Déjà vu
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
“So, how was your date? Did you get lucky?” Bart unfolded the copy of the Inquisitor he had under his arm. “Wonder what Lex is gonna do when he sees this.” He whistled long and low as he perused the tabloid once more. “Man, that is some major lip lock.”
“I’ve got my publicist on it,” Oliver said absently as he stepped over to his computer, turning it on, then waiting for it to boot up. “I should have been more careful… but…”
“Hey, no worries, you were a little distracted.”
“I am worried. Lex will see that, and after our conversation, I’m not sure what he’ll do, and I don’t want him taking it out on Chloe. I’ve been trying to call her. All I get is voicemail.” Oliver ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it, then dropped down into the chair at his desk for the first time that day.
“Chloe’s smart, she can handle him.” Victor offered.
“Speaking of which, she knows,” Oliver said, typing in his password.
“Huh?”
“She figured it out. She knows I’m the Green Arrow.”
“Does she remember you?” A.C. asked hopefully.
“No.”
Bart continued reading the paper, taking a seat on the couch. “Brains and beauty. How she fell for you, I’ll never know.”
Victor crossed his arms over his chest, leaning on the desk. “It’s those smooth moves he’s got, I’m telling you.”
Oliver opened an email entitled simply, Mission Accomplished. “Guys. I’ve got something here from Chloe, sent last night.” Oliver opened the attached file, filled with various documents. He opened and scanned a few of them before speaking. “She did it,” he said, his voice filled with obvious pride. He looked up at the others. “She found the mystery facility, near a town called Cloverdale.”
Victor stepped around to view the screen, as Oliver opened other documents in the file. “She’s found doctors names, meteor infected patients, everything.”
A.C. peered over Oliver’s shoulder. “I’m just glad she’s on our side, bro.”
Oliver picked up his cell phone, dialing. There was no answer, nothing but Chloe’s voicemail recording, and his worry increased. He’d hoped she wasn’t upset about appearing in the Inquisitor, and being called a playmate. He was used to such tabloid nonsense, and usually shrugged it off easily, but she wasn’t, and this was part of the reason they’d kept their relationship under wraps.
Just then the buzzer sounded, and Oliver checked the security monitor. “It’s Lois. Why don’t you guys make yourselves scarce while I talk to her.”
The group headed for other parts of the penthouse, out of sight.
The elevator doors opened, and Lois swept into the main room purposefully, pinning Oliver with an angry look. She didn’t waste time. “I hate to interrupt whatever terribly important work you must be doing, Oliver, but while you’ve been wooing my cousin with your charms, and getting her to play tonsil hockey with you for the gossip pages of the Inquisitor, I’ve actually been doing some real work.”
“Lois, you know I’m working on getting her back.”
“By getting her image plastered in the tabloids? Come on, Ollie, even when we were together, that never happened. New mystery woman? Playmate? Ugh.”
“I’ll take the blame for the Inquisitor, but she still doesn’t remember us, Lois. I had to earn her trust first. I want her back just as much as you do.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, indignant. “Yeah? Well, I just came from the Luthor mansion. Spoke with some of the staff. Chloe was taken away last night. The cook seemed particularly worried, said she’d overheard loud voices from Chloe’s room, she and Lex were arguing, something to do with your little not-so-secret, afternoon tryst.”
Oliver looked away from her, rubbing the back of his neck. “Damn.” He lifted panicked, anxious eyes to hers once again. “What else did she say?”
Lois pressed her lips together briefly in an effort to rein in her emotions before she spoke. “She said she heard a scuffle, yelling, and thought she saw them carrying an unconscious Chloe to a waiting car, but it was too dark to see much of anything.” Lois blinked away tears that had begun to form, her voice broke. “Then, when Chloe didn’t come down in the morning, and no one wanted to answer her questions, the cook knew something had happened.” Lois paced a few steps around the desk, maintaining her composure. “So what are we going to do about it?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“The way you’ve been? I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean?”
“We could have been doing so much more, Ollie.”
“She didn’t know me, she believes you’ve abandoned her and that the two of you are estranged, Lois. Do you really think she’d have come back to us willingly? What should we have done? Kidnapped her? Believe me, I wanted to, and tried, but she’d only have gone back to Lex, and it would have turned her against me completely after the lies he filled her head with. She needed to see the truth for herself.”
“And now it might be too late. We should have just taken her away from him.” Lois finally broke, and a tear slipped down her cheek. “I just… I miss her, Ollie,” she whispered, wiping her tear away.
“I know.” Oliver stood in front of her, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’m getting her back, and if I have to kidnap her now, I will. I’ll take care of it. Please trust me.”
“What can I do to help?”
