The next afternoon, Lionel went to pay his son a visit.
"Lex, we need to have a talk." Lionel announced as he burst into Lex's office.
"Sure, Dad." Lex said pleasantly. "What can I do for you?"
"I'd like to talk to you about your friend Clark Kent." Lionel said.
"What about him?" Lex asked.
"He's a very unique young man." Lionel said meaningfully.
Lex's face remained calm, but right behind it his synapses were firing off like mad. His father knew about Clark. Lex needed to know what he'd done, what he intended to do, and what he could do about it and he needed to know now. The only option was to let Lionel take the lead and play this by ear.
"Could you be a bit more specific?" Lex asked.
"The day Clark was taken I was in the Kawatche caves." Lionel began. That was Lex's cue to take control.
"Ah, I see." Lex sighed. "So, you've seen the infamous Jor-el, have you?" Lionel was shocked. Lex rarely got to see Lionel shocked. He enjoyed seeing Lionel shocked. But back to the matter at hand. "I must admit, I'm jealous. I never actually got to see the copy; I only know what I've been told."
"Am I to understand that you already know what Clark Kent is?" Lionel demanded.
"Of course." Lex said.
"How?" Lionel asked.
"He told me." Lex shrugged. "A long time ago, actually."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Lionel demanded angrily.
"Clark Kent comes with a warning label, Dad." Lex said. "It reads 'Handle With Care.' He has power like you can't imagine and now that he's reached some form of puberty new powers are surfacing all the time. I decided observation was probably safer for now. Besides, in case you forgot, I wasn't in the most stable frame of mind in the past couple months. Why?"
"Perhaps observation would have been prudent." Lionel said, clearly disturbed to learn Clark was still developing. "But I chose to take the initiative instead."
"What have you done?" Lex demanded.
"After I was made aware of Clark Kent's unique heritage," Lionel said tersely. "I began to make certain arrangements in anticipation of his return. You see, I managed to obtain a sample of his blood, though I didn't realize it was his until that day, and I've been running various tests on it. I discovered that meteor rock seems to have an adverse effect on the blood, but that especially dense metals, such as lead, block those effects. So, I set a wing in Lab 19 aside for him and commissioned the necessary alterations to keep it secure for him."
"Don't tell me you've already extracted him." Lex exclaimed.
"I collected him myself yesterday evening." Lionel confirmed. "He's there now."
"In Lab 19." Lex repeated. "What is that, LuthorCorp's private Area 51? How come I've never heard of it?" Lionel shrugged. "That's where you've been doing the Level 3 experiments, isn't it?"
"Lex," Lionel said. "Clark Kent is Level 3. I came here because I wanted to bring you in on this. You had considered him a friend after all. But if you already know so much about him, you could be invaluable to this project! What do you say, son?"
"Show me." Lex agreed.
When they arrived at Lab 19, Lionel already had a top level pass ready and waiting for Lex. As they walked, Lionel described some of the other experiments that had been done there; mostly he explained how they had failed. Many people were bustling around, but as they neared Clark's wing of the building the people became fewer and fewer until Lex and Lionel were the only ones around.
"Who else knows he's here?" Lex asked.
"Just you." Lionel said. He pulled the black drawstring hood out of his pocket for Lex to see. "I kept this over his head from the time I brought him to the car until he was in his compartment. No one but me has been in this wing since."
"Good." Lex mused. "I want to see him."
"I believe he's still asleep." Lionel held the door for Lex and led him down the corridor.
Through a large glass window Lex saw Clark asleep on the cot, his arms protectively wrapped around himself. He tried not cringe at the room his father was keeping Clark in. The walls were all lined in lead paneling with multiple vents, all of which were closed save the ventilation duct. There were more vents in the ceiling, also closed. The room was sparsely furnished with only the cot, a wire frame set of drawers, a chair, and a desk. There was one doorway near the back. A yellow line ran around the perimeter of the room, through the doorway into the other room, and back again set about a foot away from the wall. None of the furniture was set against the walls either. Motion activated cameras monitored the room.
