Here goes nothing... Um... kids... turn around and head on home... before I boot you outta here... scram!!! skeddadle!!!
Disclaimer: Got the small Chloe tape talk in Season four Episode one... Not mine...
2: Darker Side of Light
Clark watched Chloe and Lois play Jenga over railed windows. Eversince the attack, Lara had her house burglar-proofed, security cameras with the monitors in her room. The quaint small town fashioned fences were out replaced by medium high brick walls laced with electric wires on top. High enough to stop ayone from jumping over, but not high enough to keep Clark's watchful eyes away.
Chloe... Clark asked himself what happened with the two of them, time and time again. She just dumped him, told him they were better off as friends. He just accpeted it because he wanted Lana. All for what? Lana went to Paris only to come back with a boyfriend. And he could not have Lana, even if he wanted to. Being around him was too dangerous.
But Chloe and Lane girls, they were probably more dangerous than he is.
"Hey Clark. Good to see that you haven't lost your interest in, well... spotting things." Lana said walking up the loft as she used to do before she left.
"Lana... hey... I was just..." Clark tried to explain but Lana was already peering in the scope. "So, you're spying on Lois..." it was more of a factual statement than a question.
"Why is everybody trying to put me up with that girl?"
"What's wrong with her? She seems fine."
"She's really out there... Like, obnoxious and totally... strange..." he pouted like a child.
"Oh? Who's this?" Lara spotted another girl come in the room. Even without a scope, Clark could identify Lara.
"Their other cousin, Lara." he blushed hoping that Lana would not catch that single blush.
"My God! I never though I would see the day that Clark Kent blushes." too late. "I think that you are not spying on Lois but at Lara... I have to give it to you... she's pretty."
"Nah, she's... I don't know..."
"What?"
"I think Lex and she has... you know..."
"Oh..." Lana knew about the little disagreement between Lex and Clark though she did not know what it was about. "And that would stop you... how? Clark, if you want her... make your move. She'll turn you down when it is not possible. Otherwise, assume it's possible."
"Who said I wanted her?"
"It's just evident..."
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Lex tapped intently on his keyboards, leaving the ice to melt in his expensive scotch. He found a man called Makubex from, what they call, Infinity City, in a chatroom. He claimed that he knew the Jackal, and, as a matter of fact, dealt with him in the past. The Makubex guy led him to a safe zone in the web. Lex was an accomplished Hacker but he had never seen the stunts the Makubex guy was pulling in front of his eyes. He was overriding system after system just to get the position he wanted.
Alex: Why haven't I heard of this Infinity City before? It is not located in any maps.
Makubex: It is not.
Alex: Then where is it?
Makubex: It's a cyberspace created by Musim Technologies Inc. here in Japan. It is much like the matrix, a city with programmed people. It is the cradle of AI. In Infinity City, the programs live as humans do. First, they are programmed with basic instincts like withdrawing the hand at the sudden change of temperature. They are, then, exposed to an environment. They would then learn from that environment like what are the hot things and what are the cold things, what to touch and what not to touch. It was basically a success. Soon enough, the programs evolved, behaving like humans do.
Alex: If this is cyberspace, then how can the Jackal have originated from there?
Makubex: The Jackal was one of the bugged programs in the system. Like other programs, there were bugs in the system. Some of the programs have developed certain characteristics that were not applicable in the real world. They can override the program of the laws of physics or human behavior or the usual biological limitations of humans. An example, some programs have learned to use threads as knives, or generate electricity with their body, or cause hallucinations for a minute. Jackal was one of those people. He can generate blades within his body. Musim Technologies Inc., ten years ago, at the dawn of the idea of cloning, started an experiment on human genetics. Two years after, they had perfected the science and has started incorporating it with artificial intelligence. They created a clone for the Jackal, just the basic human body of a twenty year old man. They created a chip that was designed to send electric shocks in the brain according to the program that was already existing in Infinity City. Thus, the physical Jackal was born. He was merely an experiment until he escaped three years ago. They couldn't catch him so they closed down the embodiment project and left the Jackal on the lose. He was enough to pass off as another hitman or serial killer.
Alex: And you, you claim to be from Infinity City.
Makubex: I am. I am not embodied. I am merely a program who took the time to override the system. I am now conscious of the real world but only existing as a series of data.
Alex: I see... How do you verify this with me? Who you are, I mean.
