At the offices of Lexcorp, its founder and CEO, Lex Luthor, was sitting at his desk reading the latest exploits of the Justice League. Irritated by the positive feedback the League was getting, Lex crumbled up the paper, tossing it into the small waste basket sitting by his desk.
"Mercy!" he called out.
The door opened and a woman with pixie cut brown hair and a black fitted suit entered the office. She stood like a soldier before him, remaining silent as Lex addressed her.
"Get me Dr. Irons in R and D. I want to speed up production on the suits."
Mercy nodded, then marched out of the room. Lex sat back down, letting out a long breath to calm himself. A few minutes later, a large, african american man in a lab coat came walking into the office. He was completely clean shaven, and carried himself with pride.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
"I did. I wanted to check your progress on the Battle Suits."
"The suits are coming along nicely. I just finished the neural interfaces, and I just need to run a few more tests before they're ready for launch."
"I'm afraid we'll need to launch sooner than anticipated."
Dr. Irons froze, looking shocked.
"Mr. Luthor, I need more time. I haven't tested the interface and I don't know if it'll have any adverse effects, or-"
"I'm certain they will perform admirably, but the need for the suits to be on the field has grown more apparent. We live in a dangerous world Dr. Irons, and the people need to be reassured that they're safe. Your suits will do just that."
"Not if they're not ready. Please Mr Luthor, you must reconsider."
"I've made my decision. We launch tomorrow."
"But-"
"Good day, Dr. Irons. Mercy? Show him out."
Mercy came up behind Dr. Irons, placing a hand on his shoulder. Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be escorted out of the office, fists clenched in anger and worry.
…
The next day, Lexcorp had set up a massive press conference to announce the launch of his Lexo-suits. Among the crowd was Steve Trevor, standing in as a representative for the US Airforce. Diana was by his side, her hair down and a pair of glasses perched on her nose to conceal her identity. Kari was there as well, representing the Justice League, though her expression made it clear she was not happy to be there. Finally, among the throngs of reporters gathered below, Clark Kent and Lois Lane watched.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Lex addressed. "I'd like to thank you for coming out to today's event. As I'm sure you all know, the world has faced many calamities as of late, and has been forced to put its faith in questionable hands."
Kari just grit her teeth, gripping the arms of her chair. Lex seemed to shoot her a sideways glance, a smug look on his face before he continued.
"It's high time that true power was returned to the common man, to those who have proven themselves time and time again as the true heroes of this day and age."
A large curtain pulled back, showing several police officers wearing identical mechanical suits. They consisted of steel chest plates with red heart monitors on the chest, steel gloves, steel boots and silver helmets with black visors. The rest of the suit was black and much sleeker, allowing for easy maneuverability.
"Each of these officers has been equipped with a top of the line Lexo-suit, a specially designed suit that enables its user to be as powerful as Superman, or any other member of the Justice League. Equipped with standard issue body-cams, GPS trackers, and piloted by some of MPD's finest, these suits will allow the everyday police officer to do what the so-called 'heroes' can do, and give us a fighting chance if and when they turn on us."
"Sheesh," Lois let out. "Tell us how you really feel, Lex."
"He is attempting to render the Justice League obsolete with these Lexo-Suits," Diana said softly.
"Relax, Angel," Steve whispered to her. "No tin suit can replace you."
"Should the Lexo-Suits prove their metal on the field, I will be expanding beyond the police force to the military and national defense. Never again will the human race cower before those who would threaten it. Instead, we will rise up and face this threat head-on."
The crowd exploded into cheers, though the heroes among the crowd and their companions refrained from clapping. Lex gave a small nod before stepping back, taking a seat next to Kari.
"Enjoying the show?" he questioned.
"It's certainly… interesting," she answered diplomatically.
"You know, these suits operate via a neural interface. They can even function for those whose bodies are… less than optimum. I could give you one complimentary. Fixing what the Man of Steel broke."
"Thanks..." Kari hissed through gritted teeth. "I'll pass."
