Somebody please recommend me fics/any media of this already existing but I’ve been having an AU based on the new Superman movie that’s been haunting me so I gotta get it out on here and hopefully a few people can see my vision lol. And to get it out of the way no this would obviously never happen in cannon I just think it’d be cool.
So specifically this takes place right after the movie. A prosecutor and attorney have a meeting with Luthor at Arkham face to face being like, “So you have two options here. You can have A, life in prison, or B, 2 years probation at this farm in the middle of nowhere without any electronics whatsoever. If after the two year period you’re deemed well…redeemed, you can live back in society and get Luthor corp back.”
He’s all like, “3 million dollars and that’s all you can get me?” And the defense attorney is like, “Um you almost destroyed the whole world. It was a miracle I could even get you out of Arkham in the first place! You wanna have your day in court alone, fine pal. Good luck convincing them you’re anything more than a psychotic lunatic who tried to kill the most beloved superhero in America right now.”
He then asks the prosecutor why even offer such a deal if he’s such a danger and she goes, “Well, Superman actually advocated your release since he thinks your mind can be used for good. Plus, if he can’t keep you in check, it’s not my position on the line. He promised to take full responsibility if you still can’t do it.”
He shots up from the table like, “Oh well if I wasn’t gonna take this deal before NOW I never am!” But his lawyer tries to argue that he can get his business off the ground again and help all the employees his company had to lay off/build up the company back as it took a massive hit. He doesn’t seemed swayed by the argument. The prosecutor points out he could likely continue his biological experimentation she heard about on the news which he obviously can’t in Arkham and that’s what gets him to, after a very long moment of hesitation, agree.
He asks what farm he’s gonna be at and they explain it was a lottery system and a farm in Smallville won the lucky ticket. He asks who owns it and they’re like “The Kents.” And he’s like “Oh great…” since he’s done his research on Superman’s little reporter and knows that’s where he’s from/his parents own that farm.
He’s dropped off there that night and his attorney explains they need three things to prove he can reenter society. 1, Superman obsession is gone and his obsessed personality in general. 2, he won’t manipulate people. 3, he wants to genuinely use his resources for good. He asks if Superman came up with the list but the attorney is gone before he gets an answer.
He walks up the creaky wood steps of the porch and rings annoyingly loud doorbell. After waiting a few minutes he’s about to knock when an elderly woman comes to the door. She welcomes him in and apologizes since they didn’t expect him so soon. Her husband is in the kitchen reading the paper in the middle of the night with some coffee and barely gives him a nod. Luthor notes he’s the silent type like his father. Just perfect. Not like there was any other farm that could’ve won but the one who had two elderly parents with a son who loved Superman.
She introduces herself as Martha and goes to shake his hand. Luthor does so in return (telling her to call him Lex), but wipes his hand on his pants when he’s done. She leads him to the attic and yep, just as dingey and dungeony as he thought, cob webs galore. For a moment he wonders if this really is better than Arkham.
Martha offers him food or drink but he declines. She heads downstairs and he can hear a muffled argument about him “not giving Martha proper respect” or something along those lines. He just sighs and lays on the sad lumpy mattress in the middle of the room. He can tell he’ll just hate it there, but he doesn’t have much to do besides plot what he’ll do when he “proves” himself and gets back to the things that actually matter.
In the morning he’s awoken bright and early for a big breakfast (yes it’s midwestern but think Southern). Even though it’s a feast he mostly picks at his food, noting in his mind it’s not even close to what his personal chief used to prepare. Martha notes she can see why he’s so skinny since all the fancy restaurants don’t serve big portions or make ‘em like she does. He only scoffs and picks at the food. The man gives her a look but she just turns away to make more. Maybe some pancakes will get the stubborn man to open up. No one could resist her recipe.
Eventually the man, who Lex learns is named Johnathan, gets up and heads out the door, gesturing for Lex to come too. Lex is kinda like, “What does he want…?” And Martha’s like, “Well we some old folk around these parts. Haven’t had help in years. Some young work would do this farm good.”
He’s like, “You can’t be serious…” and Johnathan gives him a look like, ‘If you wanna prove your sound of mind to the court, we are.’ Lex sighs but goes along with it.
What follows is days of big breakfasts, challenging farm labor, and Lex talking John’s ear off since he literally has no one to bounce ideas off of anymore. It gets frustrating for both, to give so many thoughts and ideas to a man who never seems to utter a word back. Lex goes on about how he could make x this % better with technology. The cows would produce more with updated equipment. He was thinking of a better method to automate harvest. He even at one point suggests he could make a flying tractor so the Kents would maaaaaaybe just sign some paperwork possibly telling the court he didn’t need a two year sentence.
