Gemkat5
25th April 2005, 15:44
TITLE: Into the Darkness
AUTHOR: Kat
E-MAIL: gemkat5@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: The 'only' thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story. Everything else is borrowed.
SPOILERS: I pretend that season 4 doesn't exist, but anything before that is fair game.
SUMMERY: This is definitely an AU, Lionel is the only one who knows who touched the ancient artifact from the caves first, and it wasn't him. He realizes that he had pushed Lex too far and now its taking its toll. Lex has become too darkened and must be stopped. But Lionel doesn't have a lot of time left, his health is fading and fading fast. Upon his release from prison he resorts to the least likely person to help him, but Lex has a plan of his own. Can they stop Lex from stepping into the darkness?
PAIRING: Chlex, (minimal amount, but it's there)
FEEDBACK: Is that a trick question? Of course I want feedback!
ARCIVING: BT2, NS.Net
RATING: R for my potty mouth.
A/N: Considering this is fan fiction, and I'm not getting paid for any of this, I deem it ok to mess with the SV timeline and DC Comics cannon just a little. I changed a thing or two, maybe three. *G* (i.e. Lex was poisoned before the pretrial, not after, and Lucas makes an appearance.) I hope you enjoy it none the less.
INTO THE DARKNESS ~ CHAPTER ONE
Lionel had returned to Metropolis that fateful day feeling battered and bruised. Not only had he become 'a sacrifice' by the psychopath teenager who had possessed the ancient blade found in the caves, but he had also lost the opportunity to claim said blade for himself.
The Indian boy had deemed Lionel the 'friend turned enemy' from his People's prophecy, and with his track record Lionel couldn't blame him for that assumption no matter how wrong it had been.
Lionel had wanted that artifact as soon as he had found out about it and was willing to stop at nothing to get it. It was said to have healing powers, adding strength and endurance to its possessor. Lionel had desperately wanted to be that possessor! Everything he had tried so far to rid himself of his disease had failed, that blade had been a last hope to be cured.
But that hope had turned to ash right in front of his eyes. He had never been so astonished in his life as he had been the second his son's skin had touched that blade a fine hair's width before his. The artifact was already turning to ash when Lionel's fingers had made contact.
Lex wasn't aware of which of them had reached it first, his questioning gaze said as much after they had watched the ashes scatter in the breeze. But Lionel knew and that fact both angered and disturbed him greatly. Not one word had been spoken between himself and his son during the drive back to the mansion. Lionel had gathered his things and left, ignoring his son's frequent accusing glares. He had mistaken Lionel's silence for his own conclusions.
'Let him think that I was the one who destroyed it,' Lionel had thought in retrospect. 'It will keep him in line if he thinks I'm truly that evil.'
But that reasoning had an unprecedented effect that Lionel hadn't counted on. Lex had become more determined than ever to destroy him and he had somehow incorporated the aid of one Chloe Sullivan, not to leave out the infamous Clark Kent.
Lionel had to act quickly to stop his son from going down the path he was heading. Having him committed and scheduled for electric shock therapy had been the best case scenario as far as Lionel was concerned. It would relieve his son of his outrageous plans of domination, and leave the teenagers involved left unscathed for the most part.
Things had been going so well until Clark Kent had greatly interfered with everything! And Chloe Sullivan was mustering up trouble from a different perspective! But his plan had worked, despite their meddling. His son hadn't remembered anything of his little plan by the time he had been done with him!
But he had become too confident with the results of his son's 'therapy'. He hadn't calculated all the training he had put into Lex to come back in full strength. His son had pooled on his 'Luthor' upbringing to not give up and had become determined to regain his memories, with no regard for the consequences.
Add that to that damn farm boy becoming affiliated with Edge... of all the people to get tied in with, Morgan Edge was quite possibly the most unexpected force to have to contend with. Lionel hadn't had so much chaos to deal with at once in his entire life.
His son was regaining his memory, Chloe was digging up skeletons from his past, and Clark.... Clark Kent was the enigma in the mix. That boy had somehow managed to become involved with everything! But what irked Lionel the most was that Edge knew something about the Kent boy, he knew what made him different, and the bastard wouldn't tell him what it was!
