Clark always feared his life would end up like this. Stuck in nothing but a lab, being dissected, vivisected, … other forms of sected. Clark groaned in pain as the hooks in his hands were pulled out the proximity to the blue was enough to keep him powerless as they locked him to a seat strapping him down at the waist with a locked metal bar and handcuffing each arm with handcuffs with blue rocks on them.

Clark looked at the rocks and tried to pull at them but nothing would bend or break. So how come he's not sick.

Lex smiled seeing Clark struggle this was months overdue. "You can try all day Clark you're not breaking out of those as long as the cuffs you're wearing stay on."

Clark glared at him but stopped. He won't say a word.

Lex looked at him confident. "Don't worry Clark you won't have to be in handcuffs much longer I assure you. The meteor rock of Smallville it comes in all colors. "Green, red, black, silver… and now there is a new color blue."

Clark looked at his shackles and realized it. "Cyaneous" Chloe was afraid of this new form of kryptonite. One he'd never see coming.

Lex nodded he always knew Clark was smart, no one could keep up a solid B+ grade average unless they were trying to hide. Just enough to avoid trouble, and enough to avoid standing out. "Weapons using the blue rock, you wouldn't know you were in trouble like with the green until it was too late."

Clark looked at him. "Kind of surprised it wasn't nicknamed something like the golden hind. You always did have a god complex."

Lex looked at him he never thought in a million years thought six years ago him and Clark would end up here. "I have to admit this was a big step up from the barn. You live among us as a mild-mannered farm boy. But secretly, you're a strange visitor from another planet, plotting our demise."

Clark rolled his eyes and leaned back. "Sure Lex… whatever you have to tell yourself to justify what you're doing this time. Considering I saved you more times then I can count… maybe fate was giving me a message I should have listened to, considering I've never done anything to hurt you."

"You didn't trust me." Lex replied. "With everything you had, with everything you could do, did you ever think about what we could have accomplished together? I would have helped you become a hero. But you always thought you were better then me."

Clark shook his head. "I am." Clark looked at him without an inch of doubt. "Always have been, you never helped anyone but yourself. I'm a nineteen year old alien, and even if you kill me now. I'll still be more of a man then you can ever be."

Lex punched him in the face. "You're not a man at all… Kal El."

Clark put his head up and smiled the same creepy smile with blood trickling down his lip when low and behold Lex betrayed him again last year. "Is that how you're justifying what you're doing to me?"

Lex looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just wondering how you're going to say it wasn't me this time." Clark replied. "You know the running track of your whole life. I didn't put my best friend into a coma, I didn't get Chloe killed, it wasn't my fault Lana left."

Lex quickly pushed a gun to his best friend's head. "You're the one who turned Helen against me. You're the one who turned Lana against me. I should kill you now."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm the one that beat your best friend to a bloody pulp, I'm the one that stole my blood, and ransacked Helen's lab. I'm the who injected Lana with synthetic hormones. If I knew the spoiled child you were… I never would have saved you on that bridge."

They both look up hearing a thud on the roof as the phantom landed and climbed in through a window and cheerily replied. "Will you two give it a rest you're like an old married couple?"

Clark looked at her. "Raya, I know you're in there… you have to fight this."

Raya put her hands on her head and bent down looking at Clark face to face. "Kal El… the crystal...hurry."

"Left pocket" Clark answered.

Raya took out the crystal and just let out a smile. "Oh god, it burns, it burns." She just crushed it in her hand letting out a trail of dust. "Sorry sweetie, but Raya is dead and pressure cooked… you know that."

Clark pushed trying to get the cuffs to break but nothing. "Then why do you wear her body?"

"I don't." The phantom assured him. "I just got stuck in a copy of the first kryptonian I could get and thanks to that damn Martian I didn't have the time to find you and fight him. Speaking of kryptonians do you have any advice for dying your hair? I keep trying to go brunette, but it all comes right out the second the sun touches it."

Clark glared at her.

The phantom innocently shrugged. "So that's a no huh."

