Watching
Clark watched as the bullet hurtled towards him. He had switched into fast mode the second he heard the click of the trigger. It was interesting, ages back when Lex had shot at him in the garage with the Uzi his fast mode seemed much slower than it was now, but now he could stand there for at least a good ten seconds before having to react. Ten seconds in Clarks time mode, not a regular persons. Considering the shooter was only a mere few meters away as well. To a normal person it would be a split second or less. But Clark? He just watched. The tiny piece of metal flew at him so slowly. He wondered what to do. Take it full on in the chest and have it squash beneath his bare skin leaving just a black mark on him and a small hole in his yellow T-Shirt, so that the person knew of his capabilities? Or move slightly so that they just thought he had real fast reflexes? Either way they would know something was 'different' about him. 'Maybe I should just grab it.', he thought. But Clark had a quick flash back to when he last grabbed a bullet. It had pierced straight through his hand and imbedded itself in his chest. Then again, it was a Kryptonite bullet forged by a crazy guy with a vendetta against 'freaks'. Clark wondered why he had even bothered with changing into fast mode. To give him time to think about what to do? Probably. Clark didn't care no longer. The amount of times he had been shot at or hit with objects that would kill a human seemed to infinite the times they had actually done any harm to him. From chainsaws to baseball bats. Clark had taken it all. And then shrugged it off. Or glared at whoever had done it then pushed them over really quickly. Never punching them. Clark had always wondered what kind of damage one of his punches would do if he hit someone square in the face. Smash right through their skull he guessed. That's why he had never done anything too drastic in stopping the 'Current Enemy of Smallville'. Generally he just pushed them over or threw them at a wall lightly. Well, lightly to him anyway.
The bullet was a few inches away from him now and he decided to just dodge it instead. He moved ever so slightly to the left so that it just flew on by leaving ripples in the air. He now switched back to normal mode, the loud bang of the gun once again echoing around the barn more loudly than in fast mode. The ripples disappearing instantly.
Clark frowned at the person holding the gun now aimed at his head, probably caused by the kick back.
"Now, now… None of that." he said as he walked forwards going to take the gun from her hand. The woman shot off another bullet this time with the gun point blank at Clarks shoulder region. Clark didn't bother to switch to fast mode this time. He just let the bullet bounce off his steel like skin and imbed itself in the wall to his left. "Careful," he said with a smile, "You're gonna have someone's eye out. Just not mine." He took the gun out of the girls hand and pondered what to do. 'Screw it', he thought, crushing the gun in his fist. He dusted his hands off and the black plastic remnants from the destroyed Glock fell to the floor.
"Lana sweetheart?", said Clark eyeing up the girl, "Why do you hate me so much?."
Lana stared on in disbelief at what she had just witnessed. Clark really was something out of this world. She had just shot him at point blank range and all it did was put a hole in his Tee.She stepped back in shock just staring at him.
"W-what the hell are you?", she asked shaking. "Me?" Clark asked looking around at the empty barn around him, "Well, I guess the exact word for it is Kryptonian." began Clark sounding very Calm and uncaring towards anything, "I mean, I come from Krypton so I guess that's what I am."
"What?", said Lana still confused and scared. Clark just seemed so uncaring about everything he had done over the past few weeks. She wished she still had possession of the Glock Lex had given her. She didn't know why though considering it wasn't much use. It just gave her a slight feeling of power over the Lunatic stood before her who used to be Clark Kent. "Lana, I'm basically an…," Clark shook his head still smiling, "Cant believe I'm about to say this but here goes. I'm basically an alien ok?" Clark chuckled to his mad self. "Sounds lame! I know! But ask Pete, he'll tell you…". He brought his hand up to his mouth in mock horror. "Oh wait! He cant! I killed him."
Lana winced at this remark. She thought Clark had something to do with the death of Pete Ross but refused to believe it. Until now. A tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek, just as it reached her jaw line and formed as a droplet Clark switched to fast mode.
He watched the small bead hover in place almost at a stand still. Well, almost isn't the word, for it wasn't even moving. With the bullet there had been definite movement for Clarks eyes to follow. But with this, it seemed completely transfixed in place like the hour hand of a clock. He felt saddened by all the pain he had caused his loved ones over the past few weeks. But greed and power had gotten the better of him again. Before he got too upset he switched back, not even bothering to keep his eyes on the tear. He looked up at the barn roof shaking the sadness he felt a moment ago from is mind. "So what do you do now huh," he asked Lana looking back at her, "I mean, you've got no gun. No means of protecting yourself. What ARE you going to do!." Clark laughed slightly and sighed. "Jesus, I'm getting bored Lana."
Lana turned around and began to run for the door of the barn. But before she could even get a metre away Clark was in front of her holding her arms up. "Not bored enough to let you go though babe."
"Clark!", shouted someone from behind him who must have just come in. Clark released Lana's arms and turned around slowly to see Lex in the doorway battered and bruised. "Get the hell away from her!", yelled Lex leaning against the door for support.
Clark smiled and shook his head, "Sheesh! You Luthors never learn do you?", he said with a faked sigh.
Lex smiled and propped himself back up, "Oh I don't know. Maybe we do.", he said as he produced a large lump of black rock with green fragments in it from his pocket. Clark immediately felt the affects as Lex held it out aiming it at him. "Lana, get out of here," Lex said to the scared girl, "Me and Clark have some unfinished business."
Lana looked at Clark as he fell to his knees obviously weakened by whatever it was Lex had taken out of his pocket.
She loved Clark but had to get away from him before he regained his strength. He was unstoppable, barring what Lex had in his hand. Lana had no time to register that it was a piece of the meteor rock that had killed her parents all those years ago and simply ran out of the barn and into the night hoping to get as much distance between her and Clark as humanly possible.
"So then…..", began Clark finding it hard to talk, "You found my…weakness did you?". He clutched his sides as his insides burned and his veins turned a lime green. "What you gonna do now," asked Clark, "Smash my skull in with it?" He laughed at his joke and doubled over even more as the pain tore through his body.
"I'm sorry to have to do this Clark," said Lex looking down at his best friend who was writhing in agony, "I hate to cause you this much pain."
Clark chuckled through the intense pain, "Don't…lie now Lex. We're all friends…here."
Lex held the meteorite rock mere inches away from Clarks body as he put his left hand into his pocket and pulled something out. It was another gun. "Desperate times, Clark, call for desperate measures."
Clark saw the gun and laughed slightly even though he was in agony. "That…C-cant kill me, even when I am…weakened.", he spluttered out.
"Oh I know that Clark,", said Lex nodding with a slight smile aiming the gun at Clarks hand, "But it can put a stop to this evil crap you're going through." Lex pulled the trigger and the small piece of metal flew directly towards the ring that was placed tightly onto Clarks ring finger on his right hand. The ring had red meteorite rock placed within its metal confines which glinted slightly from the barn light, the reflection of the bullet in the emerald became slightly bigger ever so quickly. The bullet tore the red emerald into about ten pieces and scattered them around the floor of the barn just before Lex threw the gun to the floor and the green rock a few metres away.
"You can apologise later.". Lex exited the barn with a frown.
'The Kents had been most helpful in the attempt to stop Clark', thought Lex as he stalked off accross the farm yard.
'Shit', thought Clark as he led on the floor of the barn recovering, 'I need to stop putting on those rings'.