The guard glared over at Chloe who shot him a disdainful look in return and then turned her head to look out the window at the desert that spanned out in front of them. The lights of the city had come into view a while back and were now starting to loom in front of them with the promise of her delivery to Amir.

Chloe wasn't sure who this person was but she could tell from the unspoken words behind Joshua's promises he wasn't someone she wanted to meet anytime soon. A thousand ideas for escape ran through her mind and she waited for the ideal opportunity. So far none had presented themselves. She was beginning to think that this was it for her.

She stared out into the desert night remembering the look on Clark's face when she had been dragged from the room. He was terrified for her. She shivered in part with fear and in part from the fear of the impending threat.

"You are in for a busy night." The guard snickered as they neared the city limits and the traffic began to congest.

Chloe didn't respond as she rolled her eyes and continued staring out the window. She jumped slightly when she felt the guards fingers run through her hair and twirl the ends around. She responded to the touch by reaching up and slapping his hand away, still not looking at him.

"Ahh so beautiful, so much spite. Come, sit closer to me."

Chloe shook her head and laughed quietly and a bit hysterically as she casually reached up and wiped the tear that was rolling down her cheek.

"Come on baby. I know about women like you. We have tv, we see American girls on the tv." He spoke with somewhat broken English.

"All the woman on the tv shows we see, they all like sex. Sudan woman are not like that." He continued speaking as he reached up to play with her hair again.

"Don't touch me!" Chloe spat out.

"Don't be like that." The guard seethed through clenched teeth as he grabbed Chloe's upper arm and dragged her across the front of the seat towards him.

Chloe struggled and the car swerved somewhat as he fought to control her in the vehicle. Her struggle subsided somewhat when he grabbed a fist full of her hair at the back of her scalp.

"Get off me!"

"Sit still!" He barked back.

The car swerved again as he let go of the steering wheel with his free hand and unzipped his pants.

"No! Get off me!" Chloe screamed at him as she reached for the steering wheel and turned it hard towards her side of the car.

The car swerved sharply to the left, stopping traffic behind them and almost taking out a parked vehicle before the guard righted the car. He tightened his hold on the fistful of her hair and slammed her face forward towards the dash. He forehead connected with a sickening thud and Chloe fought to maintain consciousness.

Before she had time to recover from the blow he pulled her head back and then down into his lap. Her chin bounced off his leg and she blew her strands of hair from the side of her face trying to see anything through the mat of hair and blood starting to drip from her forehead.

"Let's see how good you Americans really are." He shouted at her from above.

"No! Let go! Let go!" Her screams turned to pathetic sounding cries as she pushed up against his fist.

He pushed back against her fighting as he focused part of his attention on the road ahead. He held her down and away from the steering wheel as best as he could as he drove his hips upward attempting to align his penis with her mouth.

"Do it!" He slammed her head downwards again and felt his penis push past her lips and into her throat.

"That's better." He sighed as he pulled up on her hair and then pushed her head back down in an increasing rhythm.

Chloe still fought with all she had as she moved her hand inside his pants, scratching the side of her hand against the teeth of the open zipper.

"Oh yeah baby." He encouraged as he felt her fingers circle under and around his ball sac.

"What the fuck! What-!" He screamed as he felt her nails dig into his sensitive flesh.

Chloe could hear the screech of the car tires as she bit down hard on the shaft of his penis and increased her grip on his balls. She was careful not to draw blood as she bit down but she could feel her fingertips moisten with it.

She wasn't sure what happened next. She felt her body being hurled forward under the steering wheel and against the underneath of the dash with blinding force. When she looked up from her crumpled space on the floor of the car she saw the body of the guard slumped over the steering wheel. His eyes were still open and there was blood dripping from his mouth onto her shoulder.

She willed herself not to scream as she tried to regulate her breathing. She scrambled out from the floor and onto the seat beside the guard. She looked around at the scene before her. The hood of the car was crumpled into the base of a lamppost standard. The windshield was smashed and there was a crowd of people quickly gathering around the car.

Someone said something to her from the side window of the car bringing her back to her present situation.

"Pardon?" She turned to look at the voice, still in shock.

He repeated the words again and Chloe still wasn't able to understand what he said but was relieved to realize that it was because it wasn't English, not because she couldn't process words.

