Reporter!Lex
Jan. 17th, 2004 02:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serafina20I'm just going to trust that I'll be able to figure out what happens after the next scene. I know that much (shadowy in my mind as it is), I'm just not sure how I'll resolve everything. Ah well.
Previous Parts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Morgan wanted to meet at his penthouse, which made Lex nervous, but there was nothing he could do about it. Every time he suggested an alternative, Morgan patiently said they would meet at his home at three o'clock.
"Fine," Lex finally agreed. "We'll be there at three." Then he hung up.
For a long moment, Lex stood still, hand on the receiver of his phone, eyes gazing off into eternity. Every muscle in his body ached not only from riding the day before, but from the tension that filled him at the thought of facing Morgan. It was something he was nervous about doing anyway, but being stonewalled into doing it in the privacy of Morgan's house .... Even with Clark there, Lex wanted protection.
He crossed his apartment to the front closet.
"What's going on?" Clark asked.
"We're meeting Morgan today at his penthouse," Lex replied. He pulled a box from the top shelf and removed a shoulder holster. He'd bought it years ago, after the second time his home had been broken into while he was still in the apartment. The gun he'd had for much, much longer.
With Clark's concerned eyes on him, Lex put the holster on. Then, he went into his bedroom, Clark following.
The gun was under his mattress. He knew it wasn't the safest place for it, but it was easy for him to remember and almost easy for him to retrieve if he needed it. Which, actually, he never had needed. The only times he used it was at the range.
He pulled it out now and loaded it.
"Lex ..."
"You can't kill him, Clark," Lex said softly, not turning to face him. "I can't face him without protection."
Clark wrapped his arms around Lex and kissed the tip of his ear. "I can protect you."
"I need this."
He sighed. "I know."
They left Lex's apartment silently, hand in hand. Lex's heart pounded in his chest as they drove to the penthouse, afraid of what they'd find.
He hated being afraid. He was tired of being afraid.
They were shown into Morgan's office by a butler. Well, he was posing as a butler, but, most likely, he was a bodyguard of some sort. Lex remembered the men that Lionel had kept around to guard him, and he hadn't had nearly as dangerous a job as Morgan's.
The office was large and spacious. There was a window on the left side of the room; the desk was far from it and shielded by a screen. On the walls were fine paintings, many of which had once hung in the Luthor mansion. Various, impersonal knickknacks lined the bookshelves, along with a plethora of classic titles that Lex, again, recognized as Lionel's.
Lex had taken some after Lionel had died. Histories, mostly, and some philosophy. They stuff Dad had browbeaten him with while trying to shape Lex into the man Lionel wanted him to be. The books Morgan had looked older, more careworn. Lex had a feeling they'd originated in the slums of Metropolis, and Morgan had appropriated them out of ... something. Nostalgia, sentiment, perhaps. Or, maybe he just wanted to look educated, so he'd hung onto them.
There were few personal items around the room. Nothing very telling. A photograph of Lionel and Morgan as teenagers, another of Lex' parents with Morgan.
"Lex," Clark said as Lex studied the photograph with his mother in it.
He turned. Clark was looking at two pictures on the bookshelf, one of Morgan holding a tiny baby, and one of Morgan and toddler Lex in Lillian's garden.
"Like I said," Lex said softly. He walked over to Clark and took the picture of Morgan, Lillian, and himself. "He was always there."
Clark put his arm around his shoulder and kissed his temple. As he pulled away, the door opened and Morgan walked in.
He was older than Lex last saw, of course, but still exuded the same aura of power. His stomach was softer, eyes lined a little more, glasses thicker. His hair was thinner and the blond was mostly silver. But the eyes hadn't dimmed, and his smirk was the same. He still held himself like a prince, and he still walked as if he owned everything.
"Hello, Lex." His eyes traced Lex's form before falling on his face. The smile grew. "You look well."
"Thank you," Lex answered, unsure of what else to say. "You don't look bad yourself." He'd taken up smoking, apparently; there was nicotine on his fingertips. He used a fountain pen. He was left handed, something Lex wasn't sure he'd ever realized before. He had a cold, and ...
Lex shook his head sharply. Cataloguing and analyzing people had always been a way to reduce stress for him. The more he knew, the better prepared he'd be. But, right now, he was just doing it so he didn't have to think.
Morgan's smile deepened. "Thank you. And, Kal. My boy. I've missed you."
"I can't say the same," Clark said, but he said it evenly, not meanly. "Although I do have to thank you for not only giving me a place to stay, but letting me go."
"And keeping your secret." Morgan crossed the room and traced Clark's face gently. "Really, Kal. *Superman*?"
He smiled. "I didn't choose the name."
Morgan looked at Lex.
"Don't blame me. It was Lois."
"Ah." He tucked a curl behind Clark's ear. "I see. Lois did always have fairly bad taste." He sighed and tilted his head, gazing at Clark fondly. "Although, her taste in men isn't all that bad."
Clark pulled Morgan's hand away from his face. For a moment, he held onto it and just looked at him. Something in his eyes let Lex know that Clark was still attracted to Morgan, and he wanted to hit them both. Then, Clark dropped Morgan's hand and went to stand behind Lex. "We're here for a reason, Morgan," he said, placing his hands on Lex's shoulder. "You have some papers that belong to Lex?"
