Chapter Text
“Ooooh, Jack! What about him!” Maddie asked excitedly, pointing to one of the two young men who were talking softly and drinking together at a bar in Metropolis.
One had short, red hair and was in a well fitting dark gray suit. He looked to be a typical business man, relaxing after a long day of work. The other… Well, he was tall and wide, like Jack. His navy suit hung off his frame a little, and he did not look as well put together as the other man. He had black hair and blue eyes that were hidden behind large, round glasses. It reminded him of himself. Yes, either one of them would do nicely, but the large, black haired man would be best.
“Good catch Mads! I say go for it!”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking over to the two men, swaying her hips in a sensual manner. Most people didn’t bother to look beneath the scientist coat to see what a hot foxy lady Maddie Fenton nee Walker was. Normally, only Jack got to see that. Tonight though, some other lucky men would. However, no matter how good they were, no one would ever take Jack’s place in her heart.
He watched as his wife was rejected by one man, but led to a nearby hotel by the other. Yes, if things all went well. There would be a brand new Fenton in nine months, and no one would be the wiser that Jack wasn’t their biological father.
***
“Jazz! Danny! Come downstairs you two! We need to have a chat, as a family!” Mom yelled up the stairs.
That wasn’t good. She snorted to herself as her brother took the stairs two at a time. She couldn’t think of anything recently that would make their parents want to talk to them? There wasn’t anything that could make them think Danny was Phantom. She was leaving for college in Star City, but not for another month and a half. No, she couldn’t think a single reason why her parents would have summoned both of their kids for a chat.
Maddie fussed, setting steaming hot coco in front of the two empty seats on the loveseat, her parents sitting on the other couch, fidgeting. There were also two manila folders laying next to the coco on the coffee table. One was so stuffed, it was almost overflowing. The other only had a few pieces of paper. This didn’t seem good. Jazz sunk down into the soft, push fabric couch. Danny also looked wary. This was definitely out of the norm for their parents. Mom and Dad held each other’s hands.
“There’s something we’ve been hiding from you. Jazz, you’re an adult and Danny, you’ll be one before we know it. So we figured we should tell you.” Danny and Jazz looked at each other. What could this be about?
“I may have had a few accidents back in the good ol’ days in college. They made me infertile,” Dad admitted with a sheepish grin.
“Well, we’d just gotten married and graduated college, so we didn’t have the money to pay for fertility treatments or to go to the treatments to use a sperm donor. So, we tried the old fashioned way!” Next to her, Danny gagged.
“Gross! I don’t need to know about your sex lives!” Jazz felt faint.
“Old fashioned way… you don’t mean that you went out and just… picked random men to sleep with, right?!?”
“Oh, they weren’t random Jazzy-pants! We looked to find men who looked like either me or your mom! Yours ended up being a red-head we met at a bar in Metropolis!”
“I’m going to be sick,” Danny mumbled, holding his hand over his mouth.
“We only know who your biological Father is Jazz, because he ended up becoming famous. We weren’t exactly expecting that. We do have a name for you Danny, and where he was sixteen years ago. We have some notes on it, as we thought it was almost like a science experiment,” her mom giggled nervously.
She slid the large manila folder to Jazz and the smaller one to Danny. Hesitantly, she opened it. Looking back at her was the smarmy smile of one Lex Luthor, his bald head shining in the picture. She closed it and then looked back up at her parents. They were smiling and nodding at her. Maybe it was a fluke. She couldn’t be that monster’s daughter. Taking a deep breath, she opened the folder again. Nope, that still was that bastard’s face.
“You can’t be serious. This is some sort of joke, right?”
Danny peaked over her shoulder, his nose wrinkling when he saw that face.
“Ancients, yeah, I’ll take this random Edwardo Dorrance guy over Lex Luthor. I’d say I got the better deal in this shit show.”
Mom pursed her lips, not liking Danny cursing. Dad just laughed. Jazz put her head in her hands. What did she do with this information?!? Money for a college tuition would be nice, but she didn’t want that… that crazy billionaire anywhere near her. A lot of people couldn’t see beneath his mask and his calm demeanor. They didn’t get the barbs and the subtle insults that were woven into all of his speech. Luthor never did anything without some sort of reason. Maybe that had been different when her mom and Luthor… made her, but the man she knew now? He shouldn’t be anyone’s father.
“I don’t want to do anything about it. Not right now. Maybe that’ll change. But for now, Lex Luthor can go fuck himself!”
