Disclaimer: I do not own anyone in Smallville or in the Superman comics and whatnot.
Author's Note: Trial-running a little idea here. Curious to see how it'll turn out.
Chapter One: MeowPain.
That was the first thing he noticed as he slowly came to. A throbbing headache that blossomed in his head the moment of his first stirring.
'… Oh… God…'
He knew from experience that it was best to refrain from moving with- what he assumed was- a concussion-caused headache. He could smell an overwhelming scent, oddly familiar and somewhat comforting. So he lay still as he felt the pounding gradually fade away, an indeterminable amount of time passing before he deemed it safe to open his eyes again.
Darkness. Complete and utter darkness.
He was blind.
He quickly lifted his head to feel something relatively soft bump against the back of his head. Felt like cloth. At the same time, he saw a glimmer of light some distance away. As soon as he ducked his head back down the light disappeared.
He was relieved to learn he wasn't blind, but was now concerned he seemed to be in a large bag. That, and he couldn't remember what he was doing in it in the first place. He assumed he was kidnapped again, held hostage again, then knocked out and dumped at an out-of-the-way, middle-of-nowhere place. Again.
He could think about it later. Where there was light, there was a hole. Where there was a hole, there was a possible escape. He began to crawl forward, the light appearing again as the fabric was lifted. He wasn't sure, but something felt… different about himself. He couldn't place it right away- a side effect of the concussion, perhaps?
The light grew bigger the closer he got to it; the dim illumination allowed him to see that he was crawling through what appeared to be a tunnel.
Step into the light, a voice called to him in his mind, and it was several moments before he placed it.
Stupid movie.
What would he find outside? Cityscape? Corn? He didn't know how long he was out; he could still be in Lowell County, or not even in Kansas. Only one way to find out.
His head was the first to leave the tunnel, and first noticed the breeze as it struck his face. It wasn't cold, but wasn't hot either. A nice, cool, refreshing breeze; one that helped him become more alert and aware of his surroundings.
And right now, that was grass.
Either he had gotten smaller, or someone has been neglecting the lawn. He stood up, and the blades nearly came up to his chin. They seemed to be bigger; broader, more pronounced. The ground seemed a lot closer, too. And he could smell a lot of things; they were all a bit faint, but familiar. And he could hear something scurrying to his right, brushing against the grass several yards away. He turned his head to see what it was, and saw a mouse stop and stare at him, its beady black eyes watching him intently. But that wasn't what alarmed him.
The thing was big enough to almost reach his shins.
That settled it. He shrunk.
He seriously began to reconsider leaving the tunnel; it was relatively safe, and the only shelter he had at the moment. If a mouse was almost as tall as his shins, he hated to think how big a fox or coyote would be. However, if there were other people around…
He stepped out completely and immediately felt the breeze on his hindquarters. He closed his eyes. He really didn't want to look at himself to find out. Suspecting was bad enough.
Great. He was shrunk and naked.
Maybe he didn't want to find people just yet…
Was there clothes in the tunnel or the bag? He doubted it, since he didn't feel any in there. If anything, he could use the bag itself to cover himself. It wasn't much, but it was something. He doubted there was anyone nearby anyway, but he still had to try.
He tried to call out "Is anyone here?" but stopped as soon as what sounded like a squeak escaped him. Apparently his voice was out as well. Perhaps he was drugged? That would explain why he felt so odd…
The mouse shot off like a bullet the second he made a noise, running for its life. No surprise, really. He tried to speak again.
"Mreow."
He froze. That did not just come from him…
He tried again, and got the same thing.
He couldn't believe it. He was meowing. Who was he; Lex Luthor turned CatMan? Could be worse, he figured as he reached up to wipe his face in disbelief; he could have fur and a tail…
It wasn't a hand that touched his face.
He quickly jerked it away to look at it. There was no fur on it, besides perhaps what would be best described as peach-fuzz. He could clearly see where the joints of retracted extensions were pulled into the paw. He experimentally drew them out. Just as he suspected- five claws, each one curved and wickedly sharp. He turned his head to look at the rest of him.
His mind had since settled into a sense of mute horror and shock, but underneath it was a strange sensation of wonder and fascination. Just as he suspected, he sat on his hind legs, his practically furless dark body held up by his arms- forelegs- whatever. A long, skinny, and likewise furless tail had curled up along what would have been his left thigh. Slowly his mind formed it.
He, Lex Luthor, had been turned- not into CatMan, but a cat. A hairless one, of course. So fitting.
Still bald; still naked. Just a cat.
Great. Just great.
This just sucked.
To Be Continued…Author's note: And so it begins. Tell me what you think; I'd like to hear if you guys have any ideas as to what's going to happen next.
