Chapter 10
Lionel's eyes fluttered open again for the fifth time since he left the lab in Smallville. His helicopter needed refueling, but he had to be on his way back to Metropolis faster than the chopper could be refueled, so he called the Luthor Mansion and asked a limo to come pick him up. From there, Lionel ordered the driver to drive as fast as he could to Metropolis – well over the speed limit.
To Lionel's surprise, Lex hadn't been the one who answered at Luthor Mansion; it had been a security guard who picked up the phone. The guard explained that Lex never returned from one of his "errands". Lionel Luthor had no idea where his son could be, and frankly, didn't really care as long as he didn't end up on a tabloid. The last time that happened though, the tabloid was merely reporting Lex's presumed death. A small part of Lionel wished him dead... but a large, honest part was glad he wasn't. That was a terrible way to die.
He groaned. As luxurious and spacey as the limo was, it wasn't for sleeping in. Lionel couldn't fall asleep.
Suddenly, the limo violently screeched to a halt, slamming Lionel across the car. He brushed his hair out of his face and opened the window separating himself from the driver. "What the hell happened?"
The driver stuttered while pointing out the window. "T-that kid!"
It was Clark on the road.
* * *
Clark swallowed, not sure his plan would work. Would Lionel refuse to help his own son?
Lionel got out of the limousine and walked up to Clark, first noticing the plant he held in his hands. Lionel glanced down at his watch. "A bit past your curfew, isn't it Mr. Kent?"
"Mr. Luthor, I..." began Clark, not sure how to continue.
"I have to get to Metropolis within the next few hours, so if you will excuse me..." Lionel turned his back to Clark.
"Wait, Mr. Luthor!"
Lionel was reluctant, but faced Clark. "Yes?"
"It's your son, Lex... He...um, he's gotten sick. Please, let me show him to you. It's...really urgent."
"Mr. Kent. I am the CEO of a very large corporation. I don't have time to dabble around in every little situation... But I've come to respect you as a man of your word, Clark. And you are talking about my son. Get in the limo and tell the driver where to."
Clark wasn't sure if he should smile.
* * *
An hour later, they arrived at the Talon, which was surrounded by a dozen police cars. Lionel promptly asked Sheriff Adams what was going on.
"Well, Mr. Luthor, we got a call a few hours ago from a Ms. Sullivan, a friend of Clark Kent, here –"
"Yes, I know who she is."
"Oh, well, she called in and reported that your son, Lex, 'had gone crazy'. We arrive here, skeptical, but alert and found this once wonderful establishment mauled. Would you know anything about what happened here, Mr. Kent?"
Clark shrugged, but replied, "Um, well yeah...actually."
Clark didn't elaborate, so Sheriff Adams spoke up. "Care to tell me what you saw, Mr. Kent? Or did a passing truck drop a tractor, preventing you from seeing anything?"
"Um... I came with a few friends, and this guy... Edward ... attacked us, so I fought him off and when I knocked him out, the next thing I know, I'm turning around and Lex is trying to kill me too."
"Edward? Edward Drake? I knew from the moment he moved in he was no good. Now, why did he attack y'all? And what's his connection to Lex Luthor?"
Lionel was impatient. "Yes, tell us, Clark."
Clark stuttered. "W-well, I, um, don't really know. I mean, I do, but... you wouldn't believe me."
"Try me," challenged Sheriff Adams.
"Edward complained that he was feeling sick so he ran up to the apartment upstairs and we heard growls. I went upstairs and I found him covered in fur."
Sheriff Adams chuckled. "Fur? Lex too?"
"Yeah. I knocked out Edward and then Lex attacked me too, fur and all. Anyway, they both got away."
Sheriff thought she would slap Clark Kent. Instead, she kept a straight face and looked dead at Clark. "Mr. Kent, you've made some strange stuff up in the past, but this one most definitely takes the cake. Still, most of the times you turn out right. You better hope like hell this is one of those times, Kent."
She brushed past the two men, leaving them alone with their thoughts. Lionel looked doubtfully at Clark. "Fur? Now I know your joking. Right, Clark?"
Clark shook his head.
"So where is Lex?"
Clark shrugged. Just then, the limo driver stepped out and informed Lionel, "Sir, you've just gotten a call. There seems to be a disturbance in the Kawatchi Caves. They say it requires your attention."
Lionel looked back at Clark. "Need to do a follow-up on that term paper you wrote on the caves last year, Clark? Because now would be a fine opportunity."
Clark didn't trust Lionel with the caves. He nodded and got into the limo.
