It was a dark hallway lit by candles. The storm had blown the electrical
lines that powered the great mansion. Despite what had happened to Lex
earlier in his office, there wasn't a whole lot of damage done to his
Scottish Castle. Just a few rooms demolished.nothing that money couldn't
repair.
Lex walked down the stone stairwell that lead to the cellar. In olden times, it would have been called a dungeon. Here, he kept certain hobbies housed, as well as the car he crashed into a bridge and should've died in, had it not been for Clark. How he managed to survive still eluded him.
Lex arived in one of the chambers below the castle. He found some men and a couple women standing around. One of the men approached Lex. "This needs to be quick," he said. "I should go see how my daughter is doing in the hospital."
"Chloe's fine, Gabe," Lex said. "And she's not at the hospital."
Gabe Sullivan arched a eyebrow, wondering what Lex knew about his daughter that he didn't.
"The Kent Farm went up in flames," Lex explained. "And of course your daughter wanted to see it first hand."
Gabe bowed his head in relief and sighed. "That's Chloe," he said. "Always looking for the next major headline. I wish she wouldn't.She's gotten into so much trouble this past year alone. Thank goodness she's been alright, but her luck won't keep up forever."
"Don't worry, Mr. Sullivan," Lex said with a half-cocked smile. "Chloe's not like the other girls. She can manage on her own. Consider yourself lucky to have a daughter like that."
Lex turned and proceeded further into the room. He thought about the conversation he had with Chloe when they were sharing the same hospital room. He had told her and Pete that he was leaving to Metropolis. "You're the only one who can end your father's reign of terror..." she had told him. He had brushed off the comment at first but as the day went on, that phrase kept repeating itself over and over in his head. And then it clicked.
Lex remembered what he had once told his father. "You know what those emperors you're so fond of talking about were really afraid of? That their sons would become successful and return to Rome at the head of their own army."
"You think you can find your future in Smallville?" Lionel told his son. "I'm your future. Join me, Lex. Join me in Metropolis. How long have you been waiting to hear my say those words?"
"I've waited to hear other things from you for a lot longer," Lex had confessed. "I'll return to Metropolis when I'm ready."
"At the head of an army?"
Lionel had closed Lex's plant. What better way to dissolve an army than to burn ther headquarters to the ground. But what Lionel had forgotten was that rebels and revolutionalists were an underground society of conspiracy. Headquarters were merely a formality, not a neccessity. This was war. And as seemed so consistant throughout history, the rebels always won.
Lex almost fell into Lionel's trap of going back to Metropolis. He was going to set up base there, take his army with him. But after talking with Chloe, he knew it would be best to stay in Smallville, just outside his father's view. It'd also be best for the members of his rebellion, to stay rooted with their families. Chloe also convinced him of that.
Lex shook his head slightly. Clark was always too busy chasing after Lana that he didn't realize what a great girl he could have. Chloe was amazing. Lex didn't realize it until his conversation with her in the hospital. There was more to her, unlike most journalists and reporters. Lex sighed to himself. What am I thinking? he thought. Chloe's too young.
Lex took his place at the head of the room. There weren't any chairs for anyone to sit on. This meeting wouldn't take long. He hated beating around the bush, so he went straight to the point. "Welcome everyone. At our last meeting, we had decided begrudgingly that the first step in creating LuthorCorp would be to relocate to Metropolis. After some intense contemplation, I bring you a new proposal: We stay here in Smallville."
Lex looked out at the small crowd and saw everyone nod in approval and smile. He continued. "I figured out that heading back to Metroolis is exactly what my father wants and what my father wants, my father gets-until now. We're not going to succumb to his wishes and deceptions any longer."
The former LuthorCorp employees vocally agreed.
"We're going to show him that Smallville isn't the useless town he thinks it is. We're going to show him that the people here have values and needs that shouldn't be ignored!"
The small congregation began to cheer slightly.
"And most of all, we're going to show Lionel Luthor that actions don't go without punishment! We'll make him regret ever shutting down Plant Number Three!"