John loses it when one day him and the skinny boy are getting water and Lex goes, “I’m a biological engineer before anything really. I bet I account for every possible variable that would happen during animal birth and make an advanced algorithm that could tell us when and how every cafe on the planet would be born and-“
And John just slams the buckets he’s carrying on the grass and shouts, “YOUR DAMN VARIABLES CAN’T ACCOUNT FOR EVERYTHING!!!” It just dead silence for a few minutes as Lex is literally frozen. Not only has no body ever yelled at him in his silver spoon fed life, but he’s never heard the man speak. Even Martha was the one who had to tell Lex Johnathan’s name. He honestly tears up for a minute in his mind being like ‘I always try to help people but they never appreciate it even when I’m trying to help. I always do something wrong, mess something up so people hate me. If the man I’ve been talking to for the last few days hates me already, what’s even the point?’
Johnathan comes to see Lex’s reaction and realizes he’s sensitive similar to Clark. He sighs, puts a hand on Lex’s shoulder and apologizes, but says he was hoping some of the chores would’ve gotten through to Lex by then. Lex snaps out of his self doubt and is like, “What do the chores have to do with this?” And Johnathan explains he was trying to get Lex to see that not everything needs to be improved upon and that sometimes natures/traditional ways have their merit. That algorithms can’t explain everything and it takes dedication, experience, and listening to others as well.
Lex is like, “But I wasn’t good at them.” And Johnathan said it was his original plan for the days that followed to help Lex with the chores to show him how listening to others/gaining experience and teamwork could help with those, he thinks he had something better in mind and says to meet him in the barn in the morning since he did show tough and grit by even doing half of them at his size.
In the morning he goes to the rundown barn and what awaits him his a very pregnant cow and Johnathan being like, “You’re gonna help me deliver it.” And Lex going like, “WHAT?!?” And freaking out because he doesn’t know how to deliver a cow! There’s not a training manual he could study and he’d experimented with living beings but he was making life from nothing, not delivering it!
Johnathan helps him through the process and after blood, sweat, lots of screaming, and a few tears, the baby was born. Martha goes over to see the commotion and Lex lifts the light, defenseless cafe in his arms and is like, “I didn’t create it.” But Martha goes, “Well, sweetheart, maybe naught. But ya did one fine job of bringing it into the world.” Then she playfully hits John’s shoulder all, “And you got this old man to talk. I couldn’t till our third date! That’s a win if eye ever saw one.”
Over the next few months he begins to grow fond of the couple. He helps with more farm work, learning how to use equipment, harvest, feed livestock, clean the barn. Eventually he does get to clean out his room and get a bed frame, lamp, and other essentials, though he failed to talk them into getting him a laptop or phone or even an old style TV. He helped Martha around the house and cooking which he enjoyed, but his favorite thing ended up being when he got to go fishing with John. He had actually let Lex air out some of his ideas to him and while not agreeing with most, responding positively to some and telling him how to improve upon others. That long, soft conversation was one of Lex’s proudest moments there.
But laying in bed alone at nights, it bothered him how good the Kents were and made him reflect on his failings with his own parents. They weren’t bad people, they just had had…diverging paths. Paths which had led to them changing their last names and cutting all contact due to Lex’s vision for the world, not to mention his actions.
He tried not to think of it too often, emotional pain and…unnecessary feelings seemed to accompany him when he mulled over it for too long. But he did fear a bit. Not for his time on the farm to be over but what would happen if he got too attached. The Kents were likely the same. He tried to prepare for the inevitable of them cutting contact as well after he returned to Luthor Corp. It would hurt less this time that way.
After the fall came winter and winter meant the holidays. It meant they also couldn’t fish anymore, something that saddened Luthor though he’d rather die than admit to it. But he couldn’t focus on that. All he could put his attention on was that the holidays meant family. The holidays meant Clark Kent.
He hoped beyond hope that perhaps the man would’ve just forgotten or had a story he had to publish in the paper that would make him work through Christmas. So surprise surprise that didn’t happen and Lois’s family member had an emergency but they had planned to stay with Clark’s family that holiday. It wasn’t serious so she tells him not to worry and go have fun with his family.
He arrives at the snowy front door and Martha calls Lex down to meet him. He did his homework on the man while being obsessed with Clark’s best friend Supershit but it was one thing to study him, another to see the man in real life. The guy was huge with a capital H. He had to bend down when entering through the door and his head nearly touched the ceiling. He had dorky glasses that looked like they came from the 70s and curly black hair not to mention piercing blue eyes.
