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When There's Trouble...
"Do you have the piece for my collection," the bald man asked the white alien creature.
"Why yes," the alien said with a nasally tone, "I have the item you requested, but it was rather hard to come by after its incident on Galvan Prime and its moon, Galvan B."
From behind the white alien creature was solid ten foot tall... thing. It was coated in black and red from its head to toes and was hard as a rock. The bald man looked over his collection piece and smiled, "It is perfect..." the bald man handed the alien a small glowing sphere, "This should cover my expenses, Psyphon."
The alien was taken aback, "How on earth do you know my name?"
The man removed his hood, looking Psyphon in the eyes, "I always know..." The man snapped and two people hired muscle, appeared from a black truck and trailer, "Boys, take this to the lab, the Brain will want to get to work swiftly." The two men took the large figure into the trailer.
"Is that all you require, Mr. Luthor," asked the white alien.
"Yes, Psyphon, that is all I will require of you," he turned towards the truck and entered the cab, "You may also now stop attempting to contact your plumber friends... sludge puppy."
The white alien scowled in disgust, "What are you talking about, a sludge puppy?" he seemed angry, "You have the audacity to accuse me of being a repulsive being of filth and grime?"
Luthor rolled his eyes and snapped, a bullet blazed past his ears and through the white alien, "Are we done here sludge?"
The white alien pretended to be hurt, but the evidence was obvious as the wounds were covered in a thick purple mud-like substance, "Well isn't this inconvenient," the white alien said, the voice shifting to something grimier. The white alien's form began to fade into just purple sludge and spiral into physical form of a woman, "Lex Luthor, you are under arrest for the purchasing and attempted trafficking of dangerous alien technology by order of the Plumbers," the purple alien's voice had become female in tone and had a mild grimy hint to it, "If you surrender now, your sentence will be reduced." In one hand she now held her badge and in the other a blaster, standard plumber issue.
Lex Luthor chuckled and shook his head, "Well this is adorable, the Plumbers are finally welcoming aliens of different color," he shut the door to the truck, "You are, and always will be, just a pile of sludge," Lex signaled to someone she couldn't see, "So long, Lucy Mann," as the truck drove off there was a high pitched beep and a burst of yellow energy. Behind the moving truck there was now a huge chunk of building and ground missing, and at the center of the ground was the yellow sphere as well as small traces of burnt mud, "Shame she had to go so young," Lex walked to the back of his trailer, "But that's that," he looked closely at the piece he'd acquired, "Soon they'll all see what aliens are capable of, and when their superheroes can't stop it..." Lex pulled a lever next to the container for the object, lighting the object up on display, "They'll all come begging for help," he walked back to the front of the trailer, leaving the power on in the trailer, "Isn't that right, Conqueror of ten worlds?"
The truck arrived at a laboratory and, as soon as it came to a stop, Lex's goons quickly unloaded the precious cargo into a similar container to the one he was in.
"Hello, Lex Luthor," came a slithering deep voice from a doorway on an upper level, "Have you brought me a new t-t-toy to play with?" His voice echoed around the room, just his stutter sounded intelligent.
"Good Doctor, I have brought you more than a toy," Lex comments back, "I have brought you the key," he pulled a lever, raising a platform with the cargo and himself up to the doorway on the next floor.
As the platform stopped and in front of him was a strange abomination of a crab-like creature. It was coated in a purple shell with a massive cranium and had two purple pincers, one the size of a human hand and the other the size of a toddler. It stood nearly four feet tall on four legs and had a disgusting smile upon its face, "Interesting," it said approaching the cargo next to Luthor, "How on earth did you acquire such a d-d-delicious hybrid of technology and c-c-conqueror?"
Lex chuckled, "It is surprisingly simple when you know the right people throughout the galaxy," he turned to look at the large thing within the containment unit, "So you can revive him, and leave mastery over him to me?" Lex asked the crab, seemingly fishing for a response.
The crab walked around the containment unit, "If a Galvan can create a living technological lifeform, then certainly even the simplest of Cerebral Crustacean can create a s-s-simple controlling mechanism for said species," he turned to look at Luthor, "I am no simple Cerebral Crustacean. I am the great D-D-Doctor Psychobos." the shell surrounding his cranium split in two, opening outwards, revealing the massive brain within. Electrical energy began to spark from the gooey membrane, "Now, let's get to work." The electricity flowed around the containment and lifted it off of its holster on the platform. He then carried it to another holster that was wired to a set of computers that didn't appear terrestrial, "Now, to analyze the components of this Malware suit."
Lex raised an eyebrow, "Malware?"
"The black and red suit that your precious cargo is contained within is made out of a corrupt Galvanic Mechamorph," a picture of a strange red and black lifeform, similar to the suit containing Lex's cargo, appeared on a screen, "He was once an as-s-sociate of mine when we worked on creating a predatorial DNA mutation matrix," a picture of a hexagonal device appeared, replacing Malware's, "He provided a crude template that I was able to work with while creating the device," Psychobos removed the photo, "He also provided me with an assortment of rare technology from multiple corners of the universe."
