Nightmare at 20,000 feet (part 3 of 4)

[jlvsclrk]

Title: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
Author: jlvsclrk
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: PG13
Warnings: None
Spoilers: S4 – Goes AU during Scare
Word Count: 17,500
Summary: Lex has nightmares about being attacked by a monster only he can see.
Written for the Twisting the Twilight Zone challenge.


Thanks to twinsarein for the beta and danceswithgary for the lovely cover!
The story starts here

 

Chapter 3

Lex woke when the mid morning sun entered the study, feeling completely re-energized. He looked over to see Clark was already awake and flicking quickly through a book. He leaned forward to see the title: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. “Enjoying yourself?”

 

“I recognized the title from the movie, but it’s not at all what I expected. I never realized the Middle Ages had so much upheaval going on. I feel like the apprentice, Adso. It’s so hard to understand what they’re all killing each other for.”

 

Lex quoted softly, “‘Fear prophets, Adso, and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. … The only truth lies in learning to free ourselves from insane passion for the truth.’”

 

Clark gave him an amused but admiring glance. “Have you memorized every book in here?”

 

“Not all of them. But I read that book last summer. Some of the lines really hit home.”

 

“I think I’ll have to read it again if I want it to make any sense. When I speed read, I get the surface meaning but seem to miss the layers underneath. I’m guessing this book has a lot of layers.”

 

“Most of the good ones do.” Lex was about to continue when Clark’s stomach growled noisily. He grinned and exclaimed teasingly, “But first, let’s get you something to eat before you expire. We can talk about what happened yesterday over breakfast.”

 

Clark’s eyes lit up. “Do you think Mrs. Jacobs would mind making her Eggs Benedict? Or maybe that cheese thing from last time. And some of her biscuits maybe? Or would they take too long? I am kind of hungry.”

 

Lex laughed. “An alien lives amongst us, with the strength of ten men. Able to shoot fire from his eyes. And all he wants from us is a breakfast designed to clog the arteries.”

 

Clark grinned broadly, showing his fangs. “Hey, don’t knock my eating habits. I need my food: I’m still a growing boy.”

 

“God help us all.”

 

***

 

Lex leaned back as he watched Clark eat, marveling at Clark’s resilience. He’d seemed so shattered after last evening’s events, almost in shock. But the change was amazing when you gave the boy a compassionate ear, a good night’s sleep and plenty to eat. Clark almost seemed to glow in the early afternoon sunlight, and his eyes almost literally sparkled. Those eyes fascinated Lex, sometimes so green, sometimes silver or blue, depending on the light. And then those thrilling glimpses of red: hinting at barely contained power.

 

But regardless of the colour, what amazed him the most was the shyness in the gaze of this near-god, and the clear admiration in it for him. He’d found himself relying on Clark as a moral crutch in the last year, and realized that in doing so, he’d been pushing his friend away in search of a saviour. He’d despaired of ever being able to live by Clark’s moral code, but now realized he didn’t have to. Clark needed to have strict rules to keep himself from abusing his near limitless power. But now he could see that Clark understood there were grey zones where hard choices needed to be made. Clark and he might disagree vehemently on the right answer, but in a way that was what Clark needed him for. Lex was someone who could stand up to him, advocate the other point of view, yet still be a friend. Together, they could find a better way than each alone.

 

Clark had been eating on and off for over two hours now, thanks to an overzealous cook determined to prepare all his favorite dishes. In between courses, he’d zoomed home to leave a note for his parents and do his chores. Watching him seem to blink out of existence gave Lex a rush, and made him itch to ask questions. He’d jotted hundreds down while Clark was away: how fast, how strong, how hot – those were just the start. He wondered about Kryptonian development and if Clark’s biological age was truly 17 (‘and two thirds,’ he could hear Clark add almost indignantly). Why couldn’t Clark fly when Kal-El had? He had to admit, that one was the comic geek in him coming out. But still, flying had always seemed like the most amazing power ever. Someday he knew he’d convince Clark to fly him over Smallville, the way he’d dreamed so long ago at Loeb Bridge. It would mark another fresh start, one which he resolved not to waste in power struggles with his father.

