Clark closed the door behind him before beginning down the hall. "So, Rhone, how much longer are you in Smallville?" Clark asked.
Lex looked at Rhone; he wanted to know an exact answer for this.
"I checked out of my hotel room this morning – I'm technically supposed to be gone right now," Rhone responded.
"My parents said that you could come over for dinner anytime you want, or just come over," Clark said.
"Well, tell them that I just might take them up on that," Rhone smiled knowingly at Clark. She knew, just as Clark did, that the two of them had things in common that few others could even hope to understand. Jonathon and Martha Kent knew that it was important for their son to have someone to share those things with.
Lex narrowed his eyes for a moment. What was that all about? Dinner? Just come over? Ok, this is Clark and he knows that you are – whatever you are for her. Besides, he was forgetting about the Lana variable. …What was his problem?
After a moment, Rhone spoke again, "Clark, that girl I was talking to…"
"Adra Arden, do you know her?" he asked.
"Not exactly," Rhone said, "But we talked for a moment. Are you friends with her?"
"Not really. I don't really know her – no one really does," Clark said, not really knowing where this line of questioning was going.
"Good. Stay away from her -- both of you," Rhone said, looking forward.
Lex was brushing the conversation off as small talk, but he quickly cast a look at Rhone. That was – sudden. He was definitely going to talk to her about this.
"Why?" Clark laughed lightly.
"I have a bad feeling about her," Rhone looked directly at Clark, trying to silently communicate things that it was impossible to.
Clark looked at her. After a brief moment, a realization came over him. He didn't really understand her precognition. At least, he thought that was what she was trying to tell him. "Ok," was all he could think to say.
Was Clark not assuming the best about someone that he didn't even know? Something was going on, on a different level than Lex knew about. And he didn't care for it. Did the altruistic have some kind of bad person radar that he didn't know about? No, that's just ridiculous.
Lex opened the front door of the school and allowed a hesitant Rhone to walk through, followed by Clark. He stepped outside, "I'll see you tomorrow, Clark."
Clark knew Lex was referring to the produce delivery; he smiled.
"Clark, can I talk to you for a minute?" Rhone said.
"Sure," Clark replied.
"I'll go get the car," Lex said nonchalantly, but would have preferred to stay and hear what was said.
When Lex was out of earshot, Rhone looked at Clark seriously. "If you ever really need me, you have my cell phone number," she began. Clark nodded. "If I don't answer, sometimes I get – busy," she said, "Call 555-9999." Clark nodded again. "When they pick up, it might seem a little odd, but just tell the truth and you'll be fine," she smiled, "Or if you just need an ear or something." Clark's smile returned.
She looked at Lex for a moment as he unlocked the door of his Mercedes. Her expression turned thoughtful. When Lex looked at her, she looked back. Clark's smile was so wide; she thought she had looked into halogen headlights. "And I mean what I said about Adra," she said.
"I don't understand…" he began.
"I -- don't either, Clark," she shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment.
Lex's car was approaching them. She held out a hand and Clark shook it. She brought her left hand around to his shoulder and they pulled each other into a partial hug – the kind tough guys give to each other. She really did feel a – kinship with the boy. "Take care of yourself," she said into his ear, "Take care of Lex for me."
"Ok," he laughed lightly as they parted.
The Mercedes stopped in front of them. "I'll see you around," she said vaguely as she made her way around to the passenger side. Clark gave a smile and a wave. She opened the passenger side door, but before she got in said, "Remember what I said about – everything."
Lex quickly took a sharp turn. He looked at the woman next to him; she didn't seem to notice. She hadn't even blinked the whole time she was in the car with him. That was – unheard of. Even Clark, the "luckiest guy he knew," would jump occasionally or hold on to the handle on the door.
"Just so I know, why are Clark and I staying away from that girl -- Adra?" he probed.
It really sounds stupid when you have to explain it. "I judge people and their motivations for a living, Mr. Luthor, and I get a bad feeling about her," she said.
"Women's intuition?" he quoted her explanation of her ability to find the underground fighting ring in Metropolis.
"Actually, I prefer to think of it as more of a Spider-sense," she joked, "Women's intuition sounds so – girly."
"It is my gift, it is my curse," he quoted with a smile.
You have no idea. "I often wonder how normal men can live without it," she looked out the passenger side window. I don't believe I let that slip, she thought. Where did it come from?
"Normal men?" he smiled as he pulled into a parking space.
"Civilians," she covered easily as she opened her door.
Rhone Chade noticed that she and Lex Luthor turned a few heads on their short walk to the Chinese food restaurant. She guessed that if there were a throng of people, it would have parted for Lex – much like at the high school.
Rhone thought the restaurant odd. It was on the corner of the block, not looking the least bit authentic. It looked more like old commercial space that had had a slight oriental face-lift. If you could call painting a dragon on the front door and a light up sign a face-lift. A lot of the things in this town looked that way, as though they really weren't meant to do the tasks they were assigned – renovated.
