Chapter 8
Appetizer
Bloody footprints traced a winding path up the marble steps of the Luthor mansion. They crossed the entryway, weaving from one side of the room to the other on their inexorable progression forward. Lex discovered the bloody trail on his way back to the ballroom. He followed the perfect little tracks down the hall and out to the solarium. A girl was sitting lotus style in the center of the moonlight drenched room. "Lana, is that you?"
Lana turned and smiled at Lex. "If it isn't the paradox himself. Yes, we are both here," she purred. "I like this vessel and the soul in it. Neither are perfect but they agree with me, you know? Though I damaged myself a bit in my hurry to come back here." She ran her hands along the shredded soles of her feet and her palms came back bloody. "A little healing and prayer will do us some good I think. We have a big morning coming up."
Lex looked away from the mangled feet and grimaced. "It's you. You're back. You picked Lana Lang? Why not pick someone a bit more physically robust? What were you thinking? Your brother is going to break you in half."
Lana shrugged and turned away from him. "I'm counting on Clark to help me. I chose a vessel I thought might stir him to fight the darkness. I have a lot of experience at this. I'm doing what's best."
"Pardon me, if I'm not quite as blase about the homicidal demon in my ballroom, wearing my friend," Lex snapped. He hunkered down in front of Lana and stared into her eyes, searching for the ancient thing he spoke with earlier. "What can you do? Your brother has powers. I saw him melt the light fixtures in that ballroom by looking at them, and if Clark's story about the cows is half-accurate he's strong and fast. How do you counter?"
Lana shrugged and shook her head. "We have no power in this world, except that our vessel brings. Your friend Clark is fast and strong, and apparently he can melt light fixtures by looking at them."
Lex dropped back and sat staring at the newly possessed Lana. "Clark..." Clark is a mystery. A hundred questions flickered through Lex's mind: What are you Clark? Why do I keep learning truths the hard way? What the Hell are you? This little girl couldn't possibly be correct. She had to be jerking him around, playing some kind of mind game. "Sure, I'm supposed to believe that? If Clark were melting things by looking at them, I'd know about it."
Lana cocked her head to the side and frowned prettily. "You know, I don't think Lana is very clear about Clark either now that I look. You should know that as a rule, I don't lie. I want you to think about this for just a second. Why would Clark pick meteor rocks to kill himself? It would have been a slow painful way to go. I'll tell you why he did it. He couldn't think of anything else that would do the trick, that's why." When Lana smiled across at Lex, it was the ancient one staring out, looking straight into his mind, reading him, learning what would convince him. "Clark dreams about it sometimes, the time you hit him with your car. It was the first time something made him face exactly how different he was, well is."
Not lying or playing games? If she wasn't playing games, then the power was Clark's, and the lies belonged to Clark too. "I dream about it sometimes too, you know. It was the first time I really faced death. It was my wake up call, my second chance at life." Lex had the distinct impression that he hadn't needed to bother sharing his introspection. The girl knew what was in him. He felt as deep as a puddle, facing her. "Why would he lie to me? I wouldn't hurt him or use him. He thought I was going to use him. I guess I'm hard to trust."
"Don't take it like that. If you hide long enough and well enough, can you see how safe those secrets would feel? I don't know if the danger he perceives is really waiting for him to slip and expose his differences, but you aren't the only one he isn't telling." Lana reached a hand out to Lex's pocket and an oblong swelling there. "You're prepared for the worst. It takes some of the worry out of this for me. If I fail, don't hesitate for a second. Your friend Clark can dodge a bullet if he's paying attention. I imagine those can kill him though."
Lex's hand dropped to the pocket Lana had indicated. A rush order from Cadmus Labs was weighing his jacket down. Fifteen shiny green bullets were there just in case the worst really happened. "I have a lot of questions that can wait, but you better win this, little girl." I don't want to kill my friend. I don't care if he's lied to me, or even what he is. Those were small things, tiny betrayals, that could be worked through as long as everyone was breathing.
"Thank you so much for that little bit of encouragment. I'll be sure to win now. It isn't like I've been trying to defeat my brother for thousands of years, is it?" Lana rolled her eyes and turned away from Lex. "We need to meditate, so please give us a little peace."
Lex rose slowly and walked away. The sun would be rising in a few hours, and the shadows in the hall felt long, deep, and somehow sinister. "Next thing you know, I'm going to be afraid of the dark." Lex plopped down into one of the antique brocade chairs lining the hall and rubbed at his temples. This was all too strange, unreal. He was going to wake up and it was all going to be a terrible nightmare.
With an unsteady hand, Lex drew a slick chrome box out of his jacket. It was heavy. The lead lining added the weight. There were fifteen perfect bullets in that case. They were molded from purified meteor rock, high propulsion death for Clark. The boys at Cadmus Labs knew better than to ask questions, but they worked fast. Lex ran a hand across the back of his neck and tried to just breathe. "What the Hell am I doing?"
