Changes, Powers, And Perspectives, Smallville/Angel crossover
I know... it's very late! My apologies!
Title: Changes, Powers, And Perspectives
Author: Illmantrim
Written for: louisemcgregor for the Crossover Ficathon
Crossover: Smallville/Angel
Characters: Fred, Wes, Clark, Chloe, Lex, Kara/Karen Star
Summary: Fred and Wes arrive in Smallville trailing references to a super-vampire outbreak, even as a strange visitor changes the relationship between Chloe and Clark forever.
Spoilers for Smallville, 4.12 "Pariah" and some earlier episodes, and for Angel the Series, 5.15 "A Hole In The World", AU for both series from those points...
Author's Notes: I used much author's liberty with what happens here and obviously this story alters the status quo a great deal. This reads more like a Smallville episode with gueststars from Angel, but hopefully that's not a bad thing.
***
The darkness called out a soothing voice to the hunter as he crept through the small town.
He didn't like being this far from civilization, but his small band had stopped here on the way to L.A. from the Northeastern city where they had been turned. And he was hungry.
So, despite his Master's warning not to feed here where it was too easy to get caught, he was out and hunting, looking for prey, and was not alone. Others of his group were nearby, also looking for prey. And speaking of such, there was a unique little morsel. A blonde woman, little more than a teenager, was walking towards her car away from what looked like a theatre. Someone called out from the door of the theatre, "Goodnight, Chloe!", and then turned the other way down the street. the girl waved and then moved faster towards her car.
The hunter crept further into the street and ghosted along towards his prey. He was out of the shadows now and rushing forward. He was just a few feet away when he heard a crack-boom sound above him and turned to peer upwards. He saw a shining object shooting down out of the sky at high speeds headed straight at him. The very last thing in his mind and on his lips was not eloquent but it definitely fit.
"Oh, Shit."
***
Chloe Sullivan was thrown backward against her car with bone-bruising force by the explosion. She had heard the Crack-boom and whirled in time to see the man racing towards her and the shining light and to hear a roaring crash as the meteor-like object slammed into him. She felt her bones seem to creak and groaned as she slid down towards the ground. She heard doors slamming and footsteps, then Clark's voice.
"Chloe!"
Then he was at her side in one of those whirring moves she had come to think of as his super-speed. She looked up, carefully not seeming surprised to see him kneeling next to her.
"Chloe, are you okay?"
"Yeah, Clark, I'm fine. Just a little startled and bruised."
She slowly rose with his help and looked at the faintly glowing crater. She stepped forwards.
"Chloe are you sure that's safe?"
"We wont find out just standing here."
Others were gathering a little ways away from the crater and Chloe and Clark shoved through them slowly. Chloe felt her body protesting some but ignored it as she moved to the lip of the pit. The glow caught her eye at first. It seemed to come off the sides of the pit. She gasped in surprise as she looked down and saw what looked like a large pile of odd-looking metal rubble and a woman rising out of it. A blonde woman. A naked blonde woman. She heard Clark gulp and avert his eyes. She almost laughed and she nudged his side.
"Maybe you should offer her your coat, Clark."
He looked at her and blinked and then nodded, glancing back at the woman as he shucked it fast and then averting his eyes again.
"Um, Miss? Here."
The coat was taken by the woman and quickly placed about her, concealing her more than ample attributes.
"Thank you. Where am I?"
Clark looked back at her hesitatingly like he wasn't sure it was safe and Chloe got tired of waiting and so blurted out her own response.
"Smallville. Smallville, Kansas. Who are you?"
She couldn't help her instinct to ask questions. The woman looked at her and then around the place, slowly climbing out of the small pit.
"My name is Kara."
The crowd around them was still watching and muttering and for a moment Chloe wondered if this would get ugly, but then, Martha arrived. Her arrival was like a whirlwind and Chloe smiled in relief.
Martha Kent was the most motherly woman Chloe knew and pulled it off by being touch and caring at the same time. She shoo-ed away most of the people and quickly led the three of them into the Talon.
Kara looked tired and worn and even though Clark and Chloe were very eager to find out what was going on, they both said nothing as Martha offered Kara a space on the couch at the Kents' place' to sleep. Clark thought wryly that it was a good thing that Lois was out of town chasing down a lead about her sister Lucy being in trouble yet again.
***
As the crowd cleared outside, four figures ghosted out of the shadows. They had waited to feed and were tired of waiting. Hunter like their destroyed companion, they had decided it was time to sake that thirst, that hunger. As they approached the crater, they felt renewed strength coming into them and their eyes began to glow. Seeing several passerby, they leaped after the group, quickly subduing them with only one brief, muffled cry.
With strength even beyond their normal levels, they dragged their victims back into the shadows. Their thirst was all powering and they showed their fangs and true natures as vampires as they slaked it on the humans, killing them quickly. But then, driven by a force they knew not, they forced each one to somehow taste of their blood, and even as the vampires watched the eyes of these too began to glow.
***
In a window overhead, in a nearby building, a man watched grimly and then turned away. He had observed all that had happened and his curiosity was piqued even as his stomach was turning and churning. He had been an observer for Wolfram and Hart here in Smallville for three years and had never seen anything like this.
He had always hoped that vampires would never come here. He had worked with them before but they had never been his favorite of the demon races. Besides, they were all supposed to stay clear of here. His bosses wouldn't like this. He wasn't ready for this. it was time to call in some help. He picked up the phone and called L.A. .
***
When they arrived at the Kent farmhouse, Clark, Chloe, and Kara found themselves too wired to sleep, and so they bid Martha a good night and then settled over coffee in the front room. They didn't talk for a few minutes and then Kara looked up.
"So, I guess you might want to know about who I am and where I am from?"
"Well-"
Clark might have deferred, even as curious as he was, but Chloe burst in there.
"Yeah! Was that a spaceship of some kind you came down in? What was the glowing light?"
Kara held up her hand, laughing.
"One question at a time. or better yet, just let me explain."
She settled back in the chair and sipped her coffee then began to speak in a clear calm voice that was almost hypnotizing.
"My name is Kara Zor-L, and I am from Argopton, a moon of the planet Krypton."
That statement hung in the air and electrified Clark as he stared at the woman. She was from his home planet! this was impossible! incredible! great! Sort of... he stuffed his feelings aside as she continued and he clung to every word.
"My planet was destroyed in a blast caused by a combination of environmental factors and the disastrous leftovers of an ancient war. My small city, Argo City, was advanced, a science city, and it was led by my father, Zor-L. His brother, Jor-L, was a scientist in Kryptonopolis, chief city of Krypton, and warned Zor-L of the coming disaster.
My people had long since abandoned Space flight after several interstellar wars and disasters, but the old plans were still there. With no idea how long he had till the disaster, Zor-L built a ship using one set of plans as Jor-L built one using another, both small tests ships. But the disaster happened early, and with no way to do aught else, they placed the archives of Krypton in both ships' computer banks and my young cousin Kal-L was placed in one as I was placed in another, and both were fired off. Less than hours after our liftoff the planet exploded under the stress and was no more."
Kara took a gulp of her coffee and continued her voice still low and powerful.
"The ship Kal was placed in was a prototype of a kind of ship once called a warp ship, that pierced space and time, cutting through the distances at a furious rate. The ship I was on was a longer slower ship, equipped with a stable-stasis device, which slowed the aging process. The ships computer educated me as I flew, while suspended, and I woke up just an hour outside Earth's orbit, only to discover that the ship's drive was damaged and it might not make a safe landing. The rest you two know. I crashed in the street and here I am."
There was silence as the two of them absorbed the information. Then Chloe burst out again.
"Your planet must be where the meteor rocks are from. You know, Clark, the ones that make you si-"
Chloe stopped dead as she stared at Clark who had gone pale.
"Oh. My. God. That's where you are from too isn't it? I thought you were a meteor freak, but you're an alien."
Clark turned bright red and seemed almost to want to say something, then slumped.
"Yes. I didn't think you even knew I was different. I mean I was obviously a little different after getting sick from the meteors recently, but-"
He trailed off helplessly. His voice was subdued and Chloe felt her heart go out to him as she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Kara watching them both.
"Clark, look at me."
He looked up at her, fear in his eyes and his hands trembling. She saw in those eyes she loved the fear of rejection and she took a minute to make sure of herself. She had been prepared for the day when he told her he was a meteor fre-. She made herself stop thinking that word. She had thought he was a, a, a meteor-affected man! She hadn't ever suspected...this.
She searched her heart as she felt all her doubts congeal, and then as she looked at him, they shattered, one by one. Alien or not, he was still Clark, and she trusted him. She smiled though as he heart jumped in her chest. She didn't know a lot but she was in love with Clark. And she was very curious.
"Clark. it doesn't matter. I love you. You're my friend. And nothing will change that. Ever."
He searched her eyes and slowly seemed to grow in stature, and sighed gustily.
"Thank you, Chloe. I-"
They both jumped as Kara cleared her throat and they both blushed a little as they looked at her. She was studying Clark.
"Kal?"
"Yes. that's- That's the name the computer... that Jor-El gave to me."
Kara seemed to leap across the room and hugged Clark hard. Tears were in her eyes as she smiled at him and kissed his cheek.
"I cant believe it's you! You have to tell me everything. How you got here, how it's been for you, everything!"
"It is. I'm okay. I'll tell you everything I can if you do the same. "
"Wait. If you came from Krypton, then that ship and that glowing stuff... "
"The Police have probably already been there, but if I know the heavy equipment people they haven't cleaned up yet."
Clark had looked alarmed at Chloe's words for a moment, then got better as he spoke. He grinned suddenly and then picked up Chloe.
"Hang on."
He took off, and she felt wind spinning past her as they moved fast and faster. Clark was running. She gasped and held on as he carried her effortlessly and the miles melted away. She heard a laugh and looked over to see Kara pacing them easily. They took off even faster and finally arrived at the alley next to where the meteor had crashed. the police had cordoned it off but done little else as yet. Clark advanced on the crater, but Kara stepped a little closer and seemed to waver, looking green.
"It doesn't seem to affect me. Weird."
Clark glanced back at them as he spoke and then moved into the pit.
"It's really broken up down here. We are going to need something to hold all this."
With that, he came back out and blurred away, returning a second later with a huge tarp. He began zipping out piece of metal to one side of the tarp and pieces of an odd off-green rock to the other side. Kara stayed way away from the rock, doing her best not to collapse and Chloe wondered why Clark wasn't falling over. She looked closer and noticed the rock didn't seem to be quite the same as the meteor that had fallen around Smallville.
