The day Lizzie saw her mother off to the airport was one of relief for her. Nothing which she did seemed to be up to her mother's standards. She'd held her tongue and said nothing further, grateful that she had spent her first Christmas with Clark. The joy of it ended was when she was called back into work before New Year's Eve. She kept groaning as she walked down the sidewalk with Clark by her side.

"I can tell you're annoyed."

"I'm not."

"Worried, then."

"That's better," muttered Clark. "And can you try to understand where I'm coming from? Your boss isn't right, Liz. You know that as much as I do."

"I know that something is odd," Lizzie agreed. "I promised to be careful, didn't I? Lex has never given me any reason to doubt him...until you told me about that night..."

"I know," Clark whispered, keeping hold of her hand as they stood outside LexCorp. Lizzie looked up to the building and then pecked Clark on the cheek.

"I'll see you tonight," she assured him. "Go and be your usual danger loving self at the Planet. Besides, the office should be busy, and Miranda should be there to yell at me."

A trace of a smile crossed Clark's features as he nodded briefly at her, kissing her quickly before he climbed onto the bike he had been pushing. Clark knew that he wouldn't work as well as he normally did. He was too preoccupied on what Luthor had said to him that day.

How could he not mean anything by it?

Lizzie stood in the elevator to the top floor, counting along the floors she went up as she tapped her foot on the floor. The doors dinged open to Lex Luthor's private office space and she saw him in the distance. She shrugged out her coat as she moved along, holding it over her arm as she went. She saw that the office was completely empty, her mind beginning to wander off as she looked for any trace of life.

She knocked on the open door, declaring herself. Lex looked up from his computer and forced himself to smile at the sight of his PA. His sweet, naive PA.

"Lizzie," Lex smiled, standing up and making his way over to her. "How are you today?"

"I'm good, Mr Luthor," she smiled. "How are you?"

Lex could see the way her eyes flicked from side to side. It was almost as if she was trying to avoid eye contact with him.

And for good reason, Lex thought.

Clark must have told her what Lex had said to him that night. He knew that he would. Clark was Superman, and Superman didn't hide things from his doting girlfriend. Lex slowly moved to the mini fridge in the corner of his office, pulling out two water bottles.

"I'm well," Lex nodded. "How was your holiday, Liz?"

"Oh, you know," she laughed freely, "family and all that."

"They can be more hassle than their worth," Lex agreed bluntly, handing her a specific water bottle. He opened the lid off of his and drank from it. She did the same, taking quick gulps before looking at Lex.

"Anyway," Lizzie said, a moment of light headedness coming over her as she did so. "I should get to work. I assume there have been a number of emails over the holiday break."

"I assume so," Lex said, leaning against his desk.

He folded his arms over his chest as he watched her move away from him. She swayed from side to side in her patent heels before a hand moved to her forehead. Lex did nothing, choosing to stay where he was as he saw her finally collapse to the ground.

Sighing with relief, he stood fully up and moved to crouch over her, pushing her hair from her face as he did so.

"You should really listen to Clark more."

...

Clark didn't make it to the Planet. He knew that it was wrong of him not to go to work. He got to the foyer before he realised that his attention should be with Lizzie, and not with work. He rushed back out and grabbed his bike, climbing onto it and cycling back to LexCorp. He rode the elevator to the top floor and looked around the office space.

His mind clouded for a moment as he saw a satchel on the floor, completely disregarded. Lizzie's coat sat next to it, both of them in the entranceway to the main office of Lex Luthor. But Lizzie was nowhere to be seen. Clark knew that something was wrong as soon as he saw the sight.

The office was empty and so Clark took his chance to look around, trying to determine where she might be.

...

"That didn't take him long."

Lex looked at the TV's which showed the CCTV footage of his office. He currently stood in the basement of LexCorp, waiting for the girl to wake up so he could begin his experiment on her. He did consider it a shame, if he had to be honest. She was a nice girl. He could easily see her being another one of his wife's. She would have been good to have in his collection.

