Part Three: Little Lex

Now Mild-Superman became the cynical one, raising an eyebrow. Nerd-Clark looked shocked, Dad-Superman very annoyed.

"You're Lex Luthor?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not an evil Lex Luthor. Obviously!" He looked around (and up) at each of them as he smiled. "With help from Dr. Walter Bishop, I developed a way to see into other worlds. I've watched all of you. Not all at once, of course! Just one at a time, a little at a time." With a big broad smile, he stretched out his skinny arms. "And now I've gathered you all together in one place to learn even more about you."

"Assuming you're not actually evil, nice to meet you," Slick-Superman said.

"You've brought us here against our will," Clark griped.

"Away from our loved ones."

"Our lives."

"And school."

"Not very polite, Mr. Lu-thor."

The little fellow seemed not to hear. "I've so enjoyed watching each of you at home on your world. And now talking and relating to each other here! You avoided conflict. Well, of course you would! You are Superman, aren't you? Each one of you!" He threw up tiny hands. "What joy, what fun watching you all, hearing from you!"

Slick-Superman whispered to Clark. "So this is the famous Lex Lu-thor."

"Not the one I know."

Slick-Superman folded his arms as he gave the little fellow a testy look. "What is it exactly you want, Mr. Lu-thor?"

The red-haired man laughed. "It's not 'Lu-thor' but Luther. Like Martin."

Clark made a face. "So you founded the Protestant church?"

Once again, he laughed. "Nothing quite that noteworthy, Clark. I've simply gathered you from different worlds and brought you together." Lex pointed his hands together. "Now you are part of my Superman collection."

The smile was friendly enough but, for Clark, the words were slightly ominous.

"Superman collection?" Clark said with a frown.

"Yes, what do you mean by that?" a testy Slick-Superman asked.

"It doesn't sound good," Mild said. '

"Not good at all," from Dad.

"All you want is an autograph, I hope," Nerd-Clark mumbled.

Once again, Lex threw his red-haired head back and laughed but it was a friendly enough laugh.

"That was perhaps a poor choice of words. I won't keep you here or put you on exhibit. I'm not the Collector or that fellow who took Data from the 'Enterprise.'" He settled back in an egg-shaped chair which rose from the floor. "No, no. I just want you to talk to each other, just as you have been doing." He leaned forward with the broadest of smiles. "Just talk! You've been doing great so far."

"Great," Clark murmured.

They all stared for a while, each one making his own kind of face. Finally, Clark broke the silence.

"My Lex had red hair once. But-"

"You're not like any Lex Luthor I know," Mild-Superman sounded mild even when he insisted on something. And interrupted.

Android-Superman tilted his head. "How many Lex Luthors do you know?" Mild-Superman responded with a sour look.

The android shot a light out of his chest. "Here is the Lex Luthor from your world. Note that he is fairly normal-looking, at least compared to these others."

The android projected other images onto a nearby monitor. Most of the men were bald, most were scowling, some were smirking. Some wore visors and armor. Some wore suits. One had tussled brown hair. He wore an old-fashioned tan plaid suit with a dark brown ascot.

Little Lex thrust out both tiny hands, much like a magician doing a trick. "What do you think of my android?"

"He's quite the tour guide," Clark said. He turned to his associates. "Guys, are any of you having trouble with this other worlds thing?"

"A little," Nerd-Clark said.

"No, not really," Mild- and Dad-Superman said in unison.

"Jinx!" Lex shouted.

"I've seen a lot of strange things, son." Slick had his hands on his hips again.

Lex clapped his tiny hands. "Yes, yes! This is what I want. For you to talk and relate. Just like you have been doing. Which I have so enjoyed!"

"Glad you enjoyed the show," Clark said. "Can we go now?"

"First, all of you, tell me what you think of my android."

They all studied the android as he stood very still with a placid look on his face. A face that Clark assumed was artificial.

"It's a little off in some ways," Clark said. "The smile. What it has to say."

"The way it talks," Mild said.

Lex waved his hands as he smiled his Verne Troyer smile. "Oh, yes! He does say unusual things. I've programmed him with lots of pop culture references and Superman lore. A lot of Superman stuff from the comic books."

Clark made a face, the others along with him. "Comic books? You mean like 'Warrior Angel?'"

"Yes, yes, precisely! Oh, you are very smart, Clark. Yes, indeed!" As Little Lex smiled up at him, he touched Clark on the back of his right hand, about the only location he could reach. "They read all about you on Earth Prime."

Now Mild-Superman made a face as he inquired mildly. "What's….Earth Prime?"

Little Lex laughed as he waddled over to Mild-Superman.

"Believe it or not, it's a world without superheroes!" He waved his tiny hands. "But there are people there who pick up messages from other worlds. The worlds where you live! So they write comic books and make TV shows and movies about you!" Up went the hands. "Superman! And Clark Kent!"

They all looked at each other. The Superman android spoke up.

"The Justice League on Earth-One would team up with the Justice Society of Earth-Two. They did that annually."

"In the comic books," Lex added. "In the 1970's."

"My time," Nerd-Clark noted. "But I've never met any Justice League or Justice Society. Not that I would mind. I'm sure they're great people."

"Oh, yes!" Lex said.

Android Superman nodded as he assumed a cordial smile, a smile that, to Clark, was way off.

"One time, the Justice League and the Justice Society teamed up with the Legion of Super-Heroes. And Earth Prime was destroyed in the Cuban Missile Crisis."

"Don't worry," Little Lex said with a nervous chuckle. "Everything got worked out."

"Glad to hear that," Nerd-Clark said.

"Yeah, that's a relief," Clark said.

"It certainly is," Slick-Superman said.

"You bet, by golly," Nerd-Clark said. Dad and Mild just looked at him.

"I saw enough of worlds being destroyed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths," Dad-Superman said.

"This is all very interesting," Mild-Superman said.

"Or not," Clark said.

Briefly, Mild-Superman shot Clark a look then he turned back to Lex. "What can we help you with, Mr. Luthor? Lex."

"Oh! Not much! I just wanted to meet with all of you!"

"Nice meeting you," Clark said dryly. "'Bye now."

Little Lex laughed. "Oh, Clark! No, no. Surely you can do better than that. I just want all of you to share a little."

"We have."

"Share a little more!"

Dad-Superman raised a cynical eyebrow. "You mean, like a Superman support group?"

Clark raised his hand. "Hi, I'm Clark Kent, and I'm….pretty sick of all this."

"I'm with you, Clark."

"You're very cynical, Clark. Why not just do what the little guy asks?"

Mild-Superman shrugged. "I agree"

"Thank you, Superman! And you, too, other-Superman! You're very polite and very open-minded." Lex tilted his head up. "Exactly what I would expect from a Superman!"

"Don't encourage him," Clark muttered, giving Mild-Superman a look of his own.

Lex waved those tiny hands again. "Please, please! Stay a while. Talk a while. Then you are free to go."

"Barring any unforeseen event, of course," Android-Superman said. Clark noted how he talked in a stiff lifeless manner, even more than before. Was the thing running out of power? Had it been hacked maybe?

"We must be constantly on the lookout for any possible danger," the android said.

Little did they know they were being watched. And the one watching was not friendly.