The Villain in Me (NC-17) (Updated 02/15/2015)

The Villain in Me

Summary:

Sometimes you know right away the impact a person will have on your life. Sometimes you don't. Either way, I know who is responsible for who I became.

Most of you will probably think this is about the boy. It isn't. It isn't even about the girl you may think.It is about HER.

Honestly, I am not really sure what could have changed how things turned out. Maybe if she trusted me, maybe if she let me explain.Mostly, I think things would have been different if she loved me too. Maybe then I would never have found the villain inside me.

Pairing: Chloe and Lex (Chlex)
Rating: PG - NC-17 depending upon chapter
Timeline: Entire Series


Prologue

Sometimes you know right away the impact a person will have on your life. Sometimes you don't. Either way, I know who is responsible for who I became.

Most of you will probably think this is about the boy. It isn't. It isn't even about the girl you may think.

It is about HER. My lodestone, my albatross, and the lost key to my salvation. My nemesis and the only heart I needed.

Honestly, I am not really sure what could have changed how things turned out. Maybe if she trusted me, maybe if she let me explain.

Mostly, I think things would have been different if she loved me too. Maybe then, I would never have found the villain inside me.





CHAPTER ONE - Meeting

It may seem odd, but all these years later, I still remember every detail of the first time I met her. She was cute and young and blonde. In my life, this should have made her fairly forgettable. But for some reason I didn't forget. Then or since. I didn't recognize her for who she would become, but I didn't forget her either.

***************************

I decided to seek out the bright, 15-year-old Chloe Ann Sullivan for two reasons. Neither of them were the one that I told Clark.

First, I was curious about this girl that Clark spoke of so much. She was obviously very important to him. He spoke of her almost as much as he spoke of the beautiful and elusive Lana Lang.

Honestly, when he described both girls, I thought this Chloe Sullivan and her wild ideas seemed much more intriguing than the delicate brunette. But the heart wants what it wants. That is certainly something I came to understand all too well. For me, Chloe would prove the elusive one. The one always sought and rarely captured, but I had no idea about that at the time.

My second reason for seeking out Chloe Sullivan was because, in a town where everyone hated me and blamed me for every single problem based on nothing more than my last name, she didn't. From my plant manager -- Chloe's proud father, Gabe -- I learned of her wild theory about the meteor shower being responsible for many of the strange goings-on in Smallville.

Turns out it wasn't such a wild idea.

So I found myself at Smallville High in a room that proudly declared itself to be "Home of the Torch."

The huge collection of articles, snapshots, clippings, notes, and other assorted ragtag media should have made it feel like the den of an obsessive conspiracy theorist.

It didn't.

The room was full, but bright and colorful, with a logical order to all of it. The person that "owned" this space took pride in every detail. That person had a deep desire to know the truth, even at the risk of walking a line others may see as crazy. It felt like the home of someone very thorough and extremely clever. Someone able to make connections other people would miss.

I thought it fascinating. I found myself looking over the array of articles, notes, and other details for much too long. I had only intended to meet the girl to take her measure, inquire about her theory, and leave. Instead, I was interrupted as I was still reviewing the work thirty minutes later by Clark.

I'm not sure why I lied. Maybe because I didn't want to reveal my fascination with the workings of the mind of a girl I'd never met. Maybe it was just habit.

"How'd you end up here?" Clark asked.

"My plant manager, Gabe. He's always going on about his daughter, the reporter at the Torch. Thought I'd drop by and say hello. She wasn't around, but I was struck by this." I indicated the clippings on the wall.

"That's Chloe's hobby. She thinks she can trace all the freak things in Smallville to the meteor shower."

I knew this already from my earlier Internet research, but I wanted to hear Clark's take on the idea.

"Interesting theory," I hedged.

"Most people think it's crazy."

I didn't think it was crazy at all.

When the girl finally made her appearance, she wasn't what I expected. Small, cute, blonde. Colorful. Not my type, even if she hadn't been 15. More than that, she didn't look at all like the person I expected from the fierce determination I saw around me.

"Mr. Luthor." She smiled as she said my name. A real smile. Most people didn't do that.

I found myself smiling back. Also a real smile, which was odd. "It's Lex. Clark was just telling me your meteor theory. I like it. Especially since most people think my company is secretly behind everything that goes wrong in Smallville."

