The Adventures Of Superboy

Don't Leave Me

Lana paced in front of the Smallville county jail, waiting for Superboy to finish recounting their battle with Lex Luthor, Metallo, and Dr. Odessa Vexman to the Sheriff. Not to mention the jerk Donnie who'd tried to corrupt Smallville with his gambling dens.

Superboy told the Sheriff he'd personally fly the terrible trio out himself while they remained locked down in an armored truck. He didn't want to risk a break-out or harm to the officers and drivers.

Superboy came outside, and Lana hurried over. "That was fast. What'll happen to them now?"

"I'm taking full responsibility and flying them back to the maximum-security prison in Capital City. It'll be faster and safer."

"Oh, that's a relief." Lana bit her lip. "Superboy, what Odessa said about you and her…is it…?"

"It's not true, Lana. She wanted to make you angry. At one time, she helped me apprehend some villains, but that's it."

"Were you attracted to her?"

Superboy blushed from her straightforward question but didn't answer directly. "Lana, Odessa is an attractive woman, but she's always on the wrong side of the law. Odessa switched camps again when she realized she couldn't get what she wanted. "

Lana sighed. "You. She wanted you."

"Right. That feeling wasn't mutual." His heart already belonged to someone else, and she was standing in front of him.

Lana shrugged. "Okay. You're busy. I'll go visit Clark and tell him what happened."

Superboy looked down. Clark Kent. Her best friend, the fall guy, and the rebound for Lana's spurned affections. He wanted to say those things, but couldn't. It wasn't fair. It wasn't her fault she felt torn between him and Clark. They were the same person, and Lana often sensed it.

"Uh, no, wait, you can't see him."

"Why not?"

"I saw Clark at the bus depot when I flew into town. He may have left Smallville already."

Lana looked disappointed but couldn't bring herself to say, 'without me?'

"Oh, he did what he had to do, I guess. He still could've told me." She looked away dejectedly. "It doesn't matter. I'm going back to my parent's house. Nobody's home as usual."

"Where are your parents?"

"Mom's in Paris giving lectures at The Louvre and dad is…" Lana swallowed hard. "I forgot, I think his last postcard said Spain or something. They'll probably meet up in Europe at some point."

Lana looked at her boots. "Then they'll argue over something stupid, then forgive, then go out for dinner. They never really ask about me or even invite me to join them on their trips."

"I'm sorry, Lana."

She glanced at Superboy with shining eyes. "That's okay, I'm not a child. I have my hands full in Capital City. If they only knew the stuff that goes on with people like Luthor and Metallo. I don't tell them much. Why make them worry?"

Superboy sensed her deep hurt. He took her hand. "Why don't we go for a little flight? To talk."

"Really? Right now?"

Superboy glanced at the jailhouse and smiled at her. "Yeah, why not? Let those goons sweat it out a while."

Lana grinned. "Great!"

Superboy gently put his arm around her waist, and she clutched his right hand. He felt the sudden chill that ran through her. He couldn't hide his amusement.

"What is it, Superboy?"

"Nothing really. I was thinking how long it's been since we had a flight like this."

"We've flown recently. I think the last time we had a heart to heart flight was…" Lana cocked her head and snapped her finger. "Oh, after Bizarro took off with Bizarro Lana from the warehouse."

Superboy looked surprised. "No! It couldn't have been that long. That was over a year ago."

Lana shrugged. "Well, that was memorable. If you count the times that you flew me back to my apartment. Remember, after you came back from getting lost in the swamps after the meteor strike. You never told me everything that happened."

Superboy couldn't bring himself to mention Marissa and her son Jeremy, or the fact that he and Marissa had shared a kiss. "I told you I lost my memory. It's still hazy. Hey, you forget when we left Adam Verrell's lair, or how about when I brought you out of that haunted alien basement? You were too weak to move."

He cocked an eyebrow. "I guess you don't recall being transported onto a spaceship going 'West' to Alpha Centauri?"

Lana laughed. "Okay, okay, you win! I can't believe we're actually starting an argument over how many flights we've taken."

