Chapter 12
Then teach me, Father, I have made my choice.
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"Mrs. Kent?" Chloe said, hesitant at the bedroom door.
Mrs. Kent turned from Clark's bureau, a T-shirt and boxers in her hand. "These are probably a bit big for Bart."
"He won't care." Chloe stepped forward and sat on Clark's bed. It felt a little awkward to be in this room with Martha. She saw Kal... no Clark. It was always Clark. "Can I ask you something?"
She smiled. "You can always ask."
"You don't have to answer. And I haven't asked up till now, but... Where did he go?"
Martha sighed and sat next to her. "I have an idea where. And... I don't suppose he'd mind me telling you this now." She played with the clothes in her lap. "I always knew.... No. We always knew, Jonathon and I, that Jor-El would call him someday."
"For what?"
"I... I don't know. I only know that he'll come back to me."
"Did he say..."
She shook her head. "It's nothing he said. I just know it here." She touched her heart. "I think I know where he is. I couldn't get there, but there's a..."
"Fortress," Chloe breathed.
Martha looked at her, surprised.
"I've been there. Once. It's in the Arctic somewhere. I think that's why Lex built this place there. He wants to keep close to where he found me. He suspects." Chloe dropped her head. "I'm a little afraid he'll find it."
Martha hugged her close. "We'll just pray he won't. That's gotta count for something."
"But why does Clark have to be there? With all that's going on... Can't he just..."
Martha shook her head. "I don't think he can. We just have to wait and hope."
"I hope," Chloe breathed. "I hope so hard." She gave the older woman a watery smile. They both looked up at laughter from downstairs. Bart was obviously flirting with Lucy now. Chloe took a deep breath. "What are we going to do about her? She won't stop eavesdropping and..."
"I'll keep an eye on Lucy."
"Thanks, Mrs. Kent."
"I think you can call me Martha."
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It wasn't often that a large helicopter landed on the Kent Farm. It wasn't ever, really. Martha seemed delighted and Chloe found herself grinning as well.
"What's with you?" Chloe asked, turning to her.
Martha beamed ahead at the monstrous thing landing in the early morning light. "I'm just happy to have boys in my house." She stopped and turned to Chloe. "Not that you girls haven't been..."
Chloe squeezed her side. "No, I get it."
The helicopter had hardly touched down when she heard the front door slam against the wall behind them. Lois bolted out and Chloe saw the helicopter door open quickly. Lois buried her face in Oliver's chest as the blades slowed to a stop. "You don't know," she was sobbing. "It was so horrible... I've never..."
Chloe's eyes pricked as she watched them. For a moment, she was jealous. Then she remembered how hard this must be on Lois. She was not as used to all this as Chloe was. She tentatively smiled at A.C. and Victor as they came forward.
A.C. returned it, but Victor was all business. He looked around. "We'll talk in the barn."
"Not yet. I'm eating." Chloe turned to see Bart with a plate in his hand.
"You're always eating," A.C. quipped.
"Never know which meal's gonna be your last," Bart said with relish.
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"And you trust him," Oliver said from the couch, his arm still around Lois. "Lionel Luthor?"
"Yes," Chloe sighed. "I do. You're just going to have to trust my instincts."
"You really kneed Lex in the balls?" Bart asked, fascinated.
"Bart!" A.C. groaned.
"No, seriously. That took... balls."
Chloe had left out the build-up before it, but she nodded. "Yes. Chloe Sullivan has truly wounded Lex Luthor's manhood." She shrugged. "And probably made things worse."
"Well, Lionel was right about one thing," Oliver said. "Lex is in Star City. I have people on the look-out. They'll call me when he departs." He shook his head at Chloe. "He's like a bloodhound. He must really be gunning for you. He even knows about Marion Briggs."
Chloe frowned, remembering her erstwhile alias. Had it been only two days?
"So what?" Victor glared at the floor. "We just wait for him to call?"
"That and we get ready," Chloe said, glancing at each. "It won't be long. He says time is running out. The goal is not to free what's in there. This isn't 33.1. We have to destroy it. Nothing less than total decimation."
