Everybody Loves Me 2/4
banner by: geek_or_unique
Title: Everybody Loves Me
Chapter: 2/4
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5,530
Prompt: This is for my music soulmate geek_or_unique who wanted to see a Chlollie twist on the Luthor episode where Oliver ended up in another world where he's not with Chloe and she hates him.
Previous Chapters: One
banner by: alxnhnt22
Chapter Two: Head down, swaying to my own sound
“Come again?” Oliver cried. He had to have misunderstood because there was no way Tess had just referred to him as her husband. He didn’t care what kind of messed up reality he was stuck in, that was not possible.
Seeing that he was distracted, Chloe took the opportunity to make her way toward the door. “I’ll leave you two alone,” she said.
“Chloe, wait!” Oliver called. The last thing he wanted was to be alone with Tess, especially if there was any truth to what she was saying.
She ignored him, hurrying out of the office without another word. Tess rolled her eyes, closed the door behind Chloe and turned back to glare at Oliver.
“What is the matter with you?” Tess demanded.
“Nothing,” Oliver replied quickly. His eyes fell to the enormous diamond on her left hand. It brought gaudy to a whole new level and he couldn’t imagine the Tess he knew being caught dead with such a monstrosity on her finger. Of course, the Tess he knew would never have married him anymore than he would have married her. He needed to get out of this reality.
“What did I walk in on?” Tess asked suspiciously.
“Nothing,” Oliver said again. He made his way behind his desk and sat down in the chair. He wanted to keep as much distance between them as possible. He didn’t know what kind of relationship his alternate self had with Tess, but he was willing to bet trust was an issue between them. He didn’t think telling her that he wasn’t the Oliver she was used to would go over well.
“It looked to me like you were trying to seduce that annoying assistant of yours.” Tess crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glare at him. “Do you know how tacky it is to have an affair with your assistant? Even in a fake marriage,” she added snidely.
His eyebrows shot up, relief washing over him. “Fake marriage?” he repeated. “You mean we’re not really married?” Oliver couldn’t keep the hopefulness out of his tone.
Tess sighed irritably, closing her eyes for a moment. “You’re doing drugs again, aren’t you?”
Oliver scowled. His other self must be a real prize if that was the automatic assumption. “I really need everyone to stop saying that,” he said.
“I’m your wife, Oliver, in every way that counts in the eyes of the law.” Tess rested her hands on his desk, leaning forward until she was eye level with him. “I won’t hesitate to have you committed to rehab.” She paused, considering it for a moment. “That might actually suit our agenda.”
He bit off the sarcastic comeback on the tip of his tongue and focused on her words. “Our agenda?” he asked.
“Yes,” Tess replied sharply. She had obviously run out of patience with him. “To take control of Luthor Corp. from Lex? Does that ring a bell in your booze-soaked brain? That’s why we got married in the first place.”
“We got married to take over Luthor Corp.,” Oliver repeated. He knew he sounded like an idiot and he was probably proving her point, but he didn’t care. “It was a business deal,” he surmised.
Tess rolled her eyes. “I certainly wasn’t dumb enough to fall for your smile. Neither is your nosy assistant.” She curled her fingers around his tie, tugging him forward. “We’ve been working on this plan for six months and I’m not going to let you screw it up because you can’t resist a challenge. She hates you, Oliver. That’s never going to change.”
He pulled away from her grip, his stomach dropping at the reminder. Even if this version of Oliver Queen was a dick, he still didn’t want any version of Chloe to hate him. “Why would she keep working for me if she hated me?” he asked. Oliver knew he sounded petulant, but the truth was, he wanted to know.
“You pay her,” Tess replied simply. “Not to mention all the inside information she feeds her cousin,” she added with a scowl.
Oliver considered her words. He doubted money had anything to do with Chloe’s motives, but the inside information might. But something told him that she wasn’t interested in inside business information on him, well, the other him. Chloe was probably more interested in his extracurricular activities that the tabloids didn’t know about.
He recalled Bart saying that his assistant had been the one to hire him. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but there was no reason an executive assistant would hire a courier unless there was more to the story. He wondered if Chloe had hired his bodyguard as well. He also wouldn’t be surprised at this point to find out Victor was working in the IT department. He wondered if Clark worked there as well or if he worked at whatever paper Lois did.
“Are you listening to me?” Tess asked, her sharp voice breaking into his thoughts.
