Anything But Ordinary Chapter 15

Anything But Ordinary
Chapter 15

“Let’s get out of here!” One of the guards shouted, shoving Oliver in front of him, out the cell door. Sounds of the murdering beast that were first heard at an echoing distance now seemed to boom ever closer. Chloe’s heart raced as they shoved her through the corridors.

“Hands off of her,” Oliver barked at their rough handling of her. Clearly she was weakened and unable to keep up with the pace they wanted her to maintain.

“You gonna carry her with your hands tied behind your back, lover boy? She needs to keep up, or get torn to pieces.”

Oliver didn’t answer. In their haste, they had not tied him securely, and Oliver bided his time, until they were exiting the building.

Once outside, they were ushered through the darkness to the waiting van. Oliver had to move now or be taken elsewhere. He’d stealthily slipped his wrists from their bonds, and activated the night vision mechanism in his glasses. One guard headed toward the driver’s side, while another opened the hold, two others held their guns on the captive couple.

One guard spoke into a walkie-talkie, assuring someone on the other end that the two captives were ready to be moved. A fuzzy reply came over as a response ordering him to head toward another vehicle. “Separate them.” His voice sounded into the dark stillness. “She’s being taken elsewhere,” he said, and then left them, trotting off to wherever he was needed. One less guard was a good thing.

Chloe searched for Oliver’s tall, hooded frame in the darkness. “No!”

Through is night vision glasses, he saw one guard grab her up, her face registering her terror as she struggled weakly against the man. “Chloe!”

The guard holding her groaned. “We don’t have time for this shit. There’s some kind of fucking monster in there, tearing people apart, and bitch boss wants us to separate these two?” He maintained his hold on a squirming Chloe. “Fuck that, put them in the van together.”

“We have orders,” the second voice said, determined to do his boss’s bidding.

“Fuck orders. I’m not getting my guts ripped out.” The guard holding Chloe shoved her toward the rear van entrance.

What the other guard would say, no one would know. Oliver leapt forward, swinging viciously with his right arm, knocking him squarely in the back, then as the guard doubled over, Arrow upper cut him to the face, then spun with a roundhouse kick to the gut, knocking the man down. Darkness was his ally, as the first guard who’d shoved Chloe, didn’t know what hit him when Oliver lowered his right shoulder and charged, sending him sprawling backward, the gun nearly flying from his hand. “Get in!” Oliver called to Chloe, who did her best to scramble up into the hold of the van with her hands tied behind her back. Oliver moved toward the guard he’d just dropped and delivered a steel fist into the man’s face, retrieved his gun, then trotted over to the driver’s side of the van.

The Green Arrow opened the van door abruptly, startling the man inside, who saw nothing but the barrel of a gun pointed at his face. “What the fuck?”

“Get out.” Oliver’s tone was deadly as he cocked the weapon.

The driver didn’t need to be told twice, and scrambled out of the passenger side. Oliver nearly leapt into the seat. “You okay, Chloe?”

“Can’t shut the doors… just go!”

She slid backward, nearly out the opened rear doors as Oliver gunned it. He’d gotten several yards away, stopped, and then moved quickly to the hold to retrieve her. “Sorry,” he murmured, his expression sheepish. “Come up here,” he said, pulling her up, and setting her in the passenger seat. “We’ll get those bonds off later.”

“It’s okay, Ollie, let’s just get the hell out of here.”

Oliver lowered his hood, and removed his glasses as they sped away, churning up dirt and tires spinning, spitting up gravel in their wake. He found what appeared to be the exit ahead in the distance, an arm gate blocking the way.

“Blow through it,” Chloe urged, bouncing lightly in her seat as the van sped over bumps and dipped into potholes.

He searched for the switch quickly, then disabled the airbags with a push of a button. “Of course, Sidekick,” Oliver answered her, glancing her way, offering her the tiniest hint of his old arrogant smirk. Chloe smiled back as best as she could with her swollen lips and half-opened eye. His foot pushed the pedal to the floor, and Chloe braced her feet on the dashboard in front of her, pressing herself back as far as she could into the seat, crushing her hands tied behind her back.

As they made impact with the gate, she lowered her head onto her knees, hearing the sounds of debris clank and bounce off of the van, the crack of a window as something struck the windshield.

“You okay?”

She lifted her head. “Yeah.”

Oliver continued to speed down the road, not really certain where they were going. He fiddled with the dashboard controls, finding the navigation system screen. “We’re about two hours outside of Metropolis,” he said, his eyes moving back and forth from the road to the small dashboard screen. “And we’ll have to stop somewhere soon, because this baby is Lojacked.”

“Get us to the nearest town, we’ll take care of it there. We don’t have a big jump on them, I’m sure Tess knows we’re gone by now.”

Oliver was comforted by the fact that so far, he’d not seen any approaching headlights in the rear-view mirror. He was troubled by other thoughts however. “Chloe. Why do you think the creature was there?”

“Do you think he followed me, Ollie?” she asked, fearful.

“I don’t know, angel. Tess knows more about it than we think, right?”

“Yeah, but how would she have gotten him there? I don’t think Tess even knows Davis.”

“What if she does?”

“Tess had photographs of us in the alley behind Luthorcorp the night I healed you.”

“So, she might have photos of the creature too,” Oliver mused.

“I have no idea what her interest in him could be.”

“Whatever her interest is, she’s playing with fire.”

Chloe was silent for a long time. “Then let her get burned,” she murmured, her voice cold, void of any emotion.

Oliver glanced over at Chloe, whose head was lowered. It was unlike her to say something like that, and it further solidified his feeling that Tess was the one to hurt her so badly. She’d said that physical wounds healed faster, but emotional ones didn’t disappear as quickly, and he wondered what invisible wounds Tess has inflicted.

They drove the rest of the way to the nearest town mostly in silence. Oliver pulled up into the parking lot of a motel, untied her wrists, and then set about finding and removing the GPS device from the van, tossing it into a dumpster behind the building.

On their way back to the van, he reached for her, pulling her into his arms, holding her briefly before they had to speed off again. He brushed his lips against her forehead. “Let’s go home,” he whispered, but she remained silent, only nodding in agreement at his words. Now that the excitement of their getaway had passed, she’d been noticeably quiet, and his concern grew.

Finally in the safety of the penthouse, Chloe was able to relax. Oliver gave her a white T-shirt to wear, and told her she could shower and sleep in one of the guest rooms, if she wanted. Chloe took him up on his offer, showering quickly and slipping on the shirt. It almost reached her knees. She gazed at herself in the mirror. Her wounds were healing, but she frowned at her reflection. She was certainly a sight, and none too attractive at the moment. There was no help for it. Shrugging lightly, she stepped out into the dimness of the living room, not finding him there. Thinking he must be showering and changing, she padded barefoot, to sit on the edge of the sofa, staring out unseeing into the quiet space in front of her.

* * * * *

Tess wasn’t getting the answers she wanted. Chloe was steadfast in her denial of knowing the whereabouts of the crystal. Tiring of getting nowhere, she decided upon a new tactic. “So, what has he given you? A bracelet? Earrings? A trip to Malibu at sunset?”

Chloe glanced away. “Look Tess, whatever your game is, I’m not playing. What have you done with Oliver?” she demanded.

“Oliver is quick to give away objects, things,” Tess went on, ignoring her question. “But he’s incapable of giving himself.” Tess circled Chloe’s chair, her hands and ankles had been tied securely. She reached out to lift a lock of Chloe’s hair, rubbing the strands between her fingers.

Chloe nearly snorted. If Tess had only known that for most of her engagement to Jimmy, Chloe sported a plastic Cracker Jack ring. “Objects aren’t that important to me.”

“I see. You must be quite the novelty to him then. I’m sure it will wear off soon, and you’ll become another Oliver Queen castoff,” she taunted, moving around her once more, lifting Chloe’s chin with a finger, scrutinizing her features. “You’re quite unlike his usual conquests. He’ll come to his senses and dump you soon enough.” Tess moved a few steps away from her.

“And if that happens? So be it. I’ll survive. I won’t hold a grudge like someone else might.”

Tess stopped in mid-step whirling, slapping her hard, causing the blood to flow anew from Chloe’s mouth and nose. She’d already begun to recover from her beating on the Luthor Mansion grounds when they were first captured, but the wounds were still fresh. She and Oliver had been brought to a facility several hours away from Smallville, Chloe wasn’t certain where they were, but this was a place similar to the one she’d been housed in months ago in Montana. Chloe worried. Oliver was still unconscious when they’d been brought here. She didn’t know where he was at the moment or what they’d done to him.

Chloe lifted her head to stare defiantly up at Tess, tongue peeking out to lick the blood away from her top lip before she spoke. “What’s the matter Tess? Can’t let it go after all these years?”

“He lied to me, betrayed me. Caused the deaths of people close to me. Told me he’d help me, told me we’d be together, work together. Lies. All of them.”

“Seems he changed his mind, once he saw your true colors.”

At this, Tess withdrew her pistol, pointing it inches away from Chloe’s face. “And what are your true colors Ms. Sullivan?”

Chloe eyed the pistol. She should be frightened, but instead she was emboldened. “I’m not sure, Ms. Mercer. But evidently they’re unlike yours.”

Tess nearly smiled. “When he hurts you, and he will, I’m sure you’ll see things the way I do.”

“I hope not. Tranquilizing people and tying them up isn’t my style, really.”

Tess lifted the hand wielding the pistol, and struck Chloe with it, the hard metal connecting brutally with the left side of her face, over her eye.

This time she did cry out, the pain explosive and unexpected. Chloe’s head reeled, and she felt herself on the brink of consciousness. Fresh crimson dripped onto her blouse.

Tess shook her head. “No. He needs to pay for what he’s done; to me, to Lex, to Luthorcorp. He needs to pay dearly, and it starts with you.”

Chloe struggled to keep her eyes open. She couldn’t see out of her left eye, knowing it had begun to swell shut. Her head bobbed slightly, as she struggled to lift it, but it seemed to weigh more than her entire body at this moment.

“Why me?” Chloe’s voice croaked, barely a harsh whisper.

“For all your intelligence, Ms. Sullivan, you certainly are quite oblivious, aren’t you?” She flashed Chloe a look of disdain. “Why you?” Tess scoffed, raising her weapon once more. “Because for some reason I can’t begin to fathom, he loves you,” Tess admitted, replying to her own question, her voice tinged with anger and envy, bitter jealousy stirring inside her. Tess spat the words as though they were an accusation. She brought down the pistol once more, effectively sending Chloe into swirling darkness. Her head hung over her chest, blonde, tousled hair covering her face. She didn’t move. Satisfied that Chloe was unconscious, but alive, Tess stepped toward the door, opening it. She cast a glance back at Chloe’s slumped, wilted form. It was time to let the Green Arrow have an exclusive viewing of his newest ladylove.

* * * * *

“Hey,” Oliver’s soft voice broke into her thoughts and she lifted her head to find him moving to kneel in front of her. He was freshly showered, shirtless and barefoot; wearing only a pair of black sweats. He took her hand in his, thumb softly stroking her skin.

“Hey,” she answered, offering him the tiniest of smiles, before her eyes flitted away once more.

