Chapter 3
…
…
"Fuck you, Luthor!"
Laughing as he stumbled out the door, Lex crowed back, "No, fuck Stacy, you asswipe! Before she figures out she's too good for you!"
The loud sounds of blaring music and pulsing lights of the night club cut off when the door shut, leaving Lex standing in an alleyway somewhere in Metropolis. He could still hear the music from where it drifted out through the front doors of the building, somewhere around a few corners from where Lex stood, and he hummed along off key and off beat as he staggered toward the end of the alley.
The media would already have a dozen plus pictures of him in the club, with all the hottest people drifting around him and a choice few allowed to drape themselves all over him. Hell, maybe someone even got a shot of him doing something illegal. But Lex only left through the front doors when he wanted to make a flashy exit with a hot date. Tonight was not one of those nights, so he slunk out the back.
His car was parked by a valet, but Lex didn't much feel like getting it at the moment. The world was a beautiful place and he wanted to bask in it as he walked. Besides, he wasn't an idiot, and he knew driving right now – with the amount of alcohol and drugs in his system – would be a monumentally stupid decision.
A few buildings down from the club was a diner. Lex wasn't hungry, but he paused to look in the front windows at the bright room beyond it anyway. There were two visible workers and two visible diners, at separate tables. Two people eating alone. How depressing.
The TV had the attention of everyone in view and Lex's eyes drifted up to it too. It was a news program. Breaking News. Flying Man Rescues 11 From Building Fire. Superhero or Super Danger? The talking heads were apparently arguing about this question quite heatedly but there were no subtitles so Lex couldn't tell.
Superhero.
"Shit. Clark."
It had been five years since he lost Clark's phone number to a fire, though nothing so terrible that it took out an entire building. Only one year since he was let loose from Excelsior Academy. 'Early graduation' pfft. They just wanted him gone.
Wait. Focus.
Superhero. Clark.
Clark thought his name was Alex and that he'd moved to somewhere in the west of the US. Clark was impressed by Lex's plans for the future, with what he wanted to do with his life. Clark was super fast and super strong. But Clark couldn't fly. Lex had specifically asked. Clark had said he couldn't fly.
Clark wouldn't be the first person who lied to him.
No. Clark didn't lie to him. Clark was a hero. He'd been proof that Warrior Angel was real, that all of Lex's dreams hadn't been stupid, childish fantasies. Five years was a long time. Maybe long enough to learn to fly, once someone gave you the idea.
"I screwed up, Clark," he muttered toward the TV screen, reaching out to touch the glass between him and the restaurant.
He wasn't working in a scientific research lab. He wasn't currently in school, whether high school or college. He wasn't helping people or discovering the mysteries of space or curing diseases. He was seventeen, drunk and high and pissing away his life – and his father's fortune.
It felt like breaking a promise.
Lex pushed off from the glass, though he hadn't been using it to hold his weight, and moved to find a taxi. There weren't any in the area, so he'd have to wander until he found one.
When Lex had been twelve, he'd told Clark to be a hero. He'd explained why Clark already was one. And he'd decided to become the kind of person who could be Clark's support, his friend, his…not sidekick, Luthors were not sidekicks, but…companion. And in a moment of weakness he'd given all of that up. He couldn't remember now what had caused it, just that it had, in hindsight, not seemed so big. Lex was sure that whatever it was, it shouldn't have shaken him that way, but it had, and he'd conformed to the Academy, until he'd been kicked out (with a diploma, but eh, details) and turned to the tried and true sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll.
Right now, Lex didn't even deserve the title of sidekick, as humiliating as that would've been. If Lex were a hero, he wouldn't save himself. Pathetic. He had to be better. For the sake of the people who kept trying to save him – from the world and from himself. He had to be a better man.
A taxi stopped and Lex tumbled into the back seat. He didn't talk to the driver more than to give his address. He was too busy planning how he'd clean himself up and become the sort of person who deserved a hero for a friend.
He needed to do what he should've done years ago. He needed to find Clark.
