Chapter 52 [LuthorCorp—Three Hours Later]

Lionel stood at a podium as another news conference wrapped up. He kept a straight face and even tone while addressing the reporters. He denied any involvement in potential kidnapping and terrorist activities. He smoothed over potential concerns vis a vis Lex and the Kents. Much as the serpent had tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, his silver tongue disemboweled the protests and negative sentiment.

With his last answer, he surveyed the audience. "Thank you all for coming. It's a pleasure. I…." He stopped cold and stared.

At the back of the room, a slender brown haired man arched an eyebrow at him from the shadows. He waved sarcastically at the billionaire adding a snarky smirk for emphasis. His eyes flashed yellow at him. Then he melted away into the shadows leaving only some slight wisps of smoke in his wake.

No! Lionel struggled to maintain the mask. Inside his guts, already churning from the defeat at the hands of Clark and the other teens, flared with Indignation's fire. He'd dealt with that problem fifteen years earlier….

…or so he thought….

It can't be him. He's dead. He motioned to his security. "Did you see a dark haired man by the potted plant in the corner?"

"No, Sir. We'll check the cameras again. Would you like us to call your office when we get anything?" his chief replied.

"Please do. Thank you, Haskins. Your help is very much appreciated," Lionel expressed before pressing through the media throng. He held up his hands while using 'no comment' as a scalpel to carve his way toward the door. He straightened his tie while walking across the cold emotionless tile toward the elevators beyond. The hairs on the back of his neck rose.

In the shadows, a pair of crimson spots floated for a second before melting away again.

This is a heinous trick! Lex! Somehow this is YOUR doing! He pressed the elevator's call button and waited for the doors to open. Once he got to his office, he would be safe. He rode the elevator to the penthouse in relative peace.

Then Lex would get a piece of his mind….

His cell phone went off. "Yes, Haskins?"

"Sir, there's nothing at the moment. However the temperature in the room did show a brief fluctuation. So did the hallway when you passed through." The security chief stopped himself at suggesting a ghost knowing what his boss would say. "We're calling for a tech to check into that."

"Yes. Please do that, Haskins. Thank you," Lionel concluded as the elevator opened into the hallway adjacent to his office door. As with every time he stepped out of it, he left it locked and secured. He stopped again.

The door swayed ever so slightly ajar. A light peeked out under it drawing its resident inward much as a moth flew toward the candle. He peered inside toward his desk and saw nothing amiss. The window allowed sunlight to stream into the post-modernistically decorated sanctum. He stepped in and shut the door allowing himself to exhale in uncharacteristic relief. He stormed over to his desk and dialed his son's number.

"Hey, Dad. Your ears burning? I was just on my way. Imagine that," Lex scoffed while answering the phone.

Lionel composed himself before retorting, "It would seem you've already been here. You embarrassed us at a major press conference. Whoever your friend was, he's a dead man when I find him."

Lex arched an eyebrow. "Get real, Dad. I've been back in Smallville dealing with your goon squad. Until an hour ago, they had the mansion. They did a number on the Talon and the Kent Farm. How would I be able to dodge bullets, scramble without a home base and set a plan in motion like that? Right. What did he look like? Next thing you'll be saying that he was slender built with dark brown hair, a glowing scar on his right hand and gave you the eyebrow in that press conference."

Lionel stared at the phone.

"Hey, Dad, I'm waiting for that witty rejoinder, you know?" Lex supposed.

"How did you know? That's exactly what happened!" Lionel hissed.

Lex parked in his usual parking space at the tower's base. He considered the last words. "Ghosts bothering you now? I…" His eyes went wide. "Shit! Dad, we'll be there in five minutes." He hung up.

Lionel disconnected the call and slowly set the phone down on the desk. He got up and paced about the room. He tapped his fingers on the desk trying to get his nerves under control. "This isn't a joke! Whoever you are!"

The intruder stepped out of the shadows reading from a dog eared mahogany tome. "With us it never is. Is it?" He clapped the work shut. "Uncle Lieonel."

"Dubois." The industrialist glared in icy contempt at his former partner's oldest son. He'd heard the stories about how his land deal had turned horribly wrong…. "Lillian humored you. I never did."

"You were never worthy of her. The only thing you were good at was smearing the manure on thick. Some afternoon, Lionel. You commit domestic terrorism again. You think you're God, don't you? Because of your money. Always because of your damn money!"

"That money which paid for your education. You seem to forget that, David," Lionel reminded him scornfully.

"Yeah that. An education devoted to dealing with this maybe?" He raised his right hand revealing the glowing emerald scar. "Funny what hanging out at the Talon this afternoon did. Gave me just the right amount of pep. I thought I was going to have to make an appearance. Miri and her friends did me proud today in kicking the crap out of your Grade-ZZ goon squad." Dave shook his head. "I told you to keep your hands off my niece and her friends. You really think you could attack that theater and I wouldn't know? Thanks to you, I'm tied to it, Asshole!"

"You need help," Lionel dissed.

