Title:  End of Days

Author: Strawberry Shortcake

Rating:  PG-13

Summary: Convinced that Clark Kent is the reason for the end of the world, someone comes to stop him. (Very bad summary)

Disclaimer: ‘Clark Kent’, ‘Lex Luthor’ and ‘Smallville’ are not mine. They belong to Warner Bros. No intention to make money or profit out of this. This story is written for pure entertainment purposes only.

Notes: For CLFF Wave Six. Title from Buffer the Vampire Slayer series. Unfortunately, no plot ideas evolved from that episode. Lots of clichés instead – you have been warned. Takes place after Season Two ‘Lineage’.

Betas: Marla and Absinthe – thank you so much!

Feedback etc: Yes please. Will gladly accept any. Please email to amaretto111@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.livejournal.com/users/strawberrycream

END OF DAYS

The Voice came back again.

It chased after him unrelentingly. It travelled along the corridors of the abandoned house where he resided and it seeped into his mind. At first, he thought he was just imagining things, turning slightly crazy as it often happens to one being left alone too long. He moved into this house to get away from it all, thinking it would be secluded and peaceful. He didn’t manage to escape. The Voice followed after him.

Then he sat down and listened to what the Voice was saying, what it was really saying.

The End of Days is coming…

He is coming…

Of course, he had no clue as to who the Voice was talking about or when the End was suppose to be.

But then he saw him when he was on those seldom trips he makes out of the house. The boy. Dark hair. Large, expressive green eyes. Tight, sinful body. Casually walking down the street, to that disgusting little coffee shop operated by one of those Luthors.

He knew then the boy was who the Voice was warning about. The answers were falling rapidly into place.

There was no doubt about it. That Voice was the Lord's. The Holy One was reaching out to him (to him!) in this hour of need. He has been given a special mission. He will respond accordingly and he will succeed.

"He's here and I will stop him."  He declared. The Voice agreed, murmuring encouragement. A grin stretched out on his weather-beaten face. He gave a laugh. Plans were thought up as he twisted the long rough cord wrapped around his left wrist. Tiny kryptonite chips, dangling off the twine, shook as he mangled the cord. He could already taste the victory.

He hadn't felt this good in quite a while.

***************

Clark was walking back home again, long legs striding along the rough ground. It was a good day, the sun blasting out its rays from up above. He closed his eyes and turned his face upwards. He could feel his body soaking up the energy given by the sun.

He faced forward again when he heard a car approach and turned around quickly. A white car, marked with the 'LexCorp' logo on its doors, was coming up behind him, travelling in the direction of the farm. He shaded his eyes with his hand and peered into the distance. He could not quite make out the person driving the vehicle and wondered if it was Lex. He banished the thought. ‘If it was Lex, he would be driving one of those nice European imports. I wonder what they want. The only place up this road is the farm.’ He raised an arm and waved to the car.

‘Strange,’ he thought, ‘it’s speeding up.’ He was about to shout out a greeting as well, when he saw through the windscreen that a middle-age man with wizened grey hair was driving at the wheel.

'Mr. Taylor? That crazy guy who used to live by the creek? What’s he doing in that car?' He puzzled to himself.

That thought was all he had time for when the car suddenly swung into his path and jerked forward in a burst of speed. Startled, Clark didn’t quite make it out of the way before the nose of the car clipped him across the knees. His body folded forward and Clark was tossed onto the windscreen. It cracked as he bounced off of it.  Pushed forward by the momentum, he was flung into mid-air, before hitting the ground, all the air in his lungs squeezed out of him.

Shaking his head, he started to rise when Mr. Taylor, having stopped and gotten out of his car, rushed at him. The man pushed him to the ground before he could get up and wrapped one of his large hands around Clark’s throat, pushing down hard. “I knew I couldn’t have hurt you with the car, you demon spawn!”

Choking, Clark struggled, hands scrambling to loosen the tightening hold Mr. Taylor has on him. As he felt his strength trickling away, he realised with dread that there must be kryptonite nearby. His eyes instantly zeroed in on the green rocks threaded together with a cord that was worn around the man’s wrist.

