Superman For Sale, part 3
This isn't really a cross-over, but I stole shamelessly err... borrowed liberally err... made an homage respectfully to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books. Particularly in the use of magic circles and some of the ways he has Harry construct them in the books.
Title: Superman for Sale
Author: D.M. Wyatt
Pairing: Clark/Other (implied), Clark/Lex
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Physical and Emotional TC, graphic descriptions of adult sexual content, BD/SM, future fic, post rift
Spoilers: None
Short summary: Lex meets the witch to negotiate Superman's purchase price.
Previous parts here, and here.
Part 3 of about 15...
~:::~
When Lex's limo drove up to the dingy motel, as Lex absentmindedly felt the silky texture of Clark's cape that was draped across his lap, he frowned. He of course had Mercy check the place out after he'd arranged to meet Clark's kidnapper here. He wouldn't want to admit this to the woman, but the place was perfect.
Small and out of the way, the motel had two buildings. The second smaller building where they'd be meeting was behind the main one and was out of sight of the road and the motel's office. The rooms in that building were little used and currently, he'd been assured when he'd called to inquire, no other guests were staying there.
No one would notice Superman being taken inside anymore than they would notice when he was taken out again.
After quite a bit of digging, Lex discovered the identity of Clark's kidnapper and where she'd been keeping him. Madeline De La Cruz and her lover, Maureen McMullen, had actually kidnapped other men before. They'd grown rich using her magic to blackmail them. She and her lover were living in the lap of luxury on the backs of men Madeline had tortured with her enchantments. Lex was going to enjoy killing her when the time came.
As Mercy drove the limo around to the back building, Lex gently fingered the golden emblem in the middle of the cape as they pulled into the parking lot. He folded the cape as Mercy parked in front of the room where they were meeting this woman and her lover. He tried to make his face as impassive as possible before getting out.
Mercy knocked on the door of the motel room. An extremely pretty, blond haired woman he hadn't seen before, the witch's lover no doubt, opened the door. He entered the surprisingly large room and paused just inside the door.
Clark was curled up on the only bed in the room, fast asleep. The other bed that had been there had been removed. Lex knew there had been a second one because the fake headboard for it was still attached to the wall. The remaining bed had been pushed into the center of the room, leaving space all way around it.
Lex was surprised by this and looked at the woman who sat in a chair that was facing the door.
He was angry, "This isn't what we agreed to..."
"You told me to bring him. You never specified the level of consciousness you wanted him in." She shrugged. "I need him asleep to give me time to rest before performing the spells that will transfer power over him to you. If this is a successful negotiation, that is."
She was right, but he was still perturbed. She indicated that Lex should sit in the second chair, but he hesitated. Lex had brought the cape so Clark could put it on, but he had to admit that he rather liked the view he had of Clark from behind him without the cape. He had an unobstructed view of the other man's broad back and beautifully formed ass, but somehow Superman's uniform just didn't look... right, without it.
Lex scowled at the woman and shook out the cape. He indicated the sleeping, cape-less Superman. "May I?"
She looked at Lex in pleased surprise and nodded her head.
Lex walked over to the bed and rolled Clark over onto his stomach. He looked at Superman's splendid back for a moment before he pulled on the neckline. Lex reached into the suit to find the closure that attached the cape to the blue stretchy stuff Clark's uniform was made from.
He hoped that Clark's captor didn't question how Lex had learned to attach the cape to the suit.
His knowledge was thanks to a very long day he spent in Clark's apartment examining Superman's spare suits while Clark was out of town. He had wanted to try to figure out how the apparently seamless fabric with no visible means of attachment stayed... well... attached to the suit. He never did figure out the exact mechanism, the attachments were apparently either invisible or microscopic, but he did get the hang of attaching and detaching the cape to the inside of the suit. All it took was a little pressure in the right place and it stuck all by itself.
Not that Lex would have admitted it, but he had actually enjoyed playing with the voluminous cape and seeing how it draped once it was tucked inside the neckline of the suit. He had tried slightly different ways of folding the fabric before he attached it and got some very nice effects. Too bad Clark always attached the cape the exact same way each and every time. It was so boring. Lex thought he could teach him a thing or two about varying the style.
Lex sighed as he tucked the cape in. He did it the way he liked it best, never mind the way that Clark usually did it, and quickly finished. He draped the scarlet fabric out over Clark's broad back. He smiled and was glad he was facing away from Clark's abductor. Lex wouldn't want her to see him appreciate Clark on this level.
