Since this is a Smallville story Clark Kent has to have more than an
honorable mention right? Well in my perfect imagination it would all be
just Alexander and I; but here's some Clark for all you Kent fans. And
there will be more Clark in the next chapter.
_____________________________________________________________________
~~ Pieces Take Flight. ~~
The hall stretched out before them, bleached white institutional walls, white linoleum floor, and white doors with little wired glass windows. The lights in the halls were standard florescent lights in wired encased metal houses; it all gave the appearance of a sterilized set up. Footsteps echoed in the hall; people were coming. This was no time to get caught.
"Here." Lex stated leaning against a frosted pair of glass doors.
He pushed the handle down, but the doors did not yield. Lex pressed his forehead on the cool glass.
"They're locked." He stated his voice sounding tired.
Kharma moved in front of the doors and laid two fingers on the lock. She exhaled deeply and turned her fingers on the lock clockwise; soon there was a click and she pushed the door open and hustled in. Lex just stood there astounded; he touched the lock. It was slightly warm, but otherwise normal looking. Kharma pushed the door open and grabbed Lex pulling him into the room; the door closed silently behind them. "How did you do that?" Lex asked.
She shrugged. "Focused energy; everyone can do it. It just takes training; it's like a Kung Fu thing. You know like on the TV show."
The footsteps were getting closer, so Lex stopped talking even though he could tell that the girl was lying. He turned around, looking for the first time at the room they had hunkered in. The room was different; it was more like a short hallway. At the end of the little passage was a glass wall, giving them free viewing into a very padded room; lining the ceiling of the space were florescent lights, but instead of white the lights were green.
"I know this place." He stated walking towards the back of the corridor.
Kharma followed. "Your personal suite?"
He shrugged, then, nodded; unsure, but then again sure. He tried to remember but his head and muscles started to ache more. He placed his knuckles on his temples, trying to force the memories out, but he stopped as a hand came to rest on his shoulder.
Her voice was low. "Hey don't force it; be patient, and focus on escape right now. Everything, in time, will fall into place."
Not that he really had any choice at the moment, he nodded and let his hands fall to his sides. The footsteps beyond the door got louder, and then started to recede again as the people passed by.
Lex slowly went to the door to check if the coast was clear; there was no one in sight.
"Coast is clear." He whispered.
He turned around to find his companion getting into a white lab coat. She ran a hand thru her messy hair, and looked at Lex.
She cleared her throat of some congestion. "Well, do I look the part?"
"Not particularly." Lex shot out.
She buttoned up the, slightly, too large coat. "It will have to do; and thank you for the vote of confidence, Officer Optimism."
She headed past Lex, and shoved something into his arms as she went to the doors. Lex unfolded the thick garment and it was a straight jacket.
"I'm not going to willingly put myself in this; and I'm not going any farther until you tell me how you unlocked the door." Lex demanded.
The girl turned and moved closer to him. "This is neither the time nor the place to have a getting-to-know-you minute; we have to get out of here. Or at least, YOU have to get out of here!"
"Not until I know somethings." Lex said back, his voice strong.
The girl shushed him while flapping her arms at him. "Not so loud! Fine!"
She reached into her shirt, pulled out a magnetic swipe card and waved it in front of his face.
"Where did you get that?" Lex asked palming the card.
She took back the card putting it in her shirt. "I got it before I was pushed in the break room; I used the art of misdirection when I opened the door. You focused on my fingers; I have two hands after all! The other was unlocking the door with this. So, are you satisfied?"
Lex grabbed the back of his neck and kneaded the aching muscles there. His headache was fierce, and his thoughts were still jumbled. He tried to recall the events that occurred just five minutes ago; nothing was coming right away.
The girl grabbed his arm. "Hey, I told you; don't worry, your recall will come back. You just have to get out of here to make sure of that."
He was having a not so lucid period. He looked off into the corner of the room, and then he cocked his head to one side.
"Hear that?" Lex asked, his eyes getting that far away look. "Julian is crying again."
Kharma touched his face. "No, I can't hear it, but someone will stop him from crying."
