"Kara Danvers, here for an interview with Ms. Luthor?" the reporter stated, handing her identification to the secretary.

The young Asian woman observed her with a firm glare. "Yes, you're on the schedule, Ms. Danvers. Have a seat and I will call you when Ms. Luthor is available."

Kara nodded, unsurprised. It was common knowledge among CatCo reporters that executives and celebrities typically made them wait at least twenty minutes before becoming 'available' for a scheduled interview. It was a classic power play.

The reporter sat down on the nearby bench. At least this would give her some time to steady her nerves.

"Ms. Luthor is ready for you," the secretary said. "I'll buzz you in."

Or not.

Kara rose to her feet, nodding at the other woman with a smile. Receiving no reply, the reporter walked over to the sealed double doors and took a deep breath.

Buzz.

She stepped inside, softly shutting the door behind her. It was a modern office, lit brightly by the wall-to-floor windows stretching across the rear of the room. They were interrupted only by a sliding glass door that led the way to a spacious balcony. Near the back of the office, two cozy swivel chairs flanked the CEO's desk.

The desk itself was not what Kara had expected. Although it was large, the smooth sloping curves that defined its shape robbed it of much of its potential to be imposing. Perhaps it was unnecessary, for the woman sitting at the tall chair behind it seemed to have that department covered.

There was nothing about the CEO that was outwardly threatening. But her clothes, poise, and expression radiated confidence. This was a woman totally at ease with being one of the most powerful people in the world. Her piercing green eyes fell to gaze upon Kara, and the reporter was suddenly conscious of the fact that she was wearing the cheapest professional blouse that the clothing store had offered.

"You must be Ms. Danvers." To Kara's surprise, the CEO rose to her feet and walked around the desk. "Lena Luthor. It's a pleasure." She offered the reporter a smile. It was far from the warm and open one Kara typically wore, but it lacked the laced contempt and threatening edge the reporter had been expecting.

Kara met the CEO's hand in a practiced handshake. "It's an honor, Ms. Luthor," the reporter replied, unsure why she had to resist a small blush on her cheeks. "And it's just Kara, please."

"Then it's just Lena," the CEO replied, matter of factly. "Now, shall we?" she gestured to her desk.

Lena retook her seat behind the desk, with Kara settling into one of the swiveling chairs. Her nerves were beginning to disappear, but a renewed glance at the CEO brought her back to reality.

This was her enemy. This was a woman who had committed countless crimes across the planet and represented a greater threat than all of Cadmus. Kara had to be careful. If her identity was revealed, Supergirl would be at the mercy of her new archenemy.

"So, Ms. Luthor, why the move to National City?"

The CEO must have noticed the guarded tone that had slipped into Kara's voice, because her expression soured accordingly. "It was time," she said simply. "Metropolis holds too many painful memories. Now that L-Corp is well in hand, I thought it was time for a fresh start."

"And why the name change?"

\

The interview went unremarkably. Plenty of facts to keep Snapper happy, but nothing earth-shattering came to light. Lena dodged any questions about Vanity magnificently, simply stating that she hoped peace would soon return to National City and expressing her thanks to Supergirl for depending the people.

Kara kept her tone as neutral as she could. Yet every time her gaze returned to the CEO's face, her mind flashed back to their confrontation the previous day. It was maddening to know that at least half of the Luthor's words were lies- and that she would have to report them as if they were fact.

Supergirl might be Vanity's greatest opponent, but Kara Danvers was just another tool for Lena Luthor to use in her rise to the top.

\

"How are you coping with your brother's legacy?"

"I loved Lex. Part of me still does. That doesn't change the fact that he became a monster. I only wish that it hadn't taken Superman's sacrifice to stop him."

\

"What's your position on President Marsdin's Alien Amnesty Act?"

"I have no problem with aliens. Lex looked at their abilities and technology and was consumed by jealousy. I look at them and see an opportunity for this planet. Already, some of them are doing great work for L-Corp. If some refugees just wish to be left alone, that's also perfectly fine. I've already expressed my full support for the Alien Amnesty Act currently in committee."

/

"What do you say to rumors that you're connected to Vanity?"

