Thank you to everyone who has been so kind to review this story. I hope I can live up to expectations. Whew! even I'm not sure where this story is going.
LaCasta: There are no words for how helpful you've been and considering the trouble I had with this chapter, I probably couldn't come up with the words anyway. Your endless patience and fortitude in the face of aggravating repetitious mistakes has most certainly proven worthy of a saint. I'm sending an application for your canonization to the Pope. ;)
The Missing 10
"Lucas was as good as his word." Martha spoke up, leaning back and away from her son. She arched slightly rubbing her hand on her lower back and Chloe again noted the change in her. Martha Kent looked older than her age would justify. Her hair still held a hint of the rich red it had once been but now grey was much more dominant. There were still laugh lines around her eyes but her cheeks were hollow. Martha looked at Nora who gave her a small smile, and began the next part of the story.
"Jonathan and I were busy with the others in the dining hall. We'd been given a small amount of freedom over time and Nora felt it would be helpful to have a regular discussion group. Any topic, really, to provide mental stimulation for the group and to feel a bit normal. With Jonathan taking the lead, it had become a bit of a classroom atmosphere. Sometimes we'd be allowed a newspaper, we'd talk about it and try to get Jodi and Sean involved. Ian even enjoyed these sessions. Clark, however, had stopped attending, saying he was tired and sleeping in his room. I think it was just another symptom of his withdrawal. As Nora had felt the time alone wouldn't hurt him, Jon and I continued to attend. We'd begun to enjoy these times.
"Sean came in late and was in a particularly self-satisfied mood. He broke into the conversation and wanted to talk about the hardship of confinement with no females to keep him happy. He couldn't resist making it clear that Jodi did not count. Usually, Jon stopped Sean's jibes but there was something about his body language. He was tense, excited and sitting on the edge of his seat.
"Ian interrupted him and tried to turn the conversation back. He seemed annoyed with Sean and looked anxiously at Jonathan. It was clear that he knew something was going on.
"I asked Sean what started all this. Squirming in his seat, he told us that he didn't think it was fair that Clark could get laid and he couldn't. Jonathan and I were stunned to silence and Jodi had to ask what he meant. Ian was trying to shut Sean up at this point so Jonathan turned to Ian and demanded to know what was going on." Martha's voice grew softer, Chloe leaned closer, trying to read Martha's expression. It was obvious where this was going and Chloe was feeling a bit nauseated.
"Ian confessed that he knew of Lucas' deal with Desiree. He'd heard two of the other scientists discussing it. Lucas threatened Clark by saying he'd have me or Jonathan killed. I could tell by Ian's expression it had been a real threat. Lucas claimed that as the new manager of the lab, he was under pressure to trim costs. The board wanted to be rid of any dead weight and it would be easy to kill off one of us. They only needed one to control Clark. To Lucas Luthor, this was a win-win scenario. Killing one of us would cut costs and make the other that much more precious to Clark. We'd worn out our welcome and Clark would have to increase his productivity and co-operation now the place was under new management." Martha's tone was sardonic. She looked away from Chloe and studied her own thin hands as she said, "Clark agreed to his demands." Chloe didn't know what to think. Martha's discomfort seemed to be guilt. How could she feel guilty for something so completely out of her control? And Clark? God, he must have been humiliated to have to barter himself for his parents, like some bizarre form of prostitution.
Nora interrupted, drawing Chloe's attention away from Martha. "I didn't know about the test at the time. Most of the others, however, were in attendance, supposedly not wanting to pass up an opportunity to study the alien's response to sexual stimulation." Nora's mouth was thin with disapproval.
Martha spoke again, "Jonathan demanded to know when this was happening. I think Ian gave in because he was used to obeying Jon and he respected him. He said he was pretty sure they had Clark and Desiree in the lab right now."
Martha looked pleadingly at Chloe as if begging her to understand. "Jonathan had been used by that viper back in Smallville. He'd almost murdered another human being to please her and the memory still haunted him. He'd never been able to speak of it, even to me. Even now, I don't know all the details.
"Jonathan looked at me and I could see the determination in him. For that woman to have her hands on his son was too much. He told me he had to stop it.
"Our group sessions usually had only one guard outside the door but that day was different. Jonathan called the guard in, asking for assistance but two entered and they were armed. I'd never seen guards wearing guns in the inner corridor before. Jonathan was desperate and he hit the first man. The second started to draw his gun but Sean had come up behind him, absorbing his heat and paralyzing him. In the past, we'd always called an alarm if Sean made a threatening move. We'd gained what freedom we had because the guards knew we wouldn't let any of the inmates kill if we could stop it but this time we did nothing. Ian tried to warn them but Jodi silenced him with her own threat. By mutual consensus we'd let Sean sneak up on someone and kill." Chloe could see the guilt in Martha's eyes. It had been a hard choice but in the same circumstance Chloe knew she would have done the same. She clasped Martha's hand, reassuring her and urging her on at the same time.
