"Risk" - Chapter Three: All You Don't Know
Early the next day in Smallville, at the Talon, business is good as more people continue to taste some of "the best coffee in Kansas". Lana brings a young couple their drinks and sets them down on the table with a smile. She walks back behind the counter and checks on a couple of other orders, right about the time Lex Luthor makes his way into the building, carrying an expensive briefcase by his side. He casually takes a seat up by the counter, setting the briefcase next to him.
"Hey, boss, how are you today?" Lana asks cheerfully.
"Not bad, decided to stop in for a latte and some small talk."
"Sounds like you won't be staying very long, where are you headed?"
"Back to Metropolis, I have some business there I need to attend to. Say, have you seen Clark around? Thought I might find him in here."
"No, I haven't. I kind of need to talk to him too, he gave me a real scare the other day and I'm still a little worried about him."
"What kind of scare?"
"Well, did you hear about the fire at the Fair Grounds yesterday?"
"Yeah, I read about it today. What happened there?"
"Clark…well, there was that explosion and Clark…" Lana suddenly stops herself as she remembers some of the things Clark had said. Maybe he wouldn't want her talking about this to Lex Luthor.
"Lana, what it is it?" Lex is all ears, seeming like he is ready to beg her to tell him all about it if necessary.
"Ah…it's nothing really, sorry about that. So I'll get you that latte now, alright?"
"Lana what if I told you I hit Clark Kent with my car at sixty miles an hour once and he walked away clean?" Lana doesn't seem to take him seriously.
"Come on, Lex…that's impossible."
"I thought so too, but as I got to know Clark it didn't seem all that unbelievable," Lex says as he looks at the clock, almost 11pm. "I better get going, Lana, I hope we can finish this conversation at another time. Another time when maybe you're willing to tell me a bit more about what you saw." Lana looks at him curiously, then nods her head. "Bye, Lana,"
"Goodbye, Lex." Lex picks up his briefcase and walks back out of the Talon, Lana watches as the doors close behind him. Outside, Lex gets into his car, sets the briefcase on the front seat and then fires up the engine. He turns out onto the road and drives off quickly. A moment later Clark turns the corner and walks towards the Talon, he doesn't notice Lex speeding off down main-street. He walks into the Talon; Lana is still behind the counter as he approaches her. "Clark…hi."
"Lana, I have something to talk to you about."
"I hoped you would."
"Well, you know that I'm not really like a lot of other guys."
"Yes, I do, that's one of the things I like about you.
"Actually, I'm really not like a lot of other guys, and…" Clark begins to go on, but a customer in a hurry barges in.
"Can I get a capachino and a donut, one of those with that red filling."
"Yes, sir, I'll get that to you in just a moment."
"Actually I think I'd like it right now, so move your little butt back there and give me some service here." A frown crosses Clark's face.
"She said she would get it to you in a moment, sir. Patience is a virtue."
"Who the hell are you? Do you work here?"
"No, but…"
"Well than shut that big mouth of yours and get out of my way!" Clark gets more upset.
"Clark I'll be back in a second." Lana calmly and politely goes to pour the man a cup of coffee and get him one of their delicious filled donuts, even though inside she is fuming.
"You know you should be nicer to people."
"Kid, shut your mouth or I'll put a boot in it!" Clark stares at him for a second, giving him that look of warning. Then, he takes a pencil out of the man's jacket pocket and breaks it into his hand, he grinds it down a bit and then opens his palm over the counter top. Very fine pencil dust seeps out into a small pile. The man's eyes widen; he suddenly wants to get very far away as soon as possible. Lana walks back over to the two, bringing his coffee and donut. Clark quickly sweeps the dust off the table as the man grabs his donut and coffee and hurries over to a table, in the back corner.
"That guy was a jerk."
"Yeah…but not all customers are friendly ones."
"I really admire you for that Lana."
"For what?"
"Always keeping that positive attitude, not letting guys like him get to you." Lana smiles.
"So, I believe we were talking about you, not me. What were you saying before?"
"Actually, I was about to ask if you'd come to my loft tonight. It's more private there, just the two of us." Lana looks at him for a few seconds, almost letting a big smile come across her face.
"Ok, Clark, tonight it is." The two both share one their famous perfect smiles. "Right now though, I have to be getting back to work." Lana picks up an order of drinks and walks away towards a table near the exit of the Talon. Clark watches her, those words "tonight it is" would have made him run a million circles around the barn in sheer happiness not long ago, but now it is clear Clark is afraid, you can see it on his face.
Lex Luthor drives through a rough neighborhood, the slums of Metropolis, looking at the address that was given to him. He turns a corner, passing abandoned buildings, factories, dark alleys and homeless men, women and children. He checks the clock, 2:59pm, just as he pulls up to a large, dilapidated building. He turns off the car and slowly he gets out, holding the briefcase. Lex checks his surroundings as he makes sure the car is locked up safely. He walks towards the front doors of the old building. He is about to knock on it when it opens, but only slightly. A man stands behind the door, but only about half of him is visible with the way the door is open. "You Lex Luthor?"
"Yes, is this the place?"
"You got the money?"
"Yes, I have it here."
"Give it to me." Lex hands the briefcase in through the door, which then closes back tightly. Lex waits a few moments for it to open back up partially, a white envelope his handed to him. He inspects it for a second, it isn't sealed and there is no writing on it; the door is then closed once again. Lex slides the envelope into his pocket, wanting to see what's inside, but he stops himself. He walks back towards the car, once again checking his surroundings as he unlocks it. Never know when another goon might attack him from behind. Lex opens the front door and sits into it. The engine starts and the car is once again moving, this time away from the ugly scenery.
3:15pm, Lex is on his way back to the warehouse. He had written down the best directions he could come up with when he left there the night before. One of the last things he would ever want to do would be to go back to that place, but at this point, he figures he doesn't have a choice. 3:16pm, the pressure is killing him. He parks his car on the side of the road, right outside a couple of restaurants and a pet store. He takes the envelope out of his pocket and looks at it, knowing he shouldn't be thinking what he's thinking. Carefully he opens the flap and begins to slide out a piece of paper. Only a second later a man, a random man on the street pounds on his window directly to his left. Lex is startled, the man frowns and yells at him. "Stick to the schedule Luthor!" After that, the man leaves, walking right back down the street. Lex closes the envelope once again and sticks it back into his pocket. "They really are everywhere," he thinks. The car pulls back onto the road and drives onward.
3:30pm, Lex is again walking through the long hallways of the damp old warehouse. Two members of the Sentinels walk with him like before, guiding him back to that large room where he met up with his old friend. Lex defiantly pushes through the double doors ahead of the two men. Inside, Nick Avery doesn't waste much time, and it is clear that is how Lex would like it. The two Sentinels stand by the door as Lex approaches Nick. "I hope you have the envelope, Lex, for your sake." Lex pulls the envelope out of his pocket and holds it out in front of him. Nick Avery smiles as he snatches it out of his grasp. He turns around and takes a few steps forward, away from Lex. Nick slides the contents out, a single piece of paper with a few words printed on it. He observes it under the light, then drops it down onto a crate and walks back towards Lex. "Well done, Lex. I was afraid you might try and do something stupid, you've always enjoyed thwarting the badguy."
"Just tell me what else I have to do to get you, and all of this out of my life for good."
"Oh come on, I made a delicious casserole for us to share, it's packed full of yummy goodness." Lex's stern look doesn't fade. "Ok then, we'll cut to the chase. A former friend of ours has a very important mini-disc in his possession. In the wrong hands it can be very hazardous to our operation. Lex, you will retrieve the disc from this man's apartment and then you will hand it off to one of our operatives."
"You tell me you guys are everywhere. I can understand you wanting me to pay for your bundle of guns and ammunition but why do you want me to be the one to sneak into someone's home and steal things?"
"In the end you will understand, Lex. Well, that is if you make it to the end. Right now, I will be the only one asking the questions. You will do this for us Lex and without any complaining. You will have until tomorrow to carry out this little mission of yours." Lex looks angry, annoyed and eager to get everything with the Sentinels over with. "Only one more little task after that, Lex, then this is all over with." Nick moves over to a small table and picks up a black folder, then takes it back over to Lex. "Everything you need to know, everything we want you to know is in here, including of course, the man's address. He is out of town until tomorrow afternoon, so I suggest you get to it tonight. A number you can use to contact us after you have the disc is in there too. Any further direction will be given to you then. Do you understand?" Lex grabs the folder and looks into Nick's eyes with a hidden fury. "It will be fun playing the role of James Bond, won't it?" Lex doesn't respond; he walks back towards the doors as the two Sentinels open them for him.
"Don't disappoint me, Lex, get that disc!" Lex exits the room; the doors are quickly closed behind him. A grin crosses Nick's face as he stands in the room, now alone. The game is just starting to get heated up, and it is apparent that Nick loves every moment of it.
