[Bruce Wayne's POV]
Bruce Wayne sat in the dimly lit Batcave, his gloved fingers dancing across the keyboard of the Batcomputer. The cavernous lair was shrouded in an air of brooding intensity, the cowl of his Batsuit hanging over his head like a sentinel of the night.
Alfred's voice, as soothing as ever, broke the silence from behind him. "Master Bruce, any luck with your search for The Flash or Superman?"
Bruce swiveled his chair to face the loyal butler, his eyes still masked by the shadows of his cowl. He reached out to accept the tea Alfred offered, the steaming cup warming his gloved hands. "No, Alfred, there's no trace of either of them," he replied, his voice tinged with frustration. "Normally, I'd be able to locate The Flash due to the energy he emits from the Speed Force within him, acting as a beacon. But there's been no sign of it."
"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce acknowledged, taking a sip of the tea. He continued, his gaze fixed on some unseen point in the distance. "Since I can't track them, I have to assume they're being held underground. I have too much on my plate right now to focus solely on finding them."
Alfred, always the voice of support, reassured him, "It's alright, Master Bruce. I'm confident you'll find them. If anyone can, it's you."
Bruce watched Alfred depart, his words lingering in the air. He turned back to the Batcomputer, deep in thought. "Our only options now are to either kidnap Lex Luthor or steal military files to discover the location where they were being held."
He had already delved into the military database but found nothing. This time, he planned to infiltrate Lex Luthor's personal computer.
Lex had successfully decrypted a file stolen from Bruce that he had previously used against the heroes, and the decrypted files had sent a beckon back to him. Now, he aimed to trace that digital thread back to its source and extract whatever valuable information he could.
Knowing Lex Luthor, any data directly obtained from his personal computer would be of immense value. Bruce's fingers danced faster on the keyboard as he initiated a relentless assault on Luthor's intricate firewalls.
...
[Lex Luthor's POV]
Lex Luthor lounged in his opulent office, his steely gaze fixed on the sprawling cityscape beyond the glass window. A glass of wine in hand, he savored the sweet taste of victory. Mercy, his loyal aide, had just given her report on their newly acquired prisoners.
"Why not just kill him?" Mercy inquired, her eyes never leaving her employer.
Lex regarded her with a knowing smile. "No, that would be a waste of a valuable asset. He's more like a trophy to me right now. I've finally bested my mortal enemy after all these years of striving, only to be thwarted just as I was about to achieve victory. Now, his life is in my hands."
A sinister glint danced in Lex's eyes as he contemplated his captive superhero. "You seem to have something planned for him," Mercy observed, her curiosity piqued.
Lex leaned back into his chair, his fingers steepled. "I intend to turn him into my puppet or, better yet, parade him as a symbol of my supremacy. The possibilities are endless and exhilarating."
"Why stop at Superman? Why not go after The Flash as well? His speed alone could achieve great feats, and having him as a foot soldier would undoubtedly aid you in your quest for dominion."
Lex nodded thoughtfully, considering Mercy's suggestion. "You're correct. His speed would indeed make him a valuable asset. However, there was a complication when I attempted to control his mind."
"A complication?" Mercy leaned forward, intrigued.
"I lack comprehensive knowledge of how his speed functions. It's possible that his thoughts move at superhuman speeds, and there seems to be a protective force guarding his mind—perhaps the source of his speed. But he won't be able to resist me for long. I will breach his mind and turn him into one of my obedient puppets."
Lex broke into a maniacal laugh, his ambition unrestrained. Mercy, accustomed to these fits of grandiosity, observed in silence.
"I couldn't get my hands on Conner due to numerous interferences, and the League has influenced him to adopt a self-righteous image reminiscent of Superman. I suspect it's because he shares the same blood." Lex's voice was tinged with frustration.
"Otherwise, he could have become your successor," Mercy remarked.
"Indeed. I intended to groom him to take over my legacy as a Luthor, bequeathing him LexCorp, my wealth, fame, and most importantly, power."
"There's still a chance to win him over to your side. Once you control his mind, you can mold him into the obedient son you desire," Mercy suggested, her tone suggesting it was merely an option.
"One attains true power when they are willing to do anything and make any sacrifice to reach the pinnacle," Lex mused. "I must teach my son that lesson. He's lost his way."
"Lost his way?" Mercy raised an eyebrow.
"Children tend to rebel against their fathers. I did it to mine, and it led me to find my true path. Conner, however, is lost, and I intend to guide him back to the right course."
Mercy nodded in understanding. "What about Gorilla Grodd? He's been causing trouble in Florida. Are you planning to address it?"
Lex's demeanor shifted, and he moved to a nearby table, where a bottle of whisky awaited him. He poured two glasses, offering one to Mercy. Their glasses clinked in a toast as they sipped the fiery liquid.
"For now, let the monkey play his games," Lex replied. "Once he's served his purpose, I'll dispose of him and his minions."
