Smallville fic
Fandom: Smallville
Title: Manipulations
Characters/Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: General Series
Word Count: 3,446
Summary: Lois ends up in a coma and Clark loses the will to go on as Superman. Lex finds a way to bring him back.
Disclaimer: I don't own them... in fact I may not even own me.
Authors Note: for undermistletoe based loosely on this prompt: Dr. Olivia Mills has a past...one she faked her own death to escape.But one phone call destroys her carefully planned new life. See, Oliviaisn't Olivia at all - she is Vanessa Clark, former black ops assassin.And she's been ordered to kill someone she loves.
When her oldflame and ex-partner Holt Landry shows up, things get even morecomplicated. Once, he'd betrayed her. Now he asks for her trust. Themore Olivia uncovers, the more she realizes the past is not what itseems. And if she doesn't go back, this time she'll die for real.
Daily Planet
Planet Report Severely Wounded in Battle between Luthor and Superman
Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane remains in critical condition due to injuries sustained while investigating Lex Luthor’s most recent unnamed project. Superman appeared at the eleventh hour with an attempt save the day but was unable to stop Luthor or save Ms. Lane and has not been seen since.
Clark paced back and forth in the Fortress. He was hurt and angry.
“Why can’t I just kill him?” he screamed as he hurled a large chunk of ice at the wall. The wall cracked from the force behind it and began to shift. Clark sat down and put his head in his hands.
“You are letting the humanity inside of you take over again Kal-El,” came Jor-El’s voice.
“Shut up,” Clark screamed. “You aren’t even REAL. Lois is in a coma because of ME. How am I supposed to save the world when I can’t stop ONE person? I can’t kill him; I can’t even stop him.” The anger took over inside of Clark and he began throwing crystals one by one into the walls around him until the entire fortress began to crash down around him.
~~
Two Weeks Later
Daily Planet
SUPERMAN DEAD
Clark Kent, Staff Writer
Photo Credit: Jimmy Olsen, Staff Photographer
In an unforeseen accident today the world has lost its hero. Superman lost his life in Gotham City while assisting Batman in a battle to save the city.
“Perry, I’m serious. I’m out. I’ve given you my resignation and that’s all there is to it. Without Lois and Superman I’m nothing. There’s no story left. I have to go.” Clark walked out of Perry White’s office without acknowledging his editor’s response. He had no desire to be placated about how Lois was sure to be okay and that there was more to his reporting than just Superman.
By quitting the Planet Clark had severed his final tie to Metropolis. He walked out behind the building, threw the box of things he’d cleaned off his desk into the dumpster glanced around to make sure he wasn’t being watched then took to the sky.
~~~
He decided to hide out with Bruce in Gotham. Bruce had brooding down to an art which meant that he was assured the ability to wallow in self pity and misery all he wanted. Bruce was the last person on the planet that was going to try to talk to him. He had underestimated Alfred though.
Alfred tried his hardest to help Clark see reason, to show him that he wasn’t responsible for everything in the world.
“Young man just because you could possibly bench press the weight of the world by the time you were three years old does not mean that carrying all that weight around is good for you.”
“I’m fine Alfred.”
The conversation occurred daily for nearly a year.
A year in which Clark saved no one.
A year in which Clark did absolutely nothing and as far as Clark was concerned that could have gone on every day for the rest of his life.
~~
On the morning of the 348th day that Clark was hiding out at Bruce’s he was woken up by Lex’s voice in his ear. Although it was loud and foreboding Clark knew that Lex was still in Metropolis. The voice was crystal clear as was the message:
“I have Lois Lane and if Superman is not back to face me in three days she dies.”
~~
On the first day Clark sat in his room and tried to convince himself that he didn’t care, that it wasn’t his responsibility to save the world.
On the second day Clark appealed to Bruce for help. Bruce and Lex had a history. They’d gone to boarding school together. They’d been business partners in the past. While Bruce was happy to help, he was also convinced it wouldn’t work. When Bruce returned from his phone call with Lex he had a grim look on his face. Clark knew he had failed yet he listened solemnly as Bruce recounted the conversation back to him.
