by NiteLite
oo0oo
There was a time Lex hated the word predictable.
It reminded him of all the things he didn't want to be: boring, old and stuffy. Or in other words, an adult. The ones he knew led incredibly humdrum lives, interested only in keeping their bank accounts and their country club routines in order.
So Lex spent a considerable amount of money and effort into making sure that particular word never applied to him.
He drank, smoked and went clubbing in the iffier parts of the city, never going home before dawn. He drove too fast, played too hard and fucked all the wrong people. That guaranteed he was anything but predictable, right?
Wrong. His actions were shocking and irresponsible to be sure, but totally predictable behavior for a spoiled, rich young heir. At least that was what the tabloids claimed.
Annoyed, he tried harder with drugs, gambling and prostitutes, both male and female. But all that did was make his father's legal firm more prosperous and the tabloid editors happy.
Lionel's lectures, as expected, got longer and louder.
In return, Lex's behavior got wilder until finally, he found himself banished from the city.
That sadly too, was predictable.
He should have known better, now that he found himself condemned to the kind of existence he abhorred. One filled with set routines, moral values and small-minded people in a small town. But what he was about to learn was that life in Smallville was constantly filled with the unexpected.
Much like careening off a bridge into a cold river.
Instead of dying as he should have, he survived. So, he began his life anew. First by striking up an improbable friendship with his rescuer, a high school student, then by dedicating himself to making LuthorCorp Fertilizer Plant Number Three a profitable one. While hostile employees and fathers were certainly nothing new to Lex, Clark Kent was unlike anyone he'd ever met before.
On the surface, Clark seemed like his hardworking parents, decent and caring. Yet underneath, Lex sensed secrets. Many secrets. That was unexpected, and he told himself that in time, he'd find out what they were.
Meanwhile Smallville was turning out to be most unpredictable, for a rural town. Meteor mutants popped up with distressing frequency. Lex was never sure what his week would hold. There were doppelgangers, an invisible teen, a former employee afflicted with mysterious symptoms and a young boy who seemed practically telepathic.
Never in his wildest dreams, had he expected to find anything remotely close to a science-fiction story gone bad, here in the heartland. Considering all the close calls he'd had, Lex was finding the routine of running a large business preferable to dealing with home invaders who could walk through walls.
Settling back in his chair, he eyed the paperwork spread across his desk. There were phone calls to return, a new business consultant to interview, a safety inspection to prepare for, expense reports to sign, a quarterly budget report to finish and a charity benefit to attend. All was business as usual, for the moment.
As much as he hated to admit it, taking on those responsibilities was surprisingly satisfying. They made him feel solid for a change. Grown-up even.
Being predictable wasn't turning out to be so bad after all. Even life revolved around certain set cycles like the tide, moon and stars. If it meant he could rely on the memory of his mother's love or the heroics of a certain young friend then he was more fortunate than he thought.
Lex picked up a spreadsheet. He could live with predictable after all.
The End
