Nobody at LexCorp was allowed to have a very good day. Lex left no skin unflayed during the day's meetings, even the one with the still strictly unofficial advisor for his campaign for governor. If he couldn't take it, he should get the hell out. Lex knew what he wanted and was going to get it.
Except when it came to a certain farm boy. He didn't even know what he wanted there. The answer should have been simple. Payback. But what if Clark hadn't left him. What if Clark had been taken away from him. Stolen. No. Bullshit. That ridiculous story about Los Alamos. About aliens. Keep it simple, stupid. If Clark had just said that he'd been kidnapped, he probably wouldn't have been able to keep himself from paying. Just in case it was true.
Anybody who to take advantage of him, who thought they could play on his emotions, became more than fair game for retaliation. With no holds barred.
When his secretary announced another call from Ransom, he picked it up and purred, "Lex Luthor."
"Yes. I can arrange for you to see the merchandise in question."
"Is the asking price still $100 million?"
"It is potentially...negotiable."
"I'd advise you to be flexible. After all, prolong the negotiations too long, and the value will plummet to zero."
There was a long pause. "I'm aware of that and that is the basis of my willingness to be flexible."
"It doesn't do to be greedy, you know."
Ransom sounded piqued this time. "Are you interested in seeing the merchandise?"
"That really depends on the price."
"Ninety."
"That's really not enough of a reduction. Forty."
"Eighty-five."
"Fifty."
"Seventy-five."
"Sixty." Ransom said nothing but the sound of his internal struggle was clear. "And that's dependent on my judging from inspection that it's a worthwhile investment." Let Clark make of that what he likes, if he's listening, Lex thought.
"I'm willing to call that our current basis of negotiation. After you see the goods, you may be interested in matching my price."
"Where and when?"
"Tomorrow."
"You're in a hurry. Perhaps we should take more time to think this through."
Ransom's voice showed the tension he was under as he ignored the taunt. "Our agency transfered him to a facility in Montana. You'll need to fly there, there are no roads in the area." Ransom gave directions.
"You understand, of course, that I take extensive precautions against any kind of attempt at hostage-taking. My people will know exactly where I am at any given moment and won't hesitate to come after me if they deem it necessary. The consequences won't be attractive; they don't follow any rules other than preserving my safety."
"Certainly. I should point out, in turn, that if you were intending to bypass paying, you'd find that the value of the merchandise plummets to zero, as you put it before."
"Then we understand one another."
"I believe so."
***
Lex deliberately kept his mind on other things. The ostensible cause for his flight out to Montana was for purchasing some land there for wilderness preservation. He'd acquired thousands of acres of undeveloped but promising land with that announced intention. Some of it had already paid off. When the land was unexpectedly, by all except his research staff, discovered to have high-grade mineral resources, he'd justified development by plowing the profits into more purchases elsewhere.
He firmly focused on the geological analyses of some more land in Nevada, where his first investigations had found more fossils than expected, indicating the possibility of oil. But when he didn't force himself to concentrate, his mind kept wandering back to Clark. That first night, he'd kept switching from daring to shy, touching or kissing or licking Lex and then blushing, eyes lowered. Lex had found it charming and amusing, and even a bit touching. He'd chuckled and reassured Clark that whatever he wanted to do was perfect. He was a clumsy lover but Lex didn't mind a bit. It had completely changed his theory that sex with a virgin was a waste of time and effort.
He'd even thought at first, when Clark had slipped out of his arms early that morning and not come back, that Clark was made skittish from embarassment, so he'd waited happily for his return. Well, now he was waiting again, even happily, but the quality of his happiness was quite different.
He realized that he wasn't reading the reports any more and put them back. He'd think about Clark instead. Think about his plans.
The helicopter landed on a clear space of land. Lex frowned as he looked out the window. There was no sign of any building. But there was a man standing at the side of the clearing. Alone. Strange, Lex would have expected him to bring Clark with him. Lex walked over to meet him.
"This way." Ransom indicated the bodyguard that Lex had brought with him. "They can come as close as the facility. But they can't come inside."