“Talk to me Chloe,” he urged gently.

Chloe’s eyes fell to their hands clasped together. She shook her head lightly, her lips thinning briefly. “It’s nothing. I’m just… tired.”

“You’ve forgotten how well I know you,” he whispered, his other hand moving to take both of her hands, now enveloped in the warmth of his. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you… it’s killing me that I wasn’t there for you…”

“You were drugged and unconscious. There was nothing you could have done, Oliver.”

Oliver moved closer, insinuating himself between her legs on his knees before her, their bodies nearly touching, her breasts brushing against his chest. Oliver lifted a hand; fingers threading the hair back from her cheek. Her injuries were healing, and it looked as though she’d been beaten a week ago instead of a few hours’ prior, bruises turned yellowish-green, cuts healing over, her eyelid much less swollen. He cupped her cheek gently. She did look tired and worry worn, but something weighed heavily on her mind, he knew. “What is it, Sidekick?” he asked, his gut clenching painfully, not completely certain he wanted to know the answer.

Chloe’s breath hitched. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, hesitant. “Tess…” She lifted her eyes to his. “Oliver, maybe this isn’t a good idea. Us.”

Oliver shook his head. “No. She did this, didn’t she?” Oliver asked, a gentle finger trailing from her eyebrow down over her cheek, but Chloe knew he meant more than her exterior wounds. He spoke of her doubt as well.

Chloe looked down at her lap, nodding lightly. “Most of it. Not all.”

“Tess and I had a past, Chloe. As much as I’d like to, I can’t erase it. But I don’t want that past to condemn my present or my future.” Oliver swallowed hard. “Whatever she did or said to you was out of some twisted sense of entitlement and jealousy.”

“And what would give her that sense?”

Oliver felt his heart sinking fast. He was a drowning man, clinging to a lifeline. He couldn’t lose her, not before he’d really had a chance, not now, not ever. “I’m not a perfect man, Chloe, but Tess is not exactly the voice of reason here… she’s speaking from a place of revenge. Please don’t let her destroy something we’ve only just found together. It’s what she wants. To destroy me for what she believes I’ve done to her whether or not I’ve actually done it. I’m guilty of a lot of things, Chloe, I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and paid the price for most of them, but I never loved her.”

Chloe gave him no response. She lifted her eyes to his once more, liquid green, finding his chocolate brown, his gaze pleading.

Oliver watched her face with acute and loving anxiety, trying to read her expression, his eyes danced, searching hers. He needed her to understand, to know. Wetting his lips, he continued. “If I ruin this, us, then let it by my fault, my failure, my regret forever, and then I’ll know there’s no hope for me as an honorable man; that I’m incapable of loving anyone, unable to make a commitment and stay with it…. Let the punishment be mine, but not because of Tess or anyone else who’d try to come between us.”

She lifted trembling fingertips to his lips, her eyes never leaving his. She hated to admit that Tess had aroused old fears and insecurities within her. In the short time they’d been together, Oliver had never once questioned her past with Clark, or Jimmy. Granted, her past was not as riddled as his was, and Jimmy hadn’t taken a pistol to Oliver’s face, but thus far, he hadn’t doubted her, not once.

Oliver’s large, gentle hand surrounded her small one, pressing his lips to her fingertips, then easing her hand to slide down over his neck, his collarbone and finally over the muscles of his bare chest, holding it there. Throughout his past relationships he’d been a master at self-sabotage, ruining his own chances at happiness, for reasons unknown, even to himself. “I’m not going to ruin this. Not this time. Not with you, Chloe.”

“You don’t have to make promises, Oliver,” she whispered.

He shook his head, realizing something he hadn’t before, the thoughts coming to him with sudden clarity. “It’s not about promises, Chloe. It’s about knowing who we are, living honestly, being true to ourselves. We’re together, and now it’s as though it all makes sense. It’s the way it should be, should have been a long time ago, and maybe it took all of this… all of our past mistakes and heartbreak to bring us here.” He pressed her palm over his chest, his fingers lightly stroking hers, his eyes imploring, but she said nothing. “It feels right. The way it’s supposed to feel… in the way that I’m yours and you’re mine… something in my life finally feels honest. Being with you, is being true to myself. If you can tell me it's not the same for you, that it's not the reason you let Jimmy go, then... I don't know...” Her silence worried him. Usually she was the more talkative one between them. Had he frightened her away with his words? Had Tess really gotten to her? Never before had he felt the strings of the new bond between them stretch closely to the breaking point. “I don’t know how else to say it, Chloe,” he whispered, clearly flustered over what he felt was his inability to express himself. Oliver blinked, lowering his eyes. “If you really believe that us… being together is not a good thing…”

She was Chloe Sullivan, Watchtower, truth-seeker, and super-intelligent, meteor-infected healer. Living honestly and authentically was something she could never do with Jimmy or anyone else. He was Oliver Queen, billionaire CEO, philanthropist, the Green Arrow, a crime fighter. And he was kneeling before her, telling her that he belonged to her. Living honestly was something he couldn’t do with Lois or Tess or anyone else. Tess had said that he was incapable of giving himself to anyone, yet as Chloe studied his features in the dimness, her entire being urged her to prove Tess’s words wrong. Chloe’s breath stuttered, her throat constricting in an effort to hold back the tears, as the truth of his words washed over her. “She told me… Tess… told me,” Chloe hesitated swallowing harshly; her eyes shining with unshed tears. “That you loved me. How would she know something like that?”

“I don’t know how. Maybe once she saw us together, she knew, but if she believes I love you, it explains her jealousy, wanting to hurt me by hurting you, and trying to drive a wedge between us.” His broad shoulders lifted as he breathed, and Chloe could feel his heart beat quickening under her palm. He glanced down and away nervously, then lifted dark eyes to hers once more. “You don’t have to say anything, or answer or…” he took another lung-filling, calming breath, exhaling slowly. “I’m in love with you.” There. He’d said it; he’d uttered words rarely spoken to any woman he’d known, and now his heart nearly stopped, waiting for her reaction. He hadn’t thought it was possible to love someone so deeply, so completely in such a short time. Or was it that he had loved her long before this moment, and never knew?

Chloe slid her hand upward over the warm smooth skin of his chest, wrapping both of her arms around his neck. The sweet sensation of her breasts pressed lightly against him through the thin fabric of his T-shirt nearly undid him. Chloe closed her eyes, tears squeezing out from beneath her lashes. Oliver brushed them away gently with the pad of his thumb.

“You’re all I want,” he whispered, his head descended as he touched his parted lips soft as down against hers, hands sliding over her spine, grasping her bottom, scooting her forward on the edge of the couch, increasing the pressure of their bodies against one another. “Let me love you, Chloe.”

His words and his nearness sent her senses into a tailspin. She ached for him, wanted him. His lips trailed down over her cheek softly. Mouth grazing her sensitive skin, he kissed the pulsing hollow of her throat. Chloe’s eyelids fluttered closed, she clung to his neck like a lifeline and on her soft sigh that reached deep inside of him, she gave in to the pleasure he offered. Burying his face in her neck, he breathed more tender kisses there. “Oliver,” she whispered his name, so full of longing and hope, her breath caught on a surge of yearning so abrupt and intense it felt like pain.

Oliver slid his hands beneath her bottom, lifting her from the couch slightly, her thighs wrapping around his waist, her hands plunging into his hair, still damp from his shower. He continued to press slow, gentle kisses over her; her cheeks, her eyes, the tip of her nose, her lips, ever mindful of her fading injuries. His kisses, soft and unhurried, showered down like a cleansing rain into her soul, soothing her doubts, washing away her fears, yet building a smoldering, burning fire of need for him. She moaned softly, a sound of surrender. ‘Let me love you,’ he’d asked. There was only one answer that came to her. “Yes,” she breathed.

Rising from his knees in one fluid motion, Oliver carried her to his room.

End Chapter 15

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Anything But Ordinary Chapter 14

Anything But Ordinary
Chapter 14

“Welcome back.”

Oliver blinked, his eyes adjusting to the brightness of the lone overhead light. His head pounded, a dull ache in the back of his skull and behind his eyes. Trying to move, he realized his wrists were tied behind his back as he sat slumped in a chair. He tugged at the bonds to no avail. Straightening, he glanced around, the space reminding him of some type of interrogation room. His hood was down, and dark glasses had been removed. “Where am I? Where’s Chloe?”

Tess stepped into his line of sight, directly in front of him. “You’ll see her soon enough. In fact, I’m looking forward to witnessing the reunion.”

Oliver lurched forward in an attempt to rise from the chair, discovering quickly that he was bound to it. “What the hell are you talking about? I want to see her. Now.”

“You’re in no position to be demanding anything,” Tess’s smile was oddly indulgent. She leaned in toward him, her voice deep and taunting. “Oliver.”

Anger narrowed his eyes, and stiffened his jaw. “What do you want?”

“Aside from the crystal you’ve stolen? Nothing. I’ve already gotten what I wanted from you a long time ago, haven’t I?”

“I don’t have the crystal. Take me to see Chloe.”

“Apparently neither one of you has the crystal, we’ve searched you both… quite thoroughly.” Tess suddenly grasped a handful of his spiky blonde hair, yanking his head back. She bent over him, her face close to his, as though she would kiss him. “Where is it?” she hissed.

Stiffening, Oliver boldly met her eyes. “I don’t know,” he growled.

“You’re lying. But I think I know how to get you to tell me the truth.” Tess released his hair, and then called to her guards. She replaced the glasses over his eyes, and lifted his hood before they entered the room. “The Green Arrow would like to see Ms. Sullivan. Take him to her, but don’t let him near her.” She turned to Oliver once more. “Try anything, and Ms. Sullivan will pay for your actions.”

They escorted him through a corridor, stopping in front of a door to another cell, larger than the one he’d been in. A cot ran along one side of the wall, and there was a sink and toilet opposite. Before he’d entered he could see her through the window in the center of the room. Chloe was sitting in a chair, her head hung forward so that her chin rested on her chest, her golden hair tousled, covering her face. Her hands appeared to be bound to the chair behind her, her ankles also tied.

“What have you done to her?” he asked, his panic rising. He thought there were what appeared to be bloodstains splattered on her blouse.

Tess unlocked the door and entered the room, allowing him to follow. She addressed her guards. “Don’t let him get near her,” she reminded. Once the door was closed, the guards slammed him against it, so that he faced Chloe several feet away. Oliver, too oblivious to the guns pointed at him, too in shock to protest, his eyes never left her. She wasn’t moving.

“Chloe?” She made no response to his voice, and Oliver’s pulse beat frantically.

When Tess was satisfied that Arrow was firmly surrounded, under the threat of three security guards with guns drawn and aimed at him, she then moved next to Chloe, placing a thumb and forefinger under her chin, lifting it so that some of her hair fell away, revealing Chloe’s face.

Oliver felt as though he’d been gut punched, and had the wind knocked out of him. “What have you done to her!” Oliver demanded, shouting, pushing his weight forward away from the door, and shoving his way toward Chloe. His heart, deeply pained, felt as though a knife had been plunged into it. Pain quickly turned to rage, and heedless of the men around him, not caring about the guns trained on him, he thrashed about, trying to get to her, struggling against the bonds that held his wrists behind his back. His feet were not bound however, and he surprised them with a powerful kick to one of the men closest to him, sending the man sprawling against the heavy porcelain sink. He thought he heard Tess barking orders, shouting, and the voices of the guards, but Oliver didn’t care about anything else, his rage blinding him, a crimson haze surrounding his vision.

