Chapter 30: Chapter 30 - The Reactions - Part 2
"Alright, Mother Empress," Orach began, taking a moment to process the information he had just received. "Let's switch over to what you discovered during your infiltration of Bruce's system," he continued, clearly intrigued by the prospect of uncovering the findings of Mother Empress's stealthy mission.
Mother Empress, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded in acknowledgment. She paused for a moment before finally speaking, her tone steady and composed. "I found quite a lot of information," she began, her eyes reflecting a keen sense of determination. "This Bruce Wayne, young master, is somewhat like you, especially when it comes to planning for the worst possible outcomes and creating contingencies to deal with them." Hearing this, Orach's eyebrow arched in surprise, but he calmly nodded for Mother Empress to continue.
"Bruce has a meticulously arranged folder for each member of the Justice League, complete with contingency plans ready to neutralize them if the need arises," she elaborated. "For instance, he is well aware that Superman's weaknesses include exposure to Kryptonite, ionizing radiation, magic, sensory overload, nuclear weapons, lead, lover Lois Lane, psionic attacks, high-pitched frequencies, red sun radiation, and electricity. His plan for dealing with Superman involves using Kryptonite to weaken him and then transporting him to a prison surrounded by lamps that emit red star radiation, effectively trapping him."
Orach, intrigued by this revelation, responded thoughtfully, "Despite being a cheat, Superman certainly has a multitude of weaknesses. The existence of magic in this realm also piques my interest. Perhaps we can find a way to manipulate it to create a separate training space. However, I find their concept of showing mercy to their enemies rather perplexing. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't hesitate to eliminate the threat by shooting him with a Kryptonite arrow after weakening him."
Mother Empress agreed wholeheartedly with Orach's sentiment. "All his plans are aimed at neutralizing the enemy. In a battle or war, showing mercy can be a dangerous gamble. However, I can see one potential reason for opting to neutralize people instead of killing them. For you, it wouldn't be a difficult task to free Diana from mind control. But consider a situation where you're traveling and she's mind-controlled. In such a case, it would be best if Bruce neutralizes her until you return or he finds a way to remove the mind control."
Orach took a moment to consider Mother Empress's scenario, finally asking, "What is his contingency for dealing with Diana or Wonder Woman?"
Mother Empress, maintaining her calm demeanor, explained, "His plan for Diana is designed to exhaust her. He intends to trap her in a never-ending virtual reality battle against an unbeatable opponent. This could potentially lead to her death from exhaustion due to her refusal to surrender."
Orach nodded in agreement, saying, "Diana's unyielding determination is both her admirable quality and her weakness. That plan would likely be effective."
"As we shift our focus to the others, we can see that Bruce has developed a diverse array of strategies to counteract the impressive super speed of Flash. These strategies include the utilization of nanites, specifically designed to cause disorientation and seizures, a clever device that uses freezing temperatures to slow down his metabolism significantly, and even magic that can transform him into a form that severely limits his speed, strength, and intellectual capabilities. As for Aquaman, Bruce is still in the initial stages of his investigations. Despite this, he's already considering using a specially designed toxin that induces intense fear, which would make Aquaman hydrophobic and gradually weaken him over time. Other potential weaknesses that Bruce is currently exploring include severe dehydration, such as entrapping him in an environment filled with dry air. As for the space cop, his file was noticeably light—it seems that Bruce has only recently become aware of Hal Jordan due to the recent invasion," Mother Empress elaborated.
"The Flash and Green Lantern are somewhat of an enigma to me. I've never come across the concept of the Speed Force or these emotional spectrum powers before. I'm very eager to visit the planet Oa and engage in a conversation with their guardians. I'm interested in learning about their knowledge and the history of the spectrum. However, before we proceed with our plans to travel, we need to thoroughly examine the attack pod's space law drive. Our priority, assuming we can get the drive operational and successfully leave this world, should be to locate the support ship and investigate if anyone else has encountered another Saiyan. Victor's vision of the Great Oozaru continues to unsettle me. I hope that, now that you've given him control, he can provide more than just a fleeting glimpse," said Orach in response.
"I have my doubts that he will have the mental strength to withstand the usage of the space-time law code for an extended period. At most, he should be able to provide a tiny bit more than what we've seen so far," Mother Empress replied calmly.
"That's perfectly fine. Anything, no matter how small or insignificant, is better than nothing," Orach responded in agreement.
