"Friend" -- Chapter 3: The Bank
Later that evening, at the Luthor Ancestral Home, Lex sits in his study finishing up some business on his laptop computer while drinking some red wine. He soon logs out and turns the computer off. He stands up and looks out one of the large windows of the room and enjoys the view of the night sky. A couple moments later the phone rings, he walks back over to his desk and picks it up. "Lex Luthor."
"Lex…" the voice on the other end starts. Lex knows who it is, and he was expecting the call.
"Let me guess, dad, you know about my meeting with Walter King."
"Do you take pleasure in disobeying me? Because it really has become a habit of yours," Lionel Luthor says on the other end back at his own home.
"It's alright, King turned out to be quite the disappointment, I was hoping he would have more for me."
"Lex how many enemies will you make before you wise up and learn not to underestimate them?"
"King is nothing, dad. He may think he is, commanding an army of street thugs and pickpockets, but when you get right down to it he's quite the fool. Thinking he can walk in here and try and coerce me into striking up a deal with him. He didn't even try."
"Walter King may not seem like much, but he has powerful allies and doesn't take kindly to kids like you talking down to him. Arrogance can get you killed; I want you to be careful, Lex. King isn't going to go away that easily and I don't want to be bailing you out of anymore of the holes you dig."
"You don't need to bail me out of anything, I can take care of myself and I think I can take care of Walter King too, he doesn't scare me. But hey, thanks for the warning, dad, now how about you get some sleep."
"I'd suggest you start taking things like this seriously in the future, you are not the king of the world Lex."
"…Not yet. I think we're about finished, now you have yourself a nice night." Lex hangs up the phone and leans against the desk, his father's words sinking in. He takes another sip of wine and looks back out the window, as the moon becomes full.
The next day in Smallville, the Kents have headed out into town to run a few errands. The streets and businesses are alive with Smallville citizens as usual; many trying to escape the heat by getting into an air-conditioned store. The Kents pull up to the Smallville Bank, planning to open up a new account for Clark. The truck is turned off and the Kents get out and walk towards the front door. Inside it's pretty busy, the Kent's say "hi" to a few of their friends and people they've known for as long as they can remember and then get in line at one of the windows. "Well it's about time I had a place to store all that extra money I've been earning," Clark says as they wait patiently.
"Your right about that age, and I don't trust that old shoebox anymore with your savings," Jonathan says with a smile.
"So Clark, did you get anything for Chloe for her last week here? A card would be nice," Martha says.
"I don't know, mom, I haven't really thought about it that much. I don't think it will hit me until she's actually gone. It's going to be weird not having her around the whole summer."
"Well, son, with Whitney gone and now Chloe leaving you will have Lana Lang around all summer…" Jonathan starts.
"Jonathan…don't you give him any suggestions, they never broke up."
"You guys know way too much about my personal life," Clark says with a laugh. "Hey, looks like we're next in line." The Kents move up to the window.
"Yes, we'd like to open a new account for our son." Martha says. Clark looks around the bank again, over his shoulder he spots Sarah and Danny, in another line waiting. He keeps an eye on them just in case, but it's not long before the doors of the bank burst open and a trio of men wearing black clothing and black masks charges in, bearing rifles.
"Dad…" Clark starts. Everyone's attention is quickly drawn to the thugs, who move to the center of the bank and hold their weapons out at the people.
"Everyone hit the ground now!" One of the thugs yells out. Everyone responds and immediately gets down on the floor. "Just stay down and shut up! Your cooperation will be rewarded by not being shot!" The thug instructs as he and another one of the masked men charge the counters and force the tellers to drain the cash into black bags. The other thug keeps a watch on the people, and the clock. On the floor, Clark looks at his parents, knowing he can do something.
"Don't even think about it, Clark…" Jonathan whispers.
"I have to do something," he replies while inspecting the area more closely.
"No, Clark…just stay down, if we're lucky this will all be over soon," Martha tells him. Clark listens to his parents and stays put, but then he remembers Sarah and Danny and looks over in their direction. He can see Danny saying something, but not to Sarah, who is keeping her head down and making sure Danny does the same.
"Is that all you got?!" One of the thugs at the counter asks, not getting as much as he wanted.
"Yes…that's all…please, don't kill me…" the teller pleads.
"Open that damn vault!" The thug shouts.
"I…I can't, I can't open it!"
"If you don't open it in five seconds I'll blow your head off right here!"
"Oh my god! Please…please I don't have the key, I can't open it!" The teller begins to become hysterical, fearing for her life.
"I have it! I can open it!" Another teller at the end of the counter calls out. "Just please don't kill anyone!"