“Of course,” Oliver lied. He assumed she hadn’t said anything important and even if she had, it wasn’t his problem. His other self could deal with his fake wife when he got back.
“Stop trying to get in Chloe’s pants,” Tess warned. “Go screw one of those socialite bimbos if you’ve got an itch.”
Oliver didn’t bother denying it or trying to explain himself. It was obvious Tess loathed him as much as everyone else did. He needed her to leave him alone so he could get back to convincing Chloe that he was telling the truth. “Is there anything else, dear?” he asked.
Her eyes narrowed even more. “Don’t forget we have that benefit tomorrow night,” Tess replied. “I suggest you get your head out of your ass before then.” She marched out of his office, letting the door slam at her back.
Oliver didn’t waste any time reaching over and pushing the button on his intercom. “Chloe, I need you to come in here right away,” he said.
The door opened a few seconds later and Chloe stared at him warily. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry about the interruption, but you need to hear me out.” Oliver rose from the chair, motioning for her to come into the office and close the door.
Chloe sighed, but she did what he asked. “I have a lot of work to do and you really should be preparing for that meeting,” she said.
Oliver shook his head. “Forget the meeting.” He met her in the middle of the office, sliding his hands into his pockets so she would know he wasn’t going to try anything. “Chloe, I know you don’t believe me, but I can prove to you that I’m not the guy you’re used to seeing around here.”
She gave him a look that clearly said she wasn’t impressed. “Oliver.”
“Why do you stay here?” Oliver pressed. “You’re a smart woman and you can get a job anywhere. Why do you work for a guy who you despise?” He saw flash of surprise cross her face, but she covered it quickly.
“Good benefits,” Chloe replied. “Can I go now?”
Oliver could see that her stubborn streak was the same in all dimensions. He nearly smirked, but figured that probably wouldn’t help his case. “Tell me something, Chloe,” he said. “Have you seen strange things that most people would just write off as being a figment of their imagination? People with special abilities, maybe some right here in this building?”
He watched her reaction carefully. Her eyes widened slightly and he could see the shock on her face. She tried to cover it quickly with a neutral expression, but he saw her bite down on the corner of her lip before she spoke. “I don’t know of anyone who fits that description.”
This time Oliver did smirk. He had gotten exactly what he was looking for. “Yes, you do. I can tell when you’re lying, Chloe. You bite the corner of your lip,” he pointed out. “You do the same thing when you’re concentrating really hard.”
Her eyes widened even more. “How could you possibly know that?” she asked.
“Chloe, I don’t really get how this whole other reality thing works, but you’re still Chloe Sullivan,” Oliver pointed out. “In my reality, I know you better than anyone.” He could see the confusion on her face, but there was a hint of realization beneath it. She was starting to believe him.
She continued to watch him without saying anything, her eyes searching his. “This doesn’t make any sense.” She bit her lip again, caught herself and he saw her cheeks turn red when she realized he was still watching her. “You’re definitely not the Oliver I’m used to,” she said finally.
Oliver sighed with relief. Now that Chloe believed him, he had a shot of actually getting the hell out of there. “What is that guy’s problem, anyway?” he asked.
Chloe shrugged. “I have no idea. But he barely looks at me when he’s talking to me so he’d never be able to tell that I was lying to him.” Her lips curved in a smirk. “That’s probably a good thing.”
He laughed. Oliver could only imagine what she was referring to. “Chloe, I really need your help. I need to find a way out of this reality and back to the one I’m used to,” he said. “Is there somewhere we can go? I don’t want to stay here and risk Tess or someone else finding out about this.”
Chloe nodded. “Give me a few minutes to cancel your - his - schedule. I’ll meet you in the parking garage,” she offered.
Oliver realized she probably didn’t want to be seen leaving with him and that was probably a wise choice. “I’ll see you there.” He waited a beat while she left his office and returned to her desk before making his way to the elevator without glancing in her direction. He really hoped he could make it out of the building without running into anyone else.
He cut across the lobby, purposely ignored the receptionist this time, slipped on his sunglasses and kept his head down as he jogged across the street to the parking garage. Oliver let himself into the car and did a more thorough sweep, searching for the mirror box that had brought him into this reality. It was nowhere to be found, but he did spot his other self’s wedding ring lodged between the seat and the consul and decided to leave it there.