He greeted Lex with a hug smile, like an excited puppy dog. Lex gave him a deathly glare back, like a black cat saying, ‘Hello? Who are you? This is my house, who do you think you are?’.
He goes up and shakes Luthor’s hand really hard (Luthor’s surprised his arm didn’t fall off) and then the idiot goes and picks him up and hugs him and is all like, “THIS IS SO COOL I’VE ALWAYS WANTED A BROTHER AHHHH!!! YES!!!”
Luthor again is like, “EXCUSE ME? WHA- NO LET ME GO YOU IMBECILE OF A MAN!!” Johnathan convinces Clark to let him down and Clark’s all, “Oh can I take him out to play hockey? What about sleds. OMG I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do sleds with a sibling!! (Gasp) No, a snowball fight!” Johnathan’s like “You can take ‘em out if you don’t break ‘em.” And Luthor’s like, “UM I’m not a dog you take out to play?Or a child? I can speak for myself?!”
Martha says she’ll make them hot chocolate if they go and even though Luthor sees it as the waste of time it is, he has been eating some of Martha’s baking recently and if she makes hot chocolate she’s probably going to make cookies and she’ll only do that if he goes so he basically has no choice in the matter anyway.
What ensues is whacky shenanigans of Clark taking Lex to do all the things he wanted to do with siblings as a kid, talking about how he wished he had them but his parents were too old. In the shenanigans Lex finds out he’s bad with hockey, sledding is hard, and no matter how hard he tries he can’t even land a hit on Clark in a snowball fight. They come back to the hot chocolate and cookies and Lex can’t help but fume at losing and fumbling around.
Not to mention at home is even worse. Instead of all the attention he’d been receiving the past few months, Clark takes it all. He gets their hugs, their affection, something Lex didn’t even know he could be jealous of since it wasn’t like he was receiving any of it or wanted it before. Well…perhaps that wasn’t all true. But he still couldn’t help his stewing over every time they fawned over the brainless idiot. Yet even still he couldn’t come to hate the man, like his parents he was excessively kind and trusting. He offered Lex his room when not there and even suggested he moved down from the attic (an offer Lex overwhelmingly refused) and helped with farm chores, donated to the poor during the holiday, as well as climb a tree to put baby birds back in their nest. It all just served to increase Lex’s anger and resentment.
Even more maddening is that as the Christmas week goes on Clark seems oblivious to his hate and keeps referring to him as his ‘little brother’ since he was probably ‘technically younger’. Lex had stopped bothering to tell him to quit it the first ten times he had asked to just be called by his name.
Well eventually they’re all watching some sappy family Christmas movie (think like prep and landing), and Clark says something about being brothers and Lex just snaps. He’s like, “No! I’m just a guest. It’s nice of the Clarks to be okay with me living here but that doesn’t make you anything to me. Plus I’m pretty sure I’m like five months older than you anyway?? But anyway I don’t need any of this. Stop being weird and start acting normal. Go back to interviewing that Supershit if that’s all you’re good for.”
Before anything else can happen Lex sulks and goes up to the attic, shutting the stairs and glaring at a poster on his wall. Downstairs the Kents console Clark who’s really upset Lex doesn’t like him since it wasn’t at all how he envisioned it going. His parents say Lex is one who takes time and that he’ll come around but Clark isn’t so sure. Clark goes to his own room and calls Lois all hurt like, “I can’t believe he doesn’t like me! I thought I was doing good but he hates me. I wanted to help…” And Lois is all, “I can imagine you got too overexcited over everything again and overwhelmed him. Remember how we were when we first started dating? Your parents are right. Give him space and time and don’t shove everything in his face all at once and he’ll come around. You don’t force things like this.”
Lex hears the call through the walls and feels a bit guilty. He opens his hatch and from the hallway is like, “I mean I don’t hate you per se.” And Clark is over there in seconds climbing the ladder with his puppy dog eyes being like, “REALLY!?! : )”
Lois is left hearing nothing on the bed (Clark left his phone there and forgot to hang up lol), and Lex is like, “Well yeah, but your friend is right. You should exercise some self control once in your life. But anyway…I suppose I could try to befriend you. It makes things easier for your parents if nothing else.” And Clark is literally squealing like, “REALLY!?! : D” but Lex goes, “You didn’t let me FINISH. We can be friends if you stop interviewing Supershit because I don’t want to hear anything about him ever again AND if you drop the stupid brother thing. Especially because I’m technically older.” Clark goes, “Well you look smaller and skinnier so I think I just assumed-“
Lex offers him a hand like, “Is it a deal or not?” Clark goes, “If you actually give being friends a shot and brothers eventually AND you move out of the attic to share a room with me and can use it when I’m not here, then sure.” They shake and then Clark is like, “I also get exclusive rights to interview you if I can’t do Superman.”
