Chapter 88

Lana kept her eyes on the road. She didn't glance left or right. She still struggled with the information overload. Instinct and Habit guided her internal auto pilot toward the farm. She frowned. He just didn't listen. I get whoever that was needed help. Still now Lex and Chloe know. She rolled her eyes. His parents are going to have a fit!

"Lana, you okay?" Pete glanced at her from the backseat. He supported Chloe in her own Humpty Dumpty moment. "I'm just glad Sam's not here. That would be messed up."

"It'd be." She shook her head. "Pete, sorry. I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"I get exactly what you mean. It's cool. You don't want her in the middle of this! Talk about being completely whack." Pete sucked in a deep breath. "Thanks."

She managed a smile in the rearview mirror. "No problem. Even if certain boyfriends might take a hint." She squinted to her right.

"Lana, he'd be dead if I didn't help. All right? It's after school. How did I know that Lex and Jasmine were going to be there? Or Mrs. Crane? Or that thing?" Clark leaned against the seat. His arms and legs didn't ache as much. The bruises had faded.

"How exactly did you do those things? Wow. I suspected there was something but this?" Chloe trembled.

"We'll have that discussion." Lana glanced at Clark again.

Pete nodded. "Oh yeah. Clark, there might not be a house left when your Dad gets going."

"Not helping, Pete." Clark folded his arms across his chest.

"Well someone needs to drive that through your head, Dude! I don't care if the girls know. All right? But Lex? Seriously?" Pete curled his lip.

"We can trust him. He just needs a chance." Clark glared toward the back.

"Fine! Whatever!" Pete sulked.

"Enough! Okay? We're all kind of overwhelmed." Lana saw Lex turn onto the dirt road. "Here's the driveway. Better start thinking fast, Clark."

"Lana, I did what I had to. I wouldn't want someone to die because of this Secret." Clark shook his head.

"Clark's got a point, Lana. Hate to admit it." Chloe shook her head. "What a choice." She stared at the ceiling. "I can't believe it. We got a real life Arabian knight on a flying carpet. A fiery demon fighting with some Pilgrim guy. And then there's you, Clark, doing those things! I thought Spider-Man by himself was awesome!"

"Yeah real awesome." Clark grimaced. "At least Mr. Reynolds and the teachers didn't see me."

"That we know of, Clark," Lana pointed out.

Clark shook his head. "Dark hallway. After school. Nobody in the hall, Lana."

"You're not winning that argument with her, Clark. Give it up." Pete shook his head. "Listen to the voice of experience."

Clark rolled his eyes. He could feel the early tremors from the earthquake rumbling.

This was going to be *so much* fun….

[A Half Mile Ahead]

Restraint somehow kept Lex's need for speed in check. Granted his blood boiled. His teeth gnashed. Anger erupted inside of him to put Krakatoa to shame. He lied to me! He didn't trust me! I would protect him! WHY? His eye slid over toward the rear mirror to make sure Lana was in sight.

Realization, Insight and Experience reminded him of the true source: a certain set of adoptive parents.

I'M NOT MY FATHER! He smacked the dashboard. He pressed the accelerator down the final stretch of driveway. He skidded out in a big donut somehow not hitting anything. He bit his lip. Then he stormed out of his car. The door slam heard clearly by everyone within the vicinity.

Jonathan shook his head. "Just what do you think you're doing? You could've hit the trucks or…."

Lex put his hand up. "Mr. Kent, I'm sorry. We need to talk."

Jonathan saw Lana's blazer coming to a halt beside the Lexus. He glanced toward Martha who watched from the house's door. "I suppose we do." Paranoia clamped down its familiar leash around his thinking. "Maybe we can do that without any other stunts?"

Lex snorted. "You mean like Clark's stunts? That's why!" He headed toward the house.

Jonathan observed Clark slowly getting out of the blazer. He noted Clark's slow deliberate movements. He watched a disoriented Chloe meander toward the house with Pete's help. Lana shook her head. He saw her turn to Clark who walked with his head down.

Alarms blared in his head louder than any tornado siren by now….

What the Devil? Jonathan flung the rag toward his workbench. He hustled toward the house. Somehow he remembered to wipe his feet on the doormat. Then he rushed in.

Martha perked a pot of coffee. Everyone sat around the table. Silence smothered the entire room.

Jonathan sucked in a deep breath. He shut the door. "I guess the first question is are you all okay?"

The quintet looked at each other. Each mind wondered how to define 'all right'. Did that mean health wise, situation wise, Secret wise, school building wise, Talon wise or any combination of those things? Subjectivity meant different responses in all regards.

"I'll help, Mom." Clark moved with effort. He slowly served Pete, Chloe and his father. Martha brought Lex and Lana their coffees.