"I do." He crossed the room to his desk and pulled a thick file from it. "Why the sudden interest, Lex?" he asked, his cool eyes coming to rest on Lex's face.
"I didn't know about them before," Lex said evenly. He walked closer to the desk, aborting his movement to reach back and bring Clark with him. "I've been doing research in the past few days that's led me to believe Lois Lane has uncovered some documents that my father kept hidden in a safe in Smallville. I knew if anyone had copies of those documents, it would be you."
"And you were right." Morgan placed his hand on the file. "What do you think is in here, Lex? I know you. You wouldn't contact me unless you thought you knew."
He hitched a shoulder. "I was thinking maybe something that would implicate Lois in Dad's murder."
Morgan arched an eyebrow. "Why on earth would you think that?"
"Because they were hidden. And they have to do something with Smallville. Lois should have sold that plant a long time ago, I've seen the profit margins. It barely broke even the first three years after she acquired it, and it drained more money than it was worth. And it's her *only* fertilizer plant; it's basically producing pocket change. So why keep it?"
"Level Three," Clark supplied, moving so he was next to Lex. He nodded at the file. "He was doing experiments that could only be conducted in Smallville, only Lois didn't know what those experiments were."
"But she knew there was something, so she kept the plant. Then the tornado revealed the safe, and she started Dad's experiments again."
Morgan was looking at him with a kind of pride, a smile on his face and eyes soft. "You really are a clever boy. Both of you. But you, Lex, make me so proud."
"Great," Lex said, that creepy, ick feeling making his palms clammy. "Can I see the file?"
"Yes, you can. But the file stays here. You may use any information to strengthen whatever story you are working on, but I am an anonymous source, and the any papers you need to back up your case are photocopied. Understood?"
"Fine." Lex met Morgan's eyes. "May I see the file?"
The file was slid across the desk. Lex and Clark stepped up to it and Lex opened the file and began pulling paper's out.
"What the hell is this?" he demanded, seeing the first stack of neatly paper clipped papers.
"Your medical records," Morgan replied.
Lex scanned them, stomach cold suddenly. He was hollow, palms sweaty. "No. No." He looked up. "No, this is ridiculous. I would have remembered having cancer."
Morgan shook his head. "You didn't. When you woke up after the meteor shower, you had no memory of it. We decided not to tell you."
The world spun. Lex tried to remember, but he couldn't. There was a horrifying blank in his mind, no memories of anything. "How old was I?" he asked hoarsely. He felt Clark slide his arm around his waist, supporting him.
"You were almost nine. The symptoms started earlier, but they were so easy to overlook. By the time we realized what was going on, you were sick all the time, with very, very short periods of wellness. We started you on chemo, which, of course, make you sicker." Morgan smiled sadly and walked from around the desk. He touched Lex's bald head with gentle, tracing fingers and said, "You'd just begun to lose your hair when Lionel took you to Smallville for the weekend. Even though it was business, he thought that being out of the city and in the fresh air might do some good."
Lex flinched and drew away from Morgan. "What happened?"
He shrugged. "You were caught in the meteor shower and the cancer went away. As did your asthma and allergies. You were a new boy, once you came out of the coma. And you didn't remember being sick, so you weren't told."
"But Lionel became fascinated by the meteors," Clark said thoughtfully. He was stroking Lex's neck soothingly. "He thought they were a cure for cancer>"
He smiled and nodded. "Yes. But he could never find a way to duplicate the results. But, the more he experimented, the more uses he began to find." Morgan took another packet from the file. "This is his cancer research. All the results and failures, every experiment and manipulation. I still think he was on to something, and it's possible, if continued, a cure might be found."
Lex tried to set down his medical file, but found it almost impossible. His knuckles were white, hands shaking as he clutched at the papers.
Morgan finally pried it from his fingers and set it on the desk. Then he gave the cancer research packet to Lex.
He scanned it briefly, noting everything, but paying particular attention to the chemicals used. Finally, he shook his head. "This isn't what Lois is doing in Smallville."
"No? Well, I thought not. But, as I said, he did use the meteors for other things. Such as this."
And there it was. Just glancing at it, Lex could tell it was exactly what he'd been looking for. The chemicals were there, the processing, everything. And what Dad had been trying to do .... and what Lois was doing was ....
"She's cloning people," Clark said in disbelief.
"This is big," Lex said, feeling elation rising in him. "This is fucking huge! Holy .... But how do we prove it? We need to ...." His words fled in the face of his excitement.
Clones. Lois Lane was trying to clone people. This was the story of the century, no matter what angle you played. The wave of the future, ethical concerns, playing God. What to do with clones, what rights they would have, would they be considered human? What responsibilities would humanity have to the clones?
Lex could get a Pulitzer for this story.
He turned. "This is fantastic, Clark. A story of a lifetime. It's ... what?"
Clark's eyes were dark, jaw tight. "Don't lose perspective. People are dying. Children are dying."
"I know. I know that, Clark, and now we can prove Lois is doing it," Lex said. "But that doesn't change the fact this story on cloning is going to be big no matter what happens. I mean, come on, Clark. Clones. Remember the fuss when they cloned the damn sheep? These are people." He shook his head and looked down at the paper. Excitement boiled in him and he added, "All ethics aside, this is fascinating."
