Chapter 5/Captive

Lex Luthor sat in his office, light shining red through the colored window panes behind him. He was staring intently at a picture on his laptop screen. The double doors across from him opened and a security guard approached.

"We have located the arsonist." The man said in a monotone voice.

"Very good," the billionaire stated calmly. "Now apprehend him and bring him to me."

"He is with the farm boy."

There was a moment's pause. "I don't care who he's with, it's your job to protect this mansion and my person. Now unless you have a desire to stack cardboard boxes in a gray cubical, I suggest you get to it."

The guard flinched slightly. "Right away, sir. We will do our best."

Lex turned back to his laptop, dismissing the guard without a word. A side door opened and Lana Luthor stepped into the room. Lex quickly closed the laptop.

"What are you working on?" Lana asked.

"Nothing important," Lex smiled at her innocently.

She looked skeptically at him. "Lex if this has anything to with the fire in our room I think I have the right to know about it."

Lex thought a moment then reopened his laptop, turning it so she could see the enlarged photo of the boy shooting fire out of his hands into their bedroom window. Lana gasped then took a closer look.

"He's just a boy," she said, surprised.

Lex frowned. "A dangerous boy. Don't worry; no harm will come to him. Obviously a boy his age would not get this idea himself. He must have had an employer. As soon as we find out who that is we'll let him go with a warning."

Lana looked worried but accepted this. "I supposed I'd better prepare for our visitor."

Lex said nothing, but turned the computer back to him. After a few seconds of silence, Lana left. Lex waited a few moments before clicking on a certain folder. A document appeared.

ARES: NEW RECRUIT

Pyrokinesis

00000

"Stay in the car and don't go anywhere." Clark told the boy sternly. "We'll be right back."

"Whatever." The boy slouched further down in his seat.

Chloe gave Clark a look over the top of the boy's head but did not say anything. Clark gave a half-hearted shrug and got out of his truck. Chloe followed with one last glance at the boy.

"Do you think he'll be okay all by himself?"

Clark glanced back at the truck; the boy had his feet up on the dashboard and looked ready to fall asleep. Clark turned to Chloe.

"He'll be okay."

The boy watched Clark and Chloe enter the large Mansion that belonged to Oliver Queen. The boy had never been to Star City before and was itching to look around. However he could tell Clark Kent was a strong young man who could probably beat him to a pulp if he wanted to. He had his fire of course, but somehow he felt that Clark could stand against that without flinching.

The boy sighed and took out his lighter. He stared at it a moment before flipping it open. He kept it open this time, just staring at the flame. He heard something clunk against the side of the truck. He sat up straighter, listening, eyes moving furtively. He moved to the door and pushed it open. Clutching the lighter tightly, he started around the back of the truck. Suddenly something grabbed him around the neck.

Gasping for breath, the boy dropped the lighter and groped at the arm cutting off his air supply. A gloved hand came at his face holding a white cloth. The boy struggled harder but the overwhelming aroma emanating from the cloth was too much. Eyes rolled back as the boy slumped to the ground, the silver lighter almost touching the outstretched hand.

Chloe and Clark exited the Manor about ten minutes later.

"Well, that's the Green Arrow for you. Elusive and rude. He didn't even leave a note."

Clark was quick to defend his fellow League member. "He's probably just on a mission somewhere. He's most likely tracking down another 33.1 base."

Chloe froze. Clark stopped also, looking worriedly into her face.

"Chloe?"

"Clark . . . the kid," she turned to him, eyes wide, finger pointing towards the truck. "He's gone."

00000

When the boy opened his eyes he was strapped to a metal bed, wrists and ankles held down with metal cuffs. He had been stripped to his boxers, his scrawny adolescent body exposed for all to see. His messy light brown hair was uncovered and shone golden in the faint light. From what he could see he was in a sort of scientific lab. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he started to panic. They were going to experiment on him. One of his worst nightmares was coming true.

"Don't struggle. It will just make the transition more painful."

A man with no hair and dark clothing stepped out of the shadows. He stood right in front of the boy, his smile almost mocking, his hands in his pockets.

"What's your name?" He asked, apparently trying to seem friendly.