Among the crowd, Clark heard Lex's remark and clenched his fists, simultaneously crushing his notepad and snapping his pen.
"Clark?" Lois asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Clark took a breath, looking at his destroyed notes and pen.
"Sorry."
At this point, one of the officers on the stage, a Sergeant by the name of Corey Mills, stepped forward.
"The series alpha police battle suit is a totally self contained fighting machine," he explained. "In addition to being completely invulnerable, it sports a wide variety of weapons and features. This includes a blacklight laser with the same intensity of Superman's heat vision, an impact grenade launcher that would make the Dark Knight's explosive batarangs look like fourth of july poppers, a jet pack for flight, infrared scopes so we can see as far as Hawkgirl can, and finally, the agility and strength of twenty men."
Behind him, the various officers began showing off these features, wowing the crowd. Even the reluctant Leaguers and their allies had to admit they were impressive.
"Lex is nuts if he thinks these things can replace the Justice League," Lois commented.
"He may be trying to run the League out of town, but these suits could be beneficial," Clark admitted. "So long as they remain in the right hands."
"I guess."
Just then, the sounds of sirens filled the air, drawing everyone's attention.
"What's going on?" Lois questioned.
"Five alarm fire at Cooper Towers," Police Chief Maggie Sawyer reported after hearing about it over the radio. "There's civilians trapped on the roof."
Clark nodded, then slipped out of the crowd. Diana also excused herself, walking briskly off the stage.
"Sounds like the perfect opportunity to test the suits in action," Lex mused.
He turned to the officers, giving them a nod as each and every one of them began launching themselves in the air.
…
Meanwhile, Superman and Wonder Woman had changed into their hero personas and made their way towards the building. As they flew, the suited officers came up behind them, flying in V-formation. Sergeant Mills approached the two heroes, giving a salute.
"Mind if we lend a hand? Despite Luthor's rhetoric, every man and woman on my team wants to help you all.."
"We'd welcome the assist," Superman replied. "Have some of your men corden off the area and keep civilians back.
Corey nodded, signalling to his men. Most of them broke off, surrounding the building. As the fire department got to work trying to put out the fire, a gas line exploded, throwing several of the firefighters from their truck. Wonder Woman's lasso quickly snagged them before they hit the ground. The fire truck started teetering as well, but Superman quickly flew up and stabilized it, planting it on solid ground. Once the truck was secure, Superman flew up towards the top of the building, with Sergeant Mills joining him.
"The structural integrity of the building's been compromised," Mills declared. "That roof's gonna collapse in a matter of seconds."
"How many civilians are up there?" Superman asked.
"Too many. With my men watching the perimeter, we won't be able to get everyone off in time."
"Have everyone gather in the center," Wonder Woman insisted, joining the two. "Then use your laser to cut a section of the roof. Superman can carry it out, then you can smother the fire with your explosives."
"Sounds like a plan," Mills agreed.
Wonder Woman flew down to help keep people back as Superman and Mills flew up to the roof.
"Everybody move in close!" Mills called out. "and lie down!"
Everyone moved to obey, lying down on the roof in a big huddle. Superman flew to the floor below as Mills began cutting the roof around the group. As soon as the section was cut out, Superman picked it up and began flying off with it, bringing it to the ground. With all the people safe, Mills began flying through the building, firing his charges and smothering the fires. Once the last of the fires were out, he emerged from the building, holding a small kitten in his arms.
"Seems we missed someone in our rescue."
"Nice work," Superman commended.
Mills handed the kitten over to its owner before turning to Superman. There was a spark in his eyes and a big grin on his face.
"Is this what it's like? Being you?"
"Pretty much. How does it feel?"
Mills flexed his fingers, then clenched his fists.
"Exhilarating."
…
"Lex, I'm telling you, it's too soon," Irons insisted later that day in Lex's office. "This goes far beyond biofeedback. This man's entire nervous system is wired into the suit. The psychological effects alone could be potentially catastrophic. You need to at least recall the suits so I can run some more tests. Say this was a field test and now they're being fine-tuned, whatever, just get them off the streets."
