The Kent Farm.
Karyn sat in the corner unobtrusively observing. She fidgeted, looking down at her hands, but not knowing what to do or say in the presence of strangers. She had been there all morning, just watching as her big brother lay ill on the couch with Martha by his side, and the two new people hovering near. Karyn wanted to go over too; she wanted to jump on him and thump him, telling him to get up and stop playing dead, like he had when she had been younger. Clark isn't teasing this time though, what if he never gets up again? How can he even be sick?
As Karyn chewed her thumb in fear, she began to cry to herself, hoping no one would notice.
"Karyn..." The little girl turned and looked up, her baby blue eyes begging for answers like some scolded puppy, and Martha was finally there to give them. "Come here honey..."
Scooping her daughter up, the overwrought mom headed for the kitchen, and hoped she could somehow explain what was going on. In the background, she heard Jonathan beginning to quiz the quirky little doctor named Klein. He seemed a nice man, but he worked for a Luthor, and even after all this time, her husband still had his reservations about that name.
"Just where the hell is your boss?" The irate farmer asked, trying to keep his voice down and failing. "I thought Lex was going for help, and then getting straight back here? What's the matter, some important business meeting supersede my son's life?"
He flew question after question at the nervous scientist, who had no where to back off to, and no answers to give. "I can only imagine he's doing his best for Clark, Mr. Kent. Lex isn't half as bad as people think..." Klein stammered out a response, then looked to the phone sat on a nearby table. "Perhaps I could try calling him?"
Jonathan grabbed the handset and forced it on the squirming scientist. "Be my guest, and when you get through be sure to tell him what I think of him..."
Klein's moustache twitched and he flinched, imagining what this farmer's temper would have been like in his younger days. After composing himself, and recalling the special number he held for Lex, Klein picked up the phone to his ear and began to dial. When he paused halfway through, Jonathan knew there was a problem.
"There's no tone...Your phone isn't working Mr. Kent." Klein shrugged. "No wonder Lex hasn't called! And I don't have a cell phone for him to ring..."
"He has my number though," Lois joined in the conversation, suddenly finding it more pertinent than the e-mail she had spent over an hour scrutinizing. "He could let me know, or you can at least try calling him from it..."
The cop offered up her Nokia, and Klein took it, dialing speedily before Jonathan could give another terse comment. This time there was a tone, but after several rings an automated message repeated on the line. The number you have dialed is unavailable. The cell phone maybe switched off, or in a no service area. Please try again later.
Klein didn't like what he was hearing. Lex never switched off his phone, and there should have been a signal. Reluctantly he shook his head at the expectant father, and passed Lane back her phone. "Still nothing..." He admitted.
"Tell that to Clark!" Jonathan took one last glance at Klein, then turned his back and stormed brusquely into the kitchen to his wife and daughter.
"He doesn't mean it." Lois assured. "But for any parent to go through this..." Klein gestured towards his patient, looking even more forlorn. "I know what you mean, but Mr. Kent is right, I'm useless, and Lex has vanished. Clark's getting worse too, he has a temperature now, and I can't get it down. He has a day at most, maybe less..."
Lois had already noticed, but some inner part of her had ignored the signs. They said love was blind, and for once Lane wished it was. You can't die dammit, I won't let you! I love you! The thought flashed across her mind as she gazed sadly at Clark, then with a resolution she didn't even know she had, she stood up and grabbed the Kent's truck keys from the table.
"Where are you going? You can't just up and leave too, we need to know where you are!" Klein looked panic stricken as Lois rushed for the main door, and he raced after her as fast as his aging body allowed. Catching her sleeve just as she dived into the afternoon sun, he pulled her back, just for a second. "Lois, I may be getting old, but I'm no fool. I saw the look in your eye back there. You love him don't you?"
Surprised, Lane paused, but could give no answer. "Tell the Kents I needed their pickup, police business..."
Klein huffed and caught back his breath. "I know how you feel, but you can't do this alone." A thought struck him, and his eyes widened, "your going after Lucas aren't you? Don't be a fool!"
Lois smiled wryly. "Like I said police business..." Then as an afterthought, she looked back at she climbed into the farm truck's cab. "You're right doctor, I do love him, and I guess underneath I always have, without even knowing it. I won't let him die without a fight! And if we both live through today, I'll still never tell him how I feel...He's happy with Chloe, and I'm happy for them..."
The scientist watched as Lane slammed her door shut and sped away, then made a choice of his own. Clark was dying, Lex was missing, and Lane was on a one woman crusade to rid the world of Lucas Luthor. While ever he stayed here, Klein was the one who felt inadequate, because he was.
