Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville
Chapter Eleven
00 hug 00
The next few days consisted of me putting together a habitat for the metal to grow, I used every minute of free time I had and people began to note that my ever-present smile mixed with my dishevieled appearance from not sleeping, was creepy.
When they said so I just smiled wider.
This did not improve their opinions.
Eventually, Clark had had enough, he dragged me out to the woods so we could go horseback riding with Lana and Chloe, saying I desperately needed some fresh air.
I objected at first, but watching Chloe try to ride a horse when she obviously had no clue was funny enough for me to stick around.
"Okay, here we go," Chloe chanted from several feet behind us, "I thought learning to drive my dad's Volvo was difficult, but at least the car had windshield wipers."
"Chloe, you're doing fine for your first time," Clark said as I watched Chloe's horse bob back and forth.
"You might wanna lighten up on the reins, Chloe," I called back.
"No, no, we're turning," said Cloe, and I watched as her horse stopped started to turn around.
"So how's Whitney holding up?" Clark asked and I opted to go back and stand near Chloe for moral support, and to silently mock.
I stood a safe distance away as Chloe's horse turned aroung and around, trying to muffle my laughter.
I followed, giggling as Chloe finnaly managed to get the horse to go straight.
"I dropped my camera," Chloe griped.
"What'd you bring that thing for anyway?" asked Clark.
"I'm not out here doing this butt-bashing thing for fun."
"If you think your butt hurts now, just wait until tomorrow," I chirped gleefully.
Chloe shot me a look before continuing, "These woods are like the Bermuda Triangle of Smallville." I was intrigued, but Clark and Lana were laughing. "No, I'm serious you guys. People come in here, and when they leave they can't remember a thing. There've been dozens of incidents of the past ten years."
"I'll go get you your camera," Lana volunteered.
"I'll come too, that way if one of us runs out of the woods screaming with no memory of what happened, the other can still get the camera," I said happily.
Once we were out of earshot Lana said, "Clara, is everything alright?"
"Why wouldn't it be alright?" I asked, adjusting on my horse for comfort.
Lana looked at me carefully, "Well, quite frankly, you look like a mess."
I looked down at myself, noting the mismatched clothes and socks, the braid that I had put my hair in last night was falling apart, and I knew there were purple bags under my eyes form working rather than sleeping. "I'm fine, I just started a new project and whenever I try to sleep a new idea pops into my head, and I have to implement it, I just have to."
"A new project? Am I going to see it soon?"
I looked at her, knowing I had to be civil but wanting to rip off her face for daring to even ask, I let none of this show, only smiling like I was embarrassed, "Sorry, this is a 'me' project, it's not the type that I'm comfortable showing to other people."
Lana nodded understandingly. And I realized hating her for that was irrational, so I quickly dropped that train of thought.
I looked around, "I think this is where Chloe dropped her camera, watch my horse for me." I swung down and got on my hands and knees to search the underbrush.
"Clara—" a horse whinnied, Lana screamed, and then there was a thump behind me.
I turned around and crawled out of the bush I had gone under. When I was finally free of the brables I saw Lana on the ground with a man who was scruffier than me leaning over her, shaking her awake.
"Is she okay?" I asked and Lana started to wake, freaking out about the man standing over her.
I heard a snap of a twig and turned to see Clark had arrived, sans horse.
"Get away from her!" Clark shouted, rushing forward, causing the man to get up and run away.
I watched him disappear into the woods, still trying to put a name to the face.
"You okay?" Clark asked Lana.
"Yeah, it's okay. I'm fine," Lana replied.
Clark stood, looking around, before bending over and picking up Chloe's missing camera.
"Was that Kyle Tippet?" I asked.
0000
Kyle Tippet was Smallville's own hermit, he lived in the woods and made crappy artwork out of scarp metal, but as we watched the staticy video off Chloe's computer, I didn't think he was dangerous.
"What do you think happened?" asked dad.
"I wasn't looking, all I heard was a winny and then Lana screamed and then she hit the ground," I muttered for the umpteenth time.
"I don't know what happened, but it just doesn't look like he's trying to hurt her," Clark said motioning at the video.
"Okay, Nell. Thanks. Bye." Martha said, putting down the phone.
"How's Lana?" asked Clark.
"She has a mild concussion. Other than that she's fine."
"And Nell?" asked dad.
Mom sighed, "That's a different story. She wants Clark and Clara to go to the police and say they saw Kyle spook Lana's horse and attack her."
"We didn't see that."
"From Nell's tone, I don't think we've heard the end of this," said mom.
"Did Kyle see at all dangerous to you?" asked Dad.
I shrugged noncommitedly, not wanting to make an assumption without sufficient evidence.
"He seemed scared," said Clark thoughtfully. "Chloe mentioned that some surveyors were spooked last week in the woods, and now us. I wonder if there's a connection."
"Surveyors? For who?" I asked, not having paid mauch attention to much outside my workshop while I was working.
"Rickman Industries."
I frowned, Rickman Industries was a company that specialized in pesticide plants, and everywhere they built a plant, poinsioned people and ground water followed. If Rickman was thinking of moving in on Smallville, then we had a problem.
"Jonathan, you should go talk to Kyle. Get this cleared up," mom suggested.
"Yeah."
"No, I'll go," Clark volunteered.
