Asylum Part 5

At Belle Reve…

Recap:

Lex gains consciousness and finds himself strapped to another table for the procedure. He tries to bribe the doctor, but Lionel is present to make sure everything goes according to plan.

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Clark's body was on fire. Ian had placed the meteor rock on top of his chest, held in place by his shirt. As much as Clark wished Alicia would show up to teleport him away, he was grateful she was a safe distance away from the danger.

"Here he is! Right on schedule." One of the Ian's shouted as Clark was pushed into a boiler room of some kind.

Clark opened his eyes and saw a grinning Eric Summers standing above him.

"Time to give me those powers back. It's not like you're using them, right?"

Clark watched through bleary eyes as a cable cord was clamped to an electrical box.

"This will never work." Clark managed a weak attempt to get off the gurney, only for Eric to push him back down.

"Save your strength Clark. I'm going to need it. Let's go!"

"Hey, it's easier to break one out instead of two." There was only one Ian now, standing by an electrical switch.

Eric pulled the meteor rock out from Clark's shirt. Clark's hand was manipulated so both were holding the glowing orb. Ian must have pulled a switch and there was the feeling of fire as electricity coursed through their bodies.

Then, nothing. The feeling of fire ants crawling under his skin was gone, replaced by pure exhaustion.

"How do you feel?" Ian asked.

Clark felt himself being lifted in the air. Then he was flying. There was more pain as Clark landed on something hard. It took all his strength to gasp for air. He watched helplessly as Eric and Ian exchanged a high five.

The smile on Ian's face vanished. A trickle of blood oozed from the middle of his forehead and Ian's body collapsed to the ground. Clark looked up to the second railing. There, armed with a rifle was the Smallville Shooter.

Eric was instantly facing the opponent. From the way he held the gun, Clark could tell the gunman was shooting straight into Eric's chest, only for the bullets to bounce off as Eric casually closed the gap between them.

As a last resort, the shooter pulled out a knife and lunged forward, bringing the knife down. Clark visualized what he knew had happened; the knife shattered into tiny pieces. Eric effortlessly picked up the gunman and threw him to the ground below, inches away from where Clark was.

Eric's laughter echoed throughout the chamber. Clark pulled the shooter to where he is futilely hiding, behind a wall of pipes. Whoever was behind the mask gasped for air. The mask was now cracked, exposing the bottom left side of his face. Now worthless, the shooter lifted his arm and peeled the rest of the mask off his head.

"Van?" Clark recognized the revealed face as his classmate: Van McNulty.

"Kent." Van wheezed. He leaned against the wall, catching his breath.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." Eric's voice rang in the chamber.

Clark's eye caught a meteor rock that must have rolled from Van's pocket. It was labeled with the word "FREAK" painted in white letters. Without pain, Clark managed to grab hold of it.

"Listen to me," Clark whispered to Van. "He'll kill us both. But I can stop him. We just need to get him back to the electrical box."

"There you are." Eric peered down at them. With one hand Eric pulled Van up by the cuff of his shirt. In one second, Van was lifted in the air, Eric's hand choking the air from his lungs.

"So, you're the one killing all the so-called 'freaks'?" Eric tossed him across the room. "You'll pay for that."

Eric sped over and began to land punch after punch on Van's body.

"Stop!" Clark shouted as he stumbled closer.

"Make up your mind, Kent!" Eric turned around. "You come here, saying you want to save us. Now, you have a problem with me pummeling the enemy. What do you want?"

Eric stomped over to Clark. But his bravado evaporated as Clark raised up the meteor rock. Eric winced from the pain Clark is all too familiar with.

Clark runs into Eric, pushing them against the electric box. The meteor rock is held between Clark's hand and Eric's skin. With his free hand, Clark pulls the electrical lever and electricity courses through their bodies once more. After a minute, Clark pulls the lever again. He knows it worked as he feels the painful sensation coming from the meteor rock in his hand. Clark tosses it aside and immediately feels better. He glances over to see the last of Van retreating out of the room.

Lex. Clark reminds himself of the priority.

"Tell me where Lex is!" Clark shouts at the now powerless Eric.

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Clark follows Eric's directions on superspeed, only to arrive too late. Lionel is already embracing the body of Lex, splayed out on the table.

"Lex. Son. It's over. It's all over."

If Clark hadn't known better, he would think this was a tender moment between father and son. Instead, Clark could only gulp back the tears that he had failed his friend once again.

"Clark?" Alicia whispers, reaching for his hand. She gasps seeing the blood staining Clark's cheek. "What happened?"

Clark couldn't look away from Lex. The sight before him becomes misty and as his eyes adjust he sees he's back in Alicia's room. Her hands guide him so he's sitting on the edge of her bed. She disappears in a cloud of green mist only to reappear with a washcloth in hand.

"Whose blood is this?" Tenderly Alicia wipes away the dried mess.

"Lex," was all Clark could say. He feels himself being pulled down. His head is now in Alicia's lap as she runs her fingers through his hair in soothing strokes.

"Shhh. It's all right. It's all right."

"No! No, it's not. Lex!" Clark begins to sob. "Why do I keep hurting people?"

"You haven't hurt me. And I'm sure whoever was bleeding deserved it. Strange, though, where that blood was," Alicia traced the finger from her other hand across Clark's cheek. "It's almost as if…"

Alicia snatched her hand away. Her voice lost all tenderness. "Clark Kent you tell me now: were you hurt?"

"It's nothing." He only felt exhaustion from his failure.

"I can't believe this!" Alicia pushed Clark out of her lap and began to pace the room. "You're supposed to be indestructible. There's something out there that can hurt you? And you didn't tell me? When we were on a mission?"

"No comment."

"No comment? No comment?!" Alicia seethed. "You were hurt! Could you have died? Would I have known what to do?"

Alicia's rage vanished and she was back to planting kisses across Clark's forehead. "You have a weakness, don't you? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Achilles did. Why wouldn't my precious god?"

"I'm not…"

Alicia reached forward to hold his face in her hands and silenced him with a long kiss. "You have to tell me, Clark. I can't protect you if you don't tell me."

"Alicia, I'm fine," was all Clark managed to say. Alicia continued to kiss his face and neck. With one hand she began to stroke his hair again.

"Tell me," Alicia whispered again in his ear.

Why don't I tell her? Clark questioned. As glad as he was Alicia had been away from the danger, she could have helped him if she had been there and knew what to do. Alicia had helped him before in fighting Seth; they had made a good team then. And she helped him when they went to Jodi's house.

"Meteor rocks." Clark found himself saying.

"The meteors? But…" Alicia glanced towards her desk.

Clark felt that familiar tingle. Then they were in the barn, again on the sofa.

"The meteors?" Alicia hissed. "The things just lying around the entire town! Oh!" Alicia gave a few slaps to Clark's shoulder, then immediately kissed the spot she had hit. She moved Clark so he was once again resting with his head in her lap.

"Don't worry, baby," Alicia cooed as she continued to stroke his hair. "Alicia's here. I'll protect you."