"No, only I can stop him from crying. I sing to him; Father doesn't like me touching him. I do it anyway, though. Mother thinks it's cute; she's always there with me when I sing to Julian." Lex stated.
The girl sighed, taking Lex's face in her hands. "Hey, everything will be OK. Julian will stop crying when you get out of here. You can't help him while you are in here."
Lex, dazed, looked around the sickly green lit room. He then looked back at the girl and let his face rest in her hands.
She smiled at him. "You have to try to focus now. Can you do that for me?"
"I.I don't know." Lex stammered.
In an uncharacteristic move for him, he placed his hands over hers. His blue eyes met hers; and the haze that hung over them seemed to clear, if only for a short second. These were desperate times; his control over his own mind was spotty at best. He felt like he was that nine year old in the cornfield, again--scared, in pain, and helpless.
She pressed her hands on his skin. "I believe you can, Alexander; you can do anything. Now, you just have to believe that."
Lex exhaled deeply; Clark had said something like that to him once. It was in that moment he noticed that Kharma had long thin wisps of gold in her eyes. He, then, did the first thing that came to mind. Moving in he placed his lips on hers. What compelled him he did not know, but she made no move to spurn him.
More footsteps out in the hall made them separate. In seconds there was once again silence in the corridor.
Standing up blushing, Kharma said. "Uh, we should go."
She went and checked the outer hall, again, returned and held up the straight jacket. Lex stood and reluctantly held his arms out perpendicular to his torso. She worked his arms into the sleeves, closed the back, but did not buckle any of the belts. Lex crossed his arms and held the sleeve belts to give the appearance of being restrained. He followed Kharma to the door.
She opened the doors and stepped out into the hall. "Act unnatural; they won't expect that."
He had no clue what she meant; but his skull was pounding so he hung his head and shuffled a bit on his feet. The girl placed a hand on his elbow and led him down the hall as if she was a doctor leading a patient back to his room. As they passed several hall junctions, Kharma looked down each and took a different direction each time.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Lex asked in a hushed yet aggravated voice.
She shook her head. "Nope, maybe I should have taken that last left. Perhaps, you'd like to stop and ask for directions? I'll get a map next time we come to a souvenir shop."
They were in trouble Lex thought; and things got worse as a voice yelled at them from up the hall.
"Hey, where are you taking that patient?!" The voice called out.
It was an orderly that frequently accompanied Dr. Foster. Lex recognized the gruff voice.
Kharma answered in a hokey accent. "Takin' him back to his room; there's a doin' happenin' in the Rec. room."
"Well you're going the wrong way; that goes to the service elevator." He replied
Kharma laughed. "Well slap my face and call me lost. Thanks, you best be gettin' to the Rec. room; things are loony in there."
The orderly turned to go, wanting to get in on the action; then, he stopped and turned. Something about the whole situation was not quite right. He moved down the hall trying to get a better look at the person in the white coat.
"Wait a minute; if you work here, why don't I recognize you?" He said getting closer.
Just then, by pure luck, the elevator door creaked open. Lex looked down the hall at the open car, as did his companion.
Kharma then pushed Lex in the direction of escape. "Hasta la pasta!"
The orderly gave chase as the duo started to bolt, but not before hitting the alarm button. Getting to the open elevator, Kharma pressed the door close button repeatedly. Lex leaned against the wall with his head pounding like a piston.
Kharma called out. "Damn this door!"
Lex snapped back to semi-attention seeing the orderly ready to cross the elevator threshold. Lex pushed himself off the back wall, reached back, and clocked the orderly as he got to the doors. The buckles on the straight jacket caught the man on the cheek, gashing him; blood sprayed out. The orderly staggered back holding his cheek; the doors started to groan as they closed. Kharma grabbed Lex's arm and pulled it into the car.
She bounced on her feet, "Please keep all limbs inside the car as it moves-- wicked left jab! You're a southpaw; me too. What a quinky-dink."
"Wha? Uh, yuh. I hit the heavy bag whenever I get frustrated, I think." Lex stated leaning back against the wall.
She stepped in front of him. "Your head bothering you?"
Lex nodded as he looked in her direction. It was then he saw a lot blood on the sleeve of the white coat.
