A.N: Based on the spoilers for Luthor. This fic is actually a companion fic to another fic by the same title. When I set out to write this, I found it difficult to write both Clark's experience in each world together. So I decided it'd be easier and more interesting to write as two seperate stories that went together. So this is the PG/PG-13 companion fic to the NC-17 fic by the same name. There is no specific order in which you have to read the stories. You can read this one first or the other one and it doesn't really matter.
Heaven or Hell
Today was a nightmare.
He paced the wooden floor of his bedroom in frustration and confusion. It didn't make sense. How did he end up in this world? Everything was so different. It was darker. He looked down at the clothes he was wearing. Even his clothing was all of the black variety. There wasn't an ounce of color in his closet.
Sadly, he realized how much he fit in this place dressed the way he was.
Clark Luthor.
How the hell had that happened?
He woke up that morning, in bed with two random women, and fearing that Red Kryptonite had been involved. But it was something much worse. He wasn't even home anymore. He wasn't in his world. He was in a parallel universe. And in this world, he was a Luthor. Calculated and menacing. Just like his father.
His father.
Lionel Luthor was his father in this world.
Clark had been able to figure out that in this world, Jonathan and Martha Kent hadn't found his spaceship on the day of the meteor shower. He flopped back on his bed and raked his hand through his hair.
There was nothing good about him in this world, he realized. He was evil, worst than Lex. He'd exploited his own powers. Clark closed his eyes and leaned forward. He clasped his hands in front of him.
If only he could get back home.
And then he heard it.
Her heartbeat.
He'd trained himself to look for it over the past few months. That way he'd always know if she was okay or not.
He jumped of the bed and made his way to the door. He threw it open and made his way into the dark hallway. The Luthor mansion never looked so dark to him.
He heard the tapping of her heels before she rounded the corner and braced himself for the first silver lining he'd received all day. Lois would help him. No matter what parallel universe he'd landed in, every version of Lois Lane helped him. He smiled and waited.
When she finally did round the corner, his smile became a frown. She wasn't alone. Oliver was with her. And Oliver had his arm wrapped around her waist.
Clark stood back in the shadows. They hadn't seen him yet. He sucked in a breath as they passed by him on their way toward the door. They were leaving. He watched her intently. She was still beautiful. He watched then sadly as Oliver opened the door for her. Before stepping through, Lois glanced back and searched the empty hallway. Clark pushed himself so far back into the wall he thought he'd crush it.
"Something wrong, Lois?" Oliver asked her.
"I thought…" She shook her head and grinned. "No. Nothing's wrong. Can we go home now?"
"I know you hate coming here…" Oliver continued leading her out the door and closing it behind him.
Clark activated his super hearing to hear the rest of their conversation.
"I just hate that you have to do business with that monster."
"Lionel Luthor is not a perfect person, Lois. But nothing has ever been proven against him."
"He killed Chloe, Oliver. We both know that."
"And we'll get him for it, Lois." Oliver soothed her. "We'll get them both."
Clark snapped out of it.
"Chloe…" He mumbled to himself.
"Clark? Son?"
He looked up and found Lionel standing in the doorway of the library.
"Can you come here for a second? I want to show you something."
Clark nodded mutely and followed him inside before closing the door.
The Daily Planet.
It was still intimidating from the outside.
He was surprised to find out that the Luthor's owned it. But that shouldn't have been a shock. Lionel Luthor owned half of Metropolis. And the other half was to be given to his heir. In this case, that was Clark Luthor.
He'd made the mistake that morning of asking about Lex.
Lionel had laughed and asked if he'd lost his memories again.
He went on to tell him that Lex had died a few years ago. In Lionel's words, it had been a tragic accident full of irony when the heir to the Luthor Empire had met his demise by falling out of his LuthorCorp office window.
Clark had come to the Daily Planet to dig up the archives from that day.
But then he saw her. She was in the bullpen sitting at her desk.
