Alexandra walked down the hallways of the mansion, amazed at gothic it looked in such low lighting. Mercer walked down several passageways until she got to the main room. It was completely void of any furniture, the vast room was empty. Empty with the exclusion of four 6-feet-tall "pilons" about 15 feet apart from each other corner of the square being formed, along with another pilon in the very centre. Most of the pilon, the upper 4 feet of the pilons were glowing blue.
Alex blinked. The electrical interference being generated with no power being given to them was enough to be throwing off her telepathy. In here she could possibly prevent a mental attack from Justin. She went into the square, feeling dizzy. Her grandfather was right, she must have a weakness to electricity. But would it work on Justin? Alex didn't know. But she had to try.
She went to the centre, and obviously most importent, pilon. It had a small touch-screen contro panel. Gliding her fingers accross it, she told it to prepare for a full blast. She set it to give a prolonged blast about a minute long with as much energy as it could possibly handle. Alex wanted Justin fried for good.
Alex, now done with the prep, walked up to the large window, gazing out into the night. Alex stared, entranced at the darkness. This night was like no other. It filled Alex's mind with emotions of loss, despair. For a moment she let herself be taken by these feelings. For a moment she was sure this night would be her grave.
Clark entered the high school, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lowered light. Nobody was supposed to be here tonight, nobody with the obvious exception of Chloe. She had a key, she could come in to work on an article. But why tonight? Clark knew why. He was supposed to have been working with Chloe on that article, but had bailed on her to be with Alex. Thus Chloe had to do twice the work.
Kent started walking down the halls, toward the Torch office. He needed to get to Chloe before Justin did. He needed to save her. But what if this was just a decoy? What if he was really going after Clark's parents? That was unlikely, considering that Justin appeared to want to fight Clark. An outright battle would be no trouble for Justin, and would be the end of Clark Kent.
"Clark!"
"Chloe?" asked Clark turning around from the hallway leading to the Torch, trying to find where Chloe's voice had come from. He started walking. "Chloe, where are you?"
"Clark, help me!"
Clark turned around the corner. The gymnasium. It was coming from the gymnasium! Clark ran in through the open door, seeing the lights on. Kent walked in towards the centre of the gym, looking around. There was nobody here. The lights went out. Clark looked out the door which he had come in, the lights in the hallway were out to. Had Justin cut the power? Suddenly the doors where he had come in slammed shut. Clark turned to leave through the other door, but it to slammed shut.
"Clark, help me, help me Clark, help me."
Clark turned around to see Justin standing there, mocking him. "Where is Chloe?" asked Clark. "What have you done with her?"
Justin rolled his eyes. "Chloe is just fine, Clark. Just fine..." he said, his eyes looking at something behind Clark.
Kent turned his head to see what he was looking at. There stood Chloe, wearing the most unconservative clothes Clark had ever seen her wear. He found himself staring at Chloe who didn't even seem to notice Clark... she stood in very tight jeans, and a shirt that showed more skin than it hid. He had never noticed how perfect her abs were...
Chloe walked right past Clark, and to the farmboy's amazement she put her arms around Justin. She braught her lips to his, her chest to his, aggrssivly and playfully biting Justin's lower hip.
Clark stood, staring. What had Justin done to her?
"What's the matter, Kent? Jealous?" Justin asked, rubbing her back gently with his hands. "Now how could you be jealous, Clark? It hought you only had eyes for dear, sweet Alex."
Clark remained silent.
Justin smiled devishly at Clark. "You see, Clark. I'm not a bad person. But I do love Alex, I want to protect her. To do that she needs to stay with me."
Clark felt a hand on his shoulder. Kent turned away from Justin to see Lana there, in even more revealing clothes than the image of Chloe. It was an image, Kent had decided. Lana was staring at Clark, bringing herself closer.
"I'm not evil Clark." repeated Justin, his voice lowering. "I know what you want. I can make her seem as real as you need. I can be quite accomidating. All you need to do is convince Alex to come with me, peacefully, and I can make your fantasies just as real as reality." he said.