"Looks like you got some of that orderly's blood on you. Was there a struggle?" Lex queried.
It was getting hard to focus again. It seemed like there were pockets in his mental fog, but the haze was still there.
Kharma turned away from him; she was sort of glad he had not looked at her face much. Her nose was gushing blood off and on; but right now, that was of little importance. They had to get into the tunnels; once there, everything else would come to fruition. She hated to take advantage of his injured memory, but he had to focus on forward motion. She shed the white coat, balling it up and tossing it into the corner. She, then, turned to Lex and started to pull off the straight jacket.
Kharma spoke, "Blood? What blood?"
Lex did not need games right now; reaching down he picked up the discarded coat, he held out the bloodied sleeve.
"This blood; please don't lie to me. How can I trust you if you don't tell me the truth?" Lex stated.
Kharma sighed. "Look at my face."
Lex looked up. It took a bit of time; but he focused and finally saw the origin of the blood, well, what had not been swiped away by the errant sleeve. As he looked, her nose started to bleed again.
"What happened?" Lex asked.
Kharma grabbed the coat, pressing it to her face. "It's nothing, and it's not important. What IS essential is us getting into the tunnels and out of here."
"Tell me, or we're not going to get out of this elevator!" Lex demanded.
The elevator stopped and Lex pressed the stop button; he covered the panel with his hand.
Kharma used her free hand to try to hit the open door button, but Lex was having a strong moment and would not be budged.
She dropped the coat. "Come on, this is no time for games!"
"I am in no mood for secrets, or lies! Right now, I do not know who to trust. With my track record I really cannot trust any one, not even my own father!" Lex said gruffly.
The girl yielded. "It happens when I do my thing; call it yin and yang if you want. It's like the three fold law; whatever I give out, comes back on me times three."
"What does that mean? What did you do?" Lex asked.
The girl sighed. "I gave you a boost of sorts, back in the recreation room. You needed it; call it a healing from the physical part of whatever they are doing to you. Can't help the drug interaction; you'll have to bear that out until it leaves your blood stream. NOW can we go!"
He wanted to know more; but she was right, this was not the time. Dropping his hand, he pressed the appropriate button, and the door creaked open. Kharma put the coat back on, and they stepped out into a short side-hall. The hall emptied out into a dark, gray, concrete service tunnel; overhead were all colors of pipes. To their right was a short tunnel that ended at a door with a sign for stairs bolted to it. To the left was a very long expanse that no doubt would end at a way out.
The girl went first. "I'll take the left hall, Monty."
Lex followed. It was, then, they heard noises coming from the stairwell, so they quickened their pace.
Kharma spoke in an angry voice. "Why stairs into a service tunnel? No one receives stuff and takes the stairs!"
"It's required by law for fire safety, a mode of alternate evacuation which does not involve the elevator." Lex stated matter-of-factly.
Since working for Luthor Corporation, then heading Lex Corporation, Lex had been well acquainted with the fire codes of public establishments.
The girl shot back. "Thank you Mr. Know-it-all."
The stair well door burst open and the chase was on! The orderlies were armed with stun guns and institution-approved tranquilizer darts and both instruments were used freely. The patients before the orderlies had tapped danced on all their last nerves! Lex Luthor, especially, would get more than what was coming to him. The orderlies would make sure they each left a lasting mark on the rich, bad boy.
Lex having a wider stride than his shorter companion, soon, got ahead and grabbing the girl's hand, he pulled her along with him. The girl, jerked along, grabbed the old equipment that lined the tunnels, throwing them in the path of the crew chasing them.
She called to him. "Keep going! I got them slowed down with these old gurneys!"
He felt a sting in his shoulder and he knew he had gotten hit, but he would not stop running. He would not go back into that green tinted padded room to play pin cushion to his father's paid drones. This was usually the time when something extraordinary would happen, always involving Clark Kent. He would come to save the day! Clark had always come, just in time, back in Smallville, and even in Metropolis a few times. Would that ring true here in Belle Reve? They rounded a corner. Lex felt not only his thoughts spin around his head, but also the walls. What little focus he had was leaving as the tranquilizer filled his blood stream. Lex had to stop; he leaned against a wall holding his head. Kharma worked to build a semi-sturdy barricade with the old gurneys, med carts, and whatever else she could find. Lex listened to the noise. His dizziness increased and he slid to the floor.
