Part 3
Mack put her head down and headed back into the Talon. She felt terrible about Pete but she was at a loss as to why he acted the way he did. While her eyes were on her feet she failed to realize she was about to walk right into Chloe as she walked up to the Talon doors. The two bumped into each other.
"Oh sorry," Mack said not exactly meaning it.
"It's fine," looking Mack up and down, "Nice PJ's Mack." She walked into the Talon leaveing Mack standing there throwing her the dirtiest look imaginable. 'Hate her!'
Mack sighed and walked into the Talon. Not wanting to make eye contact with the patrons she kept her eye once again on her feet and made her way toward the stairs. Till Lana caught her attention.
"Mack?"
Mack rolled her eyes and looked up to see Lana looking at her concerned and Chloe looking at her like she was the subject of her latest expose, "Yeah?" walking up the counter.
"You ok?"
"Yeah fine," looking back to the doors, "I just feel bad about Pete. You have any idea why he freaked?"
Chloe laughed which resulted in Mack turning towards her, "Well apparently you do."
"Your kidding right," taking a sip of her usual then setting it down, "It's quite odvoius."
Mack didn't respond hoping Chloe would get to her point, "God, it must run in the family," Lana eyes bugged out of her head she couldn't believe Chloe just said that.. Mack just started to hate her more, "Lana was never too good at it and I see neither are you."
Mack was about to speak up but Lana was so pissed she interrupted, "If you have a point Chloe I wish you would get to it."
"Touchy," giving Lana a look then continuing, "Its obvious Pete likes you. "
Now Mack felt worse she had no idea, "Shit…"
"Exactly, so don't abuse his feelings," taking one more sip of her drink then getting up, "You what's really funny? Lana took Clark and now your taking Pete. No wonder you two share a blood line."
Lana had thought Chloe was ok with everything but apparently not so. And now she was taking it out on Mack.
Mack suddenly didn't feel so bad, "Chloe you know what? If your going to be bitter and shitty to someone go look in the mirror instead of projecting your emotional baggage on me. I didn't know Pete liked me and it's not my fault he does…"
Cutting her off Chloe bit her lip and left a 5 dollar bill on the counter, "Funny that's the same thing she," nodding to Lana, "said. Enjoy your day I have paper to write."
With that she walked out leaving Lana and Mack feeling dumped on and pissed.
Looking through the glass counter, "Hate that girl."
Lana just shook her head, "I'm sorry.."
Mack looked up at Lana feeling sorry for her, "Don't be sorry because, she entirely to truthful. And therefore entirely bitchy."
They both laughed then stood there awkwardly.
Breaking the silence, "So you went to talk to Clark last night?"
Mack felt awkward. Not like she had done anything wrong it was just awkward that she was going to her half-sister's boyfriend to talk, "I went to see the horse, Clark interrupted." She let out a small laugh trying to break the tension she felt was there.
"It's ok that you did, he's a great listener.." As she said it Clark walked in and came to the counter.
"Hey guys!" he said cheerfully.
Both answered with a meek "hey."
Clark looked at Mack's pants and worked his way up, "Umm Mack…"
"Yeah Yeah I know 'nice pjs'," she said annoyed.
"Yeah love the Ninja Turtles," He laughed and looked over at Lana who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Before he could ask what was wrong he noticed out of the corner of his eye someone comes down the apartment steps. It was Dylan putting on his jacket as he came down and walked over to Mack.
"Listen I have to go," grabbing her hand.
Mack quickly pulled it away, "Go? Where you don't have a car?"
"I need to get bus schedule, but I want o see you before I leave," tucking her hair behind her ear.
Mack once again stepped back, "That's not a good idea just get on a bus and leave. No goodbyes."
"Fine…" he was about to finish his thought when his cell phone went off. He looked down at it and started looking nervous., "I'll be ..be right back."
Mack waved him off, "Whatever."
Clark thought the phone conversation might be something of interest so he tuned in the super hearing.'
::The Phone Call::
"Hello," Dylan says nervously.
"I see you found somewhere to sleep last night. I'm hoping it was at the Talon."
"You know it.."
"I knew you would, now it's time to flip the switch."
"Listen, she doesn't trust me. Last night I slept on the couch and she flinches every time I touch her… Plan A isn't going to work…."
