It was interesting to watch the dynamics in a crisis. Bruce was used to Lex taking charge and damning the torpedoes, but in this case, he just sat back from the table and laptop and looked at Clark with a thoughtful expression. Clark, meanwhile, still looked grim enough to kill Lucas with his bare hands, even though Bruce knew that he never would. Clark just wasn't the kind to kill, no matter the provocation. The belief that all life was sacred was just too firmly ingrained to do that irreversible act.

Thank God. A Superman who could kill didn't really bear thinking about.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Lex inquired, steepling his fingers.

Clark grimaced and warned, "Don't go all Freud on me, Lex, this isn't the time."

"No, no, I'm not. I'm interested in exactly what you think you're going to do with Lucas when we get him."

Bruce could've sworn that he heard a measure of dark amusement in the other man's voice and wondered if Lex had ever been dropped on his head as a baby. It would explain a lot.

"I'm going to lock him up where he can't do anyone, any harm, ever again," Clark snapped finally.

"We thought we'd done that before," Lex pointed out reasonably. "Didn't work too well, did it?"

"You're not going to kill him, Lex, he's your brother."

"Half brother, who's about to wipe out an entire city, as well as kill or do worse to the woman you love, and do untold damage to the surrounding area because he wants you gone."

Bruce's stomach lurched at the bald statement and his eyes locked onto Clark. He vaguely wondered what Clark's teeth were made from, to withstand the kind of pressure currently being exerted. Fascinated, Bruce watched openly while Clark seemed to search for some kind of response and came up empty. Not that he blamed the young man; it wasn't every day that your lover accused you of being in love with someone else.

Never mind the whole wiping-out-a-city thing.

"Ah, guys? I think Bruce and I are going to…go do…something. Give a yell when you want us back," Dick piped up unexpectedly.

Irritated, Bruce glared at Dick, but the other man gave him a pointed look and shoved him towards the living room. Bruce cast one last look over his shoulder at the tableau of Clark and Lex at the kitchen table, unmoving and unspeaking. It figured that he'd have a ward with too much sensitivity.

* * * *

Grateful that Dick had ushered Bruce away, though at the same time not really caring, Clark crossed his arms over his chest and demanded quietly, "This is new. What's going on, Lex?"

"Nothing really," Lex replied, lounging carelessly against the table. "It just suddenly occurred to me that you've never gone on a homicidal rampage when I was in trouble."

Clark's jaw dropped as he hissed incredulously, "You're jealous?"

Eyes rolling, Lex answered, "No, Clark. Jealous would be blackballing Lois from the newspaper industry."

"So what is this?"

"I don't know exactly. Just wondering if maybe you're with the person you really want to be with."

Oh God. They had an hour and fifty-six minutes to find and stop Lucas, and Lex was acting like an insecure asshole. Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose as the low-level migraine upped the ante, Clark muttered, "I so don't need this right now."

"Agreed. We'll finish this conversation when the destruction of Metropolis isn't an issue," Lex stated. "In the meantime, would you recognize that frequency if I pitched it to you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because I've got an idea."

Of course he had an idea. Lex always had an idea. Whether or not it was a good one, well, that wasn't always as assured.

* * * *

Lois had managed to get her thumb free, though right now it felt like it was breaking from being twisted in such an awkward direction. Squirming as discreetly as possible, she glanced at the timer on the missile that was such a short distance away and shivered. One hour and fifty six minutes left before it flew away to destroy a city. It wasn't even that Lucas was crazy, because he wasn't. He just had no morals whatsoever. He wanted Superman gone and this was the most expeditious way to do it.

Lionel Luthor would be proud.

Shaking the thought from her head, Lois winced as her wrist continued to be scraped raw with the slow, circular motion she was making to get her hand free. If she could do that, then the ropes would be slack enough to get her other hand free and then, hopefully, she could escape.

The door to the warehouse opened and Lois stopped moving as Lucas and…speak of the devil.

"…fine job, son, I knew you would," Lionel congratulated, patting Lucas on the back and smiling broadly.

Lucas beamed under the parental approval and Lois had the thought that Lionel really needed to be horse-whipped for twisting a kid like Lucas the way he had. Thank God for Clark, because Lois could see clearly in her head exactly how Lex would've turned out without the other man's influence. Lex was smarter and more cunning than Lucas, he would have made an enemy like no other; both for Clark and Superman.

"Ah, Miss Lane, how good to see you again."

"Bite me."