"I'll come too."
"I don't think that's a good idea," dad objected.
"It's not like he can hurt me."
"And I can get a look around, and help Clark out of he runs into any meteor rocks," I added.
"That's not the point," dad said, looking exasperated.
"Dad, I understand what it's like to be hidden from the world. Give me a shot."
"And I can try to get him out of his shell."
Dad sighed, looking at mom before turning back to the two of us. "Do you know where Kyle lives?"
I smiled, tasting victory.
"I just follow the trail of bad sculptures," said Clark, smiling smugly.
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When we were finally reached Kyle's it was dark out, but the various fires, whether in a traditional camp fire or in a barrel, combined with the spotlights arranged around the property helped illuminate the area enough for the misshapen sculptures to cast disturbing shawdows. I stayed close to Clark, wanting to stay in the car but unwilling to leave the protection of his presence.
We walked up to the trailer, which although it was unpainted seemed to have been kept in remarkably good condition despite it's permanent residence in the woods. Clark knocked on the door and I unconsciously began to slid behind him, only realizing the action when the fur off the hood of Clark's coat tickled my forehead.
When thre was no answer Clark took a peek in the window, trying to peer past the blinds. I turned to take a look around only to face a very scruffy man in need of a wash.
"You're trespassing." I stepped back, both in surprise and to get away from the smell, as Clark stepped forward, moving lightly in front of me.
"How'd you do that?" asked Clark.
Obviously, his self exile in the woods has led to the need for advanced stealth skills, such as walking quietly.
"Magic. Haven't you heard of Crazy Kyle who lives in the woods by himself?" asked the scruffy man. "He's somewhere between Bigfoot and the Blair Witch."
I was pulled out of my fear by the innacurate statement. "That's ridiculous, both of those are things that have their authenticity in question, such as the chubacabra, you are most certainly real and there is no doubt to your exsistance. Besides, you may be in need of a shave but your hardly as hairy as the stories make Bigfoot out to be, and the Blair witch was a woman, which you are not," then the incidents of facial hair on woman came to mind, making me rephrase, "I think, you could be a woman with a man's name, and if that is the case then may I just say you are a very charming madame and I can hardly notice the beard."
Kyle looked very confused, and after 14 seconds of contionous silence he responded, "I am not a woman."
"Oh, good, in that case, I'm—"
"Clara Kent, and Clark Kent, Jonathan and Martha's children," Kyle recited, interrupting my introduction.
Rude.
Or maybe just unaware of social customs.
"How'd you know that?" Clark asked.
"I live in a trailer, not a cave."
Clark moved past Kyle, towing me along with him, and started talking, "I wanted to talk to you about what happened this afternoon."
"You mean the girl? The one your sister was with?" Kyle turned around to face us, "When the horse threw her, I went to make sure she was still breathing."
Kyle might be better off teliing Lana's aunt than us, but before I could voice this thought Clark inturupted.
Clark spoke, holding up a hard hat from Rickman industries, "So you don't make a habit of scaring people out of the woods and spooking their horses."
Privately I thought that it was perfectly fine if Kyle was scaring off Rickman surveyors, but I wouldn't mention this to Clark, so embuded with his sense of justice.
Kyle moved forward, "If I wanted to explain myself all the time, I'd get a job. But I left that world behind for a reason. Goodbye."
"If you didn't spook Lana's horse, then did you see what did? I was preoccupied with a bush at the time," I asked.
"I didn't see anything," he said, taking the helmet from Clark.
"Why are you so unfriendly?" asked Clark.
"Because I'm not interested in friends."
"Everyone needs a friend," objected Clark.
"No, they don't because they'll always betray you in the end," said Kyle gravely.
Bleak outlook, gives evidence that he was burned before.
With that sunny piece of advice Kyle went into his trailer and shut the door tight behind him.
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After we left Kyle's, for lack of anywhere better to be, we went to the Beanery. As I looked at the menu about the register I realized that the only thing I had ever comsumed form here had been Lex's misorder. Given the prices, I wasn't sure if I wanted to change that fact.
We walked over and sat down at the table where Lana was sitting, I didn't enjoy the company, but Clark had the keys and if I left him alone he had a tendency of running off and forgetting me, especially if Lana was involved.
"How are you feeling?" Clark asked Lana.
"Better, thanks," said Lana with her arms wrapped around her. "Nell said you're going to talk to the police."
"That's strange," I mused, "Your aunt never strook me as the type to lie."
Lana looked slightly incensed, "You mean, you aren't going to talk to the police."
"And tell them what? All we saw was Kyle shaking you awake after you fell off your horse, that's not evidence of any crime I've heard of. The only proof we could have is if you saw something, in which case you can go to the police yourself, as sending us as your dignitaries seems like an awful waste of our time."
"Waste of your-?" Lana began, truly angry now.
Clark yanked me toward him, a motion that indicated that I was being innapropiate of insensitive. It was also one I thought that I didn't deserve, as nothing I said had been anything but the truth, it even lacked my normal vaugly insulting speculation.
"We went out an spoke to Kyle," Clark said, distacting Lana.
"You talked to that psycho?" asked Whitney.
I thought psycho was a little harsh, as the only knowledge she had about him was when he was kneeling over Lana after she fell off her horse, there hadn't even been any talking, hardly sufficient evidence for a mental disorder. I held my tounge however, knowing that stating this might be viewed as an insult, which Clark would no doubt hold against me.
