Chapter Thirteen
Flying back from the fortress, ready to face the mad scientist, he focused his hearing to listen in on what was going on at Watchtower. Under normal circumstance he would never intentionally listen in on people as he respected each individual's privacy, but after what had happened to Lois and that the scientist had a vendetta against him, Clark did not want to miss a thing. He hoped that Chloe with her hacking skills might have found some new information. Strange he thought for a minute, why didn't he hear any of the girls talking, especially Lois with her mouth who always had something to say? Grinning at the thought of her, he listened more intently when all he heard were muffled sounds and something scraping against the hard tile floor. Feeling a sudden anxiety at the prospect that something was wrong, Clark used his telescopic vision to see what was going on. His heart pounding fiercely in his chest when he saw Chloe tied and bound to a chair with a bomb attached to it about to explode. He picked up speed, his mind racing at the thought of losing his best friend and instantaneously with just a couple of seconds to spare before detonation, he ripped the duct tape off of her and with the bomb in hand he flew up high into the evening sky and launched it far into outer space, watching it explode silently in the vacuum of the cosmos. He hovered above Earth for a short while making sure no shrapnel made its way back into Earth's orbit before he made his way back to Watchtower.
Chloe suddenly found herself free of her restraints, uncomprehending on what had just happened. The last thing she saw were the numbers going backwards, counting the remaining seconds till the bomb exploded, knowing there was nothing she could do to save herself and braced for her impending doom. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself to help stop the insistent trembling, when she saw or more like felt the slight swoosh as Clark made his way inside. Without saying a word they fiercely hugged each other. Both grateful, both understanding on how the other feels.
He held his friend in a comforting embrace until her shuddering subsided. Gently releasing her from his strong arms he noticed that Lois and Lana were nowhere to be found. Clark was about to ask where they were but he already knew who was responsible for this. True to the mad scientist's word, first it was Lois, now Chloe and now he has both Lois and Lana. He wanted to know what the hell had happened that Chloe along with Watchtower was about to be blown up. And what had Jenkins done with Lois and Lana?
As if reading his mind she quickly blurted out, "Trent came in here holding them at gunpoint then knocked them both out. That's when he did this to me" pointing at the shredded remnants of duct tape lying on the floor next to the chair that Clark had so recently untied her from. Anger fuelling within him, Clark was furious, hardly able to control his rage. Hoping that by some chance the scientist had mentioned where he took Lois and Lana. He didn't know if he would be able to control himself if anything had happened to Lois. Dr. Jenkins had almost succeeded in eliminating Lois the first time, there was no way he was going to let it happen the second time. When Lana had left he felt devastated, but not having Lois by his side would be like his very soul being ripped right out of him. Wanting to comfort his friend but knowing he had to find the scientist first. His hands fisted by his sides, fearing the worst, "Where did he take them?" Clark asked through clenched teeth. Getting his answer when Chloe just shook her head, indicating she had no clue.
"Please be careful Clark," Chloe quickly hugged him as both understood the underlying meaning of her words. Chloe let go of him and watched as he disappeared, leaving her short blond tresses wafting from the sudden gust of wind he left behind in his haste, in search of Lois and Lana.
Soaring high above Metropolis to get a better look at the city down below, grateful that it was dim enough where he wouldn't be easily spotted, his dark attire further camouflaging him. Focusing on one sound only, the heartbeat of the woman he loves, relieved when he immediately heard it. He followed the sound with lightening speed until he found himself hovering above the unfinished building that was to become Dr. Jenkins lab. Focusing his x-ray vision to make sure Lois was alright and to identify the risks he might encounter, when his sight was suddenly inhibited. Clark immediately realized why he couldn't see past the subterranean level. The underground complex was made out of lead. Quickly breaking his way inside, tearing through the walls as if they were nothing but paper, he saw the two women were being held in separate cylindrical tanks that were quickly filling up with water. He was about to smash the glass containers when he heard a voice resonate behind him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, the electrodes that you see attached to them, are actually sensors, if one tank is broken then the girl in the other tank will get electrocuted. So which one will it be? Or is the Blur too scared to take one life to save another?" Jenkins remarked smugly. Finally he was going to get rid of Clark Kent a.k.a. the Blur, but not without having him first endure the pain and suffering of watching the two women perish right in front of him, knowing that he himself due to the green glowing rock he wore around his neck could not be touched. In fact not only did the meddling reporter was finally going to get what she deserves and the Lana having served her usefulness to him, Clark was at his mercy as well.
"You sadistic venomous snake!" Clark yelled out, feeling his eyes heat with rage. He could hear the mad scientist but he couldn't see him as his voice reverberated through the speakers.
"Oh why thank you" Trent replied as if he just received a compliment.
