A/N: Well, what do you think? Did they eat Jason? You will be finding out shortly…
Chapter 15
"I can't believe you actually served him to us for dinner!" Pete shouted.
However, in the mean time, Chloe was looking at the body more carefully from the safety of Clark's arms. Then she groaned. "They didn't," she told her friends, looking Lionel coldly in the eye. "That's an extremely bad stage make-up job. My guess is that they put him on 'ice' until this farce is over and they can get him to the hospital." She laughed to herself and shook her head. "I should have known better than think that you would actually expose yourself to accusations of cannibalism… And risk Genevieve Teague's wrath." However, Chloe was more than willing to snuggle into Clark's arms, which totally inflamed Lionel.
"Oh, Chloe! How can you?" He smacked her across the face and she ran out of the room screaming. She hadn't been expecting physical abuse here. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to consider what to do next because Lionel was right behind her. Then she could hear the chase music and knew that Lionel was going to sing, which made the whole situation just that much worse.
"I asked you once… Won't tell you twice! You'd better wise up… Throw the dice!" He grabbed her arm and tried to trap her within his embrace. "I want some pie… would taste so nice! You'd better wise up! Eat some rice…"
He ran his hands up and down her body and Chloe thought she was going to vomit. If Mr. Lionel Luthor thought she was going to let him even touch her after knowing the heaven of Clark's embrace, he had another thing to learn. She stomped on his foot and began to run again. She could hear Clark trying to get Pete and his father to move faster, but it was obvious that Mr. Kent's rollerblades couldn't be taken off in the time allotted and he couldn't make it up the stairs.
"Think, Clark, think!" Pete shouted. "We need to get up there and help her! They're headed toward the lab!"
Lionel was sobbing behind her but it didn't change the speed of his pursuit. "You've done the deed but I'm all you'd need." It didn't take long before he had caught her again. She couldn't understand how he continued to overtake her in those ridiculous heels… "You're so sensual," he moaned. "Grab a pencil… I'm wound up like a sport's first string!"
This time she'd had enough. She kneed him straight in the groin again and took off. When she got to the lab door, she found surprisinglythat it was stuck. She hadn't remembered closing the door after she and Clark had left the room… Behind the door, she could hear the sound of the lift. If she could just get through the door, Clark would protect her…
Lionel pinned her up against the door. "Wished we made it… Did ya' hear a bell ring?" He leaned in to kiss her, but the door gave way and they tumbled inside and she rushed down the ramp.
"Y'gotta block? Well, take my advice. You'd better wise up and be nice…" Lionel decided that running after her was just too undignified and moved to the control center. Clark, Jonathan and Pete tumbled out of the lift almost before it stopped and moved to stand in front of her.
Lionel sneered. "The transducer will seduce yah!" With that he slammed a handle down and all four of them suddenly stopped right in their tracks. Lex and Lois entered the room and quickly joined the elder Luthor.
Lois laughed maniacally and Chloe could only wail, "My feet! I can't move my feet!"
Jonathan tugged at the laces of his skates. "My wheels! My God, I can't even undo the laces!"
"It's as if we're glued to the spot," Clark growled, putting all of his super strength into trying to free himself.
Lex smiled. "You are… So quake with fear, you tiny insignificant fools!"
"We're trapped!" Pete moaned.
"It's something you'll get used to," Lionel sang dismissively to Pete before moving closer to Chloe. "I'd give you a buck if you'd be nice!"
Chloe gasped. "You think you can buy me, Mister Luthor? You're disgusting!"
Lionel just shrugged and climbed up the ladder beside the tank. "I'm sure you think you have us in quite the little trap here, Luthor," Jonathan sneered. "Do you really think I came here without notifying anyone? I told the Sheriff and she'll be here any minute."
Lionel laughed. "She's on my payroll, so I suppose it doesn't really matter."
Clark gaped at him and spluttered… "You mean?"
"Oh, yes, Clarky-poo. I own nearly everyone in this town. I have cameras everywhere and know everyone's deepest darkest secret. Add that to the fact that I've been adding mind altering chemicals to the fertilizer to make everyone more biddable and well… You have no one you can rely on." Lionel's laugh chilled Chloe to the bone, but she had to push her fear to the side.
"You mean you've been controlling everything and everyone in the entire town? All the meteor freaks and crime?"
Lionel jumped down off his perch. Chloe could have wished that he'd break his leg, but there was nothing doing. "Blow me… Schmoe me… Chloe…" He circled around her and ran his hands up her thighs while Clark ineffectually struggled to free himself. "You'd better wise up. Girl, be nice! You'd better wise up… Build your stocks up… You'd better wise up!"