They had beaten Chloe senseless. Her face a mass of blood, her left eye was swollen shut. Emitting a deep feral growl, using his weight, he drove his body into another guard, slamming and flattening him against a wall. The third guard came at Oliver from behind, delivering a blow to the back of the head with the butt of his gun. Lights exploded behind Oliver’s eyes, shock and pain filling his head, and he fell to his knees.

Tess’s voice finally registered. “That’s enough! Do you want her dead?” Tess shouted over the din, the barrel of her own pistol pointed flush against Chloe’s temple. “Do you?” She cocked the weapon, and Oliver, panting in defeat, ceased his fight, his gaze upon Tess beneath the dark glasses, venomous.

His lips thinned. “Bitch,” he spat.

Tess smirked. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” The guards recovered, taking up their positions once more, surrounding him on three sides. Tess holstered her weapon, and then brushed Chloe’s hair aside so that he could get a better view of her battered face. “It was her own fault, Mr. Arrow,” Tess went on unaffected, moving to stand behind Chloe’s chair. “Ms. Sullivan seems quite taken with you, she’s very protective of her Emerald Archer. Seems your girl is quite the fighter. We had to remind her more than once who was in charge here.”

His gaze remained on the small unconscious woman slumped in the chair, her head lifted for his viewing. “What do you want?” he snapped, yet unable to hide the anguished hitch in his voice.

“I told you, I want what you stole from me.”

“I don’t have it.”

Tess gripped Chloe’s hair at the back of her head, tipping her head further in a threatening gesture. “Who does?”

Oliver swallowed convulsively, his eyes never leaving Chloe’s face, his heart wrenching painfully. He’d promised to take care of her, and failed. “I don’t know.”

“You’re lying!”

“We looked for the crystal. We didn’t find anything.”

“Why did you want it?”

“Chloe thought we could use it to find Lex,” he lied.

“You knew she was helping me search for Lex?”

“Yes.”

“Why wouldn’t she simply ask me for it?”

“She knew you wouldn’t give it to her.”

Tess couldn’t argue that, it was true after all. She would never have given up the crystal. She eyed him speculatively, and after a moment, she released Chloe’s hair, causing her head to fall forward once more. Rounding the chair deliberately slow in her steps, she stopped to stand directly in front of him, her eyes hard, peering down into his dark glasses. “I think I like you on your knees,” she taunted, lifting a finger to stroke his chin. “Does she bring you to your knees, Green Arrow?” Her words were spoken softly, yet laced with vehemence. Tess continued to touch his face with gentle fingertips. “It’s good that you have no secrets between you, except for one, perhaps.”

Oliver loathed her touch, yet remained still and silent. His only thought was for Chloe, wondering how long she’d been unconscious. He wasn’t certain how her healing ability worked when it was her own body that was injured. She needed medical attention. He wondered what had happened while he was under the influence of tranquilizer. How had it come to this? Why had they beaten her so cruelly? He vowed to get her out of here, wherever here was.

“She wanted me to stay away from you, and I agreed that I would allow you to lead your pathetic double life in peace, on the condition that you stay out of Luthorcorp business.” She brushed his full, bottom lip with a forefinger. “She broke that promise tonight.”

“She made you no such promise.”

“You trust her too much.”

“She’s worth trusting.”

“Unlike me, you mean.”

“If the shoe fits…”

“Yes, and I’m filling some pretty big shoes now, aren’t I? It could have been you instead of Lex, you know. We could have been good together.”

And then Oliver knew. Chloe would have fought against them, but it was Tess’s jealousy that had incurred Chloe’s severe beating, and Oliver didn’t know whether to feel hatred or pity for the poor excuse of a human being standing over him at this moment. “In your dreams.”

Tess laughed derisively then. When she recovered, she addressed her guards. “Bring something for lover boy here, so that he can clean her up, and let him have some quality alone time with his unconscious woman. It may be the last time they see each other.” Her cold eyes fell to Oliver once more. “You will tell me who has the crystal by morning, or you’ll never see her again. She’ll do quite nicely locked up in a facility using her talents to work for me. And you… well, I may have a little fun with you first before I kill you, and believe me this time I’ll avoid the ineffective poisoning, and simply shoot you dead. It’ll be messier, but much quicker.”

Tess swept from the room then, leaving the guards to untie him. One man returned with an empty basin, cloths and a first aid kit, leaving it on the cot. They left, closing and bolting the door behind them.

Oliver rose from his knees, pulling down his hood and removing his glasses, setting them on the edge of the sink. Disguise didn’t matter much now anyway. He closed the short distance to Chloe, moving behind her to undo the rope tying her hands. Her wrists were raw, evidence of her struggles. Kneeling in front of her, he untied her ankles, then reached for her, catching her up as her body fell forward against him. Wrapping his arms around her, he picked her up, set the basin aside and lay her gently upon the cot. He gazed down at her face, brushing away strands of blonde hair stuck to her bloodied cheek, assessing her wounds, his gut clenching at the sight of such beauty so cruelly marred. Oliver blinked away the heat rising to his eyes, and grabbed up the basin to fill with water.

Kneeling beside her, he began to gently clean the blood away, some of it drying, caked in her nostrils, around her mouth, over her eye.

“My fault…” she whispered, the cool water and his gentle ministrations rousing her.

“Shhh…”

“I’m so sorry, Ollie. Stupid…” her breath caught in her throat, as she tried to stifle a sob. “I’m so stupid,” she berated herself, her fists balling up the gray blanket covering the cot beneath her.

“You’re the smartest person I know,” he murmured reassuringly, dipping the cloth into the basin to rinse the blood from it, then renewing his work, dabbing away more blood from her face.

“I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“I kissed you back.”

“I distracted you.”

“I let myself be distracted.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, angel,” he soothed. “They must have seen us already to be so close. And at least they don’t know about Boy Scout.”

As he cleaned her face, he noted that some of her wounds appeared to be healing already. Her left eye was not as swollen, and she was able to open it somewhat.

“How does your healing ability work?” He asked gently, dipping the cloth into the basin once more, then squeezing out the excess water before cleaning away more blood from her face.

“It’s accelerated,” she answered softly. “I heal faster than normal people do. A day or more, and all visible signs of injury should be gone.”

“But not the invisible ones.”

“Those take longer,” she agreed. “In that regard, I’m normal I suppose.”

He nodded in understanding, tipping her chin up, to clean the blood around the crease of her eye.

“Are you hurt?”

“Nothing my hard head can’t handle,” he answered.

“When is she coming back?

“In the morning. But I’m hoping we’ll find a way out of here before then.”

“What happens in the morning?"

Oliver hesitated. Concentrating instead on carefully removing caked blood from her eyelid.

“Ollie?”

“She’s threatening to lock you up in some facility.”

“And you?”

Oliver rose from her side, avoiding her question. He dumped the bloodied water into the sink, and refilled the basin. Returning to her, he resumed his work, cleaning up the last remnants of blood from her face, then patting her dry with a clean cloth.

Chloe reached for the hand next to her face, holding it. “Oliver.”

He looked away from her. “She wants me dead.”

Chloe gave his hand a squeeze. “Not gonna happen.”

Oliver leaned over her, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead. Chloe lifted her hand, threading her fingers into his hair where she felt the knot at the back of his head. Her hand glowed momentarily, healing him of his minor injury.

Oliver felt her warmth spread through him, his pain easing, his head clearing. “Hey. Cut that out, Tower,” he admonished softly. “You’re cheating.”

She smiled, and then winced, her lips hurting. “Too bad. Get used to it.”

“Get used to it, huh?” His forehead resting gently against hers, he slipped his fingers into her hair, smoothing the soft strands between his fingers. “Does that mean…?”

“It means you’re stuck with me now, Arrow,” she finished for him, gently massaging his scalp where his wound had been.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it… the healing part, I admit it makes me feel uncomfortable…terrible actually, when you do it for me,” he confessed, his voice low and husky. “But being stuck with you, Chloe, is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

He lifted his head a few inches to gaze down at her, his dark eyes caressing her sweet face, cut up, battered and bruised. He wanted to tell her the words, but he wasn’t certain how she’d react, and this place, their predicament just didn’t seem the right situation, or the right time to tell her. Maybe he didn’t need words at this moment; maybe she knew what he felt.

Soft fingertips moved to stroke his cheek lovingly. Chloe saw the heart rending tenderness of his gaze, making her own heart melt. She returned his stare with one of intense longing. She thought it almost amusing that two could share such a moment considering their current circumstances, and yet it was so natural between them, as though they were simply sharing a tender moment somewhere else, lying together in the sand on a secluded beach, instead of on a cot in a dank cell.

He smiled down at her, his eyes lowering to her swollen and cut lips, vaguely wondering how it was that being with her could lighten his heart and give him hope even in the most dire of circumstances. “I want to kiss you so badly right now, but I can’t”

“Yeah well, kissing got us in trouble in the first place, remember? And stop making me smile, it hurts,” she winced again, in her attempt at not smiling. She lowered her voice to a purposeful whisper. “Besides we have to figure a way out of here, Archer, and for all we know the cell is bugged, and there’s a video camera in here somewhere for Tess’s viewing pleasure.”

“There’s a disturbing thought.” Oliver moved to stand long enough to scoot her over, scooping her up in his arms, taking a seat on the cot, his back resting against the wall. He settled her next to him, an arm around her waist, pulling her back to recline against his chest. Chloe’s head fell back, fitting against the curve of his shoulder, she felt so tired and weary, and her body still ached miserably.

They sat quietly for a time, until she spoke. “The door locks from the outside and there’s a guard posted.”

Oliver took a moment to survey his surroundings. “There’s no window. My weapons are gone.” He felt her small hand cover his, stroking the fingers that splayed over her stomach.

“They took your gloves too?” she asked, as though just now realizing they were gone.

“And my voice distorter.”

Chloe suddenly bounced her butt lightly on the cot. “Springs, not slats.”

“Huh?”

“If there were slats holding up the cot, we could use them as weapons. Like a club. I don’t think we could spring anyone to death.”

Oliver pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then resting his cheek there, he continued to think. There had to be some way they could escape.

The cell door opened suddenly. “Isn’t this a pretty picture,” Tess mocked. “But I’m afraid the honeymoon is over. There’s been a change of plans.”

At the sound of her voice, Oliver lifted his head from Chloe’s. “What do you mean, change of plans?”

Tess appeared uneasy. “We’ve got to get out of here.” She strode toward the sink to retrieve Oliver’s glasses, tossing them to him. “Put them on. Hood up.”

Oliver did as she instructed before four guards entered the room, also seeming hurried and agitated, guns immediately drawn on the couple.

“Tie them up, get them to the van immediately.” She turned back to Oliver before she reached the door. “Don’t worry, Green Arrow, I didn’t forget our arrangement. I wouldn’t want to forgo the pleasure of killing you myself.” With that, she left the room.

