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bradygirl_12Title: In Smallville, Every Day Is Halloween!!! ;) (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lex, A Strange Visitor, Nancy Adams, The Mad Scientist, Martha Kent
Continuity: Smallville
Genres: Drama, Holiday, Horror, Mystery, Suspense
Rating: G
Warnings: Monsters!
Spoilers: None
Summary: During Halloween season, Smallville citizens are making strange sightings.
Date Of Completion: November 15, 2019
Date Of Posting: October 2, 2020
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC and Warner Brothers do, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 3234
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
In the country
The nights are long,
Dark and shivery,
A wailing song.
So watch your step,
On squishy ground,
As leaves rustle,
Horror found!
Seth Prince
“Country Poems”
2000 C.E.
Lex speeded up, his silver Porsche racing down the country road. He kept checking the rearview mirror. The shambling figure in the mirror was growing smaller. Lex relaxed slightly. Obviously the monster didn’t have speed as one of its abilities.
He reached Castle Luthor and drove into the garage. He went to the front door and into the castle, locking the door behind him. Going directly to the library, he called Sheriff Nancy Adams.
“Yes, Sheriff, another one. Right out on Old Post Road. You’re welcome.”
Lex hung up, then picked up the receiver again and punched out a familiar number. “Hello, Martha? Is Clark back yet? Could you please tell him to give me a call when he gets back? Thank you.”
He hung up and went to his control room to check the estate cameras. He monitored the front and back of the castle, the garage, the gardens, and the front gate at the bottom of the driveway. Everything was clear for now.
Lex left the control room and ran to the library when he heard the phone ring. He grabbed the receiver. “Hello? Clark? Did you find any of the monsters? There’s one on Old Post Road.”
“On it.”
Clark hung up and Lex figured he was superspeeding to Old Post Road. Things were a lot simpler now that Clark had told him about his Secret.
The front doorbell rang. The staff was off today, so Lex made a quick trip to the control room and saw who was at the front door. He went to open the door.
A tall, pale, thin man smiled charmingly. He wore dark glasses and his dark-blue suit appeared expensive under a black coat. His black hair was slicked back.
“Welcome, Mr. Alucard.”
“Hello, Mr. Luthor.”
Lex shook hands with his visitor and invited him inside. Alucard entered and followed Lex to the library. Lex invited him to sit on the couch by the fireplace as he sat on the facing couch.
“I’m glad you could keep our appointment,” Lex said. “It’s been a little crazy around here.”
“I was looking forward to meeting you.”
“Thank you.” Lex smiled but was immediately on guard. Excessive flattery always perked his radar up. “Now, about my proposal…”
The two men spoke for about an hour, drinking claret that Lex poured. During that time Lex noted Alucard’s smooth manner and considerable business knowledge. Alucard was witty, amusing Lex, who always enjoyed clever banter. This man could be a useful business contact to cultivate.
“I’m impressed with the work you did on the Carter Project. That’s a pretty big deal,” said Lex.
Alucard inclined his head. “Thank you.”
The phone on Lex’s desk rang. “Excuse me.” He rose from the couch and answered it. “Hello. Oh, hi, Clark. You did? Great. Sure, c’mon over. See you then.” He hung up. “Do you have any more questions, Mr. Alucard?”
Alucard stood. “No, I am quite satisfied.”
“Good.” They shook hands.
Out in the hall, they passed a mirror. Lex blinked. Alucard had no reflection.
“Be careful, Mr. Alucard,” Lex said at the front door. “Smallville can throw you a curve.”
“No need to worry about me, Mr. Luthor.”
Yeah, I know.
Alucard got into a sleek, black sports car and roared off. Lex looked around quickly and shut the door, throwing the deadbolt. As he passed the hall mirror, he checked for his reflection. Good, it was there.
Back in the library he studied a map of Smallville and its surrounding farms and woods. A knock on the window brought his head up and he smiled. He opened the window and Clark climbed in. They exchanged a warm kiss.
“So, you rounded up the monsters in Andersons’ Field?”
“Yep, got all three.”
“What’s the count?”
“Six so far.”
Lex marked off Andersons’ Field with three Xs. Three other X marks were scattered in different places.
“I saw a monster on the Old Post Road.”
“Can you show me where?”
“Yeah.” As Lex grabbed his long, black coat, he said, “We've got a Mad Scientist around here. Even for Smallville, that’s a lot of monsters.”
They chose to use Lex’s Porsche. Lex wanted the mobility and less distraction for Clark. He could focus on the problem at hand instead of whisking Lex to safety.
They reached the spot on Old Post Road and got out. “See anything?” Lex asked as Clark scanned the surrounding fields with his telescopic vision.
