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jesterladyficPart Two: Erect in the Light of Purity
Part Two: Erect in the Light of Purity
“What do you mean she's not going through with it?” Chloe asked incredulously.
“I mean that she's decided the world is better off when I can concentrate on it instead of her. It was a whole 'walking a mile in the other person's shoes' exercise that went Jor-El wrong. Now she won't even talk to me.”
Clark looked absolutely miserable and Chloe didn't blame him. The thought of not being with Oliver anymore was something she didn't even want to think about. Of course it was something she had had to think a lot about the last couple of days. It had taken all of her patience not to snap his neck while he was flipping back and forth like a yo-yo through all the angst areas on the spectrum, yet it had been harrowing to watch. To see his desperation and despair, to wonder if one day she'd never wake up because of something he'd done or if she'd have to watch him die instead. Down there in the caves, seeing the darkness take control of him, it had been the most terrifying moment of her life. But when he'd fought for his soul and for her...it had been beautiful. That was what she remembered the most and that’s what made her so incredulous at Lois and her decision.
“I'm sorry, Clark, I'll talk to her.”
“She'll listen to you,” Clark said in relief. “Thank you.”
Oliver squeezed her hand and she turned to him. They'd only gotten back a few hours ago and had come straight to Watchtower where they'd found Clark pacing up and down and an exasperated Tess trying to work. Clark had brightened up when he'd seen the bow, but quickly darkened again once he'd told them about Lois.
“I'll stay here,” Oliver told her, “and help Clark.” He turned to the other man. “Where should we keep the bow?”
“Something tells me you should hang onto it,” Clark said, growing thoughtful. “It was your quest and your prize and your strength was what won it. I think until after we figure out the Lois situation, you should be in charge of it. At the very least it shouldn't leave Watchtower.”
“Agreed,” Oliver said in a strange voice and Chloe looked up at him, glad to see him so pleased.
He'd been smiling and joking the entire time since they'd gotten the bow. It wasn't just a metaphorical weight that had been lifted from him; he was walking taller and practically glowed with happiness. It was a little odd, but she wouldn't want it any other way. She also agreed with Clark, the bow belonged with him. Now that Oliver had gotten rid of the darkness, the medium truly was the message and she had a feeling he'd be the one to do something truly spectacular with it. Maybe the glow was some sort of alien benefaction; either way, he looked great and she was so proud of him.
“You'll be okay, right?” she asked him, even though she didn't think he wouldn't be.
“I'll never be not okay again,” he told her, kissing her forehead.
“I'll hold you to that,” she warned him. She smiled a little wryly on the way out the door.
They both know there'd still be bad days and he was riding high on the victory, but things had definitely changed for the better.
At least for the two of them. Apparently, her cousin had traded in her usual brand of wacky for an entirely different one, so it was time to give her some unique insight straight from a Sullivan-Lane woman mouth.
***
It was a day later and Chloe was about to eat her words. She'd tried talking to Lois and had not been successful at all. Lois was incredibly good at shaking off unwanted interaction and without full on stalking her, Chloe wasn't sure how to get through to her errant cousin. As it was T-10 hours and counting to the wedding, it was time to get serious about her mission. But for the moment she and Oliver were finishing up all the last minute touches on the church.
“Who knew tying the knot was so much work? You better remind me to thank Zatanna for making our nuptials so hassle-free.”
“I don't know,” Chloe said, straightening up from the pew, “I would have liked to have remembered some of the details of our wedding.”
Oliver straightened as well.
“Considering the other details of that night, all I really need is a marriage license.”
They walked toward the front of the sanctuary to grab their things. Chloe looked sideways at her husband. It was really the first time he'd brought up their wedding and really the first time she felt comfortable talking to him about it. Especially since he was now going on two days darkness free and she didn't have to fear a violent explosion of insecurity from him.
They both started to speak at the same time, and then laughed somewhat awkwardly. He gestured for her to go first.
“If Zatanna hadn't put you under that spell, would you still have...?” she asked.
“Gone through with it?” They stopped walking and automatically reached for each other in an unconscious, intimate gesture. “Yeah. It's the best decision I don't remember making.” She beamed up at him. “What about you?”
“Ditto,” she said, nodding. He grinned and kissed her and she was relieved to see there was no doubt in his eyes.
“So, what are we supposed to do now?” he asked. “Buy a condo?”
“Supposed to do has never been a part of our unique relationship. We've always made up our own way of doing things.”
“Yeah, including making our big day the quietest non-event of all time.”
“You know, we may be trumped in the non-event category by Lois and Clark. It's the day of the wedding and she still hasn’t called back. I've phoned, texted, and emailed her, but it’s all quiet on the wedding front.”
“Well, you know it is the matron of honor's duty to get the bride to the altar on time, so you may want to reel her in.”
“Oh, and I suppose you're the best best man ever?”
“Absolutely, I picked up the rings this morning.” He plucked them out of his pocket and showed them to her.
“Aww, simple and classic.”
“Because Lois and Clark are so simple.”
“But they can be classic,” she countered.
“They got nothing on us,” he said.
“Right you are, Mr. Queen,” she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist as they prepared to leave.
“Now, all you have to do is get the mice and the pumpkin over to Cinderella’s and get her to the church on time.”
“You have to find the groom,” she reminded him. “And we have to get ready for the big event.”
“I can't wait to see you in your dress.”
“You're going to have to, Romeo.”
He kissed her one last time.
“Be careful. I've just...got a feeling.”
She looked up at him, slightly worried. Since his deliverance, he'd been awfully confident and observant. She trusted his instincts, so she would be careful as he instructed.
“You too.”
***
The instant Chloe saw her cousin's face she knew that she had to be at her best for this conversation. Lois was smarter than the average bulldog and about as stubborn.
“No, no, and no.” Lois started walking away before Chloe even had a chance to speak. She hurried to catch up.
“Look, I know you have a laundry list of reasons not to get married tumbling around in your head, but you’re never going to see the big picture if you get stuck in spin cycle.”
“There is no Chloe quip that’s going to make me change my mind.” Lois looked around and lowered her voice. “Clark can hear the world’s cries for help and he is duty-bound to answer the call and I’m not going to stand in his way.”
Chloe hadn't lived around superheroes for most of her life for nothing. She'd been on both sides of the noble self-sacrifice stunt and she knew exactly how idiotic it was. On the other hand, she could tell that Lois genuinely was trying to do the right thing.
“He can’t listen all the time, Lois, he’s not God! He can’t be aware of every bird or blade of grass, okay, he’s a man. And sometimes he needs to not listen. He needs to rest, to love, to laugh.” Chloe lowered her voice. “And when he does decide to finally take to the skies, he’s going to need you to ground him.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I’m grounding him, keeping him from soaring to new heights.”
Chloe's face softened.
“Oh, Lois, that is so not what he thinks. Listen, when Ollie and I first got together I was afraid of being too involved, of what it would do to me, but also what it would do to him. He was a hero, someone who saved the world and it was so hard for him and I didn't want to be the one to distract him from that. I thought if I just kept everything casual then it wouldn't keep him from his destiny. But heroes don't have to be alone, they shouldn't have to be. Whether they were born on Krypton or any other planet, they need someone in their life to support them. Clark knows you are that person. But since you’re not going to meet him at the altar, you should hear that in his own words.”
Chloe handed Lois Clark's vows and started to walk away. She didn't go far and she stood on the other side of the glass watching Lois read them. It was somewhat humbling to watch Lois' face change as she read. It reminded Chloe of all the times she'd been acting stupidly and something Oliver said or did made her come to her senses.
There was nothing better in the world than having that kind of connection with someone, with having a true partnership, someone to rely on. It didn't mean there weren't hard times and that sometimes it was hard to climb that slope, but there was always someone there to do the catching when the other one slipped. Oliver had done that for her and no matter how many times he went on about how she always saved him, she knew it was the other way around. She had been stuck inside her own virtual reality and he had been the one to come inside and get her out. Even then she had clung to the idea that she was only the sidekick, only the girl next door, only the best friend, but he'd shown her she was a hero, the girl of his dreams, and now, his wife.
Lois turned to face her and practically beamed her thanks. Chloe's smile lit up her face. Now things were going to be back on track.
“You're welcome,” she mouthed.
***
Chloe's next stop was the cemetery where Oliver stood waiting at the gates. He'd texted her that he'd found Clark and would she come and help?
When she got there and saw Clark, she agreed that this would probably be a two-person job. She figured it was just her luck that as soon as she talked the bride down from the jilting ledge, the groom stepped up to the edge.
She and Oliver walked hand in hand to where Clark stood at his father's grave. Chloe hung back a little, thinking it was probably best if Oliver took point on this one.
“Why is it that the biggest events are always the most painful? You know, Clark, when I graduated from Excelsior, it was one of the most important days of my life, but I don’t remember any of the speeches that were given, I don’t remember getting my diploma, I just, uh, I remember my parents not being there.”
Clark turned away from the grave, toward them.
“I know what you’re trying to say, Oliver, but I’m not here to mourn my father’s death. I already did that. I’ve put it behind me.”
