Chapter 1: Pain and Gain
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Kvng_Astra
Getting some practice in, huh?
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Chapter 1 : Pain and Gain
The atmosphere inside the grand circus tent was electric as laughter and applause echoed off the colorful canvas walls. Beneath the dazzling lights, families gathered for the charity event, eager to support a cause close to their hearts. The air was thick with excitement, the scent of popcorn and cotton candy mingling with the sweet notes of a live band playing cheerful tunes.
The flying Graysons were giving an amazing performance which was accompanied by loud cheering from the crowd.
Also in attendance at the circus was Henry Davis, the Chairperson, US national commission for UNESCO.
Henry's presence however had attracted a dark presence. A villain had been looking for a way to eliminate any government official he could lay his hands on to make a statement to the US government and this evening, a perfect opportunity had presented itself.
With a fluid motion, the dark figure of a villain began to climb the roof of a tall building adjacent to the circus. He moved with the precision of a seasoned operative, his hands and feet finding holds in the concrete and steel façade.
As he ascended, the sounds of the circus grew louder, mingling with the distant hum of traffic. The figure's breathing remained steady, his focus unwavering.
Finally, he reached the rooftop and pulled himself over the edge. A swift scan of the surroundings confirmed he was alone. The figure moved to the northwest corner of the roof, where a large air conditioning unit provided cover.
He carefully set up his weapon, a high-powered sniper rifle, on a makeshift tripod. The figure meticulously adjusted the scope, his eyes narrowing as he took aim.
The Chairperson of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO stood at the entrance of the circus, surrounded by a cluster of dignitaries and security personnel. The figure's gaze locked onto the target, his finger tightening around the trigger.
The moment hung suspended, the only sound heard was the distant laughter and music from the circus.
Batman who had been gazing out over the cityscape from the perch of the Wayne tower, quickly sprung into action, his cape fluttering behind him as he leapt from the rooftop to the adjacent building. He continued until he got to the building where he had seen the villain.
He landed silently on the rooftop, his eyes locking onto the figure huddled behind the air conditioning unit. Batman crept forward with fluid movements.
The figure, oblivious to the danger lurking behind him, took a deep breath and began to squeeze the trigger. Batman was upon him in an instant, his hand closing around the rifle barrel like a vice.
The figure struggled, but Batman's grip was unyielding. With a swift motion, he disarmed the rifle and pinned the figure to the ground.
"It's over," Batman growled, his voice low and menacing.
The figure looked up, his eyes wide with fear and hatred. Batman's gaze bore into him, and for a moment, the two locked eyes in a silent understanding.
Batman swiftly subdued the figure, binding his wrists with a Batarang-inspired restraint. He then pulled out a comms device and contacted the Gotham City Police Department.
"Commissioner Gordon, we have a situation at the circus. I've apprehended a would-be assassin. Requesting backup to take him into custody."
Within minutes, the rooftop was swarming with police officers, who whisked the would-be assassin off. Batman watched as they led him away, his eyes never leaving the figure until he was safely in the back of a police cruiser before he left for his tower.
Two-Face sat in the back of the police cruiser, his wrists cuffed behind him. He gazed intently at the GPS map displayed on the cruiser's computer screen, which was mounted on the dashboard. The screen flickered with each bump of the vehicle, but Two-Face's eyes remained fixed on the moving map.
As the cruiser drove away from the circus, Two-Face's gaze darted between the map and the distance counter. His eyes narrowed, calculating the optimal moment to strike.
"9.5 kilometers... 9.6... 9.7..." he muttered to himself, a maniacal glint in his eye.
With a sudden movement, Two-Face raised his cuffed wrists, revealing a small, intricately designed bracelet on his wrist. He pressed a hidden button, and a tiny LED light flickered to life.
The signal was sent and a massive explosion erupted.
From his perch on Wayne Tower, Batman watched in horror as the first building collapsed, its steel frame groaning like a dying beast before surrendering to gravity.
"Alfred, give me a sitrep," he growled into his comm, already launching himself off the edge. His cape snapped open, catching the debris-filled wind as he made for the site of the explosion.
A red streak blazed past him - Barry Allen moving at supersonic speed, leaving trails of scattered papers and displaced air in his wake. The Flash was already at work, his lightning crackling through the chaos as he evacuated building after building.
