Fly Me Courageous

By Annabell

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Smallville or its characters. This is done purely for fun.

Warnings: This fic will contain swearing, much violence and angst. Yet I can't resist some humor either.

This is un-beta-ed. So any errors are mine own.

Note: This takes place as though Tempest never happened. Lex is 22 and Clark is 16.

Spoilers: None as of yet.

Archive: Hell yeah!

Author's note: Sorry it's been so long, but work has been hell lately. I'd like to thank all of you who have taken that time to review. It helps me stay focused.

Chapter 6

A noise above Lex drew his attention. He figured it had been almost a full day since he had been thrown down here, wherever 'here' was. Throughout the day, narrow beams of sunlight had stabbed down through minute cracks in the overhead wooden doors, illuminating lazy dust motes and giving Lex a dimly gloomy visual of his prison. Now the sunlight was fading fast and the gloom was deepening.

After wrapping his raw and bleeding wrists with the torn handkerchief that had been his gag, he had spent the day trying to get out of the hole he was confined to. Despite only having the use of one hand, Lex had managed to pile up enough broken and rotted lumber to reach the heavy set of wooden doors overhead, but they were barred from the outside. After some futile pushing, pounding and yelling, Lex put that tactic on hold. He jumped (or fell) off his makeshift step and returned to his corner to think of another way.

However, productive thought was difficult due to his body's demands for attention. He was thirsty, so thirsty! He tried to remember the last time he drank something, and thought it had been about 28 hours previously. It had been even longer since he had eaten but that was becoming less of a problem, since his stomach had quieted after being so long without food. Too long, he knew, but was grateful for even that miniscule reprieve.

As the darkness grew, so did his tension. They would be coming soon to ask him questions. Questions that he had no intention of answering. He knew it would most likely be painful for him, but if he could hold out long enough, someone would find him.  He was Lex Luthor after all and Lionel's son could not just disappear without consequences. His father, if he weren't behind this whole sordid mess in the first place would be tearing apart the state looking for him. And even if dear old dad wasn't busting his ass, there was Clark.

Closing his eyes, Lex dearly hoped that it was his father who found him. Clark was his best friend but the Save-Lex-From-Evil-Of-The-Week routine was getting just a little bit ridiculous. He had never needed to be saved so much before he came to Smallville.

His musings were interrupted by the muffled sound of an engine. He climbed to his feet and tried to compose himself. He didn't want his kidnappers to think that this was going to be easy. Lex was going to make sure they worked for every little bit they got, and he wasn't going to give them much at all.

The door overhead swung open with a groan of rusty hinges and a flashlight swept through the pit until it settled on Lex. He squinted but kept his face neutral. Here it comes, he thought.

"Hello, Lex. Sorry about the less-than-stellar accommodations, but you moved faster than we had anticipated," said a horrifyingly familiar voice.

"Hamilton!" So much for neutrality. What the hell…?

"Glad you remembered me," Dr. Hamilton said dryly.

Unable to see much due to the light shining continuously in his eyes, Lex thought he could just make out the outline of two others standing behind the doctor. They jumped down into the pit and their sheer size made him glad that he discarded the physically attacking his attacker option.

He felt his heartbeat speed up as adrenaline surged through his body. Hamilton had been an unexpected factor. Lex knew that the doctor was heavily involved with his experiments with the meteor rocks, so why was he here? "It's interesting that you are here, doctor, since I was under the impression that you were working for me." Lex was proud that his voice was steady, even a hint of threat in it.

Hamilton was unimpressed, which was completely out of character for him. "You are mistaken Lex," he said as he too slipped easily down into the confines of Lex's prison. "I received an offer that I just couldn't pass up."

"Really?" Lex raised an eyebrow, thinking furiously, trying to figure out who had the capitol and the incentive to lure Hamilton away. His father maybe? "And what could they offer you that I couldn't?"

The doctor's grin was pure mercenary. "Why, the greatest scientific find that the medical community has ever seen."

