A/N: I would like to take this moment to thank all the people that have supported me in this project and have submitted reviews. They're very nice and really do help me grow as a writer. Not to mention still inspiring me to continue writing… But I find that writers like us tend to have it in their blood. It doesn't matter what you do, you're always writing… Journals, letters, short stories… Whatever!

I would also like to mention that after the epilogue (after 2 more chapters, not including this one), I will be including all the lyrics to all the songs with the chapters assigned to them. I've re-titled them, of course, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what lyrics go with what music. I would have put them up way before now, but I didn't want to confuse anyone when I kept moving them to the back, you know?

I hope that my final 3 chapters are still muy enjoyable… And please do review. I love to hear from all of you!

Chapter 18

When Lionel was finally done, he looked up and noticed that Lex was yawning unabashedly and Lois was looking at her nails to see if there was any sort of flaws in her manicure. She glanced up and when she noticed his air of supplication, she sneered, "How sentimental…"

Lex laughed and started walking with menace up to the stage. "And it's also rather presumptuous of you. I was going to have you tried here in Smallville where everyone hates you…" he looks around slowly and then grunted, "or at least they used to. But with that 'the world's been so hard on me' plea, you just may turn the tides and I can't have that. You see, when I said 'we' were to return to Metropolis, I was only talking about me and Lois going clubbing. You were to go jail… go directly to jail… Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200."

Lionel stood up, his face going grey. Everyone could easily imagine what they'd do with a fruity ex-billionaire like him… and it wasn't going to be pretty. Lex continued in his refined drawl. "And I am taking over Luthor Corp. But if you go free, the transition won't go so smoothly… So maybe you should just remain here…" Lionel's face lit up. Imprisonment in the mansion wouldn't be bad by anyone's standards. "Well, in spirit anyway…" Lex straightened his arm and pointed the gun directly at Lionel's heart.

Jonathan was finally roused enough to exclaim, "Great Scott, Billionaire Boy! That's a gun!"

Lex rolled his eyes. "I knew we gave him too much," he muttered to Lois, "but he's such a hard ass that I was afraid he would have ruined the game before we were ready." He looked at Jonathan, talking to him as if he were a total simpleton. "Yes, Mr. Kent. It's a gun. It'll take care of all our problems…"

Pete goggled, "You mean you're just going to kill him?"

Jonathan smirked. "You saw what he did to Jason. With his money, society isn't safe with him alive in it."

Lex smiled, baring his teeth like a tiger. "Exactly, Mr. Kent. And now, Father, your time has come. Say hello to mother when you see her… Oh, you probably won't since you're going to go straight to hell…"

Lionel looked at his murderous son and squared his shoulders. No one was going to say Lionel Luthor's last moments were going to be spent cowering and begging for life. Lionel stared at his son and beads of sweat appeared on Lex's forehead. His finger tightened on the trigger but he flinched when Lana screamed and flung herself in front of Lionel. "Lex, you can't! You don't want to be an orphan like me!"

"Lana, get out of the way!" Lex's self-control was fading and his arm was starting to shake.

"No! I love him!" She flung her arms around Lionel, who looked defiantly at his son. Lionel was well aware of Lex's feelings for the Lang girl, one of the reasons why he'd pulled her into his web of deceit, and he honestly didn't think Lex would shoot her.

"Lana!" came a scream and a body rushed toward her.

Chloe sighed. Of course Clark would try and save the idiot brunette. If she really wanted to keep her hold on him, she had to let him work through his hero complex. "Pete!" a familiar shout sounded beside her and she whirled in shock to see Clark standing beside her. She turned back to see Pete ripping Lana out of Lionel's arms and onto the side of the stage. And it hadn't been a moment too soon.

A crack sounded out from the gun. Lionel looked down and saw a red stain blossoming on his chest. He touched trembling fingers to it, and held them out for all to see the blood. He looked at Lex and mouthed "Why?" before his legs gave out and he crashed to the floor. A creaking sound was heard and Clark managed to push Chloe and his father out of the way before the beam holding the silver curtain fell on top of the corpse of the unlamented Lionel Luthor.

"You killed him!" Chloe gasped, hiding her face in Clark's shoulder. She would never have thought Lex capable of such a cold-blooded act.

Lois looked at the scene before her with distaste, drawing her mouth to the side. "I thought you wanted him to love you… to tell you that he loved you…"

Lex threw his head back and howled, "He didn't love me! He never loved me!"

"You did the right thing, Lex," Jonathan said quietly.

Lex whirled on the three still standing, gun pointed at the ready. Clark looked ready to jump into motion until Lex relaxed his arm and dropped the gun. "A decision had to be made…"

"I've been wanting to do that for years," Jonathan said. Hopefully the drugs were doing the talking.

Lex looked at his old friend. "Clark, you need to leave now. Lois and I rigged the mansion to blow up. It'll cover up my dad's body and I'll explain it by his unauthorized experimentation. I'm sick and tired of Smallville and want to spend some time in the Big City where I can get down and funky… and be closer to my company. You have 2 minutes. I've turned off all the deterrents around the doors. You'll have no problem."

Clark looked at Lex coldly. "And what about the rest of the town?"

Lois laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you can manage…" Then she grabbed Lex's arm and they trotted to the secret exit and sealed it behind them. Just before the door closed, Chloe heard Lois say, "We can teach everyone the Brain Warp. I'm sure it'll be an enormous hit. Maybe you can cut a record."

"Who should we get for Lana's part?" Lex asked and then all sound from the pair was lost.

The Smallvillians jumped into panic mode. People stood in their seats and began screaming, not even bothering to get to the door. Clark looked at Chloe. "Get my dad and Pete out of here. I'll take care of the rest.

"What about Lana?" Chloe asked curiously as Clark moved to begin his task.

"What about her?" Clark sneered. "I don't care what happens to her… but I have a feeling Pete does. If he insists, bring her."

A/N: Yeah, Lana's really been irritating me… Not to mention the fact that, in the Prom episode, he didn't dance with Chloe or Lois, but ditched them both for Lana. I mean, what a putz! I'm not a total Lana hater, but I wouldn't mind if she left for a year or two to Antartica.

Snowbunny3: I will also be sad, but all good things must come to an end eventually… :D Lionel has grown on me as well, but it's just not OK that he survive in this incarnation…

MarkMark261: That's a good use of the lyrics, but what can you do sometimes, right? ;D And you know, that scene, if it was just the song, would have been totally boring. You had to have a little somethin' somethin' to spice it up, right? ;D