"Behind each wall is a supply of green meteor rock." Lionel explained with pleasure. "The lead lining is all that protects him from their effects. If our young friend crosses the yellow line, the vents open. The sanitary facilities are through that doorway there."
"And how does he get to eat?" Lex asked.
"We place a vacuum sealed tray in this slot here." Lionel explained, opening the door. "Then we push this button and the meal is suctioned through the shoot into his reach on the other side. When he's finished he replaces the tray and we retrieve it later."
"Very efficient." Lex said dryly. "Can he see us? I mean, if he were awake?"
"Of course." Lionel said. "Have to be able to talk to him somehow. The window can be tinted to prevent him from seeing into the hall by pressing this button here. I plan to keep it tinted whenever we're not interviewing him to allow for observation. If you push this button it will activate the speakers to allow us to converse with him." Lionel demonstrated before Lex could stop him. "Clark. You have a visitor."
Clark stirred in bed and glanced toward the window. He leapt off the cot, revitalized with hope when he saw Lex. He had been stripped of his own clothes and now wore only a pair of drawstring hospital pants.
"Oh my God!" Lex gasped when he saw Jor-el's mark on Clark's chest. "What the hell did you do to him?"
"He already had it when I brought him in." Lionel said. "He wouldn't tell me how he got it or what it means."
"Lex!" Clark grinned hopefully running toward the window. He barely remembered in time to stop short of the yellow line. "Oh, thank God. I knew you'd come. Come on, get me out of here."
"I'm sorry, I can't do that Clark." Lex said.
"What are you talking about?" Clark asked. "You're not just going to leave me here!"
"Everything's going to be fine Clark." Lex said evenly. "I really think this could turn out to be the best thing for you."
"Lex, what are you doing?" Clark cried in horror. He got too close to the wall and the vents opened exposing him to the kryptonite. Clark nearly doubled over when the nausea hit him; he quickly retreated to the middle of the room. "You were my friend. I trusted you! How can you do this to me?"
"Just try to relax, Clark." Lex said. "I'll be back to see you soon."
"Lex, please!" Clark begged. Lex and Lionel turned to go. "Lex, don't do this! Lex!" Lex wouldn't answer him. "Lex, please, don't let him do this to me! Lex!" But Lex still wouldn't answer. "You bastard! I'll never forgive you for this Lex! Never! Never!"
Clark's screams followed Lex all the way down the hall. He fought not to turn back. Oh, he was definitely going to Hell.
"We need to discuss security." Lex told Lionel.
"You know him best." Lionel deferred. "What did you have in mind?"
"It's not Clark I'm worried about." Lex said. "You seem to have that covered. I'm worried about those who will come in contact with him."
"I'm listening." Lionel replied.
"You said as of now only you and I know why Clark's here." Lex said. Lionel nodded. "We need to keep it that way. No one can know who he is, where he came from, or why he's here. Those who perform the necessary tests on him never know his name, why he's being tested, and they never see the results. A whole other team will take the readings, but they never see Clark or even know what was being tested to create those results. To them he should be nothing more than a number and computer readout. And of course, they won't even be analyzing the results they take."
"Why will they not?" Lionel demanded.
"When I learned what Clark was I immediately hired a private doctor for all future research." Lex told him. "Since he is already expecting to receive an unusual assignment from me, we should use him to analyze Clark's test results. He's fully qualified and besides we don't want anyone knowing about Clark but you and me."
"You've thought this out." Lionel commented.
"I've been observant." Lex countered. "We have to be very, very careful Dad. Clark isn't just the only alien on the planet; he's the last of his kind. That boy back there is rare beyond imagination and that makes him precious beyond measure. But it also makes him irreplaceable. If someone decided they wanted him for themselves, or followed Dr. Walden down the xenophobic path and tried to destroy him, or if we somehow damage him during testing, then we're screwed. Game over."
"You may have a point." Lionel agreed.
