Lana woke up and found herself dressed in hospital attire. She rubbed some of the sweat off her forehead and took a few moments to gather her thoughts. Of course; she was caught in that pipe explosion, but managed to live through it. However, she had an excruciating head ache now.

"Glad to see you're awake," she heard the voice of Clark Kent. She saw him standing in the doorway.

"Clark. How long have I been here?" She asked rubbing her temples a little.

"For most of the day; other than a concussion the doctors believe you'll be fine and can be released by tomorrow."

"I wouldn't say I'm fine exactly Clark. I have a monumental head ache right now," she said.

"Nothing a couple of aspirin shouldn't be able to cure," Chloe said entering the room followed by Jimmy, Pete and Tess. "It's funny. We've been in this hospital so much the past year we might as well have our own rooms on reserve," Chloe joked.

Lana laughed and then said, "I thought you were supposed to be in Metropolis for the Daily Planet interview."

"It's not for another few hours," Chloe said.

"Isn't Metropolis a three hour drive from here?" Tess asked.

"Actually I've never really been exactly certain how far away Metropolis is. Sometimes it feels like a hop, skip, and a jump away," Chloe said. "But anyway I couldn't leave without making sure that one of my friends was alright," Chloe said.

"Thanks, Chloe," Lana said smiling at her friend. "By the way. Have you had any luck tracking down that elusive admirer of yours?"

"No. I'm telling you if this is a joke being played by one of the football players, that guy will suffer my wrath and it's not going to be pretty," She said crossing her arms. Everyone looked at her like she was serious.

"Kidding. Kidding," Chloe said putting up her hands then decided to change the subject. "So, anyone got a date for the upcoming Spring Formal?" She asked them. They all shook their heads no. "Well here's a crazy idea. Since we're all dateless, why don't we all go together? Just as one big group of friends," she suggested. The group took a few seconds to think it through.

"Sure, why not?" Clark said.

"I'm up for it," Jimmy said.

"Me too," Pete agreed.

"Sounds like a good idea," Tess said sparing a quick glance at Clark.

"I'm in," Lana said.

"Awesome," Chloe said then looked at her watch. "Now if you'll excuse me I have an interview to attend to," she said already headed for the door. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Right behind you," Jimmy said.

"Why are you going with her?" Pete asked.

"Do you know what kind of a place Metropolis is at night? Dangerous that's what," Jimmy answered and then went after Chloe.

"You know I can handle myself," Chloe said to Jimmy as they stepped beside her car.

"I know, but still you can never be too careful," Jimmy said rubbing a hand against the back of his head.

"Oh Jimmy. What's the worst that could happen?" Chloe asked.

"You know whenever those words are uttered something bad usually happens," Jimmy warned.

"Like what?" Chloe asked him.

"Like this!" Chloe heard a garbled voice yell. A man sprang out from behind a truck and shot Chloe with a tazer.

"Chloe!" Jimmy shouted and started to run towards her when someone grabbed him from behind and put a cloth soaked in chloroform over his mouth. Jimmy arms went limp and the man hoisted Jimmy over his shoulder. The second man punched Chloe to ensure that she was out cold and then searched her for her keys. He then opened the trunk of her car and threw her in it; his partner doing the same with Jimmy.

"Lana?" Pete asked waving his hand in front of her face.

"Sorry. Spaced out. What were you saying?" She asked. Lana couldn't explain it, but for a few seconds she saw Chloe and Jimmy being attacked. It was like she was seeing it through someone else's eyes. It must've been because of the head ache she was feeling though.

"I was asking if you think Jimmy is Chloe's admirer?" He repeated.

"Not a chance," Lana answered.

"Too obvious," Tess replied.

"Chloe would've figured it out immediately," Clark responded.

"Something's wrong!" They heard someone shout from outside the room.

"What's going on?" Tess thought out loud.

"I don't know," Clark said getting up. He exited the room and saw a few members of the hospital staff run by. He followed them to the room they were racing to. He stood in the doorframe and saw Rudy Jones looking like he was having a fit! His body was spazing out of control. Not like Earl Jenkins, but still pretty bad.

"Hold him down and sedate him!" One of the doctors told the nurses. They tried to grab Rudy, but then his hands grabbed both of their arms making both women scream; both their bodies started to glow. Rudy shoved them back and sprang out of his bed.

"A mirror," he thought. He needed a mirror. He walked past the shaking doctor and unconscious nurses and grabbed the first mirror he could find. Rudy screamed bloody murder and started to make a run for it only to be blocked off by Clark. "Kent. Get out of my way. Please," he requested.

"No Rudy. There's something wrong with you. You won't find out if you run," Clark said not standing aside. He was prepared to incapacitate Rudy if he had to.

