Against All Odds (closed for silvertongue217)

Clark's words said one thing but his tone said something completely different. Emily wasn't entirely sure what was wrong but she didn't want to push. It was late, she was tired, and she thought that so many things were better with a bit of sleep and time.

Emily gave Clark a gentle kiss before slipping into the bathroom to clean off the grime of the night.

~*~

The following morning Emily woke late and had to rush out of the house to get to her exam. She barely had any time to chat to Clark before hand. When the exam was over (it was horrible), she made her way home. She was tired from the disappointment of the evening, and when she got back home she let Nyx off the leash and sunk into the lounge.

"Hey Clark, you home?" She called out. She pulled he phone out of her jean pocket and turned it on for the first time since the exam to see a message from Stephanie.

"My place. Tonight. Huge news to share. Need your held bad."

Emily grimaced as she played the text. It was all rather ambiguous to an outside listener, but she knew what it meant. They were all set for a second attempt at the warehouse tonight. She only hoped it would work out this time. And, she had to tell Clark somehow.

Clarks exams didnt go any better

The exams were hard enough but that coupled with the revelation Emily was lying to him was enough to send him on a tailspin. He did his best to pull his head out of his ass and make it through but by the time the exam was finished he felt hung over and depressed.

His mind couldnt stop tossing and turning it. The journalist in him was telling him that she was cheating on him yet he couldnt and did not want to believe it. Yet he couldnt figure out another reason another thought behind where she was going and what she was doing at night. The journalist in him also wanted to demand answers and get the truth but he was simply to scared of the truth to do so.

So instead of going home and confronting her he instead wandered aimlessly around the city. He turned his phone off and went inside his own head struggling to deal with the weight of it even as he wandered through the city. He paid no attention to where he was and was so lost in his thoughts that he never saw the van behind him.

And just like that his world went black

When Clark didn't answer Emily frowned and focused her senses.

Nothing.

The unit was empty.

Emily got to her feet and retrieved her phone from her bag. She opened up the calendar that she and Clark had created to share their study and social commitments on. Her phone automatically started reciting their appointments for the day and Clark should have been home well before her. She swiped a few times and tried calling him, only to have it ring out time and time again. She shrugged it off; it was his last exam for the year, so perhaps he and his mates had gone out for drinks.

Either way, Emily didn't have long to think on it. After half an hour she got a call from Hell Cat letting her know that the workers at the warehouse looked as though they were finishing up early for the day, and that they should get in early for the scope out.

Clark was still not home, so Emily tried to call him one more time. This time, she left a message;

"Hey Stud... you're not home so I'm thinking you went out with your mates. I'm gonna go out and get some dinner with a couple of the girls. Call me and let me know if you want me to bring something home for you, okay?" Emily's voice broke as her mind replayed the way he had turned cold this morning. "And Clark... I love you. Come home safe, 'kay?"

Emily hung up the phone, changed into her night wear, and then slipped out for the evening with her heart on her sleeve.

Clark slowly came back to the world

His head throbbed as his vision cleared, at first every thing was blurred distorted. He could make out vague shapes the colors of brown and silver. There was a slight ringing in his ears almost as if he was below a the subway..... yet the air had a fish like smell to it.

"He is coming to"

The voice was unknown Clark opened his mouth to speak but before he could a wave of ice cold water slammed into his face. It shocked him snapping every hting back into a clear and crystal focus as he coughed out water.

He was in a warehouse surrounded by wooden packing boxes of various size and shapes. The fish smell suddenly made much more sense as Clark could see the ocean outside of one dirty cracked window. However what drew his attention the most were the three men standing across from him. They were large sterotypical thugs really with their rough faces guns and off putting business suits.

"Rise and shine there country boy" The man said in a heavy Bronx accent "Sorry for the rude awakening but we needed to bring you back and up to speed so to speak"

"What is this?!" Clark growled struggling against his bonds "This isnt a fucking comic book! You cant just kidnap people!"

