"So you've heard the full prophecy," Madam Xanadu offered the next day, soon after Clark, Zatanna, and Bart had gotten together at her home. Zatanna had left early in the morning, telling Lana that she had to meet a few mystics regarding her search for her father. Lana herself had told Zatanna that she had decided to go to school anyway, though Zatanna had convinced her to stay back home and rest. Lana had finally agreed after a little bit of non-magickal prodding from the sorceress. Clark had joined Zatanna outside of Smallville, and Bart had joined them at Xanadu's front doorstep.
Zatanna nodded. "We have. Dr. Fate told us everything. Well…everything he knew anyway."
"But there's more to it than just that," Clark added, "as Genevieve Teague hinted towards yesterday."
Xanadu nodded, her face showing complete understanding. "You won't know everything until it's too late."
Her words sent Clark, Bart, and Zatanna into a stunned silence as they stared at her, mouths hanging open. Xanadu just smiled her cryptic, pleasant smile at them as she turned to look at each of her three comrades.
"Not the words you were expecting?" she asked.
"Not exactly…" Bart offered.
"Although knowing all the great help you've given us so far, we really should have expected it," Zatanna added, giving her long time friend a sour look. "How is it, exactly, Xan, that you can be so open about your sex life with me and give me every single last detail even while I beg you to stop, and when it's something as important as this, you become as cryptically annoying as a magic eight ball?"
Xanadu smiled slyly. "The world may never know."
Zatanna rolled her eyes and tried her best to stay calm. Bart put his hand over hers and massaged it gently, trying to get her to calm down.
"Is there anything you can actually tell us, Madam Xanadu?" Clark asked gently.
"Watch Lana closely." Xanadu replied, clearly enjoying herself. Xanadu realized that her friends were in a dire situation, and she understood the levity of what would happen if they couldn't stop things from happening, but the fact was that she knew what the outcome of things to be were. She was just trying to inject some humor into the whole ordeal.
Apparently her friends weren't making with the appreciation today.
"How about something that we didn't know," Zatanna snarked back at Xanadu.
Xanadu nodded. "Alright then. How about this? Genevieve Teague isn't who you think she is."
"See my last question."
"The answer's been in front of you the whole time. Especially if you've been paying attention in your English classes. Think on it for a moment…and her intentions will become clear. Especially to you, Zatanna."
"Uh…I don't go to school with them," Bart offered.
"It's no matter. I'm sure that Zatanna or Clark will figure it out."
Zatanna was silent for a moment, trying to think back to English class. She hardly paid attention in class, owing to the fact of everything else going on, but what was it that they were –
Realization hit Zatanna like a brick against marshmallow. She let out a few choice curses before stating in a low, somewhat worried voice, "Guys…I think I know who we're up against…"
Genevieve Teague was positively fuming as she walked up the steps to Jason's apartment. Yesterday had not gone well. Not only had she been unable to find Isobel, but she had been told off by that stupid twit of a girl Zatanna. Genevieve hated that the young woman had been able to hold her own so well against her. No one had done that, no one. Throughout the centuries that she'd been alive, there hadn't been a single person to stand up to her that way.
Except for Isobel. But she'd made certain that Isobel died.
Or at least she thought she had.
Genevieve held back a snort as she came up to Jason's door. She stood silent for a moment, composing herself. She would need to meet Jason with a level head and talk to him. Have him fall under her persuasion, and get him to search for Lana, well, Isobel technically, but that was none of Jason's concern.
And the only way to make Jason look for Lana is to act as though she disapproved of his relationship with the country bumpkin of a girl.
God, he was so easy to manipulate. Then again, with all the spells that she had cast over him years ago, she figured that he would be easy to manipulate. Now if only she could get him to track down his ex-girlfriend and make up with her…
Genevieve pushed any tell-tale thoughts to the back of her mind and put up a false smile, knocking on the door. The door opened moments later and Jason stood in front of her, dressed in jeans and a striped shirt, an annoyed expression on his face.
"Mother. Back again for another visit?"
"As if I could ever not visit my only son," Genevieve replied saccharinely, pushing past him into his apartment. She immediately noticed that he had finished settling into the apartment, and the end result was most definitely well done. It was a perfect bachelor's pad, without seeming too juvenile. Rather like Jason when he wasn't unconsciously fighting the spells that had been cast on him.
"So what brings you here today?"
"Nothing in particular Jason. I was just out doing some light shopping when I bumped into Lana Lang. Seeing her reminded me of something and so I thought I'd come see you. Won't you at least offer me tea? Or coffee? Or even a carbonated, caffeinated beverage of some sort?"
"Sorry, kitchen's closed. Why would seeing Lana remind you of something?"
"Well, it just reminded me of how happy I was that you broke up with that foolish little country bumpkin. I mean, she really was beneath you," Genevieve said as she settled into one of Jason's couches. "Though, candidly speaking, I hope not physically." Seeing that her last comment pushed Jason the wrong way, Genevieve continued without giving Jason a chance to react or respond. "In any case, there's this girl I know, a lovely socialite of a girl. Her grandparents are very rich, influential people. You might have heard of them, the family's last name is Gil-"
"I'm not interested, Mom," Jason interrupted. "Really. I'm doing great on my own. I'm not sure what your real reason for coming here was but -"
"But nothing, Jason. I just thought of my son and felt that I should visit you, see if there's any way to make your new home comfortable. I am your mother, after all, and I do wish to see you lead a good life."
"Without Lana."
"Yes, well, Lana isn't exactly -"
"You don't know Lana Lang, Mom!" Jason suddenly exploded, shocking even himself. He'd broken up with Lana because of his mother, he realized…but maybe he was wrong in guessing that his mother was playing some weird manipulative game. Maybe she really had hated Lana, maybe she had just been taunting him about Lana being "special." Jason glared at Genevieve angrily, his face starting to turn red. "You don't know her at all!"
"Nor do I need to know her, Jason," Genevieve replied, marveling at how easily this young man in front of her could be manipulated. "I'm just glad that-"
"Perhaps you should leave," Jason said as he stalked to the door and yanked it open.
Genevieve looked at Jason with a pout. "You would kick your own mother out?"
"There are days, you know, when I convince myself that you aren't my mother at all."
Genevieve stifled a laugh at this. "Jason…sometimes you really are a bit much. Alright, I'll leave. You know where to find me if you need…anything."
"I won't."
"You tell yourself that now," Genevieve said as she left the room. Jason slammed the door shut behind her, and Genevieve stood still for a moment, waiting outside the door, listening to what the boy she called son was doing.
She grinned devilishly as she realized that he was going out to meet Lana Lang.
Writer's Note: Wow. And another month has passed since my last update. Really really sorry about that, to anyone who's not as yet frustrated with me and hasn't stopped reading. It was one of those things where bad things happen all at once, somewhat connected to the personal problems I had spoken of in my last post. Granted, things have cooled off considerably enough for me to turn around again and get back to routine, so seriously do expect me to update once more the way I used to…
Hope you guys liked this chapter. :-D