Alicia had warned Clark about the security preventing him from making his way to Level 33.1. She'd also told him there were security cameras all over the place. He'd assumed that with all his powers he'd be able to find a way down without too much trouble, but he'd been wrong. There was no obvious way for him to get there without doing a lot of damage and creating a lot of attention. It was too risky for him to try. It looked like he had two options; ask Alicia to teleport him down there, or ask Chloe to help him bypass the security measures in the lift. The trouble there was that Chloe would ask too many questions, and he wasn't sure Alicia would help him. She wasn't happy with him being here at all.

Standing close to the lift, he used his x-ray vision to see what lay beneath. At first he couldn't see anything, but there was also a telescopic aspect to his sight that had developed over time. As he took a closer look, he could see a figure almost directly beneath him. There were another two in a room, one seated and another on his feet, looking very agitated. As he could only see their skeletons, it was through their actions rather than their expression that he read this. The seated skeleton though was one he recognised, having seen it many times before; it was unmistakably Lex Luthor. Activating his enhanced hearing he began to listen in to their conversation.

"I'm telling you, I barely even know her!" said the other person. Clark frowned; he was sure he knew that voice from somewhere. It took him a moment to place it as belonging to David, the man Lex had introduced both he and Alicia to earlier.

"I wouldn't have brought this up if I hadn't been certain." Lex replied calmly but firmly.

"You don't know anything."

"Of course I do. Did you really think I was just going to leave you to your own devices? I've been betrayed more than once, and this project may very well be the most important I ever run."

"You had me followed," said David, his voice a whisper. Not that this made it any more difficult for Clark to hear – he had perfected this ability with the help of his father and a lot of practise.

"Just you at first, then your girlfriend too. I was very disappointed to learn that she knew about this place. I'm sure I had stressed the importance of keeping this project a secret."

"Lex, listen to me…"

"And as if that wasn't bad enough, do you know what I found when I checked into Julia's background?"

"You found her brother was murdered, most likely by Alicia Baker."

Clark shook his head as his fears were seemingly confirmed. He was aware of a conflict inside him emerging, but knew he had to focus on the task at hand. If he lost his concentration, someone might see him here. He didn't want to have to explain his presence.

"But no-one really suspected until her secret was revealed. I want you to know that Alicia is under my protection. And you're off the project, David. Don't expect a reference."

"You can't do that. I can expose this place…"

"We'll have relocated long before anyone comes looking. As for what you know, there are already plenty of rumours out there about Level 33.1. I think it can survive a few more."

Clark noticed David turn, tensing for a moment. It looked like he might be about to attack Lex. He hoped Lex was prepared. There was no obvious way to help without exposing his secret.

"What the hell is your interest in Alicia, Lex? What's your real agenda with this place? I'm not the only one who kept secrets!" David shouted.

"If I trusted you, you might have found out one day. Sadly it seems as though I was right to have you followed."

The third figure, who Clark had almost forgotten about, entered the room at this point. At first he thought it was a member of Lex's security team.

"Sleep," the figure said, and Clark saw Lex slump back in his seat. Even if he hadn't recognised the distinctive accent, he'd have understood what had just happened. Mikhail was down there. And as he continued to listen in as Mikhail spoke to David, he learned that Alicia was in terrible danger…

Alicia was worried. She hoped she hadn't come across as being too angry at Clark. She shouldn't have said what she had; she knew him better than anyone, and believed that he would do the right thing. Now he'd gone to Level 33.1, taking a huge risk to try and make sure she was safe, and she hadn't exactly been grateful. She kept looking at the clock. It wasn't as if he'd been gone that long really. It only felt that way. She should have gone with him, she knew. She could easily have teleported him into the lab (although Lex avoided that word as much as possible). Instead he was risking his secret.

She would never tell Lex about Clark. If that was what Lex wanted from her, he had misjudged her terribly, no matter how good a manipulator he was. Still, she would have liked Clark to be a part of Level 33.1. Whatever Lex's plan was, she was sure she could make friends there. Those people were just like her. And if Lex really couldn't be trusted, it was her responsibility to help the people there. She couldn't just abandon them while Lex mistreated them. Clark had been right, and if she helped him, they could get to the truth behind Level 33.1.

A shadow appeared at the window. Peering out, she hoped it was Clark.

The glass shattered. The first instinct of a normal person would have been to raise their arms to protect their faces, but Alicia was not a normal person. Instead she teleported outside, safely out of the way of the shards.

She saw a man standing by the window, looking inside expectantly. Anger bubbled inside her. How dare this man come to her home and attack her? What if her parents had been in instead of her? She could have teleported away, but she had no intention of being treated this way. The insults, the accusations, she could take, but to attack her was not something she intended to forgive so easily.

Then something struck her from behind, and she fell, the world becoming dark…