Part Two: Snow Bunnies Melt and Toy Soldiers Break, But Princes and Knights Can Be Brave
Title: Snow Bunnies Melt and Toy Soldiers Break, But Princes and Knights Can Be Brave
Pairings: pre-slash Brex
Summary: Lex Luthor navigates the world of obsession and dominance at Excelsior, when an outsider disrupts their petty games with his lethal breed of play.
Prompt: Write Excelsior!fic in which teen Oliver and his band of merry morons get in over their heads.
Warnings: death, triggers
Word count: 11,614
Part Two
Bruce Wayne was a great big liar. And he knew it. And he didn't care.
When Bruce didn't see Alexander in any of his classes the next day, he suspected that he was on the roof again, and he respected his wishes. For all of a day.
When Bruce did not see Alexander in class the next day, he left class before it started and headed for the library where he looked for the access to the attic, just as Alexander had described. It took him a little while to find, since he was dodging the librarian who would ask him why he wasn't in class, but finally, he managed, and he climbed up the latter in the back into an overcrowded, dusty attic.
Bruce was slightly impressed that Alexander had found this place after being at Excelsior for such a short time. He looked around the junk there and noticed the small footprints that had come from Alexander's small shoes leading to the window. Bruce put his foot next to the footprint that Alexander had left, marveling at the difference in size. He put his hands in his pockets and approached the window, which was still open, and peered outside. He could see how Alexander had easily used the stone ledge and the arrangement of the stones in the wall to climb up.
With one brief look down, Bruce climbed up the way that Alexander must have gone and pulled himself up on the roof. To his dismay, he saw no one there, and he walked across the roof until he saw a small blanket tucked in the tiles of the roof. Bruce sat on it and looked out over Excelsior. No wonder Alexander liked it here.
Bruce sighed with worry and looked down, half-expecting to see Alexander's broken little body on the ground below. It wasn't there, of course, and as he looked back up, he felt himself grow cold, and not from the wind outside that whipped through his dark hair.
He remembered the person who had been watching Alexander through the gates not too long ago. A few weeks, at most. Bruce knew, as much as he knew anything, that his Alexander had been kidnapped, and that he had said nothing when he'd seen the man who had done it.
Moving as quickly as he could, Bruce headed inside. He had to speak with the headmaster. Surely they were putting a search for the boy out by now.
***
"Oh, oh! There you are. There's my boy!"
Lex came to, feeling sore and dirty, and he touched his head, which felt roughly twice its regular size. He sat up slowly and looked around. "Where am I?"
"Not to worry. I like children. Yes, I do."
The sound of the voice wasn't reassuring. It was scratchy and strange, childish in a way, and Lex did not recognize it. He tried to stand and hit his head. Rubbing the bump, he looked up and realized. He was in a cage. A cage.
"What do you want?" Lex asked, scrambling backward until he hit the bars on the opposite side. He didn't know who this man was, this scraggly unshaven man who had locked him in a cage like an animal, with a few toys littered around the space he'd been given. Lex didn't trust him, and he was scared.
"Oh, I just want to play with you, my child." The man sat in front of the cage cross-legged, and he grinned widely at Lex. "Oh, do smile. Please smile, Lex Luthor. I have so many toys for you to play with. Try them."
He motioned with one hand toward the toys in the cage. Lex looked at the skeptically. "Who are you?"
"My name is Winslow." The strange man picked up a doll and began dancing it along his leg. "I've waited a long time to meet you, Lex. My, how you have changed."
"What do you mean, changed?"
"Such pretty, pretty red hair you had. It's all gone now. What happened to you, I wonder? I don't think your parents were taking good enough care of you." Winslow clucked his tongue and wagged his finger. Setting the doll down, he picked up a small wind up robot and set it inside the bars. "Play, Lex. You don't get to play enough."
Lex's brows furrowed deeply. This man was beyond bizarre. "I don't play."
"Every child must play. Every child wants to play, and I have toys here, just for you, Lex. Take them. Play with them." Winslow looked up through his thick round glasses and grinned. "I want to see your pretty face smile."
"I don't-"
"Play with the fucking toy!" Winslow exploded.
Lex snatched the robot and began to wind it up. He forced a laugh as he watched it walk across the ground, nodding and looking up at Winslow, who clapped and laughed genuinely.
While Winslow seemed distracted, Lex took the moment to gauge his surroundings. He'd certainly never been here before. It was a dark, spacious place with no windows. Not as big as a warehouse, but not very small, either. It was cold down here, too.
When the robot stopped, Winslow looked at Lex expectantly. Obediently, Lex reached for the toy to wind it up again. His young mind was working quickly because he had to do something before this crazy guy… Well, Lex didn't know what this crazy guy would do, but from the glint in his eye as he looked at Lex…. Lex didn't think it was good.
***
"Get out of the way," Bruce ordered Avery when he entered Alexander's room. He'd spoken to the headmaster-who had been singularly unhelpful-and the truth was that he didn't particularly trust the authorities to deal with this issue. Without waiting to see if Avery would do as told, Bruce began looking around Alexander's dorm yet again. He observed as carefully as he could, but found nothing, once again. His fingers reached the small toy soldier hidden between the books, and he tucked it in his pocket.
As near as he could recollect, the last time he had seen Alexander had been in the dining room two days ago. Bruce crossed his arms sternly and turned to Avery, who was hovering around the doorway.
"When was the last time you saw Alexander?" he demanded.
"Al… Who?" Avery asked. When Bruce stepped forward, he jumped. "You mean Luthor?"
"Yes. He wasn't here last night. Was he there the night before that? In his bed?"
"Um. No, he didn't come back to the room," Avery answered. "Why?"
"When did you see him before that? The hour, or close to it? Under what circumstances?"
Avery shook his head and shrugged. Bruce stepped forward again and pulled Avery over to his bed. "This is a matter of life and death, Avery Lancaster III," Bruce informed him. "A ten-year-old boy is missing, and strangers have been wandering about on the campus. If you have information and withhold it, and he dies? You're as good as his murderer."
"Okay, okay!" Avery held up his hands. "Look, I saw him at dinner time like a day ago. He was listening in on us talking in the hallway, and we chased him through the kitchen into the servants' quarters. I haven't seen him since then."
Bruce dropped the boy on the bed and stepped away slowly. "He's been missing then for over forty-eight hours."
"Seriously?
Turning with a dark look and lowered eyes, Bruce scanned over Avery with the intensity of a man possessed. "Seriously," he repeated a bit sarcastically. "You didn't find him in the servants' quarters?"
"No, he gave us the slip. I don't think he wanted to tattle or anything. He just happened to be there."
"And you chased him anyway?" Bruce asked sharply.
"Look, we didn't know that there was someone lurking around campus…" Avery paused and pulled his legs up onto the bed. "You think he'll be taking other kids?"
"Young kids, probably," Bruce muttered. He paused, looking at Lex's obsessively clean side of the room, then advised, "Stay on campus. Don't go anywhere without a group of friends. Spread the word. We have a kidnapper, and the headmaster either isn't paying attention, or he's hiding it from us."
Avery nodded dumbly as Bruce swept out of the room in a single, powerful movement. The boy shivered.
