Lex was starting to stand up with everyone else, keeping his eyes on Rhone. The way she handled the gun was so – experienced, professional. Everyone began walking to the door.
"Rhone, are you coming?" Clark asked as he was heading out the door with the group, putting Lex in front of him.
Lex looked back and noticed that she was picking up the other gun that was dropped by the first man she had knocked unconscious.
"Not a chance," she said stoically as she checked the clip of the other gun, never looking up at them.
She intended on staying? Was she insane? Lex's eyes went wide, "Rhone…"
Pete walked up behind Clark and Lex, "She knows what she's doing." They both looked at Pete questioningly. He started to guide them out the door – as much as you can with your arms behind your back, ignoring their looks.
Pete didn't know why she wanted to stay. From what he knew of her, this wasn't exactly the kind of thing she had experience in – but she must know what she was doing. It took a certain breed of person to do what she had done, even if it was only for a little while.
Clark looked at Pete for an answer. Pete just looked at him with an, 'I know things you don't' look. Clark trusted that Pete had a good reason to think Rhone would be all right. The way that he had made up that excuse as to why the first robber was unconscious was a clue to that. Not to mention, Clark knew Rhone had – other ways of protecting herself that she might be able to use without an audience. …That whole kung-fu thing was pretty awesome too.
Normally, Lex tried to stay out of Pete's direct attention. Ever since Pete had threatened him under the influence of the Nicodemus flower… But this was different; this is Rhone's life they were talking about – and there was no decent reason for her to stay. The police could handle this now, especially since they didn't have hostages to bargain with. Lex looked at Pete in open-mouthed rage, "If you think that we are leaving her here with…"
"Lex, let's go over to the bank manager so he can use your cell to call the police," Clark interrupted as the momentum of the group swept them all out to the sidewalk. Clark could have easily broken free from the handcuffs at anytime, but decided that it would be too suspicious. The only person with free hands was the bank manager because Rhone had told him to unlock the door.
Rhone wedged one of the guns in the waist of her pants, pressed against her back. She pulled her top down over the handle so it was concealed. She placed the two pairs of handcuffs she had, the pair she had been bound with and the other from the man she had freed to unlock the door, into her pants pocket. She readied the other gun in her right hand.
She walked around the teller counter to where she had seen the other thieves go. With her exceptional hearing, she had been able to hear much of what went on back here, while they were working. There was little conversation and some noises you would expect to hear when someone is trying to crack a safe.
The door was open to the room the two remaining rogues were in. They were bent over the safe with some tools in their hands. It was a less than flattering position for them, but considering where they were going, they should get used to it.
Rhone looked at them for a moment. In a way she felt a little bad for them. Today of all days, they had to rob the Smallville Savings and Loan. Most likely today was the only day that a one of a kind soldier of fortune would be here to protect its virtue. Coincidences -- life can definitely chose to throw you a curve ball.
Oh, well. She raised the gun she was holding and preceded to aim at the back of the knee of the one closest to her. She knew she had to shoot them one right after the other. She didn't want them to get any ideas about picking up their guns on the floor, but she didn't want to hurt them seriously either.
A small smile played across her lips. She adjusted her aim and fired.
BANG! BANG! Two shots were heard outside the Smallville Savings and Loan. Everyone looked up at the building and began to back away from it slowly. There were police sirens and a moment later a significant portion of the Smallville Police Force was parked in front of the bank, blocking most of the road.
"Rhone," Lex said quietly.
Clark looked at his best friend and saw the worry in his face. He rarely ever saw Lex worried; normally he was so calm and collected. He always had – plans so things always went his way in the end, lots of them. Plans to back up plans even. So, he never had to really worry.
Even Pete's face was starting to betray worry. Maybe she wasn't the same Rhone Chade he was thinking of. He had never even thought of that.
Clark said to everyone, but looked directly at Lex, "She's fine." Of course she was – right?
Some of the police started to take position behind their parked cars, guns trained on the bank. Others started to remove the handcuffs from the former hostages. Then they started taking statements as they led them to the safety of the other side of the street.
Lex's head was racing. What just went on in there? Did he really see what he thought he did? Maybe he should ask Clark to see if they had both seen the same things. Perhaps the stress of the situation had caused him to manifest some elaborate story about something else that his mind had – been occupied with. He replayed the images in his mind: of Rhone pummeling the short robber with only her feet, of Rhone knocking a man cold with one kick, of Rhone's face framed by beautiful auburn waves… Was she ok? Someone do something. Move, do anything. He never took his eyes off the door of the Smallville Savings and Loan.
Clark was gazing at the Smallville Savings and Loan, much like the other members of the crowd he was with. However, his analysis of the façade of the building was probably much more enlightening. He saw two skeletons and a solid humanoid shape marching toward the door of the bank. The two skeletons were limping badly, hands behind their backs, and the opaque figure was walking behind them with a gun pointed at them.
Lex was giving his statement to a police officer, while stealing glances at the door of the bank. He stopped suddenly and turned when he saw the door open.
