章節 24: I Am S-27.

I can't do this anymore. It's painful to watch Boruto.I know I'm complaining about a DC story but still! It's all filler...

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In the cold, sterile control room of St. Exthors, Lex Luthor stood beside Dabney Donovan, examining his two latest experiments through the thick, reinforced glass that separated the observation deck from the secure chambers below. The hum of machinery filled the air as Dabney brought up a live feed on a monitor displaying S-27.

Seated calmly in his containment cell, S-27 appeared like a teenage Superman, his dark hair and piercing blue eyes carrying the uncanny resemblance Lex had designed him for. He wore a plain white uniform emblazoned with his designation number, "S-27."

Dabney pointed to the monitor, gesturing toward a series of graphs tracking S-27's vital statistics. "He's out of the incubation stage, Mr. Luthor," Dabney explained. "His stability is phenomenal. Not only does he possess many of the abilities of the base genetic template, but his growth rate is off the charts. However…" He paused, studying the live feed intently. "He seems to be… missing something."

Lex leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Missing something?"

"Yes," Dabney continued, pulling up data that showed S-27's brain activity. "He's begun exhibiting curiosity. He's aware that he's alone and is starting to exhibit symptoms of isolation. Given his stability, it's likely that he needs more than mere observation and training. He needs… experiences. Social interaction."

Lex smirked, a calculating look in his eyes. "It's interesting, Doctor, but we're on a timetable. If Batman manages to crawl out of whatever miserable hole he's in, it won't be long before he tracks this place down."

Dabney nodded but couldn't resist offering an update on the other subject. "Then there's S-7," he said, shifting the monitor view. The screen switched to show a young blonde-haired boy floating in a containment tube, his features pale and serene under the artificial lights. "As you requested, sir, he's been kept alive, though his progress has been challenging. He's physically weaker than S-27 and S-28, but his resilience is... astounding."

Lex's gaze remained fixed on S-7, the subject he had invested in with a uniquely disturbing curiosity. The boy's natural regenerative ability and recovery speed were remarkable, almost as if his body defied normal limitations to heal itself. But there was a notable downside, as Dabney continued to explain.

"Oddly, S-7 reacts negatively to sunlight," Dabney added, his finger tracing the data on the screen. "It's been necessary to keep him encapsulated to maintain his progress. The sunlight is corrosive to him; it actively deteriorates his cellular structure. Yet, in controlled conditions, he shows near-superhuman recovery abilities. In any typical environment, he'd easily pass as... special, to say the least."

Lex processed the information, noting the difference between S-7's unique vulnerabilities and S-27's stability. "A fascinating failure," Lex muttered to himself, admiring S-7's odd composition. The subject was a curiosity, but in his mind, it didn't measure up to S-28, who had the potential for immense strength and was practically built to rival Superman. Still, there was something about S-7 that made him hesitate to discard the project entirely.

"Nevertheless," Lex said, straightening up. "It's time we moved on to the next step."

Lex opened his phone, his fingers gliding over the screen until he pulled up a particular gallery—the details of an upcoming auction featuring the Dreamstone. This ancient artifact, steeped in legend and nearly lost to history, had recently resurfaced. It was rumored to grant any wish, bringing about one's deepest desires. Its power had nearly started a world war once before when it was used against Wonder Woman, granting the user nearly unlimited power at a devastating cost. Lex smirked as he scrolled through the information.

"Are you familiar with this?" he asked, tilting the phone to show Dabney.

Dabney's face went pale, recognition flickering in his eyes. "Yes, I am... but I thought it was lost."

"Rumor has it, it's coming up for auction soon," Lex replied, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "With it, I can attain more than power. I can gain wisdom beyond measure… and with that, I can bypass the unpredictable factors we're dealing with in these experiments."

Dabney shifted uneasily. "And what about S-27? Are we proceeding with his development?"

Lex considered it. S-27 had incredible potential, but he was still missing something that the Dreamstone could give him—a perfected purpose, perhaps even a way to mold his mind without months of conditioning and unpredictable outcomes. Lex had other plans in motion, but S-27 represented something special: a prototype that could finally serve his purposes.

"Prepare him for observation, Dabney," Lex instructed, his voice firm. "I want to see if he's truly capable of the potential we think he has. But as for the Dreamstone... that's my priority. Once I have it, none of these prototypes will even compare. We'll no longer need to work around flaws or limitations."

Lex's vision was clear; his mind had already calculated the ideal future. He would have an army of perfected hybrids, each able to do what Superman could do, only without the pesky moral code or the limitations of human empathy.

And if his experiments were successful, he wouldn't just be the acting president. He would be humanity's savior, the one who redefined the world on his own terms. The Dreamstone was only a tool—a means to an end.

