Dance With The Devil

To cursedgirl and EverlastingNight, thank you so much for your reviews they made my days.

And to the rest of the people who’ve read my story and even added it to their alerts, thank you for reading!

---

Sorry for the slow update. I’ve been awfully lazy of late and a few deadlines are fast approaching…

I’ve watched the latest episode with great pleasure. And I can’t wait to find out what happens next. My only concern is that the episodes will cover most of my ideas, and I’ll have to rethink a lot of my steps.

But for now, this is the next chapter. It’s a bit shorter then the previous one, but I blame it on philosophical pondering :P


I hope you enjoy



Chapter 2 – Ashen

“Chloe Sullivan…Right?” Chloe heard as someone tapped her shoulder.

“That would be me” Chloe said with a smile, turning around to face the source of the voice.

“Jake Tyler. I’m Clark’s roommate?”

“Really? I didn't know Clark rented an apartment. Let alone share it with a cute Goth-boy” Chloe said with a wink

“Mind if I sit?” Jake asked

“Go ahead. I’m curious though…Does Clark have that much pictures of me lying around that you recognized me?” she asked as the young man sat down in the booth opposite of her.

“He has some in his room. But he told me you’re a coffee addicted reporter, so I figured the coffee shop closest to the planet would be a good start” the man said with a smile

“So you’ve been looking for me?” Chloe asked suspicious.

“Yeah actually…I wanted to talk to you…” Jake said twirling his spoon.

“About what?” Chloe asked

“I’m worried about Clark. And I wouldn’t know anyone else to go to…”

“Worried? What’s wrong?” Chloe asked on edge

“Well…He’s been having these nightmares…He wakes up screaming bloody murder, drenched in sweat. He’s been distancing himself from the class, seeking refuge in his music…” Jake said absently spinning his cup around.

“Nightmares? Do you know what about?” Chloe asked concerned

“He hasn’t told me…But I’ve heard him muttering…’Please let me out.’ ‘Let me go.’ Like he’s locked up somewhere…”


Oh Clark…


“I don’t know how close you two are…” Chloe began “But I think you should know…It’s Clark’s greatest fear to be locked up.”

She took a sip of her triple espresso before she spoke up again

“Have you never noticed he gets antsy as soon as the door is locked? Or there are no windows? ...But he’s never had such nightmares before…”

“Well…” Jake began “I think he’s lonely…I’ve often asked him to go clubbing or something. He always says he’s busy…”

“And you have classes this afternoon?” Chloe asked pulling out her planner

“Yes. Culture studies. It’s Clark’s turn to present a topic actually…”

“Culture studies?” Chloe asked curiously

“We all have to prepare a topic we have to research. Then we have to present it to the class. It makes the teacher quite lazy actually.” Jake explained, finishing off his cup.

“I’ll stop by…I’d like to see Clark in action. And I can talk to him afterwards…Thank you Jake. For telling me this.” Chloe said sincere

“No problem at all. I was worried, and I really didn’t know what else to do…”

He stood up and turned to leave, when he asked over his shoulder “Please don’t tell Clark I went to you…I don’t know how he’ll react to that…”


With that, he left

And Chloe remained, thinking, ordering a second cup.

---

“…That’s why paganism is often mistaken for Satanism or other dark religions.”


“Thank you Clark” the teacher said from the back of the class where he had been seated.

“I think the class learned a lot from your lecture. I’m curious though. Why did you choose this topic?” he asked Clark as he joined him up front.

“Recently I’ve been taking an interest in the topic. And I’ve discovered that there are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes going around.” Clark explained, clanking at the class.

“Very well…” the teacher said scribbling down something on a paper.

“The class can ask questions if they have some…” he said without looking at his students.


Silence reigned for a while until a girl in the back spoke up.

“You said you looked into it. So are you a pagan?” she asked

“I can’t really confirm this. I have been looking into Wicca mostly. But I really can’t say that I can call myself a witch just yet…” Clark explained with a smile.


