Hazard

Disclaimer: Superman created by Siegel & Shuster, god rest their souls. Smallville owned by Warner Bros.

Music flowed through the dingy old Gotham bar, the lyrics of the song haunting him. Other people, hearing such tragic lyrics so eerily mirroring their own lives, would have done their best to never have to listen to it again. But not this man. The song: music, melody, lyrics and beat; defined him. It was who he was. It was all he had left.

Without it he was an empty shell. All that was left of he who was once Lex Luthor.

I ran into a hazard when I was just seven
Even then the folks in town looked with a prejudiced eye
'That boy's not right.'

Actually he was nine when the meteors struck, but even before that people had looked at him differently. Because of his name. Because of his father. He had often wondered what life for him would have been like in a normal family. Perhaps that was why he had liked Clark so much. It was what could have been.

Three years ago when I came to know Mary
First time that someone looked beyond the rumours and the lies
Saw the man inside.

Three years? No, a lifetime. And her name wasn't Mary. Not that it would have mattered to him what her name was, just that she was special to Lex. She could have been a Sue, or an Angela, or a Lana,... or a Chloe. ~God I miss you, love!~

We used to walk down by the river
She loved to watch the sun go down
We used to walk along the river
And dream a way out of this town.

They hadn't often gone for walks by the river, or anywhere else, but a river was where his life in Smallville had started. And ended. ~And you did love watching sunsets. Especially from my bedroom window.~

No one understood what I felt for Mary ~Chloe~
No one cared until the night she went walking on alone
And never came home.

The night she never came home. There was, of course, a reason for her wanting to be alone that night. After all, marriage does require serious consideration. Especially considering the family she would be becoming a part of. Gabe had called him at two in the morning, demanding the return of his daughter. Like all of Smallville, Gabe had found it hard to believe that Lex actually felt anything for Chloe. The common theory was that she was some kind of pawn in the endless feud that was the family Luthor. And ultimately she was.

Man with a badge came knocking next morning
Here I was surrounded by a thousand fingers suddenly
Pointed right at me.

Her body was found at 10:03. It was a number he would always remember. There was enough evidence at the scene for an open and shut case against him. His doom was sealed. Everyone he saw looked at him with suspicion and hate. Even Clark.

I swear I left her by the river
I swear I left her safe and sound
I need to make it to the river
And leave this old Nebraska ~Kansas~ town.

I think about my life gone by
and how its done me wrong
There's no escape for me this time
All of my rescues ago
Oh no.

Lex had sat in his cell for nine hours, during which time he'd had all of two visitors before the van came to transport him to Metropolis. The first was his father. For just a moment, Lex had believed that it was all a misunderstanding, that everything would be all right again. But than he'd caught the look on his misbegotten father's face. Smug satisfaction. All Lex's plans to get out from under Lionel's shadow and wrest control of LuthorCorp away from him had literally died with Chloe. Lionel left quickly, with echoes of vile epithets ringing in his ears. 'Murdering bastard' was the mildest name being screamed by the man who was now denying his parentage.

Lex had screamed and ranted until the arrival of his second and last visitor. Clark's face had been full of doubt when he first entered the cell. What he had seen in the madness of his friend's eyes, Lex still didn't know, but soon he'd found himself enveloped in flannel, an apology being made. And a silent promise...

Soon after, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, between Smallvile and Metropolis, Lex's transport had come to a jarring halt. Sounds of pain had sounded from without and Lex had readied himself in case it was a hit squad sent by the Bastard to finish the job. Locks clicked and clanked, and suddenly the door was open and a saviour climbed in. His only remaining friend. While unlocking Lex's cuffs, Clark had simply said. "Don't ask. Just go. One day I'll find the truth, I promise you that! And then I'll find you, no matter where. Just go!"

And Lex ran. The first few weeks were a nightmare as the manhunt for him expanded and intensified, but somehow he made it through. And now, years later, he was still running.

With that cheery thought in mind, Lex finished his drink, pulled his woollen hat further down over his ears and made his way out into the bleak Gotham streets. Twenty minutes later he was curled up in his now customary box in the back of an alley, awash in the pink neon light from a strip joint across the road. Lex grumbled and tried to sleep. Some unknown time later, he awoke. A lifetime of living in the shadows had gifted him with a light sleep. A shadow was blocking the neon, and judging by the shape of it being cast on the wall, the shadow belonged to a man. Lex reached for his knife.

"Don't bother." Mr Shadow's voice was deep, charismatic and forceful. One that was used to being obeyed, but not through fear. Respect.

Lex smirked in wry amusement as he looked the figure up and down. Red cape, blue tights, 'S' shield, hovering a foot above the filth. It was him, alright. "Hello, Clark."

Clark's eyes widened in surprise, then he smiled. "I should've known you'd figure it out."

"Not much of a disguise, really. But then I never saw you wearing glasses until after you joined the spandex brigade. So what brings you to my little corner of the world?"

"You were noticed by... a friend of mine."

"The bat?"

"Yeah. Knowing our history, he thought I might like to deal with you personally."

"And just how are you going to deal with me?" Lex was wary.

Clark frowned. "I made you a promise, Lex. And I intend to keep it."

"When?"

"Soon. Very soon, now I promise. In the meantime, I suggest you leave Gotham. He doesn't like fugitives."

"That figures. I'll leave in the morning. Now, do you mind? I'm trying to get some sleep here." The wry grin belied the bite of his words, but still Clark looked concerned.

"When was the last time you slept in a bed? Or had a decent meal?"

Yawning, Lex said, "I dunno. Last month?"

"Here." A wad of cash was pressed into his hand. "I owe you this and much more. Your last night in Gotham should at least be comfortable. So, go. And remember, I'll find you again, soon." And with that, he was gone.

Lex watched the thin strip of stars between the buildings for time, "Man of Steel?" He shook his head and laughed. "You old softie."

And with that he pulled himself up and followed a friend's advice.

Fin.