Clark looked at her. Lex and the phantom interesting company he keeps. "So why am I still alive?"

The phantom pointed to herself. "Girl" She then pointed to Clark. "Boy, please tell me I don't have to expand on that."

"I'll never go for it. You're not my type." Clark replied.

The phantom smiled, like that is going to stop her. "Well, while earth is no krypton there are ways around that, speaking of earth, how about I don't waste anymore time. and give you what you've always wanted most."

Clark watched as the phantom pulled out a set of leather gloves and put them on her hands. He smiles hearing cars drive up. Thanks to Letty teaching him the sounds of the engines he knows one of them is his challenger along with two other cars. He watches as the phantom unrolled a lead wrap and sees a gold liquid filled vial and a syringe as she fills the syringe with the gold fluid. "What's that do?"

The phantom smiled looking at her upcoming victory. "I wasn't always a kryptonian, at first I was a failed science experiment. They tried to make wraiths that can turn into genetic clones to take healthy organs from the clones and give them to the sick originals. That was the point of their experiment, until I came along anyway. I'd look kryptonian, but inside I was the exact opposite… until recently anyway. The sun would damage me, but the meteor rock made me stronger. So how do people react to someone that could eat the radiation off thier planet… they locked me in the phantom zone. Every kryptonian down to the great Jor El was xenophobic. Jor El sent me right to the zone, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars."

Clark looked at her and put it bluntly from what the real Raya had told him of his home. "You're an idiot."

The phantom's eyes rose slightly. "And yet you're the one in chains."

Clark made another move to break the chains. "Jor El saved your life. You said it yourself the sun damaged you. Krypton's sun is much older then Earth's sun if what you said is true you never would have survived under it. Jor El saved your life."

"By sending me to hell because he didn't have the stomach to kill me!… I'm grateful." The phantom replied holding the needle. "But I suppose I should thank Raya for finding the cure… even if it didn't happen until long after she was in the zone. What you're looking at is gold kryptonite. It made me not a kryptonian, a genuine kryptonian. So if it's used on you it will make you…"

"Human" Clark realized.

The phantom held the syringe getting closer. "Just a powerless kryptonian, smile Clark, I'm about to make your deepest wish come true." The phantom moved to him but a sudden impact to the trailer forced her to drop the syringe.


Dom backed up and the three cars quickly drove catching up to the trailer Lex has Clark trapped in. Dom's Dodge Charger which is being driven by himself with Letty in the passenger seat. The Supra Dom 'gave' to Brian in the impound driven by Mia with Brian in the passenger seat and last but not least Clark's charger with Pete driving and Giselle in the passenger seat.

Brian gave a quiet little whisper of thanks to Lois for giving them Clark's cell phone number and the passwords it let them find him in mere minutes. "Alright we got them Dom drive up front. Pete stay right behind him."

Dom drove ahead and got in front of the trailer knowing his part. Mia drove alongside the trailer to the left of it and Brian pulled out his gun ready to shoot the back tire. However when he did the trailer rammed into the Supra forcing Mia to try to regain control of the car ruining their shot.

Giselle rolled her eyes this isn't going well, She got a new plan as she spoke into the communicator. "O Conner get in the back. Toretto stay where you are, keep that trailer right in front of you." She turned to Pete. "You used to be a street racer get this car ahead of Toretto."

Pete nodded and switched gears as the Challenger passed ahead of everyone. He watched Giselle pull out one of her guns, and straddled herself on the passenger door half in and half out of the car. "O' Conner on three… 1, 2, 3."

Brian wasted no time as he shot out the back tire and Giselle shot out the front tire forcing the trailer into a sharp turn as Dom slammed on the brakes forcing it to hit his charger causing the trailer to flip out as it tumbles down the road.


The phantom held on with one hand and grabbed the syringe with the other. "Got it." Just then the trailer stared tumbling and Clark watched as Lex and the phantom were bounced around like bouncy balls while he remained in the same spot thanks to being pinned down. "Thanks for strapping me into my seat."

