Conner was screaming in pain and absolute agony. Never before had he felt pain like this, in any degree. The red liquid was flowing into his veins through an IV line. His crystal sky blue eyes were slowly beginning to cloud. He struggled to remain conscious but it became harder with every passing minute He was in a bleached white hospital, almost laboratory room, but he knew the room and the building as a matter of fact, all too well. CADMUS. He was back in living hell, the living hell that created the birthed bastard, cloned, artificial son. A son no one wanted.
"So desperate for someone to care isn't that right Project KR?"
The boy of steel used his quickly fleeting strength he had left and turned his head to see the man he stupidly and blindly had trusted. What an absolute fool Conner had been. No wonder his own father hated his very existence. Lex Luthor walked towards the boy, emerging out of the shadows.
"Oh Conner, it's quite alright, you see you're going to become obedient today. Today my boy, you are going to become the best you can possibly be. You're not familiar with it, but you have some special juice flowing into your veins at the moment. Red Kryptonite is a very special thing. It makes you lose the pure morals that you have, makes you act on your deepest darkest desires and it removes all inhibitions you have. Most importantly though, you'll become my pet."
Lex took a mirror and it shoved it in Conner's face. Conner almost threw up. His eyes were completely pure red, with tiny dark red veins crawling around his eyes. Conner screamed like he never screamed before. He tried to fight it, fight the darkness quickly spreading throughout his body.
"Conner, you my perfectly created boy, you are going to KILL THE MAN OF STEEL."
Conner looked at Luthor and thought about what he said, and he started laughing, laughing louder than he ever had. He liked that idea, he liked it a lot. Luthor smirked. Everything was in order.
48 Hours earlier.
Conner rode off from the base, trying so hard to not let the tears fall from his face. He was done, done trying, done trying to make the people around him happy. Done with everything.
Conner had walked in on Batman and Superman discussing him. He had just gotten back from training and turned a corner when he heard the two.
"Goddamn it, he showed up at my work."
"Did he know it was you?"
"No, he doesn't know and I'd like to keep it that way."
"Kal-El you son of a bitch, what's the issue with Conner stopping by the Daily Planet. He doesn't know anything, he was just visiting."
"I don't want that weapon anywhere near me, near my workplace, or near Lois."
"You thick-headed, kryptonian asshole, we all had our doubts about the boy, but he's proven himself to this team, to Robin, and to me. He so desperately yeans for a father-figure, someone he can talk to and train with. He's discovering new abilities every day; he needs someone to help him."
"If you care so much about him, then you train the boy."
"He's your son, what are you so afraid of Kal?"
"HE IS NOT MY SON, HE IS A WEAPON MADE TO DESTROY AND REPLACE ME AND I AM NOT HIS FATHER NOR WILL I EVER BE."
"Yeah well, sorry to keep disappointing you Clark."
The two turned and saw Conner standing near the doorway of the room; Conner's eyes were glistering with wetness, trying so hard to fight back the tears, he had to be strong. It was the first time Clark saw that kind of emotion in the clone. Superman's face quickly fell. Clones weren't supposed to feel were they? Conner slowly walked away, and his sadness and loneliness turned to anger and rage. He ran into his room, grabbed his keys, strode by by the mirror hanging on the wall, and slammed his fist through the glass and drywall.
Batman walked past Clark, "You know Clark; sometimes you can be a great honorable man, and other times you can be one of the most stubborn assholes I've met."
Clark suddenly felt like complete and utter shit. Was he too hard on the boy? Did he let his own fear and anger cloud his judgement? Superman slumped against the wall and rubbed his eyes. He slowly replayed all the times he and the boy had met. He replayed every moment he disregarded the boy. He walked out of the base, and flew into the sky. He needed to think.
Conner had driven on his motorcycle for god knows how long. He didn't care where he was going; he just knew he didn't want to be anywhere near "there".
Connor found himself stopping at a gas station outside of Metropolis. He was refilling his cycle and was fumbling with his wallet when Lex's business card fell out. Conner bent down and picked it up. He looked at the while manila card for a while. He pulled out his phone and dialed the private number on the back of the card.
"Who is this?"
"Um, Mr. Luthor?"
"Ah Conner, I'm so glad you finally called, I knew you would."
"Can i come by the office today sir?"
"Sure, that would be fine my boy."
Conner hung up and got back on his motorcycle and rode off, headed for Lexcorp.
Luthor put the phone down and walked to his office desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a thick lead box. He unlocked the box, and pulled out a sharp shard of Kryptonite. He twirled the shard around his fingers letting it shine in the light, before putting it back in the lead box. He smirked to himself, and got up from the granite table. He had work to do.