"How can you say that?" Clark demanded outraged. "She's playing *God*, she's messing with people's lives. You know how people can be, Lex. What she produces will immediately become slaves, and that will lead to years of people backpedaling and becoming worse than they are now. She's ..."
"She's what, Clark? We're what? Petty, stupid, corrupt humans about to commit some great wrong so our protector alien has to come stop us?" Lex asked angrily. "You said you ran away because you biological father wanted you to rule the world. Is that what you want to do now?"
"No!"
"But you think the idea of human advancement is bad."
Clark glared at him. "This is not human advancement, Lex. This is messing with something that shouldn't be messed with."
"Sometimes humans need to royally fuck up before good is done."
"But not with crap that feel to Earth with me!" Clark shouted.
Lex flinched at the tone and stayed silent.
"You know as well as I do that the people with the power to clone--you father and Lois, for starters--are the ones who will abuse the power," he continued, softer this time. "They are exactly the kind of people who will play fast and lose with it, who will breed super clones with genetic advantages to help hurt and kill people."
"Perhaps even replace them," Morgan said softly.
"Exactly." Clark nodded. "I can see someone cloning the president or something and then replacing him. And what about the rest of the world? Gay people barely have the same rights as everyone else. Racism still runs rampant, people are killed because of the gods they believe in, and women still aren't equal with men, and you think introducing clones into all of this is a *good* idea?"
Lex exhaled slowly. This was totally out of hand, and not the place. He had to calm down. "Clark, we're journalists. It's not up to us to decide."
"Excuse me if I don't park my humanity--excuse me, common sense--at the door when I put on my journalism hat."
"I'm not saying you can't have an opinion. I'm not saying that cloning is right. I'm just saying it's fascinating." He met Clark's eyes and put his hand on Clark's wrist. "I got my degree in bioengineering. I'm an armchair scientist of sorts. Can't I find the idea intriguing, and agree that, perhaps, we aren't ready for this power? Because, no, I'm no big on exploitation of being, human or not. The idea of creating clones to do our dirty work or gain control by replacing key figures disgusts me."
"Ironic, really," Morgan said. "Considering who Lionel wanted replaced."
Lex turned. "Like who?"
Morgan seemed to hesitate a moment. His eyes studied Lex's intently and then he said, "You."
He just looked at Morgan dumbly a moment. Behind him, Clark reacted by flipping through the pages, but Lex was caught statue-like. He stood there, looking at Morgan, trying to figure out what he game was, but seeing nothing but sincerity.
Lex couldn't read him.
He snorted. "My father would never replace me."
"No," Morgan agreed. "Your father never would. Lionel, though. Lionel would."
Again, Lex didn't know what to say. He had no idea what Morgan had just said, it was like he was speaking a foreign language. The words were familiar, the meaning was not.
"Oh my God," Clark gasped behind him.
Lex turned. "What?"
Clark was pale, his eyes glittering. His jaw was tight, and hands shook as he looked at the papers in his hands as if they were going to betray him. "He was going to clone you. After Lane Enterprises took over, he was going to clone you."
"No." Lex snatched the papers and scanned them. The words ran together and jumbled and didn't make sense.
He saw his name ... and then a number sequence. For the rest of the page, the number was used. There was a genetic sequence and a bunch of stuff Lex wouldn't understand unless he hit the books again. The word donor was used in conjunction with the word Morgan. A date was given.
A proposed method of disposal for number 15732 was given. They recommended a mixture of drugs to kill the body, and then cremation for the disposal.
Lex swallowed hard against the bile that had flooded his mouth. "Why?" he whispered hoarsely, trying valiantly not to throw up.
"Because you had failed him. And he wanted to move ahead on the project. Who better to use than an experiment that he no longer needed?"
"I wasn't an experiment, I was his *son*," Lex said, eyes on the papers.
Clark pried them from his hands. "Lex," he whispered softly, but Lex pulled away from him.
"You weren't his son. He just raised you. You're my son."
"*No*." He jerked away from Morgan, who'd reached out to touch him.
Clark pulled him away and moved so he was standing between the two. "Why?" he asked. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because it's true," Morgan said. "And to understand what's in these files, Lex has to know the truth. Lionel was sterile, and unable to have children. He tried, but finally had to give into scientific fact and realize he'd never produce children of his own. So he asked me to step in. And I did."
"Do you have proof?"
"Of course. I'm not stupid. But, you see, I loved Lionel, so asserting ownership over Lex was never important to me. I was a part of his life, and that was enough. My son was going to grow up a rich man's son and have legitimacy I could never give him."
"What about Julian?" Lex asked. He looked up, and pretended his eyes were just fuzzy, and not filmed with tears. "Dad had Julian."
Morgan sighed and inclined his head. "Lex, please. You walked in on your mother and I creating Julian, remember? Or one of the times we spent doing so."
"Bathroom?" Lex said suddenly through gritted teeth.
"Down the hall to the left."
He bolted.
Lex just made it to the bathroom before he started throwing up. And then he heaved so hard, he almost hit his head on the porcelain. His stomach turned inside out as he threw up everything he'd eaten in the last week.
When he was done, he flushed and rested exhaustedly against the door.
Jesus fuck Christ, why the hell was he so upset? Morgan was clearly lying. Nothing he ever said was true, right? And this wasn't. Dad hadn't wanted to kill him and replace him with a clone. That was stupid. No, he hadn't been the best or most loving father, but he was a psychopath. He hadn't ...
