Note: Thanks for the reviews/comments again! I'll TRY(stresses on try) to
update the fic at least twice a week. By the way, I'm planning to write a
'spin off' fic about Linda Danvers and her life and love in Leesburg,
sometime soon. It would most likely explain her origin (why she blames
herself for the destruction of Argo), how she got to earth and stuff. Kinda
like the pilot episode for Smallville but with a twist. And oh.review
please! (try imaging Nick Adler as that guy from Dark Angel, Alec(Jensen
Ackles). I reckon he kinda fits the role plus he's super cute. ahehehe.)
Chapter Eighteen
"Not exactly." The being in front of them said with a devilish sneer on her façade.
Clark turned his eyes on the center of the foundry, where he saw Lana's lifeless body earlier. Though now, it was no longer there.
The 'Lana' that stood before them started to morph into something, someone else. Her skin stretched and became jelly like in texture. That beautiful face puffed and unidentified bug like things seemed to be crawling from under her skin. It looked painful. It looked absolutely disgusting.
In a split second, it was not Lana anymore but a nemesis that Clark very well remembered. The shape shifter called Nick Adler grinned at them. His clothes changed as well. He's tall, about Clark's height, short dirty blond hair, with a well-built physique, a killer smile and amazing blue eyes, Linda reckoned he was kinda hot for a bad guy.
"Nick." Clark uttered amazed with the transformation he witnessed.
Meanwhile Linda's beginning to put it all together in her mind. This is the thing, the shape shifter Lex was talking about. The one that tricked her into believing that it was Clark who attacked Lena, her best friend. Nick, the guy who pretended to look like Clark so she would go ballistic on him.
"That's right." Nick muttered coolly taking two steps towards Linda and Clark. "It's nice to know that you haven't forgotten."
Their battle at the cornfield a week ago flashed back in Clark's thoughts. A lot of kicks and punches were thrown that night. Most of them came from Clark, naturally. Of course, Nick didn't just stood there receiving all of the attacks. He was strong, very agile and deceiving.
Often, during their fight, he'd transform into someone close to Clark like Pete, Chloe and even his parents. Clark got distracted a few times but in the end he won and crushed Nick with a huge rock.
"How could I? I kicked your ass. Badly." Clark bit back, putting on his confident face. "So I guess, you came back for more?"
Nick gave a small laugh as he placed both of his hands inside his jeans' pocket. He shook his head and mumbled, "Freak."
"Look who's talking." Linda automatically jumped in, crossing her arms on her chest as she stood next to Clark.
"Oh- I'm sorry. Let me get that right. Freaks." Nick teased, referring to Clark, Linda and most probably, including himself.
Outside the foundry, Lex, Lena and the Kent couple were trying to find a way to get back inside. A translucent mist like dome formed, encasing the entire building. The dome was set there to prevent anyone from entering the foundry. Any person who dared to touch or come close would probably get electrocuted.
"Let's all split up and look around for a crack- an entrance or some sort." Mr. Kent suggested to the group.
Everyone started doing their work, jogging 'round the dome for any opening that they may use to get in. In not tine at all, they surrounded the foundry though still they haven't found an opening.
Mrs. Kent was getting worried by the second and so did Lena. Mr. Kent and Lex on the other hand are confident that Linda and Clark could take care of themselves. Whatever or whoever threw them out of the foundry wouldn't stand a chance against the joint teamwork of two super humans. Clark Kent from the planet Krypton and Linda Danvers of Argo City.
"Fabulous." Linda praised, joking of course, as she clapped her hands. "If only you could hold still for us while we rip your head off from your torso. That would make our day. Wouldn't you say so Clark?"
Clark nodded, joining in with Linda's little repartee with Nick Adler.
"Definitely." He added, pressing his lips together.
Nick snorted. He was utterly amused with this blonde girl. She's beautiful, that's pretty obvious, and very sexy in that short skirt. He wouldn't actually mind going out with her. Such a waste. Too bad he's got to kill her too.
"Linda-Linda-Linda." He mumbled, looking down at his shoes, searching for words. "Earth Angel."