"We're not arguing. We're having a discussion." Superboy pointed out.

"Oh, that's right. We never argue."

Superboy rose higher, and she maneuvered closer. He gazed at her. "Why should we argue? Where will it get us but hurt and angry towards each other?"

Lana wanted to refute him but held her tongue. If they could actually disagree on matters, she'd feel as if they were involved in a genuine relationship. She sometimes disagreed with Clark, but they remained close. Would Superboy understand her reasoning? It was ridiculous to her even, and he'd disapprove of her warped logic.

Superboy wasn't dumb by any means. He was insightful and very mature.

"You're right, as always. We shouldn't argue."

"Thank you, I…" Superboy flew faster above the treetops. "Wait a minute. What was that, 'as always?' Was that sarcasm?"

"Wow, Superboy! You're pretty sharp." She noted glibly and kept her attention on the terrain as they swooped over dairy farms. She waved at the farmers below, and they flapped their hats back.

Superboy grumbled and shook his head. Lana cringed. She hated it when he did that. It made her feel inferior in his presence. A minute of silence passed, and it was clear her last comment goaded him.

"Why are you trying to pick an argument with me now? What are you trying to prove, Lana?" He finally asked.

She almost laughed, hearing the strain in his voice. While she was known for her temper, she learned too well that Superboy had one also. He hated to waste time on trivialities and the foolish behavior of the mere mortals that irked him, even if he never complained.

Despite his long-suffering, Lana saw it in his body language. The way his pronounced jaw tightened, and how he'd cross his arms. Or one expression that got on her nerves – when he raised his brows and rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Wait, hold on. I'm picking a fight? Why do you think that? I'm not trying to prove anything!" Her voice rose steadily. "Didn't I just agree we shouldn't argue?"

"But you obviously don't agree."

"You're making a mountain out of molehills. No, you're making a mountain out of nothing!" She retorted, then shrieked and ducked her head against his shoulder.

"Superboy, watch out for that windmill!"

"Woah! Sorry!"

Superboy immediately soared higher, just barely missing the windmill's top. Lana's nails dug into his hands, but she kept up her bold front and let him continue to glide her. Superboy drew her closer protectively.

"Lana, are you upset because I didn't say anything to you at the casino? What was I supposed to say then and there? I'd just stopped a desperate man from shooting a roomful of innocent people and killing himself. You grabbed me and dropped a bombshell that you're moving back to Smallville. You expected me to have some kind of instant reaction. I barely processed it."

Lana glared at him and loosened her grip. Superboy, in turn, huddled her tighter. In her stubbornness, she was liable to let go and fall from his arms. She wriggled to make more distance between them.

"Oh, oh, I see. You don't care that I won't be coming back to Capital City. It doesn't bother you at all. I understand perfectly now. My house is down there."

"I know where it is." He muttered.

"You do? I don't think you ever saw it."

"Clark told me. He said it has that ancient sundial out front that your father got from the Amazon rainforest."

"Yeah, that old thing. At least it's accurate. So, are you going to answer me? Oh wait, I forgot, you don't have any reaction to this."

"That's not true, and you know it, Lana."

Superboy heaved a sigh. The truth was out. As Clark Kent, he'd known for days that she planned to move back here, and the mere thought of it ate him up inside. He chose instead to focus on capturing the terrible trio. Between Luthor's high-frequency device, and Metallo's kryptonite heart blasting him, Superboy was forced to fly from Capital City. His eardrums would've burst, and his brain might've imploded from the extreme pain.

He'd noticed the intensity in Lana's eyes, but the deeper he looked, the more he understood the real reasons she wanted to leave. Fear and longing. Lana Lang was the bait for his enemies. He lost count how many times she'd nearly died. Lana desired to be around him, but there were only so many traumas she could take.

~Oo~

Superboy's flight came to an end, and he lowered her near the porch. Lana plunked down on the swing with one leg up.

"Lana, I know what you want me to say, but if it stands in the way of your happiness here, I'm not going to tell you that if you leave, it would…"

"Would what?"