* * *
The limo arrived at the caves less than ten minutes later. Clark got out before Lionel and walked up to the security gate. The sight that greeted him was not a welcome one. The guard was dead, with neck horribly mauled and his face disfigured. His bones were crushed and he was missing a leg, which lay a few yards away. Lionel walked up beside him and cringed at the sight.
"They were here," murmured Clark.
"Do you think they're still in the caves?" asked Lionel.
Clark looked at the ground shielding the caves and flashed on his x- ray vision. He scanned the entire area and finally saw two figures cloaked in a red mist – like the aura he'd seen earlier – at the far end of the cave. He looked up at Lionel and nodded. "I'm going down there first to make sure it's safe."
Lionel chuckled. He reached into his trench coat and pulled out a shiny 9 millimeter. "Well, if you're going to do that, I suggest you take something to protect yourself with."
Clark gulped.
"No? Then I guess I'll come along as well."
Clark was reluctant, but agreed. Together, they ventured deep down into the cave.
* * *
Ow. Edward slashed Lex's face. Ow. Edward bit off a piece of Lex's flesh. Ow. For extra torture, Edward pulled back and smashed his fist into Lex's stomach. Ow, ow, OW!
Just then, Edward heard a familiar voice boom from nearby. "Lex! Lex, are you down here?"
Edward looked at Lex and thought quickly. Waiting for his flesh to regenerate was about as fun as eating himself. He'd look for better prey. The people approaching would not make good prey. They had the same advantage of surprise as he did, since the caves were so small and un- maneuverable. Edward made his escape.
* * *
Lionel looked at the wall he stood by. It was the cave painting with the once open keyhole. It was sealed up, now, but a few months ago, it had been opened. What had happened? Lionel considered asking Clark; the keyhole had sealed up the same day Clark's farm mysteriously exploded. Now wasn't the time, however. There'd be time for questions later.
The key had been an octagonal-shaped silver disk, which was stolen from him early last year, while he'd been held hostage in his own office building. Using meteor rocks, he'd made a replica – which was also stolen. This only encouraged Lionel even more to discover the secret to how it and the hole in the wall were connected. Nothing would stop him.
* * *
Clark shuffled his feet, uncomfortable. He felt a strange object on the ground and looked down. Afraid to show Lionel his discovery, he used his x-ray vision to look through his foot and see what it was.
It was the key.
Lionel's eyes fluttered open again for the fifth time since he left the lab in Smallville. His helicopter needed refueling, but he had to be on his way back to Metropolis faster than the chopper could be refueled, so he called the Luthor Mansion and asked a limo to come pick him up. From there, Lionel ordered the driver to drive as fast as he could to Metropolis – well over the speed limit.
To Lionel's surprise, Lex hadn't been the one who answered at Luthor Mansion; it had been a security guard who picked up the phone. The guard explained that Lex never returned from one of his "errands". Lionel Luthor had no idea where his son could be, and frankly, didn't really care as long as he didn't end up on a tabloid. The last time that happened though, the tabloid was merely reporting Lex's presumed death. A small part of Lionel wished him dead... but a large, honest part was glad he wasn't. That was a terrible way to die.
He groaned. As luxurious and spacey as the limo was, it wasn't for sleeping in. Lionel couldn't fall asleep.
Suddenly, the limo violently screeched to a halt, slamming Lionel across the car. He brushed his hair out of his face and opened the window separating himself from the driver. "What the hell happened?"
The driver stuttered while pointing out the window. "T-that kid!"
It was Clark on the road.
* * *
Clark swallowed, not sure his plan would work. Would Lionel refuse to help his own son?
Lionel got out of the limousine and walked up to Clark, first noticing the plant he held in his hands. Lionel glanced down at his watch. "A bit past your curfew, isn't it Mr. Kent?"
"Mr. Luthor, I..." began Clark, not sure how to continue.
"I have to get to Metropolis within the next few hours, so if you will excuse me..." Lionel turned his back to Clark.
"Wait, Mr. Luthor!"
Lionel was reluctant, but faced Clark. "Yes?"
"It's your son, Lex... He...um, he's gotten sick. Please, let me show him to you. It's...really urgent."
"Mr. Kent. I am the CEO of a very large corporation. I don't have time to dabble around in every little situation... But I've come to respect you as a man of your word, Clark. And you are talking about my son. Get in the limo and tell the driver where to."
Clark wasn't sure if he should smile.
* * *
An hour later, they arrived at the Talon, which was surrounded by a dozen police cars. Lionel promptly asked Sheriff Adams what was going on.