 

As Clark ate and Lex nibbled, they talked. Clark told the behind-the-scenes stories of his greatest saves with unexpected relish and humour. Lex tried to explain what he did at LuthorCorp and was pleased to see Clark’s smile at his description of hacking through office politics. Clark talked about red K and girls. Lex talked about alcohol and women. They discussed favorite books and movies. Lex tried to explain the intricacies of fencing while Clark described the decision making behind an option play.

 

And of course they discussed Lex’s last nightmare and how literally it should be taken. Clark seemed relieved at the idea that the AI had two personalities at odds with each other: that helped explain so much about its treatment of him. He’d thrilled to the description of Krypton even as he grieved at the story of its passing. But was the background figure in the dream something real, or was it a symbol of Lex’s fear of his inner darkness? Was something really searching out in space for them, or was that just fear again? Lex kept a second list of questions that only the AI could answer: if they could trust it.

 

“I’m afraid that if I’m right and we tell the AI, we’ll just tip off the third personality. Then it’ll just hide deeper. I can’t think of any way to actually fix the problem. An artificial intelligence with a multiple personality disorder is something unknown even to Kryptonian science. I think Jor-El just expected to overwrite the existing persona.”

 

Clark grunted: he seemed more interested in debating whether to start in on another muffin.

 

“Clark, are you still listening or has all that food finally caught up to you?”

 

Clark grinned, “I’m listening, but the answer for the last while has been I don’t know. And don’t worry, I always eat a lot this time of the year. Mom thinks it might have something to do with how short the days are, so my body isn’t getting enough sunlight.”

 

Lex made another note on his list of questions: it was too early to investigate them and risk triggering Clark’s fears, but it was important to understand everything they could about Clark’s abilities. Clark didn’t mind the list: in fact he joked about how ‘Lexy’ it was.

 

“If you need more sun, what do you think about joining me for a run to the Talon? I could use the workout and it’s beautiful outside. I’ll take the cell so my team can reach us if they come up with anything about Alicia.”

 

“Sounds great, Lex. Last one there has to buy the drinks!”

 

“I’ll bring my wallet.”

 

***

 

In the end, it was late evening before Clark beat Lex into The Talon. They’d started out many hours earlier, but turned back when Lex got a call from security that Lionel had unexpectedly turned up at the gate. Lex had been coldly furious at being blindsided by his father’s release, and he called up half the politicians in Kansas trying to figure out what had happened. He wouldn’t have thought anyone had the power to get Lionel acquitted, certainly not without his hearing about it first. All signs pointed to one family: one he’d started investigating earlier because of Lana: the Teagues. They apparently had longstanding ties to the Luthors. Until meeting Jason earlier this year though, he could barely remember the family from various society gatherings. He knew he’d forgotten something: so much of his childhood was a blank.

 

Clark had waited patiently, enjoying a swim in the indoor pool and watching the NFL Network’s countdown to Super Bowl 39. As much as Clark rooted for the Metropolis Sharks, turns out he was an even bigger fan of Tom Brady and the Patriots. He’d also gone back to the farm to get in a few more chores but told Lex that things with his parents were still decidedly awkward. Lex could only imagine just how much more awkward they’d get when Clark told them he’d shared his secrets with a Luthor.

 

Realizing he could do no more today, Lex put aside his cell and offered Clark the keys to his newest Mercedes. Clark’s face lit up and he blurred over to the garage to inspect the car: a prototype of the 2006 SL-class roadster. Lex walked over more sedately and grinned to see Clark inspecting the engine. They then spent an hour circling around Smallville as Clark got the feel of the transmission and tried to absorb Lex’s tips on when to shift in anticipation of a curve.

 

They arrived at The Talon in high spirits to be stiffly greeted by Martha. Lex wanted to shake her for hurting Clark this way, but knew anything he did would just make it worse. He quietly paid for their drinks and rejoined Clark, who was making awkward small talk with Lana. Lex tried to hide his relief when Lana drifted away.

 

“How’re things with you and Lana? She seemed… tense.”

 

“I think she’s a bit embarrassed about blaming me for Jason getting fired. And something happened when Lionel and I changed places. I don’t know exactly what, but she’s been pretty upset ever since. And she’s frustrated ‘cause she wants to know more about Isobel and what happened back then: can’t say I blame her.”

