Chapter 14- The Unknown

A/N – sorry this is shorter than the usual chapter, but it needed to stop where it does to balance out the next.…Thanks as always for the reviews an feedback. 

As the door clanged shut, the group in stasis grew panicky as they watched Helen pant shallowly on the concrete floor then lay still.  Clark still feeling weak from his proximity to meteor rock desperately fought the stasis field.  Accessing his super speed, he was able to move only his head.  Glancing around, Clark noted that the only person who seemed to be looking in his direction was Mr. Queu.  The lanky farm boy decided he had to chance it.  Clark looked up at the ceiling used his x-ray vision to see where the stasis beams were originating from.  He found that the entire cell was impregnated with miniature cameras and various emitters.  He could see the stasis beams emanating from a bank of emitters far to the left of the group.  Carefully targeting that bank of emitters, Clark used his heat vision to burn it out.  Sparks flew from the ceiling and the tiles that concealed the devices burst into flame.  Suddenly the stasis field was gone.  Pandemonium broke loose as the newly released captives ran to help Helen, who lay quietly on her side.  Clark hung back momentarily exhausted; felt his strength return as his meteor rock contaminated friends moved away from him.  Mr. Queu stared at him for a moment with an odd expression of guarded fascination and comprehension before hurrying to join the group, leaving Clark standing alone, wondering how much the graying man saw.

Adam grimly peeled away the upper left collar of Helen's blouse to view the bullet wound and carefully pulled her long hair to the side, discreetly keeping the rest of her body covered.  The bleeding had stopped.  As they watched, the bullet floated into sight in the open wound as her body rejected it then slowly dropped out onto the floor.  Adam's coal-black eyes sparkled with fascination as he watched the body heal before his very eyes.  Mr. Queu, watching from a distance clasped a fist over his mouth as he watched. The wound then closed of its own accord.  Helen still unconscious seemed to drop into a more relaxed breathing pattern.  Everyone simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.  Brennan picked her up and gently laid her on one of the cots as Shalimar and Emma stayed nearby.

Crisis averted, Adam asked, "What happened to the stasis field?"  Everyone looked at each other and shrugged when no answer seemed to be forthcoming. 

Mr. Queu's dark eyes burned into Clark.  "Rats?"  he asked.

Clark shrugged and quipped, "Faulty wiring's my guess."

*******

Lex felt as if he walked a mile in dark twisted corridors with a madman prodding him onward with the cold hard barrel of a revolver in his back.  He wondered absently how this man could see in the absolute darkness.

"Here.  Stop here," Mr. Warren ordered, pushing the gun into Lex's back.

"OK, OK.  I'm not going anywhere," Lex replied, eyes darting all around to identify his surroundings.  The burly man found the ID pad and pressed his thumb into it.  The heavy door sprang open and Lex found himself looking into a large dark room containing what looked like a lighted cage in the middle.  A familiar long-haired figure stood under the light, looking directly toward the two men.

"Dad!"  Lex called.  Mr. Warren allowed Lex to approach the cage then opened the door and pushed him in.

"Son!  Lex, are you all right?"  Lionel Luthor extended his hands toward his son and grasped his shoulders.

"That son of a bitch shot Helen!" Lex told him, staring daggers at Mr. Warren.

Mr. Warren raised both hands in a shrug.  "She threw me across the room and the gun went off.  I didn't' mean to shoot her."

"Like hell," Lex replied bitterly, turning like a cat he lunged at the bars that separated him from his tormentor.  "You murdering son of a bitch!"

Lionel looked sharply at Mr. Warren.  "That son of a bitch happens to be our ticket out of here.  You have to trust me, son."  Lionel looked expectantly at Lex and extended a hand.

Lex looked at his father dubiously.  "Looks like I don't have a choice."

Lionel laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.  "I like your spirit, son." 

Mr. Warren looked at his watch.  "I hate to break up this little family reunion, but we have a trial to attend to and I need to review the strategy with you."

"Are we being monitored?"  Lionel asked.

"Of course we are.  Eckhart's got the entire building wired."  Warren replied.  "He will undoubtedly drop in on the little gathering we just left in suspended animation- one of Adam's little inventions he calls 'stasis'- which will leave us with a little time to discuss things in private."  Warren held up a pen-like device and pointed it around the room.  When an LED lit up and he rapidly pressed a button on the pen until the small light went out.  Lex counted 35 repetitions of this exercise until the Mr. Warren pointed the device around and got no signal.

 "We're clean."  Warren told Lionel Luthor, after he had finished deactivating the bugs.

