Chapter 7 – Endgame

Tyler skidded to a halt in front of the huge chain-link fence. Beyond were a series of low, stone-faced buildings arranged in a block formation. The surrounding area was concrete and was bordered by the large, electrified fence. He stood there, glancing around for a way in, when a massive gust of wind notified him of Clark's arrival.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Clark, I told you, this thing could kill you. I'm not joking about this."

"I don't care," Clark was obstinate.

"I do care," said Tyler, "Weren't you listening to me? This is the reason I'm here, this is what I was made for."

"You don't get it," said Clark, "This thing. It killed my family... My people... It attacked Lana!" He trailed off, choking with emotion.

Tyler sighed and nodded in resignation. He turned his attention back to the plant beyond the fence.

"The LuthorCorp plant," said Tyler, "You think he's in there?"

Clark nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the buildings.

"A few months ago this place was the centre of a huge scandal," he explained, "A LuthorCorp employee claimed he was poisoned by the meteor rocks in a secret level here, Level 3. Lionel Luthor denied it, and even Lex knew nothing about this hidden level, but we found it. It's true. There is a Level 3, there are meteor rocks in there, and that's where Lex is."

"You sound pretty sure about that."

"I am."

"Well then, how do we get in?"

Clark looked at him, and for the first time that day, he smiled.

"You afraid of an electrified fence?" he jeered.

"Ha!" said Tyler.

He reached up, and grabbed it. A sound like a swarm of angry bees filled the air. Blue points of light danced between his fingers and the hair on his arms stood on end. With a contemptuous tug, Tyler ripped out a section of the fence and tossed it aside.

"After you," he told Clark, gesturing toward the gap.

Faster than the eye could follow, Clark sped through the hole. Tyler sighed, shook his head and followed at the same speed. They stopped when they reached a side door of solid steel. Clark gripped the handle, and pulled. The door came away in his hands and he leaned it against the wall.Once inside, Tyler engaged his x-ray vision to scan the interior.

"This place is like a maze," he said, "There are people everywhere, how are we going to find Lex?"

"I know where to look," said Clark.

With that, he took off again, Tyler close behind. They zipped through the narrow corridors, flashing past workmen dressed in overcoats, often felling them with the force of their slipstream. Clark brought them to a halt at an elevator shaft set behind a barred door.

Once more, Clark ripped the door off and they stepped through. He prised open the elevator doors and looked down the shaft. Without hesitation, Clark jumped. Tyler leaned in, and saw him land on a stationary elevator a few floors down. Tyler leapt and landed beside him, just as Clark punched through the elevator roof and pulled out a chunk.

"We could have just pushed the button like normal people," Tyler quipped.

Clark ignored him, and was about to jump through the hole when Tyler laid a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Here's where you turn back Clark," he said, "I'll take it from here."

"No!" Clark spat.

Tyler was taken aback by the rage in his voice. Tyler patted him on the shoulder, "Okay Clark," he said, "But please, don't try to go toe to toe with him. He will kill you."

Clark just nodded, and jumped into the hole.

------

They stepped from the elevator and found themselves on a huge warehouse floor. There were doors running off it on both sides and a series of interconnected rafters and walkways overhead. As soon as they set foot on the floor, Clark grunted and clutched his midriff. His face paled, and a sheen of sweat formed on his brow.

"I can feel the meteor rocks," he gasped, "They're everywhere."

Tyler nodded and looked around. He was about to move to one of the doors when a figure appeared on the other side of the floor. He was dressed in a workman's coat, but Tyler had no doubt as to who it was.

"Lex," he breathed.

Lex unleashed an inhuman shriek, and charged. With incredible speed he tore across the floor. He tucked in his shoulder and rammed Tyler full in the chest. Tyler was slammed back into the elevator doors, and fell to the floor.

"Lex, I..." Clark spluttered.

Lex grabbed him by his shirtfront, then he spun in a circle, swinging Clark like a bat, and heaved. Clark sailed through the air before crashing through one of the rafters thirty feet above the warehouse floor. He smashed straight through it and fell to the ground where he landed with a sickening thud.

Tyler saw Clark spread-eagled on the ground, and was filled with a blind anger. He leapt to his feet and speared Lex in his back. The bald billionaire had barely touched the ground before he was up again. He unloaded a string of heavy punches into Tyler's abdomen at super speed. Every blow landed like a hammer and Tyler sank to his knees, coughing up blood.

