Visiting Smallville: 8b/21
Dean watched as Clark slid down the wall next to Lana Lang, and even in black and white, he looked sick. Sam was watching just as intently, but his gaze was fixed on Earl. Next to them, Lionel Luthor was talking loudly with Jonathan Kent.
“He’s sick!” Jonathan was saying, trying to excuse his old friend’s behaviour. “He’s desperate and he blames your plant for his condition.”
Lionel shrugged, not caring, a vindictive smile across his face as he scanned the monitors. “This level 3 nonsense?”
“I’ve assured everyone there is no level 3.” Lex interrupted, looking slightly flustered when everyone turned to look at him. He glanced up at his father, an apprehensive look on his face. “That is the truth, isn’t it?”
Lionel cackled, adjusting his glasses as he stared at his son. “Of course it is.”
Jonathan turned to the CEO in fury. “There are people’s lives at stake, including my son’s. What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m going to let SWAT do their job.” Lionel announced, his lip curling. “And when he makes a mistake, they’ll move in.”
Sam glared at the head of the company in shock, not able to believe the casual approach that Lionel had. Dean seemed to share his view, approaching the man and fixing him with an incredulous look.
“What about the kids?” Dean asked, gesturing towards the screens. “You need to get on the phone and talk to him.”
Lionel looked down at Dean with a raised eyebrow, a smug gleam in his eyes. “Mr...?”
“Winchester.” Growled Dean.
“Winchester.” Lionel smirked. “I understand how you feel. I want everyone to walk out of there alive too, but I do not give in to the demands of terrorists.”
Sam walked over to his brother, trying to back him up, but Mrs Kent spoke first, her hands on her hips and her eyes wide in rage.
“He’s not a terrorist!” she yelled, watching in contempt as Lionel flinched. “He’s sick and he needs help! My son is in there!” Lionel nodded patronisingly. “So is their godfather!”
“Look, Mrs Kent, I understand but...”
“If you won’t talk to him, Jonathan will!” Martha finished.
Lex stalked over to his father, fixing him with a heated glare. “Jonathan’s not the one he blames, is he dad?”
*
The ringing blared through the sounds of uneasy breathing filling the command room. Gabe glanced up at Earl, who gestured towards the phone. Gabe rolled his chair over, reaching for the receiver.
“Gabe, its Lionel.”
Gabe held the phone out towards Earl, his arm trembling slightly. Earl walked past Chloe, who shook with terror, before standing in front of her father.
“It’s Lionel Luthor.” Gabe whispered, his voice quivering.
Earl grinned cruelly, before leaning closer to Gabe and breathing directly into his face.
“Speaker.” He ordered and Gabe quickly pressed the button, glancing at his daughter as she hid her face in Pete’s shoulder, scared. “Mr Luthor, I’ve finally got your attention.”
“Earl, why don’t you come out?” Lionel’s condescending tone made Chloe shake her head with anger, knowing that it wouldn’t work. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
“Just tell me what you were using down on Level 3.” Earl sobbed, making his hostages glance at him in shock.
“You’re sick, Earl.” Lionel spoke slowly. “Let everyone go. We’ll get you help.”
Earl grimaced, starting to shake and Chloe flinched, knowing what was about to happen. As his spasms got faster, he grabbed the gas valve, attempting to steady himself.
Chloe tensed as Clark stood up, walking carefully towards Earl, his arm outstretched. Earl jerked, once again throwing Clark across the room. The sudden movement jerked the gas valve, breaking it away from the gas pipe and allowing the gas to leak into the room.
Chloe start breathing shakily, as Earl turned, hands running across his head in frustration. “Oh no.” He whimpered. “See what you made me do.” He turned, heading over towards the security camera. “SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!”
“Way to go, Dad.” Lex’s voice echoed from the phone. “Nice to see you haven’t lost your touch.”
“Your methane gas valve just broke. The whole place is going to go up.” Earl snarled.
Chloe looked up when she heard a class-mate start whispering, turning her head to see Whitney, one arm around Lana, glaring at Earl.
“We need to do something.” Whitney whispered to Clark, who shook his head.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“That man’s nuts!” Whitney continued. “He’s not listening to the cops and that methane gas is gonna blow.”
“Whitney! I don’t want you to get hurt.” Lana crooned, stroking his arm.
Whitney glanced at her, then back at Earl. “I’m not putting my life in that man’s hands.” He whispered, angry. “Two of us can take him. How about it, Clark?”
“I can’t.” Clark murmured.
Lana smiled at him. “It’s okay.” She gasped as Whitney slowly stood up, glaring at the black man. “Whitney!”
