Superman: Dawnbreaker (DC Icons #4)(12)

Lex glanced at him, as if curious about how he would handle the question.

“There weren’t many opportunities to fly out there,” Bryan finally said, without looking back at Clark. “Not like there are here. And that’s all I really want to do lately.”

Clark could tell by Lex’s expression that Bryan hadn’t told the whole truth. But Clark decided not to push it.

Lex slowed a little as he turned off Highway 22 and onto Main Street. They passed a string of Smallville institutions—Howe’s Coffeehouse, Randy’s Hardware, the Old Winter Saloon—before coming to a stretch of new businesses. The grocery store and pharmacy that had opened during the winter. Java Depot. A Thai restaurant Lana had been wanting to get Clark to try for weeks. A large toy store that was so new it didn’t even have a sign up yet.

As they passed the large construction site across the street from city hall, Bryan pointed. “There it is,” he said sarcastically. “Home, sweet home.”

Every time Clark set eyes on the future home of the Mankins Corporation, he was reminded of the man dressed in all brown who had carjacked the SUV and driven it right at Paul. The retaining wall the vehicle had ultimately crashed into was still badly damaged. But now Clark noticed another detail. There were no tire marks in front of that part of the wall. The guy had never hit the brakes. Maybe the wall in front of the new Mankins headquarters really had been his target all along.

But why?

“Gotta be almost done now, right?” Lex asked.

Bryan nodded. “I think they’re gonna do some kind of grand-opening festival in the next week or so. I’m sure it’ll be some big spectacle, but whatever.”

When Lex pulled the sports car up to the steps, the three of them glanced across the street at city hall, where a dozen or so Mexican men and women were picketing. “What do you guys think about that new law being proposed?” Clark asked. It was definitely a loaded question, but the way these two responded seemed important to him.

“The stop-and-search thing?” Bryan asked. “It’s brutal. I’ll say this: if something like that can pass here, I know Smallville’s not the town for me.”

“Yeah, nothing like that would even be proposed in Metropolis,” Lex added. “It’s a small-town thing.”

Normally Clark felt defensive when someone criticized his hometown, but this was different. Bryan was right; if a law like that could pass in Smallville, it would be embarrassing. So Clark just sat there watching people march silently while holding up their signs. He recognized one of the men from the cattle feed and tractor supply company just outside of town. One woman was a new student teacher at Smallville High. The guy who seemed to be the leader wasn’t much older than Lex. He had a goatee and spiky black hair, and seemed to be directing all their movements.

“We’ll vote it down,” Clark said, feeling a surge of confidence. “I believe in the people of Smallville.”

An older white man who was wearing a suit and carrying a shopping bag approached the protesters from across the street. Clark was surprised when he began handing out bottles of water.

“One of yours?” Lex asked.

Bryan nodded. “My dad has food sent to them, too. And he’s the one funding that new ‘get out and vote’ campaign.”

Clark was genuinely impressed that a rich guy like Montgomery Mankins would take an interest in how people less fortunate were being treated. Seemed like it would be easy for the guy to just sit in his ivory tower, counting his money.

Bryan stepped out of the car and folded down the seat. After Clark climbed out with his backpack, Bryan nudged him in the arm. “Hey, I was thinking. Why don’t you meet up with us tomorrow night at the All-American Diner?”

Clark was taken aback. “Sure,” he said. “What time?”

“Seven-thirty?”

“Okay, cool. See you there.” Clark turned and started toward the library.

“Hey, Clark!” Bryan called out.

He turned back around.

“Try not to pull a muscle in there studying, all right?” Bryan climbed back into his seat and closed the door, and the red sports car sped away.

Clark watched it rip through the nearest intersection, Lex’s music now blaring out his open window. Bryan hadn’t told Clark why he’d really left Metropolis, and Clark realized he had no idea why Lex was in Smallville either. He definitely didn’t seem like a small-town kind of guy. It seemed like the more he got to know these two, the more questions he had.





Clark took the stairs two at a time up to the library, where he found Lana waiting for him just inside the front doors. Before he could say anything, she whisked him into an empty quiet room and closed the door. “Okay, spill it,” she said, sitting down at the long conference-style table. She had on a blue sundress Clark didn’t recognize, and she was wearing her hair down. She put away her headphones, saying, “I wanna know everything, Clark.”

He set his backpack on the table and sat across from her. “About what?”

She shot him a dirty look.

For the past couple of years, the library had been Clark and Lana’s spot. It had started soon after Clark quit the football team. Lana had noticed (because Lana noticed everything) that Clark was feeling lost. Maybe a little lonely. Possibly depressed. So she showed up at his farmhouse one Saturday and said, “Clark Kent, you’re coming with me.” He did. And they’d been here almost every weekend since. He knew the library wasn’t the hippest hangout in the world, but it’s not like they were always doing homework. Sometimes they’d sneak food into a quiet room and gossip while they ate lunch. Or Lana would run news story ideas past him. Or they’d watch random videos on Lana’s tablet.