Chapter 7
Clark tentatively peeked out the doorway and looked down at the restaurant floor. There was Lex, growling and snarling ferociously. He raised his snout and greedily sniffed the air, searching for the scent of fresh, human meat. His nose faced detected Clark's odor coming from up the stairs. Lex began to climb up the stairs.
"He's coming!" exclaimed Clark. "Everyone..."
He took a moment to inspect the apartment with his x-ray vision. If the clutter was removed, it was quite spacious home. It had a kitchen, a bathroom, but the bedroom (or supposedly the bedroom) was part of the rest of the area; the dining area, he supposed. It resembled a hotel room, really. But what caught Clark's attention was that there was no way out. Oh sure, there were windows, but they led out into either the alley or the street and neither provided a safe landing for anyone other than Clark. The realization sunk into him. They were trapped.
"Clark, how are we going to get out?" asked Lana.
Two thoughts flashed through Clark's mind: reveal his powers to all of them and make a way out, or perform a civilian arrest on Lex for assault. He quickly banished the latter idea from his mind. He turned to face Chloe, Pete, and Lana. "Guys... I have to tell you something."
He turned around one last time to check on how close Lex was and was frightened by the answer; he was practically breathing down his neck. In a blur that he decided he would explain as a surge of adrenaline, Clark pulled Lex into the room and pinned him against the wall. "Run!"
They didn't hesitate.
* * *
"Pete, we can't leave him back there!" protested Chloe once they reached the bottom of the stairs. She spread her arms to prevent them from going any further.
"I'll go back for him, just get outside and go home!" insisted Pete. "Go!"
Lana and Chloe wavered, but they finally nodded and rushed for the front entrance. Pete turned and went back upstairs.
Once they were outside, they scrambled into Lana's SUV. Lana pulled several objects out of her purse – among them were her car keys and a cell phone. She thrust the cell phone into Chloe's hands and instructed her, "Call the police!"
"What do I tell them?" asked Chloe as she dialed 9-1-1.
Lana had already started the car and was pulling away from the Talon when she stopped the car to ponder the question. She went through several possible explanations, but none seemed right to her. "Tell them..."
Before she said another word, Lex's limp body smashed through a window upstairs and landed on the ground exactly where Lana and Chloe would have been if Lana had kept driving. Stunned, Lana didn't make a move until she saw Lex begin to get up. She switched the car into reverse and drove backwards up the street.
"911 emergency, how may I help you?" chirped a voice coming from Lana's cell phone, much to Chloe's surprise.
"Lex Luthor has gone crazy! Get a patrol car or – or something to the Talon!" urged Chloe.
"What's the address?"
"Dammit! I said the Talon! It's the only damn coffee house in Smallville! I don't know the exact address!"
"One moment, please."
* * *
Clark steadily got up and inspected his work. He'd accidentally tossed Lex too hard and threw him out the window. A ridiculous thought crept into Clark's mind: I hope the insurance covers this...
WHAM! Edward slammed a metal pipe into the back of Clark's skull – shoving him out the broken window and down to the street below.
Shocked by Edward's sudden recovery, Pete crept out of the room and ran downstairs. To his great fortune, Edward didn't follow.
Instead, he jumped down to the street level to continue his fight with Clark. Lex had the same idea.
Clark analyzed his predicament. On his right, Edward snarled with fury. On his left, Lex was shaking out of his daze and preparing an attack. If experience has taught me anything, they'll forget this after this is all over.
Simultaneously, the two wolves charged Clark. Clark leaped high into the air out of their reach. The wolves smashed into each other.
He landed neatly on top of the building and watched the bewildered wolves. They had been angered by each other's interference and began to snarl at each other. The growls became physical. Lex smashed his left arm into Edward's skull, who in turn kicked him in the stomach.
Clark decided to check their anatomy with his x-ray vision. It revealed their skeletons – rubber-like bones that flexibly adjusted to each blow that was dealt to them. Strangely, Clark also noticed an aura that covered their bodies like a red coat. It seemed almost...magical.
He sped back into the Talon and found Pete.
"Clark, are you all right?" he asked.
Clark reflexively touched his shoulder wound, which had completely healed. "Yeah, Pete, I'm fine."
He felt along the wound and found a scar. Strange. It itched. "I'm great."
