Chapter 44
Rain splattered over the gravel on the drive of the Kent Farm, turning the white stones gray. Thunder rolled and the wind gusted as Clark and his father man-handled the replacement parts for the generator into the barn. Clark was taking most of the weight, but it helped to have his father guide the large heavy equipment around the corners.
"Ugh. I'm soaked through." Clark complained, feet squishing in the mud. He shook his head like a dog, flinging water off his hair.
Jonathan just grunted, giving the large shaped metal hull one last shove before telling Clark to set it down.
"Well, that's about it." Jonathan said, wiping the rainwater from his brow. "You think we can get started tonight?"
"Dunno, dad." Clark replied, looking around. "Gets dark early when it's raining. More light tomorrow. And… those guys Bruce Wayne sent over?"
Jonathan glanced around. "Yes son?"
Clark sighed, "they're sharper than Lex's men. I wanna look around some tonight."
"Ah. Seen them doing anything?"
"No. But… can't be too careful."
"True." Jonathan nodded. Then he casually asked, "how's Lex holding up? About what you talked about last week?"
Clark was nodding his head as he leaned against the generator in the barn. His father was talking about how he and Lex had looked at his ship a few days ago. "Seems okay. He's not freaking out or anything, about that anyway. Mostly worried about the press and the shooting. He keeps saying that the axe will fall and the media is going to turn against him."
The older man grimaced, looking out through the barn doors at the rain. "He's probably right, son. They held the first funeral yesterday. There's going to be a few more, and everyone's going to want someone to blame. If the cops can't find the shooter's employer, they might have a witch hunt for Lex."
"But dad…"
Jonathan looked sad. "People are hurting, Clark. Some of them have lost children. It's a hard blow, son. Everyone grieves different, and some of them are going to be angry. Very angry. It's not his fault that children are dead, but he did make a mistake. They'll want to make him pay."
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The pixie sized blond threaded her way through the chaos that was the main newsroom at the Daily Planet. The roar was mild today- Perry was yelling at one of his reporter about not following up on some questions to the city's mayor about the new sanitation bond measure that was going up for vote in the fall, three veterans were arguing about the President's latest comments on foreign policy, and the society page gossip columnists were gushing about the latest gala held last night.
Chloe smiled to herself as she clutched her favorite coffee cup to her chest as she wandered back to the kitchen area to refill her cup. This was what she lived for, what she always dreamed of, and it was happening. She was part of the buzz.
This summer rocked.
She stepped into the small room, headed straight for the large coffee machine. Of course the thing was huge- news media was a twenty-four hour job. Two tiered, with six burners and automatic water feed, Chloe hadn't ever seen one quite so large. But hey- everything was bigger in the city. It was like coming home. Better than coming home.
She tilted each pot in turn. "Damn." Of course they were empty- no one liked making coffee. Sighing, she turned back to the cabinets to fetch fresh coffee beans.
"Better get used to that."
Chloe turned, glaring at the tall, rail thin fiery red-headed college boy leaning against the doorframe. She rolled her eyes and dumped the used coffee before automatically adding the filter to the basket and measuring out the beans into the grinder. The noise nearly drowned out the newsroom noise. "Of course Billy, I've figured out by now that no one here remembers to make new coffee. I'm surprised they don't just hire someone, the way we go through this stuff."
He laughed, and it wasn't a pretty sound. "No, I mean you making the coffee, kiddo. About all you're good for."
"Oh please, copyboy." Chloe grunted. Billy was a real Jerk. She'd use more colorful language, but it was unprofessional and Perry didn't like it. The jerk had even asked her to fetch him an extra pencil once, like she was some sort of lackey. She dumped the grinds into the basket and slid it into the slot.
"Seriously, do you even read your own work? Maybe the Inquisitor would call it real journalism, but here at the Daily Planet it's not."
"Strange how it made the front page." Chloe airily replied as she hit the start button on the coffee machine. Okay, well, Danko was listed as first author and she was just noted as the assistant, but… "Maybe you are the one who needs to work on it. Aren't you graduating this December? With your college degree? You even made the front section yet?" Billy had, but he had never gotten even a mention on the first page.
He sneered at her. "Listen, b- wench. Everyone knows that Perry is just using you to get to Lex Luthor and to milk the Smallville families. That doesn't make you a journalist. You're just a cute little face for us who needs to be run around by the hand."
Chloe sighed. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about this. But she'd be damned if she'd let Billy get to her. "Still gotten farther than you. My first year here, copyboy." She filled her cup and smiled. "Good thing you've got red hair- that green matches."
She swept past him, gritting her teeth into a smile. Damn it, Billy wasn't going to ruin her mood.
