HELLO! See, I'm not dead! So terribly sorry this took so long to update. My family has had a bit of a weird year and I lost a bit of my motivation to write for awhile, but I'm working on it. To make up for it, here's an extra long chapter! :)
And special thank you to PrincessNefertankh for the beta!
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The Beanery wasn't the nicest coffee shop Peyton had ever visited, but it was the only one she managed to find in Smallville so she couldn't exactly be picky. And the coffee was good enough, she supposed. Not quite up to the standards of the coffee at Lex's mansion, obviously, but pleasant. Mostly she enjoyed a change in scenery while she worked on formatting correspondence. It wasn't a demanding task, not in the same way that her job back home was, with strict deadlines, intensive detail, and bullying bosses.
Peyton took a sip of her coffee and corrected the margin size for the letter. They had templates for these things, and people still managed to get the layout wrong.
"Oh, hey? Peyton, right?"
Peyton looked up to be met with a mess of spikey blonde hair and a friendly smile.
"Hi, yes. And you're... Chloe?"
Chloe grinned, seemingly pleased that Peyton remembered her name, and she dropped her backpack in the seat across from Peyton as she adjusted her hold on her own cup of coffee.
"Yeah. Um, do you mind if I sit? I swear I don't think I can function until I have at least a quarter of this thing in me."
Peyton eased her laptop closed with an affirmative response, spurred by curiosity. Clearly Chloe was attempting to start up a conversation, though Peyton wasn't sure why. She didn't exactly have a lot in common with high schoolers, nor did she think she'd be too interesting to them.
Though Chloe did have that Wall of Weird, as Clark put it. Peyton shifted in her seat. There was no way Chloe could have an inkling Peyton was different. The only person who knew for sure was Lex.
"Do you come here before school every day, then?"
Peyton cast her a friendly smile and glanced at the clock on the wall. Depending on when they started classes, she could have anywhere from five minutes to half an hour before she would probably need to leave.
"Not everyday," Chloe said, "but I needed the extra caffeine. I'm glad I did though, because I was wondering if you minded if I interviewed you? Just a short one!" She rushed to reassure. "The school paper could use another story, and you and Lex Luthor's arrival has been one of the most exciting things to happen recently."
Peyton raised a brow.
"It seems like a lot of stuff happens here. Besides the car accidents, your Wall of Weird was pretty full."
Chloe shrugged in a sheepish manner and looked away.
"Yeah, well, people aren't as open to my crazy theories as they are to a multimillionaire couple moving to a small Kansas town."
The comment almost caught Peyton off guard, but she smiled politely without showing surprise. They were a couple; at least in the eyes of the public. And while she wasn't eager to put an impromptu interview out there, Peyton agreed to answer a few questions.
It was a highschool paper, who was actually going to read it? And she figured Chloe was bold and polite enough to be rewarded.
Chloe's eyes lit up and she wasted no time pulling out a pen and notebook from her backpack.
"Oh, awesome! Thank you!"
Peyton put her laptop to the side and settled more comfortably with her coffee. Chloe sat up straighter with her notebook and her eyes sharpened as she clicked her pen and eyed Peyton. In a flash she transitioned from bubbly high schooler to investigative journalist.
"So, what brings a wealthy heiress from Metropolis to a town like Smallville?"
Peyton couldn't say she was entirely surprised this was the first question. She supposed easing into the interview and building a rapport wasn't something Chloe had time for with school starting soon.
"Lex was put in charge of the plant here and I came along with him," she said.
"Because you're a couple?"
Peyton smiled stiffly.
"That's right."
"So it's pretty serious. If you're willing to leave everything in the city behind."
Her and Lex's fake relationship was the last thing she wanted to focus on, especially with a teenager. Peyton shifted in her seat and Chloe continued to eye her intently.
"I've known Lex practically his entire life." She explained. "It just seemed natural to follow. I don't know what I'd do without him."
It ended up being the right thing to say to kill that line of questioning. Chloe looked less than impressed and clicked her pen as she shifted topics.
"And your work in modeling? Is that something you're not doing anymore?"
"Modeling was never a passion for me," Peyton said. It was true. She'd never felt the inclination to pose for strangers and cameras. "I just- did it for-," she tried not to grimace, "fun. For a bit. But I'm moving on to more corporate work now."
That triggered a more favorable reaction from Chloe this time. Her eyes became more focused and she scribbled in her notebook.
"With Luthor Corp?"
Peyton let out a short laugh.
"No. I think that'd be a conflict of interest. My parents," it was still weird to say that, "have their own company. I'm getting my feet wet with administrative work. Exciting stuff, I know."
Chloe shrugged and wrote down her response.
"At least it shows some integrity in your character," she said bluntly. "Even if there's some nepotism still involved."
"Touche." Peyton couldn't help but laugh again. "I appreciate the appreciation."
"So, what do you think Woods Inc. offers to benefit a town like Smallville?"