Clark couldn't take his eyes off of Lana. She leaned in and kissed Clark, but he pulled away.
"What?" asked Justin, sounding confused. "Allright, I'll up the deal." he said.
Suddenly another Chloe was putting her arms around Clark, as well as Lana.
"You see, I iknow/i what you want."
Clark pushed the two images away, seeing them fade into nothing. "No." said Clark.
"Fine." said Justin, getting angry. "Then you are going to die along with her."
Clark needed to get out of here. Kent sped up, heading for the door at superspeed. He ramme dinto the door, sending it flying. Clark continued down the hallway. He needed to get out of here, and he hoped Chloe wasn't really here. But Clark stopped. The floor was suddenly covered with corpses in white body bags. The boy yelled aloud, turning around quickly. He had to get out of here. But Justin was there, blocking his path. Justin just stared at Clark, with those demonic green eyes.
"I know what you're afraid of, Clark. I know everything."
Clark backed up. Justin couldn't hurt him, not with fears. Clark was invinsible, nothing could harm him. He just had to keep repeating that in his mind. "You can't scare me, Justin."
"Oh really?" asked Justin.
Clark looke dto the ground, seeing a pile of long, thick snakes. They were crawling up Clark's pants. Clark looked to his side, seeing a snake on his shoulder. Clark held his breath and could feel his heart skip a beat. "They aren't real... they aren't real..." Clark repeated.
Justin laughed. "Come, now, Clark. You can't tell me those creatures crawling up your pant legs don't give you the slightest pause?"
Clark closed his eyes. He could feel them, slithering upwards. But they weren't real! They weren't real. Clark kept repeating that in his mind. None of this was real.
"I'm impressed, Clarky. But everyone is a slave to their fears, even you. With the right... stimulae, your fears can choke you to death."
Clark remained paralyzed as the snakes crawled in and out of his clothes. He felt one crawling around his neck. He tried to move his hand to pull it off, but he couldn't move. Clark just stared at Justin who seemed thouroughly amused with himself. The snake crawled around his neck, creeping up onto Clark's face. One of the snakes on Kent's leg bit, sending waves of pain through Clark that shouldn't be possible. Clark instinctivly yelled out in pain, and at that instant the snake crawling on his face raced into Clark's mouth.
Kent screamed as the snake slithered in, Clark for some reason unable to bite down to stop it. The snake's head found it's way into the back of Clark's mouth, then started sliding down his throat. Clark fell to his knees, choking on this snake, but it continued to move downward.
Clark needed to get out of here, awak from Justin. He tried to ignore the snakes crawling outside of him, and inside of him, and got to his feet. He tried to run, but his legs wouldn't work that fast. He was still being paralized with fear. He walked quickly, overstepping the body bags. The body bags he could make out, anyway, the hallway still dark except for the light coming from a window up ahead. He eventually fell to his knees again, and started again choking on the snake. He looked up at the window, with the moon reflecting light down onto him. He needed to find a way to break Justin's illusion.
Justin kneeled down in front of Clark, blocking his hypnotic glare at the moon. "I could've made your fantasy come true, Clark, and you and Alex would be alive. Instead I'm going to have to kill you both. What do you have to say to that?"
Clark tried to talk, but he couldn't speak.
"Oops, sorry. Now, goodbye Clark. I have to have a chat with Alex." he said, standing up.
He was going to die. The snakes were choking him to death, and there was nothing Clark could do. And this was only a ifraction/i of Justin's power. Clark briefly thought about his life, and how he wasn't going to have the time to do what he wanted. To say the things he needed to say. He was going to die. He, Clark Kent, the all-invinsible warrior he thought he was, was going to die. iHere/i, so close to saving the one he loved most. But no, he had failed.
