A/N: After this chapter, If He Knew will be taking a short break and will return in April 2021.

Chapter 32 - War

Lex should have known that his investigations into the meteor rocks would get the better of him.

Should have known that word would get back to his father, especially after he had brought Pamela to stay in his house.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Lionel said, and Lex could barely hear him over the helicopter blades.

"So far, but they're calling for storms later," Lex said.

They started up the stairs to a platform that overlooked the gathering of employees. "Well, you know the heartland," his father said. "Some things can change in a minute."

It all sounded innocuous enough, but Lex knew his father. He wouldn't fly in for no reason. He was planning something.

"Is everyone assembled?"

"Twenty-four hours isn't a lot of notice." Lex had only managed to pull together a fraction of his employees. "Do you plan on giving me the heads up as to the nature of your remarks?"

"Just one of my customary motivational speeches you've heard hundreds of times."

No—that was a lie. Something was going to happen.

His father grinned and shook hands with Lex's upper level managers, greeting them enthusiastically. The smile on his father's face was about as comforting as the clear skies, only it wasn't a show—it was a genuine. The smile of snake about to strike.

Lex's father could do whatever he wanted to Lex, but his employees didn't deserve to be caught up in the middle of it. "The plant made a profit this quarter for the first time in two years. My people are expecting a pat on the back, and they deserve to get it."

"I'll try not to disappoint them."

The applause was nearly deafening as Lex's father took his place behind the podium. Lex was almost surprised by it. He knew how most of these people really felt about his father, even the ones who had come to respect Lex himself.

"Thank you!" his father said, and motioned for the crowd to quiet. "As most of you know, you've all worked extremely hard this past year and you should all be proud of yourselves."

This time, Lex applauded along with his people. He tried to keep his eyes on them. It was easier.

"Just as a ship can only follow the course set by its captain, any business is only as good as its leadership."

Lex glanced over at his father. He knew not to dare hope that his father might actually praise him publicly—it had never happened before—but he couldn't help the thrill of hope that rose in his chest.

"Due to management failures beyond your control, this plant will be closing, effective immediately. Good luck to all of you!"

The hope was smashed in an instant.

Hot adrenaline coursed through Lex's veins, numbing him from the inside out, dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. For a moment, it froze him, and the enraged shouts of the crowd of people—his people—washed over him, nearly drowned out by the pounding in his ears.

Then a lifetime of training kicked in. He snapped to attention and chased his father down the stairs. "You just fired 2500 people and blamed it on me."

"One day you'll thank me, Lex. Smallville isn't in your future. It's just a brief chapter in your biography.

"Don't do this!"

"We live in a meritocracy, Lex. The weak get left behind. The plant wasn't producing. I had no other option."

"Spare me the corporate barbarian spiel!" Lex's voice had risen to shouting. "Those people have husbands and wives, children, mortgages!"

"We're in business to make profits, not friends! You can't let your emotions get in the way of making tough decisions."

"Don't lecture me about letting emotions get in the way! This plant was showing a profit. You're only shutting it down because I wouldn't go work for you in Metropolis!"

"Lex, you may have felt that you found a home here, but you were mistaken. This was just your training ground." Lionel headed toward the helicopter. "Well, your training is over!" You're coming home, son!"

And he was gone, leaving destruction in his wake, his helicopter disappearing into the too-clear sky.

The day passed in a blur of impossibly heavy exhaustion.

News travelled fast. Lex's phone blew up with messages. Among them were Clark's—Lex would have given anything for a few minutes of his best friend's comfort, but he couldn't afford the time. He had to protect his people.

Halfway through the day, he found Clark in his study.

"Clark, I got your messages, but I've been having a bad day."

Clark picked up the metal octagon Lex had found out in the field. "Nice paperweight."

"It's all yours, but be careful with it. I found it in the field where your ship crashed, but we'll have to talk about that later." He gave Clark a little smirk. "Sure you can afford being seen with the town pariah?"

"It's not like anyone knows I'm here." He sat down across from Lex at his desk, his brow furrowing. "My dad's been ranting about you, after seeing the news. What happened, Lex?"

Lex hid his pain from Clark. There was no point in showing it now. "The two theories seem to be, I either ran the plant into the ground through incompetence, or did it deliberately so I could go back to Metropolis."

"Your dad already offered you a job in Metropolis. Just tell people the truth."

"Then I get stuck with the incompetence rap. Being reviled is the lesser evil."

"I guess you're going back to Metropolis, then?"

Lex would never do that. He'd never been so determined to stay than he was now. "That's why my father orchestrated his coup, but this isn't over."

"You have a plan?"

"Maybe."

"Anything I can help with?"

