Pairing: Lex/Kal-El(Clark)
Rating: NC-17
Category: AU, angst, romance
Archive: list archive
Notes: Um, my scientific knowledge and computer knowledge are pretty basic, so bear with me, kay?
Warnings: most likely violence
Disclaimer: nope not mine
Summary: What if the Kent’s hadn’t found our hero?
Thanks Christine, for friendship, inspiration and general silliness :) also thank you to Caroline for the huge encouragement with Clueless and Clued Up

Kal-El let himself be pushed into his room, sighing when he heard all the locks sliding into place. Room being what *they* called his cell. Admittedly a very nice, upmarket kind of cell, but a cell nonetheless. It was all he could remember, except for brief flashes of his family, but it didn’t stop him from yearning for something else. Freedom would be a good start.

He sat down on his bed, wincing a little. Today they had been retesting the parameters of his resistance to extremes of temperature. Which had involved all morning locked in ‘the freezer’. -50°C they’d got to today, leaving him naked for three hours before they’d let him out.

Thankfully, he’d had a break for schooling and lunch before he’d been strapped to a wall and had weights projected at him at increasing rates of velocity. The last one had *hurt*, broken his ribs. *They* had been really excited, it gave them a chance to check his healing abilities. Hadn’t stopped them from making him sit through more schooling though. His ribs were fine now of course, but he was still a little sore.

Kal-El got up, tuning out the sound of the camera tracking him automatically, and went to the bathroom to run a hot bath. Just once, a little privacy would be nice. To know that his every move wasn’t being watched and catalogued. He couldn’t even go to the bathroom, bathe, jack off, whatever, without being watched.

His first erection had been an embarrassing and traumatic experience. He’d been probed and prodded, examined physically and psychologically for hours. The same had happened after his first wet dream. He couldn’t even remember what the dreams were. Well, that wasn’t strictly true, but he wasn’t about to tell *them*. He held back as much as he could, the only privacy he had.

Kal-El lay back in the steaming water, wondering briefly if the temperature was monitored along with everything else. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander. He didn’t know where his dreams came from, didn’t understand the images of the pale, bald, slim man who did such amazing things to his body. He’d never seen anyone who looked remotely like him. Even his vague memories of his home, or what was assumed to be his home, had no similar images.

*They* had asked him what he thought about when he jacked off, *when* he actually did that was. He’d lied. He’d made up some woman he’d seen in a magazine, but all he ever really thought about was this man he dreamed about.

He hadn’t told them about the latest development either, the only one he could hide from them. His x-ray sight. That had been very weird until he’d realised what was happening. He’d hoped that it might help him, help him figure out a way to escape this place. But so far nothing. That weird green rock they used to control him was everywhere.

He could see it embedded in the walls, all the scientists and teachers wore a small necklace of it. It hadn’t taken them long to work out how much kept him weak without making him sick. That had been when he was still a child, when he’d still trusted them. When they’d still treated him like a human being instead of a lab-rat.

Kal-El barely managed to hold back his tears. He didn’t relish the idea of more psychological tests if he cried. They didn’t seem to be able to grasp the fact that he had the same feelings and needs that they did. He was an alien, yes, that much was clear. Did that mean he had no rights? Apparently.

*He* was coming tomorrow. The one he didn’t know the name of, the one in charge, the one who stared at him like he was a thing. The one who scared him. He’d be demanding to know if they could control him yet. Kal-El wasn’t exactly sure why, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew that his powers made him a formidable weapon. But he refused to hurt anyone. So far, they hadn’t been able to brainwash him, and he was grateful. He wasn’t sure he could cope with the thought of being used to hurt, possibly kill, and who knew what else.

Kal-El got out of the bath and dried himself off, pulling on a pair of clean boxers before brushing his teeth and going to bed. He turned into his pillow and tried not to cry at the thought of tomorrow.

@>*~

Lex sat back in his chair and glowered at his computer. He reached for his brandy and took a long gulp, appreciating the burn of the alcohol down his throat. Licking his lips, Lex sat up again, determined to break into the system. He knew something was going on and he was going to find out what if it killed him.

He’d already hacked into his father’s main system, but this part was proving elusive. What could be *so* important and secret that it needed all this extra security?