Clark made a pull with his handcuffs trying to get free with the extra leverage the truck was giving and taking Clark smiled hearing the snap.

Clark looked at the well ceiling he thinks. The good news is he broke the arm restraints, also Lex and the phantom are unconscious. The bad news… he's upside down. He reaches down and pulls Lex up and goes for his pocket.

He hears the back door open and smiled in relief seeing Giselle. "Don't wake the girl up."

Giselle nodded and easily searched Lex's pockets picking up the key. She easily unlocked Clark's strap and watched him fall to the floor.

Clark got to his feet and Giselle handed him the key to the handcuffs. Clark smiled in a bit of relief, he easily undid the two broken cuffs on his wrists, freeing himself from the handcuffs with the blue rock center.

Clark and Giselle got out and saw Pete rush up but Clark held up a hand to stop him. Once he was out of the trailer he was fine.

They all watched as four black SUVs pulled up hello plan B. three guards emptied out of each car Brian and Dom aimed but Clark moved in a blur and within ten seconds all of them were unconscious.

Dom let out a whistle. "Well that went a lot smoother then other jobs."

A fast moving blur hit Clark and both were out of sight. Letty looked at it for a moment, before she turned to Dom. "Nice going."

Brian quickly got Mia behind the trailer and Giselle aimed seeing another two SUVS pull up Lex really wants Clark alive for whatever reason.


The phantom pushed Clark into the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face as she flew across the road. She started talking between each blow. "You think you can threaten my plans like this."

Clark tumbled down the road and the phantom slid on its feet making a dirt trail. Clark got to his feet and coughed up a couple drops of blood. "Your plan huh, I thought you and Lex were in on this together?"

The phantom smiled, Clark really is a big dumb alien if he believed that. "He was just a means to an end. I figured he'd be able to find the mythical gold, make you something I can torture when I'm bored, son of Jor El. All I was going to do was use Lex for his potential, to make an army of kryptonians with very little waiting time." She finished rubbing her stomach for emphasis. "Then me and the enhanced humans and loyal kryptonians would take any world we wanted starting with earth."

Clark got to his feet ready to fight. "I'll stop you."

The Phantom rolled her eyes. "Oh please I was playing with you earlier. I've been embracing who I am for a long time. Add in Raya's twenty plus years as a kryptonian with torquasm and klurkor and you're not going anywhere." She easily floats twenty feet up. "You're mine."


Giselle shot another of Lex's men in the chest as he went down. "We don't have enough ammo to hold out for long."

Letty looked over and grabbed a spear gun from the trailer. "What about these?"

Giselle shook her head. "Not anywhere near enough range the only things they'll hurt is probably Clark and that girl he's fighting."

Letty nodded as an idea came to her head. They don't have to kill them all they just have to get Clark free. "Cover me"

Giselle nodded and got to her feet emptying both pistols into the SUVs as Letty took the harpoon and hopped into the closest car which in this case was Clark's challenger as she drove in the direction Clark disappeared in.


Clark was sent tumbling again as his eyes lit up. He landed on his knees and fired at the phantom with heat vision as she appeared to the left of him. He aimed left and she appeared at the right. The phantom quickly appeared in front of him and punched him with all her strength in the sternum as Clark felt his ribs break from how hard she hit him as he coughed for breath.

"Enough, it's over!" The phantom shouted. "You can't beat me Kal. You're not strong enough."

Clark shot up and tried to hit her in a flurry of punches as she easily dodged each one and finally caught his arm and punched him in the chest knocking him down. Clark tried to get up and The phantom smiled as she ran up and punched him in the face, then followed it up with a knee to the stomach, followed by an elbow to the back, and finishing with an open palm to the throat as Clark toppled to the floor.