Peyton was glad she knew enough about the company now to give an adequate answer, even if she did fluff it up a bit to make it seem more thorough.
But it was good that the interview was only for a school paper, because Peyton wasn't able to offer much information of interest for an actual story. Her knowledge didn't extend much further than she was now a rich daughter supposedly dating another family's rich son and now they were living a few miles from a fertilizer plant. She didn't have anything else more intimate to share, save for memories of her previous visits, and she wasn't feeling inclined to share those.
She really ought to get around to doing more research for her backstory. When Chloe left, she'd add it to her planner.
Chloe put down her notebook when she was done asking interview questions and Peyton, noting the interaction was coming to a close, let her mind wander to contemplate getting another coffee.
"Off the record-" Chloe prompted, and Peyton turned back to give her full attention. "From one Metropolite to another, what do you think of Smallville?"
Peyton sniffed and crossed her legs as she carefully contemplated her answer.
"It's quaint," she said. "I do like the change of pace from the city. Though-" She hesitated briefly and Chloe noticed. "I will say it does seem like there are more odd occurrences than you'd expect for such a country town."
And that was the answer Chloe was looking for.
Her eyes shone and she leaned forward conspiratorially. Peyton wondered if she might be able to do some information gathering of her own.
"There absolutely are. I try to keep track of all of it with my Wall of Weird, but I have to dig sometimes, because the locals will just sweep things under the rug."
Peyton nodded.
"I mean, just since we got here-" She paused as she remembered Chloe's wall. "Actually, there was that meteor shower here years ago too."
"Yes!" Chloe gushed. "Most of the weird occurrences that have happened here have happened since the meteor shower! They're all so obviously connected, but no one wants to see it."
"Most of them?"
Chloe shrugged at the question.
"I mean, there were a couple odd things here and there before. Small town drama. Like Lana Lang's great aunt was killed in the sixties and to this day no one knows for sure if it was her husband or some drifter that came through the town. But that's not anywhere near the level of what's happened after the meteors."
"There was another car accident shortly after ours," Peyton commented. "And Lex saw some kid peeking out of a corn maze in the middle of the night. We never did find him, but that's how we found your friend Clark- oh."
"Strung up like a scarecrow?" Chloe finished for her. "Yeah, that's a terrible Smallville High tradition; your run of the mill imbecile jocks." She glanced up at a clock on the cafe wall and gathered her things.
"But I should be going if I don't want to be late for school. Thank you for the interview! I can get you a copy of the paper when it's printed if you like. And if you're ever curious about the stuff that goes on around here, I'm more than willing to chat."
Peyton smiled.
"Thank you; that sounds great."
She watched as Chloe hurried out of the cafe and down the sidewalk, and hoped the young girl wouldn't be late. Peyton shook her head and opened her laptop and went back to formatting office correspondence.
It was interesting that Chloe correlated anything strange to the meteor shower. Perhaps she was caught up in the whole 'being from outer space' aspect of it. Perhaps Chloe believed in aliens too and thought they were secretly living amongst the normal townsfolk and causing all the oddities.
Peyton snorted at the thought.
She took her time finishing up the work and made sure it was perfect before saving it. If she wanted to impress the parents in this universe, she needed to show she was now competent and invested in the work. Given where the other Peyton set the bar, it shouldn't be too difficult to do.
[][]
Peyton carefully drove the speed limit all the way back to the manor. Crossing over the bridge to get out of the main town still sent a shiver down her spine. Even glancing down at the water below sent her stomach churning.
It still escaped her how all of them managed to survive that incident. They'd gotten away with minor injuries so maybe she shouldn't let it affect her so much, but still managed to haunt her with what might have been.
By the time she got back to the manor it was noon and she felt ready for lunch. Lex was in his office on the phone when she walked passed and she waved at him on her way to the kitchen. Peyton grabbed a water bottle and made a sandwich then headed back into the office so she wouldn't have to eat alone. She curled up on one of the couches by the fireplace and chewed bites of her sandwich while Lex scowled and rubbed his hand over his head.
"And why wasn't I informed there was going to be a school function at the plant today? I would have been there to oversee it."
Peyton made a "whoops" expression and took another bite of her lunch.
"No," Lex said to whoever was on the other end. "No. I don't care; this is my plant." He paused, only growing more angry. "What I expect is that you do the job I'm paying you for. Have the meeting notes prepared for tomorrow."
He snapped his phone shut and Peyton found the sound satisfying. It'd been a while since she had a phone you could still angrily hang up with.
"There's a school function?" She asked.
"The high school is taking a field trip around the plant," Lex responded tersely. "I only just found out about it."
Peyton took a sip of water and rocked her head.
"Is it another tactic to undermine you? Or did they blow it off as a trivial thing?"
"I don't know." He joined her on the other couch. "Given that I've been dealing with the dumpster fire that is my father trying to cut employees, perhaps he didn't find it relevant."
"I mean-" Peyton lifted her water bottle in a vague gesture signaling his underling may have a point.
Lex rolled his eyes and leaned back as he crossed his ankle over his knee.
"It's the principle of it." he said. "If they ignore the little things, how can I trust them with the stuff that matters?"
Peyton took another bite of her sandwich and gave a small shrug. It really wasn't the biggest issue, by comparison of what his father wanted to do, and it seemed like Lex had it under control. There was no need to drag it out more than a mild tongue lashing, which he'd already finished giving. Lex sighed and his shoulders loosened as he realized she wasn't going to keep that topic going. He lifted his chin in a gesture at her and changed the subject.
"How was letter writing?"
"Fine. Easy. All I have to do is email them back and I'll be done; though I still can't believe I've been regulated to part time work."
"You're the one who wanted to prove yourself reliable. Less nepotism, remember?"
"I'd still like to get full time pay sooner rather than later. Speaking of, I'll need that doctor's number sometime, if you don't mind."
"Of course."
"Oh," Peyton finished off her sandwich and sat up with a cheeky smile. "I did get interviewed today, actually."
Lex lifted his brows in question and his eyes took on a more shrewd sheen. She suspected he wasn't fond of any sort of impromptu questioning.
"By who?"
"That high schooler with the Wall of Weird, Chloe. I don't think I ever caught her last name."
"Sullivan." Lex provided, to Peyton's surprise. "Her father is a manager at the plant. I hope you didn't give her anything to add to her board."
Peyton snorted.
"Of course not. Although that would be something she'd find far more interesting than she found my career goals or our fake relationship."
His smile ticked up at that.
"Did you give away all our personal secrets?"
"All of them. The sneaking around behind our parents' backs as kids, the multiple horrid
affairs, even your fencing teacher being an attractive woman."
"I knew you were jealous. Look, I haven't invited her back if it makes you feel any better."
Peyton rolled her eyes and scoffed airily.
"As if you could win back my forgiveness so easily."
She realized, with a small shock, that she actually hadn't seen him practice with that instructor since the first day in the manor. Peyton adjusted her position on the couch and Lex continued to grin at her.
"Oh no," he said. "I learned my lesson the first time."
"Well, good."
She gave him another cheeky smile to cover the fact that she had to process he seemed to be rather committed to a fake relationship.
Peyton opened her laptop and set to work forwarding the correspondence she'd completed to their proper channels and Lex drifted back to his own laptop and paperwork. It was too easy and comfortable, working in the same room together. It was inconvenient that she liked it more than her real cubicle.
After sending the letters off, she cleaned up a few folders on the shared drive and mildly fiddled with them to make the organization make a little more sense, but not enough to press her luck with whoever had direct access to them. They ought to still be able to find everything easily, at least.
Lex's phone rang, disrupting the quiet, and he answered in a distracted manner, his eyes still on his laptop screen.
"Luthor."
He stilled to the point of looking like stone and Peyton sat forward in alarm. A shock of dread shot through her that perhaps Lionel fired plant employees already.
"Good." Lex stood abruptly and began to leave the office at a brisk pace.
Peyton followed.
"I'll be there in ten. Call me if anything escalates."
Peyton rushed over to his side and kept pace with him. He turned down the hall and headed in the direction of the garage.
"What is it, Lex? What happened?"
"There's been an incident at the plant. One of the employees took the high school class hostage."
"What?"
"A disgruntled employee took over the plant. Law enforcement is already on the scene."
"Oh my gosh."
Lex turned and faced her as they reached the garage and stopped with his hand on the door.
"You should stay here." He said. "There's no need for you to get near-"
"Lex," Peyton interrupted, "I'm coming."
He only paused for a moment before he rolled his lips and relented. They both jumped into his black convertible and peeled out of the driveway to barrel down the road towards the plant. Peyton grabbed the side of the door and sucked in a breath.
"Just watch out for any bridges," she said stiffly.
Lex grimaced but didn't slow down.
"I'm sorry."
"No, no. We need to get there. I just- It's not you-"
"It was a traumatic event. It's natural; I get it."
She hoped he didn't take it personally.
It took half the time it usually did to reach the plant. There was already a police barricade and a crowd of parents gathered around the security point in a frantic mass. Security managed to get the crowd parted enough for Lex to pull through the gate before they shut it again and all the parents rushed back into place.
Peyton hurried out of the car after Lex parked and both of them looked up at a familiar voice.
"Lex! Lex, please, what's happening in there?"
Martha and Jonathan Kent stood in front of the crowd of panicked parents and Lex waved at one of the security officers.
"Let them through." Lex instructed. "Just those two."
The Kents squeezed through the gate and hurried to join them; Peyton put a hand on Martha's arm and shared a worried look.
"Lex, what's going on?" Jonathan asked.
Peyton noticed the slightly hostile edge to his voice and once again, couldn't entirely fault him.
"A man's taken over the plant and is holding the class inside hostage."
"Who? What's his name."
Lex sighed.
"His name is Earl Jenkins. He's a disgruntled Luthor Corp employee."