******

Mr. Queu/Eckhart sat pensively on one of the cots in the holding cell, head tilted back against the wall, eyes closed, appearing to nap.  Helen Bryce had revived quickly.  The group went back to training the three new Mutants born of meteor rock and to debating whether or not Brennan and Jesse should use their New Mutant powers.  He and Adam had determined that for the moment, there was nothing that could be done with the Tribunal's Controller.  Queu/Eckhart intertwined his fingers, making the sub-dermal contacts he had implanted in himself match up with the sequence intended to access the building security. The back of his head touched the final contact with the holographic program that was imbedded in the wall.  A splash of green exploded in his mind.  Focusing on Lionel's cell, he found that the holo-receptors had been been neutralized, but he could still access the hidden security cameras.

******

"Now,"  Lionel turned to Lex and looked him in the eye.  "You're going to admit that you planted the meteor rock products on LuthorCorp property…."

"But…"  Lex protested.

"You funded your scientist friend, Mr. Queu to create meteor rock derivatives for experimental purposes, targeted for human consumption."  Lionel's eyes were cold, hard and accusing. "You're fraternizing with employees, Lex.  That is a sign of weakness.  The man is undoubtedly milking you for whatever he can."  He sneered.

Lex stood up and glowered at his father.  "Not true.  I have nothing to do with Meteor rock products.  And as for Queu, he's been far more forthcoming with me than Mr. Frank Rose has been with you."

Lionel frowned at his son.  "Regardless, he's not family.  You cannot trust him.  Trust no one or you'll lose control of the situation."

Lex smiled ruefully.  "Trust and control.  That message is the only thing you and he has in common.  Queu has been more like a father to me in these past couple months than you ever will be.  He might not lay his life on the line for me, but you're telling me to lie and to risk my life to cover your ass?"

Lionel's gaze softened.  "Of course not, Lex.  I'm simply telling you, son, that if I'm found guilty, you will serve the same sentence as me.  If I am acquitted then I will be in a better position to save you."

Lex snorted in derision.  "Am I supposed to believe that?"

"It's true," Mr. Warren replied. "The Tribunal strongly believes in visiting the sins of the father upon the children."  He smirked at the Luthors.  Lex noted the unmistakable glint in his father's eyes as Lionel stared at Mr. Warren.  Unexpectedly, Lionel smiled and nodded.

Lex smiled gravely back.  "And suppose the Tribunal doesn't buy into this, who's going to bail us out?

Mr. Warren smiled evilly.  "Perhaps Mutant X will buy you time.  Your friend, Adam had been previously sentenced, but he escaped before serving it.  Now with Adam and all of his outlaw band in stasis now, I certainly intend on pushing for Adam's sentence to be carried out before yours."

Lex looked at his father.  Lionel was pacing slowly, apparently lost in thought.  Lex knew that to be a sign of another devious plan at work.

"So Warren," Lionel said easily, "Who is this Mutant X and Adam that you are so eager to, ahem, sentence?"

Mr. Warren looked sneeringly at Lex.  "Looks like your son got in with a band of lawbreaking renegades led by Adam Kane.  His little band of outlaws consist of  Shalimar Fox, Jesse Kilmartin, Brennan Mulwray, and Emma DeLauro."  He paused at the surprised expression on Lex's face. 

Lionel turned to Lex and continued in an oily voice, "You seem surprised, Lex.  Are these the people that you were recently confined with?"

Lex looked warily at his father.  He was acting a little too smug.  However, he could see no reason not to disclose what Mr. Warren already knew.  "Yeah, I met these people but they were introduced to me with different last names."

"Oh, aliases."  Lionel seemed amused.  "So how were they introduced to you?  Do you remember exactly what Adam said?"

Lex studied the older man suspiciously.    Something didn't quite match up.  Why was he so interested in a group of strangers unless…. "Yeah," Lex answered.  "Adam said,  'I presume that you've already met Ms. Shalimar Hunt.  She and her colleagues, Emma Wise, Brennan Voltaire, and Jesse Wall flew in to brief you and your father that LuthorCorp and LexCorp have been scrutinized by a group of fanatical albeit powerful vigilantes who call themselves the Tribunal.'"  Lex watched his father's eyes widen with comprehension and excitement.  Lex's eyes had a grim smile.  So he and Queu had been right all along in their suspicions.

Lex opened his mouth to ask a question, when Lionel said simply, "Son, just trust me on this."  Heart sinking into his stomach, Lex swallowed and nodded mutely.  He listened intently as his father and the defense counsel set up their strategy.

******

Mr. Queu/Eckhart yawned and opened his eyes.  Blinking sleepily, he looked around.  Living in the enemy's camp, right under their noses had been an educational, invigorating experience.  Now it seemed that there were unexpected factors in the equation.  The three ladies, Lana, Dr. Bryce and Chloe were not supposed to have developed powers.  The sickly Clark Kent had a few surprises up his sleeve as well.  He was not surprised that Defense Counsel Warren had cultivated an alliance with Lionel Luthor.  He had expected that, but for Mr. Warren to have invaded the security system and to put them into stasis—ah well, it could have been worse.  This little tactic just served to tip Warren's hand.  The man was too impatient.  That might cost him.  Mr. Queu smiled. Actually, it would.