Restless Nights (Chapter Two)

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Spoilers for Doomsday, but going off canon, bit by bit, starting here.

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Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question…. 

Chapter Two 

Where was she?

Vibration. That was the first thing she registered. She felt it under her, a steady low-level hum, before she heard the hissing. No. Not hissing. Whispering. 

Oliver, Dinah, Bart... Had Clark been there, too? She didn't know. Before she could even register their presence, Davis had started to... But he hadn't, had he? She wished she could get it all straight, but her mind felt as heavy as her head. Her limbs felt stuck to the ground. Or the floor. The cold, grooved, metal floor. Where the hell were they? 

It took some effort, but she opened her eyes, waited for her vision to clear on a... backpack, with a rock in it, of all things. Once that came into focus, so did Davis, zip-tied and unconscious at Dinah's feet. And Bart. She could barely hear their voices over that hum, let alone what they were saying. Oliver was pacing behind them. 

Her eyes flew to Davis again. Still out, but not for long. 

"What's going on?" she said blearily, pushing herself to sit. 

All three turned to her. No Clark. 

"Sorry about the tranq, beautiful," Bart said as she tried to stay upright. "It, uh, kind of snuck up on you super fast." 

"Tranq," she breathed, looking around. She had a few of those in her bag of tricks. More of a just-in-case. Nice to know they wouldn't be an option now. "You know, anything you do to him," she said dully, "he becomes immune to. So... tranquilizers... aren't exactly an option for later," she finished on a grunt, trying to stand. 

Bart appeared at her side, holding her up. 

"Then it's a good thing there won't be one," Oliver said, stepping forward. "Not for either of them." He nodded to Davis. 

She shook her head, still bleary. "That's impossible. Are all of you insane? Anything you kill him with, he becomes tolerant to. Nothing on this earth can..." 

"Which is why we're putting him under it," Oliver said. "In Clark's words." 

"Where are we?" 

"Luthorcorp's geothermal plant," Bart said next to her. "Chloe, it's the only way to destroy it." 

"But you can't... where's Clark?" She looked around. No answer. "You did find a way to kill him, didn't you?" Was that even possible? She took a step to Oliver. "And Clark wouldn't go along with it." This wasn't the first time Oliver had stepped outside the lines. But Dinah and Bart... That was a surprise. And not a nice one. She pulled away from Bart. 

"No," Dinah said. "He wanted to split the Kryptonian from the human first." 

"Black kryptonite," she breathed. If they could split him, then only the beast had to die and Davis would be free. That rock... Her eyes flew to the bag. That was it. They'd brought it here, so... She stared at the three of them. "So why haven't you done it?" 

"Only one glitch in his plan -- the whole beast part," Oliver said. "I don't think any of us, including Clark, has a chance of wrangling that beast into the ground." 

She let out a breath, backing towards Davis. "So you're going to do it while he's weak... while he's Davis?"

The were silent.

"No!" she said hotly.

Oliver stepped forward again. "It's the only option we have." 

"No, it isn't. There has to be another..." 

"There isn't, Chloe." She turned to find Davis sitting up. "Maybe this is the only way," he said with deadened eyes. 

"I don't believe that." She crouched down to him. "Listen, we can find another way." She turned to the others. "As long as I stay with him, he doesn't change. It's been working. If you just kill him..." 

"They have to. Chloe, it's not working anymore," Davis said dully. "Less and less. You know it, too." 

"Well, we... it's enough to buy some time," she pleaded. "What about Clark's plan? Davis doesn't deserve..." 

"I've killed, Chloe. Maybe I didn't mean to, at first. But, after a while... You know what I did." 

"It doesn't mean..." 

"Chloe," he said, his eyes reddening, "you're not working." 

"Davis, just focus on me, okay?" She gripped his shoulder, trying to keep her voice low and calm when everything in her was screaming. "We'll get through this together, just like we always have." 

"I'm sorry," he said, his body shaking under her hand. "It's too late." 

It all happened so fast. She felt the roar making its way through his body before she heard it, then Oliver was grabbing her, pulling her away. Bart and Dinah rushed to either side of Davis, but he threw them off like ragdolls, the zip tie ripping in two. Oliver pushed her behind him and notched an arrow as Davis bore down on them, his skin rippling. 

And all she could think was that couldn't be how it ended. Not after everything. She barely hesitated before she dove for the bag, for the stone. She didn't know what would happen, but she knew for sure that Davis didn't deserve to be trapped inside this beast, whatever it might do. She rushed to him, pressed the stone to his chest just as his arm, spikes already breaking through the skin, lashed out and pushed her to the ground. 

She opened her eyes, the back of her head pounding as she fought the blackness stealing over her, saw the flash of light illuminate the room as Davis fell away from the beast. It worked. She didn't feel the relief she should, more a bone deep terror as the beast turned away from Davis, spotting her. She saw three of Oliver's arrows land on it and fall right off like twigs as it kept moving to her. She saw Oliver himself thrown over its shoulder, Dinah kicked to a wall. 

"Hey! Ugly!" Bart appeared behind It, kicking an empty drum at It. "Over here!" 

