FIVE
Lionel Luthor could be quite persistent.
His visits to the Kent farm became more numerous. This one held special relevance.
"I think I know where Clark is," he told Martha. "Mind you, I suspect that Lex is involved."
Martha's face went ashen. "Why would Lex abduct my son? Surely he's not planning to pressure me with some kind of leverage...?"
"I don't think this has anything to do with Lex's failed political agendas," Lionel said. "Martha, you've got to be extremely careful from this point forward." Lionel took her hands into his. "They know about Clark, about what he really is, if not who. They knew where to find him."
"Where exactly did they find him?" Martha asked.
Lionel shook his head in an I-don't-know mannerism. "That part is still vague. But your 'visitor'.
You said it was searching for something. And that task force which so conveniently just happened to show up..."
"Which I happened to notice," Martha reminded herself.
"They...actually their employers, have been known to...conduct experiments, genetic ones. Human DNA, hostile sub-terrestrial DNA,...alien DNA. I'm sure you've already done the math..."
"Spike and the girl. You're saying that they're genetic experiments."
"The monster is," Lionel said. "As for your two guests, they are remnants from a time long gone, especially that girl. The man, Spike, that's his name? He escaped from them several years ago."
"He told us about that," Martha said. "That they'd put some sort of behavior-modification chip in his head."
"Did he tell you that he is a vampire?" Lionel said.
"No, but I could tell that there was something not exactly right about him, the way he attacked that monster head on. Wait...you're saying that he suffers from the same thing as Lois?"
"Lois' ailment is from kryptonite-mutated rabies. Spike, he's the real deal. And there's something else you should be aware of, Martha. At one time, he was one of the worst serial killers ever known, or conceived, depending on your viewpoint. Anyway, that's enough of the history lesson. Both Clark and Lois are in danger from these people. Not to mention Miss Sullivan and her two friends."
"Well, Angel, how are you feeling?"
Lex Luthor was hovering over him like the hungry vulture over a carcass.
Angel lifted himself up, half expecting to still be restrained. To his surprise he wasn't.
He put on his shirt and trademark coat and stood on his feet.
"Aside from probable hallucinations, I feel great. When can I.."
"Go outside? There's no need. We have a facility which reproduces the sun's effects here. Oh, and if your hallucinations included being moved, that was for real. We had to relocate you for security purposes."
"?"
"Other patients arrived with the same sickness," Lex said. "Follow me."
That settled it. No longer at 33.1.
Together they went to a control room where everything was under surveillance; in this case a holding cell, where a young woman was trying her best to break through the force field that contained her.
Lois Lane.
"I'm not crazy! Let me outta here!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
No response. Damn.
"She'll be back to normal in no time," Lex said. "She was just recently, and I mean a few hours ago, infected. Once her cure is completed she'll be released."
"You make it sound like a prison," Angel said.
"Sometimes prisons are necessary," Lex countered. "Ask Matthias Pavayne."
"What do you know about Pavayne?" Angel asked.
"Enough," Lex said. "Enough to know what he was capable of before he was corporealized and imprisoned. Too bad he's disappeared along with some other extraordinary agents."
Lex Luthor had certainly done his homework. Hopefully this was making the plan much easier.
"Sometimes it's better to disappear," Angel said. So much for keeping unmentionables unmentioned...
"Lex, what's Lois doing here?"
Lana. Never mind how, why was she here?
"Lana," Lex said," you shouldn't be here." Seeing her I-want-an-answer-now look he added
"Lois has been vampirized, for lack of a better term."
"I'd say that's as good a term as any," Angel said.
Lex noticed that Angel and Lana were eyeing each other.
"This is where you work?" Illyria asked. The Daily Planet was admittedly impressive. Good for them that it was after working hours.
"Uh-huh," Chloe said. "Now let's have a peek at this." She produced the almost-forgotten flash drive, plugged it in to her tower, and went to work on de-crypting.
"Not another Willow," Spike muttered. "Look, while you two are playing Nancy Drew, I'm gonna go out for a bit. Fancy a bite."
Chloe's eyes widened. Spike caught on.
"I mean for some food, not blood. And don't suggest the coffe shop and its muffins. Had my bloody fill of those."
"You can drive Lois' car," Chloe threw him the keys.
"Thanks. Let me know the minute somethin' turns up."
Illyria looked closer at the monitor as images manifested themselves.
"Surprise, surprise," Chloe said...
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15 DAYS EARLIER
"We have a more serious problem," said the white-haired gentleman seated with others dressed similar.The standouts were a slightly balding scientist, a neatly-dressed college professor, an Army general, and a heavyset African-American woman who, just by looking at her, appeared to carry the badge of authority over anyone. Make that everyone. Barely glancing at the file in his hand the white-haired gentleman said "Sub-terrestrials are on the decline, true. After some kind of incident in Los Angeles almost two years ago, the HSTs all but disappeared. Some became casualties to,shall we say, a conflict. However, there have been and continue to be persistent reports of metahuman activity coming out of Kansas, of all places." Images of the 1989 meteor shower and subsequent photos of people purported to possessing metahuman abilities were displayed on a monitor.
