Spoilers for Apocalypse
Just to recap that, in case no one watched or they forgot, hardly anything happens in real-time. Brainiac is using Kara to make sure Clark isn't sent to earth, Clark finds out, then mopes to Chloe that he's going to let it happen (I still think that is insanely stupid because it's a Brainiac plan. Here's the thing: If an evil supercomputer bent on world domination thinks something is a good move, then you do the opposite. That's just common sense). Jor-El plays "It's a Wonderful Life" on him to change his mind and he's back. But in real-time, he just disappears for a split second. Then he uses the portal to go back to Krypton and stop Brainiac from murdering baby Kal-El and escapes with what we believe is Kara (spoiler: Kara's really Brainiac, but we'll find that out later). Then Lex comes and offers to help Lana, saying he needs to know exactly what happened.
So there it is if you didn't see it -- and congratulations to you as it was one of the worst offenses against Superman to date, having Clark put his own damned self in the ship that escaped Krypton.
But as far as Chlex are concerned, not much happened and most of this chapter occurs in Offscreenville.
Chapter 31
"I need you here tonight," Lex insisted.
"For me, it is not possible. Maybe in a week..."
"Then I'll pay triple your usual fee," he said tightly, not too sure it would make a difference. He'd already tried double. He stared at the cryptograph. He'd tried every possible way to... he didn't know what. Open it, move it, make it turn into a damned parakeet. Before he went at it with a hammer, he was trying Milash, a Russian antiquities expert.
"That is a very generous offer, but I simply have too much else to do."
An antiquities expert who, apparently, didn't care about money. He might respect that if it wasn't getting in his fucking way.
Things were finally moving. He had the cryptograph, near death aside. He even had Olsen under his thumb and way too busy to be with Sullivan. Not that that actually helped his real cause. More of a bonus. It just figured his streak would end now, of all times.
"Let's cut the bullshit, Milash. What's your price?"
"Your patience. I am here under a work visa with the university, Mr. Luthor," the man said, his Russian accent thick. "If I do not keep on schedule with my assigned research, I am not going to be staying here very long, you see. Now I'm sure this object of yours is very interesting and when I can find the time..."
"It's more than interesting. I've had it examined by three others in your field, none of which can figure out its origins or what it does." There was silence and Lex wondered if he'd finally found the right incentive.
"You say you found this in Zurich?"
Lex smiled. "Hidden in Zurich, but there's nothing to indicate it was originally found there. How soon can I expect you?"
"Well, I suppose..."
His cell phone suddenly rang out shrilly. "Damn it. Hold on." He muted the call and picked up his cell. "This better be important, Regan."
"Sir, the men assigned have finally managed to track down one of the guards on Project Intercept and..."
"Is this related to the traveler?"
"No, but I thought..."
"Then I really don't care." He'd told Regan to hunt down all he could on Lionel's various unimaginatively named side projects, mostly to keep him out of the way as he just couldn't stand the fucker. "I have more important things going on and all that can..."
"But Mr. Luthor, I think you need to see this man. We're holding him for questioning and..."
"And I still don't care. I've told you not to bother me unless..."
"Sir, I thought you'd want to know right away. This is related to your shooting in Detroit."
As much as he wanted to tear Regan a new one for interrupting him twice, he found himself sitting up straighter. "Related how?"
"You were there. After the shooting."
"My father..." He stopped and took a deep breath because, sometimes, it actually hurt to say. "Lionel said I was med-evacced to Star City for the healing technology Queen Industries..."
"That doesn't add up. This guard says you were brought in unconscious by your father's men. And you weren't the only one there."
He waited. "Go on," he snapped, wondering why Regan wasn't cutting him off when he actually wanted to hear.
"Your ex wife, Clark Kent, and that Sullivan woman. They were there as well. This guard described them and..."
"Where do you have him?"
"At Luthorcorp."
"Take him to the warehouse. It might jog his memory. And no more questions until I'm there." He hung up and unmuted his other call, head spinning. "Milash..."
"Yes, Mr. Luthor. I have considered it and will be there in..."
"Never mind that. Tomorrow's good enough," he said, slightly dazed. "I have somewhere else to be."