Her eyes and smile were bright, but her reply told me more. "That's the reigning theory."

She was obviously not the least bit intimidated by me. Though I was trying to be friendly, most people were still at least a little nervous. She wasn't. Also interesting, she was willing to go on record that she was thinking outside the box.

"Are you the only one that blames the meteors instead of me?" I asked.

"Pretty much. Well, there is Mr. Hamilton."

And just like that I was sent on my first search into information about the effects of the meteor shower. Thanks to Chloe Sullivan.

"Call me when you're looking for a summer job. I've got friends over at the Inquisitor." I offered in my throw-away favor way.

Now that I think about it, she never did take me up on that offer.

She went and got herself an internship at The Daily Planet all on her own instead.

Bravo, Chloe.

*******************************

Maybe I should have paid better attention that the memory of the girl stuck with me. But in my defense, I was pretty distracted at the time. I was trying to build an empire from scraps and figure out the secretive, heroic boy that saved my life. Even after growing up under my father's harsh care, I still had light in me. I was drawn by hope of a true friendship with the boy. True friends were not something I had ever found in the privileged circles of my life. Bald at nine, I was a freak. My money gave me a pass into their world, but never welcome. Something about Clark made me feel like I may find real acceptance. Maybe it was because my efforts to buy it failed. Whatever the reason, whenever the chance arose for me to help him out, I jumped at it.

So when I found out through the grapevine that the "small get-together" Clark invited me to was blossoming into a full-fledged party. I decided to up the event a bit for his sake.

But for some reason when the large fireworks I had arranged for started going off, I found myself checking Chloe's reaction.

*****************************

I saw her in passing a time or two after that, including when she helped investigate the strange powers of Bob Rickman. Her keen investigative sense and logical intuition gave us just the link we needed to find out what was going on with the strangely persuasive man.

But I can't say I really thought about her much. She was 15, after all, and I had a trail of ready bed-warmers.

It wasn't until Clark asked if I would be willing to do an interview for The Torch that I really got to match wits with Chloe Sullivan for the first time.

*******************************

I will admit, I was surprised by the direct, aggressive way she started the interview. This was not the happy, shining girl I had seen before. Even having witnessed her impressive investigative skills, I expected to meet with a girl grateful for the chance to interview local, and international, royalty. I didn't have a crown, but I certainly had the castle. I find it funny now, since I know her so much better, that I thought then she would ever be dazzled by something so vainglorious. Instead, I was surprised and more than a little entertained to be confronted with a real reporter. This was the heart of her. Chloe on the story. Chloe after the big bad.

And the big bad was me.

Huh. Maybe she had it right all along. It was just me that didn't see that truth.

Can you blame me for loving such a woman?

At the time, in such a young girl, I found it a game. A little 15-year-old girl writing for her high school paper thought she could crack Lex Luthor.

Chloe asked Clark impatiently, "Are you ready now, Clark?"

"Yeah. I forgot to press the record button. Sorry."

I couldn't help smiling at my friend's sheepishness. The girl was clearly the one in control of the pair when doing something so clearly on her turf.

Actually, it was my turf, since it was in the study of my mansion, but she was totally unfazed. She was the interviewer and obviously saw herself as number one in the room.

I found that amusing as well. Few people would think themselves the bearer of the upper hand when confronting a predator in its lair. Even fewer might one day be right.

"So, Mr. Luthor. Are there anymore secret construction projects going on at LuthorCorp like Level 3?" she asked directly without a trace of apology or smile.

"Please, call me Lex." I deflected the question easily. I had too much experience with reporters to be caught flatfooted, even if I hadn't expected such a brazen question from a high-schooler.

"Okay, Lex. Are you going to answer my question?"

"Chloe..." Clark warned.

"What?" she snapped at him.

He clearly didn't have a good way of explaining what he saw as a breach of etiquette on her end.

"It's okay, Clark. Our critics are our friends. They show us our faults."

"Benjamin Franklin," Chloe said, naming the author of the quote to my surprise. I let my admiration show in a small nod.

"Excuse me, Mr. Luthor. Your father's on the phone," one of my guards interrupted us.

"I need to get this." I told the girl. She flashed a look at me as if thinking this was my way of weaseling out of the interview. I looked back at the guard. "I'll take it in the conservatory."