Eying the Kent kitchen, he noted all three family members were sharing a quiet moment, and decided now was the time to depart. Silently he scribbled them a hasty note, explaining where their truck was, what was happening to their son, and that he was going back to the lab to try and help. He only hoped that they would understand, and not think he had deserted them along with everyone else, right when Clark needed them most...
A Darkened Room
Somewhere...
The room smelled oily, like some old greasy garage workshop, and the odor aggravated Lex nostrils to the extreme. Perhaps it was the distinct smell that first jolted his senses back to reality, or perhaps whatever he had been given had finally worked out of his system. Either way, as he tried to open his eyes, he found them hypersensitive to even the smallest amount of light. How long have I been out? What the hell did they spray in my face?
The millionaire looked around, finding his eyes still clogged with congealed blood from his head wound. His skull pounded now, like some repetitive bass line from a rock anthem; the droning filling his ears as well as his mind. Lex attempted to ignore it, focusing on finding a way out, or at least a reason why he was being held captive.
There were no clues to the location of his darkened tomb; in fact the only piece of furniture was the old wooden chair he was fastened to. Lex squirmed on it, testing his bonds to their limits. His captor was no fool though, and he had been cuffed both hands and feet to the seat...there would be no loosening of these restraints for an escape. At best, Lex could shuffle across the floor still secured to his seat, and that would get him nowhere, there weren't even any windows to see out of.
"Interesting view isn't it?" The voice sounded electronic, like some ancient T.V. show robot, and Lex guessed his kidnapper was using a device to mask their true self. "Don't you wonder why you're not dead yet?"
Lex strained to turn and catch a glimpse of his tormentor, but the person stepped quickly back into the shadows, hiding even their size and weight from view. "I wouldn't have taken you as an introvert, hiding yourself in obscurity." He taunted.
"Ah, but Lex, I don't usually have a need to hide. I kill my prey before they even begin to realize there is anything wrong. If my employer didn't have questions for you, you would be just another statistic with the rest." There was a pause, and the tiny overhead light flickered out, plunging the room into complete darkness. "Now I think it's time for you to do the talking..."
Lex felt someone grab the flesh at the nape of his neck and yank hard, pulling him so far back that the chair toppled over, and he bounced helplessly to the concrete floor with it. The impact jarred his spine, sending spikes of pain along his back and into the base of his skull like thorny barbs. He lay winded, but silent, till a booted heel found the pit of his stomach several times at high speed.
"What do you want?" He finally coughed out, spitting blood as he attempted to catch a breath before the next onslaught.
"What did you hope to gain by ruining Luthorcorp shares?" The metallic accent snarled. "How much do you know about my superior's new venture? Who else have you told what you know, besides Kent?"
Lex laughed, coughing more. "How am I supposed to know who your boss is?" The insolence cost him dearly, even though he knew full well his younger brother was behind the charade.
Another round of kicking left the millionaire barely conscious, but still no less determined.
His kidnapper had expected no less of him, and was prepared to work all night, maybe even longer before they stopped the torture if necessary. "I'll ask again, what do you know about Lucas' latest project? Think carefully how you answer, or you'll end up like your good friend Clark..."
"You'll kill me anyway, and I swear you better make it fast...because if not, you'll be the one paying..." Lex peered into the gloom, his ice cold eyes searching out his captor with a hatred he hadn't felt in a long time.
Even though he couldn't see their face, he prayed they could see his, and the conviction with which he said the words. Lex hadn't known before if this was the one who had hurt Clark, but now that he did, if the opportunity arose he would take revenge for both of their sakes, or at least die trying.
"Tell me more about this?" A gloved hand appeared in front of Lex's face, fondling an object he hadn't seen in years. The alien key revolved in the abductor's palm, then vanished. "What did your father know about it?"
This time Lex stayed silent. He could handle many things, but what if in a moment of pain he revealed Clark's darkest secret? When he didn't even reply, the person grew angrier still, and kicked till their victim was almost unconscious.
Realizing things had gone too far, the aggressor retreated to the corner, watching as Lex writhed on the floor then passed out. No ordinary questioning would break this one, perhaps even torture wouldn't, and Lucas had insisted his brother wasn't to be kept alive for long. It was risky enough now, bringing him here like this. Deciding on a new course of action, the tormentor left the room, quietly locking the door as they departed to change into more suitable clothes....
A Metropolis Suburb...
Pete pulled his green Lincoln quietly to the curb, just as the sun began to make its decent for the evening, making way for a cloudless night sky. On any other day, he would just be settling back to look through endless piles of paperwork, but tonight he and Chloe were on a manhunt.
It hadn't really taken very long to find the address listed to Dr Rybec, as it was in a pretty high class area, with mostly politicians and businessmen's homes for company. But now that they were here, how could they just knock on someone's door and accuse them of attempted murder?
