Shadows (The Stranger)
by: hanemg
Disclaimer: I neither own nor claim any formalized attachment with the characters/situations contained herein. This work of fan fiction is purely for enjoyment purposes only and no profit is gained with its use. Smallville and all its characters are the property of Warner Bros., DC Comics, Miller/Gough et al.
The 1968 Charcoal-Grey Ford Mustang drove into town virtually unnoticed. After two years of sharing a town with Lex Luthor and his varying taste in sports cars, Mustangs no longer rated more than a passing glance by the people of Smallville. Only a few of the die-hard car fanatics gave it a second glance when it passed and only a few of those were knowledgeable enough that the sound of the engine identified it as definitely not stock for that model.
The car made its way though town obeying the speed limits and pulled into the parking lot of Smallville High. Even during the summer Smallville High was a busy place. Football and Band camps were only a couple of the things happening on campus. The school was also in session for summer make-up classes and a few college prep classes were offered as well.
The driver of the car got a few more looks than the car itself from the females on the sidewalk when he exited the vehicle after finding a parking space in front. He appeared to be between the ages of 18-20, was over six feet tall, muscular with blond hair and piercing blue-gray eyes. The most distracting thing about him was a scar that ran from the bottom of his right eyebrow along the side of his eye and ended at the top of his cheek. It didn't really detract from his handsomeness, but it did tend to draw one's attention away from his face and made it difficult to look him straight in the eyes when speaking to him. He wore khaki pants and a dark polo shirt. He gave the street a sweeping glance before entering the school.
Once inside he stopped and asked a passing student for some directions and quickly arrived at his destination, the school library. Walking inside he approached the librarian.
"Excuse me ma'am. Could you direct me to the student yearbooks please?"
Mrs. Haney, the head librarian, looked up from her desk and studied the young man for a moment before answering. She had been at this school for close to twenty years and was known for a memory of students and their behavior while in her domain, which bordered on the paranormal. This young man she knew she had never seen before.
"Certainly, they're in the back corner by the window. Is there anything in particular I can help you with? I don't think I remember you ever being a student here."
Mrs. Haney was nothing if not blunt, a tactic she used often to rattle both students and co-workers alike. It had given her the reputation as a no- nonsense disciplinarian that couldn't be fooled and usually caused the person to whom the bluntness was directed to squirm under her gaze and readily confess all of their sins.
It didn't affect this stranger in the least. He smiled a disarmingly handsome smile and simply replied, "No, thank you. I'm just doing some genealogy research."
Without a backward glance or another word he swung around and headed in the direction the librarian had indicated.
Arriving at the shelves containing the complete selection of Smallville High's yearbooks he selected the most recent few and found a seat at one of the tables. He thumbed through the latest edition and quickly located both of his subjects. The next step was to go through the yearbooks looking for other entries about either person in order to connect them with any known associates. After several minutes of going through the last couple of years' worth of yearbooks, the task was complete and he had no choice but to acknowledge that neither individual could be considered a "social butterfly."
The school newspaper seemed to be the only extracurricular activity that either engaged in and the only other regular participant in pictures featuring either of the two was a young black kid. He had quickly found the kid's picture in the class photos and filed the name away in his impeccable memory. He did come across a picture of the boy standing next to an attractive dark haired girl during a blood drive last year. The look on the boy's face as he was talking to the girl was enough to indicate that the girl warranted further investigation. After a moment her name and face were committed to memory along with the other three.
The stranger stared at the picture of the boy. He supposed the boy would be considered handsome, but nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to indicate the importance that was being placed upon him. Nothing to indicate that he was anything more than just a farm kid, like dozens of others in this school. Nothing that would have told you that the first light to touch his face had not come from this star.
He closed the book and put it and the others back on the shelf. Next he would read through as many of the back issues of the school paper and the local paper that he could before heading over to the courthouse. The more local news he had the better.