A mother and child stood frozen in terror as concrete chunks plummeted toward them. He swooped down, his arm enveloping them as debris bounced off his armored back and carried them to safety. "Get to the subway station," he ordered, already turning toward the next crisis.
"Bruce!" Flash materialized beside him, vibrating with nervous energy. "The fault line's spreading. We've got multiple gas leaks and the power grid's failing sector by sector."
A support beam from the Gotham Central Bank speared through the asphalt like a javelin. Batman's grapple missed its mark as his anchor point crumbled, sending him tumbling. He rolled with the impact, coming up in time to see children whom flash had rescued from a nearby orphanage vomiting.
Through the settling dust and smoke, a child's cry cut through the noise.
Batman's cowl sensors quickly located the source of the distress signal: a partially collapsed trailer, housing the children of the circus performers. The trailer, located in the circus's backstage area, had been damaged by the explosion. Its walls were cracked, and its roof was sagging precariously.
Batman rushed through the rubble-strewn backstage area, his cape fluttering behind him.
As Batman's eyes scanned the wreckage, he saw a small, frightened face peering out from beneath the wreckage. The boy's eyes, wide with fear, locked onto Batman's.
"I've got you," Batman whispered, kneeling beside him. "Are you hurt?"
The boy shook his head, eyes wide with recognition and fear.
In the relative safety of a nearby emergency triage center, Batman knelt beside the boy again. A leather wallet caught in the child's jacket revealed his identity - Dick Grayson. But the photos inside told a grimmer story. Batman recognized the couple in the family portrait - they'd been among the first casualties reported.
"Dick," he said gently, "I need you to be brave okay?"
The boy looked up, and nodded amidst tears cutting fresh tracks through the dust on his face, barely understanding what he was told and why he was being told so."
Batman pulled him close, his armored frame softening as the child sobbed against his chest. Above them, rescue helicopters cut through smoke-filled skies. Emergency floodlights cast harsh shadows across a transformed cityscape of broken buildings and shattered streets.
Several hours had passed since the explosion struck, and the rescue efforts were finally beginning to wind down. Batman with Dick and Flash had gathered in a makeshift command center, exhausted but relieved that the worst was over. The dim emergency lights cast long shadows across their faces as they took a moment to rest.
As they sipped coffee from battered paper cups and reviewed the day's events, Alfred's voice crackled in Batman's cowl. "Bruce, I've been looking into the boy's situation. No living relatives."
"I know, Alfred. I checked." Batman's voice was quiet, remembering another child who had lost everything in a single night.
"The system will eat him alive," Alfred continued. "He's a circus kid with no fixed address. They'll bounce him from home to home."
"He watched his parents die, Alfred." Batman's fists clenched. "Just like I did."
Flash appeared in a blur of red, keeping his voice low. "I heard what happened. Poor kid. But Bruce... are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
"He needs someone who understands," Batman replied. "Someone who's been there."
Alfred's typing could be heard over the comm. "I can have the paperwork ready within the hour. But Bruce, this isn't like taking in a stray cat. This is a child."
"I know exactly what this is," Batman said, watching Dick Grayson wipe tears from his eyes. "I was that boy once. Alone. Angry. Looking for justice."
Flash placed a hand on Batman's shoulder. "You're really going to do this? Bruce Wayne, adopting a circus kid?"
"Not just adopting him." Batman's eyes narrowed with determination. "I'm going to give him something I never had: a way to channel his pain into purpose."
Alfred's voice softened. "You're going to train him."
"Eventually. First, I'm going to try to give him a home." Batman said, as he got up and walked towards his car with measured steps. "
* * *
8am, No 23 Wallace street, Washington DC.
Dr. Smith's initial steps into his lab felt different. Something was subtly misaligned - a writing pad slightly out of place, a computer screen which was supposed to be turned off was on, a faint trace of unfamiliar cologne lingering in the air.
Before he could fully process these minor discrepancies, a deep voice cut through the lab's ambient sounds.
"Dr. Smith, How punctual."
Lex Luthor stood near the far workstation, impeccably dressed in a tailored charcoal suit that stood out glaringly in the sterile scientific environment. Beside him stood a thin, bespectacled man with disheveled hair and an ill-fitting lab coat - the very picture of an absent-minded scientist.
Luthor's trademark smirk played across his lips, his presence radiating an aura of uneasiness that immediately set Smith's instincts on high alert.
"Unexpected visitors," Smith said carefully, his hand unconsciously shifting closer to a nearby communication panel.
I wouldn't do that if I were you," Luthor continued, his voice a smooth blend of threat and empathy. "I have only come to offer you a path to redemption."
The nerdy scientist shifted uncomfortably, avoiding direct eye contact with Luthor whose intensity remained fixed on him.
"One of my agents at the Genetic Research Regulatory Bureau received a report filed against you detailing your illegal activities"
Luthor said, the word 'activities' dripping with carefully measured ambiguity. "These activities, being of great use to me, made me come see things for myself. And I must say, I am deeply impressed."
Luthor took a calculated step forward, his expensive shoes making no sound on the laboratory's pristine floor.
"Here's my proposition," he said, each word slowly placed.
"You hand it over to me. I clean up your mess, and you go scot-free. Alternatively..."
He paused, allowing the alternative to hang heavily. "You can dance the tango with the authorities."
The nerdy scientist adjusted his glasses, thoughtfully.
He knew that whether or not he agreed with Luthor's suggestions. He didn't have a choice. He had initially been working on a project which he believed would make his six years old frozen embryo son grow into the smartest being ever.
However just as man's needs were insatiable, so were his fantasies. He decided that wasn't enough and expanded the project to include improving his genetic make-up in every possible way.
After spending millions of dollars on failed experiments he had finally figured out a way to delete genes on an embryo and replace them with new ones as opposed to just modifying them. Something Lex luthor and his team had struggled with.
All these years, he had prided in the fact that Luthor couldn't intimidate him into working for him, like he did to other scientists. Now he had ended up doing so, with his own resources and his own son !!!
Worse still, Luthor came in to ruin his party just at the right time, when he had finished deleting the last set of genes and was about to start adding new ones, almost like he had been monitoring him.
"If you hand it over willingly, I'll ensure the report gets deleted before it gets to the Sherriff's desk. You'll be safe, you'll still have your reputation. If you don't, well....You know what follows"
Under normal circumstances, Dr Smith would rather activate a self destruct sequence that would destroy the project and render it useless to Luthor, however, this was his own son, this was six years of hardwork, he couldn't just destroy it !!!! Besides he didn't want to let whoever had tattled on him, derive the pleasure of watching him receive public humiliation.
After letting a deep sigh, he made his way to the CRISPR unit, his breath forming small clouds in the chilly air. He slowly punched in the security code to the unit almost in resonance with the soft hum of machines in the room that appeared to be humming him a consolatory tune. Checking his watch, he noted it had been twenty minutes since he arrived at his lab.
With practiced efficiency, he pulled on his nitrile gloves and retrieved the specialized transport container from the prep station. The container's digital display showed a steady -196°C - perfect for maintaining the delicate embryo. Opening the freezer unit, he carefully located the correct rack marked "Batch MSN-0026-Sα" and, using long-handled forceps, transferred the small tube containing the frozen embryo into the container's liquid nitrogen chamber.
"Please handle it carefully," he muttered under his breath, as he sealed the transport container and handed it over to Petrovna, the scientist accompanying Luthor, who in turn handed it over to him.
Luthor clutched the transport container, his tall frame straightening with pride as he strode through the fluorescent-lit hallways of the facility. The transport container felt like a trophy in his hands .
His polished oxfords echoed against the floor as he walked briskly toward the exit, not bothering to offer even the briefest acknowledging nod to Dr Smith's staff who had begun to arrive. He couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction.
The sterile white hallway at the third floor of Cadmus lab echoed with the soft click of Dr. Petrovna's shoes against the polished floor. In her carefully gloved hands, she cradled the small oval transparent container which Luthor had handed over to her instructing her to hand it over to Dr Desmond.
"Remarkable," Petrovna muttered, examining the subject through the transporter's clear walls. Its genetic profile was unlike anything he'd seen before - precise deletions that suggested both vulnerability and unprecedented potential.
A shadow fell across the hallway as Lex Luthor's chief scientist, Dr. Desmond, approached. His sharp brown eyes locked onto the transport container, a predatory smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Is this our subject?" He asked.
Petrovna nodded. "Genetic markers are extraordinary. Dr Smith's deletions create a unique... canvas. Project Nexus might finally have its breakthrough." her Russian accent clipping each word with precision.
Desmond carefully lifted the container, his fingers tracing the transparent walls.
