12. Sol Invictus
LEX
I hate this house.
CHLOE
Lex taps in a code, through the door, sweeps up the stairs. Knows exactly where he's going, and I'm running to keep up, but I want to see those tapes trashed, want some closure. Want to smack that evil creep into next week. Through rooms as beautiful and soulless as the mansion, dark and lifeless. Up and into a small dark room, lit by a silver wallscreen. And the devil himself straightening up out of the chair.
"Good evening, Lex. To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"
"Can the bullshit, Dad. You know why we're here."
"This?"
On screen, Clark =moving= through what looks like a museum.
"Or this?"
Clark takes one look, spins round with his eyes shut.
Myself. On screen, arched under Lex, and someone has -seen- me like that. I haven't anything left in my stomach to throw up, but I want to.
LEX
My father and I don't touch each other.
He doesn't expect Chloe. She doesn't slap him; a small hard fist drives into his jaw, sends him back in surprise.
"You sick bastard!" Pummelling him, and no-one has -ever- hit my father. "Fucking pervert!"
He pushes her away, tries to straighten himself. I take hold of her before she flies at him again, square up to him.
"I hit a lot harder. You owe both of us a lot more than a fucking apology for this."
He smiles.
Being a southpaw is interesting. People instinctively defend from a right-handed blow. The impact goes up my arm, and I'm braced for another, hit him again, in the gut. Get one back in the chest, which rocks me. The two Luthors, reduced to brawling. He's bigger, stronger, but I'm angry. Every slight, every sneer, stealing my women, my memories. My most private moments, on a wall-screen. Threatening the only real friend I ever had. I'm not a toy, father. You made me, now deal with it.
CLARK
I have never seen Lex lose his temper before. Not like this. This is rage. He's going to kill his father. Chloe is still staring at the screen, with a frozen face. Then she picks up the console chair, and hurls it with such a scream of fury that it stops them. Bright flash and shards of glass, and I'm pulling Chloe back out of the storm. Drag Lex off his father, push Lionel Luthor so hard in the chest, he flies across the room, hits the wall with a crack. Pieces of electronic hardware going up like the Fourth of July, then darkness.
Chloe crying quietly, Lex torn between going to her, and his father. Gathers her up, looks at me. Lionel groaning.
I thought I'd killed him.
And for one second, I didn't care.
LEX
Meeting his eyes across the room.
"Lex..." Quiet, almost wondering. "I can't feel my legs."
Clark =looks= at him, looks sick.
"I broke his back."
"It's a shame it wasn't his neck." Gaze still locked. "Let's destroy the rest of this filth."
"He needs an ambulance."
"Clark, I am not going to have anything in this room seen by another living soul, do I make myself clear? We destroy the tapes, and then we leave." I allow myself a smile. "After all, my father pays for such excellent security. If he's still alive in the morning, he can fire them for not preventing this."
"Lex." Clark gets in my line of sight. "Stop this. Call an ambulance."
"Destroy the tapes."
"Lex." Chloe, taking my chin, looking into my eyes. "Don't let him die. He wants that. He'll win." And her eyes say, think of Clark.
She's right. I take a breath. Think how I'm going to arrange this.
LIONEL
I can't feel my legs. Can't feel anything but a pain in my chest, then cold. And two pairs of eyes hating me. Their faces mirror each other, expressions of loathing. He holds her in the shelter of his arm, and her hand over his heart...he has gone beyond me.
CHLOE
Such excellent PR. Clark and I watch it on the news later. Head of Luthercorp injured in an explosion at his home. Dedicated son rescues him from burning building. Shot of a bruised and smoke-dirty Lex holding his father's hand as the stretcher goes into the ambulance. Only Clark heard what Lex was actually saying between those still lips.
Something about living well being the best revenge.
***
LEX
Late night. The hospital. He's conscious, half-sedated, tubes and wires. The dutiful son still sits by his bed, and he can see me, knows I'm here. Knows that I've got my hand above the oxygen tap.
"Well, father. Here we are. ."
His eyes flick sideways.
"You aren't going to walk again. The spinal damage is too extensive. No more little Luthors to supplant me, so you're stuck with me now. Back at the head of my army, just like you wanted. Clark has taken Chloe home, now. They're safe from you. And they are going to continue that way." I pinch the tube between finger and thumb, squeeze gently. "I could make the whole world safe from you."
It would be so easy to finish this. The world between my finger and my thumb. No-one would know. No-one here to see me. Every slight, every sneer, years of verbal abuse. Neglect, contempt, bullying. I'm what he made me. He knows it, I know it.
"If the brain is deprived of oxygen long enough, bits of it die. Very simple, isn't it? Memories, bodily functions, sight, hearing..."
Breathing a little more ragged now, signs of distress. I release the tube.
"But that would be too easy. So I'm going to let you live." Suddenly pinch again. "Not because I'm weak. If I'd been alone, I could easily have left you in that room, set fire to it. But I didn't because I had Chloe with me. And I don't ever want her to look on me as a monster." Release. "No, I'm going to let you live, because you're broken. You're going to need help to shit from now on. And I want you know every minute of it. You get to watch me live a life that you can't touch. " I lean forward. "I know you -want- me to finish you. Not going to happen."
Drop my hand away. Walk out of the ward. I feel - better.
These hands are clean. I won't be the monster that he wants me to be. I chose not to be.
