Summary: Pete's assignment continued andLex and Pete are now captured and confined together. Will this change Pete's opinion of him?
A/N: As my ID description goes, I really do LOVE posting on this site. What I don't love is how sometimes it takes forever for updates to get posted. LikeFriday morning I checked and the chapter I included late the night before didn't show up until latethat morning… –groan– I guess I'll have to be patient, but that never was my strong suit.
Disclaimer: How many different ways can I come up with to say that I own nothing of Smallville?
Pete woke up slowly to the feeling of being shaken. "Mom, just 5 more minutes. I swear I won't be late for school," he muttered, trying to break away from the irritating hands.
"If only you were that lucky," came a masculine voice.
Pete's eyes snapped open. That's never a voice I wanted to wake up to. He groaned as the dim light hit his eyes. "Why do I feel like I was hit with a 2 x 4?"
"We were gassed," Lex said shortly. "I don't know how long we were out."
"Oh, great!" Pete sat up and thought he was going to hurl for a moment.
"Don't throw up," Lex warned. "We don't know how long we're going to be in here."
Pete flushed, anger starting to sweep through his body. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Pete stood up on trembling legs. Apparently, what had been used hadn't worn off entirely yet. It felt like a small breeze could have knocked him over.
Lex smirked and Pete longed to wipe it off of his face with a fist. "How do we know it wasn't because of you? I do seem to remember a certain Ross boy who had been kidnapped before."
"Thanks for reminding me," Pete bit out. I can't believe that I'm trapped in here with a Luthor! This assignment just can't get any worse! He started looking around the room, searching for a way out. At least we're not tied up, he thought morosely.
"I've already looked," Lex sighed. "There's nothing. Not even a loose floorboard. They thought this through very carefully."
"So who have you pissed off lately?" Pete threw over his shoulder, fingers still searching along the walls and door. "I haven't done anything and my mom's been pretty quiet on the controversy front lately, so it's not 'cause of her. It has to be you." A sliver slid into his finger and he bit back a cry of pain. There was no way he was going to show any weakness in this situation. "Where the hell are we?"
"I think we're still near the plant," Lex mused.
"How do you know?"
"I can hear it running in the background… and that's not a scent you easily forget."
Pete had to admit that Lex had a point. It was surprising that they hadn't been moved farther… say out of town. He slid to the ground with a thump. "So, got any good plans on how to get us out of here?"
Lex's lips twisted into a grin. "I have a couple… I'm just trying to work out the fine points of some of the more realistic ones."
"Oh… Good." Pete fell silent. He looked around. This isn't going to work for me… letting him come up with the plan and me doing nothing. I'm going to go mad if I just wait here and try to be patient or something. He looked at Lex. The man was just sitting there with a faraway look in his eyes. Lex is entirely too calm in this situation. I know it isn't his first time, but it's not mine either. Pete sighed. At least this time I'm not tied up.
"What did you say?" Lex's concentration was focused solely on Pete, who found the attention rather disturbing.
"Did I say that out loud?"
"Well, not out loud, precisely. More mumbled under your breath. What did you say?"
"Well, I thought at least this time I'm not tied up… You know, in comparison to last time I was kidnapped."
Lex looked shocked. "You're brilliant! They've totally messed up this hand." He looked thoughtful. "Maybe they thought the gas would knock us out longer."
"Maybe." When he didn't get any response, he knew that Lex was back in contemplation mode. "What are we going to do now?"
"We're going to wait." Lex leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
"Wait. We have to wait. Great. Fine. Just peachy." Pete got up and started to pace.
Lex watched him for a moment and groaned. "If you don't calm down, they're never going to fall for my plan."
"And what would that be exactly?"
"We're going to pretend to be unconscious and then attack when they're vulnerable."
"How long will they take to check on us?"
"I don't know exactly. But they wouldn't leave us untiedfor long. They're going to want to bind us before they think the gas wears off." He closed his eyes again.
Pete was starting to get angry again. "You know, maybe you can just wait for them to come, but I need something to do." He thought about it for a moment. "Maybe we could continue our interview."
"Do we really have to do this now?"
"Unless you want me going crazy 'cause I'm bored out of my mind. Remember, I am a teenager. Short attention span and all that."
Lex rolled his eyes. "As if you're a typical teenager, Mr. Ross." He looked at the younger boy. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"No."
"Fine. But at least put your ear against the door. Try and hear for when they're coming."
Pete obediently moved and sat by the door with his head pressed against it. "So… How many more people do you think you'll employ?"
"At the onset, it'll probably be about 30. The system isn't proven yet so it won't go into full production until that happens."
"OK, so if it were in full production, how many?"
"Probably close to a thousand. You have to separate the fuel and then the byproducts."
"And what's in it for you? What drew you to this project?"
"As you may or may not know, I'm trying to improve on the image my father has given Luthor Corp. I want my company to be environmentally friendly and replace outmoded and poisonous other processes."
"I'm sure," Pete said, desperately trying to keep the sneer out of his voice and still listen for their captors. "So could you explain to me why Luthor Corp has obtained the Smallville garbage service contract?"
Lex's jaw dropped open. "Excuse me?"
"Don't think I haven't done my homework, Lex. I know that garbage is what powers your alternative fuel source and you have come up with a way to charge people twice for your services."
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Lex said. "I can assure you…"
Pete hissed at him to be quiet. "They're coming."
A/N: Sailor Serinity 5 – I don't really intend to have too much romance going on in this little fic. Personally, I agree that I like Clark & Chloe together better than Clark & Lana, but I'm starting to get won over by the Chlex-ers. And if you read further, you'll see that Chloe did get an eyeful of our delightful Mr. Kent. I'll have to work on another fic where he's scantily clad more often. Maybe I'll do something Greek-esque…
ForeverTom: Your wish is my command… Of course, if that was really true, well let's just say this chapter would have been up on the boards on Saturday. But my goal is to get it done today (Sunday) and post it. Anything to keep you happy, lovey! –smile–
