Fortress

Warrior

A/N: I don't own Smallville or any characters and places in the DC universe. Nor do I own the episodes that these chapters are based and contained from.

I also don't claim to be a writer. My inspiration is simply to get a creative outlet going.

I only own Tyla Nevin and what pertains to her character story.

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Lex was in his study, sitting on his couch when he summoned Tyla to see him. He held a sifter of brandy, staring into the bright flames from the fireplace. He was so disconnected that he barely heard the blonde come in. "You know just because we rethought our arrangement doesn't mean you can rouse me at all hours of the night," she stopped, realizing what she had said and pushed down the creeping nerves. She settled for the pink in her cheeks that started to appear. Either way, Lex was not even paying attention to her. He wouldn't notice. "Earth to Millionaire?" Lex looked up and stood from the couch.

"Tyla, I didn't see you there," he said, albeit distantly.

"I noticed...." She blew out a breath and placed her hands on her hips. Her gaze drifted towards a sheathed sword hanging on the wall nearest to the window. "You have a sword hanging there? How very bachelor of you!"

Lex took a sip of brandy and walked towards her. "It's a ceremonial weapon used by a group of 16th century Samurai warriors. The Katai. Ever heard of them?"

"Katai? No. I know about a bit about samurais," At least based on what she learned from an art history class long ago. "Most samurais didn't use their sword as a primary weapon. They would use a bow and arrow instead. A spear was second best. When down to their last breath, and a surrender was possible, drawing their sword was like letting a blaze go free. They didn't fight or kill for fun. They did it because they had no choice in the matter."

Lex mused at her. He nodded slowly. "You know your world history," he noted, impressed. "You're right. Surrendering their sword was considered a form of submission." He reached and grabbed the sheath of the sword. He took it off its perch and looked at her. "The Katai are different. The sword was sacred to them. This one was said to have been forged in the fires of Mount Fuji. The blade can cut through anything but even though, this was a last resort, the Katai never took it to battle. They never had to...till the day the strongest Katai turned on his own. One by one, the Katai fell at his hand." Tyla watched intently as he placed his drink on the sill of his window. "With nothing left to lose, the last of the Katai lunged at the warrior with this sword. The blade cut him clean in two. But when the warrior's armor fell away, the Katai saw that he wasn't even human. He was a monster." Lex unsheathed the sword and looked at his own reflection from the blade.

"That must have been where the custom of taking a disgraced officer's sword came to be. If power consumed you, you didn't deserve honor." Tyla whispered, partly in awe and partly from fear of how dangerously close she was to Lex and the sword.

Lex walked away from her, facing towards the fireplace. He tossed the sheath on the couch and held the sword with both hands. "Exactly, they took the sword from him. Guilty of the crimes that he committed, they denied him from his service. His blade was broken into pieces until the rightful man came to wield it." The blade reflected the flickering flames as he investigated it.

"It sounds like a Kurosawa movie," she said. Lex huffed. The artifact was the inspiration for his favorite movie, but he was impressed that she even knew about the historical epics of the 90s. "Are you insinuating that you're the man or the monster?" The sword was intact and although she chalked the story to that of an artistic marketing ploy, she wasn't sure where Lex was getting at.

"What do you think?" He looked over at her.

"Well, the samurai believed that the sword was the mark of an officer and a gentleman," she started to say. "Though I'm not sure if I can claim you to be an officer or of any such authority." She searched Lex's gaze, trying to figure out what this was all about. "Mr. Luthor-"

"Lex...Tyla, come on."

"Right, you didn't call me here to show me your sword so what is this about?"

The corners of his mouth twitched into a small smile. Oh, how that sounded. He leaned back and reached for the sheath of the sword. "Was I wrong about Helen? Have I been wrong going about my life?" He asked. "I felt no remorse for her death. In fact, you know, I have effectively moved on."

"Ah." She put her hands on her hips and nodded. So that's what this was about. She was having her work cut out for her. Lex was the most eligible bachelor of Metropolis at full swing. LexCorp and LuthorCorp were sprawling out projects from all avenues. The shadow of Helen may have been gone from the public but the effect that Lex was feeling, about how vengeful and mistrusting he was, was still in the air. "And you want to know if what you are feeling is the essence of man or monster." Lex looked almost guiltily at her as he sheathed the sword. He moved past her as she made her way towards the fireplace. She lifted her hand towards the fire for warmth. "I think you were driven by emotion when you heard of her betrayal.... which is an entirely human thing. Someone you love betrayed you, you're entitled to feel rage. Now, the real question is whether you orchestrated her parachute mishap."

"I thought you had done that," he said. Tyla turned around to look at him. "Your cell phone isn't a secured line. If I covered for you, at least, the heat would be drawn to me and not you. I can afford that."

Tyla searched his face again. "I don't do that sort of thing in my line of work," she said. "I go through proper channels, partly gray area but very much legal." It was what kept her under the radar. Lex nodded. She dealt with ambiguities like a divine lawyer. "I went through a lot of lengths to find you, but I didn't do anything to compromise me...or you. I can do many things but taking a life is no marvel of mine."

"You're truly an angel," Lex blurted out. "You're an efficient guardian angel."

"No, don't put that on me. I am not guarding or watching over anyone. I'm tipping the scales for balance."

Lex hung up the sword back up and reached for his brandy. "Tyla, I don't want to be subjected to a doctor prodding through my head," he started to say. "There is a depth in me that I am not sure I can resurface from."

"Doctor?" She made a face that questioned him. What did a doctor have to do with Helen's death?

"My father is subjecting me to a psychiatrist to work for him in LuthorCorp. Much like what we subjected you with, but my father is using this for me to jump through hoops." Tyla scoffed. Of course, this was a Luthor battle. Lex took another sip from his brandy. It was a welcomed taste for this sort of discussion.

"Lex, you're not a monster. No psychiatrist is going to uncage a demon and let it roam," Tyla said. "The fact that you're so afraid of it makes you more human, if anything." She had been exposed to therapy, nothing drastic had come out of it.

"I'm not crazy." Lex said, almost fearfully.

She knew that. "That's not quite therapy works."

"I don't believe it in psychology."

She also knew that. "And yet, philosophers and artists have created in the thralls of the subject." She took a deep breath and walked over to him. "Look, it's just one meeting, right? A test?"

"Five actually. With an assessment."

"Jeepers..." Tyla paused. Corporate must be difficult or perhaps, this was just Lionel. "Anyways, five sessions are simply part of the rapport process. Until you want to, they can't push you to go farther than what you're comfortable with." She reached for his arm and held it, reassuringly. "And then you can walk away whenever you want. Or project your anger, annoyance, frustration, whatever you feel towards me. You practically do it already."

Lex chuckled. That was the complete truth.

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A/N: Recently I saw the Last Samurai and I got so inspired. I know Lex telling the story was part of a dream but I just had to.