“Okay, well, if you mean putting it behind you by saying sayonara to your ice dad, selling the farm, and hanging out in a cemetery instead of standing in a church wearing an uncomfortably starched suit…”
Chloe had to hide a smile. Oliver really knew how to pack punches into irony bags. But the situation wasn't funny and Clark obviously didn't think it was either.
“What if Lois was right? What if this is all wrong? My training, Smallville, the farm, memories - what if it was all just a crutch?”
Chloe felt an old stab of hurt, but resolutely turned from it. She wasn't the same girl who had felt bad because she was never going to be enough for Clark Kent.
“Clark, I don’t think taking a scalpel to the past is going to turn you into the caped Skywalker of the future,” Oliver said.
Clark looked at them with pain in his eyes.
“I thought Lois was my future. I thought she was my new life and my destiny, but what if she’s part of the memories I need to leave behind? What if heroes aren’t destined to love?”
Chloe started to sputter but Oliver beat her to it.
“I’ve been down this road before, I’ve gone through this and you know where it landed me? Burning a perfectly good leather hoodie. I was on the edge and it took a really good friend to remind me of who I was, push me towards who I could become.”
Chloe looked up at her husband with pride in her eyes. It was so true. He'd overcome so many obstacles to get to where he was and nobody, except maybe her, truly knew how hard it had been. In that category she could honestly say she felt he was made of more steel than Clark.
“But that’s the thing, Oliver, no one can push me or lead me anywhere. My whole life I’ve been trying to fit into two different worlds and the truth is I don’t belong to either one of them. I need to make my own path. If that means letting go of both worlds, maybe that means letting go of Lois.”
“I don't think so, Clark,” Chloe said, stepping in. The situation was getting out of hand. “Let's take a little review of how well isolating yourself works out in the end. Last time you declared yourself dead and abandoned every single one of your friends who all fell apart in various ways and then practically destroyed the world with your Kandorian campaign. So, no, letting go is not the answer. It's the coward's way out.”
Clark stared at her, obviously non-plussed. She restrained herself from rolling her eyes. She was usually rather blunt, but she didn't have any problems pulling out the stops in this instance.
“You know you're not the only hero in this world, Clark,” Oliver said, putting his hand on Clark's shoulder. “I couldn't agree more that you're incredible, that you have a destiny, but being some kind of super man doesn't mean there aren't others who can help or who can lead. I may not have any powers, but I know what it means to be a hero. You helped show that to me. You were my friend and my partner and I'm ready to be that for you. Maybe it sometimes might be literally, but, figuratively, the world is never all on your shoulders.”
“I know all that,” Clark said in a frustrated tone, “but what if that's not the most important thing? And only I can live my life. I can't be held responsible for your destiny, only my own. And I've made too many wrong choices to get this one wrong.”
“Clark,” Chloe said, moving closer to him, “think back to everything you know about why Jor-El sent you here. He was saving his child and he was saving this world. The two go hand in hand. If your destiny was to become simply the savior of this world, just an impartial observer, then there was no reason for him to have taken such care about where he placed you. That was here, in Smallville. Who he placed you with, your parents. The kindest, strongest, most human people I know. That was your training. To turn your back on it would be to turn your back on why you were sent here. You do belong to this world.”
“I don't regret that,” Clark said, “and I don't want to forget it. But it was a foundation, now I'm got to move on. And Lois...she can't do that and I can't do that to her. It's just not possible to be with her.”
“You're dead wrong, Clark,” Oliver said firmly. “Lois is made of so much more than that. Don't you think she knows her own mind? Can't she make her opinion known? Loudly and incessantly sure, but she's got a right to make her own decisions. I've gone down this road, too, man, and I know what it's like to think that the person you want the most is inaccessible because of what you do. I lived my whole life that way. And then there was Chloe.” Oliver turned to look at her and Chloe smiled at him. “And we made mistakes and life isn't perfect, but I know for certain that there's nothing more important than having your particular someone by your side. I couldn't be who I am without her and I'd like to think it's the same for her.”
“Without a doubt,” she said softly, and then turned to Clark. “Clark, we can't make you do anything and you're right that nobody can live your life but you, but don't you dare erase the past. The past is what made you. It made you the man I'm proud to call my best friend. Don't tell me that means nothing to you. And before you say anything else or make any kind of decision, you have to talk to Lois. This is not just your decision and you need to hear from her before you go making decisions that affect not only her life, but the rest of the world.”
Clark opened his mouth, but she gave him a little glare and he smiled a little sheepishly.
“You win, Chloe, like usual. I'll talk to her.”
“You bet your invulnerable self you will. I swear your head is thicker than your skin.”
“I think he's got the point there,” Oliver said.
“Sorry,” Chloe said, subsiding.
“Thank you,” Clark said, “I need you both.”
“Hey, we're just the bit players,” Oliver said.
“You're the light in the darkness,” Clark said very seriously and Chloe raised her eyebrow.
“But you're not going to hug the light or anything?” Oliver asked, looking worried.
“I do expect my best man to be waiting at the church,” Clark said and super-speeded away.
“I'm going to have to do my hair again,” Chloe said and sighed.
“You look beautiful,” Oliver told her, leaning down and kissing her. “You sound beautiful. You taste beautiful. You are beautiful.”
“You've been hanging out in Ireland too long,” she said, but took the compliments gladly, kissing him and enjoying it thoroughly. “Now meet me at the church, okay?”
“I will. Just...be careful.”
“What do you know, Ollie?” she asked curiously.
“I wish I could tell you,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I just know something's coming. I don't know if it's leftover darkness residue in my head or some newfound telepathic connection with a certain bow I just acquired.”
“You don't have any darkness left in you,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I saw it leave.”
“I trust you,” he said.
“That's going to be our new mantra now, isn't it?” she asked, a little wryly.
“We could definitely have worse,” he pointed out.
“It is definitely a preferred thing in the marriage state,” she agreed.
He kissed her again.
“Meet you there.”
***
When Chloe got to the church vestibule she found an anxious Lois waiting for her.
“Where have you been?”
“I've been putting out fires, Lo,” Chloe told her, taking in the sight of her beautiful cousin.
“I hope my wedding's not going to be on that list,” Lois said, giving her a hug. “Because I'm getting married today no matter what happens.”
“I'll make sure of it,” Chloe said firmly, smiling broadly. “I can't believe we're here.”
“Thank you,” Lois said, squeezing her hands. “Thank you, Chloe.”
“You're welcome,” Chloe said, “now get out of sight before someone sees you. I'll come back and check on you in a minute.”
Lois rushed off and Chloe did a last minute check on everything in the church with Martha. Before they knew it, it was time for the ceremony to begin. Chloe stood at the back of the church, looking around her. A somewhat blushing Tess arrived on Emil's arm and Chloe winked at her, causing the other woman to glare at her. Chloe shook her head, noting the team was all there, spread around the church, ready to go at the first sign of trouble. She felt Oliver step up beside her and they walked to the front together, and she felt completely at peace.
She turned with everyone else and saw Lois standing at the back of the church. There was a slight moment of anxiety when it looked like Clark might not show, but then he slipped his hand into Lois' and they walked up the aisle together.
It seemed like the wedding progressed in perfectly timed fragments of memory. Both Lois' and Clark's vows flowed into one another.
“I wanted these vows to be perfect, but perfection’s a hard thing to get your hands on. But life is meant to be a little messy and when it comes to love I imagine it’s like my dad always said about the army: you only sign up if it’s the only thing you can ever imagine doing.”
“I, Clark Kent, take you, Lois Lane, to be my companion forever and with you be my side I will never be alone.”
“You’re my best friend, you’re my home, and you are my true love and I am yours and will be forever.”
“On this day, at this moment, I pledge the rest of my life to you. You’ve always believed in me and I believe in you. And when you believe in someone, it’s not just for a minute, it’s forever.”
The entire time Chloe stood there, feeling happy and blessed to be a part of this once in a lifetime event. She looked at her husband and saw him looking at her. She couldn't help but feel that this was their wedding, too, the culmination of everything they'd been through, a celebration and renewal of their love. When he looked at her, she could tell he was thinking the same thing. Ever since they'd been down in those caves, he was different, in the best way possible. They were different, their connection was stronger, and she could only feel it was because all of his insecurities had been washed away. Hers had been taken care of the instant he left Metropolis with her.
They walked back down the aisle together, her arm in his, and the second they cleared the doors, she pulled him to the side and kissed him thoroughly.
“Hey, hey, our day, remember?” Lois said, from where she and Clark were doing their own share of PDA. “You guys already upstaged our bachelor/bachelorette parties. Not today!”
“Come on, Lois,” Oliver said, “we didn't really get a wedding day. And this day is all about you.”
“Says you,” she said, but obviously couldn't stop smiling. The four of them just stood there for a minute, grinning like idiots.
Martha came out of the door and gave Clark and Lois huge hugs.
“What are you standing around for?” she asked. “It's time for the reception.”