Kharma came round the corner. "We need to keep moving; the jungle gym I built won't hold for very long!"
"I can't see straight; I got hit." Lex stammered, his mouth getting a numb feeling.
Kharma nodded. "I know but you have to fight it; we are close, very close."
Lex nodded and with her help, he rose to a standing position. She supported him as their quick pace was decreased to a mere shuffle. Lex soon fell against the wall, again; finding the floor was no problem for him.
Kharma kneeled atop his out stretched legs. "Lex come on, don't give up. Don't ever give up; never give in!"
Lex thought it funny in his drugged out mind. What she was saying seemed more like a life pep talk, instead of a get-up-and-go-right-now speech. He looked at her, seeing two of her. The twins pulled an object out of their shirts and pressed it into his hands. They were saying something, but he could barely hear it over Julian's wailing. Abruptly, the twins were gone in a streak of white; the faces replaced by a new set who he recognized. There was a voice he knew. He tried to speak, but the sounds that left his lips did not feel like his. He did not even know what he said as he said it. The new twins stood him up causing the darkness to claim him.
Kharma tried to get Lex to stay awake; he was losing his battle with the sedative though, but that was to be expected. She reached into her shirt, once again, and pulled out a black spiral topped notebook.
She pushed it into Lex's hands. "Take this, you'll need it."
She called out his name as she clamped his hands around the notebook; she did not try to wipe the blood off her face as her nose started to gush again. She started to slap his face trying to get him to focus; just then, hands grabbed her and threw her into the concrete wall. The wall cracked as she hit it; she slid to the floor, her own focus slipping. Things were all falling into place; her head thudded with its newly acquired concussion, but she tried to see what was going on. Her stunned mind could not keep up with the goings on. There was a crash and in a blink, the guy clad in red and blue, as well as Lex Luthor were gone. She hoped Alexander would put his fragments back together; he had a great destiny ahead of him if his Father was not allowed to taint it. She coughed; then convulsed as darts from a stun gun were shot into her chest, oblivion claimed her swiftly.
~~ Pieces Take Flight. ~~
The hall stretched out before them, bleached white institutional walls, white linoleum floor, and white doors with little wired glass windows. The lights in the halls were standard florescent lights in wired encased metal houses; it all gave the appearance of a sterilized set up. Footsteps echoed in the hall; people were coming. This was no time to get caught.
"Here." Lex stated leaning against a frosted pair of glass doors.
He pushed the handle down, but the doors did not yield. Lex pressed his forehead on the cool glass.
"They're locked." He stated his voice sounding tired.
Kharma moved in front of the doors and laid two fingers on the lock. She exhaled deeply and turned her fingers on the lock clockwise; soon there was a click and she pushed the door open and hustled in. Lex just stood there astounded; he touched the lock. It was slightly warm, but otherwise normal looking. Kharma pushed the door open and grabbed Lex pulling him into the room; the door closed silently behind them. "How did you do that?" Lex asked.
She shrugged. "Focused energy; everyone can do it. It just takes training; it's like a Kung Fu thing. You know like on the TV show."
The footsteps were getting closer, so Lex stopped talking even though he could tell that the girl was lying. He turned around, looking for the first time at the room they had hunkered in. The room was different; it was more like a short hallway. At the end of the little passage was a glass wall, giving them free viewing into a very padded room; lining the ceiling of the space were florescent lights, but instead of white the lights were green.
"I know this place." He stated walking towards the back of the corridor.
Kharma followed. "Your personal suite?"
He shrugged, then, nodded; unsure, but then again sure. He tried to remember but his head and muscles started to ache more. He placed his knuckles on his temples, trying to force the memories out, but he stopped as a hand came to rest on his shoulder.
Her voice was low. "Hey don't force it; be patient, and focus on escape right now. Everything, in time, will fall into place."
Not that he really had any choice at the moment, he nodded and let his hands fall to his sides. The footsteps beyond the door got louder, and then started to recede again as the people passed by.
