Velocity Part 5
Lionel Luthor fought to keep his face neutral. Alicia Baker, his little spy, sat on top of the nearby desk, her legs swinging freely. She smiled as she gave her entire report.
"That is surprising news. Not what I expected at all."
"I've discovered Clark Kent is full of surprises."
"No, no. There has to be more."
"More what?" Alicia huffed. "I found out what you wanted."
"A joyride? Ms. Baker, do you really expect me to believe Morgan Edge, the crime boss of Metropolis, sent his right hand man to Smallville over a car?"
The girl shrugged. "Maybe it was Italian."
Lionel grit his teeth. After all this time, after all his searching, the answer was not the one he wanted to hear. And yet, the newly discovered facts answered all of Lionel's questions, tying everything up with a nice little bow.
Clark Kent had been on Lionel's person of interest list for some time. He had been notified about Clark running away from home. It was not until the boy returned to Smallville word had gotten out Clark had run off to the big city.
The same place a mysterious, bullet-proof bank robber had plagued the entire summer.
Around the time Clark returned home, Lionel had a falling out with an old friend: Morgan Edge. The crime lord had stolen the vial of blood Dr. Lia Teng was using in her "resurrection" serum. Lionel threatened Edge to return the vial. Edge complied but claimed he had found the source.
Lionel had been eager to get his hands on the mysterious being. But it was nothing but a double cross. The truck had blown up, nearly killing Lionel. Edge disappeared after that, but his right hand man had been found dead at the Kent farm.
It was not until hearing that Lionel remembered the truck Edge brought had belonged to Smallville Movers. And it was recorded the Kents had hired out a truck that day.
That left the question: why would Morgan Edge be interested in Clark Kent?
Unless Clark Kent was the miraculous source.
As Lionel had explained to Alicia already, he had to move carefully. If the source was Clark, he had to know everything the boy was capable of, and how a potentially mighty being might be subdued.
But Alicia had given a different story than what Lionel wanted. The girl sat on the desk and talked about how Clark spent his summer partying in Metropolis at clubs owned by Morgan Edge. The boy did some odd jobs for Edge, including some that were "off the books". Clark was tall enough and had the desired build to intimidate those who were behind on their payments. Clark's summer of endless partying came to a halt after accidentally crashing a hot rod. Specifically, one that belonged to Edge himself.
It was plausible. Edge was like Lionel; if someone slighted him they had to be punished. And a teenager stealing a personal car just for kicks would require retaliation. To do nothing would be an invitation for mockery.
On the new information, Edge's goon went to the Kent farm to give a Clark a lesson and they just hijacked the van while they were there as a point of convenience. Lana's statement to the police said the Kents were tied up in the barn. If they were waiting for Clark to return home, it was perfectly normal for henchmen to take hostages. Johnathan Kent certainly would not stand for someone like that to wait around for his son.
"No. No! Clark's the source. He has to be. There are too many coincidences." Lionel went back to looking over Pete's body, willing his captive to say something that would affirm his beliefs.
"Look, it's not my fault you wanted to hear something else." Alicia hopped down from the desk. "According to your logic, that means I'm the Smallville Shooter. Coincidences happen, Lionel. Anyway, you need to unplug Pete here. Chloe and Clark are seconds away from doing a full-scale investigation. I highly doubt you want them finding this place with all your little friends down there. Now come on; let Adam go. You promised."
"Clark is…" Pete started to mutter.
Lionel excitedly leaned down, determined to not miss a word.
"Clark's better than me at everything. Basketball…Chloe…school…destiny. I'm nobody."
"What else?" Lionel turned to Dr. Garner when Pete stopped talking. "What else! Make him say more."
"Mr. Luthor, that's all Sarah's been able to recover right now. He might say more if given more time."
"There, you see," Alicia said, "Pete's nothing but a jealous kid."
Lionel began to pace the room. His instincts played a large part in how he got to where he was, and his instincts kept telling him Clark was the source.
But this was becoming a dead end. Chloe Sullivan failed to go further with her investigations. Alicia only uncovered a plausible, yet unremarkable reason. And Pete Ross was nothing but an envious child.
Lionel straightened out his tie, regaining the composure he held at all times. It was time to change his tactics.
"Adam will be released as promised," Lionel spoke calmly.
"Really?" Alicia seemed surprised.
