Chapter 20 - Shot in the Dark

Clark could run from Smallville to Metropolis in ten minutes at a comfortable pace. Five if he pushed himself. Three if he really sprinted.

So scouring his little hometown for black kryptonite wouldn't have taken long, if it weren't for the fact that his color vision wasn't the best when he was looking through solid objects. He checked underground for deposits of kryptonite, but the green kryptonite was by far the most common, which made the whole process fairly painful.

Once, he ran across a bit of red kryptonite, and even though he knew how much pain it had caused his family the year before, there was a moment when he had to resist the temptation to dig it up, and run away from all of his problems with a pocket full of it. It would take the pain away; it would make it so that he didn't have to care about his brothers betrayal or the devastation his family was going through.

But as soon as he stepped away from the red kryptonite, all of that temptation went away. He had to save his brother.

He ran across all colors of stone, even some pure black ones that he might have suspected were kryptonite, but for some reason, he could always tell in his gut what he was looking at. He knew which materials were from his home planet and which ones weren't.

So when he found it, there was no question in his mind what he was looking at.

Clark set to work digging up the meteors, and he filled his pocket with little pieces of the stone. He worried, for a moment, about the effects it might have on him, but if it really did make people better, less evil, he didn't see any reason to be afraid of that.

He considered talking to his parents about what he was doing, but there was always a chance it wouldn't work, and then he would have spilled the secret Lex told him, which would put his whole family in danger. He couldn't take that risk, no matter how angry they might be later.

He would have to do this on his own. And he still needed to be quick about it—he had no idea when Lex would be waking up.

Without another thought, he raced to the hospital.

Clark slowed to a walk long before reaching the building. His eyes skimmed the hospital parking lot for his parents' truck; it hadn't moved from the last time he seen it. Clark knew that his parents had been able to hire a part-time farmhand with some money that Lex had given them, but he wondered if that was enough to keep the farm running while they were spending all of their time here. They were still counting on Lex waking up as their son, and being able to help them. Of course, if Clark didn't spill Lex's secret, he still would help them, for as long as Clark's parent were deceived into thinking his darkness hadn't won.

And if Clark was successful with the black kryptonite, there would never be any problems at all. Lex would wake up as himself.

Clark quietly rattled the pieces of stone in his pocket as he walked toward hospital room. He felt like he needed to keep reassuring himself that the rocks were still there.

Neither of us parents were actually in the hospital room. Clark's search had taken longer than he thought; maybe they had gone to sleep in another room.

Clark knelt beside the bed and looked around for a good place to hide the rocks. "I don't know if this is going to work," he whispered, as he pushed his brothers pillow up a little and drop the handful of rocks beneath it, "but it's worth trying. I would do anything to bring you back. Please . . . You have to win this fight. We need you."

Clark let go of the pillow, and Lex's head settled back into place. The machines continued beeping, and he was as unresponsive as ever.

Clark stood up and squeezed his brother's hand. He had done everything he could do.


Clark was the first one called in to say good bye to his father.

Lex sat beside his mother, holding her hand, but he had nothing to say to her to comfort her. The only thing he could even think to say would be to encourage her that none of this was real, that it was all a dream, but it all felt so real, Lex could hardly even comfort himself with that. Of course, if this wasn't real, neither was his mom. There was nothing and no one to comfort.

But this was his possible future. Someday, he might have to live this. And he was still holding out for a happy ending…

"How are you holding up?" she asked him.

He gave her a look. It was a strange question to be asking at a time like this.

"Don't give me that face. I've been falling apart, and so has your brother, but I haven't seen you shed a tear. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Lex let out his breath. Even the dream version of her wasn't going to let him get away with lies. "Honestly," he told her, avoiding her eyes, "I'm not sure I'm feeling it like you two are. I keep feeling like this is a dream." That was as honest as he was willing to be with her.

She hummed softly and took his hand. "You know it's OK to cry, right?"

"I know. You and Dad taught me that."

She nodded slowly.

The pain in the room was almost tangible. But it couldn't end this way. This was his happy, perfect future. His father couldn't die . . .

Then it hit him.

If his biological mother was trying to convince him to live this life, maybe he was the only thing standing in the way of his father's death. Maybe this was the reason he was here.

And all at once, he knew what he had to do.

"Mom," he said, "I have to go."

"Lex?"

"I'm going to fix this. Wait here."

Lex let go of his mothers hand and bolted out of the room. He heard her calling after him, but he didn't look back. He had to find his father's doctor.

He got lucky. The man was just passing by.

