Lex Luthor was in a very focused mindset that morning as he walked around his mansion with his assistant trailing behind him. The woman walked confidently, barely making any noise as if she was a trained assassin. Anyone who knew Lex Luthor wouldn't expect anything less. He could see the crowd of workers hurrying around his home; caterers bringing in food, waiters setting up tables.
Lex Luthor had been invited to one of Bruce Wayne's many festivities just the week before where the bat vigilante had take it upon himself to throw the party of the century, or so the papers had called it. Lex had attended just to spite the man, but found himself looking around in disdain as he realized it was all a lavish show in order to make it apparent to Lex who the most powerful man was in this part of town. Wayne had hired a band that was apparently all the rage nowadays as his guests sang along to each song as if it was sacrament.
Lex had left the party feeling nothing but the need to show his rival that he wasn't about to be pushed out of the rich kid scene. He was going to show that he too held the same power that Wayne did.
And that's exactly what Lex was doing as he watched countless workers hurry to set up the space to the best of their abilities. There was a stage that had been set in the ball room, as archaic as it might sound, that was awaiting a very special guest. One whom Lex didn't bother to learn the name of.
"Mister Luthor, the animals have just arrived," Mercy spoke as she ended her call on her headset. His eyebrow quirked up.
"Animals?" He questioned. He had not been informed that he would be hosting a petting zoo tonight.
"Yes, for the performer. She demanded that she have her animals on stage with her. It could pose a safety issue though," she replied as she looked through her clipboard of lists. Lex's mouth turned into a slight smirk in amusement.
"Mercy, who exactly did you book?" He asked, humming as he took out a jolly rancher from his coat pocket.
"You told me to hire the biggest artist there was and that's exactly what I did. Her name is Kassandra Lorn," she replied as she checked things off on the papers in front of her.
"Never heard of her," he dismissed. Lex himself didn't find the time or need to occupy himself with the world's entertainment these days. His attentions were solely focused on the bat vigilante and the god from the sky.
"Your guests were ecstatic when they heard she was appearing. I'm sure she will please you," Mercy replied as she finally looked at her boss. He nodded and indicated for her to follow him outside where he whistled as he caught site of the trucks that held the animals she had spoken about. A cage held multiple birds of all colors, a very exotic sight for the likes of Metropolis. His gaze landed on the bigger cage where a tiger stood, staring at him as if it could read into his soul.
"Hmmm. I like this," he said with a shake of his finger. "This gets people talking." He decided that whoever Mercy had decided to hire would do a fine job in keeping his guests and himself well entertained. They strode back into his home once more as he looked everything over, silently evaluating the way it was coming together. Once he was satisfied with everything he excused himself in order to prepare for that evening. If he was about to throw the biggest party Metropolis had ever seen then he certainly had to look the part.
Clark Kent had arrived at Lex's place in order to cover the party for a story. He wasn't particularly happy to be there as he had wanted to spend the night with Lois but after all, he had to keep his job. She had encouraged him to go so that he could return and tell her all about it. Metropolis had been buzzing about the party as there were rumors that Kassandra Lorn was hired to perform. He had watched her perform once, and the wild woman had caught his attention. She certainly was a performer who kept everyone on their toes.
Bruce Wayne had arrived at the festivities with mild amusement. Lex Luthor throwing a party after he had done so a week ago was at best a childish attempt at asserting dominance. He looked around the party with a raised eyebrow. The amount of money that had gone to setting it up would have been immense.
Everyone watched as their host made his way up to the stage, speaking a bit about the fight for knowledge and power. His rambles reminded both Clark and Wayne of an eccentric kid who couldn't well make up his mind with what he wanted to talk about. He finally ended his speech in an abrupt manner before throwing himself into the sea of guests.
Lex couldn't care about these people any less. They were all here for the show. None of them truly cared about him, they wanted to see what the Luthor legacy had become. He was proud of what he had accomplished in LexCorp, finally having proved himself in the world of technology. The older businessmen had all regarded him with skepticism as he was the opposite of his father. While his father had been stoic and firm, Lex was quite unconventional in his ways.
