Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1 - The New Luthor
National City had been talking about the new CEO all week.
The grand announcement had appeared on every major news network and radio that people all over couldn’t help but indulge endlessly.
After years of chaos surrounding the Luthor family, the LuthorCorp board had officially appointed Ryujin Luthor as the company's new CEO, who is none other than the younger sibling of the previous Luthor, the infamous Lex Luthor.
At only twenty-five, she was taking control of one of the largest technology and research corporations in the world. Naturally, everyone had an opinion.
Some called her brilliant. Some called her too young. Others called her dangerous.
Most simply called her… Luthor.
Not in a positive way of course.
“Here I am.”
Yeji stood outside LuthorCorp Tower with a notebook in one hand, and her press badge hanging around her neck.
And…on the other hand, she had a bouquet of flowers.
“I must be crazy, right”, she whined, looking at the flowers, “Why did I buy flowers?! It’s not like I’m meeting a date!”
Yup, Yeji Danvers, a local reporter for Catco Worldwide Media, was there for work.
She had been assigned to interview the new CEO of LutherCorp.
She wasn't entirely sure how she had ended up with it.
"Because you're good with people", her editor had told her that morning.
Yeji had stared at him, "You know I'm a reporter, right?"
"Exactly."
That conversation had somehow resulted in Yeji standing now outside LuthorCorp Tower, like a nervous wreck.
Yeji, or rather should I say ….Supergirl (whispers), didn’t particularly have a great record with the Luthors in the past. In fact, there has hardly been any Luthor she’d encountered that didn’t want to kill her at least once.
Scratch that, it was more than once!
On top of that, it didn’t make the fact any better that the very reason Lex Luthor is in prison at the moment, is all thanks to her.
And now our homie Yeji Danvers (who is secretly also Supergirl and the center of all the chaos) is asked to do an interview with Lex’s own sister and another Luthor – Ryujin.
‘Okay, the flowers can be kind of an apology for kicking her brother into prison’, she was having a long nervous internal monologue with herself, ‘Not that she would know why. I mean, I can’t just walk in empty-handed, right? That’s not nice, uh-huh. She was kind enough to allow me to interview her in the middle of her busy schedule. The least I could do is buy some flowers. Yeah, that is all!’
Yeji looked up at the enormous glass building, ‘Maybe she’s not like the other Luthors I’ve met. Right, RIGHT??? (,,>﹏<,,)’. I can handle this sophisticatedly, and professionally, and ethically and–’
"Okay, Yeji, calm down!”
She took a breath, stopping herself from spiraling further.
"Just an interview."
As Yeji walked in rigidly, the receptionist immediately directed her toward the executive floor, where an assistant was waiting to escort her into Ryujin Luthor's office.
‘Dang, this place is loaded! But Ryujin Luthor…she seems so well organized and detail oriented. I can’t believe she remembered our interview appointment…I expected to wait at least 2 hours in the lobby…’
The doors of the office opened.
Yeji stepped inside.
...And stopped.
Ryujin Luthor – the Luthor heiress, stood beside the enormous windows overlooking National City.
She was almost as young as Yeji but on a different level altogether.
She wore an immaculate black suit, her medium short dark hair falling perfectly around her face.
No amount of photos gave justice to her handsome pretty features, Yeji thought.
She looked calm, confident and completely in control.
Then Ryujin turned.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, Yeji forgot why she was even there.
To say the least, Ryujin had these mesmerizing deep round brown eyes that seemed to absorb everything into it like a wormhole, Yeji herself included.
…
Ryujin tilted her head slightly.
"Miss Danvers?"
Yeji blinked.
"YES?”, her voice squeaked out, definitely higher than what she would’ve liked.
She had to clear her throat immediately and retry with an awkward smile, "Sorry. Yes. That's me."
Ryujin's lips curved into the faintest smile, "Nice to meet you. I’m Ryujin Luthor”, she said calmly and reached out her hand.