*********************
Chloe strode toward the Kent barn, trying to focus. She had been focused lately, focused on Clark. Focused on what mattered. She might have slipped the other night, with Lex. But she only might have. She didn't. She stayed focused. Keep Lex out. Out of Clark's business and out of her mind. Jimmy would help with that last. If he was only around. It just figured that once she'd committed fully to him, to having something normal in her life, he was never there.
But griping about that didn't fit right now. Right now, it was about Clark. It was about the work. It was about the world and keeping it in one nice, functioning piece.
"Hey, I must have tripped every speed trap in Smallville to get here," she said breathlessly as she reached the loft. "What happened?"
Clark was just sitting there, at his old, worn desk. She thought he'd be pacing or... something. But he was just sitting there. "I got another S.O.S. from Kara," he said dully.
"And?"
"Krypton will be destroyed any minute," he read off matter-of-factly, like it was the weather. "Brainiac is getting closer. Please, hurry. Your life depends on it."
"So Brainiac used Kara to time-jump back to the day that the planet exploded," she surmised calmly. If he could be calm, she could be calm. "Which means that all he has to do is stop that ship that carried you as a baby from leaving Krypton, and..."
"You would be standing alone in an empty barn," Clark finished for her, as he usually did.
But he was wrong. That wasn't what she was going to say at all. It was worse. Her eyes widened as he moved away. She wouldn't be standing here at all. Maybe she'd have been dead from some meteor mutant or other. Or maybe she wouldn't have stayed in Smallville without him. Maybe she'd have lived some other life, something away from all this. Either way, as screwed up as all of this was, she wouldn't trade it. She was part of something. She was a part of something big and crucial and more than her own life hung in the balance. Who the hell would give that up?
"Clark, if they made the quantum leap, there must be a way you can, too," she said, following him.
"Yeah. Kara mentioned the fortress has the ability to send me back," he said, again, as if he was reading something form a text book on those rare occasions when Clark drew enough attention to himself to be forced to speak in class. If I take the octagonal disk there, Jor-El can make it happen."
"Then, why are you still here? I mean, you should be halfway to Krypton by now."
"I'm not going."
Chloe grabbed the key from his desk and moved after him again. "But you have to stop Brainiac, or you'll fade away. I mean, this could happen at any moment."
"I understand that."
God, no. She should have known. Who would give that up? she'd thought. Clark would. And not because it made sense. But because of some misplaced idea that every bad thing was somehow his fault. She wouldn't bring up her old tired arguments against that again. "Okay, I know what you're thinking, Clark." She dogged him toward the stairs. "The last time you meddled with the past, it lost your father his life. But, Clark, look at what's at stake. You don't have a choice." And really, technically, Brainiac was the one messing with the past. All Clark had to do was make sure he didn't. If he'd just do that...
"I do have a choice, Chloe, and I'm making it right now. Ever since I arrived, all I brought is death and suffering, meteor freaks, phantoms... ...or Brainiac."
She found herself with no choice but to bring back that tired argument, it seemed. "Clark, you've done so much good. You can't blame yourself for all the bad in the world."
"It's not blame, Chloe. I'm taking responsibility for all the lives that I've ruined, including Lana's."
Lana. Hell, anything else could have gone down and he'd be thinking clearly, thinking of the survival of the world, but Lana... that was his blind spot, as always. "Clark, this is not the time to be stubborn, okay? Don't do this. We need you! I need you," she finished, wondering if it would make a difference.
"Chloe, you'll be fine. Once I'm gone, you'll have no idea I was ever here."
Even if she could believe that... God, this was ridiculous. This was a damned Brainiac plan! How the hell could Clark, or anyone, think this was a good idea? If Brainiac wanted to make sure Kal-El never got to earth, then... Hell, just because it was him, this screamed BAD IDEA.
"No," she ground out, pressing the key into his hand. "I'm not letting you off that easy. You're going back to Krypton now before it's too late.
Clark stared her down. "This planet will be better off if I never existed."
Then it happened. The key, it let off a beam of light. That wasn't totally new. From what she knew of Kryptonian technology so far, it tended to glow, beam, or shoot lasers at will. But this... Clark was being surrounded. It was like a web of light was creeping its way over and around him.
"Oh, my god, Clark," she breathed.
