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Endless Legacy Ch. 65 (DC Comics)
🕑 Added 2025-01-23 17:05:36 +0000 UTCA/N: Lucien passes his 'test' and chooses his mission.
-x-X-x-
It takes Lucien all of a second to decide how he’s going to react. Whether it is a test or not, he has to treat it as one. Going in for the handshake with too much excitement could result in Superman pulling back at the last second, revealing Lucien’s greed to everyone. But even going in with some form of reluctance could still wind up blowing up in his face.
As much as Lucien had long desired access to Kryptonian Biology, the fact was… now was neither the time nor the place to ‘secure the bag’ so to speak. Instead, he needed to show himself to be something his father was not. He needed a way to come across as far less power hungry and ambition than Lex Luthor… even though deep down inside, Lucien was not quite sure he actually was any less of either of those things than his father.
Of course, just rejecting Superman’s handshake, or even something silly like putting on a glove first and then accepting it… no, that wouldn’t work. It needed to be done properly. It needed to seem as genuine as possible.
Luckily, Lucien has complete control over his own biology. Filling himself with a sense of contriteness and unworthiness that radiates from every pore of his being is easy. Adding in some determination and resolve a moment later helps to sell the entire act, or so he hopes. Looking Superman directly in the eye, Lucien shakes his head.
“I appreciate the sentiment, sir… but I can’t shake your hand until I feel like I’ve really earned it.”
Just from the surprise in Superman’s eyes as he withdraws his hand, Lucien knows instantly that the Man of Steel did not in fact intend for this to be some kind of test. Superman’s offer was genuine and heartfelt… with no ulterior motives.
However, that didn’t mean Lucien was wrong. From the reactions of the rest of the Justice League, he can tell that even if Superman actually did trust him, they all did not. There’s some who relax a bit once the handshake is off the table. Some who even look relieved. And a handful who Lucien can tell he’s scored brownie points with through his gesture.
Finally getting over his surprise, Superman slowly nods his head.
“Alright then. I can respect that. Then… what do you intend to do next, Lucien?”
Lucien understands immediately what Superman means. Sure he’s dressed up in his Remedy Costume, but he’s not exactly a superhero or anything like that. Nor is he a powerhouse like most of the people in this room. And right now, they were about to be invaded by a literal space fleet. Did he stand with them? Did he take a step back and let them handle it?
Truthfully, if it wasn’t for one key detail, Lucien might have just stepped back altogether. He hadn’t accepted Superman’s handshake after all, so it wasn’t like he could incorporate Kryptonian Biology into himself before the big fight began. However, there was one thing Lucien had to do… one thing above all else that took priority.
Pulling out his phone, he holds it up.
“That depends entirely on whether we can track the last call Mercy Graves made to this phone. If she was still on Earth when she placed that call, then I need to know where she was… so I can begin investigating where she’s been taken. If there’s even the slightest chance she’s still alive, I have to try and rescue her.”
If he’d accepted Superman’s handshake, Lucien isn’t sure how the Justice League would have reacted to him wanting to drop everything for one woman. But because he didn’t, he gets the impression that they’re not nearly as judgmental. There’s even a few nods, as if they agree that he shouldn’t be on the frontlines.
Batman takes his phone from Lucien’s hand and moves over to a bank of monitors, getting to work immediately on tracing that last call. Lucien makes a note to get an entirely new phone when this is done, even as he tries not to get too antsy while they wait. Fortunately… it takes less than a minute before Batman speaks up.
“The call originated from under the LexCorp Tower in Metropolis. About a mile under it, in fact.”
Lucien’s eyes widen at that reveal along with some of the others in the room. A mile beneath the tower was… well, it wouldn’t surprise him to learn his father had an underground bunker or anything like that, but in the broader context of the situation, it was more than a little alarming.
“That’s where I’ll go. Brainiac’s clone of my father can’t be left to his own devices anyways. I’ll go down there with my… associate and we’ll deal with whatever the Lex Clone is up to while you all defend the planet from Brainiac’s Armada.”
He doesn’t want to just straight up say Blackfire’s name, even now. And he’s certainly not stupid enough to label her as his henchwoman. Sure, everyone here probably knows exactly who she is at this point, even if they maybe don’t recognize her on sight. But there’s a certain plausible deniability in barely acknowledging her presence.
Or so Lucien would have hoped.
“You can’t be serious. We can’t just send the two of you down there. Anything could be happening; we need eyes on the situation that we can trust.”
For all that Lucien has earned brownie points with many of the people in this room, it would seem he’s still on the shit list of at least one… namely, Green Lantern. The tall black man is frowning at Lucien with his unnaturally green eyes, almost bordering on scowling really. It’s obvious he doesn’t think they should let Lucien go anywhere or do anything.
That could be bad. Being stuck here on the Watchtower while Mercy needs his help is the last thing Lucien wants. He opens his mouth to argue the point and make his case, but before he can do so, another voice pipes up.
“I’ll go with them.”
