Secret Identities
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
She loved him. It was the last thing she’d said. He didn’t know why her words had left him speechless. He hadn’t expected them, uncertain of the depth of her feelings. He had wanted to say the words to her but somehow things played out differently than he’d imagined. And so, unable to think of anything else to do at the moment, Oliver sat slumped in the chair he’d occupied for most of the last ten hours.
Chloe had said once that Lois wasn’t able to share him with the world. It was true, it never would have worked, Lois herself had admitted it. And now he’d found someone who not only shared him, she was his partner, and shared in his work.
He called her Sidekick. It was a term he’d originally used when she came to him at the Tower the first time, bowling him over with her knowledge of who he really was. Calling her Sidekick in that moment was some subconscious way of putting her in her place, a defense mechanism on his part. It then became an inside joke between them, and later a term of endearment and an understatement. She understood what he meant when he used the word, that she was more, so much more than that. She was his equal, fighting for the same things in different ways, each of them bringing something to the table. At times, he felt as though he were her sidekick.
She could share him with the world. She just didn’t want them to hide from it.
“So…. Chloe has some pretty wicked amazing ability, huh? I mean, wow.” It was Bart, leaning casually against the doorframe.
“Yeah.”
Bart cleared his throat, and looked at the floor. “I mean, it’s none of my business, but if I were in you’re shoes? Which I’d kill to be in by the way, cuz.. I mean come on, it’s Chloelicious we’re talking about... Man, I’d be taking a Queen Industries jet to Smallville right now. Well, actually I’d run, ‘cuz it’s faster, but you know.”
Oliver stared up at Bart.
“Don’t look so shocked, dude. You and Chloelicious? It’s been kinda obvious to all of us.”
“It has?”
“Hell yeah.”
Oliver looked down at his lap, and nodded solemnly. “Thanks, Bart.”
“No problemo.”
* * * * *
“I’m fine, Clark. Really.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. She nodded, continuing to type away at her laptop. Clark pulled a chair from beneath the table in the small Talon apartment and sat opposite her. “Don’t you think you should at least talk to him?” Clark knew he had acted badly, whisking Chloe away, without letting Oliver say anything, and he'd started feeling guilty about the whole thing. Oliver did love her after all, and though Clark still wasn’t sure how this would affect his relationship with Chloe, he realized that he’d been wrong. Oliver deserved a chance if he made Chloe happy. He still didn’t like the idea of letting her go, but neither was he in any position to keep them apart. He couldn’t live with himself if he did.
She didn’t answer, and Clark knew this was her avoidance tactic. She wasn’t fine at all.
“Chloe, I’ll admit I was surprised, and I didn’t like the whole idea of you and Oliver… but, he’s a good guy, and…”
“Maybe that’s just it. Maybe I need to stop going for the hero types,” she interrupted, not missing a keystroke, nor looking up at him. She sighed heavily, “Damn.”
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to hack into Luthorcorp files.”
“What? Why?”
“I’m trying to find information about something called ‘Veritas’, and being foiled at every turn.”
Clark rounded the table to peer over her shoulder at the computer screen. “You know about Veritas?”
“You mean you’ve heard of it?” She asked, finally looking up at him over her shoulder.
Clark hesitated. “I know it was a secret society or club that had several wealthy, influential family heads as members. Lionel Luthor was one of them.” Something told Clark to leave out most of the other details, especially the ones regarding Robert Queen, Oliver’s father.
“Hmm.” Was all she said, and Clark didn’t like the gleam in her eye.
He tried to divert her attention once again. “Will you at least talk to Oliver?”
“I’ll talk to him. Not that I think it’ll change anything, Clark.”
* * * * *
Chloe flattened herself against the wall, waiting for the security guard to pass the darkened corridor of the Luthorcorp building. She’d managed to swipe Lex’s nameless assistant’s security badge tonight, and needed to be quick before the woman noticed it was missing. Lex never could hire the most efficient minions, but it meant she had to dawdle about the Planet until late waiting for the opportunity to search the woman’s purse, and didn’t have time to go home to change. Heels and a skirt were not exactly spy wear in her book. Part of her wondered why she was doing this, but she already knew the answer. It wasn’t just about ‘Veritas’. It was more. What better way to forget… everything, but to dive headlong into a caper.
She’d rifled through various drawers and papers, not finding anything of importance. She moved to the computer. Not expecting to find a file titled ‘Veritas’, and having to get through various password blocks, Chloe copied as many files as she could, hoping to go through them later. Even if she didn’t find anything on ‘Veritas’, she’d be certain to find something else noteworthy. Now she simply needed to get out of here, and she’d be home free.
The guard paused in his step, and Chloe held her breath. Finally, he began to continue down the hall, and when she thought he was far enough away, she stepped quietly toward the stairwell, slipping through the door. She bounded down the stairs, and as she was about to exalt in her getaway, she heard the shouts, calling after her. She’d been discovered.
When she made it to the bottom, she ran through the parking garage, down the street, nearly losing her shoes in the process. Still the shouting came, and then the sound of gunfire. Chloe’s heart raced as she cut through a dark alley and then rounded a corner, glancing back behind her. It seemed that she’d lost them, until she turned, slamming into something hard, a small cry of surprise escaping her. A strong arm wrapped around her, gripping her tightly.
“Hold on,” he said simply, through his voice distorter.
End Chapter 9
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