A/N: I think this will be the last part of Meteor Freaks and Supernatural things. I'm going to try to wrap things up finally, and hopefully give this a hopeful ending. This is just the prologue, so if anyone likes this, I'll keep posting, but it might be a while before I do post again. I'm currently trying to proofread the old stories from 2022.

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains a Smallville character from Season 8+

THEN

While John was behind the truck, getting his crossbow ready for shooting a deer, Jodi stayed in the passenger seat, looking at the sunburns on her face in the rearview mirror. The task of helping him set up his funeral pyres was a huge job, and it took a huge toll on both of them. Putting the mirror back to the way it was with a sigh, she suddenly noticed the black car pulling up behind them.

Turning to look through the back window, Jodi started to panic. "Who the hell is that?"

She could see John's head over top of the lid to his gun case, and he turned around as the car came to a stop. Then she saw someone get out, but the open lid of the gun case partially blocked her view. Even though she couldn't see the guy out there clearly, she could hear what he was shouting.

"What the hell is going on out here?!" came his first muffled yell.

John said something to him that she couldn't quite hear, but then she heard, "Looks like you're burning bodies to me!"

Frantically fumbling with her seatbelt, Jodi realized she needed to get away. She was in no shape to help John fight this guy, so this was her best defense.

"I can explain that!" John yelled at the guy.

Hearing only muffled mumbling at that point, she reached for the door handle, but hesitated. Listening carefully, she was able to hear their words more clearly at first, but their arguing was eventually drowned out by the sounds of their beating hearts, causing her fangs to emerge from her gums.

Suddenly, John cried. "Your daughter?! You mean Lisa Palmer?"

When the guy from the black car started yelling again, he said, "That's right! You and that buddy of yours, Daniel Elkins. You killed her and her classmates from Smallville High! Then you burned them, didn't you?!"

"Look Mister, you don't understand," she heard John say, before the sound of blood pumping through his veins started to distract her. "They were vampires!"

She heard the other guy's heart rate accelerate rapidly as he became more enraged. The faster his blood pumped through him, the more she wanted to attack.

"You expect me to believe that?" He hissed at John. "You think a judge, or a jury will believe that? The moment you start talking about vampires, you'll be locked up in Belle Reeve for the rest of your life!"

John's heart rate accelerated as well, and by then, Jodi simply couldn't take it. Her fangs were out as she sat there, panting, and softly growling.

Ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom! Was the sound of their heart beats, but their rhythms didn't quite match.

Finally reaching her limit, Jodi flung the door open and jumped out. She stopped to look at the gray-haired man from the black car, who was standing there holding a gun and a pair of handcuffs. When John pounced on him, he punched the guy right in the jaw.

Glancing her way for a second, John shouted, "Jodi, run! Get out of here!"

Not wanting to hurt either one of them, Jodi took off running into the woods. Leaving Luther's destroyed shack behind, she ran through thick brambles, and thorny bushes as she fled. When she reached one of the tall cliffs on the edge of the property, she jumped up high enough to grab onto a small ledge and pulled herself up.

Somewhere down below, she could hear John fighting the officer from the black car, but she forced herself to climb until she came to a ledge that connected to a very narrow, jagged stairwell of rocks. It was a slow climb to the top, but when she reached it, she found herself on a steep slope that was easier to climb than the stairs and rock wall, but she still had to go up on her hands and knees to avoid falling back down.

"Jodi!" She heard John scream down below. "Jodi!"

Growling under her breath, she kept on moving until the slope leveled out a little, and then she found herself on top of a ridge. From there, she continued running until she ran out of energy, without glancing back.

Late that night, after seeing the red meteor rock rings on the table outside his room, Sam tossed and turned under his blankets. He was having a nightmare, but it was a strange one. It felt like he was seeing through someone else's eyes, but he had no idea who they were. He was in a casino somewhere, playing poker with a group of guys from all over the world. Every single person sitting around the table was either smoking a cigarette, or drinking some kind of alcohol, while under-dressed waitresses served them.

Furrowing his brow and balling his hands into fists, Sam watched as the guy he was seeing through glanced around at his opponents, probably trying to intimidate them. One of the guys playing the game had a lion made of gold sitting behind him, staring at his back with big black eyes, which was very unsettling.

