abetterlie | Meanwhile, in the city... (locked entry)

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Meanwhile, in the city... (locked entry)

There is nothing like a splitting headache and waking up in a strange place. Note to self: aspirin best human invention ever, except possibly for emails. Alcohol hugely overrated. Also, I’ve got find a way to say thank you to Peter and apologize to MJ for crashing on her couch.

On the bright side of things, it did make me face up to the fact the “make exit for Harry’s own good once Harry is back” option is patronizing bullshit. It has to be his decision.

He keeps writing emails, and I’ve stopped imagining vampires and axe murderers around every corner on his way. Which seems to go through Kansas right now. I looked the city he wrote from up in the map, and then I looked up the easiest ways to get there, and then I stopped. I’m not a stalker. I’m not. Plus he sounds happy, you know. And makes plans for our future.

Bernard made me go through Harry’s fanmail with him. He said it was because security is my business and so on, but he never did that before, so I guess it had something to do with either whatever he worked out about the Chilton disaster. Or maybe with the hangover. Or both. Anyway, turns out Harry gets lots of letters from strangers which fall roughly in the following categories: a) requests for money, b) people wanting to get laid, c) threats/complaints from people who didn’t get laid. Though Bernard didn’t call them that. C) isn’t just about Harry, either. There were some letters from Bruce Wayne groupies because of the article the other week accusing him of corrupting the Sainted B., and letters from Lex Luthor fans threatening to kill him if Lex is next.

I’d say they make vampires sound harmless if I didn’t know better. My favourite was the one from the girl who had this entire theory about the Sainted B. having a secret relationship with the Bald One with Harry as their cover. The proof was apparently them wearing the same tie in tv interviews filmed within a week, or something. Harry was supposed to confirm this. I don’t think these girls are demons, but I’ll keep an eye open anyway.

Harry being on the road, the headmaster of the school he volunteered doing readings and stuff needed a replacement, so I went and read. It’s scary. Not the reading, the reading in front of kids. Plural, and lots of them. Very different from telling Emily stories. I don’t talking out loud in front of the class being that scary in school. Which just goes to show all my high school memories are fake, I guess. Anyway, the kids didn’t try to kill me for not being Harry. They did say they hated the book and threw stuff. Then they wanted to know whether I really was a psycho killer like their mom/older brother/sister had said I was and whether I could show them some knife tricks. It ended up by letting them tell me some stories about themselves. There were was one kid, Jamal, whose mother had just left his dad, and the headmaster later told me that was a good thing because the father beat his wife and kids, they just couldn’t prove it without the woman testifying, and she had always been too scared to. Jamal and his brother and two sisters wouldn’t, either. So now she had left, but didn’t really have a place to go to and the women’s asylum or whatever it was called is way overcrowded.

I remember living on the streets, after Angel kicked me out. I could defend myself. But I looked at those kids and knew they couldn’t. The headmaster said she’d probably go back because she didn’t have much money of her own.
So then I had this idea. About the penthouse Chilton had leased and lost when Harry bought the entire building. Which means it is empty right now. I went there, and used the override code from security to get in. It still smelled of Chilton and I felt sick. But it is huge, nearly as huge as the Osborn place. So I figured, what the hell. I looked whether there was any stuff about me or Harry and there wasn’t. There was an address book which I took, but other than that, not much personal items at all – not surprising, he hadn’t been there very long. I went back to the school, got the address from the women’s shelter, and tracked down Jamal and family. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent persuading Mrs. Ortega – that’s Jamal’s mother – that I wasn’t an axe murderer, and then helping her and her kids move in.

They really liked Chilton’s stereo player.

Not sure whether to mention this to Harry in my next email yet. He sounded so happy in his last, and if I bring up the thing that nearly ate him, it’ll remind him just why he left, but it’s his penthouse.

Bernard just asked me whether I intended to move any more ghetto families into the building. I said this one needed a safe place to stay. He just gave me a look ™. Elizabeth, on the other hand, made cookies.

It’s late, but very warm. I think I’ll go to the Empire State, that’s high enough so the smog isn’t too much to see the stars. I really want to. Somewhere, Harry is looking at them, too.

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He was not at all happy with affairs, especially after meeting Kara in the manor the other day. She was entirely unsuitable for Lex, and his son was showing no signs of knowing it. Knowing Lex he would only entrench himself further into the relationship if Lionel objected so he was stuck with striking from the sides.