Honestly, I was sorry to have to leave our conversation. The exercise was proving significantly more interesting than I had anticipated, but I still had a healthy fear of my father. He easily won out over the blonde girl and even the boy in the study.

I leaned in toward Chloe to make sure I had her full attention. For some reason, I wanted her to know I wasn't just blowing her off. "I look forward to resuming our verbal judo," I told her truthfully even with through the veneer of charm.

She smiled at me. A smile of acceptance, and some warmth. A smile for an equal that has played a good game and with whom you wish to match again.

I returned the smile.

Verbal judo. I didn't know it at the time of course, but those words would go a long way in encapsulating our relationship. Two opponents trying to get the better of the other in a match of wits, wills, and negotiation.

It still amazes me how well matched we were. And how long it took me to realize it.

*****************************

Next time I saw her, she was lying on the wet grass outside the mansion as rain and glass fell around her. She had been thrown through one of the stained glass windows of the mansion. She and Clark were attacked by robbers breaking into my library vault. She had fought back against one of the burglars, but he had managed to overpower her and throw her through the glass and out onto the roof. She had managed to cling for a moment to the roof edge before losing her grip. She fell three stories to the lawn below. As the lightning flashed, illuminating her still form, she looked dead.

I wonder now if it would have been better for all concerned if she had been.

****************************

I saw to it that she got the best possible medical care. I even went to visit. I told myself it was not because of anything special about her, but the incident happened on my property. I called the doctors, then the lawyers. Told them to ready a settlement. Surprisingly, neither Chloe nor her father ever sued. I had forgotten that detail. It seems the people that I most wished to buy never were for sale.

***************************

The doctors informed me when Chloe woke up and that she was on the road to a full recovery. Even apart from the legal ramifications, I found myself happy to hear that. I had lied to Clark about wanting to handle the thieves myself because of what happened to Chloe. The truth was I needed the disk they had stolen back, but I still found myself glad to hear the plucky girl would suffer no lasting damage. Considering the terrible fall, she had been very lucky.

I called the local florist shop myself. Unusual for me to do it personally, instead of delegating it, but it seemed appropriate. I had them create a horseshoe shaped arrangement. I had thought of it as a joke. A lucky horseshoe. Never did actually follow up to see if she got it - flowers or joke. I kind of had my hands full, and once I knew she would be fine, I mostly pushed the event from my mind. Mostly.

It was the first time, but certainly not the last, that Chloe Sullivan would be harmed because of me.

***************************

When Chloe got out of the hospital, I really wasn't surprised to receive an email message from her.

Rematch?

That was all it said. Just one word, but I knew exactly what she meant.

Chloe still wanted her interview.

I smiled and replied.

Willing to tackle the dragon in his lair again?

Her response was almost instantaneous.

I'll bring a fire extinguisher. Friday 8pm?

I thought of a few snappy responses about virgin sacrifices and teeth, but decided against them.

That will be fine. I'll let my staff know to expect you and Clark.

Again, an almost instant reply.

Thank you, Lex.

****************************

Funny how those early days in Smallville would play out over the next few years. Chloe on the story. Chloe fighting against seemingly impossible odds and coming out stronger.

Clark so concerned about what is right that he doesn't see what is necessary. Lana thinking only of herself.

Me trying to buy them all. Of them, Lana was the only one that ever came to me for money. The day Chloe awoke in the hospital after the fall, Lana came to me for the first time with hand out to save her beloved Talon. People are so much easier to manage when they owe you and they know it. Even though at the time I did use window dressings like "partnership" to make it more socially acceptable. Even so, the truth was that was how Lana first gave herself into my power.

I often remind myself that Lana started out a good person, thought that changed. My money corrupted her. I corrupted her. In the end, she took the money, faked her death, stalked me, and did everything in her power to destroy me.

Chloe never fell so far from grace. But then I've never met a stronger person than the little blonde. She pitted herself against me time and again, but she never tried to destroy me in the way the twisted Lana did. Even as much as I think she sometimes wanted to. Even at her most practical, the light in her was always greater than the darkness.

But she managed to destroy me anyway.

Ah, but I digress...

**************************

Friday came around and so did Chloe. Though without Clark.

"Where's Clark?" I inquired of her.

