|Lex Luthor's Recording on Nex|
{Start Recording}
"This is Lex Luthor, personal journal entry, regarding Project Nex. Today marks the fifth anniversary of his creation, and I find myself reflecting on the implications of this venture.
Nex is... a marvel of genetic engineering. The perfect blend of Superman's Kryptonian might and Wonder Woman's Amazonian prowess. Physically, he's everything I anticipated: strength, speed, flight, invulnerability. A flawless synthesis of the most potent superhumans known to humanity.
But he's more than just a living weapon. I designed him to think, to question, to evolve. He's not bound by the same limitations that held his predecessors back—no rigid morality, no naïve idealism. He understands the complexities of our world. He's capable of seeing shades of gray in a black-and-white universe.
I've been watching him interact with others, planned interactions, studying his responses. There's a... surprising depth to him. He's not just a mindless soldier; there's a spark of humanity in his eyes, a desire to find his own path. This makes him both valuable and unpredictable. It also means he has the potential to become more than just a tool in my arsenal.
The greatest question now is whether he'll follow my vision or choose another course. Despite my best efforts to shape him, I've seen glimpses of defiance, moments where he seems to question his purpose. It's unsettling, yet oddly satisfying. There's a part of me that respects his rising independent spirit, even as it poses a potential threat.
I've put measures in place to ensure his loyalty, but there's always the risk of unforeseen variables. If he were to turn against me, against the world, it would be... problematic. But as long as he stays on our side, he will be instrumental in restoring balance to this broken world.
Regardless of what the future holds, one thing is certain: Nex is a force to be reckoned with, a being of immense power and potential. And whether he chooses to embrace or reject his origins, his impact on this world will be profound.
I often say that power corrupts. But perhaps true power lies in knowing when to let go. Perhaps I've created something that, in the end, will be beyond even my control.
As I close this entry, I'm reminded of a phrase my father used to say: 'A master doesn't create followers. He creates more masters.' What I've created here, is not yet clear. But one thing is certain—I will be watching."
{End Recording}
|Present Day, Lex|
Alexander Luthor, trusted advisor of Superman and the Regime, and secretly the most valuable informant and ally that Batman's Insurgency had. He let out a silent but deep breath that he had been holding. It had been four long years, years that had made the world be ruled under the tyrannical Regime. Heroes now worse than villains, and villains dying in the hundreds or forced to comply with the new world order.
Of course, there were those who resisted. Fought back against the Regime, the Insurgency. Heroes and some like minded villains who saw that this insanity must end before it became worse. Unfortunately, there has been no progress in liberating the world. Each effort met with setback after setback, despite their leader, Batman's, best efforts.
However, ever since the beginning of the Regime, Lex has been working towards something. He had been creating something to one day turn the tide in this war. A secret project that he had been preparing to finally give Batman and the Insurgency the edge that they needed to bring down the Regime.
"I was hoping that I had more time.." Lex thought aloud, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge between his eyes. He stood within a spacious elevator heading down. The numbers almost never ending as it continued to move.
Before long, he closed his eyes, centering his thoughts as he reminded himself that the Insurgency needed his project now more than ever. The Green Lantern Corp failed to help retake the planet, the Gods of Olympus withdrew from the planet, and a final gambit by John Constantine was just another con to help the magician's own personal needs. All that was left were Batman, and a handful of members of the Insurgency who had either not given up hope or were banking on the hope that the Dark Knight could eventually turn their current predicament around.
As the elevator came to a stop, Lex composed himself, then straightened out his three pieced suit. Not long after, the doors to the elevator opened to reveal silver sleek androids inside. Some of which were walking about, doing chores from cleaning, maintenance, or operating the systems within this hi-tech home.
One of the androids approached Lex as he stepped out of the elevator. It looked no different from the rest but it seemed to scan his eyes for a brief moment before speaking.
"Welcome back to Oolong Island, Mr. Luthor." The android greeted with an emotionless and monotone voice from its voice box.
"Hello, 001." Lex returned the greeting then began to walk forward as 001 joined his pace.
"How goes his training?" Lex questioned as he and the android walked around the base, passing consoles, small facilities, and living areas.
