CHAPTER 4

A gust of wind ruffled the papers on Lex Luthors desk and he looked over at the open French doors to the balcony.

"Mr Luthor" Superman said with a certain amount of dislike, "we need to talk"

"For what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Superman?" Lex replied, standing up from his desk chair.

"Lex..." said the man before him, with a look that did not belong to the man of steel but to another man altogether, a look that belonged to Clark Kent alone.

With a snap of his fingers, Lex's servants were dismissed and the doors to the office locked behind them.

"So, why are you here?" he asked, pouring himself a glass of whisky before continuing without waiting for a reply "Let me guess, because I know something you think I shouldn't know?"

"Well..." Superman started, as he walked around the room "first I want to talk about Chloe"

"What about her?" the billionaire asked, sipping his drink, his eyes following the caped man.

"What do you want with her?" Superman demanded to know, arms folded across his chest as he stopped in the centre of the room.

"I don't think that's any of your business, Clark" he said, completely relaxed, but emphasising the man's real name. Clark looked decidedly nervous. He had suspected that Lex would put it together after yesterday's episode but he had hoped he was wrong. The realisation that the most evil man in Metropolis and Smallville and possible the world knew of his secret identity hit Clark like a bullet, only this one was not deflectable by his steel-like body.

"You think yesterday told me what you were?" Lex continued "I've known for years" he admitted and at that moment you could have knocked Superman down with a single push.

"You knew I was Clark and yet you continued to hate me?" he said, hardly able to comprehend what the man was telling him. Lex just seemed to find the whole thing highly amusing.

"I don't hate Clark" he explained, emphasising his name "I only hate one person in this world and that's Superman" he drained his glass as Clark gaped at him.

"But I am Superman"

"Clark isn't Superman anymore than Superman is Clark" the young Luthor stated, placing his glass down on the table "Clark Kent is my best friend, the man who saved my life more than once and someone I respect and love like a brother. Superman is the reason why despite all my wealth and privileges, I can never be most powerful man in the world. Without that I will never be truly happy"

There was silence as the two men locked eyes, Clark feeling a certain amount of guilt and although it was unreadable on his face, Lex felt some guilt too.

"Lex, I want you to be happy" Clark said quietly.

"Maybe Clark wants that..." replied the other man, in a similarly hushed tone. He turned to look out over the balcony and Clark walked up behind him.

"How can I prove it to you?" he asked.

"If Clark wants my happiness" said Lex, never turning his gaze away from the skyline "then he will destroy Superman"

"I don't understand" Clark admitted.

Lex turned quickly, coming face to face with his nemesis, Superman and speaking with as cold a tone as Clark had ever heard from anyone.

"In order for me to be the greatest power and for me to be truly happy with my life, Superman must cease to be" he explained, taking a few steps away as he finished speaking.

"You want me to give up being Superman?" Clark couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Exactly" Lex nodded as if the answer were obvious.

"Lex, I can't do that" the man he no longer recognised as his best friend told him.

"Then there is nothing more you can do for me" the billionaire sighed as he reached the French doors. He turned as he got there and spoke even more coldly than before "but, remember this, as much as Clark means to me, Superman will die, if not at your own hands, then at mine"

"You're not a murderer Lex" said Superman, folding his arms to look strong, but at the same time pleading with his eyes.

"You don't know what I am any more" the young Luthor told him "but I know what you are" he said, threateningly. As he pulled the glass doors behind him, he called over his shoulder, "Now, I think I might call my friend Miss Sullivan. Have a nice life, Superman"

THE END

A/N : I'm in the process of writing Episode 2 right now, so if you liked this one please review and tell me. If you didn't like it you can review and tell me that too, but in a polite way please.