Danny and Dad were excited that she cursed, immediately teasing her that she’d done so. Straight laced Jazz never cursed. This was one of those special and rare occasions where she’d let an F-bomb loose. Mom just nodded her head in acceptance. Nothing would change.
***
Jazz was almost done with her undergrad degree, getting a double major in biology and psychology. She’d graduate that May. As long as she passed all of her classes. It was only a few weeks into the semester, and she had some of the best grades in her classes. She’d even started working as an undergraduate researcher in one of the labs that was measuring starvation and cannibalism in fruit flies. They were trying to see if starvation left a lingering impact on the next generations gene’s. There’d been some postulations that if your parents or grandparents experienced famine, it could trigger genes that meant the next generations retained more fat and had slower metabolisms.
It was an interesting theory, and the study was only in its infancy. There was still a long way to go, not that Jazz would be able to participate in its later stages. She still vowed to follow up on it. She collapsed on her bed and opened up her laptop. Time to catch up on the news a bit, listen to some meditative music to help with mindfulness, and then start working on her homework that was due in the next couple weeks. Jazz was ahead in doing all of the work in her classes, and she preferred it that way.
Bruce Wayne was giving more money to orphans.
The president was at the G9 summit doing normal political things.
Flash had stopped Captain Cold again.
Lex Luthor announced he had a son.
Superman helped out with an earthquake in Japan.
WAIT.
Jazz scrolled back and stared. There he was. Her half brother. He had dorky glasses on and was wearing a sweater. Conner Luthor. He was sixteen. Jazz’s heart ached. He was going to get eaten alive by Luthor. Poor thing looked sweet and soft and wholesome and what kind of big sister would she be if she let that asshole get his claws into Conner, especially since the article said his mother had died recently. She sat up and called her mom. Time to reveal to the world another Luthor child.
***
It had taken a few months and meetings with lawyers but it had been confirmed that Jazz was Luthor’s biological daughter from a one night stand in Metropolis years ago. How wonderful. Thankfully she hadn’t met the bastard yet, as she’d asked for the meeting to be after her final exams and graduation. That hadn’t stopped him from paying off all her loans, and that of all her classmates too, not that anyone knew why Lex Luthor, one of the richest men on Earth, had decided to pay off all the student loans of the undergraduates graduating in May from Dartmouth.
She walked across, took pictures with friends and family. Danny, having grown up to be a behemoth of a man, picked her up and twirled her around, teasing her that she was the little sister now! She just stood on her tippy toes to ruffle his hair and remind him that no matter how big he got, he’d always be her little brother. They were on the way to the car to go to a restaurant to celebrate Jazz when she noticed someone on one of the rooftops in the distance. Was that? It was Superboy. He was watching the graduation. Did he know someone who had graduated? Supergirl was probably old enough to be graduating college. Or was he checking to make sure nothing suspicious happened, due to Lex’s donation.
She couldn’t worry about it.
Not now.
Hopefully it was just a false alarm that Superboy was here.
***
Jazz sighed, sitting in the stiff, overstuffed chair. Her parents and brother hadn’t been allowed. She’d be meeting Lex Luthor and Conner Luthor soon. Jazz had visited some thrift shops near some of the richer places in town and picked out some smart black slacks that thankfully had some decently sized pockets. She paired it with a white blouse and black blazer and sensible black flats. The only pops of color that she had were her favorite and slightly scuffed teal purse and a teal scarf around her neck. Jazz didn’t feel like herself if she didn’t wear something that was her favorite color.
Jazz looked out of the floor to ceiling glass window out at the city of Metropolis. From here, you could see it all. The massive park in the center of the city. The Daily Planet and other skyscrapers. Those were all concentrated here, in the downtown portion of the city. The rest were modestly sized buildings, ones that often didn’t exceed three stories tall. Metropolis was very different from what she’d grown up with in Ohio and from New Hampshire, where she’d gone to college. It was beautiful in its own way, and she could see herself living here, if that’s what it took to support Conner.
She was brought out of her thoughts as the door, which was on the opposite side of the window. Lex Luthor strode in confidently. He looked as he did in all of his press conferences, in a suit that probably cost as much as one of her college classes. Expensive watch. Monogrammed pocket square. Clothes that screamed quality and wealth. He had a commanding presence, one that drew people’s eyes to him. That, and his shiny bald head. Just behind him was a teen with thick, black hair, blue eyes hiding behind thick glasses. His hands were in the pockets of his tight skinny jeans. He wore a black T-shirt with a long sleeve flannel shirt tied around his waist and black converse. He could only be Conner. Unlike Lex, everything about him screamed nerves and anxiety.