He pulled on Clark's shoulder so he was again lying on his side. Lex fanned the cape out over Clark's sleeping form so the golden shield was draped over his shoulder. He really liked that emblem better than the more garish one on Clark's chest. It had a subtlety the more colorful one on his chest lacked.
Clark frowned a little in his sleep and he tugged on the edge of the cape, pulling it up to his chin. Lex smiled. Clark looked so adorable, like a little boy snuggling with a blanket.
She sounded annoyed. "Are you done? I would like to get down to business..."
Lex tried to sober his face before he turned around. He arched an eyebrow in her direction, but said nothing as he sat down.
The woman looked over at Clark, and nodded with approval. "His uniform does seem to be much more handsome with the cape than without it. I am so glad you brought it along."
Lex nodded allowed himself a small smile. The cape somehow really did help pull the ridiculous outfit together and made it work.
He looked back at the woman sitting across from him. His face sobered and his voiced sounded more serious. "Let's get on with it, shall we?"
Her smile faded and she replied coldly. "Of course, should I start?"
Lex kept his reply to a single cool, stiff nod. He hoped his face was impassive, but waiting for her to start speaking was like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She took a deep breath, clearly nervous. "Fifty million."
Lex knew the price she'd ask would be steep but was mildly surprised she had the guts to go so high. He coolly replied, "Ten."
She sucked in her breath, truly shocked. "Ten? Is that all he is worth to you? You surprise me. If we're going to haggle, at least I thought your counter offer would be a bit closer..."
"You wanted my counter offer to be bit closer to that ridiculous price? Some movies don't cost that much to make." He looked at the still sleeping Superman, who'd begun to snore softly, which Lex found oddly adorable.
He looked back at her and sneered, "How do I know your spells are worth it? How do I know that they'll work for me?"
A smile brightened up her face. "Oh, they're worth it and they will work for you. The way they'll be constructed any idiot can maintain them."
Lex scowled at her, intentionally misunderstanding what she meant. "Any idiot? Calling me an idiot won't get you very far in this negotiation, Ms. De La Cruz."
She blanched, shaken by his mistaken impression and the fact he knew her name even though she'd never told him. "Well, of course you're not an idiot Mr. Luthor. A man of your intelligence would of course have no trouble with these spells. In fact, the smarter and more disciplined a regular person is, like you, the easier it is for them to use this."
She held up the stone. "Once you've paid the agreed upon price and I explain how to do it, of course." She looked across at Clark and then looked back over at Lex. "So for a man like you, with a strong will and a disciplined mind, I'm willing to take forty."
Lex scowled at her. "I'm not sure he's even worth that much, despite the effective spells." He looked at Clark and then back at her. "How will this work? I want to know what I have to do to control him."
She sighed "It's actually quite simple. All you need to do is imagine what you want him to feel."
Lex was skeptical and it must have showed on his face. "All I have to do is imagine what I want him to feel?"
She waved her hand toward him in a dismissive gesture. "There's a little more to it than that, but in essence that's all you have to do." She sniffed disdainfully, "Can we continue?"
He sat back and narrowed his eyes and hoped his voice stayed frosty. "Fifteen."
She huffed in response. "You insult me, Mr. Luthor."
Lex just stared at her in reply. She returned Lex's cold stare with one of her own. "Thirty-five million."
Lex sighed, affecting what he hoped was a bored tone. "I'll give you twenty to end this right now." Lex straightened his tie and looked at Clark, who still slept. "That is my final offer. If that isn't acceptable, then I suggest you find another buyer."
She contemplated the offer for a moment, looking over at her lover as she took a deep breath. She glanced over at the gently snoring Superman and then smiled at Lex. "Done."
Lex looked back at Mercy who was already dialing the banker. She whispered the amount to the man on the other end of the phone. He'd already been given the account number so Lex knew it would only take moments for the money to get there. Mercy waited a moment then said, "Thank you. Mr. Luthor always appreciates your promptness and discretion." She snapped her cell phone shut and nodded in Lex's direction.
The woman's paramour was already on the phone to her banker when Lex looked over. She smiled a huge smile at her lover, the witch, before she closed her cell phone.
