"Here you go." Lex handed Clark a sheaf of papers. "Birth certificate, passport, Social Security info, driver's license, high school transcript, everything." The documents had cost almost two million but Lex knew they'd be water-tight. Dozens of systems had been hacked but no trail of bribes had been left behind.
"Driver's license?"
"They thought it would be best for you to be eighteen, just out of high school, you're trying to see if you can make it as a freelance photographer. You were pretty good at it before, you could be convincing, and it will let you move around if you want to."
Clark was leafing quietly through the papers and cards. "It feels kind of weird. You know? Suddenly, I'm not me, I'm *him.* I'm not the same anything, on paper."
"So where do you want to live?"
"Dunno. City, somewhere."
"Not too big or too small would be good. Minneapolis? San Antonio? Indianapolis? San Diego? Philadelphia?"
"San Diego sounds okay."
Clark's glumness was beginning to disturb Lex. He'd expected outbursts and this stolidness seemed more and more unnatural. He sat down and looked Clark in the eye. *I'm not sure this is a good idea but...*
"Clark, what's wrong?"
"That's a pretty dumb question!"
*Oh, now this is the Clark I recognize.* Clark continued. "Nothing's wrong, except knowing exactly how much I really meant to Dad, and having to run away, and knowing that nothing's going to be the same, and not knowing what will happen, and now you're going, too, and I don't have any friends or anybody who really cares if I...it just *sucks*," he concluded, kicking at a table leg, which splintered, sending the table askew and the contents to the floor.
"Clark, you know that's not true."
"That it doesn't suck?"
Lex rolled his eyes. "No, that there's nobody who really cares."
"Like who? You're only here because I pretty much made you come, and when you thought of a way to get out of here, you didn't lose a minute, did you?"
"I think it's going to be safer for both of us this way," Lex said firmly. *As if that was my prime consideration. Why do I feel as though what I'm doing isn't quite as rational as it seemed? Or rather, that it's rational, but wrong? Dammit, I can hardly say that I feel protective of an invulnerable space alien who can and has whipped my ass on countless occasions?*
"I could take care of us," Clark answered, sullenly.
"But you can take care of yourself a lot better than you can of both of us."
"Oh, you just want to leave, and you will leave, but don't think I'll believe you're doing it for my sake."
"I'm not pretending that I'm being selfless here, just reasonable."
"Like I'm not."
"That's right, you're not." Lex braced for a blow as Clark tensed, but instead Clark shoved past him into the bedroom. The door slammed and he heard Clark curse as the doorknob came off in his hand.
"Driver's license?"
"They thought it would be best for you to be eighteen, just out of high school, you're trying to see if you can make it as a freelance photographer. You were pretty good at it before, you could be convincing, and it will let you move around if you want to."
Clark was leafing quietly through the papers and cards. "It feels kind of weird. You know? Suddenly, I'm not me, I'm *him.* I'm not the same anything, on paper."
"So where do you want to live?"
"Dunno. City, somewhere."
"Not too big or too small would be good. Minneapolis? San Antonio? Indianapolis? San Diego? Philadelphia?"
"San Diego sounds okay."
Clark's glumness was beginning to disturb Lex. He'd expected outbursts and this stolidness seemed more and more unnatural. He sat down and looked Clark in the eye. *I'm not sure this is a good idea but...*
"Clark, what's wrong?"
"That's a pretty dumb question!"
*Oh, now this is the Clark I recognize.* Clark continued. "Nothing's wrong, except knowing exactly how much I really meant to Dad, and having to run away, and knowing that nothing's going to be the same, and not knowing what will happen, and now you're going, too, and I don't have any friends or anybody who really cares if I...it just *sucks*," he concluded, kicking at a table leg, which splintered, sending the table askew and the contents to the floor.
"Clark, you know that's not true."
"That it doesn't suck?"
Lex rolled his eyes. "No, that there's nobody who really cares."
"Like who? You're only here because I pretty much made you come, and when you thought of a way to get out of here, you didn't lose a minute, did you?"
"I think it's going to be safer for both of us this way," Lex said firmly. *As if that was my prime consideration. Why do I feel as though what I'm doing isn't quite as rational as it seemed? Or rather, that it's rational, but wrong? Dammit, I can hardly say that I feel protective of an invulnerable space alien who can and has whipped my ass on countless occasions?*
"I could take care of us," Clark answered, sullenly.
"But you can take care of yourself a lot better than you can of both of us."
"Oh, you just want to leave, and you will leave, but don't think I'll believe you're doing it for my sake."
"I'm not pretending that I'm being selfless here, just reasonable."
"Like I'm not."
"That's right, you're not." Lex braced for a blow as Clark tensed, but instead Clark shoved past him into the bedroom. The door slammed and he heard Clark curse as the doorknob came off in his hand.