“So you believe in magic?” a male voice asked from somewhere near the door

“I do. But not the children’s book version. I do believe, like the pagans, that nature is magickal. And that all life around us has it’s own spirit.”


“That would make you a heathen right?” A rude voice spoke up. Again Clark couldn’t pinpoint the source.

“Heathen is such a crude term…If you mean non-Christian, then yes. If you mean devil worshipper, then certainly no.” Clark said calmly.


“But don’t a lot of people think that that’s the same?” the same girl as in the beginning asked.

“Yea, well that is the problem Pagans run into.”


“So you don’t mind going against the bible?” another girl asked.

“I’m not going against the bible. The bible condemns people that practice dark sorcery. Paganism is no such thing. We believe the earth is our mother. And that everything in this world deserves respect. Unlike the bible, we do not condemn people, we do not shut people out. And we do not condone violence.” Clark said, seeing some angry looks directed at him.

“Don’t get me wrong. I deeply respect Christianity, for I was raised with it. I respect every religion, every opinion someone might have. Though I stick to my own one rule. ‘If it doesn’t hurt anyone, do as you wish’” Clark said, trying to calm down his enraged classmates.


“Ok class. That’s enough. I will not have you attack Clark for his beliefs. And for those who think other religions are wrong…” the teacher started “…There is the door.” He said pointing at the side of the room.

“I myself am a Buddhist. And if anyone has problems with that. Then you can leave” The teacher said heated, apparently hurt by some of the (implied) comments.


When the class kept silent and on edge, the teacher motioned for the class to rise.

“Class is over. Let’s all just think about the topic presented. I want a two sheet report on your personal views on this topic. Not that of your church, not that of your loved ones around you. But your own.”


Clark smiled as he gathered his stuff. It could’ve gone worse…

He was glad though, that he had the afternoon off. He just wanted to do some grocery shopping and relax, without having to defend a belief.

---

“I’m glad I don’t have to put up with lines of fire on a daily basis like these”


“Chloe!” Clark exclaimed, moving in for a hug.

“What bring you to Met-U?” He asked not noticing that he was blocking the doorway.

“Do I need a reason to go and see my favourite farm boy?” Chloe asked teasingly “I actually could use your help on a lead…”


“Yeah Clark. Go help the lady. Then we can pass” came the rude remark from one of Clark’s classmates.

“You could’ve just asked Michael” another voice came. “Don’t mind Michael, miss. He’s just in a bad mood because his daddy couldn’t buy him a good grade.”


“Now, now Jake. Play nicely” the teacher said joining the crowd.

“Sorry Sensei” Jake said jokingly, squeezing past Clark into the hallway.

“Why don’t you introduce us to your friend Clark?” the teacher asked.

“Of course. Sensei, this is Chloe Sullivan. Reporter for the Daily Planet. Chloe, this is Taro Higurashi, our culture ‘sensei’” Clark explained.

“Pleased to meet you sir”

“Likewise miss Sullivan” the ‘sensei’ said with a bow before turning to the class.


“Now run along. The assignment is due next Wednesday. And Michael? I want a revised copy on my desk by Monday morning.”

With that the class dispersed and left.


“ Clark?” Jake asked as he remained. “Can I have your key? I forgot mine…again…”

“Here you are. I’ll be back in time for dinner, with groceries” Clark added fishing out the keys and handing them over.

“Thanks Clark” Jake said turning to leave “Can you make that lasagne again?” he asked over his shoulder.

“If you have the dishes and kitchen cleaned by then…” Clark said pulling out his wallet.

“I don’t have enough money for much else anyway” he said sighing

“Don’t worry. I’ll have the kitchen tidied up when you get home” Jake called out before he turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.


“Roommate?” Chloe asked, not letting on that she already met Jake once

“We share an apartment actually” Clark explained as he offered Chloe his arm and guided her through the maze of corridors and classrooms.

“I haven’t seen you for so long…I didn’t even know you rented an apartment” Chloe said honestly.

“I’m sorry for not keeping in touch…It’s just that it’s been so hectic lately.”

