Smallville AU

[LuckyVic]

Clark Kent: Tuesday Lunch Time

Clark looked at his girlfriend through the lens of his glasses. "Lana are you okay?" he asked worried about her. He couldn't recall seeing her so hyper. He looked and didn't see anything in her hands. "Honey did you have one to many Red Bulls or something?" he asked her.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Kyle, Tuesday Lunchtime

"I'd say three, maybe four. (you sure she's breathing in there somewhere?)" I said with a chuckle.

"Hello Lana, pleasure to meet you." I grabbed the apple on my tray and tossed it to her. "I don't have a student guide, rather make my own opinions. I kinda snuck in here and have been keeping a low profile, so thats probably why your friend missed me. Been helping Alan do some remodeling on the house, doing some exploring. Went to Metropolis a time or two. I'm pretty quiet, easy to miss."

I closed up my laptop and leaned back a little. "And while I support that you can choose to love anyone you wish, I am sure I'll be sticking to girls." I said with another grin.

 

[Varshanka]

Lana.. cafeteria.. babbling still

Grabbing at the apple in mid air she wasn't that surprised when it bounced off her arm and fell to the table. "Soory," she mumbled, picking it up and taking a hard crunchy bite.

"Oh, don't worry about Tommy, he's like totally submissive. He'll look, but he'll scream like a ten year old girl if you goose him. Granted, he'd like it if YOU..or Clark.. goosed him."

"So.. we're like thinking about petitioning for a new Cheerleader uniform? What's ya'lls thoughts on it? We kinda wanna bring it into the current century. Right know it's like soooo nineteen eighties..."

 

[LuckyVic]

"That's not a bad idea actually." Clark said inbetween bites and swallows. After all he never spoke with his mouthful. Besides it gave him a chance to get over the chills from hearing Tommy would like it if he goosed him.

"You should talk to Lex, he got the football team new uniforms after all." Clark reminded her. "I'm sure he'd be happy to help out the school's cheerleaders as well."

 

[Varshanka]

Lana

"Nope. No 'favors' from the millionaire boy. I know he's you're friend, but the school won't owe him because of me. If we decided to get new uniforms it has to go before the school board. Then WE will raise the necessary money. Probably with a bake sale and a car wash."

"Maybe even a kissing booth," she added, flicking her eyes to Clark. And Chloe....

 

[LuckyVic]

Clark Kent: Tuesday Lunch Time

"A car wash or bake sale sound good to me." Clark said after swalloing some more of his food and then drinking some of his milk. He wasn't hiding the fact that he didn't like the idea of his girlfriend kissing other guys in some booth.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Kyle

"Back in LA the senior varsity did a "slave for a day" sale to raise money for the booster club. Of course, this was a private school, so they didn't really need the money for anything, but everyone had fun with it. Made about ten grand if I remember right."

 

[Varshanka]

Lana

Smiling Lana looked at Clark, "Now that sounds like a good idea. I wonder how much Lex would pay to have a slave for a day of one of the cheerleaders?"

Granted she figured Lex would pay like a million for a date with her. "I wonder how much we can get for you?"

 

[LuckyVic]

Clark Kent: Tuesday Lunch Time

"Who me?!" Clark asked as he looked at her.

"I doubt that I'd bring in that much to your fund raising efforts." He said point blank. "And how did I get pulled into this fund raising scheme?"

 

[Varshanka]

Lana

"Would you prefer me on the auction block? I'm sure lex wouldn't have me do too much.. Maybe wear a bikini.. make him coffee.. lay int eh sun..alll day long. Then dinner.. with a slinky dress.. maybe even dancing."

"Hmm.. maybe i will.." She said mussing and teasing Clark. "Granted this is IF we get approval from teh school board to get new uniforms.."

 

[LuckyVic]

Clark Kent: Tuesday Lunch Time

Clark found himself wrapping his arms around her slim waist and pulling her close. "You never know I might convince Lex to help me buy you so I could have you all to myself for a day." he whispered and then kissed her lightly. Showing he knew she was teasing him.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Kyle

I listened to Clark and Lana banter with each other, then looked at my watch.

"Hey, it was nice meeting you two, but I'm gonna head to my calc class a little early. Wanna ask Mr. Treanton a few things before the quiz. Catch Y'all later."

I shouldered my bag and headed out to my next class. I really needed some things explained better before that quiz.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Tuesday. Lunchtime, continued.

Chloe tried not to stare as Clark and Lana acquainted themselves with their mutual new acquaintance. Though the comment about kissing booths did make red crawl up the back of her neck.

It bothered her, a little, that Lana was so free with her affections. To wit: strip-club dry-humpery and per unum diem slavery and booths of smoochery.