"Thank you, Clark. Please sit down." Concern seized at her. "What happened?"

Chloe started, "Mrs. Kent, we were downstairs in The Torch office. Lana left to meet Miss Stacy at the Talon for an interview. Clark followed. Pete and I stayed a few more minutes. Then we followed them."

Pete took a gulp of his coffee. "Yeah. We heard fighting noises. We came up the stairs. There Lana was staring into the main hallway. Clark was running circles around this real big dude. I couldn't believe that creep was taking my man's punches. He backhanded Clark into the wall."

"These other two showed up. There was this masked Arabian knight gashing at the big Pilgrim with a big sword. The other was this big dark flaming monster. That guy…man! He really like whaled away on the creep! Wow!" Pete added.

Lex frowned. "You forget the Dark Rider whipping a desk at Clark. Then Clark somehow got down the hall. The desk splintered against him. He ran back to the fight." He shook his head. "Dave changed in the Talon."

"You mean Mr. Dubois was that thing? Really?" Clark looked to his parents and Lex.

Martha glanced at Jonathan. She weighed just how much to tell Clark and the others. "Lex, you've seen him like that before. We haven't."

"Before? He's gone all fiery demonic like that before?" Chloe pressed.

Lex shook his head. "It's complicated, Chloe. Mr. Dubois' cursed. Think of him as three beings. The man, David Dubois, is human. The Child is the in-between persona. That's the usual enforcer. Then there are times when a real menace shows up. That's when the Destroyer shows up. I guess we all rate pretty high on its protection list. It left us alone after the Rider disappeared. Now do you understand why we can't print the background in any newspaper?"

"Yeah I get it." Chloe gulped from her coffee. "Boy, do I get it." She ran her hand across the back of her neck. "Same goes for you too, Clark. Now I understand why Lionel wanted me to get dirt on you."

"Now do you understand why this is such a big secret?" Jonathan pressed.

"How long have you known, Pete and Lana?" Lex took a mouthful from his coffee.

"I found out a week and a half ago." Lana glanced at Clark. "The attack on the barn. Ramen-whatever exposed Clark in front of me."

"I've known for a year." Pete shrugged. "It's hard keeping Clark's secret but I've got his back." He patted Clark on the shoulder. "It's not easy."

"I imagine it's not, Pete." Lex sighed. "Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent, I keep secrets like this every day for LexCorp. I can protect Clark from my father. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is the lying. I asked you, Clark. You said you weren't any different."

"Lex, at the time, I was completely human and normal. One of our classmates, Eric, and I had a freak accident. He ended up with my abilities. He couldn't handle them. I eventually took them back. He's in Belle Reeve now," Clark explained.

"That was the time you drew closer to me as well," Lana recalled.

"Lex." Jonathan cleared his throat. "Clark's wanted to tell you. His mother and I would not allow it. If you're going to blame someone, blame us."

"We're trying to protect him. Chloe and you found out the way Pete and Lana did. Now we need to ask for your help." Martha squirmed.

"Your father and you both tried to have him investigated, Lex. Roger Nixon blew a truck up with Clark in it. Then he hurt Clark for his proof. Sommerholt would use him as a guinea pig. We have to keep him safe. You should understand that," Jonathan asserted.

"Yes, Mr. Kent. You have to keep him safe. I could've helped you last year. I owe Clark my life. All right? Right now, I have at least four major secrets in the mansion on this scale. I mean really. Any of them get out and I'll be calling Agents Peterson and Singleton. You remember Dave's friends from high school? They're senior agents now." Lex shook his head. "I don't want White Collar looking around for obvious reasons. Clark is number 4. And that does not mean his is any less important. I have Dave to consider for the reason they just saw today. Jasmine has her issues with her father. She and I are helping Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy with some private matters. And now I find out about Clark. Well the Rider sure knows about him." He exhaled.

"What do you mean 'knows about him'?" Jonathan leaned toward Lex.

"He called Clark an alien. And don't tell me it's because Clark's adopted. That thing could care less about political boundaries or such. You know that. It's been right outside in the back pasture! You don't think I'd forget about that? Do you?" Lex winced. "I have a diary of that. There's a chronicle by a man named Michel Edrinoux. It details what happened when Dave went back to 1604.'

'He what? Dude! That's whack!" Pete denied. He snorted.

"Pete, he did." Jonathan rolled his eyes. "That's what Laura told us when she came back here after that. David wasn't allowed to come back here after that. He also had to cut off every previous tie and friend. He went to Tucson and studied."

"But he came back. Right?" Clark gulped from his coffee.