**********************
Three hours later he felt well versed in local affairs. He could have debated local politics as well as various meteor-related phenomenon from both sides of the issues.
He smiled at Mrs. Haney as he left the library and she smiled back despite herself. He briefly considered breaking into the Torch office, but just as quickly discarded the idea as there was a greater chance of being seen in the daylight and it was possibly occupied at this time of day anyway. Instead he came up with an alternative.
Heading down to the end of the corridor he came to one of the side entrances. He pushed it open cautiously and looked around outside. This particular entrance opened onto a back area of the school that looked to be little used. Looking around on the ground he quickly found some weeds breaking though the concrete. He bent down and pulled some of them up and then began jamming them into the locking cylinder in the door jab causing it to stick in place and not allow the door to lock when it closed. As long as no one noticed he would have easy access to the building later that night.
The initial phase of his mission accomplished he headed off the school grounds toward the courthouse.
**********************
After a quick stop at a gas station restroom where he changed into a dress shirt, tie and jacket he headed to the courthouse. He quickly located the office for Probation and Parole and walked in. The receptionist was young, just a couple of years older than him and she favored him with a bright smile when he approached her desk.
"Yes, sir. May I help you?" She asked.
The man favored her with one of his best smiles as he reached into his pocket and pulled out I.D., which he showed to the woman.
"Rob McNeeley, Federal Probation." The man said pocketing his I.D. "I'm in town checking up on one of our probationers. Nothing going on, just a routine visit, but I was wondering if you had a private terminal I could use undisturbed for a bit. There are a few of his associates I would like to run through NCIC."
The woman considered this for a minute before answering.
"Well, we don't usually do this, but I guess we can make an exception for a federal officer. Bill Woods is out for the day. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you used his office. I'll have to log onto the system for you though."
"Great," he answered, his smile getting even friendlier, if that were possible "I really appreciate all of your help."
The woman blushed slightly and standing up led him back to an empty office.
She gestured for him to have a seat at the desk in front of the terminal and then leaned in very close to him as she logged onto the system. After the terminal connected to the main system she turned to him with a wide smile and maintaining her close proximity said, "If you need anything else. Anything at all, just let me know."
"Oh, I will ma'am. I most definitely will." He said returning the smile.
The woman stood up and left the office then leaving him to his work. He entered the juvenile database and quickly ran the four kids names not really expecting anything, but knowing that in this kind of work you didn't assume anything. To his surprise Subject #1 seemed to have quite a past police record, but all of the charges had been dismissed following investigation. The only one that was dismissed by the court itself was a felony escape charge. The other three had also figured prominently in several past investigations. Exiting out of the juvenile records he ran their parents names through NCIC. Subject #1's father's record seemed to mirror that of his son's. Several charges all dismissed in the course of investigation. The family apparently believed in getting involved in community affairs. That or community affairs believed in getting them involved whether they liked it or not.
What he couldn't find though was a missing person's report on Subject #1. He supposed considering the secret the boy's family was protecting they might have been reluctant to file one, but it would surely have been the most expedient route to take in locating him so there must be more to the story. He actually didn't even know for sure that the boy was missing, so he would have to take steps tomorrow in verifying the matter after he checked into a couple of more things about Subject #2. If the boy was home safe then he would be able to focus all of his energies on her and he needed to be prepared.
He quickly printed out hard copies of all he had learned and then logged onto the DMV database. There he was able to get information regarding all of the vehicles owned by the principal players in this scenario. He then logged off of the system and exited the office. Before he left he promised the receptionist that he would stop back by to see her in a few days when he was back in town.
His next stop was in the county record office where he was able to get copies of detailed maps for Lowell County and Smallville on which he had carefully marked the locations of various properties. He then headed back to the school to look around the parking lot and sure enough within a few minutes he spotted the 2002 red, convertible Volkswagen Beetle. He continued on past it and parked in a space toward the end of the parking lot where a Ford Taurus blocked his car from view. He still had a good view of the VW through the Taurus' window, though, and he settled down to wait.
