Chapter 19
Lana, Pete and Chloe were still searching for Lana's father, however the searched seemed to be hopeless. Lana found a moment to speak to Chloe out of earshot of Pete.
"Chloe, I've been meaning to talk to you about what happened last night," Lana said.
"Oh didn't I tell you that leaving in the middle of a tornado to save a friend totally gets you off the hook?" Chloe asked. "Besides I know you'd do the same thing for me."
"Of course you're my best friend," Lana agreed. "But I just wanted to make sure you weren't feeling jealous or anything. I did rescue your date to Spring Formal."
"That's fine," Chloe said. "I mean I didn't think it would work out with Clark and I anyway, we're just too different."
"Uh, okay," Lana stuttered.
Deep down Lana knew that Chloe had as big a crush on Clark as she did. He was probably the one thing that could ruin their friendship. Lana didn't know why but somehow she felt guilty about Chloe basically admitting defeat.
"Look," Chloe said. "Our friendship is really important. The last thing I want to do is screw it up."
"I know," Lana agreed.
"Good, great, perfect," Chloe said. "I'm really glad we got that straightened out."
"I'm gonna go check over here," Lana said point off in a random direction as she felt Chloe needed a moment alone.
"I'll catch up in a sec," Chloe said. "My feet are throbbing I need to sit down for a minute."
Chloe sat down miserably with her back up against a tree. Pete came doubling back looking for them. Chloe turned to hide her face from Pete. She didn't want him to see that she was crying. She quickly wiped away tears and put on a smile but Pete could see through her.
"What's up with the fake smile?" Pete asked.
"Nothing," Chloe replied. "Lana and I just agreed that we want to remain best friends."
"She pulled the friendship thing on you huh?" Pete commented.
"Actually I pulled it on myself." Chloe replied. "I guess it was just a defense mechanism. I didn't want to get in a conflict with her over Clark."
"Listen Chloe," Pete said. "It's okay to feel bummed out. Last night was supposed to be special and it got ruined."
"It was just so close to being perfect," Chloe said trying to hold back the tears to no avail. "Listen to me I sound so pathetic. A tornado hit and people are in real trouble and I'm upset because Clark didn't fulfill my wishful romantic fantasy and now I've more or less given him up to Lana to maintain our friendship."
"You know," Pete said. "Lana and I were spying on you and Clark a lot. I did it because I was curious, and I think Lana was just a bit jealous. She's always been a lot more shy and introverted and you're so out there and friendly. I bet Clark's still up for grabs and of course so am I."
Chloe laughed. "Thanks Pete," she said wiping away the last of her tears.
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Down below Jonathon Kent and Roger Nixon woke up. They were half covered in rocks and dirt from the cave in.
"Ugh, I can barely breath," Jonathon groaned. "That cave in must have cut off the air supply."
"We're trapped in a tomb," Nixon commented. "That's ironic. At least you've got a legacy to leave behind."
Jonathon regaled Nixon with the tale of when Lana first used her powers as they remained trapped in the dark old crypt where they were likely going to die.
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"Pete, where'd you get these maps?" Lana asked.
Pete had brought a large set of books filled with maps over to the Kent household in the hopes that they would help in the search for Jonathon Kent.
"My mom borrowed them from the county zoning office," Pete replied. "They list every zoning change going back to 1920."
"Look the plans from 1988 show an old church near Hobson's pond," Lana commented.
"I've never seen a church near there," Pete said.
"That's because it was destroyed in the meteor shower," Martha said.
"Well according to this there's a crypt in the basement," Lana said.
"Your dad could have known about it," Martha suggested hopefully.
"I was right there," Lana said as she jumped up. "The trailer home must have been concealing the entrance."
"Lana you can't dig them out on your own," Pete said getting up.
"Um Lana," Martha said thinking up a quick excuse. "Pete and I will go to town and get a rescue team and meet you out there."
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Lana arrived at the trailer home at super speed. She quickly grabbed it and flipped up onto its side with relative ease. The trailer park collapsed on itself from the damage it had suffered. She then ran down the opening that quickly became visible.