“Luthor!” Earl was still talking to the camera, his fist clenched around the gun. “I trusted you. You told me you were trying to help people.”
Chloe watched as he saw Whitney’s reflection in the lens of the camera and turned, furious.
“Hey, what are you doing?!” He screamed, swinging the gun at the jock.
Whitney ducked, knocking the gun to the floor. Earl snarled, leaping down from where he was standing and flinging his fist at Whitney. He hit him in the face and Whitney stumbled back, falling to the floor.
“Whitney!” Lana screamed, grabbing his arm and getting Clark to help her pull him back to the wall.
Earl climbed back up so he was staring at the security camera once more. “It’s all your fault, Luthor.” He growled, before raising the gun and shooting the camera.
*
“We’ve got shots fired.” announced the SWAT agent. “One hostage down.”
Mrs Kent was already sobbing into her husband’s jacket, while Sam and Dean were trying to call Gabe or Chloe on their cell phones.
Lionel snatched their phones out of their hands. “What was the boy thinking?” he snarled, passing the SWAT agents the phones.
Sam cursed, running a hand through his hair and Dean straightened, glaring at the owner of LuthorCorp.
“He wasn’t.” Jonathan said, confronting Lionel. “He’s a teenager who’s been waiting for someone out here to take the initiative. Look, you’ve got a hostage situation, a potential bomb in there. Someone’s got to do something.”
“We’ll go in.” Dean announced, but Lionel shook his head.
“They’re right.” Lex said, turning to stare at the fuzzy screens. “I’ll go in.”
“Don’t be foolhardy. This is no time for mock-heroics.” Lionel said calmly.
“You said this is my plant, it’s my call.”
Lionel gulped, grabbing Lex’s arm tightly. “I won’t allow it.” he growled.
Lex raised an eyebrow, pulling his arm away from his father. “Don’t ever do that again.” Lex snarled, summoning an agent over. “Tell him Lex Luthor’s coming to see him.”
“I wouldn’t advise that, sir.” said the SWAT agent hesitantly.
“Make the call.”
*
Chloe wiped a tear away, watching as Lana held Whitney close, his breathing ragged. She paused, hearing the familiar sound of the large door opening.
Earl growled, his hand holding the gun unsteadily, as he turned towards the door. “What kind of man sends his own son to do his dirty work?”
Chloe spun round, seeing Lex walk in, a bulletproof vest protecting him. “I’m not doing anybody’s dirty work, Earl.” Lex said, his voice level. “This is my plant.” He used one hand to gesture slightly towards the pale Whitney. “How is he?”
Lana sobbed, looking up at the bald man. “He needs a doctor.”
“What are we going to do about these kids, Earl?”
“I never meant to hurt anybody.” Earl answered, gesturing around the room with his gun, his motions erratic. “I tried talking to your father, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
Lex nodded, a sympathetic grin on his face. “I know the feeling.” Lex slowly removed the bullet proof vest, a nervous smile flitting across his face before he schooled his features into an understanding stare. “Earl, you say everybody’s been lying to you. I’m going to tell you the truth.” Lex smirked. “My father doesn’t care about you.” Earl inhaled shakily, and Lex glanced round, catching Chloe’s eye. “He doesn’t care about anyone in this room.” Earl tightened his grip on the gun and Chloe gulped. “If we all die, his PR firm will spin it, his insurance company will pay out and you, Earl, will go down as the bad guy.”
“I’m not the bad guy,” choked Earl. “I’m just trying to get better.”
“How are you going to get better by killing a bunch of kids?” Lex said slowly. “If you let everybody go, I’ll take you to level 3.”
Earl raised the gun towards Lex, stepping over Chloe in order to get nearer to the bald man. “You stop lying.”
“Let them go, and I’ll show you where it is. Earl, trust me. I’m a man of my word.”
Earl nodded, turning to the students. “Get out!” he roared. “Get out! Everybody, get out!”
Pete stood up quickly, helping Chloe up and then letting her lean on him as she limped out the room. As they were past the large door, she stopped leaning against the wall.
“This is such a bad day to have a bad back.” she whispered, and Pete laughed slightly, waiting with her for Clark to leave.
Clark ran out the room, eyes widening when he spotted Chloe. She straightened, wincing, and Clark ran over, one arm round her waist as he ran her down the corridor.
As they ran out of the plant, the fire doors began to clunk down. Clark let go of her waist, turning and darting back under the door. Chloe screamed after him, but Pete grabbed her arms and dragged her away.