"Do it!" The thug orders. The teller quickly makes his way to the vault with the keys and scrambles to open it while two of the thug's point rifles only inches from his head. "Hurry up!"
"I know…I know, I'm trying." One of the frightened tellers presses the silent alarm underneath the counter; the police should arrive any time.
"This isn't good…I can move faster than they can see…I can end this, dad." Clark whispers.
"You aren't going anywhere, I'm sure the police are on their way by now." Clark sighs in disappointment as he prays things don't get any worse. The teller finally gets the safe open and the two thugs hurry inside and begin dumping thousands into garbage bags. The third thug remains watching over the people and checking the clock often.
"Come on you two! Hurry up! We gotta get outta here!"
"Give us a hand in here, man! We have to grab as much as possible!" One of the thugs inside the vault says foolishly. He runs inside with them and joins in on their cash grabbing. Now people have a chance to make a run for the door but the fear paralyzes them. Clark looks back at Danny, he has stopped talking and now keeps his eyes locked on the bank vault. A split second later the large steel door to the vault slams shut, locking the three thugs inside. No one knows who closed it, but they begin to get to their feet. Moments later, screams are heard inside the vault. Banging and loud noises are heard; something else is inside with them.
"What's going on in there?" Martha asks as Jonathan helps her to her feet. Clark hears the pounding at the door and then looks back at Danny, who seems to be very calm and concentrated. Everyone one else is still shaken and confused and wanting to get out of there. The screams continue for a little while longer but then stop in an instant. People talk amongst themselves, trying to figure out what just happened. The police charge in with guns drawn, but are soon as confused as the rest of them when they see no bank robbers. The police move closer, Jonathan goes to talk to one of them.
"Did they get away?" The police officer asks.
"No…they're in the vault." Jonathan says softly.
"Something else was in there too!" A scared Smallville citizen yells out, soon many of them are telling police what they saw and heard.
"We heard the screams! They were so loud, and the banging, but then it all stopped!"
"Ok, ok…is anyone hurt?" One of the officers asks.
"No shots were fired, no one was injured." Jonathan says. Several policemen move over to the vault, prepared to find them trapped inside or worse. Clark looks back over in Danny's direction again, but he and his mother have left. The teller opens the vault once again, then quickly moves away. The police pull open the door slowly, most everyone else has stayed to see what's happened, they all watch closely. The police pull the door open completely and gasp in terror.
"Oh my god…" one of the officers says in disbelief.
Later that day at the Talon, Clark, Chloe, Pete and Lana sit down at a table much like the previous day. They are in the middle of a conversation about what Clark witnessed at the bank earlier. "So what did they find inside?" Chloe asks, very curiously.
"It was a mess inside…I don't really how to describe it except, picture they were turned inside out, that was the visual I get every time I think about it."
"Gross…how did it happen?" Pete asks.
"That's the weird thing, no one really knows. I'm positive there was no one else inside when that door slammed shut, just the three bank robbers."
"Ted Walsh's death was pretty slimy too…did you see Danny or Sarah anywhere near the scene?" Chloe asks.
"Well…actually, yeah…both of them were in the bank at the time, just waiting in another line like we were."
"Chloe don't even think about saying Danny might have done this, it's just impossible." Lana argues.
"Lana, not everything in Smallville is what it seems, you should know that by now." Chloe replies.
"I know Danny, and I know he isn't capable of anything like…turning people inside out."
"Lana's right…it definitely wasn't Danny, I kept my eye on him the whole time." Clark says, watching Chloe raise an eyebrow, letting her detective side come out completely.
"Well if it wasn't Danny…then I have another theory. I've got get back over there and talk to him, before anyone else has to die." Chloe says, getting up from her seat.
"Chloe, no! I saw those guys; it was a complete overkill…if you keep this up you just might be the next person that has to die. Please…just stay out of it." Clark pleads with her, and it looks as if for a moment she might sit back down, but she doesn't.
"I'm sorry Clark, but I have to find Danny Walsh as soon as possible, with or without you." Chloe stands there for a few seconds, then heads out the door. Clark lets out a big sigh and looks at Pete and Lana.
"Ah…I just sat down with this slice of pie five minutes ago…" Pete says.
At that same point in time, over at the Luthor Ancestral Home, Lex has just gotten after being gone most of the afternoon. He walks into one of the large main rooms of his house and sees the mail on the table. He approaches it and skims through most until he gets to a brown paper envelope, from none other than Walter King. He opens it and slides the contents out. A note on top of an edition of the Inquisitor reading: "The first one, hot off the presses just for you…more is soon to come." Lex sets the note down and looks at the front page, a picture of himself, the headlines reading: "Lex Luthor Drug Scandal!"