And then there were the rumours about what happened after games in the girls lockers. Only rumours, thoroughly unconfirmed, verging on urban legend.

Clark deserved someone who would be true to only him.

But then again...

Chloe felt a quiet pang, sitting back down beside Rose, a pang of guilt, because if Lana was so free with her affections it might mean that Lana would be affectionate with her... Chloe felt guilty for wanting that despite the damage that this might do to Clark.

Chloe envied Lana. Not just for the man she was perhaps taking to bed with her, but for her freedom to be so affectionate, to so freely discuss matters of sexuality-- even homosexuality --and remain unafraid.

Chloe remained quiet. And thought about her upcoming meeting with Lex.

Her loudest voice remained the fingers with which she was evidently more skilled-- though less rapid --than Clark.

John managed to keep the suspicion off of his face as he watched his friend talk to the mystery man. He shoveled forkfuls of grey pseudo-beef into his mouth and chewed slowly.

Rose read her comic book.

When Kyle departed for an early calc class, the same calc class he would share with John, John glanced sideways at Chloe.

"So, new guy," he mumbled with his mouthful. "What's his deal? 'Who was that masked man, anyway?'"

Chloe smiled faintly, watching Kyle go with a modicum of not-so-mild fascination.

But she dragged her eyes away from Kyle and back onto John.

"Showed up, bolt from the blue with eyes to match," Chloe shook her head. "On The Torch staff in a heartbeat and working his way into my good graces. Bailed us out of a jam at the crime scene this morning... he sure knows his way around legal loopholes."

"Funny thing," John mused, keeping his face and voice perfectly perfectly neutral, "hanging around murder scenes at that time of night."

"Not that we're anyone to judge," Chloe chuckled faintly.

"Maybe not," John agreed, neutrally.

Good with people. And you talk a good game, Matthews, keeping secrets and such.

But I can't get those voices out of my head, out of my memories, those screaming voices. Is that what madness sounds like, the raging fury of the red end of the emotional spectrum?

Red and yellow. Rage and fear.

Chloe examined her own forkful of the grey stuff. "S'funny. I looked all over the place for tyre tracks, but I never figured out where Kyle was parked. He didn't park with mine or Rose's dad... it was like he just came out of nowhere, out of the night itself."

Like he'd been there all along.

Big guy. Strong. Definitely superpowered, way he ragdolled me earlier.

Could have done the thing. At least, physically capable.

Psychologically capable?

We gotta talk summore.

I won't abide a threat to the women in this town. And I damn sure won't abide a threat to Clark.

He cleared his throat, and stood up. "Welp, sounds to me like Calculus is where the party's at. So I'ma follow the bouncing ball..."

Chloe blinked, surprised. "Oh... kay."

"Later, John," Rose waved, without looking up from her comic book.

"Clark," John nodded respectfully.

"Ladies," John bowed chivalrously to the three girls, though his smirk was playfully lascivious.

And then he turned and followed Kyle.

Chloe watched John with eyes squinted. 'The game's afoot,' methinks.

"Fuck," Rose grimaced, closing the comic. "I hate these red-herring cliff-hangers. Bendis always does this, I dunno why I still read his stuff..."

"Witty dialogue?" Chloe smiled faintly.

"Yeah, I guess," Rose agreed. "That and Bagley's art. I sure do love the prettiness of people."

Chloe's faint smile turned pensively serious. "That's allowed, I think."

"Or if it isn't," Rose mused. "It should be."

Chloe's eyes again wafted onto Clark and Lana. "Yeah. It should be."

 

[Varshanka]

Lana Lang

Waving bye to Kyle Lana return her gaze to Clark for a moment. "Oh, by the way, the only way I'm getting in a kissing booth is if you and Chloe are with me. Personally, IF the school board ok's new uniforms I'd prefer a car wash or a bake sale. Getting smoochiw with half, or more, of the high school seems a little.. umm.. icky.."

Giving him a quick kiss she made shooing motions to him. "Go play.. the girls need to chat for a minute.. and boys aren't allowed." Turning to Chloe she moved her chair a little closer...

 

[ChasNicollette]

Tuesday. Lunchtime, continued.

Waving bye to Kyle Lana return her gaze to Clark for a moment. "Oh, by the way, the only way I'm getting in a kissing booth is if you and Chloe are with me. Personally, IF the school board ok's new uniforms I'd prefer a car wash or a bake sale. Getting smoochiw with half, or more, of the high school seems a little.. umm.. icky.."