“Tell us what’s going on,” Oliver demanded from one of the guards, as he helped Chloe to stand.

“Just come along quietly, and don’t give us any trouble. We have strict orders,” the man said curtly, moving to tie Chloe’s hands behind her back, another guard grasping Oliver’s wrists.

An unearthly scream, unmistakable could be heard echoing through the corridors.

Chloe and Oliver looked at each other in the same instant; the bruises and swollen features couldn’t hide the sheer terror on her face. Chloe could barely breathe. “Oh my God.”

End Chapter 14

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Anything But Ordinary Chapter 13

Anything But Ordinary
Chapter 13

Getting into the mansion was simple. Chloe disabled the alarm and rerouted the video system into a continuous loop. The only other obstacles were security personnel, and the possibility of coming upon other staff members in the mansion. There was also the chance that Tess would return from the Daily Planet office before they could make a clean getaway. They had to move quickly.

Clark dispatched two security guards below with a quick flick of a finger to the head, and then zipped the prone bodies some distance away after checking them. Yup. Just out old. The three of them made their way stealthily to Lex’s office, Chloe was able to hack the codes, unlocking the vault, and she and Oliver searched for the crystal as Clark kept watch from a distance. Knowing there was kryptonite stored there, he didn’t want to take any chances on exposure.

“I’ve got it!” Chloe’s voice, excited though whispered, cut through the silence.

Arrow turned around to see her holding the blue crystal aloft, triumphantly. The huge smile on her face was infectious.

He grinned back. “Let’s get out of here, Sidekick.”

They both exited the vault. Chloe handed Clark the crystal. “Go now, Clark,” she urged in a hushed tone. “Get that fortress of yours back, find out what you can from Jor-El.”

Clark held the crystal in his palm, eyeing it thoughtfully; it glowed momentarily, as though it knew its owner had come to claim it. He nodded lightly. “I’ll meet you two at the Tower when I know more,” he murmured quietly. He gazed up at Chloe and the Green Arrow standing side-by-side in front of him, some part of him afraid to leave them, anxiety over not knowing what might happen, whether or not the crystal would work, Chloe’s safety, all of it, shone in his expression. His eyes settled on Oliver. “Take care of her.”

“Clark…” Chloe began in protest; yet knowing the threat of Davis’s attraction was very real. Both men knew she’d say not to worry, that she could take care of herself.

Oliver placed a protective arm around her, a gloved hand settling on her waist, pulling her against his side, the action effectively quieting her. “I will,” he said, his words a solemn oath.

Satisfied, Clark breathed deeply, gave them one last look, and then in an instant he was gone.

Oliver took her hand, leading her toward the balcony doors.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re making our exit, Sidekick,” he said, sliding the doors open quietly.

“This way?”

“Faster,” was all he said, fastening the line to the stone parapet. He reached for her, helping her over the low wall. “Hold onto me.”

“My favorite part of the ride,” she quipped playfully, catching his wide grin before they descended, landing safely on the ground below. Oliver disconnected the line, and Chloe watched as it spun back into place, reminding her of an odd automatic fishing reel.

Oliver grasped her hand once more, and they set off quickly to where his motorcycle was stashed away just outside the Luthor Mansion gates, hidden in some shrubbery, among a stand of tall oak trees. “I want you to stay with me at the penthouse,” he whispered as he led her through the darkened grounds. “At least until Clark gets back, and we find out more information about what Davis is up to and how we can stop him.”

“Okay,” she said, rather surprised, not expecting him to say that.

“You can stay in one of the guest rooms,” he added, thinking her apparent unease at his suggestion might be about where she’d sleep. Though truth be told, he’d love nothing more than to share his bed with her, Oliver didn’t want to rush things between them. He’d promised himself that under the circumstances, he’d be patient. It was odd. He was the one usually scared off at the first hint of any deeper feelings lurking beneath the surface. But he knew what he wanted now, and nothing would keep him from having what he wanted with Chloe, not even his own eagerness to have it.

Just then, they reached his bike, and Oliver released her hand to retrieve it. Chloe tugged him back toward her, and when he turned to face her questioningly, she surprised him, pulling his head down, rising up on tiptoe, crushing her parted lips to his.

Being the Green Arrow, League missions, daredevil stunts, stealing the crystal – all of those things gave him an adrenaline rush, but nothing he’d ever done would compare to the taste of her lips against his, the soft curves of her body pressed to his, her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, wanting him. Instinctively, his hands spanned her waist, and then locked against her spine. Her nearness overwhelmed him, and he knew he would gladly lose himself in her, utterly and completely. Oliver returned her kiss, taking possession of her mouth, groaning under his breath when he felt her press against him, shuddering helplessly.

“How romantic.” Tess’s cold voice broke into the rising passion of the moment.

Oliver lifted his head, his pulse pounding at the shock of being discovered. Chloe’s eyes grew wide and he heard her soft gasp, as he shepherded her behind his body, reaching for his crossbow all in one motion. It was too late. Four armed men surrounded them; Oliver noting at least three more men stepping from behind nearby trees. Damn. He’d let his guard down, and now they were both in danger unless he could figure a way out of this. His mind worked as he aimed the crossbow at the various men in a sweeping arc motion, uncertain which to shoot.

“Very sweet. You’re losing your touch Green Arrow, to be caught so unawares. Must be love.” She laughed sardonically. “Or perhaps in your case, we’ll call it a severe case of lust.” Oliver’s crossbow still raised, he now pointed it at Tess as she approached casually, a smirk playing on her lips. His body blocked her view, and Chloe peered from behind his arm, her mind also working on a way out. She had no weapon, and though she was a scrappy fighter, she knew she was no match for a group of trained guards, even if Oliver could take a few of them out on his own.

“Not that you would know much about either,” he answered.

His words seemed to sting. Tess’s expression darkened dangerously. “Drop the weapon,” she ordered harshly. “Or you’ll both be shot. You’re trespassing on private property after all, and I’d be within my rights.”

Oliver had to weigh his options carefully. If he engaged one or more of the men around, he could possibly endanger Chloe. A movement of one of the guards caused Oliver to pivot, his crossbow aiming at the man. Tess took the opportunity at his momentary distraction to raise her own pistol. She fired, but the sound was not that of an ordinary gun.

“Nooo!” Chloe screamed as a soft grunt escaped him. The crossbow slipped from his fingers and Oliver swayed momentarily, and then sank to his knees, his body falling sideways onto the soft grass-covered ground beneath him. It was then she saw the tiny dart protruding from his shoulder. She knelt at his side, removing the dart and tossing it away. “No!”

“Get her away from him!” Tess barked, watching as the men moved quickly. Chloe struggled against two guards who’d grabbed her up by the armpits and dragged her away from the Green Arrow’s prone form. “We don’t need any healing miracles. Make sure she’s nowhere within reach of him.” She turned to Chloe, who flailed about frantically against her captors’ grip. “Relax sweetheart,” Tess said, moving toward Arrow lying on his side. She nudged his shoulder with a foot, pushing him onto his back. “He’ll be sleeping peacefully for awhile.”

Tess knelt beside the unconscious Oliver, reaching out to run a slow, appreciative hand down the soft green leather covering his chest, moving lazily over his torso, stopping just before she’d reached the leather codpiece, her hand lingering there, fingers splayed low over his belly, her other hand caressing his thigh. “He is something, isn’t he?” She said in amazement, her gaze upon the man before her. She then lifted mocking eyes to Chloe, the corners of her mouth curved in a taunting grin. “Like a work of art. Michelangelo could have sculpted him. An Adonis, truly.” With those words, Tess looked down at him once more, this time her palm moved over the codpiece covering his groin; depraved intentions distorting her face.

Chloe’s breath came quickly, her blood boiling the moment Tess knelt next to him, fury pounding and rippling in time to the rapid beating of her heart. She lurched forward, emitting a growl, like an enraged tigress, but for the guards holding her back she’d have torn Tess’s head from her body. “Get your filthy hands off of him!” Anger and adrenaline gave her strength, and Chloe nearly broke the guards’ hold upon her.

Tess's smile turned triumphant, and she then stood, moving toward Chloe. “You know, I’d wondered what possible relationship you could have with the Emerald Archer over there,” she indicated him with a motion of her head behind her. “And now I have my answer.” Tess stepped closer, eye-to-eye with Chloe, whose green eyes burned with feral rage. Tess shook her head. “You love him, don’t you?” It wasn’t a question.

Chloe refused to give Tess the satisfaction of an answer, and lifted her chin defiantly.

“I told you, he’d be your weakness.” Tess glanced over her shoulder at Oliver, and then returned her piercing gaze to Chloe. “But now you’ll be his downfall.”

“No,” Chloe ground out between clenched teeth, throwing her body forward once more in an attempt to break free. She thought she’d claw Tess’s eyes out if she could.

“We had a deal, Ms. Sullivan. You broke it.”

“You didn’t keep your end of the bargain either, Ms. Mercer,” Chloe spat. “You knew about the creature that’s been terrorizing Metropolis, and you let it continue.”

“How could I stop such a creature? You give me too much credit, Chloe. But you’re right. I did know more than I let on. Just the same though, you’ve not given me any information on Lex.”

“Because there is none. He’s gone. Probably dead.”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you? But I’m afraid you’re wrong. Lex is out there somewhere, and I will find him. With or without your help. And when your leather clad lover over there discovers that you were the one to reveal him, it won’t matter.”

Chloe said nothing, allowing Tess to think Oliver would believe for one second that she’d betray him in any way. He’d never believe anything Tess said.

“Enough conversation for now, I’m tired. Long day at the office.” Tess strode toward the other men who awaited her orders. “Tie both of them up, put them in the van. They’re taking a little trip. If she tries anything, show her no mercy.”

Chloe watched as she walked away, then turned to gaze back at Oliver, her heart aching for him as the men bound his ankles and knees together. They rolled him over tying his wrists behind his back. She had to do something, anything before they took them to another location. She had to help Oliver somehow.

The headlights of an approaching black van diverted Chloe’s attention, panic and anger rioting uncontrollably within her. She struggled once more, elbowing one of the men in the stomach, arching and squirming to slip from their grasp. One man clutched a handful of her hair, slapping her roundly, causing her eyes to water and her head to spin. She grunted, head-butting him in response shocking him, a string of curses left his lips, his ire rising, he slapped her hard, causing her head to snap back. He struck her several more times, until her mouth and nose bled, and she seemed to wilt in the other man’s arms. She wouldn’t cry out, wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

“The boss said ‘no mercy’, right? Well there you go,” he growled, and then slapped her one more time for good measure. Chloe’s knees gave out, her head lolled to one side, golden hair covering her face.

Only then were they able to tie her hands and feet. One of them tossed her over his shoulder like a sack, and she found herself dropped unceremoniously into the hold of a van. They strapped her close to the wall, too far away from Oliver to heal him. The taste of blood in her mouth, tears began to form in her eyes as she watched him, hoping he’d awaken. She closed her eyes, letting the tears come, her head pounding, on the edge of dizziness and nausea, her ears still ringing from the blows, her head felt too heavy to hold up. She pressed her cheek to the cold metal floor of the van, breathing through her mouth because her nose was now clogged with blood. As she lay there, all she could think was that this was her fault. She’d distracted Oliver by kissing him. How stupid, could she have been? She couldn’t have waited until they were safely on their way or back at the penthouse? She’d distracted him, and now they were captured. It’s all my fault. Tears mingled with the blood on her face, her hands tied as they were she was unable to wipe them away, the salt stinging the opened cuts on her lips.

Moments later, Chloe heard the start of the engine and felt the lurch of the van’s movement. She had no idea where they were being taken, and she could only hope that they’d find a way out of this somehow, or that Clark would return soon.

End Chapter 13

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Anything But Ordinary Chapter 12

Anything But Ordinary
Chapter 12

Oliver made up for lost time in the time he’d have with her tonight. Thankfully, there were no paparazzi around to notice the couple in the softly lit secluded booth, enjoying each other’s company and a quiet dinner, and afterward, a romantic nighttime stroll through Centennial Park. They talked about everything and nothing at all, comfortable silences filling the spaces in between. Reaching for her hand, fingers interlaced, Oliver told her a bit about his Excelsior days, and his travels. He asked her what life was like during her teen years in Smallville, knowing she’d originally been from the big city, and Chloe told him about her Wall of Weird, and some of the misadventures of being Clark Kent’s sidekick. She was pleased to find him an attentive listener. But hadn’t he always listened? Even when they disagreed? Even when she thought he wasn’t listening?

And then there were his kisses. There weren’t many people out and about, but for a few others also enjoying the cool, clear night. Oliver seemed not to care that at any moment someone with a camera could appear, ready to snap the next gossip column photograph. Tonight he was content simply being Ollie, and he took every opportunity and used any excuse to stop and kiss her from time to time as they walked. He made a little game of it, so that Chloe never knew when or how she would be kissed. Sometimes he would kiss her tenderly, sometimes hotly, sometimes both as one would lead to the other, but usually when she least expected it. Chloe never guessed he’d be so affectionate, and was silently glad that he felt so at ease and comfortable, that not even the threat of paparazzi would keep him from being himself with her. She also never suspected, that Oliver purposely took the longer path around the park, so that he could spend this time alone with her, filling it with conversation, laughter, touches, handholding, those incredible kisses and whispered words of affection.

As she glanced around, noting others along the footpath, she realized that they were simply like any other couple here. No one seeing them would guess that the Green Arrow and his Watchtower were taking a romantic stroll. No one would guess that they were capturing a moment of normalcy that they’d both needed and had found only in each other. The realization flooded through her, and she stopped her movement, pulling him up short. She turned to him, gazing up into expectant, love-filled, dark eyes under the soft glow of a park light. Never taking his eyes from hers, Oliver grasped the lapels of her hounds tooth jacket, fingers slipping down to fasten up the buttons against the chill, the current between them pulsing, overflowing with unspoken emotions. This was what she had wanted and could never have with Jimmy, or anyone else. She’d once confessed to Oliver that she hadn’t found the balance in life he’d said he was envious of. Yet here she stood face to face with the man to whom she could give all the parts of herself. Her heart swelled with a feeling she had given up on ever having, since that night she’d cried on the roof of the ISIS building. In months to come, she’d realize that this - right here, right now, was the moment she’d fallen in love with Oliver Queen.

His eyes searched her face, as though he could reach into her thoughts. When he’d finished buttoning her jacket, he took her hands in his. “You’re cold,” he whispered, his voice soft, yet simmering with barely checked passion, as he slipped them inside his opened jacket, next to the warmth of his body. He pressed her palms over his shirt against his ribs, holding them momentarily in place, warming them, before sliding them up slowly over the hard, muscled contours of his chest, making her ever more aware of the strength and sheer beauty of him.

“You’re warm,” was all Chloe could think to utter breathlessly, the longing in his eyes, and the feel of his body beneath her palms causing most of the thoughts to fly suddenly out of her head.

Oliver enfolded her in his arms then, and lowered his head, pressing soft, warm lips to her temple, lingering in a soft kiss. His eyes closed as he inhaled the scent of vanilla shampoo and something else uniquely Chloe. “Let’s head back to ISIS,” he whispered close to her ear. “We’ll call Clark and tell him about the crystal.”

* * * * *

“What if Davis is this creature that’s been responsible for all the killings?” Clark asked, reading the files Chloe had found.

“It’s the first thing I thought of. It’s just… it’s not him at all though.” Chloe reasoned, trying to reconcile the caring man she knew Davis to be, with the bloodthirsty monster she’d seen and knowing the devastation he’d wrought on human life.

“We’ve been fooled before, Chloe,” Clark reminded.

“He says he wakes up in unfamiliar places not knowing how he got there. It’s like we’re dealing with an intergalactic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. If he’s the one responsible, I don’t believe he’s aware of it, and as of now, we have no solid proof of anything.” Chloe worried her bottom lip, then lifted her eyes to Clark once more. “And why now? If he’s been here all this time, why only recently has this killing urge manifested?”

Clark shrugged, his brows knitting in thought as he moved about the room. “It could be any number of things; the phantom zone portal having been opened, Brainiac returning. I mean, Kara had been buried here in suspended animation for years. But you’re right, something must have triggered it.”

Chloe stepped toward the computer, and began to type furiously, searching for dates when the murders first occurred.

“If he is an alien and he’s on a killing spree, the real question is, how can we stop him?” Oliver interjected, nearly wincing, as he recalled his encounter with the beast in the alley behind Luthorcorp. “He obviously has some kind of enhanced strength and abilities. It’s not going to be easy, Clark.”

“We all have our weaknesses,” Clark murmured taking a seat at the large desk opposite Chloe, his mind still working.

“I’ve got something,” Chloe blurted. “The murders seem to coincide with the second arrival of Brainiac, but we know it can’t be him, there must be some connection between Davis and Brainiac.”

“And that puts an interesting spin on his friendship with you, Chloe.”

Chloe’s eyes left the screens to focus on Clark. “You think that my being infected by Brainiac has somehow triggered Davis to go all Incredible Killing Monster Hulk?” It was Brainiac’s invasion of her that had given her superhuman-intelligence, could this be the reason she and Davis had become friends?

“No, what I mean is, if there’s some part of Brainiac’s essence inside of you, maybe that’s why Davis is so attracted to you.”

Chloe snorted. “Please, he’s not attracted to me.”

Both men cleared their throats, and Oliver actually coughed loudly.

She looked from one man to the other in disbelief. “He is not.”

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest. “Chloe, the guy mentally undresses you whenever you’re in the same room with him. Believe us, we’re guys and we know the look when we see it.”

“And if looks could kill, Oliver and I and probably Jimmy, would all be dead. He hates when any other men are around you,” Clark added.

Chloe had to admit something was making terrifying sense. “The beast did try to kill Oliver but left me relatively unharmed, but why?”

“What did Brainiac want to use Lex for? As a vessel for Zod, remember?”

“Clark, what are you saying? I’m a vessel?”

Clark had that uncomfortable look he often got when discussing anything remotely related to sex. “Uh… not… exactly.”

Realization dawned, and her eyes grew wide. “Oh my God, I’m an incubator for a vessel?” The absurdity of the words she’d just uttered nearly made her laugh hysterically as though she were truly insane.

“It’s a possibility.”

She swallowed. Her heart pounded furiously. How could she have been so oblivious to Davis’s attraction? Her voice rose in panic. “I will not be a Zod-vessel baby mama! I can’t even say it with a straight face; it’s so utterly ridiculous! It would be like some horrible alien version of Rosemary’s Baby! We need to get that crystal, Clark,” she said, determined now, as she began hacking into Tess’s files to locate the whereabouts of the crystal. “Find where she’s keeping it; it may be the only way right now. If Davis is an extraterrestrial, or some Kryptonian lab experiment, maybe Jor-El has some answers.”

“That’s if the crystal will work.” Clark said.

“At least it wasn’t destroyed, and now that we know Tess has it, you have to try.” Chloe stopped momentarily, finding the information she wanted. “Here, Luthor mansion, the vault in Lex’s office.”

“I can get it,” Oliver’s confident, determined voice broke into the conversation.

Both Clark and Chloe’s heads turned in his direction. He was dead serious.

“Easily.”

Chloe gazed at him worriedly. Isn’t this what she’d hoped for? The complete heroic return of the Green Arrow? She’d encouraged him not to abandon his ideals, to fight the good fight, and now that he wanted to go off and do something heroic, she had the urge to convince him not to. She didn’t doubt him or his capability in the least, but she worried what Tess would do if she discovered it was Oliver who’d stolen the crystal. “Oliver.”

He moved closer, cupping her shoulders, massaging them gently. “It’s what I do Chloe. It’ll be all right. Besides, if getting the crystal means ultimately stopping this creature from killing one more person, then it’s worth the risk, and if it means keeping you safe from Davis… then it’s worth everything. I won’t let him near you.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Sidekick…” he began, gently, then glanced at Clark as if to say, ‘help me out here.’

She knew he’d try to convince her to stay. Chloe looked from one man to the other. “I’m going with you,” she said again with finality. “I can get the security and video feeds down in seconds, and… and what if Davis comes back? I don’t want to be left alone here.”

There really was no arguing her logic.

Chloe covered her computer hacking trail once more, and then shut down the ISIS systems. The three of them headed for the penthouse so that Oliver could gear up, and make ready to break into the Luthor mansion.

* * * * *

“I’ve been expecting you.” Tess swiveled around in her chair behind her desk.

“You said you could ‘tame the beast’. What did you mean by that?”

“What do you think I meant?” she said, rising gracefully from her chair and sashaying around the desk. She leaned casually against the front edge and folded her arms over her chest.

“I don’t have the patience for your games, Ms. Mercer.” Davis was still reeling from what he’d seen between Chloe and Oliver at ISIS, his sexual aggression transforming into pure, violent rage with every passing minute.

“Please, call me Tess.” She smiled indulgently, stepping around him.

She gasped, her eyes wide, when a hand snaked out quickly, gripping her throat. “Listen. Tess,” he ground out, his face next to hers, her name spoken as though it were bitter on his tongue. “You’d better start talking now.”

“I have… a team of doctors…” she choked, terrified at his strength, and noting the color of his eyes change from brown to flashes of bright red and back again. “We can… control it, or try to.”

Davis released her with a shove. “You mean, you want to control me. Don’t you?”

Tess recovered, bracing herself on the desk, coughing. She brought a trembling hand up to her throat, swallowing convulsively. “No. I mean, a way for you to control the beast at your own will.”

End Chapter 12

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Anything But Ordinary Chapter 11

Anything But Ordinary
Chapter 11

“Davis. What are you doing here, is everything all right?” Her brows frowned in question as she stepped into the rear computer room at ISIS, surprised to find him there. She usually made certain this area was closed off, and wondered how he’d gotten in.

“Hey, uh… I’m sorry, I just… ” he lifted an apologetic shoulder, as he cast about nervously for words.

Chloe deposited her purse onto the nearby chair, then shrugged out of her jacket, laying it over the back. The look on his face told her something wasn’t right. “What’s wrong?” she asked gently.

