Climbing the Mountains of Ararat - Smallville - Clex
Title:Climbing the Mountains of Ararat
Author: mahaliem
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clex
Rating: R
Summary: Blame Someone Else challenge at summercon - request of lunarknightz - After a nuclear holocaust, Smallville is the only town (presumably) left on the face of the Earth
Thank you so very much to murklins and svartalfur who beta read this incredibly quickly and improved it greatly. Their help is sincerely appreciated. Any errors that remain are mine and mine alone.
Climbing the Mountains of Ararat
Chapter 1
Lex ruled the civilized world.
True, civilization had shrunk to the size of Smallville and its immediate surroundings, but Lex had been appointed their leader and he planned to do the best job possible. He'd make his father proud - or at least he would've if his father hadn't been buried under the rubble of Metropolis.
Glancing up from the papers on his desk to the doorway, he saw that the next Smallville resident there to be interviewed was Clark.
"Please sit down." Lex indicated the chair in front of the desk.
Seating himself, Clark glanced around the room like he'd never seen the place before, obviously doing his best to avoid meeting Lex's gaze.
"I-I'm not sure why I'm here," Clark stuttered.
"No more lies, Clark," Lex said, his tone a touch exasperated. "We can't afford them anymore. I need to know what you can do."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Clark's hands kept gripping and releasing the arms of his chair nervously.
"Damn it, Clark!" Lex swore, rising to his feet. "Do you even comprehend the seriousness of the situation? If George Lester hadn't discovered that he could throw up a protective shield over his house during the last meteor storm, we wouldn't even be here. The only reason that Smallville survived lies in the fact that he managed to expand his shield over the whole town while the world was being destroyed."
Lex took a calming breath. "Our continued existence depends on mutants and their powers. I've got a mutant purifying the river water that's flowing into Smallville, another one controlling the winds to keep the fallout away from us, and a third creating walls of rock to surround us for our protection."
The anger drained out of Lex and his shoulders slumped. "Because of the dam, we don't have to worry about electricity, but despite my moratorium on all cars except for emergency vehicles, we are running dangerously low on fuel. Right now, I'd give my right hand for a mutant that pisses gasoline."
He glanced at Clark. "You don't do that, do you?"
Clark shook his head. "Sorry."
Lex shrugged and returned to his chair. "Let's start this conversation over, shall we? I know you have powers - what can you do?"
"I... I can see through things, except for lead."
Lex jotted it down in his notes.
"Also, I can hear things from far away."
"I'm not sure how either of those may be of help, but I'll contact you if-"
"That's not all," Clark interrupted. "I can shoot fire from my eyes."
Lex arched an eyebrow.
Before Lex could ask any questions, Clark added hurriedly, "I'm super-strong and super-fast. Also I'm pretty much invulnerable."
Leaning back in his chair, Lex studied Clark. "Quite a multi-tasker, aren't you? No other mutant on my list has more than one power. What did you do, sleep with meteor rocks as a child?"
"Something like that," Clark mumbled.
After making a few more notes, Lex glanced at Clark, who still seemed ill-at-ease. "Is there anything else you think I should know?"
Clark hesitated a moment before shaking his head.
Whatever it was, Lex decided to let it go. He was impressed that Clark, who'd spent the last several years lying to him, had actually opened up as much as he had.
"You've been helping get arable land ready for farming, right?" When Clark nodded, Lex continued. "From your list of abilities, I think I'll put you on reconnaissance. We're going to need supplies from the outside world until we become self-sufficient. Not everything could've been destroyed and it will be your job to find supplies and bring them back. Do you think you're up to that?"
Clark nodded. "I'll do anything I can to help."
"Good. I do have one more thing to discuss with you." From underneath his desk, Lex withdrew his briefcase and unlocked it. From it, he pulled out a thin folder.
"What I'm about to tell you goes no further than this room, do you understand?" When Clark looked uncertain, Lex added, "With the abilities you possess, I'd like for you to be a part of this."
"A part of what?"
"When the war occurred, many Smallville residents were out of town," Lex stated. "We lost your mom and Lois because they were at the Capitol. Chloe was working at The Daily Planet. Lana was attending a fashion show. Quite a few families were out of town on vacations or visiting Metropolis for the day. While a smaller Smallville population makes it easier to provide for their needs, it might present a problem in the future."
