Lilian packs her backpack, filling it with her daily quota of granola bars and her laptop, charger and Kindle. While she's not a scared person by nature, the move from Boston to Metropolis was a pretty sudden and major one; she had just finished her degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at MIT and next thing she knew, she was working at LexCorp.
It's a good place to work at , she thinks as she catches the subway to get to her office. The firm is liberal in its approach, preferring to have its employees arrive in T-Shirts and flip-flops rather than suffocating business suits and dismal shirts. The CEO himself was a man of rather eclectic tastes, choosing to play basketball in his free time than to wine and dine with bigwigs in the social circle. Well, he is barely 31, she thinks as she rushes into the gleaming steel and glass building, avoiding the soccer ball that brushes past and getting hit head first by a basketball.
Great. It's review day, and she's already late to give her quarterly research report. She doesn't look back at the thrower, muttering an "it's okay" as she rushes into the elevator and hopes Lex Luthor isn't already in the review room, staring down her team like they're dessert.
"Thank the gods," her superior mutters as Lilian switches on her laptop and puts her notes in front. They discuss their reviews for a minute before elevator dings and another latecomer files in, panting.
"Well, I just saw Luthor finish his shoot-out challenge. Should expect him here in five." And just as predicted, five minutes later Lex Luthor files in, assistant in tow.
"Right then," he claps his hands, brushing dust off his shorts as he takes a round of the room. "So, what should I expect? Dismal, okay, good or praiseworthy?" Lilian tries to remember the sentences she'd so carefully planned to explain her idea, only to find her memory failing her as the man in question shoots her a small, questioning smile that raises the hair on her back.
"You," he points at her, "Let's start with you."
She takes a deep breath, stepping towards the projector when Luthor huffs, crossing his arms and giving her a disdainful stare.
"Explain - and without the aid of any visual presentations. That'll tell me whether I should wait here any longer than five minutes. Do you even train your newbies, Kyle?" He looks at the second in command and deputy head.
That annoys her - he doubts our competence? Okay. Lilian turns around to look at him squarely in the eyes and begins.
"The Aerospace R&D has come up with the plan of an dual engine, which comprises of an air breathing jet engine and a standard bi-propellant-"
"Stop."
She looks at him questioningly, and before she can correct herself and apologize, he gives her a small smile before scowling. "Is this all you've got?"
"This is what we've been working on."
"Then I should just fire you all and hire five sixteen-year olds. Come up with something better, and maybe I'll think about extending your employment contracts." With that, Lex Luthor strides out, and the room collectively groans as he disappears behind the lift doors.
"That son-of-a-" Kyle swears.
"Careful," her boss David warns. "If he's decided to peek into our room's cameras just to gauge our reactions, we'll all have libels on our heads." He sighs. "Well, that's all for the day - we meet on Monday; see you, everyone - hopefully." With that, they disperse, heading to their respective worklabs. The rest of the day passes uneventfully, until she heads to the cafeteria to get some lunch for once at the behest of Kyle and Melissa, her best friends and colleagues.
"If you're going to have any lunch, I'd suggest the grilled shrimp and chicken hibachi." Standing behind her, now in a button-down sweater and shirt, is yours truly.
"Mr. Luthor."
"Ms Chase." He smiles, steering her towards a table. "Wait here." The man returns five minutes later with two trays in hand, setting them down.
"Mr. Luthor-"
"I know it was unnecessary and that I do not need to pay for your meals yada yada, but I'm just in a good mood and wishing to apologise, so please, enjoy your meal." True to his judgement, the grilled shrimp and chicken hibachi tastes wonderful. She closes her eyes for a moment, the solitude and bliss broken by her lunch companion.
"I'm surprised you don't wish to know my reason for apologizing, given your personality."
"And what is it?" She doesn't want to come across as sarcastic, but she does, and inwardly curses herself for trying to antagonising her boss more than once. She looks apologetically in his direction, avoiding his eyes.
"Well, I suppose that basketball hurt," he quips.
"Oh." So it was him. "Well, I did say it was okay." Lilian glances at her watch, standing up. "Thank you for the meal, Mr. Luthor, but I must get going." She picks up her tray, getting the remaining food packed and reminding herself to pick some of this stuff up when she leaves for the day. He grips her wrist, and she turns to look at the man, annoyed and angry.
"It's not good manners to desert someone at a meal." The look he gives her is more amused than anything else.
"Well, it's better than getting fired." With that, Lilian pulls her arm away and races towards the elevator. As much as she is intrigued by the man, Lex Luthor scares her, and she doesn't wish to spend any more time being intimidated by his domineering personality.
The next four hours are spent working, and Lilian picks up that shrimp and chicken hibachi as she leaves for the day, with a rather curious blonde watching her exit the building.