Chapter 7
Part 3
The Daily Planet
"Well thanks to the info that AOV gave us, I should be able to pick up on where he hangs out" Chloe said, typing away on her computer. First she accessed bank and credit records on 'Snake', AKA Stanley Humphrey, then used those to see if there was a pattern to where and when he was spending his money. If she was lucky there would be and then all she had to was find out where these places were. 'I bet I could work for the CIA. Really how many people do this sort of thing on a weekly basis?'
"AOV?" the vigilante frowned.
"Angel of Vengeance. Thought of it myself, like it?"
"Honestly? You should stick to your day job."
"Yeah, cuz, that's a terrible name" Lois butted in.
Clark noticed. "Lois, why are you here again? Oh that's right, you never told us"
"Well, slappy, if you must know, your mom called me worried about you, honey," she started pinching and pulling his cheek as hard as she could "So I texted Chloe and she told me were you were, so here I am"
"Could you have just given the message to Chloe?" Clark retorted.
"I tried but Chloe stopped replying so I figured since I'm only ten minutes away, I'd just come over." Lois replied, eyeing the frown forming on his face.
Clark opened his mouth to say-
"I know, I know, you're so happy to see me" Lois said sarcastically.
"Anyways, I found his habit," Chloe said before it could get ugly "It's actually in the same area as the place where your mom got mugged. It's pretty centralized, only a few blocks north of there."
"Okay I'm going" Clark said putting on his coat and walking toward the door.
"Me too" AOV agreed, following him.
Lana didn't like this one bit, "Don't worry, I'll talk to them," she said and ran after them. She didn't care what Chloe heard her say to Clark, but Lois was defiantly another story. This conversation might be big secret related, which is a Lane-free zone as far as she was concerned.
"Clark, hold on." She said managing to step into her boyfriend's path to the door.
"Honey, I'll be back in a sec, promise" he said, putting a fake smile on for her. It didn't work.
"Clark, I don't think this is a good idea."
"Why he can hurt me?" Clark frowned impatiently, taking a step forward.
"Yeah he'll be fine. So step a side, paper weight." the AOV said, smirking.
Lana just glared at her then turned to Clark "That's not what I'm worried about! Someone might see you! This is wrong, we should call the police, let them handle it," she tried to whisper.
"No, he took my father's watch and he's gonna pay" Clark hissed, putting a hand on Lana's shoulder.
She tried to hold her ground, "But Clark, I have-"
"Listen little girl" the AOV jumped in "This isn't just to help Clark out. How would you feel if someone killed your mother?"
"Well-Umm...I kinda-"
"How would you feel if this guy's the reason your not normal anymore? My Mom was such a strong little women and he killed her in cold blood. He even laughed!" tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she kept going "I wasn't so lucky either; when my mom was killed I was there. He stabbed me right through the heart and left me there to look at my mother's dead face, but I was saved, if that was what you wanted to call it. A girl dies in the meteor shower and suddenly I get a supped up second chance, a heart transplant. I wear her pendent all the time." she said, pointing to the pendent hanging at her chest.
"I miss my mom everyday and she's not coming back" the AOV said swallowing back a few tears, then getting into Lana face "So don't tell me, I can't have justice!"
"I'm sorry I didn't realize" Lana whispered. She felt Clark's anger growing intensely but ignored it for the moment. How could she deny this woman anything? As wrong as it was, could she really blame her? If she was in her shoes, would there be any reason to believe she'd be any different given the situation?
"Yeah, whatever. Come on Clark let's go"
Clark looks back at Lana once and left.
"Why'd you let him leave, someone's gonna get hurt!" Lois snapped, genuinely concerned about Clark.
"I didn't. We're gonna follow them" she said then turned to Chloe "Stay here, we need you to tell us where Snake's hotspots are and be our life line if something goes wrong."
"Fine, but why does Lois get all the fun?"
"Chloe..."
"Okay, Okay..."
Some Alley
"Hey Nash... Yeah it's me, Snake... What-tha... Oh just a stupid cat" Snake whispered quickly into his cell as he jogged down the wet alley way. Someone had been following him for the passed half hour, he just knew it. One, two, maybe more, he didn't know, all he knew was that this was the first time he had ever been hunted and it scared the shit out of him.
"Somebody's tailing me... How the hell should I know... just meet me at the corner of-ack" he choked and dropped his cell, which was the only thing of his that actually was touching the ground at the moment.
Snake looked looked down to see an extremely angry, tear-streaked face blazing back at him. 'Who the hell is this guy! He's crushing my neck!' he thought fearfully.
"Where is it!" Clark somehow managed to make his voice demanding and desperate at the same time. Yes, he wanted the watch, but he still wanted to end this 'dirt's' life. He was a murder. His father was dead and this scum is still alive! It didn't seem fair, not one bit, but Clark was willing to change that right NOW. "I said, where is it!" He threw Snake through the air like a missile, and then super sped ahead of him.
