DISCLAIMER: I claim none of the characters. They are all DC's; a good majority of the characters are from the Superman comics, but there are a few of them from the Supergirl comic series. In short, they're not mine; I'm just borrowing them. I'll return them, I promise!
- - - -
Inside his penthouse at the top of the recently refurbished LexCorp building, Lex sat behind a large, sleek, curved desk with a glass top. It was neatly organized, with papers stacked in tidy piles, a small desk lamp, a few photographs from his days in the Australian Outback, a laptop computer looping current stock prices, and a few other things, including the morning edition of the Daily Planet. A couple of leather chairs sat on the other side of the desk, facing him. He leaned back in his chair, his back to the open windows that let in the light as he took in the sights of his office.
The office space was large, but not as furnished as it could have been. Large, polished, wooden bookcases adorned two of the four walls, each containing a fair amount of books of different genres. A leather couch matching the chairs was situated near the bookshelves, with a floor lamp on either side and a glass coffee table in front. On the last wall hung a few black and white photographs from Ansel Adams, framed. Underneath was a set of bench weights, something Lex used habitually after meetings and whenever he wanted to relieve the stress in his life, and beside it was an ornate full-length mirror. The wooden floor was covered in ornate, Persian rugs.
Lex leaned back in his chair, his thoughts drifting to Linda. She was quite a piece of work: intelligent, ambitious, *and* beautiful. A combination rarely found in women. In some ways she reminded him of -
“Mr. Luthor?”
Lex glanced over, annoyed at having been interrupted, and he was about to lash out, but he saw the middle-aged, dark-haired man in a suit staring back at him from the office’s double doors. It was his personal assistant, Sydney Happersen. Lex smiled and sat up straighter.
“Come in, Happersen,” he said. He indicated one of the leather chairs. “Have a seat.” The man made his way and sat, a nervous expression appearing on his face. “You seem troubled.”
“I’ve just heard that you’re planning on seeing someone tonight,” Sydney said.
“Yes, a Miss Linda Lee,” Lex replied. He smirked playfully. “Are you jealous, Sydney?”
“Uh, no, sir,” Sydney answered nervously. “It’s just that . . . she’s not part of the plan, sir.”
Lex shrugged. “She’s not part of the original plan, granted, but she’s become an added incentive.”
“Are you sure that’s wise? After everything that we’ve done to ensure you’d be able to come back here, no questions asked - ”
Lex leaned forward, glowering. “Need I remind you that those who question me don’t live to see another sunrise, Sydney?”
Sydney cowered slightly. “Uh, yes . . . yes, sir,” he stammered. “I just thought -”
“I’m not paying you to think. I’m paying you to do what I tell you to. Why do you think I let you in on my plan so many years ago? You’ve always been loyal to me. More so than Nigel or Asabi had been.” He growled inwardly, thinking about what had become of his faithful servants years ago, but taking pleasure in that their own misdeeds had left them ruined.
“Yes, sir. I would never betray you, sir.”
“Considering everything you do know about me, you better not - for your sake.”
Sydney gulped slightly as he heard Lex’s drop his accent in a way that chilled him to the core. He was the only person on staff who knew the real truth about the man sitting behind that desk; he had been working with him since he’d founded LexCorp many years ago, remaining his most loyal servant. Still, there was a part of him that wondered why he had gotten mixed up in Luthor’s plan - knowing the consequences if anyone found out.
“Sydney?”
The elder man looked up to see Lex staring at him. “Yes, Mr. Luthor?”
“You aren’t having second thoughts about being a part of this, are you?”
“N-n-no, sir! It’s just that . . . .”
“It’s just what?”
Sydney shrugged. “Are you sure it was a good idea? I mean, cloning is still a new field. There’s so much - ”
“This wasn’t cloning, Sydney. Need I remind you of that?” Lex got up from his chair and began pacing around slowly, circling his desk and Sydney. “It was a brilliant plan, really. Of course, it was all merely a dream until we secured Donovan’s expertise.”
Dabney Donovan had been one of the minds behind a secret government research project, created in the early eighties for the sole purpose to better mankind's understanding of the genetic codes of known and unknown forms of life. Luthor had learned about Donovan’s success in that project - successes stemming from clones to creating completely new (and often horrific) life forms - in the early nineties and secretly came to him with the prospects of working on what Luthor was calling Project Prometheus. Donavan was intrigued and more than willing to join in.
After faking his suicide Donavan came aboard, but Luthor wanted a display, something to show that Donovan was more than flash in the pan. Donovan proved to be more than that by creating a clone of Superman, covering his tracks by having the credit go to one Dr. Fabian Leek. The clone was imperfect and then Superman discovered it, but Luthor was impressed and gave Donovan the go on Project Prometheus.
“It was a lucky thing he came aboard when he did,” Sydney said. “Considering what happened a short time later.”
“Ah, yes,” Lex nodded. “My empire came crumbling down, and my clone took the fall.” He loathed that part of his life when Superman, along with Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White, managed to get evidence implicating him in numerous crimes and cornered his clone - another success of Donovan’s created shortly after the Superman clone - at his wedding, but the fact that he hadn’t really died made it all worthwhile.
Lex and Happersen joined Donovan in Australia, having already set the scientist up in a secluded part that was not under any form of LexCorp control but still belonged to Lex - a private mansion with a secret, underground facility. Donovan had already succeeded in creating a new body. It wasn’t a genetic replica of Lex, but the result of combining genetic material from Lex and - unknowingly - from his physician, Gretchen Kelly, whom Lex already knew was in love with him; Donovan had tweaked the combine DNA to give the new body a resemblance of the two, as a child would share certain genetic similarities of both of its parents.