…
…
Interview with the Superman
With the increasing appearances of a flying super being all around Metropolis, and even the world, people are left wondering if they should be grateful for a hero or fearing a villain. Up until now, only the scarcest of information has been available to all of mankind on this mysterious person. We knew it looked like a normal human man, that he was very fast, very strong, and had the capability of flight. We also knew that he always fled the scene of a rescue before anyone could ask him a single question.
Today is a new day.
The Daily Planet's own Lois Lane sat down with the man himself for his first ever interview.
.
Lois Lane: So here I sit with the world infamous superman.
?: My name is Kal-El.
He wrote it down for us on paper even.
L: Hm. Superman sounds more catchy.
Kal-El: Well every hero has a memorable name, I suppose.
L: So is that what you are? A hero?
K: That's what I'd like to be.
L: And what sorts of powers do you have? We've seen you use super strength and speed, and fly, obviously. Is there anything else to Superman?
K: A few, but I believe the saying goes 'A magician never reveals his tricks.' If any criminals read this interview, I wouldn't want them to know all my strengths or weaknesses.
L: So you do have weaknesses?
K: Isn't that the question. If we could move on, Ms. Lane?
L: Of course. Where did you come from? Why now?
K: Originally I'm from a planet called Krypton, and I suppose now is because I finally feel ready to use my gifts and help people the way I've always wanted to.
L: Hold on, back up. 'a planet called Krypton'? Are you saying you're an alien?
K: Yes.
L: Are there more of you? Should we be expecting an invasion?
K: No, Ms. Lane. My planet died many years ago. I'm the last of my kind.
L: Let's say I believe you. Why Earth?
K: I came to Earth as a child, after my planet was destroyed. I landed here and have been, for lack of a better term, a refugee.
L: You said you wanted to be a hero. I understand that you have great powers and there's that comic book belief that 'with great power comes great responsibility,' but why become a hero? Why not just leave Earth? Or, better question, why not take over? Be a villain?
K: I've lived here for a long time. I love this planet. It's my home. I want to do everything I can to protect it. And, I'm sorry to disappoint, but being a villain isn't in the plans. I've always been a fan of Warrior Angel, not Devilicus.
L: You're an alien who reads comics. That may be the strangest thing I've heard so far.
K: It was suggested to me by the first person to call me a hero, before I ever considered myself one.
L: And will you be Metropolis' personal superhero, like The Batman for Gotham, or can we expect to see Superman crossing the globe? How often can we expect to see your…bright costume flying around our city?
K: I'm always around.
…
…
Clark Kent.
It was surprisingly easy to discover that name with what little information Clark had told him when they met five years ago. All Lex knew was that Clark was adopted, was over six feet tall, wore glasses, black hair, green eyes, had been arrested a time or two, and by his phone's area code had, at least five years ago, lived in Kansas.
His investigation turned up Clark's name within days. Clark Kent, the adopted son of Jonathan and Martha Kent.
He was adopted in 1989, shortly after a meteor shower hit the town, presumably killing his birth parents. He attended Smallville Elementary School, Smallville Middle School, and Smallville High School, followed by Metropolis University, where he graduated just a few months earlier with a Bachelor's in Journalism. He'd been on the school paper in middle school and in high school, writing articles on all the very…interesting inhabitants of his hometown with special gifts, as well as about local heroes and events at his schools.
He became Student Body President during his junior year and was successful in his position, but didn't run again during his Senior Year. He was part of his high school football team all four years, captain for three, leading his team to three state championships. He'd earned a full ride scholarship and used it to attend Metropolis University, but decided not to play professionally. His grades were above average but just low enough to miss out on Valedictorian or Salutatorian in his graduating class.
As Clark had said, he'd been arrested twice. Both times, it was later revealed that his actions had actually saved someone's life or revealed the identity of a criminal, and the records were expunged. The same was true of the arson charges he'd faced in his freshman year of high school, when it was revealed that a teacher at his school had faked the attack because Clark had turned her down when she made advances on him.
Lex couldn't really blame her for wanting Clark. Honestly, he was six foot five inches of solid muscle with an angel's face and thick lips topped off with gorgeous green eyes.
He hadn't always worn glasses.