Suddenly, his 3D interface program opened and, in the middle of the screen, sat a boy, around 16 years of age. His dark silver haired head was covered with a cloth. He was perfectly rendered, highly pixelated and highly detailed for a program.
Makubex (voice): Hello Alex... Pity you don't have a web cam.
He moved gracefully, unlike the usual graphics seen on the TV or in the movies. It would take a programmer days to create just one minute's worth of his movements... It was impossible for this graphic to be man made.
Alex: How did you do that?
Makubex (voice): Well, I am a highly designed program... I am like this thing crawling over computers. Do not worry about your personal files... I respect your privacy. Jackal was much like this, only he cannot override the system... Do you want me to send over his program? One is read over this same interface, so you can see his physique. Another, is a simulation of his behavior. I believe you are familiar with Java. Please wait while I document it...
His computer beeped and a window opened: "You have mail." Lex opened the mail and downloaded it into his disposable computer.
Alex: One other thing. It was reported that the woman threw knives at him... He still lived.
Makubex (voice): He will if it did not damage his main nervous system. He is a man high in iron and protein consumption. His genes were altered to make him have maximum use of his iron and protein reserves, it was needed for generating knives. Because of this, he regenerates quickly. The only way to disable him is to remove the connection between the brain and the body. Decapitation of removal of the chip will disable him.
Alex: Disable?
Makubex (voice): I prefer the term because, technically, he was never alive.
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Lara was sitting on the stairs of her house resting her head on her knees. Clark had walked in without hesitation and found her in that state, rocking herself back and forth, like a pendulum waiting for no end.
Clark knelt down in front of her, trying to peer at her face, hidden by her arms.
"Lara... Are you alright?"
"No..." she whimpered.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I'm just scared."
She opened herself from the ball that she created of herself only to close in on Clark, like a child clinging on for dear life. Clark wrapped his hands around her. Her body was almost naked with the silk nightgown she was wearing. He could feel her body around him. He was kneeling between her legs, his stomach feeling her warmth.
"Don't let me go, Clark. Don't let them take me."
"I won't." he assured her. She pulled herself away from him and kissed him with her subtle lips. Clark did not even bother to be surprised. He pulled her closer by the waist, pushing himself against her. Her legs tightened across his waist, wrapping herself around him.
She fumbled with the button of his pants, running her hands on his smooth thigh skin. Clark felt himself harden, this unexplicable thirst in his lower region at the touch of her hand. Suddenly, the farmboy in him was gone... the innocence... only the thirst... and the manly want of a woman.
He rubbed himself against her panties, feeling her through. He removed his shirt in one sweep. His pants had already fallen off to his knees. Lara was half naked herself. The straps of her gown had fallen off her shoulders, revealing her luscious breasts to him, rubbing against his own. Their innocent kiss had slowly turned into a ravishing one, tongues clashing in their liplock.
Lara leaned back against the stairs giving space for Clark to remove the rest of his clothing. Clark followed Lara, his lips reaching only her chest. He paid attention to her swelling nipples, shoving one into his mouth. Lara's back arched at the attention. She placed her hands on the nape of his neck and pulled him closer. Clark ran his hand on her tummy inching it's way through her underwear. He felt the carpet of hair then the appetizingly wet zone. He envisioned it in his mind while he felt for it. Sure he has seen plenty of those in SexEd but it's never really the same as the real thing... She tensed as he placed a little pressure on her, the skin around her vagina was bathed in her juices and Clark was inching to be part of that... He wanted her... His manhood was throbbing, begging for her.
He positioned himself over her, reminding himself of his own strength. He gently pulled her closer to him, her legs either side of him. He felt her tightness as he entered her, her whole body reacting. He heard her say his name... "Clark, be gentle."
He inched his way into her, careful not to hurt her... too careful. Lara flipped them, straddling him, running her hands across his chest. Clark held her waist, feeling her lift herself up and down, sliding up and down his manhood. He felt the juices on him... He wasn't entirely sure whose was it... his or hers... or both.
Clark felt that he can go on forever, inside her, throbbing with her. He can go on forever listening to her scream his name. The sound of his name was never so enticing to hear before... He did not realize that he was screaming her name too. Clark felt the pace quicken. The sounds they were making were intoxicating as her labored breathing and the sound of his name being called out. He felt her contracting all around him sucking the sould right out of his body. He thought he was Superman... He thought he could hold on forever until they burst together without arranging it... Thay just came at the right time, together strengthening his belief that they were soul mates.
