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LEADERS, LEGENDS AND LORE Sept 25, Chicago Bryan Armitage had a really twisted sense of humor. At his instruction, Lois was strolling back and forth in front of the architecturally impressive Tribune building on Chicago's famed Magnificent Mile. After all her efforts, Armitage had finally contacted her and they arranged a quick meeting in Chicago. Lois was curious what made him contact her now after all those weeks, but she was not going to turn away an opportunity for some vital information. Coming to the agreed meeting point, she waited. “Ah Ms. Lane, so good to see you again.” He appeared seemingly from out of nowhere and greeted her coolly. “Mr. Armitage, it's been a long time.” Lois eyed him and saw no differences from the first time they met. Bryan reached to shake her hand and left a memory chip in it as he slipped away. In a breathless whisper he stated, “Information you might find useful. The current majority shareholders of Minerva stock are here. Look at the ten percent stake and follow it, I’ve left you a trail.” He pulled back and straightened. “A pleasure as always.” Smallville Screams of horror and shouts of alarm penetrated Lex’s dream. His heels hanging over the edge of a cliff, the only way to go was forward, but there was only one path in front of him and it was littered with holes and strewn with obstacles. The scene shifted and rows of people in chains confronted him..., explosions and cliffs and falling endlessly... perils of every imaginable form and fantasy assailed his vision, trapping him. He awoke with a start, drenched in sweat, his breath coming in short, quiet pants. “Lex, it was a nightmare,” Clark whispered as he held Lex close to his chest. “Shh, calm down.” Lex took deep breaths and tried to shake the vision from his head. “I have that dream frequently now, Clark.” Clark kissed him gently. “We know. Relax, love, relax.” Lex looked around, puzzled. “Where is Whit?” “In his office. Chloe sent him some information he wanted to look at immediately.” Clark hugged Lex close again. “Relax, go back to sleep. We can talk about it in the morning.” Lex yawned and drifted off to sleep in Clark’s sheltering embrace. He didn’t want to dream anymore but the nightmares didn't seem to be giving him any choices. Sept 26, Metropolis They gathered in a room at the Planet, looking over the materials that had been gathered in total. Lois was flipping though Fordman’s and Kent’s academic records from Metropolis University. She saw that Fordman had Masters Degrees in Economics and Finance, and a BA in History, as well. What intrigued her the most was Kent’s file. He had degrees in Environmental Engineering and Meteorology. Lurking in the background were numerous courses on Astronomy and Mathematics. She was curious why he was not seeking a Doctorate in one of these fields when it was clear that he was so scientifically inclined and money was no object. “Lane!” Perry barked from across the room. “This file on LFK Ltd is going to make Luthor scream. These are private holdings, not a single thing needs to be reported other than tax information.” Lois cringed as she took a sip of cold, bitter coffee. “That ‘company’ may be private but it owns a huge stake in North American Imperial and has its own private equity group, Marauder.” LFK Ltd was the 10% piece of the puzzle Armitage had slipped her in Chicago, and Lois wasn't about to let Perry talk her out of dropping that bombshell. Jimmy looked over some of the photos. “Why are we doing this? There is over a trillion dollars staring at us -- and these are just the assets we know about!” Perry growled at Jimmy, “Luthor wants into public life, then his private life is open season.” Lois looked at all the information again. Creating the story was taking time, but it was a masterpiece. “People want to know about their candidates. Luthor has been insulated and private so far. We get some of his policy positions, but without anything else, what do we judge him by?” Jimmy slumped in his chair. “Maybe we judge him by his policy positions. And the money he donates to charity. And the public works projects he has privately funded," he argued. "At least get a comment from him on this.” Perry began to turn red. “Olsen, if we call him on this, it will never be published. We have the go ahead to do this, so we are.” Sept 29, Smallville Lex was stunned and a little freaked. The front page of the Planet had a photo of him and Clark kissing, but a smaller photo of the three of them was lower. “Oh God!” The headline told the tale: Luthor’s Lifestyle Unlimited. Lois Lane had details about Smallville, Metropolis and the present. There were separate stories about Whitney and Clark. A detailed accounting of the wealth that each possessed to the knowledge of the reporter was listed as well. Lex looked up and saw Clark and Whitney standing at the door. “I guess it is now out in the open?” Clark quipped. “How are you going to handle this?” Lex watched as they each took the chairs in front of his desk. “For the most part, the picture they paint is broad and even, if a little unfair on several points. I can hear the celebrating in Washington and Topeka from here.” Whitney looked at Clark for several seconds before addressing Lex. “What about the kids? The public still has no idea they exist and their birth papers are sealed. Until Philip and Hamilton are of age, no one knows anything but the immediate family and our close friends.” “I have to deal with this soon rather than later. I had just built a twenty-point lead over Fromm. I assume much of that is gone or dwindling now. I’ll have Lisa and Michael put new polls in the field tomorrow.” Lex looked down at the desk. It escaped no one's notice that Lex hadn't answered Whitney's question, but they let it go for now. Clark cleared his throat. “Lex?” Lex heard the concern in that one word. “I’m okay Clark. There is a huge difference between imagining an event and living it. Sorry that you both will have to deal with it as well. The only question I have is where those pictures came from.” Whitney rolled his eyes. “Alexander Joseph Luthor! We all knew this was possible and we all agreed that this was the right move. Dork!” Lex laughed and visibly relaxed. “Now it is time for damage control. Oh, with this change, do we want to let Philip and Hamilton play Little League next year?” Lex shrunk back from the death glares he received from them both. “Lex, you have to talk to the media, do an interview. It must be televised!” Keith was telling Lex and his group of advisors. Alice added, “And you need to do it alone but have a picture of the three of you.” Lisa was watching from a videoconference room from the Manor. “Lex, Fromm is already using this to drive home his point that you are NOT a common man.” Michael was flipping though various papers. “They have a new poll going, which isn't surprising. What is surprising--and discouraging--is the rumor that Washington was on the verge of cutting Fromm loose. Now they're redoubling their efforts for this seat.” Lex motioned for everyone to calm down. “Michael, contact ABC News and see if they want to interview me, live. Keith, Alice, get that poll and find a counter attack for Fromm. Lisa, new ad campaign to focus on my accomplishments. Also, get a set of ads ready for later next month that attack Fromm as being beholden to special interests.” Lex saw everyone move with deliberate speed. “Now the real fun begins.” Topeka Champagne corks were popping like firecrackers in the Fromm campaign headquarters. They had been on the verge of a political death but thanks to the Daily Planet, it had all changed. They had an avenue of attack, a way to point to the differences in Lex Luthor without exposing their own candidate’s weaknesses. Norris sipped his glass slowly. “We haven't won anything yet, but this helps. I’ll call Washington and get more money. It's a whole new ballgame.” Jacob smiled. His seat was beginning to feel comfortable again. “Make sure they know how we are going to exploit this opening.” The Senator’s campaign had Washington’s fingerprints all over it. He wanted a little space to make decisions and to be seen as his own man, in his own right. Oct 1, Metropolis Lex walked into the Library as final preparations were being made for his live interview with Diane Sawyer. ABC News had jumped at the opportunity to interview the wealthy, reclusive Senatorial candidate. Lex was taking yet another huge risk. A live interview could destroy his candidacy or save him from the attacks that Jacob Fromm had launched. Lex sat down and was made camera-ready; Diane would not join him until two minutes to airtime. He sipped a glass of water from the table next to his chair. The Library had been chosen because it was spacious, yet cozy; not the cavernous space that the Hall or Ballroom provided. “Mr. Luthor, thank you for this opportunity," the producer stated politely. "When the camera is on, the red light will show. Here comes Diane right now.” Lex rose to shake hands with Diane and sat down. “I have a list