Chloe hadn't gotten far when she spotted something moving in the corn up ahead. She slowed, unsure whether to assume it was Lex, or another hidden danger headed her way.
"Lex?" She dared to almost whisper, "Lex, is that you?" It was a risk to make her position known, but if it meant getting Clark help sooner then the young reporter didn't care.
The shadowy movement among the towering sheaves appeared to pause, and two seconds later Lex charged from behind a huge tubular stalk, panting. He leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees to help catch his breath back quicker. "Chloe, where have you been? Clark's missing too, I thought…"
"You thought right!" Chloe pointed frantically back towards where she had left Clark, "Clark's sick. I found him collapsed on the ground, but I couldn't get him back to the plane. We need to hurry." I'm not exactly lying. I did find him collapsed and curled in a ball. "That cat is around again too…"
Lex nodded and as he picked up the pace again to follow Chloe he began to ask questions. "Do you think the cat could have attacked Clark?"
Oh boy, how to I steer him away from the giant meteor rock answer? Chloe pushed past a twig that looked more like a full grown branch, and then headed for the tree stump near where Clark lay. "I don't think anything's physically hurt him. He just looked sick…" She replied truthfully.
Lex raised a brow. Of all the years he'd known Clark it was a very rare instance indeed that the kid got ill. In fact, he could only think of one real occasion, and that was when Martha had been stricken down with something too. The thought made a new possibility rear its ugly head, but the billionaire chose not to tell Chloe his theory just yet. It could, after all, just be his wild imagination.
"Clark?" Chloe called out as she rounded the remains of the tree trunk, hoping that her friend had recovered- but he had not.
Clark still lay on the ground where she had left him. He didn't even stir at the sound of his name. She glanced worriedly at Lex, afraid for Clark's health, and afraid at what Lex might discover in the next few moments.
The bald entrepreneur leaned over his young friend and gently pressed two fingers to Clark's neck. At the same time, he searched their surroundings with a wary and piercing gaze.
Chloe swallowed hard, wondering if he would spot the meteor rock now that it had ceased glowing. Luckily, he seemed not to see it, or simply thought it was an ordinary rock beneath the foliage. "Do you think he'll be alright?" She asked out of true concern and also to try and distract Lex from doing too much of an in-depth investigation of their immediate area.
Lex wiped sweat from his brow with his forearm and looked at her with an expression that exuded mixed emotions. He was worried, that much was obvious, but Chloe was unsure whether all the concern was centred on Clark or not. Lex was a Luthor after all, and Luthors had a nasty reputation for self preservation. Chloe had found that out the hard way.
"Chloe, I honestly don't know…"
"But you do have a theory, right?" Chloe's temper was getting the better of her. Lex was toying with her while Clark was still clearly very sick. What if he knows? Lex is no fool. He's investigated Clark before.
"I have a theory," Lex admitted, "but I really don't think this is the time or place to discuss it. We need to get Clark back to the plane and try and help him." Without waiting for Chloe to agree, Lex grabbed the unconscious teen's arm and pulled him carefully up. Then, with one heave he managed to hoist Clark over his right shoulder.
Chloe had no choice but to follow him and retrace their steps back to the stricken jet. But as she hurried, all she could think of was Clark, his secret, and whatever it was Lex was about to reveal.
The journey back to the Learjet was a reasonably slow one. Even though Lex tried to make good time, Clark was a heavy burden for anyone to haul around for any given period. He paused several times to regain his breath, and huffed when he came to a short incline that he hadn't even noticed before.
When the half-hidden plane finally came into view, Lex exhaled and felt almost ready to collapse himself. "You might have to give me a hand with him up into the cabin." He confessed, lowering Clark so that he was in an upright position, "I'll climb in first. You steady him…"
Chloe nodded and did everything Lex asked. After ten more minutes of struggling, Clark was finally manoeuvred onto one of the jet's lavish seats near to where Richard still sat. In fact, the blind man had hardly moved from the same window spot since they'd arrived.
The pilot raised his head questioningly at all the fuss. "You found the missing pair of love birds then?" He leered sarcastically; his white eyes making his mocking tone seem even more accentuated.
"Clark's sick, you jerk!" Chloe felt the urge to slap the pilot for his attitude. Ever since he'd lost his sight he'd become increasingly unpredictable and mostly downright rude. Being blind gave him some excuse, but now his actions were getting beyond acceptable.
Richard opened his mouth to give a scathing retort, but then paused as Clark began to cough. It sounded like a horrid dry hack, and the noise alone made Chloe shudder. She put a hand on his chest and held him down lightly as he seemed to waken just a little, and then she panicked at how short of breath he was.
