Three Futures that Chloe Sullivan and Lex Luthor Will Never Experience
Together     Three Futures that Chloe Sullivan and Lex Luthor Will Never
Experience Together

 by mobiusklein

 

 

   Trying to Make Sense of It All  

 "I think I know who he is." 

 Lex frowned at his dinner companion. "You know the man who broke into the
last stockholder meeting, pointed at me and declared that I was the evil
Segeeth?" 

 "It's just a guess and the security photos you showed me aren't very
good. I haven't seen him in years but it looks so much like him and I
don't think I've ever seen another guy like him, ever." 

 "Come on, Chloe, give me a clue. This guy's a maniac who apparently is
super strong, can fly and has a heat ray weapon. Not only that but he
seems to have something against me and is completely unbalanced." 

 Chloe sighed. "You have to understand the guy I'm thinking about . . . I
haven't seen him in ten years. Remember that one summer in Metropolis when
there was this string of bank robberies and someone ripped off the Daily
Planet symbol off the building and threw it into a store window?" 

 "Yeah, I remember that. One time, the police had him surrounded, shot
dozens of bullets into him and he wouldn't go down . . ." 

 "I think it was a friend of mine from Smallville named Clark Kent." 

 "I remember you telling me about all the freaks there. Was he one of
them?" 

 "I used to think so but I can't help if he was something . . . different.
That's besides the point right now. After the end of our sophomore year in
school, there was an accident that killed both his parents. They were
driving back home when their truck flipped over. There's no known cause
for why that happened. What made it worse was that his mom was pregnant
with his sister. I never saw him in Smallville after that." 

 "He must've been devastated." 

 "Well . . . a month later I found him partying it up at a club in
Metropolis. Instead of his real name, he was calling himself Kal. It was
like he made up this whole persona just so he wouldn't have to face what
had happened. I kept trying to get through to him but . . . One day, I'm
watching him whooping it up at a club again when I see this gorgeous blond
walk up to him and tell him that he needs to come home with her. She's
saying all sorts of crazy stuff like she's his cousin. Thing is . . .
Clark's adopted and neither his mother or father had siblings, so I don't
know what the hell she was talking about. Anyway, Clark's a pretty strong
guy and he's not in the mood to hear her out. He pushes her away and she
just belts him one, hard. He gets pissed off and tries to smack her back
but she's taking all he's got and not even wincing. She just grabs hold of
his wrist and pulls off this class ring he's been wearing for the past few
months and crushes it under her feet. He just crumples and she holds him
in her arms. She's promising that she's going to make things better and
how it's all going to be fine. I'm about to walk up to them when they both
disappear right in the middle of the dance floor. After that, the bank
robberies stopped." 

 "So, what's he doing back? And what does he have against me?" 

 Chloe shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know." 

 2. The Lower Depths 

 "I can't believe you talked me into this," said Chloe as she followed her
former archeology professor Lex as they walked in the underground caves.
The super-powered flashlight she was holding was heavy. "Cave spelunking.
I'm glad you warned me to wear my old clothes." 

 "Well, you did ask me what I've been doing for the past year." 

 "Yes, but I didn't imagine hiking in the dark. There aren't any bats
here, are there? I'm not that keen on getting bat guano on my boots." 

 "No, there aren't any bats in this particular cavern. You didn't HAVE to
follow me," he chided. 

 "You hinted that you found something that would totally blow my mind and
didn't give me ANY details. How could I not follow you? Well?" 

 "Well, what?" 

 "Tell me what we're doing here!" 

 "It's all about my grand unifying theory that the people and the gods in
various mythologies were actually aliens with technology indistinguishable
from magic. I've gathered evidence of their presence and repeated visits
to this planet over the years. According to some local legends and a map I
got from another location, somewhere in this network of caves are some
artifacts." 

 "If we do find something, I want to be credited as well." 

 "I'll keep that in mind." 

 "How far do these caverns go on for, anyway?" 

 "Miles." 

 "Oh." 

 The only thing they heard was the sound of their breathing and the
skittering of insects and small salamanders that had adapted to living in
the darkness of the cave. 

 It took a while for her eyes to adapt but she realized that there was a
light up ahead. Lex also saw it as he began running. "Wait," she cried as
she scrambled to keep up with him. 

 They ended up in an enormous cavern the size of the inside of a cathedral
where there were gigantic hieroglyphs unlike any language that she knew of
written in a spiral formation on the ceiling. There was also a octagon
shaped hole on the wall near them. "I wonder," mused Lex as he began
digging in his pocket and pulled out a key that appeared to fit that hole
perfectly. 

 "What is that?" said Chloe. 

 "I found it during another excavation. I've been trying to find this for
years." He was about to slip it into the hole. 

 "Lex, wait! You don't know what it'll do." 

 "You won't know until you try." Lex stepped towards the wall as if
compelled. "Step back," he said as he put the key in the slot. 

