STAND BACK
CHAPTER SEVEN-FACE OFF
Elizabeth and Clark pulled up in front of the Luthor Mansion. There were already police cars there with dome lights flashing.
They entered the mansion and found Lionel talking with one of the police officers.
He had shoulder length dark brown hair and a beard. He was blind though and clutched a cane. He was wearing a light brown suit. He had sunglasses on.
Clark stepped up to Lionel and gently took his elbow.
"Who's that?" Lionel asked not looking directly at Clark.
"It's me, Mr. Luthor. Clark," Clark said.
"Oh. Hi Clark," Lionel said. "Who is that with you?"
"My name is Elizabeth Reyes, Mr. Luthor. I'm new here to Smallville," Elizabeth said softly.
"Hello my dear," Lionel said. "I like your voice. Very soothing."
"Thank you," Elizabeth said.
"What happened?" Clark asked as he led Lionel over to a couch and gently sat him down.
"I don't know. I was in the hallway when I heard Lex talking to a woman. Then there was crashing and silence. I felt someone pass me in a hurry but I could tell it wasn't Lex. When I called his name there was no answer," Lionel said.
"Are you sure that he wasn't in another part of the house?" Clark asked as he gently held onto Mr. Luthor's elbow and they walked back into Lex's office.
"No. I had someone check the entire mansion. He's not here," Mr. Luthor replied.
Elizabeth suddenly froze when she entered the office.
"Liz?" Clark asked watching her.
"What's going on? Is she okay?" Mr. Luthor asked.
He could tell by Clark's tone as it changed to concern.
Even though he was blind, his other senses were sharper.
Elizabeth was able to pick up two scents.
One was Lex and the other was Mrs. Travis'.
"Mrs. Travis was here," Elizabeth said looking at Clark. "I got Lex's scent and hers."
"Scent? What is she talking about?" Mr. Luthor asked.
Clark didn't answer him.
"Mrs. Travis?" Clark asked startled. "Do you think she was the one who took Lex?"
"Mrs. Travis? Please tell me what's going on," Mr. Luthor said.
Clark hesitated.
How was he going to explain to Mr. Luthor that his son was kidnapped by a werewolf and probably was being held prisoner?
Finally, Elizabeth spoke up.
"Mrs. Travis is a teacher at Smallville high. She took Lex because she wants money,"
Clark looked at her gratefully.
Mr. Luthor turned to where Elizabeth was standing.
He reached for her shoulder. Elizabeth made sure that his hand reached the shoulder.
Even though he wouldn't mean anything if he missed. Elizabeth felt sorry for him and started to like the Luthor family right away. She sensed something about them…that they were good…but then there was something dark about them. Who didn't have that?
"Do you think he is alright?" Mr. Luthor asked her leaning close.
Elizabeth looked at Clark.
"I'm positive. Don't worry. We'll get him back safe and sound," Clark said.
Mr. Luthor released Elizabeth's shoulder and began walking toward the door. He had a walking stick that was collapsible.
"I will be waiting to hear from you two," he called over his shoulder.
Once Mr. Luthor was out of ear shot, Elizabeth stepped up to Clark and stood in front of him.
"How are we going to find Lex?" she asked sounding hopeless.
Clark didn't reply right away and that was making Elizabeth nervous.
"Clark?" she repeated more shrilly.
Clark raised his eyes to hers.
"I can think of only one way," he replied.
Elizabeth picked up on his expression.
She knew what that meant.
She was going to have to change into a wolf and track him down that way.
She sighed.
"I'll do it,"
(Background music plays: Love Spit Love-How Soon is Now?)
"Where do I start?" Elizabeth asked.
Clark scanned the room and found one of Lex's shirts on the back of the chair.
He went over to it and picked it up.
"This would be good,"
Elizabeth nodded.
"I'm able to control the transformation now,"
Clark nodded and smiled.
"Let's get going,"
Clark turned around and Mr. Luthor was standing at the doorway.
As Clark turned to look at Elizabeth, she had already changed into the wolf.
"Is there a dog in here?" Mr. Luthor asked.
"She's Elizabeth's dog," Clark replied swiftly. "Elizabeth was training her for Search and Rescue."
"Ahh, then proceed," Mr. Luthor replied as he disappeared again.
Clark breathed a sigh of relief. The wolf stepped over to Clark and sniffed at the shirt.
"Got the scent?" Clark asked.
The wolf looked up at him with those haunting eyes and then trotted over to the doorway. The paws bouncing over the polished floor in rhythm. The wolf looked back at Clark.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Clark said and hurried after the wolf.
SMALLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Lex moaned and groggily opened his eyes. His vision was blurry for a moment before it cleared.
He was tied and gagged to a chair in the basement of some building. It took him a few minutes to realize that it was the high school basement.
A woman by the name of Mrs. Travis came to him earlier asking him about Elizabeth Reyes.
He had asked her why she wanted to know about Liz and she told him that he was her relative. Of course, Lex didn't believe it and ordered the security to come and take her out of the house. At that moment, she lunged at him with a syringe needle and inserted it into his shoulder.
After ten minutes, he was out cold and he just woke up here in the basement.
He looked around. There was a window that led out of the basement and a staircase. Old desks and things were also stored in the basement.
Just then, the door to the basement opened and someone was coming down the stairs.
He looked.
It was the woman.
"Why am I here? What do you want with me?" Lex demanded.
The woman reached the bottom step and came over to him.
"You're the bait for Elizabeth," the woman smirked. "Plus, I'm going to kill your father."
"Bait? What do you want with Elizabeth? She's just a normal girl," Lex snarled. "Leave my father alone."
"She's not normal," Mrs. Travis said sharply. "She's a werewolf…just like me."
Lex looked at the woman with a mixture of pity and fear.
She's definitely snapped, Lex thought.
"Think I'm crazy?" the woman asked as if reading his mind. "Then take a look."
She dropped to her hands and knees and to Lex's horror, she began changing.
Her whole body seemed to lengthen and red/brown fur began growing all over her body; her hands and feet changed into huge paws with deadly nails that curled under. Her ears grew and tapered off into points. Her nose and jaw pulled forward into a snout. White canines and incisors slid down under violet lips. A tail grew as well. The woman had disappeared and all that remained was a reddish/brown wolf.
Lex leaned back in the chair, not taking his eyes off the wolf. The wolf snarled at him. Thick clear saliva dripped from the bottom jaw. It took several steps toward him. Lex struggled to get free of the ropes binding him to the chair. His wrists were tied behind him and his ankles were tied as well.
Just as the wolf was 2 inches from him, something jumped through the basement window and landed gracefully on all fours. Another wolf.
This wolf jumped in front of him and arched its back, snarling at the reddish/brown wolf.
A few seconds later, Clark appeared on the stairs. He jumped over the railing and rushed over to Lex.
"Clark?" Lex asked confused. "What's going on?"
Clark began untying Lex.
"I can't get these ropes loose," Clark replied.
"Is that other wolf Elizabeth?" Lex asked alarmed.
Clark hesitated. "Yes,"
Lex watched in amazement as the black wolf challenged the reddish/brown. The red/brown wolf suddenly turned and tore up the stairs.
"Clark, Mrs. Travis…the woman that brought me here. She drugged me…she wants to kill my father too!" Lex said urgently.
"Liz, work on these ropes," Clark said to the black wolf. "I'm going after Mrs. Travis."
As if it understood, the black wolf came over to Lex as Clark vanished up the stairs.
Lex braced himself as the black wolf walked around to the back of the chair and he felt the sharp teeth chewing on the ropes.
Three minutes later, the ropes slid off of Lex's wrists and he was able to untie the ropes around his ankles.
The black wolf sat on its haunches beside him on the chair and watched him.
"Thank you," Lex said wondering if the wolf knew what he was saying.
Although, it did when Clark asked it to untie him.
Lex got up off the chair and stretched for a minute before crouching down in front of the black wolf.
It watched his every move. Lex slowly extended his hand to touch the wolfs head.
Lex's fingers touched the soft fur on top of the head. The wolf lowered its head as he stroked the fur. He scratched an ear and suddenly, the wolf turned and tore up the stairs in the direction Clark had gone to.
Lex followed immediately.
LUTHOR MANSION
Lionel was sitting in the office of Lex listening to the TV when suddenly he sensed something else was in the room with him.
"Clark? Elizabeth?" he called feeling for his walking stick and he got to his feet.
He heard growling.
"Clark? Is that Elizabeth's dog? I don't think she likes me very much," Lionel continued as he carefully took several steps toward the sound.