"Impressive !!" he muttered to himself as he made for the elevator with the transport container.
The atmosphere inside the grand circus tent was electric as laughter and applause echoed off the colorful canvas walls. Beneath the dazzling lights, families gathered for the charity event, eager to support a cause close to their hearts. The air was thick with excitement, the scent of popcorn and cotton candy mingling with the sweet notes of a live band playing cheerful tunes.
The flying Graysons were giving an amazing performance which was accompanied by loud cheering from the crowd.
Also in attendance at the circus was Henry Davis, the Chairperson, US national commission for UNESCO.
Henry's presence however had attracted a dark presence. A villain had been looking for a way to eliminate any government official he could lay his hands on to make a statement to the US government and this evening, a perfect opportunity had presented itself.
With a fluid motion, the dark figure of a villain began to climb the roof of a tall building adjacent to the circus. He moved with the precision of a seasoned operative, his hands and feet finding holds in the concrete and steel façade.
As he ascended, the sounds of the circus grew louder, mingling with the distant hum of traffic. The figure's breathing remained steady, his focus unwavering.
Finally, he reached the rooftop and pulled himself over the edge. A swift scan of the surroundings confirmed he was alone. The figure moved to the northwest corner of the roof, where a large air conditioning unit provided cover.
He carefully set up his weapon, a high-powered sniper rifle, on a makeshift tripod. The figure meticulously adjusted the scope, his eyes narrowing as he took aim.
The Chairperson of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO stood at the entrance of the circus, surrounded by a cluster of dignitaries and security personnel. The figure's gaze locked onto the target, his finger tightening around the trigger.
The moment hung suspended, the only sound heard was the distant laughter and music from the circus.
Batman who had been gazing out over the cityscape from the perch of the Wayne tower, quickly sprung into action, his cape fluttering behind him as he leapt from the rooftop to the adjacent building. He continued until he got to the building where he had seen the villain.
He landed silently on the rooftop, his eyes locking onto the figure huddled behind the air conditioning unit. Batman crept forward with fluid movements.
The figure, oblivious to the danger lurking behind him, took a deep breath and began to squeeze the trigger. Batman was upon him in an instant, his hand closing around the rifle barrel like a vice.
The figure struggled, but Batman's grip was unyielding. With a swift motion, he disarmed the rifle and pinned the figure to the ground.
"It's over," Batman growled, his voice low and menacing.
The figure looked up, his eyes wide with fear and hatred. Batman's gaze bore into him, and for a moment, the two locked eyes in a silent understanding.
Batman swiftly subdued the figure, binding his wrists with a Batarang-inspired restraint. He then pulled out a comms device and contacted the Gotham City Police Department.
"Commissioner Gordon, we have a situation at the circus. I've apprehended a would-be assassin. Requesting backup to take him into custody."
Within minutes, the rooftop was swarming with police officers, who whisked the would-be assassin off. Batman watched as they led him away, his eyes never leaving the figure until he was safely in the back of a police cruiser before he left for his tower.
Two-Face sat in the back of the police cruiser, his wrists cuffed behind him. He gazed intently at the GPS map displayed on the cruiser's computer screen, which was mounted on the dashboard. The screen flickered with each bump of the vehicle, but Two-Face's eyes remained fixed on the moving map.
As the cruiser drove away from the circus, Two-Face's gaze darted between the map and the distance counter. His eyes narrowed, calculating the optimal moment to strike.
"9.5 kilometers... 9.6... 9.7..." he muttered to himself, a maniacal glint in his eye.
With a sudden movement, Two-Face raised his cuffed wrists, revealing a small, intricately designed bracelet on his wrist. He pressed a hidden button, and a tiny LED light flickered to life.
The signal was sent and a massive explosion erupted.
From his perch on Wayne Tower, Batman watched in horror as the first building collapsed, its steel frame groaning like a dying beast before surrendering to gravity.
"Alfred, give me a sitrep," he growled into his comm, already launching himself off the edge. His cape snapped open, catching the debris-filled wind as he made for the site of the explosion.
A red streak blazed past him - Barry Allen moving at supersonic speed, leaving trails of scattered papers and displaced air in his wake. The Flash was already at work, his lightning crackling through the chaos as he evacuated building after building.
A mother and child stood frozen in terror as concrete chunks plummeted toward them. He swooped down, his arm enveloping them as debris bounced off his armored back and carried them to safety. "Get to the subway station," he ordered, already turning toward the next crisis.