"Lana, it would change a lot between us."

Lana leaned forward eagerly, hoping he'd say what she longed to hear. He fell silent. She sat back glumly and chewed her inner cheeks, frustrated. She refused to cry.

Superboy came up and sat beside her.

"Lana, I know what the real problem is. You want to leave because you're scared. You even said so…" Superboy could've kicked himself. She'd told those personal things to Clark Kent. It was getting harder to play dual roles around her.

"I mean, you don't have to say anything. I know how you feel."

"How could you, Superboy?" Lana stood perplexed. "You don't know how I feel. You don't know how any humans feel. You're invulnerable! Bullets bounce off you, you get hit and don't feel pain. You shoot heat lasers from your eyes, fly, freeze things with a breath. I'm not talking about extraordinary villains or kryptonite or supernatural stuff that make you weak. You do those other feats every day. You can walk down the street without looking both ways, trip without scraping your knee, or jump off a cliff and fly off…"

Her point was slowly getting lost as she rattled on. She was venting, and Superboy wanted to nip her feelings in the bud.

"In other words, Lana," He cut her off. "You're scared. You don't want to be a pawn for my enemies. I understand that. I don't want you to be in that position either."

"But Superboy, you…"

He raised a hand. "Lana, just because I don't feel physical pain on the average, doesn't mean I can't get scared either!" Superboy rose over her.

"Is that true? You get scared?"

"I wouldn't lie. Would you like to know what scares me more than anything else?"

"Yes!"

"The fact that I could lose you at any time. That one day, I'll be halfway around the world, and some maniac will come. Maybe a vengeful alien or criminal mastermind decides to take his revenge. That's happened countless times! It never ends! I know that."

"Superboy… I'm…"

"Think about that, Lana. Since you insist I can't feel physical pain, where do you think I hurt most?" His tone softened.

Lana was struck to her heart. Guilt ripped through her. Superboy still had a point to make, and she paid close attention.

"Everyone in the world takes chances every day. Whenever we step outside and walk down the street, there's a risk. You know better than anyone that I can be indisposed or vulnerable to things. It's happened before. Look at those three in jail! I've bled before; I've fought beings with powers equal and greater to mine. I'm not above human emotions if that's what you're starting to think."

"No, no, ne…never!" Lana stuttered. "I'm sorry."

Superboy clutched her shoulders. "It's okay, Lana. What I'm trying to say that you can't let fear make you shrivel up and die. We all have to stand firm and face our fears at one point or another, no matter where we are. Lana, you're the bravest woman I know. Everyone has a time when they want a change of scenery. It just has to be for the right reasons."

Lana's adoration grew. Superboy thrust his arm out as if to show her the land. "If this is what you want most in life, and you want to start over in Smallville, who am I to stop you? It's your real home. I always want the best for you, Lana."

Lana sniffled. "Really?"

Superboy brushed his hand over her cheek. "Yes. Because I love you."

Lana pulled him in a tight hug. She lowered her face against his neck. "Then tell me, Superboy. Tell me you don't want me to stay here."

"Lana, please, don't leave me." He whispered, falling into a deep kiss.

Superboy pulled away and caressed her face, neck, and shoulders while she looked at him, stunned. "Now, I have to get those three back to the City before anything else happens."

He turned and smiled. "Will I see you again soon? Back at the house of weird?"

Lana broke her loving stupor with a wide grin. That was their nickname for the Bureau of Extra-Normal Matters. She playfully punched his shoulder.

"I'll be back in a few days. I need to clear my head for a little while. Then I can resume being the damsel in distress."

Superboy chuckled. "I understand. But if you change your mind about staying in this old cornfield, I'll jet right here and fly you home myself. First-class, Air Superboy."

He tossed his body up and backward with a wave and took off majestically toward the setting sun. Lana sank down on the porch steps watching his form shrink into the fluffy pink and orange clouds. She leaned over to pick up a small wildflower in the grass. She inhaled the scent and plucked at the petals with a sly smile.

"I'm counting on it…Clark."

The End.