The Green Mile 4/5 Clex Smallville Adult

Title: The Green Mile
Author: Wereleopard
Email: NC-17
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Challenge: The Green Mile
Summary: Lex meets a prisoner on death row that changes his outlook and his life
A/N: Thanks to Krista for beta’ing this
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Smallville, Stephen King or Batman. I can dream but it ain’t going to happen. I am not making any money from this, it is just for fun.

Chapter Four

It took the two guards quite awhile to finally empty the room of all the junk that had accumulated. Lex and Bruce looked around and then turned to glare at Dick, who was standing in the doorway. The room was empty.

“You let him past you?” Lex muttered.

“No I didn’t.” Dick replied indignantly.

“Then where the hell is he?” Bruce asked knowing he had peered into every nook and cranny in that room. “Well, I’ll be damned, three grown men outsmarted by a mouse.”

“Bright side? All this commotion probably scared him off for good.” Dick grinned.

Lex nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. We won’t see him again.”

XXXXX

The following day Toby and Oliver Green sat at a desk, slowly making their way through a pile of paperwork. They both glanced up for a moment and shook their heads as Lucas admired himself in the mirror and brushed his hair.

Lucas heard a tiny squeak, he stopped combing his hair and paused for a moment, hearing it again he looked down and saw a little brown mouse.

“Well, look at that. There he is, I thought Bruce was pulling my leg.” Toby grinned.

A smile appeared on Oliver’s face. “That’s a goddamn mouse.”

Toby smiled. “Yeah Bruce said he was here last night begging for food, came right up to him. Give him some room Lucas.”

Toby dropped some bread on the floor and watched the mouse scarper up to it. Lucas stood there waiting before gently moving the baton more comfortably into his hand and launching at the mouse. The tiny creature ran down the Mile being chased by Lucas screaming at the top of his lungs, who missed the mouse as it barely escaped into the restraint room.

“Fuck!” Lucas mumbled as he fumbled with his keys, unlocking the door while still yelling and swearing at the mouse. “I’m gonna rip your deceased head off, you little piece of shit.”

Just then Lex and Bruce came in, panting, from running at the sound of all the screaming.

Toby looked up and smiled. “Lucas has met your mouse.”

Lex followed to where Toby was pointing and saw that at the far end, moving everything out of the restraint room onto the Mile, was Lucas.

“It’s in here somewhere! I’m gonna squish the little son of a bitch!”

Bruce sighed and walked forward. “Lucas, we already tried that—“

Lucas turned and glared at the other man.

“What did you say?”

“I said….”

Lex placed a hand on Bruce’s shoulder, trying to convey what he wanted through his eyes.

“Uh, knock yourself out. Hope you nail the bastard.” Bruce finished with a grin.

Lex crossed his arms and grinned, leaning back against the table as he waited.

XXXXX

Lucas finally hauled out a filing cabinet and the last of the junk that had cluttered the room. Looking around, the room was empty, empty of everything including a mouse. Lex and the other guards approached trying to keep straight faces.

“Damn. Ain’t in there huh? Don’t that beat the mousie band?”

Lucas looked around the restraint room, just checking to make sure that there was no mouse in there. The other guards turned to Lex waiting for him to speak.

“Lucas. You want to think about what you were doing just now?”

Lucas turned and glareed at his older brother. “I know what I was doing. Trying to get the mouse. You blind?”

“You also scared the crap out of me, Oliver and the inmates.” Toby added.

“So what? They aren’t in cradle school, case you didn’t notice.” Lucas turned to look at Lex. “Although you treat them that way half the time.”

Bruce shook his head. “We don’t scare ‘em any more that we have to, Lucas. They’re under enough strain as it is.”

Lex sighed “Men under strain can snap. Hurt themselves. Hurt others. That’s why our job is talking, not yelling. You’ll do better to think of this place like an intensive care ward in a hospital….”

“I think of it as a bucket of piss to drown rats in. That’s all. Anybody doesn’t like it can kiss my ass. How’s that sit?” Lucas smirked at the other guards and then gave a look of disgust to the other inmates.

Bruce stepped forward, his manner threatening. Lucas took an automatic step back, face full of fear but keeping his bravado up.

“Try it. You’ll be on the bread lines before the week is out.”

“We know who your connection is Lucas. He is my father as well but if you ever threaten anyone on this block again, we’re gonna have a go. Job be damned.”

“Big talk. You done.” Lucas stood there cocky.

“Get all this shit back in the restraint room you are cluttering up my Mile.” Lex turned away in disgust, the other guards following him leaving Lucas alone.

