Lex had been awake since five in the morning.

Of course he had.

He’d been raised to believe that sleeping past sunrise was a disgusting display of laziness, a philosophy their father had enforced with military precision. Growing up in the Luthor household meant strict schedules, early mornings, meticulously planned days, and absolutely no tolerance for complaints.

It had been miserable.

It had also been effective.

Lex still woke before dawn without an alarm, exercised before breakfast, and somehow managed to accomplish more before seven in the morning than most people did all day.

His sister had followed the same routine growing up.

Naturally, he’d assumed the habit had stuck.

She was staying at his penthouse for a few days while handling some business in Metropolis, and Lex had already decided that her temporary residence would benefit from a little structure.

After all, it was five in the morning. The sun was rising. The day was waiting.

There was absolutely no reason for her to still be asleep.

So, precisely at 5:00 AM, Lex approached her bedroom door and knocked.

Once.

Twice.

Then a third time, with increasing impatience.

“Up and at ‘em, sweetheart. The day isn’t going to organize itself.”

Silence.

Lex frowned.

He knocked again.

“I know you’re awake.”

He did not, in fact, know that.

Several minutes later, the door finally opened.

And there she stood.

Her hair was a disaster. Her eyes were barely open, her expression murderous, and the general atmosphere surrounding her suggested that Lex had approximately three seconds to explain himself before she considered homicide a reasonable response.

Lex paused.

He looked at her.

She looked at him.

He glanced at the clock on the wall.

5:04 AM.

His expression remained perfectly composed.

“Good morning.”

Her stare could have stripped paint off the walls.

Lex slowly raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

She continued staring at him with the exhausted fury of someone who had been dragged unwillingly from the peaceful embrace of sleep.

He folded his arms.

“Don’t tell me you’ve abandoned the family routine.”

That expression.

Oh, that expression was magnificent.

Lex had seen his sister furious before. He’d seen her frustrated, stubborn, and ready to commit financial crimes over minor inconveniences.

But this?

This was a woman contemplating whether the prison sentence for murdering her older brother would be worth the satisfaction.

He was almost impressed.

“Five in the morning is a perfectly reasonable hour.”

She began closing the door.

Lex caught it with one hand.

“Absolutely not. We’re going to discuss this.”

The door moved another inch.

“You’re a grown woman. You cannot seriously expect me to believe you’ve become one of those people who sleeps until nine.”

The door nearly slammed on his fingers.

He withdrew his hand.

A beat of silence followed.

Then Lex straightened his robe, looking deeply offended.

“Fine. Sleep until noon, for all I care.”

He turned to leave.

“Just don’t come complaining when you’ve wasted half your day.”

He made it three steps before glancing back at her door.

A slow, wicked smile appeared.

Because suddenly, Lex had discovered something far more entertaining than his morning routine.

His little sister had developed a weakness.

And he was going to exploit it.

Tomorrow, he’d knock at 4:55 AM.