“No need to explain Clark” Chloe assured him


“Now let’s go get some coffee” she said tugging his arm as they disappeared into the bustling life of the Metropolis sidewalks

---

Clark allowed Chloe to enter first before he closed the door behind him.

“Jake! I’m back!” He called out above the sound of loud rock music playing.

A crash. Cursing. Some bustling and turned down volume later came the reply : “Welcome home darling!”

Choe burst out laughing as Clark just rolled his eyes.

“Behave. There’s a lady present” Clark said walking into the kitchen to but down the bag of groceries.

“Make yourself at home Chlo. Jake’ll set the table in a little while…”


Chloe sat down as she took in her surroundings.

“Did Jake decorate the place?” she asked eying the dark gothic themed decoration of the place.

“ Clark did, actually” Jake said from the doorway that led supposedly to his room.


“You don’t happen to have ant eyeliner, do you? I can’t find mine…” Jake asked moving towards the sofa opposite where Chloe sat.

Chloe opened up her purse to look when Clark’s voice drifted out of the kitchen.

“It’s in my room. Since you had the brilliant idea of dragging me along to that concert last week…”

Chloe’s eyes widened a bit at that. “ Clark with eyeliner?” she asked shocked.

She then leaned forward to look Jake in the eye, her own eyes twinkling “Do you have pictures?”

“Chloe!” Clark’s cry came from the kitchen as he dropped a pan.

“What?” Chloe asked innocently “Oliver owes me a week of free coffee now” she said happily.

“You’ve talked to Oliver?” Clark asked stepping into the living.

“He’s been busy. But he called a few times…”


“Really? Hmmm…”


“Something wrong Clark?”

“No. I was just thinking about this upcoming assignment…We have to write this piece about someone you see as a role model” Clark said leaning against the doorpost.

“I’m going to write about his mum” Jake said happily

“About Mrs. Kent?” Chloe asked surprised.

“She’s trying to make homosexual marriages legal in Kansas. Of course she’s a role model” Jake explained.

“I heard about that…” Chloe said thoughtful “Lex was having a huge row with someone who dared ask him about it…”

Clark almost choked on his own breathing, causing Chloe to raise an elegant eyebrow.


“Clark?”

“It’s nothing, really!” Clark said a bit to vehemently. “It’s just that Alexander…”

He left his sentence hanging, but Jake soon disrupted the silence


“I knew it! You do bat for the other team!”

“I do not!” Clark sputtered. “Lana…”

“You’re heartbroken about the lass, I know. But you did also bat for the other team. When you were a minor no less!” Jake said triumphantly.

“Promise you won’t tell anyone Jake” Clark demanded.

“An underage farmboy and billionaire playboy Lex Luthor…That’s too much for the world to handle anyway” Jake said with a wink.

Jake got up and made his way to the kitchen.


“Don’t worry Clark. My lips are sealed” he said as he passed the blushing farmboy

---

“Chloe. What a surprise” Oliver said getting up from his work-out bench.

“to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well. It’s never a downside if I can ogle” Chloe said with a smile, tossing the blond his shirt that was draped over the couch.


“Seriously. I haven’t seen you in a while…” Oliver said hording Chloe towards the sitting area.

“That’s why I’m here actually…I’m worried about Clark.”

“ Clark? Surely you see him more often than I do?” Oliver asked as he poured himself a glass of water.

“Actually. I haven’t seen him that much…And it worries me. I just visited him yesterday. I could see that he was pretending…” Chloe said letting herself sink back into the couch.

When Ollie just looked at her clueless she explained.

“He’s hurting. And somehow he won’t open up to me. I thought maybe…”

“Maybe what Chloe?”

“Maybe he’d open up to a guy” Chloe said blushing uncharacteristically

Oliver just looked at her oddly.

“He’s been your friend for god knows how long. And believe me. It’s much easier to open up to a girl” he said gulping down his water.


Chloe kept silent for a while, looking like she was holding back to say something.

“Watchtower… You can say anything. I won’t get angry. I promise” Oliver said taking her hands in his.