Lex roles his eyes like, “That’s not how a business contract goes you can’t just add things after-“ but it’s too late as he’s dragged down to the hallway and lifted in a bone crushing hug. Martha and John kinda snicker at them downstairs and Lex is sure to end the hug as soon as he’s able and pretend like nothing happened.
He does move downstairs the next day though. Half of the room stays blue the other Lex paints green himself and puts up posters of prominent scientists and a nerdy band he liked back in the day. Initially he tried to do the duck tap on the floor thing where no one crosses the line but it quickly devolves as Clark crosses every conceivable boundary.
It’s an ongoing conversation but Clark does eventually mellow out a bit/basically go to treating Lex like he would a real brother/family. He actually ends up calling Lex Alex and Lex asks why. Clark says it’s to distance himself from the bad stuff Lex did and start fresh in a sense, also because he can then technically call him Al and make him sound like he has an old man name. Lex pushes back saying Clark isn’t any better (and actually worse) of an old man name but he lets it go. Eventually it sticks and around the farm he’s known as Alex, something he’d take on later to separate his work/billionaire life with farm/home life.
The rest of the holidays go well. Clark takes Alex to spots he frequently went to as a kid and comments about how things have changed. One spot they visit is actually a comic book store. They go back to the farm and Christmas was good, Martha made an amazing ham dinner and they fill Alex in on some family lore stuff/about Lois. Like when Johnathan saved the farm with a blue ribbon from winning a pig competition one year which ended up being worth a lot of money. Or when Clark once apparently ran into a burning building to save a cat. Considering what he saw with the bird, Alex wasn’t surprised.
They ask Alex about his own family and he’s like “Oh well really not much to tell. I mean we never had a meal like this before, like this is a lot of food for four people. Our portions were way smaller. Not to mention we didn’t really talk much during dinner. I mean, I guess we did about stock markets sometimes or my science experiments but really nothing big. Background…I really don’t know too much it never…” he almost stopped himself till going on a bit quieter, “it never interested me…”
Alex is a bit despondent after that as he realized yeah he never was interested. He didn’t talk to his parents even when they had tried. There wasn’t anything that piqued him, not his history not their status, nothing. He remembered many times his father and mother would shower him with accolades for his success and ask the technicalities but he’d just brush them off, not matter what interest they’d shown in him. He never showed it back.
He shakes off the thought and just continues conversing since there honestly wasn’t much he could do at that point. He was pleasantly surprised when Clark seemed to know a bit about philosophy, particularly Utilitarianism and similar theories. Even Johnathan seemed to chime in into their friendly debate. He didn’t take Clark for much of an intellectual, he wondered if he had judged others wrongly for how they looked and dismissed them too early. He also finds it rather amusing when Clark comments that he and Lex are like the Wright brothers or the Lewis and Clark expedition. Two famous brothers, pioneers of a better future.
But dinner gets done, they go to sleep, have Christmas and New Year’s, and before Alex knows it Clark has to leave. He hugs his parents and turns to leave and Alex is all offended like “Hello?!? Where’s my hug Clark?!? You’re never getting an interview with me this way.” And at first Clark is like, “I can interview you?” Then, “So you’re okay without space?” And then, “Yay, hug!” And he lifts Alex into the air again to hug him. Clark will have to work on making it less bone crushing but finally puts him down and the fam is like, “Be safe” and Clark is all “I will!”
The months after Alex begins helping the townsfolk with things as well as enrolling in therapy and making small Johnathan approved enchantments around the farm. He improves a coffee maker at a local coffee shop, gives teachers a small robo assistant at the local daycare, and makes renewable crops at the farm which can do two harvests in one day (though they’re only up for one season to not mess with the soil). Clark occasionally comes to visit and have more fun with Alex and help out the farm in that time. He also said he hasn’t interviewed Superman and as Alex was advised to by his therapist, takes it at face value instead of trying to find out if it was true or not.
