Title: My Kingdom: Foundation
Author: Tommy H aka Darkeyedresolve
Fandom: Smallvile Au
Pairing: Clex for now, Rumblings of Collie
Clark Kent stood in the loft of the old, red barn, he was alone except for the bales of hay that waited to be eaten by hungry cattle. Tension was evident in just the way he took a breath in short, shallow fashion. He had been waiting for this moment for the longest time, to finally tell Lex about his secret. To finally be honest with Lex, Clark would be free to further their relationship. The wooden, floor boards creaked under his constant pacing, his hands were stuffed into his jeans and his bottom lip was puffy from his gnawing at it. He was risking everything: his friends, his parents, not to mention his own well being if Lex decided to unveil Clark to the world.
"No, Lex said he protects his friends…" Clark replied to the growing doubts that seemed loud enough to be audible at this point.
That was the same answer he had given to his parent's worries, things had been fragile and strained since Clark brought it up. Jonathon was angry, he was upset, he was worried and he couldn't trust a Luthor with his son's life. They shouted at each other, Martha intervened as always but even she was wary of Clark's decision. Lex had been a mixed influence in their son's life: the young man brought joy to Clark but there was darkness that followed after the billionaire's footsteps. That darkness made it impossible to know how Lex would react though Jonathon had decided it would lead to Clark's downfall, Martha was more pragmatic but she hoped to her son would hold off till they could truly know Lex. Waiting was no longer an option to Clark; he had been telling lies to the Luthor since that fateful day on the bridge…those lies were a cancer on their relationship.
"Yes, our relationship…our friendship." Clark had that second secret to tell Lex and that one seemed to be more dangerous.
Clark had always hoped he would be with Lana one day, things were getting closer and closer to his childhood fantasies. The two had become so intimate but something had intervened, Clark's heart. He didn't expected a Lex Luthor to show up, decked out in his expensive clothing and worldly knowledge, and to seduce him into more forbidden desires. Clark hid from Lana Lang to protect her but Lex didn't need protection, Lex was man who would one day inherit a global organization and already had the brilliance to run it. Maybe that was the attraction, the farm boy had found someone he didn't need his protection…someone who didn't need his powers and could make him feel human.
'With all that Lex has seen maybe he won't think it is such a big deal.' Clark grunted at his own naivety, there is no one who wouldn't freak out about him being an alien.
The green eyed teenager let his heavy steps take him to the open loft window; the landscape looked so tranquil even with all the turbulence the Kent family was having. The afternoon was melting into evening; the sun splashed the fields in its golden drops of liquid light. Clark had been to Metropolis and seen the sights of the big city, but few things could compare to seeing the sunset out of the barn window at home. Even with gray clouds of depression hanging over his tall frame, the youth took in all the sensations that the sunset was giving him. Endless possibilities were laid out in the swaying fields, but Clark had taken the first steps to carving out his path. He wanted a life with Lex, which would mean other lives were forsaken.
"Usually the host is supposed to welcome the guest in, not gaze off into the space." The cool voice that carried power with each syllable was spoken behind him, the voice of Lex Luthor.
"Oh Lex," Clark felt his peaceful paradise being overcome in reality of the current situation,"I guess I was caught up in my thoughts." The Kryptonian shifted his stance and he looked burdened with the weight of the world.
"So Clark, you look like something is bothering you and I could hear it in your voice on the phone." The bald man had his hands lightly outreach as to show his support for whatever the younger man needed.
"Well I…" Clark could feel the worlds stuck in his chest,"I have to tell you something." The farm boy turned his shimmering, green eyes away from the figure in front of him," It's just hard to say."
"Clark, I am here for you." Lex reached out his hand to touch the other boy's broad shoulder, "If anyone is hurting you, I will make sure it gets taken care of-" He was suddenly silenced by the abrupt movement, Clark Kent walking away from him.
"No, it's nothing like that." The peach colored light of the evening sun lightened the dark strands of Clark's hair," It's about the day at the bridge, the moment our friendship began…" He was looking for a sign from the heavens, maybe something to give him an excuse not go through with this.
"Well that event has always confused me for a lot of reasons, Clark." Lex could almost heat the heartbeat of the younger man "But I have let it go…for the betterment of our relationship." That was the lie, the incident and others like it always bubbled in his mind.
"This is what's best for us; at least I hope it is." Clark took in a breath while mustering his superhuman strength to push those words out of his mouth, "I'm different than other people."
"Well Clark I know that." Lex smiled softly but Clark didn't turn around with his hands clenched into a fist, "You have this trust in people that I have never encountered before-"
"I'm an alien." The words hung in the fresh air, their gravity more powerful than a greedy black hole.
Lex didn't say anything, Clark didn't say anything. The silence was not emptiness; it was growing and filling the distance between them. Not even the setting sun could pierce these new clouds; fear was festering in this pause. He shouldn't have said anything, he shouldn't have ever done this to Lex; how could anyone accept what he was…a freak.
"An alien, Clark?" The shock was not only audible but it danced along the billionaire's tongue as his mind try to process it.
"Yes alien, Kryptonian even." Anything was better than silence," I have powers because of it…like being able to be hit by a car and get off without a scratch." The farm boy was breathing faster now, his chest rising and falling underneath the cotton shirt.
"So you are invulnerable?" Lex actually had a slight smile on his lips; he couldn't believe what had been hiding right in plain sight.
"Well and I have like super speed, strength." The sole heir of Krypton went on in a nervous tone, he still was not watching Lex," Shoot heat from my eyes, look through things and hear a pin drops across town…everyday seems to bring something new."
Lex had never seen Clark look so vulnerable before, there was a true aura of fear that surrounded the impregnable frame. The youth was visible shaken and that weight he had been carrying since the man arrived looked like it could crush him, it was time to forge a legendary partnership. Lex walked over the wooden floor in his rich, Italian leather shoes with an air of protection; he was on a rescue mission.