"Well normally you would be right" One of the lead goons said grinning as he chewed some tabacco "But we dont plan on just kidnapping you"

Clark felt a bolt of fear run down his spine as the man turned. Suddenly there was a needle in his hand a silver tube filled with thick looking liquid.Clark began to struggle harder as the men moved in his eyes darting wildly as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Boys, boys," A voice tutted. A decidedly sultry, feminine voice. "I leave you alone for ten minutes and you already have the needles out!" The sound of a door opening and then slamming shut echoed through the room. The sound of stiletto heels clicking against concrete tapped all the way over to Clark, and the man holding the needle to his neck paused with a growl. He still held him tight but he wasn't going to stab him just yet.

"Step away from our country lad," The woman purred, finally stepping into Clark's view. She was quite beautiful. She was a tall creature, with an Amazonian build and a face that could stop traffic. Her golden blonde hair was pinned back into a straight ponytail, and her body was hugged by a finely cut skirt suit. She had a small earpiece and microphone in, and her cool blue eyes raked over Clark's form appreciatively. Clark would not really recognise her, but something about her face may tickle him as familiar. Normally this woman spend her days and nights by the side of her mayor, one of her bodyguards, but tonight she had been sent here instead with a mission.

"So, here is the deal country boy," The woman said, reaching into a pocket and taking a phone out. She swiped at it for a moment before showing him a picture. It was a grainy aerial shot of him and Vixen on the night he stumbled across her in Central Park. "You and Nemesis looked close. From the surveillance we shot we also saw you exchanging some digits with her."

She looked down at Clark as she swiped her fingers over the screen of her phone, bringing up the number pad.

"Now, Nemesis and her little friend Hell Cat have been all up in our business. We need to contact them, to have a friendly chat with them. You, my friend, seem to be the only person we can find that has ever contacted our masked friend. How about you do it again? See if Nemesis will come and help get you out of this mess?"

The woman looked over her shoulder and clicked, one of the thugs brought up a chair and she settled onto it, crossing her leg over her knee, her calf brushing Clark's as she did so.

"Oh, and before you refuse I want you to consider something," The woman said with a satisfied smirk, "I just got word that there is a pretty little blind girl, all alone, sitting in an apartment on Sullivan Street and wondering where her hunk of a boyfriend has gone."

~*~

A mile away, on the other side of the warehouse, some shipping containers, and a chain link fence, a beat up combi pulled off the road. Inside, Nemesis and Hell Cat turned to the driver.

"Alan, are you sure you want to do this?" Nemesis asked, looking at the him and frowning.

"Of course. This operation is far bigger than anything either of you have messed with before. Someone has to keep an eye on you," he said, unbuckling his belt and slipping through the gap between the seats. He reached into an old milk crate and picked up a contraption.

"How do you plan to do that?" Nemesis asked, straightening up as Hell Cat slid the van door open. There was a sharp, electronic buzzing and Hell Cat laughed.

"Really, Alan? Is this really the time for one of your toys?" Hell Cat chuckled.

"Toys?" Alan said, only some of the offence in his voice faked, "This, thank you very much, is a state of the art surveillance drone. Night vision, tracking sensors, long battery life-"

"Okay, okay," Hell Cat said, raising her hands in supplication. "Come on Nemesis, we gotta go."

"Wait!" Alan said, as though he had forgotten something, and then rustling through one of the drawers built into the vehicle. "Here, take these." He held out a hand with two small devices. "Earpieces, so we can keep in touch."

Hell Cat took hers and fitted it without an issue. Nemesis paused as she tucked it in.

"Kitty, can you test this for me please?" Nemesis asked. Hell Cat jumped out of the van and dashed until she was out of normal audio range.

"Kitty to Nemisis! Can you hear me Nemesis? And you too Alan I suppose. Alan. Ugh, you need a code name. How about Base?"

