The black car pulled to a smooth stop before the towering monolith of glass and steel that dominated the Metropolis skyline.
Alex stepped out, tilting his head back to take in the full scale of the building…the massive LEXCORP emblazoned across its crown like a declaration of war against the heavens themselves.
“This is a much bigger building than the one we’re renting, right?” said Alex.
“Yes, sir…
Lex Luthor is a billionaire.
It’s to be expected,” said Amunet.
‘Huh…
We should get a bigger one.
A goddess like me should be living in the highest of places,’ Ishtar’s voice echoed in his mind.
He had forbidden her from materializing….this meeting was too delicate for divine dramatics.
“Don’t worry too much about it.
In a year’s time, I’ll have a building the size of this, if not bigger…to my name.
But for now…” He smoothed his jacket, a faint smile playing at his lips.
“Let us see what Mr.
Luthor wants from us, eh?”
He stepped inside.
The lobby was a cathedral of corporate power, marble floors gleaming like frozen water, a massive LexCorp insignia dominating the far wall, and the quiet hum of absolute control vibrating through every surface.
A woman waited for him at the center of it all.
Blonde.
Sharp.
Dressed in an immaculate office suit that screamed competence and danger in equal measure.
She extended her hand with the precision of someone who had done this a thousand times.
“Mr.
Black…
I am Mercy Graves, Mr.
Luthor’s assistant.
Welcome to LexCorp.”
Alex took her hand.
Her grip was firm….controlled.
A soldier’s grip disguised as a businesswoman’s courtesy.
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Graves.
This is Amunet Black….my personal assistant and vice president.”
Mercy’s smile was polite, professional, and utterly unreadable.
“Miss Amunet…
A pleasure to meet you as well.” She shook Amunet’s hand, then turned back to Alex.
“Follow me, Mr.
Black.
Mr.
Luthor is waiting for you in his office.”
They moved through the lobby toward a private elevator.
The doors slid shut with a soft hiss, sealing them in silence.
Alex’s eyes swept over Mercy as the floors ticked upward, the subtle tension in her shoulders, the way her weight balanced evenly on both feet, the faint calluses on her knuckles barely visible beneath her gloves.
‘Elite fighter.
Strong.
Very much so…’
His gaze flicked to Amunet.
She was doing the same assessment….sizing Mercy up, cataloging threats.
Good.
She was learning.
The elevator chimed.
The doors parted onto the top floor.
Mercy led them down a hallway lined with abstract art that probably cost more than most people’s homes.
She stopped at a set of double doors, pushed them open, and stepped aside.
“Mr.
Luthor…
Mr.
Black and Miss Black are here.”
And there he sat.
Lex Luthor rose from behind his desk like a king rising from his throne.
Bald head catching the light, tailored suit cut to perfection, a smile stretched across his face….not warm, not welcoming, but deeply satisfied.
The smile of a man who had already won and was simply enjoying the performance.
“Mr.
Black…
It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said, extending his hand.
Alex took it.
The grip was firm, measured….a man who knew exactly how much pressure to apply and when to release.
“Mr.
Luthor…
The pleasure is truly mine.”
Luthor turned to Amunet.
“Amunet Black…
I see you’re finally joining the side of legal business.
Pleasure to see you too.”
Amunet nodded once, shook his hand, and said nothing.
Smart.
“Please, take a seat,” Luthor said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk.
Alex sat.
Amunet positioned herself behind him, a silent sentinel.
Mercy moved to Luthor’s side, taking her place behind him like a shadow given form.
“Now then, Mr.
Black…
Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Luthor leaned back, fingers steepled.
“Please…
Call me Alex.
And yes….let’s get to business.
Talk to me, Luthor.
What are you inviting me to?” Alex leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes locked on Luthor’s.
Luthor chuckled, a low, rich sound.
“If I get to call you Alex…
then you may call me Lex.” He turned his computer monitor toward Alex.
“As for what I’m inviting you to?
It’s history.”
The words glowed on the screen ‘Project Cadmus’ written in clean, corporate font that somehow felt more sinister than any blood-red lettering could.
Luthor pressed a button.
A video began to play.
Scientists in pristine white lab coats moved through sterile corridors.
Genetic sequences scrolled across monitors.
Microscopes hummed with quiet purpose.
Then Lex Luthor’s voice cut through the footage.
“As you can see, we’ve reached advanced levels of genetic study.
We are a hundred percent capable of cloning anyone.”
The screen shifted to show a perfect replica of Lex Luthor himself, standing in a containment tube, eyes closed, breathing steadily.
“This can be a perfect tool to avoid assassination…
or arrest.”
Luthor grinned on-screen and off-screen simultaneously.
“But that’s not the true goal of the project…
is it?” said Alex.
Luthor’s grin widened, his eyes glinting with amusement.
“Oh…
and that’s exactly why I invited YOU.” He laughed….genuinely amused.
“Look.”
He pressed another button.
The footage shifted.
A disfigured man.
Screaming.
Fire erupting from his hands then his body convulsed, expanded, and exploded into a spray of blood and viscera that painted the lab walls crimson.
Another clip.
A woman lifting objects with her mind.
Then her skull split open, brain matter splattering the ceiling.
“Failure after failure, eh?” said Alex, his voice flat.
“Indeed.
But…” Luthor’s smile sharpened.
“We did have a semi-success.”
The footage shifted.
A figure Alex recognized instantly.
Match.
Superman’s clone.
Imperfect.
Broken.
But alive.
“You tried to clone…
Superman,” said Alex, his tone carrying just enough shock to sell the act.
“Yes.
It failed, of course.” Luthor waved a hand dismissively.
“But I’m okay with that.
For now…
we lack DNA evidence of the Man of Steel.
Once we acquire it…”
He let the sentence hang, heavy with implication.
Alex nodded slowly, absorbing the information.
“This is all quite interesting, Lex.
Truly.
But I don’t see what I can be of use for here.
I’m a new player on the block….a rising weapons manufacturer, not a great businessman like you, nor a super-scientist.” He paused, letting the silence stretch.
“So what is it, Lex?
What did you see in me that made you want me in your project?”
Luthor leaned back, steepling his fingers.
His smile never faded—it only deepened, became more predatory.
“Oh please, Mr.
Alex…
I’ve been looking for someone like you for ages.”
He turned his gaze to Amunet, then back to Alex.
“I know all about you.
Well…
all you’ve produced, at least.” He ticked off the points with a casual wave of his hand.
“You came from nowhere.
Mysterious powers.
Highly intelligent.
And smart….truly smart.” His eyes gleamed.
“You invaded Amunet’s illegal smuggling business in a week, then transformed it into a giant legal company….endorsed by the US government, the Central City Police Department, and the new mayor.
A mayor who conveniently rose to power after the old one fell to mysterious evidence that appeared out of nowhere at the hands of the Justice League.”
He paused, letting the implications sink in.
“You are an intelligent man with secret powers, an unknown background, and most importantly…” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur.
“Ambition.
The reason I want to work with you, Mr.
Alex…
is because I see you as a future investment.
In greatness.”
/*
If you Like this story!
Check out my other story !
Shadow Monarch in Danmachi!