XXXXX

Lex appeared at Willowbrook’s bars with a group of guards.

“Kyla is here.”

Willowbrook stepped out of his cell and one of the guards escorted him off the block to see his daughter. As soon as he was out of their sight Lex turned to the others.

“Let’s move. I want at least two rehearsals before he gets back.”

XXXXX

Willowbrook walked into a room. Kyla rose slowly to her feet… raised her hand but paused awkwardly for a moment before touching his face, and then kissing his cheek. He reached out and took hold of her hand, gently placing a kiss there, while trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

XXXXX

Toot was sitting in Willowbrook’s cell.

“Sittin’ down, sittin’ down, rehearsing now! Everybody settle.” Toot called out.

Lex turned and looked at the old man. “Willowbrook, step forward.”

Toot sprang to his feet and stepped from the cell.

“I’m steppin’ forward, I’m stepping forward.” He turned and showed the top of his head to Dick.

“Is his head properly shaved?” Lex asked.

Dick took hold of a few hairs on Toots head and stared at it. “No, it’s dandruffy and smells.”

Lex shook his head. “I’ll take that for a yes. All right, Willowbrook, let’s go.”

Toot walked up the corridor ringed with guards.

“I’m walkin’ the Mile, I’m walkin’ the Mile.” As soon as they reach Lex’s inner office Toot threw himself to his knees. “I’m prayin’, I’m prayin’. The Lord is my shepherd, so on an’ so forth…”

“Toot, you have to wait till I tell you to pray.” Lex smiled slightly as he sees Toot waiting. “Okay, pray.”

“Still prayin’, still prayin’.”

Toby suddenly looked a little concerned. “Lex, we’re not gonna have some Cherokee medicine man in here whoopin’ and hollerin’ and shaking his dick, are we?”

“Well, actually…” Lex started to say until Toot interrupted him.

“Still prayin’, prayin’ getting’ right with Jesus.”

“Do it quietly, you old gink!” Toby slapped Toot on the head.

“As I was saying, I don’t believe they actually shake their dicks, Toby. Be that as it may, Mr Willowbrook is a Christian, so we got Reverend Schuster coming in.”

Dick nodded. “Oh, he’s good. Fast, too. Doesn’t get ‘em worked up.”

“On your feet, Toot. You’ve prayed enough for one day.” Lex told the man of the floor.

“Getting’ to my feet, walkin’ again, walkin’ on the Green Mile.”

As they entered the execution chamber, Bruce was standing waiting for them. Lucas peered out from behind the partition wall from the switch room.

“What do I do?” Lucas asked.

Lex sighed and turned to him. “Watch and learn.” He motioned for his brother to get back behind the wall. The sigh that Lucas let out could be heard echoing around the room and finally he stood next to Oliver and peered through the wire mesh watching as Toot plopped into Old Sparky, wriggling to try and get comfy.

“Sittin’ down, sittin’ down, takin’ a seat in Old Sparky’s lap.”

Lex and Dick knelt down to apply the ankle clamps. Bruce stepped in from the side, pressing down on the condemned man’s left arm trying to keep him in place until the ankle clamps were secure, Toby moved in from the other side, securing the right arm clamp.

“Getting’ clamped, getting clamped’ getting’ –oww, shit, watch the skin!”

Lex signaled to let everyone know that the ‘ankles are secure’. Bruce holstered his pistol, applying the final clamp to the left arm.

“Roll on one.” Bruce called out.

Behind the partition Oliver mimed turning the generator knob up, whispering as he did. “Roll on one means I turn the generator up fill. You’ll see the lights go brighter in half the prison.”

Bruce stepped in front of Toot. “Willowbrook, you have been condemned to die by a jury of your peers, sentence imposed by a judge of good standing in this state. Do you have anything to say before sentence is carried out?”

Toot grinned gleefully. “Yeah! I want a fried chicken dinner with gravy on the taters. I want to shit in your hat, and I got to have Mae West sit on my face, because I am one horny motherfucker!”

Bruce tried to stop the laughter but couldn’t, it wasn’t long before the others followed him, well all apart from one. Lex.

“Shut up, Bruce.” Lex ordered. “That goes for everybody. I want quiet in here,” he turned to Toot. “Toot, another remark like that, I’ll have Oliver roll on two for real.”

“Lex it was pretty funny.” Bruce told softly.

“That’s why I don’t like it. Tomorrow night we’re doing this for real. I don’t want somebody remembering a stupid joke like that and getting going again. Ever try not laughing in church once something funny gets stuck in your head? Same goddamn thing.”