He watched her stand up and realized she was heading for the storage room. He matched her step for step on the opposite side of the room and waited until she went inside to follow her and lock the door behind him.
She turned around and glared. "What are you doing here?"
"Lois…" He breathed in as he crossed the floor and wrapped himself around her tightly. He felt her stiffen for a second until she placed her hands between them and pushed him off her.
"Get away from me, Clark."
And then he saw it. What he'd mistaken for anger was actually fear in her eyes. He saw it when her eyes flicked to the door behind him.
"Why are you so afraid of me?"
She snapped her eyes back to him. "Are you seriously asking me that question right now?"
"Lois?"
"No." She stepped back holding a hand up between them. "You lost the right to touch me a long time ago."
He took a step back nodding. He didn't understand but the first step in proving that he wouldn't hurt her was to actually listen. So he stood back and watched her. Then he saw it. When she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he couldn't miss the glistening as the light touched her finger. The diamond sparkled on her hand almost mocking him.
She watched him as he stared at her intently. It took her a moment to realize what he was looking at.
"Yes." She nodded. "Oliver proposed."
Clark felt like he'd been punched with a fist full of kryptonite. He'd suddenly lost all the air inside him and was having difficulty breathing.
"And we're happy." She continued.
She was adding salt to the wound, he knew. It was her form of defense. And if he didn't know her so well, he'd actually have believed her.
But he did know her. And he knew her well enough to see through the lie. She trembled beneath his gaze and he realized she wasn't just afraid of him but of herself too. She didn't trust herself with him.
Clark couldn't hold back any longer. He had to touch her.
Lifting a hand, he placed it under her chin and pushed her face up gently to look at him. "Are you?"
"Clark…Please don't do this."
"I'm sorry, Lois. But I can't help it."
He closed the gap between them. He felt her sigh when their lips touched. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up on the only table in the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and matched him kiss for kiss.
Clark realized how glad he was for locking the door when he'd walked in.
She touched her tongue to the seam of his lips and he allowed her access to the inner crevices of his mouth. He saw fireworks behind his eyes. It didn't matter what reality, parallel or not, Lois was always a constant.
He pulled back to get a good look at her and smiled softly at her swollen lips. She was completely flushed. When she opened her eyes, they widened.
"No. No…No…No…"
She pushed him off her and hopped off the table fixing the skirt of her dress. She smoothed down her hair and walked toward the door.
"Lois."
"Clark." She cut him off. "I'm marrying Oliver. He's a good man."
"But…"
"I promised I'd always love you." She continued with her hand on the door handle. "But I can't stand by and watch you lose any more of the humanity you have left."
"I don't…"
"You chose being a Luthor over loving a Lane." She shrugged. "And I understand that. Family is important. I can't be with you knowing what your father has done and how you've helped cover it up."
She let a small whimper escape and realized she had to get out of there before he saw her crying. Again.
"I'm sorry, Clark." She opened the door. "Goodbye."
"I'm not him."
He hadn't meant for that piece of information to slip out. But he was losing her and he couldn't let that happen. She was the only person in this world he could trust. He needed her on his side.
"What?"
"I'm not…your Clark…"
"What are you saying?"
He closed the gap between them and pushed the door closed locking it behind her again. "I'm from another universe. I woke up this morning and everything was different…darker. I'm not him. My name is Clark Kent."
"Kent?" She asked softly. "As in Jonathan Kent?"
He nodded. "That's my dad."
"But how?"
"I don't know." He shook his head. "I've been trying to figure it out all day but none of it makes sense."
"Clark…"
"All I know is that in this world…" He turned to face her again. "I'm a monster."
She walked up to him and touched his face softly. He leaned into her touch.
"Not all of you." She answered smiling softly. "There's a part of you, in this world, that is still very human. You just choose to suppress it."
"Why?" He asked.
"Because of your father."
He touched her hand and lowered it from his face. He held it gently between them.
