Title: Power
Author: MelBee1985
Pairing: Chlex
Rating: R (to be safe)
Spoilers: Set 1 week after Fracture. No spoilers beyond that.
Summary: After finding out about Chloe's ability, she becomes his new obssession.
Disclaimer: You all know... Not mine, not yours... only theirs!
A/N: First real FF by myself... it's frightening. Ok, so might not be perfect, but been working on it ALOT and I'm tired of proof reading... so hope it's enjoyable
Special thanks to Cy and to Skauble who helped me ALOT (even if Cy scares me a little ) Thanks to the peeps in the chatroom over Naughty-Seduction and my lovely Jade!
PS: Reviews, reviews, reviews!
Chapter 1
"I can save him." Lionel looked back at Chloe, slightly frowning. "How?" "Just trust me, Mr. Luthor. I can." Chloe's hand reached nervously towards Lex's chest. As her fingers touched his flesh, a glowing light seemed to pass through Chloe's body to Lex's. After few seconds, her body collapsed on the floor, seemingly inanimated. And as she was collapsing, the bullet that Lex had received between his eyes fell on the floor, as if time was rewinding. In a heartbeat, Lex Luthor had gone from dead to alive.
Taking a sip of the drink he had in his hand, Lex pressed play once more. Sitting at his desk, his eyes never left the screen. He had spent the last hour watching this very short video, which he had been able to retrieve from his father's computer, over and over.
The most astonishing fact was seeing with his very own eyes the bullet being removed from his skull. For once, he had actual proofs of a mysterious event that had happen to him. Lex was glad his father hadn't been careful enough to dispose of some clips of that event. It allowed him to have concrete leverage he could use against him, but also against Chloe, Clark and the doctor present on the scene. And when the time would come, he would use those with precious care.
Placing the drink on the desk, Lex stared at the screen for a moment and sighed. It had been one week since he'd waken up in the hospital, feeling perfectly fine. Too fine. And it was what ticked him off. He thought about what his father had told him at the hospital, how he had lied to him. He let out a sarcastic laugh at the thought. Lex knew better than trusting his father.
I can save him.
More interesting than his own father though, was Chloe Sullivan. It wasn't just the fact that she had shown the potential he and his scientists had seen in her, but it was also the very ability she seemed to possess. He hypothesized she was a healer and of all the abilities he had studied, this one had such power. The power to resurrect someone from the dead. It was unclear what were the extension of her ability, but it was a detail he intended on finding out.
Why. Why had she saved him? He couldn't figure out why she hadn't concentrated her efforts on only bringing back Clark to life. From his point of view, Chloe had no logical to have sacrificed herself for him, none that he could think of. Yet, she had saved both; the person she loved and the one she loathed.
There had been a time when he wouldn't have expected anything less from her. They never had been close, but once upon a time, they were able to trust or at least respect each other. He had always admired her courage and tenacity, especially when she had decided to help Lex to bring Lionel Luthor down, despite being warned by him about the possible dangers. And for that, he would have done anything to save her, even if it had cost his own life.
Lex shook his head slightly. This was in the past; nothing he still cared about. It'd been buried so deep in his mind that the emotional content attached to the thoughts had vanished a long time ago.
Sighing, Lex stood up and poured himself a glass of cognac then walked back to his desk. He took a sip of his drink and opened a file on his computer, selecting another video. This one wasn't much about what was seen, but mostly what was told.
Clark regained consciousness and leaved the platform he was on, walking towards Lionel. "I know where they are." He looked down and saw an unconscious Chloe. "Chloe. What happened?" Lionel was holding Chloe on the floor, looking rather worried. "We need a doctor." Clark's expression slightly changed as he shook his head. "No, no, no. No doctors. Just get her to her apartment." "Clark, she's barely alive." "Trust me, doctors can do nothing for her. Just get her home."
Interesting. So according to this, it wasn't the first time Chloe had used her ability. Lex made a mental note to find out how often this had occurred. He'd always kept an eye on her since he'd discover she was infected with meteor rocks, but had apparently failed to notice the new developments.
"Mr Luthor?"
Lex was suddenly taken back to reality. Without saying a word, his head lifted slightly from the screen and looked at the man at the doors.
Unsure if it was an invitation or not to come in the study, the man made only few steps, then stopped. "I'm sorry to bother you at this late hour, but I wanted to give you a report about project Phoenix."
"Close the doors."
The man did as requested and walked over Lex's desk. Lex looked at him and leaned forward slightly, waiting for his report. "So, are you bringing me some good news or can I expect to find a new person responsible for the project, Dr Wilson?"
"Well, I have a good new, indeed." The doctor opened his leather case and gave Lex a file. "We located the building where the experiments took place. It's about 40 minutes outside Smallville."