She shrugged out of her jacket and gave it to the servant. "He had to help Lana with some project. I figured I can just set up the camera before we get started and leave it rolling. I won't have any pans or push in/outs, but it will just have to be enough."

"We could have rescheduled again," I pointed out.

Her look was surprisingly sharp. "Oh no, not going to fall for that."

"Fall for what?" I asked with a small smile. Though I already knew the answer.

Her eyes narrowed. "Not going to let this reschedule, reschedule, and reschedule again until you 'forget' you agreed to do it. Or until you think I lose interest and give up." Her eyes narrowed. "You said yes. This is going to happen."

"Is this your way of putting me on notice to be wary of what I agree to do around you?"

Her eyes stayed narrowed as she sought the trap in my words. She knew I was having some fun at her expense, but was trying to see if there was more behind it. There was, of course. I was trying to gauge her resolve.

"Yes, Lex. I'd say that is fair. I don't take broken promises lying down."

Her look was surprisingly serious and very targeted. I knew she wasn't speaking specifically about the interview. She was also talking about my friendship with Clark and my taking over the Smallville plant. I actually caught myself blink in surprise. Was she really...warning me? Me? This tiny little blonde highschooler...was trying to intimidate Lex Luthor?

I wondered briefly what it would be like to have such a fierce little ally fighting for me.

Then she broke the moment. The fierceness melted away, and she was again just a bright and eager girl. "So, back to the library I assume? You'll have to lead the way, this place is a maze."

I smiled back and gestured for her to follow me down a hall. "Right this way, Miss Sullivan."

***************************

The article she wrote based on our interview was surprisingly balanced. She had grilled me in depth about Level 3, my plans for the Luthorcorp plant, my Metropolis past, my anticipated future in Smallville, and more. Insightful questions that were not easily fobbed off and were not just a rerunning of facts that would already be widely available on the Internet. I give few interviews, and when I do agree to one, I always hate questions that could have been answered by a 60-second google search. One thing I had expected her to inquire about, but she skipped over, was research into the meteor rock.

Was it really possible she didn't know I had started looking into the effects of the rocks on my own?

Even so, the portrayal was not a puff piece. It wasn't particularly kind, but it was fair. She obviously had her doubts about some of the plans I described for the plant and Smallville, but was willing to give me the benefit of the doubt after outlining her concerns for the readers. She left it up to the readers to take the information given and come to their own conclusions.

So not what I hoped for, since I had done the interview as a favor for Clark, but being given a fair treatment in Smallville was a success in and of itself.

YAY! New Chlex from You!! I'm so excited!
I loved the first chapter.
I'm just a little worried to how it wil all ends because of what I read in the prologue. No happy ending?
Anyway, I'll keep reading and find out!
Update soon!

I'm always excited to see a new story. Very interested to read more, I love that you included the early SV days.

can't wait to see what happens.but the prologue a little since it may not be a happy ending

Thanks for the love guys! Especially from TrinityR - glad you found this here since I wasn't going to post on K-site.

As for if the story will have a happy ending...I can tell you what I'm thinking in a PM, but don't want to post spoilers. Even so, that may change. Lex already turned the story one way I wasn't expecting - the rascal!

This is definitely intriguing to say the least. Will be watching for updates. Just loving these chlex stories, which I would never have expected. But since I started reading them, I think they are my favorite ship now!

CHAPTER 2 - First Loves

Love comes to each of us in different ways. When I moved to Smallville, my heart was untouched. Though that would certainly change, much to my pain and sorrow.

Clark told me he had been in love with Lana since they were children.

Lana seemed to be infatuated with whatever man was currently paying her the most attention at the time.

For Chloe, it was Clark. I don't know when it started for her, but the moment I saw them together it was obvious. It was also clear he had no idea.

***************************

"I really messed up," Clark told me over the phone.

"What's wrong, Clark? What did you do?"

"I told Chloe that I would sign us up for a journalism conference in Metropolis on Saturday, but I got distracted, and --"

"And by distracted, you mean 'was busy with Lana' right?"

"Ummmm...yeah."

"So now you need tickets if you expect to ever get out of the doghouse with Chloe."

"Yeah..."

I smiled. This was easy. "I'll make a call and see if I can get you some tickets."

"Thanks, Lex."

"No problem, Clark." He didn't hang up and I got the impression something else was eating at him. "What else is on your mind, Clark?"