It turned. 

And that was the last thing she saw. 

***************************** 

Tess Mercer bathed in hot water and epsom salt. Nothing so feminine as lavender and aloe for her. No. She had to end almost every day soaking in bitter, cloudy water with scrapes and bruises covering her body. What a charmed life. 

She swiped angrily at her still-bleeding lip with a knuckle, probably making it worse. Not that she could bring herself to care. She took a deep gulp of her cheapest scotch. She didn't deserve the good stuff tonight. She'd failed in every possible way. 

The orb was lost. The beast was lost. Lois Lane had, apparently, disappeared into thin air, not that she considered that a loss. It was more a curiosity. 

Her security team at the Planet, which was about as useful as her security team at the manor, had graciously come to check on her when the feed had her unconscious on the floor in the Daily Planet basement. She hadn't come down there for a fight. She shouldn't have picked one. She was running blind without that orb and she knew it only too well. Yes, Lane had been caught traipsing around the mansion in a skimpy French maid costume in their first meeting. That should have been her first clue that she was hassling the wrong reporter. Not because of the subterfuge, but the method. She'd worked around Lane long enough that she barely made a move unless it was painfully obvious. 

Clark. It had to have been Clark. He was the alien, after all. And he seemed to have some idea that he alone should control all alien technology. Never mind that the orb had chosen her. She'd find him and... and... 

And what? What the hell could she do? Without the orb to guide her, she had nothing. Hell, even Lane had just disappeared! Of course, that was likely the work of the so-called Blur. Clark must have come in and taken her off. So why did that feel like it wasn't the answer? She'd just winked out like a light according to the footage and... Damn it. She just didn't care.

Tess stood, a sort of calm settling over her as the water slid off her. 

She didn't care. And it was the best she'd felt in a year. 

******************************** 

Voices. She heard voices, low and indistinct, but getting louder. She tried to open her eyes, but a jolt of blinding pain shot through her head. 

"...kind of led him right into the middle of the river, but I don't know how much time that buys us." 

Bart. Good. He was okay. 

"Maybe just enough to get a plan of attack." 

Clark. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain and tried to sit up, but almost hit the floor again when she felt an arm under her. She opened her eyes and there he was. 

"Chloe, are you okay?" 

She heard the others, groaning and stirring around her. "I think so." She sat up fully and stared at him, elation and sadness warring within her. She never thought she'd see him again. But now, with that beast on the loose, that could still be true. 

"Bart said you used the black kryptonite." 

"I did. I split him from the beast," she said blearily. It was her second time unconscious in an hour, after all. "It was... what you wanted, right?" She really needed someone to tell her she did the right thing. Because she wasn't so sure. With the Beast attached to Davis, there was still more than a need for destruction inside it. But now... "I unleashed the beast," she said miserably, staring at Davis, still unconscious on the floor. How had that happened? She was supposed to contain It. 

Clark tilted his head, as if listening for something. Then he put his hands under her and stood, pulling her up with him. "I'll get him back here," he said looking around at Bart, then Oliver and Dinah, who were pushing themselves to stand, looking bloodied and broken. "But I still need you to detonate the explosives." 

"Clark, you get him down that tunnel," Oliver said, "we'll take care of the rest." 

"Can I trust you?" 

"Yes." 

He turned to Bart. "I'll take Chloe to Isis. Can you get Davis there?" 

Bart nodded. "Not known for my super strength there, Buddy, but I can handle it." 

Chloe opened her mouth, ready to say it should be the other way around. Bart could carry her more easily. But Clark gripped her tighter and everything around melted into a blur as they moved through the streets. It seemed like only seconds before she felt him laying her down gently on Isis' bright pink couch. 

"They'll be here soon," he said, looking everywhere but at her. "I told Jimmy to come..." 

"Jimmy? But..." 

"He found me and he... Well, he knows. You all need to stay here." He stood and started to back away, but she sat up and grasped his hand. 

"Clark, I did what I thought..." 

"We can talk later," he broke in, gripping her back and finally meeting her eyes. "I just wish..." 

The door opened then and Jimmy appeared. "Clark? You found her." He moved to Chloe and Clark pulled away quickly. "Oh, good. I looked all over, but..." 

"Davis is on his way, too," he said to Jimmy, backing further away. "I need you all to stay here. Stay safe. We'll take care of the rest." 

"Oh, my God!" Jimmy looked wide-eyes and dazed. "This is so... I mean, I don't want to say it's cool, but it kind of is extremely..." 

The door slammed open and Bart appeared, panting and laying Davis on the floor. "Okay. Let's do this." 

Jimmy let out a breath. "Whoa." 

"Yeah. Hey. Heard a lot about you," Bart said quickly. "Nice to finally meet the rival and all that. But I got a beastie to..." 

"We'll take care of this," Clark cut in, his eyes moving to Davis. He looked angry and sad and so tired she wanted to pull him down, insist he take a rest. But she knew there was no time. Not even to tell him that she didn't leave him, that she left for him, that it was all for him. Clark moved to Bart. "I need you to stay with them. Keep them safe." 

