| Metropolis - September 29
Joseph sat in the back of an expensive car, dressed in a sleek black suit woven from his nanites. The design was sharp, stylish, and modern—something that radiated quiet authority.
He leaned back against the leather seat, his attention fixed on the faint hum in his head. Nova was relaying the radio broadcast into his mind psychically.
"Mayor Wallace Cole and several of his associates have been arrested following shocking revelations of widespread corruption. The charges include orchestrating fraudulent demolitions, insurance scams tied to the recent earthquakes in Chicago, and a scheme to illegally acquire protected properties for redevelopment.
Authorities also confirmed the investigation has been linked to the suspicious death of electrical engineer Harold Loomis.
Mayor Cole was apprehended while attempting to flee the city earlier today. It remains unclear who provided the damning evidence that led to the swift arrests, as officials are keeping their sources confidential.
In other news—"
Joseph tuned it out. He'd heard enough. All's well that ends well, he thought, though he felt like he'd forgotten something.
He frowned for a second, then shook it off. 'If I forgot it, it probably wasn't important.'
One interesting piece of information that he did remember was the source that Wallace had hired Shockwave from. It happened to be the same source that Carla Viti had hired Shrapnel. The Network, an underground black market for supervillains, run by someone called the Blacksmith. He'd have to investigate further.
A voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Have you been holding up with everything that's happened?" Lena asked, sitting beside him.
Joseph turned to look at her. She was twenty-six, ginger-haired with warm brown eyes, dressed in a well-fitted gray business suit. There was a professional polish about her, but also a softness, a humanity that Lex Luthor lacked.
It surprised Joseph when she'd come to pick him up from the hotel where he'd been staying since his home address was leaked. He had expected Mercy, Lex's ever-present bodyguard and shadow. But of course Mercy wouldn't leave Lex's side—not now, when the man was under more scrutiny and threat than ever.
Joseph didn't think much of Mercy. She was professional, loyal, even protective toward Lex. But that loyalty was an enigma. What had Lex done to earn that kind of devotion?
Lena, though, was different. Cordial, open, and—if Joseph read her body language correctly—sincerely disgusted with her brother. Disgusted enough to try and take his measure, to see whether Joseph was like Lex… or not. Especially now that Lex had placed Joseph in charge of the empire instead of her.
Joseph's suspicion was that she didn't want him walking the same path as Lex. She most likely did not know he was Nova.
"I've been… alright, I guess," Joseph admitted after a moment. "Finding out Lex is my father, and then being dropped into the center of LexCorp… it was a lot. Add the fact that he's a criminal who toyed with lives, and, well—yeah. I'm trying not to overthink it."
His honesty seemed to land well. Lena gave him a sympathetic look, nodding.
"Yeah. I didn't know my brother was that kind of person either. Our father was a harsh man—strict, controlling. Maybe that twisted Lex in ways I didn't see. He had such a natural talent for music, you know? My mom taught him piano, and she always said he should've been a musician instead of chasing science and business. She would've loved to meet you."
Joseph blinked. He didn't actually know much about Lex's family. It hadn't even crossed his mind that they were technically his family now, too.
"Is she—?" he began.
"Yeah. She passed when I was young," Lena said softly. "But I had Lex to lean on. I can't imagine what it was like for you, losing your mom the way you did, and then providing for yourself. You must've worked so hard to build BellCorp."
"It wasn't easy," Joseph admitted. "But I had some help along the way. And honestly? I could use some right now. How do I act in front of the cameras? Anything I should or shouldn't do?"
He already knew everything from Nova downloading the knowledge into his mind—presentation, optics, PR spin. But acting like a nervous kid asking for guidance was calculated. Vulnerability built trust.
Lena brightened, clearly appreciating the question. She leaned in slightly, eager to help.
She explained patiently, outlining do's and don'ts: posture, body language, the importance of not reacting to provocation. Joseph asked follow-ups, feigning uncertainty, which seemed to endear him further.
The psychology was simple: asking for help creates a bond. It was the Benjamin Franklin Effect in action. People convince themselves they like someone because they've already done them a favor. Joseph's willingness to lean on her set him apart from Lex in her eyes.
"—and about the paparazzi," Lena finished, "don't react to them. But don't look miserable either. They thrive on negative reactions. If you give them nothing, they'll push harder, but security will handle it."
"Thanks," Joseph said, nodding. "I appreciate it."
Lena smiled. "No problem. We're family now."
That word—family.
Joseph smiled back, though his thoughts turned darker. Lex was technically family, too, but Lex would never truly be one. Everything Lex did had an angle, a profit margin, a hidden agenda. But Lena? She'd been nothing but cool, supportive, and genuine so far. That, Joseph decided, he wouldn't reject.
"Just follow my lead," Lena said, straightening her jacket. "Don't talk too much, and remember what I told you."
"We've arrived," the driver announced.
The car slowed to a halt. Lena stepped out first, and Joseph followed, adjusting his suit as the flash of cameras assaulted them.
Outside the gleaming LexCorp corporate headquarters, chaos awaited. A horde of journalists swarmed the entrance, hungry for a story in the middle of one of the biggest corporate scandals in recent history.
"Joseph Luthor, would you be willing to—"
"Do you have any comment on Lex—"
"Mr. Bell, did you use your father's connections to build Bell Studios—"
Questions flew like arrows, cameras flashing non-stop. Joseph ignored them all, his expression calm but unreadable. Security guards held the crowd back, their lines firm against the press of reporters.
He walked on, keeping pace with Lena as she guided him through the storm.
The fortified lobby swallowed them, all glass and steel, sleek displays of LexCorp's vast achievements: energy, medicine, aerospace, defense. A carefully curated temple to progress.
Employees glanced in his direction and whispered. Their eyes followed Joseph. Lex Luthor's son. Some looked curious, some suspicious. Few looked friendly.
Joseph felt the weight of it but walked steadily forward. In time, he promised himself, he wouldn't just be seen as Lex Luthor's son. He would be recognized as his own man—Joseph Bell. And where suspicion now lingered, respect would one day follow.