CHAPTER THREE
YURI was sitting on an old-tethered couch in his parent's bungalow basement, with a video game controller in his hands, absently listening to Josh and Kyle come up with ideas on how to shake up Metropolis and Smallville to the core. Yuri, Josh, and Kyle, were all twenty-five years old, and all went to Smallville High together. After the three of them just barely graduated from that hellhole, they came out of that school with no prospects in life, which labeled them as disappointments to their parents.
Yuri knew why life for the three of them was so damn difficult. Even though most citizens of Smallville knew that the meteor rocks had given certain people power, those who were not infected still had a hard time coming to terms to what meteor infected people were actually capable of. Yuri believed they were gods, and should be treated and feared as such.
Yuri placed the controller on the small coffee table. He was done listening to Josh and Kyle's plans that would do nothing but ruffle feathers. He wanted to make a bold statement that would change the world forever.
"Your ideas suck," He said while crossing his arms. If Kyle and Josh were offended, they didn't show it.
"How so?" Josh asked. "We've been talking for an hour and you've contributed nothing."
"If we want to make a statement, we make a statement. The more casualties the better."
"And how do you suppose that?" Kyle asked.
"Simple, because in case you idiots forgot, the stupid Blur is running amuck in Smallville and Metropolis."
"We haven't forgotten," Josh said with an exasperated sigh. "We just haven't come up with a plan to deal with him."
Yuri laughed. "It's quite easy, Josh. We don't deal with him. We let him do his thing."
"I don't understand," Kyle said softly.
"The Blur is fast. But not fast enough to be in three places at once. Josh, since your ability is electricity, during rush hour, you will kill everyone using the Metro line. Once the Blur gets there to help those lucky bastards fortunate enough to survive, we will simultaneously take out two other locations where the most people will be in."
"What other places do you have in mind?" Josh asked.
"The Great Metropolis Mall for one. That has massive amounts of people in it all the time. I'll be able to take them out with an explosion."
"And the last place?" Kyle asked.
"LexCorp power plant. Just a small spark from your abilities Kyle will be enough to send the whole thing crumbling down," Yuri answered.
"It's a suicide mission," Josh added as a reminder, knowing there was no way any of them would come out alive after this.
"No. It will be our legacy. Anyone who is Meteor Infected will worship us. We will do more good for our community than the joke that is the Isis Foundation. We will be immortalized."
Kyle and Josh exchanged a look. Yuri was right. They had been talking about making a statement since high school, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.
"We're still in," Josh said breaking the silence.
"Good. Because we have a lot of planning to do before we get started."
LOIS Lane pushed her way through the crowd of people that were gathered for an impromptu press conference hosted by Oliver Queen. Not much was known about the press conference, other than it was an announcement on the future of Queen Industries. Lois had asked Chloe if she knew anything about this, but she was just as baffled and surprised as everyone.
"Keep up, Olsen," Lois said, not even looking back to see if her camera guy was still behind her. "We got a headline to report."
There were already reporters from other news affiliations, such as the Gotham Gazette, The Star City Register, The Inquisitor, and the Central City Chronicle, taking pictures and ready to ask Mr. Queen a barrage of questions.
Lois got up to the front in time, just as Oliver stepped up on the platform and headed toward the microphone. Already, Lois could hear the reporters try and get his attention by calling his name and asking questions.
Oliver, who looked every bit the businessman, did his best to settle the crowd. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," he said into the microphone that effectively shut everyone up. "Normally, I wouldn't make an announcement like this in Metropolis, but the expansion of Queen Industries has allowed me to stay in this wonderful city.
"And it is because of Queen Industries growing expansion, that I feel like I cannot do my family's name justice by myself anymore. That is why I am pleased to introduce the newest Vice President of Queen Industries, Tess Mercer."
"Twist," Lois said as she watched Tess come onto the stage, not expecting this to be the announcement Oliver had in mind. Her fellow reporters were just as speechless, but to Lois, it wasn't such a bad move. Tess was more than capable of running a business, and it was good that her years of education would be put back to good use.
"You getting pictures, Jimmy?"
"Yup," Jimmy said as he continued to take pictures.
Oliver continued, "Queen Industries is pleased to have Miss. Mercer join us."
"Thank you, Mr. Queen. I look forward to contributing to this company, this city, and giving back to the community." Tess said.
"Any and all questions can be directed toward my amazing PR team, who have set up tents to address reporters. Thank you all for coming, and we can't wait to show you the future of Queen Industries."
With that, Oliver and Tess exited the platform as reporters shouted questions at them.
"What do you think Lois?" Jimmy asked as he looked at the digital shoots he took on his camera. "A Luthor working for a Queen?"
"Lighten up, Olsen. She isn't that bad."
"Lois Lane? Saying something nice? What kind of alternate universe is this?" Jimmy asked as he followed Lois away from the crowd. "Also, shouldn't you be heading to the press conference?"
"I have other ways to get my inside scoop, Olsen. Keep up, or you'll miss your ride back to the Planet."
AFTER a long day, Tess decided to head into one of Metropolis's many coffee shops and order herself a vanilla latte. By the time she got her latte, she could feel someone staring at her from behind. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"Is this how you repay your brother? After everything I have done for you?" Lex asked, which caused Tess to turn around.
"I take you saw the press conference," Tess said without batting an eyelash as she walked past Lex, who started to follow her.
"I did. Didn't take you and Oliver to be friends."
"We're not," Tess lied. "I needed a job, and got one."
Lex grabbed her arm once she was back on the streets of Metropolis while saying, "Skill sets you wouldn't have if it wasn't for me, sis."
Tess looked at Lex's hand that was grasped tightly around her arm before she forcefully shrugged him off.
"Lets make a couple things very clear," Tess began to say. "We are not siblings. Lionel abandoned me because he was too much of a coward to raise me, or you, properly. In all honesty, I think I am better for it. And yes, you did help me. You gave me a chance at a future, instead of being stuck in that trailer park. But that future was yours, not mine. I turned into you, and I hate myself for how easily I did."
"We share the same blood, Lutessa. If you don't think deep down you are like me, and dear old Dad, you are wrong." He kind of laughed before he continued, "One day, you will betray Queen Industries. You will betray your friends—if you find any. And you won't have me to run back to."
Tess had always been afraid that deep down, by blood, being a Luthor would mean she would inherently betray everyone she cared about. Maybe before she had a strong support system she would have, but the thought of betraying Clark, Lois, Chloe, Oliver and The League, well, she would rather take a knife to her gut than do that.
"Someone once told me," Tess began to say, "that it wasn't blood that corrupted people, it was man. You see Lex; you blame all your problems on Lionel. You take no responsibility for your actions. I have taken accountability for my sins. All the terrible things I did in the past—it was because I did them. I choose to be a better, different person and I love it."
Tess didn't bother to wait for Lex's response and started to head in the opposite direction of where he was still standing. What she told Lex was true. When she was stuck in that trailer park home, she had thought that money could buy happiness. When Lex had taken her under his wing, and had control over LuthorCorp, she had thought that was happiness. But she had been wrong. Happiness, for her now, was a Sunday afternoon on the Kent farm with, beers, a barbeque, and all her friends telling stories and laughing over League misadventures. For the first time in her life she realized that family wasn't just about sharing blood, and it was the people that made life worth living, not the objects.