The group cheered again, louder. Gabe Sullivan, Lex's head trustee was standing next to him. "Sheesh, Lex. I've never seen anyone get peple to cheer like that with a speech since Kennedy was President."
Lex cocked a smile. "He's one of my idols."
Suddenly the crowd began to quiet down when a "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk," was heard. Lex turned to see the source of the noise, as did everyone else.
"It's quite disturbing when the hearts of the children turn away from that of their fathers," a sinister voice snickered.
Lex furrowed his eyebrows and squinted his eyes slightly, giving off his "hate" look. "Dad.How did you manage to get down all those stairs in a motorized wheelchair?" His voice was filled to the spilling point with despise.
Lionel Luthor pressed a button and his wheelchair moved forward. "Now, now Lex. I was the one ho had this castle shipped from Scotland and rebuilt here for your mother. I know the blueprints backwards and forwards. There are.other.ways of getting into the dungeon aside from stairs." He grinned evilly.
"I admire your ploy.Lex, but it won't work when no one will follow you."
Lex looked around the room. Did he not see the thirty-some-odd people who had willing gathered here?
"What are you talking about, Mr. Luthor?" Gabe asked. "We're no longer yours to order around."
Lionel grinned. "No. Indeed, you're not. But you've forgotten one.small.detail: I own all the banks here in Smallville." He glanced around the room, making eye contact with everyone there. "If any of you miss one tiny bill, if you miss it by one cent, I'll have your mortgages closed. And when Lex's little ploy fails, you'll all be out of jobs. Good luck finding another one without a home address. You''ll all be left out on the streets, begging for work. Work that I, personally, will make sure you never find."
The group went silent and grim. The idea that LexCorp wasn't such a good move kept cycling thru their heads. They had families to think about.
"Remember that," Lionel said, "before you go jumping in over your heads." And with the push of a button, he wheeled from the room.
Lex was left seething. He watched as one by one, his small rebellion left, abandoning him. Gabe turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Lionel's right. No one's going to follow suit after a threat like that."
"What about you, Gabe?" Lex asked. "Are you still with me?"
Gabe bowed his head then looked back up at the bald, young man. "I would. But I have to think about Chloe."
Chloe. Why was she everywhere Lex turned?
Lex walked down the stone stairwell that lead to the cellar. In olden times, it would have been called a dungeon. Here, he kept certain hobbies housed, as well as the car he crashed into a bridge and should've died in, had it not been for Clark. How he managed to survive still eluded him.
Lex arived in one of the chambers below the castle. He found some men and a couple women standing around. One of the men approached Lex. "This needs to be quick," he said. "I should go see how my daughter is doing in the hospital."
"Chloe's fine, Gabe," Lex said. "And she's not at the hospital."
Gabe Sullivan arched a eyebrow, wondering what Lex knew about his daughter that he didn't.
"The Kent Farm went up in flames," Lex explained. "And of course your daughter wanted to see it first hand."
Gabe bowed his head in relief and sighed. "That's Chloe," he said. "Always looking for the next major headline. I wish she wouldn't.She's gotten into so much trouble this past year alone. Thank goodness she's been alright, but her luck won't keep up forever."
"Don't worry, Mr. Sullivan," Lex said with a half-cocked smile. "Chloe's not like the other girls. She can manage on her own. Consider yourself lucky to have a daughter like that."
Lex turned and proceeded further into the room. He thought about the conversation he had with Chloe when they were sharing the same hospital room. He had told her and Pete that he was leaving to Metropolis. "You're the only one who can end your father's reign of terror..." she had told him. He had brushed off the comment at first but as the day went on, that phrase kept repeating itself over and over in his head. And then it clicked.
Lex remembered what he had once told his father. "You know what those emperors you're so fond of talking about were really afraid of? That their sons would become successful and return to Rome at the head of their own army."
"You think you can find your future in Smallville?" Lionel told his son. "I'm your future. Join me, Lex. Join me in Metropolis. How long have you been waiting to hear my say those words?"
"I've waited to hear other things from you for a lot longer," Lex had confessed. "I'll return to Metropolis when I'm ready."
"At the head of an army?"