Clark collapsed beside her on the floor. He gathered her into his arms, a small sophisticated lady in the arms of a man.
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Clark banged his head on the wall as he tried to dress up for the morning. He woke up with a hard on at the dream that he had. It was at that moment did he understand the feeling of on person in heaven suddenly being pulled down the depths of hell...
He tried to concentrate on fishing out his wardrobe for the day... starting with the underwear.
Lara and Lois walked in on him, buck naked. It seemed as if his reaction time was slow that morning. All of them stood there for some moments, the two girls had their eyes on Clark's thing. Lara turned around and walked out of the door. "I'll leave you kids alone for a minute. Play nice." She locked the door behind her. It took her a while to realize the opportunity she had. She quickly turned around and pulled on the door just as she felt Lois pull on the other side.
Lois slowly turned around and tried to pull the door but it won't budge. "It won't budge... Lara! Let me out!"
"No!" came the voice from the other side.
Lois moved to the corner, facing it like a punished child... "Feel free."
Not the girl he had in mind... Clark warily watched Lois as he tried to fish out any pair of boxers in his closet, quickly pulling it up his legs... He quickly dressed up in his usual flannel shirt.
"Smallville, can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"I watched Chloe's goodbye tape. It was actually for you but it found its way to me. Do you know what's in this?" she said holding out the tape over her head.
"No." he said taking the tape from her hands.
"Clark, when she was in trouble, she did not come running for help to me or Lara. She came came running to you. Before I met you, I felt like I already knew a lot about you. You were all she can ever talk about. I also knew about the break up and I think... I just think... that she did not want it. And now, she thinks you are having this little infatuation with Lara. I always tell her that Lara won't have you. She simply won't have anybody but I think it's still driving Chloe nuts. I am the eldest and I always look out for them. I don't want the three of us to break ever... I will simply die. Chloe doesn't know I talked to you about this. And Lara doesn't know that Chloe still loves you. I cut that part of the copy I made for her. I just hope, you would do the right thing. That's the uncut version, by the way."
"What is the right thing?"
"It is up to you and the way you handle it."
Clark felt the force exerted by Lara as he opened the door. He pretended that it was hard to open but eventually pulled hard, pulling Lara with it. "Had fun?" Lara asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Funny... I thought you were on my side?" Lois forced a funny face and pinched Lara making her jump.
"Hey I'm not on anyone's side but mine..."
----------------------
Chloe thought that the town had gone darker since she 'died'. She did not know exactly what had happened to Clark and Lex. Lex had already told her that they had a falling out but she never thought that it was that bad. It seemed as if everytime they were twenty feet within each other's perimeter, the sky would go dark, threatening rain.
Even the pink and perky Lana wasn't so pink and perky anymore. Since she resurfaced, she was all dark and nasty, as if Paris had blown some liberal tunes into her. She came home with a tatoo on her back, not the Lana she used to know. Chloe's former room mate did not wear so much mascara. Her basic make up was composed of pastel colors, enhancing that sweet and gentle look that Clark had once loved. Now, she was all dark eyed, rouged and seductive, like the time she was under the influence of the Nicodemus.
Even Chloe had changed. Lois kept telling her she wasn't that bright eyed anymore. How can she bebright eyed when her eyes had seen things that no teenager should ever see? How many teenagers have billionaires after their tushies, aside from the three of them, that is. Besides, she was the only one among the three who actually struck a deal with the older Luthor. It occured to her time and time again that she was the one who brought them all into this.
She kneeled over in the shower holding herself. Why was she always in the middle of something? She was in the middle of Clark and Lana. Now, she was in the middle of Clark and Lara. She did not dare go against Lana... How could she dare go against her cousin? Lara was in this situation because of her and she was not complaining. She had given Chloe so much, how selfish would Chloe be if she retaliates against this budding connection between Clark and Lara?
She rocked herself back and forth, finding comfort in the sensation. All she wanted was Clark. Was that too much too ask?
----------------------
Clark opened the TV as he shoved in the tape into the VCR. His parents bought a DVD sending the old VCR to his room. He was thankful that he did not have to watch the tape in the living room. He had the feeling that with the contents of the tape, he needed absolute privacy.