Lionel laughed and replied suggestively, "I'd love to, but we haven't time, my dear."

"Exactly how do you expect to get far enough away from the blast to be safe?" Lois demanded.

"We're already far enough away to be safe," Lionel informed her. "Welcome to Gotham, my dear."

Gotham? Home of Batman, thank God! At least there was a local superhero for her to go to when she got free of these damned ropes! Forcing a smile, she asked, "You don't really think that Superman's just going to up and fly away now, do you? And I thought Metropolis was your city, Luthor. You're just going to let golden boy over there wipe it out?"

"Fortunately, I've been discreetly moving my assets from Metropolis for quite some time now. I had originally planned for Lex to play this part, but Kent interfered with that," Lionel informed her.

She smirked. "Of course he did."

Ignoring the comment, Lionel continued smugly, "This is even better, though."

A smug Lionel Luthor could not be good. "What is?"

"With Lex and Clark gone, all of his holdings revert to Dad as the surviving family member," Lucas piped up.

Lois' jaw dropped. With the combined fortunes of Lex and Lionel, the older man would be unstoppable.

"I can see that you understand the significance. But naturally, you would," Lionel observed, brushing a finger over her cheek.

Jerking back from the touch, she hissed, "Don't you ever touch me again, Luthor!"

Not the least bit disturbed, Lionel's reply was a breezy, "You'll get used to it soon enough, my dear."

* * * *

"That's it? That's you're whole plan?" Dick exclaimed in disbelief.

Lex grinned wolfishly and replied, "That's it."

"You're insane."

"Tell me something I don't know."

One hour and thirty-three minutes left before Lucas' deadline came and Dick was seriously starting to think that leaving things in Lex and Clark's hands was a really, really bad idea. And yeah, okay, he and Bruce had done some harebrained things in their time, but this really did take the cake.

"Dick, calm down."

Glancing over at Bruce, Dick was surprised to find a thoughtful expression on the older man's face. The blue eyes were distant, something that always revealed Bruce to be deep in thought, and there was just the slightest crinkle of his brow, which meant that incredible brain of his was going at unclockable speeds. Great. Bruce was going to go along with it. His eyes flickered over to Clark, but there was only a faintly irritated expression on his face, as if wishing that he'd thought of it first.

They were all nuts. It was that simple. Shaking his head, Dick stated, "It'll never work."

"Why wouldn't it?" Lex countered. "There's no way that Lucas would know Superman wasn't leaving. No way for anyone to know that Superman hasn't gone up, up, and away for good."

"You're bluffing with the lives of hundreds of thousands of people!" Dick shouted, losing his temper. "Bluffing, Lex. As in, poker. As in, games that you aren't supposed to be playing anymore!"

Stiffening, Lex replied, "This is not a game, it's the only way possible that we can succeed with Clark's current limitations."

Dick was about to snarl a response when Bruce's hand clamped down on his shoulder, bringing his attention back to the older man. It was only a brief glance, but it calmed him, as always.

The hand squeezed tight for a moment, then released him altogether as Bruce said, "We'll get the equipment, while you two get ready."

Lex nodded. "Thanks. Mercy and Hope will help you. We'll be ready by the time you get back."

Great. Having the Bobsey twins along for the ride wasn't going to improve his mood any. Still pissed, but willing to be overridden, since there wasn't really a lot he could do to stop them anyhow, Dick jerked around and headed for the door. He heard Bruce offer a hasty goodbye before the older man caught up with him at the elevator.

Once inside, Dick ignored the women and exclaimed to Bruce, "You can't seriously think that this is going to work!?"

Bruce sighed, answering, "It's really the only chance we've got. We don't have near enough time to evacuate the city, even supposing that Lucas didn't catch wind of it, which he would, and set off the bomb early. Lex has the people and resources to make a digital recording and get it to CNN or WorldNews. Once Lucas thinks that Superman is gone, the time pressure is off and we can find Lucas and rescue Lois."

Dick grumbled, "Just don't blame me if this goes south in a big way."

Grinning suddenly, Bruce said, "I'll make a note of it. Don't blame Dick if it doesn't work."

"Smartass."

"What's your point?"

"That is my point."

Bruce laughed softly and gripped Dick's shoulder.

* * * *

Clark walked into the kitchen and stopped short on finding Lex sprawled face down on the table. There was absolutely no movement coming from the other man and for a few moments, Clark couldn't even see or hear a heartbeat. Then Lex's back moved, just a little, in a faint breath and Clark nearly collapsed in relief. He rushed across the room and gently shook Lex to wake him. "Lex? C'mon now, this is so not the time for a nap."

