***

The Talon was many things and tonight is was the place to be. Lana used the recent good news about the Cheer Squad's impressive performance into the state finales as an excuse to make the place party central. Marcus had changed clothes that afternoon to less gothic like colours mostly to make Pete happy who did not want his cousin hooking up with the Goth contingent of Smallville, All one of the them.

Chloe and Clark arrived together. He had been pumping her for information about the post accident report that the police were fashioning. The eyewitness stories at the school were less then useless all saying the same thing Pete had mentioned. Everyone in the hallway that morning who could have seen what happened experienced a feeling of lost time, a clouding of the mind that blinded them to everything that was occurring in front of them.

The worker and girl who had disappeared from the hall had turned up later in the waiting room of Metropolis General Hospital. The idea that both could have made that journey in what seemed like the blink of an eye made the incident even more mystifying.

Chloe immediately went to the wall of weird checking for signs of teleporters or those who could move at high speeds. (Clark found it uncomfortable that the results of his exploits were being documented not ignored or dismissed.) They found nothing. Chloe wouldn't give up yet though. She was sure some meteor rock mutant was at the bottom of this latest mystery.

Clark couldn't disregard the fact that the once before one of the mutants had discovered his own secrets and more importantly his weakness to the energy from the Meteor Rocks. Such knowledge if it was out there once more was dangerous not just to Clark but those close to him.

The two made the rounds of the room with Clark waving to all the members of The Swim Team who had chosen to attend. He saw Lana though the crowd dancing to some acid Jazz CD Lana had discovered on a trip to visit Nell and her new Husband. He slipped though a sea of bodies to stand at her side.

"How's it going the place is packed tonight."

"Yeah, Lex won't be able to complain about me only breaking even more things are really humming."

"I think Pete will really owe you one for throwing this together.

"Where is he?"

Clark looked around. Then, realizing he could see nothing through the mass of people. Used his X-ray vision to literally peel back the layers of people until he saw Pete and his cousin talking to a sandy haired boy dressed in jeans, T-shirt and dark coloured tennis shoes. "They're talking to Adrian."

"Who's talking to Adrian." Asked Chloe as she walked up to them.

"Pete and Marcus are …over there somewhere I think I saw them standing with Adrian."

"Really that's gotta be the mother of all uncomfortable conversations." Chloe sneered Adrian was well known as a painfully shy person who spoke rarely and the then only in the lowest of tones. The only time he came to life was when he found a cause the stirred his apparently passionate soul. Like during a debate about Metropolis Police raid on female only bathhouse.

The officers, all men and all veterans, had claimed that there was illegal booze & drugs being sold on the property. Adrian, and later Chloe, had argued in The Smallville Ledger; that such a raid even if it were needed could have been preformed by similarly trained female officers. Chole's support stemmed from her liberal bias but at the time she had felt that Adrian had taken the case very personally.

The three of them headed though the crowd. Clark would expand small amounts of his super strength to clear their path until they arrived to see Adrian talking and waving his hands for emphasis.

"…Are you joking that was one of the most important legal judgements in history." He was saying.

"I was there and it wasn't about making history." Marcus said Pete was looking at Adrian with barely restrained annoyance. "I think in the end everyone started loving the media attention too much."

"What's this all about?" Clark asked

"Its nothing big." Pete said quickly.

Adrian shook his head and smiled. "Marcus used to go to Gotham Central Tech. He was there during the Pansy Prom scandal."

Chloe gasped. "I read about that during my internship at the Planet. Two guys wanted to go to their spring Prom together. There was huge drama over it. PTA groups got involved and it even got as far as being taken to Civil Court. Where you really there Marcus?"

"I knew some of the kids involved in the case against the school. But I wasn't part of the group that sued."

"Man, the stories that you must have." Adrian smiled proudly. "This was like the second Stonewall. I heard some students threatened not to attend if the guys were allowed to go."

Marcus was looking uncomfortable. "That was really their parents forcing them to sign that statement of protest."

"I heard some of them signed willingly."

"Some were on side with the guys and some weren't. It was like any big conflict. And some people did and said things they are still sorry for."

Lana piped up "Marcus I got some snacks my supplier claims are all the rage in Gotham maybe you can look them over."

Marcus looked at the group and went after her as she headed for the counter. Adrian looked confused and Pete rounded on him quickly "Look Adrian, Marcus is trying to make a fresh start away from all the nonsense that went down in Gotham City. I'd take it as a real personal favour if you would give him the time he needs if you get my drift."

Adrian stepped back as if Pete had slapped him. Then he nodded and mumbled "Sure whatever, sorry if I caused problems."

They watched him shuffle off into the crowd. Clark rounded on Pete. "That was harsh."

Pete was defiant "this is family Clark. if someone was bothering your mom and dad they'd be mulch."

Chloe grabbed Pete's arm. "Come on family man. This girl needs some dance floor time."

Clark headed for the counter to see Lana alone he looked at her searchingly and she glanced over at the bathrooms.

Clark headed for the back of the Talon and pushed through the doorway. Inside the bathroom, Clark saw Marcus leaning against the counter staring hard at the reflection in the mirror.

"You know he's not going to blink before you do." Marcus startled and then looked again at his reflection

"You would be surprised at how fast that guy folds under pressure. I'm sorry Clark if I caused any friction."

"No harm done. Pete kinda tore a strip off Adrian but, he's a big boy I'm sure he can deal."