Lionel deemed the past several months as the 'year of failure', though he would never admit to feeling that way to anyone! He had Kent where he wanted him only for that incompetent 'doctor' to foil everything! He had specifically told him NOT to start without him, but did he listen? No. But Lionel refused to dwell on that. Clark Kent was a mystery to everyone he came in contact with, he would have acted accordingly without hesitation if the shoe had been on the other foot, as they say.
Lionel sighed deeply with contemplation. He had relied too much on his power to intimidate, he had realized this too late. Instead of them shirking back and leaving things they had no business dabbling in alone, they had joined forces against him. They had put themselves into Lex's confidence, letting him be the front man, a distraction, while they came in from the rear.
The bond among them was admirable, even from Lionel's perspective. But something had happened among their ranks that Lionel had noticed immediately when they had entered the courtroom for his pre-trial.
Chloe had been the brave little girl, doing the right thing to fix all the wrong Lionel had created. She had been scared to death, he had seen it in her eyes, though she had covered it well under her brave facade. He had given her a mental ovation for standing up for herself despite his threatening her.
Clark had one purpose and one purpose only, to make sure Lionel didn't see the light of day any time soon. His entire countenance had been tense and full of anger. Lionel had known without a doubt that the boy had used the key he had given him and found Lex's little obsession. That he showed up anyway as a witness against him made Lionel realize just how much he had underestimated their friendship. Even though that day had been a turning event in all their lives, they had stood together to finish what had been started.
And last but certainly not least, his son. Lionel wasn't surprised to see his son still alive, it had only been a warning and nothing more. If he had wanted Lex dead, then he would have died. Lex had been saved in the nick of time just as Lionel expected, though not by Clark Kent.
Lex had entered the courtroom with vengeance in his eyes. His countenance had exuded his confidence that he would be the victor. The coldness that had been in his eyes when he met his father's had sent a chill up Lionel's spine, reminding the older man of the day when Lex's touch had destroyed his chance of a longer life.
'If only I had touched the blade first... if only.'
There had been one brief moment when Lex had glanced at Chloe Sullivan, his eyes had softened and he had laid his hand atop hers reassuringly. The gesture had only lasted a few seconds, but Lionel had witnessed it and stored it in his mind for further thought at a later time. It was with the help of Chloe Sullivan that his son had put him in jail.
'Big surprise that,' he silently mused.
Lionel had greatly underestimated that girl. If it weren't for her Lex would never have had anything to hold against him. How she had managed to retrieve his deleted admission from her cell phone was certainly perplexing. She was proving to definitely be someone to contend with! And she was getting smarter, more ruthless, and more cunning with every passing day.
He blamed his son for that. Never mind the fact that he himself had given the teen a lesson well learned. Yes, Chloe Sullivan was definitely growing to be a formidable woman underneath that pretty face.
Lionel had raised his head as an idea filled his mind. 'Yes, she's becoming very formidable, and beautiful too as she matures. She was absolutely exquisite at the pre-trial.' The kindness that he had witnessed Lex bestow upon the girl replayed in his mind.
Lionel was confident that, despite Chloe's proof, he would ultimately be found not guilty and would again see the light of day very soon. And when he did, he would find a way to keep Chloe Sullivan right where she was now, by his son's side.
~
It had taken every ounce of self-control for Lionel to remain impassive when he heard of the Sullivan's 'safe house' exploding. No remains had been found and none were expected considering the intensity of the blast.
'What have you done, Lex?'
He was torn between regret and foreboding. Regret for not warning the young woman of his son's ability to do something like this, and foreboding that Lex had actually done it. Chloe had been Lex's star witness against him. She had trusted him, confided in him for a mutual cause.
'Why? Why, would he have her killed?' He wiped his face with his hand, 'What have I done to you Lex? You weren't supposed to turn out this way, not this corrupt, not this relentless!'
She must have stumbled on something that Lex didn't want her knowing about. It was the only thing Lionel could think of, except that he would be suspect for her murder, even though he was behind bars.
Lionel leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, his head resting in his hands. 'My son killed such a beautiful thing just to get back at me.' For the first time in his life, Lionel Luthor's eyes became moist with sorrow.
