Chapter Text
Lena Luthor moves LuthorCorp’s HQ to National City with the sole aim of meeting, collaborating with, and potentially befriending, two people.
Supergirl. And K Elzörn.
The only problem she faces is that both of their true identities are completely unknown.
Supergirl is an alien superhero, a woman who escaped her planet Krypton’s destruction as an orphaned child. She, like her cousin Superman, has chosen to use the powers the Earth’s yellow sun has gifted her for good, helping and saving humanity. Her debut is sudden and unexpected, and yet at exactly the right time - after Lex’s arrest and subsequent incarceration, so the new Super on the block is safe from Luthor persecution.
Lena devours every single CatCo article that is ever written about her, every news clip and YouTube compilation, in utter awe of the beautiful, powerful creature who acts as her city’s guardian angel. Supergirl is more than just another Kryptonian in a cape with an S on her chest; she has more compassion and humility and grace than her cousin has ever possessed. Supergirl, more than Superman, appears and acts like a true alien refugee, who serves her city in gratitude for their acceptance and asylum. Jack and Sam tell her - warn her - that Lena’s admiration of the superhero borders on obsession.
Lena knows she has a crush. It’s a stupid crush, especially since there will be people out there expecting them to continue the Super-Luthor feud now that Lex is locked away in prison - even though Lena testified to help Superman put him there. She imagines that Supergirl would not react well to Lena showing interest in her. So that crush is a non-starter.
Her other crush, however… well.
K Elzörn is perhaps even more mysterious than Supergirl, which is a feat all by itself. She - or he, but Lena’s gut insists it’s a woman - is an anonymous scientist who has been publishing outstanding research discoveries for the past few years in a variety of scientific fields, mostly concerning astro and particle physics. She has no ties to any specific institution or company, and no traceable grants or funding.
Lena was late to the game in recognizing K Elzörn’s genius. She only discovered the scientist when reading one of her shortest, yet most fascinating papers, on theoretical photonucleic bioadaption. It was a letter, published during Lex’s trial, with a unique argumentative writing style. It focused on human cells rapidly altering their biophoton electromagnetic signature when exposed to a red star’s radiation, and not in any harmful way. Humans could, therefore, survive beneath a red sun.
The Earth would not be able to support humanity if their solar system’s yellow sun turned red, due to the planet's star; trees and vegetation would die due to extreme temperatures, glaciers would melt to drown the coasts, freshwater and oceans would evaporate. The planet would bake. Humans themselves, though? They wouldn’t survive on Earth… but they could escape to other habitable planets with red suns.
Elzörn also theorized that human biophotons might produce a similar signature to a Kryptonian, under a red sun, suggestive of convergent evolution. It was very clearly a response to Lex turning the sun red. A small yet noble attempt to combat her brother’s rhetoric, subtly suggesting that Kryptonians are not all that different from humans.
Lena, understandably, was instantly captivated. Professionally and… personally. Scouring the internet and literature archives, she spent an entire weekend reading every paper Elzörn is an author on.
And there were so many papers.
Strange matter. Theories on the Riemann Hypothesis. Enzyme electron transport chains. Quantum field theory. Carbon sequestration and global cooling. Advancements towards cold fusion technology. Lowdin DNA biophysical mutation model contradictions.
While the majority of the articles are based on astroparticles and quantum cosmology, she’s also dabbled in writing letters for other fields. And the most amazing part is that unlike many of the major research labs currently operating in the US - like Lena is managing, at LuthorCorp - K Elzörn somehow manages to publish every couple of months, and in decent journals.
She theorized, at first, that Elzörn is simply a pseudonym used by an under-the-radar research group, which is why their papers cover a range of fields. However, it soon became obvious to her that a singular person is writing the papers; their style of writing, while scientific, is wonderfully bold, passionate, and almost lyrical, as if telling a story.