"Yeah," answered Clark stiuffly as Whitney sat down. "He said he was making sure Lana was okay."
"Do you believe him?" asked Lana.
"Yeah, I think I do."
Deeming this part of the conversation safe I said, "It's not like there's any evidence that contradicts it."
"If I were there, I would have done something," said Whitney.
"And then you would have gotten arrested for unprovoked assult, he's not a high school student, he's an adult, he'd call the cops instead of the principal," I said, wondering if this had in fact occurred to him.
Whitney sneered at me, but didn't comment.
"Do you remember anything?" Clark asked after a moment of silence.
"Not really," Lana admitted.
Clark sighed, "We gotta get home. I'm glad you're okay."
Clark got up and I followed, leaving the couple at their table.
"That looked uncomfortable," I looked over to see Lex Luthor standing at the counter. We walked over to him, and I was just about to extend a greeting when Lex spoke. "Listen, has Bob Rickman been by the farm?"
I felt a disgusted snarl come across my face, "Why would that sleezball be interested in us?" I asked.
Lex looked uncharacteristicly grave, "He's interested in buying your land."
Clark chuckled, "You have met my dad. Why are you even worried?"
"I've seen Rickman talk people out of house and home. He's a locust, Clark. He tears through a community and betrays anyone who trusts him." Clark looked unconcerned, but if Lex was worried that was more than enough reason for me to be concerned. "Tell your dad to be careful."
"Okay," Clark agreed.
"I'll stick by him," I said, nodding, "I have a talent for tearing apart the most convincing of arguments, and if I get to humiliate Rickman in the process, all the better."
Finally, I got a smile.
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We were walking down the street, because apparently even though the sun had long ago gone down, it was still too early to head back home, when we saw Kyle again.
"Kyle, what are you doing here?" asked Clark, because he couldn't just let him walk by.
"I just registered a complaint." I looked to see the building Kyle had exited was the one that Rickman had made his base of operations.
"What do you have against Rickman?"
"There used to be a time when people minded their own business," Kyle complained.
I looked at him sympathetically, "Yeah, and what a time it was."
"Hey, Tippet!" shouted Whitney, from where he was crossing the street over to us.
"And what's your problem?"
"You are."
Feeling this needed a bit of background for Kyle I spoke, "This would be the boyfriend of the girl who fell off her horse."
"Touch Lana Lang again, and I'll take care of you myself," threatened Whitney.
"Whitney, back off."
"I've got my eye on you," Whitney said, poking Kyle in the cheast.
"I blame the testosterone," I said, eyeing the irate teen as he walked away.
"That's why I don't come into town," Kyle said, gesturing to Whitney.
"You want a ride home?" Clark asked.
I was beginning to suspect a conspiracy in keeping me away from my workshop.
"Why are you being so nice?"
"You're not a bad guy. You're just not a people person," I looked at Clark in annoyance, he hadn't changed, if he ever met the devil himself he would probably think he was just misunderstood.
"What gave that away?"
"You want a ride or not?"
Kyle turned to me, "Are you okay with giving me a ride?"
I sighed, "Honestly no, I've had a long day and I just want to go home, but Clark has decided that you're a friend so he's not going to listen to my whining. You might as well just get in."
"I gotta stop and get groceries."
Fabulous.
"No problem," said Clark.
I climbed in the cabin before Kyle and got ready to hunkered down for a nap.
I really just wanted to go home.
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When we got to Kyle's trailer I had just managed to drift off, only to be awakened by Kyle's voice.
"Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it."
"Next time, don't talk my ear off," Clark said sarcastically. Kyle opened the door but was stopped by Clark's next question, "Hey, why were you at Rickman's?"
"Why were you at Rickman's?" Kyle deflected.
"I heard a rumor he was trying to buy our farm."
"Stay away from him," Kyle warned, once again opening the door (and letting the cold air in!).
"Do you miss it? Regular life, I mean?" Clark asked, ignorant of the cold.
Kyle shrugged, "Some people weren't meant to have a regular life, Clark." He climbed out of the truck, "Thanks. Bye."
Clark sat there looking thoughtful, but he had missed something fairly obvious.
"You do realize that he didn't answer any of your questions, right?"
Clark didn't respond, instead pulling out of the clearing and back onto the back road.
Before we had gotten far, we noticed Whitney's truck parked on the side of the road.
Clark jumped out of the truck and then superspeed down the road back to Kyle's trailer.
I sighed before moving over a seat and driving the car back down the road.
When I arrived at Kyle's cabin Clark was standing over a prone Whitney and Kyle was collapsed in front of his trailer door that was spoting a dent that wasn't there before.
And I just wanted to go home and sleep.
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I leaned heavily on Clark's shoulder as I watched Kyle get loaded into the police vehicle, Whitney at our side.
"They're booking Kyle for assult," dad said, walking up to the three of us.
"Just Kyle?" I asked, looking pointedly at Whitney.
Whitney snarled at me, but was cut off by my father. "All right, what happned, guys?"
"I saw Kyle in town. He blew me off, so I came here to talk," said Whitney.
"Just talk?" I asked skeptically.
"You drove all the way out here in the middle of the night?" dad asked, just as skeptical.
"Yeah. I had a feeling he was gonna attack Lana again. Next thing I know, he attacks me with a bat."
"Oh, my god. How many times do I have to say it? There is no evidence that Kyle attacked her! Stop acting like an assumption based on circumstancail evidence is legitimate proof!" I screeched.
Once again, I was ignored, "Is that what happened?" asked dad.
"I did see Kyle swing at Whitney, but…" Clark stopped hesitantly.
"But what?"
"Kyle says Whitney swung at him first."
"That's crazy. Why would I do that?"
"Besides the fact that you blame him for hurting your girl?" I asked sarcastically.
"None of this makes any sense," Clark said noncommitedly.
"Yes, it does. First he attacks Lana, then he comes after me. The guy needs to be locked up."
"Are you forgetting the fact that you came to him?" I asked, wondering if he had a memory disorder.
"We've all had a rough night," dad placated, "Just calm down.
"You saw him with your own eyes," Whitney all but shouted at Clark. "That freak tried to kill me! Now you're saying it's my fault?" Whitney looked at Clark, before walking away, emitting his outraged disappointment in waves.
Drama Queen.
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When we took the situation to Chloe the next day she, as always, had plenty to say.
"Tippit's been a hermit for years, and suddenly he's one of Smallville's most wanted," Chloe said, looking at the article in the paper.
"Something must have made him snap," commented Pete.
"I think it's Bob Rickman," stated Clark.
"And I think Whitney attacked him and is covering his own ass," I muttered, knowing that no one would listen to me.
"Yeah, but what does our rural Rodin have against Rickman, other than the obvious poisoning-the-enviorment angle?
"I don't know. Could you do some digging, find a connection?"
"Yeah, absolutely. Sounds like an interesting story," Chloe agreed. "Tree-hugging hermit versus pesticide tycoon."
"What do you think they have in common?" asked Pete.
"Definitely not their grooming habits," joked Chloe.
Just then Lana walked in, and she looked angry.
"Lana," said Clark, and when she didn't respond Clark got up and moved toward her, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Can you give us a minute?" Lana asked looking at Chloe, Pete, and myself.
"Yeah," Chloe said, getting up and leaving, with Pete following.
I stayed behind, not really caring, but unwilling to give Lana an inch. "Nope."
Lana looked at me, "Are you seriously not going to leave?"
I looked between the two of them, "I'm preety sure whatever your about to say concerns me too, so no."
Lana huffed, before ignoring me for Clark. "Whitney said you accused him of attacking Kyle."
"No, actually, that was me," I volunteered helpfully.
Clark spoke, diverting Lana's attention, "I didn't accuse him. I have some questions."
"Like what?"
"Like why was he there?"
"He was just trying to talk to him."
I snorted inelegantly, "Talking isn't really Whitney's style."
Lana shot me a glare and continued, "We both know that Whitney can be a little overzealous, but his heart's in the right place."
"I just don't think Kyle would do that. He doesn't seem like violent person."
"You can tell from knowing him for two days?" asked Lana.
"In contrast to the five seconds you saw him?" I asked skeptically.
"He lived in the woods alone for ten years," Lana continued.
"But that makes him odd, not dangerous," Clark objected and I agreed.
"Whitney wouldn't attack anybody."
Unbelievable.
"He strung me up in a field."
Lana faltered, "So that's what this is about? You haven't forgiven him."
I know I haven't.
Clark sighed, "Lana, I just think there's something going on here."
"Yeah, there is. You're looking for an excuse to knock Whitney."
What?
"You know what he's going through right now with his dad. If you don't like him, just say it. Don't pretend to be his friend."
"I don't like him!" I cried causing both of them to look at me.
Lana walked out, having said her piece, and Clark turned on me.
I shrugged, "He strung you up in a field, and he still hasn't even tried to apologize. Why would I like someone who hurt my brother?"
Clark glared at me, but I was able to spot the fond twitch of his lips.
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As soon as school was over I hopped on the bus home. When I got home there was an expensive car in the driveway that didn't belong to Lex, and I immediately went to where dad would normally be at this time of day. When I reached the barn dad was halfway through signing a paper using a beam as a writing stand with a smug Bob Rickman standing a few feet away.
"What's going on?" I nearly screeched, rushing forward to tear the paper from dad's hands, reading through it quickly to note that it was a contract for selling the farm with for a horrible price. I took it in my hands and tore it in two, and then in forths, then eighths, and so on until it was confetti that fell to the foor.
Rickman eyed the confetti semi-agrily, covering it up with a smarmy smile. "And you would be?"
"Clara Kent, his daughter, and I want you off our farm!" I yelled, pointing to the door past him.
Instead of leaving Rickman grasped my hand (my right) with both of his (how strange), and smiled that nice (smarmy) smile, "Hello, I'm Bob Rickman," (I knew that), "and I think", (what do I care what you think?), "that you should calm down," (what?), "and go back inside," (like hell I will), "and leave the business to adults."
His words made sense—
(no, they didn't)
-I should go inside—
(no, I shouldn't)
-I should calm down—
(calm?)
-just calm down—
(I don't want to be calm)
-and let dad sell the farm.
(what was that?)
Sell the farm-
(no)
-just calm down—
(I don't want to be calm)
-just calm—
(I'm not calm)
-just calm—
(I'm angry)
The next thing I knew, I was being pulled off of Bob Rickman by my father, Rickman's face and my hands bloody.