All eyes turn towards the only person in the room besides Lucien and Blackfire who isn’t a Founding Member of the Justice League. Supergirl just raises an eyebrow as she crosses her arms over her chest.
“Green Lantern raises a good point. We can’t just send the two of them off into the unknown like that.”
That obviously wasn’t his point, but Lucien appreciates Supergirl going out of her way to soften the blow a bit. Green Lantern doesn’t though, based on the narrowing of his eyes. But the blonde Kryptonian just bulldozes right on through.
“At least one member of the Justice League needs to be onsite for communication purposes. Oracle can help coordinate us and together we’ll find out what the clone is doing underneath the Tower and put a stop to it.”
“K- Supergirl…”
Superman speaks up then, looking a little worried. But Supergirl isn’t having it as she gives him a smirk.
“Let’s be honest, you would have done everything in your power to keep me from the frontlines anyways, despite that being where you need me. This way, we both get what we want.”
Hm… seemed there was some sort of protectiveness there that Supergirl was sidestepping. Superman didn’t look happy about it, but in the end he grimaces and seems to swallows his pride with a nod. Which in turn allows Batman to step back in as he hands Lucien back his phone.
“Then it’s settled. The three of you will infiltrate the underground facilities beneath LexCorp Tower with the help of Oracle while we finalize our preparations for Brainiac-Luthor’s invasion. Good luck.”
Lucien blinks, because those last two words are directed at him specifically instead of Supergirl, and they even come with a nod of acknowledgment. He hesitantly nods back, and that’s it. The three of them depart the room as the Justice League begins talking over battle plans right as they leave.
As they make their way back to the teleporters, Supergirl gives him a curious look.
“Wow. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Batman acknowledge someone like he does you. What did you even do to get on his good side like that?”
Well, he HAD largely been a positive influence on Gotham by curing Killer Croc and helping out Harley Quinn. Not to mention healing Barbara. There was also the other way he’d influenced Gotham… but Lucien didn’t like to think that would have changed Batman’s opinion of him, even subconsciously. Good lord he hoped it hadn’t…
In the end, he just gives a noncommittal shrug and grunt, causing Supergirl’s face to scrunch up rather cutely for a moment before she waves airily.
“Alright… keep your secrets then.”
She doesn’t sound too upset though in the end, and ultimately the silence is more companionable than awkward as they make their way to the teleporters and are brought back down to Earth a moment later. Arriving on a rooftop in Metropolis located relatively close to the LexCorp Tower, they all pause for a moment to get their bearings before Supergirl furrows her brow.
“Hm… how do we want to do this?”
Lucien tilts his head to the side as he stares down at the tower.
“… I think we walk in through the front door.”
Jolting, Supergirl gives him a wide-eyed look.
“W-What?!”
Grimacing, Lucien rolls his shoulders.
“This is a bit last minute to do an actual infiltration with any sort of subtlety. You know as well as I do that the tower is a fortress with not just the best security that money can buy, but also even better security that’s not even on the market. If we try to go in cold, we risk getting caught and having to go hot anyways. If we try to go in too hot, we risk getting caught with our pants down. But there’s a third option… where we go with refuge in audacity.”
It's a little silly, but the more Lucien considers it, the more he likes the plan. He likes it a lot, truth be told.
“So you want us to… what? Change out of our costumes, get into civvie disguises, and just walk in and demand to see your dad’s clone?”
Lucien chuckles at the note of incredulity in Supergirl’s voice, even as he gives her a simple nod.
“Yep. That’s exactly what I want to do. Think about it for a second… the last call Mercy placed before she went radio silent was to me. And since it seems like my father’s clone was the one to catch her, there’s no doubt in my mind that he knows that I know. He’s expecting some kind of reaction from me. They’ll be ready for an attack… but a simple visit? I mean, they still might try to trap us… but that’s where you’ll come in as our hidden trump card.”
This time, before Supergirl can respond, a voice echoes through the earpieces they’ve all put on at this point.
“I think Lucien is right. This might be the best way for the three of you to get deeper into the underground facility beneath the tower. They’ll almost certainly try to lead you into a trap of course, but you can break out of that and once you do, you’ll be past most of the defenses.”
Barbara’s support causes Lucien’s chest to puff up in pride, just a little bit. It’s good to know she has his back. Meanwhile, Supergirl’s mouth opens… and then closes. Her jaw works for a moment as she crosses her arms over her chest and mulls over their words. Lucien can tell though… she’s slowly coming around to the idea. Finally, she nods.
“Alright… fine. You’re right that they’ll be on high alert for infiltrators and trying to hit them head on… well, that just means they’ll know to bust out the Kryptonite all the faster. We’ll try it your way. Let’s get changed.”
-x-X-x-
Twenty minutes later, Lucien Luthor walks up to the front doors of LexCorp Tower with Blackfire on one side and Supergirl on the other. He’s wearing a snazzy business suit, while Blackfire and Supergirl are clad in feminine business attire including blouses and pencil skirts. In Supergirl’s case, she’s done up her hair in a ponytail, put on glasses of all things, and told them to call her “Karen” for the purposes of this whole situation.