His stomach lurched and Lex dry heaved.
"This is ridiculous," he rasped when he could talk. Wobbling a little, he pulled himself to his feet and rinsed his mouth out. Then, he splashed water on his face and stormed back to Morgan's office, gun out.
Morgan had Clark against the wall when Lex got back in. Morgan had Clark's glasses in the hand that was resting against the wall over Clark's head. The other hand was tracing patterns on Clark's chest, and Clark didn't exactly look like he wanted Morgan to leave him alone
"Get away from him," Lex said, shaking.
Morgan turned, and immediately backed away. "Lex, put the gun down," he said, voice low and calm.
"No! Stop lying to me about this, you fucking bastard! Dad was *not* going to clone me, you aren't my father. You're just trying to confuse me."
"Lex," Clark said, sounding scared. He was standing next to him, and Lex hadn't even seen him move. "Baby, you need to calm down. You can't shoot him."
"He's lying."
"Okay, maybe he is. But you can't kill him."
"Why not? I bet you anything he killed Dad."
Clark looked at Morgan for his rebuttal.
Morgan only nodded. "I couldn't let him kill my son. Lois is the one who discovered it, actually. The scientist whom your father was working with wanted to sell the cloning technology to her. He knew that she would be able to pay him better, so he went to her with the information. When she found out Lionel was going to kill you, Lex, she came to me."
"Why would she do that she didn't even know you." Lex stiffened his arm and took better aim. He'd shoot Morgan in the head, blow his fucking mouth off.
"Because she knew I was your father."
He blinked. "What?"
"You told her about finding your mother and me. You told her about Julian, before your father drugged you to forget. But she didn't forget, and so she came to me. And I killed Lionel." He spread his hands in supplication. "I had to protect you, Lex."
"I'm *not* your son!"
"Lex." Clark put his hand over Lex's, covering the gun. "Let me run a test. I'll take a sample from both of you, take it to the Fortress. It'll take five minutes."
He was shaking, his stomach threatening to leap through his mouth again. He didn't answer.
"Please, Lex. Please, we've got a confession either way. You were right; after all these years, you know that you were right."
"Fine," he spat. "But I go with you."
Clark hesitated and then said, "Okay."
"And I take the fucking file!" he shouted at Morgan. "None of this photocopy shit."
"Lex ..."
Lex cocked the gun.
Morgan raised his hands and glanced at Clark. "Very well."
"Get the file and the sample, Clark."
Clark gathered the papers together and placed them into the file folder. Then he turned to Morgan, a letter opener in his hand.
He smiled. "Really, Kal. Is blood necessary?"
"Yes." Clark took Morgan's hand and sliced his finger open. When he pulled away, there was blood on the blade.
"What do you plan to do if the test shows I'm your father, Lex? Are you going to kill me?"
"It won't."
Morgan looked away from Clark, back to Lex. "I did it for you, Lex, remember that. The alien doesn't understand. All he will see is I took a human life, and, for that, I must be incarcerated. You, Lex. Son. You can understand why I did what I did. And I'm asking you to make sure I stay out of jail. Prison is no place for an old man."
Lex stepped forward and placed the gun underneath Morgan's chin. Pressing his face close, he growled between clenched teeth, "Who said anything about prison?"
"Lex," Clark said warningly, but Morgan simply smiled, even as Lex forced his head back.
"You're a reporter, Lex, and a good man. You aren't a killer."
Lex pressed the gun harder, but Clark tugged him away. "Come on, Lex." He wrapped his arm around Lex's waist.
Lex allowed himself to be lifted off the ground, still pointing the gun at Morgan. Clark went to the window and turned. "No security when we come back. And you will be here, no matter how long we take. Or all bets are off and I take you in wherever you are. You can't even leave the country, I'll find you."
"I'll be here. And security won't be," Morgan promised.
"Good." Then he leapt out the window with Lex and they flew away.
TBC ....
Previous Parts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Morgan wanted to meet at his penthouse, which made Lex nervous, but there was nothing he could do about it. Every time he suggested an alternative, Morgan patiently said they would meet at his home at three o'clock.
"Fine," Lex finally agreed. "We'll be there at three." Then he hung up.
For a long moment, Lex stood still, hand on the receiver of his phone, eyes gazing off into eternity. Every muscle in his body ached not only from riding the day before, but from the tension that filled him at the thought of facing Morgan. It was something he was nervous about doing anyway, but being stonewalled into doing it in the privacy of Morgan's house .... Even with Clark there, Lex wanted protection.
He crossed his apartment to the front closet.
"What's going on?" Clark asked.
"We're meeting Morgan today at his penthouse," Lex replied. He pulled a box from the top shelf and removed a shoulder holster. He'd bought it years ago, after the second time his home had been broken into while he was still in the apartment. The gun he'd had for much, much longer.
With Clark's concerned eyes on him, Lex put the holster on. Then, he went into his bedroom, Clark following.
The gun was under his mattress. He knew it wasn't the safest place for it, but it was easy for him to remember and almost easy for him to retrieve if he needed it. Which, actually, he never had needed. The only times he used it was at the range.
He pulled it out now and loaded it.
"Lex ..."
"You can't kill him, Clark," Lex said softly, not turning to face him. "I can't face him without protection."
