Dream Girl: Chapter 2 - Distress

  

     "Clark!" The said superhero stood in the middle of his loft, phone gripped in hand very dangerously close to being crushed.

"Chloe!" Clark's eyes went wide with fear. For the second time this year he just stood, powerless to help one of the most important people in his life. First his father and now Chloe; this could not be happening to him!

"Say bye-bye to your girlfriend, Lover-boy," said an evil voice filled with malice.

"Chloe! No!" Clark roared as the phone went dead in his hand. With deadly force, Clark threw the phone, causing it to shatter as it smashed through the barn wall. No other coherent thought in his mind with the exception of getting to Chloe, Clark jumped from the third floor of his loft and landed with a thunderous crash. In seconds Clark was gone, running down the country roads soon leading to more populated areas on the way to Metropolis. A short time later, Clark arrived at the Met U campus, eerily quiet for a college. Taking a look around and seeing nothing, Clark sped off to conduct a proper search of the entire campus still finding nothing, as he returned a second later.

"It's not possible," Clark muttered. Not with his speed. How did he miss them? He couldn't see or hear anyone one around. Somehow he missed them.

Clark stood quietly before falling to his knees in the damp grass. How? Only seconds before she cried out for him. How? Not Chloe. Why Chloe? He'd already lost his father and it was too soon to loose someone else Clark cared for. His heart wouldn't stand anymore pain than it already dealt with on a daily basis. "I will find you. I will save you," Clark growled to the night surrounding him.

He had been unable to save his father, but he would save Chloe. Pushing off his knees, Clark raced to the dorm Chloe shared with Lana. Stopping himself just barely before barging in, Clark knocked. He knocked again, more forcefully.

"Chloe… You've got to start remembering your key…" Clark heard Lana's groggy voice mumble before she opened the door in a tank and a pair of his boxers, hair in disarray around her shoulders.

"Clark? What are you doing here? It's almost midnight!" Lana exclaimed as she came awake in an instant and opened the door wider so his large frame could enter.

Clark slipped inside and immediately started taking in the rooms two very different sides. Lana's was tidy and neat, everything in order. Lots of sheer and meshy type materials, draped over things; soft and girlie, like Lana herself. Chloe's side was more his style; barely controlled chaos. Papers were strewn from the computer to her bed. While Lana's was an understated sort of elegance with lots of purples and pinks, Chloe's was all bright and cheery and spunky, like the little blonde herself.

"Clark. What are you doing here?" Lana repeated. Clark turned to her. Seeing his pained eyes, Lana crinkled her brow and reached out to him.

"Chloe's gone," he choked out.

Lana's eyes widened at the same time her mouth dropped open slightly. She turned, hand pointing to Chloe's indeed empty bed. "Wha… I opened the door and it was you. I thought that meant Chloe was…there." She pointed to the vacant bed. "Chloe's gone…as in…" A hand came up to lie against the slim column of Lana's throat.

"No!" Clark exclaimed. "She's not dead. I think she's been kidnapped. I texted her a little after eleven and Chloe said she was taking a walk around campus. She said she was alone but fine and when she didn't answer the last message I sent, I got worried. You know how close she keeps her phone. I called and when the phone was answered, I heard scuffles and Chloe screaming." Clark went silent, remembering her piercing cry. He worked his jaw, anger and helplessness churning within. "I should've gotten to her. I should've stopped this."

"Clark," Lana breathed as she came up and put her hands on his arm, looking up into his face. "There was no way you could have gotten to her. You can't blame yourself for this. The main thing now is to focus on finding her. Wait," Lana stopped suddenly. Glancing at the clock she looked back at Clark. He recognized the same old suspicious expression crossing her face, wondering… "It's only eleven forty-five. How did you get here so fast?"

"Pete and I were camping on his Uncle's property just outside of the city. I headed right here after I got the call."

"Then where is Pete? Last I knew Chloe and Pete were still close. I find it hard to believe he wouldn't be up here with you." Lana argued, folding her arms.

"He dropped me off and went to go drive around the campus, looking for clues." Clark was amazed at the lies spilling out of him. Usually he needed to rehearse in advance but fear really cleared up his mind. "Now that I've told you, I better go flag him down so we can go to the police." Clark turned to go but Lana grabbed a hold of his jacket.

"I'm going with you two."

"No," he replied quickly.

"Oh, yes I am, Clark," Lana countered adamantly. "Chloe's my best friend, too. I'm not going to let you cut me out of this."

"Lana, I don't try to cut you out! I wouldn't ever try to do that," Clark responded heatedly as he blocked the way to the door with his body.

"Yes, you do, Clark. How about the time with Byron? You refused to let me help." Lana was pulling on clothes from the pile on the floor over her pajamas. Her head emerged from a dark blue sweater to glare at him.

"That was for you own protection," Clark reminded her with annoyance. "I seem to remember him throwing you against a tombstone. Didn't you later admit you should have listened to me?" Clark folded his arms across his massive chest and waited for Lana to think up another example.

"This is ridiculous!" Lana sputtered, throwing her hands up in the air. "Our best friend has been kidnapped and we're standing here fighting! Just like last time when she was possessed. There's another example and because you wouldn't listen to others, she was put in even more danger! Now, move it, Clark!" Lana tried to sidestep him, but Clark caught her by the shoulders.

"You're not going, Lana. What if Chloe calls-"

"Then I'll be at the police station," Lana stated stubbornly, shaking his hands off.

"Or shows back up? Please, Lana. Just stay here and let me handle this. I'm not cutting you out. Plus, someone needs to sort through all this mess Chloe left, see if anything helps us out." Clark gestured to the sea of paper scattered around one half of the room.

Clark saw he'd found Lana's weak spot as she followed his eyes. Lana didn't want to be cut out of the search for her best friend but she also didn't want to sit helplessly by; going through Chloe's things provided something to do. Lana wasn't being idle; she was a part of the solution. She would also be distracted enough for Clark to do some things he needed to do.

"All right," Lana conceded, shoulders slumping in submission. "But you find anything, you call me. I want Chloe back just as much as you do," she finished, jabbing her index finger at him.

"I promise I will call the moment anything happens." Clark put his hands on her shoulders again and pulled her to him. After a moment, Lana snuggled closer and allowed him to hold her as the news of Chloe washed over her and really sank in. Tears pricked her eyes.

"Find her, Clark. You have to find her," Lana whispered fervently.

"I will." Kissing the top of her head, Clark turned and ran out the door without looking back.

To read Ch. 3, click here.