When this person on the other side of the world heard a beep, they glanced down at a pager, and then grabbed a wad of bills off the stack of cash in front of them.

Speaking in Japanese as they threw the cash into the middle of the table, Sam heard the guy say, "I see your three thousand… And raise you two thousand."

"No, don't do it," Sam gasped as he lay there, tangled up in his blankets. "Stop, there's demons in the casino!"

The other players sitting around the table gave him a mixture of confused, and angry looks. When they all played their hands, Sam's telepathic partner smirked at the people as he collected all of their money, winning his own back as well. One of the other players, an old guy with a beard who was eating a piece of shrimp with a pair of chopsticks, stared hard at them.

"Very lucky once again," the old man said with a smirk.

Chuckling, the guy said, "What can I say? I'm a psychic."

What happened next was a blur of people, tables, and slot machines, but eventually, this guy went out back and got in his car. Getting in and shutting the door, he pulled a massive stack of 100 dollar bills out of a pocket inside his fancy, black jacket.

Counting them with a smile on his face, he whispered, "One… Two… Three…"

Suddenly getting a bad feeling, Sam slapped at his mattress with his palms while he lay there, still asleep. "Get out of there! It's not safe!"

This guy clearly couldn't hear what Sam was saying, because he kept counting his money anyway. "Nine, a thousand… Time for the next one. One… Two… Three… Wow, you did really good tonight, Lucas."

The moment Sam discovered he was seeing through the eyes of a guy named Lucas, he tried getting him to listen again. "Lucas, hey! Get out of there!"

When Lucas counted the first $3k of his total earnings, he suddenly got a migraine, causing him to drop his cash and put a hand over his forehead. "Oh, God! What the… Hell!"

Then Sam found himself in a weird, psychic loop, where he was seeing through Lucas's eyes, but Lucas was seeing him from directly above his bed. It was a confusing feeling that couldn't be put into words easily, and it felt like his brain was melting.

Sitting up with a loud gasp, Sam sat there in his bed, panting, and sweating. "What the hell was that?!"

Jumping out of bed, he ran over to the locked door and peered through the tiny window. Groaning in pain as the sudden exertion disturbed his injured body, he put a hand against his side for a moment.

Groaning again, Sam whispered, "Thanks a lot Tina, you shape shifting bitch…"

Cupping his hands around his eyes, he saw the demon guards pacing back and forth. Meg and Roger Nixon were nowhere to be found, but their enforcers were more than happy to tear Sam apart if he stepped out of line.

Lowering his hands and turning around, Sam put his hand on his side again. "What the hell is going on around here?"

The moment Lucas Luthor finished counting the first $3k of his gambling victory, a migraine suddenly hit him out of nowhere. It felt like someone bashed his forehead in with a hammer, causing him to drop his money and put a hand on his forehead.

"Oh, God!" he cried. "What the… Hell!"

His migraine subsided a little when he found himself floating over top of a guy who was sleeping. He saw them toss and turn on their mattress in the dark. Frantically flailing around in the car with his hands, Lucas grabbed his steering wheel, ran his fingers over the shifting lever and the stereo, anything he could think of to bring himself back to reality.

As he watched the sleeping guy, they gasped, "No, don't do it. Stop, there's demons in the casino!"

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows as he watched them toss and turn some more, and he started crying out, "No, this isn't real! This isn't real!"

The guy on the bed slapped his mattress with his palms, and cried, "Get out of there! It's not safe! It's not safe! Not safe! Not safe! Safe! Safe! Safe!"

Putting his hand over his eyes, Lucas gasped, "Come on, no… Come on…"

"Lucas, hey!" the sleeping guy screamed. "Get out of there!"

Suddenly snapping out of it, Lucas grabbed his steering wheel and gasped. "Damn it!"

For a few minutes, he sat there in total silence, trying to figure out what just happened. Reaching down, he picked up his money from between his feet, and jammed it all back into his pocket like a wad of unused tissues getting tucked away for allergy season. Sitting there in silence for a little longer, he started the car and rolled down his window for some air.