~
Lionel had been found not guilty and was released within three hours after the trial. He returned to his Metropolis penthouse feeling sullen and at a loss. The security that had surrounded him from the courthouse to LuthorCorp Towers had been so tight that he had almost felt claustrophobic. There were many people out there who believed he was responsible for not just his parent's deaths but those of Chloe and Gabe's as well.
Closing his penthouse door with a backward swing of his arm he paused. The silence in the apartments was so deafening he could hear his own heartbeat in his ears. He stepped over to the bar to pour himself a drink, he needed something to settle his nerves. He was a very sick man and he was feeling it more and more as the days progressed.
"Careful, dad. You wouldn't want to choke on your own scotch," Lex announced from behind the desk, swiveling around to face his father as he poured his drink.
"If idle threats are the only thing you have to say, Lex, keep them to yourself," he replied evenly, though he put his glass down untouched. Turning to face his heir he met his cold stare head on. "What do you want, Lex?"
"Unlike the jury, I wasn't fooled by your court performance. I wanted you to know that personally."
"I've pushed you too hard, I realize that now. But Lex, you're taking things too far. If I've taught you nothing, I've tried to empower you with a sense of morals."
Lex chuckled without humor as he rose from the chair. "Oh you've taught me more than morals, dad, rest assured of that. I have a feeling that your last days of drawing breath are going to be full of surprises."
Lionel remained silent as he watched his son walk casually for the door. He was reminded of himself when he was young and cocky, only his son had taken everything he had taught him and turned into something far worse.
"Why'd you do it, Lex?" he asked, expecting him to pause and demand a more precise question.
"To keep your hands off of her," he replied, not bothering to turn around as he opened the door.
"You killed an innocent girl and her father, Lex!" he shouted, not bothering to keep his tone in check.
Lex paused briefly to look back over his shoulder. "No I didn't. I kept my promise to protect them against you. You'll never be able to touch her again."
Lionel felt the blood drain from his face as his son closed the door on his way out. He turned back to the wet bar and picked up his scotch. As the glass touched his lips, he paused, then placed it back on the smooth surface. Lex had finally managed to put a spark of fear in his heart. Lionel fully believed that his son was truly capable of anything at this point, and he needed to be stopped!
end 1/3
AUTHOR: Kat
E-MAIL: gemkat5@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: The 'only' thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story. Everything else is borrowed.
SPOILERS: I pretend that season 4 doesn't exist, but anything before that is fair game.
SUMMERY: This is definitely an AU, Lionel is the only one who knows who touched the ancient artifact from the caves first, and it wasn't him. He realizes that he had pushed Lex too far and now its taking its toll. Lex has become too darkened and must be stopped. But Lionel doesn't have a lot of time left, his health is fading and fading fast. Upon his release from prison he resorts to the least likely person to help him, but Lex has a plan of his own. Can they stop Lex from stepping into the darkness?
PAIRING: Chlex, (minimal amount, but it's there)
FEEDBACK: Is that a trick question? Of course I want feedback!
ARCIVING: BT2, NS.Net
RATING: R for my potty mouth.
A/N: Considering this is fan fiction, and I'm not getting paid for any of this, I deem it ok to mess with the SV timeline and DC Comics cannon just a little. I changed a thing or two, maybe three. *G* (i.e. Lex was poisoned before the pretrial, not after, and Lucas makes an appearance.) I hope you enjoy it none the less.
INTO THE DARKNESS ~ CHAPTER ONE
Lionel had returned to Metropolis that fateful day feeling battered and bruised. Not only had he become 'a sacrifice' by the psychopath teenager who had possessed the ancient blade found in the caves, but he had also lost the opportunity to claim said blade for himself.
The Indian boy had deemed Lionel the 'friend turned enemy' from his People's prophecy, and with his track record Lionel couldn't blame him for that assumption no matter how wrong it had been.
Lionel had wanted that artifact as soon as he had found out about it and was willing to stop at nothing to get it. It was said to have healing powers, adding strength and endurance to its possessor. Lionel had desperately wanted to be that possessor! Everything he had tried so far to rid himself of his disease had failed, that blade had been a last hope to be cured.
But that hope had turned to ash right in front of his eyes. He had never been so astonished in his life as he had been the second his son's skin had touched that blade a fine hair's width before his. The artifact was already turning to ash when Lionel's fingers had made contact.