"Thirsty…" Clark looked Chloe in the eye pleadingly and she quickly reached over for one of the precious bottles of Tynant water. Holding it to his lips Chloe allowed him to take a few sips before pulling back. Clark nodded his unspoken thanks and then slumped back on his seat, obviously drained.
Richard's head cocked to one side and his dead eyes narrowed as instinct still took control of his nerves. "Sick you say? What are the rest of his symptoms besides the thirst?" He asked cannily, sitting forward to hear the response.
"His pulse is faster than a speeding freight train…" Lex watched the pilot, but already knew what he was thinking. It would seem the pair were already suspecting the same thing had happened, "Weakness, shortness of breath…" The billionaire paused as his pilot nodded, "But then you already expected that, didn't you?"
Richard smirked. "I told you when I saw that flash of energy we flew through it was like some nuclear blast. I didn't get this way for nothing," He waved a hand in front of his eyes as Chloe watched in amazement, unsure what the two men were thinking. "Pretty soon the kid will want to be sick. If he hasn't already…"
"What are you saying?" Chloe gaped and couldn't resist the urge to put a hand on Clark again almost protectively. They can't be right, whatever they're thinking. The rock made him sick. I know it did!
"Richard is suggesting that we're probably all going to die pretty soon. Aren't you, Richard?" Lex's brow creased just a little. "Despite his annoying behavior of late, I'm inclined to agree." He folded his arms, "Chloe, Clark is exhibiting all the classic signs of radiation sickness. Whatever we flew threw must have poisoned our systems. I had already suspected as much when we found Clark the way we did."
"Now wait just a minute. For all we know, Clark could just have ate something out there that made him sick. You're jumping to conclusions!" How the heck do I explain this one without digging myself into a hole!
Richard laughed. It wasn't the chortle of a mad man, but more the laughter of a man with no hope and no future. Even Lex didn't try to stop him as he continued to chuckle scathingly. "My dear, trust me. I'm ex-military…we're all going to die. And from what I know, it's not a very pleasant death."
Lex shook his head. Just because Richard was probably right didn't mean they had to give in. He rubbed a hand over his shiny scalp and paced the cabin. Eventually, he ignored the pilot's cackles and stared straight at Chloe. "I'm going to try and get help. Maybe if I can get into Luthorcorp, somehow I can get to Dr. Ford. He's a good man. I'm sure I can convince him to help us."
Chloe felt her stomach tighten. Clark couldn't be helped by any doctor. And even if he could, she thought involving Luthorcorp scientists in their current predicament was a big mistake. "Wait, Lex, we don't even know how we got so small. How can you trust anyone?" She tried tugging him back from the open doorway. "What if your father is somehow part of all this? Just because he's been acting all holier than thou doesn't mean he's turned into a saint overnight!" I have to stop him. If we wait and Clark gets better he won't go to Luthorcorp.
Lex paused as he put one foot onto the leaning step. He seemed his usual calm self once again. "I know my father and his ploys. Believe me, I've never underestimated his newfound dignity. I do, however suspect that if we don't get some help, we'll either die from some animal attack, or succumb to the same thing Clark has."
"Lex, no!" Chloe yanked on his forearm, but he pulled away and clambered from the plane, "You can't help Clark by doing this!" She called after him, but he didn't look back- not even once.
Chloe stood in the doorway for over two hours, staring out into the heart of nothing. She felt so useless that at one point she even wished Richard was right. Perhaps it would be better to die now rather than later. I've let Clark down. He was right to hide his secret from me all these years. What good was I when it got to crunch time?
"Chloe?" The voice still sounded feeble, but it was definitely an improvement on Clark's earlier attempts at talking.
Chloe turned and hurried back inside to find her friend propping himself up rather groggily. Richard had vanished from the window seat but she shrugged his absence off as insignificant right now. He couldn't have left the plane without passing her, so she guessed maybe he'd managed to make it to the bathroom on his own. "Hey, how are you feeling?" There was relief mixed with concern in the question as she took a seat next to Clark.
Clark inhaled and coughed again, rubbing his temple. "I have the world's worst headache, and aspirin don't work on me." He grumbled, and then squinted, looking Chloe in the eye apologetically, "I'm sorry if I scared you, but I've always been allergic to those things…"
"Yeah, I kind of put two and two together and came up with the whole sick in Lana's presence theory, at least when she used to wear the necklace," Chloe smiled wanly and offered him more water, "I guess you never had to face one the size of a house before though, huh?"
