The solitary figure stood at his bedroom window, watching as the sunset over Smallville, the golden rays of the summer evening, succumbing to the dark ominous night sky. A myriad of gleaming stars looked down on him, but their brightness did nothing to alleviate the way he felt.

It seemed like a thousand turbulent emotions were passing over him, and there was nothing he could do to control them. What had happened was all his fault, of that he was certain. He could pass no blame to the others that had been present. If only he could turn back the passage of time and amend the errors he had made, but time was cruel; it allowed for no such extravagances. Now he would have to live with the death that he had caused, but could he?

Two Weeks Earlier…

Pete Ross ambled down the stairs of his family home as if he had all the time in the world. In fact, he only had a couple of hours to go before his big date. He smiled to himself, thinking of Vicky waiting for him at the Talon, and how beautiful she would surely look. He was lucky when it came to girls, and never appeared to have the problems of his best friend Clark, of that he was at least thankful. I sure hope he’s finally settled down with Chloe, they’ve been acting kinda weird of late, especially since that business with that wacko Teri.

“Pete?”

His dad’s voice broke him from further thought, and he sighed. “Yeah Dad?”

Pete poked his head around the kitchen door to see his father engrossed in a news report on the TV. He was supposed to be fixing a leaking pipe, but had frozen at the word Luthor.

“Could you go get my other bag of tools, Son?” he asked, without taking his eyes from the screen.

“Sure thing.” Pete shrugged, and was about to depart on his errand, when something called him back.

His curiosity was piqued just as much as his dad’s, and now he wanted to know what the report was about. Anything to do with the name Luthor was not usually welcome in their house, and with good reason, after Lionel cheated the family out of their cream corn plant. It worried Pete, because his best friend Clark spent far too much time with Lex, Lionel Luthor’s son. Would Clark one day forget he ever had a friend named Pete, in favor of his rich, new buddy? He shook the thought from his mind and returned to the report. The newsreader said there had been a murder at the fertilizer plant’s offices, and that a young worker was being sought for questioning; he was to be considered dangerous, and not to be approached. There was no mention of a motive, or any witnesses.

“Probably some poor fool who just couldn’t take any more of the Luthors’ despicable ways,” Bill Ross grumbled, and then turned to his son. “Tools?” he asked questioningly, raising a brow as if Pete had already forgotten his task.

“Oh yeah, on my way.” Pete turned and headed for the old shed without further thought. It had been built to house an array of equipment and tools, but instead his dad had managed to fill it with a multitude of useless items, in Pete’s opinion at any rate.

The side door groaned as he opened it, revealing the dark, musty interior he had long since come to know. Pete stretched his arm across to the hidden light switch instinctively, and was surprised when it clicked and nothing happened. He tried again, still nothing. Maybe the light bulb was blown; that meant he’d have to stumble around in the blackness searching for the elusive bag of tools.

“Great, just great…” he muttered to himself, stumbling as he staggered around blindly in the gloom. “Next time Ross, avoid going near dad when he’s doing D.I.Y…”

There was a scuffling sound as Pete grew near the corner workbench, and he froze; maybe there were rats? The thought didn’t please him, and he cursed himself for not bringing a light. Way to go, no electricity, no flashlight… After a moment, he heard the sound again. Reluctantly, he turned to the niche where the noise had come from and squinted. He was sure he could see the outline of a figure huddled behind his dad’s lawnmower, and for a moment, fear overtook him, and his stomach lurched. There’s a burglar in here!

“What do you want?” Pete managed to stammer, his legs turning in case he needed to beat a hasty retreat. “There’s nothing in here worth stealing…”

He hadn’t really expected a reply, but surprisingly he got one. “Please, just don’t tell anyone I’m here, I haven’t done anything!”

The voice sounded young, perhaps only a couple of years older than himself, and Pete thought he detected fear. He relaxed a little and drew closer. “What are you doing hiding in our tool shed? If one of my brothers, or my dad had found you they’d have freaked!”