"Then we won't waste our time on Plan A. Just go to plan B and get it over with."
"What do I have to do?"
::Clark was listening intently until a cup dropped and shattered in the Talon throwing him off. His ears so focused on the phone call screamed with pain. He grabbed his ears and fell to his knees.::
Concerned Mack knelt down and Lana ran around the counter.
"Clark? What's wrong?" Mack asked putting both her hands on top of his.
Lana touched his hair "Clark?Clark? What's happening??!?!"
Mack stepped back knowing it was Lana's place to comfort him.
The pain sub-sided, slowly removed his hands and opened his eyes to Lana concerned face.
"Clark?" running her hand threw his hair, "you ok?"
"Lana?" he was breathing heavy from the pain, "I'm fine it.." he pulled her in and whispered in her ear, "my hearing it was just caught off guard."
Lana just shook her head in understanding. She hated this. She wanted him so much to be normal not for her sake but his. All her confusion and concern about him being an alien seemed to choke her every time she was around him. Now seeing him in that kind of pain her concerns were cutting off her air supply.
They both got up. Mack looked at him strangely, "Ok there buddy?"
"Fine," forcing a smile. Lana helped him stand.
"I'm going to bring you home," she said in a tone that Clark knew not to question.
They left abruptly for the car and Mack went up to the apartment to change.
::In the Jeep on the way to the Kents farm::
Clark's ear still stung a bit. So he rubbed his temples trying to help it. Lana was freaked out but she didn't want him to know. 'He has to deal with enough. Knowing your having doubts about whether you can handle his gifts will crush him' she thought to herself then shook her head as if to shake the thoughts away. But they never went way. They seemed to be the elephant in the room or in this case the spaceship.
Clark had been stareing at her the entire time. She kept her eyes straight ahead and her hands gripped the steer wheeling for dear life. 'She must be really freaked out right now'
Clark broke there silence, "Are you ok?"
Still staring ahead, "Am I ok? Clark you should be concerned about yourself right now."
"Lana, I'll be fine I always am. I heal.."
"Faster then average, right I know." As soon as she said it she realized she didn't mean for it to come out that bitchy.
Clark just gave her a what-the-hell-look, "Is this about last night?"
"What?" acting clueless
"Last night when you came by…." he turned his body toward her while she just kept her eyes on the road.
"What about it?"
"When were sitting under the tree watching the stars and you forgot your jacket. I offered to run back and get it for you but you told me not to. So I did anyway using my super speed and when I came back with it you said you were tired and just wanted to go home."
"Clark I was tired…" taking a deep breathe hoping he wouldn't read right through her.
"No I don't think that's it…." he continued making his case, "We were fine until I used my powers."
Lana started putting her guard up. She didn't want to break his heart and make him think she didn't love him. "Just leave it be Clark ok?"
The started down the driveway going faster the usual. Clark noted this because Lana usually went super slow to delay the enviable. Lana parked and looked down at her hands. Clark was speechless. Something was bothering her and he was almost positive it was him. He stayed in the car looking at the house searching for the words to say.
Instead he got out and closed the door. Not letting go of the door handle he stood there staring at his hand then decided he couldn't leave it at that. "Listen Lana if your scared of me, of my powers tell me…" he looked and sounded pained when deliver that and continuing, "If you… If you suddenly realized you didn't want to date a freak tell me."
God he hated the word freak but his friends used it when talking about people like him, people that were more the human.
That last sentence made Lana slowly close her eyes and as they did so her lids pushed out to lone tears. She didn't know what to say. She wanted so badly to tell him it wasn't that but truth was she didn't even know what it was. 'Why did she freak out last night? Does he scare me or just his powers?' 'Or can you just not handle this?'
While she sorted out her questions she failed to realized Clark had already walked back to his house. Head down, feelings crushed, self hatred worse then ever.
She started the car and went down the driveway extra slow, 'You're an ass Lana' On the way back to the Talon she pulled over and took out her anger on her steering wheel punching it until finally giving up and resting her forehead on it and closing her eyes. 'shit.'
Clark went up to his room and paced he wanted to punch something but someone of his strength couldn't just knock something over he'd send it to the basement. He decided to head outside and chop some wood with his fist. As he walked past the phone he remember the conversation he had heard go on between Dylan and an un known man.
