CHAPTER 4 – THE GAME BEGINS

Images and information spread across the multiple screens within the cave. Different images, but of the same woman, the title of the information said 'Diana Prince' in large bold writing within an article. Bruce read the information regarding the woman; this antiquities dealer was the same one who stole the device at the gala the week before. "When I said you should meet a woman from Metropolis, I didn't mean you should stalk her." Alfred glanced at the screen whilst walking towards the younger man slouching in his seat. "Master Wayne, can I ask why you are so interested in this woman?" He asked as Bruce sighed, "She is the one who stole the files" his glum tone triggered a little smile from Alfred "Thieves seem to be your type, sir."

The older man walks away from the screen towards his work bench. He began his work whilst speaking to Bruce; "This could be your chance Master Wayne" Bruce looks towards him questioningly, dragging his concentration away from the screen. "A chance for what Alfred?" he sits up in his seat whilst continuing to look towards the cluttered table where Alfred works, "To invite a beautiful woman for dinner and not have it end in a one night stand." The older man doesn't look up and continues his improvements on the weaponry; Bruce shakes his head whilst rolling his eyes. Returning his gaze to the many screens in front of him, "There is a gala at the Metropolis museum tomorrow night for the new exhibit, I am invited and so is Ms Prince." Bruce taps the keyboard and the guest list he discovered earlier appeared on the screen, Alfred glances at the screen "Well Master Wayne, you do seem to have learned a thing or two from your sister." The eldest Wayne doesn't look at Alfred but stares at the multiple screens containing the information. Bruce can't help but think how much he has gained from his younger sibling; though her previous activities were not approved by him, without Thea many criminals would still be roaming the streets and not locked away. "On the subject of my sister, I haven't seen her much since the party" Bruce looks towards his phone, hoping for any sign of contact from the young woman. "Ms Thea is in Metropolis today, she did mention multiple meeting this week within the city. She has been cooperating with the charities, orphanages excetera." Bruce smiles slightly, proud of her achievements which remind him so much of their mother. Thea's actions always remind him of Martha Wayne, his younger sister's caring nature mirrors his mother's; one misfortune that haunts him is that Thea will never meet their parents. No past memories, just a legacy weighing on her shoulders; Bruce shakes his head to clear his troubled thoughts and continues his work.

"Ms Wayne, it was lovely seeing you again. Thank you so much" shaking his hand Thea responds, "Nolan we've known each other for over two years, you can call me Thea" they both stand up from their chairs in the small office within the orphanage. "There is no need to thank me, I want to keep helping and supporting the children." The Metropolis Orphanage is larger than Gothams, understandably as it has been open for much longer. Nolan Deering manages the orphanage with few staff, the younger Wayne meets with the manager every few months to discuss any further developments and to see how the children are. Since the unfortunate disaster two years ago, the few orphanages across Metropolis have taken in many children who have lost their parents. Thea supports the orphanages across the city to make sure there is enough clean beds, food and healthcare in place as she also continually does for the Gotham City orphanage.

Thea leaves the large building and walks towards her car; the successful meeting leaves her in high spirits. She enters her car and takes a breath, looking at her watch reminds her of the next meeting planned. She has been invited to Lexcorp by the young billionaire of Metropolis, Lex Luthor who had proposed this arrangement briefly at the charity gala last week. The younger Wayne fiddles with her small, diamond ring before starting the car; this heirloom of the Wayne family has been passed down through generations, something of her mother's that was given to her in their will. Whilst feeling quite merry from the previous meeting her anxious behaviour makes an appearance. The feeling of uncertainty clouds her thoughts as its unknown what this meeting may entail, though meeting Mr Luthor again combines excitement and nervousness. As Lex Luthor is the largest rival to Wayne Enterprises, Thea dared not inform her older brother of the current arrangement. The younger Wayne laughed slightly as she drove through the busy streets of Metropolis, a secretive nature must be a common trait within the Wayne family.

