Epilogue
Adam Kane had just completed his business with Lionel Luthor and was heading back to the VTOL. The whole week had been intense, he thought.
While the residents of Smallville and Metropolis retired to their respective homes, the members of Mutant X congregated in the VTOL that Adam had arrived in days ago and had parked in a secluded area near the Smallville hospital. Brennan had his feet up on the control console and was sprawled back in the pilot's chair. Knees bent, Jesse fitted his lean frame into a small ledge-like compartment in the back of the cabin. Leaning his head against the wall, he dozed. Emma sat cross-legged in one of the rear chairs like a statue, her eyes closed. To all appearances, they were dead to the world.
Shalimar, having already made the rounds with Emma and Jesse now stood behind Brennan, rubbing his shoulders gently. The dark haired Elemental closed his eyes and sighed blissfully. He felt the strong slender fingers slowly knead a path across his shoulders and back in small gentle circles. After a few minutes her fingers stopped their careful ministrations, but her hands remained on him, warm pads on either side of his neck as the tension drained out of him. Brennan tilted his head back, slowly nestling his cheek against the Shalimar's arm as he did so. The back of his head came to rest against the Feral's firm abdomen. Brennan opened his eyes looking up to meet Shalimar's playful brown eyes above the outline of her torso. Reaching up quietly with both arms, the dark-haired Elemental gently grasped Shalimar's upper arms and smiling, drew her face down toward his....
Just then the door to the VTOL whooshed open and Adam stepped inside. The scientist caught the mischievous looks on their faces and looked down, pretending that he didn't know what they had been up to. He waved Brennan back as the younger man started to get out of his chair and stood next to co-pilot chair. Jesse yawned and lightly dropped out of his compartment and plopped himself into the chair next to Emma. He sat there for a moment, watching his beautiful teammate's expression as she sat statue- like, with her eyes closed. Emma slowly opened her clear gray eyes and exchanged an intimate look with Jesse before looking up at Adam. Adam smiled knowingly at Emma and Jesse. He surveyed his young team members.
"I'm happy to say that we've accomplished our mission." Adam said, watching the group for reaction. "The Tribunal has been dissolved and no longer poses a threat."
"What about Eckhart?" Brennan asked.
Adam shook his head, scowling. "He's alive. It was his hologram that was apparently destroyed, so I'm afraid he slithered away again.
"He can't have gotten too far Adam." Jesse busied himself at the computer console, typing in key words for clues.
"Try Thaddeus Queu," Adam instructed, his eyes pained at how easily Eckhart had deceived all of them, cultivating their trust under a different identity. He had grossly underestimated their enemy. Adam wondered how Emma and Shalimar had missed the physical and mental cues that the man should have left. Right under their noses, Adam thought, shaking his head in somber disbelief, with Lex Luthor as his protégé. Adam wondered if Emma had been able to fully reprogram Lex Luthor.
"Hey, we're alive and well," Shalimar said warmly, interrupting his thoughts. Adam smiled. Suddenly the future didn't look so bleak.
"And we've made new friends," Emma added.
"It's hard to believe that there are other kinds of Mutants out there." Brennan commented.
Adam replied, "Those are Mutants that were born of Meteor rock exposure however I'm not surprised that Lorna Templeton and Frank Thorne made their way here. Perhaps in some way they hoped to fit in. It's too bad that society is still not ready for the new dimensions that Mutated humans bring. Frank has elected to join the Underground and he is already en- route to his new location."
Jesse grinned. "I guess Lionel didn't pay him enough." Adam smiled mysteriously and looked away. Emma opened her eyes and looked at him thoughtfully.
"You and Lionel Luthor go back a ways, don't you." Emma observed, lifting an eyebrow as an invitation for Adam to fill them in. The older man shrugged.
"We teamed up for a brief time before Genomex, I was trying to sell one of my inventions and not having much luck, Lionel was looking for a product to sell. We did well." Adam's dark eyes warmed at the memory. He shrugged.
Shalimar looked mystified. "What on earth were you trying to sell, Adam?"
Adam had an odd, bemused expression. "Wallet sized cell phones." He replied. "Lionel got us a contract with the US Government." He smiled. "Remember, this was the 1970's." Everyone chuckled at visions of Adam with an Afro hairdo, wearing bell bottoms trying to sell cell phones. "The military was very interested in my improvement of the conventional telephone. They apparently did some homework; about a year later, I was approached with an offer I couldn't refuse."
"Genomex." Brennan finished for Adam. The dark-haired man nodded with a tight smile, then stood up, changing the direction of the conversation.
"The Double-Helix has been removed from LexCorp's basement laboratory," Adam said. "I accepted Lex's invitation for all of us to join him and our new friends at the Talon later today. I thought it might be a good way wrap things up, get things back to normal."
"Whatever 'normal' is," Shalimar finished with a smug grin.
Adam looked at Emma and met her troubled gaze. "You up to it, Em?" The red headed Telempath looked down to avoid Adam's eyes.
"Adam," Emma said. "I'm not sure if I succeeded in redirecting Lex's mind. When I touched his mind back there in the Tribunal Chamber, I had another episode." Adam watched Emma shudder and hug herself as if cold. "He was there for a moment, and then he became you. When I approached him, I was violently pushed back, as if I had walked into a force field. When I regained my balance, I found myself in an institution wrapped in a strait- jacket. When I looked in a mirror, I saw Lex's reflection." Emma looked scared. "It was so real. Do you think that is what's in store for Lex?"
"Emma," Adam protested gently.
Emma looked thoughtfully at Adam. "It's as if you two are somehow locked together." Her grey eyes widened as she realized that Adam was neither shocked nor surprised at her outrageous idea. "You know something about this, don't you?"
Adam stared ahead, wishing they could move on, wishing that he had not had to personally intervene with this mission. Things could have been different if the Tribunal had not taken interest in the Luthors, if Eckhart had not somehow gotten involved and interfered with his plans.
Adam nodded ruefully, aware of the curiosity of the others, knowing that they could and would obtain this information eventually if so inclined. Still, he was fascinated with the information that Emma had unwittingly disclosed. That placed the realm of Psionics totally within a physiological framework. With a motion of his hands, Adam explained the circumstances of how Lex came to be the recipient of his DNA.
"So you and Lex Luthor have genetically identical intellects?" Jesse asked.
Adam shrugged, "Actually, we have identical genetic coding for intellectual capacity and access. It's like being identical twins in that respect. What we individuals put into our minds during our lifetime makes us unique." Adam motioned at the others. "From what Emma has experienced in her connections with both Lex and me, I'm learning that Psionic connections may have a physiological foundation." Adam's eyes flashed with excitement. "Emma, if you don't mind, I'd love to explore this further with your help. Of course we'll have to find some identical twins."
The red-head smiled indulgently at her mentor's childlike excitement at this discovery. She was relieved that she wasn't losing her mind and that all of this was actually making sense. There were only two questions left. "Adam, I was wondering if you had any idea as to what may have caused these, for lack of a better description, precognitive episodes. And if they are precognitive, I'm worried at what I saw, and I'm still not sure Lex has put all of this behind."
Adam studied Emma's earnest expression. "I would have to attribute your visions for now, either to the head injury you sustained in the crash, to the presence of meteor rock in this area, or to the possibility that you're evolving a new ability. As for what you saw, I believe that the Future is an infinite set of possibilities. You may have accessed some of the possibilities, but were you to explore further, I'm sure you would find other threads of possibilities." Adam turned away as if to sit down, and then looked back at her. "Lex seemed perfectly cooperative about giving Lionel his last relic of Mr. Queu and didn't bat an eye when I asked him about him. Perhaps you did get through to him, despite your difficulty. I'm sure we'll find out."
Emma nodded. Shalimar shrugged and grinned at her. "Or maybe he's got some kind of force field against Psionics inside that bald head of his." Gentle laughter rippled through the small room.
