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veryrealimagination · 3 years

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Whumptober Day 4

Day No: 4

Prompt: “Do you trust me?” | Taken Hostage | Pushed

Fandom/OC: Superman & Lois (2021)

Medium: Fic

Trigger Warnings:

SFW/NSFW

Additional Tags: Smallville (2001) Enemy Appearance, Some of original Multiverse still exists after Crisis,

He doesn’t know how he fell into this Smallville. He only knows that it’s not his Smallville. Lana Lang isn’t married to Lex Luthor. Never had been. He never even lived in the town. Neither, none of the Luthors did. (Another Luthor sister, although this one wasn’t Tess Mercer. She actually carried the name Luthor.) He didn’t know anyone named Kyle Cushing. The Talon doesn’t exist. The name Chloe Sullivan gets him a lot of strange looks. There’s never been a Chloe Sullivan here? She was Lois Lane’s cousin. That name got attention, as the woman now lives in Martha’s old house with her twins and her husband, Clark.

Clark Kent.

He exists here, whatever universe he apparently ended up. There was a Clark Kent here. And there was a Superman. He remembered those powers. He remembered feeling great, powerful and stronger than everyone else around him. The fear of his parents, but the satisfaction of being better, finally. He could get them back. This Smallville still had Kryptonite. He saw it wandering through the woods trying to find evidence of people. There was already a good sized crystal in his pockets. Another surge of electricity with a Clark Kent that didn’t know what it could do with him holding the other side.

But, would that work? This Clark was older, married to Pulitzer Prize winner Lois Lane. She would figure out what happened after a minute of listening to the story. Her father was DOD, the military had recently been here. Would he be able to get away with the switch?

It was hard finding a hiding spot, but the man managed it. The trees were further away than he liked, but the stuff he stole off of someone that didn’t lock their house. God, people were really idiots in small towns. He remembered people doing that as well back in Smallville. His Smallville. The Kents were always like that, although they had a superpowered kid to protect them.

The first one out was some teen. Did Clark have a kid? The kid had some of his traits. Tall, easy-going. He had lighter colored hair and he knew Kent and Lane were dark brunettes. Maybe she cheated. It was a dark thought, but one that brought a chuckle. He doubted Lois Lane, cousin of Chloe Sullivan, would ever cheat. Chloe Sullivan-Queen was a bitter thought that popped in. Chloe had been a natural blonde. Maybe it was from her side. It was the second one that really looked like Clark, although he didn’t look to really act like him. He had two?

It was a shame that he couldn’t hear like Clark at the moment. And the people that he stole the binoculars, the money, and a few other things from didn’t have a listening device. Instead, he could only watch as the two threw a football around. He was an only child, and no one stayed friends with him after they experienced his parents a couple of times. The easy way they treated each other, laughter as one fumbled a bit, fake fighting, grew and gnawed as his already depleted state of mind. Clark Kent had to have it all. A loving set of parents, some of the hottest girls hanging off of him. Friends that would die to keep his secret and protect his life.

Why couldn’t he have that? He got stuck with the father that berated him for not being good enough. A mother that didn’t fight for him. People that shoved him around when he tried to help. Okay, he was really only helping Holly because she was cute, but even just getting a smile from a cute girl was something that he never really got. When he got powers, it was the best for a short while. People wanted to be near him. To know him. If he got those powers back, he could have that again.

His eyes had glazed over with the trip into his inner consciousness, but it came back when he saw the boys had switched games. The truck that had to be older than he was, and that was saying something because he was just as old as Clark, his Clark was. The lighter haired one was egging on his brother.

The man gasped as he saw mini Clark lift the truck from the side and hold it for a good sixty seconds before placing it down. “He inherited them,” he muttered, before realizing he had talked aloud near two possible superhearing people. Seeing that the boys hadn’t noticed him, he watched for their father to come out instead.

Lois came out instead.

It was horrifically weird seeing this woman. There was a freak in the asylum that managed to woo over a Luthor guard and would find out everything from the outside. She managed to get pictures in. That’s when he first saw Chloe’s cousin. It seared in his mind, along with Chloe, Pete, Martha, and other superheroes that helped the man out. People that Clark got to have. She wasn’t a clone of that one, but she was similar enough. As if someone played with pictures and applied filters to her face to get a new one. Creepy.

She must have been chastising the boys, both looking sheepish. It wasn’t too terrible though, because she just shook her head and started laughing. He could hear scant amounts of it. It must be nice to have that. The three of them went into the house after that, and he took the opportunity to escape before their version of Clark showed up.

Jonathan had gone out for a quick run around town. It was more to keep himself in shape than to train for anything. He wasn’t sure if he was going to do football again in the fall. He wanted to, it was his favorite sport to really play. Jordan wanted to as well, even though his first season was bumpy. The coach liked them well enough, the guys were still okay with them even after leaving roughly. A few seniors were obviously leaving and that would give them some places that they could fill.

There was, however, always the family stuff. Jordan still spontaneously spouted powers that sometimes took him out of school for a few days. His strength control was better, much to Jordan’s comfort. Jonathan was wary of his own possibility that he might develop something. Jordan’s happened because he was in danger. He hasn’t developed any yet. But it was always a yet.

His running took him around the three stages of school, elementary, middle, then the high, before he decided to start going through the old industrial park as well. The broken cement reminded him of some of the parking lots, roads, and running trails that he ran around Metropolis. He had to be more cautious, and he considered it a bit of field training as well. Some of the schools they used to go to had lumpy fields that the schools probably tried fixing and couldn’t manage like bigger schools could.

He didn’t wear earbuds now, so the scrapping of metal stopped him in his tracks. The industrial park was mostly abandoned, as companies started leaving when the economy turned bad. There were two that still had operations there. A Queen plant, and a Luthor. He was near neither of those.

Curious, he moved over, seeing a broken door barely covered by plywood. He thought about calling Jordan, knowing he would be by in a couple of seconds. He should call Jordan, or better yet, walk away. Mom’s voice was in his head insisting that. Instead, he pulled it back and headed inside. Looking around, he saw a sign for Mercer & Company. He hadn’t heard of them. Maybe he would have to ask his Dad after this. The floor of the building had deep holes. Above those were old cauldrons for smelting metals. Most of them were barricaded, but a few of the metal poles had rusted and given out. “Maybe I just heard one of those breaking,” he muttered, to himself. “Creepy old factory. Bad idea, Jonathan.”

“I don’t know, I thought it was a pretty good one,” someone said, startling him. Before he turned around, someone had an arm around his neck. He struggled, hoping that a cliched appearance of super strength came out so he could toss whatever creep decided to lure him into an abandoned factory. Jordan was going to hold this over him. Going into an abandoned area to investigate some sound. Mom was going to ground him when this came out. “You know, I am so glad you haven’t gotten your father’s powers.”

