Chapter 10: Professor Strange
At a barn just out of town, Clark and Lois were tied up as Lionel chuckled when Tess arrived.
"The professor's here, Dad." Tess said in a less than enthused tone.
"Well show him in." Lionel said enthusiastically as he appeared to already think he'd won.
"Clark, I'm not a bit worried." Lois told Clark in a whisper. "I know that between the two of us, we'll think of some way out of this."
"Well, I got us this far, didn't I?" Clark said, so nervous he wasn't exactly sure what he was saying.
Lois just turned to Clark incredulously.
Just then, a well-built, bald man with a gray beard and wearing a white trench coat and round spectacles came in and shook Lionel's end.
"So good to see you again, Lionel." The man said in a light German accent.
"Professor Hugo Strange." Lionel said. "Great to see you again, too. How's Sharp?"
"He's doing fine." Strange said simply. "So where's my victim." He then made a mock gasp and added, "I mean patient."
"Right over here, Professor." Lionel said as he led Strange to Lois and Clark. "Let me introduce you to your patient. Clark Kent."
Strange began examining Clark.
"Professor Strange's the world's leading expert on mind control." Lionel said smugly.
"It's a very rapidly growing field." Strange agreed in the same calm voice as always. "And I always enjoy a challenge."
"Tell us what you're going to do to Clark." Strange remarked.
"Well, we're going to perform an electronic cerebractomy." Strange said plainly.
"Huh?" Everyone asked.
"A little procedure I made up myself." Strange explained.
"So what's that?" Lionel asked.
"Let me show you." Strange continued. "Gentlemen, bring in the machine."
The men wheeled in a machine with what looked like an electric chair attached to a computer device.
"This device utilizes both electro-shock therapy and electronic hypnosis to turn the occupant's brains into little more than guacamole.
Strange and Lionel then both chuckled darkly.
"Maybe we can try pulling out of this." Clark told Lois.
"Good idea." Lois remarked as Clark tried to break free, but the ropes were lined with Blue Kryptonite, sapping him of his powers and wrapped so tight, he couldn't get the proper momentum to break out of them. Lois, however, was used to situations like this. "Don't worry. We just have to keep trying."
"Now, we take your friend, Mr. Kent, clamp on the terminals, drop the electric hat onto him, and throw the switch." Strange went on.
Strange turned the switch on for show as a blue light showed on the device and the metal hat connected to it.
"Once that's done, Mr. Kent will then be reprogrammed to do your bidding."
"Perfect." Lionel said with a smirk as he and Strange shook hands again. "We'll leave you to it. Tess?"
The two walked off as Lionel turned back.
"I'll be back later to pick up what's left of Mr. Kent." Lionel said with a sneer as Tess looked more and more uncomfortable.
"Alright, bring over Mr. Kent." Strange said after Lionel and Tess had left, and Clark was untied and forced over to the chair.
"Clark, whatever happens next, I'll never give up tonight for anything in the world!" Lois called out dramatically as she was already loosening the bonds around her wrists.
"Make me an offer." Clark said half-jokingly as he was strapped into the machine with Blue Kryptonite clamps while Strange chuckled.
"You can struggle all you want, Mr. Kent." Strange remarked, still not even slightly raising his voice. "It'll do you very little good."
Strange then pushed a button as the electric hat was lowered onto his head.
"Soon, there'll be enough voltage coursing through your brain to light up New York City." Strange remarked an evil sneer growing on his face.
"Let him go!" Lois called out.
"Say good-bye to the boy, madam." Strange remarked.
"Why should I?" Lois asked.
"Because in a few moments, he won't know you from Erica Durance." Strange said plainly as Lois smiled.
"Oh yeah?" Lois asked as she stood up and tossed the ropes away.
She then kicked Strange away from the switch and began tossing the other people around the room, rendering almost everyone unconscious. However, while Lois was fighting, Strange had recovered and was reaching for the switch.
"Oh no!" Clark called out. Lois turned around and knocked Strange back into the machine as a short circuit freed Clark.
"Run, Clark!" Lois called out.
"Oh thank you!" Clark sighed in relief as they rushed out as Strange tried to get up, accidentally throwing the switch as he tried to lift himself up, frying his own brains in the process.
"Well, shall we go now, Clark?" Lois asked. "I'm sure the others are worried about us."
Just then, a phone rang.
"The heck?!" Both of them asked as Clark answered it.
"Hello?" Clark answered as he held the phone to Lois.
"It's for you, Lois." Clark said. "It's your agent."
"Oh." Lois said. "Thank you."
Lois then took the receiver.
"So Marty, what've you got?" Lois asked. "A commercial? How much? Okay."
Jean hung up and went to Clark.
"Um…" Lois said. "You'll probably wanna go ahead without me. There's a job that's going to pay me well, but it'll keep me in town a few more days than the whole group can afford, and I'll catch up to you, okay?"
Clark just stared blankly at her.
"Well…" Lois said, aware that Clark didn't really think she was coming back. "Bye."
Lois walked off, upset with herself that she was leaving Clark heartbroken, but going on anyway.
At the screening, the film suddenly deteriorated and stopped showing as everyone at the theater complained.
"Hey, what happened?" Clark asked.
"The film ripped!" Chloe up in the projector room called out.
"What do you mean it ripped?!" Dinah called out insanely as Selina and Bruce had to hold her down.
"Don't worry Dinah." Clark assured him. "Your big scene is coming up."
"Yeah, yeah." Bruce said. "Just calm down and eat something."
"Okay." Dinah said as she began eating her popcorn bucket.
"Well, that was easy." Selina sighed.
Intermission time! Take a break. Read a book. Take a walk. Or watch the latest Atop the Fourth Wall. With how often this fic's been updated, you've got time.