Then he was gone. Did Brainiac do it? Why was she still here? Was she next? And if Brainiac succeeded in this, what else did he do? The light appeared again and she felt her entire body clench, waiting for the world around her to disappear and...
She gasped as Clark suddenly appeared again. "Clark, what happened?" She let out a shaky breath and grasped him, burying her head in his chest. "I thought you were gone forever, and then a millisecond later, you're perfectly fine."
He took her by the shoulders. "Chloe, there's still time." He held the key up. "I have to make it right. I have to go to Krypton."
She nearly smiled. Whatever happened, he was through talking crazy.
****************************
"You gonna talk or what?" Regan asked, gripping the man's hair and pulling his head back as he circled the chair.
"I've told you everything," he said, nearly sobbed. "I was just a guard. I don't even know what the project does. I was just doing what I was told."
"By wiping everything," Regan asked almost softly, hunkering down in front of him. "You did it." He kicked at the man's shins and the chair he was tied to teetered slightly before righting itself. "Now tell us how to undo it."
"I don't know," the man was openly sobbing now, tears mixing with the blood running from his nose and mouth. "I swear to God, I don't. I was given a flash drive and I just put it in. That's all I did. That's all I was told to do. You have it." He turned his swollen eyes to Lex suddenly, who stiffened slightly against the wall. "You can figure it out, right? You can let me go. I swear, I won't..."
Regan backhanded him again.
Lex turned away, sickened. It was past dawn. This had gone on all night. He wasn't sure he had the stomach for this any more. But he wasn't going to make that obvious to Regan. He could tell the man had told them all he knew, which was little enough. Beating him senseless was going to accomplish nothing. He suspected they could have gotten everything they had already out of him without a beating.
He was looking forward to Mercer coming out to give Regan a break... perhaps permanently. She had a cooler head. He'd damned near been inside that head. She'd find a way of getting answers with less collateral damage and less clean-up, he reflected, looking at the blood spattered on the floor.
Regan knocked the man's chair back and Lex finally spoke. "Enough." He moved to Regan and gripped his arm, pushing him toward the door. He let go as the door slammed shut behind him.
"Sir, I think he was holding back. If I could just..."
"How much do you think you're going to get out of him when he's unconscious? He's told us what he knows."
Which was little enough. Apparently, Lex was taken here by Lionel that night. And Clark, Lana, and Chloe soon followed. From what the guard remembered, Clark and Lionel had been in the main testing area with him while Lana and Chloe had been in the hallway near where he was stationed. Sullivan had gone in at one point and, shortly after, Lionel came out, looking shaken. He was sent for the helicopter then. He didn't know what happened after that. He was the only one they'd tracked down on the project as he'd been the last in the building... and left prints. Along with a virus.
"How are the technicians doing?" he asked Regan.
"They've made some progress cleaning up the files, but it still doesn't tell us what Intercept did."
Intercept. It was still a horribly bland name, but he supposed it was straight-forward enough. But what was being intercepted? And why was he brought there when nearly dead?
"What about the surveillance footage?"
"They're making better progress cleaning it up, but it's still fuzzy. It might be days yet before we get anything cleared up."
"Then why don't you concentrate on that?" Lex nodded to the door. "There's not much left in him."
Regan gestured to an armed man in the corner. "I'll have him taken care of."
"No," Lex growled, leaning into Regan. "Brainwash him, pay him off. I don't fucking care."
"But he might..."
He gripped him by the tie. "Did I ask for your opinion?" He let go, taking a deep breath. "There's been enough death." Even he could see that now.
Regan swallowed hard and nodded. "That's a wise decision, Sir. In fact, we could invite him to work at Black Creek as his gratitude might make him loyal to..."
"Just clean up the footage," Lex said, annoyed. Somehow flattery irked him coming from Regan. "Send me the footage when it's done." He moved away.
"Sir, where are you..."
"I have other places to be."
Like at his mansion. With Milash and that frustrating cryptograph. That's where he should be.
But that's not what he told his driver. "The Isis Foundation."
It had been a while since he paid the former Mrs. Luthor a visit.
He knew better than to go to Clark. All he'd get out of him was shifting eyes and stony silence. As for Sullivan, he'd get no information and leave feeling even worse. It was something she did to him. That night, before Zurich, he'd spent an entire plane ride miserable. By all rights, he should have been swilling champagne and smiling all the way. Everything was moving along. Hell, everything was still moving along, today's detour aside.
