Never That Kind - August 13th
Twisted Shorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge - Day 13
Title: Never That Kind
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/Smallville
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Smallville people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Things are strange in Smallville, Athena has few complaints.
Notes: Athena Luthor Part 9 - Links Page
Seasons: S1Ep4 “X-ray”
Characters: Athena, Lex, Clark
Word Count: 3000
Lex checked his watch again.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” he asked.
“You’re only going to Metropolis for a day and a half. And I still have school.” She gave him a push towards the door. “Now go and meet with the shit haulers.”
“Fertilizer distributors,” he corrected.
“Besides,” she ignored him, “I am avoiding Father, and that can only be done from the distance of Smallville. And I was doing just fine before you came here.”
“I think you’re trying to get rid of me.”
“I am,” she told him.
“Big party planned?”
“No,” She watched him. “I don’t quite have the partying genes you have.”
“I’m sure you just never used them.”
“Go,” she ordered him. “Or I’ll call the Inquisitor and give them your itinerary for your time in Metropolis.”
“Fine,” he surrendered, “I’m going, no need to threaten me.”
They both went to the front door where their cars were waiting. Lex’s to take him to Metropolis and Athena’s to take her to school.
88888888
“Hello?” Athena answered the phone on her desk.
“Miss Luthor, police are here, they wish to speak with you,” the security guard told her.
“Send them in.”
Athena’s heart pounded, imagining worse case scenarios. She abandoned her homework assignment in her personal office and headed for the grand office Lex used. It had the unique ability to transform her from Athena to Miss Luthor.
She sat behind Lex’s desk and schooled her expression as she had been trained since she was a child. The door opened, a servant led two sheriff’s department personnel. One was an older man she recognized at the sheriff, the other was a young deputy.
“Sheriff, Deputy,” she greeted coolly.
“Miss Luthor,” the Sheriff greeted, sizing her up. “Do you know your brother’s whereabouts?”
“He left for Metropolis this morning for a conference.”
“Is there any reason he would have returned early?”
“None that I know of. What is this about, Sheriff?”
“Someone who looked to be Lex Luthor robbed the Smallville Savings and Loan at gunpoint an hour ago.”
Athena’s eyebrow rose in disbelief. “How much was taken?”
“One hundred thousand dollars.”
“The Luthors have far more than that in legitimate accounts at the Smallville bank,” she pointed out.
“Yes, Miss Luthor, but we had to follow up here to start with,” the Sheriff pointed out. He handed her a card.
“Of course.”
They tipped their hats. “Thank you for your time, please have Mr. Luthor contact as soon as possible.”
“I will,” she agreed as she stood. “Did this fake harm anyone in commission of the crime?”
“The only person was a kid - Clark Kent - who was thrown through a window,” the Sheriff said. “But he was unharmed and was able to identify Lex Luthor as the one who ran.”
Athena nodded. “I’m glad he wasn’t hurt.”
88888888
Lex pulled the car to a stop near the Kent barn. He got out along with Athena and headed for the house. They mounted the stairs, hearing the Kents inside.
“I don’t know what I saw,” Clark said. “It couldn’t have been Lex.”
“There must be some kind of reasonable explanation for this,” Martha said. “I hope.”
“Me too,” Lex said, pitching his voice to announce their arrival. “I hate to think I have an evil twin.”
“Lex, Athena,” Martha said in surprise, “we didn’t hear you pull up.”
Athena pulled the door open and entered the house.
“Hey,” Clark greeted her.
She grinned. “Hi.”
The adults looked at them a moment.
Clark looked up as Lex entered the living room. “Lex, how come you’re not in jail?”
“Because I was hosting a reception for two hundred fertilizer distributors in Metropolis at the time of the robbery.”
“Do the police have any leads?” Jonathan asked.
“None,” Athena answered. “People don’t tend to look past what they want to see. So they saw Lex Luthor with a gun…”
“It’s why I wanted to talk to you, Clark,” Lex said. “Your name was on the witness list. Did you actually see this person?”
“Yeah,” Clark confirmed. “He looked just like you.”
