EVENING
Clark walked down a trail in Smallville Cemetery. The moon was full and bright, so he needed no flashlight to see.
His mind was not on his task at hand, however. It was on Lana.
She had given him that look. Clark didn't even know if Lana knew she had a particular look she gave him, when she thought he was lying. But it hurt him. He knew that Lana thought he was too secretive....that he kept things from her. And there were times when he wondered if he had made the right decision in not keeping his distance from her.
The problem was, he couldn't stay away from Lana. He didn't think he ever would be able to.
Still seeing nothing, Clark reached into his pocket. He was going to call the farm and see if Lois had improved at all. The sooner she awoke, and told them anything about what happened here, the sooner they could find out who was responsible for all of this mayhem.
Clark was just about to call home, when he heard a noise up a ways. He put his cellphone back into his jacket pocket and hurried up the trail. What he found when he got there, was the last thing he expected to see.
Connor, mysterious Connor with no last name, had just back handed something....some person....with fangs and a face that didn't look too wonderful! Clark stood back watching as Connor took on three of these things, which he was going to assume were vampires. Clark knew he should jump in, but for some reason, sensed just from what he was seeing, that Connor, for whatever reason, was more than capable of handling them.
Clark's eyes widened, as Connor leaped up high into the air, landing on top of headstone! He then brought up a wooden stake and flung it into the heart of one of the vamps. Clark's mouth dropped open, as the creature turned to dust! One, of the two that were left, ran off, while the one remaining, ran to a headstone, pulled it up out of the dirt and proceeded to fling it at Connor, who had just jumped down to the ground.
Instinct took over, as Clark, at lightening speed, moved between Connor and the oncoming headstone, as it hit him and disintegrated on contact with his body. Clark then moved away just as quickly and hid behind a tree.
The vamp seemed stunned, not realizing that he had just been foiled by someone, or something, that moved faster than most vamps did.
Connor, however, was not that stunned. He brought up another stake and flung it into the heart of the beleaguered vamp! There was a dramatic pause, and for a moment, both Connor, and Clark, who was watching, thought maybe he had missed the heart.
But the vampire disintegrated with a howl, soon enough. Connor sighed, then looked around. He stared right at the tree Clark was standing behind.
"You know, if you hadn't interfered, the other one might not have gotten away!" Connor called out, somewhat irritated. From his count, not many vamps had been made yet. If he could kill them all, then there would be no need for the citizens of Smallville to be relegated behind doors, when the sun came down.
Galled, Clark came out from behind the tree. He walked up to Connor.
"What are you?"
"I should be asking you that."
"I don't know what you mean. And if you think that I'm not going to tell Chloe about what I saw going on with you...." Clark huffed.
Connor burst out laughing! Clark folded his arms.
"What's funny?"
"What's funny? That you would threaten me like that, when I just saw a concrete headstone break across your very being, and you still look fresh as a daisy here!"
Clark eyed him.
"You saw that?"
"Yeah, Clark, I saw that! I also know that you're not human."
Clark said nothing to that. Connor didn't elaborate. Clark Kent, from day one, never smelled like other humans. But he wouldn't get into the smelling thing now.
"Look, I don't care anything about you, Kent. You're secret is safe with me. I want to know why you're hiding Lois at your parents farm?"
"How the hell do you know that?! And how could you have seen me just now and....."
"I'm not going to say anything to anyone, okay? I don't have time for this! Why are you lying to Chloe about Lois?"
Clark stared him down.
"I think you'd better do some explaining, Connor, of your own. From what I saw here, you're not without special talents yourself."
"Kent...."
"These murders happened around the time that you arrived! I'm not telling you anything! And if you go near the farm...."
Connor nodded.
"I see. So this is your way of saying you think I've been killing people? You think I made those vamps over there, just so I could slay them?"
"I don't know! I don't know anything about you! And apparently neither does Chloe!"
Connor walked up to him.
"That's the real problem here, isn't it, Kent? You don't know what, or who, you want. Is it Lana? Or is it MY girlfriend? Or even her cousin? You must be awfully fond of Lois to go out of your way like this for her."
"Chloe and Lois are my friends, especially Chloe. I won't stand by and watch you hurt her."
"Coming from someone that has, many times over!"
"Is that what Chloe told you?"
"She didn't have to. Look, I'm going back to the dorms to wait for Chloe. She has an evening class, and I don't want her out here alone."
"Oh, how noble of you!"
Connor smiled patiently at him.
"Lana probably needs protecting too. But then of course you've got Lois stashed at the farm as well. Who do you got to? Lana? Or Lois? Clark, when I see Chloe, I'm going to tell her that you had her cousin out your family's farm and let her suffer from worry."
