FIC: Another Alexander the Great
Title: Another Alexander the Great
Pairing: none
Rating: G
Series: After What You’ve Always Wanted
Summary: Lex confronts the man who confessed to Lana’s murder. Deleted scene from “Kara.”
Thanks for the beta from the ever graceful and witty goddess of pron herohunter
Prison orange wasn’t his color, Lex had decided. He slipped off the jumpsuit and felt over his body gingerly. The broken ribs he’d gained from crossing Clark’s double were almost healed, as well as other injuries that he’d acquired from said doppelganger. Still, his body felt odd and tender, and he wondered if the effect were not psychosomatic.
The last few days had been especially draining. His last defense against the aliens had been destroyed when the dam broke, and their bodies had been found not only drowned, but in some cases, cooked. Lex couldn’t account for that. Nor could he account for the whereabouts of his father, which likely indicated that he was getting out of town after helping Lana. As for her… well, he would deal with the psychological fallout of her betrayal, infidelity, and irrationality later. At the moment, he had a very important meeting to attend.
He began to button up his silk shirt, then reached out for his suit jacket. His newest assistant handed it to him, all the while keeping up a continuous debriefing on the happenings of his company. His best spin-doctors were out giving a statement to the press and assuring them that Lex’s willingness to turn himself in was in regard to his respect for the legal process.
“Take me to him,” Lex said firmly, adjusting his collar. The assistant frowned but gave a nod and led the way.
There was something simple and satisfying about walking back into the jail without wearing handcuffs. Guards stood watch outside the door. One nodded to him and made the move to follow him inside. His security needed to be ensured. After all, this man had murdered his wife.
Or so he claimed. A bald man of medium build straightened immediately as the sound of Lex’s shoes entered the small, gray room.
“I imagine you’re having quite a bad day,” Lex began in a calm impassive voice.
The man said nothing, just rubbed at his red-rimmed eyes with one finger and watched the infamous Mr. Luthor pace around him until he finally took a seat.
“I know how you feel, since a few days ago, I was in your position. An innocent man incarcerated for a crime I did not commit.”
He looked away. “M-mr. Luthor, I…”
“You’re Alexander Crowley, yes?”
“Uh, yeah. People call me Alex, though.”
Lex smiled softly. “Okay, Alex.”
There was a long silence.
“Sir, if… if you don’t mind, I don’t get why you’re here.” Alex shrugged his shoulders. “You’re freed to go, sir. I confessed. I did it.”
“No, Alex. You didn’t.”
The man looked at the guard.
“He’s not going to tell anyone anything. I’m not a lawyer or a cop.”
“Sir-“
“Call me Lex.”
“I-I couldn’t.”
Lex folded his hands in front of his mouth. He could practically feel the fear emanating off of this sick and determined man. “I want you to know that whatever my father is paying you, this is not worth your life. I know that you did not commit this murder, and I intend to free you of it.”
“Sir, no. You can’t. I… your father didn’t pay me.”
Lex sat back in his chair. “Then who. Is someone threatening you?”
“No, I just-“ Alex lowered his voice. “Know you didn’t do it. I know that as much as I know anything. And you could get a lethal injection for this, with the right prosecutor. People don’t like you around here, sir. You can’t get a fair trial.” Alex shook his head. “I’m dying. In pain. And what you did for my family a couple of years ago… d’you remember what you did for my daughter?”
“Your daughter…?” Lex’s brow creased and he tilted his chin upward. “Your daughter… Anne. Anne Crowley. She was affected by the second meteor shower, right? How is she?”
“Lucid. Beautiful. She’s alive because of you.” His words came earnestly, genuinely, as he met Lex’s eyes for the first time with a fierce gaze.
“I don’t think her life was in danger.”
“Being committed to Belle Reve is no life,” Alex said gravely. “Your tests saved her. And now… sir, I can’t let you risk going to trial over a murder you didn’t commit. If they find the guy who did it, fine, but if not…”
Jaw slack and eyes narrowed, Lex frowned more deeply and fell back in his chair. “No one is paying you?” he asked in disbelief.
A soft sympathetic smile spread across Alex’s lips. “Nope.”
“What about your family?”
“They understand. Hell, Anne and little AJ are proud. You’ve done a lot for us over the years, Mr. Luthor.” Alex leaned forward and draped his forearms on the table. “Time to start doing back.”
After a moment, Lex scolded himself for looking like a carp and shut his mouth. “Your family will be taken care of, regardless of what happens. I’ll continue to search for the person who really caused that explosion. I’ll get you out of here as soon as I can, Alex. I promise.”
“If you can’t, that’s alright. I’ll die knowing I served a good man a good turn,” the small frail man insisted.
Lex sat forward and took the man’s hand for a firm shake. His grip was weak, pliant. Yielding. At that moment, Lex felt as though the man’s soul was the only thing that could possibly be keeping him upright. He felt that he couldn’t deserve to be saved like this, twice, in such a short time. There couldn’t be this many people in the world who believed in him.
Lex tugged at his suit jacket then stood, feeling a sudden heat in his face and neck. The man who was so nervous before smiled up at him kindly with his dry, cracked lips. Lex reached into his pocket and gave the man his expensive lip balm. Alex shook silently with laughter.
“Be careful,” Lex warned.
“You too, sir.”
Lex walked out of the cell feeling taken aback. He turned to his new assistant and instructed him to locate Alex’s family, get them to a secured location, and see that they were protected with the utmost security measures.
Now upon him weighed the choice. Accept Alex’s offering and leave the mystery as it was? Lex would be perfectly fine, and his life would certainly be less complicated. The only sacrifice would be a dying man who had given him his life willingly.
His other choice was to track Lana down and coerce her into returning. He could do it by force, if he so desired. He had operatives all over the world, and she would likely go to some place familiar… if another country, probably Paris, Amsterdam, or maybe Shanghai. She should be fairly easy to locate. He doubted that she could manage to survive on her own for long anyway. Especially considering her failure to learn any new languages. She’d stick out like a sore thumb.
“Right them. We have some work to do…” Lex looked to his assistant. “What was your name again?”
The black man quirked his mouth.
Together they left the prison and headed to Lex’s black vehicle where they continued to talk about methods to exonerate this small man who had made his great effort to save Lex’s life.
Pairing: none
Rating: G
Series: After What You’ve Always Wanted
Summary: Lex confronts the man who confessed to Lana’s murder. Deleted scene from “Kara.”
Thanks for the beta from the ever graceful and witty goddess of pron herohunter
Prison orange wasn’t his color, Lex had decided. He slipped off the jumpsuit and felt over his body gingerly. The broken ribs he’d gained from crossing Clark’s double were almost healed, as well as other injuries that he’d acquired from said doppelganger. Still, his body felt odd and tender, and he wondered if the effect were not psychosomatic.
The last few days had been especially draining. His last defense against the aliens had been destroyed when the dam broke, and their bodies had been found not only drowned, but in some cases, cooked. Lex couldn’t account for that. Nor could he account for the whereabouts of his father, which likely indicated that he was getting out of town after helping Lana. As for her… well, he would deal with the psychological fallout of her betrayal, infidelity, and irrationality later. At the moment, he had a very important meeting to attend.
He began to button up his silk shirt, then reached out for his suit jacket. His newest assistant handed it to him, all the while keeping up a continuous debriefing on the happenings of his company. His best spin-doctors were out giving a statement to the press and assuring them that Lex’s willingness to turn himself in was in regard to his respect for the legal process.
“Take me to him,” Lex said firmly, adjusting his collar. The assistant frowned but gave a nod and led the way.
There was something simple and satisfying about walking back into the jail without wearing handcuffs. Guards stood watch outside the door. One nodded to him and made the move to follow him inside. His security needed to be ensured. After all, this man had murdered his wife.
Or so he claimed. A bald man of medium build straightened immediately as the sound of Lex’s shoes entered the small, gray room.
“I imagine you’re having quite a bad day,” Lex began in a calm impassive voice.
The man said nothing, just rubbed at his red-rimmed eyes with one finger and watched the infamous Mr. Luthor pace around him until he finally took a seat.
“I know how you feel, since a few days ago, I was in your position. An innocent man incarcerated for a crime I did not commit.”
He looked away. “M-mr. Luthor, I…”
“You’re Alexander Crowley, yes?”
“Uh, yeah. People call me Alex, though.”
Lex smiled softly. “Okay, Alex.”
There was a long silence.
“Sir, if… if you don’t mind, I don’t get why you’re here.” Alex shrugged his shoulders. “You’re freed to go, sir. I confessed. I did it.”
“No, Alex. You didn’t.”
The man looked at the guard.
“He’s not going to tell anyone anything. I’m not a lawyer or a cop.”
“Sir-“
“Call me Lex.”
“I-I couldn’t.”
Lex folded his hands in front of his mouth. He could practically feel the fear emanating off of this sick and determined man. “I want you to know that whatever my father is paying you, this is not worth your life. I know that you did not commit this murder, and I intend to free you of it.”
“Sir, no. You can’t. I… your father didn’t pay me.”
Lex sat back in his chair. “Then who. Is someone threatening you?”
“No, I just-“ Alex lowered his voice. “Know you didn’t do it. I know that as much as I know anything. And you could get a lethal injection for this, with the right prosecutor. People don’t like you around here, sir. You can’t get a fair trial.” Alex shook his head. “I’m dying. In pain. And what you did for my family a couple of years ago… d’you remember what you did for my daughter?”
“Your daughter…?” Lex’s brow creased and he tilted his chin upward. “Your daughter… Anne. Anne Crowley. She was affected by the second meteor shower, right? How is she?”
“Lucid. Beautiful. She’s alive because of you.” His words came earnestly, genuinely, as he met Lex’s eyes for the first time with a fierce gaze.
“I don’t think her life was in danger.”
“Being committed to Belle Reve is no life,” Alex said gravely. “Your tests saved her. And now… sir, I can’t let you risk going to trial over a murder you didn’t commit. If they find the guy who did it, fine, but if not…”
Jaw slack and eyes narrowed, Lex frowned more deeply and fell back in his chair. “No one is paying you?” he asked in disbelief.
A soft sympathetic smile spread across Alex’s lips. “Nope.”
“What about your family?”
“They understand. Hell, Anne and little AJ are proud. You’ve done a lot for us over the years, Mr. Luthor.” Alex leaned forward and draped his forearms on the table. “Time to start doing back.”
After a moment, Lex scolded himself for looking like a carp and shut his mouth. “Your family will be taken care of, regardless of what happens. I’ll continue to search for the person who really caused that explosion. I’ll get you out of here as soon as I can, Alex. I promise.”
“If you can’t, that’s alright. I’ll die knowing I served a good man a good turn,” the small frail man insisted.
Lex sat forward and took the man’s hand for a firm shake. His grip was weak, pliant. Yielding. At that moment, Lex felt as though the man’s soul was the only thing that could possibly be keeping him upright. He felt that he couldn’t deserve to be saved like this, twice, in such a short time. There couldn’t be this many people in the world who believed in him.
Lex tugged at his suit jacket then stood, feeling a sudden heat in his face and neck. The man who was so nervous before smiled up at him kindly with his dry, cracked lips. Lex reached into his pocket and gave the man his expensive lip balm. Alex shook silently with laughter.
“Be careful,” Lex warned.
“You too, sir.”
Lex walked out of the cell feeling taken aback. He turned to his new assistant and instructed him to locate Alex’s family, get them to a secured location, and see that they were protected with the utmost security measures.
Now upon him weighed the choice. Accept Alex’s offering and leave the mystery as it was? Lex would be perfectly fine, and his life would certainly be less complicated. The only sacrifice would be a dying man who had given him his life willingly.
His other choice was to track Lana down and coerce her into returning. He could do it by force, if he so desired. He had operatives all over the world, and she would likely go to some place familiar… if another country, probably Paris, Amsterdam, or maybe Shanghai. She should be fairly easy to locate. He doubted that she could manage to survive on her own for long anyway. Especially considering her failure to learn any new languages. She’d stick out like a sore thumb.
“Right them. We have some work to do…” Lex looked to his assistant. “What was your name again?”
The black man quirked his mouth.
Together they left the prison and headed to Lex’s black vehicle where they continued to talk about methods to exonerate this small man who had made his great effort to save Lex’s life.