A flash of recognition crossed Jonathan's face and his brow furrowed.
"I know Earl." He said. "He used to work for me; this isn't like him."
"Yeah?" Questioned Lex. "Then do you know why he's currently holding a high school class at gunpoint?"
Jonathan shifted awkwardly.
"He's wanted for alleged murder, but he says it was an accident. He claims that some accident in Level Three of the plant made him sick, gave him seizures, and he thinks getting whatevers down there is the only thing that can help cure him."
"I can assure you, Mr. Kent, there is no Level Three."
"He's sick." Jonathan reiterated stubbornly. "He just wants to get better."
Peyton didn't remember any Level Three from when Lex and she had toured the plant on his arrival; and if there was one it'd have to be underground, since there were only two floors visible from outside.
The SWAT team already set up a station with monitors displaying the feeds from the cameras inside the building. Earl and the hostages looked to be in some control room, and he had the students sitting along one of the walls while he paced the room, his gun tight in his grip.
"Where is Level Three?" Earl demanded as he faced the camera. "Where is it? I cleaned it; I know it's here! Luthor!"
Peyton forced her shoulders to relax and shifted her hand to Martha's shoulder.
"I promise you, Mrs. Kent, that the safety of everyone here is our top priority. We'll do whatever it takes to get everyone out unharmed."
Mrs. Kent placed her hand over Peyton's and gave her a thin lipped smile.
Lex eyed the video feed with a hard look, his gaze lingering over the scared kids.
"Has anyone had contact with Mr. Jenkins?" He asked.
"Not directly, sir. I've looked into this Level Three and the accident that he claims caused his condition, but there's no record of it." The SWAT agent responded.
"Of course there isn't. If there was, I'd have known about it." Lex replied.
Peyton gave Martha's shoulder a parting squeeze before she moved to join Lex in front of the monitors. Seeing the kids huddled together, fear clear in the way they cowered, made her feel ill.
But Lex looked legitimately concerned. He didn't react in any way at the mention of the mystery level when people spoke of it, not like he had as a teen with her coffee. Peyton believed he either didn't know about it or it didn't exist at all.
Before Lex could demand the phone, a roar of helicopter blades approached the scene and landed a few yards away. Wind churned behind them and Peyton pushed her hair out of her eyes to see.
"Who's that?" Martha asked.
Lex shoved his hands into his pockets.
"That would be my father."
Lionel climbed down from the helicopter, his suit was sharp and his shoulder length hair whipped around behind him; the look on his face immediately set Peyton on edge. It wasn't just that he looked confident. It was near condescending.
Lex reached over to squeeze her arm out of his father's view and Peyton shuttered her expression to be blank. Martha eyed her in confusion before Lionel reached them and created a distraction.
"Sir, Mr. Jenkins- "
"Yes, I was briefed on the ride over." Lionel interrupted. "Lex, how could you let this happen?"
"I'm not the one he's blaming, dad." Lex snapped back. "He's very adamant that you're the one that had him working on Level Three."
Lionel scoffed.
"That's ridiculous; there is no Level Three."
"Well, he's insisting that there is." Lex countered sharply. "And there's still kids inside, so maybe you shouldn't antagonize him."
"Step aside, Lex."
Lionel pushed his way to the front and grabbed the phone with the exasperation of a manager being summoned by a retail worker. On the monitor, one of the factory workers answered the phone and handed it to Earl.
"Mr. Jenkins, this is Lionel Luthor."
"Luthor."
Earl turned toward the camera in the room and scowled.
"Where's Level Three?" He demanded.
"Earl, please. You're sick and you need help. Come out and let's talk about this."
"No! I know it was here! There was an elevator. Every morning, I followed the red pipes down to the storage room and took the elevator down."
"Listen to me, Earl, there is no-"
"No! It's here; what did you do to it?"
But Lionel didn't yield, and Earl grew more agitated. With a growl, he slammed down the phone and paced the room; he stopped near some pipes and leaned against them and his torso rose and fell dramatically in deep breaths, as if in an attempt to calm himself down. Movement on the screen caught Peyton's eye and she immediately recognized the tall kid with dark hair moving towards Earl as Clark.
"Don't." She murmured under her breath.
But then Earl became fuzzy on the monitor. No one else looked grainy on the screen, so it wasn't the camera malfunctioning. The camera picked up a metallic rattling sound, and Peyton realized that Earl was shaking. Jittering.
Clark reached for him, but Earl was flailing so wildly that he sent Clark flying across the room.
Jonathan and Martha gasped and Peyton clenched her jaw. She stopped herself from reaching for Lex's arm, but only just, since she didn't know if that was something Lionel would find odd from her or not.
A shrill whistle rose above the student's yells, and some gauge readings suddenly shot up towards alarming numbers.
"The room is filling with methane," the SWAT leader said, looking up from his computer. "He must have damaged a valve."
Clark, at least, didn't appear too hurt; though they obviously couldn't gauge any internal injuries. But he was conscious and his classmates were quick to pull him back into the group and further away from Earl.