"You find the staff to run the tests." Lex suggested. "I'll find the techs to take the results. And, since I'm already on indefinite leave from work, I can handle things here so you won't be too distracted from LuthorCorp."
"I think this qualifies as worthy of distraction, Lex." Lionel chuckled.
"Pace yourself Dad." Lex smirked. "Time's on our side this time."
"Meaning?" Lionel demanded.
"Meaning, all evidence indicates that Clark's lifespan is going to be significantly longer than our own," Lex explained. "He's not going anywhere. In fact, I think we've just added a new chapter to the Luthor legacy."
Lionel remained at the facility to arrange for a staff to care for Clark. After Lex promised to have his half of the staff ready within the next two days he got in his car and drove dangerously fast back to Smallville. He passed the mansion and went straight to the Kent's farm.
The Kents were pacing the kitchen with worry. When Clark wasn't home when they got back that morning they assumed he was in school already. But an hour ago they received a call from the attendance office asking about Clark's absence. They had been looking everywhere for him since but no one knew where he was. Lex watched them through the screen door for a few minutes pacing back and forth. Sometimes Jonathan would pick up the phone as though he wanted to make sure it was still working then slam it back down in mounting frustration. Finally, Lex knocked softly.
"Lex!" Martha exclaimed hopefully. "Oh, thank God. We've been trying to call you for over an hour! Clark's missing. We can't find him anywhere. Have you seen him?"
"Yes, Mrs. Kent, unfortunately I have." Lex replied.
"What do you mean unfortunately?" Jonathan demanded.
"I think you two had better sit down." Lex said. Hesitantly, Jonathan and Martha complied. "I had a visit from my father today. We took a drive out to one of his many research centers. Only this one I didn't know about. I suspected that he had reopened the Level 3 meteor experiments, but today he confirmed it for me. He showed me some of his projects, all of them failures, and then he showed me his newest acquirement."
"Lex, what are you saying?" Martha pleaded.
"My father has Clark." Lex said quickly. "He took him after you left yesterday. He's keeping him in a facility specially designed with kryptonite to keep him under control."
"How would he know to do that?" Jonathan demanded furiously.
"He knows Clark's secret." Lex confessed. "He. . ."
Jonathan's rage would have frightened Clark even under the thrall of red kryptonite. He grabbed Lex around the neck and slammed him up against the wall. Lex saw stars, partly from the blow to his head and partly from lack of oxygen as Jonathan gripped his throat.
"You son of a bitch!" Jonathan shouted. "I tried to warn Clark about you, but he thought you were his friend. He trusted you!"
"Mr. Kent, please!" Lex struggled to breath, clawing to get out of Jonathan's clutches. "It wasn't me!"
"You're lying!" Jonathan screamed. "How else would Lionel have found out?"
"He was in the caves!" Lex cried. Jonathan dropped his hands. Lex coughed for air and massaged his sore neck. "He was there the day Jor-el took Clark. He saw everything. He's been planning this ever since. I didn't know! You have to believe me, he never told me anything until after he had Clark."
"You give me your word," Jonathan said dangerously. "That you had nothing to do with this."
"I swear on my mother's grave." Lex said solemnly. "Clark is my best friend; I'd do anything to protect him. If I'd known what my father was doing I would have done anything necessary to prevent it."
"Lex, is Clark all right?" Martha asked. "Lionel didn't hurt him, did he?"
"I don't know." Lex confessed. "He has this massive scar across his chest, but my father claims he didn't do it. And I don't know how he could have anyway."
"What kind of scar?" Jonathan asked.
"Like an eight inside a triangle." Lex described.
"That's Jor-el's sign." Jonathan said. "He marked Clark with it right before he sent him away from Smallville, but it disappeared when he let him come home. It wasn't there when Clark came back after Jor-el took him. Why would it be back now?
"I have no idea." Lex said. "But other than that, Clark physically seems fine and I'm pretty sure he's going to stay that way. Clark is indescribably valuable. My father won't risk any damage to him."
