Take a Hike
folder
Smallville › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
6
Views:
4,998
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Smallville › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
6
Views:
4,998
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Smallville, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Take a Hike
I do not own any Smallville characters. This story is for entertainment purposes only.
“What do you mean he can’t make it?” Lex Luthor growled onto his cell phone. The voice on the other end was John Tyle, his head researcher who was now trying to whine out an explanation.
“Well, sir. McKenzie was on his way when his flight was delayed. He missed his connection.”
“Why is this delaying anything?” Lex asked. “The device is designed to be useable by everyday campers not professional explorers, we can find a volunteer anywhere. Why is it that you’ve managed to single-handedly slow down every project I’ve given to you?” His voice took on a deadly softness. There was a pause on the other end.
“I won’t take unnecessary risks with a tracker that might; or might not work.” John said quietly but firmly. “McKenzie can hide himself in the wild and even get away from a pack of dogs; he is a survival expert and living comfortably in harsh or unfamiliar surroundings is what he does best.”
“I need a preliminary test done by the end of the weekend.” Lex replied, “I have the prototype and I'll run a smaller test on my own.” Before Tyle could protest he continued. “I need you to work on the satellite end of it and be ready to be tech support in order to make this work.”
“I don’t think this is such a good idea.” Tyle said, a whiny edge creeping back into his voice. Lex liked him better when he was standing up for himself. But the more Lex thought about it, the more sense it made for the device to be tested by a layperson.
“Just get the equipment ready, I’ll call you when I’ve got everything set up.” He hung up the phone and pulled his porche into an empty spot near the Talon. He looked around him at the people milling about on the sidewalk. It was three-thirty on Friday afternoon and he needed to have his test completed by Monday morning when he had a meeting with the CEO of TELETECH; a man to whom he was going to pitch the idea of a pocket-sized device that allowed a person to be found anywhere within sattelite range. It could be a great tool for inexperienced hikers, explorers venturing into uncertain territory, and could even be carried by children to avoid getting permanantly lost. All he needed was a test subject. He opened the door to the Talon and was nearly run over by Chloe Sullivan, a friend of Clark’s.
She stopped short, her irritated expression changing to chagrin when her abrupt halt caused most of the coffee from her cup to spill down the front of his shirt and pants and onto his shoes.
“Oh.” She said, staring down at the creamy mocha splat running off the polished leather and making a dark puddle on the pavement. She looked up and met his gaze. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Luthor.” She continued, holding her wet coffee cup gingerly. Lex found himself pulled inside by his jacket lapel and parked near a napkin dispenser. Setting down her now half-empty cup, Chloe pulled a handful of napkins from the dispenser and began to clumsily mop the front of his purple, silk shirt. She only succeeded in depositing little pieces of wet napkin onto the expensive fabric. He hissed slightly as she rubbed the cloth against the skin of his belly that was so recently scalded. She started to dab at the front of his trousers when he caught her wrist in his hand. She looked up in surprise.
“Leave it.” He said, leaning forward slightly to lessen the uncomfortable contact of wet shirt on burned skin. He was more than a little irritated now, his plans were not getting off to a healthy start, and now he’d been maimed by a teenager. “I’m fine, really I don’t need you to try to assault me with paper napkins, or get frisky with me in a public place.” His words left Chloe slightly confused till she realized where her hands had just been. She pinked slightly and opened her mouth, no sound came out for a few moments. Lex glanced at the flushed young young woman.
“S-sorry,” she stammered, not used to being speechless. “Send me the cleaning bill.” She seemed genuinely contrite so he felt a little guilty for snapping at her over what had obviously been an accident. He was turning into his father already.
“It’s alright.” He said with a sigh. “I had to go home and change anyway.”
“Why?” Chloe asked automatically. “You looked fine before I assaulted you.” She almost kicked herself. She needed to stop saying stupid things like that. But Lex only chuckled. A grin splitting his face and making the lines in his forehead dissappear.
“Thanks.” He said, his mood beginning to lighten. Chloe had a direct way of speaking that made him feel a little relieved, even when he was avoiding her probing questions. With her, he didn’t need to stunt his speech to the normal high-school level, even Clark sometimes had trouble with his way of talking. An idea began to form in his head. “May I ask what had you in such a mood that you’d not notice a man in a bright purple shirt?”
“I was supposed to go to Metropolis for the weekend to interview for a paying job for the summer at the Daily Planet but the woman I was interviewing with came down with the flu and I have to re-schedule.” Chloe said, letting the disappointment creep back into her voice. She shrugged, “I guess I don’t like having so much free time to myself.” Lex raised an eyebrow as his idea turned into a plan. She chewed her bottom lip as she surveyed his ruined clothes. “I really am sorry about your shirt.”
“Want to make it up to me and help yourself in the process?” Lex said quickly, before his common sense returned and knocked him to the ground following by repeated kicks to the kidneys for even considering what he was about to do. Chloe stepped back and regarded him suspiciously.