Once he had gathered it all together, he made two bags, carefully separating all the meteor rock-ish stuff to one half, and the ship parts to another. Once he had sealed the ship bag with a blast of heat from his eyes(which made Chloe jump), he handed that bag to Kara then sealed the other bag and hefted it to his own shoulder with one hand, then picked up Chloe with the other. He grunted slightly and then turned to Kara.
"Will you be okay to run back to the farm? I can stay back so the rock will be far away from you."
"Thank you, Kal."
Kara smiled and as she hefted that bag, Chloe had a thought.
"Tomorrow morning, we can take the rock to Doctor Tyler and maybe he can tell us why it affects you and not me."
"Who?"
Chloe turned to Kara in Clark's arms.
"Doctor Tyler is a friend we can trust. He knows about the rocks and their affect on Clark, but nothing else. I guess we might have to take him in on the rest of it though, He was once a friend of Professor Swann, who was a scientist who helped Clark out a few times."
Kara nodded and then waved and took off. Clark took a moment to tickle Chloe, making her laugh and then they took off too, going a little slower so as to be behind Kara. As they went, Chloe thought about how glad she was that she had at least been involved that much in Clark adventures these last few weeks since she had discovered he was different. In a adventure where they had almost died, he had taken her a bit into his confidence and he had told her some of his adventures but she now suspected there was far more for him to tell and she looked forward to learning.
One of the first adventures after that had led to the discovery of Doctor Rick Tyler, the former Mystery Man of the 40's and 50's known as Hourman, and now a powerful bio-chemist and astronomer with his own firm, Tylerco, which had it's fingers in everything from robotics to space science. When they had discovered a more powerful batch of emerald /meteor rock fusion stones, Doctor Tyler had come in handy.
They finally arrived at the farm. Clark let her down on her own two feet and then stowed the rocks in the storm cellar. they saw that Kara had left the bag of ship parts in the barn. Then they went back in and joined Kara who had already made new coffee and had mugs waiting for them. they all settled in to talk. Clark looked positively hyper and excited as he spoke.
"So, tell me, tell me everything."
"And her? You trust her?"
"Yes, Kara. Chloe's my best friend. And- I, er..."
Clark seemed to stumble on his words for a moment but there was something in his eyes that made Chloe catch her breath and she swore down deep that she shouldn't let her heart get caught up by this man again after everything, but as he continued to stare at her she felt that determination stream away.
"I love her."
She felt her heart jump hard and then somehow, magically she was in his arms, Kara having moved to the side in that same magical moment, and he was kissing her or she was kissing him. It didn't matter except that she felt herself full. Then she drew back, looking up at him.
"Don't think for a minute that this lets you off for not telling me for so long! We'll talk about that later!"
He looked apprehensive about that and as she sat back down she smiled inside. Good. Couldn't have him taking her for granted or getting too comfortable. She was Chloe Sullivan still.
"Now, why don't you begin to tell us about you, Kara?"
Kara laughed.
"Gladly, sister"
The word caught Chloe off-guard but as she looked in Kara's eyes she felt in some part of her that maybe it would be true. Then she caught the glint in the other's eyes and suddenly realized another reason for Kara to call he that, if she and Clark were married, and they were to...- Chloe cut off those thoughts before they could stray into NC-17-ish places and refocused on Kara, and smiled this would be a great night!
***
The next morning the morning paper brought Chloe back to the Kent farm as fast as her car would bring her and she found Clark and the Kents already up. After she greeted the Kents and snagged some bacon and toast, she, Kara and Clark adjourned to the barn to discover what she had found.
She had opened the paper to discover that six separate people had vanished overnight, and that there had been reports of screams and glows in the night. Of green glows. As they absorbed the information, Clark and Chloe's eyes met and they spoke at the same time.
"Meteor Mutants."
They grinned then turned to explain the phenomenon to Kara, who was looking at them with an accepting smile and a puzzled look. Chloe shook her head as they explained, thinking that she wouldn't believe it had she not been her all these years and seen it all first hand.
The paper said that two victims had been left behind during the vanishings. Clark, Kara, and Chloe took off towards the Smallville morgue, determined to examine them and see what they could find out.
It took a little while to get there and they continued to ply Kara with stories as they went. Chloe smiled as Clark filled in a lot she had wondered about all these years. So much had ha[penned under her nose. She swore as they went on to always look harder than she had so far. She would be a famous reporter someday.
When they arrived, they snuck into the morgue and into the room with the victims. As they examined them, Chloe grimaced at the sight of the ravaged victims, who looked like they had been torn by large animals. Clark found the clue that changed their outlook though. He showed them both two puncture holes on one victim and when they checked the other one had them too. Chloe and Clark exchanged a disbelieving glance.
"So, we have either vampires, meteor vampire wanna-bes, or someone who thinks they are a vampire out there, killing people?"
Clark sighed at Chloe's words, but couldn't find anything else that could have done this.
"Come one let's get out of here."
***
Wesley was drawing close to Angel's office when a messenger caught up with him with some documents. He started reading them and walking and didn't notice where he was going until he found himself at the door of Fred's lab. He walked in as she was approaching a sarcophagus, one hand outstretched.
"Fred?"
She turned at his voice and came over to him, smiling that beautiful smile. he leaned in and kissed her making her blush.
"What brings you here?"
"I got a report from Smallville, Kansas, where there is apparently some sort of supernatural activity that the Senior Partners are interested in, which means-"
"-we'd better be interested in it. Yeah. Come on, let's go brief Angel."
As they headed out, Wesley glanced back.
"what were you doing in there?"
"Oh, just examining something that arrived today. Running tests. it will hold just fine."
"Okay."
***
It took a day or so to resolve the current investigations. During which the sarcophagus vanished along with Knox. They made a note of it and then forgot about it as not important. Within a couple days, Fred and Wesley were on a plane towards Metropolis where they would rent a van and start their investigations
***
As Clark, Chloe, and Kara stood around Doctor Tyler's lab two days after their morgue visit, Chloe's mind was scrambling around the grim pall that had fallen over Smallville. two days of more victims had caused the entire populace to start looking over their shoulders and night travel was all but completely dead. Chloe winced at the inadvertent pun she had made. The Vampire Slayer as whoever was doing this had been nicknamed, was causing fear to rise.
She glanced at Clark who had grown increasingly frustrated with his inability to find whoever was doing this. His one glimpse of someone attacking another had led him to a dead end with the perpetrator vanishing. he had come here today with them and immediately buried himself in the spaceship and kryptonite information in order to distance himself from what had bee happening
Doctor Tyler was running tests on the metals right now, even as his frequency and scanning equipment in the next room scanned the kinda-Kryptonite. She glanced over at the lead-veined Plexiglass that looked onto the nearby lab where the rock sat. Kara had been glad to see it, and she and Clark had explained that Doctor Tyler had it installed after their adventure involving the Red Panzer. the glass effectively shielded Kara from the pseudo-kryptonite, just as it had Clark from the more normal version.
Chloe smiled as she recalled her excitement when Clark had dug up Doctor Rex Tyler's past, as one of the so-called Mystery Men who fought crime and the Axis during World War II and just after it. These gaudily clad characters, called such things as the Flash, Atom, Hawkman, and her favorite, Phantom Lady, had fought and won several key battles, but had vanished soon after the war.
Doctor Tyler had been Hourman, a hero who used a special drug to gain super abilities for an hour at a time. He had eventually had to stop after gaining an addiction to the drug. In his quest to invent a better version he had re-discovered his love of Chemistry. He had met up with Doctor Swann soon after and gotten into Astronomy as well. He became a silent partner to the more flamboyant man, and then a front man to him once he became more secretive.
Clark and Chloe had included the man in several adventures recently, and then had in turn helped him against an old foe and in the matter of his son's sickness. They had become close friends.
Clark was watching as Kara and Dr. Tyler peered into instruments examining the fragments of ship.
There was a cry as Kara held up a boxlike instrument and handed it to Dr. Tyler who set it with the crystal-piece they had dug out earlier. It synched up with it perfectly with a click.
There was a bell-tone and they all turned to the bank of computers near the Plexiglass wall. They all gathered behind Dr. Tyler as he began to examine the results. he finally straightened up and rubbed his face as he seemed to consider the results.
Chloe saw Clark about to interrupt and stepped on his foot.
"Ow!"
Chloe cast him a glance and he subsided.
"Well, I'll be damned."
Dr. Tyler turned to them and assumed a style that Clark and Chloe knew very well. Being a part-time college professor, Dr. Tyler had a way of lecturing at times. He smiled and then spoke.
"I listened to everything you told me and am still reeling about some of it, but it doesn't surprise me, not after Degaton, and Mr. Mind, and Shazam, and the Ultra-Humanite and-"
"Doc?"
"What? Oh right... anyway, as I was saying, I listened to what you told me and took it into account and with these new results, I have a theory. It covers not only why the kryptonite that came with Kara doesn't affect you Clark, but where she came from and why Jor-El may not have thought to mention her. "
The others waited and Kara and Clark both looked apprehensive and eager at the same time.
"Kara, write out the word for Jor-El."
She made a series of marks in Kryptonian and Clark looked at it and spoke up.
"But... that's wrong!"
He made another series of marks next to hers. They saw that the two sets of marks were close but not the same and even the styles were slightly different.
"It is as I thought. I am afraid you two are not in fact from the same planet. When I tested both the metal and the mineral, I discovered something that made me check the vibrational quantum signature of each.":
Chloe felt herself blinking in confusion and saw that Kara and Clark were doing the same.
"Kara, you come from an alternate universe version of the planet Krypton. It was the same in most ways, but somehow different. The theory of Alternate universes was started many years ago and refers to the theory of different universes existing side by side at different vibrational quantum levels. Each universe represents a slight or major difference from the others. And somehow, based on the looks of warp on your ship an the basic signature at the quantum level of you and Clark, you came from another universe, Kara."
There was silence for as few minutes.
"What exactly does that mean? I mean as far as her and me and the kryptonite?"
Clark seemed to lose steam and words and Doctor Tyler realized it.
"It means that your DNA is still similar enough to make you siblings and that the rock from her universe wont affect you and the rock from this universe wont affect her. Her quantum signature seems to be slowly regularizing with this universe as time goes on, so there wont be any problems with her living here. And with the tests you have done the last few days, her powers seem equivalent to yours, if a little more powerful because she is older than you."