"I won't jump ship on this entire project just because you're getting skittish Dr. Irons. If there are any problems, we will deal with them as they arise."
"That's not how I operate, Luthor!"
"It is now. You work for me, remember?"
Irons snarled, then ripped his ID badge off his jacket and slammed it onto Luthor's desk.
"Not anymore. I quit."
Irons then turned and walked out, much to Luthor's irritation.
…
At the JL Headquarters in the DEO, Kari was still fuming from the expo. Steve was leaning on the meeting table, listening as she ranted and raved, rolling in a circle as a method of pacing.
"Of all the lowdown, conniving- UGH! How could he say something like that! 'Fix what the Man of Steel broke'... Like I'm gonna accept anything from you Luthor! You slimy son of a-!"
"You done?" Steve asked, cutting off her expletives..
Kari looked up at Steve, finally calming down for a moment.
"Sorry Steve. It's just..." She sighed. "Luthor just has a way of getting under my skin."
"From what I hear, it's his superpower. I find it best just to ignore him."
"Yeah, I know." Kari leaned back in her chair. "Still, from what Superman told me, even if the suits came from a lousy source, they seem to be doing some good."
"One can only hope it stays that way," Steve remarked.
…
In the coming weeks, the battle suits quickly began proving their metal as crime around the city began to take a massive hit. Massive heists, small time crooks, even petty crimes quickly became stamped out due to Mills and his unit. The suits became so effective that Superman found his help being needed less and less for these matters, not that he minded.
However, as time wore on, the officers in the suits began to take on more aggressive actions to combat the criminal element. More criminals were being sent to the hospital instead of the precinct, and more than a few members of the unit had backed out of the program, feeling overwhelmed by the power of the suits. Those that remained, including Mills himself, just grew worse and worse.
This all came to a head one night as Mills was leading a nightly patrol over the city. Mills and the unit had received word of numerous car thefts in the city, leading them to a chop shop just outside of town. The men were slicing the cars up for parts to sell when the back wall was blown open. Mills and his men easily entered the building, prompting everyone to start running towards the exit. Mills fired a grenade at a shelf above, causing it to collapse and block the way. Seeing them try to scurry away, another one of the soldiers knocked over a barrel of gas before igniting it with his laser, causing a trail of flame to race across the floor before reaching a whole stack of barrels.
…
Not far away, Superman and Wonder Woman were flying through the skies of Metropolis, keeping a tight vigil over the city in light of the aggressive behavior of Mills and his unit.
"All looks pretty quiet," Superman noted.
"The quiet never lasts long," Wonder Woman remarked.
"Fair enough. So, what do you make of Mills and his men?"
"Their desire to uphold justice is admirable… but their methods grow more and more questionable by the day. It is becoming more common for criminals to end up in the hospital before they reach a jail cell."
"I know what you mean. I feel like it's only a matter of time before-"
All of a sudden, a loud explosion rang out, a fireball making an appearance on the horizon. The two heroes exchanged nods, then quickly flew towards the explosion.
…
Back at the chop shop, the goons still standing tried to make a break for it, but the cops were doing everything they could to keep them contained. More than a few bones were broken by mindless grabs and careless throws. One of the goons tried making a break for it, but ended up cornered by a pile of garbage. The cop pursuing him aimed his laser at the goon, only for Wonder Woman to drop down and block it with one of her bracelets.
"That's enough!" she shouted. "He's done!"
The cop just took aim again, and Superman came charging in.
"What do you think you're going?" Superman demanded, forcing the cop to the ground.
"Was about to ask you the same question," Mills commented, walking up to them. "This is police business, Superman."
"Brutalizing convicts and throwing them around like rag dolls?!" Wonder Woman snapped. "That is NOT justice!"
At that moment, the cop Superman had pinned grabbed his leg and shoved him off, knocking Superman into a pile of trash. The officer got back up and darted right at him, only for Wonder Woman to shoot her lasso out at him.
