Chapter 147: CHAPTER 145
[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.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone