"Risk" - Chapter 2: We are Everywhere
For Lana seconds seem like minutes, minutes seem like hours as she desperately tries to find Clark. The fire is almost out completely, and all that rests there now are the ruins of the once very enjoyable Spooky House. Joshua, the young boy that was somehow found back outside the spooky house after the explosion seemed to be fine, but was taken to the hospital for observation. The fair was closed for the rest of the day, people are still leaving, heading back to their cars. Lana rests against the ticket stand where Joshua was found, tears stream down her face; memories of good times had with her seemingly new friend Clark Kent pass through her mind. Then, suddenly, she hears a voice from the other side of the booth.
"Lana…" Her eyes widen as she quickly turns around and moves around the booth, finding Clark Kent there, his clothes tattered and torn with black marks from the ash and debris.
"Oh my god, Clark! I…I thought you were dead!"
"I'm alright, Lana, think I just need a change of clothes…"
"No, no…we have to get you to the hospital."
"No, Lana, please…I'm fine, I swear…I can't go to the hospital."
"Clark, I don't know how but you just survived that huge explosion and now you're telling me you don't need any medical aid?"
"I…just, well I got out before the explosion."
"So you got the little boy out too, but no one saw you bring him out here…I don't understand Clark. What happened in there?"
"I'm sorry, Lana. No one else saw me go in there right?"
"No…no one else but me, why? Clark, tell me what's going on."
"Lana, I can't right now, I just, I have to go home. The longer I stay around here the worse things might get. I promise you Lana…I'll tell you everything when the time comes. Right now, you'd better go back home too."
"Clark, I need to know how…"
"When the time comes, Lana. Go home, I'll talk to you later." Lana takes a deep breath and then nods her head. Clark rests his hand on her shoulder for a few moments, trying to assure her that everything is ok, that he's ok. Her eyes move to the ground, then back to the wreckage, the firefighters are putting out the last of the flames, the heavy smoke continues to rise into the air. When she looks back, Clark, like usual, is long gone.
That afternoon, at the Kent Farm, Clark is coming down the stairs with a change of clothes, buttoning the last button on his long flannel shirt. "The news just reported a minute ago that the little boy you saved is going to be just fine," Martha says as she clicks off the small television set in the kitchen and leans against the counter.
"You did a good thing today, Clark, but every time you do things like this you take risks. Let's just hope no one saw you…no one did, did they?" Jonathan asks from the table, putting the daily newspaper down.
"Well…one person saw me," Clark says, taking a seat at the table across from Jonathan.
"Someone saw you? Well who was it?"
"Dad…Lana saw me, well, she didn't see me save him."
"What did she see, Clark?" Martha asks.
"She saw me go into the building, then she saw the explosion, then she saw the kid…I set him down by the ticket booth, I used my speed so no one would see."
"And then?"
"And then she saw me, after the explosion with my clothes all burnt and ripped. I didn't tell her much, which probably isn't a good thing. I told her I couldn't go to the hospital, and I told her she would know everything when the time comes."
"Clark that isn't going to happen, you know that. No one can know your secret except the three of us," Jonathan says sternly.
"Dad I am so sick of lying to my best friends! I wanted to just tell Lana so badly, but I couldn't. Instead I just ran away, and I'm afraid that's what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life, running away from my friends, afraid they might find out about me. I can't live like that."
"Clark, I know this might sound bad…but sometimes, with secrets this big, you can't even trust your best friends with knowing what we know."
"Well after today I don't see how I can't tell Lana. I walked away from an explosion without a scratch on me…Lana will never believe that, no matter how hard she tries to convince herself to."
"Clark…if you feel this strongly about it, then I think it's your choice to tell her or not."
"Martha! We have kept Clark's abilities a secret for twelve years, and we are not going to let him jeopardize everything now." Clark's head drops, he sighs as he thinks about being the main problem in his parents life again, something he's thought a lot about before.
"Jonathan…" Martha says softly. She looks at Clark, which makes Jonathan do the same.
"Alright, Clark, it's your choice," Jonathan says, realizing that right now he needs to be more supporting than demanding. Clark raises his head and smiles, thinking heavily about just what he's going to tell Lana.
Later that evening, in Metropolis, a black car swerves into a parking space outside a large warehouse. The driver and a passenger get out, both big guys wearing black. They open the trunk, inside; Lex Luthor lies there, now awake, but very dazed. They pull him out and drag him towards the door; he struggles to walk on his own. No one else seems to be around anywhere, the atmosphere is quiet and calm. Only a few streetlights make the area very visible, but that is of little importance to Lex Luthor as he continues to try and open his eyes and stay conscious. They open the doors and walk in; they are quickly shut afterwards. Lex staggers through dim hallways, the warehouse showing its old age as he moves further into it. The place is dirty, and Lex can smell a certain scent in the air, he's not sure what it is exactly, but he doesn't like it. They turn another corner, the men yelling at him to walk as he continues to trip and be dragged. Soon enough, they burst through another set of doors and emerge into a much larger room filled with crates and boxes.
