Title: Restless Spirits (1/?)
Author: Dannyblue
Email: dannyblue2@yahoo.com
Summary: A crossover, in spirit, with THE SENTINEL. (I seem to be fond of those.) Some strange things are happening to Lex. What does it have to do with Chloe?
Rating: PG
Category: Action/Adventure
Pairings: None. This isn’t really a ‘shippy fic. More...friendshippy.
Spoilers: Story takes place some time in season 2, before “Magnetic”, at least.
Disclaimer: SMALLVILLE and its characters do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: All you have to do is ask.
Notes: I was writing a story called “Power Lost”. Things were going pretty well, too. Then, I hit a wall. I got some advice that suggested writing an entirely different story might eventually help me to finish “Power Lost”, so this is the different story.
Feedback: Yes, please.
PART ONE
The dreams started soon after his rescue from the island.
He was alone in a densely wooded forest, surrounded by trees so tall and thick, only a few stray beams of sunlight could penetrate their branches.
As he walked through the shadows, he realized he has no idea where he was, or how he got there. He wore a silk shirt, tailored slacks, leather loafers made by hand. Hardly the proper attire for a hike through the woods. So, this wasn’t a trip he’d expected to take.
A voice at the back of his mind was telling him he should be worried. That’s what a person should do when they find themselves in a strange place, with no idea how they got there. But that didn’t seem as important as following the feeling, the instinct, that pulled him forward. Drew him towards something he knew he had to find. So, he followed the path, winding his way through the trees, which were so close on both sides, he felt a little claustrophobic. He was lost in a maze created by nature, with no idea which way to go to reach ‘civilization’.
Soon, he reached a clearing. At first, after being closed in, he was relieved to find such an open, sunlit space. But he didn’t leave the safety of the trees. Because, standing in the middle of the clearing was a cougar.
Lex’s heart leapt in his chest, a soft gasp escaped his lips. He pulled back into the shadows, stepped to the side so that he was partially concealed by one of the larger trees. It was a beautiful animal, tawny and sleek. Large and lethal. Lex wouldn’t be surprised to find that it weighed almost as much as he did. Or that it could tackle him to the ground with very little effort.
His mind was filled with visions of his own body--broken, and bloodied, and lifeless, lying in the clearing. Never found until his flesh had rotted away, and there was nothing left of him but bones. His fear told him to leave, to turn and quietly disappear into the maze of trees. But something else made him stay.
Lex watched, with growing fascination, as the animal paced the clearing. It stalked from one border to the other. Muscles rippled beneath its skin, and a tail almost as long as its body swished behind it in agitation. It stopped to sniff at the ground. Then, seeming confused, it turned in a circle, searched for the scent it hadn’t found. A loud, angry purr, one that sounded almost nervous, started to rumble deep in its chest. But the beast cut it off abruptly, as if unused to displaying so much emotion. This animal was used to being in control of itself. Only, now, some of its control was gone.
Half hidden behind a tree, Lex watched as the cougar started to pace again, its paws clawing at the ground. The animal seemed uneasy in its surroundings. This was its natural habitat, its home. And yet, somehow, it seemed…lost.
And Lex’s fear started to fade. He had no doubt that the cougar, so nervous and agitated, was dangerous. Still, his fear faded. Because he knew how it felt.
Suddenly, the cougar stopped its pacing. The wind had shifted, and something had caught its attention. As the creature turned to look up, Lex followed its gaze.
Standing at the top of a hill that overlooked the trees was a fox. Looking down into the clearing, she—Lex knew instinctively it was a she—watched the cougar.
She seemed closer than she could possibly be, so Lex could see her in detail. She was small, even for a fox; Lex figured you could carry her without much strain. Her fur was reddish gold, and glowed in the sunlight. Her lush tail, tipped in white, swished lazily from side to side. Considering how much smaller she was than the beast below, she should have been afraid. But there was only curiosity in her sharp, intelligent eyes.
The cougar stared up at the fox, its body still, its agitation gone. When it roared, Lex jumped, caught off guard by the sound. But he realized the roar wasn’t a threat. More like a question.
If the fox was startled by the primal sound, she didn’t show it. Instead, her head tilted to one side inquisitively, and she seemed to consider the question only the two animals could understand. Then, with a gesture that looked almost like a shrug, she turned and trotted away, vanishing as quickly as she had appeared.
Lex waited for the cougar to give chase. Or to start pacing again. For its agitation to return. But it didn’t. The cougar remained still, calm. The confusion, the sense that it was lost, was still there. But some of its control had been restored.
Suddenly, it turned to stare at Lex…and the man realized the beast had known he was there all along. That it had been…waiting for him. Just like it had been waiting for the fox.
Captivated by the strength, the intelligence, he saw in the cougar’s piercing gaze, Lex felt himself fall into its eyes.
____________________
Lex Luthor woke with a start, to find himself in another world. He was almost shocked to find the sunlit forest gone, his moonlit bedroom in its place. To feel the silk sheets draping his body, the plush pillow beneath his head.
He lay still for several moments, took one deep breath after another, His heart pounded in his chest, as he stared into the feline eyes that had imprinted themselves on his memory.
He knew he’d had the dream before. Felt the familiarity of it. But he’d never remembered it. Never remembered the forest, or the cougar, or the fox.
Until now.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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