Lex wasn't aware of which of them had reached it first, his questioning gaze said as much after they had watched the ashes scatter in the breeze. But Lionel knew and that fact both angered and disturbed him greatly. Not one word had been spoken between himself and his son during the drive back to the mansion. Lionel had gathered his things and left, ignoring his son's frequent accusing glares. He had mistaken Lionel's silence for his own conclusions.
'Let him think that I was the one who destroyed it,' Lionel had thought in retrospect. 'It will keep him in line if he thinks I'm truly that evil.'
But that reasoning had an unprecedented effect that Lionel hadn't counted on. Lex had become more determined than ever to destroy him and he had somehow incorporated the aid of one Chloe Sullivan, not to leave out the infamous Clark Kent.
Lionel had to act quickly to stop his son from going down the path he was heading. Having him committed and scheduled for electric shock therapy had been the best case scenario as far as Lionel was concerned. It would relieve his son of his outrageous plans of domination, and leave the teenagers involved left unscathed for the most part.
Things had been going so well until Clark Kent had greatly interfered with everything! And Chloe Sullivan was mustering up trouble from a different perspective! But his plan had worked, despite their meddling. His son hadn't remembered anything of his little plan by the time he had been done with him!
But he had become too confident with the results of his son's 'therapy'. He hadn't calculated all the training he had put into Lex to come back in full strength. His son had pooled on his 'Luthor' upbringing to not give up and had become determined to regain his memories, with no regard for the consequences.
Add that to that damn farm boy becoming affiliated with Edge... of all the people to get tied in with, Morgan Edge was quite possibly the most unexpected force to have to contend with. Lionel hadn't had so much chaos to deal with at once in his entire life.
His son was regaining his memory, Chloe was digging up skeletons from his past, and Clark.... Clark Kent was the enigma in the mix. That boy had somehow managed to become involved with everything! But what irked Lionel the most was that Edge knew something about the Kent boy, he knew what made him different, and the bastard wouldn't tell him what it was!
Lionel deemed the past several months as the 'year of failure', though he would never admit to feeling that way to anyone! He had Kent where he wanted him only for that incompetent 'doctor' to foil everything! He had specifically told him NOT to start without him, but did he listen? No. But Lionel refused to dwell on that. Clark Kent was a mystery to everyone he came in contact with, he would have acted accordingly without hesitation if the shoe had been on the other foot, as they say.
Lionel sighed deeply with contemplation. He had relied too much on his power to intimidate, he had realized this too late. Instead of them shirking back and leaving things they had no business dabbling in alone, they had joined forces against him. They had put themselves into Lex's confidence, letting him be the front man, a distraction, while they came in from the rear.
The bond among them was admirable, even from Lionel's perspective. But something had happened among their ranks that Lionel had noticed immediately when they had entered the courtroom for his pre-trial.
Chloe had been the brave little girl, doing the right thing to fix all the wrong Lionel had created. She had been scared to death, he had seen it in her eyes, though she had covered it well under her brave facade. He had given her a mental ovation for standing up for herself despite his threatening her.
Clark had one purpose and one purpose only, to make sure Lionel didn't see the light of day any time soon. His entire countenance had been tense and full of anger. Lionel had known without a doubt that the boy had used the key he had given him and found Lex's little obsession. That he showed up anyway as a witness against him made Lionel realize just how much he had underestimated their friendship. Even though that day had been a turning event in all their lives, they had stood together to finish what had been started.
And last but certainly not least, his son. Lionel wasn't surprised to see his son still alive, it had only been a warning and nothing more. If he had wanted Lex dead, then he would have died. Lex had been saved in the nick of time just as Lionel expected, though not by Clark Kent.
Lex had entered the courtroom with vengeance in his eyes. His countenance had exuded his confidence that he would be the victor. The coldness that had been in his eyes when he met his father's had sent a chill up Lionel's spine, reminding the older man of the day when Lex's touch had destroyed his chance of a longer life.
'If only I had touched the blade first... if only.'
There had been one brief moment when Lex had glanced at Chloe Sullivan, his eyes had softened and he had laid his hand atop hers reassuringly. The gesture had only lasted a few seconds, but Lionel had witnessed it and stored it in his mind for further thought at a later time. It was with the help of Chloe Sullivan that his son had put him in jail.