"Do you have any idea of how special you are?" Lex whispered as his hand rubbed along the bare skin of Clark's arm, "You are a god among mortals, and you have limitless potential, Clark."
"I just want to be normal, Lex." Turning his head, they made eye contact for the first since reality was altered, "I have always wanted to be normal; you don't realize the burden being different means."
"Clark, I am different than everyone else." The billionaire reached out in an emotional way instead of just a comforting touch, "Being a Luthor has marked me from birth as different, expectations of greatness have been instilled since I can remember."
"But Lex deep down, you know you are still human…" Clark deflected and seemed to want to move deeper into his shell, seeming to ignore the fact that Lex accepting of his alien heritage.
"Clark, you are the most human person I know." Lex stared deep into those emerald pools and challenged the teenager, "Do not judge yourself against mediocrity, you are going be a force that changes the course of history. " He softened his expression and pulled him into an embrace, "I told you our partnership would be the foundation of legends."
"Lex, I…I was so afraid to tell someone." Clark wrapped his arms tightly around older man's neck, soaking in all of the relief that his tense body craved, "I wanted to trust you but every-"
"I know, Clark." Lex leaned back to look into that boyish, but sculpted face, "But we have to trust in ourselves and believe in each other, with your gifts and my mine…nothing can hinder us."
"Lex, there is something else…" Clark's pouty lips trembled and his fingers dug into that crisp, wine colored shirt," I...my feelings for you..." He decided to stop talking and just do it, leaning in he captured those surprised lips and they kissed.
Lex didn't pull away and instead pulled the teenager in closer instead, his arms encircled the trim waist. Clark was too wrapped up in the kiss to even notice that his fears had not come to harvest, it was those secret hopes that were being bitten into. The first kiss to mark the joining of forces had happened; forces that might have never been meant to join for they held the world's destiny in their hands.
"You didn't pull away." The farm boy looked shocked, rather cute with his eyes wide and lips newly swollen, "Why?"
"Clark, I have been taught to read people since I was in elementary school and I sensed you had something of a crush on me, but I didn't think it was right to…well with your age and Lana fixation." Lex ran his hand into those downy, soft curls, "But your feelings must be far more than boyish fancy."
"So that means we can be together right?" Clark spoke up hopefully, pressing his lips to the cheek of his new boyfriend.
"Yes, coupled by our hearts and destiny." Lex assured and looked out to the broad horizon; he was seeing the future played in gilded images of wheat and sun.
Rolling over in their bed, Clark shook off the wispy wires of sleep that had kept him bound during the night. He was smiling; he had a peaceful memory to keep his soul at rest while the darker events of night rolled on. The satin sheets slide down the curves of well developed figure and pooled at his lap while he sat up, alone in their bed. Fingers rubbed into the hair and mused into a more recognizable shape, Clark wasn't thrilled to wake up alone but that was something he had gotten used to.
"What time is it?" The internal schedule he had on the farm seemed to weaken since moving into Metropolis, "Have to meet Chloe." The fingers wrapping on the stylishly modern clock to pull it up to his face, he was still safe.
While he grabbed at the clock, he noticed a piece of paper falling from the stand. It floated for a half of a second before a hand snatched with a movement hardly detectable by the mortal eye. It was a note from Lex; his handwriting always had formal lines and crisp language. It stated that business, like always, suddenly needed his more direct attention and he would hopefully be home at dinner; a call would be coming Clark's way sometime.
The young man threw off his sheets, showing off his nude glory to the world. The binds were drawn, so time had little meaning until Clark split the barrier for the morning sun. Metropolis looked so new and clean; light glinted off the windows and created this almost celestial aura. Even it was becoming a bit mundane though, the farm boy felt a want to see those Smallville sunrises that stretched out over infinite and wasn't obscured by towers of concrete and steel. With his forearm braced against the glass for his head to rest, he just stared out for a few lingering moments.
It wasn't long until Clark was walking out of his sprawling bathroom, with its waterfall bath and multi-headed shower all created from porcelain and marble. The dark, cherry wood drawers were opened with an easy slide, their stomachs full of various primary colored shirts. The boy's fashion style hadn't changed much, even though Lex had managed to get in a few more expensive pieces and weeded out most of the flannel. A lighter shade of blue cotton tee was pulled over his broad shouldered torso, leaving an enough details for the observer to guess at the body underneath. The black hair was a mess of damp curls, but they would be dealt with after he finished dressing.
By the time he had finished up, his hair was already drying up and beginning to feather a bit under the lighter weight. Clark ran his fingers into it and fidgeted with it for a moment. He wanted to make sure he looked his best, even if Chloe didn't care what he looked like…he could probably show up naked and she wouldn't mind. As if she was clued in on his thoughts, his cell phone began to vibrate, ring, and blink in order to get attention.
"Hey Chloe." The name that was once said daily had faded into a rarity.
"Ah Clark, so you are planning to meet still." The voice added with a slight surprised tone.
"Of course, I am really looking forward to catching up with you, I wouldn't miss it." He felt the sting of her surprise under his steel strong skin, had he really let things drift so badly?
"Alright, I am holding you to that Mr.Kent." Chloe was smiling brightly while standing in the hectic bull pen of the Daily Planet," See you in a few." She snapped the phone shut and felt extremely good about herself, her mood was a practically palpable in the air.
Heels were clacking on the floor, phones were always firing off with a high pitched shrill, papers being shuffled and flipped, and there was always someone shouting about some lead. Chloe had made herself home in this mess of ink and keyboards, and found it comfortable to feed off the frantic energy. She wore a high waisted, tweed skirt and loose, white blouse that gave her a silhouette a great play with volume; not to mention it was easy to wear. The young reporter sat down at her desk and quickly began to click out of her current project, another piece that had indirection connections to Lex Corp. Chloe had carried that with her from Smallville, a distrust of Lex and his hidden, shadowy world of business…if it could still be called that.
