episode fic: "Progeny"

[xparrot]

So after rewatching most of "Progeny" I decided that Lex is the hero of the ep, at least comparatively speaking; he was attacked first, and spent the ep trying to contain a dangerous emergency situation that was his responsibility, as cleanly as he could.

I also decided that after Lex, my second favorite character is Lowell, the hat-wearing super-strong meteor mutant with two lines of six words total. Obviously his story needed to be told, and since I don't know if we'll ever see him again, I went ahead and fic'ed it.

This is pretty unapologetically Lex-apologist, or else not at all; take it as you will, and remember as always that no narrator is entirely reliable or unbiased. Either way, Lex needs some minions, darn it!

Smallville: Loyalty {3,695 words}
PG-13, gen, drama; spoilers for 6th season, ep tag for "Progeny"
Meteor freak Lowell's take on the events of "Progeny", 33.1, and Lex Luthor.

Read it on AO3

Comments

[danceswithgary]

The show really needed this missing scene. I love the way you showed how easily and logically Lex would end up with fanatically loyal minions. A little positive attention from Lex goes a long way. Look how it worked with Clark for so long...and I think it still would.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Lex can be very charismatic and as charming as his father, when he wants to be...I don't know why he doesn't have fanatically loyal minions! I'm hoping he does have them and they're just stashed away in 33.1, but will be revealed eventually...

[aerynvala.livejournal.com]

oh very good. I like this, because Lex is still very much Lex. But he's not stupid or weak like canon likes to randomly make him. And he's flawed and harsh, but it's so very clear where his motivation comes from. I like that.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

SV's canon Lex hurts my brain - he's a smexy woobie but a lousy villain. If he's going to be the bad guy, he ought to excel at it!

[elandrialore.livejournal.com]

I love your episode tags. They make everything so much better.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks! (though as a self-confessed Lex-apologist, I'm a bit confused as to why he always ends up being more evil in my tags...guess I like him sexily competent more than pathetic...)

[lukita.livejournal.com]

Woohoo! Minion fic! Dood, Clark have Chloe as a minion, Lex needs one as well.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Lex needs a good minion or two badly! Which is why I liked Lowell, because I saw some potential...

[the-rejection.livejournal.com]

I love this, especially because Moira's characterization was bothering me a lot. She attempted to murder Lex because... what? He's obviously evil because he's bald? Which makes her more of a villain than Lex. I wish the show would tell us what the hell is going on in 33.1 other than "vaguely immoral things". Technically I know we'll find out he's torturing and murdering, but still.

The biggest problem with Smallville is that everyone seems to already know Lex is going to go all villain one day. I have this idea I can't get out of my mind, of all the Smallville citizens looking at the Superman comic books. Season 4, Lois and Chloe shows Clark one; he freaks out because hey, that's him, and he's using his powers, until Lois points out that obviously Superman is too hot to be Clark, and shows him the page with Clark Kent on it. She's like, "see? There you are." And Clark kinda freaks again because hey, that's him, and then that's him with glasses, and can't they tell it's the same person?

And the comic books get passed around Belle Reve and 33.1, etc. It's the only explanation for a lot of our characters thinking Lex is evil before they even meet him.

Anyway, yes. Minions for Lex! Yay!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Moira's characterization was seriously disturbing (as gnine went on about at length - mostly in person, though the best of it ended up in her lj, too.) I can't even figure out why she was trying to get Lex killed. Did she think that he was the Wicked Witch of the East, and the moment he died the doors of 33.1 would spring open and everyone would be released? Killing the director of a prison or a mental ward is not a way to gain freedom...and I assume (maybe I have too much faith) that Lex has at least some plans in place for people to take over his vitally important work if he does suffer an unfortunate accident.

No, the only way I can make sense of Moira is that she was deeply, seriously psychologically unbalanced. If she were in her right mind she might have agreed with most of what Lex did to keep her in check (the same way Clark always forgives the drastic measures his family and friends take when he goes RedK or the like...)

And yes! Hee! I've been saying forever that the people of SV must have all read the comics. And I guess around 5th season Lex got hold of a few...I have this picture of his horror and dawning comprehension as he pages through them, realizing why he never had a chance to make a good name for himself... (though he really ought to read them more, take to heart the examples of how to be a real bad guy!)

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

Moira took herself a generous helping of the crazycake, for sure.

[attaccabottoni.livejournal.com]

Yay, Lowell! Aside from the details you've crafted about life in Level 33.1, I love the history you've built for him, and his POV, because anyone who is thoughtful of Lex would automatically win a place in my heart.

Maybe Lex doesn't inspire loyalty from crucial employees or followers because he rarely reveals himself. Most people would react reflexively to his reputation (which is mostly built from Lionel's), or to what he represents or has done that affected them, and I'd say their fear/hate of the unknown is understandable. Ambiguity doesn't inspire genuine interest or concern for someone as powerful as he is.

Also, Lex has had reasons not to give anything of himself away that people may want to connect to him. He's had terrible experiences, from family, friends, lovers/wives, and even obsessed fanatics, that if he lets people know him, they are either inspired to do bad things (to him, his loved ones, or the innocent) or they eventually turn against him. He can't trust anyone to be loyal to him, so why would he reveal himself? Charisma that inspires obedience and fear could only take him so far, which could be why he doesn't have that many useful people who work for him, pay attention long enough to respect him, and are devoted to him, his cause, and his wellbeing.

Lex is working so hard to be a respectable villain, just give him time. :D

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've been thinking that the reason Lex doesn't have minions (yet) is because he's so unwlling to share his master plans with anyone. Lana may be a crazy bitch who doesn't believe aliens will attack even though she's already lived through one attack, but you'd think he could convince some people of the danger. Maybe he's just had such poor luck convincing anyone of anything before that he's given up...

Barring that, he should be able to manipulate people to his side, Lex is supposed to be a master manipulator. One of the many things that confuses me about SV!Lex is that while Lex is supposed to be charismatic, and he sure as heck looks and sounds charismatic to me, apparently in person he exudes anti-pheromones or something, because pretty much everyone he meets distrusts him on sight. I can't figure this one for the life of me. Have they all read the comic books?

I'm wondering if he's unwilling to manipulate people now because he's not totally sure of his cause yet, doesn't want to damn anyone else with the evil he's doing. Once he's totally convinced of his righteousness maybe he'll be able to find some other fanatics...

I think if Lex could just get a minion or two, I wouldn't feel so obliged to defend him all the time. If he were using people, rather than always being abused by chars and ep directors alike, he'd be much less the woobie...

[jakrar.livejournal.com]

but you'd think he could convince some people of the danger. Maybe he's just had such poor luck convincing anyone of anything before that he's given up...

Maybe Lex is cursed, like Cassandra! (The original, I mean -- not SV's version.) He knows what's coming, but no one will listen to him. And after it all comes true, everyone will blame Lex for not convincing them that the danger was real....

[jakrar.livejournal.com]

Fantastic look behind the scenes! I love Lex's interactions with Lowell, and the way Lowell comes to respect and trust him, and I do want so much for Lex to have at least a small core group of loyal minions....

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Well, he's got a small core of loyal minions out here in the audience, but we can't do him much good! XD (actually if he did have minions I'd probably feel less obligsed to defend him, but since no one does in the show itself I just feel sorry for him...)

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

I love you, btw. ♥

Then the doc had gone into more long words, dopamine imbalance and induced schizophrenia
Damn straight. Anti-psychotic drugs can really make you psychotic over time. I can't imagine the hell the meta-humans go through. You commit a crime, so they don't give you a trial, but instead, throw you into a corrupt mental institution and pump you full of drugs. I wonder if they didn't create Belle Reve specifically to control metas because I see no reason for some of the meteor freaks to be there. Maddie Van Horn's dad held up a jewelry store, and they threw him in a loony bin. That's just not right. Due process??

He looked tired as hell, which was nothing new, though probably most people wouldn't notice. Lowell had spent enough late-night sessions with him that he was starting to catch on, the way Lex would draw himself up straighter as the night wore on. It was a general rule of thumb, the more awake the boss-man looked, the more exhausted he really was, and his chin was raised and his back was like a steel rod now, shoulders stiff and square under the jacket.
Hee... oh Lex, you miserable little self-imposed savior of the world.

"Yeah, well, whatever, dude, that's bullshit. When's a guy gonna sleep?" Or surf for porn, but same difference.
Lex lets them play on the internets? Best evil boss evar!

People thought the boss-man was a robot, but that was because they watched the eyes; he could do anything with his eyes, make them hard or gentle or blue or gray, whatever he wanted. But he did feel things for real; you just had to watch the mouth, that was the better clue, and now Lex's lips flattened a little.
I've toyed with the idea for awhile that Lex communicates a little differently from other people. He's smart enough to have learned how other people do it and fake it well by now, but the Scoobies never believe him anyway. So it's probably more expedient to scare them with his impassive expressions.