 

Lex grimaced, “She was furious when I tried to warn her that Jason might have some ulterior motives: his mother has been investigating Countess Isobel for decades. I can’t believe it’s a coincidence that he met Lana and she suddenly gets transformed into a witch. I should probably warn you as well. Jason comes from one of the wealthiest families in the Midwest: they have even more political clout than us Luthors. I just found out they’re behind Lionel’s release. I think they may be looking for the Stones too.”

 

Clark muttered something unprintable under his breath: he clearly wanted to forget about the Stones for a few precious hours at least. Lex led the way to a corner table and changed the topic to something more congenial to his mind: Greek history. Clark knew a lot more than he normally let on so Lex used him to check if his memory had been somehow damaged by his encounter with the AI. Apparently not: they had a fascinating discussion on the Iliad and wondered how badly Hollywood would butcher the story in the upcoming Troy.

 

So deeply were they involved in the conversation, they didn’t notice Jason enter the Talon and gently kiss Lana. But they did register the sudden tension in the room, and it brought them up short. All eyes seemed to be on Lana and Jason, and there was a quiet buzz of gossip over their romance. The majority of Smallville High students sided with Lana: she was over 18 and it wasn’t as though Jason had ever been her teacher. But many people felt their relationship crossed a line, especially because of Jason’s influence on so many young men. Lana obviously felt the tension and defiantly stood on her tiptoes to give Jason a passionate kiss. Conversation swelled and some of the stares became accusing. Lana flushed and stalked up to her room, followed soberly by Jason.

 

“Disgusting,” muttered a hatchet-faced senior at Smallville High. “Who would have thought sweet Lana Lang would be such a slut.”

 

Clark’s lips tightened, and he started to rise to defend Lana’s name. Lex leaned forward and whispered, “Let me handle this.” Clark took a deep breath and remained seated.

 

Lex rose and spoke to the boy in his most commanding tone of voice, “Excuse me. You don’t know me, but Lana is a friend of mine. I won’t let her be insulted like that. We may not like who she’s dating, but it doesn’t give anyone the right to judge her.”

 

The boy sneered at Lex. “I know you: who in Smallville doesn’t? Of course, you’d defend her. You’re probably the one who filled her head with delusions of living the big city life. You poison everything you touch.” The boy’s gaze shifted pointedly to Clark.

 

Clark’s eyes hardened and he stood up to loom over the boy. “Tim, my mother always taught me there’s no excuse for rudeness. I know your father would say the same. I think you’d better leave now.”

 

Tim gave him a contemptuous look. “And you, welcoming back that Alicia girl. I read Chloe’s latest article on her. Of course you’re happy they let her loose. Who cares who she hurts, as long as you can get a little action.”

 

Strangely calmed by the personal attack, Clark gave him a steady, appraising look. Tim glanced around the room, hoping for support, but found none. He grimaced and slunk out the door.

 

Clark sat back down with a sigh. “Sometimes I really hate this place. People can be so quick to judge. I know I do it too at times, but it makes me so uneasy. I sometimes wish we’d moved away. Especially when someone smacks me with a meteor rock.”

 

“Your dad probably thought it was safer to stay where people trusted the Kent name than start all over again.” Lex prided himself for the charitable comment: privately, he thought Jonathan was simply too pigheaded to have even thought about moving for Clark’s sake.

 

Closing hour came and they stayed behind: Clark to clean up and Lex to help with the books. Martha started to unbend, and even made a small joke about how the Lana-Jason show had been good for business. A sizeable crowd had stayed late to see when Jason left. Martha had wanted to box the ears of the worst gossipers, but trusted that people would adjust soon enough. They finished up, and Lex wished the Kents good night as they locked the doors behind them.

 

Lex was almost home when his cell rang. Keeping Clark’s numerous lectures in mind, he pulled over and picked up. “Lex here.”

 

“Lex, thank goodness you answered. The police just called Mom. Someone tried to break into Lana’s apartment after we left the Talon. I don’t know the details, but Jason is unconscious and Lana has vanished!”