Bruce stalked down the hallways, his mind working rapidly as he came up with lists of what he needed to know and how he could make that happen.
First, he needed to question the servants.
***
Lex let his head fall back on the bars. He was tired and hungry, and his head was still throbbing. He didn't understand why Winslow wanted him, or why he wouldn’t let him go.
They had been "playing" for hours, and Lex only really understood enough to know that this guy might hurt him if he didn't do what Winslow asked. He had gone up the stairs, giving Lex a brief respite. Lex's eyes drooped shut for a moment, then his head jerked up.
He looked around the room once again and reached through the bars as far as he could, thinking that maybe if he reached one of the other toys out there he could take it apart and use something to pick the lock. He was slim, but he couldn't touch anything useful. He sat back, biting his lip.
Then Lex's eyes fell on the little wind-up robot. He picked it up, started to unscrew the wind-up key, and began working to separate its parts.
"You!" Winslow exclaimed as he came down the stairs in a hurry. "What are you doing?"
Lex jerked backward. "I'm sorry!"
"No no no!" Winslow crouched by the cages. "You ruined your toy!"
"I was just… I just wanted…" Lex swallowed and looked up, keeping his gaze steady. When his father lied, he always made sure to look the person in the eye and answer all questions with another question. "I wanted to see how it worked."
"You're… You're a very smart boy, Lex. I'm proud. Proud of you!" Winslow reached into the cage and picked up the bent casing of the robot. "See, look here." He pulled out a little screwdriver and began to unscrew the sides so that Lex could see. "Such a smart boy. Let me show you how it works!"
Lex bobbed his head, watching as Winslow took it apart. Then the man gave Lex the screwdriver and began instructing him how to put it back together. Having remembered the sequence already, Lex began anticipating Winslow's instructions, until the man just watched Lex silently.
When he had finished, Winslow murmured, "That was very good, Lex. Very good. I have bigger toys. Better toys. Oh, the things my toys can do. I'll teach you. We'll create such good toys together."
"I can learn," Lex replied in an eager voice. Years of Luthor family Christmas parties had taught him how to feign interest. "I take things apart at home all the time. I bet my father could get you a job making toys-"
Winslow stood abruptly and began pacing. "No! No no no… You… no. No, he can't. He can't because he already fired me, Lex. He fired me years ago. Years ago… He said my toys were useless. Couldn't turn a profit. That's what he cares about. Profits profits profits!"
Lex felt his heart sinking. That this man knew his father didn't bode well for him. "Are you going to ask for a ransom?" he asked dejectedly.
"Oh, no, Lex. I'm keeping you for myself. I love children," Winslow replied in a whisper, turning his head back toward Lex slowly.
Lex moved the screwdriver behind his back, hoping that Winslow would forget about it and leave it in there, and he widened his eyes as large as he could.
"What happened to you, Lex? Where did you pretty hair go?" Winslow asked, drawing near once again.
"There was an accident. A meteor shower," Lex answered. He hadn't told anyone at school, and he hated to talk about it, so his head dipped a little. "I was in the hospital for a year."
"I know. I know, Lex. I didn't see you anywhere. In the hospital? Are you sick, my dear?"
Lex wondered which answer would get him out of there. Yes or no? "I lost my hair, and I grew three inches. It changed me, and I dunno… I don't know why."
He bit his lip and blinked a few times. "I'm not me anymore. I'm someone else. You didn't take the boy you thought you did. Even my mom doesn't see me the same."
"Oh, Lex." Winslow drew closer and reached through the bars, caressing Lex's cheek. "She's a bad mommy. And you're mine now. You're my good boy, and we'll create beautiful toys together."
His thumb slowly moved across Lex's cheek and over his trembling lower lip.
Lex wanted to crawl out of his skin.
***
It was highly probable that the headmaster had called the police by now, and Alfred, since Bruce had packed up the supplies he'd thought he might need and begun searching the empty houses outside of Excelsior once by one. After talking to the servants, they had confirmed to Bruce that they had seen the stranger and told him that they'd informed their boss of the trespasser-after calling security to have him escorted off the grounds-but surprisingly little had been done.
So now Headmaster Reynolds had one child missing from new money who had been gone for almost four days, and one child missing from very old, very influential money who had been gone for a day and a half.
The maids had shown him the door that the intruder had likely come in through, and Bruce had inspected the area around it very carefully, finding a muddy footprint. Although there were plenty of places where mud and ragweed could have come from, Bruce surmised, and he hoped he was right, that the gardeners would not leave pretty weeds strewn about campus.
So Bruce had begun to search each house outside campus systematically, and he was afraid that he had missed something, or that by lurking around, he'd set off the creep who had taken Alexander and cause him to hurt the boy simply from being startled. Bruce wasn't particularly concerned that the man would hurt him. He'd been training long enough, even though he was still young, that he was confident in his ability to take out the kind of man who the servants had described. The kind of man who would prey on a ten-year-old.
The thought of it made Bruce's insides boil.
***
Ollie groaned and turned around to his friends sharply. "Avery, shut up. Stop whining."
"I just don't think it's a good idea-"
"When did you become such a pussy?" Ollie asked. A few of the others laughed softly. "Hold on to your junk and let's get this started."
"I got the junk," Devon informed them cheerfully, sounding ever so proper with his British accent, and smiled widely, flashing his bright, white teeth. "No worries on that front. Now all we've got to deal with is not getting caught tomorrow morning. If they do a bed check, we're fucked."
Avery pushed his golden hair behind his ears and looked around worriedly.
"Don't punk out on us," Ollie warned. He scanned the houses and pointed at one. "The overgrowth doesn't look too bad on that one."
Robert nodded and hefted the bag of drinks with him. "Yeah, that'll do. Far enough they won't be able to hear us or see any lights."
"Get out the torches, Av," Devon ordered. Avery sighed and pulled out the flashlights as he was told.
They had been doing this for a few years: Picking a weekend, sneaking off campus, and having a little fun. They didn't do it too often. That was a surefire way to get caught, and they'd come close a few times, but between the people coming in and out of their group, it wasn't hard to keep the fun going. Sometimes they went out into the fields and found a cave or some other place to camp in. Tonight, it was one of the houses, before the school bulldozed them.
A little weed, a little wine, a little sleepover. They worked hard at the hardest private school in the country. They deserved it.
Ollie lead the way into the house, and it was certainly one of the bigger houses around here. He waved his cohorts forward and moved past the furniture covered in dusty white sheets.
"Ollie…" Avery said, looking around. "I don't think-"
"Don't think. Shut it, or you can sneak back in yourself," Ollie snapped. He swore to himself if Avery's family weren't so filthy rich and tight with everyone who really mattered, this froofy blond would be eating dirt with the other worms at this school. Ollie turned to Avery and trailed his finger around Avery's cheek and under his chin. "We're all going to be fine. I promise. Just stick with me. Can't fail."
Avery blinked a few times, mesmerized by Ollie's confidence. He took a breath and nodded, following his friend into the kitchen.
"Ohhh, shit," Robert swore. "Guys, someone has been here."
"What makes you think that?" Devon asked.
Robert rolled his eyes and pointed to the kitchen counter. "No dust. Someone's been using the kitchen."