It has to be one person. That person, whoever they are, is a brilliantly intelligent scientist, and judging by their research interests, somebody who genuinely wants to help further humanity and improve life on Earth. Somebody Lena desperately wants to meet, and work alongside - somebody who Lena can’t help but think would make the perfect partner.
She promptly began to try and track her down in every way possible, to offer her the LuthorCorp Head of R&D position or a job as Chief Scientific Officer.
But Elzörn is a ghost. She repeatedly tries to email the scientist via her corresponding email address attached to her publications, and gets an automated one back saying that Elzörn is currently on an extended leave of absence from the research community, and will respond once returned. Which isn’t true. Because she’s still researching, still publishing. She just isn’t reachable.
She contacts some of the other people who rarely are listed as Elzörn’s co-authors. Even they admit they have no way of getting in touch with her, and that their authorships on her papers are due to her crediting them for their methods and mathematical equations she’s utilized and adapted. The only person who confesses to having an interaction with Elzörn before is a Metropolis Professor of Astronomy, who allowed her unsupervised access to Metropolis University’s high-power space telescope as a favor to a friend - who they won’t name.
Using less-than-legal means, Lena discovers that Elzörn must not just be a scientific genius, but a technical one as well; she’s managed to completely hide her IP using a scrambler algorithm of some kind. Her email address is a general Google Mail one, and even that is so heavily encrypted that Lena begins to wonder if Elzörn works for the CIA or FBI as a side hustle. She manages, with some difficulty, to discover the address of a PO box, where physical journal copies are being posted to. And that PO box is located in National City.
Lena discovers the address on the same day Supergirl publicly addresses the world on a CatCo broadcast, giving the most inspirational speech about hope Lena has ever heard.
She’s packing her suitcases, and searching for penthouses for sale in National City, before the broadcast ends.
Jack catches her, as she’s zipping them closed. Their relationship has long since ended, is dead in the water, but he still looks devastated as she informs him that she’s moving. “Why? So you can chase after an alien and a ghost?” he accuses her, lashing out in his hurt.
“Supergirl is changing the world, and Elzörn is as well. If they’re both in National City, that’s where I need to be.” Jack keeps shaking his head, and Lena’s voice turns pleading. “Please, try to understand - I’m suffocating here in Lex’s shadow, Jack. Superman is breathing down my neck and everybody's watching and waiting for me to become the next psychotic Luthor to go on a killing spree.”
“You’ve coped with living here just fine ever since Lex’s trial,” Jack points out. “Don’t lie, Lena. This is about Supergirl, and this is about Elzörn. You’re obsessed with them. It’s not healthy. I can’t support you doing this.”
“Can’t?” Lena echoes with a snarl. “Or won’t?”
“Don’t throw away your life here for two women you’ll never have a chance with!” he begs.
That stings.
“Moving to National City is how I’m going to get my life back. It’s a new chapter, a new start.” She refuses to meet his gaze. “I fly out on Tuesday.”
Jack leaves. She learns hours later that he’s flown back to Boston that evening. Lena spends the night writing a lengthy proposal for relocating LuthorCorp to National City and mentally constructing an apology to Sam for it all happening on such short notice.
She holds an emergency LuthorCorp board meeting the next morning. They all vote against the relocation, predictably, but Lena has the final decision, as majority shareholder, and so the paperwork is finalized. Everything is swept over to the legal team and they begin the process of informing the governmental bodies they need to, purchasing a suitable building, and writing up notices of relocation for employees.
Sam is waiting for her outside the conference room once the four-hour meeting ends. Her expression is blank. “Jack called me,” she says.
“Are you going to tell me you’re not going to support me as well?” Lena asks, intending for her voice to come out sharp and bitter. Instead, it comes out broken. She doesn’t know what she’ll do if Sam stops believing in her.
Sam sweeps her into a hug. “Of course I support you, you dummy. You’re my best friend.”