“Sorry, Lex. You’re right. Let’s keep going. Toby...” Bruce looks slightly ashamed.

Toby took a black mask and tugged it down over Toot’s head, leaving only the crown of his head exposed. Bruce took a large round sponge, dipped it in a steel bucket, mimed soaking it..

Lucas looked on curiously. “What’s with the sponge?”

Oliver looked at him. “You soak it in brine, get it good and wet. Conducts the electricity directly to the brain, fast like a bullet. You don’t ever want to throw the switch on a man without that.”

Bruce placed the sponge on top of Toot’s head. Toby lowered the steel cap and Bruce secured the straps.

“Willowbrook, electricity shall now be passed through your body until you are dead, in accordance with the state law. God have mercy on your soul.” Bruce nodded to Oliver, “roll on two.”

Oliver reached out and mimed flipping the switch, then looked to Lucas. “And that’s that.”

Toot started bucking and flailing. “Now I’m fryin’! Fryin’! Gaaaah! Fryin’ like a done tom turkey!”

Lex rolled his eyes and looked at Bruce. Bruce shifted his gaze past his friend.

“One of the witnesses showed up a day early.” Bruce grinned.

Lex turned. Sitting on the door sill, watching them with tiny beady eyes, was the mouse. Lex turned back and addressed the room.

“All right, let’s go again and do it right this time! Get that idiot out of the chair.” Lex looked over at Toot.

XXXXX

The night after Willowbrook had seen his daughter, he was sitting in his cell having the top of his head shaved.

“You think if a man sincerely repents on what he done wrong, he might get to go back to the time that was the happiest for him and live there forever? Could that be what heaven is like?” He moved his eyes to look up at Lex.

“I just about believe that very thing.” Lex smiled at him and Willowbrook returns it.

“Had me a young wife when I was eighteen. Spent our first summer in the mountains. Made love every night. She’d just lie there after, bare-breasted in the firelight, and we’d talk sometimes until the sun came up. That was my best time.”

Bruce walked to the cell door, checked his pocket watch and nodded to Lex. Willowbrook took a deep breath to get himself ready.

Lex placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be fine. You’ll do fine.”

Slowly they led him to the execution chamber, the sponge was sopping wet from the bucket of brine, dripping water across the floor. Bruce placed it atop Willowbrook’s head. Water cascaded down his face like a waterfall, finally pooling on the floor around his feet.

The cap was lowered, the straps secured. The only noise that could be heard was the prisoner’s breathing getting louder and faster underneath the black mask, until….

“Roll on two.” Bruce called out.

Oliver threw the switch. Willowbrook surged forward against the straps, the current running though him. Lex and Bruce stared at each other, nothing amusing about this at all.

Lucas watched through the mesh his eyes gleaming with excitement, wanting to be closer to see it. Oliver killed the current. Willowbrook goes limp in the chair as if he’d been a puppet and all his strings had been cut. A doctor moved in to check for a heartbeat, he shook his head.

“Again.” Bruce called out.

The switch was thrown again and once more Willowbrook surged forward until finally the beating of his heart stopped.

XXXXX

Willowbrook’s dead face stared up at them from the gurney, a hand reached down and gave his cheek a squeeze.

“Adios, Chief. Drop us a card from hell, let us know if it’s hot enough.”

Bruce knocked Lucas’ hand away and shoved him aside. “He’s paid what he’s owed. He’s square with the house again, so keep your goddamn hands off him.”

Slowly drawing the sheet over Willowbrook’s face, Bruce wheeled the gurney down the tunnel. Lucas threw a look to Lex.

“What’s up his ass?”

Lex shook his head. “You, Lucas. Always you.”

“You gotta hate the new boy? That they way it is around here?”

Lex stopped and turned to look at his brother. “Why not just move on? Go to Briar Ridge. Yeah, I know about it. Sounds like a good job.”

“I might take it, too. Soon as you put me out front.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I want Bruce’s spot for the next execution.”

Lex opened and closed his mouth. “What’s with you? Seeing a man die isn’t enough? You gotta be close enough to smell his nuts cook?”

“I wanna be out front, is all. Just one time. Then you’ll be rid of me.”

“If I say no?”

Lucas smirked. “I might just stick around for good, make a career of this.”

Lex shook his head and walked away.

XXXXX

Clark lay on his bunk, tears flowing from his eyes as the memories ran though his mind. A soft giggling hits him, he sits up and peered curiously through the bars.

“Jimmy?” Clark said softly.

Lex stopped writing the day log, paused for a moment, hearing nothing he went back to writing, the giggling hit him once more.