"Vanity has no connection to either L-Corp or myself. I've had several internal audits looking into any possible relationship between her technology and the weapons that my brother used. No connection of any kind has been uncovered."

/

"Have you spoken with Supergirl since you've arrived in National City?"

"No, I haven't been in contact with Supergirl as of yet. Of course, I'd be willing to work with her if the need arises. I don't blame Superman for battling my brother and I certainly don't blame Supergirl for what happened to Lex."

\

"Well, that's all I have Ms. Luthor," Kara finished. "Thank you for your time." She rose stiffly, reaching out her arm for a perfunctory handshake, but the CEO didn't move.

"I'm sensing some hostility, Ms. Danvers," she noted, glaring at Kara. "Perhaps you could explain why? I feel I've been perfectly fair with my responses."

Kara glared back, allowing some of Supergirl's steel to slip into her gaze. "I don't quite know what you mean, Ms. Luthor. Have I offended you?"

The CEO stared at her thoughtfully. "May I assume that we are now off the record?" she questioned.

Kara frowned, unsure of where this was leading. "I suppose."

In a swift movement, the Luthor snatched up the phone from her desk. "Jess? Make sure you hold my calls for another twenty minutes. Hmm? Yes, push it back. Thank you," she finished.

"Sit down, Ms. Danvers," the CEO gestured back to the swivel chair, her voice losing some of its bite. "If I'm going to be hated, I would prefer it be for the right reasons. I presume you would like to hear the truth?"

The reporter's jaw dropped. "You…you're telling me you've been lying this whole time?" Kara had known this to be the case, of course, but it was still galling to hear the words spoken aloud.

"Not about everything," the Luthor responded as Kara hesitantly sat down. "But about a lot of matters, yes, as you probably already know. Of course, it goes without saying you can't report any of what I'm about to tell you. No one would believe you if you did. Lena Luthor telling all her dirty secrets to a rookie reporter? Not even the tabloid readers would believe that."

Kara couldn't believe her ears. The CEO was right, of course. But Kara still couldn't fathom that such an admission had been given from the Luthor.

"Gosh, I mean…I suppose," the reporter admitted.

The Luthor's eyebrows raised. "Yes, well. This-" she pulled back her right sleeve, revealing an innocuous black bracelet. "Is how I become Vanity. The nanites are all stored in here. They're linked to my thoughts. In a moment, the suit can cover my body. Of course, I have backups should the need arise."

The reporter stared at the other woman, slack-jawed. Lena Luthor had just admitted she was Vanity. Lena Luthor had just admitted she was Vanity.

A lightning bolt went off in Kara's head. If they were speaking freely, she could finally ask the question that had been plaguing her for months.

"Why?" Kara demanded. "You have everything!" she gestured wildly to the pristine office. "Money, power, fame. You've been able to help so many people and still live a wonderful life. What more could you possibly want?"

The Luthor met her gaze with unyielding eyes. "World domination," she answered calmly.

Kara threw up her hands and jumped out of the chair. "Seriously?" she demanded, beginning to pace around the room. "Do you know how many megalomaniacs before you have tried and failed? And- again- why? Being the richest woman in the world isn't enough for you?"

With a shake of her head, the Luthor sighed. "That's not it. Believe me, I would love to just sit back and live the life of a normal CEO. But I can't, Ms. Danvers. My rule might be the only hope for the human race to live past this century."

"Megalomaniac!" Kara flailed her arms in exasperation.

"Now I'm grateful I paid for those sound-proof walls," the Luthor muttered. "Please sit down, Ms. Danvers- Kara. I'm explaining myself to you; will you please hear me out?"

Kara plopped back into her chair, arms crossed.

"There are two main reasons. One is that I could simply do a far better job running this planet than those currently in charge," she stated.

Kara stifled a laugh. "Because dictatorships have always worked better than democracies," she muttered.

"I don't plan on being a dictator; not how you picture it, anyway," the CEO replied "People will be free to hate me, speak against me, and believe whatever they wish. But as to your main point…yes, democracy is the best form of government humanity has ever managed to implement on a large scale. But I know I can do better."

She's as arrogant as her brother was.

"How can you be so sure?" Kara questioned.

