REWRITE!
My Father's Son: Denial
Lex Luthor Struck Dead at Peace Conference
"Lex Luthor, the surprising ambassador that attempted to unite North and South Rhelasia was struck dead by assailants reported to be from the infamous League of Assassin last night. Despite the combined attempts of his bodyguard, Mercy Graves and former sidekick Red Arrow in the attempts to protect him. The fifty year old CEO lost his life…."
Lois paused as she wrote the article, looking at the clock that it was half past eight. She had gotten the information just an hour ago. She had just an hour before she could get it to printers in time. Clark, knowing him was most likely at the scene investigating for himself.
If someone had told her that she would be writing Lex Luthor's obituary just a few hours ago she would have laughed in their face and told them Lex would fight Death himself to stay on earth. That the man was far too stubborn to die.
Actually writing it was a surreal experience.
Lex had always been a troubling figure in Metropolis and in her own life in general.
The idea of him no longer being part of the town that he for good or bad had practically built with his own two hands was a surreal concept that she couldn't quite grasp yet.
When she had gotten the call, the purple eyed reporter had naturally assumed it was one of his tricks. A scheme to hurt Superman while he was unprepared or something like that.
Again, Lex didn't die so easily. He couldn't. He was too smart for that. Too prepared. He had a desk that she had seen witness handle a grenade blast of all things. He had a battle ready Cyborg at his side at all times. He just didn't get taken out by some overgrown z-lister like Sportsmaster of all people and some no name assassin.
Mercy had barely managed to cling to her own life much less attempt to save her boss. The woman who was more machine than person had been transported to Metropolis General, where the outlook seemed very grim. Sources, eager to gossip had revealed that doctors there doubted she might ever wake up.
Knowing Mercy, Lois wasn't quite sure if she would want to wake up in a world where Lex was longer present. The man had taken her off from the streets and had given her a job. They for as long as Lois had could know had never become more intimate than just friends. But it was obvious from the way he could they could have entire conversations with a single look that she was practically the billionaire's soul mate.
It had been years since the reporter had any sort of intimate relationship with the billionaire excluding a passionate tirade or two she always had on hand whenever he had caught her breaking into his company. She had just started out at the Planet as a young bright-eyed reporter when she had caught his eye and they had become a couple. Their affair had lasted until he had given her a ring but by then she had long seen past the veneer of the rich billionaire doting on her and the darkness within him and had left as quickly as possible.
And even after their short time together, he had always given her a large amount of leeway compared to other reporters even when she attempted to reveal his nefarious deeds to the population. He had always laughed off her attempts, challenging her to dirty his pristine public image.
"If you're precious Superman can't, do you really think you can do better?" he had said to her.
The fact that he had lost his life in the name of uniting two countries was an even odder fact. Lex had cared very little about international politics unless he could manipulate it to make money.
This was a trick.
"Lane, what are you doing?" Perry White barked from his office. "We got to get this done already. Send it over."
"Just finishing up," she said. "Give me ten more minutes."
It had to be.
Turning her attention back to the article, she quickly typed up the rest of the front page story before emailing it to Perry to look over. Not even a moment later after she sent the article away, her phone started to ring.
She didn't recognize the number but answered anyway.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. Kent, my name is Otis-"
"Luthor's head of security." She identified quickly. The man had personally escorted her out of several complexes. "You kind of messed up on the front, you know? What are you calling me for?"
"A matter of utmost security." He said ruefully.
Clark entered his New Troy Apartment, tired and exhausted after a long night at the Rhelasian Summit. After using his multiple visions and his teammates at the league to make sure the body found wasn't a Robot, a shapeshifter or some other form of homunculus that had taken Lex's place and in fact was the actual body of the billionaire, he could barely keep his eyes open.
A part of him was currently guessing time travel or something like that must be at play.
Because not a single part of him believed that Lex was dead despite their findings. The Genius billionaire was plotting something and it was obvious the Kryptonian that he was just laying low before he struck.
Standing in the foyer, he kicked off his shoes and slipped off his tie. Throwing the thin material to his right towards his living room. He was prepared to collapse onto his bed and cuddle his wife tightly. If he was lucky he'd probably be able to get at least two hours of sleep before work started.
"C-Clark?" Lois said sleepily, rising from the couch in the living room.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, walking towards her. Noticing a large bottle of wine on the coffee table. "Fall asleep over a story again?"
Lois quickly forced herself into a sitting position and started to fidget uncharacteristically. Clark raised an eyebrow in curiosity before asking, "What's wrong?"
Grabbing the bottle off the table, the reporter took a large gulp of the liquid before she said, "We need to talk. It's about Luthor."
"We're guardians of his son?" Clark asked incredulously after his wife explained her dilemma.
"Apparently I am." Lois explained. "I signed a stupid contract when we were engaged. I didn't even really look at it. I forgot all about it until his stupid head of security called me. He kept me as second choice to take care of his kid in case Mercy was unavailable."
"I didn't even know he had one." Lex Luthor was not someone he could ever imagine reading to his kid at bed time or playing a game of catch. He would probably be too afraid to dirty his suit to play around with a child, even if it was his own.
He probably would just send Mercy or one his peons to do it for him.
"Me either," Lois explained while she clenched the comforter in her lap tightly. Ignoring the knot in her stomach. "I was engaged to the guy for a whole year and he never even implied he had one. Can you imagine if I said I do? According to Otis, only a handful did."
"So what does that mean for us?"
"The assassins that came for Lex might come for him if they find out he exists. Otis asked me to keep him with us for a few months for safety until the heat dies down because and I quote, 'In the care of Superman's best friend is the safest place I can think of.' I told him I wanted to talk with you first."
There was a strange irony that Lex, his most passionate adversary would have his son entrusted to him to protect him in his stead.
"Doesn't he have everyone else? What about Lex's relatives?" Clark fished.
Lois shook her head passionately. "Lex's parents died when he was a teenager and sister passed away four years ago. Who even knows what's up with the kid's mom?"
"What do you want to do?" he asked her, his face solemn. Inwardly surprised at how little he actually knew about his archenemy.
"It's Luthor, we should always think it's a trap," Lois said cynically. "…But on the other hand there's a kid involved."
"And he didn't do anything," Clark finished. "He's just a kid who lost his dad and we can't turn our backs on that."
Lois nodded. "Looks like you should go clean up the guestroom."
"Does he have a name at least?"
"Conner. Conner Luthor."
End Chapter
I have a habit of dropping chapters without a plan. So they fit haphazardly. A more organic version appearing as I write which is why I have a habit of rewiting. I hope this version seems smoother.