As Hell Cat spoke Nemesis' mental vision blurred and faltered. A concerned frown tugged at her face and she took the earpiece out.

"Nemesis? What is it?" Alan asked, stepping over and taking the earpiece off her.

"It is too-" Nemesis searched for a word, "Loud? I don't know... "She bit her lip, casting her mind around for a solution. Then an idea occured to her. She reached out, taking the device from Alan and tucking it securely into the top of her corset.

"Can you still hear me if it is in here?"

Alan stood for a moment, his mouth dropped open and eyes wide when he saw where Nemesis tucked the device.

"Uhh-"

"Yes Nemesis, loud and clear. Now Base, sit your arse down and get that bird in the air. Nemesis you're with me."

So Nemesis and Hell Cat were off. Dashing across the road in the cover of night and vaulting over the chain link fence with all of the practised ease of big city vigilantes.

Clark didnt say any thing as she spoke instead weighing his options and doing his best NOT to react to her threats and seduction. It helped that he still didnt quite believe this was happening to him. Tied up as bait? Talking a evil hot girl? it all seemed so comic book esque. Even the Goons! It all seemed straight out of a comic book!

Yet he couldnt deny the danger

"So you want me to contact Nemesis?" Clark said raising an eyebrow as she finished her little "evil speech".

"I hate to break it to you but I was drunk off my ass that night" Clark said shifting to study her as he leaned back "All I got was her email address no phone number or any thing... I can shoot her an email but its about a fifty fifty chance she is even some where to look at it!"

"Hate to break it to you but I got no way of contacting her besides that" Clark told the woman smirking slightly "You and your goons kidnapped the wrong guy I mean nothing to her" He told them narrowing his eyes.

"And this is a kidnapping" Clark remarked eyeing the goons "So why would I even help you if I could? The only way this is going to end for me is a bullet to the head cant have me going back and describing you all correct?" He challenged.

The woman laughed. It wasn't a gleeful sound, not even a mocking one. It was the sadistic chuckle of someone who was used to doing whatever it took to get their way. She retrieved her phone once more with a flourish and swiped a bit.

"You're right. This night won't end well for you, no matter what decision you make. Best case scenario is you agreeing to be our informant and leaving with a bit of a beating. Worst case? Well. I don't think you're as much a country hick as you look."

The woman held up the phone. On the screen was a picture of Emily and Nyx. If Clark had been paying attention that morning he would recognise the skinny jeans and red blouse that Emily was wearing that morning when she left that house.

"This one, however... Well, she doesn't know who we are or what we look like," Then, the woman stopped, her eyes widening as she laughed. "Although I suppose she will never know what we look like." The men behind Clark chuckled at the terrible joke. "So Clark. Tell me, how do you think this night will end for your lovely blind girlfriend if you don't cooperate?"

The woman's eyes met Clark's and her eyebrow raised in challenge.

"Tell me how to contact Nemesis. Now."

~*~

The two heroes cleared the wired fence and the security around the outer warehouse complex with ease. Almost too much. They radioed back to Base a number of time, and t he drone he was piloting was giving him the same feedback. They were concerned about the lack of security, but from Base's casing of the joint earlier today the entire night had been this quiet. Perhaps the meeting they group had held recently was in regards to their supply. Nemesis could only hope that it didn't mean the group were ready to move forward with their plans yet; there was still so much work that Hell Cat and Nemesis had to do in order to stop them.

When the two women reached the main warehouse they shimmied up the pipes on the side and onto the roof. They knew that it would be an easy trip down through the fire escape from there, and as the main meeting room were on the second story of the loft they knew that would be the path of least resistance.

"How are we looking?" Hell Cat asked as their feet hit the roof.

Emily cast her senses out. It was quieter here than in the city, so her range was much lower, but the waves lapping against the docks provided some resonance for her to draw on. She couldn't sense much father than a few feet below the roof door and that was clear.

"Still clear. I can sense movement within the warehouse; not much, but enough."

