Author's Note: Sorry, the next chapter is really going to be more ummmmm
what's the word... suspenseful. Yeah, that's it! Suspenseful, anyways ummm
I bet you can't guess who the meteor freak is! Ha ha ha ha ha- HA! So if I
still have readers and reviewers, read on! The words to the song don't
belong to me. They are property of X-men Evolution... just to make that
clear.
Note: Thank you guys 4 the reviews, Tora Tigress's idea about a Rogue/Clark pairing got me thinking. I don't think it's ever been done before... But it would be a great idea for a fic. *Hummmm*
**Indicates that someone is thinking **
~~ Are the lyrics to the song.... just to let you know~~
Chapter 9
"So, you're back? Have fun?" Lex smirked.
"Yep I sure did. Too bad you had to go to that 'meeting'. Clark is really great." **And cute too! ** "So, did anything come for me today?"
"Other than the Smallville Ledger?" Lex held up the copy of the Ledger.
"Thanks!" Staci walked over and gave him a friendly hug, "I'm seriously trying to figure out why people love this town. "
She smiled sweetly and retreated to her room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Staci flung herself onto the bed and opened the copy of the Ledger. Her eyes skimming across the pages. She stopped when she glimpsed at one article in particular, "Mutated Cow escalates Suspicions", below the subtitle was a picture of a badly deformed cow. Its enormous head was now double its original size. Each of its four legs were bent in, one leg was smaller than the others, causing its gate to be off terribly. Staci clenched and unclenched her fists as she continued reading the article. **Who does this guy think he is? **
"Authorities seem to think that pesticides found in a local stream behind the Patterson farm, are to blame for this cow's sudden mutation." She read, "Another Luthorcorp incident? This reporter seems to think so. Lex Luthor has caused more problems in Smallville than the meteor shower of eighty- nine. When will this madness stop..."
She threw the paper at the wall angrily. He had no right to say that about Lex, sure it was a free country but what he did was just plain wrong. Lex was really a nice guy, people just didn't get over the fact that his last name just so happened to be Luthor, it was just a title, unfortunately the son had to pay for the sins of the father, so to speak. He didn't deserve that. Staci and Lex had been friends for a long time, not to mention the fact that she had a slight crush on him... who wouldn't?
**The stupid people in this town just can't see that, ** she thought. Staci slowly walked over to the corrupted paper. "Matthew Stover" she smiled craftily to herself and walked out of the room. Her green beaded bracelets glowing brightly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What does he want me to do now?" Matthew Stover sat at his desk typing away frantically at the keys. Everyone else had gone home, but being the workaholic he was, staying late at the office was a normal everyday thing. He yawned sleepily. "Whatever article Steve wants me write, it'll have to wait until the morning." He slowly got up and picked up his keys. He locked the door on his way out. Not noticing the swift figure that seemed to zoom into the parking lot.
He continued walking to his car, grabbed his car keys and slowly put them into the car door.
He could have sworn he heard a rustle behind him and turned around to investigate.
"You!" The figure was hiding in the shadows.
"Who's there?" He tried to hide the fear in his voice.
"You... who do you think you are, writing an article like that. You don't even-" Her voice was cut off when he turned to go into his car.
Matthew realizing it was only a girl, and a very young one at that, ignored her and attempted to get into his car. "Hey lady, I can't help that you don't like my article, life's like that... so just deal!"
"I'm not done talking to you," she persisted and grabbed his arm.
He instantly fell to the ground. dead.
"Omygosh, what's happening to me?" She turned her hands over and over studying them, an appalling look on her face.
The look of regret slowly disappeared and was replaced with something else. Contentment.
She kicked Stover's corpse before turning to leave, hands in her pockets, humming a happy tune.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
**Monday morning, another day at school. ** Jean sighed, it wasn't that she didn't want to go to school, because Smallville High was great, well as great as a school can get anyway. It was just... weird. Like she was stuck in a mode, every morning she would go to school expecting to see Taryn, Duncan or Scott... she still hadn't gotten over the fact that she wasn't going to see them, for a long time. Her mind just hadn't comprehended it yet.
But Chloe, Pete and Clark had proved to be great friends, who tried their best to make her feel at home. She smiled as she thought of Clark. He wasn't like any other guy she had met before, handsome, stunning, sweet and he had that amazing smile. Clark just seemed to really understand her, and it was great to finally have someone that she felt so comfortable talking to.
**The one person I'd really want to tell my secret to, would have to be Clark...he just seems like the type of person that wouldn't look down on me because, I'm different. But then again, sometimes even your best friends will turn against you when they find out that darker side of your life. **
She put one of her CDs into the stereo on the dresser, keeping the volume at a considerable level.