Lex tried to follow Hamilton's direction, but it was hard since Lex had not the faintest idea what the scientist was talking about. He glanced at the two others that had so far not participated in the conversation. He figured that they were there for the intimidation factor, and nothing else. Hamilton was the one who had the information. "Care to fill me in on this discovery, doctor? As you know, I am very fascinated by science myself." Lex knew he was sounding rather boarding-school, but he needed answers, dammit!

"Lex, Lex, Lex." The doctor shook his head in mock sadness at Lex.  Lex was getting worried. He was missing something, but he couldn't quite make out what it was. "All the time I worked for you and you never told me. I'm hurt that I had to find out from others about it."

Drawing a deep breath, Lex relaxed just the slightest bit. So Hamilton really was after his 'formula'. He could deal with that.  "Well, doctor.  I guess I missed your name on my list of confidants."

One of the musclemen stirred, as if it was impatient and Hamilton seemed to mentally shake himself. "Right then. Let's get started shall we?"

"Let's," Lex mocked and slipped his hands into his front pockets, trying to project the image of cool indifference.  He gestured at the goons. "But are they necessary? This is the twenty first century and that type of behavior went out with Francis Coppola." Lex knew his strategy was desperate, but then so was his situation. If he could get the doctor to play along, Lex had the ability to turn this situation around.

Hamilton glanced with genuine surprise at the two men, who had all the expression of vanilla. "You think that we will beat the information out of you? Ah, Lex. I'm disappointed."

The doctor sounded so much like his father that Lex couldn't stop his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.  Take a brief second to recover; he saw the gleam in the doctor's brown eyes. "Then how are you planning to do this? Because, Dr. Hamilton, I really have no intention of telling you anything."

Gesturing at one of them, (Lex couldn't make a distinction between the two since they both held flashlights that were trained on him) Hamilton took a bag that one was holding.  He rooted around for a second or so. He explained to Lex what he meant. "Well Lex. I admit that you might pose a problem. My employers have provided me with detailed information about you and I know that ever since you were little, oh, say about 9 years old, drugs have no effect on you."

"How did you know that?" Lex was stalling, trying to regain his equilibrium, but it was difficult. Employers? Who? Someone close. His father? And how the hell did they know about Lex's body's ability to neutralize any chemical that invaded it?

"C'mon Lex. You. Are. Lionel Luther's son. People watch you all the time. Did you think that all those years of rebellion, of the use of hard drugs, would go unnoticed and that you never once got hooked? Cocaine, Heroine, LSD, crack, acid, Valium, PCP, methamphetamines, and no withdrawal? You walk around today as clean as a whistle. Yet less than two years ago you were purchasing and using enough heroine to kill a horse. So the problem for my employers is, how do they get the information they want from you?"

"Enter Dr. Hamilton." Lex added snidely, trying to conceal his shaking.

Grinning in self-deprecation, the doctor nodded. "Yes, you see, my work with the meteor rocks has become of interest in a few circles. Put that together with the fact that you have never gotten sick since the day you were exposed to the meteors, one would think that they had something to do with your condition. So the conclusion that was reached was that if meteors had given your body this particular ability, then maybe they could take it away." With that, Dr. Hamilton drew out a large syringe that, to Lex's horror glowed faintly green. He pressed his back against the cold cement wall behind him, fighting to maintain his calm. 

"So what do you get out of this?" Lex asked, still trying to stall while he tried to find a way out. There had to be a way out. But all he could seem to focus on was the green glow in the doctor's hand.

Smiling almost tenderly, the doctor looked at Lex possessively. "I get you."

Stunned, Lex blinked. "What?" God, his voice was hoarse. He needed water desperately.

"You, Lex. They promised me that after I got the information, I could have you." The doctor had definitely got off the deep end.

"Why?" Lex knew he was losing control, but desperation drove him on.

"Because Lex. You do not get sick." The doctor paced a few steps back and forth as he warmed up to his subject.  "Now I want to know how your body fights diseases and bacteria. Just think, I could spend a lifetime experimenting on you, discovering your secrets. Imagine if because you I were to find the cure for AIDS? I'd get the Nobel Prize for sure. And who knows what else?"