"So he knows who I am." Linda thought, eyes focused directly at Nick.
"Tell me- does this look and sound familiar to you?" Nick asked before finally transforming into another form. Another person.
They were startled to see Nick became Grandma Adler before their eyes. From the old lady's wrinkled face and fingers, the curly white hair, her hunched posture and even the turkey neck, Nick copied her perfectly.
"My Earth Angel. Oh if I could only see her, just this ones. I wish I could thank her." Nick spoke imitating the old lady's hoarse voice, flawlessly.
Linda couldn't believe what she's hearing and seeing! Yesterday afternoon was a complete illusion. She wasn't talking to Mrs. Adler at the hospital that day, but to Nick himself, pretending to be the old lady.
She revealed her true identity to Nick and not the weak Grandma Adler. Linda fell for his trick. That's why all of old lady Adler's things in her hospital room were gone. Maybe the real Mrs. Adler got transferred to another room or floor and Nick saw that opportunity to play Linda. Make her believe that he's the real thing and expose herself.
How dare he?! Most likely, learning that Linda's the Earth Angel, Nick came up with a plan to use her to have his revenge on Clark. So what he did was replicate Clark's looks and attack Lena while making sure that Linda witnessed the whole thing, therefore making her go ballistic on Clark.
Nick planned everything perfectly. He must be spying on them round the clock to know their every move.
Then somehow he overheard Lena and Linda's conversation back in the hospital to kidnap Lana Lang. So he morphed into Lana and ones again, tricked Linda into believing that he's the real deal. The only thing Linda can do now is pray that Lana is somewhere safe.
"Neat trick, huh?" Nick finished, changing back into his original form. Then giving a wicked a smile.
"Why don't you come over here and I'll show you something neater!" She snarled with her jaw clenched in anger. Her fist aching to hit Nick so bad.
"You're becoming even more beautiful when you're angry, Linda. Feisty, but gorgeous." He commented. "No wonder pretty boy Clark Kent here's so in love with you."
Clark and Linda found themselves looking straight at each other's eyes. Both blushing furiously with what Nick just said.
"How did he know that? No way he's a mind reader." Clark inquired to himself, embarrassed to Linda. Nick must've transformed into something else and over heard his conversation with Lex at the Luthor mansion last night.
"You know what?" Queried Nick, eyeing both Clark and Linda in the process.
"By a show of hands, please," She immediately piped in, scanning the foundry as if talking to an entire group. "Who gives a rat's ass what shape shifter creep thinks?"
Clark didn't raise his hand, and no one in Linda's imaginary group of people did. Nick clicked his tongue and exhaled explosively.
"I was going to say let's get this over with." He informed with one hand rested on his hip.
"Oh. Well - I second that suggestion then." She replied walking towards Nick, slowly first. Then it turned into a jog and finally a dash with one fist slightly raised ready to strike.
Nick blocked every punch that Linda unleashed with his arms. Though what he didn't saw coming was the strong kick at the right side of his head. He staggered with that and saw Clark rushing for him. It was one against two.
Clark buried his fist into Nick's stomach as he doubled in pain. It was then that Linda pounded her fist onto the back of his neck, sending him kneeling down to the ground.
They both went down for him but he quickly got up, pushing them away in the process. Clark and Linda took several steps backward with that. Nick ran for Clark as his fist connecting with his face. Not satisfied with that he held Clark by his shoulders, drove him downwards as he shot his knee up to Clark's guts.
Then he threw him aside. On to the blonde chick. Nick did all that stuff to Clark so fast that Linda wasn't able to help him. The next thing she saw coming were Nick's fist meeting her face for a solid punch.
Even as Linda tried her best to shield herself from the attack, she couldn't. Nick was unbelievably fast. He was as fast as her and Clark. The piece of the Omegahedron implanted in Nick enhanced his powers and gave him that super speed.
Anyone who posses a piece of the Omegahedron, be it human or animal alike, would exhibit at least one power that are similar or can be found in Linda or Clark. And in this case, their speed.
