Author: Treacy PurpleSage
Title: The Soul in the Machine
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Crossover: Smallville/Matrix
Warnings: None
Summary: Neo comes looking for something, and Clark and Lex find each other.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, not Smallville, not the Matrix, nothing.
Challenge: What if Lex and Clark got 'removed' from the Matrix? E.g. the truth is out there, and The Matrix is real, but how would Lex and Clark survive in the Real World? (Kitura)
For the Clark Lex Fest: http://www.kardasi.com/Lexclusive/ClexFest/
Feedback: Do I have to beg?
Email: treacysworld2000@yahoo.com
Author's notes: So I strayed a bit from the actual challenge, but I like it so I don't care. You don't have to know the Matrix to understand the story, but it does help in the details. Extra special thanks to my beta's CJ and Tamori.

The Soul in the Machine

The disturbance in the matrix was almost too small to be noticed. Just a tiny blip, undistinguishable, but Neo saw it, and knew that something was wrong.

It took him nearly a month. All his spare time, and all of Trinity's and Tank's spare time. Though no one made any progress but Neo and he only did because he was not following any form of logic he knew, it was like he was possessed. He could see the error, the difference, feel it, and yet couldn't define it.

When he finally happened upon the answer it was so unbelievable that he almost dismissed it out of hand. The Matrix was trying to isolate a part of itself, cut a piece off. Almost as if it were diseased or damaged.

What could be there? Neo wondered. What could be a part of the artificial construct and yet be such a danger to the Matrix itself, that it would cut this part off? Or was it not a danger, but an oddity, an anomaly that could not be explained away in logic, was this why Neo had found it? He had to have a closer look.

It took another month to isolate its location, and to determine how to plan a reconnaissance mission there. It was a small town in Kansas, Smallville.

--------------

Clark and Lex were enjoying an afternoon talking about Lana and the difference between Lex's ways of wooing women, and Clark's when the blip went across Lex's screen again. It was there, something that he could not define: some kind of monitor, or limit, or *something* on his access to the Internet. It was not there six months ago, or if it was, it was better hidden. No this was new, or at least more present than before.

And then it was gone.

"The Matrix" that was what the computer geeks he conversed on line late at night called it. Lex, otherwise known as satirev on the hacker sites he frequented had been the cause of many problems on the Internet.

People thought his handle was rooted in the word satire, but in reality it was the Latin *veritas* backwards. The reversal of truth. His father was not aware of his connection to satirev, though he did know of the hacker that had exposed several of his dirtiest deals. Lex was so careful, he had run the separate LAN line himself, and it had only one connection in Metropolis, and required more than a dozen passwords to access. He had run a separate line out to the castle once he was exiled here. His hardline had been physically spliced into the main network, where it was being paid for under an assumed name. Each time, he connected; he bounced through a different chain of anonymous proxy servers, dotted all over the world. Lex moved the piece of information he saw into a protected section of his hard drive to purge later. "Clark, I have a conference call in ten minutes, can we pick this up later at the Talon?"

He dismissed Clark quickly, he hated to cut short his time with the boy, but he couldn't wait any longer to follow up on this lead. He began to work on the blip; satirev was determined to find out what it meant.
-----------

Neo saw satirev on line again, he was closer than before, it might be time to invite him to leave... but then Neo blinked, satirev was routed out of the "isolate".

That was what they had taken to call the subsection of the Matrix that they had discovered. It was indeed isolated from the remainder of the Matrix, a subroutine had clearly pulled them from the mainline nearly twelve years ago, and it had not been reconnected. In fact as far as Neo and Morpheus could tell, the Matrix was not trying to fix it, or had any intention of reconnecting, the pathways in were old and degrading and they were not maintained at all. Neo wanted to visit the "isolate" to determine what made it unique and it appeared that satirev was his connection. They began a profile.

----------

Lex groaned in frustration, another day, and another dead end. It would seem that there was some kind of pattern, and then it would just end, as if it had edges, which made no sense at all. He shut down his computer, just as Clark walked in. *the perfect distraction* Lex thought. He was glad to be able to pick up his interaction with Clark. Lex felt a bit unhappy at having to cut their time short the previous day, and now he would be able to spend more quality time with him. Lex sighed internally at his attitudes. A year ago, there was no one that he would have actually wanted to spend time with, just for the pleasure of their presence.

But Clark was different.

Lex often wished there could be more to their relationship, but this was Smallville, not Metropolis. The boy had no idea of how intriguing he was to the female population, his allure to the male of the species had to be so far out of his realm of understanding as to be nearly inconceivable.

Lex missed the first attempt at contact entirely.


-------------

Computer geeks that found the Matrix, that took up the invitation to leave as Neo, Trinity, and the others had, to live on the Nebuchandnezzar, were always a particular type of person. Neo mused that Trinity or Morpheous should have known that Cypher would betray them, he did not fit the profile. They were highly motivated individuals, spending all their spare time searching. Isolated types with little to no familial or personal connections. Loners that really didn't need anyone, and preferred to be single, than to deal with intimacy.
Did satirev fit the profile? This was what was concerning Neo today, he had tried to connect with satirev twice now, but the hacker kept disconnecting at key moments, as if he was distracted and not committed to the hunt, the search. This did not follow his earlier behavior patterns at all. Further investigation showed that he had relocated recently, right to the heart of the "isolate". Neo was even more determined to investigate, he decided to do some reconnaissance himself.