Things were mostly a blur after that for Chloe. She spent a lot of time making sure all the food was ready, that the photos and receiving line were taken care of, that the team was all in place, that Lois' dress was properly pinned up, and that everyone was having a good time.
At one point she felt Oliver put his hand on her back and lean over to whisper in her ear.
“Relax, Mrs. Queen.”
She leaned back into his embrace and closed her eyes for a moment.
“We did it,” she said and she wasn't just talking about getting Clark and Lois to the altar.
“We did.”
Then Oliver straightened up and looked around, tense and alert.
“What's wrong?” she asked.
“I don't know.”
“Well, you look like a bloodhound with a bad scent in his nose.”
“Something's coming. It's bad, Chloe.” He looked at her with a sense of panic in his eyes.
“Chloe!”
Chloe turned to see Tess bearing down on them with a panic all her own.
“Chloe,” she whispered urgently, “I just got an alert from Watchtower.”
“What's wrong?” Chloe asked again.
“There's something headed for Earth. Chloe, it's a planet.”
“Apokolips,” Oliver said without hesitation. “Darkseid is making his move.”
“I guess the wedding's over,” Chloe said.
***
Chloe glanced around Watchtower and, while it was the gravest of occasions, she couldn't help but feel happy that, for once, everyone was actually in the same room together instead of spread out across the globe. Oliver was standing slightly to the front and had his head cocked like Clark did when he was hearing the call of the distressed, and every once in awhile he would interject something with an odd sense of finality in his voice. Orion's bow was clutched in his hand like it was a part of him. She wondered if it was.
They were currently arguing over what marking people with the darkness had to do with what was happening. It had been fifteen minutes and they weren't really any closer until Clark started reasoning it out.
“We know the prophets use people’s darkness to mark them with the omega. But what we don’t know is why. The markings weren’t just spiritual, maybe some kind of anti-light, dark force that can bring about the apocalypse.”
“Like bringing a giant planet crashing into ours?” Lois queried.
“Exactly like that. Maybe the marking has some kind of gravitational pull.”
“Too bad anti-life equations aren’t covered in Physics 101,” said Lois.
“We need to break whatever’s binding these people,” Oliver said firmly.
“Exactly how many people were marked?” Chloe asked, barely looking up from her monitors. She and Tess were frantically working on getting a fix on Apokolips' position and where they could find the prophets.
Clark looked sideways out of the window.
“You don't want to know.”
“So, we figure everyone out there is potentially against us.”
“Pretty much,” Oliver said, finally moving. “I know where the prophets are. I need to take them down. Clark, you've got to find Darkseid and stop that planet. Chloe, can you man everything here with Tess?”
“We're on it. Emil can help, and be ready for...well, anything else we need.”
Emil smiled a little nervously and his hand seemed to automatically reach out to find Tess.
The unspoken danger hung in the air for a moment and then Oliver turned to the team.
“It's going to get dangerous out there. We don't know what those people are going to do when the planet gets here. You guys need to be on the streets, helping keep the peace, doing whatever you can. AC and Dinah are coming with me. Bart and J'onn, you guys can get places fastest; Chloe will direct you to wherever people need help. Everyone else, keep listening for Watchtower's signal, but otherwise, use your judgment. Everyone got it?”
They all nodded.
“Not how I thought I'd be spending my honeymoon night,” Lois said a little bitterly. “What am I supposed to do, sit home and knit?”
“I've got a little job for you,” Chloe told her.
“What is it? Hacking's your thing, not mine.” Lois came over to her.
“The President is going to launch a nuclear strike against that thing. Air Force One leaves in thirty minutes and the Daily Planet is sending a liaison. Make sure that's you. We've got to keep him from doing anything stupid until Clark can stop it. Think you're up to it?”
“I'm only sorry I didn't think of it myself,” Lois said, about to rush for the door.
“Lois, be careful!” Clark moved to intercept her.
She turned and smiled at him, the gentleness Chloe knew was inside her, shining in her eyes.
“You too. I love you, Mr. Kent.”
“I love you, Mrs. Lane-Kent.”
Clark dipped his head to hers and Chloe stopped watching.
Lois left and so did Clark, trying to find Darkseid. Chloe hugged him goodbye, suddenly feeling very emotional. It was as if everything in her life since she'd met Clark had been for this moment.
“See you in the funny pages,” she said and watched him leave.
Turning, she saw the team all in gear, Oliver minus his glasses. He looked odd without his usual bow. Instead, he had the gleaming white of Orion strapped to his back. He stepped closer to her and cupped her chin.
“I wish I could just take you away from here,” he said softly.
“You need to do what you do best, be a hero,” she said, beaming at him.
When she looked at him, she hoped he could tell how proud she was of him, of how far he'd come, of what the future held for them. It felt like a true goodbye, not just the casual fear when he went on patrol. It was a true maybe-never-see-each- other-again situation.
“You too, Sullivan.”
He tilted his head towards hers and she closed her eyes, feeling his lips and his arms and still managing to see the lights of the flashing planet behind her eyelids. When they broke apart, he quirked his lips upward and tucked some of her hair behind her ear.
“I love you,” she told him.
“I love you, too.” He slipped his glasses on and strode away, the white of the bow refracting light everywhere behind him, breaking through the shadows of the darkening sky.
***
Chloe adjusted the com link in her ear and turned back to her monitors. Everyone had just finished checking in and Lois had made it onto Air Force One and was stalling for time.
Because of the seriousness of the situation, everyone was wearing cameras as well as coms. Emil and Tess were busy helping the others on the team and Chloe didn't think it unfair that she focus on Oliver, AC, and Dinah on their mission. Oliver's glasses showed her exactly what was happening.
The prophets were in an appropriately creepy lair. Chloe reasoned it was probably one of their powers: the ability to find the most gothic building in the city to await the coming of their dark lord. Oliver waited in the shadows before entering, but Chloe could hear everything that was going on. He glanced down and Chloe saw him signal AC and Dinah to circle around.
“The day of judgment is upon us.”
Chloe couldn’t tell who was speaking, but she guessed it didn’t really matter. Whoever was in there was evil, through and through.
“We’ve saved the million souls from the coming apocalypse to serve the dark lord.”
“Our work is done.”
Oliver stepped around the column that was hiding him from their view.
“You can say that again.”
The two prophets turned and stared at him, disbelief written on their faces.
“You have removed the stain and killed the third of our number,” Godfrey said in disgust.
“You were so close to experiencing the rapture, known only to those who will be serving our lord for an eternity while all the others perish,” Desaad rebuked.
“I figure perishing would be the upside in that situation,” Oliver said, sliding two arrows in his hand, “but I don't plan on either option.”
“It’s too late. Even with the bow you do not possess the power to vanquish our lord from the souls of those he’s saved,” Desaad boasted.
“Bet your life?” Oliver stretched back the bow with two arrows notched.
He loosed them and Chloe watched through Oliver's eyes as the arrows met their marks and the remaining prophets went up in smoke, very similar to Granny's demise.
“Nice work, Arrow,” Chloe breathed through her link.
She heard Oliver chuckle.
“Worried, Tower?”
Chloe turned when her screen started blinking. The planet was practically there. Riots were erupting all over the place. People marked with the omega symbol were becoming violent, irrational, turning on their own loved ones.
“There's no time,” Chloe said, typing rapidly. “Arrow, you've got to figure out how that bow works. Impulse has been sent to India to quell a riot there, Manhunter to Mexico. Canary and Aquaman, we need you on the streets, now.”
She heard affirmatives with her ear, then turned to confer with Tess and Emil for a minute before turning her attention back to what was happening with Oliver.
“Clark, where are you?” she said under her breath.
“Tower, I need your help,” Oliver said. He was holding the bow in his hands and Chloe could see his vital signs climbing.
“Calm down, Arrow, I'm here.”
“I don't know what to do,” he said, his voice raspy.
“You'll figure it out,” she said. “I trust you. The bow chose you. You know what to do.”
He took several deep breaths and went absolutely still. Chloe could imagine it all in her head, it was exactly what he did whenever he was working out and practicing his Tai Chi. It was slightly scary because he looked so unnatural, but she knew it always helped him to focus.
“I'm heading outside,” he said finally, not even sounding like himself, almost like something else was speaking through him.
“You okay, Arrow?”
“I'm fine. I know what to do.”
He moved with slow, languid steps, though they were purposeful. The sky was nearly black now, though the planet was blazing red and purple and orange in the sky. People everywhere were fighting, shoving, looting, and breaking things. It was absolute chaos. It was hard for Chloe to keep a bead on Oliver she was so busy directing the team to where the most trouble was. Mia, Victor, Zatanna, Mera, and Courtney had been struggling though AC and Dinah coming to help had been a relief.
It wasn't quite as bad in the rest of the world, but Bart and J'onn were kept busy running from country to country, helping the worst of it. The damage seemed to be centered on Metropolis, where the darkness had begun to spread.
Oliver stopped in the middle of the street and looked upward. He paid no heed to the fighting going on all around him. There was a white glow surrounding him, Chloe could see because she hacked into the traffic light system, since she wanted to be able to see him and not just what he was seeing.