Sam sadly tells her that she can’t relocate to National City along with Lena - not immediately, at least. Ruby is in the middle of a school term and it would be disastrous to move right now. But as soon as summer vacation hits, she’s following Lena to the other side of the country. It’s the kind of loyalty from her best friend that Lena is still stunned and amazed by.
And so… everything falls into place.
She uproots her entire life in Metropolis for two people she’s never even met, and while she would like to claim that it’s a rational decision, one she’s made with her head, and not her heart… she’s far too self-aware for that.
Lena Luthor has a crush on Supergirl, yes… but she’s fallen irrevocably in love with K Elzörn.
Now she just has to figure out who the hell she is.
Lena tries and fails to keep her move to National City on the down-low. It turns out that if you’re a Luthor relocating to the city of one of two famous Kryptonian superheroes after your brother tried to publicly kill the other one, it’s impossible to do so without it being blasted across every major news network in the country.
Lena hires her own private jet to avoid using the very easily trackable LuthorCorp one, but gets papped at the Metropolis airport. She watches dismally as the photos are plastered over social media, and her jet’s flight path is then unearthed, revealing her destination as National City.
The internet explodes with theories. She deletes Twitter off her phone the moment she sees the first speculative post about what her motivations are for moving into Supergirl’s territory.
Once she’s actually landed in the city, she somehow manages to fly under the radar for a good few weeks. She gradually moves into her newly purchased penthouse apartment on the upper West side, with a perfect view of the bay. The property was purchased using a pseudonym, Dr Kieran, which is also the name she uses when publishing papers she doesn’t want to be connected to the Luthor name.
Not having any kind of moving van helps not attract any attention; she slowly brings in boxes of her belongings over a couple of days as Frank, her driver, delivers them after they’re shipped to the LuthorCorp National City branch.
Since things are still being set up for the LuthorCorp HQ transfer, with lots of paperwork needing to be signed and security organized, and even an office sorted out for her, Lena gets to work from home until then. She doesn’t explore the city she’s made her new home so much as start to tentatively investigate it, donning her trusty disguise of thick-rimmed glasses, a hoodie, and a baseball cap.
She browses coffee shops she can use her laptop to remote work in, until she finds one of her liking. Her favorite is Noonan’s, which is more of an upscale cafe/restaurant combo, located in CatCo Plaza. It’s perfect for people-watching while holing herself in a tiny booth in the corner so she’s not disturbed. It’s a popular place for lunch, which allows Lena to easily blend in with the crowds. Despite being frequented by CatCo and Tribune reporters, she’s never recognized.
Drowning herself in Americanos in front of CatCo HQ every day does give Lena an idea, though. She decided not to hire private investigators to hunt down Elzörn. She realized early on that if she can’t figure out the woman’s true identity, with all of her immense wealth and resources, they very likely won’t be able to either.
But nothing goes down in National City without Cat Grant, Queen of All Media, hearing about it. Cat Grant is probably the second most powerful person in the city - second only to Supergirl - and therefore knows everybody worth knowing. If anybody might be able to help her find Elzörn and arrange a face-to-face meeting, it would be Cat.
Fortunately, Lena and Cat aren’t exactly strangers. They aren’t exactly friends, either, but they’ve met multiple times before, back when Cat used to be a Daily Planet gossip columnist aspiring to be an investigative reporter. Lena had only been a child, barely a teenager at the time. Cat was notorious for being vicious towards the Luthors, but she always spared Lena.
She thinks that it’s probably because the first time Cat encountered her was at the Metropolis Cancer Research Fundraising Gala. Lena remembers it distinctly; Lillian dragged eleven-year-old Lena into a side room and slapped her when she had the gall to ask her why the Luthors donated money to cancer research while also actively developing carcinogenic pesticides which were apparently polluting the streams and waterways of the Midwest.
Lena hid and cried in the bathroom after, and Cat found her, having eavesdropped on the whole thing. The reporter helped her apply concealer over the red mark on her cheek, apologizing for not being able to do anything more. After all, the police were corrupt and paid off, and nobody would ever believe a gossip article accusing the Luthors of abusing their daughter.