That evening, the stars have come out early, the night is calm and tranquil. Clark Kent stands in his loft, looking through his telescope, gazing into space. He is enjoying the moment, the only sounds around him are those of crickets and then, a moment later, the sound of Lana Lang's voice as she enters the loft. Clark turns around as she climbs the last few stairs and approaches him. "Am I late?" She asks with a smile.
"No, you're right on time." Lana moves over to the couch and sits down, she looks back up at Clark and speaks.
"You know you really scared me, Clark. We've gotten really close this past year and if anything happened to you…" Lana doesn't finish her sentence.
"Lana, I don't want you to worry about me like that, the thing is, you really don't need to."
"What do you mean?" Clark takes a deep breath, trying to prepare what he might say to her. He then takes a seat next to her on the couch and tries to explain as delicately as possible.
"There's a lot you don't know about me."
"I know, not many people do know a lot about you. It's like you push people away a lot, Clark. You don't have to push me away, you can tell me anything."
"Anything…"
"Yes, anything…just say whatever it is you're trying to right now, it's ok."
"Well, Lana, it's like…you know about the meteor rocks, and Chloe's Wall of Weird," Clark starts.
"Yeah, all of that…it really scares me. I've just started learning about the meteors and what they can do, turning people into freaks and monsters. I wish every single day, every night that meteor shower never happened, everything would be so much better." Clark looks at her, her words rendering him completely speechless. Everything he thought he could tell her is suddenly lost. He gets up from the couch and walks towards the telescope, his back to her. He can't tell her, he can't let her think of him as a freak or a monster. He could never let Lana ever be afraid of him. Clark tries to think of something to say to her, but all he wants to do is run away. "Clark, what's wrong?"
"Lana…I…Lana like I said before, I got out of the haunted house before the explosion, I got far away…dropped the kid off, that's all. I'm sorry, but please…you have to go…I have to go."
"Wait, Clark, please…"
"Just go, please!" Lana tries to talk to him but he quickly heads down the stairs and out of the barn, she goes after him. By the time he makes it out he uses his speed to get far away, from her, from everything. Lana stands outside the barn, looking for him, but he's gone…somewhere, to be by himself.
To be continued in Chapter Four...
Early the next day in Smallville, at the Talon, business is good as more people continue to taste some of "the best coffee in Kansas". Lana brings a young couple their drinks and sets them down on the table with a smile. She walks back behind the counter and checks on a couple of other orders, right about the time Lex Luthor makes his way into the building, carrying an expensive briefcase by his side. He casually takes a seat up by the counter, setting the briefcase next to him.
"Hey, boss, how are you today?" Lana asks cheerfully.
"Not bad, decided to stop in for a latte and some small talk."
"Sounds like you won't be staying very long, where are you headed?"
"Back to Metropolis, I have some business there I need to attend to. Say, have you seen Clark around? Thought I might find him in here."
"No, I haven't. I kind of need to talk to him too, he gave me a real scare the other day and I'm still a little worried about him."
"What kind of scare?"
"Well, did you hear about the fire at the Fair Grounds yesterday?"
"Yeah, I read about it today. What happened there?"
"Clark…well, there was that explosion and Clark…" Lana suddenly stops herself as she remembers some of the things Clark had said. Maybe he wouldn't want her talking about this to Lex Luthor.
"Lana, what it is it?" Lex is all ears, seeming like he is ready to beg her to tell him all about it if necessary.
"Ah…it's nothing really, sorry about that. So I'll get you that latte now, alright?"
"Lana what if I told you I hit Clark Kent with my car at sixty miles an hour once and he walked away clean?" Lana doesn't seem to take him seriously.
"Come on, Lex…that's impossible."
"I thought so too, but as I got to know Clark it didn't seem all that unbelievable," Lex says as he looks at the clock, almost 11pm. "I better get going, Lana, I hope we can finish this conversation at another time. Another time when maybe you're willing to tell me a bit more about what you saw." Lana looks at him curiously, then nods her head. "Bye, Lana,"
"Goodbye, Lex." Lex picks up his briefcase and walks back out of the Talon, Lana watches as the doors close behind him. Outside, Lex gets into his car, sets the briefcase on the front seat and then fires up the engine. He turns out onto the road and drives off quickly. A moment later Clark turns the corner and walks towards the Talon, he doesn't notice Lex speeding off down main-street. He walks into the Talon; Lana is still behind the counter as he approaches her. "Clark…hi."
