Chapter 16

"Damn it, Lex, I want to listen to Coldplay, not some screaming shmuck who thinks he can sing," Chloe snapped as she switched the station from the raunchy sounds of Korn to the mellower sounds of the song 'Clocks'. It was an old hit, but a good number, nonetheless.

"I'm sure you're quite aware of whose car you're in at the moment," Lex answered back in a tight voice. "Therefore I believe that I have control over whatever goes on in here... unless you want me to stop on the side of the road and drop you off so you can just walk all the way back – and let me tell you it's still a long way off to the mansion." As he spoke he turned it back just as the song changed from its previous hard sound to a censored version of A Perfect Circle's 'Judith'.

The irritation was still coursing through his veins from seeing those two men conversing with her (and eyeing! Don't forget the eyeing!) at the university and his only way of venting was to speed down the open road back to the mansion as he listened to the pounding sound of the drums and the metallic strum of electric guitars. Chloe let out a disgruntled snort and she folded her arms. His need for the upper-hand was really getting out of hand – he wouldn't let her do anything that he didn't approve of and it was really starting to piss her off.

"You know, one of these days, I'll have reign over you," she muttered as the loud music began to pound into her head.

"What was that, Chloe?" he asked over the music, his eyes still trained in front of him.

"Nothing," she replied forcefully to be heard and slumped into her seat with her hazel eyes glaring at the window in front of her. One of these days, she repeated in her head.

Once they stopped in front of the mansion, Chloe jumped out, her things in her hand and ran up the stairs toward the entrance to find Remy. She needed a hug and this time she definitely didn't want it from Lex – albeit his arms could wrap around her easily and make her feel warm and fuzzy, her annoyance level with him was too far-gone to be able to stand him at the moment.

Barging through the door she went straight to the library, believing that she would find Remy there. She pointedly ignored the maid, thinking that she would just tell her that there was lunch on the table. She threw open the doors to the library and opened her mouth and called –

"Clark?"

She stopped in her tracks and stared dumbfounded. A rush of memories came back to her and she felt nostalgic, angry, happy and confused all at the same time. She hadn't seen him since she had left Smallville for her studies in Met U, and it was strange to see him there; surreal to have his presence there. There were so many bitter memories that swept through her that she was ready to just run out. He hurt her – hurt so many people, and here he was, in Lex's library, full and almost larger than life.

"Chloe... what are you doing here? Do you have a meeting with Lex? Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"

She blinked. That was his voice. The farm boy with shiny auburn hair and his shining eyes – akin to that of a small puppy – rushed over to her and embraced her close to him. Her eyes widened, but she didn't reciprocate the gesture; she merely stood there, too stunned to do anything else. When he pulled away, he held her shoulders and looked straight at her. "You're not in trouble, are you?"

She frowned, suddenly feeling the impulse to slap him for such an assumption. "What the heck is that supposed to mean? Why do you think that I'm in trouble? Just because I'm here and the last time I was in trouble for anything I actually came over here?"

"Well, no, it's just that..." he trailed off, blushing slightly. "I don't know, I guess I'm just stressing out," he sighed, pulling away from her and walking farther into the room.

He was tense and jumpy, which set off alarms in Chloe's head. "About what, Clark?" she asked in a concerned manner stepping towards him.

"Uhm, well..." Clark tapered off as he took a fleeting look at the blonde and then tried to change the subject temporarily. "Where's –"

"I'm right here," the young Luthor replied from directly behind Chloe, causing her to jump slightly.

She gave the man that just entered a sharp look. "Damn it, Lex, don't sneak up on people like that."

He merely smirked at her and put a hand on her shoulder then looked at Clark levelly. "What do you want, Clark?"

There was so much hostility in his voice – enough to make the auburn-haired man cringe slightly at his tone. He glanced at Chloe but then addressed Lex on the matter. "I think it would be best if I just spoke to you alone."

"Whatever you can say to me can be said to Chloe as well. She's entitled to know everything that you're about to tell me."

The farm boy frowned. "Is there – is there something going on between you guys?"

Chloe was about to speak, but Lex cut her off. "Yes there is now can you please –"

"But, Chloe should already know that it wouldn't be wise to –"

"Why are you speaking like I'm invisible?" interjected angrily, trying to shake of Lex's hand from her shoulder. "I am still here! What am I the person in that Clay Aiken song now?"

