Alexander had left them a few hours ago. In that time, Chloe's mind was racing. She was trying to think of a way out this and at the same time her mind was still with her close friend. Her heart was greatly troubled, the picture of Clark's prone form laying on the sidewalk still etched in her brain. In a way it was that picture, in addition to her own survival that pushed her to try her best to free herself from the ropes.

She'd spent the last hour or so moving, wiggling her hand and fingers around to try to give her at least some more movement. With great effort she managed to reach into her back pocket, where unknown to her captor she kept her cell phone.

'I never keep it in my bag, I always have it close to me'

"Do you have it?" Lex whispered hopefully, from the other side of the room, the back of his mind saying it was rather careless of their captor to have overlooked something so great.

"Yeah, I'm gonna try to ring someone to get us out of here."

"Tell whoever it is we are in the last underground cellar in the west wing of the mansion."

Without another word, the cell phone in her hand, she did not waste any time while Lex's evil twin was not in their presence. She pressed the first person on her speed dial, Clark.

Her heart was beating, hoping, praying that he would answer, that he was capable to do so. To her relief after the longest few seconds of her life the other line picked up.

"Chloe?" a disbelieving, hopeful, concern filled voice answered.

Clark had seen the caller ID, at first he didn't want to overeact. He mumbled something to Pete, who like himself was still at the Torch, about the possibility of whoever was calling of being their lost friend.

"Clark," the sound of his friend's voice was so beautiful to his ears.

Clark nodded towards his friend, who got up from where he was and stood by him. "Chloe, where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Lex is with me. We've been kidnapped. I don't have time to explain."

"By Lex's evil twin?" Clark guessed.

"Yeah," Chloe's voice confessed confusion.

"I saw the tape, I know what happened at the lab."

"He's crazy, Clark!" Chloe put in.

Clark knew that but there were pressing matters at hand. "Where are you, Chloe?"

"Last…underground…west wing…Clark can you…"
"Chloe, you're breaking up. Tell me where you are." Clark glanced worriedly at Pete, who had an equally concerned expression.

"Clark we're…cel…under…wes…mansion…Clark? ark?" with those last words the phone went dead.

Clark looked down at his cell phone, its line dead, then he looked up at his friend. His heart beating so fast, worry nearly threatening to devour him.

"Did she say where she is?"

Clark shook his head. "The reception was bad I could only pick out bits of what she said before the phone went dead."

"From what you heard do think you could guess at least?"

Clark nodded. "I think so. I think they are at Lex's mansion. I need to go…"

Pete brought his hand to slow his companion down, who was already heading for the door. "Do you even have your powers back?"

Clark sighed frustrated. "Not really. But Pete we gotta try. If we tell the police, the other Lex would probably find a way round that. But I'm his friend, well sort of. I could use that to my advantage. At least I'll be able to gain access inside."

"Then what?"

"I dunno, Pete. But I can't just sit here, while Chloe and Lex are in danger, I can't do that, powers or no powers."

Pete after a moment of deliberation finally conceded. "Fine, but I'm going with you."

It had been relatively easy to get inside the mansion. The guards and the servants all knew him as Lex Luthor's friend, Clark had counted on that. However, instead of going into the study like he usually did when visiting his billionaire friend, he walked straight past it and headed for the west wing, and the underground cellars that Lex had once shown him.

Nevertheless, had Chloe mentioned the 'last cellar', or something along those lines. That would prove a problem because he had no idea just how far down or even what the last cellar looked like.

'This would be so much easier if I could just super speed all the way through these underground tunnels with my x-ray vision.'

But he still had not regained his abilities and he was feeling very frustrated and anxious. He didn't know long he had to find them before his presence was discovered and he couldn't even protect himself yet alone his two friends.

It was at those thoughts that his heart started to beat faster, especially jogging down the long, dark underground, not knowing where his friends were. There was a lump in his throat as he thought of the possible condition they were in.

'What if one of them is hurt? What will I do?'

As he continued to jog there was an overwhelming feeling of self-doubt that took over him. 'Perhaps Pete was right!'

He took a deep breath, shaking those thoughts out of his head. He was doing the right thing. He was helping his friends. At least he was trying. So jogging a little faster, he thought of Chloe's smile to keep him going.

