Captain Luthor was confused. When his suit had told him that it detected his daughter, he hadn't believed it, but here she was, safe and sound. However, she didn't seem as excited to see him as he was to see her. It wasn't the only day her enthusiasm hadn't seemed to match his.
"It's done," he'd announced.
She tried to give him a spiel about how it was still glitchy and the hammer wasn't ready. She'd teared up, and he'd assumed she was worried about him, but now he wondered if she'd been trying to delay the attack for Superman's sake, for her mom's sake. She'd given him her hair tie to wear as if she'd known then that he wasn't coming back or if he did, she wouldn't be there. So many signs he hadn't picked up on before, but the "I love you, Dad" had sounded real enough.
He'd tested out the suit before he'd gotten into the ship. He flew to the top of the Daily Planet roof. It seemed appropriate given that this was where his wife died. Maybe he'd even draw the monster there, and he could test out the hammer with a live subject and find out once and for all whether it was ready or not.
When he saw a figure in the shadows, half of him expected it to be Lois as impossible as it was. When the person stepped forward, he gasped with recognition. "Why are you alive?" he demanded.
Jimmy Olsen's eyes widened with alarm. The kid wasn't hard to intimidate even though he wasn't as wet behind the ears as when Lois had first started working at the Planet. He'd never much cared for him, a Superman worshiper and a suck-up in general though Lois had always been fond of him. Probably because he always did her bidding. "I-I-"
"My wife died in front of you, and you did nothing to help. I always knew you were a sniveling coward, but I didn't know you were a lousy friend too." He used the suit's strength to life him up by the neck. "I should end you like he ended her."
"No, please, she isn't-" he caught himself and stopped midsentence.
"She isn't what?" he prompted. When he didn't answer right away, he tightened his grip.
"She isn't dead!" he rasped out.
He was so shocked, he dropped Olsen like a sack of potatoes.
"What are you saying? We all saw it. I've watched the video a thousand times."
Still clutching his neck as if trying to shield him from grabbing it again, he said with a hint of sympathy. "She had to make it look convincing or the Kryptonians would have come after them, but they're working to stop them even now."
He could guess who the "them" was and he tried not to let the rage overtake him.
"I know she wanted to tell you, but the fewer people that knew, the better their plan has of working. We just have to be patient."
"Patient? Does she know how I've grieved? And I'm willing to bet he's playing her for a fool."
But he wondered if she hadn't been the one to play him for a fool. He thought back years ago to when he'd first announced to his father of his intention to marry Lois Lane.
He'd been the child of an affair between the first Alexander Luthor and one of his employees. His mother had died when he was two, so he really had no memory of her. His surviving parent hadn't had a lot of time for him, always leaving his care to someone else and sending him off to boarding school as soon as he was able.
He hadn't supported his decision to enlist, despite having sent him to a military academy when he proved to be a handful. Even less did he support his decision to marry.
"She's cute, but you could have your pick of gorgeous, wealthy women. You're making a mistake, Alexander."
He hated how he thought he had a right to an opinion after being so little involved in his life. "I love her. I know that means little to you when you have a different woman on your arm every time you turn around, but I do. And what's more she loves me."
"That's sweet," he said though the look on his face said he thought it was anything but. "You know I've watched her on that local channel the college kids use to play journalist, and I've seen her in action."
"Isn't she great? She already has a job lined up at the Daily Planet."
"She's passionate and principled. I can see why you're attracted to her, but deny it all you want to, you're a Luthor. And a woman like that will take exception to that. Scheming, bending the rules, it's in the blood, son, and it'll show. You'd do well to drop her now before she leaves you."
"She knows my family history, and she doesn't hold it against me. I'm not going to take my inheritance. We're going to live honestly."
He'd laughed at him, saying he'd be back. And he had come back nine years later after the death of his father. His aunt, Lena Luthor, had taken over the company and given him a job as head of security that he could have never stomached taking from Lex. It had allowed him to move his family back to Metropolis as Lois still missed her friends and coworkers at the Planet. As they said, a happy wife was a happy life. At least, it had been until a couple months ago when the alien scum had ruined it all.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
Jimmy still looked pale whether from being choked or nervous, and he wasn't quick to answer.
"Maybe you didn't hear me," he said, picking him up again. "I said where is she?"
"I don't know. Somewhere on the wharf, I think."
Of course. Superman reigned over the survivors of Metropolis while the Kryptonians had moved on to other cities. He wouldn't want her too far from him.
"Dad, you can't let history repeat itself," Natalie said, breaking through his memories and returning him to the present. "Learn from your mistakes."
"Oh, I intend to," he said. He wasn't going to let Superman steal his family from him. Not this time.