“He knows you’re Superman, Clark. He also didn’t take this threat public, no one knew about it except you when you heard him say it from many miles away. And he asked that I tell you that you shouldn’t write Lois off just because she’s in a coma. He claims to be able to wake her up and wants you to know that if you ignore his call he’s going to wake her up tell her that you refused to come for her and then kill her.”
On the morning of the third day Clark said his goodbyes to Bruce and Alfred and headed back to Metropolis. He expected to be able to pick Lex’s voice out instantly, but couldn’t. He listened more intently and began to filter through the voices until he centered in on Lex’s.
“It looks like he isn’t coming back for you Lois. Seems like this time I win. It seems rather fitting that it will all come to an end in the same place that it all started. I really thought Clark was strong enough. I guess I was wrong. Almost time for you to wake up now.”
It took a moment for it to all sink in and Clark finally figured out exactly where Lex was. He was at the mansion in a fraction of an instant.
~~
He stood in the yard not sure of what to do.
The young boy inside of him spoke up and told him to go in through the staff entrance the way he had so many years ago to deliver produce back when he and Lex were friends and the world was a much simpler place to live in.
The hero in him that had been dormant for a year was screaming for him to burst in in some type of grandiose gesture to rescue the girl. He knew better than to attempt to use his x-ray vision to see where in the house they were. Lex has long ago lined the outer walls of the mansion with lead.
In the end he chose a mixture of both. He entered the through the unmonitored staff entrance. Since the mansion had been uninhabited for years there was no staff to see him. He knew exactly where Lex would be the moment he walked through the doors.
~~
Clark burst through the double doors to Lex’s office just as he had so many times in the past and was shocked to see Lex just sitting behind the desk as he had always been.
“What in the hell are you trying to pull Luthor?”
“Why Clark, what can I do for you?”
“Cut the crap Luthor, where is she?”
“Have a seat Clark, we need to talk,” Lex said calmly as he rose from his desk and walked towards Clark.
“No we don’t. I’m here to rescue Lois and that’s it. I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing bringing me back here of all places. I don’t know what your problem is or even who you are anymore.”
“Superman can rescue Lois, you and I need to talk. Sit down.”
“Are you insane? Superman is dead. And you know damn well that I was Superman anyhow. You’re not an idiot even though you’re doing a good job of acting like it.”
“Superman isn’t dead. He isn’t dead because you aren’t dead. Lois is safe for now, but you and I are going to talk about what the hell is going on with you before you even have a chance of getting to her.”
Anger overtook Clark and he lunged towards Lex and lifted him by the front of his shirt slamming him into the wall behind him letting his feet dangle off the floor.
“I don’t know what kind of sick game you wanted to play here with Superman here today Luthor, but it isn’t going to happen. I am finished. I’m finished saving the world from itself and from egomaniacs like yourself. The world can save itself from now on. I’m the reason Lois was hurt and I’m here to fix that. You say you can wake her up, then do it. Let her live her life and then leave her be,” Clark ranted. After he finished he dropped Lex to the floor and turned away from him.
Lex struggled back to his feet and pushed a button on a remote control in his pocket. It opened a panel in the wall.
Clark felt the effects of the Kryptonite instantly. They weren’t as strong as he’d been hit with in the past but he knew instantly that his powers had been diminished.
“I can’t believe I was stupid enough to walk into this,” Clark said with a sigh as he turned back to face Lex.
“We are going to talk whether or not you want to. And you can take out any amount of anger you want on me. But I’m not going to let you kill me. Not with superpowers. The kryptonite is behind a screen formed out of lead. It lets through just enough to make you human; not enough to make you weaker than human. The walls of the room are lined with lead and the door bolted shut when you walked in here. We are going to talk Clark and we can do it the easy way or the hard way.” Lex put the remote down on his desk and slammed a paperweight down onto it shattering it into little pieces.
