Pathways - Part 2
Title: Pathways
Pairing/Characters: Tess Mercer/Alice, Lois Lane
Fandom: Smallville/The Playboy Club
Rating: PG
Summary: As the Man of Steel’s destiny is finally fulfilled, some end up still looking for a greater calling of their own. Like Lois Lane, whose life takes a sudden change when she gets a visit from a special someone who grants her superpowers. Or Tess Mercer, who unexpectedly gets stuck in 1960s Chicago of another universe where now she has to try and find a new life in this feminine repressed era while still trying to find her way back.
A/N: This idea originally came from my mourning of the series The Playboy Club as the series was cancelled right before Cassidy Freeman’s character was going to start a relationship with Alice. However since we don’t know too much about Cassidy’s TPC character Francis, I figure to swap her with Cassidy’s other character, Tess from Smallville, to take Francis’s place in the series.
A/N2: Story takes place after the series Smallville has ended. If you’re expecting a story about Superman, Wonder Woman or Batman, this is not your story. They’ll see plenty of action, but it mostly focuses on the four main ladies, lesser exposed characters and some new ones.
A/N3: It will be a while before Lois gets her powers and Tess gets stuck in 1960s Chicago. However once that happens the ball will really begin to start rolling.
Part 2
Roswell, New Mexico
People scatter in fear and panic from the center of the town as a figure in a purple mechanical battlesuit wrecks carnage and havoc. “Power! Give me more power,” he shouts to the heavens.
“I’ll bring this town to its knees!” He tears electric cables from underneath the street to juice his suit up. The bodies of unconscious police officers foolish enough to try and stop him are strewn around the street.
“Hey, you,” a voice calls out.
The man in the battlesuit turns around and sees a man with an aura of glowing green energy around him descending to the ground.
“You’re done headcase. Game over man, game over,” the glowing man says.
He was clad in gauntlets, boots and a large domino mask all made from some kind of emerald material; it gave him the appearance of wearing armoured gear. Other than the green highlights the rest of his outfit was mostly black, the sole exception being the white chest area. Inside that white area, a black line ran down the left side of his chest with a lantern shaped design that appeared almost like a badge; it was stylized in half green and black like a yin-yang.
“And you’re going to be the one to stop me?” The man in the purple battlesuit asks disbelievingly, not waiting for an answer he fires a blast of electricity at the other man.
The man surrounded by the green energy flies off the ground just as the electricity hits the concrete below him. While in the air he dodges another couple of blasts of electricity before a circular sheet of green energy pops up in front of him.
Inside the battlesuit the pilot blinks in derision. “Is that a shield? That’s not going to save you!” He remarks as he continues to fire up at his adversary.
On his next volley he manages to break through the green shield, the shockwave sends the man in green spiraling back but he managed to recover before he crashed into the ground. Not to be outdone, he fires off a blast of green energy that staggers and blinds the armoured man.
Just as the armoured man manages to get his sight back into focus, he looks at his opponent and a green pillar comes charging his way like a battling ram. The impact sends the armoured man crashing to the ground.
The green energy man rushes over and fires off a green cutting laser, slicing the armour right down the middle. He manages to get the suit opened and pulls the man out of it, then punches him unconscious.
The green energy man puts a foot on his defeated enemy and holds up to hands in victory. Onlookers clap while others begin to move closer to get a better look at him.
A news crew that had been filming the entire conflict from behind the safety of a police barricade comes rushing over to this superhero. “Excuse me mysterious hero, but do you mind giving a few minutes of your time for the local news?”
“No problem,” he answers with a jaunty smile.
The female news reporter looks at the camera. “Alright this is the first ever exclusive with this mysterious hero that until now we only heard a few stories about.” She turns to face him, “Well the first thing I should ask is, what should we call you?” the reporter begins.
“Call me Green Lantern,” he answers.
“Oh just like the symbol on your chest,” the reporter remarks as she points to the image. “I’m a fan of yours Green Lantern, and I can’t help but notice the costume you’re wearing looks sort of different than in some of the previous amateur pictures posted of you.”