"Bruce!" Flash materialized beside him, vibrating with nervous energy. "The fault line's spreading. We've got multiple gas leaks and the power grid's failing sector by sector."
A support beam from the Gotham Central Bank speared through the asphalt like a javelin. Batman's grapple missed its mark as his anchor point crumbled, sending him tumbling. He rolled with the impact, coming up in time to see children whom flash had rescued from a nearby orphanage vomiting.
Through the settling dust and smoke, a child's cry cut through the noise.
Batman's cowl sensors quickly located the source of the distress signal: a partially collapsed trailer, housing the children of the circus performers. The trailer, located in the circus's backstage area, had been damaged by the explosion. Its walls were cracked, and its roof was sagging precariously.
Batman rushed through the rubble-strewn backstage area, his cape fluttering behind him.
As Batman's eyes scanned the wreckage, he saw a small, frightened face peering out from beneath the wreckage. The boy's eyes, wide with fear, locked onto Batman's.
"I've got you," Batman whispered, kneeling beside him. "Are you hurt?"
The boy shook his head, eyes wide with recognition and fear.
In the relative safety of a nearby emergency triage center, Batman knelt beside the boy again. A leather wallet caught in the child's jacket revealed his identity - Dick Grayson. But the photos inside told a grimmer story. Batman recognized the couple in the family portrait - they'd been among the first casualties reported.
"Dick," he said gently, "I need you to be brave okay?"
The boy looked up, and nodded amidst tears cutting fresh tracks through the dust on his face, barely understanding what he was told and why he was being told so."
Batman pulled him close, his armored frame softening as the child sobbed against his chest. Above them, rescue helicopters cut through smoke-filled skies. Emergency floodlights cast harsh shadows across a transformed cityscape of broken buildings and shattered streets.
Several hours had passed since the explosion struck, and the rescue efforts were finally beginning to wind down. Batman with Dick and Flash had gathered in a makeshift command center, exhausted but relieved that the worst was over. The dim emergency lights cast long shadows across their faces as they took a moment to rest.
As they sipped coffee from battered paper cups and reviewed the day's events, Alfred's voice crackled in Batman's cowl. "Bruce, I've been looking into the boy's situation. No living relatives."
"I know, Alfred. I checked." Batman's voice was quiet, remembering another child who had lost everything in a single night.
"The system will eat him alive," Alfred continued. "He's a circus kid with no fixed address. They'll bounce him from home to home."
"He watched his parents die, Alfred." Batman's fists clenched. "Just like I did."
Flash appeared in a blur of red, keeping his voice low. "I heard what happened. Poor kid. But Bruce... are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
"He needs someone who understands," Batman replied. "Someone who's been there."
Alfred's typing could be heard over the comm. "I can have the paperwork ready within the hour. But Bruce, this isn't like taking in a stray cat. This is a child."
"I know exactly what this is," Batman said, watching Dick Grayson wipe tears from his eyes. "I was that boy once. Alone. Angry. Looking for justice."
Flash placed a hand on Batman's shoulder. "You're really going to do this? Bruce Wayne, adopting a circus kid?"
"Not just adopting him." Batman's eyes narrowed with determination. "I'm going to give him something I never had: a way to channel his pain into purpose."
Alfred's voice softened. "You're going to train him."
"Eventually. First, I'm going to try to give him a home." Batman said, as he got up and walked towards his car with measured steps. "
* * *
8am, No 23 Wallace street, Washington DC.
Dr. Smith's initial steps into his lab felt different. Something was subtly misaligned - a writing pad slightly out of place, a computer screen which was supposed to be turned off was on, a faint trace of unfamiliar cologne lingering in the air.
Before he could fully process these minor discrepancies, a deep voice cut through the lab's ambient sounds.
"Dr. Smith, How punctual."
Lex Luthor stood near the far workstation, impeccably dressed in a tailored charcoal suit that stood out glaringly in the sterile scientific environment. Beside him stood a thin, bespectacled man with disheveled hair and an ill-fitting lab coat - the very picture of an absent-minded scientist.
Luthor's trademark smirk played across his lips, his presence radiating an aura of uneasiness that immediately set Smith's instincts on high alert.
"Unexpected visitors," Smith said carefully, his hand unconsciously shifting closer to a nearby communication panel.
