Canvas - Part 3
Eric remembered the pain. No matter what had been done to him before it never hurt as bad as that original lightning strike. It was something he used to take comfort in. Until now. This pain was just as incredible and it wasn't until he became aware of the screams of the young girl whose hand he holding that he realized he was screaming too. Then mercifully, unconsciousness came.
*********************
When Eric regained consciousness he was back in the recovery room. Looking around he was able to identify Dr. Stephens, Brian and Mr. Luthor, but he noticed that the little girl was gone. He also noticed that his insides felt like they were on fire.
An involuntary gasp of pain from Eric alerted the others in the room that their patient was again conscious.
"Hello, Eric," Lionel said. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I'm being eaten alive by fire ants."
"That's because your DNA is realigning," said Dr. Stephens.
"It's fascinating to watch," he continued. "I took a tissue sample after the procedure was completed and I can actually see your cell structure mutating."
"Yes, Eric," said Mr. Luthor "it seems as though this experiment has been a success after all."
"Then why am I burning and tingling all over?"
"Like I said, Eric," said Dr. Stephens, "it's because your cells are mutating. But, don't worry the burning sensation will pass just like it did the first time you got your powers."
"It didn't feel like this the first time."
Dr. Stephens and Mr. Luthor looked at each other before turning back to Eric.
"What do you mean it didn't feel this way before?" asked Mr. Luthor.
"The lightning knocked me unconscious, but when I woke up I felt normal. It wasn't until later that I realized that I was stronger and faster and that nothing could hurt me."
Lionel turned to Stephens and cocked an eyebrow.
"These are different circumstances," Stephens sputtered starting to feel scared. "We don't know what gave Eric his powers before. The little girl just has the power of super speed not the others. His invulnerability may have kept him from feeling uncomfortable."
"Ummm." Lionel commented as he nodded his head. "Well, at any rate we still need to see if the speed transferred over."
"Yes," Stephens said quickly, "let's just monitor him for a couple of hours and then we'll go out to the track and start the tests."
**************************
Two hours later the pain Eric had experienced upon regaining consciousness was gone and he was standing on the side of a running track with Mr. Luthor, Dr. Stephens and a couple of big guys in dark suits that Eric figured were bodyguards. Whether they were there for him or Mr. Luthor was an entirely different matter.
Eric was dressed in shorts, a sleeveless T-shirt and running shoes, a stark contrast to the shirts and ties worn by everyone else.
"Ok, Eric," Dr. Stephens began, "we're going to do some speed trials. We're not concerned for the moment how fast you are, we just want to make sure that you have gained extraordinary speed."
"How would I have gotten speed from that little girl? And what happened to her anyway?" Eric asked.
"Apparently she's extremely fast herself, but I have no idea how she became that way." Dr. Stephens replied. "As for where she went, she came and left with Mr. Luthor's people. I have no idea other than that."
Eric didn't ask anymore questions, but concentrated on the tests at hand. Within minutes it was verified that Eric had indeed developed the power to run at incredible speeds. His speed also showed itself to be quite beyond the ability of conventional radar to measure. In the end the team had relied upon a stopwatch and simple mathematics to measure it. His top speed by the end of the tests was calculated to be approximately 1150 mph, being able to complete one lap of the quarter mile course in just under a second.
Eric was elated. It wasn't his former status, but it was close enough that he felt energized for the first time in over a year. He was convinced that Luthor would be able to help him get his old powers back. He'd deal with Luthor and his little "assurance" after that happened.
As Eric was led back to his room Dr. Stephens turned to address Lionel.
"Does that count as your qualified success?"
"Yes, doctor. You have done quite well. You'll find I'm not ungrateful."
"May I ask how you intend to arrange for him to regain his other abilities? The girl was an absolutely amazing piece of work, but she was only part of the equation. Do you have something even more incredible hidden away somewhere?"
"Something like that doctor, something like that. And with young Mr. Summers' help I just may be able to lay my hands on it."
**************************************
Later that day Brian again collected Eric from his room and escorted him to a meeting room in a section of the building that he had never been in before.
Entering the room he found it occupied only by Lionel Luthor.
"Eric, good of you to join me. Please, have a seat. We have a great deal to talk about, you and I."
"What exactly?"
"Why, your future of course. It's time to start earning your keep."
"What do you want me to do?" Eric said with a sigh.
"That's a very good attitude to keep, Eric. Obstinance only gets people in trouble. You should remember that."