It took a moment but Clark realized that Lex was telling the truth. He didn’t feel sick, but he knew that his powers were nearly altogether gone. The anger hadn’t left him though and he knew that with or without powers he was still a relatively strong person. He lunged for Lex again, but without his superspeed Lex was able to anticipate the attack. Lex dodged the first punch but the second landed squarely to the gut.
“What the hell are you trying to prove here Lex?” screamed Clark as he connected his fist with Lex’s face.
The two circled each other and stared for a moment before Lex barreled towards Clark using his shorter stature to knock Clark flat on his ass. He used years of training to pin Clark down before he answered the question.
“I’m trying to save you from yourself Clark. I gave you a year after the whole Lois incident. I thought that you’d be able to deal with it by yourself, but obviously I was wrong. You’re acting like a petulant child and I’m not going to let you hide away with Bruce and brood for the rest of your life. You have a gift and even without that gift you’re a special person. I won’t let you waste that.”
“Get off me,” Clark said. Lex rolled off of Clark but didn’t stand. He sat up and looked at Clark as he continued speaking. “You are insane. You’re the villain here Lex. You said so yourself once or rather a part of you did. You are my enemy; you don’t get to save me. And who the hell says I need saving?”
Lex grabbed his side and began laughing. Clark grabbed Lex’s shoulder and started shaking him.
“What the hell is so funny?”
“You are,” Lex said with a chuckle. He stood up and offered Clark a hand to stand which Clark took without a thought.
Lex walked over to the bar and poured two drinks and handed one to Clark.
“I don’t want a drink Lex; I want to know what the hell you’re laughing about.”
Lex finished his scotch and refilled the glass before he spoke.
“I’m laughing at you Clark. At the fact that you think I’m the villain. Do you have any idea just how wrong you are?” Lex looked up at the blank stare on Clark’s face and knew that Clark really had no idea what he was talking about.
“If I’m the villain here, your “sworn enemy” so to speak, then why do you think that I’ve been your friend for all these years?
“Friend?” Clark yelled his voice filled with emotion. “You’re my FRIEND?” Clark pulled back and hit Lex square in the face with a strong right hook. “Lois is in a coma because of you and me. Our fighting has been one of the major lead stories in the Planet for years now. How in the hell does that make us friends?”
Lex rubbed a piece of ice from the ice bucket on his cheek for a second then downed his second glass of scotch. He set the glass down and walked towards Clark backing him across the room until Clark hit the pool table.
“First of all Lois is not in a coma because of me. LOIS is not in a coma at all and you know it. Lois is deep undercover for the CIA in Europe and I helped put her there. CHLOE is in a coma. Chloe is in a coma under the false identity of Lois Lane that I set her up in. I provided the plastic surgeon to help her hide after that incident with the mafia boss she got mixed up in. I helped her through the entire psychological trauma and you damn well know it. Chloe is in a coma that I can wake her up from. A coma that I’ve had doctors working round the clock on for a year. A coma that she got herself put in because she can’t keep her sleuthing nose out of my business. And on top of that Chloe and I ARE friends when she’s not sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. You are not responsible. I am not responsible. SHE is responsible for her coma.”
“She got caught in the crossfire of a fight between you and me,” Clark screamed, “how in the hell does that make her responsible?”
“Where were you before you showed up at my warehouse that day Clark?”
“What?”
“You aren’t deaf. You heard the question. Where were you that day before you heard Chloe scream for help?”
“Helping rescue people from a warehouse that exploded in South America.”
“Did you know what I was researching in the warehouse?”
“Yes, but I don…”
Lex cut him off before he could finish. “Why hadn’t you stopped me before the day of the fight?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You just said you knew what I was working on. You always know what I’m working on. So why didn’t you show up to stop me before the day Chloe snuck in to the warehouse?”
“You know why.”
“Say it.”
“No.”
“Say it out loud Clark. You have to say it.”