But since that night, and for the past decade, Cat Grant has never written a single bad word about Lena, never played into rumors, and never hyped up speculation about her private life.
That does not mean that Cat spares her from her ruthless fashion criticism when she walks into Noonan’s to meet Lena for a drink one evening.
“Oh for heaven’s sake, take those sunglasses off. You look ridiculous,” Cat huffs, yanking the frames off Lena’s face and tugging her baseball cap off for good measure.
“Hey!” she squawks in protest. She tries to grab them back, but Cat tosses them out of reach, onto the next table.
“It’s seven pm, the only people who wear sunglasses indoors at this time are high off their rocks, hungover, blind, or assholes,” the media mogul sniffs. “If you’re aiming for incognito, just stick with normal glasses and dress down. You couldn’t look more conspicuous in this current get-up if you tried, Lorna.”
Lena flushes in embarrassment. Cat only ever deliberately calls her the wrong name when she’s disappointed with her. “It’s worked so far,” she grumbles.
“No, it hasn’t,” Cat rolls her eyes, sliding into the seat opposite her. “Noonan’s is a no-fly-zone for paparazzi. I ordered all of my reporters to leave you alone, and the staff have been subtly threatening anybody who comes in to keep quiet about your lurking in the corner.”
“Glad I’ve been tipping them decently, then,” she mutters.
Cat scoffs, but there’s a fondness to her gaze now. “Only you would consider a 400% tip on an Americano a ‘decent’ tip. Now, I’ve ordered myself three martinis, and a glass of Château Margaux 2000 for you. I know you prefer scotch but their selection here is terrible. While we wait, why don’t you explain to me why you requested this clandestine meeting via my solicitor rather than by conventional means? An email or phone call not dramatic enough for you?”
“I didn’t want to have to go through your personal assistant to reach you.”
Cat’s brow furrows, and there’s a faint hint of concern there. Although Lena can’t be sure that it’s for her, and not her assistant. “Why not?”
“Less likely that it would leak. Given CatCo’s association with Supergirl, I was concerned the media might turn Lena Luthor asking for a meeting with Cat Grant into a fanfare.”
“Fair enough,” Cat hums, regarding her with shrewd eyes. “Is this concerning Supergirl, then? Are you going to ask me to arrange a meeting with her? I feel obligated to say that she has become a close friend and I therefore feel protective of her. I hope that any interest you have in her will not result in me regretting the article I asked to be put out tomorrow morning.” Lena tilts her head, confused. “I requested the reporter include a specific reminder of your role in your brother’s arrest while writing about how LuthorCorp’s relocation will have a positive impact on National City’s economy.”
“I’m not a bigot like Lex, Cat, and you know that,” Lena says firmly. “I have no interest in Supergirl beyond hoping she is just as willing to leave the Super-Luthor feud in the past as I am.”
Not exactly true, but she’s not going to pour her heart out about her silly little crush on the superhero to the Queen of All Media.
Their waitress arrives then, delivering a trio of martinis and a tall glass of extremely expensive red wine. Cat draws one of her martinis towards her and downs it like water, before starting to delicately sip at the next. Lena swallows a generous mouthful of silky, tannin-rich wine.
Waiting until they’re alone again, Lena resumes their conversation, her voice quiet, “No, this is not about Supergirl. I’m looking to track down and meet with somebody else entirely, and that is what I need your help with. They’re a complete mystery, and if there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you like solving mysteries.”
Now she’s piqued Cat’s curiosity. “Do you have a name?”
Lena pulls out the dossier on Elzörn she prepared months ago and has been carrying around in her briefcase ever since, dutifully adding to it every time she’s scrounged a new piece of information. It lands on the table between them with a noticeable thunk due to its thickness.
Cat stares down at it with an expression of disbelief. “And you’ve never met this person before?”