Lex smiled. "They can, actually. I'll tell them not to."
Ransom wasn't as good at these mind games as Lex was. Having that in common with 99.9 percent of the world's population. He just nodded and led the way.
The facility was well-hidden, with the entrance built into the ground and hidden from any kind of aerial scrutiny by a thick grove of pine trees that would keep it unobserved even in winter. "Another person is bypassing the security for us. Look as though you belong if anybody sees us." Lex wondered for a moment about this, then decided it had to be window-dressing. A Potemkin village.
They only passed a few people as they made their way through the facility. The lighting was full spectrum, but Lex was still aware of being underground. It didn't bother him, but he wondered how many people were involved in the charade.
After what seemed an interminable period, they arrived in a hallway that was bathed in a strangely familiar green glow. Lex frowned as he recognized it. The meteors from Smallville. Now that was taking setup too far. He wondered how much they'd spent on this elaborate touch. A bad investment, in any case.
Ransom opened a steel door and gestured at a cell. Lex's heart clenched again as he saw an equally familiar figure, curled up on itself, in a corner.
Ransom spoke coolly. "He's here."
Clark moved sluggishly and sat up. "Lex?"
"Why, yes, Clark. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Seeing the traces of tears on Clark's face made Lex broaden his smile.
It was warm in the room, a space heater going at full blast, outside the cell doors, but Clark seemed to be shivering. He looked, Lex swallowed as the words came into his mind, more dead than alive. There was something terribly wrong with his back. It was covered with veins that stood out almost like growths. His skin was a sickly greenish gray, not just on his back, but all over his body, and his hair was not just unkept but thinned. But even more, it was the way he looked frail and moved as though each motion cost a terrible price in pain.
"Come here," Ransom said sternly, and Lex found himself wanting to glare. He should be the one issuing orders to Clark. He was already rising and walking uncertainly towards them. Lex reached for his wallet. He knew what he was going to do. Pull out three hundred dollars, toss them to Clark, say that Clark left so suddenly he hadn't been able to pay him for the sex, and the debt had been preying on his mind. Then turn around and leave.
Except when it came to a certain farm boy. He didn't even know what he wanted there. The answer should have been simple. Payback. But what if Clark hadn't left him. What if Clark had been taken away from him. Stolen. No. Bullshit. That ridiculous story about Los Alamos. About aliens. Keep it simple, stupid. If Clark had just said that he'd been kidnapped, he probably wouldn't have been able to keep himself from paying. Just in case it was true.
Anybody who to take advantage of him, who thought they could play on his emotions, became more than fair game for retaliation. With no holds barred.
When his secretary announced another call from Ransom, he picked it up and purred, "Lex Luthor."
"Yes. I can arrange for you to see the merchandise in question."
"Is the asking price still $100 million?"
"It is potentially...negotiable."
"I'd advise you to be flexible. After all, prolong the negotiations too long, and the value will plummet to zero."
There was a long pause. "I'm aware of that and that is the basis of my willingness to be flexible."
"It doesn't do to be greedy, you know."
Ransom sounded piqued this time. "Are you interested in seeing the merchandise?"
"That really depends on the price."
"Ninety."
"That's really not enough of a reduction. Forty."
"Eighty-five."
"Fifty."
"Seventy-five."
"Sixty." Ransom said nothing but the sound of his internal struggle was clear. "And that's dependent on my judging from inspection that it's a worthwhile investment." Let Clark make of that what he likes, if he's listening, Lex thought.
"I'm willing to call that our current basis of negotiation. After you see the goods, you may be interested in matching my price."
"Where and when?"
"Tomorrow."
"You're in a hurry. Perhaps we should take more time to think this through."
Ransom's voice showed the tension he was under as he ignored the taunt. "Our agency transfered him to a facility in Montana. You'll need to fly there, there are no roads in the area." Ransom gave directions.