"Does he know, Adam?" Jesse asked.
"C'mon, Jesse. He was just a kid and probably saw Adam for all of 5 minutes." Brennan answered. "If his dad didn't tell him, he probably doesn't remember."
"I think if I had Adam's mental capacity, I'd certainly remember," Shalimar commented.
"Lionel doesn't think so." Adam replied. "That's not the point. As you know, I originally sent you to carry out the mission. There would have been no further contact with my patient. Things did not work out that way. The main thing is that the mission was not about a reunion with a former patient. It was about destroying the Tribunal and you accomplished that with great ingenuity and success."
"And with a little bit of help," Jesse pointed out. "What will we do with them? Can we trust them?"
"We're going to find out." Adam answered. "We'll be having a little get together at the Talon at 3:00 this afternoon.
"I heard their coffee is great." Brennan said to Jesse.
********************** Inside the mansion, Lex took Helen in his arms. After a long, passionate kiss, he gazed down at her as she lay back on the overstuffed leather sofa. "I almost lost you, Helen. Are you sure you have to go to work at the hospital? I can provide everything for you."
Helen smiled uneasily and sat up. "Lex, I made it clear to you that my profession is my life. You cannot take that from me and expect me to be happy." The slender woman straightened her attire. "I'll only be an hour or so to clear up any paperwork or questions, after all, I've been AWOL for the past week."
Tossing her long dark hair behind her shoulders, Helen Bryce stood up. Touching Lex's hand lightly, she said, "I'll see you at the Talon." Lex watched her walk casually out the doors, admiring her poise and beauty. As the door closed behind her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny disc, no larger than a half-dollar that he had extracted from Queu's phone and smiled.
************************* As Chloe and Lana finished with their showers, they picked clean outfits for the get-together at the Talon.
"So which do you think is cuter, Brennan or Jesse?" Lana teased. Chloe's mischievous grin appeared at the doorway.
"I think they're both spoken for," Chloe replied, eyes dancing.
Lana wrinkled her nose at her friend. "I just wanted to know where they fall on your cuteness scale," she protested.
Chloe inspected her nails. "Well, I think that Adam and Frank are pretty good looking...." The perky blond looked up casually at Lana and laughed out loud at the look of disbelief on her friend's face.
*************** Clark had showered, changed his clothes, and was now wolfing down the meal that his mom had prepared. Pete walked in. "Need a ride?"
Clark smiled a welcome through a mouth full of food, handed his friend a clean plate and motioned for Pete to have a seat. Pete grinned and helped himself to the fresh home-made bread that Martha had baked, and then opened the oven.
"Ribs! Aw man, Clark, your mom sure knows how to cook!" Pete said enthusiastically.
"She sure does," Jonathan Clark said, as he entered the room with his arm around the beaming Martha Kent.
"You boys take your time eating and don't overdo it. I don't want you getting indigestion from rushing around; you have plenty of time before your party," Martha Kent chided in a motherly fashion.
"Yes Ma'm," Clark and Pete answered in unison.
*************
3:00pm TALON- Soft background music and subdued but good lighting created a relaxing atmosphere at the Talon. The aroma of coffee with undertones of chocolate, nuts and almond pervaded the busy, sprawling coffee shop. Customers clustered around small round tables, or gathered in booths, reading while sipping their favorite beverage or chatting with friends. The décor's earthy undertones created a welcome refuge for the large group of newly made friends that gathered in a private booth that had been set aside for this special occasion.
Lana Lang made her rounds through the coffee parlor that she managed, making sure that her customers were taken care of. It was a moderately busy night, but her staff was well trained. Satisfied with the operations, she headed for the special function area that was in the back of the Talon behind a set of large oak doors. Lex had recently approved this expansion of the Talon's operations into the old Amphitheatre. Though unfinished, the room was presentable and most importantly, private. There would be a party of eleven here this afternoon. She turned the corner and slowly pushed open the door.
Clark, Chloe and Pete greeted her as she walked into the spacious room. "Pete! Where have you been?" Lana exclaimed.
Pete looked around as if someone might be eavesdropping then confided, "I don't know. I think I might have been written out of the story. Did I miss anything?"
Chloe grinned at Pete as Lana hugged him affectionately. "You know, they keep doing that to you!" She said.
Lana critically inspected the layout of the oversized room. Hours ago, Lex had suggested that they all meet here instead of at the mansion. When she asked him why here in the unfinished room, he told her that there was still some restorative work that needed to be finished at the mansion. Lana didn't question her boss' answer; she was excited at the idea of using this room for the first time. It would be private and in the midst of the warm, hospitable environment of the coffee shop.
Music played softly in the background. Light danced off the ivory plastered walls from the wall-lanterns, leaving swirls of shadow interplaying with light. The restored wooden floor, newly waxed, glistened in varying shades of browns. The great chandelier glittered and shed golden ambient rays over the center of the echoing grand hall.
To the right, a long table covered with a white, linen tablecloth was set up against the wall near the door with several carafes of coffees and teas; pitchers of water and crystal service sets of cream and sugar. Lana had arranged for two long tables to be set up in an 'L' formation several feet away from the beverage table. There were plates of cheese and crackers, pastries, chips and fruits set along the table as well as set on another long table positioned a couple feet away from the beverage table. Lana nodded in satisfaction. The old Amphitheatre made a marvelous function room. Despite the fact that the room was more spacious than they needed, everyone seemed content to hang out in the quarter of the room nearest the entry.
Lex had made it a point to arrive early and greet his friends and the Mutant X guests as they arrived. He wore black slacks and a black silk shirt that closely fit his athletic physique. Helen would arrive a little later, as soon as she could leave the hospital. His friends were here now and clustered in a couple small groups around the quarter of the great hall that had been set up for them. The rest of the spacious room was clean and well lit, open space. Lex smiled to himself. They would prefer it that way, no surprises. He exchanged friendly banter with Clark and his friends. Soon, Lex thought. He noticed that along with his fiancé and Mutant X, his father was hadn't arrived yet.
Moments later, Adam, Shalimar, Emma, Brennan and Jesse filed into the large room. Lex walked over to shake hands and greet them. As Emma took Lex's hand, she looked searchingly at him. At the same time Lex looked searchingly at her. Both smiled and shrugged. Adam stepped in to break up the awkward moment and shook Lex's hand.
Lex smiled easily at Adam. "It's been an intense week." Adam looked at Lex strangely. "Dad and Frank didn't come in with you Adam?" Lex asked, feigning polite surprise.
The tall, dark eyed scientist shook his head. "No, Lionel had other business to attend to and Frank had to leave unexpectedly."
Lex smiled as he studied Adam. "I guess someone has to tend the store. How are our three friends? Were they surprised?"
Adam's eyes hardened for a moment, and then he smiled. "I found an unexpected deposit made into one of my personal accounts, Lex." Adam raised an eyebrow. Emma looked questioningly at Adam. Outwardly, her leader was calm, but internally he was literally shouting, "VERY PRIVATE ACCOUNT, HOW COULD YOU HAVE ACCESSED IT!"
Lex smiled graciously, still studying Adam. "You're welcome, Adam."
"Lex," Emma said, "What I don't understand is why you handed the phone that Mr. Queu gave you so easily to your father. I would have thought you'd fight to keep it. We all saw its recording capability and I'm sure that it had information that you would prefer to explore yourself."
Lex looked into Emma's clear gray eyes, wondering, then shrugged easily. "Why wouldn't I want to give the phone to my Dad? He's family."
"And Queu? How do you feel about him?" Adam prodded.
Lex turned slowly to face Adam, his expression guarded. "I know he's alive, Adam. You made a very good case for that while we were running for our lives. I know that if he's able to, he'll return to me when he's ready. I believe I owe him a paycheck."