She ran her hands over her neck for a moment while staring at the Daily Planet logo on her desktop, the globe spun in digital space. Biting her lip, she glanced at her personal fold and slowly slid the arrow over. With a few clicks, Chloe was looking through the folder she had named, "CK". Pictures of younger years and smaller problems, or maybe she was just dealing with much bigger problems that made meteor freaks look smaller. A smile spread over her lips, especially at the picture of the two at prom together; it had been their final dance so to speak.
Smallville High never looked so beautiful as it did on the night of prom, that final hurrah of student life. The boys traded in their jeans, letter men jackets and t-shirts to become men in fine tuxedos with various colors peeking underneath the black. Girls had their hair lifted and transformed into organic crowns to show their inner queen to the world, their bodies draped into luscious fabrics of all shades in the infinite color spectrum. The rugged, testosterone filled gymnasium was turned from its sports battleground into the iconic dance room of high school fame. The mirror ball lazily twirled over the heads of the students with its fragmented reflections of light roaming the room with search light perfection. "Look to the Stars" was the theme for this year, and the stars were created by lights set up behind black fabric that hung from the ceiling. A student would just have to look up to see the imitation night, how the stars still twinkled even with the knowledge of their falsehood.
Chloe held her head up as she walked in, dark purple dress that had pinkish accents, she could tell some people were surprised to see her there. The independent girl had written a blistering piece about the archaic practice of prom queen, and was mostly met with a mixed reaction from the student body. She held the matching clutch bag to her side, she was doing her best to look strong…but her legs were trembling underneath the silken fabric. Nothing had turned out like she had imagined during her freshmen year, Lana was in Paris and Clark was…with Lex Luthor. The blonde girl gave nods, smiles and waves to friends while the music wafted through the air of this teenage wonderland.
"Let's see if you do swoop in and save the day." Chloe challenged to her unseen guest with a glass of punch in hand.
The night went on without any sign of her partner, but her growing depression was lost in the sea of suits and dresses. Everyone else had high spirits that rose over those gold painted stars that poorly reflected the light, and the energy was growing stronger at the imminent reveal of the Prom Queen. Chloe opened her bag and looked down at her cell phone, it remained as dormant as ever. She didn't get how someone who would move so fast that a blink would miss him could be a no show, but then again maybe she didn't really know the extent of Clark's powers. After Clark's meteor freak stalker, Alicia, had staged a fake accident in order to expose Clark's secret; Chloe had kept it close to her heart. More than anything she wanted to tell him she knew, but it should happen on his time. A sigh left her lips as she stuffed it back into her bag, the blonde girl once again felt alone in her pretty dress.
"And Smallville's Prom Queen this year is." The words were lost on Chloe as she took a drink from the plastic cup, "Chloe Sullivan!" And there was now punch spurting out of her mouth with eyes of shock upon her face.
"Wait, what?" With punch dripping from her lips, the spotlight was shining on her and this is how royalty is introduced.
The crowd was clapping and hooting, obviously they were happy with the forthcoming rule of Chloe Sullivan. The well dressed masses parted as the stunned girl moved through the suddenly growing path, which led her all the way to the stage for coronation. The crown glinted under the lights; it too was made of fake heavenly bodies. Chloe never wanted to be prom queen but her heartbeat grew faster, stronger with each step closer. Was this the reaction of all women? Did they all secretly crave to be a queen? Chloe could write something about that later because she was far too busy smiling as the tiara was set into her blonde hair.
"Well this is certainly a surprise." She said with a nervous voice, her arms now filled with a bouquet of flowers, "I guess if I write how much I hate Lamborghinis, I will find one in my garage."
The line got a polite laugh but people were looking for something with substance, this is why they voted for her to begin with. Chloe looked around for a moment, and then she saw him…just as he walked on into the gymnasium. Clark Kent standing in a tuxedo, looking so beautiful he had to be from another world. It didn't take long for their eyes to meet, to see that smile spread from those pouty lips and the encouragement to swell within the girl. He mouthed an apology to her from across the sea of well groomed heads, it was accepted like they all were…always had been the pattern.
"But I want to thank you all for voting for me, I didn't realize how nervous it was to be a queen." Bubbly she went on," I promise my reign will be just, and I hope you all will go on to enjoy your dance and bright futures all around."
With those final lines, she took the loose arrangement of flowers and tossed them into the crowd. The long stems parted ways from each other and were snatched by awaiting hands, petals soft and fragrant to the senses. They add a flourish of glorious color while the newly crowned queen hurried off to meet her date, who embraced her in those big arms and against that tall body.
"Chloe, you're the prom queen!" Clark laughed while giving her a squeeze," I wish I had gotten here earlier just to see your face."
"Yes, it was a very dignified punch spurt out my mouth face." She giggled while her hands rested on his arms," So mind telling me what held you up this time?"
"Issues with the airport, power outage put us back getting the plane off the ground." The farm boy confessed and appeared genuine, "Otherwise I would have been here to share that first dance."
"We already shared a first dance Clark, this time I would like to make it to the last dance." She reminded him of their spring formal, "Then you can rush back home to Lex." The girl added with a tone of disappointment, while leading the young man to the dance floor.
The crowd once again parted and the two given ample space in the center of the floor, the queen and her knight. They made a beautiful couple, no one could deny that, and they moved at ease with the music. Chloe was so happy; a realization of her dream, even if Clark wasn't into her on that level…at least she was getting the dance part of it. The music was slow and sweet, a song that spoke of memories and paced to beat of nostalgia. Heels clicked on the floor, clothing rustling, laughter rose: it was apart of the theme of this night and this night alone. Time became irrelevant, who could possibly think about the ticking seconds when under the spell of euphoria.