Lex slowly went to the door to check if the coast was clear; there was no one in sight.
"Coast is clear." He whispered.
He turned around to find his companion getting into a white lab coat. She ran a hand thru her messy hair, and looked at Lex.
She cleared her throat of some congestion. "Well, do I look the part?"
"Not particularly." Lex shot out.
She buttoned up the, slightly, too large coat. "It will have to do; and thank you for the vote of confidence, Officer Optimism."
She headed past Lex, and shoved something into his arms as she went to the doors. Lex unfolded the thick garment and it was a straight jacket.
"I'm not going to willingly put myself in this; and I'm not going any farther until you tell me how you unlocked the door." Lex demanded.
The girl turned and moved closer to him. "This is neither the time nor the place to have a getting-to-know-you minute; we have to get out of here. Or at least, YOU have to get out of here!"
"Not until I know somethings." Lex said back, his voice strong.
The girl shushed him while flapping her arms at him. "Not so loud! Fine!"
She reached into her shirt, pulled out a magnetic swipe card and waved it in front of his face.
"Where did you get that?" Lex asked palming the card.
She took back the card putting it in her shirt. "I got it before I was pushed in the break room; I used the art of misdirection when I opened the door. You focused on my fingers; I have two hands after all! The other was unlocking the door with this. So, are you satisfied?"
Lex grabbed the back of his neck and kneaded the aching muscles there. His headache was fierce, and his thoughts were still jumbled. He tried to recall the events that occurred just five minutes ago; nothing was coming right away.
The girl grabbed his arm. "Hey, I told you; don't worry, your recall will come back. You just have to get out of here to make sure of that."
He was having a not so lucid period. He looked off into the corner of the room, and then he cocked his head to one side.
"Hear that?" Lex asked, his eyes getting that far away look. "Julian is crying again."
Kharma touched his face. "No, I can't hear it, but someone will stop him from crying."
"No, only I can stop him from crying. I sing to him; Father doesn't like me touching him. I do it anyway, though. Mother thinks it's cute; she's always there with me when I sing to Julian." Lex stated.
The girl sighed, taking Lex's face in her hands. "Hey, everything will be OK. Julian will stop crying when you get out of here. You can't help him while you are in here."
Lex, dazed, looked around the sickly green lit room. He then looked back at the girl and let his face rest in her hands.
She smiled at him. "You have to try to focus now. Can you do that for me?"
"I.I don't know." Lex stammered.
In an uncharacteristic move for him, he placed his hands over hers. His blue eyes met hers; and the haze that hung over them seemed to clear, if only for a short second. These were desperate times; his control over his own mind was spotty at best. He felt like he was that nine year old in the cornfield, again--scared, in pain, and helpless.
She pressed her hands on his skin. "I believe you can, Alexander; you can do anything. Now, you just have to believe that."
Lex exhaled deeply; Clark had said something like that to him once. It was in that moment he noticed that Kharma had long thin wisps of gold in her eyes. He, then, did the first thing that came to mind. Moving in he placed his lips on hers. What compelled him he did not know, but she made no move to spurn him.
More footsteps out in the hall made them separate. In seconds there was once again silence in the corridor.
Standing up blushing, Kharma said. "Uh, we should go."
She went and checked the outer hall, again, returned and held up the straight jacket. Lex stood and reluctantly held his arms out perpendicular to his torso. She worked his arms into the sleeves, closed the back, but did not buckle any of the belts. Lex crossed his arms and held the sleeve belts to give the appearance of being restrained. He followed Kharma to the door.
She opened the doors and stepped out into the hall. "Act unnatural; they won't expect that."
He had no clue what she meant; but his skull was pounding so he hung his head and shuffled a bit on his feet. The girl placed a hand on his elbow and led him down the hall as if she was a doctor leading a patient back to his room. As they passed several hall junctions, Kharma looked down each and took a different direction each time.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Lex asked in a hushed yet aggravated voice.
She shook her head. "Nope, maybe I should have taken that last left. Perhaps, you'd like to stop and ask for directions? I'll get a map next time we come to a souvenir shop."
They were in trouble Lex thought; and things got worse as a voice yelled at them from up the hall.