As Neo opened his eyes in the alley phone booth, he knew that he was not dressed properly for this assignment. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, the black was gone, and a simple jeans and jacket ensemble clothed him. This was something about the Matrix that Neo enjoyed; instant gratification took on a whole new meaning when you could think into existence anything you wanted.

A brief tour of the town and Neo knew all about the few possible candidates for satirev. His primary candidate was questionable, as his bio seemed a bit too high profile, but Lex was new to town, very intelligent, computer savvy, and highly inquisitive. Neo sat down with a cup of faux coffee in the Talon, to wait for Lex, "he always shows up in the afternoon," the woman at the counter told him, with a slight wink, as if there was something particularly intriguing, or scandalous about coffee in the afternoon. Neo waited in an obscure corner, that allowed him to survey all who entered and exited the establishment, yet not be obvious, it did not surprise him at all when a bald man in an exquisite suit came directly to that table as soon as he entered.



"You're new in town," Lex remarked, carefully assessing the dark stranger sitting at his usual table. His outfit was so plain as to seem intentional.

"Just passing through," Neo commented, extending his hand. "I'm Neo."

"Lex," Lex offered, looking him up and down again. "You're at my usual table, do you want company." Lex was determined to figure out why this man was so intriguing.

"I'm on my way out now actually, I'll see you later." Neo said quickly.

"Ridiculous, you haven't touched your drink, it's still hot, if you don't want company, just say so. Don't feel the need to run from me, Mr. Neo." Lex replied the humor thick in his voice. He enjoyed his power over those intimidated by him.

Neo sat back down and looked Lex up and down. "I guess I will stay, please feel free to join me, and the coffee is terrible, that's why I'm not drinking it."

Lex slid into the seat across from Neo smoothly, "I am the owner of the establishment, I will be sure to lodge your complaint formally."

Their banter was light and teasing, each measuring the other and testing, pushing. Finally Lex spoke out, out of the pattern of the conversation "You wouldn't be a particularly infamous Neo I have read about, would you?"

"And you won't be a particular..." Neo stopped speaking and appeared to look sick for a moment.
"Clark," Lex said smoothly, turning to invite the large young man over to their table.

"Who is your friend Lex? Is he okay?" Clark asked, his featured full of concern.

"I'm Neo, and I'm fine, just got a bit dizzy." Neo recovered quickly. His phone began to ring. "If you will excuse me," Neo removed himself from the table, and the establishment.

-----------

This boy was more than he seemed, his very existence seemed to challenge Neo's understanding of the Matrix. Trinity, Morpheus and Tank must have noticed as well, "What is he," Tank's voice sounded urgent. While Neo knew that the crew would watch his integration to the Matrix, it still sometimes disturbed him that he was perpetually observed. It felt too much like the Matrix itself sometimes.

"I don't know, but I think we've found our Bug. I'm coming back." Neo returned, hanging up abruptly, moving quickly to the alley and his hard line link to his world.

Neo did not sleep much that night, in his nightmares the boy he had met, "Clark," kept appearing as some kind of invasive program, or as a sentient program, an agent, or an alien like those from the movies, with green skin and big eyes. At some point he gave up trying to sleep and took over at the monitors to watch the Matrix, allowing its flowing code to soothe his unease.


---------

Lex was upset at the rapid departure of Neo, he could have been such an interesting diversion in this town, and a far more bedable individual than his favorite farmboy, but Clark had some new problem he needed Lex, and Lex soon was distracted from his frustration.

--------------

Late that night, satirev was online, searching again, and Neo found him. He watched him move around for a while, trying to divine the shape and structure of the Matrix, then he hit an edge of the "isolate" and dropped off for nearly an hour. This made more sense to Neo; satirev was dropping off from his search due to his proximity to the "isolate", not because he did not fit the profile. The very issues that frustrated Neo about this disturbance were affecting satirev to a much greater degree. Neo decided to contact him.

............satirev.............we are watching you back.................


-----------

............satirev.............we are watching you back.................

Lex stared at his screen. He had dropped off and it had taken him forty-eight minutes to retrace his steps to get back to the place he had lost his connection, and now this.

"Who are you" Lex typed.

..................a searcher who has found................

"What is the Matrix?" Lex asked.

..................seek and ye shall find.................we met before, and will meet again...............answers will not fulfil your questions.....................tomorrow, same time....................

The connection dropped again.

Lex stared at the blank screen, "met before" it was Neo, he knew it. Lex did not sleep that night, he was too excited.

The next day he was at the Talon twenty-three minutes before he had been on the day before, and Neo was sitting at his table. Coffee cup untouched, still steaming on the table before him.

"Why do answers not fulfill my questions, Neo." Lex asked as he sat down.

"Hello satirev," Neo greeted.

"Don't call me that in public," Lex scolded him, his voice tight, his eyes dark, looking around the Talon.

"The answers you seek, are not the one's you will find." Neo replied, as if Lex had not spoken.

"What is the Matrix?" Lex asked.

"Who is Clark?" Neo asked.

"Clark has nothing to do with this," Lex was frustrated, impatient.

"Who is he, what makes him unique?" Neo persisted.

Lex visibly relaxed himself, leaning back into his chair. His facial expressions, body language all shifting to an outward appearance of calm.

"Quid pro quo," Lex quipped, a tight smile on his face.

"No one can be told what the Matrix is," Neo gave a bit. "And once I show you, your ability to provide me anything will be greatly hampered. Tell me about Clark."

