Disclaimer: The characters of Lex Luthor, Clark Kent, 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. Extremely mild romance in this chapter, along with moderate violence and threats.

Thanks for the reviews, everyone. Keep them coming.

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Breakfast the following morning was a solemn affair. Lana's eyes were constantly drawn toward Lex's imposing figure at the end of the table, but his mind was a million miles away and he didn't even glance at her. His erratic behavior sent a tiny sliver of doubt through her mind, but Lana determinedly pushed it back, plucking up her fork and impaling a bit of plump sausage on the end. She ate in silence, knowing something had happened the previous evening, but she couldn't stand the thought of asking him about what had taken place.

He was pale, far more than usual, and his eyes held a glazed look which disturbed her even more as he idly poked his fork at the food on his plate, never lifting a bite to his lips. Unable to stand it any further, she slapped her napkin onto the table beside her plate, than pushed back the chair. Stepping to his side, she leaned against the table and quietly inquired, "Lex, what happened last night after I went to bed?"

Her voice woke him from his stupor and he gazed up at her, as if seeing her for the first time. The early morning rays of sunshine came in through the brilliantly colored glass windowpanes and illuminated her soft skin, gentle eyes, and glowing dark hair. Her figure was outlined in the light, and his heart melted at the sight of her caring smile. She was perfect in every sense of the word.

"Lana, I can't tell you, but I don't want you going anywhere without protection. If I need to bring Clark to the mansion to spend time with you, than I will, but I don't want you going unaware unattended." His voice brooked no argument, but she protested anyway, straightening her spine and crossing her arms.

"Lex, you can't just lock me away. I know you're worried about me, but I'm afraid for you too." She hadn't intended to state her concern so succinctly, and his eyes widened in surprise at what had fled from her lips, but she hurried on anyway, hoping that he would forget they had ever been spoken. "Lex, I have a job you know and I can't just abandon my duties. That would give entirely the wrong impression to your friends and mine. You can't protect me all the time."

"I can try."

He stood, shoving the chair back with his knees and stalked from the dining room. Abandoning her breakfast, Lana trailed him to the office, eyeing him closely as he snatched up the phone from his desk. Within moments a regiment of disguised security had been assigned to guard the Talon against any suspicious intruders. Her lips turned down, and eyes narrowed in irritation as her fingertips started tapping an idle beat against the desktop.

As soon as the call was completed, she tugged the receiver from his fingers and, stepping between him and the desk, calmly laid it back into the cradle. Before she could open her lips, he placed a finger against them to silence her, gently pushing her back so the desk pressed into her knees. A sudden flash of fire leaped between them, causing his eyes to darken and he pulled free from touching her skin.

He backed away, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his black slacks in an attempt to conceal the trembling of his fingertips. He honestly didn't know why his potent desire for her was awakening now. This was the worst time for him to begin losing control. Emotions were known to cause a lack of command and to cloud a person's judgment and he needed all his perceptive capabilities to be in full working order. Todd had to be stopped and his foolish heart needed to wait.

"Lana, you can go to work, but I'm driving you and I don't want you leaving the building without one of the men I've assigned to you." She gazed at him from beneath the sheen of her falling hair, eyelids lowered to partially conceal her thoughts. "Lana, please, do this for me. You agreed to stay at the mansion, now I'm agreeing that you can work, but only under certain conditions. You will know the men by a tiny LuthorCorp patch on their breast pockets. Don't trust anyone else, unless you already know them."

She sighed, relaxing the grip her hands had taken on her upper arms and her head nodded, albeit unwillingly. "All right, Lex, but only for you. But I can't live my life under these conditions for very long. I'd go insane."

A tiny smile hinted at his lips, sardonically sweet as he murmured, "You'd learn to live with it. I did, many times as a child. Fighting against necessary protection seems to be a habit ingrained into us both."

She shook her head, and he placed a hand beneath her elbow, leading her from the brightly cheerful room and out to face the cruel morning haunted with unspoken threats and worries.

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The progress reports on locating Todd weren't promising, and Lex listened with cool indifference to Donnovan on the other end of the line. The man was so nervous that he was stumbling over his words, making them even more incoherent, and Lex struggled to keep from smashing the phone into minuscule pieces against the ornate flooring.

The door to his office opened, and Lex raised a finger for silence, than motioned one of the servants forward, where she laid the afternoon mail upon his desk, demurely backing away as soon as she released the stack of documents. The topmost letter, absent of a postmark and stamp, caught his immediate attention, and he hastily ended the phone call. Ripping open the envelope, he perused the contents in a matter of seconds.

Lex went perfectly still.

Not a muscle in his body twitched as the maid exited the way she had come in, casting a curious glance behind her while closing the door. He crumpled the letter in his fist

If this note rang true, the so-called guards he had placed around Lana Lang were going to find themselves jobless and blacklisted within minutes. He almost pulled the phone jack from the wall as he dialed the number for the Talon. His fingers whitened from the tension as he listened to the phone ring constantly before one of the waitresses finally picked up the line.