"Mr. Luthor?" the officer taking his statement tried to get his attention.
In a silent agreement, Lex and Clark began walking toward the bank. They saw a few officers throw each of the pre-handcuffed thieves to the ground. A few others started to slowly move forwards toward Rhone, but she reached into her pocket and pulled something out. She showed it to the group of officers in front of her.
Two uniformed officers found their way in front of Clark and Lex. "We're sorry, you can't get any closer. It's a crime scene," the older officer said.
"That girl over there is our friend," Clark said with a gesture towards Rhone.
"She has to come down to the station, Police Chief's orders," the younger officer said.
Lex made a note of their nametags. They could now officially consider themselves between jobs. "Is she in some kind of trouble for stopping a bank robbery and apprehending the perpetrators?" Lex asked bitterly. There was no way he would let her be in any real trouble for this, she didn't do anything wrong. Even if she had, she was in his good graces; that gave her certain -- leeway.
Chloe and Pete walked up behind them, listening to the conversation.
"No one said that, Mr. Luthor," the older officer began, "In a situation like this, they usually have to file some reports."
Clark and Lex looked at one another in curiosity. Lex voiced what they both were questioning, "They?"
Now the officers looked at one another briefly. "Please stay back, this is a crime scene," they said in unison as they ushered Clark, Lex, Chloe, and Pete backwards to the side of the street where statements were being given.
"What did he mean by that, Clark? '…They usually have to file some reports?" Chloe asked in slightly higher voice than usual. Clark knew what that meant. She wanted some Pulitzer Prize winning story out of this whole thing. And considering it wasn't about meteor rocks…
Clark looked at Lex, who had his jaw set and was staring ahead angrily. Clark realized that half of the Smallville Police Force was about to become unemployed. He turned back toward the bank to see Rhone getting into her car with – the Chief of Police? The black sports car quickly pulled out of its' parking place and sped down the road.
Ok, Pete really didn't understand the turn that this had taken. How would the police know about her anyway? There had to be more to this than he knew because if she was…
"Pete, what is it?" Chloe had broken the silence among them.
Pete felt three sets of eyes turn to him, "Huh?"
Chloe narrowed her eyes at him, "One minute you're pushing the limits of a maniac by making up some lie about his unconscious partner and the next you're a total space cadet." They watched the crowd of people begin to thin.
"I'm sorry if this life threatening situation has me acting a little weird," Pete tried to quip.
Clark wondered if Pete knew about Rhone's powers. She had said that only her Sensei and his family knew… He must know something else. Clark joined Chloe and narrowed his eyes, "Spill it, Pete." He had known Pete way too long not to see through that.
Pete looked at each of them, to Chloe, to Clark, and briefly to Lex… Lex was giving him a similar look as the rest of them. He glanced at the ground, "It was a long time ago," Pete started. "Remember when I asked her if I knew her at The Talon that day?" He asked Clark and Chloe.
Clark paused for a moment and nodded slowly. He thought that he remembered.
"Pete, you ask every girl that." Chloe said in a slightly exasperated tone.
The three high school students noticed the sharp look Lex gave Pete when Chloe gave her reply. Was Lex just being protective of his friend or…?
"No, I really thought that I knew her," Pete shook his head. A little because he was having a hard time explaining himself, but mostly because of his friends' analysis of his interactions with the opposite sex. "But when I saw her do – that," he gestured to the bank, "I realized that I just knew her name." Everyone was still looking at him.
"Well?" They were surprised to hear Lex's agitated voice.
"…It's a little hard to explain – and I'm not sure if it's even her. It could be a completely different Rhone Chade," Pete added quickly.
"Pete!" Chloe could no longer bear the fact that Pete had information about a story and he wasn't sharing. A few people looked over at their small congregation when Chloe raised her voice.
He had to make sure that he wasn't mistaken. This was someone's life after all. He didn't have the right to start any unjustified rumors. "Chloe, give me a ride home," he looked at Clark, "Meet us at the Talon in a half hour." Pete turned and began to walk toward Chloe's car. She turned to Lex and Clark. With a look of confusion and a shrug she hurried to catch up to Pete.
Clark turned to Lex, who was running his hand over his smooth head. "I'm sure he meant that you could be there too," Clark offered.
Normally Lex didn't care when something like this happened. They were in high school and he was quite a bit older than Clark after all. But this had to do with Rhone, about something that she wouldn't tell him. He would never judge her on her past, things she had done.
He liked who she was – even though he wasn't exactly sure what that was. For the hundredth time he replayed the robbery in his mind. Lex nodded absently. He hated having to depend on someone like this for information. After the thorough investigation he had done into Rhone Chade, some high school kid was going to show up with something that he couldn't find?
Clark's voice interrupted his thoughts, "I need to call my parents." Surely they would have heard that there was an incident down town and they probably assumed that he was somehow involved. He had a knack for doing that.
Lex nodded again and they began to walk toward the Talon.