"Chloe knows what the terms were of our relationship," Lex answered succinctly, ignoring Chloe's sputters. "Now, if you want proof, then –"

The bald man turned Chloe around quickly so that she was facing him. There was a bewildered look on her face, as if she didn't understand what he was about to do. Lex, who was going about to 'show' Clark of their involvement (but more to give into his desires for that moment) captured Chloe's lips in a slow, searing kiss. He felt her stiffen momentarily but then melt under his mouth. He didn't know whether she realized that she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down further to deepen the kiss, but he was enjoying every moment that he had of this until she chose to slap him in his face. He just hoped that she would do it after Clark left.

It didn't seem like she wanted to let up just yet, so he thought he would take advantage of it and slipped his tongue across her lips, which went slack, allowing him access to the inside of her mouth. He plundered her mouth with his lips and tongue, loving the moan she let out and the play of her own tongue with his. He had forgotten there was another person in the room – until that person let out a loud purposeful cough. He pulled back – though reluctantly – and inwardly rejoiced at the dazed and aroused look on her face.

Anchoring her close to him he looked back at Clark who had turned a deep rouge colour. Lex gave the younger man a tight smile. "Now, Clark, what was it you wanted to tell us?"

"Uh – see... you have to leave, Lex," he finally got out though he was still flustered by what he had seen.

The other man raised a brow. "Oh? And why should I leave?"

"You're in direct danger of a madman and I don't want to see a friend of mine get hurt."

"So now I'm a friend, Clark? That's funny, because I thought friends don't lie – and I recall in the not so distant past, you lied about your entire existence. You lied to me, Clark, about who you are and kept secrets from me when I was being more than truthful with you." Lex's eyes turned steely.

"Lex, I know you don't want to believe me but –" the young man began again.

"I know all about Shishio Makoto, Clark," Lex cut in coldly.

"Lex, you don't understand, he has a strong army – indestructible. They have forces that... you can't reckon with and win against." Clark stepped forward in desperation. "Please, believe me, Lex. Do what I ask of you: just leave Metropolis."

"Running away from your problems is futile, Clark. It will all just catch up with you in the end. You should know – the kind of all cowards; always running from the things that you can't beat." Lex pursed his lips. "Now if you're done, I think it would be wise for you to leave."

Clark looked down at Chloe who had regained her senses and had been listening the whole time. "Please, Chloe, tell Lex that it isn't right to be in the direct line of danger. You know that I am just looking out for you guys."

"You know, I have to question why you would come to either of us after all these years of cutting us off. I think you want something in return, Clark." The auburn-haired man stiffened and pursed his lips in refusal to answer her. "Yeah, it figures. Look, Clark, Lex and I – we're not individuals to avoid our problems. We've come to face what issues we have in one way or another. If you think that by 'helping us' would guarantee you a ride away from Problemsville, you've got a loose screw in your head. I suggest you leave now, Clark."

"You don't understand!" he protested again. "I know –" Clark suddenly stopped and gasped, pitching forward.

Despite her anger, she cried out and broke free of Lex's hold and ran to her former best friend who was now on the floor. Clark's fingers clenched painfully and he cried out in pain, writhing on the floor. She had seen him do this before and knew that it was something caused by the green kryptonite. Frantically, she searched his entire being for where the green veins all congregated on his skin.

With a cry of relief she tried to take of the offending necklace and pendant from him. She shouted a curse when she felt an electric shock pass through her when her skin came in contact with the metal. She backed up from Clark, feeling absolutely helpless. Lex pulled her to him and held her close as they both watched – one in despair while the other in a stony aloofness.

It lasted for a few moments before Clark breathed in a gasping breath and his body unclenched. Chloe had been holding her breath and along with him she exhaled, the relief welcoming. However, just as quickly, the anger returned in its full power. "What the hell was that, Clark?" she demanded.

"A – Adamantium..." he coughed out, groaning as he attempted to get up. "Shishio –"

"You're with him? Is that why you know so much? You're with the person who's after us?" Her voice rose to greater volumes until she was yelling. "How could you, Clark? How could you do such a stupid, senseless thing? Are you insane?!"

"I had no choice," he ground out, pushing himself up. "He forced me into it. I never would have done any of this!"

"I don't believe you, Clark. You're so much stronger than that! You would have found a way out of it!"

Clark's brown eyes grew hard. "You try being in my shoes, Chloe; you try doing going through everything that I've gone through and tell me that I haven't tried my best." Running a hand through his hair he pursed his lips in finality. "That's it. I did and said all I could. Good bye, Chloe... Lex."

With that, he walked past the both of them and never looked back. Until we meet again...

Chloe let out a loud sigh and leaned instinctively into Lex's hold... before she tensed up and pushed herself out of his arms. A dark blush entered her cheeks as she blinked up at the bald man who gave a small smile. "Why the hell did you do that?"