"He has progressed just as you had expected and more." 001 reported, causing Lex to look at him with curiosity.
"More? Elaborate."
"Due to the long time exposure to the yellow sun generators whenever he rests or is training, Project Nex has been operating more and more at beyond expected levels. He has already shown to be a master martial artist in every form of martial arts that you have programmed into the training simulations. Learned different scientific methods, including theortic physics, starship engineering, and surprisingly a new scientific field to which he calls Curvature Propulsion."
Lex nodded his head as he listened, walking towards a dome shaped facility at the other side of this hidden base. "What else to report?"
"Project Nex has become very proficient in general psychology, criminal psychology, and public speaking. He has also achieved a new record in his strength."
"That being?"
"He could lift the entirety of Mount Everest without a breath wasted and crack the moon in half if he were to fly at his top speed."
Lex nodded his head mildly impressed. Though, at the moment, he was still conflicted on allowing Project Nex to be unleashed. After all, he didn't think that Nex was ready for the real world yet.
"Where is he now?" Lex asked as he and the android entered the dome. It was large, with a simulated sun as yellow sun generators could be heard above simulating the sun. Hundreds of bookshelves, could be seen stacked against the inside walls of the dome, consoles and large TV like screens could be seen scattered across the floor and walls, and at the center of the dome stood a black sleek pod. Cold air vapor flowed from it as Lex and 001 drew near it. "What about his restraint?" Lex questioned.
"It is near perfect." 001 replied.
"Near?"
"He has struggled to keep himself from differentiating a threat and non-threat."
"How so?"
"When given a simulated situation where hostages are taken and destructive bombs are wired to the hostages on Deadman switches. Project Nex deemed that the only response was brutal and efficient removing of limbs."
"That doesn't sound too bad... what else did he do."
"When one of the simulated hostages perished, he used his heat vision to lobotimize the assailants."
Lex mused over that. Yes, that was pretty bad for someone who is supposed to replace Superman. That said, efficiency was efficiency.
"How long has he been in stasis?" Lex finally asked as he and 001 arrived at the pod. The inside clouded with cold mist as ice could be seen on the outside.
"48 hours, 27 minutes, and 13 seconds." 001 replied.
Lex frowned as he narrowed his eyes onto the pod, contemplating on if he should actually release his secret weapon. With eyes closing, he sucked in a deep breath, feeling the pressure and burden of this decision get to him. Then finally let it back out as he opened his eyes to allow a determined look to come to his face. "Wake him up, it's time." Lex Ordered.
"But Mr. Luthor, he has not absorbed the expected levels of solar radi-" 001 went to remind and protest.
"I know, but we don't have the time or choice, Clark is forcing my hand." Lex cut off. Then placed his palm onto the glass of the pod and wiped it across. As the ice was moved aside, inside was a young man who seemed asleep. "Wake him."
|Nex|
Darkness surrounded Nex's thoughts, no dreams, nothing. He was as still as a corpse, before a hiss of air could be heard releasing any pressurized air within his stasis pod. The lid moved upwards to open for him, just as he began to steer awake. As he was slowly coming to, his vision remained blur for a brief moment. Then he took a single step out of his pod. He stood at a 6"8, his body broad shouldered and muscular. He had tan olive skin, with a burn scar from his neck reaching up to his right jaw and cheek. Had short jet black wavy hair, and striking azure blue irises. He just about towered over most men as he sucked in a breath of fresh air and exhaled. His eyes locked onto his creator, Lex and the android 001.
"Goodevening, Nex." Lex greeted with a professional tone. Nex simply stared back at Lex before finally speaking, his voice a deep North American baritone as compared to his gene father's.
"Goodevening, Mr. Luthor." Nex replied.
"I hope that you had a good rest, because it's time."
"Time for what, sir?"
"Time to do what you were made for."
At those words, Nex made surprised expression. Then his eyes narrowed as he composed himself.
"If you think that I'm ready, Mr. Luthor, then I will do my best."
Nex wasn't sure if he was still dreaming or not, but for a second, he noticed that his creator had a sad expression on his face before he returned to that professional one.