"I've had a lifetime of that, you Jackass. No thanks. Like that crazy samurai creep you sent after me? He took Miranda and put her through Hell thanks to you. I'm glad she has her friends now. One day, Lionel, I will find that bastard and let him out." Dave shrugged. "You really need to do something about those sweaty palms, Lie Boy. I even brought you a bottle of your favorite single malt. Can't have you thinking I want to kill you or anything. Thank the wife. She asked me to restrain myself." He motioned toward the desk. "Check the top left hand drawer. The bottle's in there."

Lionel stared in shock at the interloper. "You probably poisoned it."

Dave sighed. "A pussy maneuver like that is on your level. If I wanted to kill you, I'd just do it. You aren't worth it." He turned toward the door. "Well now. Seems we have company." He saw the door slam open to reveal a frantic Lex and Patricia rushing in with a full security detail. "Hi, Alex. Long time no see."

"Dave?" Lex stared incredulously at the other man. He'd never bought the stories of the former's death. Still he never thought that the man he considered to be a brother would reappear like this either. "What is this?"

"Just reminding Uncle LieBoy to stay out of the Talon in addition to my niece and our friends. He's caused enough people to die," Dave assured the two newcomers. "Who's she?"

"Lex, call security! We need to have him arrested!" Lionel contradicted.

"Lex, I agree with him," Patricia insisted.

"Him first, Lex," Dave disagreed. "I haven't laid a hand on him or anyone else today." He regarded the security detail with a frank anxiousness. He rubbed his forehead to deal with the numbness. "Tell them to split or he's coming out."

"Sir?" Hawkins queried.

Lex put his hand up. "Stand down, all of you. He's right. Last thing any of us want today is another fight involving LuthorCorp. Hawkins, take your men and go back downstairs. Trust me. You shoot him. You get a real redefining of total darkness. Go now!"

Lionel waved them off. When the lackeys had retreated, he considered the remaining trio. "I told Arighatto to make sure."

"And now he admits it!" Dave shuddered and spasmed. Snarls hissed from the corners of his mouth. His right eye closed.

"Lex, he's sick! We really…" Patricia urged.

"For the love of God, stay back! I…." Lex pushed Patricia back toward the door. Then he pointed at his father. "Dad, stand there and shut up. Not another word." He approached the suffering man knowing full well about the transformation which had just happened. "Ya there?"

"Ah'm 'ere, Lexie Boy." The retort, a low guttural tone sounding like a southerner gargling gravel, kissed their ears with a fearful rejoinder. "Auntie hated t'is! Ya know THA'!" He rose to his full height; his open left eye glowing crimson red. "Damn piece of crap t'ere usin' everythin'!"

"And yet you can't hurt him. Mom wouldn't like that," Lex countered. "Arighatto…Hansei Arighatto? That would mean…." His eyes went wide. "Miranda? She's your niece?"

"Ooh he gits it!" His eye narrowed while peering at Patricia. "Quit it! Ain't gonna hurt ya! Ya helped today at..farm…with rocks…"

She stared at him. "How did you…? We saw nobody else!"

"Ah was watchin'! AH'M ALWAYS WATCHIN'!" the Dark Other spat. "Lexie, keep 'im un'er wraps. Need ta git back." He pointed with his finger at Lionel. "Ah'm better than ya o' yer crap, LieBoy! Damn twit!" With that, he disappeared in a dark flash.

Lex rubbed his head while feeling a bit out of sorts. "And now Dave comes back after all of that. Worse he could've stepped into that mess. I need a drink. You want me to pour, Dad?"

"Lex, we were just threatened and you're pouring drinks?" Patricia wondered.

Lex took out three glasses and doled out ice in each one. Then he poured from the gift bottle and sniffed it. "Rothchild's. Damn. He remembered your favorite, Dad." He sampled a few sips from his glass. "Tastes okay." He handed them both a glass apiece. "Take the edge off before I get to my own salvo."

"Your own what? Lex!" Lionel protested. "That goddamn bastard just broke into my office! He threatened us!"

"Funny he didn't threaten Patricia or me. Have to say the resurrection trick was a hell of a feat though." Lex finished his drink. "And he's right. If anyone was going to be arrested today, it's you not him, me or anybody else. You talk of threats yet your men stormed into my home and those of my friends. You tried to steal what wasn't yours. That's what makes Dave and his inner kid tick! We're damn lucky he didn't choose to intervene especially at the Talon today. If anyone deserves peace, it's him. Patricia, I'll tell you the whole story if you want on the way back."

"Do embellish it with the tales of that witch, Lex. It makes for great theater," Lionel scoffed sarcastically.

"Maybe I should, Dad. Or maybe how that same witch killed Mom and Janet too?" Lex shook his head. "Stay away from the Kents if you're smart, Dad. I'd say the same about Smallville. If he could survive that thug of yours, imagine what he'd do to you if he really lost it. I'm with him on that one. You call him sick. You're the sick one." He turned toward her. "Come on. We're done here."

"We are? Lex, we haven't talked…." She glanced toward Lionel and then him.

"Dave said everything perfectly well. Come on. Dinner's on me. Then we can talk. See ya, Dad. Might want to get some better security," Lex concluded while leading her from the room.

Lionel shuddered with indignant rage. He recalled the two decades of Dubois' impertinence and disrespect. He stewed over the whole scene saving the Talon from destruction. He now had the failed assassination and a years long kidnapping to deal with.

Seems the pot kept boiling over where Lionel was concerned….