The Terminator

by Dolimir
Alexander Luthor stood on the coffee table in the middle of the fraternity’s living room and looked over the crowd of newly bald men and laughed so hard he almost fell off his stand.

Straightening and raising his bottle, he asked, "Who is the master of Theta Zeta Nu?"

"The X-Man!" the crowd roared drunkenly.

"Who is the scourge of Met U’s administration?"

"X-Man!"

"Who is the world’s best super-hacker?"

"X-Man!"

"Where are we going to party?"

"Heaven!"

"What’s our drug of choice?"

"X!"

"Who’s paying for it?"

"Jude!"

"Damn straight!" Lex laughed. Tonight’s celebration was going to make history.

"Oh, shit, is that a Fed?" Jude asked in a low whisper, pointing to the stiff by the door.

"No way, man. The hack was untraceable. I’ll stake my reputation on it," Lex assured him, though he never took his eyes off the intruder.

"Alexander Luthor!" the Fed shouted over the din of the club.

"I’m Luthor!" Jason Peterson stopped dancing and faced the intruder.

"No, I’m Luthor," George Mallon said, shoving Jason aside.

In a very Spartacan moment, every bald man in the dance club yelled that he was Alexander Luthor.

Moments later, the room was full of bullets.

Lex knew the screams of the dying would haunt him forever. He crawled toward the backdoor, not really believing he’d make it but unwilling to give up.

A boy appeared from nowhere, hand outstretched. "Come with me if you want to live."

Without hesitation, Lex took the offered hand and was plunged into the cool night air.

"Come on." The boy pulled him down the alley and pushed him into a car.

The door behind them slammed opened. The boy turned and seconds later the alley exploded into flames.

Lex gasped as they sped off. "Who the hell was that?"

"Why was it looking for me?" Lex asked.

"The machines are trying to win the war before it even starts."

"I don’t understand. What was that thing?"

"It’s a cybernetic organism, a terminator. Its sole mission is to neutralize you. It can’t be reasoned with, it can’t be bargained with--it doesn’t feel pity or remorse or fear--and it absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you are dead."

"Can you stop it?"

"I intend to try."

"How?"

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve as soon as the sun rises."

"Who are you anyway?"

The boy smiled. "Kent. Clark Kent."

They’d been driving most of the night before Lex asked, "Why me?"

"Five years from now, Earth will be discovered by the Planetary Alliance. It will enjoy unheard of prosperity for three years."

"And then?"

"The machines will invade every world of the Alliance."

"What makes me so special?"

"Ten years from now, you’ll create the virus which will destroy them. The war was won, but in one last desperate attempt the machines sent the terminator back in time to kill you before they arrive."

"So why were you picked to come back?"

"Let’s just say I’m repaying a debt."

"How much longer until sunrise?" "About two hours," Clark answered quietly.

Lex leaned against the hotel’s wall and closed his eyes, more tired than he’d ever been. "We’re not going to make it, are we?"

"Sure we will. We have a destiny, after all."

Lex opened his eyes. "You can’t go back, can you?"

Clark shook his head.

"So why’d you do it?"

"Humanity, hell, the entire universe is depending on you."

"That’s not an answer."

"I couldn’t let you face this by yourself."

"Why not?"

"Because I love you."

"Clark," Lex whispered, "Remind me what it means to live."

Gazing into the green eyes staring at him with love, Lex leaned down and nibbled along Clark’s jawline, gently marking the offered throat. Moving slowly within his lover, Lex reveled in Clark’s whimpered moans of pleasure.

"Lex," Clark stuttered breathlessly. "Please."

But Lex refused to be hurried. "Tell me we’ll have forever."

"We will." Clark arched against him.

"Tell me we’ll be the stuff of legends."

Clark panted, his head thrashing back and forth. "We will."

"Swear you’ll never leave me."

Clark hesitated.

"Swear it!" Lex angled his next thrust so his and Clark’s world exploded in passion.

"I swear!"

Clark peeked out the hotel’s window. "Oh fuck."

"What?"

"It’s raining."

"Isn’t that good thing? I mean, won’t that help us cover our tracks?"

"You don’t understand."

Lex ran his hand up his lover’s back. "So explain it to me."

"I need the sun."

"Why?"

"Your sun makes my people almost invincible. I can’t properly protect you unless I’m full exposed to the sun’s light."

"Your people?"

"Focus, Lex."

"According to the Weather Channel it’s supposed to clear up in an hour or so."

A dog began barking viciously outside.

Clark blanched. "I think we just ran out of time."

"Leave me." Clark struggled to free his legs from the wreckage.

Lex braced himself against the roof of the car and lifted with every ounce of strength he possessed. "Shut up, Clark."

"There!" Clark’s fingers scrambled in the dirt as he pulled himself forward. "Please, Lex. Run."

Lex shook his head, swallowing hard as he watched the slow approach of the terminator.

"Forever, Clark," he whispered, standing in front of his prone lover and hefting the jack iron over his shoulder.

As if in answer to his prayers, the sun broke through the clouds and filled the street with light.

I never gave much thought to the future, but now it consumes my every thought. I surprised my father by asking for Cadmus Labs. He gave it to me, intrigued by my sudden interest in the family business.

I want to tell the world that with great advances there’ll come great sorrows; however, Clark says it’s too soon. No one will believe us yet.

So we prepare.

Clark has established himself as Superman, so the people will have a person to rally around when darkness falls. Me, I study everything I can lay my hands on and watch the sky.

Original Drabble
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