“Olsen? Is that you?”

Jimmy didn’t reply, there was just more giggling. Lex stood and walked down the Mile to Olsen’s cell and stopped, staring through the bars.

It’s not long before Bruce and Dick arrived and looked into the cell. Sitting there on Jimmy’s shoulder was the little mouse.

“Look! I done tame me dat mouse!” Jimmy looked over at them grinning.

Lex smiled. “We saw that.”

“Watch dis! Watch what he do!”

Jimmy stretched out his left arm. The mouse scampered up one arm, across his neck and back down the other. The guards just stood there staring.

“Ain’t he sumthin now? Ain’t Mr Jingles smart?”

Lex continued to watch. “?”

“Dat his name. He whisper it in my ear. Cap’n, can I have a box for my mouse so he can sleep in here wi’ me? Wanna see what else he can do? Watch, watch, watch.”

Jimmy put the mouse on the floor, grabbed a small wooded spool.

“We play fetch, ? We play fetch?”

Jimmy tossed the spool across the floor, bouncing it against the back wall. The mouse ran after it like a dog after a stick and proceeded to push it back to the bunk, rolling it with its front paws all the way to Jimmy’s feet.

“That’s some smart mouse, Jimmy. Like he’s a circus mouse or something.” Clark grinned watching them.

“A circus mouse! Dat just’ what he is too!” He picked up the spool and threw it watching chase after it again.”

Lucas walked over to see what was happening. “That the one I chased?”

Lex looked at his brother. “Yes, that’s the one. Jimmy says his name is Mr. Jingles.”

“Is that so?” Lucas smiled slightly.

Lex looked at Bruce and Dick wondering what Lucas was going to do.

“Jimmy was just asking for a box. Thinks he might keep it for a pet. What do you think?”

“We oughtta find a cigar box. Get some cotton. That should do real nice.” Lucas said nicely before walking away leaving confused looks on the rest of their faces.

XXXXX

Lex walked into the warden’s office to find Perry staring out of the window.

“Perry? You wanted to see me?”

“Yes Lex, come on in and close the door.”

“You know we’ve got a new prisoner coming in tomorrow, name of Morgan Edge. A real nasty piece of work….” Perry trailed off.

“Perry?” Lex looked at his friend worriedly.

“It’s a tumour, Lex. A brain tumour. It’s deep down inside where they can’t operate. I can’t tell my wife she going to die. I can’t bear the thought of it myself.” Perry sat down heavily in his chair and started to cry, the damn finally breaking and flowing from his eyes.

XXXXX

Lex laid in his bed staring at the ceiling thinking of Perry and Lois, a sharp pain from deep within his chest made him cry out in pain. Clambering at the sheet, he made it out of bed and to the bathroom just in time to vomit into the toilet. Tears falling from his eyes because of the excruciating pain.

XXXXX

An older, distinguished looking man was staring out of the window, wearing a hospital gown, his face utterly blank, drool dripping from his slack mouth in long strips. Lex waited by the cell, they were about to place him in. Morgan screamed, it sounding like a dog being tortured. He dropped his wrist-chain down over Dick’s head, jerking it back tightly and started to choke him. Lucas stood frozen to the spot. Lex pulled out his gun.

“Let him go. Hit him, Lucas! Goddamn it, hit him!”

Bruce rushed in pulling out his baton as he did, swinging it, he hit Morgan in the head. Dick’s legs gave way and he fell to the ground scrambling away as Morgan tried to grab hold of him. Bruce once again hit him and this time the prisoner hit the ground unconscious.

Bruce went quickly to Dick’s side gently rubbing the bruises that were already starting to appear on his neck.

“Breathe, that’s it, Dick take some deep breaths.”

“Bruce get Dick looked at right away, make sure he’s all right.” Lex nodded to his friend knowing that all Bruce wanted to do was pull Dick into his arms and kiss him. This should give them a few minutes to do that.

“Boss, come here.” Clark called out.

“Not now John.” Lex sighed rubbing his head across his face.

“Please boss, it’s important.”

Lex turned and walked over to the cell but before he could do anything one large hand grabbed him and pulled him close. Lex tried to grab his gun but Clark laid his free hand on the gun and slowly let it drift downwards finally covering Lex’s crotch.

“What are you…doing?” Lex breathed deeply trying not to be turned on by those large but gentle hands.

Electricity coursed through his body, his back arched, mouth wide open. The hand that had taken hold of Lex slid up his arm to cup the back of his head and pulled him back toward the bars. Clark lowered his head and kissed him, their mouths slanted, fitting perfectly with each other.

