Chapter 14 – Back to Business
Lex sat in front of his computer and punched the mouse numerous times. He read about multiple projects that he was involved in and made lists. Kill this project, fund that project. He briefly looked up as Martha Kent sat at a makeshift desk he had set up for her across the office from him. She was now his right hand and appreciated all the help.
"I thought you guys could use some refreshment," Clark announced as he sat down the bag of takeout. His father was at the moment in Topeka and his mom had thrown herself into Lex's work to keep herself occupied.
"Thank you honey, I'm starving. Come on Lex, take a break." Lex picked a couple of folders up and sat down on the couch. He dialed for some dishes from the kitchen and proceeded to help Clark clear the coffee table.
"How's it going?"
Lex rubbed his forehead and halfway grunted, "It's a lot to take in but at least your mom has explained most of it to me in plain English. We've found a lot of waste in several projects that are just not useful." Lex stated in the old business tone that Clark had been so used to. "Thanks for lunch by the way." Lex continued eating while making notes in a file.
"Anything I can help with?"
"Well, can you tell me why in the world I still own a fertilizer plant? Of all the companies that my father owned and now I own, how am I still here. From what I've been reading the silver mine in South Africa or the opera house in New York would be more suitable place to live. No offense."
Martha and Clark laughed. "There was something here that you never left. You were even asked to leave Metropolis and you ended up staying. And recently it was a someone that seemed to make you stick around."
"Well, that's a non-issue now. By the way, Mrs. Kent, did we get the checks in for the sale?" She smiled and pulled the checks from a balance book and handed them to him. Looking at the other check, he thought about it. He now remembered the times whether on purpose or not he had tried to help Clark with Lana. He couldn't imagine that it had been some incredible ploy to destroy Clark and get the girl. Now he had someone and Clark still wanted the little brunette. "Hey, Clark, you could give this Lana the next time you see her. Remind her that the bank is going to probably hold it for about 30 days before depositing the money because of the amount."
"Why can't you give it to her?"
"I'm not exactly her favorite person right now and besides," Lex stopped and looked at Clark who had the same sheepish look on his face he did the night she was over at the house. "You need to apologize to her for whatever happened and make up. I bet she'll take you back if you're just honest with her."
Clark and Martha both stopped and mused at having the Lex from years ago back. They secretly wondered as his memories came back, would his personality change or was this new Lex permanent since his father wasn't there to influence it. "Thanks, I hope you're right," was all that Clark could come up with. "I have to get going but I'll see you soon Lex. Hey when's the big day?"
Lex looked up from his lunch and got up. Shaking Clark's hand as they headed for the door, he answered matter-of-factly, "I'm shooting for the end of the month. They got the Penthouse in Metropolis set up and ready for me. I just am working on the details for the grounds here and then will be getting out of here. Don't worry Clark, I'll be visiting – just make sure there's an empty pasture where I don't kill a cow with the helicopter." He slapped Clark on the back as he walked back into the office. He noticed Martha leaning over the computer in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"What's 33.1?" Lex sat down in the chair and opened the folder with Martha looking over his shoulder. Lex gaped as he opened each file that had pictures, videos, information for each person that was in the database. Martha looked closer, realizing that some of these were people that Clark had actually befriended and now Lex had locked up for his own use. "Bart?"
"Who? You know that boy?"
"Bart. He was a friend of Clark's that he met back last year. He ate me out of house and home, and then disappeared for the longest time. Guess we know where he has been now." Martha halfway stomped off to her desk and turned. "Lex, what were doing with these people?"
Martha was agitated and angry. "Mrs. Kent, I have no idea – I haven't regained that part of my memory but we could go and try to trigger it if you are interested in an adventure." Martha was amazed; Lex was suggesting that she join him to inspect a facility that Lex had obviously wanted to be top secret from how buried it was on his computer. Now, not having any memories, he left everything open and was allowing her of all people in.
"I guess. Let me call Jonathon and Clark and let them know we're running some business calls." Martha hated lying to her husband and her son but knew that if it was something that Lex had been working on previous to his accident, it was no where that Clark belonged. Lex waited for her to get her things together as he downloaded the information from the computer to his palm and escorted her out the door.
"Mr. Luthor, good evening. We were curious as to when you would return. I want you to know that everything that we had discussed before is in order." Lex nodded silently as Martha followed behind the two men. "I'm sorry to say that test subject #3342 isn't cooperating. We've had to restrain him." Lex continued following the man with his hands behind his back. Martha noticed that he had signaled her to follow closer to him just in case.
She noticed that he held his demeanor much like his old self but there was a more careful move to his step. He glanced back and mouthed, 'you ok?' as the scientist unlocked a metal door and waited for the two to enter. Looking down a long hallway, Martha took a deep breath and fakely smiled as Lex continued to listen to the scientist banter on.
"I want to see Bart."
"Sir, he's in solitary – he's our problem child so to speak." Lex looked at the man sternly and waited for a change in answer. "Very well. He's not real happy with you right now since you brought him in." Still without words Lex and Martha followed the man to a small room and opened the door.
Flipping the lights on, the boy shot up off the floor and launched at Lex. "Whoa!"
"You bastard – you let me out of here!" Bart screamed as two men restrained him and Lex pried himself off the padded wall.
"What happened?" Martha pushed past on the guards and saw that the guards restrain Bart as Lex rubbed his neck.
