A genetically altered Starro

"It is time for a status report, doctor Ryder. And this had better be good. Project Super Star has cost me millions of dollars without any usable developments yet."

"Of course, mister Luthor. Right this way."

Thomas Ryder always felt nervous whenever his boss visited. The downside of being a supervillain's lackey, he supposed.

Not that Lex Luthor would ever call himself such in public. Even though everyone knew he was one. Luthor had been caught red-handed numerous times by now, and had even sat out some prison sentences. But those never lasted long. With an army of lawyers and some of the lawmakers in his pockets, plus an impressive PR team, Luthor always got off lightly no matter what he did. Ready to enact yet another villainous scheme.

Thomas couldn't complain about that. After all, he was one of the numerous scientists on the man's payroll. Many billionaires would fund his research for selfish reasons, but Luthor had been the best choice at the time.

He wasn't a good person either. Thomas was what you'd call a morally grey person. No lunatic like Joker, nor violent and cruel. But definitely not a good person. He lacked many ethics which was a given considering his research. None of his usual tests would stand up in a court of international law. Plus, he had his own goals in mind, and if it meant other people paying for them then so be it.

But Lex Luthor was a dangerous man. Thomas knew that now. No employee of Lexcorp got away so easily.

"I've continued working on project Super Star as instructed, and believe that recent breakthroughs will justify its cost to you. One of the specimens is coming along nicely, in fact." Said the young scientist.

"Hmm. We'll see."

The two men stepped into the small laboratory, hidden underneath one of Lexcorp's subsidiaries with none the wiser, followed closely by Mercy Graves. The woman also gave Thomas the creeps. She was always so quiet, so alert and unmoving. He supposed that was the point of being Luthor's bodyguard.

They passed by several computers and lab equipment, and approached a water tank. It resembled a fish aquarium. Though it lacked the accessories of one, and the starfish creature inside was certainly unlike any found on earth.

A lone eye opened slowly as they arrived. The creature within the tank floated lazily in nutrient-rich water, seemingly listening attentively to the humans outside.

It visibly perked up when it saw Thomas. Two of its appendages moved in tandem, mimicking a friendly wave to the scientist. Thomas smiled back. He and his creation had bonded over the two months since its birth. Out of the recent batch, it was the only to have survived. None of its brethren had.

The starfish's red eye shifted to the left. It immediately took in Luthor's appearance. Bald. Broad shoulders. Dark suit. A cold gaze. Every bit of information was swiftly stored away in the creature's surprisingly sharp mind. Instincts prevailed as it eyed the villain warily.

"Test subject 47 is, by all accounts, proving itself to be a genuine success. Growing it from one of the late Starro's inactive spores was... difficult. But through trial and error, we learned how to preserve its life after the previous clones perished. Its vital signs are strong and healthy."

"And the modifications to its DNA?" Luthor inquired.

The scientist cleared his throat. "Well, it's hard to say. You must understand that splicing Kryptonian DNA is an extremely challenging feat in itself. Why, the creation of Superboy was a miracle! One that's hard to--"

"I'm not interested in excuses, doctor. You and I both know that cloning Kryptonians, while indeed difficult and has a low chance of success, is anything but impossible. Superboy and Galatea are proof of that. Besides, Kryptonians have similar enough DNA to humans. Otherwise they wouldn't look exactly like us."

"Of course. My apologies, mister Luthor." The dark-haired man bowed his head in deference. It felt humiliating to do so. "As for the test subject, we do believe that the harmonisation between Starro's and Kryptonian DNA has gone well. It is, however, difficult to gauge the effects that it has on the offspring accurately. It has only just passed infancy and is still developing as we speak. Whether or not it develops powers akin to a Kryptonian, or if its mind control abilities are strengthened, is still pure theory."

Luthor frowned. "Not good enough. I seek to harness the power of Starro for myself and build further upon it. Can you imagine what an army of enhanced Starro clones could do? I'd finally be able to bring Superman and his annoying hero friends under my direct control, just the way it should be."

"W-Well, yes. But--"

"No buts. Do whatever you have to do to speed the process up." The wealthy man paused, a cold and smug smile forming on his lips. "In fact, move on to more aggressive tests. Perhaps putting the creature in danger will expedite its development. Natural selection is a proven method."

Thomas's lips parted, but no sound came out. Concern and anxiety welled up in his throat.

Call him crazy, but he'd grown attached to Star. The young genius didn't dare mention the name he'd given test subject 47, of course. Luthor would start questioning his commitment. The man despised unprofessional behaviour, and had 'removed' one of Thomas' colleagues for a similar incident.

Not that Thomas was all that loyal to begin with. Working for Luthor was turning out to be more of a hazard than he'd expected. But the order to actively put Star in harm's way went too far. He considered the Starro offspring his greatest achievement, having nurtured and genetically modified it. Star was his!

"Very well, sir. I'll see it done." Lied Thomas through his teeth.

"Good. Proceed, then. I have other projects to check up on." Luthor grunted as he turned around, Mercy following quietly in his footsteps. He stopped just before leaving, and glanced over his shoulder. "It goes unsaid, naturally, but your continued employment depends on the results that you bring me. As does your life."

Thomas gulped inaudibly as the door closed. He was left alone, with only a mute alien clone for a companion.

Star floated down to his level, suddenly far livelier now that the strange man was gone. Its red eye stared curiously at him.

"Shit. Guess we've got ****, little friend."

They'd have to leave. Run away from Lexcorp before its leader found out about Thomas' treacherous thoughts. He'd always planned on doing so, but he thought he'd have more time. No matter.

The scientist immediately got to work. He logged in to his terminal and started erasing all data. Some of it was already present on a backup server inside the building, where none of the staff could go. Another measure of Luthor's to prevent sabotage. But the important bits and pieces were either written on paper or stored in Thomas' memory. He wasn't so stupid as to leave all of his knowledge out in the open. By keeping it close to his chest, he made sure that Luthor couldn't liquidate him so easily.

But that was a moot point anyway. Thomas no longer wanted to remain at Lexcorp.

Once all systems were purged, he walked over to the water tank. Star kept staring at him in wonder, but didn't look frightened. Thomas opened the hatch and gently retrieved the alien starfish from its habitat.

"Sorry about this, friend. But we've got to go. It's time for you to explore the world outside." He said gently.

Star was incapable of making sound. Its progenitor, Starro, had communicated through telepathy instead of vocal cords. So the small creature conveyed emotions of curiosity and trust instead.

"Alright then. Stay close to me, okay?"

Thomas hid Star underneath his shirt, allowing the parasitic lifeform to stick to his skin. He gathered his things and stepped outside the lab.

No one tried to stop him. For all they knew, he was merely finishing his day at the workplace. Some colleagues greeted him as he passed them by, and the security guards didn't react as he went past the checkpoints. They scanned his briefcase for any sensitive material, but didn't search his person.

The duo soon found themselves outside. The sun was settling over the horizon, casting an orange glow over Metropolis. Thomas let out a nervous breath as Star shifted underneath his shirt.

Time to begin planning their debut as the newest villains around the block.