"He's not going to get the chance." Jonathan vowed grabbing his jacket and keys.
"What are you doing?" Lex asked.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Jonathan snapped. "You're going to tell me where this research facility is and then I'm going to get my son."
"And then what?" Lex challenged. "Let's assume for a minute that, by some miracle, you actually manage to get Clark out of there. What next? You think you can just bring him home and everything will go back to the way it was? My father knows everything! Clark is now his most prized possession. If you break him out my father will spare no expense and no effort to get him back."
"You're not suggesting we just leave him there!" Martha exclaimed.
"That's exactly what we have to do." Lex said. "My father is a determined man. Clark will never be safe until he is either dead or behind bars. And since any of us being arrested for the murder of a high profile figure like my father is definitely not in Clark's best interest. . ."
"You want to use Clark as a decoy." Jonathan accused.
"I don't want to." Lex insisted. "We have to. If I can keep my father distracted with Clark the US Attorney can push their case through. As soon as Lionel is arrested we can get Clark out of there for good. In fact, you should file a missing persons report right now. The police will start looking for Clark; of course they won't find him. Then, when Lionel's arrested and Clark is found in his facility. . ."
"We can add kidnapping to the rest of the charges." Jonathan caught on.
"Even my father won't be able to keep that one from sticking." Lex grinned. "He'll never be able to get near Clark again."
"But other people will!" Martha exclaimed. "What do we do when Lionel's research team starts doing tests on Clark?"
"Not to worry." Lex said. "I've already taken care of that."
"How?" Jonathan asked.
"By appealing to my father's paranoia." Lex said. "He and I will be the only ones with any real access to Clark. The people who run the tests will never see the results. The people who see the results will only see computer printouts and they'll be working for me, not my father. I plan on telling them that this is a set up to keep my father busy and that the results they're seeing are actually being generated by a computer program. Even so, they will never see Clark. As far as they'll be concerned, he's nothing but a number. And the results will be analyzed by a separate doctor all together. I told my father I've had him in my employ ever since I learned about Clark."
"You've what?" Jonathan exclaimed.
"Mr. Kent, relax!" Lex said. "It's a bluff. I'm going to send the results to Virgil Swann."
"Why send them anywhere at all?" Martha asked.
"Because if I'm going to put Clark through this I'd better at least have something to show him when it's over." Lex said.
"Lex, how do we know your father's going to let you do all this?" Martha asked.
"My father was more than a little surprised when he found out I already knew more about Clark than he does." Lex said. "But that knowledge has made me both a liability and an asset. He can't risk cutting me out and it would be stupid of him to want to since I can tell him more about Clark now than he'd find out in a year. Not that I will, of course."
"Of course." Jonathan said snidely.
"Mr. Kent, I know how you feel." Lex said. "But in the long run it is the only way to keep Clark safe."
"He's right, Jonathan." Martha agreed. "But Lex, you will make sure nothing happens to him won't you?"
"I am going to be at that lab as often as I possibly can." Lex promised. "And I will be there for every test. I promise. I won't let him get hurt. But there is one thing I am concerned about."
"What is it?" Jonathan asked.
"It is unlikely that I'll get a chance to explain to Clark what is really going on." Lex said.
"What are you saying?" Martha asked.
"I'm saying," Lex sighed. "That Clark is going to have to go through this believing that it's real."
"No!" Jonathan refused. "Absolutely not. We cannot do that to Clark!"
"Mr. Kent, there's no other choice." Lex said. "If my father thinks even for a second that I'm double crossing him, he could have Clark removed to another location and then we might never find him."
"Lex, you don't understand." Martha insisted. "This situation is Clark's worst nightmare!"
"Mrs. Kent." Lex said firmly. "If we let sentimentality get in the way and mess this up, that bad dream is going to come true very quickly."
"Damn it!" Jonathan slammed his fist on the table. "How long will this take?"
"Hard to say." Lex said. "It could be up to a month."
"Oh God." Jonathan sighed. Martha squeezed his hand tightly. "Do it."