The man followed Clark’s eyes to his wrist and stared back into Clark’s face. The kid looked terrible, tiny veins popping out of his face in green. There was no doubt about it. The boy was a demon, perhaps the devil himself. And he was staring at the rocks in fear. Mr. Taylor sneered. “I knew the rocks coming down from the Heavens were a good thing. God’s gifts, weapons to be used to stop you!” He released Clark from the choke hold and flipped the boy onto his stomach. Unravelling the cord from his wrists, he used it to tie Clark’s hands together.

'Now that he has the demon subdued, what should he do next?' he wondered. Things were not going according to his plan. Ramming the car into the boy had not even managed to hurt the boy in the slightest. He needed some time to think of new ways to rid of the boy. It would probably be wise of him to get out of here. The boy’s supposed parents would come looking for him soon. He can’t handle all three of them at once. The best thing to do would be to go back to his place. He could come back for the parents another day.

With that thought in mind, he dragged Clark towards the car.

***************

Lex don’t usually take note of the state of other cars driving along the same road he is on. If someone wanted to destroy their own car, that’s their problem, just so long as they don’t crash into his.

But when one of his company’s cars came careening down the road from the opposite direction, the windscreen cracked and broken, Lex decided this made a good exception. He swiftly turned around and gave chase.

‘Something’s wrong’, he thought. ‘That car came from the direction of the Kent Farm.’

Reaching for his mobile, he called his security team and learned that one of the cars had been stolen that afternoon. He hanged up in annoyance. The foreboding feeling grew more intense. Following the car into several streets and out again, Lex realised where they were heading towards.

The house where Rachel Dunlevy abducted him and took him to.

Lex stopped his car several houses away. Turning off the engine, he sat and waited as the white LexCorp car made up the driveway. He watched the car stop and saw a man climb out. And watched in alarm and dismay as the man opened up the door to the back seats, reached in and dragged the bound form of Clark Kent out. He was already dialling for the police when the man pushed the reluctant Clark into the house.

***************

Mr. Taylor led Clark into the house and pushed him into a room. Clark tripped and fell to the floor. He struggled into a half-sitting position. His eyes followed his abductor as he moved around the room.

“You don’t have… to do this.” Clark pleaded in a whisper, his breath coming out in pants. The kryptonite around his wrists was emptying him of all his remaining strength. He was struggling just to get the words out.  “Just let me… go, I can …get help for you.”

“Shut up!” Mr Taylor roared, fisted thumping against the wall, startling Clark. He then wisely kept his mouth shut. Clark wasn’t invulnerable now, he could be hurt. He had better be careful and planned to escape at the first opportunity. It was also becoming difficult to see. Dark spots were forming up in front of his eyes.

“Don’t act angelic with me, talking about help! I don’t need help. I don’t need your help! I know what you were sent here for. The Lord has spoken to me. You were sent here to do the Devil’s bidding, here to destroy the world.” He jeered at Clark. “Well, we’ll just see about that.”

His kidnapper walk out of the room and returned with a sharp knife. Eyes widening, Clark fell back and tried to squirm away from him. His actions instead made his captor angrier.

“I know what you’re trying to do, but you won’t tempt me with that body!” Mr Taylor reached out and slapped Clark hard across the face. Clark cringed but did not say a word.

Mr. Taylor suddenly clutched at his head.

“I told you to shut up!” He screamed at Clark. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!” He stabbed at the air with the knife.

“But I didn’t…” Clark choked back the remaining words.

Mr. Taylor paid him no heed and stalked out of the room. He returned with a towel and proceeded to tie it around Clark’s mouth. “No, wait, please, you’ve…” Clark managed to get out in a panic before Mr Taylor gagged him. Frustrated tears welled up at the back of his eyes. He bit hard at the gag, trying to force the tears to back down.

Mr. Taylor stepped back and surveyed his work. He started to frown.

“You’re still talking to me. I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!”

***************

After parking his car in front of the driveway to block off that means of escape, Lex crept into the house slowly after opening the front door. His luck was holding. He had been able to follow the kidnapper undetected and the door was unlocked. He hoped that the luck would stay.

He looked around the room and managed not to shudder. Last time he was here, a crazy woman was going to chop him up with an axe. God, he hoped Clark wasn’t in a similar sort of position. He wondered why the man took Clark here.

Angry shouts were coming in from the next room. Lex made his way there carefully. The man was standing over Clark’s prone form, spitting out words in a rage. Lex caught some part of the one-sided exchange before he stepped into the room and made his presence known. The man whirled around as the floorboards creaked behind him.