////
Beige walls, tan carpet, and hotel-style maroon accents all topped off with cheerfully uniformed nurses and the sick smell of disinfectant. Lex was beginning to hate hospitals. He hated Metropolis more- it wasn't his city (yet, anyway) and he kept expecting Lionel to jump out of a dark corner and surprise him. Or someone else, with a gun. He still wasn't used to the two armed guards flanking each side of him.
Hopefully this visit would be a short one. He stopped at the nurse's kiosk and politely cleared his throat. The nurse glanced up at him in irritation, but her expression quickly bloomed into a polite façade as soon as she recognized him.
"May I help you sir?"
"Yes. I wanted to speak with the physical therapy team that came in from Gotham. Are they available?"
"Two of them are at lunch, sir. But Dr. Cokesburg is with a patient. Would you like to wait?"
Lex shook his head. "I don't really have time- I have a three-thirty to catch, and I really just need to ask if the arrangements to move him and his colleagues to Smallville are going smoothly. I'd like to see him now."
The nurse nodded. "Yes sir. I can show you the room he's in just a minute. Mary will be back here in a moment- I can't leave the station unattended. Or," she pointed down the hallway, "He's in room 312, if you want to go yourself."
Lex smiled, "I think I can handle that. Thank you for your help." Lex turned and walked off, one guard behind him while the other trotted ahead. Lex frowned. This was ludicrous, he should have just called, but he wanted the personal touch.
Three-twelve was a plain room, one of the Smallville victims safely hidden behind the white coat of the doctor who was calmly asking his patient questions as he made notations on his clipboard. Lex winced, he hadn't really wanted to meet anyone from the Beanery.
"And what could you leg-press?" The doctor continued, ignoring the people who had entered the room.
"Did two-fifty reps, don't remember my max. Coach would know- he kept records." Lex almost sighed, this got better and better. Whitney Fordman, the one man he really didn't want to talk to right now.
"Mind if I call him?"
"Yeah, sure." The figure on the bed tiredly answered, shifted around, and called out, "dad?"
Lex sighed, "No. I haven't seen him."
"Lex?" Whitney asked, and the doctor turned.
"Mr. Luthor," the doctor covered his surprise, "I didn't know it was you."
Lex plastered a calm look over his face, it was getting easier every day. "It's all right. I just wanted to see if the plans for your temporary relocation to Smallville were going well."
"Fine, sir."
"Good." Lex replied. "Now, I have a flight, so I'll be off-" He turned to the teen, "you're looking better, Whitney." Which was true- last time he had seen the teen he had been bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds and was being loading into the back of a care-flight helicopter. But the young man still looked sick with his sheet-white face, IV in his arm, and oxygen hose running to his nose.
"Yeah, I guess." The teen sighed. "You know, I should thank you."
Lex shook his head, "No need- it's the least I can do-"
Whitney grimaced in pain, "No, the least you could do would have been to not have gone out that night."
He paused, and Lex felt compelled to mumble in the silence, "I didn't know…"
"Kansas State already called." Fordman replied. "Dad had to sign a paper releasing my medical condition. Then… they sent another form, asking me or my folks to release them from my scholarship. They claimed they didn't want to rush me, but they needed the release to sign-up my replacement."
Lex shook his head. "I'm certain you can try out next year."
Whitney sighed, looking out the window. "Yeah, well, it was my last chance to go to college."
The multi-millionaire winced. It was easy to forget not everyone could easily afford college tuition. But he was not going to offer to pay for this kid's school. Not after the medical tab he was already picking up. No, Lex Luthor was not going to give this kid the excuse to roll over and give up. Lex let his business poker-face fall over his features, ignoring his guilt for the moment. "Whitney Fordman," Lex replied, "I'm persuaded you can overcome this little setback."
The football player glared. "You're a real gentleman, letting me take your bullet."
Lex smirked. "If I was a real gentleman, I would have sat next to Lana that night and kept Clark away from her. I'm convinced that would have worked out well, her being right behind me."
Fordman glared, even as he swallowed hard, realizing that Lex Luthor was right- Lana could have been laying here, in this hospital bed.
"I'm confident," the bald man continued, "that she could have survived the experience as well as yourself." He narrowed his eyes. "I am sorry, Whitney. I didn't want this to happen. And I will do my best to insure that you receive the best possible care. But I can't change the past."
The football player dropped his eyes. "Nice words."
Lex sighed, "I know. I got an earful of them from Jonathan Kent. Something about stop feeling sorry for myself and fix what I could."
"Oh."
Lex turned, "Unfortunately, my plane awaits, so- doctor, Fordman, good day."
////
Down the hall, in the ICU unit, one Smallville shooting victim still lay in a coma. Brian Ranelle laid in his artificially induced coma, the doctors waiting for the swelling in his brain and spinal column to go down. Tubes and wires connected to his body, taking care of his every need and measuring his progress.
His family prayed for a good outcome, worried about the use of his legs and arms. The doctors had told them that there was damage. Its extent was still unknown.