~~I'm just your sweet next-door neighbor I do what I'm told And I never cause any trouble I'm so much more than meets the eye But there's something than I keep hidden deep inside~~
"Hummmmm, which color, which color?" Deciding on the perfect nail polish color was tough, especially when there were so many choices. "Midnight blue, candy apple red, bubble gum pink... Sour apple green..." Jean couldn't decide, there were so many choices. "MIDNIGHT BLUE!!!" She exclaimed aloud.
~~Don't mess with my kind Don't play with my mind I'm only a girl But I can move the world Don't put me down Or kick me to the ground I'll be up in a flash My superhuman blast~~
She remembered that one time when they; Jean, Kitty, Rogue, Amara, and Tabitha, had decided to start the Bayville Sirens. Dancing in the music store, to this song in fact. It had been so much fun, but that was before the police told them not to help citizens with their powers.
**You would think they would be happy, to finally have a "heroine."** She thought, **But no, they want you to stop saving the world. It didn't make any sense. **
~~I may be out to have a little bit of fun I've got a life of my own and it's just begun I've got powers that you can't deny Treat me wrong and I'll be gone in the blink of an eye~~
~~Don't mess with my kind Don't play with my mind I'm only a girl But I can move the world Don't put me down Or kick me to the ground I'll be up in a flash My superhuman blast~~
The deep blue polish was still drying. She rushed to put on another pair of black platform sandals, different this time. Instead of the black elastic band sandals, this pair was resembled a flip-flop, with a string of black onyx beads that decorated the shoe beautifully. She slid them on just as the knock at the door pulled her away from her other "business."
~~Don't mess with my kind Don't play with my mind I'm only a girl But I can move the world Don't put me down Or kick me to the ground I'll be up in a flash My superhuman blast~~
"Come in!"
It was Clark, "Hey, sleep well?"
Jean nodded; he was so caring, so kind, whenever she was around him she would get a really bad case of the warm fuzzies.
"Yep, you?" She continued brushing her red hair, her eyes never leaving the mirror.
"Yeah."
Jean continued. "Need anything?"
"No, I just wanted to tell you that breakfast is ready."
"Oops," She made a face that suggested that she forgot... again. "I'm never going to get this right. Am I?"
Clark smiled, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Let's hope so, one day you're going to wake up and your breakfast will have disappeared."
"Clark Kent!" She turned around, hands on her hips, pretending to be shocked, "You wouldn't dare!"
"You never know."
Jean laughed and lightly elbowed him in his side.
"I'll be there in a sec."
She resumed her glance back to the mirror brushing off imaginary dirt from her blue hipster flares. Fixing her sleeveless light blue top, she toyed with the "sleeves" that weren't exactly attached to the shirt. They were halfway up her forearm and the elastic that held them there was getting on her nerves. She had only bought it because she liked how the shirt and sleeves were separate and the way the sleeves flared out.
"Sometime before now and next Christmas..." He said teasingly.
"Ummm okay, hold on." She was still applying her vanilla flavored lip- gloss, and vanilla body spray. "I'm coming."
She turned, fluffed out her hair and followed Clark down the steps.
"Ooo wait, forgot something."
He rolled his eyes and shook his head.
Jean came back down the stairs again, messenger bag slung across her shoulder.
"Sorry. Forgot."
"Must be a girl thing."
"Hey," she corrected him; "Some guys take a really long time getting ready. It's not just girls you know."
"Uh huh."
They both entered into the kitchen.
"Good morning!" Jean called more cheerfully that usual.
"How much coffee did you have this morning?" Clark raised an eyebrow.
"I had a cup before I went to bed last night." She smiled.
"Obviously the effects haven't worn off yet."
"Shut up!" She playfully elbowed him again.
After they all exchanged 'good mornings' and hugs Jean took a seat at the table.
"It's a shame about Matthew Stover," Martha was putting away the dishes, "imagine what his wife and kids are going through right now... I think I'll bring them a pie."
Jean looked around nervously, **Pie? Pie! I love PIE! **
"It just doesn't make any sense," Jonathan continued.
Jean noticed the copy of the Ledger on the table, "May I?"
"Of course," Martha smiled.
Jean opened to the page on Matthew Stover, "Forty year old Matthew Phillip Stover was pronounced dead this morning of unknown causes. 'There was no bodily injury, no evidence of murder by weapon,' said Lowell county Sheriff; Sheriff Wong, 'an autopsy was conducted earlier and no drugs or poisons were present in his system. He was a perfectly healthy man. Something like this just isn't explanatory."
Jean stopped looking at the article and raised her head up, "Does stuff like this always happen here?"
"Welcome to Smallville." Clark said sarcastically.
Jean let the previous events sink in slowly, she wasn't so sure if this town was everything Mr. Chaplin had made it out to be; sure it was small, the people were friendly and it was beautiful, but like everything, this town definitely had it's secrets.