"Bruce Wayne," Lex greeted as he sauntered over to the man with a grin. "Are you enjoying the party?"
Bruce held a polite smile that irked Lex as he looked around the grandeur setup. "I have to say, you might have just outdone me," he admitted with a grin. Lex let out a small laugh, having already claimed victory when he had seen the faces of his guests arriving. They had all been mesmerized by the crystal chandeliers and lavish entrees.
Gasps and mutters of excitement were heard throughout the crowd, causing both men to look towards what had caught everyone's attention. Lex caught sight of a man bringing the tiger he had seen earlier up to the stage and clapped his hands together in excitement.
"Looks like the entertainment is here. If you'll excuse me," he said with a curt nod as he moved towards the stage. Another man had brought the cage of birds up to the stage, leaving the door open. The birds surprisingly stayed put as if waiting for some order, and Lex was surprised to see that the tiger as well had taken a seat on the stage in an unnervingly calm manner.
"Ladies and gentleman, I have a very special treat for you tonight. Let's please welcome Kassandra Lorn," he announced, clapping his hands as Mercy instructed a woman up the stage. He himself made his way down, placing himself near the champagne table with curiosity. This was the first time he had caught sight of the performer Mercy had hired and he was pleased so far. She was a young woman, appearing to be around 24 years of age. Her dark burgundy hair had small wild flowers braided into it. He found that it framed her pale face well as her green eyes looked out towards the crowd, scanning the excited faces. A small smile lit up her face as her gaze landed on Lex and the music began.
Her voice was captivating as she began to sing, the music growing louder as she danced around the stage. Her hair flew everywhere and everyone watched as the birds flew out of the cage, circling around her as she twirled. Her dress flew around her and Lex stood mesmerized by the sight. She resembled a small fairy, flitting around graciously unaware of her own beauty.
She belted out lyrics effortlessly as the birds flew around, this time flying higher as the tiger who stood at the edge got up. The crowd hushed as they watched it stalk towards her, their hearts in their throats with fear that the animal would pounce on their dear singer at any moment. Instead they let out joyous cheers as they saw the girl circle around the tiger, the beast falling into step with her as if in some intricate dance.
Neither Lex nor Bruce had ever seen such a thing before. To see a wild beast be so tame was not common, and Clark found himself wondering if she was even of this world.
The young woman ended her song, kneeling down to place a kiss on the tiger's head as the crowd roared in applause. Lex himself politely clapped, now sure that he had indeed outdone Wayne. He stared intently at the girl as she jumped off the stage, waving goodbye to the animals as they were taken away by the men who had brought them. Lex took his time before approaching her, stopping to speak to a few other guests as to not seem eager to meet the girl of the hour. The girl who had stolen the spotlight from him.
He had to admit it was his own doing. He had asked Mercy to book the most captivating entertainer and she had not failed at her task. He watched her from the corner of his eye as he nodded along to a story the man in front of him was telling, noticing how men had already begun to circle around her. He quickly excused himself and strode over to the young woman.
"I'm sorry gentlemen but I'm going to need to steal this lovely lady from you," he said with a grin. The men scowled but walked away from their host.
"If I knew the men would be so lascivious I think I might have declined your invitation, Mister Luthor" she said with slight amusement as she took a sip of her champagne glass.
"Yes well, men do tend to be very lewd when it comes to beautiful women," he complimented, earning a small grin from her. Up close she was even more beautiful, with freckles spread across her cheeks and hints of gold in her eyes. "I must say I am very impressed with your performance. I can't say I've ever seen something like it."
"Thank you," she replied politely as she set her glass down. He could tell that she was itching to leave the party as she looked around, wrapping her arms around herself uncomfortably.
"Not your cup of tea?" He asked in amusement. He found it odd how she seemed to be so at home on stage with animals but looked like a deer caught in headlights among people.
