Chapter 8: Revelation and Consequences (Part 6)

Excelsior Academy

The prestigious Excelsior Academy stood proud amidst rolling green hills, its historic buildings reflecting the privilege and power of the elite students who walked its hallowed halls. Among them were two boys who, despite their differences in background, were bound by a shared future that neither could yet comprehend—Lex Luthor and Oliver Queen.

Lex Luthor, the son of the powerful Lionel Luthor, was a boy already hardened by the expectations of his family name. With his mother gone and his father's cold, calculating influence looming over him, Lex had grown up quickly, learning to navigate the treacherous waters of wealth and power from a young age. His red hair, the one feature he could never escape, set him apart physically, but it was the darkness growing inside him that truly isolated him from his peers.

Oliver Queen, on the other hand, was the heir to the Queen Industries fortune. Unlike Lex, Oliver had a carefree, rebellious streak that often led him into trouble. His parents' wealth allowed him to live a life of privilege and excess, but beneath his charming exterior, Oliver struggled with the expectations placed upon him and the loss of his parents at a young age. His way of coping was to lash out, often through bullying those he perceived as weaker.

Their paths had crossed at Excelsior, where they shared an uneasy friendship marked by tension and competition. At the center of this tension was Duncan Allenmeyer, a boy who had been Lex's best friend but who had become the target of Oliver's cruel jokes and bullying. The relentless torment had worn Duncan down, pushing him to the edge of despair.

It was a cold, overcast afternoon in 1996 when the situation reached its breaking point. Lex, desperate to win Oliver's approval and solidify their friendship, found himself drawn into a dangerous game. Oliver's taunts had grown increasingly vicious, and in a moment of weakness, Lex decided to act—violently.

From above the clouds, hidden from view, Clark Kent hovered silently, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding below. He had been monitoring the situation for some time, aware that this moment could shape the futures of all three boys in ways they couldn't yet imagine. SS, ever vigilant, provided Clark with the context he needed.

[Lex Luthor and Oliver Queen are pivotal figures in the future. Their paths will influence many lives, including your own. What happens today could set them on a course toward darkness—or redemption.]

Clark watched as Lex confronted Duncan, the anger and frustration in his eyes barely contained. Oliver stood nearby, a smirk on his face, watching with interest to see if Lex would finally prove himself. Duncan, eyes wide with fear, could see the storm brewing within his once-close friend.

"Please, Lex… don't do this," Duncan pleaded, backing away as Lex advanced.

But Lex's mind was clouded by the need for acceptance, and he lashed out, knocking Duncan to the ground. The impact stunned Duncan, who lay there, dazed and vulnerable. Oliver chuckled, clearly enjoying the show, but something inside Lex snapped. He raised his fist, ready to strike again, but in that instant, Clark made his decision.

"No more," Clark whispered to himself.

In a blur of motion, faster than the human eye could follow, Clark descended from the sky and intervened. Without anyone noticing, he swept Duncan away from the danger and out of sight, placing him safely behind a nearby building. He did so with such precision that to the boys left behind, it seemed as though Duncan had simply vanished.

Lex froze, his fist suspended in mid-air, confusion washing over him. Oliver's smirk faded as he realized something was amiss.

"What the hell just happened?" Oliver muttered, glancing around.

Lex lowered his hand, the anger draining from him as quickly as it had come. "Where… where did he go?"

Oliver shrugged, trying to play it cool, but the unease was clear in his voice. "Maybe he ran off. You scared him good, Lex."

Lex didn't respond. Instead, he stared at the spot where Duncan had been, a mixture of relief and shame washing over him. He had come so close to crossing a line he couldn't return from, and for a reason he didn't fully understand, fate had intervened.

---

The chill of the afternoon air mirrored the uneasy silence between Lex Luthor and Oliver Queen as they walked side by side, heading back to their dormitory.

Lex's thoughts were a tumultuous mix of anger, confusion, and something else—something unfamiliar that gnawed at him from within. He replayed the moment over and over in his mind: Duncan's terrified face, his own raised fist, and then… nothing. Duncan had vanished, leaving Lex standing there, fists clenched and heart racing.

Oliver, too, was quieter than usual, his cocky demeanor replaced by an unsettling doubt. He glanced at Lex, trying to break the silence.

"What do you think happened back there?" Oliver asked, his voice lacking its usual bravado.

Lex shrugged, keeping his gaze forward. "I don't know. One second he was there, the next… gone."

Oliver smirked, though it lacked his usual confidence. "Maybe you scared him so bad he ran off like a ghost."

Lex stopped walking, his brow furrowing as he turned to face Oliver. "That's not what happened, and you know it. Something's off… something I can't explain."

Oliver's smirk faltered, and he shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well… whatever it was, it saved you from doing something stupid."

Lex's expression darkened. "You mean it saved me from doing what you wanted. You were the one pushing me, Oliver."

"I was just having some fun, Lex," Oliver replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "But you took it too far."

Lex's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the tension between them was palpable. Then, as if realizing something important, Lex sighed and shook his head.

"You're right," he said quietly. "I was about to do something I'd regret. I just… I just wanted to prove I could handle it, that I could be as strong as you."

Oliver looked at Lex, his expression softening slightly. "Lex, you don't have to prove anything to me. You're already smarter than half the people here. You don't need to be like me."

Lex looked down, grappling with his overwhelming emotions. "I don't want to end up like you, Oliver. Not if it means turning into a monster."

