(no subject)

[roxy]

Title:Mariposa
Fandom: SV
Pairing: Clark/Jake…*g*
Rating: 2
Summary: This is an AU version of Smallville. Wait a minute--Smallville is an AU version of Smallville

Previous Parts are here, thinking about a sex change—diddling the one sex has kind of become old hat….



Caroline Says

Lex and Lucas stood side by side between a bank of ten feet tall Christmas trees decked out in white lights and red and white ornaments. Both of them silently watched the ebb and flow of the crowds from the upper level of the ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel. Their postures were identical, arms crossed, nearly identical sneers. Both of them dressed in black, red brocade vests a nod to the theme and the season. Lex’s eyes were locked on the dance floor below; Lucas’ were locked on Lex, watching every slight flex of muscle in his face, his expression mirroring every one of Lex’s. Lex licked his lip, tongue tip touching lightly on a faint scar there and slipping back. Lucas inhaled, his eyes closed, slowly and completely, like a lizard’s….

The ballroom was transformed into a fairyland, a designer vision of Santa’s North Pole. The Metropolis Hospital White and Red ball was an annual event the Luthor family had contributed to for years…ever since Lionel made his first real money in the city. Lex had been attending, starting with the Children’s Ball, since he was nine—the first year he’d lost all his hair, the year he felt like a freak, when all he’d wanted to do was hide from everyone. Lionel told him it would help him heal, that he needed to come out of the shell he’d built. Funny man, Dad.

This year was Lucas’ second ball. He was slowly becoming more comfortable in their world, especially since Lex shared a little trick of his for dealing with crowds of strangers. “You remember that public speaker’s trick—the one where you imagine everyone but you is naked? With us, it’s reality.” Lex explained that the probability was that they had dirt on nearly every one he’d ever have to deal with. Some of it might have been manufactured by the Luthor’s themselves, but if you were stupid enough to walk into a trap….

Lionel’s assistant, now Lucas’, stood close to his side, muttering non-stop. The man was like a walking, talking computer. There was nothing or no one he didn’t have information on, or would have in minutes. Lucas thought he was very entertaining. Lex thought Lucas had god awful taste.

*****

Lex was taking a final turn around the dance floor with some council man’s daughter, and complementing her on her grace—he was going to hell for much worse indiscretions, lying hardly mattered. She fit in his arms like a sack of potatoes and Lucas came drifting up on his side, some lovely vapid thing in his embrace. He stated loudly, and clearly, “You’re trying to make me jealous, aren’t you? Are you going to spend time with me too, or are you going to make me beg for it?”

For a moment, the couple shared looks of confusion, uneasy befuddlement on the girl’s face, a dawning expression of anger on Lex’s before Lucas said with a mock pout, “Ellie, you are going to make me beg, aren’t you?” The girl laughed and Lex bit his lip—her name was Ellie? How did Lucas remember things like that?

“Lucas, you’re terrible,” she giggled. “Of course I’ll dance with you, if your brother doesn’t mind?” She simpered at Lex, and he assured her nothing would make him happier. They switched partners; Lex danced his new partner to the edge of the dance floor and made his excuses.

Free, he took a deep breath. For a minute or two, he could relax.

The washroom of the Ambassador’s ballroom was luxurious, spacious and just right to hide in. he was relaxing in the comfortable quiet, alone, thank god. And of course Lucas walked in, eyes bright and a smirk bowing his lips. “So… *were* you trying to make me jealous?” he drawled.

“God—you really are a freak—a tiresome freak at that.” Lex dampened a towel and patted his upper lip and brow.

“Freak…speaking of freak--”Lucas laughed. “--guess who’s here? Van Galletti and his sister. And their date.” He checked himself out in the mirrored wall, smoothing his heavy eyebrows.

Lex started, paled. “You’re kidding—what’s he doing here?”

Lucas turned and leaned on the sink. “He and Dad did business. And it had to be good—he’s practically shoving his sister on my cock. He’s hinting about some deal—it’s all I can do to avoid him. Shit—I have to find out if Dom knows what their thing was.”

“I’m surprised Dominic hasn’t told you already.” Lex grit his teeth, a chill crawled up his spine.Van…Bobbi

“Dom—every once in a while I have to convince him to share stuff. I’ll find out what the fuck it is tonight. A Galletti...that’s something to have in your pocket, though.”