"I don't even know where to start. I know you must have a million questions but I don't know how many answers I can give you. If you're watching this, it means I'm probably... dead. You're always the one good thing in my life and if I didn't tell you enough, I care about you more than you'll ever know. Please find out who did this, Clark. You are the only one who can."
Clark pressed pause then rested his head on the bed, his room was in absolute, deafening silence. Chloe thought that he was infatuating over Lara, which was, ore or less, true. Lara wanted Clark to go after Lois. Lois, from her tone, was pointing him to Chloe. He had chose to ignore Chloe because he had the reason to. She dumped him and he can play ignorant all he want. He could excuse himself by saying that he thought she did not want him.
Now, Lois knew that he knew that Chloe still loves him. He won't have the excuse. But Lara...
Clark heard a scream like he did before when Lara and Lex was attacked by the Jackal. Only this time... "Chloe!"
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"Abachukinihaw... Ijichukibaba..." Lois bumped to the new song she picked up from Lilo and Stitch as she brought in the groceries from her car. She was trying to kick the door close when sh heard Chloe scream in the showers. She dropped the groceries to the floor, a bottle of ketcup broke on the floor as she ran upstairs. She saw the Jackal carrying Chloe, out of the window.
"Oh good. I do not have to waste paper and ink on the message. I think you know what this means, don't you Miss Lane? I want Clark Kent and Lara Lane at the old house by the Miller's woods tonight at 9... That is, if you want to see Miss Sullivan alive." his smile and tone was that of complete politeness despite his threats.
"You bluff. You'll kill Chloe anyway."
"I keep my word to ladies," he said tipping his hat. "I have lost interest in Luthor's offer. I only am interested by the abilities of these two young people that I ask. However, if they do not comply, one dead person would equal to two million dollars. Two million dollars won't be detrimental to me, would it? If they turn up, I would simply... let her go... Oh and by the way, tell them not to bother looking for me there... That is not my personal residence of the moment." with that, he disappeared as he jumped clear off the window taking Chloe with him. He sped off in a black car, probably stolen.
Lois ran off to the phone and began dialling Lex' number. "Lex! The Jackal took Chloe!!!"
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Clark arrived seconds after Lois had put down the phone after calling Lex and Lara. Lois was not in the right mind to ask him what he was doing there, and if he knew what happened, how... Clark was thankful. They saw Lara's car slid across the front parked carelessly. She even forgot to close the door as she ran into the house. Lex arrived in the same manner. Clark's features darkened as Lex walked in. Lara started pacing the room while Clark and Lex positioned themselves as far away from each other as possible. Lois' hands were shaking as she lit a cigarette. Though she swore she won't smoke anymore, it was just the time it was called for.
"He said before he left that he wanted Lara and Clark at the old house in the Miller's woods tonight. He said that he wasn't gonna kill her because he already lost interest in Lionel's offer unless Clark and Lara decided not to come over. But why would he want Lara and Clark?"
"Wait here." Lex signalled them as he ran to his car. He came back with a laptop in tow. "I got this just this morning. I met this... well... software, an AI who claims to be from Infinity City where the Jackal originated. At first, I thought that this city was here in the physical world until I realized that it wasn't located in any maps... it doesn't even exist in the underground. then I realized that it was a city full of artificially intelligent programs designed like humans... thanks to this software AI called Makubex."
"Makubex, of course!" Lara said.
"Do you know him?" Lex asked Lara.
"Yeah but I did not know what the cyberplane was called. What is this?" Lara pointed out to the 1078Behavior.jav file."
"It's supposed to be the program for the Jackal's behavior. It's in the Java interface, so you can probably understand it."
"Open it." Lara demanded.
Clark and Lois were lost in the discussion... Cyberspaces and Artificial Intelligence? It sounded like a future fiction starring Jude Law and Haley Joel Osment.
They waited as Lara attacked the keyboards, intently studying the program. "There you are... Clark, fetch me that telephone line."
Lara connected the telephone wire to the laptop and logged on to the net via dial up.
"What are you doing" Lois asked.
"Contacting Makubex."
"He's in this chatroom..." Lex offered fumbling for the piece of paper in his wallet.
"I know about that but it takes a long time to load in a dial up connection. I know a better way." Lara started typing an address that looked triple X. "Cover your eyes, kiddies. This is X-rated, definitely not for children."
