Jack's Swim Class

[not_the_s]

There were some days when Kon wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, helping Jack run a swim class when there weren't enough students to really tax one person. Then again, helping Jack was definitely fun. He was a cool kind of guy and every chance that Kon had to go swimming, he'd take. Especially since it meant that actually got to use those lifeguarding skills he'd learned from class. Today was pretty much like every other day. He watched people swim, he offered advice, he got into the water to actually show by example.

And when he had a spare minute, he thought about Lex. Lex, who'd held a gun on him and Anatoly for no reason that he could figure. Was that it? Was that really what turned the guy he was beginning to think of as, god forbid, family into the one who'd created him and turned him into something that would hurt his best friends?

Even if it wasn't him going crazy...what was it? It was enough to drive him to distraction and it took him a minute to look up. "Did I hear my name?"

Comments

[scottysous.livejournal.com]

When no one pipes up, Scotty turns to Kon with a bemused smile. "Hearing things, huh?" he asks, taking a quick break from swimming, in part so he can get some water out of his ears. "Maybe you should drink some water, or get out of the sun," he teases.

[not_the_s]

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Kon manages a grin and elbows Scotty in the stomach. "Mr. Funny Man. Isn't that supposed to be my role? You can't steal my role. I just have a lot on my mind. Lex." He makes a face. "I never wanted a dad and now I've got one and he's your age." He pretends to consider that. "On the other hand, you know what? That's pretty old."

Never say that he can't return the teasing.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Keep it civil, boys," Jack said over his shoulder, setting Karen and Sunny to their kicking exercises. The end of the term was coming up and Jack wanted to make sure they were as good as he thought they were. Of course they were. They were good enough that Jack could turn his attention away from them for a minute.

"Wait, did you say Lex? What about Lex?" he asked. He'd liked the guy when he'd made him the chess set. That didn't mean he knew much about him, certainly not...

"He's your dad?"

[scottysous.livejournal.com]

Scotty can even manage to let the jab at his age slide -- it's totally not true anyway -- because he's intrigued by this idea of Lex being Kon's father. He hasn't heard that before, at least.

"Yeah, what? Explain it for us old-timers."

[not_the_s]

Kon shrugged. He glanced at both of them and made a decision that was getting easier and easier. "I'm a clone. Of a superhero. Superman, actually, but there was a problem. They couldn't directly clone his DNA and have it stay stable, so they bound it to human DNA. In my world, this evil mastermind substituted his DNA in place of what was supposed to be used."

He sighed a little. "That evil mastermind was Lex. He's...different here."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack's brow arched but he didn't say anything. He'd honestly heard stranger. And the way families worked here, to say that Lex was different didn't really explain much.

"I assume there's more?" he asked finally.

[scottysous.livejournal.com]

... well. That's one way for him to get around having kids. He'll have to keep that one in mind.

His surprise is evident on his face, but he's heard enough on this island now to at least know that such a thing isn't so totally out in left field, if there even is a left field anymore.

"What's he done that's got you so worried?"

[not_the_s]

"Went crazy." Kon shrugged. "He was starting to talk about my Uncle Julian, holding a bundle like it was a baby. Anatoly and I don't really know what happened. Someone...drugged him, maybe? I hope it's not just him going crazy. That would be like history repeating himself."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Is he okay?" Jack asked, his posture tightening. He hoped the girls weren't hearing any of this. They were playing in the water and seemed oblivious.

"Did you get him to the clinic or let the IPD know?"

[scottysous.livejournal.com]

Scotty presses a hand to his chest, surprised for an entirely different reason now; however Lex spawns babies, this information is startling and worrisome, and he immediately thinks not only of Lex but Anatoly. Maybe Scotty should bring them cupcakes and see how they're doing.

"Yeah, is he better now?" he asks, worried.

[not_the_s]

"We got him to the clinic," Kon answered. "Whether he's going to be okay...I dunno." Lex was Lex and of course he was going to be okay, but there were entire hours when he wasn't sure he was going to stay okay. "He has Anatoly, though, so I bet he's going to be. And besides, he's a Luthor. They're resilient, even when they're not evil." He had to believe that.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack stepped up and laid a hand on Kon's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.

"It'll all work out," he promised, even though he didn't know for sure that anything would be okay. It was just this place and his time here. Very few things went wrong that couldn't be set right.

[scottysous.livejournal.com]

Luthor. Something about that name triggers something in his brain, and while he nods and silently shares in Jack's reassurances, he tries to trace the memory. He knew that was Lex's last name -- he thinks -- but it's not like he hears peoples' last names all the time, and now he feels like he's met someone with the same last name, and just hadn't realized it at the time.

And then he remembers the guy on the beach, the corporate type, and he looks curiously at Kon.

"Lex... Does he know someone named Lionel? I met a Lionel Luther a little while ago, and didn't connect the names until now."

[not_the_s]

"Lionel?" Kon stared at Scotty. "You're saying there really was a Lionel Luthor here." He took a step back, wondering what else was true. There'd been a Lionel. Obviously there had been no Julian, but…but what had he been doing? Was he in some way responsible? Could he trust even that?

"Lionel is…Lex's father. Everything I've heard about him sounds almost as bad as the Lex I know back home."