"Wow. I have a sister."
Kara smiled and seemed almost to be ready to cry and she kissed Clark cheek then hugged him. Then she hugged Dr. Tyler. The Doctor looked surprised then smiled and patted her shoulder.
"Ah. One more thing. I believe that with Kara's knowledge and perhaps with some help from this crystal cave you have told me about, we may be able to at least re-construct the computer part of Kara's ship, giving you access to the knowledge of your homeworlds."
Clark's eyes now teared up and Chloe smiled hugging his side. She knew how much learning more about his past meant to him.
Even as she was thinking about it, there was a ding sound and Doctor Tyler turned to a blinking light and punched a button, which made a TV set in the corner come on.
"I set it to alert me if anything important comes over the TV lines."
They all watched as a special report came on the screen and then cleared to a reporter.
"A special announcement is coming through from LuthorCorp's home studio. We take you there now."
Lex Luthor appeared onscreen and spoke, his confident gaze spearing each watcher.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Smallville, I am pleased to announce that I have authorized my newly inaugurated security force, Team Luthor, to patrol the city at night. We will keep you safe."
They all heard the pronouncement with varying looks of surprise, an crowded in around a TV set to watch. Onscreen Lex was speaking.
"We have set out seven teams of four. Their state of the art firepower and training will resolve this menace before it goes any further. Residents of Smallville, LuthorCorp is here to serve you."
With that the screen went blank and they all exchanged glances. This would definitely complicate things. Clarks's next words summed it up.
"Oh, boy."
***
Several days later, with frustrations and panic mounting to an all-time high in Smallville, it was quickly becoming clear that Team Luthor hadn't been able to live up to it's promise. There had been seven more deaths and four more vanishings, and residents of Smallville were leaving, some temporarily, some permanently, in droves. Clark, Chloe, and Kara were watching the mass insanity and exodus from the safety of the Talon's interior.
"Wow. Look at them all go. I thought after the meteor shower and all the weirdness since that nothing could shake Smallville folks. I guess I was wrong."
"Don't look at them too badly, Chloe. Most people just aren't equipped to deal with the madness happening these days. Heck, I almost am not equipped for it myself. If it wasn't for you, and Kara, and Ma and Pa, I would have felt the need to be gone long ago. But you all made me feel at home here and support me. And so help me, we will find a way to deal with this... somehow."
"Oh, I know that Clark. I guess I just hate to see all these people run."
Clark nodded as he watched people keep moving. They had helped friends and neighbors out but Jonathan Kent and Gabriel Sullivan had both chosen to stay and Martha was doing a thriving business in coffee and Danishes as people stopped in for news, to meet up, and as a last stop out of town. Some sightseers, drawn by the strangeness had shown up as well.
Such was the first impression the three had of two more travelers who arrived with backpacks, having just gotten out of a large SUV. The SUV was obviously of expensive make, and looked like it probably had all the trimmings. that meant money and Clark was always suspicious of money. these two seemed harmless enough, even if the man seemed nervous. the woman, who seemed the younger of the two, seemed to have her nose stuck in a book of a kind. He smiled and glanced around.
The two came in and settled in a chair and seemed to watch everyone around them eagerly. Clark watched them and felt an itching along the back of his neck. It was like he could almost sense something about them that made his senses feel... raw almost. The two ordered complicated coffee drinks and Clark and Chloe exchanged a look that Kara caught.
"Yuppies."
Clark and Chloe spoke in unison as they were wont to do more and more often these days. Clark grinned at Chloe who slowly returned his grin and kissed him for a moment before turning her gaze back to the strangers. Clark favored her with a longer glance, his lips curving in a smile.
"How are you three doing? Can I get you anything else?"
"Mom! You don't need to serve us. We will come up there if we need anything. Really."
Martha smiled at her son and hugged his arm before moving on. Clark watched her and wondered at the strength and honest heart of this woman he called Mom. He knew a lot about her, but sometimes he didn't think he knew her at all, or appreciated her as much as he should. But he knew he loved her and was very lucky to have her as his mom.
He smiled at Chloe as she turned her face toward his. He couldn't believe all that had happened lately and his mind was still spinning, but the one thing he knew unequivocally was that despite having Kara there, the one who made him most comfortable and not alone feeling, was Chloe. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her softly, making her emit a startled cheep, which made him laugh. She looked at him and then seemed to just accept it. he smiled and then went back to watching the people outside and inside of the Talon.
***
Wesley and Fred sat in the small coffee shop in Smallville and assessed their surroundings. The cafe itself was a nice place with people bustling in and out, mostly minding their own business. There were three teenagers settled in a couch area nearby talking and casting occasional glances at the obvious newcomers that Wesley and Fred were. The town itself was weirder and they watched it and wondered what was going on here.
It was a strange sight. Many of the townspeople seemed to be heading out of town with all or none of their things. Wesley had checked them into a hotel here for cheep rates as the place had been completely empty. The panic had spread all across the town apparently. It hadn't taken long to get lots of information, the kind the regular people around here could give anyway.
It had convinced them both that there was definitely a problem here and that it was not the usual Vampire situation by a long shot. Upon seeing the coffee shop they had decided to stop in and absorb some more of the surroundings, but now, seeing the teenagers glance at them again, Wesley wasn't sure if that had been a good idea or not.
"We can begin to look around more definitively tonight. I can cast a few spells and you can use that new spook device you brought along, so maybe we can find some answers."
"It's not a spook device. Okay so maybe it is, but still, it will come in handy. It focuses sensor readings and allows us to see multispectrum wavelength transmissions of an ethereal nature."
"I think that right now, you and I should go back to the hotel room."
"Why? We don't need to sleep yet."
"Who said anything about sleep?"
Fred eyed him with an open mouth and then jumped up and grinned. She grabbed his hand and he laughed as he pulled him up.
"Well, come on silly. Let's go!"
***
Later that night, Clark took Chloe and Kara out patrolling, trying to once again find some sign of the monsters responsible for all the deaths and vanishings. It was beginning to look kinda bleak though as hour folded into hour.
They rested every now and then and talked quietly. It seemed almost eerie in Smallville these days and Clark didn't like it at all. It reminded him of that trip he had taken to California, that had ended up in Sunnydale. that town had the same kind of eerie feeling to it. He shuddered as they stood in an alley mouth and watched the area they were stopped at.
It was very odd, having both Chloe and Kara with him,.. he was so used to operating alone, and Kara with her powers so near to his own made him nervous but grateful to have her around. Chloe was smart and had already given him ideas that he hadn't thought of. She was a good person in a fight, even when she was outmatched physically, as she would be against most super-villainous types.
They gathered again, Clark picking Chloe up once more and headed out to patrol more.
***
Wesley and Fred took a little while moving through the shadows to pick their spot. All the while they knew that the darkness had eyes and that there was something off about this town. They found their spot and began setting up. Wesley felt a thrill of excitement as the magic began to gather for him. With wards up and candles lit, he began to chant as Fred activated the spook gadget and he heard it's humming. The sounds merged and began to make the darkness boil and the two of them concentrated.
Wesley felt the magics begin to come to his call and he suddenly knew where and when they had to be. With a shout to her he led the way.
"Come with me!"
They chased down alleyways and streets until they found the right one where there were ten things.
They all surged with darkness and glowy eyes, and Wesley bit off a curse as he hurled a ball of enchantment at one of them. It bounced. He cursed aloud this time as Fred brought her gadget to bear and it threw one of them back. The rest charged.
***
Clark heard, far off, chanting and cries and led them into the scene. It was like something out of Tolkien and for a minute they hesitated. Then suddenly team Luthor was there. Firing at the dark figures. From the other side, the strange yuppies were attacking. One of them seemed to be using magic and the other seemed to be holding a ball of something and firing from it. Clark blinked and wouldn't have believed this insanity if he didn't see it.
As Clark watched he realized to his horror that some of the things looked like they had once been people he knew, Smallville residents. But they were now twisted, altered, and darkened. They were hunched and beastial, with fangs. The part of Clark that had resisted the naming of these things as Vampires began to fade fast.
The Team Luthor goons didn't seem to be making much of a dent and they eventually retreated, flying off to report or something he supposed. It was then that he saw several dark figures sneaking up on the two yuppies. They both seemed too distracted to see or hear what was happening and there was no time and so he moved. He didn't think but acted, putting Chloe down and speeding forward, slamming into them and then firing at them with his heat vision. they burst into flames and they ... he almost didn't believe his eyes as they turned to dust.
"What the blazes?"
The exclamation from the man didn't stop the stranger from blasting another of the things, but it made Clark remember he had just revealed his secret, or part of it to yet another. And yet, something here with these two... suddenly Clark felt he could trust this man and this woman. It was an odd feeling and an odd time to have such a feeling, but that was what was. He had lived in fear for a long time. He wasn't willing to be afraid anymore.
Kara who had followed him, followed suit and suddenly they were moving around the other two firing heat vision at any of the things that still moved. He made sure not to let them touch him, as he wasn't sure what was going on, but he used heat vision in great quantities and by the time it was done was feeling very drawn. He'd never used it that much before. When the dust cleared, it was just the four of them, then five as Chloe moved into the clearing area.
Clark watched the two strangers who seemed equally startled and bemused by him. He finally nodded.
"I think we need to talk."
"I'll say!"
The man smiled and Clark grinned. This would be interesting he knew! Chloe exchanged glances with the strange woman and then glanced at the two men, who were almost grinning like little boys and she shook her head.
***
The man introduced himself and his companion as Wesley Windham Price and Gwinefred Burkle, two members of a group called Angel Investigations. Clark made the introductions on his side, introducing himself and Chloe and giving Kara a name they had come up with; Karen Star. Wesley led them to a local library and talked to a sober man and managed to get the place to themselves. They adjourned to a back room and sat. And as they all stared at one another, Clark sighed.
"Those things out there arrived just a few short days ago. They have been killing people and changing them, or so it seems. The town has tried everything they can to reach a point where it can defend itself, but as you saw, even high tech didn't work to well!"
Meanwhile We4slet launched his own statement.
"What was it you were doing out there? Those powers you showed, how did you get them? And How did you show up just when you did?"
Then he caught the tail end of Clark's speech and spoke up again.
"They are called vampires and they are very touch, hard to kill. They are demons."
Clark blinked.
"They are what?"
