DYNAMIC DUO:
Heroes or Vigilantes?

By Angie Perez

Two of Smallville's very own were involved in a near deadly drama that culminated at the train station last night. Lex Luthor and high school student Clark Kent were questioned by new sheriff Nancy Adams at the scene where the two made a daring citizen's arrest of suspect Paul Hayden.
Hayden, who briefly dated Dr. Helen Bryce when they attended medical school, allegedly stalked his ex-girlfriend and then in a jealous rage brutally stabbed her at the Smallville Medical Center. Dr. Bryce sustained life-threatening injuries and underwent several hours of surgery. (see accompanying article). Apparently, Lex Luthor was speaking to Bryce via cell phone when the attack began and raced to the hospital where he found her unconscious.

It is unclear at this time how the young men tracked Hayden to the train station. But what is certain is that our dynamic duo bravely brought down an extremely dangerous man. Stories have circulated that young Kent has been at numerous crime scenes in the past. He declined to comment about his role in Hayden's capture.

"These two gentlemen were very lucky not to have gotten hurt. The Smallville sheriff's department is well trained and equipped to handle these situations. We advise the public not to take the law into their own hands," urged Sheriff Adams. "Smallville doesn't need vigilantes on its streets."
A body found in Hayden's room at the Heartland Motel is believed to be that of security guard Dave Meacham who was hired by Lex Luthor to tail Hayden. "I knew Hayden was dangerous, which is why I had him under surveillance. I only wish he could have been stopped sooner," stated Luthor.

Although according to sheriff's department reports Hayden has no criminal history or prior arrests for domestic abuse or assault, Luthor commented about the alleged killer's mental state, "Obviously Hayden is unstable. In fact, he once beat up his former girlfriend, but she refused to press charges." Hayden is currently being held without bail and faces charges of murder and attempted murder.

With the increase of violent crime in Lowell County, many young women are turning to martial arts and self-defense classes to feel more secure about their personal safety.

IS LEX LUTHOR TYING THE KNOT?

By Inquisitor reporter Tiffany Sterling
Reprinted with permission from the Inquisitor

Wedding bells may soon be ringing for wealthy playboy Lex Luthor and his favorite love, Doctor Helen Bryce. She officially moved into the princely Luthor Estate located on the northeast side of Smallville. The affluent couple have been spotted around the farming community holding hands and snuggling, refusing to hide their affection for each other in public. Photos of the kissing duo have previously been seen in this paper. The Smallville business tycoon moved from Metropolis almost two years ago. Bryce also hails from Metropolis--although the two didn't meet in their hometown.

Bryce is no stranger to the society elite since her father, wealthy plastic surgeon Stanley Bryce, has nipped and tucked faces and bodies of the Metropolis superrich as well as megafamous Hollywood stars who travel to Metropolis for his excellent services and his discreet staff.

Luthor, son of gazillionaire Lionel Luthor, had quite a reputation in his youth. A frequent Inquisitor cover boy, young Luthor seemed to be
followed by trouble from one hotspot to another. His biggest accomplishment in high school was getting expelled from several academies in both his junior and senior years. Known for his white-hot temper, sexy Lexy seems to have met his match in Bryce who is also purported to throw a tantrum or two. It doesn't bode well for the couple that they met in an anger management class, although hospital staffers insist Bryce and Luthor first locked eyes at the Smallville Medical Center where Bryce works.

Last year British-born beauty Victoria Hardwick moved into the estate with Lex but that merger didn't produce a wedding. Hardwick left the states after her father's company suffered a hostile takeover from LuthorCorp.
Lex should be an old hand at wedding celebrations since he last walked down the aisle only seven months ago. His brief marriage to accused murderer Desire Atkins was annulled. It's good to know that didn't put a damper on his quest for true love.

[Editor's note: This article was written before the attack on Dr. Helen Bryce.]

THE EZRA SMALL CONUNDRUM
Part Two of a Six-Part Series
By Christopher James Beppo

Continuing our exploration of the enigma that is Ezra Small, which began last week in Part I, we present another grouping of cryptic verses and apparently random scribbling from Small's diary. Like the previous set, these are from late 1838, the period of Small's most intense "spells," when he filled page after page with inscrutable text, sometimes devolving into nonsensical strings of letters, as here

nczind ozjodcpvxvi bduv htyjidv pmmdfv bpdhvm kzmzgviymv ozgg-vg-hplvttvm pfzmo xvcjfdv rzbocjm

The Ezra Small Project (ESP), a loosely organized team of experts and amateurs including yours truly, is attempting to decipher the meaning of these writings. Was Small channeling some unseen spirit? Was he wiling away the lonely hours preparing a massive hoax for future generations to mull over? Or was he simply insane? The answer is hidden deep within the pages of Small's diary, waiting for us to discover it.

Over her sweet shoulder
Hovers a portent
The mother adores unaware
Joined yet destined to divide
The young lion strains his bonds
The crow flies another direction
At the edge of science
Errors duplicate and live on
Humanity subverted breathes pain
Burning with a winner's passion
He blazes new trails on the field
But no flame can last forever
That which is enclosed in lead
Remnant of a world's demise
Defeats the undefeatable
In seeking warmth
He obliterates it
An icy tomb seals his fate
The powerful deny it
The foolish ignore it
But the humble remain levelheaded
Malformed frame
Fractured reflection
The one shall see the invisible
Beloved husband and father
Beloved wife and mother
The graveyard stretches to eternity
From the Coast
Comes a bittersweet memory
Related but no longer family
Take me to you, imprison me
For I shall never be free, nor ever chaste
Except you ravish me
With her he seeks paradise
Alone he falls helplessly
Washed but not cleansed

ATTACK AT SMALLVILLE MEDICAL CENTER

Dr. Helen Bryce fights for her life

By Gena McGuiness

Tragedy of a criminal kind struck Smallville Medical Center yesterday when Dr. Helen Bryce was attacked in the center's pathology lab by her ex-boyfriend, Paul Hayden. Stabbed repeatedly with a scalpel, Dr. Bryce lay in pools of her blood where fiancé Lex Luthor and hospital staff found her. Luthor reportedly witnessed the attack via cell phone.
A surgical team operated for several hours to stop the internal bleeding caused by a severed artery. "Dr. Bryce is very fortunate. With her type of injury, uncontrolled hemorrhaging is the biggest threat," stated attending physician Dr. Kenneth Ruddzehn.

Little is known about the suspect, Paul Hayden, who was once a medical student with Bryce but dropped out to pursue a career in real estate development. When asked, Sheriff Adams would only say "no prior complaints against Mr. Hayden had ever been filed." Adams continued, "We strongly encourage victims of abuse to file a complaint with authorities. Obtain a restraining order so that law enforcement can get involved as soon as possible. We don't want to see tragedies like this."

Though we like to think of ourselves as living in an idyllic community, the reality for some is harsh. If you're a victim of abuse, here are a few places to turn to for help: the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org) and the National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.ncadv.org). For immediate assistance, please call the Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).
On a brighter note, Dr. Bryce's prognosis is good. She is expected to remain hospitalized until Sunday.