If he saw her, he'd end up guzzling scotch in his study and not doing a damned thing. That was another thing she did to him. She stopped his momentum cold. Made him question what he damned well knew was right.
He couldn't very well ask his father, could he?
"What's the point of looking at you? All I see is a killer."
That was another thing she did. Her words stayed. Hours, days, months, they all stayed with him, taunting him, making him regret every move he made, even if they got him here.
No. He'd stay well clear of Sullivan.
Lana. Lana was the answer. Lana, with a few choice goads, would give something away. She wasn't like Chloe and Clark. She fucked up just a little easier because she... Well, she was just a little more fucked up. She always had been. Perhaps that was what attracted him to her, though he could barely remember it now. He'd sometimes thought, when he was chasing after her, that it was because she was clean and pure. Prettiest girl in town. But that wasn't it. It was because she was just on the edge, so close to falling off, to pulling dirty tricks to get her way. Hell, she'd pulled quite a few.
Just like him, really. He understood Lana. It didn't make for a good marriage, but he understood her. The biggest difference between them was that she didn't have the intellect to look deeper nor the power to make a difference. Hell, he was surely fucked up and might not know a moment of true happiness, but it was a fair trade off. He'd do something important, be someone important.
He supposed Lana wanted to be someone important... or just important to someone. And she couldn't have either because she kept fucking up.
He was hoping she fucked up today. Just gave him something to go on. He kept telling himself it didn't matter. He should be concentrating on the cryptogram and... But what was she doing there with Lionel and Clark? And Sullivan. Don't forget Sullivan.
He wanted to. He'd damned near succeeded by the time he let himself into the Isis foundation offices. He could see nothing but Lana in all that pink. Hell, even the file cabinets were pink. He thanked whatever deity would have him these days that they didn't stay married long enough for her to redecorate.
No receptionist. Maybe that money had been used for the room full of computers she'd been using to spy on him before Sullivan cut it off. That was what started it all, really. It was meant to be a bit of a thank you that night he'd let himself into the Talon apartment with a bottle of scotch and now...
And now he was thinking about Sullivan again.
He sighed and moved to what should be the receptionist's desk, pressed a bell sitting on the edge.
"Uh... Be right out," he heard. And damn it. It wasn't Lana.
He leaned against the desk with a groan, knowing he'd be doing more than thinking about Sullivan as the door to the office opened and she moved through backwards, hefting a box.
"Sorry about the wait. We've had some cutbacks and..." She turned and nearly dropped the box.
He rushed forward and caught the edge of it. "So this is where you're hiding now."
************************
Chloe gripped the box and snatched it away. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to..."
"You just don't take a hint, do you?" She moved to the desk quickly and setting herself and the box away from him. She didn't need him seeing any of Oliver's stash. She also didn't need him barging in on a life that seemed so much simpler away from him. She set the box down and whirled on him. "Every time I think you're finally going to leave me alone, there you are."
"I wasn't planning..."
"You invade my home and now my work. And why, Lex? What can we possibly say to each other now."
"You weren't supposed..."
"No. This is done. I'm not going to argue with you. I'm not going to sit here while you try to pump me for whatever you think I know. I'm not even going to try to make you see how damned much you hurt people," she growled, slamming a hand on the desk. "Because it's useless. You never see reason and that's why it's useless even talking to you. So I'm not going to bother anymore. You've made your choice and you're alone. And you always will be because you keep hurting every single person that ever cared about you."
"Is this you not bothering to talk to me?"
She clenched her fists. "What do you want? Whatever it is, I'm not injured and woozy and it's broad daylight, so I don't think you'll get very..."
"If you would stop flattering yourself for one second," he cut in, "I could tell you that I didn't even know you'd be here."
She crossed her arms. "Right. Because you aren't spying in every corner of..."
"I do have other things going on. Believe me. You're the last person I wanted to see."
She met his slightly angry gaze. He actually seemed to be telling the truth. "Then what..."
"I'm here to see Lana." He glanced at his watch. "Since it's now business hours, I figured she'd be here, comforting all the poor dangerous criminals. I mean, this place was built for more than spying on me, I assume."