For a moment, Yeji didn’t know what to do with her hands as she juggled between her notebook and bouquet clumsily back and forth.
Ryujin, noticing her fretting like a baby chick, quietly came to the rescue, “Are those flowers for me? That’s kind of you.”
“Oh yeah, I got them on the way for you!”, Yeji stuttered as Ryujin took the flowers from her, freeing one of her hands consecutively to shake it.
“I-I’m Yeji Danvers, thank you for agreeing to do this interview, Ms. Luthor”, when they shook hands, Yeji hoped with all her heart that her palm wasn’t sweating like crazy.
“Not at all. And just …Ryujin is fine”, Ryujin gestured toward the chair opposite her desk.
"Please."
Yeji sat down upright, clicked the record button on her recording device, and also opened her notebook.
She had prepared questions all morning. She had researched LuthorCorp. She had researched Ryujin. She had even researched Lex Luthor. (Not that she had to, but yes.)
She was prepared.
Probably.
"I won’t take lot of your time. First of all, congratulations on becoming CEO", Yeji began, her nerves settling slowly as she eased into her professional mode.
"Thank you."
"You're taking over LuthorCorp at a rather difficult time."
"I am aware."
"Some people believe the company needs to distance itself from your family's history."
Ryujin's expression became slightly colder.
"Some people believe my family's history is all I am."
Yeji paused.
There was something definitely behind the words, isn't it?
Something almost painful.
Yeji lowered her notebook slightly and looked up at Ryujin.
"...Do you?"
Ryujin looked at her.
"No."
The answer was quiet but certain.
"I intend to build something of my own."
Yeji smiled. She pushed the rim of the large glasses over the bridge of her nose.
"Then maybe that's what people should be asking about."
Ryujin studied her for a moment, "You're not going to ask me about …Lex?"
Yeji hesitated.
"I was going to."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because everyone else already has."
The answer that came from Yeji was so simple and sincere that for the first time, Ryujin genuinely smiled, streaks of tiny whisker dimples appearing on her cheeks.
Yeji found herself smiling back like a kid.
Something about the moment felt unexpectedly cute and easy.
Luthors - there was always something about them.
Everyone knew the evil inclination and criminal ambitions that have been running through this family like a plague. And Supergirl knew it all too personally, because she was the one who had to fight the most against it.
But this young woman, seated across from Yeji, Yeji could not find a single trace of malice like the other Luthors.
The interview continued.
They talked about LuthorCorp's future, technology, scientific research and Ryujin's plans for the company.
But somewhere along the way, the interview stopped feeling like an interview.
Ryujin discovered that Yeji was surprisingly cute and funny.
Yeji discovered that Ryujin's intimidating reputation was mostly undeserved.
By the time the interview ended, nearly an hour had passed.
Yeji closed her notebook, "I think that's everything."
Ryujin glanced toward the clock, "That was quick."
Yeji laughed.
"An hour isn't exactly quick."
"It felt quick."
Yeji looked at her.
Ryujin seemed almost surprised by her own admission.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Yeji stood.
"Well... thank you for your time. That was a wonderful interview."
"You're most welcome, Ms. Danvers", Ryujin still puzzled about the fleeting time phenomenon with this reporter, which was the complete opposite of every other reporter she had come in contact with, “Yes, it was indeed wonderful."
Yeji reached the door.
"Yeji."
She stopped and turned.
Ryujin was still standing beside her desk.
"You said I could call you Ryujin, right?”, Yeji smiled,
"Only if you call me Yeji."
Ryujin's genuine smile returned.
"Deal."
Yeji walked out of the office. The doors closed behind her.
She took three steps down the hallway before stopping.
She looked down at her notebook.
Then back at the closed doors.
She smiled to herself.
"Perhaps, she is the redemption arc the world needed. A new Luthor."
Inside the office, Ryujin’s attention turned to the bouquet of flowers.
She quietly tucked them into an empty vase that then went to neatly sit on the desk in front of her.
Ryujin stared at it for some time, then ran her fingers gently through the petals, “Daisies…does she know…”, she smiled to herself, “My favorite.”
For the first time that day, Ryujin didn't feel like the new CEO of LuthorCorp. She simply felt like a girl who’d just met someone that had kindled her cold heart to warm up. The usual armor of sarcasm and corporate distance had fallen away, replaced by something softer, and…more curious.
Because in that short amount of time she was there, Yeji Danvers managed to do something extraordinary that no one had ever attempted.
She chose not to see a Luthor. She chose to see Ryujin.
And that, Ryujin realized with a jolt, was terrifying.
And equally… exhilarating.
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Hardly three blocks from LuthorCorp Tower, Yeji’s phone rang so loud suddenly that everyone around turned around to judge her for the choice of ringtone.
“Hello?”, Yeji quickly answered, thankful her phone didn't ring and embarrass her while she was doing the interview earlier.
How did it escape her mind to not put it on silent?
Nerves - that's what.
“Hey, what would you like for dinner?”, the voice on the other side came chirpily.
Yeji pulled the phone back to look at the time for a second and got it back to her ear, “Sis, it’s not even past lunch time and you’re asking me about dinner?”
“Well, I’m the one cooking tonight. And I need to know what you want to eat. Let me spoil you again.”
Yeji sighed, but a knowing smile broke out simultaneously.
Lia Danvers - her sister.
Years before, when Yeji landed on earth, the Danvers family adopted her, not knowing her alien origin. They raised her as a normal child alongside their own daughter, giving equal amount of love and care. Growing up together, Lia was Yeji’s only sibling and closest confidante.
To Lia, Yeji was simply her twinsoul sister – the awkward, kind-hearted girl who somehow always seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.
But then… she discovered the truth when 12-year-old Yeji one day simply lifted the heavy wooden cupboard searching for a coin, pretty much to both their surprise.
Obviously, they couldn’t tell their parents because the teenage kids thought it was too cool to have a secret like that. It thus remained a secret even until their parents' death, who passed away together in an unfortunate accident.
For sure, Yeji probably blames it to this day on herself for not being able to save their parents on time somehow.
After everything now, Yeji isn't just Lia's only family member and sister. Yeji is also Supergirl.
And while Lia has no powers, no alien heritage, and no secret identity of her own, she became something just as important for her: the person Yeji could always come home to.
That's why no matter what fierce villains and aliens Yeji had to fight, she could home to a warm meal and a warm bed…and a warm home.
Eventually, through the years as they survived and learned to be each other's home, Lia had the opportunity to join the Department of Extranormal Operations – the DEO – where her intelligence, courage and understanding of Yeji made her an invaluable member of the team.
Working alongside Supergirl, she became one of the people standing on front lines when Earth faced threats from beyond the stars.
Warm, protective, and stubbornly human - this is Lia Danvers, who always stands beside her one and only sister– not because she has to, but because family means never letting someone face the impossible alone.
Yeji hummed happily before she replied.
“Then can you make me your super-yum lasagna”, she said, “Make it extra cheesy like LoveLia.”
“Pfft, that’s easy”, Lia replied with a snort, “Leave it to me! Where are you by the way? Did you have your lunch?”
“Oh, you won’t believe it. I just had an interview that I completed with—”
Suddenly Yeji stopped abruptly.
She felt the ground tremble in a violent, concussive shudder that sent pedestrians stumbling – not where she was standing to be exact, but actually quite few kilometers away from this place.
Yeji felt it through the soles of her shoes.
Her head snapped up, her reporter's instinct warring with something deeper, more primal.
“Hello? Yeji??”, Lia’s confused voice was coming from the phone.
But Yeji’s enhanced hearing was picking up something else entirely: the shriek of tearing metal, the high-pitched whine of overloaded energy, the panicked screams of people.
