Have Mercy, Miss Graves...

As agreed, you came to LexCorp by your lonesome while your friends continued searching for the power-hungry faux philanthropist. As you rode the elevator to the top floor, there were so many questions about the whole case: who would take Luthor? How's Mercy involved in this? Are you or your partners in danger, too? The bell dinged, snagging your attention back as the doors parted to both sides.

You made it to the lavishly humongous office room, and the only thing you really noticed was... A dinner table? And Mercy was wearing a black cocktail dress... With her hair done into a bun. One side was silt open to mostly show her left leg. "Glad you could make it." Sure she looked attractive, but you weren't hungry.

Why confuse you like this?

"Thank you," you replied sternly. "Sorry I'm underdressed. I was uninformed of a dinner party, at a time like this." She came over to your chair and pulled it out a bit from behind her.

"Indulge me." She was a no-nonsense person, all right. You walk to your chair and sit down at the same time when Mercy pushed you in. She then walked to her chair and sat down across from you.

"Mercy, what is all this? You ask for help, and we help out. And while we work on the case, you're blackmailing me to dinner with you because you have information to give?" She looked pretty cross, like you were feeling.

"I wanted you, Mr. Shadow, because there's sensitive data that I wanted to discuss with only you. And I want no misunderstandings." You were starting to piece it together.

"If taken the wrong way or if it offend us, you prefer a one-on-one fight." She huffs and turns her head to one side. Briefly. She then 'invites' you to try the salad first. "One of a few things I don't get is: why didn't you just ask me to this? I could've rescheduled it after we solved where Luthor is, got him back safely."

"I don't ask anything of anyone. Lex is the only exception." You watch as she plays with the leafy part of her salad, seeming to be in deep thought.

"How much does Lex mean to you, anyway?" It seemed like a legitimate question, but Mercy's eye twitched a bit like she was holding back the desire to slap or punch you; you needed to get straight answers... At that thought, you felt the inside of your throat vibrate, felt your subliminal voice raring to go. "Come on, miss Graves. If there's something you want to tell me, then just tell me." Her eyes steeled but the twitch was gone now.

"Lex has known about your project after he first met the android, and watched you slowly gain power after power. After the Cadmus mishap--"

"Where he merged with Brainiac," you interrupted.

"He wanted to put aside a project that would end the Justice League, until he was ready to begin. The kidnappers somehow found out about his plan and took him, demanding a humongous ransom as a cover to **** Lex to spill his guts about everything." She sighed, leaned back and just dropped the fork on her plate, letting it clatter on top of her hardly-eaten salad.

You were about to ask what plan she mentioned when the elevator dinged again. You looked back. 'Who could that be?' you thought.