"Good, we keep moving then. In and out. Let's get this done fast."

So the two kept moving.

Clark growled when the woman casually mentioned Emily. He fought harder against his bonds ignoring the way the two thugs laughed at him openly as he glared at the woman in front of him.

"Leave her out of this!" He snapped his eyes narrowing as he took her in "She didn't do any thing and she certainly doesn't know about Nemesis"

He sighed and hung his head "I already told you all I know... I can email her thats all I dont have her number or any other way to get in contact with her I cant even garuntee she is some where she can get an email! I mean she might be out patrolling or some shit"

His voice sounded desperate and it made him angry he struggled some more kicking out as his eyes narrowed in anger. That earned him a punch to the head by one of the thugs and his world swam dizzily as he blinked back stars.

"I'm telling the truth" He murmured shaking his head from side to side "I swear leave her alone please"

The woman merely sighed at Clark, shaking her head. She actually did believe him, but that didn't help her. She could see that the threat to his little girlfriend was enough to shake him, but an e-mail just wouldn't cut it.

"Right, Clark," The blonde said, getting to her feet and slipping her phone into her pocket. "I believe you. I don't think you have a more direct line to Nemesis."

She stepped aside, away from her chair, her eyes meeting Clark's and giving him a wide smile.

"So we need to send her a message in a different way. Smithfield, go ahead!"

As the blonde turned to leave, the man that was holding the syringe to Clark's neck before leapt forward, pressing the sharp tip into his exposed skin as three other men held him to his chair.

~*~

Something was wrong. Nemesis could sense it.

The moment that Hell Cat and Nemesis pushed through the emergency stair doors on the roof they knew something was wrong. Emily could hear some screaming from lower levels, and the people on the upper most floor were scrambling around. The two heroes descended the stairs together, running into two surprised thugs and downing them with a few swift moves. The room they found themselves in was not what Nemesis would have expected of a dockside warehouse. It was a stark white and thoroughly clean looking laboratory. There were bunsen burners and test tubes all around, all with different fillings. A dozen large, glass door refrigerators lined the eastern wall of the office space. At least half of the fridges were filled with neatly marked and stacked vials.

"Before we leave, we destroy these," Nemesis said, already heading towards the door. She wanted to destroy the vials now, but that screaming they heard earlier was concerning. Discerning the cause of that had to be top priority.

Every thing went wonky after that

The syrum or whatever it was slid into his body faster than he expected. He went from feeling slightly bruised and hurt to suddenly feeling great! Like better than great! So great he thought he could do any thing....

And he could

The thugs didnt seem to be expecting him to recover so fast. This time when he flexed his muscles the rope snapped as easily as if it was toilet paper. Every thign seemed to be... slower to and clearer. He could count the beads of sweat rolling down the thugs face as well as the panic as they realized he was free. He felt exhilarated! So much so he wanted to jump up and down.

Which he did

He jumped up pushing all the thugs aside as if they didnt weight any thing. Which come to think of it felt true! What was this stuff?!

"Thats enough of that"

Suddenly blinding pain hit him enough to force him down to his knee's. He suddenly couldn't think, couldn't do any thing. Dimly he was aware they were all moving around him their movements jerky and panicked.

Then just like that the pain stopped

And the anger came

Anger at what though? He was so furious there had to be some one he was angry at? The thugs? No.... The woman? No but... why wasnt he angry at them?

Why was he so angry at Nemesis

Nemesis! The name sent white hot anger through him. Of course if it was not for her he would not be in this mess! If it wasnt for her HIS girlfriend would not have been threatened. No this was all her fault! He needed to find her teach her a lesson!

Luckily he didnt have to wait long

Just like that he saw her moving into the warehouse below. He could see her through the dirty window over looking the entire warehouse. For now she didnt seem to notice him which meant that he had the element of surprise.....