"You understand, of course, that I take extensive precautions against any kind of attempt at hostage-taking. My people will know exactly where I am at any given moment and won't hesitate to come after me if they deem it necessary. The consequences won't be attractive; they don't follow any rules other than preserving my safety."
"Certainly. I should point out, in turn, that if you were intending to bypass paying, you'd find that the value of the merchandise plummets to zero, as you put it before."
"Then we understand one another."
"I believe so."
***
Lex deliberately kept his mind on other things. The ostensible cause for his flight out to Montana was for purchasing some land there for wilderness preservation. He'd acquired thousands of acres of undeveloped but promising land with that announced intention. Some of it had already paid off. When the land was unexpectedly, by all except his research staff, discovered to have high-grade mineral resources, he'd justified development by plowing the profits into more purchases elsewhere.
He firmly focused on the geological analyses of some more land in Nevada, where his first investigations had found more fossils than expected, indicating the possibility of oil. But when he didn't force himself to concentrate, his mind kept wandering back to Clark. That first night, he'd kept switching from daring to shy, touching or kissing or licking Lex and then blushing, eyes lowered. Lex had found it charming and amusing, and even a bit touching. He'd chuckled and reassured Clark that whatever he wanted to do was perfect. He was a clumsy lover but Lex didn't mind a bit. It had completely changed his theory that sex with a virgin was a waste of time and effort.
He'd even thought at first, when Clark had slipped out of his arms early that morning and not come back, that Clark was made skittish from embarassment, so he'd waited happily for his return. Well, now he was waiting again, even happily, but the quality of his happiness was quite different.
He realized that he wasn't reading the reports any more and put them back. He'd think about Clark instead. Think about his plans.
The helicopter landed on a clear space of land. Lex frowned as he looked out the window. There was no sign of any building. But there was a man standing at the side of the clearing. Alone. Strange, Lex would have expected him to bring Clark with him. Lex walked over to meet him.
"This way." Ransom indicated the bodyguard that Lex had brought with him. "They can come as close as the facility. But they can't come inside."
Lex smiled. "They can, actually. I'll tell them not to."
Ransom wasn't as good at these mind games as Lex was. Having that in common with 99.9 percent of the world's population. He just nodded and led the way.
The facility was well-hidden, with the entrance built into the ground and hidden from any kind of aerial scrutiny by a thick grove of pine trees that would keep it unobserved even in winter. "Another person is bypassing the security for us. Look as though you belong if anybody sees us." Lex wondered for a moment about this, then decided it had to be window-dressing. A Potemkin village.
They only passed a few people as they made their way through the facility. The lighting was full spectrum, but Lex was still aware of being underground. It didn't bother him, but he wondered how many people were involved in the charade.
After what seemed an interminable period, they arrived in a hallway that was bathed in a strangely familiar green glow. Lex frowned as he recognized it. The meteors from Smallville. Now that was taking setup too far. He wondered how much they'd spent on this elaborate touch. A bad investment, in any case.
Ransom opened a steel door and gestured at a cell. Lex's heart clenched again as he saw an equally familiar figure, curled up on itself, in a corner.
Ransom spoke coolly. "He's here."
Clark moved sluggishly and sat up. "Lex?"
"Why, yes, Clark. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Seeing the traces of tears on Clark's face made Lex broaden his smile.
It was warm in the room, a space heater going at full blast, outside the cell doors, but Clark seemed to be shivering. He looked, Lex swallowed as the words came into his mind, more dead than alive. There was something terribly wrong with his back. It was covered with veins that stood out almost like growths. His skin was a sickly greenish gray, not just on his back, but all over his body, and his hair was not just unkept but thinned. But even more, it was the way he looked frail and moved as though each motion cost a terrible price in pain.
"Come here," Ransom said sternly, and Lex found himself wanting to glare. He should be the one issuing orders to Clark. He was already rising and walking uncertainly towards them. Lex reached for his wallet. He knew what he was going to do. Pull out three hundred dollars, toss them to Clark, say that Clark left so suddenly he hadn't been able to pay him for the sex, and the debt had been preying on his mind. Then turn around and leave.