Chapter 6

Lionel revelled in his luck. This was amazing. And to think, if he'd dropped Lex off 20 minutes later he would have missed it all. It's like it was meant to be. When Lex arrived he revealed everything to him. The blood sample, the way the meteor rocks seemed to affect it, and finally, the recent father son conversation. Lex stood stunned. This was bigger than he had ever imagined. Clark was some sort of alien. As he thought about it he realised why Clark had never told him. In the pit of his stomach there was a small amount of fear about the whole thing. He knew for sure that if Clark himself had told him, he wouldn't have dealt with it well.

Lionel called who appeared to be the head of his men and said, "Move in, from what we can tell he'll be in the barn and the ship will be in the storm cellar at the back of the house. Remove both the boy and the craft inside."

They all headed out.

"What are they doing," asked Lex.

"They're detaining the boy for further study," said Lionel, looking at him as though he were stupid.

Then the scale of what he had done hit him. He'd helped his father become the enemy that Clark had been afraid of all his life, for Lex assumed that's why he had hidden his secrets. To keep men like his father from using him to their own advantage. His own selfish curiosity may have caused an end to Clark's life, as he knew it. He had to do something. Lex ran out of the room and ordered the driver of the limo to drive to the Kent's house, while the men were still loading things into the truck. They sped as quickly as he could towards the farm. He didn't even think to open the window so he could tell where he was, although knowing his father, it would have been nailed shut.

* * * *

Clark watched the stars through his telescope. It was one of his favourite past-times. He would sit and wonder if any of those stars where home, and what it would be like there, what his life would be like there. He would be free of secrets and lies but would he have any family? Most of the stars in the sky had burned out millions of years ago but their light was only reaching us now. Maybe he didn't have a home out there, and this life was all he had. Still he kept wondering.

* * * * *

Lex was quiet as he walked up the steps. When he saw Clark his heart jumped a little. He'd seen him looking through his telescope before but it had such a heavy significance now that it seemed knew to him. He looked so normal, doing such a normal thing. Then came the slight fear again. What if Clark had just been pretending to be nice, and really he was a hostile alien who would kill anyone who knew it's secret. That didn't seem right. He took a deep breath; trying to think of all the things they'd done as friends, not to mention the fact he'd saved his life. Pushing away the doubts he cleared his throat. Clark looked up, startled. Then his face became grim.

"I already told you Lex, I can't tell you everything you want to know, so you may as well just go," he said, exasperated.

"That's not why I'm here Clark. Well it is and it isn't," he took a deep breath, "I know everything about you, and so does my father. He's sent a truck full of people with strict orders to come and retrieve you, they'll be here any minute."

Clark's facial expression didn't change.

He looked so apathetic that Lex said, "Did you just here me?"

Clark made no reply. Instead he fell heavily to the floor, and lay there in a crumpled heap. Then Lex noticed the tranquilliser sticking out from his arm. "Oh shit," he thought to himself just before one man struck him on the back of the head. They carried Clark's motionless body down the stairs leaving Lex unconscious on the floor. They tried to make as little sound as possible, so as not to disturb the Kents and heaved him into the back of the truck were the ship was also being kept. Then they hooked him up to the equipment they had bought with them and drove off towards the Compound's secret location.

End of part 2