And he took it

He launched himself at the window barreling through it with ease. His body broke the window turning it into a million pieces as he sailed through. The glass bounced off his skin and he ignored it landing in the middle of the warehouse with such force the very ground cracked around him.

"Nemesis" He growled his voice dark and rough "Destroy!"

He launched himself at her knocking Hell Cat to the side easily. He threw a wild punch at Nemesis his eyes burning with red fire as his murderous intent was made clear.

He wanted her dead

Nemesis growled in anger when she realised that the warehouse had two very separate loft office spaces. It meant that she and Hell Cat had to fight their way down to the bottom of the stairs and cross the warehouse floor to find a way to get to that hive activity on the other side. The two heroes had just finished taking down the last guard on the warehouse floor when the sound of shattering glass filled the space, and slivers of sharpness rained down upon them. Nemesis raised an arm to shield her face just as Hell Cat let a long string of expletives rip through their comms channel.

And then, she heard it.

"Nemesis... Destroy."

Nemesis' heart seized and her entire body froze as she got a read on the man before her. So familiar, yet different in so many fundamental ways. His heart was racing faster than a human heart should, the blood pumping through his veins was filled with adrenalin adding more strength to his already sizeable frame, and his breathing was hard and heavy.

"Clark-" Nemesis' voice broke. In that moment Hell Cat jumped between them, trying to protect her from the rage of this strange version of her boyfriend, but he cast her aside like a rag doll.

Nemesis barely managed to jump out of his way before his punch connected with her. Everything in her screamed at how wrong this was, and her mind flashed back to the vials in the refrigerator.

"The mother fuckers have drugged him!" Emily cried, dodging another punch as Hell Cat struggled to her feet. "Kitty, clear the warehouse. I will take care of Clark. Let me know as soon as all the marks are down."

Nemesis could sense Hell Cat's hesitation, but with a final "GO!" the other young woman bounded off to take care of the people in the office Clark had jumped from. The bastards were standing at the window, watching on with glee. The only benefit was that they hadn't called for reinforcements yet, and Nemesis only hoped Hell Cat could deal with them in time.

"Clark! Stop! You don't need to do this!" Nemesis cried out, jumping as Clark's leg swiped out to trip her and ducking to the side so his fist burst harmlessly through a box full of styrafoam packaging. He was strong, scarily strong, but his speed wasn't as good as Nemesis'. She had the added advantage of her abilities to help her. She just had to distract him for as long as it took for the drugs to wear off.

"Clark! You have been drugged- STOP!"

"KILL YOU!"

If Clark was in there she could not tell. His eyes were wild and feral his entire body shivering an shaking with anger and power. He continued through the packaging plowing through the wooden box as if it was nothing more than a box of matchsticks. He sighted her and with another bellow he was after her.

He was slow the drug having given him strength and anger but not much in the way of speed. Still his ferocity was unprecedented and he came after her with a zero pin point focus that kept her on the defense. Luckily Clark wasnt a fighter to begin with and so his punches were wild and easy to dodge at best.

Then he got lucky

His hand snapped out wrapping around her leg and slamming her into the ground. He pulled her up bumping her head against another wooden crate as he lifted her up by her foot. Blood was starting to seep out of his nose and his heart was going in and out and stuttering as he growled at her.

"KILL YOU"

Nemesis was dancing from foot to foot, twirling away from punches and leaping over kicks. She was trying really hard not to let hear fear and anger taint her movements, and every time she looked into Clark's eyes it became even harder. Her breast were heaving now, sweat shimmering on her face.

"Nemesis, I have this room clear, any more marks?" Hell Cat asked through comms. Nemesis had to leap away from Clark to give herself enough space and time to concentrate on the warehouse around her.

"Yes! We're all cle-"

Nemesis' words were cut short as a strong hand wrapped around her ankle and slammed her to the ground. Her lungs burned and her entire body aches as she colided with the concrete. Then she was up in the air, dangling by her ankle, her leg screaming in pain as she struggled to gain her bearing. She looked up at Clark, her eyes wide as he slammed her into some wooden crates.