I looked from Rickman with his obviously broken nose, to my father, still holding me back, to my torn and bloody knuckles, and noted in alarm that I had no memory of the events leading up to this scene.
"What just happened?"
0000
"Clara got arrested?"
0000
Jail was a disgusting place, even the juvenile cell. The toilet was identical to the one in the adult cell, metal, plain, and completely public, with no stall to speak of. The matressees on the bunk bed were stained with substances I did not wish to identify, and everything had seemed to devolp a particular smell.
When Lex strode in wearing his pristine suit and a deputy at his side he seemed out of place, a speck of clean on mucky windshield.
"Hi Clara."
I sighed in relief, "Hi Lex, here to spring me?"
The deputy went over and unlocked my door, leaving it open for me.
"I've paid your bail, so your free to leave," exsplained Lex.
I ran over to him and threw my arms around him before pulling back, "Thank you, but, quick, tell me, where is the bathroom? I need to disinfect myself, i can feel the germs."
Lex laughed and pointed and I sprinted off in that direction.
When I was done Lex was waiting outside in his car, I climbed into the passenger seat without prompting and Lex started to drive off.
"So you mind telling me how you got arrested for assult?" Lex said smiling.
I groaned, putting my head in my hands, "I don't know! I don't even remember hitting him."
"That's a shame, hitting Bob Rickman would be a memory to preserve."
I smiled slightly at Lex, "Okay, I came home and I saw a fancy car in the driveway that didn't belong to you. Given that you warned us about Rickman I went to where dad was supposed to be working this afternoon, the barn. When I got there Rickman was there, and dad was signing a contract!"
"Wait, are you telling me Jonathan Kent sold the farm?" asked Lex incrediously.
"I know! I grabbed it from him before he could finish and then I riped it up. The next thing I remember is getting very calm, and then dad was pulling me off Rickman."
Lex chuckled, "You broke his nose, that doesn't sound very calm."
I groaned, and then looked up to see exactly where we were going, "Um, Lex?"
"What?"
"Can you not drop me off at home so quick? I'm not quite ready to face them just yet." I looked at Lex imploringly, and he nodded in understanding, driving past the Kent farm and driving down the road to Luthor Mansion.
0000
When we arrived the guard at the gate we were informed that Clark was already here, and when we came in to see him with an injured Kyle Tippet, Lex went out to make a call.
We laid Kyle out on the bed and then I went to take a shower.
Jail was filthy.
When I came out of the bathroom, fully dressed but towling off my hair, there was a long haired balding man, dressed like a punk rock player but about two decades too old to pull it off, and he was stitiching up Kyle.
I nodded to Lex and Clark in greeting, and walked over to a chair to watch.
"How bad?" Lex asked the man stitching up Kyle.
"It's no worse than when Ozzy snorted that row of fire ants down in Queensland."
…what?
Clark walked over to Lex, "Is this guy really a doctor?"
"I have to admit I have my doubts as well," I muttered from behind them.
"He was. Now he's more of an on-call specialist. You know, actors, rock stars, billionaires' sons."
"How do you know him?"
"Long story," Lex answered and I got the distint impression that he didn't want us asking.
"What's a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?" the man asked, still threading the needle through Kyle's shoulder.
"Finish sewing. Don't worry, Toby appreciates discretion. Nobody will ever know Kyle was here."
"Thanks," said Clark, and I was thankful he was preoccupied with Kyle so he didn't turn on me.
"I'm curious, why did you think I'd be willing to harbor a fugitive?" asked Lex.
"I figured my parents would freak, and if I took him to the hospital, they'd put him back in jail. You're the only one I could trust."
"All in all," Toby interrupted, "it's easier than that knife would of yours. Club Zero, remember that? Blood all over my Mustang."
'Knife wound?' I mouthed, and I got a flash of one of Phelan's memories, but quickly dismissed it. I probably didn't want to know.
"Can we talk to him now?" Lex asked, rather than responding to what Toby said.
"I gave him something for the pain," he said, getting up and packing up his bag, "It's lights out 'til the morning." Toby closed his bag and turned to Lex, "My usual payment?"
"Brown bag on my desk," Lex responded and I was struck with how much this must be costing Lex, the lawyers, my bail, and now Toby. "See you, Toby," Lex said as Toby walked out.
"Lex."
"You two better got home. It's late," Lex said, looking at us.
"Hey, Atticus, you may want to change your shirt."
I was momentarily thrown off by the reference to To Kill A Mockingbird but I was put back on track by the blood stain in the middle of Clark's blue plaid shirt.
"See yah, Lex. Thanks for the bail," I called over my shoulder.
0000
While I got the third degree from our parents, Clark got to escape to the barn. I began to notice breathing problems about five minutes through the lecture, and I was in a full blown panic attack five minutes after that. After mom and dad had calmed me down, I snuck out to my workshop, climbing through the trapdoor to the area where I would grow the metal. I fell asleep with the the dirt beneath me, and an oxygen mask on my face.
The next day at school I experienced the walk of shame, it seemed already half the school knew that I had been arrested, and the other half soon found out. Thankfully, Chloe was cool, she just asked for an exsculive, I declined, but Chloe didn't take offense. Some nature activists came up to me and congradulated me on puching out Rickman, so that was okay.