Clark wrapped his arms around Lex and kissed the tip of his ear. "I can protect you."
"I need this."
He sighed. "I know."
They left Lex's apartment silently, hand in hand. Lex's heart pounded in his chest as they drove to the penthouse, afraid of what they'd find.
He hated being afraid. He was tired of being afraid.
They were shown into Morgan's office by a butler. Well, he was posing as a butler, but, most likely, he was a bodyguard of some sort. Lex remembered the men that Lionel had kept around to guard him, and he hadn't had nearly as dangerous a job as Morgan's.
The office was large and spacious. There was a window on the left side of the room; the desk was far from it and shielded by a screen. On the walls were fine paintings, many of which had once hung in the Luthor mansion. Various, impersonal knickknacks lined the bookshelves, along with a plethora of classic titles that Lex, again, recognized as Lionel's.
Lex had taken some after Lionel had died. Histories, mostly, and some philosophy. They stuff Dad had browbeaten him with while trying to shape Lex into the man Lionel wanted him to be. The books Morgan had looked older, more careworn. Lex had a feeling they'd originated in the slums of Metropolis, and Morgan had appropriated them out of ... something. Nostalgia, sentiment, perhaps. Or, maybe he just wanted to look educated, so he'd hung onto them.
There were few personal items around the room. Nothing very telling. A photograph of Lionel and Morgan as teenagers, another of Lex' parents with Morgan.
"Lex," Clark said as Lex studied the photograph with his mother in it.
He turned. Clark was looking at two pictures on the bookshelf, one of Morgan holding a tiny baby, and one of Morgan and toddler Lex in Lillian's garden.
"Like I said," Lex said softly. He walked over to Clark and took the picture of Morgan, Lillian, and himself. "He was always there."
Clark put his arm around his shoulder and kissed his temple. As he pulled away, the door opened and Morgan walked in.
He was older than Lex last saw, of course, but still exuded the same aura of power. His stomach was softer, eyes lined a little more, glasses thicker. His hair was thinner and the blond was mostly silver. But the eyes hadn't dimmed, and his smirk was the same. He still held himself like a prince, and he still walked as if he owned everything.
"Hello, Lex." His eyes traced Lex's form before falling on his face. The smile grew. "You look well."
"Thank you," Lex answered, unsure of what else to say. "You don't look bad yourself." He'd taken up smoking, apparently; there was nicotine on his fingertips. He used a fountain pen. He was left handed, something Lex wasn't sure he'd ever realized before. He had a cold, and ...
Lex shook his head sharply. Cataloguing and analyzing people had always been a way to reduce stress for him. The more he knew, the better prepared he'd be. But, right now, he was just doing it so he didn't have to think.
Morgan's smile deepened. "Thank you. And, Kal. My boy. I've missed you."
"I can't say the same," Clark said, but he said it evenly, not meanly. "Although I do have to thank you for not only giving me a place to stay, but letting me go."
"And keeping your secret." Morgan crossed the room and traced Clark's face gently. "Really, Kal. *Superman*?"
He smiled. "I didn't choose the name."
Morgan looked at Lex.
"Don't blame me. It was Lois."
"Ah." He tucked a curl behind Clark's ear. "I see. Lois did always have fairly bad taste." He sighed and tilted his head, gazing at Clark fondly. "Although, her taste in men isn't all that bad."
Clark pulled Morgan's hand away from his face. For a moment, he held onto it and just looked at him. Something in his eyes let Lex know that Clark was still attracted to Morgan, and he wanted to hit them both. Then, Clark dropped Morgan's hand and went to stand behind Lex. "We're here for a reason, Morgan," he said, placing his hands on Lex's shoulder. "You have some papers that belong to Lex?"
"I do." He crossed the room to his desk and pulled a thick file from it. "Why the sudden interest, Lex?" he asked, his cool eyes coming to rest on Lex's face.
"I didn't know about them before," Lex said evenly. He walked closer to the desk, aborting his movement to reach back and bring Clark with him. "I've been doing research in the past few days that's led me to believe Lois Lane has uncovered some documents that my father kept hidden in a safe in Smallville. I knew if anyone had copies of those documents, it would be you."
"And you were right." Morgan placed his hand on the file. "What do you think is in here, Lex? I know you. You wouldn't contact me unless you thought you knew."
He hitched a shoulder. "I was thinking maybe something that would implicate Lois in Dad's murder."
Morgan arched an eyebrow. "Why on earth would you think that?"
"Because they were hidden. And they have to do something with Smallville. Lois should have sold that plant a long time ago, I've seen the profit margins. It barely broke even the first three years after she acquired it, and it drained more money than it was worth. And it's her *only* fertilizer plant; it's basically producing pocket change. So why keep it?"
"Level Three," Clark supplied, moving so he was next to Lex. He nodded at the file. "He was doing experiments that could only be conducted in Smallville, only Lois didn't know what those experiments were."
"But she knew there was something, so she kept the plant. Then the tornado revealed the safe, and she started Dad's experiments again."
Morgan was looking at him with a kind of pride, a smile on his face and eyes soft. "You really are a clever boy. Both of you. But you, Lex, make me so proud."
"Great," Lex said, that creepy, ick feeling making his palms clammy. "Can I see the file?"
"Yes, you can. But the file stays here. You may use any information to strengthen whatever story you are working on, but I am an anonymous source, and the any papers you need to back up your case are photocopied. Understood?"
