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| Tejesh | Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:07 am Post #41 |
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Moved In
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Chapter 16, Part VI ***************** A/N: This is a slightly longer update then the past few have been. This update wraps up the chapter Integro (ch. 16), and also wraps up the story of my AU S3. I hope you enjoy. The last 2 scenes of this update were really hard for me to write, MLL betaed them for me. :) Lex slowly crept into the warehouse that Mason’s source had said Edge was hiding out in. He didn’t hold out too much hope, but he had to follow up every lead if he wanted to avenge his grandparents murders. “Let’s take a look.” He heard someone saying, from the room directly ahead. He ducked into a side room, and winced as he rubbed the back of his neck. These pains were becoming far more frequent, and it was worrying him. “You’re a new man.” Lex was shocked, perhaps Edge was really alive! In which case, he may be able to get good use out of the video camera he had brought with him. “Like looking at a stranger.” Lex crept out of the room he was in, and ducked into a closer room, so he could hear what was happening. “Wasn’t that the idea?” that had to be the hack doctor Edge had found. “Throat hurts.” “You’ll feel better once the swelling in your vocal cords goes down.” Lex got up and walked towards the room, just as Edge held up a mirror. His presense detected, Lex smiled tightly. “Personally, I think society places too much emphasis on looks. Should be the character of a man that counts. Don't you agree, Mr. Edge?” Edge slowly turned in his chair, and faced Lex. “I think you have me confused with someone else.” “You can change your face, your hair, your voice... but not your DNA. You still sweat the same.” Lex walked towards Edge. Edge stared at Lex, and behind him, Lex could hear a gun cocking. Lex turned his head to see a man pointing a gun at him. “I don't walk out of here in 5 minutes, my people have orders to send the police. And inform my father that... you didn't die on the docks that day. Maybe he'll send somebody to finish the job.” Lex smiled as he turned back towards Edge. Edge got up from his chair and slowly walked toward Lex. Lex looked at his hand, and he saw the kryptonite necklace Edge had wrapped around his hand. “What are you doing with that kryptonite necklace?” Lex was disturbed, seeing the only thing that could harm his friend. “The what necklace? Last I heard, these were meteor rocks.” “I nicknamed them kryptonite, because they glow green, and I was reading something about how a new technology has allowed us to see, for the first time, the fact that krypton does in fact, have a color. It’s tinted green.” “OK, Lex. What do you want?” “When you and my father were teenagers, you conspired to kill my grandparents. . .” Lex winced in slight pain, his breathing became a bit labored as he reached up to rub the back of his neck “. . .and split the insurance money.” “Are you on something Lex? Because frankly, you sound delusional.” “No, I've got evidence. But I need hard proof to bring down my father.” Edge just stared at Lex, not giving away anything with his facial expression. “You tell the whole story, he goes to prison. And maybe you can get a new life to go along with the face.” Edge and Lex studied each other. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “If my father calls, tell him I’m not here.” Lex said to Darius, walking past him and into his study. He immediately got on the phone and called Clark, who promised he would rush right over. Then Lex loaded the video onto his laptop, and watched it, grimly. “I blow up the building. Lionel gets rid of his bastard father and his gin soaked mother. The slumlord splits the insurance payment with us. Lionel uses his cut for his first start-up, and the rest is history.” The voice of Edge was heard. Lex sighed once, and pinched the bridge of his nose, he was getting a headache. To think his father was this ruthless and cold-blooded. He didn’t want to go down this path, that was for sure. Lex switched the video off, and disconnected the cables. A knock on his study doors caused Lex to look up sharply, but it was only Darius, leading Clark into the room. “Sorry for the interruption, sir, but your father called again. Now, I did what you asked. I told him you weren't here.” “Relax, Darius. You look nervous. Clark, thank you for coming, take a seat.” Lex stood up and walked over to Clark, giving him a brief hug. Darius looked nervously around the room, even up to the skylights, before exiting through a side door. “How much do you trust him, Lex?” “Who, Darius? I trust him implictly, Clark. Why do you ask?” “I dunno. I just get this. . .weird vibe around him. Like he’s really shady. I’d be careful if I were you.” “Don’t worry, Clark. I’m always careful. I have something to show you.” Lex played the video taped confession of Morgan Edge for Clark. Clark quickly glanced around the room, making sure there were no hidden listening devices. Satisfied to that extent, he stared intensely at Lex. “Lex. . .let me have this tape. I can protect it better then anything you’ve got here.” “NO! Absoulutely not. It’s enough that a retired Metropolis police detective knows who you are, Kal, but guess what? Your little crime spree attracted the attention of Morgan Edge. He was going to hire you for a job, before I got you home. That’s not all, he’s got a krytonite necklace. So, all of the above means, you’re staying out of this one, Clark.” “But. . .Lex. How did Edge find out about the kryptonite? I never saw the man.” “My guess? Someone saw me using it on you in that ally behind the Westin, and reported back to him that Kal had a weakness. And Edge, he prepared for any contingency. Like any good leader.” “The fact remains, I’m better suited that anyone or anything to protect this evidence.” “No Clark, I’m not risking your involvement. Not directly, anyway. I called you over here to tell you about the tape, tell you about the kryptonite, and ask for your help in tracking down leads. Not in getting directly involved with the tape.” Lex got up and opened his safe. He put the tape into the safe and closed the door. “So, Lex, why did you call me here?” “I may be calling on you, and your friends, for help, and I just wanted you to know what I may be getting you into.” “Can I tell them?” “Yes.” “Lex, I need to ask again. Let me have that tape, let me protect it.” “No, Clark. I appreciate it, but no. Edge is onto your bullet-proof nature, and he’s got kryptonite, if he pulls a Van on us, you could end up dead. Mason, too, knows of a Metropolis criminal named Kal. I’m keeping you out of this one, as much as I can.” Clark sighed and got up. “If you change your mind, Lex. . .” “I’ll call. Now go, Clark.” Lex smiled and pushed his friend towards the door. Clark smirked and nodded, walking out of the study. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Lex? Whoa, son, what happened?” Jonathan asked, running out of the house. “I nearly got my head taken off by a sniper, the evidence I had against my father and Edge is probably gone, and these damn neck aches are annoying as hell!” Lex yelled, rubbing the back of his neck and stomping past Jonathan. “Lex, slow down. You need to take a shower, son, calm yourself down. I’ll have Martha fix you a plate of dinner. And I’ll get Clark, he can go back to the mansion.” Lex stopped at that and turned around. “No, Jonathan. Morgan Edge knows about Clark’s weakness. Don’t ask me how, but he had a kryptonite necklace when I saw him. Clark can't go back there.” “I’ll be careful.” Clark said, walking out from the house. He’d heard the commotion, and decided to investigate. “No, son. Absoultely not, not if there’s a possibility of kryptonite being involved. I know you want to help Lex, but the chances of the evidence still being nearby are remote, and you. . .you might just make things worse. I think the best thing to do is let Lex recover, and think this thing through.” Jonathan put an arm around Clark, and one around Lex, leading both into the house. “Now, Lex, you go and take a shower! Clark, get the guest room ready for Lex, and I’ll get Martha to warm up some dinner.” Jonathan walked into the living room. Lex and Clark went upstairs, and Lex returned barely a half hour later. “Dinner is on the kitchen table. CLARK!!” Martha called, walking into the kitchen with Lex. Clark hurried downstairs. “I was cleaning the room, Mom. Uhhh. . .you know, um, getting rid of. . .um, the . . . b. . .baby stuff.” Clark looked positively grief-stricken, and slumped over into the chair. “Now, son, we’ve been over this. It's not your fault.” Jonathan sat down and rubbed Clark’s shoulders. Clark looked up and smiled softly. “What happened, Lex?” Clark turned to Lex, in an attempt to divert his own guilt. “You were right, Clark. Like, 2 minutes after you left, there were gunman who came into the house, one nearly took my head off. I ran for it, and jumped out a window, and then ran all the way here.” “What happened to the tape?” Clark asked, alarmed. “They probably have it. Whoever they are.” “It's either Lionel’s men, or Edge’s. My money’s on Lionel. He probably is keeping it somewhere, for leverage over Edge.” Jonathan said, leaning forward. “I could go and check Lionel’s safe at Luthorcorp. Wouldn’t be too much trouble.” Clark smiled a dark smile. “No, son.” “It might not hold up in court, Clark, even if you did find it and manage to get out of there without anyone seeing you.” “Plus, Clark, remember, Lionel had refined kryptonite bars in there last year.” Martha said, looking at her son. “So what do we do? Sit here and wait for Lex to break?” “No, son. We go out there and keep Lex safe.” “Safe, bah. I’m going to go back to that warehouse tomorrow. The one where Edge was.” “I’m coming with you.” Clark said. “Clark. . .” Jonathan started. “NO, Dad. Lex is my friend. He’s got my back, I’ve got his. That’s the way it works.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “So, what did you guys find out?” Jonathan asked, as Clark got out of the driver’s seat. “Nothing! God damn it, there was NOTHING there.” Lex yelled, slamming the door on his side of the truck shut. “Lex, calm down. We’ll keep looking. Hey, maybe your friend Mason could give us a new clue.” Clark said, walking over to Lex and putting an arm around him. It seemed physical contact calmed his friend. “Yeah. Look, Clark, you need to go get Chloe and bring her out here. She’s the one who turned me on to this whole thing in the first place. She’s unsafe out in the open, I promised I’d protect her.” “Sure thing, Lex.” Clark prepared to take off. “Clark! No powers! You don’t know who is watching, or where. You have to be careful, son.” Clark sighed and climbed into the truck, and backed out. “Clark showed me this, Lex. It's from when you escaped from the mansion.” Jonathan held up a shard of glass. “Yeah, well, it’s great, but it’s not exactly going to get any convictions. Or arrests, for that matter.” Lex smiled gently and walked towards the barn. He walked up to Clark’s loft, and looked at the farmhouse. Yellow, homely, all the times he didn’t have. Just then, he saw a limo pull up, and his father got out. A second later, Clark and Chloe pulled in. Lex quickly ran downstairs, and spied on the group, straining to listen. He saw as his father extended his hand to Clark, and Clark took it. He grinned as he saw his father wince, and knew Clark had put a little something extra into the shake. Then his father turned to Chloe. “Ms. Sullivan, isn't it?” his father was playing things very close to the vest, still not knowing about the alliances that had developed, apparently, between Chloe and the Kents. He only hoped that Clark was smart enough to do the same. “Clark, Mr. Luthor has something he'd like to talk to you about.” Jonathan said. “I'm afraid it's serious.” Martha put in. “Have you seen Lex, Clark?” Lionel asked. “No, not for a few days.” “Clark, it’s important that I find Lex. He’s. . .missing.” “I’d like to think I know Lex pretty well. If he was missing, there’s probably a good reason for it. If he wanted you to know where he was, you'd know.” “I see, Lex has. . .taught you well, in the art of um, deception. But Clark, this is not a time for putting those um, lessons to work. Lex is sick, seriously sick.” “Sick in what way?” “There's a psychotic break. Lex has had a psychotic break. . .” “No, no that can't be right.” Clark was stunned. Was it his fault? Did his secret have something to do with it? “It happened while he was on that island. I thought he'd beaten it, but, um... he's had a relapse. He is suffering from paranoid delusions. He's hearing voices. He sees things that aren't there.” Jonathan and Martha looked at Clark, trying to make sure he didn’t slip up and inform Lionel where Lex was. “I want my son. I want him back... the way he used to be. If you hear from him Clark, you have to help me. We have to get him the care he needs.” Lex looked behind him, and he heard someone crying, so he walked towards the far end of the barn. He picked up a rolled up blanket, and softly hushed it. “Shhhhhh, Julian. Everything will be just fine. Dad won't find you, we’re safe here. Clark will protect us. Shhhhhh. . . Hush little baby... don't say a word... I'm gonna buy you a mockingbird... and if that mocking bird don't sing... I'm gonna buy you a diamond ring... If that diamond ring turns brass... I'm gonna buy you...a looking glass.” “Lex?” Clark walked over. “Shhh, Clark. You’ll wake the baby. My father woke him up, I hate it when he cries.” “Baby? What baby, Lex?” Lex smiled as he turned around, showing off the blanket. “My little brother, Julian.” Lex said, proudly. Clark shook his head and supersped out of the barn. “No, no, Julian. Clark is special, but don’t worry, he won't ever hurt you. I’ll make sure of that.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Look, Lex. It’s not that we inherently trust Lionel Luthor. We don’t. But Clark found you singing to a blanket in the barn, thinking it was your brother.” Martha said, putting an arm around Lex. “I know how it must have looked. But. . .I can't explain it. I. . .Julian’s death has always been a . . . difficult subject for me to talk about.” “Maybe you should um, look into exploring that subject with a psychiatrist.” Jonathan said. “No, I can't. I want to go back to the mansion, see if there are any clues.” “I’m going with you, Lex.” “Boys, the first thing we need to do is figure out why Lex is acting the way he is. If in fact, this isn't a psychotic break, what are our other options?” “Drugs.” Chloe said, walking downstairs. “I’m not . . .” Lex began. “Not those drugs. You’re being drugged. Someone is drugging your food, or your drinks.” “Or your psychiatrist. Have you been taking any pills or anything?” Clark asked. “No pills. She hasn’t prescribed anything. Clark, we need to go back to the mansion.” “Lets do it, then.” They got up and walked out of the house, passing Pete. “Where are you two headed?” “The mansion. Stay here, it could be dangerous.” Lex said. “Lex. . .if Clark is in danger, I . . .” “Lex is the one in danger, Pete. I’m going because I’ve got his back.” “And I’ve got yours, Clark.” Pete said, turning around and walking with them. Lex shrugged, and got into the truck. Clark slipped into the driver’s seat, and Pete in between Lex and Clark. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “There's gotta be more evidence.” Lex said, clearly frustrated with not finding anything more. Clark started walking around the room, x-raying everything he could. “Pete, come here.” “Yeah, man?” “What does that look like to you?” Clark pointed underneath the bookcase. Pete got down on his stomach and looked. “Half a footprint.” “Exactly. Lex, maybe we should call the sheriff. Get her to bring in a forensics team.” Lex just looked around the room, overwhelmed, rubbing the back of his neck. “And how are you going to explain finding this, Clark?” Lex asked. “I’ll think of something.” “I wonder. . .Clark, could you describe the footpring so Pete could draw it?” “Hey, Lex, I’m all for Sherlock Holmesing around with you and Clark, but I can't draw to save my life.” “I’ll draw it.” Clark said, walking to Lex’s desk and grabbing a pen and piece of paper. He started drawing, and pretty soon, had a good sketch of the print. “Is that all in here?” Lex asked. Clark nodded. From behind them, a familiar voice called out. “Mr. Luthor.” Darius said, walking in from a side door. Lex and Clark turned around to see Darius standing in the doorway. “Darius. You're alive.” Lex said, wonderment in his voice. Lex walked slowly toward Darius, a look of confusion on his face. “We were worried about you, sir.” Lex approached Darius, pointing at him. “You're in on this, aren't you?” “In on what, sir?” Lex continued to point at Darius as he stared, confused and suspicious. “Lex. . .maybe you take a breath and think this over.” Clark pulled Lex back from Darius, and Lex stumbled a little in his confusion. He made his way over to the bar and, hands trembling, poured himself a glass of scotch, downing it in one swallow. “Come on, Lex. . .” Clark said, he didn’t want to finish his sentence, just in case Darius was really in on this conspiracy. The door opened and someone entered. “Lex.” Wild eyed, Lex turned around to see Dr. Foster walking into the study. “Thank God. We were looking everywhere for you.” Lex spun around toward Clark. “Did you call her?!” “I don't even know who she is.” “She's my psychiatrist. Don't you think it's a little convenient she just happens to be here.” “Security called me, Lex. You need to come with me.” “No. No, I'm not going anywhere. Somebody tried to kill me last night. I jumped through a window! Look, I have proof.” Lex glared around, not sure who was on whose side. He saw Clark, standing off to one side of him, and Pete, off to the other. Clark, he knew he could count on, Pete, however, was still a wildcard. Lex held the shard of glass up to Dr. Foster's face, showing her that he had jumped through a window. “The window was broken.” Foster gently pushed Lex’s hand down and walked over to her medical bag. She opened it, pulling out a vase. “You got angry during our last session and you threw this vase through the hall window.” “Then why isn't it broken?” Pete asked, looking back and forth between Lex and Foster. When he asked to come along, he didn’t know that everyone around Lex was trying to drive him over the deep end. He hadn’t known just whose side he would end up on, but now, he knew he would take on anybody to clear Lex’s name. Lex took the vase from Dr. Foster as she walked back to her bag and pulled out a syringe. “No. No. The vase would be broken if I threw it through a window.” “The vase was broken, Lex. I had to get it fixed, it looked like it cost some money. Now, I’m going to give you something.” Clark looked at Darius, concerned. Before anyone could move, Pete slipped back towards Darius, and quickly grabbed his gun. “Back off, you quack! Back off, NOW!” Pete yelled, pointing the gun at her. Clark stared in disbelief, and ran over in front of Pete, to protect him. Darius made a move to get the gun back, punching Clark hard across the back. Clark turned around, a dangerous smirk on his face. “Take two.” He whispered, lightly punching Darius, sending him flying across the room. “Now, what is this? Huh? Some kind of hallucinogen?” “It's a sedative.” Foster looked back at the door, but Clark walked over and closed them. He then took several menacing steps towards Foster. “Pete, you can put the gun down, now. I don’t think she’s going to be any trouble.” Clark smirked. “No. No, you're working for my father. Drugging me to make me crazy!” “If she is, we’re going to be finding out very shortly.” Clark said, looking at her. Pete still hadn’t put the gun down, and was loosely holding it in his hand. Clark snuck a glance at Darius, and saw him stirring. “Watch out, Pete.” Clark said, walking back over to Darius, and tapping him on the forehead, knocking him out. “Lex, we need to get you to a hospital.” “No one is going anywhere. Not until we get some answers.” Clark said, finally tiring of this game, and picking up Foster and shoving her against a wall. “Now, my good doctor, who do you work for?” “Lex Luthor.” “That’s a lie, Clark! Why would she be working for me, if she’s drugging me?” “He’s got a point.” Clark said, smiling softly. “Young man, your friend is very sick. These conspiracy theories are a symptom of his condition.” She tried to reason with Clark, who looking hesistant for the first time. “Shut up!” Lex yelled, looking at them. “Clark, I swear to you, I’m being drugged!” “Who do you work for?” Clark asked again, turning his attention back to Foster. She refused to answer, though. “I can make her talk.” Pete said, walking closer with the gun. “Maybe I am crazy, Clark. I honestly don't know anymore. But what if I'm right about all this? Are you really going to believe her and take a chance that I could be right about this? Are you really just going to let them put me away?” Lex asked, tearfully, as he looked at his best friend. At the same time, Foster decided the gun was a definite threat to her life. “LIONEL! Don’t shoot! I work for Lionel Luthor!” “And how are you drugging Lex?” “The scotch. We drugged him through the scotch.” Clark nodded backwards, and Pete made sure to grab a supply of the scotch. “Now, we can't afford to let you go, and warn your boss.” He said, dragging her along. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Where are we going to put her, Pete?” Clark asked, glancing towards the back of the truck, where Pete and Claire were sitting, Pete still training the gun on her. “I don’t know, Clark. I. . .I’ve got it! The tool shed in back, where I first put your ship. Remember? No one goes out there.” “Young man, you have to believe me. Even before the drugs took effect, Lex was suffering from paranoid delusions! He needs psychiatric care!” Claire yelled. “Pete, knock her out again, I’m sick of listening to her crap.” Lex yelled back. Pete happily complied. “That can't be good for her health.” Clark said, hanging a left and gunning for Pete’s house. Once they reached the house, Clark picked up Claire and carried her to the shed, while Pete went inside for rope and sheets. “Now, you feel free to scream, and yell, through a few gags, just don’t swallow your tongue.” Clark smirked. Pete returned, and Lex shredded the sheets, and used the rope to firmly bound Claire’s legs, feet, hands, and tie her to a wooden post. For good measure, they tied one of her legs to a table, and the other to the far wall. She wasn’t going anywhere. Clark stuffed a couple gags in her mouth, and then they left. Clark quickly drove back to the farm. “What did you find, guys?” Jonathan asked, he'd been waiting up, and outside, for them to arrive. “A whole bunch. Number one, Clark has more of Kal in him then any of us thought previously. Number two, I am, in fact, being drugged, it was through my scotch. Number three, my father is behind this whole thing.” “How did you find out?” “Dad, that’s not really important. We need to figure out a way to get the drugs out of Lex’s system.” “Clark, son, how did you find out?” “Ummm. . .I kinda threatened her.” “With what?” “Clark threatened to subject her to the same torture as she’s subjected me to. He didn’t want to tell you, because he knew you would be disappointed in his thug-ish behavior.” Lex said, saving Clark from himself. “Clark would be right. I’m not happy with how he went about getting information, but. . .since it was a. . .life threatening situation, I’ll excuse the behavior. Just, Clark, don’t let this be a justification for more of the same.” Jonathan said, excusing himself and heading back inside the house. “Lex, man, thank you so much. You could’ve really gotten me in deep trouble, but you didn’t.” Pete said, relief evident on his face. “Yeah, and me, by extension. You’re a real friend, Lex.” “I try, Clark.” “Pete, since neither of us are leaving, why don’t you spend the night?” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Early the next morning, Clark and Lex were sitting in the barn, discussing the latest events. “You need to stay here, Lex. We can't afford anyone drugging anything else you might come into contact with. I’m going to go get the scotch I buried out by Route 8, and then I’ll come back and pick up Chloe. We need to find out what drug they’re pumping into you.” Clark said, superspeeding off. Lex walked into the house, running into Chloe. “You should drink some water, Lex.” She said, handing him a cup. Lex put it to his lips, but then hesistated. “What is this, Chloe?” “I just told you, it’s water.” “Liar.” Lex smiled sardonically. Chloe looked stunned, and stared back at him. “LIAR! You’re in on this, with Lionel!” Lex threw the glass to the floor, and rounded on Chloe, so she couldn’t go anywhere. "See Chloe, I figure my dear father brought on this heart attack, but he couldn't have, at least, not alone. Your deal, though, that would cause someone like Johnathan a lot of pain, especially since you know what my father wants to know. Let me offer a piece of advice. If you ever tell my father what you know, you won't live to see your next birthday. Is that CLEAR?" Lex whispered, leaning in close to her. “Y. . .yes, Lex. I promise I won't say a word.” Lex smirked, not believing a word she said, and grabbing her by the arms, threw her into the stove. “Lex. . .stop, please.” She cried out. He ignored her, picking her up. He grabbed a knife, stabbing her once in the chest, making her cry out in pain, before glaring at her. “Let this be your warning, Chloe. Don’t get any ideas about blabbing to my father.” Lex snarled. He quickly and quietly took Jonathan’s shotgun, and ran out of the house, taking the keys to the truck with him. Lex drove fast, heading towards Luthorcorp. When he arrived, he walked in and shot the front desk, and grabbed a handgun from a startled security gurard. He headed for the elevator, and rode it to Lionel’s office. He walked into the office, and slammed the butt of the shotgun into his Dad’s inept security guard, before turning both guns onto his father. “Lex. How did you get in here, Lex?” “Well, uh, when people think you're insane and you're holding a rifle to their head, they, uh, tend to do what you ask.” Lex says, not fully in control of his voice. “OK, Lex. Put the guns down, all right. Sit down. Let's talk.” Lionel said, calmly, holding his hands out to soothe his son. “Sure, Dad. We'll have a nice father-son chat.” “All right, son, sit down.” “About, uh, how you and Morgan Edge killed my grandparents, and, uh, how you're drugging me to make the world think I'm crazy. And hey, why not do the whole thing on Oprah, you know? Spill our dysfunctional guts on national TV like regular families do.” Lex said, his voice rising with every word, reaching the point of shouting at the end. He was frantically waving the guns around. “All right, Lex, I understand why you're angry. I found out the same thing as you. The slum lord that owned my parents' tenement hired Edge to blow it up for the insurance money.” Lionel was once again holding out his hands, to calm Lex down. “Just like you planned it.” “No. Lex, no. Lex, no, they were my parents! No matter how badly they treated me, I would never hurt them. And I know deep down, you don't want to hurt me.” Lex just stared at Lionel, trying to get control of his emotions. “You know what disappoints me, Dad?” “All right, tell me.” Lionel said, calmly. He didn’t think Lex would shoot him, because of the influence of the Kents. “You hired pros to kill me. You always taught me, if you want something done right, son, do it yourself!” Lex said, once more waving the shotgun in the air. “Lex, the person responsible for this is Morgan Edge. I know where he is. . .” Lex cocked the gun, and aimed right over Lionel's heart. “Believe me. We can get justice. Lex. Lex! Listen to me.” Lex glanced over his shoulder. “Shh! You'll wake the baby.” Lex whispered angrily, walking towards the sofas. “It's Julian. Are you seeing Julian again?” Lionel said, understanding creeping into his voice. His voice dropped a bit, and he looked sadly at Lex, for only a moment. Lex stopped aiming the gun at Lionel, and used his gun hand to rub the side of his head, in obvious discomfort. He walked away, rubbing his head. “You know I can't take it when he cries, Dad.” Lex said, tone bordering on whining. “No. Julian isn't here, Lex. He's dead. We both know why, Lex, don’t do this to yourself.” “No!” Lex yelled back at Lionel. “No, Lex, you can't blame yourself for the baby's death. You were young, Lex, you didn’t know what you were doing.” Lex whirled around angrily, aiming the gun at Lionel again. “Shut up!!” “I know. You didn't mean to hurt him. I know that.” “Shut up!!! Just stop it!” “Lex. It was an accident, Lex.” Lex shoved the gun in Lionel's face. “Tell me where Morgan Edge is, now!!” Lex yelled. Lionel nodded, and reached into his pocket, pulling out a pen and a notepad. Lex kept the gun on him, but grimaced in pain, cocking his head to the side, trying to rub his neck on his shoulder. “You have to be careful. Lex, please... be careful, please Lex. I can't bear to lose another child.” Lionel sounded sincere in that plea, but Lex didn’t care. Lionel held out the notepad to Lex, who grabbed it from him. Lex studied the address, then used the gun to hit Lionel on the side of the head, knocking him out. Lionel groaned and fell to the floor, unconscious. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lex got into Jonathan’s truck, debating whether to go back to the farm, or directly to Edge’s hideout. In the end, he decided that he would rather confront Edge and make sure Clark wouldn’t force his way into the action. He took off from Luthorcorp, and within an hour, arrived at the address his Dad had given him. He got out of the truck, and snuck up behind the outer guard, knocking him out with a blow to the back of the head. Then he heard Edge’s voice, and knew he’d made too much noise. “Check it out.” Lex knew he’d have to get rid of whoever was coming his way, so he hid around the corner. Lex jumped out when the guy got close, and slammed the gun down into his solar plexis, instantly knocking him out. He crept down the hallway, and hid behind the next corner, waiting for Edge to foolishly show himself. “Jameson?” he heard Edge’s voice getting closer. Lex quickly snuck around to the other corner, and as Edge rounded it, and knelt to check on his bodyguard, Lex cocked the gun and pressed it to Edge’s neck. “I gave you a chance, Edge, but you really screwed it up. Now, drop the gun. And the necklace.” Lex growled. Edge dropped the gun, but held onto the necklace. Lex dug the gun into Edge’s neck. “Drop the necklace, Edge. NOW!” Edge quickly dropped the necklace, and Lex kicked it well away from both of them. “Your father’s the one who screwed up!” Edge muttered, angry for letting Lex gain the upper hand. Lex grabbed Edge around the shoulders, and shoved him back down the hall, into the room Edge had just come out of. “If we’d done it my way, you’d be dead by now.” “What are you talking about?” “You really believe you could have escaped if I wanted to kill you? It was your father's idea to make you look crazy instead.” Lex pushed Edge into the room, nearly causing him to fall down. “You're lying!” “It's true, Lex. Lionel's gone soft in his old age. He was willing to lose his parents, but he said he couldn't bear to lose another child.” As Edge talked, Lex grimaced in pain, rubbing his neck. “Neck still bothering you? Muscle aches, sleeplessness? All common side effects of the drugs.” “I knew I wasn't crazy. Tell me how you did it!” of course, Lex knew how they did it, from Claire, but he was trying to play Edge. Lex shoved the gun into Edge’s face, hoping to rattle the man. “Lionel thought of everything. First the dope. And getting the window fixed, and setting up the sweatshop... all little details to push you over the edge.” Edge was completely unafraid of the gun. “How do I know it wasn't all you?” again, he knew it was his father, and Edge, but he was fishing for information. “Well take a look around you. You think I'd be in digs like this if I hadn't cut a deal with your old man? You got to admit, it's an elegant plan, just like when he was a kid.” Edge waved his arms around the room. “Either you crack so completely that you can't form a coherent sentence or anything you say sounds like the ravings of a madman.” Egde smirked at Lex. Lex looked stunned by this information. “But he doesn't have to win, Lex. We can bring him down... together.” Lex lowered his gun, thinking about this for a moment. Then he smiled and raised it again. “Maybe I'll just kill both of you.” Suddenly, Clark supersped into the room. He stepped over to Edge, and knocked him out, throwing him through the open window. Then he turned on Lex. “I told you to stay at the farm!” Clark yelled. “I had to find out who was behind my father, Clark. What good would me staying at the farm have done?” Lex shouted back. He looked over Clark’s shoulder, and saw that Edge was gone. He turned and ran down the hallway, intending on killing or capturing the man. Clark, having been turned away for a second, missed Lex’s departure, and ran down the hallway, but turned to the right, and immediately found the kryptonite necklace. He fell to the floor, crawling back the way he’d came. Meanwhile, Lex ran out the front door, and started shooting at Edge, who was in a car, trying to escape. He hit Edge, but unfortunately, Edge’s foot pressed down on the accelerator. Clark supersped out of the house, and pushed Lex aside. The car barrelled into Clark, twisting and groaning as it did so. Clark grunted and pushed the car back, and turned to Lex. “You’re an idiot, Lex. There’s a van coming up the driveway. Three guesses who it is.” They hid behind the clump of trees, and sure enough, the van was full of orderlies. Clark picked Lex up and supersped them off. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “So you beat Chloe up, left her near death, then left the farm, took my truck, my shotgun, and went to Luthorcorp, and then to Edge’s hideout? What did you think you were doing?” Jonathan asked, surprising himself with the level of calm he was achieving. He knew it was the drugs that had caused Lex to act so. . .violent, but. . .Chloe was close to death, and he didn’t want to think he was a cause of that. “I was getting the answers that you and Clark were refusing to get.” “I held Claire under duress, threatened her to find out who she worked for, I found out where you were, what more could I have done?” Clark asked, standing up. “Lex, going to Lionel was a bad idea, son, he played you. Badly. Between Lionel and Edge, I’m surprised you even got out of there alive.” Jonathan sighed. “OK, what's done is done. Where is Edge now?” “Most likely, dead. After I shot him, his car impacted with Clark. He can't have survived that.” “Murder. Lex, you murdered a man. And you might be responsible for murdering one of your friends, too. You'd better hope Chloe is out of the woods.” Jonathan sighed again, he was tremendously out of his league with this one. “And where is Lionel?” he asked, turning back to Lex. “Probably mad that his therapists didn’t intercept me at Edge’s. He’s probably out using every means at his disposal to try and find me.” “So what are we doing now, Dad?” “Keeping Lex under wraps, waiting for all the drugs to get out of his system.” “We can at least nail Lionel on that charge, Clark. The test results for the scotch came back.” Jonathan said. “Where are they?” “I printed out a copy and stashed them in a secure location.” Clark nodded, trusting his father to have hidden the results someplace secure. “I’d recommend lots of water, and exercise, so that you sweat off the drugs, and they dilute themselves.” Jonathan said. “And for the love of anything, stay inside. We don’t need Lionel finding you.” Jonathan added, before walking outside. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Lex, what are you doing?” Clark asked, walking into the living room, and seeing Lex doing . . . solo martial arts. “Exercise.” Lex grunted out, as he flipped himself over, and began doing push-ups. “Dad said exercise, Lex, not give yourself a heart attack.” Clark said, tossing Lex’s towel at him. Lex grabbed it in mid-air, and sprang to his feet. “Nothing gets the blood pumping like a workout, Clark. For you, I’d recommend bench pressing a couple tractors.” “Funny. Come on, in addition to the workout, you’re supposed to be eating vegetables and foods high in protein.” “Where is Clark! I demand to see Clark!!” Lionel’s voice was heard outside. “Plan Delta, Lex.” Clark said, immediately shoving Lex into the basement. Lex ran downstairs, positioning himself so he could hear everything going on outside. Clark walked calmly outside, and strode to Lionel. “Where is Lex, Clark? Don’t tell me you don’t know, this surveilance picture was taken of you two at Edge’s hideout two days ago.” “I think, Mr. Luthor, the police would be interested in knowing why you kept the location of Morgan Edge, a crime boss, a secret.” Clark smirked as he tried his best to channel Lex. “I was going to reveal his presense to the local authorities, but I did not have time, considering my son was running around, suffering from a psychotic break. Now, Clark, I won't ask you again, where is my son?” “I haven’t seen him in a couple of days, Mr. Luthor. He nearly killed me, but I managed to escape. After that, I didn’t want anything to do with Lex. I hope you find him, though. He seriously does need help.” Clark said. “If you had realized that earlier, Lex would be getting the help he needs, and Ms. Sullivan would not be fighting for her life!” Clark just stared impassively at Lionel, while, all the while, Lex looked on from the basement. “If you see Lex, Mr. Kent, call me. We wouldn’t want. . .anymore. . .unfortunate incidents occuring, would we?” Lionel smirked at him before disappearing into his limo. Clark looked after him, until the limo disappeared from his sight. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, walking back inside. Lex waited for Clark to come downstairs. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Oh my god. I. . .I did that to Chloe?” Lex hung his head, looking as disgusted with himself as Clark did. “She says you threatened her to keep Clark’s secret to herself. She said you called it a warning, Lex. Why would you do something like that, son?” “I. . .I want to protect Clark’s secret, at all times. From people like my father.” “There are better ways then threats, Lex. Chloe knows it wasn’t you, but in a way, it was. She’s weirded out by the whole thing. I think you should go see her.” Clark said. “She probably doesn’t want a thing to do with me.” Lex moaned. “You'd be surprised, honey. She called while you were sleeping, she wants to see you.” Martha said. Lex sighed. “I don’t think he should leave the farmhouse. Lionel is probably watching the hospital.” Jonathan said. “I could superspeed him into . . .” “Yeah, and explain our presense there how?” Clark sighed, nodding. “Lex, why don’t you proceed on the case against Lionel?” Martha asked. “Where’s my evidence? And with Morgan dead, he can't be called to be cross-examined, assuming this ever gets to trial. There won't be any case. Not without hard evidence.” “Lionel’s probably got it hidden in his safe, Lex. I can be in and out without him knowing a thing.” “Clark, don’t you remember we talked about this. Lionel had refined kryptonite bars in his safe, what if they're still in there? Then you get caught, and we’re worse off then we are now.” Martha said. “I’m going to the hospital, I have to see Chloe.” Lex said, getting up and walked out of the house, before Jonathan or Martha could stop him. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Chloe?” Lex asked softly, walking into her room. “Lex. . .” she whispered, opening her eyes. He forced himself to look at her, to see what he’d done to one of his closest friends. He almost threw up, but held it down. “Chloe, I. . .” “Went crazy?” she smiled softly, as if he’d broken her. He closed his eyes and stepped closer. “I went crazy, yes. But you have to know, Chloe, I would never hurt you. I wouldn’t hurt my friends.” “But you did, Lex.” “And I’m sincerely sorry, Chloe. I’ll do anything to prove that.” “I know, Lex. And I know it wasn’t truly your fault. Are you going to pursue the case?” “I have no evidence.” “So all of this was for nothing?” “No, not nothing. I’m more resolved to be nothing like my father.” “You warned me, Lex, to never tell him the secret. What if. . .you do? He spends more time around you, Lex. He came to visit me, you know.” “Did he? What did he want?” “To remind me that . . . while I won't co-operate with him, you will. I think he knows you know, Lex, or at least, he suspects.” “Don’t worry, Chloe. I’ll stay a step ahead of my father. And all your medical bills, I’ll pay them. And any PT you might need.” Lex leaned over, and surprising even himself, softly kissed Chloe’s forehead. “Get some rest.” Lex said, smiling gently and walking out. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lex drove away from the hospital, and headed for the mansion, hoping no one was there. He was lucky, and he walked into his office, heading for his desk. He got out his lead box Jonathan had given him, and filled it with a few pieces of pure kryptonite. He got out a piece of paper, and started writing, straight from the heart. Dear Clark, I’m sorry for doing this, but my father leaves me no choice. I cannot allow you to be discovered by him, and if things remain the way they are, with me knowing your secret, and hanging around with you, he will find out. One way or another. He could bug my car, bug my clothes, bug the barn, torture me. Oh yes, Clark, I wouldn’t put it past him. I HAVE to turn myself in and let him erase my memory, then I won't remember, Clark. I won't know your secret, so there’ll be nothing to tell. Don’t try and save me, Clark. I. . .I want to thank you, Clark. For. . .showing me what a normal family feels like. Even though we both know you’re not exactly normal. Clark, please forgive me. It’s the only way to insure your safety. And please don’t tell me again, Clark. My father would stop at nothing to exploit you. Thank you, cla. . .Julian. Your friend, Lex Luthor Lex sighed, and taking another piece of paper, wrote a letter to Jonathan. Dear Jonathan, Don’t hate me, whatever you do. Clark is in the barn, he’s been there since _____ pm. If he’s . . . hurt, I had to use kryptonite to make sure he didn’t stop me. I’m going to my father, and letting him erase my memories. It’s the only way I can protect your son’s secret. This is the only way I see fit to do it. And Jonathan, don’t let Clark tell me again. Please. Whatever happens, whatever I end up as, don’t let him. And lastly. . .I want to thank you, Dad, for having me as part of your family. Thank you for the trust, the friendship, the love. I only wish circumstances were different. I. . .love you, Dad. Lex Lex grabbed both pieces of paper, and strode out of the mansion, after putting the kryptonite in his pocket. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The sky had gotten progressively darker, Lex noticed, almost as if a storm were brewing. Lex smirked, that was quite an apt analogy, he thought to himself. He sighed once as he entered the barn, knowing, one way or another, it would be the last time he did so while knowing Clark’s secret. “How’d it go with Chloe?” Clark asked, not turning around. Lex could hear the smile in his voice, almost like Clark was mocking him. As was the rest of the world. “We talked. I think we’re on track.” Lex said, trying his level best not to cry. “Someone’s being rather cryptic. What's wrong, Lex?” Lex walked up the stairs, stopping in front of Clark. “Everything. I. . .I’m sorry, Clark, I can't allow this to continue.” “Lex, what are you talking about?” Clark smiled, unsure of where Lex was going. Lex waved around the barn. “This. Me knowing, Jonathan loving me like. . .like a father should. Me being a part of this family. It’s got to end, for your sake.” “Lex, hold on. . .what are you planning?” Clark looked up at him, suddenly alarmed. “Just know I’m always going to be your friend, Clark. And. . .I’m sorry.” “I won't let you go, Lex.” “Please don’t try and stop me, Clark. You'll only get hurt.” “You wouldn’t hurt me, Lex. You’re not like that.” “I’d do anything to protect my friends, Clark.” Lex turned around, suddenly, Clark was in front of him. “So would I.” Lex closed his eyes, and quickly pulled out the lead box, and opened it. Clark looked up into his eyes, betrayl written all over his face. “Why, Lex?” Clark asked, trying to back off. “Because. I. . .” Lex lost control, and tears started falling freely. “I won't let my father use me to find out your secret.” Lex put the box close to Clark, but not close enough to do major damage. He then took out the letter he’d written to Clark, and placed it on his desk. Lex walked back downstairs. “Lex. . .no. . .stop.” Clark called weakly. Lex stopped at the base of the stairs. “I’m sorry.” Lex whispered, knowing Clark would hear it. Tears blurred his vision, but he marched to the house, and put Jonathan’s letter in the kitchen, before heading for his car. He turned around, looking at the barn one last time, before getting into the Porsche and speeding off. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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| Renee | Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:48 am Post #42 |
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Don't mess with JS
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I've been meaning to comment on this for at least three installments now. :D Sorry for the delay. It's really, really good! :coolyo: |
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| Tejesh | Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:30 pm Post #43 |
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Moved In
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Thanks, Renee.
