A Different Smallville

In the depth of the woods, two figures were moving through with one having more bounce in his step then the other. Not to mention he took wider strides compared to his friend who was lagging behind and wiping the sweat from his dark skin.

"Clark, my definition of "hike" stopped two miles ago." Pete said.

"We have to get evidence for the police. He used to come here all the time with his dad. It'll just take a minute." Clark replied. "It might also give us a clue on who Van's next target is."

"How sure are you that he is even the culprit? Not to mention his hit list or whatever is in this cabin?" Pete complained.

Before them, a slightly worn down cabin with various plants growing on it. Walking up to it, Clark looked around the cabin before pulling out his lockpicking kit. A skill Leonardo had him practice since it was less suspicious then crushing or poking out the lock with his fingers. For he still remembers the warning about the little things that would get him caught.

In a few seconds, Clark had the lock open since he could use his x-ray and it was a simple padlock to boot. He opened the door and began scanning the cabin more before seeing what he needed in the back where the guns were stored.

"When did you learn Lockpicking?" Pete asked.

"Same time I learned Spanish, Russian, French, Arabic, Chinese, Latin and Egyptian." Clark said off handedly.

'Way to flex and if I recall it was me who did the studying and practically forced you to learn.' Leonardo laughed.

"Seriously? You can speak all those languages?" Pete said, a bit stunned.

"Along with a few others, but it is not time to talk about this. I believe we found Van's current hit list." Clark said, looking at a wall.

On the wall in large green spray paint was the word freak. Below were photos showing those that Chloe knows or suspected to be meteor infected. For it seemed that Van somehow pulled from her computer since the data displayed in the photos basically screamed Chloe's work.

"It's like an arsenal here." Clark said, looking at over a dozen guns.

"Clark man, I think we have a bigger issue. Lex is on the wall and crossed out." Pete said, pointing to Lex's photo.

Pulling out his phone, Clark dialed Lex's phone in a rush.

"Hello Clark. Did you need something?" Lex's voice picked up not long after.

"Lex, we have an issue. The vignette that Lana has been singing praises about is attempting to kill you. So don't go out in the open as he should around you now or will be soon." Leonardo said.

"How do you know?" Lex sounded confused.

"Pete and I were tracking some led and stumbled across his lair and I am currently staring at your photo crossed out like his last three victims." Clark said seriously.

"Thanks for the warning, Clark." Lex hung up, but Clark heard glass breaking right before.

While Clark was worried about Lex upon hearing the glass break. Leonardo urged him not to run there since he just called and it would be suspicious. Not to mention Lex had about dozen bodyguards at any given point for the moment.

"You didn't run to save him?" Pete looked at Clark confused.

"Sometimes a phone is more powerful than two legs and a powerful body." Leonardo shook the phone in his hand.

'I'm more amazed that Lex picked up since I usually have to leave him a message.' Clark said.

"Now, let's get out of here and call the sheriff." Leonardo said as he moved over to the window and moved the curtain a bit.

After a few movements and cleaning away his own prints so it looked like they peeked in through the window. Pete had called the sheriff where they got a stern look from Sheriff Adam who has a small dislike for Clark heroic acts. Since he ended up on her radar due to his sloppiness when Leonardo was sleeping when he saved others.

It was also about an hour later, Clark received a call from Lex saying that he was fine and they managed to capture Van. Thanks to the call, he barely managed to save his own life. Which, he went on to explain he was special due to how many times he came out of near death situations.

After hearing Lex spiral into how special he was, Clark hung up the phone. He felt Lex's narcissistic flair up to a greater height then compared to before. Which worried him since each time it flared in the past, Lex usually takes another step into darkness. Making him become more or even worse than his father, which Lex wanted to avoid.

Now a while later, while watering some of the flowers, Martha planted. A maroon jeep pulled up to the house with Lana getting out of it. She looked like someone had caught her with a hand in the cookie jar and came to apologize. Judging by Clark's shift in emotion, Leonardo could tell it was working.

"Hello, Lana. What brings you by?" Clark softly asks.

"So I heard they caught Van." Lana began with a slight accusation in her voice.

"Well, he was killing others for being slightly different, so he would be caught sooner or later." Clark stated.

"Once again you were right." Lana nodded. "Can you explain how you seem to always be right about these matters?"

"I'm not always right, Lana. However I tend to use something called my brain." Leonardo tapped the side of Clark's head. "Something you switch off like that time you wanted to sleep in a graveyard at night. Accusing Kyle of something he didn't do, refusing to hear bad about Ian. Shall I continue?"

Hearing her black history being brought up, Lana looked away in slight embarrassment. She could remember these incidents and knew she wasn't being controlled. Hence most of these were on her.

"Well, I came by to apologize for our last meeting." Lana said half heartedly.

"About what?" Leonardo asked much to Clark's annoyance.

"Clark, I'm sorry for calling meteor freaks freaks that should be shot or kept away." Lana said.

"Just remember, just because they are different, doesn't make them bad people. You just have been unlucky to be targeted by the bad apples." Leonardo said.

"You can say that due to them not targeting you. Do you know how scary it is to be kidnapped or attacked by them? No, because they don't come after you." Lana said a bit heatedly.

"You don't need to like them all, but you can't treat all of them as if they're not human." Leonardo said.

"Well, I should go. I got a shift at the Talon." Lana said after a moment.

Leonardo and Clark watched as she left in a slight hurry. Shaking their heads, they went back to watering the plants. Preferring not to talk about the conversation just now, since it would lead to an argument between them again.

"Did Lana need something, son?" Martha asked as she pulled up next to the house. "I just saw her flying out of here."

"Just giving a half hearted apology about her views that meteor infected or abilities users aren't human in her eyes." Clark said softly. "I know not all are bad, but to paint them all with the same brush due to the actions of a few."

'Well, you would feel the same about Kryptonians if you self-loathe or refuse to learn about them. Luckily you got me and can save a lot of time in that regard.' Leonardo said.

Clark mentally nodded to that as he could see that happening as he still felt hesitation and resistance of wanting to learn. More afraid of what he would learn than the past actions of the entire race. For they were just like humans, and humans can create their own worse tragedies.