of questions, Mr. Luthor, but we may get off on tangents. They will tell me when we have to break for commercials. Ready?” Lex nodded and saw the light on the camera flash. “This is Diane Sawyer at the Luthor Palace in Smallville, Kansas. Tonight is the first interview that billionaire Lex Luthor has ever granted. It comes, not coincidentally, on the heels of some startling revelations that were made about the candidate two days ago in a prominent Kansas newspaper." The newswoman angled her body toward Lex. "Mr. Luthor, in light of recent disclosures about your private life, do you now regret running for office?” Lex wanted to laugh, but only allowed a hint of a smile to play across his face. “No, I do not regret my decision in the least.” Diane leaned forward a bit. “So...is it true that you are romantically...sexually involved with both Whitney Fordman and Clark Kent?” Lex brought his left hand to prominence, allowing the cameras to catch a glimpse of his ring finger. “I’ve had this ring for years now, Diane. The both of them designed it. Three bands intertwined into a union of one.” She sat back and Lex had the feeling she was surprised by his candor. Good. “A rather unorthodox relationship." "A stable, committed relationship," Lex countered. "What has the impact of that article been here?” A delicate hand motion indicated the palace. “Well, Diane, we knew going into this campaign that disclosures about my personal life would be made eventuality, but we had several good reasons for wanting to control manner in which the revelations were made. Life is going on here pretty much as normal, but I have no real way of measuring its impact outside of these walls.” Lois was watching the interview from Perry’s office. Luthor looked astonishingly relaxed. “We did not push the envelope as far as we could have Perry. We should have dug deeper. Do you realize that he's admitting that neither Fordman or Kent was legal when they became intimate.” Perry looked at Lois from the corner of his eye. “We went as far as we could. As it is, accounting is nervous about possible loss of revenue should any of the subs drop the Planet.” Lois continued to take notes. “Too bad she can’t interview Fordman and Kent. Hell, what am I saying? Too bad I can't interview them!” “You say you had good reasons for not disclosing the...intimate details of your private life, Mr. Luthor. What are they? Why all the secrecy? It gives the impression that you have something to hide.” “I value my privacy, Diane," Lex replied. "It's a lesson I learned from my father. I am not ashamed of my life; on the contrary, I am proud of it. The Planet in no way gave a full picture of Whitney and Clark. That outline of them falls far short of the great men they are.” It obviously didn't escape her notice that he hadn't answered her question. “Are you saying that simply 'valuing your privacy' is sufficient reason to conceal such a large secret from the voters of Kansas? Is there more that you haven't told us?” Lex smiled, big and brilliant. “Yes, actually. I won’t give out their names, but we have four beautiful sons, two sets of twins.” Diane was shocked. “How old are they?” “The first set is seven, the second is five and a half. The reason for our secrecy is my family's unfortunate experience with kidnapping.” Lois almost fell out of her chair. “How on earth did we miss THAT?!” Perry swiped his fingers through his hair. “Great Caesar's Ghost!!! Luthor is a proud parent whose family has been threatened in the past. Talk about fucking spin control! This changes everything and places us in a difficult position.” Lois began looking over her old notes. “We have nothing to suggest any of this. The kids were probably hired last night from Central Casting!” “When did a kidnapping happen?” Lex looked sad. “It was years ago. My father. The FBI handled most of it, and they graciously honored our request to keep the incident private. After the horrors of that experience, you can imagine the lengths we would go to to protect our sons." "Are they...in boarding school?" she asked, clearly scrambling for questions. "Of course not. They're being home-schooled right now. They get out and do things, but without any fanfare. I guard their privacy fiercely.” “That is amazing. So you try to keep their lives as normal as possible?” Lex laughed. “They are a mischievous bunch
and very intelligent. I love spending time with them. I never
realized growing up that I would become a family man, but I am.” “Well, we don’t like to advertise our efforts, it seems...uncouth. I will say that the foundation has helped not just with the Farm Project that the Planet mentioned, but with education programs, scholarships, and environmental restoration projects.” Diane nodded and moved on to Lex’s environmental activism. Topeka John Norris got off the phone with the brain trust in Washington. He surveyed the room and narrowed his gaze on Jacob Fromm. “Lex is telling the truth. Lionel Luthor was abducted back in 2003 and rescued in a fashion that the FBI still doesn't fully understand.” Sen. Fromm leaned back and cursed. “Can we find out if he really does have children? That would have to be a matter of public record.” Storm Carver was in the room watching the broadcast as well. “If the kids were adopted, then the records are probably sealed. If there was a surrogate mother involved... I don't know how we'd go about tracking her down, but I'll get someone tracking down birth records of twins. My concerns now center on the image of Lex Luthor as proud parent. It changes his image dramatically.” Fromm nodded. “Then we need to make the voters aware that he is not one of them, that he is a blue-blooded aristocrat.” Smallville The family had been watching in the Family Room. The boys were in their rooms sleeping. Lionel and Jonathan had been against the interview being live, too much was at stake for an accidental slip. Their opinions had been considered and discounted. “I think that Michael and his political staff will like this interview,” Jeff commented. Jonathan nodded. “Lex’s image should change some. As for Clark and Whitney - who knows what this will do to them?” Clark and Whitney looked at each other and chuckled. Clark spoke for them. “Our image is just fine, Dad. Not perfect, granted, but we aren’t in the public eye.” Whitney looked down, then at his brother and in-laws. “The fact that LFK is now out in the open and public is a mixed blessing. The NAI situation is going to get worse and I have to go to New York for another meeting. That's when I'll know for sure if these revelations have done any damage." All eyes returned to the plasma TV as Diane wrapped up the interview by thanking Lex for his time. It would be the highest rated interview broadcast since the Michael Jackson interview in 2003. The guys settled on the bed to relax. Clark was rubbing Lex’s shoulders, trying to get the tension out of them. Whitney was lying across the bed rubbing Lex’s feet. “Lex, are you ever going to tell us your nightmares?” Clark whispered in his ear. Lex tensed but the large hands forced the muscles to relax again. “Not much to tell. I just keep having this sense that time is short and I have to act soon.” Whitney tickled one of the feet in his hands and smiled up at Lex. “It must be the tension of the election. Relax and let us take care of you.” Lex could not help but feel that there was more to it. He buried those thoughts and allowed his partners to sweep away his tension. Oct 4, Costa Rica Damien watched as cargo boxes were unloaded and broken down. A few of the boxes were left intact, getting ready to be sent to a private airstrip and flown to Columbia. ‘Almost all of the weapons will be here in time. Still have a few containers in Marrakech.’ The Cartel was anxious to finish the plan -- they had had enough of American treating the hemisphere as its backyard and Panama was going to change the Monroe Doctrine. “Are we almost done, Mr. Parker?” Acevado asked. “Two hours and everything will be completely broken down and ready. When you have a moment, Dr. Corbeau has something he would like to show us.” Damien knew what it was, but he wanted Ivan to see it first hand, as well. Watching Ivan walk away, Damien was ready to begin his own ascension to power. New York Bobby’s eyes were beginning to cross. ‘Knew I should have kept my mouth shut.’ He had a degree in Finance from Columbia. He was studying for his CPA exam when Chloe had asked him to go over some of the information she had gathered for Whitney Fordman. He was trying to decipher the ownership of the shell companies that were buying up NAI stock. He looked up when Chloe walked in the room. “I just talked to Whit, he will be here in two days. I want to give him an update on our progress,” Chloe said quickly. She has a restless air about her and Bobby knew it would take her a few minutes to settle in. He returned to his reading. “How's your friend’s campaign going?” Chloe came up behind Bobby and kissed him. “He stopped the bleeding, but the race is close now. Looks like it will be down to wire. How are you doing?” He heard the intent of the question, not the actual words. “This is a pain in the ass. How are you?” Chloe settled on the desk and looked at him. “Good. Got my thesis approved and my meeting went well. Now if we can just figure this mess out for Whitney, life would be great.” Metropolis Jimmy was looking at the file dates on the pictures he'd found in Smallville, trying to form a timeline for the images. There were no recent photos archived. Perry and Lois had disagreed about whether he should go back to Smallville and try to find out more information about the Luthor children. “Olsen, have you found anything?” Lois demanded as she walked into the room. Jimmy was getting tired of Lois’ constant pushing. “There is no evidence of children in any of these files. I've looked at every database I can find and found zip. What about you?” Lois leaned against Jimmy’s cubicle wall. “The Lowell County Courthouse says those documents have been sealed and will not be opened until 2021. Already three people have been arrested for trying to break into the records room. Perry has forbidden me from going.” Jimmy smiled at her. “What a coincidence, he forbade me as well.” Jimmy almost laughed as Lois walked away in a huff. Oct 7, Smallville Justin Daniels was walking back to his apartment from his job as a bartender at a downtown bar. ‘For a town called Smallville, this place is awfully big.’ Justin settled back and listened to his TV in the background. “I stand for a moral Kansas, a just Kansas. I am common man who wants Kansas to remain the decent, upstanding place it has always been. I am Jacob Fromm and I will represent the common interests of Kansas.” Justin groaned. “All I ever hear now is this stupid election. Still no closer to why I am here!” “The future calls for new ideas and new answers. Looking to the past will not solve any of the issues confronting this century. It will take vision and understanding, but most importantly independence. The interests of Kansas will be my interests in Washington.” Lex Luthor, this time. More commercials from the TV. Justin groaned and turned it off. He wanted answers but had been unable to find any. Keith, Alice, and Michael were at the Luthor campaign headquarters. The only live debate that Lex and Fromm would have was in eight days. “We have spent $10 million so far and Fromm has spent $15 million. But we have more time purchased down the stretch than they do.” Keith commented. Alice joined in, “However, they're still trailing three to seven percent in the polls. Lex is holding between forty-five and forty-seven percent. Turnout will be the key. Metropolis and its suburbs must come out very heavy.” Michael nodded. “So much depends on the debate. I want more radio spots in the countryside. Leave nothing to chance.” They all agreed and broke the meeting. Oct 10, Washington Dick Simons was looking over the latest polling data from across the nation. At one time, the Kansas race had been fairly inconsequential. Now it was the center of attention on a national level and a Republican defeat would be devastating. Many of the Party’s key conservative constituency groups were focusing all their resources on keeping Luthor out of the Senate. That had looked like a good thing in the Fromm Camp until Luthor and his advisors turned the huge donations against Fromm by making the public wonder what political favors the Republican candidate would have to pay back when the smoke cleared. The tactic was working; polls said that the people were wondering where Fromm's loyalties lay. Dick looked over at Storm Carver and frowned. “These numbers don’t look very promising.” Carver agreed. “Even with all the personal baggage Luthor has reveled, he holds a lead. Now his attacks about Fromm being a puppet of Special Interests is beginning to resonate. All the PACs spending on his behalf merely feeds that concept without countering the charge. They're obsessed with attacking Luthor’s moral character and missing the bigger picture.” “How much money does the Senatorial Campaign have left to spend in Kansas?” Simons asked. “I can’t spare anymore. We're already overcommitted in Kansas. Perhaps Dorgan and the National Committee can shake loose some money?” Carver suggested. “No, I’ve already asked. The Fromm campaign will have to live with what it has. He will have to win that debate.” The killing of another mutant by the Friends of Humanity can only be characterized as a hate crime. INTERPOL has reported over two dozen such crimes in Europe in the last four months. The Pacific Rim is seeing evidence of such violence as well. Given the overwhelming nature of some of these ’peoples’ abilities, there is growing concern over the possibility of a mutant terrorist attack. This is an official threat estimate. Further Intelligence is required. Henry finished reading the report and looked at the next one done by the FBI task force. There was a definite pattern. More oppression for a new minority, but this was a minority that could fight back. The FBI Counter-Intelligence Unit had no evidence of any mutant organization, but Henry could see the possibility. NSA clearly felt that way and was asking for help in addressing the issue. Mutant victims of hate crimes do not seek medical treatment for fear of being discriminated against. Official estimates of the true number of mutant attacks missed the real mark, but there is no way to know the truth of how many mutants were attacked. What is known is that the reported numbers have increased rapidly each year as have the number of mutants born. Henry put down the FBI report. He data from the CDC and the World Health Organization indicated that mutant births were increasing at an alarming rate. So much was happening and now this fell into his office. ’Panama, Chinese riots, famine in Africa, and now mutants! I don’t need more areas to monitor!’ Oct 11, New York Whitney had delayed this trip as long as possible, but the moment of truth was at hand. Chloe had been able to provide a number of leads, but no definitive answer to his questions. Whit had instructed Chris Smith to begin looking where Chloe had left off. At least he was certain that Smith could take care of himself if the search got as dangerous as Whitney believed it could get. He walked into Executive Conference Room where the meeting with a number of proxy holders was being held. All conversation stopped. Whitney could feel the range of emotions from the crowd and automatically reinforced his mental shields. Spotting his name plate, he headed over there. “Mr. Fordman, we weren't sure you'd show up,” commented one of the Mutual fund managers. Whitney caught a hint of deception from the man. “Why would I not? My predecessors and I built and directed this company to its current standing. I have more than a passing interest in its future.” Looking around he saw many people shift uncomfortably. “Shall we get to business?” Over the course of the meeting, Whitney realized that his opinions were being marginalized by several members who were being pressured to exercise their votes and proxies to replace the Board. Clearly, those puppets had to realize that they would be voted out as well and would lose all influence if that happened, and yet they were bowing to the pressure. ‘This is insane. What is going on?’ Washington Chet Desmond did not need this headache at the moment. Ever since Lex Luthor announced that Lionel had been kidnapped, the Bureau had been inundated with phone call, emails, and faxes requesting the case file and supporting documentation. Chet was an Assistant Director and in charge of a major task force. The fact that his signature was on that case file was a huge distraction, so now, by order of the Director, Chet Desmond was going to brief the Press on the facts that could be made public on The Luthor Matter, as it was now known. Chet walked to the podium. “Good morning. I will make a brief statement and then take questions. In 2003, while recovering from a stroke he suffered the prior year, Lionel Luthor was taken from the private island where he was undergoing physical therapy and speech rehabilitation. A number of security personal were killed during the raid that captured Mr. Luthor, and most of his staff died, as well. Upon his rescue, of which the FBI was not a part and has NO details, his medical file was examined and he was suffering from several external and internal injuries that were exacerbated by dehydration. As I am sure you are all aware by now, Mr. Luthor is in good health and has fully recovered from that ordeal. Questions?” The room exploded as reporters began shouting over one another to get heard. Oct 12, New York Bruce sat quietly at his Board meeting, following Bryan Armitage with his eyes. He'd been watching the board member closely ever since he'd spotted him talking to Lois Lane, the Daily Planet reporter. Bruce disliked the man; he was too amorphous. But that was not all. Bryan had dealings with unsavory people and companies, but his insurance company was too big to ignore and he had made many friends on the Street. Bruce had a hunch the man had an axe to grind, but could not openly investigate, not yet. “Can we get down to business?” Bruce asked, though Armitage seemed far from having finished working the room. Bryan gave Bruce a curt nod and took his seat, as did several others who'd been carrying on private conversations. "I have a new item to add to your agenda relating to the expiring terms of seven of our members who come up for re-election in January. Three of these members--Lorna Devoe, John Harris, and Bryan Armitage--wield Wayne proxies on other Boards of Directors and I am of the opinion that the power of these proxies gives these three members an unfair and unethical advantage in their bid to gain re-election to this board. For that reason, I hereby move that the Wayne Proxies held by members bidding for re-election to this board be revoked.” Bruce watched with hidden glee as Bryan panicked. “Mr. Wayne, I second the motion,” came the voice of Marilyn Henderson, a senior Board member. Bruce smiled as the motion was passed without debate. ‘Let’s see how you react to this Bryan.’ Smallville Lex was shuffling papers, materials that had been left for him as part of his intense debate prep. All the polls showed that the race was close, within the margin of error. Lex still held the lead, but Jacob had solidified his base and was going after the ‘swing’ voters. Lex looked up when he heard a throat clear. “Clark?” Lex asked. “Whitney just returned from New York. The NAI proxy fight is getting worse and his influence over the Board is negligible at this point.” Lex was shocked. “When did this happen?” Clark sat on Lex’s desk, facing him. “He told me as he was landing. He will be up shortly.” Just as Clark finished that, Whitney walked in. “We have a serious problem.” His tone shocked both of them. “What?” Lex asked. “The Royals just advanced to the World Series.” Clark response covered it for them all. “Shit. Now we really have to think about the impact on the kids.” Lex leaned back in his chair and laughed. “Well, you know that Philip and Hamilton will insist that we live up to our promise. The question is, Can we?” Whitney plopped down in a chair facing Lex’s desk. “The cat's out of the bag, Lex. The public knows about the kids. The paparazzi are still camping outside the gate in shifts hoping to get a shot of them coming or going. It's inevitable--” He raised a hand to stop their objections before they were raised. “All I’m saying is they are going to be photographed eventually and they deserve to live as normal a life as possible. Let's let them go to the Series, sign them up for Little League in the spring... And after that, let them decide what activities they want to try.” Clark sighed. “Whitney, I want them to do things I never could, but I don’t want them in any danger either.” Lex stood and pulled Clark into a hug. “It will be a balancing act, but we'll do it. When are the games?” “Next week, the 21, 22, and 23." Whitney grinned. "I wouldn't mind seeing a game or two myself.” Lex smiled and looked up at Clark. “I suppose you want to go as well?” Clark laughed and kissed Lex. “Of course.” “Well, I guess this is one promise to the boys we can keep. As for NAI?” Lex inquired. Whitney waved him off. “Short of assuming full control of the company, there is nothing more I can do. We hold the balance at the moment, but key shareholders are moving towards the opposition. I want Chris to look into this. Chloe’s information shows layers of deception. Plots within plots.” Lex let that sink in, then informed them, “On a brighter note, I do have one piece of good news. Bryan is out of Minerva now.” That did bring a round of smiles. Oct 15, Lawrence, KA Lex walked to his podium on the left, Jacob to his on the right. The moderator of the debate was the Ken Hatfield, news anchor of Metropolis Tonight. The panel of questioners had Lois Lane, Erin Stone of the Kansan Times, and Mark Riley of the Topeka Star. The audience of four thousand cheered as the candidates arrived. “Welcome to the 2010 Senate debate between Jacob Fromm and Lex Luthor sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Kansas Journalist Society. By the format that was agreed upon prior to this debate, each candidate, by turns, will address a question, with a time limit of ninety seconds for each answer. His opponent will have 90 seconds to rebut. By draw, Mark Riley gets the first question.” Mark straightened. “Sen. Fromm, you allege to be a ‘common man for the common good.’ could you please explain what that means.” Jacob looked over the crowd and then stared in the camera. “It is a simple philosophy. I did not grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth and I know what it is to struggle to reach my goals. I can empathize with the regular people of Kansas about their needs. This election is not about boredom, or flights of fancy, it is about reality and dealing with issues.” Ken nodded to Lex. “Mr. Luthor, your rebuttal.” Lex smiled and looked relaxed. “Thank you, Ken. I agree with my opponent on a key fact in his statement, this election is about reality and issues, but I have yet to hear Mr. Fromm's position on the issues that matter to the working citizens of Kansas. I have made my ideas on the issues known, and my experiences allow me different ways of dealing with our common problems. I am not the same old politician who will say anything to get elected but end up beholden to Special Interests.” Lex saw out of the corner of his eye, Jacob flinch at that last comment. The crowd clapping brightened Lex’s smile. Ken spoke up. “I remind the audience to hold its applause until the conclusion of the debate. Ms. Lane.” Lois leaned over her table. “Mr. Luthor, how can your personal life fail to impact how you view certain issues that will face you in the Senate?” “Ms Lane, I built a major corporation without my personal life adversely affecting the business decisions that I made. But I am not immune to family issues, I know about childcare issues, schools that are overcrowded, health insurance. I was lucky to be able to address them at my Company. I have practical experience in placing people first.” “Senator, your rebuttal.” “How can a man who is worth billions possibly know what issues face the working families of Kansas? This is what I mean about the ‘Common man.’ He knows nothing of the struggle in day-to-day living that the people of Kansas face.” Ken nodded to Erin. She looked over her notes. “Senator, you take great pains to point out Mr. Luthor’s lack of ties to the majority of Kansans. How do you relate to people who live in the cities and suburbs?” Her question was in response to Jacob Fromm’s constant use of his rural upbringing as a point of reference. “There are a number of things people have in common. Having to make ends meet, trying to educate their children. These issues are not specific to the farm or the city. These are universal to all citizens,” the Senator noted. “Crime is something that is mainly a city issue and why should rural taxes go to supporting those issues? Some things need to be left to the local level.” Lex smiled and pounced. “I couldn't disagree more. We are a growing state with diverse interests and needs, but we are one community. I can’t and the government can’t make life easy, but we can improve the quality of our citizen's lives, make them just a little better, smoother, then we are on the right track. As for the distinction between rural and urban issues, urban medical facilities now support rural communities that lack local specialists. There is no need to single out small points when each part helps the other. We need a sense of community, not divisiveness.” Mark looked over his notes again. “Mr. Luthor, what would be your highest priority in the Senate?” “The first priority has to be to place our fiscal house back in order. That requires looking at the Budget, in total, and looking at what we, as a country, will be facing in the next five to ten years. Education and Healthcare have to at the top of the funding list, the future depends on a healthy, educated, skilled citizenry.” Mark pointed to Jacob. “You sir, what would your priority be?” “My opponent is looking at the wrong issues. The security of the nation must come first. My first course of action would be to pass the National Registry. The government must know certain information about each citizen in order to protect us from biological attacks. Once we are secure in that knowledge, we can focus on other issues.” Lois saw an opening for a real debate. “Mr. Luthor, what are your views on the National Registry?” Lex took a deep breath. //Be calm, you knew this was going to come up.// Lex hid his smile as he felt the support of Whitney and Clark. //Piece of cake.