"But I can..." 

"Bart, I need someone to keep her... them safe," he finished. "Someone that can come get me in a second if anything..." 

"Fine. I got it," Bart said, though he didn't sound happy about it. 

Clark nodded. Then he was gone in a whoosh of air. 

She stared after him, then turned to Jimmy, still looking wide-eyed. "I thought Davis was the monster and..." 

"He's not," Chloe said, "not anymore, I mean. It's a long story. Uh..." She wasn't sure what to say next. What exactly did a person say to their ex-husband upon them finding out her friends are vigilante superheroes? 

Luckily, or maybe not, Davis groaned and sat up then. It only made her feel more anxious, stuck in a room with these two men. Bart didn't help with the constant pacing which was, for Bart, zipping from one end of the room to the other. "Bart?" 

"Huh?" He stilled. 

"You're making us a little dizzy." 

"Oh. Sorry, Doll." He zipped to the window and stayed there, staring out tensely. 

So what now? 

As Davis was still groaning and clutching his head, she turned to Jimmy. "What exactly..." She cleared her throat, trying to figure out where to start. "How much do you know?" 

"I was tracking you. Me and Lois were..." 

"Lois. Is she..." 

"She's fine. At least she was last I saw. Anyway, she's safer where she is than around us, I guess." He suddenly smiled. "But I found Clark." Jimmy moved closer. "And I saw what he can do. I know who he is. And now I see all kinds of things." He let out a breath of laughter. "Chloe, I get it now. I feel like... all along, I always felt that I was coming second to him, but... I don't know. It's different now that I see why." 

Davis was staring at them and she had absolutely no idea what to do here, what to say. Not to either of them. 

"I guess I always thought this was about you having feelings for Clark, but... I mean, it's not that, is it? And you," Jimmy went on, "I mean, Clark told me what you do, all the ways you sacrifice and... To me, you are as much of a hero as the Blur... as Clark's ever been. What you risk. Even you going away... now I know why." 

Davis stood. "And why is that?" 

"I need a minute," she said in a rush. She moved away, moved to the other side of the room, needing some space. Jimmy was smiling at her as if he wanted to remarry her then and there. Davis was staring at the both of them in abject horror and she had no idea who to reassure when she barely knew herself how this had happened. 

"She did it for Clark, okay?" she heard Jimmy say. "That thing of yours could kill him, so..." 

"That's not true. Chloe and I were going to start a new life and..." 

"The only reason she was with you..." 

"Oh, you know her reasons? I'm not about to listen to some pill-popping ex who, incidentally, treated her like garbage and tried to..." 

"That's amazing coming from the Cornfield Killer. And I knew what you were. I knew even before you chained me in a basement and... 

"You don't understand what it was like, trying to keep that monster inside. And if you hadn't been there stealing money from her, I wouldn't have even..." 

"None of this would have happened if it wasn't for you!" 

Chloe flinched at a mild crash and the sounds of scuffling. But felt frozen. 

"Would the both of you stop it?" It was Bart's voice now. "You can kill each other if we all survive." 

"I'm not afraid of him now," Jimmy growled. "There's no spikey monster to..." 

"Maybe you should be." 

"Chloe can tell you herself. This was all..." 

"Then why don't you shut up and let her?" 

There was a tense silence. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she had to face them. "I thought that... I mean..." She turned, looked at the two of them, separated by Bart. She tried to start from the beginning. "I was the only thing that controlled the beast. And the beast... it could hurt everyone, but most of all..." She took a deep breath. "It could hurt Clark. 

Davis let out a shaky breath. "So he's right?" He shook his head. "This whole time that you were with me, it was for Clark?" 

"I cared about you, Davis. You know that. I just..." 

"Then tell me that's not true." 

"I can't," she said softly. "But that's not all there was to it." 

"But that's most of it, right?" His eyes turned hard. "Gotta admit, you really had me going. It must have been so hard for you. Especially..." He stopped himself, looking at Jimmy, then Bart, then turned a rather bitter gaze on her. She knew what he was thinking of those nights and had the sense to be grateful he wasn't saying it aloud. "I loved you. You're the only one who... who ever loved me. At least, that's what you let me think." 

"I did care about you, Davis," she said. That much was true. "It's why I wanted to save you." 

"Save me?" He let out a harsh breath of a laugh. "There is nothing left to save." He moved to the door. 

"Davis, don't..." 

Bart got there first. "Sorry, Beastmaster. No one's leaving. Boyscout's orders." 

"It's dangerous out there," Chloe pleaded. "We just need to..." 

"Let him go," Jimmy snapped. "I hope he finds his little pet..." 

There were screams outside. First a few, then more... 

Bart rushed back to the window, then turned to the rest of them. "It's here." 

CHAPTER THREE 

As you can see, there is no Watchtower in this fic as the requester felt it was unrealistic for it to be bought on Jimmy's salary, especially considering the drug problem that had him trying to steal money from Chloe. Davis is also not a complete psychopath as that made even less sense, considering ten minutes before his bout of murderous rage, he was willing to die. 

Also, there's a fight coming. And it will last more than six seconds.