As usual, Pete and Chloe were walking beside Clark when they came out of school at the end of the day. Lex’s car was idling by the curb; Lex himself was sitting in the driver’s seat, talking on his cell phone.
Pete clapped Clark on the shoulder. “Hey, look who’s here. Bet I know who he wants to talk to!”
Clark Kent groaned, wishing that he hadn’t mentioned that his folks had invited Lex over for dinner. Not everyone in town had changed their opinion about Lex Luthor after what had happened at the plant. In fact- most people thought that it only proved the Luthors had something to hide. And Pete liked to tease, even if he didn’t believe Lex was Smallsville’s worst enemy. His father, maybe- but Lex might still redeem himself. Possibly, anyway.
The dark haired teenager walked up to the Porsche, tapping on the side.
Lex motioned Clark to join him, while saying into his phone, “Of course. By Wednesday will be fine. But no later.” Opening the door, Clark slid into the seat throwing his backpack at his feet as Lex ended the call, “I’ll call again on Monday. Goodbye.” Lex smirked at the handset as he set it in its cradle, peeling out of the parking lot leaving Chloe and Pete standing on the curb.
“Damn consultants-“ He yelled over the squeal of his tires, “they think that just because it’s so close to Christmas they can bump back their deadlines. I don’t care that half the office is on vacation- we had agreed to a deadline, they should keep it.”
Clark shook his head, “Whatever, man. Can we talk?”
Lex shook his head, mouthing, ‘NOT HERE!’ While out loud he said, “What about?”
Clark stuttered, mind racing… “L- L- Lana?”
The bald man laughed as he pealed around another corner. “Ahh… the life and love of Clark Kent. You’re a rather complicated young man, Clark. School and women- you remind me of myself several years ago.” Lex leered, “But I’m willing to bet that your grades are better than mine were.” Lex pointed the car out of town, announcing, “I know just the place to talk…”
////
Clark walked along the top of the fallen tree beside the muddy creek, wondering why Lex had chosen to leave the car beside the road; the billionaire’s heir was trudging through the mud beside him in what were undoubtedly very expensive shoes. Brown leaves crunched underfoot, the bare branches of the trees swayed overhead. Clark had offered Lex a hand up to walk atop the fallen tree, but Lex had shook his head, saying ‘I don’t have your balance.’
“So,” Lex said, brushing at another fallen log with one hand before sitting down, “that was a good save, but what did you really want to talk about?”
Clark blinked, “Security systems, mostly. I… looking in the town library, and didn’t really find anything.”
“You won’t. The Internet isn’t the best shot either, unless you know what sites to check out. I suppose you’re trying to find out how they work?” To Clark’s nod, he continued, “the best sites will tell you how to get around most systems, but the more complicated systems may require meeting people face-to-face. And most of those people are professional thieves. Not the type you’d normally hang out with, Clark. Unless you want to become a bank robber?”
“No!”
Lex laughed. “Thought not. You’re too honest. But I’ll get the web sites for you. For free, even.” Lex brightly asked, “What else did you want to talk about?”
“Ah… the tape…”
Lex sighed, “Gone, I hope?”
“Yes.” Clark said, giving Lex a flat look, “Unless you kept a copy.”
The young man who had been taught on his daddy’s knee about shady business deals and contract loopholes laughed. “I was wondering if you’d catch that.” He gave Clark his most winning smile, “But it’s quite safe- locked away, miss-labeled, and encoded. I wouldn’t worry.” He leaned back, looking up. “Anything else?”
Clark scrunched his face. “I didn’t tell my folks.”
“Good. I doubt your father would understand.”
“And…” The winter breeze blew, making Lex shiver. Clark saw it and asked, “Why did you want to come out here anyway? It’s colder than in the car.”
Lex shrugged, then softly said, “my dad knows too much. I used to think it was because the staff was keeping him informed, but it’s more than that. I think he’s bugged the house. And maybe my car.” He looked at Clark. “I don’t have any proof, but if I want to keep secrets from him, I’m going to have to be careful. I can’t say anything that I don’t want him to know while in the mansion, or my car. I’m even going to have to watch what I do in the mansion, since it’s possible he’s got cameras there as well.”
“That’s… really paranoid.” Clark lamely finished.
