The Phantom's Curse

Chapter Six

Clark

Then as if on cue, the gag in between his lips, slowly fell from where it had been tied around his head, allowing him greater amounts of oxygen. He shut his eyes tightly, then routinely, and rightly opened them again. "I should've guessed, it was you. Tina.'' Clark's expression hardened, stunned still though at the sight of the well dressed, tear like suit and matching pants, accompanied by greasy, shining, leather shoes. Tina Greer was back, Tina Greer, the meteor infected teenager who'd been obsessed with Lana Lang. She had returned a year and a half ago, and still she only returned to get back at Lana. But now, here she was for the third time, however this time, she was back, back and using her shapeshifter ability to morph into Lex Luthor. A good friend of his. Here she was, standing to the side of him, wearing Lex's face. ''Why are you doing this, Tina!'' Clark barked, baring his teeth, as the fever continued to worsen. He recognized the crazed look past the shadows, as Tina came from the darkness, glimpsing of her face, sent shivers down Clark's spine. He narrowed his eyes, and his cheeks turned hot again.

He'd recognized that same expression anywhere. It had been the exact same, when Tina and Clark had faced off the second time, she made a comeback. But something sharper stabbed at him. Something darker wavered past the cool, light, colouring of Lex's eyes. The pit in his stomach suddenly became bigger, and he found himself gasping for air, as beats of sweat rolled down both sides of his head, he tried to focus on Lex, but his eyes were to foggy to give him some clearance. His gaze suddenly lifted upwards, and he recalled the last vivid memory he had of the last time he'd seen his parents face. In the same spot they were, before he disappeared through the doorway. How he missed them. How the fever pained and burned him from the inside out. How the wound in his leg made his blood boil, as the scent of fresh, wet blood, came rolling down, he felt the dark stains absorbing itself into the pant leg of his light coloured jeans, ''Why are you doing this..'' he asked, soft, and slower, as his eyes softened. The pain was starting to become something he wasn't able to ignore anymore.

''Oh. Clark, I'm not Tina.'' Clark's eyes shifted, as his body started to shiver. He tried to hug himself, he tried to get the warmth back inside him, but because of his damaged wrists, and the tight knots keeping his hands secured. ''Hey, Clark? Hey?'' Clark could hear Lex's voice lingering, shouting at him, but the sound was swallowing, the sound was drowning. ''Clark!'' Hands pressed tightly, and hard, down on both his shoulders, weighting down on his body. Then he felt those hands pressing against his cheeks, Lex's hands felt soft, and smelled of coffer metal, and fresh blood. Lingering with his light coloured eyes, Clark noticed at the edge of his neck, there appeared to be a wound, half healed, red and ashy. ''I am not Tina!'' Lex spat.

''Who-who are you, then?'' Clark paused, stuttered, and stammered, then tried to clear this throat. Lex looked at him, anger starting to build, the veins crept along the edges of his cheeks, as he took his hands away from Clark's face. Lifting his gaze, then drifting below, taking in as much detail of the bleeding, glowing, green, wound, along Clark's leg. His eyes narrow, then shifted at the sight of the meteor rock, it was launched and buried into the skin. It clearly didn't belong there. ''Did my minion do this?'' Lex said to no one in particular. ''I swear, first the girl, then you, and now this! He's done nothing but screw everything up!'' Lex was shouting now, though not at Clark. Something had angered him, something caused him to become anger, Clark wasn't sure what to return with?

Slowly and sure of himself he knew what to do next, Lex got to his feet, from where he kneeled, and turned his back to his friend. Clark stared up at him, only catching glimpses of his back, thought the dark colouring of the suit he wore, caused his eyes some confusion. He returned up the perfectly placed, spiral of stairs, and with a loud bang, piercing, pain filled, screams shook Clark, as pools of midnight blood, came running down the stairs. The scent of it caused his nostrils to flare, then burn, as his eyes started to full up with water. He refused to blink as to avoid his fever becoming worse, though all he wanted to do was stand up.

A shadow like figure emerged, coming down the stairs, with a smaller, more visible being walking closely behind. The muscular, yet short, phantom seemed to be bleeding freely from a wound in his chest. His dark eyes glowed like a demons, but filled with pain from his wound.

''Lex? Lex, what're you doing with that thing! You don't understand what you've been doing!'' Clark shouted, his voice drifting, though hopeful that Lex heard him. Lex became visible for the second time, returning to the spot in the front of him, their eyes locking onto one another, as Clark's eyes filled with concern, he needed to explain. Even if it meant revealing everything he'd kept a secret.