“Nice to know I already have a fanbase,” he replies back smiling. “And no, you’re not imagining things. My earlier costume were basically footie pajamas, but I didn’t like the look, so I changed it to something bit more practical and combat oriented.”
“Got to say the new costume looks great.”
“Thanks, unfortunately I can’t stick around for a proper interview, lives to save and all that.”
The reporter smiles at his charm, “One more question before you leave?”
“Sure, what’s that?”
“Since we’re in Roswell, some people watching maybe wondering, by any chance are you an alien?”
The self-proclaimed Green Lantern laughs a bit and thinks about how to answer that. “Sorry but that’ll have to remain a mystery for now.” He dashes off a bit before taking to the air. He gives the people one more wave while still only about thirty feet off the ground before rocketing off through the air.
*****
Justice League headquarters, Metropolis
Oliver Queen takes two ear communicators out of a case. He walks over to a brother and sister twin duo. “These are your Justice League communicators Zan and Jayna,” Oliver tells them as he hands them the communicators.
With an air of excitement the twins try on their new communicators. “This is so cool,” Zan says joyfully. “Thank you for inducting us Mr. Green Arrow or Oliver, whatever you want us to call you.”
“My real name should be fine,” he answers. “And you two should really be thanking my wife. She feels her calling in life is to help other heroes reach their potential, and since she remembers your whole stint posing as the Blur, she feels you two might need more guidance, and joining the League is a good first step.”
“Wait, is your wife the blonde woman we saw before? The one who can hack into systems?” asks Jayna.
“Oh yeah, I thought she was the Blur’s sidekick. Zan recollects. “Or I guess he’s calling himself Superman now.” He muses with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“That would be her,” Oliver replied.
“Is she around? I would love to thank her.” Jayna chimes in.
“She’s on vacation at the moment.” Oliver replied causally before adopting a more serious tone. “Don’t think you guys are members yet. Consider this your probation period.”
“We won’t let you down Mr. Queen,” Zan says with pride.
A news story plays over one of the monitors which grabs their attention. “It’s another save for the golden guardian known as Booster Gold. This time he was spotted coming to the rescue of a couple who were being attacked by a group of muggers.”
The news shows police officers escorting the handcuffed muggers out of the crime scene and into police cars. One of the officers stops to look at Booster Gold. “Thanks for the help, it makes our job a lot easier.”
“This time the credit should go to my partner. He’s working his way to become a hero and he needs the experience.” Booster Gold looks around. “Where is he? Aw there he is. Come on, let the public see you.”
Booster gestures his partner to come in front of the cameras. The news camera looks at the direction Booster’s staring at. Something blue begins to move past the crowd and into the opening. It’s someone in a metallic blue costume; the costume in question resembles a large blue beetle.
“Wait a minute, isn’t that the creature you fought last year Booster?” A civilian calls out.
“Yeah, that looks like the one that attacked during your telecast to receive the key to the city?” another person yells.
“This in fact is that same creature,” Booster Gold addresses the crowd. “However we came to an understanding.”
“What’s his name?” a civilian calls out.
“We’ve talked about it and,” Booster pauses for a bit, “Metropolis, meet Sapphire Scarab.” He then leans against Sapphire Scarab, and grins for the cameras.
“Is he a member of the League?” Zan asks watching the monitor curiously.
“We actually haven’t asked him yet,” Oliver answers observing the report keenly.
“Is it true Superman is a member of the League and that your computers have a database of all its members?” Jayna adds.
Oliver turns around. “Where did you hear that from?”
“You could say a little bird told me.” Jayna pauses briefly, but then speaks up again.
“Okay I was that bird,” Jayna confesses under Oliver’s suspicious look. “But will we be able to work with Superman soon?” she asks with barely contained excitement.
“Or possibly even know his identity?” Zan added, his eyes growing wide at the prospect.
“You two already know way too much,” Oliver remarks dryly.
“Is that a yes?” Zan replies back.
“No more questions for now. You guys have to earn our trust before we tell you anything else.”
for previous chapters: the master list