Prolog-
Everything
had been destroyed. Bones and decaying bodies littered the blackened ground
making it hard to walk forward without stepping on someone, leaving him to
wonder if he'd once known the person whose skull or leg or arm he was crushing.
Ash lay thickly on the air, making it a little hard to breathe and stinging his
eyes. Looking around the remains of his hometown, he couldn't even recognize the
landscape any more.
After
another brief pause to look around, he continued over the desolate landscape
deciding to walk instead of fly or run. He needed to see just what it had come
to; needed more than anything to try and understand how this had all happened.
It had
been no secret to the other Justice League members that Superman had once known
Lex Luthor enough to call him friend. No one dared asked for specifics after
Supergirl told them all of the nightmares that her cousin still sometimes had.
He wouldn't talk about them she said; would only say that it was his curse for
not stopping Luthor when he had the chance. But he couldn't have predicted the
man would go this far, not in a million years.
Moving
towards the only building in the world that was still standing, fully standing,
he looked back over his past and tried to figure out just when things had gotten
so bad.
His mind
flashed to a Christmas years ago. His first with Lana Lang. He remembered one
he'd spent blissfully unaware that Lex had been shot and had been fighting for
his life while Superman had been laughing and smiling and talking down a drunken
man who'd claimed to be Santa Clause. Found out only in passing weeks after the
fact and he'd been disturbed to find himself only feeling a passing sense of
regret at not being there to prevent it from even happening.
But no,
that'd had not been the point of no return. That hadn't been when things became
so screwed up.
His mind
flashed to just prior to when he'd gotten sucked into that cave wall. To that
room of obsession that hadn't been about him, or so Lex had said. It had been
about everything that had happened to him prior to that point in time,
everything that couldn't be explained. And he, Superman in all his infinite
wisdom before he'd known he was going to have the calling of superhero, had
yelled and stomped and screamed that their friendship was over. His secrets had
been laid out for anyone with the key to see and he'd been afraid, scared. A
child, he remembered; barely 18.
Close,
but not quite. Things had been deteriorating since way before that, maybe even
from the beginning.
It was
moot point, though as he did a quick scan of the building he was now standing in
front of. Could see hundreds of skeletons, but none were moving. He stretched
his hearing and heard only one heart beat; it was erratic, next to lungs that
wheezed with ash inhalation far into the air, at the top of the building. Face
set in a severe frown to hide the agony he was in and the fear he was feeling,
the Man of Steel took flight, speeding through the dense ash that stung his eyes
and away from the ground littered in bodies and bones stripped of their flesh.
"It's
beautiful, isn't it?" Dressed all in white, black gloved hands both covered
to hide the prosthetic folded in front of him, standing like he'd been waiting
for the younger man to arrive. Impeccable, except for the ash staining white;
blood staining black, though the red couldn't quite be seen by anyone but them.
"Why
did you do this? How could you?" Self-righteous accusation covering the
quiver of sadness, of despair, arms folded, cape flapping in the wind that
always blew this high. Hazel-turned-blue eyes stared at the back of a bald
plate, ash still stinging his eyes. From the blowing ash that, while thinner
this far from the ground, was still thick; this was what he tried to tell
himself as he blinked rapidly at the blurry figure standing at the edge of the
steel and glass building.
"It
was destiny, Clark. I told you we had one; do you remember?" Voice yelling
to be heard over the wind while the speaker continued to look over the bloody
sunset.
"I
remember," he whispered, but still loud enough to be heard, not even
acknowledging the name he'd been called. Habit, he supposed, from being married
to Lois who knew him as both and often called him both. But technically, Clark
Kent had been killed with the rest of humanity. "I also remember that we
were friends at the time."
"Your
fault farm boy; not mine." This time, blue eyes did turn to look at him
over one white-encased shoulder. The face of the bald man was twisted into a mad
smirk, eyes slightly glazed over yet still very, very lucid. The face of his
former friend and arch-nemesis turned away from him to look out over the
blackened earth again. "You know, I always wondered what it would be like
to be on top of the world; to be the only one to see it in all its bloody
glory." A wry, half-hysterical chuckle broke the words. "I never
thought that you would still be around to see it."
"I
was destined to live long after everyone died, Lex. You know why," he said
softly, shifting a little from foot to foot, anxious to get this over with.
Whatever 'this' was. And that was the problem; he didn't quite know what he was
doing here, only that he *needed* to be here.
"No
Clark, I don't," Lex's voice was cold as he turned fully to look at the
brightly clad superhero, whose colors were muddled and nearly grayed out because
of the ash that clung to everything, including eyelashes and hair. And this was
the problem, the biggest reason that everything had fallen apart; the secrets,
the lies, the inexplicable fear that everyone would turn away if they knew the
truth.
"Let's
just get this over with," tired, so tired of the games that he was
surprised the words even came out at all. Lex looked at him solemnly then, black
gloved hands clenching tightly around one another and Superman could imagine
that the knuckles of Lex's real hand were probably white with the pressure.
"So
Superman," Lex sneered, stiffening and suddenly hostile. "How are we
going to do this? Am I going to jump off the building to rest with the rest of
humanity? Are you going to burn my head off? Or are you just going to snap my
neck, make it faster than I deserve?"
The
younger man sighed heavily, closing his eyes briefly, making a split second
decision.
"Come
here, Lex."
He never
saw the final sadness in the older man's eyes.
He was
somewhere over the Atlantic, heading north, carrying the still- slightly warm
body of the man who'd destroyed the world tucked safely in his arms before he
realized, finally, when everything had begun to go downhill; when everything had
really gone wrong.
He
couldn't really remember what had happened at Lex's second wedding; he hadn't
even been there. But he definitely remembered what had happened long after it,
during that horrible summer he hated to even think about. It had been Helen's
betrayal, though, that had sent Lex into the Atlantic. Literally; he'd been the
only one on the plane when it had gone down. That summer had changed Lex
considerably, awakened the darkness that lingered just underneath the surface.
Perhaps
it had actually started sooner, maybe even from the beginning. But that had been
the point of no return; the time when things had been too screwed up beyond
words to change.
Touching
down at the fortress, Superman felt a small chill run up his back.
There
had to be a way to change things. He remembered Batman talking about the
research he was doing into time travel. It hadn't gotten very far, but he'd
commented that the Kryptonians had probably been able to achieve it considering
how advanced the AI at the Fortress was.
Carefully
laying his unmoving and cooling bundle on the slab of crystal that served dual
purposes of bed and table, the man walked slowly over to the bank of crystals
that served as the main computer.
"Kal-El,
why do you linger on this dead world?" the voice of his long dead father
made his hackles rise, jaw clenching and eyes closing briefly to stop himself
from pounding the computer into a million, shimmering pieces.
"Because
this is my home, Father. It's all I know." He took a deep breath before
plowing on. "There has to be a way to prevent this from happening." He
knew he sounded more like the 19-year-old who'd first found the Fortress of
Solitude than Superman, but he hated seeing the world like it was. It
was burning coldly, lonely, in a ruddy red sunset that was too much like blood
for his taste.
"There
is a way, my son," the AI replied after a long pause of silence. Superman
looked around himself, eyes narrowing.
"So?
What needs to be done?" He asked, rather snappishly he knew, but it needed
to be asked. He needed the answers. If not for himself, then for the rest of the
world, Lex included. Throat closing up as his eyes flickered to where his cape
was covering the dead man, remembering the cry he, himself, had given when he'd
felt the give of Lex's neck. Shuddered and rubbed at his face, dashing away
ghost-tears that had burned him in a way that hadn't hurt since he'd lost
Jonathan Kent to a heart attack.