The two men drop Lex onto the floor. A few lights overhead shine upon him, most of them very dim or burnt out. He struggles to talk as he gets to his knees.
"Where…where am I? Who are you people?!" He is kicked in the back, sending him back to the floor.
"Speak only when you're spoken to, Luthor!" One of the men screams. Lex moans in pain as he once again tries to get to his knees. He can see another man enter the room from ahead, he slowly comes becomes less and less blurry as he gets closer and comes into view.
"Glad you could make it, Lex. It's nice to see you again."
"W-who…are you?"
"You know who I am, unless you're memory was knocked out from that bump on the head." Lex examines the man, who seems to be in his early 20's, dark hair, a lean build. He suddenly recognizes his face, like he could ever forget it.
"Nick Avery…it's you, isn't it?"
"I knew you would remember, and if you didn't I would have had my friends here beat ya silly until you did," the man, now known as Nick Avery laughs.
"What kind of game are you playing? Why did you bring me here?"
"Well, I guess I could have called you up on the phone, but I prefer the knocking you out and stuffing you in a trunk approach much better."
"What do you want, Nick?!" Lex shouts as he gets to his feet, but is quickly kicked back down to the ground once again.
"Lex, I've been rude…I haven't properly introduced myself or these two nice gentlemen. We are apart of an organization called the Sentinels, new to Metropolis but quickly spreading like a bad case of poison ivy. We've invaded your turf, stolen your friends, and now we want to use what's left of you to further our cause."
"I might as well just leave now…come on Nick, the Sentinels? I'd laugh in your face if I wasn't having such a hard time breathing."
"You haven't changed a bit since college, Lex."
"You either, you're still an asshole." Lex receives another kick to the ribs.
"Lex, you are going to do three things for me and this organization, you will do them exactly how we instruct you to and if you refuse your life will end. Is this clear?"
"You think you scare me? Leading a bunch of goons like dumb and dumber here behind me? I've received much more convincing death threats in my time…you're still nothing, Nick."
"First off, I am not their leader. Our leader couldn't be here at this time; he's away tending to much more important things. Secondly, I would like to keep this short, so if you really need more convincing…" Nick starts, taking out a pistol from his jacket. "Observe." Nick shoots one of the men who had helped bring Lex there. The bullet strikes him in the chest and he falls to the ground a second later. The other large man dressed in black is shocked, Lex is as well for a few seconds.
"There goes, dumber," Lex says.
"Three tasks, Lex. If you accomplish these three and we are pleased, you will survive this little ordeal. First, you will take one hundred-thousand dollars to this address," Nick says, handing Lex a piece of paper with the address written on it. "We have a shipment of firearms waiting there and they would like their payment by 3pm on the dot. When you do this they will hand you an envelope, which you will then bring directly back here to me. Do you understand, Lex?"
"I'll play this little game with you, Nick, but just remember who you're playing with."
"We are everywhere, Lex, do not be foolish. Now, go back home to that little hole your living in these days. Get some sleep…we will contact you when the time comes." Lex gets to his feet and moves towards the door slowly. "Escort Mr. Luthor back to the car." The large man in black nods, opening the door as the two walk out of the room.
After a long drive back to Smallville and a glass of red wine, Lex continues to pace around his office. He thinks about Nick Avery's words and what he's done to deserve it this time. The life of Lex Luthor is always full of surprises. Something about the whole thing sparks Lex's interest and he is actually very intrigued about how everything will play out with his old friend this time. They had been rivals in the past, and now Nick had threatened to kill him. Lex knows it's all apart of the game though as he sits down behind his desk, then reaches for the phone. He dials the number of Vince Lincoln, an old friend who has always supplied him with needy information. "Yeah, Vince…I need you to get me anything you can find on Nick Avery or an organization called the Sentinels," Lex says, clicking on a couple documents on his laptop. "What do you mean you can't? Vince, come on…" Lex starts, but Vince has hung up the phone.
Confused and somewhat angry, Lex dials another number. "Charles, do you know what happened to Nick Avery after college? Because I'd like you to do a favor for me…" Lex starts. "What's the matter, Charles? You won't help me?" Again, the man on the other line hangs up. Lex puts down the phone, very upset. A moment later a box pops up on Lex's laptop, alerting him that he has one new message. He clicks on it and the message comes up, reading: "We are everywhere. We have stolen your friends. Do not be foolish." Lex suddenly realizes that this might be bigger than he had thought. He shuts down his computer, and leans back into his leather chair in deep thought.