After his meeting with Tess, he’d nearly lost his mind with worry. He’d wandered around aimlessly for hours, called in sick to work two days in a row; unable to think of anything other than the images he’d seen. A large, hideous creature, claws and fang-like teeth and silvery granite-like skin, he couldn’t fathom it. What if he were the one responsible for all the recent murders? Who could help him? There was only one person he knew of. Chloe. “I… I’m sorry to just, kind of barge in here, but I thought you’d be the person to see, since you run this place, and … Chloe, I think… I think I might be meteor infected.”

“Okay,” she said stepping toward him concernedly, green eyes suddenly compassionate. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.”

She placed a comforting hand on his arm, unknowingly sending his senses into overdrive. Something about her nearness drove him to distraction; her touch burned him, sending the heat of desire rushing, molten hot through his veins. It was a simple, harmless, brief touch meant to comfort, making his reaction completely at odds. He didn’t understand it. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to come here.

Chloe moved away from him, seeming not to notice. She settled onto a stool, booting up the computer systems, then rolling up her sleeves. “Where were you when the meteors hit?”

Davis filled his lungs with a calming breath in an attempt to shake off the overwhelming attraction. He’d felt it before around her, but never this strongly, it was almost as though he had no control over his emotions. “I… I don’t know. I wasn’t around for the most recent one,” he shrugged. “But maybe for the first one? Or maybe I became infected somehow through someone else, through my work? Is that even possible?”

“When we’re dealing with meteor rock, anything’s possible.” She said, her eyes scanning the various screens overhead, the images flashing so quickly, he could barely see a thing. “What are your symptoms?”

“That doesn’t sound too encouraging. Symptoms… uh, blackouts, loss of time, waking up in strange places not knowing what I’ve done, where I’ve been or why I’m there.”

“Okay,” was all she said, as her fingers moved deftly over the keyboard. “Were you ever a sleepwalker? Or have any known manifested abilities?”

“No. What are you looking for?”

“Where were you born, what year?” she asked disregarding his question.

“Uh… in Wichita. October 19, 1984. That’s what’s on my birth certificate, anyway.”

Her eyes moved rapidly over the fleeting images on the three large screens overhead. “You mean you’re not certain?”

He stuffed his hands inside jacket pockets, rocking on his heels nervously. “No.”

“Hmmm… There’s no public record for a Davis Bloom born in Wichita that year,” Chloe stated simply.

He knew she was a genius, but how she’d discovered that information so quickly, was simply beyond human.

She turned to glance at him, suddenly embarrassed. “I… I’m sorry,” she smiled nervously, then bit her lip, an unwelcome blush crept into her cheeks. “I realize this must look… odd.”

“She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

At the sound of Oliver’s voice, both she and Davis turned. “Ollie!” It was impossible not to hear the sheer delight in her voice; impossible not to notice the way her face lit up at the approach of the tall blonde man, her eyes full of sky and dreams. Queen wore a similar expression, his gaze warm as it touched her. It was evident how close they were if Queen knew about her abilities. She’d slipped off the stool, looking as though she wanted to leap into the billionaire’s arms, but refrained from doing so only because he was in the room, and worse, Queen seemed to know this and would have swept her up in an instant. The slow coil of jealousy tightened and twisted in Davis’s gut, anger simmered there threatening to bubble to the surface. His hands fisted in his pockets. He had to get out of here before he tore Oliver Queen to pieces.

“I thought you weren’t coming back till tomorrow,” she beamed up at Oliver, clearly smitten. He’d been called away on business back to Star City, gone for three days. He’d called her every day, at least twice a day and once every night before she’d gone to bed.

Oliver’s smile was broad. “Finished up early, thought I’d surprise you… and everyone else,” he added hastily.

“Well, I’m glad you’re back.”

Davis stood watching them gaze at each other as they communicated their mutual affection without words, the taut line of his jaw, the feral expression in his eyes unnoticed by either of them. He tried to regain his composure, tamping down the rage with everything he had, clearing his throat to gain their attention.

“Hey, Davis, sorry about that,” Oliver said, sincerely, yet something in his body tensed at the sight of Bloom. Oliver stepped closer to Chloe in what could not be misconstrued as anything other than a possessive and territorial move. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Nah, it’s cool,” Davis answered, his voice sounding gravely, deeper than he’d intended. “I was just leaving.”

“No, Davis, wait. Are you sure? I mean, I think we can help. If you’ll just…”

He shook his head. If ‘we’ included Queen, he wanted no part of it. “I’ll come back some other time, let you two catch up. It’s no problem, really.” He couldn’t bear to look at either of them, and hastened out of the room, leaving them both to stare after him.

“Something’s not right about that guy,” Oliver murmured. He turned to her. “No offense, Chloe, I know he’s your friend. I just don’t trust him.”

Chloe’s lips pressed together in a thin line, forming a small frown. “Sadly, you might be right. But I’m worried just the same. He’s not a bad guy, really, but yeah, I think something’s up.” She took her seat, turning back to the computer and began typing away; intent on finding what information she could on Davis Bloom, something a little more in-depth than the average Google search would yield. She began hacking into Kansas’s county records dating as far back as 1986. “And I’m going to find out.”

Oliver sidled up close beside her, pretending to be interested in whatever she was doing. Chloe grinned when she felt the warmth of his hand on her back, massaging slow circles, fingers kneading away the tension in her shoulders. His touch caused gooseflesh to rise everywhere. “Mmmm… that feels good,” she moaned pleasantly, arching her back into his hand.

Hearing her moan made his heart trip. He leaned in, nuzzling the hair at her temple, his soft breath tingling her skin. “Oh yeah?” Warm lips pressed delicate kisses over her temple and cheek, then lifting the hair away from her collar, his mouth blazed a trail over the shell of her ear, then nipped lightly at her earlobe, making her shudder before the heat of his lips and tongue traveled down the pulse point of her throat.

“Oh my…” her breath hitched, the soft sound of her sigh whispered through him with need and hunger. She tipped her head to allow his lips better access. “I never did give you a proper welcome, did I?” she purred, her voice a husky whisper. Chloe turned on the stool to face him, plunging her fingers into his hair. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you didn’t,” he whispered, lifting his head, to gaze down at her, a teasing, sensuous smile on those kissable lips. No man but Oliver Queen had ever made her skin tingle, and her pulse quicken just by looking at her. “But I’ll forgive you. I think you m…”

She surprised him, closing the scant distance between them cutting off whatever he would say next, his words smothered on her lips as she captured his mouth in a passionate kiss that made his head reel. He’d been hungry for the taste of her for days, his low growl of approval and longing, vibrating into her, his lips devouring hers, the kiss deepening, she opened her mouth, eager for the taste and feel of his tongue stroking hers.

She was all he’d thought about for days. It had been the worst timing ever. After she’d agreed to give this thing between them a chance, he’d been called away. He felt terrible about it, didn’t want to leave her, but there was no help for it, no one else he could delegate the job to. It required his presence. She was disappointed, but took it in stride. And now, here with her, all he wanted was this; to be near her, to touch her, feel the soft curves of her body against his, savoring all the subtle, sensual variations of her kisses.

His hands caressed the line of her back down to the first hint of her bottom, drawing her closer, wedging himself between the V of her thighs, molding his body to hers, pressed together from breast to hip. Her sharp intake of breath against his mouth, and her low moan of need as he nudged his hips forward, grinding himself against the fabric of her blue jeans, filled him with a fierce longing and desire that pulsed, rock hard against her.

Chloe wanted him with a ferocity she’d never felt before. An explosion of pleasure and need went off inside her as she arched into him, answering his movement with her own, a distinct warmth flooding the area between her legs. If there had ever been any doubt of his desire for her, there certainly was none now. Her hands roamed over his shirt, caressing him, lean and hard beneath her palms, slipping under his jacket, blindly searching, her fingers finding their way to the belt loops at the hips of his jeans. She pulled him against her with heated urgency.

The world seemed to shift beneath his feet when she yanked him closer, her kisses drugging him, need hammering at his common sense. A small, insistent voice in the back of his mind warned him to stop. It was too soon, too soon. If he didn’t stop, he’d have her flat on the desk, or bent over it, filling her in less than a minute. He pulled his mouth inches away from hers, their breathing ragged, staring into one another’s heavy-lidded eyes. Each of them deeply affected.

“Chloe,” he whispered, her name spoken reverently, like a prayer from his thoroughly kissed lips.

She’d never known her name could sound that way, as though she were something precious and treasured. Adored.

Oliver’s hands slid up her back, one arm wrapping around her shoulders, the other hand cradling her cheek, kissing her forehead, then bringing her head to rest against him. Chloe buried her face against his throat, breathing deeply of him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close. They remained this way quietly, until desires were simmered, though not calmed completely.

“I think that’s the best welcome back I’ve ever had.”

“Mmmm,” she murmured against his skin. “I guess I must have missed you,” she teased, though truthfully she’d never recalled any kisses that had ever evoked such strong mental and emotional response in her. Only Oliver’s kisses had done that, but she wouldn’t let him know, not yet. Things were too new between them, and a part of her was still afraid, hesitant to lose herself or define what was growing between them.

He smiled. “You guess?” He smoothed her hair, threading his fingers into it, enjoying the softness against his palm.

She pulled back, smiling up into his eyes.

“I need to work on that then,” he whispered, lowering his head, kissing the tip of her nose, her eyes, her cheeks, tenderly.

A beeping sound from the computer diverted their attention. “What is this? Chloe’s eyes scanned the screens. “Oh my God. Look at this, Ollie,” she turned in his arms, pointing to the screen, her expression one of shock. “Davis Bloom told me he grew up in the foster system, bounced around from home to home. He’s an orphan, but look. State records show he was found, abandoned as a small child on October 19, 1989. Ollie, that was the date of the first meteor shower here.”

Oliver leaned over her, peering into the screen, his body brushing against her back. “What do you think that means?”

“It means your old friend Tess Mercer has been holding out on me, and now all bets are off. I’m hacking into to Luthorcorp systems to find whatever else she’s been hiding.”

“Take it easy there, Sidekick. She’s no one to tangle with.”

“Ollie, if Davis Bloom was found on that date, it could mean he’s also from Krypton. He’s not merely meteor infected, he’s an alien, or something created by Kryptonians, just like Brainiac was.” Her fingers moved furiously over the keyboard as she continued to speak. “Dr. Swann had this theory, that ionized meteor particles were being sent from Smallville, using meteor burst communication, acting as a beacon to guide extraterrestrials to earth. Kara, Brainiac, Zod, and now maybe Davis, were all drawn here.”

“Because of Clark.”

She smiled up at him, relieved and thankful that not only had he not been freaked out by her abilities, but that he understood her on top of it. “Yes,” she said, then stretched up, planting a soft kiss on his cheek quickly before turning back to the screen.

Oliver reciprocated, pressing his lips against her hair, lingering affectionately.

“Okay, here it is. Davis Bloom was found in Smallville on October 19th 1989 not far from Riley Field. Attempts at finding his parents proved futile, and he became a ward of the state, and was sent to Wichita.”

“Tess knew about this?”

“Evidently.” Chloe’s eyes moved rapidly, scanning the large paneled screens above now, all three of them moving so quickly, Oliver’s head spun and he had to look away, content with simply watching her in action. Suddenly the screens stopped, showing detailed lists of all items of evidence found in the arctic, along with accompanying photographs. Chloe clicked through the items. “She’s got the crystal.”