Linda has fought several people back in Leesburg who had been mutated by the meteor rocks and at the same time possessed by a shard of the powerful Omegahedron. There's only one way to defeat these beings, retrieve the piece of the Omegahadron and crush it.
Nick held a firm grasp around Linda's throat with one hand, as he raised her up, with her feet no longer touching the ground. She coughed, feeling Nick's hand tightening hard around her air passage.
Clark was immediately to her rescue, attacking from Nick's back. He locked one arm around his throat, trying to choke him as well. Linda was released from his clutches, sitting down on the ground touching her sore neck.
Nick held Clark's arm that was wrapped on his neck, trying his very best to take it off from him. With a swift move Nick slammed the back of his head on Clark's face forcefully making him let go.
Clark received a jab on his stomach and two on his face. The third punch didn't get in because he took a step back just in time to avoid it.
Linda got up, cursing under her breath as she rushed forward, though she was far shorter than Nick, she leaped up onto his back and wrapped her legs around him. With a fistful of his hair, she yanked his head back and he fell with her still riding him. Nick landed on top of her even as Linda kicked him off her.
"Miss me?" The blond and blue eyed devil joked at Linda, with his face inches away from her.
"Get away from her!" Clark dashed for them enraged, grasping Nick at the back of his denim jacket and tossing him away from Linda.
For a moment he thought he said and did that because he was plainly mad at Nick, but the truth is he was furiously jealous. Clark swore that no man would ever get that close to Linda, especially now that he knows that she feels the same way for him. She loves him and Clark loves her too.
"Are you alright?" He asked, offering a hand to get her off the floor.
"Yeah." Linda answered accepting Clark's hand. When she stood up she brushed the dirt off, her now, filthy looking uniform before fluffing her stained, ratty blonde hair.
Strangely enough, they heard a small boyish giggle coming from Nick, who already got to his feet too. He dusted the dirt from his pants and his matching denim jacket.
"This is unfair. It's two against one." He retorted with a grin, brushing his hands together to remove the soil. "What d'you say we make it even?
With that last remark, Nick astonishingly opened his mouth a bit wider than an ordinary human can. From it came out a greenish ooze that hits Clark and sent him flying across the foundry. He was pinned on the wall as the ooze started to spread on his entire body. In less than a second it hardened, laminating Clark completely on the foundry's wall. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
"Clark!" Linda screamed out in absolute horror.
Chapter Eighteen
"Not exactly." The being in front of them said with a devilish sneer on her façade.
Clark turned his eyes on the center of the foundry, where he saw Lana's lifeless body earlier. Though now, it was no longer there.
The 'Lana' that stood before them started to morph into something, someone else. Her skin stretched and became jelly like in texture. That beautiful face puffed and unidentified bug like things seemed to be crawling from under her skin. It looked painful. It looked absolutely disgusting.
In a split second, it was not Lana anymore but a nemesis that Clark very well remembered. The shape shifter called Nick Adler grinned at them. His clothes changed as well. He's tall, about Clark's height, short dirty blond hair, with a well-built physique, a killer smile and amazing blue eyes, Linda reckoned he was kinda hot for a bad guy.
"Nick." Clark uttered amazed with the transformation he witnessed.
Meanwhile Linda's beginning to put it all together in her mind. This is the thing, the shape shifter Lex was talking about. The one that tricked her into believing that it was Clark who attacked Lena, her best friend. Nick, the guy who pretended to look like Clark so she would go ballistic on him.
"That's right." Nick muttered coolly taking two steps towards Linda and Clark. "It's nice to know that you haven't forgotten."
Their battle at the cornfield a week ago flashed back in Clark's thoughts. A lot of kicks and punches were thrown that night. Most of them came from Clark, naturally. Of course, Nick didn't just stood there receiving all of the attacks. He was strong, very agile and deceiving.
Often, during their fight, he'd transform into someone close to Clark like Pete, Chloe and even his parents. Clark got distracted a few times but in the end he won and crushed Nick with a huge rock.
"How could I? I kicked your ass. Badly." Clark bit back, putting on his confident face. "So I guess, you came back for more?"