To be continued in Chapter Three...
For Lana seconds seem like minutes, minutes seem like hours as she desperately tries to find Clark. The fire is almost out completely, and all that rests there now are the ruins of the once very enjoyable Spooky House. Joshua, the young boy that was somehow found back outside the spooky house after the explosion seemed to be fine, but was taken to the hospital for observation. The fair was closed for the rest of the day, people are still leaving, heading back to their cars. Lana rests against the ticket stand where Joshua was found, tears stream down her face; memories of good times had with her seemingly new friend Clark Kent pass through her mind. Then, suddenly, she hears a voice from the other side of the booth.
"Lana…" Her eyes widen as she quickly turns around and moves around the booth, finding Clark Kent there, his clothes tattered and torn with black marks from the ash and debris.
"Oh my god, Clark! I…I thought you were dead!"
"I'm alright, Lana, think I just need a change of clothes…"
"No, no…we have to get you to the hospital."
"No, Lana, please…I'm fine, I swear…I can't go to the hospital."
"Clark, I don't know how but you just survived that huge explosion and now you're telling me you don't need any medical aid?"
"I…just, well I got out before the explosion."
"So you got the little boy out too, but no one saw you bring him out here…I don't understand Clark. What happened in there?"
"I'm sorry, Lana. No one else saw me go in there right?"
"No…no one else but me, why? Clark, tell me what's going on."
"Lana, I can't right now, I just, I have to go home. The longer I stay around here the worse things might get. I promise you Lana…I'll tell you everything when the time comes. Right now, you'd better go back home too."
"Clark, I need to know how…"
"When the time comes, Lana. Go home, I'll talk to you later." Lana takes a deep breath and then nods her head. Clark rests his hand on her shoulder for a few moments, trying to assure her that everything is ok, that he's ok. Her eyes move to the ground, then back to the wreckage, the firefighters are putting out the last of the flames, the heavy smoke continues to rise into the air. When she looks back, Clark, like usual, is long gone.
That afternoon, at the Kent Farm, Clark is coming down the stairs with a change of clothes, buttoning the last button on his long flannel shirt. "The news just reported a minute ago that the little boy you saved is going to be just fine," Martha says as she clicks off the small television set in the kitchen and leans against the counter.
"You did a good thing today, Clark, but every time you do things like this you take risks. Let's just hope no one saw you…no one did, did they?" Jonathan asks from the table, putting the daily newspaper down.
"Well…one person saw me," Clark says, taking a seat at the table across from Jonathan.
"Someone saw you? Well who was it?"
"Dad…Lana saw me, well, she didn't see me save him."
"What did she see, Clark?" Martha asks.
"She saw me go into the building, then she saw the explosion, then she saw the kid…I set him down by the ticket booth, I used my speed so no one would see."
"And then?"
"And then she saw me, after the explosion with my clothes all burnt and ripped. I didn't tell her much, which probably isn't a good thing. I told her I couldn't go to the hospital, and I told her she would know everything when the time comes."
"Clark that isn't going to happen, you know that. No one can know your secret except the three of us," Jonathan says sternly.
"Dad I am so sick of lying to my best friends! I wanted to just tell Lana so badly, but I couldn't. Instead I just ran away, and I'm afraid that's what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life, running away from my friends, afraid they might find out about me. I can't live like that."
"Clark, I know this might sound bad…but sometimes, with secrets this big, you can't even trust your best friends with knowing what we know."
"Well after today I don't see how I can't tell Lana. I walked away from an explosion without a scratch on me…Lana will never believe that, no matter how hard she tries to convince herself to."
"Clark…if you feel this strongly about it, then I think it's your choice to tell her or not."
"Martha! We have kept Clark's abilities a secret for twelve years, and we are not going to let him jeopardize everything now." Clark's head drops, he sighs as he thinks about being the main problem in his parents life again, something he's thought a lot about before.
"Jonathan…" Martha says softly. She looks at Clark, which makes Jonathan do the same.
"Alright, Clark, it's your choice," Jonathan says, realizing that right now he needs to be more supporting than demanding. Clark raises his head and smiles, thinking heavily about just what he's going to tell Lana.
Later that evening, in Metropolis, a black car swerves into a parking space outside a large warehouse. The driver and a passenger get out, both big guys wearing black. They open the trunk, inside; Lex Luthor lies there, now awake, but very dazed. They pull him out and drag him towards the door; he struggles to walk on his own. No one else seems to be around anywhere, the atmosphere is quiet and calm. Only a few streetlights make the area very visible, but that is of little importance to Lex Luthor as he continues to try and open his eyes and stay conscious. They open the doors and walk in; they are quickly shut afterwards. Lex staggers through dim hallways, the warehouse showing its old age as he moves further into it. The place is dirty, and Lex can smell a certain scent in the air, he's not sure what it is exactly, but he doesn't like it. They turn another corner, the men yelling at him to walk as he continues to trip and be dragged. Soon enough, they burst through another set of doors and emerge into a much larger room filled with crates and boxes.
