Lara Rogers was the kind of girl who turned heads the moment she walked into a room. Tall, blonde, piercing blue eyes, and a figure straight out of a fashion magazine, she had that effortless charm that made people stop and stare. Guys couldn't help but follow her every move.
Her parents always saw her beauty as an opportunity. From the moment she could walk, it was all about beauty pageants, acting classes, and singing lessons. Her mom, especially, was obsessed with turning Lara into a star. As a kid, she was forced to wear makeup. As a teen, she was constantly dieting. And as an adult, her parents even tried to push her into getting plastic surgery.
But no matter how much they tried to mold her into the next big thing, Lara knew deep down it wasn't for her. She didn't have the acting chops, she was awkward in front of the camera, and most importantly, she just didn't care about any of it. Watching others pour their hearts into auditions and photoshoots made her realize that looks alone weren't enough. There were people out there who had the talent, the drive, and the passion she lacked.
So, when the chance came, she walked away from it all. She enrolled in business school at Hudson University, much to her mom's dismay. For the first time, her life felt calm and meaningful. That is, until she ran into a problem with a professor who seemed determined to fail her no matter what she did. When she confronted him, it became painfully clear what he wanted.
Here's the thing about being attractive: it can make life easier, sure, but only if you're okay with being treated like an object. Lara wasn't. She wasn't about to flirt her way to better grades or post bikini pics for clout. And when she rejected her professor's advances, he retaliated by accusing her of cheating to have her expelled.
Her parents were thrilled. They saw her failure as an opportunity to drag her back into the world of modeling and acting. For a moment, she almost gave in. But instead, she decided to prove everyone wrong. She applied to every job she could find, determined to make it on her own.
Unfortunately, the workplace wasn't much better. At every job, there were whispers about how she must've [slept her way to the top.] And when she worked hard and earned promotions, people assumed it wasn't because of her skills. At one company, the boss's son even threatened to demote her if she didn't go out with him, so he quit on the spot.
Finding a new job wasn't the problem; Lara was good at what she did, and her looks often opened doors. But she wanted more than that. She wanted to be seen for her talent, not just her appearance. That's when she stumbled across an opening at Blue Tie Corp, a tech company run by a young female CEO named Ana Becker. The job sounded perfect and the idea of working for a woman meant no more harassment.
She applied and got the job.
The interview was... different. Ana didn't care about Lara's past or her personality. She only wanted to know one thing: was Lara ambitious? Did she want more than just a paycheck? Lara answered yes, and that was enough for Ana.
Working for Ana was a breath of fresh air. She wasn't like other bosses who pretended to care about their employees while secretly cutting corners. Ana didn't pretend at all. She didn't care about your personal life; she just wanted results. Lara didn't mind. For once, she could focus on her work without feeling like someone was watching her ass all day.
But then, one night, everything changed. Lara stayed late to drop off some documents in Ana's office. She walked in without knocking and froze. Ana was mid change and what Lara saw wasn't her boss; it was Android 18, the infamous killer android from another world.
"Well," Ana said, smirking. "What should we do with you?"
Lara's brain went into overdrive. "I saw nothing, know nothing and remember nothing," she blurted, backing out of the room and shutting the door.
The next day? Nothing. No threats, no confrontation. Ana acted like it never happened. But on Friday, Lara was called into a meeting. When she walked in, Ana was without her disguise waiting.
"Please, sit," Ana said, gesturing to a chair.
Lara's heart was pounding, but she kept her cool. "How can I help you?" she asked, her voice steady.
"You saw me the other night," Ana said. "Aren't you curious?"
"Nope," Lara replied. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Ana leaned back, amused. "Good. If you did, I'd have to kill you."
Lara knew it was a test. "Your secret doesn't matter to me," she said. "What matters is whether you're serious about making this company the best in the world."
Ana's smirk widened. "I like you," she said. "Let's get to work."
From that day on, their partnership only grew stronger. Together, they prepared new products, struck deals, and built Blue Tie Corp into a rising star in the tech world. Sure, it was a little weird working for a psychopathic android, but hey, if people could work for Lex Luthor, why couldn't she work for Android 18?
Months later, after a massive battle involving Dr. Fate and a dimension hopping disaster, the world was finally settling down. Blue Tie Corp was thriving, and Lara was more motivated than ever. She'd found her place, and for the first time, she felt like she was more than just a pretty face.