He looked at Emma then questioningly at Adam. Adam nodded gently at the red-headed Telempath and she left to join Chloe and Shalimar.
"Does she know everything?" Lex asked.
"She knows what she needs to know." Adam replied evasively.
Lex looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. "I know all about my childhood operation, Adam." Lex said pointedly, "And my baby brother. There's not a day that passes even now, when I wonder what I could have done then to change history, or what I could do to make things right." Adam looked gravely into Lex's eyes, understanding.
Lex continued. "It seems to me in retrospect that we are of a kind; twins would be more like it, seeing that we share some of your genetic material, Adam. How much of my life was altered because my own DNA for mental capacity was replaced with yours? Do you excel at playing the stock market? Do you have genius IQ? Do you have horrible luck with women?"
Adam's expression was unreadable as he gently clasped Lex's shoulder. "How did you find all of this out, Lex? You never let on to Lionel that you remembered, let alone found out the particulars of the Genetic Re- sequencing procedure that was performed on you."
"Some things are better left unsaid, Adam." Lex replied mysteriously, watching Clark, Lana, Pete and Chloe laugh together over a basket of fruit at the table.
Lex continued as they walked into the open, empty part of the function room. "Remember, I think like you, Adam. You gave that to me. But my personal encounter with a meteor in the middle of a corn field a year later, turbo-boosted the intellectual capacity that you wired into me. Although I will undoubtedly spend a fortune and the rest of my life to find out what makes me tick, there is no doubt in my mind that I owe my life to you and to that meteor shower. I guess you could say that I was reborn in that corn field."
At that moment, Clark Kent looked up and stared directly at them. He radiated excitement and gratitude for a moment but then looked away when he noticed Adam watching him. Adam had a sneaking feeling that even from halfway across the room, Clark had heard everything.
Lex looked directly at Adam and gestured toward the others, his friends. "The events of the past few days won't be easy to forget, Adam."
"I know," the dark haired leader replied. "I need to assess the damage. Perhaps we can control it."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "You mean, make us forget?" "No, Lex" Adam replied gently. "What happened has happened. We need to obtain closure, make sure that everyone is all right."
"And make sure that we won't blow your cover." Lex added with a watchful, friendly smile, watching the expression on Adam's face. "Did you make my father forget?"
Adam avoided the question and replied, "There was a great deal of physical damage that we collectively repaired and returned to close to original state. There remains to assess the psychic or emotional damage and to wrap up loose ends."
Lex absently rubbed his right temple. "I think we can all keep your secret, if you can keep ours."
"We'll see." Adam replied. "Shall we?" Adam asked. Lex nodded and the two men headed to the table. Shalimar and Jesse sat on either side of the girls along the length of one table and the adjoining one, while Brennan and Pete sat across from Shalimar and Chloe on the other side. Emma picked the seat kitty-corner from Jesse and the two were quietly discussing something. Clark parked himself next to Emma, leaving the three seats at the end of his table empty.
"Yo, Jesse, can you send some of those deserts this way?" Pete asked the blond man across from him.
Helen slipped into the room unobtrusively while Adam and Lex were having their private conversation and sat alone at the end of Clark's table.
"Can I get you anything, Dr. Bryce?" Clark asked, leaning across the empty place next to him toward the slender woman at the end of the table.
Helen smiled. "Oh, I'm fine, Clark. How are you feeling? You seemed so ill this past week." The doctor frowned slightly as something started to make sense to her about this strange farm boy.
"I feel better now," Clark replied with a worried expression.
Helen Bryce smiled reassuringly at Clark as Adam and Lex approached them holding cups of coffee. "It's OK, Clark," she said.
Lex stood behind Helen for a moment and gently touched her shoulder, then sat next to Clark. Adam took the seat opposite Lex and leaned back.
Shalimar motioned at Lana, Chloe and Pete. "Brennan and I were debating if there were any points of interest in Smallville or in Metropolis that we would be sorry we missed if we didn't visit them before we leave."
"Smallville?" Pete echoed. "Well, if you've been to the Smallville Hospital, Lex's mansion, the police station and the Talon, you've pretty much hit all the hot spots of Smallville." Pete grinned at the group around him. "Now Metropolis on the other hand...." Pete regaled the group around him with examples and stories of places of interest.
Focused on Pete's wisecracks, Jesse and Emma reached for the same cracker at the same time, touched fingers, stared at each other then laughed gently. Lana turned to look at them and saw Clark, to the left of Emma staring wistfully at her. The young brunette blushed and looked down for a moment. When she looked back at Clark, Lex had gotten his attention and was discussing something quietly with him.
Helen Bryce touched Lex's shoulder. He nodded. Turning to Adam she said, "Adam, I just wanted to say how happy I am to have met you in person. This ordeal was," the beautiful woman twisted a stray lock of her long dark hair as she struggled for a word, "very interesting and enlightening. Perhaps I will start a study of the effects of meteor rock on human subjects." Her dark brown eyes sparkled with laughter at Adam's guarded reaction. "Here." She handed him a small, gift-wrapped rectangular box that looked like it might hold a pen. "I hope you and your friends will keep in touch."
Adam looked incredibly like a child at Christmas as he accepted the gift. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Then with a gleam in his eyes he asked, "May I open it?" knowing that a sample of Clark's blood would be in the box. Helen nodded. Adam lifted the gilded cover and removed the expensive pen.
Helen smiled and shrugged. "I hope you like it."
Adam, feeling a slight additional weight concealed in the box, carefully set it on the table and passed the pen around the table. "I know I will," he replied. Brennan whistled softly when the pen reached him and made a show of pocketing it.
"Uh uh," Adam warned the Elemental. Brennan with an innocent look, automatically handed Pete the pen, then Pete returned it to Adam. Adam returned the pen into the box and placed it in his lapel pocket.
"I would have asked you to autograph my copy of your book, but Lex didn't think it appropriate," Helen added.
"Adam writes books?" Brennan exclaimed.
"Didn't you know?" Shalimar replied in mock surprise.
"It's required reading." Jesse told Brennan, straight faced.
"You get a 10% salary increase if you pass the comprehensive exam after reading 'Genetic Sequencing of the Mustard Seed'," Emma stated matter of factly.
Brennan looked around the table at his teammates in disbelief. Lana, Chloe, Pete and Clark watched the conversation with great interest. "Why is it that no one has told me that?" Brennan complained. Suddenly Emma smirked and the table burst out laughing.
After the laughter had died down a little, Clark looked questioningly at Chloe and Lana.
"Hey Clark, you look like you're bursting with curiosity," Pete kidded. "What's on your mind, man?"
Clark blushed at the attention from everyone at the table. Looking nervously at Chloe, Lana, then at Helen Bryce he finally said, "Well, how did it feel to have super powers?"
Chloe opened her mouth as if to say something, her eyes were wistful and merry all at the same time, then she closed it and smiled.
"Chloe?"
"I have to say, I definitely liked it." Chloe said. It felt so natural, even though I knew sending energy blasts was an unnatural thing. I wish it could never end. But I'll get on with life, be content with what I am and make my own impression on the world.
"Lana?"
The dark-haired teenager shrugged. "I liked having the sudden infusion of super strength, but that's not me. I want to build my own strengths with my own efforts and with the help of friends."
"Helen?"
Lex's fiancé smiled. "It was definitely me. I enjoyed the super strength and even more, I loved having the ability to self heal and to heal others. The power was a natural extension of me. If I could ever repeat the experience, I would."
Clark looked at Shalimar. "I shouldn't have to ask but I will. Have you always liked being different from the rest of society?"
The blonde woman smiled at Clark. "I love what I am. I may not have understood what was going on at first, but with Adam's help, I learned about myself and how to direct my powers in a satisfying and constructive way. I think that there should be a New Mutant hotline for all Mutants." The Feral said, looking at Adam.