Flash movies of people having sex started loading at unusual speed. She clicked on a webring link that sent her to a pseudo military hacking exercise that was played by kids all over the world. Only that there is a tip when it came to the eight level. It seemed that it was impossible to hack, that was why threre was a tip o how to skip that certain level. However, that level was the gateway to Makubex' lair. She quickly typed in the passwords that she had known by heart since she had been in touch with the Makubex for a long time.
"Get me a microphone." Lara said to Clark as she was nearing the eight level. There was no source for that level, therefore no source or the password. But she knew that password. She got it out of Makubex while they were talking that first encounter of theirs in the same chatroom Lex had logged onto. She typed in VOLTS then pressed enter, just as Clark came in with the microphone. The screen suddenly went blank then Makubex' face came into view.
"Alex? Is that you? You have the same hardware ID but you came a different way." a voice came from the speaker as a boy came into view sitting in front of a laptop of his own.
"No, Makubex. It's Kashi." Lara said over the microphone.
"You know Alex?" he sounded excited.
"Yes... Mak, I need your help."
"Let me guess... Jackal."
"Yes, I have seen the physical diagrams but I need the blueprint for the chip."
"Wait..." he said as he uploaded the design of the chip on the screen.
"Can you take it apart? See if there is a wireless interface in there."
"There is but it is firewalled."
"Does the mechanism inside him have a USB?"
"Yes, it was used to load his program into the chip."
"Alright..." Lara muttered to herself.
"But you have to be in close proximity to the subject. It is extremely dangerous. Why not just decapitate?"
"I was reading the program. He is able to generate at high speed. A knife that passes through his body actually wounds him but as soon as it permeates the skin, the skin closes up. The only way to decapitate that man is to use a large blade, like the guillotine so there would be no room for his neck to heal. And the mechanism here is titanium laced with diamond coating... impossible to break."
"Why didn't I think of that. It just occured to my system that is it impractical to bring such weapons in combat."
"I was thinking, what if we upload a virus that ruins the program? I was studying it and each method concerning basic actions like moving, eating, bathing... they all have the same method included: to live. I was reading the willToLive method and it had a primary purpose, that is to take on a challenge. A variable potentialDanger is directly proportional to the willToLive variable. The higher the danger the stimulus imposes on the Jackal, the more he becomes interested in the stimulus. The potentialDanger variable is equated to an input that is dependent on the length of the first fight with a new subject, the strength of the blows and the heartbeat and adrenaline rush of the Jackal's body. Only if I can change this line: potentialDangerarExponential(fightL, magnitude, bodystat); to potentialDanger 0;, then he would not have any reason to live. He would become just a paralyzed body."
"Splendid, however, how are you actually going to find him?" he asked. Clark forgot that the person they were talking to did not know that Alex and Kashi are Lex and Lara.
"We would have our way... Thank you so much, Makubex."
"No problem..." he said waving goodbye. The screen went blank, then came up again displaying the Happy Tree Friends site.
Lara opened the notepad and began typing. "Can I have your flash drive?" she asked Lex. She was finished in a matter of minutes. She opened the 3D image of the Jackal, trying to find, exactly where the USB is.
Lois pointed over at the screen. "The slot is facing outwards, right below his hairline. But the slot is not protruding. There's just a mark on his skin. He would have to be wounded."
"I think I can handle that." Lara said.
"What do you mean you can handle that?" Lex and Clark said in unison.
"You are not going to go near that maniac..." it was more of a demand than a suggestion.
"Lex, he's going to kill Chloe if we don't show up."
"There must be another way..." Lex paced the floor.
"There isn't any other way. Lex, I posed a threat to him. He's designed to go after me. What I don't understand is why does he want Clark too?" Lara looked at Clark for an answer.
Lionel must have tipped off the Jackal about his 'powers'. Lex knew of his father's research on Clark. It was with Lionel did Lex start suspecting Clark's uniqueness.
"I don't know..." Clark shrugged but he knew it. "I'll tell you what... I'll handle the flash drive."
"No, Clark. I don't think you should."
"I think he should." Lex knew Clark's capabilities. Even though Lara had exceptional ones, he knew that the person who can handle it better would be Clark.
"Are you serious? I don't mean to step in major machismo here but I'm not going to risk anyone of you."
"You are not going to risk me."
"I'll make two copies just to be sure. Lois, may I borrow yours?" Lara continued to work on the program.
