"It's not a Holiday Inn, but it'll do," decided Lionel as he stepped
inside his hotel room and handed the key to Tom. "What do you think?"
"Hmm? I'm sorry, what did you say, Mr. Luthor?" asked Tom, taken by surprise that he was being addressed by one of the most wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. "My mind was wandering..."
"I said, Thomas, what do you think? You never seem to be speaking so you're either brain-dead or deep in thought at all times. I saw the way you handled that crossbow back in Ireland – so you're not brain-dead. Tell me what you think. About anything; it doesn't matter what."
Tom was slightly confused, but spoke, "I like to think about where I'll be five years in the future. I know I'm not where I thought I would be five years ago. I thought I would be an actor on some teen drama or a family comedy."
Lionel chuckled his signature laugh, "You wanted to be an actor? How in the world did you end up a troop in the National Guard?"
Tom blushed, "I'm not really in the National Guard. I kind of switched places with a friend. It's still hard to believe that I got away with it, but we'll probably all get arrested for treason when we get back. As for why I joined the army in the first, it was upon insistence from my father. I bet if he could, he would make me rule the world, but he wants to keep that goal for himself to achieve."
"Oh. He sounds like a fascinating man. I would like to hear more about him, but I think it's best we get some sleep."
Tom nodded and threw his duffel bag onto one of the two beds.
In the other room, Omar was chattering away like always. "Man, I don't see why Sergeant got to get a room all to herself. Lionel and Tom are sharing one, and you two and me are sharing one. It's not fair! The least she could have done was share a room with me! She worried about privacy or something?"
"She's a lady," grumbled Derrick, taking out his hygiene products from his duffel bag, while Robinson slammed his stuff onto the other bed. "Ladies get privacy."
"Well, I – Hey, no fair. You two got the beds. Where am I gonna' sleep?"
Robinson looked at the floor.
"Aw man, no way! Is this a racial thing? I bet that's it. That's why Lionel and Tom are sharing a room. They're both white. The minorities are –."
"Omar that comment is way out of line. It's a miracle you made it through boot camp, you pathetic worm. You should be thankful for your life after Jack gave up his to ensure that you kept on living!" roared Robinson. From the other room, Willows' room, they could hear soft sobbing.
"What is... is that Sergeant crying?" asked Omar, stunned. "Her and Jack must have had something going on."
"It must be hard having to look strong all the time," muttered Derrick.
Omar lowered his voice, "Can she hear us? Look man, I didn't mean anything by that thing I said earlier. I was just trying to kid around..."
"Whatever, man, just shut up and get some sleep. Here." Robinson tossed a sleeping bag at Omar, who fell over as he caught it. "G'night."
"I... Good night, guys. Hey, do you two sleep with your Beretta's under your pillow too?"
"Shut up, man," said Derrick, pissed and tired.
Early the next morning, Lionel and company – all wearing civilian clothes – checked out of the hotel and strode down the street without attracting attention. Omar had a problem with the concept of "blending in", because by the time they'd reached the end of the street, he'd already unsuccessfully hit on seven women – one of them considerably younger than himself.
"Where are we going to find the Wolfsbane?" asked Robinson.
"That's a good question. Lionel?" asked Willows.
They stopped in front of a Rent-A-Car station. Lionel smiled, "We're not going to find it in Aberdeen. Let's rent a truck and investigate one of the smaller towns."
With Lionel's influence, he quickly got them an SUV. They all piled in, but not without a comment from Omar. "Hey, Searge? Are you our soccer mom for the day? Ooh! Can we stop for ice cream? Can we, can we?"
Willows smacked him.
Within the hour, they were already driving through the countryside in search of a field that was filled with Wolfsbane. They soon realized that they'd need more help than just keeping a watchful eye out. They pulled into a small town called Wicket.
Following not far behind were two separated figures: Ellem, in wolf form, and Clark Kent running at full speed. Each watched eagerly as the troops got out of the SUV and began asking around where they could find a field of Wolfsbane. For the most part, no one knew exactly where to find one.
One man did, however. "Sure, I know. See that mountain crag over there? Behind that forest?"
Lionel nodded.
"There's a huge field of Wolfsbane flowers located behind that mountain. But you'd spend days driving around, or one day to climb it."
"Thank you for your help."
"Of course."
Lionel reported back to the other troops and told them where the field was. Willows smiled when Lionel told them their options. "I think I have another alternative. We go back to the airport, pick up our helicopter, and fly over here to pick up some flowers. Then we just fly back to America and this whole nightmare finally ends."
"One problem. What if the local government doesn't want us flying over their plant fields?" asked Robinson.
"We have cloaking technology on the helicopter. We fly low, we might not even have to use it."
"Then that's what we'll do."
By the time they'd arrived at that conclusion, Clark was already halfway over the mountain and heading for the field to pick up the flowers. This way, he could leave the flowers at the helicopter in plain sight, and the team would never even have to fly back over here.