“Whoa. Calm down. You don’t want to hurt him.”

Lex held up his hands to show that it was empty. The man pulled Clark up and used the boy to shield himself in retaliation. The boy swayed slightly on his feet, looking half conscious.

"The Day is coming." The strange man chanted. He grabbed a handful of Clark's hair, pulling at it hard. Clark winced, his eyes widening, but he did not struggle. Using his other hand, the man placed the knife by Clark’s throat. The boy closed his eyes, trying to remain calm. “I must do this, Luthor. It’s for the good of everyone.”

Lex tried to negotiate. He needed to stall the man in time for the police to get here. “Don’t harm him. Whatever you need, I’ll give it to you, just don’t harm him. There’s no need to. He’s just an innocent.”

"This is no mere child I've got here!” The man roared. “He’s has you all fooled. He's sent here by Satan to destroy the world! He’s here to bring about the End of Days and none of you fools are doing anything to stop it!" He huffed angrily, wild eyes bulging. "Well, I'll do something about it! I'll cut out his lying tongue and poke out his deceitful eyes so he can fool the world no more!"

He swung his arm up, the knife blade gleaming.

Lex rushed forward, shouting. "No!"

A single gunshot blasted through the room, causing Lex to stop dead in his tracks. The madman's hand exploded in a burst of crimson blood. He looked at his wound in shock. His remaining hand loosened his grip on Clark, an opportunity Clark used to scuttle away. The man crumbled to his knees, partly in shock, partly in pain. He clutched at his wounded hand with the other, bending his upper torso forward, as if to protect his limb from further harm. He moaned and rocked his body, forward and back.

Lex turned to the direction where the gun was fired. The Sheriff, gun still raised in her hands, glanced back at him and started to walk towards the fallen kidnapper. Turning away, Lex scrambled towards Clark and helped him as he struggled to get away from his captor.

After they reached what Lex deemed to be  a safe distance away, he stopped and loosen Clark's bonds. He gently pried the gag loosed from Clark's mouth and tossed it aside. He did the same to the cord tied around Clark's wrists. “Are you alright?” he asked worriedly. Clark stared at the bonds used to tie him and shuddered. He closed his eyes and leaned onto Lex in relief. Lex took off his coat and wrapped it around Clark. He enveloped Clark in a hug and closed his eyes as well.

Having restrained the man and was in the middle of stemming the blood flow from his hand, the Sheriff looked at them pointedly. "Good thing I'd recognise that flashy car of yours anywhere, Luthor. Makes the searching for you much easier." She said, before reaching for her transmitter and called for paramedics.

**************

Lex was worried about Clark

The boy huddled by the door of Lex's imported car, looking miserable. He was gripping the lapels of the borrowed coat so hard that his knuckles were turning white. He didn't say anything during the whole time the Sheriff questioned them about the incident, except to say he didn't need to go to the hospital. Lex persuaded the Sheriff to take the statements from them the next day. After glancing at Clark and noticing his pallor, she relented, but quietly advised Lex to take his friend to the hospital. Lex agreed and watched her leave. The Paramedics had long been gone.

Lex then walked over to Clark and reached out and placed his hands over the boy's.

"Relax." He patted Clark's hands until they loosened their grip slightly. "You're safe now, Clark." Lex reached out and touched Clark gently. "You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

Clark shook his head.

"We can leave now, let's get you home."

Frowning, Lex took his car keys out of his pocket. The car chirped as he press down on the unlock button. What else happened to Clark before he arrived at the scene? If the man did anything dirty to Clark, he was going to shoot the man himself.

Lex tried to ease Clark away from the door so he could open it, but Clark wouldn't budge.

"Lex?" Clark whispered softly, but his gaze was down on the ground. He wouldn't look at Lex in the face.

Lex wetted his bottom lip and pushed all stray thoughts in his mind aside. Getting Clark home safely was all that matters. "Yeah?" He replied.

"Do you think he was right? That I was sent down here to destroy the world?" Clark asked in a small voice.

Lex paused and wondered what response he should give. He decided he should keep his tone light.

"You? The guy who saves the citizens of Smallville on a regular basis? No, it’s in your nature to save, Clark, not to destroy. The day you start destroying the world will be the day I start driving around in a Ford." He said, hoping Clark would laugh at the joke.

He didn't.