He stood still, silent, waiting. The stillness was not his normal stillness, it was alien. Something was working through him. The bow's light hovered about three feet in every direction, and nobody went near him. Chloe wondered if the light itself was a kind of force field. She also noticed that the fighting was less wherever he was, like he was a calming influence on those immersed in the darkness. Chloe held her breath, waiting to see what he would do, not wanting to speak and interrupt whatever might be happening. The suspense was killing her, but it was a bit thrilling to watch her husband's destiny come into play.
Finally, Oliver moved. He drew an arrow and then pointed his bow at the sky. He held it there for several seconds and then released it. The arrow shot straight up, faster and higher than any arrow could go. Chloe knew Oliver was the very best marksman in the world and that his skill was amazing, but his most difficult shots were always helped by gadgetry and he was only a man. This was a shot that even he wouldn't have been able to pull off, yet he did. Somehow, he did, using Orion's strength or knowledge or it was done through him by that something else in his movements.
The arrow burst into white light as it reached its zenith. It was blindingly bright and Chloe had to avert her eyes, watching through Oliver's glasses as he stared at it, seemingly not bothered by the light. The light didn't dissipate, it grew brighter and it spread. It started to cover the sky, converting the darkness spread by Apokolips' shadow. Pretty soon it covered as far as the eye could see and then Bart and J'onn were reporting in that they could see it in England and Australia respectively.
Chloe redirected her attention to what was happening on the ground and she almost wept with relief. Everywhere people were dropping to their knees and the omega symbol shimmered into view on their foreheads and then disappeared. It was like a mass exorcism and it was the most beautiful thing, to see darkness literally being driven out of people, to see them set free from their own worst parts of themselves. It was amazing and her husband, her hero, had done it.
Oliver still stood where he was, not moving, almost a silent sentinel of light, making sure it stayed covering the world, keeping Earth from being swallowed up by the darkness.
Chloe turned to hear a curse coming from Tess.
“What is it?”
“The planet, it's still coming. The gravitation pull must be moving completely on its own momentum now. Unless Clark can do something, we're still going to collide.”
Chloe was beginning to wish they'd made Clark take a com, but that wasn't how the Blur operated most of the time. She could only hope he was strong enough to defeat Darkseid.
“Arrow, come in,” she said, “Arrow.”
“It's okay, Tower,” Oliver said, still not sounding like himself. “Come outside, gather the team.”
Chloe looked uncertainly at Tess and Emil and they shrugged back at her.
“It's your call,” Tess said.
Chloe hesitated for only a moment.
“Let's go. Gather everyone to Oliver's position.”
The entire Justice League gathered in a semi-circle around Oliver's unmoving position, watching the sky. It took them a little while, as they were still helping to sort out the damage people had caused and Bart and J'onn had a little traveling to do, but they didn't call the former the fastest man alive for nothing and they both made it in time to stand and watch and see what Earth's fate would be.
Chloe kept Watchtower in mobile mode on her phone and she got word that Air Force One was still safely in approach for its safe house.
It seemed to take forever, but suddenly there was a slight change in the light. It grew no less bright, but became somewhat opaque, and Chloe could see the vast form of the planet encroaching on their world. For a moment it seemed inevitable that they would collide, and then slowly, surely, the planet started to move away from Earth. It was hard to tell for sure at first, but then it started to move faster and faster and the light grew brighter and brighter. Then it was gone and so was the planet. There was nothing in the sky but their own sun.
Oliver finally moved and sat down as if exhausted. Chloe rushed to his side and tried to take the bow, but he clutched it and wouldn't let her.
“Ollie, are you alright?”
He stared at her for a second or two and then smiled slowly.
“Never better.”
“You scared me,” she said, sinking down next to him and letting him pull her practically across his lap.
“It was...amazing,” was all he could say for the moment.
There was yelling and cheering and Chloe looked up. There was a streak of red and blue and she knew it had to be Clark in the suit his mother had made for him. The figure alighted to the top of the Daily Planet and hovered there for a moment in the air. Chloe had to hide a grin. The boy who was afraid of heights had learned to fly and she couldn't be prouder of him. The crowd started to chant and cry and somewhere she heard people calling to see the “super man” who'd saved them. Soon, the whole crowd was cheering for Superman. Chloe's nose for news had an idea what the headline for tomorrow's paper would be.
“I have a feeling anyone else in a costume isn't wanted around here,” Oliver joked as he stood up. “Come on, team; let's pack it in.”
There were jokes and good-natured grumbles as everyone retired to Watchtower.
“I know,” Chloe whispered to Oliver, “and Clark knows, and the team knows, that you were a hero today.”
“As were you,” he whispered, taking her hand in his gloved one. They stepped into the elevator with the rest of the team and she didn't mind being squished up next to him at all. Not at all.
“How did you know what to do?” she asked and everyone listened as Oliver answered.
“Something you taught me. Even in the darkest soul there is light. It may be easier to fear, but it’s stronger to love.”
Chloe smiled up at him, reaching on her tip toes to give him a kiss, amidst collective groans at Oliver’s cheesiness. She was proud of him and proud of them. She didn’t care that the team immediately started protesting their public display of affection. Her husband had saved the world and if there was even a small part of her invested in that action, everyone else was just going to have to put up with their celebration of that fact.
***
Chloe picked up the jet phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. Tess answered on the first ring.
“Watchtower.”
“It's Chloe. I'm just checking in. How is everything?”
“We're good. Superman and his wife are currently en route to their honeymoon and the rest of the team is spread out, helping control the damages left over from Darkseid's little spree. Lionel's corpse was cremated today and all the clones have been accounted for but one. Were you calling to check up on the situation or me?”
Chloe smiled at Tess' dry tones.
“You know what, Tess, I never thought I'd say it, but I'm really glad you're there.”
She could practically see Tess' eyebrows rise in surprise.
“...thanks, Chloe.”
“Don't you and Emil have too much fun in my Watchtower now.”
“I suggest you worry about the sanctity of Oliver's jet.”
Chloe chuckled and signed off and turned back to her husband. He was holding the bow with the strangest look of regret on his face.
“We don't have to do this, you know,” she said. “It is yours now.”
“That's not what it's for,” Oliver said, and then reluctantly stood up. “It needs to go back home.”
“Then I'm with you,” she said and took his hand.
He gripped it and they stepped out of the plane and hiked the short distance to the cave where their entire adventure had started.
It was an odd sense of dejavu going back down into the darkness, but at least this time, they weren't bringing any of it with them. Chloe could see how light Oliver's heart was, a complete opposite from their last visit. They'd brought more equipment with them this time, but she didn't think they'd need it. This place was no longer unknown.
“So, how do we do it?” she asked.
“Follow me,” he said and he strode into the darkness, his steps never faltering.
Chloe let a smile play around her lips as she followed. She knew the euphoria wouldn't last, but this new confidence of his would and she liked it. She liked it a lot.
He led her to the place where the bow rested. The doors were still open from last time. Oliver entered and stood on the spot where the bow rested and that strange stillness came over him again. Then light began to radiate out from the bow and from Oliver. It seeped into the ceiling and Chloe could see it infuse the cracks there and slowly, she began to realize how the cave was made. It looked entirely natural, but she could see now how the foundation had been built on and machinations unknown on Earth had been put into the natural formations. When the light was energizing it, it was possible to change how it was shaped. Oliver was doing so now, resetting the traps and the tests that Orion had originally designed.
It lasted for a few minutes and Oliver remained still and glowing and Chloe wondered if he would always have this strange connection with the light or if it would fade over time. Either way, she didn't mind. He lowered his arms and the bow stayed hovering in place, exactly as they had first seen it.
“We need to go,” he said.
She took his hand and they went through the doors of the sanctum right before it closed behind them.
“So, it will need the arrows to set it off again?” she asked.
“Anything fired from those two spots simultaneously,” he said as they neared the front of the cave, avoiding the pillars where she'd been trapped before.
“So, you just have all this knowledge floating around in your head now?” she questioned teasingly as they adjusted harnesses and pulleys and made their way out of the cave.
“That going to bother you?” he asked. “I could always get a lobotomy.”
“Hmmm.” She pretended to consider it and took his hand to help her out of the hole. “Nope, I like you just the way you are.”
“Consider it mutual,” he said, pulling her in close.
She was standing higher than him so for once, she could see over his shoulder as they embraced. The sea was spread out as far as she could see, the sunlight dancing over the waves, sending flecks of light everywhere it could reach. The world was once again a place full of hope and light.
Her mind flew back to when they'd kissed on this spot, overlooking the sea. It had been borne of more desperation than passion, but this time there was nothing between them. She could see more than just the sea stretching ahead of them, she could see their future, and it didn’t have any darkness in it, nothing but the normal stressful parts of a life lived on the Earth.
“Do you know?” she said as they pulled apart. “Now we're free.”
“Until the next alien invasion,” he said, contorting his face.
“I can handle that.” She laughingly smoothed out his frown.
He leaned down to kiss her.