"Base, EMP now!" Nemesis choked out. A split second later there was a sizzle and a whirl and the security in the building as well as all of their computer systems died.

Clark's eyes were red, inhuman, full of rage as his body shook and blood started to seep out of his nose. She could sense all of his vitals going haywire and she knew she had to end this before she lost him for good.

"Clark! Stop! It's me, Emily!" She reached up, tearing her mask from her face and casting it aside. Her short black hair dangles, brushing the ground as her eyes pleaded with him. "Please come back! I love you Clark!" She begged.

Everything suddenly grinded to a halt

Clarks eyes tightened as if he was trying to make out who she was in fact. Minutes later they widened pure shock filling them as he realized who it was. For just a second his humanity was back and he dropped her stumbling back as he shook his head from side to side.

"Emily?" He said in confusion "no.... Thats thats impossible"

All the sudden he howled a long howl of pain that ore through his body. Suddenly his vitals spiked the pain he was in apparent and screaming out of his body as he cried out once more. He dropped to his knees slamming his fist into the ground with enough force to crack the solid concrete into tiny slabs.

Then he dropped

His pulse and heart rate week he simple toppled crashing into the ground. He didn't move and if it were not for her acute senses she wouldn't even be able to tell he was breathing.

Emily's head was throbbing and aching as Clark looked down at her. Something in his eyes flickered, and after a few moments where all of the blood rushed to her head, something in him changed.

"Emily? No.... Thats thats impossible"

Emily's heart lurched at the confusion in Clark's tone, but she didn't have time to think about it. The next moment he let out an unearthly howl. His vise grip on her ankle faltered and she tumbled to the floor, all of the wind being knocked from her lungs as her body crumpled on itself.

"Nemesis? NEMESIS! What is going on? Report now!" Hell Cat's voice came through the comms, panic in every syllable.

Emily looked up just as Clark sank to his knees, she scrambled to her own as the concrete fractured beneath them. She grabbed his shoulder as he dropped completely, and she leaned over him.

"Clark!Clark! Look at me! Stay with me!" She screamed, her eyes stinging as she shook his limp shoulders. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She mumbled, closing her eyes and trying to assess his condition.

"Nemesis- what the fuck is going on?" Hell Cat's voice yelled from behind her as footsteps clattered across the warehouse.

"STOP KITTY! JUST STOP!" Emily roared, needing a moment of silence.

Hell Cat skidded to a halt and Emily collapsed against Clark, her ear pressing against his still chest. She closed her eyes, casting her senses out.

After a few tense moments she let out a sigh of relief before sitting up and turning her face towards Hell Cat.

"His vitals are shocking, but he's alive. For now. We need to get him to a hospital," Emily said, sliding an arm under Clark's large frame and trying to haul him up with her.

After a few wasted moments and a lot of swearing, Emily and Hell Cat managed to haul Clark to his feet. Base had already started the van and was sneaking in a back entrance to the complex.

Clark's vitals only got worse as the two heroes dragged him out. Base came screaming in with the van, the tyres skidding as he pulled up, jumped out, and helped them haul Clark into the back.

The ride to the hospital was a blur. The only thing Emily could hear was the slowing rhythm of Clark's heart, the faint hiss of his breath. She was barely aware of anything other than the way his cheek was cooling against her hand, and the way her tears fell onto his ripped and stained shirt. She was mumbling so many things that her words blurred; apologies, confessions of her love, demands that he stay with her, oaths of vengeance against the bastards who did this to him. She didn't even seem to notice as Hell Cat tied her hair back, removed her leather corset, slipped a long, plain brown trench over her under clothes. She didn't notice when her comrade in arms changed outfits, and she didn't realise that they had arrived at the Emergency Department until the van doors were flung open and three porters started to haul Clark onto a gurney.