"That's not how it was! Lois is sick!"
Connor clenched his jaw.
"Sick how?"
Clark took a deep breath.
"She was bitten. I found her at Lex's place."
"I knew it!"
Clark didn't respond to that, since he was still unsure of how Connor figured that one out!
"Anyway," Clark continued reluctantly, "I took her from Lex's and my parents are taking care of her now. She has antibiotics to keep away infection."
"So, she survived the attack....probably from one of the vamps I dealt with tonight. That other one could be heading to the university as well."
"Then I'm going with you!" Clark snapped. "You know more, much more than you're telling. You should go to the police."
"And tell them about tonight?"
But Clark was not about to be threatened. Not by the likes of Connor with no last name!
"Tell whoever you want, Connor! No one will believe you. But maybe they will listen to me, when I point out that these murders began happening, when you showed up here."
Clark turned and walked off. Connor watched him. That was the second time Clark had pointed that out. And it was not something lost on him either, making him wonder if he himself, was the key to this thing?
Angelus stuffed the dead professor in the closet, then adjusted the spectacles he had stolen off of the man. It was too bad he couldn't see his reflection, because he was sure that he looked quite distinguished!
A few students began to filter in, and it was all Angelus could do to keep from slaughtering them right at this moment! But, he knew to bide his time. He would get a full class, and a full stomach, soon enough.
These universities were priceless! Especially the ones that offered, 'night classes'. Angelus grinned, sitting down behind the desk and looking over his predecessor's things. What was this class about anyway? He figured he would go into the lesson plan a little, to put everyone at ease, and then....well, some would be dead before they knew it. Others would be pleading for mercy.
Angelus looked over to his right. There were windows. They pushed outward. He might have to let a few go....that is if any of his victims could quell their shaking hands long enough to get the latches undone.
He got up and looked out. He then grinned again! The drop was quite high, so any 'jumper's' would die anyway. Perfect!
Angelus sat back down again and glanced over the lesson plan, before his eyes fell upon the magnificent ring, that had rescued him from the hell he had been living in, once again. The hell where he 'cared about people and life' and drank that crappy pigs blood!
But still, that thing, the one that had brought him the ring, once it slipped it onto his finger, he knew why he was in Smallville. He knew what his purpose was.
His kid! That damned kid that Darla didn't stake at birth! Oh, yeah, she staked herself before she could do that. And 'Angel' was too busy sucking up to the snotty little bastard, to have done the deed himself!
But then again, Connor(Connor, Jesus, what kind of name was that anyway?! If he had had a say, and had decided NOT to stake the lad, he would've named him something strong, like Promotheous...or Duke)wasn't really of pure vampire stock, for reasons he had yet to figure out.
Nope! Angelus figured his boy needed to be taught a lesson in manners and respect. First, he would kill that girl that his son was wasting his time with. The shaggy haired blonde. Then, he would kill Connor, and anyone else that got in his way. Then, he was going to go look up Drusilla! That damned Spike! No, correction! He was going back to L.A. to kill Spike, then he would look up Dru!
Wait! Angelus came up with a better idea! Beat the hell out of Spike, force him to come along with him and find Dru and then he and Drusilla could torture Spike together....and force him to watch them have sex! Now that sounded like his idea of pure pleasure!
But he first had to get the annoying little stuff out of the way.
Chloe was about to walk into her 'Science For Everybody' class, when she saw Lana walking up.
"Lana? I thought you dropped this class?"
Lana sighed.
"I didn't get a chance yet. That and I have found myself without anything to do tonight."
"Oh.....Lana, I'm sorry about earlier...."
Other kids began to move past them to enter the room. Chloe moved out of the way. Lana smiled at her.
"It's okay. I know you were just worried about Lois. Did you find her at Lex's?"
"No. Connor said she wasn't there anymore. I know, it doesn't make any sense to me either, how he would know anything about this. But I trust him, Lana. I trust him more than I've ever trusted any guy. His coming into my life.....he has almost become my life."
"Chloe, I didn't realize how deeply you felt about him."
Chloe shrugged, lowering her voice and looking around.
"I guess once we began sleeping together....well....it just changed things. Connor made my first time everything I could've dreamed of."
Lana was oddly touched by that. She looked down.
"Well, let's hope that Clark can perform the same kind of magic on me."
"Clark and you haven't...."
"It's complicated. There never seems to be a right time....I don't know. I think we should just make plans to go ahead and get it over with."
Chloe touched her arm.
"Lana, you can't think of it like that. Clark and you love one another. He probably just wants to make sure it's right....like Connor did for me."
