anything that's dead shall be regrown

[patricide]

Who: Lex Luthor and Adrian Veidt
What: returning home with snake carcasses, hooray!
Where: The House of Ego
When: backdated to after the missions
Notes: italicized words are spoken in German
Warnings: a couple of weirdass mad scientists are up in here


This time when Lex went out for a round of battling creatures he was much better protected. He had worn body armor under his clothes and as he was the team's driver the truck was his primary concern over the fog. He's sporting a few minor injuries but nothing serious, at least nothing serious unless you count the snakebite on his left hand between thumb and forefinger. None of his other team members had died from bites they sustained and coupled with his immunity he sees no reason to be worried. It stung when it happened and now he has a battle scar for the moment. It couldn't hurt to gain favor around the city.

He heads straight for the section of the house designated as the shared research lab between he and Adrian and lays his prize in front of him on a steel table.

Comments

LATER

[patricide]

"And have you?" Lex goes for the follow up question that is the most logical, but also one of the riskiest. He doesn't feel badly about asking, Adrian had done the same. He also knows that the difficult things are best accompanied with something to ease the bitterness. The wine helps them both in that regard, but Lex also knows that Adrian's ego is in play and carefully handles it alongside the question.

"I understand the need for constant improvement, Veidt Enterprises speaks for itself, and not to mention your time as a mask." He sets down his silverware and holds his fingers against the stem of his wineglass. "Back home we talked about mutual goals. Were these in your plans of everything?"

LATER

[defenestration]

"Not yet." There's no bitterness there, however. Adrian knows his plans are long-term, and although he was very close to being ready when he was snatched up and dropped in Baedal, he also refuses to believe that he can't pick up where he left off as soon as he returns.

He offers a slight smile at the compliment, nodding at Lex's mention of their previous discussions. "In some form, yes. I will admit to adjusting my goals slightly after meeting you, but the ultimate endgame is the same as it's always been. And I won't accept failure at any level, not anymore."

Now Adrian looks up and meets Lex's gaze. "What about your goals? Have they changed at all over the years since you were a child? Did you want something different from what they wanted for you?"

LATER

[patricide]

The answer to that one was a mixture of factors. Lex didn't count on Adrian to understand, but this was something that he could reply to without flinching. "I wouldn't say they've completely shifted so much as evolved. Regardless of whether or not I want that position, I am the heir to LuthorCorp. Despite any ideas that my father gets, the company is mine. I used to resent being forced to fill someone else's shoes, but I can have what I want without doing that."

"I progressed from a shy child to an angry one, but I began to realize that embracing my status rather than resisting it bought me the unexpected effect of gaining that independence I wanted. Instead of hiding in my father's shadow I learned to step out of it while still playing by his rules, and I think it scares him." Like Adrian, Lex is certain that his time within Baedal is temporary, and when the time comes to leave he will return with a knowledge none around him can touch, climbing the ladder he'd built for himself. It also wouldn't hurt to put a prodigal son slant on things to thrust him into the spotlight once again.

But that was for the future. "It's like that German proverb: Anger without power is folly." He shakes his head, clearly remembering something of the past. "I had a lot of anger, still do in some ways, admittedly. But someone can't let that be the driving force behind everything they do."

LATER

[defenestration]

"Were my own parents still alive, I suspect they'd sympathize with your father," Adrian says wryly. He's been listening carefully, and as Lex talks his expression relaxes slowly. Their experiences are too different for Adrian to truly connect with what he's being told, but the results are similar enough for him to at least be able to understand intellectually. And maybe, despite the obvious distaste the other man has for that aspect of his childhood, to feel a little envious of the attention.

The German proverb catches him a little by surprise, although Lex of course would have no idea how appropriate his choice of sources is, and Adrian smiles a little. "True, but they also say: He who conquers his anger has conquered an enemy. Anger will only take you so far. It's when you finally step beyond it that you can act with true clarity." A pause, and then he adds, in a more conversational tone, "Your accent is very good. Did you study German at your boarding school or abroad?"

LATER

[patricide]

Lex catches the shift in tone, and it's interesting to note that it's the return proverb that is delivered in a more serious manner than when Adrian is obviously looking for more information. There's something at play with both of these lines of thought, and Lex is going to implement the same kind of strategy he had with Lionel: play by the other's rules to get what you want. While Lex doesn't have the same kind of issues with Adrian as he does with his family, he knows that the man is trying to get at something. After making that realization long ago that this is how Adrian operates, Lex knows that the best thing to do would be to avoid the man altogether. Yet he's always enjoyed playing with fire, and what was more, living with Adrian Veidt was almost a study in himself. They are alike in a lot of ways and nothing feeds the ego more than looking into a mirror.

"A little of both, actually. I studied in school but we have a house in Switzerland so when I went there I had to adapt pretty quickly." He shrugs before reaching for the bottle of wine and topping off his glass and doing the same for Adrian. "Regardless of environment, my accent's more German than Swiss. It's how I first learned and it stuck."