"I want a team to go investigate right now." Lex laid back on his chair, looking slightly more relaxed, yet still looking serious. "I'm sure my father took precautions and I'm not expecting much from this building. But, just in case, I want that place searched inch by inch." He looked directly in Dr Wilson's eyes. "Is that understood?"
"Good. So what is the bad news now?"
The doctor made a step back and lowered his head. "Well, huh… We haven't been able to retrieve anything else from your father's computer. There is nothing related to previous experiments and we didn't find anything related to Clark Kent, except what is on the two videos we found." The man paused, looking a little nervous. "We still don't know exactly what were the experiments about."
"I do", Lex said, sound seemingly annoyed. Waving his hand in the air, he added "It will be enough for tonight. Send a team as soon as possible and keep me posted."
"Yes, sir." The doctor turned around and walked towards the doors.
Lex watched the doctor leaving and closing the doors once more. His gaze turned to the computer screen. He had only been able to retrieve two videos from his father's personal files, but from the little he'd seen, he did have an idea of what had happen. As the video was replaying itself, he stood up and walked towards the window, staring at the moon. Hearing Clark's voice in the background, Lex turned around and looked at the doors of his study.
He hadn't been surprised to see Clark storm in his study. After all, it was a really annoying habit he'd taken through the years. Accusing him of not telling him about Kara had also been totally expected and Lex had deflected the accusation using Lana's hate of him to be the reason he hadn't been able to reach Clark. Of course, they both knew it was a lie, but at this point, he didn't care much about what the great Clark Kent thought of him. He'd given up on their friendship a long time ago and that was probably the only true thing he'd tell Clark that evening. But while Lex had remained cold and unaffected, Clark had said one thing that had threw him off balance mentally: There's still good inside of you. Let that voice lead you back to it. It had been unexpected and Lex hadn't understand why he had felt the sudden urge to tell him that, mostly after everything that had happen in the last year and a half. Why now?
And it was only after watching the videos that Lex made the connection. I know where they are. That had been the key sentence. That's when he knew that what his father had created a machine that allowed someone to read into someone else's mind. This explained how Clark had been able to find Kara and Lois. This was why he'd told Lex he knew there was still good in him, looking at him as if he'd seen a ghost of the past. Something that used to be in Lex.
The thought that Clark had invaded his mind, making his way into his intimate thoughts, irritated Lex, as he drank the rest of his scotch in one shot and putting the glass hard on the desk. If there was one person that surely didn't deserve to know what was in his mind, it was Clark. And he wasn't going to let him get away with it. Lex intended on taking that new chance in life that Chloe had offered him to finish what he had started years ago. He intended to get to the bottom of the mystery that was Clark Kent. And by all means, he would.
After sitting back at his desk, slowly regaining his composure, Lex stopped the video that was actually playing and dialed a number on his phone.
"Anything new on the project?", he asked and looked somewhat annoyed by the answer given on the other side of the line. "Keep looking. I know that my father is keeping all the files on that project somewhere." His tone was cold and directive. "And find me that doctor, before my father makes sure he disappears for good."
Lex then hung up and dialed another number. He preferred to divide tasks and give them to different people, to avoid having projects being completely stolen or being stabbed in the back by someone. The less they knew, the better for him.
"Mr Whitman, it's Lex Luthor. Yes. I want you to send me the complete file on Chloe Sullivan and I want it on my desk by tomorrow morning."
As he spoke, Lex pressed play once more on the first video, still looking in fascination at Chloe's hand on his chest as she traded her life for his.
**
Daily Planet, Metropolis
The next day
Chloe was waiting on the other side of the line of the phone, starting to get impatient. Something was wrong with her computer and she couldn't even fix it herself . "Well, who should I blame for my server problems? I've been locked out of my files." She sighed. "Yes… I'm waiting… again…"
As she was waiting, Jimmy walked by her desk, a smile on his face. "Hey… Open my e-mail yet?"
"Hey", Chloe said with an annoyed tone.
It had been few weeks that they had split and this time she knew it was for good. Chloe had been a little anxious about how they would deal at work, but It had appeared that it didn't affect much Jimmy. Even less since Kara's return. Chloe placed her hand on the phone and looked over her ex, sighing softly, but still looking a little annoyed. "Sorry, Jimmy, I've been in I.T. Hell all morning. Some network issue has got me surfing the slow lane."
Before Jimmy could say anything back at her, she lifted her index at him, to stop him, as someone was finally on the other side of the line. "Yes? You found the pro…. What? Since when…" Chloe's face expression changed. "WHAT?"
Furious, Chloe hung up and left her desk, leaving a clueless Jimmy all by himself. She took the stairs and made her way to Lex's office, entering it without notice.
****
Lex was looking at his computer when Chloe stormed into his office. He glanced at her. "Chloe. I see some habits die hard. Are you here to welcome me to the Daily Planet or am I once again accused of some machinations of yours?" Lex was looking rather relax, his tone cold and composed as usual.