That shocked him to stop struggling, which made it easier for this strange guy to drag him over old metal stairs. “Powers? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he tried, a strained smile settling on his face to try and pass for easy-going, “My Dad’s just a farm guy. Mom’s got the real superpowers. She can manage me and my brother at the same time. We’re kinda a handful.”

The guy actually chuckled a bit as Jonathan started struggling again as they got higher. “Oh, yeah, Clark’s a real farmer. Good old Jonathan Kent taught him. Your grandfather, right?” he said, “Everyone always wondered how the old man got things done so fast. As it turns out, having a superpowered kid dropped into your lap helps.”

Again, shocked. How did this guy know so much about his family? They were steadily getting to a catwalk that went over the entire floor. Bits were broken, and it squeaked, but held as he was let go for a moment. However, the guy brought out a gun, and pointed it at him. He held up his hands automatically. That’s what he was supposed to do. His Mom usually did that until she brought out a taser, or the ELT to get Dad to respond. He had the ELT. In his pocket. In his jeans. At home. He forgot his ELT. Did he have his phone? Yes, he did, it was on his bicep in the holder. “Okay, so, how did you meet my Dad?” he asked, half interested, half terrified.

“I didn’t,” he said, “Keep moving forward.”

Jonathan was now confused. He knew about Dad, knew about his powers. Knew about his grandparents adopting him. Maybe knew about the alien part? He had to stop thinking as the catwalk threatened to give out from underneath him. He kept going after hitting a safe area. “For someone that’s never met my Dad, you sure know a lot about him.” He scanned ahead of him and saw a pair of suspiciously white zip cuffs ahead of him.

“I said I never met your Dad. I know my Clark Kent, though. And his family.” That actually made a lot of sense. The guy’s from a different universe? Jonathan turned around when he got to the zip cuffs. The guy actually smirked. “Sit down, put those around your ankles.” Nervous, he tried to gently sit down and got his feet through the loops. “Now tighten them.” Jonathan stared at the guy before he carefully closed the loops to where he could barely move around.

“Alternate universe? Cool,” he said, his voice only slightly cracking. His parents were always careful, and they weren’t really in any danger from their stories. It was only after coming back to Smallville with Jordan’s powers and Edge’s plans that they really started seeing some of the danger that their parents faced for years. A little crack in his voice was better than breaking down screaming for help. Why did he do that? His Dad could just fly in, grab this guy, then fly off again. He watched the guy pull out another zip cuff.

“Hands in front of you,” the man directed. Jonathan watched him zip his hands with one hand, keeping the gun pointed at his head.

“So, what, uh, what’s different about our universe?” he asked.

The guy glanced at him for a minute. “Anyone in your family named Chloe Sullivan?”

He had never heard of that name. “Nope.”

The guy nodded, getting confirming the answer. “In mine, she’s a cousin of your mother. Grew up in Smallville and went to school with Clark. They were best friends.”

Third shock of the day. Besides the hostage situation, which he felt he was handling very well. Very, very well. “Mom never mentions any cousins. She barely mentions our Aunt.” And his Dad doesn’t mention his cousin. They rarely talked to ‘Uncle’ Jimmy anymore. Their Dad really needed more people to talk with. So did they.

Maybe he wasn’t doing so well with the handling part with his mind and mouth running faster than making Eliza angry a year ago.

The guy put the gun away. Didn’t need it at the moment. “So, how should I contact your brother?” he asked, staring down at him.

Jonathan looked at him, the pit of his stomach developing ice blocks. “What do you want with Jordan?”

The guy shrugged. “His powers.”

That sounded crazy. “What?!” The man had a twitch in his hand, and he hoped that the gun wasn’t going to come back out. He didn’t want to get shot today. He also didn’t want to fall down any of those holes in the ground, but he had a bad feeling about those things.

“I can take his powers,” he stated. “Got everything here for it. Your brother gets to be human, and I get to be better.”

“There’s gotta be a catch,” he said.

“It hurts a bit. The best things do.” The guy was smiling. “How do I call your brother? Has his hearing picked up?” He noticed the band on his arm and held him in place to remove his phone. “Damn. Didn’t have this when I was a kid.”

“That’s been out for a year.”

“Yeah, the ‘smartphone’ stuff started happening after I was locked up in an asylum. Wasn’t even old enough to drive yet,” he mused. “I missed a lot.”

“You were institutionalized?” Good, Jonathan. Nice language that won’t hopefully piss the guy with a gun off.

He laughed. “Yeah. ‘Institutionalized.’” He knelt down to directly stare at him. “All meteor freaks were. Develop powers, then get shipped off to a hospital that kept you contained so you don’t harm other people. Experimented on to see if your powers were good for weaponizing. They couldn’t weaponize me, but they couldn’t let me out thanks to my many issues. Then, there’s the fact I know that Superman is Clark Kent.” He stood back up, holding off on so much that he could tell this kid.

“Hey!” Jonathan would never admit it was a squeak that came out when the man dragged him up. It didn’t completely pass his attention that they were set up near one of the deep holes. The furnace that sat above it was half-gone. The catwalk had a suspicious part of its railing right over that hole, and he was being forced to stand right in front of it. His toes were just over the catwalk. “You know, I think I should sit back down. I’m getting a bit of vertigo and kinda wobbly on my legs right now.”

“Don’t move too much and you’ll be fine,” he jokingly warned. Jonathan glared at him.

Staring down at the darkness below was a terrible idea. Too bad it was sort of enchanting in a black way. Fall over and disappear. So, he switched his head up. The sun was higher, lighting up the interior of the factory. He could see more rust on the metals, broken equipment and forgotten tools lying about. The hole beneath him, however, grew more shadowed, the darkness getting darker as the sun couldn’t get over the lip of the edge to get through. He was staring down at the hole again. It terrified him now, thinking about not knowing what he was going to land on if he was pushed over. He could hear himself getting worse.

Any anxiety that was about to boil over was shoved down when his phone started going off. The guy started messing with the phone until he managed to answer. “Hey Jon, Mom and Dad want to know when you’re going to be back,” Jordan said.

“Jordan, get Dad!”

“Jon, what’s going on?”

“Jonathan, named after your farmer grandfather. How adorable,” the guy said, “But, I’m the one on the phone, and not you.” A hand grabbed the collar of his shirt and held him out over the hole. He screamed, his knees locking to keep his legs straight so he wouldn’t collapse.

“Jon!”

“Still here!” he yelled. That hole was looking blacker than a power outage in a Metropolis subway. He didn’t want to fall in today.

“He’s fine, maybe.” His arm moved, dragging Jonathan’s body around to increase his fear.

“Oh my god! Please stop doing that.”

“What the hell are you doing to my brother?!”

“Oh, nothing much. Just holding him over a concrete hole about 50 feet above the ground.But, hey. You can get him back, almost mint condition. You just gotta meet us in Mercer and Company’s old factory. Don’t tell your parents where you’re going, though. We don’t want SuperDad to show up and have me drop Jonathan.” He ended the call after that and pulled back his arm. “You’re doing well, kid. Keep that up.”

