The shock of coming back to life, or hell, or however you looked at where he was now, affected his speech. He meant to say, 'why weren't you enjoying the peace with me up there, and…and…I thought I hit you!'
All he said was, "I could have sworn I hit you."
"If you did, I'd be-I'd be dead." was the hesitant reply.
"Mmm, thanks," he murmured as Clark pulled at his cell phone.
A white feather suddenly landed next to him. Lex momentarily passed out to the beeps of someone calling 9-1-1.
o-o-o-o
It was long day, and people in general were annoying him. He just wanted to go back. Sighing, he went to the mansion, an almost substitute. That night Lex sat in his office and drank scotch. Enough of it that it was darn good he was in his house. One of the servants escorted him up to his bedroom.
He murmured, "Thanks."
Shrugging his clothes off once he was in privacy, he flexed for a moment. He pulled on a pair of silk black pajama pants and fell on the bed. He was instantly unconscious. Not caring, not feeling to this world. Any one passing by would have been completely shocked to see him on top of all of his sheets. There was a wide grin on his face, contrary to common knowledge that Lex Luthor did not smile. But here he did, here he had the giddy smile of a five year old.
Here he was playing tag, silently in his dreams. He was it and for it was worth he could not reach Julian. It actually did not matter whowon the game, it was more important that he was playing with his little brother. From afar, Lillian watched enjoying the sight of her romping children.
Then Lex tripped and rolled over. There was a loud thunk as he fell off the bed in the mansion.
"Ow!" he muttered.
"It's okay big brother!" Julian rushed up to him and offered his hand.
Lex took it. His body was some how, suddenly, enveloped in a surreal golden glow.
He didn't notice, his servants didn't notice. They were all asleep somewhere in the house, blaming the thunk on faulty ventilator systems.
Alexander Joseph Luthor stood up and began to sleep walk. The wind on his face, he thought was probably just a cloud passing bye. He grabbed his brother with a strong arm, not even thinking it was the balcony.
"Let's play leap frog!" giggled Julian.
They both grinned even wider as he let out a 'whoot' and jumped. His wings expanded to full height as they continued to play.
Their elegant pearly white feathers lifted him off the ground. He soared, and this time he wouldn't let anythingmake himcrash while he soared.
o-o-o-o-o
At one in the moring a solitary Lionel was working in his office. His phone rang. "Are the stocks down?" he asked in his usual gruff manner.
"No sir it's just that…"
"Is this a business take over?"
"No, sir, your son; he is in a comma. He fell off his balcony."
"Oh…" there was a long pause, "has he been taken to the private hospital?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Arrange a press conference tomorrow. Nine am." Lionel hung up.
"Stupid, I thought he would know that jumpingg off balconies would be bad." He shrugged. Murmuring, "Alas he would have made such a good heir."
From a locket he wore around his neck he with drew a key. He opened a drawer in his desk. Pulling out a folder, he looked down at the picture within. "Ah, Lucas, welcome to Smallville."
o-o-o-o
Two days later at school Clark was headed to his locked when a perky blonde jumped up next to him.
"Oh my GOD, Clark," Chloe laughed, "check this out!"
Clark looked at the loud headline proclaiming YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FATE, LUTHORS FIND OUT.
"Didn't you just save this guy?"
"yeah," Clark muttered, starring intently at the picture of Lucas Luthor, new heir to the mansion. "Yeah, I did save Lex. Hmm, who's this new guy?"
Chloe laughed, "A new future!"
o-o-o-o
Future. Past. Present. It didn't matter. He was here. That was enough to satisfy him.
"Honey? Alexander?Do you want me to make you a sandwich?" A gentle motherly voice called.
"Yeah, mom, that would be great. Can you cut in triangles for me?" Lex asked cocking his head to the side.
"Me too mom!" Julian said jumping up. The two brothers high-fived each other.
"Sure my darlings, whatever you want."
There was so much happiness. He couldn't remember ever being this happy before. For as extreme as this feeling was here, he had felt the opposite extreme down with his father. If you could call Lionel a father.
He grimaced for a moment and then smiled…
For a moment though, he faltered, He didn't know if it was thinking about his father or what, but he suddenly felt extremely week. Looking at Julian all thoughts of doubt passed.
o-o-o-o
The smile in turn scared the crap out of the nurse who was checking on Lex at the moment. She ran out as his face blossomed into an expression of pure happiness. A second after the smile, though, the hear monitor dropped dangerously low.
Lionel looked in through the window. His eyebrow raised in stifled amusement. A doctor rushed to him. "Sir! We know the cause!"
"Yes?" Lionel said calmly."You mean it wasn't the two story jump?"
"Well, actually, that is the reason for the comma. But something is keeping him alive for now at least. It's a virus. He's dreaming and a virus is the cause. It attacks his vision, so at first he only saw it when he was unconscious. Now that is has been two days, he'll see it no matter what."
"Can it be surgically removed, this tumor, virus thing?"
"Not quiet. There is a certain way of doing this…and….uh…" the doctor looked at his feet.
"…and?" Lionel asked in his harshest tone.
"And we don't know that certain procedure."
"So? Incompetent fool, find it!"
The doctor shuffled off. Lionel smirked; it didn't actually matter to him Lex's condition.
He had an heir, who was currently addressing the workers at LexCorp. A stronger, better heir, he liked to think, let the old one die, it made sense. It couldn't fight a simple virus thing, it had a weak mind. So he had found a new heir to fulfill his purpose. He had money too, and always making more. Most importantly though he had …
o-o-o-o
"TIME," Lucas barked at the employees, "I WILL SHOW YOU ALL HOW TO USE THIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!"
With a magnificent coat whirling around him, he was an important figure. He glared from his podium. Waving his arms wildly he called their attention.
"Come closer and listen to the future!"
…to be continued…
p.s. I wasn't going to continue this but the positive review was very encouraging. Thank you!
SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO ALL READERS: The comma by the way was caused by the jump off a two story balcony. Also the virus feeds on Lex's ultimate happiness and will kill him eventually. Negative emotions can cancel it, or if he realizes it is not true. Got the idea from an episode of Justice League…Superman had this virus, and imagined he had a family on Krypton, it was sad.
Have a good day!