A Year Later...

LEX:

"Shit!" Lex exclaimed after they were thrown out of the portal. Clark and Lex stood at the entrance to the ice palace. Clark was just in his infamous red jacket, but Lex was wrapped head to toe in a parka and boots. "Why, again, did I have to come with you? I feel like I'm freezing to death again!"

"Still not funny, Lex." Clark said, his face blank. Lex nodded his head, mumbling an apology. Clark then smiled, wrapping Lex in his large arms. "I brought you here for a surprise. Jor-El and I have been talking-"

"About me?" Lex interrupted. "He knows about me. Last I saw him, he wanted me dead."

Clark pulled back, looking Lex in the eye. Lex shifted in place, but Clark just stared at him, mystified. "You gave up everything to be with me. You gave up your money, your job, your house, even your name...for me."

Lex took Clark's hands, gripping them tightly. "And I would do it again. You know that." Clark smiled, squeezing his hands.

"Yeah, I do know that, and I know you're nervous, but Jor-El has had over a year to get over it. Once he finally understood what you did, he thought that was good enough. The life you have now? You could never hurt me."

"I would never hurt you in the first place." Clark's eyes fell, staring at their joined hands.

"I know. I trust you, which is why I asked Jor-El for a favor." Clark turned to the console in the center of the room, walking up to it. He looked up to the massive crystal structures, calling, "Jor-El."

The room lit up as if it was reflecting the sun's light all around them. Lex shielded his eyes, wincing.

"Kal-El," the booming voice echoed around them. Lex's heart lept into his throat. Whatever Clark may have said, Jor-El wanted Lex dead.

Lex knew death threats when he heard them. He's been receiving them ever since he was ten. Changing his name and relinquishing his fortune didn't change anything either. There were still thugs and low-lifes pointing guns at his head, and kidnapping him every time he turns around. What Lex didn't expect was that Clark had a violent side when it came to rescuing him. He more than once had to pull Clark back before he could set them on fire or snap their neck. Those dark days had long since passed, but there were still times when Clark was fiercely protective of Lex.

"I don't care about your laws, Jor-El." Clark snapped, pulling Lex out of his thoughts. "Lex is the only one on this planet that I trust. You need someone to rely on to do the right thing if I lose control again. Ever since that summer in Metropolis, I've been wanting to kill more and more. If I am ever exposed to red Kryptonite again, there is no telling what will happen to me! You need someone who can stop me!"

"Alexander Luthor knew how to stop you, which is why I asked for his death."

"Alexander J. Luthor is dead." Lex said, standing next to Clark. "I have stripped my life down to the bare essentials for Clark. I have no money, no power, and no following. I am no threat to your son."

"Kal-El is not satisfied. He feels as if he needs a threat." Lex turned to Clark, confused. Clark looked away guiltily for a moment, but eventually turned back, his face set.

"Clark, what is he talking about?" Clark took a crystal from the console, gently holding it, as if it would shatter. "Clark?"

"Kal-El." Jor-El warned. Clark looked up at the crystals, then to Lex."

"Catch." He said, tossing the crystal. Lex, without thinking, caught it in his hands. The world around Lex suddenly vanished, throwing him into blackness.

Then pain. Searing pain ran up his arms, up his neck, and into his brain. His head felt like it would explode. He felt himself fall to his knees, and he could feel in his throat that he was screaming, but none of it reached his awareness. All that he could hear was Jor-El's voice booming in his ears, blurring through lessons in history, culture, and languages. Kryptonian symbols rushed by in front of his eyes, but to Lex's shock, he could understand every single one. He vaguely realized that he had stopped screaming, and instead, was speaking rapidly in the unearthly language.

The language was brisk and sounded aggressive. Lex could only imagine how fluent speakers of it sounded. It would sound as if the conversations would lead to blows, even if they were talking about the weather.

The symbols faded away until they were nothing but a searing imprint on his brain, and Jor-El's voice dulled until all that was left was the blood pounding in his ears. His vision cleared, and the first thing he saw was Clark, teary-eyed and apologetic. "Lex?" he asked softly.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Clark flinched, and so did Lex. He thought he spoke English, but the words that left his mouth were Kryptonian. He actually had to put effort into finding the language somewhere in his brain. "What the hell did you do to me, Clark?" he asked again, this time in English.

"I'm sorry, Lex, but I know you would have never done it if I told you."

"So you forced me?!" Lex backed away from Clark, clumsily, panicking. Clark folded in on himself, feeling like a boogeyman.

"Lex, please..." He whined.

"No, Clark! You don't get to turn those puppy eyes on me! You forced 12 billion years of Krypton's history down my throat!" His head painfully throbbed. Lex cursed, holding his head. "My head feels like it's about to rip apart. If this is anything like what happened to Dr. Walden, I might go insane, Clark! Do you understand that?"

"I knew you wouldn't, Lex. Your healing abilities would keep that from happening. I know we're going to have some rough days-"

"Rough days?!" Lex stood, storming back and retrieving the key off the ground. "Look at me, Clark! Why did you do this? Why?!"

"My Kryptonian side is making it harder and harder to protect the people I love. On my planet, murder is perfectly fine if your loved ones are in danger. My first instinct when someone takes you is to rip them apart. God, somedays I want nothing more than see their blood all over the floor. When you stopped me the last time, you thought I wouldn't stop, didn't you? I saw it in your face. You thought that you honestly couldn't stop me that time, didn't you?" Lex pressed his lips into a thin line, saying nothing. "Answer me!" His voice thundered around the room, making Lex shiver.

"Yes, Clark, I did. But that was no reason to-"

"I couldn't understand you, did you know that? You were speaking plain English, and I couldn't understand it? The thoughts in my head? Screaming at me to kill the pathetic human in my grip? They were Kryptonian. I need someone as close to Kryptonian as possible to help me come back before I hurt somebody."

"Kal-El's instincts to protect his partner in life are conflicting with his human upbringing." Jor-El said. "His instincts will continue to rebel until his needs as a Kryptonian mate are met."

The rage inside Lex felt like it was doused with ice water. He was really starting to hate Jor-El. Every time they met changed his entire life. Can't anything with this A.I. be less than life or death?

"Nature vs. Nurture, word for word." He sneered, staring down the console. "I have had enough of this. First, you demand my head. Now, you almost made my head explode forcing an entire planet's knowledge into it. Both of you treating me like I have no free will of my own." He pointed a finger at Clark, shaking with fury. "And you, you have been treating me more and more like a lesser being. And now this? If you are going through some phase in your alien development, fine, but we aren't going to run to your father for help. We are going to do this together, as a couple, because that is what we are, Clark Kent." He came within inches of Clark, ignoring Clark's extra six inches of height. He took Clark's hand, still angry, but wanting more to just get out of there. "Let's go home and talk about this. You've barely said a word to me about this, but you have to trust me."

Clark looked away, taking the silver octogan from him. He pressed it into the console and came back, looking into Lex's eyes as snow and wind swept around them. "I trust you, Lex." was all he said as the portal took them home.