Chapter Text
“Uh, Dad?” Kon stepped through the open human sized window, Lex had it installed specifically for him to be able to open from the outside so he could easily visit without Lex having to let him in. The door handle, for lack of a better word, was coded to Kon's fingerprints so only he could use the door.
Lex placed down his stylus, turning to him, “Yes?”
“I, well, I met another clone today, not one of Superman, she’s about my age, both of them and I’m worried about her.”
“I’m guessing she’s a friend if you're coming to me about her. I doubt I would be much help if she isn’t.”
“No, no, definitely friend, or well, we just met for the first time, and set up another time to well, talk about clone stuff. I’ve never known someone who is really like me and gets me.”
“Is she cute?”
Kon rolled his eyes at his dad’s teasing, “She’s a hard core lesbian so it doesn’t matter,” Kon snorted, “Except for Red Hood’s chest apparently.”
Lex barely held back his own snort, “Not an uncommon reaction to the young man. Even with no interest in such things I can recognize why he would appeal to many people. Is he the one that introduced you to, ah you never mentioned her name.”
“Danni, with an ‘i’ her original is Danny with a ‘y’.”
“Her genetic donor.”
“Yes, yes, we’re not just clones. We are more than whoever's DNA we were created from but our own people.”
“Just a reminder.”
“Anyways don’t call her Danielle, or if you meet her or-genetic donor, him Daniel. That’s what the bastard that created her calls her… and he’s part of the reason I’m here. The creator, not Danny.”
“Oh?”
“We were comparing origins and if it’s better for our well, creator or our,” Kon rolled his eyes again at his father, “genetic donor. Because you're my Dad but my other genetic donor sure doesn’t view me as family, even if his family does.” There was pain in his chest at the reminder of how Clark viewed him but he continued on, “For Danni her creator is still a complete bastard and a creep while her, genetic donor, sees her as a cross of his cousin, sister, and daughter. Not so much daughter though as they are similar in physical age. I think they are physically two years apart? But he feels responsible to teach her and such.”
Lex sighed, “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault that Supes has been a bastard about me, but back to Danni. I mean I don’t know business or anything but could you like do something to the DALV company or whatever it is?”
Lex had to take a second to blink, “Vlad Masters cloned someone? I thought he was obsessed with ghosts.”
“Yeah, Danny is the son of his college crush and the man he sees as his rival and wants Danny as his son and to marry Danny’s mom. He’s tried to kill Danny’s dad a few times apparently. Basically it’s a mess.”
“That’s one way to put all of that.”
“Yeah, well you’ve always said I could come to you with stuff and I’m not sure if you can even do anything but can you like do something to annoy him?”
“Well I’ll look into it but you should invite her to a lunch or something with us. If her, creator, will not take responsibility for her I would like to offer her my own assistance and support.”
“Assistance?”
“With her genetic donor being only a young man,” Lex paused.
“Yeah, apparently male clones kept failing so Vlad made an,” Kon growled, “Inferior copy to help him get Danny as his son. He was never planning on healing or keeping her.”
“Her genetic donor is some kind of meta or enhanced then.”
“Uh…”
“I will not look into it, to the best of my ability as I now know something is off. I might put something together accidentally anyways. Either way I will not use this knowledge. Unless she is in a life treating situation and I can aid her. Such as emergency medical assistance and the like, or if she asks me to.”
“How did you know?”
“I had some issues stabilizing you during your creation due to the mix of human and kryptonian genetic donors.”
“Oh, well, she has a special doctor so that’s not important.”
“Well outside of that. I am a rich man, with a certain lack of, full, obedience to the law. I could create her an identity as well as offer her funds so she can either continue her current actions, whatever they may be, or give her support as she goes to college or something similar to that so she can get to the point of supporting herself if she wishes to.”
“What? Just because?”
“For one thing she is your friend and outside your heroic duties I will at least listen to your requests to aid any of your friends. I do have a lot of money and power to offer aid that others can not.”
When Lex didn’t continue Kon prompted, “And two.”
Lex hit a button shutting down the surveillance in the room and closing the windows in a way that even Superman wouldn’t be able to hear through them.
“Dad?”
“This reason is private, if you wish to share it, you may but I will not have anyone holding this against you.”
“Dad you're worrying me.”
Lex leaned back in his chair, “I have come to realize your creation was a mistake. A choice I should never have made.”
“Dad?”
Lex turned back to meet Kon’s eyes, words intense, “It is the best decision I have ever made,” he held Kon’s eyes for several moments before relaxing. “That does not change that it was morally wrong, beyond even my morals should have allowed. I will never regret my decision, as it gave me you, but I would like to make some recompense by aiding someone in a similar situation to you.”
“Oh.” Kon blinked back tears.
Hitting the button to reset the security features to normal Lex smiled at Kon, “Would you join me for lunch? We can order from that horrendous place you love. It has been too long since we last spent time together. I would love to hear more about your new friend, or about anything else. I also have news on the reforestation project you mentioned.”
“You actually did it?”
“Of course. Not only does it look good for PR it is something you were interested in and proposed to me.”
“I want five deluxe hamburgers, with extra onions.”
“Yes and your nacho cheese fries with extra cheese. If you weren’t always flying around saving the world I’d be worried about your cardiovascular system.”
“Can kryptonians even have heart problems?”
Lex paused for a moment, “You are half human so err on the side of caution for that.”
“Can we get the apple crisp things too?”
“I’ll add it to our normal order. I’m just grateful they also sell salads because I do need to watch my cardiovascular system.”
Kon snorted and after the order was placed he started in on a story about a fishing hook, a tree, lip gloss and a sleep deprived coffee-less best friend.