Clark felt the pain through his entire body before he even realized that the door was opening. He curled into a ball on the bed, rocking back and forth, moaning in pain. He didn't even turn to see who it was. At this point he was beyond caring. If it didn't have anything to do with his father or Lex, he didn't care what it was about.
Lex was half dragged into the room until he saw Clark curled in a fetal position on the bed. He sped up his stride as much as the guards holding him would allow for. "Clark?" Lex called out, "Clark what's wrong?"
"The door. Shut the door." Clark moaned.
The guards shoved Lex forward and farther into the room. They turned and left without uttering a word, locking the door behind them. Lex didn't notice their departure as he ran forward to check on Clark. As the door shut Clark regained his composure and turned to face Lex.
"Clark are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Lex asked, obviously implying his father.
"Lex, what happened? Where are your clothes?"
"My father happened." Lex replied, suddenly very aware of his nakedness.
He reached forward and pulled one of the sheets off the bed and wrapping it around himself. Seeing that Clark was in fact all right he began examining the room, checking the bathroom, the windows and the door. Pulling on it as if he expected it to open even though he knew it was locked.
Clark explained how the exits worked in conjunction with his collar and that the cuffs were rigged up the same as the ones in the other room. If he tried to remove them, the radiation they emitted would increase in strength until it ultimately killed him if it wasn't reset.
Lex eventually settled on the bed next to Clark. "Clark," He started off slowly, not sure of how to approach the conversation. "About last night." He took another deep breath and stared straight ahead at the pattern of the blanket on his lap.
"It's okay Lex." Clark tried to assure his best friend.
"It's not okay. You need to know why it happened."
"No Lex, I don't. It's okay, really it is."
"Clark, please." Lex's voice was getting louder now in frustration. "I need to say this." He corrected his tone
"It was my fault. I tried to go against my father's wishes. I tried to kill Helen's sister. Last night was my punishment and I'm sorry you got dragged into it. That's why I decided to go through with my father's plans. I can live with what he has planned for me, but I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you because of me."
Lex fidgeted with the blanket in his lap, still avoiding eye contact with his friend.
"You're wrong Lex. This whole thing is my fault. I should never have lied to you. I am the reason why you're here. Why my dad is here. If it wasn't for my abilities none of this would be happening. I should have been honest with you from the start. I was just so afraid of ending up," He paused and looked around the room, gesturing with a wave of his hands in the air, "well, ending up like this."
"All the times I asked you Clark. Why didn't you trust me? I would have kept your secret. I could have help to protect you."
"Lex, I'm sorry." Clark repeated again.
"I know Clark, so am I."
"Lex, did you? Tonight I mean?"
"Yes Clark I did. It's official your friend is married yet again. My father even thought it was fitting to watch to ensure the consummation was completed."
"Wow." Clark paused in thought, "Wow." His face reddened as he briefly recalled Lionel sitting on the couch watching him last night.
"Hmm, wow indeed."
"How are we going to get out of here Lex?"
"I'm not sure yet. I think we just have to play our cards right until an opportunity presents itself. My father is smart but even he can't control all the factors."
"I hope you're right."
"Hey, where is your father?" Lex suddenly realized he should be in the room also.
"I don't know."
"What? What do you mean you don't know?"
"Your father gave me an ultimatum. I was supposed to bring him some things on a list, including people, or he would- he would hurt my father."
"And, obviously you didn't complete the list."
"I couldn't do it Lex, I couldn't bring those people to your father to kill or worse."
"Of course you couldn't. Anyone who knows you would know that you couldn't do something like that regardless of the cost to you."
"That's the problem," Clark looked up sadly, "it wasn't at a cost to me. It was at a cost to my father. Your father was so mad when he left here. I have no idea what he's doing to my dad. I tried to talk to him but he wouldn't listen."
"My father isn't one for renegotiating the terms of his agreements."
"That's what is worrying me."
The two boys sat on the bed and discussed their situation at great length until they both slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next few days crawled by very slowly for both of them. They spent their time talking and reminiscing about their friendship. They compared childhood stories, Clark's memories were filled with happy times and lots of love while Lex's were filled with competition and manipulation.
Lex tried the windows and doors a number of times each day. Clark's chains were long enough to allow him to reach the bathroom and walk around the room to stare at gret lengths out the windows. They even showered a few times a day to break up the monotony of the hours as they crept by.
Besides food service the only visitor they had during that time was an unwelcome one. Sarah had come in briefly and lured Lex into the bathroom for a quick "session" in order to increase her chances of getting pregnant sooner.
Clark lay on the bed outside the bathroom listening to the angry arguments coming from within. He could here the slamming of the shower door, Sarah screaming for the door to be opened and the ever-present threats to involve his father, which ultimately led to quiet. After the quiet was the sound of bodies colliding and heavy breathing. Eventually Sarah emerged from the bathroom looking rough but satisfied. Lex, on the other hand, didn't come out of the bathroom right away. There was silence in the next room and Clark was just about to check in on his friend when he heard the shower turn on.