“Me too.”
Part Two: Erect in the Light of Purity
“What do you mean she's not going through with it?” Chloe asked incredulously.
“I mean that she's decided the world is better off when I can concentrate on it instead of her. It was a whole 'walking a mile in the other person's shoes' exercise that went Jor-El wrong. Now she won't even talk to me.”
Clark looked absolutely miserable and Chloe didn't blame him. The thought of not being with Oliver anymore was something she didn't even want to think about. Of course it was something she had had to think a lot about the last couple of days. It had taken all of her patience not to snap his neck while he was flipping back and forth like a yo-yo through all the angst areas on the spectrum, yet it had been harrowing to watch. To see his desperation and despair, to wonder if one day she'd never wake up because of something he'd done or if she'd have to watch him die instead. Down there in the caves, seeing the darkness take control of him, it had been the most terrifying moment of her life. But when he'd fought for his soul and for her...it had been beautiful. That was what she remembered the most and that’s what made her so incredulous at Lois and her decision.
“I'm sorry, Clark, I'll talk to her.”
“She'll listen to you,” Clark said in relief. “Thank you.”
Oliver squeezed her hand and she turned to him. They'd only gotten back a few hours ago and had come straight to Watchtower where they'd found Clark pacing up and down and an exasperated Tess trying to work. Clark had brightened up when he'd seen the bow, but quickly darkened again once he'd told them about Lois.
“I'll stay here,” Oliver told her, “and help Clark.” He turned to the other man. “Where should we keep the bow?”
“Something tells me you should hang onto it,” Clark said, growing thoughtful. “It was your quest and your prize and your strength was what won it. I think until after we figure out the Lois situation, you should be in charge of it. At the very least it shouldn't leave Watchtower.”
“Agreed,” Oliver said in a strange voice and Chloe looked up at him, glad to see him so pleased.
He'd been smiling and joking the entire time since they'd gotten the bow. It wasn't just a metaphorical weight that had been lifted from him; he was walking taller and practically glowed with happiness. It was a little odd, but she wouldn't want it any other way. She also agreed with Clark, the bow belonged with him. Now that Oliver had gotten rid of the darkness, the medium truly was the message and she had a feeling he'd be the one to do something truly spectacular with it. Maybe the glow was some sort of alien benefaction; either way, he looked great and she was so proud of him.
“You'll be okay, right?” she asked him, even though she didn't think he wouldn't be.
“I'll never be not okay again,” he told her, kissing her forehead.
“I'll hold you to that,” she warned him. She smiled a little wryly on the way out the door.
They both know there'd still be bad days and he was riding high on the victory, but things had definitely changed for the better.
At least for the two of them. Apparently, her cousin had traded in her usual brand of wacky for an entirely different one, so it was time to give her some unique insight straight from a Sullivan-Lane woman mouth.
***
It was a day later and Chloe was about to eat her words. She'd tried talking to Lois and had not been successful at all. Lois was incredibly good at shaking off unwanted interaction and without full on stalking her, Chloe wasn't sure how to get through to her errant cousin. As it was T-10 hours and counting to the wedding, it was time to get serious about her mission. But for the moment she and Oliver were finishing up all the last minute touches on the church.
“Who knew tying the knot was so much work? You better remind me to thank Zatanna for making our nuptials so hassle-free.”
“I don't know,” Chloe said, straightening up from the pew, “I would have liked to have remembered some of the details of our wedding.”
Oliver straightened as well.
“Considering the other details of that night, all I really need is a marriage license.”
They walked toward the front of the sanctuary to grab their things. Chloe looked sideways at her husband. It was really the first time he'd brought up their wedding and really the first time she felt comfortable talking to him about it. Especially since he was now going on two days darkness free and she didn't have to fear a violent explosion of insecurity from him.
They both started to speak at the same time, and then laughed somewhat awkwardly. He gestured for her to go first.
“If Zatanna hadn't put you under that spell, would you still have...?” she asked.
“Gone through with it?” They stopped walking and automatically reached for each other in an unconscious, intimate gesture. “Yeah. It's the best decision I don't remember making.” She beamed up at him. “What about you?”
“Ditto,” she said, nodding. He grinned and kissed her and she was relieved to see there was no doubt in his eyes.
“So, what are we supposed to do now?” he asked. “Buy a condo?”
“Supposed to do has never been a part of our unique relationship. We've always made up our own way of doing things.”
“Yeah, including making our big day the quietest non-event of all time.”
“You know, we may be trumped in the non-event category by Lois and Clark. It's the day of the wedding and she still hasn’t called back. I've phoned, texted, and emailed her, but it’s all quiet on the wedding front.”
“Well, you know it is the matron of honor's duty to get the bride to the altar on time, so you may want to reel her in.”
“Oh, and I suppose you're the best best man ever?”
“Absolutely, I picked up the rings this morning.” He plucked them out of his pocket and showed them to her.
“Aww, simple and classic.”
“Because Lois and Clark are so simple.”
“But they can be classic,” she countered.
“They got nothing on us,” he said.
“Right you are, Mr. Queen,” she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist as they prepared to leave.
“Now, all you have to do is get the mice and the pumpkin over to Cinderella’s and get her to the church on time.”
“You have to find the groom,” she reminded him. “And we have to get ready for the big event.”
“I can't wait to see you in your dress.”
“You're going to have to, Romeo.”
He kissed her one last time.
“Be careful. I've just...got a feeling.”
She looked up at him, slightly worried. Since his deliverance, he'd been awfully confident and observant. She trusted his instincts, so she would be careful as he instructed.
“You too.”
***
The instant Chloe saw her cousin's face she knew that she had to be at her best for this conversation. Lois was smarter than the average bulldog and about as stubborn.
“No, no, and no.” Lois started walking away before Chloe even had a chance to speak. She hurried to catch up.
“Look, I know you have a laundry list of reasons not to get married tumbling around in your head, but you’re never going to see the big picture if you get stuck in spin cycle.”
“There is no Chloe quip that’s going to make me change my mind.” Lois looked around and lowered her voice. “Clark can hear the world’s cries for help and he is duty-bound to answer the call and I’m not going to stand in his way.”
Chloe hadn't lived around superheroes for most of her life for nothing. She'd been on both sides of the noble self-sacrifice stunt and she knew exactly how idiotic it was. On the other hand, she could tell that Lois genuinely was trying to do the right thing.
“He can’t listen all the time, Lois, he’s not God! He can’t be aware of every bird or blade of grass, okay, he’s a man. And sometimes he needs to not listen. He needs to rest, to love, to laugh.” Chloe lowered her voice. “And when he does decide to finally take to the skies, he’s going to need you to ground him.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I’m grounding him, keeping him from soaring to new heights.”
Chloe's face softened.
“Oh, Lois, that is so not what he thinks. Listen, when Ollie and I first got together I was afraid of being too involved, of what it would do to me, but also what it would do to him. He was a hero, someone who saved the world and it was so hard for him and I didn't want to be the one to distract him from that. I thought if I just kept everything casual then it wouldn't keep him from his destiny. But heroes don't have to be alone, they shouldn't have to be. Whether they were born on Krypton or any other planet, they need someone in their life to support them. Clark knows you are that person. But since you’re not going to meet him at the altar, you should hear that in his own words.”
Chloe handed Lois Clark's vows and started to walk away. She didn't go far and she stood on the other side of the glass watching Lois read them. It was somewhat humbling to watch Lois' face change as she read. It reminded Chloe of all the times she'd been acting stupidly and something Oliver said or did made her come to her senses.
There was nothing better in the world than having that kind of connection with someone, with having a true partnership, someone to rely on. It didn't mean there weren't hard times and that sometimes it was hard to climb that slope, but there was always someone there to do the catching when the other one slipped. Oliver had done that for her and no matter how many times he went on about how she always saved him, she knew it was the other way around. She had been stuck inside her own virtual reality and he had been the one to come inside and get her out. Even then she had clung to the idea that she was only the sidekick, only the girl next door, only the best friend, but he'd shown her she was a hero, the girl of his dreams, and now, his wife.
Lois turned to face her and practically beamed her thanks. Chloe's smile lit up her face. Now things were going to be back on track.
“You're welcome,” she mouthed.
***
Chloe's next stop was the cemetery where Oliver stood waiting at the gates. He'd texted her that he'd found Clark and would she come and help?
When she got there and saw Clark, she agreed that this would probably be a two-person job. She figured it was just her luck that as soon as she talked the bride down from the jilting ledge, the groom stepped up to the edge.
She and Oliver walked hand in hand to where Clark stood at his father's grave. Chloe hung back a little, thinking it was probably best if Oliver took point on this one.
“Why is it that the biggest events are always the most painful? You know, Clark, when I graduated from Excelsior, it was one of the most important days of my life, but I don’t remember any of the speeches that were given, I don’t remember getting my diploma, I just, uh, I remember my parents not being there.”
Clark turned away from the grave, toward them.
“I know what you’re trying to say, Oliver, but I’m not here to mourn my father’s death. I already did that. I’ve put it behind me.”
