Kassandra Lorn - Heart of Metropolis

by: Clark Kent

Kassandra Lorn, songstess, animal enthusiast, idol, and lover of all. A native of Gotham, the young woman dealt a hard life as a child before ultimately relocating to Metropolis as a teenager. At the young age of twenty the beloved redhead embarked on her musical journey leaving her footprint on the entertainment world. Four years later and the woman is now significantly well put together, holding strongly to her ideals and her belief in love.

She is often quoted saying people are made out of love and are ultimately good. I ask what made her become such a firm believer in that idea.

"Growing up in Gotham you're surrounded by all sorts of horrible things. Losing the people I love left me heartbroken for a while but there were others who helped me through such times. Their intentions were pure and honest, and I like to believe that that's what people ultimately are. Everyone has love in their heart, whether it be for their significant other or their family or even a pet. There's a shed of good deep inside of everyone."

Many find it admirable that she thinks that way when her own mother was killed during a mugging. I ask what she has to say to them.

Her eyes glaze over with a look of pain that lasts only a second, no doubt at the memory of losing her mother.

"Everyone goes through tragic things. We are the ones who shape how that affects us, not the other way around. It's important to not allow yourself to become jaded."

It looks to be as if blue blood royalty and fame isn't all Kassandra Lorn is made of. The young singer turned entrepreneur has joined the ranks of Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne, taking the business world by storm. The spunky redhead is already credited with being the secret behind the recent LexCorp success in launching their newest project, although she herself seems to be much humbler than anticipated.

"I don't take credit. The brilliant minds at LexCorp are behind the real work. I just help them get their ideas to those willing to invest," she says as she takes a sip of her coffee - a caramel latte that seems to suit her just well. She speaks fondly of the company as it has become a second home to her. "The people are great. They're a very tight knit group who constantly support each other's newest innovations. It's a great foundation to have as a company."

She appears to be flustered when asked about the recent tumors of her involvement with Lex Luthor. There are countless photographs of the two out for ice cream and dinners ranging from family owned take out spots to five star restaurants. It even seems as though her younger fan base has taken to the Internet to roar of their approval, dubbing them "Lexandra." Her cheeks turn a slight pink at the mention of her fans creating such a thing but she is quick to dismiss the rumors.

"No, absolutely not," she says with a small laugh. "We're friends."

The word friend is not often associated with Lex Luthor so her reply has a certain surprise factor to it. It appears that the head of the company has found friendship in the young songstress. Luthor is rarely photographed with anyone who is not a business partner, and the types of outings the two share are a clear indicator that none are business related. I question her about the origin of their friendship which she answers happily.

"Oh, we met at the party he threw the other month," her eyes light up with a playfulness that has been come to be known as a signature Lorn trait. "He throws the most exquisite parties, don't you think?"

I can't help but wholeheartedly agree when referencing the party she spoke about. The party she herself performed at was one that was talked about greatly throughout the elite of Metropolis.

I ask about her home burning down, and what has happened to Sasha; her pet tiger. Her smile wavers slightly before she replies.

"My house burning was a horrible loss to me, but Lex was kind enough to offer me a place to stay. As for Sasha, she had to be taken someplace she would be safe," she replies. She refuses to give the location of the tiger as she insists that revealing that detail would only attract unwanted visitors.

When asked about her current living situation she merely shrugs. "Lex and I live well together. We each have our individual spaces but find time to come together and discuss business ideas or simply have a much needed talk about whatever is on our minds. He's really quite loved by those who work for him at LexCorp, and seeing him in a non-work setting really highlights why."

I point out that her compliments seem more than friendly and she laughs again, a melodic sound that fills the room as a slight blush creeps into her cheeks.

"Honestly. Lex is an amazing person who really does love his city. It's admirable," she replies with a grin.

I remind her that Metropolis has been her city too despite her upbringing in Gotham. She agrees with the fact.

"Metropolis is where I've felt the most love and compassion. The amount of loyalty and adoration my fans have so willingly given to me absolutely stuns me but I do my best to try and deserve it. I love this city and I don't think I could ever picture myself anywhere else."

It seems that Kassandra Lorn has taken Metropolis by storm once again, Lex Luthor included, and this time she's here to stay. We can only speculate about the things to come when you bring two powerhouses together, but we're sure it'll be something to watch.

Lex Luthor set the paper down with a small satisfied grin. He had been unaware that Kassandra had been interviewed by the Daily Planet, by Clark Kent no less, but the article had been something positive. Kassandra had obviously charmed the man who didn't manage to find a single thing to critique her on.

"Friends," he muttered as he drummed his fingers against his desk. Kassandra had portrayed him in a surprisingly positive light and he couldn't help but feel slightly flattered. He never really thought twice about how others saw him, which was usually with admiration, but her compliments seemed to feed his soul a little more than he would have expected. He let out a gleeful chuckle as he reread the article.

"Oh Kassie. Sweet, sweet Kassie," he mumbled as he folded the paper up and placed it into his desk drawer. The woman had been honest when asked about him. They certainly did live well with each other and they were great business partners wit Lex supplying the ideas and Kassandra supplying the charm.