Wesley sighed.
"Look. This is going to take a little while. Why don't we just both tell the stories we know and then ask questions later?"
Clark considered, but sighed. This man and woman both seemed to be good people and had helped them. And they already knew he had powers. He glanced at Chloe and Kara who seemed content to leave the decision to him. He closed his eyes and thought for as moment, and then nodded.
"Okay. I told you my name is Clark Kent, but that isn't necessarily true. My name is Kal and I am from a planet called Krypton..."
***
It took al;most two hours to answer each other's questions and fill in enough details that they both ran out of things to ask and say, and then they tried to figure out what to do. The silence stretched on for quite a few moments until the Clark, Kara, and Wesley spoke at the same time.
"Aliens?"
"Vampires?"
Kara, Clark and Wesley laughed at their crossed words, and Chloe and Fred exchanged glances of long suffering, and rolled their eyes, then also laughed. It was a tension releasing laugh and when it was done, much of the tension from the last day had dissipated. They had just finished one conflict and knew there was yet another, worse one, yet to come.
It is perhaps not unusual for people to meet in a library, but three youngsters and two adults who hadn't known each other the day before meeting and talking is a bit more unusual. But then there was nothing normal about these five. They sat in the completely empty library and watched each other, still unsure of each other and the stories they had told.
Finally Wesley stirred, clearing his throat.
"So, to get back to the present situation. If I have this right, these vampires showed up at the same time as Kara's crash and might have been exposed to the radiation of the alternate kryptonite?"
"It looks that way. Until you showed up, we didn't much have a way to track them. I am glad you came. Otherwise things might have just continued to go downhill."
Wesley smiled and Fred spoke up, her cheerful voice rising across the room.
"Well, it's best to nip these things in the bud and make sure they don't spread. They are fascinating, but something tells me we had better destroy them all if we can."
"And you are sure there is absolutely no way to change them back to normal?"
"I am afraid not, Clark. The people you knew are dead. All we can do is set their bodies to peace."
Chloe and Clark exchanged glances, their sorrow evident and then Chloe spoke up.
"So... how do we trap them all?"
"We will have to create a trap spell to draw them in, so that we can slay them one by one or all together."
"Let's do it."
They spoke some more, putting together an exact plan and then Chloe glanced at her watch. She looked surprised then walked over to a nearby window and pulled the shades. They all recoiled as sunlight began to come in and she let the shades back down.
"Okay, let's do it tonight, because it's already later. or earlier than I thought, and I so need some sleep."
"agreed. Shall we meet back here at sundown?"
"Okay."
Clark shook Wesley's and Fred's hands, and then led his friends out. Wesley watched them and felt Fred move in against him, hugging his side. He embraced her and looked at her, kissing her softly.
"They are an amazing group of kids. I think this will go well... I hope."
"I am sure it will, Wesley. For now, We better get some rest."
***
They met that night, an hour before sunset. And Fred had a surprise for them. She had called earlier and talked to Kara and Chloe and they had come up with some scheme or other. Clark laughed out loud when he saw the outfits that she created for them. They were a dark material, almost black, and seemed to bend the light around them. Each had a helmet of stretchy material that fit quite well. When he discovered that his fit exactly, he looked at Fred in surprise.
"How did you know my measurements?"
"Chloe helped me out. I called in a favor with the firm and they quick-delivered these."
He looked at Chloe and blushed as he realized she had had a lot of time to check sizes while they were asleep earlier and he then grinned slowly. Chloe looked smug at first and then blushed herself.
With all of them outfitted, they went over the plan again, and then set out.
Darkness was almost complete over Smallville. Their footsteps seemed almost to echo and Clark felt both nervous and excited. With the outfit he could operate almost openly and no one would be able to see who he was. It was an idea that had never occurred to him before and he wondered if maybe that would be the key to helping people in the future.
With that outfit he could, and wouldn't ever have to be afraid of being exposed. It... was exhilarating. He grabbed up Chloe and kissed her hard, making her sqwawk in surprise and then kiss him back before he put her down again. She blushed as they continued down the streets and alleys of Smallville.
It was dark and deserted and they finally found the spot they had chosen. They set up fast, creating a staging area that was defensible and that could encompass all the vampires. Once they finished, they all exchanged glances and then nodded.
Wesley began speaking slowly and carefully in an ancient tongue he had identified as Molangrian, as Fred switched on two devices she had called frequency enablers. they would carry the mystic sound of Wesley's chant further, calling the vampires to this spot. Clark stood next to them, ready, and Kara was crouched at one side, her face unreadable. Chloe was next to Fred, helping as she could and looking pensive.
Clark wondered if everyone felt this way before a fight. He was a little queasy and nervous and excited and afraid and ready and not. It was entirely not the way that stories told of heroes feeling before their fights.
He sighed and watched the alleyways. It took long minutes but finally a form skulked out of the darkness and as it came into the moonlight it hissed at them and then charged. Clark fired heat beams around it's feet, making it shy back from them, but it was soon joined by more. Kara, Wesley and Clark all stood at the front, prepared to take action and ready for whatever would happen.
Finally a large crowd of them was there and no more seemed to be coming and as they growled and charged, Clark sped around the edge of the alleyspace. activating the field devices Fred had brought, creating some kind of field to keep the vampires from fleeing. As he arrived back at his friends' sides he knew that the only hard part now was not dying. As the vampires reached them, he laughed and charged into them.
The vampires were of varying toughness and sometimes it seemed to take Clark and Kara's heat vision a few moments to set them afire. Chloe watched worriedly from next to Fred as the woman adjusted dials and knobs on the machines next to them. Wesley fired green beams of light, each one seeming to take something out of him and yet each one killing a vampire. She breathed, hating this feeling of helplessness that she had. She hated just having to watch others fight.
She glanced up as she heard a roaring sound and nine Team Luthor goons arrived. They hesitated seeing the battle but seemed to chose to just follow whatever their orders were and just began to fire into the crowd of vampires. She laughed as they kept high enough up not to be reached by the dark things. Their firepower, when added to that of Kara and Clark and Wesley seemed to be turning the tide quickly. the vampires tried to flee but hit the edge of the field Fred had created and bounced. They pounded on thin air and howled but couldn't escape.
Chloe noticed a few windows nearby opening as people peered out at what was happening and was glad they were all clad in the dark outfits, completely disguised. And then she was startled as voices rose.
"Yeah! "
"Get those bastards!"
"Take 'em down!"
"You ain't so tough now are you?"
She looked up at the windows in amazement and in growing pride as the people of Smallville responded to being shown that the vampires could indeed be beaten.
then, a vampire leaped and snagged the boot of one of the Team Luthor boys. the weight caused the man to slam into a wall and part of his armor to crack. As the vampire loomed in for the kill Chloe charged and slammed it across the head with a rock. She fell backwards as it came towards her, realizing the act hadn't been the wisest. It stalked towards her, the look of absolute hunger on it's face scaring her more than anything ever had. then she heard his voice faintly through all the noise of the battle.
"Chloe! No!"
And he was there, tall and in between her and the monster as he had been so many times before. With a single punch he slammed the creature across the clearing and against a wall. then he turned to her and picked her up, speeding her back to where Fred was.
And then he was gone, back in the fight. She watched him a little dazedly. He had saved her, as he always did. They would definitely need to talk. And soon.
the vampires slowly were all destroyed, and when it was done, there were cheers and whoops in the buildings above. Clark looked a little startled and then came back to them all.
"I think it's time for us all to get out of here."
"I don't think so."
Chloe's blood froze as she heard that voice. Any other day she would be glad to hear Lex Luthor's voice, but not here, not now, with so much to lose. She turned as did they all to see Lex standing at an alleyway entrance, surrounded by his team Luthor guards, who all had their guns pointing at Clark and his friends.
"I think you all will be coming with me and answering some questions."
For a moment there was silence and then something happened that Chloe would always remember, a moment when everything changed. Clark moved forward, but, he was walking different, and standing almost taller it seemed.
"No, Mister Luthor. we wont be doing that at all."
His voice was deeper and more authoritative than Chloe had ever heard it before. It was like he was almost an entirely different person. She listened her mouth agape as he spoke again.
"You'll be putting down your guns and letting us go. We did nothing wrong and are just private citizens, helping out. "
Lex seemed completely flabbergasted and then got red in the face, anger filling him. He seemed about to speak when a piece of rock rained down and narrowly missed him. He glanced up to see trash and more debris headed down at his men as words filled the air.
"You leave them alone!"
"They saved us all!"
"Let the boy and his friends go!"
"No-good Luthor!"
more such cries and debris rained down and Luthor almost growled before retreating. His glare swept over them all seemed to promise revenge, at Clark most of all. Chloe felt her heart sinking and somehow knew that everything was changed.
Clark then spoke again, his voice still in that oddly deep and powerful tone. Chloe couldn't help but feel inspired and full of heart when he did, even thought she knew it was just Clark. And then she cocked her head. Or was it? When he put on that suit, something had happened. It was almost like he had gained a confidence he had never had before. He had become larger than life... almost super.
"Thank you all for your help."
There were cheers and whistles and then Clark led them away.
***
After super-speeding all their equipment and them away to the library, they all laughed and ate a little and talked long into the night, before going home.
The next day, well after noon, they met at the Talon and watched as the whole town seemed to be abuzz with the happenings. Clark presented Chloe with a article he had written as Clark Kent about the mysterious heroes who had shown up to save the day.
She agreed to write her own and then to publish them both in the paper. She had never realized Clark had started getting this good in his writing either. He had obviously been studying.
As they talked together in lower voices, She realized this had been an incredible adventure. So much had changed in just over a week. She hugged Clark close as Wesley and Fred got up.
"Well, it is about time for us to take our leave. But, if you wouldn't mind, I think we will be back within a month. there is much we could all learn from each other, and I would like to meet this Doctor Tyler as well!"
"Oh yes!"
Fred's outburst seemed to embarrass her but they went on around it.
""Well, as far as I am concerned you are welcome here anytime you want to come here."
Clark's statement seemed to catch Wesley off-guard and then the man smiled.
"Thank you."
With that and a final round of goodbyes and hugs, they left. Chloe looked at Kara and Clark. Kara had been a part of their lives for so little time and now seemed a solid part of them. Things had definitely gotten interesting!
"Let's go catch a movie!"
Kara had become fascinated with movies lately. And this time, Chloe didn't mind at all.
"Lets."
They headed out to the door.