Lionel laid a file folder in front of Eric and he opened it instantly recognizing the picture at the top of the page.
"That's Chloe Sullivan. What does she have to do with anything?"
"Ms. Sullivan is an employee of mine now, Eric. Much the same way you are. I've asked her to look into some things. Research a valuable artifact that I'm trying to gain possession of. However, in Ms. Sullivan's case, unlike yours, I've developed certain trust issues. I don't think she's being entirely up front with me. And if information is being kept from me it endangers my chances of obtaining this item. " "Where do I some in?" asked Eric.
"You know Smallville. You know Ms. Sullivan. I want you to go there and watch her. I trust that with your speed there will be little danger of your being seen. Is that something you think you can handle?"
"Yeah," said Eric, "it shouldn't be too hard."
"Even if no one can know who you are? Even if you can in no way communicate with anyone from your past? Even your parents?"
Eric said nothing. It had been so long since he had seen or spoke to his parents that he had not even thought about them when Lionel first mentioned his returning to Smallville. Did he even want to see them?
"I."
"Don't answer that just yet, Eric." Interrupted Lionel. "I want you to think about it for a moment. If you can't honestly say you can stay away from them then I can't send you. You're still under a legal sentence. How would it look to the court if you were seen running around free? Seeing your parents does nothing but place both you and them in jeopardy."
"How would they be in danger?"
"The government was very concerned about you Eric. Why do you think you were sent to a genetics lab rather than prison? They wanted you picked apart to see what made you tick. If they thought you were free they would have no qualms about taking your parents into 'protective custody' until they could get to you. And if they get to you, believe me when I say that Cadmus will not be the place they send you back to. It'll be one of those places that where the people think they can get more from a vivisection of your internal organs than from a few experiments. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"
Eric nodded his head numbly as his brain began to slowly process what was being said.
"She also holds the key to you regaining your abilities." Luthor added quietly.
Eric's head jerked up at that and he stared at Luthor.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that each time you report to me everywhere she goes and everything she does I'll be one step closer to procuring an object that will not only be very valuable to me, but one that holds the key to providing you with your other abilities as well. Each time you fail to do so will keep our individual dreams that much further from each of our grasps."
"So, can you do it?"
"Yeah," Eric replied, "I can do it."
End - Part 3
Eric remembered the pain. No matter what had been done to him before it never hurt as bad as that original lightning strike. It was something he used to take comfort in. Until now. This pain was just as incredible and it wasn't until he became aware of the screams of the young girl whose hand he holding that he realized he was screaming too. Then mercifully, unconsciousness came.
*********************
When Eric regained consciousness he was back in the recovery room. Looking around he was able to identify Dr. Stephens, Brian and Mr. Luthor, but he noticed that the little girl was gone. He also noticed that his insides felt like they were on fire.
An involuntary gasp of pain from Eric alerted the others in the room that their patient was again conscious.
"Hello, Eric," Lionel said. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I'm being eaten alive by fire ants."
"That's because your DNA is realigning," said Dr. Stephens.
"It's fascinating to watch," he continued. "I took a tissue sample after the procedure was completed and I can actually see your cell structure mutating."
"Yes, Eric," said Mr. Luthor "it seems as though this experiment has been a success after all."
"Then why am I burning and tingling all over?"
"Like I said, Eric," said Dr. Stephens, "it's because your cells are mutating. But, don't worry the burning sensation will pass just like it did the first time you got your powers."
"It didn't feel like this the first time."
Dr. Stephens and Mr. Luthor looked at each other before turning back to Eric.
"What do you mean it didn't feel this way before?" asked Mr. Luthor.
"The lightning knocked me unconscious, but when I woke up I felt normal. It wasn't until later that I realized that I was stronger and faster and that nothing could hurt me."
Lionel turned to Stephens and cocked an eyebrow.
"These are different circumstances," Stephens sputtered starting to feel scared. "We don't know what gave Eric his powers before. The little girl just has the power of super speed not the others. His invulnerability may have kept him from feeling uncomfortable."
"Ummm." Lionel commented as he nodded his head. "Well, at any rate we still need to see if the speed transferred over."
"Yes," Stephens said quickly, "let's just monitor him for a couple of hours and then we'll go out to the track and start the tests."
**************************
Two hours later the pain Eric had experienced upon regaining consciousness was gone and he was standing on the side of a running track with Mr. Luthor, Dr. Stephens and a couple of big guys in dark suits that Eric figured were bodyguards. Whether they were there for him or Mr. Luthor was an entirely different matter.