"I'd be happy to extend our services to Meteor Rock Mutants," Adam replied.
"I wish I could understand why society doesn't accept people who have gifts." Clark added, looking down.
Chloe gave him a quizzical look. "C'mon Clark. You've seen my Wall of Weird. Not all Mutants are nice guys like we were."
Lana asked Adam, "Do you think we're safe from the Tribunal, Adam?" The older man exchanged looks with Lex and nodded.
"I would say so," Adam replied after sipping his coffee. "We came here to identify and apprehend this group and we have succeeded in doing so. The Tribunal has been disbanded. There will be no more problems with them."
"What happened to the Prosecutor, Mr. Eckhart?" Helen asked.
"He's technically not a member of the Tribunal, Helen. Eckhart is still at large," Adam answered seriously. "We've already started a search for him. It shouldn't be long before we locate and apprehend him."
"Adam, do you really think he's worth your effort? After all, he seemed to be a pawn of the Tribunal." Lex suggested mildly.
Adam looked suspiciously at Lex when Chloe, face flushed with excitement said, "I might be able to track down the Prosecutor, Mr. Eckhart." Lex and Adam looked at her curiously.
"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Pete asked.
Chloe explained, "Just curious, I guess. I ran a computer check on the building we were in and tracked the activities and maintenance that were performed over the last 10 years. While most of the contractors checked out, there was a technical contractor that installed the security system who seemed to be overqualified for the simple work he allegedly did. I tracked him down."
At the mention of computer check, Jesse perked up.
"Gee, Chloe. And I thought Jesse was the computer whiz kid." Brennan kidded. Chloe blushed at the compliment.
"Seriously though, Chloe, once you tracked this contractor down, what made you link him to Eckhart?" Jesse asked. Chloe was clearly excited and animatedly explained her theory to the group.
Adam nodded in acknowledgement. "That's excellent investigative work." His expression became concerned. "So what are your intentions, Chloe? I understand that you are planning to write an article about our little adventure?"
Chloe looked at Adam in surprise. "Oh no, Adam, I would never expose your operation. I understand your survival depends on secrecy. I do have ethics."
Adam looked at Emma who nodded. "She's sincere about this, Adam." She said softly.
Adam turned his gaze back to Chloe and nodded graciously. "I do appreciate your sacrificing a story in order to protect individuals' right to privacy. I am however, concerned with your continued involvement with one of our chief subjects of investigation. Let us take it from here. I don't want any more lives endangered. You are pursuing an extremely dangerous man."
Chloe looked at Adam with conflicting emotions. He gazed into her eyes. "It's all right, Chloe. You have done excellent work and we thank you."
Emma stood up and turned to the group at her left. Making eye contact with Clark, Lex and Helen, she continued, "The help you have given us was invaluable. I hope you will refrain from discussing this experience with anyone outside of this group." Emma sent a Psionic reprogramming thread to Helen, who nodded agreement. Emma looked questioningly at Clark. Once again as she noticed a few days ago, she could sense his presence, but could not get inside his mind. Clark's eyes were full of honesty and sincerity. She smiled knowing that even without her influence, he would comply with her request. Emma looked at Lex. Bracing herself, she sent him a light telempathic tap.
Emma felt herself step into nothingness, forever and ever. Suddenly she was
facing a Helen Bryce whose face was transformed with rage and hatred.
Looking into the mirror Emma saw Lex's face. A door opened before
her. Below was a thousand foot drop from the falling plane to the
ground. Emma gasped. Suddenly the universe shifted and Emma found
herself watching Lex, wrapped in a strait jacket, restrained to the
floor with a metal cage. "Help me," he cried. Clark Kent appeared
from nowhere and freed him, ripping the cage off the floor with his
bare hands. Lex's expression was full of gratitude. "I knew you'd
come back." Suddenly a bloodied, beaten Clark was dragged away,
groaning, called out "Lex!"
Emma willed herself to return to the present. Lex, Adam, Helen and Clark were staring at her curiously.
"Are you all right, Emma?" Helen asked, concerned.
"Uh," Emma started to say.
"You were on the part where you hoped we would refrain from discussing this with anyone outside our group," Clark said, "when you seemed to lose your train of thought for a moment."
"Oh. I must have gotten stage fright or something," Emma covered. "I'm not used to talking to so many people. Anyways," she looked guardedly at Lex and Helen, "our lives depend upon your secrecy."
Adam stood up and took Emma's hand reassuringly. "Thank you all for your friendship and your support. Without your involvement on our behalf, some of us may not have made it here to this point. I wish you the best of health and good fortune." Adam then raised his mug of coffee and looked at each person in the group.
"Here, here," everyone responded to the tall dark-haired scientist as he, smiling, sat down. Individual conversations started up again and people started moving around again, hugs, kisses and well-wishes were exchanged.
"Adam," Emma whispered urgently, "Helen is going to try to kill Lex. I saw it."
Adam shook his head and said, "We cannot interfere in their affairs, Emma." When Emma started to protest again, Adam's eyes blazed. "Don't." He said softly, almost menacingly. Emma, shaken, took a deep breath and stepped back.
"Nice place you've got here Lana," Jesse commented.
Lana smiled happily. "Best coffee in town." Jesse towered over Lana and looked at her gravely for a moment. "You take care of yourself, ok?" Lana looked up at the handsome blond man that she had nearly gotten herself past the point of no return with. She blushed and nodded. Jesse kissed her gently on the top of her head and touched her hand gently as he walked over to Chloe to wish her well.
"So Clark," Lex looked inquisitively at his friend, "How are you feeling?"
The dark haired youth half smiled. "At least I'm not feeling like someone sucked out my energy and put cold water in my veins."
"You did look like you had been put through the wringer. I was seriously worried about you. I wish I could have done something to help you." Lex answered as he and Clark walked toward the larger group. Lex took a deep breath and looked around. These people had been through hell on his and his father's account. He brightened at the warmth of the gathering.
"Your friendship has helped me, more than you can know Lex." Clark said quietly.
"So, we are being mandated to silence about this affair?" Lex asked.
"Naw, just keep it between ourselves," Clark grinned.
"Sounds reasonable," Lex replied.
Adam watched the gathering break up from a distance. He doubted that they would ever meet again. He wondered if these experiences would have happened if Mutant X had not gone on this mission. Adam was sure that the Luthors would have been killed had they not intervened... then again, his eyes wandered to Clark Kent who stood at Lex's side and he wondered. Clark was shaking hands with Brennan, while Lex gave Shalimar a quick hug. The strapping teenager had abilities like theirs and lived in a private world that Adam knew only too intimately.
Clark had a great destiny ahead of him. Adam looked at Lex wondering about how the son of Lionel Luthor would turn out with his meteor-charged frame of mind. The young millionaire had found a way to repel Emma's influence and had Eckhart's hand on him somehow. Adam puzzled about the connection between Lex and Clark. Adam nodded at Emma to finish what she started.
The Telempath took a deep breath and projected a final dampening field toward the group, focusing especially on Chloe, Lana and Pete. Their memories would remain, but the intensity of their experiences would abate. She would ride through whatever feedback Lex's mind would push back at her and Clark would, of course, be oblivious to her influence.
Lex looked away for a moment, head bowed as he pressed his fingers against his temples. "Are you all right, Lex?" Clark asked, staring at Lex concernedly.
"I'm fine, Clark. Thanks." Lex Luthor said straightening, looking at his friend's concerned gaze and clapped him on the shoulder. It was great to have a friend like Clark.
Clark looked at him sympathetically then, looking up saw Emma wink at him just before she followed Adam through the doors, back to their world.
All was well in Smallville.
THE END.
A/N- Thank you all for your feedback and encouraging messages. I wish you all well, God bless.