Clark was trying to assess the situation on how to save the girls, his mind calculating the risks with the speed that would rival any computer. But not fast enough as he saw the girls frantically banging at their glass enclosures. Unaware of the dangers if one should happen to break free, Clark desperately tried yelling for them to stop for fear that one of them should somehow crack it open, not knowing that the containers were sound proof. Without any warning, Dr. Jenkins appeared from a small room located in the chamber, with kryptonite in hand, he threw a powerful punch against Clark's jaw, knocking him down against some of the equipment. Clark fell down hard, feeling as if he was being torn from the inside out as the piece of meteor rock lay beside him on the floor, too weak to move it away.
"You see, when Lana came to me for help, I was more than willing to oblige" Jenkins said as he kicked Clark in the ribs just as he was struggling to lift himself up. "This power suit belongs to me now!" The mad doctor walked over to the small chamber he just came from and turned on a switch that opened up a vault door revealing the green glow of the refined kryptonite. He knew with that stuff around he didn't really need the power suit to defeat the Blur and since the transfer, it wasn't at its full capacity either. He still had a lot of work to do. For some reason he was still not sure why or how it had happened but he seemed to lose a great deal of his super strength whenever he would wear the piece of kryptonite around his neck, but it still made him much stronger than any human being. Ever since that faithful day in Smallville, he learned very quickly that by having the meteor rock near him it made him heal almost instantaneously, since then he always wore it around his neck like some sort of a charm, never again did he have to worry about getting sick or hurt. However since donning the power suit, he didn't need to wear that green rock anymore, he saw no reason too and besides he loved the raw power the suit gave him. But that day when he was supposed to grant the two reporters an interview, knowing from Lex's notes that he got a hold of, the green rock was deadly to Clark. Trent knew that the power suit alone would not do much to Clark but the meteor rock would inflict a lot more damage than the power suit ever would. Dr. Jenkins entered the vault to retrieve his favourite item, placing his beloved trinket around himself. Finally he was going to get revenge to what they did to Lex, finally Clark Kent was going to pay the ultimate price.
Gasping for breath from the kick that he had just endured, Clark felt himself begin to lose consciousness from all the exposed kryptonite. He did realize however that Trent did not have the suit at full power since he didn't seem to have any of the suits abilities when he found him at the talon and brought him to Flanders Field, and second, Clark noticed that Trent's new suit didn't have the kryptonite absorbed in it like Lana had before she left. Clark would have to somehow take him by surprise and find a way to free the girls. Then Clark realized there was a reason why this underground facility was lined with lead. The scientist must know about his x-ray vision not being able to penetrate through lead. That way Dr. Jenkins could perform his questionable experiments without any prying eyes watching him. He definitely had to be extra cautious.
Using what was left of his heat vision to cut a sizeable piece of lead panelling and using it as a shield to protect himself, Clark quickly got up from the floor and kicked the green rock away. He noticed the tanks were quickly filling up, the liquid up to their shoulders now. With no time to waste, he quickly slammed into the scientist, knocking him down into one of the huge electronic consoles. Thanks to the power suit Trent was quickly able to recover from the blow that would have normally killed an ordinary human being. Trent was about to throw a punch, but Clark with his super speed was able to easily catch it in his hand, crushing the scientist's hand in his own. Letting out an agonizing scream, as strong as the suit made him he was just no match for Clark's strength and this time Clark didn't hold back. He punched the scientist hard enough to knock him unconscious. Trent flew back against one of the main control systems, knocking out one of the generators, cutting most of the power from the underground lab.
Seeing Lois and Lana knocking on the glass of their tanks, the liquid was already over their heads, knowing they couldn't hold their breath for much longer. Clark used his heat vision to short circuit the computer that controlled the electrodes attached to their bodies, rendering them ineffective. He indicated to both women to shield their faces, as he shattered the glass enclosures with a clap of his hands. Swiftly taking them outside for much needed fresh air, both women coughed and gasped, breathing in the cool sweet air, desperately trying to catch their breath.
"Are the two of you going to be all right?" Clark asked full of concern and worry.
"I'll be fine Clark" Lois said still trying to catch her breath.
Lana on the other hand was still trying to catch her breath, still in her coughing fit, she managed to nod yes.
He scooped both women in his arms and flew them back to Watchtower and to Chloe.
Once there, he told them to rest and take it easy after the ordeal they all went through and informed them he'll be right back.
"Wait Clark you can't go back there, that lunatic has kryptonite all over the place, that's why he had the whole place lined with lead, and he knew that you were going to go there sooner or later." Chloe informed him.
"And you know the suit gives him enormous strength, so he won't be out cold for to long and knowing him he'll already have something up his sleeve" Lana tried persuading him as she closed the gap between them, but to her dismay he quickly moved away and stood next to Lois and said, "I know, but I don't have much of a choice either, or he will keep coming after me and the ones I care for."
Lois on the other hand knew that once Clark made up his mind there was little anyone could do to change it, so all she said as she wrapped her arms around him, bringing her lips close to his, "Please be careful" is all she said before kissing him passionately, not wanting for this moment to end but both knowing it had too. Reluctantly letting go of each other, but both knowing they had to, at least for now, "I love you" he whispered to her.
"I love you too" she replied back, but by then he was already gone.