"Heh," Chloe grinned softly, wryly, feeling ruefully but delightedly relieved. "Yeah. Mononucleosis city. Thirty-three percent is a much more agreeable divvy. (Unless we get repeat customers?)"

Giving him a quick kiss she made shooing motions to him. "Go play.. the girls need to chat for a minute.. and boys aren't allowed." Turning to Chloe she moved her chair a little closer...

Chloe arched her eyebrows at the sudden conspiratorial turn the conversation had taken. "Uh. Dismissed, I guess, Clark? I may need your perspective on the collage I'm working on at The Torch, so stop by later?"

Rose seemed to wake up at this. To blink, to come out of "hypersleep," to glance around.

"By, um, 'girls need to chat,'" Rose mumbled to the beautiful brunette, "d'you mean 'all girls within a three-yard radius,' or d'you just mean 'Chloe-and-Lana?' Because I can go, if you want."

She glanced furtively at Clark, and then away again, and turned a rosy red. "(I could, uh,)" she suggested awkwardly, "(go with him?)"

 

[LuckyVic]

Clark Kent: Tuesday Lunch Time

Clark smiled as he finished up his lunch and his last milk. He stood up and kissed Lana on the top of her head as he finsihed gathering up his tray and items. "I'll leave you ladies along then." he said with a smile.

Before he walked away he turned to face Chloe. "Yeah I think I'll have time to stop by." he told her.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith: Tuesday Afternoon

I think I was finally getting it. Mr. Treanton went over everything a time or two again, and that magical little "click" happened. I think I was ready for that quiz now.

John walked in as I was getting my stuff together and dropped a folded piece of paper on my desk, then sat down behind me. I picked it up as a few other students walked in and opened it:

"you ever kill anyone?"

I startled, crumpled it up, then turned around to look at the kid.

"Jesus John! What the hell is going on with you??" I said in a almost whisper.

He just stopped and looked at me, then spoke, also in a whisper "Mayer's Field, Four O'Clock. We need to talk."

"OK OK, just calm the hell down. Jesus."

I was NOT going to do well on this test!

 

[Varshanka]

Lana Lang - Cafeteria

Rose seemed to wake up at this. To blink, to come out of "hypersleep," to glance around."By, um, 'girls need to chat,'" Rose mumbled to the beautiful brunette, "d'you mean 'all girls within a three-yard radius,' or d'you just mean 'Chloe-and-Lana?' Because I can go, if you want."

She glanced furtively at Clark, and then away again, and turned a rosy red. "(I could, uh,)" she suggested awkwardly, "(go with him?)"

"Um.. I think this is a Chloe/Lana moment," Blushing Lana looked at Rose apologetically. "Sorry.. Maybe next time? I'm certain Clark would help you with anything you need. Especially carrying your books. He likes to carry books."

Looking at Chloe she silently asked for advise on how to not hurt Rose's feelings.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Tuesday. Lunchtime, continued.

"Um.. I think this is a Chloe/Lana moment," Blushing Lana looked at Rose apologetically. "Sorry.. Maybe next time? I'm certain Clark would help you with anything you need. Especially carrying your books. He likes to carry books."

Looking at Chloe she silently asked for advise on how to not hurt Rose's feelings.

Chloe looked a little hesitant, a little stricken, more than a little.

But Rose was a Strange Little Girl, and she nodded simply.

If there was one thing she knew well, it was her place in the high school hierarchy, the high school totem pole. Luciously gorgeous brunette chairwoman cheerleaders didn't generally co-exist with bespectacled freak-brained music nerds.

This was no longer a point of injury for Rose. She had become accustomed to her place in the world, and accepted it with a strange kind of Zen.

She quickly and efficently bagged up her lunch refuse, and then bagged and boarded the comic before carefully slipping it into a folder. This, in turn, went into the backpack under her chair, and she stood.

"You guys have fun," she nodded easily.

Chloe blinked at her, and smiled at her with a kind of wonderment and a kind of gratitude.

Rose was not quite sane, by conventional definitions. Not quite. But she was a good soul.

"You, too," Chloe suggested.

And Rose walked up to Clark and wouldn't quite look at him and her ears were turning a little red under the arms of her glasses-frames.

Even standing next to him, just standing next to her fellow spectacle-wearer, this Adonis incarnate, she was getting socially anxious and hot under the collar.

"Um," Rose stammered. "You dun. Hafta. Carry my books. But, um, which class d'you have next? We could, uh, walk side-by-side for awhile. Or I could just walk ten paces behind you and pretend I'm walking with you, like I usually do and--"

She shut up immediately.

Took a deep breath.

"Anyway." Her face was so red it made her look like a garden of roses...