I wouldn't do that if I were you," Luthor continued, his voice a smooth blend of threat and empathy. "I have only come to offer you a path to redemption."
The nerdy scientist shifted uncomfortably, avoiding direct eye contact with Luthor whose intensity remained fixed on him.
"One of my agents at the Genetic Research Regulatory Bureau received a report filed against you detailing your illegal activities"
Luthor said, the word 'activities' dripping with carefully measured ambiguity. "These activities, being of great use to me, made me come see things for myself. And I must say, I am deeply impressed."
Luthor took a calculated step forward, his expensive shoes making no sound on the laboratory's pristine floor.
"Here's my proposition," he said, each word slowly placed.
"You hand it over to me. I clean up your mess, and you go scot-free. Alternatively..."
He paused, allowing the alternative to hang heavily. "You can dance the tango with the authorities."
The nerdy scientist adjusted his glasses, thoughtfully.
He knew that whether or not he agreed with Luthor's suggestions. He didn't have a choice. He had initially been working on a project which he believed would make his six years old frozen embryo son grow into the smartest being ever.
However just as man's needs were insatiable, so were his fantasies. He decided that wasn't enough and expanded the project to include improving his genetic make-up in every possible way.
After spending millions of dollars on failed experiments he had finally figured out a way to delete genes on an embryo and replace them with new ones as opposed to just modifying them. Something Lex luthor and his team had struggled with.
All these years, he had prided in the fact that Luthor couldn't intimidate him into working for him, like he did to other scientists. Now he had ended up doing so, with his own resources and his own son !!!
Worse still, Luthor came in to ruin his party just at the right time, when he had finished deleting the last set of genes and was about to start adding new ones, almost like he had been monitoring him.
"If you hand it over willingly, I'll ensure the report gets deleted before it gets to the Sherriff's desk. You'll be safe, you'll still have your reputation. If you don't, well....You know what follows"
Under normal circumstances, Dr Smith would rather activate a self destruct sequence that would destroy the project and render it useless to Luthor, however, this was his own son, this was six years of hardwork, he couldn't just destroy it !!!! Besides he didn't want to let whoever had tattled on him, derive the pleasure of watching him receive public humiliation.
After letting a deep sigh, he made his way to the CRISPR unit, his breath forming small clouds in the chilly air. He slowly punched in the security code to the unit almost in resonance with the soft hum of machines in the room that appeared to be humming him a consolatory tune. Checking his watch, he noted it had been twenty minutes since he arrived at his lab.
With practiced efficiency, he pulled on his nitrile gloves and retrieved the specialized transport container from the prep station. The container's digital display showed a steady -196°C - perfect for maintaining the delicate embryo. Opening the freezer unit, he carefully located the correct rack marked "Batch MSN-0026-Sα" and, using long-handled forceps, transferred the small tube containing the frozen embryo into the container's liquid nitrogen chamber.
"Please handle it carefully," he muttered under his breath, as he sealed the transport container and handed it over to Petrovna, the scientist accompanying Luthor, who in turn handed it over to him.
Luthor clutched the transport container, his tall frame straightening with pride as he strode through the fluorescent-lit hallways of the facility. The transport container felt like a trophy in his hands .
His polished oxfords echoed against the floor as he walked briskly toward the exit, not bothering to offer even the briefest acknowledging nod to Dr Smith's staff who had begun to arrive. He couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction.
The sterile white hallway at the third floor of Cadmus lab echoed with the soft click of Dr. Petrovna's shoes against the polished floor. In her carefully gloved hands, she cradled the small oval transparent container which Luthor had handed over to her instructing her to hand it over to Dr Desmond.
"Remarkable," Petrovna muttered, examining the subject through the transporter's clear walls. Its genetic profile was unlike anything he'd seen before - precise deletions that suggested both vulnerability and unprecedented potential.
A shadow fell across the hallway as Lex Luthor's chief scientist, Dr. Desmond, approached. His sharp brown eyes locked onto the transport container, a predatory smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Is this our subject?" He asked.
Petrovna nodded. "Genetic markers are extraordinary. Dr Smith's deletions create a unique... canvas. Project Nexus might finally have its breakthrough." her Russian accent clipping each word with precision.
Desmond carefully lifted the container, his fingers tracing the transparent walls.
"Impressive !!" he muttered to himself as he made for the elevator with the transport container.
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