"Hey, where are you taking that patient?!" The voice called out.
It was an orderly that frequently accompanied Dr. Foster. Lex recognized the gruff voice.
Kharma answered in a hokey accent. "Takin' him back to his room; there's a doin' happenin' in the Rec. room."
"Well you're going the wrong way; that goes to the service elevator." He replied
Kharma laughed. "Well slap my face and call me lost. Thanks, you best be gettin' to the Rec. room; things are loony in there."
The orderly turned to go, wanting to get in on the action; then, he stopped and turned. Something about the whole situation was not quite right. He moved down the hall trying to get a better look at the person in the white coat.
"Wait a minute; if you work here, why don't I recognize you?" He said getting closer.
Just then, by pure luck, the elevator door creaked open. Lex looked down the hall at the open car, as did his companion.
Kharma then pushed Lex in the direction of escape. "Hasta la pasta!"
The orderly gave chase as the duo started to bolt, but not before hitting the alarm button. Getting to the open elevator, Kharma pressed the door close button repeatedly. Lex leaned against the wall with his head pounding like a piston.
Kharma called out. "Damn this door!"
Lex snapped back to semi-attention seeing the orderly ready to cross the elevator threshold. Lex pushed himself off the back wall, reached back, and clocked the orderly as he got to the doors. The buckles on the straight jacket caught the man on the cheek, gashing him; blood sprayed out. The orderly staggered back holding his cheek; the doors started to groan as they closed. Kharma grabbed Lex's arm and pulled it into the car.
She bounced on her feet, "Please keep all limbs inside the car as it moves-- wicked left jab! You're a southpaw; me too. What a quinky-dink."
"Wha? Uh, yuh. I hit the heavy bag whenever I get frustrated, I think." Lex stated leaning back against the wall.
She stepped in front of him. "Your head bothering you?"
Lex nodded as he looked in her direction. It was then he saw a lot blood on the sleeve of the white coat.
"Looks like you got some of that orderly's blood on you. Was there a struggle?" Lex queried.
It was getting hard to focus again. It seemed like there were pockets in his mental fog, but the haze was still there.
Kharma turned away from him; she was sort of glad he had not looked at her face much. Her nose was gushing blood off and on; but right now, that was of little importance. They had to get into the tunnels; once there, everything else would come to fruition. She hated to take advantage of his injured memory, but he had to focus on forward motion. She shed the white coat, balling it up and tossing it into the corner. She, then, turned to Lex and started to pull off the straight jacket.
Kharma spoke, "Blood? What blood?"
Lex did not need games right now; reaching down he picked up the discarded coat, he held out the bloodied sleeve.
"This blood; please don't lie to me. How can I trust you if you don't tell me the truth?" Lex stated.
Kharma sighed. "Look at my face."
Lex looked up. It took a bit of time; but he focused and finally saw the origin of the blood, well, what had not been swiped away by the errant sleeve. As he looked, her nose started to bleed again.
"What happened?" Lex asked.
Kharma grabbed the coat, pressing it to her face. "It's nothing, and it's not important. What IS essential is us getting into the tunnels and out of here."
"Tell me, or we're not going to get out of this elevator!" Lex demanded.
The elevator stopped and Lex pressed the stop button; he covered the panel with his hand.
Kharma used her free hand to try to hit the open door button, but Lex was having a strong moment and would not be budged.
She dropped the coat. "Come on, this is no time for games!"
"I am in no mood for secrets, or lies! Right now, I do not know who to trust. With my track record I really cannot trust any one, not even my own father!" Lex said gruffly.
The girl yielded. "It happens when I do my thing; call it yin and yang if you want. It's like the three fold law; whatever I give out, comes back on me times three."
"What does that mean? What did you do?" Lex asked.
The girl sighed. "I gave you a boost of sorts, back in the recreation room. You needed it; call it a healing from the physical part of whatever they are doing to you. Can't help the drug interaction; you'll have to bear that out until it leaves your blood stream. NOW can we go!"