Lex grabbed his hair and hauled him to his feet. Then, switching his grip to Tyler's neck, he lifted him effortlessly and piledrived him into the floor. The impact hit Tyler like a train, but no sooner had he struck the ground then Lex hauled him up again. He squeezed a bit tighter, then piledrived him again, and again.

Blood now flowed freely from Tyler's mouth and he felt a rib crack. In desperation, he grabbed Lex's wrist and gave it a wicked twist. The bone snapped, and Lex howled, letting go of Tyler.

Tyler jumped, locked his ankles around Lex's neck, then flipped back. Lex tumbled over him and into the wall.

Tyler ran at him at super speed, and delivered a tremendous punch into Lex's abdomen. The force of the blow drove Lex into the wall, leaving a large crack that made the room shake. Tyler now unloaded his own series of punches at speed, and Lex's body trembled and shook with each blow.

But Lex screeched, reached out, and smashed both fists into Tyler's temples. He backed away a bit groggily and Lex stepped forward and grabbed him by his hair. Tyler stared into his eyes, the mirrors of his own, and saw nothing of Lex - the man - left in them.

Lex let out an angry bellow and, still holding onto Tyler's hair, ran at the elevator. He grunted with exertion and rammed Tyler's head right through the fifteen-inch steel doors.

Tyler's body went limp and he hung there, lifeless.

Lex turned, and strolled slowly over to Clark's comatose form. He stood over him for a moment, and then spoke in a mechanical hiss.

"Die!" he said.

The twin, green phasers shot from his eyes and hit Clark's chest dead centre. A scream of pure agony was ripped from Clark's throat as he began to shake and writhe under the blasts.

-----

Tyler Ring was afloat on a sea of pain.

Swirls of images flashed across his sight in small snippets, and he struggled to focus.

Then he saw his mother.

She stood on their balcony with the first rays of dawn drifting up behind her, clothed in a flowing white summer dress that rustled softly in the breeze.

Her raven hair cascaded down her shoulders and flapped as she began to laugh. A merry light shone in her blue, blue eyes as she turned to welcome the dawn on her face.

The scene shifted.

Tyler could only look on in horror as once again he saw their car fishtail out of control, hit the barrier on the side of the highway and flip over.

He heard again his own, agonised wail and felt the tears that stung his eyes. The car lay there for a few seconds, the wheels turning pathetically, before it exploded in an insane inferno.

The flames seemed to scorch the sky and Tyler screamed.

-----

His eyes flashed open and he ripped his head back out of the hole.

With deliberate grace he turned to see Lex standing over Clark, shooting him with energy blasts from his eyes. Tyler could see the flesh on Clark's face melting away, and the boy Tyler had come to know seemed to be wilting before his eyes.

Tyler set his shoulders and marched towards them.

He knew exactly what to do now, as if the knowledge had lain dormant in his mind all this time and had now come to the surface.

Without ceremony, he grabbed Lex's shoulders and spun him around, locking to his furious stare. The beams continued to pulse, and connected the two beings.

Tyler could feel the shrieking energy of the meteor rocks as it flooded his body. The metal in his hand glowed first red, then rose to a white-hot flame. It was as if someone were sticking needles of fire into every inch of his body until his very bones were ablaze.

They screamed and screamed – One long, continuous wail of terror and pain. The beams of light grew brighter still, until the entire warehouse was consumed in it.

Then everything went dark.

-----

Lex Luthor opened his eyes, and blinked at the sudden flood of light. The room he was in seemed hazy, as if he were viewing it through thick gauze.

He blinked again and the room slowly swam into focus. He rolled his head, groaning at the headache that pounded his brain, and noticed the two people standing beside him.

"Clark?" he said, "Tyler? What are you doing here? Where am I?"

"You're at home in bed," Clark told him, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Tyler and I stopped by and we found you unconscious out in the hall. Any idea what happened?"

Lex shook his head, "No, I can't remember a damn thing. Jesus! What happened to me?"

Tyler shrugged, "We were kinda hoping you could tell us."

"Sorry," he said, "Can't help you there. What did you guys want anyway?"

"Oh," said Clark, "We uh... We..."

"We were just wondering if you were coming to the party?" Tyler cut in.

"Ordinarily I would," said Lex with a grim smile, "But in the current circumstances..."

Clark and Tyler nodded.

"Well, alright then," said Clark, "I guess we should go. You get better soon, okay?"

"Will do Clark."

"Seeya," said Tyler, as he and Clark strolled out the door.

Lex waited until he was sure his friends were gone, before allowing a tiny smile of satisfaction to cross his lips.