The large Lexcorp research park was located on the outskirts of the city; this made the large white building stand out amongst the green environment. The orange and white Lexcorp logo took a place above the entrance, noticeable from a distance as Thea drove further towards the building. The small security booth sat by the side of the road leading towards the research park, "I have a meeting with Mr Luthor" Thea explains to the guard when her car approaches close to the booth, she hands him her ID. "Go straight through, ma'am" the older security guard returns the ID then opens the gate allowing the young Wayne to pass. The closer she drives towards the polished building, the clearer the outline of the large windows that surround the Lexcorp sign. Once Thea has parked her vehicle, she made her way across to the entrance of Lexcorp, she inspects the large sign above the glass doors; the slick, modern logo has made many appearances in Metropolis and her home city.

Thea enters the building through the large glass doors; the substantial entrance contains a large circular reception desk whilst being surrounded by employees and visitors. The seats are located on both sides and those seated talk loudly whilst others work on their personal laptops. Thea is surprised by how casual the interior seems as she walks towards the reception desk, a tall woman holding a tablet stands beside it. "Ms Wayne?" the tall woman approaches her as Thea moves forward, "Hi, yes that's me. I have a meeting with Mr Luthor" the young woman smiles awkwardly and fidgets with her diamond ring; the large amount of people is makes her anxious, "Of course. Please follow me" the taller woman responds whilst walking towards the back of the desk, Thea takes a breath and follows her; the woman's sophistication intimidates Thea slightly, the Wayne dressed in a blazer, blouse and a pair of leggings compared to her guide's black, tight fitting choice.

The clicking noise of her heels ceased as both women approach the large basketball court hidden away by the large reception. A moderate amount of people stood outside of the court casually talking whilst others were seated in chairs surrounding the area. As the younger Wayne inspects the area her eyes widen, the building seemed to become even more surprising. Rowdy noises come from the court whilst the players move around quickly, a young man in a t-shirt and jeans scores as the crowd responds blaringly. The cheers pierce Thea's ears as her attention focuses on the young man, she recognizes him just as he turns around to face the women. Alexander Luthor stands in front of her, his hair dishevelled and hands waving in the air; noticing the young woman for the first time he straightens up."Thea! It's great to see you again" he approaches her whilst offering his hand which she takes, "You too Lex, thanks for the invitation" Thea nods as he kisses her hand once again. "Thank you, Mercy" the young billionaire nods towards his assistant, the tall woman walks away as Lex points his hand to the left side of the basketball court. "This way" as she follows him Thea glances to her right, a large retro sign of Lexcorp is attached to the wall; the neon design stands out amongst the pure white walls.

"My fathers, the acknowledgement of the past and what Lexcorp used to be." Lex speaks, noticing her interest in the sign. "I didn't know much about Lexcorp back then, I'm sure your father was a great man." Thea responds as they continued down the large hallway, Lex grins slightly and his hands close into fists, "That's what a lot of people believe. My good ol' father probably wouldn't approve of my decisions of the company" Lex waves his hand behind them to the court and employees chatting loudly, he fidgets slightly as they continue to walk. "Your decisions and changes to the company are what make you your own person; I know how it feels to be in the shadow of someone's legacy." Thea smiles, the young man looks towards her and his tightened fists release. He returns the gesture "Here we are" The glass doors open to a large scientific lab, some screens are attached to the walls whilst others are placed on multiple desks. The lab is empty as they enter; "I'll let you know now that I have a lack of knowledge regarding science or anything on the matter" she speaks alongside a small laugh, the silver ring twists around her finger again slightly. The feeling of humiliation approaches her as she speaks, knowing Lex to be a very intelligent person she will most likely embarrass herself. "Ms Wayne, there is no need to worry. I wanted to take this chance to give you a tour of Lexcorp whilst you're still in Metropolis" He walks besides her, taking her small hand which ceases her fidgeting. Thea's breathing stops slightly as Lex squeezes her hand; he leads her around the lab until ceasing his movement. Within a glass case holds a small green mineral, "beautiful" The young woman murmurs as she looks into the case, "indeed" Lex responds whilst looking at Thea, then wanders around the opposite side of the case after letting her go. Thea's cheeks tint pink as she glances towards the young billionaire; his arms rest on top of the case, letting a smile appear on his face.