Concentrating on his breathing, he vaguely noticed that the man was grabbing a severed power cord. The guy touched the exposed wiring and jolted when he felt it. He also smiled. “How are you taking Jordan’s powers?” he asked, his self control gathering a bit.

“It’s my freak power,” he said, pulling out a two inch solid piece of Kryptonite. “I was holding this and lightning hit Clark and I when he was trying to pull me back up the bridge. That’s how I got his powers. The times after that, we switched with electricity. It’s all I need now.”

Jordan had come in after hearing that. He wasn’t sure what the plan was, but they were trying to figure that out. First things first, he had to get the man’s attention. He entered the factory and looked up to see Jonathan on the catwalk. “Jon!”

He grinned. “Jordan!” He squawked when the guy grabbed him again.

“Up the stairs. I’ll hand him back.” Jon’s attempt at warning him were cut off when the hand tightened around his upper arm. “Start moving, kid.”

Jordan scanned for where the stairs were and moved up quickly. He just had to get Jon away from the guy. Dad actually had a whole plan for this type of stuff. He said that he and Aunt Kara had run through it a few times when someone had grabbed Mom for the same reason. To stop Superman from interfering in something. The stairs only looked weak as he moved up them quickly. It was the catwalk that he felt unsafe. The thing had more rust on it than he first saw. He moved slower to avoid breaking anything. He needed to be closer to Jon before the plan would kick in.

“That’s perfect, Jordan,” the guy said, releasing Jon’s arm. “All you have to do is give me a little handshake and you can walk out of here with your brother.” Jordan looked down at his hand and saw the tale tell sign of green Kryptonite along with a live wire nestled next to it.

“He wants your powers, Jordan. Don’t do it,” he said, wincing at the increase in pressure from the man’s hold.

“If you don’t do this, I will push your brother over and let you listen to his body breaking on the floor down there before getting those powers out of you anyways,” he threatened. Jordan looked over to Jon. Trust me? He nodded. The man seemed to know what was happening,

and pushed Jonathan over the edge.

The scream he let out was innate, terrified as he twisted in open air with his body trying to figure out what to do next. Jordan jumped after him, the guy just missing him by two inches. His focus was just on getting to Jon. Five seconds too long, he was holding onto his brother, righting himself before he switched. The air around them slowed down, until he finally was able to stop and hover. “Jordan?” his brother asked, still slightly breathless.

Staring up, he was waiting for the signal to come back. “Yeah?”

“Are you holding me bridal style?” he asked. Jon felt him nod. “Great, because I already had an embarrassing moment entering into an old factory to investigate a sound. Now I’m being held like Mom by my brother. Great.”

He snickered, “Would you rather it be Dad?”

It took a couple of seconds for him to think about that. “Only if it’s not my fault.” After a minute, he felt the two of them slowly fly up out of the hole. The first thing he searched for was his Dad, who wasn’t wearing his suit. Steel was there in his suit. The man was on his knees, apparently handcuffed. “You know, he was a little scarier like five minutes ago.”

“I can imagine,” Clark said, coming over when Jordan landed just outside of the hole. He carefully broke the zip cuffs until the pieces landed on the floor. “So, are you good, or do you want to be carried home like your Mom?”

Jonathan took the opportunity to swing an arm around Jordan’s shoulders, completely ignoring the fact that Dad heard that. “You know, I could go for being carried home by my dear, wonderful,” he said, before Jordan forcibly dropped him onto the ground. “Rude twin brother.” He got a little help standing back up.

His Dad had his phone. “Where’s your ELT?”

“In my jeans. At home,” he admitted.

He sighed, pulling his child close to wrap an arm around his shoulders, “Jonathan.” Jordan started snickering again. He lightly bopped the other on the shoulder. “Let’s get going before the Military shows up.”

#whumptober2021 #no.4 #do you trust me #taken hostage #pushed #superman and lois #fic #it's eric summers #other Smallville meteor affected are around #because that would actually make since with the combining of the earths #167 Clark and Lois and some of theirs would end up on 1 #i also thought of evil Shawn Ashmore #because #also #no powered Jon #my writing

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kierantc-blog · 7 years

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DC Rebirth In Review - The Superman Family

So with Doomsday Clock just around the corner, we got news from NYCC that the branding of Rebirth will be coming to an end this December and that they are bringing back the corner box with hero symbols underneath them. And with the ushering in of a new stage in DC Comics, i thought i would take time to look back at how DC actually done with the initiative with small reviews for each comic.

First of all, i’m going to talk about the Superman family of titles.

Superman - Superman is DC Rebirth’s great success story and the best series of the entire roster. Tomasi and Gleason team up again after their success on Batman & Robin and bring back the Man Of Steel to the prominence he deserves. Tomasi had previously brought the story of the New 52 Superman to an end in Final Days Of Superman and now he and Gleason bring back the pre-Flashpoint Superman to the fore, along with the much missed marriage to Lois Lane and their young son Jon. Stories range from the lovable family dynamic the Kent family has with visits to the county fair and a road trip to American historical landmarks, to a fantastical story featuring all the Supermen of the Multiverse as well as the hard hitting ones that include villains trying to murder Jon and another that wants to manipulate him into killing Clark. The artwork of the series is handled by co-writer Patrick Gleason as well as Jorge Jimenez and Doug Mahnke and while they all have differing styles, their ability to work on story arcs in the same manner as Finch and Janin on Batman means that the artwork is solid throughout each story and wonderful to boot. If you love the old Superman you will love this book, if you love the New 52 Superman you also won’t be disappointed but i won’t spoil the reason why, all i can say is: SUPERMAN REBORN BABY. This is by far the best book at DC right now and the future for the Man Of Steel has never looked brighter. - 10/10

Action Comics - The Superman book lacked somewhat in the New 52 but Action Comics was fairly strong throughout. The Rebirth book keeps up that run, with strong art work and interesting story telling from Superman veteran Dan Jurgens. Whether it’s the intrigue of Mr Oz, “Clark Kent” or Lex Luthor as a hero, the Action Comics series has found a way of putting the action into the Superman family and including Lois and Jon too. - 9/10

Supergirl - Taking some cues from the popular CW TV show, the comic takes place in National City and places a newly re-powered Kara Zor-El in the care of the D.E.O as part of an arrangement she made with them to get her powers back. She also finds herself living with two active agents Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers as well as going to school in National City, when a chance at working as an intern at Cat Grant’s media empire comes up. Pretty similar to the show i’d say but Steve Orlando does make changes based on Kara’s comic book situation. Most telling is that Kara isn’t as happy as she is on TV, she is in fact struggling massively to adapt to Earth. The story with her father the Cyborg Superman tackles it head on and it shows a level of emotion for Kara that we haven’t seen in some time. The artwork from Brian Ching for the majority of the series isn’t as good as you would find in other monthly books but with new artist Robson Rocha providing more palatable artwork, the series is on the up. If you love the TV show you will highly enjoy this comic, i know i do. - 8/10