“Nothing.” Clark put his fists on his hips. “You joked about a Mad Scientist. You may be closer to the mark than you think.”
“Huh?”
“The monsters do more than look like classic Frankenstein.”
“Spill.”
“They’re sewn together from dead bodies.”
Lex wrinkled his nose. “I didn’t hear of any grave-robbings in Smallville Cemetery.”
“There have been in Granville and Beecher’s Corners.”
Lex sighed. “So we’ve got an actual Dr. Frankenstein around?”
“Looks like.”
“Damn. Oh, well, why not?”
Clark grinned. “Yeah, why not?”
Lex looked around. “Hey, here’s some soil scattered on the road.”
“We are by cornfields.”
“Yeah, but this is damp.” Lex sniffed. “Smells swampy.” He groaned. “McCready’s Marsh?”
“Maybe.” Clark was wearing an all-black commando outfit, complete with long, black coat. He was sexy as hell, Lex thought. “I’ll go to McCready’s and you go to the jail. I’d like you to examine the monsters.”
“Why? You already know what they’re made of.”
“Yes, but as a brilliant scientist, you might notice something.”
Lex’s smile was smug. “You’re right about the brilliant part.”
Clark’s smile was dazzling. “C’mere.” He drew Lex in for a passionate kiss.
Lex finally drew back. “Better quit while we still can.”
“Killjoy.” Clark’s smile was seductive.
“Oh, brother.”
Clark laughed. “I’ll see you later.” He dashed off in a blur, the backdraft fluttering Lex’s coat. He got into the Porsche and roared off down the road.
& & & & & &
He parked in the lot next to the police station. Inside, phones were ringing and deputies were hurrying around on various tasks. Lex went directly to Nancy Adams’ office.
“Hello, Sheriff.”
Nancy looked up. “Oh, hello, Lex.”
“Can I see the monsters?”
“Always cut to the chase, huh?” Nancy stood from behind her desk. “Well, come on.”
Lex followed her down to the basement, a musty smell tickling his nose. The basement was dark and gloomy, containing the furnace and jammed with odds and ends that could not fit into the storeroom, which was already full. Nancy turned on a lightbulb and took out a heavy brass key from her pocket. She unlocked a thick steel door and pushed it open.
The room had concrete walls and a bare lightbulb, its chain reachable by someone standing in the doorway. Nancy pulled the chain.
A pit deep in the floor was revealed. Bars covered the top and Lex peered into the dimly-illuminated depths.
The monsters shambled around, though one was curled up in a corner. One monster was missing an arm, and all of them regarded each other warily as low, guttural noises drifted up through the bars.
“This pit works out well. Good idea you had,” Nancy said.
“Thank you, Sheriff. I figured Smallville needed specialized holdings.”
“That’s an understatement.” The Sheriff watched the prisoners. None of them seemed to notice her or Lex. “What are you looking for?”
“I’m not sure.” Lex gave a semi-chuckle. “My father showed me the original Frankenstein movie when I was just a kid. Scared the pants off me.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty spooky.”
Lex noticed the stitching on the monsters’ bodies. He wrinkled his nose. What was that smell?
He coughed. Suddenly the answer hit him.
It’s the smell of decaying bodies, fresh from the grave.
Feeling a little nauseous, he continued to watch the creatures. One looked up and began to roar, alerting the others.
“Let’s go,” Nancy said.
“Wait.”
One monster lunged upward, unable to reach the bars. Another threw a clod of dirt up and sparks flew, the monsters’ anger increasing.
“The forcefield works fine,” said Nancy.
“I should hope so. LuthorCorp guarantees quality.”
“What are you looking for?”
“I’m not sure.”
The monsters wore ragged clothes and heavy boots, a classic look. Something was nagging at him.
One monster lunged up toward the bars with a roar.
“Let’s go,” Nancy repeated.
This time Lex did not object and the sheriff closed the door, locking it with the key. He followed her up the stairs and coughed the mustiness out of his lungs.
“Thanks, Sheriff. I’ve got to get going,” Lex said.
“All right. Glad to help.”
Nancy was hailed by one of her deputies and Lex left the station.
& & & & & &
Clark shook his head.
“Lydia?”
“She’s away.”
So, their resident Witch Woman could not help.
“Did you see anything at the jail?” Clark asked.
Lex frowned as he leaned against his Porsche, crossing his arms. “No…maybe.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know.”
Clark shook his head fondly. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You’re brilliant.”
Lex ducked his head. “I appreciate your faith in me.”
“Always.”
Lex looked up into gorgeous green eyes. Swallowing hard at the love he saw there, he went around to the driver’s side.