Clark insisted that I go with him to the Beanery, despite all the stares, but when we got there we ran into none other than Bob Rickaman. I winced at the brace on Rickman's nose, and the two black eyes, both indicative of a broken nose.
"Well, hello, hello," Rickman said looking at me smugly.
"Hello, again Mr. Rickman," I mumbled, before gaining confidence, "I would say I'm sorry about the broken nose, but I was taught not to lie."
Rickman eyed me appraisingly from where Clark had stepping in front of me, "Cute, is punching people your normal method of disagreeing, because if it is, you'll have even more trouble with the law then you already do."
"How'd you get my dad to sign that contract?" I asked, ignoring his comments. "Because you won't be able to do it again."
"I'm a good business man, and yes I most certainly will. But," He looked between us happily, "No hard feelings?"
Rickman stuck out his hand in a handshake, and Clark oblijed. I watched as Clark grasped Rickman's hand in his own, and squeezed, enjoying the crunching of cartalige and the distressed look on the tycoons face.
Eventually Rickman pulled his hand away, and then he rubbed it with his other. Our point made, we walked past him and to Lex who was sitting at a table, and were joined by Chloe.
"Well, first things first, I have a little debt with Lex to settled," I said reaching into my backpack and pulling out the paper bag I had packed this morning, and handing it to Lex, "my bail."
Lex looked from me to Clark, already objecting, "Clara, I can't, with your parents money trou—"
"It's not their money, it's mine. I earned it on my own, I can spend it on my own, and I can use it to settle my own debts."
"Still, Clara—"
"Because you are my friend, you will accept this, because my handing over this money has less to do with the money, and nothing to do with your status as a Luthor, and more with the fact that I want to be the type of person who can be depended on to pay back their debts," I said, looking at Lex meaningfully until he caved, and then I turned to Chloe, motioning to her to start.
"So, I spent the morning delving into the exotic world of agriculture equipment," said Chloe holding up an old newpaper clipping with Rickman and Kyle together on the oicture, followed by a heading of 'Salesmen Trapped in car after Meteor Shower,' "and it seems that Kyle and Rickman were partners in the '80s."
"Thay sold farm equipment?" asked Lex, having moved past the bail issue.
"Yeah, they were salesmen of the year three years running, '89, '90, '91."
"So, the years after the meteor shower," I concluded.
Chloe nodded, "The next year, Rickman started his own company, and Kyle went Walden."
"I wonder what happened?" asked Clark.
If they had powers that were assiating them in selling, they might have gone too far. It makes sence that one would retreat and one would like it.
"I don't know, but I found this story in the Smallville Ledger," Chloe said, holding up the newspaper clipping.
"'Salesmen trapped in car after meteor shower'," Clark read.
"I'm guessing whatever's going on started that sunny October day, 12 years ago," said Chloe.
Lex looked at the clipping before looking at us, "Let's go ask him."
"Wait, you know where he is?" Chloe asked.
Lex smiled.
0000
But when we arrived at the bedroom that Kyle had been staying in, the only one there was an Asian nurse reading a book.
"Where's Kyle?" Lex asked, pointing to the vacant bed.
"Who?" asked the woman.
"I think I know where he went."
Great, I had had just about enough of those woods.
0000
We left Lex at the mansion when we went out to Kyle's trailer to look for the fugitive, luckily we caught him just as he was getting the last of his things from his former home.
"I appreciate the help, but I'm done here," Kyle said, a bag slung over his shoulder.
"We know Rickman was your partner," said Clark with no preamble.
"It was a million years ago," Kyle said, walking past us.
"What happened to you guys in that meteor shower?" asked Chloe as we followed him. "Trust me, you're not the only ones that were affected by it."
Kyle paused and Clark moved forward, "What's going on with you and Rickman? How did he get Clara to freak out on him?"
"And how did he get dad to sign that contract?" I asked, still bugged by the fact.
Kyle turned back to us, looking slightly nonstalgic, "You know, until that day, we were the worst salesmen to ever carry a catalog. All that changed after they pulled us out of that car. With a single handshake we could get people to do whatever we wanted them to do, buy a tractor, stand on one leg." Kyle said, and then under his breath he muttered, "Never heard of someone flipping out before."
"You had the power of persuasion?" Clark clarified.
Thinking of handshake my thoughts went to my hand, the robotic one that Rickman had grasped, the metal must have messed with the signals, causing my violence instead of calm.
"How long does it last?" asked Chloe.
"Until the person does what I tell them to do," Kyle said bluntly, "it could be two minutes, two hours. Then they come out of it without a memory."
That sounded absolutely horrifying. I took a step back from the former salesman.
"What happens if they can't do it?" Clark asked.
"They keep trying unless they're forcible snapped out of it, like your friend Whitney."
I groaned inwardly, that meant Whitney wasn't lying.
"Well, it sound good in theory, but how about you prove it?" Chloe asked challengingly.
"Chloe," Clark objected.
"What? The guy lives in a crappy trailer out in the woods. If he has this power, he'd use it to sell the sculptures." Chloe said, gesturing around to the monstrosities.
"It's dangerous."
"I'm used to living on the edge," said Chloe, and when Kyle stuck out his hand I desperately wanted to pull her back, but managed to restrain myself.
Chloe put her hand over his and he wrapped his other hand over hers, and I watched at a green glow shone from between his fingers. "You have feeling for Clark, don't you, Chloe? You see him, and you want him. All this time you've been hiding it. Now you can show him."
I felt dread as I watched Clark's disbelieving exspression and Chloe's utterly blank one.
Chloe turned to Clark and licked her lips, running her hands up his chest and pulling him down by the collar to lay one on him. I immediately took out my camera and started recording, making sure to capture Clark's failing arms and searching eyes.
When Chloe pulled back to face Kyle and said, "Okay, come one, I'm ready," I almost laughed. Kyle looked at Clark, and Clark looked at Chloe in shock, while I watched it all from safely behind Clark. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Chloe asked Clark. "And why is my mouth minty?"
"That would be Clark's toothpaste," I supplied helpfully.
"Let's just say he proved his point," Clark said uncomfortably.
At my words Chloe's eyes widened in horror, and Clark wiping his mouth just made her panic worse. "Oh, God, did I just…?"
I nodded slowly.
"Don't worry, it was… fine," Clark said and Chloe put her hand to her head in horror.
"Well, now that the party trick's over, I gotta hit the road," Kyle said, leaning over to pick up his bag.
"Wait, you have this gift, but you hid in the woods. Why?" Clark asked.
Penence, I answered silently, for whatever happened in 91'.
"Because I was scared that I wouldn't be able to control it, and I'd wind up like Bob," Kyle said angrily.
I knew he wasn't telling the whole truth, but I also knew that having him on our side was our only hope against Rickman.
Clark went over to stand in front of Kyle, "What happened between you two?" Clark asked. "Why does he want to kill you?"
"He knows that I know his secret, and I threatened to exspose him if he built a plant here."
"Yeah, but, he's been destroying communities like this for years," said Chloe, "How could you let him get away with it?"
"I wanted to be left alone!" Kyle shouted, "If it wasn't here, it wasn't my problem."
"My sister got arrested because of you!" shouted Clark.
"Do you know what it's like to have to hide because of who you are?" asked Kyle.
Clark looked at me and I smiled warily in response, and Clark turned back to Kyle, "Yes, I do. But when you have a gift, you can't just hide in a hole and hope it goes away."
Kyle had nothing to say in face of Clark's absolute conviction, and I knew that he had won.
0000
I stayed with Clark as he drove Kyle to the gas station where we would call Lex. I didn't want to be there, but my concern for Clark and my curiosity about the unanswered questions surrounding Kyle made me reluctant to leave. I watched from inside the truck as Clark ised the payphone to call Lex, and advanced my hearing to listen in.
"Hello?" answered Lex.
"Lex, it's me," Clark responded.
"What's going on?"
"I'm with Kyle. He wants to go public about Rickman."
"No kidding? What does he know?"
"Enough to bring him down," Clark said, looking at Kyle.
"All right, I'm coming to pick you up. Where are you?"
While we were waiting for Lex dark fell, and I chose to huddle next to the nearby automobile shop's outdoor light, not wanting the waste the battery on the truck.
Lex pulled up in a very discreet looking sedan and parked next to the gas pump, and got out of the car to face Clark and Kyle. "I called my friends at The Planet and The Inquisitor. Would you be willing to talk to them?"
Clark and Kyle exchanged looks before Kyle answered, "I'll do what I have to to stop him."
"Get in. I have to fill up if we're going to Metropolis," lex answered.
I was just about to annonce my presence when my passive scans detected something odd about Lex's behavior. It was probably nothing, but it had never failed me before.
"Thanks, Lex," Clark said, before the two of them wen to go inside the car, he shot me a glance but I waved him off.
I watched as Lex swiped his card, pressed a button on his electric key chain, and then began to spray gasoline all over the car.
"Clark!" I screamed, horrified.
Unfortunately, along with alerting Clark and Kyle of danger, I also alerted Lex of my presence. Lex kept spraying but now Clark and Kyle were trying the doors, finding them locked.
"What's going on?" Clark asked, and Lex lit his lighter.
"He's going to torch the car!" I screamed, and then the back end of the car went up in flames.
"Rickman's got to him!" I heard Kyle declare.
Clark kicked his door off the car, and pulled Kyle out, throwing him over his shoulder and speeding to the automobile shop, pausing for 32 miliseconds to grab me up as well, with the car they had vacted blowing up behind us.
When we reached the garage we all chose spate places to hide, Clark and Kyle coosing to hide behind separate cars and me in a enclove in the corner of the room. When Lex walked in, my first thought was 'how on Earth did he get a machine gun?' and my second was 'I hope to whatever god there is that he doesn't quote Scarface.'
"I always knew you were keeping secrets from me, Clark, and that your sister was helping you," Lex called out casually. "But I never thought they were this good."
I heard the clanging of metal as Lex discovered Kyle, who position was so easily spotted I began to speculate that he wanted to be found. Lex grabbed Kyle by his coat and pulled him up, "Clark, you know that guy you're trying to protect? I'm gonna shoot him now."
Clark came out from behind the car he was using as cover, "Lex."
"There you are," Lex said smiling, letting the muzzle of the gun sweep out and Kyle fall to the floor.
"Don't do this. I'm your friend."