"Lex, we need to have a talk." Lionel announced as he burst into Lex's office.
"Sure, Dad." Lex said pleasantly. "What can I do for you?"
"I'd like to talk to you about your friend Clark Kent." Lionel said.
"What about him?" Lex asked.
"He's a very unique young man." Lionel said meaningfully.
Lex's face remained calm, but right behind it his synapses were firing off like mad. His father knew about Clark. Lex needed to know what he'd done, what he intended to do, and what he could do about it and he needed to know now. The only option was to let Lionel take the lead and play this by ear.
"Could you be a bit more specific?" Lex asked.
"The day Clark was taken I was in the Kawatche caves." Lionel began. That was Lex's cue to take control.
"Ah, I see." Lex sighed. "So, you've seen the infamous Jor-el, have you?" Lionel was shocked. Lex rarely got to see Lionel shocked. He enjoyed seeing Lionel shocked. But back to the matter at hand. "I must admit, I'm jealous. I never actually got to see the copy; I only know what I've been told."
"Am I to understand that you already know what Clark Kent is?" Lionel demanded.
"Of course." Lex said.
"How?" Lionel asked.
"He told me." Lex shrugged. "A long time ago, actually."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Lionel demanded angrily.
"Clark Kent comes with a warning label, Dad." Lex said. "It reads 'Handle With Care.' He has power like you can't imagine and now that he's reached some form of puberty new powers are surfacing all the time. I decided observation was probably safer for now. Besides, in case you forgot, I wasn't in the most stable frame of mind in the past couple months. Why?"
"Perhaps observation would have been prudent." Lionel said, clearly disturbed to learn Clark was still developing. "But I chose to take the initiative instead."
"What have you done?" Lex demanded.
"After I was made aware of Clark Kent's unique heritage," Lionel said tersely. "I began to make certain arrangements in anticipation of his return. You see, I managed to obtain a sample of his blood, though I didn't realize it was his until that day, and I've been running various tests on it. I discovered that meteor rock seems to have an adverse effect on the blood, but that especially dense metals, such as lead, block those effects. So, I set a wing in Lab 19 aside for him and commissioned the necessary alterations to keep it secure for him."
"Don't tell me you've already extracted him." Lex exclaimed.
"I collected him myself yesterday evening." Lionel confirmed. "He's there now."
"In Lab 19." Lex repeated. "What is that, LuthorCorp's private Area 51? How come I've never heard of it?" Lionel shrugged. "That's where you've been doing the Level 3 experiments, isn't it?"
"Lex," Lionel said. "Clark Kent is Level 3. I came here because I wanted to bring you in on this. You had considered him a friend after all. But if you already know so much about him, you could be invaluable to this project! What do you say, son?"
"Show me." Lex agreed.
When they arrived at Lab 19, Lionel already had a top level pass ready and waiting for Lex. As they walked, Lionel described some of the other experiments that had been done there; mostly he explained how they had failed. Many people were bustling around, but as they neared Clark's wing of the building the people became fewer and fewer until Lex and Lionel were the only ones around.
"Who else knows he's here?" Lex asked.
"Just you." Lionel said. He pulled the black drawstring hood out of his pocket for Lex to see. "I kept this over his head from the time I brought him to the car until he was in his compartment. No one but me has been in this wing since."
"Good." Lex mused. "I want to see him."
"I believe he's still asleep." Lionel held the door for Lex and led him down the corridor.
Through a large glass window Lex saw Clark asleep on the cot, his arms protectively wrapped around himself. He tried not cringe at the room his father was keeping Clark in. The walls were all lined in lead paneling with multiple vents, all of which were closed save the ventilation duct. There were more vents in the ceiling, also closed. The room was sparsely furnished with only the cot, a wire frame set of drawers, a chair, and a desk. There was one doorway near the back. A yellow line ran around the perimeter of the room, through the doorway into the other room, and back again set about a foot away from the wall. None of the furniture was set against the walls either. Motion activated cameras monitored the room.
