AN: Well, finally!

Crazy muse.

***
Lex was genuinely fascinated by the creature that had attacked him. It didn't hurt that the figure somehow seemed tied in with the meteors. It was a real nuisance that there wasn't any place in the factory labs where he could study him. Instead, he'd have to keep him locked up in the castle and figure out what he could improvise.

If the attempt to kill him hadn't been quite so thorough, he'd have suspected it was another intellectual challenge his father was sending him. As it was, he couldn't rule out the possibility that it was a plain and simple challenge. At least, if Luthors ever did anything that was plain and simple.

It took both him and Lana to haul the figure to its feet. Not that he was resisting, but rather, a genuine dead weight. Was there a possibility that if he failed in his mission he would self-destruct? He was fairly certain that his attacker was at least partially human--it would explain the "neither" to his question about whether he was human or robotic and he appeared to be sweating and in genuine pain.

"Lex, are you sure that you just don't want to call the police?" Lana had interpreted his contemplation as reconsidering.

He shook his head, which he found wasn't appreciably better for his throat than speaking, and led the way out of the room.

By the time that they got him downstairs, his attacker was showing even more signs of distress. If just the necklace was enough to knock him off balance, Lex wondered, perhaps the number of pieces that he'd put right against his skin was going to be literally overkill. He certainly didn't want that.

Lana's eyes were widening as they entered the dungeon area, and Lex couldn't help smirking. "You could make a fortune renting this place out by the hour," she finally commented, taking in the atmosphere.

"Talon 2?" It wasn't that the dungeon was equipped--far from it, the only furnishings were carved in the walls and the disconcertingly anachronistic electric lighting. It gave the dungeon an air of simple utility that was somehow more perturbing than if there had been manacles and racks and Iron Maidens scattered about. It had never bothered Lex before now.

He wondered if it was Lana's presence. No, that wasn't it, though bemused, she was taking it in stride. He realized what it was. The resemblance to his unexpected visitor. No frills, nothing but his intent to kill, following whatever code it had been given.

***

Lana reminded herself that Lex's intense scientific scrutiny of whatever caught his interest was part of why she loved him. But like so many of those traits, it also made her want to shake him. He was looking at the man-thing-whatever that had tried to crush his throat as though it were a predicted earnings report. But then, maybe that's what he thought the thing was.

He was even starting to unwind the duct tape and take away all but two of the meteor shards. "Lex."

"I know what I'm doing," he croaked.

"So do I. You're doing something incredibly dangerous. Now let's figure out who sent it and what it is and why, and then stop it." It was strange to be in a relationship with a hard-headed businessman and so often find herself being the practical one.

"Okay." He gave her a look of overtly feigned meekness as he backed out of the cell where they'd put the attacker and tested the lock again. Again, a wave of exasperated tenderness came over her.

"Upstairs."