Chloe was suddenly seized by her father, who pulled her over to the monitors and engulfed her in a hug. She clung to him, sobbing as he let go and turned to talk to Martha Kent.
And then Sam hugged her and she gripped the back of his shirt, sobbing into him.
“Group hug.” she heard Dean, and then felt him lay one hand comfortingly on her shoulder.
“Chloe?” she lifted her head up from Sam’s chest, turning slightly to see Martha Kent looking at her with tears in her eyes. “Where’s Clark?”
“He’s back inside.” she wept, not noticing how Sam’s grip tightened round her waist. “I tried to stop him but I-I couldn’t.”
Dean and Sam exchanged a quick glance, looking at the closing fire doors. Dean nodded, checking his pocket for his gun and then Sam let go of Chloe and together, the brothers rolled under the fire door.
The door clanked shut.
*
Dean and Sam ran through the gray corridors, their guns held up. They reached a door labelled ‘Employees Only’. Dean grimaced, shaking the door handle, unable to get through.
Sam cursed, checking a nearby pressure meter to see how much methane was in the air.
“Dean, we haven’t got long.” Sam grimaced, and Dean nodded, leading Sam deeper into the plant.
The intercom buzzed, and they looked up, thinking everyone was outside.
“Earl, I found level 3!” Clark’s voice echoed through the corridor, Dean and Sam exchanging shocked glances. “They built a wall in front of the elevator but it’s still here.”
The intercom buzzed again, and then the plant fell silent.
“Where do you think the elevator is?” Sam asked Dean.
Dean didn’t know, so turned back, returning to the ‘Employee Only’ door. Sam rechecked the pressure meter.
“Dean, the pressures gone down.”
Dean grinned. “That makes this so much easier.”
With a grunt, Dean forced himself against the door and it smashed. He shot an impressed smirk at Sam, before climbing through the doorway. They stalked down the corridor, barely looking up when the intercom buzzed once again.
“Earl, it’s here!” Clark called. “Don’t you want to see it? I promise.”
Dean sped up, bashing through the gate into the control room, seeing the many different security images. Sam scanned the CCTV footage, pointing as Clark appeared by the janitor’s closet.
“There!”
Dean nodded. “We’re going on a Clark hunt.”
Sam laughed slightly, marching down the walkway. He found the closet, prizing the door open. His eyes widened at the gaping hole in the wall, revealing the elevator.
He pressed the down button, glancing at Dean as a ding announced the lift’s arrival. They walked in, staring at the buttons.
“There’s no level 3.” Sam groaned, his finger hovering over the button for level 2.
Dean grinned, reaching out and touching where the level 3 button would be. It lit up and he exchanged an amused smile with his brother.
The lift jerked into action, moving down quickly, and then opening onto a large warehouse. Dean stepped of, his gun raised, staring down the walkway.
Clark stood, scared, on one side of the walkway. The middle section was tilted, the screws had come loose. Earl hung off the side, Lex Luthor clinging to his legs and yelling for Clark to help.
Clark carefully climbed along the tilted bridge, using one hand to hold himself on the walkway. He leant down, grabbing Earl’s hand and then wincing with pain. Dean watched as Clark braced himself, then with a groan, pulled Earl back onto the bridge.
“Get to the elevator.” Clark order, reaching down to help Lex.
Lex grasped his hand and Clark smoothly lifted him up. Lex breathed heavily, smiling up at Clark thankfully.
Sam’s eyes widened as Earl spotted him and Dean and started to shake once more. Clark grabbed Lex, darting past Earl just as the final screws came out and the walkway fell, taking Earl with it.
Clark glanced at Sam and Dean, helping Lex lie down. Lex looked up at Clark, amazed. “Clark?” he asked, wheezing slightly. “How did you pull us up?”
Clark frowned as Dean stared at him, interested. Sam ignored their confrontation, instead leaning down to help Lex onto the elevator.
“I don’t know.” Clark finally answered, pressing the button for level 2. “Adrenaline, I guess.”
Dean rolled his eyes, but didn’t ask another question, following Clark out the plant.
Sam emerged into the light, wincing as he was swarmed by photographers for various papers. “No comment?” he answered to various questions, ducking under the police line.
He straightened up, running a hand through his hair. Dean grinned, nudging him.
“Don’t look now, but your girlfriend’s coming.” Dean joked, and Sam looked up. Dean sniggered and Sam glared at him, exhaling when Chloe threw herself at him, wrapping him in a hug.
“You’re so stupid.” she sobbed. “You could have died."
Dean grinned at Sam, watching as his brother returned the hug. “What?” he said, making Chloe look up at him. “No hug for me?”
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