As he waited for Chloe, Oliver tried to remember everything Clark had told him about the other reality he had fallen into. He’d lost the mirror box in transit too and somehow Lionel Luthor had ended up with it. Oliver supposed that made sense since it had been in his possession to begin with. But Chloe had told him Lionel was dead in this world so he had to assume Lex or Tess might have it. He’d have to ask Chloe for insight.
She got into the car a few minutes later, setting her purse and computer bag on the floor at her feet and reaching back to put her seatbelt on. “I don’t think anyone saw me leaving and Tess’s assistant confirmed she’s in a meeting for the next few hours.”
“Good.” Oliver pulled out of the parking space and drove toward the exit. “Hopefully we can figure this out before she realizes I’m not actually her fake husband. Which way?” he asked when they reached the street.
“Left,” Chloe replied. She shifted slightly in her seat to look at him. “Fake husband?” she repeated.
Oliver winced. He hoped this Chloe could keep a secret as well as his could because he certainly wasn’t going to lie to her. He glanced at her sideways as he slowed down to stop for a red light. “Tess might have mentioned that their marriage is a business deal.”
“I knew it!” Chloe cried triumphantly. She grinned at Oliver. “Those two could barely stand to look at one another and then all of a sudden they got married. He still partied every night and Tess wasn’t fazed by it. I knew there was a story there,” she said.
“Tess said something about a way to get control of Luthor Corp.,” Oliver explained. The light changed and he pressed down on the gas pedal.
“Make a right at the next light,” Chloe directed. She leaned back in her seat and he could see her chewing on her lip again out of the corner of his eye. “Tess came to work at Queen Industries after Lex fired her. Everyone was surprised when Oliver hired her but I wasn’t because he has always hated Lex,” she said.
“Finally something we have in common,” Oliver muttered. He took the turn she’d indicated and he recognized the neighborhood. It was mostly industrial buildings with a few condominiums mixed in. He owned one of the condo buildings in his reality and the JL used it for a base when they were in town.
“So you and Lex are business rivals in your reality too?” Chloe asked.
“We were, but Lex is dead in my reality,” Oliver replied. He kept his eyes on the road, his stomach tightening with familiar guilt. He did his best to suppress it and move on. “Tess and I actually do run Luthor Corp. though. I bought majority shares in the company a few years ago.”
“You can pull up over there,” Chloe said, gesturing to an open parking spot. “I take it you and Tess get along in your reality,” she commented.
“We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, but we’ve gotten to a place where we can be friends,” Oliver replied. He parked the car and cut the engine, glancing out the windshield at the nondescript buildings on either side of the street. “Do you live here?” he asked.
Chloe shook her head. “I live in an apartment downtown with my cousin. The place we’re going is about a block up and it’s more of a command center, so to speak.” She opened her door and got out of the car.
Oliver followed her down the street, grateful that it was fairly deserted and the people they did pass paid no attention to them. Chloe bypassed the front entrance of the building, leading him to the back door and unlocking it with her key card. They walked to the elevator and Chloe pressed the button for the top floor.
A few seconds later, the doors opened and she pulled out another key card as she approached a door at the far end of the hallway. She slid the keycard into the slot, waited for the light to turn green and then placed her thumb on a small panel beside the door. There was a soft beep and the door unlocked.
“You can’t be too careful,” Chloe said. She held the door open for Oliver and flipped on the lights.
The loft was a lot smaller than the Watchtower, but it was still filled with plenty of high-tech equipment. Chloe closed the door, tossed her purse on the desk and made her way toward the main computer terminal. Oliver watched as she typed in her codes and suddenly the various monitors and scanners surrounding them came to life.
“Quite the setup you’ve got here,” he commented.
Chloe shrugged, her eyes focused on the monitor. “I meant it when I said my job has good benefits. Working at Queen Industries gives me access to cutting edge technology and Oliver might be a jackass, but he pays me well. No offense,” she added, glancing at him over her shoulder.
“None taken,” Oliver replied absently. His attention was drawn to the large bulletin board on the opposite wall. It was filled with newspaper articles and computer printouts detailing various saves and other mysterious occurrences in and around Star City. In the bottom corner of the board, there were pictures of Bart, AC and Victor. “How long have you been working with the team?” he asked.
“Team?” Chloe repeated. She stepped away from the monitor and crossed the room to stand beside him.
“Yeah.” Oliver gestured to the pictures on the bottom of the board. “I saw Bart and AC today and I assume Vic works at Queen Industries too. How long have you been working together?” he asked again.