"Clark, don't let her near that man... please." Lex squeezed Clark's shoulder. If they were going to save Chloe, they would have to work together.
"I'll come too... just in case you need back up." Lois said diving under the sink. "I'll kill that bastard when I get my hands on him."
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Lois spent the whole afternoon making home-made arsenal. Clark had never seen anyone actually assemble grenades with aerosol cans and gas bottles. He only saw it done on movies. Even Lex seemed to have knowledge in it. But Lara insisted that they did not come. Clark backed them up. He has enough trouble thinking how to knock Lara out to take on the Jackal unseen... The last thing he needed were two other potential witnesses.
Lex had protested. Lara feigned conceding, kissed him on the cheek then banged him on the head unconscious. She made Clark tie Lois and Lex up, while she covered their lips with duct tape. "I really really am sorry. I just know the two of you too well."
She wrote a note on a post it and stuck it on Lex' head. "Don't let these people go until we come back, Lara. PS. Sorry honey... I'll make it up to you."
He stood outside the house in Millers woods, where Kyle, the meteor freak who can bend people's wills, lived. He had moved on leaving the makeshift house sitting out in the woods like a suitable scene for a horror movie.
"Blade to blade." Lara muttered to herself.
"Lara, please..." he said holding her hand. Lara had blades up her sleeve. I worked like a magazine of a gun only it had stacks of thin sharp shards of metals that were almost surgical. She had it for some time now. Clark did not find it in her physique and personality the ability to use such weapons. His impression of her was the potentially verbally equipped and physically helpless. He thought that the farthest she could go was hand to hand combat, much like Lois. As much as he was impressd with Lois' home-made arsenal, he was far more impressed, if not shocked, at the fully functional collection of blades and guns. He had seen Lex fence, seen his weapons. He saw 17th century swords and armours in the castle. But none was comparable to Lara's collection. She had new samurais and shurikens. She did not have barbaric swords. She said that they were heavy and impractical. She had lightweight ones, traditional and custom made. She even have a thin single sided sword, much like the samurai, only it was as thin as a fencing sword. She also had guns in her collection, antique ones, new ones, automatics, handhelds and rifles. "I prefer these." she said holding the blade magazine, strapping it to her arms.
Each stack of blade contained fifty shards. Loaded up her arms were about ten stacks each. It can be loaded single-handedly. She carried about 5 stacks in each pocket and fifty more in her belt.
She was clear that she was not going to take prisoners. Clark could hear her heart beating fast, skipping a beat at every sound the woods create.
He did not realize the Jackal creep up behind him. Akabane seemed to fly like a crow across Clark dropping a necklace on his shoulders. It had a pendant made of a large green meteor rock, draining Clark's energy. Clark watched helplessly as Lara stood against Akabane, alone. He tried removing the necklace but his head was swimming and he couldn't seem to find where his neck was.
"Is that allergic reaction? How did Lionel knew about Clark's little allergy?" Akabane asked thoughtfully watching Clark scratch at the stone, trying to get if off.
"Clark stand up!" she said, never taking her eyes off Akabane.
"I can't possibly take on two. Let him rest for a minute..."
"Why does he pose as a threat?"
"I don't know, all I know is that Lionel told me he is the biggest threat of all. Although I believe otherwise. Please prove me wrong, Miss Lane."
Lara could not imagine how to approach the Jackal... how to get behind him, cut a chunk of flesh and shove her drive up his neck.
"Clark stand up!" she said stepping backwards towards Clark.
Akabane used Kyle's trailer as leverage, pushing himself to 'fly' above Lana. He started doing the triple flip that Lara delivered the first time they met. Instict took over. She jumped high intercepting Akabane in the air. She had a clean shot of the nape. She took one shard from the magazine. She had cut the flesh behind his neck. Just as she was about to shove in the Flash drive when she caught a glimpse of his hand, three blades between his knuckles... a regular sucker punch. She pushed him away from her but ot fast enough to stop his blades from grazing her skin.
"So, that was your plan." he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think you can ever disappoint me." Akbane licked his lips tasting her defeat.
"Give it up. Where is she?"
Akabane signaled to the darkness. Lara could see Chloe in the shadows tied to a tree.
Clark found the chain around his neck and succeeded in pulling it. Call it Kryptonian Adrenaline. He threw the stone as far from him as his weakened state allowed him to. In a matter of seconds, he felt himself regenerate, the power seeping inside his bones.