“Yes!” he smiled in grim satisfaction. He was in, but in to what exactly? Lex frowned. Hundreds of files labelled month by month for the last twelve years. Twelve years? Strange coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Lex scrolled down to the latest file and opened it.

“Hnh,” he frowned in confusion. “Subject unaffected by temperatures of 80°C. begins to show signs of discomfort indicated by light flushing of the skin and sweating beyond this temperature. An improvement of 2.1% for the year,” he read aloud. What the fuck?

“Resistance to cold also improved. Shivering does not start until temperatures lower than -40°C are reached; actual discomfort being expressed by subject at -45°C. with normal clothing, discomfort is resisted until -55°C. an improvement of 3.2% for the year.”

Lex sat back with a confused frown. Subject expressing discomfort, flushing and sweating… *with* clothing?! Was this a person? But who the hell could stand such extremes of temperature? It was fascinating, but nothing he could use if he didn’t understand it. Lex continued to read, shaking his head in bemusement. Strength, speed and… invulnerability? Invulnerability. Jesus, they shoot the subject with a high powered rifle and he just gets bruised? The extensive medical and psychological records indicated a male subject.

This was beyond weird. Lex closed the file and scrolled down to the bottom. He tried to open the video link, only to be stopped by more security.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” Lex said with a smirk. It didn’t take him too much longer to break through and he was faced with yet more links. Classroom, lab 1, lab 2, lab 3. Lex blinked and scrolled past the numerous links to labs. Bedroom. Bedroom? His father was a voyeur now?

Lex clicked on the link for the bedroom, a window opened to a shot of a nicely decorated, if bare, empty room. Lex was about to close the window and pick another link, when a door opened and a figure was shoved inside. The door slammed shut and Lex could hear heavy locks being slid into place. So, it was wired for sound too.

The figure dropped his head to his chest and sighed. Lex pursed his lips, this, presumably, was the ‘subject’. But he just looked like a man, an ordinary man. The man straightened and walked across the room and Lex gasped as he got his first proper look. Not ordinary, no. Quite possibly the most beautiful man Lex had ever seen and somehow so familiar. And yet he was barely a man, he looked so young, a kid really. He had an innocence to his dark blue-green eyes that Lex found surprising in someone who’d been experimented on for twelve years. Twelve years… Christ, he’d have just been a small child.

Lex sat back in his chair again. He hadn’t thought anything could shock him, at least nothing his father did, but this… to lock up a child for twelve years?! That shocked him.

The kid got up and walked out of the room. Lex sat up again and minimised the window so he could open the bathroom link. He watched the kid run a bath, only feeling slightly weird watching him strip. But Lex was far too curious about whether he *was* a man or not, not to watch. Lex licked his lips and loosened his collar. Oh, he was very much a man, and a *very* nicely put together one too. Lex felt his groin register an interest, but ignored it as he propped his elbows on the desk and rested his chin in his hands.

On closer inspection, he noticed some bruising on the kid’s chest. Lex wondered what they’d put him through to produce results like that. He was surprised by the sorrow he felt for the kid, especially when he looked back up to his face and saw the sheer misery, pain and loneliness in those amazing eyes. Lex continued to watch until the kid went to bed, his heart clenching a little at the sight of him hugging his pillow tightly and burying his face in it.

He shut down his computer and slumped back in his chair. Under any other circumstance, he would already be planning ways in which he could use this information against his father, but Lex found himself oddly reluctant. In fact, all he wanted, was to know more about this beautiful boy. But in order to do that, he was going to need some help.

@>*~

Kal-El clenched his jaw and glowered at Dr Redman, “I can’t.”

“Don’t give me that crap, Kal, you’re not even trying,” Dr Redman snapped.

“Don’t call me Kal!” Kal-El growled, taking a threatening step towards the glass panel. Even though he knew Kal-El both wouldn’t and couldn’t hurt him, Dr Redman flinched back, giving Kal-El a tiny sliver of satisfaction.

“I told you, I’m trying, but I don’t know how I do it. As soon as I wake up I fall back on the bed,” he continued. “Asshole,” he muttered under his breath.

“Don’t even think about acting up today, you little jerk,” Dr Redman sneered at him, “It’s only going to get you worse punishment than usual.”

Kal-El swallowed and ducked his head, so Redman couldn’t see his eyes blur with tears. He wasn’t trying to act up on purpose, he just couldn’t work out how to float and they just wouldn’t leave him alone. Especially Redman, he wanted to impress *him*. Mostly the scientists were okay, if he complained or asked about anything, they’d give it some thought and if it was reasonable, do something about it.