"thErE yOu arE. i wAnted tO thAnK yoU fOr thE gifT. a gOOd meaL is An eXceLLent waY tO wAke uP fOr thE baTTle."
The thick uneven voice was sounding more like Lionel to Lex every time he heard it. He refrained from to turning so he wouldn't have to watch that voice coming out of Clark's mouth. "I thought you were getting ready for your big day," Lex said. "There are still a few hours until sunrise." Not to be ignored, Maggot-face took a seat next to Lex and covered one of Lex's hands with his own. It was sticky and wet. That thing had thanked him for a meal. Lex looked at the hand resting on his own and his stomach flipped over. Rusty brown in the dim light, it was covered well past the elbow in viscous gore. The blood was soaking through Lex's coat, turning the gray material black. "What the Hell did you do?" Clark's head was propped against the wall, his face molded into a wide-mouthed grin. You could see how the blood had run across his chin and drained down his neck. It almost looked like a child who'd gotten too enthusiastic eating something sticky, like chocolate, except it was blood. Maggot-face was playing again. I hope Clark can't feel this or see it.
"ArE thErE aNy morE liKe thAt GuarD, anDre, ArOUnD thIs placE? i coULd uSe a secOnd couRse." Maggot-face smacked his lips expectantly and moved his sticky arm around Lex's shoulder in a brotherly gesture. "thErE'S nothInG liKe consUminG tHe hEArt oF a creatuRe. IT tAStes dIffErEnt tO EvErY veSSel. BuT whEn tHe musclE bEAts tHe lasT tiMe wiTh yOUr tEEth iN iT, It'S LIKe aN orgAsm oF dEAth oN EverY WOrlD. HavE yOu EvEr trIEd iT?"
Well, at least he knew whose blood was soaking into his jacket. Lex managed to keep his inclination to bolt under control. This was no time to panic or piss this thing off. It just said it was still hungry. "Andre was a good man. I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from dining on my staff in the future," Lex said. "You think you can control yourself until the morning or should I find you a cow?"
Maggot-face seemed to find that suggestion hilarious. He laughed deep and malicious. "The coWs wErE taSty. YoU shOUld haVe sEEn youR frIEnd ClArk'S FACE whEn hE saW tHe leavinGs. IT waS claSSic, traGic anD hoRRifieD. I thouGht hE waS gOIng tO voMit THe mOrnIng AwaY." His grin fell and Maggot-face sneered across the hall at a dusty Monet. "You'RE frienD IS pIssIng mE oFF, yOu knoW. He'S liKe A spIKe oF pAIn, oF liGht, betwEEn mY temPleS. I'VE neveR haD TO dEAl wiTh a sOUL bEforE."
Score one for Clark. I hope it's an agony. "This will all be over soon, right?" Lex rose smoothly and turned to face the demon from some distance. "Your sister has chosen her champion. You two will fight and then you'll go home to Hell, or wherever you're from."
"YoU knOw wHo shE chOSe? IS siSter'S chaMpion STronG? DoeS hEr veSSel coMpare tO MinE?"
Lex mentally ran through the things he'd discovered Clark was capable of, and then he imagined how many ways this bastard could use that to annihilate Lana in under thirty seconds. He clutched the box of bullets tighter. "You might have the upper hand, but your sister isn't stupid. She'll put up a fight."
"SHE alWays dOes."
The night sky was faded gray. The moon was gone and the stars would soon follow. Jonathan watched the sky oblivious to what the dawn would bring for his son. He hadn't slept, and he suspected Martha was still awake and in the kitchen. The kettle had let loose with a whistle a few minutes earlier, but Jonathan hadn't gone to investigate. Things were getting serious. If Clark didn't come home, what were they supposed to do?
Calling the police was fine for other families, but they had secrets. You don't invite the authorities into your life when you have secrets. They managed to find enough trouble and exposure without bringing it home on purpose. Clark knew that. So where was he?
Martha stood indecisively with an extra cup of tea. She could see Jonathan, rocking back and forth gently. When they had a crisis, they always came together, supported each other. Well this was the first big crisis since Clark went mad on the red meteor rock, and there was a wall between them. She couldn't help Jonathan, and he couldn't help her. That wall hadn't sprung up overnight. It had formed slowly over the last few months and every brick had Lionel Luthor's name on it. Martha pushed the door open, determined to make things better, for Clark's sake if nothing else. "Jon, tea?"
"Every little bit of caffeine helps. I wasn't very good at all-nighters in college and I'm significantly worse at them now." Jonathan scooted over and made room for Martha on the swing. "I guess we need to do something."
Martha nodded and settled in next to Jonathan. "Agreed. I think we should go see Lex. Something's going on. He called twice yesterday, and he was the last person to talk to Clark."
"You've been thinking about this." Jonathan took a long drink of the tea and nodded. "If Clark doesn't show up, and our trip to visit Lex isn't very enlightening, we'll have to go to the police."
