Lonesome Street
Chapter 3 Close call
CHRISTMAS PARTY
Clark has done some group dating at CKU, no 1 on 1. He just hasn't gotten well enough acquainted with any girl to give that a whirl. He has no idea who he can trust. He thinks back to Smallville HS; Chloe and Lana, he could trust either one to be a safe date as far as his secret and his weaknesses were concerned. Here, he had no one. He attended this pre-Christmas party because of relentless peer pressure.
As he mingled, he kept his super senses on high alert. Over the years his abilities had been gradually improving: he could run faster, fly higher and with more precision, lift more weight, control more tightly his heat vision, focus his x-ray vision more tightly, hear more acutely than ever before. He can't explain it, but it was welcome. But . . . his 2 weaknesses were still present w/o diminishing: kryptonite and magic. This is where non-kryptonian allies are especially helpful when present.
As he circulated through the mass of bodies, he kept his x-ray vision in near constant use. It looked like he was constantly squinting, but that was easily explained as due to an eye condition. He scanned everyone, finding nothing until . . . a small pouch he couldn't see into and a note attached. The note was signed by LL (Lex Luthor). The pouch was obviously lead lined . . . to prevent him from seeing the contents. The pouch was in the handbag of a cute, blonde, co-ed. If Lana was here, it would be simple to super-speed, grab the pouch, have Lana flush the contents down the toilet, and return it to the young ladies purse before she knew what had happened. But he had no friends here, there obviously were enemies. Or people who didn't know what they were doing, or why. He would need to time this perfectly. What if the pouch had kryptonite dust on the outside? What if . . . should he just leave? Fight another day?
Damn, this is a lonely campus!
The co-ed in question was on her 4th egg-nog generously spiked with rum, she was obviously tipsy but still quite coherent. Clark decided to make his move. He timed a stumble just right; she collapsed into a quartet of guys. He went into super-speed and retrieved the pouch, sped to a bathroom, emptied the green contents into the toilet while simultaneously flushing it down, stumbled momentarily as the kryptonite affected him briefly, then super-sped the pouch (not the note) back into her purse. He then picked himself up off the pile, apologized profusely and went on partying.
Later he could see the girl looking in her purse, and looking around. Her eyes eventually fixed on him and she came over to him. "Do I know you? I'm Carli, from Granville. I had something in my purse for you, but now it's gone. Clark Kent, right?"
"Yes, do you know what it was? Or who gave it to you?"
"Lex Luthor's secretary gave it to me. I have no idea what it was. I'm sorry I seem to have dropped it, I hope it wasn't important."
"That's all right, I know Lex very well. I will check with him in the morning. No worries!"
"Ok, again, I'm sorry."
"No problem, Carli. I'll see you around."
CK slipped out of the party and back to his 1-bed apartment.
The note was just a picture of CK.
Close call, indeed!