Chapter 127: I'm in!
When the government agent opened the door for Devilbat and Logan, they saw a very statuesque room, even for the Whitehouse. That's right, J'onn had directed him to fly to the Whitehouse for a group meeting with the President of the U.S.
Logan wondered if it was because of putting these Villains in their place. They as the government should be doing this themselves in Logan's opinion. If ever a government needed a Cadmus Project, it was this one for sure. Then he remembered the storyline from the movie and knew it wasn't that simple.
A quick greeting between team members was interrupted by yet another government official telling them the President was ready for them.
As soon as they walked into the room, they were being yelled at.
"This is unacceptable, Lex. What do you think you are doing?"
As the door was closed behind them, Logan looked around the office and then focused on the person doing all the shouting. He had the figure of a big man getting old, White hair and a white goatee made the man look older than his body language would suggest.
Standing ramrod straight like a soldier, the president looked like a seasoned veteran. His most obvious feature was a black patch over his left eye. His one remaining blue eye was looking over their group with very little friendliness.
"That should be obvious, Mr. President."
SIlverflash smiled, "We're taking it to the bad guys, sir."
The President looked at Silverflash and then looked his costume up and down before responding.
"Well, you should be very proud." The obvious sarcasm made SIlverflash frown.
"Have you given the slightest thought to the consequences of your actions?"
Lex got defensive immediately, "Don't talk to me like a child, Wilson! I was fighting this battle long before your administration decided to roll over for the Syndicate!"
"We didn't roll over. We worked hard to achieve a delicate balance with the Crime Syndicate."
Logan interrupted, "So Mr. President, what was the acceptable number your administration decided on?"
The man in his thousand-dollar suit looked at Logan, "What number?"
"You know, the number of acceptable deaths by the Crime Syndicate. Before your government steps forward and tells them, they have gone too far?"
"You watch your mouth boy; I have lost more than you know."
Logan gave him a disgusted look, "Yes, sorry to hear about your wife. But I'm curious, do you go and apologize to the victims' families each time someone is killed by the Syndicate? What was the last killing spree they went on? 30, 000? 50,000? So long as they leave yours alone though, right???"
J'onn placed his hand on Logan's shoulder. "Calm down, arguing gets us nowhere."
"It's the only way the American people can live in relative safety."
Lex stepped in this time. "Forgive me, Mr. President, but that's a load of crap."
President Wilson turned his back to the costumed group, "Be that as it may, I've already ordered the release of Ultraman and the others you're unsanctioned raids incarcerated."
As soon as he finished speaking, Superman stepped forward, "YOU DID WHAT?"
Wilson turned, "You wanna watch your tone?"
The boy scout pulled back, "I'm sorry, Mr. President. I just don't understand how you could let them go free."
"You clearly don't understand much of anything. Do you think anybody would testify against the Crime Syndicate? Do you think if anybody were willing, we could keep them alive until trial?"
J'onn stepped forward, "We can!"
"Oh? Are you going to protect their families too? Are you going to stay here and watch over us forever?"
Superman answered, "Obviously not. But we can put a stop to them right now. Put an end to their hold over you."
"Kill them?" Wilson asked hopefully.
"NO. We don't do that." Superman said.
President Wilson looked disappointed and walked back to his desk. "Then I've got a better idea. Why don't you go home and end all crime on your own planet?"
The door behind them opened and a young female voice answered Wilson's question before Logan could.
"Why don't you grow a backbone?"
Wilson spun around with anger on his face that melted away as soon as his one eye landed on the figure of a short redhead in a blue skirt and black blouse. She was staring challengingly at him, not backing down at all.
"Not now, Rose."
"Then when, Dad? We've got a chance."
"That's a fantasy. We can't fight these guys without risking the lives of millions."
When Wilson turned his back yet again, he missed the look of heartbreak and disappointment his daughter shot him.
{My God, Dad. You were a war hero. When did you turn into a coward?}
J'onn spoke out, "He is not a coward. Men who have seen battle are often among those who hold life most dear." When he finished speaking, he had turned to Rose.
"How did you know what I was thinking?"
"It was an accident. I didn't mean to read your mind. I..."
J'onn's stuttering apology was interrupted by Superman, who moved forward.
"There's a saying on my world: 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing.'"
"It's easy for someone like you to be brave. But most of us aren't bulletproof."
"Sir, I stand up to beings more powerful than I am all the time. You can do the same."
"That simple, hu?"
"I'm sorry Mr. President, but we're not about to give up this fight. Not when we finally have a chance to win it." When Lex was done with his speech, he turned his back and started for the door. Everyone, even his daughter left the President standing alone in his office deep in thought.
-(Scene Shift)-
At the secret base of the Crime Syndicate, the stillness is shattered by the barely seen movements of Johnny as he rushes around a football looking device that is about a hundred feet tall and 40 feet around in the center, tapering to a point at the top.
Occasionally he stops and looks at a manual and picks up a part then rushes to place it where it goes. He is constructing the QED as per Owlman's instructions. His encounter with the overpowered heroes had frightened him so much that he wasn't complaining about the manual labor.
On the scaffolding near the center controls of the device, Owlman walked up to a computer and checked the progress of his scan that had been running while he retrieved the trigger device.
Looking over the data, he hears the steps of Superwoman coming up behind him.
"Aren't you supposed to be helping?"
"I am helping. I'm improving the ambiance."
"Well, in a way, that's what I'm planning to do." Owlman took his eyes off the computer screen and looked at Superwoman in her costume. "After all, what good is a bomb if you don't detonate it?"
Superwoman looked at Owlman knowingly, stepping closer to him she ran her hand over his chest.
"You never had any intention of using the QED for blackmail. You're going to use it to kill everybody."
"What if I am?"
"Just tell me why?"
"Why not?"
Backing away, Superwoman drops her playful look. "I'm serious. I'm a murdering psychopath. It's part of my charm."
"I do find it attractive." Owlman remarks.
Superwoman looks Owlman up and down. "But you never make a move without a reason. Why would you want to destroy the world?"
"Because it's the only action one could take that would have any purpose."
"You lost me there."
Owlman gestured to his computer screen, "Every decision we make is meaningless because somewhere, on a parallel Earth, we have already made the opposite choice. We're nothing. Less than nothing."
"How can you say that? We're rich. We're conquerors."
Owlman pointed to one of the many Earths on his screen, "And here we're poor." He moved his finger to another Earth, "We're slaves." Yet another Earth "And here, our parents never met, so we were never born."
"Here, the world ended in a Nuclear War. This one, no fish was ever brave enough to crawl up on land and humans never evolved. And so on, ad infinitum."
"So even if you destroy this world, there are a billion others, right? What difference would it make?"
"Somewhere in the multiverse, there is a world I call Earth Prime. Every Earth is a variation of this one, the original. And once I destroy it, all reality will follow."
The last was said with more emotion than Superwoman had ever heard Owlman use before.
"I take it back. You're much crazier than I am."
"Don't get in my way."
Superwoman tenderly placed both her hands on Owlman's cheeks and leaned in close, "To the contrary." She planted her lips on his un-reacting lips.
"I'm in."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone