"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty," older Lois said, as she lightly tapped Chloe on the cheek.

Chloe's eyes fluttered open.

"You know, Chloe. The homeless shelter is right down the street. You don't have to sleep on a park bench," Lois said with a grin.

Chloe sat up and took the newspaper off her. "I don't even remember falling asleep."

"Where are the kids, Chloe?" Clark asked in a serious tone.

Chloe looked and saw the empty playground. "I don't know."

"We saw your note that said you were taking them to the park," he said, "that was a dangerous idea to begin with and now you're saying you lost them?"

"Lay off her, Clark. Obviously, they're not laying dead in a gutter somewhere or we wouldn't be here."

"I know that but we're not following the natural order for our childhood lives. That condition could change at any moment. We have to find them."

"That's still no reason to snap at my cousin. If I know me and I think I do, the idea to come here and then take off was all my idea. They've got to be somewhere close by."

"They're not."

"Do you have some sort of power that allows you to see and hear all over the park? We need to split up. Chloe, you check around the duck pond, I'll check out the parking lot, and Clark you check for clues around the playground. Cheer up, Smallville. The minute they disappear from existence, we'll know it."

Clark shook his head in frustration and headed toward the playground, and Chloe and Lois went to check out their assigned areas.

sss

"It's about time you woke up," little Lois told little Clark.

"What happened?" he asked, as he looked around the barren room. He and Lois were chained to chairs with handcuffs.

"I'm just taking a wild guess, but I think we were kidnapped."

He began trying to break out of the handcuffs. "Why?"

"How should I know and quit that. You're going to hurt your wrists."

"I'm not really supposed to tell anybody, but it's an emergency. I'm very very strong," he said, as he pulled his hardest.

"I'm a year older and taller. If I can't break out, then you can't."

"You don't understand. I'm even stronger than my daddy."

Lois rolled her eyes and said, "Boy, you really hit your head hard."

They both became quiet and their eyes widened as the doorknob twisted open to reveal a man with red hair. He smiled at them and seemed fascinated by them as he circled Clark and Lois like a vulture.

"Why did you kidnap us?" Lois asked angrily.

"Lois, was there ever a time in your life when you kept your mouth shut?"

"That's none of your beeswax," she said, "Why do you have a red rug on your head?"

At this remark, he felt his head, as if to make sure his hair was still on. Then he jerked Lois' ponytail.

"Leave her alone," Clark shouted.

"And you, Clark. Was there ever a time when you didn't feel the need to be a hero?"

"Who are you?" Clark asked.

"Oh, just a friend."

"A friend wouldn't kidnap us," Lois said.

"I was never your friend, Lois. You brought it on yourself, poking around in a car that didn't belong to you, but I must admit I was at the park to observe the two of you. See I am backing this new project and you all are my guinea pigs. This machine is able to bring people's past selves to the present. Just think of what that could mean. We could alter history for the better. Say there's a mass murderer on the loose. All we'd have to do is bring his childhood self to the present and execute him and you execute the adult. It's death row at its finest. Among other handy little things. Why am I telling this to children? It goes way over your little, developing minds."

"Why did you choose us?" Lois asked.

"Well, with Clark, I've always been interested in him. There's something not quite right about him. I thought if I saw Clark in his childhood, I might find out what it is. I must have been mistaken. With you, I wanted to see how a sleazy college drop out got her start in life, and I needed another person to experiment with. As you can see, the machine has worked in bringing you here, but I still have to see if history can be altered." He pulled out a knife and pressed the cold metal against Lois' neck, relishing the children's fear for a few moments. "But there are more interesting ways than through death. I'll be back a little later, and I think you'll find my way of changing history unique to say the least."

After he left, Clark finally snapped the handcuffs and then snapped Lois'. "My strength's back," he whispered.

"You're not crazy after all," she said, examining the steel cuffs.

"Come on. We have to get out of here before the man comes back."