"Behind each wall is a supply of green meteor rock." Lionel explained with pleasure. "The lead lining is all that protects him from their effects. If our young friend crosses the yellow line, the vents open. The sanitary facilities are through that doorway there."
"And how does he get to eat?" Lex asked.
"We place a vacuum sealed tray in this slot here." Lionel explained, opening the door. "Then we push this button and the meal is suctioned through the shoot into his reach on the other side. When he's finished he replaces the tray and we retrieve it later."
"Very efficient." Lex said dryly. "Can he see us? I mean, if he were awake?"
"Of course." Lionel said. "Have to be able to talk to him somehow. The window can be tinted to prevent him from seeing into the hall by pressing this button here. I plan to keep it tinted whenever we're not interviewing him to allow for observation. If you push this button it will activate the speakers to allow us to converse with him." Lionel demonstrated before Lex could stop him. "Clark. You have a visitor."
Clark stirred in bed and glanced toward the window. He leapt off the cot, revitalized with hope when he saw Lex. He had been stripped of his own clothes and now wore only a pair of drawstring hospital pants.
"Oh my God!" Lex gasped when he saw Jor-el's mark on Clark's chest. "What the hell did you do to him?"
"He already had it when I brought him in." Lionel said. "He wouldn't tell me how he got it or what it means."
"Lex!" Clark grinned hopefully running toward the window. He barely remembered in time to stop short of the yellow line. "Oh, thank God. I knew you'd come. Come on, get me out of here."
"I'm sorry, I can't do that Clark." Lex said.
"What are you talking about?" Clark asked. "You're not just going to leave me here!"
"Everything's going to be fine Clark." Lex said evenly. "I really think this could turn out to be the best thing for you."
"Lex, what are you doing?" Clark cried in horror. He got too close to the wall and the vents opened exposing him to the kryptonite. Clark nearly doubled over when the nausea hit him; he quickly retreated to the middle of the room. "You were my friend. I trusted you! How can you do this to me?"
"Just try to relax, Clark." Lex said. "I'll be back to see you soon."
"Lex, please!" Clark begged. Lex and Lionel turned to go. "Lex, don't do this! Lex!" Lex wouldn't answer him. "Lex, please, don't let him do this to me! Lex!" But Lex still wouldn't answer. "You bastard! I'll never forgive you for this Lex! Never! Never!"
Clark's screams followed Lex all the way down the hall. He fought not to turn back. Oh, he was definitely going to Hell.
"We need to discuss security." Lex told Lionel.
"You know him best." Lionel deferred. "What did you have in mind?"
"It's not Clark I'm worried about." Lex said. "You seem to have that covered. I'm worried about those who will come in contact with him."
"I'm listening." Lionel replied.
"You said as of now only you and I know why Clark's here." Lex said. Lionel nodded. "We need to keep it that way. No one can know who he is, where he came from, or why he's here. Those who perform the necessary tests on him never know his name, why he's being tested, and they never see the results. A whole other team will take the readings, but they never see Clark or even know what was being tested to create those results. To them he should be nothing more than a number and computer readout. And of course, they won't even be analyzing the results they take."
"Why will they not?" Lionel demanded.
"When I learned what Clark was I immediately hired a private doctor for all future research." Lex told him. "Since he is already expecting to receive an unusual assignment from me, we should use him to analyze Clark's test results. He's fully qualified and besides we don't want anyone knowing about Clark but you and me."
"You've thought this out." Lionel commented.
"I've been observant." Lex countered. "We have to be very, very careful Dad. Clark isn't just the only alien on the planet; he's the last of his kind. That boy back there is rare beyond imagination and that makes him precious beyond measure. But it also makes him irreplaceable. If someone decided they wanted him for themselves, or followed Dr. Walden down the xenophobic path and tried to destroy him, or if we somehow damage him during testing, then we're screwed. Game over."
"You may have a point." Lionel agreed.
