Title: Strange Eons
Fandom: Smallville
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Clark Kent, Lex Luthor, Chloe Sullivan, Lionel Luthor
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 500
Warnings: None
Challenge: #016 - "Library"
As Halloween experiences went, Chloe had to admit stealthily creeping around the Luthor Mansion wasn’t half bad. That the power had gone out, cracks of lightning the only backup to their flashlights as she, Clark, and Lex explored the library was just about the perfect touch.
“Do you have any idea where this book came from?” That was Clark, digging for more information about this mysterious volume that had been delivered to Lionel Luthor a few days ago. According to Lex, his father had spent hours holed up in the library with the book and getting freakier by the hour. Given Lionel wasn’t exactly Ward Cleaver material to start with, Chloe had to admit that had some scary potential.
“I caught a glimpse of a return address on the package,” Lex said as his flashlight played around the room. “There was an MA--”
“So Massachusetts.”
“Yeah, and some university. Mishaphonic or something.”
Chloe thought her ears might have literally pricked up. “Miskatonic?”
“Yes. Could have been. Why, does that mean something?”
Miskatonic University… “I don’t know. Maybe.” She’d heard a few things, stumbled across references while researching her Wall of Weird items. Strange cults, ancient rites, ancient gods…
“Hey,” Clark called from across the room, “how about in here?” He tapped a box that was set out on a desk. “It’s locked,” he said, face scrunched up with a really intent look, like he thought he could see through the box if he stared at it hard enough.
“Piece of cake,” Lex smirked as he examined the box and produced a lockpick. “Useful skill to acquire when you’re growing up with someone like Lionel,” he explained as he worked at the lock. “And…hey presto,” he said as something clicked and he pushed back the lid of the box. “Now, what have we here?”
“Be careful,” Chloe said as he lifted out a large, leather-bound book that looked older than time. “I mean,” when Clark and Lex turned to give her puzzled looks, “you don’t know where it’s been.” Lame, lame, lame…
“I know it’s been in my father’s greedy clutches anyway,” Lex said as he set the book on the desk and turned his flashlight on a scrap of paper that had fallen out. “In his house at…Rahlyeh?, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming…” He looked up at Clark and Chloe. “Huh?”
As Clark took the slip of paper from him, Chloe shone her flashlight on the book-and told herself she jumped because of a particularly violent and close crash of lightning.
“Chloe?” Clark was giving her a worried look. “What is it?”
“The Necronomicon,” she whispered. “Clark, it’s The Necronomicon.”
“And that’s bad?”
“Really bad, guys,” she said, anxious to be out of there and jumping again as the lights abruptly came on in accompaniment to the library doors slamming shut.
They all turned to look at Lionel Luthor as he stood there and looked at them, his smile more creepily sinister than usual. “Kids, you have no idea…”