Even with everything, they’re still stopped at the door of course by security.
“Excuse me, I need to see a badge.”
Lucien smiles, channeling every ounce of the arrogance he inherited from his father in this moment.
“I’m here to meet with my father. Lex Luthor. Go ahead and let him know I’m here… I’m confident he’ll want to speak with me.”
There’s a brief pause as the security guard does a double take. Lucien gets it. The resemblance between him and his father, sans the baldness, is actually fairly uncanny. But there’s a cognitive disconnect between the concept of Lex Luthor and fatherhood for most people that keeps them from recognizing the familial connection.
Now that Lucien has named Lex as his father, however, he can tell the security guard recognizes him all too well. Also, it seems like while security HAS been heightened from what little he can see of the tower so far, the clone of his father had not gone ahead and informed the actual doorman of anything.
“R-Right… I’ll do that right now.”
This really was the best option. Clearly, Lex’s Clone had not seen Lucien using the front door like this as a possibility.
That said, there was still every chance they would have to go hot here any moment. If shit hit the fan, then-
“Right this way, sir.”
The original security guard hasn’t even finished placing his call when a squad marches out of the nearest elevator and their point man gestures Lucien and his companions forward. Lucien just smiles, letting none of his actual anxiety show as he follows the squad back into the elevator, Blackfire and Supergirl on his heels.
Briefly, he’s worried that they’ll try to separate them, to split them up and make him go alone. But that doesn’t happen, strangely enough. They all pile into the admittedly large elevator, and to be fair the security detail DO surround him and the ladies on all sides… but that’s nothing too special or out of the ordinary.
What is interesting is the squad leader putting in a code in the elevator interface that makes the elevator begin to descend rather than ascend. Technically, Lucien’s father, or rather his clone, should be at the top of the tower in the CEO’s office located there. Instead, they’re going down… down into the very underground facility that they were here to infiltrate in the first place.
Well… that was easy.
Comments
Narsil
Yeah, that was a no-brainer--take the ride as far as they can before the shooting (or whatever) starts. They'll be that much closer to Mercy.
Just_Call_Me_Steve
I'm fully expecting an elevator scene like from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?"
Alun Lewis
Huh...you'd think it'd be Batman with giant bug up his ass about Lucien heading into the lion's den of his father's clones secret lair...wouldn't have put money on Green Lantern (John Stewart) filling in. Honestly would have assumed that Superman would be the paranoid one based on the history between the houses of El & Luthor...but it's good to see Clark doesn't paint Lucien with the same brush his sperm donor gets.
Tsorov
It would give him access to her biology, I don't know if she would have allowed it
Orion9137
Nothing more Luthor than just walking right into the enemies trap in formal wear.
Cole Deucalion
Or are we risking increasing brainiacs bio tinkering abilities by sending our MC there?
Doug Bowman
A bit surprised he didn't try to change Kara's face. Unless she's fine with her real face being tied to Supergirl.
Gamertecno
I just had a thought Brainiac can assimilate tech and biology right? If the clone has enough Brainiac tech in him to do that, would our boy get that ability if he touched him?
RanmaChaos
I chose hold back cause if Lucien and Co show up with a bunch of knockout guards its could be bad for Mercy. That said, I had the idea that Lucien could quickly alter the guard's biology so that they end up passing out when their adrenaline spikes, like in a fight. He does this with super speed so they don't even notice, if he has it( how fast is a Tamaranean anyway?), or he uses his amnesia trick to reset their minds so they don't know he did it. Though there is probably a camera in the elevator, so unless Lucien Can move at super speed, best not risk it. That's also assuming these guys are even biological in the first place.
cmacenka
I was actually trying to advocate for not showing our hand this soon. I thought that it was likely that Luthor had some other people monitoring us that we weren’t aware of, so it would make more sense to see if he could show us how much he really knows.
Robert Brown
Hence we would be better off not showing our hand in the no doubt monitored elevator.
Robert Brown
True, but we didn't even tell Mercy everything about our powers so, he can only get so much info from her, and thus can only make so many plans and/or contingencies against him.
Leeland
I understood that reference.
Rapthorn2ndform
'refuge in audacity' is o e of my favorite tropes. tropes. Its similar to the saying "a common mistake when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools".
Nanaya7Nights
Wait for the trap to be sprung before revealing your hand Lucien. Lex Clone probably doesn't know that you are working with the League yet, hell unless he managed to torture Mercy to her breaking point or spent a significant amount of time tracing Mercy's or Lucien's steps he shouldn't even know WHAT Lucien's powers are or that he has Blackfire with him.
cmacenka
Please, it’s Luthor. There’s no way he doesn’t either have an idea of what’s going on or made contingencies for his son.
Temparo
Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?
Smile Dip
I wonder if "Luthor" had special instructions for if his son came back after disappearing, and the Mercy thing, and all of it.