"Fine." Lex met Morgan's eyes. "May I see the file?"
The file was slid across the desk. Lex and Clark stepped up to it and Lex opened the file and began pulling paper's out.
"What the hell is this?" he demanded, seeing the first stack of neatly paper clipped papers.
"Your medical records," Morgan replied.
Lex scanned them, stomach cold suddenly. He was hollow, palms sweaty. "No. No." He looked up. "No, this is ridiculous. I would have remembered having cancer."
Morgan shook his head. "You didn't. When you woke up after the meteor shower, you had no memory of it. We decided not to tell you."
The world spun. Lex tried to remember, but he couldn't. There was a horrifying blank in his mind, no memories of anything. "How old was I?" he asked hoarsely. He felt Clark slide his arm around his waist, supporting him.
"You were almost nine. The symptoms started earlier, but they were so easy to overlook. By the time we realized what was going on, you were sick all the time, with very, very short periods of wellness. We started you on chemo, which, of course, make you sicker." Morgan smiled sadly and walked from around the desk. He touched Lex's bald head with gentle, tracing fingers and said, "You'd just begun to lose your hair when Lionel took you to Smallville for the weekend. Even though it was business, he thought that being out of the city and in the fresh air might do some good."
Lex flinched and drew away from Morgan. "What happened?"
He shrugged. "You were caught in the meteor shower and the cancer went away. As did your asthma and allergies. You were a new boy, once you came out of the coma. And you didn't remember being sick, so you weren't told."
"But Lionel became fascinated by the meteors," Clark said thoughtfully. He was stroking Lex's neck soothingly. "He thought they were a cure for cancer>"
He smiled and nodded. "Yes. But he could never find a way to duplicate the results. But, the more he experimented, the more uses he began to find." Morgan took another packet from the file. "This is his cancer research. All the results and failures, every experiment and manipulation. I still think he was on to something, and it's possible, if continued, a cure might be found."
Lex tried to set down his medical file, but found it almost impossible. His knuckles were white, hands shaking as he clutched at the papers.
Morgan finally pried it from his fingers and set it on the desk. Then he gave the cancer research packet to Lex.
He scanned it briefly, noting everything, but paying particular attention to the chemicals used. Finally, he shook his head. "This isn't what Lois is doing in Smallville."
"No? Well, I thought not. But, as I said, he did use the meteors for other things. Such as this."
And there it was. Just glancing at it, Lex could tell it was exactly what he'd been looking for. The chemicals were there, the processing, everything. And what Dad had been trying to do .... and what Lois was doing was ....
"She's cloning people," Clark said in disbelief.
"This is big," Lex said, feeling elation rising in him. "This is fucking huge! Holy .... But how do we prove it? We need to ...." His words fled in the face of his excitement.
Clones. Lois Lane was trying to clone people. This was the story of the century, no matter what angle you played. The wave of the future, ethical concerns, playing God. What to do with clones, what rights they would have, would they be considered human? What responsibilities would humanity have to the clones?
Lex could get a Pulitzer for this story.
He turned. "This is fantastic, Clark. A story of a lifetime. It's ... what?"
Clark's eyes were dark, jaw tight. "Don't lose perspective. People are dying. Children are dying."
"I know. I know that, Clark, and now we can prove Lois is doing it," Lex said. "But that doesn't change the fact this story on cloning is going to be big no matter what happens. I mean, come on, Clark. Clones. Remember the fuss when they cloned the damn sheep? These are people." He shook his head and looked down at the paper. Excitement boiled in him and he added, "All ethics aside, this is fascinating."
"How can you say that?" Clark demanded outraged. "She's playing *God*, she's messing with people's lives. You know how people can be, Lex. What she produces will immediately become slaves, and that will lead to years of people backpedaling and becoming worse than they are now. She's ..."
"She's what, Clark? We're what? Petty, stupid, corrupt humans about to commit some great wrong so our protector alien has to come stop us?" Lex asked angrily. "You said you ran away because you biological father wanted you to rule the world. Is that what you want to do now?"
"No!"
"But you think the idea of human advancement is bad."
Clark glared at him. "This is not human advancement, Lex. This is messing with something that shouldn't be messed with."
"Sometimes humans need to royally fuck up before good is done."
"But not with crap that feel to Earth with me!" Clark shouted.
Lex flinched at the tone and stayed silent.
"You know as well as I do that the people with the power to clone--you father and Lois, for starters--are the ones who will abuse the power," he continued, softer this time. "They are exactly the kind of people who will play fast and lose with it, who will breed super clones with genetic advantages to help hurt and kill people."
"Perhaps even replace them," Morgan said softly.
"Exactly." Clark nodded. "I can see someone cloning the president or something and then replacing him. And what about the rest of the world? Gay people barely have the same rights as everyone else. Racism still runs rampant, people are killed because of the gods they believe in, and women still aren't equal with men, and you think introducing clones into all of this is a *good* idea?"
Lex exhaled slowly. This was totally out of hand, and not the place. He had to calm down. "Clark, we're journalists. It's not up to us to decide."
"Excuse me if I don't park my humanity--excuse me, common sense--at the door when I put on my journalism hat."