“Okay, well, if you mean putting it behind you by saying sayonara to your ice dad, selling the farm, and hanging out in a cemetery instead of standing in a church wearing an uncomfortably starched suit…”
Chloe had to hide a smile. Oliver really knew how to pack punches into irony bags. But the situation wasn't funny and Clark obviously didn't think it was either.
“What if Lois was right? What if this is all wrong? My training, Smallville, the farm, memories - what if it was all just a crutch?”
Chloe felt an old stab of hurt, but resolutely turned from it. She wasn't the same girl who had felt bad because she was never going to be enough for Clark Kent.
“Clark, I don’t think taking a scalpel to the past is going to turn you into the caped Skywalker of the future,” Oliver said.
Clark looked at them with pain in his eyes.
“I thought Lois was my future. I thought she was my new life and my destiny, but what if she’s part of the memories I need to leave behind? What if heroes aren’t destined to love?”
Chloe started to sputter but Oliver beat her to it.
“I’ve been down this road before, I’ve gone through this and you know where it landed me? Burning a perfectly good leather hoodie. I was on the edge and it took a really good friend to remind me of who I was, push me towards who I could become.”
Chloe looked up at her husband with pride in her eyes. It was so true. He'd overcome so many obstacles to get to where he was and nobody, except maybe her, truly knew how hard it had been. In that category she could honestly say she felt he was made of more steel than Clark.
“But that’s the thing, Oliver, no one can push me or lead me anywhere. My whole life I’ve been trying to fit into two different worlds and the truth is I don’t belong to either one of them. I need to make my own path. If that means letting go of both worlds, maybe that means letting go of Lois.”
“I don't think so, Clark,” Chloe said, stepping in. The situation was getting out of hand. “Let's take a little review of how well isolating yourself works out in the end. Last time you declared yourself dead and abandoned every single one of your friends who all fell apart in various ways and then practically destroyed the world with your Kandorian campaign. So, no, letting go is not the answer. It's the coward's way out.”
Clark stared at her, obviously non-plussed. She restrained herself from rolling her eyes. She was usually rather blunt, but she didn't have any problems pulling out the stops in this instance.
“You know you're not the only hero in this world, Clark,” Oliver said, putting his hand on Clark's shoulder. “I couldn't agree more that you're incredible, that you have a destiny, but being some kind of super man doesn't mean there aren't others who can help or who can lead. I may not have any powers, but I know what it means to be a hero. You helped show that to me. You were my friend and my partner and I'm ready to be that for you. Maybe it sometimes might be literally, but, figuratively, the world is never all on your shoulders.”
“I know all that,” Clark said in a frustrated tone, “but what if that's not the most important thing? And only I can live my life. I can't be held responsible for your destiny, only my own. And I've made too many wrong choices to get this one wrong.”
“Clark,” Chloe said, moving closer to him, “think back to everything you know about why Jor-El sent you here. He was saving his child and he was saving this world. The two go hand in hand. If your destiny was to become simply the savior of this world, just an impartial observer, then there was no reason for him to have taken such care about where he placed you. That was here, in Smallville. Who he placed you with, your parents. The kindest, strongest, most human people I know. That was your training. To turn your back on it would be to turn your back on why you were sent here. You do belong to this world.”
“I don't regret that,” Clark said, “and I don't want to forget it. But it was a foundation, now I'm got to move on. And Lois...she can't do that and I can't do that to her. It's just not possible to be with her.”
“You're dead wrong, Clark,” Oliver said firmly. “Lois is made of so much more than that. Don't you think she knows her own mind? Can't she make her opinion known? Loudly and incessantly sure, but she's got a right to make her own decisions. I've gone down this road, too, man, and I know what it's like to think that the person you want the most is inaccessible because of what you do. I lived my whole life that way. And then there was Chloe.” Oliver turned to look at her and Chloe smiled at him. “And we made mistakes and life isn't perfect, but I know for certain that there's nothing more important than having your particular someone by your side. I couldn't be who I am without her and I'd like to think it's the same for her.”
“Without a doubt,” she said softly, and then turned to Clark. “Clark, we can't make you do anything and you're right that nobody can live your life but you, but don't you dare erase the past. The past is what made you. It made you the man I'm proud to call my best friend. Don't tell me that means nothing to you. And before you say anything else or make any kind of decision, you have to talk to Lois. This is not just your decision and you need to hear from her before you go making decisions that affect not only her life, but the rest of the world.”
Clark opened his mouth, but she gave him a little glare and he smiled a little sheepishly.
“You win, Chloe, like usual. I'll talk to her.”
“You bet your invulnerable self you will. I swear your head is thicker than your skin.”
“I think he's got the point there,” Oliver said.
“Sorry,” Chloe said, subsiding.
“Thank you,” Clark said, “I need you both.”
“Hey, we're just the bit players,” Oliver said.
“You're the light in the darkness,” Clark said very seriously and Chloe raised her eyebrow.
“But you're not going to hug the light or anything?” Oliver asked, looking worried.
“I do expect my best man to be waiting at the church,” Clark said and super-speeded away.
“I'm going to have to do my hair again,” Chloe said and sighed.
“You look beautiful,” Oliver told her, leaning down and kissing her. “You sound beautiful. You taste beautiful. You are beautiful.”
“You've been hanging out in Ireland too long,” she said, but took the compliments gladly, kissing him and enjoying it thoroughly. “Now meet me at the church, okay?”
“I will. Just...be careful.”
“What do you know, Ollie?” she asked curiously.
“I wish I could tell you,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I just know something's coming. I don't know if it's leftover darkness residue in my head or some newfound telepathic connection with a certain bow I just acquired.”
“You don't have any darkness left in you,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I saw it leave.”
“I trust you,” he said.
“That's going to be our new mantra now, isn't it?” she asked, a little wryly.
“We could definitely have worse,” he pointed out.
“It is definitely a preferred thing in the marriage state,” she agreed.
He kissed her again.
“Meet you there.”
***
When Chloe got to the church vestibule she found an anxious Lois waiting for her.
“Where have you been?”
“I've been putting out fires, Lo,” Chloe told her, taking in the sight of her beautiful cousin.
“I hope my wedding's not going to be on that list,” Lois said, giving her a hug. “Because I'm getting married today no matter what happens.”
“I'll make sure of it,” Chloe said firmly, smiling broadly. “I can't believe we're here.”
“Thank you,” Lois said, squeezing her hands. “Thank you, Chloe.”
“You're welcome,” Chloe said, “now get out of sight before someone sees you. I'll come back and check on you in a minute.”
Lois rushed off and Chloe did a last minute check on everything in the church with Martha. Before they knew it, it was time for the ceremony to begin. Chloe stood at the back of the church, looking around her. A somewhat blushing Tess arrived on Emil's arm and Chloe winked at her, causing the other woman to glare at her. Chloe shook her head, noting the team was all there, spread around the church, ready to go at the first sign of trouble. She felt Oliver step up beside her and they walked to the front together, and she felt completely at peace.
She turned with everyone else and saw Lois standing at the back of the church. There was a slight moment of anxiety when it looked like Clark might not show, but then he slipped his hand into Lois' and they walked up the aisle together.
It seemed like the wedding progressed in perfectly timed fragments of memory. Both Lois' and Clark's vows flowed into one another.
“I wanted these vows to be perfect, but perfection’s a hard thing to get your hands on. But life is meant to be a little messy and when it comes to love I imagine it’s like my dad always said about the army: you only sign up if it’s the only thing you can ever imagine doing.”
“I, Clark Kent, take you, Lois Lane, to be my companion forever and with you be my side I will never be alone.”
“You’re my best friend, you’re my home, and you are my true love and I am yours and will be forever.”
“On this day, at this moment, I pledge the rest of my life to you. You’ve always believed in me and I believe in you. And when you believe in someone, it’s not just for a minute, it’s forever.”
The entire time Chloe stood there, feeling happy and blessed to be a part of this once in a lifetime event. She looked at her husband and saw him looking at her. She couldn't help but feel that this was their wedding, too, the culmination of everything they'd been through, a celebration and renewal of their love. When he looked at her, she could tell he was thinking the same thing. Ever since they'd been down in those caves, he was different, in the best way possible. They were different, their connection was stronger, and she could only feel it was because all of his insecurities had been washed away. Hers had been taken care of the instant he left Metropolis with her.
They walked back down the aisle together, her arm in his, and the second they cleared the doors, she pulled him to the side and kissed him thoroughly.
“Hey, hey, our day, remember?” Lois said, from where she and Clark were doing their own share of PDA. “You guys already upstaged our bachelor/bachelorette parties. Not today!”
“Come on, Lois,” Oliver said, “we didn't really get a wedding day. And this day is all about you.”
“Says you,” she said, but obviously couldn't stop smiling. The four of them just stood there for a minute, grinning like idiots.
Martha came out of the door and gave Clark and Lois huge hugs.
“What are you standing around for?” she asked. “It's time for the reception.”