"Do you think I've been ignoring everyone else in favor of you and Lana?"

I blinked. That wasn't a question I expected. "I'm not sure, Clark. Why do you ask?"

"Chloe said something..."

"Ah, ok. Well, I guess you are the only one that can say for sure. How much time have you made for your other friends?"

"Well, I..."

"Clark, take it from someone that has a very short list of people they can really call friend. Make the time for the important people in your life."

I heard a heavy sigh on the phone. Then, "Thanks, Lex. I've got to get to class."

"No problem, Clark."

After the boy hung up, I just shook my head. I still don't know how he could be so blind. It seemed obvious that Chloe was annoyed at Clark for more than just going MIA on her, but until one or the other of them were willing to speak up, I would let that dog lie.

Though it didn't take long.

**************************

I stopped by the Kent farm and sought out Clark in his loft while I was there. "What are you reading? 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus'?"

"I'm trying to get an insight into the female psyche."

I smiled and brandished the book. "I seriously doubt you'll find it in here. What's the problem?"

"I've got these two amazing friends who both happen to be girls."

Ah, so he finally saw what had been so obvious about Chloe. "For argument's sake, let's call them Lana and Chloe."

"I've always liked Lana, but I can never get near her. I just found out that Chloe likes me and I think I may have feelings for her too."

A true embarrassment of riches. I was happy for him, but also frustrated by his inaction. It's so strange that I recall hoping he would choose Chloe and not the elusive Lana. I really saw her as the better fit for my friend.

I was right about that, much to my own later pain.

Though at the time all I said was..."So which one do you want to pursue?"

"That's the thing, I want to protect my friendship with both."

I let some of my annoyance show. How could he be so blind? "Then you'll never get either one."

He clearly didn't appreciate my advice. "Thanks. I think I'll stick with the book."

"Clark, love isn't about playing it safe. It's about risks. Unless you're willing to put yourself out there, you'll never know."

"Have you ever been in love before?"

"I've only loved two women in my life. One died and the other betrayed me."

I know Clark thought I meant romantic love, but that wasn't the reply I gave. At that point, my deepest heart was still my own. The women I was talking about were my mother and my old nurse, Pamela.

It's interesting that the two women that were causing Clark so much confusion at the time would both end up doing their own damage to my heart. One trying to tear it out and the other succeeding.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Some people are meant to be alone," I replied.

Maybe I should have taken my own advice.

**************************

I understand what Clark saw in Lana. She was undeniably beautiful, kind, and had a sort of purity. I remember pushing him time and again to pursue her, but he never did. He insisted on waiting, taking the high road road over and over again, which just seemed to push the two of them apart.

Not like me.

I never hesitated when I was provided an opportunity. In my case, most of those opportunities I found in Smallville were for the undervalued Luthorcorp #3 and later Lexcorp. I was desperate to build a life outside of my father's power and used any means given to me. Including some not particularly safe or ethical work with meteor rock and its applications. Later, some of those works would come back to strike at me, but at the time they provided some very exciting results. Many of those shady projects kept the company afloat when everyone, my father included, were trying to bring it down. Ethics were not my highest priority at the time. Or any time really. That trait gave me a unique advantage in a difficult position. I felt no shame in using an unconventional source to uncover new areas of potential research -- Chloe Sullivan.

Clark often told me about the investigations and and hunches Chloe had for her "Wall of Weird." Most also went on to be published in her newspaper - The Torch. I owe Chloe quite a bit from those early days. Her in-depth research into "meteor freaks," along with the various incarnations, and myriad (often illegal but profitable) usages of meteor rock was fascinating. Projects looking into using meteor rock to project fear, walk through walls, even invisibility. What she published often became the groundwork for additional research in my own labs.

Not that she knew about that.

I am not sure why, maybe it is just a hunch of my own, but I also have the feeling that Chloe Sullivan was somehow involved in more than one of my close-calls. Maybe it is just because whenever something out of the norm went on in Smallville, she was never far away. She was like Clark that way. Unlike Clark, she wanted to know the why's of the events and not just be there to save the day. She wanted the whole story. She always was a true reporter at heart, seeking the truth and bringing it to light. I just happened to benefit as a side-effect.

It is a such strange sensation now -- to owe thanks to her, considering all that happened between us.