I win.
LEX
I hate this house.
CHLOE
Lex taps in a code, through the door, sweeps up the stairs. Knows exactly where he's going, and I'm running to keep up, but I want to see those tapes trashed, want some closure. Want to smack that evil creep into next week. Through rooms as beautiful and soulless as the mansion, dark and lifeless. Up and into a small dark room, lit by a silver wallscreen. And the devil himself straightening up out of the chair.
"Good evening, Lex. To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"
"Can the bullshit, Dad. You know why we're here."
"This?"
On screen, Clark =moving= through what looks like a museum.
"Or this?"
Clark takes one look, spins round with his eyes shut.
Myself. On screen, arched under Lex, and someone has -seen- me like that. I haven't anything left in my stomach to throw up, but I want to.
LEX
My father and I don't touch each other.
He doesn't expect Chloe. She doesn't slap him; a small hard fist drives into his jaw, sends him back in surprise.
"You sick bastard!" Pummelling him, and no-one has -ever- hit my father. "Fucking pervert!"
He pushes her away, tries to straighten himself. I take hold of her before she flies at him again, square up to him.
"I hit a lot harder. You owe both of us a lot more than a fucking apology for this."
He smiles.
Being a southpaw is interesting. People instinctively defend from a right-handed blow. The impact goes up my arm, and I'm braced for another, hit him again, in the gut. Get one back in the chest, which rocks me. The two Luthors, reduced to brawling. He's bigger, stronger, but I'm angry. Every slight, every sneer, stealing my women, my memories. My most private moments, on a wall-screen. Threatening the only real friend I ever had. I'm not a toy, father. You made me, now deal with it.
CLARK
I have never seen Lex lose his temper before. Not like this. This is rage. He's going to kill his father. Chloe is still staring at the screen, with a frozen face. Then she picks up the console chair, and hurls it with such a scream of fury that it stops them. Bright flash and shards of glass, and I'm pulling Chloe back out of the storm. Drag Lex off his father, push Lionel Luthor so hard in the chest, he flies across the room, hits the wall with a crack. Pieces of electronic hardware going up like the Fourth of July, then darkness.
Chloe crying quietly, Lex torn between going to her, and his father. Gathers her up, looks at me. Lionel groaning.
I thought I'd killed him.
And for one second, I didn't care.
LEX
Meeting his eyes across the room.
"Lex..." Quiet, almost wondering. "I can't feel my legs."
Clark =looks= at him, looks sick.
"I broke his back."
"It's a shame it wasn't his neck." Gaze still locked. "Let's destroy the rest of this filth."
"He needs an ambulance."
"Clark, I am not going to have anything in this room seen by another living soul, do I make myself clear? We destroy the tapes, and then we leave." I allow myself a smile. "After all, my father pays for such excellent security. If he's still alive in the morning, he can fire them for not preventing this."
"Lex." Clark gets in my line of sight. "Stop this. Call an ambulance."
"Destroy the tapes."
"Lex." Chloe, taking my chin, looking into my eyes. "Don't let him die. He wants that. He'll win." And her eyes say, think of Clark.
She's right. I take a breath. Think how I'm going to arrange this.
LIONEL
I can't feel my legs. Can't feel anything but a pain in my chest, then cold. And two pairs of eyes hating me. Their faces mirror each other, expressions of loathing. He holds her in the shelter of his arm, and her hand over his heart...he has gone beyond me.
CHLOE
Such excellent PR. Clark and I watch it on the news later. Head of Luthercorp injured in an explosion at his home. Dedicated son rescues him from burning building. Shot of a bruised and smoke-dirty Lex holding his father's hand as the stretcher goes into the ambulance. Only Clark heard what Lex was actually saying between those still lips.
Something about living well being the best revenge.
***
LEX
Late night. The hospital. He's conscious, half-sedated, tubes and wires. The dutiful son still sits by his bed, and he can see me, knows I'm here. Knows that I've got my hand above the oxygen tap.
"Well, father. Here we are. ."
His eyes flick sideways.
"You aren't going to walk again. The spinal damage is too extensive. No more little Luthors to supplant me, so you're stuck with me now. Back at the head of my army, just like you wanted. Clark has taken Chloe home, now. They're safe from you. And they are going to continue that way." I pinch the tube between finger and thumb, squeeze gently. "I could make the whole world safe from you."
It would be so easy to finish this. The world between my finger and my thumb. No-one would know. No-one here to see me. Every slight, every sneer, years of verbal abuse. Neglect, contempt, bullying. I'm what he made me. He knows it, I know it.
"If the brain is deprived of oxygen long enough, bits of it die. Very simple, isn't it? Memories, bodily functions, sight, hearing..."
Breathing a little more ragged now, signs of distress. I release the tube.
"But that would be too easy. So I'm going to let you live." Suddenly pinch again. "Not because I'm weak. If I'd been alone, I could easily have left you in that room, set fire to it. But I didn't because I had Chloe with me. And I don't ever want her to look on me as a monster." Release. "No, I'm going to let you live, because you're broken. You're going to need help to shit from now on. And I want you know every minute of it. You get to watch me live a life that you can't touch. " I lean forward. "I know you -want- me to finish you. Not going to happen."
Drop my hand away. Walk out of the ward. I feel - better.
These hands are clean. I won't be the monster that he wants me to be. I chose not to be.
I win.