He walked over to the refrigerator and opened it.
"Huh. You think they're squatting? We could try to find them. Offer them a glass of wine." Ollie hurried into another room to check it out, and the others laughed and did the same, already high with the excitement of their adventure.
Ollie searched deeper into the house, finding a sitting room, then he stopped as he spotted another person, frozen in place. It was Lex Luthor, standing there dirty with a bruise on his cheek and holding a screwdriver.
"Get out of here," Lex mouthed, his eyes wide and almost angry.
"What the hell?" Ollie tilted his head to the side.
Lex bolted past him, grabbing his arm and jerking as hard as he could. "Come on."
Suddenly there was a crash in the other room, and Lex's face fell as though he were going to burst into tears. Ollie was about to speak when he heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.
Lex jerked Ollie's arm again, and this time he went with Lex, hurrying back into the kitchen. Lex ducked behind the counter and motioned for Ollie to come with him, but Ollie wasn't going to be afraid of some transient squatting in a house. He went out to find the main staircase upstairs. Devon and Avery bolted past him, and Ollie only turned a moment before looking into the living room.
Giant toy soldiers were marching in front of the entrance.
"What… the hell?" Ollie said, stepping closer to check them out. They were pretty amazing. He'd never seen anything like them really, with their shiny paint and realistic looking guns. Why would anyone make life-sized toy soldiers?
The moved their guns up, the pointed them forward.
Ollie grinned. "Cool."
Then the soldiers fired.
***
"Where's Robert?" Avery whined softly.
"He's scoffered," Devon replied in a hushed voice. "Those soldiers… They've shot Ollie!"
Lex's mouth hung open, and he looked at the other boys, his eyes shining. "He's crazier than I thought."
"Have you been here all this time?" Avery asked.
Lex nodded and peeked his head out. He sighed softly and looked behind them, toward the backdoor. "Do you think Robert made it? I knew Winslow could make things, but..."
"Ahhh!!!" Ollie groaned. His hard panting was audible behind the counter.
"What have you done? Bad, bad child!" Winslow demanded as he rushed down the stairs. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, God. Oh, God," Ollie moaned as blood oozed out of his mouth, causing him choke. "I need… a doctor! Please!"
Lex turned to the other two boys. "He's distracted. You've got to sneak out the back door!"
"Hell, no! He'll have those things shoot us!" Devon whispered.
"You can't stay here. He'll kill you all, but he doesn't want you, he wants me," Lex reasoned, hoping they'd listen. "Just…" He looked up with a sigh and set the screwdriver down. Then he slowly stood from where he was. "Please don't hurt him! It's my fault!"
Winslow's eyes fixed on Lex and threw his hands in the hair. "Lex! I can't believe it!"
"Please, let him go," Lex pleased. "You love children. You said so."
"No no no, Lex, you've been bad. How dare you try to leave me?" Winslow stepped over Ollie's groaning form and grabbed Lex roughly by the wrist. "Bad boys need to be punished. This is for your own good."
"Ah!" Lex gasped as he felt the pressure on his small arm. "I didn't mean to be bad." Lex shook his head, mustering up everything he could think of to convince this lunatic to sympathize with him. "I… I'm scared. And you're a stranger and my mommy and daddy told me never to talk to strangers and I just wanna go home. Please, please don't hurt me!"
Winslow narrowed his eyes behind the fogged glasses. His lips were twisted and he pulled Lex closer. "Your parents didn't teach you manners."
"My father's not around a lot. All he cares about is business and money," Lex told him. He did his best not to recoil as Winslow's hand touched his back and pressed his little body close.
"You're mine now, Lex. You'll be staying with me. Your home is here," he said strictly.
Lex nodded obediently. He closed his eyes and rested his head against Winslow's chest, knowing that the sign of affection was probably something Winslow wanted from Lex.
"My boy," he said, seeming to calm. "My beautiful, delicate boy."
Lex suppressed a shiver, and when he opened his eyes, he noticed with a frown that Ollie's body was shaking a little and let out a rattling groan.
"Winslow?" Lex whispered. "I think Ollie's dead."
"Don't concern yourself with him, Lex. He wasn't a good boy. Not like you." Winslow looked at Ollie's body disdainfully and then cupped Lex's smooth face with both hands. "You're such a sweet, loving boy. You deserve a father who is just as loving. Tonight you sleep in my bed."
There was a scream at the back of Lex's throat when Winslow kissed his lips. It didn't last long, however.
The backdoor burst open and through it came a large mechanical monkey that held a squirming Devon and Avery. Winslow looked at Lex in anger and threw him against the wall. "You lying little brat!"
"Why do you make these things?" Lex exploded with a burst of suppressed anger. "What is wrong with you?"
Winslow drew his fist back and struck Lex hard. Lex choked back a sob of frustration. He didn't care about the blow. He didn't want to die like this, not after he'd gotten so far.
"All three of you are going down in the cage, until I can teach you to be better boys," Winslow informed them in a cold voice. He reached in his pocket and then pointed at the monkey. "Take them downstairs. I didn't want to show you my best inventions until you were ready, Lex. Now, I think we're going to have to talk discipline. What a naughty liar you are."
"Like father like son, I guess," Lex said sulkily. The bratty remark earned him a kick to the ribs.
Winslow shook his head. "Maybe. Maybe you are just like him. You seemed so perfect. Such a perfect, bright, beautiful child. If you're just like you father, I don't know what to do with you…"
The soldiers raised their guns.
Lex opened his mouth to beg for his life, but he couldn't manage to speak. He wouldn't beg for his life from this man anymore. "My father fired you. It's business. It's not personal. You have no right to do any of this! We haven't done anything to you!"
Winslow pulled Lex to his feet and shoved him in front of the soldiers. "With Luthors, it's always business, isn't it?"
Lex stood resolutely and closed his eyes.
Then he heard a hard, wet thump. Lex turned around swiftly to see Winslow being punched repeatedly in the face.
It was that weird dark-haired boy.
And he was kicking Winslow's ass.
Lex stumbled toward the wall, and when he saw a remote control fly out of Winslow's pocket, he grabbed it, studied it for a moment, and punched a few of the buttons. The soldiers put their guns away and powered down. Lex let out a heavy sigh and slumped against the wall.
"Hey," he said in a quiet voice.
The boy looked up for a moment. There was a little of Winslow's blood on his face. He dropped Winslow and straddled him on the ground. "Are there any more of those things?"
"No… no, I swear to God…" Winslow wheezed.
"Swear to me!" the boy growled at Winslow with a feral curl of his lip.
"I swear! I swear!"
The boy pulled out a cord, flipped Winslow over, and proceeded to tie him tightly up. Devon and Avery came up the stairs.
"Oh! Oh, thank God!" Avery cried.
"Thank him," Lex said wryly, leaning his head against the wall. He was so, so tired. He didn't remember ever being this tired.
"That loony killed Robert," Devon said. "I mean, the monkey thing, it broke his neck!"
"Then that's two accounts of murder," the dark-haired boy said gruffly. "Three accounts of kidnapping and assault. You should know that dirty child-killers don't do so well in federal prison."
"I… I love children."