“The crystal?”

“It belongs to Clark. We need to get it back.”

“Why is it so important?”

“It’s the crystal that formed his fortress in the Arctic. The source of all his Kryptonian knowledge and heritage left by his father.”

“We need to tell Clark.”

She looked up at him once more. “We might need to call in the cavalry for this. How soon can you assemble the team?”

Oliver straightened, shrugging off her suggestion. “Simple breaking, entering and stealing. It’s my forte, Sidekick. I think Boy Scout and I can handle it.”

Chloe bit her lip. “Ollie, she knows who you are. Maybe you should sit this one out.”

“Not a chance.” He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers, as though caressing her would erase her worry. “I’ll be fine, Chloe.”

She knew she couldn’t keep him from it, and nodded solemnly in silent agreement. “Okay,” she acquiesced. “Let me cover my tracks here, and then we can leave.”

He leaned down, taking her lips with his in the sweetest of kisses. “Good. I’ve got some making up for lost time to take care of with a certain Mistress Watchtower.”

* * * * *

He watched them, a slow burn spreading through him as he stood in the shadows peering through a small, uncovered portion of window until he could watch no longer. Up until the moment she turned toward Oliver Queen, kissing the blonde billionaire for all she was worth. So that’s how it was. She’d broken off her engagement with Jimmy for that guy? Maybe not, but the timing was awfully close. He wondered if Jimmy knew. Maybe Jimmy wasn’t right for her, hell anyone could see that, but Queen? Spoiled, rich pretty boy, who lived in the lap of luxury all his life, never having to do without or starve or suffer. Not the type he thought Chloe would fall for. Evidently he was wrong. Guys like Queen got all the women, didn’t deserve half of them, and the other half they discarded like yesterday’s newspaper. Davis’s blood boiled, not merely over the injustice of it all, but Chloe… Chloe was his and no one else would have her.

Davis turned down the street, trying to shake off his sexual hunger. He headed toward the Daily Planet offices. He was sure Tess Mercer would be there. She’d said she could tame the beast. Maybe he’d see exactly what she could do for him.

End Chapter 11

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Anything But Ordinary Chapter 10

Anything But Ordinary
Chapter 10

“A walking hormone?”

Chloe had no idea how long they stood outside in the cool night air, arms wrapped snugly around one another, huddled closely, her cheek pressed against the warm skin of his chest where the white shirt lay parted, his heartbeat pulsing softly against her ear. Chloe couldn’t help but feel safe and warm in the cocoon of his arms. Reluctantly, she pulled away from his embrace slightly to peer up at him. Her lips curved in a teasing smile. “Well, you have to admit your reputation precedes you…”

He cringed inwardly, remembering the morning she’d seen a disheveled, angry woman leaving his apartment, not to mention a few photographs of him with various women that graced the gossip pages not long after the attempt on his life. He took her face in his hands. “I know you’re different, I know you’re not like the others, and no I don’t think I can win you over that easily,” he spoke softly with a hint of earnestness. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever known, and I’d like to prove my intentions.”

“What are your intentions, exactly, Mr. Queen?”

“Be with me. Give me the chance to show you.”

“Ollie… it hasn’t been that long since I broke off my engagement…”

“You didn’t love him.”

“What?”

Thumbs absently stroked her cheeks tenderly; easing away her slight indignation at what at first appeared to be a false accusation. “Not the way you should have, and that’s why you let him go,” he watched her expression soften, his touch reassuring her as he continued to speak gently. “You think I don’t know how it feels to let someone you love go, because they can’t share your life or because they don’t choose to? Do you think I don’t know how it feels to lead a life separate from someone I cared about? Having to lie, and hide, until it eats you up, knowing you’re hurting them every time your other life gets in the way?”

“No. I know you do,” she admitted quietly. She’d seen what the after-effects of his poisoning had done to him, sending him into an emotional tailspin.

“We’re more alike in more ways than you think, Chloe.” The pad of his thumb traced her bottom lip, the urge to kiss her overwhelming him once more. “I know… I don’t have the best track record, the life I live… didn’t allow for attachments, commitments… and you have every right to feel hesitant about becoming involved with me… just know that there’s no one else I want to be with, no one else I think of…”

“Maybe… what you feel is some misplaced sense of gratitude…”

He shook his head, then trailed his fingers down the pulse points on either side of her throat, over her shoulders, the warmth of his palms comforting her through her jean jacket, then moving to envelop her once more. “No. I started to feel this way before I ever knew you saved my life the first time. Hell, you’re the only person I put on the green leather for, after I vowed not to wear it again.” When he’d reached her shoulder blades, his hands moved lazily over her, massaging, caressing, and erasing her doubts.

“I… this, us… I just don’t know, Oliver.” There was a question in her eyes, as though she couldn’t understand how any of this was possibly happening.

He took a deep, calming breath. He wasn’t good at this kind of thing, but he had to try to explain himself. Clark had warned him that he’d have a lot of proving to do, and he knew it, was ready for it, she was worth it, but Oliver Queen was a man of actions, and though words usually served him well enough, when it came to matters of the heart, things proved a little more difficult. Perhaps it was best to lay it on the line, come what may. “You see the real me, Chloe… both the good and the bad, and you’re not afraid to bring either to my attention. I want to be a better man because of you… you challenge me, keep me grounded and humble, because you believe in me, even in those moments when I’m not half the hero you think I am. You make me laugh, and remind me that sometimes I’m just Ollie, and when I look at you I see all the things I never thought I could have standing right in front of me. But more than that… more than anything, for the first time in my life, I want to give of myself… something that doesn’t include money or a playboy reputation, or a bow and arrow… something unselfish and real, something I don’t have to hide, with no holding back… something just…for you.” He paused, swallowing tightly, seemingly uncomfortable with all the verbal outpouring, but relieved that he’d done it, surprised to find that it wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it would be.

It was too easy to get lost in the way he looked at her. There was something in his words and in his tone that touched a place inside her. He was baring himself, making himself vulnerable, telling her in his way, that what he wanted to give her was his love; the realization sending a powerful rush of emotion coursing through her, filling up her heart with hope. Lois’s words, not unlike the ones he’d just uttered, came back to her. Ollie just needs someone… someone he cares for, someone worth committing himself to, someone who grounds him, challenges him, like you, and you are not out of his league. Lois must have known how he felt about her, to offer her such words of encouragement.

He knew pushing her too hard, too fast would be a huge mistake on his part, so he reined himself in for now. Oliver blinked, looking away briefly. “I’ve probably said too much, and I’m not asking you to believe any of it right now, but if you’ll let me, I’ll show you.”

Chloe touched his cheek; soft fingertips bringing his eyes back to her. Green eyes searched his brown ones, his gaze expectant, hopeful. Chloe didn’t doubt his sincerity. “We do make a great team,” she conceded, smiling up at him, sliding her hands up to stroke the nape of his neck, brushing her fingers over his collar and the ends of his hair.

He touched his forehead to hers, his caressing hands stilled on her back, muscled arms tightening, gathering her up more snugly against the warmth of his body. “That we do,” he murmured, dark, smoldering eyes peering down into hers. “So what do you say, Sidekick? Think of all the adventures we could have together,” he intoned, husky and sensual, his expression leaving no question as to what kind of adventures he meant, among others. Chloe couldn’t deny the spark of nervous excitement fluttering in her stomach at the prospect of learning him more intimately, a brief shiver rippling through her, heady and intoxicating.

Truthfully, she had her doubts. A relationship with Oliver could turn out to be perilous to her heart, and after the mess with Jimmy, she wasn’t certain her heart could take much more. But here he was, asking for a chance to prove himself to her, give himself to her. It had to be a great risk for him too. “Gear up, Arrow. This is going to be one hell of a mission. You may need to have everything in your arsenal at your disposal. Are you ready for that kind of challenge?”

Gently he rocked her back and forth. “If it means you’re mine, lead the way Watchtower. I’m all yours.”

* * * * *

Tess palmed the ice-blue crystal, holding it aloft so that the light filtering through the stained glass windows of Lex’s mansion office cast the object in an ethereal glow. There was something quite mesmerizing about it, and it was either something vitally important, or it would make a great paperweight. If she couldn’t uncover the secrets it held, its occupation would become the latter.

“Ms. Mercer.”

Tess quickly lowered the crystal, her gaze turning back to the woman who’d just entered her office.

“Mr. Bloom is here to see you.”

“Send him in,” she said, placing the crystal back inside its case, and closing the lid with a soft click.

Davis entered the room somewhat wary and suspicious, his eyes taking in the expanse of wood and stained glass, finally settling on the woman who stood and rounded the desk.

She extended her hand. “Mr. Bloom, so good of you to come.”

Davis took her hand in greeting, still unsure. “Ms. Mercer.”

“I know you’re wondering why you’re here,” she said, moving toward her desk once more to retrieve a large envelope. “I think I have something that might interest you.”

Davis’s eyes thinned questioningly. “I’m sure I don’t know…”

Tess slipped several photographs out from the envelope. “These were taken just over two weeks ago outside the Luthorcorp building. We had a break-in, it was unfortunate, but did wield some interesting photographic evidence. Took some time to track you down.” She handed him the photos, awaiting his reaction.

Davis stared at her a moment, hesitant. “If you’re trying to accuse me of breaking into Luthorcorp…”

“Relax, Mr. Bloom. I know it wasn’t you.”

Finally, he glanced down at the photo in his hand. “What the hell is that thing?”

“That, Mr. Bloom, is you.”

He lifted his eyes from the photo. “You called me here for this? Is this your idea of some sick joke? You’re crazy.” he blurted, attempting to hand back the photographs, intending to leave.

“Oh, but you aren’t finished. Keep looking through them.”

Davis had half a mind to toss the photos on the floor at her feet and turn on his heel, leaving Ms. Mercer to her own delusions. Instead, some morbid curiosity compelled him to flip through the photographs. One by one, as though watching some time elapsed images unfold, a creature slowly transformed, appearing more human with each photo not unlike some bad werewolf movie he’d seen as a kid, until the final photograph showed an image of a man lying naked in an alley. The face was unmistakable. It was him.

Now the photographs did land in a scattered heap on the floor. The face of Davis Bloom registered his complete horror. “No,” he shook his head. “You’ve manipulated these photographs. Anyone with Photoshop could have done this.”

Tess approached him, a confident sway in her step. “You mean to tell me that you’ve never awoken, cold and naked in a dark, strange place, not knowing where you’ve been or what you’ve done?”

“This is bullshit,” Davis ground out through clenched teeth.

“A bit of temper, Mr. Bloom,” she chastised. “But it could serve you well. Once you’ve come to terms with what you are, I’d like you to think about joining me.” Tess made a move toward him; intimately close, purposefully invading his space. Her fingers lifted to stroke his cheek. Davis flinched at her touch, but she did not relent, whispering in his ear. “I think I know how to tame the beast, and I’m sure you’ll find yourself quite at home with the team I’m assembling.”

Davis removed her hand from his face, backing away from her in disgust. “Go to hell,” he growled, then whirled and stormed away, heading toward the exit, visibly shaken.