"I'm not saying you can't have an opinion. I'm not saying that cloning is right. I'm just saying it's fascinating." He met Clark's eyes and put his hand on Clark's wrist. "I got my degree in bioengineering. I'm an armchair scientist of sorts. Can't I find the idea intriguing, and agree that, perhaps, we aren't ready for this power? Because, no, I'm no big on exploitation of being, human or not. The idea of creating clones to do our dirty work or gain control by replacing key figures disgusts me."
"Ironic, really," Morgan said. "Considering who Lionel wanted replaced."
Lex turned. "Like who?"
Morgan seemed to hesitate a moment. His eyes studied Lex's intently and then he said, "You."
He just looked at Morgan dumbly a moment. Behind him, Clark reacted by flipping through the pages, but Lex was caught statue-like. He stood there, looking at Morgan, trying to figure out what he game was, but seeing nothing but sincerity.
Lex couldn't read him.
He snorted. "My father would never replace me."
"No," Morgan agreed. "Your father never would. Lionel, though. Lionel would."
Again, Lex didn't know what to say. He had no idea what Morgan had just said, it was like he was speaking a foreign language. The words were familiar, the meaning was not.
"Oh my God," Clark gasped behind him.
Lex turned. "What?"
Clark was pale, his eyes glittering. His jaw was tight, and hands shook as he looked at the papers in his hands as if they were going to betray him. "He was going to clone you. After Lane Enterprises took over, he was going to clone you."
"No." Lex snatched the papers and scanned them. The words ran together and jumbled and didn't make sense.
He saw his name ... and then a number sequence. For the rest of the page, the number was used. There was a genetic sequence and a bunch of stuff Lex wouldn't understand unless he hit the books again. The word donor was used in conjunction with the word Morgan. A date was given.
A proposed method of disposal for number 15732 was given. They recommended a mixture of drugs to kill the body, and then cremation for the disposal.
Lex swallowed hard against the bile that had flooded his mouth. "Why?" he whispered hoarsely, trying valiantly not to throw up.
"Because you had failed him. And he wanted to move ahead on the project. Who better to use than an experiment that he no longer needed?"
"I wasn't an experiment, I was his *son*," Lex said, eyes on the papers.
Clark pried them from his hands. "Lex," he whispered softly, but Lex pulled away from him.
"You weren't his son. He just raised you. You're my son."
"*No*." He jerked away from Morgan, who'd reached out to touch him.
Clark pulled him away and moved so he was standing between the two. "Why?" he asked. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because it's true," Morgan said. "And to understand what's in these files, Lex has to know the truth. Lionel was sterile, and unable to have children. He tried, but finally had to give into scientific fact and realize he'd never produce children of his own. So he asked me to step in. And I did."
"Do you have proof?"
"Of course. I'm not stupid. But, you see, I loved Lionel, so asserting ownership over Lex was never important to me. I was a part of his life, and that was enough. My son was going to grow up a rich man's son and have legitimacy I could never give him."
"What about Julian?" Lex asked. He looked up, and pretended his eyes were just fuzzy, and not filmed with tears. "Dad had Julian."
Morgan sighed and inclined his head. "Lex, please. You walked in on your mother and I creating Julian, remember? Or one of the times we spent doing so."
"Bathroom?" Lex said suddenly through gritted teeth.
"Down the hall to the left."
He bolted.
Lex just made it to the bathroom before he started throwing up. And then he heaved so hard, he almost hit his head on the porcelain. His stomach turned inside out as he threw up everything he'd eaten in the last week.
When he was done, he flushed and rested exhaustedly against the door.
Jesus fuck Christ, why the hell was he so upset? Morgan was clearly lying. Nothing he ever said was true, right? And this wasn't. Dad hadn't wanted to kill him and replace him with a clone. That was stupid. No, he hadn't been the best or most loving father, but he was a psychopath. He hadn't ...
His stomach lurched and Lex dry heaved.
"This is ridiculous," he rasped when he could talk. Wobbling a little, he pulled himself to his feet and rinsed his mouth out. Then, he splashed water on his face and stormed back to Morgan's office, gun out.
Morgan had Clark against the wall when Lex got back in. Morgan had Clark's glasses in the hand that was resting against the wall over Clark's head. The other hand was tracing patterns on Clark's chest, and Clark didn't exactly look like he wanted Morgan to leave him alone
"Get away from him," Lex said, shaking.
Morgan turned, and immediately backed away. "Lex, put the gun down," he said, voice low and calm.
"No! Stop lying to me about this, you fucking bastard! Dad was *not* going to clone me, you aren't my father. You're just trying to confuse me."
"Lex," Clark said, sounding scared. He was standing next to him, and Lex hadn't even seen him move. "Baby, you need to calm down. You can't shoot him."
"He's lying."
"Okay, maybe he is. But you can't kill him."
"Why not? I bet you anything he killed Dad."
Clark looked at Morgan for his rebuttal.
Morgan only nodded. "I couldn't let him kill my son. Lois is the one who discovered it, actually. The scientist whom your father was working with wanted to sell the cloning technology to her. He knew that she would be able to pay him better, so he went to her with the information. When she found out Lionel was going to kill you, Lex, she came to me."
"Why would she do that she didn't even know you." Lex stiffened his arm and took better aim. He'd shoot Morgan in the head, blow his fucking mouth off.
"Because she knew I was your father."
He blinked. "What?"
