Title: Ahead of the game

Author: Keikokin

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own Superman, Smallville or any rights to it. This is written for entertainment only and no profit is being made. No maliciousness is intended.

Note: Written for the CLFF Wave # 38. While I know the prompt was about fun and games, it took a darker turn while being written. But I hoped I pulled off using the ‘game’ to put our boys together.

Warnings of fluff, OOC and cliché, death of background character.

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Lex Luthor threw down the report in disgust. The details of his late father’s “interests” had nearly made him physically ill. Once again Lex found himself wondering how on earth he could be related to such a monster. It appeared that he was conducting vile tests on mutants. While Lex could admit, reluctantly, at one time he would have taken part in conducting these tests that was before. Things were different now.

Clark and Lex had finally buried the hatchet. There were no evil wives or ex-wives or girlfriends to get in the way either. While there were still some secrets between them, Lex knew that Clark was ready to tell him the big secret. So in return, Lex was going to reveal what his companies, and now his father’s were doing behind the scenes. He had hoped, however, to get the chance to clean things up a bit. After all, if it bothered him it was bound to be a certain fight with Clark. And they’d come too far.

Looking at his watch, Lex realized that he still had just enough daylight left to go see this mutant facility and make sure it was shut down. With a smirk, he also acknowledged that if Clark were to find out that Lex had it closed it would only cement their friendship further. God he was becoming a real boy scout thanks to the Kent influence in his life.

Since Lionel died, Martha and Clark had swept into his life making sure he knew he wasn’t alone.

Today, Clark was coming home from a long camping trip to the middle of nowhere with friends from church and Lex really wanted to show off his ‘clean slate’. They’d been out of touch the entire time and Lex had even taken to counting down the days until his return. He wasn’t going to let this mess up things between them.

Moving quickly from his office to the garage of the castle, Lex picked his favorite car of the month, hopped in and took off at a breakneck speed. He made good time getting to the laboratory where the testing was taking place. Just as he pulled up he got a call on his cell phone.

“Lex.”

“OH thank god I got a hold of you. I don’t know what to do!” Mrs. Kent sounded absolutely frantic which instantly put Lex on alert.

“Calm down and tell me what’s happened. You know I’ll do all that’s within my power to help.”

Gut wrenching sobs were heard for a moment before Martha pulled herself together again. “Clark and the Sampson’s boy Terrance never made it to the camp site. The pastor thought they were safe at home, when they didn’t show up at the camp. I only found out a moment ago! OH Lex where can he be!?”

Lex glared at the non-descript warehouse building in front of him. “So this happened before Lionel died?” Lex had stopped calling him father. He wasn’t worthy of the title.

“Yes, but what does that have to do with it?!” Martha was practically screaming into the phone she was so worked up.

Lex used his best soothing tone of voice. “I might have an idea of where he is. Let me check on a few things and I’ll get back to you.”

“Really?! Oh thank God Lex. Make sure to let me know the second you find out anything!”

“I promise.” The tone of voice used was one that often made board members shiver. It was filled with an iron-clad certainty. If needed Lex would spend every last cent to find Clark. He wasn’t about to lose him now.

Lex got out of the car after grabbing something out of the glove box, and approached the building. As he did, a camera swung in his direction. But Lex really was not in the mood. He took out his gun and shot it, no more video. Next he shot the door handle off and walked in. Several lab personnel looked at him in fear, shock and indignation.

A man in a long white lab coat and red hair shouted at him “Put that thing away!”

Lex rolled his eyes and shot the ceiling. He instantly had everyone’s attention. “This is not my normal way of doing things but I’m in a rush. Now listen up. Everyone get out. This is not a request. Oh, and you’re fired.” He smirked and pointed the gun at the ceiling again.

After all the employees scattered and cars raced out the parking lot, Lex put the gun away. He hated to use the things, but he had a gut feeling it would expedite matters and was glad he followed that instinct.

The entire building appeared to be one large operating theater with cages off to the sides. Lex first released all the mutants who were on the tables. Then he moved to the cages and began to open them, faster and faster all the while hoping…

“One’s still in there,” a young man pointed toward a dark corner and Lex felt a shiver run up his spine.

“Thanks,” Lex replied and with a combination of trepidation and hope moved to corner of the building. Here in the dark, a cage glowed neon green. Lex opened it wondering what or who could be relegated to such an isolated existence. “CLARK!”

Lex ran to the heap, which was his friend. Clark was pale, sweating and seemed to have odd veins throbbing visibly all over his exposed skin of which there was quite a bit. He was wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers and a tag that declared him “test subject 43.” He rolled him over and was alarmed to see his eyes had rolled up into the back of his head. “Clark come on, it’s Lex. I don’t know if I can move you on my own. You need to wake up!”

A voice broke the silence around them. “I can help.”

Lex looked back over his shoulder in surprise. He was fairly certain all had left, but the one who had pointed him this way in the first place stood nervously nearby. Lex’s mind clicked. “Terrance Sampson?”