"You find the staff to run the tests." Lex suggested. "I'll find the techs to take the results. And, since I'm already on indefinite leave from work, I can handle things here so you won't be too distracted from LuthorCorp."
"I think this qualifies as worthy of distraction, Lex." Lionel chuckled.
"Pace yourself Dad." Lex smirked. "Time's on our side this time."
"Meaning?" Lionel demanded.
"Meaning, all evidence indicates that Clark's lifespan is going to be significantly longer than our own," Lex explained. "He's not going anywhere. In fact, I think we've just added a new chapter to the Luthor legacy."
Lionel remained at the facility to arrange for a staff to care for Clark. After Lex promised to have his half of the staff ready within the next two days he got in his car and drove dangerously fast back to Smallville. He passed the mansion and went straight to the Kent's farm.
The Kents were pacing the kitchen with worry. When Clark wasn't home when they got back that morning they assumed he was in school already. But an hour ago they received a call from the attendance office asking about Clark's absence. They had been looking everywhere for him since but no one knew where he was. Lex watched them through the screen door for a few minutes pacing back and forth. Sometimes Jonathan would pick up the phone as though he wanted to make sure it was still working then slam it back down in mounting frustration. Finally, Lex knocked softly.
"Lex!" Martha exclaimed hopefully. "Oh, thank God. We've been trying to call you for over an hour! Clark's missing. We can't find him anywhere. Have you seen him?"
"Yes, Mrs. Kent, unfortunately I have." Lex replied.
"What do you mean unfortunately?" Jonathan demanded.
"I think you two had better sit down." Lex said. Hesitantly, Jonathan and Martha complied. "I had a visit from my father today. We took a drive out to one of his many research centers. Only this one I didn't know about. I suspected that he had reopened the Level 3 meteor experiments, but today he confirmed it for me. He showed me some of his projects, all of them failures, and then he showed me his newest acquirement."
"Lex, what are you saying?" Martha pleaded.
"My father has Clark." Lex said quickly. "He took him after you left yesterday. He's keeping him in a facility specially designed with kryptonite to keep him under control."
"How would he know to do that?" Jonathan demanded furiously.
"He knows Clark's secret." Lex confessed. "He. . ."
Jonathan's rage would have frightened Clark even under the thrall of red kryptonite. He grabbed Lex around the neck and slammed him up against the wall. Lex saw stars, partly from the blow to his head and partly from lack of oxygen as Jonathan gripped his throat.
"You son of a bitch!" Jonathan shouted. "I tried to warn Clark about you, but he thought you were his friend. He trusted you!"
"Mr. Kent, please!" Lex struggled to breath, clawing to get out of Jonathan's clutches. "It wasn't me!"
"You're lying!" Jonathan screamed. "How else would Lionel have found out?"
"He was in the caves!" Lex cried. Jonathan dropped his hands. Lex coughed for air and massaged his sore neck. "He was there the day Jor-el took Clark. He saw everything. He's been planning this ever since. I didn't know! You have to believe me, he never told me anything until after he had Clark."
"You give me your word," Jonathan said dangerously. "That you had nothing to do with this."
"I swear on my mother's grave." Lex said solemnly. "Clark is my best friend; I'd do anything to protect him. If I'd known what my father was doing I would have done anything necessary to prevent it."
"Lex, is Clark all right?" Martha asked. "Lionel didn't hurt him, did he?"
"I don't know." Lex confessed. "He has this massive scar across his chest, but my father claims he didn't do it. And I don't know how he could have anyway."
"What kind of scar?" Jonathan asked.
"Like an eight inside a triangle." Lex described.
"That's Jor-el's sign." Jonathan said. "He marked Clark with it right before he sent him away from Smallville, but it disappeared when he let him come home. It wasn't there when Clark came back after Jor-el took him. Why would it be back now?
"I have no idea." Lex said. "But other than that, Clark physically seems fine and I'm pretty sure he's going to stay that way. Clark is indescribably valuable. My father won't risk any damage to him."