But there was no response, even when he shook a little harder and lightly slapped Lex on the face.

"Clark? What's going on?"

Ignoring Bruce, Clark scooped Lex's limp body into his arms and strode from the kitchen to the living room. Setting Lex carefully on the sofa, Clark knelt on the floor and continued to try and rouse his lover. Panic was welling within as he remembered the last time that Lex had been in a coma and the thought returned that something was seriously wrong with Lex's brain. "Lex, wake up now. Come on, don't do this to me again. Please wake up, please!"

A strong hand rested on his should and Clark looked up at Bruce's serious and worried face, unable to say anything.

"You have to get down to the studio, Clark."

"But I can't leave him like this!"

"I'll take care of him, I promise."

"But…"

"Clark, we only have another forty minutes until the deadline. You have to do this."

Swallowing down the panic and heartache at the way Lex was so pale and still on the couch, Clark nodded, knowing that Bruce was right.

"I'll be right here. No one and nothing will move me from his side, Clark," Bruce swore.

And looking into the dark eyes, Clark knew he could depend on Bruce, but this was Lex. Taking care of Lex was something that went deep in Clark and to leave him when he might be in trouble was something he could barely think about.

"We ready?" Dick asked from behind.

"Not quite," Bruce answered.

Ignoring both of them, Clark leaned close to Lex's ear, put his hand on his lover's chest, and whispered, "Come back to me, Lex. Please, please come back. I love you."

Then he stood and strode to the elevator, bypassing the other two men entirely and leaving Dick to scramble after him. Clark held Bruce's gaze until the elevator doors closed, promising mayhem if anything happened to Lex while he was gone.

* * * *

Lex blinked in surprise as he stared into Clark's frantic eyes. Something wasn't right. Wasn't he just…hadn't he been…

"Lex? Are you back?"

Frowning, Lex asked, "Back? What're you talking about?"

"You just kind of…faded out for a few minutes," Clark answered, the worry slowly fading. "I couldn't get you to answer me, but you weren't really unconscious."

"Interesting," Lex murmured.

Clark smiled in relief. "You're okay then. Had me worried there."

"No, I'm fine," Lex agreed, brushing his fingers over Clark's cheek.

Leaning into the caress, Clark kissed his palm and said, "The others are waiting."

That paused him for a second. "The others?"

"For the inauguration? The reason we're all dressed up?" Clark teased.

That was when Lex noticed that Clark and he were wearing tuxes, but he was blanking on the reason. "Inauguration for what?"

"Your presidency, stupid," Clark answered with a grin and a tiny shove.

Lex realized then that Clark thought he was joking around. He opened his mouth to protest, but shut it again just as fast. Something was very, very wrong here and he was suddenly reminded of Cassandra's death vision. Of himself in the Oval Office and of the blood raining down from the sky. Looking down at himself, he found that it was a normal tux, though, not a white one and breathed a little easier.

"Lex? Are you sure you're okay?"

Coming back to his surroundings, Lex nodded and forced a smile at the worried look on Clark's face. He cupped the back of Clark's neck and drew him close for a lingering kiss. When they parted, Lex grinned and replied, "Much better, now."

"Dork."

With a chuckle, Lex offered his arm, which Clark took, and they headed for the door.

* * * *

Lois was about ready to scream. Her wrists were chafed bloody, but nothing she did got rid of the cuffs. She couldn't even use the blood as lube to squeeze her hands out. She hadn't seen or heard anyone in over an hour and that worried her a lot more than she let on. Not that she figured on being left to rot, not from the look in Lionel Luthor's eyes, but being out of the loop wasn't something she ever wanted to happen.

Especially when there were nuclear bombs involved.

As if in answer to her thoughts, the door of her small room opened and Lionel himself stepped inside. Looking her over, he clucked in soft disapproval and scolded, "Look what you've done to yourself. Really, Ms. Lane, I can't understand how you think that hurting yourself is going to get you out of this. Even if you did slip the cuffs, there's nowhere for you to go."

"I don't know what you think is going to happen, Luthor, but it's not," Lois snapped, struggling to her feet with a glare.

"Why, nothing at all, dear lady," Lionel replied. "I'm keeping you here for your own protection. Metropolis isn't a very safe place right now."

"Because of you!"

"That's beside the point."

Lois shook her head, a sharp laugh escaping. "You're never going to get away with this, Luthor. Superman's going to stop you!"