Tongues entangling with each other, Lex’s eyes closed, feeling that pouty mouth against his, the hand moving against his erection straining to break free. Energy seemed to pass from Clark to him, by hand and by mouth….then it was suddenly over and Lex felt cold as he came back to the real world, weak against the bars.

Lex realised that the permanent pain that he had been in was gone. His gaze landed on Clark as he heard coughing from the cell. Clark sat down on his bunk, gagging like a man with a chicken bone caught in his throat.

“Clark? Clark, what’s wrong?” Lex’s fumbled with keys to the lock, unsure if he should open the door. The young man’s coughing grew stronger and harsher.

Clark’s head reared back, his mouth opened and exhaled a cloud of what looked like tiny black insects. They swirled furiously in front of his face, turned white and disappeared. Lex stared stunned.

“What did you do? What did you do to me Clark?” Lex whispered softly.

Clark looked up his eyes wide and seemingly innocent. “I helped it. Didn’t I help it?”

“Yes, but how?”

“I just took it back, is all. Awful tired now, boss. Dog tired.” Clark laid down and faced the wall.

Lex just stared at that muscular back for a moment longer. Confused and stunned at what had happened. Breathing deeply, managing to control himself he turned and walked up the Mile.

XXXXX

Lex phoned Bruce early that morning, to let him know that he was off ill.

“Mr Small?” Lex called out to the man sitting out on the veranda.

“Yes and you would be?”

“Lex Luthor, I’m the E Block superintendent at Cold Mountain.”

“The Green Mile. I’ve heard of it. Lost a few clients your way.” Henry Small said with a smile.

“That’s why I’m here. I’d like to ask you about one of them.”

“Please sit. Which client? Now you got my curiosity aroused.”

“Clark Kent.” Lex replied quietly.

Henry looked at him for a moment. “Ah, Kent. He causing you problems?”

“No, very quiet, polite. Sometimes cried in the night. Other then that..”

“Cries, does he? Well, he’s got a lot to cry about, I’d say. You know what he did?” Henry watched as Lex nodded. “What exactly are you trying to find out? Satisfy my curiosity, I’ll see if I can satisfy yours.”

“Had he ever done something like this before?” Lex asked.

“No. But a man usually who does a thing like this has. Tried to backtrack his trail to find out but we couldn’t find anything. It’s like he dropped out of the sky.”

“So how do you explain that?”

Henry sighed. “I can’t.”

“He’s strange, but there doesn’t seem to be any real violence in him.”

“Ahhh you want to know if I think that he did it. That’s what you wanted to know isn’t it?” Henry smiled.

“Do you?” Lex had to know.

“He blurted out a confession then and there.”

“Yet, you defended him.”

“Everyone is entitled to a defense Mr. Luthor. But yes, I think he is guilty. Don’t doubt it.”

XXXXX

Lex arrived back at Cold Mountain, a covered wrapped item in his hand. Bruce glanced up and sniffed at the air.

“It’s not for you Bruce.”

Lex continued down the Mile, the smell bringing Jimmy to his bars, came out of his cigar box sniffing.

“Oh, oh my.” Jimmy muttered.

Lex arrived at Clark’s cell. Clark was on his bed facing the wall. His head came around, drawn by the aroma. He sat up, wiping the tears that had leaked from his eyes and looked at Lex.”

“I’m smelling me some cornbread.” Clark grinned.

Lex’s heart stopped at that smile, all he wanted to do was reach out and stroke that gorgeous face. He leaned forward so no one else could hear.

“I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me for what?”

Lex gently touched his lips and then made a motion discreetly to his crotch.

“Ohhhh” Clark suddenly realising what the other man meant.

Lex handed the package through the bars to Clark. As soon as Clark reached for the item, he quickly ran his finger up and down Lex’s. Their eyes met, Lex couldn’t look away. This was the man he had been having fantasies about since he first arrived. Something must have shown on his face or in his eyes because Clark blushed and looked down at his feet.

“This all for me?” Clark smiled shyly as Lex nodded at him.

Jimmy pressed his face against the bars, staring longingly at Clark’s cell while crawled on his shoulders.

“Oh my. Clark, I can smell it from here. I surely can.”

Clark looked at Lex. “Can I give some to Jimmy?”

“It’s yours Clark. You can do what you want with it.”

Clark carefully scooped a big chunk of cornbread and held it out to Lex. “That’s for Jimmy and .”

Morgan walked the bars in his cell. “Hey! What about me? I’m going to get some too, ain’t I?”

Clark turned to Lex, leaned forward and whispered. “Do I have to?”