"Chloe, there is something I have to tell you." Clark spoke softly while leaning down, letting the words trace her ear with a breath.
"What is it?" Chloe was hopeful that now this was the night, this was the time that Clark would tell her the long held secret.
"I won't be coming back." A soft expression was on his face, he was disappointed in himself because of the hurt he was bringing.
"What do you mean; you still have finish out the year." Her eyes were wide and her lips were tight," Where are you going?"
"Well Lex is wants me to go with him on his trips, and he got me a tutor to finish out and get my diploma." Clark answered but it was obvious that the name Lex turned the girl in his arms to stone.
"Was this his idea?" Chloe pursued and the farm boy relented with a nod," Clark, you cannot trust Lex, his intentions are-"
"Enough Chloe, enough." Clark silenced her with his tone and his green eyes darkening, "I know Lex better than anyone, I know his intentions and none of you have ever given him a chance!"
"Please Clark; just stay here at least for a few more weeks." She tightened her fingers into his arms, "I am just worried that Lex will hurt you, you can't ignore his past." Chloe beseeched but nothing was breaking through that fortress of solitude that was Clark's inner mind.
"I'm sorry Chloe, I really am." Clark pulled her in close and held the blonde teenager, letting her head rest on his shoulder, "But we will still see each other, it's our destiny."
"I hope so, I really do." The tone betrayed her; she had nothing but cloudy doubts.
The promise was kept easily in the coming weeks with constant cell phone conversations, random texts and emails between the two. Chloe was lonely but she didn't realize how lonely it could be when all of those things began to disappearance. The replies took longer and longer; the visits soon stopped and they both became immersed in their new lives apart. She placed some blame on Clark, but none of those feelings could compare to her scorn for the man most responsible for pulling her friend from her life. The intrepid reporter focused herself on exposing the ill practices and under belly dealings of Lex Luthor, which brought its own host of unwanted attention. Threats, rejections, and whatever intimidation could come from the Lexcorp machine but she also found an ally to fight this battle.
On cue her cell phone began to shudder and shake upon her desk, Chloe stared at it with a startled expression. She didn't want to look at the screen for she feared it would be Clark calling to cancel, but it was not his name that flashed. A sigh of relief left her lips and her body slacked into the chair, an amused expression on her face while she opens the device with a flick of the wrist.
"You know, you are one of the few guys to call me the day after a date." Chloe said while she tapped her fingers against her keyboard with no intention of work.
"Well I try to be a gentleman." Oliver Queen replied over the line, but he was not simply sitting at his desk. He was standing in front of a body length mirror in his bedroom with a headset fixed near those soft lips. A look of focus rest on his angular face as his hands worked to tie an Italian silk tie around his neck. The white collar of his dress shirt flipped up and his hair was still damply mused from the shower.
"Really, that's not the word I get when I say your name to most people." A light laugh came from her end of the phone following her words.
"Don't tell me that you went and did research before that date?" Oliver asked and was surprised enough to stop his fiddling with the tie.
"Well it did need to be believable, and I had some time to kill between reporting, writing and you know." Chloe glanced around her for a moment and was thinking of how to phrase the next word.
"Girl stuff?" Oliver chuckled though knowing full well what she was talking about," Actually I need to know how to contact Clark Kent since going through the channels over at Lexcorp is going to be a dead end."
"Contact Clark?" Her face tightened with interest while she leaned in over her desk," What exactly do you need to talk to Clark about?" Already she was trying to connect all the dots to see where a bridge between those two would lay.
"Oh, just some charity work that I wanted to do." Ollie said while smoothing out the black tie down his torso, admiring his statuesque body that made it a perfect hanger for those thousand dollar suits, "Just a socially concerned billionaire with money to spend interested in meeting a young man with experience in that area."
"Uh huh." That sounded reasonable but there were hundreds of people with many more years of experience in charity work than Clark, so Chloe's suspicion was not eased, "Well that sounds about half of the truth, so if you want to give me the other half." Her voice was rich with power while she leaned back in her chair, "Then Clark will get your number."
"Eh, guess so." He said while moving over to his desk with a pout on his face, "I just think that someone should be there for Clark when we expose Lex Luthor for what he is." A slight blush on his face while his fingers toyed with his shirt cuffs and then with his tie.
"Oh…Oh!" Chloe was silent after her realization of what Ollie's intentions were,"Well as charming as you are, Clark has a superhuman loyalty to Lex." She hadn't taken into account that her ally would have fallen for Clark but most people seemed unable to resist her former crush, "You might need to wait for awhile."
"Just a friendly dinner between colleagues." Oliver assured to his advisor and his eyes behind the scenes, "Maybe a little jealousy in Lex will cause a rash action."
"You better not be scheming to use Clark for some leverage over Lex." Chloe said with narrowed eyes and a warning tone in her words, "That's totally off limits."
"What?" Oliver's expression turned into one of startled surprise at the girl's quick rebuke, "I never even thought of it like that, God." He had a rising sound of annoyance in his voice, "I am not the evil schemer to begin with…"
"Just…be careful." The blonde reporter sighed into her cell phone and her figure slumping with some unknown burden into her chair, "I don't want Clark to be hurt anymore that he will be by the time this is all over."
"Don't worry so much, Chloe." Oliver adjusting the tiny head set against his ear while a charming smile spread upon his face, "From what you have told me, Clark is a man of steel …" Ollie's facial features darkened before saying, "Much better off than Lex Luthor."
Lex Luthor sat back in the leather seat inside of his private helicopter, his finger rubbing his bottom lip for a brief moment before with pen in hand he made some notes on the report in his lap. Even with metal blades whipping at high speeds, it was very quiet and still inside of the cabin for he even made sounds fearful of treading. The normally calm face was changed by the frowning lines of disappointment, frustration and hints of anger. He was growing sick from the reading this report, this assessment of growing insecurity issues in his operations. The break in the night before was just the latest manifestation of his worries, since it seemed even his trump card was useless.
