moving under their lids like he was watching a nightmare unfold. The rest of his body was paralyzed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“You gonna arrest me?” Davis asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex stared at him, his eyes stuck wide open. “I don’t know.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis came to a decision as the rain drizzled lightly, like they were in the eye of the storm. He stood up. “I’m going to leave now.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’d only gotten a few steps when the door flew off its hinges. Clark stood there, his presence the echoing thunder to his arrival. “Lex!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“I’m fine, Clark.” Lex rubbed his temple. “Davis…”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lionel leapt up, jabbing a finger at Davis. “Clark, stop him! He’s Sageeth!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark’s eyes snapped to Davis who backed up, dropping into a defensive posture.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“It’s him!” Lionel cried. “You have to kill him, kill him now!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis’s vision swung wildly to Lionel. “Lex, what’s your dad talking about?” he asked, trying to stay calm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“But he’s… just some kid,” Clark said as his legs carried him toward Davis.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That is just a shell, Clark, meant to deceive you! He’s camouflage for the ultimate predator, the ultimate destroyer! Even now it lurks in his subconscious, waiting for the right moment to strike!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“That’s bullshit!” Davis backed into a wall trying to keep clear of Clark. “I’m free now, I was cured! I haven’t had that thing in my head since…” Davis turned to see Eric quietly shaking on the floor. He remembered his narcolepsy, how it had disappeared with the Red’s arrival. He remembered how Red Eyes only came out at night, while he slept. He remembered his own words. I don’t think he can control the Red, not like I could.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The conscious mind resisted the Red. He’d just put Eric’s out of commission.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eric sat up, skin a rocky landscape of bone, voice deep, eyes blazing red at Davis. “God doesn’t love you.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then he attacked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis tried to dodge Red Eyes, but it wasn’t after him. It lunged into Clark, so close Davis felt the wind of its passage, then it was pinning Clark to the ground.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It was growing. Davis could see horns and bone spurs tearing out of Eric’s body as its skin thickened to a gray, corpse-like pallor. Its muscles grew like tumors, opening up the tears his spikes had made. The end of the transformation was more beast than man. It roared in Clark’s face with a mouth of sharp daggers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clark shoved it away; the beast hit the second level of the room, fell. It landed on its feet like a cat. For all its bulk, the thing was agile. It lunged again for Clark, who blurred out of the way. No sooner had the beast landed than its arm lashed out and caught Clark. It threw him through the wall, deep into the horizon. After a jubilant howl, the thing looped after Clark on all fours.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis fell to his knees, trembling, just one more piece of debris settling.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;”What the fuck was that thing?” Lex finally asked.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Me,” Davis said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois struggled to see through the rain-hammered windshield with more concentration than she ever used when she actually was driving. Chloe’s fingers were white-knuckled on the wheel and she stared straight ahead as if she could see all the way to the Luthor mansion.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A fencepost struck the windshield, building a glass spider-web over a third of it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lois screamed. “Pull over! Chloe, stop this car right now!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“He needs me!” Chloe shouted back, nerves frayed to the breaking point.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Look out!”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Chloe jammed on the brakes and her tiny car hydroplaned wildly, the jerking headlights giving them a glimpse of the gray mass bounding across the road. Enough to see it wasn’t human.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Volkswagen came to a stop, halfway off the road. Chloe unbuckled her seatbelt and got out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Where are you going?” Lois cried.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Whatever that thing was, Davis will be between it and innocent people. That’s where I’ll find him.” She pulled her hood on. “Go find a ditch, lie down in it. When this is all over, you have to tell the world what happened here. You have to write Smallville’s obituary.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death...”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Davis, I think this is one of those times when God is most likely to help those who help themselves,” Lex cut in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Davis didn’t move, except to cross himself. “Amen.” He started in on an Our Father.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Lex looked out the hole in the wall, which might as well have been a hole in a submarine for how much water was getting in. Distantly, he could see the graceful funnel of a twister, winding its way through Smallville like a ballet.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Vault,” he decided, linking his arms under Davis’s shoulders. “Help me!” he shouted to Lionel.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Lex, that thing’s only purpose is to kill Clark-“&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Dad!” Lex craned his neck back. “Sageeth isn’t in him anymore. It’s loo