But back in those early days, it should come as no surprise that when I wanted the best possible girl for Clark, I wanted Chloe for my friend. Not Lana.

**************************

Turns out Clark did finally give Chloe a chance after saving her from being buried alive. He asked her to Spring Formal. Then he left her at the dance, and afterwards they decided to put their friendship above all else. I never did understand what caused them to do that. Then Clark returned to his pining for Lana. And Chloe continued to pine over Clark.

Idiots.

Maybe if they had both followed their hearts then, I never would have risked my own.

And lost.

Though love of a sort was about to find me anyway in the form of Desiree Atkins.

A one-week courtship and some meteor-rock powered pheromones and I found myself married.

Though the punchline of the event might be the guestlist for the wedding, which included Clark, Lana, and...yes, Chloe.

Then my "wife" tried to kill me.

Well, Desiree did like to picture herself as a trendsetter.

************************

Helen.

Beautiful, driven, smart. I was instantly attracted, despite the thorns she had out when we first met.

Our courtship was the most traditional of all my wives and dalliances. Maybe that should have been a warning in itself.

Nothing with Chloe was ever traditional, but it was still the closest I've ever come to true joy.

Then, Chloe was still so young, just sixteen, but I remember the first time I really saw the woman Chloe would become. The woman that would always meet me as an equal and drive me mad with desire.

Not surprisingly, it was when she was being difficult.

************************

Clark had come down to the caves just after I hired Dr. Frederick Walden to translate the paintings on the cave walls. After the doctor threw a tantrum, I agreed to let him have his way and kick out all visitors.

I didn't even notice Chloe until the doctor shouted at her. She had climbed up onto a ledge in the cave and was looking down at us like some sort of wild deity. After Clark called her, she descended with surprising grace and an even more surprising smile.

"What are you smiling at? I want those photographs," Doctor Walden challenged her snippily. He then attempted to take her camera.

Bad idea.

Meeting his shocked look challengingly, Chloe told him bluntly, "You're the cunning linguist. Why don't you translate this?" She paused to give each word proper emphasis. "Kiss... my... ass."

She snapped the camera from Walden's grasp and strode away as I tried hard to fight back a smile. The doctor was a prick, and I admit I liked seeing him put down so firmly.

I liked it less when she turned that attitude on me.

**********************

I stopped by the Kent's barn to see Chloe in Clark's arms.

"My own personal superhero. I always knew there was something special about you, Clark Kent," she was saying to him.

I thought I should announce my presence before things between them got...heated. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"You are," Clark said with obvious annoyance, putting Chloe down. It was then that I saw she had done an interesting sort of dark striping to her hair and her clothes were unusually short and tight. A part of me that had no business thinking reacted to the look.

After some confusing banter, Chloe and Pete agreed to let me have a quiet word with Clark. But not before Chloe turned her newly cruel wit on me. "You know, I always wondered." She marched up to me in a way I had never seen from her before. She looked me up and down in a very clearly assessing way. "For a boy who has all the money in the world, you'd think he could afford a good toupee."

I'm not proud of it, but that frank and surprising assessment was...hot. And wrong. And hot.

Then she was gone and I was left feeling dirty for where my mind and body had gone in those few brief moments.

************************

Those uncomfortable feelings around Chloe lingered far past when they should have faded. They didn't go so far as to interfere with my relationship with Helen. Though maybe if they had, I would have been spared another failed marriage. As it was, I didn't suggest to Helen that Chloe receive an invite to our wedding. It was never brought up as an issue though, since this was a much more formal and planned affair than my shotgun to Desiree. This wedding was to be a full upper-crust event. Much of the day is a blur of polite smiles and forgettable music, but Helen looked radiant. I spent a great deal of time amusing myself with all the ways I would make love to my new wife when we reached our secluded honeymoon spot.

That was our last happy day.

Like all good things in my life, my joy turned to ashes. For the second time, my newly minted wife tried to kill me.

This time, by arranging a plane crash.

Helen's plan failed, and I found myself stranded on an island, unsure of exactly what had happened to bring me there.

*****************************

I really am the worst judge of love.

Yes, Lex, you are!

Can't imagine how this is to end, but you're definitely reeling me in like a hooked fish with this one. I love the writing being entirely from lex pov!

can't wait to see what happens next