Business done, Lex looked over at Clark, still fast asleep and wrapped up in the scarlet cape. Superman shifted his weight a bit and pulled his legs up. It was so adorable the way he snuggled under the cape like a little boy would under a warm blanket. Lex couldn't resist smiling as he gazed at his new possession. Realizing he let his guard down when he probably shouldn't have, he looked over at the witch. She gaped at him in shocked surprise.
Comprehension dawned and she was furious. "You should have told me. You're in love with him, aren't you? "
Lex bristled at her presumption and hoped his face had returned to his usually impassive visage. "My feelings about Superman were not material to this transaction."
She laughed bitterly. "Oh, yes they were." She looked at Lex, exasperated. "I should have asked for more..." She crossed her arms and sighed. "No matter, I would have been happy with ten."
Lex allowed himself to smirk. "I would have paid fifty."
She glared at him and then glanced over at the gently snoring Clark. "If you would please arrange him so that he is lying on his back with his hands folded across his body and put his feet together, I will go prepare the spell." She glared at Lex one more time and left the room, followed by her lover.
Lex spoke to Mercy without looking at her. "Please wait outside." His minion quickly left Lex alone with Clark.
Lex allowed himself to relax. He sighed as he looked at the charmed Clark. It had been a long time since he'd seen Clark relaxed enough around him that he could sleep. It was amazing how different he looked when he wasn't angrily spouting moralistic platitudes or urgently lecturing Lex on the responsible use of power. Lying on his side, Clark's face was peaceful and angelic in slumber. His tranquil expression reminded Lex of the naïve teen he had been so long ago.
He pulled on Clark's very solid shoulder, and rolled the sleeping Superman onto his back. Lex realized that as close as he'd been to him physically as many times as he'd had, he hadn't actually touched Clark in years, not since they had been friends.
Clark's body had always been attractive but as he had aged his form had matured into a thing of pure beauty. His musculature and bulk were perfectly proportioned to his large frame; Clark was physically the most beautiful man Lex had ever seen.
The gentle rise and fall of Superman's chest as he slept his enchanted sleep was breathtaking. So much so Lex couldn't resist running a hand across the other man's broad chest and the large symbol that covered it. The flesh was firm and smooth under the silky fabric but Lex knew better than most how tough both the suit, and the skin underneath it, really was.
Beauty, strength and masculinity were combined perfectly in Clark and Lex found himself aroused by being so close to Clark. He wanted more than anything to kiss Clark and taste his skin, seeing for himself if it tasted as good as it smelled.
Lex ran his hand down the Clark's arm to his hand. He held the surprisingly warm and soft hand for a moment before he placed it on the other man's well-defined abs.
He looked at the face of his enemy and couldn't get over how young Clark still looked. Closing in on thirty, he didn't look much older than he had when they'd first met more than a decade before. What changes that had happened to Clark's face had only perfected what had already been perfect. Lex wasn't sure how that was even possible, but he mentally added super-handsomeness and super-masculinity to the long list of Clark's super powers.
Lex smiled at the thought and reached across Superman's body and gently picked up his other hand. Clark sighed sleepily and Lex's heart skipped a beat when his enemy gently squeezed his hand. For a moment, Lex thought that Clark had awoken and was showing him some affection but he was disappointed. He realized his 'enemy' was still asleep when Clark's surprisingly warm hand relaxed again almost immediately.
Of course, Superman wouldn't knowingly show his greatest enemy the least bit of affection. It had probably been a reflex of some kind.
Lex sighed regretfully and placed Superman's hand on top of the other one and then artfully draped Clark's cape over his body. He looked at Clark's face again. On a whim, Lex gently brushed the very Clark-like curls from Superman's eyes. He tried to make Clark's hair look more like Superman's, but given he didn't have any mousse or hair gel it was probably a fruitless task.
However, he thought that Clark looked nobler with his hair brushed off of his face. He smiled at the affect as the door opened to the connecting room and the witch entered.
She glared at Lex and motioned him away. Lex glared back but moved away from the bed anyway. She took out a large piece of chalk and drew a circle on floor around the bed. She used a different colored chalk to draw symbols, making a second circle inside the first. Lex was surprised when he noticed that she included several instances of the Superman 'S' shield. She took out a small pouch, and took out a piece of kryptonite. The effect on the sleeping superman was immediate. Although he didn't wake, Clark moaned and trembled from the pain. She quickly placed the kryptonite on top of one Superman Shields. She took out several more and placed them on top of all eight instances of the symbol of the House of El. Clark moaned more weakly as his body tried to deal with the added assault, but he still didn't wake from his spell-induced slumber.