After about an hour a blonde and brunette approached the car and got in. He instantly recognized the two girls from the yearbook pictures he had seen earlier. Apparently there was a connection between them as well. He waited for them to pull out onto the street and then he started his car.
Following someone is as much art as technique. There were certain rules to learn, but the art came from knowing how and when those rules were implemented. Always stay to the right, just a few cars behind. If you get to close, immediately get into their blind spot. Vary your distances and don't draw attention to yourself though sudden lane changes or squealing tires.
He knew all of this and quickly settled into an easy routine as he followed them into traffic. There were just enough cars out on the streets of Smallville at this time of day that the Mustang easily blended into the background. The girls appeared to be in no real hurry so he was able to drop back a little further than usual without fear of losing them.
After a few miles their car turned into a residential neighborhood and the Mustang dropped back even further. Quickly checking his map he ascertained that Subject #2 was returning home. He parked on the street a few houses down and sat considering his next move. If she was home now, there was a good chance that the Torch office would be empty and it would be the best time to search it rather than having to wait until the middle of the night. This way, if he were caught he could claim to be a night class student who had gotten lost rather than be mistaken for a burglar with no way to explain himself.
As he sat there absently staring at the house while he considered his options he was startled to see a kid appear out of thin air on the sidewalk in front of the house. He stared almost transfixed as the kid started down the street toward him whistling to himself. The kid shot his forefinger at him as he passed and said "Hey, nice car."
Perhaps, the stranger thought to himself, there might be something to Chloe Sullivan's claims regarding meteor mutants in Smallville. That or young Mr. Kent wasn't the only extraterrestrial in town.
He quickly came to the decision that Sullivan was probably going to be in her house for awhile anyway and this new development might give him some valuable knowledge. Waiting until the kid got to the corner he started his car and pulled out of the parking space intending to follow on foot from a distance once he had removed his car from the residential district. However, when he turned around the boy was gone.
End Part 1
by: hanemg
Disclaimer: I neither own nor claim any formalized attachment with the characters/situations contained herein. This work of fan fiction is purely for enjoyment purposes only and no profit is gained with its use. Smallville and all its characters are the property of Warner Bros., DC Comics, Miller/Gough et al.
The 1968 Charcoal-Grey Ford Mustang drove into town virtually unnoticed. After two years of sharing a town with Lex Luthor and his varying taste in sports cars, Mustangs no longer rated more than a passing glance by the people of Smallville. Only a few of the die-hard car fanatics gave it a second glance when it passed and only a few of those were knowledgeable enough that the sound of the engine identified it as definitely not stock for that model.
The car made its way though town obeying the speed limits and pulled into the parking lot of Smallville High. Even during the summer Smallville High was a busy place. Football and Band camps were only a couple of the things happening on campus. The school was also in session for summer make-up classes and a few college prep classes were offered as well.
The driver of the car got a few more looks than the car itself from the females on the sidewalk when he exited the vehicle after finding a parking space in front. He appeared to be between the ages of 18-20, was over six feet tall, muscular with blond hair and piercing blue-gray eyes. The most distracting thing about him was a scar that ran from the bottom of his right eyebrow along the side of his eye and ended at the top of his cheek. It didn't really detract from his handsomeness, but it did tend to draw one's attention away from his face and made it difficult to look him straight in the eyes when speaking to him. He wore khaki pants and a dark polo shirt. He gave the street a sweeping glance before entering the school.
Once inside he stopped and asked a passing student for some directions and quickly arrived at his destination, the school library. Walking inside he approached the librarian.
"Excuse me ma'am. Could you direct me to the student yearbooks please?"
Mrs. Haney, the head librarian, looked up from her desk and studied the young man for a moment before answering. She had been at this school for close to twenty years and was known for a memory of students and their behavior while in her domain, which bordered on the paranormal. This young man she knew she had never seen before.