Adam Kane had just completed his business with Lionel Luthor and was heading back to the VTOL. The whole week had been intense, he thought.
While the residents of Smallville and Metropolis retired to their respective homes, the members of Mutant X congregated in the VTOL that Adam had arrived in days ago and had parked in a secluded area near the Smallville hospital. Brennan had his feet up on the control console and was sprawled back in the pilot's chair. Knees bent, Jesse fitted his lean frame into a small ledge-like compartment in the back of the cabin. Leaning his head against the wall, he dozed. Emma sat cross-legged in one of the rear chairs like a statue, her eyes closed. To all appearances, they were dead to the world.
Shalimar, having already made the rounds with Emma and Jesse now stood behind Brennan, rubbing his shoulders gently. The dark haired Elemental closed his eyes and sighed blissfully. He felt the strong slender fingers slowly knead a path across his shoulders and back in small gentle circles. After a few minutes her fingers stopped their careful ministrations, but her hands remained on him, warm pads on either side of his neck as the tension drained out of him. Brennan tilted his head back, slowly nestling his cheek against the Shalimar's arm as he did so. The back of his head came to rest against the Feral's firm abdomen. Brennan opened his eyes looking up to meet Shalimar's playful brown eyes above the outline of her torso. Reaching up quietly with both arms, the dark-haired Elemental gently grasped Shalimar's upper arms and smiling, drew her face down toward his....
Just then the door to the VTOL whooshed open and Adam stepped inside. The scientist caught the mischievous looks on their faces and looked down, pretending that he didn't know what they had been up to. He waved Brennan back as the younger man started to get out of his chair and stood next to co-pilot chair. Jesse yawned and lightly dropped out of his compartment and plopped himself into the chair next to Emma. He sat there for a moment, watching his beautiful teammate's expression as she sat statue- like, with her eyes closed. Emma slowly opened her clear gray eyes and exchanged an intimate look with Jesse before looking up at Adam. Adam smiled knowingly at Emma and Jesse. He surveyed his young team members.
"I'm happy to say that we've accomplished our mission." Adam said, watching the group for reaction. "The Tribunal has been dissolved and no longer poses a threat."
"What about Eckhart?" Brennan asked.
Adam shook his head, scowling. "He's alive. It was his hologram that was apparently destroyed, so I'm afraid he slithered away again.
"He can't have gotten too far Adam." Jesse busied himself at the computer console, typing in key words for clues.
"Try Thaddeus Queu," Adam instructed, his eyes pained at how easily Eckhart had deceived all of them, cultivating their trust under a different identity. He had grossly underestimated their enemy. Adam wondered how Emma and Shalimar had missed the physical and mental cues that the man should have left. Right under their noses, Adam thought, shaking his head in somber disbelief, with Lex Luthor as his protégé. Adam wondered if Emma had been able to fully reprogram Lex Luthor.
"Hey, we're alive and well," Shalimar said warmly, interrupting his thoughts. Adam smiled. Suddenly the future didn't look so bleak.
"And we've made new friends," Emma added.
"It's hard to believe that there are other kinds of Mutants out there." Brennan commented.
Adam replied, "Those are Mutants that were born of Meteor rock exposure however I'm not surprised that Lorna Templeton and Frank Thorne made their way here. Perhaps in some way they hoped to fit in. It's too bad that society is still not ready for the new dimensions that Mutated humans bring. Frank has elected to join the Underground and he is already en- route to his new location."
Jesse grinned. "I guess Lionel didn't pay him enough." Adam smiled mysteriously and looked away. Emma opened her eyes and looked at him thoughtfully.
"You and Lionel Luthor go back a ways, don't you." Emma observed, lifting an eyebrow as an invitation for Adam to fill them in. The older man shrugged.
"We teamed up for a brief time before Genomex, I was trying to sell one of my inventions and not having much luck, Lionel was looking for a product to sell. We did well." Adam's dark eyes warmed at the memory. He shrugged.
Shalimar looked mystified. "What on earth were you trying to sell, Adam?"
Adam had an odd, bemused expression. "Wallet sized cell phones." He replied. "Lionel got us a contract with the US Government." He smiled. "Remember, this was the 1970's." Everyone chuckled at visions of Adam with an Afro hairdo, wearing bell bottoms trying to sell cell phones. "The military was very interested in my improvement of the conventional telephone. They apparently did some homework; about a year later, I was approached with an offer I couldn't refuse."
"Genomex." Brennan finished for Adam. The dark-haired man nodded with a tight smile, then stood up, changing the direction of the conversation.
"The Double-Helix has been removed from LexCorp's basement laboratory," Adam said. "I accepted Lex's invitation for all of us to join him and our new friends at the Talon later today. I thought it might be a good way wrap things up, get things back to normal."
"Whatever 'normal' is," Shalimar finished with a smug grin.
Adam looked at Emma and met her troubled gaze. "You up to it, Em?" The red headed Telempath looked down to avoid Adam's eyes.
"Adam," Emma said. "I'm not sure if I succeeded in redirecting Lex's mind. When I touched his mind back there in the Tribunal Chamber, I had another episode." Adam watched Emma shudder and hug herself as if cold. "He was there for a moment, and then he became you. When I approached him, I was violently pushed back, as if I had walked into a force field. When I regained my balance, I found myself in an institution wrapped in a strait- jacket. When I looked in a mirror, I saw Lex's reflection." Emma looked scared. "It was so real. Do you think that is what's in store for Lex?"
"Emma," Adam protested gently.
Emma looked thoughtfully at Adam. "It's as if you two are somehow locked together." Her grey eyes widened as she realized that Adam was neither shocked nor surprised at her outrageous idea. "You know something about this, don't you?"
Adam stared ahead, wishing they could move on, wishing that he had not had to personally intervene with this mission. Things could have been different if the Tribunal had not taken interest in the Luthors, if Eckhart had not somehow gotten involved and interfered with his plans.
Adam nodded ruefully, aware of the curiosity of the others, knowing that they could and would obtain this information eventually if so inclined. Still, he was fascinated with the information that Emma had unwittingly disclosed. That placed the realm of Psionics totally within a physiological framework. With a motion of his hands, Adam explained the circumstances of how Lex came to be the recipient of his DNA.
"So you and Lex Luthor have genetically identical intellects?" Jesse asked.
Adam shrugged, "Actually, we have identical genetic coding for intellectual capacity and access. It's like being identical twins in that respect. What we individuals put into our minds during our lifetime makes us unique." Adam motioned at the others. "From what Emma has experienced in her connections with both Lex and me, I'm learning that Psionic connections may have a physiological foundation." Adam's eyes flashed with excitement. "Emma, if you don't mind, I'd love to explore this further with your help. Of course we'll have to find some identical twins."
The red-head smiled indulgently at her mentor's childlike excitement at this discovery. She was relieved that she wasn't losing her mind and that all of this was actually making sense. There were only two questions left. "Adam, I was wondering if you had any idea as to what may have caused these, for lack of a better description, precognitive episodes. And if they are precognitive, I'm worried at what I saw, and I'm still not sure Lex has put all of this behind."
Adam studied Emma's earnest expression. "I would have to attribute your visions for now, either to the head injury you sustained in the crash, to the presence of meteor rock in this area, or to the possibility that you're evolving a new ability. As for what you saw, I believe that the Future is an infinite set of possibilities. You may have accessed some of the possibilities, but were you to explore further, I'm sure you would find other threads of possibilities." Adam turned away as if to sit down, and then looked back at her. "Lex seemed perfectly cooperative about giving Lionel his last relic of Mr. Queu and didn't bat an eye when I asked him about him. Perhaps you did get through to him, despite your difficulty. I'm sure we'll find out."
Emma nodded. Shalimar shrugged and grinned at her. "Or maybe he's got some kind of force field against Psionics inside that bald head of his." Gentle laughter rippled through the small room.