After what felt like forever, the insurance company finally coughed up the money for the damages. Meanwhile, 18 and Lara were on a roll, striking deals with distributors left and right. Their products were now hitting shelves in stores all across the country. Things were finally looking up.
Winter brought the perfect opportunity for their business to shine. They landed a deal with a new development company that was using their heating systems in several buildings. Combine that with the Christmas shopping rush, and their sales were booming. Sure, they weren't competing with the big name brands just yet, but people were starting to notice. Word of mouth was kicking in, and it was only a matter of time before their products became the talk of the town.
Lara was thrilled. She felt more motivated than ever, ready to take on whatever came next.
Later that week, in a secret branch office of Wayne Enterprises, a small team was putting the finishing touches on a high-tech containment chamber. This wasn't your average lab; it was an underground facility packed with cutting edge equipment, a massive, all white room the size of a football field. Only a handful of people even knew this place existed, and it had one very specific purpose.
Superman showed up to check on the progress.
"How's it coming along, Doctor?" he asked.
The scientist, Adam, looked up from his work. "Honestly, we're grateful Mr. Wayne let us set up here. After everything that went down, my team's too shaken to work at STAR Labs. Plus, the funding and resources here? Top-notch. We've got everything ready; now we need to test it in the field."
"Do you think it'll work?" Superman asked, his tone serious.
Adam hesitated. "It's built exactly to the original specs, so it should work. But…"
"But it's not guaranteed to work against her," Superman finished for him.
"Exactly. We won't know for sure until we try. My team's worked on this for ages and we're confident we nailed it. But according to your reports, she was way stronger the last time you faced her."
"So you're saying she might be immune to the original design now?"
Adam nodded grimly. "And we can't risk tweaking it further. If we mess with the design, it might not work at all."
Superman placed a reassuring hand on Adam's shoulder. "The League is ready. When the time comes, we'll act. And I know your work won't let us down."
Adam exhaled, his nerves easing a bit. He thought back to all the times he'd worked with the heroes to take down seemingly unstoppable enemies. The attack on the lab had shaken him, but he decided to trust the people who'd never let him down before.
"Thank you," Adam said, handing Superman the shutdown remote. "Here it is. Just remember: you need to keep her still for 15 seconds for the remote to work. And she has to be inside the chamber within 10 minutes, or she'll wake up."
"Got it," Superman replied.
Meanwhile, above ground, Bruce Wayne was giving a tour of the main facility to a strikingly beautiful, tall woman. She had piercing blue eyes, long blonde hair that fell over one side of her face, and a mole under her visible eye. Her outfit was as bold as her presence: a sleek black dress with a red corset, a red ribbon tied into a rose around her neck, and black heels that clicked with every step. She carried a yellow envelope in one hand and smiled as she took in the surroundings.
The employees were used to seeing Bruce with beautiful women, models, actresses, you name it. But this one was different. She wasn't clinging to his arm like a koala on a tree branch, which was a refreshing change.
"As you can see, Wayne Enterprises is the country's largest supplier of digital components," Bruce said, his tone confident.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Being the biggest doesn't always mean being the best, Mr. Wayne."
Bruce smirked. "We pride ourselves on the quality of our work. If you ever have issues with our components, we take full responsibility."
"That's nice to hear," she replied coolly. "Miss Ana is looking forward to working with you, but she's curious about your motivations. Your offer was… abrupt. She wonders if there's a hidden agenda behind all this."
Bruce leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "I won't pretend this is purely altruistic. My tech department analyzed your products and we're very interested in the energy efficiency advancements you've developed. We're hoping to incorporate them into our own products down the line."
The woman's smile didn't falter. "You know that's patented technology. I can't promise anything without consulting my boss."
"That's why I was hoping to meet her today," Bruce said.
"I'm afraid she's tied up at the moment," the woman replied smoothly. "But she said you're welcome to visit our office and make an appointment."
Bruce chuckled, recognizing the power play. She was making it clear that if he wanted to collaborate, he'd have to step into their territory. No summoning her to his turf, he'd have to go to hers.
"Fair enough," Bruce said. "I'll visit soon."
"Great," she said, handing him the envelope. "In the meantime, here's this."
Bruce glanced at the envelope. "What's this?"
"A non-disclosure agreement," she replied with a sly smile.
(chapter image.)
A shorter chapter this time, sorry, limited time to write and edit and I am working on another fanfic to see how it works out.