Almost Chloe (Chapter Twenty-Three)

WARNING: violent character deaths (sorry).

Chapter 23

We've lost Watchtower," Oliver said. "She's run off."

Suddenly, the ear piece was gone. He heard something crunch on the floor at his side.

"No," Clark grunted. "Chloe..."

"Chloe?" He could almost hear the smile in Lex's voice.

Clark opened his eyes, but pain lanced through him again and his head hit the floor.

"Is she here, too, running around with all your friends?" He laughed. "I should have known. She's infected. I guess you have some kind of control over her. Why don't you get her to come over here? We have unfinished business."

"You stay away from her."

"But I can't, Clark," Lex whispered. He felt the butt of the gun hit his aching head and he writhed. "I have a hard time staying away from your things. You had it all. A family that worships you, people that fawn on you- like my late wife... Well... supposedly late. You had everything I couldn't get. And they were all deceived. The world should be protected from creatures like you." Lex shot and it burned, but he felt the metal slide from his chest. "Even at close range? Will you ever fucking die?"

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Chloe stopped short of smashing the glass and pulled out her cell. It was ten o'clock. She figured this was endgame if there ever was one. She dialed the operator. "Whitehorse Royal Canadian Mounted Police, please."

"What are you doing?" Lionel hissed. "Smash it."

"We need the police on their way. That was the deal. He can't get away."

Lionel nodded sadly.

"Whitehorse P.D. Lieutenant..."

"I'm at Ruby Ridge. There's a complex here."

"Excuse me? But there are no buildings in Ruby Ridge, Ma'am..."

"Yes there is. I'm standing in it. It belongs to Lex Luthor and there are illegal experiments going on. There are more than fifty unconscious men all over and we need airlifts and medical help. Lex Luthor is responsible and you must get here..."

"Who is this? We don't take unverified..."

"Miss Sullivan, please!"

"Get here now! Or people will die!" She hung up and turned to the glass. "Okay."

********************************

Clark opened his eyes as he felt a kick at his ribs. The pain in his head worsened.

"Okay," Lex breathed. "You can't die obviously, but there's another way..." He felt the voice closer, felt the breath on his face. "Your little sidekick..." He laughed bitterly. "Or whatever you want to call her. Do you prefer her alive?"

"Don't you touch her," he grunted.

"Oh, it's too late for that. I've touched her, Clark. I've touched her good. She has the sweetest little pussy I ever tasted. When she comes... Mmmm. She likes a little nibbling there. I bet you know that, though."

Clark felt his blood boiling. The rage was hot and heavy in him, nearly overshadowing the pain.

"Come to think of it, I want her to live. She'd make a nice pet. A tasty little meteor freak to come home to. And I wouldn't hurt her much... not if you played nice. If you don't... Well, that pretty pink skin might..."

"No!" He opened his eyes, not caring what pain would come and he felt burning heat flow from them.

"Aah! Fuck! My hand!"

He heard a clatter. He risked opening to see the gun slide away as the skin, then skeleton, over him stumbled backwards. He tried to sit up, but suddenly an alarm sounded, louder and harsher than any of the others that day.

"No!" He heard Lex scream and risked a glance. His figure was bending to pick up the gun, then running down the hall.

Clark closed his eyes and got up, willing the pain to the back of his mind. He opened his eyes and lurched forward in the direction of that skeleton.

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Chloe and Lionel rushed down the steps, the ringing haunting each footfall. Lionel clutched the vial in his hand and her sleeve in the other. "We need to leave now! The others have probably..."

They both stopped short at the bottom, all speech and movement halted at the sight before them.

"Dad?" Lex breathed. He held a blistered hand to his side. A gun was in the other.

"Lex, I..."

Lex's eyes flew to the vial in Lionel's hand, then to his father's face. "I knew you were alive somewhere. But I didn't know this. I should have known you were betraying me." His eyes passed over Chloe without recognition. She remembered the ski mask. Clark said never to take it off. She wouldn't.

"Lex, you don't know what you're unleashing here. I have knowledge of these wraiths and the Kryptonians..."

"You're in with Clark!" He laughed and waved the gun. Lionel flinched and stepped back. "You always wanted a better son than me. You're reaching pretty far, though. These creatures have destroyed our land and infected our people. And you... you're helping them?"

"Lex, there are no other Kryptonians. Their planet was destroyed."

"And they want this one," he said, spitting on the ground. "Fuck that." He gestured to Chloe with the gun. "Who's our mystery guest? One of your alien friends?"

"Lex!"

Chloe looked over his shoulder as he turned. It was Clark. He had no mask, no glasses. He fell against the wall as he stumbled forward. Her heart lurched as he threw his head back and continued to walk.

"Just who I was waiting for," Lex yelled to him. "Why don't you come join your little friends? Maybe I'll let them live."

