The school hallway was busy when Clark rounded the corner and stepped into The Torch. The sound of conversations blended with the distant clatter of lockers closing. Chloe stood at the main desk, pushing papers aside while Alicia flipped through a stack of printouts with little interest.
Both looked up at the same time when Clark entered.
"Finally." Chloe exhaled in relief.
Alicia crossed her arms. "Took you long enough."
Clark ignored her comment and approached. "You said it was urgent."
Chloe drew a deep breath, as if gathering her thoughts before diving in. "It's about Lana."
Clark kept his expression calm. "What about her?"
"She's… not well. And I need you to talk to her."
Clark blinked slowly, as if he hadn't heard right. "Me?"
"Yes." Chloe leaned on the desk. "She won't talk to me. She shut me out twice. She's pulling away from everyone, and you know how she gets when she keeps things bottled up."
Clark thought for a few seconds. "Chloe, Lana and I barely talk now. You want me to get involved in her relationship with Jason?"
"I do." Her answer was firm, without hesitation. "Because she trusts you. Even when she won't admit it."
Alicia dropped the paper she was holding, the dry sound echoing between the desks. "This is pointless. If she's doing something wrong, you should just post it. Expose it. People need to know."
Chloe turned to her so fast her ponytail swung. "Not a chance. I'm not ruining Lana's life over a rumor I shouldn't even have heard."
"Rumor?" Alicia let out a short laugh. "I heard it. I saw it. And you know that makes a headline."
"And I said I'm not doing that." Chloe shot back firmly. "The paper isn't here to attack people."
Alicia looked away, annoyed. Her jaw tightened for a moment before she sighed heavily, as if swallowing her own opinion.
'Ridiculous… all this just to protect Lana.'
Clark heard her thought as clearly as if she had spoken aloud. Telepathy responded to his impulse instantly, the flow effortless.
'If it were anyone else, she would've published it already.'
Clark shifted his gaze toward Chloe.
'He has to agree. I can't do this alone.'
Clark exhaled slowly. 'I could just tell Dean to go look for his brother in hell… but that'd be weird.'
He closed his mind and returned to the present.
"Chloe." Clark spoke in a controlled but direct tone. "Why are you asking me to fix this?"
"Because she'll listen to you." Chloe insisted. "She's hurt. Confused. And Jason is even worse. I tried talking, Clark. She ignored me. Cut me off. And I don't want to see her fall apart again."
Clark leaned against the desk with no rush. "You're asking me to step into a relationship that isn't mine."
"I know." Chloe stepped closer. "But you've always been someone she listens to. I trust you. And… I need your help this time."
Alicia rolled her eyes subtly, but said nothing. Her frustration was almost tangible.
Chloe continued, voice soft but steady.
"Lana is sinking. If you don't do something, she'll shut down even more. And you know what happens when she tries to handle everything alone."
There was too much truth there. Truth Clark couldn't ignore.
Silence stretched for a few seconds until Clark lifted his eyes.
"I'll talk to her."
Chloe blinked, surprised. "Really?"
"Yes." He added without changing tone. "But I'm not promising anything."
Her smile appeared fast, genuine, like a spark. She stepped forward impulsively and hugged Clark before she even realized she was doing it.
The embrace was tight, emotional, full of relief.
"Thank you." Her voice was muffled against his chest. "Really."
Clark hesitated before lightly returning the hug. Alicia watched, her hard gaze narrowing.
When they pulled apart, the glow on Chloe's face remained.
"I knew you'd say yes." She breathed deeply, putting her ID badge back around her neck. "Now I can work without feeling like I'm abandoning her."
Clark nodded briefly. "I'll look for Lana later."
Alicia let out a long, tired sigh. "Great. Human drama before eight in the morning."
Chloe shot her a sideways glare. "If you're not going to help, don't get in the way."
"I didn't get in the way." Alicia replied without raising her tone. "I just think some people don't deserve that much protection."
Clark felt the stab of resentment but didn't comment.
"So we're done here." He said, ending the conversation.
Chloe smiled again, more controlled this time. "Yes. Thanks again."
Clark turned toward the door. "I'll find her."
He left The Torch with steady steps, the sound of the two girls' voices fading behind — one full of hope, the other trying to hide building irritation.
It was time to find Lana.
And Clark knew the conversation would not be simple.
The hallway was crowded enough to cause distractions, but Clark walked without shifting his gaze.
His steps were controlled, almost automatic, while his mind moved faster than his body.
'If I talk to Lana now, I'll look jealous. Or worse, like I'm sticking my nose where it doesn't belong.'
He inhaled slowly, the muffled noise of students echoing around him.
'But Chloe is counting on me.'
A student passed by and waved.
"Morning, Clark!"
