CHAPTER ONE
Inauguration Day
It had been a busy morning. New trade agreements with three South American countries, an interview on the Cat Grant show to put pressure on Congress to push through social housing legislation and chairing a meeting on proposed meta-human registration had ensured little rest of the Vice President. He wasn't affiliated with a political party. He had been chosen as a running mate due to his vast wealth and public image. Some had wondered if he was capable of playing second fiddle, but he had shown patience and dedication. Vice President of the United States of America wasn't a position to laugh at.
Now, for a few brief moments, he could sit in his office in peace. He had ten minutes until his next engagement. Ten minutes wasn't much. But with his busy schedule, it was precious time. Sitting back in his leather chair, the Vice President allowed his eyes to close. He tried to shut out the world for just a moment.
"The Chief Of Staff is here to see you, sir." The voice came from the intercom on his desk. So much for his moment of peace. He opened his eyes and let his finger slide over the reply button.
"Send him in Shelly," he answered. Taking a moment to fix his tie, the Vice President sat up in his chair and waited for a moment. As the door opened, he could see the panic on the face of the White House Chief Of Staff. "What can I do for you John?" he asked.
"You need to come with me, sir." The anxiety in his voice was unmistakable.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"The President's had a heart attack," John replied, lowering his voice. The Vice President immediately stood up from his chair.
"How is he, is he all right?"
"The White House physician called it sir. He's dead."
The Vice President bowed his head for a moment. He allowed himself a brief moment of reflection. But this wasn't the time to mourn. Stability had to be maintained. "Has the press been informed?"
"Not yet sir. We're drafting a statement right now. I took the liberty of calling the cabinet and the Chief Justice..."
"Chief Justice?" the Vice President asked, still trying to process the news he had received.
"Yes sir, you need to be sworn in."
"Right...right." The Vice President took a deep breath. The President was certainly older than many of his predecessors but he was healthier than most. Nobody had expected this to happen. Continuity was important. The public would mourn and strong leadership was needed to bring them through the crisis. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution made the process of presidential succession clear. Upon the death of the President, or disability to the point where he could not perform his duties, the Vice President would succeed to the Presidency, assuming the title, role and powers of the office. Many Vice Presidents had thought of their office as a stepping stone to the presidency, normally through their own election campaigns, having worked alongside the President and gained prominence. Directly succeeding the President was always a possibility, one few Vice Presidents actively contemplated.
But just as when Lyndon Johnson succeeded President Kennedy in 1963 following the assassination of the President in Dallas, a Vice President would become President today. He had been many things throughout his life. Industrialist. Inventor. Philanthropist. Genius. He had achieved every goal he had set himself and on this day, a sad day, he would achieve one more and history would record his name as President Luthor.
"Once again, out top story. The President suffered a fatal heart attack this morning in the Oval Office. Emergency personnel were immediately summoned and the President was pronounced dead at 11:43 a.m. Let's return now to our White House correspondent, Vicki Vale. Vicki, any updates?"
"We've had no update from medical personnel on the cause of the President's heart attack, Mike. It may be some time before we discover what triggered it. The President's body has been taken to an undisclosed medical facility here in Washington D.C. where a post-mortem will be carried out. The President's family, we believe have gone as well to the medical facility, a White House spokesperson has asked for their private grief to be respected, we believe they will release a statement later in the day."
"And what's the mood like at the White House?"
"Well it's pretty solemn as you can understand. Talking to one aide off air, she told to me that hearing the news, it felt like she had been shot through the heart. There are a lot of tears but also a grim determination to carry on. If you look over my shoulder, you'll see the preparations are being made for Vice President Luthor to succeed to the office. In fact I'm being told now...yes...I've just been told that the inauguration is about to take place so let's look in on that."
His suit was freshly pressed. The American flag pin over his heart had been polished. As he stepped in front of the cameras and shook hands with the Chief Justice, it occurred to Lex Luthor that he had given up a lot of power to achieve this goal. As founder and CEO of LexCorp, he had turned the city of Metropolis from crumbling city, caught in the storm of recession, to the crowning jewel of American innovation. It was the city of tomorrow and Luthor had been at the heart of that transformation. LexCorp had become the largest conglomerate in the world, and Luthor himself the richest man. On the day he accepted the nomination for Vice President, Luthor stepped aside, allowing his protege, Mercy Graves, to take command of what was a modern empire.
Today was a day that wasn't supposed to happen. Lex Luthor had never been convicted of a crime but speculation had been rife for years that he had been involved in criminal activities. He held no political affiliation or support and instead of choosing to curry favour, he chose to attack both Democrats and Republicans for what he felt was their backwards thinking philosophies and antics. He was also a confirmed atheist. That alone would have hindered his chances had he run for president. But as a vice president, he was seen as a man with the knowledge and experience to aid the President in bringing America forward without any real proposition of him ascending to the top job.
Some commentators speculated that Luthor had hoped to use his vice presidency to convince the American people that was was electable in his own right, whatever his political or religious beliefs. Others believed that Luthor would use the vice presidency to further his own long-term interests and attempt to influence policy in a matter that suited him, if not the country. None of that really mattered now. He was about to become President of the United States and the power and responsibility would be his. As an independent, he would be forced to work with both sides of the divide. His duty would be to act as mediator and bring compromise.
It had been three hours since the death of the President. The news networks had divided their time between eulogising the President, and speculating about Lex Luthor's presidency. Certain networks chose to focus on his status as an atheist and wondered if he would swear on a Bible while taking the oath of office. Reaching under his jacket to his inside pocket, Luthor pulled out a small book and handed it to the Chief Justice.
"I swear by no religion but it does not mean I do not have a creed. If I am to uphold the principles of the constitution, it is only logical that I swear by that constitution."