Lionel's mouth twitched into a smile at the girl's skepticism. "I am a man of my word, and you did uphold your end of the bargain. Unlike some people I've dealt with. I'll have Adam's release started immediately. It will take some time of course. We want to make sure everything is done correctly, don't we? So, in the meantime, I need you to stay close to your new friends. My source is still out there, just waiting to be found. And he's in Smallville. I'm certain of that."
Lionel pulled out a green vial from his inside coat pocket for Alicia to take.
Alicia eyed the vial, refusing to take it. "What's in it for me?"
"My gratitude."
Alicia burst out laughing, but it disappeared when Lionel pulled a velvet box from the desk. He opened it to reveal a pair of earrings; pink stones wrapped in gold.
"You think you can just throw diamonds at me, and I'll do whatever you want?"
"Pink sapphires," Lionel corrected. "I want you to understand exactly what my gratitude entails. You are a uniquely talented young woman. I'm hoping we can continue having a working relationship. Of which I would be very grateful."
The girl bit her lip as she looked at the box. Lionel had been here many times: recruiting someone to do his bidding. In this moment, they teetered on the edge between freedom and being under his thumb. To Alicia's credit, she wasn't going for the jewelry. Lionel just had to give her the smallest poke and then she would be back in his grasp.
"I might not have your talents, Ms. Baker, but I can be a very useful friend. I can get you into the college of your choice, all expenses paid. You want Adam to live his dream working for NASA? Consider it done. Of course, I'll have to be alive."
Alicia rolled her eyes. "Look, according to Chloe's database, there's only one meta on file with healing abilities and that was Cyrus. They don't know anything about this mystic healing source you're looking for."
"That's what this will prove." Lionel held out the green vial again. This time Alicia took it.
"Again with the green. Meteor rock's in here, isn't it?"
"Clever girl."
"Fine. I'll stay close to Clark." Alicia took time to sigh as she snatched the box. "But I doubt he knows anything."
"Dr. Garner, release the patient."
"Hey, Lionel, can Sarah put ideas in people's heads?"
Lionel turned to Dr. Garner to answer that question. "We haven't tried doing that. It's hypothetically possible."
"What are you thinking, my dear?"
Alicia explained her idea.
Lionel laughed. "Why you little vixen."
In dream world…
Pete felt like his heart was going to explode from his chest. He knew he was only dreaming, but he felt his body pant for air and sweat pour from his body.
Sarah had not been lying when she said earlier she was being nice.
They had been on a beach, playing with a dozen puppies. Sarah had forgotten her interrogation until a red robed figure appeared, blocking out the sun. Sarah had screamed in pain and clutched her head as the robed figure pointed at Pete.
"Sorry, Petey," Sarah had said.
Pete had found himself at the wheel of a speeding car. Sarah was sitting calmly in the passenger seat.
"Playtime's over. Tell me what's so special about Clark."
"Not real. It's not real. It's not real," Pete repeated to himself as his attempts to control the car proved futile. The car sped down a freeway, easily going over a hundred miles per hour. There were cows and boulders and old ladies in the road, which the car barely missed.
"It's real enough, Petey. Real enough to feel every bone in your body break."
The road disappeared and the car was flying over a ravine. Pete closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was back in the Torch office.
So were Clark and Chloe, who were engaged in a passionate kiss.
"Stop it!" Pete yelled, turning around. No matter where he turned, all Pete could see was Clark and Chloe kissing.
Pete tried to think of Spot. Of cute puppies and kittens playing on a beach. But his concentration kept getting broken as Sarah changed the scene. Pete watched Clark play basketball and be cheered on by a stadium.
Clark was kissing Chloe as Alicia, Lana, and every hot girl from Smallville High waited in line.
Mr. and Mrs. Kent hugged Clark, saying "We're proud of you, son."
"Good job, Mr. Kent." Sherriff Adams handed Clark the key to the city.
A marble statue of Clark towered above Pete. The engraving at the bottom read "Best Person Ever."
"Stop! Please!" Pete crumpled to the floor.
"You know what to do, Petey." Sarah knelt by his side. It was just him and Sarah in a black void.
"Clark's better than me," Pete confessed in the silence. "He can beat me at basketball every time. I never had a chance with Chloe. He's smarter than me. And he's got a destiny. I will never have that. I'm just a nobody."
Pete hung his head in defeat. That was the truth. The real truth he never wanted to admit.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Pete waited to wake up. He waited for everything in front of him to disappear and find himself back in the real world. But nothing happened.
"This is weird. You should be waking up right about now."
The robed figure appeared again, causing Sarah to shudder.
"Sorry, Petey. There's been a change of plans."