"Oh, please. You think I don't see the way your parents look at me, the way half the town looks at me? You're no different. Friendship's a fairy tale, Clark. Respect and fear are the best you can hope for."
"Rickman's doing this to you."
Not everything, I'd bet most of this monologue was Lex's inner fears, that he could never have a true friend, that the town would always hate him. Bleak stuff.
"What if he did?"
"You hate Rickman."
"You can learn a lot from someone you hate," Lex said, cocking the gun, and then he started firing.
I peeked out from behind a large toolbox to see Lex try to empty the machine gun into Clark, most were missing but Clark was more dodging than evading, making several of them hit him as well. I did not know how resistant Clark's skin was at this point, normal bullets wouldn't penetrate, but they would probably hurt. Eventually Lex stopped firing, and Clark fell to the ground.
Lex walked over to him and used his foot to turn Clark over, and pointing the gun in Clark's face. Clark pushed it aside and kicked Lex into a standing cabnet, leaving him collapsed in a pile of tires and auto-equptment.
Clark ran off at the sound of a gunshot outside and I took the opportunity to approach Lex. I slapped him until he regained consciousness.
"What happened?"
I smiled, "Where to start?" I checked him over a bit before moving him to a more comfortable location, "Well, apparently the meteor shower gave Kyle and Rickman the power of persuasion. One handshake and you'll do anything they say. We called you to tell you that Kyle was willing to go to the press, but Rickman must have already gotten to you—"
Lex frowned in thought, "He came to the mansion, he said he'd drop the assult charges and leave Smallville altogether, he wanted a truce."
I hummed, "He probably just wanted your guard down so he could shake your hand. Anyway, when you showed up here, you locked Clark and Kyle in a car, doused it in gasoline, and then set it on fire—" at Lex's look of horror I pushed him back down, "I'm not done yet. They managed to get free, and we hid in here, it's an auto shop. I think Rickman is the one who gave you the machine gun—"
"Machine gun?"
I sighed, "Relax, you're a lousy shot. The only thing you successfully killed was that car," I said pointing to the car Lex had shot up, "anyway, Clark managed to get close enough to you to push you into a shelf, causing you to snap out of the command, Clark's not here right now because he heard a gunshot, my guess Kyle caught up with Rickman. That's the bad news, but there is good news."
Lex looked at me in disbelief, "I tried to kill you, and your brother, how could there possibly be good news in this?"
I smiled happily, "Although you did monologue for a bit, you never once said 'Say hello to my little friend.'" I said, effecting a male voice for the quote.
Lex looked at me like he couldn't believe I existed, "You do know your nuts, right?"
My smile turned conspiratorial, "That has never been verified."
Lex let out a small laugh, it was brief and tinged with hysteria, but I considered it a win.
0000
When Clark came back with news of Kyle's disappearance and Rickman's 'suicide', one final puzzle fell into place.
A reasonable explanation for Kyle's behavior was that Bob made someone commit suicide with his powers to get ahead, and Kyle didn't tell anyone because he could be considered an accomplice, the trailer was penance, and Bob Rickman was a murderer.
I thought all this while mom dabbed the bruises that the bullets had left on Clark's skin.
"I can't believe each one of these bruises was a bullet," mom said applying the washrad to Clark's shoulder, making him hiss in pain. "Sorry."
"Guess that answers that question," dad said, setting down the paper with the article of Rickman's suicide.
"It's weird. I get shot at, and the bullets are fired by my best friend," Clark said, buttoning up his shirt.
"What do you think happened to Kyle?" dad asked.
"I don't know… But I think he's out in the world trying to make a difference now."
There was a knock at the door and I turned to see Lana entering. "Hi, I hope I'm not interrupting."
Would it matter if she was?
I sighed and went outside to my workshop, wanting to finally plant the 'sprig' for my tree, after it's habitat had been sitting for the minimum 3 days.
I was nervous about planting the cutting, if only because it would require me to cut off a third of my pinkie finger. I cut it off with a laser scapel that I had constructed, and sent the signal to my arm to regrow it. Until that process was finished I would have to wrap it up, thankfully the bandaged on my knuckels provided the perfect excuse to have my hand wrapped.
Once my hand was bandaged and the sprig ready, there was nothing left to do but wait.
If there was only something that could occupy my time.
I smiled.
0000
I went over to Lex's that evening, aware that he had already paid Clark a visit, but had been unable to enter my workshop.
I let myself in, and found him in his study.
"Hi, Lex."
"Hi, Clara, in case you were wondering, since Rickmans' demise, the cops dropped the assult charges, so your home free."
I smiled, "I know Lex, but I'm here for some unfinished business regarding what happened while you were under Rickman's control."
Lex paled with worry, "Did I do something else? Did I hurt one of you?"
"Nope, but it has come to my attention that you are probably killing yourself with guilt. I have nothing to do, and you still haven't seen season two of Buffy."
Lex looked at me questioningly, "You came here to watch Buffy?"
I smiled, "You need to take your mind off things that aren't your fault again, and my cure for that is a marathon. So, are you free?"
Lex smiled reluctantly, "Yeah, I'm free."
"I'll meet you in the television room, I get everything ready while you get popcorn," I said, already skipping down the hall.
Mission accomplished.
Sorry for the wait, I'll try to update once every two weeks.
Leave a review on your way out. :)