"I'll apologize to him in the morning. It not his fault I was in the wrong school at the wrong time."

"Sounds like what was needed at your school were guys who have it together. I haven't known you long but you strike me as someone who has their shit together." At this, Clark put his hand on Marcus's shoulder. The youth jumped and then stared at the hand for moment as though it were a foreign thing. Clark withdrew his hand immediately.

Marcus looked at Clark a moment then smiled "I'm sorry Clark. I'm having personal space issues these days. I don't really feel that close to anyone right now."

"You feel like a stranger in a strange land."

"Exactly, Give me some time and some more of Lana's excellent taste in sweets and gooey consumables and I should be right as ran."

"Whatever's going on I'm sure Adrian didn't mean to make it worse." Clark felt like he was channeling his father since that comment was vintage Jonathon Kent.

"Yeah it's not his fault I'm hiding in Hicksville USA from the wrath of my parents." Marcus glanced once more at the stranger in the mirror. "I think I'll go apologize to Adrian now. Tell Pete I will see him at home tonight." Clark nodded and watched him walk out the bathroom.

***

Adrian walked away from the Talon. "Typical," he thought. "Things were cool and I have to go and put some one on the spot like that that. He's obviously trying to keep his life private and I practically out him in front of his family and Pete's friends. Christ that was selfish." He looked around for the nonexistent cab. It was too late at night to be wondering the streets of Smallville. He started for home. it didn't take long for him to notice the echoing footsteps that betrayed that he was being followed. He glanced behind. There they were. He could make out the letterman jackets that marked them as jocks. Members of the football team. Adrian had been living in this town long enough to know what a group of ball players following you at this hour meant. Had Clark not pissed off Whitney Fordham last year, he was sure that he Adrian, and not Clark, would have been hanging in a field. He thought about turning to confront them but that wasn't a foolproof plan.

He started sprinting down the streets and heard the howls from the lettermen as they gave chase. He had been roughed up in the halls a few times but Bashing was more a Metropolis thing then a Smallville thing. His lack of good shape was quickly betraying him. Say what you will but running after a football built your stamina. He quickly grew tired and collapsed. The four of them surrounded him. He told himself that if he survived this beating he would remember every one of their faces and make them pay big time. The largest of them moved forward to begin the bashing and that was when the screaming started.

***

Clark found Pete and Chloe standing by the counter. "Clark where did Marcus go."

"He went after Adrian, I think he wanted to apologize."

Pete cursed "Four of the guys from the team left not too long ago. I heard they went after Adrian."

"Why?"

"Their story is they wanted to teach him a lesson but I don't trust this bunch"

"Cone on, if Marcus caught up with Adrian before the bully-boys did they might include him in the lesson giving."

Clark and Pete headed out the door. Lana promised to call the sheriff's department and let them know what's going on. The two headed down the street at a fast jog. The jog became a run as they heard a tortured cry echo though the night. Clark zipped ahead of Pete. Following the sounds, he came upon a harrowing scene.

A black figure stood surrounded by the bodies of students in lettermen jackets. Obviously the jocks but there was no sign of Adrian. Some were obviously just unconscious others were lying cast aside as though like a rag dolls. Clark watched as the man …if that's what it was, dangled one jock off the ground. Tendrils of blackness reached out of some deep black maw to caress and snatch at the feet of the boy. His terror was very real and pliable. "Put him down." Clark cried out and rushed the figure that only looked up at the last second to see Clark's huge form barreling toward him. Kent tackled the figure to the ground causing the jock to fall to sprawling to the pavement.

"Leave him alone." Clark grabbed at the struggling form beneath him. Then the man stilled his thrashing and sank into the shadow covered street. "What the hell?" there was no sign of him. Then Clark looked behind him and there in shadows of a closed door was his foe staring out at him.

"It's not what you think." The figure hissed

"Then what is it."

"Its about justice."

"Beating on kids is not justice, it's being a cold blooded thug."

"At least the one they were going to attack is still alive and unhurt. Think they would have been that charitable."

"That's for the law to decide." Clark moved to grab at him again. His fingers felt like they were sliding through smoke.

Here let me make it easier for you." The Dark Man held out his hand. Clark reached out and grasped the solid arm. The then man grabbed Clarks arm and hurled him to the side. He crashed into first one wall then the other. Briefly, dazed Clark released the hand he was holding onto. The Dark Man seemed to reach forward as though channeling force into his hands. Clark felt his body tossed backward across the street to land in a heap next to a lamppost. Pete ran up to them and helped Clark to his feet.

The Dark Man looked at the two men facing him, both obviously prepared for a rematch. "Another time perhaps." He stepped back into the dark alcove and the shadows seemed to absorb him.

"Alright tell me that was not the most bizarre thing you've ever seen." Pete moved cautiously toward the alcove waving his arms as though trying feeling for the shadow man.

"Four guys leave The Talon looking for Adrian. We find all of them beaten on the street and Adrian nowhere around." Clark said thoughtfully gazing at the alcove.

"But there is some shadow guy who obviously was the one who laid the smackdown on the jerks." Pete gestured to the bodies lying in the street. "Well I think we can stop worrying about if there is a new mutant on the loose."

"And start worrying about what we do when next time come along." Clark muttered worriedly

"Next time?"

"Yeah as in the next time we meet, I have to figure out a way to catch and hold a shadow."

***