"Loving children like that is illegal," Lex said sarcastically. He wanted to get up and kick Winslow in the ribs, but he didn't have the strength. He closed his eyes a moment then jerked when he felt hands on him.
"It's okay," the dark-haired boy said. "It's just me."
"And who are you anyway?" Lex asked.
The boy looked surprised, then shrugged his head to the side. "I'm Bruce Wayne."
"Ohhh," Lex whispered. He'd heard that name before.
That was the first time Lex had ever seen the dark-haired boy smile.
***
Bruce sat beside his Alexander out on the steps of the house as Winslow Schlott was taken into a police car. He had stolen one of the EMTs' blankets to wrap around Alexander's shoulders because he had been shivering, either from the cold or the excitement. Together they watched as the bodies of the two slain boys were taken away, and the police approached them, taking their stories in turn. Bruce couldn't help but notice that Alexander was very brief with his answers. After a few moments, Bruce put a gentle hand on Alexander's back to remind him that he was here. That seemed to stop the shaking.
"You do make it hard on an old man's heart, Master Bruce," Alfred said as he came up to the two of them.
"That was fast," Bruce remarked.
"Your headmaster called me a day ago. Might you leave crime-solving to the experts?" Alfred suggested.
Bruce shook his head. "Not if I wanted Alexander to turn up alive. That man was unstable."
Reluctantly, Bruce allowed Alfred to fuss over him and lead him away from Alexander for a moment. He kept looking back, and soon a red-haired woman rushed up to Alexander and began to fuss over him as well. Contented that he was being looked after, he endured Alfred's concern and lecturing.
A few hours later, the two of them were bathed and in warm clothes, with cocoa that Alfred had prepared himself in the common room of the first year dorms. Bruce sat as close as Alexander would allow, happy to see the boy no longer looking so distressed.
"That was your mother? Who came up to you by the house?" Bruce asked.
"My mother?" Alexander frowned softly. "Oh, no. That was my nurse, Pamela. My father came up to talk to the headmaster, and she insisted on coming. He wouldn't let her stay, though."
Bruce noted the disappointment in his voice.
"And um, the British man? That's your father?" Alexander asked.
Bruce shook his head. "My butler. Well, butler/guardian. He got custody over me after my parents died. He's sort of my father. And my mother. He's practically a breast."
Alexander laughed softly. "I haven't thanked you. That was impressive, what you did."
"No. It was impressive how you held out. You were so brave. You almost got out on your own, and you protected those other boys, even though they were always very rough with you," Bruce insisted.
"Crazy, horrible things are always happening around me." Alexander dipped his head. "I don't want people to be hurt because I'm a bad penny."
"You're not a bad penny. That man was unhinged." Bruce was still amazed that he hadn't killed that degenerate in his anger.
"He was. I see how he got there, though. Kind of."
"You're not allowed to blame yourself. People are responsible for their own actions." Bruce put his arm around Alexander's narrow shoulders. Alexander gave a soft sigh, then touched his side, where Bruce knew there were bruises. His Alexander was tough though. He knew it.
After a few moments, Alexander laid his head on Bruce's shoulder and blinked sleepily. Bruce held him closely, happy that he could make the poor boy feel secure after all of this. When he was sure that Alexander was completely asleep, he pressed a soft kiss to Alexander's head.
***
Several days later, Lex returned to the roof, needing the space to think. The newspapers were referring to Winslow as "The Toyman," which Lex was sure they thought was creative and maybe even a little cheeky, but Lex thought it was disgusting. He didn't look forward to the trial, and he wasn't looking forward to talking to any reporters, either. He knew it was to be expected. There had always been reporters, but now two kids were dead, and Lex would rather the reporters just let them lie.
Actually, he'd rather just not think about the whole mess.
"It scares me to think of you out here," Bruce said, climbing up the side of the roof. "I feel like I'm going to see your mangled body on the ground any day."
"I'm careful."
"You must not be scared of heights."
"Actually, I am. But why let a view like this get wasted because of a stupid fear?" Lex stared at the horizon for a moment before looking up at Bruce.
"Do you want me to leave? I know I promised I wouldn't follow you up here."
"You saved my life. You can stalk me a little." Lex patted the roof next to him. "Besides. You're quiet."
"One of my best traits, I'm sure."
"I would say beating up pedophiles would be one of your best traits."
Bruce sat next to him. "I suppose I could have worse careers. Are you doing alright?"
"I guess. I'm not missing class."
"I'm aware of that," Bruce replied, seeming amused.
Lex had been quiet for several moments when Bruce pulled something out of the pocket of his uniform. It was one of the painted soldiers from the model battle set Lex's father had given him when he was eight.
"I don't know if you missed this, but I… thought I ought to return it to you. It's kind of cruel to take your only toy away."
"I actually don't play with toys that much," Lex admitted. "Hardly ever. And that's not a toy. It's a figure from a set my father gave me to teach me strategy. In war."
"In war?" Bruce repeated. "Alright."
"Business, war… same thing. Keep it. Keep it, and think of me," Lex said teasingly. "There are more of them. That's a Lex Luthor original you have. I painted it myself."
"I'll treasure it. Are you really ten?" Bruce asked.
Lex bit his lip. "I know I'm weird."
"If you hadn't noticed, people think I'm weird, too." Bruce tucked the soldier back into his front pocket. "I'll keep him. If you won't miss him."
"It's okay. I'll know he's right there." Lex gave Bruce a curious look, scanning his strong features for a few seconds before licking his lips. "He can guard your heart."
Bruce put his arm around Lex. "Just to make sure you're okay. I don't want you to fall."
"I might fall anyway."
"Then I'll fall with you."
Lex looked out over the snow-covered grounds of Excelsior, and for the first time, felt like he might miss this place when he went home for winter break.
"Bruce, victories are so hard to come by. We should treasure every one we get. Even if it's a little victory, and even if it's only over ourselves and our fears. I feel like I should learn something from what happened with Winslow."
"People are scum. Lesson learned."
"Somehow I don't think that's it," Lex replied, pursing his lips.
"Maybe not. But keep on it. You're the reflective type. It'll come to you."
"Maybe a little obsession is okay, if you can keep your perspective… Don't come into my room unless I'm there or I asked you to."
Bruce let out a very soft laugh and nodded.
"Maybe… we can't count on toy soldiers."
"Especially not if someone gets a hold of the remote," Bruce quipped. "Am I a toy soldier?"
"No. You're a knight." Lex looked up at him.
"You make me sound so chivalrous." Bruce reached over and cupped Lex's cheek softly. "I had to find you. There wasn't the choice not to."
Lex began to smile and bit his lower lip. It was strange, Bruce touching his face like this, but not bad. Sort of curious. Years from now, they would be something spectacular. Today, the boys' hearts throbbed to an undefined sensation, which was not unpleasant, but rather new. And when the moment had passed, Lex leaned back on the roof and began to regal Bruce of another victory, albeit small, and of his first time throwing a snowball, and of an abandoned bunny, who he had named Jack, that had been adopted by a little warren in Centennial Park, and the other bunnies didn't mind at all that Jack was made out of snow and not fur. All the while, the older boy listened contentedly to Lex's story, with an almost-smile on his face, and when the wind seemed to grow too cold, he took off his coat and wrapped it around Lex's slender, careworn shoulders.