And he hadn't come by for the next endurance test, but after the guards had brought Lowell to the experiment room, one of the doctors had given him an Ipod with two gigs of punk, from the Sex Pistols to the Alkaline Trio. So that was cool.
Best evil boss EVAR!!!

I always wonder how the Belle Revers feel about Lex. If there are stories going around about Clark in the joint, there must be some going around about Lex too, even before he starts pulling them out of there and into his own facilities. Really, though. He's sexy and charismatic, and when he feels like it can be genuine and empathetic. If I were a mutant, and he pulled me out of the cell where these people planned on keeping me, indefinitely, without trial, then I would probably be looking to Lex with something quite a bit less than hatred. There might be fear there, but I can totally see Lex having some fanatic minions among the cages. He may be holding them back until he has a good reason to believe they will survive against the aliens. You can't go throwing your men away.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Maddie Van Horn's dad held up a jewelry store, and they threw him in a loony bin. That's just not right. Due process??

I've been assuming that the freaks are stupid enough to claim they have powers, and thus get committed on account of an insanity plea. Except that implies the people in charge of Belle Reve don't believe in powers, and the fact that they can contain freaks (to an extent) - not to mention use them in "Combat" - implies otherwise. Maybe it's like in Batman Begins, Belle Reve's got a doc in the courts who shunts all possible freaks to Belle Reve to play with? At any rate, yeah, that place is messed up, I can't see how 33.1 isn't preferable to, uh, death in a fighting ring...

I've toyed with the idea for awhile that Lex communicates a little differently from other people. He's smart enough to have learned how other people do it and fake it well by now, but the Scoobies never believe him anyway. So it's probably more expedient to scare them with his impassive expressions.

You know, this makes a lot of sense. Either verbally or more likely nonverbal cues...certainly something seems off about Lex - it's not really perceivable to the viewer - at least to me he comes across as slick and seductive and charismatic when he wants to be, if a little weird - but it seems like most people are creeped out just talking to Lex, for reasons never adequately explained. (my working theory is everyone he meets has read the comics and knows they're talking to a supervillain, but...)
...it would also explain some of his instant connection with Clark, because Clark doesn't give signs of being creeped by him, though he clearly finds Lex a bit eccentric. But then Clark, being an alien, wouldn't be as sensitive to standard human communication patterns...heck, maybe Lex communicates more like Kryptonians do, and Clark felt more comfortable with him than most poeple!

I always wonder how the Belle Revers feel about Lex.

I do want to know this. The guy in "Static" obviously wasn't too pleased, but he thought he was going to be released (I totally don't believe that; the man was obviously unstable. Maybe his transfer to 33.1 was done under-the-table so the paperwork called it a release, and he was misinformed? Oh man, it's so easy to fanwank anything in this show!) But Lowell seemed pretty loyal to me, or else Lex has something on him - not only does he twice look to Lex for confirmation when he's threatening Moira, but when the escape attempt happens in front of him, he makes no effort to run away, just looks confused. And the guards weren't holding any particular weapons on him, and he wasn't bound nor his powers blocked in any way, despite how easily he could take the guards out. Very odd.

(I'm still trying to make sense of that scene. Why were there no guards on Moira's cell? Why did they happen to walk by at just that moment? Why did Lex put Chloe in with her mom without even talking to her first, and apparently without monitoring the room? Unless it was all part of a master plan...I just wish I could imagine what the goal of it was, if so. To let Moira go? But then why'd he put himself in danger with Chloe? Makes no sense! argh!)

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

I would REALLY like to know what is up with Belle Reve. That kind of corruption needs to be shut down immediately. The people in that area of Kansas are such ostriches. If there is one level of abuse going on in BR (dangerous overmedication, locking people up for mutant status, purchasable outdated psychological torture aka electronic couch therapy), there are others, and the implications are pretty gross to me. It makes sense that they might have a doc like Scarecrow scanning the violent crimes cases and snatching away the mutants. At least from how we see everyone ends up there, motivation for killing or not. Maybe why they took Lex? He's one too? *smells conspiracy*