"This is Lex Luthor. Where is Lana Lang?" he bit out harshly, and the girl's gasp indicated that she was caught off guard by his vicious demand. She stammered and stuttered for a few moments before finally getting a reply out, "She took a break about 15 minutes ago. Sometimes she goes up to her apartment to relax, but she should be back on duty any minute now."

Lex inhaled a deep breath in an attempt to cool the blood thundering in his veins, and he requested more civilly, "I need you to bring her down so I can talk with her." The girl hesitated, and his voice was deceptively smooth, "Now."

That was all she needed.

Her voice squeaked out a meek, "Yes, sir," before she laid down the phone. A minute passed, than another, and the veins above Lex's temple began pounding with each second that swept past. Someone finally fumbled with the phone on the other end, and the girl's breathless voice gasped, "I can't find her, Mr. Luthor. She's nowhere in the building, but I'll have her call you as soon as she gets back."

He didn't hear the end of her sentence.

Slamming the phone down, Lex yanked on his black leather jacket, jerked the keys from his pocket and bolted for the car parked out front. He nearly mowed over Clark, who was just starting up the front steps and grabbed at Lex's arm, whirling him around.

Clark's eyes were as cold as ice as he ground out, "Lex, where is Lana? I was supposed to meet her last night for coffee, but she wasn't at the Talon, and than I find out from an obscure friend that she's staying at the mansion with you. I think I deserve an explanation."

Lex wrenched his arm free, staring Clark directly in the eyes as he calmly clicked the button on his key chain to unlock the Jaguar. "Clark, I don't have time for this right now, except to say that Lana is under my protection and at the moment there's an urgent situation brewing at the Talon." Clark was unwilling to accept Lex's answer and once again grasped Lex's upper arm, harder this time, his fingers closing like a vice around Lex's biceps. A slowly swelling pain began traveling through Lex's muscles to the nerve endings in his fingertips and he almost winced, but managed to murmur, "Clark, let go of me."

Clark blinked rapidly, almost as if he hadn't realized what his hand had been doing before releasing his fierce hold on Lex's upper arm. Lex ran a hand across his arm, than looked up at Clark in mild astonishment, "Clark, you know better than anyone that I hold Lana Lang in the highest regard. I would never do anything to jeopardize my friendship with her, or with you. But this discussion is pointless at the moment. No one seems able to find Lana at the Talon, so that's where I'm headed now and the longer we talk the longer I'll be delayed."

"Great. Mind if I join you?" The question was rhetorical and Clark's voice was adamant. Before Lex could refuse the request, he pulled open the passenger side door and settled in with the look of a man determined to follow his destiny.

Lex's eyes fluttered shut in brief annoyance before he stoically rested a pair of elegant sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, started the engine and took off for town at 100 mph. He avoided glancing at Clark throughout the brief drive, but could not help shifting his left shoulder a bit, grimacing at the twinges of agony that were still shooting through the muscles. Clark's fingers had burned, leaving an indentation in the flesh of his arm which even now felt like the skin was being pealed back. It was almost as if Clark's self-righteous anger had manifested itself in a physical form, and though Lex felt no fear, his growing concern about Clark's certain unexplained abilities now seemed well-founded.

The Jaguar streaked up to the Talon, a perfected spin sending it flying in the opposite direction where it thundered into a vacant parking space a few doors down from the old theater. Before Clark even had the car door open, Lex was pushing past two teenagers preparing to enter the Talon. Once inside, he snatched the sleeve of the nearest guard, tugging the bemused man into a corner, where Lex held no reserves in raising his voice an octave, "I assigned you to watch her, but do I see Lana Lang anywhere in the vicinity? Do I?" He almost hissed the last words, jerking the man's head around so he could peruse the interior of the coffee shop.

The poor man winced at the tight grip Lex held on the back of his shirt, but managed to gasp out, "Mr. Luthor, she just went up to her apartment for a few minutes."

"How long?"

He gulped, and Lex wrenched him back around to face him. From the corner of his eye, Lex caught the briefest glimpse of Clark bursting through the glass doors, but he wisely hesitated at the sight before him.

The guard almost whimpered a response, "She's been gone about 20 minutes, Mr. Luthor, but no one followed her up and we haven't heard a sound." With an expression of disgust on his face, Lex released the man, wiping a hand on a napkin he pulled from a neighboring table. Leaning in close, he stated coldly, "You're fired, as are the rest of your so-called workforce."

Astonishment and horror flickered across the man's face, reflecting in Clark's eyes as well, but Lex ignored them both, sliding around patrons and attendants before taking the stairs to Lana's flat two at a time. He burst through the door, and found it precisely as he expected.

The room was completely devoid of human life.

It was tidy, and bore Lana's brilliant flair for interior decorating, done in attractive shades and elegant furnishings. Everything appeared untouched, but she was gone, and Lex knew that Lana, in spite of her apprehensions to being caged, would not have simply vanished. Clark halted just outside the doorway, peering in at the neat apartment, than glanced at Lex in concern.

He paused briefly before resting a hand on Lex's shoulder, asking, "Lex, what's going on? The room looks fine." Lex shrugged Clark's fingers from his shoulder than drew the letter from his front pants pocket and almost slapped it into Clark's hand. He gazed pointedly at the youth as he began reading, eyes widening as he followed the flow of malignant words.