"Does he know, Adam?" Jesse asked.
"C'mon, Jesse. He was just a kid and probably saw Adam for all of 5 minutes." Brennan answered. "If his dad didn't tell him, he probably doesn't remember."
"I think if I had Adam's mental capacity, I'd certainly remember," Shalimar commented.
"Lionel doesn't think so." Adam replied. "That's not the point. As you know, I originally sent you to carry out the mission. There would have been no further contact with my patient. Things did not work out that way. The main thing is that the mission was not about a reunion with a former patient. It was about destroying the Tribunal and you accomplished that with great ingenuity and success."
"And with a little bit of help," Jesse pointed out. "What will we do with them? Can we trust them?"
"We're going to find out." Adam answered. "We'll be having a little get together at the Talon at 3:00 this afternoon.
"I heard their coffee is great." Brennan said to Jesse.
********************** Inside the mansion, Lex took Helen in his arms. After a long, passionate kiss, he gazed down at her as she lay back on the overstuffed leather sofa. "I almost lost you, Helen. Are you sure you have to go to work at the hospital? I can provide everything for you."
Helen smiled uneasily and sat up. "Lex, I made it clear to you that my profession is my life. You cannot take that from me and expect me to be happy." The slender woman straightened her attire. "I'll only be an hour or so to clear up any paperwork or questions, after all, I've been AWOL for the past week."
Tossing her long dark hair behind her shoulders, Helen Bryce stood up. Touching Lex's hand lightly, she said, "I'll see you at the Talon." Lex watched her walk casually out the doors, admiring her poise and beauty. As the door closed behind her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny disc, no larger than a half-dollar that he had extracted from Queu's phone and smiled.
************************* As Chloe and Lana finished with their showers, they picked clean outfits for the get-together at the Talon.
"So which do you think is cuter, Brennan or Jesse?" Lana teased. Chloe's mischievous grin appeared at the doorway.
"I think they're both spoken for," Chloe replied, eyes dancing.
Lana wrinkled her nose at her friend. "I just wanted to know where they fall on your cuteness scale," she protested.
Chloe inspected her nails. "Well, I think that Adam and Frank are pretty good looking...." The perky blond looked up casually at Lana and laughed out loud at the look of disbelief on her friend's face.
*************** Clark had showered, changed his clothes, and was now wolfing down the meal that his mom had prepared. Pete walked in. "Need a ride?"
Clark smiled a welcome through a mouth full of food, handed his friend a clean plate and motioned for Pete to have a seat. Pete grinned and helped himself to the fresh home-made bread that Martha had baked, and then opened the oven.
"Ribs! Aw man, Clark, your mom sure knows how to cook!" Pete said enthusiastically.
"She sure does," Jonathan Clark said, as he entered the room with his arm around the beaming Martha Kent.
"You boys take your time eating and don't overdo it. I don't want you getting indigestion from rushing around; you have plenty of time before your party," Martha Kent chided in a motherly fashion.
"Yes Ma'm," Clark and Pete answered in unison.
*************
3:00pm TALON- Soft background music and subdued but good lighting created a relaxing atmosphere at the Talon. The aroma of coffee with undertones of chocolate, nuts and almond pervaded the busy, sprawling coffee shop. Customers clustered around small round tables, or gathered in booths, reading while sipping their favorite beverage or chatting with friends. The décor's earthy undertones created a welcome refuge for the large group of newly made friends that gathered in a private booth that had been set aside for this special occasion.
Lana Lang made her rounds through the coffee parlor that she managed, making sure that her customers were taken care of. It was a moderately busy night, but her staff was well trained. Satisfied with the operations, she headed for the special function area that was in the back of the Talon behind a set of large oak doors. Lex had recently approved this expansion of the Talon's operations into the old Amphitheatre. Though unfinished, the room was presentable and most importantly, private. There would be a party of eleven here this afternoon. She turned the corner and slowly pushed open the door.
Clark, Chloe and Pete greeted her as she walked into the spacious room. "Pete! Where have you been?" Lana exclaimed.
Pete looked around as if someone might be eavesdropping then confided, "I don't know. I think I might have been written out of the story. Did I miss anything?"
Chloe grinned at Pete as Lana hugged him affectionately. "You know, they keep doing that to you!" She said.
Lana critically inspected the layout of the oversized room. Hours ago, Lex had suggested that they all meet here instead of at the mansion. When she asked him why here in the unfinished room, he told her that there was still some restorative work that needed to be finished at the mansion. Lana didn't question her boss' answer; she was excited at the idea of using this room for the first time. It would be private and in the midst of the warm, hospitable environment of the coffee shop.
Music played softly in the background. Light danced off the ivory plastered walls from the wall-lanterns, leaving swirls of shadow interplaying with light. The restored wooden floor, newly waxed, glistened in varying shades of browns. The great chandelier glittered and shed golden ambient rays over the center of the echoing grand hall.
To the right, a long table covered with a white, linen tablecloth was set up against the wall near the door with several carafes of coffees and teas; pitchers of water and crystal service sets of cream and sugar. Lana had arranged for two long tables to be set up in an 'L' formation several feet away from the beverage table. There were plates of cheese and crackers, pastries, chips and fruits set along the table as well as set on another long table positioned a couple feet away from the beverage table. Lana nodded in satisfaction. The old Amphitheatre made a marvelous function room. Despite the fact that the room was more spacious than they needed, everyone seemed content to hang out in the quarter of the room nearest the entry.
Lex had made it a point to arrive early and greet his friends and the Mutant X guests as they arrived. He wore black slacks and a black silk shirt that closely fit his athletic physique. Helen would arrive a little later, as soon as she could leave the hospital. His friends were here now and clustered in a couple small groups around the quarter of the great hall that had been set up for them. The rest of the spacious room was clean and well lit, open space. Lex smiled to himself. They would prefer it that way, no surprises. He exchanged friendly banter with Clark and his friends. Soon, Lex thought. He noticed that along with his fiancé and Mutant X, his father was hadn't arrived yet.
Moments later, Adam, Shalimar, Emma, Brennan and Jesse filed into the large room. Lex walked over to shake hands and greet them. As Emma took Lex's hand, she looked searchingly at him. At the same time Lex looked searchingly at her. Both smiled and shrugged. Adam stepped in to break up the awkward moment and shook Lex's hand.
Lex smiled easily at Adam. "It's been an intense week." Adam looked at Lex strangely. "Dad and Frank didn't come in with you Adam?" Lex asked, feigning polite surprise.
The tall, dark eyed scientist shook his head. "No, Lionel had other business to attend to and Frank had to leave unexpectedly."
Lex smiled as he studied Adam. "I guess someone has to tend the store. How are our three friends? Were they surprised?"
Adam's eyes hardened for a moment, and then he smiled. "I found an unexpected deposit made into one of my personal accounts, Lex." Adam raised an eyebrow. Emma looked questioningly at Adam. Outwardly, her leader was calm, but internally he was literally shouting, "VERY PRIVATE ACCOUNT, HOW COULD YOU HAVE ACCESSED IT!"
Lex smiled graciously, still studying Adam. "You're welcome, Adam."
"Lex," Emma said, "What I don't understand is why you handed the phone that Mr. Queu gave you so easily to your father. I would have thought you'd fight to keep it. We all saw its recording capability and I'm sure that it had information that you would prefer to explore yourself."
Lex looked into Emma's clear gray eyes, wondering, then shrugged easily. "Why wouldn't I want to give the phone to my Dad? He's family."
"And Queu? How do you feel about him?" Adam prodded.
Lex turned slowly to face Adam, his expression guarded. "I know he's alive, Adam. You made a very good case for that while we were running for our lives. I know that if he's able to, he'll return to me when he's ready. I believe I owe him a paycheck."