“It’s yours Clark. As I said you can do with it as you please.”

“Well. Fine. I think I’ll keep the rest, then.”

Clark smiled, a huge open smile. One that made him look like a kid, digging into a cookie jar with his fingers. Lex walked across the Mile to Jimmy’s cell, and handed over the food.

“Courtesy of the gentleman across the way.”

“Oh. Clark. So very fine of you. So very kind. t’ank you.”

“Wel’cm” Clark said with a mouthful of food.

“Hey what about me.” Morgan growled, his face getting redder as he was ignored.

XXXXX

The next day the sun was shining brightly again . Toby slowly made his way up the Mile, cell checking and jotting on his clipboard. He paused just for a moment outside Edge’s cell when a long stream of piss hit him on the leg. Toby jumped back stunned, while Morgan laughed manically hosing his aim wildly from side to side.

“Good shot, weren’t it?”

Bruce and Lex came running to see a flabbergasted Toby.

“Can you believe it, he pissed on me!”

Mogan grinned insanely. “Hey, d’jall like that? I’m currently cooking some turds t’go with it! Nice soft ones! I’ll have ‘em out t’yall tomorrow!”

Lex turned and looked at Bruce. “We’ve been looking to clear out the restraint room anyway.”

XXXXX

Morgan watched as a stream of guards walk past his cell with the items from the restraint room.

“Hey! Whassit now, movin’ day? Y’all wanna come in and dust a little? Y’can shine my knob for me while yer at it.” He paused as Lex and Bruce stepped closer to the bars. Lex held a canvas straitjacket, while Bruce pulled out his nightstick. He unlocked the cell and sidestepped, reavealing Toby who was pointing a hose.

The hose erupted, driving Morgan across the cell with bone-jarring force. Morgan collapsed in a heap. Bruce and Lex dragged him out of the cell and got the straitjacket on him. Slowly he came around as they drew the straps tighter and pulled him to his feet.

“C’mon Morgan. Little walky, walky.”

Morgan started to struggle as he saw where they were taking him.

“Oh, not in there, C’mon now, I’ll be good! Honest injun I will! No! No! Umhhhhh…urg..ah!”

Morgan dropped to the floor, bucking and jerking wildly, spewing drool. Toby’s eyes went wide.

“Holy Christ, he’s pitchin a fit.”

Lex reached down and unceremoniously started dragging Morgan kicking and writhing the rest of the way. “He’ll be fine boys. Trust me on this one.”

Bruce helped Lex toss Morgan into the padded room and slammed the door shut. Morgan stood, his face full of rage, he started throwing himself against the door, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“All I wanted me was a little cornbread, you mutherfuckers!”

XXXXX

They finally unlocked the restraint room the following day. Morgan looked up from the corner, pale and drained.

“I learnt my lesson. I’ll be good.”

It had been a slow day on the Mile as Bruce strolled down it doing the cell check. He walked past Morgan’s who was standing close to the bars. Bruce just shook his head and was about to walk away when Morgan slammed his fists against his own cheeks, propelling a disgusting spew of liquefied chocolate sludge into Bruce’s face. It wasn’t long before once again Morgan was dragged to the restraint room, kicking and screaming all the way. They tossed him in and slammed the door shut. Bruce still wiping the traces of sludge off.

XXXXX

Lex and Bruce appeared at Jimmy’s bars with Dick and Toby.

“Jimmy, grab your things. Big day for you and .” Lex said.

“Watchoo talkin’ bout?” Jimmy asked curiously.

“Important folks heard about your mouse, wanna see him perform. Not just guards either. One of them’s a politician all the way from the state capital, I believe.”

Jimmy swelled up with pride, picked up . Bruce led him up the Mile, Lex and the others at their heels. As soon as they were out of sight Toot walked out of Lex’s office where he had been hiding.

XXXXX

“Well?” Lex asked as Jimmy came back.

“They love ! They laugh and cheer, they clap their hands!”

Lucas shook his head in disgust as he made his way down the Mile, a little too close to Morgan’s cell. Hands shot and grabbed hold of him, pulling him closer to the bars.

“Ain’t you sweet. Soft. Like a girl. I’d ruther fuck your asshole than your sister’s pussy, I think.” Morgan whispered kissing Lucas’s ear, one had dropping to squeeze his crotch.

Lex pulled out his sidearm, taking aim. “Edge!”

Morgan let go, laughing, hands raised as he stepped back. Lucas darted across the Mile in terror cringing against the cell opposite, breathing so loud and fast it almost sounded like sobbing. Jimmy started laughing as he stared at Lucas’s crotch, where a dark stain had appeared.