Lex shifted his posture, his mood changing whenever thoughts of Clark came into mind. The light that broke through all of his dark days, God did he wish he was back at the apartment with the younger man now. He could feel the skin, so soft and unmarked over those hard muscles…expansive body…tight, round-. Lex shifted his posture again, he was feeling a little hot and confined in his black, Italian wool pants.
The hand moved over the glossy page and he noticed that though there was organization behind these attacks, even if none of them seem to repeat the same pattern…or give an identity. One of his sea shore labs had been blown apart due to a terrorist getting in through the ocean water lines. A lab hidden in a high rise tower had seen all the cameras knocked out by arrows and all of the guards struck in precise places to incapacitate but not kill…quite a feat for just a man with bow and quiver. Of course Lex couldn't help but notice the one where someone had smashed through walls filled with tempered steel and concrete, but they all meant the same thing. Each of the places that had been hit were in connection to his Project Adam, which was a failed off shot of a greater goal. Someone was systemically trying to ruin his operations; it was a threat worse than any he had dealt with before.
Fingers rubbed the bridge of his nose, while his faced remained a frown. Clark would be the perfect way to deal with this, Clark would be the perfect way to deal with all of the world's ills. The strength that had no limits, a body to withstand all injuries, hearing to catch the faintest cry, the list goes on and only adds to the Lex's belief. With all that Clark could do as one, what if there were more…more of these super beings to insure the protection of humanity. The visionary man did not involve Clark in any of his dealings, not directly anyway but his new projects had all orbited the Kryptonian in some way. He had kept these ambitions hidden and let them develop in nameless places, with desperate, brilliant doctors being paid out of his own pocket. The attacks were bringing these less than innocent experiments bubble to the surface and they could blow up in the billionaire's face.
'Oh Clark, what would you think of me then?' He thought while his head reclined against the support, but there was no comfort from the soft padding, "How could I explain it like how I see it?"
Isn't that always the problem for those gifted with insight and genius? Lex had always dealt with the stares and whispered words of the small minded plebs, who never saw the picture as big as he did. This was also a curse, he was also an alien to a society that saw nothing but continuing as things are. Lexcorp was important but its real goal was to provide endless capital to furnish his vision, which was having its share of set backs. It was all so frustrating to work within a system of mediocrity to create greatness.
Green eyes looked over the blue ocean, blue sky…everything was so blue. Clark's eyes sometimes deepened to a blue shade, Lex was thinking of them with all of the blue in front of him. He loved to watch his lover's eyes change from cool green to a blue so true that sapphires became dull. The transition usually happened when Clark was invigorated to fight or aroused, so he got an extra thrill by teasing the younger man. Everything about the Kent boy gave Lex a unique feeling; he wondered what enjoyment he could have had with those shallow women of yesterday.
"Mr. Luthor." A rough voice spoke up from the cockpit of the craft, "We are going to start our landing on the platform." Just another employee that only saw what Lex allowed them.
"Thank you, Brad." Lex shuffled the report on his lap and slide it back into the black brief case, there was a light clicking should while his fingers reset the lock.
Even as he locked the report away, the issues would not be so easily settled. The answers were slow to come and that is why he was here now, far into international waters and landing on an oil platform he had bought. Under the guise of a Lexcorp energy project, Luthor had believed this to be the safest and most unsuspecting place to do his most radical research. The plan in his stock holders' binders was to work on ways to make oil drilling cheaper and more efficient, but stock holders meant little to Lex. They always turned their heads when money was coming in, just keep them happy and fat was something Lionel had taught him. A sneer crossed his face at the memory of his father, and he was comforted that the man was now just a memory.
It stood like a lone tower over a barren land, the final holdout of humanity on the last, unconquered frontline. The oil platform was a collection of gray, steel beams that seemed to infinitely crisscross to make the cubed shape. The wind would rush through and create chilling echoes from within the ever connecting beams. Some color has once been painted on but now it was all faded, just a stain really. Various cranes extended off the platform, skeleton limbs that sometimes moved with life to perform another laborious task. The structure stood upon pillar like supports; each one was surprisingly thin in comparison to the burden it had to keep. It was certainly not an uplifting picture, but to Lex it was merely the imprint of a brushstroke on the grand canvas.
The helicopter touched down on the old landing platform, where a solitary woman was already waiting for Lex. The whirling blades stirred up the wind and the older woman's outfit and hair became slaves to the air. Nothing else stood on the platform to offer protection from the mini wind torrents, it was all so barren. She had lines around her eyes and a few on her forehead from years of concentration and an eye for detail. She grasped a binder in one hand while the other grabbed at the lab coat over her clothing to keep it from pulling apart. By the time Lex Luthor had stepped out, the winds had weakened and doctor was already adjusting herself back to more pristine condition.
"Nice to see you again, Mr. Luthor." She had an aged voice that carried over the whining ruckus of the aircraft, "I hope your trip was comfortable."
"Yes it was, you seem to be…" The bald man looked at her closely for a moment to inspect her face, "Tired, I guess the reason for your invitation was not to celebrate?"
"Yes, well." Dr. Lindsey Morgan handed over the collection of data she had brought to meet her boss with, "Several complications have arisen and we need to discuss the future of this project."
"As you know, the future of this project is tied directly to you own." He reminded her while setting off for the elevator, "Failure is not an option unless you want to wind up in some backwater, community college teaching freshmen biology."
She smoothed out the front of her coat while tucking her hair back behind her ears, doing everything she could not to shot some venomous stare her employer's way. The sound of heeled shoes clicked down the cement and steel hallway to where this elevator would take them down to the main laboratory. The elevator was the only high tech thing on the platform and it stood out against the primitive machines with its glossy, cylinder shape and silvery color. It gave off a soft bing while the doors opened to reveal the plush interior of rich cherry wood and bronze. The elevator was designed to travel to high pressure depths and the only way to Lex's new playground. No buttons existed on the inside panel, just a slot for a card to be pushed into.
