Lionel screamed, a terrible scream mixed with anguish, pain and shock. The walkie-talkie fell from his now dead arm. Clark took a step back and turned off his heat vision. "You wretch!" spat Lionel, "After I protected you! Raised you!"

Clark looked up and down at Lionel. Blood was pouring from the searing wound on his left shoulder. "Raised ME?" He screamed back, "Raised me! You taught me to do what ever the hell you wanted! And you had me believe it was fun! I destroyed Canada, lives, hopes and dreams! DON'T EVEN SAY THAT! And protect me? I am invincible! YOU DID NOTHING!"

With his one good arm, he used his hand to slap Clark on the head. "Jason," he hissed, "you need to calm down."

In a low deadly voice, Clark glared, "I'm not Jason. That was the name of a monster. I AM NOT A MONSTER."

"Yes, you are!" Lionel said with as much of his power as he could. "Have you not seen how many people fear you? How they shriek at your name…"

In one clear move, Clark had hit Lionel's head causing a concussion. The violent urge overcame him and he broke the dictator's legs with a smile. He stared into the shocked eyes and held the man high by his long pony-tail of hair. With clear confidence he sneered, "Perhaps, perhaps they hate me, but they hate you more."

As he stepped out of the door the guards turned and looked at him. "Uh," he stuttered, "Lionel said to go to his throne room. He has a surprise for you."

The guards shuddered, they hated surprises. Sometimes surprises were good meaning, more food, money or power. Sometimes surprises were bad meaning, death, mysterious surprises, or being a lab rat. As they left they heard Clark call, "And tell all the guards to go up to the throne too."

Nodding they entered the elevator. As soon as they were out he grabbed the nearly dead Lionel and dragged it with him.

---

Lex shivered in his boxers. Almost an hour after talking to …to that alien, Lionel had marched in. "Don't even think you've made a friend. I'm going to have him hurt you, and then you'll see." Lionel had promised with an infamous glare.

After a short chuckle, Lionel had added, "I'm going to strip you of your existence. Until you beg to at least be considered among the dirt. No one will care for you. No more food will come. No more. Just pain. Even dirt dose not know pain."

Childish as it seems, Lex had retorted, "I already know what no existence is. You taught me at age nine. And I am highly respected amongst the dirt and grass. Pain? Ha! Fifteen years had to show me something."

With another cold laugh from Lionel, and two attendants, Lex had lost the right to wear pants. He ground his teeth at what the King had done next. Lionel had picked up the ashes of Julian and sprinkled them on Lex's upper being. It was in a straight line from the table, on top of his bicep, across his chest, over his other arm and off the table. "Yes," Lionel had hissed leaving, "And what does Julian say about all this?"

A shiver ran down his spine. He guessed it was ten am. An automatic voice instantly reassured him. He knew Lionel was good at his promises, that was all to common knowledge. It was a matter of time.

As the last word rang across his mind, the door swung open.

"Oh goodie. I'm still not talking. Tell Lionel. I'm n-o-t space t-a-l-k-i-n-g." As good as Lex was at hiding his inner feelings he still shivered.

"But of course," the alien flashed a sincere smile. "Lex…"

"Don't call me that," he snapped, "lying alien. Lionel told me that you were going…"

He stopped and stared at the limp form of Lionel Luthor hanging by the ponytail from his brother's fist. "Oh god," he said aloud, "You want to rule the world too?"

"No! I mean he's still partially alive and oh…" Clark said rapidly undoing Lex. Sitting up and blinking, Lex murmured, "Is there any chance you could get my clothes and personal effects? Level…"

It took Clark five seconds to get his clothes, two for the instructions, three there and back. He tossed it at Lex who was brushing the ashes off himself. Lex caught it deftly. "Thanks," he murmured, "so what's your plan?"

As Lex pulled on his denim jeans, Clark grinned from ear to ear, "Why, your plan of course."

Buttoning his shirt, Lex grinned, "Of course. But first-was my black coat anywhere?"

Clark furrowed his eyebrow. "Hold the phone…"

He zipped upstairs, and was back. "Here you go," he said with confusion.

Lex slipped it on; the coarse black coat was perfect fit to his agile frame. It was perfect; it bended with him, and swayed as he walked. Like a kid on winter break Lex helped open one side revealing a thousand pockets. Clark looked at him, confused by the wide grin, so Lex explained, "How much have you hear of me?"

Clark shrugged, "You're supposed to be dangerous."

Clark was putting Lionel's body on the table. As he bent over Lex was saying, "Oh that's true, most definitely true. I am dangerous. I am the mad scientist of today. And if you aren't on my side…."

He let out a very maniacal sort of laugh. Clark gasped, "Lex? What? What?"

Torn for a moment between finishing Lionel and going right away he froze. From one pocket Lex withdrew a piece of paper. "Take me here."

Clark picked him up like he was a feather and they were off. The brick wall and trash dumpster was not what Clark had expected of a rebellion hideout. The only proof that the rebels were here was the fact that the entrance was to some extent forced open.

The alien looked to Lex expecting him to be upset. Lex was not, there was a floppy grin on his face, and his had was reaching inside his coat. He withdrew a small item that looked like a pen. "Hold this." He demanded.

"Lex. I have super powers what do I need this …this pen for?"

Lex, himself had extracted what looked like a ping pong ball and a CD. He held the silver metallic ping pong ball over the glossy gold CD. The ball was like a magnet and began to levitate a centimeter off the top of the CD as it circled around.

With a slow sinister smile he replied, "Well you said they have meteor rock right? Well if you need press the top and it's a mini laser! Okay we all set? Let's go."

With a nod they burst in, almost running into leaving guard force. Isabelle at the year screaming, "Keep going you fools! Lionel will want us right away! No one lives under his wrath and what's the damn hold up?"

The black clad guard force immediately tumbled back. They felt as if they had run into an invisible force field. Which they had, the device Lex had was now whirring faster with a glow around. He laughed until he saw Lana. "Oh, hello bitch," Lex smirked, "Nice to see you again."

"I wish I could say the same ass." She said venomously. Causally she flicked a ball of purple light in his general direction.

The bald man had his head tilted down adjusting his device to what one assumed would be a higher setting. The spell was headed straight to his head. "Lex look out!" Clark cried jumping forward, the spell hit him in the chest.

As Clark feel he threw his gadget to Lex, before dropping unconscious. Lex caught and activated it. He hit the trigger and made a clean shot.

Isabelle fell to the ground with a hole burned right through her. Lex said with eyes level and voice in a dark undertone, "you do no hurt my brother."

Meekly, barely aware Clark whispered, "Go Lex, go! You've got to end this reign of chaos!"

Nodding, Lex held the pen gadget high and strutted in. After a series of secret passages he came to the third level. With a sigh of relief he immediately began preparations. Each button was pushed until it was perfect. "And now," he said, his voice obviously tired, "it is time to nip this in the bud."

In slow deliberate steps he walked towards the machine. Project Return was beautiful. One of a kind. A rarity, that's why it gave Lex so much pleasure as he pressed the final button,

A film of shimmer wrapped around him and everything went black.

Good, he thought, it's working.

--To Be Continued--

Author's Note: Kudos to Up4laughs for giving the ultimate plot device: Lex's coat of endless pockets!

Reader Review Replies (say that x3 fast.)

Up4laughs: You rock roll an hochie coo.

Nutmeg2736: That author is familiar. Hmm. I like chapter tittles too.