"I have to admit that I don't usually come to festivities like these," she replied as she glanced around the room. Her eyes locked on Bruce Wayne, who held her gaze as he took a sip of his drink.
"But you just couldn't resist this one," Lex replied smugly. He had done a quick search on her just moments before the party and had concluded that she was someone who kept very much to herself. She performed various concerts and festivals but otherwise kept out of the media. Despite her lack of social outings, she had built an incredibly impressive fan base with fans who would do anything she asked. She had come to be adored, that much was obvious from the one simple performance he had seen.
Kassandra had to admit to herself that the only reason she had accepted to perform was because she was interested in Lex Luthor. He had become a sort of legend, a young man taking over Metropolis's biggest company and outstandingly so. She had seen a picture of him in a paper one night and decided that he was a man she wished to meet, and when the opportunity presented itself she could not say no.
"You should return to your guests. I can see some just itching to speak to you," she replied with a small smirk. The man in front of her was what she had expected; eccentric and smooth talking. He was only a few years older than she was and she found that she very much appreciated the fact that he wasn't another suffocating business man. No, this was someone who knew how to have fun.
"I'm perfectly happy where I am," he replied as he observed her. "Tell me, are those your animals?" He asked as he referred to the ones who had accompanied her on stage.
"Animals do not belong to anyone," she replied sternly. His lips turned upward into his signature smile at her change of tone as if he took pleasure in riling her up.
"Everything and everyone belongs to someone," Lex replied with a smirk.
"And you? Who do you belong to then mister Luthor?" She replied as she cocked her head, her hair falling down her shoulder. The angle of her face reflected the light causing her cheekbones to appear more prominent.
"I belong to myself of course," he replied happily. She let out a small laugh, surprising Lex as he had expected her to regard him with distaste as nearly everyone did. Instead she seemed to be amused by his reply, nodding her head in understanding.
Lex held out his arm, urging her to lace hers through his and walked around the room. They greeted guests together, everyone immediately enchanted by the woman. It was not common to see Lex Luthor with a woman on his arm, although he now understood why his father had always held one in ever social outing he made. It gave him a sense of power to parade the young woman around.
"Thank you for your time and generosity," Kassandra thanked Lex as she stood at his doorway. She had been the last of his guests to stay as he insisted on having her meet everyone. Now the party was over and all that was left was the mess to be cleaned up by his staff. "It was very lovely meeting you Mister Luthor," she said with a small smirk. She had allowed him to parade her around like some show horse because she could see in his eyes his need to be accepted.
"The pleasure was all mine, Miss Lorn," he replied as he looked around. There were no cars in sight, only the cage that held the tiger had been left behind. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he realized that this animal had been left on his property.
"Don't worry. I'm taking her with me," Kassandra spoke as she walked over to the cage.
"And how exactly are you getting home?" Lex asked as she opened the cage. He watched nervously as the tiger stretched before walking out, walking around to awaken its muscles.
"Walking," she replied simply. She lived in Metropolis, and now that her last tour was over she was looking forward to being home. She had a small house with an ample backyard not too far from Lex's place. It was a quiet and private place that she loved dearly.
"You could just stay here," Lex suggested, unsure as to why he wanted the girl to stay. She had nothing more to offer him. She had already made his night a success.
"No. We couldn't do that," she replied with a smile. "Thank you for the party. It was surprisingly less excruciating than I expected." Lex grinned slightly at her choice of words.
"You are welcome back any time," he called out. She smiled in his direction before turning towards the tiger.
"Come Sasha," she beckoned and Lex watched in astonishment as the tiger moved with her, walking at the same pace by her side. Kassandra held no fear towards the animal and that fearlessness left an impression in Lex Luthor's mind.
A/N: I am very excited to start this story although it will be AU. I listened to Drumming Song by Florence and the Machine for the inspiration of Kassandra's performance scene so I suggest giving it a listen as it suits the story well.