"Mr. Luthor," Mercy knocked on the door before striding in. "These came for you."

"What is this?" Lex asked as he took two envelopes from her. One was a crisp white envelope that looked very formal, the other a black envelope with his name printed in gold lettering. He opened the latter first, his eyebrows furrowing as he read.

"The Metropolis Animal Activists invite you to their 45th Annual Gala due to your generous contribution...Contribution?" He looked at Mercy. "When did we donate money?"

"I suspect your beloved Kassandra might know," she replied bitterly. Lex smirked at her attitude towards the woman. Mercy had shown dislike for her and his fondness of the woman displeased her greatly. Mercy herself was an ambitious woman, part of the reason Lex had hired her in the first place, and she did not appreciate being pushed to the side in favor of the redhead.

"Now now Mercy, no need to be catty," he replied with an amused shake of his finger. The rest of the company had immediately welcomed Kassandra with open arms. The thought of the two women against each other was enough to make him chuckle. "Why don't you go ahead and go home. I'm nearly finished here."

He watched as the woman walked away, the click of her heels ringing against the walls until ultimately fading away altogether. He stared back at the invitation with a wry grin. He should have expected Kassandra to pull something like this eventually.

He tossed the invitation aside before picking up the other envelope. This one was much plainer than the other had been. He raised an eyebrow as he read the return label - the Capitol building. He opened it and read through it several times, cursing underneath his breath. It seemed as if he would have to improvise.

Lex had arrived home much later than usual that night. It was announced that Superman was to stand trial soon and he had been invited to attend. That was what the envelope had held. The mere thought had sent him spiraling into the claws of alcohol at a bar down the street. Lex was was tired and hungry, and quite frankly still a bit tipsy.

Much to Lex's surprise he was not alone when he entered his kitchen. Kassandra was kneeling down near the glass doors that led to the yard, scooping out small amounts of ice cream for a stray cat who had made her acquaintance. Stray animals had become a common occurrence ever since she had moved in so he couldn't say he was exactly shocked at the sight.

"Shh, I know. But this is all I can give you," she spoke to the cat with a small grin as it meowed loudly. Lex watched with curiosity as the cat lapped at the treat before making his presence known.

"What exactly are you doing?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. She jumped at his voice as an embarrassed blush swept across her. She had assumed Lex had been asleep as she had passed by his room on her way down and had seen the light turned off.

"I'm feeding the cat," she replied as if it was the most routine thing she'd ever done.

"You're feeding it ice cream," Lex replied with an amused grin. He set his car keys down as he leaned against the counter and observed her.

"She said she wanted something sweet," Kassandra defended. The cat meowed loudly in an attempt to regain her attention. She looked down to see it had finished its scoop of the frozen treat. "Scurry along girl. Come back for some more tomorrow."

Lex watched as the cat purred as it tangled between her legs before sprinting out of the kitchen.

"You control animals," Lex stated as he grabbed a spoon from the kitchen drawer and took the pint of strawberry ice cream away from her. He took a spoonful of the treat and savored the sweetness as it hit his taste buds. "You're a metahuman."

Perhaps it was Lex's slightly intoxicated state that caused him to simply lay out his information for her but she didn't seem at all startled at his statements. Instead she hopped onto the counter in which he leaned on and took a spoonful of the ice cream.

"I have an affinity for them, yes," she replied as she ate. She had been wondering when Lex would question her about her abilities. She assumed he had figured it out by now and was simply waiting for the right time.

"How do you control them?" he asked as he took another spoonful. She was dangerously close to him, her bare thighs next to his arms. He quickly surveyed her clothing situation, noticing her navy silk pajama shorts and matching top. He was unaccustomed to women in this situation but she didn't seem to notice his pulse quicken as he brushed against her casually.

"Simply asking them to do something usually suffices."

"And when it doesn't?"

"The minds of animals are very simple compared to humans. It's easy for me to control them although I'd rather not," she admitted as she passed the ice cream back to him. Their demeanor was not that of two adults who were having a serious conversation - they resembled children in the way they talked. With an innocent curiosity to know what they other had to say.

"Why not?" Lex had questions. Probably more than he could think of in this state. He found himself wondering if maybe he should have waited to bring this topic up.

"It's cruel to make someone do something it doesn't wish to do," she replied in a serious tone. He noted her sudden lack of playfulness and frowned as he set the pint of ice cream down. He rummaged through his pantry before pulling out a bag of chocolates and a bottle of sweet moscato from the wine chiller.

"I think we're entitled to this. You for your wonderful work with the company and me, well for being the successful businessman I am," he said with a chuckle as he poured their glasses.

"I can tell you already started without me," she replied with a playful accusation which he merely shrugged to.

"That doesn't mean we can't end the night together," he replied as he clanked his glass against hers. "Cheers."

Kassandra patted the spot next to her in an invitation to sit and Lex found himself sitting on his kitchen counter for the first time in his life. His father had always kept strict rules about proper behavior and he would have never dared to do something like this despite how casual it seemed now. The mere thought of his father caused him to sip more of his drink.

"You shouldn't be so lonely, Lex. It's not good for the soul," Kassandra commented as they ate chocolate and ice cream in silence. Their choice of snacks mirrored those of a child minus the alcohol.