"That's not all," Mr. Ward continued. "We managed to..gain access to this."
He produced a digital video file. The displayed image was of Clark Kent. It was the same file that Lionel Luthor had procured from the disgruntled security guard from the former Warehouse 15.
"I don't need to tell you what needs to be done. The connection between this and Cadmus Project 1138 has been compromised. Contrary to LuthorCorp's claims, three HSTs produced from this are still at large. Is the Final Sanction ready?"
"Yes," said the scientist. Another DV file; this one of Doomsday in some kind of training exercises. He was tortured, with images of Clark used to brainwash him.
"Then get it done," said the African-American woman. "Even if you have to sterilize the entire area."
"Yes, Mrs.Waller," Mr. Ward said.
***********************************************************************
Spike, not for the first time in his unlife, had lied. Sure, he did grab a bite to eat, but he'd returned to Smallville Medical to see if he could find out more info on the glimpsed person during Lois' admission. He wasn't surprised to find out that he knew him.
Someone he'd tortured lightly. Now he was here. And that explained a lot. Still, for Martha's and Chloe's sakes, better to avoid a confrontation and get back to the Planet.
Spike narrowly avoided being hit by Lois' car. Impossible, he had the keys in his pocket. Impossible still was the person driving it.
"The gang's all here," Chloe said. "There's Hardcastle."
"And Spike?" Illyria said. "No, someone wearing his image." She sounded angry.
"That's Professor Fine," Chloe added.
"I remember. The general mistook Spike for him," Illyria said.
"You recognize someone?" Chloe asked. She saw the look of familiarity on Lyri's face.
"I'm...not sure. That one. With the balding head."
Chloe paused the image, pressed a sequence of keys, and the image zoomed.
"I still can't tell. The angle is wrong. But I do know him from somewhere."
"When Spike comes back, maybe he can help identify him. Wonder who's Big Bad Mama?"
"Someone you don't want to mess with," Amanda Waller told the sniveling-looking scientist.
"What about the boy scout?" Scientist Guy asked Waller. Clark Kent was alert enough to know that the red lamp above him was dampening his powers. Whoever these people were, they had done their homework and weren't going to take any chances with him.
"The boy scout is under our control," Amanda Waller said.
Not if I ever get out of here, Clark thought.
"What's his name?" Scientist Guy asked.
"We're working on that," Waller said. "Someone's playing havoc with our information, as if they don't want us to discover who this boy is. After all of Professor Fine's efforts to lead us to him..."
"Well, if it's all the same, I think I'll go topside for a minute. All this underground stuff.."
"I thought you'd be used to that," Amanda said. "Be back here in ten minutes, and tell Mr. Luthor that everything is under control. We'll take it from here."
"That took long enough," Chloe said.
"You know how it is," Spike said.
Illyria cocked her head. She immediately realized it. Dropping her Burkle persona she hit Spike hard.
"What are you doin.." Chloe's question was cut short. Spike's hand transformed into a dark crystalline spear and if it hadn't been for Illyria pushing the girl out of the way, she'd been skewered on the spot.
"That's not Spike," Illyria said.
"Obviously", Chloe realized. Milton Fine.
Fine dodged Illyria's punch. He transformed both hands into sharp projections and attempted to use them like swords. Illyria grabbed each one and started twisting them. Fine felt himself losing. Clearly a worthy opponent, in spite of the fact he didn't know exactly what she was. General Zod would be pleased with this choice, if the chosen vessel proved unsatisfactorily. Self-preservation logic circuitry kicked in and Fine suddenly melted into an oil-like mass that oozed itself out the door.
"So it was you," Chloe said. "That's twice you've saved my life."
"Think nothing of it," Illyria said. "You would have done the same if it were the reverse."
"I'd better report this to the authorities," Chloe said. "Otherwise I might lose my job."
"You're not gonna believe this," said an entering Spike. "Someone looking like..oh."
"I'm afraid that you'll have to accompany these men," Lex said. "They'll take you to the test area and monitor your reactions to the serum's effects. This is for your safety."
"Understood," Angel said. He didn't like the idea of dancing to the tune of Luthor, but if it brought him closer to..
Lana paused momentarily. Could he still sense her?
The answer was twofold. Yes, he could, and it answered his own burning questions about the serum's validity. He could just pinpoint a few words...Lois...cure...then he was escorted to the lower levels that even Lex avoided, due to his contractual obligations.
Lana wanted to follow him. Something foreboding and forbidden about this Angel, and understandably she wanted him. Clark with his inabilities, Lex with his secrecies - this was something new and exciting, and she quickly made up her mind that she was going after it.
"Don't worry," Lex said . "Soon, he'll be all yours."
Not to her, but to a shadowy figure.
"That's what I wanted to hear."
Scientist Guy a.k.a. Dr. Sparrow.
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