In Family we Trust - SuperCorp

Lionel Luthor

September 7th 2003

Lena had been a Luthor for seven years now. Seven years, since Lionel Luthor had guided her into their mansions living room and had introduced her to her new mother. The fact that she was adopted, really shouldn't have affected her that much. It really shouldn't have. After all, she couldn't remember what the world looked like at 4 years old. She couldn't remember the face of the woman who had given birth to her, and even the idea of not having an older brother seemed like an entirely foreign concept to her.

And yet, there was one problem; Lillian Luthor.

The woman claimed she was raising a scientist. Claimed that in order to be a successful person, she would always have to question the things that surrounded her and, by extension, always question whether people were telling the truth or if they had something to hide. What Lena experienced, however, was rather different.

Every misstep, seemed to lead to an insult. Anytime she forgot to carry herself with poise and dignity, was an excuse to remind her she wasn't truly a Luthor. And if she dared to talk back, to question her mother in any shape or form..., it would lead to a belt and countless bruises on her back.

So Lena tried. She tried ever so hard to live up to Lillian's standards. Because even though Lex and Lionel seemed to genuinely care for her, they always seemed to be too busy with work or school to spend too much time with Lena. But more importantly than that, Lena was just a little girl, who wholeheartedly believed that if she did everything Lillian asked of her, the woman who had taken her in would eventually learn to love her.

On this particularly grey morning, however, Lillian Luthor and her sermons about poise and dignity were the last thing on her mind. Lena was in her room, balled up in a corner with a pillow pressed to her chest. She was shaking with fear, her eyes wide with horror as she looked towards the other end of the room, where her father was trying to calm her down.

"Lena, listen to me" Lionel pleaded with his hands reaching out reassuringly. "I don't know how this happened either, but I need you to hear me out, alright?" He took a tentative step forward, only causing Lena to start shaking even more violently. "I'm not here to hurt you, Lena, I promise. But I have seen things. I have seen things, and I know it sounds ludicrous, but I think I saw the future."

This wasn't real. This wasn't actually happening. She was just in shock. He was not here. It was not real. It was not real.

"Lena!"

Lena froze, not even having realized that she had started rocking back and forward until she stopped, and turned her head back towards Lionel Luthor. The man who had adopted her.

Lionel, her father.

Who had died two days ago.

These things didn't happen in real life. If they did, someone would have surely taken note of it; published an extensive research about it, detailing how the possibility of seeing people after they had perished was a scientifically irrefutable fact. Lena had never seen or heard of such research. What she was seeing, and hearing, was someone who looked exactly like her late father. Someone who was now slowly making his way towards her, and crouching right in front of where she was sitting. Lena started shaking again.

"I know it's hard to comprehend, but I need you to try. The things I saw, they... well, she..." The man took a deep breath, before continuing; "I saw Lillian. I don't know what she's going to do exactly, but it's not good. You were... she..." He took a moment, seemingly looking for the right words, once again. "She was... hurting you, Lena. There was a city in chaos and you were in pain, you..."