When Lex finally re-entered the bedroom there were no words spoken between them. They lay on the bed in complete silence, staring at the ceiling, absorbing the situation they were currently in.
The contentment of being left alone mixed with the boredom of being confined, leaving both boys mentally exhausted. Physically they were anxious, the feeling of being trapped with no way to expel the pent up energy was weighing heavily on both of them. Clark amused himself by doing push-ups and jumping jacks, running on the spot and pacing the room. Lex watched on in envy. Still having no cloths limited him in his movement to simply walking to and from the bathroom. He did pace the room trying the locks, with a towel wrapped around him, when he got really restless.
They had no way of telling the time or what day it was until Lionel entered the room and announced that Lex would be joining him at a board meeting to sign over Lexcorp in front of the key shareholders. That led them to believe that it must be Monday morning. They had been in the room the entire weekend.
Lionel left Lex with a suit to put on and instructions to be ready to go when Sam came to get him. Lex had tried to persuade Lionel to take him and not to let him go alone with Sam but had no luck.
Lex was sitting on the bed when Sam entered the room and signaled for him to follow. Clark placed a hand on Lex's shoulder in reassurance as Lex rose to follow Sam from the room.
His stomach was in knots as they walked down the halls towards the front door. He was thankful for the silence but a bit apprehensive at the same time. Sam had barely noted his existence and that had him worried.
They slid into the back of the limo and Sam gave the driver instructions to take them to Luthorcorp. Then he shut the privacy window between them and the driver.
"Hello Lex." He drawled.
Lex didn't respond as he stared out the window wishing the car were wider.
"Why don't you come on over here?" Sam said more than asked as he gently rubbed circles on the leather seat beside him. "Or better yet down here." He corrected as he pointed to the floor between his legs.
Lex still refused to respond, not looking at the older man. Maybe if he could ignore the innuendos long enough to make the drive he could get out of this with his pride in tact.
"Are you ignoring me boy?" Sam's voice took on that now familiar edge that sent a shiver of fear up Lex's spine.
"I said come over here." He commanded as he reached across the limo and grabbed the back of Lex's collar dragging him across the seat and slamming him on his side onto the floor at his feet.
"Get up and get over here."
Lex absolutely refused to be used like that again. He knew that Sam could never go to his father with more than a complaint that Lex was uncooperative. How angry could that possibly make his father? At this time it really didn't matter, Lex was determined to hold out until they reached their destination.
"No." Lex sneered up. It briefly occurred to him that the confined space of a vehicle might not be the best place to make his stand.
"What?" Lex saw the flicker of humor and challenge fleet across Sam's face.
"I said no. I won't let you do this."
"You won't let me." Sam repeated incredulously. "Funny but I don't remember giving you the choice."
Lex righted himself as best he could with Sam's grip still on his collar.
"Get up here! Now!" Sam emphasized his last words by dragging Lex upright and between his knees.
"I won't do this." Lex reconfirmed more for himself than anything else.
Sam simply laughed as he undid his pants.
Lex used the opportunity to begin to struggle. He managed to twist away from Sam and lunge at the seat opposite them.
In an instant Sam was on top of him. Lex grunted as the wind was knocked from his lungs. "No." He gasped as he tried to wiggle out from under the weight.
"Boy you're feisty today. I think I like it." Sam teased.
Lex reached around taking swings at the man on top of him. Sam laughed at the efforts and waited out the tirade until Lex had exhausted his efforts. He stopped briefly, gasping for air. Sam used this weakness to drag Lex back into the kneeling position between his knees as he resettled on the leather seat.
"Now where were we?" He mocked.
"Go fuck yourself." Lex shouted as he clenched his fist and swung with full force at Sam's face. Unfortunately, Sam saw the attack and moved back enough that the fist connected with the side window of the vehicle
There was a sickening cracking sound of breaking bones that regrettably came from Lex's hand not from the window. Lex cradled his hand, wailing in pain.
"Serves you right you little shit!"
As he continued to undo his pants the car pulled to a stop outside Lionel's office building.
"Fuck." Sam swore under his breath as he tucked himself back in and did up his pants.
"You'll pay for insubordination you little fuck." Sam yelled in Lex's face, grabbing his chin forcing Lex's attention from his hand back to Sam. He roughly let go of Lex and kicked him back against the other seat.
Lex examined his hand as they exited the vehicle and headed up the elevator to his father's office. The pain was excruciating. It was to the point that Lex was sure he would either be sick or faint from the pain. He could feel the sweat forming on his forehead and he felt dizzy as the elevator climbed. Worse of all was having to face his father and explain how he managed to brake his writing hand mere moments before signing over his company.