Ward thought about his life his real one and the one that Hydra put in his head with their own version of T.A.H.I.T.I. floated in the sky looking at his reflection in building's window. He died at the hands of Phil Coulson and was revived by the rays of the sun. The Fortress of Solitude his father's creation had with the use of it's automated machines recovered his body in deep space and began the process of healing his body and mind after the Earth's sun revived him.
It wasn't easy sorting his head out along with the mess of memories trying to figure out what memories were fake and which weren't. It was all a massive cover up and conspiracy made to control him. Hydra just didn't count on his powers going dormant so they kept him as Grant Ward everyone else he knew in his past his brothers and parents for example were just part of a mass of false memories.
His name the one his adopted parents gave him anyway was Clark Kent and he'd been raised in Smallville Kansas. He'd just finished college when Hydra nabbed him and messed with his mind. They took everything from him his freedom and his identity they even killed his parents. He had nothing left no home in Smallville it had been bought and sold to someone else in his absence.
"Why do I even bother." Clark muttered looking at his reflection his days were mostly just zooming around the globe and laying low he tried keeping a low profile when he could. He spent most of his days just living in the Fortress of Solitude learning about his people their history and technology he did give serious thought though to just leaving Earth finding a way to move the Fortress after all he had nothing left "To make matters worse you had to go and change on me didn't you?" Clark said to the building well not the building itself rather the owner a ghost from his past he hoped he'd never have to see again.
There was one final thing he had to do before he made the decision to leave Earth he had to stop a virus that would kill every inhuman well anyone carrying the Inhuman gene to be specific. He just never thought of all the people to make something like that it would be someone he once regarded as a friend.
"How could it be you." Clark's tone of voice grew sadder and he closed his eyes as he thought about the better times back when he was Grant Ward at least before Hydra resurfaced. He flew up to a Balcony on the top floor where a penthouse was located he saw a man with no hair standing on the other side of the room. The man with no hair dressed in a nice black suit with a white shirt and black tie "So you finally came Ward or is it Superman now? Ironic isn't it? The people of the world see you as a savior they'd shudder and tremble if they knew what you've done. Our relationship actually reminds me of a poem one of my favorites it goes, I was angry with my friend I told my wrath my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe I told my wrath not my wrath did grow." He paused and to his surprise his former friend finished it for him.
"And I watered it in fears, night and morning with my tears, and I sunned it with smiles, and with soft deceitful wiles. And it grew both day and night. Till it bore an apple bright. Any foe beheld it shine. And he knew that it was mine. And into my garden stole. When the night had veiled the pole. In the morning glad I see-"
The man in the suit turned around his face none other than Leo Fitz and finished the poem "My foe stretched out before me."
Clark took a look at his former friend it had been years since they last saw each other. He couldn't begin to imagine how Fitz became this but still he asked "How did this happen to you that you'd become this? How did you become this Fitz and what's with the American accent?"
His old friend glared at him "My name is not Fitz, you see the man I believed was my father was part of a kidnapping ring he kidnapped me from my real parents when I was a baby and when his whole operation fell apart he left me with the woman I thought was my mother the woman who raised me to be weak. I met my real father though Lionel Luthor. The revelations I've been hit with were so damaging I resolved to start over and reinvent myself so I cast aside everything that made and reminded me of that weakling Leo Fitz. You can call me Lex Luthor from now on."
"So how did Simmons react?" Clark couldn't help but feel shock it was like speaking to someone completely different.
"Well here's the funny part Lionel Luthor my father eventually came to blows with Shield, Coulson and the rest discovered the truth about me in due course they hid the truth to keep my loyalties from becoming divided unfortunately for them I found out the truth by accident." Lex walked over to a table with scotch he poured himself a glass. "I was faced with a harsh truth they never respected me. All I ever was to him was a lab tech so I paid their duplicity in kind. I helped my father grind Shield into the dust and he helped me reinvent myself as his son. Unfortunately, Simmons thinking my father corrupted me killed my father just like the bitch did in the framework, that's another story though anyway, I put my hands around her neck and I strangled the life out of her."
"How could you kill her she lov-"
Lex threw the glass of scotch against his wall "That bitch never loved me! I never was anything to her she left me when I had brain damage! She slept with Will on Maveth and hid it from me! She did nothing but lie to me and break my heart and I'm just supposed to let her keep doing it? I had to make her pay!"
"What happened to Skye, May, and Coulson?"