"Certainly, they're in the back corner by the window. Is there anything in particular I can help you with? I don't think I remember you ever being a student here."
Mrs. Haney was nothing if not blunt, a tactic she used often to rattle both students and co-workers alike. It had given her the reputation as a no- nonsense disciplinarian that couldn't be fooled and usually caused the person to whom the bluntness was directed to squirm under her gaze and readily confess all of their sins.
It didn't affect this stranger in the least. He smiled a disarmingly handsome smile and simply replied, "No, thank you. I'm just doing some genealogy research."
Without a backward glance or another word he swung around and headed in the direction the librarian had indicated.
Arriving at the shelves containing the complete selection of Smallville High's yearbooks he selected the most recent few and found a seat at one of the tables. He thumbed through the latest edition and quickly located both of his subjects. The next step was to go through the yearbooks looking for other entries about either person in order to connect them with any known associates. After several minutes of going through the last couple of years' worth of yearbooks, the task was complete and he had no choice but to acknowledge that neither individual could be considered a "social butterfly."
The school newspaper seemed to be the only extracurricular activity that either engaged in and the only other regular participant in pictures featuring either of the two was a young black kid. He had quickly found the kid's picture in the class photos and filed the name away in his impeccable memory. He did come across a picture of the boy standing next to an attractive dark haired girl during a blood drive last year. The look on the boy's face as he was talking to the girl was enough to indicate that the girl warranted further investigation. After a moment her name and face were committed to memory along with the other three.
The stranger stared at the picture of the boy. He supposed the boy would be considered handsome, but nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to indicate the importance that was being placed upon him. Nothing to indicate that he was anything more than just a farm kid, like dozens of others in this school. Nothing that would have told you that the first light to touch his face had not come from this star.
He closed the book and put it and the others back on the shelf. Next he would read through as many of the back issues of the school paper and the local paper that he could before heading over to the courthouse. The more local news he had the better.
**********************
Three hours later he felt well versed in local affairs. He could have debated local politics as well as various meteor-related phenomenon from both sides of the issues.
He smiled at Mrs. Haney as he left the library and she smiled back despite herself. He briefly considered breaking into the Torch office, but just as quickly discarded the idea as there was a greater chance of being seen in the daylight and it was possibly occupied at this time of day anyway. Instead he came up with an alternative.
Heading down to the end of the corridor he came to one of the side entrances. He pushed it open cautiously and looked around outside. This particular entrance opened onto a back area of the school that looked to be little used. Looking around on the ground he quickly found some weeds breaking though the concrete. He bent down and pulled some of them up and then began jamming them into the locking cylinder in the door jab causing it to stick in place and not allow the door to lock when it closed. As long as no one noticed he would have easy access to the building later that night.
The initial phase of his mission accomplished he headed off the school grounds toward the courthouse.
**********************
After a quick stop at a gas station restroom where he changed into a dress shirt, tie and jacket he headed to the courthouse. He quickly located the office for Probation and Parole and walked in. The receptionist was young, just a couple of years older than him and she favored him with a bright smile when he approached her desk.
"Yes, sir. May I help you?" She asked.
The man favored her with one of his best smiles as he reached into his pocket and pulled out I.D., which he showed to the woman.
"Rob McNeeley, Federal Probation." The man said pocketing his I.D. "I'm in town checking up on one of our probationers. Nothing going on, just a routine visit, but I was wondering if you had a private terminal I could use undisturbed for a bit. There are a few of his associates I would like to run through NCIC."
The woman considered this for a minute before answering.
"Well, we don't usually do this, but I guess we can make an exception for a federal officer. Bill Woods is out for the day. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you used his office. I'll have to log onto the system for you though."
"Great," he answered, his smile getting even friendlier, if that were possible "I really appreciate all of your help."
The woman blushed slightly and standing up led him back to an empty office.