She took out several other small objects, creating yet another circle inside the other two she'd already created. Lex looked more closely at the objects as she placed on the floor and they chilled him to the bone. They all had to do with non-superman parts of Clark's life. There were worn pencils, pages from a reporter's notebook covered with what Lex recognized as Clark's hand writing, clippings of articles Clark had written for the Daily Planet, photos of cows grazing in a field, dried feed corn, pieces of hay, a campaign button from Mrs. Kent's last run for office, and a broken pair of Clark's eye glasses.
As she worked, he looked at the woman with a growing fury. He became murderously resolved that as soon as Clark was safely away from her, that she would die a very painful and humiliating death.
The bits of Clark's life spread out on the floor around the sleeping man were a violation of a boundary that Lex never crossed. He respected the separation of Clark's dual identities and never attacked him as Clark Kent. He wasn't even sure if Clark was aware that Lex wasn't in the least bit fooled by his disguise, if you could call "styling your hair differently and wearing glasses" a disguise. However, he never gave any indication that he knew Clark was in fact Superman. The only point he let the two identities meet in his mind were the myriad break-ins over the years into Clark's apartment, but he'd been very careful. He was sure that Clark didn't know about those.
She stood up and took out a sheathed dagger. She pulled it from its sheath and the blade glowed a sickly green. It was made from kryptonite.
Clark groaned even more weakly as she cut the pad of his thumb with it. Clark gasped at the painful slice, but still didn't wake as his chest heaved and his face screwed up with the agony. The witch took out the small stone and pressed the bloody thumb to it, adding fresh blood to what Lex now realized was Clark's dried blood on the surface of the stone. She placed the small stone on top of the shield covering Clark's chest. She took Clark's still bleeding thumb and drew an 'S' on his forehead before placing his hand back on top of the other one.
She turned to Lex and beckoned him closer. Lex hesitated and she scowled at him. "I need a drop of your blood or I've done all this work for nothing." Lex glared at her in return and stepped forward. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the ring of circles. Lex was careful to not disturb the circles as he moved to stand next to the tiny woman.
The building magic was apparent as soon as he entered the circle. His skin felt like bugs were crawling all over it. It seriously creeped Lex out, and he never got creeped out. He was going to be very glad when this was over with.
She took his hand and cut the pad of his thumb just like she'd done to Clark's.
"Now, touch the stone and then trace the 'S' on his forehead with your blood."
When Lex touched the stone his thumb was still bleeding, but it had started to heal by the time he tried to trace the 'S' on Clark's forehead. She frowned. "How has it stopped bleeding already? I thought I had cut deep."
Lex shrugged, "I heal fast."
She was annoyed. "I still need your blood to mix with his or this isn't going to work."
Lex frowned and grabbed the kryptonite dagger from her hand. He cut his thumb even more deeply than she did and reached over to trace the 'S' on Clark's forehead, but a drop of blood fell into the other man's open mouth. Clark reflexively swallowed and something happened. A visible ripple of energy radiated out from Clark's body. In its wake, the papers on the floor rustled and the windows and doors of the room rattled.
The witch gasped in shock. Perplexed, he looked at her ashen face and waited for her to explain what had happened, but she said nothing. Feeling speech wouldn't be appropriate, he hesitated only a second before he traced the 'S' on Clark's forehead like she wanted. She held out her hand and Lex gave her back the dagger and carefully stepped back out of the circles.
Still pale, she used the dagger on her own thumb. She held her hand up while she placed the blade on Clark's stomach. The increase in pain that he felt was instantly apparent. Clark gasped and his breathing hitched as he tried to deal with the pain, even though he still didn't wake.
Lex was impressed at the strength of the woman's spell. He knew how painful kryptonite poisoning was to Clark and the man was clearly in agony.
The woman, careful to not allow any blood to drop, quickly stepped outside the circles. She squeezed a drop of blood onto the outer circle. Lex heard a small pop and a shimmering wall of energy, which radiated up from the chalk, surrounded Clark. It was if the magical circles formed a barrier, holding the magic inside them.
She knelt on the floor and started to chant as she held out her hand toward the sleeping man. The light brightened inside the magical column of energy and started to swirl around Superman. This somehow increased the pain. He moaned again, his breath now only coming in stilted gasps, as his back arched against the pain.