The photo was of Clark in his freshman year. The entire football team was trying to shove into the shot, all of them lifting Clark on their shoulders and hollering. Clark had a big trophy in his hands. The caption said it was the first state championships the Smallville Crows had won in over a decade, and freshman Clark Kent was the MVP.
The Clark in the image wasn't nearly as broad and muscled as the one Lex had met…oh, just under four years after the picture was taken. He looked, for someone of Clark's size, gangly and unimpressive. But the joy on his face was infectious and uplifting.
What was important about that picture was that Lex recognized this Clark. Lex knew this younger Clark as well as he knew the older version. Two months before that picture was taken, a meteor shower struck Smallville, more devastating and terrible than the one from 1989. In that picture, Clark was fourteen, and Lex would've been nine.
Lex was nine when the meteor shower hit Smallville and a fourteen year old Clark Kent appeared before him in a field and said "I've got you," covering Lex's smaller body with his own and saving his life.
"Holy shit," Lex said after dismissing his investigator, still staring at the football photo.
"It's a weird feeling, being so weak, but I don't know, mom, I don't think it's permanent. And who knows, maybe I'll be even stronger after this."
Clark hadn't been kidding. He really had gotten stronger after that. He'd doubled his body mass and gained several inches. He wore glasses these days, but no one could deny he was physically stronger now than he was then.
Now the question became what to do with the information he'd gained. He'd found Clark. Lex, though his father and Excelsior Academy had taught him to always plan eight steps ahead, had gone into this blind. There were several options.
Option 1: Approach Clark. Become his friend and confidant. Offer him the scientific and technical support of LuthorCorp.
Cons: It would have to be done in secret, because Lionel Luthor was still very much alive and publically against Superman already. If his father found out, Lex could be disinherited and Clark would be in danger from Lex's father.
Pros: Clark's friendship and companionship. He'd get to be Clark's super hero support.
Option 2: Keep an eye on Clark from a distance and use LuthorCorp tech to assist him when necessary. An anonymous tip here, a well placed shock device there.
Cons: It would have to be done in secret. Lex couldn't talk to Clark directly or be his friend. If his father found out, he could be disinherited.
Pros: It would keep Lionel Luthor away from Clark Kent, ensuring he never found out the identity of Superman nor had any chance to hurt him.
Option 3: Keep on as usual. Watch the news about Superman but don't interfere. Don't approach Clark Kent.
Cons: Lex couldn't talk to Clark directly or be his friend. Lex couldn't help Clark out like he'd always wanted to.
Pros: Lionel Luthor never discovered the identity of Superman nor had any chance to hurt him. Lex wouldn't be disinherited and could, upon his father's death, do whatever the hell he wanted to with the company and all its resources. The only secret would be that Lex knew Superman's identity, and no one was likely to question him about that if he stayed away from anything Superman related.
As much as Lex hated sitting around and waiting, option three appeared to be the best one he had. Lex kept an eye on his father's medical records, had them pulled twice a year just so he would know how his father was doing since the man himself would never admit to any weaknesses. So Lex knew.
Lionel Luthor's liver was failing. In only a few years, it would stop working completely. Lex would do what he could for his father, but the facts were the facts: Alexander J. Luthor would soon be one of the youngest CEOs of a multinational corporation ever.
After that, the future was open to possibilities.
…
…
At LuthorCorp Plaza, you could park in one of a few places. Most employees parked in the parking garages. Every employee was given a sticker with an encoded access marker that opened the gate for them as they drove up to the entrance of the garage. Higher management had an access marker for the underground garage, with higher security and a shorter walk into the building. The underground parking also included a blocked off section where Lionel Luthor's personal vehicles were stored: limos, town cars, and personal vehicle choices. No one but his own drivers and Lionel Luthor himself were allowed in that area.
Some people, however, chose to park in the two available parking lots. The Plaza covered a lot of ground, especially for being right in the middle of Metropolis, so outdoor parking was scarce. Visitors parked there, and while security cameras and officers patrolled it routinely, personal belongings were in the most danger in the lots.
Not that many people thought to steal from a vehicle parked at LuthorCorp Plaza, but the idea was there for employees to think about.