Snake thought he'd eventually hit a wall, but screamed out in agony as the left side of his body hit something with unyielding force, causing him to richoet and hit the ground hard. His shoulder was dislocated and collarbone broken undoubtedly. He looked up in disbelief as Clark, standing right beside him; drop his fist back down beside him. How the hell did he do that?
Clark roughly picked him up "You ready to answer me? Where is the watch?" he stated coldly, as if daring him to give the wrong answer.
"What watch man! I really don't know what you're talking about."
Wrong answer
Clark's leg reeled back and struck him straight in the knee cap, instantly shattering Snake's leg. He ignored the screaming and cursing and asked again, hoping that jogged this punk's memory. "Where's the watch you stole from my mom tonight?" Clark released his grip, letting him collapse slowly to the pavement, but not before kicking his ribs on the way down, breaking some of them "I won't ask again"
He spat out some blood before trying to speak "That was your mom? Dude I'm so sorry I didn't kn-"
"WHERE'S THE WATCH, DAMNIT"
"I... aaa... pawned it"
Clark's fists shook violently "It was my dad's!" Clark picked a broken Snake up by his neck again. "You have to die" he said and raised his fist for the final blow.
"Wait, let me" the masked vigilante interrupted, touching down right beside Clark.
"Get what you want from him, than he's mine" his voice held no emotion in it.
"He killed my mother. Let me do you this favor, no blood on your hands" she tried to touch Clark's hand, but when she saw his jaw clench tighter, she decided against it.
"I killed your mother?" Snake asked, trying to get the subject of his death of their minds.
She turned to the murder and took off her mask "Do you remember me now! You stab me. Too bad" she smirked "You should have made sure I was dead" holding a knife to his temple.
"Wait, wait, wait" he struggled frantically, trying to move his head away from the blade. "I know you...cough...more blood, it was a hit."
"What?" the AOV asked surprised.
"It was supposed to look like a mugging. It was the suits. T-They wanted her outta the way."
"Give me a name."
He hesitated.
"GIVE ME A FUCKIN' NAME!"
"Lionel Luthor" and with that she was gone. "Wait, where are you going? Don't leave me here with him!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Now where were we?" Clark smirked darkly, his eyes flashing red in them.
"Clark!" Clark's head snapped in the direction of the voice. His eyes met Lana's.
"I know what your thinking Lana, but he has to die!" Clark said, making more concerned than she ever thought she'd have to be when it came to Clark.
Clark wouldn't kill. This wasn't like Clark at all. "Clark you can't do this..." Lana pleaded.
"Why not! He's a murder. The world would be better off without him." Clark snapped, turning her head back to the murder, his focus now completely back on Snake.
Snake was losing the feeling in his limb from the lack of oxygen. His vision began to tunnel. It was only a matter of time. Hopefully the farm boy would just snap his neck instead of making him suffer through suffocation.
"It's not your place, Clark" Lana came closer, putting a hand on the arm choking Snake "This isn't you Clark" his grip still didn't loosen "What would your dad think?" his hand decompressed slightly around his neck but didn't let go.
"Lana..." he warned, feeling her warm breathe against his neck.
She moved arms to wrap around his waist, embracing him from behind, laying her head softly on the middle of his back, "I love you."
When she heard what sounded like a sack of potatoes hit the concrete, she knew he had dropped him. "I love you so much" she heard him sniffle. "I'm sorry"
"It's okay, baby" Lana whispered, her hands rubbing in a slow pattern on his chest, hoping it would comfort him some.
Neither of them knew how long they had been standing there until, Snake coughed back to consciousness at their feet, while sirens sounded off, maybe a few blocks away. "I called the cops, but where's Zorro's little sister?" Lois asked, walking down the alley toward them.
"She-Oh no. Lionel!" Clark gasped. "She knows Lionel paid to have her mother killed"
"Lois call the Police and tell them that Lionel Luthor is in danger" said Lana. Lois immediately searched her handbag for her phone, which happened to be a decent enough distraction. "Go stop her, Clark" she whispered, and then her man blurred out of sight.
"Hey where'd Clark go?" Lois looked up, feeling wind rush around her slightly.
"Um-I don't know, he's probably gone to try and save Lionel" Lana said.
"What? He can't do that alone, that cape-wearing commando could hurt Smallville!"
"Follow him Lois. I'll back you up as soon as the police get here to arrest this scumbag" she said pointing to Snake.
Lois nodded and ran to her car. Though Lana knew Clark was indestructible, she also knew Lois wasn't as privy to that information. Hopefully Lois would actually be able to help, and not get in the way, until she could get there.
End of Chapter 7, Part 3