Experiment 001

Chapter 18: Where to Look?

Chloe, Lex and Pete rode in Lex's car in silence. No one knew what to say. They didn't even have a place to start looking. Both Chloe and Pete knew by the look of determination on Lex's face, that the lack of information would not stop him. His face was steeled into concentration, but his eyes gave away his true feelings. Lex was not frightened or determined.

He was terrified.

It was unmistakeable. Pete couldn't keep his heart from going out to the young man he hated so. Right now, he wasn't Lex Luthor, corporate mogal; he was Alex, a big brother, trying to save his little sister from a bully. Pete frowned at the analogy, it couldn't have been farther from the truth. Frampson wasnot a bully, he was a demented criminal. A demented criminal who was trying to kill his girlfriend.

Chloe looked from Lex to Pete. She felt useless. She racked her brain, trying to think back on the stories that Alley had told her, trying to come up with any useful information to help them figure out where Frampson would have taken her. She could feel the horrible anxiety that filled the car. She wished that there was something she could do about it, but she was too afraid to talk. Lex looked like a completely different person. He had always been so confident, so sure of everything, no matter what the situation. Now his hands were trembling as he gripped the steering wheel so tightly it seemed it was about to snap under his fingers. His eyes were gleaming with hysteria. She hadn't thought that Lex Luthor could have had the capacity to care so much about a person. It made her wonder if she hadn't been wrong about other parts of his personality as well.

Lex could no longer think. His brain seemed to have simply shut down. His quick wit and comprehension of details was wrenched away, leaving him feeling like a scared five year old on the first day of kindergarden. He was nothing without his immense I.Q. His knowledge was all that he was. What good was it, that if he needed it, it promptly vanished, as if he had never had it!

'Where would he take her?'

Where would he think that Lex would not find?

No…Frampson was too cocky. He wouldn't think too much about the place…and it had to be near…

"Experiment 001…" he whispered.

He could feel Chloe and Pete's eyes boring into him. But instantly he knew. Frampson might be an incredibly brilliant scientist, but he was unbelievably dim-witted.

If he wanted to prove that Alli-Oxah was an alien, he needed equipment, of some kind, at the very least. He'd also need a room that could block out all sunlight, and replace it with red-filtered light.

The original complex was still standing, abandoned after Lionel had shut the experiment down. Most of the equipment was left.

That's where they were!

Without any further thought, Lex wipped the car around and floored the accelerator. Chloe and Pete voiced their surprise with yelps, but Lex quickly silenced them.

"They're in a small complex outside Metropolis. Where I found Alley. It's the only possible place." His voice was harsh, quipped, and definitive.

Chloe and Pete didn't seem so sure, and that infuriated the driver, "Frampson would be so stupid as to take her to such an obvious place, would he?" Chloe asked.

"That is theonly possible place," Lex said again, this time through clenched teeth. They could get out right now if they wanted to argue. Lex didn't have time for their doubts, Alley needed him!

"At the very least it's a place to start, Chloe!" Pete said testily.

If he hadn't been so worried, Lex would have smiled, Pete might not be such a bad boyfriend for Alley after all.

Lex nodded, he needed more thoughts like that. Thoughts of the future. They were going to rescue Alley, and then Lex was going to take her on a vacation somewhere. Somewhere tropical. No. Alley hated the outdoors. He'd take her Tokyo, or New York, or maybe Paris. Someplace with lots of shopping. Someplace far away.

Clark opened his eyes. The fire from the Kryptonite in his veins had vanished. He flexed his fingers, staring at them quizzically. He looked up to Alley, who was sitting in the far corner of the room with her knees to her chest, and her head resting on her knees.

"Thanks," he said softly.

Alley didn't so much as flinch, "Don't worry about it."

Clark huffed, "God, this light is bugging me!" He smiled softly in Alley's direction, trying to lighten the mood. She didn't notice.

"I like it. It's calming, reminds me of home."

Clark's smile faded, "You miss Krypton, don't you?"

"Wouldn't you miss your farm? Your mother and father?" She looked up.

Clark lowered his head, and she continued, unshead tears glistening in her eyes. "I don't even know why. My father disowned me. He said that because I sided with the traitorous Jor-El, I was no longer welcome in the House of Oxah. He said he had no children."

Clark watched sadly as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Jor-El took me in. Told me that if Parume refused to acknowledge that he had a brilliant daughter, he would. He told me that if I wanted, I could be Alli-El. His daughter." She laughed bitterly, sobs shaking her body, "He asked for nothing in return…but I told him that I would take care of you. That I would protect you with my life. And look what happened." She spread her arms out wide, "You're going to be killed because of me."

Clark shook his head, not ready to believe the finality of her words. "No, Lex knows we're gone. He'll figure it out! Someone will find us."

"No one believed us," she continued, oblivious to Clark's words, "They called us traitors. At the end they tried to appoligize. To say that they were wrong. But it was too late. They still died. Everything was destroyed. Jee say toy! Inay-ta, Jor-El. Please forgive me."

Clark stared at the door, trying with all his might to burn through it, or at the very least see through it. They needed to get out of here. He just hoped that Lex was paranoid enough to go searching when he didn't receive Clark's daily lunch time call. But then, where would Lex look? Clark didn't even know where he was, how could Lex figure it out?

A/N: Whoo! That took a while! I am SOOOOOOO sorry! Please forgive me. Winter break and winter classes were horrible! Though I do recommend to anyone who wants to get into shape, take Pilates! Oh my gosh! They are kinda killer, but it is so completely wonderful, you even feel great afterward! Just don't get the tapes, my instructor would kill me if I didn't say that the tapes were not worth it. (She hates them) Well. Sorry again for taking so long. I noticed that I hadn't updated since my birthday…wow. Well, now that I actually have time again, you will have the next chapter next week, hopefully, and the final chapter a week after that! Ah, hurts don't it, 2 chapters left. But that just means, you should all bug me for more! Yay!

And read my two Hercules fics. The only reviews I got for them were from my friends whom I forced them to read both.

Please review!