Lex liked parking in the lot. He liked the fresh air between him and the inside of the building. He liked seeing the sky when he entered or left work. He liked glancing up at The Daily Planet building. It was as tall as LuthorCorp Tower, not even including the giant globe on its roof, and seemed to say "Lionel Luthor, you aren't as big and powerful as you think you are."
It was also where Clark now worked, so that was a plus.
From the parking lot, Lex could see the entrance to the Daily Planet. He hadn't seen Clark enter or leave before, but there was always a chance.
That evening, after working into the sunset, Lex had taken the elevator up to his father's penthouse at the top of LuthorCorp Tower. Lionel's failing health had avoided hitting the news only because he could still do his work from his bed. Soon, he wouldn't even be able to do that.
"The doctor's haven't been able to do anything yet?" Lex asked once he'd entered his father's bedroom.
There was a large bed in the center of the room, bigger than a king sized mattress even. Lionel couldn't lie in the middle of it anymore, because the machines and doctors keeping him alive wouldn't have been able to reach him there. Instead, he laid on the right side, near the edge, propped up by innumerable pillows.
Lionel gave a bitter chuckle. "I'm sure you would know before I did, son," he said. At the questioning tilt of the head Lex gave, he said, "Don't pretend you aren't sitting in your office, planning how you'll steal this company from under my failing body."
"If I'd been plotting your demise, dad, I'm sure I could've come up with something faster and more interesting than attacking your liver," Lex assured him. "I've watched you ruin people lives for most of my own, after all."
"And yet you don't deny that you want my company," Lionel pointed out, clasping his hands over his chest as he reclined against the pillows.
Huffing, Lex said, "If I could get the company without you dying, I'd be happier."
Lionel gave a grotesque caricature of a smile. "You're still a terrible liar."
"Dad-"
"A bullet would've been kinder, son."
Lex soon left the penthouse, and the building shortly after that, and headed for his car. As he clicked to unlock his door, he glanced up at the shining globe on the top of the Daily Planet building. Somehow, he always thought he'd see Superman taking off from the roof. He never did.
The penthouse he stayed in himself was a few blocks away, close enough to arrive quickly if anything happened at work and he was needed but far enough away to require a car of his own. Lex's mind raced as he drove.
According to the doctors, his father wouldn't last much longer. The man hadn't become any kinder to Lex over the years. Their interactions had simply evolved from physical and verbal abuse into subtle, cutting remarks and emotional manipulation. Anything Lionel did these days left no visible marks and was thus undetectable to the public.
As the disease had progressed, Lionel had begun to suspect Lex of causing his liver failure, even though every doctor he'd brought in had told him it was preposterous. Still, most meetings between Lex and his father included Lionel making snide comments and veiled threats. His father didn't have the strength to do anything to Lex himself, not anymore, and his influence hadn't hurt Lex yet. Lex always hoped that the lack of action meant that his father, in his more lucid moments, realized he was being unreasonable.
But when had Lionel Luthor ever been reasonable when it came to Lex?
Lex pulled his car into the underground parking lot of his building. He walked through the garage, passed all the fancy cars owned by other tenants of the building, and into the elevator. As the owner of the building and of the top five floors, Lex had a special key that allowed the elevator to go up farther than anyone else, other than Lex's cleaning staff, was allowed to go. As the elevator ascended the floors, Lex leaned against the back wall.
It was about to happen, he thought. Twenty-three and Lex was about to become a CEO. His father wouldn't last the year. They'd fought bitterly when Lionel realized Lex knew about the disease, but Lex had been able to prolong his father's life by at least two years. Now it was at an end. Five years wasn't enough time to get used to the idea of losing a parent. Lex wasn't sure if he preferred losing a parent in a matter of minutes, like he had his mother, or the long, drawn out process of a death by illness.
It should've been easy to say losing his mother was worse. His mother had never hit him, never belittled him, never tried to ruin his business or personal life. She'd been supportive, and had tried to come between him and his father. She'd given him the strength to accept his baldness long before Lionel had thrown him to the wolves of higher society, where such a visible physical feature was looked at like a disease.
Somehow, though, Lex was filled with the same sorrow over his father's impending death as he'd felt when his mother passed. His father had been a part of his life for much longer than his mother. His father was the biggest factor in why Lex was who he was today. When Lex became CEO, he would be able to handle it, excel at it, because of his father's business lessons. Lex had never felt that his father loved him, but his father did own a part of Lex's heart. Lex would mourn him when he was dead.