Super Sons - Originally suppose to launch at the start of Rebirth, the highly anticipated Super Sons was delayed until the second wave earlier this year....and the wait was very worth it. On writing duties is Peter Tomasi, who holds the unique position in DC of being only one of two people who have previously written for both Damian Wayne (New 52 Batman & Robin) and Jon Kent (Superman Rebirth) and that experience shines through in this excellent series. The comic itself sees Robin drag a reluctant Superboy onto a case to try and get him ready for the life of a superhero. The boys are like chalk and cheese, a bit like their fathers in that way and the parallels are clear, but eventually they learn to work with each other in a way that doesn’t seem to compromise them as characters. As they are both kids still, Tomasi does allow for them to be childish and naive but not in a way that makes the book silly. Coupled with Jorge Jimenez’s fun style of artwork, Super Sons is one to watch and will hopefully be with us long enough to see these boys evolve. - 9/10

Superwoman - Originally written and drawn by Phil Jimenez, Superwoman follows Lana Lang as she learns to harness the powers she received from the dead New 52 Superman as the heroine Superwoman. One of the better parts of the New 52 Action Comics series was the evolution of Lana Lang as more than just Clark’s childhood sweetheart and into a bad ass in her own right. as well as her romance with John Henry Irons AKA Steel. This book expands on that with both Lana and John living together and trying to work out her role as a superhero together while also investigating the death of the New 52 Lois Lane at the hands of a Bizarro-like Superwoman clone. The story is well plotted and drawn but without the star power of a bigger hero as well as the purposeful down playing of Lana’s abilities you will often feel like Jimenez doesn’t really allow her to go full on hero. It’s a good read but for a hero with the name Superwoman i just wanted more. - 7/10

New Super-Man - This book is probably the most underrated of the entire DC line up right now, it’s simply fantastic. The writing by former Superman writer Gene Yang is simply wonderful. It’s funny, action packed and full of drama but the best part of the writing is how he connects ancient Chinese teachings of I-Ching to the New Super-Man’s power set. If he channels his energies through his body correctly he will unlock a classic Superman power, such as his fists activating super strength. The cast is wonderful too and subverts the traditional Justice League in many ways, Super-Man himself is arrogant and a bit of a bully (although he changes over the course of the book) and Bat-Man of China is a rather meek man. The artwork by Viktor Bogdanovic and Billy Tan give the series a wonderful aesthetic and brings the series to life. If you’re not reading this comic you are missing out. - 10/10

Conclusions

The entire Superman line in New 52 struggled. The main Superman book went through too many creative teams but one of the biggest complaints people had was how Superman was too “edgy” and moody. Coupled with a lacklustre relationship with Wonder Woman, it was feared that Superman would struggle to return to prominence.

But then Convergence happened, and thank fuck it did because they gave us a door into the past and brought back the old Clark and Lois. The Superman family of titles has had the most success in Rebirth because the writing and art teams have been really good but also because they’ve brought back what works for these characters while looking forward too.

Clark and Lois aren’t the only benefactors however, new characters like Kenan the New Super-Man and new ideas like the Lex Luthor Superman have changed the scope of the Superman world forever, and for the better too.

Thanks for reading!

Next up: the Bat Family!

#Superman #Action Comics #Supergirl #Super Sons #Damian Wayne #Jon Kent #Superboy #Robin #Superwoman #Steel #New Super-Man #Lex Luthor #DC Comics #DC Rebirth #Comics Books

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woods2006gal · 3 years

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Chapter 04 - I'm Gonna Be Alright

Zoey yawns as she makes her way down the stairs that morning. She had worked late at the Talon the night before and was thankful that Nell and Lana had given her a ride home. She stops seeing the table covered in food. “Good morning,” a voice greets and she turns to see a boy a couple of years younger than herself. He had bright hazel eyes and dark brown hair.

“Zoey, this is Ryan,” Martha introduces. “He’s staying with us until a family member can be found.”

Zoey nods and sits down at the table. “Hi.”

“Hey, what’s the occasion,” Jonathan greets, entering the kitchen and sitting down at the table.

“I wanted to make myself useful,” Ryan replies. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“Hey, you can stay as long as you want. Maybe some of you will rub off on Clark and Zoey.”

Zoey rolls her eyes. She knew that would never happen. Between the Talon, being newly selected as the FBLA president, and student body treasurer, she barely had time to breathe, let alone make a table full of food. ‘This is what private chefs are for,’ Zoey thinks.

“What does everybody want? Let me guess,” Ryan says, staring at Martha. “Pancakes with powdered sugar, not syrup.”

Martha brightly smiles. “How did you know that?”

“I saw you eyeing them when you came in.” Ryan turns to Jonathan. “Scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee with milk and a little bit of honey.”

“Well, that is some trick there, kiddo,” Jonathan replies, taking the plate.

Ryan turns his attention to Zoey. “Blueberry pancakes with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and light on the syrup.”

Zoey raises an eyebrow. “Um, thanks,” she says, taking the plate. The last time she had this exact breakfast was when she was a kid and her mom had made them. There was something off that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Hey, Mom,” Clark greets, entering the kitchen. He eyes the table full of food. “Going all out for the new kid, huh?”

“Actually, Clark, Ryan took care of all this himself.”

Clark nudges Zoey. “You’re making us look bad.”

“What do you want for breakfast,” Ryan asks, staring at Clark. He frown. “Don’t you want anything, Clark?”

“I’m just gonna have some pancakes,” Clark replies, stabbing his fork into some pancakes in the center of the table. Clark shoots him a smile as Ryan just stares at him.

Martha frowns. “Ryan, you okay?”

Ryan nods, but keeps his gaze on Clark. “Ryan, are you sure you don’t remember anything about last night,” Jonathan questions. “You see, because I-I still can’t figure out why you were out on Route 90 at ten o’clock at night.”

Ryan tenses. “I said I don’t remember.”

Zoey grabs a piece of bacon off a plate. ‘Kid is totally hiding something. Even I can see it.’

“I’m not hiding anything,” Ryan defends, then stands up and walks away from the table. Zoey raises an eyebrow.

“No one said you were, buddy,” Clark calls after him.

Zoey stands up and grabs another piece of bacon. “I have to meet Lana. I’ll see everyone later.”

“Zoey, you’ve barely touched your breakfast,” Martha points out.

“Not really hungry,” Zoey says, then quickly makes her way out of the house. She didn’t know what was going on with Ryan, but she didn’t trust him. No one knew the exact breakfast her mom would make her. Not even the Kents.

~*~

Zoey smiles as she hands the customer their to go order. The Talon was packed like it always was on a Saturday afternoon. She sees Ryan sitting on one of the stools at the counter. Clark was showing Ryan around town, through he was currently talking with Lana. She sees Lex walk into the Talon and goes to start his usual order. “Warrior Angel,” Lex reads, moving to stand next to Ryan. Ryan glances at him, then turns back to his comic book. “I’m a fan myself. You must be Ryan. I’m—”

“Lex Luthor,” Ryan interrupts. “Clark told me all about you.”