I had the theory prior to watching season three that Lex might be an Aspie or have a touch of Autism because of the way he communicates and behaves. I've never written this up, but he exhibits a lot of the "signs." While he is capable of looking people in the eye, often he turns away when he talks or looks somewhere else besides their eyes (TPTB probably want that to be interpreted as duplicitious but it's also an Aspie trait). It may not feel genuine to other people he's talking to, however, when he just stares at their eyes instead of doing whatever nonverbal eye things that neurotypicals do. He flinches or locks up when touched (Could be a result of abuse, however). Lex demonstrates a singleminded focus on his obsessions and finds them very difficult to put down (Maybe he's just obsessive compulsive). He exhibits a high level of intelligence and a low level of social connection. Something about his facial characteristics and nonverbal gestures does seem robotic, as though practiced and learned instead of instinctual. When Lex isn't concentrating on being personable, he slips into a monotone and pokerface (This could be detactment based on depression, as well, but again, it's a trait and he could be comorbid with both Apsergers and depression [and whatever explains his psychotic episodes]). I don't want to classify neurological difference as evil, but then again, I don't consider Lex evil at all in the beginning of the series, and he's pretty grey now. Plus, if he's going to be a supergenius, he could have The Geek Syndrome (Aspergers).

I agree that Clark's nonverbal cues could be off as well. He doesn't seem to have many friends either, in spite of him being a nice guy (in high school). He's probably pretty awkward, and humans might be hard for him to read, and since Lex's body language is off too, it might make them feel more connected to communicate with one another. I'd like to know what happened between Lex waking up and the autorities and Bo Kent coming. They seem to have bonded quickly! >:)

Oh man, it's so easy to fanwank anything in this show!
Hurray for gaping plotholes! The guy in "Static" did seem unstable. There's a line between despirate and putting a knife to Lana's throat. I'm not sure why he would go after Lex once he was free, to be honest. Revenge, maybe. To expose him. It would have been smarter (and saner) to bunker down and hide from them now that he's free while looking for a means of exposing him.

You're right about Lowell's behavior seeming loyal rather than... cowed or coerced. I hadn't caught that or thought about it, but on further inspections (like everything in the show..)... It threw me when he said "No more experiments." But he didn't say it in a... really angry way. You suggestion in the fic that he was tired (or wanting to masturbate and they interrupted him) makes more sense. He could have easily pushed the guards aside or killed them. But I have no idea what's up with that scene as far as putting Chloe in with her mom goes. Maybe someone just fucked up and put her in there when she was supposed to go somewhere else to wait for Lex, and Lex was coming to see Chloe before reuniting her with her mom to warn her that Moira was still pretty buggy and able to hurt her.

There are too many maybes! This should be explained! Grr. I also don't understand why Lex wouldn't take that bracelet from Moira. He would know she needed an object of Chloe's to control her. What other objects does she HAVE? *falls screaming into the plothole*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

BR is a comic book asylum - I mean, I don't know if it's actually in comics canon, but it's definitely in the style of Arkham and all, with the loonies running the place and precious little oversight. And I'm still puzzled as to how Lex ended up there. Why wouldn't Lionel want him in private care? Much easier to handle him one way or another. Very odd. The plot holes in this show are downright magnificent in their breadth and scope.

I could possibly see Lex with Asperger's, except perhaps that his interactions with people he's close to (Lionel, Helen, etc.) seem more natural...(maybe some sort of social anxiety disorder?) He also doesn't have any trouble seducing women...? (though I'm not really up on autism/Asperger's...) I've thought myself that Lex shows signs of Borderline Personality Disorder - though that doesn't explain the flat affect.

Lowell could have been cowed or coerced...you don't really see enough to call it either way. The "no more experiments" line is just weird, though...he sounds like a whiny teenager, not like he's seriously protesting. I'd have thought he might be drugged except he doesn't seem that way when Moira gets hold of him, and since tranqs work on her victims I'd think sedatives would too. His powers aren't being contained either way...odd.

And yeah, I wondered myself why Lex was letting Moira keep her Chloe-control. It's one of the major details that makes me wonder if the whole thing was a set-up, though again, I can't guess what it would be a set-up for...!

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

The plot holes in this show are downright magnificent in their breadth and scope.
All the better to fanwank you, my dear! Private care would be better. Unless Lionel has been threatening him with the asylum and knows Lex would like to get out of there. Lex seemed terrified of the idea of being locked away in Shattered (and was scared to start therapy to begin with).

