Chapter Thirty-Five: The Cruellest Twist

Lex leaned back in his chair, taking a sip from the glass of single malt he had just poured for himself. He'd just spent the best part of three hours poring over the mountain of paperwork that had built up over the previous few days. Getting LuthorCorp up and running after his enforced absence, the completion of the takeover of Queen Industries, the resurrection of the 33.1 program, not to mention the climax of his plan to take down the Justice League – no wonder he felt exhausted. It had been an incredible few days, but somehow the tiredness didn't seem to matter. The exhilaration of success drove him on, banishing any need for rest. Never in his life had he felt so alive, so complete; it was as if his victory over Oliver and the League had finally driven away the demons that had haunted him for so long. He still couldn't quite believe it – that everything had gone exactly as he'd planned it. But the reality of what had happened could not be denied. He, Lex Luthor, had won – and he couldn't imagine a sweeter feeling existed this side of heaven.

Reaching out to his laptop with his free hand, he typed in a password. Immediately the blackness of the screen was replaced by the grainy images of a live video feed. The face of a young man appeared, lit only by the eerie half light cast by an infra-red camera; he stared lifelessly straight ahead, his eyes empty and hollow. Lex smiled. Installing a webcam in the capsule that had become Arthur Curry's tomb had been a stroke of genius. For days now he'd enjoyed observing the young hero's slow, lonely death at the bottom of the ocean, watching with a mixture of fascination and excitement. He loathed Curry, almost as much as he loathed Oliver; he hated his good looks, his inane sense of humour, his insufferable arrogance. Sending the man who had been his jailer to a long, lingering death had given him a kick, but watching him die day by day was almost as satisfying. At the beginning there had been rage in those clear blue eyes, anger that he had allowed himself to be taken so easily. Then there had been the panic, the growing realisation that this time there would be no rescue, no leather clad vigilante who would come to his aid. The tears had flowed – tears of terror, of deep rooted, visceral fear. And now there was this – the once mighty Aquaman, the smart-mouthed surf boy, reduced to little more than a husk of his former self, waiting to die.

Revenge didn't get much better than this – but still, it wasn't enough. For Lex, Curry and the others were simply the entree, an appetiser before the main course. Even learning the truth about Clark seemed secondary to what was to come. He'd read the reports submitted by the team he'd charged with learning the truth about his old friend. Their initial findings were encouraging, and Lex was certain in the weeks and months that lay ahead he would learn a lot more about the alien who had hidden in plain sight for so long. But for the moment, Clark could wait; Lex had another, more pressing priority.

It was time to finally settle his account with Oliver Queen.

Every stage of Oliver's destruction – the takeover of Queen Industries, the destruction of the Green Arrow's reputation, Oliver's unmasking, trial and imprisonment – it had all been leading to this moment. Lex knew all about what had happened to Oliver since his arrival at Nemesis, Galton keeping him informed of every humiliation, every torment. Nemesis had done what he had hoped it would do, and given his rival a taste of what it was like to experience true despair. He could let it go on, of course, but something inside was telling him the time had come – it was time to bring a lifetime of rivalry and hatred to an end, once and for all. Oliver had to die, and he would be the man who killed him. There was only one thing left remaining before the final chapter opened, one final little game to play...

"Turn around, Lex!"

He froze. It was a voice he recognised – a woman's voice...

"I said, turn around!"

Slowly, Lex did as he was told. There, standing framed in the doorway to his office, stood Chloe, a gun clasped tightly in her hands.

"Chloe! This is an unexpected pleasure," said Lex, the merest hint of a smile on his lips. He sounded calm, almost relaxed – certainly not like a man who found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"Get up – and keep your hands where I can see them!"

Again, Lex complied, slowly getting up from his chair and raising his hands in the air.

"I might have known that you'd find a way of getting out of that cell – Oliver didn't make you Watchtower for nothing, did he?" he continued calmly, glancing over Chloe's shoulder to the empty corridor beyond.

"It's no use looking for one of your pet apes, Lex – we've taken care of them."

At that moment Bart appeared in the doorway, leaning against its frame.

"And you've found Bart! Two members of the League, together again – that must have been such a touching reunion."