But not Redman, if he didn’t improve, didn’t do as he was told, whatever pissed Redman off, he’d get punished for it. No matter how hard he tried, he could never seem to get anything right with Redman. The worst punishment he’d ever gotten from Redman had been two days locked in a room full of the green rocks. When they’d dragged him out he’d been a shrivelled husk. It had taken him a week to recover from that. But at least Redman had gotten into trouble for losing them over a week of study time.

Kal-El closed his eyes.

“Try again!”

Kal-El snapped his eyes open again and stared at Redman. “I was,” he said quietly. Redman nodded and Kal-El shut his eyes again. If he was honest, he didn’t want to succeed, especially not today with *him* coming. Didn’t want even more tests. The physical the first time he’d floated had been awful. He only thanked god they couldn’t cut him open. He was sure they’d love a good look at his brain.

He’d spent several nights with probes wired to his head while they tried to work out what part of his brain was active when he floated. Thankfully, it hadn’t worked and he’d actually been tired enough that they’d given up.

“Would it be easier if you were lying down?” Someone asked.

“I have no idea,” Kal-El shrugged. He let his mind wander, returning as it always did to the beautiful, hairless man from his dreams. He sighed. Last night’s dream had been different, more intense. He almost had a strange feeling that if this man really existed, somehow he was closer.

“That’s it! You’re doing it!” Kal-El was jolted out of his daydream and fell to the floor.

“Damn it, Stoker, you idiot!”

“Sorry, Dr Redman.”

“Kal-El, what did you do?”

Kal-El frowned in confusion, “I, I don’t know.”

“Don’t bullshit me, you must know what caused it,” Redman snapped.

“I don’t. I didn’t even realise it was happening till Stoker said anything,” Kal-El said truthfully.

“Try again.”

Kal-El sighed. He tried again, but he just couldn’t get back whatever peace he’d had momentarily. After another hour, they finally stopped.

“We’ll try again tomorrow,” Redman said in disgust, “And I suggest you try harder. Remember what you were doing, thinking and feeling when it worked.”

Kal-El nodded. It was time for more schooling, the only thing he actually enjoyed. Even if it was just another chance for them to test him.

@>*~

Lex watched Kal-El, he knew his name now, all day.

He’d nearly fallen out of his chair when he’d actually floated a foot off the ground. He’d been watching the test more than a little sceptically, getting more and more annoyed with this Dr Redman.

But it had been the kid’s face just before and during him floating that had really caught his attention. A look of peaceful happiness that resonated in Lex’s heart. He really wished he knew what Kal-El had been thinking about. It was the first look of happiness he’d seen. Lex couldn’t imagine anything being able to make the kid smile in that place, yet he almost had.

Lex realised with some shock that he wanted to see Kal-El smile, really smile, hear him laugh.

There had to be some way he could communicate with the kid without anyone else knowing. But then, even if he could, would Kal-El believe it wasn’t just another experiment? How would he convince him to talk to him?

First things first though, he had to find a way to use the mike system without anyone else being able to hear him or Kal-El. Lex glanced at his clock, where the hell was Kimmie?

The appearance of his father in the lab had been a surprise, as had the brief look of fear in Kal-El’s eyes. Lex listened to his father talking to Dr Redman in disgust. What progress had they made? Why couldn’t they control him? What use was it doing all these experiments and having such a formidable weapon if you couldn’t control it?

Lex actually felt insulted and annoyed by the way his father talked about Kal-El. Referring to him as ‘it’ more often than not; never using his name. Lex clicked back onto the link for the classroom and watched Kal-El instead.

The kid was smart, he knew that already from reading the files. In the outside world, he’d probably have a couple of doctorates already. But it was the first time Lex had seen him show some sort of an interest in something. Show some emotion other than resignation, misery or annoyance.

It was actually fascinating watching him work. Especially when he started speeding up, hand moving over paper so fast, it was a blur, or flicking through a book in a matter of minutes. Lex had to laugh when Kal-El corrected one of his teachers with a smirk of delight. It was possibly the closest thing to a smile so far. A knock on the door startled him, he was so absorbed.

“Come.”