Each beat of his heart was echoed by a faint pulse of green light from around his neck. Despite his injuries, his parents had insisted that he be allowed to wear his favorite necklace. Brian had always said it brought him luck during exams. It was made from meteorites cut and polished to shinny beads that were strung on a leather strap. His father had given him the necklace last year as a gift when he had passed the geology college correspondence course.
////
"Plans" Lionel whispered, looking out over his city from his penthouse. "Plans within plans. And what's mine is mine, and Alexander, what's yours… will be mine."
He took another sip of his excellent wine, looking over at his sleeping wife behind him. He frowned, 'probably passed out from drink' he thought. She had definitely been tipsy tonight. 'Ah well, it doesn't matter,' he thought, 'she was still enjoyable earlier, after I got her to agree to let the nurse have the brat.'
He turned back to the city. "Never underestimate a Luthor, boy."
Lex thought the bullets missed him? Maybe. But not the fallout. He'd make sure of that. That bald-headed freak would never become some golden-boy favored prince of the people now. "King of Crap" Lionel smirked. Oh no, Lex was about to experience a world-class smear campaign if he had anything to say to the media.
////
"CHLOE SULLIVAN, GET IN HERE!" Perry bellowed from his office, and Chloe cut across the newsroom. Billy smirked from his desk- as senior intern they had actually given him a desk, where Chloe had to share hers with two others.
"Yes sir?" Perry was sitting down, Danko across from him, standing in the back of the room with his arms crossed.
"Shut the door, sit down." He snapped.
Chloe did as she was told, brain racing to figure out what she could have done. Maybe it was another assignment?
"Now, you are young. And this is your first year. But you have to do better."
"Sir?" Chloe asked, confused. She had gotten to speak to the families in the hospital. Some of them had refused to speak to anyone else, it was a great scoop.
"Finally gotten to listen to your interview recording." Perry snorted, scowling. "What were you thinking?! You missed at least three good leads for good quotes!"
Chloe sunk into her chair, blinking at Mr. White's glare. She had messed up? What was he talking about? "Sir?" It was embarrassing how frightened she sounded.
"Look, kid." Perry leaned back, rubbing his face before continuing, "I won't mince words. We're not here to be Lex Luthor's friend. Those families are upset- their children have been shot, and it's all his fault. It won't take much for them to say that. I just need some solid quotes to that effect."
Chloe shook her head. "But, it's not his fault- he didn't-"
Perry leaned forward, face red. "I. Don't. Care." He said slowly, clearly. "That's what people think, that's what people want to hear, that's what is going to sell papers." He waved off her protests, "and before you get all over me about truth in journalism, quotes are people's opinions, what they think, what they feel. And that's the greatest truth there is. At least in a situation like this. People want to know what's going through the victim's heads. Get me that. You understand?"
Chloe nodded.
"Yeah, good. You and Danko are going back to Smallville. They're starting to move some of the victims out of the Metropolis hospitals. I want you to cover that." Perry pulled out a file, dumped it on his desk and began to read. He looked up, "You still here? Get going!"
Chloe jumped up, heading for the door.
"Kid!"
Chloe turned around the look at her boss, Perry.
"You got potential. Just take the gloves off- you're not here to make friends, you're here to be a reporter." He leaned back, "Or I'll put you with those 'fashion and society' columnists."
Chloe winced and gasped, "No sir! I mean, yes sir!"
Perry chuckled, waving her out.
////
Wayne manor was as dark, the night air twisting the curtains was Bruce walked the shadowed halls to his study.
"Sir?" Alfred asked, appearing soundlessly in front of his unsurprised employer.
Bruce waved a hand. "Nothing important Alfred, the Smallville team sent their report in this evening, and I wanted to compose my reply before going out tonight."
"Yes sir. If you don't need me here? There's some equipment I need to work on below if you're planning on going out."
"No, I'm fine. Just need to ask for some hard data. Apparently the Kents are considered to be far too productive workers on their farm for three people. I want to know what the team bases their conclusions on."
"Yes sir. Call if you need me."
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Author's Notes:
Several of you reviewed or wrote me last chapter about Lex ruling the world. IMHO, Lex sees himself as a businessman first, and he fully understands that if you own a large enough share of every single last market on the entire planet, you effectively rule the entire economy of the world. So, with all of his soon to be marketed alien tech, he's likely to control markets. Lots of them, maybe all of them.
Of course, he has to figure out how to protect and develop his new tech with the limited capitol at his disposal.
Also… Those of you who really love this fic. I've started a list called "Lex Redemptionists" where I post my chapters first, before fanfiction.net. So, if you want to join, maybe post your own fic, get my next chapter mailed straight to your inbox even if fanfiction.net isn't up and running, etc. feel free to join. It's currently a pretty low volume list, so not a lot of e-mails will jamb up your mailbox. Here's the addy:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LexRedemptionists/