"Now who's flattering himself," she sneered. "And you're one to talk about dangerous criminals. Take your checkbook away and all you are is..."
"You know, it's delightful catching up. And it's great that you and Lana are such a dream team now. Maybe you can take Clark to Utah and be his sister wives. But before that happens, why don't you just tell me where she is?"
"She's... not here," she finished carefully, surprised lex didn't know and wondering if he should. Truthfully, she didn't think this would be an issue by now. Kara swore she destroyed Brainiac. With that done, Lana should have snapped out of her vegetative state and been here with her. But nothing had changed and Lana was still staring with clouded eyes at nothing and... Damn it, Lex should know. "Lana's at St. Laurence's," she said in a rush. "She's been there over a week and... we don't know if she's coming back."
"But that's a... a mental hospital."
"I know," she said softly.
Lex narrowed his eyes. "That's not even Belle Reve. People go there when they say there's nothing..."
"I know."
"My God." He leaned against the door, looking pale. "What's wrong with her?"
"She's in what they call a persistent vegetative state with some motor functions. She doesn't respond to stimuli or move on her own. Her brain is acive, but none of the messages are getting to her body. But she can be led and is breathing without assistance. So that's..."
"That's worse than death."
Chloe could only nod. She wouldn't wish being trapped and powerless on her worst... even Lex.
He suddenly moved to her. "Chloe, I swear, I did nothing to..."
"Lex..."
He gripped her shoulders. "These things I do... I know you don't see it now. Maybe someday you will, everyone will, but... there are things I won't do."
She pushed at his chest. "Lex, I know..."
"Think about it, Chloe. If I really wanted to hurt Lana or Clark... or you." He swallowed hard. "I could have and I haven't. And when it comes to it, I won't. Not for..."
"Lex, I know you didn't do it." Her hands had somehow moved to his neck, sliding up either side, framing his face. "But I thought you must have known. I'm sorry I didn't..."
"If I knew, I would have done something by now. I only came here to see Lana about..." His eyes clouded over and he suddenly released her. Her hands slid from him as he backed away. She wanted to feel relieved. She shouldn't have touched him. She shouldn't feel loss when he moved away. It was always the same with him. One moment of vulnerability and she did something stupid. Granted, touching his face wasn't on a level with nearly sleeping with him the other night. But it was a slippery slope.
"So what happened?" Lex asked, pacing away. "What's being done?"
"She... The best they can surmise is that she caught some kind of infection. They don't know what happened."
"They don't know," he said, stopping near her and catching her eyes. "But someone might. Maybe even you."
"Lex, believe me when I say that I am trying," she said carefully. "If there's anything I can do, I'm... trying."
"But you didn't think to tell me, did you? You didn't think I'd have every resource available? Hell, I owe her that much!" He moved closer. "But you and Clark can't get your heads out of each other's asses long enough to..."
"Lex, I thought you knew," she said, getting angry now. "You with your spies all over..."
"Or maybe it's just you," he sneered, leaning in. "I mean, this is just what you wanted. I was a nice distraction and your manboy's a nice ego boost. But Lana's out of the way and now you have him. Winning by default is still winning, after..."
She slapped him.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
More to come as I finish up Apocalypse and then get into *ick* Quest. It's going to be tough as it's on my list. There is a list of SV eps which I consider to be the most painful and embarrassing to watch. We can discount most of season nine and ten as I pretty much avoided them aside from Chloe scenes. But this ep is up there with Hex, Sleeper, Power, Requiem, and Doomsday. So you know it's bad. I mean, Hero looks like a masterpiece next to the ones that are truly on my list. Yes, Hero was an embarrassment, but it had one awesome Chlex scene that redeemed it.
Anyway... He's closer to finding out!
My goal is to get Lex to a slightly better place. Whatever issues I had with his characterization season seven, I think his ending in Arctic was pretty darned nice. He wasn't being petty or outright nuts (see season eight's DarthLex). I think he truly thought he was doing the right thing, and sacrificing his life to boot. So I think there was something that got him from irrationally killing everyone in his way to a fairly selfless move in the end. As this is a Chlex fic, I intend to show that thing had a lot to do with Chloe. So that's what I'm doing here.
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