None of that would matter if the building was becoming a ticking time bomb.
One of the other high school boys decided to try his luck and crept toward Earl as Earl took in the growing gas readings. Peyton's heart dropped again.
He leapt at Earl and grabbed his wrist, aiming for the gun, but Earl knocked him back with a startling ease. The kid fell backwards and hit his head on the ground and Earl pointed the gun down the line of hostages, demanding they stay in their place. Even without that, his point was already well made.
No one else made a move. Earl backed away from the group then climbed up onto a chair in front of the camera so that his grimacing face filled the screen.
"Look what you made me do."
Then he took the gun and shot the camera. The screen went to static.
Lionel scowled more deeply at the monitor.
"Foolish boy," he sneered. "Why would he do that?"
"Because," Jonathan said tersely, "he's a scared kid that's tired of waiting for the adults to actually act."
Lionel blinked at the statement as if it didn't fully register. Next to her, Lex started taking off his suit jacket.
"You're absolutely right, Mr. Kent. Which is why I'm going in."
Peyton nearly blew her cover. She tensed, despite herself, and Lex didn't even look at her.
Methane gas was filling the inside of the building and no one knew when something could set it off. There was a man inside holding kids hostage and he wasn't exactly a fan of any Luthors.
"Lex, don't be ridiculous; you can't go in there."
"Why not, dad? It's my plant, my responsibility, right?"
He eyed his father and Lionel, surprisingly, didn't offer any other arguments. Lex's gaze slid away from his father and towards the SWAT leader.
"Someone get me a vest."
Peyton couldn't hold herself back anymore. She rushed toward him but tried to at least keep her expression close to stoic.
"Lex, what are you doing?"
She grabbed onto his arm and, incredibly, Lex didn't flinch. Didn't even glance at his father to see if he'd noticed Peyton's behavior.
"I'm going inside." He said. "Don't worry about me." His eyes said what he couldn't. You can't change my mind.
"I'll be alright." Somebody has to do this.
And she wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him it was dangerous and foolhardy, but she couldn't do that without dropping her act in front of Lionel. Instead she bit the inside of her cheek and let her hand drop away.
"Okay."
Her face remained impassive as Lex accepted a kevlar vest from one of the officers and got ready to make the exchange. His own well being for that of the children.
She was helpless to do anything but watch as Lex walked alone into the plant to hand himself over to a madman with a gun.
[Lex]
Lex compartmentalized his concerns. He was used to doing that; he was good at it. Right now he needed to deescalate a rapidly spiraling situation and get teenagers out of harm's way. Once he managed that, he could move onto the next thing. Like the fact that Level Three didn't actually exist. Though, with his father involved, he could never be sure. The issue was he didn't actually know if Level Three existed and Earl would never believe that.
The fact that Peyton was alone with his dad was a distant third or fourth concern. He trusted her to not engage with him, but his father's brief moments of attentiveness to her were unwelcome. He'd been around her enough times to know what it was like when Peyton wasn't there and anything new would immediately make him suspicious. He probably wouldn't jump to any accurate conclusions right away, but Lex didn't want him digging around to find out what was going on either.
He steeled himself as he entered the building. The hallways were deserted and silent, an unusual sight in a bustling plant. Once he passed through the hallway into the control room, he'd be officially on his own, out of the view of the working security cameras.
Lex steeled his resolve and entered the room with his arms raised.
[Peyton]
Martha Kent's hand on her shoulder snapped Peyton out of her frantic thoughts. Her palms hurt and she realized she'd dug her nails into the base of her hands that left dark crescent moons imprinted in the skin.
"Earl used to work for us years ago," Martha said. "He's not the kind of man to hurt people."
Peyton glanced briefly toward Lionel to make sure he wasn't paying attention to her. Luckily he was discussing something clearly contentious on his phone with a subordinate.
"With all due respect, he's holding children at gunpoint."
Martha had the decency to look chagrined, but her husband's jaw ticked and his chin lifted.
"He's a good man driven to desperate measures. None of this would be happening if Lionel Luthor actually gave a lick about any of his employees."
"So this is justified?"
Jonathan scoffed as he realized he couldn't argue that point. His own son was inside and in harm's way, after all. Earl had hit him. But he clearly didn't want to concede anything, especially if it felt like it was to a Luthor.
"I didn't say- You didn't see Earl at the hospital, okay? You don't get what this plant has done to him."
"I don't," Peyton allowed. "But I know those kids, your son included, don't deserve to be dragged into this. And Lex wasn't managing the plant when Earl was hurt; he doesn't deserve this either."
Jonathan didn't say anything else but his frustration was clear enough in the crease of his brows and the tightness of his jaw.
Peyton turned back to watch the monitors. They only got a brief glimpse of Lex cautiously walking through the plant before he entered the main room and they could no longer watch.
[Lex]
"Luthor!"
