Chapter 6: Lex and I Blow Up
Clark and I left the Talon shortly after my family realization, and from there I was given an official tour of Smallville's Main Street. We popped into a few shops, looked around, and talked to more of Clark's friends. Eventually we ran into his parents at the local department store. They gave us a ride back to their house; Clark and I rode in the bed of the truck, waving occasionally at people we passed. Back at the farm I helped Clark and his mom with various chose, feeling useful for once.
In the evening, a car came roaring down the drive; Lex was back from work. I stood on the porch watching closely as the day's light turned to twilight. Clark met Lex at his car, and they chatted together for a moment. Lex seemed pressed and extremely agitated, and when he glanced in my direction, I waved at him. He caught sight of me, but then swiftly turned away, keeping his back to me as he talked with Clark. Clark looked a little concern, glancing back at me before turning his full attention back to Lex.
"Maddie?" I turned to Martha, who had come out of the house from the kitchen. She looked to Lex and Clark and then back at me.
"Something happened," I muttered as I fidgeted with my hands. Martha sighed and put an arm around me, pulling me close to her side.
"I'm sure it was just something at the plant, nothing with you." She tried to reassure me, and I nodded absently.
"Mrs. Kent, I can't help but feel like one giant problem right now." I told her, surprising myself with the amount of honesty I put into those words.
"I'm in everyone's business, and this random insane man is out to get me. People think I'm in league with him, but they couldn't be so far from the truth." The words came out of me like vomit as everything I had been fearing was put into words and out into the universe. "I'm ruining everything. I concluded. Sometime during my little rant, I had started to cry again, and I cursed myself inwardly about it.
At first, Martha said nothing. I pulled myself from her grip and looked at her. She was looking at me with a sad smile on her face. She put one hand on my shoulder, and she cupped the side of my face with the other. It was like looking into the eyes of my own mother, and it was comforting.
"I know that you are innocent in this Prowler business," she said after a long pause. "If Lex can't see that, he will. He's probably just having a hard time coming to terms with all of this. He's not always in the middle of situations like this." I nodded and sighed.
"You aren't being a problem and you're not ruining anything. You're just in a curious situation, and all you can do is be yourself, and find a way out." I smiled at her words, and we both turned back to Lex and Clark, who still stood by Lex's car talking.
"I guess I should just look for all the good in all of this." I concluded and Martha heartily agreed.
"For a teenager, you sure do have a grown-up view of this." She said and I twitched a little, containing the thought in my head. Thought right then, I just wanted to yell BECAUSE I AM AN ADULT.
Lex called my name, and I bid Mrs. Kent farewell. I hurried to the car where he and Clark were still standing. As I walked, I couldn't help but marvel at their strange friendship. A future hero and his villain, it almost made me laugh.
"How would you like to spend the night here?" Lex asked, his tone of voice rather neutral. I froze mid-step and blinked.
My blood ran cold from the panic as I looked from Lex to Clark. No one said anything, obviously waiting for me to answer.
"Do-do you want me to spend the night here?" I asked slowly. My heart pounded painfully in my chest and my breathing was starting to be a little shallow. I felt for my inhaler in my pocket, preparing myself for a stress-induced attack.
"It will be better, for tonight." Lex shifted his gaze to the dirt, and Clark couldn't help but look away too, an embarrassed blush creeping onto his face. Or was it anger? "Just for safety reasons." Lex added quickly, a little too quickly for my liking.
I took a deep breath, thinking it over. I looked out into the darkening fields and weighed my options. Something drastic must have happened for him to offer this little "sleepover" for the night. That, or Lex just needed some peace and quiet at his own home for a little bit. I could empathize with the second option, but was unsure exactly what it was. Still, a part of me panicked. What if the Prowler came by looking for me at the mansion again? He had said that he would make Lex pay, but I never got a chance to talk to Lex about that.
"For tonight, sure," I said flatly, giving Lex a blank smile.