"You
must be entirely sure, Kal-El. There is no turning back if you partake in this
journey."
And
there was the problem; the clause. The price. Closing his eyes, memories flashed
behind his eyes, filling him with a million emotions at once. Memories of
Christmas and birthdays, his wedding to Lois, his return after his death at
Doomsday's hands. That fateful crash that started him down a path leading to
this. All the love, the pain, the hurt, the joy. Everything, leading to this.
"Alright."
He exhaled, shocked he'd spoken, words echoing into the frozen expanse of the
Fortress, the expanse of his heritage. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"Step
into the Chamber, Kal-El."
Superman
bit back an annoyed curse, glancing towards the cage of frozen crystal. It
served as a learning chamber, a radiation chamber that could remove his powers,
and a place to just sit and think in complete and total silence. He took a step
towards the crystal stall but paused, glancing again at the bundle he'd brought
with him. Without a second thought, he headed there first.
Gently,
carefully, he folded away the corner of his cape covering Lex's face. He
remembered doing the same with Lois, even Lana and Chloe, when each had been
killed in the span of three days two weeks prior to the end of the world. But he
couldn't remember feeling this much emptiness, the void that, if he wasn't
careful, would engulf him entirely and make him nothing more than a shell.
Fingers traced over translucent skin, blue lips and the bruises around the man's
neck. He brushed a gentle, impulsive kiss to the cold forehead before turning
away, bowing his head and swallowing.
Taking
one step, then another, and another, he soon found himself in the chamber.
Strange without his cape, but he was glad to be without the reminder. He closed
his eyes, breathed in deep, pressing his forehead to the cool crystal, his
decision made.
"I'm
ready, Jor-El."
====================
|From
Dust to Ashes|
====================
The day
could be considered beautiful, if just a little overcast. But the sunshine was
bright through the stained glass windows and casting an array of colors over the
finely-clad guests. White flowers, soft music, excited and happy guests waiting
to see the marriage take place. It should be a happy day.
But Lex
found himself frowning, tracing his finger over Jonathan Kent's gift where it
lay hidden in his pocket, unforgettable in its weighty meaning. He'd known that
things were going to change when he married Helen, but his friendship with Clark
hadn't been in the plan of things to change. But that compass meant more than
just a navigation tool down the aisle; it was a small warning.
"It's
time you moved away from my son," it said. And the problem was, he wasn't
quite ready to let go. Not in the slightest.
On top
of all this, he couldn't help but feel just a little worried. He couldn't really
explain why he was worried, just this feeling like something big was going to
happen and not something good.
Feeling
impatient and anxious, Lex glanced down at his watch frowning at the time.
Wondering where his best man was, the young man wondered over to where the Kents
were sitting.
"Any
word on Clark yet?" He asked the older pair. "Helen's already circled
the church five times." He was trying to hide his annoyance and worry
behind his usual cool mask.
Martha
was frowning and for a moment, Lex thought his mask may have slipped. But a
moment later, it became apparent she'd just been thinking and his paranoid brain
had gotten ahead of him.
"He
was coming with Lana," the woman murmured thoughtfully, turning to glance
at the doors. It had to be that moment that the double doors, leading from the
outer hall were opened, admitting Lana Lang in all her princess-glory.
Lex was
momentarily shocked at the viciousness of his thoughts towards the younger woman
as she walked towards them. Once she was near enough to see, Jonathan motioned
her over. Leaning over the pew, she waited silently for what the older man had
to say.
"Lana,
where's Clark?" the aging farmer asked, blue eyes worried. The young woman
seemed unperturbed by the older man's worry.
"He
said he had something to do," the brunette said, nodding to herself as
though mentally confirming her own words. Lex couldn't help but frown minutely
at her. Seeing his look, the younger woman shook her head as though to clear it,
shrugging. "It seemed important," she added for their benefit.
Martha
turned a little to look her husband in the eye, looking worried. They shared
communication on a level neither of the younger two could understand before
standing, the older man's arm going around his wife's waist.
"Mr.
Kent," Lex began, looking worried himself. There was that feeling again,
that dread of something happening that was outside his control, something that
was going to affect Clark.
Jon
turned to the younger man, looking sympathetic but undeterred. "I'm sorry,
Lex. It looks like you're gonna have to start your wedding without your best
man." And he truly did seem sorry. But there was a little relief in his
face that had the younger man's hackles rising in the affront to his and Clark's
friendship.
"We
can wait," Lex said firmly. I can wait forever if I have to, he thought to
himself.
"Hey,
don't worry about Clark," Jonathan said, something like another warning
flashing in his eyes. "You have far more important things to do here. Good
luck." It sounded so final, so much like a goodbye, all Lex could do was
watch in sad silence as the Kents left him.
Unable
to handle the sympathy in Lana's pretty young face, he turned and went back to
his place at the alter.
Somehow,
the light filtering the chapel had cooled and grayed. It was no longer a happy
day.
When
Martha and Jonathan made a move to leave the church entirely, moving brusquely,
worry etched on their faces, they were stopped by a broad, dark haired man.
"I'm
sorry, ma'am, sir; you can't leave quite yet," he told them firmly, putting
up a hand to stop them from leaving.
The man
was promptly frowned at for his efforts.
"Now,
you see here, sir-" Jon was cut off, the man's frown deep and severe.
"Please,
I must ask that you remain within the chapel. There've been reports of some
strange animal running around and it's much safer in here," he told them
firmly, cold blue eyes glittering a little with emotion. He seemed genuinely
worried for their safety.
The
farmer sighed, glancing at his wife with worry. "Is there any way of
getting out of here soon?" he asked, sounding a little tired. An odd
emotion flickered over the man's face before he seemed to shake himself.
"I'll
let you know as soon as I know anything," he assured, motioning for them to
sit on the bench near the door to wait. With another gusty sigh, they went to
sit down on the hard wooden bench, the blond farmer glowering at the stoic man
standing in the doorway.
The
silence quickly grew to be uncomfortable, so Jon tried to strike up a
conversation.
"I
don't think I've ever seen you before; are you new?" He asked casually.
"Yes,
sir. I just moved here from Metropolis as one of the young Mr. Luthor's security
team," the man drawled, something ironic lacing his tone, as though
silently laughing at a private joke. Jon frowned a little.
"What's
your name, son?" The older man caught the flicker of pain that flashed
through sapphire eyes, leaving him to wonder what he'd said wrong. The other man
swallowed a little, eyes shifting to the side like Clark's did when he was about
to lie.
"Wallace
Wayne, sir. Everyone else just calls me Wally, though." Amusement creased
the man's mouth and eyes while he was being blinked at. Jon nodded, shaking the
offered hand sharply and with a strong grip.
"Well,
Mr. Wayne, I'm Jonathan Kent." Releasing the hand that had gripped his own
tightly, he motioned to his wife. "And that's my wife, Martha."
"It's
very nice to meet you, sir," the man offered softly before quieting again,
standing imposingly in the doorway, he sighed a little and knew that he wasn't
going to get anything more from the other man. Turning, he walked back to sit
down beside his wife only to stumble as the chapel rocked on its very
foundation. When he turned back to ask the man what was going on, he was gone as
if he'd never been there in the first place.
Helen
watched, bored, as the limo made its final circle around the chapel. Today was
her day and she felt a strong sense of triumph. Finally, she would be able to
get herself away from this hick-town, maybe marry a rich lawyer after all this
was said and done.
