Chapter 7
[Daily Planet offices, 10 AM]
The Daily Planet was at its best. Perry White presided over the chaos like a general. "I want a reporter and photographer in Gotham for local reaction. We'll have to rely on AP for the Washington angle. Get me GCTV's assignment editor. Maybe we can tag team on the Lex developments." He remembered that he had an excellent source underneath his nose.
"Chloe. Now's your time to shine!"
Ohmigod, ohmigod! she thought. A Daily Planet byline. Then a full-time offer after college. 'I'd like to thank my colleagues for this Pulitzer .....' She woke up from her dreaming to realize that the Daily Planet was sending someone. But not her.
"We need you to work on something here, y'know, a timeline of Luthor Corp.'s military contracts, etc. It has to go to press by this afternoon." Perry White left to answer his cellphone. "Do NOT leave Luthor Corp. Towers until you get something from Lionel Luthor!"
While the Planet's business reporter left to cover the story of his career, Chloe was left to connect the dots on some timeline. A timeline that lead directly to Smallville AND Lex Luthor. She had emailed Clark early this morning, but he hadn't responded.
She had new mail from Lana Lang: "Clark is doing fine ... Summer Gleeson is following up on Wayne incident ... I'm worried about Clark biting off more than he can chew."
Oh, I wish I was there, she grumbled. To see all the fuss in Smallville. And perhaps run a little interference on the potential Clark-Lana snuggle- fest.
[Outskirts of Smallville]
Lex finally entered the state highway. It ran along a wooded area. The ticking was driving him crazy. My watch never acted like that before. It was Swiss, after all. He would reach the ruins in minutes. He was a student of history, but Smallville was a minor footnote in American history. One tiny skirmish between the rebels and Union forces in the Civil War. No O.K Corral. But the remains of the old Confederate camp lay dormant.
"It'll see fireworks soon enough," Lex chuckled. He had to laugh. His family's empire, his career, his life – all on the verge of oblivion. One explosion will wipe the stain clean. No problematic arms contracts. No more fishy underworld trading. A ball of fire will purify the family name. He kept one file for himself however. One file that someday will seal his destiny forever. The camp is just around the next bend. Freedom.
In the wooded area beside the highway, Alexei peered at Lex's car through his binoculars. Lex's car would have to slow down to round the bend in the road. Alexei smiled.
Lex shifted the gear down to round the curb. 80 mph, 70 mph, 60 mph, 55 mph ..... That ticking. What the hell is it! 52 mph, 51 mph ..... 50 mph. Click!
"No, no .... oh shit!" The car exploded. He had no seatbelt and was flung through the windshield, thrown about 30 feet, and finally landed on the grassy shoulder. The pain was unbearable. He could not feel his legs. He glanced at his car. The flames hadn't reached the trunk yet. Where the explosives were. The car was sabotaged. It didn't matter now. The evidence that could destroy his family was now ash and smoke.
"I ... did my duty, Father," he gasped, then fell unconscious.
Clark saw the explosion and halted his truck a few feet away. The smoke enveloped the highway. He focused his x-ray vision. One man. Barely alive. Then he noticed another heat source in the trunk. A box of explosives! He had to get the man out of there. Summer's car was closing in.
It was Lex! He leaped about 40 feet to Lex's body and carried him behind a grove a trees. Summer had already pulled her car off to the side and ducked into a ditch. Then the second explosion came. It was much bigger than the first one. Shrapnel burst everywhere, flames consumed what was left of the car. A wave of intense heat swept over them. Clark sheltered Lex' body as more debris rained on them. Patches of grassland were set ablaze around them.
In the distance, Alexei grinned. He's finished. I have done my job. The son is no more. Lionel will live with the knowledge that his bloodline has been wiped from this earth. He had planned to kill Lionel, but this ... THIS was far more satisfying. As sirens wailed in the distance, Alexei galloped away. His flight to Istanbul departs Metropolis International tonight.
[NEXT: Chapter 8, the finale to 'Fire'.]