The next Christmas comes far earlier than expected and in that time Alex actually found a way to make kryptonite. A few weeks before he gives it in a necklace to Martha and Johnathan to wear and one time when Lois went to the farm to pick Clark up something he left gives her two necklaces and is like, “Make sure Clark wears his! Oh and tell him to pick me up that strawberry soda from the city his next visit. Thank youuuu.” (Again not to Alex’s knowledge but the rock is thrown away when Lois gets home and they paint shiny new necklaces since Clark doesn’t want Alex’s feelings hurt. Lois pressures him on when he plans to tell Alex but he says he’ll do it when his sentence is done).
But anyway then it’s actually Christmas and Clark and Lois visit them Christmas Eve and plan to spend Christmas Day with Lois’s family. Alex gives the Kents their presents early, specially designed suits (think iron man). They come with heating, the ability to fly, and lasers at the palm of their hands. He also made Clark a pen that can link to his nural network so he can write whatever he’s thinking instead of having to write or type it. Johnathan laughs like “Ooooh, so that’s what you did with the tractor!” And Alex is like, “That’s the best part! Look outside.” They all go outside and see that the tractor is levitating off the ground.
Clark’s all, “OMG WE HAVE TO TAKE IT FOR A TEST DRIVE NOW!! CAN WE PA CAN WE???” And Johnathan’s all, “ALEX WHAT THE FREAK DID YOU DO TO MY GOSH DARN TRACTOR!” Alex hands him a credit card, nonchalantly says, “This should cover it.” For John to get a new tractor and he, Clark and Lois try it out. It was indeed awesome.
After all that the topic of “What’re you gonna do when the times up?” comes up. The Kents offer him to stay as long as he needs but Alex does want to be Lex again and run his own company, but he is worried about becoming crazy again, even if his therapist classified it as a bit irrational. Clark is all “You can stay with me and Lois till you feel comfortable by yourself! That way you can stay there then go back to the farm when you want until you’re ready for your own place again.” And Lois is all “Excusemewhat?” And Alex is “Not a terrible idea if you have a guest room sure.” “Great because we got the court to lessen your sentence and technically you’re free to go whenever!”
Alex kinda sits there like whaaaaaaat? Johnathan asks if he can keep the card and Alex says he can put as many charges on it as he wants. Martha tears up and hugs him like “My baby! We’ll miss youuuuu.”
Takes Alex a bit to process but after snapping back to reality he’s like “Okay.” So the next week he reminisces about his time at the farm, how far he’s grown, and is moved into Clark/Lois’s spare room. It’s an adjustment, but nothing he can’t handle. He stays in therapy, conducts his mega corporation remotely, and spends more time with Clark. He gives up on dating literally forever because nope that hurt too much and decides to focus on his career/family rather than pursue other opportunities.
During his stay Clark’s reader numbers decline. Now that he can’t interview Superman, less people are interested in reading his work. Alex won’t stand for it so he offers Clark the chance to interview him, ‘Lex Luthor, Bad Guy Gone Good.’ He takes Clark to do rich people things like fancy restaurants and operas and other things for the interview as well as pointing out the good Luthor corps now does funding hospitals and making charities while turning a profit.
When it’s done it does draw more attention so Luthor offers to help once again by making it so Clark can interview Batman. Clark is hesitant, he’s worried people don’t want to read his stories and will just know him as the ‘guy who interviews billionaires’ like he was the ‘guy who interviewed Superman.’ That he isn’t as good as the other reporters. Luthor tells him not to worry, that he’s read the others and he likes Clark’s the best since instead of sensationalizing things he actually tells the truth and doesn’t sway form his moral code while other reporters chase what’s popular. That if anything, he might give rich people a run for their money and a harder time than most since he doesn’t faun over them or their wealth but asks “Why aren’t you helping more people with all your wealth?”.
Clark thanks Alex for the pep talk and goes with him to Gotham to meet Alex’s connection: Bruce Wayne. Now Bruce, as a detective, immediately notices something is up with this reporter Luthor brings to interview him. He fits Superman’s physical description (minus the glasses), eye color, hair color, and from what Bats has read is VERY altruistic and positive, seemingly toxically so. Bruce finds it all too ironic, someone so noble, so positive, so kind, was being cruel to one who loved and looked up to him so much (evident when Luthor talked positively about Clark nonstop).
He asks Luthor for some privacy and Lex obliges, going to meet with some Wayne reps to possibly do a deal to help the police presence in Gotham. Bruce immediately grills Clark and it doesn’t take long for him to admit that yes he’s Superman and the green necklace is an emerald decoy. Bruce is unsure about how the necklaces factors in but does call out Clark for Alex’s ignorance on the Superman issue. Clark insists he’s going to tell him soon, but asks Bruce why he’s concerned/what a Superhero’s business has to do with him.