“Hey, Lex.” A petite, oriental girl stuck her head round the door.

“Kimmie, at last. Come in,” Lex smiled. She bounced in with a large bag. “Good, you brought your bag of tricks.”

Kimmie grinned, “I assumed that’s why you called, Lex.”

“Of course,” he smiled, standing up to take the bag from her and kiss her cheek.

“So, what do you need?” she asked curiously.

“Come look at this,” Lex gestured at the screen.

“Ooh, kinky. Getting your thrills from watching cute guys study now?” she giggled.

“Funny,” Lex raised an eyebrow. He quickly explained what he wanted while she flicked through various links. “What do you think?” he asked.

“No problem,” she nodded, “So just the bedroom, or the bathroom too?”

Lex flushed. “Bathroom too,” he mumbled.

Kimmie chuckled at him. “Okay, leave it with me. This is going to be fun. Oh, hey…”

“What?”

“I can probably give you a security override for the whole system, if you want. It’ll cost extra though,” she glanced at him curiously.

Lex pursed his lips thoughtfully, “Do it.”

“’Kay. Now shoo. You know I work better without distraction.”

Lex nodded and reluctantly left the room.

@>*~

“Okay, I’m done,” Kal-El sat back with a sigh of satisfaction.

“Damn you get faster every day.”

Kal-El blinked at Ian. He was one of the few people who treated him normally. “Isn’t that the idea?” he asked.

“I guess,” Ian smiled at him.

“Any chance I can go outside today?” Kal-El asked hopefully.

“I doubt it, Kal, you really pissed Redman off today,” Ian replied with a grimace.

Kal-El sighed, “Don’t I always? I can’t help not knowing how I float, can I? I only do it in my sleep.”

“I know,” Ian shook his head, “Just keep trying. Maybe you’ll get him off your back for a while if you succeed.”

Kal-El snorted good naturedly, “I doubt it.”

“Come on, let’s go down to the track, you can whoop my ass, break a few world records…”

Kal-El nodded, “Cool.”

@>*~

“Yo, Lex, I’m done.” Kimmie skipped down the stairs to where Lex was standing, drinking a shot of whisky. She took the glass from his hand and downed it.

“Hey,” he complained without any real feeling.

She smirked at him. “It’s all set up, I’ve left you some notes. Man, I really feel sorry for that poor kid.”

“Yeah,” Lex sighed. “Remember…”

“I know nothing,” Kimmie grinned. “Yeah, I know. Till next time, handsome.” She gave him a quick kiss and was gone.

Lex walked slowly back to his office and sat in front of the computer, staring at the screen. Why did he suddenly feel so nervous? Kal-El was back in his room, sitting hunched up on his bed, reading. Lex watched him for a moment before he activated the new system that switched sound and mike to his computer only.

What the hell was he going to say?

@>*~

“Don’t react.”

Kal-El froze.

“No one can hear us, but they can still see you. If you can hear me, run your right hand through your hair.”

Kal-El hesitated. This was new. Warily, he ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t recognise the voice, and yet it seemed familiar. Kal-El wondered what new experiment this was.

“Great.”

Kal-El lifted his book up to hide his face from the camera, he didn’t want to have to answer any strange questions if this wasn’t a test. “Who are you?” he whispered.

“A friend.”

Kal-El snorted. “I don’t have any friends,” he whispered bitterly.

“You do now.”

Staring up at the camera, Kal-El brutally crushed the shaft of hope he suddenly felt. This was just some psychological game they were playing. Another way for them to try and control him, or mess with his head, whichever. And yet, deep inside, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that this was genuine.

“Look, I know you don’t trust me. You have no reason to; Christ, I’ve seen what they’ve put you through for the last twelve years.”

Kal-El frowned. There seemed to be a genuine note of what? Sorrow, distress, anger? In the stranger’s voice. Holding up the book again, Kal-El spoke, “And you care why, exactly?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Look,” Kal-El sighed, “This isn’t going to work, you can’t use me.”

“I don’t want to use you. I want to know you.”

“You people already know everything about me,” Kal-El said harshly.

The stranger laughed, the sound sending small shivers down Kal-El’s spine. “They don’t know the real you. The ‘you’ you manage to keep hidden.”

Kal-El froze again, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do,” the voice whispered softly, “You don’t have to worry, there’s no one for me to tell. No one even suspects I *know* anything, let alone have access.”