"Doctor." Lex hurried to intercept him before he went into another room.

The doctor turned to face him. "Mr. Kent."

Lex ignored the mixed feelings that came along with hearing that name. "You're sure there's nothing that can be done for my father?"

"I'm afraid his condition is very severe. He has hours at most."

"But there must be something we can do. Specialists we can fly in, experimental treatments we can try…"

The doctor took a deep breath and looked him right in the eye. "Son… Your family's medical insurance doesn't cover any of that. Even if we could get a specialist in, your father would've passed before they arrived."

"If they could take a helicopter from Metropolis…"

The doctor frowned. "Son-"

"I'd be perfectly willing to..."

Lex felt his heart dropping to his stomach.

He didn't have a helicopter. He didn't have money to pay for experimental treatments, or specialists, or anything else that might save his father. He had given them all up to fight off his darkness.

Did this mean his father was doomed to die no matter what? His darkness never would've saved his father…

No. He absolutely would. If the darkness stayed with the Kents for long enough, in order to manipulate them, he might be around to save his father's life. It would certainly keep up his ruse.

Maybe that was worse. The darkness living with the Kents for months, fooling their family, experimenting on Clark. Convincing them that he was still on their side, so that he could still take Clark's blood and marrow and God knew what else, and make a fortune and amass power...

… But was it worse? Certainly, Clark would be in pain and fear if the darkness was in control, but at least he would still have his father. Maybe he could win the fight against his darkness later.

It didn't matter which was worse. Lex could never do anything that could endanger his father's life. He couldn't give up his helicopters and instant access to medical specialists to fight off the darkness if he knew that, six months later, his father would die.

He was broken out of his reflections when Clark came down the hall toward him, his eyes red. "Dad wants to see you," he said.

Lex swallowed hard. He felt every bit like a man walking to the gallows as he approached his father's hospital room.

There he was, connected to machines, his skin pale, looking as weak as Lex had ever seen him. Still, he managed to smile when Lex knelt down beside him and took his hand. "My son," he said.

"Dad," Lex said, and his voice cracked, his eyes filling with tears. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry."

"Your brother just said the same thing."

Lex cleared his throat. He wanted to be strong, to make his father proud. "I could have saved you… If I hadn't given up my fortune…"

"Don't talk like that."

Lex's breath caught. Despite his weakness, his father's voice was as firm as ever.

His eyes pierced Lex's, growing glassy. "Lex, these last six months—the last couple of years, really—they've been the greatest gift I could've imagined. I've lived a good life, son. It's time for you to do the same."

"You don't understand. After Lionel died—"

"Your darkness took over, you tricked us for a while, and then you defeated it by cutting your ties with LuthorCorp and donating your possessions?"

Lex felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. "H-how did you know?"

"Clark told us."

"And you just... forgave me?"

"Of course." His smile broadened. "Always."

Lex swallowed against the tightness in his throat. "I... I still don't understand. Why did donating everything… Why did that…"

"Defeat the darkness?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know, son. But I suspect… you proved to yourself that you truly wanted to change and be a part of our family." He smiled. "And I couldn't be prouder. Do you hear me? I wouldn't change a thing."

Lex felt warm tears rolling down his cheeks. "Dad… I don't… I could never deserve..."

"Just listen. The doctor say I don't have much time left. You're my oldest son, and as much as I love Clark, he's not old enough to take care of the family yet. But you, my son, you need to take care of him and of your mother. You're the man of this household now."

"But—"

"I'm leaving the farm to you. I'm leaving inheritance to each of you, but Lex, I want you to be the one to manage the farm. I trust you'll do so with more wisdom than I ever did."

He shook his head, looking down. "Don't talk that way."

"Son—"

"I still need you!" His voice cracked.

There was a long silence, then his father said, "Lex, look at me."

Lex forced himself to look his father in the eye.

"I need you to promise me you'll take care of your mother and Clark."

"I... I..." Lex shook his head. "I can't..."

"Yes, you can, do you hear me? You can."

"Dad..."

"Promise me."

"I'm going to find another way to save you, whatever it takes…"

"Alexander Kent. Let me go. It's my time. Grieve for a little while, and then live your life."

Lex could hardly hold back the sobs. "Dad... please..."

"You promise to take care of Clark and your mother?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes, sir. I promise."

"I'm so proud of you." His father squeezed his hand one last time. "You're a good man, son. Don't ever change."

Then his grip went dead, his eyes fluttered closed, and the heart monitor went flat, and Lex dissolved into broken weeping.