Thea swallows quickly finding her voice, "Is it an emerald?" she asks, testing her knowledge. "Similar. Our current research into the mineral proposes many possibilities including the safety of Metropolis" Lex becomes distracted as he answers the young woman, his finger tap slightly against the glass drawing her attention; then he wanders around the lab again glancing at the multiple screens. Thea follows him slowly whilst he picks up a blue stress ball sitting on the workbench, "You seem very protective of your home, did you always feel this way or was it because of the occurrence two years ago?" she asks carefully, wondering if the subject is as sensitive to Lex as it is to her older brother. He doesn't turn around but his posture changes as he squeezes the ball tightly, "The occurrence, meaning when this alien brought destruction from the skies and reigned hell" he spits out forgetting himself, the persona of hatred towards superman and his actions slip through and frightens her slightly. Lex notices her reaction as he faces her, shakes his head and clears his throat "Yes I would say it was that" A smile returns to his lips, wiping away any form of anger though his fist clenches tightly around the small blue ball. Lex moves past Thea as their hands brush slightly, he releases a breath as her touch allows a calm feeling to rest over him. The ball bounces away as Lex's hand releases it then he faintly squeezes her fingers, Thea smiles slightly at his action whilst they are distracted by each other's eyes; Lex shakes his head and clears his throat once again, this feeling troubles him but his focus returns to his previous goal, "On the subject of that specific occurrence, what's your belief of this superman?" Lex asks her as he releases her hand and takes a seat on one of many stools, his fingers play with the stress ball as he waits for her answer. Thea's attention is drawn back to the conversation, "I cannot say that superman is either good or bad, I believe that every person has some form of good and bad within them. I don't really know what occurred that day to personally define him." She responds confidently whilst taking a seat opposite him, Lex looks at her as his fingers tap against his knee "some have made their decision whilst others are like you, stuck in the middle of the debate" Thea doesn't ask which side Mr Luthor has chosen as his earlier response seemed to be evident.

Lex looked away, troubled with his thoughts. The good vs bad, light vs the dark, she was the light and he could clearly see it. Her caring nature, the need to help others and her positivity shined bright and defined who she was. Lex wonders if the darkness within him is clear to her, it can slip through when he isn't in control; this prospect troubles him slightly, will his true intentions this evening be discovered? Is she more intelligent than initially presumed? A small soft hand draws him away from his thoughts; his hand ceases the tapping movement. The young billionaire's focus sets on Thea "Lex, are you sure there isn't another reason why you invited me here?" she asks suspiciously, the man seems thoroughly distracted, "I guess that I want to know more about the woman who generously supports my city but lives across the water in Gotham" Thea's eyebrows furrow, "I'm not the only outsider to come and help Metropolis" she pointed out as he smiles slightly "Not all are generous and as caring as you are, even after two years you still meet with orphanages around the city and offer your support" her hazel eyes widen, before she questions him about her other business Lex interrupts, "Thea, I know people around the city. Charities and foundations I've donated too previously know your work and they're very grateful" he stands up as she looks on surprised at the information, even though she has worked hard and used her time to help Metropolis she never thought that it would be widely viewed by so many. The young man offers his hand which she takes, "Plus I really wanted to see you again. Let's continue shall we?" Lex opens the door for her as they enter the large hallway once again; Thea ceases to look at Lex as her face becomes heated. Both individuals walk beside each other whilst he taps his fingers against his leg and she fiddles with her small diamond ring.

"I'm terrible" Thea exclaims as the ball misses the hoop, "I can say practice comes in handy" Lex responds as the ball he throws enters the hoop. Only a few employees wandered the large entrance of Lexcorp compared to earlier, allowing the court to be available for both of them. She sighs as her hand bounces the large orange ball whilst Lex approaches her with another held under his arm "out of my brother and I, he is the more athletic one" she laughs slightly, acknowledging Bruce's vigilante persona.