He called Pete to tell give him the details.
::Meanwhile: Mack's apartment::
She had taken a shower and wrapped a towel around her. Hearing a knock at the door she answered and there stood Pete. Pete just stared at her in the towel, the word "Jesus" just blurted out of his mouth and he continued staring.
Mack stood there awkwardly and laughed at his reaction, "Hey Pete"
Pete didn't react he was in his own world. Waving her hand in front of his eyes, "Pete? You there?"
Snapping back to reality, "Yeah?"
"Yeah?" she laughed , "You knocked on my door?"
"Right," now embarrassed, "I'll; just come back later…"
"Nahh come on in," She left the door open and walked inside. Pete followed, "Sit down I'll change in the bathroom. I'll be right with you."
Pete sat down and tried to act cool. Nodding his head and taking a look around. Mack come back in soccer short and a wife beater combing her hair. 'God she's hot' Pete thought then reminded himself why he was there.
"Listen I'm sorry about this morning, Pete. Like I said he slept on the couch," she took a seat on the edge of her ned facing him.
"It's fine really. Mack umm I don't know how to say this," he broke their eye contact and looked at his thumbs that were wrestling with nerves.
Mack started to worry he was going to tell her he liked her. She really didn't want him too. Her fears were diminished when she heard him bring up Dylan.
"This Dylan guy. I don't think he's here with the best intentions."
Mack's guard went from at ease to standing at attention in a matter of seconds. "What are you talking about?"
He tried to remember the details in order to place himself at the scene because Mack knew Clark was standing right next to her at the time, "I heard him on the phone today, in the alley. He was talking to someone about you. He said that you didn't trust him so plan A wasn't going to work. Then the last thing I heard was 'What do I have to do?'
Mack stood up and paced horizontally in front of her bed.
Not being able to pick up a reaction Pete stood and walked closer , "What are you thinking?"
"I don't know Pete," she went to nervously put her hands in her back pockets but opted for her hair when realized she had no pockets, "I mean..shit I knew it! I knew he wasn't here for me. "
"So you believe me?" Pete said happily.
Looking at him with all seriousness, "What do you mean believe you? Of course I have no reason not to."
Pete smiled to himself. Here was another instance in which she was different from Lana. She trusted the people who she knew wanted nothing more then to help her.
"Clark and I will take of…"
Mack put her hands up to this suggestion, "No, No Pete I will. Only I can, ok? I know your trying to help and I thank you for telling me what you heard but this is between me and him." She started looking for pants to wear, throwing her clothes around and hitting Pete with a few.
Pete tried avoiding the ambush Abercrombie, "I don't think that's," he paused to avoid an on coming shirt, "a good idea."
Mack finally found a pair and turned to him, "Pete. It's my past, my problem, ok? I'm serious I refuse to pull you and Clark into this mess."
"You not pulling us into anything…"
Cutting him off and showing Pete the door, "Pete, I'll handle it."
Pete followed the signs and walked out. As Mack closed the door he stopped it with his hand. Mack opened it wider so has not to crush it.
"Mack just promise me, if you can't handle it. You tell us."
Mack crossed her fingers behind her back, "I promise."
With that Pete went down the stairs as Mack watched. Once he was out of sight she closed the door. Pulled on her jeans grabbed her jacket, keys and ran out to the bike to find Dylan.
::The Streets of Smallville: Night::
Mack sped through town at her normal racing speed the whole time kicking herself, 'that bastard!'
She went to the bus station, 'Not there'
As she got back on her bike she said a loud, "Of course he's not there this whole thing was a joke."
She looked all over, even going as far as Clark's house and as she sped by she noticed the red truck wasn't in the driveway instead there was a lime green street car. She noted how flashy it was. But once she was past the house she stopped dead, "Flashy car = Dylan!" She did a quick U-turn and practically burnt her tires she sped up so fast so quickly to get there.
She reached the car and wasted no time propping the bike up. All she could think was that 'what if Dylan did something to Clark?' But that didn't make sense. She sprinted into the barn, "Clark?"
"Well look who it is?"
Mack's back toward the loft she slowly turned around knowing she would see Dylan instead of Clark. And there he was staring down at her flashing an evil smile at her.