Although Lara was facing him, her eyes were locked on the Jackal. She did ot see Clark stand up and zoom behind her. Clark gave Lara a small tap behind her neck, making her black out. Guess that would be Lex' revenge... he thought. He zoomed back to the Jackal grabbing the nape of his neck, feeling the mechanism, cold as stone as with the experiment's heart. He crushed the small titanium mechanism encased in diamond with his bare hands. It had occured to him the problem of how he was going to explain it but he did not mind it for the mean time.
Jackal's cloned body was sprawled on the floor, the mechanism jutting out of his neck. Even without the brain, the cells functioned for a little more time, closing on the hardware, making Akabane's neck look horribly broken.
Clark placed a piece of trunk beside Lara, hoping that it would pass as the one who knocked her out.
He ran towards Chloe in the Dark, her eyes, mouth, legs and arms bound, making it impossible for her to move or be noticed in the darkness. They ran back to Lara, who was knocked out unconscious. Chloe ran ahead of Clark, Jackal's complementary coat trailing behind her.
"Honey, are you alright?" Chloe said pulling Lara up. "Next time someone gets kidnapped... It will be you or Lois... I would have to repay you sooner of later."
"What happened?" lara said holding her head, making sure it wouldn't fall off.
"Rotten branch fell on you." Clark shrugged.
"What happened to you? And the Jackal?" Lara said eyeing Jackal's 'broken neck'.
"I don't know... I kinda was dreaming for a minute... next thing I knew Jackal's on the ground..." he shrugged again. Clark walked ahead with Chloe, placing his flannel shirt over her being naked inside the complementary coat. Lara lagged behind suspiciously looking at Clark. No one was there, except him... And the Jackal... why didn't he heal?
When Clark and Chloe were out of sight, Lara approached the body pulling one knife from her knife magazine. She opened the Jackal's neck. By that time, the body was completely dead. The skin did not close over her blade, revealing the diamond coated titanium chip case, crushed.
She pulled it out, blood already seeping into the object. She ripped out a piece of her shirt, wrapping the blood bathed casing, diamond still clinging on it although some had already mixed with the Jackal's cadaver, like simple shards of glass.
"Lara?" she heard her Chloe call from a distance.
"I'm coming!" she ran over to her cousin's voice just as soon as she pocketed the object.
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Lex and Lara examined the casing. Lex had already had three encounters with the 'magnum force' including this particular thing.
"Come here..." Lex pulled out one of his computers showing Lara two simulations. One was the time when he thought he had hit Clark with his Porsche and went over the railing. "He said that I missed him... that he just went in the water after I crashed into it. Two things: I am pretty sure that I did hit him and... they said that the car roof was pulled up by a MAGNUM force." he said finally showing her snapshots of the totaled vehicle.
He opened another simulation, the breaking into his private jet thousands of feet up in the air. "I still don't know what cost that... It is basically impossible to have that force up in the air especially with no leverage. The only leverage possible is my jet but there are no markings aside from the ruined door."
"Now this. It's fairly small but look at those four dents... like the fingers of one's hands..." Lex fitted his palm on the object showing Lara that it fits the human hand perfectly...
"And you think Clark..."
"It is impossible but unexplicably probable. I cannot tell you how many time he would arrive just in time to save everybody, including me... It's like he knows, first hand... If he has an inhuman strength, how improbable would it be for him to actually FLY?"
"It sound like the rantings of a lunatic... only it doesn't sound crazy since I saw this thing..." she said pointing to the crushed case.
"Good to know, I'm not the only raving lunatic in town..." Lex smirked.
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A/N: I do not know where that Love polygon came from... I swear... I think I have unconscious issues. I have to have my extra cute former psychology professor diagnose me... Please review... please please please... tell me if you like the story, hate the story... if I should seduce my former professor or not... or just to tell me that I am insane, or if you can tell me what's wrong with me... feel free...
A/N part II: This love polygon, I think, is needed because 1.) Clark had a past with Chloe, 2.) Clark has a future with Lois, 3.) There must be a reason for the Superman/Lex fight that goes deeper than the Kryptonian secret... you know... emotions? I mean, Lex doesn't seem to be, like, the type of guy who would play on Clark's difference. So, I'm bringing in the source of all major grudges. Any ideas on how to resolve this when time comes? Like what to do with CHLOE...