The man didn’t reply this time, but for some reason Pete wasn’t afraid anymore. He was standing right over the guy now, and even though it was hard in the dim light, Pete suddenly recognized him.

He took a step back, realizing who the man was. “You’re the guy on the news report, from Luthorcorp!” Pete swiveled around, intent on running for the door, but the young man caught his legs and pulled him back.

“I didn’t murder anyone, I didn’t even hurt anyone. You have to believe me!” He pleaded with a yelp so beseeching it was almost heart wrenching.

Pete faltered momentarily, and looked down at him. He sure didn’t look like a killer, but that was no proof. Still, the Luthors could be pretty devious when they needed to be. Was this another one of their ploys? “Okay, tell me your story, and if I decide you’re telling the truth, we’ll figure something out.”

The man nodded, and licking his lips, he wondered where to begin. “I hadn’t worked at the plant offices very long when I started noticing discrepancies in some of the files we were getting from head office.”

Pete stopped him. “You mean from Lionel?”

He nodded. “Well, from his office at the very least. I found other stuff too. Things I shouldn’t have access to. I was scared they might know I’d seen it, so to cover myself I made copies. That was my first mistake.”

Pete peered at him quizzically, and then took a seat on an old crate, ready to hear more. “Didn’t that help?”

“No, it didn’t. I don’t know how they traced it back to me, but yesterday when I got to the office, Rob who I worked with, was dead in his chair. Everything pointed to me and I knew it. I panicked and ran, but they’re still after me for the disks. I can’t win. If the police get me, or if Lionel’s people do, either way I’m a dead man.” The stranger put his head in his hands in total defeat, and began to shake as stress got the better of his frayed nerves.

Pete looked down on him and knew in that moment that he trusted this outsider. His father had been telling him horror stories about the Luthors for years, and it would appear it was all true. “So, what’s on the disks that old Lionel would go to all this trouble for?”

“You don’t want to know. If they find out I’ve even been here your life and your family’s could be in jeopardy. If you know what’s on those disks you’re as good as dead!”

Pete gulped. Aww Man, what have I gotten myself into? For now though, he had a decision to make. He could risk helping a possible murderer, or call in the local cops. In his heart of hearts, he knew he had no other choice but to do the right thing, at least as he saw it. “Okay. You can stay here a couple of days, but no longer, and you’re gonna have to be a whole lot quieter if my dad comes in here.”

The man nodded his affirmation. “My name’s Will, by the way. I’ll try and be out of your way once the manhunt slows down, and I can get out of the state.”

Pete smiled back trying to look reassuring. “Pleased to meet you Will. Now I better get my dad his tools or I’m gonna be in deep trouble…especially if he comes out here!”

With that, he grabbed the necessary items and quickly shut the door behind him, not wanting anybody spotting his newfound friend. Deep down though he was already regretting his actions, because this was something he couldn’t cope with on his own, and he knew it. I can’t involve Clark or Chloe, and they’re the only ones I can trust. I mean what if this guy is actually guilty?

Pete was uneasy. It was morning and he had to go to school as usual, but all he could think of was the wanted man in the shed. He had struggled all night to try and sleep, and in the end, all he had done was pad down the stairs, making endless mugs of coffee as he tried to figure out just what to do. What if Lionel’s men find Will out in the tool shed?

There were so many what ifs; it was scary. He had been unnaturally quiet on walk to the bus stop, and he knew it. If he didn’t shake himself soon the others would start to notice. In fact, they already had.

Clark peered at him questioningly and grinned, “What’s up Pete? Did you have girl trouble with Vicky?”

Pete threw Clark a ‘get lost’ look and turned away as the bus pulled up. He was just making things worse with his sullen attitude, but there was so much on his mind he thought he might blurt something out if he wasn’t careful. Tomorrow I take my car to school till this mess is over.

