A/N: All disclaimers still apply
Blood Ties Chapter 9
The long black limo pulled up in front of the huge glass and steel building that was Luthor Corps Metropolis headquarters. The driver got out and moved to the back of the limo, opening the door for the young man that sat inside.
Lex slid across the seat as he wondered what his father could possible want. Since his rescue from the island, Lex had tried to speak with his father on several occasions, but he had never gotten a response. Lex laughed a bit to himself as he thought of the irony in that. Had he been born to a family like the Kents, it would have taken a tow truck to remove his parents from his side after an ordeal like the one he had gone through.
"But that would show weakness" Lex mumbled to himself as the huge glass doors of the building slid open before him.
As he walked through the doors his cell phone chirped rousing him from his musings. Lex slid the phone from the expensive calf skin holster at his belt flipping open the screen. There was a text message waiting for him. Keying in the commands to retrieve the message Lex waited for the message to be displayed.
"Plane crash not accident. Father still pursuing level 3 project. Vial of blood you stole main focus of study. Kent family held hostage. Require your assistance to free them. Helen"
The words on the screen chilled his soul. The level three project had dealt with meteor rock enhanced cloning, as well as other bio weapon applications. He had never been able to prove it, but the evidence he had uncovered pointed to its existence.
Lex stopped for a moment to consider the possibility that this was some sort of elaborate hoax from his father to set him on yet another wild goose chase. And what could the Kents possible have to do with the level three project. Lex had long suspected that there was something strange about Clark, but he had dismissed the idea. More importantly his supposedly dead wife seemed to be alive as well as working for his father.
As he stood there wondering what in the hell could possible be going on the phone chimed again telling him that there was another message for him.
Looking down at the screen he saw the digital picture of the kents locked away in a small concrete holding cell. The picture was small, and the quality was pretty poor, but he could tell that it was indeed the Kents, and Martha didn't look very good.
Lex began waking toward the elevator as he started keying in a response to the message. Finishing the message as the doors to the elevator slid open, Lex sent it and then immediately dialed a number into the phone.
The doors closed and the elevator began to clime towards the top of the huge building. Just as the elevator began to slow the person Lex was calling answered.
"Timmins, this is Lex. Have my security team prep for action. They are to move to the luthorcorp headquarters and wait for a signal from me. It seems the time may have come to deal with my father."
Lex slipped the phone back into its holster and walked towards his father's office.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Helen sat at her desk typing as fast as she could. There was so much that she simply didn't understand about the dna model on her screen. Slowly she made some subtle changes to the molecule hoping that they would have the desired effect. Lionel would surely want to be infected with the virus soon, and if she used the sample that she had prepared earlier it would make him into a veritable god.
Chills rolled down her spine as she thought about the horror that would follow if Lionel were to become that powerful.
She knew that she had to do everything she could to fix the tremendous mess she had made on her own. Moving quickly she keyed the commands into the sequencer that would culture the new strain of the virus. A soft beep told her that the culture was prepared and the virus had begun to replicate. The computer screen showed that it would take nearly one hour for the new virus to replicate fully.
All she could do now was wait.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lex come in!" Lionel sat on the edge of his massive desk holding a glass of liquor. "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you in the hospital, but there were matters that I had to attend to personally. You understand of course?"
"Of course" Lex's response dripped with distain. The Kents were more like a family to him that his father had ever been, even if Jonathan did seem to hate him. At least with Jonathan he came right out and told Lex that he disapproved. With Lionel it was always double talk and lies.
"I'm touched by your willingness to see me Father. I know how busy you are." The sarcasam dripped from the words as they crossed the room.
"Now Lex, is that any way to talk to your father? I spent millions of dollars on the search. Not to mention all the money I paid for the finest doctors in metropolis when you were rescued. I would think you would be grateful."
"Grateful? For what? You used luthorcorp shipping vessels and aircraft to perform the search and the hospital is owned by one of your holding companies! You accountants will likely use this as some huge tax write- off!" Lex stalked toward the bar as he spoke. Pouring a drink for himself he continued. "What the hell was so important that you couldn't come and see your only son after he survived being lost at sea for months?"
"Lex, don't be so dramatic. You survived, just like I knew you would. I raised you to be a fighter and your upbringing has obviously paid off. If I hadn't been so hard on you as a child you would have given up on that island. Besides what possible good would have come from me sitting beside your bed as you slept? I kept in constant contact with the doctors. I would have known the moment something changed." Lionel moved to the large leather couch across from his desk. Sitting down he looked toward his son. "Besides, there is a project that needed my close personal supervision. Please, have a seat, we need to talk."