The cameras all zoomed in on the book in the hands of the Chief Justice. It was a copy of the U.S. Constitution. Resting it on his palm, the Chief Justice motioned for Luthor to place his left hand on the book and to raise his right hand. Normally the Chief Justice would utter the words and the President Elect would repeat them, to ensure no mistakes. But Lex Luthor didn't make mistakes.
He began: "I, Alexander Joseph Luthor, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution Of The United States."
"Congratulations Mr. President." The Chief Justice responded, shaking Luthor's hand. Flashbulbs lit up the room as photographers immortalised the historic moment. Turning to face the media and the world behind the lens, President Luthor took a moment to gather his thoughts. There would be no inauguration speech on the steps of the Capitol. But he would speak here, in the Oval Office, to a nation still waking up to tragedy and transition.
"My fellow Americans," Lex began as so many had before him. "Today we mourn the loss of a great leader, a man of principle and dedication. A friend. We are united in grief and the thoughts of every American are with his family. Tears will flow today and hearts will be broken. Today we feel lost. We feel weak. But it is because we feel weak that we are strong.
"The challenges we face, the adversity that confronts us, shall be overcome because that's what we, as Americans, do better than everyone else. We overcome. We remember those who we have lost. We remember their actions. We remember their hopes and their dreams and when they leave us, we hope to honour their passion and spirit. But even as we stand together in solidarity, as we shed tears together, mourn together, we also stand strong together. We look forward. We face those challenges. And there are many challenges to face. The world our founding fathers lived in when they founded this great nation is not the same as the world today.
"In 1776, men could not fly. A single bomb couldn't destroy an entire city. Benjamin Franklin could envision the power of electricity but not the power of the atom or the mysteries of the universe being revealed to us. There are threats to our way of life, both foreign and domestic. Terrestrial and...otherwise. The so-called metahuman awakening has seen great heroes come to our aid but also powerful villains who seek to dominate us.
"But we shall not be dominated. And while the heroes of the world have saved us numerous times, we will not become reliant on them to save a world we should be saving ourselves. The world can be a better place. A place where dignity and freedom is given to all, not just a lucky few. In the coming days and weeks, analysts and politicians will ask themselves what my policy is, what I intend to do with this opportunity that has been given to me in such tragic circumstances.
"The answer is simple. To work together. To make our home a better place for everyone. Together, we are strong. Together, there is nothing we can't do. Together we can save the world."
The applause from the White House staff was deafening. So much so that nobody heard the glass break or the gunshot that caused it. The bullet had travelled at least half a mile. It had flown over the heads of the people living in Washington D.C., through the bullet-resistant glass of the Oval office window, straight to the back of Luthor's hairless head.
But as the bullet flew, so did something else. It was something faster than a speeding bullet. The gasp in the room prompted Lex to turn around. The first thing he saw was a fist, just inches from where the back of his head had been. The fist opened, revealing a crushed bullet. Luthor looked at his rescuer and smiled.
"Well, it's a busy day for both of us," he remarked as the Secret Service moved in. A shake of the head prompted them to stop and Lex picked the bullet out of the palm of the man that consumed more of his thoughts than any of his great achievements. "Thank you, Superman."
The cameras were on them as Lex extended his hand. Superman didn't hesitate. At least he didn't appear to. In the instant it took to make up his mind about what to do, his powerful brain had processed every variable. Superman knew Lex was dirty. That he was now the president was affront to everything Superman stood for. But even Superman had to keep up appearances. He took Luthor's hand and they shook, his grip a little tighter than usual. Just a reminder to Lex. "Think nothing of it...Mr. President."
Forensics would later match the bullet to the weapon used in multiple assassinations across the continental United States. The weapon of an elite assassin known as Deadshot. What the investigators wouldn't learn was that Lex Luthor had ordered the hit on himself. It was the last piece of the puzzle. The quickest way to get the public onside was an assassination attempt. The President dead, his Vice President shot at while being sworn in. A tragic day. Deadshot was an expert marksman. If the bullet found its mark, it would have grazed Lex, possibly shot the top of his ear off for effect. Surviving would garner sympathy and good will. If Superman intervened, the world would see him shake the President's hand. An endorsement from the most revered and beloved man on the planet would go a long way and if he could make Superman sweat in the process, all the better.
It was after midnight when Lex finished his last engagement. He knew tomorrow would be an even busier day, when he would set about the process of running the government and bringing a divided Congress into line. He'd done deals with Congressmen and Senators in his time at LexCorp and when he agreed to be a presidential running mate, he made it his business to discover every little secret in the House. He was effectively an independent president and should have been bullied into submission by both sides. Instead he would bully them. America would see him as the great uniter and Lex would cement his legacy by making America and the world a far better place to live, or at least his vision of what that meant.
Taking a moment, Lex walked behind the President's desk in the Oval Office and sat in the chair. He felt a little dizzy. It had been a long day. Leaning back, he let the events of the day wash over him. He closed his eyes. When they opened again, one of his aides was standing in front of him and the room was awash with sunlight. Had he slept the whole night?
"What time is it?" he asked as he gingerly moved forward in his chair to rest his palms on the desk.
"Seven Thirty, Mr. President."
It took Lex a second to remember that the aide was referring to him. Mr President. He liked it. He tried to get to his feet but for the briefest of moments, his strength seemed to fail him. After taking a breath to compose himself, he stood straight up and pressed his fist against the top of the desk, taking a defiant stance. "What's on the agenda?"
"The British Prime Minister is scheduled to phone at Eight, sir. There are numerous phone calls set to come in from other dignitaries to offer condolences and congratulations. The First...sorry sir, the former First Lady would like to talk about funeral arrangements. We've got a busy day ahead Mr. President."
"Yes we do," Lex replied, hiding a grin, "yes we do."