Once
she'd done as Lionel asked, she'd get her money and be on her way.
Mentally,
she scowled; the only problem would be that brat, the farm boy who didn't
realize just how much of a good thing he had. How much Lex was so totally
obsessed with him, just how far Lex would go to make sure he was safe.
As she
began to ponder the finer points of perhaps seducing the pretty young man, the
limo came to a jolting stop.
Startled,
she glanced over at her father, who was frowning in concentration.
"Driver,
why have we stopped?" Mr. Bryce called into the intercom. There was no
answer. Scowling, the aging man made to get out of the car, only to have that
choice ripped from his hand as the door was literally ripped off the limo.
Sunlight filtered into the dark limo momentarily before it was blocked out.
"Helen
Bryce, I suggest you come with me." The voice was a cold baritone, sending
chills up the bride's spine. The man blocking the door had to be at least six
feet tall. The anticipation sent shivers up the woman's spine, pricking her in a
way only the older Luthor had been able to.
"Who
the hell are you?" Mr. Bryce demanded, scowling at the man in the doorway
and slowly inching towards the gun that was kept in a safety box under the seat.
"I'm
the ashes of what's left of the dark future," the man boomed.
Helen
saw a blur, watched in frozen shock as her father slumped, unconscious, to the
floor of the limo.
Seconds
later, she was being hoisted out herself and no matter how hard she struggled;
she couldn't get free of her captor's iron grip.
It was
nearly eight hours later and Lex had discovered that it was an entire 60 paces
from one end of his office to the other. He wouldn't normally be this agitated
but apparently, his fiancé had gone and gotten herself kidnapped. No ransom
calls, no notes to say why. Not even a clue, other than the guy had apparently
been over six feet tall and built like a brick wall. What made him most
agitated, most angry (especially with himself), was that he wasn't really
worried about Helen.
No, he
was worried about Clark.
The
young man had come running into the castle, looking tired and a little dirty,
some two hours after Lex had got the call from security that there'd been a
breach and his wife had been taken. He'd looked frantic and just a touch scared,
almost collapsing in relief when he saw that Lex wasn't hurt, only very, very
pissed off. The scariest part about this was that Clark didn't get exhausted,
not normally. Tired maybe, relaxed sometimes, but never bone-deep exhausted.
He'd never seen Clark so exhausted that he was like a ticking time bomb, only a
matter of time till he dropped.
But the
younger man's presence was greatly appreciated, even if he was a little more
subdued than normal.
"Hey,
Lex. Fresh coffee," Clark informed him as he stepped into the office,
carrying a small tray of sandwiches and the said beverage of choice this
evening. It was going to be a long night, but at least it wouldn't be spent
alone. The irony of that thought caused Lex to smile a little as he moved across
the room to sit in the little conversation area he always kept. After setting
down the tray, Clark dropped boneless on the couch beside his older friend,
sighing a little as the tension left him.
Worried,
Lex hesitantly put a hand on the young man's knee. "Clark... If you're this
tired, maybe you should go ahead and go home."
Something
akin to panic crossed the young man's face as he sat up just a little straighter
to give the illusion of being more awake. It wasn't working very well, though.
"I...
Lex, you need support. That's what friends are for," the young man said
firmly.
There's
something he's not telling me, Lex's mind whispered. It wasn't unusual for this
to be true, but this time, it looked like he really would need to pry.
"Clark,
is something wrong?" He asked in a tone he only ever used with the young
man sitting beside him. Had only taken up after meeting the remarkable,
mysterious farm boy who had saved his life and continued to do so again and
again.
The
young man appeared to deflate, rubbing a dusty-looking hand over his face.
"I think I may have made a mistake. A big one. And now I don't know how to
fix it," he said softly, something flickering on his face that had Lex
sitting up just a little straighter.
"You
have to tell me what's going on if you want my help, Clark," Lex informed
him, his voice just a little harder than he meant it to be. Just for the moment,
Helen was completely pushed out of his mind right now, Clark probably needed him
more.
"That's
the problem, Lex," Clark said, running a shaky hand through his hair.
"I... I don't know how. And I don't..." He took a deep shaking breath
and Lex had to stop himself from reaching out to the young man. He'd never had
that feeling before he met Clark; the need to comfort someone when they were
looking like they were about to have a breakdown. Emotion is a weakness; he'd
been told this since he was old enough to understand the meaning of the words.
"Alright,
Clark; you don't have to tell me." The words felt forced out, like they'd
been ripped from him. And the young man could tell, his shoulders slumping as he
seemed to curl in on himself.
"Let's
just concentrate on Helen for right now, okay? Maybe..." Clark hesitated,
finally looking his best friend in the eye. "Maybe after this is all over,
okay?"
All Lex
had time to do was nod a little sadly before his cell phone was ringing. Sighing
a little in annoyance, the bald man stood quickly and strode to his desk,
picking up and answering his cell phone.
"Yeah?"
He barked, not looking at Clark, though he could feel the younger man watching
him.
//"We
may have a lead."//
When the
make-shift blindfold had been removed from her face, she'd found herself
blinking into inky blackness. Cold stone against her shoulder and she realized
she was in some kind of cave. Creep out just a little, Helen shifted, scowling
when she thought about what this was doing to her wedding dress. Testing the
rope wound around her wrists, she nearly jumped out of her skin when the man
who'd taken her spoke from somewhere in the darkness.
"I
wouldn't try it, Ms. Bryce; you'll only hurt yourself." Cold, crisp, and to
the point. It frightened her just a little to think what this man was going to
do to her.
"Who
the hell are you, anyway? Some disgruntled ex-employee out to get the boss's
woman?" Helen snapped, not liking the tone the man was taking with her.
"I
don't ever hit women as a rule, but I may just make an exception for you,"
came the growled reply, causing Helen to nearly swallow her tongue. Somehow, she
knew the man wasn't lying in the slightest. "As for who I am... well, you
already know me, Ms. Bryce. Though, I'm not quite who I was when we met."
Now she
was a little confused, wondering just what the hell he was talking about. Not
only that, but she was beginning to really fear for her life; if this guy wasn't
out for money, only out to hurt Lex...
"Why
didn't you go after Clark Kent?" she blurted, cringing just after the words
had left her mouth.
The bark
of bitter laughter made her cringe and try and get away from the sound. It
grated on her ears and echoed in the dark cave she was being held in.
"Why,
indeed." He sounded distinctly amused, though there was still a bitter note
underlying his words. "Ms. Bryce, why do you think I went after you in the
first place?" He sounded curious, like he really wanted to know her answer,
but Helen was still very wary of the man hiding in the darkness.
"Because
you want to get back at Lex Luthor and the best way to do that is to go after
the people he cares about." She said it with firm conviction, as though she
thought over her words, and his, she wondered again why he hadn't gone after
Clark Kent. Everyone in Smallville knew that Clark was Lex's one true weak spot,
and she? Well, she may not be one of his stronger suits but she hadn't, and
probably never would, get under Lex's skin like Clark had.
"I'm
afraid, Ms. Bryce, that you are quite wrong," came the silky-smooth and
amused voice of her captor before there was a tiny click and the cave was bathed
in light. It took her a moment to clear her sight enough to see the man standing
over her, but when she did, she finally understood his amusement with dawning
fear.
"Mister
and Misses Kent, please; have a seat," Lex told them by way of greeting.
The two older Kents took a careful seat across from Lex and their son, the
latter of which was trying desperately to stay awake. "Thank you for
coming."