Pete whistled in amazement, as he surveyed the house they had come to visit. "Wow, this place is almost as big as the Luthor mansion..."
Chloe huffed, and then climbed out, slamming her door to show her disgust. "It should be something she's used to then..."
The mayor shook his head, knowing Chloe was right, but not liking her full frontal approach. He had parked far enough away from the house's driveway to appear inconspicuous, and had even picked a spot that left their car shielded by shadows from the low overhanging trees. Now, his over eager companion was making their presence obvious, as she stormed up the long gravel drive and hammered on the door, not caring who saw her.
"Chloe!" Pete jogged after her, eyeing the surrounding neighborhood in sudden fear. He had tried to hide their car, but then he abruptly realized that there were plenty of places for others to hide too. And the kind of people he was imaging wouldn't be here to just ask questions.
"I'm not leaving till I've seen her Pete. You know she's behind this somehow, look what she did to Lex!" Chloe thrashed on the entrance again, this time till her knuckles began to redden, and someone finally answered.
The huge arched door swung only slightly ajar, and Pete could see a chain still latched in place for security. "We just want to talk..." He attempted to ease his way in, but was swiftly cut short.
"The hell we do!" Chloe slammed her weight against the chain, almost snapping it with her sheer determination. "Let us in Bryce, or I swear when I get you for what you've done to Clark..."
Pete struggled to pull the disillusioned wife back, and expected the door to be smashed closed in their faces, but instead it shut momentarily, and then swung all the way open. The entranceway beyond was quite empty, and for a moment the thought of a trap crossed his mind. It would be so easy to finish the job and kill Chloe and himself, bringing the circle of death to a close. You can't turn back now, what about Clark? You've gotten this far Ross, now get in there and do some good...
Tentatively he stepped inside, keeping a firm grip on Chloe's now shivering frame. He guessed she was feeling the same apprehension he was, but they both carried on anyway.
"In here..." Bryce sat waiting by an open fire, staring into the flames as if they had mesmerized her long ago. At their entrance into the room she never looked up, preferring not to lock eyes with those who would surely judge her. "You better take a seat. I at least owe you an explanation before we all die..."
Chloe inhaled. She had come here intent on lashing out at this woman, this monster that could poison innocent victims for her own gain. But now, as she stood before the doctor, she comprehended that there was more to this story than she could know. Bryce had the look of someone who had no life; someone who had long since lost the will to live, and simply existed without any purpose, but to serve her master.
"We all die?" Pete broke the perplexed reporter's thoughts, as he took a seat across from Bryce and raised a brow. "What else have you done? Why...?"
The scientist rubbed her hands as if they were cold, even though the fire still raged before her. She had expected their visit, but there was no way she could help, no one could. "Luthor has people watching me. I'm under complete surveillance. They'll no doubt have already reported your arrival; it will only be a matter of time before they burst in here..." A hint of loathing tinged her voice as she pointed to one of the huge front windows.
Intrigued, Chloe couldn't resist the urge to go check for herself. Tugging at one of the curtains just enough to peel back an edge, she peered out into the gloom. The up market drive seemed quiet enough, but across the road, a dark blue Chevy van had already appeared. Sheesh, I'm either paranoid or she is right...
Not wanting to acknowledge Bryce was correct just yet, Chloe took a seat and decided time was relative. "Forget those guys. I want to know what you did to Clark, and I want to know how the hell I can stop it, or you'll be worrying about what I'm going to do to you!"
Bryce flinched, and even Pete began to wonder just what she had been through. "The deaths have to stop," he attempted to sound calm, "help us save a life for a change..."
"If only you understood...I don't do any of this because I want to, I never have, not even back when I was in Smallville. I can't leave here, I can't help you any more than I already have, Lucas has a hold on me..." The scientist's hands shook as she threw yet more mini-logs on the blazing fire, her demeanor becoming almost trance like.
Pete glanced at Chloe, who amazingly had somehow held her raging temper in check. She took the hint and let him lead the conversation, at least for now. "Tell us." He prompted the doctor, "maybe we can help."
Bryce shuddered. "It was a long time ago, back when I had a life. I was at med school, fully intent on doing my time there and then diverging into research..."
"And?" Chloe prompted, trying to urge the conversation forward, "what has this to do with anything?"
"I met Paul Hayden there. I'm sure you remember him? We became lovers, and from then on my career took second place...I had no way of knowing the kind of social circles he mixed in, no way of comprehending how he would ruin my life, and others too..."
"Wasn't he the guy who came to Smallville when he heard about your marriage to Lex, the one who stabbed you out of jealousy?" Even Pete was becoming intrigued now.