"I'm aware of how much is riding on this project." Dr. Morgan said softly while sliding her keycard into the slot, "We are working very hard on creating some type of success to match your desired outcome."
"So then what has been your focus since the failure of Project Adam?" Lex flipped through the various, laminated pages that gleamed under white, interior lighting of the descending elevator, "This all just looks like an excuse for why you failed."
"We have concluded that it would be impossible to give human beings Kryptonian powers."A sigh leaving her lips while she brushed a hand over her forhead, "Human psychology and physiology just do not allow for it, so we must conclude that Adam was a dead end and to start over."
"Well that's unpleasant." A frown tightened on Lex's face while his green eyes skimmed over the lines that basically repeated what he had feared, "I suppose after that incident there could be no other conclusion." The disappointing memory was still in his mind but it wasn't going to deter his vision.
"So I have focused on cloning aspects and the results have been…mixed." Dr. Morgan was doing her best to keep her eyes focused on the doors and not on the hard look she could feel burning into her, "I will show you and let you decide for yourself."
"I hope for your sake it has greater potential than your last idea which I wasted millions on." Lex could care less about the money but he hated failure, he hated having set backs. He felt like his dream was treading water, just holding its head above hungry waves.
A relief washed over the doctor when the doors finally opened to reveal the most important lab in Lex's entire kingdom. The gleam of white was oppressive to most but Lex saw it as heavenly, he could hear the mild buzz of electricity as it ran around giving life to the machines. The elevator doors shut behind them when they stepped into the hollow, tube channel to which there was only one exit. The main entrance, where the doors of fiberglass, plastic and steel shaped into a circle, broke in half to welcome them inside.
The actual interior of the lab wasn't as bright or heavenly as the corridor that Lex walked to bring him here. The lighting was adequate but it casted a sick, yellow hue over all of the workers inside. They all seem to be bearing the weight of pleasing Luthor upon their backs because few would look up to see him come in, it would be better to seem busy than welcoming. The basic shape of the space was made of several ovals which created the divisions for where work was to be done. Thick, black cables ran like overgrown vines in a forest throughout the complex, especially up along the curved, gray walls.
Lex and Dr. Morgan walked out to stand over by the railing, which allowed them to look over into the lower level of the lab. It was in the main circle where the true attraction was and it was making the billionaire lean over the steel guard like a child at the zoo. He could vaguely make out a humanoid shape within a clear cylinder, the figure floating in a glowing, green fluid. A few scientists were seated at consoles on all sides of the altar like machine; they had their eyes mostly fixed on the differential sized screens in front of them. Soft sounds beeped and chirped while the body floated silently within its confines, totally unaware of the hungry stare it was getting.
"Doctor, doctor." Lex Luthor pushed off from the railing and began to almost sprint down to the almost holy object, "Keeping something under wraps from me?"
"Well I didn't want to get your hopes up." A panting call shouted from behind him for she couldn't keep up with him.
The bald, young man seemed to have not heard her since he was too busy stepping up to pay reverence to this mythic creature. A heavy cord tripped up his approached, Lex stumbled and grunted as his knees smacked against the cold floor. A hand was pressed against the surprisingly warm glass of the tube; he shook his head for a moment before looking up to truly see what was inside. Soft, black hair waved to and fro upon a handsome, sleeping face to which the man instantly recognized.
"Clark…" The name was spoken like a pray while Lex pulled himself back up a standing posture.
The clone did not awaken or stir in anyway besides the ethereal bobbing motion he had been doing inside of the tube since his creation. Hands roamed over the glass to touch that perfectly copied figure but Lex's face was unreadable for a moment. He was just staring at Clark's face as if seeing it for the first time, and then his lips turned down into a slight frown after a moment.
"Something wrong, Mr. Luthor?" Lindsey Morgan managed to find her voice now standing beside her employer with a look of confusion and worry. She thought he would be excited to have some progress in this project, but Lex looked displeased," He bears quite a resemblance-"
"I didn't want look like Clark." Lex's tone made it impossible for her to figure what was the matter, it sounded almost like an apology
"Well we don't know enough about the genetic structure to change facial structures enough to make the clone look different." She bowed her head meekly and glanced at her colleagues but they seemed to purposefully ignoring the scene, "That's our main problem…"
"Problem?" Lex's frown turned into a sneer when he remember what she said earlier," Yes there must be something wrong if you didn't tell you had a complete clone finished." He wasn't taking his eyes off the alien but familiar façade.
"Yes, the problems." The scientist slowly slunk back to the safety of a console and out of Lex's immediate range, "Because we don't fully know all of the genetics behind a Kryptonian physiology." She paused and cleared her throat, "Complications have come to light and the clone is unstable."
"What do you mean by unstable?" A neutral tone spoke from his lips while Lex let his hands slide back into pockets.
"His cellular structure began to break down when we first awoke him, but we managed to stop it with this Kryptonite bath." She was watching Lex's distorted face from the green reflection against the glass for any tell tale signs.
"Do you have any idea on how to prevent this from happening?" A posed response was spoken and meant to be answered by a yes alone.
"It could have caused by the artificial aging process." Dr. Morgan gave a light shrug of her shoulders and caused her coat to swish, "We just haven't unlocked all of the secrets of his structure, we have missing pieces so to speak."
It was silent now besides the hum of power or the sound of a bubble popping from within the liquid filled case. Lex Luthor was trying to rationalize this in his head; he was trying to justify this. The few people around could only see his calm face but the young man was wearing a much different expression inside. Part of him was disgusted by the idea of cloning Clark fully, and yet part of him could not deny the incredible potential of such a thing. Humans were faulty hosts but this clone was everything Clark was which is how he had imagined it.