“You’ve actually helped by giving me this information. I think I know where to find her.”
Lois nodded lightly, sniffling. She wanted to do more, but she’d give him this chance. “If you don’t, I swear, Queen, I’ll kick your green leathered ass all the way back to Star City, and get Chloe myself.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I have her with me,” Oliver said, leading her to the elevator door.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
* * * * *
Arrow tapped his comlink. “Talk to me Cyborg.”
“Guards all around the perimeter. More heat signatures inside, could be patients, doctors and more guards, be on the lookout. There’s a main room in the center with smaller rooms all around. Looks like patient rooms, or examination rooms. The larger room in the center has some high tech equipment, probably for experiments, some kind of lab.”
“Boy Scout, you’re up. Get us in.”
Clark made the rounds, dispatching the various guards around the facility within minutes. “All’s clear. Let’s go.”
“Impulse, Aquaman, check for any other patients. Get them out.” Arrow ordered.
“I’ve got her heartbeat,” Clark said.
“Where is she?”
“Coming from the main lab room.”
“Let’s go.”
Arrow and Boy Scout made their way to the center room, not finding much resistance along the way, until they reached the door. It was blocked by armed guards. Clark tossed them out of the way, knocking them unconscious in the process. He then took a moment to bend the barrels of their rifles, rendering them useless, and took the door off of its hinges.
Oliver couldn’t believe his eyes upon entering. Chloe was strapped to a table in the center of a large room, barefoot, wearing a set of pajamas, hooked up to various machines, a low hum filling the room. She looked so small lying there. His anger raged at the sight of her, and he needed to cause serious bodily harm to whoever had put her in here. Men in lab coats stood behind a glass panel above them in a viewing area, wearing protective goggles. Arrow aimed his bow. “Shut it down, now!” He called to the startled technicians, who obeyed him immediately, causing the humming noise to stop, while Clark ran to release Chloe from the bonds. “Evacuate this building, it’s being set for detonation,” Arrow warned, and the men in lab coats scurried through the doorway.
Oliver ran toward Clark and Chloe. He’d released her and removed the various wires from her, but she appeared groggy and confused. “Clark,” she smiled up at him weakly, and struggled to sit up with his assistance.
“Chloe, are you okay?” Clark asked worriedly.
“I think so. Thank you, Clark.”
“Do you remember anything?”
Chloe looked down at her lap, then up at Clark again. She shook her head. “Nothing’s come back.”
Oliver continued toward them, slowing in his steps, fearing the worst. She wouldn’t remember him again after what they’d done to her now. But as the Green Arrow came into her line of sight, she did something unexpected. She slid off the table, stood on wobbly legs, and closed the distance between them at his approach. He caught her as she fell against him, throwing her arms around his waist, holding onto him tightly, and leaning against him for support. “Archer,” she whispered.
It was the first time Clark had ever seen them together this way. The Green Arrow’s arms crushed her fiercely to his chest in immense relief, his hooded face unseen as his head lowered, his lips pressed to the top of her head, then moving further to bury his face in her hair. And then Clark understood. Even after she’d lost her memories of him, it was still the Green Arrow she’d run to, cling to. It was the Green Arrow she’d love.
“I’ll go with you now,” Chloe said against his chest. “Mission accomplished. I want my life back.”
“I’ll give you that and more,” he whispered.
Clark, feeling a bit awkwardly voyeuristic cleared his throat. “I’m going to help the others out. I’ll see you outside.”
Oliver lifted his head. “Thanks, Boy Scout. We’ll meet you outside at the rendezvous.”
Clark gave Oliver a small smile, then zoomed off.
“Ready?” he murmured in her ear. “Can you walk?”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here, please. I never want to see this place again.”
“You won’t have to. We’re blowing it.”
“Good.”
Victor’s voice sounded in his ear. “Two heat signatures headed your way, Arrow. Otherwise everyone’s evacuated. Setting alarm system.”
“What’s the best way out?” Oliver asked Victor, glancing around the room for exits, still holding Chloe close to him.
Chloe looked up at him. “There’s an underground passageway. It’s the way they brought me in. It leads out onto a dirt road near a field.”
“Anything in the schematics about an underground passage?” Arrow asked.
“Nothing here, but if Chloe says there’s one, take that, because they’re just about on you right now. And this place is set to blow in fifteen minutes. You’ll have to be far enough away by then.”
“Let’s go,” Oliver said, grasping her hand. “Lead the way, Watchtower.”
Chloe pulled him through the door, just as Lex and Dr. Benson entered on the opposite side of the large room.
“Watchtower? Is that my codename?” She asked as she led him through another room, opening a door to a stairwell.
“It is.”
“I like it.”
