#but the characters decided it would be President Kent verse instead

[jor-elsemissary]

Senator Jonathan

Pete Ross coming back to visit the Kent's. But like finding Lionel opening the door.

Pete: what the!?!

Lionel: Oh the Ross boy

Pete: WHY!?!

Lionel: Because Jonathan is too damn stubborn for his own good. Martha needs a break. And Jor-el is on radio silince

Pete: OH GOD YOU KNOW THE SECRET!

Lionel: Also Lex and Chloe.

Pete:

Pete:

Lionel: You kill me and Martha will ground you.

Martha: Pete no murdering

Martha: Lionel don't tease Pete.

“You stole my family’s processing plant,” Pete accused the man who in turn simply nonchalantly shrugged. He couldn’t believe that his best friend and his mother were now in bed with Lionel Luthor. Although he suspected quite literally with Missus Kent and he doesn’t know how to process that tid bit if it’s true.

“I made a business offer and your father found it agreeable,” the bastard replied. “If you want to blame someone, blame him.”

“Your offer was less than what the plant was worth! You intentionally deceived him!”

Luthor simply sighed and bit into the apple he had been holding. After swallowing the bite, he met Pete’s gaze and firmly said, “It is business. The buyer always tries to acquire at the lowest price. It is not my fault the seller accepted the offer. In the end the decision was his.”

Pete glared at him. He wanted to punch the man so much and he wished he still had the elastic powers the meteor rock gum had given him. “You lied and manipulated your way into buying the plant.”

The older man held up his hands, “Guilty as charged. It still doesn’t change the fact that your father accepted the deal. But if you really want to blame someone,” here he leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “Blame Jonathan Kent.”

That threw him for a loop, “What?”

“Oh? You don’t know?”

“What does Mister Kent have to do with any of this?”

Luthor smiled that snake smile, “He is the one who persuaded the Ross Brothers to sell.”

“Liar!” Pete accused, refusing to believe that the Kents had helped Luthor all along. “Mister Kent hated you! He would never have helped you buy the plant.”

“That is precisely why he hated me.”

Pete was at a loss for words. The idea that Jonathan Kent would have helped Luthor acquire his family’s plant was ludicrous, but it would explain the man’s animosity and mistrust toward him. But why would Clark’s father do it? He frowned as he thought about it and what Luthor would have done to get the Kents to help.

“You had something on him,” he accused and when Luthor’s smile faltered just a bit, he knew he was right. “Was it Clark? You threatened Clark?”

Luthor scoffed in reply, “Don’t be ridiculous. I wasn’t aware of Clark’s origins back then.”

“But you used him somehow.” Pete tried to figure out what it was that had been played against Jonathan Kent. He was certain it involved Clark but if Luthor hadn’t been aware back then, then what?

“Does it matter?” the old man pointed out. “What is done is done. In the end, your father and uncle agreed to sell. You can blame me all you want, it doesn’t change that fact.”

“Does Clark know?” Pete asked.

“Know what?” said the young man being discussed as he entered the kitchen with a bundle of groceries.

“That Luthor used your father against my family?” Pete tried not to sound upset over it but he knew he was failing miserably. That upset became stronger as he watched Clark’s expression fall. “You knew.”

“Mom and Dad told me back during that Rachel Dunlevy incident,” Clark revealed and eyed the man who caused so many problems for them during that whole ordeal. “What did you just do to Pete?”

Luthor sighed again and rolled his eyes, “I’ve done nothing but defend myself. He is the one harassing me and over a business deal made between me and his family years ago. He is apparently still upset over the decision his father made.”

“Pete,” Clark looked sympathetically at his friend.

“You know how I feel about it,” Pete argued.

“Yeah, but harassing him won’t help.”

“You’re going to defend him?”

“Yes and no,” Clark tried to play devil’s advocate. “While I don’t agree with how he did it, he’s not wrong that the decision ultimately was your dad’s.”

Pete simply stared at his best friend, a title he was finding himself reconsidering in this moment, “I…”

“Don’t be angry with him, Mister Ross,” Luthor spoke up and moved to step between the two friends. “If you must be angry, then let it be with me. It’s not like you could do much about it anyway.”

“I can litigate against you,” Pete threw at the man who just laughed at the idea.

“Over what? A business deal that was solidly sound?” Luthor shook his head and took another bite of the apple.

“I was thinking more along the lines of prosecution,” he elaborated.

Luthor snorted in bemusement, “Your mother tried years ago and it nearly cost her, her license.”

“Pete’s studying law,” Clark mentioned and the man raised an eyebrow.

“Oh really?”

“I already have enough evidence to bring you and LuthorCorp to court,” the young man threatened and then was thrown back when Luthor simply shrugged it off.

“You mean Lex and LexCorp,” he corrected. “I am no longer the owner of the company, least of all responsible for its past, present or future dealings.”

“Lionel,” Clark interceded with a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go and help mom with the groceries?”

Luthor looked to Clark and then to Pete before shrugging again and biting the apple once more. He nodded to Pete before stepping outside to go find Martha Kent. Pete watched him leave with a slight spring to his step and looked to his friend, “Please tell me they aren’t dating?”

“They… are,” Clark hesitantly answered. “About a year now.”

“Why?!?”

Clark shrugged as he looked through the walls of the farmhouse to observe his mother with the man. “I have no clue what my mom sees in him.” He met Pete’s gaze, “But she seems to believe there is good in him.”

“You don’t?”

Clark pursed his lips, “A smidge maybe.” He closed his fingers together to emphasize his point. “But Mom thinks it’s enough to get him to be a better man. Granted, he isn’t as conniving and vile as he use to be but he’s still manipulative and a liar.”

Pete took a deep breath, “I leave town with Mom to protect you from him and I come back only to find your mother is dating him? This town is more fucked up than I remember.”

“Uh… thanks?” Clark rolled his eyes.

“It’s not a compliment.”

“Yeah I figured. Want to shoot some hoops to work off some of that anger?” his best friend offered and Pete grinned.

“Sure.”