The phantom watched as Clark got back to his feet yet again. She speared him to the ground making a trench as she straddled him afterwards. The phantom shouted in primal fury, she wanted to make Kal suffer by proximity, it was Jor El that locked her into the phantom zone in the first place. Clark went to punch her but she easily grabbed his arm with both of hers, bending it at an unnatural angle until broke it. The phantom punched him in the face and started at superspeed repeatedly punching him and burying him further into the trench. She gets up seeing she essentially pummeled him into the ground.

The phantom looked at him. she picked him up in a chokehold. "So that's it then huh… no Jor El, no crystals, less powerful, so why am I keeping you alive… what else do you have... why do you keep getting back up!"

Clark looked at her. "Because you came to earth because of me it's my job to make sure you don't hurt anyone else." He elbowed her in the face and freed himself.

"Noble" The phantom replied as his challenger drove up and stopped in front of her. Letty aimed outside spear gun in hand.

The phantom avoided the spear and Clark ducked down as well both avoiding knowing full well what they do. Letty's eyes widen in fear she's good. She tries to drive but the phantom pulls onto the back of her car.

The phantom held the challenger up in the air as her eyes turned red. "When I count to five kiss her goodbye. 1"

Clark got back to his feet his arm hasn't healed and he could barely fight her whole, now he's so sore and painful he can barely move.

"2"

Clark's eyes turn red, but quickly flicker out. He only has one idea left but he can't do it.

"3"

Clark dives after her in a leap but the phantom simply smacks him away holding the car one handed. Clark looked at it… god help him.

"4"

"Letty use the nos"

Letty wastes no time and flips open the gear and hits the red button as The phantom is hit by a green flamethrower and quickly and instinctively tosses the car away. Clark ran as fast as his legs could carry him and jumped into the air through the challenger's window grabbing Letty and diving out through the other window as they slide down Clark shouting in pain from touching the floor.

Letty looked at him, she's alive, she simply hit him on the temple before lying back down. "We're even."

Clark got to his feet, he walked over to Raya's evil twin but by the time he got there well kryptonite boils his blood normally what do you think being burned by it did. He takes his jacket off to try to put her out but the closer he got the weaker he got until Letty had to pull him back.

Clark felt the sun finally work as his bones realign in his arm and the cuts and bruises are still there. However he does feel his old strength returning. Seeing what's left of the debris of his challenger.

"I'll get ya a much better car next time… a real ten second car." Letty promised.

Clark got to his feet. He'll get his own car now and this one won't have the walking death trap of kryptonite nitrous. "Thanks but for now… let's catch up with the others."


Dom fired a shotgun blast keeping Lex's goon squad pinned. "Tell me we have a plan to get out of this?" He turned around and saw Letty and can only smile having a good idea of what happens now as couple groans of pain are heard up near the SUVS."


Lex opens his eyes and looks at the ceiling, which is now the floor, what the hell happened? Where's the alien, where's Clark? He came out and saw Pete Ross looking at him. "Didn't think Clark would pull you into this after what the FBI did to you."

"He didn't." Pete replied. "I pulled myself into it after I found out what you did to Chloe."

Lex aimed at Pete with resolve Clark can't resist playing hero to his friends. To his surprise a female hand grabbed the gun and another one hit him with an uppercut knocking him down. Lex aimed at Giselle but saw he only had half a gun with a blue kryptonite bullet sticking out.

Giselle held the part of the gun she took off effectively disabling him.

Lex looked at the two and turned the other way only to see Brian and Mia, Brian looking straight through him egging for a fight. Lex backed up and turned to go the other way only to be cut off by Letty and Dom. Lex looked up from where his backup team was supposed to attack and only saw Clark walking down. Letty and Dom separated allowing Clark to walk through and focus on Lex as the two former friends look eye to eye.

Lex shrugged at least the world will see how dangerous he is now. "Take your best shot Clark."

Clark looked down and saw what he was looking for. Clark mindlessly picked up a broken blue kryptonite handcuff and reattached it to his waist.

Lex looked at him with a smile. "Always making sure it's a fair fight."

"No, I just want to be able to keep hitting you." Clark replied tackling Lex to the floor and delivered one stiff punch to the face.

