Work Text:
There was something in the air, an odd energy in the night.
Lionel was never a believer and hindsight always makes some distortions to reality, the human brain was made to look for connections after all, but he would always deep down remember hearing the call of destiny, the feeling that something world changing was about to happening. It rang first when he received the call.
The meeting had been important if inconsequential in the great scheme of things , being present more a wish to see the look in his newest adversary face as Luthorcorp fully incorporated his company, than necessary. In his rare interviews about the occurrence he would always tell a story of a man forever tormented by guilt over leaving, haunted by the idea that he could've somehow stopped the tragedy that had befallen his family. Deep down he felt none of it. The grief was real but he knew better than to be tricked by the blame, he had dealt with the true culprit long ago.
It starts like this:
A man comes back home, he is later than expected and richer than when he left, his clothes smell of dairy and his hair flies in the winter breeze as he enters the elevator.
He has it all.
The empire, the heir, the concubines and the wife.
Lionel whistles as the elevator doors open, an old opera he watched in his first date with Lilian and somehow the sound seems to disturb some terrible tension, there's something eerie in the penthouse as he crosses it. But the baby isn't crying and he chooses to believe his wife is finally doing her job. Maybe he should check on them?
There's no one but the baby.
It's disappointing but no matter.
Julian is his heir and he has proven he can sooth himself in his mother failure, Lionel sees himself on the boy already. Wonders how Lilian cannot see him as the gift he is. Julian is his, the perfect heir. And that means Lilian can finally have Lex just as she always wanted.
Well, woman rarely have a mind for business, she'll notice it sooner than later and will thank him as their youngest son takes over, she is a mother, it is in her programming.
Lionel moves to hold the baby.
For a moment he let's himself believe the boy is merely sleeping, refuses to let the horror of the situation get to him. The boy is blue, no breath, no heartbeat. Lionel remembers finding Alexander after the meteor shower, he promised he wouldn't panic again, never depend on another man. He doesn't panic. The body is cold, there is nothing that can be done.
He does not remember walking into the master bedroom, his heart beating as he thinks on how to tell the grim news to his wife and questions if he should raise his suspicious on the culprit, better keep it vague, simply recall how Alexander was always a bit too envious of his baby brother. For once his suspicions are wrong.
He doesn't know what exactly he sees in Lilian's eyes, as he enters the room, his solemn expression being overwhelmed by the madness in his wife maniac joy but suddenly he knows the truth. He doesn't remember asking with a cold voice: "What have you done?"
But he remembers her smile.
He moves before he can think. He hates how her dress looks when smeared with blood, hates the resigned pain in her eyes when she is hurt. He rarely hits her. He is not like his father! This is a type of violence that one uses to enemies and children, to break and conquer, to bend and to mold, wives need a different touch. And still she holds her cheek. There's blood dripping from her nose and he doesn't care. "You'll never hurt them again." She says and suddenly his hands are at her throat.
He is cold. He is man of planning never emotion but in that second he is made of pure feeling . All the repressed emotions overwhelming him. A crime of passion, an act of instinct. "I won" she rasps, her voice vibrates in his hands and he squeezes. Once upon a time she would sing him old melodies and he believed her laugh to be the prettiest sound. He sees Julian's body as he closes his eyes. Everything moves too fast and too slow at the same time. Somewhere in his mind an opera starts to play. Salomé kisses the decapitated head of Iokanaan.
Deep in the master bedroom a stage director mounts a suicide.
And still something is missing.
I saved them. Replays in his mind over and over again. I saved them. His hands on her throat. I saved them. Julian's cold body in his arms. I saved them. I saved them. Saved. Them.
Them!
Lex!
As his heart skips a bit he runs to his eldest room.
For the first time in decades Lionel prays. He doubts it means anything coming from the devil and still he begs.
For what he doesn't know.