3 weeks later
Running Luthorcorp was much more boring without B2's assistance, Lex often found himself pulling all nighter's at the office. There was something wrong with it all, B2 had done most of the work. Making sure there were no discrepancies, limiting the power his father had but there was something Lex just couldn't figure out. Everything looked too clean, it's what one would expect with a 12th level intellect checking the books. But it wasn't the books that looked clean, all of LuthorCorps interests looked too clean.
"I can't believe you're doing this too me!" A familiar voice rang out as Lex looked up from his computer spotting his father in a maroon colored suit.
"What have I done now father?" Lex asked raising an eyebrow.
"I understand you're grieving Lex, i grieve for Mrs.Lang and my sweet little grand daughter as well but housing your stepmother? You might as well run a sword through my back." Lionel took a seat on the couch exasperated.
"She's taking care of the funeral arrangements father, she's helping me, more than you're ever done might i mention?" Lex added.
"I know what it's like to lose a child boy," Lionel said narrowing his eyes, "the only help one needs is a woman's lap to lay his head on at night."
"Still blaming me for Julian I see, but I didn't only lose a child," Lex said looking past his computer screen. "I lost the love of my life as well, so excuse me if i'm not interested in the laps of other women. Now is there anything I can help you with or do you wish to continue complaining about a woman who wants nothing to do with you?"
"You've made your point, no need kick a man while he's down, How's Lena?" Lionel asked changing the subject.
"Better than me or Tess will ever be," Lex said paying his father close attention as he spoke.
"Ahh Tess, still missing I see," LIonel sighed, "Well considering her work with Amanda Waller it isn't unlikely for her to go missing for a few months at a time. I'm glad Lena is doing well, maybe i'll drop by the mansion to visit."
"Please don't, you'll ruin her," Lex said half joking.
"Because the great Lionel Luthor ruins everything he touches, you have a good day Lex." Lionel exited the office leaving Lex to his thoughts. Tess was missing, last his people could track she was at the hospital before Lana had the baby. He was doing everything he could to find her once again the problem came down to B2. If he was here everything would be so much easier, he could spot all of the signs. The Lex wouldn't need to do any of this he could just focus on finding his enemies, that seemed like a hopeless venture. He knew better than anyone else any good enemy does his best to hide in plain sight. He froze as it hit him, the discrepancies within LuthorCorp, what if B2 was only taking out the obvious ones.
Realistically he could only access those that had been logged online, so if a building was being used for storage online but secretly was being used for something else B2 would have no way of knowing the difference. His reliancy on B2 meant he wasn't checking all of the boxes because a being like B2 excelled best when there was an enabler a human to guide him. Looking at his computer screen he quickly looked up all LuthorCorp logistic buildings established in the last few months.
Lex cracking down on research projects hadn't come as a surprise. If someone wished to stay under the radar, they'd likely classify whatever building they were using as Logistics. But that wasn't enough rubbing his eyes he changed his search, he needed to see all buildings that were repurposed into logistics before the crackdown began. He waited patiently as the screen loaded before they appeared. There were 2 buildings, one on the east side of Metropolis while one was only about a mile away.
Clicking his tongue made his decision, time would wait for no one, grabbing his suit jacket he stood up. Grabbing the exact location from the screen he programmed it into his ipod and headed out.
The warehouse seemed empty from the outside, in a barren sort of way. One would think LuthorCorp tech was worth at least having two security guards stationed outside. It was supposed to be old tech, things that were going obsolete that could still be sold but were of no real concern to the company. He quickly put in the code entering the building, the lights were off but he could hear a steady hum.
Reaching for them he watched as the place lit up like a christmas tree, there was no luthorcorp tech. The place was empty all except for the glass box lying in the center of the warehouse. It was a storage container only it wasn't created for storing old tech, no inside of it was Tess Mercer. She was dressed in all white as if this was some kind of psych ward, all this time she was missing she'd been here. She hadn't spotted him yet, it seemed she was used to the lights being turned on, frequent visitors.
Stepping forward Lex watched as her eyes went wide as she moved towards the glass wall banging her hand on it screaming something he couldn't make out.
"It's okay," Lex said but he could tell she couldn't hear him as she started to motion towards a button to his right. Placing his hand on it he clicked it, "I'm here Tess, I'm going to get you out of here."
"Lex it's lionel, all of it is Lionel," Lex bit the tip of his cheek as she said it. Why did all of the crumbs always lead back to their father?
"Where are the key's Tess?" Lex asked looking around the room.
"There aren't any," it wasn't Tess's voice that rang out. No it was Lionel's only as Lex looked around he knew he wasn't here.
"Why are you doing this? Why kidnap Tess?" Lex asked looking up at the ceiling.
"She knew too much, she had the ear of Lana Lang and your trust, if she wasn't a Luthor i'd have dropped her off in the arctic to freeze to death." Lionel's voice held no malice just cold hard truth.
"You're after LuthorCorp? She said all of it is you," Lex took a second stiffening a chuckle as he thought about the random company popping up doing it's best to buy LutherCorp shares. The attack on their systems, only someone with knowledge of the system could hold off B2.
"I'm after more than LutherCorp my boy, you think too small, i'm after the world, and not even Clark can do anything to stop me. I knew you would find this place, that's why I left Tess a gift." As he spoke Lex could hear it coming from the chamber, like gas shooting, the chamber was being filled with some kind of toxin.
"Lex!" Tess called out as she began to wobble, moving towards the bed she grabbed the pillow case from the pillow and used it to cover her mouth.
Looking around the warehouse Lex could feel the sweat on his forehead as he spotted a fire extinguisher, grabbing it he ran towards the glass chamber and began to hammer. Smashing the extinguisher into the glass walls as his thoughts raced. His anger spiking as he thought about Lana, as he remembered holding Lillian for the first time, as he thought about his father doing everything he could to destroy him. As he thought about Tess, fighting to keep conscious within the chamber, as he thought about B2 and what his absence would mean for the thing he'd been fighting for most of his life, Luthercorp.
"The reinforced Carbon Glass, that extinguisher won't do you much good, think Lex think, did you really think i'd pick just any glass to hold a Luthor?" Lionel's laughter rang as Lex dropped the fire extinguisher. "Yes, just accept that you'll lose another loved one just as you Lost Lana and poor. Little. Lillian."
Lionel's voice slowed as Lex felt anger like he had never done before dropping the extinguisher he pulled his hand back clenching it into a fist, his jaw tightened as he punched with every bit of anger within him. The glass shattered on impact as Lex stepped into Tess prison lifting her with ease he looked up at the camera as he moved towards the exit.
"I see the apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree, the next time we meet it'll be the last. I hope you're ready Lex because we're in the endgame." With that Lionel's voice cut out.
"Sure dad, let's finish this," Lex said as he exited the building.