SMALLVILLE
“Strangers”
By J. B. Tilton
Email:
noazmale@isot.comRating: K
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Disclaimer: "Smallville" and all related characters and events are the property of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and The CW, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
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Three strangers arrive in Smallville looking for Clark. Strangers who may not have the best of intentions for the Kryptonian.
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ONE
Two men and a woman walked down the streets of Smallville looking around. They appeared to be no different from any of the other inhabitants of the small town. The first man had short brown hair and was very muscular and well defined. The second man had black hair and although a bit heavier than the first it appeared he, too, kept himself in shape. The woman was several inches shorter than the two men with blond hair that was tied back into a ponytail.
They were dressed as any other people on the street. The only exception was that each was wearing an identical ring. As if they all belonged to the same group or organization. The rings appeared to be made of gold with an “L” inset on the top. As they walked through the streets of Smallville they looked around as if seeing the town for the first time.
“It’s smaller than I expected,” said the black haired man. “I know it’s supposed to be a small town, but I never expected it to be this small.”
“Many of the towns were small ones like this,” said the blond woman, looking at what looked like a small handheld device. “Some of them had even fewer than 1,000 people living in them.”
“That’s small,” said the brown haired man. “But even in a town this small it might be difficult finding him. Are you sure we’ve arrived at the right time? Dr. Becker said he couldn’t be sure how close he could get us. It is possible we’ve arrived too late.”
“I don’t thinks so,” said the woman. She was looking at a newspaper dispenser sitting on the street. “Garth, Rokk, look at the date on this paper. We’re actually a few days early.”
The two men looked at the date displayed on the newspaper.
“Well, we’re in the right place,” said the black haired man. “And if that date is correct, we’ve gotten here in time. Now all we have to do is find him. Any ideas how we do that, Imra?”
Imra stopped and looked up at the top of the building they were standing in front of. A sign on the building read “Talon”.
“Well,” said Imra, consulting the device she was holding, “this appears to be one of the local hangouts. It was an old theater that has been converted into some kind of coffee shop. It appears that most of the denizens come in here from time to time. It’s possible we’ll find him in there.”
“He’s going to be in there just as we show up?” questioned the brown haired man. “That would be a little too convenient.”
“Relax, Garth,” said Imra. “If he’s not in there I’m sure someone will know where he is. According to our information Lex Luthor and Lana Lang own this place. Lana manages the place.”
“Lex Luthor?” questioned Rokk. “He could prove to be a problem.”
“Not likely,” said Imra. “He spends most of his time in Metropolis. Besides, it’s not Luthor we’re concerned with. Come on. Let’s see what we can find out inside the Talon.”
The three entered the building. Even for the afternoon, the Talon seemed to be quite busy. Most people were sitting at tables drinking coffee and chatting. Imra scanned the crowd as if looking for someone. Her gaze fell on a very attractive young woman working behind the counter, chatting with a blond about her age.
“That’s her,” said Imra. “Lana Lang. The one with the dark hair. She’s the one who manages the place.”
:”Who’s the blond?” asked Garth.
“Down boy,” said Imra. Her eyes narrowed slightly for a moment. “Her name is Chloe Sullivan. She and Lana are very good friends. And apparently Chloe helps out here at the Talon when Lana has a very large crowd.”
“I don’t see him anywhere,” said Garth, scanning the crowd. “I told you he wouldn’t be here.”
“Maybe not,” said Imra, “but Lana and Chloe are expecting him. He should be here soon. They’re planning to work on decorations for their upcoming formal. They expect him to be here soon.”
“Then we should wait here for him,” said Rokk. “If we’re to be successful we’ll need to stay close to him until the right moment.”
“Can I help you?” asked a young girl holding a tray.
“Oh, uh, yeah,” said Imra. “We’re new in town. How’s the coffee here?”
“The best in the county,” said the girl, smiling at them.
“Good,” said Imra. “We’ll have three cups. We’ll be over at that table there.”
“Three cups of java coming up,” said the girl as she hurried off to the counter.
“Coffee?” questioned Garth. “Is it very good?”
“I don’t know,” said Imra. “I’m not sure what it is. Apparently it’s a drink that everyone around here drinks. Besides if we’re going to wait for him we’ll need to blend in. We can’t just stand here waiting for him to come in. We’ll have to look like the rest of the patrons.”
They continued to watch the crowd of people as they sat at a table near the back of the Talon. When the waitress had brought them their coffee they all tried it but found it to be bitter and not very appealing. They sat chatting as they waiting for the person they had come here for.
“There he is,” Rokk said suddenly, looking at the front door of the Talon.
Imra and Garth both looked up to see a young man just coming into the building. They instantly recognized him. He just glanced around at the crowd and then headed for the counter where Lana and Chloe still stood chatting.
“That’s him all right,” said Imra. “He’s even more handsome than his picture.”
They all watched as Clark Kent walked over to the counter and began to talk with Lana and Chloe.