// “I think the Registry is a step too far. Supporters claim that there is nothing wrong with a database that knows your genetic code, but I believe it opens a door to discrimination and persecution that flies in the face of every principle upon which this country was founded. This harkens to a Police State that George Orwell wrote about in 1984. Benjamin Franklin said ‘They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety’ and I agree. The government does not need this information, period." “Thank you, Mr. Luthor for proving once again that you are not a person of the people," Fromm snapped. "Sacrifices must be made for the common good. The National Registry does nothing more than catalogue information. If it becomes necessary, then the information is used for criminal prosecutions. There is nothing wrong with that.” Erin picked up on the thread of questions. “Senator, in that same vein, the Majority Leader is in favor of the Mutant Registration Act. What mechanism keeps the Registry from being turned into what Robert Kelly envisions?” “The National Registry is not there to keep tabs on people who are a menace to society. Upstanding citizens have nothing to fear.” Lex took a deep breath. “I think that it makes a distinction based on a broad criteria that is flawed. It is a slippery slope and grants too much authority in the hands of the government. The argument that you make flies in the face of innocent until proven guilty. This literally becomes guilt by refusal -- if you resist then you have something to hide.” That was the opening Jacob was apparently looking for. “You have a great deal of practice hiding things, sir, and with good reason. What else have you failed to disclose? You have hidden your unorthodox family and enormous financial assets. What else is there?” Ken tried to regain control. “Senator, no direct questioning between candidates is allowed.” Lex never lost his composure. “No, I think a response is called for here. My family is more important to me than anything. The Luthor name has many connotations, and my partners needed to have a measure of independence from me. Their academic records are based solely on their merit. What they are worth and what assets the family had outside of Minerva was private until Ms. Lane decided that the public good trumped my family’s privacy. As for my sons, they are brilliant wonderful kids and I wanted to keep them as far from the spotlight as possible. The voters can take it for what it is worth. The fact that visits to the Zoo or a museum will require a new measure of security for them is not something I will delight in, it is innocence lost.” Clapping resounded through the auditorium. “Ladies and gentlemen, please hold your applause until after the debate. Thank You. Ms. Lane, the final question is yours.” “Mr. Luthor, your campaign uses phrases like ‘independent thinker,’ ‘free from constraint,’ and ‘beholden only to the voters.’ What are you dancing around?” Lex kept his face neutral, but was very happy with the question. “I will grant that I am not an average person. I will assert that that is part of my strength. My opponent has spent over $20 million on this campaign and I am curious to learn the where that money came from--who Jacob Fromm is now beholden to. My wealth has been used against me, but it is a strength. When people who gave plenty of money to his campaign come calling, do you think he will be reminded of where he received so much help? My loyalty will not be divided.” Jacob smiled. “I’ve been waiting for that. The people who believe in right thinking and right living are the ones who have been sending money to combat what they perceive as an overwhelming advantage. I will stand up for their issues and all the issues of Kansas.” “By the format agreed upon for this debate, each candidate will make a closing statement, Sen. Fromm will go first.” “Thank you, Ken. Citizens this is a crucial moment for our state. I represent the values that our state has stood for since its founding. I bring with me a hard work ethic and an understanding of the struggles most Kansans face. I will work day and night for the people of out great state.” Lex waited for Jacob to finish. “'Of those that are given much, even more is expected.' This is something I have taken to heart. I have ideas and I’m willing to voice them. We can do great things together, climb to heights no one has ever imagined. The future calls for new ideas and new solutions. Together we can make a difference.” Ken nodded. “Thank you gentlemen. This has been the 2010 Senate Debate. Good Night.” Alice, Keith, Michael, Lisa, and Jeff finished watching the debate and began comparing notes. Throughout, they had been grading the exchanges, keeping notes on which candidate came out on top. Alice and Keith traded looks. “I don’t think much moved,” Alice said. “They went after each other and are dealing with the base electorate. Now Lex is taller, younger, and a much better speaker, which is a huge advantage in some respects.” Keith took over. “By the same token, Fromm is appealing for people not to make a rash decision and that plays against Lex.” “The last phase of the media campaign swings into action on Monday,” Lisa commented. Michael laughed. “You know Lex and the family will be at the World Series next weekend?” Lisa chuckled. “I will be there as well. Okay, I have to go. Alice, Keith, email me the results of the snap polls.” Oct 18, Washington The White House was a flurry of activity. The movement of the poll numbers in Kansas were not to their liking. Fromm was now down seven points but still within striking distance. However, the balance of power in the Senate was swinging against them and Robert Kelly was now out trying to help his friends. This was plaguing the White House because if the Senate stayed in Republican hands, Kelly was going to claim all the credit. The president knew that he was going to be marginalized either way now. The loss of the Senate would be blamed on him and retention would go to Kelly. The fight was now for control of the future of the Republican Party. New York Lionel Luthor sat down to have breakfast in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. He was in New York to meet with a few possible conquests for Minerva. Lionel was of the opinion that no company, not General Electric, not General Motors, not Exxon-Mobil, and not Wal-Mart, was beyond his company’s reach. But this meeting was for something else entirely, a point of personal pride. He smiled as his breakfast companion sat down to join him. “Good morning, Lionel. I am very intrigued that you invited me to a breakfast meeting,” Bruce Wayne commented. “You did remove the pest from Minerva’s Board and that makes me grateful. The least I can do is buy you bacon and eggs.” As if by magic, a waiter appeared and laid out a small but majestic breakfast buffet on their table. While the waiter poured Bruce's coffee, he helped himself to a crisp Belgian waffle and scrambled eggs. Lionel slathered an English muffin in marmalade until finally the waiter was gone and conversation could resume. “What brings you to New York?” Bruce was genuinely curious. Lionel had the power to summon any and all to Metropolis now. “The auction tonight. A Picasso is up for bids, from his ‘Blue' period.” “The bidding will be very intense,” Bruce warned him unnecessarily. “I expect so, but nothing is going to stop me from getting that Picasso. I will do anything to protect that which is mine.” Bruce looked at Lionel sharply, about to object that the Picasso was not his. He sensed that the conversation had changed. “Curious choice of words, Lionel.” “Appropriate for current events. A man in your position is able to pass along hints to colleagues here and elsewhere. My memory is long and my reach is longer.” Lionel smiled and sipped his Earl Grey. Bruce was stunned by the open declaration of war on the Special Interests who were pouring money into Fromm's campaign. He added a hint of pepper to his scrambled eggs. “Your son might not approve of a vendetta, Lionel.” Lionel chuckled. “Bruce, I may have mellowed, but I still know who has skeletons in their closet. I'm making no threats, just a warning that it would be unwise to go too far. Now, how is Wayne Industries faring these days?” Bruce would pass along the warning with a simple comment at the Forum lunch he was attending tomorrow. Bruce smirked and discussed the latest technological breakthroughs with Lionel. Oct 21, Metropolis “Philip, this is great, we are at the World Series!” Hamilton said, his green eyes sparkling with excitement. Clark led the way to the Owner’s Suite. The private elevator from the underground parking garage opened and let him, Hamilton, Philip, and Alan out on the suite floor. Clark watched as the boys ran across the lobby and into the Suite where Lionel, Anne, and his parents were already sitting. Clark looked around the lobby. Security was out in force around the entire ballpark, but he was most concerned with security here. The elevator opened, revealing Ben, Wes, Lex, Whitney, and Rachel. The boys had begged her to come along, and Clark was fairly certain she wouldn't have refused them for the world. It was astonishing to him how quickly she had earned their devotion after so many previous failures. He ushered them across the private lobby, trying to look everywhere at once. These were his children. He wouldn't let them be in danger. //Be calm my love, let