Throwing Weight Around
Lois' eyes widened as she saw who came in. From her point of view, she saw a woman below wearing a long, leather jacket coming up to them and surveying the kneeling, bound bankers one by one in a slow fashion. 'Great, now a new threat.' Lois thought. She didn't know how things were going to get worse. Just then, the woman began to speak.
"You all, are controllers of the entire wealth in this country as well as others." she spoke. "It is amazing how you can mess up the world so easily by trying to acquire more assets. The concept of consolidating escapes you but it's there. In a way, you're responsible for most of the wars. You all refuse to see it. If you humans…" she began to walk around them now.
"want to make your planet better. How are countless pieces of meaningless, green paper going to save you?"
One of the bankers spoke and rolled his eyes as if bored. "We have heard appeals before, ma'am. You obviously don't know how the country works so-" but his words remained incomplete as he was instantly grabbed by the lapels by the woman and thrown out the window, shattering it. Outside, a scream was heard before it suddenly stopped. The man had fallen to his death.
Lois could not help but be worried and also saddened by the man's demise. Other people gasped in shock at what just happened. The woman continued on as if nothing had happened.
"There was a time when humans evolved naturally, progressively and respectfully before the advancement of technology came along and clouded your judgments and reasoning. You've all de-evolved in a way. I've always heard from back in my home planet that humans were beneath us and rightfully so. It disgusts me more that you are merely masters of your own destruction."
She then took off her cloak and motioned to one of the armed men, to prepare the laptop which he did, without hesitation. "If that is so, I'm here in a way to further your route. You humans want to be destroyed, so be it. In a few moments, this entire world will be in a weak state. Criminals such as the men who work for me will see this country as a child's playground. I will give the news to your country's leader."
The workers began to utter gasps of shock and horror.
"But first…" the woman began and looked away from them. "aside from the fact that a certain Kryptonian and his rogues have left this planet, leaving you with no protection, I have to eliminate new threats." Her eyes began to glow red and a wave of heat emanated from them shattering the back end of the shaft Lois was in. It burst opened and fell to the ground with her in it. Lois moaned in pain from the fall.
The armed men picked her up and roughly brought her forth to the woman. Lois tried to push them away. "Get off me!" she yelled. They brought her to a kneeling position with both guns pointed at her head. Her hands and feet had been bound with cord.
"Well, who is this?" she whispered as she saw her and knelt down so she could be at better level.
"I wish to know the same thing about you. I know these bound men do as well." She motioned at the bankers.
"You're a woman of spirit…" she said and caressed her head. Lois had tried to shift away to no avail. "But you're right, it was rude for me not to introduce myself before my actions took effect. I am…Zora Vi-Lar." She smirked.
"Gesundheit." Lois bit out.
"You mock all you want, human. But your world is now in my hands and I will enjoy burning it with a black flame." She smiled evilly.
Lois tried her hardest to not to panic right then and there.
Due to the wonders of 21st century technology, Lois' recording via her smartphone went viral to the entire country in less than five minutes. It had been a full fifteen minutes since the heroes chose exile without any further statements and now that that another attack was taking place made him think otherwise. He grew worried, worried that his daughter might be killed in the heist. So far, the day grew beyond hectic and felt like this was beyond a 'day of infamy'. 'My God, what is happening today?', he thought. General Lane, being a man with strategic input, decided to take drastic action.
Going to the White House Oval Room, he saw the President standing with his chief advisors as well as NORAD officials surrounding the room. Lane could see the President looking as if he did not know what to do. The entire house was in pandemonium mode from what Lane could tell. Nevertheless, he had to come in and give necessary instruction. He stood with his posture straight and his chest out. General Lane didn't want anyone to figure out how emotionally affected he was given her daughter's situation. 'Hopefully she makes it out, alright.'
Everybody had stopped their rambling as they saw the General coming into the room. Trying to dispel all the waves of anxiety and stress, Lane cleared his throat and spoke. "The situation is one that needs every kind of attention imaginable, sir. The fact that this is the third or forth attack means these people are calculative and thus, we should not underestimate them. We have to be extremely careful, sir. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone in your position didn't know what to do."
The president frowned at the statement and merely went on with what he was saying.
"If they took down this bank, the country would be highly at risk. People would be unemployed quickly."
"We got to assume they know that…" the secretary of treasury declared. "They would be treating that place as a hostage. We come in with guns blazing, the place goes out."
"How bad would the market be hit if they do blow it?" the president asked.
"Let's just say it would make the Great Depression look like Charles Manson's current income." the secretary of treasury said with both hands in his eyes. "The stock market won't crash, it'll shatter..."
"My God!" the president said frustrated and turned away quickly in disgust. His hands were on his hands as if wanting to tear his own hair out. He breathe in and exhaled calmly. "What have I done?" he whispered as he looked out the window. "We don't know anything about these criminals orchestrating these acts and the people that went away, they could have stop them beforehand..." he whispered sadly.
"What's done is done, sir." the General declared. "We've already seized almost all JLA technology and searched through all their bases that we detected. We can be sorry about this later. Besides they made their choice and I was the one who came up with the suggestion that they leave one in charge and they didn't even bother. But this is not their problem, it's our problem now."
"You're right." the president said and relaxed now. "Coordinate with the FBI and other police personnel in the area, if they decide to blow the bank, we need to be ready with everything we got." the president stated boldly.
Lex Luthor was in his jet plane talking to his financial partner on the phone. "Did you get every dollar and cent out from all my accounts?"