“Except all the forensics pulled don’t match Lex,” Athena said.
“What’s going to happen now?” Clark asked.
“Hopefully, the money will turn up,” Lex said. “In the meantime, the Metropolis tabloids will have a field day, and I’m sure certain people’s opinions of me will be cemented in stone.”
Jonathan stood suddenly. “I’ve got to get to work.” He and Martha quit the house.
“I’m sorry you got thrown through that window,” Lex told Clark.
“I’m fine,” Clark assured him. “It was more surprising than painful.”
“I should get Athena to school,” Lex said.
“Actually, I’ll catch the bus with Clark,” Athena said. “We have a project coming up and need to give the teacher an answer today.”
“What class?” Lex asked.
“History,” Clark answered.
Lex nodded disbelievingly.
Athena rolled her eyes. “We just want to spend an extra twenty minutes together, okay?”
Lex smirked. “See, no need to lie.”
“Let me get my backpack out of the car,” Athena said, slipping out of the house. She ran to the car and grabbed her backpack. She double checked she had everything before closing the car door.
She re-entered the house, pausing at the looks Clark and Lex were exchanging. “Am I interrupting?”
“No,” Lex said as he passed her. “I’ll see you for dinner.”
“Okay.” She watched him leave before approaching Clark. “What was that?”
Clark’s face flushed, listening to Lex’s car pull away. “He wanted to know what my intentions were.”
Athena turned towards the door. “I’ll kill him.”
Clark grabbed her arm, keeping her in place. “It just means he cares.”
She relaxed and looked back at Clark.
He stepped closer, looking down at her. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.
Athena’s eye closed and she forgot how to breathe. Her entire being was focused on her lips. Lightning raced up her spine. She raised her hands to Clark’s chest as one of his arms wrapped around her waist.
Then his lips lifted away from hers.
She managed to breath in when her eyes opened to look up at Clark. “What’d you say your intentions were?”
“Honorable,” he replied. “If you were interested.”
“Very interested,” she told him.
His lips lowered to hers again.
“Clark!” Martha’s voice interrupted a few minutes later.
They both drew back. Athena immediately crouched to grab her backpack.
“Athena?” She said in surprise. “I thought you’d left with Lex.”
“No, I’m catching the bus with Clark.”
“Well, you’ve both missed it,” she told them.
88888888
Clark skidded to a stop along the side of the school.
Athena exhaled as he set her on her feet. “That was…wow.”
Clark chuckled. There was something about not having to hide himself from her, it made him happier than he could remember being in a while.
“But not the most comfortable way to travel,” she admitted. Her grip on his arm bordering on painful as she tried to get her bearings.
Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her. It was freeing to be himself with someone outside of his parents. And she harbored similar secrets and abilities. Her grip on his arm relaxed and his pulled back to look at her.
“Better?” he asked.
She nodded. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye. A car had pulled up and a student was getting out.
“Hey, Jodi!” she greeted heading for the girl.
Jodi looked up in surprise.
“Do you know her?” her father asked from the driver’s seat.
Jodi nodded slowly. “We have AP Environmental Science together.”
“Speaking of, I need a partner for the class project. I was thinking a comparative of soils around Smallville. Compositions as well as a breakdown of nutrient content,” Athena said.
“You could work with anyone…” Jodi said softly.
“All of who would expect me to use LuthorCorp resources for analysis. I need someone who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty and doing actual scientific testing.”
“Sure. I-I-I would like that.”
“Great,” Athena smiled. “We’ll exchange information in class and setup a time to meet.”
“Okay,” Jodi gave a small smile.
Clark walked with Athena into the school building. “Soil sampling?”
“I can’t exactly order a soil study without it going through Lex and Father,” she pointed out. “But since Father insisted I take at least one AP course a year, it works as a good excuse to do a little digging around town.”
“Why ask Jodi?”
“She’s smart,” Athena admitted as they stopped at her locker and she worked on the lock “She’s one of the few who has brains and a personality, even if she is a little timid.” She glanced at him. “I also empathize with her.”
He frowned down at her. “What do you mean?”
“People rarely see past how she looks, any more than they look past my name. And we tend to see ourselves through those warped mirrors.” She swapped out the books that she needed. She paused with the journal in her hand. “I need to stop carrying this around.”
“Do you have a place to keep it?”
“I don’t trust my father’s goons around the mansion. I can’t put it in the safe or store it in a safety deposit box.” She put it back in her bag and closed her locker.
“You’ll think of something.”
88888888
Athena paced herself as she climbed the rope for P.E. The race was unfair with her advantages. She was still trying to figure out how far her own strength and training went before it tapped into her Slayer abilities. She kept herself just ahead of Lana, her natural competiveness requiring she win. She hit the bell and started down the rope. She was halfway down when she heard Lana hit her bell.
“Nice time,” Mr. Schwartz, their teacher, commented, “both of you. Head for the locker room ladies.” He turned and blew his whistle. “Okay, boys, let’s go!”
All the girls headed for the locker room.
“Kent! Ross! On deck,” Schwartz ordered, “You’re first.”
Athena stopped outside the locker room and turned to watch.
Lana paused next to her. “What are you doing?”
“Observation,” she replied softly. After all, Clark had years of experience hiding his abilities.
Lana grinned. “You just like watching Clark.”
Athena tilted her head. “So what if I do?”
Chuckling, Lana entered the locker room.
“Kent, are we boring you?” Schwartz asked.
Clark shook his head, his hand to his head. “I’m sorry. It’s - my head hurts.”
Athena straightened in concern.
“That’s because you need to get some blood pumping,” Schwartz said. “Let’s go, up the rope.”
Clark and Pete started up their ropes.
“Come on, put a little muscle into it. If Ross beats you it’s ten laps. Come on, Kent, let’s go!”
Pete said something to Clark as they climbed. They were halfway up when his face filled with panic. “Clark, man, what’s wrong?”
Clark lost his grip, falling to the pad.
“Whoa, Kent, are you all right?” Schwartz asked. “What happened up there?”
Clark just blinked several times.
88888888
Athena sat across from Lex at the Beanery. They were drinking cappuccinos. She had her notebook opened in front of her as she worked through the ideas for a paper.
“If you’d rather do homework,” Lex said, “I’ll try not to be completely offended.”
She grinned at him but kept writing. “I have a paper due soon, I have to choose an aspect of Roman society and write about it.”
“Have you chosen the Gladiators?” he asked.
“No, though I have heard enough of Father’s tales to certainly write about it.” She shook her head. “I’m going to write about the life and expectations of daughters of the wealthy.”
Lex smiled. “Identifying with your subject?”
“Some,” she admitted. “I often think we’re both lucky Father hasn’t arranged for us to marry in order to further his ambitions.”
“And once we’ve cannibalized what we need from them, divorce and set our sights on the next?” he suggested.
“I knew you’d see things my way,” she teased as she put her notebook away.
“Got any idea who we’d be matched with?” he asked.
“It’s always a bit harder with you since there aren’t a lot of women CEOs your age…” She paused to think about it. “Probably one of the Metropolis media conglomerate's daughters? Mercy Cane or Ariel Sanders.”
Lex grimaced. “No one with personality?”
“Unfortunately, Father would never be that kind,” she mocked.
“If I am stuck with them, who would you get?”
“Probably offspring of a competing company,” she guessed. She thought through the possibilities. “Bruce Wayne is my age. But current market favors Father would push to get his hands on Queen Industries.”
All traces of a smile disappeared from Lex’s face. “Stay away from Oliver Queen,” he told her seriously.
Athena looked at him in surprise. “Lex?”
He cleared his throat. “Queen isn’t someone who can be trusted.”
“Okay, no hypothetical or otherwise relationships with Queens,” she promised. She reached across the table and put her hand on his. “But is Wayne still open for discussion?”
Lex grinned at her antics. “I thought you were pursuing a heroic farm boy?”
She pinched him arm.
“Hey!” He brushed off her hand.
“Still owed you that for your ridiculously antiquated questioning of Clark the other morning,” she told him. “His intentions? Really, Lex? You’re lucky he talked me out of killing you.”
“How did he manage that?”
Athena looked into her cappuccino. “Stay out of mine and Clark’s…whatever it is.”
He grinned.
A ringing phone had them both reaching for their pockets. It was Athena’s cell phone.
“Hello?”
“Miss Luthor, I have an unauthorized person looking for you.”
“Name?”
“She claims to be Lana Lang,” the gate guard said. “She has no identification.”
“Five three, thin with waist length black hair, green eyes, about my age?”
“Yes, Miss Luthor.”
“Yeah, show her into the house, I’m on my way.” She hung up the phone. “I swear they think high school students are a danger.” She took a last sip of her cappuccino. “I need to get back to the house.”
“Based on that description, Lana is waiting for you?” Lex as he stood and took out his wallet, leaving a tip on the table.
“Yeah. I don’t think I forgot a meeting, so I get the feeling this is a friend thing.” Athena picked up her bag, following Lex out of the coffee shop.
They stopped, seeing a man in a suit leaning against Lex’s silver Porsche.
“May I help you?” Lex asked.
“Roger Nixon, Metropolis Inquisitor,” the man introduced himself. He was in his mid-thirties, with brown eyes and short dark hair.
Athena stiffened, her entire being shifting to the persona she had perfected as Lionel Luthor’s daughter.
“Get off my car,” Lex told him.
Nixon held up a copy of the Inquisitor. The cover was a picture of Lex committing the robbery.
“That’s a hell of a picture, Lex,” Nixon said. “You know, it really boosted our sales.”
“I’ve read comic books with less fiction than your rag,” Lex told him in disgust. Athena put her backpack in the car.
“Well, how about this?” Nixon opened a file and flashed it to Lex. “Is this fiction? It’s your juvenile record. Fascinating reading. It must have taken a Brink’s truck of your dad’s money to keep all those people quiet.”
Athena grimaced and could see the rage on Lex’s face.
“Those records are sealed,” Lex hissed.
“I’m a resourceful guy,” Nixon said. “You know, I saw that picture yesterday, and it got me thinking about a follow-up. ‘Lex Luthor’s Wild Youth in Metropolis.’ Does that name Club Zero ring a bell? Maybe it’ll give little Athena something to aspire to.”
“You print one word about that and I’ll sue.”
“Lawsuits take years. The genie will be out of the bottle and all the people will know that the new and improved Lex Luthor is nothing but a façade.”
“You know what I think, Rog?” Lex asked, angry but in control. “If you wanted to print that, it would already be in the paper. I think you’re looking for a payoff.”
“It’s a business proposition. A hundred thousand dollars and these records will disappear forever.”
Athena scoffed and got into the car as Lex walked around the car. “I’d question your integrity, but you’re a journalist.”
“And a poor one at that,” Athena noted as her brother got in the car.
“Your father really thinks he can hide you here forever?” Roger asked, offering his card. “You got twenty-four hours.”
Athena snatched the card as Lex started the car and sped away. Once they were headed towards the mansion, she rolled up her window. “What are you going to do?”
Lex sighed and rolled up his window. “I don’t know, but I’ll handle it.”
She took a deep breath. “You know, of the three of us Luthors, I’m the only one without a juvenile record.”
“You have some time,” he reminded her.
88888888
They entered Lex’s office, where Lana had been seated by the staff.
“Lana,” Athena said. “What happened?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. I didn’t mean to barge in,” Lana said. “When I realized you weren’t here…I felt ridiculous, but I thought leaving-”
Athena stepped forward, placing her hands on Lana’s shoulders. “Lana…breathe.” She looked around. “Why don’t we leave Lex to his office? We can got to mine and talk.”
“Okay,” she said. Her eyes darted around to Lex and then away again.
Athena dropped her hands and gestured Lana to follow. They traveled down two halls to her office. It was half the size of Lex’s.
“Do you want to sit?” Athena asked.
“No,” Lana replied, pacing around the room.
“Okay…” She took one of the client seats and watched her friend. “What’s going on Lana?”
“I didn’t think anyone would understand,” Lana said. “I found my mom’s journal…”
Title: Never That Kind
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/Smallville
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Smallville people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: Things are strange in Smallville, Athena has few complaints.
Notes: Athena Luthor Part 9 - Links Page
Seasons: S1Ep4 “X-ray”
Characters: Athena, Lex, Clark
Word Count: 3000
Lex checked his watch again.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” he asked.
“You’re only going to Metropolis for a day and a half. And I still have school.” She gave him a push towards the door. “Now go and meet with the shit haulers.”
“Fertilizer distributors,” he corrected.
“Besides,” she ignored him, “I am avoiding Father, and that can only be done from the distance of Smallville. And I was doing just fine before you came here.”
“I think you’re trying to get rid of me.”
“I am,” she told him.
“Big party planned?”
“No,” She watched him. “I don’t quite have the partying genes you have.”
“I’m sure you just never used them.”
“Go,” she ordered him. “Or I’ll call the Inquisitor and give them your itinerary for your time in Metropolis.”
“Fine,” he surrendered, “I’m going, no need to threaten me.”
They both went to the front door where their cars were waiting. Lex’s to take him to Metropolis and Athena’s to take her to school.
88888888
“Hello?” Athena answered the phone on her desk.
“Miss Luthor, police are here, they wish to speak with you,” the security guard told her.
“Send them in.”
Athena’s heart pounded, imagining worse case scenarios. She abandoned her homework assignment in her personal office and headed for the grand office Lex used. It had the unique ability to transform her from Athena to Miss Luthor.
She sat behind Lex’s desk and schooled her expression as she had been trained since she was a child. The door opened, a servant led two sheriff’s department personnel. One was an older man she recognized at the sheriff, the other was a young deputy.
“Sheriff, Deputy,” she greeted coolly.
“Miss Luthor,” the Sheriff greeted, sizing her up. “Do you know your brother’s whereabouts?”
“He left for Metropolis this morning for a conference.”
“Is there any reason he would have returned early?”
“None that I know of. What is this about, Sheriff?”
“Someone who looked to be Lex Luthor robbed the Smallville Savings and Loan at gunpoint an hour ago.”
Athena’s eyebrow rose in disbelief. “How much was taken?”
“One hundred thousand dollars.”
“The Luthors have far more than that in legitimate accounts at the Smallville bank,” she pointed out.
“Yes, Miss Luthor, but we had to follow up here to start with,” the Sheriff pointed out. He handed her a card.
“Of course.”
They tipped their hats. “Thank you for your time, please have Mr. Luthor contact as soon as possible.”
“I will,” she agreed as she stood. “Did this fake harm anyone in commission of the crime?”
“The only person was a kid - Clark Kent - who was thrown through a window,” the Sheriff said. “But he was unharmed and was able to identify Lex Luthor as the one who ran.”
Athena nodded. “I’m glad he wasn’t hurt.”
88888888
Lex pulled the car to a stop near the Kent barn. He got out along with Athena and headed for the house. They mounted the stairs, hearing the Kents inside.
“I don’t know what I saw,” Clark said. “It couldn’t have been Lex.”
“There must be some kind of reasonable explanation for this,” Martha said. “I hope.”
“Me too,” Lex said, pitching his voice to announce their arrival. “I hate to think I have an evil twin.”
“Lex, Athena,” Martha said in surprise, “we didn’t hear you pull up.”
Athena pulled the door open and entered the house.
“Hey,” Clark greeted her.
She grinned. “Hi.”
The adults looked at them a moment.
Clark looked up as Lex entered the living room. “Lex, how come you’re not in jail?”
“Because I was hosting a reception for two hundred fertilizer distributors in Metropolis at the time of the robbery.”
“Do the police have any leads?” Jonathan asked.
“None,” Athena answered. “People don’t tend to look past what they want to see. So they saw Lex Luthor with a gun…”
“It’s why I wanted to talk to you, Clark,” Lex said. “Your name was on the witness list. Did you actually see this person?”
“Yeah,” Clark confirmed. “He looked just like you.”
“Except all the forensics pulled don’t match Lex,” Athena said.
“What’s going to happen now?” Clark asked.
“Hopefully, the money will turn up,” Lex said. “In the meantime, the Metropolis tabloids will have a field day, and I’m sure certain people’s opinions of me will be cemented in stone.”
Jonathan stood suddenly. “I’ve got to get to work.” He and Martha quit the house.
“I’m sorry you got thrown through that window,” Lex told Clark.
“I’m fine,” Clark assured him. “It was more surprising than painful.”
“I should get Athena to school,” Lex said.
“Actually, I’ll catch the bus with Clark,” Athena said. “We have a project coming up and need to give the teacher an answer today.”
“What class?” Lex asked.
“History,” Clark answered.
Lex nodded disbelievingly.
Athena rolled her eyes. “We just want to spend an extra twenty minutes together, okay?”
Lex smirked. “See, no need to lie.”
“Let me get my backpack out of the car,” Athena said, slipping out of the house. She ran to the car and grabbed her backpack. She double checked she had everything before closing the car door.
She re-entered the house, pausing at the looks Clark and Lex were exchanging. “Am I interrupting?”
“No,” Lex said as he passed her. “I’ll see you for dinner.”
“Okay.” She watched him leave before approaching Clark. “What was that?”
Clark’s face flushed, listening to Lex’s car pull away. “He wanted to know what my intentions were.”
Athena turned towards the door. “I’ll kill him.”
Clark grabbed her arm, keeping her in place. “It just means he cares.”
She relaxed and looked back at Clark.
He stepped closer, looking down at her. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.
Athena’s eye closed and she forgot how to breathe. Her entire being was focused on her lips. Lightning raced up her spine. She raised her hands to Clark’s chest as one of his arms wrapped around her waist.
Then his lips lifted away from hers.
She managed to breath in when her eyes opened to look up at Clark. “What’d you say your intentions were?”
“Honorable,” he replied. “If you were interested.”
“Very interested,” she told him.
His lips lowered to hers again.
“Clark!” Martha’s voice interrupted a few minutes later.
They both drew back. Athena immediately crouched to grab her backpack.
“Athena?” She said in surprise. “I thought you’d left with Lex.”
“No, I’m catching the bus with Clark.”
“Well, you’ve both missed it,” she told them.
88888888
Clark skidded to a stop along the side of the school.
Athena exhaled as he set her on her feet. “That was…wow.”
Clark chuckled. There was something about not having to hide himself from her, it made him happier than he could remember being in a while.
“But not the most comfortable way to travel,” she admitted. Her grip on his arm bordering on painful as she tried to get her bearings.
Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her. It was freeing to be himself with someone outside of his parents. And she harbored similar secrets and abilities. Her grip on his arm relaxed and his pulled back to look at her.
“Better?” he asked.
She nodded. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye. A car had pulled up and a student was getting out.
“Hey, Jodi!” she greeted heading for the girl.
Jodi looked up in surprise.
“Do you know her?” her father asked from the driver’s seat.
Jodi nodded slowly. “We have AP Environmental Science together.”
“Speaking of, I need a partner for the class project. I was thinking a comparative of soils around Smallville. Compositions as well as a breakdown of nutrient content,” Athena said.
“You could work with anyone…” Jodi said softly.
“All of who would expect me to use LuthorCorp resources for analysis. I need someone who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty and doing actual scientific testing.”
“Sure. I-I-I would like that.”
“Great,” Athena smiled. “We’ll exchange information in class and setup a time to meet.”
“Okay,” Jodi gave a small smile.
Clark walked with Athena into the school building. “Soil sampling?”
“I can’t exactly order a soil study without it going through Lex and Father,” she pointed out. “But since Father insisted I take at least one AP course a year, it works as a good excuse to do a little digging around town.”
“Why ask Jodi?”
“She’s smart,” Athena admitted as they stopped at her locker and she worked on the lock “She’s one of the few who has brains and a personality, even if she is a little timid.” She glanced at him. “I also empathize with her.”
He frowned down at her. “What do you mean?”
“People rarely see past how she looks, any more than they look past my name. And we tend to see ourselves through those warped mirrors.” She swapped out the books that she needed. She paused with the journal in her hand. “I need to stop carrying this around.”
“Do you have a place to keep it?”
“I don’t trust my father’s goons around the mansion. I can’t put it in the safe or store it in a safety deposit box.” She put it back in her bag and closed her locker.
“You’ll think of something.”
88888888
Athena paced herself as she climbed the rope for P.E. The race was unfair with her advantages. She was still trying to figure out how far her own strength and training went before it tapped into her Slayer abilities. She kept herself just ahead of Lana, her natural competiveness requiring she win. She hit the bell and started down the rope. She was halfway down when she heard Lana hit her bell.
“Nice time,” Mr. Schwartz, their teacher, commented, “both of you. Head for the locker room ladies.” He turned and blew his whistle. “Okay, boys, let’s go!”
All the girls headed for the locker room.
“Kent! Ross! On deck,” Schwartz ordered, “You’re first.”
Athena stopped outside the locker room and turned to watch.
Lana paused next to her. “What are you doing?”
“Observation,” she replied softly. After all, Clark had years of experience hiding his abilities.
Lana grinned. “You just like watching Clark.”
Athena tilted her head. “So what if I do?”
Chuckling, Lana entered the locker room.
“Kent, are we boring you?” Schwartz asked.
Clark shook his head, his hand to his head. “I’m sorry. It’s - my head hurts.”
Athena straightened in concern.
“That’s because you need to get some blood pumping,” Schwartz said. “Let’s go, up the rope.”
Clark and Pete started up their ropes.
“Come on, put a little muscle into it. If Ross beats you it’s ten laps. Come on, Kent, let’s go!”
Pete said something to Clark as they climbed. They were halfway up when his face filled with panic. “Clark, man, what’s wrong?”
Clark lost his grip, falling to the pad.
“Whoa, Kent, are you all right?” Schwartz asked. “What happened up there?”
Clark just blinked several times.
88888888
Athena sat across from Lex at the Beanery. They were drinking cappuccinos. She had her notebook opened in front of her as she worked through the ideas for a paper.
“If you’d rather do homework,” Lex said, “I’ll try not to be completely offended.”
She grinned at him but kept writing. “I have a paper due soon, I have to choose an aspect of Roman society and write about it.”
“Have you chosen the Gladiators?” he asked.
“No, though I have heard enough of Father’s tales to certainly write about it.” She shook her head. “I’m going to write about the life and expectations of daughters of the wealthy.”
Lex smiled. “Identifying with your subject?”
“Some,” she admitted. “I often think we’re both lucky Father hasn’t arranged for us to marry in order to further his ambitions.”
“And once we’ve cannibalized what we need from them, divorce and set our sights on the next?” he suggested.
“I knew you’d see things my way,” she teased as she put her notebook away.
“Got any idea who we’d be matched with?” he asked.
“It’s always a bit harder with you since there aren’t a lot of women CEOs your age…” She paused to think about it. “Probably one of the Metropolis media conglomerate's daughters? Mercy Cane or Ariel Sanders.”
Lex grimaced. “No one with personality?”
“Unfortunately, Father would never be that kind,” she mocked.
“If I am stuck with them, who would you get?”
“Probably offspring of a competing company,” she guessed. She thought through the possibilities. “Bruce Wayne is my age. But current market favors Father would push to get his hands on Queen Industries.”
All traces of a smile disappeared from Lex’s face. “Stay away from Oliver Queen,” he told her seriously.
Athena looked at him in surprise. “Lex?”
He cleared his throat. “Queen isn’t someone who can be trusted.”
“Okay, no hypothetical or otherwise relationships with Queens,” she promised. She reached across the table and put her hand on his. “But is Wayne still open for discussion?”
Lex grinned at her antics. “I thought you were pursuing a heroic farm boy?”
She pinched him arm.
“Hey!” He brushed off her hand.
“Still owed you that for your ridiculously antiquated questioning of Clark the other morning,” she told him. “His intentions? Really, Lex? You’re lucky he talked me out of killing you.”
“How did he manage that?”
Athena looked into her cappuccino. “Stay out of mine and Clark’s…whatever it is.”
He grinned.
A ringing phone had them both reaching for their pockets. It was Athena’s cell phone.
“Hello?”
“Miss Luthor, I have an unauthorized person looking for you.”
“Name?”
“She claims to be Lana Lang,” the gate guard said. “She has no identification.”
“Five three, thin with waist length black hair, green eyes, about my age?”
“Yes, Miss Luthor.”
“Yeah, show her into the house, I’m on my way.” She hung up the phone. “I swear they think high school students are a danger.” She took a last sip of her cappuccino. “I need to get back to the house.”
“Based on that description, Lana is waiting for you?” Lex as he stood and took out his wallet, leaving a tip on the table.
“Yeah. I don’t think I forgot a meeting, so I get the feeling this is a friend thing.” Athena picked up her bag, following Lex out of the coffee shop.
They stopped, seeing a man in a suit leaning against Lex’s silver Porsche.
“May I help you?” Lex asked.
“Roger Nixon, Metropolis Inquisitor,” the man introduced himself. He was in his mid-thirties, with brown eyes and short dark hair.
Athena stiffened, her entire being shifting to the persona she had perfected as Lionel Luthor’s daughter.
“Get off my car,” Lex told him.
Nixon held up a copy of the Inquisitor. The cover was a picture of Lex committing the robbery.
“That’s a hell of a picture, Lex,” Nixon said. “You know, it really boosted our sales.”
“I’ve read comic books with less fiction than your rag,” Lex told him in disgust. Athena put her backpack in the car.
“Well, how about this?” Nixon opened a file and flashed it to Lex. “Is this fiction? It’s your juvenile record. Fascinating reading. It must have taken a Brink’s truck of your dad’s money to keep all those people quiet.”
Athena grimaced and could see the rage on Lex’s face.
“Those records are sealed,” Lex hissed.
“I’m a resourceful guy,” Nixon said. “You know, I saw that picture yesterday, and it got me thinking about a follow-up. ‘Lex Luthor’s Wild Youth in Metropolis.’ Does that name Club Zero ring a bell? Maybe it’ll give little Athena something to aspire to.”
“You print one word about that and I’ll sue.”
“Lawsuits take years. The genie will be out of the bottle and all the people will know that the new and improved Lex Luthor is nothing but a façade.”
“You know what I think, Rog?” Lex asked, angry but in control. “If you wanted to print that, it would already be in the paper. I think you’re looking for a payoff.”
“It’s a business proposition. A hundred thousand dollars and these records will disappear forever.”
Athena scoffed and got into the car as Lex walked around the car. “I’d question your integrity, but you’re a journalist.”
“And a poor one at that,” Athena noted as her brother got in the car.
“Your father really thinks he can hide you here forever?” Roger asked, offering his card. “You got twenty-four hours.”
Athena snatched the card as Lex started the car and sped away. Once they were headed towards the mansion, she rolled up her window. “What are you going to do?”
Lex sighed and rolled up his window. “I don’t know, but I’ll handle it.”
She took a deep breath. “You know, of the three of us Luthors, I’m the only one without a juvenile record.”
“You have some time,” he reminded her.
88888888
They entered Lex’s office, where Lana had been seated by the staff.
“Lana,” Athena said. “What happened?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. I didn’t mean to barge in,” Lana said. “When I realized you weren’t here…I felt ridiculous, but I thought leaving-”
Athena stepped forward, placing her hands on Lana’s shoulders. “Lana…breathe.” She looked around. “Why don’t we leave Lex to his office? We can got to mine and talk.”
“Okay,” she said. Her eyes darted around to Lex and then away again.
Athena dropped her hands and gestured Lana to follow. They traveled down two halls to her office. It was half the size of Lex’s.
“Do you want to sit?” Athena asked.
“No,” Lana replied, pacing around the room.
“Okay…” She took one of the client seats and watched her friend. “What’s going on Lana?”
“I didn’t think anyone would understand,” Lana said. “I found my mom’s journal…”