:) This next chapter, it picks up at the beginning of Integro, with the scene between Super Jimbo and Clark @ the FoS. We find out what the rest of the nitwits...characters (excuse me :p) have been up to while Lexy was in memory rehab. Oh, and the title of this chapter, it's like...it's my big joke of the series. Go look it up, it's Latin. Chapter 17: Intercapedo pt. 1 ************************* Jimmy reached the fortress a little while after Clark and Lex, and he walked in. “Clark?” Jimmy called. Clark turned quickly. “What are you doing here?” he asked, coolly. “Making sure you aren’t making a huge mistake.” Jimmy answered. “That’s your call, not mine. Jor-El, answer me. How is the human in the chamber?” Clark turned his back on Jimmy and sat down. “What are you planning on doing, Kal-El? Is that enough to get your attention?” Jimmy asked. “I am planning on saving my friends life, Olsen. At any cost. Clear enough?” “The human can be sustained without any assistance from you, Kal-El. It will take between 48 and 72 of your hours. The first procedure will be to raise the level of brain activity. That will be the most dangerous to the human. You can serve no purpose by remaining.” “Very well. Lets go, Jimmy.” Clark and Jimmy walked out of the fortress and took off, heading back for Smallville. A few seconds after leaving, Clark heard Lara inform Jor-El that phase one had begun. He was a little worried about what would happen to Lex while being treated by Kryptonian technology, but he also knew that human medicine couldn’t have saved his friend. “No risk, no reward.” Lex had told him back in Smallville, and now Clark fully understand that particular statement. “Clark?” “Yeah, Jimmy?” “Is he going to be OK?” “Yeah, he’s going to be OK.” “Good. You know, he’s not all bad, Clark.” “He was. Last year, he was. You know that, I don’t need to remind you what happened, do I?” “You mean that string of murders in Smallville?” “Yes. You know they were all former Luthorcorp employees. All of who worked closely together, within Luthorcorp’s human testing labs, and all of them, I may point out, had voiced their displeasure with what was going on in said labs. They died mysteriously, the only thing left behind at all their murder scenes was a calling card, with a picture of some type of red rain. And a message, water, in this case, is thicker then blood. “That’s no reason to think Lex had anything to do with the murders.” “You don’t know Lex like I do, Jimmy. We were friends for a while in Smallville.” “How did you get to know Lex Luthor?” “His car hit me at 60 mph, and we went careening off Loeb’s Bridge. I dove in after him, pulled a sardine can on his car, and pulled him out.” “Why did you stop being friends?” “I thought. . .I thought he murdered one of my closest friends, my girlfriend, actually.” “But he didn’t.” “No, but he did murder a lot of other people. Remember the bodies mysteriously disappearing from the morgues in Metropolis? He was finding recently dead corpses, and injecting them with a solution to bring them back to life. His father, Lionel, had been diagnosed with a liver disease, and Lex wanted to try and save Lionel’s life. He experimented on the former dead, and when one group of people showed no progress, he let them die by withholding the serum. He must've killed at least 200 people that way.” “But they were already dead.” “It’s a question of morals, Jimmy. Included in every group of 20 were 5 control subjects. And these 5 were alive, Lex injected them with a compound that introduced the disease into their bodies. Add 50 to that 200, Jimmy. And those are the murders I know about. Who knows how many more have been killed through the invisible hand of Lex Luthor.” “Then why trust him? He could just as easily kill you.” “Because, he deserves a second chance. Everyone does. I’m giving him his, and he’s making the most of it.” “You fully trust him?” “I said it before, I’ve known him longer. I saw him when he first moved to Smallville, Jimmy. He fought, and fought hard, against what everyone, my father included, said about him, what they pushed him to be. I believe he didn’t fall to the dark side, he was pushed into it. By Lionel, my father, and even me, to a large extent.” “Where does Lois fit into all of this?” “Lois is, was, um, my girlfriend’s cousin.” “WAS your girlfriend’s cousin? I thought you said Lex didn’t kill her.” “Lex didn’t, Lionel did.” “So Lois came to. . .” “Find the truth behind Chloe’s death. To carry on in Chloe’s footsteps, to be the reporter Chloe never got to be. Jimmy, listen. Chloe Sullivan was the girl of my dreams masquerading as my best friend. Don’t ever let that happen to you. If you like someone, and shes your best friend, don’t let her pull the ‘just friends’ card. I did, and by the time I came to my senses, it was almost too late for us.” “Clark, I’m sure she’s proud of you, wherever she is.” “Oh, I know she’s proud of me.” Clark smiled a quirky sort of smile at Jimmy, and they continued on in silence, touching down at the farm a short while later. “Son, what part of NO didn’t you understand?” Jonathan yelled as he walked closer to Clark. “What part of I will NOT stand by and let Lex die didn’t YOU understand?” “Clark Jerome Kent! Don’t you dare yell back at me, I don’t care how old you are! I told you to not go to the Fortress of Solitude, and that’s precisely what you did! Now, what if you’d been killed? Or injured? What then? You’re just lucky Jimmy can fly, so we’d know where the hell you disappeared to.” “I didn’t have to participate in the healing process for Lex, Dad. He’s getting healed as we speak.” “That may be, but you still don’t raise your voice to me, do I make myself clear, young man? You’ve been doing that more and more since Lex came back into our lives, and as much as I admire you for not turning your back on your friends, I can't allow you to undermine my authority.” “What authority? I live on my own, now, Dad.” “Nevertheless, you are my son, and as such, I expect you to show me courtesy, which means, no yelling! Consider this your punishment: you have to come back here every day for a week, and do the farm chores, without the use of your powers.” “Dad, come on, that is so unfair! I have work to do at the Planet, and I won't be able to get back here everyday.” “Fine, Clark, then you get 14 days of that, whenever you want. And I’ll be counting! Now, is there anything else you need to be telling us?” “No, Dad. I need to go back to Metropolis, and get back to work at the Planet.” Clark took off and headed for the Planet. “You were. . .” Jimmy started. “Too hard on him? Yeah, I know. But, Jimmy, when your son is invincible, and he goes and does the one thing that may kill him, you’d be as tough as I was just then. Trust me, Clark is selfless, to a fault, and sometimes, you need to get through to him that he’s just as important as Lois, or Martha, or you, or anyone else. Now, don’t you also have to get back to the Planet? And why don’t you give Lois a ride?” Jonathan smirked at him and set off for the house. Jimmy supersped by him and zipped into the kitchen. Jonathan smiled and ran after him. “That brings back memories of 10 years ago, all right.” Jonathan heard Martha say. “Hey, Lois, why don’t I give you a flight back to the Planet?” “Are you FAA cleared?” she shot back at him. “Only the best for Chloe’s cousin.” Jimmy smiled gently. “He told you?” they walked out of the house together. “He told me enough. You came to Smallville to investigate Chloe’s murder, and you filled the void she left behind.” “Out of everyone in Smallville, Clark took it the hardest.” Lois said, as they took off and flew due west. “Why?” “Clark had. . .still does, a one track mind. He was busy Lana lusting for so long, he missed the girl of his dreams sitting right underneath his nose. By the time he figured it out, they only got a year of dating before Lionel murdered her.” “I. . .I’m sorry. For both of you.” “Clark realized his mistake in time, Jimmy. They had a very happy year together. Chloe died a . . . a fulfilled woman. She got Clark, she brought down one of the most powerful men in corporate America, and pulled off being friends with another. Quite a fulfilling life, wouldn’t you say?” “Yeah. . .what do you think she’d be doing right now if she was alive?” “She would probably be the boss of all of us at the Planet. Or off chasing UFOs, or three eyed human mutants. She wouldn’t be sitting still, she was a field journalist, if I ever saw one.” “I wish I has known her.” “You woulda loved her.” “Sounds like it.” “My turn, Jimmy. What happened in the Fortress? Is Clark going to be all right?” “Yeah, turns out he isn't needed to heal Lex. So Clark isn't in any danger. Well, um, here we are.” Jimmy set down in the back of Clark’s apartment complex, and they went into the building, and Lois pulled out her key and opened the door. “Clark?” “In the bedroom. One second.” Clark walked out of his room dressed in his jeans and a white tee shirt. “Kinda casual, Smallville, aren’t we?” “I wasn’t aware I had to pass muster. Smooth flight?” “Yeah. I think he’ll do all right.” “Good. Well, lets get to it. We’ve been away for a couple days, the place is probably a mess.” Clark smirked as he led them out of his apartment. They arrived at the Planet, and saw the newsroom was in shambles, reporters were running around everywhere, papers were all over the floor, and Perry was standing in the middle, yelling instructions. Clark raised an eyebrow and looked around. “This is what happens when one of us dies, the other goes into hiding, and the third has to save the world?” Lois asked, staring in disbelief at the scene in front of her. “STOP!” Perry yelled, seeing the three of them standing in the doorway. No one heard him, except Clark, so he raised his hand to his mouth, and let out a piercing whistle, effectively ending all activity. “THANK YOU! Where the hell have you been? I have half a mind to fire you three this very second! MY OFFICE, NOW!” The three marched solemnly into Perry’s office, and he came last, slamming the door and closing all the blinds. “Clark, what the hell happened?” he asked. “Well, first of all, you sent Jimmy into a dangerous situation, that ultimately led to him dying, so congratulations for that, genius. I hid Lois away to make sure the same fate didn’t befall her. I had to resuscitate Jimmy using the Fortress of Solitude, which gave him my powers on a temporary basis, we had to get him under control before letting him come back here, I had to save Lex, as well, he’s currently at the Fortress, and oh, yeah, I got a god damn pedicure! You like it?” “I think I need to sit down.” Perry sank into his chair and put his head down on his desk. “Chief? Clark didn’t mean that. . .he’s just stressed out.” Lois said. “You just told Perry.” Jimmy whispered into Clark’s ear. “I knew. I found out a few days ago.” Perry mumbled, looking up at Jimmy. “Son, you have to know, I didn’t mean for. . .I didn’t think. . .if I’d known what would happen. . .” “It’s all right, chief. I . . . I turned out all right.” Jimmy forced a smile. “If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you. . .” “Stop sending him into war zones.” Clark said. Lois raised an eyebrow at the forcefulness behind Clark’s voice. “If he wants to be babied, then he should get another job. You may be Superman, and have incredible powers, but I’m still in charge here.” “You just don’t get it, do you? He DIED. As in, WAS NOT ALIVE. As in, I had to use Kryptonian technology, which is still countless MILLENNIA ahead of yours, to revive him. I almost didn’t survive the damned healing! That is a direct result of your actions. Look, just try and use common sense, Perry. Don’t send him into danger zones.” “And what should I do? Let him sit and take pictures of pretty meadows? This is a newspaper, Clark. We have to take chances to get results, stay ahead of the pack. It’s a cutthroat business. No risk, no reward.” “All right. Look, can you come to dinner tonight?” “Yes. I’ll be there. Clark, I’m sorry for what happened to Jimmy, but. . .I really didn’t think it would. I. . .I would've done things differently if I’d known.” “You have to think ahead, chief.” Clark turned and walked out of the office. “Perry, Clark’s been under. . .a tremendous amount of pressure lately. I think he really needs a vacation, and I mean from everything.” Lois said. Perry sighed. “Of course he does, Lois, but he won't take one, not while Metropolis still has one of the highest crime rates in the country.” “He might, you know. Take a vacation. Since I have his powers. . .” Jimmy started, when both Lois and Perry jumped on him. “Absoultely NOT!” Lois yelled. “He just told me not to send you into war zones, why do you want to go into them yourself?” Perry asked. “Look, I’ll have these powers for another couple of days, Clark can relax, take a vacation during that time, and I’ll protect the city.” “No, too dangerous. We don’t know how invunerable you are. If you get shot, you could still be hurt. Kryptonite affects you, you’re not used to that. Not happening.” Lois said. “So test it, Lois. Shoot me.” “NO!” Perry yelled. “Promise me you won't do this, Jimmy. Not without talking to Clark, or his parents.” Lois said. “I’m going to dinner at their house tonight, why don’t you join me? Talk this idea over with them.” “OK.” Jimmy said. Perry and Lois locked eyes for a moment, she left, tugging Jimmy along. “I’ve got stuff to do, Jimmy. At my desk.” “So do I.” They parted ways, and Jimmy headed to his desk, which Perry had granted him, in recognizition of his outstanding work the previous year. He glanced over to Lois, wondering what she was working on. Lois smiled at him, before turning back to her computer. The computer screen was almost like a curse, she thought, staring at the prompt before her. Her sources, or rather, Chloe’s old sources, had turned up several hits on the search for Madeline Sullivan. The last entry had her leaving Chicago, and heading west, but that was all. She got up and quietly walked over to Jimmy, and read off his screen. “Why the sudden research into Chloe Sullivan and Lionel Luthor?” she asked. Jimmy jumped, startled. “I was just. . .curious about what happened back then.” “That's a sore subject with Clark, Jimmy, so don't ask him about it." Lois said, putting her hand gently on his, and closing the browser. “Look, I admire your reporter's instincts, but you're digging around Clark's past, and let me tell you, from experience, he doesn't like that.” “I just...I feel like theres still something he's not telling me.” Jimmy answered. “He’s told you the most important thing in his life. If he’s not telling you anything else, don’t you think there is a good reason for it?” “I just. . .I don’t see why Clark wouldn’t want to know the truth behind Chloe’s death. He didn’t even investigate it.” “I did investigate it. The results pointed to Lex doing it.” Clark said, walked over to him and staring. “Clark! I. . .” Jimmy started. “I told you to drop it, Jimmy. I told you Lionel was responsible for her death, what more could you want to know?” Clark asked. “Why you didn’t save her.” Jimmy whispered. “I wasn’t . . . I didn’t. . .I was elsewhere. For the sake of our friendship, Jimmy, stop digging around. It’s in the past, leave it there.” Clark said, walking back to his office. Lois had a concerned look on her face, as she followed Clark. “I know why you don’t want him to dig.” “If he finds out who you are, Chloe, he becomes a legit mark, moreso then he is now. And I promised I would never subject my friends to that. Look at what happened when I did. Lex went crazy, you died, Lana hated me, and Pete had to move just to keep my secret. I will not be a burden to my friends, Chloe. I refuse to do that again.” “You already are, Clark. He knows your secret, all of us do.” “I didn’t have a choice with Jimmy, Chloe. He was dead, I had to use the fortress to revive him, and after all he’d been through. . .he deserved knowing. But he. . .Lionel’s still out there. And he would definitely kill to get to you. He almost killed his son, and Jimmy, once already. We need to keep things low-key.” Clark walked over and gently caressed Chloe’s cheek. Chloe smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “Chloe. . .” Clark whispered. She shushed him with another kiss. “I put out fliers on my Mom, Clark.” “I thought you didn’t want to know where she was.” “I changed my mind. I have so many questions to ask her. Why she left, if she loves me. . .I need to know.” “When one asks questions, one better be prepared for the answers.” Clark smiled. “I hope I am.” They kissed once more, and walked back out into the newsroom. “Perry just told me that we need to piece together some sort of story about Lex’s abduction and subsequent rescue by Superman. We need to get an interview with Superman, if at all possible.” Jimmy said, smirking and glancing at the pair. “I’ll work on finding Superman, Jimmy. You and Lois concentrate on piecing something together.” Clark turned and walked out of the newsroom, heading downstairs. He decided to do a patrol over the city, just in case. He walked into an ally, changing into his costume, and took off, zig-zagging over the city. He started towards Suicide Slums, to check on Lionel and his movements. “HELP! HELP!” a myriad of voices rang out, from the east side. Superman rapidly changed direction, heading that way. *Daily Planet* “Ahhhhhh.” Jimmy yelled, suddenly doubling over in pain. Lois looked at him, worried, and quickly pulled him into Clark’s office. “What's wrong?” “I just heard a loud scream for help. Sounded like it came from the east side, Lois, I’ve got to go help Clark.” “Jimmy, no, you don’t know what kind of situation it is, whatever it is could hurt you. We never tested you for how invunerable you are. It’s too dangerous.” “Test me now, then, or risk it, because I’m going.” Lois sighed, she couldn’t stop him if he decided to go, but she could take precautions. “Fine. We start with something small.” Lois said, picking up Clark’s stapler and slamming it down onto Jimmy’s hand. It shattered into a million pieces. Lois smiled, and moved on to a pair of scissors, stabbing an area of Jimmy’s arm, and like the stapler, the scissors shattered. She got out a book of matches, and lit one, then lit the whole bunch, and put it onto the floor. “Put your hand into the fire.” She directed Jimmy. He did so, and felt a bit of pain, but not nearly as much as a normal person would. “You winced.” She noticed. “It hurt a bit, but it wasn’t like it would be if say, you put your hand into it.” He said, sucking in a little breath and putting out the fire. “I’d rather you didn’t do that, Jimmy. You’re still human, you don’t have that much lung capacity, and your body temperature isn't meant to go below 97ish.” “Satisfied? Good.” Jimmy walked to the elevators, and then, the second they opened on the ground floor, he supersped out of them, heading for Clark’s apartment. Once he got there, he x-rayed the hallway, finding the emergency key. He walked into the apartment, heading for Clark’s room. He got out one of the smaller Superman outfits, and put it on. Then he put on his mask, and hat, so no one would be able to ID him later. He walked back to the door and locked it. Then he opened a window, and took off, heading to the east side. He zeroed in on the screams, and zoomed forward, and saw an apartment building on fire. He saw Superman handling the rescue, and happened to glance down. He saw three people fleeing on foot from the apartment building next door to the one on fire. He fired off bursts of heat vision, making sure the three people wouldn’t be going anyplace, before the police caught them. On instinct, he x-rayed the building. He saw a bomb, and his heart stopped for a second. He didn’t know whether he could survive a bomb blast, but he wasn’t about to let hundreds of lives potentially be lost, not when he could potentially save them. He zoomed into the building, and picked up the bomb. “NO!” he heard yelled, and knew Clark had seen him. He didn’t have time to deal with him now, he’d endure the lecture of a lifetime later, if he lived, that is. He quickly flew out of the building, and zoomed skyward. Clark didn’t have time to go after him, he had more people to rescue. “Damned fool!” he muttered to himself, zooming back into the building, and out the other side with 3 more people. A second later, a second tremendous explosion was heard, and Clark looked skyward, seeing a piece of costume floating gently down to Earth. Clark, having finished the last of the rescues, rocketed up, searching for Jimmy, who he found struggling to remain in the air. He quickly swooped underneath him, and took off for Smallville. “What the hell do you think you were doing?” Clark asked, on the way. Jimmy opened his eyes, and squinted at Clark. “Saving over 200 lives.” “You’ve got first degree burns on half your chest, Jimmy. I don’t know how you’re going to heal, so you’re going to be cooling it at the farm for the next little while.” Clark landed and sped into the house. “Clark! There’s a news story about your. . .younger brother?” Jonathan said, looking at Jimmy in Clark’s arms, dressed in the Superman outfit. “Oh no. Oh hell no!” Jonathan exclaimed. Clark just nodded. “What the hell were you thinking?” Jonathan yelled. “I saved hundreds of lives, Mr. Kent.” “At what expense?!?” “First degree burns to at least 35% of his body, Dad. If he’s. . .got my powers, then I’d suggest keeping him in the sun, let his body absorb as much as he can. He may heal faster. And get him out of that damned costume!” Clark said, turning around and flying back to Metropolis. “Jimmy, let this be a lesson to you. Don’t try using your powers to save people. You could’ve alerted Clark to the situation, without trying to be a hero yourself. Now, how the hell are we going to explain this to the press?” “I don’t see how anyone could’ve seen me, I was superspeeding.” “Well, someone did, or they’re going on a hunch. Either way, we need to find out, and deal with it.” “I can. . .” “Sit here and do nothing.” Jonathan finished, fixing Jimmy with a stern look. Jimmy didn’t dare argue. *Daily Planet* “So let me get this straight, you LET HIM GO?!?” Clark yelled, barely restraining himself. “I tested him, Clark. He passed all but one with flying colors, pardon the pun.” “Oh, and I suppose that made it all right for him to grab a damn bomb and fly it up to 50,000 feet and let it EXPLODE?” “Clark, I didn’t know he would do that! I just thought he’d help you with the rescues.” “Yeah, and if his face gets plastered all over the six o'clock news, then that’s fine too.” Lois finally paused and looked awestruck. “Lemme guess. You never thought of that. You work in a god-damned newspaper!” “Well excuse me for being human, Clark! We all can't be super-intelligent Kryptonians, can we?” “Super-intelligent? Lets work on regular intelligence first.” “I don’t have to stand here and take this, Clark.” Lois yelled, walking out of the office and slamming the door. Clark just sighed, and headed for Perry’s office. He knocked on the door. “Yeah, come in.” Perry grumbled. Clark walked in and closed the door behind him. “Ah, Kent. How did the. . .um, rescue go?” “We need to talk about that. Jimmy showed up in one of my first costumes, and flew a bomb up to 50,000 feet, and let it go off. He’s got first degree burns on 35% of his body, my father’s making sure he doesn’t do anything else stupid. Now, I want you to not print his involvement. It’s bad enough someone found out about that, I don’t need to explain myself to more then one news outlet.” “Let me make some phone calls, Clark, and see if I can find out who leaked the story of Superboy.” Clark cringed. Perry smiled. “I needed to call him something, Clark.” “Well, thanks for checking into the leak, Perry. I need to go check on . . .” “Luthorcorp. With Lex gone, they pushed back the dinner date to a lunch date, today. So that’s where you’re going.” Perry said, pushing Clark out the door. “But. . .” “Jimmy’s in your father’s more then capable hands, Clark. I need this story, so get to it!” Clark just nodded, grabbing a tape recorder and notepad from his desk. Then he headed for the elevators. *Lionel’s warehouse* “So, not only did you botch up the simple task I assigned to you, but you also allowed Superman to escape, once he showed up.” Lionel said, staring at Ray. Ray was pretty beaten up, having barely survived Superman’s vicious assault. “Please, Mr. Luthor, I did everything you told me to! I got Lex, and we had the Olsen kid. They wouldn’t talk!” Ray didn’t know whether he was more frightened of Superman, or Lionel. “So you killed them?” “I didn’t. . .it was an accident.” “In my present condition, Mr. Dinsmore, I cannot afford any accidents.” Lionel said, dismissing Ray by turning his back. Ray dejectedly walked out of the warehouse. He was so angry at himself, he didn’t notice that someone was following him. He got into his car, and headed back for Granville, all the while, not noticing his pursuer. The pursuer smiled as he saw Ray’s family standing outside, waiting for him. This would be a nice message, indeed. Ray parked the car in the driveway, and his family went around to the driver’s seat. The man on the bike smiled, and pressed a button on his remote control, watching with cold glee as the car exploded, taking Ray, his wife, and two children, along with it. Not long after he’d left the scene, his cell phone rang. “Is it done?” “Yes, Dad.” Lucas Luthor smiled into the phone. “Well done, son, well done.” *Kent Farm* “How are you feeling, sweetie?” Martha asked, walking outside, and handing Jimmy some freshly cut apples. “Better. I think the burns are slowly fading.” Jimmy looked down at his chest and nodded. “Yes, but what you did was still very dangerous, Jimmy. What if you’d been killed?” Martha left him with that thought. “What did you say to him, dear?” Jonathan asked, greeting her with a kiss. “Something I hope he takes to heart. Even with these new found powers, he’s still human, at the basic level. And he could’ve killed himself with that stunt he pulled.” “I know, and you know, and I think he knows, but he had the means to save hundreds of lives. What would you do in his situation? We did raise the greatest hero the world has ever seen, Martha.” “And Jimmy’s not meant to follow in his footsteps. We don’t know if anyone will follow in Clark’s footsteps. ” “No, he’s not, but he did save those people, Martha. Granted, he’s got to learn to never do that again, but. . .” “But nothing, Jonathan. We have to tell him that, over and over, he’s got to fight that instinct. He is a very lucky young man, sitting out there, rather then lying in a morgue somewhere.” *Luthorcorp Luncheon* “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Luthorcorp’s sixth annual press conference/banquet. Please enjoy your meals, and we’ll gladly take a few moments with every paper that is represented here today.” The VP of Luthorcorp, a Vance Brightfield, announced, walking off the makeshift stage and starting with the closest paper, which happened to be the Planet. Clark was alone, so he was able to be one on one with Vance. “Hello, Mr. Kent. I’m sure the star reporter for the Planet has some very hard hitting, in depth questions for me.” Vance smiled as he sat down. “I’ll try my best. First question, since Lex’s abduction and hospitalization, what additional security measures have you taken to protect the top brass?” “I’m glad you asked that question, Mr. Kent. We’ve doubled security around the building itself, as you know, from your frequent visits. Lex is also now friends with Superman, so that should, in an of itself, add a layer of protection. We’ve invested money in upgrading our security system, we’ve hired additional security guards, we are trying to ensure the utmost safety for all Luthorcorp employees, not just the top brass.” Clark hurriedly wrote all of it down. “Slow down, Mr. Kent, we've alloted extra time for the hometown paper.” Vance smiled, and Clark slowed his writing just a bit. “Who is running Luthorcorp in Lex’s absense?” “Well, I am running the day to day, and the board handles any decisions that may affect the stablity of the stock.” “Luthorcorp’s been facing some pretty stiff competition from Queen Industries and Wayne Enterprises, what makes your company superior?” “Mr. Kent, we have a 98% customer satisfaction rating, the US government makes it a point to ask only for Luthorcorp when it comes to defense contracts. We have expanded into China, a market Wayne Enterprises has controlled for more then two decades, and we have already achieved 34% market share, which I believe speaks for itself.” “How about the claims that Luthorcorp puts profit over people?” Clark held up a copy of the Gotham Gazette, with that very same headline. “In the past year, Mr. Kent, Luthorcorp has increased workers comp by 50%, we’ve installed daycare centers, we’ve brought all of our facilities into federal compliance, even going so far as to increase our own internal guidelines. That article is outdated, and as such, irrelevant.” Clark just pointed to the date, which read April 26th, 2010. “Mr. Brightfield, please, I’m not insulting your intelligence, don’t stoop to insulting mine. This article is only a week old.” “Nevertheless, Luthorcorp is making enormous strides in the area of employee retention.” “So much so that last quarter, worker turnover was the highest ever seen in the defense industry. Your company turned over 86% of it's workforce last quarter! That’s an obscene amount.” “A quarter of that number was layoffs, Mr. Kent.” “So that explains 21.5%, explain the other 64.5%.” “Our employees felt that certain. . .research practices were not meeting their own lofty moral standards. I assure you, Luthorcorp does everything by the book, and to the letter.” Clark nodded. “Switching gears, how do you feel about Wayne Enterprises opening a plant here in Metropolis?” “I believe they will find out just how difficult it is to make inroads into Luthorcorp’s home field. I’m sorry, Mr. Kent, but that’s all the time I have to talk to you. I’m sure you understand.” “Of course, thank you, Vance. Oh, yeah, just in case you were wondering, Lex is going to be at the farm tonight, he will be spending time recovering from his injuries, so please don’t bother him. I’m telling you just for your peace of mind.” Clark stood up and shook the mans hand. He sat back down to finish his lunch, and then, as soon as he was finished, he hightailed it back to the Planet, to get to work on his article. |
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| Tejesh | Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:32 pm Post #44 |
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Moved In
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Chapter 17: Intercapedo, pt 2 *************************** *Lionel’s warehouse* “Sir, I just heard about Ray, is there anything I can do?” Sal asked, walking into the warehouse. Lionel turned a pair of saddened eyes on him. “I’m afraid not, Sal. His entire family was tragically caught in the explosion.” Sal nodded. “Weren’t your parents killed in a similar fashion?” Sal smirked. “My parents were brutally murdered, Sal. I did not have anything to do with their deaths, I was . . . moonlighting at a print shop, which is the only reason I survived.” “Sorry, boss, I didn’t mean to accidently accuse you. I was thinking that maybe the same culprits are at work here, perhaps trying to send you a message?” Lionel sighed inwardly, this inept fool couldn’t see anything. All the better that he would soon be gone. “I’m sure the . . . perpetrators of that heinous crime are long since dead, Sal. A copycat, perhaps, but not the originals.” Lionel smiled. Sal nodded. “Sal, thank you for giving me the news. It means a lot to me, to know that you are concerned about me. And believe me, you will be handsomely rewarded.” Sal smiled contently and walked out. A few seconds later, Lucas walked in, smirking. “Dad, why do people leave their cars unprotected, even in hostile territory?” “Because he assumed that he wasn’t in hostile territory. Son, it’s as you’ve learned the past 7 years. You must sometimes trust the. . .wrong crowd, to achieve all that you want.” “Sal won't be making very many more mistakes, Dad. In fact. . .in five minutes, he won't be making any mistakes.” Lucas checked his watch and smiled. “Just as I’ve taught you, Lucas, divide and eliminate. Even the most trustworthy of friends become liabilites once they learn of all your plans.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Clark, Lois and Jimmy had been slowly getting the Planet back on it’s feet for the past couple of days, and now, the 72 hour window on Lex’s recovery was fast approaching. So, in fact, was the end of Jimmy’s powers. They’d slowly been waning for the past 24 hours, and Jimmy was a little down about that, but, as Clark reminded him, he wouldn’t have to keep secrets anymore. Clark looked at both of his friends, before walking out of the newsroom. “I hope Lex is all right.” Jimmy said, breaking his silence. “Lex was always a fighter, Jimmy, even back in Smallville. I wouldn’t worry too much about him.” Lois smiled. *Fortress of Solitude* Lex’s eyes slowly opened and he took in his surroundings. Ice on the ceiling, ice on the walls, ice everywhere he could see. “Ice palace. I’m in Clark’s fortress.” He whispered out loud. “That is correct, human.” Jor-El’s voice sounded. “Who are you?” “I am Kal-El’s father.” “Jor-El. Thank you for saving me.” “I do as Kal-El wishes. Kal-El wished to save you.” “Not much bedside manner.” Lex whispered. “Your body has been put through a rigorous 72 hour Kryptonian medical clensing program. You will feel temporary muscular fatigue, it will pass within 12 hours.” Jor-El informed Lex. “I can't feel my legs, or arms.” “That is a common side effect when your frail human body was put through the Kryptonian healing cycle.” “Don’t worry, Lex. I’ll make sure you’re all right.” Clark said, walking into the fortress, in his full costume. “Thank you, Clark. For everything. The rescue, saving my life. . .” “Seems to be my job, Lex. Rescuing my idiotic friends.” Clark strode to Lex and offered a hand. Lex gently reached up and clenched, wincing a little in pain. “Easy, Lex. The next day is going to be very difficult. That’s why you are going to be spending it at the farm.” “Clark, I need to get back to . . .” “Luthorcorp? Vance is doing a more then adequate job, Lex. He led the lunch conference very well.” Lex gave him a look, but decided to move on. “Clark. . .I um, the healing process. It. . .I remember, everything.” Clark looked stunned, and even took a step backwards. “As in. . .the 12 weeks?” “Yeah, Clark. Everything.” Lex sighed. Clark followed right along with a sigh. “Well, I think we should get going, Lex. The farm awaits.” Clark gently picked Lex up, and then slowly flew off for Smallville. *Daily Planet* “So how is Clark’s story coming along?” Jimmy asked, laying out a few pictures Clark had taken of Vance, and the few pictures that he’d had taken of himself together with Vance. “He um, speed typed it in the office, the story is all printed out, we just need to get the layout from Perry, and then we can put it to print.” Lois answered. Jimmy cringed. “Did you have a fight because of what I did?” “How did you know?” “Good guess. You basically let me go, I nearly got myself killed, it stands to reason that Clark would blast you out of the water.” Lois smiled softly. “He is so protective of his friends, Jimmy. Yeah, we had a fight, but we’ll be OK. We’re always OK. Besides, I think you were wrong to do what you did, especially when we tested you with fire and you winced in pain.” “All those people. . .” Perry interrupted, opening the door to his office and yelling. “LANE, OLSEN! MY OFFICE!” he grumbled, walking back and sitting behind his desk. Lois and Jimmy glanced at each other, before walking to Perry’s office. They walked in, and Jimmy closed the door. “The Inquisitor leaked the story of Superboy. I’ve managed to pull in a few favors from people I know there, and they’ve shelved the story until Superman grants them an exclusive interview. Where is Clark, anyway?” “He went to go get Lex from the Fortress.” Lois answered. “And the story he was working on?” “We need the layout, and we’re good to go. Clark speed typed it.” Jimmy said. “It’s going to be a full front page exclusive, and continued on page A-6. How many pictures do you have?” “All totalled, we’ve got 20.” “We can't print all 20, but get the best ones, and print them. Blow one up of both of them together, and use it for the front page. Use your best judgement, Lois, Jimmy. And Lois, don’t forget about your own story. You’ve got to cover the twin explosions, and get an exclusive with Superman, and the criminals responsible. Just be careful, Lois, please don’t do anything stupid, Clark might assign me the blame again.” *Kent Farm* “Looks like Clark’s coming, Jonathan.” Martha walked into the house, pointing out in the distance, as a tiny speck slowly increased in size. “Or a low flying plane destined to collide with the barn.” Jonathan smirked. “You won't admit this, Jonathan, but Lex is rubbing off on you again, isn't he? That is such a Lex line.” “Martha, he didn’t get a fair shake the first time around, his bastard father manipulated Lex into a corner, and he felt the only way out was to give up. Now, Lionel turns out to be alive, and Lex finds himself once more in the middle of Lionel, and us. This time, I want to show him that this secret is not as important as his friendship with us. I mean, look at what happened to him last time. He went completely psychotic in three years. I will not allow that to happen again.” “At the risk of Lionel finding out?” “It. . .Martha, it depends on the circumstances. Now, you’ve heard Lex, his father is dying. There won't be major consequences if Lionel finds out, at this stage of the game.” Clark landed out behind the barn, putting Lex down momentarily, and changed back into normal clothes. He then supported Lex on the slow journey from the barn to the house. “Lex, how are you feeling, son?” “I should be all right within a day, so says Clark.” Clark gently helped Lex up the porch stairs, and into the house, leading him to the couch. “A day, if you stay off your feet and relax.” Clark clarified. “And we will make sure Lex does exactly that, Clark.” Jonathan smiled at both of them. Lex didn’t much like that smile, but he chose to be quiet. “Well, Dad, I need to get back to Metropolis.” Clark said, smiling as he walked out of the house, supersped off the grounds, and then took off. “And Lex, you need to get some rest, so you’re not moving from that couch.” Jonathan said, fixing Lex up with the TV remote, and then heading outside. Martha smirked at him, before heading into the kitchen, to go make the young man some food. *Daily Planet* “Clark, there you are. We spaced out your story, and it’s all set to print. Now, I’m heading off to cover the burning buildings, Jimmy and Perry need to see you in Perry’s office.” Lois said, walking by him and to the door. Clark turned and held out a hand, but then thought better of stopping her, instead, heading for the elevators. Clark walked by Jimmy’s desk, cuffed him gently around the neck, and dragged him to Perry’s office. Clark knocked, and then entered. “Ah, Clark, Jimmy, just the two people I wanted to see. Sit down.” “I assume you found something out about who leaked the Superboy story.” “Yes, Clark, it is the The Inquisitor. Now, I managed to get them to hold off on printing the story, on one condition.” Clark glanced up at Perry, a bit warily. “What condition?” “You, or. . .more precisely, Superman, has to grant them a full length interview on where this Superboy came from, and what happened to him.” “When?” “The sooner, the better.” “OK, thanks, chief. Anything else?” “Um. . .yeah, you might, um, want to watch how fast you type up a story, Clark.” “I was admittedly in a hurry, I had to go get Lex from the Fortress of Solitude.” “I know, but just watch it in the future. I don’t mind, as long as it’s all correct and everything, but the others might wonder how you finished typing a one hour story in 10 minutes.” Clark grinned, nodding. “That’s all, Kent. Olsen, I need you to go get pictures to go along with Lois’ story.” Jimmy smirked and saluted. “And Jimmy, watch what you put into the article. Maybe get an interview with Superman yourself, just be careful about your own um, eyewitness account.” Perry winked and turned to his filing cabinet. Jimmy and Clark smiled at each other before walking out. “I’m gonna go take care of the Inquisitor, and then shoot over to the farm, I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Clark whispered, walking into the elevators. “Right, CK.” Clark quickly changed into his costume, and then blurred out of the building, heading to the Inquisitor. He arrived, and slowly walked into the building, effectively stopping all the activity. “I was told by a few friends that I needed to straighten out the Superboy mess. Who can I talk to?” Superman said, looking around. “Uhh,. . .the, um, editor’s office is, um, up those flight of stairs, and um, last door on the uhhh, right.” One of the reporters was obviously very nervous talking to the world-renown superhero. Clark smiled his thanks, and headed for the stairs, walking up them, his cape flapping behind him. He approached the editor’s office, and walking in, stopped in amazement. It was huge, much bigger then Perry’s, and Perry had a decent sized office. “My name is Bernard Fritz, and as you might've guessed, I’m the editor of the Inquisitor. Superman, thank you for coming on such short notice. I realize you are a busy individual.” “My pleasure, Mr. Fritz, I understand you’re holding onto a story until I can confirm it?” “Yes, we are. Our photographer took pictures of a . . . young flying hero in one of your costumes.” Bernard tossed a folder to Superman, who opened them and looked. Luckily, none of them showed Jimmy’s face, because Jimmy had at least been smart enough to wear a mask. This allowed Clark to bend the truth a bit more then he otherwise could’ve. “Do you have any other pictures?” Superman asked, flipping through them. “Only one of a piece of his costume falling to the ground. We recovered the fragment.” “That is my property, I’d like it back.” “Sorry, Superman, it’s newsworthy.” “The truth of the matter, Bernard, is I frankly don’t know who it was. Someone was apparently trying to vie for the role of my sidekick. All I can tell you is, once I saw what was going on, I flew the would be hero out of the spotlight, but he. . .he died of massive burns and smoke inhalation. So. . .um, the sidekick really didn’t make it. But, he did save hundreds of lives, so he will go down as a hero.” “I see. Um, did you know this . . . masked stranger, beforehand?” “No, I did not. That makes it all the more tragic, Bernard. I do not know who this person is, was, because the body was burned beyond recognition. I’m afraid that’s all the time I can spare for you, I’ve been told Ms. Lane and Mr. Olsen from the Daily Planet also require a soundbite or two. Good day.” For good effect, Superman strode to the window, opened it, and flew out of the office. He diverted off, heading towards Lionel’s warehouse. He hovered above the building, periodically scanning it, noticing a skeletal persense he’d not seen before. However, as the people inside began moving towards the door, Superman quickly flew away, towards the Planet. “You’re sure this will work, Lucas?” Lionel asked, staring up into the sky, at the receding superhero. “If what you told me is accurate, then I see no reason why this shouldn’t work, Dad.” “And the blood, son?” “We tested it as best we could, Dad. All the tests came back positive, but until someone tries it, we won't truly know.” “And is there any antidote?” “Not that we’ve been able to find, Dad. Don’t worry, even if someone successfully manages to find one, the damage will be done.” “Son, I may have underestimated you, you will indeed be a worthy heir.” Lionel smirked darkly, and Lucas laughed a bit. *Daily Planet* “Hello, Superman. Thank you for coming.” Lois smiled. “Anything for the Daily Planet, Ms. Lane. Where is Mr. Kent?” “He is busy covering the Luthorcorp conference. I’d like you to properly meet Mr. Olsen. Jimmy, Superman.” “Ah, yes. Clark has told me a lot about you, Mr. Olsen. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” “I hope it’s all been good.” Jimmy smirked. “It’s been the truth. Whether that’s all good or not, that’s up to you, Mr. Olsen.” “Superman, if you will follow us to my private office, we’ll conduct the interview.” Superman nodded, and followed Lois and Jimmy. Lois led them to her rarely used office, which was directly next to Clark’s, with an interconnecting door. Superman looked around, settling on a chair, and sitting down. “I admire your interior decorating skills, Ms. Lane.” “Thank you. Now, lets begin. What can you tell us about media rumors about a Superboy type?” Superman quickly looked at Jimmy, forcing Jimmy to look away. “He was trying to be my sidekick, Ms. Lane. The truth of the matter, Lois, is I frankly don’t know who it was. Someone was apparently trying to vie for the role of my sidekick. All I can tell you is, once I saw what was going on, I flew the would be hero out of the spotlight, but he. . .he died of massive burns and smoke inhalation. So. . .um, the sidekick really didn’t make it. But, he did save hundreds of lives, so he will go down as a hero.” “I’m sorry.” Jimmy said, hoping Clark would catch the dual meaning. “Yeah, well, everyone makes one mistake. Unfortunately, this was his last.” Superman let out a mild smile, letting Jimmy know he was . . . feeling a bit better about things. “Well, moving on, what can you tell us about the bombs?” “Not much, I’m afraid. The police took whatever remained, and I'm not sure whether they’ll be discussing the results with me. I can say this, they were meant to take out the whole building, so rescue would be impossible, but thankfully, they failed in that mission.” “How do you know that?” Jimmy asked. “They were layered on the basement, first floor, all the way to the seventh floor. Near both stairways. Whoever did this was highly coordinated, I’ll say that. Thankfully, as I said, they didn’t go off at the same time, which allowed me to get as many people out as I could.” “Did you catch who did this?” “Before his self-sacrifice, Sueprboy managed to get all three of them with heat vision, so they weren’t in any condition to go anywhere, except the hospital, and then straight to Metropolis Federal Prison.” “How many casualities were there?” Lois queried. “Out of the 850 tenents and residents of the apartment complex, 23 died, 43 are in critical condition, and 90 are in fair condition, the rest escaped with minor bumps and bruises.” “Metropolis General has said that Lex Luthor was released in severe condition to you, so you could fly him to the Fortress of Solitude. Can you update us on Lex’s condition?” “Mr. Luthor had been victim to severe electric shock, combined with malnutrition and beatings. I retrieved him today from the Fortress, he is now comfortably resting in an undisclosed location. He had fully recovered from all of his physical injuries, and should be back to work in the next couple of days. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go tend to my duties.” “Wait.” Lois whispered. Superman looked at her. “I’m. . .sorry, Clark.” “I know, but you better be ready to take a pounding from my father.” Superman said, getting up and walking out of the office. He headed into the elevator, quickly changed back into his Clark clothes, and then took the elevator back up to the newsroom. “Hey, Lois, Jimmy. Did you get your interview with Superman?” “Yeah, Clark, thanks for telling him we needed to talk to him.” Lois said, taking charge. She’d been playing the Clark/Superman game much longer then Jimmy. “Anytime, Lois.” Clark answered, heading for his desk. *Kent Farm* “Martha, I’m going stir crazy! At least let me go outside!” “Lex, you must've been hell on your mother.” “I believe I was a little terror on occasion.” Lex smirked. “If you promise to lay on the beach chair, and not move one muscle, Lex, you can go outside. And I mean it, young man! I’ll be watching you!” “Thanks, Martha. There’s only so much sitting in front of the TV one can take.” “Clark and Jonathan haven’t found that point, yet.” Lex smiled at her, and then walked outside, making a beeline for the chair. Jonathan spied him, however, and hurried over. “Lex, what are you doing out here?” “Martha told me I could come outside, as long as I lay in the chair.” “Well, I don’t see any problems with that, but listen, Lex, as I understand, you’ve been doing nothing but lying down for the past 3 1/2 days, why don’t you do some leg crunches, and try to get the blood pumping? Nothing strenuous, but some simple excerises won't hurt.” “Thanks, Jonathan. I guess I will do that.” Lex lay down on the chair, and began slowly flexing his legs. “Take it slow, Lex. We don’t want any relaspes.” Jonathan cautioned, walking towards, and then into, the barn. Lex smirked as he lay on the chair. *Lionel’s warehouse* “Well, Dad, with both Sal and Ray succumbing to unfortunate accidents, I guess that leaves me as your sole remaining ally.” Lucas smiled as he looked across the table at Lionel. “Yes, son, but be cautious, we might've ridded ourselves of two. . .nuisances, but we also have ridded ourselves of two loyal employees.” “Dad, I can find us employees who will be just as loyal, and won't be half the trouble.” “No, Lucas, I think we will just keep it to the two of us for the time being. Is the package ready?” Lucas held up an envelope, and placed a necklace and a note into it. “It is now, Dad.” “And the card?” “He won't suspect a thing.” Lionel smiled. “You’ve done well, son. Be careful around town, the next couple of days. We wouldn’t want anyone to. . .recognize you and put two and two together.” “That’s why I’ve decided to stay right here, Dad. With you.” Lucas smirked. ‘And keeping an eye on you won't be a bad side effect.’ “I welcome the chance to prove to you that your trust in me is not, um, misplaced. Oh, don’t look surprised, Lucas, I know you must not trust me, not completely. You would be a fool to do so! And I have no need for fools. But son, our destiny lies in the same place, together, as one, we will bring down Lex and his pet alien.” “Yes, Dad, remember the together part of that statement, there would be people who would. . .shall we say, avenge my death?” “Threats never work against the desperate, son, just remember that.” Lionel sat back smugly in his chair, gazing across levelly at Lucas, who returned the gaze, with a calculating look of his own. *Daily Planet* “All right, wrap it up, Lois, Jimmy.” Clark said, walking by them and tapping them on the shoulders. He knocked on Perry’s door, and then walked in. “Hey, chief, it’s time to get going, if we want to make it to the farm by 7.” “OK, Clark, just let me put the wraps on what I’m working on, I’ll meet you downstairs.” Clark nodded and walked out, smiling to himself. Everyone was finally in on his secret, at least, everyone who mattered. “OK, Clark, I’m ready when you are.” Jimmy said, turning off his computer and getting up. He stretched his arms and joined Clark at the elevators. “Just waiting on Lois and Perry.” Clark said, walking down to his office and shutting off the lights, and grabbing his coat. “One down, one to go.” Perry said, walking over to them, as he watched Lois quickly trying to wrap her story up. Clark sighed and walked over. “Allow me, Lois.” Clark said, and Lois got up. Clark sat down, looked over at Perry and he winked back. Clark turned back to the computer, and began to speed type the rest of Lois’ story, glancing periodically between the screen and her notes. Five or so minutes later, he finished, and got up. “She wrote a book, chief.” He grinned, as the story started shooting out of the printer. “Well, we can leave it for the night crew to put together, Clark. We have a date with your parents.” Perry led the group into the elevator. They hit the ground floor, and then headed into the alley behind the Planet. “I’ll take Perry, and you take Lois.” Clark said, picking Perry up and blurring out of the alley. He glanced behind him, and saw Jimmy pick Lois up and speed right behind him, at a slowly pace. His powers were definitely beginning to wane. Clark eased off the speed a little, waiting for Jimmy to catch up, which he soon did. They ran together until they hit the farm, and Clark sped ahead, entering the house first, and then Jimmy came next, huffing and puffing a bit. “I think my powers are just about done for.” He said, smiling a bit. “Wait, why did Jimmy have powers?” Lex asked, walking slowly into the kitchen. “Mr. Luthor, I didn’t know you would be here!” Perry exclaimed, looking in shock at the Kents. “Clark and I go way back, isn't that right, Clark?” “Yeah, we go way back. Some of it's not pretty, but we’ve . . . known each other for quite a while.” “We’ll get into that, and more, tonight. For now, we should eat.” Jonathan said, pointing to Jimmy, Clark and Lex, indicating they should help with getting dinner out and assembled. “I hope I made enough.” Martha said, as she looked at everyone gathered in the room. Lex glanced around, not seeing anyone who wasn’t in on the secret. “Well, if theres a shortfall, Clark can go run to Metropolis and get us pizza, on me, of course.” Perry grinned at that, as did Jimmy and Jonathan. “All right, well, dig in, everyone. We can save the heavy stuff for after dinner.” Martha said, taking her own seat. It took an hour to feed everybody, and it turned out Martha, having known everyone was coming to dinner, had outdone herself, making more then was needed. The left overs went to Lex and to Perry. Then, everyone proceeded to the living room, where the conference started with Jonathan. “Now, Perry, Jimmy, I know you’re both friends of the family, but this secret, it's. . .different. It’s a tremendous burden on whoever knows it. Lex here knew it once upon a time, but circumstances forced him to make a tough decision to undergo EST, in order to make sure his father couldn’t get close to Clark. Pete Ross, one of Clark’s other friends, left Smallville, in order to protect Clark’s secret. Chloe Sullivan died because of the secret, among other things. And Lana, she. . .she never took it well, she left as well. So as you can see, this is not an easy secret to handle.” “Mr. Kent, believe me when I say I can handle this secret. I’ve. . .had a unique perspective on it, anyway.” “Jimmy, that doesn’t mean anything. You haven’t faced real pressure, like my father breathing down your neck, or some crooked FBI agent beating you up for information.” “I don’t think we have much to worry about, Lex. The heat is off, or so I’ve been hearing from my sources.” Lois said. “Thanks, Lois. I’m glad someone here thinks I can handle it.” “I never said you couldn’t handle it. I just said you don’t know all the pressures that come with it.” “Jonathan, let me tell you, I am honored that your son chose to let me in on his secret. I will take his secret to my grave, I promise that.” “Thank you, Perry. I hope you also realize just how much pressure you'll be facing now that you know. Especially if people think you know. Same goes for Jimmy. The second people start thinking that you know, they’ll ask for favors, or hurt you, torture you. . .anything to exploit my son, and I won't allow that. Not after everything we've been through to prevent that from happening.” “No one will ever learn Clark’s secret from me, Mr. Kent!” “Really? I couldn’t tell your conviction when you were parading around in one of his COSTUMES!” “Mr. . .Kent, I was. . .” “Being an idiot! You could’ve gotten yourself killed, AGAIN! Dying twice inside of one week must be some kind of record, James.” Clark said, fixing Jimmy with the look of death. “Look, I’ve already said I’m sorry once, what more do you once from me?” “How about some common sense? How about saying “oh, wait, I tried putting my hand in a fire, and it felt hot, and it gave me a little burn, maybe grabbing this bomb isn't such a bright idea. I’ll let Superman handle it.” But oh no, not you, you had to play the hero, get caught, and force me to LIE! Do you hear me, James? I HAD TO LIE FOR YOU! Superman never lies, but I did, to save your ass!” “Clark. . .I. . .I’m sorry, I didn’t think it through.” “I guess I should take partial blame for this, though.” Lois said, drawing Clark’s attention, which was the wrong thing to do. “Yeah, you think so, Lois? Maybe you should’ve tried, oh, I don’t know, STOPPING HIM from leaving? Reasoning with him? Telling him he would be no good in a fire situation of that magnitude, after he burnt himself on a CANDLE? A little more brainpower, and a little less snark, Lois, and this might've been avoided.” “Wait a second, here, Lois, you had a chance to stop Jimmy and you didn’t? Mind telling us why?” Jonathan asked, taking over once Clark ran out of steam. “He didn’t really give me much of a chance, Mr. Kent. He pretty much took off right after all the tests were completed.” “Pretty much doesn’t mean right after, Lois. You should’ve told him not to go, or gotten in his way, or something. ANYTHING! We have a veritable media circus now, and Clark is right in the middle of it. And what if he’d died, what then? You *knew* he, for all intents and purposes, failed the fire test, and you also knew there were a couple of buildings on fire. Those two facts should’ve made you stop Jimmy from doing his hero routine.” Jonathan continued. “Excuse me, Mr. Kent, but Jimmy was superpowered, and I wasn’t exactly in the best position to be stopping him.” “That’s a wonderful excuse, Lois. My superpowered friend wants to commit suicide, and since he’s stronger, faster, excetera, I’ll let him! You know, what if it was Clark? Would you have tried stopping Clark?” “Mr. Kent, that’s not fair.” Lois argued. “It's not? Why?” Jonathan whispered, looking right at her. “Because I was at a disadvantage. If he was set on going, there was very little I could’ve done to stop him.” “You could’ve tried reasoning with him, instead of just doing stupid tests and then saying ‘oh, go save the world, and um, don’t worry about the fire thing, what’re the chances of running into a fire?’” Clark said. “Look, he was set on helping you, OK? There was nothing I could do!” “Fine. Jimmy, care to explain why you put yourself in that dangerous position?” Jonathan turned his attention to the teen would-be hero. “Because Clark was busy with the first building, and he didn’t have time to prevent the second bomb from going off. I did have time.” “Oh, so you figured it was OK to risk your life? Do you think you don’t matter?” Clark asked. “Of course I matter, Clark, but those lives I saved matter, too.” “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?” Lex asked, having been silent for far too long. “Something like that, Lex, yeah.” Jimmy answered. “Know the only problem with that? Spock died using that philosophy, and Kirk reversed it to save his friend. The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.” “Jimmy, we’re not angry with you for saving all of those people. We’re angry because you knew you had a good chance of being hurt, and you ignored the risk to yourself. Honey, we care about you, more then we care about those people you saved. We’re not trying to gang up on you, Jimmy. We just want you to see the error of what you did, and make sure, next time, god forbid there is a next time, but next time, you make the right decision for yourself.” “So I should ignore hundreds or thousands of people dying, and be selfish and let myself live?” “When Superman is in the area, that would be the smart thing to do.” Jonathan answered, sitting back and sighing. “What was it you always said about Clark, Lex?” Martha asked. “He has a Messiah complex. I remember distinctly telling him one thing. I said, “Clark, you can't save the world. All you'll end up with is a Messiah complex and a lot of enemies.” And it turned out to be true. I didn’t think I'd end up being his enemy, but I was.” “Look, Jimmy, you'll probably never get a chance to do anything like this again, but just in case you do, do us a favor and don’t.” Clark said. “I didn’t. . .didn’t think it would cause this kind of reaction. . .I’m sorry, guys. I won't do it again, that’s for sure.” “OK. . .I’ve got Jimmy saved a building from being blown up, and nearly got himself killed, and apparently has super-powers, but um. . .could someone explain how he got them?” Lex sounded extremely confused. “He died, I took him to the Fortress of Solitude, and revived him by infusing some Kryptonian blood into him, that . . . drain from myself into him caused him to develop temporary super-powers. Powers which are waning, as we speak.” “All that because of my father, he really is a bas*ard, isn't he?” “Speaking of your father, Lex, anything new on his movements?” Jonathan asked. “No, but I have learned that both of his lieutenants are dead. Their deaths are being called accidents, but two bombs. . .one detonated in front of Ray’s house, taking out his family. . .it seems like Lionel’s calling. Make sure you leave a message after the explosion. That’s my father’s motus operandi.” “You think he had something to do with the . . . explosions?” Lois asked. Lex nodded. “The question is, now that he is. . .alone, does he have someone new behind him, or is he going solo?” “Lets run down a list of . . . people who remain allied with him.” Clark suggested. “Lucas is the only one who hasn’t died.” Lex smirked. “Then I declare, by process of elimination, Lucas is our guy.” Jimmy smiled back. “Wow, with powers of deduction like that, Perry is insane to not make you lead reporter.” Lex said. “Powers of deduction like that are why he is our comic relief photographer.” Perry commented. “Anyway, back on topic, we have Lucas and Lionel working together. . .wonder what their next move will be.” Lois asked, looking at Lex. “I don’t know, Lois. We just have to wait and see, and hope we can squirm out of it.” “Well, um, I think I need to get back to Metropolis. And I think so do Perry and Lois, since I’m guessing Clark and Jimmy brought them in.” Perry and Lois nodded, said their goodbyes, and then left with Lex. “I’ll hang out here tonight, if no one minds.” Jimmy said. “We don’t, but call your Mom and find out.” Jonathan answered. Jimmy smiled and headed into the kitchen to make his call. “I guess if he stays, I have to, too.” “My Mom says it's no problem.” Jimmy came back into the living room. “OK, then you can sleep in Clark’s room, honey.” “Goodnight, boys.” “Night, Dad, night Mom.” “Night, Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent.” |
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| clarkfan | Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:03 am Post #45 |
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Newbie
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Awesome continuation.............I love that everyone is in on the truth..........more please :bounce: |
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| Tejesh | Thu Mar 23, 2006 9:49 pm Post #46 |
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Moved In
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This chapter kicks off a 4 episode arc which I had a really fun time writing. It, it allowed me to explore a side of Lex which I really wasn't keen on attempting, but the rationale behind why I wrote the arc dictated it. The character of Lex is a flawed one up until now. Kudos to anyone who can figure out precisely *why* this arc needed to happen
:) Chapter 18: Danger ********************* Clark awoke the next morning, looked at his clock, and wondered why he'd woken up at half past 4 in the morning. “Chores.” Clark thought to himself, hopping out of bed and going into the bathroom. After freshening up, and making himself breakfast, he headed out for the barn, where Jonathan was already out checking on the crops. The past five years had been very prosporous for the Kent Farm, and they’d been able to buy up parts of the vacated Potter Farm next to theirs. “Hey, son. Still getting up with the cows, I see. Once a farmer, always a farmer, I say. Well, while you’re out here, why don’t you grab the combine for me, put it up on the blocks, and then go out to the West side, and put up part of the fence that fell down.” Jonathan said, grabbing his tool kit and heading out of the barn. Clark smiled and saluted, before blurring out of the barn. He finished up with the chores before 5, and then did the rest of Jonathan’s, blurred back into the house, and made breakfast for his parents. Then he went into the living room and sat quietly, thinking over the past few weeks, and everything that had occurred, from Lex, to Chloe, to Jimmy, to Lionel. “Clark, honey, why are you up?” Martha came downstairs, in a bathrobe and her slippers. “I grew up on a farm, Mom, up by dawn. I guess nothing will change that, not even 5 years in a big city.” “I guess not. It took a long while for me to get used to country life, Clark.” She smiled and walked into the kitchen, and found breakfast ready and waiting. “You didn’t have to make breakfast, honey.” “I had the time, and I figured you could use a nice morning off.” Clark smiled at her. She flashed an appreciative smile back, before sitting down to eat. Around half past six, Clark announced to both his parents that he had to leave for the day, so he woke Jimmy up, and after he took a quick shower, and ate, Clark picked him up, and whisked the two of them away to the Planet. “Hey Clark, hey Jimmy, how’re you?” Lois asked, as they got off the elevator at the newsroom. “OK, got a very good night of sleep away from home.” Jimmy answered. “I slept fine until 430, damned farmer’s life.” “Green Acres, we are there.” Lois deadpanned. “Goodbye, city life.” Clark shot back at her. “Kids, kids, it's much to early. Sit down, work on something for an hour, then you’re going to Gotham. Mayor Gavin Whitecroft is announcing a dramatic reduction in city crime rates, I’d like to find out how he did it.” “Maybe his honorable mayorship doesn’t um, know the methods employed.” Clark said, raising an eyebrow. Perry winked, getting the message. “Police still help Superman, Clark. He isn't a one man show, just find out what steps he’s taken to reduce crime.” “Can do, chief.” Clark nodded and headed to his office, as was customary each morning. “Hey, Clark, come out here and look at your big front page scoop.” Lois poked her head in and smiled. “Why don’t you come in here and let me. . .investigate something else?” Clark grinned back. “As tempting as that is, I think I’ll pass for now. Come on, Clark.” Clark sighed and got up, following her outside. “To Lois and Clark, who together, saved the Daily Planet from being ruined. This year alone, three full front page layouts.” Perry said, raising a cup of champagne. Clark grabbed one and smiled. Lois did the same, and following the toast, they drank. “Anything to say, guys?” “Not really, except we’ll try to be better next year.” Lois smirked. “As if.” Jimmy put in. “Well, I have a pile on my desk, it looks like.” Clark said, walking over and sifting through it. “Hey, Perry, what time is that news conference starting in Gotham?” “Half past 10, which means you should leave in about a half hour, cause it is a two hour drive.” Perry walked back into his office, shutting the door. “What types of questions are we going to be asking, Lois?” Clark sat down next to her, and began going through his paper stack. “Usual stuff, what tactics have you used to aid in reducing the local crime rate, does he know who is helping, has he formed an alliance, stuff like that.” “We’ll need to be careful, we don’t want to blow anyone’s cover. Call me in a half hour, L.” Clark headed back to his desk, and started to sort through his papers. *Luthorcorp* “Welcome back, Mr. Luthor.” Vance said, handing Lex a couple reports that needed to be signed. Lex tucked them under his arm. “Pleasure to be back, Vance. How did things go in my absence?” “Smoothly, Mr. Luthor. Very smooth.” “And how did the Luthorcorp Luncheon go?” “It well well, your friend Clark Kent grilled me pretty hard on worker’s satisfaction and security issues.” “After what happened to me, I think he was justified in grilling anyone here, who has authority, on security issues.” Lex stated. ‘More so then you can imagine.’ “We had a minor gas leak in one of our Smallville plants, yesterday, but we managed to contain it. It’s all in the reports.” “Then I guess I’d better get started on them.” Lex said, effectively ending their meeting and heading to his office. He closed his door, and then took his seat, and finally put the reports onto his desk. Ever since Vance had given them to him, he’d been innately curious as to what they said. The first one was titled Safety Report, and the second was Proposed Budget Expansions. He definitely wanted to read the Smallville plant news first, so he opened up the first report. He quickly flipped through the pages, stopping when he got to the news of the Smallville plant. “And on Wednesday, June 7th, 2010, there was an explosion at the 5th Luthorcorp plant located in Smallville. There was considerable property damage, but luckily, no serious injuries were reported. There are, however, over 100 employees still unaccounted for. It is estimated that over $50 million in damage occurred, repair time is well over a year.” Lex stopped reading at that point, and called for Vance. “FIFTY MILLION in property damage, Vance, and you didn’t think of going to personally oversee the rebuilding effort?” “Mr. Luthor, I felt my best course of action would be to. . .” “Why wasn’t this brought to my attention sooner? I know Clark told you I’d be at the farm last night.” “He did, but he also said not to bother you, that you were there just to rest and recover your injuries, not for any aggravation.” “I doubt Clark foresaw any situation like this. You should have at least informed me of this, Vance. Don’t let the same mistake happen again, should a similar situation arise. Now get out, better yet, go to Smallville on the chopper, and oversee recovery efforts. And don’t call it anything other then a rescue and recovery operation. Do not call it anything that may lead people to think anyone has died.” Lex said, knowing the negative PR could discourage any prospective new employees from signing on with Luthorcorp. Vance sighed and walked out of Lex’s office, while Lex put his head down on his desk, thinking of 100’s of potential deaths, 100’s of potential lawsuits, wrongful death suits. Even if they were able to fend off every single one, the PR nightmare would be enough. He quickly got up and ran out of his office, to cut Vance off. “VANCE!” Lex yelled, seeing him about to exit the building. “Yes, Mr. Luthor?” “I want you to report back to me, and me only, about any deaths, if there are any. I don’t want anything leaked to any news media, I want a blanket over this entire thing. Is that understood?” “Yes, sir.” “And Vance, if you botch up this assignment like you botched up not informing me about the explosion. . .it won't look very good for you.” With that, Lex turned, and headed back for the elevators, leaving a very scared and thoughtful Vance standing in the doorway. *Daily Planet* “Lois! If we need to be in Gotham by 1030, we need to leave, like, now.” Clark called, grabbing his suit coat and walking towards the elevators. “Give me a second, Clark.” True to her word, Lois wrapped up whatever she was working on, and quickly headed for the elevators. “My car, or yours?” she asked, while they were riding to the ground floor. “Mine is in the parking garage at the apartment complex, wheres yours?” “Our parking garage, here.” “Yours is closer.” Clark smirked, and began heading for the door leading into the parking garage. “Clark!” Lex called, walking into the building, running towards them. “Lex?” “Yeah. Listen, I know I don’t ask. . .um, for much. But. . .there’s a situation that’s come up, and we need your help with it. More. . .precisely, we need. . .” Lex leaned in closer, to make sure his voice didn’t carry. “We need Superman’s help.” Clark’s eyebrows immediately raised, and he glanced at Lois. “Get the car warmed up, dear. Meet me on the street.” Clark threw an arm around Lex, and led them towards the door. “What's the matter, Lex?” “There was a significant gas explosion at one of our Smallville plants, we need some. . .quick cleaning.” “I’m kind of rushed for time right now, Lex. I have to make it to Gotham in a couple hours, for a mayoral press conference. How about, after I finish typing up the story, I’ll come see you, and we can discuss this further.” “Thank you, Clark. I wouldn’t normally be asking, but . . .” “You’re anxious to get back up and running. I understand. I’ll stop by, Lex. Bye.” Clark said, over his shoulder as he ran towards Lois’ car. The second he got in, she peeled down the road, heading for the interstate. “Lois, it’s a fact I can break the sound barrier, lets not try it WITH YOUR CAR!” “I don’t want to be late.” “I’d rather be late, and in one piece, then early in two.” “Stop complaining, farmboy.” Lois however, did ease off a bit, taking the exit for I-45, and a shortcut to Granville, which took them through Cadence. “Silence sucks.” Clark thumbed through Lois’ CD collection, stopping at a Matchbox 20 CD. “Good taste.” He put it into the player. “Rob’s got a way of just grabbing you and pulling you in.” “I know, Lois, I’ve got all of their albums at home.” They rode the rest of the way, listening to the smooth sounds of Rob Thomas and Yourself or Someone Like You. “Well, here we are.” Lois got out of the car, and stretched, while Clark got out and headed for the front door of City Hall. “Clark, wait up. The conference doesn’t start for another 15 minutes. We should look presentable.” “I always look presentable. Is someone a bit self-conscious?” “Would someone like to be a bit unconscious?” “Touché.” Clark smiled and waited until Lois gave her consent for them to proceed. “Mr. Kent and Ms. Lane from The Daily Planet, here for the press conference with Mayor Whitecroft.” Clark introduced themselves to the attendant. “Here are your press credentials, first door on the right, third floor.” He pointed them to a bank of elevators. “Thanks.” Lois took the passes from him, and tugging on Clark’s arms, lead them towards the stairs. “We have like, 10 seconds, Clark, make with the speed.” She whispered. Clark smirked at her, looked around, and seeing the coast was clear, picked her up and supersped up to the third floor. He put her down, and they resumed their walk to the press room. “Good timing, we were just about to close the doors.” The attendant for this press briefing informed them, as they held out their credentials. “Second row, middle.” he told them where their spaces were. “Thank you for coming, ladies and gentlemen. I am Mayor Whitecroft. Before I open the floor for questions, let me brief you. Starting one year ago, and continuing at present, a major drop in Gotham City’s crime rate has been noted, with no significant increase in police presense. Many of the criminals have reported being caught by a . . . bat creature. While we don’t tend to believe them, some of our own officers and businessmen have reported sighting this creature beating up a thug, or stopping a mugging, lending credibility to the stories. We have instituted a new police policy, whereby all of our officers will do anything in their power to aid and abet this vigilante. We do not believe this person, or thing, is harmful to the public, and all of his or her actions so far just further this belief. We will now take questions.” “Mayor, do you have any communication with this . . . creature?” Clark asked. “Not so far. We have tried leaving messages in parts of the city, but if this person is receiving them, they are not acknowledging them.” “Do you have any ideas about who the vigilante is?” “No, but it must be someone with wealth, or access to wealth. We have gotten reports of a pretty sophisticated car leaving some crime scenes.” “Any . . . guesses?” Lois this time. “We do not want to engage in guesswork, for fear of scaring this hero away.” “When did this begin?” “Sometime early last year.” “Do you have any idea what motivates this hero? Monetary compensation? Fame? Just likes seeing his name in the headlines?” “We have no idea. We have received no demands, or requests, for anything of the sort. One more question.” “Do you think this hero is linked somehow to Superman, the hero who watches over Metropolis?” Lois asked. “We are not sure. They do not appear to operate in the same manner, and Gotham’s hero has displayed no powers that would link them with Superman. Thank you all for coming.” Lois and Clark got up and headed for the door. *Luthorcorp* “Mr. Luthor, Vance is calling from Smallville.” Emily said into the phone. “Put him through, Emily.” “Hello, Vance.” “Mr. Luthor, it’s worse then our initial reports. There’s been a massive secondary gas leak and explosion, and over 75% of the plant is unusable. We’re not going to be able to get back on our feet for years, if ever. The EPA is going to bust a serious cap, Mr. Luthor.” “Enviromental red tape can always be circumvented, Vance. Just clear out all of our people, find out the identities of who is dead, fax me the list, and get clear yourself. Your job is a fact search, not a rescue mission.” “But sir. . .all these people. . .” “Evacuate the damned building before another there is another damned gas explosion, Vance! Get everyone out of there, now. Find the identities of who died, get me that list, and then leave yourself. What part of that is hard to understand?” “Yes, sir.” “Vance, their already dead, there’s nothing more that can be done for them. We need to avoid lawsuits, avoid the negative PR. Think of what that would do to Luthorcorp. Trust me.” “OK, Mr. Luthor. But I guarentee some of the press people will think we’re covering up something big. Which in this case, we are.” “Leave the press to me, Vance. Concentrate on the assignment. Goodbye.” Lex slammed the phone down, fed up with his inept VP. *Smallville* “This is a list of people we’ve found dead in sections 1 through 6. We’re combing 7 through 10, and then will wrap up with 11 through 20.” “Isn't that a bit uneven? We can't afford to miss anyone.” Vance said, taking the list from the nameless employee. “We’re making sure we don’t miss anyone, sir. If you'd like, you can come with us and oversee our progress.” “I don’t think so, um, Gary. I will take you at your word, besides, it’s your neck hanging in the noose with Lex, not mine.” “The name is Stan, sir. And thank you for your vote of confidence.” Stan spun on his heel and headed back downstairs. “Stan, Gary, it's all the same to me.” Vance muttered, heading to the plant’s main office, which had survived the two blasts. “300 total employees in sections 1 through 6, 164 dead. Lex is not going to be happy. Well, better send him the fax he wanted.” Vance put the list into the fax machine, hit Lex’s personal fax number, 555-9156, and then hit send. A knock at the door caused him to look up, just as a major explosion rocked the plant. “WHAT THE HELL?” he yelled at the guy standing in the doorway, as he ran around the desk. “There’s another major gas leak.” Another explosion just punctuated that statement, and Vance had had enough. He pushed the guy out of his way, into the office, and took off for the stairs. Just as he reached the top, a stray piece of the roof came hurtling down at him, pinning him to the ground. “H. . . . .help.” he coughed, alarmed at the blood that was already spurting from his mouth. “Hold on, Mr. Brightfield.” ‘That guy from the office’, Vance thought, ‘If I’d stayed in there, I’d be safe.’ As yet another explosion rocked the plant, his would be savior decided he’d rather save himself, and took off around him, racing out of the plant. “Wait. . .please.” Vance was struggling to breathe. However, no one else came to look for him, no one knew where he was. His last thought was of Lex, and how he was going to become a part of that list he didn’t like. How ironic. *Daily Planet* “So you see, Lois, that is why Captain Kirk got all the ladies, and the others just didn’t.” Clark smirked, as they got off the elevator. Clark spied an envelope on his desk and walked over. “Clark, just admit it, Kirk was as big of a human slut as anyone could be in the 23rd century.” “Oh contraire, he was a devenour. Just like James Bond.” He sat down and opened the mystery envelope. “Lois, you shouldn’t have. I know you’re sorry about the Jimmy incident, but this must've cost you a good amount.” Clark smiled as he took out the nice purple amithys necklace. He unclasped it and put it on. A warm, soothing feeling overcame him, and he sighed deeply, closing and opening his eyes, a faint purple haze could be seen. “Hey, Lois, why don’t I show you how Kirk got the ladies?” Clark got up and smirked, walking over to Lois and laying a deep kiss on her, stunning her. “Clark, not out in the open!” “Why not? I thought you liked my adventurious side.” “Lois, Clark, this is a newspaper! Not a makeout center! Get with the story!” Perry yelled, coming out of his office. “Hey, lay off, Perry! No one appointed you makeout supervisior. Or is this just something you don’t remember?” Clark grabbed Lois again, and kissed her. “Clark Kent! My office, now!” “Look, you slave driving egomaniac, I’ll do whatever, or whoever, I damn well please. You sure as hell aren’t going to be stopping me. As a matter of fact, I never wanted to work here in the first place, anyway. It was just convenient for my night job. No one in their right minds would work in this backwood newsroom with a staff full of wannabe reporters, anyway.” Clark turned and headed for the elevator, leaving a stunned Lois, Jimmy and Perry staring at him. “Clark, I want you in my office, now.” Perry whispered it, but it was the strongest whisper ever. Clark turned, and suddenly stalked across the room, grabbing Perry by the throat. He lifted the older man up to eye level. “My own father couldn’t control what I did, what makes you think you’ll be more successful?” Clark threw Perry into his desk, turned, and walked to the elevators. “Anyone else wanna try and stop me?” when no one came forward, Clark got into the car, and as the door closed, he saw Lois heading for Perry’s office. “That’s the newspaper business, cutthroat.” He smirked as he got off the car and headed for the door. He made sure no one was looking, before superspeeding in the direction of the bank. “Hello, I’d like to make a withdrawl of 40,000 dollars.” “Can I see some ID?” the teller responded. Clark grinned wildly. “How about you come out from back there, and let me show you something more then ID?” “Aren’t you going out with Lois Lane, Clark?” the teller asked, taking his driver’s license from his hand. He smirked as he brushed his fingers against her hand. “There’s plenty of me to go around, don’t sweat it.” “Anyway, here’s your money.” She handed him a bag of bills, and Clark smiled as he walked away. He supersped to a clothing store, buying his usual leather jacket and denim. He smiled at the female cashier, writing his number down on the receipt and giving it to her. “Call me, baby, and I’ll show you the true meaning of man of steel.” He smirked, walking out of the store. “Clark Kent asked me out! Oh WOW! He’s so hot!” she yelled, loud enough for him to hear it. Clark then headed for the nearest motorcycle dealership, and bought the most expensive bike there, riding off towards Luthorcorp. He gunned into the parking lot, stopping on a dime, and grinned as he removed his helmet. He supersped up the back stairs, taking the secret route to Lex’s office. Once he arrived, he knocked on the door, then without waiting, entered. “Hello, Lex.” “Clark? What's with the new outfit? The only time I've seen you dressed like that. . .” “Let me assure you, Lex, I’m not under the influence of red kryptonite. Mind if I have a drink?” “Um, help yourself. Now, about the plant in Smallville. . .” “Oh, Lex, stop worrying about it. We need to focus on bigger issues. Do you happen to remember once I came to you proposing a . . . partnership?” Kal tried to appeal to Lex’s inner desire to control everything around him. “Yeah, when you were hopped up on red kryptonite. Clark, what is this? The leather jacket, the drink? What are you trying to prove?” “That I can have fun without any drugs.” “OK, Clark. What's this about a partnership?” “Remember 9 or so years ago, when I came to you, offering a partnership? I don't think you knew everything I could do. Now you know. I'm offering again. The two of us would prove to be able businessmen, dont you think?” “Once again, you were high on red kryptonite that time" Lex says “This is the real me, this time, Lex. Together we could be rulers of mankind!” Kal knew Lex had a very large weak spot for darkness, for all the material possessions that he always wanted. And the things that he wanted, but could never have, being a weakling. Things like taking over the world, which, together, they could do. Lex finally turned to him, grinning evilly, the same grin Superman had hated, but Kal loved. “Oh yes, Clark. Together, we can take the world! Nothing could stop us.” Lex finally relented, giving in to the dream that was being laid out in front of him. “Why don’t we start with something close to home, Lex?” Kal leaned on the desk, a forboding smile on his face. “What do you have in mind, Clark?” “Bruce Wayne. Wayne Enterprises, your closest competitor.” “I like this new you, Clark, that is a great idea. Why don't you go bring him here?" Lex smiled darkly and turned to face Clark. "Sure, Lex, it'll be my pleasure. I've had enough of that snotty, know-it-all Bat freak, anyway. May I use your window?" Kal smirked back at Lex. "My window is your window, Kal." Lex opened the window wide and Clark spun around into his suit, and took off. Lex smirked again, and turned back to his list. "Wayne, Queen, Luthor...that's good enough to start." He thought to himself. "Oh, Clark, together, we will be unstoppable. I'll show my father how empires are made. My brains, your bronze, danger be to all who oppose." Lex said to himself, as a calculating grin emerged. |
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| Tejesh | Sat Apr 1, 2006 5:49 pm Post #47 |
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Moved In
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Chapter 19: Force *************** Clark landed at Wayne manor, and was immediately ushered into the Batcave, where Bruce was working. "Bruce." Kal said, making Bruce turn around. "Yes, Clark? What can I do for you? Lex giving you trouble? Do you need me to do some recon work on your friend?" "You can shut your bat-hole, and come with me! It's time we talked. A nice little mid-air conversation. And Lex, well, we'll get to Lex, eventually." Kal supersped over to Bruce, and squeezed his wrist tightly, hauling him to his feet. Clark enjoyed the pain he saw on Bruce's face, and smiled coldly. Bruce shouted out from the vice-like grip on his wrist. "EXCUSE ME??!?! Clark, what the hell is the matter with you?" he shouted, angry, and understandably outraged Clark grinned larconically at him. "Nothing, Batty Boy, I'm feeling fine. Better then fine, in fact." Bruce tried to jerk back. "Look, you want to talk to me, fine, but let go of me." "No can do, Bats. You see, you're going to be having a nice sweet little talk with Lex about business. Now." Clark dragged Bruce out of the cave, and took off for Luthorcorp. "LET ME GO! CLARK! WHATEVER'S WRONG, WE CAN WORK THIS OUT!" "Not this time, Bat-boy. I've had enough of you. I will ruin you, and enjoy every second of it." Bruce knew something was wrong. He decided to try a new approach. "Clark, what's really going on?" he asked. "Nothing, Bruce. Absoultely nothing. I've never felt better. And my name's not Clark, it's Kal. Get it right." Bruce raised an eyebrow. He knew 'Kal' was part of Clark's Kryptonian name . . . something he told the millionaire he was leaving behind, because to him Krypton was a dead world. Hearing that name in that voice . . . and seeing that look in Clark's eyes . . . Bruce knew something was wrong. The detective in him knew he needed to wait and find out what was really going on. "So, Bruce, no more wise-ass remarks? No trying to figure out what's gotten into me? I thought you were smarter than that." Bruce simply scowled. He wanted to say something snappy, but he was over 10,000 feet in the air, being held by the world's most powerful man who could drop him at any second. So he settled for scowling at Clark, and hoping this made sense pretty soon. “How is everything, Bruce? Hope it’s all going fine.” Kal smiled as he made small talk. Bruce, however, refused to say a word, refused to give any advantage he might have away. “Yeah, it is a bit slow, isn't it?” Kal sped up, and flew through Lex’s office window, landing inside. “Ah, hello, Bruce. Thanks for coming.” Lex smirked from behind his desk. “Luthor. What are you up to?” “My friend Kal and I have a business proposition for you, Bruce. Sign over total control of Wayne Enterprises, and you won't lose any vital organs.” “WHAT? Are you crazy? What type of game is this, Luthor? How are you controlling Clark?” “My name isn't Clark. It’s Kal. For someone who claimed he was smart, you’re mighty slow on the uptake.” Bruce turned and scowled at him. “Lex, why don’t you draw up a contract for Bat Boy to sign?” “Already being taken care of. So, Bruce, how's the family?” Lex offered Bruce a drink. Bruce smacked the glass out of Lex’s hand, and it fell to the floor, staining the carpet. “Uhhh. . .Kal?” Lex asked. Kal smiled and bent over, blowing on the stain, drying it away. “Thank you.” “Anytime, Lex, anytime.” Kal grabbed Bruce’s other wrist, and squeezed. “Try being more careful, Bats for brains.” “Mr. Luthor, the contract you ordered is ready.” Emily said, over the intercom. “Thank you, have it delivered to my office, Emily.” “Yes, sir.” “What are you planning on doing, Luthor, forcing everyone to sign over their companies to you?” “Oh, I don’t know, a few hostile takeovers, a couple leveraged buyouts, mergers of equals, don’t worry, Bruce. Your part in all this is crystal clear. Since no one knows Wayne Enterprises better then you, you’ll be running it, reporting directly to me.” “I will do no such thing, Lex! What’s gotten into you? I knew your reform was too good to be true!” “Don’t you ever shut up with the morality lessons?” Kal sighed. Lex laughed. “He’s got a point, Bruce. Even in boarding school, you were the voice of boredom.” The door opened just then, and someone walked in, depositing a piece of paper on Lex’s desk, before quietly walking out, shutting the door behind him. “Standard signing over of control of one company to another. Here you go, Bruce.” Lex slid the contract over to his rival. “I’m not signing this.” Kal cleared his throat. “I think you are, Bruce.” “What if I don’t, you’ll what? Have *Kal* kill me? Have one of your henchmen kill me? Kill me yourself? Lex, if you stop this right now, I won't tell anyone outside of this room what has transpired, and we’ll get Clark whatever help he needs to beat this. . .whatever this is.” “I don’t need help, Bruce. Maybe this is just the way I was meant to be. Maybe the weak Jonathan and Martha couldn’t see that I was meant to rule, not serve. Now, sign the contract, or I’ll throw you out the window, and in case you haven’t noticed, we’re on the 54th floor. I doubt you'll survive, and where would Gotham be without their prized servent?” Bruce snarled, Clark was right. He was needed in Gotham. “I swear to you, Lex, I’ll get to the bottom of this. This, this. . .sham of a contract, it won't last long.” Bruce signed the contract, threw it back at Lex, got up, and walked out of the door, slamming it behind him. “One down, Kal, two to go.” “I wish I had a drink right now.” Kal said, eyeing the decanters sitting on the top of Lex’s desk. All of a sudden, one of them started shaking, rising slowly in the air. “Clark?” Lex asked, looking shocked. Kal blinked once, and the decanter fell onto the table, shattering. “I. . .I did that?” “Well, it wasn’t me!” “How is that possible? As far as I know, no Kryptonian has the power of telekinesis.” “Try it again, Clark.” “The name is *Kal*, Lex.” “Sorry, Kal. Try um, this book.” Kal nodded, and looked towards the book, concentrating on it. Slowly, it rose from Lex’s hands, rocketing towards Kal, who reflexively caught it before it could hit him. “Looks like you could use some practice.” “Maybe on you, if you don’t shut up, Lex.” Lex, recognizing he’d pushed Kal too far, apologized. “I’m going to go home, I’m sure Chloe’s told Jonathan and Martha all about this. Might as well face them and shut them up, too.” “That’s a good idea.” Kal smirked, blurring out the window, before taking to the sky. He landed on the outskirts of the farm, and immediately noticed someone sneaking around in the brush to his left. He smiled as he sped in behind the person, then tapped him on the shoulder. “Looking for me?” “As a matter of fact, Superman, yes!” the guy reached into his coat pocket, taking out a gun, and fired at Kal. The bullets had a green tint to them, but before Kal could get out of the way, they impacted. He didn’t react as he usually did around green kryptonite, the bullets just impacted on his skin, and flattened. Kal smirked at the newfound. . .immunity he had to green kryptonite, and grabbed the guy by the throat. “Superman doesn’t exist anymore, he was a façade!” he threw the guy into a nearby tree, grinning with satisfaction as he heard bone breaking. Curiously, he ejected the remaining kryptonite bullets, rolling them around in his hands, with no ill effects. He laughed maniacally, sauntering towards the barn. “Clark!” Jonathan called, walking out of the house. “Hello, Jonathan.” “Clark, son, I. . .I don’t know where you got the red kryptonite, but. . .um, you need to take it off. You know what it does to you, why would you even go near that stuff?” “I’m not on red kryptonite, *Dad*.” “So explain the clothes, and the attitude, and what Lois says you did back at the Planet.” “I’m not explaining anything to you, or to anyone else, for that matter.” “It. . .Clark, it’s that necklace, you have to take it off!” Kal nodded, grabbing the necklace and tucking it inside his shirt. “Sorry, Jonathan, this is the real me. I did something I wasn't even capable of before. This necklace set me free! Stripped away your petty insignificant boundaries. You're not scared of me, you're scared of what I'm capable of. And with damn good reason, too. Lex and I can take over the world, and guess what, Johnathan? There nothing you can do about it!" “I’m sorry, too, Clark.” Jonathan pulled out his lead box, and opened it, taking out a chunk of kryptonite. Clark walked over to his father, pried the kryptonite from his grip, and laughing fiendishly, crushed it. “Checkmate, Jonathan. You thought you could stop me? You can't stop me! I’m the danger you’ve been scared of. Together, Lex and I will show the world a force to be reckoned with! And the best part? You can't stop me. Now stop trying.” Kal grabbed Jonathan and shoved him back towards the house, before superspeeding away. “Jonathan!” Martha cried, running out of the house, just as he started to get up. “It had no effect on him, Martha. I might as well have been holding a chunk of mud, for all the good it did. I . . . I don’t understand. And Lex. . .Clark and Lex have joined forces, they're going to try and rule the world.” “We have to stop them, Jonathan.” “I don’t see how we can, Martha. Somehow, Clark is now immune to the kryptonite.” “Everyone always has a weakness, Jonathan. Isn't that what Lex used to say?” “Luthor! I knew this reformation was too good to be true.” Jonathan growled. “Jonathan. What if. . .what if Clark turned Lex? Back to the darkness?” “Then, Martha, we are dealing with something so much more then anything we’ve dealt with before, and there might be no stopping this. If Clark really is capable of that, we’re really in deep trouble, because Lex always has had a . . weakness for the dark side, and Clark is the one calling the shots. I just. . .I don’t know what to do anymore.” *Warehouse* “Hello, Dad.” Lex smirked as he walked into the warehouse. “Lex.” Lionel may have sounded a bit surprised to see him, but he didn’t let it be heard. Only Lex, who was a master at reading Lionel, heard the surprise. “And how are you, Dad?” “Alive and well, Lex, alive and well.” “Which is more then we can say for the unfortunate corspe residing in your coffin.” Lionel laughed. “You didn’t, um, expect me to simply succumb to my fate, did you son?” “Of course not, Dad. But I didn’t think you'd manage anything this. . .elaborate. You’ve really outdone yourself, this time. Couldn’t find a deluxe apartment in the sky, so you settled for a warehouse in Suicide Slums?” “Arrogance doesn’t become you, Lex. Just remember, the cockiest are the first to fall in battle.” “The second are the diseased, Dad, and that’s one thing you can't overcome, is it? How long do you have left, this time? A month? Two, tops? What can you hope to accomplish in that time?” “More then you can imagine, son. Much more then you have accomplished in five years as the head of Luthorcorp.” “I believe my fortune may be turning, Dad. I hope you manage to find some way of living, because I am going to show you how empires are made.” “On the backs of the weak, and the corrupt, Lex. Never forget that.” “Never forget. . .that’s an interesting way of putting it, Dad. I recently recovered some memories that you didn’t want me to. Lets just say, they bring new meaning to the words sins of the father. And, apparently, sins of the mother. I didn’t kill Julian, Dad. Mom did. To protect him from your wrath. And judging by the way I turned out, she was absoultely correct in doing so.” “Your mother would never. . .” “Oh yes, she would, trust me. To protect Julian from the likes of you? She would kill, Dad. And she did. Have a nice day.” Lex turned and walked out of the warehouse, getting into his limo. “Lucas!” Lionel yelled, turning towards the back room. “Yes, Dad?” “Are you certain that this. . .purple. . .kryptonite. . .has no counteragent? Will Clark Kent be without a weakness?” “As far as I know, Dad, Clark won't be susceptable to green kryptonite. We didn’t have time to test it against anything else, with the rush you put on us.” “It’ll have to do, son. Get the papers ready, you’re heading for Luthorcorp.” “And what if the employees don’t sign over their shares, Dad?” “Promise them anything, Lucas, just get those shares. We only need 50.1% to force a new slate of directors onto the board, and then we effectively gain control of Luthorcorp.” “Dad, you know Lex owns over 65% of the voting stock, plus 40% of the common, there is no way we will be able to wrestle control from him.” “Lex will be battling his inner demons, Lucas, this. . .weakness for altruism, that will keep him busy with Clark, and give us time enough to make our move. Now, son, you’ve trusted me for this long, don’t back out now. Stick to the plan, and we will soon take control.” *Luthorcorp* “Sir, Clark Kent is waiting for you in your office.” Emily said. “Thank you, Emily.” Lex walked into his office, and saw Clark standing by his desk, staring out the window. “Kal?” “About time you got here, Lex. I was about to get tired of waiting.” “Sorry, I had to go visit dear old Dad, remind him I’m still alive. After all, a Luthor can't turn his back on his upbringing, can he?” “This was a day for visiting fathers, or. . .pseudo fathers, as it were. Jonathan tried convincing me to take off the necklace. Sadly, it didn’t work. What’s next?” “Oliver Queen, and Queen Industries. Oliver may join us, but why don’t you go get him, so we can have a face to face.” “And where am I going to find Oliver?” “Last I heard, he was in California, somewhere in Los Angles.” “That won't do, Lex.” Kal said, sitting down behind Lex’s desk, and logging into the Daily Planet website. “What are you doing, I thought the site was restricted. . .” “Remote access for filing field stories.” Kal smiled and a few more keystrokes later, he had an address for Oliver Queen. “12785 West Rudolph Blvd, Los Angles, California. I’ll be back.” Kal snickered, getting up and opening Lex’s window. “Of that, I had no doubt.” Clark smirked at Lex, then took off out of the window, heading west. “I’ll show you, Dad, how empires are supposed to be built. On force, fear, and aggresion.” *Lucas POV* “Luthorcorp stock is currently selling for 58.25, I will buy you out of your position at 65.25, you can make a quick 7 bucks a share.” “I won't sell for under 70, I’m sorry.” “How many shares do you own, Mr. Brightfield?” “I own 135 million outright, and another 25 million stock options.” ‘Luthorcorp has about 8.4 billion shares outstanding, this guys got roughly 2%, I think paying up is a good idea.’ “OK, Mr. Brightfield, my best and final offer is 69.25, 11 over market.” “Sold.” “Very well, I’ll need you to sign this contract, and then come to this. . .address, for your payment.” “O. . .K.” Vance took a pen out of his jacket pocket, and signed over his stake. “Thank you.” Lucas moved on, heading into the lunchroom. “Mr. . .Monroe?” “Yes, I am Mr. Monroe, can I help you?” “Yes, I understand you are Luthorcorp’s CFO. I am currently engaged in an attempted takeover of Luthorcorp, and am representing an enormously wealthy investor. However, we anticipate Mr. Lex Luthor would never go for such a buyout, or a forcable change of power, so we have to buy up the voting shares, and the common. I am authorized to purchase your shares for a reasonable premium to current market prices.” “I don’t know what you’re after, considering Lex owns 70% of the voting, and 47% of the common, but I have 130 million shares, and 50 million options.” “I will offer 66 even, Mr. Monroe.” “You’re trying to lowball me, my kind sir. I overheard your conversation with Vance, he sold for 69.25. When news hits the wire, the stock will jump to 71, at least.” “71.33, final offer.” “Sold.” *Kal’s POV* “Vegas. . .time for a pit stop.” Kal touched down, took off his glasses, and spun into normal clothes, his usual jeans and leather jacket. “Time for some quick cash.” Kal strode down the street, heading for the first casino he saw, Harrah’s. “Hello, sir, and welcome to Harrah’s. We hope you enjoy your stay here, and here are 200 dollars in complimentary casino chips. Have a great night.” The door attendant said, dropping the chips in Kal’s hands. “Oh, don’t worry, I will.” Kal smirked, heading for the blackjack tables. “The game is 21, gentlemen, no minimum bet, no max.” “I’m all in, 200 bucks.” Kal said, stepping up and grinning, dropping his chips on the table. “Of course, sir. Your card.” The dealer pushed out an 8. Kal x-rayed the next one, saw it was an ace, and hit up to a nine or nineteen, and then hit once more, up to a 21. “Winner.” The dealer pushed everyone’s chips to Kal, totalling $2,000. “All in.” Kal pushed it right back out. He got a king, and then on his next turn, he hit the king, and got an ace, for a blackjack. He kept pushing everything out, until he reached 50 grand, and then cashed out, and headed for a strip club, in the casino’s building. He walked up to the first table closest to the stage, and threw some 20’s on the floor, enticing the models to come out and dance. He smirked as he showed off his well defined arms, and chest. At the end of the show, they beckoned him to the back room, so he went, tossing cash at them. “We think you’re really sexy, and we’d love to prove just how. . .versatile we really are. What do you say?” “Well. . .um. . .” Kal took off his jacket, and shirt. “Ohhh. . .such nice broad pecs and abs.” One of the girls rubbed her hand on his chest. “Sorry, ladies. I’ve seen better shows in my living room, and it didn’t cost me nearly as much. You should consider radio, you’ve got the bodies for it.” Kal grabbed his clothes and walked calmly out of the back room, smirking all the way out the door. He ducked into a side alley, changed into his costume, and took to the skies, heading for LA, and Oliver. *Kent Farm* “What are we going to do, Jonathan? With Lex at his side, Clark could very well succeed in taking over, destroying, the world.” “Martha, I don’t know. Without the green kryptonite to stop him, Clark is unstoppable.” “How about this. . .Bruce Wayne person, in Gotham? Doesn’t he have an in with Batman? Maybe we can call him to help.” “I don’t think Batman alone can stop Clark, but maybe he knows some other. . .vigilanties, who can help. Maybe some sort of team can stop Clark.” Jonathan answered. “The first step is to call Bruce, or better yet, to go see him.” “Get in the truck, Martha, I’ll go get my coat. We’re going to Gotham.” |
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| raethehazzard | Sat Apr 1, 2006 9:26 pm Post #48 |
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Resident
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keep up the good work very interesting :wave: |
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| Tejesh | Fri Apr 7, 2006 1:15 pm Post #49 |
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Moved In
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Chapter 20: Power (or, a clandestine meeting in Gotham with some wack job in a Bat costume) ************************ Kal arrived at Oliver’s address very late that night, and knocked on the door. A very sleepy looking man of about 28 answered it, looking less then pleased. “Whatdya want?” “A meeting with Oliver Queen. Find him, now!” “I am Oliver Queen. What do you want with me?” “Lex Luthor wants a face to face with you, and what Lex wants, I get. You’ve got 5 minutes to get dressed.” Kal forced his way inside the house, standing, arms crossed, in the foyer. “Excuse me? Who the hell are you to demand anything from me? Do you know who I am?” “Billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, set adrift for years in the Pacific Ocean, recently rescued, heir to Queen Industries, yada, yada, yada. Now get dressed, unless you want to meet with Lex in your. . .Tweety Bird pajamas.” Oliver gave him a withering look, and slowly stomped upstairs. Kal, not trusting in the least, engaged his super-hearing, making sure Oliver didn’t call anyone, like the cops or private security. Oliver didn’t, and a few seconds later, he came back downstairs, with a gun in his hands, but he was dressed properly. “I’d like you to get the hell out of my house, whoever you are.” “Or what, you’ll shoot me? Is that supposed to scare me, somehow?” Kal smirked at Oliver, and before Oliver knew what was happening, Kal supersped towards him, grabbed the gun, and stepped back. Oliver stared at him, dumbfounded. “How. . .” “Magic.” Kal smirked again, before hitting Oliver lightly on the head, knocking him out. He grabbed him, and sped out of the house, taking to the skies. *Gotham City, Wayne Manor* “Yes, um, we’re. . .we’re here to see Bruce Wayne. It’s a matter of great importance.” “What are your names?” Alfred asked them, glancing down at his clipboard. “Jonathan and Martha Kent.” “You may come on into the mansion. Bruce has requested you be given immediate entry.” “Thank you.” Jonathan said, smiling at the butler, walking inside, followed by Martha. “Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Martha Kent, sir.” Alfred led them into the sitting room, before departing with a bow. “Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent. What brings you here?” “Our son. . .is um, he is . . .” “Let me help you out, Jonathan. Your son, Clark Kent, aka Superman, has turned evil, and has joined forces with one Lex Luthor, and are in the process of destroying the immediate area, and soon, the world.” “Well, yes, how did you know?” “Clark came to visit, shall we say.” “Did he hurt you in any way?” “Only my pride, Jonathan. He and Lex. . .forced me to sign over my company to them. Luckily, I still have a sizeable bank account offshore, so I’m not totally helpless.” “We think he is . . . under the influence of red kryptonite, although he denied it. Red kryptonite strips away all of his conscience, he acts on impulse, all his negative emotions come bubbling to the surface. And. . .we . . . god, Jonathan!” Martha sobbed, burying her head in Jonathan’s chest. “We think Clark may have turned Lex back, Bruce. And that thought scares us more then anything else.” Jonathan said, looking Bruce squarely in the eyes. For his part, Bruce was seldom shocked by much, but that theory certainly shocked him. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus. “Look, I . . . I know how much Lex has changed this past year, and how much you. . .you want to believe in him, but the possibility remains he is controlling Clark. He knows your sons secret, how much of a stretch would it be to assume Lex is behind this?” “I don’t think Lex would. . .be this blatant. Besides, Clark is immune to the green kryptonite. Lex wouldn’t be able to engineer something to immunize Clark this quickly. It’s got to be someone else, someone with the power and money. . .” “I’ll be honest, Jonathan. I don’t see any way of stopping him, not by myself. Perhaps you would allow me to call in two of my friends?” *Luthorcorp* “Hello, Oliver. So nice to see you again, old buddy. Thanks for coming on such, um, short notice.” Lex grinned, sitting behind his desk. “What is this, Lex? I don’t appreciate being hauled from my home to Metropolis. Especially not like this. Explain yourself.” “I’d like to discuss a merger of equals.” “And you couldn’t just call me over the phone? I don’t think so, Lex. I’m very happy running Queen Industries as an independent entity. We’re a west coast operation, anyway. We couldn’t handle reporting to someone who can't visit us and see our progress on a regular basis. So my answer is no.” Kal cleared his throat from behind Oliver’s chair. “I think you should, um, reconsider your answer, Oliver. Before Kal here takes it personally.” “Business under duress, Lex? I don’t work well like that.” “Learn.” Kal grunted out, crossing his arms and staring down at Oliver. “Or you’ll do what, you misguided excuse for a superhero?” “I’ll make sure you don’t get a chance to. . .discuss business again, for a very long time.” “Here is the contract, Oliver. Standard Mergers and Acquistions contract, I highly recommend you sign it, while you still retain use of your fingers.” “Lex. . .I have to think about my shareholders, my. . .the people who work for me.” “They won't be affected, too much. And Luthorcorp stock is doing extremely well right now. I don’t think you have much choice other than to sell to me, Oliver. I’m offering 30% over market, 65% cash, 35% stock. The enterprise value of your business alone is only 10% over market. It’s a very generous offer.” “No deal, Lex.” Lex glanced over at Kal, who smirked before grabbing Oliver and hauling him to his feet. “Sign it, or you’ll be going splat on the concrete outside.” Kal snarled. Oliver looked at Kal, and saw the rage and anger in his eyes, and quickly signed the contract, shoving it towards Lex. “I hope you rot in hell, you magnamous prick!” he yelled, storming out of the office. “Well done, Kal.” “As always.” Kal smirked as he flew out the window. Lex stood up, and watched him disappear in the distance. He sat down heavily and looked at the contract Oliver had just signed, effectively ending their friendship. He slowly shook his head. ‘This isn't worth the loss of friends, or potential friends. I can't do this anymore, not when I’ve come so far in the past few months. Clark brought me back from the brink, I can't do this to him, either. He can't stay like this forever, someone will eventually get him off red kryptonite, and when they do, he’ll be ridden with guilt.’ ‘NO! Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting right in front of you, don’t throw it away! Together with Kal, you can take over the world! Show Dad what you can do, Lex. Don’t be weak. You’ve got true power sitting in the palm of your hands. Don’t be an idiot.’ ‘When Clark comes back, I’ll use this on him, and find that red kryptonite and get it away from him.’ Lex thought to himself, opening his lead lined drawer and retrieving a piece of pure green kryptonite. ‘You’re throwing it all away, Lex.’ ‘No, I’m saving myself, and my friend.’ Having won this internal battle of wills, Lex walked out to his outer office, and instructed Emily to admit Clark without hesistation. “And call me when he arrives.” Lex said, pulling out his cell phone. Then he walked into another part of the building, hoping his plan worked. Hoping he wasn’t too late to save his best friend. *Wayne Manor* “Meet my friends Bart Allen, aka the Flash, and Princess Diana, aka, Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman. Bart, Diana, these are Clark’s parents, Jonathan and Martha.” “Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Kent.” “Nice to see you guys again, Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent.” “You’ve met?” Bruce asked, looking from Bart to the Kents. “Yeah, during Clark’s senior year, Bart stopped by and. . .livened things up a bit.” Jonathan smiled at the young man, impressed that he’d turned things around for himself, and used his gifts for good, now. “Anyway, we’re hear because Bruce claims Superman has turned evil, and is plotting with Lex Luthor to take over the world? And what do you and Mrs. Kent have to do with any of this?” Diana asked, looking at the Kents, confusedly. “Um, they're close friends of Superman’s, by extension of Clark Kent. Clark is their son, and Clark and Superman are close friends.” Bruce said, swooping in and saving the Kents. “How are we supposed to go up against Superman?” Bart asked, sitting down. “I don’t know. Rumor has it that his weakness is green kryptonite.” Bruce said, looking over at the Kents. “Clark told us that once he got wind of the situation, he contacted Superman, and tried using green kryptonite, but it was as effective as gravel. Somehow, Superman has gained immunity to the kryptonite.” Martha said, looking pensive. “So without a weakness, what do we do, knock him around?” Diana snarked, levelling a gaze at Bruce. “Why not? You’re about as strong as he is. See if you can find whatever is altering his personality, and get rid of it.” Bruce responded. “Look, before we do anything, why don’t we go see Lex? Maybe he can be convinced that what he’s doing is wrong.” Jonathan said, looking around the room. *Luthorcorp* “Mr. Luthor, Mr. Kent just entered your office, what shall I do?” Emily said, over the phone. “Nothing, don’t disturb him in any way, I’m on my way up.” Lex quickly sprinted to the elevator, and pressed the correct button, then waited while the elevator sprang upwards. Upon arriving at the proper floor, Lex calmly walked into his outer office. “How long has he been waiting, Emily?” “About two minutes. I wanted to wait before calling you.” “You did the right thing.” Lex assured her, walking into the office. “Lex, I was worried you wouldn’t make it. Wouldn’t want anything to. . .upset our plan.” Lex smiled as he looked at Kal. “This isn't how it's supposed to be. I'm sorry, Clark.” “Clark? Clark was a weak pathetic excuse for a man. I’m not Clark, I thought you knew that, Lex. And what are you sorry for? Isn't this everything you've ever wanted?” “Clark is the name of your true self, you’ve just forgotten. And yeah, this is everything I’ve always wanted, but I’m not sorry for that, I'm sorry for this." Lex brought out the piece of 100% pure kryptonite, knowing that he was shattering all of his dreams, for his friend. Again. This time, he hoped for a thank you, last time, it had been impossible. However, much to Lex’s horror, Clark simply reached out his hand, and the kryptonite flew into it. He crushed it into dust, laughing maniacally all the while. “You weakling! Lionel was right about you all along, you have a conscience which will always hinder you.” Kal shouted, rounding on Lex, who put his hands up in a feeble attempt at defense. “Clark. . .I. . .” Kal smirked as he grabbed Lex and hauled him up, glaring into his eyes. “You’re lucky I need you.” Kal said, throwing Lex, hard, into the bookcase, instantly knocking the billionaire out. He then strolled to the door, turned, and looked at the broken body of his one time friend. “Checkmate, Lex.” Kal smirked as he walked out of Lex’s office. |
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| Tejesh | Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:09 am Post #50 |
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Moved In
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******************** *Chapter 21: Betrayal * ******************** “I think he’s coming around, Martha. Lex? Lex, son?” Jonathan said, slowly wiping Lex’s face down with a rag. “D. . .Dad?” Lex slurred as he slowly, painfully, opened his eyes. “No, it’s Jonathan Kent. Take it easy, looks like Clark got pretty mad at you. You feeling OK?” “I tried stopping him, I realized I was becoming everything he tried saving me from, twice. I’m . . . I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just. . . I became power hungry, I saw my dreams laid out in front of me, and I pounced.” “We will be discussing this later, Lex. Although, given the circumstances, I’m not sure what any of us could’ve done, with him being immune to the green kryptonite.” Jonathan said, fixing Lex with a very stern look. Lex glanced down, feeling ashamed for letting Jonathan down. “I’m sorry.” Lex whispered. “Not as sorry as you should be, you still used him, Lex. Used him for your own twisted, sick goals! What kind of a friend is that?” Bruce asked, looking at Lex with an expression of annoyance and disappointment. “A friend who sees the err of his ways.” Lex answered, looking up at Bruce, holding his arms out. “I don’t know what more I can say, Bruce.” “Lex! I found someone intere. . .” Kal opened the door and looked inside. “A party? Why wasn’t I invited? Hello, Jonathan, Martha. Bruce, so nice to see you again.” Kal grinned as he dragged Lucas into the room, shoving him against Lex’s desk. “I found him trying to get top execs to sell their stock to him. Not hard to guess who is behind this, Lex. What shall we do with him?” “Get the list from him, and let him go.” Lex said, getting up and rubbing the back of his head. “You are weak, Lex. Let him go, so he can do this again?” Kal walked in further, and grabbed Lucas. “If you ever try this again, rest assured, your life will not be worth living.” Kal snarled, grabbing the paper out of Lucas’ jacket, and then throwing him out of the room. “Clark! Son, you don’t know how dangerous you’ve become. Take that necklace off.” “I didn’t listen to you at the farm, what in the hell makes you think I’ll listen now?” Kal asked, stepping closer to Jonathan. Lex got in between them, quickly. “Look, Kal, I was wrong, this. . .this isn't right. None of this is right. You have to take off that necklace, right now.” While Lex was talking, Bruce was inching closer to Clark, who turned around, and grabbed Bruce, launching him across the room, headfirst into the bookcase, knocking him out, instantly. “CLARK KENT!” Jonathan yelled. “I AM NOT Clark Kent! He never existed, you stupid farmer! He is just the weak shell you created because you couldn’t handle the power I represented.” Kal yelled, superspeeding out of the room. “Bruce?” Martha asked, quickly rushing across the room, where Bruce was slowly coming around, groaning. “I don’t think provoking him was the best idea I’ve ever had.” He said, sitting up too quickly and seeing stars. “You tried. But honey, you knew nothing would help in this instance.” Martha said, helping Bruce into a sitting position. “Nothing. Bah.” Lex said, determination flashing through his eyes. He walked out of the office. “Keep Clark busy!” Lex yelled behind him, heading for the elevators. “Where is. . .where is he going?” Bruce mumbled, holding his head. “I don’t know. Lex has a plan, but I wish he’d tell us what it was.” *Kal’s POV* “That was fun.” Kal said, eyeing the jewelry he'd just stolen from Gotham City Jelwlers. “It will be more fun for us, taking it back, Clark.” Kal turned, and saw yet another person from his past, Bart Allen, with some bimbo. “I see you finally hooked up with a random chick, Bart. Tell you what, why don’t you join me? I know you enjoy this sort of thing. What about it? World’s fastest man, combined with the world’s strongest? That should prove interesting.” “No deal.” Bart eyed Clark, looking for any of the red rocks Jonathan had told them about. “That’s a mistake, Bart. You may be faster then me on the ground, but. . .in the air. . .” Kal grinned larconically as he took off, heading straight up, soon out of their sights. Diana grabbed Bart and took off, following Kal, barely about to keep up. “You believe Jonathan when he mentioned the red kryptonite?” she asked. “I’m not sure. I’ve never seen Clark around the stuff, but from what Jonathan told us, this has all the makings of red kryptonite. I don’t know what we’re going to do about it, though. He’s too strong, too powerful.” “Maybe for you, Speedy, but not for me!” “Excuse me, do I look like a mouse?” “Do you really want me to answer that?” “Funny. Look, he’s landing!” Diana quickly landed in behind him, and Bart speed off to hide himself behind a tree, hoping for an opening. “You followed me? What do you want, a night with Smallville’s most non-eligible bachelor?” Kal turned and glared at her. “Don’t flatter yourself, Clark. Now why don’t you hand the necklace over to me and come home?” “No can do, honey. Lex and I have to finish some business.” “We've got unfinished business of our own, Clark.” She signalled to Bart, and he jumped out from behind the tree. “Clark!” he yelled, zipping between trees. Kal turned and started towards him, intending to get the easier target out of the way. Diana slowly walked up behind him, before grabbing him in a bear hug and flipping them over, landing with her on top. Kal easily reversed her grip, throwing her off him. “Is that all you’ve got?” Kal smirked, as he stalked over to Wonder Woman, hoisting her in the air. She was breathing hard, but otherwise showed little ill effects from the fight. “No.” She answered, reversing Kal’s grip on her and flinging him into the forest. “Strong girl.” “Stronger then you!” “That, I doubt.” Kal supersped to her, picked her up and threw her high in the air, smirking as she landed hard on the forest ground. *Kawatche Caves* “Jor-El!” Lex called, walking into the caves. “Yes, human.” “Something's wrong with Clark, and I need to get to the Fortress to help him!” “Step 3 meters forward, human. And prepare yourself.” Lex did as told, and felt a tremendous jolt, there was a big flash of light, and then nothing. *Kal’s POV* “You are indeed to be pitied, Clark. Look around at what you’ve done!” Bart yelled, zipping away from a very enraged Clark Kent. “You don’t know me well, do you. Does it look like I care?” Kal suddenly zipped off, colliding into Bart. “How. . .” Bart whispered. “I know you, however. And how you think.” Kal smirked down into Bart’s face, before picking him up. “Hey, tall, dark and menacing, try picking on someone your own size!” Wonder Woman yelled. Kal threw Bart away, into a tree, before turning and smiling at Wonder Woman. “Wanna go again, baby? All right, we can go all night.” Kal smirked, speeding towards her, but leaping over her at the last minute. He grabbed her, flipped her over his shoulder, and as if he were throwing a javelin, flung Wonder Woman through the forest. Tree snapped as she flew into them, but she gained control of her unplanned flight, turned herself around, and headed for Bart. “How pathetic. I’ve suddenly lost interest. But to keep you busy. . .” Kal grinned as he set fire to all the surrounding forest, before turning and flying away. *Fortress of Solitude* “Now, let’s see here. . .where would Clark. . .” Lex thought aloud, wandering through the Fortress. He noticed an edge of paper sticking out from an oddly placed ice crystal. “What’s behind this?” “Kal-El’s qastry.” “Qastry?” “The English translation is safe, human.” “Open it. And my name is Lex.” “Lex. The safe is now open.” Lex quickly shuffled through the papers, finding the one he wanted quickly. “I need to go back to the caves, now!” Lex said, running back into the main room, holding the paper. “Prepare yourself.” There was the same flash of light and jolt, followed by the nothingness. *Caldor Woods* “Bart? Are you OK?” “Uggghhh. . .what happened?” “Nevermind that. I need you to speed to any water source near here, and get a ton of water back here.” “On my way.” Bart sped off, looking for any open lakes. He found one, only a couple hundred feet from the forest, so quickly jumped into the middle, and ran around in a small circle, quickly creating a water spout. He got as much as he could, then ran as fast as he’d ever run, back towards the forest. Upon arrival, he dashed in, splashing the trees with water. He repeated the maneuver until the fire was put out. Then he slumped to the ground. “Need. . .food. . .” he gasped. Wonder Woman nodded, quickly grabbing him and flying back to Smallville, heading for the Talon. *Kawatche Caves* “Thanks.” Lex threw behind him, racing out of the caves and to his Benz. He slid into the driver’s seat, and peeled out, racing back to Metropolis. When he got there, he followed the directions from the paper he’d found in the Fortress, ending up at a non-descript building in the middle of the daily hustle and bustle that was Metropolis. He got out of his car and raced around it, heading into the building. He strolled through the front doors, finding himself in the receptionists area. “Can I help you, sir?” Lex looked towards the voice, and strode toward the woman. “I am . . .” Lex glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “I’m looking for STAR Labs. I understand Superman has some association with that organization.” “I’m sorry, sir, I know of no such organization.” “I know you need to keep that whole operation on the down low, but I need your help.” Lex said, reaching into his coat and pulling out the paper he’d gotten from Superman’s fortress. He handed it to the woman, who took it, and quickly skimmed it. “Where did you. . .” “Time is short, we need to get to your lab, I’ll explain on the way.” Lex put an arm around the woman, and she turned, walking with him. “Do you know Superman’s true identity?” he asked. “Yes.” “His real identity. Who his alter-ego is.” “Yes, we do. We needed to know, in order to assist him.” “Very well. Clark has. . . been influenced, by, what I am assuming is, a variant of red kryptonite. The stone in his necklace is purple. I don’t know how or why it was created, but he’s gained an immunity to the green kryptonite. I need some way of stopping him, and I need it now!” “Calm down, Lex. Just calm down. We’ll help you.” “KITTY? What are you doing here?” “I work here, now. After spending a couple of years wasting away in the science labs in Luthorcorp, working on god knows how many illegal, immoral projects, I came somewhere where I can make a difference. What are you doing here?” “Superman gave me a second. . .third chance at greatness. I’m here to make sure he doesn’t fall to the same darkness I did.” “You sound sincere. All right, tell us everything about his behavior since you noticed the purple stone.” *Talon* “I need some food, now!” Wonder Woman yelled, supporting Bart, who was looking paler and paler by the second. “I’ll be right with you, Wonder Woman.” Yelled a waitress. She loaded up on high-sugar products, and headed for the table. “It’s for the Flash. He is running low on carbs.” Bart grabbed the closest piece of food, and chowed down. In seconds, the entire plate was empty. “More, please.” He requested. She rushed a second plate to him, and after finishing it, he looked more like himself. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to bring some money the next time I’m in town.” Flash smiled. “No money needed, just continue doing what you do.” “Andy Martinez! Stop flirting with the Flash and get over here. Table 4 needs a refill!” “My friend. What a slavedriver. But, I do get half his paycheck for helping out.” Wonder Woman laughed, and Bart smirked. “That’s some deal. We’d better watch out, she’ll swindle us out of something.” Bart grinned. “Like that necklace you have on, speed-boy?” Wonder Woman shot back. Andy grinned, before hastening back to the counter. *STAR Labs* “And that’s everything that’s happened since that damn necklace.” Lex said, rubbing his head as he looked up at the two ladies, Kitty Faulkner and Eva Swann, who had, aside from a few questions, allowed him to tell his tale. “You took advantage of one you would call friend? Such a friend Clark doesn’t need.” Eva said, glancing at the bald billionaire. “Spare me the sanctimonious platitudes, Eva. Can you help him?” “Yes, yes, I believe we can. If what we believe this purple kryptonite is, we certainly can help him.” “Do it. I’m going to go try and contain Clark until we’re ready for you.” “Give us your cell phone number, we will call you when it is time.” Kitty said. Lex nodded, and handed her a card. “Kitty. . .” “Goodbye, Lex.” Lex nodded, and walked out of the room, heading back upstairs. *Luthorcorp headquarters* “Look, Bruce, if we can't convince you to come back with us to the farm, at least let us stay with you in Gotham. With your injuries, you shouldn’t be left alone.” Martha said. “Thank you, but Alfred can take care of me. I don’t want to impose. Besides, apparently, Lex has a plan, and whenever this ends, Clark is going to need you. From what I know of him, he is going to be seriously messed up mentally about all of this.” “He’s right, Martha. We have to go back to the farm.” “Not yet, sir. No telling where Clark is. You should stay out of sight until the all clear is sounded.” “I will not abandon my son, just because of this. I’ve stood by him through everything, and this time will be no different!” Jonathan said. Martha nodded, a determined look in her eyes. They both headed out of the office, and took an elevator to the ground floor. *Kent Farm* “Clark? I know you’re here, Clark. The barn’s got a nice new door.” Lex said, cautiously walking around a corner of said barn. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his throat, and shoved him against the wall. “I’m glad you’re here, Alex, I have a new business proposition for you.” Kal glared into Lex’s eyes, before dragging him towards the house. “Cll. . .Clark, please, stop this! You don’t have to do this, not anymore.” Lex managed to choke out. “Oh, give it a break, baldie. I give you a chance at greatness, and you listen to the weak fodder from people like Jonathan and Martha. No wonder Lionel is disappointed in you.” Kal snarled, dragging Lex up the stairs. “Why hurt me?” Lex asked, trying to shield his ribs from any further damage. “Because you are a weak, pathetic fool who deserves no better.” Kal picked Lex up and put him down rather harshly, into a chair. “Sign the contract, Lex.” Kal said, shoving a piece of paper in front of Lex. “What. . .what is this? There’s no way I’m giving Luthorcorp to you! NO WAY, Clark.” Kal made a ‘tsk-tsk’ sound, looking at Lex. “Now, Lex, be sensible. Is Luthorcorp worth, say, your life? I didn’t think so.” Kal smiled lazily, before lightly punching Lex in the stomach, which was enough to double Lex over the table. “Now, don’t make me do more, Alex, just sign the contract.” Lex shook his head, struggling to his feet. “You’re more dangerous then you can possibly know, Clark. Stop this right now, before someone does end up seriously hurt.” “Awwww, like this?” Kal let some false sympathy into his voice, before punching Lex in the mouth, knocking a few teeth out, and sending Lex reeling to the floor. “Just sign the contract, Lex, don’t make me hurt you anymore.” “You win, Clark. But just remember, everyone has a weakness. Even if you don’t think so, right now. I will reclaim this empire you’ve stolen from me. Watch your back, Clark!” Lex said, blood dripping from his mouth, as he signed the contract. He threw it in Clark’s face. “I would love to see that day come, Lex, I really would. You are such a weak fool. No idea what real power is. I HOLD REAL POWER, not you.” Kal picked Lex up again, and for good measure, threw him out of the house. Lex landed awkwardly, and he saw Clark’s devious smile as he glanced over the contract, which gave him total control of Luthorcorp. Lex nodded, struggled once more to his feet, and limped badly to his car, getting in an driving away from the farm. Halfway from the farm to the castle, his cell phone rang. “He. . .hello?” Lex gasped into the phone, spitting blood out onto the passenger’s side seat. “Lex? It sounds like you’re missing a few pieces of your mouth. What happened?” Kitty asked, concern in her voice. “Nevermind that. Do you have a solution to our problem?” “Yes, I believe we’ve found a way to . . . weaken Clark in his current state. We are testing it on a sample of his blood, if it is successful, we will call you.” “OK, thanks for keeping me informed.” Lex hung up and roared into the mansion’s driveway. He limped out of the car, heading into the mansion. “Greg! Run me a hot bath, I’ll be upstairs shortly. And call Toby.” Lex shouted out, heading for his elevator. He got in and pressed a secret button, heading for the sub-basement of the mansion. *Kent Farm* “Clark was here. Look at the blood on the floor.” Jonathan said, wiping it up with a towel and throwing it in the garbage. “Three guesses who was here with him, trying to atone for his preceived mistakes.” Martha answered, sighing as she saw the blood trail leading out the kitchen door. “I don’t need three guesses. Poor Lex, if he’s with Clark, and he’s turned on Clark, he is in deep trouble. I only hope he can act worth a damn until we figure out what we’re going to do.” Jonathan sat down heavily in a chair. “Lex can take care of himself, Jonathan. And I hope he knows what he’s going up against, this is Superman, essentially.” “Lex held his own against Superman for 5 years. I never thought I’d hope he could beat our son, but that’s exactly what I hope for.” “If anyone can do it, Jonathan, it's Lex.” *Lex’s mansion* Lex sighed as he entered the room. “I was going to turn this thing into a wasteland. Now I’m glad I didn’t.” Lex said out loud, looking at everything he'd accumlated over the years. Every shred of evidence concerning Superman, and what his true identity might be. The Kryptonian shield on Superman uniform, the different forms of kryptonite he'd encountered, the weird effects on people in Smallville, it was all here. It was as if his fascination with Clark Kent had morphed into his fascination of Superman. And he'd never dreamed, in his wildest dreams, that they’d be one and the same. He had inklings, but never thought he'd be correct. He slowly walked into the room, gazing at all of his items. “How do I do it? How can I outthink, outsmart, out. . .muscle, the strongest being on the planet?” he was drawn to a particular box, one which contained a truly magical item. He opened the box, and looked at the black kryptonite. With that, he could unleash someone who could outfox Superman, with no problems. The one problem with that, how would they get back together, if such a thing were possible, anyway. Lex shook his head, unwilling to take such a gamble. “No, I will have to rely on STAR Labs, and hope they have the answer.” Lex said, closing the box, putting it back into his safe, and then heading out of the room. He locked it up, and then boarded the elevator, heading for his room, on the third floor. *Lionel’s warehouse* “You failed??!?!?!” Lionel yelled, rounding on Lucas. “Clark was there, Dad. He could’ve killed me, but Lex stepped in and stopped him. I’m lucky I got out of there with my life.” “I wouldn’t call it lucky, son. You have a destiny, one that Lex can't possibly dream of. Come with me, time is short.” Lionel put an arm around Lucas and led him to the limo parked in front of the warehouse. “Granville.” Lionel said to the driver, smiling tightly at Lucas. Lucas returned the smile with a hesistant one of his own. “Why are we going to Granville, father?” “Everything will be revealed in time, Lucas. Have patience. You do trust me, don’t you? After all I’ve done for you. . .” “Of course I trust you, Dad. Come on, let me in on what you’ve got planned. The cloning process worked?” “You shall see, son. It will mean a new beginning for both of us!” *Kent Farm* “I just got off the phone with Lex’s butler. Lex is fine, resting, he doesn’t want to alarm us, but he does want us to go to the mansion, as soon as we can.” “All right, lets get going, then.” Jonathan grabbed his coat, and Martha followed her husband out to the truck. “What if nothing can bring our Clark back?” Martha asked, looking at Jonathan. “Don’t talk like that, honey. Clark is still in there, otherwise, don’t you think some people would be very dead right now? Like Lex. . .Lucas. . .Lionel. . .Bruce, others. Our son is still alive, and it's up to us to find him, and bring him home to us.” They pulled into Lex’s driveway, and got out. “Welcome. I have a plan for our situation. . .” Lex began, walking out of the house “Lex, you’re limping! How badly did Clark hurt you?” Martha gasped, rushing to Lex’s side. Lex brushed her off and turned, walking back into the mansion. “I have a bruised upper quad, a twisted ankle, 3 broken ribs, and a fractured jaw. Not a bad night, when you anger the most powerful person on the planet.” Lex led them into his office, and he sat behind his desk. “Have you seen a doctor?” Jonathan asked, fixing Lex with a concerned look. “Yes, I have.” Lex smiled tightly, sure that their definitions of ‘doctor’ were not anywhere near one another. “What is this plan you’re talking about, Lex?” Martha asked, leaning forward. “I don’t want to . . . get your hopes up, and then have the plan fail. I just wanted to inform you of the fact that I do have a plan. I’d suggest you go back to the farm, and await Clark’s arrival.” “Lex, I don’t think you want to be telling us how to handle our son.” Jonathan said. “I’m your only hope, Mr. Kent. Without me, Clark will soon take over the world. You need me. And I need you. I need you to cooperate with me, please. Just trust me. Go home, get ready for Clark’s arrival.” “OK, Lex. I just hope you know what you’re doing.” Martha said, placing a hand on Jonathan’s arm, and leading him out of the room. “I hope I do, too.” Lex said. A few minutes after the Kents left, his phone rang. “Hello?” “Lex? It’s a go.” “On my way.” Lex hung up, put his cell in his pocket, and ran from his office, heading for his garage. He got into his fastest car, the Lamborghini, and tore out of the driveway, racing to Metropolis. *Luthorcorp* “Mr. Kent. . .Mr. Luthor isn't in his office. I don’t think he wants you. . .” Kal, tired of the incessant blabbing of Emily, concentrated on a water cooler, and sent it flying directly into her head, knocking her out. “Boring conversation anyway.” Kal smirked, walking into Lex’s office and starting to rearrange the décor. *STAR Labs* Lex arrived at the building, and discreetly headed down the long passagway, into the secret elevator, and took it to the secret facility. “Lex! You got here quickly.” Kitty said, turning around and looking at her sexy former boss. ‘Sexy? Did I think of Lex Luthor as sexy?’ she thought to herself. “Do you have . . . whatever it is?” “Yes, it’s here.” Kitty recovered herself and led him to a table, where a lead box sat. Lex stood over it, contemplating it for a moment. “Lex? The sooner you grab it, the sooner this ends.” “I don’t want to hurt him, Kitty. If green kryptonite hurts Clark, I can't imagine what this concoction you’ve come up with can do.” “Now is not the time to be sentimental, Mr. Luthor. In his present condition, Clark Kent can destroy the world, in less time then it takes you to drive from Smallville to Metropolis in your nice shiny Lamborghini. You must do this, now.” Lex nodded, with a grim expression on his face. “Lets see what the world’s smartest minds have created for our problem.” Lex opened the box, staring in disbelief at the contents. “Orange. . .what, kryptonite? Why?” “Think for a minute, let your inner scientist out.” Kitty smiled at him. “Purple kryptonite must have red in it. Red plus blue is purple. So. . .this orange must be a hybrid of. . .green and. . .yellow?” Lex smiled as he looked up at Kitty. “I think you missed your true calling as a scientist, Lex. You nailed it.” “What kind of effect are we talking about here, Kitty?” “Since the purple kryptonite affects him more severely then the red, we can expect the same impact with this orange, with respect to the green. We tested this using Clark’s blood, and the purple kryptonite, and found it did work, but we don’t know to what degree. It won't kill him, or hurt him premanently, that’s for sure.” “Well, I’m all for field testing.” Lex said, picking up the lead box and walking out of the room. “Lex?” “Yeah?” “Good luck.” “I have a feeling I’ll be needed it. Thank you, Kitty, for everything.” Lex smiled back at her, before taking the elevator up to the ground floor. He sighed as he got into his car, heading for Luthorcorp, knowing that’s where Clark would be. Once he arrived, he walked up to his office, and saw the receptionist’s desk empty. ‘What did Clark do to her?’ he wondered, pulling out the orange kryptonite and putting it in his pocket. Then he walked into his office. He saw Kal moving the furniture around, and smirked, ready to regain control of the situation. “I wouldn't do that, quite yet, CLARK.” “I was wondering when you'd show up, Lex. This sudden morality bug seems to be a problem. I didn't think you'd be firmly committed to our common task, so I had to take over for you. Nothing personal, just business.” Kal said, turning his evil grin on Lex. Lex returns the smile and nods. “Of course, Clark. I totally understand.” As Lex walked forward, Clark grimaced a bit, and took a step back. Lex, seeing this, smirked. “I'm sorry, Clark. It took me a visit from a prominent superhero to realise my dreams of world domination were ill-founded. You'll have to settle for me.” Lex said, walking steadily towards Clark, who backed up until he hit a wall. “What the hell are you talking about?” Kal asks. “This.” Lex yelled, tackling Clark to the floor, with the orange kryptonite rock firmly in his hand. “LEX...PLEASE...you can't do this! We can be unstoppable.” Clark screamed, as Lex grabbed the purple kryptonite necklace. Lex stopped for a moment, staring down at Clark. “Yeah. . .we could be.” He said, pausing to think. He started to get up, started to let himself be taken in by the allure of real power, but he quickly realized real power wasn’t gained through fear, but loyalty. And this. . .this wasn’t loyalty. After a moment, he shook his head. “We could've been, Clark. But it wasn't meant to be this way. You weren't meant to be this way.” Lex said, sighing once. He pulled the necklace harshly, and snapped it off Clark's neck. He got up, backing away from Clark, who lay on the floor, breathing heavily. He opened the top drawer of his desk, putting the necklace and the kryptonite rock in, next to his collection of other kryptonite variants. “Lex...” Clark wasn’t sure what, if anything, he could say to Lex. Lex, for his part, looked expectantly at him. “I...I'm sorry doesn't begin to cover it.” “No, but then again, it wasn't really you, was it? And while we’re on the subject of apologies, I could be offering up my own for being so . . . weak. I let my past influence the way I dealt with this. . .with you. I should not have taken advantage of you, Clark. So we’d just end up cancelling each other out.” Lex smiled, letting Clark know things would be OK. “No, it really wasn’t me. . .but in a way, it was. So my apology stands. I guess...I'll have to explain this to Bruce and Oliver. At least you know enough to forgive me. But Lex, what I did...especially to you, is unforgiveable.” |
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| clarkfan | Wed May 3, 2006 10:47 am Post #51 |
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Newbie
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Great continuation, can't wait for more. You are an excellent written. You pull everyone into the story...... |
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| Tejesh | Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:23 pm Post #52 |
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Moved In
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Well, once again, I'd like to apologize for the delay in posting. It is VERY easy to forget I've begun posting this story here. Here's hoping this next chapter appeases you. Chapter 22: Aftermath *********************** “You’ve got other people you need to apologize to, Clark. Oliver is staying with Bruce, so you can kill two birds with one stone.” Lex said, nodding once. Inside, he was killing himself with guilt, and shame. That he was still capable of the rancit deceit which had once earned him a black mark in Clark’s book. . .was highly disturbing. “Lex, I. . .are you sure?” “Tell them I’ve ripped up the contracts, of course. Their companies are safe.” Clark was the one who nodded, this time. He slowly got up off the floor, and flew out the window, leaving Lex alone with his thoughts. Lex sighed, before picking up the phone and calling the Kents. “J. . .Mr. Kent?” Lex asked, in a small voice. “Lex? Is that you? Is everything all right?” Jonathan answered the phone. “. . .” how do you tell someone’s father that you rescued his son from a life of crime that you aided and abetted a short time ago? “Lex? Son, did everything work out?” “. . .” Son. He wasn’t worthy of that, not from Jonathan, not from anyone. Not after all the things he’d done, the friendships he’d buried. . .the lifes he’d ruined. Clark’s, Bruce’s, Oliver’s Jonathan’s, Martha’s, Diana’s, Bart’s, countless others. “Lex, I know it’s you. How is Clark, son?” “DON’T CALL ME THAT!” Lex yelled, tears now hotly flowing freely down his face. On the other end of the phone, Jonathan could hear Lex’s breath hitching. He got extremely worried, extremely fast. “Lex, did he hurt you?” ‘No’ Lex thought to himself. ‘I hurt myself.’ “No. . .he. . .and I. . .he’s OK. He’s himself.” Lex hung up the phone, unable to handle talking, or listening, to Jonathan any longer. “Who was that, Jonathan?” Martha asked, coming downstairs. “Lex. He. . .he was crying. Apparently, his plan worked, but Clark must not be there. Martha, I’m going to go to Luthorcorp, check up on Lex. You wait here, in case Clark comes home.” “Jonathan. . .be nice to Lex. This isn't his fault.” “I know, sweetheart, I know.” Jonathan grabbed his jacket, and keys, kissed his wife goodbye, and then headed for the truck. *Wayne Manor* “Sir, Superman is approaching the mansion.” Alfred reported. “Not much we can do about it, is there? Just hope to reason with him, somehow. He’s already got our companies, what more could he want?” Clark, who had heard the whole thing, banked down and knocked on the door. “Bruce? Oliver? Can I come in, please?” Clark shouted through the door. “Doors open. Besides, it’s your mansion now, KAL.” Bruce yelled. Clark winced, but nonetheless, opened the door and slowly walked in. “Lex, um, he told me to tell you guys that. . .he ripped up the contracts. Your companies are yours, again. And I. . .I just. . .I want to apologize for what. . .for what happened. I know you need an explanation, and I’m here to give you one.” “Before you start, who got you to see reason? Was it Jonathan, Martha, or Lex?” Bruce asked, levelling Clark with a blank stare. “Lex. But we’ll get there. It started a few days ago. I was at the Planet. . .a package arrived. . .” *Luthorcorp headquarters* “I don’t care that he’s issued orders that no one is going in to see him. I am, and that’s all that matters.” Jonathan yelled, walking past the temporary secetary and walking boldly into Lex’s office. He stared in disappointment at the sight before him. Lex was sitting, slumping was more accurate, on the floor, several empty decanters surrounded him, and he stank of alcohol. “G’way. Dunwanna talk.” Lex slurred. “You’re not in much condition to talk.” Jonathan countered, walking over to sit next to the young man. “Myfault. Shouldatoldyou. Might'vehelped.” “While I agree you should’ve told us sooner, none of this is your fault. I’m not even going to try reasoning with you while you’re drunk out of your mind. We’re going home.” Jonathan grabbed Lex’s arm and tugged him upright. “Dunwanna. Martha’ll hateme.” “No, she won't. She told me to go easy on you. She understands, Lex. Better then I ever could.” “NO!” “OK, Lex, OK. We’ll go to your mansion.” At no sign of opposition, Jonathan led Lex out of the office. “He’s had one too many. I’m going to take him home.” Jonathan smiled at the secetary, before pushing Lex into the elevator. *Wayne Manor* “. . .And then Lex used that orange kryptonite on me, and got the necklace off. We talked, then I came here.” “So your parents were right, in a sense, it was red kryptonite.” Oliver said. “Magnified to the nth degree. I felt. . .freer then any time on red kryptonite. God, I really ****** up a lot of things, Bruce.” Clark put his head down, softly crying. “Nobody blames you Clark, you were drugged, it wasn’t your fault. We need to find out who is responsible for the purple kryptonite, and make sure no more can be manufactured.” “I blame myself, that’s enough.” “Did you choose to put on that necklace, and know what would happen if you did? Did you purposefully put on something that you knew would turn you into a dangerous egomaniac? Clark, somebody drugged you. You are not a criminal, you are a victim.” Oliver said. “How can you feel that way after what I did to you, to both of you?” “Because we are your friends, and we know it wasn’t truly you.” Bruce answered. “I can't forgive myself that easily.” “Clark, I’ve um. . .I’ve made some decisions, along with Oliver, Bart and Diana. We’ve decided to gather up all the superheroes that exist, and form a Justice League, to guard against any of us going insane, or being affected as you were, by a mind and emotion altered drug. It’s a natural check and balance on us, to ensure we don’t get power hungry. We can also mobilize against any planetary threats, and maintain peace and order throughout the world. And we want you to be the unoffical leader.” “I don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve anything. How can you guys still look at me the same, and not wonder if I’m going to go off the deep end again?” “Because we have faith in you, Clark. And we have faith in your parents, who raised you to have their morals, their beliefs, and their inner justice system. And we have faith in your friends. Lana, Lois, Pete, and even Lex have proven themselves time after time. But mostly, we’ve got faith in you, Clark.” That got Clark crying even harder. That his friends had faith in him, when he himself didn’t. . .it couldn’t be possible. “Where is Lex, Clark?” Bruce asked. “In his office, I suppose. I dunno.” *Kent Farm* “OH, Lex. Honey.” Martha said, wrapping Lex in a warm hug. “Run a hot shower for him, dear.” She told Jonathan, leading Lex into the kitchen. “I made some coffee when Jonathan called and told me you were a bit drunk. Here, make sure to sip it slowly.” “Whyyyyyyyy?” Lex asked, looking into the face of . . . kindness and compassion. “Because everyone makes mistakes, even king sized mistakes. To err is human, to forgive is divine. Everyone deserves a second chance, Lex. Especially our sons friends.” “Thank you.” Lex whispered, tears once more freely flowing down his face. Martha rubbed his back, while he slowly drank the coffee. “Shower is ready.” Jonathan said. “Pull out some of Clark’s old clothes, Jonathan.” “Already did. Come on, Lex, lets get you out of those clothes, and into a nice warm shower.” Lex got up, and Jonathan led him upstairs, into the bathroom. *Wayne Manor* “I just called Lex’s office, no one is answering.” “I’ll go. . .” “Home, Clark. You’re going home, talk to your parents. They’ll understand far more then you give them credit for.” “I can't, Bruce. They’ll. . .they’ll hate me.” “Clark, you either go home, on your own, or I drive you. Either way, you’re going home.” “Jeesh. I’ll go, OK?” Clark snapped, walking out the door and flying towards Smallville. “Do you think he’ll go?” Oliver asked. “I’d say it’s even odds whether he does or not.” Bruce answered. “So why didn’t you drive him home?” “He needs to go on his own. He needs to own up to what happened.” “And what are we going to do?” “Do some work, and find out who engineered this kryptonite in the first place.” Bruce and Oliver headed down to the Batcave, and the super Bat computer. *Kent Farm* Clark set down on the outskirts of the farm, and with his super eyesight, he could see his father tucking Lex into the guest bedroom. He closed his eyes, sighing. “It’s not too late to turn back.” Clark rapidly turned in all directions, but didn’t see anyone near him. “Who’s there?” “You know who I am, Clark. I’m the piece of you that rebelled long enough for Lex to save you.” “What do you want?” “Our parents are hurting, really badly, right now. Lex can fill a void, but only you can completely heal them.” “How, when I’m the one who hurt them, again? You'd be here if it wasn’t for me. You’d be here, and they’d have a real son.” “You are a real son, Clark. You are their son. Now go, help them, and help yourself, heal.” “What's your name? I mean. . .” “I think Mom’s always wanted to name me Conner.” “Conner. I like that. I’m. . .” “Needed inside. Don’t be sad, Clark, I’ll always be here for you. Whenever you need me, I’ll be here.” Clark got up from his seated position, and walked steadily towards the little yellow house. He almost turned back when he got to the porch, but a small voice, maybe Conner’s, told him to go in, that his parents would never hurt him, or be ashamed. He took a deep breath, and walked into the house. “Clark? Oh Clark? My baby. . .” Martha screamed, jumping up and hugging him. “It’s OK, Mom, I’m here. I’m all right.” Clark was crying, grateful to be home. Jonathan came downstairs, and started at seeing Clark and Martha, hugging. “Son, when did you. . .” “Just now, Jonathan.” Lex, who’d seen Clark on the outer fringes of the farm, spoke up. “Dad. . .I. . .I just, I’m just so sorry. I don’t know what. . .how to make it up to you.” Clark’s choked up voice broke once or twice. “Son, we’ll deal with the aftermath of this thing together, as a family. You didn’t . . . ask for this to happen. It’s not like the last time, Clark. You were, in effect, drugged out of your mind. I promise you, son, we’ll get through this.” “He’s right, Clark. I think we all need a good night’s sleep. Things always look better in the morning.” “I. . .I don’t deserve parents as good as you.” Clark said, turning and walking slowly upstairs. “Martha. . .” “In the morning, Jonathan. Just let them rest, tonight. They’ve been through a great deal in a short amount of time.” Martha hooked her arm around Jonathan’s, and together, they walked up to their bedroom. Early the next morning, Clark awoke to the wonderful aroma’s of his Mom’s fully cooked breakfast’s, and that spurred him out of bed, and into the bathroom. After that, he wandered downstairs, and found Lex, along with his parents, eating a nice hearty breakfast. “Ummmm. . .” Clark cleared his throat, not sure how to address his family. “Sit down, Clark. Have some breakfast.” Lex said, around a mouthful of pancake. “But. . .” “Sit down, son. We will be discussing everything, after breakfast, and your chores.” Clark nodded, finally sitting down and digging into the breakfast Martha’d made for him. After he’d eaten to his heart’s content, he and Jonathan went outside, and got down to doing the chores, which included fixing all of the damage Kal has inflicted on the barn. Afterwards, Clark and Jonathan went back inside, where Lex was sitting on a couch, Martha opposite him. “Sit down, next to Lex, son.” Jonathan went and sat next to Martha. “Now, boys, we’re going to find out exactly what happened, and you’re going to stop feeling sorry for yourselves.” Jonathan started. Both Lex and Clark spoke up, denying that they were feeling down. “Boys, stop talking. Jonathan.” Martha said, interrupting the overlapping conversations. “Thank you, Martha. Now, Clark, how did you get a hold of that necklace in the first place?” “Supposedly, it was a gift from Lois. And, after the fight we’d had about Jimmy. . .I thought it was a making up gift. So I put it