Lex's head wobbled even when he sent meteor freaks after his parents and Lana Clark never hit him that hard before. Lex moved his head for the second strike and Clark punched the dirt. Lex quickly shot up with a headbutt knocking Clark off as both got back to their feet.

Clark went for a punch but Lex easily caught his arm, Lex delivered a right cross to Clark's face knocking him back as Clark climbed back to his feet.

Lex looked at him with a smile. "What's the matter Clark did you forget I was trained by a marine to fight."

Clark got to his feet and swung with his left hand but stopped halfway through and hit him with a jaw rattling right hook. "Figured he'd teach you to avoid the rope a dope."

Clark simply grabbed Lex and with a bit of strength threw him into the tractor head first knocking him down. Clark took advantage of Lex being down and climbed on top of him as the grief and fury of the past four months overwhelm him as he just kept hitting him. Clark just stopped and got to his feet. He looked at Lex in a pool of blood on his face but sadly the cockroach will live to see another day.

Pete looked at him. "Are you OK man?"

Clark nodded his head almost meekly. "Yeah, not that it's going to change anything."

Brian looked at Clark as he got an idea. "No, but that cell phone might."

Clark looked down and pulled out Chloe's cell phone. "You honestly think you can stop him with this?"

Brian nodded. "A friend of mine at the FBI managed to figure out who Braga was with two finger prints on a shot glass. We will get him convicted of aiding and abetting a convicted felon by helping Braga find Chloe."

Clark shrugged throwing him the phone it's all he can do for now since Chloe wouldn't want him to kill. He turns to the west and listens to it. "The police are coming."

Letty looked at them even if they were Lex's goons Giselle still shot at federal agents last night. "You might want to get your girlfriend out of here farmboy."

Clark nodded in agreement as Giselle easily picked the handcuff lock. He looked at Dom and Letty. "What about the two of you?"

Dom looks at Letty and Mia he made his decision. He's home and that's enough. "I'm not running anymore."

Clark looked at Pete the one he's most concerned about he doesn't want a repeat nightmare on his hands. "What about you?"

Pete looked at Lex he knows how to take care of himself. "Don't worry about me man. You take care of yourself Clark."

"Pete, you too." Clark and Pete gave each other one last hug before Clark simply disappeared with Giselle in his arms. Pete just had a simple grin there would be too many questions here but thanks to this little fight Lex now knows Clark can get him anytime he wants especially since Clark now has full powers and even with what he knows, Lex is going to have a hard time explaining away this one.

Lex opened his eyes and saw everyone except Clark and that one girl. Clark had help today, but it won't work next time. His men will be ready to shoot to kill anyone who gets close again.

Brian pointed his gun at Lex's head with one clear goal in mind for what he's done to his cousin. Mia grabbed his hand and Brian's anger subsided when she asked him not to. He got back together with her last night and after last time he doesn't want to risk losing his second chance.

Dom simply put his hands up as the cops came to arrest him and Brian had Lex put in the back of the car.


One Month Later

Clark threw the paper from a week ago down clear disgust showing on his face. Lex beat it and he's looking at the headline with disgust. Cons missing Federal agent and sister aid in breakout. The FBI spat in the face of their deal and threw Dom and Letty to the wolves. Clark knowing Brian and seeing Mia's loyalty has no surprise that they immediately broke their family out. There was never anything about the Phantom so he assumes Lex or Lionel had the mess cleaned up. Sadly once Brian went 'bad' the prosecution lost its leg to stand on.

Clark stretched back and the bar is actually nice when you don't have to work for eight hours straight. He does smile seeing Giselle walk into the bar even if she looks to be just as bad a mood as he is.

Giselle held up her paper. "You think the LA time is bad look at the Daily Planet."

Clark groaned in frustration seeing Luthor set free on the front page. "Well at least Brian was able to get him locked up for a month."

Giselle looked at him. "Is he still going to have the same resources?"