“No.”
“Yet you’ve written a novel about them. Am I contacting this person to encourage them to take a restraining order out against you?”
“I want to hire them, okay?” Lena blushes. “For a new quantum spin dynamics project. I’m starting a new Applied Biophysics Division. I need somebody to head it and consultants. They’re quite possibly one of the smartest people on the planet but annoyingly elusive. I’ve emailed numerous times but keep hitting a brick wall and nobody else can contact them either. I was able to figure out they have a PO box here in National City and have a couple of loose ties to National City University, but that’s all.” Exhaling shakily, she continues trepidatiously, seeing Cat’s skepticism, “I know it sounds crazy, but I… really think that they’re on track to win a Nobel Prize or crack a Millennium Problem. They could discover a new elementary particle.”
Pursing her lips, Cat slides the file towards her and opens it, beginning to scan over the printed pages inside. “This is a lot of effort to go to, for a person you just want to hire,” she points out, with a knowing look.
Lena schools her face, trying not to react. “She’s worth the effort.”
“She?” Cat flicks through the dossier. “An assumption made on your part. The lack of a first name makes it hard to discern their gender.”
“I’m ninety-nine percent positive Elzörn is a woman.”
“You want her to be,” Cat mutters under her breath.
Lena sharpens. She’s never tried to hide her sexuality and does not appreciate Cat using it like a barb. “If you help me figure out who K Elzörn is and where I might find her, I will owe you a favor.”
That causes the media mogul to straighten in her chair, immediately giving Lena her full attention. “I want LuthorCorp exclusives,” Cat says, without hesitation. “Starting with an interview with you, regarding your move here to National City. That is my signing-on fee. Regardless of the outcome of my investigation into your scientist. If I get you in contact with her, then I would like regular monthly features after that.”
“I can’t make that decision. I would need to run it by my media team first.”
The older woman laughs. “You’re the CEO. They work for you, not the other way around.”
“Fine,” she agrees reluctantly. “I’ll give you an interview, but I want either you or a CatCo reporter I can vet beforehand. LuthorCorp is changing directions with me at the helm and I don’t want any unfair articles written by people who are biased by their opinions about my brother. I’m not Lex, and I have no plans to be. I don’t want a fluff piece but I won’t stand for a hatchet job.”
Cat puffs up, clearly offended. “As if I would allow that.” She taps a finger to the file. “I’ll see what I can do, but… Lena… I make no promises. I have my methods, but if this woman truly is the genius you say she is, she might be able to evade even me. It might be the case that this K Elzörn has good reasons for remaining hidden, and if so, I refuse to potentially place her in any danger.”
“I don’t want that either, Cat,” Lena assures her. “Honestly, if you come back to me saying that Elzörn flat-out refuses to talk to me, I will accept the rejection with grace and back off. I just have this… feeling… that she’s meant for something more, and I want to be a part of it. Our research aims and interests are aligned and I feel like we could achieve so much by working together.”
Cat smirks, having moved on to her last martini now, which she twirls the olive-laden metal cocktail skewer in. “I very much hope for your sake that you don’t come on this strong when you eventually meet this woman. Will you be offering her a candlelit dinner and bouquet of roses, alongside the job offer? You might as well greet her with an outward confession of love.”
Bristling defensively Lena opens her mouth to protest, but then Cat hits her with her classic raised scathing eyebrow, and she deflates in defeat. “Is it that obvious?”
A delighted chuckle escapes Cat’s mouth, which twitches up into a smile. “Oh yes. Others aren’t likely to notice, but I’ve known you for over half your life now, Miss Luthor. You are head over heels. She must really be something if you’re crushing on her this badly.”
Groaning, Lena drops her head down onto the counter. “Please don’t tease me. I know it’s insane.”
“I don’t think so. You may at least have a chance with her - if she’s a real person, that is.” Cat sighs wistfully. “My odds are not so favorable.”