on.” “And then. . .what did you do?” Martha asked, almost scared of the answer. Clark had been extremely violent and on the edge while he’d been at the farm. If that had happened in front of a newsroom full of people. . . “I made out with Lois, then mouthed off to Perry, and then threw him through his desk. Then I went to withdraw money from my bank account, and bought myself new clothes. Then I went to Luthorcorp. And convinced Lex to abandon his turnaround, and join me in taking over the world.” “And you didn’t try and stop him, then?” Jonathan directed at Lex, levelling a stern gaze at the billionaire. “I did. I knew something was wrong with him, but I. . .he wore me down, Mr. Kent. He kept on talking about my dreams, and how I wanted the ultimate power, and how I’d show up my father. . .and before I knew it, I was. . .I was taken in. For that, I’m truly sorry.” “So then what?” “I sent Kal. . .Clark to Wayne Manor, to get Bruce, so I could force him to sign over his company, once that was taken care of, Clark went off to do his own thing, and I thought of what to do next. After we got Oliver’s company. . .I realized the error of what was going on, the friendships I was throwing away, the trust I’d earned from you, Mr. Kent, finally, I couldn’t throw that away, either. And I couldn’t allow Clark to become this evil . . . shadow of himself.” “And what did you do after . . . Oliver?” Martha asked, cross with Lex despite herself. It wasn’t truly his fault, there was nothing he could’ve done, had he resisted Clark. Clark would’ve probably taken Luthorcorp from Lex, and then gone on an even more destructive warpath. Lex, if anything, had bought himself the time needed to find an antidote to the purple kryptonite. She knew all of this, but she couldn’t help but being extremely upset and disappointed in Lex’s actions. “I went to steal some jewelry, but Bart and this woman stopped me. Then I flew to Caldor woods, and she *flew* after me. We fought, and I injured Bart, set the woods on fire, and got away, went back to Luthorcorp.” “Where I confronted him with pure green kryptonite, and was rewarded by getting myself knocked out. I believe you know the rest of the tale.” “Lex, needless to say, I am very disappointed in you, son. You made several colossal mistakes, but. . .you’re forgiven. Believe me, I know how badly temptation can render one’s judgement. . .suspect. You may have, in fact, by taking up Clark on his offer, saved us all from a very bad fate. You kept him occupied long enough with you, so that you could find an antidote, and get Clark off the purple kryptonite. And Clark. . .son, you were drugged. By who, we don’t know yet, but none of this is your fault. We will be calling Perry, and Lois, and Jimmy, and explaining it to them, but this woman and Bart are your responsibility.” “Dad. . .could we maybe have them all over for dinner? I’d rather explain it to everyone, all at once.” “Clark, maybe we should give it a couple of days, son. You and Lex, you need to get back into the groove. Both of you have been. . .affected deeply by this situation, moreso then others, so I’d suggest going about your normal routines. Invite everyone to dinner here, three days from now. And that works out perfectly, because the day after that, is your high school reunion. Give you a chance to unwind, relax a little bit.” “I have to agree with your Dad, Clark. We should try to get back into the swing of things, act normally for a few days. I’m probably the last person anyone wants to hear from, but I’ll call Bruce and Oliver, along with Bart and Diana, and invite them over here in 3 days.” “Thank you, Lex.” Jonathan said, getting up and shaking hands with the young man. “Well, I’d better be getting back to the mansion.” Lex smiled at everyone, before walking out of the house. He got into his Lamborghini, and roared off the property. *Caldor woods* “That’s everything, Wonder Woman. The entire areas is now cleared up.” The Flash informed her. “Good, now, we go back to Bruce and ask him what our next assignment is.” Wonder Woman took a hold of Flash, and flew them both towards Gotham. Upon landing on the properties of Wayne Manor, Wonder Woman knocked on the door, and was admitted by Alfred. “Good evening, lady and gentleman. Masters Bruce and Oliver are in the drawing room.” Diana nodded, changing back into her normal clothes, as Bart had done on the flight in, and then proceeded to walk into the drawing room. “Caldor Woods are cleaned up, new trees have been planted, and all is quiet. Any news on the Kal/Lex front?” Diana reported. “It's over. Lex found an antidote, and used it on Clark. Clark was just here, I sent him home to talk with his parents. They’ve got a lot of work to do to repair all the bridges Lex and Clark burned down in the past few days.” “Did you tell Clark about the Justice League?” Bart asked. “Yeah, he didn’t seem all that thrilled with being named the unoffical leader. But he’s still feeling immensely guilty about everything that went down. It's going to be a while before he recovers fully. Mentally, I mean.” “And what about Lex?” Bart asked. “I haven’t heard from Lex since he told us he had a plan. I don’t know how he is, or if he even survived the successful attempt of getting the necklace off Clark.” “What is next for us?” Diana asked, pointing to herself and Bart. Despite her initial. . .worry over Bart, and his aloof attitude, she had to admit, grudgingly, that Bart was a great guy to have around in a pinch. He wouldn’t ever abandon you, and was extremely reliable. Much like a certain farmboy turned superhero she had a crush on. Not that anyone knew that, of course. “I’ve been hearing rumblings of a few more. . .um. . .superheroes around, mostly message boards, gossip columns, nothing concrete. If you could do some research on Arthur Curry and Hal Jordan, that would be great. Maybe pull Clark in on this, let him know we have faith in him.” Bruce answered. “I think it would be wise to allow Clark, and Lex, and everyone from Metropolis and Smallville a few days to . . . recover, first, sir.” Alfred said. “Yes, of course, Alfred. Good thinking.” “We can use the Computer and do our research, Bruce. Besides. . .I. . .I wouldn’t know how to talk to Clark, after what he. . .after what we’ve been through.” Diana said. “I would. I knew him for a few days in Smallville, during his senior year.” A phone rang in the house, and Alfred answered it. “Why don’t you and Bart go down to the Cave right now, and start that research? Oliver and I can decide what to do concerning Clark, Lex and everyone else.” “Sir, Lex is on the phone for you.” Alfred announced, walking into the room with a phone. Bruce sighed, as Diana and Bart sat back down. “Luthor. What do you want?” Bruce all but snarled into the phone. “I guess I deserve that, and much more. Look, I’m not proud of what I did Bruce, but it's done, it's in the past. I'm calling to. . .to invite you to a dinner at the Kents in three days. We’re going to discuss the whole thing, and get everything out in the open between all of us.” “Who exactly is this invite for?” “Everyone. Perry White, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, you, Oliver, this mystery woman Clark mentioned, and Bart.” “We’ll be there.” Bruce hung up the phone, cutting off Lex’s next statement. “I guess I deserved that, too.” Lex said, hanging up the car phone, and pulling into Luthorcorp. Lex got out, and headed for the elevator which would whisk him up to his office. Once he got there, he entered the office, and headed for his desk. He opened the top left drawer, and took out all the various forms of kryptonite he'd been collecting, and put them into a box. Then he packed up the files he had on Superman, the various Kryptonian related artifacts and news reports he'd managed to secure, all of this went into one box. Anything that remotely had to do with Clark, Superman, or any of the various superheroes he'd encountered, he put into that box. When he was done, he lugged the box downstairs, into his car, and then got in, heading back to the mansion. During the long drive over, he kept thinking about how he would approach Clark and tell him that this was not a bad thing, not anymore. It could be the answer, the refuge Clark needed, without going all the way to the damned Arctic. Lex pulled into the driveway of his mansion, and got out. He lifted the box out of the car, and somehow managed to unlock the front door, and get inside. “Greg, could you please shut the front door?” Lex called out, hurrying to his private elevator. He pushed the secret button for the sub-basement, before sighing in exhaustion. He’d always had a lead lined safe in here, but he never thought he'd be protecting Clark from anything inside. More like. . .preventing Clark from seeing inside. He took out the pieces of kryptonite he had, green, red, black, yellow, purple and orange. Then he lined the bookshelves with the folders he had about the language, and all the other information. “Well, better call Clark and get this over with.” Lex said out loud, walking out of the room, locking it, and heading into his private elevator. He headed into his office, and called the Kents. “Hello?” “Hi, Jonathan. It’s Lex, can you spare Clark for a few hours? We've got something to discuss.” “Lex, I’m. . .I'm not sure that’s such a good idea. . .with um, everything that’s happened the past few days, I think both of you should be . . . resting.” “Mr. Kent, this is very important. Please, I promise I’ll send him home by dinner.” “All right, Lex. I’ll tell Clark to drop by the mansion.” Jonathan hung up. Lex also hung up, and sighed in frustration. On the one hand, he didn’t want to tell Clark about this room until things had settled down, but, on the other hand, he needed to tell Clark, so Clark was in the loop, and didn’t accuse him of keeping secrets. Lex got up and headed for the front door, knowing Clark would be showing up soon. He wasn’t disappointed, as a few seconds later, Clark did show up. “What's up, Lex?” “I have. . .something to show you, Clark. You're not going to like this, but I swear, it's to help you, from now on.” Lex said, leading the way to his private elevator. “Lex. . .what have you done?” “You’ll see, Clark.” Once the elevator stopped, Lex led Clark to the room, and unlocked it, before walking inside, Clark on his heels. Clark took a few more steps into the room, saw the shield of Superman, along with other . . . artifacts detailing his alter ego’s activities, and angrily turned back to Lex. “You never stopped, did you? You kept on investigating me, even after we weren’t friends. This is the result! What the hell are you trying to prove, showing me this?!” Clark yelled, rounding on Lex. “Clark, yes. Yes and more. Much, much more. While we were. . .adversaries, I kept every shred of evidence of your true identity I could find, and it’s in this room now. Everything is in this room, every form of kryptonite that I’ve found, including the purple necklace, and the orange rock I used to stop you. It’s all yours, Clark. Think about it, it could be your information room away from the Fortress of Solitude. You could come here, instead of flying all the way to the Arctic.” “You make speeches very well, Lex. How do I know this isn't some sort of. . .trap for me? I’ve given you information you can use to bring me down.” Lex started, and got really mad at that insinuation. “I could’ve let you rot on that purple kryptonite drug my father concocted, very easily, Clark. I took you on, and helped you.” Lex shouted. Clark nodded. “You did. You’ve been known to help people for your own gain before.” “Not this time, not with you, not with anyone, ever again. I swear, Clark, I’ve changed.” “And this proves it?” Clark held his hands out, taking in the whole room. “Would I have shown you this, had I not changed?” “I don’t know, would you?” “No.” “All right. You say this is all mine, and I can use this. How? With a simple lock? Anyone can get past that.” “I've got a retinal eye scan device on the way, it’ll be programmed with both of our eye scans, and a password protection system being set up, as well. You need to pick a password for yourself, something only you can know.” “And what will this room serve as, Lex, to you?” “To me? This room exists to serve us, Clark. We can put together the history of your people on this planet, the language, numerical system. We can test your blood here, we can try to find cures for diseases using your blood, Clark. We can save humanity.” “Lex, I’m not. . .entirely comfortable with this, but I can. . .I can see the benefits of doing this. Look, in the next few weeks, we can work on this room, but right now, please don’t add anything, except security.” “Anything you want, Clark.” “And don’t tell my parents, they’ll freak, two fold. First of all, it's you, secondly, they don’t want anything more to do with Jor-El, or anything Kryptonian. So it's best to leave them out of this.” “As you wish, Clark.” Lex locked the room behind them, and they boarded the elevator. “Lex? Thank you for showing me this. I. . .I’m sorry for jumping off the handle.” “No, Clark, it’s understandable. I needed to show you now, while it’s under construction, rather then when it's finished. You'll be involved in every step, Clark. I promise.” “Thanks, Lex. I need to go home, though.” Clark smiled, before checking, and speeding out of the mansion. *Wayne Manor* “You can't seriously be thinking of going to this. . .dinner party.” Diana said, walking into the Cave. “I have absoultely every intention of attending. I want to hear from Lex’s mouth why, and how he could leave his supposed best friend in the clutches of a drug.” Bruce answered, not looking up from his research. “For god’s sake, Bruce, he held you under duress and STOLE your company from under your nose, all the while, Clark stood there hoping you would say no.” “That monster was not Clark, do you understand me?” Bart asked, staring straight at his. . .friend. “Keep telling yourself it wasn’t Clark who threw you into a tree, or tried to light your grave in the forest. Keep telling yourself that, Bart.” Diana answered. “I keep telling myself that the Clark I know would never do those things, unless he was under the effects of a drug, which Bruce has confirmed. Therefore, he was not my friend. He was some. . .warped alter ego.” “Whatever lets you sleep at night. I know one thing, if I do come, I’ll bash both of their heads in, Clark and his pet Luthor.” “You will do no such thing. Not if you want to keep your association with me.” Bruce said coldly, now turning around to look at her. “You honestly believe Lex when he says he is contrite and apologetic?” “He sounded as such on the phone, and if what Jonathan suspects is true, it was Clark who turned Lex back to the dark side, and Lex who brought Clark out of the darkness. I am prepared to offer every chance for them to apologize to us, and to explain what occurred over the past few days. And, yes, to give them my friendship, and support. It will not be easy for them, after this, in the public eye. They do not need close acquaintances to distrust them.” “You’re going to kiss their collective asses.” “On the contrary, I am going to get explainations, to garner potential allies, and to have a nice meal. If your objectives are not these, I would suggest you return to Paradise Island, and ensure not causing anymore trouble.” “You are a gullible fool, Bruce Wayne. That is why Lex Luthor and Clark Kent were able to extort your company from you.” Diana snarled, as she stomped her way to her bedroom. “Shes just blowing off steam, Bruce.” Bart offered, by way of apology. “Perhaps she is right to be doing that.” “Not by insulting you, Bruce. No one is right when they insult another.” Oliver said, seriously. “You’re right.” Bruce said, returning to the computer. *Kent Farm* “What did Lex want, son?” “He just wanted to apologize again, personally. I think he’s really beating himself up over this whole thing.” Clark couldn’t look his parents in the eyes while lying to them. The last time he'd lied about something Kryptonian. . .he'd killed his baby brother. “He’s a good friend, son. A very good friend. He just. . .he needs to be molded some more.” Jonathan smiled, ruffled Clark’s hair, and went outside. The day was about to end, and Jonathan wanted to make sure all the animals were enclosed. “Eat your dinner, Clark.” Martha chided, leading him from the door to the table. *Wayne Manor* “Sir, dinner is served.” Alfred announced, before retreating from the Cave. “Hal Jordan is a pilot in the army. . .based in Fort Bragg, Texas. And Arthur Curry is a . . . this can't be right. He’s the captain of a tourism yacht in the Carribean.” Oliver read over Bruce’s shoulder. “Well, I masquerade as a businessman, Clark’s a reporter, you’re. . .a philantropher, who knows how people try and hide their true identities? I think we should attempt to make contact with these two, and ask them if they’d like to join our club.” “Well, we can send Diana and Bart on the cruise, and I can go after Hal.” “By yourself? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m going to come with you.” “You don’t trust me?” “I do trust you. I just don’t want to send one person into unknown territory, with someone who won't be expecting you, and will have to deal with being ‘outed’. Two per group is fine.” “That’s very sensible.” “That’s why I make the big bucks.” Bruce smiled, shutting down the computer. “And now, unless we want a mad English butler on our hands, we should go partake of his cuisine.” Oliver nodded, and headed upstairs. Bruce shut down the lights, and followed. *Kent farm* “I think you should go to bed, Clark, you’ve had a long day, honey.” “I’m going to go back to the apartment, it’s been a while since I’ve slept there.” Clark answered, superspeeding out of the house and taking to the sky. He got into the apartment, and just dumped himself in bed, for once, even he was exhausted. He slept straight through the next day and night, and woke up around noon on Friday. He jumped out of bed, alarmed at the time. After spending a good deal of time in the bathroom, he headed into the kitchen, and made himself breakfast. The phone rang just as he was about to bite into the nice sunny side egg sandwich he'd made for himself. He got up and answered it. “Clark? Thank god. What happened, son?” “What do you mean? I just woke up.” “What? Um, son, todays the 1st, son.” “Dad, come on. Stop joking with me. Today’s the 30th. Not the 1st.” “Check the TV, son. Today is July 1st.” Clark took the cordless into the living room, and turned on the news. “I slept over a day? I guess. . .um, I was really tired.” “I guess you were. Son, I managed to. . .avert answering any questions from Perry, Lois and Jimmy, but you’re going have to go over there, soon.” “That’s what I’m planning to do, after I eat my breakfast.” “All right. Then I’ll let you get back to it. And Clark? Please be careful of any presents you get, from now on.” “I will, Dad, believe me.” Clark hung up, and smiled, something he hadn’t felt like doing for a long time. He quickly finished up breakfast, and headed outside, deciding to walk to the Planet. *Luthorcorp* “How is Emily, Mr. Luthor?” Stan asked, greeting Lex at the doorway. Stan had reported back to Luthorcorp, after Vance’s untimely demise, and had taken over Vance’s duties as COO and second in command to Luthorcorp. “She’s got a mild concussion, and about a 6 inch cut in her forehead, but she’ll be OK.” Lex answered, walking into the elevator, Stan trailing him. “What happened to her? She was raving about that reporter from the Planet. . .Clark Kent. Apparently, she thinks he used some form of telekinesis and hit her with a water cooler.” “Ms. Rogers needs to get off whatever recreational drugs she takes and join us in the real world.” Lex snapped, getting off the elevator and heading into his office. Stan kept following him, taking a seat across from Lex’s desk. “Did you want something?” “I wanted to know what we’re going to do about the Smallville plant. I mean, the EPA is all over us with enviromental violations, we’re going to have to pay pretty hefty fines, we still need that stuff cleaned up, we’ve got roughly. . .370 out of the 1500 people dead. Vance faxed you the list, I put the rest of the dead on a list and brought it with me.” Stan handed Lex an envelope. “OK, Stan. What I need you to do is call each of the families on these lists, and find out how much it will take to bury this problem, make it go away.” Lex smirked, knowing his adopted father would never approve of such actions. “And. . .tell them we will provide the widows with half of their spouse’s pay for the rest of their lives.” “Half pay, sir? That would come to a sizable amount of money.” “It's the. . .right thing to do, Stan. It needs to be done, to put a positive spin on this disaster.” “Yes, sir.” Stan got up and headed out of the office. *Daily Planet* “Clark!” Lois yelled, running up to him and hugging him tightly. “It. . .I’m. . .” Clark couldn’t come up with anything to say, so he just let Lois hug him, until she saw he wasn’t reciprocating, and let go. “What's the matter? You didn’t ask for this, Clark. It wasn’t your fault.” “I still did it. I set Caldor Woods on fire, I nearly killed Bart, Diana, Bruce, Lex, Perry, Dad, Mom. . .” “Clark Jerome Kent, none of those things were within your control. I won't let you do this to yourself, not again. I will not let you work yourself into this state where you feel like the best thing you can do is leave. Do you understand me? I love you, Clark, and I will not stand for this.” Lois stared into Clark’s eyes, until Clark finally looked away. “How is Perry?” “He’s got a concussion, broken arm, and lacerations on his back and legs.” Lois said flatly. “And you don’t think that’s my fault?” “Clark, I don’t. But you know what? Until your absolve yourself of this, anything anyone says won't get through that stubborn rock laced head of yours, so I'm not even going to bother.” Clark just walked away, heading into Perry’s office. “Kent.” “Chief.” “I know that this probably had something to do with. . .what makes you you, but do you think you could at least explain it to me? Maybe it’ll make this headache go away a little easier.” “Tomorrow, I promise. Everyone who I . . . injured, one way or another, will be at the farm, and I’ll be explaining everything then. Just know that. . .I wasn’t exactly myself the past couple weeks.” “That was obvious to anyone with half a brain, Clark. This better be one hellova explaination.” “Oh, I think it will be.” “Good. Why don’t you um, go work with Lois on. . .the murder spree story. She’ll explain.” Clark nodded, and went out into the newsroom, looking for Lois. |
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| Tejesh | Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:43 pm Post #53 |
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Moved In
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******************* *Chapter 23: Reunion* ******************* *Kent Farm, 3 days later* “I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight. Um. . .as you all know, about 3 weeks ago, Clark started to act. . .um, extremely differently. Myself and Martha, having seen this behavior before, immediately knew what it was. As for the rest of you, you didn’t.” “Dad, I’ll take it from here. I received a letter that was apparently from Lois, and a necklace. The necklace, we later found out, was a variant of red kryptonite, it was purple. Red kryptonite is basically a drug, it. . .it alters my mind, it makes me. . .act like you saw me acting. Purple just got to me faster, made me more dangerous, and . . . gave me immunity to the green kryptonite. That’s what happened.” “And how does Lex fit into this?” Oliver asked. “I . . . he came to my office, and proposed an alliance, and after wearing me down, I agreed to it.” “So Clark did turn you back? You were reformed?” Bruce asked. Lex nodded. “Go on.” Oliver said, fixing a stern look on both Clark and Lex. “Well, then we um, we went after Bruce, and then. . .” “And then I came home, and um. . .confronted my parents.” “And I went to have a nice chat with my dear father. Told him where he could stick his empire, among other things.” “And on my way to Oliver’s house, I had some fun in Vegas.” “Vegas? Oh god, I hope. . .we’ll definitely be discussing that in much greater detail later.” Martha said. “And we didn’t just sit around, we went to Gotham, and got us some help. Speaking of which, where is Wonder Woman?” Jonathan remarked. “She. . .had some objections to this meeting. Or. . .rather, objections to the continued living status of Lex and Clark. She promised that she would “punch their heads in” if she came, so I thought it prudent to engage her in some research activities.” “Let me get this straight. You threw me through a table, mouthed off to me because you were on some drug? Well. . .super powers, why not super drugs?” Perry asked, sitting up and looking at Clark. “Look, um, about that, I’m um. . .I’m sorry. I know. . .what I did was extremely wrong, but can you. . .forgive me?” “Son, after Lois explained it to me, I forgave you. It’s in the past.” “A bigger man then I.” Oliver said, nodding at Perry. “Sometimes.” Perry answered. “Anyway. So after all of this, you got Oliver, brought him to Luthorcorp, and did the same thing you did with me?” “Yeah. And that’s when I realized what I was doing, and the lives I was ruining, and the . . . after Clark’s collosal risk, trusting me with his secret, I couldn’t do this to him. He took a huge chance in trusting me a few months ago, and I wasn’t about to let his trust be misplaced. So. . .first I tried confronting him with 100% pure green kryptonite, which was as effective as a shotgun. The last thing I remember about that is being thrown into the bookcase. Then I was waking up with Mr. Kent hovering over me.” “After I came in with Lucas, I left and robbed a jewlery store, when Bart and Wonder Woman? stopped me. Then I took off for Caldor Woods, and she flew after me! We fought, and I left, after. . .” “Burning down the forest.” Jonathan supplied, flatly. “Yeah.” “I went to the caves, and spoke to Jor-El. He. . .teleported me to the Fortress of Solitude, where I found a piece of paper detailing Superman involvement with STARR Labs. I went back to the caves, and then took off for STARR.” “I guess I was still fighting with Bart and Wonder Woman at this time?” “I guess.” Lex answered. Both of their voices were subdued as they recounted their involvements in this horrific misadventure. “Look, boys, we. . .well, we can't really blame Clark, he was drugged. As for Lex. . .you went back to the dark side much to easily for us to trust you completely, anymore, but you did pull yourself, and Clark, back, so. . .I can understand temptation, believe me. Just. . .continue your story, and. . .try not to um, blame yourself.” Jonathan said. “Yes, well, that’s not easy.” “It's not that easy, Dad. I hurt a lot of people.” “It wasn’t you, son.” Clark just shook his head, determined to wallow in his pool of guilt. “Anyway.” Oliver said, prompting Lex to continue his narration. “I told the scientists at STARR what the problem was, and they concocted an antidote. You came to my office, I used the orange kryptonite on you, end of story. You went to Wayne Manor, I called your Dad.” “And then after accepting apologies from Clark, I sent him home. I’m surprised he actually came, though.” “You thought I’d run?” “Yes. I’m sorry.” Bruce smiled. “Don’t be. You would've been right. I was about to run, but. . .I decided not to.” Clark decided to leave out the part about ‘meeting’ his younger brother, Connor. No sense in prolonging the agony for his parents. “I’ve got a couple of announcements of my own to make, if I could have the floor, please.” Bruce said, standing up and immediately commanding everyone’s attention. “In light of. . .the occurances of the past few weeks, I’ve decided that we cannot afford another superhero going bananas, for whatever reason. We might not get so lucky as to have someone who is fiercely loyal, loyal enough to sacrifice his own dreams for the greater good.” Lex offered a weak smile, still not convinced he couldn’t have prevented this whole occurance from occuring in the first place. “Oliver, Bart, Diana and I have decided to trust you, Lex, and you, Clark, and divulge information about this plan. I hope our trust is not in vain. We are going to attempt to band together, and form some sort of League of Justice. . .” “United Earth League of Justice.” Lex supplied. “Sounds less pompous then the Justice League of America, that’s for sure.” Bruce said, glaring at Oliver. “So baldly’s got the better name, so what?” “Anyway. I have Diana, who you know as Wonder Woman, researching a couple more of our fellow . . . brethren, and then I will be organizing contact missions. Clark, you and Lex will be kept out of the loop for these missions, considering. . .everything that’s gone down recently, you need to get some normalcy. But we’ll keep you informed, every step of the way, I promise.” “This. . .League, it can't interfere with Clark’s day job, or his duties to Metropolis and Smallville.” Jonathan said. “Mr. Kent, with all due respect, right now, it doesn’t even exist. We’re just trying to figure out a way where we can easily contain the situation, in the event of a worldwide disaster, like a flood, or earthquake. Or. . .if, you know, a powerful person goes postal.” Bruce answered. “I see. And have you given any thoughts to a headquarters?” “I was thinking someplace where not many people would be able to look. The moon, perhaps.” “The moon? Bat for Brains has finally lost it.” Lex said, flatly. “Remember this?” Bruce asked, running a hand through his hair. Clark snickered and Jonathan struggled not to do the same. “Anyway. The moon is perfect, it’s out of the way, and no one would think of looking for us there.” “Out of the way.” Lex guffawed, laughing harder and harder with each word Bruce said. “I think the moon is a good base of operations, personally. Bruce is right, who is going to come looking for a league of superheroes 239,000 miles away on the moon!” Clark said. “Yeah, I guess. . .” Lex said, still snickering. “Anyway, we’ve got to do this again, under much less . . . dire circumstances. It was a real pleasure to meet you guys.” Bruce extended his hand to Perry, Jimmy, and Lois, before walking out with Oliver, Bart and Alfred in tow. “And now, Lex, we will be having a little talk about responsibility and secrets.” Jonathan said, motioning with a hand to join him out on the porch. Lex sighed as he took a seat on the porch swing. “Look, Lex, you’ve given me every reason to trust you, until now. I truly believe you have made great strides in redeeming yourself, but a laspe of this magnitude cannot be ignored. I hope you realize the power you really hold, with Clark. Frankly, Lex, it scares me, because he put you above the safety of this family, and anyone who knew his true identity, just because you showed signs of being a great person during his junior year, which was a good 8 years ago. Let me make this clear, I will not hesistate in dealing with any threats which may arise, beit you, Pete, or anybody else. Do I make myself clear?” “Mr. Kent, it scares me, too. I do realize what Clark did, and were our positions reversed, I cannot see myself making the same decision he did. I. . .I know what I’d become, but. . .I couldn’t find the strength to reverse my course. Maybe I didn’t want to, maybe I was waiting for the right offer, I don’t know. It means a lot to me, to know that I am. . .was. . .in your good graces, and am in Clark’s. I swear I will try to do right by him, and you.” “No one expects your um, transition to be perfect, Lex. You were exposed to a very rough parental experience, and. . .the tendencies ingrained inside of you need to be rewritten. But, you’ve shown me once before that you can do it. I’m not abandoning you, Lex, not again. You know, Martha and I had a conversation about this subject a few weeks ago. She asked me if I would put you above Lionel knowing Clark’s secret. I said I probably would. I lost you once to that man, Lex, I am not about to let that happen again.” Jonathan grabbed both of Lex’s shoulders, and looked him in the eyes. “Thank you.” Lex said, unsure of what else to say. “I just wanted you to know what you mean to this family, Lex. How much Clark, Martha and I look up to you. I know you’ve been struggling uphill for the past few months, I just want to make sure you don’t start sliding, and taking this family down with you.” Lex nodded. “You can go home, if you want, Lex, or spend the night here.” “I think the mansion is calling, but thank you, Mr. Kent.” “Good night. And. . .Lex? It's Jonathan.” “Good night,. . . Jonathan.” Jonathan turned and walked back inside. “What did you tell him?” “Just a little motivational speech, son, nothing you need to be concerned about.” Jonathan smiled as he headed upstairs. Clark looked after Lex’s car, until it disappeared from normal sight, then he, too, headed upstairs, to bed. The next day began with Clark outside, at the crack of dawn, doing both his, and his father’s chores, trying, in some small way, to make up for the havoc he caused over the past few weeks. After he completed the chores, he flew back to Metropolis, and ate some breakfast in his apartment, before leaving for the Daily Planet. He arrived, and headed upstairs, just in time to see Lois making her way downstairs. “What's up?” Clark asked. “Your high school reunion, Clark.” Clark sighed. “I’d completely forgotten about that thing. Did Perry give us the day off?” “Yes, he did. So lets get to it.” Clark and Lois headed back to Clark’s apartment, where he changed into his costume, and flew them back to the farm. “Son, I was wondering where you'd flown off to. I guess Lois reminded you of this?” Jonathan handed Clark a letter, which had been ignored in the previous weeks havoc. “Yeah, she did remind me. I need a suit or something.” “My dress is at my apartment, Clark.” “I’ll get your suit ready, son, pressed and ready to wear.” Clark nodded, picked Lois up, and flew back to Metropolis, where her apartment was. Clark flew into the alley behind her building, Lois went inside, and a second later, reappeared with the dress in a small suitcase, along with other essentials. Clark lifted off, circled over the building once, and then headed back for Smallville. He touched down on the farm, and then they headed for their separate rooms, to change. They met downstairs, again, Clark, in a lovely three piece all black suit, white shirt, and a brown tie. Lois was in a stunning green dress, with diamond studs, and a matching set of earrings. Both looked spectacular. “Let me get a picture of this. They may never again look this ravishing.” Jonathan smirked, motioning them to get closer together. “You’ve never looked so good.” Lois shot back. Jonathan smiled, and then took a few shots. “Since neither of you brought a car. . .I guess. . .” Jonathan started, when a limo pulled up outside, and a chauffeur. “Mr. Kent and Ms. Lane?” She inquired. “Yes, who are you?” “Mr. Lex Luthor sent me. He. . .anticipated your lack of transportation, and sent me to collect you for the reunion.” “Wait a second, this could be a trick, guys.” Jonathan said, stepping outside with them. “Mr. Luthor figured you wouldn’t trust me, so. . .” the driver leaned over, and opened the back door, and out stepped Lex. “You guys were going to get into an unannounced limo? I’m disappointed in you.” Lex said, inviting them into the car. “No, I was about to say something, when Dad butt in.” Clark whispered, smiling at Jonathan. Lex waved, and they headed for Smallville High. “Are you excited to be coming back to high school, Chloe?” Lex asked. “Sort of, yeah. When I think of all the good times I had. . .chasing meteor freaks, nearly dying multiple times, getting into all sorts of scrapes and tight situations. . .I miss it. I really, honestly, miss it.” “I don’t. Having to hide a part of myself all the time. . .it wore me down. I’m glad I have some sort of freedom to do what I do.” “It helped telling us, though, Clark, didn’t it?” Chloe asked. “Of course. Never doubt that. I don’t have any regrets about any of you finding out. Yes, Lex, not even your goofy ass.” “I told you why I did it, Clark. I explained as best as I could in that letter. What more do you want from me?” “Now? Nothing. Then? Your trust, in me, in my parents, in my friends. None of this had to happen, Lex. The murders, the lying, the deceit, the war, the loss. . .it could’ve been avoided. All of it, if you'd only trusted us when it truly mattered.” “Clark. . .I was honestly doing what I felt was best to keep my father away from you. He was dangerous then, he’s even more dangerous now. If he manufactured that purple kryptonite, then he knows how to control you, and that’s extremely scary. I was not going to be responsible for my best friend being sent to a lab and getting dissected. Now, I’m sorry, but. . .it had to be that way.” “We have arrived, sirs and madam.” The chauffeur announced, pulling into the parking lot of Smallville High. He got out and opened the door, letting them out. Chloe was first, and she looked back inside, questioningly. “I’d like a few seconds with Clark, Chloe, you go on ahead.” She nodded, and walked into the school. “Clark, I’m not going to apologize for what I did back then. I know you were torn apart by my decision, I remember how you treated me after I was released from Belle Reeve. Like I’d deeply betrayed you, and a few days ago. . .I finally understood how you felt. But I did what I thought best, to keep your secret just that, a secret.” “I don’t want to get into it tonight, Lex, but I do promise you this, we will discuss this later.” “I see. Well, Clark, have a good time today, and try not to live in the past, it’ll just haunt you in the future.” Lex put an arm on Clark’s, and they looked at each other for a moment, before Clark pulled away, straightened up, and walked into the school. “The mansion.” He heard Lex say, and the limo pulled away. He sighed, and looked around for chlo. . .Lois, he reminded himself. Chloe was dead, a relic in that past Lex was warning him about. A past he regretted, and yet a past, apart from a few things, he was quite content with. He smiled as he spotted Lois chatting quietly with Lana, Pete and Tanya Hart, one of Lana’s friends from the Talon. As he walked over, he was trying to recall what had happened to Tanya after graduation. She’d been given a franchise in Bakerstown, about 100 miles south of Smallville, right near the Oklahoma border, she’d married her high school sweetheart, Corey Coles, and they had two beautiful kids, neither of who appeared to be in attendance today. He veered off towards the punch table, grabbed a couple of cups, and headed back towards the little group. “Hey Pete, Lana, Tanya.” He said by way of greeting, handing Lois her cup of punch. “Thanks, sweetie.” Lois grinned at Clark. “Boy, talk about oil and water mixing, you guys hated each other during senior year.” Tanya said, remembering the constant bickering, everywhere the two went. “Yeah, well, falling in love wasn’t on my radar screen.” Clark said, winking at his other three friends. “I second that. Falling in love with Smallville was not part of my plans when I came to this hole in the wall town. But, I guess Clark, and the town, grew on me. It was almost like I grew up here.” Lana started laughing and choking, so Pete slapped her on the back. Clark also grinned, and Tanya was feeling like a spare part. “I guess I’ll go over with Corey and his friends.” She said. Lana stopped her with an arm. “No, no, you can stay. It’s just an inside joke. Chloe and Lois used to talk all the time, Chloe telling Lois everything, and I mean everything, about what went on here, with all the FoTW and everything, that Lois feels like she was here, living it with us.” “Although, I would've kicked Van’s ass, all by myself.” Lois grinned. “Sure you would've.” Lana deadpanned, having dealt with Van McNulty when he was trying to exterminate every FoTW, including Clark and Lex. He’d very nearly succeeded. “So, what has everyone been up to in the last 5 years?” Tanya asked. “Well, I went to Met U, majored in journalism, and ended up working with Lois at the Daily Planet.” ‘I’m also a super-powered alien, Lois is truly my high school sweetheart, Chloe Sullivan, and oh yeah, I’m Superman. Nice to meet you.’ “I married nerd-tron over here, now we work together on big stories, he gets credit for doing nothing, and I pull our teams weight.” Lois laughed. “No, you pull your weight, which is more then enough for both of us.” Clark grinned back. In retaliation, Lois sent her punch flying into Clark’s face, which started a mini punch war. “Hey honey, hi guys.” Corey said, walking over and barely dodging a cup full of punch. “Corey.” Lois laughed. “Lois.” “Right. . .anyway. Let me ask you something, do you recognize him?” Corey pointed to a corner of the gym, where a lone man was standing, alone, semi-brooding. “I think that’s Mike Vasquez, he moved here from Osacataway during our freshman year, why?” “He’s always alone, he never mingles. I work with him at Pressman and Wittaker, and I hardly see him talking to anybody.” “That’s hardly a smoking gun, Corey. So he keeps to himself, maybe he’s a private person.” Lois said, leaning towards Clark. “But I never noticed him around any girls when he was in our class, and he’s decent looking. Not a knockout, but a good averagely handsome man.” She whispered. “Like you said, not a smoking gun. He might be gay, he might be a Monk, who knows?” Clark whispered back. “I guess you’re right, maybe I’m just yearning for a Smallville type mystery to pop up.” “I thought we both put that well behind us, thank god.” “What are you two whispering about?” Corey asked, shifting his attention from Mike to Clark and Lois.” “We’re talking about making love in the hayloft.” Lois deadpanned. Clark, sufficently used to her . . . snark and abruptness, didn’t blush, much. “Something I’d rather not being thinking about.” Corey answered, returning his attentive gaze to Mike. “You keep staring, dear, and you'll burn a hole into him.” Tanya admonished her husband, stepping into his gaze and kissing him. Corey finally gave in to his friends, and returned his wife’s kiss, before turning and shooting the breeze with his friends. This caused him to miss Mike slipping into the hallway, disappearing from view. “Hey, everyone, can I have your attention for a few minutes, please?” Principal Reynolds said, walking into the room. Everyone turned to him, and within a few seconds, the room was quiet. “Thank you all for attending the class of 2005 Reunion. Our response to this event further demonstrates that Smallville High was one of the best institutions in Kansas to attend. Now, we have a small problem. Our social events director unknowingly scheduled the middle school field trip up here on the same day as this reunion. In fact, the buses should be pulling up shortly. So, I would ask any volunteers for tourguides to head to the front of the school.” Lois, Clark, Pete and Lana headed up to the front, as did about half the room. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Please follow me.” Reynolds led them outside, where buses were indeed beginning to pull up. The first load of kids got out, and lined up. Reynolds pulled out a list, and read some random names. “Mattie Harcourt, Andrea Martinez, Richard Malverne, Wally Johnson, Cutter Sharp, Marcus Andrews, you will be escorted by Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Pete Ross and Lana Lang.” The four adults stepped forward, and met their six young charges. After quick introductions, the ten person group headed into the school. “Is there any school newspaper here?” Cutter asked. The four tourguides cracked up laughing. “Yeah, sure.” Clark snickered, leading the way to the Torch. Clark turned on the light switch by habit, and then stopped dead in his tracks. Across from him was the Wall of Weird, but it had grown immensely since he’d taken down his copy and put it in his apartment. He’d wanted to hold onto what he thought was his last tangible link to Chloe. Before. . .before this whole last 3 months had occurred, before he'd found Chloe, all over again. “What is that?” Cutter asked, squeezing past Clark and walking to the Wall. “It . . . it’s called the Wall of Weird. My cousin, Chloe Sullivan, started it when she first moved here.” “I still remember the exact speech she gave me the first time I saw it.” Clark grinned, then in a perfect imitation of Chloe, bounced over to the Wall. “I call it the Wall of Weird. It's every strange, bizarre and unexplained event that's happened in Smallville since the meteor shower. That's when it all began - when the town went schitzo.” He falsettoed perfectly. Pete gave him a round of applause, while the look Lois was giving him promised swift retribution. Clark responded with a smirk. “Explain your explaination.” Wally said, walking over next to Cutter, staring at the wall. “Well, Chloe and I, along with Pete and Lana worked on several cases where the. . .meteor rocks which came down in 1989 had some bizarro effects on people. One girl developed fat sucking power, there was Bug-Boy, the original scarecrow developed electrical powers. Hell, even Lex developed a highly advanced immune system, in addition to losing all his hair. And it all stemmed from the meteor shower.” Clark said. “And this is all true?” Cutter sounded skeptical. “Oh, it’s all true. I’m very lucky to be alive.” Lana said. “We all are. We’re all survivors of the Freaks. Lex, too, Clark, myself, Pete, Lois, we all have war stories to tell.” Pete said. “Lets hear one or two.” Wally said, sounding every bit as skeptical as Cutter. “Well, there was Jody Foster.” Clark said, looking at Pete. “Yeah, Jody. She was the hottest girl, and I asked her out to a dance. Well, I found out she was that fat sucking girl, and I was next. Luckily, one of my friends, who quickly developed a reputation for besting these freaks, saved me. I barely got out of her house, alive.” “And then there was Tina Greer.” Lana shruddered as Clark mentioned Tina. “Tina Greer was a shapeshifter, she could take on the appearance of anyone she wanted to. She always used to stalk me, she robbed a bank as Lex Luthor, then she tried killing me to become me. Our. . .hero saved me. Then she came back, and tried to kill me again, and this time, she died trying.” “That’s. . .way hard to believe.” Cutter said, sitting down in the Editor’s chair. “It's all true. Every word of that wall is true.” Clark said, glancing over it. “OK. Well. . .this is the newspaper office. Not bad, not bad. Were one of you the editor?” “After Chloe. . .um, succumbed to Lionel Luthor, I became the editor in her place.” Clark said. “You’re the reporter for the Planet, aren’t you?” Cutter asked, finally giving Clark a serious look. “Yep, guilty as charged. And this is my partner.” Clark nodded at Lois. Before Lois could say anything, a piercing scream rang out in the hallway. Clark immediately leaped across the room, and ran out the door, heading towards the scream. A middle schooler beat him, however, and as Clark watched, horrified, Mike Vasquez turned his gaze on the poor girl, and before Clark’s very eyes, she began to turn into a rock. Within seconds, the screaming girl had been transformed into a 4 foot boulder. Clark sprang into action, running towards Mike. Mike turned his gaze on Clark, who faltered. “ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” Clark yelled, struggling to retreat. “Clark!!!!!” Lois and Lana yelled, running towards him. “Go. . . . . . . . .back.” he stammered out. Lois and Lana pulled up, and Clark shot a brief burst of heat vision at Mike, causing him to lose concentration. Clark immediately turned, and ran back into the Torch. Pete was waiting for him, and he looked at Clark, noticing really dark purple bruises on his arms and legs. “Clark, what happened?” he asked, incredulously. Clark gave a quick glance towards Cutter’s group, before whispering to Pete. “It felt like he was . . . bursting my insides, Pete. And he. . .he turned that poor girl into a boulder. I think he can . . . I don’t know, change people’s makeups. Turn them into objects.” “We’ve got to evacuate the school.” Cutter said. “That includes you. And all of your friends.” Clark answered. “Sure, lets go, guys.” Cutter and Wally led the rest of the middle schooler’s out into the hall, and they ran down the hall. “In here, quick.” Cutter said, leading them into an empty stairwell, and into a deserted classroom. “What do we do here?” Mattie asked. “Research.” Cutter had that reporter’s gleam in his eyes, and he eyed the computer sitting in the corner. Clark, meanwhile, was supervising the evacuation of the high school, by distracting Mike long enough. He was zipping around Mike, not giving him enough time to get a clear shot at him. “Clark! School’s empty!” Lois yelled down the hall, racing back into the Torch offices. Clark supersped back into the office, locking the door behind him. “Well, now what do we do? A locked door isn't exactly the best protection from him, and he can hurt Clark. We’re not in an enviable position.” Lana said, sitting next to Pete on the couch. “Try to figure out a way of capturing him.” Clark said. “Capture might not be possible, Clark.” “Well, then we have to make sure he can't hurt anyone else.” Pete said. Clark nodded. *Science classroom, third floor* “You really think this can work, Cutter?” Mattie asked, looking over his shoulder. He was doing some research online, on how to block thoughts with household devices and substances. “Figure that, somehow, the meteor rocks have given Mike the power of altering one’s DNA, it’s mental. Mental thought transmissions, just like on that episode of Star Trek. I just need to figure out a way to block it.” Cutter rubbed his eyes, got up, and walked to the door, just in time to see Mike staring down a girl from the reunion. The girl was holding some piece of metal, and Mike couldn’t seem to change it, or the girl. Defeated, he ran away. Cutter opened the door, and yelled for the girl to run inside, quickly. She did, and he locked the door behind her. “What is that?” he asked, pointing to the metal she had in her hands. “It’s a piece of sheet metal I found laying around, I thought it was from one of the science rooms, so I came to put it back. What was Mike doing?” “Um. . .we think he’s a. . .what did Clark call them? Freaks?” Wally said. “Meteor freaks?” the woman asked. Wally nodded. “I need to know what this stuff is made of.” Cutter said. “Theres a metal analyzer somewhere in one of these classrooms.” The girl said. “No interconnecting door, I bet.” Wally asked, hopefully. The girl shook her head. “What is your name, by the way? I’m Cutter, this is Wally, Mattie, Buzz, and Andy.” “I’m Trish Sanders.” “Nice to meet you.” “Likewise, I’m sure.” “We need to find that metal analyzer.” Cutter said. “Do you know what it looks like?” Wally asked. Trish nodded, and began looking through the drawers and cabinets. *Torch office* “Any luck, Clark?” Pete asked, pacing next to the computer. Chloe and Clark were trying to recapture their youth, when they would track down clues using the computer. “No. Nothing on any possible counteragents.” “Well, how long before he finds us? I don’t want to die!” Lana yelled. “Lana, shut up. We’ll find some information, but you’re getting on my nerves!” Clark yelled, looking up from the computer. Lana, displeased that she wasn’t the center of attention, humphed and stalked to the couch, sitting down and being quiet. Clark and Chloe resumed searching, without anything in the way of success. Meanwhile, upstairs, Cutter and the group had finally drawn a break, when they found the metal analyzer in their classroom. “Now, lets see what this is made of.” Cutter said, plugging the computer plug in into it’s proper slot, and loading the correct device drivers. He clicked around until he found the correct program, and then loaded it. “I need a piece small enough to be put into the analyzer.” “And I have just the tool.” Buzz announced, coming out from the supply room and holding up an acetylene torch. “What the HELL?” Mattie exclaimed, staring in disbelief. “You better be sure you know how to handle that thing.” Cutter warned him, motioning to the metal piece. “Piece of cake, done it all the time in the car shop.” Buzz fastened the goggles onto his face, and then warned everybody to stand back. He lit the torch, turned it up until it was a white hot flame, and got to cutting the metal. Back in the Torch, no one was getting as lucky as the middle schoolers upstairs. “Have you found ANYTHING that can save us?” Lana screeched. “Why don’t you go outside and save us, Lana?” Chloe mumbled, rubbing her tired eyes and turning back to the computer screen. “Be nice.” Clark whispered back, clicking yet again, hoping he’d find something on the 32,947,302,740,217th click of the mouse. “Why, she obviously abandoned that approach back during junior year.” Chloe snarled, barely under her breath. “We've discussed this, Lex and I both did, before. . .no. I refuse to let my past interfere with the present.” Clark came across something about mental abilities, and looked at Chloe. “He doesn’t seem to have any physical powers, only this one strange one.” Chloe said, nodding slowly. “And my guess would be he uses it mentally. Therefore, we need to find a way to block it.” “You . . . stood up to it, Clark.” Pete put in, helpfully, finally get tired of his wife’s annoying comments. He stood up and wandered over to the duo at the computer. “And it felt like I was dying every second.” “But still, something about you prevented his powers from working as quickly. Perhaps. . .” “The only thing different about me is I am an alien, Pete. And I get my powers from the sun.” “The sun. . .I’ve read some theories about how Superman is so powerful, they say he stores energy from the sun like a battery. Maybe some element of the sun. . .” Pete trailed off, looking at Clark. “I don’t know, Pete, that’s pretty farfetched, even by Smallville standards.” Chloe said. “This coming from a girl who underwent identity changing surgery, and is married to Smallville’s very own costume wearing alien superhero. Sure, my theory is out there.” “Touché, Pete.” She laughed. “Meanwhile, I’m getting nowhere on this mental blocking avenue.” Clark said. “Here, Clark, switch with me.” Chloe said, getting up and switching seats with Clark. Back in the sciene department, Buzz had finished cutting a metal square, and Cutter slowly fed it into the metal analyzer. A few minutes later, the information came up on the screen. “30% aluminum, 20% zinc, 35% copper, 14% nickel, 1% other.” Cutter read off the screen. “My guess would be we need to weld a bunch of these together, to form a shield.” “Where are we going to find these things?” “Cafeteria.” Trish said suddenly, looking up at them. “How far is that?” Cutter asked. “Pretty far, it’s on the ground floor, 2 floors beneath us, and all the way across this hallway.” Trish pointed in the general direction. “That’s. . .a long way with Mike outside.” Andy said. Cutter nodded. “I don’t think any of us should risk anything like that. We’ll just have to hope some more of these things are laying around this floor. Trish, you and Mattie, Wally and Andy team up and go find as many of these as you can. And don’t even think of going near the caferteria.” Cutter said, looking up from the computer. Everyone nodded, not questioning him for a second. “And what exactly am I doing?” Buzz asked. “Welding.” *Luthorcorp* “Sir, I wasn’t expecting you. . .” Stan began, getting up from the chair in his office. “Yes, well, here I am. What's new with the Smallville plant?” “We’ve. . .paid off all the families, our cash reserves are down to $1.5 billion. We may need to issue new stock. We’ve also made sure they won't ever sue us for the plant disaster. The media, and authorities do not know the extent of the coverup. But, sir, we still have the EPA crawling on our asses for the enviromental damages caused.” “I can deal with the EPA. You just deal with investor relations, and hey, put out a feeler on the market demand for Luthorcorp stock. See if we can float say, 40 or 50 million shares.” “Yes, sir.” Stan turned and left. Lex quickly got on the phone, and dialed direct to the chairman of the EPA, Andrew Lancaster. “Hello?” “Hello, Mr. Lancaster. I understand you are concerned about Luthorcorp’s. . .enviromental record?” “Hello, Mr. Luthor. Yes, it has come to our attention that there have been several massive gas line explosions in your Smallville Plant #3. We are concerned because as of now, a good 3 weeks later, no efforts have been made at cleaning up the area. We do not want to levy fines against a contractor for the government, but we will not hesistate to impose stiff penalties if immediate action is not undertaken.” “Mr. Lancaster, lets try and be civil here. I have been attending to several. . .personal matters, during the past 3 weeks. Not the least of which is a sudden resurrection of my father. I trust you can see it in your heart to grant leniency, if we take steps to correct the situation at Smallville Plant #3?” “It’s been 3 weeks, Mr. Luthor. And NO efforts at ANY measureable cleanup have taken place. I am sorry, but the EPA has no choice but to levy a $300 million dollar fine for violations of EPA statutes 6.45, 3.21, 24.66, and 33. You have until the end of the month to pay off your fine. If you do not, we will be forced to take you to court.” “Mr. Lancaster, you do not threaten Lex Luthor and get away with it. I don’t think you would appreciate the records of your drug use being magically dug up, would you? Nor the . . . videotapes of several. . .interesting meetings that have taken place with, how shall I put this, young men and women of a field trip age? You will see my side, Mr. Lancaster, or I will ruin you, your family, and make sure you cannot get a job in this country. Do you understand?” “Um, I. . .under the circumstances. . .I can um, grant you a two week, um, extension on your. . .cleanup efforts. Thank you for . . . calling to discuss the situation.” Andrew hung up, leaving Lex feeling. . .strangely hollow inside. He quickly shook off the feeling, and headed out to find Stan, and inform him of the extension they’d just received. *Smallville High* “I found enough of these to last us a lifetime.” Andy said, struggling, along with Wally to get them into the room. Cutter and Buzz quickly got up and helped them. “What are you planning to do?” Buzz asked. “Wear a shield made of this stuff, until I can tie him up inside of a suit made of this stuff. That should make sure he can't harm anyone, again.” Cutter replied. “That’s too dangerous! You don’t know what will happen if. . .” a sudden scream stopped the rest of Andy’s rebuke, and Cutter grabbed one of the metal pieces, and ran out of the room, Han Solo in the Death Star style. He quickly got in front of Mattie, with the metal out in front of him. “Hell of a time for a field test.” He thought to himself. Mike stared intently at him, but could not muster any of his power. After seeing this, he quickly turned around and . . . disappeared. Buzz ran outside, and Cutter turned to see him staring at. . .a backpack. Or rather, 7 or 8 of them. “Trish?” Mattie asked, looking ready to throw up. Buzz nodded sadly. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Mattie said, running down the hall. “Go after her!” Cutter yelled, throwing the shield to Andy, who was already on her way after her best friend. Cutter and Buzz quickly retreated to the safety, they hoped, of the classroom. “Start welding.” Cutter said, tersely. Buzz nodded, and began to weld the pieces together. “Be sure to give me enough flexibility to bend the ends.” “I’ll do my best.” *Torch* “Aluminum and zinc, when combined with other metals, may block telepathic transmissions. But it’s only a theory, never tested. If anyone tries to do that, it would be like playing russian roulette.” Chloe read, looking around. “And it can't be you, Clark. You already have some invincibility, it wouldn’t be an accurate test. And we can't risk anyone else.” She continued. “So that’s it, then. We have a possible hypothesis, but no way of testing it. I don’t suppose we’re lucky enough that Clark’s got telepathic powers.” Pete said. Lana, having been yelled at twice, was showing some evidence of a brain, for once, by actually not participating in an adult conversation. “Sorry.” Clark smiled, not ready to discuss his. . .telekinetic powers, just yet. “So what are we going to do?” Chloe asked, looking up at them. Clark and Pete just shrugged, not having any ideas. *Luthorcorp* “Jen, Jen, calm down. Now, calmly, explain what's wrong.” Lex said, soothing an upset employee. “My daughter’s friend called, she’s at Smallville High, and there’s a major emergency, the school’s been evacuated, but she’s still inside, and Jackie, she’s my daughter’s friend, was ranting about a . . . a freak turning kids into rocks.” Lex sighed, running a hand over his bald head, wishing he had hair, to see if it was as soothing as people claimed. “Look, I’m sure she’s just. . .unaccounted for in the melee that ensued when the building was being evacuated. Do you want the rest of the day off?” “Yes, please. Thank you, Mr. Luthor.” “Don’t mention it. Do you believe Jackie when she talks about this freak?” “She’s never embellished the truth before, I believe her, Mr. Luthor.” “Well, then, why don’t we take the Luthorcorp helicopter? It’s the fastest way to Smallville.” ‘unless you’re in the presence of one Clark Kent’ “Mr. Luthor. . .I don’t know how to thank you for this. . .” “Just make sure your daughter is OK, Mrs. Harcourt. That’s more then enough thanks for me.” Lex called one of his pilots, and told her to get the chopper ready. The two made their way to the top of the building, where the helicopter was waiting for them. They got into it, and it quickly whisked off towards Smallville, and the high school. *Torch* “Well, well, well, lookie what we have here.” Mike suddenly came into the room, his mouth basically salivating as he saw 4 people, 4 sitting ducks, in the office. Clark quickly got up and supersped in front of Mike. “You’re not going to hurt anyone else, Mike.” “And who is going to stop me? I could turn everyone into a chicken and no one can stop me!” “Why? Why do you need to do this?” Mike simply turned around, and everyone could see that his back was a horrible greenish/purple. “I need to absorb everyone’s good DNA, and get rid of my bad DNA. I have to, so I will.” Mike turned and looked at Chloe. Clark quickly supersped them out into the hall, and right through. Mike came roaring back through the hole in the wall, and stared intently at Clark. “Ahhhhh.” Clark groaned in agony, feeling, actually feeling some of himself being pulled away. Clark supersped at Mike, causing him to lose concentration, and propelled the both of them into some lockers. “How long do you think you can hold out, Clark? How long before I overpower you?” Mike taunted, rising from the rubble and ripping his shirt off. Clark backed off, hoping distance reduced the effects. “You know, my Mom was over a half mile away, and it didn’t matter. I still turned her into a dove. It was the most humane thing I could do, let her roam the clouds.” Mike resumed his intense glaring at Clark, and Clark, left with little options, let loose with his heat vision, frying a piece of Mike’s chest. Mike stumbled back, roaring in pain, when out of nowhere, Cutter appeared, racing down the hall. “NO! GET OUT OF HERE!” Clark yelled. Cutter didn’t listen, however, and dove on top of Mike, wrapping a metal sheet around him, including his head. While Cutter was apprently distracted, Clark focussed a tiny heat beam into the metal, fusing it. Cutter looked up at Clark, seeing the metal being miraculously welded together. It didn’t take long before Cutter’s sharp mind put the pieces together. “I hope you tested that thing, at least.” Clark said, sheepishly. Worse and worse, he thought to himself. This day couldn’t end fast enough. He’d just revealed himself to a middle school reporter. “Of course.” “And I can further assume the rest of your tribe of merry middle schoolers is somewhere inside the building?” “Yeah. We. . .we didn’t leave. We wanted to help solve the mystery, and. . .” “Try to get yourselves turned into doves and stones. And you very nearly succeeded.” “Why. . .how did he hurt you? I mean. . .you are. . .” Cutter looked around, making sure no one was near earshot. “Superman, right?” he finished, whispering. “Yeah. I am.” He sighed. “Don’t worry, Clark. I won't tell a soul. I promise. Not even any of my friends.” “He won't tell. . .oh Clark, you didn’t.” Chloe, Lois and Pete emerged from the Torch, having heard the voices. “I did. Not on purpose, but I did. I didn’t think he’d be around!” “Clark, come on. What would I have done at his age?” Chloe asked, almost playfully. “Kissed me and told me I wanted it.” Clark shot back. “Do I need to separate you two?” Pete asked. Clark stuck his tongue out at him. “She started it.” “Did not!” “DID TOO!” “Boys and girls, please stop.” Pete said, smirking as he pushed Clark away from Chloe. “Anyway. I swear to you guys that I won't tell anyone who Clark is.” “Who is Clark?” Mattie asked, walking up to the group. “A reporter for the Daily Planet.” Cutter answered, laughing. Just then, Lex ran into the hallway, with Mrs. Harcourt behind him. Lex stopped short, seeing a person in a metal jacket laying on the floor. “This is. . .the freak?” he asked, looking down at Mike. “Yeah.” Clark said. Lex took a good look at Clark, and started, seeing bruises on his arms and legs. He motioned for Clark to take a walk with him. “Guys, go call the police. Make sure Belle Reeve is notified, have them line the walls with. . .” “I’ll tell them the specifics, Clark. You go talk with Lex.” Lois said, shooing the two of them. “But, Lois, you don’t know what the metal is made of.” Clark said. “Clark, I need to see you, alone, please.” Lex said. Clark nodded, turned, and led him into the Torch. Lex shut the door, then turned around and looked at Clark. “Why are you bruised?” “I went up against that freak, Lex. Do you know what his power is? He can turn people into inanimate, and animate, objects. Somehow, he alters their DNA, their genetic code. I don’t know why, but apparently, if he doesn’t do that enough, he would, in all likelihood, die.” “So you went up against him, and now you’re bruised? How long is it going to last?” “Not sure.” “Your parents are going to freak.” Lex stated. “You don’t know the half of it.” Clark moaned, flopping down onto the couch. “You’re not hurt anywhere else, are you?” Lex asked, eyeing his best friend. “No, but someone else knows.” “Knows. . .oh. Oh! Who? Please tell me it isn't one of those kids out there.” “Oh yeah. It is. A reporter who reminds me very much of Chloe at that age, by the name of Cutter Sharp.” “Can he be trusted?” “He said he wouldn’t tell. I’m going to insist he come by, to meet my parents. Just in case.” “If you need any. . .added incentive, to make sure he won't tell. . .” “I think we can get by without scarring the kid, but thanks.” Clark said dryly. Just then, Chloe’s computer beeped. Lex sat down and looked at the message. “She’s got a new email.” Clark nodded and headed out into the hall. He led Chloe back into the room, and hovered around the computer, as she opened the email. Her expression became increasingly agitated, and full of shock. “Clark. . .I. . .she. . .” “Whoa, Chloe, take a deep breath. What's up?” “I found my Mom, Clark.” |
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| Tejesh | Fri Jun 23, 2006 11:14 pm Post #54 |
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Moved In
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********************** **Chapter 24: Answers** ********************** “Well, where is she?” Clark asked, waiting impatiently. Chloe had been silently reading the email for the past 15 minutes. “Um. . .she’s in the. . .dirt poor side of town. Um, 138 McCallister Drive.” “That’s also the very rough and dangerous side of town.” Lex put in, finally perking up. For the last 15 minutes, he’d been slowly driving himself crazy waiting for Chloe to wake up from her little funk. “I hope she’s been able to take care of herself.” Chloe mused out loud. “I’m sure she has.” Clark offered. “We need to go see her, Clark.” “Chloe, wait. It’s been a long day, you nearly died due to a meteor freak, Clark’s secret is out to a thirteen year old middle school reporter, and those kids out there probably have insane amounts of questions for you. I think you can put it off for one day.” “He’s right, Chloe. Time to put on your Lois hat and go out there, smile and answer questions.” Clark got up and held a hand out for Chloe. “Fine, Smallville. Lets do this.” Lois grinned, kissing him and skipping out of the room. “Thank you, Lex.” Clark said, smiling at him before walking after his girlfriend. “Mr. Kent, Ms. Lane, we just. . .we want to know what you were thinking allowing these children to stay in such a dangerous situation!” a women snapped. “They chose to stay, we told them to get out. It ain't our fault, lady.” Lois snapped back. “Charlotte, the kids explained it to us. We should be happy no one got hurt. Let it go.” A man said, ruffling Wally’s hair. “As long as the kids are all right, and no one got hurt, it’ll end up being all right.” “Is Mr. Sharp here?” Clark asked. A man looked up, eyeing Clark. “Yes, Mr. Kent? What do you want?” “Your son is an aspiring journalist, he reminds me of a friend of mine, who was probably the best crack reporter in all of Smallville, and she was in 9th grade at the time! I’d like to, with your permission, take him under my wing, so to speak, teach him the nuances of journalism.” “Of course. That’s perfect.” “And can we start tonight? I’d like to show him my high school portfolio.” Mr. Sharp nodded, so Clark and Cutter headed down the hall. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go help Clark with Cutter. Clark didn’t get to be the #2 reporter at the Planet without me.” Lois said. She quickly ran off after the pair. “If I leave those two alone, they’ll rip your son apart before they get home.” Lex said, also following along. Lex led them to his chopper. “Why did you come in a chopper?” Lois asked. “Fastest transportation available. Now, if you'd kindly get in, we’ll get this bird in the air.” Everyone did so, and they took off for the Kent farm. Lex kept on giving Cutter intense gazes, until Clark told him to knock it off. “Did you not understand me, Lex? No need to scar the kid. Eyes front, face forward! What was it you told me once? Oh, yes. You’ll deal with any contingencies. This is a contingency, deal with it. But not here. And not like this. So back off!” Lex grinned back at Clark, before turning and looking out the front windows. They landed on the Kent farm a few minutes later, and one by one, filed out. “Lex? Clark? Lois? What's the meaning of this? Who is this boy?” Jonathan asked, looking at the quartet disembarking from the heilcopter which had been dropped on his previously quiet night. “The newest member of the family.” Lex said dryly, eyeing Clark with the evil eye, this time. “He doesn’t mean what I think he means, does he, son?” a dangerous gleam flashed in Jonathan’s eyes, as he eyed the young boy standing next to Clark. “I. . .he does. It does. He knows.” Clark stammered. “HOW did this happen?” “Mr. Kent. . .I hope Clark isn't in any trouble, I just. . .I promise I won't tell anyone who Clark is.” “EVERYTHING? He knows everything? Oh god, he’s just a boy, Clark. How could you tell him?” “I didn’t tell him. He saw me using heat vision. And I stood up to the freak without being severely injured.” “Is that why you’re bruised?” Cutter asked, smirking. “Bruised? What exactly happened, Clark?” Jonathan led them into the house, hanging back to look at Clark. “Basically, his DNA was breaking down, he needed to um. . .steal DNA from other people. He turned those people into. . .um, well, items. Dead or alive, but not human. Very painful, I can tell you that. I guess my. . .unique psyciology protected me, to a certain degree.” “Son, I think I need to check you out. You getting bruised is like most of us getting seriously injured. Let me see your arms, legs, and any other part of you that is hurt.” Clark accompanied his father upstairs, leaving Lex, Lois and Cutter downstairs. “So, Cutter. You know Clark’s secrer?” Lex asked, sitting down and looking at the boy. “Yeah, I know all about what he is and everything. I think it’s cool!” “What he is?” Lex asked, looking confused. He looked up at Lois, winked, and then levelled his gaze back at Cutter. “Yeah. . .you know. . .” “No, I don’t. What is Clark? You mean he’s been LYING to me over all the years of our friendship?” Lex asked, getting up and stomping to the stairs. Cutter quickly got up and intercepted Lex. “Clark is a . . . oh, fine. Clark’s a bed wetter. He told me himself, after um, he um, he went up against the freak and. . .” Cutter started to laugh, losing control of himself. Lex shook his head, leaning against the wall. “You need to work on lying, Mr. Sharp. You will have to lie to your friends, your family, anybody who askes you about Clark, or Superman.” “I . . . I know.” Cutter sighed, leaning against the wall, as well. “Nobody’s perfect, Cutter. All we ask is that you do your best.” Jonathan said, walking downstairs with Clark behind him. “I guess I understand.” “That’s all we ask, Cutter. Just go with the newspaper tutoring story I used on your Dad, and everything should be just fine.” “So we won't be working on the newspaper?” “Oh, we will be. That just gave me an out with your Dad. You can edit some of my stories for the Planet, and I’ll help you out with the Torch.” Clark smirked at Lois. “Without me, Clark wouldn’t be anything but a superhero bum. Some gratitude.” Lois grumbled. “Are they about to fight?” “Them? No. They snark at each other all the time. I think we should get you home, though.” Lex answered. “You can't be thinking of taking him home in a chopper, Lex. I’ll take him home. You, get that thing off my lawn.” Jonathan sighed. Lex smirked, and headed outside, with Jonathan and Cutter following. Clark changed into his costume, gathered up Lois, and flew her towards her apartment. The next day, Clark and Lois were in the newsroom early, because Lois wanted to track down the woman claiming to be her mother. “What’s her name?” Clark asked, sitting down next to Lois, handing her a cup of coffee. “Madeline Harrison.” Lois gasped as she sat back in her chair. “Harrison was her maiden name, wasn’t it?” Clark asked, smiling knowingly. Lois nodded, wordlessly. “What do you . . . should I? I mean, what do I do?” “I think you need to. . .find this woman, Lois. I think you need to finally get some answers, why she left, and so on. Why else would you be putting out feelers for her?” “What if she doesn’t love me, Clark? What if she wanted a boy? Wanted to leave us for a good reason? What if she’s dying? Insane? Remember that fear serum during senior year? What if shes really mentally insane?” “Hey, hey. No negative thinking, Lois. I thought you told me that it was hereditary, I don’t see any signs of insanity in you. No more then usual.” Clark smiled. He gently nudged her towards Perry’s door. “Go tell him what we have to do.” Clark said softly. He gave her an encouraging smile, as she turned and walked into Perry’s office. Clark gathered up all of Lois’ work, and his, and went into his office, where he quickly supertyped all of their articles, leaving them in his office. He headed back into the newsroom, where Lois was gathering her stuff and smiled. “All our work is done, we have the day to ourselves.” “My own superhero.” Lois smiled. Clark grinned at her, as they headed into the elevator, and to the bottom floor. They walked arm in arm to the Luthorcorp parking garage, where Lex had all but forced them to park their cars. As luck would have it, Lex was just getting out of his car when they entered the garage. “Ah, Lois, Clark. Off to cover another major story?” “Not this time, Lex. We’re off to um, well. . .we’re going to go see my Mom.” Lois said. Lex looked at them, shocked. “I could give you a ride, if you wanted? I’m not needed for anything pressing right now, anyway.” “Thanks, Lex, but we’re OK.” Clark said. “Actually, Lex, would you mind coming? I could use some more moral support. I’m very nervous about this meeting.” “I can understand that, Lois.” Lex nodded, accompanying them to Clark’s car. He got into the front seat, with Lois shooting him a nasty stare. “First come, first serve.” He said. Lois pouted, but reluctantly got into the back seat. Clark pulled out, and asked for directions. “Take Route 90 West about ten miles, exit 13.” “Chloe, just remember, she probably had a very good reason for leaving when she did. Don’t be too hard on her, let her speak her mind, OK?” Clark counseled. “Yeah, I know, Clark. I just, you know, after so long, I just finally want some answers.” “Those who seek answers shouldn’t be shocked by what they hear.” Lex said. “I won't be, Lex.” “Not even if she left for an affair? It could be that, Chloe.” “Lex, shut up.” Clark said harshly. “No, Clark, let him talk. I guess I have to start to think about all of these possibilities, as unpleasant as they might be.” “Are you sure, Chloe? You might end up beating Lex to a pulp when we get there.” “No I won't. For what? Preparing me for whatever truth we might find? I should be thanking him, Clark, not killing him.” The threesome rode quietly, with intermittent directions by Chloe the only break in the slightly uncomfortable silence. “Well, here we are.” Clark said, parking in a run down garage. “Last chance to run away.” Lex smiled softly, an expression people other than Clark rarely saw. Chloe shook her head, and led the way to the elevator. “$100 million that the elevator stalls and we die of suffocation.” “Stairs it is.” Chloe executed a sharp 90 degree turn, and headed upstairs. “$100 million that. . .” “SHUT UP, Lex!” Chloe and Clark laughed. Lex followed behind them, smirking at their backs. They reached the 14th floor and Chloe headed to apartment number 45. “Ready?” Clark asked. “No, but here we go, anyway.” Chloe took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. “One second!” a woman yelled, and the threesome outside heard shuffling, getting louder and louder. “Clark, I’m scared. What if she doesn’t love me, what if. . .what if she. . .” “Too late, dear.” Clark whispered, grabbing Chloe in a big bear hug. The door opened, revealing. . . “Mom????” Lex whispered, eyes bugging out at the woman standing in the doorway. For perhaps the only time he could remember, Lex passed out, falling to the floor. “Wait, you’re *his* mother? I thought she died?” Clark asked, kneeling next to Lex, and gently picking him up. The woman sighed, and moved aside, letting the trio into the apartment. “No, I’m Chloe Sullivan’s Mom. But Lex is my. . .nephew.” “But that would make Lex and I. . .” “Cousins? Yes it would. You mean Lionel never told you? He never mentioned it?” “The only contact Lionel had with me was to use me to spy on a friend a long time ago. A mistake that nearly cost me my life. As far as I'm concerned, that venemous bastard got exactly what was coming to him.” “Whatever he was, Chloe, just remember, he changed dramatically after Julian’s death.” “Uhhh. . .what happ. . .” Lex looked up sharply at Madeline. “You fainted after mistaking me for your mother.” She informed him. “You. . .you look just like her. I’m sorry, I guess I. . .” “Saw your aunt for the first time in years?” Clark asked, helping Lex to a sitting position. “A. . .aunt?” “Your mother’s twin sister, to be precise. After Julian’s birth and subsequent death, and then Lillian’s sickness and death, we were cut off, never contacted by Lionel again. Instead of embracing all she wanted for you, Lex, your father began molding you. I would pop in on you occasionally during the semesters at Excelsior, but those visits became more and more infrequent as you grew older, and began to become more and more your father’s son, and less and less my nephew. Then. . .when Chloe turned 5, I contracted a . . . particular form of cancer that every doctor I went to thought was an immediate death sentence. I didn’t want to put Gabe or Chloe through that, so I just up and left. I came to Metropolis, where I met with several doctors, and they actually found a concoction of drugs which completely sent my cancer into remission.” “And you didn’t come back because. . .” “I’d been gone so long, I didn’t. . .I didn’t know what you thought of me. So rather then risk alienating you further, I chose to stay away.” “Dad didn’t know?” “No, Chloe, Dad had no idea.” “So why would you answer her feelers, now?” Clark asked. “I don’t know. I guess I . . . if she really wanted to find me, who am I to deny her?” “Do you know how much Dad cried when you left? He always tried to hide it, but I knew when he was crying.” “What do you want me to say?” “I want you to come home, Mom. Come home and talk to Dad. Tell him what you just told me.” “Honey, I can't. I have a life here. I can't pick it all up and move back to Smallville. I hope you understand.” “I don’t, even if she does, Aunt. . .” “Madeline.” “Aunt Madeline, you live in the dirt poor side of the city, this is Suicide Slums East. This isn't the place for a single woman to be living, certainly not on her own.” “I’m not on my own.” “You have a boyfriend?” Chloe asked, standing toe to toe with her mother. The look on her face scared Clark so much that he stepped in between mother and daughter. “No, Chloe, I would never do that to Gabe. I still love him, that’s why I left. I didn’t want him working to take care of a . . . perpetually sick wife, the only question being when, not if.” “Look, Mrs. Sullivan, as a good friend to both Lex and Chloe, I think you should come home. You said it yourself, you’re in remission. The reason you left no longer is a concern.” “You don’t understand, I’ve built myself a life here. I’m fully independent, I don’t rely on anybody. To give that up. . .” “No one is asking you to give up anything, Aunt Madeline. You could move Gabe here to Metropolis. He’s working for Luthorcorp, anyway, I’ll just transfer him to a job here. You could get a better apartment, in a better neighborhood. You needn’t live here any longer.” “I’ve got a job, already, Lex. I make decent money, for a single woman. Just not enough to afford any fancy shmancy things.” “Where do you work, Mom?” “Ace ‘o Clubs. It’s a little pub owned by a friend of mine. Bibbo Bibbowski.” “Bibbo Bibbowski? I know him. He’s the guy who hit Jimmy Olsen, isn't he? Not just hit him, but knocked him silly. What the hell are you doing trusting him?” Chloe asked. “He. . .he didn’t mean to. He told me that he mistook Jimmy for someone else. Besides, that was a few years ago.” “Roughly 3 years, actually. Right when I started at the Planet. Jimmy had a black eye for a week or two after. But I trust Bibbo.” Clark nodded. “Mom, I don’t like it. I don’t like you living here, living in the dirt poor side of town, this is a very bad neighborhood. And this Ace 'o Clubs. . .I think I’d like to visit this place.” “We could eat dinner there, tonight, Chloe, if that would ease your fears.” Lex said. Madeline started to sputter. “Mom?” “Nothing, Chloe. It’s just. . .Lex, this place isn't your typical restaurant. It’s like a little hole in the wall. I doubt you'd enjoy yourself there, no real gourmet food, more like pastries, and simple meals.” “And when I lived in Smallville, you think I had gourmet chefs working for me? For my friend. . .cousin, I would gladly endure a night of common food.” Lex smirked, glancing at Chloe. “Then it’s settled, we’re going to go to this place, and check it out.” Clark grinned. “You guys better not make any trouble.” Madeline warned. Everybody quickly dawned their ‘who me’ faces. “Oh, Mom, one thing, you’ll have to call me Lois tonight, and whenever you see me out in public.” “Lois? That’s your cousins name, Chloe.” “Not anymore. You see, Auntie, um. . .Dad had her in his sights for an . . . egregious error in judgement during her junior year. In order to escape his clutches, I . . . arranged for Chloe to disappear, and then ultimately, die. She was taken underground, where my plastic surgeons gave her some slight alterations, and were able to genetically induce one last growth spurt, giving her the appearance of Lois Lane. Some risky voice alteration paid off, and she was given Lois’ voice, as well.” “How could your own uncle do that. . .” “Nothing is above Lionel, Mrs. Sullivan. He also poisoned Lex the day Chloe ‘disappeared’.” “He also turned his own son into a perfect clone of himself, until Clark managed to find some part of the Lex who had been our friend. Clark appealed to Lex, and Lex listened.” “So my daughter is essentially dead? And I have to call you Lois everywhere in public? This is what your uncle did to you?” “That is the legacy my dear father has left for Chloe. And Chloe’s done very well for herself since Lois was born.” “And where is the real Lois Lane, dear?” “I paid her off handsomely to change her name and appearance, as well. She’s not in the picture, currently.” Lex answered. “Funny. That was probably the last selfless act I committed before April of this year.” Lex mused, almost to himself. “What was that, Lex?” “Nothing, Auntie.” “Well, folks, I think if I can be excused, I need to get back to the Planet. I will definitely be back tonight, say, 7ish?” Clark said, getting up and picking up his jacket. Lex nodded, and got up, as well. “Duty calls, or, in this case, Luthorcorp calls. I shall also return at around 7. Until then, Aunt Madeline, Chloe.” Clark and Lex walked out of the apartment together. “So tell me what you’ve been doing these past 22 years, Chloe.” “Well, during high school, I was editor for our school paper. . .” “You think she’s really ready for this, Clark?” “Of course, Lex. It was her choice to look for Madeline. She made the decision, Lex, totally on her own. I don’t think she would do that if she wasn’t fully prepared for whatever she was going to find.” “I hope you’re right, Clark.” “Are you alright with this? You discovered a new cousin and aunt today.” “I think I’ll be able to handle it, Clark. I have a favor to ask of you. Could we go to the mansion and work on the Room a bit more?” “I guess, Lex. What more do you want?” “Language and numerical system, we can put it on the walls.” “Kind of like Fortress of Solitude South?” Clark grinned. Lex nodded. They got into Clark’s car, and Clark took off for Smallville. “And that’s kind of the story of high school, pre-Lois.” Chloe ended. “So you kept on putting yourself in harms way, all for a story?” “Well, yeah, Mom. That’s what top notch journalists do. Anything for a story.” “Have you ever. . .put a story above a friend?” “Only once, that’s what lead to the whole Lois persona, actually. Putting a story ahead of a friend. The one and only time I did it, and look what it did to me. That’s a lesson learned.” “What about post-Lois?” the two ladies were sitting in the dingy apartment, Madeline had made tea, and they were eating some toast, while sharing details of their lives. “Post-Lois, for the first year, I depended on Lex, quite a bit. It's funny, I think I was the last person who remained behind Lex, after the incident with the nuclear power plant, and then the plane accident. Clark . . . saw the side of Lex I wasn’t prepared to. you have to remember, at that time, Clark didn’t know that I was alive. He thought Lex had killed me, and that, combined with the nuclear plant incident were enough to have Clark end his friendship with Lex. Lex took that pretty hard, but I did manage to convince him of his wrongdoing. Lex was going to reach out to Clark, but after the experimental plane crashed with Lana and I, as Lois, on board, that really squelched any chances of their rekindling their friendship. And after I left, Lex set me up at the Planet, he gave me $100 grand and cut me loose. And after that, Lex . . . fell. Everyone who had stood by him in Smallville was gone, one way or another. Clark refused to see any good in him, Pete never liked Lex, he tolerated Lex during the 3 months in junior year. Lana. . .was never around a lot. And I. . .Clark and I dated before my disappearance. The last thing I did as myself was testify at Lionel’s trial. He went to prison, and Lex arranged my death. So, with his . . . net gone, so to speak, he reverted back to what was second nature to him, what his bastard father had taught him. And for about 5 years, between 2005 and this year, we lost Lex to the darkness within.” “Until Clark got to Lex this April, like you mentioned.” “Yeah.” Chloe clammed up, not wanting to reveal too much more. “So what about you, Mom? What have you been doing since you left us?” “Well, for a couple of years, I was put on experimental medicine after experimental medicine, with no success. Then along came this doctor, who had a promising new treatment to cure my cancer. I was put on this new medicine, and in 2 and a half years, the cancer went into remission. However, by that time, I’d been gone for close to 5 years, Chloe. I didn’t know how you would react if I suddenly reappeared, so I stayed away.” “If you'd just told us that, we would've understood, Mom. We missed you, everyday. We loved you.” Chloe said, looking across the table. “But I didn’t know that. I couldn’t imagine you and your father having anything but hatred for me.” “We would’ve never hated you, Mom.” *Lex’s Mansion* “So what exactly did you want my help with, Lex?” Clark asked, walking with his friend towards the Kryptonian Room. “You need to pick out your password for the room, and also put your retinal scan on file with the security system. Plus I figure we can get started on the room before our dinner meeting tonight, and catch up.” “Retinal scans and passwords? This had better be much more secure then it sounds, Lex.” Clark said, looking very skeptical. “Trust me, Clark. You trusted me a few months ago, right?” “Fair enough, Lex.” Lex led Clark to a pretty close replica of the scanner on the original Enterprise. Clark gawked at Lex. “You are a sci-fi nut, Lex. I bet you spcifically ordered it like that.” “Uh huh. Just because I know it’ll turn you on, Clark.” “I bet it turns you on more then it turns me on.” Clark answered. Lex just smirked, and then proceeded to put his face up to the device, and it scanned his retina. Lex walked into the room, beckoning Clark to follow. “Computer, new retinal scan input.” Lex said out loud. Clark looked at him like Lex was insane. “Commencing program. Please stand by.” “I had a state of the art next generation computer system installed. It’s from Nicoceria, and it’s at least 5 years from market. Voice interaction, flawless security system, basically, it can run the entire mansion. However, I’ve confined it to just this room. For obvious reasons.” “Just how much are you spending on this room, Lex?” Clark asked, looking around. “Don’t worry about that, Clark. Luthorcorp is worth more then any one person, hell, any one family, could spend in a lifetime.” “Program complete. Please enter new retinal scan for file.” “Step up to the scanner over there, Clark, and just look into it until it beeps three times. That will register your retinal scan, and store it in the memory of the computer.” Lex said, pointing to the scanner outside of the room. Clark did so, and then glanced at Lex. “Password authentication protocol.” Lex said. “Processing request. Please stand by.” “So is there any danger of anybody ever hacking into this computer, or hitting it with a virus or anything?” Clark asked. Lex shook his head. “Since it won’t be on the market for at least five more years, no one will know about it, nor will they ever be able to penetrate the many levels of security that’s standard fare. Don’t worry, Clark, nothing can go wrong.” “Retinal scan inputted into system. Please input password settings.” “Password 2 authentication protocol.” Lex said. “Proceeding.” “Voice interaction. I guess I could get used to this.” Clark said. Lex smirked, and nodded. Suddenly, Clark smiled, as well. “Lemme guess. You or Luthorcorp own a major chunk of this Nicoceria.” “No, no we don't, but that's not a half bad idea, Clark. With their product coming closer and closer to market, and with their new product lines, it's a good idea. Rumor is they need more capital. I like that, Clark. That’s thinking outside the box, right there.” Lex thoughtfully looked across at Clark. “Well, you're what? Primarily an industrial/chemicals company with slowing revenue growth? This is a niche market, and it’s a potential hot growth market, as well. So you kill two birds with one stone.” “Again, good thinking, Clark.” “Please enter password 2.” “Wafretlara.” Clark said. “Kryptonian?” Lex asked. Clark nodded, but didn’t volunteer what it meant. “Password inputted. Matching retinal scan with password.” “So what else did you need, Lex?” “We can start putting the information part of the room together, Clark. Language and numerical system.” Clark nodded, slowly. He walked over to the table in the middle of the room, and picked up a notebook, drawing out symbols and putting corresponding letters next to them. (http://theages.superman.ws/History/VersionV/kryptonian.php) ß---Kryptonian language “Make each letter a page.” Lex said. “I am. Each number, too. How do you plan on getting these onto the wall?” “The wall’s hooked up to the computer, and it serves as a giant projector, only much more advanced. The computer’s got an advanced scanner which can reproduce the symbol onto the wall.” Clark smirked. “Why am I not surprised?” “I have a feeling that this room is going to come in handy, Clark, very soon. I don’t know why…but it’s a feeling I have.” Lex said, writing down something in a notebook. “Hey, Clark? What does white kryptonite do?” “Why?” “I have samples of every form in this safe here. Don’t worry, it’s lined with about 6 inches of lead, so it poses no danger to you, at all. I want to catalogue all the different forms of kryptonite.” “Well, you know about green, red, purple and black. White kryptonite kills plant life, yellow kryptonite is a real bad one. It permanently strips any Kryptonian of his or her powers.” “Thankfully, I didn’t find that out until now.” Lex whispered, taken aback. Clark nodded, frowning as he remembered where his friend had been, what he’d become, before he’d intervened. “That all?” Lex broke into Clark’s reverie. “Huh? Oh, yeah. That’s all of them. All that I know of, anyway.” “Thanks for trusting me with that, Clark.” “No biggie, Lex.” “Yes, it is a biggie, Clark. And thank you.” Clark just humbly smiled, turning back to the notebook in his hands. *Metropolis* “Chloe, honey, are you sure there’s nothing you want to say to me after all these years?” “You should've trusted us, Mom. Dad loves you, he wouldn’t have felt burdened or anything, taking care of you.” “But, dear, if I hadn’t come to Metropolis, I wouldn’t have found the drug cocktail that worked, so I would be dead right now.” Chloe paused, thinking it over. “I’m definetly glad you're not dead right now, Mom.” “Me too, honey, me too.” They hugged, and Chloe snuggled into her Mom, relishing in a feeling she’d not had since the tender age of 5. |
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| Tejesh | Fri Jul 7, 2006 9:26 pm Post #55 |
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Moved In
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And so begins the 3 part finale of Confrontation. Enjoy: Chapter 25: Adligo ********************** *Ace O’ Clubs* “Not a bad place. Definetly not what I was expecting.” Lex said. He’d dressed, on Chloe’s insistence, in a pair of jeans and a faded light blue tee shirt. True, an emergency shopping trip to a clothing store had been required, and a slight threat from Lex’s aunt, as well, but Lex was in jeans. And Chloe had taken pictures for future blackmail purposes. “It’s quaint, Lex. I like it.” Clark said, smiling at the people seated to their immediate left. “Glad you could make it, guys. Please don’t embarrass me, OK? I’ve managed to reserve our best table.” Madeline said, leading them to a table overlooking the small lake in back of the club/restaurant. “This is more then I expected, Mom.” Lois said. “Thank you c…Lois.” “No problem.” She smiled back. “So what would you guys like to eat?” “Do you have a menu or anything, Mom?” “Um, we should, let me go check.” “So what do you think, Lois?” Clark asked, leaning forward. “It’s not the type of place I’d want my Mom working in, given a choice.” She answered. “I’d have to agree with Lois, Clark. This is a pretty run down pub/diner. It’s in a bad area of Metropolis, we haven’t even met the owner yet.” “Am I the only one who sees a sort of charm to this place? Can we give it a chance before flushing it down the sewer?” Clark asked. “You asked, Clark, we answered. Of course we’re going to give this place a chance, that’s why we’re here. But right now, it doesn’t look very promising.” Lois reminded him, sitting back in her chair. “Here we go, guys.” Madeline returned with three pieces of paper, handing one to each person. Clark quickly scanned it, and found something his mouth began watering at. “I’ll take a double pattied hamburger, with the works, well done, and a Heinkien. Thanks, Madeline.” “I’ll have a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich and some coffee, please, Aunt.” “I think I’ll just have eggs sunny side up, a side of bacon, and some warm milk, please, Mom.” “OK, it’ll be about 20 minutes, guys. You can keep those, by the way.” She left to go back into the kitchen. “Is anyone else working this shift?” Lex asked, casually looking around. “I count the bartender, Madeline, and the other waitress is 3 tables down.” “Can we assume a cook, and a manager?” Lois asked. Clark nodded. “5 people per shift, I suppose. Not bad.” Lex mused. “Six, actually, but one of the waitresses called in sick.” The other waitress came by, having heard their conversation. “I appreciate that, but we’re not health inspectors, or any union reps.” Lois spoke up. “No, no, I didn’t think you were. But you do look mighty interested in this place, especially, if Mr. Luthor is here, in the flesh. All the neighbors like this diner.” “He’s not looking to buy it and turn it into a garage, if that’s what you're implying.” Clark said, a bit testily. “Reign it in, jaws.” Lex admonished. Then he turned to the waitress. “I’m just here, enjoying a quiet dinner out of the spotlight, where I can be safely anonymous. What do I have to offer to ensure I remain such?” “Nothing, Mr. Luthor. Just enjoy yourself.” She smiled and headed back towards the kitchen. “Clark, I’m a grown man, I can defend myself just as easily as you can, although it was nice of you to step up to the plate.” “The way she said it, though, it was like she expected you to pull a wreaking ball out of your pants and tear this place down like this.” Clark said, snapping for emphasis. “Yeah, Lex, she was a snide little b****.” “Must be a cousin of Lana’s.” Lex said. “Are you still holding a grudge for junior year?” Clark asked, incredulously. “Of course I am. Clark, she knocked you silly, while you forgave her, I can’t, nor will I.” “Look, guys, I realize that you haven’t been friends since the dark ages, but this isn’t the time or place to bring up old tragedies.” Lois said, slapping both on the arm. Both mumbled apologies, then turned back to each other. “Holding on to the past is never good for the present.” Clark ventured. “Letting a girl who you crushed on walk all over you for 8 years isn’t very good for a mans makeup.” Lex shot back. “Turning to evil because ‘it’s the easy way out’ shows a lot about a mans makeup, doesn’t it?” “Having a steady home, good parents, a normal upbringing helps in developing a superhero, doesn’t it, Clark?” Lex said, tensing slightly. “COOL IT, NOW! DO YOU HEAR YOURSELVES? Both of you deserve to be slapped upside the head, now shut the **** up!” Lois yelled, slamming both hands down on the table. “Sorry, sweetie.” Clark offered. “Sorry, Lois, sorry, Clark.” Lex folded his arms and stared out the window. Clark, still having an intimate knowledge of his twice over best friend, let him be. “Here we go. Double pattie burger for Clark, sunny side eggs and bacon for Lois, and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich for Lex. Your drinks will be out, now.” Madeline looked behind her as the other waitress set down their drinks. “Thanks, Madeline.” Lex said, picking up his sandwich and taking a bite. Likewise, Clark began to eat his burger. Lois played with her bacon, not really eating. “What’s wrong?” Lex asked. “I don’t know. Does she seem totally happy to you, here?” “Yes, she does.” Clark answered. “And that obviously is bothering you, isn’t it?” Lex asked her. “I’m usually not that transparent, Lex, but yes, it is. I want her to come back to live with Dad, in Smallville.” “I said I’d offer your Dad any job he’s qualified for in Metropolis, Lois, to make sure your parents stay together.” “See, that’s the thing…” Lois began. Clark gasped and completed her thought. “He doesn’t know, does he?” Lois shook her head. “What’d I miss?” Lex asked. “Gabe doesn’t know Lois was looking for her Mom, nor does he know she found her.” “I couldn’t tell him, get his hopes up, and then crush them when I either didn’t find her, or she was living with another man or something, could I?” “No, no, of course not. But this now needs to be handled with extreme delicacy.” Clark mused. “I could call him in for a meeting at headquarters, and as he’s leaving, Madeline could be like…walking along the sidewalk. They run into each other, wham, bam, coincidence.” “Lex, that’s perfect! Set the meeting up for tomorrow.” Lois said. “Don’t you think you should run it by your Mom first, before you tell Lex to set up anything?” “She’ll want to go for this, Clark, believe me.” “It’s been how long since you last saw her? Ask her beforehand, Lois. Just to make sure she can handle seeing Gabe again.” Lex said. “*Uncle* Gabe.” Clark smirked. “Right, Clarkie. Anyway, run it by Aunt Madeline, and lemme know what she says.” Lex said, giving Clark a look. Lois nodded. “Will that be all, guys?” Madeline asked, walking by. “We need to talk, when is your shift over?” Lois asked. “Two more hours, I’ll be at my apartment, just drop by, or hang there.” “Check?” Clark asked. “On the house.” “Auntie, I can’t let you pay for this out of your paycheck.” Lex spoke up. “She’s not. Anything for Madeline’s long lost daughter and nephew.” A man came over and smiled, putting an arm affectionately around Madeline’s shoulders. Lois growled in her throat, and Clark practically dove across the table to restrain her. “She’s very protective of her father, and any man who even looks the wrong way at her is putting…lets say, his manhood, on the line.” Lex said, grinning slightly. “I’m not looking at Madeline as a romantic interest, young lady. She is, however, one of my closest personal friends.” “Sorry, um…Bibbo? Its just, I haven’t seen her in a very long time.” “That’s very understandable. Madeline, in fact, take the rest of the night off, be with your family. I’ll handle things out here.” “Are you…sure?” “Absoultely. Go. Enjoy.” Bibbo smiled and waved her out of the café. “Why don’t we let Lois and her Mom catch up some more, Clark. We’ll do some more work, ourselves.” Lex said, leading Clark to his car. “That sounds good, Lex, but how will Lois get home if we take the car?” “I can spend the night at Mom’s, it’s no big deal. Or, I know the number to the farm, or the mansion, I’ll call one of you two to come pick me up.” Lois winked, and the ladies departed. “That was not the most subtle time to have our deep conversation, Clark.” Lex said, getting into the Porsche. “We do need to talk about that, eventually, Lex. Letting yourself slip into the abyss like that, admittedly, with a lot of help…lets just say it doesn’t help your credibility this time around. Before you launch into Lionel’s misdeeds, trust me, I know. I saw you during those 12 weeks, Lex. I know what you're capable of, and I know I’m partly to blame for what you became.” Clark, likewise, got into the car, and Lex took off for the mansion. “There needs to be a big clearing of the air between us eventually, Lex. After 5 years of basically war, to go to suddenly friends is not reasonable, without the friction we’ve had the last few months.” “We can have it out, Clark, if you want to, in the mansion. Believe me, I could very well justify your need to hurt me, for everything I did to you, and to your alter ego.” “I won’t hurt you, Lex. But taking the path of least resistence, as I believe you put it during one of our final conversations, that part of you who decided that…I’m very frightened of.