He wanted to know more; but she was right, this was not the time. Dropping his hand, he pressed the appropriate button, and the door creaked open. Kharma put the coat back on, and they stepped out into a short side-hall. The hall emptied out into a dark, gray, concrete service tunnel; overhead were all colors of pipes. To their right was a short tunnel that ended at a door with a sign for stairs bolted to it. To the left was a very long expanse that no doubt would end at a way out.
The girl went first. "I'll take the left hall, Monty."
Lex followed. It was, then, they heard noises coming from the stairwell, so they quickened their pace.
Kharma spoke in an angry voice. "Why stairs into a service tunnel? No one receives stuff and takes the stairs!"
"It's required by law for fire safety, a mode of alternate evacuation which does not involve the elevator." Lex stated matter-of-factly.
Since working for Luthor Corporation, then heading Lex Corporation, Lex had been well acquainted with the fire codes of public establishments.
The girl shot back. "Thank you Mr. Know-it-all."
The stair well door burst open and the chase was on! The orderlies were armed with stun guns and institution-approved tranquilizer darts and both instruments were used freely. The patients before the orderlies had tapped danced on all their last nerves! Lex Luthor, especially, would get more than what was coming to him. The orderlies would make sure they each left a lasting mark on the rich, bad boy.
Lex having a wider stride than his shorter companion, soon, got ahead and grabbing the girl's hand, he pulled her along with him. The girl, jerked along, grabbed the old equipment that lined the tunnels, throwing them in the path of the crew chasing them.
She called to him. "Keep going! I got them slowed down with these old gurneys!"
He felt a sting in his shoulder and he knew he had gotten hit, but he would not stop running. He would not go back into that green tinted padded room to play pin cushion to his father's paid drones. This was usually the time when something extraordinary would happen, always involving Clark Kent. He would come to save the day! Clark had always come, just in time, back in Smallville, and even in Metropolis a few times. Would that ring true here in Belle Reve? They rounded a corner. Lex felt not only his thoughts spin around his head, but also the walls. What little focus he had was leaving as the tranquilizer filled his blood stream. Lex had to stop; he leaned against a wall holding his head. Kharma worked to build a semi-sturdy barricade with the old gurneys, med carts, and whatever else she could find. Lex listened to the noise. His dizziness increased and he slid to the floor.
Kharma came round the corner. "We need to keep moving; the jungle gym I built won't hold for very long!"
"I can't see straight; I got hit." Lex stammered, his mouth getting a numb feeling.
Kharma nodded. "I know but you have to fight it; we are close, very close."
Lex nodded and with her help, he rose to a standing position. She supported him as their quick pace was decreased to a mere shuffle. Lex soon fell against the wall, again; finding the floor was no problem for him.
Kharma kneeled atop his out stretched legs. "Lex come on, don't give up. Don't ever give up; never give in!"
Lex thought it funny in his drugged out mind. What she was saying seemed more like a life pep talk, instead of a get-up-and-go-right-now speech. He looked at her, seeing two of her. The twins pulled an object out of their shirts and pressed it into his hands. They were saying something, but he could barely hear it over Julian's wailing. Abruptly, the twins were gone in a streak of white; the faces replaced by a new set who he recognized. There was a voice he knew. He tried to speak, but the sounds that left his lips did not feel like his. He did not even know what he said as he said it. The new twins stood him up causing the darkness to claim him.
Kharma tried to get Lex to stay awake; he was losing his battle with the sedative though, but that was to be expected. She reached into her shirt, once again, and pulled out a black spiral topped notebook.
She pushed it into Lex's hands. "Take this, you'll need it."
She called out his name as she clamped his hands around the notebook; she did not try to wipe the blood off her face as her nose started to gush again. She started to slap his face trying to get him to focus; just then, hands grabbed her and threw her into the concrete wall. The wall cracked as she hit it; she slid to the floor, her own focus slipping. Things were all falling into place; her head thudded with its newly acquired concussion, but she tried to see what was going on. Her stunned mind could not keep up with the goings on. There was a crash and in a blink, the guy clad in red and blue, as well as Lex Luthor were gone. She hoped Alexander would put his fragments back together; he had a great destiny ahead of him if his Father was not allowed to taint it. She coughed; then convulsed as darts from a stun gun were shot into her chest, oblivion claimed her swiftly.