Clark's choking gave way to dry heaving. It was an incredibly painful ordeal, and it wasn't helped by the fact that there was more and more snakes appearing, piling on top of Clark as he looked at the moon. The creatures were on his arms, on his legs, in his shirt, under his pants... one snake continued to borrow into Clark's throat while two more curled around his neck, squeezing tightly.
Alex blinked. The electrical interference being generated with no power being given to them was enough to be throwing off her telepathy. In here she could possibly prevent a mental attack from Justin. She went into the square, feeling dizzy. Her grandfather was right, she must have a weakness to electricity. But would it work on Justin? Alex didn't know. But she had to try.
She went to the centre, and obviously most importent, pilon. It had a small touch-screen contro panel. Gliding her fingers accross it, she told it to prepare for a full blast. She set it to give a prolonged blast about a minute long with as much energy as it could possibly handle. Alex wanted Justin fried for good.
Alex, now done with the prep, walked up to the large window, gazing out into the night. Alex stared, entranced at the darkness. This night was like no other. It filled Alex's mind with emotions of loss, despair. For a moment she let herself be taken by these feelings. For a moment she was sure this night would be her grave.
Clark entered the high school, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lowered light. Nobody was supposed to be here tonight, nobody with the obvious exception of Chloe. She had a key, she could come in to work on an article. But why tonight? Clark knew why. He was supposed to have been working with Chloe on that article, but had bailed on her to be with Alex. Thus Chloe had to do twice the work.
Kent started walking down the halls, toward the Torch office. He needed to get to Chloe before Justin did. He needed to save her. But what if this was just a decoy? What if he was really going after Clark's parents? That was unlikely, considering that Justin appeared to want to fight Clark. An outright battle would be no trouble for Justin, and would be the end of Clark Kent.
"Clark!"
"Chloe?" asked Clark turning around from the hallway leading to the Torch, trying to find where Chloe's voice had come from. He started walking. "Chloe, where are you?"
"Clark, help me!"
Clark turned around the corner. The gymnasium. It was coming from the gymnasium! Clark ran in through the open door, seeing the lights on. Kent walked in towards the centre of the gym, looking around. There was nobody here. The lights went out. Clark looked out the door which he had come in, the lights in the hallway were out to. Had Justin cut the power? Suddenly the doors where he had come in slammed shut. Clark turned to leave through the other door, but it to slammed shut.
"Clark, help me, help me Clark, help me."
Clark turned around to see Justin standing there, mocking him. "Where is Chloe?" asked Clark. "What have you done with her?"
Justin rolled his eyes. "Chloe is just fine, Clark. Just fine..." he said, his eyes looking at something behind Clark.
Kent turned his head to see what he was looking at. There stood Chloe, wearing the most unconservative clothes Clark had ever seen her wear. He found himself staring at Chloe who didn't even seem to notice Clark... she stood in very tight jeans, and a shirt that showed more skin than it hid. He had never noticed how perfect her abs were...
Chloe walked right past Clark, and to the farmboy's amazement she put her arms around Justin. She braught her lips to his, her chest to his, aggrssivly and playfully biting Justin's lower hip.
Clark stood, staring. What had Justin done to her?
"What's the matter, Kent? Jealous?" Justin asked, rubbing her back gently with his hands. "Now how could you be jealous, Clark? It hought you only had eyes for dear, sweet Alex."
Clark remained silent.
Justin smiled devishly at Clark. "You see, Clark. I'm not a bad person. But I do love Alex, I want to protect her. To do that she needs to stay with me."
Clark felt a hand on his shoulder. Kent turned away from Justin to see Lana there, in even more revealing clothes than the image of Chloe. It was an image, Kent had decided. Lana was staring at Clark, bringing herself closer.
"I'm not evil Clark." repeated Justin, his voice lowering. "I know what you want. I can make her seem as real as you need. I can be quite accomidating. All you need to do is convince Alex to come with me, peacefully, and I can make your fantasies just as real as reality." he said.
Clark couldn't take his eyes off of Lana. She leaned in and kissed Clark, but he pulled away.