“Having him in your pocket just puts him in position to eat your ass alive.”

“I don’t know if there’s any bad in that, he’s pretty hot.”

“Umm.” Lex walked to the door. “You coming?”

Lucas followed, and just before they walked out to the ballroom, he whispered into the back of Lex’s neck. “You know, we’re only half brothers, and it’s not like we’ll pass on any defective genes—unless you’re that much a freak you can get pregnant…”

“Oh, shut up please!”


They were on the edge of the dance floor now, and Lex could see the Galletti twins standing opposite, a little blonde between them. Her right hand was on Van Galletti’s arm. The bracelet on her left wrist was twisted in Bobbi Galletti’s fingers. Lex licked suddenly dry lips, and had vague memories of standing just that way. He met Bobbi’s eyes across the floor, and fought to keep any expression from his face. She smiled, and slowly tightened her grip on the bracelet, twisting tighter, the blonde’s gasp of pain was obvious even from where Lex stood. Truly, it was a wonder that their cloven footprints didn’t burst into flame behind them. I wonder what dear old dad was really doing with them….

*****


Lucas and a bodyguard followed a twisted little man in an unfortunately pin-striped suit to a heavily secured doorway on the lowest level of Cadmus Labs. As they waited out the security check, he wondered if he should give the man the name of Lex’s tailor. He managed to make Lex look a lot less thin than he really was—and made him look a little less thuggish than he knew he looked. Or maybe he should just suggest that he avoid stripes…

The heavy doors opened on the dim hall of Cadmus’ Secure Testing Area. It had, he thought, all the ambience of a nineteenth century prison slash mental ward. The doors the ‘clients’ were behind were thick, and made of varying material, some steel, some wood, a few thick slabs of clouded glass. They guarded cells, populated by people who looked perfectly normal—for the most part. Some sat and stared at the floor, some raged at the doors, some looked like they were perched on the edge of sanity. The cells were uniformly bare, and ugly, utilitarian and designed solely with ease of maintenance in mind.

The twisted little man led Lucas along, stopping from time to time to explain what he was seeing.

“The doors are different, the cells comprised of differing materials depending on what the occupants are capable of. All the occupants in this block are able to manipulate the materials of their environment.”

He nodded, and made a mental note to grab all of the material and get Lex to read it. And explain it to him.

“Other blocks hold—heh—shape shifters, mind manipulators….Mr. Luthor—the elder, of course, rest his soul, made this facility to provide a place for these unfortunates to live relatively safe and productive lives--”

“Yeah, my father was quite the philanthropist. So—what happens to these people? Do you cure them?”

The man coughed out his dry little laugh again. “There’s nothing to cure--these individuals are what they are. These changes have become a fundamental part of them—they define them. Young Mr. Kelvin here, his entire world revolves around the search for heat—or did. Now, he’s free. We provide him with all the heat he needs. And in return, he contributes a little genetic material from time to time.”

With the memory of a young Lex screaming hopelessly crowding his thoughts, Lucas peered into the glass door of the cell. A young man knelt on the floor and talked to a heater taking up an entire corner of the cell. A cot festooned with wires was in the other corner.

“He’s an interesting specimen. His body temperature is not only abnormal, he’s able to--he must--absorb heat from other sources, from the heater…heh…from people. We’re trying to create an artificial form of his ability; a controllable form. It’d be useful for soldiers or explorers in an artic environment…”

“Yeah…yeah.” He stared into the little bare cell, and watched the boy holding an animated conversation with the heater…fuck, Lex was going to lose his mind when he saw this—if he saw this.

The twisted little man raised his head, and twitched a cold grimace he probably thought was a smile. Lucas slipped a thin cigar out of his shirt pocket, flicked open his lighter and lit the cigar before the man could object.

The flame danced, catching shreds of tobacco, and the strange boy’s head whipped around—his eyes and mouth wide. For a moment Lucas was pleased beyond belief that there was a slab of five inch thick glass between them….

“He’s killed for warmth. He’d kill without thought for it.”

Lucas met the boy’s eyes, and nodded. “I see.” I wonder…I wonder what dear old dad was really doing here….





TBC!!!

Comments

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Thank you! see--Lucas isn't a bad guy! Too much. and he'll be more help to Lex than not. *pinches his cheek*