The invincible Clark Kent sat on the floor in his loft leaning against the couch, squeezing an Earth shaped stress ball. As he continued squeezing it he didn't realize how much pressure he was using.

"So that's how you really feel about good 'ole' planet Earth huh Kent?" Chloe teased snapping Clark out of his thoughts.

Chloe gestured to the stress ball and Clark looked at it realizing he had completely flattened it. He nervously laughed and dropped it to his side. Chloe sat on the floor next to him and playfully punched him in the arm.

"So what's wrong Clark?"

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason you just seem to be carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders lately."

"Sometimes I feel like I am Chloe."

"Clark you're incredible. You have single handedly saved my life and practically everyone in this town's life countless amounts of times. Take a break for once. Things have been surprisingly quite in our quaint little town for once and you deserve it.

"Thanks Chloe." Clark said as he reached over and pulled Chloe into a warm hug.

"Hey it's no problem, what are friends for?"

Clark could have sworn that he heard a hint of sadness in Chloe's voice. Flashing him one of her mega watt smiles, Chloe stood up began to walk away.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Yeah I have to finishing packing up my stuff for Friday."

"Oh right. I still can't believe you're spending the last summer we have together in Metropolis."

"Hey blame Lois. She's the one who dangled a brand new shiny apartment in front of my face and I couldn't turn that down now could I? Besides it will be so much easier when I start school in the fall to already be in Metropolis. I also just desperately need a change of scenery. I'll see you later."

"Hey Chloe."

"Yeah."

"You're at least going to say goodbye before you leave on Friday right?"

"Of course."

Clark watched his best friend walk away from him.

"You stupid pansy!" He grumbled to himself. "Why can't you just be a man and tell her how you really feel so she'll stay?"

He picked up the flattened stress ball and chucked it across the loft frustrated.

Meanwhile back at Belle Reeve Lionel Luthor and Charlie Sullivan were carefully seated at a table in the dining area. An armed security guard stood by while the stout male nurse cautiously removed Charlie's straightjacket. As soon as it was off he quickly backed away and the security guard slapped down two trays of slop in front of them. Lionel kept up the whole "nothing going on up there routine" until the nurse and guard was out of sight. Charlie appreciatively stretched her arms and then pushed the tray away from her.

"Tell me Lionel, can I call you Lionel? What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?"

"My son put me in here."

"So the tables have turned."

"You would think so wouldn't you, but my dear girl your forgetting just exactly who I am." Lionel said smirking confidently. "Now what I am really interested in hearing is how, in your words, those pesky little meteor rocks made you special."

"Well Lionel you know as well as I do that a good amount of things we use and see everyday are made up of some type of metal."

"Correct."

"What if I told you that I could control that metal and do with it what I please."

"Prove it." Lionel shot back.

"Lionel, Lionel, Lionel don't be so foolish. Look around us, that tray is made up of metal, this table is made up of metal, and the gun that, that security guard had was made of metal. Do you think that the doctors who run this place would be stupid enough to just let me run amuck in a playground like this?"

"What did they do to you?"

"Twice a day they give me a shot that numbs my ability for a brief period of time."

"What about the time in between when they have to administer a new shot?"

"What about it? It's only for a split second if even that and I am strapped down in a pretty white room with not a stitch of metal to be seen for miles."

"Isn't the needle they give you the shot with made out of metal?"

"Unfortunately we live in a time where medical science is constantly making small baby steps and one of those steps is a plastic needle that gets the job done just as easily as an average needle."

"Ok but there is a small window of time when you could technically be able to use your gift."

"True." Charlie said growing interested.

"Well what if some metal just happened to be in that little white room during that small window of time?"

"I like the way you think Lionel." Charlie said leaning back in her chair.

"I think the both of us have overstayed our welcome at Belle Reeve." Lionel rasped out slowly plotting his and Charlie's escape.