Ch 4 – Metastasis

me·tas·ta·sis(n): change of position, state, or form: as a transfer of a disease-producing agency (as cancer cells or bacteria) from an original site of disease to another part of the body (see also me·tas·ta·size(v): To be changed or transformed, especially dangerously)


"Mind telling me what this is for?" Lex asked, tapping the file on his desk.

Clark shrugged. "Just helping a friend with something."

Lex looked at the file again. "Lois Lane. This is the second time you've needed a favor for her. Any chance I'll be meeting Ms. Lane someday?"

Clark was momentarily speechless. Lex had a penchant for brunettes, and it wasn't always a good thing. He wasn't sure what kind of effect Lex and Lois would have on one another. He coughed to cover his nervousness.

"I don't know… maybe," he replied, evasively.

Lex's eyes narrowed slightly. As long as he'd known him, Clark had never had a cold… but he was often covering something up. He wondered what that meant regarding General Lane's daughter. Mentally filing that thought away for later, he handed Clark the file and stood.

"Well, I hope that helps you and your friend out," he said, putting his suit jacket on. "I have a meeting to attend."

"Where are you headed?" Clark asked. Having his own secrets never made him steer clear of everyone else's.

"The State Penitentiary."

"You're going to see your father? Do you think that's wise?" Clark followed Lex out of the office.

Lex stopped to look at Clark. "You may not understand this… Hell, I don't understand it half the time… My father and I have a strange connection. No matter how much I hate him for the things he's done, there is still something pulling. I need to go, to look in his face and remind myself that he can't hurt anyone again."

Lex smiled. "Don't worry. He says he dying. It could be a trick, but I consider it a pleasure to have the chance to say goodbye."

Clark saw something underneath the anger that seemed to drive Lex. "I'll go with you."


Clark stood near the rear wall of the visiting area, observing the conversation between Lex and Lionel Luthor. He was tempted to listen to what they were saying but refrained, instead choosing to watch Lex's body language for any signs of trouble. So far everything seemed to be going okay. It looked like Lionel was trying to appeal to Lex for something, although it didn't look like Lex was acquiescing.

As Lex stood to leave, Lionel reached to take his hand, offering, it seemed, an olive branch to their troubled relationship. Clark hoped this was true, for Lex's sake. As their hands met, a painful high-pitched ringing filled the air and Clark's hands flew to cover his ears of their own volition.

Something was terribly wrong.

A slight glow was building where Lex's hand was encased in his father's. The entire thing only lasted a few seconds, but time seemed to slow to a standstill as Clark realized that the meeting was indeed a trick. He flew across the room and knocked their hands apart, sending a black stone crashing into the corner. Knowing the threat wasn't over, he sent a burst of heat with the rock, causing it to explode.

The next millisecond brought him on top of Lex, shielding him from the small explosion. As time sped back up to normal, chaos ensued. Guards began quickly gathering prisoners, shouting commands as they grabbed them. Lionel was thrown against a wall as his arms were forced behind him into cuffs. Clark and Lex got to their feet.

"Well," Lex remarked, readjusting his suit. "You certainly are handy, aren't you?"

A sinister smile appeared on Lex's face as he turned to walk out. Confused, Clark turned back to look at Lionel, who was looking just as bewildered as he was dragged from the room.

"Clark?" He called.

Clark ran to the fencing that now separated them. The look in Lionel's eye was wrong.

"Clark, you've got to help me. I don't know how he did it."

"L-Lex?"

Lionel struggled against the guard, trying to buy some time. "Yes- it's me. Listen. You're in danger. My building. 13th floor. Halfway in-between- there's a floor. Get to it and start the self destruct sequence."

"How?" Clark was still having trouble wrapping his mind around all that was happening. He reached a point along the wall where he could walk no further. The guard dragged Lionel further away.

"Clark- I'm sorry," Lionel called as they disappeared around a corner.

Clark glanced about the room. It was still chaotic, with guards trying to clear it of prisoners and gather the visitors for questioning. Squinting, he found Lex, talking to a guard on the other side of the wall. Things were crazy right now, but he knew that soon they'd want to talk to him too. Making sure no one was looking in his direction, he sped past the guards and out of the prison, stopping only to retrieve his file from Lex's car.

As he neared the mansion, he slowed, wondering what he could do. Somehow the rock had caused Lex to switch bodies with his father. He wasn't even sure what the rock was- he'd been too eager to destroy it. Clark tried to figure out what the apology meant. Lex had given him a file a few months ago, saying that it held everything that Lex had collected about him. He'd then shown him the compacted remains of his Porsche, which left Clark thinking that was the end of it.

"Guess not," he muttered to himself, stopping a short distance away from the castle.

Clark decided that the castle was not where he was supposed to be going. As large as it was, it didn't have a 13th floor, going up or down. LuthorCorp in Metropolis was his father's haunting grounds… although with him in jail, Lex had just begun to start making it the HQ for LexCorp. Could that be the location Lex was referring to? Clark's previous run-in's with Lionel had proven that there had been some secret spaces… He'd have to go and see.


tbc