Lex was tense, tight as a drum, and then seeing Neo's face pale, he knew that Clark had arrived. He quickly schooled his features and invited Clark to join them. Neo did not run this time, but remained silent and guarded as Clark told Lex all about his issue of the week. Lex kept one eye on Neo the whole time, his expression reminded Lex of how Clark looked in the presence of the meteor rocks. This was becoming more and more interesting.

"Neo was just telling me about his home town. Clark, please let Neo continue," Lex's shark like voice jolted Neo out of his paralysis.

"I'm from New York," he responded automatically. The cover lie of his "life" flowed out his lips without much conscious thought. The interaction, speaking to Clark was helping him to be comfortable in his presence, the longer he interacted with him, the more and more confident he became that Clark was the root of the "isolate". But how this innocent kid could cause such a reaction in the Matrix he was stumped.


Within a half an hour, Neo found himself invited to watch movies at Lex's house with Clark later that night, and as Neo shook the boy's hand, the electricity that flowed through him nearly knocked him over.


"What is it?" Lex asked.

"Let's talk somewhere else," Neo responded tightly.

"Come with me," Lex replied, the smile that flashed around his features would have been disconcerting if Neo had been aware of it.

----------------

Neo was actually getting more used to being in proximity to Clark. His role as the root of the "isolate" was not clear yet, but it was a reality to him and the crew of the Nebuchandnezzar. Neo was determined to figure out Clark, and perhaps still recruit satirev in the process. Their connection here only made the riddle more interesting.

His cell phone beeped.

Morpheus wanted him to return, though direct contact from agents was not a concerns due to the nature of the "isolate", but Neo could not eat or drink while he was plugged in, and he had been in for a long time. He thought his strong desire to stay and follow through with this to Trinity, and she heard the echo of his intentions. After she had talked him back to life, when he accepted his role as "the one", they felt that they might be able to have a psychic connection, but they had never been able to truly develop any real connection, just brief glimpses of emotion. His "NO" broadcast loud enough.

"You are the hacker Neo who vanished from the planet a while back, aren't you." Lex asked him, as they settled into the couches in the castle video room..

Neo was only vaguely aware of having moved to this place, so overwhelmed he was by his encounter with Clark. "Yes." He answered.

"Care to tell me the story?" Lex probed.

"I will tell you the whole thing, later. Now I need to know what you know about Clark. What is different about him?" Neo pressed, suddenly urgent in his speech.

Lex looked Neo up and down slowly, sipping at the scotch, that Neo had not been aware he had poured. "Why is Clark such a fascination to you, I thought you had come here to contact me?" Lex asked.

"I did, but there is something about Clark that doesn't add up, if you'll excuse the vagueness of the description, his energy is off somehow." Neo mused.

"Clark is a born hero, a Boy Scout of epic proportions, and a regular kid, he saved my life the first day I met him, did you know that?" Lex recounted the brief version of their meeting, the smile that only appeared when he spoke of Clark flashed across his face.

"Was he born here?" Neo asked.

"I assume, but he was adopted, so I don't know for sure. He was abandoned by his birth parents about twelve years ago." Lex replied.

Neo's eyes flashed, "twelve years?" His voice was hoarse, that was how long ago the "isolated" had been cut off from the Matrix. "Did anything else of significance happen here twelve years ago?"

"You must be from out of state, this town is famous for having been flattened by a wave of meteors twelve years ago." Lex spoke, an odd expression passed over his face, "that's a coincidence I hadn't connected before, Clark's arrival and the meteors."

Neo knew that this was the pivotal moment, he drilled Lex for details on the meteors for a while, and he knew that Tank was researching it from the Nebuchandnezzar's database as well, though the only records they would have would be pirated from the matrix - and therefore suspect.

Lex even confided his own experience in Smallville on that October day, and the loss of his hair. Neo was amazed at how open Lex was being.

"Now, Clark should be here soon, can you tell me about the Matrix before he arrives?" Lex spoke suddenly.

"No one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to be shown, and no we can not do it before he arrives, but if you are ready to change your entire existence, I can show it to you tonight, after he leaves." Neo offered.

"Change my entire existence, you do have a flare for the dramatic." Lex said, a laugh in his voice.

Neo pinned him with a tight glare, "Tell me again the story of my, what did you call it, vanishing from the earth? Tell me what happened?" Neo's voice was no more than a whisper, but it blew Lex over. His face paled as he remembered the stories on the net of what had happened to Neo after he had been picked up by the authorities, and then reappeared to destroy a federal building, and then vanished all together, without a trace. "So, do you want to change your existence, learning about the Matrix requires nothing less." The challenge thrown down like the proverbial glove, the silence heavy and full of anticipation.

It was at this moment that Clark arrived. "Hi Lex, hello Neo, what's going on?"

"Clark, please come in, Neo was just regaling me with a story of his past, and it seemed too fanciful to believe, we were debating it, and it got a bit intense." Lex rose to meet Clark at the door, his hand finding the boy's forearm with a casualness that was clearly calculated.

*He cares for him* Neo realized. Clark has no idea that he is Lex's whole world in the moments they are together. This could pose a problem. This flew in the face of the profile, you had to be seriously unattached in order to face the reality of the Matrix. The possibility of leaving loved one's behind, and knowing the unreality of awakening a mind not prepared for the shock, one could break down from the internal conflict. "Would you excuse me for a moment, I have to make a call." Neo removed himself from the room. He had to talk to Morpheus, maybe they could take them both! "Why does that guy always seem to be running away every time I show up?" Clark asked, his voice this with concern and guilt.