"I'm afraid my soul is all but gone at this point," he replied emotionless.

She scoffed at his answer but remained silent. It was hours into the early morning and light had begun to trickle in through the windows. They both had work the next day, or rather later today, something neither was looking forward to.

"Kassie, why aren't you asleep?" Lex asked as he realized that he'd never seen her up this late. Two in the morning, sure, but it was already nearly six with the sun beginning to rise.

"Nightmares." Her reply was short. Lex merely nodded in understanding. He knew how capable those terrors were of shaking off sleep. He watched her as she looked towards the sunrise with sad eyes that he decided didn't look right on her. He had become so accustomed to the playful sparkle that shined from her eyes whenever they made conversation but she'd often get a sadness in them whenever she thought no one was looking. He had come to actually enjoy her company as her livelihood was refreshing. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail with loose strands framing her face. She was beautiful, but Lex had learned that beautiful things were often shallow or dangerous. Somehow he didn't see any of that in her. Instead he saw an innocence in her that he yearned to protect.

"You can stay home today. You won't be very productive at work if you're going to be nodding off every ten minutes," he told her as he chewed on the chocolates he had taken out of his pantry. She nodded and muttered a soft thank you in response. "But don't think I'll let you off every time this happens."

She rolled her eyes playfully at his threat and leaned into his side. He froze at the contact. Kassandra seemed to be a very loving girl who enjoyed giving hugs and kisses to nearly everyone she knew. It wasn't surprising for her to treat him the same way, although he did wonder at what exact moment she had decided that it was okay to treat him in such a way. She had been very formal with him at the beginning but had slowly eased into comfort around him over the past months. Something he could relate to as he found himself letting his guard down around her constantly.

"Do you hate me?" She asked as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Hate you?" He asked in bewilderment. He's done his best to remedy things between them since the house incident, although he knew she still held resentment over Sasha. He had given it much thought as of late and he was almost ready to return her friend to her.

"You hate superman," she replied softly. "I'm not that different."

"Superman isn't from this world."

"You hate him because he does things humans shouldn't be able to do," she continued. "I do things I shouldn't be able to do."

"You don't go around saving people and meddling in things that aren't your business," he replied bluntly.

"No. But I could. I was given the chance and the abilities. And instead I sit here at home while good people die," she replied with a frown. She sat up and grabbed the moscato bottle and poured herself another drink.

"What were you going to do? Set birds loose on people?" Lex joked. She gave him a stern look that caused him to clear his throat. "That's not your job," Lex finally replied as he took a drink from his own glass.

"Is it really anyone's job to save people? Doctors and nurses, they became what they are because they want to help. Superman is the same. He had the choice to live a normal life and he chose to help instead. The world needed someone and then he showed up," she replied. Her voice sounded tired now and Lex frowned deeply at her view on the man.

"He's an abomination."

"Hmm," she hummed. "Aren't well all."

Lex found himself deeply unsettled by the turn their conversation had taken. He had never asked her opinion on Superman in fear of her confirming what he already knew - that she sympathized with the man. It seemed as though metahumans in general felt that way because of the same sense of loneliness they all shared. Being different than those around you was not always a blessing. Would his feelings have been different towards her if she had chosen a life like Superman? None of the metahumans he knew about seemed to want to help the world - besides Diana Prince, but she had walked away from the job over a hundred years ago. Barry Allen of Central City seemed to keep to himself for the most part, and so did the man in the ocean. Making yourself known was almost a death sentence. You could mean well and even then people would rally against you. His stomach sank at the thought of Kassandra being wanted - at the thought of a bounty over her head. He knew he was being hypocritical and quickly shook the thought away.

"I think it's time we get some sleep," he said as he hopped off the counter. He picked the young woman up off the counter, his hands lingering on her waist as he set her down. "I actually have work to do tomorrow."

She shook her head tiredly at his teasing before placing their empty glasses in the sink. Lex threw the empty carton of ice cream into the trash and made a mental note to pick some up on the way home later. Kassandra yawned as she laid against the counter.

"Maybe I'll just sleep here," she said sleepily as she pushed herself up onto the counter once more. Lex shook his head as he pulled her down.

"I gave you a bed so you could sleep in it. What is it with you and falling asleep in the oddest places," he muttered albeit more to himself than to her. She shrugged as she leaned into him and closed her eyes. "Kassie." Lex said as he shook her. She barely opened an eye as she swayed. He sighed deeply before throwing the redhead over his shoulder and making his way up the stairs. She was alarmingly lighter than she looked and he made a mental note to watch her eating habits more closely.

He unceremoniously threw her onto her bed and waited for her to cry out at his lack of gentleness. Instead the girl immediately hugged her pillow and fell straight into her slumber. He smirked at the sight before throwing a blanket over her and heading towards his own bedroom. There he laid for the next hours, unable to sleep as he mulled over what Kassandra had said.

She was wrong, he decided. The world was doing just fine without Superman before.

A/N: Thank you for the support, it's nice to know when people enjoy the story. I will try my best to update once more before I leave on a week long vacation! Much love to you all.