Clark walked over to the sofa and sat down. He sat silently for a moment then lifted the glass of scotch he was still holding tightly in his left hand. It took a couple sips for him to finish the scotch but then he spoke very softly, “because I was okay with the research you were doing.”
“Right Clark. You have been for quite some time now haven’t you? Since right after your mother passed away.”
“I don’t want to talk about that.”
“Fine, then don’t talk. Just listen. You think I wouldn’t remember that time? Just because you’ve blocked it all out doesn’t mean that I have. After you’d buried your mother you showed up on my doorstep. You were wearing a necklace made with red meteor rocks and you insisted on my calling you by your given name Kal-El. You stayed with me for a year. You had convinced yourself that I didn’t know what was going on but I did. It was your way of dealing with Martha’s death. In that year I hid nothing from you. You were involved in all of my projects and you got to see them up close. You told me the truth about yourself, took me to the Fortress, told me all about Jor-El. That year was one of the best years of my life. What we had together was the best relationship of my life. We did everything together. And let’s not forget the sex. You knew just how to make it hurt so good.”
Lex paused for a moment as he noticed Clark wince.
“As much as I never wanted that to end I knew it had to. You weren’t your whole self. Not that the whole year was an act. It was part of you, but not all of you. And it’s why I had to end it.”
“What do you mean end it? We were having… I mean the necklace just broke and the red K’s hold on me was broken. It’s why I disappeared before you woke up the next morning.”
“No Clark. The necklace breaking wasn’t an accident. I knew what it was doing to do you so after you had a year to deal with your mother’s death I ended the charade. I’d hoped that even without the effects of the red K you’d still stay with me. But I was wrong. Your morals kicked in again and you were out the door.”
“After that you went back into Superman mode full force. I talked with Chloe occasionally and kept up with how you were doing. Whenever Superman had a slump of people to be morally superior to I would change things up. Push the experiments a little too far, tow the moral line farther than I usually did and like clockwork you’d come running to the world’s rescue. You’d save the world from the evil Lex Luthor every time. But last year when you came running to save Chloe I wasn’t doing anything that you didn’t approve of. Sure maybe the world at large wouldn’t see it that way, but you would have been okay with it. You know that the work I do helps save lives. I don’t always play by the rules but you of all people know that I’m damn well not downright evil.”
Clark was silent for a while letting everything Lex said sink in.
“You’ve been playing games with me for years. You self righteous jackass! What the hell gives you the right to manipulate me the way you have.”
“Call them games, call it manipulation, call it whatever you want but I’ve kept you sane for all these years Clark. Whenever you’d fall off the path of sanity or whenever you were about to I was there. I was there providing whatever needed to be provided be it support or a punching bag. I have spent my life trying to make sure you stay okay, trying to protect you from yourself. So don’t you dare sit there on your moral high horse and tell me I was wrong. You’d have died or gone insane a long time ago were it not for me.”
Clark stood up from the sofa and stood in front of where Lex was sitting. “But why? I mean maybe you’re right, but why go through all the trouble?”
Lex rose from his seat putting his face inches from Clarks.
“Because you’re worth it. Nothing I did was trouble to do, because I did it for you.”
“Why me?”
“You still don’t understand do you Clark?” Lex said as he gently touched the side of Clarks face. “You are the most special person I’ve ever met. And I’ve never loved anything as much as I love you.”
Lex took advantage of Clark’s speechless reaction to close the gap between the two of them and pressed his lips to Clarks. Clark responded to the kiss and leaned his body into Lex’s instinctively wrapping his arms around Lex.
Lex pulled back from Clark and looked up into his eyes. “Everything I’ve gone through for you was worth it as long as it eventually brought us both here. Like this.”
Clark made the next move and lowered his lips to meet Lex’s. This time Clark pulled back and looked at Lex.
“This may seem inappropriate given the …”
Lex cut him off. “Yes Chloe really is going to be fine. The doctors have already been able to wake her up. She’s at the hospital recovering as we speak. And no I won’t be offended if you want to stop what we’re doing right now and go see her. As long as you intend to come back home with me tonight.”