She did a quick inventory of her well-being and realizing that she was okay she quickly exited the vehicle. Fighting against the hands of helpful onlookers she managed to slip away from the crowd and into the alleyway to the side.

She ran until she thought her lungs would explode. Eventually she decide she was far enough from the accident that no one would be able to find her and associate her with Joshua or his now dead guard. She stumbled down the streets and alleyways until she tripped and fell for what felt like the hundredth time.

That fall was the straw that broke the camel's back. She lay on the ground and cried. She cried out of fear, out of confusion, out of relief, out of uncertainty of what to do next and she cried for Clark and Lex.

Her cries dried up as she realized how she must look. The sun was starting to rise and people would soon be flooding the streets and here she was lying in her own despair in a very revealing red dress in the middle of a city where women were not allowed outside without proper covering.

She slowly rose to her feet and straightened herself out physically and mentally. She had to get herself together if she was going to help Clark and Lex. She started walking down the streets in search of someone that could help her.

Meanwhile back at the palace, Joshua stormed back into the room where Clark and Lex were still sitting on the floor recovering from their injuries.

Lex stood up feebly when Joshua turned to shut the door behind him.

"Where's Chloe?"

"Who?" Joshua turned back towards him, "Oh right the girl. She is on her way to Amir as we speak."

"Bring her back." Clark spoke from his spot on the floor as he grunted with the effort of standing also.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that."

"What do you want?" Lex tried bargaining again.

"What do I want? What do I want?" Joshua's humor came through in his tone but then it suddenly turned deadly serious, "I want nothing from you that I can't already take without her." He moved to stand in front of Lex.

"If you bring her back-" Lex started.

"If I bring her back you'll what?" Joshua smiled cutting him off, "You'll do what I say without her as a bargaining chip. You seem to forget, I have your other friend here as collateral."

"You bastard!" Clark cried out as he ran at Joshua's stomach and knocked him against the kitchen counter.

"You bastard!" He cried again as he slammed his fist into Joshua's jaw.

"Clark!" Lex called out from behind him as he ran forward and tried to pull his grieving friend away.

"Let me go!" Clark turned his attention back to Lex.

"Stop it Clark!" Lex grabbed at him again. "Your only making things worse. Haven't you learned that yet."

Clark stood a few feet away from Joshua as Lex held his arms at his side and tried to reason with him.

"Fuck you Lex! What about Chloe!"

"You aren't helping her this way!" Lex waved a hand towards Joshua.

"You would do well to listen to your friend." Amir smiled, realizing his unique opportunity at another experiment he turned to leave.

Lex blinked not believing their good fortune for one minute. There was no way Joshua would let Clark's behavior go unpunished.

Once out the door Joshua motioned for his guard to come closer to him and he lowered his voice in instruction.

"Go now to the engineering room. Tell them I want only red kryptonite pumped into that room."

The guard nodded and headed off in a run down the hall with his orders.

Joshua smiled to himself and proceeded to his spot in front of the glass window to watch the two boys inside finish the fight he had left them in.

He stood in front of the window having missed a portion of the fight but he was just in time to hear Clark shout across the kitchen island at Lex "You know I am getting pretty sick and tired of you telling me what to do."

"I am trying to protect you." Lex tried to reason.

"Sometimes I'm not so sure. You know what I think? I think you're afraid. You're too afraid to stand up to him. You're too afraid to try and help Chloe-"

"There is nothing we can do to help Chloe!" Lex turned on his friend, clearly Clark had hit a sore spot.

"Really Lex! Cause from what I saw you didn't even try!"

"Stop it Clark."

"Or what? What will you do Lex? You can't do anything so stop acting like you can! You think your protecting me but all you do is go along with whatever he says to do."

"It's not like that Clark."

"No?"

"No!" Lex shouted back as he ran his hand over his scalp in frustration. "In case you have forgotten Clark, I didn't ask you to be here. I didn't tell you to jump on a plane and fly half way around the world to rescue me yet again!"

"You're right you didn't Lex. What you did do though was give me an in. You gave me a way to find you in the hopes that I would help you."

Lex wasn't watching when the flare of red sparked in Clark's eyes. If he wasn't so heated with the argument he may have seen Clark's already angry demeanor intensify.

"Just drop it Clark!" Lex commanded in a tone that normally Clark would have listened to.