“Cat Grant has a crush?” Lena fake gasps. “Do tell. Who is so untouchable that they are out of the reach of the Queen of All Media?”
Cat huffs. The three cocktails she’s downed in the past twenty minutes are making her lips far looser than normal. “I don’t think it would ever work out. The way our paths have crossed has placed me in a position of mentorship, and she is in far greater need of my advice, than companionship. Convincing myself that we’ll be better as friends is the difficult part, but we must soldier on. I don’t think her boundless optimism would pair well with my cynicism, anyway.” She gives a helpless little shrug, tagging on dryly, “Besides, she’s not just out of my reach. It’s rather hard to pin down a woman who can fly.”
“Ah.” Lena smiles sympathetically. “Yes, well… I can’t blame you there. I don’t think I know of a single queer woman who doesn’t have a crush on Supergirl.”
“Including you? You don’t fancy taking a shot at our Kryptonian?” Cat teases.
“You may be a cynic, but I’m a realist.” Lena clinks her wine glass against her friend’s now empty martini glass before throwing back the last dregs of burgundy liquid. “I’ll stick to aiming for a scientist whose research is out of this world, rather than a girl from the stars, thanks.”
Cat smirks. “Maybe your scientist is from the stars too.”
Lena laughs. How ironic would that be, her doing everything in her power to emphasize how unlike her brother she is, but unknowingly hunting down an alien? She supposes there could be the slightest chance, but it’s extremely unlikely.
“What would be the odds of that?” She eyes Cat curiously. “You say that you’re close friends with Supergirl… what’s she like?”
Cat exhales, looking pensive. “Well, she’s far more modest and empathetic than her cousin. Kind-hearted, strong, courageous, as you would expect. She comes across as a little overconfident in front of the cameras, all muscles and brawn, but she’s surprisingly smart and conscientious. Perhaps a little… the word naive is too harsh. Trusting? She might seriously be the most compassionate and hopeful person I have ever met, but she also has… a significant amount of emotional baggage.” Her lips turn down in a frown. “She’s an orphaned refugee from a destroyed alien planet, and I think that weighs on her far more than it does Superman.”
Lena stares at her, awed. “You are close friends.”
“You thought I was lying about that?”
“I thought you were just being possessive of your subject,” she admits. “Everybody knows that she’s affiliated with CatCo. You’re the only one she ever gives personal interviews to.”
Cat hums. “Supergirl has a particularly charming hobby of hanging out on high-rise balconies to watch the sunset. It reminds her of Krypton and is how she decompresses after a difficult day. CatCo has the best view of the whole city, and my office has the nicest balcony, so she visits frequently. Far more often since Myriad. And once you get her relaxed and talking, by god, it’s difficult getting her to stop.” She chuckles. “I think I scared her at first. But now she happily accepts my company, so long as I’m willing to sacrifice my M&Ms.”
Supergirl has a sweet tooth? Huh. That strangely makes sense.
Maybe she should do some remodeling and have a balcony of her own installed.
Both of them jump, startled by Cat’s phone chirping loudly. The media mogul glances at the screen and tips her head back, eyes slipping closed in irritation. “Sadly, it seems our evening must come to a close,” she mutters. “Some imbecile of an IT intern has managed to lock down CatCo’s cloud storage, and they need the CEO’s admin access to restore the rest of the company’s logins.”
Lena winces. “Duty calls.”
She’s so glad that LuthorCorp is currently in essential operations only mode, while they move all their major labs and staff from Metropolis to National City. It means a lot of paperwork for her, but her assistant Jess is a godsend, the queen of delegation. Things have all gone smoothly so far.
Eyeing Cat worriedly as the media mogul slowly stands, swaying ever so slightly, she asks delicately, “Would you like me to walk you back? You’re looking a little shaky on your feet there, Cat.”