Chloe’s eyes shifted from the pictures to him and back again. “You know them in your reality too?” she asked.
Oliver didn’t miss the fact that she was purposely avoiding his question. He chalked it up to habit, figured she was used to dodging questions from his other self. “We work together too, but not at Queen Industries,” he added pointedly. He searched her face for any sign of a reaction, but her expression remained neutral. He realized he was going to have to be more direct. “Did you get them to work there as a cover?” he prompted.
“Not exactly,” Chloe replied.
She was obviously hesitant to open up to him and on some level, Oliver understood and he couldn’t blame her. The only thing she knew about him was that he was the spitting image of a guy she despised and he had arrived from a different reality. None of that really screamed “trustworthy.” The only way he was going to get her to open up was by telling her what he already knew.
“Chloe, I know the guys all have superhuman abilities and that they use those abilities to help people and fight crime. You don’t have to protect them from me,” Oliver assured her.
“Habit,” Chloe replied, echoing his earlier thoughts. She headed for the small kitchen and turned on the coffeepot, focusing on the task before finally looking up and meeting his gaze again. “I’ve been working with Victor the longest, probably about five years now,” she said.
Oliver smiled, relieved that they were getting somewhere. “Bart mentioned that my assistant was the one to hire him. Did you hire all the guys?” he asked.
“Technically Oliver hired them, but yes, I persuaded him to,” Chloe said. “I’d been monitoring them for awhile, watching the saves they made and trying to steer them in the right direction. But it was pretty obvious they all needed day jobs so I figured the best thing I could do would be to get Oliver to hire them and make my life that much easier.”
“They don’t know you’re helping them, do they?” Oliver asked.
Chloe shook her head. “I’m just the eye in the sky. I feed them information when I can and it’s a lot easier to do it when we’re working in the same building, but they don’t know my identity.”
“What about Oliver?” He felt strange referring to himself in the third person, even if it technically wasn’t himself that he was talking about. Oliver rolled his eyes at the absurdity of his thoughts. “Does he have any idea that you’re the eye in the sky? Or that the guys working for him are the same guys in these articles?” he asked, gesturing to the board again.
Chloe poured herself a cup of coffee and rolled her eyes. “He’s pretty self-involved and since they’re not women he’s trying to sleep with, he has little reason to pay attention to any of them. Most days, they’re lucky if he remembers their names.”
Oliver winced at the harsh description and tried to remind himself that she wasn’t his Chloe and it didn’t matter that she had a low opinion of him. But it still hurt seeing the disapproval on Chloe’s face. “He must have some redeeming qualities that make you stick around,” he said.
“Well he’s hung over a lot or sleeping in his office so that gives me a chance to get stuff done without him knowing it.” Chloe finished stirring the sugar into her coffee and looked up, her face falling when she saw his expression. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I know you’re him. Well, not him. Sort of him.” She made a face. “This is weird.”
“You have no idea,” Oliver muttered. He sat down on the couch, dragging his hand through his hair. He didn’t understand how his other self could have gone so wrong. He had played up the billionaire playboy lifestyle from time to time to keep the press away from his real activities and yes, he’d fallen back into his self-destructive ways more than once. But underneath all that, he’d still been the guy who wanted to make the world a better place. It sounded like the other Oliver was a little too good at the playboy part. “How does he find time to be Green Arrow?” he asked.
“Green Arrow?” Chloe handed him a bottle of water before taking the chair across from him. She folded her legs underneath her body and slowly sipped her coffee. “Is that some sort of billionaire code I’m not aware of?”
Oliver’s eyes widened, his stomach tightening at her question. He was almost afraid to ask, but he had to know. “Are you saying he’s not Green Arrow?” he asked quietly.
Chloe shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “Oliver, who is Green Arrow?”
“He’s one of the good guys,” Oliver replied. This time he really was talking about himself in the third person, but he was too worked up to care whether or not he sounded ridiculous. “He helps people and fights crime the same way the rest of the team does. As a matter of fact, in my reality, Arrow is the one who put the entire team together.”
“Wait,” Chloe said. She set her coffee down on the table, her eyes filled with disbelief when they met his. “You’re telling me that in your reality Oliver Queen actually does something selfless to benefit the greater good?”