But she was in love with Superman. And Superman had grown too big for his boots. Lex didn't appreciate that one little bit. He was the one in charge. Superman needed to see that, and if he didn't then Lex would rival him.

"Is the basement secure?" Lex wondered from David.

"As secure as it can be." David nodded back to Lex.

"Good," Lex nodded. "Make sure that he doesn't get in here."

"And what about her?" David wondered, his chin jutting out to point at the girl chained to the metal table.

"She'll wake soon," Lex shrugged. "Go. Leave us be."

David took his leave and Lex waited for Lizzie to wake up. He saw the two syringes which sat on the metal trolley. One would change her, and the other would change her back. Lex was fairly certain that they would work. But he needed to be sure. Everyone required a human guinea pig, and Lizzie was his.

"I see you're awake," Lex called out to her.

Lizzie's head turned on the table, her eyes fluttering open as she whispered;

"Clark...Clark..."

"Your beloved hero isn't here," Lex assured her. "It's just you and me, sweetie."

"No," Lizzie muttered, her head still aching as she saw Lex come and stand close to her. "What is happening?"

She fought against the restraints which kept her ankles and wrists chained to the table. Her body felt panic radiate through it as she watched Lex bend by the table, folding his arms on the side of it. His gaze was intent on her as she did her best not to openly sob in front of him. She didn't need to look weak. She couldn't afford to do that.

"I am sorry that it has come to this, Liz," Lex said, his voice sounding slightly sympathetic to her. "I really am. I doubt my condolences will appease you though."

"Really?" Lizzie hissed at him. "What makes you think that?"

Lex chuckled as he heard her, moving his fingers down her cheek as she squirmed away from his long limbs.

"You see, there has been an issue in Metropolis for a while," Lex told her, standing tall and moving around the basement.

Lizzie took a moment to glance around it, not knowing where she was. She watched as he moved to a metal drawer. He pulled at it, opening it to reveal a cloud of smoke appearing from the box. If anything the basement looked like a science lab.

"It all started with this man," he told her, pointing down at the body in the drawer. Lizzie failed to see him, but she kept watching Lex. "General Zod, I believe. I also think that you two are acquainted, are you not?"

"Zod...he died..." Lizzie said. "Why do you have his body?"

"Consider it an experiment," Lex said, looking at the cold corpse before putting it back away. "I was intrigued as to what had fallen from the sky. How had this man managed to be so powerful? I didn't know, but I wanted to find out. I watched Superman for a while, regarding his movements with caution...until I found out that he was dating you, and you had applied for a job here. It all seemed too perfect to me."

"Anyway," he continued after walking back to her, "Superman became too powerful for this city. It's all they can talk about, and it shouldn't be. There is only room for one of us in this city, and that is for me."

"What do you intend to do?" Lizzie wondered, still trying to slip her wrists through the restraints. "Clark is superhuman...he will beat you..."

"I know," Lex nodded in agreement. "He can easily beat me. That is why I have the body to examine. I have the body to look at the blood cells...I can be like Zod. I can be like Superman."

Lizzie struggled to comprehend what she was hearing from him. It disgusted her more than she cared to admit. She said nothing to Lex, her mouth drying out and words failing her. She shook her head.

"You took his body to be like him," Lizzie whispered. "That isn't right...Clark has done nothing wrong...he helps people..."

"He's not needed," Lex snarled. "You'll see that soon enough. He will see that."

"No," Lizzie defended Clark. "How could you do this? I...I ignored Clark...everything he said..."

"He's had doubts for a while?"

"Longer than you know," Lizzie snapped. "Just let me go. Clark doesn't want this. He doesn't want to be someone important or famous. I promise."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Lex chuckled, "but putting on a pair of glasses and slouching does not change who he is. Besides, where is he now? Your darling Clark Kent?"

"He'll be here before you know it," Lizzie assured Lex.