"Jonathan knocked the first man out and stole his access card. He didn't even take his weapons. He ran down the inner hallway checking the lab door windows and finally entering the third one. I followed him but by the time I entered the lab, Jonathan had Lucas by his shirt, practically lifting him off the ground as he demanded that Lucas stop this.
"Then I saw Clark on an examination table in the room beyond. We were in an observation room with a mirrored window that had full view of the testing room. Clark and Desiree couldn't see us. He was naked, with wires attached to his body and head. I remember how he was blushing with embarrassment, looking miserable. Desiree stood beside him wearing a robe with her hand on his chest. The bang of Jonathan shoving Lucas against the window had drawn their attention and they were both looking at the mirror, knowing Lucas and several scientists were behind it and that something was wrong.
"The scientists present had backed off in surprise when Jonathan burst in but the one guard immediately grabbed Jonathan from behind, pulling him off. Jon struggled and told Lucas again to stop it. Lucas laughed, saying it was about time the freak got laid and Jonathan should thank him for getting it done. Jon broke free and landed a good punch on Lucas, drawing blood. The guard wrestled him up against the window.
"While Jonathan and the guard struggled, Lucas stood up and straightened his jacket. He was so calm. Wiping a bit of blood off the corner of his mouth, he reached into his jacket, as if to get a handkerchief and pulled out a gun. He shot once, shattering the window and barely missing them. Through the opening, I saw Clark get up but he wasn't able to react fast enough to stop the second bullet. Lucas shot Jonathan at point blank range. I don't remember screaming but Jodi says she heard it all the way in the dining hall. I held my husband in my arms but he was already dead. I didn't even get to say goodbye." Martha was crying. Large tears fell in drops on her hands as she became silent. Chloe pulled the other woman into her arms, rocking gently as one would comfort a child. She felt helpless.
Jonathan Kent had always been kind to her but because the work on a farm is never-ending, Chloe had known Martha better. Jonathan wasn't around much when she and Pete had been in to visit Clark but he'd always had a friendly smile and a compliment for her. Even when she'd first met him as an awkward teenager, he'd take the time to speak to her, never treating her as just a kid. She knew she couldn't fully comprehend Martha's loss but she mourned the passing of a good man.
Nora spoke up, filling the quiet. "Dr. Halton and I were in the records room and came running at the sound of the uproar. Clark was kneeling by his father's side, whispering "No". Suddenly, he roared with rage and threw Lucas across the room. The guards were starting to arrive and they tried to contain him but Clark had lost all control. He shook Lucas viciously, asking him why. He kept repeating that he had done what Lucas wanted. Lucas fought back as best he could but Clark tossed him like a rag doll against the wall. Lucas cried out in pain and by the awkward angle, I think Clark broke his arm but no one could pay attention to anything but Clark and his rage. The guards were jumping him but even their meteors couldn't stop him. He threw them all off, breaking one man's neck as he sent him right through the window." Chloe had never seen Clark's true strength and it was impossible to compare the gentle Clark Kent she knew with the picture these women were describing.
Martha raised her head and spoke softly, "I've never seen Clark like that. He wouldn't listen to me when I begged him to stop. He tore the door off and was headed down the hallway with the guards still trying to stop him. Dr. Halton went into one of the labs and came back out with liquid Kryptonite. Clark stumbled when he got close with it but just kept going. That's when Halton jumped him from behind and injected it into Clark's neck. He cried out in agony and collapsed. We carried him to his room and he did not regain conciousness for a few weeks."
Chloe sat in silence, trying to absorb the information, looking at Clark as he lay on the bed. She sat down beside Clark, running her fingers down his arm, feeling the warmth, noting he still had strong muscles under his pale skin. What had they done? Was the damage to him permanent? Chloe thought of the instigators in this tragedy and her teeth clenched with anger. "What happened to Lucas and Desiree?"
Nora was the one who spoke as Martha cried silently beside her son. "I believe Lucas went back to LuthorCorp. He hasn't been involved in the lab since, as far as I can tell. Desiree and one of the male scientists here disappeared."
Chloe couldn't let it go at that, surprising herself with the hatred she felt for the woman she'd known as Mrs. Luthor. "Did they ever find them?"