To Be Continued in Chapter 4…
Later that evening, at the Luthor Ancestral Home, Lex sits in his study finishing up some business on his laptop computer while drinking some red wine. He soon logs out and turns the computer off. He stands up and looks out one of the large windows of the room and enjoys the view of the night sky. A couple moments later the phone rings, he walks back over to his desk and picks it up. "Lex Luthor."
"Lex…" the voice on the other end starts. Lex knows who it is, and he was expecting the call.
"Let me guess, dad, you know about my meeting with Walter King."
"Do you take pleasure in disobeying me? Because it really has become a habit of yours," Lionel Luthor says on the other end back at his own home.
"It's alright, King turned out to be quite the disappointment, I was hoping he would have more for me."
"Lex how many enemies will you make before you wise up and learn not to underestimate them?"
"King is nothing, dad. He may think he is, commanding an army of street thugs and pickpockets, but when you get right down to it he's quite the fool. Thinking he can walk in here and try and coerce me into striking up a deal with him. He didn't even try."
"Walter King may not seem like much, but he has powerful allies and doesn't take kindly to kids like you talking down to him. Arrogance can get you killed; I want you to be careful, Lex. King isn't going to go away that easily and I don't want to be bailing you out of anymore of the holes you dig."
"You don't need to bail me out of anything, I can take care of myself and I think I can take care of Walter King too, he doesn't scare me. But hey, thanks for the warning, dad, now how about you get some sleep."
"I'd suggest you start taking things like this seriously in the future, you are not the king of the world Lex."
"…Not yet. I think we're about finished, now you have yourself a nice night." Lex hangs up the phone and leans against the desk, his father's words sinking in. He takes another sip of wine and looks back out the window, as the moon becomes full.
The next day in Smallville, the Kents have headed out into town to run a few errands. The streets and businesses are alive with Smallville citizens as usual; many trying to escape the heat by getting into an air-conditioned store. The Kents pull up to the Smallville Bank, planning to open up a new account for Clark. The truck is turned off and the Kents get out and walk towards the front door. Inside it's pretty busy, the Kent's say "hi" to a few of their friends and people they've known for as long as they can remember and then get in line at one of the windows. "Well it's about time I had a place to store all that extra money I've been earning," Clark says as they wait patiently.
"Your right about that age, and I don't trust that old shoebox anymore with your savings," Jonathan says with a smile.
"So Clark, did you get anything for Chloe for her last week here? A card would be nice," Martha says.
"I don't know, mom, I haven't really thought about it that much. I don't think it will hit me until she's actually gone. It's going to be weird not having her around the whole summer."
"Well, son, with Whitney gone and now Chloe leaving you will have Lana Lang around all summer…" Jonathan starts.
"Jonathan…don't you give him any suggestions, they never broke up."
"You guys know way too much about my personal life," Clark says with a laugh. "Hey, looks like we're next in line." The Kents move up to the window.
"Yes, we'd like to open a new account for our son." Martha says. Clark looks around the bank again, over his shoulder he spots Sarah and Danny, in another line waiting. He keeps an eye on them just in case, but it's not long before the doors of the bank burst open and a trio of men wearing black clothing and black masks charges in, bearing rifles.
"Dad…" Clark starts. Everyone's attention is quickly drawn to the thugs, who move to the center of the bank and hold their weapons out at the people.
"Everyone hit the ground now!" One of the thugs yells out. Everyone responds and immediately gets down on the floor. "Just stay down and shut up! Your cooperation will be rewarded by not being shot!" The thug instructs as he and another one of the masked men charge the counters and force the tellers to drain the cash into black bags. The other thug keeps a watch on the people, and the clock. On the floor, Clark looks at his parents, knowing he can do something.
"Don't even think about it, Clark…" Jonathan whispers.
"I have to do something," he replies while inspecting the area more closely.
"No, Clark…just stay down, if we're lucky this will all be over soon," Martha tells him. Clark listens to his parents and stays put, but then he remembers Sarah and Danny and looks over in their direction. He can see Danny saying something, but not to Sarah, who is keeping her head down and making sure Danny does the same.
"Is that all you got?!" One of the thugs at the counter asks, not getting as much as he wanted.
"Yes…that's all…please, don't kill me…" the teller pleads.
"Open that damn vault!" The thug shouts.
"I…I can't, I can't open it!"
"If you don't open it in five seconds I'll blow your head off right here!"
"Oh my god! Please…please I don't have the key, I can't open it!" The teller begins to become hysterical, fearing for her life.
"I have it! I can open it!" Another teller at the end of the counter calls out. "Just please don't kill anyone!"