“Shut up Jimmy.” Bruce muttered as he shoved him back in his cell.

Lex stepped to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. Lucas shook it off and glared at them.

“You talk about this to anyone and I’ll get you all fired. I swear to god.”

“What happens on the Mile, stays on the Mile. Always has.” Lex told him.

XXXXX

Bruce and Lex were standing around Jimmy’s cell trying to figure out what they could do with Mr. Jingles.

“How about Mouseville?” Bruce suddenly said.

“Mouseville?” Jimmy looked at him.

“Tourist attraction down in Florida. Tallahassee, I think. Isn’t that right Lex? Tallahasse?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Tallahassee. Just down the road apiece from the dog university.”

Bruce’s mouth twitched, but he managed to keep a straight face.

“You think they’d take ?” Bruce asked.

“Might. He’s pretty smart.”

“Like a circus? You have to pay?” Jimmy’s eyes shone with excitement. He tossed the spool a little too hard and it shot out of the cell, straight towards Lucas. ran after it.

“Lucas no.” Bruce started to say, but it was too late as Lucas stomped the heel of his heavy work shoe down on Mr Jingles. There was a soft snap as the mouse’s back broke.

Jimmy screamed in horror throwing himself at the bars, sobbing. Lucas looked at Bruce and Lex, smiling.

“Knew I’d get him sooner or later. Just a matter of time, really.” He turned and strolled up the Mile whistling.

“Give’m to me.” Clark said from his cell.

Lex picked up the little mouse gently and took it to Clark.

“What are you doing?” Bruce askeds.

Clark gently cupped the mouse in his large hands and all you could see was the tail hanging down the side of his hand.

“Please Clark, help him. Please help him.” Jimmy begged softly.

Toby and Dick joined the group. Everybody watching. Clark put his mouth to his cupped hands, inhaled sharply. There was a glow between his fingers. He raised his face, contorting it as he started making horrendous choking sounds in his throat.

“Oh, dear Jesus. The tail. Look at the tail.” Bruce whispered.

Their gazes slid to the tail in fascination. THhhhe he MMhe tail was no longer still, slowly it started to twitch, getting stronger and stronger. Clark continued to make the gagging sound, leaning his head back he exhaled and Lex watched another cloud of swirling black insects come from his nose and mouth. The other men watched, speechless, as the bugs turned white and disappeared.

Clark bent down, and opened his hand. bounded out his fingers through the bars, past the guards’ feet straight toward Jimmy who picked him up laughing.

Dick turned to Clark. “What did you do?”

“I helped Jimmy’s mouse. He’s a circus mouse. Goan live in a mouse city down in….down in..”

“Florida?” Bruce answered numbly.

“Boss, Lucas is bad. He mean. He step on Jimmy’s mouse.” Clark laids back on his bed. “I took it back though.”

“You guys back to your cribbage game. Bruce you’re with me.”

They headed up the Mile and through the door that leads to the execution chamber, where they find Lucas polishing Old Sparky’s arms.

“Don’t start in on me. It was just a mouse. Never belonged here in the first place.”

Lex watched him carefully, betraying nothing in his face. “The mouse was fine. Just fine. You’re no better at mouse-killing than anything else around here.”

“You expect me to believe that? I heard the goddamn crunch.”

Lucas stalked past them and back onto the Mile. Lex and Bruce waited, the silence heavy until Lucas reappeared.

“You switched them! You switched them somehow, you bastards!”

Bruce smirked at him. “I always keep a spare mouse in my wallet for occasions such as this.”

“You’re playing with me, the both of you! Just who the hell do you think you….”

Bruce grabbed him, slamming him bodily into the electric chair. Lex leaned forward, getting right into Lucas’ face.

“We’re the people you work with, Lucas, but not for long. I want your word.”

“My word?”

“I put you out front for Jimmy, you put in your transfer to Briar Ridge the next day.”

“What if I just call up a certain person and tell them you’re harassing me? Bullying me?”

“Go ahead. I promise you’ll leave your share of blood on the floor.” Lex promised.

“Over a mouse? You think anyone’s gonna give two shits?”

“No. But four men will swear you stood by while Morgan Edge tried to strangle Dick to death. About that people will care, Lucas. Especially daddy.” Lex’s eyes were cold.

“Thing like that goes in your work record. Work record can follow a man around a long, long time.” Bruce added his part.

Lucas looked from one man to another, knowing that he was trapped.

