Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Smallville, Superman, etc, though I might wish I did. However, I do own Layali Meskhenet and things newly introduced in this fanfiction that relate to her. Steal Layali and face my wrath.

Lex quietly observed the crowd of modern day 'nobles' - political leaders, authority figures, and of course the rich tycoons. They were all decked out in fine fabrics and precious jewels, each one seeming to try and display their grandness with what they draped on themselves. 'Like peacocks in the midst of the last hen for miles around,' he thought with mild bitterness. Unfortunately for him, he was that 'hen'. There were many people who despised the name Luthor, but there was also as many, if not more, that kissed up at every opportunity, willing to do anything to get into the Luthors' good graces. These people were generally the rich wanting to get richer and the famous wanting to be legendary. It annoyed him to no end most of the time, though on very rare occasions he had to admit a good business proposition found its way to him in this manner.

Lex had only managed to slip away into the shadows for a few moments, sipping at his glass of wine before yet another 'groupie' cornered him. The man instantly began chattering away about a deal with a questionable group in South America. Lex longed to get away from these people, but he couldn't until he'd made his speech declaring Smallville's new Museum of Natural History open. He'd donated a fairly sizable sum to the project, which was why he'd been given the 'honor'.

Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. He excused himself from the man he hadn't been listening to anyways and made his way inconspicuously around the perimeter of the room until he came to the inner doors. They were supposed to be locked, shutting the main museum area off from the entrance hall until after his speech. However, when he tried them in desperation, he found them open. Silently thanking whoever was watching over him this night, he slipped through and shut the doors behind him.

Turning to examine the room he'd stepped into, he found himself gazing up at the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Other skeletons and similar exhibits were placed throughout the rather large room. On further inspection, Lex was surprised to find that he was not alone in his temporary sanctuary. A woman, not much younger than he, was admiring a Saber-toothed Tiger skull not five yards from where he stood.

"I didn't expect to see anyone else here," he said as he strolled over.

Alerted to his presence, the woman looked up. A quick flick of his gaze over her told him several things. For one, she was not dressed as though she were in the Miss America pageant, but in a simple black spaghetti strap dress that came to her ankles, where plain black heels with straps crisscrossing their way up a few inches completed the outfit. She wasn't dressed to impress but rather, it seemed, for her own comfort. The rich ebony hair that fell in soft waves to her tailbone implied perhaps a Hispanic or Indian background, whereas her pale complexion indicated European ancestry, which fine facial features and a feminine physique echoed. However, when he was close enough to see her eyes they proved to be the most striking. They were a startlingly intense emerald green, a color he'd never seen in a human face before. A cat's perhaps, but never human.

"Neither did I," she replied. Her accent gave away no further clues to her heritage, though he concluded she must have been brought up in this general area of the United States. The accent didn't differ from that of the general population of Smallville and its neighboring towns and cities. "It's quite the madhouse out there." She commented, glancing towards the doors.

"Tell me about it. It's the kind of mayhem that rivals hell." He said, taking a small sip of the drink he still held.

The woman smiled slightly and held out her hand as she introduced herself, "I'm Layali Meskhenet."

"Meskhenet, hm? Doesn't sound very local. Lex Luthor."

"It isn't, my family traces its lineage back to ancient Egypt and still carries the name from that time period." She didn't bat an eyelash at the name 'Luthor', which both relieved and surprised Lex.

"I hope I don't offend and certainly don't mean to pry, but you don't look very Egyptian."

"I'm adopted."

"Ah, that explains it."

They stood in silence a moment before Layali asked, "So, what are you in here for? I'm doing two to three hours for donating to the fund."

Lex smiled at her witticism and responded, "Me too, with the added sentence of five to ten minutes of public speaking."

"Ouch. What a way to repay us, huh?"

"My thoughts exactly."

"Yet knowing me, I'd donate all over again. I'm a sucker for excavations and exhibits like this. Don't tell." By now the two had each come to realize that the other was a fellow sufferer among the vultures just beyond the door.

Lex nodded in agreement, and surveyed the room with admiration. "Still you've got to admit they did a fine job on the place."

"They did indeed." She responded.

Lex recalled suddenly the reason he'd come into this room in the first place was to seek solitude. Yet he found he didn't mind this woman's presence. Perhaps it was just all the fawning and worshiping he'd needed to escape. Ms. Meskhenet had shown none of the signs of being a money-seeker. At least thus far. A moment later, another revelation came to him. She had probably come here in search of solace as well, and he was disturbing that. It had been uncharacteristically rude to intrude like this. Quickly trying to mend this breech of protocol, he spoke with haste, "I apologize, if you wanted to be alone I can always find somewhere else to hide."

She smiled. "I appreciate the gesture, but it's quite alright. It's those people out there I'm avoiding."

Relief. "It seems we have a common enemy," he observed.

"And the enemy of my enemy is my friend," she quipped.

A small smile brushed over Lex's normally stern features and he lifted his left hand to check the time on the watch that encircled his wrist. Eight-fifty. Almost time for his speech. He could manage another five minutes, and then he would have to plunge back into the piranha tank.

"When's your speech?" Ms. Meskhenet inquired, having noted Lex's glance at his watch.

"Nine o'clock," he replied.

"Are you leaving immediately afterwards?" She questioned further.

"Most likely."

"Good, then I will as well. Your departure will signal the polite time to begin leaving." So she had heard of him. From the way she'd regarded him, it would seem as though she hadn't. She had treated him with the same general respect and pleasantness as he suspected she would anyone else. Then again, he'd been wrong about a woman once before. Perhaps this Layali Meskhenet was just a very good actress. He would need to be careful around her. Feminine wiles were any man's greatest weakness. He'd found that out in the hardest way.

The two held light conversation about various displays in the room for the next few minutes, then all too soon it was time for Lex's speech.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Meskhenet."

"And you as well, Mr. Luthor."

Mr. Luthor. It sounded far too much like his father for his liking. "Please, call me Lex."

"Then I am Layali."

They then returned to the chaos beyond the doors.

Well, what do you think? Does it have potential? Is it hopelessly terrible? Reviews are very much welcomed!