“Is it?” Lex gave a small smile. “You have to remember, it’s not about money for my father. He’s got more than enough cash to have me under total surveillance 24 hours a day without batting an eye or feeling the pinch in his pocketbook. It’s not about trust either. He doesn’t bother to keep me in the loop for all his dirty deals, why does he need to know what I think of him or what he does?
“You see, it’s all about control.” Lex said, “Every car I buy, all my large expenses, he’s the one who pays for it. Every decision I make at the plant, he’s the one who gives it the ‘go ahead’. He watches me, trying to figure out when I’ll mess up, when I’ll screw up- whenever I don’t measure up to the ‘Luthor Way’. He wants me to be perfect, Clark. And perfect means I’ll be just like him.”
“So you make secret deals and keep back information just like him?” Clark muttered.
The older man leaned back, looking out from under half closed eyes. “If I have to. I know I need to get away from him, Clark. I’d really rather not be his mirror image- but what else am I going to do?”
“I don’t know- tell him to get lost?” Clark shot back.
Lex laughed. “And be put out on the streets? Or checked into an institution, drugged out of my mind? I wouldn’t put it past him, you know.” Lex leaned forward, “I just have to be sneaky about being nice. That’s all.” Lex paused, then cut Clark’s response off. “For example- that janitor that held me at gunpoint?”
-“Earl-“
“Whoever. He’s still at the hospital in Metropolis right now.” Lex shook his head; personally, he couldn’t care less about the man’s name. The janitor had tried to kill him- even if he did have a reason- Lex’s generosity only went so far. It would have to be enough that he had arranged medical care.
“Don’t know how much we can do for him. Daddy dearest wanted to ‘ease his suffering- permanently’, not try to fix him.” Lex flicked his eyes over horrified expression of the young man sitting across from him, “but I mentioned ‘military applications of his condition (if we can control and isolate it)’ to my father, and he finally shut up. That’s what I mean when I say I have to be sneaky.”
“Earl… He’s that bad?” Clark looked truly concerned, so Lex answered.
“Unfortunately. Unlike you, his body can’t handle the increased speed. His nervous system can’t control his muscles when they contract that fast- so he shakes. And his metabolism can’t handle the increased activity, either. He’s literally burning himself out.”
“I’m… not that fast.” Lex gave him a flat look. Clark sighed. “Sorry, I know, no denial, but…” Clark looked away, “I thought he was getting better. I heard something on the news about him being better.”
“Better, yes. But not cured. He’s on heavy muscle relaxers, nerve blockers, and some other stuff. But his liver is going to give out sooner or later, and he’s barely coherent. The drugs are pretty strong.” Lex shrugged again, “And that’s the difference between truth and my father’s PR men. You can’t trust them. Ergo, you can’t trust my father, and one has to be very, very… sly about getting anything done around him.” Lex paused, “at least I had a good example in the old man.”
“Oh.” Clark began to pace the log he was standing on. “But… why do you feel like you have to be just like your father to get things done? Why can’t you be better than him? All this underhanded stuff, it’s not the best way, Lex.”
“This from a man who’s keeping his own secrets.” The irony was heavy in Lex’s voice.
Clark sighed, stopping. “Yeah, well. I just wish…”
“Wish? So do I. I wish that my father wouldn’t try to stop me at every turn. I wish that people didn’t look at me like I was some sort of evil monster when I walk down the street. I wish I could clear up my name- that Luthor Corp wasn’t listed as one of the worst companies to work for with high turnover and poor benefits. You know what happened last time we hit a small downturn- my father wanted me to lay off a large percentage of the workforce. I had to jump through a lot of hoops to stop him.”
“Wish things could be better.” Clark said, looking wistfully over the small stream.
“So do I.” Lex stood up, turned to walk back. “Tell yourself what I do, Clark. Tell yourself –‘things will get better. I just have to wait’. It keeps you going.” They kept walking, Lex adding, “And about Lana?”
“Lana? Oh… she and Whitney are still going out.”
“Woman is blind as a bat, Clark. She’ll be kicking herself when she finally grows up.”
“Yeah. I keep telling myself that.”
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Author’s Rant: In keeping with my ‘rant’ tradition- Hey, how come Clark’s clothes make it through every scrape intact? Shouldn’t we be seeing a lot more naked Clark? Huh? >Smirk<