 "Lex!" Chloe yelled as a beam of white light hit Lex in the chest. After
the beam of light stopped streaming from the opening, Lex fell unto the
cave floor. Horrified, she knelt by him and saw that he was unconscious
and his eyes were completely filmed over. "Oh, my God!" What am I going to
do? I don't know how to get back? Even if I did know how to get back, I
can't carry him? What am I going to do? I'd call someone but I doubt my
cell phone would reach anybody? What's happened to him? 

 The turmoil in her mind prevented her from noticing immediately that
another part of the cavern wall had begun to shine and that a handsome
naked man had walked out . . . 

 3. President of the Warrior Angel Fan Club Association 

 "Chloe," said Perry. "I've got an assignment for you." 

 Chloe, sitting at her desk at the Daily Planet, looked up at Perry with a
little trepidation. As the reporter with the least seniority, he often
gave her the worst assignments. "Yes?" 

 "I want you to interview the President of the Warrior Angel Fan Club." 

 "What's Warrior Angel?" 

 "A comic book." 

 Chloe groaned. She could just see him now. Someone who looked like the
Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons and would sneer at her for not knowing the
difference between Warrior Angel and Wonder Woman. 

 "Oh, come on, Chloe. It's not so bad. His name is Lex Luthor." 

 Chloe gave Perry a look. "You mean he's one of THE Luthors, related to
Julian Luthor, head of Luthercorp?" 

 "Yes, exactly." Perry smiled. "And if you play your cards right and bring
back an interview that's more than just about a fluff story about drawings
of men in tights, I might get you something more . . . meaty." 

 "I'll do my best, Chief." Yes! she thought.  Lex Luthor was much nicer
and better looking than the Comic Book Guy. Dressed in a purple shirt and
black pants, he opened the door and let her into the penthouse. "So,
you're here to do my interview, Miss Sullivan?" 

 "Yes, I am." 

 "Do you happen to know who Warrior Angel is?" 

 "Well, I did do a little research." A little, hah! Chloe thought as she
looked around the penthouse. I spent hours googling on the net for
information and went to my local comic shop to look through some of the
current issues AND talked to the comic shop owner. 

 "Good . . . I hate having to explain the basics to someone who didn't
bother to get ready," said Lex as he sat down on his brown leather sofa.
"Is there anything you'd like to eat or drink?" 

 "No thank you. I already had a cappuccino before I came here," she said
as she sat down on the opposite end. She put down her recorder and turned
it on. "What do you do as President of the Warrior Fan Club?" 

 "I oversee the website that updates daily on what's available in the
comics, information about the upcoming movie and post any rumors about a
possible television show in development. There's also a section for both
fan fiction and fan art. There's also a section on the history and the
various versions of this character since Warrior Angel has existed for
several decades." 

 "Does anybody else in your family share your particular interest?" 

 Lex sighed. "I'm afraid not. My father used to think it was a waste of
time and my brother likes to tease me about it." 

 "That's too bad. I was wondering how you felt about the arrival of
Superman in our fair city, doing some of the things . . ." 

 There was a knock at the door. 

 "Ignore that," said Lex. 

 The knocking became a pounding. "I know you're in there, Lex," said a
voice from outside. 

 "One minute," said Lex as he got up and opened the door. "Julian, what a
surprise," he said in a voice that suggested the opposite. 

 "Hey, Lex, I thought we could go out for lunch," said the tall smiling
brunette with green eyes. "I finished the deal early and wanted to
celebrate with you." He saw Chloe sitting on the couch. "Oh, hi, didn't
see you there. And you are?" 

 Chloe smiled. "I'm Chloe Sullivan, reporter from the Daily Planet." 

 "She was interviewing me for an article regarding Warrior Angel," said
Lex, looking rather irritated. 

 "I'm sorry to interrupt." 

 "I told you last night I was having an interview. Surprisingly enough,
you seem to have a photographic memory except when it comes to
interrupting any and all interviews I happen to have." 

 "Are you going to have lunch with me or not?" 

 Chloe watched in amusement as the two brothers squabbled. So glad my
recorder's on, she thought. 

 "I'll meet you in the garage when my interview's done, all right? Now
go!" 

 "I'll be waiting for you." The man left. 

 "Do you two always argue like that?" Chloe asked as Lex shut the door. 

 "It started when he was adopted and it's never stopped. What were you
asking when he interrupted?" Lex said as he sat back down. 

 "I was wondering if you think that the appearance of Superman in our fair
city will have any influence on the popularity or representation of
Warrior Angel? Especially since the artists of the comic happen to live in
Metropolis." 

 "I hope not. Warrior Angel existed before Superman and will probably
exist after him. They're two different entities and I hope that people
like Warrior Angel based on how he's portrayed and not what this . . .
other person happens to be doing. That reminds me, Warriorcon is coming up
in a few months. Interested in doing an article about that?" 

 "I'll consider it." 

 As Chloe continued her interview, she wondered at what truly went on
between the two and why the adopted son was head of the company instead of
the elder. It was most . . . curious. 

 The End   
 If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to mobiusklein

 Also, why not join  Level Three, the Smallville all-fic list?
 
 Back

 Level Three Records Room