The boy kept his lips shut tight although his eyes did scan the area for any sign of a flame.

"I'm sorry but we don't usually keep open fires in a room full of flammable chemicals." Lex Luthor said, smirking slightly.

"How do you know about me?" The boy finally asked.

"I saw your picture in the security pictures. When you're as rich as I am, it's not hard to find people you're looking for."

"Look, I'm sorry I trashed your room. Someone paid me to do it, I don't know who it was."

"Oh the damage to the room isn't a problem, that's easily fixed. No, that's not why you're here."

"Then why am I here?"

Lex took a step closer. "You're here because you have a skill beyond human capabilities. You have the ability to manipulate fire, and I want to find out how."

"So what? I'm some sort of lab rat?"

"I would have said 'test subject' but yeah, a lab rat."

"But I'm just a kid! And I have rights!"

"Let me assume something, may I? I'm thinking that your parents are divorced, or in some sort of financial problem. They find out their kid is a freak of nature and what do they do? They turn you out in the streets. Am I right?"

The boy struggled against his restraints. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Well your parents don't seem to care about you, they haven't called anybody to come and find you; they probably think you're dead. And so, if your dead, you have no rights, and there is no one to come and lock me up for this."

With that he nodded to a man the boy had not noticed before. The man stepped forward, pulling on surgical gloves and wearing a lab coat. The boy's eye widened fearfully.

"Now son, there is nothing to be afraid of. I'm Dr. Steven Samuels. I'm just going to draw some blood for now and we'll see what we've got and go on from there, okay?"

The boy's breathing increased as Dr. Samuels lifted a syringe from a desk and came towards him.

"Now don't get jumpy or we'll have to sedate you."

The boy just watched the needle with wide eyes. He felt a cold wetness being swiped onto his inner elbow and closed his eyes tightly.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?"

His eyes shot open. He knew that voice! Lex turned to the doctor.

"No one was supposed to come down here."

Dr. Samuels seemed to be at a loss for words.

"I'm looking for Lex Luthor?" The voice was on the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry," the guard said, "I cannot let you in."

"What is going on in there? A child is missing and I know he's somewhere in this house. Now let me through."

"I cannot do that."

Lex turned to Samuels. "I hope this does not affect your career doctor. Get the boy and let's go."

Sounds of a fight were heard through the closed door. Dr. Samuels gathered up his things quickly. Pulling another syringe, he moved towards the boy, ready to sedate him. Suddenly a crash was heard and a desk holding several tubes filled with unknown liquids burst into flames. The boy smiled slightly. Pulling the flames to himself, he slowly melted the metal cuffs around his wrists and ankles. He slid to the ground but stopped quickly as the barrel of a gun came in contact with his right temple.

"Stop the fire, now."

The boy did as he was told. The last of the fire was gone when Lois Lane burst through the door. The doctor, who was holding the gun, shouted at her to freeze.

"Or I'll put a bullet in his head."

Lois froze. "Look, I'm not here to expose anything . . . I just want the kid."

The boy stood still as a board, eyes fixed on his potential rescuer. He knew that Lex was gone without looking around. The man did not seem the type to stick around when his life was in danger.

Lois took a small step closer. "Look doc, you wouldn't shoot a little boy in cold blood would you? What kind of monster would do that?"

The boy felt the gun shaking against his head. The doctor was nervous. Lois stepped closer. The boy suddenly noticed the door was still open and the guard was stirring. As the boy watched, the fallen guard took out his gun and pointed it at Lois.

"Behind you!" The boy cried.

Lois dropped without question and the shot rang out through the room. Dr. Samuels slumped to the floor, a bullet wound in his chest. Lois quickly ran forward and grabbed the boy's wrist.

"Come on kid, do you want to get killed or something?"

The boy let the general's daughter lead him out of the room. She gave the fallen guard one more kick although the boy could see he had passed out again.

"I'm sure this place will be filling with security soon, I'm surprised they didn't come sooner."

"How did you know I was here?" The boy asked, breathing heavily as they ran.

"My journalistic instincts told me that Lex Luthor wanted you and when Chloe called I assumed you would be here."

"Where's here?"

Lois opened another door into an expansive hallway. "Lex Luthor's Mansion."