It would all depend on how Lex experiences his autism and how much he can control it. Whether he can push back the "don't touch me" for the "i'm lonely" and the "i'm horny" so he can get with women. Some people can learn on an intellectual level how other people communicate, and I think Lex is smart enough (and motivated enough, sometimes) to do it if he's capable. His interactions with his father and other close family members could be a result of him being more comfortable around people who are pretty much used to him. It's a lot more intimidating/exhausting to try to perform for people who you don't know than to interact with someone you've known awhile. Either way, it's can be draining and overstimulating. A big point against my theory is that I don't see him stimming, ever (that's doing the little tics or rocking back and forth). Lex would REALLY have to be in control to keep people from seeing him do this (or maybe it's just not part of his experience), or Lionel would have to have given his nurse a tazer to shock him when he did it (but that's only so effective).

Could be Borderline Personality Disorder! He matches a lot of the criteria there, definitely. The flat effect could either be depression (he just seems really progressivelly DOWN in S5-6, flattening or no. must miss his boyfriend) or part of his schizophrenia, if he really has it (poor woobie), which would mean my theory is in part correct because autistic traits are part of a diagnosis of schizophrenia (the things I learn to write fic!). And somewhere in here we have several cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (the meteor shower, Julian, his mom, probably the incident with Duncan, maybe the events in Belle Reve, and being abducted and used by multiple aliens for sure).

Oh, the mental illness possibilities!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Lex has probably been scared of therapy since whatever happened after his first post-Julian episode...god knows what Lionel put him through.

Was just looking up a little more on autism/Asp. and the biggest argument against it is that physical aspect; beyond the stimming, motor coordination is usually below average, from what I could find. Despite Lex's extremely poor self defense skills, he's got no trouble whatsoever moving - the fencing and billiards and such. And while I could definitely see him learning communication, his physical seduction technique (such as in "Bound") is pretty terrifically flawless (mmmmm...) Also, given his wildchild Metropolis years, overstimulation doesn't seem to bother him.

Now, schizophrenia, autistic traits included, that makes a lot of sense (...the schizophrenia that, we've been thinking, might be meteor-induced...meteor mutations definitely seem to have a negative effect on neuropsychology, beyond the psychogical trauma of gaining inhuman abilities.) And PTSD, oh, yeah. The depression I'm taking as a given, especially in s6; he's compensating by burying himself in his job. Lex doesn't do anything for fun anymore, no pool, no parties since "Reunion" and they've all been for business anyway; we've barely even seen him driving his fancy cars. He's not drinking as much, at least, but that's because he's never off-duty...

(If I needed another reason to hate Lana, it's for this stuff...whatever the diagnosis, Lex is definitely and obviously suffering from some pretty severe psychological problems, and Lana, though aware he's dangerously obsessed, never once tries to get him help or give him support or anything. Which is just stupid on her part, really; you let a fire like that go out of control, you gotta expect to get burned...)

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

Lex has probably been scared of therapy since whatever happened after his
first post-Julian episode...god knows what Lionel put him through.
Oh, god. Agreed.

Re: poor motor coordination, it's really dependent upon the person. I've fallen UP the stairs before, but I think that might have more to do with me being constantly daydreaming than anything else, and I used to play basketball and softball pretty well. I'm told that I'm a pretty good dancer (though untrained). But I ROCK all the freaken time. It drives people nuts, and sometimes I don't realize I'm doing it. Also, I could say that Lex does fence, but he can't beat his father or Heike. Does he beat anyone? (And I'd like to see Luthor go after someone with a sword, actually. That would be cool.) Alcohol, also, really helps with clubbing, in my experience. Helps numb that nervousness from the feeling that you can't interact with other humans correctly. But anyway. I admit that this is one of those things that could go either way depending on how we read his mental problems instead of his neurological type. (Thanks for talking with me about it though!)

Meteor Schizo explains a broader range of Lex's symptoms (I'll have to do a write up someday. I'll mem this convo). If that's the case, then it can be CURED or at least treated, provided SOMEONE tries to create the medication for it.