But as Lex turned to leave the observation deck, he cast one last look at S-27, who stared back through the glass, his eyes thoughtful and intense, a glimmer of something almost... human in them. And for a brief moment, Lex wondered if he was making a mistake.

...

In the cold glow of the observation deck, Lex Luthor sat back in his chair, his eyes locked onto the live feed of the containment cell where S-27 and S-7 now shared a single space. The clinical nature of the room contrasted with Lex's fascination—there was something far more profound than mere science in this experiment. He was testing the boundaries of power and philosophy, probing the tension between two opposing forces.

Dabney Donovan, his trusted yet ethically flexible scientist, stood behind him, the question lingering in his mind finally escaping his lips. "Sir... are you having second thoughts?" Dabney's voice was hesitant but searching. He had worked with Lex long enough to know that behind every experiment, there was a purpose, but Lex seemed particularly invested in this one.

Lex turned, a faint smile tugging at his mouth. "I want to see it for myself," he said, eyes gleaming. "Put S-27 and S-7 together. You said it yourself—S-27 wants social interactions. Let him have them."

Dabney nodded, though he felt compelled to question the decision. "Sir, these two are polar opposites. S-27 is developing into an easy-going, thrill-seeking personality, eager for experiences. S-7, however... he's more of a mystery. There's an underlying hostility, even with minimal memories and few waking hours. I doubt his former self would've taken kindly to S-27, either."

Lex leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting with something almost mischievous. "It's irony, Dabney," he said, a hint of humor threading his words. "S-27 could be called the Son of God, born from power, from the template of the divine." In Lex's mind, the image of Superman flickered, the ultimate being raised to godhood in the public eye. "But S-7? He's more a Son of Man—crafted from something human, mortal, and imperfect." The images of Batman and Superman flickered through his mind, representing the eternal tension between godlike power and grounded humanity.

"I wanted to see what sparks would fly when the godly meets the mortal," Lex said, rhetorical but deadly serious.

Dabney tilted his head, a hint of bemusement on his face. "So it's another whim, then?"

Lex chuckled, taking a rare moment to indulge in amusement. "If it helps you sleep at night, call it a whim," he said, settling into his chair and waiting for the show to begin.

In the containment cell, S-27 stirred as the wall in front of him slid open. His genetically enhanced senses detected the faint hum of machinery, and the room expanded, giving him a glimpse of his new companion. The boy was suspended in a tube filled with a pale fluid, designed to support cellular growth. Unlike S-27, whose presence exuded a calm, almost radiant energy, S-7's pale skin and intense red eyes gave him an eerie, almost spectral quality.

S-27 analyzed him silently. Male, approximately my age, his mind calculated with robotic precision. Cell density exceeds human norm. Cellular activity indicates regenerative abilities. Not a direct threat.

After completing his scan, S-27 retreated to his corner, waiting patiently.

As the minutes ticked by, S-7's fingers twitched, then his eyelids flickered. Slowly, his eyes opened, revealing that penetrating red gaze, glowing slightly in the dim light. He blinked, the unfamiliar surroundings registering with a dull sort of awareness before he focused on the boy sitting across from him.

"Hello," S-7 said, his voice low but clear, each syllable measured. He locked eyes with S-27, studying him with an intensity that was almost uncomfortable. To him, S-27 was an anomaly, something familiar yet foreign.

S-27 returned the stare, unbothered by the scrutiny. "Hello. You're awake."

S-7 nodded slowly, and for a moment, his gaze grew unfocused. Fragments of memories fluttered at the edge of his mind—moments he couldn't fully grasp. He saw faint images of places, people whose names escaped him. He felt a strange sense of longing, but for what, he didn't know.

Back in the observation deck, Lex leaned forward, intrigued. "He can speak?" he asked, his tone betraying just the slightest hint of excitement.

Dabney, monitoring the brain activity on his screen, nodded. "Yes. Though he's undergone significant changes, fragments of his old memories still surface. The data shows fluctuations in his brain activity, indicating he's not fully aware of his past self, but the memories are there, like echoes. It's quite remarkable."

"Remarkable indeed," Lex murmured, watching the two clones interact.

In the cell, the silence was thick between the two as S-27 sized up S-7.

"What do you think, Dabney?" Lex asked, his voice low, filled with anticipation. "We're witnessing the birth of two legends here. I wonder which path they'll choose—the god's or the mortal's?"

Dabney glanced at his boss, then back at the feed. He didn't know what Lex had in store for S-27 and S-7, but he knew one thing for certain: whatever happened next would change everything. "Does it matter? You'll only prefer the latter." Dabney as Lex shrugged, a villain he was? Maybe but he offered choice as least.

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[Auther: Yo. I really wanna go back to Boruto so...have fun!]