His jaw tightened, tension creeping into his shoulders at the shock in her voice. No matter how much he reminded himself that she wasn’t Chloe and he wasn’t the Oliver that she was appalled by, it still bothered him that Chloe thought so little of him. He hated the way she was looking at him, with a mixture of suspicion and disbelief.
“I’m sorry,” Chloe said, her voice breaking into his thoughts. “I don’t mean to keep offending you. Obviously you’re different from the Oliver I know.”
“Right,” Oliver muttered. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. It wasn’t her fault his alternate self was a jerk. But he still couldn’t figure out why. What was so different in his life? He met Chloe’s eyes again and he knew she would have the answer. “Do you have a file on him?” he asked.
Chloe nodded, immediately rising from the chair and walking to the file cabinet that was pushed up against the far wall. Oliver could see that she was relieved to have something to do other than apologize to him. She handed him a thick manila folder and took her seat across from him again.
“I did a lot of research on Oliver before I took the job when I moved here from Kansas,” she explained.
Oliver frowned. It hadn’t crossed his mind until that moment, but it was strange that Chloe and Lois were in Star City instead of Metropolis. “How did you end up here?” he asked.
“Lex Luthor bought the Daily Planet and fired my cousin. I was about to graduate when she decided to move here and take a job with the Register so I came with her. She’s pretty much the only family I have,” Chloe said.
He heard the drop in her voice and watched as she shifted her gaze to her coffee. Oliver had a feeling there was a lot more to the story, but he knew it wasn’t his place to push her. He knew she was already telling him more than she was probably comfortable with. He focused on the folder in his hand, flipping through his other self’s life.
Oliver’s chest tightened when he saw that his parents had died early on in this reality too. Ignoring the lump in his throat, he glanced over the pages detailing his life at boarding school and his transition to take over Queen Industries. He skimmed a few more pages of the file, flipping back when he noticed something important was missing.
“This Oliver was never stranded on an island,” he commented.
Chloe’s eyes widened. “Were you?”
Oliver nodded. “For two years after I graduated. It’s where I honed my archery skills and it’s also where I realized that my life was a disaster and I needed to fix it,” he added. He tossed the file on the table before leaning back against the couch. It suddenly made a lot more sense why this version of Oliver was so awful. He’d never been had that humbling experience and he’d just continued on being the same jackass he’d been at boarding school. Oliver was starting to really feel sorry for the guy.
“Are you okay?” Chloe asked.
He glanced at her, surprised to see genuine concern in her eyes. Nodding, he managed to give her a small smile. “I’m okay,” Oliver said. “I’ll be even better when we figure out how to get me back to the reality I’m used to.”
Chloe gave him a brief smile in return before her expression turned serious again. “First, I need to understand how you got here in the first place,” she said.
“There was this mirror box,” Oliver paused, wondering what the best way to explain alien technology was. Hell, he wasn’t sure how the stupid thing worked. “It was this device from a different planet.” He paused again, glancing at her to see if she was looking at him like he was insane yet. She was simply listening, so he continued. “It was activated by mistake and it brought me here, but it was gone when I came to.”
Before Chloe could respond, the door opened and Lois breezed into the room. “Chlo, wait until you hear what happened this morning,” she called. Slamming the door at her back, she was smiling until her eyes fell on Oliver. “What the hell?” she demanded.
“Lois, I can explain,” Chloe started. She quickly rose from her chair and stepped into her cousin’s path.
“I hope so cuz, because right now all I can think is that you’ve somehow lost your mind,” Lois replied. She glared at Oliver over Chloe’s shoulder before meeting her cousin’s gaze. “Why would you bring him here of all places?” she asked. “Did he threaten you?”
Oliver opened his mouth to defend himself and then thought better of it. Lois obviously hated the Oliver that she knew and there was nothing he could say or do that would change her mind. But he had no doubt that Chloe would be able to get through to her.
“No, he didn’t threaten me,” Chloe said. Oliver could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to find the words to explain the situation to Lois. “This isn’t Oliver. I mean, it’s Oliver, but it’s not the Oliver we’re used to,” she said.
“You mean he’s actually sober?” Lois quipped. Oliver fought the urge to scowl at her. He knew it wasn’t wise to do anything that would make her angrier at him than she already was.
“Yes, he’s sober but he’s also from a different reality,” Chloe said. She gestured toward him. “I know it sounds crazy, but talk to him for a minute. You’ll see what I mean.”
Lois blinked, her mouth falling open slightly. “Chloe, did you hear what you just said to me?” She turned to Oliver again. “Did you give her some of your drugs?” she asked accusingly.