"Just drop it Clark." Clark mocked his friend as he moved around the counter. "No Lex how about you drop it. How about you drop the act. How about you stop pretending that you don't like being here."

Lex's head tilted sideways and he raised one eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I said I think you like it here. You have everything you could have bought with your daddy's money but you don't have to work for it. Throw in your only friend in the world and the ability to assert your power over him once in a while. What more could you ask for?"

Lex stood staring at Clark in amazement, speechless for a moment as he looked into Clark's eyes looking for some remorse at the words he spoke. He was unnerved to find none.

Suddenly Clark reached forward and pushed Lex's shoulder roughly with one hand.

"Don't Clark." Lex warned.

"Don't Clark." Clark mocked again. "Don't do this. Don't do that. You know Lex the only thing you have told me to do since I got here was to lay back and let you try to fuck me."

"Clark-"

"No, no Lex. Now that I think about it you didn't seem to put up too much of a fight when you were told to rape me. What was it you said to me? There's no way out of this Clark. We don't have a choice Clark. Relax and don't fight it Clark. Just lay on the bed Clark." Clark's voice took on a threatening tone as he poked a finger in Lex's chest with every sentence he spoke.

"How would you like it Lex?"

"What?"

"You heard me, how would you like it?" His words got quieter as he moved in closer to Lex backing him up against the counter. He put both hands securely against the counter on either side of Lex's hips and leaned in. "Wanna find out?"

"Clark." Lex swallowed deeply, "You're upset."

"Hmm you're right I am upset. You know what I'm upset about. I'm upset about being raped by my so-called best friend. I'm upset about my family and friends thinking I'm dead. I'm upset about what ever might be happening to Chloe. And I am definitely upset about your inability to have a set of balls and back me up in a fight against the one person who made it all happen."

Lex tried to push past Clark's arms.

"Ah ah ah." Clark purred as he nuzzled Lex's neck with his lips. "Where do you think you're going? Huh?"

"Move Clark."

"No, I think I'm pretty much done taking orders from you. Just relax, don't fight it." Clark growled throwing Lex's words back at him as he tightened his grip on the edge of the counter top feeling it crush in his hands.

Both boys looked down at the crushed counter top in Clark's hands.

"Clark what the hell?"

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" Clark whispered as he brushed the dust from his palms and smiled knowing that at least some of his powers must be returning. It made sense given that he hadn't felt as sick since his return from Amir's. Maybe the time away combined with the time spent at the ball had allowed his body to heal somewhat.

The crushed counter didn't go unnoticed by Joshua either who was watching the events unfold from the other side of the glass.

"Clark how did you-"

Clark turned his attention back to Lex. "I think it's time to get out of here, we can pick this up later." He turned to walk towards the door. As if in second thought he turned and looked over his shoulder at Lex who was standing still in awe. "That is unless you don't want to come."

Lex glared at the comment and followed Clark unsure of what his friend intended to do. Clark grabbed the handle of the door and turned it effortlessly. The knob broke off in his hand and he easily removed the door from its hinges.

Joshua turned to his remaining guards. He shouted at them to capture the two boys and he stormed down the hall to the library. Once inside the library he grabbed a chunk of green meteor from one of the collection cases along the wall that contained various rare rocks from around the globe. He silently cursed his choice in specimen as he rounded the corner and stormed from the library.

After Clark discarded the door, Lex made another mental note of questions to ask him after they were out of this mess. About half way down the hall Clark's confidence seemed to waiveras the effects of the red kryptonite wore off. He turned to look at Lex unsure as to what had happened.

Lex slammed into his friend from behind. "Clark!"

"I just-"

"Move it!"

Clark wasn't sure of how they had gotten out of their room and didn't think now was the time for questions as Lex took the lead.

They rounded the corner and ran head first into Joshua's guards. Lex turned and looked at Clark anticipating that the guards would be no match for his friend's new found strength. Clark was confused at the look of hope on Lex's face.

The two stood staring at the machine guns propped against the guard's sides.

"How far did you think you would get this time?" Joshua's voice echoed down the hall.

"Fuck!" Lex swore as he punched the wall beside him.

"What am I going to do with you two?" He asked as the guards parted and he emerged from behind them.

Clark felt the effects of the meteor rock in Joshua's hand immediately and he crumpled to the floor holding his side. Lex ran to his friend's side and tried to help him up right.