"What?" asked Justin, sounding confused. "Allright, I'll up the deal." he said.
Suddenly another Chloe was putting her arms around Clark, as well as Lana.
"You see, I iknow/i what you want."
Clark pushed the two images away, seeing them fade into nothing. "No." said Clark.
"Fine." said Justin, getting angry. "Then you are going to die along with her."
Clark needed to get out of here. Kent sped up, heading for the door at superspeed. He ramme dinto the door, sending it flying. Clark continued down the hallway. He needed to get out of here, and he hoped Chloe wasn't really here. But Clark stopped. The floor was suddenly covered with corpses in white body bags. The boy yelled aloud, turning around quickly. He had to get out of here. But Justin was there, blocking his path. Justin just stared at Clark, with those demonic green eyes.
"I know what you're afraid of, Clark. I know everything."
Clark backed up. Justin couldn't hurt him, not with fears. Clark was invinsible, nothing could harm him. He just had to keep repeating that in his mind. "You can't scare me, Justin."
"Oh really?" asked Justin.
Clark looke dto the ground, seeing a pile of long, thick snakes. They were crawling up Clark's pants. Clark looked to his side, seeing a snake on his shoulder. Clark held his breath and could feel his heart skip a beat. "They aren't real... they aren't real..." Clark repeated.
Justin laughed. "Come, now, Clark. You can't tell me those creatures crawling up your pant legs don't give you the slightest pause?"
Clark closed his eyes. He could feel them, slithering upwards. But they weren't real! They weren't real. Clark kept repeating that in his mind. None of this was real.
"I'm impressed, Clarky. But everyone is a slave to their fears, even you. With the right... stimulae, your fears can choke you to death."
Clark remained paralyzed as the snakes crawled in and out of his clothes. He felt one crawling around his neck. He tried to move his hand to pull it off, but he couldn't move. Clark just stared at Justin who seemed thouroughly amused with himself. The snake crawled around his neck, creeping up onto Clark's face. One of the snakes on Kent's leg bit, sending waves of pain through Clark that shouldn't be possible. Clark instinctivly yelled out in pain, and at that instant the snake crawling on his face raced into Clark's mouth.
Kent screamed as the snake slithered in, Clark for some reason unable to bite down to stop it. The snake's head found it's way into the back of Clark's mouth, then started sliding down his throat. Clark fell to his knees, choking on this snake, but it continued to move downward.
Clark needed to get out of here, awak from Justin. He tried to ignore the snakes crawling outside of him, and inside of him, and got to his feet. He tried to run, but his legs wouldn't work that fast. He was still being paralized with fear. He walked quickly, overstepping the body bags. The body bags he could make out, anyway, the hallway still dark except for the light coming from a window up ahead. He eventually fell to his knees again, and started again choking on the snake. He looked up at the window, with the moon reflecting light down onto him. He needed to find a way to break Justin's illusion.
Justin kneeled down in front of Clark, blocking his hypnotic glare at the moon. "I could've made your fantasy come true, Clark, and you and Alex would be alive. Instead I'm going to have to kill you both. What do you have to say to that?"
Clark tried to talk, but he couldn't speak.
"Oops, sorry. Now, goodbye Clark. I have to have a chat with Alex." he said, standing up.
He was going to die. The snakes were choking him to death, and there was nothing Clark could do. And this was only a ifraction/i of Justin's power. Clark briefly thought about his life, and how he wasn't going to have the time to do what he wanted. To say the things he needed to say. He was going to die. He, Clark Kent, the all-invinsible warrior he thought he was, was going to die. iHere/i, so close to saving the one he loved most. But no, he had failed.
Clark's choking gave way to dry heaving. It was an incredibly painful ordeal, and it wasn't helped by the fact that there was more and more snakes appearing, piling on top of Clark as he looked at the moon. The creatures were on his arms, on his legs, in his shirt, under his pants... one snake continued to borrow into Clark's throat while two more curled around his neck, squeezing tightly.