PART 1
Lex Luthor was in foul mood.
Granted, he was never really in a great mood, but everything about this day just bit him on the ass. He'd been involved in a car accident early in the morning and was now sporting a nice cut above the eye and a swollen jaw. His investments had completely fallen through and plummeted by mid- afternoon and around four o'clock he received a call for a meeting with his father.
Brilliant.
Unlocking the door to his home, he ignored the housemaid fussing over his injuries, climbing the staircase to his office. Opening the door, he stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as a grumpy look settled over his face.
His father wasn't there.
Perfect. This was just perfect. Lex hated waiting almost as much as he hated his father. Now he had to suck up his pride and wait for his father.
His cellphone began to ring. Flipping it open, he settled into the deskchair as he spoke. "Hello? Oh, hey Clark . . .yeah, the Talon tonight, right? I'll try and stop by . . . might be late, though . . ."
Lex looked up as a shadow fell over his desk.
Lionel had arrived.
"Yeah, sure . . . hey Clark, I have to go now, but I might see you tonight. Yeah, bye."
Snapping the phone shut, he stood up as father and son stared one another in the eye. Finally, Lionel spoke.
"Jesus, Lex. What the hell happened to you? You look like you've been in a car wreck."
"Maybe because I have," his son answered dryly. "But I don't think you're here to talk about that."
"Come on, now. Is it such a crime for me to be concerned with my own son's well-being? You have to give me more credit than that."
"No, I don't." Lex said flatly. "Look *Dad*, I'm really not in the mood for this crap right now, so why don't you just tell me why you're here and leave it at that?"
The bemusement left Lionel's face. "Well, *son*, your mood has jack all to do with any of this," he snapped. "And you *will* address me with more respect in the future."
He paused and gave his son a cold look. "I'm here to tell you I'm going away on a . . . holiday. Indefinitely."
"That's it?"
"I came to tell you personally not to meddle in my affairs. All my investments and projects will be handled accordingly."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "By whom? You plan on working while you screw off on your 'holiday?'"
"No, I don't. There is someone who will oversee my affairs instead of you." Lionel smirked. "Not that I don't trust you, Lex. I just think a change is in order."
Lex snorted. "A change? And who is in charge of this change? You don't even trust your accountants to handle your financial deals."
"She is a highly qualified -"
"Oh, it's a *she* now is it? Let's wonder how *she* got the job. Hmmm."
"Her name is Willow and she is highly skilled in this area of -"
"Is she now? Never heard of her before. In any company. Then again, you never mentioned a surname, so it's hard to tell how well known she is. Say Dad, don't most prostitutes go by first name only? Is that where you met her?"
Lex walked around the desk to stare straight into his father's eyes. "You worry about me running the Luther name and business into the ground, but you should really worry about your own ignorance. Letting some floozy take over your projects. It's humiliating."
"You know nothing of what you speak of, boy." Lionel's eyes were smouldering.
"Don't I? Well then, let's call this a guess. I *guess* you knocked her up and she wants a piece of Luther fortune while you run off to find some dumbass lawyer to get you out the this mess with the slut. Is that right?"
"Not at all, Lexy."
Both men turned in the direction of the newcomer. In the doorway stood a young woman, dressed as she might if she were to head out to a nightclub. Looking more like a devious troublemaker than a sophisticated businesswoman, she'd swept her red hair back from her face and was tapping her nails against the doorframe. Obviously this was Willow.
Lex shot her an unimpressed look. "So," he said flatly. "You must be Willow."
She raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice. Lips curving into a smile, she stepped closer to him. "Now, now Lexy," she drawled. She was now inches away from his face.
"Is that any way to talk to your new mother?"
Lex Luthor was in foul mood.
Granted, he was never really in a great mood, but everything about this day just bit him on the ass. He'd been involved in a car accident early in the morning and was now sporting a nice cut above the eye and a swollen jaw. His investments had completely fallen through and plummeted by mid- afternoon and around four o'clock he received a call for a meeting with his father.
Brilliant.
Unlocking the door to his home, he ignored the housemaid fussing over his injuries, climbing the staircase to his office. Opening the door, he stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as a grumpy look settled over his face.
His father wasn't there.
Perfect. This was just perfect. Lex hated waiting almost as much as he hated his father. Now he had to suck up his pride and wait for his father.
His cellphone began to ring. Flipping it open, he settled into the deskchair as he spoke. "Hello? Oh, hey Clark . . .yeah, the Talon tonight, right? I'll try and stop by . . . might be late, though . . ."
Lex looked up as a shadow fell over his desk.
Lionel had arrived.
"Yeah, sure . . . hey Clark, I have to go now, but I might see you tonight. Yeah, bye."
Snapping the phone shut, he stood up as father and son stared one another in the eye. Finally, Lionel spoke.
"Jesus, Lex. What the hell happened to you? You look like you've been in a car wreck."
"Maybe because I have," his son answered dryly. "But I don't think you're here to talk about that."
"Come on, now. Is it such a crime for me to be concerned with my own son's well-being? You have to give me more credit than that."
"No, I don't." Lex said flatly. "Look *Dad*, I'm really not in the mood for this crap right now, so why don't you just tell me why you're here and leave it at that?"
The bemusement left Lionel's face. "Well, *son*, your mood has jack all to do with any of this," he snapped. "And you *will* address me with more respect in the future."
He paused and gave his son a cold look. "I'm here to tell you I'm going away on a . . . holiday. Indefinitely."
"That's it?"
"I came to tell you personally not to meddle in my affairs. All my investments and projects will be handled accordingly."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "By whom? You plan on working while you screw off on your 'holiday?'"
"No, I don't. There is someone who will oversee my affairs instead of you." Lionel smirked. "Not that I don't trust you, Lex. I just think a change is in order."
Lex snorted. "A change? And who is in charge of this change? You don't even trust your accountants to handle your financial deals."
"She is a highly qualified -"
"Oh, it's a *she* now is it? Let's wonder how *she* got the job. Hmmm."
"Her name is Willow and she is highly skilled in this area of -"
"Is she now? Never heard of her before. In any company. Then again, you never mentioned a surname, so it's hard to tell how well known she is. Say Dad, don't most prostitutes go by first name only? Is that where you met her?"
Lex walked around the desk to stare straight into his father's eyes. "You worry about me running the Luther name and business into the ground, but you should really worry about your own ignorance. Letting some floozy take over your projects. It's humiliating."
"You know nothing of what you speak of, boy." Lionel's eyes were smouldering.
"Don't I? Well then, let's call this a guess. I *guess* you knocked her up and she wants a piece of Luther fortune while you run off to find some dumbass lawyer to get you out the this mess with the slut. Is that right?"
"Not at all, Lexy."
Both men turned in the direction of the newcomer. In the doorway stood a young woman, dressed as she might if she were to head out to a nightclub. Looking more like a devious troublemaker than a sophisticated businesswoman, she'd swept her red hair back from her face and was tapping her nails against the doorframe. Obviously this was Willow.
Lex shot her an unimpressed look. "So," he said flatly. "You must be Willow."
She raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice. Lips curving into a smile, she stepped closer to him. "Now, now Lexy," she drawled. She was now inches away from his face.
"Is that any way to talk to your new mother?"