"Shut up!" demanded Chloe, tightening her grip on the gun. Her hands were shaking, and beads of sweat were running down her forehead. Inside, she could feel her heart thumping furiously in her chest, the adrenalin surging through her veins. Her plan was so audacious, so improbable, she couldn't quite believe that it was working. But they'd made short work of the solitary guard they'd met on their way here, and now, standing face to face with Lex, she was, at last, starting to believe it. For days they'd been at the mercy of this monster, like puppets dancing on strings. The guys, Clark, Oliver – they'd all fallen prey to Lex's twisted fantasies. Now, at last, it seemed as if the tide had finally turned. Incredibly, unbelievably, he was now her prisoner. She was in control, and now she would give the orders. The guys would be freed, Oliver would be exonerated, and Lex would be sent back to jail. She would have her happy ending after all – she would get to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved more than anything else in the world. And after all they'd been through, all they'd endured, in the end it had all been so easy – so absurdly, ridiculously easy...

"So what now, Chloe? I suppose you want me to free Clark and the others?"

"Something like that."

"And then help you to free lover boy by handing myself in to the authorities, confessing all my dastardly deeds?"

Chloe did not reply. There was something about Lex's manner, something that unnerved her. She had the gun, so why did it feel as if he was in control? Lex was always cool under pressure, but this was more than that – he was mocking her, playing with her. What was going on? It was as if he knew something that she didn't...

"What's wrong, Chloe?" continued Lex, a contemptuous smile forming on his lips. "You're the one with the gun, and yet you looked scared. Why is that, I wonder? Are those famous reporter's instincts of yours telling you something's wrong?"

"Where's Oliver?" demanded Chloe, ignoring Lex's taunts and her own growing sense of unease.

"You know where he is, Chloe – behind bars, where he belongs."

"Don't play games, Lex!" said Chloe, raising her voice and waving the gun at her captive. "I could kill you now - don't think I wouldn't!"

"Chloe, please – you and I both know you're not going to do that. You need to keep me alive – without me, Oliver and his freaks are as good as dead."

The two stared at each other for a moment. Lex could see Chloe's mind racing, trying to work out what to do next. The deep furrows in her brow and her wide, desperate eyes told their own story, but he could see that she had not lost her sense of reason; that was what made him certain of the outcome of the drama that was about to play out.

"You're coming with us," she said finally. "Move!"

"I don't think so, Chloe."

"I'm warning you, Lex – don't push me!"

"I'd love to come with you, Chloe, but I can't – you see, the game has just changed."

Lex spoke quietly, the certainty in his voice filling the room.

"What... What are you talking about?"

Lex grinned.

"You still don't get it, do you? Perhaps I'll let me friend here explain it to you."

As Lex spoke he glanced to Chloe's left. At that moment she sensed a presence there, a figure standing just outside her field of vision. Suddenly fearing the worst, her eyes darted leftwards.

She gasped. There, standing unaided and with a broad smile on his face, stood Bart. He held a gun in his hand – and it was pointed directly at her head.

"Bart... What... What are you doing?" stammered Chloe, not quite believing what her eyes were telling her.

"Sorry, Chloe," replied Bart. "But hey, what can I say? Lex offered me a deal I couldn't refuse."

"But the cell...you were being held prisoner..."

"I must take the blame for that," interrupted Lex. "But you know me, Chloe – I do enjoy my little games! And when Bart said he was up for it – well, I'm afraid I couldn't stop myself. You didn't really think you were going to just walk out of here that easily, did you? Or perhaps you did – perhaps you really did believe that you were single-handedly going to save the day!"

Bart smirked. His whole manner had changed; there was a harshness to his voice, a sneer that Chloe had not heard before. Her mind was still struggling to comprehend what was happening, but in her gut she could feel a knot of fear tightening by the second. She'd half expected a trap, but not this – anything but this...

"Bart, please!" she pleaded. "Listen to me – this isn't you! Lex has done something to you – drugged you or something..."

"It's true – Bart has received the best care that LuthorCorp can provide," interrupted Lex. "But all we've done is help him to see things – how shall I put this? – a little more clearly. Isn't that right, Bart?"

"That's right, Mr Luthor," replied Bart, still aiming his gun at Chloe's head.

"So Bart works for me now – just like you will, Chloe."