“Get in.”
Clark obeyed and Lex drove them away from the marsh. His knuckles were tight on the steering wheel. Clark closed his eyes, looking a little tired.
He needs a sun dose.
Lex had installed a police band in his car. He turned it on and it crackled, “Report of werewolf out by the Cavendish farm.”
“Werewolf?” Lex shook his head. “Okay.”
Clark grinned, still relaxed as Lex changed direction to lead to the Cavendish place.
“By the way, I got a visit from a vampire.” Lex upped his speed a little.
“Yeah?”
“But don’t worry, he’s only a bloodsucker of the corporate variety.”
Clark opened his eyes and looked at Lex. “Okay. I’ll bring over some garlic.”
They reached the Cavendish farm without incident. Sheriff Adams and her deputies were already there. She rolled her eyes but said nothing about their presence.
“We got a call about a werewolf, but haven’t seen anything.”
“Who called in, Sheriff?” Clark asked.
“Cal Cavendish. He’s nowhere around.”
“We’ll help you look,” Lex said.
“Got any silver bullets on ya?” she asked.
“Ha, ha.”
The search party moved off in pairs. Clark and Lex searched diligently in their area, but there was no werewolf.
“Could he have been mistaken?” Lex asked.
“Possibly, but we can’t just dismiss the sighting, either.”
“Believe me, I never do.”
A bluejay screeched as they trudged through harvested cornfields. Crows cawed and lent a forbidding atmosphere, Lex thought.
Crows are crafty. He mentally facepalmed. Now I sound like a farmer with a stalk of hayseed in my mouth.
Clark suddenly stopped and held out his hand. Lex froze, looking at the nearby woods. For a moment, there was only silence, then Lex heard rustling in the underbrush.
“Run!” Clark said tersely as a shaggy creature burst out of the woods. It growled and headed straight for Clark.
A loud bang! cut through the clear autumn air. The werewolf stopped and staggered, clutching its chest. It collapsed to the ground.
“Wha…?” Clark turned to Lex.
Lex blew the smoke from his nickel-plated pistol. “Better check him.”
Clark crouched and examined the werewolf. “A silver bullet?!”
“Never leave home without it.”
Clark shook his head. “Okay, Lone Ranger.”
“You got it, Tonto.”
Sheriff Adams and her deputies arrived on the run. “What the hell, Lex?”
“Scratch one werewolf, Sheriff.”
She radioed in for an ambulance. As she talked with her deputies, Lex stared down at the body.
“Clark?”
“Yeah?”
“You see anything unusual about this werewolf?”
Clark studied the fallen creature. “Hairy, fangs, ragged shirt and pants, hiking boots…wait, hiking boots?”
“Does that remind you of something?”
Clark frowned, then his eyes widened. “The monsters were all wearing the same kinds of boots. What’s going on around here? Boy Scout Troop Monsters No. 502?”
Lex smirked. “Maybe they all go bird-watching.” He nudged the right boot. “Somebody is dressing these creatures, like they had Army surplus…” His voice trailed off.
“Lex?”
“Huh?”
“You look like a lightbulb just went off over your head.”
“C’mon!”
Curiosity was written all over Clark’s face as he followed Lex to the Porsche. They got in and Lex drove off.
“What’s going on, Lex?”
“Those boots were issued to the maintenance crew at the plant.”
“Your plant?”
“Uh huh.”
The police band crackled again. “Sighting of mummy at Baldwin farm.”
“A mummy! Looks like we have the Universal Studios full house,” Clark exclaimed. “We’d better go.”
“You go. I’ll check out the plant.”
Worry shone clearly in Clark’s eyes. “That could be dangerous.”
“I promise I’ll be careful.” Lex tightly grasped Clark’s hand.
Clark took a deep breath. “Okay.” When Lex stopped the car, he exited and sped off at superspeed. Lex boosted the Porsche’s speed and let his thoughts run as he drove.
He slowed down as he approached the plant. It had shut down temporarily for an upgrade, so there were no cars in the parking lot. The crew assigned to the work was not scheduled to arrive until next week, so the plant reflected a deserted air. It was a little creepy, Lex had to admit. He shut the engine off and climbed out of the car.
He had parked on a side road and skirted the edge of the parking lot. He kept his eye on the plant.
He took out his gun. Regular bullets this time, though he still had another silver bullet, just in case.
The plant was locked but he had a key. He slipped inside, silent but sure. He walked past empty offices and paused as he looked down on the main production floor. All the machines were silent, the floor gleaming as beams of sunlight streamed in through the windows high up.