"I don't see how. He left orbit about five minutes ago."

Heart thumping heaving in her chest with shock, Lois shook her head and exclaimed, "You're lying!"

"I thought you might not believe me. That's why I came in to get you. It's on all the new stations. A nice little goodbye note from Superman to the world and then multiple networks catching his leave-taking in a live shot," Lionel replied, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Lois jerked away from him and Lionel raised his hands.

"My mistake. This way, Ms. Lane."

She walked in front of him, feeling his eyes on her like ants crawling all over her skin. Shuddering lightly, Lois walked out of the elegant room into an equally as elegant hallway filled with paintings and sculptures lining expensive tables. His hand hovered over her shoulder and she glared at him as he motioned towards a door on the right.

Crossing into the new room, which was an office filled with all kinds of gadgets, including a large, plasma television on the wall. There was a live report with Larry Wells, a reporter that she knew from her brief and hideous stint in broadcast news.

Larry looked down from the sky, disbelief plain on his face as he exclaimed, "And he's gone for real, ladies and gentlemen. In a shocking twist of events, Superman has left Earth to return to his own home planet, though where and what that is, no one knows. Police around the world are already gearing up for a spike in violent crimes and emergency units will be on call as well. I know that everyone is feeling as shocked as I am at this development. Please stay tuned for all updates. This is Larry Wells for station KMET, Metropolis."

The newsroom came on, but Lois just tuned it out, unable to believe that Clark would really leave like this. That he would just give in to the demands. Something had to be going on.

"…and I realize that this is a shock to you, knowing that there's no rescue sallying forth, so I'll give you some time to recover before we chat again."

It wasn't until Lionel's hands touched hers that Lois even heard him. But he was uncuffing her, so she stayed quiescent, not wanting him to change his mind. Besides, her wrists hurt like a bitch and getting them treated was a good idea.

Once she could think, then she'd figure out a way to get out on her own.

* * * *

This was, without a doubt, the strangest day of Lex's life, and that was saying a lot.

Looking around the elegant banquet hall filled with the elite of society and politics, he knew that this was everything that he'd ever thought he'd wanted. They all feared him, some of them respected him, most of them wanted him in some form or another, and everyone wanted to be him. Clark stayed at his side, practically radiating happiness, which only made him all the more attractive and difficult to keep his hands off of.

The inauguration had turned out to be as President of the United Government of Earth, not the United States of America, as he'd originally thought. From what little he'd gleaned over the last six hours, the ceremony was real, despite what had originally begun as conquest on Clark's part. There had been a lot of blood spilled over the last two years, but everything and everyone was seemingly working together now. That, of course, was due to the fact that Clark had motivated the world with reports of others from his planet bent on enslaving the world altogether.

Lex wasn't too sure what had happened to the other Superheroes, but didn't want to reveal his ignorance by asking. He also wasn't all that sure that he really wanted to know. The fact that they were gone told him that they were either locked up somewhere in a lab, or dead. And in either case, Clark and he were involved, so he couldn't ask without looking like he'd suffered another head injury.

The good news was that his speeches had been written on cue cards, despite the fact that he tended to memorize them. He'd been able to be who these people thought he was, even though he knew he wasn't. He wasn't even dreaming, though that had occurred to him very early on. The dreams that he'd had before, the ones with Clark and blood and being fucked until he could barely move, hadn't been dreams after all. Somehow, he'd skipped into another world, at least mentally. The fact that that meant this world's Lex could be in his body and wreaking havoc on it was making his insides mush.

Because it wasn't like his world wasn't already in enough trouble without an iron-fisted Lex Luthor appearing on the scene.

The real question was how all of this had happened. He knew he wasn't telepathic and he hadn't any special powers, bequeathed by the meteors or otherwise. How the hell had he done this and how did he get back? Because he did want to get back, there was no doubt about that. He was too far different from the Lex in this world to be at all comfortable ruling the world. Instead of Clark bending to his vision, he had bent to Clark's and, seeing the alternative, Lex knew that to be a good thing.

"You're fading, Lex. Do you want to leave?" Clark murmured into his ear.

Jolting back to his surroundings, Lex looked into Clark's eyes and found only adoration and love, tempered with a little worry. The one constant in his life, apparently. Smiling, Lex shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I was just working a problem through in my head."

Clark chuckled warmly and kissed his ear, saying, "That's for tomorrow, Mr. President. Just take a couple of hours off, okay?"