And yeah, geez. Okay, it just killed me in Reunion when Lex was so drunk he couldn't put the bottle on the table, and Lana SMILED like alcoholism was ENDEARING. He drinks too much. She knows he drinks too much. And drives. And she DOESN'T CARE. He could end up in a body bag and she would sniffle and lean on Chloe's shoulder and say, "I KNEW he was drinking too much" (aka, Vessel, "I KNEW he was getting too close!"), but she didn't do a damn thing. This is love? When your friends exhibit signs of depression, you try to support them. When you see them drinking too much, you DO SOMETHING. *looks at both Lana and Clark*

She sees him drinking and smiles. She sees him wandering around fully dressed in the middle of the night and doesn't think a thing about working too much. She see him obsessed and either pushes him towards the obsession or declares that she's on the other side for no discernable reason other than emotional manipulation (We were wrong. Lana's a lemming (http://www.univ-ubs.fr/ecologie/Photos/lemming.jpg) not a hamster). She sees him STOP EMOTING the way he used to and... doesn't... seem... to care... YE GODS who WOULDN'T want to be with this woman??

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks for talking about it with me! (I was a psych major - not that I remember anything accurately, but at least diagnosing fictional chars gets me away from self-diagnosing myself and friends XD) And yeah, the trouble with any psych diagnosis is that an individual can be the exception to any statistical criteria - and whatever else is up with Lex, exceptional is one of his major traits!

It occurred to me last night that a good argument in favor of Lex's problems being meteor-induced rather than part of his initial genetic code is Lionel. Not that crazy doesn't run rampant in their family, from what we've seen; but Lex talks about how Lionel's attitude toward him changed after the meteor shower. If Lex had been 'damaged' (by Lionel's standards) from birth, I think Lionel would've rejected him from the start...

I don't hold Clark as responsible for not catching Lex's alcoholism because he is awfully young when they were close friends, and while Lex did drink in his presence (though I'm not sure how much actually in front of Clark...?) he never overindulged. And the scotch and brandy are so much part of the wealthy world Clark had no experience with; he wouldn't be thinking of the more prosaic implications of Lex always going to the decanter when stressed. Lana, though, is older when they get close, and has seen Lex getting wasted because of depression and frustration, and you'd think that she'd pick up on some of the warning signs...

Heck, I'm still pissed with Lana for not making an effort to reconcile Lex and Clark. If you're dating one guy and being good friends with another guy, your best bet for avoiding friction is to see that the guys are aware of one another. Go out with both of them at the same time - preferably with other friends - and establish who's the bf and who's the buddy. And if they're really at odds, you make a choice. But Lana wants friction; she likes being pursued ever so much more than actually being in a relationship...

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

The only thing I really hold Clark responsible for is not being a better friend to begin with (though not ALWAYS his fault) and that scene at the end of Bound where he blames the victim for his attacker's actions. Then Lex says, "You don't know that every day, I wonder why I keep going" and tells him that he was thinking he should die at that girl's hand... which sounds like a despirate and pretty blatant cry for help. Lex has never been that obvious with anyone besides Helen (and look how that turned out).

Clark responds with the old "you need to be more honest with me" routine (srsly Clark), comparing him unfavorably to his father, and not assuring him that the world wouldn't be better off without him, or getting on his case for thinking about himself like that, or suggesting he go back to therapy, or HUGGING HIM. That whole episode (while sexy) was jacked up. 13 women in a year? *snort* God, Lex, you ANIMAL. You have a SEX DRIVE. What was the point of this paragraph again? Oh yeah. Missed signs. Big neon ones. Ignored to continue being judgmental about women who CHOSE to have sex with him. Clearly, Clark is just upset that he didn't get a pair of diamond earrings, but still. Support your friend! You wouldn't be telling LANA it was her fault that someone stalked and tried to kill her.

I don't think we'd ever seen Lex drunk before Reckoning. I'm sure Lex tried to hide some of his depression from Clark because he tried to hide other issues pretty blatantly (aside from the afformentioned). Lana saw him more vulnerable but it didn't pay off at all. And yeah, word on her not trying to patch things up between Lex and Clark. I suspected at the time she was doing it on purpose, since she was planning on making Lex her backup boyfriend. I agree she enjoys being pursued and fought over.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

While I dislike using subtext for fanwanking plot holes - I'm a canon whore and like to stick to things that could plausibly be written into the show - I am at a total loss to explain Clark in "Bound" except that he was wildly jealous to have been left out of the Lexploits. I've never heard of a non-religious teenage boy who, hearing his friend is getting plenty of tail, responds with anything except "Rock on, dude!" If Lex were a sexual predator, that would be one thing, but he's not coercing any of those women; it's not implied that he's even telling them "I love you" or promising them anything other than a good time (and wow must it be good, considering how crazy she gets...) They're all consenting adults and I can't see Lex as guilty of anything except being a (desperately lonely and justifiably terrified of commitment) horndog.