"Do it!" The thug orders. The teller quickly makes his way to the vault with the keys and scrambles to open it while two of the thug's point rifles only inches from his head. "Hurry up!"
"I know…I know, I'm trying." One of the frightened tellers presses the silent alarm underneath the counter; the police should arrive any time.
"This isn't good…I can move faster than they can see…I can end this, dad." Clark whispers.
"You aren't going anywhere, I'm sure the police are on their way by now." Clark sighs in disappointment as he prays things don't get any worse. The teller finally gets the safe open and the two thugs hurry inside and begin dumping thousands into garbage bags. The third thug remains watching over the people and checking the clock often.
"Come on you two! Hurry up! We gotta get outta here!"
"Give us a hand in here, man! We have to grab as much as possible!" One of the thugs inside the vault says foolishly. He runs inside with them and joins in on their cash grabbing. Now people have a chance to make a run for the door but the fear paralyzes them. Clark looks back at Danny, he has stopped talking and now keeps his eyes locked on the bank vault. A split second later the large steel door to the vault slams shut, locking the three thugs inside. No one knows who closed it, but they begin to get to their feet. Moments later, screams are heard inside the vault. Banging and loud noises are heard; something else is inside with them.
"What's going on in there?" Martha asks as Jonathan helps her to her feet. Clark hears the pounding at the door and then looks back at Danny, who seems to be very calm and concentrated. Everyone one else is still shaken and confused and wanting to get out of there. The screams continue for a little while longer but then stop in an instant. People talk amongst themselves, trying to figure out what just happened. The police charge in with guns drawn, but are soon as confused as the rest of them when they see no bank robbers. The police move closer, Jonathan goes to talk to one of them.
"Did they get away?" The police officer asks.
"No…they're in the vault." Jonathan says softly.
"Something else was in there too!" A scared Smallville citizen yells out, soon many of them are telling police what they saw and heard.
"We heard the screams! They were so loud, and the banging, but then it all stopped!"
"Ok, ok…is anyone hurt?" One of the officers asks.
"No shots were fired, no one was injured." Jonathan says. Several policemen move over to the vault, prepared to find them trapped inside or worse. Clark looks back over in Danny's direction again, but he and his mother have left. The teller opens the vault once again, then quickly moves away. The police pull open the door slowly, most everyone else has stayed to see what's happened, they all watch closely. The police pull the door open completely and gasp in terror.
"Oh my god…" one of the officers says in disbelief.
Later that day at the Talon, Clark, Chloe, Pete and Lana sit down at a table much like the previous day. They are in the middle of a conversation about what Clark witnessed at the bank earlier. "So what did they find inside?" Chloe asks, very curiously.
"It was a mess inside…I don't really how to describe it except, picture they were turned inside out, that was the visual I get every time I think about it."
"Gross…how did it happen?" Pete asks.
"That's the weird thing, no one really knows. I'm positive there was no one else inside when that door slammed shut, just the three bank robbers."
"Ted Walsh's death was pretty slimy too…did you see Danny or Sarah anywhere near the scene?" Chloe asks.
"Well…actually, yeah…both of them were in the bank at the time, just waiting in another line like we were."
"Chloe don't even think about saying Danny might have done this, it's just impossible." Lana argues.
"Lana, not everything in Smallville is what it seems, you should know that by now." Chloe replies.
"I know Danny, and I know he isn't capable of anything like…turning people inside out."
"Lana's right…it definitely wasn't Danny, I kept my eye on him the whole time." Clark says, watching Chloe raise an eyebrow, letting her detective side come out completely.
"Well if it wasn't Danny…then I have another theory. I've got get back over there and talk to him, before anyone else has to die." Chloe says, getting up from her seat.
"Chloe, no! I saw those guys; it was a complete overkill…if you keep this up you just might be the next person that has to die. Please…just stay out of it." Clark pleads with her, and it looks as if for a moment she might sit back down, but she doesn't.
"I'm sorry Clark, but I have to find Danny Walsh as soon as possible, with or without you." Chloe stands there for a few seconds, then heads out the door. Clark lets out a big sigh and looks at Pete and Lana.
"Ah…I just sat down with this slice of pie five minutes ago…" Pete says.
At that same point in time, over at the Luthor Ancestral Home, Lex has just gotten after being gone most of the afternoon. He walks into one of the large main rooms of his house and sees the mail on the table. He approaches it and skims through most until he gets to a brown paper envelope, from none other than Walter King. He opens it and slides the contents out. A note on top of an edition of the Inquisitor reading: "The first one, hot off the presses just for you…more is soon to come." Lex sets the note down and looks at the front page, a picture of himself, the headlines reading: "Lex Luthor Drug Scandal!"
To Be Continued in Chapter 4…