"And us?" He asked looking into her eyes. "What did I do that made you so afraid of me?"
She shook her head. "You really aren't him."
"I'm not."
"This is crazy." She said biting her lip to hold back a grin. "I should have known. You were different. More gentle."
"Have I…" He corrected himself. "Has he hurt you, Lois?"
She shook her head again. "Clark wouldn't hurt me. Not physically at least."
She let her hand drop from his.
"Then what happened?" He asked. "Between you two."
"When my cousin was murdered…"
"Chloe Sullivan."
She turned around to face him in shock. "You know her?"
"She was my best friend."
"Was?"
"She's alive." He continued. "She's just gone right now."
Lois nodded not asking for him to elaborate. "When she was murdered...I found out it was Lionel who had ordered the explosion on her safe house."
Clark watched her as she crossed her arms in front of her.
"What happened?"
"His son…" She grunted out shaking her head. "He helped cover it up. He befriended me when I got to town and we…fell in love. He kept me away from the investigation and contaminated any evidence I found. He said it was to protect me…but really…he was just protecting his father. That's where his loyalty will always be anyway."
Clark waited knowing there was more to the story.
"And one night…he told me he killed Chloe. And he threatened me." She looked up at him. "I haven't talked to Clark Luthor in years. Not really. I avoid him like the plague. And then Oliver came to town…and we started dating and the rest is history."
"And now you and Oliver are engaged."
She nodded.
"Lois, do you think I? That he…?"
She shook her head. "No way. Clark Luthor is a womanizer. He's a jackass and a conceited bastard but he's not a murderer."
Clark nodded.
"Clark, he's trying to get his approval from daddy big bucks."
"And Lex?"
She lowered her gaze sadly.
"Lois?"
"Lex Luthor was a good man."
He was taken aback by that revelation. "He…was?"
She nodded. "Yeah. He…I've never told anyone this…but Lex was my informant. Until he died."
"Do you know what happened?"
"He was scared that night." She continued. "He came to see me. He gave me a key with a symbol on it. A V… but I never could figure out what it was. He told me to keep it safe and I tried to but Lionel came and he found it and…he just knew that Lex had given it to me. Next thing I know…the street's blocked off and Lex Luthor's body is on the pavement outside of LuthorCorp."
"So Lionel killed Lex too?"
She opened her mouth to speak but chose to just nod. "I think so."
"Do I…?" He closed his eyes in frustration. "Does he know?"
Lois shook her head. "Lionel had a disgruntled former employee framed."
"Who?"
"Gabe Sullivan."
"Chloe's dad?"
"He made it seem like revenge. Lionel killed his kid, so Gabe killed Lex. Except I know my uncle. I know he didn't do it."
"And I… he believed it because the rest of the world did." Clark affirmed.
"It wasn't his fault." Lois shrugged. "Lionel's been manipulating him since…he was a kid."
Clark snapped his eyes to her. "Lionel adopted Clark…"
She nodded. "Yeah. In 1989 when he was three."
"Do you know… about….?"
Lois pointed up nodding unsurely. "I do."
"So then you know…?"
"Yes."
"You didn't say anything."
"It wasn't my secret to tell." She shrugged. "My Clark trusted me to tell me the truth about him once. I've kept that secret for years despite us being on the opposite sides. I wasn't going to betray that."
"So he trusts you."
She nodded.
"Lois, what aren't you telling me?"
Her face crumpled. "I can't tell you."
"Lois…"
"It's dangerous, Clark." She cut him off. "I haven't told him…I'm not going to tell you."
"But?"
"I have to go." She said walking toward the door again. "I'll keep your secret. And I hope you find your way home. But as of right now…nothing's changed. We're still on opposite sides."
"Lois, I want to help you bring justice to Lionel."
She stopped. "You want to help? Go talk to your sister. Convince her to let me write the story."
"My sister?"
"Tess Luthor." She answered. "Lionel's daughter."
She walked out of the room leaving him with another revelation he wasn't ready for.