"No." Nora said sadly. "But he turned up dead in Gotham about two weeks later."
LaCasta: There are no words for how helpful you've been and considering the trouble I had with this chapter, I probably couldn't come up with the words anyway. Your endless patience and fortitude in the face of aggravating repetitious mistakes has most certainly proven worthy of a saint. I'm sending an application for your canonization to the Pope. ;)
The Missing 10
"Lucas was as good as his word." Martha spoke up, leaning back and away from her son. She arched slightly rubbing her hand on her lower back and Chloe again noted the change in her. Martha Kent looked older than her age would justify. Her hair still held a hint of the rich red it had once been but now grey was much more dominant. There were still laugh lines around her eyes but her cheeks were hollow. Martha looked at Nora who gave her a small smile, and began the next part of the story.
"Jonathan and I were busy with the others in the dining hall. We'd been given a small amount of freedom over time and Nora felt it would be helpful to have a regular discussion group. Any topic, really, to provide mental stimulation for the group and to feel a bit normal. With Jonathan taking the lead, it had become a bit of a classroom atmosphere. Sometimes we'd be allowed a newspaper, we'd talk about it and try to get Jodi and Sean involved. Ian even enjoyed these sessions. Clark, however, had stopped attending, saying he was tired and sleeping in his room. I think it was just another symptom of his withdrawal. As Nora had felt the time alone wouldn't hurt him, Jon and I continued to attend. We'd begun to enjoy these times.
"Sean came in late and was in a particularly self-satisfied mood. He broke into the conversation and wanted to talk about the hardship of confinement with no females to keep him happy. He couldn't resist making it clear that Jodi did not count. Usually, Jon stopped Sean's jibes but there was something about his body language. He was tense, excited and sitting on the edge of his seat.
"Ian interrupted him and tried to turn the conversation back. He seemed annoyed with Sean and looked anxiously at Jonathan. It was clear that he knew something was going on.
"I asked Sean what started all this. Squirming in his seat, he told us that he didn't think it was fair that Clark could get laid and he couldn't. Jonathan and I were stunned to silence and Jodi had to ask what he meant. Ian was trying to shut Sean up at this point so Jonathan turned to Ian and demanded to know what was going on." Martha's voice grew softer, Chloe leaned closer, trying to read Martha's expression. It was obvious where this was going and Chloe was feeling a bit nauseated.
"Ian confessed that he knew of Lucas' deal with Desiree. He'd heard two of the other scientists discussing it. Lucas threatened Clark by saying he'd have me or Jonathan killed. I could tell by Ian's expression it had been a real threat. Lucas claimed that as the new manager of the lab, he was under pressure to trim costs. The board wanted to be rid of any dead weight and it would be easy to kill off one of us. They only needed one to control Clark. To Lucas Luthor, this was a win-win scenario. Killing one of us would cut costs and make the other that much more precious to Clark. We'd worn out our welcome and Clark would have to increase his productivity and co-operation now the place was under new management." Martha's tone was sardonic. She looked away from Chloe and studied her own thin hands as she said, "Clark agreed to his demands." Chloe didn't know what to think. Martha's discomfort seemed to be guilt. How could she feel guilty for something so completely out of her control? And Clark? God, he must have been humiliated to have to barter himself for his parents, like some bizarre form of prostitution.
Nora interrupted, drawing Chloe's attention away from Martha. "I didn't know about the test at the time. Most of the others, however, were in attendance, supposedly not wanting to pass up an opportunity to study the alien's response to sexual stimulation." Nora's mouth was thin with disapproval.
Martha spoke again, "Jonathan demanded to know when this was happening. I think Ian gave in because he was used to obeying Jon and he respected him. He said he was pretty sure they had Clark and Desiree in the lab right now."
Martha looked pleadingly at Chloe as if begging her to understand. "Jonathan had been used by that viper back in Smallville. He'd almost murdered another human being to please her and the memory still haunted him. He'd never been able to speak of it, even to me. Even now, I don't know all the details.
"Jonathan looked at me and I could see the determination in him. For that woman to have her hands on his son was too much. He told me he had to stop it.
"Our group sessions usually had only one guard outside the door but that day was different. Jonathan called the guard in, asking for assistance but two entered and they were armed. I'd never seen guards wearing guns in the inner corridor before. Jonathan was desperate and he hit the first man. The second started to draw his gun but Sean had come up behind him, absorbing his heat and paralyzing him. In the past, we'd always called an alarm if Sean made a threatening move. We'd gained what freedom we had because the guards knew we wouldn't let any of the inmates kill if we could stop it but this time we did nothing. Ian tried to warn them but Jodi silenced him with her own threat. By mutual consensus we'd let Sean sneak up on someone and kill." Chloe could see the guilt in Martha's eyes. It had been a hard choice but in the same circumstance Chloe knew she would have done the same. She clasped Martha's hand, reassuring her and urging her on at the same time.