The CEO offered her a small smile. "Take the countries around the world that don't have democracy or an autocrat with good intentions. North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria…the list goes on. The democracies don't have the political will, the technology, or the intelligence to fix those nations. And when they've tried, it's ended in disaster."

Can't argue with her there.

"And you could?"

The CEO nodded. "With the world's powers under my control and my technology at the level it's going to be, yes." She paused. "Even the major powers of this world could be run far better. All it would take is a single leader with the will, intelligence, and benevolence to see it through."

"Benevolence?" Kara demanded.

"Yes," the Luthor stated simply. "I want what is best for this world. And there are lines I won't cross. I won't harm or kill innocents. You would be amazed at some of the tech under development; I could incapacitate an entire army if it came to it without a single loss of life."

Kara's mind flashed back to the previous day. She had been at the villain's mercy- only to walk away without so much as a bruise.

Perhaps she wasn't dealing with the second coming of Lex Luthor. Maybe this was just an intelligent, well-intentioned woman who was far too sure of herself.

James's words slipped into her mind. You always try to see the best in people.

"What about everyone you've made disappear?"

Lena shrugged. "In holding cells. Quite comfortable, too. Far better than what most of them deserve…if you knew the things I'd uncovered, you wouldn't be opposed to their confinement. Make no mistake, Kara, I'm willing to kill if necessary. But only if the person deserves it and there is no other way."

"There's always a way!"

"Maybe," the CEO replied noncommittally. "You've been right so far. Who knows if that will change? But, of course, we haven't gotten to my second- and main- motivator for world domination."

Kara couldn't help but be curious. "And what is that?" she asked.

The Luthor's gaze rose to the ceiling. "Aliens," she said. "They're the single greatest threat our planet has ever known. Humanity can't afford to be divided any longer when this danger hangs above us."

The reporter's heart plummeted. "Really?" she asked sadly. "You're just another Lex after all?"

Lena shook her head, her eyes shining fiercely. "No. Never. I meant what I said before. Aliens have a lot to offer Earth. And most of them should be allowed to stay here, if they wish. I think we should allow as many refugees as feasibly possible- something that will actually be a reality once I'm in charge, by the way."

Kara stared at her, confused. "I thought you said they were a threat?"

"Most of them aren't. But it only takes one, Kara. One alien too powerful for Earth to stop. One warlike species that thinks our planet is an easy target. One alien splinter group that thinks Earth would be a fine place to settle once those pesky humans are dealt with." She paused to take a breath, her eyes never leaving Kara's.

"I've read Lex's notes, and I've corroborated his findings with my own research. Earth wasn't discovered by the alien community until roughly thirty years ago. Lex sent out probes, and I followed with a few of my own. Earth is lucky it hasn't been invaded already. But there's a ninety-eight-point seven percent chance one alien fleet or another will attack Earth within twenty years, according to my models. Can you imagine Earth stopping them? Imagine an army of aliens like the Supers coming down onto this world."

"The Supers have done nothing but help us!"

"I don't dispute that. But that doesn't mean that every powerful alien is going to be so friendly. I think aliens are a lot like humans, Kara. Many are good, and many are not. Eventually, a bad one will arrive. There are nations on this planet run by evil men and populated by those who will do his bidding. Do you think the same isn't true for aliens? Imagine if even one powerful alien had found us first. Interchange Superman's personality with my brother's. He might have taken over the world by himself."

The reporter found her voice. "But we have Supergirl!" she protested.

Lena nodded. "Yes. We do. And we're very lucky to have her. She's taken care of a lot of aliens that Earth's governments would have had difficulty stopping. But she's not invincible, Kara. Lex proved that two years ago. God, he was a fool." Lena's gaze finally fell to her desk as emotion crept into her voice. "Superman was our best chance. Any idiot could see that. And what did Lex do? Wasted his massive intellect trying to take out Earth's only effective defense. He couldn't stand the thought of anyone being better than him…more beloved than he was. It's only fortunate he didn't know about Supergirl."

"And now you're fighting her," Kara challenged.