“Emergency, I’m gonna check on it, Lia”, without a second thought, Yeji ducked into an alleyway, her business attire blurring into the familiar red and blue of her uniform.
And Supergirl shot into the sky.
When she arrived there, she realized the source was a research facility owned by a subsidiary of LuthorCorp.
"Oh please, not again."
The scene was chaos.
The front of the three-story building had been blown outwards, smoke and flames licking at the shattered facade. Emergency vehicles were already converging, their lights painting the devastation in strobing flashes of red and white.
She landed amidst the debris, her boots crunching on broken glass.
"What happened?", she asked a firefighter, her voice calm and steady despite the sight of the injured being carried away.
She cleared a huge chunk of debris out of the way for the firefighters to have better access.
"Unknown, ma'am. Some kind of explosion in the lower labs. Whole place is unstable."
Supergirl's eyes narrowed, her X-ray vision cutting through the smoke and dust.
She caught it - deep in the building's core, a device she didn't recognize pulsing with an eerie, purple light.
'That’s not a bomb. Then what is it?’
It was strange. It was... absorbing something. Energy. Heat. The very structural integrity of the building around it.
The explosion hadn't been the cause; it was a symptom.
"Officer, I think we need to evacuate the entire block", Yeji turned and said urgently, her voice firm. "This isn't over."
She then flew inside quickly, navigating the collapsing corridors with practiced ease.
Heat, smoke, and the groan of stressed steel surrounded her. She found three scientists trapped in a lab, the door warped shut by the blast.
With a slight grunt of effort, she tore it free, carrying them out to safety.
Yeji felt the pulse hit another wave, just when they made it out.
"Get back!", she yelled to the emergency crews outside, "It's going to go again!"
As if on cue, another blast ripped through the building, larger than the first!
Supergirl instinctively threw up her arms, shielding a group of firefighters with a large billboard from the flying shrapnel. The force of it, even at her strength, sent her stumbling back a step.
"Ugh!"
Whatever that device was… it was powerful.
‘The explosions will escalate and won’t stop until I neutralize that device. I need to get to it!’
Supergirl flew back in, ignoring the creaks and groans of the failing structure. She had to get to the core, to the source.
She somehow reached the lab, navigating through all the hurdles.
It was a wreck, but the device in the center was untouched, humming with that same strange, violet energy.
Wires ran from it to consoles that were sparking and dying. It was clearly experimental.
'Abandoned LuthorCorp research', she'd bet.
To rub it off more, LuthorCorp logo indeed was all over the device parts and the entire room.
She sighed and reached out to try and disable it.
But the moment her fingers brushed against the metallic casing, a jolt of pure agony shot through her.
She doubled over as if a lightning had struck and opened her core.
‘What the…’
The device wasn't just absorbing energy.
It was designed to absorb her energy. To hurt her.
Yeji stumbled back, her vision beginning to swim.
The room spun.
A wave of dizziness washed over her, a feeling so alien it was terrifying.
She felt… weak suddenly. Almost human.
For a terrifying second, she even forgot that she could fly.
Then she heard it - the cries of wounded people outside. Her enhanced hearing picking up on the emergency services desperately working hard to save people.
"Bring the stretcher here!"
"You're going to be okay, ma'am. Don't worry, we got you."
"Sam, put out the fire on this side of the building, quick!"
Humans - Not strong like her.
But always fighting.
The anger came. Cold and sharp.
She wasn't going to let them get anymore hurt. She has to move!
Yeji worked out an idea quickly and flew back out, not bothering with finesse. She burst through the weakened roof and into the sky, the cool autumn air a shock against her skin.
The point is she needed to get it away from people, right?
With a growl of effort, she wrapped her arms around the core of the building - the section containing the device, and heaved.
Metal screamed. Concrete crumbled.
She peeled it off the ground and lifted it.
People gasped when they stopped to witness what Supergirl was doing for them.
Higher and higher she climbed, the city lights quickly shrinking below her.