***
Never the End...
I hope you all enjoy! Feedback is devoured!
Title: Changes, Powers, And Perspectives
Author: Illmantrim
Written for: louisemcgregor for the Crossover Ficathon
Crossover: Smallville/Angel
Characters: Fred, Wes, Clark, Chloe, Lex, Kara/Karen Star
Summary: Fred and Wes arrive in Smallville trailing references to a super-vampire outbreak, even as a strange visitor changes the relationship between Chloe and Clark forever.
Spoilers for Smallville, 4.12 "Pariah" and some earlier episodes, and for Angel the Series, 5.15 "A Hole In The World", AU for both series from those points...
Author's Notes: I used much author's liberty with what happens here and obviously this story alters the status quo a great deal. This reads more like a Smallville episode with gueststars from Angel, but hopefully that's not a bad thing.
***
The darkness called out a soothing voice to the hunter as he crept through the small town.
He didn't like being this far from civilization, but his small band had stopped here on the way to L.A. from the Northeastern city where they had been turned. And he was hungry.
So, despite his Master's warning not to feed here where it was too easy to get caught, he was out and hunting, looking for prey, and was not alone. Others of his group were nearby, also looking for prey. And speaking of such, there was a unique little morsel. A blonde woman, little more than a teenager, was walking towards her car away from what looked like a theatre. Someone called out from the door of the theatre, "Goodnight, Chloe!", and then turned the other way down the street. the girl waved and then moved faster towards her car.
The hunter crept further into the street and ghosted along towards his prey. He was out of the shadows now and rushing forward. He was just a few feet away when he heard a crack-boom sound above him and turned to peer upwards. He saw a shining object shooting down out of the sky at high speeds headed straight at him. The very last thing in his mind and on his lips was not eloquent but it definitely fit.
"Oh, Shit."
***
Chloe Sullivan was thrown backward against her car with bone-bruising force by the explosion. She had heard the Crack-boom and whirled in time to see the man racing towards her and the shining light and to hear a roaring crash as the meteor-like object slammed into him. She felt her bones seem to creak and groaned as she slid down towards the ground. She heard doors slamming and footsteps, then Clark's voice.
"Chloe!"
Then he was at her side in one of those whirring moves she had come to think of as his super-speed. She looked up, carefully not seeming surprised to see him kneeling next to her.
"Chloe, are you okay?"
"Yeah, Clark, I'm fine. Just a little startled and bruised."
She slowly rose with his help and looked at the faintly glowing crater. She stepped forwards.
"Chloe are you sure that's safe?"
"We wont find out just standing here."
Others were gathering a little ways away from the crater and Chloe and Clark shoved through them slowly. Chloe felt her body protesting some but ignored it as she moved to the lip of the pit. The glow caught her eye at first. It seemed to come off the sides of the pit. She gasped in surprise as she looked down and saw what looked like a large pile of odd-looking metal rubble and a woman rising out of it. A blonde woman. A naked blonde woman. She heard Clark gulp and avert his eyes. She almost laughed and she nudged his side.
"Maybe you should offer her your coat, Clark."
He looked at her and blinked and then nodded, glancing back at the woman as he shucked it fast and then averting his eyes again.
"Um, Miss? Here."
The coat was taken by the woman and quickly placed about her, concealing her more than ample attributes.
"Thank you. Where am I?"
Clark looked back at her hesitatingly like he wasn't sure it was safe and Chloe got tired of waiting and so blurted out her own response.
"Smallville. Smallville, Kansas. Who are you?"
She couldn't help her instinct to ask questions. The woman looked at her and then around the place, slowly climbing out of the small pit.
"My name is Kara."
The crowd around them was still watching and muttering and for a moment Chloe wondered if this would get ugly, but then, Martha arrived. Her arrival was like a whirlwind and Chloe smiled in relief.
Martha Kent was the most motherly woman Chloe knew and pulled it off by being touch and caring at the same time. She shoo-ed away most of the people and quickly led the three of them into the Talon.
Kara looked tired and worn and even though Clark and Chloe were very eager to find out what was going on, they both said nothing as Martha offered Kara a space on the couch at the Kents' place' to sleep. Clark thought wryly that it was a good thing that Lois was out of town chasing down a lead about her sister Lucy being in trouble yet again.
***
As the crowd cleared outside, four figures ghosted out of the shadows. They had waited to feed and were tired of waiting. Hunter like their destroyed companion, they had decided it was time to sake that thirst, that hunger. As they approached the crater, they felt renewed strength coming into them and their eyes began to glow. Seeing several passerby, they leaped after the group, quickly subduing them with only one brief, muffled cry.
With strength even beyond their normal levels, they dragged their victims back into the shadows. Their thirst was all powering and they showed their fangs and true natures as vampires as they slaked it on the humans, killing them quickly. But then, driven by a force they knew not, they forced each one to somehow taste of their blood, and even as the vampires watched the eyes of these too began to glow.
***
In a window overhead, in a nearby building, a man watched grimly and then turned away. He had observed all that had happened and his curiosity was piqued even as his stomach was turning and churning. He had been an observer for Wolfram and Hart here in Smallville for three years and had never seen anything like this.
He had always hoped that vampires would never come here. He had worked with them before but they had never been his favorite of the demon races. Besides, they were all supposed to stay clear of here. His bosses wouldn't like this. He wasn't ready for this. it was time to call in some help. He picked up the phone and called L.A. .
***
When they arrived at the Kent farmhouse, Clark, Chloe, and Kara found themselves too wired to sleep, and so they bid Martha a good night and then settled over coffee in the front room. They didn't talk for a few minutes and then Kara looked up.
"So, I guess you might want to know about who I am and where I am from?"
"Well-"
Clark might have deferred, even as curious as he was, but Chloe burst in there.
"Yeah! Was that a spaceship of some kind you came down in? What was the glowing light?"
Kara held up her hand, laughing.
"One question at a time. or better yet, just let me explain."
She settled back in the chair and sipped her coffee then began to speak in a clear calm voice that was almost hypnotizing.
"My name is Kara Zor-L, and I am from Argopton, a moon of the planet Krypton."
That statement hung in the air and electrified Clark as he stared at the woman. She was from his home planet! this was impossible! incredible! great! Sort of... he stuffed his feelings aside as she continued and he clung to every word.
"My planet was destroyed in a blast caused by a combination of environmental factors and the disastrous leftovers of an ancient war. My small city, Argo City, was advanced, a science city, and it was led by my father, Zor-L. His brother, Jor-L, was a scientist in Kryptonopolis, chief city of Krypton, and warned Zor-L of the coming disaster.
My people had long since abandoned Space flight after several interstellar wars and disasters, but the old plans were still there. With no idea how long he had till the disaster, Zor-L built a ship using one set of plans as Jor-L built one using another, both small tests ships. But the disaster happened early, and with no way to do aught else, they placed the archives of Krypton in both ships' computer banks and my young cousin Kal-L was placed in one as I was placed in another, and both were fired off. Less than hours after our liftoff the planet exploded under the stress and was no more."
Kara took a gulp of her coffee and continued her voice still low and powerful.
"The ship Kal was placed in was a prototype of a kind of ship once called a warp ship, that pierced space and time, cutting through the distances at a furious rate. The ship I was on was a longer slower ship, equipped with a stable-stasis device, which slowed the aging process. The ships computer educated me as I flew, while suspended, and I woke up just an hour outside Earth's orbit, only to discover that the ship's drive was damaged and it might not make a safe landing. The rest you two know. I crashed in the street and here I am."
There was silence as the two of them absorbed the information. Then Chloe burst out again.
"Your planet must be where the meteor rocks are from. You know, Clark, the ones that make you si-"
Chloe stopped dead as she stared at Clark who had gone pale.
"Oh. My. God. That's where you are from too isn't it? I thought you were a meteor freak, but you're an alien."
Clark turned bright red and seemed almost to want to say something, then slumped.
"Yes. I didn't think you even knew I was different. I mean I was obviously a little different after getting sick from the meteors recently, but-"
He trailed off helplessly. His voice was subdued and Chloe felt her heart go out to him as she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Kara watching them both.
"Clark, look at me."
He looked up at her, fear in his eyes and his hands trembling. She saw in those eyes she loved the fear of rejection and she took a minute to make sure of herself. She had been prepared for the day when he told her he was a meteor fre-. She made herself stop thinking that word. She had thought he was a, a, a meteor-affected man! She hadn't ever suspected...this.
She searched her heart as she felt all her doubts congeal, and then as she looked at him, they shattered, one by one. Alien or not, he was still Clark, and she trusted him. She smiled though as he heart jumped in her chest. She didn't know a lot but she was in love with Clark. And she was very curious.
"Clark. it doesn't matter. I love you. You're my friend. And nothing will change that. Ever."
He searched her eyes and slowly seemed to grow in stature, and sighed gustily.
"Thank you, Chloe. I-"
They both jumped as Kara cleared her throat and they both blushed a little as they looked at her. She was studying Clark.
"Kal?"
"Yes. that's- That's the name the computer... that Jor-El gave to me."
Kara seemed to leap across the room and hugged Clark hard. Tears were in her eyes as she smiled at him and kissed his cheek.
"I cant believe it's you! You have to tell me everything. How you got here, how it's been for you, everything!"
"It is. I'm okay. I'll tell you everything I can if you do the same. "
"Wait. If you came from Krypton, then that ship and that glowing stuff... "
"The Police have probably already been there, but if I know the heavy equipment people they haven't cleaned up yet."
Clark had looked alarmed at Chloe's words for a moment, then got better as he spoke. He grinned suddenly and then picked up Chloe.
"Hang on."
He took off, and she felt wind spinning past her as they moved fast and faster. Clark was running. She gasped and held on as he carried her effortlessly and the miles melted away. She heard a laugh and looked over to see Kara pacing them easily. They took off even faster and finally arrived at the alley next to where the meteor had crashed. the police had cordoned it off but done little else as yet. Clark advanced on the crater, but Kara stepped a little closer and seemed to waver, looking green.
"It doesn't seem to affect me. Weird."
Clark glanced back at them as he spoke and then moved into the pit.
"It's really broken up down here. We are going to need something to hold all this."
With that, he came back out and blurred away, returning a second later with a huge tarp. He began zipping out piece of metal to one side of the tarp and pieces of an odd off-green rock to the other side. Kara stayed way away from the rock, doing her best not to collapse and Chloe wondered why Clark wasn't falling over. She looked closer and noticed the rock didn't seem to be quite the same as the meteor that had fallen around Smallville.
Once he had gathered it all together, he made two bags, carefully separating all the meteor rock-ish stuff to one half, and the ship parts to another. Once he had sealed the ship bag with a blast of heat from his eyes(which made Chloe jump), he handed that bag to Kara then sealed the other bag and hefted it to his own shoulder with one hand, then picked up Chloe with the other. He grunted slightly and then turned to Kara.
"Will you be okay to run back to the farm? I can stay back so the rock will be far away from you."
"Thank you, Kal."
Kara smiled and as she hefted that bag, Chloe had a thought.
"Tomorrow morning, we can take the rock to Doctor Tyler and maybe he can tell us why it affects you and not me."
"Who?"
Chloe turned to Kara in Clark's arms.
"Doctor Tyler is a friend we can trust. He knows about the rocks and their affect on Clark, but nothing else. I guess we might have to take him in on the rest of it though, He was once a friend of Professor Swann, who was a scientist who helped Clark out a few times."
Kara nodded and then waved and took off. Clark took a moment to tickle Chloe, making her laugh and then they took off too, going a little slower so as to be behind Kara. As they went, Chloe thought about how glad she was that she had at least been involved that much in Clark adventures these last few weeks since she had discovered he was different. In a adventure where they had almost died, he had taken her a bit into his confidence and he had told her some of his adventures but she now suspected there was far more for him to tell and she looked forward to learning.
One of the first adventures after that had led to the discovery of Doctor Rick Tyler, the former Mystery Man of the 40's and 50's known as Hourman, and now a powerful bio-chemist and astronomer with his own firm, Tylerco, which had it's fingers in everything from robotics to space science. When they had discovered a more powerful batch of emerald /meteor rock fusion stones, Doctor Tyler had come in handy.
They finally arrived at the farm. Clark let her down on her own two feet and then stowed the rocks in the storm cellar. they saw that Kara had left the bag of ship parts in the barn. Then they went back in and joined Kara who had already made new coffee and had mugs waiting for them. they all settled in to talk. Clark looked positively hyper and excited as he spoke.
"So, tell me, tell me everything."
"And her? You trust her?"
"Yes, Kara. Chloe's my best friend. And- I, er..."
Clark seemed to stumble on his words for a moment but there was something in his eyes that made Chloe catch her breath and she swore down deep that she shouldn't let her heart get caught up by this man again after everything, but as he continued to stare at her she felt that determination stream away.
"I love her."
She felt her heart jump hard and then somehow, magically she was in his arms, Kara having moved to the side in that same magical moment, and he was kissing her or she was kissing him. It didn't matter except that she felt herself full. Then she drew back, looking up at him.
"Don't think for a minute that this lets you off for not telling me for so long! We'll talk about that later!"
He looked apprehensive about that and as she sat back down she smiled inside. Good. Couldn't have him taking her for granted or getting too comfortable. She was Chloe Sullivan still.
"Now, why don't you begin to tell us about you, Kara?"
Kara laughed.
"Gladly, sister"
The word caught Chloe off-guard but as she looked in Kara's eyes she felt in some part of her that maybe it would be true. Then she caught the glint in the other's eyes and suddenly realized another reason for Kara to call he that, if she and Clark were married, and they were to...- Chloe cut off those thoughts before they could stray into NC-17-ish places and refocused on Kara, and smiled this would be a great night!
***
The next morning the morning paper brought Chloe back to the Kent farm as fast as her car would bring her and she found Clark and the Kents already up. After she greeted the Kents and snagged some bacon and toast, she, Kara and Clark adjourned to the barn to discover what she had found.
She had opened the paper to discover that six separate people had vanished overnight, and that there had been reports of screams and glows in the night. Of green glows. As they absorbed the information, Clark and Chloe's eyes met and they spoke at the same time.
"Meteor Mutants."
They grinned then turned to explain the phenomenon to Kara, who was looking at them with an accepting smile and a puzzled look. Chloe shook her head as they explained, thinking that she wouldn't believe it had she not been her all these years and seen it all first hand.
The paper said that two victims had been left behind during the vanishings. Clark, Kara, and Chloe took off towards the Smallville morgue, determined to examine them and see what they could find out.
It took a little while to get there and they continued to ply Kara with stories as they went. Chloe smiled as Clark filled in a lot she had wondered about all these years. So much had ha[penned under her nose. She swore as they went on to always look harder than she had so far. She would be a famous reporter someday.
When they arrived, they snuck into the morgue and into the room with the victims. As they examined them, Chloe grimaced at the sight of the ravaged victims, who looked like they had been torn by large animals. Clark found the clue that changed their outlook though. He showed them both two puncture holes on one victim and when they checked the other one had them too. Chloe and Clark exchanged a disbelieving glance.
"So, we have either vampires, meteor vampire wanna-bes, or someone who thinks they are a vampire out there, killing people?"
Clark sighed at Chloe's words, but couldn't find anything else that could have done this.
"Come one let's get out of here."
***
Wesley was drawing close to Angel's office when a messenger caught up with him with some documents. He started reading them and walking and didn't notice where he was going until he found himself at the door of Fred's lab. He walked in as she was approaching a sarcophagus, one hand outstretched.
"Fred?"
She turned at his voice and came over to him, smiling that beautiful smile. he leaned in and kissed her making her blush.
"What brings you here?"
"I got a report from Smallville, Kansas, where there is apparently some sort of supernatural activity that the Senior Partners are interested in, which means-"
"-we'd better be interested in it. Yeah. Come on, let's go brief Angel."
As they headed out, Wesley glanced back.
"what were you doing in there?"
"Oh, just examining something that arrived today. Running tests. it will hold just fine."
"Okay."
***
It took a day or so to resolve the current investigations. During which the sarcophagus vanished along with Knox. They made a note of it and then forgot about it as not important. Within a couple days, Fred and Wesley were on a plane towards Metropolis where they would rent a van and start their investigations
***
As Clark, Chloe, and Kara stood around Doctor Tyler's lab two days after their morgue visit, Chloe's mind was scrambling around the grim pall that had fallen over Smallville. two days of more victims had caused the entire populace to start looking over their shoulders and night travel was all but completely dead. Chloe winced at the inadvertent pun she had made. The Vampire Slayer as whoever was doing this had been nicknamed, was causing fear to rise.
She glanced at Clark who had grown increasingly frustrated with his inability to find whoever was doing this. His one glimpse of someone attacking another had led him to a dead end with the perpetrator vanishing. he had come here today with them and immediately buried himself in the spaceship and kryptonite information in order to distance himself from what had bee happening
Doctor Tyler was running tests on the metals right now, even as his frequency and scanning equipment in the next room scanned the kinda-Kryptonite. She glanced over at the lead-veined Plexiglass that looked onto the nearby lab where the rock sat. Kara had been glad to see it, and she and Clark had explained that Doctor Tyler had it installed after their adventure involving the Red Panzer. the glass effectively shielded Kara from the pseudo-kryptonite, just as it had Clark from the more normal version.
Chloe smiled as she recalled her excitement when Clark had dug up Doctor Rex Tyler's past, as one of the so-called Mystery Men who fought crime and the Axis during World War II and just after it. These gaudily clad characters, called such things as the Flash, Atom, Hawkman, and her favorite, Phantom Lady, had fought and won several key battles, but had vanished soon after the war.
Doctor Tyler had been Hourman, a hero who used a special drug to gain super abilities for an hour at a time. He had eventually had to stop after gaining an addiction to the drug. In his quest to invent a better version he had re-discovered his love of Chemistry. He had met up with Doctor Swann soon after and gotten into Astronomy as well. He became a silent partner to the more flamboyant man, and then a front man to him once he became more secretive.
Clark and Chloe had included the man in several adventures recently, and then had in turn helped him against an old foe and in the matter of his son's sickness. They had become close friends.
Clark was watching as Kara and Dr. Tyler peered into instruments examining the fragments of ship.
There was a cry as Kara held up a boxlike instrument and handed it to Dr. Tyler who set it with the crystal-piece they had dug out earlier. It synched up with it perfectly with a click.
There was a bell-tone and they all turned to the bank of computers near the Plexiglass wall. They all gathered behind Dr. Tyler as he began to examine the results. he finally straightened up and rubbed his face as he seemed to consider the results.
Chloe saw Clark about to interrupt and stepped on his foot.
"Ow!"
Chloe cast him a glance and he subsided.
"Well, I'll be damned."
Dr. Tyler turned to them and assumed a style that Clark and Chloe knew very well. Being a part-time college professor, Dr. Tyler had a way of lecturing at times. He smiled and then spoke.
"I listened to everything you told me and am still reeling about some of it, but it doesn't surprise me, not after Degaton, and Mr. Mind, and Shazam, and the Ultra-Humanite and-"
"Doc?"
"What? Oh right... anyway, as I was saying, I listened to what you told me and took it into account and with these new results, I have a theory. It covers not only why the kryptonite that came with Kara doesn't affect you Clark, but where she came from and why Jor-El may not have thought to mention her. "
The others waited and Kara and Clark both looked apprehensive and eager at the same time.
"Kara, write out the word for Jor-El."
She made a series of marks in Kryptonian and Clark looked at it and spoke up.
"But... that's wrong!"
He made another series of marks next to hers. They saw that the two sets of marks were close but not the same and even the styles were slightly different.
"It is as I thought. I am afraid you two are not in fact from the same planet. When I tested both the metal and the mineral, I discovered something that made me check the vibrational quantum signature of each.":
Chloe felt herself blinking in confusion and saw that Kara and Clark were doing the same.
"Kara, you come from an alternate universe version of the planet Krypton. It was the same in most ways, but somehow different. The theory of Alternate universes was started many years ago and refers to the theory of different universes existing side by side at different vibrational quantum levels. Each universe represents a slight or major difference from the others. And somehow, based on the looks of warp on your ship an the basic signature at the quantum level of you and Clark, you came from another universe, Kara."
There was silence for as few minutes.
"What exactly does that mean? I mean as far as her and me and the kryptonite?"
Clark seemed to lose steam and words and Doctor Tyler realized it.
"It means that your DNA is still similar enough to make you siblings and that the rock from her universe wont affect you and the rock from this universe wont affect her. Her quantum signature seems to be slowly regularizing with this universe as time goes on, so there wont be any problems with her living here. And with the tests you have done the last few days, her powers seem equivalent to yours, if a little more powerful because she is older than you."