"Stop it!" shouted Chloe, her voice cracking under the strain. She took a step towards Lex, tightening her grip on the gun she continued to aim in his direction. "Turn him back to normal, or I swear – I will kill you!"

"No you won't, Chloe – you know you won't," replied Lex, his quiet certainty contrasting with Chloe's increasing desperation. "Now put the gun down – I really don't want to have to order Bart to kill you."

Bart stepped towards Chloe. He placed the barrel of his gun against the side of her head, pressing it gently into her flesh.

"Do as he says, Chloe."

"Bart, please..." she whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks. Inside, her heart was broken. For a few, precious minutes, she had dared to dream that everything would be alright, that she would have her happy ending after all. To have that ripped away from her, to find that it was all just another of Lex's twisted games, was just too much. And Bart... Why did it have to be Bart? He'd been the life and soul of the League, the kid with the wicked sense of humour who'd been like a younger brother to all of them. For him to fall victim to Lex, and in such a shocking, terrible way...

Whatever hopes she might have continued to harbour died at that moment. She knew it was over – Lex had won.

"Here, let me take that for you," said Lex, reaching out and taking the gun from Chloe's trembling hands. She didn't resist; in a state of shock, she barely seemed to register what was happening to her.

"Tie her up," ordered Lex, turning and placing the gun on his desk. Bart pulled some zip ties from his pocket, before proceeding to bind Chloe's wrists behind her back. The job done, he then wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his body.

"Don't worry, Chloe," he whispered, his mouth just inches from her right ear. "Lex is going to take care of Oliver, and then maybe you and me can get it together, yeah?"

He kissed her on the cheek. Chloe recoiled in horror; she opened her mouth to speak, only to find her cry muffled by the press of a damp rag against her nose and lips. Immediately she smelt the chloroform, but it was too late; Bart's grip was unrelenting, and he continued to hold the cloth firmly over her mouth.

"Ssshhh," he whispered, as vainly Chloe tried to work herself free. "It's going to be alright, I promise."

Chloe felt herself begin to lose consciousness. As her eyelids fluttered, she caught sight of Lex, smiling broadly just a few feet away. It was the last thing she saw, before everything went black.

"Take her back to her cell," said Lex, returning to his chair. "And make sure she's properly secured this time – I don't want any unexpected complications whilst I'm away."

Throwing Chloe's lifeless body over his shoulder, Bart began to make his way towards the door.

"And Bart," said Lex, causing the teenager to stop.

"Yeah?"

"Good work today. I can see you have a great future in my organisation."

Bart grinned, before turning and making his way out of the room.

Lex picked up his glass, taking a sip of the single malt he'd poured himself earlier. He'd enjoyed that – he'd enjoyed that very much. The look on Chloe's face as she'd realised that her little escape attempt was nothing more than a cruel trick had been priceless, and Bart's behaviour was clear evidence that the treatment he'd received had done its job; his loyalty was now no longer in doubt. Bart would be a useful asset to LuthorCorp, as of course, would Chloe – her treatment would begin in a few days time, after Oliver had been dealt with. Yes, it was all coming together perfectly – the stage was now set for the final chapter.

His cell rang. Lex picked it up eagerly; he was expecting a call.

"Yes?"

"The team is ready, Mr Luthor – we can fly when you give the order."

"Good... good. Any further reports from Nemesis?"

"Nothing, sir – the last we heard was when Galton checked in two hours ago."

"Tell the pilot we fly within the hour. I'll be with you as soon as I finish up here."

Lex ended the call. He downed the remainder of his drink, before getting up and making his way to the door.

It was time to pay Oliver one final visit.

Did you see that coming? You know I love my story twists as much as Lex loves toying with our heroes, but this must be one of the cruellest shocks I've ever written. I know you all love Bart, so I hope you don't hate me too much. *Hides as readers throw anything they can lay their hands on in my direction.*

Back to Oliver in the next chapter - we've left him tied up in that cell for too long! Who is going to get to him first - Smith or Lex? What's going to happen to Chloe? Are the guys ever going to catch a break? All will be revealed in future chapters - all I will say is that I have lots more angst, drama and action planned before we reach this story's climax!

Sorry for the delay in updating - real life is so inconvenient at times! Thanks for sticking with this story, and for posting such amazing reviews - please do keep on giving me feedback, because it is the one thing which sees me through those times when I think about just walking away.