“You know, I have one of—”

“Original first edition panels framed in your house.”

Lex chuckles, amused. “How did you know that?”

“You’re rich. That’s what rich people do, collect stuff.”

Zoey grabs Lex’s to go order and places it on the counter in front of him. “Here you go, Lex,” she tells him. “Your usual.”

Lex shoots her a smile, then glances once more at Ryan with a perplexed look. “I see you’ve met Ryan,” Clark says, joining them.

“Apparently, we’re both big Warrior Angel fans,” Lex replies.

“I didn’t know you liked comic books,” Clark tells his friend.

“A strange visitor from another planet who protects the weak? When I was young he was my idol, not to mention the face he’s bald. I have the whole collection.” Zoey shakes her head and walks away, leaving them to their conversation. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time around Ryan.

~*~

Zoey looks up when there’s a knock on her bedroom door. She spies Clark standing the doorway and motions for him to enter. “Have you been avoiding Ryan because he can read minds,” Clark asks.

“I sensed that something was weird, but I didn’t know that he read minds,” Zoey answers. “But now that I know, yeah, I’ll probably avoid him even more when he visits.”

Ryan, after being taken by his stepdad and the stepdad’s girlfriend, was able to finally go home with his aunt. While Zoey had been a little sad to see Ryan leave the farm, she was relieved at the same time. Clark frowns. “What’d you sense that was weird?”

Zoey glances down the hallway, before looking at Clark. “He knew the exact breakfast that my mom would always make me. The only other people that know of the exact breakfast my mom made me are Uncle Max and Austin.” She lets out a breath. “Look, Clark, I think Ryan is a sweet kid with an amazing ability. If he wants to, he can use to save a lot of people someday. I just don’t like people being inside of my head.”

Clark nods and walks away. He couldn’t help replaying what Ryan had told him earlier that afternoon. About how Lex had a darkness within him and how Zoey had a darkness inside of her. He knew both of them pretty well or at least thought he did. He didn’t think they would do anything to hurt him. Especially Zoey.

~*~

Zoey smiles as she hands out cupcakes. It was her second year running for a position in the student council. She had successfully ran a campaign for treasurer the previous year and had managed to raise more money than any other school treasurer. She was determined to win her race as class vice president. “Zoey!” She looks up and finds Chloe and Pete. “Who do you think will win class president?”

“I look forward to working with whoever wins,” Zoey answers, with a smile. She hands them each a cupcake. “Have a cupcake. Aunt Martha and I made them.”

Pete eagerly grabs his. “Give us a real answer.”

“Between the three of us, we know that Paul is the most qualified. However, you have to count popularity into these elections. And Felice is the most popular,” Zoey tells them.

“What about Sasha,” Chloe questions.

“I’ve worked with Sasha before on some of the fundraisers. She needs more work on being a leader.”

“Hey, why aren’t you running for president,” Pete asks.

Zoey shakes her head. “I am sticking with my plan. Treasurer to vice president then to president. I’d rather have the work that shows I’ve earned being president.”

~*~

Zoey stares in disbelief at the banner hanging in the hallway. “Fucking hell,” she mutters. There was no way that Clark would run for class president. She had made school politics her thing. She had spent too much time and effort in student government. Then she pauses. The news of Paul being attacked by a swarm of bees had been making it way through the hallways. There was also the news of Felice throwing a pre-election party. Sasha was being her normal uptight self. She had been the one to first tell Zoey that Clark was running, something Zoey didn’t believe until she saw the banner.

Given that Zoey was the only person actually running for class vice president, she knew that she was a shoo in for the position. She turns and walks down the hallway, searching for Clark. She spots him standing in the hallway. “Clark,” Zoey greets, walking up to him.

“Pete nominated—”

“I think you should run,” Zoey interrupts, smiling at him. She grabs his arm and leads him down the hallway towards their history class. “Look, we both know that there’s certain things that Uncle Jonathan thinks that you shouldn’t do. Like football. But this is actually something that you can do and you won’t get that look from him. Not only that, people like you. You’re more relatable than Felice and Sasha. So, I think you should run. Plus, student government looks really good on college applications.”

Clark stares at her. “You really think I should run?”

“Clark, if I didn’t think you should I would’ve told you that. I mean it. You should run.”

~*~

Zoey looks up from where she was sitting in the mostly empty Talon when she hears Lex enter. She hadn’t missed with Clark and Pete entered, taking a break from Clark’s campaign. Business had been slow the past couple of weeks. Zoey had been working with Lana to come up with ideas of drum up more business, but nothing they had come up with so far had worked. “Glad to see business is booming,” Lex greets.

“It’s hard when even your regular customers blow you off,” Lana replies.

“I haven’t been blowing you off, Lana. I’ve had my eye on the situation.”

“Waiting for me to fail.”

“Most new ventures fail. You have to prepare yourself for that possibility.”

“I thought you didn’t like to lose,” Clark reminds.

“I don’t, but it’s not my fight. As an investor, you have to know when to cut your losses.”

Lana looks between Clark and Lex. “So, what do you suggest we do?”

“The Beanery has declared war. If you wanna hold on to his place, you need to get creative. Be willing to get your hands dirty. Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting anything illegal. To quote The Godfather ‘it’s time to go to the mattresses.’”

Zoey rolls her eyes and walks over to them. “That movie needs to no longer constantly run on AMC,” she tells them, grabbing a glass of water. “Don’t worry, Lana, this place won’t fail. I’m a Carmichael.”

“You sound very sure of that,” Lana says, walking with Zoey back over to her table leaving Clark and Lex to talk.

Zoey glances around the Talon, then pulls Lana into a corner. “My grandfather, back in the fifties, had to deal with some competition for the new restaurant he had invested in. This other place had managed to convenience long time customers to not visit the hotel’s new restaurant. So, my grandfather had a chat with the local health inspector.”

~*~

Zoey looks up from where she was throwing trash into the garbage can outside of the house. News about the bee attack on Felice and the later bee attack in the Talon had quickly spread throughout the town. Given that she was highly allergic to bees, Zoey had taken to carrying her epipen on her, except when she was at home. Hearing the light buzzing sound and looking to see giant swarm of bees, causes her to take off running. She feels a gust of air along with a tiny sting. Within in the blink of an eye, Zoey finds herself on the ground of the storm cellar with Clark standing in front of her. “Zoey,” Clark worriedly exclaims. “Are you okay?”

Zoey shakes her head. She could feel her airway tightening up. She gasps for air. “Zoey! Clark,” Martha yells, throwing open the storm cellar doors and running down the stairs. “Zoey! Clark, she needs her epipen!”