Nick gave a small laugh as he placed both of his hands inside his jeans' pocket. He shook his head and mumbled, "Freak."
"Look who's talking." Linda automatically jumped in, crossing her arms on her chest as she stood next to Clark.
"Oh- I'm sorry. Let me get that right. Freaks." Nick teased, referring to Clark, Linda and most probably, including himself.
Outside the foundry, Lex, Lena and the Kent couple were trying to find a way to get back inside. A translucent mist like dome formed, encasing the entire building. The dome was set there to prevent anyone from entering the foundry. Any person who dared to touch or come close would probably get electrocuted.
"Let's all split up and look around for a crack- an entrance or some sort." Mr. Kent suggested to the group.
Everyone started doing their work, jogging 'round the dome for any opening that they may use to get in. In not tine at all, they surrounded the foundry though still they haven't found an opening.
Mrs. Kent was getting worried by the second and so did Lena. Mr. Kent and Lex on the other hand are confident that Linda and Clark could take care of themselves. Whatever or whoever threw them out of the foundry wouldn't stand a chance against the joint teamwork of two super humans. Clark Kent from the planet Krypton and Linda Danvers of Argo City.
"Fabulous." Linda praised, joking of course, as she clapped her hands. "If only you could hold still for us while we rip your head off from your torso. That would make our day. Wouldn't you say so Clark?"
Clark nodded, joining in with Linda's little repartee with Nick Adler.
"Definitely." He added, pressing his lips together.
Nick snorted. He was utterly amused with this blonde girl. She's beautiful, that's pretty obvious, and very sexy in that short skirt. He wouldn't actually mind going out with her. Such a waste. Too bad he's got to kill her too.
"Linda-Linda-Linda." He mumbled, looking down at his shoes, searching for words. "Earth Angel."
"So he knows who I am." Linda thought, eyes focused directly at Nick.
"Tell me- does this look and sound familiar to you?" Nick asked before finally transforming into another form. Another person.
They were startled to see Nick became Grandma Adler before their eyes. From the old lady's wrinkled face and fingers, the curly white hair, her hunched posture and even the turkey neck, Nick copied her perfectly.
"My Earth Angel. Oh if I could only see her, just this ones. I wish I could thank her." Nick spoke imitating the old lady's hoarse voice, flawlessly.
Linda couldn't believe what she's hearing and seeing! Yesterday afternoon was a complete illusion. She wasn't talking to Mrs. Adler at the hospital that day, but to Nick himself, pretending to be the old lady.
She revealed her true identity to Nick and not the weak Grandma Adler. Linda fell for his trick. That's why all of old lady Adler's things in her hospital room were gone. Maybe the real Mrs. Adler got transferred to another room or floor and Nick saw that opportunity to play Linda. Make her believe that he's the real thing and expose herself.
How dare he?! Most likely, learning that Linda's the Earth Angel, Nick came up with a plan to use her to have his revenge on Clark. So what he did was replicate Clark's looks and attack Lena while making sure that Linda witnessed the whole thing, therefore making her go ballistic on Clark.
Nick planned everything perfectly. He must be spying on them round the clock to know their every move.
Then somehow he overheard Lena and Linda's conversation back in the hospital to kidnap Lana Lang. So he morphed into Lana and ones again, tricked Linda into believing that he's the real deal. The only thing Linda can do now is pray that Lana is somewhere safe.
"Neat trick, huh?" Nick finished, changing back into his original form. Then giving a wicked a smile.
"Why don't you come over here and I'll show you something neater!" She snarled with her jaw clenched in anger. Her fist aching to hit Nick so bad.
"You're becoming even more beautiful when you're angry, Linda. Feisty, but gorgeous." He commented. "No wonder pretty boy Clark Kent here's so in love with you."
Clark and Linda found themselves looking straight at each other's eyes. Both blushing furiously with what Nick just said.
"How did he know that? No way he's a mind reader." Clark inquired to himself, embarrassed to Linda. Nick must've transformed into something else and over heard his conversation with Lex at the Luthor mansion last night.
"You know what?" Queried Nick, eyeing both Clark and Linda in the process.