Lex and Happersen had already succeeded in setting up a believable life for ‘Lex Junior’ and a way of having him come back as a savior, bringing LexCorp back to life after its untimely death. Unfortunately, a few unexpected problems arose, causing Prometheus to be put on hold.
Nigel, Lex’s eyes and ears in Metropolis after his departure, informed Lex that Gretchen had proven her undying - and somewhat obsessive - love for Lex by stealing the clone’s body and reviving him. Nigel kept the truth from her, but Lex learned that things were further complicating his return. The clone believed himself to be the real Lex Luthor, including going after Superman and trying to take Lois as his own. Lex also learned that Nigel had double crossed ‘him’ by stealing the chunk of Kryptonite. The only good things that resulted from that little incident were Kelly being killed in the process - one less person he’d have to worry about - and his clone was arrested.
However, there was still the matter of dealing with Nigel; his knowledge of Lex’s real plans and his betrayal made him a liability, and he had to be eliminated, but before Lex could do anything, Jace Mazick killed Nigel himself, something Lex loathed, but then he learned that Mazick was later killed in jail at the behest of his ‘clone.’
“It was poetic justice, really,” Lex grinned as he walked back over to his desk and sat down. “Nigel betrays me - actually my clone. Then he’s killed by Mazick, then Mazick is killed by my clone.” He chuckled. “I killed him for denying me the pleasure of killing Nigel, and I didn’t even have to dirty my hands.” The smile left his face. “Still, that blasted clone of mine was a problem.”
Lex had learned his clone had hired Dr. Mamba to create a clone of the President to secure his release from jail, and a clone of Lois to replace the real Lois, thereby getting his revenge against Clark Kent and Superman, and get the leftover money from the account he left in Lois’ name. Lex had to admit it was a good plan, but he didn’t take too kindly to being betrayed by anyone - even himself. Thankfully, the clone was killed, as was the clone of Lois, and the real Lex seized another opportunity to better himself for his return.
Working with Donovan and Happersen, Lex concocted a scheme to have a false Luthor Junior show up in Metropolis, so they took one of Donovan’s creations - a disfigured toll-like man - and implanted him with instructions making him believe he was really Lex Luthor’s son. They also recruited a young man by the name of Leslie Luckabee, having set up a ficticious past for him, telling him if they followed his instructions he would be generously rewarded.
“What was really interesting was the way you used Vixen to get your real foothold into Metropolis,” Sydney added. “It’s a shame she wasn’t able to get rid of Luckabee and the troll for you as well.”
“True,” Lex growled, remembering how he felt when he learned that Superman had destroyed his weapon. “The only consolation was that the troll and Luckabee both became greedy and ambitious, which proved to be their downfall.” He shrugged slightly. “Only a shame that nothing useful was recovered from that underground lair. Might have had something useful I could have use against Superman.”
“But now you do,” Sydney spoke up.
Lex growled. “I know that, Sydney.” He got up and walked over to the mirror, staring at his physique. “I have this new body to show for it, don’t I? Donovan takes genetic material from Gretchen Kelly and myself, combines them to form a completely new body - each with half the genetic material of both its ‘parents.’ Adds my brain and memories to the mix, and the father literally becomes the son. No one becomes the wiser.” He smirked. “Almost something out of a science fiction, novel, eh, Syd?” He turned back and admired his reflection. “Just as Prometheus created humanity, so I will create the next step in evolution.” He glanced at Sydney. “Any luck finding Donovan?”
“No, sir,” Sydney replied. He felt the growl. “Sir, we have people looking all over the place for him.” Shortly after Prometheus was completed Lex had taken it upon himself to eliminate the eccentric Donovan, but the scientist had somehow learned about Lex’s plan and disappeared from radar.
“Need I remind you of how dangerous it is for him to be out there with what he knows?” Lex asked. He was the only person involved in Prometheus that he couldn’t control, making him a danger to Lex’s plans.
“I know, sir,” Sydney replied. “We’re doing our best.”
“Do better!” Lex shouted.
Sydney jumped and almost fell out of his chair, but he quickly situated himself again. He straightened his tie, and took a deep breath. “Uh, sir, if I might ask, where does Miss Lee fit into your plan?” Lex turned around, glaring, causing the man to shrink a bit. “I’m j-j-just curious, sir. I mean I -”
“If you must know,” Lex interrupted, “Miss Lee is the newest part of this plan, because she happens to be Clark Kent’s cousin. Obtaining her would be considered a personal victory against him. True, going after Lois would be more . . . valuable, but she is married, and the last thing I want to arouse is suspicions, which would happen if I went after the person ‘my father’ went after, correct? For now, Miss Lee will do quite nicely.”
“What about Superman? She is a friend of his. If he finds out, he might not be happy about it.”
“You’re starting to get on my nerves, Happersen,” Lex growled.
“I’m just making sure you have everything covered, sir,” Happersen replied meekly.
“You don’t worry about that. I have everything taken care of.” He walked over to his desk, grabbing the paper and handing it to Sydney. Sydney looked at the front page. The headline read ‘Supergirl Battles Mysterious Guardian.’ “She is the key.”
“I don’t understand,” Sydney said.
“It’s quite simple,” Lex replied as he leaned against his desk. “She is Superman’s cousin, newly arrived on Earth. Young, innocent, naïve.”
“We know that, sir.”
“My guess is that she’s a very trusting person, despite being a superhero. So, I play that card to my advantage, Sydney.”
“What do you mean?”
Lex grinned, folding his arms. “Use the girl to destroy the man.”
(End of Chapter 5)
(see, I told you there was a plan!!!)