Clark vanishes with a gust of air. He knew exactly where the emergency epipen was kept in the house. Martha grabs Zoey’s hands and kneels down in front of her. Clark quickly reappears with the epipen in hand. He yanks off the cap and stabs Zoey in the thigh. They wait as the medicine runs through Zoey. She gasps for air.

“Is she gonna be okay,” Clark asks.

“It takes a minute for it to kick in,” Martha reminds, pulling her goddaughter against her chest. “I’ve never seen bees attack like that. They flew off as soon as you guys came down here. Where do you think they went?”

“Back to their queen,” Clark theorizes, then takes off.

Zoey takes a deep breath. Martha gently pulls her up. “Let’s get you to the hospital, sweetheart.”

~*~

Zoey shifts in the uncomfortable hospital bed. She had been admitted for observation to ensure that there were no other side effects of being stung by the bees. There’s a knock on the door and she looks to see Max. “Uncle Max,” she brightly says, as he walks into the hospital room. “What are you doing here?”

“You know that I’d never miss an election night,” Max tells her. “Sucks you stung by a few bees. How are you doing? And where are Jonathan and Martha?”

Zoey waves a hand. “I’m fine. And they’re at home. I told them I was fine and didn’t need them to stay for my observation night.”

Max pulls up the chair and sets down. He clears his throat. “There’s actually another reason I’m here. The guy who killed your parents…He’s being released from prison.”

“Oh.”

A silence settles over them, each lost in their own thoughts. Zoey quickly wipes away a tear. Max climbs onto her bed and pulls her against his chest.

I used to say I couldn’t do it But I did it After telling everyone that I wasn’t with it I can feel it And I know inside I’m gonna be alright I said I couldn’t do it But I did it After telling everybody that I wasn’t with it Though it brings tears to my eyes I can feel it And that voice insides says I’m gonna be alright

#smallville #series rewrite #original female character #original character

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woods2006gal · 3 years

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Chapter 02 - Here With Me

Austin Wells rarely made his way to Smallville. He preferred to spend his time in Metropolis. It was his home. His city. The only reason he had to make the trip to Smallville was because his best friend and former love, Max Carmichael. Austin had met Max in their freshman year at Harvard. Two peas in a pod, yet from vastly different worlds. Max from the upper echelons of money and social class while Austin was the bottom. An alcoholic father and emotionally abusive mother, Austin had managed to earn a full ride to Harvard.

It was at a welcome party for the freshman class where Austin had met Max. He had been enamored by the hotel heir and it hadn’t taken long for Austin to fall in love with him. Max had been just as enamored with Austin and they had quickly formed a deep friendship that had blossomed into a romantic relationship.

“Are you sure you don’t want to move to Star City,” Max softly asks. Their apartment had been packed up and loaded into a moving truck that was headed to Metropolis. Graduation had come and gone, with the power couple ranking at the top of their law class.

Austin sighs. “My mother needs me,” he whispers. Family loyalty was something he hated and loved at the same time.

Max smiles. He understood where Austin was coming him. They both knew this day was coming. He tightly embraces his boyfriend. “If you ever need anything, just call. I mean it, Austin. No matter what, you will always be my best friend.”

Austin runs a hand through his dirty blonde hair as he pulls up to the Luthor Mansion. His first visit with Nell Potter had been pleasant. The woman had been shocked to learn that Zoey was Max’s niece. He had been the one who helped Max come up with the story about Zoey attending boarding school in Europe. The whole world had seen the most tragic time for a family. Zoey sitting alone in the hospital waiting room with a small cut on her face had been on the front of page of every single news publication. The only image that had pushed it to back of the public’s mind was a year later when Bruce Wayne was pictured sitting in the Gotham police station after his parents’ brutal murder.

Austin shakes his head as he walks into his small studio apartment. “Max, there’s a dozen law firms in this city that would love to have your business,” he says. He had been surprised when his ex-boyfriend had showed up on his doorstep that morning. “Why me?”

“Because I trust you,” Max says. He runs a hand through his jet black hair. “Because Zoey trusts you.”

Austin sighs. “My boss is gonna love this. A second year associate brings in the biggest client in the city. Hell, not just the city but the state. Fuck, Max. Are you sure about this?”

“I am. Zoey trusts you, Austin. She’s doing fine now, but...” Max trails off.

“You’re worried that she’s gonna have a wild and crazy phase during her teenage years,” Austin finishes, with a soft smile. “From what I remember of Zoey, I don’t think she’ll run off and marry a drummer of a one hit wonder band.”

Max chuckles. His sister, Shannon, had done that when she was eighteen. “Yeah, I don’t think Zoey would do that. She’s ambitious. I think she would act more in line with what I did and what my father did.”

Austin smiles. “You think Zoey would start a company? In Smallville?”

Max shrugs. “Zoey’s ambitious.”

Max had been right about Zoey. She was ambitious. The youngest member of the Carmichael family was incredibly driven in school. She had gotten straight A’s since elementary school. In eighth grade, she was elected treasurer for student council. When Zoey had called him about being a partner in a coffee shop slash theater that was being renovated, Austin wasn’t surprised. The only thing he had been surprised about was that Lex Luthor was involved.

“I was surprised when I got a call from your office,” Lex greets when Austin walks into the mansion’s library.

“I’m here on the behalf of a client,” Austin replies, sitting down in one of the arm chairs in front Lex’s desk.

Lex frowns. Now it was his turn to be confused. And he didn't like to be confused. "I think you're mistaken, Mr. Wells. I would know if I was doing business with one of your clients.” Austin smirks. People rarely got the upper hand when it came to the Luthors. He pulls out the contract and places it in front of Lex. He watches as the younger man picks up the contract and reads over it. “I hate to break it to you, but I’m not in business with whoever Zoey York is. The only Zoey that I know of is Zoey Kent.”

Austin chuckles. “The Kents are Zoey’s godparents. Her last name is York. And her parents are Shannon Carmichael and Matthew York.”

Lex mentally curses himself. He had never paid much attention to the young blonde. He was more intrigued by Clark, given how they had met. The number of times he had interacted with Zoey was something he could count on one hand.

“Zoey’s good at blending in,” Austin says. He motions to the contract. “That essentially protects everyone involved in this business venture. You each get an equal share.”

“What you mean is that this contract protects Zoey.”

“She is my client, Lex. But it protects everyone. Zoey insisted on it.”

Lex picks up a pen and signs the contract. It was out of character for him to sign a contract without having his lawyers pick through every detail. But given what he knew about Clark and the Kents, he was sure that Zoey was an honest person.

~*~

Austin stares at the window of the Metropolis skyline. Ever since Max had asked him to be Zoey’s attorney and to keep an eye on her when he couldn’t do it himself, Austin had quickly moved up in his law firm. His boss had been excited when he brought on Zoey as a client and had even tried to poach the young heiress, but Max had put a stop to that. After that, rich clients in the city had signed up with him so fast he was given his own office and a pay raise, something that didn’t endear him to the other second year associates.