Lana nodded. "I guess we'd better get in there."
Chloe nodded. They walked in and found seats. Angelus watched them from his desk, trying hard to keep from laughing! He had overheard their whole conversation from inside the room! His eyes fell upon Lana. Whoever this ponce was, that this beauty was dating, obviously didn't know how to please her!
Change in plans! Angelus decided that he would turn the enchanting brunette, into a vampire, one that would belong to him. He would skip hunting down Dru( though he did so want to torture Spike!) and spend time schooling his newest vampiress in the ways of love!
Lana glanced up at the front. The professor smiled at her. Lana smiled back. He was cute. Lana looked over at Chloe.
"Is that the professor?"
"No. If he had looked like that I would've come to every lecture." she answered.
Lana nodded and sat down. Angelus stood up.
"I'm Mr. Angelus. I'm subbing for....for...."
"Todd. Todd Michaels." a student called out. "We usually call him Todd."
"And you'll call me, Mr. Angelus." Angelus said tartly. "Now, I see from 'Todd's' notes, you've been learning about molecules?"
"Yeah!" another student called out.
Angelus was beginning to feel ravenous! That and that brunette with the cat like eyes....he decided to speed things along!
"Well, we're not going to be talking about that, this evening. Tonight, we're going to discuss biology."
"Biology?" Another student called out. "We have an exam next week on molecules."
Angelus realized he would have to kill the know-it-all first! Angelus licked his lips.
"Yes, well tonight there's been a change in plans. We're going to talk about biology....mating rituals."
Chloe looked at Lana and mouthed 'mating rituals' to Lana. Lana shrugged.
"That's right, kiddies! Mating rituals between humans....and vampires."
The know-it-all student stood up and began packing up his things! Lana glanced back at him.
"Now where do you think you're off to?" Angelus asked slyly. Chloe frowned. Was it her imagination or did Mr. Angelus just use an Irish brogue?
"I'm leaving and in the morning, I'm going to the administration to report you! I need this class towards my major, and we're all paying good money to learn about molecules! This deviant shit...."
"Deviant shit? My, now I am going to have to insist that you apologize."
"Oh for what?! For swearing?"
"No, for insulting your classmates....and yourself."
Chloe now felt on edge, as did many of the other students. What the hell was this guy talking about?!
The rebel student looked around, then turned and reached for the doorknob. Angelus shot over there, and grabbed his arm.
His hand was left clutching the knob....seperate from his arm, of course.
Everyone began to scream and scramble from their desks! A few male students threw desks at the teacher, but he deflected them off easily. Chloe and Lana clung to one another, over by the closet.
"Chloe! In here! Maybe he won't notice that we're...." Lana trailed off as she reached for the knob.
But as Lana whipped open the closet door, the body of their real teacher fell out! People really began crying and wailing then! Angelus grinned over at them, then turned back to the student who was without a hand. Grabbing him up the by chin, he threw him towards a window, for which he crashed through, and down onto the ground to his death!
Girls sank to the floor, in hysterics! Some boys did too, but a few, still tried to reason with him.
"Hey, dude, we don't want any trouble, okay?"
Angelus threw up his hands!
"Hey, 'dude', I was just trying to get the little bastard to apologize! You see, when I said that the class was about mating between vampires and humans, I assumed he was referring to humans as 'deviants'! I mean, surely, he wasn't referring to me!"
It was then that Angelus revealed his vamp face! Chloe began to shake!
"Oh my God! That's the thing that's been killing people!" she screamed.
Tears of fright began to stream down Lana's cheeks.
Connor and Clark were just walking up to the science building, when a student's body came crashing down onto the ground, a few feet away! Horrified, they both ran to the now dead college student!
Connor could see no bite marks on him. Clark looked up towards the window.
"I can hear screams!" Clark shouted, racing away and into the building. Meanwhile, Connor sensed Chloe, and Lana were inside and.....and someone else.
Connor jumped up, until he caught on to the ledge of the windows, outside of the room. He then hoisted himself up onto it and looked in.
He wanted to die right there and then.
Angelus was advancing on Chloe and Lana, who were huddled in a corner. All of the other students were either quivering in other corners of the room, or on the floor, in the fetal ball position.
Connor crashed through a window, just as Clark burst into the room! Angelus didn't know which way to turn, but grinned when he saw his son leaping towards him!
"Hello, son! So nice to...."
That was all he got out, as Connor knocked him to the ground and began punching him! Why was Angel doing this?! Why?! What had happened to him?! Wesley had to have known what was going on!