Chloe was rather annoyed by his attitude. She closed the door and made her way to his desk. Her hands were placed on her hips and she looked outraged. "I've been told by the I.T. Department that you've been monitoring everything that happens on the Daily Planet computers. You have no right to do that without permission!"
Lex chuckled. "Yes, in fact I do." He stood up and slowly made his way around his desk, trailing the tip of his fingers on the surface and walked over Chloe. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Daily Planet belongs to me. At least, that's what the papers say. I may be new to this, but I'm pretty sure that includes everything within these walls…" He leaned forward and added, with what she interpreted being like a victorious smirk on his face, "Including the content of my employee's computers."
There wasn't much Chloe could argue. She knew he was right. And that made her even more upset. All her files were there. Every files she had on the meteor freaks that had been collected over the past years. Her own file. His file. Of course, they were protected, but she knew it wasn't going to stop Lex and his highly trained technicians. She knew he would soon or later find a way to hack into her files. And she couldn't let that happen.
At his statement, Chloe crossed her arms and frowned in suspicions. "Everyone's or just mine, Lex?"
Lex raised one brow, slightly amused by her comment. "Why would I be specifically interested in the computer's content of a second hand journalist?"
"You tell me… Apparently, I'm the only one having problem with accessing my files." Chloe couldn't stand being so close to Lex. She could feel the anger burning inside her. He was lying and she knew it. Chloe took a step back and sighed, trying to calm down, but there was still annoyance in her tone. "Why don't you just tell me what the hell you're looking for…"
Lex let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Because you would actually answer my questions?"
Probably not. Chloe remained silent and sighed. This was getting nowhere. She was loosing time arguing with Lex. The best she could do was trying to find a way to access Lex's computer and hack into his system to delete her files. He was underestimating her if he thought she couldn't do it.
"That's what I thought. In this case, I guess we've reach a dead end." Lex waved his hand in the air, dismissing Chloe, as he walked back behind his desk. "I'll make sure your computer works properly in the next hour."
That smirk of his. She just hated it. She hated his confidence, the way he was so relaxed, knowing what power he had on her. Chloe didn't know how long she'd be able to work under his regiment. Would he ever leave her alone? She doubted it. She had to ask Clark to restraint his visit to the Daily Planet. It was getting dangerous for him. Of course, now she knew it wasn't safe anymore to send emails and she feared the cameras freshly installed in the basement had audio, so even calls would be risky. If Chloe was going to keep helping Clark, things would have to change.
"And I'll make sure yours doesn't", Chloe mumbled under her breath, as she made her way to the door.
"Are you threatening me, Miss Sullivan?"
Chloe stopped her motion towards the door. She cursed at herself for thinking out loud. His tone was dry, challenging. Miss Sullivan. He hadn't called her by her first name and she feared she might had jeopardized her whole career for one thought. Because she knew that with a blink of his eyes, he could have her on blacklist for any journal.
Finally, she turned around and looked at Lex. "I…"
Before Chloe could say anything, Lex stood up and put his palms on his desk, his eyes piercing Chloe's. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I don't think someone with such secrets as yours would be wise to do that."
Chloe's eyes didn't blink as she took a deep breath, remaining calm. "I don't know what you're talking about…"
A sardonic smile appeared at the corner of Lex's lips. raised his back and once again walked over Chloe. "Oh, but you do."
Chloe tensed up a little more. Lex took the opportunity to make a step closer.
Her eyes still met his, but she was starting to feel like suffocating. His words, his closure… it was just too much to handle. She needed to breathe, to get away. "I don't have to listen to this. I have work to do." Chloe finally broke the eye contact and turned to leave.
Lex grabbed her arm tightly. "No. You will listen." When her eyes met his again, he loosened his grip, but didn't let go. His tone remained dry as he spoke. "I'm sure your boss will understand."
Chloe moved her arm to get out of his grip. "What do you want from me?" Chloe let out, slightly breathing heavily.
"You are the secret keeper of everyone around you. Your mind contains valuable information, I have no doubt." Lex made a step forward. "But as much as those could interest me, I'm interested in one of your own for the moment."
"I think you have too much imagination. Unlike you, I don't have dark secrets buried in my mind." Chloe took a step back and he made two forwards. She took another step back and soon was backed up against the door. "Of course you do…"
Lex placed his left hand on the door, near Chloe's neck. "See, I bet that when I'll look in your crypted files, I will find some interesting information. Now, I am pretty sure that you were wise enough to avoid having anything related to Clark Kent. But as to what comes to you, you weren't as careful. Am I right?"
Chloe rolled her eyes. "You know, this obsession about Clark is getting rather redundant."
"Oh, but this isn't about Clark. It's about you." He leaned his face closer to hers. "And me." Lex retracted his hand, but remained inches from her.
"Tell me, Chloe. How did it make you feel to drain out your own life to resurrect me from the dead?"