'Clark would…He would feel like a product and a weapon.' Lex's emotional half spoke out, 'He would see me as a monster."
'But they would not be weapons.' The visionary took a stand within the depths of his thinking mind, 'They would save and protect millions of lives, and Clark's want to save people defines him.'
'Technology will adapt.' A cold, rationale thought seduced, 'We will make sure that none of these ever look like him again, and then he will never have to fear being exposed.'
Too many voices and too many answers began to spring up in his head. Lex's eyes grew more vacant and seemed to be lost in the study of the clones body, the creation was truly a wonder. Each curve of muscle under the skin had been exactly reproduced by science, each silken strand of hair, and the supply line of his lips had all been remade. A nervous tension had swollen under Luthor's silence since no one could read him, and most were worrying if they were about to be jobless.
"Fill in the missing pieces with human genes, my genes." Everyone's eyes widen at the suggestion, "He won't be a full Kryptonian but the beginning of something new, a hybrid of species." Lex said in a matter of fact way while turning his back on the glass.
"That's something we have also thought about and will begin right away." Lindsey Morgan's lined face actually began to smile again as relief filled her.
"And I want all tests done on this…thing." Lex had hardened his resolved and felt nothing for the thing inside of that tube, "Including field tests and then destroy it."
"Y-Yes, Mr. Luthor." She had wanted to protest but there was nothing to protest, she had her orders.
'Some things are bigger than love, some things are more important than love'
Lex thought this while he rode the elevator back to the surface, but he had a hard time focusing the rest of the way home.
Chloe Sullivan had been waiting for about ten minutes when she began to doubt that Clark would show. She had picked her favorite spot to meet at, a coffee shop that reminded her of the Talon from Smallville. It lacked the past of life of a movie theater and the Egyptian motif but nostalgic memories were brewed with each cup served. She was seated by the street facing, main windows beside the arched doorway which usually wasn't her spot of choice. The illusion of Smallville faded quickly when one saw the hustling masses outside, which was probably the population of her home town several times over. If Clark hadn't shown, Chloe was not going to stand for the excuse that he missed it by mistake.
"Why wasn't I more driven about this before it got to this point?" The blonde girl asked her steaming cup of black coffee.
Clark had not been the only one to get caught up in a life after Smallville; she had thrown herself fully into reporting. It was easier for her to deal with the separation if she just kept writing, anything and everything was a subject if it kept her from realizing what was going on around her. No more Clark, no more Lana, but she had also gained a totally different life…she worked for a billionaire hero. She smiled softly while holding the off white mug to her pink lips, maybe this was the better path.
"Chloe?"
The reporter blinked and lifted her eyes to see the tall figure standing in front of her oval shaped table. A young man with an apologetic smile and a slight blush, Clark looked like his same boyish self from Smallville. The way his black hair was falling she could tell that it must be something of a windy day, would also explain the rumpled effect of his clothing. Chloe was just staring at her long time friend that only made Clark redden further and begin to shift upon his feet.
"Little windy outside?" The girl ventured out with an opening gesture that couldn't have been more forced and with her hand pointing to his ruffled look.
"Huh?" Clark looked down at himself and caught a glimpse of his hair in the mirror," Oh well, yea it must be." He quickly began to try smoothing himself out while she remained silent to watch.
Chloe was sitting inside the Talon while her pen tapped quickly against the hard book cover. She had already drunk two cups of coffee and Clark was still a no show, she was quickly loosing her patience with the farm boy. She signed and ran her fingers into her choppy layers before she heard the heavy foot steps of boots on the coffee house floor. A shadow was casted over her, Chloe looked up to see the sheepish smile of a late Mr. Kent. The flannel shirt was all mused and his hair was a mess, he looked like he had come out of a tornado.
"Sorry, Chloe...the tractor had a sudden break down." He blushed while speaking and his green eyes looked down to the floor. Clark looked rather small for a 6ft plus teenager at this moment.
"It's fine." She couldn't stay mad at him and gestured to the empty seat beside her, "Lets just get to work."
"Yea, I brought everything else you asked." An excited tone coming from his broad chest while he sat down beside her, Clark relieved to be so easily forgiven again.
"Guess it was windy outside." Chloe commented while looking at her notes, though she was watching him from the corner of her eye.
"Yea, you know how it can be around here." Clark waved it off with his quick reply.
"Are you ok, Chloe?" A hand touched her lightly on the shoulder and her expression immediately shifted into something much more fitting, a smile.
"Guess just a little surprised, sorry." She leaned up and wrapped her arms around those broad shoulders, "So good to see you, Clark."
"You too." The farm boy said softly into the soft golden layers of hair while his arms held her familiar body.
The smell of sunshine invaded her senses, the smell that was particularly Clark Kent. She let her touch linger, her body to be close so she could take in that missed odor. Chloe could feel Clark's body begin to tense and she had gone for too long, the young women pulling away with a pink color on her face. He was watching her with a happy expression but a tilted head to display some slight interest or concern.
"Well, sit down." She tucked the high waist skirt while setting back into the arched chair, Clark then followed suit, "You want something to drink?"
"Um, not right now." He leaned back into his seat to gain some ease since he felt nervous, "How…heh." Another embarrassed was formed on his lips," It feels silly to ask how your day was now."
"Yea, well how is your life, Mr. Kent?" The reporter asked while her fingers clicked the porcelain handle, "You left the farm behind and now something a Metropolis socialite."
"Oh well, it is different that's for sure." Clark glanced to side and was having a hard time keeping contact with the girl's probing eyes, "Lex has given me a life that anyone would hope for, and I really never…need anything."
"Well I am happy that things have worked out between the two of you." Chloe managed to say before taking a drink to figure what else to say, "I am just thankful you were never hurt by him."
"Chloe, I told you that Lex loves me and wouldn't do anything to compromise that." Clark said for what must have been the hundredth time to his friend, "But thank you, I really mean that."
