Nine.
Sensory Deprivation/Hypnosis Subject #17
Supervising Physician: Kimball, J
Subject: Kent, Clark J.
Age: approx 15 years
Sex: M
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Physical Weakness: Meteor Rock
Emotional Weakness: Mother, Father, Friends
Notes--
Day 1: Subject acquired; deduced a course of action from the files appropriated from LL, found physical weakness; subject taken from home, the central place of security----K
Day 2: Subject introduced to the 'tomb'; trial and error found the correct dosage of the sedative/hypno drugs; are believing that repeatedly purging central perceived constant - the parents - will bring results quickly----K
Day 3: Introduced a 'safety zone' -- a hospital; Subject did well ; already confessing to meteor rock as weakness----K
Day 4: Subject distraught after brief session; taking a 24 hr break----K
Day 5: Brought Subject back to 'safety zone'; Subject weakened after session; possible side effect of constant meteor rock exposure----K
Day 6: Subject introduced to another 'comfort'-- local teen hang out -- used betrayal of solid friendships to further weaken Subject; Subject broke through hypnotic trance; increased sedative----K
Day 7: Brought Subject back to 'safety zone'; Subject exhausted----K
Day 8: Another familiar 'comfort' destroyed; LL friendship spoiled; Subject weakened----K
Day9: Brought Subject back to 'safety zone'; vital signs erratic; still no answer to central question; am growing impatient----K
Day 10: Subject mental break at 6:43 pm, twice as long as any other subject; fascinating results----K
Lex Luthor's stomach roiled in his gut. He sat at his desk, eyes wide, fixed on the computer screen before him. He tapped his finger against his thumb, his teeth ground together to keep from smashing the computer screen. 'files appropriated from LL' -- "My fault," he mumbled. "My files, my fault."
Grabbing his cordless, he furiously made calls, redeeming every marker and favor owed him. Once his rescue plan was set and in motion, he dialed a final number. Brrrt, brrrt. "Mrs. Kent?… I found something…I'll be out in a few minutes."
The drive to the Kent farm was the longest of his life. When his best friend went missing ten days ago, he spared no expense from private investigators to mobsters in Metropolis to find him. He spent a lot of time standing, thinking, in that secret room; the room that held the pieces of the puzzle that was Clark Kent, hoping a few of those pieces would fit together and tell him where Clark had disappeared to.
A routine security check early yesterday brought the results that his computer had been hacked nearly two months ago . Calling a professional from Metropolis, he discovered that all of his files had been downloaded. Including the files on Clark. Doing a reverse hack and hacking the hacker, brought the files of a Dr Roger Kimball on Subject #17 at the Gale Institute of Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. It took nearly a full day to get enough information to find Clark.
As he pulled in the drive, Jonathan and Martha Kent rushed down the steps to meet him. Jonathan looked haggard, older. Martha's eyes were red, her features tired.
Lex stood to face them. Sucking in a breath, he blurted, "I found him."
Martha turned burying her face in Jonathan's chest, his arms held her as she shook with silent tears.
Jonathan cleared his throat, holding tightly to his emotions. "Where?"
"We found him in Chicago, Illinois at the Gale Institute of Psychology." Hands in trench coat pockets.
Head cocked, "How did he get to Chicago?"
Lex looked anywhere but at the Kents, his toe scuffed the dirt. "Someone hacked into my computer…" Martha pulled away from Jonathan. " Since the day that Clark saved my life, I have kept detailed files on him. Anything I learn, anything I suspect is in those files."
Jonathan pulled his shoulders back to stand at his full height. Squaring his jaw, he pulled back a fist and popped Lex flat in the mouth.
Lex landed on his butt in the dirt, stunned. Nodding, he spat blood onto the ground. "I deserved that," he agreed, getting to his feet. "But we don't have time for this. I have a team headed to Chicago right now to get Clark out."