It's a wonderful life, Luthor

Disposable Child

Clarence watched as the scenes changed learning about Lena's life and how it unfolded. The school was an interesting place Lena was boarded with a girl named Hannah. She was a wealthy woman and had some very interesting stories and adventures that entertained Lena and helped take her mind of her pain. She didn't feel like she belonged anywhere and as such she didn't make the school a home. She worked hard and learned, racing through her studies and advancing in classes. Soon she was so far ahead that they needed to skip her through a few years. With her advanced placements she was moved to another dorm. Lena didn't want to leave Hannah as much as she tried to keep herself distant. She had become very fond of the girl. Her new roommate was Veronica Sinclare. She was different. She was much more like Lillian, manipulative and mean.

Luckily for Lena she had had years to experience a true master so this young girls games were easy to spot and to counter. However being in Veronica's circle afforded her some protection in this new world that she was in. Lena maintained her heart and tried her best to be good like her mother had wanted, but the world was a much darker place than she had known, Veronica more than happy to open Lena's eyes to it. Lena worked from within the group to stop as much of the hurt that Veronica was inflicting and studied harder. She met Andrea Rojas, in one of her secret missions to undermine Veronica. The two women became close and formed a friendship, Lena being reminded that there are people that are good, that can give back. Andrea was a loving daughter, and a good friend. They were very close and Lena trusted her completely. Even sharing with her the precious memories of her real mother. Finally able to complete her schooling and move on to college, she was going to MIT and would be studying to help the world, with the support of Andrea she remembered who she was and wanted to return to her childhood dreams of curing cancer.

For college Lena returned to the states. Studying hard with advanced classes in engineering, cellular biology, physics and genetic engineering. At MIT she met a boy called Jack. Together they had planned to cure cancer. They were very close but going against their families they would have to do this on their own using grants and money from small projects to fund their ultimate goals. They planned it all out and would be working from a small property that they could afford. She received her PHD at nineteen and she and Jack started working together, looking into Nano technology to help defeat the mutating cells.

"Hey Lena, I have the new components for the computer this should enable us to increase the processing speed and enable us to create the algorithm to create the nano queen for the swarm"

Lena turned around with a bright smile, raised her brow and looked at Jack. The picture paused and Clarence looked at Michael.

"Take a good look at that face, that is the face of Lena Luthor, the woman that you are going to be helping today"

Clarence smiled and looked back at the paused image of Lena Luthor, here jade and emerald mixed eyes, the bright beaming face, the long raven hair, strong jaw line, sculpted brows. She was wearing an oversized MIT hoodie and jeans sitting in a small poorly lit Lab, glasses on her face.

"That is a good face, a happy face, a kind and strong face, she has not had an easy life but look at her, she is just like her mother, the woman she dreamed she would be. How can this woman be in a position to want to take her own life?"

Michael placed his hand on the shoulder of Clarence and smiled sadly, he knew that there was more to this story so much more that the template for Lena's life had been set long before this moment and would continue to play out, her happiness always just out of grasp, her family, people in her life, the whole world pushing her towards being something that she so desperately wanted not to be.

"There is more to see Clarence, more people pulling Lena from what she desires, more twists to her story."

"She isn't going to get to cure cancer is she, she isn't going to be free of the pain in her life"

Michael looked at him and smiled. He knew what was to come and he needed Clarence to see it too, he would need to really understand her if he was going to make a difference.

"Keep watching Clarence, there is more to see more to learn. Her path is not decided, but tonight she needs help"

The images moved again and Clarence watched as Lena and Jack got closer and began a relationship, they were happy laughing and joking around. Then things started to change, as the news of Lex and his mental instability reached not only lena but the world she was called back to her family. She had been back a few times, each visit longer. She was standing in the house, in a black Aline skirt, blouse blazer, with stilettos, hair in a tight bun and scarlet lipstick.

"If you go back there Lena, if you leave now, you won't be you anymore, you will become one of them you will be a Luthor, the thing that you never wanted to be. You need to choose, to pick you, to pick me, don't leave, don't go to them. You have only just come back look what it has done to you"

Lena had her back to Jack the pain of his words etched on her face, she couldn't leave him, she couldn't leave Lex not when he needed her, he had been the only one to help her, the one that made her feel like she belonged. Now he needed her and she wouldn't let him down.

"I am a Luthor, I am Lena Luthor, whether you want to believe it or not, and he is my brother Jack, don't make me choose, let me go sort this out and then come back, dont block me out by making this a you or my family issue, I don't want to lose you"

As she turned jack could see the pain on her face and faltered for a moment, but he couldn't not this time, he couldn't watch Lena slip away from him further to go back to being closed, being like them.

"That's just it, if you leave now, YOU will not come back, I don't know who would but it wouldn't be my Lena, don't do this to us Lena dont go"

Lena looked to her hands and removed the key from the ring in her hand and placed it on the side. This wasn't what she wanted but she wouldn't abandon Lex. Jack didn't stop her as she walked out of the door and slipped into the back of a town car. She returned to LCorp and worked for Lex, she didn't like what she had seen but she was convinced she could help him. Then the information she never wanted came across her desk. She went to see Lex and tried to talk him out of his plan.

"Lex this is illegal it is not right, you can't do this you could kill him."

"Don't be so pedestrian Lena, you work for me you will do what i need you to. I was supposed to be the man of tomorrow, not this alien, this man who thinks he is a god, he is not a god I will not bow to him."

Clarence watched as Lena went behind his back and gave the information to the police, to stop Lex, he then watched as Lex uncovered it. Knocking her out and tying her to the chair. He fired her and then told her that she would watch his greatest achievement before she was turned out, removed, disposed of. He believed that even with the police having the information he wouldn't be stopped. He was and his red sun beam was shut down, Lena's testimony would be the thing that convicted him. That was the Key to tying lex to everything, he had covered his tracks well after discovering her deception, and without her there would be no case. Lena was advised to get out of Metropolis for a while, while the trial was being prepared. There was only one place that she could think of going. She called Andrea and reached out.