"Is
there something the matter, Lex?" Martha asked worriedly, glancing at her
son. The younger boy shook his head a little, silently telling his parents
they'd talk later.
"Yes,
actually, there is." Taking a deep breath and exhaling a little in a sigh,
the young man ran a hand over his head; it was a nervous habit that Martha had
seen quite a few times in the past, used when the young man sitting across from
her was truly upset. "I want you to tell me about the man you spoke to, the
one who kept you from leaving the church today," Lex said carefully,
slowly, choosing his words with care.
The two
elder Kents glanced at each other in shock, looking a little confused.
"He
was very polite," Martha offered, wondering what this had to do with
anything.
"He
said he'd just moved here from Metropolis," Jon agreed, nodding a little,
then frowning. "He wasn't the one who kidnapped Helen, was he?"
Lex
thought about how much to tell the two elder Kents, how much to exclude. If he
ever wanted to be trusted, he had to trust in return. It was a big thing to ask.
"Yes,
I'm afraid so," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Well,
I don't suppose his name will help; it probably wasn't even real," Jon
sighed, rubbing at his weathered face tiredly. They were all tired after the
long, emotional day they'd all had.
"What
was his name? Maybe it'll give us some clue as to who he really is?" Clark
suggested, speaking for the first time since either of the Kents arrived.
"Wallace
Wayne, he said; even gave a nickname; Wally, I think," Jon grumbled. Now
Lex looked confused.
"Wayne?
Are you sure?" He frowned a little, eyeing both the older pair critically,
trying to gauge what they were saying.
"I'm
as positive as I can be," the older farmer told the younger man, frowning
at being questioned. Frowning a little, the bald young man stood and walked over
to his desk, pulling out his cell phone. He began to dial as he walked back
over, standing behind the couch just behind his best friend.
//"Wayne
Manor, this is Alfred speaking."//
"Hello
Alfred; I'm guessing you all have heard what happened to Helen?"
//"Master
Lex, it is good to hear from you. Yes, we most certainly have. Would you like to
talk to Master Bruce?"//
"Only
if I'm not bothering him. I know he’s much busier than I am." Eyes
flickering over the three sitting near by. Jon frowned at him severely and Lex
barely refrained from raising an annoyed eyebrow.
//"Ah,
he just came in from his nightly run."// Alfred sounded a little amused and
Lex had to fight the smile, picturing clearly in his mind Bruce coming in
through his not-so-secret passage, still mostly dressed as Batman, Dick
following behind, possibly chattering excitedly about the latest crook they'd
busted.
"Thanks,
Alfred." There was the sound of the phone changing hands and Alfred telling
his ward who was on the phone.
//"Lex?
Is everything alright? Besides the obvious."// Bruce sounded genuinely
worried.
"Yeah.
Can't I check up on an old friend?" Lex made it sound casual, knowing that
the older man on the other line would get the message.
//"It
depends on the old friend,"// Bruce replied slowly, and Lex could picture
himself glancing at his companions.
"Someone
by the name of Wally; wring any bells?" Lex's eyes once again flickered
over to the Kents, eyes darkening just a little.
//"West?"//
There was a shift and soft 'huh? What’d I do this time?' on the other end,
causing Lex to frown a little.
"No,
just someone is using both your names." Pause, hesitate, and then plows on.
"Be careful, Bruce; this guy took my fiancé in broad day-light after
successfully knocking out both my driver and Helen's father. He could be after
any number of things."
//"We'll
keep an eye out; thanks for the tip, Lex."// A click and dial tone and the
conversation was over as fast as it had started.
There
was silence, thick and heavy, after that as the young man put his cell phone
back on his desk.
"What
do we do now?" Clark's soft voice sounded impossibly loud in the suddenly
cavernous room.
"We
wait and hope that Bruce finds whoever did this before I do," Lex answered
darkly, silver-blue eyes darkening to nearly sapphire.
It was
dawn the next time Helen opened her eyes. Or, it should have been dawn, if her
internal clock was anything to go by. Shifting onto her back and sitting up
carefully, aware of the eyes on the back of her neck, she looked down the cave
tunnel one way, then the other, wondering if she would get to see light.
"You're
not going to find anything," Clark informed her, baritone voice a lot less
hard than it was the day before. "Gotham doesn't get dawn like Smallville
does."
"Gotham?"
Helen asked, startled, swallowing at the bile that rose at the thought. Just how
different from an ordinary human was this not-kid who'd kidnapped her?
"Yeah.
I used to know someone who lived here, before..." he trailed off, as he did
quite a few times in fact. He'd begin speaking of something that didn't make any
sense, then trail off as if the memory was too painful to think about. Grumbling
to herself, she shifted, trying to take the pressure off her shoulders.
"You
still haven't answered why you captured me, Clark," she informed him,
gentling her tone like she had with any number of sick patients that needed to
relax and not aggravate her condition.
"Please,
don't try that on me," he sighed and she felt the shock run through her,
again. She thought she may end up in a permanent state of astonishment at this
rate. "And I told you; I did it to save millions of lives." Insistent,
and that cold tone was back again, his face becoming shadowed from the
flickering light of the lamp he'd set up.
"So
what are you going to do with me?" She tried to sound casual, like Lex was,
but it didn't work and there was a small tremor underlying her words.
"I'm
not sure yet. I can't let you go; you'll just go running back to Smallville with
some sob story and all this will have been for nothing." He seemed torn,
and for a moment Helen could see the torn teenager she'd first met. But it was
short lived; Clark had looked older from the minute he'd turned on the lamp, and
he seemed to age fifteen years in the span of a second. "I can't let you do
what you're planning. But I can't kill you, not after..." He did it again,
that trailing off. He shook himself, continuing to list his options. "And I
can't keep you forever." He sighed, turning troubled eyes, deep blue eyes
that were deeply alien, to her. "What do you think I should do?"
She knew
her shock was showing on her face, couldn't help it. Once again, this troubled
young man had thrown her for a loop. A big one. She knew her life hung in the
balance here, but if what he said was true... But it just wasn't possible. How
could he have known she was going to send Lex on a permanent vacation, paint him
a hero, and then get paid for it all? How could he know all this? And why did he
keep talking about things like they'd already happened?
"I
honestly don't know," The woman sighed, wishing she could rub a hand over
her face. She didn't know because she didn't know what this young man was trying
to pull, trying to sell. She didn't know what he really wanted.
And she
was beginning to wonder if she'd gone crazy, because she didn't know what she
thought of all this any more.
The next
morning saw both Clark and Lex back to work on searching for Helen, the younger
of the two looking no more rested than the day before. He dragged and some times
at the oddest times he'd zone, even in the middle of saying something. The
hairless young man wasn't usually one to worry, but Clark seemed to be getting
worse, not better, and this bothered him more than the revelations the day
before.
During
lunch when all Clark did was stare at his food, Lex had had enough.
"Clark,
look, you're not being much help here; you're wearing yourself thin and,
frankly, you look like shit," Lex informed his best friend, voice blunt and
betraying none of his worry. Clark's eyes snapped to his, dark with exhaustion
and ringed in even darker lines, making him look bruised.
"I'm
sorry, Lex. I just... Please, don't send me home," the younger man begged
of his best friend and Lex had to fight himself to keep composed.
"Clark,
what's going on?" He asked carefully, repeating his question from yesterday
as he stood, coming around the coffee table set between them and sitting beside
the young man. "You've been like this since yesterday."
Silence
and Lex had mastered patience long ago, knowing he just needed to give Clark
time to compose himself enough to speak.