Alexander sat at his desk, sipping some expensive scotch; his eyes set on the screen in front him. It was tapped into the hidden underground cameras that he had recently put in for this moment. And he watched as the dark haired boy, his weak other half's friend, fall steadily into his trap. He smirked, knowing everything was going according to his plans.

A few moments later he arrived at the very last door. 'This must be it.' He tried to x-ray inside to make sure they were in the interior and Lex's evil twin wasn't with them. As he expected, it still didn't work, he still didn't have his powers. So instead he tried to listen in, to see if he could catch the sound of voices, but the door was solid and impossible to make out any sound from within. Left with no other option he went with his gut feeling and opened the door.

He sighed at the sight he was rewarded with.

"Clark!" Both Lex and Chloe exclaimed at the same time, relief showing on every single one of their features.

Clark sighed seeing that the other Lex was nowhere in sight. Now all he had to do was free his friends, get out of this place and then figure out what to do from there.

The superteen rushed over to his friends, took out his pocket knife to undo the ropes that where holding Chloe and Lex prisoner.

Clark knelt beside Chloe concern etched on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What about you? You don't know how worried I was. The last picture in my mind was you laying on the ground hurt," Chloe poured out her heart as the man she mooned over since day one undid her ropes.

"Fine," he didn't mention anything about his abilities being out for the count, or the fact that his shoulder was still burning. "I was more worried. My Dad had to practically tie me down so I wouldn't run out and look for you." At those words Clark finally got through the thick ropes and Chloe was free.

With that he rushed over to Lex, smiling at him a little, weary nonetheless but still concerned. "Come on; let's get you out of here."

Lex was taken aback by the gentleness of his tone considering their shaky relationship at present. Then he noticed Clark trying to cut his way through the ropes with a knife and he couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you just use your hands?"

Clark was also taken aback as Lex was, but not for the same reason rather it was for his intuition. With a lowered voice because he didn't want Chloe knowing of his predicament at the moment, he said to him, "Because I can't." He decided to be honest with him to a certain degree in an attempt to try to gain his trust once more.

"Chloe mentioned you were hurt?" Lex also lowered his voice, taking the hint. "Does that have something to do with it?"

Clark just looked up briefly, meeting his friend in the eye with an expression that told Lex everything.

As the last of the cords fell Lex got up a little shakily with the aid of Clark saying, "Did you encounter any difficulties coming here."

"No, not really."

Lex suddenly had a bad feeling about this. If his other self was anything like himself and ruthless at that then this all seemed too easy. He could smell an ulterior motive, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"It was dangerous of you to come here," was all he could say.

"But I am here now."

"And to be honest, I'd much rather get out of here before Mr. Other Lex With A Bad Mood shows up," Chloe put in, edging towards the door.

"I agree," Lex commented ignoring the remark, however Clark couldn't help but smile at the blonde's humor. On that note, however, all three didn't waste a minute to make their escape.

Alexander could hardly contain his eagerness at the final faze of his plans. Everything was going accordingly. 'Is that surprising. I am a Luthor and I act like one. We do not fail!'

As he walked confidently down the hallways he knew he would not fail. In fact this was all too easy and so very predictable.

Clark felt exhilaration when he finally saw the exit in front of them. They were going to get out of this.

"Pete has a truck waiting for us not far from here."

"Okay," Chloe answered back. Lex only nodded the feeling that this was all going too effortlessly increasing ten fold. Part of him knew they wouldn't make even a foot outside.

'If only I knew what he was planning. And I should know, he is me after all!'

Still he continued with his course, oblivious like the rest that his evil counterpart was closing in behind them. Yes, he, like Chloe and Clark was oblivious that a red light was aimed directly at Clark's leg. They were oblivious until the shot rang out.

It was then that they spun round, seeing their friend, wide eyed, reaching behind the back of his leg and pulling out a dart. He glanced at them, his eyes glazing over, swaying on his feet.

The pain wasn't at bad as the first time, that being kryptonite dart, however this was still painful. His leg felt like it was burning, then the sensation of it turning numb. Then the sensation spread through the rest of his body until his head felt like it was too heavy, like it was ready to drop. There were sounds, much commotion but it was all a blur.

The last thing Clark remembered as he fell onto the ground was the scream of his name one very reminiscent to the one he had just a little while ago, when he was shot the first time with the kryptonite dart. He only hoped that Chloe and Lex got away this time, that they were safe, that was most important even above himself.

Perhaps soon he would be wishing that he hadn't been so self-sacrificing.