Lex moved to a chair near the couch and sat down. His mind was racing as he tried to figure out what was going on. His father was obviously funding research into the meteor rocks, and now had seemingly kidnapped the Kents. What could he possibly be up to?
As he sat the phone at his waist chirped a familiar tone. The security team was in place and ready to move on his signal.
Lex had dealt the cards, now it was time for the bluffing to begin.
"Ok, what is it we need to talk about?"
Lionel became very somber for a moment as he glanced toward the folder on his desk.
"There is a folder on my desk that contains papers granting you total control of Luthorcorp and all its holdings. They have been signed and will take effect if I should die."
"Why the sudden generosity? In the past year you have tried to take the plant from me, destroy my business and if I didn't know better I might be lead to believe that you tried to have me killed in that plane. For all I know Helen could be alive and working for you all along."
"Normally I would not tolerate such accusations, but there is business that he needs to be finished Lex." Lionel took a long pull from the drink in his hand hoping to steady his nerves. "I have a tumor in my brain. The doctors have given me 6 weeks to live with no options for treatment or surgery." Once again he lifted the glass to his mouth. The cool liquid slid over his tongue and down his throat warming his belly.
"I know that we have had our differences in the past son but I hope to change that. There is a project that I have been working on for some time now that might hold the key to my salvation. You are familiar with the meteor rocks from smallville. The radiation had a rather interesting effect on human tissue. My researchers have told me that this might be the key to a cure my condition. If it is, I promise you that I will try to be there more for you, as a father."
Lex sat there stunned. His father had just admitted weakness and even pledged to be more loving in the future if he survived.
For a brief moment Lex envisioned father and son conquering the world together standing shoulder to shoulder, equals in power. The image faded away as he remembered the one of the Kents lying in a cold concrete holding cell. Lex would not stand on their corpses simply so that he could have a better relationship with his father. The world would be his someday, but the world is not enough. Without Friends like Clark and his parents conquering the world would mean nothing.
A look of nearly genuine concern came over Lex Luther's face as he replied to his father.
"Tell me more about the research. If there is a chance it could save you I want to know all I can."
~*~*~*~*~
Blood Ties Chapter 9
The long black limo pulled up in front of the huge glass and steel building that was Luthor Corps Metropolis headquarters. The driver got out and moved to the back of the limo, opening the door for the young man that sat inside.
Lex slid across the seat as he wondered what his father could possible want. Since his rescue from the island, Lex had tried to speak with his father on several occasions, but he had never gotten a response. Lex laughed a bit to himself as he thought of the irony in that. Had he been born to a family like the Kents, it would have taken a tow truck to remove his parents from his side after an ordeal like the one he had gone through.
"But that would show weakness" Lex mumbled to himself as the huge glass doors of the building slid open before him.
As he walked through the doors his cell phone chirped rousing him from his musings. Lex slid the phone from the expensive calf skin holster at his belt flipping open the screen. There was a text message waiting for him. Keying in the commands to retrieve the message Lex waited for the message to be displayed.
"Plane crash not accident. Father still pursuing level 3 project. Vial of blood you stole main focus of study. Kent family held hostage. Require your assistance to free them. Helen"
The words on the screen chilled his soul. The level three project had dealt with meteor rock enhanced cloning, as well as other bio weapon applications. He had never been able to prove it, but the evidence he had uncovered pointed to its existence.
Lex stopped for a moment to consider the possibility that this was some sort of elaborate hoax from his father to set him on yet another wild goose chase. And what could the Kents possible have to do with the level three project. Lex had long suspected that there was something strange about Clark, but he had dismissed the idea. More importantly his supposedly dead wife seemed to be alive as well as working for his father.
As he stood there wondering what in the hell could possible be going on the phone chimed again telling him that there was another message for him.
Looking down at the screen he saw the digital picture of the kents locked away in a small concrete holding cell. The picture was small, and the quality was pretty poor, but he could tell that it was indeed the Kents, and Martha didn't look very good.
Lex began waking toward the elevator as he started keying in a response to the message. Finishing the message as the doors to the elevator slid open, Lex sent it and then immediately dialed a number into the phone.
The doors closed and the elevator began to clime towards the top of the huge building. Just as the elevator began to slow the person Lex was calling answered.
"Timmins, this is Lex. Have my security team prep for action. They are to move to the luthorcorp headquarters and wait for a signal from me. It seems the time may have come to deal with my father."