The best way to avoid any creeping depression was to focus on the future. When Lionel Luthor was dead, Lex would own LuthorCorp outright. It would be his entirely. He could do with it what he wished.
Superman was a worldwide phenomenon now. He had a team of heroes working with him to defeat super powered villains all over the planet, and even in space. They were called The League of Super Friends by the media, and Lex scoffed every time he had to hear it or read it in print.
When Lex finally approached Clark, when he had Clark's friendship, that name would be the first thing Lex would change.
Before visiting his father tonight, Lex had discreetly checked in with his own, hidden department. He'd once, about three years past – when he was only twenty, tried to create his own company. LexCorp could've put LuthorCorp out of business, could've been better than LuthorCorp ever dreamed to be. The battle between Luthors had made the paper multiple times, as they fought for control over minor companies and tried to blackmail and shame each other into giving up. In the end, LuthorCorp had won.
LexCorp had failed, but parts of the company still existed. One part that Lex had kept off the record, and which had survived demolition by LuthorCorp, was the Theory and Research of Earthly and Alien Technologies division, or T.R.E.A.T. for short.
Lex couldn't wait to share T.R.E.A.T. with Clark. The tech they'd cooked up in those labs using all available earth and alien resources was astounding. At least to himself, Lex could admit to more than a few geek outs over the years. The child in him, who adored superhero comics and spy thrillers, was ecstatic. And honestly, only the fact that he'd dreamed up the department with superheroes saving the world in mind kept Lex from contemplating using the technology to do as his father wished – control the world. T.R.E.A.T. was meant to help Clark, not give him another villain to fight.
The elevator doors binged open and Lex unlocked the door to the penthouse, meandering in and loosening his tie as he headed for the liquor cabinet. He didn't even touch a bottle before he heard someone enter the room behind him.
"Don't turn around," the man said.
"And why's that?" Lex asked, keeping his voice as calm as possible.
"Because if you do, I'll put a bullet between your eyes."
Lex nodded. "My choice seems clear then." Staring at the dim reflection of a person in the glass of the many liquor bottles before him, Lex asked, "How did you get up here?"
The man scoffed. "The elevator may not go all the way up without your stupid key, but the stairs do."
Note to self: invest in stairway security.
"And what do you want from me?"
"I want you to walk out onto the balcony."
Knowing that asking why would probably just make the man angry, and an angry man with a gun was never a good thing, Lex nodded again. He held up his hands, so the intruder would see he had nothing on him, and began heading for the balcony without once facing his opponent. He did catch a glimpse of the man in the mirror on the far wall though.
His skin was mottled, almost scaly, and his eyes seemed to glow. One of his arms hung limp at his side while the other held the gun leveled at Lex. He had shaggy, dirty blond hair, and was obviously shivering. Luckily, Lex closely followed the exploits of superheroes, so odd looking people didn't scare him. He was, however, curious as to why a mutant of some kind had come to threaten him. Money? Power? Revenge?
As if in response to Lex's thoughts, the man spoke to Lex as they headed for the balcony. "Your father is a cruel and dangerous man, and he deserves to hurt like I have."
Someone using Lex to get at his father. This had happened before, though never by a mutant.
"What did he do this time?" Lex asked, opening the balcony doors and walking out.
Sometimes Lex wondered why he had the balcony. At this height, a fall would be instantly fatal, and the wind made relaxing on a chair difficult. But the view was lovely and Lex had no hair to blow into his face, so it had its perks. Then again, Lex hated heights, so maybe he was just a little bit insane after all.
"He lied to me!" the man shouted, following Lex outside. It didn't matter. No one could hear them this high up. "It was meant to be a simple job, security detail. But instead I ended up as one of his damned experiments! Look at me!"
Now Lex turned. The man grew more visibly agitated the longer Lex looked at him without reaction.
"I'm sorry for what he did to you," Lex said at length.