“Think about my offer, Mr. Bloom,” she called after him. “We wouldn’t want these photographs released to the public, now would we?”

He turned back to gaze menacingly over his shoulder. “What part of ‘go to hell’ don’t you understand?” he snarled, and then left, slamming the door behind him.

Tess folded her arms across her chest, staring at the closed office door, a wickedly satisfying smile spreading on her lips.

End Chapter 10

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Anything But Ordinary Chapter 9

Anything But Ordinary
Chapter 9

“These are my terms.” It was Chloe’s turn to stroll around someone else’s office as if she’d owned it. She’d made Tess wait an entire week before coming to visit her at the Daily Planet office. “I do what I can to help you find Lex Luthor, and you give me any information you have on the murderous Metropolis monster, whatever object you possess that belongs to the Traveler,” Chloe stopped her movement, pinning Tess with a penetrating look. “And the Green Arrow is a no fly zone.”

“Do I detect some possessiveness?”

“I know of your pathetic attempt on his life. Stay away from him,” she warned, the finality and menace in her voice permitting no argument.

Tess shook her head in mock sympathy. “Ah, Ms. Sullivan. A little feminine advice? Don’t get too attached to your Emerald Archer friend. Goodness knows he’s not the reciprocating kind. I know him.”

“Are you the same woman you were years ago? The man you knew then doesn’t exist. I know the man he is now.” At Tess’s raised eyebrow, Chloe continued. “That’s right, I know all about your time on the island, and whatever past you may have had with him, is just that. Past. Besides, the woman-scorned act doesn’t suit you.”

Tess couldn’t help but ponder over what possible relationship Chloe had with Oliver Queen, nor could she help the vague sense of jealousy that seemed to settle in her chest. “You seem overly confident in him. He could prove to be your weakness.”

“The way that Lex is yours?” Chloe countered icily.

There was a long, brittle silence. Tess pursed her lips, her eyes thinning momentarily. “And if I don’t agree to your terms?”

“No deal. Find Lex on your own.” Chloe strode toward the desk, gazing down at Tess confidently. “But right now, I’m the best chance you’ve got of finding him, aren’t I?”

Tess seemed to weigh her options before speaking. “Keep the Green Arrow out of Luthorcorp business, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Keep his identity a secret, and I’ll see what I can do. I won’t make promises for him.”

“Don’t cross me, Ms. Sullivan, or all bets are off.”

“I have very powerful friends Ms. Mercer, not to mention that I could easily sabotage all Luthorcorp data systems, and have the company and all of it’s subsidiaries on it’s knees in minutes. Don’t cross me.”

The two women stared at one another. Lex had told her about Chloe. He’d been right. She certainly was a worthy opponent. Tess momentarily wondered if there were any chance that Chloe might be persuaded to join her team, then quickly disregarded the idea. There’d be no way she would betray the Green Arrow or any of her other friends. “I’ll have the information you require sent over later today, as well as recent leads on Mr. Luthor’s whereabouts.” Tess said, rising from her seat. “But the item I have belonging to the Traveler stays in my possession until Lex is found.”

“Fine,” Chloe responded coolly, then turned to leave Tess’s office. “I’ll get started on our little game of where in the world is Lex Luthor.”

* * * * *

“Lois, are you cooking? Something smells good. What’s for dinner?” Chloe hung her jacket on the coat rack then set her purse on the chair.

“I’m trying out a pot roast. What? I can cook. Kind of.”

Chloe smiled. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”

“Okay. Spill it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have to tell me what you said to her yesterday, I’ve never seen Tess look so unraveled. It was great!”

Chloe laughed it off moving toward the cabinet, reaching up to retrieve a mug. “Nothing really. She asked me for help researching something and I just gave her my conditions.”

“Hmm. Does this have anything to do with what you’re working on with Ollie?”

“Uh… kind of, I suppose. I mean, we’re really trying to just crack this whole serial killer thing, you know?” She reached for the coffee pot, and poured the dark, steaming brew into the mug.

“Yeah. And Olsen hasn’t gotten any really good photographs…. Uh… Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Lois. You don’t have to not mention him around me.”

“About that…” Lois hesitated, not certain how to broach the subject. “How do you feel about dating again?” She said, taking a seat at the table, and motioning for Chloe to do the same.

Chloe groaned, dropping into the chair opposite. “You’re not thinking of setting me up with someone are you?”

“Well, no. Not exactly.”

“Good.”

“Because, you know… you’ve been spending a lot of time with Oliver and…. What?” Lois exclaimed innocently at Chloe’s wide-eyed incredulous look.

“Lois, he’s your Ex!”

“So.”

“He’s also a bit of a player, in case you haven’t noticed, and just… out of my league.”

“He was never a player when we were together. Ollie just needs someone… someone he cares for, someone worth committing himself to, someone who grounds him, challenges him, like you, and you are not out of his league.”

“I can’t believe you’re pawning me off on your ex-boyfriend.”

“You have to admit he’s gorgeous, and you’re good friends, and he trusts you implicitly.”

“Shelby fits that description, should I date him too?” Chloe smirked, taking a sip from the mug.

“Stick with your own species, Chloe. Just listen… You already have the perfect foundation for a romantic relationship, and Oliver won’t shed, leaving dog hair all over your favorite sweater.”

“Clark told you about what he saw last week, didn’t he?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay, I’ll admit, Oliver is…”

“Sexy as hell? Don’t tell Clark I said that.”

“He is very appealing, and… okay maybe I’m drawn to him. But it just wouldn’t work, Lois.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I don’t think I’m his type, I doubt he’d really be interested.”

“What if he already is interested?”

“He’s not.”

“He is. You haven’t noticed, that since you two have been hanging around each other, Oliver’s not been seen with the usual bimbo arm candy? He’s not been playing the partying playboy billionaire?”

“I don’t think… he’s not…”

“He is, Chloe.”

“How do you know?”

“A good reporter never reveals her sources. Just trust me, I know.”

“And you’re totally okay with this?”

“At first, no. I wasn’t. I admit the whole thing is pretty weird. But I’ve thought about it a lot. And I just think you’re better suited to him than Jimmy. Oliver and I have made our peace with things, and yeah, I’m okay with it. Besides, he knows what I’ll do to him if he hurts my cousin.”

“You’ve talked to him?”

“Maybe.”

“Lois!”

Suddenly the scent of something acrid reached their nostrils. “Oh shit.” Lois put on the oven mitts, and opened the oven door that immediately belched out a wave of smoke. “I think I’ve burned dinner again.” Removing the pan, both women stared at what once had been a piece of meat that now resembled a smoky pile of shoe leather.

Chloe ran though the apartment opening windows, before the smoke alarm went off again.

Lois reached for the phone, turning her head to call after Chloe. “The usual on your pizza?”

* * * * *

He was waiting for her on the balcony. The nights were cooler now, much cooler than he was used to in Star City. He’d spoken to Lois days ago. He felt foolish doing it, but Clark was right, it was the best thing to do under the circumstances. It probably helped that Clark had paved the way by speaking to Lois before he’d gone to make his case. He wanted get this right, he’d messed up enough where any semblance of a meaningful relationship with a woman was concerned. Casual he could do. But Chloe would never be anything casual, and after he’d satisfied Lois of his intentions toward her cousin, she seemed willing enough to grant her blessing. Lois had called him an hour ago, saying Chloe was on her way here. She’d done her part was all she’d say, giving no clue as to Chloe’s reaction.

Not knowing what else to do, he stood gazing out over the Metropolis skyline. The night was clear enough that even a few stars were visible, winking out against the darkened sky, and he tried to find as many sections of the various constellations as he could while he waited.

“It won’t work.” She seemed out of breath, as though she’d run up to the penthouse instead of taking the elevator. She was nervous.

Oliver turned around at the sound of her voice, trying to hide his disappointment.

She took a few steps closer. “Because… it just… we’re just…we’re friends,” she said. She tried to keep her focus on his handsome face, but her eyes unwittingly drifted over his open white shirt, revealing a bare chest and torso, her gaze traveling down to his shoeless feet, before she lifted her eyes quickly.

Oliver remained stoically quiet. He wasn’t certain what to expect after he’d talked to Lois. But when Chloe stepped closer, so close he could touch her, and gaze down into green eyes that betrayed her every emotion, he knew his answer.

“And… and I don’t want to ruin a friendship, a working relationship. Believe me, I’ve been through it. Besides, I mean, too much baggage, too many obstacles…hurts…the past…”

Oliver brushed errant wind-tossed strands of golden hair from her cheek as she spoke, simply and calmly studying her, aware of her in every pore of his body – her nearness, the scent of her, the heat of her skin.

“And, we’re too different… You’re arrogant and cocky, and… and a walking hormone… and… ” Chloe paused to tame her rapid breathing and heartbeat as his fingers brushed the hair back from her face, threading into the softness of her hair behind her ear. He cupped her cheek in his palm, watching her swallow harshly as his hand touched her skin. A thumb stroked her cheekbone.

A hot blush crept over her entire body at the sudden caress of his other hand slipping to her waist. His fingers then slid down the curve of her spine, settling at the small of her back, pulling her effortlessly against his length, holding her there.

“Stubborn, and…” Chloe continued to meet his eyes, the burn of heat in their shadowy depths causing her heart to turn over fluttering wildly in her breast. “You’re not… even…and… I’m too different… I’m not like the others…. you can’t just… think you can do that…” The restless desire in his eyes had her blood racing. Chloe could barely breathe or think a coherent thought. The hand that cupped her cheek, tipped her face up closer to his. Slowly, lazily, never breaking eye contact, he lowered his mouth, his lips slanting, hovering a scant inch above hers. A low moan slipped past her lips, a husky helpless sound of want. “Oh God,” she whispered. Her fingers plunged into his hair, pulling his head closer. “Oliver,” she breathed.

His parted lips brushed against hers, barely touching them, softness and heat and unspoken promises, feather-touching her with tantalizing persuasion. He took her top lip into his mouth, then her bottom lip, sucking gently, nipping it playfully, then taking her mouth completely, hungrily, crushing his lips hard over hers. Starving, he dived deeper into her mouth, pouring everything he was into the kiss. It was the kiss of a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and he wanted Chloe. The moment Oliver’s mouth took hers, he felt the invisible threads already binding them, tighten. Kissing her was a hundred times better than he’d ever imagined.

Nothing could have prepared her for the mind-blowing intensity of his kiss. She was lost the second his lips touched hers, drowning in man, in the taste and scent and feel of him. She drank him in, all of him, arching against him, offering herself up to the delicious pressure of his hard, lean body, the action sending a pulsing wave of desire sluicing to her feminine core, her womb contracting with need.

A groan, deep in his throat escaped him, as he dragged his mouth away slightly. They were both breathing heavily, sharing each other’s breath. Oliver brushed his nose against hers, pulling her tighter, closer, nearly lifting her off her feet. “You were saying?” he panted.

“We’ll talk about it later,” she breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Kiss me again, Ollie.”

“Yes, Mistress Watchtower,” he grinned, and then smothered the smile on her lips with a searing kiss, full of passion and promises of things yet to come.

End Chapter 9

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