"Wow. I have a sister."
Kara smiled and seemed almost to be ready to cry and she kissed Clark cheek then hugged him. Then she hugged Dr. Tyler. The Doctor looked surprised then smiled and patted her shoulder.
"Ah. One more thing. I believe that with Kara's knowledge and perhaps with some help from this crystal cave you have told me about, we may be able to at least re-construct the computer part of Kara's ship, giving you access to the knowledge of your homeworlds."
Clark's eyes now teared up and Chloe smiled hugging his side. She knew how much learning more about his past meant to him.
Even as she was thinking about it, there was a ding sound and Doctor Tyler turned to a blinking light and punched a button, which made a TV set in the corner come on.
"I set it to alert me if anything important comes over the TV lines."
They all watched as a special report came on the screen and then cleared to a reporter.
"A special announcement is coming through from LuthorCorp's home studio. We take you there now."
Lex Luthor appeared onscreen and spoke, his confident gaze spearing each watcher.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Smallville, I am pleased to announce that I have authorized my newly inaugurated security force, Team Luthor, to patrol the city at night. We will keep you safe."
They all heard the pronouncement with varying looks of surprise, an crowded in around a TV set to watch. Onscreen Lex was speaking.
"We have set out seven teams of four. Their state of the art firepower and training will resolve this menace before it goes any further. Residents of Smallville, LuthorCorp is here to serve you."
With that the screen went blank and they all exchanged glances. This would definitely complicate things. Clarks's next words summed it up.
"Oh, boy."
***
Several days later, with frustrations and panic mounting to an all-time high in Smallville, it was quickly becoming clear that Team Luthor hadn't been able to live up to it's promise. There had been seven more deaths and four more vanishings, and residents of Smallville were leaving, some temporarily, some permanently, in droves. Clark, Chloe, and Kara were watching the mass insanity and exodus from the safety of the Talon's interior.
"Wow. Look at them all go. I thought after the meteor shower and all the weirdness since that nothing could shake Smallville folks. I guess I was wrong."
"Don't look at them too badly, Chloe. Most people just aren't equipped to deal with the madness happening these days. Heck, I almost am not equipped for it myself. If it wasn't for you, and Kara, and Ma and Pa, I would have felt the need to be gone long ago. But you all made me feel at home here and support me. And so help me, we will find a way to deal with this... somehow."
"Oh, I know that Clark. I guess I just hate to see all these people run."
Clark nodded as he watched people keep moving. They had helped friends and neighbors out but Jonathan Kent and Gabriel Sullivan had both chosen to stay and Martha was doing a thriving business in coffee and Danishes as people stopped in for news, to meet up, and as a last stop out of town. Some sightseers, drawn by the strangeness had shown up as well.
Such was the first impression the three had of two more travelers who arrived with backpacks, having just gotten out of a large SUV. The SUV was obviously of expensive make, and looked like it probably had all the trimmings. that meant money and Clark was always suspicious of money. these two seemed harmless enough, even if the man seemed nervous. the woman, who seemed the younger of the two, seemed to have her nose stuck in a book of a kind. He smiled and glanced around.
The two came in and settled in a chair and seemed to watch everyone around them eagerly. Clark watched them and felt an itching along the back of his neck. It was like he could almost sense something about them that made his senses feel... raw almost. The two ordered complicated coffee drinks and Clark and Chloe exchanged a look that Kara caught.
"Yuppies."
Clark and Chloe spoke in unison as they were wont to do more and more often these days. Clark grinned at Chloe who slowly returned his grin and kissed him for a moment before turning her gaze back to the strangers. Clark favored her with a longer glance, his lips curving in a smile.
"How are you three doing? Can I get you anything else?"
"Mom! You don't need to serve us. We will come up there if we need anything. Really."
Martha smiled at her son and hugged his arm before moving on. Clark watched her and wondered at the strength and honest heart of this woman he called Mom. He knew a lot about her, but sometimes he didn't think he knew her at all, or appreciated her as much as he should. But he knew he loved her and was very lucky to have her as his mom.
He smiled at Chloe as she turned her face toward his. He couldn't believe all that had happened lately and his mind was still spinning, but the one thing he knew unequivocally was that despite having Kara there, the one who made him most comfortable and not alone feeling, was Chloe. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her softly, making her emit a startled cheep, which made him laugh. She looked at him and then seemed to just accept it. he smiled and then went back to watching the people outside and inside of the Talon.
***
Wesley and Fred sat in the small coffee shop in Smallville and assessed their surroundings. The cafe itself was a nice place with people bustling in and out, mostly minding their own business. There were three teenagers settled in a couch area nearby talking and casting occasional glances at the obvious newcomers that Wesley and Fred were. The town itself was weirder and they watched it and wondered what was going on here.
It was a strange sight. Many of the townspeople seemed to be heading out of town with all or none of their things. Wesley had checked them into a hotel here for cheep rates as the place had been completely empty. The panic had spread all across the town apparently. It hadn't taken long to get lots of information, the kind the regular people around here could give anyway.
It had convinced them both that there was definitely a problem here and that it was not the usual Vampire situation by a long shot. Upon seeing the coffee shop they had decided to stop in and absorb some more of the surroundings, but now, seeing the teenagers glance at them again, Wesley wasn't sure if that had been a good idea or not.
"We can begin to look around more definitively tonight. I can cast a few spells and you can use that new spook device you brought along, so maybe we can find some answers."
"It's not a spook device. Okay so maybe it is, but still, it will come in handy. It focuses sensor readings and allows us to see multispectrum wavelength transmissions of an ethereal nature."
"I think that right now, you and I should go back to the hotel room."
"Why? We don't need to sleep yet."
"Who said anything about sleep?"
Fred eyed him with an open mouth and then jumped up and grinned. She grabbed his hand and he laughed as he pulled him up.
"Well, come on silly. Let's go!"
***
Later that night, Clark took Chloe and Kara out patrolling, trying to once again find some sign of the monsters responsible for all the deaths and vanishings. It was beginning to look kinda bleak though as hour folded into hour.
They rested every now and then and talked quietly. It seemed almost eerie in Smallville these days and Clark didn't like it at all. It reminded him of that trip he had taken to California, that had ended up in Sunnydale. that town had the same kind of eerie feeling to it. He shuddered as they stood in an alley mouth and watched the area they were stopped at.
It was very odd, having both Chloe and Kara with him,.. he was so used to operating alone, and Kara with her powers so near to his own made him nervous but grateful to have her around. Chloe was smart and had already given him ideas that he hadn't thought of. She was a good person in a fight, even when she was outmatched physically, as she would be against most super-villainous types.
They gathered again, Clark picking Chloe up once more and headed out to patrol more.
***
Wesley and Fred took a little while moving through the shadows to pick their spot. All the while they knew that the darkness had eyes and that there was something off about this town. They found their spot and began setting up. Wesley felt a thrill of excitement as the magic began to gather for him. With wards up and candles lit, he began to chant as Fred activated the spook gadget and he heard it's humming. The sounds merged and began to make the darkness boil and the two of them concentrated.
Wesley felt the magics begin to come to his call and he suddenly knew where and when they had to be. With a shout to her he led the way.
"Come with me!"
They chased down alleyways and streets until they found the right one where there were ten things.
They all surged with darkness and glowy eyes, and Wesley bit off a curse as he hurled a ball of enchantment at one of them. It bounced. He cursed aloud this time as Fred brought her gadget to bear and it threw one of them back. The rest charged.
***
Clark heard, far off, chanting and cries and led them into the scene. It was like something out of Tolkien and for a minute they hesitated. Then suddenly team Luthor was there. Firing at the dark figures. From the other side, the strange yuppies were attacking. One of them seemed to be using magic and the other seemed to be holding a ball of something and firing from it. Clark blinked and wouldn't have believed this insanity if he didn't see it.
As Clark watched he realized to his horror that some of the things looked like they had once been people he knew, Smallville residents. But they were now twisted, altered, and darkened. They were hunched and beastial, with fangs. The part of Clark that had resisted the naming of these things as Vampires began to fade fast.
The Team Luthor goons didn't seem to be making much of a dent and they eventually retreated, flying off to report or something he supposed. It was then that he saw several dark figures sneaking up on the two yuppies. They both seemed too distracted to see or hear what was happening and there was no time and so he moved. He didn't think but acted, putting Chloe down and speeding forward, slamming into them and then firing at them with his heat vision. they burst into flames and they ... he almost didn't believe his eyes as they turned to dust.
"What the blazes?"
The exclamation from the man didn't stop the stranger from blasting another of the things, but it made Clark remember he had just revealed his secret, or part of it to yet another. And yet, something here with these two... suddenly Clark felt he could trust this man and this woman. It was an odd feeling and an odd time to have such a feeling, but that was what was. He had lived in fear for a long time. He wasn't willing to be afraid anymore.
Kara who had followed him, followed suit and suddenly they were moving around the other two firing heat vision at any of the things that still moved. He made sure not to let them touch him, as he wasn't sure what was going on, but he used heat vision in great quantities and by the time it was done was feeling very drawn. He'd never used it that much before. When the dust cleared, it was just the four of them, then five as Chloe moved into the clearing area.
Clark watched the two strangers who seemed equally startled and bemused by him. He finally nodded.
"I think we need to talk."
"I'll say!"
The man smiled and Clark grinned. This would be interesting he knew! Chloe exchanged glances with the strange woman and then glanced at the two men, who were almost grinning like little boys and she shook her head.
***
The man introduced himself and his companion as Wesley Windham Price and Gwinefred Burkle, two members of a group called Angel Investigations. Clark made the introductions on his side, introducing himself and Chloe and giving Kara a name they had come up with; Karen Star. Wesley led them to a local library and talked to a sober man and managed to get the place to themselves. They adjourned to a back room and sat. And as they all stared at one another, Clark sighed.
"Those things out there arrived just a few short days ago. They have been killing people and changing them, or so it seems. The town has tried everything they can to reach a point where it can defend itself, but as you saw, even high tech didn't work to well!"
Meanwhile We4slet launched his own statement.
"What was it you were doing out there? Those powers you showed, how did you get them? And How did you show up just when you did?"
Then he caught the tail end of Clark's speech and spoke up again.
"They are called vampires and they are very touch, hard to kill. They are demons."
Clark blinked.
"They are what?"
Wesley sighed.