Lex made his way to the couch across the glass coffee table. Trying to make a good impression (for now), she stood to shake his hand. He grinned, shaking her hand firmly and putting far more pressure into it than necessary. She wasn’t impressed by that. She personally thought that people, men in particular, that used a too firm handshake were merely trying to intimidate others. No matter. She moved on from Lex quickly, as the person she actually cared about was behind him. For Conner, she smiled. For Conner, she grabbed his hand and enveloped him in a hug. The teen stiffened slightly, before melting into her embrace and responding in kind. When she pulled back, his nervous expression was gone, replaced by a far more hopeful look.
When Jazz sat back down in her spot, across from Lex, Conner hesitated, looking between the both of them. He eventually chose, sitting down next to Lex, although of the far edge of the couch, practically half leaning over the arm rest. It was rather difficult for him to put space between himself and Lex, as the bald man had sat in the middle of the couch.
“Wonderful to meet you Jasmine. I’ve heard so much about you through reading different documents. It’s wonderful to meet you in person and finally get to meet my bright young daughter,” Lex smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
Jazz regarded him coolly. He’d called her Jasmine, knowing that she preferred to be called a nickname, Jazz. He was letting her know that he knew all about her, likely through the use of bribes, private investigators, and possibly through illegal means as well. There was also the reference to her belonging to him, being of his blood or because she was a woman. What a vile, evil man. Two could play this game, Lex.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Alexander. I’ve heard quite a bit about you as well. I’ve particularly enjoyed the articles about you by Lois Lane and Clark Kent from the Daily Planet. I found them very insightful and believe they’ve captured your values and your personality very well.”
Jazz turned slightly, angling her body to face Conner. If Lex knew anything about body language, he would know it was a slight against him, as it would indicate that her focus was on Conner, not him. Her cold demeanor vanished as she faced her newest, littlest brother. He seemed confused that she was addressing him. Did he think that she was just going to sit there and talk to Lex? She didn’t give a flying hoot about that greedy and morally bankrupt man.
“I’m way more excited to meet you, Conner. I know you’ve been an only child the last sixteen years, but if you’re game, I’d love to be your older sister. I’m happy to give you my younger brother Danny’s number, if you want to get an idea of what I’m like as a sister. If you’re not up for that, that’s totally okay. I just want you to know the option is there.”
“Um. I think it’d be cool. To have a sister.” Ah, what a cute and sweet tentative smile. Little brothers were the cutest, even when they were teens and adults.
“Awesome! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me!”
“Now wait a minute -” Jazz kept talking, ignoring Lex as he tried to get back into the conversation. Conner eyed the man warily out of the corner of his eye.
“I’m always a call or a text away if you ever need homework help and I can totally drive you to anything, if you need it. Danny and I have all sorts of fun things that we like to do together, and I’m looking forward to figuring out what we like to do together. I put together a list!” Jazz rummaged through her purse, pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it to Conner.
“Jasmine, don’t you want to get to know your biological father?” Once again, she ignored him, glee flaring within her at his gritted teeth.
“I know there are a lot of things on there, so feel free to cross some out if you’re not interested in trying them out at all. We can also go at whatever pace you want, I just want to hang out with you and get to know you.”
“Jasmine. Isn’t there anything you want?”
Yuck. Lex was probably used to getting people to pay attention to him and do what he wanted because of his money. Jazz wasn’t interested.
“All I’m interested in is getting to know my little brother. Oh, and do try to have a bit more subtly and class. While I’m sure the rest of my graduating class greatly appreciates your massive donation to my alma mater and making sure that are debt free, it did nothing to endear me to you. I never asked for it, and you did it without my permission. As I’m sure you’re well aware, due to your own struggles with your father, Lionel, sometimes people want to make their own way without help from anyone else. I thought you of all people would understand that, Alexander. And do keep from interrupting. It’s incredibly rude.”
Ancients, Jazz hated code switching. She kept having to use SAT words and thinly veiled insults against Lex and then switch to normal, regular human speech with her brother. It was getting exhausting. Lex wasn’t stupid, he knew that she was hinting at him to butt out of her conversation with Conner and that he wasn’t wanted here. The Daily Planet articles had been right though, as he was incredibly stubborn. It was likely both a positive and a negative part of his personality.