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Hello, Clark.” Lex unceremoniously walked into the barn, like he owned the place. “Lex, what do you want?” “I know that you're very close with that alien wannabe superhero, Clark. I just wanted to tell you that anymore interferences into my business plans or activities would not be advisable. Relay that to him, Clark.” “Don’t you think you should listen to what he has to say, Lex? Look at yourself, this isn’t the you I knew 5 years ago.” “People change, Clark. It’s naïve to think that a person wouldn’t change in five years. Take yourself, for example. Five years ago, you were a lanky farmboy in love with a naïve, egocentric girl. Now, you're a second year journalism major at Met U, dating the daughter of a 5-star general.” “This isn’t about me, Lex, this is about you. You're a carbon copy of Lionel Luthor, the very thing you didn’t ever want to be. Why won’t you remember all the things you fought for?” Clark finally walked downstairs, facing his one-time friend. “When your supposed best friend turns against you, Clark, remember that question.” Lex said, not wistfully, but voice full of malice. “I didn’t turn on you, you KILLED 300 people, or don’t you remember the factory explosion?” “That was an unfortunate accident, Clark, I had nothing to do with that.” Lex said, smirking, daring Clark to prove it. “No, Lex, all you wanted was to buy the company out, and when they refused, you went after their biggest plant and factory, regardless of the human toll. But it worked, so what the he**, right? You got the company.” Clark sardonically laughed in Lex’s face. “Your high morals are one reason people walk all over you, Clark.” “And your God complex is one reason most people are afraid of you.” Clark snarled back. “And with good reason, too, right, Lex? How many lives are you personally responsible for? Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Do we even know how many innocent people you're responsible for killing? And for what? To prove to your dead father how much his better you are?” “The path of least resistance is easily traversed.” Lex said, and finally, Clark could hear a bit of wistfullness, but it quickly disappeared. “Don’t try and stop me, Clark, or you will suffer the same fate as the rest of this town did.” “I’ll do more then stop you, Lex. I will destroy you. I will lean on you are hard as I can, until you bend back into shape, that is what I promise you. Lay one hand on my parents, and I’ll snap you in half.” Clark said, towering over Lex. “Maybe if you had anything but fear behind your threat, I would take it seriously. Good day, Clark.” Lex laughed, walking out of the barn, and out of Clark’s life. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “You know, I truly believe in what I said, Clark. When you…lost faith in me, and then I cut Chloe…Lois, loose, there wasn’t anyone, or anything, left for me in Smallville. So I … I went to Metropolis, and there was Luthorcorp, waiting for me. Waiting for me to take it further then my father ever did, and I did.” “And what did that end up costing you, Lex? After your father started to deteriorate, any semblance of the person who was my friend was lost. You took Luthorcorp as your own, and began a reign of terror, which nearly killed Lana, Pete, Lois, and anyone else you deemed a threat. Luckily, my Dad was far enough outside of your net.” “I didn’t take that last threat lightly, Clark. And…I couldn’t bring myself to kill Jonathan and Martha. There was a line even I couldn’t cross.” “But killing thousands of other people was all right.” “If the ends justified the means, yes it was.” “You betrayed me, Lex, in the end, that’s what it came down to. You betrayed me.” “And you didn’t betray me, Clark? After seeing how I acted while knowing your secret during those 12 weeks, you allowed me to go on, oblivious. You even worked *with* my father to prevent me from regaining those memories.” “Your note to me made sense, Lex. Combined with the…fact you ran to your father and allowed him to wipe your mind, and my…inability to prevent that, I … I couldn’t let you relearn. You were so unstable, Lex, so … much more wild, after the electroshock, I couldn’t be sure of what you would do. So I chose to follow your orders, and didn’t tell you.” “What changed, then, Clark? Why tell me now, 8 years later?” “Your father died, that’s what. He was the one I was truly afraid of, not you. Never you, Lex, not even when you were trying to kill me. I knew…was reasonably sure, I could turn you back. The letters, combined with the repressed memories…the problem was your father. When he died, it opened up my chance. But he tricked me, and I fell into his trap.” “So you always trusted me, Clark? Even when I was here in Metropolis, doing my best to destroy the city?” “Why do you think you're alive, Lex? Bruce and I have teamed up before, you know. He was all for taking you out, but I stopped him. I told him that I wouldn’t let him, that I believed in you, that I had a plan. Bruce…didn’t agree, he thought you were a threat that needed to be eliminated…” Clark trailed off suddenly. “Go on, Clark.” “There isn’t anything else to say. I managed to convince him otherwise.” “Clark, in the what, now, 10, 11 years we’ve known each other, we’ve never been able to lie convincingly to the other. You're hiding something, now what is it.” “I almost let him, last year.” Clark whispered. “You…almost…let…” Lex gasped. “You were getting harder and harder to control, Lex, I didn’t see any other way out. Your father was clinging to life…I was going to call him and tell him to go ahead, but something told me not to. I’m glad I listened to that inner voice.” Clark smiled, thinnly. “Bruce always struck me as a no nonsense kind of person. Glad to see I wasn’t wrong in that regard.” Lex said. “Why don’t we go to the caves, Lex? Instead of working on your room, we can go to the original source.” Lex nodded, and they drove the rest of the way in silence. *Madeline’s apartment* “Mom…how would you feel about…well, the possibility of … seeing Dad?” “I can’t say I haven’t thought about it, but … I don’t think I want to go to Smallville ever again.” “You won’t have to…Lex and I have a bit of a plan to bring Dad to Metropolis.” “You're not going to tell him you found me, are you?” “Dad doesn’t know I was looking for you, Mom. I didn’t think he could … stand the suspense, especially after he’s moved on. Not with another woman, but emotionally and psychologically.” “So what will you do?” “Lex will call Dad into his office here, and you can be walking past Luthorcorp when we give you a signal that the meeting is over. You two ‘accidently’ run into each other, and see what happens.” “That sounds like something Alexander would think up. I guess it could work. Lets do it.” “I’ll call Lex later and set it up for tomorrow. You have a cell phone?” When Madeline shook her head, Chloe smiled and shrugged her coat back on. “Lets go find a cell phone retailer.” “At this time of night, Chloe?” “Sure, we’ll take a cab to downtown Metropolis, we’ll find one open.” *Kawatche Caves* “So, why’d you want to come down here, Clark?” Lex asked, shining a flashlight on the walls, as he’d done so often in the past. Clark sighed and took a seat on one of the rocks. “It’s quiet here, Lex. Away from all of the stuff that goes on outside of these walls. I like coming here, moreso then the Fortress, because here, I can just look at these paintings and imagine what would’ve happened had I not come to Earth, or if I’d been sent to China, or any place other then Smallville. It’s peaceful, too. Hardly anyone knows about these caves, anymore. Very lonely here, I like it.” “What are we going to do, Clark? This last week really put doubts in a lot of peoples minds about me.” “Put a lot of doubt in my mind, about you, Lex. But … coming at me with green kryptonite was a redeeming factor, and getting the orange kryptonite made and then using it on me took a lot, I bet. Like I told Dad, you're not perfect, not yet, and maybe not ever. You are still very much Lionel’s son, for better or worse. You weren’t perfect during those 12 weeks, you were close, but not perfect.” “Do you think I can ever totally win over Jonathan again?” “Maybe. He thinks of you as his lost son, Lex. After those 12 weeks…you didn’t see it, but whenever he saw you around town, he had this wistful look in his eyes, almost like ‘what would’ve happened if we’d managed to keep him at the farm’. He really didn’t like losing you, Lex.” “Yeah…” Lex wandered around the caves, silently looking at the pictures. “Do you think we’ll lose this again, Clark? I mean, Naman and Seegeth were supposed to be mortal enemies, forever bringing about the balance between good and evil. We’ve kind of destroyed that legend, again.” “Worried about fate, Lex? I thought you dictated your own destiny.” “I do, but when such overwhelming evidence is presented before me…even I have to believe there may be a higher force at work here.” “Well, whatever force that is, we’ve overcome it for the second time, Lex. That’s got to count for something.” “Clark? Come here for a second.” Lex sounded puzzled about something, so Clark sighed, got to his feet, and walked down towards a part of the caves he very rarely visited. “What's up, Lex?” “Do you remember this painting? I most certainly don’t.” “That’s what you called me over for? Of course that paintings been…no. I don’t, that’s weird. Where the heck did that painting come from?” Clark stopped short, staring at what appeared to be a new painting. “What's it say, Clark? All I can read is together and overcome.” Lex squinted at the faded out Kryptonian on the wall. “I’m impressed, Lex. I only ‘taught’ you the Kryptonian language today. Anyway, it says: ‘Only by standing together can Naman and Seegeth ever overcome their differences.’ What the heck does that mean?” “Not sure, Clark, maybe we’re meant to stand together now? Work as a pair?” A low rumbling sound echoed softly through the caves. “Lex, Lex, let’s get out of here!” Clark said, turning and running down the path, Lex on his heels. The caves groaned once more, this time louder, and then, without anymore warning, the caves collasped on the pair, sealing them underneath a mountain of rock. |
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| Tejesh | Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:57 pm Post #56 |
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Moved In
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Chapter 26: Journey ******************* “Clark…” Lex coughed out, a hand straining through the rubble that littered the floor of the Kawatche Caves. The cave in had been as violent as it had been thorough, buring both of them in at least 4 feet of rubble, rocks and other debris. “Clark…” Lex called out weakly, once again straining to claw through the rubble which had probably broken one, if not both, of his legs. He found a rock which was pretty well seated in the debris pile, and managed to pull himself up, slightly. Enough to see green specks glowing about 30 feet to his right. “Oh, f***.” Lex said, deperately clawing the rubble around him, in an effort to get loose from his rock prison cell. He moved his right arm, and felt a gigantic surge of pain, causing him to see stars. “F***!” “Lex…” Clark managed to whisper, hand feebly flopping into the rubble, not really helping his cause. His body was aching, the kryptonite that had dislodged in the cave in had broken into many small pieces, and these pieces were all around him, making him feel as bad as he had ever felt. “I’m here, Clark, I’m coming. Don’t move.” “K…k…krypt…” “I know, Clark, I know. Just try to hang in there.” Lex grunted out in pain as he moved his leg the wrong way. He heard a snap, and knew he’d just broken a bone in his foot. “F***!” he yelled out. He didn’t stop, though. “Clark, Clark buddy, stay with me. Keep talking, Clark.” “Head…hurts…Lex…I love my parents…” “No way in hell are you dying on me, Clark. Not after what we’ve been through.” Lex started to frantically claw at the rocks picking whatever he could up, and chucking it as far to the left as he could. “Clark? Hang in there, Clark. Please.” “Cold…so cold.” Clark’s voice was getting weaker with each passing minute, Lex wasn’t sure how much longer he had. He redoubled his efforts, grunting as he broke more of his toes in a frantic bid to escape his prison. *Madeline’s apartment* “I keep getting voice mail whenever I try calling Lex. That’s weird, he told me to call him, or Clark, and one of them would come pick me up. I’ll try the farmhouse.” Chloe said, picking up the phone. “Hello?” Jonathan’s voice came over the line. “Hi, Mr. Kent, it’s Lois. I was wondering if Clark was home? He was supposed to zip on over to give me a ride home.” She smirked internally. “No, I haven’t seen Clark since the helicopter last night.” “Oh, well, you need to get that boy a cell phone, or convince him to buy one. Tell him to call mine when he gets home, OK?” “Yeah, sure, Lois. Will do.” Jonathan laughed. “Goodnight, Mr. Kent.” “Night, Lois.” They hung up. “I guess I’ll sleep here tonight.” Lois mused out loud. *Kawatche Caves* Lex had managed to get out of his prison, and get to his feet, and he was now slowly walking to his friend, ready to help in any way. “Lex…go … to car…farm…Dad.” “Clark, that’ll take too long, I’ve got a broken leg, I can barely walk as it is.” Lex collasped next to his friend, and began to pick out anything green, and chucked it as far away from Clark as he could. “Under…” Clark whispered, slipping into unconsciousness. “No you f***ing don’t, Clark!” Lex yelled, wildly flinging as much rock as he could behind him, quickly filling up the hole he’d recently vacated. As he began to expose Clark’s body, little by little, he was shocked by the sheer volume of kryptonite that was buried along with Clark. For a moment, he doubted his ability to save his best friend. “Theres too much, even if I get rid of it all, it won’t be in time.” Lex said out loud. He kept at it, though, because for his friends, he would do anything. He managed to uncover about half of Clark’s body, however, he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to do anything with his progress. He needed to do something desperate, and necessity was the mother of invention, so what the hell did he have to lose? He grasped under Clark’s arms, levered himself using a couple of the rocks on the ground, screaming obscenities as his feet were abused some more. After making sure he had a good grip on Clark, and his feet wouldn’t go flying off the rocks, he grunted once, and pulled as hard as he could. He managed to pull Clark further out of the kryptonite laced coffin, but not enough to clear his friend. Quickly, he pushed Clark to the side, so he wouldn’t slip back into the hole. Then he crawled down into the hole, and pushed Clark’s legs out of the hole. Lex then clawed out of the hole himself, and lay gasping for breath, beside Clark. A few minutes later, Lex wearily got to his feet, and grabbed Clark’s arms, and dragged him along the ground, kicking whatever loose debris he could, out of the way. “Almost there…almost to the entrance…” Lex whispered to himself, willing himself to the front of the caves. “Ughhhhhh…” Clark moaned out in pain. “I know, Clark, but I can’t lift you. Unless you want to stay?” Lex said. He got the practically lifeless body of Clark to the entrance to the caves, and then slowly, using the cave walls as braces, got Clark to his feet. Slipping an arm around Clark, he dragged his friend to the Porsche. Forced to use his fractured arm, Lex tensed himself and then plunged his hand into his pocket, fishing for his keys. His fingers hitting the keys set off more pain shooting through his arm, and this time, the pain almost causing him to collaspe to the ground. Instead, he gritted his teeth together and clenched his fist around the keys, pulling them out. With his keys in hand, he knew he needed the use of his good arm and hand, which presented a problem. “One of us needs to break the window.” He mused aloud. He didn’t want to put either of them through that, so he tried lifting his bad arm as high as the lock, and managed to shakily insert the key into the keyhole. Then he slowly turned it, groaning in pain as he did so, all the while maintaining a hold on Clark, who didn’t appear to be getting any better, which was another concern. When the lock sprung, Lex slowly pulled on the door, opening it. He reached around and grabbed the keys, leaving them on the ground. He cringed for his friend, but using one of Clark’s hands, pushed the door the rest of the way open. “ARGHHHHHHHHHH!” Clark whispered in pain. “I know, god I’m sorry, Clark. I needed to. I really did.” Lex was as close to tears as he’d ever been. He laid Clark down on the ground, and then unlocked the rest of the doors, and then wincing in pain, opened the back door. Grunting with effort, he also opened the door on the other side of the car, and then lifted one of Clark’s leg into the seat. He did the same with the other leg, and then tugging gently on the pair of legs, he managed to get most of Clark into the backseat. He pushed Clark’s legs down to the floor, and then climbed out of the car. In the middle of walking back to the other side of the car, to get Clark’s head and upper body into the car, he collasped on the ground, legs finally giving out from under him. By this time, he was basically completely spent, and was running on the fumes of adrenaline, completely exhausted from the ordeal in the caves. A few moments later, he remembered he wasn’t quite done being the hero, and reached up to grab hold of the trunk, and hauled himself to his feet. He took one step before once more collasping to the ground, this time on his knees. He shrugged, and crawled to Clark, wincing as, this time, fingers gave way under his abuse. He wearily lifted Clark’s upper body up, and into the car. Leaning in, still on his knees, he grabbed the seat belt and somehow managed to strap Clark in. He crawled past the door, slamming it shut. On his way to the drivers seat, he picked up the keys he’d left behind, on the ground. As he entered the driver’s seat, and propped himself against the seat, he could almost hear his back signing in relief. He strapped himself in place with the seat belt, and then put the key in the ignition and turned it, rewarded with the hum of the engine. He put the car in gear, and pressed the accelerator, taking off for the Kent Farm. He slumped against the steering wheel as he rounded the corner onto the Kent driveway, turning the car slightly. As the car picked up more speed, it rammed into the side of the barn, and then hit the work table, and multiple piles of hay luckily sitting on the floor, helping to slow the momentum of the projectile, before it gently rolled to a stop, an inch from the farmhouse. Jonathan came tearing out of the house, stopping on the porch, staring out at the trail of destruction left behind by Lex’s car. The fence had a huge gaping gap in it, the barn was totalled, the woodshed was gone, and the car had torn up Martha’s flower garden. He stormed towards the Porsche, fully intending to give Lex a piece of his mind. “Lex Luthor, what the hell do you think you're do…in…g.” Jonathan trailed off, seeing his bruised and battered son stuffed like a sardine in the backseat of the car. He quickly ran around to the driver’s seat, and saw an equally horrifying sight. Lex was slumping over the steering wheel, his arm was hanging limply by his side, and he looked in a worse off condition then Clark. “MARTHA! Come quick! Lex and Clark are hurt, HURRY!” Jonathan reached into the open driver’s side door, and unhooked Lex’s belt, then cradled his arms around Lex, and slowly lifted him out of the car. “Clark…” Lex whispered, barely opening an eye and looking at Jonathan. “You worry about yourself, I’ll worry about Clark.” Jonathan said. Despite Lex’s further protests, Jonathan carried Lex up the porch stairs, into the house, and deposited him on one of the couches. He ran back outside, and opening the door that remained on the backseat, he reached in, unhooked Clark’s belt, and pulled his son out of the Porsche, headfirst. “Lex…” Clark whispered, cracking an eye to look at his Dad. “Lex is inside, lets worry more about you, all right?” Jonathan said, carrying his son into the house, and depositing him on the other couch. “Honey, why don’t you get Lex cleaned up, I’ll handle Clark.” Jonathan said, kneeling by his son, and taking off his shirt. “Kryptonite…cave in…caught…” Lex managed to get out, before finally succumbing to the abuse his body had taken, and slipping into unconsciousness. “Jonathan, will these two ever catch a break?” Martha asked, walking back into the living room with a bucket full of water and a dozen washcloths. “I don’t know, Martha, I really don’t. A cave in full of kryptonite doesn’t seem like a break to me.” Jonathan took one of the washcloths, dipped it in the bucket, and began wiping Clark’s face. Martha followed suit, cleaning as many of the cuts on Lex that she could see. “Martha, honey, go get the iodine. We have to disinfect these cuts.” Martha nodded, and left to go upstairs. Jonathan got up as well, and headed into the kitchen, and picked up the phone. He thought for a minute, and then dialed a number, hoping to get someone at this late hour. “Hello?” a female voice answered. “Kitty? It’s Jonathan Kent.” “Hello, Jonathan. What can I do for you?” “I need a doctor over to the farm, ASAP. Clark’s been severely injured.” “How did he get hurt, Jonathan? Was anyone else with him? What's his current situation? How urgent do you need me there?” “He got caught in a cave in, and there was kryptonite involved. Lex Luthor was with him, and he’s in really bad shape, too. Maybe worse then Clark. Both of them are currently unconscious, Martha and I cleaned most of their cuts and wounds, and we disinfected them with iodine. I need you here ASAP, Kitty. I’m really worried both of these kids won’t make it through tomorrow night.” “OK, Jonathan, OK. I’ll take the company helicopter, and I’ll bring along an assistant of mine for Lex. I’ll be there in less then an hour.” “Sorry about the lateness of the call, Kitty.” “No problem, that’s why we’re here.” Both hung up the phone, and Jonathan headed back to the living room. “Come on, Clark, wake up, son. I need you to tell me what happened out there tonight.” Jonathan stroked Clark’s forehead, in a loving, concerned parental fashion. *Upstairs* “Jeesh, Lex, what were you doing in order to get this messed up?” Martha asked, talking to calm herself down, knowing Lex probably couldn’t hear her. In a purely professional manner, she took off all his clothes, and cleaned up any cuts and wounds around his body, not worrying about modesty, at all. Then she dressed Lex in a pair of Jonathan’s old pajamas, which fit loosely on Lex. She noticed bruises on every one of Lex’s toes, and she grabbed some medical tape, and some tongue depressers, and went to work. She snapped the depressers in half, and sandwiched a toe in between, then taped the depressers to the toe. Repeating the process for each one of his toes, on both feet, she made sure to not constrict any blood flow, but also making sure to tape them firm enough to not allow the toes to bend. “Martha, make sure Lex is presentable! Kitty Faulkner and her assistant are coming to help heal the boys!” “OK, Jonathan!” *Metropolis* “I think I’m going to go grab a taxi to my apartment, Mom. I wanna go check on why Lex isn’t answering, so I’ll probably stop by the mansion.” “Be careful, Chloe.” “I will be, Mom.” Chloe smiled and headed out of the apartment, going downstairs to hail a cab. She found one, and got in, directing the cabby to her apartment. Once she arrived, she smiled, paid her fare, and got into her car, driving off towards Smallville. She was definetly in a hurry, so she didn’t pay any heed to the speed limits, and arrived at the mansion in just under 90 minutes. Chloe parked in the driveway and used the old fashioned knockers to announce her presense. “A multi-billionaire, and he doesn’t invest in doorbells. I guess what they say about powerful rich people is true.” She thought to herself. The door opened, and a butler answered. “Hi, I’m looking for Clark Kent or Lex Luthor. I’m a personal friend of theirs.” “Sorry, miss, neither Mr. Kent or Mr. Luthor is here right now.” “Have they been in tonight?” “No, miss, they haven’t. And they have not called ahead any alerted me to their impending arrival, either.” “I see. Thank you. Please tell them that Lois Lane is looking for them, and that I owe them an ass whooping of a lifetime.” “I’ll be sure to pass that along, Ms. Lane.” Chloe nodded and headed back to her car, deciding to head to the Kent Farm. *Kent Farm* “Clark probably has some minute amount of trace kryptonite in his blood stream, from the cave in, and likely from however Lex got him out of the cave.” Kitty told Jonathan. “He should wake up really soon, if he doesn’t, give me a call, I’ll be staying at the Smallville Inn until Clark’s completely healed. And make sure he drinks a lot of water, and doesn’t use his powers extensively, he will be slightly weaker and more vunerable then normal.” “What the HELL is SHE DOING HERE???” Jonathan smirked as he turned towards the stairs, actually glad to hear Lex’s outburst. “Wait, she didn’t mention she knows Lex at all.” Jonathan turned to Kitty and grinned. “I doubt she would’ve mentioned what their history together is.” “Lex, I can only help you if you stop trying to get away from me.” The frazzled doctor said, sighing in frustration. “You never wanted to help me before, only see me into a watery grave.” Lex shot back. “Lex, that was over 10 years ago. People change.” “Leopards never change their spots, Helen.” “Being stranded when the earthquake hit, Lex, and seeing the devastation all over Thailand and Indonesia…it put everything in perspective. I swear to you, I wouldn’t ever hurt you again. But right now, you need immediate hospitalization. You’ve likely got broken ribs, you’ve broken all your toes, your left forearm is broken, in all likelihood, you’ve got at least one damaged lung, not to mention a fracture cheekbone. You are, as we like to say in the medical community, a mess. So swallow your pride, or I’ll have Martha hold you down and I’ll knock you out and you’ll wake up in a hospital somewhere.” Lex’s eyes flashed, but then Martha swam into his view. “Honey, she’s right. You could have internal injuries and internal bleeding. Just accept her help in getting to a hospital, and her medical care. And then, if you don’t want to see her again, she’ll accept that, won’t you?” Martha spun towards Helen. “Yes, Martha. If Lex doesn’t want me in his life, I’ll leave.” “Fine. But don’t try to talk to me.” Lex said. Helen nodded. “KITTY! I need a stretcher for Lex!” Helen shouted downstairs. “OK!” *Chloe’s POV* “What the hell happened here?” she thought to herself, driving slowly up the driveway to the Kent Farm, looking at the trail of destruction Lex’s car had left. The white picket fence, so long a staple of the warm home Martha and Jonathan kept open to all of Clark’s friends, was completely totalled. The barn where she’d first kissed Clark, it looked like a wrecking ball had torn it in half. “OHMYGOD!” she exclaimed, seeing Lex’s car sitting right next to the Kents house, on top of Martha’s flower garden. She sprung out from her car, and ran up the porch stairs, frantically knocking on the door. “I’ll try and get rid of whoever it is, Kitty.” She heard Jonathan saying, before he opened the door. “Lois. Um, listen, right now isn’t…” “Yeah, tell me after I see Lex and Clark.” Lois barged into the house, facing off against Kitty. “Mr. Kent told you he didn’t want you inside.” “Yeah, well, until I see how my boyfriend and one of my best friends are, you better not try and get rid of me.” Jonathan sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. “You’d better sit down, Lois.” He said. “What happened, are they both OK? They are alive, right?” “Yeah, yeah, both of them are alive. And relatively none the worse off, though Lex is messed up. I need to run out and get a stretcher.” Kitty went to her car, leaving Jonathan and Lois alone. “What happened, Mr. Kent?” “Um, as far as I can tell, Clark and Lex were caught in some freak cave in, and got buried pretty good. Since there was kryptonite, and a good amount, I bet, Clark was really of no use. Lex broke his toes, forearm, and ribs in trying to get Clark out of the cave. I guess Lex managed to get both of them into his car, and well, they got here.” Jonathan looked out across the field, whistling at the trail of destruction Lex’s car had left. “It looks like a tornado went through here.” Lois said, eyeing the gaping holes on both sides of the barn. “Yeah, it’ll take a long while to fix.” Jonathan said. Kitty rejoined the two, bringing the stretcher with her. “Just be glad Lex got to the driveway before going unconscious, or who knows where he would’ve ended up.” She said. “Yeah…” Jonathan mused, turning and heading towards the living room, where Clark was still out. “How long will he be unconscious?” Lois asked, softly brushing some hair back from his eyes. “I don’t know. As long as it takes his body to fight off the kryptonite in his blood, I suppose.” “Wait, bring me into the living room.” Lex’s voice came downstairs, and then Kitty and Helen came into the living room, carrying Lex on the stretcher. “How is he, Jonathan?” Lex asked. “He’s going to be OK, Lex, thanks to you. I just…I just want to tell you that I’m…I’m sorry for doubting you, Lex. You…you saved my sons life when I couldn’t, that…” Jonathan choked up, and settled on patting Lex’s left arm. “Thank you, Mr. Kent. Clark … saved me from myself, the least I could do is save him from any danger he might be in. Not often I get to save Clark, now is it?” “You're on your way to becoming a man I’d be proud to call my son, Lex.” “That means more to me then you could ever know, Mr. Kent.” Lex gave a thumbs up to Kitty, and they resumed taking him out towards their car. “I suppose you and I can carry Clark up to his room, Mr. Kent?” Lois asked. Jonathan nodded, picking up his sons torso, leaving the legs for Chloe. She grabbed them, and they slowly moved him up to his room. Kitty and Helen, meanwhile, had checked Lex into Smallville Medical, and gotten him his own private wing. A doctor had come by, and diagnosed Lex with a broken left leg, broken toes on both feet, fractured right arm, bruised chest, 3 broken ribs, and a fractured cheek bone. “The fact that he managed to get Clark out of a cave full of kryptonite in his condition is utterly remarkable.” Kitty said. “These two…had a friendship in Smallville, Kitty. It was mainly Lionel who managed to twist Lex into a version of himself. When that happened, Clark must’ve lost all faith in Lex, and turned his back on Lex. Lex takes thing very personally.” “Excuse me, ladies, Lex has been scheduled for surgery at 10am tomorrow morning. We’re going to clean up the damage to his left leg, reset all his toes, and clean up his right arm.” Doctor Huntington said. Kitty nodded. “Well, I need to get back to the hotel. I’ll leave the car, it’s not a long walk.” “No, I’m all set to go, as well. I don’t think Lex would appreciate the company, when he wakes up.” Helen looked down sadly at Lex, before shaking her head and walking out of the room. The next morning in the Kent household was interesting, to say the least. Clark, for the first time since entering the caves, got up and slowly walked down the hall, into the bathroom. Martha had breakfast all waiting when he got downstairs, and Chloe was sitting at the table. “Clark!” she exclaimed, jumping up and running to him. “Shhhhhh…not so loud. It feels like I have a thousand jackhammers pounding my skull.” Clark whispered, slumping over at the table. “Well, now you know what a hangover feels like, flyboy!” Lois retorted. Then she slapped him, hard. “And that’s for scaring me half to death, you big oof!” “I didn’t mean to.” Clark whispered. “What happened, Clark? Lex could only mutter something vague about a cave in? Were you in the Kawatche Caves?” “Yeah, Mom. I wanted to go there, to just relax and think in peace. So Lex wandered off to a part of the cave network I don’t go to often, and he called me over when he found a new drawing. It said that ‘Only by standing together can Naman and Seegeth ever overcome their differences.’ I think Lex and I are meant to be at each other’s sides now. But I can’t imagine how. Anyway, right after I saw that drawing, I heard a low rumbling echoing throughout the caves, so Lex and I began to leave. But the cave in happened so fast, before I knew it, I was buried in kryptonite and rocks. I couldn’t move, it felt like my back was on fire. It felt like I was being suffocated in the worst possible way, I really thought I was going to die. Much more so then when Van shot me, even. But then…Lex, he…he somehow dug his way out of his grave, and dug me out of mine. The next thing I remember was waking up this morning. How is Lex?” “Lex is pretty messed up, Clark. He’s at Smallville Medical. We’ll take you to see him after breakfast. But, Kitty Faulkner was here, she warned us that you might feel woozy, light headed, and very…human, for a few days, as your body overcomes the slight amount of kryptonite you have in your blood. So no using your powers for a few days, OK, honey?” Martha said. Clark nodded, and then ravenously began eating the pancakes she’d prepared for him. “Hey, thanks for all your help, Kitty, Helen, I know this can’t have been the most fun morning you could’ve planned out.” Jonathan said, a smile in his voice as he came into the house, followed by Kitty, and then Helen. “What the f*** are you doing here?” Clark spat out. “Clark Jerome Kent, watch your language!” Martha yelled. “As for what I’m doing here, I came to take care of Lex.” “Lex has been taking care of himself, something you seem very good at, thank you very much.” “Much as you won’t believe me, Clark, I did not go into the relationship intending to hurt Lex.” “No, but that was a nice consolation prize, wasn’t it?” “Clark, eat your breakfast and stop arguing with Helen, son. Like it or not, she’s here to help your friend, and I will not have you disrespecting somebody who is here as a friend, to help a friend.” Jonathan said sternly. Clark shot him an evil look, but went back to eating. “We’re going to go see Lex in a few minutes, if you want to come, Clark.” Helen tried an olive branch. “OK, as soon as I change.” “OK, Clark, we’ll be waiting out in the van.” Helen headed back outside. “You don’t have to like her being here, Clark, Lex doesn’t, but you have to be civil, I will not expect anything less of you, or him, for that matter.” Jonathan said, fixing a stern gaze on his son before walking out of the house. Lois patted Clark’s arm, the one which wasn’t in a temporary sling, before getting up and heading outside, as well. “Just try to be understanding, honey. Helen’s been through a great deal in the past 10 years. You’ve never been judgemental, don’t start now.” Martha said, shooing Clark out the door. Clark nodded, and purposely got into the van with Helen and Kitty. “Clark, your Dad’s going to the hospital, as well.” Helen said. “I know, it just took a couple swift kicks in the ass to realize how much of a bitch I was being.” “No, you werent.” Helen laughed. “You were defending your friend, that’s understandable and commendable. I totally understand. But Clark, I’m on your side, even if you don’t believe that, just let me help.” “I can do that, Helen.” Upon arriving at the medical center, Clark slowly and deliberately got out of the van, then suddenly shot an arm out, steadying himself as a wave of dizziness took him over. “You should be drinking water, Clark, all day. Let that be a warning.” Kitty said, thrusting a water bottle into his hand, after he’d let go of the van. “Thanks, and I just woke up!” Clark said, taking a swig. “This thing feels like a tree branch, Kitty. Is it really necessary?” “Yes, because…” she leaned closer. “If you want to keep up appearances, you were in that cave in as a human, and as such, you broke your arm, and leg. We got away with no cast on your leg because we just said it wasn't broken too badly. So be thankful for small favors, Clark.” “I am thankful, Kitty. I just wanted a reason, and you gave me one. Nuff said.” Clark headed into the hospital, with Kitty right behind him. She tapped him on the shoulder, and directed him up a flight of stairs. “Thanks.” She smiled in return, trailing him. “Fourth floor, room 28.” She said. “You're not coming?” “We are, but you guys should talk in private. We’ll make sure no one disturbs you.” Clark nodded, and walked down the hall, into Lex’s room. “You don’t look so hot.” Clark said, smiling and slowly sitting down next to Lex’s bed. “I don’t feel as good as I look.” Lex shot back. “Look, Lex, I just…you saved my life. And I just wanted to say thank you. All that stuff about not trusting you…” “You had every right to…” Lex trailed off, coughing violently for a few seconds. “Should I get a nurse?” Clark asked, holding a cup of water to Lex’s mouth. “Ahhhhh. No, no, Clark, it’s just a result of the surgery. And the finite dust which got into my lungs. I see you have a perpetual water bottle with you, that’s a good idea.” “It’s to assist in…kryptonite removal. Now, what were you saying?” “You had every right to not trust me, Clark. Especially after everything we’d been through in the past few weeks. But I’ve told you, I will strive to be everything Jonathan expects in a son, and everything you expect in a friend.” “No, Lex, don’t conform. Just be everything Lex Luthor can be. That’s enough for me and Dad.” “Clark, I just wanted you to know…I’m very … happy and grateful that you…confronted me that night a few months ago. I didn’t…I didn’t know how much I missed…this. People visiting me in the hospital because they wanted to, not because they feared what I’d do if they didn’t. I missed being part of a family, Clark.” “Yeah…” Clark didn’t know how to respond to that. “Well, my Dad’s outside, so I’m gonna go, and let him get some time with you. You take it easy, OK, Lex?” “You do the same…” Lex coughed. He picked up a water bottle and took a swig. “How’re you, Lex?” Jonathan asked, walking into the room and sitting in the chair Clark had just vacated. “I’ve been better.” “Yeah, well, about that. You could’ve saved yourself some…toes and fingers, by coming to the farm after digging yourself out of the cave in, son. Don’t get me wrong, I am eternally grateful for what you did in those caves, but you…you could’ve come and gotten some help, Lex.” “I didn’t think I had time. Jonathan, I didn’t think I even had enough time to dig him out of the hole, let alone driving to the farm, arguing with you about me coming back, and then getting back to the caves. I took a chance, and it worked out.” “Yes, but losing either one of you wouldn’t have been acceptable, Lex. Taking that sort of risk wasn’t wise. But, it worked, and both of you escaped with your lives, at the very least, so that’s a consolation. Either way, I want to say thank you, Lex, for saving Clark’s life. You keep on proving to me why it was wrong of me to be so stubborn before that summer. Thank you, Lex.” Jonathan said, smiling at him before walking out of the room and joining Clark. “Hey, Clark, Perry gave us one day off, not two. And I know what happened, but since you're…functioning, we should go to work.” “No powers, son.” Jonathan whispered. Clark nodded, and then walked downstairs with Lois. “How are you feeling, Lois? With everything that’s gone down the past few hours, we haven’t had a chance to really talk. Did you spend the night at your Mom’s?” “No, Clark, I went looking for you and Lex, I wondered what had happened to you guys.” “Yeah, well, you found out, huh?” “That I did. Anyway, I’m all right, I think. Mom told me why she did what she did, and she put it very bluntly. If she hadn’t left, she would’ve died in Smallville. So, if that’s my choice, I am glad she left.” “Yeah. I can understand that, Chloe. So, what else did you guys talk about?” “How I was pre-Lois, what happened to Lex after he cut me loose, my relationship with you, how Dad was coping after she left, a lot of other things. Did you and Lex ever get to the mansion?” “No, we went straight to the caves.” “What do you think caused the cave in, Clark?” “I’m not sure, most likely some loose or unseated ground nearby, or maybe something unstable in the rock foundation. All I know is, I am not setting foot anywhere near those caves for a good long time, if ever again.” “I can certainly understand that, Clark.” They’d reached the parking lot while they were talking, and now got into Lois’ car, and she took off for Metropolis. She parked in the parking garage, and got out. “Lois, I’m a little dizzy right now, I need some water.” Clark shook his empty water bottle, looking a tab bit scared. “Hang tight, Clark, I’ll be right back.” Lois ran towards the stairs, going to the newsroom. She reached Jimmy’s desk, grabbed his water bottle, and ran back downstairs. “Hey, that’s my water, get your own!” Jimmy yelled, running after her. “It’s an emergency.” She yelled over her shoulder. That piqued Jimmy’s curiousity, and he followed her downstairs. “Drink it slowly, Clark. We don’t know what kind of internal damage you might have suffered.” Lois admonished. “Internal damage? What the hell is she talking about, Clark?” Jimmy asked, walking into the garage. “What are you doing here, Jimmy?” “That’s my water you're drinking, CK.” “Way to be subtle, Lois.” Clark smirked at her. “So what happened?” Jimmy asked again, tapping his foot. “I got caught in a cave in at the Kawatche Caves, there was kryptonite. Lex barely managed to get me out of there, we barely escaped with our lives. I guess I have some residual kryptonite stuck in my bloodstream.” “Wait, so should you be up and around, in your condition?” Jimmy asked, concern on his face. “Probably not, but he’s as thickheaded as Jonathan Kent, himself.” Lois answered. “Thank you for that lovely compliment. I’ll leave you two to bicker about my health.” Clark snapped, walking towards the stairs. Lois and Jimmy stared after Clark, before rushing after him. “Your Dad told you to take it easy, Clark.” “And climbing stairs is strenous how, exactly?” “There was a perfectly functioning elevator right next to the stairs, Clark.” Jimmy pointed out. “All right, you two, lets get something straight. I am slightly under the weather, if you want to use an analogy you would understand. I have a slight cold, and a temperature of 100 degrees. I will be all right, but for now, I’ll be taking it nice and easy, and drinking lots of fluids. I AM NOT AN INVALID, SO STOP TREATING ME LIKE ONE. Thank you, I’ll appreciate it.” Clark went off on his two friends, before stomping up the rest of the stairs. “I don’t think he’s … feeling as good as he claims to, Jimmy, we’d better keep a close eye on him.” “Will do.” They followed their friend up to the newsroom. “Clark, you look like hell, what happened?” Perry asked, looking over one half of his star reporter duo. “Got caught in a cave in, I’m fine, though. What are we doing?” “Well, hi, Lois. I actually need you and Clark to go out to City Hall. Apparently, the mayor’s going to be indicted on money laundering and tax evasion, so it’d be big if we got the scoop first.” “OK, chief.” Clark said, grabbing both his friends and heading onto the elevator. “And don’t call me chief!” Perry yelled after them. Clark grinned at the door. “I love doing that.” “Until he comes up with some nickname for you, flyboy.” Lois said. “Flyboy?” Jimmy said, making a face. “Yes, flyboy. Gotta problem, Jimmy Bob Thorton?” Lois shot back at him. Jimmy made another, not so nice gesture using his hand, grinning. Clark smiled and shook his head. “That’s asking for trouble.” He said, laughing. “Jimmy Bob Thorton is not a good nickname.” Jimmy grinned. Mercifully, the elevator dinged and the doors opened before Lois could get any sort of retort out. They climbed into Lois’ car, and she headed for City Hall. *Smallville Medical* “Why did you come? I didn’t think you’d care for me at all, after what I did.” Lex asked, looking at Helen. “Like I told Jonathan and Kitty, after you…left me to go down in that plane, I floated around for a while, ended up in the Galapagos Islands. I did some humanitarian work there, then went to the Middle East to patch up victims of terrorist attacks, on both the Palestinian and Israeli side. Then I went to India, and helped out with the Kashmir disputes, before ending up in Indonesia, just in time for the terrorist attacks there, and then the two earthquakes and tsunamis. I spent a good 5 years there, just helping them get back on their feet. Lex, that changed me, it really did. I did that work out of the goodness of my heart, not for any compensation. And then I got contacted by Kitty Faulkner, she somehow learned of my knowledge of Clark’s…uniqueness, his special blood type. She wanted me on board STAR Labs. Since I wanted to come back stateside, I said yes, and here I am.” “You did all that, and didn’t take anything in return?” Lex asked. “Yes, Lex, I guess…those months on the islands really humbled me. They…they showed me that money and greed wasn’t everything, and I could survive on the barest of necessaties. I guess I … I changed a lot, huh?” “Yeah, never thoiught I’d see the day you would be humble and helping and caring.” Lex said. “I guess I deserved that.” “No, not really. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past few months, everyone deserves a second chance, Helen. Clark gave me mine, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you yours. As friends, just friends, nothing more.” Lex said, slowly nodding his head. It was almost as if Clark was telepathically telling him he’d done the right thing just now. “I don’t want anything more, Lex, I wouldn’t expect anything more. I didn’t even expect…this.” “I bet Clark told you to talk to me, right? It’s just like him.” Lex grinned. “Actually, Clark was very hostile towards me. I’m sure he’s not at all happy I’m here.” Lex raised an eyebrow, shocked. “Jonathan had to reign him in, that’s how upset and angry he was.” She continued. “That’s not at all like Clark, he’s usually all about giving people second chances.” “Apparently he thinks he was defending your honor, Lex.” “Probably.” “Well, I’ll leave you alone, for now, you need to get your rest. Scuttlebutt is, if you're *really* good, they’ll let you go home tonight.” “Jonathan won’t, he’ll let me go to the farm tonight.” Lex said, laying back. He was getting a bit tired. Helen smiled, and walked out of the room. *City Hall* “Lois Lane, Daily Planet. These are my collegues, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen. We’d like to get a one on one with Mayor Delanberg, get his thoughts on the indictment.” “Mayor Delanberg will be holding a press conference in 20 minutes, you are invited to attend then. Until that time, stay off the premises.” The mayor’s head of security said, slamming the door in their faces. “He’s obviously hiding something.” Lois said. “Why? Because he won’t talk about an unoffical indictment on money laundering charges? He’s not hiding anything, he’s saving face in the public eye.” Clark countered, looking at her. “Think about it, Clark, why wouldn’t he want an interview with the hometown newspaper, which would probably give him a bias?” “Because he knows we don’t operate like that.” Jimmy put in. Clark nodded. “Or, because he needs time to come up with a CYA strategy.” Lois answered. Clark rolled his eyes. “Not everyone or everything we come across comes with an ulterior motive, Lois.” “OK, Clark, we’ll try it your way, but I’m on record protesting.” “Duly noted and ignored.” Clark grinned. Lois smacked him, and Jimmy, too, as he burst out laughing. Clark winked at Jimmy, grinning. When the time came for the press conference, they went into the Hall, and down to the briefing room. As the ‘hometown paper’, as Lois put it, they got front row. “Thanks for coming, everyone. Before I take any questions, I’ll make a brief statement. As you no doubt know, the DA’s office has announced their intentions to indict me on money laundering and tax evasion charges. To combat these charges, and to prove my innocence, I have ordered every major newspaper in the tri-city area to receive a copy of my income tax statements and Form W-2’s for the past ten years. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, these documents will prove my innocence in all charges. My attorneys have instructed me to use my own discretion when answering questions, and with that said, I open the floor. Yes, Ms. Lane.” “Why is the DA going after you, now, instead of anytime in the past decade?” “I cannot speak to the DA’s mindset, nor to his timing. Yes, Mr. Kent.” “Do you feel this will affect your upcoming race for reelection, and if so, how?” “Well, I really can’t speak too much to that effect, but I can say that I will be running in 2 months. You can rest assured of that point, Mr. Kent. When November rolls around, I will absoultely be in the race, since I have no doubts I will be acquitted of all charges. Yes, Ms. Steiner?” “Thank you, mayor. Do you feel this indictment is politically motivated in any way?” “I really don’t want to speculate on anything of that nature at this time. Yes, Mr. Kent?” “Why are you releasing your financial records to the press, I’m sure you lawyers have advised you to not do so.” “Because I wish it to be known how I have not tried hiding from these charges, nor do I have any skeletons in my closet, or anything to hide. I hope the press will vindicate me, in every possible way. That is my motivation for releasing my financial records to you. Ms. Lane?” “How do we know these records have not been tampered with?” “You can go to the branch offices of Deloitte & Touche and verify the authenticity of these reports. Thanks for coming.” “Well, we’d better get back to the Planet and get cracking on this article.” |
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| Tejesh | Wed Aug 9, 2006 9:29 pm Post #57 |
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Moved In
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I'll be posting the final chapter in a week :) |
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| Tejesh | Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:51 am Post #58 |
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Moved In