Bryce shivered more at the thought of Hayden. "Yes, he was the one, but he didn't just come out of bitterness, he came to intimidate me because I had defied my boss, although I could never tell Lex that."
Chloe looked at her watch, then back at the curtain in dismay. Patience was something she normally had very little of, and tonight it wasn't even a word in her vocabulary. "Can you just get to the point?" She snapped.
The doctor swallowed hard; this wasn't the easiest of tale's to tell. "After I became involved with Paul I found out he had connections in the Metropolis underworld...mostly a guy named Morgan Edge. Paul was in deep, he owed them ridiculous amounts of money. When I knew what was going on I tried to get away, to end the relationship, but it was too late. I'd made the biggest mistake of my life..."
"Why couldn't you just go to the authorities for protection?" Chloe still wasn't buying the sob story...not until she heard Bryce's next comment.
"Because I was carrying Hayden's baby! I was a fool to let it happen, but I wanted to keep the child. I would have given my career up for it even, but Edge had other plans. When Paul couldn't pay of his debts, Edge decided he'd use me instead. They took my baby as leverage and made me work for them, or else..."
Chloe's jaw dropped. Of all the excuses she had expected, this wasn't one of them. "Hayden let them blackmail you with his own kid?"
"He had no other way of paying, so yes he did. At first all Edge wanted were little things. Fix up some of his associates who couldn't go to hospital with their injuries, that kind of thing, but later he became involved in a power struggle with Lionel Luthor, and that's when he sent me to Smallville. I had no way of knowing I would fall for Lex, and for a time I thought I could escape my past there, that's when Edge sent Hayden after me. It was meant to be a warning, but when Paul saw me with Lex, he took it a little too far..."
No one spoke. This wasn't what anyone could have predicted, and it shed a new light on things that made their next moves even harder to plan.
Bryce stood from her seat, facing the wall as she finished her account. "When I recovered, I knew I would never be free of Edge, or the Luthors, you see even Lionel was on to me by this stage. So, I did the only thing I could and carried out Morgan's orders. The only thing I couldn't do was kill Lex on the plane...I should have, but I just couldn't. Not long after my leap from the jet, I was contacted by Lucas. He said Lionel was dead, and that he was now in possession of my son. If I worked for him, not Edge then finally I would get my son back, but I never did..."
Pete grimaced in disgust at what some people were capable of "How old is he now? Your son I mean..."
"If he really is alive, he'll be in his late teens now...probably working for Lucas already...I doubt I'd want to see the man he is becoming...but I can't risk his life. I still love him, wherever he is, and that is why I've done the unthinkable..."
Chloe let the last remark sink in, then jumped to her feet, slapping the doctor hard across the face as her fury finally erupted. "All you have ever done is think about yourself! What about everyone else? I won't let the father of my unborn child die without a fight, anymore than you could endanger your kid. Now help me dammit, you created this thing, stop it!"
"Father?" Bryce's brow rose, as she became both curious and shocked. "Clark can't have kids...his genes..." She shook off the thought, "In any case I can't help you, I already deceived Lucas and made this thing give Clark hours rather than instant death. I thought it would be enough, he was cured once before with his mother...I thought..."
Pete tugged the doctor's arm, spinning her around to face him. "Well you thought wrong. Only you can save him now, and if what you say is true we're running out of time, both with Clark, and those goons outside. Maybe your son never had a chance, but you owe it to Clark to give his kid one."
Bryce thought about it. They had no real chance of evading Luthor's men, but maybe if she died trying, Lucas' hold on her son would finally be over, for better or worse. I am lower than even Luthor and Edge, for letting myself be manipulated all these years. I've taken lives instead of saving them, ruined my own son's with my foolishness. Maybe if I can give just one life back before I die...
"I can stop the virus doing any more damage," she admitted, "but we'll need to get access to a lab, and I doubt Luthor's men are about to let that happen." She glanced at the expensive Grandfather clock sitting obtrusively in the corner, "and Clark is running dangerously low on time..."
Pete inhaled, knowing they were about to embark on the most dangerous quest of their lives, but with Bryce in tow that meant Clark might at least have a chance. "If we can get out of here alive, I know a lab you can use..."
Chloe nodded her agreement and peeked from the window one last time. Out on the street two more vans had appeared, one blocking their Lincoln from further movement, the other cutting off the far end of the cul-de-sac. As she watched, two more pulled up at the curb apparently from nowhere, their sliding panels releasing to allow an ensemble of camouflaged operatives out into the drive.
She turned, her face ashen and grave. "Guys, I sure hope there's another way out of here, because we've got company, and I doubt they're here for the view..."