Chaos Theory

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

When Lex next came over for dinner with the Kent's he was agitated though he assured everyone he was fine. He seemed to relax as the meal went on and finally told the Kent's his dilemma.

"I've discovered that my father has been approaching my investors in LexCorp, trying to buy up their shares."

"He's trying to buy you out?" Jonathan asked.

Lex nodded.

"Has he had any success?"

"Not so far. Most of the investors are employees. They remember how my father fired them on a whim and they like having a stake in their company."

"It doesn't sound like you've got much to worry about," Clark added.

"Just because he failed this time, doesn't mean he won't try again."

Jonathan looked at the young man before him and wondered why any father would actually try and take success away from his son. Lex had done so well stepping out of his fathers shadow and saving the plant. Lionel had come to see that to Lex, people were more than just pawns, which seemed to be his fathers view.

However, since Lex had begun opening up to the Kents about some of his business dealings, Jonathan could also see how one day Lionel would leave him little choice but to fight back using similar tactics. It made Jonathan proud that he had avoided such measures thus far. He finally decided to voice something he'd been wondering for a while.

"Lex, are you sure you want to remain in the business world."

"What do you mean?" Lex asked. Clark and Martha also turned to him.

"I'm not saying you aren't good at it, you clearly are, I just think that as long as you're in direct competition with your father, you'll never really be free."

Lex stared at Jonathan for a long while, a slight frown on his features.

"Something tells me you'd excel at anything you set your mind to," Jonathan added.

Lex took a sip of his wine as Martha and Clark began to clear the table.

"Would it sound odd if I said I'd never considered anything other than business before?" Lex asked Jonathan.

"Given what I know of your father, no. But there's a whole world out there, Lex, you don't need to let him dictate your destiny anymore."

Martha touched Clark's shoulder and drew his attention to the two men at the table, deep in conversation. Clark smiled.

Though sceptical at first and still a little guarded, Jonathan had really tried to forge a bond with Lex and it seemed to be paying off. His mother put her arm around Clark's shoulder and they just watched for a few moments. Finally Martha got her apple pie out of the oven where it was warming and Clark got the plates for desert.

"Clark," Jonathan said as he Clark sat down. "I hope you don't mind but Lex is joining us on our annual fishing trip next month."

Clark grinned at Lex, it would be nice having a friend there too.

"I think it's my first lesson in getting out into the real world," Lex said with a happy smirk.

"Just remember your waders," Clark joked. "Because in the real world, some of those big fish bite."

"Not so different from the business world then," Lex quipped.

III

Clark was surprised when he came home and found Lex sitting in his loft.