He looked at Emma then questioningly at Adam. Adam nodded gently at the red-headed Telempath and she left to join Chloe and Shalimar.
"Does she know everything?" Lex asked.
"She knows what she needs to know." Adam replied evasively.
Lex looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. "I know all about my childhood operation, Adam." Lex said pointedly, "And my baby brother. There's not a day that passes even now, when I wonder what I could have done then to change history, or what I could do to make things right." Adam looked gravely into Lex's eyes, understanding.
Lex continued. "It seems to me in retrospect that we are of a kind; twins would be more like it, seeing that we share some of your genetic material, Adam. How much of my life was altered because my own DNA for mental capacity was replaced with yours? Do you excel at playing the stock market? Do you have genius IQ? Do you have horrible luck with women?"
Adam's expression was unreadable as he gently clasped Lex's shoulder. "How did you find all of this out, Lex? You never let on to Lionel that you remembered, let alone found out the particulars of the Genetic Re- sequencing procedure that was performed on you."
"Some things are better left unsaid, Adam." Lex replied mysteriously, watching Clark, Lana, Pete and Chloe laugh together over a basket of fruit at the table.
Lex continued as they walked into the open, empty part of the function room. "Remember, I think like you, Adam. You gave that to me. But my personal encounter with a meteor in the middle of a corn field a year later, turbo-boosted the intellectual capacity that you wired into me. Although I will undoubtedly spend a fortune and the rest of my life to find out what makes me tick, there is no doubt in my mind that I owe my life to you and to that meteor shower. I guess you could say that I was reborn in that corn field."
At that moment, Clark Kent looked up and stared directly at them. He radiated excitement and gratitude for a moment but then looked away when he noticed Adam watching him. Adam had a sneaking feeling that even from halfway across the room, Clark had heard everything.
Lex looked directly at Adam and gestured toward the others, his friends. "The events of the past few days won't be easy to forget, Adam."
"I know," the dark haired leader replied. "I need to assess the damage. Perhaps we can control it."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "You mean, make us forget?" "No, Lex" Adam replied gently. "What happened has happened. We need to obtain closure, make sure that everyone is all right."
"And make sure that we won't blow your cover." Lex added with a watchful, friendly smile, watching the expression on Adam's face. "Did you make my father forget?"
Adam avoided the question and replied, "There was a great deal of physical damage that we collectively repaired and returned to close to original state. There remains to assess the psychic or emotional damage and to wrap up loose ends."
Lex absently rubbed his right temple. "I think we can all keep your secret, if you can keep ours."
"We'll see." Adam replied. "Shall we?" Adam asked. Lex nodded and the two men headed to the table. Shalimar and Jesse sat on either side of the girls along the length of one table and the adjoining one, while Brennan and Pete sat across from Shalimar and Chloe on the other side. Emma picked the seat kitty-corner from Jesse and the two were quietly discussing something. Clark parked himself next to Emma, leaving the three seats at the end of his table empty.
"Yo, Jesse, can you send some of those deserts this way?" Pete asked the blond man across from him.
Helen slipped into the room unobtrusively while Adam and Lex were having their private conversation and sat alone at the end of Clark's table.
"Can I get you anything, Dr. Bryce?" Clark asked, leaning across the empty place next to him toward the slender woman at the end of the table.
Helen smiled. "Oh, I'm fine, Clark. How are you feeling? You seemed so ill this past week." The doctor frowned slightly as something started to make sense to her about this strange farm boy.
"I feel better now," Clark replied with a worried expression.
Helen Bryce smiled reassuringly at Clark as Adam and Lex approached them holding cups of coffee. "It's OK, Clark," she said.
Lex stood behind Helen for a moment and gently touched her shoulder, then sat next to Clark. Adam took the seat opposite Lex and leaned back.
Shalimar motioned at Lana, Chloe and Pete. "Brennan and I were debating if there were any points of interest in Smallville or in Metropolis that we would be sorry we missed if we didn't visit them before we leave."
"Smallville?" Pete echoed. "Well, if you've been to the Smallville Hospital, Lex's mansion, the police station and the Talon, you've pretty much hit all the hot spots of Smallville." Pete grinned at the group around him. "Now Metropolis on the other hand...." Pete regaled the group around him with examples and stories of places of interest.
Focused on Pete's wisecracks, Jesse and Emma reached for the same cracker at the same time, touched fingers, stared at each other then laughed gently. Lana turned to look at them and saw Clark, to the left of Emma staring wistfully at her. The young brunette blushed and looked down for a moment. When she looked back at Clark, Lex had gotten his attention and was discussing something quietly with him.
Helen Bryce touched Lex's shoulder. He nodded. Turning to Adam she said, "Adam, I just wanted to say how happy I am to have met you in person. This ordeal was," the beautiful woman twisted a stray lock of her long dark hair as she struggled for a word, "very interesting and enlightening. Perhaps I will start a study of the effects of meteor rock on human subjects." Her dark brown eyes sparkled with laughter at Adam's guarded reaction. "Here." She handed him a small, gift-wrapped rectangular box that looked like it might hold a pen. "I hope you and your friends will keep in touch."
Adam looked incredibly like a child at Christmas as he accepted the gift. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Then with a gleam in his eyes he asked, "May I open it?" knowing that a sample of Clark's blood would be in the box. Helen nodded. Adam lifted the gilded cover and removed the expensive pen.
Helen smiled and shrugged. "I hope you like it."
Adam, feeling a slight additional weight concealed in the box, carefully set it on the table and passed the pen around the table. "I know I will," he replied. Brennan whistled softly when the pen reached him and made a show of pocketing it.
"Uh uh," Adam warned the Elemental. Brennan with an innocent look, automatically handed Pete the pen, then Pete returned it to Adam. Adam returned the pen into the box and placed it in his lapel pocket.
"I would have asked you to autograph my copy of your book, but Lex didn't think it appropriate," Helen added.
"Adam writes books?" Brennan exclaimed.
"Didn't you know?" Shalimar replied in mock surprise.
"It's required reading." Jesse told Brennan, straight faced.
"You get a 10% salary increase if you pass the comprehensive exam after reading 'Genetic Sequencing of the Mustard Seed'," Emma stated matter of factly.
Brennan looked around the table at his teammates in disbelief. Lana, Chloe, Pete and Clark watched the conversation with great interest. "Why is it that no one has told me that?" Brennan complained. Suddenly Emma smirked and the table burst out laughing.
After the laughter had died down a little, Clark looked questioningly at Chloe and Lana.
"Hey Clark, you look like you're bursting with curiosity," Pete kidded. "What's on your mind, man?"
Clark blushed at the attention from everyone at the table. Looking nervously at Chloe, Lana, then at Helen Bryce he finally said, "Well, how did it feel to have super powers?"
Chloe opened her mouth as if to say something, her eyes were wistful and merry all at the same time, then she closed it and smiled.
"Chloe?"
"I have to say, I definitely liked it." Chloe said. It felt so natural, even though I knew sending energy blasts was an unnatural thing. I wish it could never end. But I'll get on with life, be content with what I am and make my own impression on the world.
"Lana?"
The dark-haired teenager shrugged. "I liked having the sudden infusion of super strength, but that's not me. I want to build my own strengths with my own efforts and with the help of friends."
"Helen?"
Lex's fiancé smiled. "It was definitely me. I enjoyed the super strength and even more, I loved having the ability to self heal and to heal others. The power was a natural extension of me. If I could ever repeat the experience, I would."
Clark looked at Shalimar. "I shouldn't have to ask but I will. Have you always liked being different from the rest of society?"
The blonde woman smiled at Clark. "I love what I am. I may not have understood what was going on at first, but with Adam's help, I learned about myself and how to direct my powers in a satisfying and constructive way. I think that there should be a New Mutant hotline for all Mutants." The Feral said, looking at Adam.