He shrugged. "I don't need a reason for my actions," he answered simply.

"When they involve another person, yes you do!" she snapped back, her eyes shooting fire at him.

"I knew it would irk Clark... among other things," he stated, the smile on his lips widening a bit.

The blonde frowned at him and went over to him. Then she put a hand to his forehead, ignoring the instantaneous spark that she felt at the contact. "I think you're coming down with something."

"I've never gotten sick a day in my life, Chloe." He smirked inwardly when he felt her hand twitch against his skin and she cursed herself for being affected by the way he said her name. Damn him and his low, silky voice!

"Yeah, well something must be wrong with you if you did something as insane as that," she muttered moving away from him.

"Why are you complaining?" he asked following her; the amusement was evident in his grey eyes – eyes that she refused to look at for fear that they would see right through her. "You seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was a while ago."

She gave him a piercing look and snorted. "You caught me off-guard," she half-lied keeping a huffy face. She folded her arms over her chest and stared at the far wall in front of her. As long as she didn't look directly at him, she would be fine.

"Oh, so that explains why you reacted so –"

"Clark said that Shishio has a strong army," the blonde suddenly interjected, swiftly changing the subject. It was a lame and obvious attempt to veer off the direction the conversation was going in but she was desperate.

Lex smirked. Fine, this conversation will be delayed for a later time... "Yes, he did," he informed her, moving to sit in one of the seats. He watched her take the chair across from him.

"Do you think Clark is part of that 'army'? Or do you think he's one of his random henchmen type characters?"

"I really don't know, Chloe," he answered almost tiredly after a pause, leaning back against his seat and rubbing his bald head. The amusement had gone from his eyes, leaving them thoroughly blank. "I just hope he's not... because if he is, there's no way of stopping him."

Clark was strapped to a metal surface, his blue eyes staring blindly up at the bright artificial light above him. The feeling in his stomach was horrible. He felt so lonely – so singled out. Just because I'm different, he thought dully. He wanted to cry. To think! A grown man, wanting to cry! He let out a snort of dark amusement. He was an agglomeration of conflicting feelings. He felt betrayed, in truth. He had gone to Lex to help him and he shut him out. Then Chloe – he hadn't been expecting to see her there... and when he saw the two kiss... the horror set in. He had felt the green jealousy in him overtake his senses and he was almost tempted to rip them apart. She's my friend, not yours! He felt like screaming it at the top of his lungs.

But it wasn't true. She wasn't his or a friend. Not anymore... it was depressing for him to have to go through what he did today. When he got back, Shishio welcomed him, openly embracing him – welcome back. Welcome to my side – briefly before he escorted him to the deepest part of the headquarters where he would get his dose of the Murasaki drug.

Murasaki, the burned man had informed him with a wide grin on his face, is the name of the woman who wrote the great Tale of Genji. She was unknown to the rest of the world at her time – much like you are right now. Despite her low stature, she was able to become a member of the Japanese court because of her special abilities in writing – such a thing was unheard of for a woman in her society. Given this opportunity to be around people that the outside world was not exposed to, she wrote about the true stories of those who surrounded her – the tiniest detail did not escape her watchful eyes. She revealed to the world who the elite were and what they were truly like – that they were not as perfect as the common folk believed them to be. This substance, Kent-san, will enable you to take on her role – reveal the truth behind the Luthor and Shinomori families and to redeem those who have fallen because of their greed.

Then, as if for effect, Shishio had picked that moment to bring his face close to Clark's as his sinister brown eyes bored into the young Kryptonian's. Help me bring justice, Kent-san...

And so he would bring justice. His upper body was bare, his jaw clenched. He was ready for the dosage. Shishio beckoned Yumi come over. She was holding the syringe in her hand. Inside the tube was the glowing purple substance. Stonily, Clark stared straight in front of him, inhaling slightly at the pain he felt from the prick of the needle into his arm. The effect was almost immediate; he felt the strangely liberating rush that the substance gave, but he also felt himself losing grip of consciousness. He gasped, struggling slightly and felt his eyes roll to back, finally giving in to the urge of blacking out.

Shishio waited a few moments, the grin on his face feral. Yumi was smirking along with him; her hands on her shapely hips. The seconds drew out, but Shishio was a patient man. He could wait – enough. Clark's eyes slowly opened with a strange glint within its depths. He switched his wild, blood- hungry gaze to Shishio and a slow sneer formed upon his lips.

"Hello, shishou," he greeted.

To be continued...

Murasaki - means purple

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