Shutting off the engine, Lucas closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and lay his head back on the headrest. "Holy crap…"

Since he wasn't paying attention, he failed to notice the blonde girl sit up in his back seat in the rearview mirror. Her hair was disheveled, and her jacket and t-shirt were twisted out of place, so she started adjusting them to make it look like she was finishing up the process of getting dressed.

Still sitting there, Lucas took another deep breath, but then his buddy from inside the casino appeared and slapped the driver's side door. "Wake up, Lucas! What you doing out here, bro?"

Lucas opened his eyes and shook his head at him. "Look, man, I… I don't know what-"

Glancing towards the back seat suddenly, Lucas's friend laughed. "Oh, I see! I see!"

Lucas looked up at him like he was an idiot. "You see what?"

Slapping Lucas on the shoulder, his fellow cheater laughed. "I didn't mean to interrupt you and your girl, man. I'm out of here!"

Now more confused than ever, Lucas cried, "Hey! What girl?!"

Glancing up at the rearview mirror, he finally saw her, and panicked. "Who the hell are you?!"

Turning around in his seat, he glared back at her. "Get the hell out of my car!"

Smirking at him, the blonde girl said, "My name's Meg. You are special, Lucas Luthor!"

"I'm not a Luthor," Lucas lied. "Get out of my car."

Meg laughed. "Don't lie to me, Lucas. You need me as much as I need you."

Turning away from her, Lucas raised his hands with an exasperated sigh, and punched his steering wheel, accidentally honking the horn. "For what?"

"I can make you more powerful and wealthy than you could possibly imagine," Meg said. "I know Lionel Luthor is your father. I also know your mother, Rachel Dunleavy, died in a fire in your nursery after she took away your daddy's visitation rights…"

Glancing back, Lucas snarled at her. "Who the hell are you, huh? You a reporter or something?"

Grinning at him, Meg shook her head. "I'm no reporter. I'm a demon."

Showing her black eyes, she shushed him. "Shh… Shh… Shh… Don't be afraid, Lucas. Lionel Luthor isn't all he's cracked up to be, but you… You have a destiny."

When her eyes went back to normal, Lucas put a hand over his eyes, and laughed. "This is a joke, right?"

"No joke," Meg said. "My guess is, you just had a vision. I don't know what you saw, but I could probably guess that too."

"What do you want?" Lucas asked.

"I want you to start the car and start driving," Meg said. "I'll tell you where to stop."

Starting the car, Lucas shifted into drive, and took off down the road, following the demon's instructions. Where she was taking him, he had no idea, but a part of him wanted to consider her offer of wealth and power beyond what he could imagine.

It was early in the morning, the day after learning Clark's secret, when Lex stopped by the Smallville Medical Center to see Ryan. The moment he stepped out of the elevator, he was carrying about half a dozen Warrior Angel comics inside a briefcase. These were his mint condition copies, but Lex barely cared about them anymore. He only had ten years left to live, so he was gonna make sure he gave the comics to someone who could enjoy them.

Martha was sitting by Ryan's bedside, talking to him, when he stepped into the room. "Hey, Ryan."

Ryan looked up at him and smiled, causing Martha to glance back too. "Hey, Lex. What's in the briefcase?"

Glancing at Martha for a second, Lex stepped over to the adjustable table beside Ryan's bed for his meals, and set the briefcase on top of it. "I brought my favorite editions of Warrior Angel. I thought you'd be interested in checking em out."

Sitting up in his bed, Ryan eagerly watched him open the briefcase and pull out the plastic sleeves with the magazines inside them. "Have a look."

Excitedly taking the comics from him, Ryan grinned. "You have Warrior Angel number one!"

Lex grinned. "I thought you'd like that one. Have a look at the others if you want."

Ryan started checking out the other copies, so Martha put a hand on his arm. "I'm gonna step out for a bit. Give you two some space. I'll be out in the hall if you need me, Ryan."

Smiling at Martha, he nodded. "Thanks."

Leaving the room, Martha shut the door behind her, and then Lex pulled up a chair. "So, how are ya feeling?"

Looking at Lex, Ryan set the comics aside. "Better. A lot better than yesterday, actually."

"That's great," Lex said. "Did Clark tell you the good news?"