Chloe was covering her face with both hands and trying desperately to not have a panic attack on poor Rose's behalf. That or dying laughing, which would have been so unfair and Chloe knew it.

Rose was amazing. But she was far from normal.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Kyle

The rest of the day was a complete and total waste. I am pretty damn sure I flunked that quiz, couldn't pay attention in English or History, and just watched the clock.

What the hell was he thinking!!! Have I ever killed anyone??? What kind of a question was that???

(Well, I had killed, hundreds of times, In Shadow. But never a human, just Reapers and demons.)

When the final bell rang I was out of there like a shot. I made it to my car in record time, then headed out to Mayer's field.

One way or another, I was going to settle this with this guy. I put on my rose-colored sunglasses (which would hide any bleed over from my eyes), and got out, sitting on the hood and waiting.

 

[ChasNicollette]

John. Tuesday. After school, special.

The grass of Mayer's Field guttered like faded yellow-green flame in the questing autumn wind.

John stood there, gazing up at the sky, hands in his jean pockets.

He was invisible, and intangible, the wind rolling through him.

He heard the other man approach, the sound of his petrochemical internal combustion vehicle rolling over the meadow like the wind. This dark mystery man and his four-wheeled travel machine.

Quietly, John turned to face him. Kyle Matthews. Watched from the concealment of his invisibility as Kyle sat on the car's hood, waiting for John, because John wasn't there yet.

He wanted to run at him; he wanted to hit him. Wanted to pound his foot into the middle of the man's chest and propel him ass-first through his own windshield. But that wouldn't solve anything.

Channel Clark, dude. Clark would hear the guy out.

Clark heard you out, when he suspected you of doin' the same thing.

Just be cool. Innocent 'till proven otherwise, amIright?

John walked, slowly, to the side of Kyle's car. Ran his eyes over its lines, the roundness of the wheels, x-rayed its internal organs.

Land vehicles were a curiosity to John. Vehicles of most kinds were intriguing to him. Martians had never needed vehicles. At least, not for a very long time.

All their interstellar travel had come with the Kryptonian Stargates, and even then, even then, Martians leaving Mars were few and far between and never gone for long.

Sometimes Martians rode the blue horses that galloped wild across the scarlet plains, but this was only for sport, not transport.

He leaned against the car and, when Kyle wasn't glancing in his direction, he turned visible again, arms folded over his chest.

He smiled faintly, his eyes squinching slightly around the edges. "S'pose you're wondering why I called this meeting..."

Kyle jerked slightly, swung his head 'round, piercing blue eyes hidden behind the red of his shades.

He didn't sputter. He didn't lose his level head. Didn't gawp at John's ninja-tastic come-out-of-nowhere entrance.

Simply climbed off the hood and faced him along the side of the car.

He didn't look happy, but he didn't lose his shit, either.

Cool customer, John noted.

"All I know is," he mused, pursing his lips and glancing away briefly before locking his sunspectacled eyes back onto John's face, "I'm suddenly being accused of murder?"

John smiled thinly. "There's murder been done 'round here, you know that. Murder apparently done by a superpowered fella of some kind of way-out-there sociopathic bent. I'm just trying to rule you out. You got yourself a superpower or two... but otherwise, I don't know anything about you."

"OK John, I'll tell you. If it will get you off my ass then I'll let you in on my deep dark secret."

John arched an eyebrow. This had better be good.

He paused a second, then said, "I'm a Martian. Once I get my saucer fixed then I am getting off this rock. Happy now John?"

John's cheek twitched and instantly instantly he found himself on his back foot.

Powerful psychic presence. Eyes that can produce bioluminescence. Illusion-casting, to make the shadows leap...

Strong. Quick.

Was I not the only one to make it out of Ma'aleca'andra when my dad locked all the fire exits?

He opened his mouth, and then shut it again. Clawed a hand into his hair.

"No," he murmured, though he didn't sound too sure of himself anymore, no longer channeling Clark's depthless self-assurance, "you couldn't be. For one thing, Martians could commute to the other side of the planet in the blink of an eye. For another thing, saucers were proven historically time and again to be an unwieldy design, especially when I was a kid and Old Man A'mokk plunged his old relic off the side of the Valles Marineris--"

He paused, covered his face with one hand. "Shit."

Then that hand gathered into a fist and he met Kyle's gaze once more, and he lowered that fist to his side.

"Let's try this again, chucklehead," he attempted, through gritted teeth. "Name, rank, serial number, and species."

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

OK, I've had it!

No way this guy snuck up on me, so he's more than normal himself. He wants a freak, I'll give it to him!

I stood and started walking toward him, my steps steady and slow.

