Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. This is The 365 Project, 1 March.

Yes, the collection title is a play on "Women Are From Venus, Men Are From Mars", I just thought it too funny to use, even if not all the shorts collected within would involve pairings.

Disclaimer: "Smallville" is the property of Warner Brothers Entertainment and DC Comics and is used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit. The song 'Blood Money' is from "Young Guns II" and is performed by Bon Jovi and also used without permission or intent to profit.

But man, does it ever fit Clark and Lex, especially the Smallville versions... Consider this a finale AU - Lex killed Tess, but didn't lose his memory in the process and now is being confronted by Clark.

-o0O0o-

"Blood Money"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0O0o-

"Once I thought nothing could come in between us. Who would have thought we'd let a cruel world defeat us? Who ever thought that those feelings would change? Whatever happened to us? I called you my friend, Clark, you were like a brother to me..."

"This isn't about me, Lex, and it's not about you," Clark replied, "Or even the good or the bad times we've both been through."

"I see," Lex frowned, "I suppose when the lines between 'brothers' and 'justice' have changed, you've got to do what you've got to do, Clark."

"You're right on that at least," Clark nodded firmly, "I told you once what I'd have to do if you ever went after anyone close to me again."

"Anyone close to you," Lex snarled, "Once, I was 'anyone close to you', Clark!"

"If that hadn't already ended when you decided being recognised by Lionel as his son was more important than your friends," Clark corrected, "It definitely has with the things you've done since then."

"I've done?" Lex retorted, "Things I've done? What about you, Clark? What about things you've done? Who made you the arbitrator of right and wrong? What gives you the right to decide who dies and who lives and then how they should live? Where do you get off lecturing me about things I've done when you're a hundred-times worse, not least of which because you blame everyone else for your actions, Clark? It's always your parents, or Chloe, or Lana, or Lionel or me - it's never your fault, is it, Clark? - Not even when you decided your secrets were more important than our friendship."

"Stop trying to change the subject, Lex," Clark snapped, cutting his hand through the air between them, "You killed Tess. Why?"

"No, Clark," Lex shot back, "You killed her. Just like everyone else you've lost, she died because of you. She died because you let her get too close, because you let her get involved in your life. I would have just let her go, let her play with her fish and forgotten, but she had to care about you more than her own blood. It's better this way, trust me."

"You're insane," Clark realised.

"No, I finally see the truth - you, Clark, you're a bigger threat than any meteor freak or criminal you've ever stopped. You're too powerful, too uncontrollable. You have the power to move planets and the only thing keeping you from turning it on the rest of us is what you were taught by the Kents. What happens if that disappears, Clark? What happens when you decide that stopping crimes isn't enough, it's better if you create a world where crime doesn't even exist? Who is supposed to stop you then? I'm going to destroy you before that ever happens, Clark. It's nothing personal, really, it's just business."

Clark slowly shook his head, "I came here hoping you regretted what you've done, Lex, that there was something left of my old friend. But there's not, is there, Luthor?"

He didn't wait for an answer, instead he turned and walked towards the plate-glass windows, easily shattering one of the panes of glass with a punch and stepping out to hover in mid-air before turning to look back at Lex.

"For all the problems I've had with both my fathers," Clark said with a cold finality, "You've become yours."

Then he shot up into the sky and away.