"Don't take it personally Clark, he is a very odd man." Lex said casually as he returned to the bar to refresh his drink.

"Why did you invite him to join us?" Clark asked.

Lex looked at Clark, trying to figure out what he meant by that comment. Was he simply concerned about a strange person's presence, or did he want to be alone with Lex? Lex scolded himself for having such a juvenile hope, and dismissed himself and Clark easily, "I found Neo fascinating."

Clark looked sad at that comment.

Lex continued, "I think he was a big time hacker back in the day, and then walked away from the life, I wanted to know what he has been up to."

"I didn't know you knew about hackers Lex," Clark's voice was pitched oddly, his fascination and confusion evident.

"Lex has his own history, Clark," Neo commented as he returned. He did not seem as pale, and actually greeted Clark with a smile. Lex however looked angry, his eyes drilling into Neo. "He doesn't share his talents though, but my friends and I find him very impressive." Neo sat down on the couch, looking powerful and calm.

Clark looked at Neo with open fascination, and then looked at Lex. Lex's facial expression shifted, in an almost visibly painful manner, looking Clark in the eye. "I dabble in computers, you know that Clark," he dismissed the topic carefully.

"You are too modest Lex," Neo continued undaunted by Lex's anger. "He's really a savant Clark. Do you like computers?"

Clark looked concerned, he was clearly unhappy with Neo's line of commentary, as it was making Lex uncomfortable. "I can barely use them with out messing them up, Chloe has threatened to ban me from the Torch's computers if I mess them up again."

Neo did not ask for clarification on Clark's life, he just kept looking at him, as if he was trying to measure him. Abruptly he stood and lunged towards Lex, faster then humanly possible. Clark saw him move, and the world slowed down as it always did when his abilities were being exercised. He threw himself forward and caught Neo in midair, less than a foot in front of Lex.

Lex looked at Neo in Clark's arms right in front of his face and realized that both Clark and Neo had been lying to him.

Clark was scared. He had just revealed his powers to Lex, his father would be furious! He was also angry, Neo had tried to attack Lex. He held him for another full heart beat and then threw him gently across the room.

Neo spun midair and resettled back in the center of the room calmly, as if he had total control of physics and momentum. "I had a feeling that you could manipulate the Matrix Clark, how can you do that?"

Clark was so confused. Lex was just looking at him, his mouth almost hanging open, Neo was talking about some matrix, and none of it made sense. "What are you!" Clark demanded, "have you been exposed to the meteors?"

"Of course the meteors were an unplanned event," Neo began, his phone was ringing again. He spoke to the air, "not now Morpheus, I know what I'm doing." His phone abruptly cut off.

That was it, Lex finally sprung. "What the hell is going on here! Neo I want you out of my house, and Clark, we'll talk about this later, after I kick Neo out on the street!" Lex moved towards Neo.

He had not made it two steps before Neo was no longer in front of him but behind him. Clark caught him again. It was disconcerting to Neo that a non-aware person could move faster than him.

"I think that I should explain what I know, and perhaps I should invite you both to see what the Matrix is," Neo offered from Clark's grip. He was clearly not the superior power in the room.

"What the hell is a matrix, and what the hell are you!" Clark hollered, he threw Neo at his full strength towards the wall.

Neo turned and ran across the wall, up over the ceiling and landed on the ground behind Clark. "That is very impressive Clark. I'll share my secrets if you share yours."

"No way," Lex growled out. "Get out of my house and leave Clark alone!"

Clark was flabbergasted. He figured that Lex would be furious with him, but he was protecting him, even when he was clearly disadvantaged in this scenario.

Neo moved cautiously back to the couches and sat down. "Please, I don't want to cause further problems, I need to know about you, Clark, your very existence could have colossal affects in my reality. Give me a chance to explain."

Clark looked at Lex, who looked ready to chew glass. This was a unique opportunity, what if Neo was from his planet, and he moved like him and did not seem to be a meteor mutant. "I'm game if you are Lex, I'd like to know what is going on. He might have answers to questions I've been wanting to know all my life." Clark sat down on the couch across from Neo.

Lex's face shifted again. It had not occurred to Lex that whatever Clark was hiding that he did not understand it all. Short of meteor mutanthood, Clark seemed to have an almost iron control of himself, and seemed to have a knowledge that was one of the things that Lex was most intrigued about discovering. "I don't know Clark, he lied to us, and now he is trying to negotiate to remain here. I don't trust him."

Clark looked like had had been kicked. "I can protect you Lex, I am faster and stronger than him," he admitted. "I..." he began.

"Don't say another word Clark, don't apologize, we can talk later about us, okay?" His voice was open, his tone reassuring. He let his true feelings for Clark shine through his eyes in this moment. "Just wait, okay?"

Clark was on the edge of tears he did not understand what Lex was doing, he did not understand the depth of emotion behind Lex's eyes. He was so distraught he almost forgot Neo was there.

"I may have answers for both of you," Neo offered. "Do you want to see them?" Neo's phone rang again. He closed his eyes and a moment later it stopped. "My friends are concerned that I am not acting properly, but I think that the uniqueness of both of you, and of this situation predicates a different approach."

"Start talking," Lex demanded.

"If you are prepared, I can show you both," Neo offered.

"I think you need to do some explaining before Clark or I will agree to go anywhere with you," Lex replied shortly. He sat down on the couch next to Clark, and took his hand, squeezing it lightly.