“Enough with the drugs,” Oliver snapped. He rose from the couch, moving to stand between the two women. The warning look in Lois’s eyes was all too familiar, but Oliver figured it wouldn’t be the first time she punched him in the face if it came to that. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. Chloe brought me here because she knows I need her help,” he said.
“It’s true, Lo,” Chloe insisted. “We’ve seen stranger things than this before,” she reminded her. “Besides, do you really think the Oliver we know would spend time with me by choice?”
Oliver winced, but resisted the urge to point out that the other him was obviously an idiot if he didn’t realize how special Chloe was. He definitely felt sorry for the poor bastard.
Lois raised an eyebrow, studying Oliver carefully before turning back to Chloe. “I’m pretty sure this is the longest he’s ever gone without insulting me,” she said. Her eyes met Oliver’s again. “This is weird, but if Chloe believes you, I trust her.” With a shrug, she made her way to the kitchen to get coffee.
Oliver sighed with relief and turned back to Chloe. “Where were we?” he asked.
“You were explaining the mirror box that brought you here. Do you have any idea where it could have gone?” Chloe asked.
Oliver shook his head. “I searched the car and it wasn’t there. But in my reality, it belonged to Lionel Luthor. Do you think it’s possible Lex or Tess might have it?”
“Lex inherited everything when Lionel died since he’s the legitimate heir,” Chloe explained. “Tess was left with nothing which is why she teamed up with Oliver to get back at him.”
Lois snorted into her coffee. “There are two people who deserve each other.” She rolled her eyes when Oliver glared at her. “What? You’re the one who said you’re not him so you shouldn’t be offended.”
He had to laugh at that. Only Lois could make a statement like that sound logical. “If Lex is in possession of the mirror box, I don’t see him willingly handing it over.” Oliver knew if he wanted it, he was going to have to steal it which meant he needed to make his way to Smallville. He also figured it probably wouldn’t hurt to have backup from someone who actually knew how the box worked. “What about Clark? Is he in Star City too?” he asked.
Chloe and Lois exchanged a look. “Who’s Clark?” Lois asked.
“Seriously?” Oliver replied incredulously. “Clark Kent? Also known as the Blur?” He waited for her to react and when Lois just continued to stare at him like he was crazy, he turned to Chloe. “Didn’t you grow up with him in Smallville?” he asked.
Chloe shook her head. “I never lived in Smallville. I lived in Metropolis my entire life before we moved here,” she said. “But I have heard of the Blur, or at least who I assume you’re talking about.” She went to the file cabinet again and pulled out another file.
Oliver flipped through it. Most of the newspaper articles were from the Daily Planet or the Inquisitor talking about superhuman saves and incidents that sounded a lot like Clark. “This is him,” he confirmed. He hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should tell them too much.
“What is it?” Chloe asked.
“Well, remember when I said the mirror box was from a different planet? Clark is too,” Oliver replied. He felt guilty for outing his friend, even though he wasn’t technically his friend in this reality. But he’d already decided he wasn’t going to lie to Chloe and if they were going to ask Clark for help, the truth was bound to come out anyway.
“Whoa,” Lois said. “You’re telling us that this guy is actually from another planet?”
Oliver nodded. He knew they both had a lot of questions, but he didn’t want to waste anymore time talking. The sooner they got to Smallville, the sooner he could get back to his reality and back to the Chloe who actually loved him. “It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in on the way to the airport.” He glanced at Chloe. “I do still have a private jet in this reality, right?”
“Yes,” Chloe replied. “I’ll call the pilot on the way.” She grabbed her purse and reached for her cell phone.
“Wait a second,” Lois said. She glanced back and forth between the two of them. “If this mirror box thingy brought you here, where’s the Oliver we’re used to?” she asked.
Chloe’s eyes were wide when she turned to Oliver. “Do you think he’s in your world?” she asked.
He swallowed hard, his mind flashing back to the day he’d found Clark Luthor destroying the Watchtower while he terrorized Tess and Lois. If the mirror box had made the two Clarks switch places, it had probably done the same thing for him and the other Oliver. His chest tightened at the realization.
“He must be in my world with my friends,” Oliver said.
Lois made a face. “They have my sympathy,” she muttered.
Oliver barely heard her; he was too busy wondering how Chloe was dealing with the other Oliver.
Three.