Chapter 42

"Maybe you should stay in the car," Lex suggested.

He had directed Lana to some abandoned looking warehouse section on the outskirts of Smallville.

"Lex I've got your back that's why I'm here," Lana said getting out of the truck.

Lex reluctantly got out of the truck and led Lana inside. Inside they came across a large room filled with immigrant workers making clothing. Lex looked around the room in confusion. Just yesterday this had been where he had found Morgan Edge. It had been the office of some hack plastic surgeon who had completely reshaped Edge's face to make him unrecognizable. Lex instinctively rubbed his neck as the pressure of it all began to get to him.

"Lex maybe this is the wrong place," Lana said to him.

"No, no this was the place," Lex said pointing down in front of him. "Edge was here."

"That was only yesterday," Lana said. "And these people look like they've been here for a while."

"Don't you see Lana?" Lex asked. "It's part of the cover up. No it wouldn't be that hard. Bring in a few machines, some immigrant labour."

One of the sweatshop workers looked up at Lex as if he were mad, which Lana was beginning to suspect he was.

"If you just wanna disappear Lex why go through all this trouble?" Lana asked.

"I don't know Clark," Lex answered angrily with exhaustion also entering his voice.

Lana looked around the room. "Lex you've gotta ask yourself, is there any possibility that you might be imagining all of this?"

Lex sighed and looked around the room hoping that maybe he could spot some tell tale sign that Morgan Edge had been here. Lex then pushed past Lana and grabbed the man who seemed to be the shift manager.

"Where's Morgan Edge?" Lex demanded angrily. "Where is he?"

When he was unable to give Lex any sort of answer since he didn't speak English, Lex grabbed him and slammed his hand down near the needle of a sewing machine.

"Tell me where he is right now or so help me god I'll put that through your hand," Lex threatened the confused man.

"Lex he doesn't understand a word you're saying," Lana said grabbing Lex and pulling him away.

The man yelled something angrily at Lex in whatever Asian language it was that he spoke.

"Come on let's go," Lana said leading Lex out of the sweatshop.

"Alright Lana, you win," Lex agreed, he then pulled out the shard of glass Lana had found. "But I'm not imagining this am I?"

The man angrily yelled something and pointed towards the door. Lana grabbed Lex by the shoulders and led him out of the sweatshop as he continued to protest that he wasn't imagining things.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There's gotta be more evidence," Lex insisted.

Lana had reluctantly taken Lex back to the Luthor mansion after Lex had insisted that they go to look for more evidence.

"Maybe we should call the sheriff, get her to bring in a forensics team," Lana suggested. "What do you want to do Lex?"

Before Lex could say anything someone came into the room.

"Mister Luthor," Darius said.

"Darius, you're alive," Lex remarked.

"We were worried about you sir," Darius said.

"You're in on this aren't you?" Lex insisted.

"In on what?" Darius asked.

Lex went to his bar and poured himself a drink. He quickly knocked it back. Another door opened and a woman Lana had never seen before came in.

"Lex thank god," she said. "We were looking everywhere for you."

"Did you call her?" Lex asked Lana angrily.

"I don't even know who she is," Lana replied.

"She's my psychiatrist." Lex explained. "Don't you think it's a little convenient that she just happens to be here?"

"Security called me Lex," his psychiatrist replied. "You need to come with me."

"No, I'm not going anywhere. Somebody tried to kill me last night, I jumped through a window!" Lex exclaimed, he pulled out the shard of glass once more. "Look, I have proof."

His psychiatrist lowered his hand, "The window was broken," she admitted. "You got angry at our last session and you through a vase through the hall window."

The psychiatrist reached into her bag, "I'm going to give you something," she said.

"What is this?" Lex asked angrily grabbing the syringe. "Huh? Some kind of hallucinogen?"

"It's a sedative," the psychiatrist replied firmly.

"No," Lex disagreed. "You're working with my father. You're drugging me to make me crazy."

"We need to get you to a hospital," the psychiatrist said.

"Alright Mister Luthor, everything is going to be fine," Darius said stepping up behind Lex. "It's going to be alright."

Lex reached into Darius's jacket and pulled out the gun that was holstered in there and began pointing it around.

"Get on the ground!" Lex yelled. "Both of you on the ground now!"

Darius and the psychiatrist complied with Lex's demands.

"Lex, no, give me the gun." Lana insisted.

"No Lana, if they take me to the hospital I'll either end up dead or drooling in a padded cell for the rest of my life." Lex argued in a panicked tone.

"Why would they want to do that?" Lana asked.

"It the perfect plan Lana," Lex replied. "As long as the whole world thinks I'm crazy no one will believe what I found out about my father and Morgan Edge. Think about it Lana."

Lana's mind was racing. Lex's theory, while farfetched could certainly be possible, and knowing Lionel Luthor there was a better than normal chance it was true. A very powerful man like Lionel would likely stop at nothing to avoid being charged with murder.

"Young man," the psychiatrist interrupted Lana's thought process. "Your friend is very sick. These conspiracy theories are a symptom of his condition."

"Shut up," Lex said on the verge of complete mental and physical exhaustion. "Maybe I am crazy Lana. I honestly don't know anymore. But what if I'm right about all this? You're really just gonna let them put me away?"

Lana was so confused; her gut instinct was telling her that Lex was telling the truth.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the Smallville Stables, Clark arrived having just finished his closing shift at the Talon.

"Hello?" Clark called out. "Are you here?"

Lana stepped out from an empty stable catching Clark by surprise.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you," Lana apologized.

"I got your message," Clark said. "I brought the food. But I don't know what I'm doing here in the middle of the night."

Lana stepped aside and Clark saw Lex sitting in the corner looking rather pathetic. Clark went over to talk to him.

"Lex's what's wrong?" Clark asked.

"There's a possibility he's being drugged," Lana replied for Lex. "People are after him, I couldn't bring him to the farm and I knew that you knew this place."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Clark asked upset.

"Because if Lex is right, everyone who's involved in this is in danger." Lana replied.

"Lana you know I can handle the danger," Clark said. "What exactly are we mixed up in?"

"I wish I knew," Lana replied. "I need you to stay with him."

"Where are you going?" Clark inquired.

"I gotta get some evidence to Chloe that may prove that he's being drugged," Lana answered. "She couldn't come here because we think she's being watched."

"Don't worry Clark," Lex said. "I'll tell you everything."

"Be careful," Lana warned. "He's not himself."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please Read Over: (I know it's a slightly longer than normal chapter)

Well Lex is crazy, but it's not like Clark will suddenly have his leg broken by a horse. Or will he? (Probably not since I'm not going to have the Adam arc, stupid Adam). Still gotta wonder how this is going to end since Edge knows absolutely nothing about Lana. The way you find out the answer to these questions is a simple one. Keep reading.

Check out the C2 group Lana Fans Unite! There are some good stories in there

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), irc. (Port 7000), or irc. (Port 6667), then go to channel #smallville. Hope to see some people there; we've got a diverse culture of Americans, Brits and Canadians in there on a regular basis and it'd be nice to diversify that further. If you're having problems getting on send me a message and I'll do what I can to help. And if that doesn't work for you, look for the Smallville Revised Forum. I hope to see you in one of the two places.