Two Epilogues
There
They presented the body to Chloe's uncle outside the hospital. All of his troops were arranged behind him in perfect formation. He took it formally, and had a special guard of soldiers ready to carry her into a nearby helicopter with all the dignity they could manage. Lex stood in the front of their group with Pete and Tina close behind him. Chloe trailed in the rear, with Joseph following after her. He seemed quiet and withdrawn. Whatever Clark had shared with him had clearly unsettled him and he appeared to be doing some serious thinking.
As they loaded the body into the helicopter, Lex asked, "Where will you take her?"
"Research facility, most like," General Lane responded.
"You won't learn anything from her. My father's people never could."
"I don't doubt it, but it will keep them occupied for a while."
Lex smiled and nodded. "That she will. Well, what about the rest of us? What other orders do you have?"
"I'm supposed to arrest any LuthorCorp employees that I see on sight," he admitted slowly.
"A wise decision," Lex said. "What about LexCorp employees?"
General Lane fixed him with a suspicious look. He wasn't the only one. "What in the hell are you talking about?"
"LexCorp. It's an emerging company," he said with a straight face. "Very small at the moment. Only a handful of employees that I know of."
"And I wonder who's the head of it," Lane growled.
"Well it does have my name attached to it."
"Lex, if you think a little technicality is going to stop any of this..."
"Of course not, but it makes a nice cover story," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small disk, "for this."
Lane eyed the disk like it was a venomous snake. "What are you trying to pull here, boy?"
"Show it to your bosses and then tell them about LexCorp. I'm sure they'll be very interested at that point." He smiled disingenuously at the General and slipped the disk into his shirt pocket. Chloe fought back a laugh as she saw her uncle turn three shades of red. Finally, he shook his head and stalked off, heading towards the helicopters.
"Lex, what was on that?" Pete asked slowly as soon as Lane was out of earshot.
"You remember when I said I got rid of all of my father's secrets?" he asked, grinning broadly.
"Oh, you didn't!" Chloe laughed, grinning broadly.
"Well, I got rid of most of them. I think that's the most anyone could expect me to do. Having a little insurance is always a good thing after all."
"What about this LexCorp?" Pete asked again. "Are you serious about all of this?"
Lex looked up, a funny look coming over his face. He rubbed his shaved head for a moment, apparently thinking of what to say. "I think I am. I want to try what Clark suggested. And besides, I'm still rich, aren't I? What else am I going do with all that money?"
"And those employees you mentioned?" Chloe asked. "They wouldn't be..."
"Chloe," he said expansively, "welcome to the first day of the rest of your life. I can promise you a six figure salary and full benefits for starters. Don't worry about any responsibilities. We'll figure out something for you to do eventually." She laughed and clapped her hands. Lex smiled at her and then looked over her shoulder.
Joseph was standing apart from them, looking out as the sun started to rise. He seemed confused and lost as he stared at it. He noticed them looking and shrugged, going back to studying the sunrise. "I've never seen a real one," he said quietly.
Lex nodded and smiled gently at him. "Joseph, how would you like to stay with us for a while?" he asked. "We can help you get used to this world, to get caught up on what you missed."
Joseph turned and stared at it, his one eye wide with surprise. "I don't know..." he said quietly, clearly put off by the offer.
"I want to help you, Joseph. I owe you a great deal, after all. A great deal," his voice trailed off as Lex looked at him. "If you'd let me, I'd like to start making it up to you."
Joseph hesitated, at a loss for words. "Say yes, you big idiot," Chloe told him, rolling her eyes. He looked at her and then shrugged and nodded.
"Welcome to the team," Lex said quietly as he reached out and shook his hand. Joseph looked around at them and then started to smile hesitantly. For some reason, that seemed to Chloe like the perfect way to start the morning.
There
They presented the body to Chloe's uncle outside the hospital. All of his troops were arranged behind him in perfect formation. He took it formally, and had a special guard of soldiers ready to carry her into a nearby helicopter with all the dignity they could manage. Lex stood in the front of their group with Pete and Tina close behind him. Chloe trailed in the rear, with Joseph following after her. He seemed quiet and withdrawn. Whatever Clark had shared with him had clearly unsettled him and he appeared to be doing some serious thinking.
As they loaded the body into the helicopter, Lex asked, "Where will you take her?"
"Research facility, most like," General Lane responded.
"You won't learn anything from her. My father's people never could."
"I don't doubt it, but it will keep them occupied for a while."
Lex smiled and nodded. "That she will. Well, what about the rest of us? What other orders do you have?"
"I'm supposed to arrest any LuthorCorp employees that I see on sight," he admitted slowly.
"A wise decision," Lex said. "What about LexCorp employees?"
General Lane fixed him with a suspicious look. He wasn't the only one. "What in the hell are you talking about?"
"LexCorp. It's an emerging company," he said with a straight face. "Very small at the moment. Only a handful of employees that I know of."
"And I wonder who's the head of it," Lane growled.
"Well it does have my name attached to it."
"Lex, if you think a little technicality is going to stop any of this..."
"Of course not, but it makes a nice cover story," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small disk, "for this."
Lane eyed the disk like it was a venomous snake. "What are you trying to pull here, boy?"
"Show it to your bosses and then tell them about LexCorp. I'm sure they'll be very interested at that point." He smiled disingenuously at the General and slipped the disk into his shirt pocket. Chloe fought back a laugh as she saw her uncle turn three shades of red. Finally, he shook his head and stalked off, heading towards the helicopters.
"Lex, what was on that?" Pete asked slowly as soon as Lane was out of earshot.
"You remember when I said I got rid of all of my father's secrets?" he asked, grinning broadly.
"Oh, you didn't!" Chloe laughed, grinning broadly.
"Well, I got rid of most of them. I think that's the most anyone could expect me to do. Having a little insurance is always a good thing after all."
"What about this LexCorp?" Pete asked again. "Are you serious about all of this?"
Lex looked up, a funny look coming over his face. He rubbed his shaved head for a moment, apparently thinking of what to say. "I think I am. I want to try what Clark suggested. And besides, I'm still rich, aren't I? What else am I going do with all that money?"
"And those employees you mentioned?" Chloe asked. "They wouldn't be..."
"Chloe," he said expansively, "welcome to the first day of the rest of your life. I can promise you a six figure salary and full benefits for starters. Don't worry about any responsibilities. We'll figure out something for you to do eventually." She laughed and clapped her hands. Lex smiled at her and then looked over her shoulder.
Joseph was standing apart from them, looking out as the sun started to rise. He seemed confused and lost as he stared at it. He noticed them looking and shrugged, going back to studying the sunrise. "I've never seen a real one," he said quietly.
Lex nodded and smiled gently at him. "Joseph, how would you like to stay with us for a while?" he asked. "We can help you get used to this world, to get caught up on what you missed."
Joseph turned and stared at it, his one eye wide with surprise. "I don't know..." he said quietly, clearly put off by the offer.
"I want to help you, Joseph. I owe you a great deal, after all. A great deal," his voice trailed off as Lex looked at him. "If you'd let me, I'd like to start making it up to you."
Joseph hesitated, at a loss for words. "Say yes, you big idiot," Chloe told him, rolling her eyes. He looked at her and then shrugged and nodded.
"Welcome to the team," Lex said quietly as he reached out and shook his hand. Joseph looked around at them and then started to smile hesitantly. For some reason, that seemed to Chloe like the perfect way to start the morning.