"Back at The Torch," he started, "You never finished."
"Finished what?" she asked as they reached the door of the restaurant.
"You said your favorite color is green, but you never said what your favorite book is," he grabbed the glass door that led inside and pulled it open, standing mostly behind it.
"Promise not to laugh?" she eyed him suspiciously.
"I give you my word," he smirked.
They both turned their heads at the sound of muffled shouting.
Lex thought it was on the next block and continued to wait for Rhone to answer as well as for her walk through the door he was politely holding open for her.
Rhone knew it was around the corner and down the block -- someone was coming this way. She knew there were two others coming this way as well, but behind the first.
When she didn't respond or look at him, he laughed softly and said, "I'm a man of my word."
She knew he would come this way, instead of crossing the street. There were a lot of cars around; it would be dangerous to just run out into traffic. If a car hit him, he would be caught.
Besides, she had – special knowledge that he would come this way. Not that she was too keen on trusting her premonitions at the moment.
Lex saw a man clutching something run around the corner and come at them. He wasn't going to hit them; he was just in a hurry and would hit anything he ran into pretty hard. "Rhone," Lex said quietly to warn her.
The man was about to pass them. Rhone planted her feet, grabbed the doorframe with her left hand, and firmly extended her right arm.
The sternum of the running man hit the extended arm with a loud, "Ugh." His feet kept going, but his upper half was abruptly stopped. His back made hard and swift contact with the ground. Another deep, "Ugh," was heard. He lay still, having the wind knocked out of him.
Lex just looked at his companion, whatever happened to apathy? Aren't there statistics about how people just watch crimes happen, considering it someone else's problem? Between Rhone and Clark, all injustice in Smallville could be eradicated in a matter of weeks.
Rhone relaxed her position and bent down over the man. She grabbed what he was holding, a brown purse, in her left hand. He didn't seem to notice. Then she grabbed his collar with her right hand and pulled him roughly to his feet. He noticed. "What the hell is your problem?" he gasped.
She held firmly onto his collar and with gritted teeth said, "This is my problem." She held the purse in his face.
"What…?" he thoughts were mirroring Lex's regarding the obvious overestimation of public apathy.
"It doesn't even match your shoes," Rhone snarled as cast a glance down at the man's white sneakers.
Lex's look of disbelief was replaced by his free hand rubbing his eyes and continuing over his head. It vaguely occurred to him that he was still holding the door open.
Two police officers rounded the corner and stopped abruptly when they realized their perpetrator had already been apprehended. "We can take it from here, Ma'am," the first one said. Then he took a good look at Rhone and took a step backwards.
Ma'am? Well, it was a start. She shoved the purse at the officer that spoke. Then she turned her attention back to the man held firmly in her hand, "There, now doesn't that look better?" She gestured towards the officer's shoes -- brown.
The eyes of the officer that hadn't spoken became wide. "Is she the one…?" he asked his partner.
The first officer just nodded, never taking his eyes off the woman.
"Holy shit," the other said under his breath, staring at her as well.
The purse-snatcher was looking back and forth, between Rhone and the two police officers.
"Are you two going to do something, or do I have to police this whole town myself?" she was glaring at the two officers. She was growing weary of this. However, the one holding the purse looked slightly amusing.
Both of them jumped and moved quickly to handcuff the man Rhone was holding. "Sorry," they both said in unison, not looking at her.
"Sorry…?" Rhone repeated, looking at them as though they were supposed to finish her statement.
The one with the purse blinked and instantly added, "Sir -- Sorry, Sir." The Chief had told him, as well as most of the men that had been on the force for sometime, specifically what this woman had said – and done to him. What she could do…
She turned and waved her hand dismissively as she walked through the door. She didn't feel like getting into a long-winded speech about respecting yourself and the job.
Lex watched the officers and the thief for a long moment – they have to call her Sir? The corners of his mouth turned upwards… He realized that Rhone was already talking to the woman behind the counter, picking up their lunch. Shit.
He walked quickly through the door and towards them. "I've got it," he said, reaching for his wallet. Unfortunately, Rhone was receiving her change when he walked up to the counter. Damn it.
All she did for him, how nice she was to him, the way that she made him feel, and he couldn't even buy her lunch. …Damn it.
"Thanks," Rhone smiled at the woman, dropping some money into the tip jar with one hand and absently reaching to pick up the food bag with the other.
Lex quickly snatched the bag, feeling mildly frustrated at his inability to be as gallant as he wanted to be.
Rhone cast a glance at him, noting the agitated way that he was holding himself. …Maybe she should have just let the purse-snatcher go. Why did she have to act like that? Couldn't she just let it go? No. Damn it.
He was probably embarrassed, stopping that thief and the way she treated those officers. He had an image to maintain. …Damn it.