 

***

 

Lex didn’t even try to get to sleep that night. Instead, he marshaled his resources to track down Lana, or more accurately the Countess Isobel. Jason had regained consciousness briefly around noon and told the police what he knew. After going up to her apartment, they’d talked for a while. Lana then decided to relax – alone, Jason stressed – by taking a long bath. Jason was reading in another room when he heard a cut-off scream from Lana, followed by a shout. By the time Jason broke through the bathroom door, Lana’s attacker had vanished. Jason helped Lana out of the water and swore her eyes glowed purple when she came to. He suddenly found himself crashing through the window and suffered multiple fractures and a concussion in the fall. With few clues to go on, the police were rather ineffectively investigating who the attacker was and how he or she got in the room. Lex had tried to get Sheriff Adams to look beyond Alicia as the obvious suspect, but had little confidence in her competence. He assigned a LuthorCorp team to independently investigate the leads.

 

However, identifying Lana’s attacker was not Lex’s primary concern: the Countess Isobel was the one who really worried him. He remembered all too clearly the power of her magic from their encounter a few months earlier. He’d been compelled to keep playing the piano until his fingers bled and his body was near collapse due to exhaustion. He’d since wondered what would have happened if Clark hadn’t dropped by to ask for a favour the next morning. Apparently Isobel’s spell had extended to keeping the staff clear of the library. It was quite possible only Clark could have broken through the enchantment. And, although Clark was reluctant to discuss his own encounter with Isobel, Jason had once told him of finding Clark tied up and bleeding in the loft in the aftermath. Isobel had certainly shown herself to be ruthless in her pursuit of the power stored in the Stones of Knowledge.

 

The good news was that Isobel’s power should be considerably weakened without her spell book, destroyed by Clark in their battle. The bad news was that would probably make her even more desperate to acquire one of the Stones. Clark had risked a trip to the cave for some answers, but Jor-El and Kem-El were stubbornly silent – another standoff perhaps in how they thought Clark should proceed. Lex then suggested Clark work with Chloe to see what they could find, hoping they could come up with some clues on what Isobel was after and how to stop her. He didn’t underestimate the pair’s investigative skills when it came to the weird and unexplained.

 

Lex paced around the study, frustrated that despite all his resources, he had yet to come up with any solid leads. To add to his bad mood, Lionel had reappeared, claiming to be a reformed man. Lex supposed that swapping bodies with Clark for a few days might be tantamount to a religious experience, but doubted the effect would last long. However, since Lionel had been researching the Stones for several years at least, maybe for once he could actually help.

 

“Dad, if you’ve really changed, prove it to me now by sharing some of your secrets. Have you ever heard of Countess Isobel Thoreau?”

 

Lionel gave a short bark of laughter. “Still pursuing ancient fairytales, Lex? I’ve moved those obsessions into my past; I suggest you do the same.”

 

“We both know fairytales have a strange way of coming true in Smallville. I’m asking you again, what do you know about the Countess?”

 

“If you know enough to ask the question, you probably know she was burned at the stake as a witch four centuries ago.” Lex nodded impatiently and Lionel continued, “What you may not know is that Isobel’s daughter is the ancestor of Lana Lang. And Jason Teague traces back to a woman named Gertrude through his mother Genevieve. Gertrude was Isobel’s sister and responsible for her death. The Countess left behind disciples who claimed she would live on through her female heirs. For many generations, Gertrude’s descendants watched Isobel’s descendants, fearing she would return as prophesied. But for all their watching, they saw no signs that the legend was true. Gradually the two sides of the family lost track of each other.”

 

“Genevieve came to me a few days ago wanting me to break up Jason and Lana. But I found evidence that she set up their meeting in Paris in the first place. Do you know anything about that?”

 

“I first met Genevieve two decades ago when her husband and I got involved in… a project. She was bored and started investigating her family’s past. She became obsessed by the two sisters, and would often tell us stories over dinner. That’s where I first learned of the Stones of Knowledge. Over a thousand years ago, Gertrude’s family was entrusted with protecting one of them. Given the various wars throughout the Middle Ages, one intrepid member traveled to the Far East to keep the Stone safe from marauders. He concealed it, but was killed before he could tell the family where. For generations, the family kept searching and finally obtained what they believed to be a map. What happened next depends on who you listen to. Both Isobel and Gertrude claimed to be interested in protecting the Stone for its rightful owner. And they both claimed the other stole the map for nefarious purposes. Gertrude was lucky enough to have married the more powerful man and her story was believed. Isobel burned and the map stayed hidden. Maybe Genevieve decided getting Lana and Jason together would shake some things loose.”