"Go on," Clark said slowly.
"The human race has been dealt a horrible blow, one that we may not recover from. To survive, we're going need every advantage we can get."
Lex opened the folder and held up a piece of paper. "Here is a list of every fertile female mutant. I also have a list of every fertile male mutant."
Clark's eyes widened. "A breeding program. You're talking about starting a breeding program. That's..."
"Monstrous?" Lex supplied. "Crazy? Morally sick and wrong? If you believe those things you're right. Completely and absolutely." Lex stared intently at Clark. "But we must do something or the human race is doomed."
"If you breed mutants, are you really helping the human race or destroying it?"
"I don't know." Lex sounded weary. "I do know that out there, somewhere among the wreckage and destruction are survivors, survivors that will be mutated and altered by the radiation. They'll have children, who'll have children and at some point we or our descendents will meet them or their descendents and I doubt if the event will be a joyous one."
"So what are you hoping for - that our mutants will be better than their mutants?" Clark asked.
"The world has always worked on the principle of survival of the fittest."
Clark was silent for a long time. At last he said quietly, "I can't participate."
"I understand," Lex answered, equally quiet. "If you don't approve, then-"
"It's not my approval or lack of it," Clark interrupted. "You asked me earlier if I'd slept with meteor rocks as a child. The truth is that I didn't sleep with them. I came to Earth with them. I'm an alien." Clark glanced at Lex's folder. "If that's the future of mankind, then I should have no part of it."
As Lex stared in shock at him, Clark rose to his feet.
"I'm sorry I never told you, Lex," he murmured before turning to leave.
He was almost at the door when Lex said his name.
"Clark?"
Clark turned towards him, his expression wary.
"You not being human... that may be our one advantage. The one thing that gives us the edge over what may be out there. If you're willing to participate, then I think it'll be for the best."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Lex picked up a pen. "I'll write you down as a fertile male mutant."
"Write me down on both sheets of paper."
When Lex's mouth dropped open, Clark smiled slightly. "Alien, remember?"
Long after Clark had left the room, Lex's gaze drifted between Clark's name on the fertile female list and the list of males where his own name rested.
* * *
Chapter 5
"Hurry!" Clark shouted to his team.
The four men and one woman scrambled across the darkened hospital rooftop. The radiation suits they wore and the heavy boxes they carried were slowing them down considerably. As each person reached the hot air balloon, they stowed away the medicines they'd scavenged.
After the last of his team ran past him, Clark slammed the door shut and began welding it closed with his heat vision. He'd just finished when a body crashed against it from the other side.
"Take off!" he yelled. "I'll hold them until you're clear."
The balloon slowly began to rise into the night sky, buoyed as much by the hot air as by the wind that swirled around it.
"Faster, Arlene. We've got to get out of here," Lex urged.
Arlene gritted her teeth. "I'm trying," she hissed as she poured more of her power into the wind.
Lex watched as Clark braced himself against the door and held back the barbaric pack of survivors who were clamoring for their blood on the other side. Clark noticed him watching and gave him a quick nod.
The balloon was less than eight feet above the rooftop when Lex saw Clark stagger.
"Shit!"
Before his companions could stop him, Lex swung himself over the side of the basket and dropped to the roof. Without his weight, the balloon lurched up, then rose much faster than before.
Lex raced to Clark's side and knelt down next to him. Clark's skin was tinged with green. A quick glance at the door revealed that it was still holding for now. Knowing who stood on the other side made Lex utter a small prayer that it continued to do so.
"Stay with me, Clark," Lex muttered. He wrapped an arm around Clark to support him and they stumbled their way to the edge of the roof. Metropolis General was ten stories tall. They'd chosen it particularly for the height, thinking that the balloon would be less likely to be seen. Lex only hoped that for what he was about to do, it was tall enough.
"Clark? You ready for this?
Clark looked a little stronger. His veins were no longer pulsing and his skin was regaining its normal hue.
"Don't, Lex. It's not safe."
Behind him, Lex heard a shriek of metal as the door flew open. He saw several hulking monstrosities looming in the doorway, almost blocking the view of the long-haired figure behind them.
"No choice," Lex told Clark. He tightened his grip and then forced them both over the side.