Clark looked at their hands and then into Lex's eyes. Clark smiled and his heart pounded in his chest.

Neo thought for a moment, closed his eyes in contemplation for nearly a minute and when he opened them again, he did not seem human. His gaze was hollow, almost calculating, and cold in a way that even Lex could not fathom. When he began to speak his voice was even colder and almost mechanistic.

"The world is not as you understand it. My friends and I are involved in a war for the survival of the human race. I can not explain it more than to say that this," he waved his hand expansively, "all of this is an illusion. None of it is real, it is created and maintained to control you, to control all of the human race."

Clark was buzzing with excitement, he had not understood a fraction of what Neo had said, but he did know that Neo was not including himself in the human race. "Are you from another planet?" He asked.

Neo looked confused and examined Clark carefully again. "No, I'm human, or at least I am human now, I don't think that I was before."

Lex looked entirely unconvinced. "What do you mean Neo, everything is an illusion. How Heliopolitan of you. Yes, we are all figments of our own delusions. What kind of proof do you have?"

"Pick something, any inanimate object you can conceive and I'll produce one for you. I have to power to control my environment in a way that would not be possible if it were a real environment." Neo challenged. He knew that Morpheus had to be freaking out and he projected a strong command for all of them to trust him.

Clark spoke up first, "a Dewdrop Diamond Keokuk geode, they are only found in one place on earth."

"I'm not sure what that looks like, but give me a minute, Tank?" He asked the air. He held out his hand, concentrated and a perfect geode appeared. It was textbook quality!

"The Hope Diamond," Lex challenged.

In less than a breath, it appeared in place of the geode that had vanished. "Anything else?" Neo offered.

Clark looked stunned.

Lex looked wary. "A spaceship," he dared.

Clark turned the most terrible shade of green.

"I have never seen a spaceship, nor is there any documented cases of one landing on earth, I'm afraid I can not fulfill that request." Neo responded, but he looked at Clark and all of a sudden an idea came into his head.

"Clark, tell us, what is so distressing about Lex asking for a spaceship?"

Lex looked at Clark, he had not been watching him, and had missed his reaction.

"......can you.....I mean......can you see things that are hidden.....can you go places in your mind?" Clark asked Neo, studiously avoiding Lex's eyes.

"Yes Clark, where do you want to me look?" Neo asked.

Clark mumbled very quietly, his head down.

"What?" Lex asked, he looked up to where Neo had been a second before, but he was gone. "What the hell!" Lex was on his feet looking around frantically, and then back at Clark, "what's going on Clark, where did he go, what did you tell him?"

"He answered the question I've been trying to solve for quite a long time," Neo responded, standing in the doorway.

"Where the hell did you go!" Lex hollered, stalking across the room towards Neo. "I demand you tell me what is going on!"

Neo ignored Lex entirely and walked over to Clark, he crouched down in front of him and took his hands. "This is your question, I'm sure. I don't have the answer that you might expect, but I can help you. If you trust me, I can take you somewhere where you can find your own answers."

Lex was about to kill, he was seething. He marched over to the men. "Now see here! I demand that you tell me what is going on, and he most certainly will not trust you, nor will he be going anywhere with you!" He pulled Clarks hands out of Neo's and clutched them to his chest, pulling Clark's attention with it. "Clark, Clark, what's happening. It's okay, just tell me, I can help."

"No Lex, I don't think you can, but I think that Neo can. I'll go with you Neo, I want to know, even if I don't like the answers."

"You can come too Lex, I originally came for you. You were very close to finding us satirev, you deserve to know the truth, too," Neo's voice was quiet, almost reverent.

Lex's blood turned cold, "I told you never to call me that!"

"We all have our secrets Lex, and in just a moment, all of them will be revealed. I suggest that you both might want to take a moment," Neo paused, thinking, "or maybe the rest of the evening and come clean with each other. After tonight, nothing will be able to be denied, lied about or obscured. I'll return tomorrow morning," and with the Neo was gone.

Lex and Clark looked at each other. "When do you have to be home Clark?" Lex asked.

"I....uh, I don't. I kinda told my parents I was staying at Pete's." Clark blushed, and diverted his eyes.

"Come on, let's get more comfortable, I have a feeling this will take a while." Lex led them to his bedroom. He had some food delivered and poured himself a drink. He dismissed the staff for the night and they sat on a couch that was across from the foot of his bed.

"I'll start," Lex offered. "I have a secret computer identity, with which I hack and cause mayhem. This is how Neo found me. I also have been investigating you Clark. I have hired people and I have done my own digging. I won't share all the details I have found, but I don't have answers to the questions that I began searching for in the first place. And finally, I'm attracted to you Clark, in fact, I think that if I could truly define the word, I would have to admit that..." Lex faltered. He had just bared all his biggest secrets, but he could not say the words.

Clark went from fascinated to terrified to confused to embarrassed and now what he felt was indescribable. Lex had been investigating him, Lex was a computer hacker, Lex was attracted to him, and if he was understanding what was being not said, Lex loved him.

Tears filled Clark's eyes. "I love you Lex, but I have lied to you, and I.... I don't know what to do," Clark cried openly.

Lex was so choked up. Clark had just admitted his love. He should be jumping for joy, but the desolation in Clark's voice was so painful. "Go ahead Clark, it's okay. Nothing can hurt you now. Just let it all go." Lex took Clark in his arms and held him. Clark wailed. Great wracking sobs that shook his whole body.

After a long while the cries were reduced to occasional sniffs. "I don't know if I can tell you Lex. What if Neo is wrong and nothing changes after today?" Clark despaired.

"That's impossible now Clark. You know my secrets, we have admitted our feelings for each other. Nothing will ever be the same." Lex's voice sounded distant, almost filled with awe.

"Lex, what I have to tell you will change more than what has already changed. I've been lying to you about a fundamental part of me since the moment we met. I can't apologize for lying to you, as I had to. I can only hope that once you hear my secret, and understand what it means. You will understand why it had to be kept from everyone, even you, and why you must swear to keep it from everyone. Everyone Lex!" Clark's eyes were blazing, his voice had steadily risen to nearly a shout. He was shaking and new tears were slipping from his eyes.

"It's okay Clark, whatever it is," Lex tried not to let the pain he felt seep out of his voice. *Lied since the moment we met? How could he?* Lex thought. "I'll do my best to understand." He replied.

There was silence in the room for many tense moments. "You did hit me with your car," Clark said first. "On that day not only were you reborn, I was as well. I found out that I was not born here Lex."

"Here?" Lex questioned.

"On earth. I was not born on Earth. I crash-landed here with the meteors. Or they crashed with me, I'm not sure." Clark sounded confused, pensive and nervous. "I have many abilities that are for lack of a better term, superhuman. I can run faster than any of your cars, I can see through things, like x-ray, and recently I developed a kind of heat ray from my eyes. New abilities and powers are developing all the time. I've no idea where I come from. What is happening to me. Or anything." Clark sounded defeated, beaten.

Lex just stared at him. Just looked and looked. Time passed. Neither moved. Clark looking at the ground, slowly crying, Lex just staring at Clark. Finally Lex moved, he knelt down on the floor in front of Clark, and lifted Clark's head to look into his eyes. He gazed into those depths for another heartbeat, maybe two, and then Lex leaned in and kissed Clark. Light, tentative, almost chaste. Clark gasped and pulled back. Lex was not diverted. He dove in a claimed Clark's mouth. Plunging his tongue in, marking Clark, devouring him.

Clark responded shyly. Mostly just receiving Lex's assault on his mouth, gently.

Lex pulled back, breathed in deeply and then collapsed back on to the floor. His body shook quietly. Clark was concerned and dropped onto the floor next to him. He discovered that Lex was laughing. It grew and grew until he was in hysterics, tears leaking from his eyes, his face red with strain. Clark sat back on the couch and waited. Concerned and confused.

"Oh Clark, Clark. Never, never in a million years would I have guessed that secret, and never in a million years would I have trusted myself with it. But here we are, on the eve of our own enlightenment, and you have handed me the Holy Grail. Oh, the irony of it!" Lex sighed. "You sent Neo to see your spaceship didn't you?"

Clark only nodded. Unable to marshal a reply to Lex.

"I would love to see that, oh I'd love to exploit that. I could power the rest of my entire future on exploiting you Clark. If this were any other moment, if you were any other person, I would be celebrating the key to my success that would let me control the world now! Nearly a decade ahead of schedule!" Lex crowed, hollered, laughed and screamed. He pounded his fists into the floor.

Abruptly he sobered, and looked at Clark, "I love you Clark. I do, more than I can understand or describe. But I wouldn't have been able to control myself. I would have tried, but the most noble of intentions would have been lost. I'm a Luthor after all. I would have betrayed you and it would have destroyed in me that spark of beauty that you have generated. You would have been your own undoing."

He got up and began pacing the room, "but not now. Now it's all different. Now the secrets that are revealed here will bear entirely differently once the secret of the Matrix is revealed. I may just disappear as Neo did. Make a new life, go wherever 'enlightened' souls go to battle for the human race, or whatever nonsense Neo spouted to us earlier. Oh Clark, Clark. I'm free. Tonight is different than any other time in the world. Tonight we can do whatever we want, we can be whoever we want, for the world changes tomorrow!" Lex was nearly jumping, shouting, running around the room. He landed on the floor in front of Clark again. Kneeling before him. "I love you. Let me love you?" He entreated.

"Lex...Lex, I don't know what to say," Clark was so confused.

"Just say yes, say you will love me. Say we can make love and fuck and drown ourselves in pleasuring each other all night. Please say that tonight I am not a Luthor and you are not an alien, we are just Clark and Lex and we have finally found each other, and there is no tomorrow. Say that Clark. Just say that." Lex was nearly begging. Cradling Clarks hands in his own, looking deeply into Clark's eyes.

"Okay," Clark replied and pulled Lex into his arms.

Lex was frantic and pulled at Clark's clothes, ripping his shirt at the collar. Clark found that once he had realized that he and Lex would be together, that tonight they would make love and that they would be together from here on, he was oddly calm. He held Lex in his arms, using a bit too much strength to restrain him. He hushed him, murmuring words of love and comfort to him, until his heart slowed and he stopped rushing.

Clark got up and led them through the house to Lex's bedroom, he laid Lex down on his bed and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Revealing the creamy skin he had thought so much about. He kissed and licked the exposed collar, his sternum, his coral colored nipples, and his flat stomach. Lex moaned and writhed under Clark's touch. He was insane with the sensation. Preferring to lose himself in the moment rather than allow one thought of tomorrow, when he would have to face reality.