There was no good way of getting Kara alone at the moment, so his first target was Harry Osborn. Harry had just suffered an attack according to the paper and Lionel knew just how vulnerable Harry could be at theses times. He also had a relationship with Miss Kara Keating and Lex, he could be called upon to help Lionel break the current one.

With that plan in mind he made his way to Harry's and knocked on the door.

One thing if you're determined to take that "make the staff better about the murdered friend by making them feel more secure" seriously: you don't rely on electronic security. Usually, Bernard would have answered the door after having identified whoever it was through security cameras. In this case, Connor did the checking. The man looked vaguely familiar, and after a while, he remembered. The picture had been in some of the online articles he had found when researching a bit about Lex Luthor after the charity dinner. The father, Lionel. Aka the guy who had been best friends with Norman Osborn (according to Harry) and was worse than that paragon of humanity (also according to Harry); interesting in the way sharks are, according to his son. Kara, on the other hand, had just said he was hard to read.

All of which hadn't sounded as if Lionel Luthor and Harry were on visiting terms. Odd.

Connor thinks he can feel Bernard's eyes in his back, and he remembers Harry's furious you embarassed me, long before the evening at Mario's had more ugly consequences. He could, of course, tell Bernard to answer the door anyway and say that Mr. Osborn wasn't at home, which was true. But he wants to prove to Harry and Bernard both that he has learned his lesson, he can handle encounters with billionaires without losing his temper, he can fit in Harry's world instead of making it more difficult for him.

(Never mind that Harry isn't there to see it.)

So he says to Bernard "it's okay" and goes to open the door. He's in his usual jeans and t-shirt. (Then there is Saturday's impromptu haircut, which still looks odd, though no more than Connor did when he arrived from Quortoth.) Deciding that the best strategy when encountering a potentially dangerous person is to make him underestimate you, he decides to go for Connor Riley before the mindwipe, and manages an optimistic smile before opening the door.

"Hi," he says, trying to exude harmless friendliness at best he can, with a slightly questioning look as if to say "who are you?" because he's not supposed to know, after all.

This must be the young man that Harry has decided to come out with after his long history with relations on both sides of the gender pool. He has seen pictures of him in the papers but they didn't do him justice...Lionel can see why he was chosen.

Add in the reputation as a murderous villain and it made a lot of sense.

"Hello, I am Lionel Luthor, I'm here to see Harry. I heard about his awful encounter the other day and wanted to see how he was doing."

This is getting more odd by the second. Since it sounds sincere. Much like Lilah Morgan did when she said, "Sure, we're glad to help"... and then called her thugs to drag him to vivisection. Still, if neither Harry or Lex had said anything about Lionel, he'd probably have thought the man meant just what he said, because really, what other reason could he have?

It occurs to Connor that Luthor Senior could have heard about Bruce Wayne de facto taking over OsCorp management and wanted to talk about that, but then again, Harry said Lionel wasn't managing LuthorCorp anymore, Lex was, so that couldn't be the reason.

"Connor Riley," he says, still smiling, stretching out his hand. Lionel has a firm grip, and a pulse, which means he will get invited in. (It's something so deeply trained into Connor he does it on instict: never, ever, invite strangers into your home unless you're sure they're not vampires. Never mind knowing them, always check whether they're still human first.) "That's really nice of you, Mr. Luthor, but Harry's not here right now. Come in, though, you can leave a message, plus since you've come all the way from Metropolis, you must be thirsty."

This would be Connor trying to apply social observations from hanging around Harry, as well as plain old manners which fake memories have taught him. He has them, you know. And he has something to prove here as well.

He was right, this is the one making headlines.

"So nice to meet you Mr. Riley. I'm sorry to hear that Harry is out, you know right after his father died he was like a son to me I was worried that this new difficulty would put him back in the state he was then." He smiles graciously, Harry hearing the son statement would probably feel nauseous at best.

"Water would be fine, I'm not quite the drinker that Lex is." He wonders what exactly Harry has told him about his relationship with him...nothing complete he is sure.

While walking with Lionel to the living room, Connor says agreeably:

"Yes, he told me how much you reminded him of his father."