"Jonathan knocked the first man out and stole his access card. He didn't even take his weapons. He ran down the inner hallway checking the lab door windows and finally entering the third one. I followed him but by the time I entered the lab, Jonathan had Lucas by his shirt, practically lifting him off the ground as he demanded that Lucas stop this.
"Then I saw Clark on an examination table in the room beyond. We were in an observation room with a mirrored window that had full view of the testing room. Clark and Desiree couldn't see us. He was naked, with wires attached to his body and head. I remember how he was blushing with embarrassment, looking miserable. Desiree stood beside him wearing a robe with her hand on his chest. The bang of Jonathan shoving Lucas against the window had drawn their attention and they were both looking at the mirror, knowing Lucas and several scientists were behind it and that something was wrong.
"The scientists present had backed off in surprise when Jonathan burst in but the one guard immediately grabbed Jonathan from behind, pulling him off. Jon struggled and told Lucas again to stop it. Lucas laughed, saying it was about time the freak got laid and Jonathan should thank him for getting it done. Jon broke free and landed a good punch on Lucas, drawing blood. The guard wrestled him up against the window.
"While Jonathan and the guard struggled, Lucas stood up and straightened his jacket. He was so calm. Wiping a bit of blood off the corner of his mouth, he reached into his jacket, as if to get a handkerchief and pulled out a gun. He shot once, shattering the window and barely missing them. Through the opening, I saw Clark get up but he wasn't able to react fast enough to stop the second bullet. Lucas shot Jonathan at point blank range. I don't remember screaming but Jodi says she heard it all the way in the dining hall. I held my husband in my arms but he was already dead. I didn't even get to say goodbye." Martha was crying. Large tears fell in drops on her hands as she became silent. Chloe pulled the other woman into her arms, rocking gently as one would comfort a child. She felt helpless.
Jonathan Kent had always been kind to her but because the work on a farm is never-ending, Chloe had known Martha better. Jonathan wasn't around much when she and Pete had been in to visit Clark but he'd always had a friendly smile and a compliment for her. Even when she'd first met him as an awkward teenager, he'd take the time to speak to her, never treating her as just a kid. She knew she couldn't fully comprehend Martha's loss but she mourned the passing of a good man.
Nora spoke up, filling the quiet. "Dr. Halton and I were in the records room and came running at the sound of the uproar. Clark was kneeling by his father's side, whispering "No". Suddenly, he roared with rage and threw Lucas across the room. The guards were starting to arrive and they tried to contain him but Clark had lost all control. He shook Lucas viciously, asking him why. He kept repeating that he had done what Lucas wanted. Lucas fought back as best he could but Clark tossed him like a rag doll against the wall. Lucas cried out in pain and by the awkward angle, I think Clark broke his arm but no one could pay attention to anything but Clark and his rage. The guards were jumping him but even their meteors couldn't stop him. He threw them all off, breaking one man's neck as he sent him right through the window." Chloe had never seen Clark's true strength and it was impossible to compare the gentle Clark Kent she knew with the picture these women were describing.
Martha raised her head and spoke softly, "I've never seen Clark like that. He wouldn't listen to me when I begged him to stop. He tore the door off and was headed down the hallway with the guards still trying to stop him. Dr. Halton went into one of the labs and came back out with liquid Kryptonite. Clark stumbled when he got close with it but just kept going. That's when Halton jumped him from behind and injected it into Clark's neck. He cried out in agony and collapsed. We carried him to his room and he did not regain conciousness for a few weeks."
Chloe sat in silence, trying to absorb the information, looking at Clark as he lay on the bed. She sat down beside Clark, running her fingers down his arm, feeling the warmth, noting he still had strong muscles under his pale skin. What had they done? Was the damage to him permanent? Chloe thought of the instigators in this tragedy and her teeth clenched with anger. "What happened to Lucas and Desiree?"
Nora was the one who spoke as Martha cried silently beside her son. "I believe Lucas went back to LuthorCorp. He hasn't been involved in the lab since, as far as I can tell. Desiree and one of the male scientists here disappeared."
Chloe couldn't let it go at that, surprising herself with the hatred she felt for the woman she'd known as Mrs. Luthor. "Did they ever find them?"
"No." Nora said sadly. "But he turned up dead in Gotham about two weeks later."