"Cheers to power," Mercy said, raising her glass.
"To power," Lex echoed, a wicked grin forming. "It's time to move on to the next phase."
Lex was taking a methodical approach this time, going step by step, rather than rushing headlong as he often did in the past. In the past he kept failing whenever he was near victory against the League.
Even if he partner's up with top villains and the most notorious of criminals, something alway seemed to go wrong at the moment of truth but not this time.
This time he was taking it slow and steady, after months of heavy planning there was no way he would want to rush things and flop now.
Winning over the people by force and making them submit to him with his psychic device was the basic option, but winning over their hearts alongside their minds was a full proof scheme.
…
[Connor Kent's POV]
The shocking news of Superman's capture by Lex Luthor had hit us like a freight train, blindsiding us all. How could our greatest hero fall into the clutches of our most formidable enemy? It was a perplexing puzzle, one that left my mind in a whirlwind of confusion. Lex's cunning and meticulous planning had rendered us powerless, an agonizing frustration that gnawed at my very core.
Our heroic team had combed the globe tirelessly in search of both The Flash and Superman, yet our efforts had proven fruitless. The temptation to confront Lex Luthor directly had grown within me like a storm, a volcano of determination on the brink of eruption. We were in the dark about Lex's sinister plan, and the prospect of confronting him felt like stepping into the jaws of a cunning predator.
But the time for restraint had passed. Tonight, I resolved to mark a conversation with Lex that had been overdue for far too long. I would corner him, forcing him to divulge the location of our captured heroes. Perhaps, in his narcissistic arrogance, he might reveal the twisted details of his next malevolent move. It was an unprecedented father-son dialogue, one that pitted hero against villain.
The idea of taking Wally with me, utilizing his unparalleled speed for a daring abduction of Lex, seemed tempting. With Martian Manhunter ready to probe Lex's mind for the elusive location, it could be a formidable strategy. However, a nagging suspicion lingered; Lex, the master strategist, might have anticipated such a move and prepared countermeasures. Any reckless move might lead to him abducting more heroes, I needed to be careful with how I approached this.
Nonetheless, I was determined to give diplomacy a chance. I intended to approach Lex not as a ruthless abductor but as a parent, hoping to appeal to any fragments of humanity that might still exist within him. Could there be a glimmer of redemption hidden beneath his layers of ego and cruelty? I had to explore this path before resorting to tactics that mirrored his own.
If my diplomatic efforts were in vain, if Lex's darkness proved impenetrable, then I would not hesitate to adopt his ruthless methods. If becoming a Luthor was the price to pay for defeating Lex, I would reluctantly embrace that role, but only as a last resort.
[Connor Kent's POV]
My original plan involved using the jet, but the thought of being tracked down quickly made me reconsider. I couldn't risk anyone discovering my whereabouts or my intentions. So, I ditched the jet and opted for a more inconspicuous look: blue jeans, a simple black shirt, and a hoodie. I added a face cap and left the hood down.
Dressed like an everyday teenager, I made my way to the subway, taking several winding routes to ensure I wasn't being followed. About half an hour after I left, I finally boarded a train bound for Metropolis.
Fortunately, the train was sparsely populated, a stroke of luck in a city as bustling as this. While I proceeded towards Lex, I couldn't shake the thought that Lex's security detail included both highly skilled individuals and metahumans.
He was a frigging billionaire who had both money and power, of course his security detail would be tight and unpredictable. Especially after the last incident with him and the League the other time at his private estate.
While deep in thought, my reverie was broken by a voice beside me, and I turned to see Dick sitting next to me on the train. "How did you…?" I began, but he interrupted with an answer that actually made sense.
"Come on, you think I wouldn't know you had intentions of searching for Superman, even if it meant stepping outside your comfort zone? If it were Batman who got kidnapped, I'd do something similar," Dick said, glancing around the empty train.
I couldn't help but wonder how I hadn't noticed him earlier, especially with my enhanced senses. "How were you able to stalk and follow me without my knowing?" I asked as it still marveled me as to how he did it, he even went as far as sitting right next to me in the train.
"When you grow up with Batman and gain many years of both training and live action experience with him, you pick up a few tricks," he explained, brushing off my question and steering the conversation back to our mission.
"I plan to talk to Lex, hoping he'll be reasonable enough to give me the location of Superman and that of Flash. In some way I am like a son to him and he might hear me out or at least lend me a listening ear as a father. Even if he wants me ti join his cause in return, am okay with that because I know the League would put an end to this madness soon enough." I looked down at my hands as I spoke, wondering how it all got to this.
*UGH…*
I could feel Dick's exasperation even before he sarcastically smacked his forehead and gave me an earful of lecture. "Sometimes, you acted too naive, seeing the good in people when you should see them for who they really were. You know how diabolical Lex Luthor can be. He manipulated the League, lured them into a trap, captured the Flash and Superman, turning heroes into criminals in spandex, all in one night. What makes you think he won't do the same to you? What would you do if he refuses to go ahead with youe request?"