"He did, Clark. I arranged for him to come back after the meteor shower. Dr. Dubois had already tended to your hand, Lana. Lichtenfeld targeted you. The Rider was around. I flew him from Amherst down here to be at your parents' funeral. She crashed the funeral. We, Dave, one of his friends, Dr. Dubois and I, got you out of there. He changed into the creature you saw today. The fight ended as you saw it too." Lex frowned. "My point, Folks, is that I'm not the outsider you treat me like. My mother and I both have helped Dave have as normal a life as possible. I'd do my best with anyone as long as they trust me." He shook his head. "I hit you, Clark, with my car at seventy miles per hour! Then you've saved me a few times. You don't think I wouldn't help you? Come on!"

"Lex, this is the biggest secret ever!" Pete spat.

"It's a big one. I won't deny that. Dave matches you if not beats you, Clark. Why do you think they had to arrange his 'death'? I knew about Miranda before you all did. That creep, Arighatto, just about killed Dr. Dubois and hm when he kidnapped Miranda," Lex kept going.

"Wait! Miranda was kidnapped by that guy?" Chloe looked to Lana.

"She sure was. She hates Arighatto. That thing we saw at school? Bring Arighatto into the room. You'll see it go up against him," Lana presumed.

"You're right, Lana. I'd clear the room and lock the door with those two. I don't care how much you can do, Clark. You can't handle magic. I saw that today." Lex raised his eyes to meet the two parents'. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I could've held that back. I didn't. I want to be part of this circle. I understand that Clark's secret is important." Lex's cell phone buzzed. "Lex Luthor."

"Hi, Lex. This is Gwen. I'm still at the Talon." Gwen glanced at Miranda. "You haven't seen Peter, Lana, Mrs. Crane or Mr. Dubois, have you? Lana was supposed to meet me. Peter won't answer my calls. Mr. Dubois did one of his weird things here before disappearing."

Lex ran his hands along his scalp. He shook his head. After lecturing people about being straight up in sharing information, he was going to have to "pull a Kent". "Try Jasmine at the mansion. I'll be right there to get you. Is Miranda there?"

"She's about to get off shift. She wanted to know if Lana was okay." Gwen looked at Miranda who sat across the table.

"Can she bring you to the mansion? I'll meet you there." Lex put his hand over the phone. He glanced at Lana.

"Tell Miri I'll be right there." Lana nodded. "Clark, are you going to be all right?"

"I'll talk to you later. Thanks, Lana. I'm sorry I left you." Clark squeezed his hand.

"I know. Thanks. I'll call you later?" Lana hugged him. "I'm glad you're not really hurt. Chloe, Pete, you want to ride back with me? I'll drop you off."

"Our cars are locked in the yard." Chloe grimaced. "Maybe we can hang with you? Or Miranda can bring us home?"

"Pete, Chloe, I'll bring you." Jonathan motioned him toward the door. "Martha, Clark, we'll be right back." He led Pete out the door and toward the waiting truck.

"Thanks, Lex. I'm sorry." Clark bit his lip. "For what it's worth, I wanted to tell you."

Lex sucked in a heavy breath. "If we had this conversation a month ago, I'd been long out the door. I would've told you and your folks to go to Hell and that's it. Now I get it. I really do. I'm getting ready to call Norman Osborn right now." He put his hand out. "You apologized. Your folks explained. I saw why you did what you did. I understand why you'd want to hide your abilities and appear normal." He put his hand out. "Let's shake and move forward?"

"Sure." Clark shook hands firmly with Lex.

"That's more like it." Lex smirked. "Come on, Chloe. I'll take you to the mansion. I don't want you alone. Lana, I know it's out of your way but…."

"I'll stop by after my shift. I hope Mr. Parker shows up." Lana took her keys. She headed out to her blazer.

"Thanks, Lana." Chloe shook her head. "I got to check in with the Planet."

"That piece Jasmine and you were talking about? As she said, we need to be careful it's not a hatchet job," Lex reminded her.

"Oh I know. It'll get the point across." Chloe followed Lex out the door.

Clark shut the door. He grimaced.

"Seriously, Clark, you need to sit down. You're lucky that a few bruises and being sore is all that thing did to you. Your father showed you where it was before. That's what Lex was just getting at. You can't take it on alone!" Martha admonished.

"Mom, it had Spider-Man by the throat. He could've died! I couldn't let that happen!" Clark protested.

"He's still here? Really?" She rubbed her chin. Lex was talking about secrets. He really needs to be more careful. Even if Clark or the others didn't put the pieces together, she was. "I understand. It's a great thing to save a life. Smallville owes him after the Talon a couple of weeks ago. Still I want you to be more careful."

"Yeah I got it. I hope Mr. Dubois doesn't get nasty on me like that." He shivered in spite of himself.

"He won't." She gazed in the mansion's direction. What else can happen?