Clark unbuttoned Lex's pants and kissed the downy hair at his pubis. Light and golden red, it was so soft. Clark nuzzled and inhaled the particular scent that was Lex. He felt his blood surge and he closed his eyes, both to prevent any flame issues, and to further immerse himself in the scent. He pulled Lex's pants all the way off and examined his turgid cock. It was curved out at the end, causing it rise from his stomach. Clark smiled and licked that tip. Lex surged up and groaned. Clark began to kiss, suck and lick Lex's cock. His natural talent showing itself. It was when Clark deep throated Lex that Lex exploded in a shout. Clark pulled back and Lex whimpered. Such and un-Lex sound, but Lex was amazed at the depth of his orgasm.

Clark moved to the bedside table, opening the drawer and pulling out lube. He slicked his fingers and then picked Lex up like a toy and resettled him on his knees, facing the head of the bed. Clark inserted a finger in Lex's tight hole, as if Clark had done this a thousand times before. His soul knew what to do, even if his body was inexperienced. Two fingers and then three and he was quickly pushing in Lex.

Lex was beside himself. He had never let a man be so in charge of him. He had never allowed himself to penetrated first in any encounter. Once he had established himself as the dominant, he would allow his partners to enter him. But it was different with Clark. Clark was not like anyone he had ever fucked. No, Lex thought, this is not fucking, as Clark slid home with a groan. This is love. Tears appeared in Lex's eyes as Clark began to pump his ass.

Clark was still guiding Lex with his hands and words. It was flowing out of Clark as if he was channeling it. Knowing what to say and do to keep Lex in such bliss. Lex came again as soon as Clark grasped his rehardened cock. His quivering channel pulled Clark closer towards orgasm, but he held out. He had never been able to hold off for so long, but he was not in pain, he was reaching a new height of pleasure. Clark slowed his thrusts, lifted Lex up, and impaled him on his cock. Clark stood up on the bed, holding Lex to his chest. He reached up, grasped one of the tall posts at the corner of Lex's bed, and pulled himself up, off the bed all together.

Lex was so out of it in pleasure, that he did not notice that they were hovering a foot above the bed, Clark slowly thrusting into Lex over and over. Clark was beyond all explanation, just following his body as it guided him. He turned Lex around on his cock, and then pulled Lex's legs around his waist and leveled them off three feet above the surface of the bed, he kissed Lex fully, thrusting into him faster now, harder. Lex groaned, his cock filling again. Lex arched back and Clark bent over. Unencumbered by gravity, or even the normal limits of human capability, he was able to swallow Lex's cock. This double connection of having Lex in him, as he thrusted into Lex's tight channel, finally brought Clark over the edge, dragging Lex with him one more time.

------------

The crew of the Nebuchandnezzar watched this display with unguarded awe. Only Neo was not totally blown away when the lovers took flight.

"What is he?" Trinity whispered to Neo.

"I'm not sure, but he does carry answers for us. Hopefully we can provide him with answers as well." He replied to Trinity, then to the crew he announced, "Prepare an extraction program, we'll take one of them in four hours." Neo walked away from the scene just as Clark swallowed Lex and they both came. The screen practically vibrated with the intensity of their joining, the Matrix had to know about this by now. No matter how much they had ignored Smallville before, they could not be expected to be ignorant any longer.

-----------

Lex slept cradled in Clark's arms, and Clark allowed himself to think, to drift through his recently opened consciousness. He knew how to fly now, he knew the extent of his abilities. He also intuitively knew how to open his pod, and how to translate the tablet his father had given him. He even knew in exactly which field he would find the octagonal key, half buried under a corn stalk. He could see it there, as if he were standing in the field himself. He felt a change in his environment and he knew Neo was on his way back. He could feel other changes, ones he could not explain, nor comprehend. He only hoped that Neo would have answers.

---------

Lex awoke to Clark's full lips on his scalp. It took nearly a full minute until he drifted from his haze and the full import of the previous evening crashed down upon his consciousness. Lex tensed.

"Don't go there Lex," Clark cautioned. "Neo will be here any moment."

Lex lifted his head to look into Clark's eyes, just as Neo arrived. "How...?" Lex began.

"It will be explained in time," Clark whispered. "Hello Neo," he addressed the man at the door. "Thanks for taking a while to arrive, I have appreciated the time to think."

"You can feel it." It was not really a question.

"Yes, Lex will go first. I need the week to made some arrangements." Clark continued.

"What are you talking about?" Lex was frustrated.

"I can only take one of you at a time, and it will take a week before I can return for the other of you." Neo answered Lex.

"Why?" Lex asked.

Clark answered, "There are only a few of them, and it will take some time for each of us to be found and then adapted to our new environment. You must go first, you know it."

Lex almost protested, but it died on his lips. He could not be in this world one more minute knowing what he did about Clark.

"I'm ready," Lex responded, rising from the bed.

Trinity walked into the room, along with a suitcase. "This is Trinity, she will help. You have a hard line built in this house. Are you sure Lex?" Neo asked, pulling the box of pills out of his coat as Trinity set up the small monitoring equipment. Neo had refined the extraction process, simplifying it. "You can take this blue pill, and you will wake up tomorrow and not remember any of this, not Clark's secret, not my presence. You can return to the life you have built and are building and this will be a fuzzy dream that will fade quickly."

"I don't want to forget last night, and I can't pretend that the world is what I have always thought. I want to know," Lex stated solidly.

"Then take this red pill," Neo offered. He did not have the flare for the dramatic that Morpheus had, but he did not feel it was necessary for this man. Nothing he could say could compete with the experience he'd had with Clark last night.