Clark took the water but then realized he felt sick. It wasn't easy to stifle the urge to wretch, but he did- just. "No, I never had the displeasure of encountering a meteor that size before…" He hacked again, "Frankly, I don't want to ever again either…I think it nearly killed me."
"Easy! Just sit back." Chloe hated seeing him this way, but now that he was conscious there was a lot of ground to cover in a short while. He had to be told where Lex had gone, and they had to be honest with one another about his abilities. She pulled a blanket around him, just like he had done for her when they'd first arrived, and then she glanced around looking for Richard. He was still nowhere to be seen. It was now or never for their little one to one. "Clark…we need to talk about things…" She fluttered her eyelashes and bit her lip, knowing this was going to be a very awkward moment.
Clark glanced at the cabin floor and then let his back gently fall back against the seat, "How long have you known?" He found he couldn't face to look Chloe in the eye, not yet.
"Remember a call Alicia made to you about her car being out of control?" Chloe hated bringing up Alicia because she knew the sad memories it caused, but if she was going to be honest then it had to be done, "Well…Alicia made that call on purpose, to prove to me you weren't um…normal." This time it was Chloe who looked to the floor in uncertainty. "I saw you catch that car, Clark."
"You've known all this time and never once confronted me?" The news was obviously surprising to the teen and his eyes widened slightly.
Of all the people in his life, Chloe had been the one he thought would have the most issues with his abilities. He didn't doubt she'd accept him for what he was, but Chloe usually had a problem keeping things like this under wraps. The realization that she had covered for him on numerous occasions already, gave the teen a new respect for his newshound friend.
"I knew you'd tell me when the time was right," Chloe sighed, "although I hadn't counted on any of this happening." She looked around their makeshift home, "There are so many things I want to ask you, but for now I'm just glad that you're safe." Her eyes narrowed enquiringly, "You are feeling better, right?"
Clark hunched forward cautiously and felt abruptly nauseous. He decided he was not quite back on full form just yet. "I'll live," He offered, "Where's Lex?" What does he know? Has Chloe been forced to tell him anything about me?
"Oh boy," Chloe rolled her eyes and instantly scared her still recovering friend with her tone, "When you got sick, Lex and Richard came up with this crazy idea that we were all going to come down with radiation sickness because of whatever it was we flew through. Lex has gone off on some one man crusade to get help from Luthorcorp, and there was no way I could stop him!"
Clark's voice raised an octave to join Chloe's high pitch, "Chloe! We can't let anyone at Luthorcorp find out we're even here! I went home and something strange is going on. My parents were acting as if nothing has happened and I'm at school for the day, not missing." He thought about the implications. "Lex could be walking into a giant-sized lab and become their latest experiment. We have to stop him."
Chloe huffed, "Yeah right, well in case you weren't listening I already tried that. Lex just pushed me away. He thinks you're dying, Clark, and he's the only one who can save you. Maybe he thinks he owes you that much after all the times you saved our butts," She considered the facts and also had to admit another possible scenario, "He's also a Luthor, so there's a distinct possibility he could be after saving his own butt too."
"How much does he…does he know about me?" Clark stammered a little. He wasn't ready for any of this.
"Nothing he didn't know before. We got lucky that he came up with that hockey radiation sickness theory of his, or I might have had a hard time explaining why you were at deaths door out there." Chloe fell into deep thought for a second and considered something.
"Lex was probably half right," Clark conceded, unaware that his friend was coming up with her own opinion of what the billionaire was up to, "I think the meteor rocks do emit some kind of radiation. Just look at all the mutations in Smallville since the shower. The thing is it affects me much faster than um…" He looked glumly at Chloe, not wanting to say 'than it does humans', and then noted she wasn't really listening anyway, "Chloe?"
The reporter jumped slightly in her seat as he brought her back to reality, and then explained what she'd been contemplating. "You know, Clark, Lex came up with his radiation theory pretty much out of the blue. Why would he think you had radiation sickness just because you collapsed?" She lifted a brow.
"You still think he knows more than he's admitting, don't you?" Clark slipped the blanket off Chloe had covered him with, "I guess your mystery lab theory is rearing its ugly head again. But if Lex knows why we're suddenly small, why has he waited so long to try and contact his people for help?"
Chloe shrugged. "You got me on that one, but he knows more than he's saying you can bet money on it." She frowned and then searched the cabin as if she'd lost something. "Richard, our favourite ghoul pilot seemed to know too much too. Which begs the question where is he?"
"He's not outside?" Clark used his seat's heavily padded plush arms as leverage and hoisted his body upright. He was still wobbly on his feet, but at least he didn't feel sick anymore. "Have you tried the bathroom?"
Chloe shook her head and gave her friend a steadying hand as they both walked to the rear of the plane. It was weird that Richard had been quiet for so long- especially when he normally had so much doom and gloom to dispel on them all. Halfway down the aisle Clark stopped and Chloe thought he was going to keel over. Instead, he squinted at the door to the bathroom and then looked down at her.
"Chloe, he's not in there. Are you sure he didn't leave the plane?"
"He couldn't have gotten by me!" Chloe whirled around and wondered if the pilot had somehow sneaked past her while she'd stood in the doorway. The only place he could have gotten to though, was the cockpit. "What would he want to get in there for?" Clark followed her gaze and squinted again. This time, Chloe realized what he was doing, "Say, just how much did Alicia fail to mention to me about you?"
Clark grinned for the first time since he'd regained consciousness. "Oh, enough, but that will have to wait. Our pilot has gone AWOL through the cockpit window." The teen shakily moved forward with Chloe in tow until they reached the open adjoining door.
A cool breeze was now blowing through where Richard had slid back the side window, and apparently clambered down an emergency escape ladder to the ground below. It was something he'd been trained to do, but without his eyesight it must have been a painstaking and dangerous task.
Chloe grimaced in confusion. "Why would he risk breaking his neck to get out of here without me knowing?" She looked to Clark, who was propping himself up by leaning against the doorframe, "So, now what do we do? We've got a nutso pilot running rampant through a cornfield the size of Kansas, and Lex is halfway to Luthorcorp, possibly hiding a deep dark corporate secret from us!" She threw her arms in the air in exasperation and then fell back with a thud onto the co-pilot's chair.
"Don't forget to add our size to that list," Clark shot Chloe a cheeky smirk and then lowered himself onto the pilot's seat next to her. He had to break his next suggestion gently, because he knew very well she'd freak at the idea. "Chloe, I have to go after Lex. If he gets trapped in Luthorcorp we may never know the truth, and if he is involved he may be our only way back…"
"Not to mention he's your friend, right?" Chloe was definitely angry. Why does he always have to be the one who puts his life on the line? If Luthorcorp get a hold of him he won't need to worry about Lex being a lab rat! "You can't go, Clark! You're still sick and you'll never catch him up anyway…"
Clark sighed and put a hand atop Chloe's. "You know that's not true. I can catch Lex way before he reaches the plant with my speed."
"But you can barely stand up! You should wait, rest more, or maybe I should come with you! You can't keep whooshing off and leaving me behind staring at the empty space you just vacated. I've been letting you get away with that for far too long!" Chloe stood up and folded her arms, blocking his exit, but she knew if he wanted he could easily pick her up out of the way.
Clark's expression became sullen. "Chloe, you know I don't do that on purpose. Sometimes though, like now, it's the only way. He tried to stand from the pilot's chair with more confidence and strength than he really felt he had, and placed his hands on Chloe's arms reassuringly as he looked down at her face. "I need you to stay here. If there's one thing I could never live with it's the thought of you in some glass beaker being prodded. I've lived in fear enough of that myself to know, trust me."
Their eyes met, and for a split second Chloe actually thought she sensed some spark between them. Perhaps it was just concern that flickered across the farm boy's features, but it reminded Chloe of the Spring Formal dance so far back in their history together. Things had almost been perfect that night- almost. But then here he was again, about to dash off into some unknown danger, alone and still suffering the meteor rocks after-effects.
"I'll never win with you, will I, Clark Kent?" She spoke the words softly to him, and he held her close in an affectionate hug, before pulling back and smiling.
"You know me so well…" Clark picked up his safety pin rope that Lex and Chloe had retrieved, and slung it back over his shoulder. "Look after my muffin stash while I'm gone," he winked and headed for the door. "Keep an eye out for the pilot, and no following me, Chloe…I don't want to have to worry about you as well as Lex."
Chloe nodded, but was unsure if she would keep her promise. Clark seemed much more mature out here, much more the person she knew he'd always been deep down, but rarely allowed to surface in their own version of Smallville. That, or course, didn't mean he was infallible. He'd already succumbed to his weakness once. What if the scientists at Luthorcorp were actually working with the meteor rocks again?
As Clark kicked into a somewhat guarded version of superspeed, Chloe watched once again from the Learjet. You better hurry, Clark, or this girl is going to be watching your butt a whole lot closer than you think…
TBC...