Lex's eyes focus upon the young woman as she continues bouncing the ball around the court, the older Wayne's name heightens his attention. "Do you get along well with your brother?" Lex asks, his concentration unchanging "I guess so, yeah" Thea answers distractedly as she throws the ball which closely misses the net. The young billionaire taps his fingers impatiently against the basketball he holds, "I presume you two would be close and stick together after your tragedy." he states which draws confusion upon Thea's face, the sudden questions about her family contrast to their previous discussions. She is unsure to whether there is heartlessness within the tone of his voice, "I don't really want to talk about it." Thea speaks as she picks up another ball and stands in position. Lex's temper flares slightly as his incessant tapping ceases, cursing himself for his previous comment as a sense of guilt settles in his gut; the younger Wayne's intended place in Lex's plan requires more information, especially the relationship between the siblings. If the initial kind, charming approach won't achieve his goals then the long road around may be his only option and it's a dangerous one.

A breath is released as he approaches her once again, Lex stands behind her whilst guiding her movement, and she blushes at the closeness; he moves his own hands over hers and they throw the ball together. It enters the netted hoop and Thea smiles gleefully whilst clapping, her reaction distracts Lex as he smiles alongside her. He photographs her smile in his mind, being able to retain the feeling it gives him. His long fingers lightly hold her hand whilst she squeezes it in return, both individuals distracted as they are unaware of the clicking of heels which approach them.

"Excuse me, Mr Luthor" Mercy Graves's confident voice calls out which draws the young couple's attention. "Yes, Mercy" Lex nods towards her, tapping his fingers against his leg lightly, "Your observation in lab eight begins in fifteen minutes, sir" she answers whilst waiting outside the court. "Right, must have lost track of time. My apologies Thea, but this is something I have to unfortunately attend" Lex explains to the young woman who nods understandably, "Of course, I must be leaving anyway; I have a meeting tomorrow morning which I must prepare for" Thea fidgets with her diamond ring before Lex's hands clasp hers, "Thank you for the tour Lex, I've has a wonderful time" she admits her truthful statement as she squeezes his hand before he releases them. "It's been a pleasure, Thea" Lex finally speaks, as he says her name it leaves butterflies in her stomach; before Lex returns to his assistant and Thea turns towards Lexcorp's entrance she kisses his cheek. The small action triggers a spark within both individuals; Thea offers a shy smile before walking away leaving Lex staring after her once again. His mouth is open whilst he lightly touches his burning cheek, her unexpected action triggered something within him; the young billionaire shakes off this unknown feeling that troubles him as he heads towards the lab.

His head shook as his sombre eyes glanced across the board, his dishevelled hair and clothing show the exhaustion within him. Lex's scribbled notes were presented on a large white board, 'Vigilante', 'God', 'Devil', 'destruction', 'murder',- words appearing on the board are aggressively wrote. His eyes feel strained as they dance around the room away from his writing; the stress that surrounds him is caused by the change in his plan, blaming the young woman for disturbing his mind and thoughts; if his intrigue didn't get the best of him he wouldn't be in this mess. This hatred has consumed him for the past two years, for his rival Bruce Wayne and the all powerful god that reigned hell from the skies; day versus night battling each other to the death - killing two birds with one stone. Thea could play a vital part in his plan or cause more complications but it's a risk the young billionaire is willing to take. The black marker pen sat in his hand above the board ready to write, a small frustrated growl comes from Lex and he turned away; being one of the most intelligent men in the world has never been as much of struggle as this has. There is a troublesome feeling within the young man, it's unknown to Lex and has created a wall in his mind stopping him from thinking any further.

Lex spins around towards his desk, his hand clasps the half drank glass of scotch that sits amongst the papers and spare files. He swallows a small sip and looks into his drink which slowly swirls from the movement; suddenly his arm throws the glass, shattering against the white painted wall to his right. This sudden movement shakes him with anger, his eyes glance across his notes on the whiteboard again. A small giggle erupts from the young billionaire as his hand wipes his face with realization and glee, Lex approaches quickly as his hand prepares to scribble once again. The marker flurries across the board as his disheveled hair shakes slightly by the quick motions, a grin spreads on his face as his eyes squint closely with concentration; rapid thoughts swirl within the young man's head as the uncertainty which edges closer to him is dismissed.