“Exactly what did you want me to do?” She asked, narrowing her pretty brown eyes. Lex gave her the most evil grin he could muster and couldn’t resist a small leer.
“You can get lost.”
“What do you mean he can’t make it?” Lex Luthor growled onto his cell phone. The voice on the other end was John Tyle, his head researcher who was now trying to whine out an explanation.
“Well, sir. McKenzie was on his way when his flight was delayed. He missed his connection.”
“Why is this delaying anything?” Lex asked. “The device is designed to be useable by everyday campers not professional explorers, we can find a volunteer anywhere. Why is it that you’ve managed to single-handedly slow down every project I’ve given to you?” His voice took on a deadly softness. There was a pause on the other end.
“I won’t take unnecessary risks with a tracker that might; or might not work.” John said quietly but firmly. “McKenzie can hide himself in the wild and even get away from a pack of dogs; he is a survival expert and living comfortably in harsh or unfamiliar surroundings is what he does best.”
“I need a preliminary test done by the end of the weekend.” Lex replied, “I have the prototype and I'll run a smaller test on my own.” Before Tyle could protest he continued. “I need you to work on the satellite end of it and be ready to be tech support in order to make this work.”
“I don’t think this is such a good idea.” Tyle said, a whiny edge creeping back into his voice. Lex liked him better when he was standing up for himself. But the more Lex thought about it, the more sense it made for the device to be tested by a layperson.
“Just get the equipment ready, I’ll call you when I’ve got everything set up.” He hung up the phone and pulled his porche into an empty spot near the Talon. He looked around him at the people milling about on the sidewalk. It was three-thirty on Friday afternoon and he needed to have his test completed by Monday morning when he had a meeting with the CEO of TELETECH; a man to whom he was going to pitch the idea of a pocket-sized device that allowed a person to be found anywhere within sattelite range. It could be a great tool for inexperienced hikers, explorers venturing into uncertain territory, and could even be carried by children to avoid getting permanantly lost. All he needed was a test subject. He opened the door to the Talon and was nearly run over by Chloe Sullivan, a friend of Clark’s.
She stopped short, her irritated expression changing to chagrin when her abrupt halt caused most of the coffee from her cup to spill down the front of his shirt and pants and onto his shoes.
“Oh.” She said, staring down at the creamy mocha splat running off the polished leather and making a dark puddle on the pavement. She looked up and met his gaze. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Luthor.” She continued, holding her wet coffee cup gingerly. Lex found himself pulled inside by his jacket lapel and parked near a napkin dispenser. Setting down her now half-empty cup, Chloe pulled a handful of napkins from the dispenser and began to clumsily mop the front of his purple, silk shirt. She only succeeded in depositing little pieces of wet napkin onto the expensive fabric. He hissed slightly as she rubbed the cloth against the skin of his belly that was so recently scalded. She started to dab at the front of his trousers when he caught her wrist in his hand. She looked up in surprise.
“Leave it.” He said, leaning forward slightly to lessen the uncomfortable contact of wet shirt on burned skin. He was more than a little irritated now, his plans were not getting off to a healthy start, and now he’d been maimed by a teenager. “I’m fine, really I don’t need you to try to assault me with paper napkins, or get frisky with me in a public place.” His words left Chloe slightly confused till she realized where her hands had just been. She pinked slightly and opened her mouth, no sound came out for a few moments. Lex glanced at the flushed young young woman.
“S-sorry,” she stammered, not used to being speechless. “Send me the cleaning bill.” She seemed genuinely contrite so he felt a little guilty for snapping at her over what had obviously been an accident. He was turning into his father already.
“It’s alright.” He said with a sigh. “I had to go home and change anyway.”
“Why?” Chloe asked automatically. “You looked fine before I assaulted you.” She almost kicked herself. She needed to stop saying stupid things like that. But Lex only chuckled. A grin splitting his face and making the lines in his forehead dissappear.
“Thanks.” He said, his mood beginning to lighten. Chloe had a direct way of speaking that made him feel a little relieved, even when he was avoiding her probing questions. With her, he didn’t need to stunt his speech to the normal high-school level, even Clark sometimes had trouble with his way of talking. An idea began to form in his head. “May I ask what had you in such a mood that you’d not notice a man in a bright purple shirt?”
“I was supposed to go to Metropolis for the weekend to interview for a paying job for the summer at the Daily Planet but the woman I was interviewing with came down with the flu and I have to re-schedule.” Chloe said, letting the disappointment creep back into her voice. She shrugged, “I guess I don’t like having so much free time to myself.” Lex raised an eyebrow as his idea turned into a plan. She chewed her bottom lip as she surveyed his ruined clothes. “I really am sorry about your shirt.”
“Want to make it up to me and help yourself in the process?” Lex said quickly, before his common sense returned and knocked him to the ground following by repeated kicks to the kidneys for even considering what he was about to do. Chloe stepped back and regarded him suspiciously.
“Exactly what did you want me to do?” She asked, narrowing her pretty brown eyes. Lex gave her the most evil grin he could muster and couldn’t resist a small leer.
“You can get lost.”