Clark tentatively peeked out the doorway and looked down at the restaurant floor. There was Lex, growling and snarling ferociously. He raised his snout and greedily sniffed the air, searching for the scent of fresh, human meat. His nose faced detected Clark's odor coming from up the stairs. Lex began to climb up the stairs.
"He's coming!" exclaimed Clark. "Everyone..."
He took a moment to inspect the apartment with his x-ray vision. If the clutter was removed, it was quite spacious home. It had a kitchen, a bathroom, but the bedroom (or supposedly the bedroom) was part of the rest of the area; the dining area, he supposed. It resembled a hotel room, really. But what caught Clark's attention was that there was no way out. Oh sure, there were windows, but they led out into either the alley or the street and neither provided a safe landing for anyone other than Clark. The realization sunk into him. They were trapped.
"Clark, how are we going to get out?" asked Lana.
Two thoughts flashed through Clark's mind: reveal his powers to all of them and make a way out, or perform a civilian arrest on Lex for assault. He quickly banished the latter idea from his mind. He turned to face Chloe, Pete, and Lana. "Guys... I have to tell you something."
He turned around one last time to check on how close Lex was and was frightened by the answer; he was practically breathing down his neck. In a blur that he decided he would explain as a surge of adrenaline, Clark pulled Lex into the room and pinned him against the wall. "Run!"
They didn't hesitate.
* * *
"Pete, we can't leave him back there!" protested Chloe once they reached the bottom of the stairs. She spread her arms to prevent them from going any further.
"I'll go back for him, just get outside and go home!" insisted Pete. "Go!"
Lana and Chloe wavered, but they finally nodded and rushed for the front entrance. Pete turned and went back upstairs.
Once they were outside, they scrambled into Lana's SUV. Lana pulled several objects out of her purse – among them were her car keys and a cell phone. She thrust the cell phone into Chloe's hands and instructed her, "Call the police!"
"What do I tell them?" asked Chloe as she dialed 9-1-1.
Lana had already started the car and was pulling away from the Talon when she stopped the car to ponder the question. She went through several possible explanations, but none seemed right to her. "Tell them..."
Before she said another word, Lex's limp body smashed through a window upstairs and landed on the ground exactly where Lana and Chloe would have been if Lana had kept driving. Stunned, Lana didn't make a move until she saw Lex begin to get up. She switched the car into reverse and drove backwards up the street.
"911 emergency, how may I help you?" chirped a voice coming from Lana's cell phone, much to Chloe's surprise.
"Lex Luthor has gone crazy! Get a patrol car or – or something to the Talon!" urged Chloe.
"What's the address?"
"Dammit! I said the Talon! It's the only damn coffee house in Smallville! I don't know the exact address!"
"One moment, please."
* * *
Clark steadily got up and inspected his work. He'd accidentally tossed Lex too hard and threw him out the window. A ridiculous thought crept into Clark's mind: I hope the insurance covers this...
WHAM! Edward slammed a metal pipe into the back of Clark's skull – shoving him out the broken window and down to the street below.
Shocked by Edward's sudden recovery, Pete crept out of the room and ran downstairs. To his great fortune, Edward didn't follow.
Instead, he jumped down to the street level to continue his fight with Clark. Lex had the same idea.
Clark analyzed his predicament. On his right, Edward snarled with fury. On his left, Lex was shaking out of his daze and preparing an attack. If experience has taught me anything, they'll forget this after this is all over.
Simultaneously, the two wolves charged Clark. Clark leaped high into the air out of their reach. The wolves smashed into each other.
He landed neatly on top of the building and watched the bewildered wolves. They had been angered by each other's interference and began to snarl at each other. The growls became physical. Lex smashed his left arm into Edward's skull, who in turn kicked him in the stomach.
Clark decided to check their anatomy with his x-ray vision. It revealed their skeletons – rubber-like bones that flexibly adjusted to each blow that was dealt to them. Strangely, Clark also noticed an aura that covered their bodies like a red coat. It seemed almost...magical.
He sped back into the Talon and found Pete.
"Clark, are you all right?" he asked.
Clark reflexively touched his shoulder wound, which had completely healed. "Yeah, Pete, I'm fine."
He felt along the wound and found a scar. Strange. It itched. "I'm great."