"Yes, sir but it wasn't easy. People all over the nation are going to be wondering where a hundred billion dollars went!' the voice on the other end spoke erratically.
"Well then people better learn to stipulate at the supreme court." Lex muttered in indifference. He tried to assure him though. "The economy will adapt. I'm not being greedy. I'm being safe. If the economy goes, I will make sure to bring back most of the capital lost from certain businesses once this mess is clean."
"Alright then, but you have to be careful Lex..."
"I know when to be careful, Ross. All I need from you is a little patience and backbone into this. I, on the other hand have more important issues to attend to." Lex then hung up his cell phone and leaned back in his seat.
"What do you think they're doing with my crystal?" Lex asked ahead where a man was seated across from him.
"Aside from what you said, the energy the crystal contains has enormous potential to be a bomb, but if exploited somehow via another different power source, it can be converted into something else, something different."
"Like what, Mr. Hamilton?" Lex asked a bit worried now.
Emil looked a bit hesitant to respond and merely gave the impression that it wasn't a good one.
Soaring through the air, Kara sped in a linear form in the sky like a cannon was shot. It was hard for her to adjust. Her powers came back slowly. She barely mustered enough strength just to fly and as she did, Kara tried to be careful as she flew. She was aware that Earth had airplane and flying object detectors working via satellite care for NORAD. It was why she struggled to reach New York as fast as she could. 'I've never been to New York. I won't know what to expect…' she thought. It was true that Kara had never been out of Kansas so far. At the same time, Kara was worried about what decision the President made in the topic surrounding superheroes.
She had taken the time to watch again for fear of being distracted once again. Instead she focused all her energy in what lay ahead. New York. As she flew faster, Kara's focus on the city was finally realized when she passed heavy cloud cover. The New York City skyline was breathtaking. The Empire State building was seen as well as certain harbors and bridges. Unfortunately, Kara had no time for sightseeing. She had a mission. To remain inconspicuous, Kara had to land carefully in an alleyway for it was what she had been accustomed to.
Kara located an alleyway nearby. Landing as carefully as she could so as not to arouse any kind of suspicion, Kara touched down gently on the ground. Already tired, she let out a breath in and exhaled. 'It's going to take me a while before I get used to being 'super' again.' she thought. Perhaps she was being a bit apprehensive. Kara wondered about what approach she was going to go with. Looking around the dilapidated-looking alley, she saw that even the city of New York had a depressing side to it. Graffiti lined up the walls and trash was littered. Kara began to get out of the alley so she could find the bank and put an end to the madness.
As she made her way out, she saw a couple of men hanging out. Several of them were smoking weird-looking cigarettes. They were leaning by a fence that belonged to a condemned building in the back. "kno' what I'm sayin?' one of them said to his friend. Kara didn't need this. Obviously she knew she had the potential of being called on for even being in an alleyway but she hoped that it wasn't going to be the case and simply marched on.
'These people should try to better their lives.' she thought with distaste.
She made their way pass them but didn't get very far. Immediately cat calls were ensued.
"Damn, girl you looking fine and healthy there." One of them said out loud and whistles were issued as well.
"Jeez, as if they hadn' t seen a girl before…' she rolled her eyes. Kara ignored them and went on.
"Whoa! Hey, you just going to keep walking like you ain't see us?" one of them, a burly, heavy-set man walked behind Kara.
She could hear more footsteps approaching her and could tell the men were insulted as well. Kara did not see the need for violence but because of men like them, she thought she had to prove a point. For that, she turned around and faced the man following her. As she did, the rest of the gang circled around her in an attempt at preventing her from escaping.
"You shouldn't have been so rude and just talk to us, sweetheart." He growled.
Kara sighed and replied. "I would have talked if maybe you guys had lives."
Calls of 'ohhhhh' were heard.
"Who the hell do you think you are? You think you're safe cuz you think those heroes will fly in and save you ? Take a reality pill, darling. They're gone."
"What?" she whispered. 'It couldn't be. The president made the decision? They're truly gone. This man must be crazy…',Kara thought. She felt so distraught now that she hadn't seen a blunt object hitting her in the back of her head.
She fell down with a grunt.
The men around were all laughing. Some even pulled out a few knives. Kara, angrier then she had ever been was suddenly up and began throwing the confused men away as if they were ragged dolls. Blocking and evading their punches, Kara managed to expel the men with strength that was the equivalent of ten men. The leader of the group got back up and prepared to ram her with the knife he had in his hand. He was stopped short though, as the knife broke through the palm of Kara's hand. He looked shocked and petrified. The man began backing away in fear.
'My invulnerability is back!' she thought happily. "I think you should go and get a life." she said.
"This girl's a freak, man, let's get outta here!" They yelled and ran towards the opposite direction.
Kara was glad to be out of such predicament. Before she went on her way, she stopped suit and looked at a certain shirt sticking out of a trashcan. It was a girl's medium size black shirt with the signature red 'S' Logo in the front. 'Even corporate franchising can be curious about a symbol...' Kara knew shirts like this were still around and thus, was glad to find this in a way. It was good for some people to make the House of El logo as a means of selling. To Kara, it meant a way of promoting hope. But to see such a shirt in the garbage made her sad. 'If no one wants it, I'll take it...' She took it and once she discarded the one she had on, Kara immediately put the black and red shirt on.
The suit ran down to her chest level exposing only her firm, flat midriff. As she felt at ease, her super-hearing kicked in and heard an explosion half a mile away. Kara immediately ran out of the alley and made her way into the street.