Without warning, Lex pulled Clark in for a long, deep kiss, knowing that no one would stop them and hardening a little on the power that he really could do anything he wanted. When they parted for air, he smirked and took Clark's hand with, "Let's dance."

Eyes wide, Clark looked like he was going to protest, but Lex didn't give him the chance, just started walking towards the center of the room. Settling with Clark in his arms, Lex led his lover into a sharp tango that started the moment they moved towards the dance floor. His smirk grew as Lex realized that his counterpart had obviously planned to get Clark on the dance floor to show him off.

And show Clark off was exactly what Lex did. They made a slow, torturous bump and grind of the Tango that took all of Lex's concentration to get through. It was very traditional and he briefly wondered where Clark had picked up the moves, making a mental note to ask his own Clark if he knew how to Tango. On the last whirl, finding himself the one dipped, which made sense given their physical differences, Lex hauled Clark in for a deep, sucking kiss, getting acquainted with his borrowed lover's tonsils.

When they finished, there was a tremendous round of applause, even some whistles and cheers. Grinning broadly, Lex scanned the faces, making mental notes of those who looked disapproving or disgusted, never letting his gaze settle on one for more than a split second. Even if he didn't need the knowledge for this world, it probably translated over into his own.

"Do that later, lover, I really want to get you alone right now," Clark breathed into his ear.

Taking Clark's hand again, Lex replied smugly, "Patience, Clark. The night is young."

Clark growled in aggravation and shifted discretely.

* * * *

"I still think we should get him to a hospital," Dick repeated, peeking into the bedroom. Clark and Lex were under the covers, with Clark holding and whispering to Lex in a heartbreaking tone.

Bruce shrugged and answered, "That's up to Clark. It's only been a couple of hours, so I'm inclined to leave them be. We have other things to worry about right now."

Dick grimaced, walking away from the bedroom and back to the living room. Watching Clark and Lex was depressing the shit out of him. He needed to focus on something to get out his aggression. "Like Lionel."

"And Lucas," Bruce agreed, joining him. "We know they're in Gotham, so it won't be too hard to track them down, but we need to know where the bomb is before we do anything."

Stretching with a groan, Dick collapsed on the couch and reminded, "Don't forget Lois."

Bruce sat beside him. "I haven't."

"What a day."

"No kidding."

"At least they bought it."

"Thank God for Hollywood."

Dick snorted. "Think we have a breather now? Enough to actually sleep the night?"

Rubbing his eyes, Bruce nodded, replying, "And even if we didn't, we're all running on fumes. Mistakes get made when exhaustion plays a factor. We'll stay here tonight, then head back to Gotham in the morning."

"What if Lex isn't, you know, awake by then?" Dick asked hesitantly.

Bruce looked over at the bedroom with a sigh. "I wish I knew, Dick."

Seeing just how worried and exhausted Bruce was, wishing he could make it a little better for him, Dick reached out and gripped his shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Bruce, really. He's strong and he's a fighter, no matter what's going on with Lex right now."

"I don't know, Dick. Lex has had a lot of trauma the last couple of years. It adds up on the body, even one as strong as his," Bruce observed softly. For a moment, they just sat there, then abruptly, Bruce got up with, "I feel like cooking. What do you want to eat?"

Bemused at the change in gears, Dick stayed where he was and answered, "Whatever you're cooking."

Bruce smirked a little. "Good answer."

* * * *

Wrapped around Lex, feeling like his whole world was breaking down again, Clark ignored the conversation taking place in the next room. Despite the fact that his returned hearing meant that the rest of his powers would be coming back, Clark couldn't find it in himself to be relieved. His powers were good for nothing if they couldn't somehow be used to help Lex.

Pressing his lips to the slow pulse in Lex's throat, Clark whispered, "Please Lex, please come back to me. I need you so much. Everything went off without a hitch and Lionel and Lucas don't suspect anything. I need you here to tell me what to do next. I need you to come back."

There was no response, not that Clark had really expected one, and he sighed deeply, eyes closing and trying to keep the tears from spilling.

* * * *

Bruce was well aware of the eyes on him as he moved around the kitchen.

Too aware, you old lech, his mind hissed at him, making him almost drop the whisk.

He knew that the moment on the couch had only been comfort offered and nothing more, but for a moment, it had been nice to pretend. He'd had to get up and away before doing something incredibly stupid. Like grabbing Dick and hauling him in to kiss the living daylights out of him.