He nodded, then reached out and patted me on the shoulder before turning and getting back into his car. Guess Lex isn't much for goodbyes, I thought sullenly as the car roared to life and then slowly backed down the drive. Clark and I watched silently; his mother cam and joined us, just as the last image of the car finally disappeared down the road.
"Clark, what happened today?" I asked, still gazing at the empty driveway and the road along it.
I was met with silence first, and then Clark spoke. "The Prowler showed up at the factory, and attacked some of Lex's employees. Apparently, he came specifically for Lex this time."
"Oh no!" Martha breathed, and I stiffened. "Is Lex okay?"
"Yeah, he's fine, just shaken up." Clark sighed.
"He thinks I sent the Prowler after him." I said and then bit my lip. What I said felt like lead, and the silence that answered me just pounded it back at me. My fault. He actually thought I had sent that madman after him.
XXXX
I was set up in the guest room between Clark's room and his parents'. I remained there for the rest of the night, only coming down for dinner. I was cordial, and happy, during dinner. We talked a moment about the upcoming school year, and of course that turned to how I felt about school. I told them about my interests in writing and math, but the whole night I kept getting sad, knowing glances from everyone at the table.
I understood that Johnathan, Martha, and Clark knew I wasn't involved with this insane Prowler. I figured that maybe Johnathan figured that at some point I would end up in their care, when Lex couldn't handle it. I didn't like his view of Lex going down because of me, but I didn't know what to do to fix it. I felt like the rare fish in a common fishbowl, being gawked at all the while knowing I wasn't going to survive.
After dinner I stayed in the guest room, sitting on the bed with my knees drawn up to my chest and my arms wrapped around them. I wondered what Lex was doing at the moment; he was probably enjoying a nice, quiet, and normal evening to himself. I thought about making a forced connection to the Prowler, just to see where he was. If he was anywhere near the mansion, I could tell Clark and he could use his super speed to run over and rescue Lex. But if I found him at the farm instead, I would only serve to frighten myself, and put Clark and his family in danger.
I decided against it, and instead panicked the whole night about where the Prowler was, and if Lex was safe or not. I had nightmares of the man bursting into the Kent house, ranting and raving about where I was. With each new scenario, I would wake up gasping, clutching at the blankets and almost in tears. Because of these nightmares I barely slept, and in the morning, I had dark circles under my eyes. I said little at breakfast, focusing mainly on staying awake long enough to eat the meal before me.
"Maddie, why don't you go back to bed? It looks like you didn't get much sleep last night." Martha said as I helped her finish up the dishes from the morning meal.
I opened my mouth to protest, but caught the look of sincere concern on her face. I conceded with a small nod, and then quickly went back to the room. I pulled out my MP3 player and laid it next to me on the bed. I laid there for the longest time listening to the music and staring blankly at the ceiling. At some point my eyes closed, and I fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes next, I found that I was seeing through the all-too familiar green haze. I jumped up, gasping for air as I looked around. Wherever I was, it wasn't the guest bedroom at Clark's house. It looked like some strange, run-down motel that reminded me of the first strange dream I had. There was a plain bed with a lame flower print bedspread next to a dirty window that was covered in tattered curtains. Across the room was an old dresser with a grubby mirror standing on top of it.
I looked at the mirror, and then did a double take. I wasn't looking at my reflection, but the reflection of some stranger. The longer I looked at the reflection the more I realized that this could be the Smallville Prowler. He was tall, the head of his reflection hitting the top edge of the mirror. He had shaggy brown hair and an extremely scruffy face, almost like a full beard, but patchy. The expression on his face was stern and angry, and his eyes were the bright green color of meteor rock. I stared at the reflection for a long time, trying to burn the image into my mind.
The green haze suddenly thickened, like fog rolling in off of the sea. Despite the fog getting thicker and harder to see through, I could still see this man's eyes growing brighter and brighter green. Soon the brightness overtook me, and a burning pain erupted over my body. It felt so real, like I was actually burning away with the vision. I woke with a start when the pain became too unbearable. I gasped for air, looking wildly around the guest room I was back in.