In complete agony, Clark finally opened his eyes.
Continued here....
Title: Superman for Sale
Author: D.M. Wyatt
Pairing: Clark/Other (implied), Clark/Lex
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Physical and Emotional TC, graphic descriptions of adult sexual content, BD/SM, future fic, post rift
Spoilers: None
Short summary: Lex meets the witch to negotiate Superman's purchase price.
Previous parts here, and here.
Part 3 of about 15...
~:::~
When Lex's limo drove up to the dingy motel, as Lex absentmindedly felt the silky texture of Clark's cape that was draped across his lap, he frowned. He of course had Mercy check the place out after he'd arranged to meet Clark's kidnapper here. He wouldn't want to admit this to the woman, but the place was perfect.
Small and out of the way, the motel had two buildings. The second smaller building where they'd be meeting was behind the main one and was out of sight of the road and the motel's office. The rooms in that building were little used and currently, he'd been assured when he'd called to inquire, no other guests were staying there.
No one would notice Superman being taken inside anymore than they would notice when he was taken out again.
After quite a bit of digging, Lex discovered the identity of Clark's kidnapper and where she'd been keeping him. Madeline De La Cruz and her lover, Maureen McMullen, had actually kidnapped other men before. They'd grown rich using her magic to blackmail them. She and her lover were living in the lap of luxury on the backs of men Madeline had tortured with her enchantments. Lex was going to enjoy killing her when the time came.
As Mercy drove the limo around to the back building, Lex gently fingered the golden emblem in the middle of the cape as they pulled into the parking lot. He folded the cape as Mercy parked in front of the room where they were meeting this woman and her lover. He tried to make his face as impassive as possible before getting out.
Mercy knocked on the door of the motel room. An extremely pretty, blond haired woman he hadn't seen before, the witch's lover no doubt, opened the door. He entered the surprisingly large room and paused just inside the door.
Clark was curled up on the only bed in the room, fast asleep. The other bed that had been there had been removed. Lex knew there had been a second one because the fake headboard for it was still attached to the wall. The remaining bed had been pushed into the center of the room, leaving space all way around it.
Lex was surprised by this and looked at the woman who sat in a chair that was facing the door.
He was angry, "This isn't what we agreed to..."
"You told me to bring him. You never specified the level of consciousness you wanted him in." She shrugged. "I need him asleep to give me time to rest before performing the spells that will transfer power over him to you. If this is a successful negotiation, that is."
She was right, but he was still perturbed. She indicated that Lex should sit in the second chair, but he hesitated. Lex had brought the cape so Clark could put it on, but he had to admit that he rather liked the view he had of Clark from behind him without the cape. He had an unobstructed view of the other man's broad back and beautifully formed ass, but somehow Superman's uniform just didn't look... right, without it.
Lex scowled at the woman and shook out the cape. He indicated the sleeping, cape-less Superman. "May I?"
She looked at Lex in pleased surprise and nodded her head.
Lex walked over to the bed and rolled Clark over onto his stomach. He looked at Superman's splendid back for a moment before he pulled on the neckline. Lex reached into the suit to find the closure that attached the cape to the blue stretchy stuff Clark's uniform was made from.
He hoped that Clark's captor didn't question how Lex had learned to attach the cape to the suit.
His knowledge was thanks to a very long day he spent in Clark's apartment examining Superman's spare suits while Clark was out of town. He had wanted to try to figure out how the apparently seamless fabric with no visible means of attachment stayed... well... attached to the suit. He never did figure out the exact mechanism, the attachments were apparently either invisible or microscopic, but he did get the hang of attaching and detaching the cape to the inside of the suit. All it took was a little pressure in the right place and it stuck all by itself.
Not that Lex would have admitted it, but he had actually enjoyed playing with the voluminous cape and seeing how it draped once it was tucked inside the neckline of the suit. He had tried slightly different ways of folding the fabric before he attached it and got some very nice effects. Too bad Clark always attached the cape the exact same way each and every time. It was so boring. Lex thought he could teach him a thing or two about varying the style.
Lex sighed as he tucked the cape in. He did it the way he liked it best, never mind the way that Clark usually did it, and quickly finished. He draped the scarlet fabric out over Clark's broad back. He smiled and was glad he was facing away from Clark's abductor. Lex wouldn't want her to see him appreciate Clark on this level.