Ryan nodded. "About Helen Bryce and her team? Yeah."

Lex smiled. "Good. I'm fairly confident this team can help you better than Doctor Garner ever could."

Ryan glanced at the door to his room briefly, but then he looked at Lex and furrowed his eyebrows. "You're a terrible liar, Lex."

Feeling hurt, Lex frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I know you made a deal with a crossroads demon to save me," Ryan told him.

Lex winced, and then he anxiously scratched at the scar above his eye. "Don't be ridiculous, Ryan. There's no such thing as crossroad demons."

Glaring at him, Ryan said, "I know you're wondering if Clark or Dean talked to me about it, but they haven't… You sold your soul to a demon named Crowley."

Gritting his teeth, Lex forced himself to take a calming breath. "How did you know that? I never told anyone the demon's name."

Ryan's lower lip and chin started trembling, and his eyes glistened as tears formed in them. "I saw it in your mind. I can hear people's thoughts. I can hear yours right now."

Suddenly feeling very small and insignificant, Lex scratched the scar over his eye again. "That can't be possible, Ryan."

"Why not?" Ryan demanded. "Making demon deals is possible, isn't it? You did it."

Realizing Ryan was right, and that he couldn't hide his feelings, Lex finally gave in and confessed everything. "Ryan, if you can read my mind right now, then… You know why I did it. I couldn't stand the thought of Clark losing you the way I lost Julian or Pamela."

Tears started running down from Ryan's eyes, causing him to shake his head. "You don't get it, Lex. I know you think… You deserve hell, but… You don't."

Lex shook his head. "I don't see it that way."

"I can tell your heart's in the right place," Ryan insisted. "But your thoughts just go to a dark, and scary place sometimes. I don't want you to die for me…"

Putting a hand on one of Ryan's hands, Lex gripped it tight. "I got a lot more out of that demon deal than just saving you, Ryan. Saving you is the reason I did it, but… It was worth it for so many reasons."

"Because Clark told you his secret?" Ryan asked. "You know the truth now. Clark loves you like a brother too, but how… How do you think… He's gonna feel… About you going to Hell?"

Feeling an ache in his throat, Lex swallowed hard. "Ryan, look. You have every reason to be upset, and so will Clark and Dean when I tell them the truth. The thing is… Finally having people in my life who I trust; people who trust me… Finally knowing the truth… I'd sell my soul a million times just to have this."

"But you already had that," Ryan whined. "I don't want you to go to Hell, Lex. You have to get your soul back, please."

Swallowing hard again, Lex felt his face grow hot, as tears blurred his own vision. "Ryan, I… I can't. If I do, you'll die."

"Do it anyway," Ryan begged. "I'd rather die than watch you go to Hell. Clark and Dean would too…"

Wiping the tears away with his hand, Lex swallowed hard again. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try. No matter what happens though, I won't do it unless there's a way to save both of us."

The two of them were quiet for a moment, as they sat there with tears running down their faces. Lex's cellphone started ringing in his pocket, so he pulled it out and answered the call.

Lex's voice cracked a little when he was talking, so he had to clear his throat. "Hey, Dean… Uh, what's up?"

"You feeling okay, man?" Dean asked.

Forcing a smile, Lex said, "Yeah, I'm just visiting Ryan. The poor kid's been through a lot."

"Mm-hmm," was Dean's reply. "I don't mean to interrupt, but when you get a chance, I want to talk to ya at the mansion."

Lex cleared his throat again and swallowed hard. "I'll be there in a little bit."

"No rush," Dean told him. "I'm sure the kid could use the company. Come on over when you're ready."

Then Dean hung up, so Lex put his phone away. Looking at Ryan again, he said, "I have to go."

"Don't forget what we talked about," Ryan reminded him. "If you can save both of us, then please try, but if you can't…"

Closing his empty briefcase, Lex grabbed the handle, and bit his lower lip. "I'll try. That's all I can do."

Hurrying out of the room, Lex closed the door behind him, and fled down the hall. Martha looked worried as she watched him pass, but then she hurried into Ryan's room to find out what happened. The kid didn't tell her everything he and Lex talked about, but he mentioned that Lex was going through a very hard time.

NOW