Which is of course why he has no doubt this time Lionel is lying. He just can't figure out Lionel's game yet. Whatever the man is up to, though, it can't be good for Harry and therefore bears investigating. He's curious whether Lionel will take his reply as naive belief, or whether Lionel will realize it means that Connor since knows exactly what kind of relationship Harry had with Norman, he also knows this was anything but a compliment of Harry's about Lionel.

There is some water at hand because it's hot, and Connor has been in the living room going through some of the Egypt papers that arrived today to make plans for their journey. He just has to fetch another glass. Which he finds Bernard has ready for him. Bernard still doesn't say a word.

"Here you go, Mr. Luthor," Connor says, pouring in water for Lionel. "I guess coffee is out if you're not into what Lex drinks."

He hasn't said a word about what state Harry is in, but has managed to work in having spent time with Lex which hopefully will draw Lionel out a bit more.

Oh he knows exactly what Connor means when he says Harry said he was just like Norman. Except as far as Lionel is concerned Norman was an amateur.

"It was a short time, but we were nearly inseperable at the time." He's telling the truth but in the Luthor manner, the truth but it can be taken in many different ways depending on the listener. Let's see how jealous and possessive the boy is about their dear Harry Osborn.

He takes the water with his friendliest smile.

"I'm surprised you were able to see Lex, wrapped up as he has been lately with business and his new girlfriend Kara." Now he is unaware at the moment that Kara and Connor are connected as his research has been slow to come back to him.

Considering Harry had been crystal clear on the subject of how he detested Lionel Luthor, it simply doesn't occur to Connor Lionel might be telling the truth. If it had, he would start to wonder whether that was Harry's first attempt to do what he's doing now with Bruce Wayne, try to find a nicer, gentler version of Norman, but as it is, he just thinks Lionel is lying and thus dismisses the claim for now.

"A lucky son who can still surprise his father," Connor says. "I don't think I managed that more than two or three times. You must be very proud of him. So you've met Kara?"

Of course, Kara has told him about this. But Connor has no idea whether or not Kara or Lex mentioned Kara's family during that encounter; he's willing to take a gamble and assume they haven't.

"What did you think of her?"

Not that he assumes Lionel, who in Connor's opinion just make an obvious lie about Harry, would actually tell him the truth on that one, but he has to say something. And that could perhaps give Connor a clue. Because if Kara keeps dating Lex, she'll be saddled with the shark as well.

Lionel is a shark, and unfortunately for Connor he's very good at smelling blood in the water. He's not sure where Harry went, or why so soon after traumatic circumstances but the fact he didn't take Connor with him is telling...unless of course he's expected back soon.

"When did you expect Harry back? I'll be in town a few days and I was hoping to get a chance to see him before I left."

He puts on a nice smile about Kara.

"Oh she was a very lively girl, she seems to get along well with Lex. Enthusiastic, which is a nice change from his usual dates." Who were always trying to do his heir in, that was unacceptable no one had that option but him.

Connor could actually relate on that last feeling. He always considered killing his biological father as his very own personal privilege; of course, relations have improved since the time Connor beat up Linwood's goons because they were attempting to stake Angel before Connor could drown him in the sea, but he still gets the idea. Right now, though, he's concentrating on other matters, like trying to keep up an unconcerned facade and not betray the fact he hasn't a more exact time for Harry's return than "before Egypt". As their trip to Egypt is supposed to start on August 5th, he'll have to use that date, because he'll be dammed before revealing the manner in which Harry left, or the deeper reasons. He tries to think about the optimistic emails instead, about the plans for the future, and manages to keep his tone even, though an experienced man like Lionel might be able to see the concern in his eyes which is at odds with the expression of his face.

"I'm sure Harry'd love to see you, too," he says, while storing away the remark about Kara as not betraying any immediate hostility while being pretty generic. No wonder Kara found him hard to read. "But unless you plan to stay for the rest of the month, you won't be able to catch him."

Then he can't resist. He just can't.

"By the way, is there anything in that house in Morrocco Lex gave Harry for the Boston condo which you want to be mailed to you? I'm sure the last thing he wants is you missing out on some memento from your glory days or something. He knows how older people are."

"Oh dear, no unfortunately I can't leave my affairs alone that long, I'll have to leave him a note and let him know I came by to see him." He shakes his head but inwardly he's curious, Harry gone for weeks with Connor at home. This is something he'd have to look into.