"You are a sick bastard," Lex replied shakily. "You won't get away with this. Do you think that my father will just sit idle and let you do this to me?"

"Your father is 'looking' for you now, as a matter of fact, Lex. Well, your body actually. You are fond of history aren't you? Then you should know that history repeats itself over and over again. It seems that your Porsche went off the Missouri River Bridge south of Metropolis this afternoon. And of course there were witnesses swear that you were driving."

"Paid witnesses," Lex said bitterly and Hamilton nodded, pleased at Lex's understanding.

They think I'm dead. So much for a last minute rescue. Lex thought wildly. Looks like I'm on my own. Damn. The image of Clark tearing open the doors and rescuing him was fading fast. Licking his dry lips, his thoughts spun from idea to idea, but he couldn't see a way out. He would just have to endure whatever they gave him.  He just wished that his stomach would stop tying itself into knots. Some of what he was feeling must have shown on his face because Hamilton smiled at him in a sick parody of reassurance.

"Relax Lex. You should feel honored. You will be very valuable to the human race when all is said and done."

"If I'm so valuable, why you are keeping me here, in this pit?" Lex asked with scathing sarcasm. He would not let then know how scared he was. He would not, dammit!

"Again, I must apologize for this place. But rest assured, this is only temporary. As I said earlier, you moved faster than my employers anticipated and the facility that is being prepared for you isn't yet completed. You will be moved there as soon as it's ready. Now, quit stalling. My employers want your 'formula' as soon as possible." Hamilton grinned, and Lex swallowed hard as he saw the gleam in the doctor's eye.

That gleam wasn't quite sane.

Lex tried to slip to the side of the approaching syringe-wielding madman, but was intercepted by one of the two goons. He was grabbed brutally by his injured shoulder, making him see stars as he felt himself shoved up against the cold, and unyielding cement wall behind him.

"No!" he tried to shout, but it only came out as a drunken murmur. He watched in detached fascination, as the needle seemed to puncture the pale skin on his inner forearm.  The sickly green fluid made its way into his vein, pulsing obscenely as it invaded his body. The needle withdrew, and so did the imprisoning hands.   

No longer supported, Lex's legs gave out and he slid down the wall, still staring at the tiny trickle of blood dripping slowly down his arm. He could feel his body trying to fight the chemical cocktail that had been forced on him, but with a twist of nausea, he knew that he was going to lose. Nothing he had ever encountered in his years of experimentation had prepared him for the sheer agony, as his veins seemed to burn with spreading horrid green fire.

"Lex?" Hamilton's voice was far away, or maybe Lex was, he couldn't be sure. Who was calling him? Oh yes, Hamilton. What did he want? It was hard to think, with the burning that was working its way to his heart with every passing beat. Instinctively he knew he was in serious jeopardy of a total system failure. What the hell had Hamilton been thinking? Where was Clark? Wasn't he supposed to charge in at this time, knock the bad guys down and shrug and look uncomfortable when Lex questioned him about it later?

"The 'formula', Lex. What is it?"

Lex blinked lethargically, unable to fight his way across the barrier of fire that was enveloping him like one of those raging forest fires in California that was started by some homeless fool who was trying to cook a meal. What formula?

God, it burns.

Make it stop.

Make it stop.

Make it stop.

Lex wasn't sure if he actually said the words out loud. His eyes focused blearily on the sweaty face in front of him. He thought he saw a look of concern in Hamilton's eyes and knew with rock solid certainty that the doctor had fucked up and Lex was going to die. It would have been funny if it hadn't hurt so badly.

"Lex, the formula. Tell me," said the insistent voice.

Lex could only shake his head helplessly. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk; it was that he was unable to form words with his mouth. The fire was robbing him of his ability to control his body. He thought Hamilton was speaking to him, but all he could hear was the roar of the inferno.

And as the world dissolved into flame, his only thought was a ridiculous one, considering the circumstances.

I am never going to buy another Porsche again. Bad luck.

TBC