“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d need to be.”
Title: Manipulations
Characters/Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: General Series
Word Count: 3,446
Summary: Lois ends up in a coma and Clark loses the will to go on as Superman. Lex finds a way to bring him back.
Disclaimer: I don't own them... in fact I may not even own me.
Authors Note: for undermistletoe based loosely on this prompt: Dr. Olivia Mills has a past...one she faked her own death to escape.But one phone call destroys her carefully planned new life. See, Oliviaisn't Olivia at all - she is Vanessa Clark, former black ops assassin.And she's been ordered to kill someone she loves.
When her oldflame and ex-partner Holt Landry shows up, things get even morecomplicated. Once, he'd betrayed her. Now he asks for her trust. Themore Olivia uncovers, the more she realizes the past is not what itseems. And if she doesn't go back, this time she'll die for real.
Daily Planet
Planet Report Severely Wounded in Battle between Luthor and Superman
Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane remains in critical condition due to injuries sustained while investigating Lex Luthor’s most recent unnamed project. Superman appeared at the eleventh hour with an attempt save the day but was unable to stop Luthor or save Ms. Lane and has not been seen since.
Clark paced back and forth in the Fortress. He was hurt and angry.
“Why can’t I just kill him?” he screamed as he hurled a large chunk of ice at the wall. The wall cracked from the force behind it and began to shift. Clark sat down and put his head in his hands.
“You are letting the humanity inside of you take over again Kal-El,” came Jor-El’s voice.
“Shut up,” Clark screamed. “You aren’t even REAL. Lois is in a coma because of ME. How am I supposed to save the world when I can’t stop ONE person? I can’t kill him; I can’t even stop him.” The anger took over inside of Clark and he began throwing crystals one by one into the walls around him until the entire fortress began to crash down around him.
~~
Two Weeks Later
Daily Planet
SUPERMAN DEAD
Clark Kent, Staff Writer
Photo Credit: Jimmy Olsen, Staff Photographer
In an unforeseen accident today the world has lost its hero. Superman lost his life in Gotham City while assisting Batman in a battle to save the city.
“Perry, I’m serious. I’m out. I’ve given you my resignation and that’s all there is to it. Without Lois and Superman I’m nothing. There’s no story left. I have to go.” Clark walked out of Perry White’s office without acknowledging his editor’s response. He had no desire to be placated about how Lois was sure to be okay and that there was more to his reporting than just Superman.
By quitting the Planet Clark had severed his final tie to Metropolis. He walked out behind the building, threw the box of things he’d cleaned off his desk into the dumpster glanced around to make sure he wasn’t being watched then took to the sky.
~~~
He decided to hide out with Bruce in Gotham. Bruce had brooding down to an art which meant that he was assured the ability to wallow in self pity and misery all he wanted. Bruce was the last person on the planet that was going to try to talk to him. He had underestimated Alfred though.
Alfred tried his hardest to help Clark see reason, to show him that he wasn’t responsible for everything in the world.
“Young man just because you could possibly bench press the weight of the world by the time you were three years old does not mean that carrying all that weight around is good for you.”
“I’m fine Alfred.”
The conversation occurred daily for nearly a year.
A year in which Clark saved no one.
A year in which Clark did absolutely nothing and as far as Clark was concerned that could have gone on every day for the rest of his life.
~~
On the morning of the 348th day that Clark was hiding out at Bruce’s he was woken up by Lex’s voice in his ear. Although it was loud and foreboding Clark knew that Lex was still in Metropolis. The voice was crystal clear as was the message:
“I have Lois Lane and if Superman is not back to face me in three days she dies.”
~~
On the first day Clark sat in his room and tried to convince himself that he didn’t care, that it wasn’t his responsibility to save the world.
On the second day Clark appealed to Bruce for help. Bruce and Lex had a history. They’d gone to boarding school together. They’d been business partners in the past. While Bruce was happy to help, he was also convinced it wouldn’t work. When Bruce returned from his phone call with Lex he had a grim look on his face. Clark knew he had failed yet he listened solemnly as Bruce recounted the conversation back to him.