I rushed out of the room quickly, stumbling down the stairs and bursting outside. I looked around frantically, trying to find Clark or maybe even his parents, someone to tell them what I had seen. When I couldn't find anyone outside, I rushed to the barn and up to the loft, hoping to find at least Clark up there brooding. I stopped short of the landing when I saw Lex instead, standing by the telescope. He was looking out into the farm fields below with a conflicted expression.
The Other voice inside of me told me to leave, so that Lex didn't know I was there; he didn't move like he had noticed me. I stopped myself though, because I didn't have anything to hide. I knew what had happened to me, and that I wasn't this strange man's accomplice, and Lex was my temporary guardian. The only thing that made me completely pause was the conflict raging inside him, as shown on his face.
"Lex," I finally willed myself to say. I stepped onto the loft, and Lex turned around to look at me. He didn't seem surprised to see me, but he did look like he wished he was somewhere else.
"Maddie," His tone was flat, and he looked everywhere else but directly at me.
"How long have you been here?" I turned mY head to look around the loft.
"Not too long," He replied, but his tone had gone a little higher, indicating that he was lying.
We stood in silence, and I juggled with the decision to tell him what I had seen. When I opened my mouth to speak again, he held up his hand, stopping me.
"I'm sure you know about the attack on some of my employees yesterday," He began, and I nodded. "That Prowler was looking for me, and my employees got hurt, - good people were hurt."
"Clark told me," I said softly, wondering where exactly Lex was going with this.
"And then I come to get you, and you were having another of those 'vision' things." He stated. "Mrs. Kent let me in, and, and your eyes were the exact green color of the Prowler."
I couldn't speak then, my mind went totally blank, and I gaped at him, kind of like a fish. I didn't know what to say, other than to explain what happened, and reinforce the fact that I, too, was innocent.
"I-I got a good look at the guy who attacked me. It was like I was looking through his eyes, and there was a mirror-," I spoke quickly, like if I couldn't get all of it out at once, the words would turn to sludge and get stuck in my mouth.
"Stop!" Lex's voice boomed in the barn, and I flinched violently. "I've looking into all the details: your family, the disappearance, the other attacks that killed people. That man couldn't have done all of that by himself, and you've been missing from Metropolis for two weeks, but you end up here?" The anger built up rapidly in Lex's tone, and my heart pounded in anxious fear.
"What are you trying to say?" I asked, hating the wavering note I had in my voice.
"You have been helping him!" Lex yelled. "You fooled everyone to think you were just another victim, but you have to be working in tandem with this Prowler! How else would he have known that I was at here the other day, at home when you 'communicated' with him, and at the factory?" The accusation was icy sharp, and each word stung more and more. "You're one of the monsters!" He pushed suddenly at the telescope, sending it crashing to the ground. I jumped back; fear plastered on my face.
Down below the barn door opened and Clark's voice called up to us. He rushed up to the loft, pushing past me so that he stood between both me and Lex. He saw the downed telescope and the angry, upset expressions Lex and I had on our faces.
"Lex, you've got it wrong," Clark tried to step in for my defense.
Whatever sadness or anxiety I had been feeling about the accusation was suddenly turning into anger. How could Lex believe that I was in cahoots with this maniac? I was done being lumped together with this guy, and for letting Zeed get exactly what he wanted.
"I never wanted to be here!" I yelled, startling Clark and Lex with my abrupt loudness. Despite the anger, hot tears filled my eyes, blurring up my vision considerably, but I went on anyways.
"I didn't want to be in this situation, and have the living crap beating out of me, or have more stitches added to my body!" I pointed to my left arm, at the long line of nine stitches that stood out angrily against my skin. "I didn't ask you to become my temporary guardian, and I definitely didn't ask to be mentally connected and stalked by a psycho! And it's extremely upsetting that you think I would be working with him!"