Just then, something huge, hairy and strong leapt onto him, knocking him onto his back. The walking stick went flying. Lionel was now frightened. He didn't know where this thing was or where it was coming from. He heard more growling coming from the side of him. He turned his head trying to pin point the sound.
Suddenly, he heard glass breaking and sensed another dog in the room. This one however came over to him and stood in front of him as if protecting him.
He reached out to feel the dog. The fur felt soft and silky. The dog was snarling now.
Clark also reached the Luthor Mansion. Elizabeth was standing in front of Mr. Luthor snarling at the red/brown wolf. Mr. Luthor had reached out to feel Elizabeth but she didn't even turn around. She just continued growling at the other wolf.
Clark rushed over to Mr. Luthor.
"Mr. Luthor…are you alright?" Clark asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Mr. Luthor replied. "What's going on?"
Clark wasn't sure how to explain this, but he said, "One of the dogs is rogue and the other one is Elizabeth's dog. She's protecting you,"
Mr. Luthor nodded.
The red/brown wolf leaped at the black wolf. Both wolves began fighting.
Snarls, whelps and yips erupted in pain every once and a while.
The wolves rolled in front of Clark and Mr. Luthor and just then, the black wolf pinned the red/brown wolf and clamped its jaws around the other wolfs' throat. A red liquid sprayed across Mr. Luthor's and Clark's faces.
Clark wiped his face. Blood stained his index, middle and fourth finger.
Clark looked up.
The red/brown wolf was lifeless and it just stayed there. The black wolf shook itself as if shaking water from its fur before walking over to Clark and Mr. Luthor.
Lex appeared shortly and froze in the doorway when he saw the scene in front of him.
Clark and his father were sitting on the floor with red liquid across their faces. A black wolf that was sitting in front of them and a red/brown wolf that suddenly vanished and a woman's body appeared nude.
Clark shyly looked away and kept his eyes on the black wolf. Lex grabbed a throw cover and covered the woman's body with it.
Lex then went over to where Clark and his father were. The black wolf to Clark's surprise licked Mr. Luthor's face.
"Well, this dog is obviously friendly," Mr. Luthor replied smiling.
"Dad, it's not a dog," Lex said. "It's a wolf."
"A wolf? That's impossible," Mr. Luthor said as Clark and Lex helped him get to his feet. Lex went and got his walking stick and handed it to him.
"Wolves don't exist here in Kansas," Mr. Luthor continued.
"They do now," Lex replied.
That was all that was said.
The black wolf looked at Clark meaningfully. Clark looked outside. The moon was starting to rise. Clark didn't understand what Elizabeth was saying because normally she changes at night anyway. But because she changed during the day, maybe she changes back to human form at night. It might depend on when she changes.
"Call the police," Clark said to Lex.
Lex nodded and left the office.
Clark and the black wolf hurried out of the mansion.
KENT FARM. THE NEXT MORNING.
Elizabeth woke up in her room this time instead of the barn. She quickly got dressed and hurried downstairs.
Mr. and Mrs. Kent were up eating breakfast. Clark was also up.
"Morning, Elizabeth," Mrs. Kent said brightly.
"Morning," Elizabeth said as she sat down at the table.
"I hear you saved Lex and Mr. Luthor," Mr. Kent said peering at her over the newspaper.
Clark gave her a wink before returning to his pancakes and sausage.
Elizabeth blushed and shrugged.
"I was just protecting them,"
Mr. Kent folded the paper and handed it to her.
In a black and white picture was Lex, Mr. Luthor and a black dog.
Elizabeth looked worried.
"How'd they get this picture? Clark and I left before hand," she asked looking up at Mr. Kent.
"It's okay Liz," Clark said. "I gave them a picture Chloe fixed for me. While you were upstairs in your room last night, she came over and she faked a photo."
Elizabeth relaxed. "So that's a black lab?"
Clark grinned and nodded.
"I told you no one would find out about you," Clark said.
Elizabeth got up and walked around to the other side of the table where Clark was sitting. She gave him a kiss right on the lips.
When she pulled back, Clark was speechless as Liz sat back down. Mr. and Mrs. Kent hid grins and pretended to be interested in their food.
"What happens now?" Elizabeth asked. "What's going to happen to me?"
Mrs. Kent cleared her throat.
"We're going to take you in,"
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Really," Mr. Kent said. "This means no more kissing Clark. It would be like kissing your brother."
Elizabeth, Mrs. Kent and Mr. Kent laughed. Only Clark was still in shock.