"Well we better get going. I wouldn't want Clark to miss the bus on account of my time-consuming grooming methods." Jean smiled mockingly. "Oww!" She recoiled when he hit her arm gently.
He looked at her with concern; sometimes he didn't know his own strength.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I was just kidding."
Note: Thank you guys 4 the reviews, Tora Tigress's idea about a Rogue/Clark pairing got me thinking. I don't think it's ever been done before... But it would be a great idea for a fic. *Hummmm*
**Indicates that someone is thinking **
~~ Are the lyrics to the song.... just to let you know~~
Chapter 9
"So, you're back? Have fun?" Lex smirked.
"Yep I sure did. Too bad you had to go to that 'meeting'. Clark is really great." **And cute too! ** "So, did anything come for me today?"
"Other than the Smallville Ledger?" Lex held up the copy of the Ledger.
"Thanks!" Staci walked over and gave him a friendly hug, "I'm seriously trying to figure out why people love this town. "
She smiled sweetly and retreated to her room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Staci flung herself onto the bed and opened the copy of the Ledger. Her eyes skimming across the pages. She stopped when she glimpsed at one article in particular, "Mutated Cow escalates Suspicions", below the subtitle was a picture of a badly deformed cow. Its enormous head was now double its original size. Each of its four legs were bent in, one leg was smaller than the others, causing its gate to be off terribly. Staci clenched and unclenched her fists as she continued reading the article. **Who does this guy think he is? **
"Authorities seem to think that pesticides found in a local stream behind the Patterson farm, are to blame for this cow's sudden mutation." She read, "Another Luthorcorp incident? This reporter seems to think so. Lex Luthor has caused more problems in Smallville than the meteor shower of eighty- nine. When will this madness stop..."
She threw the paper at the wall angrily. He had no right to say that about Lex, sure it was a free country but what he did was just plain wrong. Lex was really a nice guy, people just didn't get over the fact that his last name just so happened to be Luthor, it was just a title, unfortunately the son had to pay for the sins of the father, so to speak. He didn't deserve that. Staci and Lex had been friends for a long time, not to mention the fact that she had a slight crush on him... who wouldn't?
**The stupid people in this town just can't see that, ** she thought. Staci slowly walked over to the corrupted paper. "Matthew Stover" she smiled craftily to herself and walked out of the room. Her green beaded bracelets glowing brightly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What does he want me to do now?" Matthew Stover sat at his desk typing away frantically at the keys. Everyone else had gone home, but being the workaholic he was, staying late at the office was a normal everyday thing. He yawned sleepily. "Whatever article Steve wants me write, it'll have to wait until the morning." He slowly got up and picked up his keys. He locked the door on his way out. Not noticing the swift figure that seemed to zoom into the parking lot.
He continued walking to his car, grabbed his car keys and slowly put them into the car door.
He could have sworn he heard a rustle behind him and turned around to investigate.
"You!" The figure was hiding in the shadows.
"Who's there?" He tried to hide the fear in his voice.
"You... who do you think you are, writing an article like that. You don't even-" Her voice was cut off when he turned to go into his car.
Matthew realizing it was only a girl, and a very young one at that, ignored her and attempted to get into his car. "Hey lady, I can't help that you don't like my article, life's like that... so just deal!"
"I'm not done talking to you," she persisted and grabbed his arm.
He instantly fell to the ground. dead.
"Omygosh, what's happening to me?" She turned her hands over and over studying them, an appalling look on her face.
The look of regret slowly disappeared and was replaced with something else. Contentment.
She kicked Stover's corpse before turning to leave, hands in her pockets, humming a happy tune.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
**Monday morning, another day at school. ** Jean sighed, it wasn't that she didn't want to go to school, because Smallville High was great, well as great as a school can get anyway. It was just... weird. Like she was stuck in a mode, every morning she would go to school expecting to see Taryn, Duncan or Scott... she still hadn't gotten over the fact that she wasn't going to see them, for a long time. Her mind just hadn't comprehended it yet.
But Chloe, Pete and Clark had proved to be great friends, who tried their best to make her feel at home. She smiled as she thought of Clark. He wasn't like any other guy she had met before, handsome, stunning, sweet and he had that amazing smile. Clark just seemed to really understand her, and it was great to finally have someone that she felt so comfortable talking to.
**The one person I'd really want to tell my secret to, would have to be Clark...he just seems like the type of person that wouldn't look down on me because, I'm different. But then again, sometimes even your best friends will turn against you when they find out that darker side of your life. **
She put one of her CDs into the stereo on the dresser, keeping the volume at a considerable level.
~~I'm just your sweet next-door neighbor I do what I'm told And I never cause any trouble I'm so much more than meets the eye But there's something than I keep hidden deep inside~~
"Hummmmm, which color, which color?" Deciding on the perfect nail polish color was tough, especially when there were so many choices. "Midnight blue, candy apple red, bubble gum pink... Sour apple green..." Jean couldn't decide, there were so many choices. "MIDNIGHT BLUE!!!" She exclaimed aloud.