Perhaps it was sinking in though, as Lex leaned back, watching the two siblings interact. Conner was opening up, becoming more and more animated as they talked. She complimented him on his Chucks. He responded in kind, liking her small stud earring, and how he was hoping to get a single piercing in his ear, and maybe more after that, if he liked it. He liked being active and trying out sports. He didn’t want to join a team, just play for fun. Conner got excited telling her about what music he liked and what he’d been listening to recently. His taste didn’t fully match his clothing aesthetic. Was he ashamed of his music tastes? Is that why his clothing was as punk or gothic as she suspected it would be? There were certainly multiple layers to Conner, and she was going to enjoy getting to learn more about him.
All too soon it was time for her to go. She traded phone numbers with Conner, knowing that Lex would likely take her number from Conner’s phone, if he didn’t already have it. She gave him another hug before she left. Lex just nodded at her, his eyes watching and calculating. He reminded her of Vlad, yet Vlad’s gaze had never been directed at her, it had always been on Danny and her mom. This was at her. It was unnerving.
***
Conner looked hesitantly at Lex. None of that had gone how he’d expected, and based on how Lex had reacted, it hadn’t gone the way he wanted either. Yet his… father looked intrigued. The wheels were whirring away in that head of his. Great, he was going to have to ask Rob and the others to help him protect his civilian sister, one who’d just proudly walked into the lion’s den, totally unaware of the danger. It was like a domestic house cat staring down a vicious tiger.
Jazz was cool though. He’d love to actually have a relationship with her. Clark was squirrely AF and Lex obviously wanted to use him for something . He didn’t know what yet though. Jazz? She just wanted to get to know him and be his older sister. She didn’t know that he was a Kryptonian-human hybrid. She didn’t know that. She didn’t have any ulterior motive besides getting to know her younger half-brother. It was surreal.
Thankfully Lex was done with him for the day, heading off to do whatever businessmen do all day. Sign papers. Yell at people and order them around. Conner… he was going to take a closer look at what Rob had dug up about his sister. Flying off to the Titans Tower, he sat down at one of the computers and reviewed that data again. There wasn’t too much from her childhood, besides her school record. Amity Park didn’t have a lot of security cameras set up around the town, not only that, according to city records, a lot of the city was falling apart, and the mayor and the representatives had been undertaking a lot of infrastructure projects. Repaving roads, updating their tornado alarm system, building more tornado shelters, and more.
Jazz had been incredible in school, taking all advanced classes in high school and having a lot of extracurriculars. She’d double majored in college and still graduated in four years. That was something Rob could do. Ugh, now was not the time to daydream about his best friend and crush, who’s real name he didn’t even know! His sister. Jazz. There were a lot of pictures and images of her during college. Her taking classes, working in the lab, and reading in the library. It was nice to see her relaxed and carefree. Rob had logged that after his existence had been revealed, Jazz had called her family a lot more, and talked to them longer than usual. Rob had noted that she’d probably known, known for a while that Lex was her bio dad, and had chosen to come forward, because of him.
Gathering up his courage, he texted her.
***
Conner was early. He didn’t want to be late for his first outing with his sister. They were at a bowling alley, which meant that they could talk and do stuff at the same time. When she arrived, she was wearing a lot more casual and comfortable looking clothes. Light blue high waisted jean pants, a black top with a ruched neckline and off the shoulder sleeves. She wore a teal headband which was tied in a knot on the right side of her head, letting the two ends rest on her shoulder. Unlike last time, her orangy-red hair was loose.
As soon as she saw him, she waved and smiled, hugging him as soon as she was close enough. Jazz paid for their games and their shoes. It was weird, having to change shoes for bowling. Jazz explained that it had to do with the slipperiness of the floors. It was cool to learn that, as CADMUS hadn’t bothered to input any information about sports besides a few basic facts like when certain sports were invented, the Olympics, and a few other tournaments.
Jazz was clearly a little surprised he didn’t know how to bowl very well, but she gave him all sorts of tips and tricks. It wasn’t like basketball, so his wrist didn’t need to follow through. It was actually better if his wrist stayed as stationary as possible. With her assistance, he ended up beating her, getting better and better each round. It was definitely cheating, as he had better eyes and incredible strength, but Jazz didn’t care. She cheered for him and hugged him after every spare or strike, and grabbed his hands and danced with him a little when he got a strike and a spare in the final round.