“I put you out front, you put in your transfer. That’s the deal.” Lex could see Lucas weighing it out in his mind. He nodded and tried to get up but Lex kepts him pinned and offered a hand. “You make a promise to a man, you shake his hand.”

Lucas hesitated but finally shook Lex’s hand.

XXXXX

“Take care of .”

Lex nodded and handed the mouse to Clark. “I promise.”

Jimmy looked at Lex and Bruce. “After, you take him down to Florida? To dat Mouseville.

“We’ll do it together, most likely. Maybe take a little vacation time.” Bruce smiled at Jimmy.

They all slowly walked down the Mile to the execution chamber. Lex gave Jimmy’s arm a reassuring squeeze, leading him forward to Old Sparky. The clamps were applied. The straps were drawn tight.

“Roll on one.” Lucas called out. The lights brightened. “Jimmy Olsen, you have been condemned to die by a jury of your peers, sentence imposed by a judge of good standing in this state. You have anything else to say before sentence is carried out?”

“I’m sorry for what I did.” Jimmy whispered.

Lex nodded to Toby who took the black mask from the back of the chair and rolled it down over Jimmy’s head, leaving the top of his shaved head exposed. Lucas took the sponge and bent down to the bucket of brine, pretended to dip the sponge in and soak it. He straightened up and placed it on top of Jimmy’s head, hiding it with his hands. The cape was lowered and tightened.

“Electricity shall now be passed through your body until you are dead, in accordance with state law. God have mercy on your soul. Roll on two.” Lucas called out.

Oliver flicked the switch, Jimmy rocked forward. Tendrils of smoke began to curl out from under the cap, a mixture of burning hair and sponge. Jimmy began twisting and jittering in the chair, his masked face snapping violently from side to side, his legs pistoning up and down in his restraints. Smoke started coming through the fabric of the mask as Jimmy was being cooked alive.

XXXXX

Lex and the others brought the stretcher down, laying the corpse on the gurney.

“I didn’t know the sponge was supposed to be wet…”

Bruce grabbed Lucas.

“Bruce, no!” Lex called out.

“What the hell happened?” Perry said as soon as he arrived.

“Lucas fucked up, Perry. Pure and simple.”

“Is that your official position?”

“Don’t you think it should be? He’ll be putting in a transfer request to Briar Ridge tomorrow. Moving on to bigger and better things. Isn’t that right Lucas?”

Lucas nodded his eyes wide with fear.

XXXXX

Lex sighed and he headed to Perry and Lois’ house, his heart breaking as he took in the sight of her, she was frail and wasting away.

Perry smiled at them “She’s having one of her good days. I thank

God for that.”

“What’s a bad day?” Lex asked.

“Sometimes she’s….not herself anymore. She swears.”

“Swears?”

“It just pops out, the most awful language you can imagine. She doesn’t even know she’s doing it. I didn’t know she’d ever heard words like that….and too hear her say them in her sweet voice.”

XXXXX

Lex looked around at his friends.

“You saw what Clark did with the mouse.”

All the chatter stopped as they turned to him.

“I could’a gone the rest of the day without you bringing that up.” Bruce muttered.

“I could’a gone the rest of the year.” Dick murmured.

“He did it to me too. Put his hands on me, I think he took away my illness.”

The men sat there absorbing this new information.

“So what does this have to do with us?” Bruce watched his friend warily, he knew deep down that whatever was said next he wasn’t going to like it.

“Lois White.”

“Lois White.” Realisation suddenly dawns on Bruce. “You think he could help her?”

“I don’t know.” Lex answered honestly.

Toby glanced around. “Hold on now. You’re talking about our jobs. Sneak a sick woman onto the cellblock?”

“Perry would never allow that. You know him, he wouldn’t believe something unless it fell on him.”

Bruce sighed. “So you’re talking about taking Clark Kent to her. That’s more that just our jobs Lex.”

Dick nodded. “Damn right. That’s prison time if we get caught.”

“Let’s not discuss this like it’s even an option. Bruce, help me out here.”

“I’m sure she is a fine woman.”

“The finest. What’s happening to her is an offence Bruce. To the eyes, the ears and the heart” Lex replied straight away. “I know this is a lot to ask.”

Toby ran a hand through his hair. “It is. Let’s not forget that Kent’s a murderer. What if he escapes? I’d hate losing my job or going to prison but I’d hate having a dead child on my conscience even more.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen….in fact, I don’t think he did it at all. I just can’t see God putting a gift like that in the hands of a man who would kill a child.”

“If he does try and escape we will have to take him down,” Bruce waited until he saw Lex’s nod. “So. Tell us what you have in mind.”

TBC