Bruce
Chapter 4
Chloe and the Kid entered Luthorcorp through an elevator maintenance hatch and descended quickly. Chloe was nervous, she wasn't scared of hights, but it was a long way down. Once more Chloe was very impressed with the kid's strength and agility, moved like a cat. Chloe was fit but she was still having problems keeping up with him. She was glad she was able to follow his lead and guidance
This thought had just passed through her mind when Chloe lost her footing and started to fall. She didn't have time to scream before the kid grabbed her hand in a strong but surprisingly gentle grip. He then lifted her holding her at arms-length so their faces were level.
"I think I better climb, you hold tight." the kid said kindly
Still using only the strength in one arm the kid then moved Chloe round himself so she could hold onto him round his shoulders. They then continued their descent down Luthorcorp's main elevator shaft.
After about a minute more climbing they had reached the top floor elevator door. The kid swing Chloe over into the doorway inlet then jumped over to join her. Then finding gap between the doors the kid forced them open. After checking no one was in the corridor he helped Chloe through the doorway.
The corridor lighting was very low obviously in night-time power-saving mode, the kid silently indicated to Chloe the direction he wanted to go and they set off in the direction of the front of the building. Bruce knew there would be no guards on this floor because it was not open to anyone but Lionel Luthor, his son and a few of the company's more trusted executives and their secretaries, however it never hurt to be careful.
They soon found Lionel Luthor's office and were about to enter when Chloe grabbed the kid by the arm.
"I just remembered Lex," she said "he was testifying against his father to. If Lionel tried to kill me he may try to kill Lex as well."
"It's OK " said the kid turning and laying he hands on her shoulders "Lex is OK, his father tried to poison him but…"
He didn't finish because Chloe said "Good then he is OK"
The kid looked at her, confused for a moment. It was very rare for him to be confused, Chloe realised. Then just as she was about to explain the kid's face cleared and he said" Lex Luthor was infected in the meteor shower. The rocks enhanced his immune system. Poison would have little or no effect on him"
Just as he finished saying this a soft beeping attracted their attention, The kid remove from his belt what looked to Chloe, like a large beeper. However as she looked at it more closely she saw that it was a small computer. On the screen Chloe saw what looked like Lex's medical report. It confirmed what she had thought.
"After I left the Kent farm I tapped into the emergency services Intranet to find Lex's condition." Said the kid.
"Still after this, I want to see him"
The kid nodded and indicated for Chloe to follow him into Lionel Luthor's office. Once through the door Chloe followed the kid to a large steel door on the far wall. The kid unlocked this as quickly as he had unlocked the door on the roof. Then he opened the door onto a vault with more Kryptonite than Chloe had ever seen. The Kryptonite had been refined and shaped into bars.
Chloe followed the kid into the vault and watched as he walked over to a cupboard on the back wall. From the cupboard he took what looked like a small blowtorch and started to cut several pieces off one of the Kryptonite bars.
"It needs to be cut using a special cutter" the kid explained as he worked "because of it's radioactivity."
Once the kid had cut five two centimetre cubes, he put one in a small lead box and handed it to Chloe. He than put the other four cubes into a compartment of his belt. Chloe guessed this was lead lined.
"Why four cubes?" Chloe asked.
"One each for the Kents, one for me and one spare, if I am right Clark is extremely powerful and is being controlled by someone very evil. There is no knowing what he will do."
As the kid was talking he had put the torch away and closed the cupboard; he then walked out of the vault and after waiting till Chloe had joined him, closed and locked the vault door. They then made their way back the way they had come.
They had taken about ten steps when alarms started to go off. Grabbing Chloe by the arm Bruce leaped across the hall and into an office. From the doorway he was able to see without being seen. Then Bruce checked the corridor in both directions. Sure there was no one there he turned to Chloe.
"I don't like that was us" he said "something else must be wrong, and knowing Lionel Luthor like I do I think we should look into it. Now the last time I was here I discovered a series of laboritories in the basement of the building. I think we should start there."
Chloe, still a little shocked nodded and they made their way back to the elevator shaft and down to the basement.
"The last time I was here Luthor was developing a serum that could increases intelligence and co-ordination. It also caused insanity." Bruce explained to Chloe as they descended "Unfortunately I was unable to get any evidence out."
