She roused herself out of meditation at about 1 am. She felt pretty good after about 5 hours of resting. She knew that she didn't have to train today. The last few days had been filled with more than enough training. She decided to just take it easy and only stretch and run. She could do those things where people could see her for a change.
But it was still a little early. She went to her bag and took out some of her comic book supplies. She had started to get an idea for a new story line, but she decided to finish the one she was working on first.
The sun was coming up over the horizon as she ran down the long country road in her beige training outfit. A part of Rhone was pleased that she didn't have to go to Plant Number Three today. She wouldn't have to see Ben, Faith, and Jean. And she knew that if she had to see them so soon after she did a job, she might just kill them. It was best that it was Sunday.
She did decide to call the Kents. They had a bizarre worry for someone they didn't even know. She didn't know if she should contact Lex on a Sunday. Maybe people that rich declared a weekly holiday or something.
After a few moments, she decided that she required guidance on a variety of matters and should place a -- long distance call. They had not spoken in sometime, but she always knew that she could contact her Sensei at anytime. He supported her decision to return to the military, despite what everyone else believed. They were trainers; they were content to never make practical application of what they were capable of. She was a warrior, a fighter. Both she and her Sensei knew it. They knew it too; they just didn't want to admit it to themselves.
It was getting quite windy and it was starting to rain. Rhone didn't mind; it was training. She never thought of anything like that as an inconvenience, only something to be overcome, to be learned from even.
She was just stepping onto a bridge when she heard a car coming. She slowed down to a normal, jogging pace and went to the rightmost portion of the bridge sidewalk out of habit and courtesy. She noticed how high the bridge was, but wasn't bothered. The truck went by her and suddenly pulled over and halted. She immediately stopped jogging and analyzed her surroundings just in case there was any -- unpleasantness.
The three heads in the truck were moving. Rhone recognized the truck after a moment and relaxed. The doors opened and three people got out. She started to walk over to them with a smile. She also consciously began heavy breathing. When she got closer she said, "Good morning, Kents. It's great to see you again Clark, Mom, Dad." She shook hands with John and Martha.
Clark was already asking, "Where have you been? We tried calling you but…"
Rhone interrupted, "There were some problems back at my office that needed my attention. I did not mean to -- alarm anyone. I didn't realize that you would try to call."
"We were just concerned when Clark said he hadn't seen you and…" Martha started to say. She was giving Rhone a mothering look that she didn't really mind. Odd.
"All the messages we left went unanswered," Jonathon finished.
"I apologize, I was quite busy. I did not even get those messages until I returned very late last night," Rhone said with a smile again. She turned and looked ahead of the Kent's truck and gazed.
They all followed her gaze. There was nothing there. Suddenly, a large branch fell from one of the surrounding trees. They all looked back at her. It took them a moment to realize that they might have been under that branch when it fell.
Rhone tried to ignore that her actions betrayed a premonition. It was just a flash really, they always were. "I hope you weren't going home that way," she said looking in that general direction.
Jonathon started to walk over to it, "We should move it. Someone coming up over that hill may not see it to stop in time." He knew Clark would have no problem moving something three times the size. "We could probably drag it," he finished, pointing to the point where the guardrail ended.
"We should call someone," Rhone said, "It looks unsafe. This bridge is quite high," She was an expert on unsafe after all. She was usually the one making things unsafe or making sure someone was finding something that was unsafe.
"Nonsense," he said, "it'll only take a few minutes. You girls get in the truck where it's warm." They were all next to the large branch, looking at it.
If he were someone else -- Rhone knew that he was only trying to be nice, chivalrous even. Still, you girls should get in the truck? And besides, this was a pretty big branch, and they were going to move it alone?
Martha began walking toward the truck, she grabbed Rhone's arm lightly. Rhone turned and slowly started to walk toward the truck. Clark and Jonathon began putting on heavy work gloves.
"Mom, it is unnecessary for you to give me a ride," Rhone said.
Martha smiled. She was such a nice girl
"I don't mind the…" Rhone began.
Martha was startled when Rhone stopped suddenly, turned around, and started running (the girl could run very fast) back toward the branch just as she heard Clark yell, "DAD!" She saw Jonathon falling down the large drop off-his foot must have slipped while they were moving the branch.
Rhone wasn't thinking. She ran toward the railing of the bridge and jumped over it like it wasn't even there.
"RHONE!" Martha screamed, also running toward the railing of the bridge. She could not believe the girl had just committed suicide.
Something inside Rhone knew what she was doing. She had never done it with a human before, but it had to be about the same. With the ground speeding toward her she aimed one arm at the falling Jonathon and the other behind her at where she thought the railing would be.
Liquid metal shot out of both her hands at an incredible speed. The one aimed at the other falling figure caught his left wrist. She willed it to solidify around the wrist and it did. She felt the other was still speeding toward the railing. Not too solid, she told herself. We need to bounce or you'll rip his arm off -- like rubber almost. Yeah.
Martha and Clark were leaning over the railing, watching. They couldn't move; they were just hypnotized by it. They saw one of those gray things hurling at them. It hit the railing they were leaning over, wrapped around it, and became solid. Clark reached out to touch it, but Martha stopped him by grabbing his hand.
Jonathon felt something around his wrist and forearm and then he felt himself come to a stop. It was dark. He had closed his eyes as soon as he started falling. He thought he had hit the bank of the river and died. It didn't hurt. It was more of a sudden, brief discomfort.
Rhone felt that everything was as she planned. Planned? Well, no one was dead. She willed the metal coming from her arms to slowly being to return. She saw Jonathon coming closer and felt that she was rising as well. Jonathon wasn't moving -- did he have a heart attack? No, she could feel his heartbeat through the metal. She could have retracted the extensions faster, but thought it better not to.
Jonathon opened his eyes as he felt himself being raised. He didn't know what to make of what he saw when he looked up. He had never seen anything like it. He was getting close to Rhone and couldn't help to examine this thing on his wrist. It was like having a liquid mirror glove, but mirrors break. This was hard, felt like it wouldn't shatter. It was holding him in midair after all.
Rhone was reaching the railing. She lifted her other hand, handing Jonathon to Clark. Rhone noticed that he helped him over the railing (by himself and with one hand), but was also lifting her up as well. It was incredible.
Once over the railing, Rhone returned the metal to liquid and absorbed it. She turned to Jonathon, who was being examined by Martha and Clark. She walked over to him and took the hand that she had grabbed him with. They could gather that she was looking to see if it was broken. She also looked at the adjoining shoulder to see if it was dislocated.
"I'm -- fine," he said hesitantly.
She looked up and realized that they were all looking at her. It dawned on her what she had done. She took a step back as though she was going to run. She had never been so careless before.
"What was that?" Clark asked blatantly.
"Maybe I should ask you the same thing," they knew she was referring to Clark picking up both she and Jonathon with only one arm. Now that she had some free mental time, she also realized that Clark moved pretty fast from the far side of the tree to the ledge. She saw it when she was running to jump the railing. They all looked at each other, no one wanting to move or speak.
Surprisingly, Martha broke the silence; "OK, everyone in the truck."