"Son?!" Chloe screeched. Clark hurried over to the two of them, just as students began to hurry out of the now open door. Clark had been careful not to break it in too violently, lest he cause any suspicion.
"You two get out of here!" Clark yelled. But Lana wouldn't let him go!
"No! Clark, you come with us!"
Chloe ignored both of them and focused in on Connor!
"Connor! Connor!" she screamed.
Connor stopped beating on his father, long enough to look back at Chloe. It was also long enough for Angelus to recover, knock Connor back, pick him up and throw him through the last bunch of unbroken windows!
"CONNOR!" Chloe screamed. Angelus advanced upon her, but Clark tried to shove him, back, when he suddenly felt ill! Ill, like how he felt whenever he ran into.....
The vampire was wearing a Kryptonite ring.
"Chloe, Lana, get out of here!" Clark yelled again, grabbing them both, harder than he intended to. Angelus grabbed Clark and threw him back into a wall!
"CLARK!" Lana screamed, as she was shoved out of the door, along with Chloe, by two male students, who had grabbed the girls, while Angelus was closing in on Clark. Once out of the door, Chloe began to run down the stairs in tears, hurrying to get outside to Connor! Oh God! Don't let him be dead!
Another student grabbed Lana's arm and began to pull her towards a downstairs exit!
"My boyfriend...."
"It's too late! He saved us and he wouldn't want you going back in there and getting killed!" the male student cried, pulling a struggling Lana down the stairs as well. Lana was now sobbing.
Meanwhile, Clark was struggling to stand up. He needed to make sure Lana and Chloe were alright....and Connor.... there was no way that guy had survived that fall! He had to get away from this creature....
"So you're the one that isn't giving that lovely enchantress what she needs!" Angelus crowed, closing in on him.
"What?" Clark asked weakly, trying to overcome the sickness that was enveloping him.
"Your virgin girlfriend? I heard her talking before class! How long do you think a girl like that is going to wait to be satisfied? Well, I'm here to let you know, that I would be happy to do the honors. To be her first. And I promise, I will be 'gentle'!" Angelus almost sneered with glee.
Clark was momentarily stunned when the vampire leaped down upon him! But Angelus howled and stumbled back! He was now bleeding....from the mouth! Angelus screeched, unable to believe what had just happened! This....this...THING...that certainly didn't SMELL human, had just broken his fang! He had tried to bite him on his neck, and his fang broke off! Christ! He had to find a dentist and fast! This could ruin his smile!
Angelus turned and ran out of the room! Clark, feeling much stronger, jumped up and hurried after him, but then stopped, and ran in the other direction. He had to make sure Lana was safe! And.....he wanted to know why that monster had called Connor, 'son'!
Angelus hurried out of a fire exit and ran across the lawn of the darkened campus! Jesus, the pain from his fang! He stopped suddenly and leaned against a tree, changing his face back to normal. Who, or what, had he broken his fang on?! He had sensed that that boy was holding back in unleashing his full power on him. And even now, with this maddening pain from his mouth, Angelus found the whole idea of facing off with that being again, fascinating! He wanted to know more and.....
A dart hit him in the back of the neck! Angelus dropped onto the grass with a thud, as Lilah, and two Wolfram & Hart henchmen walked over to his body.
"Pick him up and take him to Mr. Luthor." Lilah ordered them. Both henchmen grabbed one of Angelus's arms and dragged him off. Lilah pulled out her cellphone. She had plans of her own. First, she was going to call Lex and give him an update. Then she was going to do a little more snooping. She was getting the same feeling she had before about Lex's involvement in this thing. It just didn't make any sense. There was something else going on here. Someone more personal. And Lilah meant to find out just what that was.
Lex hung up his cellphone and knocked on the Kent Farmhouse door. Lilah had just given him the update on Angelus. Lex was quite pleased.
Martha opened the door.
"Uh, Lex....Clark isn't here."
"I know. I'm here to see how Lois is."
Martha eyed the barn. Jonathan was out there. She didn't know how to quite handle this.
"Mrs. Kent, I know that your family must have your doubts about me. But you must believe me when I tell you, I rescued Lois from a killer. I didn't know what, or who, we were dealing with. I took her back to my mansion for her own safety. By keeping Lois here, you're endangering your own lives."
"Lex, I don't know what you're talking about, I'm sorry." Martha said firmly. She then noticed that his eyes moved past her, and focused on something behind her. Martha turned around.
Lois had limped down the stairs in her nightgown. It appeared as if she were still trying to get her bearings. She looked at Martha.
"How did I get here?" she asked. Martha rushed over to her, while Lex opened the screendoor and stepped inside.