Things were mostly a blur after that for Chloe. She spent a lot of time making sure all the food was ready, that the photos and receiving line were taken care of, that the team was all in place, that Lois' dress was properly pinned up, and that everyone was having a good time.
At one point she felt Oliver put his hand on her back and lean over to whisper in her ear.
“Relax, Mrs. Queen.”
She leaned back into his embrace and closed her eyes for a moment.
“We did it,” she said and she wasn't just talking about getting Clark and Lois to the altar.
“We did.”
Then Oliver straightened up and looked around, tense and alert.
“What's wrong?” she asked.
“I don't know.”
“Well, you look like a bloodhound with a bad scent in his nose.”
“Something's coming. It's bad, Chloe.” He looked at her with a sense of panic in his eyes.
“Chloe!”
Chloe turned to see Tess bearing down on them with a panic all her own.
“Chloe,” she whispered urgently, “I just got an alert from Watchtower.”
“What's wrong?” Chloe asked again.
“There's something headed for Earth. Chloe, it's a planet.”
“Apokolips,” Oliver said without hesitation. “Darkseid is making his move.”
“I guess the wedding's over,” Chloe said.
***
Chloe glanced around Watchtower and, while it was the gravest of occasions, she couldn't help but feel happy that, for once, everyone was actually in the same room together instead of spread out across the globe. Oliver was standing slightly to the front and had his head cocked like Clark did when he was hearing the call of the distressed, and every once in awhile he would interject something with an odd sense of finality in his voice. Orion's bow was clutched in his hand like it was a part of him. She wondered if it was.
They were currently arguing over what marking people with the darkness had to do with what was happening. It had been fifteen minutes and they weren't really any closer until Clark started reasoning it out.
“We know the prophets use people’s darkness to mark them with the omega. But what we don’t know is why. The markings weren’t just spiritual, maybe some kind of anti-light, dark force that can bring about the apocalypse.”
“Like bringing a giant planet crashing into ours?” Lois queried.
“Exactly like that. Maybe the marking has some kind of gravitational pull.”
“Too bad anti-life equations aren’t covered in Physics 101,” said Lois.
“We need to break whatever’s binding these people,” Oliver said firmly.
“Exactly how many people were marked?” Chloe asked, barely looking up from her monitors. She and Tess were frantically working on getting a fix on Apokolips' position and where they could find the prophets.
Clark looked sideways out of the window.
“You don't want to know.”
“So, we figure everyone out there is potentially against us.”
“Pretty much,” Oliver said, finally moving. “I know where the prophets are. I need to take them down. Clark, you've got to find Darkseid and stop that planet. Chloe, can you man everything here with Tess?”
“We're on it. Emil can help, and be ready for...well, anything else we need.”
Emil smiled a little nervously and his hand seemed to automatically reach out to find Tess.
The unspoken danger hung in the air for a moment and then Oliver turned to the team.
“It's going to get dangerous out there. We don't know what those people are going to do when the planet gets here. You guys need to be on the streets, helping keep the peace, doing whatever you can. AC and Dinah are coming with me. Bart and J'onn, you guys can get places fastest; Chloe will direct you to wherever people need help. Everyone else, keep listening for Watchtower's signal, but otherwise, use your judgment. Everyone got it?”
They all nodded.
“Not how I thought I'd be spending my honeymoon night,” Lois said a little bitterly. “What am I supposed to do, sit home and knit?”
“I've got a little job for you,” Chloe told her.
“What is it? Hacking's your thing, not mine.” Lois came over to her.
“The President is going to launch a nuclear strike against that thing. Air Force One leaves in thirty minutes and the Daily Planet is sending a liaison. Make sure that's you. We've got to keep him from doing anything stupid until Clark can stop it. Think you're up to it?”
“I'm only sorry I didn't think of it myself,” Lois said, about to rush for the door.
“Lois, be careful!” Clark moved to intercept her.
She turned and smiled at him, the gentleness Chloe knew was inside her, shining in her eyes.
“You too. I love you, Mr. Kent.”
“I love you, Mrs. Lane-Kent.”
Clark dipped his head to hers and Chloe stopped watching.
Lois left and so did Clark, trying to find Darkseid. Chloe hugged him goodbye, suddenly feeling very emotional. It was as if everything in her life since she'd met Clark had been for this moment.
“See you in the funny pages,” she said and watched him leave.
Turning, she saw the team all in gear, Oliver minus his glasses. He looked odd without his usual bow. Instead, he had the gleaming white of Orion strapped to his back. He stepped closer to her and cupped her chin.
“I wish I could just take you away from here,” he said softly.
“You need to do what you do best, be a hero,” she said, beaming at him.
When she looked at him, she hoped he could tell how proud she was of him, of how far he'd come, of what the future held for them. It felt like a true goodbye, not just the casual fear when he went on patrol. It was a true maybe-never-see-each- other-again situation.
“You too, Sullivan.”
He tilted his head towards hers and she closed her eyes, feeling his lips and his arms and still managing to see the lights of the flashing planet behind her eyelids. When they broke apart, he quirked his lips upward and tucked some of her hair behind her ear.
“I love you,” she told him.
“I love you, too.” He slipped his glasses on and strode away, the white of the bow refracting light everywhere behind him, breaking through the shadows of the darkening sky.
***
Chloe adjusted the com link in her ear and turned back to her monitors. Everyone had just finished checking in and Lois had made it onto Air Force One and was stalling for time.
Because of the seriousness of the situation, everyone was wearing cameras as well as coms. Emil and Tess were busy helping the others on the team and Chloe didn't think it unfair that she focus on Oliver, AC, and Dinah on their mission. Oliver's glasses showed her exactly what was happening.
The prophets were in an appropriately creepy lair. Chloe reasoned it was probably one of their powers: the ability to find the most gothic building in the city to await the coming of their dark lord. Oliver waited in the shadows before entering, but Chloe could hear everything that was going on. He glanced down and Chloe saw him signal AC and Dinah to circle around.
“The day of judgment is upon us.”
Chloe couldn’t tell who was speaking, but she guessed it didn’t really matter. Whoever was in there was evil, through and through.
“We’ve saved the million souls from the coming apocalypse to serve the dark lord.”
“Our work is done.”
Oliver stepped around the column that was hiding him from their view.
“You can say that again.”
The two prophets turned and stared at him, disbelief written on their faces.
“You have removed the stain and killed the third of our number,” Godfrey said in disgust.
“You were so close to experiencing the rapture, known only to those who will be serving our lord for an eternity while all the others perish,” Desaad rebuked.
“I figure perishing would be the upside in that situation,” Oliver said, sliding two arrows in his hand, “but I don't plan on either option.”
“It’s too late. Even with the bow you do not possess the power to vanquish our lord from the souls of those he’s saved,” Desaad boasted.
“Bet your life?” Oliver stretched back the bow with two arrows notched.
He loosed them and Chloe watched through Oliver's eyes as the arrows met their marks and the remaining prophets went up in smoke, very similar to Granny's demise.
“Nice work, Arrow,” Chloe breathed through her link.
She heard Oliver chuckle.
“Worried, Tower?”
Chloe turned when her screen started blinking. The planet was practically there. Riots were erupting all over the place. People marked with the omega symbol were becoming violent, irrational, turning on their own loved ones.
“There's no time,” Chloe said, typing rapidly. “Arrow, you've got to figure out how that bow works. Impulse has been sent to India to quell a riot there, Manhunter to Mexico. Canary and Aquaman, we need you on the streets, now.”
She heard affirmatives with her ear, then turned to confer with Tess and Emil for a minute before turning her attention back to what was happening with Oliver.
“Clark, where are you?” she said under her breath.
“Tower, I need your help,” Oliver said. He was holding the bow in his hands and Chloe could see his vital signs climbing.
“Calm down, Arrow, I'm here.”
“I don't know what to do,” he said, his voice raspy.
“You'll figure it out,” she said. “I trust you. The bow chose you. You know what to do.”
He took several deep breaths and went absolutely still. Chloe could imagine it all in her head, it was exactly what he did whenever he was working out and practicing his Tai Chi. It was slightly scary because he looked so unnatural, but she knew it always helped him to focus.
“I'm heading outside,” he said finally, not even sounding like himself, almost like something else was speaking through him.
“You okay, Arrow?”
“I'm fine. I know what to do.”
He moved with slow, languid steps, though they were purposeful. The sky was nearly black now, though the planet was blazing red and purple and orange in the sky. People everywhere were fighting, shoving, looting, and breaking things. It was absolute chaos. It was hard for Chloe to keep a bead on Oliver she was so busy directing the team to where the most trouble was. Mia, Victor, Zatanna, Mera, and Courtney had been struggling though AC and Dinah coming to help had been a relief.
It wasn't quite as bad in the rest of the world, but Bart and J'onn were kept busy running from country to country, helping the worst of it. The damage seemed to be centered on Metropolis, where the darkness had begun to spread.
Oliver stopped in the middle of the street and looked upward. He paid no heed to the fighting going on all around him. There was a white glow surrounding him, Chloe could see because she hacked into the traffic light system, since she wanted to be able to see him and not just what he was seeing.