Earl whipped around with his gun at the ready as Lex stood a distance away. Lex was careful to keep his hands visible and stance nonthreatening; the last thing he needed was for Earl to panic and react.
The high school group to his right watched him with wide eyes from their spots along the wall. Lex caught Clark's eyes and gave him a small nod; Clark pressed his lips together.
"Earl, come on. This is between you and me; let the kids go."
The look Earl gave him was scathing.
"What kind of father sends his son in to do his dirty work?"
"No one sent me, Earl. I came on my own. Now, please. There's methane filling this place and this isn't how you want to be remembered."
"I'm not leaving here without going to Level Three!"
Lex threw his hands up higher as Earl jabbed the gun at him then slowly reached down to take off the kevlar vest. Earl watched in bafflement.
"Earl, I swear to you, if you let everyone go I'll take you to Level Three."
"You're lying!"
"I'm not. I swear to you, I'll take you there. I'm a man of my word."
Earl paused as he clearly considered his options, then he waved his gun towards the
doorway with a harsh,
"Get out."
The group hesitated and he took a step forward.
"Go!"
Lex kept his expression calm as he watched the group scramble from the room towards the exit. Clark was the most reluctant to leave, but luckily his friends called him over and he left with them.
Good. No one else needed to get hurt.
[Peyton]
A few agonizing minutes passed of nothing but silence. Peyton kept as unreadable as she could, but she couldn't help the distressed crease in her brow as she watched the plant doors. The same SWAT agent announced that the methane levels were continuing to rise and if Earl didn't comply with Lex's offer they would need to act swiftly, if they planned to act at all.
She shot a glare in the man's direction at the implication that they might not save everyone and Lionel caught her change in expression. He raised his brows in a silent prompting and Peyton was saved from further interaction by the sound of yelling. The last time she'd glared he'd latched onto that as an oddity. She needed to be more careful.
The Kents rushed forward towards some double doors nearby and Peyton hurried after them. Students rushed through, frantic and yelling as they ran for safety. Peyton recognized Chloe Sullivan being held close to a grown man's side, and she recalled Lex mentioning her father worked at the plant.
"Pete, where's Clark?" Martha asked as she held the boy by his shoulder.
Pete's brows puckered in worry as he stammered.
"He was right behind me, but he ran back in."
Martha eyed the doors behind Pete and cast a worried look to Jonathan who's jaw ticked yet again. Peyton put her hands on her hips and paced a short line. Given even the little she'd seen of Clark since her time here, she knew he was planning to try and help Lex. Most likely Earl too, if there was the opportunity. But she was stuck on the outside, unless she threw all good sense aside and rushed into the plant without a lick of a plan.
A call from the surveillance area caught her attention and she led their little group back as the SWAT agent updated them on the situation. The methane in the building was no longer collecting to a dangerous degree; someone must have shut off the valve.
Peyton had her bets.
[Lex]
Lex walked over to one of the computer chairs and sat down with a deep exhale as he loosened his tie.
"Well? Where is it? Get up."
"There is no Level Three, Earl."
His heart beat a little faster, though he hid it well. That was a lesson his father ingrained into him from childhood: never show weakness. Panicking would only further provoke Earl anyway, and as far as he knew he could already get shot any moment. And he really didn't want to get shot.
"I knew it. You Luthors' are all the same! None of you could tell the truth if your lives depended on it."
"I'm not lying. I would take you there if it existed, but it's not there, Earl."
A desperate sort of rage took root on Earl's face as he refused to believe what Lex said. But he didn't have the ruthless sort of coldness Lex had seen in others; he reminded Lex more of a cornered animal. Vicious because it felt it had no other choice.
Hopefully it would be enough to keep him alive.
"You think you can play me like a fool, huh?" Earl gave a harsh laugh. "I'm just some nobody janitor, so I'm expendable. But you and your old man are no better than me. I have a son too, you know. And I-" his voice cracked, "and I want to be able to hold him again."
Lex rubbed his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I can help you find a doctor-"
"They can't help me unless they know what got under my skin! You think I haven't tried every specialized doctor already?"
He was getting ramped up again. Earl marched over and grabbed Lex by the front of his shirt and shoved him against the wall. Lex threw up his hands as the gun was once again aimed at him.
"Tell me where it is-"
"Earl! Earl, I found it!"
A disembodied voice rang through the room and both of them froze. It was Clark's voice.
Lex closed his eyes and grimaced in frustration. Clark was still somewhere in the plant, and he obviously found the speaker system.
"It's exactly where you said it was; they just put up a wall in front of it. I promise, Earl. You have to come see it."
Lex frowned. There wasn't a Level Three. There shouldn't be a Level Three. Either Clark was lying, something that didn't exactly fit his character, or Lex was going to have to have another talk with his dad after this was over.
"Clark's an honest kid." Lex hedged.
He really didn't want to get shot and he really wanted to see what Clark was referring to.
Earl wavered for only a moment, but ultimately his desperation won out. He yanked Lex and shoved him forward so that he led the way and Earl hung back with the gun.