Sending a message to Tess had been easier than he expected. He asked her to meet him at what used to be the Kent farm before the foreclosure. He stalked up the steps in the darkness and found her staring out the window. Her arms were crossed as she stared at the land intently.
"Tess?"
"I've missed you."
She turned around and smiled walking toward him she closed the gap between them. She touched his face and leaned up kissing him softly. Clark's eyes widened and he pushed her back.
"Wha?"
He heard something fall behind him and saw Lois was standing at the base of the stairs.
Tess looked at her glared. "What are you doing here?"
He looked between the two women. Lois shook her head and turned to walk back down.
"Lois…"
He went to go after her but Tess stopped him. "Let her go, Clark. You know that she's only trying to destroy us."
He shrugged her hand off him and followed Lois down the stairs.
"Wait! Lois…stop!"
She did and turned around to face him.
"I can't believe I believed you."
"Lois…"
"And here you are…with Tess."
"I came to talk to her. Lois, she kissed me."
"Right. How convenient."
"Lois…"
"I'm done. Clark Kent. Luthor. Whoever the hell you want to be this week. I'm done."
She turned and walked out of the barn.
He sighed as he watched her leave. He'd never wanted to kill his doppelganger so much in his life.
Lois lay on her couch.
She didn't understand how she could be so upset after being left disappointed by Clark…again. It was a recurring factor with them. He built her up only to let her crash down around him. It was all a game to him.
She heard her phone ring signaling she had a text message.
You want me to come over?
-Hood
She typed a quick response about going to sleep early and seeing him tomorrow before putting her phone back on the small table in front of her.
A knock on the door made her roll her eyes.
"Oliver…" She groaned as she walked toward the door. "I told you I was…"
She opened the door and finished her sentence. "…Going to sleep…"
Clark stood on the other side with his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans. He was wearing a t-shirt and she smiled. The last time he'd worn one, he was eighteen.
"Clark…"
"I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize." She shrugged. "It's not like we're together or anything."
He nodded. "But in my world, we are."
She eyed him curiously as he continued. "In my world, you're everything…"
She stood off to the side, allowing him to come in.
"You're still going with that story, huh?" She laughed softly.
"It's not a story, Lois." He continued. "I am from another world."
She nodded. "How do you get back?"
"I don't know…" He sighed. "I don't even know if I can. I have nowhere else to go."
"You could stay here." She shrugged. "The couch is comfy."
"Wouldn't Oliver mind?"
"Mind what?" She asked. "I'm helping out a friend."
He smiled. "Thank you."
"Goodnight Clark."
"Goodnight Lois."
The next time he opened his eyes he was at Watchtower. He looked around himself. It had been destroyed. Clark felt the agonizing pain and groaned. There was kryptonite all around him. He looked up to see who was holding it and his eyes widened.
"Lois…?"
He knew he was home.
"Clark?"
She dropped the arrow and ran toward him. She dropped to her knees in front of him as he collapsed in her arms.
"Oh my God, Clark…we thought…"
He nodded. "I know. Did he hurt you?"
"Not physically."
He cringed. That was the same thing the Lois from the alternate universe had said. He hated that there was a version of himself capable of hurting her in any way.
"Oliver…" Lois called out. "The kryptonite. Get rid of it."
"Lois…how do we know?"
"Just do it!"
He nodded taking the arrow she'd tossed and the one Tess was holding toward the lead lined cabinet. He snapped it closed and Clark instantly felt better. He held Lois closer to himself needing to feel her there.
"Clark…" She called his name softly. "You're okay…everything's okay now…"
He nodded slowly and looked up at her.
"I love you, Lois."
"I love you too, Smallville."
She smiled pushing his hair back as they stayed on the floor of a destroyed Watchtower. She looked up at Oliver and Tess mouthing 'thank you'. They nodded softly. Lois turned back to the man in her arms. He was home and in her arms. Right where he belonged.