“It’s my fault this happened. I never should have pulled over to help that guy change his tire. It was all a set up. They…they –" his blue eyes were large and he looked back to the main operating tables. “Clark begged them to stop but they wouldn’t.” Terrance shook his head, unable to go on.

“Okay Terrance, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. Just help me get Clark out of here and we can get you both home. Mrs. Kent is frantic and I bet your mom is too. I’m here to help.”

Terrance approached with care as if Lex was going to turn on him any second. Lex kept talking. “Clark and I are friends. Martha called me to help. No one is going to hurt you anymore. Just help me get him out of here.” He kept this up until Terrance reached him and Clark. With a sigh of relief, Lex and Terrance awkwardly managed to loop Clark’s arms around their shoulders and they dragged him out. “Good god Clark you weigh a ton. What are you made out of bricks?” Lex joked while Terrance looked about still unsure as to how safe this was.

They stumbled outside only to find a downpour had begun. Together they poured Clark into the passenger seat and strapped him in, just in time. A heartbeat later Clark began to thrash around as if fighting off an invisible enemy; luckily his movements were sluggish at best.

Lex made record time to the Kent farm. Martha met him in the driveway. “CLARK!” she shouted seeing Clark’s semi-limp form in the car. “Terrance!” She threw her arms around the other man as he got out of the car. “Are you okay?” She looked him up and down, seemed relieved and ordered, “Go inside and call your mother!” Terrance nodded and went inside the house.

“Clark’s pretty out of it. But he looks a lot better Mrs. Kent. I think I might be able to get him inside myself.” Martha would hear nothing of it and helped Lex get Clark inside, in the same manner he and Terrance had done only twenty minutes ago. Lex was happy that the thrashing stopped and they moved him inside, putting him on the couch.

By the time the Sampson’s showed up, so had the police. Lex spent a good part of the afternoon answering questions. It had not been pleasant. When he finally got the chance to check on Clark, he found him sitting up and sipping water. His color had improved greatly. “The doctor said that Clark was so dehydrated it might take a while for him to be able to speak,” Martha informed Lex. She was soon called away to talk to the preacher and left Lex alone to keep an eye on Clark.

It was odd to have Clark so quiet. “I would have found you Clark if I had to go to the ends of the Earth. I’m sorry that my father did this to you. I promise I had no idea. When I found out I went straight down there.”

Clark nodded. Lex sighed and decided to try a different approach. “I suppose you’ll do anything to not tell me your secret.” Truth be told, Lex was a bit angry that his father had managed to mess things up for their big reveal. Even from the grave, Lionel had a way of messing things up. Clark’s eyes looked saddened and Lex hated it and Lionel even more. Then Clark smiled and started to wave his hands around. It took a minute before Lex got what Clark was doing.

“Charades Clark? Are you kidding me?” Lex shook his head and ran a hand over it. Trust Clark to think of something like a game to tell him a secret he’d been waiting to know for years. “Okay, I guess it will have to do for now.”

Clark shrugged, nodded and tried to sit up straighter even though it seemed to cause him pain. “Maybe you should just rest for now.” Lex tried to push him back down but even after weeks of being subjected to tests and god knew what else, Clark was still stubborn and refused to be moved. “Okay I give. But I should give you fair warning, I really am quite bad at these things.”

Clark moved his arm and hand in a circle by his head. “Okay so your secret has to do with a movie?” Clark rolled his eyes. Lex frowned. “Okay movie.” Clark nodded and held up a finger. “One word.” Clark then took his finger and gently touched Lex with it and mouthed “OWW.”

“I’m not sure mouthing the word is really legal Clark. But I gather the movie is E.T.?”

Clark took a deep breath and pointed to himself. Lex frowned again. “ET and you? Oh, I get it Clark. Yes, I already know that you are a mutant.”

This time Clark poked Lex in the chest a bit harder. “E.T. yes, yes Clark, so what does that have to with you?”

Clark huffed and pointed to the house phone on the table. Lex handed it to him. Clark punched in a few numbers and the other extension rang. Then he poked Lex again. “Okay so E.T. phones home. I know that. Everyone knows that. The alien has to call home.” Suddenly Lex’s eyes went wide. “The alien calls this home?”

Staring at Clark in disbelief, Lex was startled as Clark began to make hand motions again. “There’s more?” What could possibly follow that? And yet, his mind was already whirling adding many years of pieces together and seeing how it all made sense now.

Clark yawned and Lex tried to refocus. This time it appeared to be a bastardized sign language. Clark pointed from his eye to his heart to Lex’s heart, repeatedly. Soon, a happy smile was pulling at the corners of Lex’s mouth, “I love you?” Their eyes met and Lex replied, “I love you too ET.”

Lex moved to the couch and pulled Clark into his arms until he was resting against his chest and kissed the top of Clark’s head. Unknown to them both, Martha came in to check on Clark and was thrilled at the turn of events and the huge smile on Clark’s face, even though he had fallen asleep. Lex looked up in panic at Mrs. Kent, trying to ascertain her mood and reaction. But Martha only smiled and whispered. “It’s about time.”