"You better hope he's telling the truth." Earl said. "For your sake."
They made their way down a level where Earl shoved Lex to the side to follow a set of red pipes that ran along the ceiling, like he said he followed earlier. They rounded a corner and finally ran into Clark. He cast a worried look at Lex and the gun at his back.
"Clark, you shouldn't be here. You need to get out."
"C'mon, Earl." Clark said. "You don't need the gun. I found Level Three; it's right through here. We can all go together."
Earl peered around Lex to what looked like a janitor's closet at the end of the hall. Clark had found something strong enough to break down a chunk of false wall and reveal an elevator door.
Lex's heart sank as his curiosity rose. Dear old dad lied once again.
They shared a tense elevator ride down and Lex shot another scolding glare at Clark who avidly ignored him. The doors opened and they stepped out onto a catwalk that hung over a huge empty room. It had clearly been cleared of anything incriminating or important, and all that remained were a few metal drums. Earl rushed out onto the catwalk and let out a dismayed cry.
"No! Where did it go? There were rows of planters all down here." He said with a gesture. "They had sprayers over the corn and I'd clean through there. Where did it go?"
"Earl, I swear to you, I didn't know about this place. I'm in the dark just as much as you are."
"Bull! Do you ever stop lying?"
"I think he's telling the truth, Earl." Clark cut in. "You proved it's real, okay? Now we can go and-"
"No. I need whatever they were treating the corn with. The doctors can't- they can't- I'm not leaving without it. I'm not giving any Luthor a chance to hide this place and gaslight me again."
He grabbed the railing to steady himself as he grew more agitated, and Lex waved Clark away.
"Get out of here, Clark!"
"I'm not going to leave you here."
Earl jerked. And then he convulsed. The catwalk rattled.
[Peyton]
Despite Lionel's presence, Peyton couldn't quite allow herself to do nothing. She wouldn't rush after Lex, she decided. Most likely he'd be upset with her for it, and she may disturb whatever thin truce he could have garnered with Earl. But she couldn't just stand and wait.
There were only two ambulances for the group, so she offered her help to the EMTs in whatever way they would accept it. Luckily most everyone was untouched and only rattled, so she soothed who she could and helped pass out cups of water.
She approached Chloe with a paper cup of water and the blonde blinked in recognition as Peyton crouched down in front of her. Chloe accepted the cup and Peyton leveled an imploring look at her.
"Hey, did you see Lex before you got out?"
"Only for a second. He convinced Mr. Jenkins that he'd take him to Level Three if he let us go."
Chloe's father swallowed nervously.
"He won't have anything to show him."
Peyton pressed on.
"But he wasn't hurt?"
Chloe shook her head.
"Not when we left."
The unsaid implication at the end of Chloe's sentence was clear. Not yet, but he lied to a delusional man. Peyton's heart lurched but she kept herself from projecting it. Panicking wouldn't help anyone, and the kids didn't need any more stress than they'd already experienced. Instead, she nodded once and stood while taking a steadying breath.
"Let's just hope Mr. Jenkins can be reasoned with, then."
"Yes, let's."
Peyton snapped her head to the side to see Lionel Luthor standing behind her, his head tilted up in a challenging way as he studied her. His gaze was piercing as ever; analytical. It took everything in her for Peyton to keep her face even, especially when he was eyeing her like she was a bug that started talking. A list of options for how she could possibly react flipped through her head, though she wasn't sure how helpful it'd be to keep up the act. Clearly he had heard what she said a moment ago. With her luck, he'd probably been listening to the entire conversation.
She kept her expression dull and tilted her head.
"Yeah."
Lionel waited and she blinked at him. His expression sharpened even further.
"Now Miss Woods, am I not worthy of your conversation?"
The unspoken accusations and denials crackled between them. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she dropped the blank look.
To keep on lying would only embarrass herself, and she wasn't about to make herself out to be a fool when the gig was up. Lionel seemed to sense the shift and he tipped his head back in acknowledgement.
Even if he thought she was weird what was he actually going to do about it?
"Have you heard anything about your son, Mr. Luthor?"
"Not any more than you have, Miss Woods. Though I find your concern for him a fascinating twist."
"Then I suppose you haven't been paying attention."
She shot him a harsh glare and headed back towards the main tent with her mind in a whir; Lionel followed after her. Unfortunately.
Lex probably wouldn't be happy with her call to break character when he got out, and he would get out, but he would have to accept that she couldn't just stand around like a husk while his life was in mortal danger.
She stopped near the monitors, but couldn't see any of the people inside the plant on any of them. Surely, Earl would have realized Lex's bluff by now and reacted.
"I've actually paid very close attention." Lionel countered. "What father wouldn't pay attention to the woman who was distracting his son and stringing him along for years?"
"Whatever you may think of me, Mr. Luthor, it's really not my concern right now.
Especially not when Lex is still inside with a man with a gun."
"It's good to know you at least don't try to deny it."
Peyton was in a world not her own, recovering from a head injury which ensured her permanence here, the only person she had a connection to was in danger, and now his father was demeaning her in public. Her carefully held string of patience snapped. The only problem was when she reached her breaking point, she didn't spray like shrapnel, she came down like a guillotine.
"You say you've been paying close attention, yet you claim I'm stringing Lex along and still call me Miss Woods. I find that a fascinating twist."
"Excuse me?"
She didn't deign to give his scoff a response and Lionel shifted closer as anger stretched across his face. But whatever he was about to say was cut off by a rattling explosion.
The ground shook and Peyton's heart dropped to her toes. People yelled and moved around her, but it felt like she was in a bubble.
Lex was still inside.
Something inside caused an explosion and there were still three people in there.
Clark.
Was it possible for her heart to drop even lower?
Peyton searched for Martha and Jonathan in the crowd and found them clinging to each other as they gaped at the plant doors, white-faced and horrified. She forced herself to take steps forward. A painful tightness seized her throat.
"Get people in there!" She snapped. "Are you going to just sit around and wait for someone to do your jobs?"
SWAT agents and paramedics finally, finally, rushed toward the scene. One of the agents grabbed her and dragged her back before he shoved her behind him.
"Stay away from the scene." The man ordered.
Peyton pursed her lips but listened to the order to stay out of the way.
The agents took the lead towards the doors and paramedics rushed to wait for whoever may come out and encourage the crowd to move back. Peyton tried to maintain her ground as people surged around her: reporters attempting to get the first shot of whatever happened next, families still waiting to be dismissed, police trying to contain the scene.
And then a cry rang out.
Peyton snapped towards the sound. It didn't sound like grief or pain. It sounded like relief. She caught the red hair of Martha as police marched forward, Clark in their midst, seemingly whole. He broke away from the police and his parents rushed to embrace him. Peyton pushed her way forwards with more earnestness.
"Lex?"
She searched the emerging group, her heart thump, thump, thumping as her anxiety rose. Surely Clark would look more distraught if Lex were hurt.
Behind Clark were a couple officers who escorted a restrained Earl Jenkins. The man looked rattled and haggard, with wide eyes and singed clothing. There was still a desperate, vindicated sort of shine to his eyes.
Peyton's pulse jumped again.
"Lex!"
His figure emerged from the crowd and Peyton was almost dizzy in relief. His movements were careful and his eyes a bit distant; despite her call he didn't show he registered it. She waited for him to get close; until she couldn't help herself and rushed the last few steps and threw her arms over his shoulders in an embrace.
Whatever had exploded, he'd been near it, because he smelled of smoke and bits of ash clung to his shirt. But he was warm and whole and she could hear his heartbeat as further proof he was alive.
Lex froze a moment before he finally, eagerly, returned her embrace. He sighed deeply as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
And normally Peyton wouldn't let the hug linger so long. She wanted to be cautious in her interactions here, she wanted to be more concerned with finding a way home, but Lex could have died. At the moment, that could take precedence.
Peyton gave him a squeeze and then pulled back enough to get a look at him.
"Are you alright?" She brazenly moved his face to the side in an attempt to evaluate his injuries. "You've got blood-"
His eyelids fluttered briefly at the skin contact and he swallowed.
"It's just a few scratches." He interrupted. "I'm fine, incredibly."
Lex pulled her hands away from his face and gave her a reassuring smile; a certain amusement flickered in his eyes.
"Were you worried about me?"
"Don't be ridiculous, of course I was!"
His grin widened at her proclamation.
Chatter rose and he broke eye contact to glance up. Peyton followed suit and noted, with disgust, that Lionel was busy talking with the press. It was a stark contrast from the Kents, who smothered their son in their arms and held him tight. Something Lex clearly noted by a brief, despondent look that flickered across his face.
"At least someone was worried."
There wasn't much Peyton could respond with that wasn't lies; she couldn't try to offer reassurances that his father cared. So she threaded her fingers through his and gave his hand a squeeze instead. Lex swallowed again.
A reporter's voice rose above the rest and drew both their attention. Lex headed towards his father.
"Mr. Luthor! Can you comment on the existence of Level Three?"
"I believe what you're referring to is a redundant storage area." Lionel explained away with a forced humor. "Mr. Jenkins is a very sick man."
"Which is why my dad and I are committed to finding him the best medical help available. We're family here at Luthorcorp, and family helps each other; isn't that right, dad?"
The sharpness in Lionel's eyes might have been missed by the press, but not by Peyton. It was a look that warned of retribution.
"Please, please." Suddenly Lionel wasn't interested in speaking with the press and needed 'space'.
"My son's been through a horrific ordeal. Please."
He turned away from the press and pulled his son into a hug. Peyton stepped away, though Lex was slow in letting go of her hand.
Lionel made eye contact with her over Lex's shoulder and glared.
"We have much to discuss later. In private." He murmured into his son's ear. "I'd like to know about some important developments that you've kept from me."
[][][]
I... have plans...