I sobbed loudly, doubling over so my hands where on my knees, steadying myself. I heaved two more long sobs and gasped for breath. Clark stepped closer to me, putting a warm hand on my left shoulder. I suddenly straightened up, taking a step back as I fought to catch my breath. My chest was on fire, and I was reminded of the cracked ribs along with my stupid asthma. Cracked ribs, gashes, nine stitches down my good arm, and the thought that people were thinking I was a criminal. It was becoming too much, and I didn't know what I could take anymore.
I turned on my heels and rushed out of the barn. Clark called after me, but as soon as I was out of the barn, I started to run. I ran down the dirt driveway and onto the state road. I had no idea where I was going to go, but I didn't care, I just kept running. Despite fighting the burning in my lungs and chest, I kept running, spurred on by my frustration and anger. I figured, too, that in a moment Clark would "miraculously" find me, pretending to have run out to find me. A small part of me hope he didn't. I hoped that I could get away as fast as I could and sit somewhere by myself and just break.
I don't know how long I had been running, but soon I couldn't take it anymore. I had gone away from the street and through a small patch of woods. I came back to another road, not caring if I had just gone in a circle and came back to the main road. I was just trying to put space between me and Lex. I knew I wasn't quite into town yet, but that didn't mean I knew exactly where I was. The running caught up to my asthma, and I was finding it hard to breathe, and battled with intense pain in my chest. There was a grassy knoll off the side of the road, so I veered down the ditch and sat under a tree, taking stock of everything that had happened in the day. I knew instantly that I had made an idiot decision, because I shouldn't have run off like that.
"I'm such an idiot." I muttered through breaths.
"That is correct," A familiar, snide voice said to my left, and I turned my head and looked up to see Zeed floating next to me.
I had actually been wondering why Clark or any authorities hadn't shown up looking for me. If Zeed was here, then he was making sure to keep me hidden for as long as he needed to.
"If you're really going to kill me, do it now, because I hate everything. I hate you, this world, and myself. You win." I snapped at him between coughs and gasps for air.
"Win? Kill you? Not just yet," Zeed said, gazing around at the empty countryside, as if taking a small hike in the middle of summer. "I'm having too much fun."
"Oh, shove it up your ass, Zeed!" I yelled, my voice falling flat against the woods behind me. I struggled up to my feet and faced the Watching, pointing a finger at him. "This is wrong! I get that maybe Watt and I went overboard, but this has to be complete and utter criminal mutiny!
"You're a monster, and a disgrace to your kind and species, and-," I gasped as an invisible force pushed me, hard. I was sent back flying into the ditch, landing weirdly on my left wrist, and wrenching it roughly. Something cracked in my chest cracked, and burning pain spread out from it. I feared that one of my already cracked ribs had suddenly broke, and punctured my lung.
I laid there gasping as Zeed came floating down to peer at me, his face scowling and full of fury. I was frightened, scared that Zeed would down now what he had always plan to do: kill me. Instead, he leaned down and narrowed his wide, white eyes at me, whipping his green and gold cape to cover most of himself.
"I am the one who gets to pass jusgement here, Maddie. Not you. I will let you suffer for as long as I want, and take your life when I want." I strained to hear him through the rushing sound in my ears, even though I didn't want to hear any of his threats.
"My friends-," I choked out.
"Are not here, and will not be saving you." Zeed finished. Stars began to dance in my eyes as the pain I felt increased tenfold. Zeed was holding one of his hands up in a fist, filling me with more and more pain.
"You better hope that someone from this reality finds you soon, or you will die." He explained and I cried out feebly.
"My friends-," I sobbed out, trying to call to anyone to save me. I hated the position I was in, the sound of my voice, and how weak I was against Zeed.
The Watcher opened his mouth and said something, but it was too late. The stars in my eyes became spots, and they took over my vision, plunging me into unconscious darkness.