All in all, he’d a fun time. He’d been able to forget about the fact that he was Superboy. That Clark was so, so awkward around him. That Lex kept wanting to test his powers and see what he could do. That he was trying to make Conner learn about business and things he didn’t care about at all. Jazz didn’t bat an eye at any of his weird quirks either. She took him out for tacos afterwards, not minding at all that he ordered three different things, just ruffling his hair and telling him that a growing boy needs to eat, and with an appetite like that, he’d tower over her before he knew it. That’s what had happened with her other brother, Danny. It wasn’t the first time she’d mentioned her other brother, but Conner didn’t mind it. She’d grown up with him her entire life. Maybe… she would talk about him in the same way, one day.
Jazz drove him back to Lexcorp’s massive building. Unfortunately for them, Lex was waiting for them. The lobby had been cleared out. He’d probably watched all of their sibling bonding on the cameras that were all over the city.
“I hope you had a good time Conner. Jasmine. Lovely to see you again.”
“I’m afraid the feeling isn’t mutual. It’s Jazz, by the way. It’s concerning that you haven't remembered that. Early onset Alzheimer’s and Dementia does happen, and is quite tragic. If you continue to forget these small things, you might need to get tested. Bye Conner! It was lots of fun getting my butt kicked in bowling today! Let’s do this again sometime soon, kay?” She hugged him tight. She tensed in his arms and Lex’s next words.
“Jazz. I’m going to be announcing your existence to the public in two days. I would like to discuss that with you, but if you have somewhere to be, I can direct the message.”
Jazz pulled back and glared at Lex. It was so weird to see his sister go from a normal, average person to ‘whoa, she’s a lot more like Lex than I am!’.
***
Jazz sat patiently. Lex was currently introducing her and letting the world know about Jasmine Luthor. She’d made that concession to protect her actual family. Her parents would get no peace if it was found out that her name was actually Jasmine Fenton. Her little brother’s secret of being a half ghost would be more at risk if actual journalists like Lois Lane and tabloid writers like Vikki Vale arrived in Amity Park. Lance Thunder and the other news broadcasters of Amity weren’t the smartest. Either that, or most of them felt the need to protect their hometown hero. Danny had saved them all plenty of times. Jazz would deal with the uncomfortableness of being called ‘Jazz Luthor’ by the press if it meant protecting Danny.
Conner was sitting stiffly next to her, dressed to the nines. He looked like a doll. It made her heart ache. He didn’t have his Converse. He didn’t look like himself. She didn’t look like herself either though. Jazz had been able to insist on some fun, dangly teal earrings. It stood out against the black and white outfit she’d been gifted by her biological father. The clothes were high quality and expensive, but they had no personality. No flair. Just a mask. That’s what clothing like this was.
Jazz walked up to the podium when Lex waved her up. The speech she’d sent Lex was appearing on the teleprompters, however, she wouldn’t be using that. She’d spent a late night memorizing and practicing the main points she wanted to go over today. Danny had flown Tucker out and he would be making sure that her microphone didn’t get turned off. Jazz was betting that Lex wouldn’t physically stop her or push her out of the way, as this was a press conference and he was (currently) trying to keep a good image.
“Thank you Lex, for the introduction.”
She looked out at the crowd and gulped. She could do this. This wasn’t any different from the speeches she’d given in high school or for her speech and debate club or for her persuasive essays in her college English class.
“I’ve known for over four years now that Lex Luthor was my biological father. I know many people would jump at the chance to be related to a billionaire. I didn’t care. I wanted to make my own way, make my own mark on the world, which is a remarkably similar thought process as my father. Afterall, he started LexCorp from the ground up, without the help of Lionel Luthor and his influence, eventually overtaking my biological grandfather’s company. It’s a funny thing, to notice the traits you share with people you share the same DNA with.”
There were a few soft chuckles in the crowd. Lex didn’t seem concerned yet, despite the fact that she hadn’t followed the approved script at all. She’d know when he started tensing or letting Mercy know to cut her off. Tucker was one of the best tech geniuses in the world (in her opinion), getting a scholarship to MIT for their computer science program. Jazz trusted that he could keep the mic on and her on stage as she started her roast of one Lex Luthor.
“However, there is a reason the topic of Nature versus Nurture is so hotly debated. In this case, I believe that Nurture is stronger as I am against many of the things Lex Luthor has done over the past few decades.”