"She
makes you happy, right?" Clark's bleak voice broke the silence, causing Lex
to look a little surprised. But he did have to ponder that.
Helen
made him feel... wanted. Like someone could find him livable enough to marry
him. But if he really thought about it, Clark thought of him the same way. More
so, even. They'd been friends since the day Lex had driven off the bridge,
destined to be friends for longer than that. He'd always felt more comfortable
than around anyone else, Helen included. But it also hurt more, sometimes;
especially when Clark lied to him. He could guess why, probably with something
he could do because with the strength it took to rip the roof off of a car, the
speed that made him nothing more than a blur- people would use him for their own
gain. Stomach dropping out, he realized that before he'd gone and become a
phoenix, he would have, if only to make daddy-dearest proud.
Now, he
wasn't so sure that he wouldn't. But Clark was his friend, and even though the
younger lied, he did trust the older of them.
It
always came back to Clark, Lex realized, feeling a little dizzy. God, why now,
of all times?
"I
suppose so," Lex finally answered, still not quite sure with his answer; he
hoped that his answer hadn't been as shaky as he suddenly felt.
"You
suppose?" Clark sounded a little amused, but there was still something off
about his question. Something he wasn't saying.
"Clark-"
Lex started, only to be cut off with a shake of a shaggy head.
"I
thought Lana made me happy, you know." Soft, almost unheard but the older
man had long learned how to listen to Clark's mumbles, especially when he was
embarrassed. "I thought... I thought if I had her, I'd be happy, instead of
pining away."
And for
Clark, it always came back to Lana. Why did that thought suddenly make him just
a little sick?
God, why
today? Why now, when his fiancé was missing and his best friend, his beautiful
best friend, was having a nervous breakdown?
"It's
kind of funny. Up until I screwed up, and had to really think about it, I didn't
know that..." Clark hesitated, looking uncertain now. Swallowed, reaching
for the glass in front of him. Taking a deep drink of water, the young man
sighed. "I asked you once if you ever wondered if you were destined to be
with someone."
"And
I told you that you were asking someone who'd been fighting his destiny his
entire life. Clark, what has that got to do with anything?" Lex was
confused now, wondering why the young man, who suddenly look rather pale, was
bringing up a conversation they'd moved past months ago.
"I
think I..." Clark swallowed and frowned a little, looking as though he was
concentrating on something that only he could see. Scared, green eyes turned to
Lex, unseeing. "Lex?" He whispered almost desperately. "I think
I'm gonna pass out," he said softly, a hitch in his voice.
Lex
barely caught the young man before he hit the floor.
Bruce
Wayne was many things, if at least a little suspicious. So when Lex Luthor calls
him up after not speaking to each other for a prolonged period of over five
years, he's a little suspicious of the circumstances. Especially when that phone
call came with a cryptic warning to not only him, but-
"Hey,
Bruce, what are you doing down here so early in the day?" Wally West asked
as he came into the Bat Cave, as Dick called it, munching on a bag of chips.
"Wondering
why I let you have free reign of my house," the older man drawled, trying
to hide his amusement of the supposed 'fastest man alive'. The red head scoffed
a little before grinning brightly, sauntering a little closer.
"'Cause
you love me and you know it," the shorter, more slender man purred in
Bruce's ear before giving Gotham's Dark Knight a greasy peck on the cheek.
Quickly, however, both sobered. "Anything new?"
"Nothing
more than a few trace radiation signatures that I can't identify," Bruce
murmured, eyes narrowing a little as he turned his attention back to the screen
in front of him.
"And
camera footage," Dick's voice drifted to the two older superheroes as he
hopped quickly down the stairs, carrying a familiar video tape.
"We
caught the guy on *tape*?" Wally asked, clearly incredulous as Dick came to
stand beside him. "Dude, is this guy stupid?"
"Actually,
I think he may be sick." Dick placed the tape in the proper slot, punched a
few buttons and hit play. The video was of nearly two hours ago, if the time
stamp in the corner was anything to go by. A blurred figure came onto screen,
only to stumble to a stop, leaving a small crater as he screeched to a stop,
going to his knees. Even though the camera was a few feet away, pointing down,
all of the viewers could tell the man was in pain. After a few moments, though,
he struggled to his feet and glanced around. Then, surprising them, he looked
directly at the camera, gave it a salute, before taking off again.
Stopping
the tape, Bruce frowned.
"Well,
let's go get him!" Wally said excitedly, bouncing from foot to foot like
the ball of energy he was.
"No,"
Bruce said firmly, shaking his head a little. "Not yet."
Wally
was frowning now, green eyes boring into blue, wondering what Bruce was up to.
When
Clark returned with the brown paper bag of food he'd filched, he almost
immediately collapsed, panting and sweating, shaking a little and leaning
heavily against the cave wall to continue to sit up.
Even
though he was her captor, and even though she could quite honestly care less,
the doctor in her was screaming at her to do something. "Are... Are you
okay?"
"Yeah,
I..." He looked at her ruefully, still panting a little. "Just so long
as I did what I needed to do here, I'll be just fine."
She was
frowning at him and all he could do was shrug. Taking a closer look at him, she
could definitely see something wrong.
"Look,
I may not appreciate what you're doing, but you're obviously sick. And I've
treated you before," she told him, rolling her shoulders a little. She was
just a little stiff, and if she wanted to help him, she would need her arms to
have at least a little feeling.
He
chuckled weakly, shaking his head. "There's nothing you can do to help me,
Ms. Bryce." Sighing a little, seeming to have gotten his second wind, he
stood slowly, cringing as though his legs were stiff. "I've only got a few
more hours." He paused, eyes glinting a little. He looked even younger in
that moment than he had the entire time she'd been his captive. "Have you
ever met Bruce Wayne?" It sounded rather rhetorical as he began to gather
things up.
Feeling
a small sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, Helen shook her head.
"No. But I know he knew Lex when they were kids," she said slowly,
carefully, watching him closely. He grinned boyishly at her before hefting her
up onto his shoulder as though she were nothing more than a sack of potatoes and
weighed not more than a feather.
"Well,
you're about to."
She
barely felt any pain when she was knocked out again.
The
knock on the large double doors startled the four standing in the foyer to Wayne
Manor. Glancing at his charge, his charge's charge, and Wally, Alfred quickly
made his way to the doors, opening them.
"Can
I help you, sir?" Alfred asked of the odd-looking man standing on the
doorstep. The man looked at him oddly, shaking himself and shifting the white
bundle he had over his shoulder.
"Yes,
actually. I'm here to see Bruce," baritone that sounded a rather weak.
Raising
an eyebrow, Alfred eyed him. "And who, exactly, are you?" the white
haired butler eyed the dusty man with a small touch of distaste.
"I
would be the one calling himself Wallace Wayne," the man drawled, and
Alfred looked a little startled at the name, glancing back over his shoulder.
"Let
him in, Alfred," Bruce said firmly, already striding towards the door,
Wally close behind him.
Alfred
moved to admit the man, motioning him inside. The young man nodded his thanks,
moving on shaky legs into the house.
Once
inside enough to close the door behind him, he swallowed, looking about ready to
drop.
"Catch
her," he said, barely audible. Wally caught the falling woman from the
man's arms just as Bruce barely caught the passed out man.
"Well.
At least we know Lex's bride is safe," Dick commented in the silence, still
staring at the man who'd shown up.
Lex
paced almost furiously beside the couch where'd he'd laid Clark, his movements
frantic.
Why
today, why now and god, was Clark okay? What had just happened?