The two men drop Lex onto the floor. A few lights overhead shine upon him, most of them very dim or burnt out. He struggles to talk as he gets to his knees.
"Where…where am I? Who are you people?!" He is kicked in the back, sending him back to the floor.
"Speak only when you're spoken to, Luthor!" One of the men screams. Lex moans in pain as he once again tries to get to his knees. He can see another man enter the room from ahead, he slowly comes becomes less and less blurry as he gets closer and comes into view.
"Glad you could make it, Lex. It's nice to see you again."
"W-who…are you?"
"You know who I am, unless you're memory was knocked out from that bump on the head." Lex examines the man, who seems to be in his early 20's, dark hair, a lean build. He suddenly recognizes his face, like he could ever forget it.
"Nick Avery…it's you, isn't it?"
"I knew you would remember, and if you didn't I would have had my friends here beat ya silly until you did," the man, now known as Nick Avery laughs.
"What kind of game are you playing? Why did you bring me here?"
"Well, I guess I could have called you up on the phone, but I prefer the knocking you out and stuffing you in a trunk approach much better."
"What do you want, Nick?!" Lex shouts as he gets to his feet, but is quickly kicked back down to the ground once again.
"Lex, I've been rude…I haven't properly introduced myself or these two nice gentlemen. We are apart of an organization called the Sentinels, new to Metropolis but quickly spreading like a bad case of poison ivy. We've invaded your turf, stolen your friends, and now we want to use what's left of you to further our cause."
"I might as well just leave now…come on Nick, the Sentinels? I'd laugh in your face if I wasn't having such a hard time breathing."
"You haven't changed a bit since college, Lex."
"You either, you're still an asshole." Lex receives another kick to the ribs.
"Lex, you are going to do three things for me and this organization, you will do them exactly how we instruct you to and if you refuse your life will end. Is this clear?"
"You think you scare me? Leading a bunch of goons like dumb and dumber here behind me? I've received much more convincing death threats in my time…you're still nothing, Nick."
"First off, I am not their leader. Our leader couldn't be here at this time; he's away tending to much more important things. Secondly, I would like to keep this short, so if you really need more convincing…" Nick starts, taking out a pistol from his jacket. "Observe." Nick shoots one of the men who had helped bring Lex there. The bullet strikes him in the chest and he falls to the ground a second later. The other large man dressed in black is shocked, Lex is as well for a few seconds.
"There goes, dumber," Lex says.
"Three tasks, Lex. If you accomplish these three and we are pleased, you will survive this little ordeal. First, you will take one hundred-thousand dollars to this address," Nick says, handing Lex a piece of paper with the address written on it. "We have a shipment of firearms waiting there and they would like their payment by 3pm on the dot. When you do this they will hand you an envelope, which you will then bring directly back here to me. Do you understand, Lex?"
"I'll play this little game with you, Nick, but just remember who you're playing with."
"We are everywhere, Lex, do not be foolish. Now, go back home to that little hole your living in these days. Get some sleep…we will contact you when the time comes." Lex gets to his feet and moves towards the door slowly. "Escort Mr. Luthor back to the car." The large man in black nods, opening the door as the two walk out of the room.
After a long drive back to Smallville and a glass of red wine, Lex continues to pace around his office. He thinks about Nick Avery's words and what he's done to deserve it this time. The life of Lex Luthor is always full of surprises. Something about the whole thing sparks Lex's interest and he is actually very intrigued about how everything will play out with his old friend this time. They had been rivals in the past, and now Nick had threatened to kill him. Lex knows it's all apart of the game though as he sits down behind his desk, then reaches for the phone. He dials the number of Vince Lincoln, an old friend who has always supplied him with needy information. "Yeah, Vince…I need you to get me anything you can find on Nick Avery or an organization called the Sentinels," Lex says, clicking on a couple documents on his laptop. "What do you mean you can't? Vince, come on…" Lex starts, but Vince has hung up the phone.
Confused and somewhat angry, Lex dials another number. "Charles, do you know what happened to Nick Avery after college? Because I'd like you to do a favor for me…" Lex starts. "What's the matter, Charles? You won't help me?" Again, the man on the other line hangs up. Lex puts down the phone, very upset. A moment later a box pops up on Lex's laptop, alerting him that he has one new message. He clicks on it and the message comes up, reading: "We are everywhere. We have stolen your friends. Do not be foolish." Lex suddenly realizes that this might be bigger than he had thought. He shuts down his computer, and leans back into his leather chair in deep thought.
To be continued in Chapter Three...