Lex rolled his neck in discomfort, the yellow hardhat on his head more uncomfortable than anything else. If it wasn't for the light it had on it he would have opted out of it completely. Looking at the sewer tunnels he couldn't help but nod, they had been in the worst of states before he had invested in them. Water made the world go round, investing in it was like investing the heart of a civilization. He ignored the droning of his workers, Brani himself was running test on the structural stability of the tunnels. They stopped at a threeway tunnel and lex could have sworn he was mishearing things.
He could have sworn he could hear a constant ticking. Looking deeper into the tunnel in front of him he saw a flashing red light, and then the beeping.
"LuthorCorp will fall, sooner or later, This is only the beginning Lex Luthor," Lex grabbed the shoulder of the guide pushing him towards the opposite tunnel before jumping towards the other. Seconds later the bomb went off collapsing the tunnel in front of him, Lex could feel the tremors and something told him that the bomb wasn't the only one to go off.
"What's the status of the sewer tunnels, Brani?" Lex asked looking down at his Ipod.
[Reports suggest that all major Tunnel exits have been destroyed]
Lex nodded hearing that, it seemed trouble truly always had a way of finding him. Looking back at the collapsed tunnel he wondered if the worker would be alright.
"What are his chances of survival" Lex asked.
[As long he continues along the path he should find an exit ladder that leads to a main street within the city]
"That's good, let's find our own way out," Lex said and Brani immediately got to work. Walking forward he looked down at his phone periodically as Brani pointed him in the right direction. Taking a right he spotted a ladder, moving towards it he wanted to climb but stopped as Brani began typing.
[Retreat five steps to your right]
Lex didn't have time to react as a figure in red appeared from his left grabbing him and diving the opposite of the way he had come from.
BOOM
Another explosion went off Lex watched as the exit collapsed leaving nothing but dust, concrete, and debris in front of him. As the smoke cleared he he coughed up the dust looking to his right he found Clark leaning against the wall like he was, his face covered in soot.
"You shouldn't be here Clark," Lex said letting out a sigh.
"Someone had to come down and see if you were alive," Clark waved his hand in the air to clear the dust as he stood up.
"Well I'm alive, though if they keep blowing up the exits that might not be the case," Lex looked back at the blocked exit and frowned.
…
Lana frowned as she looked at the TV, she was supposed to be dress shopping. Then the tunnels collapsed and she was forced to wonder if Lex was even alive. So many people had arrived to talk about money or what they were to do if Lex was actually to die. It was all in Lex's will apparently, he hadn't even told her he had made it. When she learned that most of the money would go to their child she felt warmth, to see that he had left the house and the talon to her made her worried. WOuld he be alright? He had left what remained to a plethora of charities, hell he had even left part of LuthorCorp to Tess in the case of his death. He seemed to really have it all planned.
"Mrs.Lang, you have a visitor," One of the security guards said peeking into the room.
"I didn't think I needed to go through all of this to visit my future daughter in law," Lionel's voice sent a shiver down her spine. Of course he appears when Lex's fate is up in the air, what did he want?
"Let him in," Lana commented turning back to the tv.
"It's unfortunate we must meet in these circumstances Mrs.Lang," Lionel said stopping a few feet away from her looking at the news as it talked about all the good Lex was attempting to do for the city.
"What do you want?" Lana asked narrowing her eyes at him.
"I came to let you know that Lex is fine," Lionel smiled causing Lana to freeze.
"How do you know that?" She asked turning towards him.
"Clark went to save him, and we're both aware of his gifts," Lionel smirked and Lana took a step back.
"How do you-"
"Surely i'm not the only Luthor aware of your sudden interest in old Smallville newspapers, tell me Lana what exactly did you manage to piece together?" Lionel's spoke with genuine curiosity before freezing.
"Oh you don't know, i've been helping Clark these past few years, he has a way of making even the most unsavory people believe in the good capable in this world," As LIonel spoke Lana agreed before shaking her head, no matter how good clark he was he couldn't change LIonel.
But she needed to confirm her suspicions, "Clark isn't a meteor freak," Lana spoke and Lionel's smile began to fade. "He's an alien, I don't know how I didn't see it before. The way he would look up at the sky, the way he talked about his parents, the way he reacted to the Aliens that invaded smallville." She froze as memories of old appeared within her head.
"What did they call him, Kal-"
"Kal-El the last survivor of Krypton," LIonel finished her sentence. "You've pieced more together than my son could ever possibly manage. You can't tell him Lana," Lionel spoke seriousness in his voice. "Lex Luthor is a jealous man, he couldn't handle the love we held for his brother so he snuffed him out in the middle of the night when neither of us were around. He wants the world to recognize his greatness but when they learn about Clark he'll be an after thought and his envy will be the death of Clark."