Lex was a cloud that hung in the air and made whatever tensions that much thicker. Clark was carrying his soft smile and his broad shoulders were less tight after getting over the initial exchanges. Chloe returned it with a softer look but now she was having a more difficult time keeping eye contact, she knew a Lex Luthor different than the one who shared intimate moments with Clark Kent.
"I wanted to congratulate you on being a reporter for the Daily Planet; I know how much that means to you." Clark leaned in and let his hands rest upon the dark wood finish of the table top.
"Yea it was my dream." She said with a musing tone as if she was waning on about the past, "The reality is actually better than the dream, well…except for the long hours."
"Guess it does take a bit more to create a good piece for the Planet than to send out the Torch." Clark let his fingertips run and follow the waved patterns in the grain.
"Yea and I'm not an editor anymore, so I can't devote every piece to exposing the dark secrets of meteor freaks or a Luthor corp. plant." She let her voice trail off at the last part, she wasn't sure of what was taboo now when it came to the Luthor world.
"Yea even with all the travel and events I go to with Lex." Clark didn't seem bothered by her last statement and continued on, "It's not as exciting as life was in Smallville, well sometimes it isn't." Alluding to thee constant life and death situations that surrounded their high school lives.
"Yea, it can be boring when you aren't having your life constantly challenged by some freak with superpowers." Chloe bit her bottom lip and caught a subtle shift in her friend; she quickly proceeded to mentally bang her head on the table, "I mean I still believe some are great people and just living their life, maybe that should be my next piece."
"Go back to Smallville huh?" Clark said while thinking aloud about the idea.
"Yea, it could be fun you know." The blonde reporter was leaning in closer to the dark haired man, "Have you been back home recently?"
"No, not really." Clark began to feel a creeping guilt sliding in his lower gut that made his seat uncomfortable, "Guess I have just been busy with everything involved with Lex Corp's charity foundations. "
"Yea, I have been buried into my stories and getting to a comfortable place within the Daily Planet that I haven't taken time to go see Dad." Chloe was dealing with a similar guilt but she smiled brightly and grabbed at Clark's unsuspecting hand, "We should go back together, plan something."
"Yea, guess it would be easier to brave the ghosts of the past together than alone." He did not pull away as her hand tightens around his with her obvious glee from his agreement.
"Exactly" Chloe said while letting the hand drop away and she suddenly stood on up, "Let's go get a hotdog, I know a great little vending cart a few blocks from here." She was practically bubbling with energy all of the sudden.
"Alright." Clark wasn't in a mood to argue and he had plenty of time to kill with Lex away on business for the day, "This better not result in me getting some weird food poisoning…" A teasing voice flowing into the girl's ears while he extended his arm to her.
"Like you have ever been sick." She hinted at something but Clark didn't catch as they walked outside into the sunny afternoon.
As they walked the busy streets of the downtown, Chloe had to smile to herself when she felt no wind. Clark was still using his powers since that was the only reason he ever seemed to lie to her, it fit the patterns she had figured out from the discovery of Clark's secret. She had the suspicion whenever a concern citizen had called to give her information on another miraculous save.
'Oh well, hopefully one day you will talk to me about it.' Chloe Sullivan thought as they walked among the hundreds inside of the city.
Clark was beaming with delight when he pushed open the door to his high rise palace, the couch made an easy landing for his lighter than air figure. The smooth, black leather contoured under his weight and was more comforting than its sleek shape would lead the eye to imagine. He stretched out like a full feline while lying on his back; the lights in the apartment were a low dim to mimic the setting sun outside.
"Open the shades."
The internal computer registered the command and the windows took on their own life. The black blinds that blocked the outside began to slide and slits of yellow, orange brilliance filled the room. Clark was no longer sitting in an enclosed apartment but now lounging in the sky, an almost 360 degree sky view of Metropolis. Shadows of neighboring buildings would fall into the room, everything became stark and geometrical. He let his head fall back against the cushion while his eyes began to turn from green to blue. The sights he could see now were beyond the scale of any living creature, even a bird's eyes would miss all that a Kryptonian could see. He took in a deep breath and his eyes began their natural shade and his body shifted so that he was now on his side.
Chloe had been right about that hotdog vendor, it had been the best he had since moving to Metropolis. A warmth sensation was running throughout which he tried to follow with his hands roaming over his torso, the soft cotton shifting under his finger tips. He may have forgotten how good it felt to have Chloe in his life but it was now obvious what his life was lacking. Clark reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone, and then flipped it open to stare the screen. He pursed his lips while his fingers scrolled down to his newest added contact, Oliver Queen.
Chloe took the cell phone from his hands and quickly turned around to fool with it, all the while smiling to herself. Clark could have easily stolen it back but part of him didn't mind to play along, even if he had no idea what he was playing along with.
"Why are you stealing my phone?"
"I just had to complete a mission." Chloe said while tapping out something upon the clicking keys, "And now it is all up to you on how it goes from here." She handed the phone back to the farm boy.
"What does that mean?" He lifted his brow while looking down to see what had been done, "Why did you add Oliver Queen to my phone book, Lex hates him." Clark looked at her with a concerned gaze.
"He wants you to call him and discuss charity work, or that's what he told me." She shrugged innocently while before crossing her arms over her chest, "I am sure Lex will understand that it is just business, he is all about business."
"I will think about it." Clark said doubtfully while staring at the glaring, black letters that spelled out Oliver's name.
With a bated breath, the young man was about to hit the call button before he heard the door open. He quickly turned to look over his shoulder to see Lex standing there, who looked like he was need of a human touch.
"Honey, I'm home." He smiles his normal, small smile while dropping the briefcase on the floor.
The phone was dropped on to the couch while Clark floated to the side of his lover; they both had missed each other. Arms wrapped around, soon lips intertwined and then all other thoughts were forgotten.