Chapter 4

Lex Luthor pulled up at the end of the driveway to the Kent farm. Despite the time travel the farm had not changed from how it was in his time. Lex exited his long black mercedes which he had aquired from one of his younger counterpart's many laboratories. It reminded him just how little contact he had with these science teams when he was younger. How absolutely none of the scientist's and lab assistants had noticed any difference in his facial features or his mechanical left hand. Lex took one of the spare car he had stored there and set a course straight for the Kent farm, it had been a long time.

Lex leaned on the hood of the car and breathed in the country air and admired the view. It truly was a beautiful day. He would walk the rest of the way, smiling softly to himself he strolled down the path to the farm, past the stable and past the barn, Kent's fortress of solitude before he got the ice palace. A tough pain in his side caused Lex to stoop, breathing heavily he managed to get himself up to the porch stairs. Halfway he sagged but managed to steady himself on the bannister. He would not show weakness in front of Kent he promised himself he would not.

Lex reached for the door turned the knob and pulled. He was greeted by the face of Kent who was looking particularly angry a the moment. Over the years Kent had looked at him many ways and in the more recent years Kent had often looked at him in anger however right this moment it was something completely new. Lex could not pinpoint the emotions which he read from Kent, anger, dispair and dread he was sure was going through Kents mind but he knew that his desire to maim and hurt the man that has taken his family would prevail.

"Well hello Kent family" Lex smirked.

"Where are they Lex" Kent growled

"Oh I'm sure I don't know what your talking about" Lex continued casually and Lois felt her hatred of him increase tenfold, whilst she may not fully be pleased about Kent being her future husband she knew that somehow he loved her, future her and the man that has kidnapped Lane and her daughter deserved to be punished.

"Tell me where they are now you little creep" yelled Lois

Lex looked away from Kent to Lois and burst out laughing. An indignant Lois rushed forward to hit Lex. Lex made no movement, Kent intercepted Lois.

"Stay out of this Lois" ordered Kent

"Hey he had future me and my daughter so don't tell me what to do I am not your wife yet" Lois seethed. The look that Kent gave her made her fall silent.

"This is between me and Lex" said Kent suprisingly calmly.

Martha and Jonathan were holding John watching the scene from the doorway to the living room. Clark was with them unsure of what he was feeling at the moment.

"Why are you doing this Lex?" Kent asked not expecting a reasonable answer

"Because you betrayed me, ruining my life and you after everything have managed to get yours, a family a womans love my father's love"

"That what it's always been about isn't it you took Lana and now you are trying to take away my wife and daughter"

"I thought that taking her away from you for good would destroy you, I was wrong, I made a mistake" Lex looked at Lois "It seems he didn't love Lana as much as we thought her did, that right Lois?"

"Don't talk to her! Don't ever talk to her" roared Kent who was looking so ferocious right now that Lois did not object.

"Oh so I can't talk to her can I, bet you would like to know what i've been doing to her wouldn't you?"

Kent started moving towards Lex.

"Ah, ah, ah not so fast" Lex held up his right hand the lead ring on his middle finger he grinned and opened the ring.

Clark over by the doorway collapsed next to his parents, writhing in pain. John too started screaming and crying in his grandmothers arms. Kent on the other hand was unharmed.

Taking his eyes from Lex he yelled at his mother to get John away from here. Martha moved immediatly whilst Jonathan tried desperately to move Clark.

Lex looked at Kent in puzzlement. Kent withdrew a small bright blue rock from his pocket.

"I see" smiled Lex, he did not look surprised or even really all that dissapointed. Kent to a few steps towards Lex. Lois watched intently and even Clark still writhing on the floor managed to control himself and watch and listen.

"So this is it isn't it" said Lex as if commenting on the weather.

"I think so " said Kent in an equally calm manner they knew it was coming, it had been enevitable from the moment Lex had walked in.

Lex struck first a right fist to the face, even without his powers he barely flinched. Lex hit with his left this time, Kent grabbed his fist from the air and kicked hard and quick on Lex' shin. He buckled slightly and Kent delt powerful punched to Lex's body. Kent kicked Lex away from him and he clattered to the floor. After a few seconds Lex dragged himself to his feet he was obviously out of practice. Lex desperately lunged at Kent with his right. Kent stepped to the left and dodged his attack, he grabbed his right arm and slammed Lex onto the kitchen worksurface leaning on his body to prevent him from getting up.