them enjoy the game,// Lex told Clark. Lex moved to greet Lisa, but was accosted by Elsa, who demanded a kiss. “For you darling, of course.” Whit smiled at the scene, but when he saw Rachel trying to get Ben and Wes settled with refreshments, he moved to her. “You're our guest tonight, Rachel. We'll take care of the boys, you just relax and enjoy the game.” “Whitney, I don’t mind, they are a pleasure. Besides, these are just bribes--" she held up the hot dogs she'd just slathered in mustard. "Wes and Ben promised to give me a baseball refresher course in exchange for keeping them hip deep in hot dogs and popcorn -- I've been in Europe too long and the rules of baseball are but a dim memory.” Her wink reassured him that she wouldn't overdo it on the hotdogs. Whitney glanced at Chris, who was at Rachel's elbow decorating another hotdog. The vibe he got from Chris had him grinning from ear to ear. The Spymaster was smitten with the Schoolmarm! Would wonders never cease. Chris noticed Whitney's amusement. "What? Don't look at me like that. I'm just along to explain the designated hitter." "There is no explanation for the designated hitter." "Come on, boys." Rachel shepherded her charges into the second row of seats and the boys bracketing her like bookends, jabbering with enthusiasm for the rare opportunity to teach the teacher. Dibbs had been invoked for some unseen guest, and Chris had to settle for a seat in the third row. Though he would have liked to sit directly behind her, his responsibility for monitoring his security teams forced him into a chair on the end of the row. Elsa, naturally, lit next to Hamilton in the first row. “Are you excited? I want to see a homerun!” Philip settled back with his popcorn. “When is everyone going to sit down?” Clark heard the question as he settled along the first row as well. “We are a little early, but the game will start soon.” Lex was sitting on one of the couches talking to Anne and Martha when Wes came over and waited to be acknowledged. “Yes sir?” “Papa, are you going to watch the game with us?” Wes asked with a hopeful smile. "Ben and Miss Rachel and I saved you a seat. You can help us teach her about baseball." Anne and Martha tried not to laugh but failed miserably. Lex reached over and hugged Wes. “I will be out in a few minutes, okay?” Wes kissed Lex and went running back to his seat. Lex sighed and tried not to look at the two women laughing. “You realize that neither of you is much help?” He rose to get a drink and join the guys in the seats. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO GAME THREE OF THE 2010 WORLD SERIES BETWEEN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPION ST. LOUIS CARDINALS AND YOUR AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPION, METROPOLIS ROYALS,” The PA Announcer blared across the stadium. The boys cheered as the rest of the crowd rose, screaming as the Royals ran onto the field. The front six seats had Tristan, Elsa, Hamilton, Philip, and Clark. The next row had Jonathan, Lisa, Wes, Rachel, Ben, and Lex. The last row had Chris, Whitney, Jeff, Nick, and Bastian. Lionel, Anne, Martha, Stephanie, and Alan were in the suite, content to sit on the plush couches. The broadcast was going out across the globe. The people in Kansas were glued to the TV as the Battle for the Heartland played out on the baseball diamond. Lois was sitting in a bar, nursing a beer. She had just broken the story that the Fromm campaign had tried to break into Lowell County Records Department, presumably looking for that information about Lex Luthor's rugrats. A friend of a low level staffer had attempted it and, of course, the campaign denied any responsibility for such an illegal action. Still, it wasn't a story that she had her heart in -- her big story about Lex Luthor was the stuff of prizes but the Diane Sawyer interview it spawned had trumped her in a big way. She was just finishing her beer and contemplating obliterating more of her sorrows with a deep-dish pepperoni pizza with extra onions when the monitors showed the Owner’s Suite at the Royals’ stadium. The quick shot showed a dozen adults -- a laughing Lex Luthor included -- pointing at the field and four -- no, five -- children jumping up and down with glee. “They do have kids!” Lois yelled in the bar. Rapidly pulling out her phone, she auto dialed to the Planet Sports desk. “Al, it’s Lois. Do you have a satellite feed of the game? Digital? Excellent, I need a favor.” The boys jumped up and down like jack-in-the-boxes caught in a feedback loop when the Royals broke open the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. The score had been 3-2 St. Louis until the Royals batted around and scored seven runs in the inning. “Oh, this is great. Poppy, can we meet the players?” Hamilton asked Clark. //Clark, be careful, let your father make that call.// Lex dropping his two cents in. Whitney covered his laugh with a cough. //Making Jon out to be the bad guy? That is not nice Lex.// Clark ended the discussion with a quick ruffle of Hamilton’s hair. “You need to ask your grandpa Jon. He is in charge of the team.” Clark looked down the row at his shocked father. “Well, Dad?” Jonathan looked at the hopeful faces of his grandchildren. “I’ll ask the manager if he would mind letting ya’ll meet the team before tomorrow’s game, okay?” The cheers of all five kids at once made the adults laugh. It was a fun time at the ballpark. Topeka The Governor was watching the game along with some of his senior staff. He and Fromm had discussed it and made mutual decisions not to attend. The whole state’s attention was on Metropolis and the Royals and it could have been great publicity except for that fact that Luthor owned the team. You didn't arrange a photo op on your opponent's home court two weeks before an election. Every poll in the state was showing that Lex had a vast advantage over Jacob, in name recognition, and his popularity was bolstering Democrats across the state. The Governor’s race was tighter than it should have been. Despite the best blitz campaign ads, Jacob was still trailing and Lex’s ads were pounding the airwaves now. “Sir, they pulled the image from the Owner’s Suite. There are five children up there. We will have pictures soon.” Gov. Longworthy wanted to know if Luthor was telling the truth about being a parent. Luthor was refusing to divulge any information, maintaining that the children were totally off limits. Fromm was painted into a corner and Luthor knew it. Metropolis The boys and Elsa were exhausted by the time the game ended. Tristan was carrying Elsa, who was sound asleep, out of the suite. Clark had Hamilton and Whitney had Ben. Wes was still awake and hyper, but the guys saw Philip fighting yawns as they prepared to leave the stadium. The elevator took a group adults first, followed by the guys with the kids. The cars were waiting for the family to leave the game. //They had fun. It’s nice to see Philip act like a kid.// Whitney mentioned to Lex and Clark. //Yes, it is. Glad the Royals won as well.// Clark added. Lex smiled and helped get the boys in the limousine. //Jon is asking now if they can meet the team before tomorrow’s game.// Smiles were traded all around and they were off to the penthouse.
Henry was in a National Security meeting, listening to the report CIA had on the events in China. Food riots were reportedly breaking out in the center of China and the flood of starving refugees to the coastal cities was getting worse. Unemployment in Shanghai and other cities was approaching ten percent. Such large numbers were creating instability in the country's entire economic and political infrastructure. And of top of that, the environmental situation there was growing worse. Finally Henry had a chance to speak up. “Mr. President, we are running out of options. China must be listed as an unstable country. There is nothing to suggest that the Communist Party can maintain full control for much longer. We owe Taiwan that much at least,” Henry stated as calmly as possible. The room exploded into debate between how to shift status or if the State Department should issue a travel warning. Finally the President tabled the Chinese issue to move forward to the next problem on the agenda. Henry stood and a map of Panama was displayed. “Sir, CIA has been tracking a number of shipments of arms from a known Russian arms dealer to Central America. Sir, the arms do not appear to have been purchased by any government and this is a significant threat to the stability of the region. I would like to station the Avengers in Panama in order to monitor the situation.” Sec. Vance spoke up. “I thought they were already in the theatre?” “No sir, there is a single Avenger on station. I think we need a team since Panama has made it clear that they do not want U.S. troops in their country.” The President nodded his head and the meeting continued. By Executive Order, the White House was requesting that the Avengers go down to Panama to deal with an increased threat to that country’s stability. Smallville It was less than a week until the election. Lex was doing a rally a day and running several ads an hour. The Fromm campaign and its allies continued to attack Lex’s character and moral ability to produce sound policy in the Senate. The polls showed that Lex held a slight lead and that his "favorables" were higher after several shots of him with kids in the Owner’s Suite were shown. Lex wasn't happy about that; it made him feel as though he'd used his kids for political gain, when that wasn't what had happened at all. It didn't bother him in the least, however, that his image had been bolstered by the Royals winning the World Series and that the Praetorians were in first place in the AFC West. Across the room, Clark and Whitney were trying to figure out how to allow the boys to play Little League and keep them safe at the same time. Lex just listened to them as they argued about how to best protect the boys now that every major newspaper and news magazine in the country had run the pictures of them. Shots from the Owner's Suite had identified the members of the family that the media knew about. The boys’ faces were now known, but not their names. Lex was at a loss how to deal with some of these implications. He cleared his head and listened again. “Clark, we can’t have a swarm of security around the fields. It would frighten the other parents and probably lead the other kids to ostracize the boys.” “But Whitney, without a visible sign, how is there going to be a deterrent for anyone to try?” Lex walked over and sat down. “My two cents on the issue -- a few plain clothes, not an army, but a few. And we go to the city and offer to finance the installation of security cameras that would be monitored from a mobile base. Different issue, why on earth I ever want to get into politics?” Clark and Whitney laughed, but it was Clark who answered, “Because you are insane and needed to do something new to challenge that massive, complex mind of yours.” The guys got up and strolled to their bedroom. After years together, the passion had not been lost, a trickle of sweat after a jog, a slight smile, a wink, any of those things and more could incite lust. But passion was tempered with tenderness, the need for simple touching. Decisions had been put off time and again, but now that nexus was approaching, some of them had to be made. But not right this minute. Now was a time for them. Lex closed the door and mentally checked on the kids; all of them were deeply asleep. He shed his clothing and helped Clark out of his. Lex looked at the bed where Whitney was already lounging; cock in hand, waiting for them to join him. Lex kissed Clark’s torso and moved toward the bed. He was surprised when Clark moved and pushed him on the bed. Clark had an evil glint in his eye. He leaned over and kissed Lex sharply, with a slight bite to those tender lips. “Lex, you are not in control tonight.” Clark moved his hands and grasped Lex’s legs and began kissing the inside of his thighs. Whitney moved his body alongside Lex’s and began to kiss the tender inside of Lex’s arm. Slowly licking his way towards the slim, smooth, defined chest. Whit loved hearing the gasps as Lex fought for control. When his own cock twitched, he wasn't surprised to look down and see that Clark was licking Lex’s cock. Seeing , feeling it through the bond, excited Whitney, but he continued his ministrations to Lex’s upper body. By mutual agreement with Clark, tonight was about making Lex forget that he was running for election. Small beads of sweat broke out on Lex's skin as the flush of passion began to course through Lex’s veins. The smooth breathing changed; Whitney could tell Lex was slowly loosing control. Clark pulled off Lex’s cock; he did not want him to come yet. He spread the long pale legs and kneaded the firm ass that was now exposed. He smiled at Lex as if he was prey. In moments, he was slicking Lex’s ass, and moved inside. Clark shuddered as he entered him, feeling the muscles spasm around his cock. He stilled, waiting for Lex to adjust and then began moving. He was not gentle. He wanted Lex to be slightly sore, to feel this night for a day or two, as he had not over the last few months. Clark saw that Whitney was fucking Lex’s mouth, while playing with Lex’s chest. Clark leaned over, kissed Whitney deeply and guided his hand to Lex’s cock. Lex’s senses were being assailed from all directions. His ass was being pounded by Clark, his mouth filled by Whitney, a hand caressed his erection, and his chest was on fire from the massage earlier. He was overwhelmed, his nuts aching with the need for release. The cock in ass was making his whole body sing. The magnificent sensory overload stripped Lex's intellect; there was nothing to analyze as he writhed into the multiple pleasures. By instinct alone, he matched his escalation to his lovers. The flood of come in his mouth and ass at the same time allowed Lex to shoot as well, and the fire spread out between them, through them. As they gently disengaged, Lex saw his two smiling lovers still kissing. He just sagged on the bed. “Thank you.” Clark leaned over and kissed Lex deeply. “You are very welcome. You needed to lose control, if only for a little bit.” Whitney leveraged a boneless Lex up. “Come on love, let’s get you cleaned up. I think you can handle the rest of the week pretty well now.” Lex did not voice anything, simply mellow with the exertion and happy to follow their leads tonight. Nov 2, Election Day The day began with a cold front sweeping across the country, creating overcast conditions for much of Kansas. The Luthor campaign had been monitoring turnout all day, specifically in Metropolis. The news had been very good inside precincts that were considered Democratic strongholds. Results of exit polls across Kansas were mixed though. Rural voters had gone to the ballot boxes in droves as well, and early estimates had turnout for the state at nearly seventy percent. Lex was pacing in his office in the Palace. People were gathering at the Adams Mark Hotel in Metropolis for a victory party or a defeat. The polls showed it was tight, too close to call. Lex had a slight lead even in the final days of the campaign but it was not as big as it had been prior to being ‘Outed’. It was all about turnout now. He looked up and saw Michael standing there. “Lex, the last polls just closed,” Michael informed his candidate. “Most of the family is already in Metropolis. When are you leaving?” Lex smirked. “Once my nerves aren’t as frayed.” Michael shook his head. “It could be a long night. Come on; let’s get moving to Metropolis. The staff is there, monitoring all of the precincts.” Panama All the moves had been designed to weaken the interior defenses. The raids had pulled active army units away from the Canal Zone on the Atlantic, Pacific, and interior. They had been depleted by the losses along both borders against rebel units that nobody could flush out. The civilian unrest had forced military units to fan out across the country, but they refused further assistance from the United States. The first group of raiders hit the bases at Colon. A series of high yield RPGs devastated the barracks sending the Atlantic side of the Canal into disarray. Three squads moved with inhuman speed to secure the area. No mercy was shown; the Panamanian army was slaughtered as they tried to escape burning buildings. The renegades had detailed plans of where armored vehicles and other weapons caches would be located; capturing those was the secondary goal of the first assault. The same was happening as the airbases around the Canal were knocked out and made useless. In a surprise move developed by Brian Corbeau, gas grenades exploded inside the perimeter of the airbases so that the pilots could be captured alive. The operation was successful. The two bases near the capitol, Panama City, went down in moments after the base in Colon fell. A different objective had been detailed for the capital. The power grid had been attacked first, plunging the city into darkness. Two special units moved into the city with lightning speed. Explosions at the bases could be seen all around town, combined with the darkness, sending the city into panic. The Avengers who had been on station in Panama heard the fighting and in moments were able to confirm that the Canal Zone was under a coordinated and massive assault. Iron Man, Hawkeye, Wasp, and Captain America moved to combat the forces attacking the capitol. Iron Man took the point and moved toward the Culebra Cut at full speed. The air around him exploded as shrapnel and a fog of aluminum clouded his vision. Captain America, Wasp, and Hawk Eye moved to follow, seeing a firefight at the Canal itself. Captain America moved rapidly, using his shield to knock out an elevated mortar position. He hit his link to an orbiting satellite. "Avengers are engaged in battle. Canal Zone under heavy assault." He went back into the fray to help his teammates. Damien was sitting in his room back in Costa Rica, watching the battle live over a secure video line. Already he knew that Panama City was in chaos and the military was being routed. He saw the members of the Avengers fighting his troops as they stormed the Military headquarters. His troops were giving a better fight than the Avengers were expecting. He shifted the view to the Culebra Cut, watching as several areas fell to his regular and super-troops' control. He heard that the Air Force was under wraps and that Dr. Corbeau's gas had been administered. Satisfaction turned to frustration when his feed was lost, and he could hardly contain himself, waiting to find out how the rest of his troops fared. Metropolis Lex walked into the penthouse and kissed his husbands. Part of him was happy that their relationship was now out in the open and he was free to let the world see how blessed he was, but it was still shocking on some levels. The revelation had positive and negative effects. It had spurred Republican opposition to intense heights in its desire to defeat Lex. But the fact that he was unconventional, in a long-term relationship, and a father had moved the electorate slightly. The Fromm campaign had spent over $35 million in the state, forcing Lex to spend more than he had intended. The attacks had gotten personal and Lex was undecided as to how he would handle it if he lost the election. Lex looked around at the family gathered in the penthouse. "Any word yet?" Lex asked. Lionel chuckled and motioned for Lex to sit. "Patience Alexander. I'm proud of you. You ran a campaign full of integrity and you stuck to your issues. Well done, son." Lex smiled but did not know what to say other than, "Thank you." Praise from his father was something he had trained himself years ago not to covet; when he received it now, he wasn't quite sure what to do with the unexpected emotions it evoked. Lex looked down the hall and saw a few sets of eyes watching him. The boys were dressed for bed, but looked hyper. "Come on over you rascals." In moments the boys were in the room cuddling up next to an adult. It did not matter which ones. Philip was in Lionel's lap when he asked, "If Papa wins, does that mean we have to move?" Whitney shot a look at Clark and Lex. He responded to the question. "No Philip, it does not. We still have to work a few things out." Philip yawned and nodded his head. Lex simply chuckled as the boys slowly fell asleep and the guys lifted them up to put them to bed. Lex was glad for the distraction. The boys were always fun to deal with, a haven from all the other issues that life created. Lex knew that the boys were growing up; it made him a little sad. He did not miss the diapers, but he missed the innocence that was beginning to slip away. He looked over and smiled at his lovers, their concern was visible on their faces. He smiled and motioned for them to leave the boys' area. He still had to find out if he was going to the Senate. Washington The President was getting the early returns and the trends were not in the Republicans' favor. Four governorships were on the verge of being lost. Texas' Senate seat was in play for the first time since the 1980's and Florida was going against them as well. All he wanted were the results from Kansas. That was the key. If Fromm was coming back to the Senate, then it was a successful night. So much time and money had been devoted to that one race. If Luthor won, then Washington had better watch out, because a hatchet job had been done on him and the President knew how he would feel after such character assassination. The President looked at his Chief of Staff. "Regardless of what happens, this is a major change in the political landscape." "Yes sir, it will be. I hope we survive the changes." New York "This is Elizabeth Vargas at the ABC News desk for our coverage of Decision 2010. With me is George Stephanopoulos. George, we are looking some tight races and some interesting trends." "You are right, Elizabeth, but the race on everyone's mind right now is the Kansas Senate race. With thirty percent of the votes counted, Fromm leads Luthor 51% to 49%. It is a very tight race." "This is Brian Williams at the NBC News desk with Tim Russert. Tim, the Kansas race is the center of attention." "Brian, it is amazing that so much attention and money has been focused on the this one seat. The race is too close to call, but I have talked to a number of officials and the biggest fear in Washington right now is: What happens next?" Metropolis Michael walked into the room here the family was watching the returns and the constant announcements that the race was too close to call. "Lex, I have some good news." All eyes turned to Mike. Lex took a deep breath, "Yes?" "All the rural votes have been counted, all the Republican strongholds are in. Only a third of Metropolis' votes are counted so far." Michael could hardly contain his glee. Whitney responded. "How soon before they can call the race?" "I'd give it an hour," Michael commented as he left to return Metropolis headquarters where all the returns were being watched. A jolt of nervous energy ran through the whole family. Nothing was said and the tension increased. Finally Jonathan laughed. "Well something had to give." Nervous laughter by all the others followed. Washington Henry and Valerie were in his office as the reports came in from the Canal Zone. Valerie had received a brief encrypted burst from Captain America and that was it. The communications with the Avenger team were lost. Some of the reports were coming from the Embassy, but they were sketchy at best. Satellite images showed fires raging at several facilities along the Canal. The best imaging satellites were showing firefights live but there was not much coming out of Panama City. "Henry, we have been trying to get contact but can't," Valerie said wearily. Henry was pacing his office. "Val, all reports indicate that the Canal Zone is now controlled but some unknown military force." "I have another three hours before I can declare an emergency and summon reserves to Panama. Will the President back me?" Henry shrugged his shoulders and went back to trying to get information out of Panama. Metropolis The family was still gathered in the living room of the Penthouse, a mere five blocks from the Adams Mark. The trend of the returns had shifted and with sixty-five percent of the precincts reporting, Lex had taken the lead. "We are now able to call the race in Kansas. Lex Luthor will be the next Senator from Kansas," Elizabeth Vargas announced on ABC News. "We are calling the race in Kansas. After a bitter fight, Lex Luthor will take the race for the Senate," Brian Williams predicted for NBC. The whole room began jumping for joy. All attention went to the window as Fireworks lit the sky from the three Minerva buildings. Lex was so relieved he was laughing hysterically. "Okay folks. We have a party to join." The Hotel was full to overflowing, crowds in the street cheered the victory of Lex Luthor. On the stage, Michael Ross walked up and began calming the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you senator-elect, Lex Luthor." Lex walked across the stage, waving at the crowd. "Thank you. This is a victory for Tomorrow. A victory for Tolerance. This is a victory for Kansas. I have to thank my family, Clark, Whitney, my dad, everyone. This campaign taught me much and I will take those lessons to heart. Tonight we celebrate and tomorrow we start working. This is a new beginning for me. I will take my ideas to Washington and together we can make things better for everyone! Thank you and good night." Lex shook a number of hands and waved as he headed back out and to the penthouse. A party was going to be organized for the campaign workers in the following month, but now Lex was letting the stress bleed off of him. He was going to the Senate. Clark and Whitney were waiting for him at the edge of the dais, but Lex stopped short as a moment of vertigo seized him. He felt like the floor vanished beneath his feet. The vision he'd been seeing in his nightmares were in front of him -- forming a wall of horror and uncertainty between him and his husbands. It was over in a flash but he was shaken. 'Dear God, what have I done?' Clark and Whitney were moving toward him, alarmed but trying not to show it to the cheering crowd of Luthor supporters. Lex took a few deep breaths and continued off the dais. //Lex?// //I'm all right, Whit. I have to work the room.// //What happened?// Clark asked. //I'm not sure.// He left them to go offer his thanks to his campaign staff, but his sense of panic did not subside. Washington The National Security Council was gathered in the Situation Room. The Canal Zone was under hostile control and the Capital had been taken. Henry and Valerie watched the screen as a live feed from the Embassy came through. "We will negotiate with the United States for the release of our prisoners. The US must terminate the Canal Treaty and forfeit any claims to protect the Canal Zone in the future. Here is a symbol of what we hold." The room gasped as the screen was filled by Captain America's shield. Covered in blood. TBC
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