Long story short Bruce reveals he’s Batman and he’s trying to assemble a team of Supers to protect the world. The other members of the task force seem to distrust Superman the most due to the video of Clark’s biological parents but since he’s the one with the most public support and pure power they need him the most. He says he’s got the other Supers to agree to a three month training camp to learn to fight better and trust each other more.
Initially, Clark tries to refuse. He’s seen other hero teams like the Justice Gang and they seem to be petty and squabble or make a mess when important issues need to be solved. He doesn’t wanna be apart of something that devolves into that. Batman assures him it’ll be different as he feels their more serious personalities would mesh better together not to mention they’d work more closely for a common goal of saving the world not just one city but all of them. After laying out logistics of how they’d protect their cities without them (giving them to lower level heros who can prove themselves), he think it’d work. It took a lot of convincing but eventually Clark agreed too.
Once back at the apartment with Alex and Lois he sits them down and explains that Bruce offered him a chance to go to a remote location and write on the development of a secret supers team that was going to take it upon themselves to protect Earth to go public. Lois is aware its code for “I’m joining a superhero team” but Alex is all against it like “I thought you didn’t wanna be the superhero interview guy and they’re dangerous! What if Superman is there and kills you to make Lois apart of his harem? What if Batman accidentally throws a batarang in your face? What if wonder woman is there and she like…explodes you with her mind or something?”
Clark assures him it’s safe and not to worry. Lois says she’ll miss him but it’ll be for the best. Alex is still upset but sighs and agrees. They get him packed, he kisses Lois goodbye, gives Lex a good squeeze goodbye, tells them he loves them, and leaves.
In that time Luthor moves back to his old apartment…well penthouse. It felt much emptier than before. He calls Martha and Johnathan frequently to see how the farm is. He tries to call Clark but there’s never an answer.
After the three months Alex gets antsy. A day goes by, then two. Then three. He calls Lois and asks if he’s back yet, to which she tells him not to worry and that maybe the Sups needed a bit more training. He concedes and hangs up…till a week goes by. Nope, no stoping his worry spiral anymore he needed to see Clark now. Those supershits better pray it wasn’t in a body bag or they’d end up in one alongside him. No. Perhaps he’d make their deaths even more agonizingly slow and painful. In fact, he knew that’s exactly what he’d do if anything happened to his brother.
He gets on the Supersuit he made for himself though it was after he had gotten Luthor Corps back so the technology was more advanced. He had been meaning to update the others but Martha and John loved them so much he could barely get his hands on the tech whenever he visited. They had also housed a white dog Clark had been watching and Krypto seemed to make fast friends with Alex. He’d have to remember to get the dog a meat bone on his and Clark’s way back.
Alex hears a phone rings and Luthor’s suit pulls up a call from Lois. He answers and she asks where he is since she was at the entrance to his penthouse and was going to check in to see if he was okay since their last call. He’s like “Actually I’m not home I’m going to get Clark.” She’s like “Umm what?” And he goes “Yeah I put nano tech in his, Martha, John, and your blood. In case of emergency. So can’t talk gotta go save Clark, bye!”
Hangs up on her and flies in the air till he finally finds the head out. He busts in and starts messing stuff up. “WHERE. IS. MY. BROTHERRRRR?” Wonder Woman, Batman, and the Flash and Wasp are like “Your who? Who even are you?” Then Supershit flies to see the commotion and Lex is all geared up “Oh I’ve been ready for this!”
Instead of attacking the heros and their training equipment all he can focus on is Superman. He beats him, makes him hurt like he probably did Clark. Beats him over and over till he sees blood. The idiot doesn’t even fight back, he takes it. It was…a bit strange, so much so Alex stopped for a moment. It was almost like…Superman felt bad for something? Good. Cause he should. He should feel bad for whatever was keeping Clark…if he was hurt…Alex didn’t know what he would do next.
Alex eventually takes out a necklace and holds it up to Superman, the same as the necklaces he gave to the Kents and Lois, this one for himself. He shouts at Superman to tell him where Clark is, what did he do with him? Is he alive? Is he hurt? If he didn’t anything to Clark Lex promised he’d reduce the place to rubble!
As the stone gets closer and Lex can see Superman’s veins, suddenly with a bought of strength, Superman pushes the thing away by its golden chain. He’s sobbing from the pain and puts on glasses, breathing heavily. “Alex…it’s me…”
“no…n-no…no- NO!” Alex shots up and away, sobbing as he flies to the only place he feels safe. After a short recovery time, Clark flies quickly after him, right on his tail and trails him until they descend.
“YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!” Alex still cries as the wind takes his tears, “SO WHAT WAS IT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THEN?!? HOW LONG WHERE YOU GOING TO LIE TO ME?!?” “I DIDN’T WANT TO I HAD TO YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! Please, Alex let’s talk, I’m sorry! It’s just- we got so close so fast I couldn’t…THERE WASN’T A RIGHT TIME!” “YOU COULD HAVE MADE ONE!!”
Eventually they land on the farm, both tired from flying and Clark especially from the kryptonite shoved in his face, still begging Alex to let him explain as Alex was holding back tears and failing to hold himself tight enough. “You could’ve told me but you didn’t…” “But please I can…there’s more to it than that…” “More? Oh is the dog Superman too now?!”
Krypot always knew how to appear at just the wrong time, and that was in the hallway right beneath the attic entrance. Clark tries to protest that they talk it out but Alex isn’t having any of it, opening the attic door and saying he’s taking Krypto with him. He goes up, shuts it behind him, and sobs with Krypto in his lap. The dog comforts him while Martha notices what’s going on and sees Clark’s state so takes him outside, thinking reflect sunlight is probably better than none.
When Clark feels ready, he knocks on the attic ceciling door, only to get knocked in the face when it opens. Luthor doesn’t apologize just goes into a corner as Krypto leaps out of his lap and floats to the main house. Alex sniffles as Superman pops his head up and enters.
“Was any of it even real?” Lex questions as Superman feels helpless to do anything, “Was Clark even real…? Was any of what I shared with you even real?” “OF COURSE IT WAS! Alex, this doesn’t change anything! It’s me, it’s Clark!” He floats up into the attic and goes over, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Alex you know me.”
Lex flicks off the hand and finally loses it and breaks down with his tears, “I don’t know WHAT I know anymore! I thought I could finally trust again! Wouldn’t have to monitor someone every single second of every single damn day to know that they CARED! That I finally wouldn’t have to constantly look over my shoulder to see whether or not I was being BETRAYED BY THOSE CLOSEST TO ME! BY MY GIRLFRIEND, BY MY FLESH AND BLOOD! I never imagined Clark, that the danger, would be you!”
“To be fair, didn’t you put some nano technology gizmo into me to find me? I know you don’t have the spies anymore so not many ways you could’ve known where I was.” He just gives Clark a death glare, “Okay F you dude.” He bites back as he curles himself into a corner luckily not filled with rusty nails. “That was for safety this is different! I think I would’ve accepted anything else!” Clark just glares back like, “Well golly-gee I wonder then why it was so F-ing hard for me to tell, Alex! Oh wait, yeah that’s literally the exact reason! Don’t act like this was the easiest thing for me either!”
He shots up and faces Clark head on as Clark’s still in his Superman suit, “Are you seriously suggesting that YOU are the one who had a hard time with this?!” “Well I wasn’t the one who stole Krypto and ripped a hole in a pocket dimension!” “WELL IM NOT THE ONE WHO LIED ABOUT BEING YOUR ARCH RIVAL WHO TRIED TO RUIN YOUR LIFE, YOU ALIEN SUPERSHIT KRYPTONITE!” “WELL IM NOT THE ONE WHO TURNED INTO A SUPERVILLAIN AND BECAME IRREDEEMABLE AND MADE EVERYONE HATE HIM IN THE DAMN FIRST PLACE!”
Martha hears the scream and sees them about to come to blows through the screaming and crying and she’s all, “K so you guys need more time to chill. Clark, go rest in your bed and Luthor, either do farm chores to blow off steam or you can sleep in here or in your and Clark’s room.”
Clark leaves again to cool off and Luthor decides to go to the treehouse Clark had shown him on one of their ‘expeditions’ around town as Clark liked to call them. He sat there, ruminating over it all and reflecting over what Clar-…what Superman had said. Yes, he had kidnapped and planned to murder Krypto. Yes, he did kill a good man who had a future ahead of him and a life to live for. Yes, he kidnapped a baby to imprison his father to make a deadly substance to kill a superhero. Well, if he was honest that last one was technically altruistic in his eyes but…oh it didn’t matter. Not now.