"By a show of hands, please," She immediately piped in, scanning the foundry as if talking to an entire group. "Who gives a rat's ass what shape shifter creep thinks?"
Clark didn't raise his hand, and no one in Linda's imaginary group of people did. Nick clicked his tongue and exhaled explosively.
"I was going to say let's get this over with." He informed with one hand rested on his hip.
"Oh. Well - I second that suggestion then." She replied walking towards Nick, slowly first. Then it turned into a jog and finally a dash with one fist slightly raised ready to strike.
Nick blocked every punch that Linda unleashed with his arms. Though what he didn't saw coming was the strong kick at the right side of his head. He staggered with that and saw Clark rushing for him. It was one against two.
Clark buried his fist into Nick's stomach as he doubled in pain. It was then that Linda pounded her fist onto the back of his neck, sending him kneeling down to the ground.
They both went down for him but he quickly got up, pushing them away in the process. Clark and Linda took several steps backward with that. Nick ran for Clark as his fist connecting with his face. Not satisfied with that he held Clark by his shoulders, drove him downwards as he shot his knee up to Clark's guts.
Then he threw him aside. On to the blonde chick. Nick did all that stuff to Clark so fast that Linda wasn't able to help him. The next thing she saw coming were Nick's fist meeting her face for a solid punch.
Even as Linda tried her best to shield herself from the attack, she couldn't. Nick was unbelievably fast. He was as fast as her and Clark. The piece of the Omegahedron implanted in Nick enhanced his powers and gave him that super speed.
Anyone who posses a piece of the Omegahedron, be it human or animal alike, would exhibit at least one power that are similar or can be found in Linda or Clark. And in this case, their speed.
Linda has fought several people back in Leesburg who had been mutated by the meteor rocks and at the same time possessed by a shard of the powerful Omegahedron. There's only one way to defeat these beings, retrieve the piece of the Omegahadron and crush it.
Nick held a firm grasp around Linda's throat with one hand, as he raised her up, with her feet no longer touching the ground. She coughed, feeling Nick's hand tightening hard around her air passage.
Clark was immediately to her rescue, attacking from Nick's back. He locked one arm around his throat, trying to choke him as well. Linda was released from his clutches, sitting down on the ground touching her sore neck.
Nick held Clark's arm that was wrapped on his neck, trying his very best to take it off from him. With a swift move Nick slammed the back of his head on Clark's face forcefully making him let go.
Clark received a jab on his stomach and two on his face. The third punch didn't get in because he took a step back just in time to avoid it.
Linda got up, cursing under her breath as she rushed forward, though she was far shorter than Nick, she leaped up onto his back and wrapped her legs around him. With a fistful of his hair, she yanked his head back and he fell with her still riding him. Nick landed on top of her even as Linda kicked him off her.
"Miss me?" The blond and blue eyed devil joked at Linda, with his face inches away from her.
"Get away from her!" Clark dashed for them enraged, grasping Nick at the back of his denim jacket and tossing him away from Linda.
For a moment he thought he said and did that because he was plainly mad at Nick, but the truth is he was furiously jealous. Clark swore that no man would ever get that close to Linda, especially now that he knows that she feels the same way for him. She loves him and Clark loves her too.
"Are you alright?" He asked, offering a hand to get her off the floor.
"Yeah." Linda answered accepting Clark's hand. When she stood up she brushed the dirt off, her now, filthy looking uniform before fluffing her stained, ratty blonde hair.
Strangely enough, they heard a small boyish giggle coming from Nick, who already got to his feet too. He dusted the dirt from his pants and his matching denim jacket.
"This is unfair. It's two against one." He retorted with a grin, brushing his hands together to remove the soil. "What d'you say we make it even?
With that last remark, Nick astonishingly opened his mouth a bit wider than an ordinary human can. From it came out a greenish ooze that hits Clark and sent him flying across the foundry. He was pinned on the wall as the ooze started to spread on his entire body. In less than a second it hardened, laminating Clark completely on the foundry's wall. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
"Clark!" Linda screamed out in absolute horror.