It didn't appease the man. "You think an apology is going to make this right?" he asked, motioning to his body. "I can't go in public anymore. I can't see my family! I'm not even human!" He aimed the gun at Lex's head, though there were several feet between him and Lex still. "Your father is untouchable. He never leaves his damn company. But you? You live alone, and everyone knows the only thing Lionel Luthor cares about besides his damn money is his own son."
Well, Lex would've liked to know that too, but you can't have everything, he supposed.
"So I'm going to hurt him the only way he can be hurt," the man continued.
Lex almost sighed. "You're going to kill me. Even though I had nothing to do with your experiments."
The man shook his head. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
The epithet was so like something Lex's father would've said that Lex nearly laughed. Instead, he considered his options.
Out on the balcony, Lex had nowhere to run to. To three sides was only air and before him was an angry mutant gunman. He had no weapons of his own. And as the man had said, Lex lived alone. Lionel would've had an army of guards alerted by a secret panic button sewn into his jacket sleeves already swarming and killing the intruder. But there was no one around to save Lex.
"I'm always around."
Taking a deep breath, Lex lifted his eyes to the sky momentarily and let out a little prayer. "Clark."
"Huh?"
Lex paid the confused gunman no mind. "Once there was a little boy who had a hard home life, and he ran away from that home. His plan was to keep running until he hit the west coast. But then he met a hero, and that hero convinced him to stay and fight." Lex gave a slight shake of his head. "You said I wasn't alone. All I had to do was call and you'd be there for me. I didn't call you before, no matter how bad it got, but I'm calling now, Clark. And if you're listening, I really need a hero right now. Immediately, actually, or I'll probably be dead."
"Are you actually insane?" the mutant snapped out. "No one can hear you!" He shook his head as if to clear it. "What does it matter?"
He obviously didn't want an answer, because he didn't wait for one. Instead, he checked his aim and pulled the trigger.
And suddenly there was someone standing between Lex and the gunman. The bullet bounced off Superman's chest and clattered to the balcony floor harmlessly.
"Superman!" the mutant gasped. "This has to happen! Lionel Luthor deserves it!"
"No matter what his father's done," Superman said in his confident timber, "a son shouldn't have to pay for it."
There wasn't even any time for pithy banter. Superman disarmed the mutant in the blink of an eye, used Lex's tie – and when had he gotten that? – to bind his hands behind his back, and took off into the air with Lex's would-be murderer. Lex was left standing in the wind on his balcony, alone, only moments after his request for help.
…
…
It was ten minutes later, with Lex was sitting on his couch drinking the scotch he'd reached for before, when Superman reappeared. The balcony door was still open, and the caped crusader walked in without so much as a knock.
Placing his glass down on the coffee table, Lex stood and greeted him. "Clark. It's been a long time."
Superman looked him over intently. It almost felt like the hero was using his famed x-ray vision, but Lex did his best not to flinch under the scrutiny.
"You didn't tell me you were bald," Clark said at last, the bravado of Superman falling from his voice. He sounded a lot more like the Clark Lex had watched a movie with so long ago. And, as he stopped standing so straight and tall, his posture more resembled that Clark too.
"High quality wigs are easy enough to come by, and a bald kid would've been too obvious when Lex Luthor's disappearance became common knowledge," Lex explained, rubbing a hand over his smooth head. "Besides, you told me you couldn't fly."
Clark looked abashed. "At the time, I couldn't. That didn't happen until just before I made the news." His cheeks turned faintly pink. "Actually, I decided to go public and become a hero because I learned to fly."
Lex remembered meeting Clark and comparing him to Warrior Angel. He'd pointed out how Clark was strong and fast, and then asked if he could fly. Those were Warrior Angel's main abilities. Was it possible that Clark had decided to become a superhero only after he could match Warrior Angel?
No, that would be silly. Wouldn't it?
"Thank you for saving me," Lex said. "I wasn't sure you still would. It's been a long time. I'm surprised you still remember me, actually."
Shaking his head, Clark said, "Of course I do." Then he tilted his head and narrowed his eyes curiously. "Why didn't you tell me who you were? Why didn't you ever call?"
Lex shrugged. "I lost your number." Then he gave Clark his most teasing smile. "By the way, I have a treat for you."
…
…
tbc