Chloe considered this, then after a moment said, "That could make someone very dangerous couldn't it"
"I am afraid it could," said Bruce as they reached the first of three possible floors and he immediately started to force open the door. As he did so they could hear two panicked security guards talking over each other, probably into radios "… escaped. I don't know how." Next came as hissing sound then two sets of mad laughter. Then came the voice of the other guard saying: He's got John some sort of laughing gas, it also seems to paralyse. He made it himself, send back up."
The sight that met their eye on the other side of the door was unbelievable. The guard just said back-up just as the door opened.
As Chloe watch several things happened at once. First the escapee, a scary looking teenager with white skin, green hair and a permanent grin on his face, sprayed the guard with his gas, both laughed madly then the guard slumped to the floor. Secondly, as this was happening, the kid ran towards the fight putting on one of his breathing masks as he did so. When the kid was in range he leapt at the madman feet first and kicked him in the face. The escapee went sprawling backwards, while the kid rolled in mid air to stop himself. He landed beside the guards and checked if they were OK.
As the kid took from his belt what looked like some sort of anti-venom and injected some into each guard, Chloe saw that the escapee was wakening up. She shouted a warning but it was too late. The escapee had one of the guards' guns.
Bruce heard Chloe's warning and saw the escapee aim the gun at her. He knew he had a choice, either to stop the escapee or save Chloe. He made the only choice and knocked Chloe out of the bullet's path. As the bullet hit where her head would have been, the escapee climbed up the elevator shaft and out into the Metropolis night laughing all the way.
"Thanks" said Chloe as the kid helped her up "how many time have you saved my life since we met. Never mind" she continued "how or what was that?"
"The name on the cell says 'Jack Naiper'" the kid answered " and I think he's.."
"A Kryptonite mutant" Chloe finished for him
"Very good but we should leave to" said the kid.
The guards were too preoccupied with the escaping Kryptonite mutant to worry about them, so they were able to simply sneak out the main door. Bruce had hoped to have caught the laughing lunatic but he was long gone, so he and Chloe got back into his car and headed back to the Kent farm.
As they drove Bruce concerned about Chloe asked, "Are you OK"
"Yeah I'm just worried about my friends, Lex and the Kents but mostly about Clark. Are you sure this won't hurt him."
"Yes" replied the kid "you've seen Clark's reaction to Kryptonite, it weakens him. Long term exposure will kill but I will not expose him to it for that long. Just long enough to purge Zod's influence from his mind.
"How do we do that?" asked Chloe
"With the ship and the spirit of the real Jor El"
As the car stopped at the Kent's farmhouse and Bruce and Chloe got out the Kents came out to meet them.
"Chloe there's been reports about the explosion at your safehouse on TV" said Jonathan "they're saying a High Court witness and her father were killed, but no details of names yet"
"That's good news" said the kid but raised his hand as he saw questioning look from Chloe and the Kents, to stop questions "let go inside to talk"
They all nodded and went inside. Once they got into the farmhouse, Martha asked, "Why is it good news if the police think Chloe and her father are dead. Lionel Luthor knows better."
"Because if the police think I am dead they won't look for me" answered Chloe "and won't lead Luthor to me or my father."
"That's right," said the kid "Now Kryptonite"
As he spoke he handed a cube of the growing green rocks to Jonathan and Martha. They however were both reluctant to take them.
"Clark's not your son anymore and you know as well as I do that short term exposure to this stuff will do no permanent damage at all.
"OK" said Martha as she and Jonathan took the Kryptonite "How do you intend to find Clark?"
"At the Indian caves," the kid answered "they are where Zod's hold on Clark comes from. I will bring Clark back to you Mrs Kent, I promise."
As he spoke the kid got up and walked to the door, so did Chloe.
"No Chloe it's too dangerous, " said the kid "you stay hear"
"No, I want to come" replied Chloe as she opened the door and walked out the kid followed her out and was about to reply when a beam of intense heat shot towards them apparently out of nowhere.
Bruce leaped sideways at Chloe knocking her over, his momentum taking both of them out of the beam's path and behind the car.
The Kents having felt the heat from inside came out as Bruce and Chloe peered over the top of the car. All three watched as Clark rose over the farmhouse. He was wearing a skin-tight black suit with a white S on to front. As they watched his eyes started to grow bright red. His face was expressionless as his gaze turned to his adopted parents.
"This is the price of crossing me Kent" Clark said in Zod's cold hard voice.
Then suddenly another beam of glowing red heat shot out of his eyes and towards the Kents.
TBC