Chapter 87

Clark zipped through the darkened halls at super speed. Moans reached his ears. He'd checked the gym, cafeteria and science labs. He knew the science classroom wasn't far from the front office.

The office…Reynolds…exposure….

Way to make my life complete! He stopped in his tracks.

The stalking figure from the farm stood with his back to him. It hoisted Spider-Man by the neck. The latter slumped in the attacker's grip.

Instinct sent Clark into another super speed run. He lowered his shoulder and plowed right into the demon wizard's back….

…and barely staggered the latter….

The Rider dropped Spider-Man. It growled and backhanded Clark into the wall. "FOOL ALIEN CHILD!"

"Get away from him!" Clark pulled himself to his feet. "You're not sneaking around now! Come on!"

KAL-EL, DO NOT DO THIS! Jor-El chided within his head.

The Rider snorted. "Ye should lissen, BOY!"

Clark rushed to top running speed. He circled the enemy. His fists peppered the other with blows.

"Wha…what?" Spider-Man rolled over. His eyes blurred into focus. He swore that a blur circled around his adversary. Then his Spider Sense blared at him again. "N…now what?"

A loud banshee scream sent chills down everyone's spines.

"That thing? Du…Dubois…hadda…." Spidey winced. Now he could understand Strange's reticence. He understood the warning. He got why Dubois and his wife had buried themselves for the past two decades. "Da…Damn!" He shivered.

The Child had intimidated him at the mansion. Now he'd taken on the complete demon complexion. The fiery creature now stood almost seven feet tall. It howled from pain and anger.

Take one Hulk and mix in the Ghost Rider…yeah you get the picture….

Another dark blast streaked right over the Wall Crawler. He watched it knock the Rider into the hall.

"I don…don't believe it." Spider-Man forced himself to sit up against the wall. He spasmed and twitched. "He's beating that…that creep by himself." Then he saw Katrina Crane standing over him. "Lady, g…get back."

"Peace, Sirrah! Can you stand?" Katrina watched as the Destroyer lumbered toward the Rider. "I'll get you to safety!" She whispered a spell sweeping them away from the scene.

Jasmine streaked into the scene. Now that Spider-Man was out of harm's way, she swooped in from behind. Her scimitar gashed hungrily into the Rider's back.

The Destroyer howled. It blasted its tormentor further into the shadows. The very sight…the presence…of that one driving it on and further onward.

The Rider picked up a desk. "FOOL BOY!" It flung the projectile.

The Destroyer ducked and pasted the Rider deeper still into the shadows. "KILL!"

Clark's eyes went wide. He saw the desk hurling toward someone. He streaked in that direction. He took the desk's impact against his back. He streaked back in toward the battle.

Lex stared. He kneeled to consider the desk's shards. He watched the Blur whipping back around the Rider. Clark? What the Hell? His mind struggled to digest what he'd just seen. Somehow his best friend had just run faster than the eye could see, took that impact without batting an eye and rushed back toward the brawl. I really did hit him! He rolled his eyes.

A loud impact echoed from the other end of the hall.

The lavender discharge lit up the area. In it, Jasmine could be seen touching the floor. Her metahuman abilities transmuted the tile under the Rider's feet to tar.

The Destroyer squinted over its right shoulder. It swiped at the air as if to tell something to stay back. Then it charged into the Rider once more.

"YE'LL PAY!" The Rider spat dark blood. It disappeared in a flash.

Jasmine stepped off of Carpet. She changed the floor back to its original tile. She regarded the demonic creature. "At last we meet." She kept her scimitar ready not knowing what to expect.

The Destroyer snarled low. Somehow it sensed she wasn't the enemy at that moment. It focused regressing back to the Child.

"GIT A GRIP!" The Child scowled. "PURITAN BOY'S GONE!" He disappeared into the shadows.

"By the Prophet! I will never believe that." Jasmine marveled at that sight. She'd heard Miranda's descriptions as well as those in the historical chronicles. She looked around. Then she got back on Carpet and took off through the door. She ascended into the sky and the mansion.

"Great!" Lex ran down the former battle zone. He batted the odor away from his face. He reached the door beyond. There he found Pete and Lana sitting with a very disoriented Clark. Chloe was staring at Clark. Shock and Disbelief paled her face and widened her eyes. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks to Clark, that lady warrior and the demon guy." Pete squinted at Lex. "Is that creep gone?"

"They're all gone." Lex shook his head. "It's okay, Pete. I take it you all saw him too?"

"Lex, come on…don't…" Clark grimaced.

"Clark, don't. No more lies." Lex helped Clark to his feet. "Lana, can you help Chloe?"

"I…I can walk. I just don't believe it. I mean that metahuman on the flying carpet. Then there's that demonic thing. And you, Clark…I…I…How?" Chloe stammered. Her mind struggled to grab onto what she'd just seen.

"It's a long story, Chloe." Lana helped her to her feet.

"You knew?" Chloe saw Pete standing there without any reaction. "And you, Pete?"

"Yeah we both did. Come on. Lex is right for once." Pete narrowed his eyes. "Clark's folks are going to have a cow over this."

"Well we're going to talk. Follow me." Lex stalked down the hall and toward the front door.

Clark shook his head. He looked toward Lana. A pained sigh escaped his lips.

Some days it just didn't pay to get out of bed….