Beating the eggs more fiercely than was needed, Bruce thought, This is a kid you've taken into your home, you pervert! This is someone who trusts you and cares for you. Don't fuck it up now by giving into that darkness!

And darkness it was. He wanted to own Dick the way he'd owned Lex for a brief time all those years ago. It would be different, of course, because he hadn't loved Lex at the time. And he really did love Dick, despite the age difference and the other man's head-strong ways. They were a good fit, which just about killed him to admit. Dick definitely kept him on his toes, kept him from getting too immersed in himself and brooding about the state of the world that he couldn't control.

"Ah, Bruce?"

"What!?"

Dick's eyes widened in surprised hurt.

Bruce silently cursed himself and took a breath. He smiled and apologized, "Sorry. Must be more tired than I thought. What is it?"

"I think you've whipped the eggs enough," Dick answered, grinning.

Looking down at the frothy liquid, Bruce had to chuckle and nod his head. "Yes. They are definitely done."

He moved to the counter and swept the chopped up vegetables into the bowl before turning on the stove. For the next few minutes, he just cooked, putting everything else aside. Eggs never took long, and they finished about the same time as the sausages that Dick had insisted on. He was putting everything on plates as the younger man grabbed the toast and brought it to the table.

Dinner was quiet, neither one wanting to bring up any subject that might disturb the other, which left conversation topics at next to nothing.

"Did you ever hear back from your cousin?" Bruce asked suddenly, remembering a conversation that had happened before this whole mess.

Startled, Dick stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth, then answered, "Oh, yeah. Uh, he wants me to come visit for a couple of months. They're running a little low on help and acts."

Keeping his voice to what he hoped was an encouraging tone, Bruce questioned, "Are you going to?"

Dick shrugged and answered, "Hadn't made a decision when all this stirred up. I don't really see how I can. With everything we do, it doesn't seem right for me to just…leave you alone."

"You should go."

"What?"

"You should go," Bruce repeated. "You haven't seen your family or friends for a few years."

Troubled, Dick said, "I know but it's not a good time."

Wry, Bruce pointed out, "It never is. If you let that stop you, you'll never do anything, Dick."

"I guess," Dick agreed, poking at his food.

Bruce sighed and put his fork down. Leaning on the table, he said, "I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought it would be a good change for you. Remind you that there are other paths you can take than this one. I'm not going to force you to go."

"If you're going to get on that 'you can have a better life' kick, I'm leaving," Dick snapped, pushing his plate away.

This is working out really well, Bruce thought snidely to himself. Can't even have a conversation with him, never mind…

Cutting that thought off, Bruce stated calmly, "I wasn't going to do that. I just think that you deserve a break."

Dick took a breath, obviously calming himself down. "I'll take a break when you do."

"Excuse me?"

"When was the last time that you took time off from Gotham? Really took time off. Like went somewhere nice and sunny," Dick questioned earnestly. "You want to talk about exhaustion making mistakes? You've been going non-stop for months, both as Batman and Bruce Wayne. Wayne Industries can practically run itself by now so I doubt taking a week off would hurt any."

"And if Batman disappeared for a week?" Bruce countered softly.

"Robin would still be there to pick up the slack. Or maybe Superman could do some fly-by's. You need a break, Bruce," Dick said stubbornly.

Wondering exactly when he'd lost control of the conversation, Bruce decided not to argue. They were both over-tired and he didn't feel like dealing with a righteous Dick. Besides which, the younger man was right and they both knew it. "Look, why don't we just deal with what we have right now? We can talk about vacations when we get the Luthors back behind bars."

"Except for me, I hope."

Bruce and Dick both jumped to their feet at Lex's weary question. Bruce frowned, taking in Clark's confused and hesitant expression even as he supported Lex. Though the other man was mostly under his own power. Closing the distance between them, Bruce gripped his shoulder and exclaimed, "Lex! Are you all right? How do you feel?"

"A little lost actually," Lex admitted.

Frowning, Bruce asked, "How so?"

"Things aren't how I remember them."

"Well, you've been under for a few hours," Dick offered.

Lex shook his head, a wry expression surfacing as he said, "That doesn't explain the two of you rising from the grave, or the lack of a world government that I'm about to be president of."

Bruce blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Exactly."

Opening his mouth to speak, Bruce closed it again when he realized he had no idea what to say. Either Lex had well and truly gone over the edge, or this wasn't really Lex. And how something like that could happen… well, he had absolutely no idea.

When Dick moved closer, as though seeking stability and comfort, Bruce silently echoed the wish for both.