Mother Empress nodded in approval and continued their engrossing conversation. "However, there is one power you can study—the Speed Force. It's indeed intriguing, as you said. I can't help but wonder about its origin and purpose. Perhaps you can consider visiting Central City or even invite that Barry Allen kid here on weekends, as he suggested, to conduct some detailed experiments." Her eyes sparkled with an intense curiosity, a gleam that was mirrored in Orach's eyes. They were going to study Barry Allen to their hearts' content and uncover the secrets of his speed.
"Speaking of Barry Allen, that young man has led a life that is both peculiar and filled with tragedy," Mother Empress began, her tone reflecting the seriousness of his history. "When he was just a small child, his house was broken into by an unknown intruder. During that horrific event, his beloved mother was killed. Despite the tragedy, local law enforcement refused to believe the testimonies given by the distressed father and son. They concluded, based on their narrow perspective, that the father was the one who committed the atrocious act. Barry, however, with an unyielding spirit and a keen interest in forensics, seems to be working relentlessly, day in and day out, to prove his father's innocence.
"Interestingly," she continued, "he's been asserting since the incident occurred that two distinct lightning streaks, one a vibrant yellow and the other a startling red, entered their family home on the night of the crime. He insists that the red lightning was responsible for his mother's death. Given the yellow streaks we've observed when he runs at his top speed, it's highly plausible, even likely, that a speedster, much like him, visited his house all those years ago and committed the murder."
Upon hearing about the Flash's intriguing history, Orach found it exceedingly peculiar why powered individuals would specifically target Barry's family. "It certainly appears as though I should plan a visit to Central City in the near future, and investigate this puzzling matter more thoroughly," Orach commented thoughtfully.
His curiosity piqued, Orach continued to probe for more information. "What else did you discover? In particular, how about this world and its structure? What can you tell me about it?" Orach asked.
"Young Master, the civilizations in this world are relatively young and divided into multiple factions. There are roughly 195 countries, but only a select few wield significant power. The United States of America, where we currently reside, along with Russia and China, are considered the major world powers. As I delved deeper into this world's rich history, there were frequent mentions of hidden powers. One such power is Atlantis, the underwater kingdom of Aquaman's mother," Mother Empress explained, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice towards the end. Orach chuckled slightly upon noticing her irritation with the underwater civilization, finding it amusing that his mother had incorporated such a personal touch into her AI.
Mother Empress, continued her report, "There is also the place Diana calls home, the island of Themyscira. It's a land steeped in ancient history and protected by the divine powers of a pantheon of gods. Interestingly enough, the King of this Greek pantheon, Zeus, exhibits traits remarkably similar to the god known as Indra. His dominion over lightning and his ability to change his form to interact with mortal women are strikingly similar characteristics. However, the other gods in this pantheon, we've never heard of them," said the Mother Empress, her voice trailing off in contemplation.
Orach, with a serious look on his face, added, "I noticed the similarities too. At first, I thought perhaps Indra had sent a clone or an avatar to this lower realm for his own amusement. However, hearing about these other gods in this pantheon, gods that I've never even heard of, it seems highly unlikely despite the uncanny resemblances."
Nodding in agreement, Mother Empress responded, "Young master, I must warn you, that pantheon is full of degenerates. To give you an idea, let's look at the stories compiled from ancient Greek lore." With a wave of her hand, she pulled up a multitude of floating screens, each displaying a summary and key points from various stories of the Greek Pantheon. Orach began the task of reading each one. As he delved deeper into the stories, a sense of revulsion began to creep over him. By the time he reached the end of the stories, Orach said with a grimace, "From what I've read, that pantheon is seriously unsavory, to put it lightly! I understand that some civilizations have practiced incest to maintain blood purity among royalty, and there are countless tales of royals resorting to murder to secure the throne, or women using their bodies as a means to gain power. However, the level of incest, rape, and betrayal as depicted in these stories is... it's simply abhorrent, and that's me being generous." The disgust Orach felt for the Greek pantheon was palpable in his voice.
Mother Empress nodded in understanding and added, "It's truly fortunate that Diana, despite being raised amidst the stories of these flawed gods, has managed to grow into a character that is pure, strong, and, above all, loyal." She had been analyzing every member of the league from the shadows, paying special attention to her future mistress. Her statements about Diana were based on a comprehensive character profile she had compiled using the information she had collected and the traits she had observed.
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