 

“What would you say if I told you Lana was showing signs of being possessed by Isobel? Do you know how we can stop her?”

 

Lionel shrugged. “I didn’t listen all that closely back then. I only became interested when I first saw the Kawatche Cave and realized the symbols were similar to those on drawings Genevieve had shown me of “her” Stone. To a witch, the three Stones represent a source of near limitless power, but also somehow mark their weakness. I was more interested in the library of knowledge the Stones were supposed to contain. I hoped for a cure to my disease and somehow was granted one. I know you don’t believe me son, but I have changed. You have a right to be angry with me for what I did last year, but I hope I can earn your forgiveness.”

 

Lex gave him a measuring look. “I don’t know about that. You conspired with my wife, tried to drive me insane, then tried to kill me with poison. You killed your parents, made mom’s life a misery and who knows how many other lives you’ve ruined. And somehow, you were freed after serving less than a year of a life sentence. I want to believe people can change, but I’d be a fool to turn my back on you.”

 

Lionel nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything else from the son I’ve raised.”

 

Lex gave a deep breath then replied, “I don’t want you around Smallville, Dad. Or Metropolis for that matter. I think you’re going to be tempted to seize back control of LuthorCorp, or try to teach me some more arcane lessons for my own good.” Lex’s voice was bitter. “If you want to help, I need a competent director for the London office. You’d be a member of the senior executive group, but you wouldn’t have access to any of the top secret projects.”

 

“And I wouldn’t have the same access to my political and military contacts either. Good tactics, Lex. I’m proud of you, Son.”

 

Lex grimaced. Those words once might have meant so much, but now just felt like attempts to manipulate him. He’d made the offer knowing that keeping Lionel busy was the safest way to keep him out of mischief. And for Clark’s sake, he wanted Lionel as far away as possible.

 

“Good-bye, Dad. You know I’ll be keeping an eye on you. But I do wish you well.”

 

***

 

As the hours passed, Lex’s fatigue grew, only to recede somewhat with Clark’s periodic updates. Even with Chloe’s help, Clark had found no sign on Lana / Isobel, nor any further hint on how to stop her. They had, however, dug up stories regarding several mysterious home invasions over the last few months, none of which had been reported to the police. Like the Mahoney Gang break-ins of three years ago, there was no sign of forced entry, but unlike them, robbery was not the motive. Instead, somebody seemed to have appointed themselves as the Smallville High morality police. One girl had told of finding a threatening note on her bed after rumours spread that she had slept with several boys during a party. A teacher received a threat after holding a rousing debate on evolution in which she made some comments about religion that some found disparaging. And a boy had found his bedroom destroyed after coming out and trying to organize a gay and lesbian club. The threats had become more violent over time, and Chloe was convinced the same person was behind the attack on Lana. That ruled out Alicia since she’d been under sedation at Belle Reve. Lex was grateful for Clark’s sake, even though it gave them one more figure to track down. He suggested Clark call it a day and get some rest to recharge his batteries. Somewhat reluctantly, Clark agreed.

 

Lex had now been up for over 36 hours and could no longer keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time. He couldn’t sleep either, keyed up with worry about Isobel and the continued exhilaration of knowing Clark’s secret. Between phone calls, he would slump on the couch and try deep breathing exercises to relax himself. For maybe 10 minutes at a time, he would rest, then wake with a start to move onto the next item on his list. He missed Clark and imagined him whooshing into the room to watch over him. The thought made him feel safe.

 

It was eerily quiet for a man raised in the nonstop hustle of Metropolis. Normally there were enough people working in the mansion to create a constant low level buzz, but Lex had reassigned all but a few to the search for Isobel. In the near silence, Lex could hear the windows rattle with the wind. Outside, he could hear a security car doing its perimeter sweep. Inside, the floorboards creaked in response to the winter cold.