~~Don't mess with my kind Don't play with my mind I'm only a girl But I can move the world Don't put me down Or kick me to the ground I'll be up in a flash My superhuman blast~~
She remembered that one time when they; Jean, Kitty, Rogue, Amara, and Tabitha, had decided to start the Bayville Sirens. Dancing in the music store, to this song in fact. It had been so much fun, but that was before the police told them not to help citizens with their powers.
**You would think they would be happy, to finally have a "heroine."** She thought, **But no, they want you to stop saving the world. It didn't make any sense. **
~~I may be out to have a little bit of fun I've got a life of my own and it's just begun I've got powers that you can't deny Treat me wrong and I'll be gone in the blink of an eye~~
~~Don't mess with my kind Don't play with my mind I'm only a girl But I can move the world Don't put me down Or kick me to the ground I'll be up in a flash My superhuman blast~~
The deep blue polish was still drying. She rushed to put on another pair of black platform sandals, different this time. Instead of the black elastic band sandals, this pair was resembled a flip-flop, with a string of black onyx beads that decorated the shoe beautifully. She slid them on just as the knock at the door pulled her away from her other "business."
~~Don't mess with my kind Don't play with my mind I'm only a girl But I can move the world Don't put me down Or kick me to the ground I'll be up in a flash My superhuman blast~~
"Come in!"
It was Clark, "Hey, sleep well?"
Jean nodded; he was so caring, so kind, whenever she was around him she would get a really bad case of the warm fuzzies.
"Yep, you?" She continued brushing her red hair, her eyes never leaving the mirror.
"Yeah."
Jean continued. "Need anything?"
"No, I just wanted to tell you that breakfast is ready."
"Oops," She made a face that suggested that she forgot... again. "I'm never going to get this right. Am I?"
Clark smiled, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Let's hope so, one day you're going to wake up and your breakfast will have disappeared."
"Clark Kent!" She turned around, hands on her hips, pretending to be shocked, "You wouldn't dare!"
"You never know."
Jean laughed and lightly elbowed him in his side.
"I'll be there in a sec."
She resumed her glance back to the mirror brushing off imaginary dirt from her blue hipster flares. Fixing her sleeveless light blue top, she toyed with the "sleeves" that weren't exactly attached to the shirt. They were halfway up her forearm and the elastic that held them there was getting on her nerves. She had only bought it because she liked how the shirt and sleeves were separate and the way the sleeves flared out.
"Sometime before now and next Christmas..." He said teasingly.
"Ummm okay, hold on." She was still applying her vanilla flavored lip- gloss, and vanilla body spray. "I'm coming."
She turned, fluffed out her hair and followed Clark down the steps.
"Ooo wait, forgot something."
He rolled his eyes and shook his head.
Jean came back down the stairs again, messenger bag slung across her shoulder.
"Sorry. Forgot."
"Must be a girl thing."
"Hey," she corrected him; "Some guys take a really long time getting ready. It's not just girls you know."
"Uh huh."
They both entered into the kitchen.
"Good morning!" Jean called more cheerfully that usual.
"How much coffee did you have this morning?" Clark raised an eyebrow.
"I had a cup before I went to bed last night." She smiled.
"Obviously the effects haven't worn off yet."
"Shut up!" She playfully elbowed him again.
After they all exchanged 'good mornings' and hugs Jean took a seat at the table.
"It's a shame about Matthew Stover," Martha was putting away the dishes, "imagine what his wife and kids are going through right now... I think I'll bring them a pie."
Jean looked around nervously, **Pie? Pie! I love PIE! **
"It just doesn't make any sense," Jonathan continued.
Jean noticed the copy of the Ledger on the table, "May I?"
"Of course," Martha smiled.
Jean opened to the page on Matthew Stover, "Forty year old Matthew Phillip Stover was pronounced dead this morning of unknown causes. 'There was no bodily injury, no evidence of murder by weapon,' said Lowell county Sheriff; Sheriff Wong, 'an autopsy was conducted earlier and no drugs or poisons were present in his system. He was a perfectly healthy man. Something like this just isn't explanatory."
Jean stopped looking at the article and raised her head up, "Does stuff like this always happen here?"
"Welcome to Smallville." Clark said sarcastically.
Jean let the previous events sink in slowly, she wasn't so sure if this town was everything Mr. Chaplin had made it out to be; sure it was small, the people were friendly and it was beautiful, but like everything, this town definitely had it's secrets.
"Well we better get going. I wouldn't want Clark to miss the bus on account of my time-consuming grooming methods." Jean smiled mockingly. "Oww!" She recoiled when he hit her arm gently.
He looked at her with concern; sometimes he didn't know his own strength.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I was just kidding."