Kent grabbed his right hand and got his middle finger and pulled back. Lex who like Kent had hardly uttered a groan of pain screamed out. Kent retrieved the ring and pushed Lex onto the floor.

Kent didn't look at Lois as he strode over to the door and threw the kryptonite ring as far as he could. Clark breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stood up with the help of Jonathan and Lois.

"They're Dead" coughed Lex now from a sitting position on the floor.

Colour drained from Kent's face

"What?"

"Dead, they screamed for you to save them but you couldn't" Lex laughed

Kent averted his gaze from Lex, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the blue kryptonite and looked back at Lex.

"You know what this means"

Lex only grinned at him, Kent growled and threw the blue k out into the fields.

Faster than Lois could believe he was on him. Kent had Lex by the neck lifting him clean off his feet.

"Say it again!" roared Kent

"Dead" Lex cackled "The look on Lane's face, so disappointed that her hero couldn't save her"

"DON'T"

"Little Ella crying for daddy to come save.." Lex couldn't speak any more as Kent was squeezing his throat so much he couldn't breathe. Kent on the other hand was breathing fast and deep.

Lois and his father were at his side.

"Don't do this son" said Jonathan trying to get through to him.

"Stop..STOP" yelled Lois

Kent broke his murderous glare at Lex and looked at Lois.

Kent looked back and Lex and it made sense. Lex had his eyes closed and despite the amount of pain he must be in he was smiling serenely.

Lex dropped to the floor panting and heaving. Kent took a few steps back.

"Come on, I know you want to, wanted it for years but could never do it, your weak" Lex rasped

"No"

"DO IT I KILLED YOUR WIFE AND DAUGHTER" Lex screamed insanely

"No you didn't"

"Yes I..."

"No you didn't because not even you could kill a defenceless child no matter how evil you have become, as for Lois, you have had countless oppertunities over the years to kill Lois and never have so why now?"

"Why don't you tell me then master" mocked Lex

"Your dying" said Kent casually, the little colour left in Lex's face disappeared "You see you wanted me to think you had killed them so I would kill you in revenge and finally make a murderer out of me, you made one mistake, my marriage to Lane everything we went through to get there, to be happy to have children, every person I have saved with her giving me the confidence I needed to be a hero. I refuse to believe that all that could be taken away because you have finally decided to act on your long standing grudge"

"I heard you daughters dying words, she screamed loudly enough to be heard by all of the staff" spat Lex

"Just stop, I don't believe you" Kent sighed "So what is it cancer, your weak cloned body finally caught up with you, your not even human any more, I have destroyed each of your clones before and will continue doing so"

"I am not afraid of death"

"I know your not you have died even more times than me" Kent joked

Lex began to wilt in defeat his final plan had failed he was going to die without accomlishing anything.

"Where are they Lex, please I'll make it painless"

Lex looked up at his former best friend with bloodshot eyes, his former friend was now offering assisted suicide.

After a few moments Lex spoke "Cadmus Labs"

Kent turned to his younger counterpart "Go"

Clark ran out the door and sped off once he was out of sight of Lois.

"I want..." breathed Lex

"What?" asked Kent bending down to look closer

"I want to go flying"Lex whispered so only Kent could here

"Really" Kent looked extremely surprised

"Please, its all I ask before I die"

"OK" answered Kent

Kent stood up and turned around to face Lois and his parents, Martha now having brought John back in. They looked confused and a little shocked at the whole interaction between the two former best friends. He gave them a faint smile which they returned, he felt as though a weight had been lifted. The house phone rang Jonathan answered but Kent listened in. It was his younger self giving them the confirmation that Lane and Ella were safe and unharmed. Kent breathed out in relief and looked down at Lex who was shaking, skin was pale and he was jaundiced as his internal organs were failing.

"Come on" said Kent and crouched to lift Lex's arm over his shoulder. Lex looked at him confused and surprised that Kent had kept his word and followed through with their deal.

Kent ignored his families confused yells after them and opened the front door. Together Kent and Lex stumbled down the steps. Kent bent his legs and leapt into the air.