[ EU ] Lex Luthor inspired by `` Annie '' decides to adopt an orphan . A week later a little boy arrives on his doorstep . `` Welcome to your new home , Bruce Wayne . ''

Mercy Graves, a beautiful young female assistant was called into Lex Luthor's office. Mostly she served as his driver, but there were times when her assistance required more of a clandestine approach. When Luthor needed to speak to Mercy alone, this was often where her personal experience as a mercenary and various dealings working for organized crime came into play. Mercy actually first met Luthor in jail. She had been arrested working white collar crime committing securities fraud. Luthor actually bailed her out of jail, saying he recognized a talent in her, and even arranged for her release from jail and gaining immunity. 
 
 Luthor had knack for surrounding himself with talent. This was never a man who complained he was surrounded by morons, as so many other men of Luthor's calibre were apt to do in times of duress, and there was another piece of talent Luthor was looking to recruit. Or at the very least, another pawn he wanted to add to his chess board. As Mercy entered the massive secured office, there were giant video screen on the walls displaying a young child with dark eyes and an almost disturbing intense glare. 
 
 `` Is n't he perfect, Ms Graves?'' asked Luthor. 
 
 `` The kid?'' asked Mercy, she knew nothing of children, but say several videos of the child performing in what was obviously an expensive private school. 
 
 `` Yeah, he looks pretty bright, I guess.'' 
 
 `` Bright?'' asked Luthor as he suppressed a small chuckle, `` I do n't just want someone with a high I.Q., they're a dime a dozen and hardly worth my time. No, Ms Graves. I spent a great deal of time looking for the perfect child. And I have found him, Bruce Wayne. He will become my progeny.'' 
 
 Luthor pressed a button and the screens changed to show different images of the child doing everything from fencing, gymnastics, to playing chess and solving algebra equations. 
 
 `` He's intelligent of course,'' said Luthor, `` Perfectly healthy, excellent genes. But he also possesses a certain Je-ne-sais-quoi. He's competitive, but more than that. He has a powerful driven personality. Almost intimidating ambition, he reminds me of myself when I was that age. Ruthless even. This is a child with character. Like no other child I have seen.'' 
 
 Mercy found a dossier on Luthor's desk regarding Bruce Wayne. Dozens of other were discarded all over the floor and the waste bin, made of children who were not up to Luthor's standards. 
 
 `` When my publicist first mentioned the idea I thought it was madness, I nearly fired her,'' said Luthor, `` But that madness laid a seed in my brain and grew, now I realize it's genius. I wish to adopt this child.'' 
 `` There's one problem with that, Mr Luthor,'' said Mercy as she read the dossier, `` According to the kid's file he's not an orphan. He still lives with his parents.'' 
 
 `` I know,'' said Luthor, `` That's why I called you in here.'' 
 
 Luthor went to the drawer of his desk and pulled out a beaten looking old model revolver. Mercy could tell it was probably stolen and had serial numbers removed as to be untraceable. Luthor slid the revolver across his desk towards Mercy. Then he turned to the big screen behind his desk and hit a clicker that changed the picture to show a newspaper headline of Martha and Thomas Wayne. 
 
 `` I need for you to make Bruce Wayne an orphan, `` said Luthor, `` Make it look like some random low level street thug killed them. And arrange for it to happen in front of the child.'' 
 
 Mercy was taken aback by that last request. 
 
 `` Could n't that screw up the kid? Make him mental?'' asked Mercy. 
 
 `` A normal kid, yes,'' said Luthor, `` But not this one, he's special, I can tell. I did a psycho analysis on him through questions his school psychiatrist submitted during an intelligence test. There's some traumatic experience with his life in his past, haunting him. He was possibly attacked by an animal or locked in a dark room. The right kind traumatic experience that breaks him of all ties with his family would free him psychologically, shattering the ego and from there he could become anything I wish to mold him into.'' 
 
 Mercy read the newspaper heading about the Waynes. 
 
 `` They live in Gotham?'' she asked as she picked up the decades old slug thrower, `` Finding a thug in a city like that is almost too easy. I know some people, it's not a problem.'' 
 
 Luthor waved his hand for Mercy to leave and said, `` Just make it happen. And do it before I get bored with the whole idea.'' 