“He knows you’re Superman, Clark. He also didn’t take this threat public, no one knew about it except you when you heard him say it from many miles away. And he asked that I tell you that you shouldn’t write Lois off just because she’s in a coma. He claims to be able to wake her up and wants you to know that if you ignore his call he’s going to wake her up tell her that you refused to come for her and then kill her.”
On the morning of the third day Clark said his goodbyes to Bruce and Alfred and headed back to Metropolis. He expected to be able to pick Lex’s voice out instantly, but couldn’t. He listened more intently and began to filter through the voices until he centered in on Lex’s.
“It looks like he isn’t coming back for you Lois. Seems like this time I win. It seems rather fitting that it will all come to an end in the same place that it all started. I really thought Clark was strong enough. I guess I was wrong. Almost time for you to wake up now.”
It took a moment for it to all sink in and Clark finally figured out exactly where Lex was. He was at the mansion in a fraction of an instant.
~~
He stood in the yard not sure of what to do.
The young boy inside of him spoke up and told him to go in through the staff entrance the way he had so many years ago to deliver produce back when he and Lex were friends and the world was a much simpler place to live in.
The hero in him that had been dormant for a year was screaming for him to burst in in some type of grandiose gesture to rescue the girl. He knew better than to attempt to use his x-ray vision to see where in the house they were. Lex has long ago lined the outer walls of the mansion with lead.
In the end he chose a mixture of both. He entered the through the unmonitored staff entrance. Since the mansion had been uninhabited for years there was no staff to see him. He knew exactly where Lex would be the moment he walked through the doors.
~~
Clark burst through the double doors to Lex’s office just as he had so many times in the past and was shocked to see Lex just sitting behind the desk as he had always been.
“What in the hell are you trying to pull Luthor?”
“Why Clark, what can I do for you?”
“Cut the crap Luthor, where is she?”
“Have a seat Clark, we need to talk,” Lex said calmly as he rose from his desk and walked towards Clark.
“No we don’t. I’m here to rescue Lois and that’s it. I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing bringing me back here of all places. I don’t know what your problem is or even who you are anymore.”
“Superman can rescue Lois, you and I need to talk. Sit down.”
“Are you insane? Superman is dead. And you know damn well that I was Superman anyhow. You’re not an idiot even though you’re doing a good job of acting like it.”
“Superman isn’t dead. He isn’t dead because you aren’t dead. Lois is safe for now, but you and I are going to talk about what the hell is going on with you before you even have a chance of getting to her.”
Anger overtook Clark and he lunged towards Lex and lifted him by the front of his shirt slamming him into the wall behind him letting his feet dangle off the floor.
“I don’t know what kind of sick game you wanted to play here with Superman here today Luthor, but it isn’t going to happen. I am finished. I’m finished saving the world from itself and from egomaniacs like yourself. The world can save itself from now on. I’m the reason Lois was hurt and I’m here to fix that. You say you can wake her up, then do it. Let her live her life and then leave her be,” Clark ranted. After he finished he dropped Lex to the floor and turned away from him.
Lex struggled back to his feet and pushed a button on a remote control in his pocket. It opened a panel in the wall.
Clark felt the effects of the Kryptonite instantly. They weren’t as strong as he’d been hit with in the past but he knew instantly that his powers had been diminished.
“I can’t believe I was stupid enough to walk into this,” Clark said with a sigh as he turned back to face Lex.
“We are going to talk whether or not you want to. And you can take out any amount of anger you want on me. But I’m not going to let you kill me. Not with superpowers. The kryptonite is behind a screen formed out of lead. It lets through just enough to make you human; not enough to make you weaker than human. The walls of the room are lined with lead and the door bolted shut when you walked in here. We are going to talk Clark and we can do it the easy way or the hard way.” Lex put the remote down on his desk and slammed a paperweight down onto it shattering it into little pieces.