He stood still, silent, waiting. The stillness was not his normal stillness, it was alien. Something was working through him. The bow's light hovered about three feet in every direction, and nobody went near him. Chloe wondered if the light itself was a kind of force field. She also noticed that the fighting was less wherever he was, like he was a calming influence on those immersed in the darkness. Chloe held her breath, waiting to see what he would do, not wanting to speak and interrupt whatever might be happening. The suspense was killing her, but it was a bit thrilling to watch her husband's destiny come into play.
Finally, Oliver moved. He drew an arrow and then pointed his bow at the sky. He held it there for several seconds and then released it. The arrow shot straight up, faster and higher than any arrow could go. Chloe knew Oliver was the very best marksman in the world and that his skill was amazing, but his most difficult shots were always helped by gadgetry and he was only a man. This was a shot that even he wouldn't have been able to pull off, yet he did. Somehow, he did, using Orion's strength or knowledge or it was done through him by that something else in his movements.
The arrow burst into white light as it reached its zenith. It was blindingly bright and Chloe had to avert her eyes, watching through Oliver's glasses as he stared at it, seemingly not bothered by the light. The light didn't dissipate, it grew brighter and it spread. It started to cover the sky, converting the darkness spread by Apokolips' shadow. Pretty soon it covered as far as the eye could see and then Bart and J'onn were reporting in that they could see it in England and Australia respectively.
Chloe redirected her attention to what was happening on the ground and she almost wept with relief. Everywhere people were dropping to their knees and the omega symbol shimmered into view on their foreheads and then disappeared. It was like a mass exorcism and it was the most beautiful thing, to see darkness literally being driven out of people, to see them set free from their own worst parts of themselves. It was amazing and her husband, her hero, had done it.
Oliver still stood where he was, not moving, almost a silent sentinel of light, making sure it stayed covering the world, keeping Earth from being swallowed up by the darkness.
Chloe turned to hear a curse coming from Tess.
“What is it?”
“The planet, it's still coming. The gravitation pull must be moving completely on its own momentum now. Unless Clark can do something, we're still going to collide.”
Chloe was beginning to wish they'd made Clark take a com, but that wasn't how the Blur operated most of the time. She could only hope he was strong enough to defeat Darkseid.
“Arrow, come in,” she said, “Arrow.”
“It's okay, Tower,” Oliver said, still not sounding like himself. “Come outside, gather the team.”
Chloe looked uncertainly at Tess and Emil and they shrugged back at her.
“It's your call,” Tess said.
Chloe hesitated for only a moment.
“Let's go. Gather everyone to Oliver's position.”
The entire Justice League gathered in a semi-circle around Oliver's unmoving position, watching the sky. It took them a little while, as they were still helping to sort out the damage people had caused and Bart and J'onn had a little traveling to do, but they didn't call the former the fastest man alive for nothing and they both made it in time to stand and watch and see what Earth's fate would be.
Chloe kept Watchtower in mobile mode on her phone and she got word that Air Force One was still safely in approach for its safe house.
It seemed to take forever, but suddenly there was a slight change in the light. It grew no less bright, but became somewhat opaque, and Chloe could see the vast form of the planet encroaching on their world. For a moment it seemed inevitable that they would collide, and then slowly, surely, the planet started to move away from Earth. It was hard to tell for sure at first, but then it started to move faster and faster and the light grew brighter and brighter. Then it was gone and so was the planet. There was nothing in the sky but their own sun.
Oliver finally moved and sat down as if exhausted. Chloe rushed to his side and tried to take the bow, but he clutched it and wouldn't let her.
“Ollie, are you alright?”
He stared at her for a second or two and then smiled slowly.
“Never better.”
“You scared me,” she said, sinking down next to him and letting him pull her practically across his lap.
“It was...amazing,” was all he could say for the moment.
There was yelling and cheering and Chloe looked up. There was a streak of red and blue and she knew it had to be Clark in the suit his mother had made for him. The figure alighted to the top of the Daily Planet and hovered there for a moment in the air. Chloe had to hide a grin. The boy who was afraid of heights had learned to fly and she couldn't be prouder of him. The crowd started to chant and cry and somewhere she heard people calling to see the “super man” who'd saved them. Soon, the whole crowd was cheering for Superman. Chloe's nose for news had an idea what the headline for tomorrow's paper would be.
“I have a feeling anyone else in a costume isn't wanted around here,” Oliver joked as he stood up. “Come on, team; let's pack it in.”
There were jokes and good-natured grumbles as everyone retired to Watchtower.
“I know,” Chloe whispered to Oliver, “and Clark knows, and the team knows, that you were a hero today.”
“As were you,” he whispered, taking her hand in his gloved one. They stepped into the elevator with the rest of the team and she didn't mind being squished up next to him at all. Not at all.
“How did you know what to do?” she asked and everyone listened as Oliver answered.
“Something you taught me. Even in the darkest soul there is light. It may be easier to fear, but it’s stronger to love.”
Chloe smiled up at him, reaching on her tip toes to give him a kiss, amidst collective groans at Oliver’s cheesiness. She was proud of him and proud of them. She didn’t care that the team immediately started protesting their public display of affection. Her husband had saved the world and if there was even a small part of her invested in that action, everyone else was just going to have to put up with their celebration of that fact.
***
Chloe picked up the jet phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. Tess answered on the first ring.
“Watchtower.”
“It's Chloe. I'm just checking in. How is everything?”
“We're good. Superman and his wife are currently en route to their honeymoon and the rest of the team is spread out, helping control the damages left over from Darkseid's little spree. Lionel's corpse was cremated today and all the clones have been accounted for but one. Were you calling to check up on the situation or me?”
Chloe smiled at Tess' dry tones.
“You know what, Tess, I never thought I'd say it, but I'm really glad you're there.”
She could practically see Tess' eyebrows rise in surprise.
“...thanks, Chloe.”
“Don't you and Emil have too much fun in my Watchtower now.”
“I suggest you worry about the sanctity of Oliver's jet.”
Chloe chuckled and signed off and turned back to her husband. He was holding the bow with the strangest look of regret on his face.
“We don't have to do this, you know,” she said. “It is yours now.”
“That's not what it's for,” Oliver said, and then reluctantly stood up. “It needs to go back home.”
“Then I'm with you,” she said and took his hand.
He gripped it and they stepped out of the plane and hiked the short distance to the cave where their entire adventure had started.
It was an odd sense of dejavu going back down into the darkness, but at least this time, they weren't bringing any of it with them. Chloe could see how light Oliver's heart was, a complete opposite from their last visit. They'd brought more equipment with them this time, but she didn't think they'd need it. This place was no longer unknown.
“So, how do we do it?” she asked.
“Follow me,” he said and he strode into the darkness, his steps never faltering.
Chloe let a smile play around her lips as she followed. She knew the euphoria wouldn't last, but this new confidence of his would and she liked it. She liked it a lot.
He led her to the place where the bow rested. The doors were still open from last time. Oliver entered and stood on the spot where the bow rested and that strange stillness came over him again. Then light began to radiate out from the bow and from Oliver. It seeped into the ceiling and Chloe could see it infuse the cracks there and slowly, she began to realize how the cave was made. It looked entirely natural, but she could see now how the foundation had been built on and machinations unknown on Earth had been put into the natural formations. When the light was energizing it, it was possible to change how it was shaped. Oliver was doing so now, resetting the traps and the tests that Orion had originally designed.
It lasted for a few minutes and Oliver remained still and glowing and Chloe wondered if he would always have this strange connection with the light or if it would fade over time. Either way, she didn't mind. He lowered his arms and the bow stayed hovering in place, exactly as they had first seen it.
“We need to go,” he said.
She took his hand and they went through the doors of the sanctum right before it closed behind them.
“So, it will need the arrows to set it off again?” she asked.
“Anything fired from those two spots simultaneously,” he said as they neared the front of the cave, avoiding the pillars where she'd been trapped before.
“So, you just have all this knowledge floating around in your head now?” she questioned teasingly as they adjusted harnesses and pulleys and made their way out of the cave.
“That going to bother you?” he asked. “I could always get a lobotomy.”
“Hmmm.” She pretended to consider it and took his hand to help her out of the hole. “Nope, I like you just the way you are.”
“Consider it mutual,” he said, pulling her in close.
She was standing higher than him so for once, she could see over his shoulder as they embraced. The sea was spread out as far as she could see, the sunlight dancing over the waves, sending flecks of light everywhere it could reach. The world was once again a place full of hope and light.
Her mind flew back to when they'd kissed on this spot, overlooking the sea. It had been borne of more desperation than passion, but this time there was nothing between them. She could see more than just the sea stretching ahead of them, she could see their future, and it didn’t have any darkness in it, nothing but the normal stressful parts of a life lived on the Earth.
“Do you know?” she said as they pulled apart. “Now we're free.”
“Until the next alien invasion,” he said, contorting his face.
“I can handle that.” She laughingly smoothed out his frown.
He leaned down to kiss her.
“Me too.”