Lex gave him a little smile. "This isn't the kind of thing your powers are for."

Clark sighed.

Lex smiled. "Thanks for stopping by. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

Clark nodded. "Okay."

Lex's staff was on board for the buyout. It would be a risk for them, financially, but he could protect them.

At least, so he thought—until his father bought up the bank that held their mortgages, forcing his control once again.

But Lex kept working the numbers. He met with people, he offered bribes, he made personal sacrifices. He was so deep in his work that he almost didn't notice the tornado kicking up. He shrugged off his security guards' recommendations to get to somewhere safer; he had them take Pamela to a safer place, and he let most of his staff go home to their families.

Given the lowered security, it shouldn't have been a surprise when his father stormed into his study.

"So you're using your mother's stock to fund the buyout." Lex's father had to shout to be heard over the wind. "That's your secret source."

Lex rolled his eyes and stood, pacing away.

"I must admit, it's a bold move, Lex. But it won't work!"

Lex whirled to face him. "Did you brave the weather to tell me that?"

"It's suicide, Lex! You may get the plant, but you're putting your employee's homes on the line. Forfeiting your own future!"

"Or forging a new destiny, free from you!"

Mock surprise filled his father's eyes. "You're not my enemy. You're my son."

Lex could have laughed if it hadn't hurt so much. "I never saw the distinction." He paced away again, toward his desk.

His father launched into a speech. "When Alexander the Great was dying, his generals asked who he would leave his empire to. If he would appoint a successor, it would keep the legacy intact, prevent generations of bloodshed! His answer was simple—I leave it to the strongest."

Lex stalked back to face him, face inches from his father's. "I believe the term is, Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!"

His father grabbed the sides of his head. "I'll bury you and everyone in Smallville who takes your side!"

Lex threw his father's hands away. He knew there was no point to it—if his father had decided to fight him physically, he'd lose, even if Lex was stronger. He never fought fair. If he'd decided Lex needed a beating, he'd pay off Lex's guards to hold him down.

But Lex would never find out whether that was what his father had in mind.

A burst of wind shattered the windows behind Lex's desk, and Lex found himself knocked back, spinning into a bookshelf, which crumbled on top of him. Searing pain split his forehead, and for a few moments, Lex couldn't see—blood poured down his face and ran into his eyes, burning them. He blinked a few times as papers and debris around the room.

Lex pulled himself to his feet in time to watch the roof's support beams begin to collapse. A jagged edge hovered over his father, who was pinned down by a column.

"Lex! Help me, Lex!"

The storm raged on, but to Lex it was quiet. Even the screaming agony in his forehead had died out. There was nothing here but the power over his father's life, in his hands at last.

"Lex! I can't move!"

His father could be gone. No more abuse, no more pain, no more fighting, no more wondering if he was loved.

No one would ever know.

He could be free.

"Help me!"

Clark wouldn't approve. But Clark would never know.

"Lex!"

. . . No. If he really did let his father die, that wasn't a secret he'd be able to keep from Clark for very long. And once he confessed, Clark would never forgive him. Lex would lose everything. It would be worse than dying.

And yet, in so many ways, it would be so much easier, so much better. It would save his employees. It would save the town. It would save Lex—no, it would kill Lex from the inside out, shred what was left of his very soul, destroying his remaining friendship and with it his hope, but that was worth it, his life was worth sacrificing for his father's death . . .

Lex didn't have it in him to watch his father die. He had to save him. It was what Clark would have done, what Clark would have wanted him to do.

He took a step closer, reaching out—

Then he thought of Clark. Not about his friendship with Clark, not about what Clark would think of him—Clark himself.

Clark's secrets.

Lex could imagine all too clearly what his father would do if he knew Clark's secrets. It was because of the likes of Lionel Luthor that Jonathan Kent had to be so paranoid. Lionel would find Clark's weakness, he'd strap him down and torture him and hurt him—or worse, he wouldn't find out about Clark's weakness. He'd take Jonathan and Martha hostage and force Clark to cooperate, to become his weapon. To wreak destruction on the world. By comparison, the plant closure would seem like nothing. The tornado would seem like nothing.

I'll bury you and everyone in Smallville who takes your side.

His father had sworn never to leave things be, never to stop fighting. It wouldn't take long for him to suspect the real reasons Lex clung to Smallville, and when he did, he wouldn't rest until he found out the truth.

There was too much at stake. It was bigger than Lex himself, bigger than his company, bigger than Smallville. Maybe bigger than humanity.

If it weren't for that, he would never have had what it took.

"Son . . ."

"I'm sorry, Dad," Lex said, and his eyes watered. "I'm so sorry."

And he ran.

END OF PART 1