"Hey, look." He breached the barrier of Clark's personal space, moving physically closer to Clark that he's ever had before. He could see that this incident had disturbed his friend on a much deeper level, shaking him to his core. Lex raised Clark's chin up and stared heatedly into Clark's eyes. He waited patiently as Clark responded by trying to avoid looking into his eyes before giving up and meeting them. Clark leaned back onto the car, looking at Lex tiredly.

Unfazed, Lex moved closer still. He reached out cupped Clark's face with the palms of his hands gently.  "Hey." Lex admonished gently, patting at Clark's cheek with one hand when Clark tried to avoid eye contact again. His friend reluctantly moved his gaze back up at Lex.

Lex continued. "Why are you having this kind of thoughts? There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. You're not going to destroy the world just because this lunatic said you would."

Clark sighed. "Lex, you don't understand. I'm serious." He paused. "Sometimes, I feel like I can't control myself. Maybe there's this hidden part of me that's… dangerous."

He tried to find the right words to explain, but he realised he couldn't. Not without giving up that secret part of himself. He bit at his bottom lip and shook his head. "Forget it, Lex. I'm just tired. Let's go home."

Lex swallowed. This must be the thing Clark always avoided talking to him about. But he knew this wasn't the time to demand answers from his friend. Still, he must give a cautious response.

"The Clark Kent I know isn't dangerous." Clark twisted his body away from him.

Incorrect answer.

"But I could be wrong." Clark's body stiffened.

"So I'm going to watch over you." Lex offered, choosing his words carefully. "I'll make sure you'll never stray from your path. That you will never become dangerous."

Clark lowered his eyes, his lashes fluttering. "You don’t have to do that. My actions are not your burden." He said, quietly. Then he glanced back at Lex. “You’re serious. You promise?”

Lex answered firmly. "Yes, I promise."

Clark bit at his lip, studying Lex. Then he leant over and touched Lex's lips with his own, hesitantly at first. Then he pressed harder, turning it into a bruising kiss. His hands reached out to clutch at Lex's shoulders. He squeezed his eyes hard, to force back the frustrated tears, but a single drop managed to spill out of his eye. He blinked it away and pulled back, unsure of himself. His hands loosened their hold on Lex's shoulders and slid off.

"Really?" He asked and winced inwardly. He must have sounded like a whiny child. His gaze wavered to the side. He was unsure of himself and didn't want to look at Lex.

Lex wrapped his arms around his shoulder and pulled him close. Clark hesitated, then hugged Lex back. He rested his head on Lex's shoulder, feeling all the fears and frustrations die down a bit.

He felt safe.

For the moment.

"Yes," He heard Lex repeat his answer softly. "I promise."

**************

“So what it is that you’re saying that the car hit exactly?” Lex asked the investigator as he leaned forward in his seat. He was back in his office and there were some loose ends to tie. He flipped through the report in his hand and then looked intently into the eyes of the man in front of him.

The man squirmed a little under the severe stare and answered, “The tests are inconclusive. It could have been a large animal, like a deer, but most possibly a human being. Threads from clothing materials were found between the cracks in the windscreen. Plus, evidence shows that something about the size of an adult human could have made such a big impact on the glass.”

The man flipped at the notes. “Although between the times the car went missing and when it was recovered, there was no reported incidence of a hit-and- run. I didn’t look into any police reports in the other counties because I assumed the car didn’t have time to travel to nearby counties.”

Lex nodded. “Well, the car thief must have reached over and rubbed at the cracks with his sleeve or something. The man was crazy after all. I wouldn’t put those actions beyond him.” He watched the man in front of him loosened his body in relief. The investigator was looking forward to receiving the payment for this job and moving on to the next. Lex was sure of that. He didn’t want anyone to linger over the suspicious circumstances of this evidence. Not like what Nixon did last time.

He reached over the table and shook the investigator’s hand. “Well, thank you for coming. I’ll notify the Sheriff regarding the possibility of the car being involved in a hit-and-run, but I doubt it. Good work. I find the test results to be satisfying.”

The man got up and left.

“The test results were satisfying and very surprising indeed.” Lex said to himself. He glanced at the report and noted the colour of the threads. Red.

Just like the shirt Clark had been wearing that day.

Clark would certainly need Lex to watch over him. Perhaps he would need some guidance from Lex in return.

After all, Lex did promise him.

And he always kept his promises.

THE END