His mind harkened back to his therapy sessions as he tried to come up with useful things she would say in the situation. He distinctly envisioned a time he had relayed to her his fear that his new…found family of sorts would abandon him or hurt him in some way. She hadn’t lied, said there was always a possibility to be hurt by others because other people where human like him and made mistakes. She encouraged him in that moment to think of the good times with Clark and the Kents and the bad ones, and think about which overall he had experienced more of and if that led to them having an overall more positive or negative impact on his life and future endeavors.
He knew the answer back then, of course, even in denial he likely knew it now about Clark. That didn’t make it sting any less. Was all the potential hurt and pain really worth all of the suffering he had to go through? All for their affections and the hope that maybe they’d be the ones to stay by his side?
He heard the ladder of the treehouse shift, but instead of the big burly man he expected, an elderly one popped his head up and climbed up the tree, “Whew, not as young as eye use ta be, ah tell ya that much.” The comment was probably meant to make Alex laugh, truly he did feel his shoulder unwind a bit, but his mouth didn’t unclench and he stayed huddled up in the wooden house in the air. “Just go away. Why bother me anyway? What’s the use of any of this?”
The man’s eyes grew big. He hesitated for a moment, till something seemed to be caught in his throat as he sat down next to the younger man, “Ma wants her boys back under one roof, Alex. An Eye ain’t leaving this here tree without you.” Luthor couldn’t help as the tears began pouring out once more, “What if Clark can’t forgive me for everything though? What if…” his lip grew wet as another sob came on, “what if he was pretending the whole time just so I wouldn’t turn back to Lex Luthor? What if he never cared for Alex in the first place?”
“Well now, if that ain’t the most unintelligent thang I ever done did hear ya say, Mr. Bio-logical scientist.” Alex darted his eyes away but his Pa merely playfully shook his shoulder, his lips all but saying, ‘Come on now.’ “Clark don’t do things as Clark if he don’t care for ‘em. He do things as Superman ta scare the bad men or blow off steam, not much care ‘hind it. He does the real important thangs to him ‘as Clark, that the side he show people he cares ‘bout. An’ you, Alex? Sides Lois, Eye wouldn’t say there’s anyone he cares more fer than you.”
Alex took a second to mull it over. It slowly started making sense to him, how important to Clark he really was despite anything. How Clark truly believed they could be brothers, that there was a place for Alex, all of him, Lex included, in his family. Johnathan lightly shook Alex’s shoulder, extending his hand to him. Together, they descended, Lex marching with determination toward the house.
Physically, Clark recovered quickly, but emotionally was a separate story. He couldn’t believe after all that time Alex would just throw him away like some sorta super trash. His mother tended to his wounds, both feeling too weak about the whole situation to speak. It was then they heard the door downstairs open as it seemed Alex and Pa were back. Clark turned away from his mother as Alex entered, not caring about the sting of the alcohol she has applied.
With little else to do, Martha left, whispering to both a sharp, ‘Apologize to your brother’ as she did so. Lex tried to kneel down in front of him but Clark just moved his legs to the other side of the bed. He finally just sat beside him, Clark having no where else to escape him really except flying away if he wanted. Both slumped down sideways on the blue bed, something both were accustom too as they had done it in the past when brainstorming ideas for Luthor corps or interviews.
“Do you…hate me?” He heard Clark ask after a long silence, “I don’t hate you. God Clark, I was mad but I didn’t hate you even for a second.” He turned his head to look into Clark’s piercing eyes, “Do you…hate me after all I did? It’d certainly be easier…” Clark gave him a wet, sad smile, “No, not even for a minute.”
No words were said as both got up and simply hugged each other, held on as if worried the other would change their mind. After a good long cry in each other’s arms, Alex began to finally take a breath and be able to speak again, “I’m sorry I called you SuperShit.” Clark gave a small laugh, “I’m sorry I threw everything from back then in your face when it’s in the past…”
They say that way for a while, till going to their original positions on the bed, “it’s amazing how you can forgive me. Stupid, but amazing.” Clark just rolled his eyes, “Not amazing as you still trusting us and not trying to like, live in the middle of the woods with no human contact for the rest of your life. I think if I had your struggles that’s what I’d do.”
They generally talk about life stuff and mutually assure to forgive each other and move on. After learning Clark’s identity, Alex officially, to the Kents at least, becomes Alex Kent.
A few years later, Lex isn’t super thrilled with how the justice league is going. He still worries for Clark not to mention the Leagues finances since starting the youth hero initiative. But they still make time to take the occasional ‘expedition’ around smallville or metropolis. He smiles as Clark walks into his office and offers him a go at a new coffee book shop he found. It’s supposed to be rustic, which, to Alex Kent, sounds roomy, warm, and…like home.
