Chapter 39: Death by Stroke

Slade listened as the woman on the television spoke in a high-pitched voice. "These flying demons emerged from the sky earlier this morning and began wreaking havoc across New York, so far around thirty people have been killed." Slade heard what sounded like a car being broken and turned around. The woman looked flustered. "Superboy has just dropped a car on one of the beasts."

"Ma'am you might want to get out of the way." The clone of Superman said.

The woman though sensed a scoop. "Superboy is it true you deliberately killed a member of Antifa?"

The young man stared at her, Slade had to laugh, imagine being in the middle of a war and asking about some young punk who'd only read Marx and Engel. Superboy snorted. "Get out of the way or die." The young man's eyes flashed red and the woman shrunk back.

She turned to the camera and said. "The man defending New York, ladies and gentlemen."

Slade laughed. "You've not done yourself any favours there, kid." It was true for weeks now there'd been nothing but negative press about Superboy in all the liberal papers. They'd decried him for defending a black woman and hurting a young white lesbian in the process. It was quite something. Superman had been questioned about it, but had ignored the person asking the question, so, the press had focused on the mayor who'd issued a statement condemning the young man responsible for saving his arse.

The woman on screen warbled on about something but Slade was no longer listening. What was the point? The news didn't report the truth anymore, well not CNN anyway, they only reported what the President told them to report, and that was all. That man was fighting a losing battle, especially with his Vice President slowly losing his marbles. Maybe Slade could make a run for the position, maybe not, who knew what the future held.

The door swung open and a breeze came in. Slade turned around and sighed. "What do you want?" He demanded of the woman standing before him.

"I want to talk." The woman said, she stepped into the room. Her black hair had grown longer since the last time they'd met, and she had a scar above her right eye from when they'd fought.

"So, talk." Slade said, not moving from his place in front of the television.

The woman gestured at the screen. "You have seen the invasion then."

Slade nodded. "Who is it that's coming Lashina?"

Lashina, the commander of the Furies. He'd met her years ago, before he'd known about Superman or Batman, when he'd just started as a sword for hire. She'd tried to get him to join her master in his goal of conquest, he'd refused, and he'd lost an eye for it. They'd become lovers shortly after that for a time, but he'd broken it off when he'd met his wife, and from there well, it went as these things always did. He broke off contact only to meet her again during Darkseid's first aborted invasion and the spark had still been there. She'd not tried to convince him to come to her side then, she'd been working with him to find something then. If she was here, that could only mean one thing.

"He is coming. But he will send his son first." Lashina said.

"You mean Orion?" Slade asked. He'd met Orion once before, when he'd been taken to Apokolips to fight in the war against the Highfather. He liked Orion, and thought he'd make a good King of Apokolips if he could ever muster the urge to kill his father.

Lashina snorted. "No, Kalibakk."

"Why that oath?" Slade asked. Kalibakk was not smart, he was strong yes, but smart he was not. he would ruin himself if he became King of Apokolips.

"As a gift from his father." Lashina said. "Darkseid plans to completely colonise this world and the next one. He will not stop."

"So, why have you come here?" Slade asked.

"To make you an offer." Lashina said.

Slade laughed. "If it's to make me one of yours, then the answer remains the same."

"Slade, you do not know what you are missing. Superman is broken. He will not be able to win this time around, humanity will suffer under the new regime, but you need not suffer. You could be the greatest warrior that Earth has ever had." Lashina said, there was just a hint of desperation within her voice.

Slade looked at her then and said. "You underestimate Superman. He is not as weak as you think."

Lashina snorted. "If that were true he would have brought the Earth under his grip from the beginning and declared himself monarch of Earth. He has not done that."

"That means he has sense, not that he is weak." Slade replied.

"Same thing." Lashina said. "Only the strong survive. You learn that very quickly on Apokolips."

Slade sighed. He had thought it might come to this, though he had hoped they could avoid it. He got up, grabbed his helmet and put it on and grabbed his sword. He advanced toward Lashina and said. "Well, let us test that, then shall we?"

Lashina snorted. "You cannot win, Slade."

"I almost won last time. This time I won't hesitate." Slade replied.

Lashina sighed. "Why? Why must you be like this?"

"Because I am human, and we are stubborn." Slade replied as he charged toward her.