'Big surprise that,' he silently mused.
Lionel had greatly underestimated that girl. If it weren't for her Lex would never have had anything to hold against him. How she had managed to retrieve his deleted admission from her cell phone was certainly perplexing. She was proving to definitely be someone to contend with! And she was getting smarter, more ruthless, and more cunning with every passing day.
He blamed his son for that. Never mind the fact that he himself had given the teen a lesson well learned. Yes, Chloe Sullivan was definitely growing to be a formidable woman underneath that pretty face.
Lionel had raised his head as an idea filled his mind. 'Yes, she's becoming very formidable, and beautiful too as she matures. She was absolutely exquisite at the pre-trial.' The kindness that he had witnessed Lex bestow upon the girl replayed in his mind.
Lionel was confident that, despite Chloe's proof, he would ultimately be found not guilty and would again see the light of day very soon. And when he did, he would find a way to keep Chloe Sullivan right where she was now, by his son's side.
~
It had taken every ounce of self-control for Lionel to remain impassive when he heard of the Sullivan's 'safe house' exploding. No remains had been found and none were expected considering the intensity of the blast.
'What have you done, Lex?'
He was torn between regret and foreboding. Regret for not warning the young woman of his son's ability to do something like this, and foreboding that Lex had actually done it. Chloe had been Lex's star witness against him. She had trusted him, confided in him for a mutual cause.
'Why? Why, would he have her killed?' He wiped his face with his hand, 'What have I done to you Lex? You weren't supposed to turn out this way, not this corrupt, not this relentless!'
She must have stumbled on something that Lex didn't want her knowing about. It was the only thing Lionel could think of, except that he would be suspect for her murder, even though he was behind bars.
Lionel leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, his head resting in his hands. 'My son killed such a beautiful thing just to get back at me.' For the first time in his life, Lionel Luthor's eyes became moist with sorrow.
~
Lionel had been found not guilty and was released within three hours after the trial. He returned to his Metropolis penthouse feeling sullen and at a loss. The security that had surrounded him from the courthouse to LuthorCorp Towers had been so tight that he had almost felt claustrophobic. There were many people out there who believed he was responsible for not just his parent's deaths but those of Chloe and Gabe's as well.
Closing his penthouse door with a backward swing of his arm he paused. The silence in the apartments was so deafening he could hear his own heartbeat in his ears. He stepped over to the bar to pour himself a drink, he needed something to settle his nerves. He was a very sick man and he was feeling it more and more as the days progressed.
"Careful, dad. You wouldn't want to choke on your own scotch," Lex announced from behind the desk, swiveling around to face his father as he poured his drink.
"If idle threats are the only thing you have to say, Lex, keep them to yourself," he replied evenly, though he put his glass down untouched. Turning to face his heir he met his cold stare head on. "What do you want, Lex?"
"Unlike the jury, I wasn't fooled by your court performance. I wanted you to know that personally."
"I've pushed you too hard, I realize that now. But Lex, you're taking things too far. If I've taught you nothing, I've tried to empower you with a sense of morals."
Lex chuckled without humor as he rose from the chair. "Oh you've taught me more than morals, dad, rest assured of that. I have a feeling that your last days of drawing breath are going to be full of surprises."
Lionel remained silent as he watched his son walk casually for the door. He was reminded of himself when he was young and cocky, only his son had taken everything he had taught him and turned into something far worse.
"Why'd you do it, Lex?" he asked, expecting him to pause and demand a more precise question.
"To keep your hands off of her," he replied, not bothering to turn around as he opened the door.
"You killed an innocent girl and her father, Lex!" he shouted, not bothering to keep his tone in check.
Lex paused briefly to look back over his shoulder. "No I didn't. I kept my promise to protect them against you. You'll never be able to touch her again."
Lionel felt the blood drain from his face as his son closed the door on his way out. He turned back to the wet bar and picked up his scotch. As the glass touched his lips, he paused, then placed it back on the smooth surface. Lex had finally managed to put a spark of fear in his heart. Lionel fully believed that his son was truly capable of anything at this point, and he needed to be stopped!
end 1/3