He pulled on Clark's shoulder so he was again lying on his side. Lex fanned the cape out over Clark's sleeping form so the golden shield was draped over his shoulder. He really liked that emblem better than the more garish one on Clark's chest. It had a subtlety the more colorful one on his chest lacked.
Clark frowned a little in his sleep and he tugged on the edge of the cape, pulling it up to his chin. Lex smiled. Clark looked so adorable, like a little boy snuggling with a blanket.
She sounded annoyed. "Are you done? I would like to get down to business..."
Lex tried to sober his face before he turned around. He arched an eyebrow in her direction, but said nothing as he sat down.
The woman looked over at Clark, and nodded with approval. "His uniform does seem to be much more handsome with the cape than without it. I am so glad you brought it along."
Lex nodded allowed himself a small smile. The cape somehow really did help pull the ridiculous outfit together and made it work.
He looked back at the woman sitting across from him. His face sobered and his voiced sounded more serious. "Let's get on with it, shall we?"
Her smile faded and she replied coldly. "Of course, should I start?"
Lex kept his reply to a single cool, stiff nod. He hoped his face was impassive, but waiting for her to start speaking was like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She took a deep breath, clearly nervous. "Fifty million."
Lex knew the price she'd ask would be steep but was mildly surprised she had the guts to go so high. He coolly replied, "Ten."
She sucked in her breath, truly shocked. "Ten? Is that all he is worth to you? You surprise me. If we're going to haggle, at least I thought your counter offer would be a bit closer..."
"You wanted my counter offer to be bit closer to that ridiculous price? Some movies don't cost that much to make." He looked at the still sleeping Superman, who'd begun to snore softly, which Lex found oddly adorable.
He looked back at her and sneered, "How do I know your spells are worth it? How do I know that they'll work for me?"
A smile brightened up her face. "Oh, they're worth it and they will work for you. The way they'll be constructed any idiot can maintain them."
Lex scowled at her, intentionally misunderstanding what she meant. "Any idiot? Calling me an idiot won't get you very far in this negotiation, Ms. De La Cruz."
She blanched, shaken by his mistaken impression and the fact he knew her name even though she'd never told him. "Well, of course you're not an idiot Mr. Luthor. A man of your intelligence would of course have no trouble with these spells. In fact, the smarter and more disciplined a regular person is, like you, the easier it is for them to use this."
She held up the stone. "Once you've paid the agreed upon price and I explain how to do it, of course." She looked across at Clark and then looked back over at Lex. "So for a man like you, with a strong will and a disciplined mind, I'm willing to take forty."
Lex scowled at her. "I'm not sure he's even worth that much, despite the effective spells." He looked at Clark and then back at her. "How will this work? I want to know what I have to do to control him."
She sighed "It's actually quite simple. All you need to do is imagine what you want him to feel."
Lex was skeptical and it must have showed on his face. "All I have to do is imagine what I want him to feel?"
She waved her hand toward him in a dismissive gesture. "There's a little more to it than that, but in essence that's all you have to do." She sniffed disdainfully, "Can we continue?"
He sat back and narrowed his eyes and hoped his voice stayed frosty. "Fifteen."
She huffed in response. "You insult me, Mr. Luthor."
Lex just stared at her in reply. She returned Lex's cold stare with one of her own. "Thirty-five million."
Lex sighed, affecting what he hoped was a bored tone. "I'll give you twenty to end this right now." Lex straightened his tie and looked at Clark, who still slept. "That is my final offer. If that isn't acceptable, then I suggest you find another buyer."
She contemplated the offer for a moment, looking over at her lover as she took a deep breath. She glanced over at the gently snoring Superman and then smiled at Lex. "Done."
Lex looked back at Mercy who was already dialing the banker. She whispered the amount to the man on the other end of the phone. He'd already been given the account number so Lex knew it would only take moments for the money to get there. Mercy waited a moment then said, "Thank you. Mr. Luthor always appreciates your promptness and discretion." She snapped her cell phone shut and nodded in Lex's direction.
The woman's paramour was already on the phone to her banker when Lex looked over. She smiled a huge smile at her lover, the witch, before she closed her cell phone.
Business done, Lex looked over at Clark, still fast asleep and wrapped up in the scarlet cape. Superman shifted his weight a bit and pulled his legs up. It was so adorable the way he snuggled under the cape like a little boy would under a warm blanket. Lex couldn't resist smiling as he gazed at his new possession. Realizing he let his guard down when he probably shouldn't have, he looked over at the witch. She gaped at him in shocked surprise.