Chloe however, obviously had better things on her mind than Pete sulking, and nudged Clark to leave him alone. “Forget him, he’ll get over her.” She winked. “Take a look at this.” It was a detailed report about the office worker who was on the run, and Clark soon found it brandished under his nose.

He nodded, “I saw it on the news last night. Kind of spooky, thinking that guy could be anywhere.”

Chloe smirked, taking the file back and stuffing it in her bag as the bus pulled to a stop. “Yeah, like he could even be in your loft when you get home!”

Clark grinned. “I doubt it…” Then a sharp memory of being pinned to the barn wall suddenly made him think again. His voice faltered as the recent recollection froze in his mind with vivid clarity. The mysterious youth was still out there, and as long as he was on the run, Clark and everyone else remained vulnerable. Now added to that, there was another killer on the loose. Smallville really was getting to be a dangerous place to live, even for seemingly indestructible farm boys.

Chloe saw his expression and guessed she had brought back unwanted thoughts. She had arrived just after Clark’s encounter in the barn that day, and even now, she could remember the fear on his face as she had walked in and found him still immobile. “I’m sorry Clark. I guess I engaged my mouth before my brain as usual.”

The teen shrugged it off and threw his pack over his shoulder, climbing from his seat to follow the roving reporter’s lead off the bus. “I could maybe handle this guy in the paper in my loft; just no more psycho kids with telekinesis please!”

Pete scowled at the pair, when normally he would be diving into the heat of the conversation, adding his own ideas to the weirdness of Smallville. “He’s not going to be in your loft! How can you make light of something like this?”

With that, he jumped up and pushed past both his friends, wanting to be off the bus before they could quiz him about his bitter and plain uncharacteristic attitude.

Chloe shook her head looking at Clark completely baffled. “What on earth has gotten in to him?”

“Beats me, but I think we really need to find out.” Clark watched in x-ray mode as Pete raced into Smallville High, careened down the corridors and came to rest in a corner of the boys’ locker room. He sat there panting, his heart pounding in his chest for no explicable reason. “Let’s leave him alone for a few hours, and go over to his house tonight? Maybe he’ll either have gotten over it, or will open up to us by then.”

“If Pete Ross got like this over a girl, I doubt he’ll be over it so soon, but we can try.” Chloe rolled her eyes distractedly, then delved back into her bag, gazing at the report again as they entered school. “You guys need to get control of your hormones.”

“Maybe,” the Kent grin appeared, “but try telling that to Pete right now.” Clark paused at his locker and quickly stuffed his bag inside, then retrieved the books he needed for his next class. In his mind though, he already knew he would be as distracted as Pete for the rest of the day. Pete wouldn’t get like that over a girl; he doesn’t let things like that bother him. He was so scared in the locker room, what if he’s in trouble and we’re not there for him?

Chloe waited patiently, not realizing just what was going through her boyfriend’s head. She’d seen him have that far away look in the past, and back then it had mostly meant a ‘Lana’ moment. Right now though, she suspected it was more to do with their own relationship. They’d had a rocky start, and just when things had been improving, Chloe had found things out about him that were hard to believe.

“Something bothering you too?” she finally questioned.

Clark grabbed his last textbook and swiftly shut his locker. “I um… I was just thinking about Ryan, his aunt’s bringing him tomorrow, remember?”

Chloe’s brow furrowed and she bit her lip apologetically. “I was so engrossed in writing up the Fletcher story, and then the follow ups, I kinda let it slip my mind.”

Clark frowned, teasing her forgetfulness, and they walked back across the yard, heading to the classrooms on the far side of the campus.

“So what time is Ryan getting here? Are you going to bring him over to the Talon so we can have a get together later?” Chloe asked, stopping when she reached the corridor that led to her class.

“He’ll be at the farm by two, and I’m sure he’ll want to see you all later. He never shuts up about you guys in his e-mails.”

“You mean he never shuts up about Lana. I think your earlier infatuation rubbed off on him!” Chloe winked, then dived into the crowds before Clark could retort.