“I…Fine. You are just as pigheaded, so you can relate” Chloe blurted out.

“Chloe? What-?”

“Your situation with Lois is hurting you still. And don’t you dare deny it! You act like nothing happened. But you’re flirting with Dinah just to hide the fact that you can’t handle it.”

Oliver looked shocked, hurt and angered. He opened his mouth to object.

“Oh no. You promised not to get angry. So you’re going to let me finish” Chloe demanded.

“You’ve been burying yourself in your work. It’s not healthy, but you’ll get over it. Clark however…”


Silence fell again and Oliver tried to gauge Chloe’s emotions by studying her expression. Just when he couldn’t take the silence anymore and wanted to speak up, the intercom sounded.


“Sir?

Miss Lane is here to see you sir”

Oliver stood up and pushed the intercom button. “Did she say why?” he asked his secretary.

“No sir. But she seems quite upset…”

“Send her up” Oliver said with a sigh.


“Oliver…”

“Can’t it wait Chloe?” Oliver asked miffed, looking hurt as he watched the lights that indicated the ascending elevator.

“No it can’t. He’s schizophrenic Ollie!”


“What!” Oliver asked as he whirled around to face her, just as the doors of the elevator opened.

“You’d better explain to me, right now” Oliver demanded. Losing control of his temper.


Chloe just glared at him as she approached the ignored ex-girlfriend.

“You ok Lois? What happened?” she asked giving her cousin a hug.

“I…Chloe. I saw Grant. I couldn’t have…But I saw him” Lois said, clearly distraught.

“But Grant Gabriel was murdered” Oliver said.

Chloe glanced at the hour work concealing Oliver’s gear.


“Not if Gemini is up and running again”

---

“I just put her to bed…”

“Come over as soon as you can, Ok? I’m calling in the boys” Oliver replied.

“Will do”

“And Chloe?...I’m sorry…”

“Not now Oliver…”

Oliver sighed as he sat down behind his desk.

“We’ll talk about this later. For now I just want to look after Lois”

“I understand. But please hurry”

With that Oliver hung up the phone.


He was such an idiot…Chloe had been right. He was a wreck and he had been running from his problems.

Chloe had tried to tell him something and he had just lost it…


“You called richboy?” Oliver heard just after the papers were blown off his desk.

“Damnit Bart! Don’t ever do that again” Oliver cursed.

“Relax man…I thought you’d have heard the elevator…” Bart said looking at him oddly. It was nothing for Oliver to loose his cool.

“I have to say, this pager you gave me works like a charm. Woke me up all the way in France” Bart said grinning.

“And you’re already here? That’s fast. Even for you.” Oliver asked amazed, forgetting his anger.

“What can I say? I’m still a growing boy” Bart said in his usual air of teasing.


“More like a growing pest” Came a voice from the elevator.

“A.C. You’re here quick” Oliver remarked.

“I was in Metropolis, so I didn’t have to come from far” the man said letting himself fall down onto the couch.

“The rest isn’t here yet?” He asked as he poured out a glass of water.

“Obviously…” Oliver said, his bad mood not yet having disappeared yet.

“What happened anyway?” Bart butted in. Feeling the tension grow and not wanting the two men to get into a row.

“It’s easier to explain it just once” Oliver said, trying to tame his temper.

“Sure…Mind if I raid your kitchen?”

“Would it stop you if I said ‘no’?” Oliver asked sarcastically.

---

“Everyone’s here?”

“Batman isn’t” Bart said jokingly

“He’s out of town” Clark blurted before he could stop himself

“How do you know?” Dinah asked suspicious.

“I have contact with a journalism student from Gotham. Batman seems to be busy” Clark lied easily. Too easy for his own comfort.


“Everyone’s here then” Chloe said, typing away on Oliver’s computer.

“Good. Because we have a problem. Lex Luthor is going at it again” Oliver said looking at the group of special people sitting in front of him.

Bart groaned.