Austin takes a sip of his whiskey. “Austin, I wasn’t expecting you,” Max greets over the phone.

“I thought you should know that Zoey is exactly how you predicted she would be,” Austin tells his former lover.

Max sighs. “I knew it would only be a matter of time.”

“She’s part owner of a new coffee shop slash bookstore in Smallville.”

“Who are the other owners?”

“Lana Lang, a girl Zoey goes to school with. And Lex Luthor.”

“What the fuck does Lex Luther have to do with Smallville?”

“Lionel Luthor made him head of the a fertilizer plant in town. Apparently, Lex is friends with Clark Kent.”

Max laughs. “So, Lex is in charge of a shit factory and somehow Zoey got him to be a partner in a cafe?”

“She’s ambitious.”

~*~

“So, who did you get in our class biography paper,” Zoey asks, sitting down next to Mike. She notices Shane and a few other football players watching them. Zoey rolls her eyes and turns to Mike. “I got you. So, it’ll be an easy A. We’ll just hang out and then I’ll write the paper later.” She notices the upset look on Mike’s face. “Is everything okay, Mike?”

“My mom got arrested last night,” Mike softly says. “She had two ounces of meth on her. So, she’ll be going to prison for a long time. My dad is driving out from Wichita today. I’m moving. This weekend.”

Zoey grabs his hand. “Is there anything I can do?”

Mike shakes his head. “No.” He holds out a piece of paper. “I got Pete Ross.”

Zoey grabs his paper and hands him her wrinkled up piece of paper. “There. Now, you have to write a paper on yourself.”

Mike lays his head on Zoey’s shoulder. “I hate packing.”

“Everyone hates packing. You just pick the things that are most important to you and that you absolutely need.” Zoey glances at her watch and sighs. “I need to go to the Talon. Do you want to come and see how Lana is doing with the contractors?”

Mike sits up and stares at his best friend. “I still can’t believe you’re going into business with Lana Lang. I mean, I can understand Lex, but I don’t get Lana.”

Zoey smiles as she stands up. “Believe me, I still can’t believe it either.”

~*~

Zoey and Mike walk up to the Talon where Clark and Lana were talking. Zoey and Mike had spent most of the afternoon packing up his mom’s house and getting his stuff ready for when his dad arrived from Wichita. “Lex,” Lana greets. Zoey and Mike turn to see Lex walking towards them on Main Street. “What are you doing here?”

“Contractor called, said he had an estimate. Wanted me to meet him here,” Lex replies. Zoey opens the door and the group walks into find a man sprawled out on the floor. “What the hell?”

Mike walks over to the man and kneels down next to him. “Sir, are you okay?”

The contractor groans. “Yeah,” he answers, as Mike helps him sit up. “I - I came in the back door and some guy jumped me and forced me to let him in, then bashed me over the head.”

“Did you see his face,” Clark questions.

“No.”

Zoey notices a box sitting on the counter. She walks over to it and opens it up to reveal a hand sitting inside. “Whoa.”

“That wasn’t there when I locked up,” Lana informs them. “I’ll go call the police.”

Zoey finds a name tag on the box’s lid. She turn to Lex and shows him the box lid. “Who the fuck did you piss off?” Mike glances in the box and frowns. He starts to reach into the box, but Zoey grabs his wrist. “Dude, don’t contaminate the crime scene.”

“There’s no blood,” Mike points out. “Cleanly severed. This was done post mortem. And there’s a pinkie ring.”

Zoey turns to Lex. “Know any one who wears a pinkie ring?”

Lex runs a hand over his face. “Zero consequences,” he mutters before walking around.

Mike leans close to Zoey. “Now, I’m even more upset that I’m moving. We got some interesting stuff going on around here now.”

~*~

Zoey looks up from her science textbook when she hears a buzzing. Her Blackberry was vibrating across her desk. Seeing the number on the screen, Zoey glances down the hallway before closing her bedroom door. She grabs her phone. “Ollie, I’m fine,” she says, not giving the caller a chance to greet her.

“Zo, you can not be going into business with Lex Luthor,” Oliver Queen tells her. Oliver was her oldest friend. She had known him her entire life. After his parents died in a plane crash, Oliver had lived with Zoey and her parents for a few years until her own parents died in a car accident after being hit by a drunk driver.

“Ollie, I’m not a little girl anymore,” Zoey argues. “I grew up while you were stranded on that island.”

Oliver had vanished three years ago, after taking his family’s yacht on a high school graduation trip. It was only the previous summer that he had been rescued from the island.

Zoey bites her lip as she slowly enters the hospital room. It had been nearly three years since she had seen Oliver. She didn’t know what to expect. She wondered if he remembered her or even cared about her. There were various tubes hooked up to her childhood friend. There were scars over his very tanned body. “Hi,” she quietly greets. Her grip on the plastic container of homemade oreos tightens.

Oliver smiles. “You know, Zo, I’m not going to bite.”

She lets out a relived breath and makes her way across the room. She sets the container on the nightstand and climbs on the bed to tightly embrace him. Zoey buries her face in his neck. “You’re not allowed to go on a boat ever again. Promise?”

Oliver wraps an arm around her back. “Promise.”

“I missed you.”

Oliver rests a cheek against the top of her head. “I missed you too, Zo.” He pulls back and lightly touches her glasses. “Since when do you wear glasses?”

Zoey rolls her eyes. “Since I have crappy eyesight.”

Oliver sighs. “I know, Zo. I just…I don’t want you to get pulled into something that you shouldn’t be apart of.”

“How did you find out in the first place?”

“Max was bragging about you following in the Carmichael footsteps at a dinner party.”

“Since when do you go to dinner parties?”

“Max insisted that I go. Said it was a good way to reintroduce me to Star City’s social scene. And that I needed to stop hiding in my house all day.”

Zoey bites her lip. “Are you going to the Wayne Foundation gala?”

“No way would I be caught there. Besides for being a teenage billionaire, Bruce is way to dark and brooding. Kid needs to lighten up.”

Zoey rolls her eyes. “I think after everything that Bruce has been through, he’s allowed to be a little dark and brooding.”

“He still needs to light up a little.”

~*~

Zoey walks through the crowd at the grand opening of the Talon. She finds Mike sitting in a corner with an unhappy look on his face. She takes a seat next to him, before glancing around to see if anyone was watching them. She pulls out a flask and pours some whiskey into the two coffee cups she had brought to the table. She hands Mike one. “I grabbed some of my uncle’s top shelf whiskey over the summer,” she whispers.

Mike takes a sip and coughs. “That is really good,” he tells her. “Way better than the stuff we’d sneak from my mom’s stash.”

“I think anything is better than your mom’s stash.”

“True.”

“My dad’s coming down in the morning with a moving truck. He has everything ready for me at his house. Monday, I start at a new school. Being the new kid sucks.”

“It does.”

“I came out to my dad last night. I was hoping that he wouldn’t want me to live with him. He’s very supportive.”