Pairings: pre-slash Brex
Summary: Lex Luthor navigates the world of obsession and dominance at Excelsior, when an outsider disrupts their petty games with his lethal breed of play.
Prompt: Write Excelsior!fic in which teen Oliver and his band of merry morons get in over their heads.
Warnings: death, triggers
Word count: 11,614
Part Two
Bruce Wayne was a great big liar. And he knew it. And he didn't care.
When Bruce didn't see Alexander in any of his classes the next day, he suspected that he was on the roof again, and he respected his wishes. For all of a day.
When Bruce did not see Alexander in class the next day, he left class before it started and headed for the library where he looked for the access to the attic, just as Alexander had described. It took him a little while to find, since he was dodging the librarian who would ask him why he wasn't in class, but finally, he managed, and he climbed up the latter in the back into an overcrowded, dusty attic.
Bruce was slightly impressed that Alexander had found this place after being at Excelsior for such a short time. He looked around the junk there and noticed the small footprints that had come from Alexander's small shoes leading to the window. Bruce put his foot next to the footprint that Alexander had left, marveling at the difference in size. He put his hands in his pockets and approached the window, which was still open, and peered outside. He could see how Alexander had easily used the stone ledge and the arrangement of the stones in the wall to climb up.
With one brief look down, Bruce climbed up the way that Alexander must have gone and pulled himself up on the roof. To his dismay, he saw no one there, and he walked across the roof until he saw a small blanket tucked in the tiles of the roof. Bruce sat on it and looked out over Excelsior. No wonder Alexander liked it here.
Bruce sighed with worry and looked down, half-expecting to see Alexander's broken little body on the ground below. It wasn't there, of course, and as he looked back up, he felt himself grow cold, and not from the wind outside that whipped through his dark hair.
He remembered the person who had been watching Alexander through the gates not too long ago. A few weeks, at most. Bruce knew, as much as he knew anything, that his Alexander had been kidnapped, and that he had said nothing when he'd seen the man who had done it.
Moving as quickly as he could, Bruce headed inside. He had to speak with the headmaster. Surely they were putting a search for the boy out by now.
***
"Oh, oh! There you are. There's my boy!"
Lex came to, feeling sore and dirty, and he touched his head, which felt roughly twice its regular size. He sat up slowly and looked around. "Where am I?"
"Not to worry. I like children. Yes, I do."
The sound of the voice wasn't reassuring. It was scratchy and strange, childish in a way, and Lex did not recognize it. He tried to stand and hit his head. Rubbing the bump, he looked up and realized. He was in a cage. A cage.
"What do you want?" Lex asked, scrambling backward until he hit the bars on the opposite side. He didn't know who this man was, this scraggly unshaven man who had locked him in a cage like an animal, with a few toys littered around the space he'd been given. Lex didn't trust him, and he was scared.
"Oh, I just want to play with you, my child." The man sat in front of the cage cross-legged, and he grinned widely at Lex. "Oh, do smile. Please smile, Lex Luthor. I have so many toys for you to play with. Try them."
He motioned with one hand toward the toys in the cage. Lex looked at the skeptically. "Who are you?"
"My name is Winslow." The strange man picked up a doll and began dancing it along his leg. "I've waited a long time to meet you, Lex. My, how you have changed."
"What do you mean, changed?"
"Such pretty, pretty red hair you had. It's all gone now. What happened to you, I wonder? I don't think your parents were taking good enough care of you." Winslow clucked his tongue and wagged his finger. Setting the doll down, he picked up a small wind up robot and set it inside the bars. "Play, Lex. You don't get to play enough."
Lex's brows furrowed deeply. This man was beyond bizarre. "I don't play."
"Every child must play. Every child wants to play, and I have toys here, just for you, Lex. Take them. Play with them." Winslow looked up through his thick round glasses and grinned. "I want to see your pretty face smile."
"I don't-"
"Play with the fucking toy!" Winslow exploded.
Lex snatched the robot and began to wind it up. He forced a laugh as he watched it walk across the ground, nodding and looking up at Winslow, who clapped and laughed genuinely.
While Winslow seemed distracted, Lex took the moment to gauge his surroundings. He'd certainly never been here before. It was a dark, spacious place with no windows. Not as big as a warehouse, but not very small, either. It was cold down here, too.
When the robot stopped, Winslow looked at Lex expectantly. Obediently, Lex reached for the toy to wind it up again. His young mind was working quickly because he had to do something before this crazy guy… Well, Lex didn't know what this crazy guy would do, but from the glint in his eye as he looked at Lex…. Lex didn't think it was good.
***
"Get out of the way," Bruce ordered Avery when he entered Alexander's room. He'd spoken to the headmaster-who had been singularly unhelpful-and the truth was that he didn't particularly trust the authorities to deal with this issue. Without waiting to see if Avery would do as told, Bruce began looking around Alexander's dorm yet again. He observed as carefully as he could, but found nothing, once again. His fingers reached the small toy soldier hidden between the books, and he tucked it in his pocket.
As near as he could recollect, the last time he had seen Alexander had been in the dining room two days ago. Bruce crossed his arms sternly and turned to Avery, who was hovering around the doorway.
"When was the last time you saw Alexander?" he demanded.
"Al… Who?" Avery asked. When Bruce stepped forward, he jumped. "You mean Luthor?"
"Yes. He wasn't here last night. Was he there the night before that? In his bed?"
"Um. No, he didn't come back to the room," Avery answered. "Why?"
"When did you see him before that? The hour, or close to it? Under what circumstances?"
Avery shook his head and shrugged. Bruce stepped forward again and pulled Avery over to his bed. "This is a matter of life and death, Avery Lancaster III," Bruce informed him. "A ten-year-old boy is missing, and strangers have been wandering about on the campus. If you have information and withhold it, and he dies? You're as good as his murderer."
"Okay, okay!" Avery held up his hands. "Look, I saw him at dinner time like a day ago. He was listening in on us talking in the hallway, and we chased him through the kitchen into the servants' quarters. I haven't seen him since then."
Bruce dropped the boy on the bed and stepped away slowly. "He's been missing then for over forty-eight hours."
"Seriously?
Turning with a dark look and lowered eyes, Bruce scanned over Avery with the intensity of a man possessed. "Seriously," he repeated a bit sarcastically. "You didn't find him in the servants' quarters?"
"No, he gave us the slip. I don't think he wanted to tattle or anything. He just happened to be there."
"And you chased him anyway?" Bruce asked sharply.
"Look, we didn't know that there was someone lurking around campus…" Avery paused and pulled his legs up onto the bed. "You think he'll be taking other kids?"
"Young kids, probably," Bruce muttered. He paused, looking at Lex's obsessively clean side of the room, then advised, "Stay on campus. Don't go anywhere without a group of friends. Spread the word. We have a kidnapper, and the headmaster either isn't paying attention, or he's hiding it from us."
Avery nodded dumbly as Bruce swept out of the room in a single, powerful movement. The boy shivered.
Bruce stalked down the hallways, his mind working rapidly as he came up with lists of what he needed to know and how he could make that happen.
First, he needed to question the servants.
***
Lex let his head fall back on the bars. He was tired and hungry, and his head was still throbbing. He didn't understand why Winslow wanted him, or why he wouldn’t let him go.
They had been "playing" for hours, and Lex only really understood enough to know that this guy might hurt him if he didn't do what Winslow asked. He had gone up the stairs, giving Lex a brief respite. Lex's eyes drooped shut for a moment, then his head jerked up.
He looked around the room once again and reached through the bars as far as he could, thinking that maybe if he reached one of the other toys out there he could take it apart and use something to pick the lock. He was slim, but he couldn't touch anything useful. He sat back, biting his lip.
Then Lex's eyes fell on the little wind-up robot. He picked it up, started to unscrew the wind-up key, and began working to separate its parts.
"You!" Winslow exclaimed as he came down the stairs in a hurry. "What are you doing?"
Lex jerked backward. "I'm sorry!"
"No no no!" Winslow crouched by the cages. "You ruined your toy!"
"I was just… I just wanted…" Lex swallowed and looked up, keeping his gaze steady. When his father lied, he always made sure to look the person in the eye and answer all questions with another question. "I wanted to see how it worked."
"You're… You're a very smart boy, Lex. I'm proud. Proud of you!" Winslow reached into the cage and picked up the bent casing of the robot. "See, look here." He pulled out a little screwdriver and began to unscrew the sides so that Lex could see. "Such a smart boy. Let me show you how it works!"
Lex bobbed his head, watching as Winslow took it apart. Then the man gave Lex the screwdriver and began instructing him how to put it back together. Having remembered the sequence already, Lex began anticipating Winslow's instructions, until the man just watched Lex silently.
When he had finished, Winslow murmured, "That was very good, Lex. Very good. I have bigger toys. Better toys. Oh, the things my toys can do. I'll teach you. We'll create such good toys together."
"I can learn," Lex replied in an eager voice. Years of Luthor family Christmas parties had taught him how to feign interest. "I take things apart at home all the time. I bet my father could get you a job making toys-"
Winslow stood abruptly and began pacing. "No! No no no… You… no. No, he can't. He can't because he already fired me, Lex. He fired me years ago. Years ago… He said my toys were useless. Couldn't turn a profit. That's what he cares about. Profits profits profits!"
Lex felt his heart sinking. That this man knew his father didn't bode well for him. "Are you going to ask for a ransom?" he asked dejectedly.
"Oh, no, Lex. I'm keeping you for myself. I love children," Winslow replied in a whisper, turning his head back toward Lex slowly.
Lex moved the screwdriver behind his back, hoping that Winslow would forget about it and leave it in there, and he widened his eyes as large as he could.
"What happened to you, Lex? Where did you pretty hair go?" Winslow asked, drawing near once again.
"There was an accident. A meteor shower," Lex answered. He hadn't told anyone at school, and he hated to talk about it, so his head dipped a little. "I was in the hospital for a year."
"I know. I know, Lex. I didn't see you anywhere. In the hospital? Are you sick, my dear?"
Lex wondered which answer would get him out of there. Yes or no? "I lost my hair, and I grew three inches. It changed me, and I dunno… I don't know why."
He bit his lip and blinked a few times. "I'm not me anymore. I'm someone else. You didn't take the boy you thought you did. Even my mom doesn't see me the same."
"Oh, Lex." Winslow drew closer and reached through the bars, caressing Lex's cheek. "She's a bad mommy. And you're mine now. You're my good boy, and we'll create beautiful toys together."
His thumb slowly moved across Lex's cheek and over his trembling lower lip.
Lex wanted to crawl out of his skin.
***
It was highly probable that the headmaster had called the police by now, and Alfred, since Bruce had packed up the supplies he'd thought he might need and begun searching the empty houses outside of Excelsior once by one. After talking to the servants, they had confirmed to Bruce that they had seen the stranger and told him that they'd informed their boss of the trespasser-after calling security to have him escorted off the grounds-but surprisingly little had been done.
So now Headmaster Reynolds had one child missing from new money who had been gone for almost four days, and one child missing from very old, very influential money who had been gone for a day and a half.
The maids had shown him the door that the intruder had likely come in through, and Bruce had inspected the area around it very carefully, finding a muddy footprint. Although there were plenty of places where mud and ragweed could have come from, Bruce surmised, and he hoped he was right, that the gardeners would not leave pretty weeds strewn about campus.
So Bruce had begun to search each house outside campus systematically, and he was afraid that he had missed something, or that by lurking around, he'd set off the creep who had taken Alexander and cause him to hurt the boy simply from being startled. Bruce wasn't particularly concerned that the man would hurt him. He'd been training long enough, even though he was still young, that he was confident in his ability to take out the kind of man who the servants had described. The kind of man who would prey on a ten-year-old.
The thought of it made Bruce's insides boil.
***
Ollie groaned and turned around to his friends sharply. "Avery, shut up. Stop whining."
"I just don't think it's a good idea-"
"When did you become such a pussy?" Ollie asked. A few of the others laughed softly. "Hold on to your junk and let's get this started."
"I got the junk," Devon informed them cheerfully, sounding ever so proper with his British accent, and smiled widely, flashing his bright, white teeth. "No worries on that front. Now all we've got to deal with is not getting caught tomorrow morning. If they do a bed check, we're fucked."
Avery pushed his golden hair behind his ears and looked around worriedly.
"Don't punk out on us," Ollie warned. He scanned the houses and pointed at one. "The overgrowth doesn't look too bad on that one."
Robert nodded and hefted the bag of drinks with him. "Yeah, that'll do. Far enough they won't be able to hear us or see any lights."
"Get out the torches, Av," Devon ordered. Avery sighed and pulled out the flashlights as he was told.
They had been doing this for a few years: Picking a weekend, sneaking off campus, and having a little fun. They didn't do it too often. That was a surefire way to get caught, and they'd come close a few times, but between the people coming in and out of their group, it wasn't hard to keep the fun going. Sometimes they went out into the fields and found a cave or some other place to camp in. Tonight, it was one of the houses, before the school bulldozed them.
A little weed, a little wine, a little sleepover. They worked hard at the hardest private school in the country. They deserved it.
Ollie lead the way into the house, and it was certainly one of the bigger houses around here. He waved his cohorts forward and moved past the furniture covered in dusty white sheets.
"Ollie…" Avery said, looking around. "I don't think-"
"Don't think. Shut it, or you can sneak back in yourself," Ollie snapped. He swore to himself if Avery's family weren't so filthy rich and tight with everyone who really mattered, this froofy blond would be eating dirt with the other worms at this school. Ollie turned to Avery and trailed his finger around Avery's cheek and under his chin. "We're all going to be fine. I promise. Just stick with me. Can't fail."
Avery blinked a few times, mesmerized by Ollie's confidence. He took a breath and nodded, following his friend into the kitchen.
"Ohhh, shit," Robert swore. "Guys, someone has been here."
"What makes you think that?" Devon asked.
Robert rolled his eyes and pointed to the kitchen counter. "No dust. Someone's been using the kitchen."
He walked over to the refrigerator and opened it.
"Huh. You think they're squatting? We could try to find them. Offer them a glass of wine." Ollie hurried into another room to check it out, and the others laughed and did the same, already high with the excitement of their adventure.
Ollie searched deeper into the house, finding a sitting room, then he stopped as he spotted another person, frozen in place. It was Lex Luthor, standing there dirty with a bruise on his cheek and holding a screwdriver.
"Get out of here," Lex mouthed, his eyes wide and almost angry.
"What the hell?" Ollie tilted his head to the side.
Lex bolted past him, grabbing his arm and jerking as hard as he could. "Come on."
Suddenly there was a crash in the other room, and Lex's face fell as though he were going to burst into tears. Ollie was about to speak when he heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.
Lex jerked Ollie's arm again, and this time he went with Lex, hurrying back into the kitchen. Lex ducked behind the counter and motioned for Ollie to come with him, but Ollie wasn't going to be afraid of some transient squatting in a house. He went out to find the main staircase upstairs. Devon and Avery bolted past him, and Ollie only turned a moment before looking into the living room.
Giant toy soldiers were marching in front of the entrance.
"What… the hell?" Ollie said, stepping closer to check them out. They were pretty amazing. He'd never seen anything like them really, with their shiny paint and realistic looking guns. Why would anyone make life-sized toy soldiers?
The moved their guns up, the pointed them forward.
Ollie grinned. "Cool."
Then the soldiers fired.
***
"Where's Robert?" Avery whined softly.
"He's scoffered," Devon replied in a hushed voice. "Those soldiers… They've shot Ollie!"
Lex's mouth hung open, and he looked at the other boys, his eyes shining. "He's crazier than I thought."
"Have you been here all this time?" Avery asked.
Lex nodded and peeked his head out. He sighed softly and looked behind them, toward the backdoor. "Do you think Robert made it? I knew Winslow could make things, but..."
"Ahhh!!!" Ollie groaned. His hard panting was audible behind the counter.
"What have you done? Bad, bad child!" Winslow demanded as he rushed down the stairs. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, God. Oh, God," Ollie moaned as blood oozed out of his mouth, causing him choke. "I need… a doctor! Please!"
Lex turned to the other two boys. "He's distracted. You've got to sneak out the back door!"
"Hell, no! He'll have those things shoot us!" Devon whispered.
"You can't stay here. He'll kill you all, but he doesn't want you, he wants me," Lex reasoned, hoping they'd listen. "Just…" He looked up with a sigh and set the screwdriver down. Then he slowly stood from where he was. "Please don't hurt him! It's my fault!"
Winslow's eyes fixed on Lex and threw his hands in the hair. "Lex! I can't believe it!"
"Please, let him go," Lex pleased. "You love children. You said so."
"No no no, Lex, you've been bad. How dare you try to leave me?" Winslow stepped over Ollie's groaning form and grabbed Lex roughly by the wrist. "Bad boys need to be punished. This is for your own good."
"Ah!" Lex gasped as he felt the pressure on his small arm. "I didn't mean to be bad." Lex shook his head, mustering up everything he could think of to convince this lunatic to sympathize with him. "I… I'm scared. And you're a stranger and my mommy and daddy told me never to talk to strangers and I just wanna go home. Please, please don't hurt me!"
Winslow narrowed his eyes behind the fogged glasses. His lips were twisted and he pulled Lex closer. "Your parents didn't teach you manners."
"My father's not around a lot. All he cares about is business and money," Lex told him. He did his best not to recoil as Winslow's hand touched his back and pressed his little body close.
"You're mine now, Lex. You'll be staying with me. Your home is here," he said strictly.
Lex nodded obediently. He closed his eyes and rested his head against Winslow's chest, knowing that the sign of affection was probably something Winslow wanted from Lex.
"My boy," he said, seeming to calm. "My beautiful, delicate boy."
Lex suppressed a shiver, and when he opened his eyes, he noticed with a frown that Ollie's body was shaking a little and let out a rattling groan.
"Winslow?" Lex whispered. "I think Ollie's dead."
"Don't concern yourself with him, Lex. He wasn't a good boy. Not like you." Winslow looked at Ollie's body disdainfully and then cupped Lex's smooth face with both hands. "You're such a sweet, loving boy. You deserve a father who is just as loving. Tonight you sleep in my bed."
There was a scream at the back of Lex's throat when Winslow kissed his lips. It didn't last long, however.
The backdoor burst open and through it came a large mechanical monkey that held a squirming Devon and Avery. Winslow looked at Lex in anger and threw him against the wall. "You lying little brat!"
"Why do you make these things?" Lex exploded with a burst of suppressed anger. "What is wrong with you?"
Winslow drew his fist back and struck Lex hard. Lex choked back a sob of frustration. He didn't care about the blow. He didn't want to die like this, not after he'd gotten so far.
"All three of you are going down in the cage, until I can teach you to be better boys," Winslow informed them in a cold voice. He reached in his pocket and then pointed at the monkey. "Take them downstairs. I didn't want to show you my best inventions until you were ready, Lex. Now, I think we're going to have to talk discipline. What a naughty liar you are."
"Like father like son, I guess," Lex said sulkily. The bratty remark earned him a kick to the ribs.
Winslow shook his head. "Maybe. Maybe you are just like him. You seemed so perfect. Such a perfect, bright, beautiful child. If you're just like you father, I don't know what to do with you…"
The soldiers raised their guns.
Lex opened his mouth to beg for his life, but he couldn't manage to speak. He wouldn't beg for his life from this man anymore. "My father fired you. It's business. It's not personal. You have no right to do any of this! We haven't done anything to you!"
Winslow pulled Lex to his feet and shoved him in front of the soldiers. "With Luthors, it's always business, isn't it?"
Lex stood resolutely and closed his eyes.
Then he heard a hard, wet thump. Lex turned around swiftly to see Winslow being punched repeatedly in the face.
It was that weird dark-haired boy.
And he was kicking Winslow's ass.
Lex stumbled toward the wall, and when he saw a remote control fly out of Winslow's pocket, he grabbed it, studied it for a moment, and punched a few of the buttons. The soldiers put their guns away and powered down. Lex let out a heavy sigh and slumped against the wall.
"Hey," he said in a quiet voice.
The boy looked up for a moment. There was a little of Winslow's blood on his face. He dropped Winslow and straddled him on the ground. "Are there any more of those things?"
"No… no, I swear to God…" Winslow wheezed.
"Swear to me!" the boy growled at Winslow with a feral curl of his lip.
"I swear! I swear!"
The boy pulled out a cord, flipped Winslow over, and proceeded to tie him tightly up. Devon and Avery came up the stairs.
"Oh! Oh, thank God!" Avery cried.
"Thank him," Lex said wryly, leaning his head against the wall. He was so, so tired. He didn't remember ever being this tired.
"That loony killed Robert," Devon said. "I mean, the monkey thing, it broke his neck!"
"Then that's two accounts of murder," the dark-haired boy said gruffly. "Three accounts of kidnapping and assault. You should know that dirty child-killers don't do so well in federal prison."
"I… I love children."
"Loving children like that is illegal," Lex said sarcastically. He wanted to get up and kick Winslow in the ribs, but he didn't have the strength. He closed his eyes a moment then jerked when he felt hands on him.
"It's okay," the dark-haired boy said. "It's just me."
"And who are you anyway?" Lex asked.
The boy looked surprised, then shrugged his head to the side. "I'm Bruce Wayne."
"Ohhh," Lex whispered. He'd heard that name before.
That was the first time Lex had ever seen the dark-haired boy smile.
***
Bruce sat beside his Alexander out on the steps of the house as Winslow Schlott was taken into a police car. He had stolen one of the EMTs' blankets to wrap around Alexander's shoulders because he had been shivering, either from the cold or the excitement. Together they watched as the bodies of the two slain boys were taken away, and the police approached them, taking their stories in turn. Bruce couldn't help but notice that Alexander was very brief with his answers. After a few moments, Bruce put a gentle hand on Alexander's back to remind him that he was here. That seemed to stop the shaking.
"You do make it hard on an old man's heart, Master Bruce," Alfred said as he came up to the two of them.
"That was fast," Bruce remarked.
"Your headmaster called me a day ago. Might you leave crime-solving to the experts?" Alfred suggested.
Bruce shook his head. "Not if I wanted Alexander to turn up alive. That man was unstable."
Reluctantly, Bruce allowed Alfred to fuss over him and lead him away from Alexander for a moment. He kept looking back, and soon a red-haired woman rushed up to Alexander and began to fuss over him as well. Contented that he was being looked after, he endured Alfred's concern and lecturing.
A few hours later, the two of them were bathed and in warm clothes, with cocoa that Alfred had prepared himself in the common room of the first year dorms. Bruce sat as close as Alexander would allow, happy to see the boy no longer looking so distressed.
"That was your mother? Who came up to you by the house?" Bruce asked.
"My mother?" Alexander frowned softly. "Oh, no. That was my nurse, Pamela. My father came up to talk to the headmaster, and she insisted on coming. He wouldn't let her stay, though."
Bruce noted the disappointment in his voice.
"And um, the British man? That's your father?" Alexander asked.
Bruce shook his head. "My butler. Well, butler/guardian. He got custody over me after my parents died. He's sort of my father. And my mother. He's practically a breast."
Alexander laughed softly. "I haven't thanked you. That was impressive, what you did."
"No. It was impressive how you held out. You were so brave. You almost got out on your own, and you protected those other boys, even though they were always very rough with you," Bruce insisted.
"Crazy, horrible things are always happening around me." Alexander dipped his head. "I don't want people to be hurt because I'm a bad penny."
"You're not a bad penny. That man was unhinged." Bruce was still amazed that he hadn't killed that degenerate in his anger.
"He was. I see how he got there, though. Kind of."
"You're not allowed to blame yourself. People are responsible for their own actions." Bruce put his arm around Alexander's narrow shoulders. Alexander gave a soft sigh, then touched his side, where Bruce knew there were bruises. His Alexander was tough though. He knew it.
After a few moments, Alexander laid his head on Bruce's shoulder and blinked sleepily. Bruce held him closely, happy that he could make the poor boy feel secure after all of this. When he was sure that Alexander was completely asleep, he pressed a soft kiss to Alexander's head.
***
Several days later, Lex returned to the roof, needing the space to think. The newspapers were referring to Winslow as "The Toyman," which Lex was sure they thought was creative and maybe even a little cheeky, but Lex thought it was disgusting. He didn't look forward to the trial, and he wasn't looking forward to talking to any reporters, either. He knew it was to be expected. There had always been reporters, but now two kids were dead, and Lex would rather the reporters just let them lie.
Actually, he'd rather just not think about the whole mess.
"It scares me to think of you out here," Bruce said, climbing up the side of the roof. "I feel like I'm going to see your mangled body on the ground any day."
"I'm careful."
"You must not be scared of heights."
"Actually, I am. But why let a view like this get wasted because of a stupid fear?" Lex stared at the horizon for a moment before looking up at Bruce.
"Do you want me to leave? I know I promised I wouldn't follow you up here."
"You saved my life. You can stalk me a little." Lex patted the roof next to him. "Besides. You're quiet."
"One of my best traits, I'm sure."
"I would say beating up pedophiles would be one of your best traits."
Bruce sat next to him. "I suppose I could have worse careers. Are you doing alright?"
"I guess. I'm not missing class."
"I'm aware of that," Bruce replied, seeming amused.
Lex had been quiet for several moments when Bruce pulled something out of the pocket of his uniform. It was one of the painted soldiers from the model battle set Lex's father had given him when he was eight.
"I don't know if you missed this, but I… thought I ought to return it to you. It's kind of cruel to take your only toy away."
"I actually don't play with toys that much," Lex admitted. "Hardly ever. And that's not a toy. It's a figure from a set my father gave me to teach me strategy. In war."
"In war?" Bruce repeated. "Alright."
"Business, war… same thing. Keep it. Keep it, and think of me," Lex said teasingly. "There are more of them. That's a Lex Luthor original you have. I painted it myself."
"I'll treasure it. Are you really ten?" Bruce asked.
Lex bit his lip. "I know I'm weird."
"If you hadn't noticed, people think I'm weird, too." Bruce tucked the soldier back into his front pocket. "I'll keep him. If you won't miss him."
"It's okay. I'll know he's right there." Lex gave Bruce a curious look, scanning his strong features for a few seconds before licking his lips. "He can guard your heart."
Bruce put his arm around Lex. "Just to make sure you're okay. I don't want you to fall."
"I might fall anyway."
"Then I'll fall with you."
Lex looked out over the snow-covered grounds of Excelsior, and for the first time, felt like he might miss this place when he went home for winter break.
"Bruce, victories are so hard to come by. We should treasure every one we get. Even if it's a little victory, and even if it's only over ourselves and our fears. I feel like I should learn something from what happened with Winslow."
"People are scum. Lesson learned."
"Somehow I don't think that's it," Lex replied, pursing his lips.
"Maybe not. But keep on it. You're the reflective type. It'll come to you."
"Maybe a little obsession is okay, if you can keep your perspective… Don't come into my room unless I'm there or I asked you to."
Bruce let out a very soft laugh and nodded.
"Maybe… we can't count on toy soldiers."
"Especially not if someone gets a hold of the remote," Bruce quipped. "Am I a toy soldier?"
"No. You're a knight." Lex looked up at him.
"You make me sound so chivalrous." Bruce reached over and cupped Lex's cheek softly. "I had to find you. There wasn't the choice not to."
Lex began to smile and bit his lower lip. It was strange, Bruce touching his face like this, but not bad. Sort of curious. Years from now, they would be something spectacular. Today, the boys' hearts throbbed to an undefined sensation, which was not unpleasant, but rather new. And when the moment had passed, Lex leaned back on the roof and began to regal Bruce of another victory, albeit small, and of his first time throwing a snowball, and of an abandoned bunny, who he had named Jack, that had been adopted by a little warren in Centennial Park, and the other bunnies didn't mind at all that Jack was made out of snow and not fur. All the while, the older boy listened contentedly to Lex's story, with an almost-smile on his face, and when the wind seemed to grow too cold, he took off his coat and wrapped it around Lex's slender, careworn shoulders.