Clark nodded. "I talked to Lionel he couldn't regain control of Luthorcorp someone else acted as Lex's go to guy… if you don't mind I'd like to just enjoy the meal."

Giselle smiled. She knows Clark's an alien and she honestly doesn't have a problem with it. What she does have a problem with is outside of kissing and a little groping Clark seems almost afraid to touch her. They're not teenagers, well she isn't "This burger better be good."

"It is." Clark assured her.

Bobbi walked over to the table and smiled. "Well isn't this a surprise after two months. Clark you should have told me you were back earlier."

Clark smiled. "We're just stopping by for lunch. Bobbi Singer, I'd like you to meet Giselle Harabo."

Bobbi smiled and shook Giselle's hands. "I hope you're getting him out of trouble for a change."

Giselle smiled this woman definitely knows Clark. "Sometimes it's mutual."

Clark looked at her. "So can we each get a hamburger and fries?"

Bobbi nodded and went to the back and smiled seeing Clark and Giselle talking as they seemed to be catching up on something. Given the look on Clark's face not hard to see that he's happy with her.

Clark listened to Giselle as she finished her burger as did he.

"Aren't you concerned they'll find out about Pete?" Giselle asked now that Lex was walking the streets again.

Clark shakes his head. "According to Pete he got a job at Queen Industries. He also said he made a lot of good friends so Lex doesn't concern him anymore."

Giselle shrugged that seemed kind of sloppy for him, but Lex is far from perfect. She looked behind Clark and saw movement in the trees. "Four behind you"

Clark nodded already hearing them before. "They go with the twelve behind you."

"Shouldn't we go say hi?" Giselle asked.

Clark shakes his head. "I'm not going to risk my burger getting cold."

Bobbi smiled seeing them talking as she came with the food. "Anything else I can get you two?"

"Can I borrow that lead blanket you use on grease fires I want to show Giselle a magic trick?" Clark asked putting on an innocent look.

Bobbi nodded in agreement. "No problem honey."


Giselle walked out of the restaurant with a smile. She went into the grass, and calmly approached the four. "He's behind you."

The four turned and were quickly dropped by Clark as he moved in a blur. The lead fire blanket wrapped around him like a toga Giselle ran to the other twelve and smiled seeing twelve men all topple over for no reason. She smiled and grabbed one of their cell phones as she headed back inside.


Back at the table Giselle watched Clark thank Bobbi as he put the lead blanket away.

Bobbi looked at Clark with the smile on his face. She knew he deserved better. "Don't let that one go kiddo.

"I wasn't planning to." Clark replied.

Giselle looked at him with a cocky smile. "So do you want to see what's on their phone?"

Clark just went to the last received call and hit dial. "Don't think I have to."

Clark waited patiently until Lex said on the other line. "Tell me you have Clark."

Clark rolled his eyes. "You're not going to give up are you?"

"I already told you Clark, you're a monster living in the world, set to conquer us. You need to be brought in before you endanger our way of life." Lex replied.

Clark rolled his eyes in disbelief, if he was the monster Lex claimed he would have killed him.

"And as long as that Mossad bitch is with you I'll always have a way through to you."

Clark angrily picked up the phone set to yell but changes his mind. "Maybe you're right, maybe the world needs to know of the monster living in it. See you soon Lex." He hung up the phone and pulled out the tracking card and crushed it.

Giselle looked at him. "You said you weren't going to kill anyone."

Clark looked at her he's still not. "Who said the monster was me? I'm going to show the entire world undeniable evidence of the real Lex Luthor… but even I can't do that alone."

Giselle had a quiet smile on her face it's about time Clark went on the offensive. "So what's the plan?"

Clark looked at her. "First I'm going to a nuclear power plant and then we have to go to Smallville so I can get a team of people together. And then maybe call Dom and see if he can get some drivers together."


Author's Notes

Thanks for the reviews

Seriously when Lex lost his good side how was Pete not the first person he went after to find out Clark's secret. Hypnosis and a little truth serum how hard is that?

Up next: The recruits