"I don't think so," Lex said, picking up a needle and holding it to the light. He placed it back down before reaching for Lizzie's wrist. He pulled the shirt she wore up her arm, revealing her pale skin. She looked at him with worry; still fighting against what he intended to do.

"What are you doing?" Lizzie snapped.

"You didn't just think that I'd inject myself, did you?" Lex wondered. "I need someone to show me what happens. I'm not that stupid."

"No," Lizzie cried out. "No...don't...don't do that to me..."

"Sh," Lex urged her. "I'm sure you'll be safe."

"No," Lizzie sobbed, her body shaking as she realised there was no escape. She tried the only thing she had left. "Clark! Clark, help me! Please!"

"Shut up!" Lex snapped, knowing full well that Superman's hearing was beyond advanced. He had hoped that the basement would be deep enough for her not to be heard.

"Clark!"

"I said, shut up!" Lex's hand rose up and hit her across the face, silencing her as he acted quickly then. He grabbed a fresh alcohol wipe and rubbed it over her arm. He tossed the wipe aside after a moment and grabbed the syringe to change her before placing it in her arm. He pushed down, allowing the liquid to enter her body. He watched as her body convulsed, the reaction completely different to what he had thought would happen to her.

He saw as she shook and wondered if he had done anything wrong. And then she stopped her movements. Her eyes opened wide and she looked to Lex. Her mind was in panic as her senses seemed to heighten. She pulled herself free of the restraints with ease as Lex stepped back, a wide grin on his face. She doubled over in pain as she heard noise come from all around her.

She moved her hands to cover her ears before her vision changed everything which she saw.

"Your body is not adjusted." Lex commented. "I suppose it takes time."

He turned around as he heard the slamming of the door from behind him. He groaned for a moment at the sight he saw. David was held in the caped man's hold. Clark tossed him aside after a moment and then saw Lizzie curled in a ball on the floor.

"What have you done to her?" Clark roared as he advanced towards Lizzie and Lex took the chance to move over to the locked drawer. He typed the code in to reveal another syringe. One shot and he could be powerful too.

Clark remained hovering over Lizzie as she sobbed, unable to understand what was happening.

"Liz," Clark whispered, "come to me...listen to my voice..."

"She's changed into one of you. Kryptonian blood is quite something, isn't it?" Lex said and he drove his own needle into his skin, unable to have time to clean his arm.

"What?" Clark muttered, turning to look at Lex as he pulled the needle from his arm.

Clark gathered Lizzie into his arms as he saw Lex's grin widen. His body convulsed like Lizzie's for a few moments, accepting the blood cells before he pushed his fist outwards, destroying the wall next to him. Clark shook his head, unable to believe what he was seeing.

He suddenly jumped upwards, flying through the floors with Lizzie still in his hold as he went. He needed to get her away from Lex as fast as possible. Only then would he go back and destroy him whilst he was weak.

Clark set Lizzie down on top of another building, watching as her eyes found his. His hands moved to her cheeks, forcing her gaze on him and not anything else. She could hear the honking of horns, the conversing of businessmen and the general patter of feet.

"Clark," she cried. "He injected me...I can't...I feel..."

"I know," Clark said with a nod. "Your body is reacting harshly, Lizzie. What he did was unforgivable...but listen to me...you need to stay here for me...don't go anywhere..."

"It hurts," Lizzie whispered out to him. "Clark, it hurts."

"Lizzie," Clark whispered, kissing her on the forehead.

Her body hadn't reacted well at all. Clark could only hope that there was a cure for her. Her body was adjusted for Earth, not fro Krypton.

He turned around as he looked back to LexCorp. A sight around the building had already formed as people saw the hole Superman had caused. Only this time another man flew through the hole.

"Clark..." Lizzie said, unable to take her eyes from him. "Don't go."

"I have to," Clark said to her. "Just stay here, Lizzie. Promise me."

"No," she shook her head as Clark kissed her swiftly, knowing full well that he had to defeat Lex before anything further could happen.

...

A/N: So thanks to anyone who is still reading and I do hope you will review for me!