"Dylan, I knew it," looking up at him.
Amused, "How's that?"
"Ugly ass car tipped me off," she wasn't about to let him know she was nervous.
He laughed. "Why the hell are you here? Where are the Kent's? Clark?"
Shaking his finger at her like a school teacher would a child, "I see you haven't changed. You never did ask the right questions."
"Where the hell are they, Dylan. Stop screwing around."
Walking down the stairs, "But I thought that's what we did best?"
"No, that's what you did best remember?" She taking part in this witty exchange while she still hadn't hand her questions answered.
Nodding as he made his way towards her, "Oh yeah…"
Putting a stop to the bullshit "Where are they Dylan? I'm not asking again."
Dylan stood about two feet from her and took her warning to heart. He knew what she was capable of, "The Kent's don't worry about them they're at a farmers conference something hick like that." He picked up some straw and pulled it apart in his hands.
"Clark?"
"Clark? Don't worry about him."
"You son of a bitch," she walked up to him and grabbed his shirt.
Dylan grabbed her hands and pushed them off him, "Once again you haven't asked the right questions."
"Fine! Why are you here? What do you want? Who are you working for? And what the hell do I and or Clark have to do with it? No screwing around Dylan answer every question and answer them fast." her fists were turning red because she was squeezing them so hard. Dylan might have been a guy but he wasn't trained the way she was.
"Why am I here? Ok, I'm here to bring you back to Metropolis so that you'll race. What do I want? Well refer to question number 1 for that answer. Who am I working for? Let's just say it's someone you used to know quite well. And What the hell do you and Clark have to do with it?… We want…no strike that you WILL return to Metropolis and race your bike…"
"Race? Why?"
"Money Mack, it runs the world and runs through my boss's veins. He knows you're the best and with your skill on a bike and your weird mutation. You're a sure bet," he started to walk around Mack.
"You told him about.." she responded sadly.
"Your ability, lets just say he knew."
The more he talked the more confused she got as to who he was talking about. She got even more angry when he mentioned her secret. "Clark?"
"Clark? Frankly, I don't know the answer to that one. He's important that much I know. Good luck trying to figure it out," he started to leave.
Turning around sharply, "Where the hell are you going?"
Yelling back as he ran to his car, "The big finale, hope to see you there!"
Mack ran after him but couldn't stop him from getting in the car and speeding away.
She stood there wondering what the next course of action was. Her head started taking steps back through the words he said to her. The Kent's were safe. Clark was MIA. The guy pulling the string could be anyone. Anyone who knows about her secret and her racing past. The name Morgan Edge came to mind. But no it couldn't be him. He died on the dock that day.
Suddenly her train of thought pulled into the station and began to play back that awkward day at the field. She stated talking out loud to the dark, "He must have been… Wait! He knew my name!" His face flashed in front of her his voice, "Mackenzie Small." It hit her, "My gym teacher never calls me by my first name! Shit! Shit!"
She got on her bike knowing he knew something, was involved in some way. How or who she didn't know but she knew he wasn't innocent. Her bike was pushed to its limits as she made her way toward the Talon. She figured if something was going to go down it was there, it had to be there.
::The Talon: Night::
She pulled up in the front and noticed that it was dark inside. She couldn't jump off the bike fast enough and sprinted through the doors, "Lana?!?!"
The lights suddenly turned on. Mack stood in the middle of the Talon and did a 360 look around. "Lana?!?"
She heard the theater doors open and close. Her breath heavy her eyes focused on where the person who came out of those doors should being coming out to face her. She prayed it was Lana but letting herself think as much was against her better judgment.
From the theater emerged the man she had seen at gym class, that day. He popped out smiling at her, "Mackenzie Small, nice to see you again."
Her lung began to get to big her heart heavy, "Who are you?"
"Come on Mack you know me," he walked closer to her so she could get a better look.
"I don't.." her head searched through all the people she knew in her life nothing matched.
"How about this?" The man pulled out a picture of Morgan Edge and handed it to her.
She looked down even more confused, "Morgan Edge, so?"
"So? That's your only reaction?"
Getting frustrated, " I don't know what this is about! I don't know who you are or what Morgan Edge has to do with anything!" While she tried to keep up with this stranger before her in the back of her head where still questions about Clark and now Lana. Dylan's hand in this….