“What did he do this time?” he asked

“Lois came by this afternoon. Stating that she had seen Grant Gabriel again” Oliver said glancing at Chloe.

“But Julian was murdered” Clark said surprised

“Apparently-“ “Who’s Julian?” Bart interrupted Oliver’s sarcastic remark.

“Grant Gabriel is a clone of Lex’s kid brother” Chloe spoke up from behind the computer.

“Lex cloned his dead brother?” Dinah asked appalled.

“He did. And when Julian wasn’t what he expected, he had him murdered…Supposedly” Chloe added as she saw the dark look Clark was giving her.

“And now he did it again?” A.C. asked

“And with the new clone, a new lab must’ve risen” Victor deducted.

“Precisely. It’s time for us to intervene again. With the new and improved team” Oliver said with a glint in his eyes.


The team looked at each other, tension rising at the likelihood of an exiting mission.

But then Bart broke it.


“We still need a name…”

---

“Now we’re on the names topic…Can I have a new one?” Clark asked, causing the group to burst out laughing.

“Just a sec” Oliver said disappearing behind the hour work.


He came back with a box in his hands.

“I figured you had to have your own disguise. Just in case” He said pushing the box towards Clark’s side of the table.

“How did you know my size?” Clark asked suspicious.

“You fit in my consume…I just adjusted it a bit…” Oliver said sitting down and motioning for Clark to go to his private quarters.

“What?”

“Try it on. So the team can see.”

Clark sighed, but stood up anyway.

“Did you alter it much? It was a pain in the ass getting into your costume…” Clark said swearing uncharacteristically.

“Just put it on…” Ollie said giving Clark a push.

“Need any help Boy Scout?” Dinah asked flirtingly

“ha ha…” Clark said sarcastically before disappearing through a door.

---

“It’s…Flashy….”

“Nah…'Flash' would be more appropriate for Bart… Clark has more then speed…” Victor said.


“I like the flame motif though…What about something fire related? Like 'inferno' or something” Bart said perched on the tabletop, swinging his legs.


“ Phoenix” Oliver muttered quietly.

“I like it” Chloe said, having heard the blond leader


“What?” Clark asked, having been oblivious to the squabbling going on.

“Phoenix. A mysterious creature that rises from the ashes” Dinah said after typing something on the computer. “It suits you. You hardly get hurt. And you always recover without a scratch.”


“Forget about the name for a moment” Clark said tugging at the hem of the leather shirt.

“I really don’t think this costume-“

“But it looks good on you” Chloe interrupted.

“You’re biased. You’re a girl”

“I can’t help it that you look good in leather” Chloe said giggling.


“Isn’t it too much like Ollie’s?” Clark asked, grasping at straws.

“Mine is a complete opposite colour. Besides. You have the designs and a mask” Oliver argued.

Clark sighed.

“If it’s uncomfortable it goes straight into the bin. OK?” Clark said, already giving in.


“Then that’s settled” Oliver said tossing everyone a headset.

“Watchtower will stay here and provide intell. A.C.’ll go through the water since that’s his speciality. Bart’ll go with him.” Oliver said casting a warning look in the boy’s direction.

“Victor and Dinah will crash the gate, creating a diversion. Then Clark and I’ll sneak in and destroy the place.” Oliver said pulling up the zipper of his own green shirt.


He walked up to the display behind the hour work and pulled open a drawer.

“Dinah and Victor’ll take the unmarked hummer. A.C and Bart’ll take an unmarked Jeep. Clark and I’ll take my bike” Oliver explained as he threw the respective keys at the team members.


“Let’s do this.”

---

I hope you liked this chapter


For those who wondered, I added the part about paganism because I encountered a situation like this just recently. And it irked me how some people just don’t know.

I sincerely apologise if I have offended anyone, but these are my beliefs, and I think I stand strong when I say that I’ve written no untruths about paganism.


Sincerely,


A sleep deprived scholar


PS. Constructive criticism is always welcome. But please don't flame on spelling errors. English is not my native tongue, and I don't have a BETA yet...

But please let me know what you think