He watched her go, smiling at her forthrightness and forgetting he was already late for yet another class. It was a hectic morning for all concerned, with throngs of pupils milling from one period to the next… a perfect cover for an observer to be watching Clark unobtrusively in the shadows. A watcher who had waited patiently, and had grown more embittered with every passing day, until now he could seek his revenge.

Kane smiled to himself; he wouldn’t kill Kent first, because that would be too easy, but perhaps this boy they had spoken of named Ryan would be a good start. From what he had heard, Clark and the others had a soft spot for the kid, and that would make it all the more fun to hurt him. When the torturing was over, he could even use the brat as bait to ensnare Kent one last time…

The day was growing dark as Clark and Chloe trudged up the Ross’s driveway. If something was wrong with their friend Pete, then they needed to know. Clark knocked on the door, half expecting Pete to answer and tell them in no uncertain terms to go away. He didn’t however instead, his father appeared.

“Hi Clark, Chloe. Are you looking for Pete?” The two nodded, “He’s out back, said something about needing some quiet to go over a school project. Beats me why he needs to go in the tool shed, though.”

Clark smiled and tried to sound helpful “That’s why we came over, to give him some ideas too.”

Pete’s dad stared at the two friends mystified, then gestured to the back yard, “Well, you know where to find him.”

Clark turned the corner to the shed, and then paused, just for a second. Pete was up to something and he was going to find out what. He scanned the building in front of him with his x-ray vision. Pete was inside; talking to a young man huddled on the floor. Clark recognized him instantly as the person wanted in connection with the Luthorcorp murder. What on earth does Pete think he’s doing?

“Clark, what are you staring at?” Chloe had come up beside him. He ignored her and reached for the door handle, but before he could get inside Pete burst out. He was sweating and he seemed scared.

“What are you two doing here?” He didn’t appear to be too happy about their presence.

“Pete, something is wrong, and we’re not going away till you let us try and help.” Clark looked at his friend pleadingly, hoping he was getting through.

Pete shrugged, “There’s nothing wrong. I’m not hiding anything.” He tried to sound more relaxed, but it was obvious he wasn’t.

Clark decided this little charade had gone on long enough. “Pete, I know you’re hiding someone back there, and if you don’t let us try and help I’m going to get your dad out here right now.”

Pete looked from Chloe to Clark. He really hadn’t wanted their involvement for safety’s sake, but it was too late for that now. He had to come clean, and besides maybe, they could help. “Follow me,” he beckoned them into the shed and introduced them to the young man whom he’d befriended.

“I told you not to tell anyone.” Will shook his head in dismay, “Now you’ve endangered them too!”

Clark held up his hand, “Wait, Pete didn’t tell us, we guessed something was wrong. Now, I want to know why he’d have a felon held up in his dad’s tool shed? So I guess you better start talking.”

The man recounted his tale once again. This time Chloe and Clark kept stopping him for answers, “Why didn’t you go to the police with the disks?” Chloe queried.

“The police are as corrupt as Lionel. He only has to say jump.”

Clark nodded his agreement, thinking of Sam Phelan, “What about Lex, is he involved?”

Pete scowled at his friends query; Clark always has to trust Lex doesn’t he? Will shook his head, “I really don’t know how far this thing goes, only that I have secrets of theirs on disk. I didn’t steal them; they were simply in a wrong file. Someone, somewhere made a major typo, and now it’s going to cost me my life!”

Chloe glanced at Clark and he was fully aware of what she was thinking. She believed the guy too, and they should help. He considered it, what else could they do? If they called the police, they were condemning him to death.

“Okay, tell us where you hid the disks, we’ll get them and take this higher, the feds, whatever it takes.”

He appeared almost tearful, “We can try but I think this is going to get messy.”

Clark put his hand on Will’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, we’ve dealt with messy before!” His two friends nodded their heads; for Smallville this problem was nothing out of the ordinary.