"You're wrong," Lana said knowing that Lex wasn't like that. He didn't want the world to recognize him, he just wanted to protect the things he loved.
"Lana even now he keeps secrets from you, have you heard of Cadmus Labs?" Lionel asked watching as confusion appeared on Lana's face. "It's a shell company that LuthorCorp uses to hide its secret experiments. Lex told the truth when he said LuthorCorp was no longer doing dangerous experiments, he simply created a new company to do it instead."
"Why are you doing this?" Lana asked wondering why Lionel seemed so desperate to prove that Lex was this person he was describing.
"Lana when you see Cadmus Labs you'll understand, Lex is doing something no man should ever attempt." Lionel stepped forward placing two things in her hand, one a piece of paper with an address on it, the other a Cadmus Labs key card.
He said nothing else leaving as soon as he had arrived, turning to the TV she frowned there was still no news of Lex. But if Clark was truly down there like LIonel said he would be okay. Walking over to the phone she dialed Tess' number, she had to see if LIonel was telling the truth.
…
Lex followed by Clark quickly found the path to another exit, there was a silence between them as they moved forward. Periodically Lex would look down at Brani as he oriented them towards the exit. As they came up on it he couldn't help but he cautious, th elast two exits had crumbled before his very eyes, it was obvious whoever was planting the bombs knew of the exits but why not simply blow them all up at once if they truly wished ot kill him?
"Careful Clark," Lex raised his hand as he spotted something blue at the top of the exit. It was a speaker, "What's your endgame? If you wanted to kill me there are much more efficient ways to go about it" Lex asked.
"You don't get it Mr.Luthor," the voice drawled, it was loud and slow. "I don't want to kill you, I want to distract you." A laughter echoed from the speaker and Lex could only raise an eyebrow, were they attacking LuthorCorp or even worse Lana? Before he could think of anything else he felt Clark's hand on his shoulder as he was pulled away from the exit just as the bomb went off sending debris everywhere. He closed his eyes as both he and Clark were sent flying crashing into the tunnel walls. He coughed as he stood up, his flashlight on his head moving through the area stopping on Clark he frowned. He was still leaning against the wall, on he gripped his stomach in pain.
"What's wrong?" He asked taking a closer look at Clark, his skin was pale, his veins seemed almost green as he groaned in pain. Kryptonite, Lex surmised, but down in the tunnels, Clark opened his eyes his breathing heavy as he locked eyes with Lex something different in his eyes. Was it fear? Resignation? Worry that Lex would find out his secret? Lex could see his eyes lock onto something on the floor looking around he spotted it, one glowing green rock close enough to Clark that it made him practically human. Moving forward Lex could feel Clark's eyes on him watching as he moved forward. Leaning down Lex picked it up felt it in his hand, he had kryptonite of his own but seeing it work was something else. To think that a small rock could be the doom of a being like Superman.
"Lex" Clark said through unsteady breaths but Lex ignored him raising his hand he tossed the rock in the opposite direction watching as Clark immediately began to recover. As he did Lex could see the cogs spinning in his head but Lex wouldn't just come out and say it, if Clark had questions he simply needed to ask. And Lex wouldn't lie ot his face, he had no reason to keep it a secret that he knew what Clark was. He wouldn't lie, not only to prove to Clark that he had no reason to fear him but to prove he was ultimately better than Clark.
"How?" Clark asked as the color returned to his skin.
"How what Clark?" Lex smirked, "You'll have to be more specific."
"How'd you know throwing the rock would help me?" Clark asked sweat dripping down his face.
"The simple answer is it was obvious, how you managed to keep your secret this long baffles me," Lex was being honest, Clark had so far gotten by by the skin of his teeth, somehow most people simply accepted the ridiculous excuses he came up with on the spot.
"And the complicated answer?" Clark asked raising an eyebrow.
"Zod," Lex said frowning, "When you switched bodies with my father your spirit healed his liver, when Zod possessed me my brain began to heal. I remember it all now Clark, the illusions, the hallucinations, the crazed stupor I was in from the drugs my father was giving me. I remember you saving me, you told me your secret and I kept it." Lex smiled as he thought about it, "I was insane yet I kept your secret up until you watched as I underwent shock therapy." Lex narrowed his eyes looking at Clark, yes he had watched, opted not to save Lex. Was it because he didn't want his secret in the hands of a crazy person, or was it because he believed he truly needed the help.
"I thought it was the only way," Clark said.
I"I believe you" Lex responded, after all the shock therapy had worked, it had messed with his memories but it did work.
"You've known all this time?" Clark couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you-".
"It's your secret Clark and we were no longer friends," Lex said smiling, "unless you thought i'd expose you to the world. That'd do me more harm than good, I told you Clark, your destiny is so much bigger than Smallville. This world is changing, more and more people with powers are popping up. Something tells me when the time comes you'll be the only person besides me willing to do something about it."