[Daily Planet offices, 10 AM]
The Daily Planet was at its best. Perry White presided over the chaos like a general. "I want a reporter and photographer in Gotham for local reaction. We'll have to rely on AP for the Washington angle. Get me GCTV's assignment editor. Maybe we can tag team on the Lex developments." He remembered that he had an excellent source underneath his nose.
"Chloe. Now's your time to shine!"
Ohmigod, ohmigod! she thought. A Daily Planet byline. Then a full-time offer after college. 'I'd like to thank my colleagues for this Pulitzer .....' She woke up from her dreaming to realize that the Daily Planet was sending someone. But not her.
"We need you to work on something here, y'know, a timeline of Luthor Corp.'s military contracts, etc. It has to go to press by this afternoon." Perry White left to answer his cellphone. "Do NOT leave Luthor Corp. Towers until you get something from Lionel Luthor!"
While the Planet's business reporter left to cover the story of his career, Chloe was left to connect the dots on some timeline. A timeline that lead directly to Smallville AND Lex Luthor. She had emailed Clark early this morning, but he hadn't responded.
She had new mail from Lana Lang: "Clark is doing fine ... Summer Gleeson is following up on Wayne incident ... I'm worried about Clark biting off more than he can chew."
Oh, I wish I was there, she grumbled. To see all the fuss in Smallville. And perhaps run a little interference on the potential Clark-Lana snuggle- fest.
[Outskirts of Smallville]
Lex finally entered the state highway. It ran along a wooded area. The ticking was driving him crazy. My watch never acted like that before. It was Swiss, after all. He would reach the ruins in minutes. He was a student of history, but Smallville was a minor footnote in American history. One tiny skirmish between the rebels and Union forces in the Civil War. No O.K Corral. But the remains of the old Confederate camp lay dormant.
"It'll see fireworks soon enough," Lex chuckled. He had to laugh. His family's empire, his career, his life – all on the verge of oblivion. One explosion will wipe the stain clean. No problematic arms contracts. No more fishy underworld trading. A ball of fire will purify the family name. He kept one file for himself however. One file that someday will seal his destiny forever. The camp is just around the next bend. Freedom.
In the wooded area beside the highway, Alexei peered at Lex's car through his binoculars. Lex's car would have to slow down to round the bend in the road. Alexei smiled.
Lex shifted the gear down to round the curb. 80 mph, 70 mph, 60 mph, 55 mph ..... That ticking. What the hell is it! 52 mph, 51 mph ..... 50 mph. Click!
"No, no .... oh shit!" The car exploded. He had no seatbelt and was flung through the windshield, thrown about 30 feet, and finally landed on the grassy shoulder. The pain was unbearable. He could not feel his legs. He glanced at his car. The flames hadn't reached the trunk yet. Where the explosives were. The car was sabotaged. It didn't matter now. The evidence that could destroy his family was now ash and smoke.
"I ... did my duty, Father," he gasped, then fell unconscious.
Clark saw the explosion and halted his truck a few feet away. The smoke enveloped the highway. He focused his x-ray vision. One man. Barely alive. Then he noticed another heat source in the trunk. A box of explosives! He had to get the man out of there. Summer's car was closing in.
It was Lex! He leaped about 40 feet to Lex's body and carried him behind a grove a trees. Summer had already pulled her car off to the side and ducked into a ditch. Then the second explosion came. It was much bigger than the first one. Shrapnel burst everywhere, flames consumed what was left of the car. A wave of intense heat swept over them. Clark sheltered Lex' body as more debris rained on them. Patches of grassland were set ablaze around them.
In the distance, Alexei grinned. He's finished. I have done my job. The son is no more. Lionel will live with the knowledge that his bloodline has been wiped from this earth. He had planned to kill Lionel, but this ... THIS was far more satisfying. As sirens wailed in the distance, Alexei galloped away. His flight to Istanbul departs Metropolis International tonight.
[NEXT: Chapter 8, the finale to 'Fire'.]