“How long have you known anything?” Kal-El was curious despite himself. As long as he didn’t give them any information they didn’t already know, or actually be stupid enough to trust the oddly familiar voice, he’d play this game of theirs as long as they wanted.

“Not long. Since yesterday actually.”

Kal-El laughed, “And you expect me to believe that you’ve got the sound in here wired privately in that little time?”

“I’ve got good connections.”

“Even if I believed that, how can you say that you want to know me? You’ve watched me, for what? A day?” Kal-El shook his head.

“I know,” the voice whispered, “I think I surprised myself.”

Kal-El frowned. The stranger did sound like he wasn’t sure what was going on. “Are you part of this? I mean, are you involved in this?” Kal-El asked.

“Not this, no. But I am connected in a way. Which is how I knew something was going on.”

“So, why *didn’t* you know, if you’re connected?” Kal-El asked softly.

“I don’t know. I guess I don’t warrant that level of trust.”

The stranger sounded self deprecating, but there was an edge of bitterness which surprised Kal-El. Almost as if the stranger was hurt, but resigned in the knowledge that he wasn’t trusted.

“What do you want from me?” Kal-El frowned again, he had to stop thinking that this was real.

“I… I just want to know you, really. I want to see you smile.”

Kal-El almost laughed, “Smile? I do smile.”

“No, you don’t, not really. I haven’t seen a single smile truly touch your eyes.”

Kal-El had to blink back sudden tears, his breath hitching.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“Don’t,” Kal-El said suddenly. He buried his face in his knees for a moment, to get himself back under control. What was he doing? A few words and his mask was breaking. Why did this stranger’s voice affect him *so* much. “You can see me, but I can’t see you. Doesn’t seem fair somehow,” Kal-El commented.

The stranger laughed, “My resources aren’t unlimited, no matter what some people think.” The last part was muttered almost under the stranger’s breath, his tone bitter again.

But his own comment had given Kal-El an idea. He stared at the wall and started to scan the complex. The green rocks made it harder, but he’d been practicing, testing himself. But other than the usual security guards and the odd scientist scribbling away, he was alone. At least he knew it wasn’t one of the scientists. He couldn’t see them being allowed outside access.

“So, you’ve got connections and nearly unlimited resources, you’d have to, to hack into this system,” Kal-El started again.

“And what do you know about this system?” The stranger asked with a note of amusement.

“Only what I’ve been told,” Kal-El answered warily.

“And a great deal more besides, I’m sure. I know how intelligent you are, Kal-El, it bothers me that it doesn’t seem to register with them.”

Kal-El frowned. “I know what you mean. Will you get into trouble for this?”

“You could put it that way.” The stranger said, in a tone Kal-El recognised. It was the same one he used, when he was talking about Redman. He felt a flash of sympathy, until he remembered the situation.

“So, do I get to call you anything? You know *my* name,” Kal-El asked curiously.

The stranger hesitated, “You could get me into a lot of trouble.”

“So, trust me.” Kal-El looked up at the camera briefly.

“Why? You don’t trust me.” The stranger pointed out.

“I could probably already get you into trouble if I mention this, couldn’t I? If you *are* a friend and this isn’t another test,” Kal-El said quietly.

“True.” The stranger paused and Kal-El waited. “My name’s Lex.”

“Lex.” Kal-El repeated quietly. “I’d like to say it was nice to meet you, but apart from the fact we haven’t really met, I don’t know if it is yet.”

“Is what?”

“Nice.”

“Well, it was nice for me,” Lex whispered.

Kal-El hid his face more and licked his lips with a surprised sigh. Lex’s words made him feel… good, in a strange way.

“I’ll let you sleep. Goodnight, Kal-El.”

Kal-El blinked, “Goodnight, Lex.”

He put his book down with a sigh and lay back on his bed. His mind was a whirl. Kal-El simply couldn’t afford to trust Lex, to trust that this wasn’t some manipulation. He’d learnt from bitter experience that no one cared about him. Even those he was a little friendly with, like Ian and Claire, the nurse, were *not* his friends.

But throughout the conversation, he hadn’t been able to quite get rid of the feeling that it was genuine, that Lex meant what he said. Lex’s voice did things to him he didn’t understand; resonated deep inside him.

Kal-El wondered how he was ever going to get to sleep.

@>*~