That night was the longest night of her life. Emily was shown to a small, sterile waiting room while Clark was taken for a battery of tests. Stephanie refused to leave her side through it all. She had Alan bring food that Emily refused to eat, and she managed to force her to drink a bottle of water. She sat patiently as Emily wore tracks in the floor from her pacing, she refused to let Emily accept any of the blame for this, and she reassured her that everything would be okay. Stephanie held Emily when she could no longer restrain her tears. She had Alan bring in the nurses and she refused to let them leave until they had updates on Clark's conditions.

It wasn't until close to midday that Emily was finally allowed in to see Clark. As she burst into his room she was a complete and utter mess. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her hair was completely mussed up, and the brown trench coat she was wearing was crumpled and dishevelled.

Emily saw Clark lying on the hospital bed in one of their paper gowns, looking bruised and sore and beaten, but clean. She could hear his heart beat from across the room and his breathing was regular and only slightly catching, and she let out a groan of relief as she crossed the room and slid onto the bed next to him.

"I love you Clark, I love you, I'm so sorry," Emily whimpered as she pressed a soft, careful kiss against his cheek. She brought a hand up to brush a stray lock of hair off his forehead just as his eyes fluttered open.

Slowly but surely he healed

The drug having been pumped from his system its insidious grip on the body gone. his vitals were the first to steady out going from erratic to calm and sure. He was put into a room and after being set up left alone for his body to recover and flush out the rest of the drug.

And flush out it did

Her kiss to his forehead stirred him. He came out slowly his body moving slightly and groans coming out of his mouth. His eye lids began to flutter and he stretched a low groan coming out of his mouth.

"Emily?" He croaked out opening his eyes slowly and wincing at the light "Is that you?" He asked reaching out to grab her hand.

"Water please" He said his voice hoarse.

Emily's breath caught in her throat and her heart fluttered when Clark gripped her hand and said her name. Never, ever in the history of her life had anything ever sounded so good. Upon hearing Clark's request for water Emily leaned over the bed and pressed the call button. Clark was probably too woozy to notice, but she didn't even have to feel around for it. She was so frazzled by the night and relieved at his recovery to even pretend to be blind in that moment.

The nurse bustled in.

"Well, looks like you're awake," the nurse said in a pleased tone.

"He asked for some water, is he allowed to have any?" Emily asked, turning her face to the nurse.

"Sure," the nurse replied. Emily made to stand so she could go to the water cooler and get him a cup, but the nurses shh-ed her. "You, sit. Stay here with him. I am sure I can manage to get a cup of water," she said, shaking her head as she walked out of the room.

Emily sat back down, turning back to Clark and holding his hand tight.

"God, Clark, I was so scared!" She said, words tumbling from her lips in a frenzied whoosh. "I didn't know if you were going to live or die! The doctors had you here for hours. Oh Clark!" She said, struggling to hold back tears.

"Die" He said his voice one of confusion "What... What happened?"

Before Emily could say any thing the nurse was back with water and more importantly answers. She filled her in letting her know about the drug in his system and its effect at first there was nothing but confusion on Clarks face but slowly the events of the night began to click and knit together in his mind.

along with what he had learned

He glanced at Emily his eyes going wide. When the woman mentioned Nemesis Clark tightened glacning at her once more and narrowing his eyes.

"Thank you" He finally said to the nurse "Do you mind if I speak to my girlfriend alone?" He asked her.

The nurse nodded and left leaving the two in silence. Clark waited for her to speak sipping his water and refusing to take his eyes off of her as the silence hung in the air.

Clark seemed confused by her words, but before Emily could say anything else the nurse came back in with a glass of water. She explained the extent of Clark's injury and marveled at the effect of the drug (announcing that the police would need to study his blood work further). She explained that the police would interview him later, but it was clear from his injuries that he was given the possibly illegal concoction against his will.

Once she finished chatting about the drugs the nurse went on to explain the gossip that he had been found by Nemesis herself. She then said it was lucky that Emily had heard his arrival and rushed him to the hospital.