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************************* ****Chapter 27: Pinnacle**** ************************* *One Month Later, Daily Planet* “How is my crack reporter tandem?” Perry asked, walking over to the new office Clark and Lois shared, along with Jimmy. After their rousing success in the Mayor Delanberg story, they’d gotten their own private suite, essentially. And giving partial credit to Jimmy, they’d gotten a co-byline for his involvement, which had brought Jimmy great prestige. “Busy ever since we blew the doors off the case. The other newspapers have been wanting to interview us. I’m not sure about Lois, but I’d much rather be the interviewer, then the interviewee.” Clark said, smiling. “Can you really blame them, though? I mean, it’s not everyday two newspaper reporters and a photographer are responsible for mass convictions and resignations. It wasn’t just the mayor, it was his entire cabinet and half the city commissioners! We basically ripped apart half the municipal government in one fell swoop. That makes me feel good.” Lois grinned. “I ask because I think the three of you have done enough work since then to earn yourselves a three week vacation. Starting right now.” Perry smiled, before heading back to his office. “What are you going to do on your vacation, Lois?” Clark asked, still in a bit of shock. Perry the Pitbull rarely gave vacations, and extremely rarely gave more then one person a vacation at a time. “I think I’m going to go to the Caribbean, get me a tan. Maybe go on a cruise and just forget about the past five months or so. How about you, Clark?” “I’ll probably stay at the farm, fix the damage Lex caused, and just try and rest up from what's been going on, like you said, in the past few months. Lois, why don’t you take your Mom and Dad along on the cruise? Or, if you want to be alone, why don’t you buy them their own cruise. Give them a chance to get back together and rekindle any magic that might be left.” “You think that would be a good idea, Clark? I mean, we haven’t had time to set up that meeting, what with you and Lex being caught in the cave in a month ago. I had to set up my own meeting, but I don’t know how … into it Dad was. After that initial meeting, I’ve pretty much stayed out of their business, so I don’t know exactly if they’ve been meeting, or whether they even want to go on a cruise together.” “The best you could do is ask, Lois. There’s no harm in that.” Clark said. “Yeah, I guess I could ask Dad or Mom.” “Whichever one is easier to approach, Lois.” Clark grinned. “So you're just going to lounge around at home? That’s not much of a vacation, Clark. Why don’t you go somewhere?” “Because I can, like, go anywhere I want to, on this planet or not, anytime. Vacations for me are like trips to the shopping mall are for you.” “Well, I guess you have a point there.” *Kent Farm* “Hey, Lex, what brings you by?” Jonathan asked, smiling and holding the door open for the young man. While Lex had recovered from the majority of his injuries, he still walked with a slight limp, which doctors said would be permanent as a result of snapping so many of his bones in his feet and lower legs. “Just a thought I had over the past month. I had a lot of time to think in the hospital, and…well…I was thinking about Clark, our, um, rekindled friendship. And, um, what that’s done to me, and the, um, changes that we’ve gone through. What was on the wall in the Kawatche Caves, about Naman and Seegeth standing together to overcome their differences–” “You're babbling, Lex.” Jonathan noted, sitting down in his armchair. Lex sank into a sofa. “Yes, well, this would most aptly be compared to me asking for your daughter’s hand in marriage. I want Clark to, uh, that is…I need Clark to…” “Spit it out, son.” “I want Clark to be my vice president of operations at Luthorcorp.” “I see. Have you spoken to Clark about this?” “No, I really haven’t seen him over the past month. I guess with me laid up like I was, he got really into the paper, much more so than he was prior to my getting hurt. He and Lois have been turning out bylines by the handful lately, tons of high profile stuff, too. Mayor Delanberg in Metropolis, Police Chief Anderson in Crosly, Sheriff Jones in Branton. Those two have been on the rampage. So between that and PT, I haven’t had much time for a social life. But I have had plenty of time to think, as I said.” “Well, um, Lex, I don’t really, uh, know what you were hoping for by coming to me first, but it’s, um . . . It has to be Clark’s decision, son. I’m not going to influence him, one way or another.” “I didn’t come to ask you to influence him. I came to make sure, that, um…make sure you didn’t have any problems with your son working for a…Luthor.” “No, Lex, son, you're not a Luthor. Not anymore. You’re your own person now: you control your future, not some surname which doesn’t mean anything. You’ve shown me that the sins of the father do not reflect on the son.” “Thank you, Jonathan, that means a lot to me. So when are you expecting Clark home?” “I’m not sure he’s going to be coming home. He’s been spending his days at the Planet, and then at his apartment. So I’m not sure if he’ll be coming home today. Your best bet would be to catch him at his apartment.” “Thank you, Jonathan.” “Anytime. Say, Lex, how is your recovery progressing?” “Pretty well. Doctors have told me that I’ll most likely always have a slight limp, due to the bones I broke in my foot and legs, but that’s a small price to pay, considering the alternative. All my other injuries have healed nicely, and I won’t be suffering any side effects from them. So all in all, I got out pretty fortunately; again, considering what the possible outcomes were.” “Yeah. Good luck with Clark, Lex.” “Thanks.” Lex smiled. *Daily Planet* “I thought I told you three to scram. Unless, of course, you don’t want the vacations.” Perry said, walking into the office of Clark, Jimmy and Lois. “No, we want it. I’m just wrapping up some stuff. Would you mind closing the door?” Clark asked, looking up from his computer. Perry shut the door, and Clark went back to speed-typing, finishing up his three stories. He then got up, and supersped around the office, tidying everything up, ending up right in front of Perry with a huge grin on his face. “I’m clocking out, chief.” Clark said, smirking and walking out of the office. “Yeah…sure…” Perry managed, looking around the office in awe. “And don’t call me chief!” Perry yelled, realizing that was what Clark had done. Clark grinned from outside the Planet building, before heading for his apartment. “And what's your story, Lois?” Perry asked, watching as she struggled to maintain a straight face. “I was going to be working on some stories, but Clark finished them up for me in about ten seconds. So I’m just trying to, uh…work up the courage to set up a meeting between my Mom and Dad.” “Ask them to meet you at Shaffin’s Cuisine in 20 minutes. Is your Dad here, or in Smallville?” “He’s been staying in Metropolis since he and Mom–well, since I got them together. But, see, I don’t know how they’d react to my plans.” “Just ask, Lo, what's the worst that could happen?” “I guess. Thanks, Perry. You're the best.” “Yeah, yeah, don’t let it spread.” He smiled before turning to his photographer. “I’m just developing these pictures. Clark said superspeeding this might screw it up somehow, although he’s never tried it. So I’ll be here for an hour or so.” “Okay, Jimmy. Have fun on your vacations, guys.” Perry smiled again, before walking out of the office. *Clark’s apartment* “I was wondering when you’d get here. It’s kind of nippy today.” Lex greeted Clark, getting up from the stoop. “And you couldn’t wait in the lobby because?” Clark asked from behind a stack of his stuff that he’d cleaned out from the office. “Felt like some fresh air. Here, Clark.” Lex said, taking half from Clark’s pile. “Thanks, that helps.” Clark said, shifting everything into one hand and fishing out his keys. He led Lex up to his apartment, and let him in. “First time I’ve been in here since…well, that day a long time ago.” Lex mused, sitting down on a couch. “At least you're not holding a box of kryptonite this time.” Clark said, superspeeding into his room and depositing the stuff he’d gotten from the office. He also changed into a tee shirt and sweats before walking back out and heading into the kitchen. “Coffee?” “Yeah, thanks, Clark.” “Did you want something? Besides free coffee, I mean.” Clark grinned. “Yeah, but I’d rather talk about it over coffee and toast, or something. Kind of relax things a bit.” “Why does that not fill me with confidence?” Clark asked, putting toast into the toaster, nonetheless. “It’s nothing bad, Clark, just something I’ve been thinking of for the past month.” “Yeah, about that. Look, Lex, I’m sorry I haven’t been more…diligent about our friendship, but I –” “No, Clark, don’t apologize. After what we went through in those caves, I don’t blame you for getting back to your career, believe me.” “No, not that, Lex. I’m sorry I didn’t visit you more during your hospital stay, especially when, for me, it wouldn’t have been more than a two second trip.” “You think I don’t know why, Clark? You put more high profile people behind bars in a month than Metropolis PD did in the past five years. That’s quite an accomplishment, believe me. And that award you got last week? I wish I could’ve been there, Clark. I really do.” “Thanks, Lex. I just feel guilty that I didn’t think to spare even fifteen minutes to come see you over the past month.” “Don’t worry so much, Clark, my feelings weren’t hurt in any way.” “One lump, or two?” Clark asked, retrieving the coffee off the stove. “Two, thanks.” Clark nodded, and then grabbed the toast from the toaster. “Hey, Clark, why do you even own a toaster?” “Because I don’t feel like heat visioning breakfast every morning, plus, what if I have guests over? It’s safer this way.” Clark dished out three slices to Lex, and took three himself. They relocated to the living room, and Lex’s gaze kept moving from Clark to the bedroom and back again. “You want to sleep with me?” Clark dead panned. “WHAT! NO!” Lex said, shocked out of his stupor. “Then spit it out, Lex. I’m not getting any younger.” “Do we know that for certain?” Lex shot back. Clark just smiled and drank his coffee. “So, I was thinking, that, well… You know how I . . . How you’ve helped me with the–how shall I put this?–morality aspect of my life? Well, Luthorcorp is still pretty, hm, corrupt, since I really haven’t involved myself in any big purges.” “You want me to help you go through the company and fix any morality issues?” “Well, it’s partially that, Clark, but um, much more involved. I want you to quit your job and take the vice president’s position at Luthorcorp.” “Lex, I just don’t know what to think. I’m really flattered by the offer, but I don’t want to take a job where I’ll be playing second fiddle to you where something could happen to endanger our friendship. I mean, despite everything we’ve been through over the past five months, we’re still on a very rocky road in that department, and I think it would be unwise to jeopardize that right now.” “Think about it, Clark. All I wanted to do was broach the subject with you: I don’t want or need an answer until you feel completely comfortable giving me one. Now, I must put in at least an hour at the gym, or my friendly doctor will become unfriendly. Thanks for the coffee and toast, Clark. Think about my offer: it’s an opportunity, for both of us.” Lex let himself out of the apartment and left Clark to think all alone. After pondering the question and making a pro and con list, Clark decided to go talk to his parents. *Kent Farm* “I’d set an extra place for dinner tonight, Martha.” Jonathan grinned, kissing her behind her ears, making her yelp and laugh. “Someone’s in a frisky mood, Jonathan.” Martha grinned back, turning around and kissing him fully on the lips. “I just have this feeling like everything’s going to be all right now. For everyone.” Jonathan kissed her again before placing three plates on the table. “Who are we expecting, Jonathan?” “I have a feeling our son will be joining us tonight.” “Did he call? Is he bringing Lois around?” “No, and no. I just have this parental instinct, Martha. We’ll see if I’m right or not.” Jonathan said, grinning again. “Jonathan Kent, you're hiding something from me. What is it?” “I’m not telling…” Jonathan teased. Martha sidled up to him and sensually rubbed his arms and upper chest, then kissed him once. “Still not telling?” she whispered. “Mum’s the word.” Jonathan grinned, trying to resist his wife–and failing miserably, he admitted to himself. He finally gave in after she began giving him a lap dance in the kitchen. “Lex came by earlier and we talked about something, that’s how I know Clark’s most likely going to be dropping by.” Jonathan said, kissing Martha and forgetting himself, that is, until Clark knocked on the door and then walked in, before turning around and walking out, shutting the door behind him. “I think we freaked him out.” Jonathan said, ending the kiss and opening the door. On the other side Clark was standing with his back to the house, looking across the fields. “You can come in now, son.” Jonathan grinned, laughing and clapping Clark on the back. “You sure? I could always come back tomorrow.” “Yes, son, we’re done. Come on in.” Clark kept his eyes closed as he walked into the house, until Martha hit him upside the head. “Come eat dinner, Clark. And just for your information, we’re middle-aged, not ancient!” “Noted and ignored.” Clark said, sitting at the table and digging into his food. After dinner, Clark and his parents were seated around the living room, Jonathan and Martha knowingly waiting for Clark to open the conversation. “Lex stopped by to see me today.” “How is Lex?” Martha asked. “He’s better. Still has a slight limp, but otherwise okay. But that’s not why he stopped by. He…he had a proposition for me. I don’t know how I feel about it, though.” “What did he propose?” Martha asked again. Since neither parent liked lying to their son, Jonathan wasn’t going to open his mouth. Martha didn’t know anything of the conversation between Jonathan and Lex. “Well, he wants me to be the vice president of Luthorcorp. I think it’s sort of a morality officer type of thing, as well. You know, to keep him in check. But the advantages of being a reporter and being Superman would go away. I don’t even know if Lex would allow me to continue being Superman, or if he would want me in the office all day.” “So ask, Clark. Look, son, we can’t tell you what to do here. Whatever decision you make, your mother and I will be behind you one hundred percent. We both feel Lex has grown a great deal as a man and a person in the past five months, but he is not perfect. His wanting to hire you as his second in command just proves he *does* want to be perfect. That is a very noble gesture.” “But he is still haunted by Lionel, still striving to meet his father’s lofty expectations. The whole purple kryptonite incident shows us that.” Clark countered. “Like your father said, Clark, whatever decision you make, we will support you. It cannot be our decision, it has to be yours.” “Why don’t you sleep on it, Clark? Think of all the pros and cons to the job offer, come up with any questions you might have for Lex, put them to him, and then make your decision.” Jonathan suggested. Clark smiled and nodded, heading to his room. “We’d better get to bed ourselves, it’s late.” Martha grinned, pulling Jonathan by his shirt. “I doubt we’ll be sleeping anytime soon.” He beamed, goosing Martha and running ahead of her. The next morning, Clark got up and noticed the sun wasn’t up yet. “Farm life.” He cracked a smile, zipping through the bathroom and out to the barn, starting on his and Jonathan’s chores. It also gave him further time to think about Lex’s offer, and what his questions would be. Once he finished up his chores, he zipped back into the house and began cooking breakfast. “Out! Shoo!” Martha said, walking into the kitchen and slapping Clark on the rear. “Hey! Is Dad up?” “No, we had a kind of a long night.” “So why are you up?” “Someone needs to feed your father.” “Scary mental images.” “Take them into the living room, I’ll cook breakfast, Clark.” “You think Lex is up, Mom?” “Why don’t you call and find out, Clark?” Clark nodded, and dialed the direct line to Lex’s room, something he’d had committed to memory a long time ago. “Hello?” Lex sounded confused, and with good reason. How many people had this number, and actually cared enough to call it? “Hi, Lex, it’s Clark.” “Yeah, and I didn’t know that when I heard your voice, thanks for telling me.” “Someone’s in a bad mood.” “It’s seven fifteen in the morning and the sun’s not even out yet! You do the math, Clark.” “Heh, sorry, Lex.” “It’s okay, I suppose. What did you want?” “I have some questions to ask you about your offer.” “Can you make breakfast in a half hour?” “Should be able to. See ya then, Lex.” “Sure thing.” They hung up, and Clark headed into the kitchen. “Hey, Mom? I’ll be going over to Lex’s for breakfast.” “That’s all right, honey. Did you do your chores?” “Yeah, I did mine and Dad’s.” “And have you made a decision regarding Lex’s offer?” “Yeah, I think I have. But I do want to go get some questions answered. Just to placate my mind, you know?” “Yeah, I can imagine. Clark, like your father and I said last night, whatever you decide will be fully backed by us.” “I know. I just want to make sure I make the right decision. I think I’ll jog out there, give me a little more time to think. Bye, Mom.” Clark grabbed a jacket and put it on. “Bye, honey.” Clark smiled and headed out the door, jogging towards the Luthor Mansion. He arrived after a half hour jog which yielded a few more questions for him to ask, and also yielded an appetite. He knocked, and was let in by Lex himself. “What took you so long?” “So long? You said a half hour, it’s been a half hour.” “Yeah, I said a half hour, but I thought you’d be here in half a second.” Lex led Clark into the kitchen. “Now, I’m not anywhere as good of a cook as Martha, but I can make a pretty good breakfast.” Lex grinned, putting two plates of food on the table. “Wow, Lex, you’re such a good domestic.” “Just eat, flyboy.” “Hey, that’s Lois’ nickname for me, come up with your own!” “Anyway, what did you want to ask me?” “Many things. The big thing is, will I still be able to, you know, be Superman? If I take the job, will I have to be in the office all the time?” “Oh, no, Clark. You’ll definitely be continuing your superhero routine. That is extremely vital and important to the city, and I would never force you to stop. Plus I’m sure you enjoy it, as well.” “How about vacation time and pay?” “Well, we can work all of that out, Clark. But, it’s not an all day in the office type of job, anyway. And you can make it to anyplace in the world in a minute, basically. As for your pay, I’ll quintuple your pay from the Planet.” “I make ninety-six thousand a year, Lex. Quintupling that would be four hundred and eighty thousand dollars!” “That’s fine, Clark. You’d be worth way more than that if you’d just let your superior intellect out more often.” Clark smiled thinly. “Any other questions?” “Yeah, what exactly will I be doing? Like, what's my job description?” “Well, you will be using that super noggin of yours to come up with safe, moral ways to make an awful lot of money. Maybe, with your full approval, of course, even using some technology from Krypton?” “I don’t know, Lex. That technology is miles and miles away from anything on Earth. The last time Kryptonians allowed some advanced technology into the hands of humans, the world was destroyed. Haven't you ever wondered why all the ancient civilizations only go back to about ten thousand BC? From the years 100,000 BC to 20,000 BC, Earth was about 4,000 years more advanced than it is right now. There were space ports everywhere, and the Earth-Mars combination was the most fruitful part of this quadrant. Earth was a virtual utopia, and diseases didn’t exist. We let a little extra slip into the human population, and wham-bam!, before we knew it, humans went and destroyed themselves, the atmosphere, and everything else in the solar system. Mars? According to Kryptonian history, it was a planet that was thriving, it was the hub between the inner planets and outer planets. So, I don't think so.” “Whoa.” “Yeah, you wouldn’t want to bring about Armageddon, would you? That’d be hell on your publicity.” Clark smirked. “Sounds fun.” Lex grinned back. “So basically, you’re paying me nearly half a million to make sure you don’t take Luthorcorp farther than it is already and to bring it back to a respectable organization?” “That, and to share any knowledge of Krypton you feel wouldn’t send us rushing to Armageddon.” “I’ll see what I can do.” “I’ll need a private exit from my office, Lex, and a closet or something, so I can change.” “I’ll make the exit from the closet, Clark. That way, no one will know you’re gone. And I’ll give you an underground entrance about a couple miles away. Don’t worry, you won’t be risking your secret anymore than you do now when you take this job.” “When?” “You wouldn’t be here asking me these kind of specific questions if you weren’t already convinced that this job is the right thing for you.” “I need to go talk to Perry.” Clark said, not admitting that Lex was right. Lex just smiled and nodded. “Press conference tomorrow, Clark. We’ll have to hold one, to announce a hiring this big. All the local press will be all over it.” “I know. Thanks, Lex.” “Clark? I told you that our friendship was going to be the stuff of legend. It will be, but now, we will be standing together and knocking over boundaries others only dream of approaching.” “Let’s just try to concentrate on not knocking ourselves over, Lex, before having delusions of grandeur.” Clark smiled and supersped out, leaving Lex deep in thought. He arrived at the Planet in short order and sighed before walking into the newsroom. “Clark? I told you to not show up for 3 weeks!” Perry said, looking up from one of the desks scattered around the newsroom. “Can we talk, chief? I have some bad news.” “Yeah, sure, Clark. What’s wrong?” Perry motioned to his office. They both walked in, and Perry shut the blinds. “I, that is… I have received a job offer.” “From a competing newspaper? I’ll match their offer. Anything, Clark. We need you to stay.” “The offer’s from Lex. He wants me to be the vice president of Luthorcorp.” “Oh, well…” “Look, I’m sorry, Perry. I really am, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime: I’d be a fool to not take it.” “Then why do you sound like you’re trying to convince yourself of that? Come on, Clark, you’ve worked here for close to six years. I know you pretty well. That’s got to mean something to you! Why are you really taking this job?” “Because he offered, and because I want to do it, and because it’s a terrific opportunity. Plus, I feel like I’m wasting my brain here. I mean, I could let a cure to cancer slip at Luthorcorp. Krypton was so much more advanced than Earth is.” “Look, I can’t talk you out of this, Clark, but just promise me you’ll examine why you’re doing this. Is it for the right reasons?” “Yes.” “And if you can live with yourself after saying that to my face, then you know what? I’m happy for you, I really am. This is a terrific opportunity. Good luck, Clark. You’ll always be welcome back to the newsroom whenever you want.” “Thank you, chief.” “You're a good kid, Clark, and you’ll be a valuable asset to Lex and Luthorcorp.” They shook hands, and Clark departed, a smile on his face. He got into the elevator and headed to the garage, where he got into his car and headed off to Lois’ apartment. Once he arrived, he got out of the car and sat on the hood, contemplating going inside or not. “It won’t be light out forever, Smallville.” Lois called out of her window, ten minutes later. Clark sighed, put his hands into his pockets, and slowly walked to the door, which opened a second later as Lois let him in. “Hi, Chloe.” He smiled gently. “Hey, Clark.” She smiled back. “What are you doing?” “Nothing at the moment. Why? Did you want to do something? Date, perhaps?” “Uh, no, not exactly. I came to tell you something, Chloe. And I don’t think you're going to like me very much afterwards.” “You…you're not breaking up with me, are you, Clark? You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and–” “No, no. No way! Not after I finally came to my senses, Chlo. You’ll be mine for a very long time, baby.” Clark leaned in and kissed her for emphasis. “Then what's so urgent, Clark?” “I’m leaving the Planet, Chloe.” “But, it’s always been you and me, Clark. Ever since junior year, it’s been you and me doing our thing together for so long. Why are you leaving now? Come on, it’s always been us.” “Lex offered me a job, one that I would be insane to pass up on. He offered me the vice presidential job at Luthorcorp. Five times as much pay as I’m getting at the Planet, other perks, plus I’ll always stop by to do our stuff, Chloe. I just won’t be getting any credit for it.” Clark smiled a quirky little smile. “But this is like breaking up Siskel and Ebert, Albert and Costello, Bert and Ernie…” “I’m sorry, Chloe, but I’m doing what I think is best for me and for everyone else. This is just something I have to do. But you won’t be losing me: you won’t ever lose me. I promise you that, Chlo.” “Why, Clark? Give me a good reason why you have to do this, tell me.” Chloe was more broken up than Clark was expecting. “Because I have a chance to make a difference at Luthorcorp. I can let some small pieces of technology from Krypton slip out, a formula which is maybe twenty years away, stuff to improve the standard of living here on Earth, but I won’t repeat the same mistakes which brought an end to Krypton.” Or Earth, Clark thought. “Clark, are you sure Lex isn’t manipulating you in some way? Doesn’t it seem dangerous to hand over Kryptonian knowledge, considering what happened to Krypton?” “Lex has nothing to do with my decisions, Chloe. I’m a grown man, and I can make my own choices, thank you very much. I want to do this.” “You want to make sure Lex doesn’t slip back, don’t you? You’re going to Luthorcorp to act as a safety net for him.” “That’s part of it, not the overwhelming part, but a part. The largest is all the help I can give to mankind, but I’ll be making sure Krypton Part II will not be coming to an Earth near you.” “Clark, I can’t say I’m not disappointed. I mean, I was hoping we’d work together until retirement, but I’m also not angry, if that’s what you’re worried about. I know you’ve had to hold back at the paper, Clark. This should allow you to give Luthorcorp your full and complete brainpower, not the minute amount you give the Planet. I’m happy for you, Clark, I really am.” “So why do you sound so close to tears?” “Because I’m selfish, Clark! I don’t want to share you with anyone, not with Perry, Jimmy, Lex. I want you all to myself. Is that so bad?” Chloe wailed, collapsing in his arms. “Noooo, never bad. But you need to understand, Chlo, I’m the world’s superhero. You share me everyday. But I only come home to you, yours is the only bed I share. You’re the only one for me. Now, isn’t that better than what anyone else has?” Clark softly stroked Chloe’s hair, and she smiled through her tears. “You always know just what to say, Clark.” “Years of practice with a journalist helps.” he grinned. Then he got down on one knee. “Clark? What…oh my god, are you…?” “One life changing decision is never enough. Chloe Ann Sullivan, will you do the honor of marrying me?” “Oh…god, Clark. YES! YES! YES!” Chloe bowled him over, tackling him to the ground, and showering him with kisses. “You have NO IDEA how happy I am.” Chloe shouted in his face. “I think I have a pretty good idea.” Clark grinned, flipping them over and taking off her shirt. *Luthorcorp* “I’m clocking out for the day.” Lex said, leaving his office, and putting on a jacket. While it was still October, in Kansas, it got chillier around six. He walked out of the building, and towards the cemetery. He quietly walked past the group of people at one of the plots, heading toward the prestigious (if such a thing existed in a cemetery) area where the Luthor burial plot was located. He ignored Lionel’s and stopped next to his mother’s. “Hello, Mother. I know I haven’t been by in a while, but things have been…busy. I’m back, Mom. I’m sure you know who Clark is. He brought me back. He’s such a remarkable person, did you know that? And Dad’s not dead: he faked his own death to try and bait Clark, and the BDA fell for it. But that’s all right, because I think Dad’s body is just about ready to give out. I’ve made so many mistakes, done so much wrong, am I insane to think that just by simply hiring Clark, my demons will be eradicated? I was on the edge for so long, I don’t know if I can make it back up. Clark believes in me, as he always has, and I think that’s still one of his many weaknesses, his penchant for seeing the good in everyone. There certainly wasn’t much good in me when he confronted me so many months ago.” Lex sighed, and lay down on the grass, facing his mother’s tomb. Lex was so intent on talking to his mother, he failed to notice a pair of beautiful blue eyes watching from the trees. “And even since he accosted me, I’ve done bad things. I threatened a few people, covered up the plant explosion in Smallville, aided and abetted Clark when he was under the influence of a powerful drug, all sorts of things that make even me ashamed. But I think, I think the path I’m on now is one which would meet your approval. You’d be proud of me, Mom. I hope you would be.” “Of course I would be, honey. Everything you’ve done in the past six months makes me glad to be your mother.” “Mom?” Lex asked, looking all around the graveyard. “Yes, Lex. I’m here where I’ve always been. Locked in your heart, waiting for another opportunity to shine. Oh my son, my baby boy, what did Lionel do to you? Why do you tremble so at your mother’s voice? Am I that frightening?” “No, Mom, never. I haven’t been a man that any mother could easily be proud of. Everyone gave up on me, with good reason.” “No, Lex, not everyone. Not me, and not Clark. If no one believed in you, son, you wouldn’t be here tonight or any night. My poor baby, I’m so sorry I left you alone with Lionel.” “Why? Why did you have to take Julian?” Lex whispered, whimpering slightly. The shadowy figure in the trees reached up to those crystalline blue eyes, wiping away tears. “I thought I would be saving all of us, Lex. Julian wouldn’t grow up with Lionel as his father. I’d have you to protect, and Lionel wouldn’t go after you, since you were his sole remaining heir. But I didn’t know you would take the blame. For that, I’m so sorry, son. So sorry. Julian’s so proud of you, Lex, I’m sure you know that.” “Yeah…” Lex was starting to feel a bit drowsy. He curled up on his mother’s plot, wrapping his jacket around himself. “I’ll always love you, Lex. Whenever you need me, you know where to look. Take care of Clark, be true to yourself. I love you, my precious baby boy.” Lex sighed in contentment, dozing off. *3 hours later* The pair of eyes slowly concentrated, nudging Lex's shoulder with her mind. She got the desired effect, as Lex slowly started to wake up. “Hey, you.” she said softly, smiling from the trees. “Mom?” Lex asked, still in a groggy state. “No, Lex.” “How do you know my name?” “Everyone knows who you are, Lex.” She smirked, knowing him better than most people. “For all the wrong reasons.” Lex sighed, rubbing some of the sleep out of his eyes. “Not everyone, Lex. Certainly not me.” she said sincerely. “I don’t know you.” “Not yet,” she whispered, making sure he wouldn’t catch that. “What was that?” “Nothing, just musing to myself.” She chuckled. “Okay. Is there any particular reason you're moping around a graveyard at,” he stopped to check his watch. “Nine p.m. on a Sunday night?” “One could ask you the same question.” she countered. Lex pointed at the tombstone. “I’m visiting my mother.” He smiled sadly. “I know.” She smiled mystically. “So why ask the question if you know the answer?” Lex sighed, still trying to completely wake up and also trying to see into the trees. He wanted to know whom he was talking to. “Why answer if you don't know the question?” she teased, knowing it would get under his skin. “Why ask the question if you know the answer to the question that I'm not supposed to know?” “Always have to get in the last word in, don't you?” she chuckled softly, eyeing him, still not moving from her hiding place. She saw how he was trying to see her, and she kept moving out of the way just enough. “Yeah, I do. It’s a serious character flaw. And again, how do you know me?” “Now, if I told you that, it wouldn't be any fun.” “Fun for who?” “Not sure.” “Then why introduce fun into the equation?” “Why keep it out in the first place?” “Because fun never got Alexander the Great anywhere.” “And maybe that was his downfall.” “Or maybe he trusted his lieutenants too much for his own good.” Lex countered, giving up on seeing his mysterious companion and deciding instead to sit down on the ground next to his mother’s grave. “You make it sound like trust is a bad thing.” She smirked at his abandonment of his quest to see her clearly. “My father taught me trust is a bad thing.” “And look where it got him.” “Where did it get him? How do you know my father?” Lex immediately sat back up, concerned for this young woman. She was in extreme danger, whether she knew it or not. “Does it really matter? My concern isn't for him. It's for you, Lex.” “Yes, it matters. He is alive, not dead, and anyone who is associated with him, or anyone who has been, is in mortal danger. I can protect you if you let me know how you know him and what you know of him.” “I appreciate the offer, but that's okay,” she said, finally stepping out from behind the trees, and walking slowly towards Lex. “I am more concerned for you.” “Why all the concern for me?” Lex asked, looking up as the voice got closer. He did a double take, shocked at how beautiful she was. “Wow, you must be some kinda angel or something. Maybe we can discuss how you know of me and my father over a late dinner? Say, in a half hour?” “I am really flattered, but no thanks. Would you mind if I join you?” she grinned at his come on, but brushed it aside. “On the ground? It's kind of cold.” “Doesn't really bother me.” “If you want to, sure.” She walked over a bit more, and then sat down right next to Lex. “You really look good, I'm sure I'd remember someone of your...attractiveness. And you seem smart, a rare breed in Hazzard,” he grinned. “In Metropolis, I mean. Jonathan's been forcing me to watch The Dukes of Hazzard DVD sets with him.” “They are fun.” She grinned as well. “Aha! How do you know *who* Jonathan is? No last name, or anything. Who are you?” “I never said I knew Jonathan. I know the Dukes of Hazzard pretty well, though. A certain ... friend of mine forced me to watch them by sitting on me for a weekend.” “You said ‘they are fun’in a way that implied you knew who I was talking about. Are you someone my father sent? Games are all he has left at this point, why are you playing them for him?” “You think I'm with your father?” she asked, hurt creeping into her voice. “That would explain how you'd know so much about me and him and Jonathan, among other things. Doesn't matter, though. He's going to die soon, for real.” Lex informed her. “I came here to help you. Believe me, if I could, I'd make him die a lot sooner. He hurt some people very close to me.” she told him. “If that's the case, let me make sure he can't hurt you. Tell me all you know, and I'll make sure you aren't on his next list. Believe me, my father can be a real bastard when he wants to be.” Lex turned to her, concern etched on his face. “The last thing I'd want is for you to get caught in the cross hairs.” “Don't worry about me, Lex, not right now. Worry about something much more important - you.” “I'm fine.” Lex couldn’t get why this girl, who seemed to be omnipotent, would worry about him. “If you're fine, then why are you here at,” she paused to look at his watch. “Nine p.m. on a Sunday night?” she finished, grinning in victory. “ I told you, I'm here to visit my Mother. Is that a sign of being unwell?” “She is proud of you, Lex. Of everything you've done recently.” “I know she's proud of me, but how do you know? How do you know these things?” “Let's just say I'm a friend.” “More like a telepath with knowledge of the future.” “ Or maybe you're still dreaming, or maybe I'm an angel.” “Or maybe you're an angel who is telepathic from the future.” “Or maybe, I'm an alien,” she grinned, leaning in conspiratorially “There is that possibility, as well.” Lex said, contemplating her. “What doesn't make sense is, whatever you are, or whenever you're from, why are you here? What concerns could you possibly have for me?” “I have more concerns about you than you'll ever really know, Lex.” “Way to be cryptic.” “You . You are so important to a lot of people.” “I find that very hard to believe.” “Why? Because of your past? Believe me, that excuse is not going to hold up with me.” “Yes, and because of the things I've done in the past six months, less than ... things that have shaken everyone's faith in me.” Lex sighed, dropping his head slightly, looking at the tombstone once more. “Less than noble things.” “I know that all too well. That was my life,” she said sadly, looking at Lex, knowing the problems he was facing and those he had yet to face. “You don’t seem as bad as I got. If you had a tenth of my life, and you turned out this caring, I'd say you have a pretty good character.” “Because I had a lot of great people help me get here, and even then I still struggle.” “Yeah, don't have that support, though.” “You have Clark and the Kents and Chloe.” “How do you know Chloe is still alive? “Do I look like I would be a threat to her, Lex? Look me in the eyes and tell me that you see anything that would ever be a threat to her or the Kents.” She straightened up, and looked directly into Lex’s eyes, having to stand on her tippy toes to do so. “That doesn't matter. Not many people should know that, especially someone none of us knows. Who seems to have a lot of information about us. Level with me, who are you?” “A friend.” “Whom I've not yet met. Funny definition of friend you have there.” “That's all I can say right now. You'll just have to trust me.” “I don't trust easily.” “Neither do I.” “Yet, here you are, and apparently you know me–or think you know me–well enough to care.” Lex pointed out, looking at her. “Lex, I know how hard it's been for you.” she said, gently putting a hand on his cheek, sighing. “It'd be easier with you here with me.” Lex said, putting a hand on top of hers and squeezing. “You don't need me, Lex. You need to trust yourself. You need to trust those who love you,” she said, smiling, but keeping her hand on his cheek. “You would be treated as a queen. That past of yours would never haunt you again. Think about it, you would be like a sister to me, only we'd be dating.” “You would date your sister?” “I would date someone as close to me as a sister, yes.” “And how do you think that would make her father feel?” she asked, trying desperately not to smile. “ Well, we would be best friends, so I don't know how he would feel. But none of this solves the problem of you knowing Chloe is alive. Which you still haven't explained.” “If I'm an angel, I know everything.” “Or if you're a telepath from the future, you know everything.” “Either way, I'm not a threat to her.” “Or you're a psycho who likes stalking people. Lots of those from Smallville, thanks to the meteor showers.” “I'm not a psycho. Almost became one, though, thanks to my father.” “Well, we have one thing in common. My father drove me insane, and yours almost did.” “We also have an L as our first initial.” “Do we have an L as the last initial as well?” “If I married you, then yeah, but otherwise, nope.” “Well, what is your name? We completely missed that part of the introductions.” “I already told you - a friend.” She smirked. “I get the feeling that wherever I know you from, I didn't win many of our arguments.” Lex said, sighing with another blown effort of trying to find out her name. She smiled at him, but didn’t say anything. “So what did you want to tell me, Angelica?” “I just want you to realize that your future is what you make of it. This destiny thing: not as big as you think it is.” “You wouldn't agree with me if you saw some of the stuff back in Smallville.” “You'd be surprised.” “Maybe I'm always meant to be the villain of the story. This,” he motioned all around him, indicating the things which had been happening in the past five or so months. “Maybe this is all be a facade.” “It only is if you let it. Believe me, I know facades, and this isn't one of them.” “I just dont know. I tried to beat destiny once and failed. And just recently, I was tempted back to the dark side by one of my friends who wasn't himself, but he still made me turn back. How much does that say to you about what kind of a place I'm in right now?” “It makes you human. Humans are not perfect, even people like me. If you knew the darkness that I struggled against everyday, it would kill you.” “Are you implying you're slightly more than human?” “I'm as human as you are.” “Again with the vagueness.” “I wish I didn't have to be so cryptic, Lex.” “Then don't.” Lex answered, gazing at her. “I can't.” “And the why is the bit you can't tell me, right?” “Yeah. Believe me, you will understand ... eventually.” “And am I going to like it?” “Not sure just yet. How about we discuss that when you finally understand it?” “Sometime in the future?” “Count on it. Don't think you can get rid of me easily, Lex Luthor.” “I don't plan on letting you out of my life.” He grinned, finally having gotten her to concretely say she was from the future. “See, you're not a bad person. You’re like me; believe me, that's a good start.” She smiled, trying to cheer him up. “So now that we've established you're from the future, what did you come back in time to tell me, specifically?” “Like I said, you need to realize that your life is in your hands and not anyone else's.” “So am I doing the right thing having my best friend around as basically a safety net?” “Yeah. Clark is really great like that, and even a little annoying.” “And again, I didn't mention *who* my best friend was. I wish you would tell me who you are, already.” “And I wish you would stop asking me . You can be annoying too, you know.” she noted, sighing in frustration. She wanted to just tell him, but she couldn’t, she knew that. “And you didn't know this before you came back to the past, Marty?” “Believe me, Doc, I knew what I was doing.” “At least I'm the smarter one.” “But I'm the good-looking one.” “No argument there.” Lex said, smiling at her, looking appreciatively up and down her body. The woman just smiled, doing her own checking out. Lex of the past was certainly eye candy, it was no wonder he was such a womanizer. “Am I happy?” “You want to be.” “In the future.” “Oh yeah, you are.” “Married? Kids?” “Well, you married a six-foot woman named Bertha and had two kids named Jake and Earl.” “What about the tradition of having one son with an 'L' for his first initial?” “You married a six-foot woman named Bertha, you think you're thinking straight by that time?” “Not sure. I'll be on the lookout for her.” He laughed, knowing this was another joke she was pulling. “Seriously. Kids? Wife?” “Can't say. Have to have some mystery.” “Fun. Is Clark happy working for me?” “Yes, he is.” “That's good. Did he ever...did he want? Did I force?” She took a deep breath, and that silenced Lex. Was she about to reveal something big? “And so am I.” “You work for me?” “Part-time, yeah.” “How old are you? About twenty, twenty-one?” “Now, Lex, you know better than to ask a woman her age.” “I thought we were close.” Lex smirked. “Yeah, but I'll still deck you if you don't watch it.” She grinned, letting him know she was joking. “Well, I guess you know I need to prepare for a press conference tomorrow.” “Yeah, but you need to get some sleep. In your own bed.” “Y'all come back now, you hear?” Lex grinned. “Got to. You make a good teddy bear sometimes.” “So we're, but, we're not, are we?” “Yeah.” “We are? We're together?” “Yeah.” “Weird, the age difference must be big.” “Yeah, but it doesn't really matter to us.” “I guess not.” “I bet you're lying to me just to mess with my mind. That seems to be your secondary motive here. If we're really together, kiss me on the lips.” she shrugged, leaned over, and kissed him softly. Lex grabbed the back of her head and deepened the kiss. “I believe you.” he breathed. “Then trust me, and trust yourself.” “I do trust myself, but even that trust gets misplaced from time to time.” Lex got up off the ground and looked down at the grave site, sighing. She smiled, standing up as well, putting a hand on his shoulder, and squeezing once. “I know. Just remember you have friends to help you, and don't turn away from them.” “The one time she commits a Luthorian act, and she didn't need to. Such a waste.” Lex chuckled softly. Then he turned to the girl. “I would do anything for my friends, I'm sure you know that.” “I know, Lex. Believe me, I know.” “Am I going to kill you when you get back to the future, Marty?” (for those of you thinking that joke *wasn’t* going to be made, you don’t know me very well, do you?) “You might. Just keep in mind what I did today.” “It depends on how you got back here.” Lex said, grinning. “I'm not saying.” “Cause I'll kill you right here?” “Probably.” “Doesn't sound good. For you, that is. So why do it?” “For you.” “And I suppose through time travel and my fading memory in the future, you want me to remember that?” “Hey, it's worth the shot. I'm sure you'll remember the kiss.” “I have a feeling I will too.” “So we'll definitely be seeing each other again, I'm guessing.” Lex said, not wanting to admit it, but he was warming up to this strange girl. “Yep.” “Happy travels, Angelica.” “Until we meet again, Lex.” Lex kneeled down to the tombstone, closing his eyes. “Bye, Mom. I'm off to make the world a better place tomorrow.” He softly kissed the tombstone, and felt a soft breeze wash over him, as if his mother had just blown him a kiss. He got up off the ground and turned around. “Hey, listen,” he looked around him, not seeing the girl anywhere. “Angelica?” still no answer. “Mysterious to the end.” he mused, slowly walking out of the graveyard and back to Luthorcorp. He got into his car and headed back to the mansion, going at least twice the posted speed limit. “Some things never change.” Lex’s “angel” grinned before flying away. Lex made it home in just under an hour and a half and went upstairs to lay out a suit for Clark. “BDA won’t have one picked out, I’d wager anything.” Lex mused out loud, grinning at his nickname for Clark. After he’d properly ironed it, he hung it up in his closet and then went to bed, exhausted. Before closing his eyes, he looked at the picture of his mother that he’d put back by his bed. “Tomorrow, Mom, you’ll be proud of me tomorrow.” The next morning a loud ringing noise awoke Lex. He jumped out of bed before grabbing the alarm clock and flinging it across the room. “It’s been ringing for a half hour, sir. I have your breakfast ready, your suit is laid out in your bathroom, and the other is downstairs in a suit bag ready for Mr. Kent. The conference is in two hours.” his butler said, almost in a reproachful manner. “Thank you, Niles.” Lex said, heading into the bathroom. Niles turned around, winked and walked out of the room. “Oh, Ms. Babcock!” he yelled. Lex emerged from the bathroom, decked out in the suit. He ran downstairs, devoured his food, took Clark’s suit, and got into his fastest car, all in under thirty minutes. He took off from the garage, roaring towards the Kent Farm. “Clark, eat your breakfast, Lex should be here any minute.” Martha fussed. “Mom, I can, like, eat it in 10 seconds. Don’t worry.” “Just like you didn’t worry about picking out a suit?” Jonathan asked, smirking at his son. “S***!” Clark yelled. “When’s the press conference?” Clark glanced at his watch. “An hour and a half.” “How long do you think it would take for you to get a tailored suit, son?” “Way too long, but let’s try.” Clark said, superspeeding out of the house. He saw Lex getting out of his car with a suit bag, and since Lex was wearing a suit, he assumed that this suit was for him. Clark slammed on the breaks, skidding straight through a tree, uprooting it. “Way to be subtle, Clark.” Lex said, laughing hard. He walked into the house, still grinning. “Hey, Lex. You brought a suit, nice.” Jonathan said. He couldn’t help but grinning at his son’s crash landing. Clark picked up the tree, looked at it, and then tossed it aside, brushed himself off, and walked back into the house. “Jerk.” he said. He grabbed the suit from Lex, marched up to his room, and changed into it. He walked back downstairs and smiled at his Mom, Dad and best friend. “You look sharp, son, very sharp.” A sudden whirring sound was heard, and Jonathan just sighed and looked at Lex. “Another helicopter?” “Fastest non-Kryptonian way to Metropolis. Hey, we don’t want to be superspeeding around in suits.” Jonathan rolled his eyes but acquiesced. They filed out of the house, and boarded the helicopter, which then took off and whisked away towards Luthorcorp. Once they got there, Lex and Clark deplaned and headed into the main Luthorcorp media relations room. “All those people,” Clark said. “Are all here to see both of us. It is time to forge a new future, together.” Lex answered. “Besides, you’ve been on the other side of that stage many times, Clark. You know what kinds of questions they’ll be asking, so you’re well prepared. Don’t worry so much.” Lex waited for his president of media relations to give him his cue. When that cue came, Lex looked at Clark. “Wait until I introduce you, then you know what to do.” Lex said, walking calmly out onto the stage. “Thank you, Regina. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming on such short notice. I didn't make this decision until thirty-six hours ago myself, so it's kind of short notice for me, too. All my life has been about besting my father, proving my worth to him. He was a criminal, a cold-hearted man bent on destroying anything that stood in his way to the top. And, in true Luthor fashion, I did best him. I destroyed anything, regardless of whether or not it stood in my way. For five years, I've been more ruthless, more cold than my father ever was. Despite warnings from my friends during my time in Smallville, I gave in to my father's teachings. I made Luthorcorp into one of the richest companies in the world, but also one of the companies with the highest worker turnover, highest percentage of dissatisfied workers, not that they ever told me. “They feared me, and that was something I coveted. I lived so people would fear me. I didn't want to live with any limitations, and I didn't. I was worse then my father in every aspect: I committed crimes, heinous crimes, but I made sure I could never be fingered for them. I was everything I didn't want to be. Everything I had rebelled against. One visit from a prominent figure changed that, brought back the things I'd fought for and lost, once. Now, I've begun that fight again, as you've noted. I've made changes to Luthorcorp, donated money to build child-care centers for our employees, worker training, and I've tried to tear down that wall of fear and rebuild a new reputation, the one I held for a while in Smallville. “That Lex Luthor was different: he wasn't his father, and he wasn't going to be that. Well, I followed my father for a good while, but I'm going to rebel once more. And to make sure I don't revert to Luthor form, I've made a few changes at the top. May I present Luthorcorp's new Chief Operating Officer and executive vice president, renowned reporter and friend of Superman, Mr. Clark Kent.” Clark strode out from the wing, and shook Lex's hand. “Thank you, Mr. Luthor. Ladies and gentlemen, as I look out among the throng gathered, I don't see an end to my previous journey. I see a never-ending journey for both myself and for Lex Luthor. True, this is the pinnacle, the top for this portion, but this journey,” Clark paused and looked up at the rest of his life and flashed his famous Kent grin. He'd done what he'd wanted to: changed his life, transformed Lex Luthor back into his friend, and found true love with someone he thought he'd lost. Not bad for a mild-mannered reporter, he thought. Nope, not bad at all. |
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| SamwiseAtHeart | Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:25 pm Post #59 |
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Bo Kent Fan
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What a great story :D Is that all or is there another chapter? If I'm not mistaken, we haven't seen Lionel really die and I really am curious about that angelic stranger from the future. |
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| Tejesh | Sat Sep 9, 2006 10:54 pm Post #60 |
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Moved In
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Yes, that is the final chapter of the story. I do have a sequel in the works, but it's effectively been stalled by the steady flow of garbage coming out of AlMiles backsides. |
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2:59 AM Jul 11