"I'd be happy to extend our services to Meteor Rock Mutants," Adam replied.
"I wish I could understand why society doesn't accept people who have gifts." Clark added, looking down.
Chloe gave him a quizzical look. "C'mon Clark. You've seen my Wall of Weird. Not all Mutants are nice guys like we were."
Lana asked Adam, "Do you think we're safe from the Tribunal, Adam?" The older man exchanged looks with Lex and nodded.
"I would say so," Adam replied after sipping his coffee. "We came here to identify and apprehend this group and we have succeeded in doing so. The Tribunal has been disbanded. There will be no more problems with them."
"What happened to the Prosecutor, Mr. Eckhart?" Helen asked.
"He's technically not a member of the Tribunal, Helen. Eckhart is still at large," Adam answered seriously. "We've already started a search for him. It shouldn't be long before we locate and apprehend him."
"Adam, do you really think he's worth your effort? After all, he seemed to be a pawn of the Tribunal." Lex suggested mildly.
Adam looked suspiciously at Lex when Chloe, face flushed with excitement said, "I might be able to track down the Prosecutor, Mr. Eckhart." Lex and Adam looked at her curiously.
"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Pete asked.
Chloe explained, "Just curious, I guess. I ran a computer check on the building we were in and tracked the activities and maintenance that were performed over the last 10 years. While most of the contractors checked out, there was a technical contractor that installed the security system who seemed to be overqualified for the simple work he allegedly did. I tracked him down."
At the mention of computer check, Jesse perked up.
"Gee, Chloe. And I thought Jesse was the computer whiz kid." Brennan kidded. Chloe blushed at the compliment.
"Seriously though, Chloe, once you tracked this contractor down, what made you link him to Eckhart?" Jesse asked. Chloe was clearly excited and animatedly explained her theory to the group.
Adam nodded in acknowledgement. "That's excellent investigative work." His expression became concerned. "So what are your intentions, Chloe? I understand that you are planning to write an article about our little adventure?"
Chloe looked at Adam in surprise. "Oh no, Adam, I would never expose your operation. I understand your survival depends on secrecy. I do have ethics."
Adam looked at Emma who nodded. "She's sincere about this, Adam." She said softly.
Adam turned his gaze back to Chloe and nodded graciously. "I do appreciate your sacrificing a story in order to protect individuals' right to privacy. I am however, concerned with your continued involvement with one of our chief subjects of investigation. Let us take it from here. I don't want any more lives endangered. You are pursuing an extremely dangerous man."
Chloe looked at Adam with conflicting emotions. He gazed into her eyes. "It's all right, Chloe. You have done excellent work and we thank you."
Emma stood up and turned to the group at her left. Making eye contact with Clark, Lex and Helen, she continued, "The help you have given us was invaluable. I hope you will refrain from discussing this experience with anyone outside of this group." Emma sent a Psionic reprogramming thread to Helen, who nodded agreement. Emma looked questioningly at Clark. Once again as she noticed a few days ago, she could sense his presence, but could not get inside his mind. Clark's eyes were full of honesty and sincerity. She smiled knowing that even without her influence, he would comply with her request. Emma looked at Lex. Bracing herself, she sent him a light telempathic tap.
Emma felt herself step into nothingness, forever and ever. Suddenly she was
facing a Helen Bryce whose face was transformed with rage and hatred.
Looking into the mirror Emma saw Lex's face. A door opened before
her. Below was a thousand foot drop from the falling plane to the
ground. Emma gasped. Suddenly the universe shifted and Emma found
herself watching Lex, wrapped in a strait jacket, restrained to the
floor with a metal cage. "Help me," he cried. Clark Kent appeared
from nowhere and freed him, ripping the cage off the floor with his
bare hands. Lex's expression was full of gratitude. "I knew you'd
come back." Suddenly a bloodied, beaten Clark was dragged away,
groaning, called out "Lex!"
Emma willed herself to return to the present. Lex, Adam, Helen and Clark were staring at her curiously.
"Are you all right, Emma?" Helen asked, concerned.
"Uh," Emma started to say.
"You were on the part where you hoped we would refrain from discussing this with anyone outside our group," Clark said, "when you seemed to lose your train of thought for a moment."
"Oh. I must have gotten stage fright or something," Emma covered. "I'm not used to talking to so many people. Anyways," she looked guardedly at Lex and Helen, "our lives depend upon your secrecy."
Adam stood up and took Emma's hand reassuringly. "Thank you all for your friendship and your support. Without your involvement on our behalf, some of us may not have made it here to this point. I wish you the best of health and good fortune." Adam then raised his mug of coffee and looked at each person in the group.
"Here, here," everyone responded to the tall dark-haired scientist as he, smiling, sat down. Individual conversations started up again and people started moving around again, hugs, kisses and well-wishes were exchanged.
"Adam," Emma whispered urgently, "Helen is going to try to kill Lex. I saw it."
Adam shook his head and said, "We cannot interfere in their affairs, Emma." When Emma started to protest again, Adam's eyes blazed. "Don't." He said softly, almost menacingly. Emma, shaken, took a deep breath and stepped back.
"Nice place you've got here Lana," Jesse commented.
Lana smiled happily. "Best coffee in town." Jesse towered over Lana and looked at her gravely for a moment. "You take care of yourself, ok?" Lana looked up at the handsome blond man that she had nearly gotten herself past the point of no return with. She blushed and nodded. Jesse kissed her gently on the top of her head and touched her hand gently as he walked over to Chloe to wish her well.
"So Clark," Lex looked inquisitively at his friend, "How are you feeling?"
The dark haired youth half smiled. "At least I'm not feeling like someone sucked out my energy and put cold water in my veins."
"You did look like you had been put through the wringer. I was seriously worried about you. I wish I could have done something to help you." Lex answered as he and Clark walked toward the larger group. Lex took a deep breath and looked around. These people had been through hell on his and his father's account. He brightened at the warmth of the gathering.
"Your friendship has helped me, more than you can know Lex." Clark said quietly.
"So, we are being mandated to silence about this affair?" Lex asked.
"Naw, just keep it between ourselves," Clark grinned.
"Sounds reasonable," Lex replied.
Adam watched the gathering break up from a distance. He doubted that they would ever meet again. He wondered if these experiences would have happened if Mutant X had not gone on this mission. Adam was sure that the Luthors would have been killed had they not intervened... then again, his eyes wandered to Clark Kent who stood at Lex's side and he wondered. Clark was shaking hands with Brennan, while Lex gave Shalimar a quick hug. The strapping teenager had abilities like theirs and lived in a private world that Adam knew only too intimately.
Clark had a great destiny ahead of him. Adam looked at Lex wondering about how the son of Lionel Luthor would turn out with his meteor-charged frame of mind. The young millionaire had found a way to repel Emma's influence and had Eckhart's hand on him somehow. Adam puzzled about the connection between Lex and Clark. Adam nodded at Emma to finish what she started.
The Telempath took a deep breath and projected a final dampening field toward the group, focusing especially on Chloe, Lana and Pete. Their memories would remain, but the intensity of their experiences would abate. She would ride through whatever feedback Lex's mind would push back at her and Clark would, of course, be oblivious to her influence.
Lex looked away for a moment, head bowed as he pressed his fingers against his temples. "Are you all right, Lex?" Clark asked, staring at Lex concernedly.
"I'm fine, Clark. Thanks." Lex Luthor said straightening, looking at his friend's concerned gaze and clapped him on the shoulder. It was great to have a friend like Clark.
Clark looked at him sympathetically then, looking up saw Emma wink at him just before she followed Adam through the doors, back to their world.
All was well in Smallville.
THE END.
A/N- Thank you all for your feedback and encouraging messages. I wish you all well, God bless.