"You want to know who I am John? Won't leave it alone? Well here is your wish. I am Azrakel, Lord of the Twilight Plains, Keeper of the shattered blade, wielder of Coldfire and known as Helbane to the ranks of the damned." Shadows swirled around me, enfolding me, spitting out a figure of black organic armor and glowing lavender eyes with a ghostly moan. Shadows danced around me in my agitation, crawling and curling around themselves. "I am Wraith, and I have killed no man!"

 

[ChasNicollette]

John. Tuesday. After school, continued.

I stood and started walking toward him, my steps steady and slow.

"You want to know who I am John? Won't leave it alone? Well here is your wish. I am Azrakel, Lord of the Twilight Plains, Keeper of the shattered blade, wielder of Coldfire and known as Helbane to the ranks of the damned." Shadows swirled around me, enfolding me, spitting out a figure of black organic armor and glowing lavender eyes with a ghostly moan. Shadows danced around me in my agitation, crawling and curling around themselves. "I am Wraith, and I have killed no man!"

John shifted his stance as Kyle stalked at him, trying to prepare for another of those whistle-quick kung fu attacks...

...but then the shadows poured forth and the shadows roared up and they gestated Kyle into a whole different thing.

Okay.

He's gone Super-Saiyan? Thought those were glowy.

John might have known this species, he wracked his brains, he couldn't think of anything that looked like this, not in the paratexts...

Shadow Champions of Talok VIII, yeah, but weren't those all girls?

...pretty blue girls...

Kyle, "Azrakel," had recited his laundry list of titles and monikers...

"You forgot 'Empress of The Lone Islands,'" John suggested with a growl, as his own eyes lit up red.

His skin started to swirl, to turn green...

Two-way street.

He gathered mass to himself... he sprouted taller and broader and his skin was a sheen of green, seething. Muscles expanded into nearly a caricature of human physiology, throbbing and thrumming with power seemingly barely contained.

His hair vanished, and his clothes reconfigured.

He took the form and wore the uniform of his late father, J'onn J'onzz The Elder, Greatest of The Manhunters from Mars.

His booted feet were planted firm upon The Earth, and his blue cape wafted in the same autumn wind that combed the grass.

"I am The Last Son of The Red Planet," he throomed, inclining his head, adopting the formal speech of his perished homeworlders rather than the mixed up slang-filled linguistics of Saul Erdel, "called J'onn J'onzz by name, and I speak against any that threaten this planet coloured blue."

He poked his finger at the air in front of Wraith's chest. "You say you have killed no man. Perhaps you felt Michael Duncan was emasculated? Certainly, Stephanie Brown, and Claire and Courtney Duncan... these were not men. You say you have killed no man. What about 'the fairer sex?'"

 

[LuckyVic]

Clark Kent: Tuesday Lunch Time

"Um," Rose stammered. "You dun. Hafta. Carry my books. But, um, which class d'you have next? We could, uh, walk side-by-side for awhile. Or I could just walk ten paces behind you and pretend I'm walking with you, like I usually do and--"

She shut up immediately.

Took a deep breath.

"Anyway." Her face was so red it made her look like a garden of roses...

Chloe was covering her face with both hands and trying desperately to not have a panic attack on poor Rose's behalf. That or dying laughing, which would have been so unfair and Chloe knew it.

Rose was amazing. But she was far from normal.

"I've got Calculus next." Clark told rose as he started to leave with her next to him. "Where are you off to?"

He never really got to know Rose, he had seen her a few times. But never really talked to her until now.

 

[Varshanka]

Lana Lang.. and the Ultimate Question

Turning her head, and watching Rose leave, Lana had the decency to blush. And blush she did. Deep dark red as she listened in.. and she was glad Rose had left. Sorry for her, but very glad. Because otherwise Lana would have been blushing so badly her face would have bled.

Turning back to Chloe once more she shifted her chair again, a nervous motion, that brought her bare knee against Chloe’s blue jean glad one.

Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it was going to explode from her chest like one of those monsters from those movies.

Leaning forward Lana’s face turned an even brighter shade of red as she asked. “Umm.. have you.. um.. that is.. did you and jimmy.. um.. well.. ahh.. like.. ahh.. what’s it.. um.. “ Looking down at her own sneakers Lana’s ears turned the cutest shade of pink.

Looking up Lana’s eyes searched for, and locked on Chloe’s. Glistening with tears. “I’ve never.. you know..” she said, her eyes pleading for Chloe to understand, what she was trying to say. “Hell I never even thought that it would maybe happen. But I think I want to. And Clark seems like he.. might want to…”

Without even realizing it Lana rested her hand on Chloe’s wonderful thigh..