"Lana, I have something to talk to you about."
"I hoped you would."
"Well, you know that I'm not really like a lot of other guys."
"Yes, I do, that's one of the things I like about you.
"Actually, I'm really not like a lot of other guys, and…" Clark begins to go on, but a customer in a hurry barges in.
"Can I get a capachino and a donut, one of those with that red filling."
"Yes, sir, I'll get that to you in just a moment."
"Actually I think I'd like it right now, so move your little butt back there and give me some service here." A frown crosses Clark's face.
"She said she would get it to you in a moment, sir. Patience is a virtue."
"Who the hell are you? Do you work here?"
"No, but…"
"Well than shut that big mouth of yours and get out of my way!" Clark gets more upset.
"Clark I'll be back in a second." Lana calmly and politely goes to pour the man a cup of coffee and get him one of their delicious filled donuts, even though inside she is fuming.
"You know you should be nicer to people."
"Kid, shut your mouth or I'll put a boot in it!" Clark stares at him for a second, giving him that look of warning. Then, he takes a pencil out of the man's jacket pocket and breaks it into his hand, he grinds it down a bit and then opens his palm over the counter top. Very fine pencil dust seeps out into a small pile. The man's eyes widen; he suddenly wants to get very far away as soon as possible. Lana walks back over to the two, bringing his coffee and donut. Clark quickly sweeps the dust off the table as the man grabs his donut and coffee and hurries over to a table, in the back corner.
"That guy was a jerk."
"Yeah…but not all customers are friendly ones."
"I really admire you for that Lana."
"For what?"
"Always keeping that positive attitude, not letting guys like him get to you." Lana smiles.
"So, I believe we were talking about you, not me. What were you saying before?"
"Actually, I was about to ask if you'd come to my loft tonight. It's more private there, just the two of us." Lana looks at him for a few seconds, almost letting a big smile come across her face.
"Ok, Clark, tonight it is." The two both share one their famous perfect smiles. "Right now though, I have to be getting back to work." Lana picks up an order of drinks and walks away towards a table near the exit of the Talon. Clark watches her, those words "tonight it is" would have made him run a million circles around the barn in sheer happiness not long ago, but now it is clear Clark is afraid, you can see it on his face.
Lex Luthor drives through a rough neighborhood, the slums of Metropolis, looking at the address that was given to him. He turns a corner, passing abandoned buildings, factories, dark alleys and homeless men, women and children. He checks the clock, 2:59pm, just as he pulls up to a large, dilapidated building. He turns off the car and slowly he gets out, holding the briefcase. Lex checks his surroundings as he makes sure the car is locked up safely. He walks towards the front doors of the old building. He is about to knock on it when it opens, but only slightly. A man stands behind the door, but only about half of him is visible with the way the door is open. "You Lex Luthor?"
"Yes, is this the place?"
"You got the money?"
"Yes, I have it here."
"Give it to me." Lex hands the briefcase in through the door, which then closes back tightly. Lex waits a few moments for it to open back up partially, a white envelope his handed to him. He inspects it for a second, it isn't sealed and there is no writing on it; the door is then closed once again. Lex slides the envelope into his pocket, wanting to see what's inside, but he stops himself. He walks back towards the car, once again checking his surroundings as he unlocks it. Never know when another goon might attack him from behind. Lex opens the front door and sits into it. The engine starts and the car is once again moving, this time away from the ugly scenery.
3:15pm, Lex is on his way back to the warehouse. He had written down the best directions he could come up with when he left there the night before. One of the last things he would ever want to do would be to go back to that place, but at this point, he figures he doesn't have a choice. 3:16pm, the pressure is killing him. He parks his car on the side of the road, right outside a couple of restaurants and a pet store. He takes the envelope out of his pocket and looks at it, knowing he shouldn't be thinking what he's thinking. Carefully he opens the flap and begins to slide out a piece of paper. Only a second later a man, a random man on the street pounds on his window directly to his left. Lex is startled, the man frowns and yells at him. "Stick to the schedule Luthor!" After that, the man leaves, walking right back down the street. Lex closes the envelope once again and sticks it back into his pocket. "They really are everywhere," he thinks. The car pulls back onto the road and drives onward.