"Leave him." Joshua commanded.

"No!" Lex spat out thinking of the words Clark had spoken to him earlier. Maybe he could do more to protect his friend. Maybe he didn't have to allow Joshua to have total control without a fight.

"Trying to make up for not protecting him earlier?" Joshua smiled knowingly at Lex who cringed at the realization that Joshua had heard their entire fight earlier.

"I won't let you hurt him."

"Lex." Clark mumbled in pain from beside him, "Don't do this."

Lex slowly lowered Clark to the floor and stood in front of Joshua effectively blocking Clark from Joshua's view.

"You want someone to take this out on you take it out on me. Leave him out of this or I will end everything."

"What exactly does that mean, you will end everything?"

"I mean that I will kill him and I will kill myself the minute I get the chance."

"You won't do that." Joshua sounded overly confident that he knew Lex well enough to know he wouldn't carry out the threat.

"No? Why not? According to you we are going to die anyway. If I don't win that fight on Saturday I'll die and Clark will die at the hands of that sick fuckin' friend of yours. If I win we stay here and die eventually anyway."

"Don't be so mellow dramatic. You will win that fight on Saturday and you will continue to live here for a good number of years."

"Not if you touch him we won't. I'll kill us both, I swear I will."

Joshua laughed at the empty threat. "I will not hurt him. Not because of your valiant attempts to save him but because I choose not to."

Lex looked confused as Joshua continued, "You see I set part of this up. It was an experiment. Granted I had not anticipated yet another attempted escape but no matter I still gleaned some very interesting information from the test." He added as he stared past Lex at Clark.

"Test?"

"I had red meteor pumped into your room again. I wanted to see how escalated your fight could get with some chemical enhancements. Seems your friend has more of a reaction to the meteor than he is willing to let on. After the fight on Saturday I will have to up my experiments. With more security measures of course."

Joshua turned to his guards and tossed them the green meteor, "Take them back to their rooms and secure them while you fix that door."

He turned and walked away. Lex wasn't sure what infuriated him more the fact that Joshua had won yet again or the fact that he was so flippant with the control he had over their lives.

Back in the room they were secured to the bed with the meteor resting between them. He could hear the guards working in the kitchen on replacing the door. Once they were finished they released the knots holding the two boys in place, took the meteor and left, locking the door behind them.

Lex and Clark lay on the bed listening to the sound of the lock clicking into place. They lay in silence for a long time. They could hear the airflow to the room kick in and Clark knew it had to contain some green kryptonite because although he was feeling stronger he still felt nauseous.

Both lay side by side on the bed and Lex was the first to speak.

"What you said earlier-"

"Lex I'm sorry for what I said." He didn't know everything that he had said but he remembered how the fight had started and figured that it must have escalated from there.

"Don't be. You were right."

"I was?"

"Yeah." Lex turned to look at Clark smiling, "But don't let it get to your head."

Clark returned the smile weakly. "I'll try not to."

"Seriously Clark. Maybe there are things I could have done differently. I should have thought about how this was affecting you. I was so busy trying to protect you physically that I didn't really take the time to protect you mentally."

"There isn't anything you could do Lex. You know that, but more importantly I know that. I was just hurt and upset about " He stopped eyes welling with tears.

"About Chloe." Lex finished for him.

"Yeah." Clark barely got the words out for fear of having a total break down.

They laid in silence again for a long time neither sure of what to say and both lost in their own thoughts.

Lex was the first to speak again, "So about the counter?"

"Counter?"

"The kitchen counter Clark. The way you crushed it in your hands. Want to explain that to me?"

"I-" Clark tried not to show his concern about his actions; he never had been a good liar and hated having to lie to Lex. "I don't know. Maybe adrenaline mixed with anger, fear and allergies." He offered hopeful it would pass as plausible.

Lex looked at his friend for a long time convinced there was more to it than Clark was letting on. In the end he decided he didn't want to risk another fight just when they were patching things up from the last one.

He turned to stare back at the ceiling, "Yeah maybe."

Clark wished he could feel relieved that Lex had bought into the excuse but something about his friend's tone made him doubtful. If Joshua's experiments carried on this way he would have to tell Lex. He would have to find a way to tell him that couldn't be overheard by someone watching from the other side of the glass. He made a promise to himself that he would do just that when the time was right.