She gestured for him to have a seat at the desk in front of the terminal and then leaned in very close to him as she logged onto the system. After the terminal connected to the main system she turned to him with a wide smile and maintaining her close proximity said, "If you need anything else. Anything at all, just let me know."
"Oh, I will ma'am. I most definitely will." He said returning the smile.
The woman stood up and left the office then leaving him to his work. He entered the juvenile database and quickly ran the four kids names not really expecting anything, but knowing that in this kind of work you didn't assume anything. To his surprise Subject #1 seemed to have quite a past police record, but all of the charges had been dismissed following investigation. The only one that was dismissed by the court itself was a felony escape charge. The other three had also figured prominently in several past investigations. Exiting out of the juvenile records he ran their parents names through NCIC. Subject #1's father's record seemed to mirror that of his son's. Several charges all dismissed in the course of investigation. The family apparently believed in getting involved in community affairs. That or community affairs believed in getting them involved whether they liked it or not.
What he couldn't find though was a missing person's report on Subject #1. He supposed considering the secret the boy's family was protecting they might have been reluctant to file one, but it would surely have been the most expedient route to take in locating him so there must be more to the story. He actually didn't even know for sure that the boy was missing, so he would have to take steps tomorrow in verifying the matter after he checked into a couple of more things about Subject #2. If the boy was home safe then he would be able to focus all of his energies on her and he needed to be prepared.
He quickly printed out hard copies of all he had learned and then logged onto the DMV database. There he was able to get information regarding all of the vehicles owned by the principal players in this scenario. He then logged off of the system and exited the office. Before he left he promised the receptionist that he would stop back by to see her in a few days when he was back in town.
His next stop was in the county record office where he was able to get copies of detailed maps for Lowell County and Smallville on which he had carefully marked the locations of various properties. He then headed back to the school to look around the parking lot and sure enough within a few minutes he spotted the 2002 red, convertible Volkswagen Beetle. He continued on past it and parked in a space toward the end of the parking lot where a Ford Taurus blocked his car from view. He still had a good view of the VW through the Taurus' window, though, and he settled down to wait.
After about an hour a blonde and brunette approached the car and got in. He instantly recognized the two girls from the yearbook pictures he had seen earlier. Apparently there was a connection between them as well. He waited for them to pull out onto the street and then he started his car.
Following someone is as much art as technique. There were certain rules to learn, but the art came from knowing how and when those rules were implemented. Always stay to the right, just a few cars behind. If you get to close, immediately get into their blind spot. Vary your distances and don't draw attention to yourself though sudden lane changes or squealing tires.
He knew all of this and quickly settled into an easy routine as he followed them into traffic. There were just enough cars out on the streets of Smallville at this time of day that the Mustang easily blended into the background. The girls appeared to be in no real hurry so he was able to drop back a little further than usual without fear of losing them.
After a few miles their car turned into a residential neighborhood and the Mustang dropped back even further. Quickly checking his map he ascertained that Subject #2 was returning home. He parked on the street a few houses down and sat considering his next move. If she was home now, there was a good chance that the Torch office would be empty and it would be the best time to search it rather than having to wait until the middle of the night. This way, if he were caught he could claim to be a night class student who had gotten lost rather than be mistaken for a burglar with no way to explain himself.
As he sat there absently staring at the house while he considered his options he was startled to see a kid appear out of thin air on the sidewalk in front of the house. He stared almost transfixed as the kid started down the street toward him whistling to himself. The kid shot his forefinger at him as he passed and said "Hey, nice car."
Perhaps, the stranger thought to himself, there might be something to Chloe Sullivan's claims regarding meteor mutants in Smallville. That or young Mr. Kent wasn't the only extraterrestrial in town.
He quickly came to the decision that Sullivan was probably going to be in her house for awhile anyway and this new development might give him some valuable knowledge. Waiting until the kid got to the corner he started his car and pulled out of the parking space intending to follow on foot from a distance once he had removed his car from the residential district. However, when he turned around the boy was gone.
End Part 1