"I know. I'll make sure the cellar is locked before we leave," Martha said. Jonathan's arm came around her shoulder and he pulled her close. The wall she'd imagined wasn't there in that moment. Their marriage was stronger than any flimsy wall growing over a few months. Their love was stronger. Why did Clark have to worry her out of her mind to remind them?
"It's going to be fine." Jonathan whispered the words almost inaudibly into Martha's hair as the sun made its first appearance at the horizon.
Oblivious to the rising sun, one muddy bedraggled Chloe stomped up her front stairs. She looked down at her favorite orange slippers and sighed dramatically. They weren't orange anymore. They were muddy brown and nearly fuzz free. Chasing after sleep-walking Lana had been a bad idea. That girl ought to be on the track team, the way she'd run. Chloe kicked off her slippers so she wouldn't leave tracks to her bedroom and did her best to open the front door without eliciting a squeak.
"Chloe? Where have you been all night?" Gabe Sullivan was sitting on the couch in his robe and he came to his feet at the sight of his muddy, pajama clad daughter. "What happened? I've been worried. I woke up half the county calling around trying to locate you. Lana isn't with you?"
"I'm sorry Dad. Long story short, Lana apparently sleep walks. At least I'm pretty sure she was sleep walking. I tried following her to make sure she didn't walk in front of a raging cow or anything, but I lost her. She can really run you know. I fell in a big stinky mud puddle, and she was gone. Hopefully she's okay, but I haven't got a clue where she ended up." Chloe hobbled her way over to her dad and frowned comically. "Don't bother to hold it in. Laugh all you want. I deserve it for worrying you."
Gabe did smile, but he didn't laugh. "Sweetie, I'd hug you, but that would just mean more laundry in the long run. I'll call the police and let them know to look out for Lana. She'll probably be calling for a ride soon. Are you going to be okay?"
"I really am sorry about worrying you, Dad. Hopefully Lana will make it to a phone without too much trouble." Chloe headed for the stairs, her destination the shower. "I'm going to use all the hot water, so consider yourself warned."
A spot of white in a sea of black, Clark paced the circle of light, his territory in his own brain. It was larger than before, and getting larger all the time. He thought he could hear Lex again at one point but the words hadn't made sense. He was trying to push the light toward where that voice had come from. That voice was coming from outside his brain. If he could get to that window to outside, he could find out what was happening. Lex had promised to kill him if this happened. So why was he still here? At least hearing Lex, meant that he hadn't killed his friend, yet.
It took a few minutes to work up the will power to touch the dark mess sitting out there and enlarge his circle, but he had to keep going. If he didn't keep going and Lex didn't come through, that thing was going to do horrible homicidal things with a nice unstoppable alien body.
"You don't get to win, and you don't get to kill with my hands." Clark stared down at his insubstantial hands, full well knowing what kind of pain he was getting himself in for. He pushed his hands into the inky blackness.
"DAMN yoU!"
Lex jumped back when Maggot-face cried out. The thing's breaths were coming rapid and shallow, and he was squeezing at his head. After a few moments, he rose and came jerkily forward until he was standing right in Lex's face. The smell was staggering, sweat and blood, and something else rotten just under the surface.
"You'RE frieNd iS maKinG mE anGrY, LEX. IF hE dOEs thaT agAin, i'LL hAve tO finD a wAy tO pUnish hIm, undErstanD. I cAn't tOUch hIm whErE hE iS. BUT i'll finD A wAY."
Lex could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and he tried not to breathe the rancid air coming off Maggot-face. "You have an appointment to keep," Lex whispered. "The sun is rising, and your sister will be waiting."
When he smiled this time, he almost looked like Clark again, if you avoided looking at the eyes and ignored to blood. "You'RE riGht. I shoulD taKe hEArt, whIchEvEr hearT mY SiSter chOse foR mE tHAt iS."
Lex breathed deep once and stared into those insane eyes. He'd have to remember this moment for when the end came. It wasn't Clark he had to kill if the sister lost. This thing deserved to die.
Author's Note:
Just FYI -- This fic was started before Insurgence and is set before Insurgence. All the lovely developments that have come along since then are considered non-entities. (I loved Rosetta so much! Poor Clark! I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him it was going to be okay. Jonathan did that for me, but I almost thought I saw a touch of Lord-help-us-I-am-a-little-afraid-now in his eyes over Clark's shoulder. **grin** That scene so inspired a dozen fics with me. Fortunately, I didn't go try to write them all.)
I get more anti-Lana/Clark nearly every episode. I know this reads terribly CLanna. I don't understand Clark's attraction to the princess, but it exists and I'm not going to defy cannon on the issue... yet.
There's some good and bad in here, I know. Tell me what you think :) hehe Reviewers rock, people!
This isn't a super long fic and the ending isn't that far off. As you possibly know, I have serious ending issues, but I'm going to do my best to make this fic end strong. Wish me luck!