"Calm down, Mackenzie I hate it when you get upset. I'll help you through it. The photo you hold in your hand. You are correct it is Morgan Edge.." He stood there in front of her with his hands behind his back.
Interrupting while still looking down at the picture, "who's dead."
"Wrong," he started to circle around her like a shark would around its prey.
Looking over her shoulder trying to keep an eye on him, "How can I be wrong? I worked for him. He died at the dock's during a shoot out."
"Ah but you are missing one thing," he completed his circle and now was face to face with her, "they never found the body. And without a body death is merely assumed. And what did I tell about assumption?"
Mack answer without hesitation as if she had been asked the question before, "It will get you killed." She dropped the photo in shock, the only person who had ever said that was Morgan Edge and he always whispered it in her ear so that it was theirs and theirs alone. She spoke in disbelief, "No it can't be."
Stepping so that she could get a good look. The she heard a voice come from way of her apartment.
"Mackenzie, its 2004 it can and it is. Your looking at Morgan Edge version 2.0," the owner of the voice came into view as he dissented down the steps. It was Dylan.
Her eyes darted from Dylan to Edge and back again. Dylan was back with Edge. Of course it all made sense now. Edge knows about her secret, knows about her racing, how to use Dylan to get to her. But Clark what about Clark?
The two men watched her as if her forehead was a projection screen to which her thoughts were projected. Morgan could read her like the back of his hand.. After all he had treated her like a daughter.
"I'm sure you have plenty of questions most of which your dissevering in the brilliant brain of yours…" Edge walked over the counter and leaned his back on it, "You see Mackenzie I need money. Dieing and coming back to life doesn't mean you come back to your banking account. And you my girl are money…"
She shook her head she knew this, she knew this was his intention but Clark, "And Clark?"
"Clark?" he continued speaking to her in a fatherly tone, one she hated with a passion, "You haven't changed a bit have you? Everything you are is at stack and here you stand asking about someone else's fortune," he began to clap, "Bravo, Mack it seems through all your trouble you've managed to hold on to the one weakness I was relying on…"
Her fists were now clenched so much so they were red, her hair dangled in her face as she looked up at him with more anger then he had ever seen..speaking threw her teeth, "What would that be?"
Edge let out a laugh and looked at Dylan who forced a smile. Answering her, "Your selflessness. Your inability to leave the man behind."
Mack felt like crying but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction so she pressed on, "What about Clark?"
Once again laughing, "Clark, a weird creature," Mack furrowed her brow at the word creature, "You see my original plan was to get you to join us and then give us Kent but you are not as trusting of our Dylan as you once were. Understandably of course," Dylan hung his head, "So assuming it would take far to long to have the plan go off smoothing I took the extreme route. My favorite."
Mack bit her lip and swallowed hard at the sound of this. She knew the extreme route all to well.
Edge continued, "So now I had to choose. Do I want you or Kent? The money or the freak that when under my control could help my rule Metropolis again…"
Mack's head spun at the word freak. Knowing full well it was a term she used on herself because she a little more then human. Mack spoke up she couldn't take his Caesar act anymore, "Let me guess you chose both."
Edge's eyebrows perked up and the evil grin grew wider, "How did you know?"
Mack cocked her head, if he wanted to play this game she'll play it, "Greed. Why have one when two freaks are in your grasp? Hell you could rule the world let alone metropolis."
"Exactly, god I taught you well," he snapped at Dylan who ran into the back. Mack watched Dylan jump to the snap and couldn't help but be afraid at the site. 'what is he hiding back there?'
"You can't make me or Clark go with you…"
"See I knew you were going to say that. So I planned ahead," he snapped his fingers again, "Lets see what is behind door number #1 shall we?"
"What are you…." her sentenced was sharply interrupted by the sight of who was coming out of the left theater doors. Duck tape around their wrists and mouths were Lana, Pete and Chloe. Followed by two men with guns, she had known them since she started working for Edge. Her jaw was wide open her eyes big and full of rage.
She made eye contact with each, all looked like they were in pain and scared. She looked to the ground and back at edge. Her silence spoke just the words he wanted to hear.
"I can't make you, Mackenzie?"
::To Be Continued::