His
footsteps once again took him to Clark's side, searching for the slightest sign
that he was stirring. But he was still, just as he was the last time he'd
checked, nothing. He looked like he was barely breathing, but when Lex had
listened to Clark's heart, it'd been beating strongly beneath his ear. He'd
almost wanted to curl up and just sleep there, but Clark was in trouble and he
just couldn't stop thinking, why today?
Lex
brushed strands of black silk from his friend's forehead, swallowing a little as
he went back to pacing furiously, praying like he hadn't since before his mother
died.
Clark,
please, just wake up.
Superman
decided he hated waking up feeling like shit. Everything ached painfully and his
head throbbed in time to his heart, which was faster than a human's. Not nearly
as fast as Flash's, but still very, very fast.
"Hey,
he's waking up!" The familiar voice, perky and too awake for his liking,
that belonged to the aforementioned man caused him to cringe a little.
It took
him a moment before he opened his eyes to realize that he was tied to a bed.
Upon further inspection, he found Helen still unconscious not too far away.
"Welcome
back to the land of the living," the familiar voice belonging to Bruce Wayne rang out and had him smiling a
little. Batman had always been and always be a bit of a jerk. One of his best
friends, but still a jerk.
"Wonderful
thing you've done with the place," he drawled, testing his bounds. Just
plain rope and after his little nap, easy to snap. But he needed to conserve his
strength if he wanted to make it back to the Arctic in time.
"Cute,"
Wally commented, munching on an apple in the far corner of the room.
"I
know this doesn't help any, but I won't hurt either of you," Superman told
them both, relaxing a little and resting, preserving his strength.
"Who
were you hired by?" Bruce asked, his voice carefully pitched. The tied
man's mind flashed back to a time when Batman had intimidated him. But after
catching the older man in a lip lock with the League's least serious person, he
couldn't take him very seriously afterwards. Shaking himself, he remembered that
he still needed to answer Bruce's question.
"Depends
on what kind of hire you're talking about," Superman said honestly,
shrugging as much as his bounds would allow.
"To
kidnap Helen Bryce," Came Dick's voice and the Man of Steel had to wonder
when the last time he'd seen the leader of the Teen Titans was, either in or out
of costume; things had gotten so crazy just prior to 'the big boom' he hadn't
had a chance to see any of them. It saddened him a little.
"No
one. I did it to protect people," Superman informed them honestly.
"I
don't believe that." Batman was coming out to play, and the younger man
(though, technically, in this case he was older) could barely contain his
snicker. It was almost time, and he'd been told this would happen the longer he
stayed beyond the 24 hour mark; that he'd go a little crazier every minute. And
beyond six hours after the mark, he could no longer go back to his own time.
"You
never believed me when I said I wasn't cheating at poker," he cracked,
cringing a little when he realized he'd said that out loud. He was being stared
at.
"Who
are you? Who do you work for?" Wally asked, and when had Flash gotten so
scary?
"Depends
on who you ask. To the world, I'm Superman, Man of Steel, one of the seven
founders of the Justice League. To my parents and colleagues, I'm Clark Kent and
I work for Perry White at the Daily Planet. I'm partners with Lois Lane after
working five years with Chloe Sullivan, but Chloe wanted bigger things, so she
went to work for you, actually," Superman blinked at Bruce. At the
incredulous look, he closed his eyes and went through the breathing exercise
that Batman had given him when he was younger and couldn't stay calm during a
stakeout. "I...apologize. The longer I stay here, the less together I
become." He looked Gotham's Dark Knight in the eye. "I promise you, I
won't lie about anything. But I do ask that you don't ask too many questions; it
could screw with the time line more than I already have."
"Time
line? Whoa, as in, time travel?" Bless Wally and his Star Trek obsession.
"Yes."
Bruce
seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding to himself, moving to untie
the man.
"Bruce,
wait- do you think that's such a good idea?" Dick sounded a little
panicked.
"If
he'd wanted to, he could have broken through the ropes at any time he wanted to,
if what Lex said is correct," Bruce said by way of explanation. As Superman
carefully sat up, he rubbed at his wrists out of habit, and nodded to the other
man.
"Thank
you," he said softly. Bruce's mouth turned up in a wry smirk.
"Don't
thank me yet," he informed him. "You still have to deal with
Lex."
Swallowing,
the man of steel nodded a little. "I know." He took a deep breath.
"I need to speak to him and the other Clark Kent, anyway."
"What
were you going to do with Helen?" Wally suddenly asked, eyeing the
older-looking man with a small amount of suspicion.
"I..."
Superman broke off, staring at Wally. Why hadn't he- was he so totally blind to
have not thought of it before? A slow, slightly mad grin broke over his face.
"I was going to kiss her," he said with a small shrug, scooting to the
edge of the bed and standing. Before anyone could stop him, he did just that to
the unconscious woman, concentrating hard. It would take quite a bit out of him
to do the Kiss of Leathe, but he had to at least try.
//Forget
Lex Luthor; he's nothing more than a figurehead that you've seen on TV and
around in Smallville. Forget.//
Lex had
long since sat down taking to shifting in his chair when Clark looked like he'd
even moved. He wondered, not for the first time, why he hadn't called the Kents.
Maybe it was the fact that all Clark looked to be doing, seemed to be doing, was
sleeping very, very deeply. He knew the young man had been deeply exhausted
since yesterday, and obviously hadn't slept much, but that didn't stop him from
being worried.
"You
know, if you continue to look at him like that, someone would think that you
have heat vision," the unfamiliar voice had Lex up and moving towards his
desk where he kept his gun locked before he even really thought about. A sudden
breeze and he suddenly found himself running into a broad chest, large hands
being placed on his shoulders. "Whoa, easy there. Sorry, I didn't mean to
startle you like that." Gentle hands pushed him back before he could bat
them away.
"How
the hell did you get in here?" Lex yelled at the taller man, still glaring.
The man sighed a little, rolling his eyes.
"The
same way I- or, Clark - always do, Lex." No time for games; he was running
out of time. "Before you say anything, I don't have much time. But I wanted
to warn you." Eyes narrowed at him and he had to sigh.
"Warn
me of what?" the words were grit out from between clenched teeth and he
sighed.
"One,
I suggest you stop drinking scotch; it's very, very bad for you, especially from
the store houses here. If you can't let it go, go out and buy your own and don't
let anyone near it or your water, ever," the man said in a rush. Lex, from
knowing how to talk to Gabe Sullivan's daughter, who was also Clark's best
friend, could only nod dumbly as he took in the words. "Two- Don't trust
your father, though I suppose you already knew that. And I don't recommend
trusting Genevieve Teague." He shuddered a little at the memory, taking a
deep breath. "Three- Dismantle the room; it'll probably be the best thing
you ever did, especially since it'll mean you keeping Clark's friendship."
Deep breathe again and he made a dive for the kill.
"Lastly,
tell Clark the truth."
"Excuse
me, but I fail to see what right barging in here gives you to order me
around," Lex said coldly.
Shaking
his head, Superman could hear that the youngest in the room was awake now and
listening quietly. "Actually, I meant about how you feel for him. It'll
save you both a lot of grief over Lana Lang later down the line." The last
was said softly, sadly, as he remembered how screwed up things had gotten
between him and Lana when he found out that she was really in love with his
former best friend, if only for the reason Lex could give her things that he, as
a superhero, couldn't.
Shaking
himself from his internal monologue, knowing every second counted, he turned
towards the couch. "And you- tell him the truth. About everything."
