Exposed
Chapter One
Clark closed his eyes. The liquid Hamilton had wanted to inject to Pete was definitely distilled from green meteor rocks. Clark didn't need to see the colour of the substance to distinguish that. He felt it in every cell of his body.
He was lying at the floor, where he had collapsed, when the liquid from the broken syringe had dropped onto his bare skin. Pete, still tied up halfway, was crying out for him.
"Clark, what's up?"
Knowing he didn't need to hide the reason for his usually seemingly random sickness from his best friend anymore, Clark struggled to explain.
"It's the meteors. I'm allergic."
Pete knew instantly, that he had to get Clark out of Hamiltons barn. Unfortunately the crazy scientist had heard Clarks words as well. And he had immediately made the connection.
"The Spaceship. It's yours.Open it!"
Clark winced. Hamilton stood leaning over him. In one hand he held a bottle filled with the green liquid. Pete was still struggling with his ties. No help to be expected from there.
Clark tried to say something, but he couldn't get the words out with meteor- essence so near. He fought to get control of his limbs again, feeling as week as a baby. Cramps raced through his body, immobilising him.
"Clark!" Pete cried. His hands were free, only his feet were still caught.
"Leave him alone!" He demanded of the strongly shivering man.
He had seen it before, the way he shook, like had Clark. With Earl Jenkins, who had taken some of Clarks classmates hostage to prove that there existed a secret level at the Luthorcorp Fertilizer Plant on which experiments with meteor fragments had been exercised.
Clark had been able to save his friends, including Lex Luthor, and provided Earl, an old friend of the Kent family, with the help he obviously needed urgently.
Hamilton now turned to Pete, grinning wildly.
"I knew you didn't just say it. I knew it. Now the world will have to believe me. Believe that I'm not a freak. I can present them the freak now, the alien."
His voice nearly broke from emotion. Pete winced, not only because of the pained sound of Hamiltons voice, but also from his best friend being called a freak, an alien.
Coming to think of it, Pete had actually never thought of Clark as any of those. He had just been hurt, that Clark hadn't told him from the beginning. blaming Clark of having no trust in him.
He saw his best friend on the floor, struggling to stay conscious, obviously in pain. His best friend who had shown him, that he was invincible and unbelievably strong. A friend he had betrayed by telling his enemy, that he actually knew of his existence. The friend that now desperately needed his help, or would maybe even die, if not worse.
Hamilton let some of the liquid drop onto Clark, who suddenly screamed. Pete closed his eyes to hold back his tears. He cursed the damn ties that still kept him from helping Clark. He looked around, hoping to find a knife or something similar. All he could see were shards of glass from the broken syringe. These would have to do.
Clark only saw blurs. He knew where the pain came from, but his mind didn't process his thoughts into his body. He fought against the darkness, but he eventually lost.
Pete saw Clarks body go limp. Whether his alien friend was unconscious or worse, he couldn't tell. The only thing he knew, was that he didn't have time. With one hand he feverishly proceeded to cut the pretty thick rope Hamilton had tied him with. Suddenly his feet were free and Pete was on his feet in a millisecond. Hamilton knelt next to Clark checking his body. Hamilton still shook, but concentration seemed to lessen it a bit.
Pete searched for something he could use as a weapon. When he turned back to see what Hamilton was doing, he stared onto a triggered gun. A very shaking gun. The chance not to be hit wasn't bad, but at that proximity Pete wasn't sharp on trying the odds.
Hamilton wouldn't let him go away. Still, Clark really needed help, so he definitely needed to get away. Pete dove for the door, hoping, the shaking would prevent Hamilton from aiming precisely. It did, almost. Pete felt a searing pain in his shoulder. The impact overwhelmed him and he collapsed to the floor. For a moment he was dazed, trying to see clear.
He heard footsteps behind him and considered his opportunities. Hamilton came to check, whether he was dead or not. Option one was to attack Hamilton the moment he leaned over Pete - if he did. Option two was to play dead, hoping that Hamilton bought it.
At short range Pete chose the second option, simply because he didn't know where the gun was. It could well be triggered at his head. Hamilton checked his pulse. Pete couldn't imagine, that the scientist would even feel the pulse of a giant with those shivers. Still, there suddenly was a glance of hope.
Hamilton seemed to be satisfied. He grabbed Petes collar and pulled him out of the barn, into the field. There he left Pete. Normally nobody would find a body there in weeks. Very fortunately Pete wasn't a body yet. He scrambled to his feet and headed for the road.