Lex smirked as he shook his head "I killed them. I sabotaged Daisy's gauntlets, I poisoned May while she was on a mission and I lead Coulson into a death trap. I even systematically killed off anyone who knew me as Leo Fitz. It had to be done though."
The sight of Lex so calmly talking about their deaths filled him with disgust "How could you do that? They were your friends and like family-"
"Well remember what you did? How you sent me to me to the depths of the ocean? I remember you saying you did care but that it was a weakness when I learned how my so called family had betrayed me and lied to me I remembered your words and I had an epiphany. You were right."
"No, I wasn't." Clark shook his head disturbed he played a part however small in creating the monster standing in front of him "I wasn't even myself back then."
"You sure about that?" Lex walked up to him placing his hand on Clark's chest "How certain are you that Grant Ward isn't who you really are? The Framework showed me who I am after all."
"I am nothing like you." Clark's tone grew angry.
"We're more alike than you care to admit. I admit when I learned you were alive and a super hero no less I about died laughing. The truth you've never been able to face even when you were Ward is that there is a darkness in you. You are just are too afraid to admit the truth."
"You are right." Clark nodded "I was not a good man back then. So please I'm begging you do not go down the path I did. I lost everything and if I could take it all back I would. You pay for it in the end like I did like I still am. I live with the guilt everyday."
Lex nodded his head, acknowledging his old friend's words "You know, Daisy she preached peace and other idealistic nonsense but she had a violent and sadistic streak I remember there was this one time with this man he was part of the Watch Dogs, Daisy stopped his truck and she used her powers to scare him. Looking back on it that should have been the first red flag for me. Sadly, I realized the truth about her before it was too late Inhumans and other aliens like them are not friends but enemies."
"So there's nothing I can say to stop you from killing millions of people?"
Lex chuckled "People? Do you have any idea how many Inhuman related crimes occur in the United States only to be covered up by the mainstream media? Those are not people they are animals and they need to be put down so that humanity can survive! You taught me to be ruthless Ward but Shield, Shield taught me to do whatever it takes."
"Your completely insane."
"I suppose you would think that." Lex shrugged "You are an alien after all at least Daisy was born on this planet if the rumors about Superman are true you aren't even from this solar system much less this Galaxy."
"This planet is still-"
"What? The place you were raised? Please you lost any claim to that kind of sentiment the moment you were part of Hydra. I don't care if you were brainwashed or misguided, Hydra worshipped Hive! An inhuman just like Daisy."
"Don't you understand? We are all that's left! If you did kill them Lex we are all that's left of our old team. I don't want us to be enemies not enemy more please stop this Lex it's not too late."
"You know it's funny you'd mention the old team because if any of them were still around they'd be hunting you! The only reason you are able to walk free is because I killed everyone connected to Shield! Not one of them would care that you've saved thousands with your powers not one of them would care that you have changed!"
Clark nodded in agreement "Maybe but they wouldn't care for who you've become that much I know. I came here hoping I could reach you hoping there was some remnant of the man I use to know I hoped you hadn't fully become a self-glorifying genocidal maniac."
Lex's eyes grew colder more distant like he was becoming more of a monster the more heated their conversation got "By the way I forgot you know how I found out about my real parentage? The rocks that emit a strange radiation they came from your planet I believe I was exposed to massive amount of its radiation and lost my hair and got cancer. Pretty crappy trade right? I found out no one in my fake family on either side matched and then a funny thing happened my fake mom sobbingly confessed the truth and I confided in Simmons and then she tries to act like she was hearing it for the first time. Except I saw through her act and I kept pressing and pressing until I found out my real dad's bone marrow could save me and here's the kicker they tried to stop me they said I shouldn't try reaching out to a man like Lionel Luthor."
"Except you did and he saved your life. That's when everything happened like you said before am I right Lex?"
"Yes you are right Superman. I think it's only appropriate I call you that now since I strongly suspect Grant Ward isn't your real name but I'll figure that out soon enough. Tell me how does it feel to be cast into hell only rise from the dead like Jesus of Nazareth?"
"I didn't ask humanity to start looking at me as a savior Lex."
"I don't see you hiding from it though old friend."
"Good bye Lex I'm sorry we couldn't resolve this peacefully but I will stop you." Superman then as if not moving vanished.
"Very impressive Superman." Lex spoke somewhat impressed he then turned his attention to his view of the city of Metropolis watching the rising sun "It appears the new dawn of a new age is upon us but which age will it be yours Superman or will it be mine? We are after all all that remains."