On Darker Wings
Pairing(s): Clex, if m/m relationships bug you, move on.
Rating/Warnings: Rated R, and will be dealing with rape issues. If this bothers you, please move on to something else. No graphic descriptions.
Spoilers: None

DISCLAIMER: If you sic lawyers on me, they will find no blood to suck. I don't even own the computer on which I write.

Author's Note: Man, am I an angst queen or what?

Chapter One

Pain shot through Superman, suddenly as a sickeningly familiar weak feeling overtook him. He hated it. In his mind, there was little worse than feeling helpless.

He was just wrapping up his nightly patrol around the city before heading back to his dorm at Met U for the night. Superman knew there was only one thing that could be making him feel this way, but it didn't seem to fit. There were no deposits of kryptonite, green or otherwise, in Metropolis. Unless it's another one of those damned souvenir meteor rocks vendors sell to the tourists.

Superman glanced around as quickly as the weak feeling would allow, his keen eyes searching for the source of his pain. A muffled giggle came from the alley at his right. He turned toward it, wondering why anyone would be in an alley in the worst part of the city when it was past one in the morning. By the time he reached the source of the sound, he was very much hunched over, clutching his gut in pain. It was all he could do not to collapse on the cracked cement of the alley.

Another giggle. "Wow, Superman," said a voice that was breathy with suppressed laughter. "I've been a fan ever since you started fighting crime last year. And now, I can show you how I feel."

"Y-you should get home, miss," Superman advised, his pain-fogged mind barely registering that the silhouette was that of a woman. He gasped out, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice, "It's n-not safe to... to be out in th-this part of town at night. You could... get hurt."

"Oh, I don't think I'll get hurt," the woman replied. Her voice became soft, almost seductive. "But you might."

Suddenly several rocks were thrown at him, surrounding him. Each took on a green glow, as they began to react with Superman's Kryptonian physiology. His eyes went wide as he realized what they were, and pain and weakness pulled him to lay on the cold concrete. The woman advanced on him, her face still hidden in the shadow of night. Her steps were slow and deliberate, as if savoring his fear.

And despite the slowing, weakening effect kryptonite had on his heart, it swiftly pounded against his ribs. The sound nearly drowned out the woman's words, as she whispered in his ear, "It'll be over soon."

Superman flew to the first place that came to mind. Lex Luthor's apartment, halfway across the city. When he reached the building, he supersped past the lobby, not wanting to explain why the great Superman wanted to see Lex. He found door with the right number and knocked desperately until he heard a familiar voice call irritably, "I'm coming, I'm coming."

A few seconds later the door swung open. In less than a second, Lex went from being annoyed to shocked. He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "I really need to cut back on the scotch."

"Lex, can I come in? I can't-- I-I don't want to talk out here," Superman asked when the older man just stared at him.

"Uh, I guess so." He moved aside, gesturing for Superman to take the couch. He closed the door, then sat down on the loveseat opposite the other man. "So, I guess I have to ask why you're here."

Blue eyes bored into Lex's gray ones with a broken look. "It's me, Clark."

Lex's eyes widened. For the first time, he took in Superman's tattered costume and disheveled appearance. Many rips exposed wounds. Cuts, scratches, bruises. Concern overcame his shock and curiosity, and he crossed the short distance to his friend and began checking him over, making sure nothing was broken. Clark flinched at first, when Lex's fingertips touched his right arm, where Lex started.

Realization hit him then, and he stopped to gaze into the younger man's eyes and ask gently, "What happened, Clark?"

Clark looked away. His reply, when it came, was choked and hesitant. "I... I was just finishing my-my patrol, you know. Do-doing my last round for the night. I-I couldn't stop her. She had kryptonite, and I c-couldn't move. I tried, but I-I couldn't...."

Lex barely noticed the salt-sting of the tears that formed in his eyes. He wanted to hug his Clark, but worried that it would scare him rather than comfort him.

"Clark," he tried to get the younger man to look at him, but to no avail. "Clark." Still no response. Lex resorted to grabbing Clark's chin to get eye contact. Only to find that Clark's eyes were clenched tightly shut. So Lex did what instinct told him to do. He hugged Clark.

At first the younger man was stiff in his arms, but gradually Clark relaxed. He buried his face in Lex's shoulder and cried himself to sleep.

Let me know if it's any good. Reviews are ink to the writer's pen.