Clark and Chloe met up early the next morning. Will had given them the exact location of the hidden disks. Now they had to retrieve them without causing any suspicions to fall upon themselves; it wasn’t going to be easy. Chloe drove her Ford Falcon out onto the main road towards Metropolis and checked her rear view mirror; concern showed on her face. “Clark, I think that Green Chevy’s been behind us since we left the farm. I don’t like it.”

Clark turned in his seat and scanned the car behind with his x-ray vision. There were two men, and he could see they both had hidden firearms beneath their jackets. Neither had any kind of badge or I.D. which confirmed his worst suspicions - that they were indeed Luthorcorp employees. “I think we need to be really careful, Chloe.”

She nodded; he wasn’t going to have to tell her twice. Up ahead, she saw their objective, a lone phone booth on the other side of the highway. It was a desolate spot, just the kind of place for an ambush or worse. “Shall I still pull over?” She asked.

He nodded his affirmation. “Just keep the engine running, I’ll go see if the disks are there. If anything happens, get out of here and get the police.”

Invulnerable or not, there was no way she was going to leave him, but she kept her mouth shut. In her time with Clark, she had learned that it was best to agree with him, and then still do your own thing! She drew the car up just short of the booth and Clark exited, glancing back at the mystery car. It had slowed down, but was still approaching in the distance. Quickly, he jogged around the car to the phone and started to feel behind it. His fingers ran over what he discerned to be the disks, jammed behind the actual body of the phone. He yanked at it with all his strength, not wanting to waste any time, and the phone came away. The disks fell to the floor and he grabbed them just as the Chevy pulled up in front of Chloe, blocking her in. He had been afraid of this. The two men stepped from the vehicle and reached for their weapons, “Okay kid, hand over the items, and nobody gets hurt.”

Clark knew there was little chance of that. They would never leave living witnesses to their actions but he had to think of a plan and fast. “I just came to use the phone,” he said.

The men looked at one another and smirked. Clark got the impression that they had been hoping he would resist. These were real hard-core thugs. They walked up to him till they were level with the car. Neither one paid Chloe much attention, which was their first mistake. Once they were beside her door, she swung it open hard, catching both men by surprise. It was the distraction Clark needed. He ran at them grabbing the man on the outside, who was still on his feet. Chloe had laid into the first with her purse, and wasn’t doing a half bad job; she could be quite the fighter when the situation arose. Clark snapped the man’s arm around his back and he reflexively dropped the gun he had pulled. He kicked out, but Clark didn’t feel it, he simply hit him on the forehead with just enough pressure to render him unconscious, and then ran to give Chloe a much-needed hand. The thug had begun to overpower her when Clark seized him from behind and literally threw him across the road. He landed with a thump in a recently plowed field. Chloe sat for a second open mouthed, her face showing a totally incredulous expression. Even knowing his secret, seeing some of the things he could do still amazed her.

Clark ran back to the Chevy and grabbed the steering wheel, bending it to such an extent that it rendered the car un-drivable. Then he jumped back in with Chloe and she floored the gas. Her hands shook on the wheel as they made their getaway. “What did you go back to their car for?”

He beamed the famous smile at her. “Let's just say if they start feeling well enough to try and follow, they’re in for a surprise!”

She frowned, wondering what on earth he had done, but he stayed silent, letting her wonder. After awhile, she thought about their objective. “Did you get the disks?”

He held a small waterproof packet up in his hand. “I wonder what’s so important to kill for?”

Chloe shook her head. “Well, I guess when we get back, we’ll find out.”

Suddenly, Clark’s expression changed. Something terrible had crossed his mind. He turned to Chloe, a look of despair on his face. “If those guys have been following us all morning, they must have a good idea where Pete and Will are!”

Chloe didn’t answer, there was little she could say but plenty she could do. The gas pedal remained jammed to the floor all the way back to the Ross’s residence, but would they be fast enough?