Sighing a little, he moved to leave, but stopped, turning back to the still
glaring bald man and the young man on the couch, who, from the door, he could
now see was staring at him in shock. "The paintings in the caves, the
legend- they're only half the story. Balance... balance doesn't necessarily mean
enemies."
Then, he
was gone.
It was a
few months later, and everything was just now beginning to die down.
Helen
had been found in Gotham City by Batman, Robin and the Flash in the care of
Bruce Wayne. Her memory of the past few months had been almost completely wiped.
She knew she was supposed to get married, but she hadn't been able to figure out
to whom. And she couldn't remember who'd taken her, only that he'd been sick
near the end of her captivity. She eventually ended up marrying a nice lawyer in
New York City, a woman by the name of Serena Sutherland, who was the ADA there.
The man
who'd taken Helen Bryce had never been found; he'd just disappeared into thin
air. No one could identify him, and Helen wasn't talking.
Now that
they'd opened up communication again, Lex and Bruce were slowly becoming good
friends again. One of the first things that Bruce told Lex was that life was too
short and to enjoy it while he could. A week later, it hit the newspapers that
the playboy billionaire of Gotham had married one Wallace West of Coast City in
Hawaii.
He would
never admit it to anyone who asked, but Lex had taken the mysterious man's
warnings to heart. It had scared him how accurate the dark man's observations,
or whatever they were, had been so accurate. Not only that, but that revelation
had affected everything he'd thought of Clark before. Almost immediately, he'd
dismantled The Room with his own two hands, not daring to share what he'd found
about Clark with anyone else. While the part of him that was attached to the
obsession that was Clark Kent riled almost constantly through the entire thing,
the part of him that was overly protective of his younger friend wasn't sorry to
see the files and video tapes burn.
The
relationship between Clark and his parents was still on shaky ground. The day
that Lex's wedding was to have taken place, Clark had apparently blown up the
storm cellar and everything in it. Both Martha and Jon had been deeply upset
that their son had gone behind their backs, lied to them, and made one of the
most important decisions of his life. Luckily, Clark had seemed to revive, if
only a little, shortly after the mysterious man had gone but he still wouldn't
go home permanently. Sometimes he hid out at Chloe's, assuring Mr. Sullivan that
no 'hinky business' would take place considering his own little shock. Most of
the time though, he was at the mansion with Lex. The shadow in his office,
sometimes, listening to the older man rant about his work.
He and
Lana broke up shortly after that, deciding that while they did love each other,
it wasn't quite what they thought it was, especially when Lana met a young woman
named Raven. A powerful sorceress who helped Lana learn to harness her own
untapped power, Lana and Raven became very close, almost inseparably so. Shortly
after that, the two young women joined with Robin, Starfire, Beastboy, and
Cyborg to form the Teen Titans. Raven kept her name, and Lana became The
Huntress.
The only
thing that had been left undone was the long-awaited conversation between Clark
and Lex. They'd both avoided it long enough.
It was
late July now, the sun shine warm but not overly so. Compared to the previous
summer, this one was looking to be a beauty. Said sunshine was now streaming in
through the custom stained glass windows behind Lex's desk, casting things in
crimson or lavender light. Clark entered the older man's sanctuary hesitantly,
unsure of his welcome.
"Lex,
look..." the younger man trailed off with a sigh. He couldn't find the
words to say what he wanted- no, needed to.
What a
way to start your summer, he thought with a small amount of ironic amusement
that mixed a little with sadness.
"Clark,
you don't have to say anything," Lex said firmly, steeping his fingers as
he leaned back in his desk chair. To anyone but Clark, he looked relaxed and in
control, the epitome of the hard business man that he was. But this was Clark,
and he could see the tension just beneath the surface.
Running
a hand through his hair, the young man shook his head, eyes troubled. "That
guy... what he said... Lex, I've wanted to tell you since the beginning
but-"
"Clark,
please," Lex nearly yelled to stop the teenager from going further, frantic
to stop the words from coming. "Don't do something you might regret."
The last was said softly, almost nearly unheard. At least, it would have been
unheard if the young man standing across from him wasn't so extraordinary.
"That's
why I want to tell you, Lex." He sighed a little, sitting down in the chair
across from the older man. "That's why I *have* to tell you. Because I
don't want to regret something..." He took a deep breath before looking Lex
square in the eye. "Something that could be a lot more."
Lex
stiffened more visibly now, tensing in preparation for whatever Clark was going
to say. Whatever it was, it was definitely going to have an effect on them both.
The
nervous young man sitting across from him took a deep breath, as though
centering himself and preparing to do battle. Took another, looked Lex in the
eye and then-
"I'm
an alien." The words split the silence, shocking and loud in the otherwise
empty room. "I can-" Lex stood suddenly, stopping further words from
the teenager's mouth, grabbing him by his sleeve and practically dragging him
out of the room, down the hall, out the front doors and walking a little ways
down the road. A little ways off the road into a copse of trees, out of sight
from the road and away from anything that could possibly bring future harm to
the startled young man now pressed up against one large tree.
"Start
again, Clark," Lex said calmly, as though he hadn't just dragged Clark out
of his home.
"I-"
The young man's eyes narrowed just a little in contemplation. When Lex gave him
a look, asking him to continue with what he was going to say earlier, he did so,
looking confused. "Alright. I'm an alien; the meteor shower came down with
me. It was what was left of my planet Krypton. I don't know all that much about
who, or what, I am, only that I'm the person that was drawn on the cave walls.
I'm weak against the green meteor rocks and the red is like a drug to me. You
really did hit me that day on the bridge; that's the day my dad told me the
truth. I'm basically invulnerable, I can run really fast, I'm really strong, I
can see through things, I can set things on fire, my hearing's been getting
really good and I think I may be in love with you." He rushed it out all in
one breath. No space for comment, answered all of Lex's questions and then some.
"You...can
see through things?" He asked, clearly shocked, mind over flowing with
information. Whatever he'd been expecting, it certainly hadn't been this.
"Yeah,"
Clark said slowly, nodding minutely. "Except lead, which protects me from
the Kryptonite." He took another deep breath. "Lex, look-"
"And,
your hearing's getting better?" the older man cut him off, a look of wonder
spread over his face.
"Lex,
listen to me-"
"So,
you-" he stopped. Clark couldn't have... he had to have heard wrong.
"You... Clark, do you realize what you just told me?" He asked,
feeling...something. Something new and unexplainable, something totally out of
this world.
Just
like the young man he was pressing up against a tree in the middle of nowhere.
Like the young man staring at him with wide, scared eyes. Like the young man who
handed him everything. Something akin to panic stabbed through him.
"Clark...
You just... God, if my father ever found out..."
Couldn't
think straight, had to breathe; was shocked at the asthma attack, or perhaps it
was a panic attack that he was having. He had to get away, lead his father away
from Clark had to do something, except, he hadn't imagined kissing was a part of
what he was supposed to do, what was really safe to do.
It took
a moment to figure out that he was in fact kissing Clark, breath stilled in his
almost-bursting chest, hand clutching at Clark's tee so tightly, his knuckles
were white.
"Clark?"
he asked, dazed and breathless, still rather frozen.
"Don't
hate me, please," Clark whispered, thumb tracing over the scar that split
Lex's top lip.
"I
couldn't hate you even if I wanted to," Lex muttered wryly. "I... I
think I..." Deep breath. In through the mouth, slowly out the nose. "I
think I love you too much for that."
A
shocked, bright smile that radiated like the sun was his answer just before he
was almost literally crushed to the young man's chest.
