Cassie Sandsmark

Lex just blinked at the young girl's reaction to him. This must be the infamous Cassie Anatoly had told him about. He hadn't mentioned she was one of those hero types, but then he might not have known.

His smile didn't falter as he bowed his head to her slightly in greeting. "Cassie I presume." He said easily as he moved into the hut, placing his bag down and his towel on top of it, clearly displaying to her that this was his home was well.

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When Anatoly called Luthor his friend, Cassie's head whipped around then bounced back and forth between the two. She was so startled and confused, why was Luthor acting like he lived here? How could someone as nice as Anatoly stand to be around the villain?

She really didn't like Luthor knowing who she was, so she choose to ignore him and looked to Anatoly, moving towards him to get away from Luthor. "What...what's going on?"

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"He's my friend," Anatoly said again gently, trying to reassure Cassie. He was missing something, that much was clear, but what it was, he couldn't begin to think. "He lives here, with me, together."

He glanced over at Lex, wondering if he knew something he didn't.

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Lex wanted to take pity on Anatoly after the confused glance he set him, but he would admit to being curious about what the young girl would say about him. So instead he just walked over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting on the bed, hands clasped in front of him as he looked to Cassie expectantly.

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Cassie's eyes were wide after Anatoly said that Luthor /lived/ with him and then her eyebrows were lost in hair when Luther kissed him. Even just on the cheek, that's more then just friends! She was so lost for words she could only just gap between the two of them for a few moments.

"But...but..." She swore Luthor smirked at her as she stammered so she blurted out, "He's EVIL!"

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"Evil?" Anatoly stared, flabbergasted. "Cassie, what are you talking about? He's not evil at all."

Evil was Molokov, treacherous and constantly scheming on how best to advance the cause of the state. Evil was de Courcey, all smiles and charm on the outside and ruthlessly cold and unfeeling when it came to playing with other people's lives. Lex was nothing like them.

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Lex didn't even blink but then this wasn't his first time being accused on the island. Of course no one had put it that bluntly. Or in front of Anatoly.

He just kept his normal, smooth smile, his best Luthor business face. "Cassie, I have been on this island for 8 months. What have I done to give you any indication that I'm evil besides being a Luthor?" he asked in an amused voice, with one eyebrow raised. He was making a point and he had to do this in front of Anatoly. He didn't want to, but he realized the need.

Edited Date: 2009-03-01 11:39 pm (UTC)

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"But....but..." Cassie thought about it and she realized Luthor was right. He hadn't down anything while on the island, or at least, nothing the others had noticed. Which didn't mean much because Luthor was tricky...but still.

She looked to Anatoly with pleading eyes. "You don't understand. Back home, where I'm from, he's like, this total evil super villain who tries to destroy the world like once a week!" Okay she was exaggerating. But it was still /mostly/ true. "He's killed thousands of people Anatoly! I'm being serious!"

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The thought of Lex being some sort of super villain was almost ludicrous. Who could think that of him? Anatoly had witnessed some dark moments, it was true, but who didn't have such tendencies at times?

Incredulously, he shook his head. "At 22? I find that a little hard to believe."

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Lex really couldn't help himself now. He burst out laughing at Cassie's description. Taking over the island he could believe but destroying the world? Killing thousands? Even if he was inclined, it seemed counter productive to him. Of course, unless it was to prove a point, but he shut down that Lionel voiced thought quickly.

Edited Date: 2009-03-08 02:32 am (UTC)

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Cassie blinked and stared at Anatoly. She'd heard young and yeah, that Clark was 18...but 22? That...the Luthor she knew was twice as old. At least! "22...22!?" She looked back at the smirking Luthor then back to Anatoly...before sitting down hard down on the nearest surface. "Well...I guess that is kind of hard..." Then an idea came to her and she shot back to her feet. "No! He's still Lex Luthor. If anybody can manage it, he can. And besides, we have teenager superheros! Why not young villains too?!"

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"He has not done these things here," Anatoly protested, still unable to believe that the Lex he cared so much about could truly be capable of such things. "Is it so fair to blame him for things he has not done? Your, your justice system, does it not say that a person is innocent until proven guilty? Is that ideal only something that applies to certain people now?"

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Despite Cassie being there, Lex couldn't help giving Anatoly a soft look. It had been a long time since someone had defended him so earnestly and Lex was truly touched. It was one thing to say these things in private, but it was another to say them again when being confronted by someone who cared about, like Lex knew Anatoly cared for Cassie.

He reached over and touched Anatoly's thigh lightly, needing to connect with him in that moment as he regained the tiny bit of cool composure he let slip.

"Well Cassie?" he asked easily, "Am I to be blamed for my future self's transgressions? Or is it the slightest bit possible that I might not be the person you fear? Perhaps the catalyst event that turned me into a murdered of thousands hasn't happened yet." It was a thought he'd wondered occasionally himself. What could happen that would turn him in the monster of a man they feared?

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Everything they said was bouncing around in her brain, at war with everything that she just instinctively knew about Luthor from home. It was enough to give her a headache and she lifted one hand to rub her forehead. "I...I don't know." She admitted finally, hand reach out to rest on the table so she could lean against it. "It's all so confusing!" Everything they said made sense and she trusted Anatoly even if she didn't trust Luthor. So what did she do about it?

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"I know it must be," Anatoly said soothingly as he reached out to touch her shoulder. "It is for me too. But all I can tell you that Lex has been a wonderful, true friend to me here. Never once have I felt anything but safe around him. Please, Cassie. Just give him a chance. It's all I ask."

He glanced back at Lex, knowing this had to be hard to hear and how frustrating it must be to constantly be defending himself from accusations of things he didn't do.

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The light touch on Anatoly's thigh became a soft squeeze as Lex met his eyes with soft, grateful look, before he turned back to Cassie to say one more thing that needed to be said.

"I realize you don't trust me. That is something I'm used to, though it's more from association with my father and the reputation he's given my family name then anything you think I've done." He paused to give his next statement the importance it deserved, summoning as much conviction he as he could. "But I swear on my mother's grave that the last thing I would ever do is hurt Anatoly."

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It was really weird and kinda creepy...but Cassie really wanted to believe Luthor in that moment. The intensity and the way Anatoly spoke about him...She gasped quickly as she suddenly realized just how much they felt for one another. It made Luthor seem, she could barely believe it, human.

"I'll try. I promise." She said honestly before coming over and giving him a hard hug. "I think I better go now. I need to think about this." She buried her face in his chest for a moment, letting her actions speak for how much she cared for him, despite everything.

Still hugging Anatoly, Cassie, or more Wonder Girl at the moment, turned to look at Luthor who still sat on the bed. "I want to believe you. But if you /do/ ever hurt him, you'll have to deal with me. And super powers or no, I will kick your ass."

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"That's all I ask," Anatoly said gently, hugging Cassie tightly. This was a lot for her to take in, he understood. Just the fact that she was willing to stop and think was more than he could have hoped for. "Thank you."

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