She was nearly excited. The fact that she would be in Arctic territory, so close to him. She knew she couldn't break away and selfishly join him. She knew she couldn't find him if she tried. But he was near. And that was enough.
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The call came that night. Everyone stopped with spaghetti halfway to their mouths. Only Chloe moved, getting up and picking up the reciever.
"Lower LaBerge. Lurline Hotel. No time to lose."
That was it.
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The helicopter only sat five. Flash volunteered to go ahead first as an emissary. He shuffled to Chloe. "It's gonna be a cold run, Gorgeous. Will you warm me up when you arrive?"
She sighed. "Bart..."
"I know. I know. Gotta be six-three and blue eyed to catch Chloe Sullivan." He lifted his eyebrows. "He'll be back."
She shook her head. "Everyone keeps saying that."
"Eh, it's true. Guy said he had stuff to do first, then he'd join the fight. I trust him. The Boyscout always keeps his word." He gave a mock-salute and then he was gone.
Martha was hugging Victor, he looked mildly uncomfortable, but smiled lightly when she pulled away. He came to Chloe. "Where's Bart?"
"He... uh... He went." She made a swishing motion with her hand.
"Great," he groaned. "He was supposed to take some bags." He looked into the helicoper, at the area behind the seats. He shook his head. "We must have more stuff than I thought. It's at 500 pounds already."
"Will it still hold people?"
"It's a Bell 224- with modifications. Oliver fit it up real nice with my help." He looked at it the way Bart looked at a sandwich. "It holds 4,555 pounds." He looked north. "Still, the boy promised." He walked away, mumbling about sneaky kids.
Oliver was standing with hands on Lois' shoulders. "Are you sure?"
"I have to see this through, Oliver. Besides..." She took his palm and brought it to her mouth. "I want to be where you are."
Chloe looked away.
"Watchtower!" Chloe looked up at A.C. He was carrying two large duffels. "You gonna stand there or are you gonna load up?"
"Where did they come from?"
"STAR labs. Had a little night swim." He unzipped one and held it out. There were white bags with a pinkish hue underneath. "ANFO. We could get in some trouble with this. It's a terrorist favorite." He zipped the bag. "But it travels well, won't detonate with friction."
She let out a long breath. "We're really doing this. We're blowing it up."
He smiled. "Call me a typical guy, but I'm a little excited about that part."
She rolled her eyes and turned to Martha Kent. "Hey."
Martha hugged her hard. "I want you to come back to me. I don't think I'll sleep until you do."
"I... Martha, I can't promise I will." Chloe looked down and pulled away. "I want to, though."
Martha smiled tearily. "I'll leave a light on."
"How's Lucy taking this?" Chloe knew she'd renewed her insistence on helping, but she was just too young. It had been hard enough for her to deal with super-powered beings in their midst.
Martha sighed. "She's holed up in the guest room. She won't talk to me. But I'll keep an eye on her."
"Thanks."
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Chloe gripped the seat as they lifted off. It was only her second helicopter ride, but she knew it would be choppy. She opened her eyes when she found it wasn't. She turned to A.C. next to her. "It's so smooth."
"I told you," Victor yelled from the pilot's seat. "This thing is prime. It's like Airwolf."
"He has this total hard-on for this machine," A.C. whispered.
"I heard that."
"Just watch where you're going," Oliver yelled from behind Chloe.
"So..." Chloe leaned back. "Two days of sky."
AC bumped her arm. "Who wants to play I spy? I'll start. I spy a cloud. I spy another cloud..."
"Two days?" Oliver laughed. "Try eight hours. This thing moves at almost 150 miles per hour."
"What's that noise?" Lois said, looking behind her seat at the bags.
"Just stuff settling, I guess." Oliver put an arm around her. "Kick it up, Cyborg."
Chloe gripped her armrests and squeezed her eyes shut. She nearly jumped when A.C. whispered in her ear.
"Try to catch a nap, Watchtower. We don't know what's coming."
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Chapter Thirteen
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