Her muscles screamed in protest, the device's draining effect a constant, sapping pull against her power.
At one point, she almost thought she was going to pass out.
But when her eyes caught the glimpse of people below, and their ashen faces looking up at her...with concern…looking at her to save the day yet again… looking at her to have the hope to live one more day…
Yeji roared and pushed herself with everything she had, she started climbing higher again.
'I can't let what happened to my parents happen to everyone else.'
Finally, when high above the clouds, Yeji released the building part before she unleashed her heat vision - a focused beam of crimson energy that struck the device dead center.
BOOM!
The explosion was silent in the thin air, a brilliant, blinding flash of violet that dissolved into … nothingness.
Yeji hovered there in the sky for a long moment, catching her breath, the city a blanket of smoke and lights beneath her.
She stared into her palm and flexed her fingers.
The effect was almost ridiculously instantaneous – the weakness was receding, her strength flooding back.
But the memory of the chilling vulnerability and pain, clung on stubbornly.
‘Was that weapon built specifically to hurt me? Lex is already in prison. Then who…?’
Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her uniform just then.
“You okay, Yeji??!”, Lia’s loud voice shouted, “I could see an explosion in the sky, even from my place.”
Yeji replied with trembling fingers, “I'm fine. LuthorCorp subsidiary facility. Something targeted me.”
Lia's reply was immediate. “Luthors again?! Geez. I'll get on it with DEO. The Luthor connection cannot a coincidence, be careful.”
Yeji knew she was right.
But her mind, traitorously this time, didn't jump to Lex.
It jumped to the smiling face of Ryujin.
'No, it can't be...'
The thought was a spike of ice in her chest.
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Ryujin was still in her office, staring out at the city, when the distant glow of an explosion painted the clouds.
She immediately turned on the massive screen on her wall to watch the news unfold, her expression unreadable.
The reporter was breathless. "…unprecedented devastation at the LuthorCorp Applied Sciences building. Initial reports suggest Supergirl was on the scene and may have prevented a city-wide catastrophe by removing the core of the explosion…"
Ryujin's jaw tightened.
Applied Sciences – a subsidiary she had personally ordered to be audited and downsized last week. A division rife with her brother's old projects.
Her private line rang just then. The number was encrypted.
"Luthor", she answered, her voice clipped.
"Ryujin." The voice on the other end was smooth, cultured, and utterly devoid of warmth. "I trust you're enjoying your new position."
Ryujin's blood ran cold. "Mother."
"I saw the news", her mother continued, ignoring her daughter's tone. "Are Lex's old toys still causing trouble? It's a shame you can't control your own company."
"I, am, in complete control", Ryujin said, her knuckles white as she gripped the desk.
"Are you…?”, a soft, venomous chuckle. "This… incident. It doesn't look like control. It looks like a ghost. Lex's ghost", a pause,
"And ghosts, my dear, have a way of haunting the living."
The line went dead.
Ryujin stared at the phone, a familiar, suffocating pressure building in her chest.
The ghost of Lex Luthor and her family name wasn't just haunting the company; it was haunting her. Every decision, every public appearance was a referendum on her name. And now, this. An attack using technology that bore her infamous family's signature.
She needed to know what was in that building. What project had been hidden from her?
She pressed a button on her desk. "Get me the head of security for Applied Sciences. And pull all archived project files from the last five years. I want them on my desk in an hour."
Ryujin sat down on her chair, rubbing the dull ache on her temple.
Her mind raced, a whirlwind of corporate strategy and scientific analysis. It was a familiar, comforting chaos.
But yet beneath it, an unfamiliar image suddenly surfaced to Ryujin’s surprise: Yeji Danvers's earnest, open face.
The way she hadn't judged, and the easy smile she wore that had disarmed Ryujin without even trying.
“What am I thinking…"
The thought was a brief spark in the cold, calculated mind of Ryujin....seeking earnestly for light and warmth in the middle of her darkness.
"I shouldn't...”
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