Comprehension dawned and she was furious. "You should have told me. You're in love with him, aren't you? "
Lex bristled at her presumption and hoped his face had returned to his usually impassive visage. "My feelings about Superman were not material to this transaction."
She laughed bitterly. "Oh, yes they were." She looked at Lex, exasperated. "I should have asked for more..." She crossed her arms and sighed. "No matter, I would have been happy with ten."
Lex allowed himself to smirk. "I would have paid fifty."
She glared at him and then glanced over at the gently snoring Clark. "If you would please arrange him so that he is lying on his back with his hands folded across his body and put his feet together, I will go prepare the spell." She glared at Lex one more time and left the room, followed by her lover.
Lex spoke to Mercy without looking at her. "Please wait outside." His minion quickly left Lex alone with Clark.
Lex allowed himself to relax. He sighed as he looked at the charmed Clark. It had been a long time since he'd seen Clark relaxed enough around him that he could sleep. It was amazing how different he looked when he wasn't angrily spouting moralistic platitudes or urgently lecturing Lex on the responsible use of power. Lying on his side, Clark's face was peaceful and angelic in slumber. His tranquil expression reminded Lex of the naïve teen he had been so long ago.
He pulled on Clark's very solid shoulder, and rolled the sleeping Superman onto his back. Lex realized that as close as he'd been to him physically as many times as he'd had, he hadn't actually touched Clark in years, not since they had been friends.
Clark's body had always been attractive but as he had aged his form had matured into a thing of pure beauty. His musculature and bulk were perfectly proportioned to his large frame; Clark was physically the most beautiful man Lex had ever seen.
The gentle rise and fall of Superman's chest as he slept his enchanted sleep was breathtaking. So much so Lex couldn't resist running a hand across the other man's broad chest and the large symbol that covered it. The flesh was firm and smooth under the silky fabric but Lex knew better than most how tough both the suit, and the skin underneath it, really was.
Beauty, strength and masculinity were combined perfectly in Clark and Lex found himself aroused by being so close to Clark. He wanted more than anything to kiss Clark and taste his skin, seeing for himself if it tasted as good as it smelled.
Lex ran his hand down the Clark's arm to his hand. He held the surprisingly warm and soft hand for a moment before he placed it on the other man's well-defined abs.
He looked at the face of his enemy and couldn't get over how young Clark still looked. Closing in on thirty, he didn't look much older than he had when they'd first met more than a decade before. What changes that had happened to Clark's face had only perfected what had already been perfect. Lex wasn't sure how that was even possible, but he mentally added super-handsomeness and super-masculinity to the long list of Clark's super powers.
Lex smiled at the thought and reached across Superman's body and gently picked up his other hand. Clark sighed sleepily and Lex's heart skipped a beat when his enemy gently squeezed his hand. For a moment, Lex thought that Clark had awoken and was showing him some affection but he was disappointed. He realized his 'enemy' was still asleep when Clark's surprisingly warm hand relaxed again almost immediately.
Of course, Superman wouldn't knowingly show his greatest enemy the least bit of affection. It had probably been a reflex of some kind.
Lex sighed regretfully and placed Superman's hand on top of the other one and then artfully draped Clark's cape over his body. He looked at Clark's face again. On a whim, Lex gently brushed the very Clark-like curls from Superman's eyes. He tried to make Clark's hair look more like Superman's, but given he didn't have any mousse or hair gel it was probably a fruitless task.
However, he thought that Clark looked nobler with his hair brushed off of his face. He smiled at the affect as the door opened to the connecting room and the witch entered.
She glared at Lex and motioned him away. Lex glared back but moved away from the bed anyway. She took out a large piece of chalk and drew a circle on floor around the bed. She used a different colored chalk to draw symbols, making a second circle inside the first. Lex was surprised when he noticed that she included several instances of the Superman 'S' shield. She took out a small pouch, and took out a piece of kryptonite. The effect on the sleeping superman was immediate. Although he didn't wake, Clark moaned and trembled from the pain. She quickly placed the kryptonite on top of one Superman Shields. She took out several more and placed them on top of all eight instances of the symbol of the House of El. Clark moaned more weakly as his body tried to deal with the added assault, but he still didn't wake from his spell-induced slumber.