"Well, Mr. Luthor, we got a call a few hours ago from a Ms. Sullivan, a friend of Clark Kent, here –"
"Yes, I know who she is."
"Oh, well, she called in and reported that your son, Lex, 'had gone crazy'. We arrive here, skeptical, but alert and found this once wonderful establishment mauled. Would you know anything about what happened here, Mr. Kent?"
Clark shrugged, but replied, "Um, well yeah...actually."
Clark didn't elaborate, so Sheriff Adams spoke up. "Care to tell me what you saw, Mr. Kent? Or did a passing truck drop a tractor, preventing you from seeing anything?"
"Um... I came with a few friends, and this guy... Edward ... attacked us, so I fought him off and when I knocked him out, the next thing I know, I'm turning around and Lex is trying to kill me too."
"Edward? Edward Drake? I knew from the moment he moved in he was no good. Now, why did he attack y'all? And what's his connection to Lex Luthor?"
Lionel was impatient. "Yes, tell us, Clark."
Clark stuttered. "W-well, I, um, don't really know. I mean, I do, but... you wouldn't believe me."
"Try me," challenged Sheriff Adams.
"Edward complained that he was feeling sick so he ran up to the apartment upstairs and we heard growls. I went upstairs and I found him covered in fur."
Sheriff Adams chuckled. "Fur? Lex too?"
"Yeah. I knocked out Edward and then Lex attacked me too, fur and all. Anyway, they both got away."
Sheriff thought she would slap Clark Kent. Instead, she kept a straight face and looked dead at Clark. "Mr. Kent, you've made some strange stuff up in the past, but this one most definitely takes the cake. Still, most of the times you turn out right. You better hope like hell this is one of those times, Kent."
She brushed past the two men, leaving them alone with their thoughts. Lionel looked doubtfully at Clark. "Fur? Now I know your joking. Right, Clark?"
Clark shook his head.
"So where is Lex?"
Clark shrugged. Just then, the limo driver stepped out and informed Lionel, "Sir, you've just gotten a call. There seems to be a disturbance in the Kawatchi Caves. They say it requires your attention."
Lionel looked back at Clark. "Need to do a follow-up on that term paper you wrote on the caves last year, Clark? Because now would be a fine opportunity."
Clark didn't trust Lionel with the caves. He nodded and got into the limo.
* * *
The limo arrived at the caves less than ten minutes later. Clark got out before Lionel and walked up to the security gate. The sight that greeted him was not a welcome one. The guard was dead, with neck horribly mauled and his face disfigured. His bones were crushed and he was missing a leg, which lay a few yards away. Lionel walked up beside him and cringed at the sight.
"They were here," murmured Clark.
"Do you think they're still in the caves?" asked Lionel.
Clark looked at the ground shielding the caves and flashed on his x- ray vision. He scanned the entire area and finally saw two figures cloaked in a red mist – like the aura he'd seen earlier – at the far end of the cave. He looked up at Lionel and nodded. "I'm going down there first to make sure it's safe."
Lionel chuckled. He reached into his trench coat and pulled out a shiny 9 millimeter. "Well, if you're going to do that, I suggest you take something to protect yourself with."
Clark gulped.
"No? Then I guess I'll come along as well."
Clark was reluctant, but agreed. Together, they ventured deep down into the cave.
* * *
Ow. Edward slashed Lex's face. Ow. Edward bit off a piece of Lex's flesh. Ow. For extra torture, Edward pulled back and smashed his fist into Lex's stomach. Ow, ow, OW!
Just then, Edward heard a familiar voice boom from nearby. "Lex! Lex, are you down here?"
Edward looked at Lex and thought quickly. Waiting for his flesh to regenerate was about as fun as eating himself. He'd look for better prey. The people approaching would not make good prey. They had the same advantage of surprise as he did, since the caves were so small and un- maneuverable. Edward made his escape.
* * *
Lionel looked at the wall he stood by. It was the cave painting with the once open keyhole. It was sealed up, now, but a few months ago, it had been opened. What had happened? Lionel considered asking Clark; the keyhole had sealed up the same day Clark's farm mysteriously exploded. Now wasn't the time, however. There'd be time for questions later.
The key had been an octagonal-shaped silver disk, which was stolen from him early last year, while he'd been held hostage in his own office building. Using meteor rocks, he'd made a replica – which was also stolen. This only encouraged Lionel even more to discover the secret to how it and the hole in the wall were connected. Nothing would stop him.
* * *
Clark shuffled his feet, uncomfortable. He felt a strange object on the ground and looked down. Afraid to show Lionel his discovery, he used his x-ray vision to look through his foot and see what it was.
It was the key.