* * *
The device on his wrist showed an acceptable level of radiation so Lex wrenched off his helmet.
"God, I hate wearing that thing. I wasn't looking forward to having it on until the gates of Smallville reopen at dawn."
Clark scowled at him, but said nothing. He turned his back on Lex and took several steps away.
Lex scanned their surroundings. The remnants of the barn they'd sheltered in still had three of its sides and part of its roof. He wondered if Clark subconsciously chose barns and farmhouses because he associated them with safety.
"We're approximately two hundred and fifty miles northwest of Metropolis," Lex stated. "You running us that far means, according to my calculations, on the pissed-off scale you're between seriously and royally pissed."
Clark whirled to face him. "I can't believe you threw us off a building! Again!"
"I don't know what you're so upset about. You recovered quickly enough for us to float down the last four stories."
"The last two stories, Lex. We floated down the last two stories. And you know how I hate heights."
"It doesn't matter though, does it?" Lex's voice hardened. "It would be better to be smashed on the pavement than captured by him."
"That's another thing - what were you thinking of, to get out of the balloon? You were supposed to stay safe."
"And leave you behind? Never!" Lex snapped back. "My father would love to get his hands on you. I won't allow that to happen."
"As much as your dad wants me, he wants you more," Clark returned heatedly.
They glared at each other for a moment until Clark dropped his eyes to the ground. When Clark spoke again, his voice was ragged. "I saw you get out of the balloon and it made me feel worse than the kryptonite ring your father wears."
Lex stepped closer. "It couldn't have been any worse than what I felt when I saw you go down."
"I don't want you risking your life. Not for me. Not for anyone." Clark lifted his gaze to Lex. "I need you to promise me that."
Lex shook his head. "I can't."
"Then you should limit your runs outside the Smallville walls."
"I can't do that either. Things are getting worse. Now that my father has gained control of the monsters and is organizing them into a coherent unit, it's more necessary than ever to have someone go out with the teams who can match him and who can adjust our plans accordingly."
Clark looked unhappy but he nodded, acknowledging Lex's point.
Lex moved closer and cupped Clark's cheek, smoothing his thumb over smooth skin. "You might want to consider staying inside the walls yourself, especially now that my father is exploiting your weakness to kryptonite. You're too vulnerable."
"I'll take my chances."
Lex started to say something, but stopped.
"See - you didn't even argue. You know I'm right," Clark said smugly. "Nothing will happen to us, as long as we're together."
Lex pressed against Clark, encouraging Clark to wrap his strong arms around him.
"Yes, together."
They stood embracing for a full minute before Lex spoke softly. "Did I ever tell you about all the fantasies I used to have about you and your Fortress of Solitude?"
Clark shook his head and a smile quirked the corners of his mouth.
"You were young," Lex continued. "Innocent. I was dying to corrupt you."
Clark let out a small laugh of disbelief. "Yeah, right."
"It's true. I wanted to push you down on that ratty old couch and have my wicked, wicked way with you."
Lex ground his lower body against Clark's and was pleased to hear the breath catch in Clark's throat.
"Why-why didn't you?" Clark stammered.
"I was trying to be a good friend. I cared for you and wanted to protect you, even if it was at my own expense. Just as I still want to protect you," Lex said. He ran a hand down to Clark's ass and pulled their bodies tighter together. "Also, your father had a shotgun and would've killed me if I'd touched you."
"You mean like you're touching me now?" Clark asked, then gasped as Lex nuzzled the skin of his neck directly below his ear.
"Mmmm... think of all the lost time I have to make up for."
More kisses and touches followed. Lex drew on every bit of his experience, on every grain of knowledge of what turned Clark on that he'd acquired until Clark was moaning and writhing under him, begging to be taken. When Lex slid into him, Clark was so far gone he didn't do or say anything about Lex breaking his own rule by not using a condom.
Lex had spent days, weeks even, considering the matter from all angles. As the leader of Smallville, he needed Clark on the front lines but, personally, he also wanted him safe. Tonight's close call had made the decision for him. The most important thing to Lex was for Clark to survive. It wasn't fair or right of him to do it, but Lex was determined to protect Clark's life no matter what.
Lex knew that while Clark might not care about putting his own life in jeopardy, he wouldn't dare risk the life of their unborn child.