There was one last detail, however. With Clark at last out of the way, the troops were unprotected. And Ellem hadn't left his position. He moved in for the kill.
"Hmm? I'm sorry, what did you say, Mr. Luthor?" asked Tom, taken by surprise that he was being addressed by one of the most wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. "My mind was wandering..."
"I said, Thomas, what do you think? You never seem to be speaking so you're either brain-dead or deep in thought at all times. I saw the way you handled that crossbow back in Ireland – so you're not brain-dead. Tell me what you think. About anything; it doesn't matter what."
Tom was slightly confused, but spoke, "I like to think about where I'll be five years in the future. I know I'm not where I thought I would be five years ago. I thought I would be an actor on some teen drama or a family comedy."
Lionel chuckled his signature laugh, "You wanted to be an actor? How in the world did you end up a troop in the National Guard?"
Tom blushed, "I'm not really in the National Guard. I kind of switched places with a friend. It's still hard to believe that I got away with it, but we'll probably all get arrested for treason when we get back. As for why I joined the army in the first, it was upon insistence from my father. I bet if he could, he would make me rule the world, but he wants to keep that goal for himself to achieve."
"Oh. He sounds like a fascinating man. I would like to hear more about him, but I think it's best we get some sleep."
Tom nodded and threw his duffel bag onto one of the two beds.
In the other room, Omar was chattering away like always. "Man, I don't see why Sergeant got to get a room all to herself. Lionel and Tom are sharing one, and you two and me are sharing one. It's not fair! The least she could have done was share a room with me! She worried about privacy or something?"
"She's a lady," grumbled Derrick, taking out his hygiene products from his duffel bag, while Robinson slammed his stuff onto the other bed. "Ladies get privacy."
"Well, I – Hey, no fair. You two got the beds. Where am I gonna' sleep?"
Robinson looked at the floor.
"Aw man, no way! Is this a racial thing? I bet that's it. That's why Lionel and Tom are sharing a room. They're both white. The minorities are –."
"Omar that comment is way out of line. It's a miracle you made it through boot camp, you pathetic worm. You should be thankful for your life after Jack gave up his to ensure that you kept on living!" roared Robinson. From the other room, Willows' room, they could hear soft sobbing.
"What is... is that Sergeant crying?" asked Omar, stunned. "Her and Jack must have had something going on."
"It must be hard having to look strong all the time," muttered Derrick.
Omar lowered his voice, "Can she hear us? Look man, I didn't mean anything by that thing I said earlier. I was just trying to kid around..."
"Whatever, man, just shut up and get some sleep. Here." Robinson tossed a sleeping bag at Omar, who fell over as he caught it. "G'night."
"I... Good night, guys. Hey, do you two sleep with your Beretta's under your pillow too?"
"Shut up, man," said Derrick, pissed and tired.
Early the next morning, Lionel and company – all wearing civilian clothes – checked out of the hotel and strode down the street without attracting attention. Omar had a problem with the concept of "blending in", because by the time they'd reached the end of the street, he'd already unsuccessfully hit on seven women – one of them considerably younger than himself.
"Where are we going to find the Wolfsbane?" asked Robinson.
"That's a good question. Lionel?" asked Willows.
They stopped in front of a Rent-A-Car station. Lionel smiled, "We're not going to find it in Aberdeen. Let's rent a truck and investigate one of the smaller towns."
With Lionel's influence, he quickly got them an SUV. They all piled in, but not without a comment from Omar. "Hey, Searge? Are you our soccer mom for the day? Ooh! Can we stop for ice cream? Can we, can we?"
Willows smacked him.
Within the hour, they were already driving through the countryside in search of a field that was filled with Wolfsbane. They soon realized that they'd need more help than just keeping a watchful eye out. They pulled into a small town called Wicket.
Following not far behind were two separated figures: Ellem, in wolf form, and Clark Kent running at full speed. Each watched eagerly as the troops got out of the SUV and began asking around where they could find a field of Wolfsbane. For the most part, no one knew exactly where to find one.
One man did, however. "Sure, I know. See that mountain crag over there? Behind that forest?"
Lionel nodded.
"There's a huge field of Wolfsbane flowers located behind that mountain. But you'd spend days driving around, or one day to climb it."
"Thank you for your help."
"Of course."
Lionel reported back to the other troops and told them where the field was. Willows smiled when Lionel told them their options. "I think I have another alternative. We go back to the airport, pick up our helicopter, and fly over here to pick up some flowers. Then we just fly back to America and this whole nightmare finally ends."
"One problem. What if the local government doesn't want us flying over their plant fields?" asked Robinson.
"We have cloaking technology on the helicopter. We fly low, we might not even have to use it."
"Then that's what we'll do."
By the time they'd arrived at that conclusion, Clark was already halfway over the mountain and heading for the field to pick up the flowers. This way, he could leave the flowers at the helicopter in plain sight, and the team would never even have to fly back over here.
There was one last detail, however. With Clark at last out of the way, the troops were unprotected. And Ellem hadn't left his position. He moved in for the kill.