The red truck gleamed in the morning sun.
Brand new. Polished. Expensive.
Lex Luthor stood beside it. Bald head. Dark coat. Calm smile.
Clark burst through the front door.
" How did you know, I live here?? "
" Well, i wanted to confirm it was you? This is small thanks by me to you? " Lex said while pointing to brand new car.
" No! You don't have to ! "
"Whoa. Is that a—"
"For you," Lex said. "A small thanks. For pulling me from the river."
Jonathan Kent stepped onto the porch.
His face was stone.
...
Clark ran his hand over the hood. "This is incredible."
"Two-door. V8 engine. Custom interior." Lex spoke smoothly. "Nothing but the best for the boy who saved my life."
Jonathan walked down the steps. Slow. Measured.
"Mr. Luthor."
"Mr. Kent."
"This is too much."
"Nonsense. Your son risked his life. A truck is nothing compared to that."
Jonathan looked at the truck. Then at Lex.
"Why?"
"I told you. Gratitude."
"No. Why really?"
Lex smiled. The smile was practiced. "I don't follow."
"My son pulled you from a river. You're alive. We're grateful for that. But this?" Jonathan pointed at the truck. "This is not a thank-you gift. This is a statement."
"And what statement would that be?"
...
Clark stepped between them. "Dad. He's just being nice."
"Clark. Go inside."
"But—"
"Inside. Now."
Clark looked at Lex. Then at his father. His jaw tightened.
He walked inside. The screen door slammed.
...
Jonathan crossed his arms. "I know who you are, Mr. Luthor. I know who your father is."
"And who is that?"
"Lionel Luthor. LuthorCorp. The man who buys whatever he wants and crushes whatever he can't."
Lex's smile flickered. Just for a moment.
"I am not my father."
"Then prove it. Take the truck back."
Silence.
Lex stepped closer. His voice dropped. "Mr. Kent. Your son saved my life. He didn't ask questions. He didn't hesitate. He just jumped in. Does that sound like someone who wants to be protected from the world?"
Jonathan said nothing.
"I'm not here to buy anyone. I'm not here to manipulate. I owe Clark my life. If I show up with nothing, what kind of man am I?"
"An honest one."
...
Martha came out. She wiped her hands on a towel.
"Jonathan."
"Martha. Stay out of this."
"I've been listening from the kitchen." She looked at Lex. Then at the truck. Then at her husband. "Let the boy have it."
"Martha—"
"He saved a life. Someone wants to thank him. That's not manipulation. That's decent."
"Decent and Luthor don't belong in the same sentence."
"Maybe this one does."
Jonathan stared at her. She stared back.
Twenty years of marriage in one look.
He exhaled.
...
"Clark!" Jonathan called toward the house.
Clark appeared at the door. Hesitant.
"The truck stays."
Clark's face lit up.
"But." Jonathan pointed a finger at Lex. "You don't owe him anything. He gave this freely. You hear me? No favors. No obligations. The first time he asks for something, you come to me."
"Dad—"
"Do you hear me?"
"Yes, sir."
Jonathan turned back to Lex. "And you. You want to prove you're not your father? Fine. Prove it. Dont ever come near our family and clark"
"There are no strings," Lex said.
"Good. Then we understand each other."
Lex nodded. He walked to his own car. A silver sedan. Quiet. Understated.
Before getting in, he looked back at Clark.
"Enjoy the truck, Clark. You earned it."
The sedan pulled away. Dust rose on the dirt road.
...
Clark ran to the truck. Opened the door. Sat inside. His hands gripped the steering wheel.
"This is insane."
Martha smiled. " Try to ride boy"
Jonathan stood at the porch railing. Watching the dust settle.
"I don't trust him. May be he will discover clark power and use for Luthor family"
" I didn't thought about that," Martha said.
Martha touched his arm. " Well, clark will mature in future, we can't stay with him forever, he needs to know, what's will happen when you don't think about consequences ."
Jonathan said nothing.
"Besides," Martha added. "If Lex Luthor is trouble, better we know now. Better Clark learns to see it himself."
Jonathan looked at his son. Laughing in the driver's seat. Young. Hopeful.
"Maybe you're right."
"I usually am."
He almost smiled.
...
Later that day.
Clark drove the truck to Aaron's house.
Aaron stood on the porch. Looked at the truck. Looked at Clark.
"Lex Luthor?"
"Yeah."
"And your dad let you keep it?"
"Barely."
Aaron walked around the truck. Inspected it.
"He's will watching be you now. "
Clark's smile faded. "No way, you are paranoid?"
"Luthor. He saw you survive a crash that should have killed you. He saw you pull him from a river no normal kid could pull him from. He doesn't know what you are. But he knows you're something. May be his family may be noticing me"
Clark gripped the steering wheel tighter.
" Was dad right, So what do I do? Will he bring trouble to my family"
"Be careful. Be normal. Dont use power or we can use the kryptonite stone radiation backup, you know that Jeremy guy obtained his unstable power from radiations"
...