Author: mahaliem
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clex
Rating: R
Summary: Blame Someone Else challenge at summercon - request of lunarknightz - After a nuclear holocaust, Smallville is the only town (presumably) left on the face of the Earth
Thank you so very much to murklins and svartalfur who beta read this incredibly quickly and improved it greatly. Their help is sincerely appreciated. Any errors that remain are mine and mine alone.
Climbing the Mountains of Ararat
Chapter 1
Lex ruled the civilized world.
True, civilization had shrunk to the size of Smallville and its immediate surroundings, but Lex had been appointed their leader and he planned to do the best job possible. He'd make his father proud - or at least he would've if his father hadn't been buried under the rubble of Metropolis.
Glancing up from the papers on his desk to the doorway, he saw that the next Smallville resident there to be interviewed was Clark.
"Please sit down." Lex indicated the chair in front of the desk.
Seating himself, Clark glanced around the room like he'd never seen the place before, obviously doing his best to avoid meeting Lex's gaze.
"I-I'm not sure why I'm here," Clark stuttered.
"No more lies, Clark," Lex said, his tone a touch exasperated. "We can't afford them anymore. I need to know what you can do."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Clark's hands kept gripping and releasing the arms of his chair nervously.
"Damn it, Clark!" Lex swore, rising to his feet. "Do you even comprehend the seriousness of the situation? If George Lester hadn't discovered that he could throw up a protective shield over his house during the last meteor storm, we wouldn't even be here. The only reason that Smallville survived lies in the fact that he managed to expand his shield over the whole town while the world was being destroyed."
Lex took a calming breath. "Our continued existence depends on mutants and their powers. I've got a mutant purifying the river water that's flowing into Smallville, another one controlling the winds to keep the fallout away from us, and a third creating walls of rock to surround us for our protection."
The anger drained out of Lex and his shoulders slumped. "Because of the dam, we don't have to worry about electricity, but despite my moratorium on all cars except for emergency vehicles, we are running dangerously low on fuel. Right now, I'd give my right hand for a mutant that pisses gasoline."
He glanced at Clark. "You don't do that, do you?"
Clark shook his head. "Sorry."
Lex shrugged and returned to his chair. "Let's start this conversation over, shall we? I know you have powers - what can you do?"
"I... I can see through things, except for lead."
Lex jotted it down in his notes.
"Also, I can hear things from far away."
"I'm not sure how either of those may be of help, but I'll contact you if-"
"That's not all," Clark interrupted. "I can shoot fire from my eyes."
Lex arched an eyebrow.
Before Lex could ask any questions, Clark added hurriedly, "I'm super-strong and super-fast. Also I'm pretty much invulnerable."
Leaning back in his chair, Lex studied Clark. "Quite a multi-tasker, aren't you? No other mutant on my list has more than one power. What did you do, sleep with meteor rocks as a child?"
"Something like that," Clark mumbled.
After making a few more notes, Lex glanced at Clark, who still seemed ill-at-ease. "Is there anything else you think I should know?"
Clark hesitated a moment before shaking his head.
Whatever it was, Lex decided to let it go. He was impressed that Clark, who'd spent the last several years lying to him, had actually opened up as much as he had.
"You've been helping get arable land ready for farming, right?" When Clark nodded, Lex continued. "From your list of abilities, I think I'll put you on reconnaissance. We're going to need supplies from the outside world until we become self-sufficient. Not everything could've been destroyed and it will be your job to find supplies and bring them back. Do you think you're up to that?"
Clark nodded. "I'll do anything I can to help."
"Good. I do have one more thing to discuss with you." From underneath his desk, Lex withdrew his briefcase and unlocked it. From it, he pulled out a thin folder.
"What I'm about to tell you goes no further than this room, do you understand?" When Clark looked uncertain, Lex added, "With the abilities you possess, I'd like for you to be a part of this."
"A part of what?"
"When the war occurred, many Smallville residents were out of town," Lex stated. "We lost your mom and Lois because they were at the Capitol. Chloe was working at The Daily Planet. Lana was attending a fashion show. Quite a few families were out of town on vacations or visiting Metropolis for the day. While a smaller Smallville population makes it easier to provide for their needs, it might present a problem in the future."