"Well, evidently I am not his favorite person and he attacked me." Lex continued rubbing his neck as Martha inspected the situation.
"Mrs. Kent?" Bart struggled to pull away from the guards. They let him loose after Lex waved them off, and Bart gently hugged Martha while still keeping a firm eye on Lex. "What are you doing working for him?" Bart scowled as he spoke.
"Bart you don't know. Lex had an accident and doesn't remember any of this. There's no recollection as to why you and the others are here. I saw you in the files that he had on the computer and figured that talking to a familiar face would help us."
Bart paced in between the two as the guards closely watched his every move. Squinting as to concentrate he listened as Lex tried to put the pieces of what he knew together. "Ok, your thugs picked me up in Gotham after I broke into another one of your factories and I ended up here with all these other freak shows. So, Mr. I have no memory, am I supposed to feel sorry for you or something? I mean you throw us all in here and then make us do weird stuff." Lex sat down on the small cot and listened to the boy rant about his treatment.
Martha sat and watched as Bart continued his tirade of the treatment of the people in the facility. "Bart, calm down and tell us what we can do."
"Let us all the hell out of here if you're so different now." Bart leaned against the wall as Lex dismissed the guards.
"Done, under one condition that has to be met by all of the people in the facility." Lex stood up and paced as he thought about what he was going to do.
"Yeah, you and your conditions. I remember you saying that I would go free once before and never got out. I've heard this before." Bart paced next to Lex as Martha watched the two. Never taking eyes off of each other, she wondered what Lex had up his sleeve.
Lex grabbed Bart by the shoulders and whipped him around to look at him. "You have to promise that you and all the others here stay the hell out of my business – I mean no more breaking into my plants or my house. Yeah, I heard you broke into the mansion before. That goes for everyone here. You think we can meet on those terms?"
"Yeah, so where's the dog collar that we all have to wear in order for you to keep an eye on us?"
Lex let go of Bart's shoulders and backed up. Putting his hands behind him, he shook his head. "No collar – just disappear." Bart watched Lex as he spoke. There was nothing vindictive about his voice like all the times before when he had visited the facility. "Deal?" Lex put his hand out to the teenager and waited. Even with the new outlook on life, he was a bit impatient still. His facial expression began to express frustration as Bart watched his every move and thought about his decision.
Putting his hand in Lex's, he shook and answered, "Ok." Bart dropped his hand and waited for something to happen. He felt that he was at least going to be fingerprinted or followed out the door.
"Doctor, I need those keys." The doctor looked at Lex and then at Bart. "Doctor? The keys now." He shook his head and quickly handed the ring of keys over to Lex who handed them to Bart. "Go." Bart stood in the cell with the keys in his hand and stared at Lex in astonishment. Glancing over at Martha, he smiled.
"Say hi to Clark for me – I'll see you around," he said as the red flash of light disappeared form the room. Lex watched as the kid disappeared.
"You think I did the right thing?" He looked at Martha for a reassuring smile. As she grabbed up her purse, she nodded in approval as they both could hear numerous people leaving the building as fast as they could. "Let's get out of here."
"Mr. Luthor?"
Lex turned and looked at the doctor and the guards that had gathered to see what they needed to do since his sudden change in the arrangements. "Oh, you're all relieved of your duties. And if any of this is ever heard of again whether print or otherwise, I will find you and discredit you before I personally deal with you. Clear?" The men's faces became fearful as they all shook their heads in a unison agreement with Lex. Pleased with the arrangements he had made, he and Martha left the facility.
"Mrs. Kent, could you please get a crew over here to demolish this plant. Let's turn it into…" She waited as Lex was lost for words. As he opened his car and they got in, he could still not come up with anything.
"How about a park? You could actually clean up some of this piping that hasn't been used and make something interesting for the kids and let the rest return to nature." Martha bit her lip as she saw Lex lift an eyebrow to her idea. She wasn't quite comfortable yet with dealing with Lex in this manner and from the look must have stepped over her bounds. They sat in silence for the longest time as she watched Lex inwardly talk to himself about fixing the situation.
"Make it happen." He turned and nodded as Martha smiled approvingly. "Mrs. Kent?"
Martha turned her head and looked as Lex kept his eyes on the road, careful not to look in her direction. "What is it? Anything else?"
She watched as Lex slightly bit his top lip and thought about his words carefully. "I want you to know I really appreciate all the help." Lex paused again. Stopping at the stop sign, he glanced over at her. He noticed how even though her hair was a brighter hue than his own mother's, they were still very similar. "You know Clark is very lucky to have a mom like you."
Martha leaned in and squeezed his forearm in silent reassurance. Lex put the car into park and the hazards on. Putting both hands on the steering wheel, he leaned his head between his arms and breathed. He felt Martha put her hand on his back, rubbing it in comfort. "Lex," she whispered.
"I miss her so much," Lex whimpered as he leaned into Martha's arms. "I just want to have…"
Martha sat Lex up in his seat, "You do…I'm right here. For you and Clark. It doesn't matter how old you are; I'm not taking her place, but I'm here whenever you need that shoulder." Lex swallowed in order to regain his composure and lightly smiled back at her.
"Thank you," he whispered as he put the car back into gear and took off to the mansion. Martha sat silent in the passenger seat and thought about having two grown sons.