"I would hope so, all our hopes depend on you."
|Batman, Hours Later|
The Dark Knight stood alone within a briefing room. His cowl was removed as he glare down at it in his hands. His face betrayed no emotion, just a simple stoic glare. Though beneath those eyes he was reminiscing on times long past. A part of him wished that things were still the same. A part of him wished that the Joker had left Clark alone. A part of him wished that the Superman that he knew was still the symbol of hope.
Yet, the more practical side of him knew that those days were gone. There was no going back, only forward. Before he could reminisce any more, the door slid open. He looked up and found Lex walking in. Lex turned his gaze on Batman and gave him a greeting smile as he walked over. They both clasped hands as they shook each other's hand.
"Lex, good to see that you're still living." Batman greeted.
"The same to you, Bruce." Lex replied, then released the Dark Knight's hand.
"Why did you want to call a meeting with you and I alone? I take it that there's something important you wanted to discuss."
"Yes, and to give you an edge in this war."
Bruce's brow narrowed, believing that Lex may have made a weapon. Placing his cowl on the briefing table, he folded his arms over his chest. "Alright Lex, what is it?"
Lex gave Bruce a wry smile then clasped his hands together. "Ever since I had known Clark, you know that I had tried to recreate him in one or two ways."
Bruce nodded. "Connor and the failed clone."
"Exactly, but I had failed with them because I had been trying to make them either less Kryptonian or more Kryptonian."
At this point Bruce started to piece together what Lex was about to say. "You made another one?"
"Yes, I did, a more stable and perfected one."
"Lex, the only one who was capable of contending with Clark was your failed one. What-"
"That was because I gave them my DNA."
At that Bruce paused, then thought about what Lex just said. "And...this one?"
"He has the Kryptonian DNA of Clark, but a more stable and great recessive genes of someone else."
"That being?"
Lex instead of replying looked to the door. "You can come in now."
Right as Lex said that, the door slid open. Bruce looked over and watched as a tall broad shouldered young man entered the briefing room. He wore a costume not too dissimilar to Clark's. He had a sleek navy blue skintight body suit with silver streaks going across it. Silver bracers and boots at his forearms and feet, and a silver cape at his back. The iconic S crest was firmly on his chest, shining under the light above them.
"Go ahead, introduce yourself." Lex instructed.
"I am Project Nex, made to intervene if Superman were to ever stray from the side of good, and possibly to replace him if need be."
Bruce stared at what he was looking at, then removed his arms from his chest as he narrowed his eyes on "Nex".
"Who are your gene donors?" He found himself asking.
"The Clark Kent, formerly known as Kal El, and Princess Diana, known as Wonder Woman." Nex answered.
At those words, Bruce found his eyes widening briefly as he started to realize the implications for this. Standing right in front of him was a clone of Clark and Diana, two of the heaviest hitters of the Justice League. Grown into a man, and hopefully trained. He glanced over at Lex, finding the man giving him a subtle nod, then turned his gaze back to Nex. He approached the Clone and stood before him. The two stared each other in the eye, as if Bruce was sizing him up.
"You being here only means one thing, your father decided that you were ready to help us in this war." Bruce began to said, "I don't know what all he programmed or conditioned you to do. But we do not kill, no matter what. Understood?"
Nex remained silent for a few seconds, then replied with the deep stoic voice that remained monotone. "Understood."
Bruce nodded once, then turned and walked back over to the table. He looked down at his cowl, then picked it up. Staring into the eye holes of it, he decided to shelf his contingency plan for now. Then with practiced ease, he put his cowl on, and turned around to look at both Lex and Nex. His Batman persona back in full drive.
"Alright, we've got alot of work to do and I'm expecting alot of things from you... you think you can free high value prisoners and escort them back to a safe house?"
Nex squared his chest, and gave Batman a solid nod before speaking.
"Sir, I was made for this."
"You don't have to call me sir, referring to me as Batman or Bruce. What should I be calling you?"
Nex blinked twice, looking unsure on how he should respond to that. Then glanced over at Lex, who seemed to be gesturing for him to speak for himself. When Nex looked back at Batman he thinned his lips and spoke.
"I would like to be called, Supreme."