"Go on," Clark said slowly.
"The human race has been dealt a horrible blow, one that we may not recover from. To survive, we're going need every advantage we can get."
Lex opened the folder and held up a piece of paper. "Here is a list of every fertile female mutant. I also have a list of every fertile male mutant."
Clark's eyes widened. "A breeding program. You're talking about starting a breeding program. That's..."
"Monstrous?" Lex supplied. "Crazy? Morally sick and wrong? If you believe those things you're right. Completely and absolutely." Lex stared intently at Clark. "But we must do something or the human race is doomed."
"If you breed mutants, are you really helping the human race or destroying it?"
"I don't know." Lex sounded weary. "I do know that out there, somewhere among the wreckage and destruction are survivors, survivors that will be mutated and altered by the radiation. They'll have children, who'll have children and at some point we or our descendents will meet them or their descendents and I doubt if the event will be a joyous one."
"So what are you hoping for - that our mutants will be better than their mutants?" Clark asked.
"The world has always worked on the principle of survival of the fittest."
Clark was silent for a long time. At last he said quietly, "I can't participate."
"I understand," Lex answered, equally quiet. "If you don't approve, then-"
"It's not my approval or lack of it," Clark interrupted. "You asked me earlier if I'd slept with meteor rocks as a child. The truth is that I didn't sleep with them. I came to Earth with them. I'm an alien." Clark glanced at Lex's folder. "If that's the future of mankind, then I should have no part of it."
As Lex stared in shock at him, Clark rose to his feet.
"I'm sorry I never told you, Lex," he murmured before turning to leave.
He was almost at the door when Lex said his name.
"Clark?"
Clark turned towards him, his expression wary.
"You not being human... that may be our one advantage. The one thing that gives us the edge over what may be out there. If you're willing to participate, then I think it'll be for the best."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Lex picked up a pen. "I'll write you down as a fertile male mutant."
"Write me down on both sheets of paper."
When Lex's mouth dropped open, Clark smiled slightly. "Alien, remember?"
Long after Clark had left the room, Lex's gaze drifted between Clark's name on the fertile female list and the list of males where his own name rested.
* * *
Chapter 5
"Hurry!" Clark shouted to his team.
The four men and one woman scrambled across the darkened hospital rooftop. The radiation suits they wore and the heavy boxes they carried were slowing them down considerably. As each person reached the hot air balloon, they stowed away the medicines they'd scavenged.
After the last of his team ran past him, Clark slammed the door shut and began welding it closed with his heat vision. He'd just finished when a body crashed against it from the other side.
"Take off!" he yelled. "I'll hold them until you're clear."
The balloon slowly began to rise into the night sky, buoyed as much by the hot air as by the wind that swirled around it.
"Faster, Arlene. We've got to get out of here," Lex urged.
Arlene gritted her teeth. "I'm trying," she hissed as she poured more of her power into the wind.
Lex watched as Clark braced himself against the door and held back the barbaric pack of survivors who were clamoring for their blood on the other side. Clark noticed him watching and gave him a quick nod.
The balloon was less than eight feet above the rooftop when Lex saw Clark stagger.
"Shit!"
Before his companions could stop him, Lex swung himself over the side of the basket and dropped to the roof. Without his weight, the balloon lurched up, then rose much faster than before.
Lex raced to Clark's side and knelt down next to him. Clark's skin was tinged with green. A quick glance at the door revealed that it was still holding for now. Knowing who stood on the other side made Lex utter a small prayer that it continued to do so.
"Stay with me, Clark," Lex muttered. He wrapped an arm around Clark to support him and they stumbled their way to the edge of the roof. Metropolis General was ten stories tall. They'd chosen it particularly for the height, thinking that the balloon would be less likely to be seen. Lex only hoped that for what he was about to do, it was tall enough.
"Clark? You ready for this?
Clark looked a little stronger. His veins were no longer pulsing and his skin was regaining its normal hue.
"Don't, Lex. It's not safe."
Behind him, Lex heard a shriek of metal as the door flew open. He saw several hulking monstrosities looming in the doorway, almost blocking the view of the long-haired figure behind them.
"No choice," Lex told Clark. He tightened his grip and then forced them both over the side.
