Turn To Gold (Lena Luthor x OC)

The Serum

National City, September 2016

Gemma Ward just walked out of her favorite comic shop. As she began her walk home, with the new edition of her favorite superhero comic in hand, she almost missed the newsstand. Newspapers may be nearly obsolete now, but something told her to pick one up. Tucking the comic into her oversized bag, Gemma opened the newspaper and immediately an ad caught her eye. It wasn't flashy, and anyone else probably would have glossed right over it, but not Gemma. It was like the ad was meant for her alone.

Have you ever wanted to be a superhero? To have the abilities of aliens or meta humans? At Luthor Corp, you can make those dreams come true. Please stop in and inquire.

The ad wasn't very specific, but Gemma felt compelled to reach out and try. Ever since she was a little girl she wanted to be a superhero. She'd given that idea up when she reached college, settling for a more practical and realistic life plan, but something about this ad, however ominous it sounded, lit a spark of hope in her that she hadn't felt for quite a while.

Turning on her heel, Gemma decided she was no longer going home. She was headed straight for Luthor Corp. It wasn't a long walk, and to her there was no time to waste. An opportunity like this may never show up again and she knew she had to take it.

Walking into the lobby at Luthor Corp was like stepping into another world. Gemma already felt lost and looked around, mouth slightly agape. "Miss, can I help you," a woman at the desk asked. Gemma hadn't heard her the first time she spoke to her, and so the woman was forced to repeat her question at a louder volume, yet still she retained a professional tone. This time, Gemma turned her head, realizing that the woman was speaking to her.

Stepping towards the desk, Gemma once again opened her paper, locating the ad and pointing it out to the woman. "I'm here about this. It wasn't very descriptive, but it said Luthor Corp, so maybe you can help?"

"I can," the woman assured. The next moment, she was on the phone. "Mr. Luthor, I have someone here about your ad." There was a pause. "Yes, that's the one." All of a sudden Gemma felt a chill run down her spine, she couldn't tell if it was nerves or excitement. Maybe it was both. "Wonderful, I'll tell her." The woman hung up and looked back to Gemma. Giving her directions to Mr. Luthor's office, she smiled pleasantly and watched as Gemma walked off in the right direction.

The elevator ride up to the correct floor seemed to take forever. Gemma reached for the back of her neck as she wondered what she was really getting herself into. As the doors opened Gemma took in the office before her. A man sat at the desk. It was Lex Luthor himself, she recognized him from several of the interviews he'd had on the news.

"Miss Ward, I presume," he asked, rising from his chair and approaching Gemma.

"Yes. Gemma Ward."

"Lex Luthor. Not very many people have come in about my ad. And of the few that did, none of them met my requirements." Gemma's eyebrows went up a little in a mix of surprise and curiosity. "There's no need to be nervous," he went on as if he sensed Gemma's apprehension. "It's just a few questions, then if you're a good fit, you'll sign a consent form and a waiver, and we'll give you the serum."

"Serum," Gemma asked, hating that her voice came out so quiet and unsure.

"I assure you it's completely harmless. Superpowers don't just come at the snap of your fingers, Miss Ward." That made sense, of course. "Now, are you ready for your questionnaire?"

Gemma nodded and Lex gestured at the chair for her to sit in. As both of them sat down, Lex leaned back and began his questionnaire. "Do you consider yourself a good person, Miss Ward?"

"I'd like to hope that I am. I certainly try to be. Though I don't think anyone is one hundred percent good or bad."

Lex smirks, satisfied by her answer. "And do you think aliens and meta humans are good for the city overall?"

"They can be. Of course there seems to be just as many villains as there are heroes, but I believe that will always be the case, powers or no powers."

"A very wise answer, Miss Ward," Lex commented. He was quite impressed with her. "Finally, do you believe the once a villain, always a villain mentality?"

"No. Anyone can switch sides. Bad to good, good to bad. It's all about circumstances and an individual's personal journey. Anyone can be brought down or redeemed."

Lex beamed at her. To him, she couldn't have given better answers. Gemma, proud of herself and just a little bit charmed by Lex, smiled back in response. Then Lex reached into a desk drawer, ruffled through papers for a moment, and pulled out a detailed form for Gemma to sign. "Congratulations," Lex said. "You're the first one to qualify. If you do choose to go through with it, you'll have weekly appointments with me personally to check how your powers develop, and various other medical testing as outlined on this form. This is a big decision, Gemma," Lex reminded, the use of her first name catching her a bit off guard. He'd been so formal up until now. "You can take your time to consider it."

Lex pushed the stapled packet of papers containing her consent form and waiver towards her and walked out of his office, leaving her to read it over. If she were honest, she skimmed several sections of it as she was caught up in her own thoughts about what she truly wanted. Some part of her trusted Lex. And isn't this what she's always dreamed of? How could she come this far just to turn it down now? Without another thought, Gemma picked up the nearest pen and signed her name on the dotted line.

When Lex came back in, Gemma was up out of her chair, papers in hand and a smile on her face. It was finally happening for her. She was going to be a hero. She was going to have powers and help protect the city she loved. "Come with me, Miss Ward."

Lex led Gemma to the elevator and the two of them descended to a laboratory. It was small and empty, save for the two of them. Gemma walked to the chair in the middle of the room and sat down as Lex went over to a locked cupboard and brought out the serum. The liquid contained within the syringe was a golden yellow that seemed almost to shimmer. "Since we'll be working so closely after this, I insist you call me Lex when we're together," Lex said as he flicked the syringe, knocking any air bubbles from it. Seeming satisfied, Lex prepared to inject the serum into Gemma's arm. "Won't be any worse than a blood draw, I promise," he assured.

Gemma nodded and looked away as Lex came at her with the needle. He was right, she hardly felt it. The only thing that was different was the warmth that coursed through her veins afterward. The sensation only lasted a few minutes.

"There's no telling exactly when your abilities may manifest. This is a highly experimental procedure, but should anything occur that alarms you within the first week, just come in and ask for me. Otherwise, I'll see you next week, Gemma."

Gemma smiled, still hardly able to believe that this was happening. "See you next week, Lex."