"Dad!" Lana called out.
"Lana," Her father replied weakly.
Lana saw her father covered in rubble lying on the floor. She quickly bent down to help him but that brought her close the meteor rocks. She immediately began to feel sick. She fell over onto her back.
"Kent, what's happening to her?" Nixon asked picking himself up, the light and fresh air seemed to have reinvigorated him.
"Roger you gotta get her away from these meteor rockets they make her sick," Jonathon explained faintly.
Nixon grabbed a meteor rock and went over to Lana who was lying helplessly on the ground. Nixon stuffed the meteor rock in the pocket of Lana's jacket and then began dragging her out of the crypt.
"I don't need the tape," Nixon said triumphantly as he struggled to drag Lana up the stairs. "I have all the evidence than I need right here."
"What are you doing?" Jonathon shouted. "Nixon!"
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Nixon had dragged Lana a great deal away from the crypt. He dropped her on the ground and pressed the unlock button on the remote attached to his keychain. He heard the beeping coming from above. Nixon looked up to see his car impaled on a tree.
"Ah son of a," Nixon started to curse.
However he never got to finish. Jonathon Kent came sprinting from seemingly out of nowhere to tackle him hard to the ground.
"You're not, taking, my, daughter." Jonathon said through gritted teeth as he pummelled Nixon with punches.
However Nixon was able to use a knee to the gut to escape from Jonathon's weak pin. He tried to run away but Jonathon grabbed his leg. Nixon gave him a horse kick knocking Jonathon to the ground. He then saw a metal bar that was sticking out of the ground. Nixon wrapped his hands around it and pulled it out. He stood over Jonathon Kent holding the bar up high.
"You may not have been willing to kill for your convictions," Nixon said. "But I am."
Suddenly a gun shot rang out. Nixon stopped and looked down at his chest. There was an exit wound coming almost directly from where his heart was. He dropped the bar and toppled to the ground, dead. Behind where Nixon had been standing was Lex Luthor with a silver pistol in his hand. Jonathon ignored him and scrambled over to Lana.
"Mister Kent are you okay?" Lex asked.
Jonathon nodded and Lex went to look at the dead body of Roger Nixon. Jonathon pulled of Lana's jacket and threw it away. Lana immediately began to feel better.
"Lana, are you okay?" Jonathon asked as he gasped for air.
"I'm fine," Lana replied as her father hugged her close.
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The police and medics arrived to deal with the situation. The body of Nixon was taken away and it seemed that Lex would be considered innocent for killing Nixon since it was in the defense of Jonathon Kent.
"Dad I'm glad you didn't kill Nixon," Lana said.
"Not doing it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Jonathon said. "But I realized if I killed him it would go against everything your mother and I have ever taught you. Another thing though. Nixon told me that Lex offered to pay him for information about you."
"Lex told me that he told Nixon to stay away." Lana replied.
"One of them is lying." Jonathon said.
"I think the question you need to ask yourself right now dad," Lana said. "Is which one tried to kill you; and which one saved you life?"
Lex approached them.
"Lex," Jonathon said. "You saved my life; and I want to say thank you."
"To a fresh start," Lex said offering his hand to Jonathon.
Jonathon accepted the handshake, "Yeah."
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Off in a field just barely out of sight of the road, a small foreign metallic object lay dormant, waiting to be discovered.
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Please Read Over:
That's the end of Vortex, next will be either Heat or Duplicity. I might take some time to rewatch the episodes to decide so don't go crazy demanding updates.
Just another one of the usual reminders that if you want to talk to me about the story or Smallville in general. Go on IRC to the otherside servers, irc. (Port 7000) or irc. (Port 7000), channel #smallville. Hope to see some people there. If you're looking for an IRC client I would recommend X-Chat although there are many other options out there. Really, please go there to discuss any questions answers will be a lot more direct. That and it gets kind of boring talking to the same two people all the time, I need fresh opinions. Look forward to seeing some of you there.