Disclaimer: The characters of Clark Kent, Lex Luthor, Lionel Luthor, and Lana Lang belong to the franchises for Superman ™ and Smallville ™. I do not claim possession of any copyrighted characters. Any and all other characters belong to me and may not be used without my permission.

The premise for this fanfiction involve thematic elements that may not be suitable for young children. Dreams in particular recap memories of Lex's life and also visions for a possible future. Mild to moderate sensual content in this chapter.

The clear early morning air sent a brief rush of exhilaration through Lex, and a small curvature of the lips revealed a tiny smile. The time spent with Clark had rescinded some of the tension lying between them and gave him reason to enjoy the fresh breeze. He remembered the disgust and horror felt when he'd first been exiled to this cow town as he'd viciously termed Smallville. All that had changed within a few short years and it was now something of a refuge from the real world. Yet, the real world kept intruding itself more and more into his life, as the gift-wrapped parcel patiently lying in wait upon the mansion's front stoop declared.

The enjoyment of the morning was instantly gone.

Lex hesitated, prepared to call security at a moment's notice. He remembered all too well that one package delivered back when Lana had first started renovating the Talon. The grisly gift had unnerved him like no other. Packages of any sort were now looked upon with caution rather than excitement. He swallowed slowly, than decidedly knelt and untied the bow resting atop the box. One hand lifted the lid, inch by painful inch, but no revolting reminder nestled within the delicate tissue paper.

His brow creased in minor surprise.

It was a letter.

The envelope was elegantly engraved in the soft browns and greens of elegant calligraphy, lending an air of distinction and originality to the sender. A feeling of dread settled into the center of Lex's chest as he picked up both articles and ducked inside to the privacy of his office. He relaxed into the comfortable leather chair, pealed back the delicate seal affixed to the envelope and tugged the note free.

A chill moved down his spine, spreading its icy tentacles throughout his veins. He barely managed to repress a violent shudder. The words were absurdly simple, yet wrought with the deadliest poison.

Lex,

Well, my friend, it seems we're about to meet again. How long has it been, five, six years? Surely you remember your old comrade from childhood so long ago. Ah, but that's right, we never were true comrades were we, as you proved through your actions.. I've come back, Lex. It's time for you to pay your pound of flesh and I intend to take every ounce owed me. You'll see me in good time, but until then, tell your friend Clark hello for me. And Lana is as lovely as Michelle. As dark as Michelle was light and just the type waiting for you to corrupt and deceive her. It's good to be back, Lex. Until next time.

Todd

The note slid from Lex's numb fingers, sounding loudly as it floated to the neat surface of his desk, landing precisely in the middle. Nightmares always come back to haunt. Once more his past was creeping up from behind and surprising him with an elaborate sting operation. But this, never in a million years had Lex expected these memories to be dredged up from the mire and filth of his life before Smallville.

I am not going down that path again.

"It can't be, he's..." Lex halted the unsteady flow of words, running a hand across his head, his scalp smooth under his touch. He sank back into the chair, his idle fingers stroking across his jaw as he attempted to coherently form a plan of action. His eyes narrowed, and he lifted the paper up to the light, minutely examining its every crevice and crease. For the moment, he was going to believe the note spoke the truth, or at least a form of truth. The mention of Lana, however, made his blood run cold. Clark, he well knew, could take care of himself in almost any situation, but Lana? In spite of her self-reliance, Lex knew that this one enemy she wasn't up to handling alone.

The keys were in his hand instantly, and in a remarkably brief span of time Lex sreeched up to the Talon with the scent of burnt rubber trailing the Porsche. The establishment wasn't open as of yet, but at the moment he didn't really care. Without bothering to knock, Lex slammed through the doors in a fury, his black coat tails flying in the breeze created by his controlled speed.

The swinging door caught Lana's attention immediately and she stood from positioning pastries on the lowest shelf in the glass cabinet; soft brown eyes wide in astonishment. Brushing her hands across the towel tucked in her waistband, she gaped at him, lips parted slightly in bemusement.

"Lex Luthor, what in the world are you doing? We're not even open yet and you come flying through the doors as if the devil's on your tail."

Her words weren't exactly irritated, but her pupils enlarged in surprise when he calmly strode to her side and grasped her upper arms. He had never been more seriously concerned for her safety, and his eyes were studiously composed as he asked, "Lana, have you met any strangers over the last few days? People who wouldn't come into the Talon regularly? Any young man, about my age, who stood out over the others?"

She shrugged herself free of his grip, backing up a step in an attempt to place some space between herself and the exceedingly worried Lex Luthor. "Lex, what's wrong? No there hasn't been anyone that stands out in my mind. And now that you've sufficiently worried me, you'd better tell me what's going on."