"Look. This is going to take a little while. Why don't we just both tell the stories we know and then ask questions later?"
Clark considered, but sighed. This man and woman both seemed to be good people and had helped them. And they already knew he had powers. He glanced at Chloe and Kara who seemed content to leave the decision to him. He closed his eyes and thought for as moment, and then nodded.
"Okay. I told you my name is Clark Kent, but that isn't necessarily true. My name is Kal and I am from a planet called Krypton..."
***
It took al;most two hours to answer each other's questions and fill in enough details that they both ran out of things to ask and say, and then they tried to figure out what to do. The silence stretched on for quite a few moments until the Clark, Kara, and Wesley spoke at the same time.
"Aliens?"
"Vampires?"
Kara, Clark and Wesley laughed at their crossed words, and Chloe and Fred exchanged glances of long suffering, and rolled their eyes, then also laughed. It was a tension releasing laugh and when it was done, much of the tension from the last day had dissipated. They had just finished one conflict and knew there was yet another, worse one, yet to come.
It is perhaps not unusual for people to meet in a library, but three youngsters and two adults who hadn't known each other the day before meeting and talking is a bit more unusual. But then there was nothing normal about these five. They sat in the completely empty library and watched each other, still unsure of each other and the stories they had told.
Finally Wesley stirred, clearing his throat.
"So, to get back to the present situation. If I have this right, these vampires showed up at the same time as Kara's crash and might have been exposed to the radiation of the alternate kryptonite?"
"It looks that way. Until you showed up, we didn't much have a way to track them. I am glad you came. Otherwise things might have just continued to go downhill."
Wesley smiled and Fred spoke up, her cheerful voice rising across the room.
"Well, it's best to nip these things in the bud and make sure they don't spread. They are fascinating, but something tells me we had better destroy them all if we can."
"And you are sure there is absolutely no way to change them back to normal?"
"I am afraid not, Clark. The people you knew are dead. All we can do is set their bodies to peace."
Chloe and Clark exchanged glances, their sorrow evident and then Chloe spoke up.
"So... how do we trap them all?"
"We will have to create a trap spell to draw them in, so that we can slay them one by one or all together."
"Let's do it."
They spoke some more, putting together an exact plan and then Chloe glanced at her watch. She looked surprised then walked over to a nearby window and pulled the shades. They all recoiled as sunlight began to come in and she let the shades back down.
"Okay, let's do it tonight, because it's already later. or earlier than I thought, and I so need some sleep."
"agreed. Shall we meet back here at sundown?"
"Okay."
Clark shook Wesley's and Fred's hands, and then led his friends out. Wesley watched them and felt Fred move in against him, hugging his side. He embraced her and looked at her, kissing her softly.
"They are an amazing group of kids. I think this will go well... I hope."
"I am sure it will, Wesley. For now, We better get some rest."
***
They met that night, an hour before sunset. And Fred had a surprise for them. She had called earlier and talked to Kara and Chloe and they had come up with some scheme or other. Clark laughed out loud when he saw the outfits that she created for them. They were a dark material, almost black, and seemed to bend the light around them. Each had a helmet of stretchy material that fit quite well. When he discovered that his fit exactly, he looked at Fred in surprise.
"How did you know my measurements?"
"Chloe helped me out. I called in a favor with the firm and they quick-delivered these."
He looked at Chloe and blushed as he realized she had had a lot of time to check sizes while they were asleep earlier and he then grinned slowly. Chloe looked smug at first and then blushed herself.
With all of them outfitted, they went over the plan again, and then set out.
Darkness was almost complete over Smallville. Their footsteps seemed almost to echo and Clark felt both nervous and excited. With the outfit he could operate almost openly and no one would be able to see who he was. It was an idea that had never occurred to him before and he wondered if maybe that would be the key to helping people in the future.
With that outfit he could, and wouldn't ever have to be afraid of being exposed. It... was exhilarating. He grabbed up Chloe and kissed her hard, making her sqwawk in surprise and then kiss him back before he put her down again. She blushed as they continued down the streets and alleys of Smallville.
It was dark and deserted and they finally found the spot they had chosen. They set up fast, creating a staging area that was defensible and that could encompass all the vampires. Once they finished, they all exchanged glances and then nodded.
Wesley began speaking slowly and carefully in an ancient tongue he had identified as Molangrian, as Fred switched on two devices she had called frequency enablers. they would carry the mystic sound of Wesley's chant further, calling the vampires to this spot. Clark stood next to them, ready, and Kara was crouched at one side, her face unreadable. Chloe was next to Fred, helping as she could and looking pensive.
Clark wondered if everyone felt this way before a fight. He was a little queasy and nervous and excited and afraid and ready and not. It was entirely not the way that stories told of heroes feeling before their fights.
He sighed and watched the alleyways. It took long minutes but finally a form skulked out of the darkness and as it came into the moonlight it hissed at them and then charged. Clark fired heat beams around it's feet, making it shy back from them, but it was soon joined by more. Kara, Wesley and Clark all stood at the front, prepared to take action and ready for whatever would happen.
Finally a large crowd of them was there and no more seemed to be coming and as they growled and charged, Clark sped around the edge of the alleyspace. activating the field devices Fred had brought, creating some kind of field to keep the vampires from fleeing. As he arrived back at his friends' sides he knew that the only hard part now was not dying. As the vampires reached them, he laughed and charged into them.
The vampires were of varying toughness and sometimes it seemed to take Clark and Kara's heat vision a few moments to set them afire. Chloe watched worriedly from next to Fred as the woman adjusted dials and knobs on the machines next to them. Wesley fired green beams of light, each one seeming to take something out of him and yet each one killing a vampire. She breathed, hating this feeling of helplessness that she had. She hated just having to watch others fight.
She glanced up as she heard a roaring sound and nine Team Luthor goons arrived. They hesitated seeing the battle but seemed to chose to just follow whatever their orders were and just began to fire into the crowd of vampires. She laughed as they kept high enough up not to be reached by the dark things. Their firepower, when added to that of Kara and Clark and Wesley seemed to be turning the tide quickly. the vampires tried to flee but hit the edge of the field Fred had created and bounced. They pounded on thin air and howled but couldn't escape.
Chloe noticed a few windows nearby opening as people peered out at what was happening and was glad they were all clad in the dark outfits, completely disguised. And then she was startled as voices rose.
"Yeah! "
"Get those bastards!"
"Take 'em down!"
"You ain't so tough now are you?"
She looked up at the windows in amazement and in growing pride as the people of Smallville responded to being shown that the vampires could indeed be beaten.
then, a vampire leaped and snagged the boot of one of the Team Luthor boys. the weight caused the man to slam into a wall and part of his armor to crack. As the vampire loomed in for the kill Chloe charged and slammed it across the head with a rock. She fell backwards as it came towards her, realizing the act hadn't been the wisest. It stalked towards her, the look of absolute hunger on it's face scaring her more than anything ever had. then she heard his voice faintly through all the noise of the battle.
"Chloe! No!"
And he was there, tall and in between her and the monster as he had been so many times before. With a single punch he slammed the creature across the clearing and against a wall. then he turned to her and picked her up, speeding her back to where Fred was.
And then he was gone, back in the fight. She watched him a little dazedly. He had saved her, as he always did. They would definitely need to talk. And soon.
the vampires slowly were all destroyed, and when it was done, there were cheers and whoops in the buildings above. Clark looked a little startled and then came back to them all.
"I think it's time for us all to get out of here."
"I don't think so."
Chloe's blood froze as she heard that voice. Any other day she would be glad to hear Lex Luthor's voice, but not here, not now, with so much to lose. She turned as did they all to see Lex standing at an alleyway entrance, surrounded by his team Luthor guards, who all had their guns pointing at Clark and his friends.
"I think you all will be coming with me and answering some questions."
For a moment there was silence and then something happened that Chloe would always remember, a moment when everything changed. Clark moved forward, but, he was walking different, and standing almost taller it seemed.
"No, Mister Luthor. we wont be doing that at all."
His voice was deeper and more authoritative than Chloe had ever heard it before. It was like he was almost an entirely different person. She listened her mouth agape as he spoke again.
"You'll be putting down your guns and letting us go. We did nothing wrong and are just private citizens, helping out. "
Lex seemed completely flabbergasted and then got red in the face, anger filling him. He seemed about to speak when a piece of rock rained down and narrowly missed him. He glanced up to see trash and more debris headed down at his men as words filled the air.
"You leave them alone!"
"They saved us all!"
"Let the boy and his friends go!"
"No-good Luthor!"
more such cries and debris rained down and Luthor almost growled before retreating. His glare swept over them all seemed to promise revenge, at Clark most of all. Chloe felt her heart sinking and somehow knew that everything was changed.
Clark then spoke again, his voice still in that oddly deep and powerful tone. Chloe couldn't help but feel inspired and full of heart when he did, even thought she knew it was just Clark. And then she cocked her head. Or was it? When he put on that suit, something had happened. It was almost like he had gained a confidence he had never had before. He had become larger than life... almost super.
"Thank you all for your help."
There were cheers and whistles and then Clark led them away.
***
After super-speeding all their equipment and them away to the library, they all laughed and ate a little and talked long into the night, before going home.
The next day, well after noon, they met at the Talon and watched as the whole town seemed to be abuzz with the happenings. Clark presented Chloe with a article he had written as Clark Kent about the mysterious heroes who had shown up to save the day.
She agreed to write her own and then to publish them both in the paper. She had never realized Clark had started getting this good in his writing either. He had obviously been studying.
As they talked together in lower voices, She realized this had been an incredible adventure. So much had changed in just over a week. She hugged Clark close as Wesley and Fred got up.
"Well, it is about time for us to take our leave. But, if you wouldn't mind, I think we will be back within a month. there is much we could all learn from each other, and I would like to meet this Doctor Tyler as well!"
"Oh yes!"
Fred's outburst seemed to embarrass her but they went on around it.
""Well, as far as I am concerned you are welcome here anytime you want to come here."
Clark's statement seemed to catch Wesley off-guard and then the man smiled.
"Thank you."
With that and a final round of goodbyes and hugs, they left. Chloe looked at Kara and Clark. Kara had been a part of their lives for so little time and now seemed a solid part of them. Things had definitely gotten interesting!
"Let's go catch a movie!"
Kara had become fascinated with movies lately. And this time, Chloe didn't mind at all.
"Lets."
They headed out to the door.
***
Never the End...
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