Oliver was taken aback by Lex's words. He had never seen his friend so vulnerable, so introspective. For the first time, Oliver began to question his own actions—the way he treated others, the way he'd pushed Lex into a situation that could have ended disastrously.

"Maybe… maybe we've both been acting like idiots," Oliver admitted, his voice softer. "I don't know what happened today, but maybe it's a sign that we need to change. I've been a jerk to a lot of people, and it's not something I'm proud of."

Lex glanced at Oliver, surprised by his admission. "You really mean that?"

Oliver nodded, the cockiness gone from his voice. "Yeah, I do. I don't want to be remembered as the guy who made everyone's life miserable. I think it's time we start doing things differently."

A silence settled between them, but it wasn't the uneasy tension from before. It was the silence of two boys standing on the cusp of change, recognizing that the path they had been on was leading them somewhere dark and dangerous.

"What about Duncan?" Lex asked after a moment. "What do you think happened to him?"

Oliver shook his head. "I don't know. But wherever he is, I hope he's okay. Maybe he's the lucky one, getting out of here before things got worse."

Lex nodded slowly, the guilt still lingering but tempered by the realization that he had a choice. He didn't have to follow the path his father had laid out for him. He could be different—better.

"I'm going to focus on my studies," Lex said, more to himself than to Oliver. "I need to prove that I can be something more than just… this."

Oliver gave Lex a small, supportive nod. "Yeah. I think I'm going to do the same. Maybe it's time we both start thinking about what kind of people we really want to be."

Lex and Oliver continued their walk, their conversation shifting to lighter topics as they tried to move past the tension of the day. But both boys knew that something fundamental had changed within them.

---

Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of the Excelsior campus, Duncan Allenmeyer sat on a bench, his thoughts racing as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. One moment, he had been on the ground, staring up at Lex's furious face, certain that he was about to be beaten—possibly killed. The next, he had found himself in a completely different part of the campus, disoriented but unharmed.

Duncan rubbed his temples, trying to clear the fog in his mind. He couldn't explain how he had gotten there, but something deep inside him told him that this was a second chance—a chance to escape the cycle of bullying and abuse he had been trapped in for so long.

"Maybe this is it," Duncan whispered to himself. "Maybe I can finally get away from all of this."

He stood up, his resolve hardening. He had spent too long letting others dictate his life, letting fear control him. But something had intervened—something or someone had saved him from that terrible moment, and now he was determined to take control of his own fate.

Duncan made his way back to his dormitory, his mind already racing with plans. He would focus on his studies, put all his energy into something that mattered. He would distance himself from Lex, from Oliver, from everything that had brought him to that dark place.

As he walked, Duncan felt a strange sense of calm wash over him. He didn't know who—or what—had saved him, but he was grateful. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he had a future worth fighting for.

---

Above the Clouds

As Duncan made his decision, far above the clouds, Clark Kent hovered silently, observing the scene below with calm contentment. His efforts had paid off; he had guided Lex, Oliver, and Duncan away from their destructive choices, giving them an opportunity to turn their lives around.

"That was close," Clark muttered, his voice carrying only to SS, who was ever-present in his mind.

[Indeed,] SS replied.

[Your decision to intervene has altered the course of their lives. Lex Luthor, in particular, was on the brink of something dangerous.]

If Clark had not intervened, the consequences for Lex Luthor, Oliver Queen, and Duncan Allenmeyer would have been dire, setting them on much darker paths. Lex, driven by the need to prove himself to Oliver, would have unleashed his pent-up rage on Duncan, nearly beating him to death. This act of violence would have been a turning point for Lex, solidifying the darkness within him. Consumed by guilt but too proud to seek redemption, Lex would have fully embraced his father's ruthless teachings, using this moment as the catalyst to become the cold, calculating individual the world would later fear. 

For Oliver Queen, witnessing the brutal assault would have initially been a source of twisted satisfaction, confirming his dominance over both Lex and Duncan. However, the gravity of the situation would soon weigh on him, as the reality of nearly causing a peer's death would haunt him. Rather than reflecting and changing his ways, Oliver might have doubled down on his reckless behavior, using his wealth and privilege to escape accountability. This path could lead him deeper into a life of excess and irresponsibility, delaying his eventual transformation into the hero he was destined to become.

Duncan, on the other hand, would have been left severely traumatized by the assault. The physical and emotional scars would have driven him into isolation, causing him to withdraw from his studies and friendships. Instead of finding strength, Duncan might have spiraled into despair, unable to recover from the incident. The loss of his potential and the impact on his mental health would be a tragic outcome, with his life forever altered by a moment of cruelty that could have been avoided. Clark's absence in this critical moment would have allowed darkness to take root in all three lives, leading them down paths of pain and regret.

Clark nodded, still keeping his eyes on the boys below. "I knew I had to do something. Lex… he's going to be important, I can feel it. But he needs guidance, even if it's just a nudge in the right direction."

SS hummed in agreement.

[You've done well, Clark. But remember, this is just one moment in their lives. The future is always in flux, and there will be other challenges ahead.]

Clark sighed, knowing SS was right. "I'll keep watching over them. They deserve the chance to be better than what they were becoming."

He had made a difference, and he knew he would continue to do so—no matter how small the act, no matter how subtle the change. Because sometimes, it was the smallest actions that made the biggest impact.

"Let's head home," Clark said, a small smile playing on his lips. "There's still a lot to do."

With that, Clark disappeared into the clouds, leaving behind the three boys whose lives he had quietly altered for the better.

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