A happy
chuckle bubbled up in his chest, odd feeling, but not unwelcome. Despite the
feeling of panic that still hadn't receded all that much, and despite the fact
that Clark had been lying to him since day one (obviously for good reason, even
if it did hurt every time that the young man did it), this wasn't as bad as he
thought it would be.
Epilog-
Superman
stepped slowly and tiredly, from the crystal chamber. He leaned briefly against
it. That... was interesting. Exhausting, most definitely. But the feeling of
coming home was far greater than anything else he was feeling.
Looking
around the fortress, he noted a few things that were different from when he'd
left. The table/bed, was littered with papers and a state-of-the-art laptop lay
closed amongst the clutter. A white suit jacket and pair of black gloves caught
his attention. There was blood staining the pristine white and for a moment,
Superman panicked. Had he failed? Had he done something wrong? Wracking his
brain frantically, he never heard the soft fall of footsteps behind him until
two strong arms wrapped around him.
"There's
my Superman," the familiar voice purred in his ear. For only a moment, he
stiffened a little, before memories began rushing in.
Him and
Lex’s first time. Superman and the Justice League, with the help of LexCorp
and Wayne Enterprises, becoming that much more efficient. Him and Lois, like
brother and sister, bickering over some story. Lana and Raven's hand-fasting.
His and Lex's wedding. The conception, thanks to Chloe, of their first child.
All of it came rushing in, mixing with his old memories, nearly overwhelming him
as he leaned into the touch of the slightly shorter man, pulling him close and
just breathing.
"Clark?
Did everything go okay?" Lex
sounded worried now and Clark could only sigh happily, holding the slender man
closer.
"Yeah.
It's just good to be home." He
paused, pulling back a little to glance down at Lex. Amusement and shock warred,
amusement winning. "Lex, you're wearing nothing but my cape." He
couldn't quite tell whether it was an accusation or a simple statement of fact,
but either way it was worth the flush working its way over his cheekbones for
the outright laugh it earned him.
"Why
yes Clark. That's what horny, sex-deprived husbands of superheroes do: run
around in their husband's cape until said superhero comes home to take care of
them," Lex purred, chuckling again at the shiver that swept through the
taller man. The chuckle turned into a gasp as the Kryptonian swept his husband
off his feet. Carrying him easily into the bedroom just off the main area of the
Fortress, the bone-weary man suddenly found new energy watching the man he loved
sprawl shamelessly over the white and purple sheets.
Backing
up off the bed, Clark sped into a blur and when he came to a stop again, he was
completely naked, the dirty and slightly torn clothing lying in a heap off to
the side to be taken care of later. Leaning over the sprawled man in their bed,
he stole a kiss. It was gentle and seared through Lex like a wild fire. The
cape, still mostly wrapped around the totally hairless man, hid nothing.
"I
think someone's happy to see me," Clark teased, his voice gravelly with
desire reserved only for the man beneath him.
"Very,"
Lex agreed, sounding rather breathless as he rubbed his cloth-covered erection
in the barely-reachable groove between hip and groin on the man above him.
Clark
grabbed Lex's face gently, and pressed against him for another kiss. His tongue
traced patterns over the roof of the slightly shorter man's mouth while he
mentally tried to remember where the hell he'd put the lube. It was hard to
think with that wonderfully, sleek body beneath his writhing in desperate
pleasure, even though they were still only kissing. Lip locking had always been
one of Lex's favorite things to do. When they hadn't had much time for anything
else, they'd do nothing but kiss. Sometimes, they hadn't even had to touch
themselves or each other below the waist to come in their pants.
But now
was not the time for leisurely love making; both were desperate and Clark needed
to confirm that this was real, that the happy memories mixing with the bloody
were real. Lex knew what his husband needed only due to the fact that he
recognized the look on Clark's face when he'd exited the chamber. Pulling away from the kiss gently, Lex whispered the words
that he knew would get Clark needed to hear.
"Need
you in me," the older man whispered hotly into Clark's ear, sending a happy
shiver down his spine and making him moan.
"Lube?"
Clark breathed, swallowing thickly, unable to really get the question out. But
Lex was one step ahead of him, always one step ahead, and reached under one of
the many pillows pulling out the familiar bottle of massage oil. Carefully
taking the small glass bottle, Clark set it aside in an easily reachable place
before moving back to remove the red cloth emblazoned with the broken sign of
the House of El, showing his allegiance to Earth even as he used his Kryptonian
powers to help others. Letting it flutter to the floor behind him, the superhero
took a moment to enjoy the sight laid out before him.
Miles of
pale skin, hairless, stretched over strong muscle that made the business man
that much more. Strong thighs splayed open, giving full access to the man who so
desperately needed to know this was real. Fingers traced up those pale thighs,
taking in every quiver of muscle just below the soft skin. Gently fondling his
balls, he moved up to wrap one big hand around the leaking cock that was just
begging for attention. Lex’s back arched, his hips raising into the touch.
"God,
Clark- won't last long," the man beneath him breathed out. His husband, his
beloved, groaned softly when his hand was removed. He grabbed the oil from where
he'd set it, pouring a generous amount on his hand. No foreplay tonight
unfortunately, but it will still be good for both of them. Gentle stroking over
the ring of muscle bared him entry to that hot unyielding place. Continuing his
steady pressure, he pressed his middle finger in. he twisted it around, touching
that spot that had Lex arching into his touch, begging silently for more.
Obliging,
Clark removed that one finger, made sure there was enough oil on his fingers and
then gently inserted two. Scissoring them, and moving in and out, he soon had
Lex writhing again. Removing his fingers quickly, he had to squeeze the base of
his own cock to stop from coming just at the sight of the beautiful body
writhing, open and ready for him. Slicking himself as quickly and without as
much touching as possible, he took a breath to steady himself before gently
putting Lex's knees over his shoulders. Hunkering down, he gently nudged
forward, breath stopping as his cock breached the outer ring of Lex's hole.
Moving forward in an almost agonizing pace, Clark was soon fully engulfed in
warm heat.
Both had
to pause a moment, the taller of the two leaned down to kiss the man beneath
him, stroking over the trembling thigh resting against his chest.
"Missed
you," Clark breathed as he began to move, gentle and deep. Both could tell
this wasn't going to last long, this painful pleasure that touched them in
places that no one else ever had. A Shaking hand uncurled from the soft material
beneath him, and Lex reached up to stroke over one surprisingly tear stained
cheek.
"Me,
too."
The hand
on his cheek moved to tangle in thick black hair, finer than any silk in the
world. Lex pulled the crying hero down for a deep kiss as they moved together.
Grunts and moans soon filled the relative silence of the Fortress, and moments
after Clark touched Lex's prostate twice in succession, both were coming, long
and hard.
Afterwards,
too tired to move, Clark slumped over the panting body of his husband, stroking
gently down one side. It wasn't long before both were beginning to slip into
sleep. Reaching with his foot rather blindly, Lex caught Clark's cape and gently
pulled it up over them both. Safe in each other's arms, both settled into sleep,
but not before a few final words.
"Love
you, Lex, so much."
"Love
you, too, my Superman."
End
End
Notes: Serena Sutherland was actually a lawyer on the regular Law and Order for
the longest time. The Teen Titans...well, what can I say about them? The
Huntress was actually originally somebody entirely different. Also, the name
that Clark used- Wallace Wayne? Was no accident. And to think, I was originally
going to use Wally Queen =p *dodges thrown objects.* Any and all feedback would
be greatly appreciated!