The Innkeeper

Lex said nothing and only looked at the sleeping teenager silently. On the day of his own wedding he had taken a risk, not for his own sake, but for the sake of the Inn, and this was the return that he got.

Standing there, in front of Harry, it would have been very easy for Lex to start feeling pathetic and wallow in his failures. But, for better or for worse, self pity was not in Lex's nature. Looking at Harry, Lex's mood did not get lower, but instead his thoughts cleared up. Come hell or high water, he would repay Harry.

He also looked at Hailey. When Lex heard news that Harry was getting married he could only think of his own single status, but in truth he had been extremely happy for him. He imagined how wonderful a life this new couple would have, living in the safest, most magical place in the universe.

He owed them both for not being able to deliver on that fantasy. His fists tightened. He owed them.

Lex disappeared once again, having not said a single word. Hailey, who had been sleeping next to the pod, never even knew that the Innkeeper had visited. In a way, it was for the best. Lex did not visit Harry to be seen. He visited to reignite his motivation, with greater focus than ever before. He needed it if he was going to overcome his own shortcomings.

In fact, there was actually a reason why Lex had been behaving so erratically, though he had tried hard not to admit it. He tried to keep himself so helplessly busy, and keep his mind endlessly occupied, so that he would never think about it. But the truth was, deep down inside, he had already realized that something was amiss.

To be specific, on the day his tumor was removed, Lex already noticed an anomaly in his family's behavior. Later on, he got many more hints that everything was not as it seemed, yet he went out of his way to ignore it. Not only did he do his best not to think about them, he kept suppressing all his memories of his life back on Earth so that he would stop recalling the obvious flaws in their behaviors.

But as his cultivation grew, and his mind became more agile, Lex had to work even harder to keep himself occupied, for his mind just kept on picking up clues that he had tried so hard to ignore. As a result, he ended up spending less time on the Inn, for it would not give him the same sense of urgency that being on various planets, exposed to danger did.

But he could not afford to continue on like this any longer, so he had to admit it. His family was keeping secrets from him, and in fact had been behaving in such a way that they made him keep a distance from them while thinking it was his own idea. He felt so clever when he moved to New York to get away from them, and always worked so hard to ensure they would never vacation there. But he knew now that he was just playing the part they wanted.

He felt bitter, he felt disappointed, he felt angry, and much more. But at the end, when all the feelings mixed, the conclusion it reached was that Lex no longer cared. He did not want to go back to Earth and confront them for a truth that would probably be disappointing.

Since they were keeping a distance from him, and keeping secrets, then he felt no need to return to them either. It was a shame about his younger sisters, truly it was for there was a good chance that they had no choice in whatever matter was going on. But no one alive could ever force Belle to do what she didn't want to do, so he knew that she was definitely complicit.

No matter what the secret was, or what the reasoning behind it, since they chose to keep him at an arm's length, he would do the same. It was not an easy decision, and one he had been avoiding for he knew that if he ever confronted the truth this is probably what he would end up doing. But he could no longer afford to be distracted, so this was a truth he had to face, and a decision he had to make.

In a way, since he decided to cut off ties with his family, for now at least, Lex felt a burden ease. As a normal human being who loved his family this was not an easy decision, but whether it already existed, or it had been nurtured during his time as the Innkeeper, Lex had a bit of pride that he wasn't willing to give up. Thus, ultimately, this was the only choice. After all, why should he spend his time caring about the people who tried their best to keep him at a distance when he had people right in front of him who put their lives on the line just for his reputation.

With that burden gone, and his mind unfettered, Lex could finally focus completely on the Inn. The truth was Lex's strongest trait was his mind. Considering the stupidity he had displayed recently, one would not think so, but that was only because Lex usually felt it was a hassle and that it wasn't worth it.

Now, with all distractions gone and an unprecedented focus and will governing his actions, it was finally time to put his intellect to use.

Lex reappeared in his office only to find that Luthor was already standing there, a cup of fresh coffee waiting for him on a tray.

"Welcome back," Luthor said, as he offered the Innkeeper the coffee he had missed last time.

"We have a lot of work to do," was all Lex replied as he picked up the mug and took a sip.

His solemn mask was almost broken as he barely managed to keep himself from grimacing. The coffee was too bitter.