Zoey grabs his hand. “Mike, so many people would kill to have such a supportive dad. He just wants what’s best for you.”

“What’s best is for me to stay here.” Mike shakes his head and finishes his coffee in a couple of gulps. He stands up. “I’m gonna head home. I’ll see you…well, I don’t know when I’ll see you again, Zoey. Bye.”

Zoey watches as Mike walks out of the Talon. She finishes her coffee and observes the happy people in the Talon. A buzzing comes from her pocket and she pulls out her Blackberry. “Hello,” she answers without glancing at the screen.

“I already talked to Martha and Jonathan about it, but you’re coming with me to the Wayne Foundation Gala,” Max greets. “Get a weekend bag ready because I’ll meet you at the private airport in Metropolis in a few hours.”

Zoey blinks. “Uncle Max, I don’t have anything to wear.”

“We’ll get that taken care of in Gotham.”

Zoey sighs. “What time do I need to be at the airport?”

I won’t leave I can’t hide I cannot be Until you’re resting here with me

#smallville #series rewrite #original female character #original character

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woods2006gal · 4 years

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Chapter 02 - Everything

It was at an welcome party for the freshman where Austin had met Max. He had been enamored by the hotel heir and it hadn’t taken long for Austin to fall in love with him. Max had been just as enamored with Austin and they had quickly formed a deep friendship that had blossomed into a romantic relationship.

“Are you sure you don’t want to move to Star City,” Max softly asks. Their apartment had been packed up and loaded into a moving truck that was headed to Metropolis. Graduation had come, with the power couple ranking at the top of their law class.

Austin sighs. “My mother needs me,” he whispers. Family loyalty was something he hated and loved at the same time.

“Because I trust you,” Max says. He runs a hand through his jet black hair. “Because Zoey trusts you.”

Austin sighs. “My boss is gonna love this. A second year associate brings in the biggest client in the city. Hell, not just the city but the state. Fuck, Max. Are you sure about this?”

“I am. Zoey trusts you, Austin. She’s doing fine now, but...” Max trails off.

Austin smiles. “You think Zoey would start a company? In Smallville?”

Max shrugs. “Zoey’s ambitious.”

“I was surprised when I got a call from your office,” Lex greets when Austin walks into the mansion’s library.

“I’m here on the behalf of a client,” Austin replies, sitting down in one of the arm chairs in front Lex’s desk.

Austin chuckles. “The Kents are Zoey’s godparents. Her last name is York. And her parents are Shannon Carmichael and Matthew York.”

“Zoey’s good at blending in,” Austin says. He motions to the contract. “That essentially protects everyone involved in this business venture. You each get an equal share.”

“What you mean is that this contract protects Zoey.”

“She is my client, Lex. But it protects everyone. Zoey insisted on it.”

~*~

Zoey grabs his hand. “Is there anything I can do?”

Mike shakes his head. “No.” He holds out a piece of paper. “I got Pete Ross.”

Zoey grabs his paper and hands him her wrinkled up piece of paper. “There. Now, you have to write a paper on yourself.”

“I don’t know what to take with me.”

Mike lays his head on Zoey’s shoulder. “I hate packing.”

Mike sits up and stares at his best friend. “I still can’t believe you’re going into business with Lana Lang. I mean, I can understand Lex, but I don’t get Lana.”

Zoey smiles as she stands up. “Believe me, I still can’t believe it either.”

~*~

“Contractor called, said he had an estimate. Wanted me to meet him here,” Lex replies. Zoey opens the door and the group walks into find a man sprawled out on the floor. “What the hell?”

Mike walks over to the man and kneels down next to him. “Sir, are you okay?”

The contractor groans. “Yeah,” he answers, as Mike helps him sit up. “I - I came in the back door and some guy jumped me and forced me to let him in, then bashed me over the head.”

“Did you see his face,” Clark questions.

“No.”

Zoey notices a box sitting on the counter. She walks over to it and opens it up to reveal a hand sitting inside. “Whoa.”

“That wasn’t there when I locked up,” Lana informs them. “I’ll go call the police.”

“There’s no blood,” Mike points out. “Cleanly severed. This was done post mortem. And there’s a pinkie ring.”

Zoey turns to Lex. “Know any one who wears a pinkie ring?”

Lex runs a hand over his face. “Zero consequences,” he mutters before walking around.

Mike leans close to Zoey. “Now, I’m even more upset that I’m moving. We got some interesting stuff going on around here now.”

~*~

“Zo, you can not going into business with Lex Luthor,” Oliver Queen tells her. Oliver was her oldest friend. She had known him her entire life. After his parents died in a plane crash, Oliver had lived with Zoey and her parents for a few years until her own parents died in a car accident after being hit by a drunk driver.

“Ollie, I’m not a little girl anymore,” Zoey argues. “I grew up while you were stranded on that island.”

Oliver had vanished three years ago, after taking his family’s yacht on a graduation trip. It was only the previous summer that he had been rescued from the island.

Zoey bites her lip as she slowly enters the hospital room. It had been nearly three years since she had seen Oliver. She didn’t know what to expect. She wondered if he remembered her or even cared. There were various tubes hooked up to her childhood friend. There were scars over his very tanned body. “Hi,” she quietly greets. Her grip on the plastic container of homemade oreos tightens.

Oliver smiles. “You know, Zo, I’m not going to bite.”

“Promise.”

“I missed you.”

Oliver rests a cheek against the top of her head. “I missed you too, Zo.” He pulls back and lightly touches her glasses. “Since when do you wear glasses?”

Zoey rolls her eyes. “Since I have crappy eyesight.”

Oliver sighs. “I know, Zo. I just…I don’t want you to get pulled into something that you shouldn’t be apart of.”

“How did you find out in the first place?”

“Max was bragging about you following in the Carmichael footsteps at a dinner party.”

“Since when do you go to dinner parties?”

“Max insisted that I go. Said it was a good way to reintroduce me to Star City’s social scene. And that I needed to stop hiding in my house all day.”

Zoey bites her lip. “Are you going to the Wayne Foundation gala?”

“No way would I be caught there. Besides for being a teenage billionaire, Bruce is way to dark and brooding. Kid needs to lighten up.”

~*~

Mike takes a sip and coughs. “That is really good,” he tells her. “Way better than the stuff we’d sneak from my mom’s stash.”

“I think anything was better than your mom’s stash.”

“True.”

“My dad’s coming down in the morning with a moving truck. He has everything ready for me at his house. Monday, I start at a new school. Being the new kid sucks.”

“It does.”

“I came out to my dad last night. I was hoping that he wouldn’t want me to live with him. He’s very supportive.”

Zoey grabs his hand. “Mike, so many people would kill to have such a supportive dad. He just wants what’s best for you.”

Zoey blinks. “Uncle Max, I don’t have anything to wear.”

“We’ll get that taken care of in Gotham.”

“What time do I need to be at the airport?”

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