Lex slipped the phone back into its holster and walked towards his father's office.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Helen sat at her desk typing as fast as she could. There was so much that she simply didn't understand about the dna model on her screen. Slowly she made some subtle changes to the molecule hoping that they would have the desired effect. Lionel would surely want to be infected with the virus soon, and if she used the sample that she had prepared earlier it would make him into a veritable god.
Chills rolled down her spine as she thought about the horror that would follow if Lionel were to become that powerful.
She knew that she had to do everything she could to fix the tremendous mess she had made on her own. Moving quickly she keyed the commands into the sequencer that would culture the new strain of the virus. A soft beep told her that the culture was prepared and the virus had begun to replicate. The computer screen showed that it would take nearly one hour for the new virus to replicate fully.
All she could do now was wait.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lex come in!" Lionel sat on the edge of his massive desk holding a glass of liquor. "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you in the hospital, but there were matters that I had to attend to personally. You understand of course?"
"Of course" Lex's response dripped with distain. The Kents were more like a family to him that his father had ever been, even if Jonathan did seem to hate him. At least with Jonathan he came right out and told Lex that he disapproved. With Lionel it was always double talk and lies.
"I'm touched by your willingness to see me Father. I know how busy you are." The sarcasam dripped from the words as they crossed the room.
"Now Lex, is that any way to talk to your father? I spent millions of dollars on the search. Not to mention all the money I paid for the finest doctors in metropolis when you were rescued. I would think you would be grateful."
"Grateful? For what? You used luthorcorp shipping vessels and aircraft to perform the search and the hospital is owned by one of your holding companies! You accountants will likely use this as some huge tax write- off!" Lex stalked toward the bar as he spoke. Pouring a drink for himself he continued. "What the hell was so important that you couldn't come and see your only son after he survived being lost at sea for months?"
"Lex, don't be so dramatic. You survived, just like I knew you would. I raised you to be a fighter and your upbringing has obviously paid off. If I hadn't been so hard on you as a child you would have given up on that island. Besides what possible good would have come from me sitting beside your bed as you slept? I kept in constant contact with the doctors. I would have known the moment something changed." Lionel moved to the large leather couch across from his desk. Sitting down he looked toward his son. "Besides, there is a project that needed my close personal supervision. Please, have a seat, we need to talk."
Lex moved to a chair near the couch and sat down. His mind was racing as he tried to figure out what was going on. His father was obviously funding research into the meteor rocks, and now had seemingly kidnapped the Kents. What could he possibly be up to?
As he sat the phone at his waist chirped a familiar tone. The security team was in place and ready to move on his signal.
Lex had dealt the cards, now it was time for the bluffing to begin.
"Ok, what is it we need to talk about?"
Lionel became very somber for a moment as he glanced toward the folder on his desk.
"There is a folder on my desk that contains papers granting you total control of Luthorcorp and all its holdings. They have been signed and will take effect if I should die."
"Why the sudden generosity? In the past year you have tried to take the plant from me, destroy my business and if I didn't know better I might be lead to believe that you tried to have me killed in that plane. For all I know Helen could be alive and working for you all along."
"Normally I would not tolerate such accusations, but there is business that he needs to be finished Lex." Lionel took a long pull from the drink in his hand hoping to steady his nerves. "I have a tumor in my brain. The doctors have given me 6 weeks to live with no options for treatment or surgery." Once again he lifted the glass to his mouth. The cool liquid slid over his tongue and down his throat warming his belly.
"I know that we have had our differences in the past son but I hope to change that. There is a project that I have been working on for some time now that might hold the key to my salvation. You are familiar with the meteor rocks from smallville. The radiation had a rather interesting effect on human tissue. My researchers have told me that this might be the key to a cure my condition. If it is, I promise you that I will try to be there more for you, as a father."
Lex sat there stunned. His father had just admitted weakness and even pledged to be more loving in the future if he survived.
For a brief moment Lex envisioned father and son conquering the world together standing shoulder to shoulder, equals in power. The image faded away as he remembered the one of the Kents lying in a cold concrete holding cell. Lex would not stand on their corpses simply so that he could have a better relationship with his father. The world would be his someday, but the world is not enough. Without Friends like Clark and his parents conquering the world would mean nothing.
A look of nearly genuine concern came over Lex Luther's face as he replied to his father.
"Tell me more about the research. If there is a chance it could save you I want to know all I can."
~*~*~*~*~