“I gave it to you. It fits.” He said, as they continued to jog down the steps.
“What’s my job?”
“You kind of run the show from afar, direct us.”
“So basically, I boss people around.”
He laughed as they rounded the last set of stairs. “Yeah, I guess you do. Still fits.”
They came to a final door that was bolted shut. Chloe looked dismayed. “Now what?”
“I’ve got this.” He selected a special arrow, had her back away, and fired. The arrow wedged between the door and frame where the bolt was fixed. In seconds the metal was steaming, melted, and he opened the door for her. “After you, milady.”
Chloe grasped his hand once more, tugging him along. The passageway consisted of concrete walls, dimly lit with lights affixed overhead every ten feet or so. There were varying twists and turns, but Chloe seemed confident this was the way out.
Oliver stopped, pulling Chloe up short. “Someone’s coming.” He tried hailing Victor with no results. “Comlink must be dead down here.”
“You’re going to be dead down here.” Oliver turned around at the sound of Lex’s voice. He’d come from the opposite direction, and now stood in front of Chloe, his pistol drawn.
“And we’ll all be dead if we don’t get out of here. This place is set to blow,” came Arrow’s retort as he shepherded Chloe behind him, keeping her away from Lex.
“Lex, just give it up. Let us go.” Chloe demanded.
Suddenly, Dr. Benson appeared standing opposite. “Come with me, Chloe.” We’ll get you away from this man.”
Chloe shrunk away from him, moving closer to Oliver. “No.”
“Come on Chloe, tell him the truth, about how you were going to help me take down this terrorist. Did you know that, Green Arrow? She was helping me all along. Looks like you’ve done a good job Chloe, hand delivering the Green Arrow to me. Well done.” Lex smirked. “She’s betrayed you, Arrow. Give it up.”
“No! That’s not true!” she cried, her voice echoing thought the passageway.
“She betrayed you. How do you think you ended up here? Exactly where I want you. No way out. She brought you here, didn’t she? And you believed her.” Lex continued to jeer.
All that had happened, Chloe’s kidnapping, being taken from him, her torture at Lex’s hands, his manipulation of her, and now this further twisting of truth had Arrow’s blood boiling, churning up all he’d been through in the last two months into a burning rage.
There wasn’t much room to maneuver in the passageway, but Oliver was beyond caring, and without warning, he kicked the gun from Lex’s hand, and then threw himself at his opponent, tackling him. Arrow pummeled his face repeatedly, causing blood to flow from Lex’s nose and mouth. Gloved hands found their way to Lex’s throat, his grip tightening then slamming Lex’s head down onto the concrete floor. “She didn’t betray me you twisted, fuck,” Oliver growled between his teeth.
Lex choked and gasped for breath, attempting to push Arrow from him, and roll from beneath him. But Oliver’s grip didn’t waver, and Lex thought he’d lose consciousness at any moment. His struggles ceased as he weakened.
Chloe screamed, and Arrow’s attention was diverted momentarily, to see her being dragged away by Dr. Benson. She fought him, and nearly escaped his grasp, twisting around to punch him, startling him. She ran toward Oliver, but was jerked back as the doctor grasped a handful of her hair. She kicked at him with her bare feet, connecting her heel with his shin. The doctor howled, but had not lost his grip on her hair. He then slammed her forehead into the concrete wall.
Oliver saw the blood running from her head, starting a slow drip down over her eye. Her body went limp instantly. “Chloe!”
The doctor picked her up and slung her over his shoulder like a rag doll. Oliver leapt up from Lex’s prone form, reaching for his crossbow behind him, aiming at the doctor. “Let her go.”
The doctor stopped in his tracks, turning to face the Green Arrow. He smiled. “You won’t shoot.”
Oliver let an arrow fly, hitting the doctor in the leg. The man screamed. “Set her down!” Arrow ordered, and Dr. Benson fell to his knees, dropping Chloe carelessly to the ground. “Now get the hell out of here.”
Using the wall for support, Dr. Benson pulled himself up, pulled the arrow from his thigh, and hobbled back through the passageway without a backward glance.
Muted explosions from above. The walls shook. Dust and dirt falling, drifting down on them. Oliver moved toward Chloe, nearly reaching her. Suddenly he grunted as the sound of the gunfire and the jolt of pain in his back, were almost simultaneous echoes.
Panting, Lex wiped the blood from his nose and mouth with the back of his hand, lowering his pistol, as he watched Arrow fall forward.
More explosions sounded above, the passageway walls moved, causing larger chunks of debris to begin falling. Lex turned and ran, staggering toward safety, leaving the Green Arrow and Chloe lying on the floor together as explosions continued to rock the building.
End Chapter 10
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