 

His eyes were drifting shut when a rustling sound disturbed the calm. He sat up and instinctively reached for his telephone, only to have it shift out of reach. Lex blinked, certain he must be dreaming. In the middle of his den, a small sandstorm seemed to be forming. Warily, Lex started to walk to his desk to trigger the silent alarm. The sandstorm shifted to block his path.

 

“Who are you?” The sand swirled in front of him, then started to rotate around him. Lex persisted, “Let me guess. You’re the one that attacked Lana at the Talon last night. What did she ever do to you?”

 

A portion of the sand solidified into a face, which grated out, “She’s a student dating a football coach – that’s just not right. I’m sick of watching people like her walk around town spreading their vice. She got what she deserved.”

 

“I recognize you: Tim, right? We met at the Talon.”

 

“And you’re Lex Luthor, infamous for your Lex girls, diamond earrings and fancy cars. Not to mention the rumours you pay so much to keep out of print. It makes me sick to see you with someone like Clark Kent, bringing him down to your level. Have you heard what people say about you two?”

 

“Just leave Clark out of this.” Lex tried to move through the sand but the wind bit into his face. “What are you planning to do next? Clean up the town by getting rid of everyone who doesn’t fit into your standards?”

 

“Sounds like a great plan, Lex. And I think I’ll start right here.”

 

The face dissolved and the wind intensified to gale force. Lex tried to take a breath to scream for help, but inhaled only sand. The only thing he could see was a blur of brown and black. The wind howled, so loud his ears started to ache. He fell to his knees, trying to protect his face from the scouring sand. His vision started to grow grey around the edges.

 

Then, a flash of green in the midst of the storm. Lex looked up in astonishment as a girl materialized before him. She bit her lip, then grabbed his shoulder and yelled, “Hold on!”

 

Another flash of green and Lex found himself standing in Clark’s loft. He coughed repeatedly to clear the sand from his lungs. His whole body ached from the attack and the ringing in his ears made it difficult to balance. He collapsed gratefully on the couch and looked up at the girl. “Alicia, I presume,” he rasped out.

 

She nodded jerkily. Alicia was a stunningly beautiful girl, but even her brief exposure to Tim’s whirlwind had left her physically disheveled and mentally unsettled. “I don’t know what Clark told you about me, but I’ve been watching over him since… what happened. I heard him talking to you on the phone about what happened to Lana. So I thought he wouldn’t mind if I watched out for you too.”

 

“Normally I’d object, but it seems I owe you my life. I guess even Clark needs to sleep once in a while.”

 

Alicia smiled briefly, her whole face softening with longing. “He looked so peaceful the last time I checked in on him. I was about to go to bed too: it’s awfully late. But luckily I did one last jump. I knew if something happened to you, I’d never get another chance to make it up to Clark. I didn’t mean for things to go as far as they did. Please don’t send me there.”

 

“You’ve heard about LuthorCorp’s… containment facility?”

 

“They were going to send me away from Belle Reve but Dr. McBride convinced them he could help me. He made this bracelet with lead that stopped my ability. He said I was better.” Alicia’s eyes frantically sought reassurance from Lex.

 

Lex sighed. “I’ve arranged for McBride to be disbarred and the Metropolis police are investigating his practice – you’re not the first patient he’s threatened. But Alicia, I think you need help. I understand the temptation to watch over Clark, believe me I do, but it just isn’t healthy.”

 

Alicia turned away to hide the tears. “Are you saying I can never see him again?”

 

Lex replied gently, “That’s his decision to make, not ours. But right now, I think you need to stay away. I know an excellent psychiatrist, Dr. Hunt. She works for me and has lots of experience with the meteor infected. I promise we won’t try to lock you away, as long as you keep seeing her.”

 

A soft tenor spoke from the stairs, “I think that’s a good deal, Alicia. I’d take it if I was you.”

 

Alicia squealed with joy and ran into Clark’s arms. “Do you trust him, Clark?”

 

He gave her a comforting hug while smiling luminously at Lex. “With my life, Alicia. With my life.”

Continued in chapter 4