Lex,

As much as I enjoyed our discussion last night, I'm no longer in the mood to put off the inevitable. You know, I might have been dissuaded from vengeance, if I didn't know you so well. Michelle was blocked from your mind so efficiently that it took my presence to bring her back. Well, she will finally receive justice. By the time you read this note, Lana Lang will be in my possession and I want you there to watch her die. You know where to go, Lex, back to the past. It's time to play.

Todd

Clark was stunned, his eyes blinking slowly as if to wash away the words before him. He lifted his gaze to lock with Lex's, and whispered, "Lex, what have you done?" His eyebrow slightly raised, Lex broke eye contact, stretching out a hand and retrieving the paper from Clark's grasp. "Clark, this is a bit of my past that's come back to haunt me and through her association with me, I've dragged Lana into this nightmare as well."

Clark was unmoving and ferociously demanded, "Lex, how could you have involved Lana in whatever your current collection of problems are?" Lex could not conceal a bitter smile as he responded, "Clark, I can't tell you anything about this situation. You already know more about my past than you should. This is just adding another nail to my coffin."

"Lex, you have to let me help. Do you know where this guy is keeping Lana?"

Lex didn't even hesitate with a response but stated calmly, "Yes." He sidestepped around Clark's muscular physique than started down the stairs into the deceitfully pleasant atmosphere of the Talon. The refreshing scent of hot coffee and raspberry scones permeated the room, lending an insincere aura of peace and tranquility to the very foundation of the old building.

"Clark, you are not coming with me, and I don't have time to argue with you. For once, I need you to do as I'm asking. If I have to lay down my life to save hers than I will. You'll get her back, Clark, and you can count on that as a promise." Clark's volatile anger dissipated as he realized that no matter the cost, Lex would hold true to his word. Lex stepped into the afternoon sunlight, feeling as if his soul had darkened to pure black in just a few hours. Gently this time, Clark laid a hand on Lex's sleeve and his words were sincerely uttered as he murmured, "Be careful, Lex. I'd kinda like to have you back safely too."

As the natural bond forged between them strengthened, Lex's eyes softened and he said gently, "I'll do my best, Clark." Then he slid behind the wheel and within seconds Smallville was left far behind in a cloud of dust. He knew precisely where Todd would go if he were seeking vengeance. Lionel still resided in the hideously grandiose building Lex had been raised in and he had no doubt that Todd had returned to the scene where his sister had died.

His thoughts swirled in a maelstrom of fury and concern as Metropolis drew nearer. The scenery flashed by unnoticed as he struggled against recalling the vision from the previous evening. He had slept fitfully after Todd's departure, and had awoken petrified. The dreams were becoming stronger and more malevolent, and in spite of his attempts to block last night's apparition, it rose unbidden to his mind.

Clad only in shorts, he was walking along a beach, one well known, but only vaguely so, as if he had been absent from it for many years. His bare feet were warmed by the gentle sands, and not a shell was in sight as the water, instead of leaving behind treasures to be uncovered rather swept away all debris into the depths of the sea. The waves were gentle, sweeping up to swirl playfully around his legs in damp tendrils.

His arms and chest were bare and tanned to a golden luster and he settled into the sand, laying spread eagle in contentment as a breeze flickered past him. He gazed upward into the very heart of the sun, the heat now harmless to his sight.

The sand around him began shifting and settling in various shapes, creating slight gullies and dunes, and he turned to watch them. Lying on his chest, he stretched out a hand, scooping up sand into his palm and allowed it to trickle between his fingers. A gap stayed where his hand had touched, and he filtered more through his grasp, watching it form a small pile before him.

The tiny crevice now revealed a small curvature nestled below the sand. A thin wire of fear flickered through the back of his mind, and Lex touched the delicate mound. He began scraping and pulling the sand away slowly at first than with more desperation as fingertips, hands, and finally a body surfaced.

Lana's eyes gazed up at him, crystalline in repose.

Her hands were folded delicately across her breast, and she was clothed in a gown of shimmering white which reflected the sunshine's intensity. She was dead, that much was obvious, but her eyes seemed to follow him. He couldn't breathe, but settled back on his heels, unable to look away from the morbid sight.

Her lips trembled, only slightly, and than the words slid from the gentle curve of her throat. "You did this to me, Lex." Her mouth closed and not a breath of emotion touched her still gaze.

The sand began shaking free from the bodies of those whom he alone held sole responsibility in their deaths or destruction. A darkness began covering the sun, as if it were a cloud, but more powerful. A single droplet came to rest on his hand, and he gazed at it silently.

It was a brilliant red.

Another landed on his ankle, and than another upon his cheek. Horror flooded his being, and the sky released its deluge of blood, completely drenching him in the blood of those whom he had destroyed. And all this time, he could not move.

Lex shook the vision from his thoughts, shaken more than he would willingly admit, and straightened the vehicle from where it began drifting into oncoming traffic. He was now bearing the full brunt of his past sins, and he refused to add Lana's delicate bones to the charges lining up against him.