For Cissie

[capable_of]

It was a nice peaceful day, of the kind Lex hadn't seen for a while. Ever since he'd moved back with Anatoly, if felt like he hadn't had any down time to himself. Of course, most of his time had been spent with his grandmaster and he wouldn't change that for a moment, but a part of him did miss being on his own.

Today, Anatoly was playing chess up at the compound and Lex had nothing to do. No class, no work, just time to himself. So he settled outside the hut under a near by tree to read and relax. Aeneas was with him, curled up sleeping at his side as he was half way through Wuthering Height. The doomed romance often reminded him of him and Clark, though that wasn't something he really want to think about. Still, he wasn't about to let a book beat him, so he kept reading, determined to finish it.

Comments

[arrowette]

Taking advantage of the nice day, Cissie had taken it into her to do a bit of exploring. She'd covered the grounds around the compound and was happily wandering around the area close to the beaches when she stumbled across an oddly familiar-looking figure.

Cassie had told her this version of Lex Luthor was young, but she hadn't mentioned anything else, like the fact that he was disturbingly hot. She shook her head, trying to banish that thought right out of her head. It was bad and wrong and Cassie was going to be in so much trouble when she next saw her.

She paused, awkwardly wondering if she should say anything then decided to flee before he actually noticed her. It was better that way.

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately for Cissie, Lex had a sixth sense for when he was being watched. He wished he could say it had come from the island, but really is had come from Smallville and the fact that meteor mutants had an odd fascination with him.

He glanced up and looked right at the young lady staring at him. "Can I help you?"

[arrowette]

Despite herself, Cissie let out a little yelp at being addressed and blushed in embarrassment. Stupid, Cissie, that was really stupid, she thought as she tried to play it off.

"Uh, no," she said awkwardly. "I was just... walking, and I stopped for a second and uh... I didn't mean to disturb you."

She glanced at the sleeping puppy and wondered if Lex was training him to be an attack puppy. She certainly wouldn't put it past him.

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

Aeneas wasn't an attack pup but he knew a sucker when he heard one, even half awake. He yawned wide, saw Cissie and got up, stretched, then ran towards her, yapping happily.

Lex sighed and stood up, his open shirt dangling open. "Aeneas, come back here! I apologize, Aeneas is more friendly then I'd prefer."

[arrowette]

Cissie sat down on the sand, all the better to give Aeneas the attention he deserved and thus ignore that open shirt. "No, it's okay! I bet he smells Iris. I was playing with her earlier this morning."

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

"Ahh Iris. I take it your a friend of Cassie's then." He's heard buzz from Cassie and Kon that a friend of theirs had arrived but he hadn't expected to meet her like this. He smirked slightly, wondering what her reaction would be to an alternate Lex Luthor.

[arrowette]

"She's my best friend," Cissie answered a little warily. This was Lex freaking Luthor she was talking to. No matter normal or nice he seemed, he just had to be plotting evil things. It was what he did, after all.

"I'm, uh, Cissie." It was so weird to just be sitting there, talking to him like a normal person.

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

"Cissie. Please to meet you. My name is Lex," He paused with a small smirk. "Well, I think you knew that." No doubt she thought he was plotting evil things, just like Sandsmark did. He stopped a few feet away, giving her space to enjoy Aeneas' company. "How are you liking our island home?"

[arrowette]

Cissie just barely managed to hold back the 'I know who you are' comment. She did, sure, but being bratty to a super-villain (even a baby one) wasn't exactly on the list of Smart Things To Do.

"It's not bad," she said, looking up at him. "The whole thing's kind of weird, but I guess there's nothing anyone can do about that."

She was talking to Lex Luthor. What had her life turned in to?

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

Lex had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop his smirk from growing at the skeptical look in her eyes. He knew it wouldn't do to egg her on, even though he did take pleasure getting to her friend Sandsmark.

"You get used to it. Mostly." He replied politely.

[arrowette]

"That's what Cassie keeps saying," Cissie sighed in between scratching Aeneas behind the ears. "Kon too. I trust that they're right, but I still wake up sometimes, thinking I'm home."

"So, um. How long have you been here?" She hoped it wasn't too dumb of a question, but between that and 'when are you from', there wasn't a lot of polite conversation choices.

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

"Are you then in the camp of wishing you were home rather then here?" He asked simply, cocking his head curiously. Then he smoothly answered her question. "Little over two years."

[arrowette]

"I haven't figured that out yet," Cissie answered truthfully, hugging her knees to her chest. "I'm just glad my friends are here so I don't have to do this all alone."

Two years and the place was still in one piece? That had to be some kind of record.

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

Aeneas sensed her distress and wiggled so he was in her lap, so he could turn his head and lick her chin. One of his people, of which he had many now, weren't allowed to be sad.

Lex, on the other hand, just kept looking at her, hands in his pockets. "Let me guess. Your amazed I haven't taken over the island in two year." He knew he wasn't wrong.

[arrowette]

It was impossible to be sad with a puppy enthusiastically giving you kisses, so Cissie did the only thing she could - laugh and give Aeneas more affection.

"Well, I wasn't going to bring it up," Cissie said primly. "But since you did... yeah, I kinda am."

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

"I've heard it all before, I promise. Being called a clone was popular for a while too. I liked the guy who showed up and called me Mr President, that was different." Lex replied as if they were having any normal conversation.

[arrowette]

Cissie stared, rather taken aback by Lex's frankness. It hardly seemed the Luthor way to be, but then it just went to show he wasn't really the Lex she knew.

All the same, she couldn't trust him for a moment. There was just no way she could be that naive, not around him. He was younger, but that didn't mean he wasn't evil. There was no chance he could be otherwise, right?

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

Lex was always frank. He just was choosy about what he was frank about. And really, there wasn't much for him to be choosy about on the island. It was...relaxing. So instead of replying to the startled look, he just gave the girl an almost smirking smile.

He knelt down on one knee and called the puppy, "Come on Aeneas. I'm sure Cissie can't spend all day entertaining you."

Aeneas gave Cissie a few more licks before scampering off into Lex's arms, who picked him up and stood.

[arrowette]

That seemed to be her cue to go away and leave him to his plotting, so she could got up and managed a polite smile of sorts. "Yeah, I should go back and see how everyone's doing, if Kon and Bart got in trouble... all of that."

Arrowette would have followed up with some threat or at the very least, a warning shot. Cissie just waved awkwardly and started walking back the way she came, almost wishing she had her bow just for the moment.

Retired or not, she was going to keep her eye on him.

[capable-of.livejournal.com]

And here Lex thought he was being polite and saving her from suffering any more time in his company. "Have a good day Cissie." Then he couldn't resist. "Give my regards to Miss Sandsmark." He sent her off with a small smirk, scratching Aeneas behind the ears to keep him from wiggling out of his arms as he watched her go.

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

Unaware of what had just occurred, Cassie was out for a run with Iris by her side. She arrived back at the hut just before Cissie and was sitting outside sharing a water bottle with her dog.

[arrowette]

The moment Cassie came into view, Cissie shouted her name and ran the rest of the way to their hut, collapsing on the ground next to Iris when she finally got there.

"Oh my god, I'm going to kill you! You didn't say that Luthor was so... so... hot!"

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

Cassie blinked at the sudden out burst by her best friend. Then she flushed. "What...what are you talking about?" Because she wasn't about to admit she'd thought Luthor was hot...ever.

[arrowette]

"What do you mean, 'what am I talking about'?" Cassie stared at her friend, wondering if she'd been out too long in the sun. "I ran into him a bit ago and... it's just not right! He's supposed to be old and evil!"

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"Oh gods Cissie, you weren't here!" Cassie finally burst out, giving up the ruse of not knowing what she was talking about. "We had both Lex Luthor and Superman from another world, both thirty years younger and looking hotter then you can imagine! It was awful!"

[arrowette]

"Oh my god, Superman? Really?" Cissie couldn't help but think of the time she'd told him off in stunning detail for not giving Young Justice a chance, turning red at the memory.

"That's not right. That is so not right and oh my god, he must have looked just like Kon."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"He did! He was an ass but Superman was the same age as us!" Cassie shivered as she remembered, at how hot he was...and at the night she'd had to spend comforting Kon after Clark had been cruel to him.

[arrowette]

"That is just way too weird," Cissie shook her head in disbelief. "They can't be young. It's not right, it's like that time with Old Justice and all that mess. I mean, I wasn't there for all of that, you know, but from what I saw on the tv... yeah."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"Oh gods, don't get me started on that. That was horrible! But this isn't even that! I could handle Old Luthor in a Young Luthor body. Then we'd know for sure he was evil. This one? He's hot and charming and does nice things for Kon and Anatoly and he just makes my head hurt." Cassie pouted.

[arrowette]

Cissie sighed and leaned her head against Cassie's. "Hot and charming and ugh. I know he's up to something. He has to be! And he's just sitting there, being nice and - no! I refuse to believe it!"

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"I think that's his plan. Charming everybody on the island so when he finally gets ready for his plan, he'll have everyone fooled." Cassie closed her eyes, content with have her best friend so close.

[arrowette]

"Geez, you watch. He'll brainwash the entire place and it'll just be you, me, Bart, Kon and chocobos to stop him. Ugh." Cissie groaned, rubbing her eyes. "I don't know about you, but I have a headache now, just thinking about all of this."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"The chocobos?" Cassie said as she started to giggled at that mental picture. "Though I don't know if we'll be able to count on Kon. He seems pretty convinced this Luthor is good too..." Not that she wanted to knock anyone's father figure due to her own issues with them, but it was Lex Luthor and a part of her worried about how close Kon was getting to him.

Then she reached up and rubbed Cissie's temples. "You get used to it till you don't even notice the dull ache behind your eyes whenever he's around."

[arrowette]

"I know," Cissie frowned as she leaned against her friend with a sigh. "I don't want to say anything to him, because it makes him so happy but I worry. Oh, Cass, what are we going to do if something really does happen?"

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

Cassie rested her head on Cissie's shoulder, so relieved to finally have someone to share these concerns with. "You have no idea how many times I've had to be careful what I say around Kon and Anatoly. But I swear...if anything happens to either of them because of him..." Her voice was dark but knowing Cissie's past, she wasn't about to finish that thought out loud.

[arrowette]

Cissie shivered slightly and hugged her knees to her chest, careful not to dislodge Cassie. "I know, Cass. I know. If... if it does, I promise you. We'll figure something out."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"Yeah...We will." Cassie turned so her forehead rested on the side of Cissie's head and she could wrap her arms around the other girl's shoulders. "Have I mentioned I'm glad your here yet?"

[arrowette]

"Not lately," Cissie teased. "But I'm glad you're here, too. If I have to be stuck on some crazy place with weird Luthors and stuff, I'd rather have my best friend than anyone else."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"You joke but you haven't lived it for two years!" Cassie said as she teasingly pinched Cissie's side. Then she hugged her friend one more time before letting her go and standing up. "I stink and needs a shower. Wanna tag along to the Compound and get something to eat?"

[arrowette]

"Oh, is that what that smell is?" Cissie teased, making sure to get out of range first. "Yeah, I could go for something to eat. You ready to go now?"

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

Cassie smirked mischievously as she lunged at the retreating Cissie. "Come back here and I'll show you what smells!" She chased the other girl around for a bit before her hunger got the best of her. "Alright, come on let's go. I'm starving!"