Emily had to file the information away for later, knowing that she was too tired and frazzled to process it now.

As the enthusiastic woman spoke, Emily could feel Clark's body tensing at her words. She could sense his attention, feel the sharpness in his game as he asked to speak to his girlfriend alone. She bit her lip and took a deep breath as the nurse left the room.

"I… I don’t think we should talk here, Clark," Emily said softly. She couldn’t "see" or hear anything of concern in their environment, but she knew that it would be wiser to be careful. You never knew who was on the payroll of the Mayor and her thugs.

Clark sighed pinching the bridge of his nose and looking around.

"I agree" He said his tone reluctant "Given what happened"

He starred at her for several moments before seemingly making a decision "I need to know though no bull shitting or pretending other wise is it true? Did I imagine it or no? and If I did are you really blind?" He asked his voice dropping to a whisper.

Emily let out a slow breath at Clark's question, her stomach roiling with nerves. She had spent all of their relationship letting him think of her in a certain way. She loved him, she loved him more than she had ever loved anyone or anything in her life, and now she needed to come clean. If she did he may hate her, but if she didn't she would be furthering that lie, telling him that his own experiences were wrong.

"I... You... You didn't imagine it," Emily whispered, voice shaking as she turned to face him. "I don't know exactly what happened to you, only where I came in..." She stopped then, knowing that saying more could be dangerous here. "and I am blind... Technically speaking, though I can see in... Other ways..." Her voice was even quieter now,and her heart thundered in her chest as she waited, feeling like their relationship was poised on his answer.

Clark grew quite as she talked trying to make sense of it all. Of course this was a world where the impossible was possible. Super hero's and of course the defenders... but it seemed so SURREAL. This was his Emily the girl he loved more than any thing how was she Nemesis? How did those two things connect?

"Show me" He finally said leaning forward "I need to see it with my own eyes" He said reaching out to take her hand his voice firm.

He didn't yell at her or cast her off, Emily still wasn't sure what he was thinking. She felt his hand in hers and she took a few moments just to breathe before giving his hand a tight squeeze and getting to her feet. She cast her senses out, knowing that they were alone now and would be for a little while.

Emily walked over to the table where Clark had put his cup, picked it up, then walked over to the sink and refilled it. She then returned to the bed, reaching down and grasping his hand and putting the cup into it before her fingers trailed a soft line down his cheek. All of this was done with the ease and natural bearing of a sighted person.

"There is a lot that I need to explain," Emily said, her voice still shaking with nerves, "but one thing that is true... One thing that is undeniable is that I love you Clark. More than anything."

He watched her do it his eyes widening as she did all her tasks with ease. Her story was true...

She was Nemesis

Clark sighed and laid back running a finger through his hair "It makes sense" He finally said looking at her "Where you have been sneaking off to at least I know you were lying two nights ago about being over for studying"

He looked down playing with the cup of water before blowing out a long blast of air.

"I love you to Emily... I do this hasn't changed that but the lying has to stop you should have told me this from the beginning when we became serious with one another"

Emily's cheeks heated at Clark's words. She was relieved beyond belief that he was still willing to be with her, that he still loved her, but she felt like a small child who had been caught red handed.

"I thought... I was lying to protect you. What I do is dangerous, I never meant for this to happen," she gestured towards him as he sat up in his hospital bed. "I couldn't tell you straight away because I didn't know enough about you, or us.. But when I started to realise that we were serious... It got harder to tell you. I was scared. I am still scared. Scared that it may become too much and I will lose the only person who had ever cared for me so much-" she stopped, her head cocking to the side as she heard a set of purposeful footsteps getting louder.

"We will continue this later-" she said in a warning before a smartly dressed doctor rounded the corner and entered the room.

"Well," the doctor said, her tone clearly impressed. "If you got here five minutes later you wouldn't have survived. You are a lucky young man Clark," the doctor said.