"Sorry Clark. But there's only one person that can help me now," and with that Rudy sprinted forward. Clark grabbed Rudy by the shoulders to keep him from running, but Rudy snatched both of Clark's wrists. Clark's body started to glow just like the nurses as he felt his strength starting to leave him. Rudy tossed Clark aside and tried to run again only to be cut off by Tess.

"I'm sorry Tess," he said and seized her neck stealing some of Tess' strength as well. He let go of her and made a break for it. Some of the hospital security team tried to stop him, but Rudy plowed straight through them; launching them both in opposite directions. Rudy was shocked by that display of strength.

"What the Hell is happening to me?" He thought as he vanished into the night.

The Next Day

Rudy's break out from the hospital was all over the news. Clark and Tess found themselves being questioned about it by at least half the school since they were there to witness it.

"Chloe's gonna be pissed when she finds out what she missed," Pete joked. "I'm surprised she wasn't back in school today though," Pete said.

"Maybe she stayed home today to catch up on her sleep. Who knows what time she got back into Smallville," Clark said though he was also thinking about Rudy as well. Something about Rudy's touch drained away some of his powers. He could actually feel himself getting weaker the longer Rudy held onto him.

What happened to him? Clark had heard about the accident back at the Luthor Corp. Plant, but he didn't think that sort of thing could happen to Rudy. It made Clark wonder just what went on behind those walls at times.

"You're probably right. Anyway I think we should start bragging my friend," Pete said to Clark.

"About what?" Clark asked.

"About the Spring Formal. We are essentially going to it with the best looking girls in school," Pete said.

"Pete we're just going as a group. It doesn't count," Clark said hoping he wouldn't crush his friend's enthusiasm.

"Be serious Clark. No one ever goes to these sorts of things as friends."

"Then what were you and Chloe back during the Homecoming dance?" Clark asked.

"Well, uh. That was different," Pete tried to defend himself.

"Right," Clark said and turned to walk in off.

"Where are you going Clark? School's over," he said.

"The gym," Clark answered. Though he didn't need to exercise, getting some blood pumping as the gym coach put it could maybe help him think better about the whole Rudy situation; and maybe about the looming day of the Spring Formal.

Tess was busy doing pushups in the gym. She was hoping it would take her mind off of seeing Rudy the way he was last night. It freaked her out to say the least especially when he took her by the neck. She'd never felt so weak before. To tell the truth she'd much rather think about Clark than about that. Even though it wasn't officially a date going to the Spring Formal in a group with him was probably the closest thing she'd get she'd get to it.

Once she reached a hundred pushups she decided that was enough for today. As she started to exit the room the door opened and she bumped into none other than Clark Kent.

"Sorry, Tess," Clark apologized with a laugh. "Wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's no problem," Tess accepted then noticed that Clark was holding her rather close. The two of them wanted to move, but some invisible force kept them together.

"Tess. About the… moment between us a several weeks back during the Nicodemus incident," Clark started. Both he and Tess were at a loss for breath.

"What about it?" Tess asked Clark, but he didn't answer her. The heat started to rise between them again. But like several other moments between them it was interrupted by the sound of approaching feet. Clark and Tess jumped away from one another just as the door burst through the door. The interrupting party was once again none other than Whitney.

Clark and Whitney narrowed their eyes at one another while the ex-football player walked over to one of the basketball hoops and started shooting around. His life couldn't be going any worse. First he loses his girlfriend, then his scholarship due to that stupid shoulder injury, and now he's been benched for the remainder of the season due to that same injury. Things were great for him up until Homecoming. He had been remembering more and more about that particular night each day since the Nicodemus Incident. He knew that all his problems circled around Clark and he was going to get back at him for that if it was the last thing he did.

While Whitney continued to shoot Lana stepped inside the gym as well. She was looking uneasy about something.

"Pete said I could find you here," she said to Clark. She was surprised to see Tess and noticed that she was blushing red.

"Is something wrong?" Clark asked noticing the way she looked.

"It's about Chloe and Jimmy. I'm not completly sure, but I think something might have happened to them."

Crater Lake

Rudy was hiding out in the forests near Crater Lake. He knew that he needed to get to Lex in order to find out what was wrong with him, but with the police likely hunting for him it wouldn't be easy. But despite all that there was something about this that Rudy liked. When he grabbed both Kent and Mercer he felt stronger than he ever did. He sent those two members of security flying at least a good five feet.

"I wonder," Rudy thought walking over to a rock. He raised both fists in the air and slammed them on the rock smashing a good portion of it. Rudy's shocked lips slowly formed into a smile. "This might not be so bad after all," he thought.

To Be Continued…