"She's fighting me," the Luthor refuted. "I'd be perfectly happy to never lay a hand on her again. Hell, I wouldn't mind working with her. But I can't let her stop me. I promise I won't kill her, Kara. I've read some of your articles," she added as Kara failed to hide an involuntary reaction. "I know you use her as a quote source. You don't have to worry about that stopping any time soon."

Kara sighed. At least it seemed she wouldn't have to worry about the CEO killing her, though she still didn't look forward to their next encounter. "Then work with her! You could be a superhero too!"

Lena shook her head. "It wouldn't be enough. The two of us couldn't stand against an alien fleet. It will take the entire Earth, united, with the best technology at its back and an unparalleled intellect at the head."

For a moment, Kara pictured it: a fleet staffed with aliens nearly as powerful as herself assaulting the Earth. Lena wasn't wrong about how difficult it would be to stop. But that didn't mean that the Luthor taking over the world would make their odds any better.

"You seem very sure of yourself, Lena."

A brief smile flickered on the CEO's face. "I'm the most intelligent being on this planet, Kara. It's not boasting; it's a statement of fact. Intellect is often like money: it's not earned or something to be proud of, it's just something you're lucky enough to be born with. Did you know I was beating Lex at chess when I was four? They never even came up with a test that could quantify his IQ. His tech was impressive. Yet I made it obsolete almost immediately after entering the lab."

Lena took a deep breath, hesitated, and then continued. "Luthors have always been intelligent. But I suppose the right mixture of genes gave Lex the jackpot. I was even luckier."

Luthors?!

"But, golly, Lena, weren't you adopted? What would the Luthor genes have to do with you?"

Lena sighed. "I-I suppose I said a little too much there. I was adopted, but not out of the kindness of their hearts, that's for certain. I was Lionel's bastard, Kara. When my mother died, they took me in. Lionel was afraid the truth would leak out if I wasn't under his control. I only found out when I read Lex's notes. It…explained a lot. Lillian treated me like a termite infestation she could never get rid of. Now I know why."

Kara felt a surge of sympathy. She'd been adopted herself, of course, but had fallen into the loving arms of the Danvers. That had been hard enough. How had it felt for Lena to lose her mother and receive scorn instead of comfort?

"So, there you have it," Lena's voice brought the reporter back to reality. "My dastardly plans and motivations in full. Still hate me?" For the first time, there seemed to be genuine trepidation in Lena's eyes.

"No," Kara couldn't stop herself from answering. "I mean, I think you're deeply misguided and blinded by your regard for your own intelligence. But you seem to mean well. And you still do a lot of good! It's nice to know L-Corp's charity work isn't all just a front. I just hope you stop all of this before people get hurt."

The CEO smiled. "I'm sure she'll try. But I'm not going to stop. There are over a dozen people in my inner circle; I trust their judgment, and they all agree that this has to be done."

"And just how are you going to take over the world?" Kara asked.

Lena chuckled. "As if I'm going to tell all of the details to a friend of Supergirl's! Let's just say it will be non-lethal and involve my technology reaching out to every corner of the globe. That's the key, Kara. Technology. That's why I can succeed where so many failed. It makes humanity far more connected than it's ever been. And if someone gains an advantage in every technological field, they'll find their influence reaching everywhere. From there, it's a fairly simple path to control."

"You're not evil," Kara sighed. "But you still need to be stopped."

Lena shrugged. "Agree to disagree, Kara. It has been a pleasure. It's pretty rare that I allow myself to be open with reporters."

"Why tell me all of this?" Kara still couldn't understand it.

"As I said, no one will believe you if you report it. You have no proof. And, well, I suppose I'm tired of the world believing me as vile as my brother. Now you can hate me for the right reasons," Lena offered.

Kara rose from her chair once again. "I don't hate you, Lena," the reporter said again. "But I'm afraid of what you might do and I'm going to tell Supergirl she needs to find a way to arrest you."

"Fair enough." Lena rose from her seat. She stuck her hand out, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

The reporter shook it briefly. Releasing the CEO's hand, she turned and exited the office. Kara was so distracted she barely even glanced at Lena's secretary as she made her way to the elevator.

Supergirl needed to meet with her friends. She had to tell them that Lena Luthor was far less malicious than they had assumed.

And that she was also the most dangerous threat that they had ever faced.