Chapter 7
'Clark, you certainly don't believe your eyes that Lana stands on my side now, do you?' spoke Lex into his ear.
Clark, however, was still suffering in pain with the kryptonite that Lex wore on his finger, unable to talk but just staring wide-eyed.
'Clark, see yourself. This is Lana, the love of your life, isn't she?' Lex smirked at the words he mentioned.
'Clark, I don't know we can meet in such situation. I don't want to betray you at first but I have changed my mind. You, just don't know how much I care about you, now, you deserve this,' Lana spoke in a kind of cold, evil tone.
Isobel, you are Isobel…. Not Lana.
'Lana… no Lana,' groaned Clark with pain.
All of a sudden, Chloe who was attempting to free herself cried, 'Lana, you shouldn't betray Clark and I. I told you because I trusted you. I never thought you…'
'Shut up your mouth, you snob! You seized him from me, don't you know that he's mine?' Lana growled.
Chloe said no more. She kept struggling to loose herself while Lana glared at her with her malevolent eyes. Her eyes blazed like an inferno.
'Clark, I know you have the abilities and powers that no one can ever possess. Why don't you join us? Together, we will prove to this world that we are invincible, indomitable.' Lex spoke proudly and acted as if he was a Roman Emperor who has just conquered the world.
'Yes, Clark, join us and you don't have to bear the pain you're suffering now,' Lana persuaded Clark this time.
Join us. The words echoed inside Clark's mind. He was unable to endure the pain anymore as the pain was staggering. But, he could felt a fury rising from deep within. Now, his mind, as though ignoring the pain in his body, forced him to stay the course until the end.
'Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld once pronounced, there are known unknowns and then there are unknown unknowns in this universe. Human beings are always fallible but I am the one, who always prepares for any kind of known and unknown unknowns,' continued Lex, who was now producing a Glock automatic from his pocket and aimed it directly at Chloe. Chloe was shocked, unable to tear her gaze from the gun aimed at her.
'So, Clark, let me ask you once and for all. Where are the two remaining stones?'
The stones cannot fall into the wrong hand, Clark. Jor-el reminded in his mind again.
Clark didn't speak. His mind was racing. He couldn't imagine what calamity lay ahead as Lex was still taking deadly aim at Chloe. Suddenly, his brain had fired up like a cannon ball fired from a mortar. He thought of Chloe.
Chloe…
He knew he must override the pain in order to save Chloe's life. Seeing his reluctance to answer him, Lex shook his head, his gun remained trained on Chloe. 'Don't forget, your life is at my mercy too, Clark.'
Lana (or Isobel) laughed heartily in her high-pitched voice like a witch. And when Lex's attention was distracted by her sudden laugh, Clark took this opportunity to make a dash that never crossed Lex's mind.
Wincing in pain, Clark summoned and mustered all his fortitude and strength. His eyes turned fiery red and two jets of flame were shot out from his eyes toward the kryptonite Lex was wearing.
However, the pain caused Lex to pull the trigger and release it. A bullet was fired. Chloe stared in terror at the bullet that sped at her. Time seemed to freeze and became slow motion. Without any milliseconds to lose, Clark rocketed himself toward the trajectory of the speeding bullet. The bullet hit Clark's chest but he didn't flinch.
The kryptonite exploded and almost instantly, Lex, Clark and Lana were sent skyward and backward in three different directions. Lex hit his head and fainted after he slammed on the wall. Magenta fluid began to ooze out from the wounds. Luckily for Chloe, she just suffered minor injury because of Clark's big body confronting the explosion.
Just as Clark regained consciousness and his thoughts were slow to focus. He thought he could no longer take control of the situation as the bullet had injured his chest but it was also in this moment, Lana had staggered to her feet.
'You foil my plan again!' screamed Lana at the top of her voice. Her eyes sought Clark's but before she managed to mutter any incantation, Chloe headed her and tried to knock her headlong away. Clark was flabbergasted by Chloe's bravado. However, Lana had managed to duck behind and she dragged Chloe's blonde hair. Chloe was bent double, crying with pain.
Clark sped at once to save Chloe. With just a slight push, the momentum sent Lana backward once again and she knocked her head on the wall. She was too, lying unconscious on the floor now.
'Clark, the bullet…,' Chloe gasped.
'It's… nothing,' Clark managed to say, though he was in pain.
The sound of heavy footsteps once again thundered toward the room. Clark and Chloe thought it must be Lex's security agents but it was not at all. The sheriff accompanied by an army of policemen appeared at the threshold.
'Mister Kent, I'm surprised you are here too, with Miss Sullivan,' said the female sheriff, whose eyes turned to them after observing the two bodies lying unconscious on the marble floor.