"Interesting," Lex said, a crude smile crossed his face.
"What-t-t-t's so interesting, Luthor?" Psychobos asked annoyed, still continuing to work.
"When I reached out to contact you, it was you who claimed you worked alone," Psychobos' electricity stopped flowing, "Now you tell me you used to have an old associate..." Lex approached Psychobos, "What else have refrained from telling me?" Lex's eyes stared deep into the crustation's soul.
Psychobos closed his shell surrounding his brain, "I have refrained from telling information that is not relevant to our business together," he turned around to find Lex standing on the platform with a phone in hand.
"Doctor, you fail to see how wrong you are," Lex closed the phone and slipped it into his pocket, "I will give you a single chance to tell me everything," Lex smiled, "Call it, an act of mercy."
Psychobos huffed, "You are giving me a single chance," his smile flipped to be an upset face, "That's amusing, Luthor, but you are merely a slightly more ev-v-volved ape," he opened his cranium again and volts of electricity flew wildly from his head, "I am a being of superior intellect and vast ingenuity, you have nothing to threaten me."
Lex snapped his fingers, "I gave you mercy, but you refused," he pressed a button and the platform descended, "Now you suffer the consequences."
Psychobos ran towards the descending platform but was suddenly stopped and frozen, "What on earth..." his voice was muffled, he was struggling to speak. A small mirror rose from the floor and Psychobos was terrified. Within the center of his cranium was a small needle with a receiver on the tip.
"Now don't get any ideas Psychobos," Lex's voice echoed, "I'm in control now," Psychobos tried to move to grab the needle but his efforts were futile, "Now this is how our new arrangement will work, you will build a device capable of controlling my precious conqueror that is contained within his Malware suit and then I will relieve you," Psychobos' breath was short, "Try anything humorous and we kill you with a burst of your own electrical energy." Suddenly Psychobos could move again, he was gasping at every breath. An annoyed tone rang
through the complex, "Now get to work."
Psychobos skittered over to the computer and returned to his work. Even with his lack of emotions showable on his face, it was clear he was finally terrified.
Days went by as Psychobos worked on a remote to control the Malware suited conqueror, and something was rattling around in his mind. A voice, just a whisper, that kept poking around his memories and knowledge. He attributed it to the pin in his head but the voice sounded familiar, almost more terrifying than Lex Luthor.
"Free me..." the voice in Psychobos' head whispered quietly.
He jumped, gasping for breath, "Who was that?" Psychobos asked aloud.
"I am the one inside your head, and I believe that your plans are due for a change, Psychobos"
Psychobos looked around in a panic and began to open his shell, "Get out of my head you strange and incorporeal being!"
"I have a better idea," the voice whispered, "Why don't you get out..."
Suddenly Psychobos became stiff as his color drained. He quickly went back to the computers, but this time worked faster than conceivable. His claws nearly breaking the keyboard as he worked. Only an hour passed when he pressed a button to summon Lex Luthor to him.
In just a few moments, Lex was coming up on the platform, remote in hand, "I hope this is about that remote being completed." He spoke as if he had just been interrupted, and walked over to Psychobos, who was holding a crude looking remote with only three buttons. 'Power', 'Voice Command', and 'Set Up', "I am impressed Psychobos, you delivered after all."
Psychobos remained emotionless and quiet.
"Now, before I relieve you, explain how this set up works."
Psychobos walked to Lex and pressed the 'Set Up' button. A small needle stabbed Lex's palm.
"Why you little," Lex pulled his remote for the pin in Psychobos' head, "I gave you multiple chances now you perish, crustacean." Lex pressed a big blue button and electricity began to fire in excessive amount while his shell was close. When the electricity stopped Psychobos fell face first onto the floor, silent.
"turn it on..." a voice echoed in Lex's head.
Lex looked around, but couldn't find anything or anyone, "What the hell..."
"Turn it on..." the voice became louder and slightly more mechanical.
Lex looked at the remote and hesitated but he couldn't seem to find a reason not to press it, "Why the hell do I want to press this button?"
"Because, Lex, you require their help," the voice was now deepening, "So press it."
Lex's head felt numbed as his finger hovered over the power button, "Who are you, how are you doing this?"
"I am who you wanted to exist," the voice rang in his head loudly. Lex's fingers gave in pressing the power button, "I am Vilgax, conqueror of ten worlds," the voice yelled in his head. The containment unit opened and the Malware suited conqueror took his first reborn step, "and thank you for your hospitality, your mind will serve me greatly." His large hand encompassed Lex Luthor, who was seemingly paralyzed, "Now let's see what your mind gives me."
Lex felt a strange liquid metal running around his palm, going up the stab wound that was left from Psychobos. He felt it course through his veins and up and into his brain, surrounding and molding with it until the color drained from his body and he became limp. Vilgax release him and smiled, removing the Malware suite from his face, "It feels good to be back."