Admittedly, Kansas is in the Bible Belt. But religion is as strangely absent from SV as party politics...

So I just take it as Clark getting hot under the collar that Lex was going to those Metropolis women when he had a wanton and willing farmboy waiting for him back in Smallville. Which doesn't excuse Clark from being a total asshat at the end, ignoring Lex's cry for help...

In other news, it never ceases to amuse me how much the "Bound" chick looks like Tom Welling in drag. She's got the same cheekbones and all. Oh, Lex.

(much <3 for the topic-appropriate icon, btw!)

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

Lol!! Absolutely. Even Clark's parents didn't seem as mad at Lex as they usually are. Jonathan kinda defended him. And that's surprising. Rock on, Lex.

I can see how Lex might start to think that his manjuice is infected with meteor radiation and it makes women crazycakes. But really, dude, it's erotomania (or you're the psych major, you tell me), not Lex evilly preying upon women. I wonder if he knew about his dad doing that thing with the earrings though?

I wouldn't have been offended if they included a scene or two of the Kents at a church bake sale or heading off to church (or Clark being LATE for church) since they're in the Bible Belt. They wouldn't have to give a denomination. I accept that Superman is probably a Christian! He's certainly not going to be an eclectic pagan like me or an atheist like Lex should be. He couldn't handle the grey.

Hee. I didn't realize that she looked so much like Clark. But it makes sense with Lionel's cagey explaination that Lex goes for dark hair women because they remind him of his... mother... who had red hair until Memoria and never again. Even "good" Lionel is a liar and a weird stalker who knows his son's sexual activities. I may have to watch that ep again because it is bizarrely slashy despite being frustrating. Clark even exhibits his classing uncomfortable with girls thing.

So I just take it as Clark getting hot under the collar that Lex was going to those Metropolis women when he had a wanton and willing farmboy waiting for him back in Smallville.
Clark, you would have been included in his Lexploits if you hadn't freaked out over Lex's obsession with you. He thinks you're off limits!

Your icon is totally the future.

I am TOTALLY going to study now >.>

[bagheera-san.livejournal.com]

SV needs more fic like this. Seriously. Clex is nice and great, but the show has so many holes to fill and almost no one is writing gen. And besides, I love great gen.

I read this very critically, and I like what you've done :D You reveal nothing about Lex's motives, but rather focus on his methods, and, yeah, what we've seen of Level 33.1 so far certainly looks *a lot* better than Belle Reve (not that that's hard...). I'm perfectly willing to believe that Lex is using a mixture of manipulation, bribery, intimidation and positive reinforcement to convince his future minions, mainly because it's how Lionel would operate (though he'd do it a lot less understated, and I can't see Lionel ever inspiring true loyalty.) There's no moral judgement in this fic, so it's not apologist to me. In a way, it's rather... not scary, but eye-opening, because I could see myself reacting not unlike Lowell.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Oh good grief, it would take a hundred thousand monkeys writing for a thousand years to fic away all of SV's holes! The show is like a hunk of Swiss cheese...! (I don't even mean to write these stories, they just happen when I get too worked up about a given ep... ^^;)

Lex would be so much the scarier if he had loyal minions. Little is more dangerous than a man who can win others to his side.

I meant for this fic to be more apologist, really; but, well...I have too much fun writing Lex being good at what he does, and since what he's doing these days is crossing more and more lines...

[annakas.livejournal.com]

Oh I loved this.
Such an intersting point of view.
And its about time Lex had some loyal minions.
And I so can understand why the attention of and full force charimsa of Lex can make feel one so very special.

And then the ending lines *sniff* Perfect.

annakas

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yeah, I want Lex to gather loyal minions so very badly. No respectable supervillain should be without them, and Lex should be able to swing a few, at least...

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Great fic!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

meeee!

[ender24]

*jumps up and down*
here!!! here! fanatical loyal minion to lex here!!!!!!!!
*raises hands* meeeeeee!!
I would bring him clark from any season , whether underage or not, for both having wicked hot porn!!!

Re: meeee!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Lex has so many faithful minions! It's a shame we're all out here instead of with him...

(for bringing him Clark, though, you probably win some sort of prize ^_^)

[ender24]

and also, I am totally in love with Lowell :)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Aww, poor Lowell...odds are we'll never see him again in the show...