Sorry about the shortness of this update, but it was either this or make it like eleven pages long. No worries, though, because tomorrows update will be much longer.
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Clark watched Lex scan the crowd. At first Lex's eyes passed over him, but then they shot back, focusing and widening slightly. He let his head fall back to the ground; his strength was gone.
"That one lying down; what did you say happened to him?"
"He struggled getting off the truck. He's a political prisoner. They say he was pretty involved- he was part of that whole fiasco in Chicago. I'm told that he was docile until they took him here and, well, Ja'yek-the one unloading him-was having a bad day. Guess you can see the results."
"Emm."
That was Lex's voice again. Clark closed his eyes. He felt so humiliated and shamed, because Lex had warned him-Lex had told him that all of this was going to happen. He'd told him he hadn't wanted to see him in slavery. And then he'd let Clark go. He'd covered for him. It had probably been the only rebellion he'd ever committed against the regime.
"What's going to happen to him?"
Clark could answer that. At that point he was probably going to be picked up by someone looking for a quick, cheap fix. He'd be used and then he'd be dumped on the street to die, or they might just kill him quickly.
"I assume someone will pick him up as a one night thing. That'll take the rest of the strength out of him. He's a political prisoner so no one will bother to get him medical attention. He'll be dead a week from now."
Huh. He wasn't too far off.
There were footsteps sounding against the dirt of the ground. He really hoped someone wasn't going to kick him, because that would hurt, and he really didn't want anymore pain.
The hand that slipped into his hair and began to gently stroke was unexpected. Lex couldn't possibly still think Clark was his responsibility after all that had happened; after all the time that had passed. He hadn't seen Lex for nearly five years. Wow, he hadn't seen Lex since he was seventeen, he realized. So it had been four and half years, if you wanted to get technical, but it was really closer to five. The last time he'd seen him was when he'd made the inevitable decisions to go against the invaders, while Lex had made the decision to submit. Clark remembered that he'd just graduated from high school when they'd come and invaded. He was twenty-one at the currant time.
What he assumed (because he was too weak to actually look) to be Lex's other hand was touching his brand, gently tracing, while the other kept carding through his hair. At the touch of the brand he flinched.
"I want this one."
"Sir, he's...nearly dead."
"I've got the resources to restore him to health."
"But, Sir, why bother? We've plenty of stronger ones that don't require medical attention!"
"I don't believe I asked you to question my reasons."
The hand in his hair left and the other simply rested on his back. Clark could hear the rustling of money and the clink of change.
"We'll, uh, have him brought to your estate-"
"That won't be necessary. Get someone to take him to my car."
"But, Sir, that's an expensive car! He's filthy and-"
"I can afford it."
Clark couldn't believe it. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Pride said he'd rather die than admit that Lex was right when he'd told him he couldn't win, but common sense told him to let Lex take care of things, at least for the time being.
He forced himself to raise his head again though his body protested violently and his muscles screamed. He opened his eyes as well, and was able to see Lex walking away, the same long black coat he'd always worn streaming in the wind.
The alien that came over a second later and grabbed his arms, beginning to pull him forward, was certainly not welcome. He twisted feebly, but it made no difference. The creature simply chuckled and continued to drag him forward, Clark's pants collecting dust and dirt as he was pulled along.
Finally he simply relaxed and let himself be dragged, whimpering with pain every time he hit a rock or a rough spot. He didn't know how his body would ever recover from all the beatings it had taken.
The motion stopped and he heard the click of a car door. By that time he'd shut his eyes, being as he didn't have the energy to keep them open anymore anyway. Lex wouldn't let him get killed, so there was really no point.
The movement started again and he was unceremoniously dumped into a ridiculously comfortable seat, and he groaned as he sank into it. He hadn't felt anything that nice in so long.
"Thank you." Clark noted that Lex's voice was cool. He imagined that the alien nodded. It was almost funny to see how Lex had control over another species now, as well--not that he could usurp the power of the rachla and the council. No, the rachla ruled supreme like a king and the council was like a parliament. Lex might have power, but in this culture no one had more power than those two entities.
The door beside him shut firmly and everything was still for a moment until a soft click informed him that Lex was opening his own door. His suspicions were confirmed a moment later when he heard the squeak of expensive leather as Lex slid into it.
"Wow," he heard Lex breath out. "Can you talk, Clark?"
He couldn't. He was fighting just to keep consciousness. His lungs felt as though they were on fire. He muttered something that vaguely sounded like no, though he knew it wasn't really audible. Lex was smart; he'd get the message.
"Go to sleep-or pass out-whichever comes first for you is fine."
Clark felt the car come to life under him. He was jolted against the window slightly when it pulled out onto the street.
For a few minutes they rode in silence and then Clark was seized with another coughing fit. Blood spilled from his mouth and he began to shake again. "Oh shit," he heard Lex mummer. The car lurched beneath him and then abruptly came to a stop. Then Lex had his hands on him, keeping him from doubling over.
Once he was done coughing, Lex was gently patting his face. "What happened to you? Damn it, Clark, what happened!" Most people would have taken Lex's words as those of anger at his getting himself in such a mess, but Clark knew them to be worry.
Fighting the wave of unconsciousness that he knew was about to inundate him, he cracked his eyes open and looked at Lex. His eyes held the stare of blue ones for a moment. To his immense surprise, Lex actually looked scared. Then he couldn't keep his eyes open a moment longer. The last thing he felt as they closed was Lex shaking him hard and actually begging him to stay awake.