She took out several other small objects, creating yet another circle inside the other two she'd already created. Lex looked more closely at the objects as she placed on the floor and they chilled him to the bone. They all had to do with non-superman parts of Clark's life. There were worn pencils, pages from a reporter's notebook covered with what Lex recognized as Clark's hand writing, clippings of articles Clark had written for the Daily Planet, photos of cows grazing in a field, dried feed corn, pieces of hay, a campaign button from Mrs. Kent's last run for office, and a broken pair of Clark's eye glasses.
As she worked, he looked at the woman with a growing fury. He became murderously resolved that as soon as Clark was safely away from her, that she would die a very painful and humiliating death.
The bits of Clark's life spread out on the floor around the sleeping man were a violation of a boundary that Lex never crossed. He respected the separation of Clark's dual identities and never attacked him as Clark Kent. He wasn't even sure if Clark was aware that Lex wasn't in the least bit fooled by his disguise, if you could call "styling your hair differently and wearing glasses" a disguise. However, he never gave any indication that he knew Clark was in fact Superman. The only point he let the two identities meet in his mind were the myriad break-ins over the years into Clark's apartment, but he'd been very careful. He was sure that Clark didn't know about those.
She stood up and took out a sheathed dagger. She pulled it from its sheath and the blade glowed a sickly green. It was made from kryptonite.
Clark groaned even more weakly as she cut the pad of his thumb with it. Clark gasped at the painful slice, but still didn't wake as his chest heaved and his face screwed up with the agony. The witch took out the small stone and pressed the bloody thumb to it, adding fresh blood to what Lex now realized was Clark's dried blood on the surface of the stone. She placed the small stone on top of the shield covering Clark's chest. She took Clark's still bleeding thumb and drew an 'S' on his forehead before placing his hand back on top of the other one.
She turned to Lex and beckoned him closer. Lex hesitated and she scowled at him. "I need a drop of your blood or I've done all this work for nothing." Lex glared at her in return and stepped forward. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the ring of circles. Lex was careful to not disturb the circles as he moved to stand next to the tiny woman.
The building magic was apparent as soon as he entered the circle. His skin felt like bugs were crawling all over it. It seriously creeped Lex out, and he never got creeped out. He was going to be very glad when this was over with.
She took his hand and cut the pad of his thumb just like she'd done to Clark's.
"Now, touch the stone and then trace the 'S' on his forehead with your blood."
When Lex touched the stone his thumb was still bleeding, but it had started to heal by the time he tried to trace the 'S' on Clark's forehead. She frowned. "How has it stopped bleeding already? I thought I had cut deep."
Lex shrugged, "I heal fast."
She was annoyed. "I still need your blood to mix with his or this isn't going to work."
Lex frowned and grabbed the kryptonite dagger from her hand. He cut his thumb even more deeply than she did and reached over to trace the 'S' on Clark's forehead, but a drop of blood fell into the other man's open mouth. Clark reflexively swallowed and something happened. A visible ripple of energy radiated out from Clark's body. In its wake, the papers on the floor rustled and the windows and doors of the room rattled.
The witch gasped in shock. Perplexed, he looked at her ashen face and waited for her to explain what had happened, but she said nothing. Feeling speech wouldn't be appropriate, he hesitated only a second before he traced the 'S' on Clark's forehead like she wanted. She held out her hand and Lex gave her back the dagger and carefully stepped back out of the circles.
Still pale, she used the dagger on her own thumb. She held her hand up while she placed the blade on Clark's stomach. The increase in pain that he felt was instantly apparent. Clark gasped and his breathing hitched as he tried to deal with the pain, even though he still didn't wake.
Lex was impressed at the strength of the woman's spell. He knew how painful kryptonite poisoning was to Clark and the man was clearly in agony.
The woman, careful to not allow any blood to drop, quickly stepped outside the circles. She squeezed a drop of blood onto the outer circle. Lex heard a small pop and a shimmering wall of energy, which radiated up from the chalk, surrounded Clark. It was if the magical circles formed a barrier, holding the magic inside them.
She knelt on the floor and started to chant as she held out her hand toward the sleeping man. The light brightened inside the magical column of energy and started to swirl around Superman. This somehow increased the pain. He moaned again, his breath now only coming in stilted gasps, as his back arched against the pain.
In complete agony, Clark finally opened his eyes.
Continued here....