Lionel had closed Lex's plant. What better way to dissolve an army than to burn ther headquarters to the ground. But what Lionel had forgotten was that rebels and revolutionalists were an underground society of conspiracy. Headquarters were merely a formality, not a neccessity. This was war. And as seemed so consistant throughout history, the rebels always won.
Lex almost fell into Lionel's trap of going back to Metropolis. He was going to set up base there, take his army with him. But after talking with Chloe, he knew it would be best to stay in Smallville, just outside his father's view. It'd also be best for the members of his rebellion, to stay rooted with their families. Chloe also convinced him of that.
Lex shook his head slightly. Clark was always too busy chasing after Lana that he didn't realize what a great girl he could have. Chloe was amazing. Lex didn't realize it until his conversation with her in the hospital. There was more to her, unlike most journalists and reporters. Lex sighed to himself. What am I thinking? he thought. Chloe's too young.
Lex took his place at the head of the room. There weren't any chairs for anyone to sit on. This meeting wouldn't take long. He hated beating around the bush, so he went straight to the point. "Welcome everyone. At our last meeting, we had decided begrudgingly that the first step in creating LuthorCorp would be to relocate to Metropolis. After some intense contemplation, I bring you a new proposal: We stay here in Smallville."
Lex looked out at the small crowd and saw everyone nod in approval and smile. He continued. "I figured out that heading back to Metroolis is exactly what my father wants and what my father wants, my father gets-until now. We're not going to succumb to his wishes and deceptions any longer."
The former LuthorCorp employees vocally agreed.
"We're going to show him that Smallville isn't the useless town he thinks it is. We're going to show him that the people here have values and needs that shouldn't be ignored!"
The small congregation began to cheer slightly.
"And most of all, we're going to show Lionel Luthor that actions don't go without punishment! We'll make him regret ever shutting down Plant Number Three!"
The group cheered again, louder. Gabe Sullivan, Lex's head trustee was standing next to him. "Sheesh, Lex. I've never seen anyone get peple to cheer like that with a speech since Kennedy was President."
Lex cocked a smile. "He's one of my idols."
Suddenly the crowd began to quiet down when a "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk," was heard. Lex turned to see the source of the noise, as did everyone else.
"It's quite disturbing when the hearts of the children turn away from that of their fathers," a sinister voice snickered.
Lex furrowed his eyebrows and squinted his eyes slightly, giving off his "hate" look. "Dad.How did you manage to get down all those stairs in a motorized wheelchair?" His voice was filled to the spilling point with despise.
Lionel Luthor pressed a button and his wheelchair moved forward. "Now, now Lex. I was the one ho had this castle shipped from Scotland and rebuilt here for your mother. I know the blueprints backwards and forwards. There are.other.ways of getting into the dungeon aside from stairs." He grinned evilly.
"I admire your ploy.Lex, but it won't work when no one will follow you."
Lex looked around the room. Did he not see the thirty-some-odd people who had willing gathered here?
"What are you talking about, Mr. Luthor?" Gabe asked. "We're no longer yours to order around."
Lionel grinned. "No. Indeed, you're not. But you've forgotten one.small.detail: I own all the banks here in Smallville." He glanced around the room, making eye contact with everyone there. "If any of you miss one tiny bill, if you miss it by one cent, I'll have your mortgages closed. And when Lex's little ploy fails, you'll all be out of jobs. Good luck finding another one without a home address. You''ll all be left out on the streets, begging for work. Work that I, personally, will make sure you never find."
The group went silent and grim. The idea that LexCorp wasn't such a good move kept cycling thru their heads. They had families to think about.
"Remember that," Lionel said, "before you go jumping in over your heads." And with the push of a button, he wheeled from the room.
Lex was left seething. He watched as one by one, his small rebellion left, abandoning him. Gabe turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Lionel's right. No one's going to follow suit after a threat like that."
"What about you, Gabe?" Lex asked. "Are you still with me?"
Gabe bowed his head then looked back up at the bald, young man. "I would. But I have to think about Chloe."
Chloe. Why was she everywhere Lex turned?