"Okay. Just..." He stepped forward, his face a mask of agony. Chloe moved toward him, but Lionel held her by the arm.

"Don't," he hissed.

Tears wet her mask as Clark came nearer, finally lurching forward. Lionel caught him. "Are you all right?"

"All this concern," Lex spat. "And for him. Never mind your own son."

"Lex, it's not what you think. I..."

He cocked the gun. "Just give me the vial, old man. These freaks may have destroyed Ruby Ridge, but projects can be rebuilt." He took it from Lionel's hand and glared at Clark. "I see why you object, Clark. Your own creatures being used to fight you and your kind. I see it as poetic justice, myself, but..."

"Luthor!"

He spun around and Chloe gazed in stunned horror as a figure in white came into view down the hall. The figure had a gun. She was only twenty feet away. She wanted to yell at Lucy to freeze, but Clark yelled first.

"Chloe, no!"

Lex turned back to him, breathing hard, his sneering lips trembling before turning around and firing.

"No!" Chloe launched herself at him, knocking him flat and taking the gun. She dimly registered that Clark was running down the hall toward Lucy. She'd go to her in a moment. She had a murderer to take care of first. She stood and pointed the gun at his head. He was still and silent on the ground.

Lionel's hand grabbed hers. "Please... he's unconscious."

"It's not good enough," she sobbed.

"He's my son," Lionel pleaded.

Her head jerked toward a sob from down the hall. "Chloe!" Clark was on the ground, holding Lucy. She felt the gun leave her hand as she ran to them.

"Lucy," she sobbed.

Clark's head turned to her. Pain and confusion etched on his face, his eyes still opening and shutting tight. She knelt to her cousin and saw the red stain spreading from her chest. She tore the mask from Lucy's face and bent to her. She wasn't breathing. "No! Lucy!"

"Chloe?"

She ignored Clark's voice and lifted her body, bending her head to her bloody chest. No heartbeart. Her tears fell from the ski mask's open eyes and she wished more than anything that she could still heal. She laid her on the floor and touched the bleached hair, matted with sweat and sobbed brokenly.

She heard steps behind her and turned. It was Lionel, staring numbly at her and holding the gun. He held out the vial. When she didn't take it, he bent and put it in her coat pocket. He straightened and pointed the gun.

A part of her dimly wondered that she didn't see that he'd betray her. Then wondered why he would kill her now after so many chances...

The rest of her just flinched, waiting for the pain as the shot fired.

But it never came. She stared down at herself, then at Lucy. Her face was a mass of blood. A gaping hole where her nose had been.

She felt herself rising upward and flying at Lionel. The gun skittered away. "You bastard!"

He grasped her arms as she clawed at him. "It's the only way! He'll never rest unless you're..."

"Freeze!"

They did, turning in terror to see Lex, his nose bloody, his eyes wild, and his shaky hand holding the gun.

Dimly, she heard the sound of helicopters, but it faded into the background as Lionel came forward. "Son..."

"Don't call me that," Lex sneered.

"Lex, you're on the wrong side." He stepped closer.

"No. You stay back."

"Clark is the last Kryptonian. He's not here to conquer. He's here to save." He took another step.

"Don't come any closer!"

"I'm your father, Lex. I know I have pushed you to be hard, but I never meant... Please, son..."

"Don't call me that!"

A shot rang out and Lionel suddenly crumpled to the floor in front of her. She and Lex both stared down at him in horror. Tears fell from Lex's eyes as he lifted his head. She lifted hers, too, staring down her nose at the gun. She let her eyes glance down and saw Clark against the wall, his eyes squeezed shut, his face full of pain. It would be over just like that. She squeezed her eyes shut as Lex pulled the trigger.

But nothing happened. He pulled it again, staring through her. It gave a dull click and he pulled again.

She moved slowly, lowering herself to Clark as Lex kept pulling that trigger. "We need to go," she whispered. "Can you stand?"

"Chloe?"

"It's me, Clark. Get up." She helped him to his feet as the clicking of the gun continued. "The police are here, Clark. It's over." She pulled him away, turning away from Lex as she moved them backward. "Can you fly?"

He finally opened his eyes, then shut them again in agony. "I can't see."

"I'll lead you." She pulled him toward a square of light down the hall as Lex continued to click. She looked up. "A skylight," she whispered. "I need you to break it and fly through." She heard shouts around them and knew the mounties were in. "Now, Clark!" She placed his arms around her waist and buried her face against his chest.

He freed one arm and pointed his fist upward. "Hold on," he rasped. She enircled his chest as the ground disappeared beneath her. Glass shattered around her, cutting through her clothes and at her hands. But pain was nothing to her anymore. It was just another drop in the bucket.


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