"Morning." Clark replied without breaking stride.
It was a normal greeting, quick and forgettable. But even that disrupted his thoughts.
He adjusted his pace, almost turning toward his classroom. But something locked in place mid-step.
Clark stopped.
The hallway continued its natural flow around him, but Clark didn't move.
'If I talk to Lana right now, I'll make things worse. She'll think I'm trying to replace Jason.'
The next thought came sharp and clean:
'But there's another way.'
A cold, inevitable decision.
Clark lifted his head.
Class could wait.
But Jason couldn't.
He activated his super hearing, the layers of noise unfolding until he caught the specific voice he wanted. Something about training equipment, sorting gear in the back of the school.
Clark turned and headed for the gym.
The athletes' hallway was empty when Clark pushed open the coach's office door. The wood creaked softly. Jason was inside, crouched beside a box, organizing cones.
The sound of the door drew his attention.
"Clark?" Jason stood slowly. "What are you doing here? Class hasn't even started."
Clark stepped inside without hurry.
"Nothing much. I just wanted to talk."
Jason smiled politely, unsuspecting. "Sure. About what?"
Clark closed the door behind him.
The shift was immediate.
Jason sensed something — not in Clark's eyes, but in the silence that filled the room when the door clicked shut.
"It's about Lana."
Jason straightened slightly, like an athlete shifting into defense. "Why the hell are you talking to me about her?"
"Because I need to."
Jason frowned, irritated. "You and Lana barely talk. This has nothing to do with you, Clark."
Clark stepped forward. "It has more than you think."
Jason's posture stiffened, hostility rising. "If you're here to lecture me, forget it. Whatever I have with Lana is our business."
"Not for long."
Jason took a half step toward him, chest swelling. "What are you implying?"
Clark didn't change his tone — and that only made Jason angrier.
"You're going to break up with her."
Jason froze for half a second before exploding in disbelief.
"What? You've lost your mind." His voice rose. "Who the hell are you to tell me what I do or don't do with my girlfriend?"
Clark didn't move.
"You're going to end things with Lana. And you're going back to France."
Jason laughed — humorless, bitter.
"Oh, I get it. Jealousy." He pointed at Clark, anger rising. "Lana cut you off and now you want to play the hero? You think you're so untouchable you can order me around?"
"No." Clark corrected him with chilling calm. "I don't think. I will."
Jason stepped forward aggressively. "Enough. Get out of my way."
Clark didn't move.
"Look at me."
Jason tried to shove him, but his hand froze midair — as if his will had drained out the moment he touched Clark.
"What—"
"Look. At me."
It wasn't a request.
Martian telepathy activated like a silent blade, slicing through every mental barrier. Jason tried to avert his eyes, tried to fight, tried to think of anything that could anchor him…
Nothing worked.
His mind opened wide, vulnerable, held together only by fear and tension. Insecurity pulsed through him, mixed with the silent panic of losing Lana, and behind that was a thick layer of badly contained anger, ready to spill.
Clark stepped in without effort.
"You don't love Lana."
Clark's voice echoed through Jason's mind like stone.
"You were attached to what she represented. But that ends now."
Jason's breath hitched, his body wavering. "What… are you doing to me…?"
"Something necessary."
Every emotional tie shattered: the meeting in France, the declarations, the plans, the escape moments — all dissolved like dust.
Clark tore each emotional thread with cold precision, erasing the attachment, eliminating the impulse to fight for her.
Leaving only a flat, stable emptiness.
"You're breaking up with her today. And tomorrow you're flying back to France. And it will be your own decision."
Jason blinked slowly, his breath evening out. "Yes… my decision."
Clark stepped back, dissolving the mental link.
Jason touched his forehead, dazed, as if trying to remember what he had been organizing before Clark entered.
"I… think I need to talk to Lana."
His tone was neutral.
"And then… go home."
"It's the right thing to do." Clark replied simply.
Jason nodded, still disoriented. "Thank you for… putting me back on track."
Clark opened the door.
"Good luck."
Jason remained where he stood, breathing slowly, trying to reorganize his mind.
Clark left without looking back.
The door closed quietly behind him.
In the silent hallway, Clark resumed walking with no urgency. The decision was made. The result was guaranteed. The complicated part had stayed in that office.
He thought of Lana for a moment, but let the impulse fade.
'Not today. Better to give space. Let Jason do what he has to do.'
He knew it would be easier to talk to her once everything was resolved — when the field was clean enough that a conversation wouldn't turn into unnecessary drama.
And maybe, with time, they could recover some sort of friendship — without conflict, without guilt, without open wounds.
Clark kept walking, aware that the rest of the day would be hard only for those who still didn't know what was coming.
For him… everything was already perfectly under control.