It took a moment but Clark realized that Lex was telling the truth. He didn’t feel sick, but he knew that his powers were nearly altogether gone. The anger hadn’t left him though and he knew that with or without powers he was still a relatively strong person. He lunged for Lex again, but without his superspeed Lex was able to anticipate the attack. Lex dodged the first punch but the second landed squarely to the gut.
“What the hell are you trying to prove here Lex?” screamed Clark as he connected his fist with Lex’s face.
The two circled each other and stared for a moment before Lex barreled towards Clark using his shorter stature to knock Clark flat on his ass. He used years of training to pin Clark down before he answered the question.
“I’m trying to save you from yourself Clark. I gave you a year after the whole Lois incident. I thought that you’d be able to deal with it by yourself, but obviously I was wrong. You’re acting like a petulant child and I’m not going to let you hide away with Bruce and brood for the rest of your life. You have a gift and even without that gift you’re a special person. I won’t let you waste that.”
“Get off me,” Clark said. Lex rolled off of Clark but didn’t stand. He sat up and looked at Clark as he continued speaking. “You are insane. You’re the villain here Lex. You said so yourself once or rather a part of you did. You are my enemy; you don’t get to save me. And who the hell says I need saving?”
Lex grabbed his side and began laughing. Clark grabbed Lex’s shoulder and started shaking him.
“What the hell is so funny?”
“You are,” Lex said with a chuckle. He stood up and offered Clark a hand to stand which Clark took without a thought.
Lex walked over to the bar and poured two drinks and handed one to Clark.
“I don’t want a drink Lex; I want to know what the hell you’re laughing about.”
Lex finished his scotch and refilled the glass before he spoke.
“I’m laughing at you Clark. At the fact that you think I’m the villain. Do you have any idea just how wrong you are?” Lex looked up at the blank stare on Clark’s face and knew that Clark really had no idea what he was talking about.
“If I’m the villain here, your “sworn enemy” so to speak, then why do you think that I’ve been your friend for all these years?
“Friend?” Clark yelled his voice filled with emotion. “You’re my FRIEND?” Clark pulled back and hit Lex square in the face with a strong right hook. “Lois is in a coma because of you and me. Our fighting has been one of the major lead stories in the Planet for years now. How in the hell does that make us friends?”
Lex rubbed a piece of ice from the ice bucket on his cheek for a second then downed his second glass of scotch. He set the glass down and walked towards Clark backing him across the room until Clark hit the pool table.
“First of all Lois is not in a coma because of me. LOIS is not in a coma at all and you know it. Lois is deep undercover for the CIA in Europe and I helped put her there. CHLOE is in a coma. Chloe is in a coma under the false identity of Lois Lane that I set her up in. I provided the plastic surgeon to help her hide after that incident with the mafia boss she got mixed up in. I helped her through the entire psychological trauma and you damn well know it. Chloe is in a coma that I can wake her up from. A coma that I’ve had doctors working round the clock on for a year. A coma that she got herself put in because she can’t keep her sleuthing nose out of my business. And on top of that Chloe and I ARE friends when she’s not sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. You are not responsible. I am not responsible. SHE is responsible for her coma.”
“She got caught in the crossfire of a fight between you and me,” Clark screamed, “how in the hell does that make her responsible?”
“Where were you before you showed up at my warehouse that day Clark?”
“What?”
“You aren’t deaf. You heard the question. Where were you that day before you heard Chloe scream for help?”
“Helping rescue people from a warehouse that exploded in South America.”
“Did you know what I was researching in the warehouse?”
“Yes, but I don…”
Lex cut him off before he could finish. “Why hadn’t you stopped me before the day of the fight?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You just said you knew what I was working on. You always know what I’m working on. So why didn’t you show up to stop me before the day Chloe snuck in to the warehouse?”
“You know why.”
“Say it.”
“No.”
“Say it out loud Clark. You have to say it.”
Clark walked over to the sofa and sat down. He sat silently for a moment then lifted the glass of scotch he was still holding tightly in his left hand. It took a couple sips for him to finish the scotch but then he spoke very softly, “because I was okay with the research you were doing.”