The expression on his face warned her that he wasn't in the mood to divulge anything she didn't need to know, but she refused to back down. Placing a gentle hand on his tense forearm, she murmured, "Lex please. I've seen you in almost every state of mind, but never this freaked out."

"Lana, just be careful, and if anything out of the ordinary happens, just call me immediately."

Creases appeared across her brow, lips pursing in vexation as she released his arm.

"Lex, I don't even know who or what I'm supposed to be looking for. Look, you come barging in here, when we haven't exactly been comfortable in each other's presence of late, and you ask me to be careful of a man who you won't give me any details about or even what he looks like. I'm sorry if I sound a little skeptical, Lex, but this isn't like you."

Letting his guard down oh, so briefly, Lex tenderly clasped her hands in his own, absently running his thumbs along her knuckles. Their eyes met and locked and Lana felt her breath constrict at the honest fear reflected in his eyes. Not for himself, but for her safety.

"Lana, please just trust me on this. I can't tell you anymore, but I need you to do what I ask. I'm not going to put you in any more danger than I've already done simply by being your friend."

And with those words and a swirl of his ebony coat, Lex surrendered her hands and vanished through the clear glass doors of the Talon, leaving Lana blinking in the suddenness of his departure.

The decided fury was building in Lex's form, pounding against his mind with violent authority. It almost felt like Alexander was struggling to surface beyond the mind block Lex had erected around his thoughts. This other half of himself was fighting for survival and when he indulged his anger it grew stronger and more volatile.

His own safety was irrelevant in this matter. All that mattered was Lana. And to think just this morning he had been lecturing Clark on the merits of releasing Lana into the hands of fate. He was now beginning to doubt the wisdom of his own words. This was an unseen danger for Lana, and one brought upon her by his own maniacally twisted past.

Collapsing onto his bed at 11:00 a.m., Lex breathed deeply, closed his eyes and let the vivid memories rise to the surface. Knowing one's own weaknesses was the only way to defeat them.

They were lounging by the outdoor pool, enjoying the fresh scent of cinnamon rolls drifting from the kitchen window. Michelle rolled over on her stomach, her fingers playfully strolling across Lex's bare abdomen. Her eyes teased him as much as her touch, sending his regular seventeen-year-old emotions into a tailspin of desire. She was fourteen, his best friend's little sister and already he had bedded her, though she was a perfectly willing participant.

Now she used almost any excuse to torment him into loving her, sometimes even in the presence of Todd, even though he had yet to notice their budding relationship. At times, even now his guilt would rise to the surface. Michelle was but a child, and to her loving was much like playing house, imagining him the father and her the mother.

He turned from her grasp, sliding from the lounge chair and into the water with a soft splash. The water sped past him as he pushed off from the cold granite, eager to work off his pent-up emotions. Lately she'd even begun asking about marriage and how they would live when they decided to marry.

He couldn't marry her.

Lionel Luthor would never approve of such a match for his only son. Michelle and her brother were without any living relatives and were practically vagabonds in his father's eyes. They stayed only because in this one way Lionel was willing to indulge Lex's fancy. Michelle landed beside him in a cannonball, laughing as they both shot up to the surface where she wrapped her arms around his waist in contentment.

Trapped.

This time there were no gentle movements of pulling away, but a vicious struggle as he shot away from her in a flurry of movement, spraying water in a several yard radius. Horror flickered across her face at his actions, but he swam away into the deeper side of the pool. Not a proficient swimmer, he didn't expect Michelle to follow him, but she did.

And that's when it happened.

Her blonde head sank beneath the water, eyes wide in shock as she struggled to resurface. A cramp must have stricken her leg, he thought numbly, watching her struggle from a distance but making no move to help. It was as if he was bound to that single moment in time, forced to watch but not aid her as she fought for life.

The bubbles slowly faded as her strength waned and with the gentle popping of the last one, Lex was freed from his astonishment and he dove down into the water, finding her still form within seconds and pulling her back to the surface. Flopping her onto the side of the pool, Lex landed beside her, desperately brushing golden locks back from her cheeks, exhaling into her lungs in an attempt to revive her still heart.

Her turquoise eyes were wide and glassy.

Life no longer lingered in their cool depths.

She was gone.

Lex Luthor inhaled a shaky breath wrought with pain. He had accidentally killed her simply by willing it, and he was now facing the justice he deserved. Her brother was back and vengeance was the only thing lurking in his desperately insane mind. And Todd wasn't about to back down from the challenge.