End of Chapter One
Chapter One
Clark closed his eyes. The liquid Hamilton had wanted to inject to Pete was definitely distilled from green meteor rocks. Clark didn't need to see the colour of the substance to distinguish that. He felt it in every cell of his body.
He was lying at the floor, where he had collapsed, when the liquid from the broken syringe had dropped onto his bare skin. Pete, still tied up halfway, was crying out for him.
"Clark, what's up?"
Knowing he didn't need to hide the reason for his usually seemingly random sickness from his best friend anymore, Clark struggled to explain.
"It's the meteors. I'm allergic."
Pete knew instantly, that he had to get Clark out of Hamiltons barn. Unfortunately the crazy scientist had heard Clarks words as well. And he had immediately made the connection.
"The Spaceship. It's yours.Open it!"
Clark winced. Hamilton stood leaning over him. In one hand he held a bottle filled with the green liquid. Pete was still struggling with his ties. No help to be expected from there.
Clark tried to say something, but he couldn't get the words out with meteor- essence so near. He fought to get control of his limbs again, feeling as week as a baby. Cramps raced through his body, immobilising him.
"Clark!" Pete cried. His hands were free, only his feet were still caught.
"Leave him alone!" He demanded of the strongly shivering man.
He had seen it before, the way he shook, like had Clark. With Earl Jenkins, who had taken some of Clarks classmates hostage to prove that there existed a secret level at the Luthorcorp Fertilizer Plant on which experiments with meteor fragments had been exercised.
Clark had been able to save his friends, including Lex Luthor, and provided Earl, an old friend of the Kent family, with the help he obviously needed urgently.
Hamilton now turned to Pete, grinning wildly.
"I knew you didn't just say it. I knew it. Now the world will have to believe me. Believe that I'm not a freak. I can present them the freak now, the alien."
His voice nearly broke from emotion. Pete winced, not only because of the pained sound of Hamiltons voice, but also from his best friend being called a freak, an alien.
Coming to think of it, Pete had actually never thought of Clark as any of those. He had just been hurt, that Clark hadn't told him from the beginning. blaming Clark of having no trust in him.
He saw his best friend on the floor, struggling to stay conscious, obviously in pain. His best friend who had shown him, that he was invincible and unbelievably strong. A friend he had betrayed by telling his enemy, that he actually knew of his existence. The friend that now desperately needed his help, or would maybe even die, if not worse.
Hamilton let some of the liquid drop onto Clark, who suddenly screamed. Pete closed his eyes to hold back his tears. He cursed the damn ties that still kept him from helping Clark. He looked around, hoping to find a knife or something similar. All he could see were shards of glass from the broken syringe. These would have to do.
Clark only saw blurs. He knew where the pain came from, but his mind didn't process his thoughts into his body. He fought against the darkness, but he eventually lost.
Pete saw Clarks body go limp. Whether his alien friend was unconscious or worse, he couldn't tell. The only thing he knew, was that he didn't have time. With one hand he feverishly proceeded to cut the pretty thick rope Hamilton had tied him with. Suddenly his feet were free and Pete was on his feet in a millisecond. Hamilton knelt next to Clark checking his body. Hamilton still shook, but concentration seemed to lessen it a bit.
Pete searched for something he could use as a weapon. When he turned back to see what Hamilton was doing, he stared onto a triggered gun. A very shaking gun. The chance not to be hit wasn't bad, but at that proximity Pete wasn't sharp on trying the odds.
Hamilton wouldn't let him go away. Still, Clark really needed help, so he definitely needed to get away. Pete dove for the door, hoping, the shaking would prevent Hamilton from aiming precisely. It did, almost. Pete felt a searing pain in his shoulder. The impact overwhelmed him and he collapsed to the floor. For a moment he was dazed, trying to see clear.
He heard footsteps behind him and considered his opportunities. Hamilton came to check, whether he was dead or not. Option one was to attack Hamilton the moment he leaned over Pete - if he did. Option two was to play dead, hoping that Hamilton bought it.
At short range Pete chose the second option, simply because he didn't know where the gun was. It could well be triggered at his head. Hamilton checked his pulse. Pete couldn't imagine, that the scientist would even feel the pulse of a giant with those shivers. Still, there suddenly was a glance of hope.
Hamilton seemed to be satisfied. He grabbed Petes collar and pulled him out of the barn, into the field. There he left Pete. Normally nobody would find a body there in weeks. Very fortunately Pete wasn't a body yet. He scrambled to his feet and headed for the road.
End of Chapter One