“Right Clark. You have been for quite some time now haven’t you? Since right after your mother passed away.”
“I don’t want to talk about that.”
“Fine, then don’t talk. Just listen. You think I wouldn’t remember that time? Just because you’ve blocked it all out doesn’t mean that I have. After you’d buried your mother you showed up on my doorstep. You were wearing a necklace made with red meteor rocks and you insisted on my calling you by your given name Kal-El. You stayed with me for a year. You had convinced yourself that I didn’t know what was going on but I did. It was your way of dealing with Martha’s death. In that year I hid nothing from you. You were involved in all of my projects and you got to see them up close. You told me the truth about yourself, took me to the Fortress, told me all about Jor-El. That year was one of the best years of my life. What we had together was the best relationship of my life. We did everything together. And let’s not forget the sex. You knew just how to make it hurt so good.”
Lex paused for a moment as he noticed Clark wince.
“As much as I never wanted that to end I knew it had to. You weren’t your whole self. Not that the whole year was an act. It was part of you, but not all of you. And it’s why I had to end it.”
“What do you mean end it? We were having… I mean the necklace just broke and the red K’s hold on me was broken. It’s why I disappeared before you woke up the next morning.”
“No Clark. The necklace breaking wasn’t an accident. I knew what it was doing to do you so after you had a year to deal with your mother’s death I ended the charade. I’d hoped that even without the effects of the red K you’d still stay with me. But I was wrong. Your morals kicked in again and you were out the door.”
“After that you went back into Superman mode full force. I talked with Chloe occasionally and kept up with how you were doing. Whenever Superman had a slump of people to be morally superior to I would change things up. Push the experiments a little too far, tow the moral line farther than I usually did and like clockwork you’d come running to the world’s rescue. You’d save the world from the evil Lex Luthor every time. But last year when you came running to save Chloe I wasn’t doing anything that you didn’t approve of. Sure maybe the world at large wouldn’t see it that way, but you would have been okay with it. You know that the work I do helps save lives. I don’t always play by the rules but you of all people know that I’m damn well not downright evil.”
Clark was silent for a while letting everything Lex said sink in.
“You’ve been playing games with me for years. You self righteous jackass! What the hell gives you the right to manipulate me the way you have.”
“Call them games, call it manipulation, call it whatever you want but I’ve kept you sane for all these years Clark. Whenever you’d fall off the path of sanity or whenever you were about to I was there. I was there providing whatever needed to be provided be it support or a punching bag. I have spent my life trying to make sure you stay okay, trying to protect you from yourself. So don’t you dare sit there on your moral high horse and tell me I was wrong. You’d have died or gone insane a long time ago were it not for me.”
Clark stood up from the sofa and stood in front of where Lex was sitting. “But why? I mean maybe you’re right, but why go through all the trouble?”
Lex rose from his seat putting his face inches from Clarks.
“Because you’re worth it. Nothing I did was trouble to do, because I did it for you.”
“Why me?”
“You still don’t understand do you Clark?” Lex said as he gently touched the side of Clarks face. “You are the most special person I’ve ever met. And I’ve never loved anything as much as I love you.”
Lex took advantage of Clark’s speechless reaction to close the gap between the two of them and pressed his lips to Clarks. Clark responded to the kiss and leaned his body into Lex’s instinctively wrapping his arms around Lex.
Lex pulled back from Clark and looked up into his eyes. “Everything I’ve gone through for you was worth it as long as it eventually brought us both here. Like this.”
Clark made the next move and lowered his lips to meet Lex’s. This time Clark pulled back and looked at Lex.
“This may seem inappropriate given the …”
Lex cut him off. “Yes Chloe really is going to be fine. The doctors have already been able to wake her up. She’s at the hospital recovering as we speak. And no I won’t be offended if you want to stop what we’re doing right now and go see her. As long as you intend to come back home with me tonight.”
“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d need to be.”