The silence was eerie. Lex considered waiting for Clark before further exploration, but he heard a noise. A thumping? Curiosity got the better of him and he headed in the direction of the noise.
At the end of the corridor, the noise grew louder. Lex opened the door and started down the stairs to the basement. He wrinkled his nose as he smelled decay and caustic chemicals. He could hear snaps of electricity and tightened his grip on his gun.
At the bottom of the stairs, the gloom turned to eye-watering bright light as electricity arced between machines and chemicals bubbled in beakers and test tubes. A tall figure was pouring a greenish, sparkling potion from a test tube into a beaker he held.
“Dr. Frankenstein, I presume,” Lex said dryly.
The man turned and smiled a maniacal smile. “Hello, Lex,” said Lionel.
“Well, Dad, I gotta admit, you’ve gone full Mad Scientist this time.”
Lionel laughed, the sound teetering on the edge of villainous cackle. “I knew you’d figure it out.”
“You left me a pretty big clue. Really, the Army surplus boots?!”
“They had to wear something on their feet.”
Lex pointed his gun at Lionel. “So, what’s the plan? Corner the movie monster market? Buy up corn shares? World domination?”
Lionel watched the potion in the beaker roil and bubble. “All admirable goals, son, but I’ve unlocked the secret of creating life! That ought to be worth a couple of billion, don’t you think?”
Lex rolled his eyes at his father’s cavalier attitude. “Sewing dead bodies together isn’t going to become popular, unless it’s with the heavy metal crowd.”
“Well, the world does have an almost unlimited supply. Death and taxes, you know.”
“What about the werewolf and mummy?”
“Did you hear about the robbery at the Metropolis Art Museum?”
“Yes, I did. The thieves hit…the…Egyptian…section…”
Lionel smiled again. “That’s right. I sent Pharoah Ramses out to get a breath of fresh air after 4,000 years in that stuffy ol’ coffin.”
“Sarcophagus.”
“Oh, yes. I knew that Harvard education was worth it.”
Lex rolled his eyes again. “This is crazy, Dad. You’ve got to stop.”
“Why? I’m just a humble man doing science.”
“Stealing dead bodies isn’t exactly legal. And let me guess: the werewolf wasn’t a volunteer to be transformed.”
“Corrrect!”
“Put the beaker down, Dad.”
Lionel snapped his fingers. “Frankies!”
A door opened and three monsters shuffled out. Lex shot at the first one but the bullet bounced off its chest. He grabbed a Bunsen burner and the monster staggered back with a roar.
Lionel snapped his fingers again and a werewolf lumbered out the doorway. Lex turned and started to run. He could hear the werewolf snarling as he came closer, followed by heavy footfalls of thick boots. Lex could feel fetid werewolf breath on the back of his neck…
A rush of air came down the steps and blew past Lex, who turned and fired his gun.
Chaos ensued. Clark bowled over the monsters while the werewolf staggered back. Lex quickly loaded a silver bullet and fired again, this time the werewolf going down.
Clark was battling the monsters as Lionel started for the doorway. Lex sprinted past the battle and tackled his father, who fought back as the street fighter he was from his past.
Luckily, Lionel had made sure his son had been taught by the best teachers on the arts of self-defense. They fought with kicks and chops and a few punches thrown in for good measure.
The monsters made plenty of noise, covering the Luthors’ curses and grunts, but Lex finally landed a kick that sent Lionel slamming into the wall. He slid to the floor with a groan.
Lex whirled and saw Clark dusting off his hands over three unconscious monsters. “Good job,” Lex said. “Hey, what’s up with the werewolf?”
The werewolf was now a man. Clark bent down over him. "The other werewolf changed back, too, and is in the Medical Center.”
“Okay, good.” Lex focused on a pneumatic machine that was operating. “So that was the thumping.”
“What?”
Lex pointed. “For some reason, Lionel was using this thing to power some of his machinery.”
Clark looked at the lab. “Well, we stopped the latest craziness.”
Lex smiled. “We sure did.”
& & & & & &
After leaving the police station, Lex drove Clark home. The two shuffled into the house and collapsed on the couch.
“Man, am I beat,” Lex said.
“I’m tired, too.” Clark yawned. “Guess Chloe has new entries for her Wall of Weird.”
“Yeah.”
Martha called from the kitchen, “Is that you boys?”
“Yes, Mom!” Clark said.
She entered the living room. “I hope you boys aren’t too tired.”
“Why, Mom?” Clark yawned again.
“It’s October.”
“So?”
“We’ve got to get ready for Halloween!”
Clark and Lex looked at each other and groaned. Lex facepalmed.
“Martha, in Smallville, every day is Halloween!!!”