"You told her about finding your mother and me. You told her about Julian, before your father drugged you to forget. But she didn't forget, and so she came to me. And I killed Lionel." He spread his hands in supplication. "I had to protect you, Lex."
"I'm *not* your son!"
"Lex." Clark put his hand over Lex's, covering the gun. "Let me run a test. I'll take a sample from both of you, take it to the Fortress. It'll take five minutes."
He was shaking, his stomach threatening to leap through his mouth again. He didn't answer.
"Please, Lex. Please, we've got a confession either way. You were right; after all these years, you know that you were right."
"Fine," he spat. "But I go with you."
Clark hesitated and then said, "Okay."
"And I take the fucking file!" he shouted at Morgan. "None of this photocopy shit."
"Lex ..."
Lex cocked the gun.
Morgan raised his hands and glanced at Clark. "Very well."
"Get the file and the sample, Clark."
Clark gathered the papers together and placed them into the file folder. Then he turned to Morgan, a letter opener in his hand.
He smiled. "Really, Kal. Is blood necessary?"
"Yes." Clark took Morgan's hand and sliced his finger open. When he pulled away, there was blood on the blade.
"What do you plan to do if the test shows I'm your father, Lex? Are you going to kill me?"
"It won't."
Morgan looked away from Clark, back to Lex. "I did it for you, Lex, remember that. The alien doesn't understand. All he will see is I took a human life, and, for that, I must be incarcerated. You, Lex. Son. You can understand why I did what I did. And I'm asking you to make sure I stay out of jail. Prison is no place for an old man."
Lex stepped forward and placed the gun underneath Morgan's chin. Pressing his face close, he growled between clenched teeth, "Who said anything about prison?"
"Lex," Clark said warningly, but Morgan simply smiled, even as Lex forced his head back.
"You're a reporter, Lex, and a good man. You aren't a killer."
Lex pressed the gun harder, but Clark tugged him away. "Come on, Lex." He wrapped his arm around Lex's waist.
Lex allowed himself to be lifted off the ground, still pointing the gun at Morgan. Clark went to the window and turned. "No security when we come back. And you will be here, no matter how long we take. Or all bets are off and I take you in wherever you are. You can't even leave the country, I'll find you."
"I'll be here. And security won't be," Morgan promised.
"Good." Then he leapt out the window with Lex and they flew away.
TBC ....
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2004-01-17 03:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-17 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-17 03:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-17 04:51 pm (UTC)I explained it in previous parts, really. Clark used to work for Morgan. Just because he was a rent boy doesn't mean he didn't find Morgan attractive. Morgan had Clark pinned to the wall because Clark didn't mind being there. That's what I was trying to get at, and because Lex realizes this, he'll probably bring it up in the next scene.
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Date: 2004-01-17 03:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-17 04:54 pm (UTC)More up probably tomorrow.
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Date: 2004-01-17 03:47 pm (UTC)http://www.livejournal.com/community/smallville_au/
Hope you'll use that as a networking tool to let people know about updates in the future! It could bring in new readers (and I think it's really cool that you always link to earlier parts with every entry--very kind to the reader).
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Date: 2004-01-18 10:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-17 08:24 pm (UTC)btw, "But not with crap that feel to Earth with me!" Clark shouted." shouldn't that be fell?
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Date: 2004-01-18 10:20 am (UTC)Wow. Very high praise. Thank you so much.
making morgan lex's dad really explains lionel's abusive behavious towards lex.
I've been dying to do this story line. I knew it wouldn't work in my other series, but the opportunity arose here, and I realzied it should work just fine. I'm glad you liked it!
Thanks for pointing out the mistake. It'll be corrected in the final draft.
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Date: 2004-01-17 09:08 pm (UTC)"All ethics aside, this is fascinating." This is such a Lex line -- I loved it on the show, and I love it here!
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Date: 2004-01-18 10:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-17 09:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-18 10:25 am (UTC)WOW
Date: 2004-01-17 10:00 pm (UTC)Re: WOW
Date: 2004-01-18 10:26 am (UTC)I'm glad you liked it!!
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Date: 2004-01-18 01:20 am (UTC)Hope
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Date: 2004-01-18 10:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-18 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-18 05:57 pm (UTC)I like where this went, including how Lionel got killed and what Lois is doing with the clones. It makes sense. Clark and Lex's argument over the clones was great, too, because it was so in character.
I'm pretty certain once you start writing, things'll come easily here at the end. All you really have left is 1) Clark/Lex at the fortress, 2) dealing with Morgan, 3) confronting Lois, and 4) exposing the clones (not necessarily in that order). Then it's Smuttily Ever After for the boys with a happy sex scene and voila!
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Date: 2004-01-18 07:19 pm (UTC)Yay! You *are* smart. I was trying to drop hints without being too obvious (and judging by how many people didn't see it coming, I think I did okay in this), but I wanted it to be there to see. I knew I didn't want to have Morgan molest Lex, but I wasn't sure *why* Lex was so creeped out until I started writing. And I've really wanted to do a fic where Morgan was really Lex's dad; I almost thought about working it in COTW (especially after 42, where Morgan reminded Clark of Lex), but I thought it would muddle the story line too much. Which was when I realzied it would work here. :)
I'm pretty certain once you start writing, things'll come easily here at the end.
I have most of it in mind now, I just have to buckle down and write it. Hopefully, I'll get it done soon. :)