“Of course not,” Cat scoffs, rolling her eyes. She stuffs Lena’s dossier on Elzörn into her handbag, so it sticks out comically. Lena opens her mouth to protest, but promptly shuts it. She has a copy on her laptop and can just print it out again. “This isn’t my first time working drunk, Lorna. Besides, my assistant is already waiting outside for me.”
She gestures to the restaurant’s front doors. Indeed, there is a tall bespectacled blonde woman, hair in a ponytail, wearing a teal sundress, standing with a large black umbrella. Lena didn’t even notice it starting to rain, but it’s hammering it down.
Tapping on the table to regain Lena’s attention, Cat continues, “I presume your personal number is the same as it has always been. I will text you with updates on my investigation. The interview, I’ll have arranged through the normal channels.”
Lena exhales, nodding with a tentative smile. “Thank you. For your help.”
“I haven’t helped yet. Don’t thank me until Elzörn is sitting across from you and listening to a job proposal,” Cat says dismissively.
Lena leans back and watches in concern as Cat takes her leave, a little bit wobbly in her heels, but never unsteady to the point of tripping. The blonde rushes to offer her an arm and hold the umbrella over her as she steps out of the doors. She's surprisingly attentive and caring for just an assistant.
More shocking is the way Cat greets her warmly, laughing and squeezing her arm in gratitude as she huddles close to the blonde’s side. She’s never seen Cat be so affable towards an employee before. She might have mistaken them as friends, if she didn’t know the blonde was Cat’s assistant.
A quick, searching look is cast back over the blonde’s shoulder, through the windows and back at Lena. She straightens in her seat but tilts her head down, so shadows shield her face. She blinks, puzzled, as the bright-eyed assistant waves at her enthusiastically, clearly mouthing ‘thank you’ with an earnest thumbs-up, before beginning to guide Cat back to her company’s building.
“Was everything alright for you this evening, Miss Luthor?” her waitress questions, appearing to clear their table of empty glasses.
Lena drags her eyes away from the intriguing blonde to the waitress. “Hmm? Oh, yes. Wonderful. And thank you for your discretion.”
“No problem.” The waitress peers over at where she was looking. “Good thing Kara came to collect Miss Grant, huh?” She snickers. “Last time she got drunk in here, Kara practically had to carry her out at the end of the night.”
Kara? Oh, that must be the name of Cat’s assistant. Lena snorts. “Does Cat often get drunk with her assistants, then?”
“Oh no, never,” the waitress shakes her head. “And she doesn’t ever usually get drinks with them either. There was a rotating door of assistants before Kara was hired. Some didn’t even last the day, and it was rare for them to last over a month. But Kara has been Miss Grant’s assistant for the past two years, so I guess they must’ve clicked. Since the whole Myriad mind-control thing last month, they’ve got coffee together fairly regularly.” Wiping the table clean, the waitress gathers the dirty glasses and asks, “Anything else I can get you this evening, Miss Luthor? Miss Grant paid for your drinks earlier.”
“Nothing else, thank you.”
She texts her driver and leaves a hundred-dollar tip on the table when she slips away, hurrying to the car instead of waiting for Frank to bring an umbrella to her. She doesn’t mind a bit of rain. Frank tuts at her as she ducks inside, passing a small black hand towel from the glove compartment back to her so she can dry herself off, as well as the backseats.
“Productive meeting, Miss Luthor?” Frank inquires, as they pull out into traffic and head back to her apartment.
She hums pensively, staring out the window and admiring the rippling reflections of buildings in puddles on the sidewalk. Relatively productive, she thinks; she’s no longer alone in trying to track down the mysterious K Elzörn, and hopes that recruiting Cat’s help might produce some results, so she can finally stop obsessing over finding the scientist.
For a fleeting second, she tries to imagine Elzörn’s face, and is bewildered when she ends up thinking of the happy, bubbly blonde assistant who waved at her earlier, despite having no idea who she was. The human mind can be so strange.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Lena murmurs, “Time will tell, Frank. Time will tell.”