* * *
The device on his wrist showed an acceptable level of radiation so Lex wrenched off his helmet.
"God, I hate wearing that thing. I wasn't looking forward to having it on until the gates of Smallville reopen at dawn."
Clark scowled at him, but said nothing. He turned his back on Lex and took several steps away.
Lex scanned their surroundings. The remnants of the barn they'd sheltered in still had three of its sides and part of its roof. He wondered if Clark subconsciously chose barns and farmhouses because he associated them with safety.
"We're approximately two hundred and fifty miles northwest of Metropolis," Lex stated. "You running us that far means, according to my calculations, on the pissed-off scale you're between seriously and royally pissed."
Clark whirled to face him. "I can't believe you threw us off a building! Again!"
"I don't know what you're so upset about. You recovered quickly enough for us to float down the last four stories."
"The last two stories, Lex. We floated down the last two stories. And you know how I hate heights."
"It doesn't matter though, does it?" Lex's voice hardened. "It would be better to be smashed on the pavement than captured by him."
"That's another thing - what were you thinking of, to get out of the balloon? You were supposed to stay safe."
"And leave you behind? Never!" Lex snapped back. "My father would love to get his hands on you. I won't allow that to happen."
"As much as your dad wants me, he wants you more," Clark returned heatedly.
They glared at each other for a moment until Clark dropped his eyes to the ground. When Clark spoke again, his voice was ragged. "I saw you get out of the balloon and it made me feel worse than the kryptonite ring your father wears."
Lex stepped closer. "It couldn't have been any worse than what I felt when I saw you go down."
"I don't want you risking your life. Not for me. Not for anyone." Clark lifted his gaze to Lex. "I need you to promise me that."
Lex shook his head. "I can't."
"Then you should limit your runs outside the Smallville walls."
"I can't do that either. Things are getting worse. Now that my father has gained control of the monsters and is organizing them into a coherent unit, it's more necessary than ever to have someone go out with the teams who can match him and who can adjust our plans accordingly."
Clark looked unhappy but he nodded, acknowledging Lex's point.
Lex moved closer and cupped Clark's cheek, smoothing his thumb over smooth skin. "You might want to consider staying inside the walls yourself, especially now that my father is exploiting your weakness to kryptonite. You're too vulnerable."
"I'll take my chances."
Lex started to say something, but stopped.
"See - you didn't even argue. You know I'm right," Clark said smugly. "Nothing will happen to us, as long as we're together."
Lex pressed against Clark, encouraging Clark to wrap his strong arms around him.
"Yes, together."
They stood embracing for a full minute before Lex spoke softly. "Did I ever tell you about all the fantasies I used to have about you and your Fortress of Solitude?"
Clark shook his head and a smile quirked the corners of his mouth.
"You were young," Lex continued. "Innocent. I was dying to corrupt you."
Clark let out a small laugh of disbelief. "Yeah, right."
"It's true. I wanted to push you down on that ratty old couch and have my wicked, wicked way with you."
Lex ground his lower body against Clark's and was pleased to hear the breath catch in Clark's throat.
"Why-why didn't you?" Clark stammered.
"I was trying to be a good friend. I cared for you and wanted to protect you, even if it was at my own expense. Just as I still want to protect you," Lex said. He ran a hand down to Clark's ass and pulled their bodies tighter together. "Also, your father had a shotgun and would've killed me if I'd touched you."
"You mean like you're touching me now?" Clark asked, then gasped as Lex nuzzled the skin of his neck directly below his ear.
"Mmmm... think of all the lost time I have to make up for."
More kisses and touches followed. Lex drew on every bit of his experience, on every grain of knowledge of what turned Clark on that he'd acquired until Clark was moaning and writhing under him, begging to be taken. When Lex slid into him, Clark was so far gone he didn't do or say anything about Lex breaking his own rule by not using a condom.
Lex had spent days, weeks even, considering the matter from all angles. As the leader of Smallville, he needed Clark on the front lines but, personally, he also wanted him safe. Tonight's close call had made the decision for him. The most important thing to Lex was for Clark to survive. It wasn't fair or right of him to do it, but Lex was determined to protect Clark's life no matter what.
Lex knew that while Clark might not care about putting his own life in jeopardy, he wouldn't dare risk the life of their unborn child.