Eric was dressed in shorts, a sleeveless T-shirt and running shoes, a stark contrast to the shirts and ties worn by everyone else.
"Ok, Eric," Dr. Stephens began, "we're going to do some speed trials. We're not concerned for the moment how fast you are, we just want to make sure that you have gained extraordinary speed."
"How would I have gotten speed from that little girl? And what happened to her anyway?" Eric asked.
"Apparently she's extremely fast herself, but I have no idea how she became that way." Dr. Stephens replied. "As for where she went, she came and left with Mr. Luthor's people. I have no idea other than that."
Eric didn't ask anymore questions, but concentrated on the tests at hand. Within minutes it was verified that Eric had indeed developed the power to run at incredible speeds. His speed also showed itself to be quite beyond the ability of conventional radar to measure. In the end the team had relied upon a stopwatch and simple mathematics to measure it. His top speed by the end of the tests was calculated to be approximately 1150 mph, being able to complete one lap of the quarter mile course in just under a second.
Eric was elated. It wasn't his former status, but it was close enough that he felt energized for the first time in over a year. He was convinced that Luthor would be able to help him get his old powers back. He'd deal with Luthor and his little "assurance" after that happened.
As Eric was led back to his room Dr. Stephens turned to address Lionel.
"Does that count as your qualified success?"
"Yes, doctor. You have done quite well. You'll find I'm not ungrateful."
"May I ask how you intend to arrange for him to regain his other abilities? The girl was an absolutely amazing piece of work, but she was only part of the equation. Do you have something even more incredible hidden away somewhere?"
"Something like that doctor, something like that. And with young Mr. Summers' help I just may be able to lay my hands on it."
**************************************
Later that day Brian again collected Eric from his room and escorted him to a meeting room in a section of the building that he had never been in before.
Entering the room he found it occupied only by Lionel Luthor.
"Eric, good of you to join me. Please, have a seat. We have a great deal to talk about, you and I."
"What exactly?"
"Why, your future of course. It's time to start earning your keep."
"What do you want me to do?" Eric said with a sigh.
"That's a very good attitude to keep, Eric. Obstinance only gets people in trouble. You should remember that."
Lionel laid a file folder in front of Eric and he opened it instantly recognizing the picture at the top of the page.
"That's Chloe Sullivan. What does she have to do with anything?"
"Ms. Sullivan is an employee of mine now, Eric. Much the same way you are. I've asked her to look into some things. Research a valuable artifact that I'm trying to gain possession of. However, in Ms. Sullivan's case, unlike yours, I've developed certain trust issues. I don't think she's being entirely up front with me. And if information is being kept from me it endangers my chances of obtaining this item. " "Where do I some in?" asked Eric.
"You know Smallville. You know Ms. Sullivan. I want you to go there and watch her. I trust that with your speed there will be little danger of your being seen. Is that something you think you can handle?"
"Yeah," said Eric, "it shouldn't be too hard."
"Even if no one can know who you are? Even if you can in no way communicate with anyone from your past? Even your parents?"
Eric said nothing. It had been so long since he had seen or spoke to his parents that he had not even thought about them when Lionel first mentioned his returning to Smallville. Did he even want to see them?
"I."
"Don't answer that just yet, Eric." Interrupted Lionel. "I want you to think about it for a moment. If you can't honestly say you can stay away from them then I can't send you. You're still under a legal sentence. How would it look to the court if you were seen running around free? Seeing your parents does nothing but place both you and them in jeopardy."
"How would they be in danger?"
"The government was very concerned about you Eric. Why do you think you were sent to a genetics lab rather than prison? They wanted you picked apart to see what made you tick. If they thought you were free they would have no qualms about taking your parents into 'protective custody' until they could get to you. And if they get to you, believe me when I say that Cadmus will not be the place they send you back to. It'll be one of those places that where the people think they can get more from a vivisection of your internal organs than from a few experiments. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"
Eric nodded his head numbly as his brain began to slowly process what was being said.
"She also holds the key to you regaining your abilities." Luthor added quietly.
Eric's head jerked up at that and he stared at Luthor.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that each time you report to me everywhere she goes and everything she does I'll be one step closer to procuring an object that will not only be very valuable to me, but one that holds the key to providing you with your other abilities as well. Each time you fail to do so will keep our individual dreams that much further from each of our grasps."
"So, can you do it?"
"Yeah," Eric replied, "I can do it."
End - Part 3