Part 38

[dianehc]

Later, when Martha had retired for the night and Lex was on the road back to Metropolis, Clark heard a rapping at his door and he followed the silent signals his host gave him to follow down the hall.

Once having entered a large library, Bruce turned and said, “I am satisfied with your status, as stated.”

Clark frowned a bit then said with some

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[sv_slashbunny]

Suddenly several things clicked into place in Bruce's mind. Clark was an alien. Clark came down in a meteor shower. The very meteor shower that was responsible for so many mutated humans. A meteor shower that took Lex's hair and asthma and seemed to have granted him some sort of immunity from common diseases coupled with rapid healing. A meteor shower that this cowering young man seemed to not only accept responsibility for, ridiculous considering his age upon arrival, but this... this was the underlying guilt that pushed him into believing he deserved whatever pain that he was dealt as punishment for his self perceived crimes.

Taking a huge risk Bruce decided on a course of action. Schooling his expression to one of wry amusement, Bruce started laughing.

The laughter did what it was intended to do, it shocked Clark and caused him to look up from the floor.

Bruce stopped laughing and looked down at Clark in amused disdain. "I was not aware that you were quite that powerful, Clark."

Clark's face twisted in confusion but Bruce continued before Clark could respond.

"To think that you were able to plan and execute an attack against the earth when you were still a toddler. To think that you stole the power of free will from all the denizens of Smallville. Here you have so many people fooled into thinking that you are a self-effacing young man with a rather low sense of self esteem, when all this time you were actually hiding your God complex. What I don't understand is why you pretend to care for the Kents and for Lex?"

Shocked Clark scrambles to his feet. "I'm not pretending! I..."

Again interrupting and keeping Clark on the defensive, "Ah, you must like Lex because he is just as evil as you are then... I mean his brother died, his mother died, his own father tries to crush him... Martha was shot and you were kidnapped and tortured because of the little games between Lex and his father... so you must see a kindred spirit in him. You must have been drawn to him because he is a horrible person..."

Surging to his feet, Clark grabbed Bruce and slammed him into the wall. Holding him up there by his lapels, Clark growled, "Lex is NOT evil!! He is kind and generous and protective and brave and one of the best people I know! It's not Lex's fault that those bad things happened and I know that it hurts him but its not his fault! Do you hear me?! IT'S NOT HIS FAULT!!"

Clark had tears falling from his face as he vehemently defended Lex. Bruce calmly placed his hands gently on Clark's shoulders. "Clark, look at me. I agree its not his fault."

Totally confused Clark looks lost, "But then why did you...??"

"Clark, its not Lex's fault that bad things happened to the people that he cares about. And it not your fault, Clark."

"No!! It's not the same, I... I... came all the bad things are because I CAME!!!" Clark screamed dropping his hold on Bruce and falling to his knees.

"Clark we all came. Whether its from our mother's womb or from a space ship of some kind... we all came. We didn't ask for it. We didn't plan on it. And we are certainly NOT responsible for it."

Clark looked so small and so very lost as he raised pain filled eyes to Bruce, "But..."

"No buts, Clark. It's not our fault."

"It's not?"

"No, Clark. It's not."

Slumped in relief and shocked Clark starts trembling as he says, "I don't know what to feel anymore... I don't know what to believe."

Standing in front of Clark and offering his hand, Bruce says, "Let me help you. Let your parents help you. Let Lex help you. You are NOT alone."

Clark looked up and slowly took his hand. Standing he turned with Bruce towards the stairs only to stop in shock. "Lex..."