"The house in Morrocco?" and for the tiniest moment the mask slips and he looks angry, Lex gave them the Morrocco house? Obviously because he knew it was the one he liked the best. Then the mask is repaired but Connor might get the impression that Lex is due for some feedback on this plan from his father.

"I can't tell you offhand. Tell you what, when you plan to visit let me know and I'll come by and go through the things I have stored there, that way you don't have to arrange someone to open it up for me."

That jibe about Morocco was a hit, a palpable hit, and for a moment, Connor feels the satisfaction he has when physically fighting. Which hasn't really done since Chilton; he has patrolled on Sunday and Tuesday nights, but had used his crossbow to take out the two vampires he found on Tuesday, and had knocked Sunday's mugger unconscious with one punch. It had been an attempt to purge himself from seeing what he did as anything but protecting people, as opposed to the sheer natural high violence gave him.

Lional angry for that second looks as dangerous as any vampire, and when the placid facade returns, the satisfaction in Connor is replaced by a sense of shame. There had to be a line between taking Lionel's measure as a precaution and provoking him for the thrill of having a dangerous opponent. Surely he wasn't about to make the same mistake all over again and bring another menace to Harry by acting out?

Considering Morrocco lies practically next door to Egypt, they were planning to go there at the end of their trip, but no way in hell is he telling Lionel this.

"Right," he says, and pours himself a glass of water as well. Then he says in the politest way possible: "You know, Mr. Luthor, if there is anything I can do for you, just tell me. With Harry being almost like a son to you and Lex sort of becoming my brother if he and Kara get steady, we're almost family. And I take family really serious."

Surely, that isn't provokation but a civil way of saying "whatever you're up to with this trip, I don't want it to hurt Harry or Kara who by the way means something to me as well; don't do that, and we're good".

"Oh? You are related to Kara then?" Which would explain how Harry met him in the first place.

Lionel hadn't wanted Connor to know how dangerous he was but sometimes the game is better if the opponent knew there could be a weapon hidden in that gentle smile.

"As I said Connor, you don't mind if I call you that do you? I find it tedious to perennially be kept at arms length with useless titles. But as I said I was simply stopping in to make sure that Harry was all right."

"She's my adopted sister," Connor says. He would have just said "my sister", but that, given the obvious difference in their surnames, would have just gotten Lionel curious about the family background. "So I was really glad to hear you approve of her relationship with Lex."

You'd better.

"What fathers think matters a lot. To her."

Meaning that it doesn't matter to Connor. Which of course is not true and never has been. He just pretends it is, and sometimes he even manages to deceive himself.

"Sure I don't mind," he says, takes a page he had been planning to make a list of Egyptian destinations on and hands to Lionel, together with a pen, and smiles, as if making a joke. "It's not like we get to choose our names, right? I'll tell Harry you called then and give him your message. Or I could forward it to him at once if you want. Your choice, Mr... Lionel."

He was very glad to hear that Kara found what father's thought very important. It backed the impression he'd gotten of the girl at the manor. He thought that a conversation with her was definitely the way to go with what he wished to do.

"Thank you Connor." He took the paper and pen and paper and scribbled out a quick note for Harry.

Harry, just stopped by to make sure you were okay after the other day. Give me a call when you get back son and we'll talk about my retrieving anything left in the Morrocco house you want gone.

Lionel

Handing them back to Connor he smiled and stood up.

"Thank you for your hospitality, I'm afraid I must be going. I wouldn't want to keep you from what you need to be doing and overstay my welcome."

You can't overstay what you never had, thinks Connor, but as opposed to his Bruce Wayne outburst keeps his tongue and continues to play the pleasant facade game.

"It's been a pleasure," he says, rising as well and accepting pen and paper back. "Give my regards to Lex."

Walking Lionel to the door, he has a moment of morbid humour wondering who'd win if you locked Lionel, Norman the Bastard and his father without his soul in a room and somehow prevented his father from simply draining them. Undoubtedly, Angel will be warmed by the fact Connor still bets on him.

Meanwhile, he'll try to find out everything about Lionel Luthor he can, because clearly this man should not be anywhere near Kara or Harry if it can be avoided.

Fathers. Don't they suck.

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Meanwhile, in the city... (locked entry)

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