Martha appeared, "And then she cried out…" and Chloe was given the hint she needed to get him to stop trying to molest her.
"Sto-o-o-o-o-op!" Chloe screamed, pounding with all her might on Lionel's chest. She must have gotten a lucky punch in because he staggered backwards toward the control panel. Clark shouted with joy as he managed to free one foot, but Lois hit a switch and he was turned into a living statue. His face was even gray like rock. "Clark!" Chloe wailed, tears steaming down her face. She reached for him vainly, but her fingertips just couldn't seem to bridge the distance.
Lionel sauntered over. "Don't get hot and flustered… I'm a little bastard!"
Pete straightened up and glared at Lionel. As the older man passed the teen, Pete reached out and slapped his hand against Lionel's chest, knocking him back. "You're a bad dog. But you'd better not try to hurt her, Lionel Luthor!"
With a nod from Lionel, Lois flipped the switch again and Pete was now frozen in stone. "Pete!" Chloe screamed. Lionel continued forward and when Jonathan leaned to intercept him, Chloe tried to stop him. "No, Mr. Kent! I'll be fine. Leave him alone…"
But nothing could stop the irate farmer. "You're a bad dog. But you'd better not try to hurt her, Lionel Luthor."
Another nod and another statue. Chloe wanted to scream out in frustration and a plea to her cousin to help her, but all that came out was song. "You're a bastard…" she managed to grit out before Lionel nodded his head and she too was now as stone.
"What the hell?" Lana shouted as she stalked down the stairs in a pink night shirt that showed her legs to advantage. "I can't take this anymore! You kill Jason… Then you let Clark and Chloe get together which totally ruins my chance with him. And now I've just got it on with Pete and now you've turned him to stone." She stood before Lionel, hands on her hips… ranting and raving and totally unaware of the danger she herself was in. "I gave you Clark and his secret… Do you hear me! I GAVE YOU CLARK! And what did it get me? I'll tell you… A big fat nothing! You're like a huge spongy-type thing. You take, take, take and give nothing in return. Well, I've had it. I'm going to spread the tale of this to news centers across the land!" As she moved back toward to door, Lionel whirled around and finally threw the switch himself. Suddenly a perfect little Lana statue is born.
"It's not easy trying to rule to world," Lionel moaned. "Even smiling makes my face ache!" He turned toward Lex and Lois, looking for support. When he found none, he continued to rant. "Clark gets loose. Chloe spurns me for him and now I've got five statues that are going to be hard to explain…"
Lois looked at Lex slyly and he nodded his head for her to go to Lionel. She sauntered over and caressed the older Luthor's arm, rubbing her body up against him. "When will we return to Metropolis? I'm sick and tired of the smell of cows… I'll never get that stench out of my clothes!"
Lionel looked down at her. "Lois, I'm grateful that you and my son have been helping in this endeavor. Loyalty such as yours will be justly rewarded. You'll discover that when the mood takes me, I can be quite generous…"
His lecherous glance made Lois rear away, dragging her arm off his arm and leaving small scratch marks. "I ask for nothing but to get out of this damn town!" she growled softly.
Lionel looked at her with disdain. "We'll leave when I'm damn good and ready," he snarled. He strode off to the lift and entered it. "Listen, move these guys to the stage. It's time for the floor show!" He slammed the gate shut and disappeared from sight.
Left alone in the lab, Lex and Lois looked at each other. Lex smiled at her. "Don't you worry, my sweet. The plans are all in motion." He leered at her and opened his arms. She ran into his arms and they shared a passionate kiss. "We'll move them in a minute. Let's go and have a little fun of our own…" With that, they left giggling and touching.
Chloe watched them leave, horror growing in her heart. Lois has a thing with Lex? Her cousin is doing all of this just to get back to Metropolis? She didn't know what was going on, but had the nagging suspicion that she was going to find out sooner rather than later…
A/N: I decided that the statues still had cognitive abilities. They're not actually stone. They just look that way… It's kinda' like Mutant X where Gabriel Ashlock was in suspended animation but still knew everything that was going on… even though he wasn't supposed to. (And for those of you that don't know Mutant X, I'm sorry for the inexplicable reference then…)
Snowbunny3: I know that Jason in the table was a little much, but it is rather faithful to the movie… But he's only there for a minute… Did you really not guess by Chloe's face when she sneaked a peek?
MarkMark261: "No cash"? I thought I was being so careful… but that fits so nicely! OK, I'm fixing it! And I would never say you "critical and picky"… Maybe dedicated to accuracy… :D And I have to say I appreciate your input on each and every chapter… If you'll notice, you'll see that you and Snowbunny are the only ones since Chapter 7!