He bombarded me with a barrage of questions which needed indepth thinking before giving my answer. I needed to be smart about it because this might also be part of Lex's plan, a plan to draw me to himself.
Dick waited for my response, but before I could speak, he continued, "Let me guess, you plan to threaten him. Do you really believe threats work on someone like Lex?"
"Of course not, I know how terrifying of a person he can be. A piece of my genetics came from him. Do you think I don't understand what he's capable of?"
"I know," Dick said, "I just needed to make sure you were thinking straight. When a parent is involved, most people tend to let their emotions cloud their judgment. And in this case Superman is involved." He turned over to me as he added. "You might be brainy and good with tech, but Lex has been in this game way longer than you have."
I smirked at his indirect reference to my intelligence compared to his. "Word of focus, 'brainy.' Not smarter than most." He said as he saw the smirk tugged by the side of my lips.
As the train pulled into Metropolis, we disembarked from the train and Dick's attention was abruptly drawn to a shocking news broadcast displayed on a screen as we disembarked. I looked up and saw Superman standing alongside Lex Luthor and the President of the United States.
They announced that Superman was no longer a member of the League but was dedicated to protecting the nation. They even shook hands, seemingly putting an end to their long-standing rivalry, something Clark would never do. Something was wrong, he wasn't wearing the psychic dampener that Bruce made and it all made sense at that point.
Without hesitation, I grabbed Dick and dashed at superspeed. We headed straight for a building near LexCorp, the very spot where the broadcast had taken place. However, they were no longer there.
"So, what now?" Dick asked, relinquishing control of the mission to me, normally he would take command and lead the mission but this was my mission and he intended to follow my lead.
I pondered our next move, my mind racing with possibilities. Lex had orchestrated this situation brilliantly, and it was clear that this was a game we were unprepared to play. But I couldn't back down now. "We need to find out what Lex is really up to and try to rescue Superman from his grip before Superman ends uo doing something that might hunt him for a long time. We'll need more allies, and we'll have to be smarter than ever."
Dick nodded, his trust in me evident. As we gazed out at the sprawling city of Metropolis, we both understood that this mission had just become more challenging than we ever imagined. Now the Man of Steel was one of Lex's security detail.
…
[Tom Hendricks POV]
I strode down the blood-splattered hallway, the lifeless forms of soldiers left in my wake. Their initial bravado had crumbled into sheer terror as they realized the peril they faced. My relentless pursuit of Raven had brought me to this grim scene.
Raven lay on a sterile medical bed, her pallid form connected to an array of tubes, draining her blood. A man in a pristine white lab coat, adjusting his glasses, dared to question me, "Who are you, and what do you want?"
I couldn't help but scoff at his audacity. "Amid the chaos I've unleashed until getting here, you still wonder who I am?" I approached Raven's side, unplugging the invasive tubes. The scientist's voice grew stern, "Stop that!" He yelled at me while reaching an arm to his face as he adjusted his glasses.
I ignored him and laid my hand on the bags of extracted blood, heating them to such extremes that they nearly vaporized. "Didn't you hear me? I said stop!" he yelled, brandishing a blaster.
I glared at him, my disdain for his obsession with Raven's blood evident. "You scientists and your sick obsessions. If you desire demon blood so fervently, perhaps I should send you directly to hell to fetch some." With a telekinetic pull, I yanked him toward me, my grip like a vice around his neck. "Say hi to the devil for me, will you." With those words, his fear bubbled to the surface as he struggled against my grip. I snapped his neck like a twig, then dropped his lifeless body as I turned to Raven.
Gently, I cradled her in my arms, levitating off the ground as she began to regain consciousness. Her voice was weak, drugged. "Where are you taking me?"
"You're safe now," I assured her. She noticed the trail of lifeless bodies I'd left behind, a testament to the price they'd paid for crossing me.
Exiting the underground research facility through the hole I'd initially created, I glanced at the general's lifeless form, dangling from the wall, blood staining the ground as it created a puddle of blood below.
The soldiers above ground were paralyzed by fear, unable to retrieve their fallen leader who was brutally murdered, unsure of what I might do to those who dared take down his lifeless body from the wall before I left the base.
I offered a parting nod to the trembling soldiers. "Goodnight, gentlemen. If you have no unfinished business with me, I'll be on my way." Most shook their heads in response, and with a graceful motion, I took flight.
As we soared through the night sky, Raven groaned softly, her head throbbing. "Ugh... My head."
"Relax," I murmured, my voice reassuring. "You lost a lot of blood and need to rest. The headache is just a side effect of the sedative they used on you. Don't worry; you're in safe hands. I'll make sure you're okay."
"Thank you... Tom," she mumbled drowsily, drifting back into unconsciousness. I continued to carry her through the night, my thoughts consumed by her unexpected words.
'Wait… Did she just say Tom?'
=======
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