3:30pm, Lex is again walking through the long hallways of the damp old warehouse. Two members of the Sentinels walk with him like before, guiding him back to that large room where he met up with his old friend. Lex defiantly pushes through the double doors ahead of the two men. Inside, Nick Avery doesn't waste much time, and it is clear that is how Lex would like it. The two Sentinels stand by the door as Lex approaches Nick. "I hope you have the envelope, Lex, for your sake." Lex pulls the envelope out of his pocket and holds it out in front of him. Nick Avery smiles as he snatches it out of his grasp. He turns around and takes a few steps forward, away from Lex. Nick slides the contents out, a single piece of paper with a few words printed on it. He observes it under the light, then drops it down onto a crate and walks back towards Lex. "Well done, Lex. I was afraid you might try and do something stupid, you've always enjoyed thwarting the badguy."
"Just tell me what else I have to do to get you, and all of this out of my life for good."
"Oh come on, I made a delicious casserole for us to share, it's packed full of yummy goodness." Lex's stern look doesn't fade. "Ok then, we'll cut to the chase. A former friend of ours has a very important mini-disc in his possession. In the wrong hands it can be very hazardous to our operation. Lex, you will retrieve the disc from this man's apartment and then you will hand it off to one of our operatives."
"You tell me you guys are everywhere. I can understand you wanting me to pay for your bundle of guns and ammunition but why do you want me to be the one to sneak into someone's home and steal things?"
"In the end you will understand, Lex. Well, that is if you make it to the end. Right now, I will be the only one asking the questions. You will do this for us Lex and without any complaining. You will have until tomorrow to carry out this little mission of yours." Lex looks angry, annoyed and eager to get everything with the Sentinels over with. "Only one more little task after that, Lex, then this is all over with." Nick moves over to a small table and picks up a black folder, then takes it back over to Lex. "Everything you need to know, everything we want you to know is in here, including of course, the man's address. He is out of town until tomorrow afternoon, so I suggest you get to it tonight. A number you can use to contact us after you have the disc is in there too. Any further direction will be given to you then. Do you understand?" Lex grabs the folder and looks into Nick's eyes with a hidden fury. "It will be fun playing the role of James Bond, won't it?" Lex doesn't respond; he walks back towards the doors as the two Sentinels open them for him.
"Don't disappoint me, Lex, get that disc!" Lex exits the room; the doors are quickly closed behind him. A grin crosses Nick's face as he stands in the room, now alone. The game is just starting to get heated up, and it is apparent that Nick loves every moment of it.
That evening, the stars have come out early, the night is calm and tranquil. Clark Kent stands in his loft, looking through his telescope, gazing into space. He is enjoying the moment, the only sounds around him are those of crickets and then, a moment later, the sound of Lana Lang's voice as she enters the loft. Clark turns around as she climbs the last few stairs and approaches him. "Am I late?" She asks with a smile.
"No, you're right on time." Lana moves over to the couch and sits down, she looks back up at Clark and speaks.
"You know you really scared me, Clark. We've gotten really close this past year and if anything happened to you…" Lana doesn't finish her sentence.
"Lana, I don't want you to worry about me like that, the thing is, you really don't need to."
"What do you mean?" Clark takes a deep breath, trying to prepare what he might say to her. He then takes a seat next to her on the couch and tries to explain as delicately as possible.
"There's a lot you don't know about me."
"I know, not many people do know a lot about you. It's like you push people away a lot, Clark. You don't have to push me away, you can tell me anything."
"Anything…"
"Yes, anything…just say whatever it is you're trying to right now, it's ok."
"Well, Lana, it's like…you know about the meteor rocks, and Chloe's Wall of Weird," Clark starts.
"Yeah, all of that…it really scares me. I've just started learning about the meteors and what they can do, turning people into freaks and monsters. I wish every single day, every night that meteor shower never happened, everything would be so much better." Clark looks at her, her words rendering him completely speechless. Everything he thought he could tell her is suddenly lost. He gets up from the couch and walks towards the telescope, his back to her. He can't tell her, he can't let her think of him as a freak or a monster. He could never let Lana ever be afraid of him. Clark tries to think of something to say to her, but all he wants to do is run away. "Clark, what's wrong?"
"Lana…I…Lana like I said before, I got out of the haunted house before the explosion, I got far away…dropped the kid off, that's all. I'm sorry, but please…you have to go…I have to go."
"Wait, Clark, please…"
"Just go, please!" Lana tries to talk to him but he quickly heads down the stairs and out of the barn, she goes after him. By the time he makes it out he uses his speed to get far away, from her, from everything. Lana stands outside the barn, looking for him, but he's gone…somewhere, to be by himself.
To be continued in Chapter Four...