Lex swallowed the red pill and Clark took his hand. They held each other's eyes until Lex began to change. Neo and Trinity were talking about tracer programs and body signatures, but all Clark could see was Lex, slowly dissolving, absorbing the silvery liquid that signified his transformation.

"I love you Lex, we will be together soon." Clark kissed Lex, just as his body vanished entirely in a silver shimmer. "I'll see you soon Neo, take care of him." Clark stood and walked out of the castle. He had so much to do.

----------

The next time Lex was fully conscious he was on board the Nebuchandnezzar, and for the first time since he was a child, a thin layer of hair was growing on his head. He felt it and looked around the grayness of his new environment. Taking in the shabbiness of his clothes and the smell. "Welcome to the real world," Neo offered.

Lex was anxious to collect Clark. He only was partially aware of the radical changes to his new environment. None of it was compelling enough to keep his attention. He just kept asking, "Can we get Clark yet?"

Neo was worried. Clark had discovered so much in the last five days. His parents did not understand his transformation. They tried, but it was so much, so quickly. He opened his pod, translated his tablet and understood the history of Kryptonians. He was aware of his destiny and his role on this planet. Neo was very worried. This was not a Matrix back-story, this was not expected, normal, or within the boundaries of the program.

Neo was scared. He did not share his fear with Morpheus, or any other member of the ship, especially Lex.

The day came and Neo and Trinity returned to the Matrix to get Clark. Lex wanted to come, but he was still too weak to train, and without training no one could enter the Matrix.

Clark was waiting for them in the castle. He knew they were coming.

"Clark," Neo greeted, "are you ready?"

"Neo, do you think this will work?" Clark queried.

Neo hesitated. Trinity looked at him confused. She tried to comfort Clark about his upcoming transition, but Neo did not respond, his eyes locking with Clark and explaining all the fears that he could not vocalize. Clark knew what he meant, even if it was never spoken.

Clark swallowed the red pill, not hearing a word of what was said around him. He felt movement from his cellular level, he closed his eyes and became aware of two overlapping environments. Clark could hear Neo and Trinity, they sounded frantic.

"You won't find me," Clark said, his voice sounded mechanical, hollow. "They have me isolated."

Clark's body fazed in and out. Neo and Trinity traced his signal to the central core. He was not in the fields with the rest of humanity. He was isolated. He was the isolate!

------------

"What is happening!" Lex screamed. "Where is he, what's wrong!"

No one answered him, as each member became aware of the reality of Clark's situation.

Lex watched the screens, listened to the terse and tight orders barked back and forth from Neo to Trinity. They were frantic, angry and as he watched Clark completely disappear from the Matrix, Lex passed out from the stress, his body still not healed from its recent removal.

When he awoke he was alone in his room. He searched the halls of the Nebuchandnezzar until he found the entire crew in the mess hall. They were drinking and talking in low, depressed tones.

"......it can't be though, how is it possible that he _is_ the core?" Tank asked.

"Where is Clark?" Lex's voice intruded upon the room.

Silence descended upon the room. No one would look Lex in the eye.

"Where is he?" Lex pleaded.

"Come with me," Neo offered, rising from his seat. The remainder of the crew looked sick. Neo led Lex into the center of the Nebuchandnezzar and pulled up some data files, before he began.

"Clark is not from earth. We thought that perhaps the Matrix made up that story to cover something up, but that part is true. He did not land in Smallville Kansas, and Martha and Jonathan Kent did not raise him. He landed in the middle of a battlefield near the end of the war with the machines. They found him and his pod and with it a wealth of information that humans could never compete with and the machines could not have come up with on their own. Clark and his pod are at the heart of the Matrix. You could say that they are the core." Neo looked at Lex, carefully.

"The core, you mean that Clark is to blame for all of this?" Lex waved his hand at the world outside and the streaming code on the monitors.

"No, he is not to blame, but his technology, that which brought him here gave the machines the ability to implement their final solution," Neo replied quietly.

"He doesn't remember, not any of it." Neo continued. "He disappeared from the castle, and his body regained consciousness at the core. An hour later he reappeared in Smallville with no memory of me, or of that last night with you. He did not lose his newly acquired knowledge of his 'past', however and now he's..." Neo hesitated.

"What, he's what?" Lex asked, frantic.

"He's started to create an alter-identity, called 'Superman'. He is using it to help people. Helping people and maintaining the integrity of the Matrix" Neo replied, his face betraying all of his disgust.

"I have to return." Lex said resolutely.

"I'll get you a blue pill, and we can drop you off at receiving. The Matrix should take your body, it is healthy. You'll wake up and this will all be a distant memory," Neo responded, his mind already leaving to calculate how to get the Matrix to reintegrate Lex's body. After the betrayal of Cypher, they had learned how an individual could be reintegrated. He had suspected that Lex would not stay without Clark. He had already begun to plan for this contingency.

Lex's voice, hard and almost frightening in its intensity caught him by surprise, "No, I can't forget, send me back as I am. I have to remember. I have to remember for both of us."

--------------

10 years later...

Superman flew in and picked Luthor up by his collar, dragging him from the warehouse. He dropped him off on the roof of a neighboring building, his usually kind and sensitive voice filled with anger and even a bit of fatigue. This was the third time this month. "Why, Luthor, why do you keep trying to destroy the world?"

Lex's voice sounded insane, confused, even impassioned, "No! I'm trying to save the world!"

Superman flew away, disgusted, and Lex muttered to himself, "I'm trying to save it for both of us, my love."

END