"He's not going to get the chance." Jonathan vowed grabbing his jacket and keys.
"What are you doing?" Lex asked.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Jonathan snapped. "You're going to tell me where this research facility is and then I'm going to get my son."
"And then what?" Lex challenged. "Let's assume for a minute that, by some miracle, you actually manage to get Clark out of there. What next? You think you can just bring him home and everything will go back to the way it was? My father knows everything! Clark is now his most prized possession. If you break him out my father will spare no expense and no effort to get him back."
"You're not suggesting we just leave him there!" Martha exclaimed.
"That's exactly what we have to do." Lex said. "My father is a determined man. Clark will never be safe until he is either dead or behind bars. And since any of us being arrested for the murder of a high profile figure like my father is definitely not in Clark's best interest. . ."
"You want to use Clark as a decoy." Jonathan accused.
"I don't want to." Lex insisted. "We have to. If I can keep my father distracted with Clark the US Attorney can push their case through. As soon as Lionel is arrested we can get Clark out of there for good. In fact, you should file a missing persons report right now. The police will start looking for Clark; of course they won't find him. Then, when Lionel's arrested and Clark is found in his facility. . ."
"We can add kidnapping to the rest of the charges." Jonathan caught on.
"Even my father won't be able to keep that one from sticking." Lex grinned. "He'll never be able to get near Clark again."
"But other people will!" Martha exclaimed. "What do we do when Lionel's research team starts doing tests on Clark?"
"Not to worry." Lex said. "I've already taken care of that."
"How?" Jonathan asked.
"By appealing to my father's paranoia." Lex said. "He and I will be the only ones with any real access to Clark. The people who run the tests will never see the results. The people who see the results will only see computer printouts and they'll be working for me, not my father. I plan on telling them that this is a set up to keep my father busy and that the results they're seeing are actually being generated by a computer program. Even so, they will never see Clark. As far as they'll be concerned, he's nothing but a number. And the results will be analyzed by a separate doctor all together. I told my father I've had him in my employ ever since I learned about Clark."
"You've what?" Jonathan exclaimed.
"Mr. Kent, relax!" Lex said. "It's a bluff. I'm going to send the results to Virgil Swann."
"Why send them anywhere at all?" Martha asked.
"Because if I'm going to put Clark through this I'd better at least have something to show him when it's over." Lex said.
"Lex, how do we know your father's going to let you do all this?" Martha asked.
"My father was more than a little surprised when he found out I already knew more about Clark than he does." Lex said. "But that knowledge has made me both a liability and an asset. He can't risk cutting me out and it would be stupid of him to want to since I can tell him more about Clark now than he'd find out in a year. Not that I will, of course."
"Of course." Jonathan said snidely.
"Mr. Kent, I know how you feel." Lex said. "But in the long run it is the only way to keep Clark safe."
"He's right, Jonathan." Martha agreed. "But Lex, you will make sure nothing happens to him won't you?"
"I am going to be at that lab as often as I possibly can." Lex promised. "And I will be there for every test. I promise. I won't let him get hurt. But there is one thing I am concerned about."
"What is it?" Jonathan asked.
"It is unlikely that I'll get a chance to explain to Clark what is really going on." Lex said.
"What are you saying?" Martha asked.
"I'm saying," Lex sighed. "That Clark is going to have to go through this believing that it's real."
"No!" Jonathan refused. "Absolutely not. We cannot do that to Clark!"
"Mr. Kent, there's no other choice." Lex said. "If my father thinks even for a second that I'm double crossing him, he could have Clark removed to another location and then we might never find him."
"Lex, you don't understand." Martha insisted. "This situation is Clark's worst nightmare!"
"Mrs. Kent." Lex said firmly. "If we let sentimentality get in the way and mess this up, that bad dream is going to come true very quickly."
"Damn it!" Jonathan slammed his fist on the table. "How long will this take?"
"Hard to say." Lex said. "It could be up to a month."
"Oh God." Jonathan sighed. Martha squeezed his hand tightly. "Do it."