Angels and Demons

The next few days were uneventful. Multiple companies were visited, where new contracts were established. Each term had a minimum of 5 years. This meant that another meeting wouldn't happen until that amount of time had passed.

From quiet and lowkey businesses to massive corporations, the Lockhart Estate always had a piece of the pie. It was unfortunate though. Sora and Alice were the only Lockharts alive to enjoy the revenue. The sleepy man understood why, but it wasn't something he felt like thinking about right now.

There was only one more stop needed to finish the trip. The duo could be seen entering a large skyscraper. It was slightly tilted to the right, evened out by the bottom floor. It maintained the balance, forming an 'L' shape. Two more buildings sat behind it.

'Lexcorp…'

A massive group of reporters could be found outside the building. They were chattering nonstop. One of the security guards had his hands full, appeasing the crowd with their constant questioning.

"Is it true that Lexcorp's recent weight loss supplement is actually harmful to the public?" A journalist asked.

"When will Lex Luthor make a statement?" Another voice called out.

"Don't you agree that it's extremely predatory to force people to constantly buy more in order to maintain their current health?"

"What about Lexcorp's dealings with the government?"

"A viral social media post is circulating. It states, 'Anyone working with Lexcorp is shady.' Do you agree with this statement?"

"Wait…those two. Isn't that…Guys! The Lockharts are here!" Someone called out.

"Huh?"

"What?! Where?!"

"Over there!"

Every single reporter locked onto Sora and Alice like wolves. Before they could even raise their cameras, the duo was already inside. It was too late. The moment had come and gone. The massive group had discovered the Lockharts too slowly. Unfortunately, this raised even more questions.

"Is the Lockhart Estate involved with Lexcorp?"

"How long have they been colluding behind the scenes?"

"It's only recently that these Angel Investors have made a public appearance. What could they be up to?"

Upon entering the building, a metal detector awaited them. Sora placed the briefcase, his phone, and wallet onto the conveyor belt. He then walked through the scanner.

Alice followed suit. Only then were they able to walk past the military contractors blocking the entrance. An escalator took them up to the main floor. As the moving stairs reached its end, a woman in a business skirt could be seen.

She was a young asian woman with black, pixie cut hair. Glasses covered her frame, giving her a fancy but studious look. She spoke through an earpiece while waiting. Her eyes flashed with recognition upon noticing Sora.

"Sora? Alice?" She called out.

The two made their way over. The young woman gave Sora a quick once over while remaining unfazed. Alice gave a sweet smile. It was always nice to see someone of similar descent.

"And who are you?" The doll asked.

"Mercy Graves. Luthor's personal assistant."

"...Were you waiting for us?" Sora spoke up.

"Yes. He's been awaiting your arrival." Mercy responded with a clear cut answer. It didn't seem like she was one for conversation.

Without wasting any more time, she led them to the elevator. The highest button showed the 54th floor. That was obviously where Lex would be. A man like him wouldn't settle for anything less.

They eventually found themselves in front of a large double door. Mercy gently knocked. After a few seconds, an arrogant but whimsical voice resounded.

"Come in, come in."

The assistant opened the door for them. Upon entering, Sora couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. More relevant memories were finally being applied, but this Lex seemed much…younger?

He sat on top of his desk while gazing out of the wall-sized glass windows. Even more interesting was that…he had hair! That's right. Curly golden hair that stopped at his shoulders. He was dressed in a blazer and jeans. Business casual.

"Hello…Lex?" Alice greeted.

Her head was tilted in confusion. Why was he sitting on top of the desk? The young genius popped a gummy bear in his mouth before smiling.

"Hello, hello. Please. Make yourself at home!" He exclaimed.

Sora peered through the window to see what he was looking at. It turns out that he was watching the entrance. The large group of journalists had grown even larger. The press had arrived. Probably due to Alice's appearance.

"...I guess we came at a bad time." Sora muttered.

"Not at all. Gotta love the haters, right? Just a bunch of sheep trying to stop humanity's evolution." Lex responded.

"That doesn't sound lovable." Hearing Sora's response, Lex waved his hand.

"Eh. But they do have their uses."

There was a moment of silence. Alice had already found a place to sit. Since she wasn't being addressed, she'd fallen into the emptiness of her mind. The mature doll was looking at Sora but her gaze wasn't actually there.

"Alright. I need to stop looking at them. It's bad for my health!" Lex joked.

"...Well, I believe this is the first time we've met." The sleepy man commented.

"Yep. I believe it is. Apparently, our predecessors were business partners. It's up to us, the younger generation, to keep it going. Looks like we both have a mantle to bear."

Sora and Lex shook hands. Even though Alice was the figurehead of the Lockhart Estate, Luthor seemed to understand Sora's true value. He hadn't spoken a single word to the woman besides a hello.

"I'm not really one for business talks, so I'll wait outside-"

"Wait." Lex interrupted.

He finally got off the desk and grabbed a small marble. After walking over to the far side of the room, he pointed at a large painting. Sora gazed at the exquisite work of art. It portrayed an army of angels coming down from above, while demons were rising up from below. It was a war.

"What do you think about this?"

"...It's nice."

"You don't see anything wrong with this picture?" Lex questioned. Sora looked at it once more.

"I don't."

"You know, my dad hated when I changed things in his office. But it's my office now. He shouldn't mind if I change one thing?"

".............................." Sora didn't respond. He waited to see what Lex was getting at.

"This portrait. It should be upside down. We know better now, don't we? The devils don't come from Hell beneath us. No. They come from the sky!"

Overwhelming passion could be seen in Luthor's expression. It was as if he'd cracked the code to the Fibonacci Sequence. Sora walked over to the desk and took a gummy bear.

Lex played with the marble in his hand while eyeing the young Lockhart. The silence stretched on as the atmosphere grew tense. Both of them understood what was being implied. Luthor finally spoke again.

"What about you, Sora? Are you an angel…or a demon?"

Sora popped a few more gummy bears in his mouth. After swallowing it down, he locked eyes with the genius. The tension had reached a new level. Sora hadn't done anything yet, but the hairs were rising on Lex's skin. His heart rate steadily increased.

"...I have a question for you, Lex."

"Oh? Lay it on me!"

"What do you think is better for the world? A living genius…or a dead one?"

Lex Luthor's heartbeat skyrocketed. He knew that his response would determine many things. His armpits were starting to sweat.

"I'd say a living one. I do value my life, after all."

Sora gave a delighted smile upon hearing that answer. Since the genius wanted to give dumbass hints, the lazy man was ready to break decorum. Lex had revealed that he knew something about Sora.

'He must not understand how powerful I actually am.' He thought.

After downing one more gummy bear, he patted the genius on the shoulder. Lex couldn't help but flinch. Sora flicked Alice's forehead, bringing her back to reality. Only then did he make his way toward the doors.

"Play nice, Lex." He spoke casually. It was a veiled threat.

'Don't try to manipulate her in this deal.'

"Of course. We're business partners, right?" Lex responded with a smile.

"...Correct. Don't make it harder for yourself."

With those final words, the door closed with a click.