A hush fell over the crowd. She could see the reporter’s eyes gleaming, excited for the juicy soundbites that were sure to come. Jazz wasn’t one to disappoint.
“It’s an open secret that those who build wealth and power in their lifetime usually do it by exploiting others. Usually it’s through not paying them fair wages. Or abusing and misusing their employee’s bodies until they break, leaving no safety net for them, afterall, health insurance in this country is often provided through workplaces. Taking advantage of lax labor laws abroad to hire children and force them to work inhumane hours and not allowing them to leave, essentially making them modern day slaves.”
Lex was tense now. He had to be. She had a limited amount of time now, as he was likely having his subordinates trying to cut the electricity. Jazz continued, doing her best to continue to enunciate all of the words clearly and take relevant dramatic pauses. The press certainly seemed like they were lapping it up.
“The founding of LexCorp was a good one, helping the citizens of Smallville was a good one. A promising one. However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. As LexCorp expanded and went from a local company to a major corporation, it lost its heart and care along the way. Wages dipped below the poverty level, requiring over sixty percent to rely on food stamps and assistance from the government while LexCorp touted profits in the billions. The OSHA violations began to pile up as well. Due to the Freedom of Information Act, reporters from a multitude of publications began to pick up on such concerning signs.”
“Yet the reports all stopped.” Jazz took a pause here, wanting to let the point linger. There was movement, out of the corner of her eye.
“You could presume that was because there were no longer any OSHA violations. That would be incorrect. Taking note that he was being called out for the blatant employee safety issues in his factories, Lex Luthor began to buy up new outlets until only a few remained. He then began to use his new control over the news to push the same talking points and to repress any bad news about himself or LexCorp. You can see this in action on YouTube. All you have to do is look up LexCorp broadcast compilation. It’s incredibly eerie how the news anchors from all across the country eerily repeat the same script.”
“I could spend a ridiculous amount of time going over the extensive string of environmental issues that LexCorp has. Their political contributions have only made cancer alley worse. One of the worst ones that I can think of is the intentional hindering of the removal of lead from the pipes in Metropolis and its removal from as many buildings as possible. We know from countless studies that ingesting lead causes all sorts of issues. That was why it was removed from gas and diesel for cars. In fact, a few random tests of the LexCorp headquarters have proven that in the brand new buildings built, LexCorp is using lead. There is only one reason why someone would purposely add lead to their buildings in this day and age.”
“And that is to keep Superman out.”
Lex’s hand was on her shoulder now, his grip was so, so hard. Jazz knew she would have bruises tomorrow. Ah. He’d figured out that nothing was working. That she’d rigged things to make sure that her speech couldn’t be stopped.
“You have made your point, girl. Stop this!” Lex hissed through a fake smile, his eyes burning with rage.
No.
She refused.
“Speaking of Superman, the dog whistles that are used to talk about the man are disgusting. Disgusting comments like poisoning the blood of our country, calling Superman vermin, that his existence is challenging how we do things here in this country. I personally think that some of the ways this country does things should be challenged. Laws from the eighteen forties shouldn’t dictate how people live their lives today. The United States was founded on the idea that it was a place for immigrants. The Statue of Liberty literally asks for them.
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Time to bring it home Jazz.
“I hope to be utterly different from my biological father. I was raised to believe that everyone should be treated equally, no matter where they came from. Even if that’s another planet. I was raised to be kind to others and to feel empathy for them, which is why I can’t stand how Lex’s company and this nation routinely lets people fall through the cracks into poverty and despair.”
“I don’t have much. But by claiming this birthright of mine, I do have a platform, and I do have people listening. So I’ll use that to the best of my ability to make a change in the world for the better.”
“Thank you.”
She stepped to the side of the podium and bowed. When her head came back up, she caught a glimpse of Technus on the teleprompter, winking at her. Jazz left the stage, adrenaline rushing through her body and her heart beating fast. Lex was attempting to talk into the microphone, to placate the sea of journalists that were asking questions and calling for Jazz. Conner fell into step behind her. She noticed a cut cord. They’d tried to cut the microphone off literally. She’d need to thank Tucker and Technus for their help. First though, she wanted to check on Conner and make sure he was okay. Then she’d go from there.
At least she’d proven that not only was she a Luthor, but she was nothing like Lex. That’s because the Fenton genes had won out. Jazz knew that Lex would try and retaliate, but she wasn’t worried. She had her family and wits on her side. That was all she needed.