"That's enough! Stand down now!"
Before anything else could happen, sirens began ringing out, much to Mills' frustration. Everyone stood down as Superman pulled himself out of the garbage, both heroes just glaring at the officers.
...
The next day at Metropolis Police Headquarters, Mills was meeting with Sawyer to discuss the issue.
"I honestly don't see what the big deal is, chief," Mills spoke.
"The 'big deal' is that you and your unit have gone completely off the rails. I'm having crooks coming in with bodycasts and IVs attached to them."
"They were resisting arrest. What did you expect me to do?"
"I expected you to respect the law and basic human rights!"
"That scum isn't human! They're animals that need to be locked up to put down!"
Sawyer was genuinely taken aback by that.
"Alright, that's it. I'm putting you on medical leave. Hand over the suit."
"What?! You can't do that!"
"Watch me. You and the rest of your squad will turn over the suits and will attend mandatory psych evals!"
"You can't be serious!"
Sawyer said nothing, merely glaring at Mills with a look that booked no argument. Mills just fumed before walking out of the room.
…
Sometime later at the DEO, one of the battle suits was being examined by a young woman with dark brown hair cut in a short bob. Her ID read "Dr. Alex Danvers", which Kari took note of as she entered the small lab.
"Excuse me," Kari greeted. "Faraday told me you were examining one of the lexo-suits. I came to offer my aid."
"Sure, I'd welcome the help," She replied. "Dr. Alex Danvers. You have any bio-engineering knowledge?"
"No, but I know my way around a tool box, and I know enough about human biology from extensive research on my own condition."
"Good enough for me. I'm currently trying to figure out what it was about these suits that caused the wearer to become so aggressive."
Kari wheeled over and picked up the helmet, looking at it curiously.
"Lex told me it runs on a neural interface, bragging that even someone like me could use it. I'm assuming that means it runs off of the wearer's nervous system, probably to prevent lag and up reaction time."
"Smart, I'll admit, but a direct link up like that would no doubt cause irreparable damage, not just to the nervous system itself, but the users psyche."
"You mean like increased aggression and an addiction to the suit?"
"I mean exactly that. You know, in another life, you'd make a great bio-engineer."
"Doubt it. I hate science."
"Your loss. Either way, wearing this thing is basically like a crackhead shooting up."
"And now that the suits have been taken away, the officers will be going into withdrawals"
"Can't imagine that'll sit well with everyone."
"Especially that Sergeant Mills. He seemed pretty attached to the thing."
"According to the report on the suits, Mills served as the beta-tester before the launch."
"Meaning out of all of the men in his unit, he's had the most exposure."
"Making him the most dangerous."
The two women exchanged nervous glances before their eyes drifted down to the suit.
…
At his home, Mills was furious about losing the suit.
"They can't do this to me," Mills vented. "The suit is mine. We belong together. They can't take it away from me! They can't!"
He started lashing out, tossing furniture around the apartment, much to the horror of his wife, Trish.
"Corey!" she shouted, grabbing his arm. "This isn't you! What's gotten into you?!"
"They want to take the suit from me…" Mills replied, pulling his arm away. "But I won't let them…"
…
Later, Mills met with the members of his unit. To his surprise, only half of them actually showed up.
"Where is everyone?" Mills questioned.
"Either couldn't make it, or didn't want to come," one of his men answered.
"What? This is urgent!"
"Sorry, but this whole thing has a lot of us on edge," another officer insisted. "Those suits… they screwed with our heads."
"Those suits helped us keep order in this city! They gave us the strength we needed to punish the scum that insists on infesting this city!"
"That wasn't what we were doing, Sergeant," a third declared. "We were no better than them."
"Ingrates! Do you have any idea what you're giving up?! We have the power to save this city and you want to just pass it up?!"
All of the gathered officers remained silent. Then, one by one, they all got to their feet and began walking out. Mills just watched in disbelief as the room emptied out, each cop leaving without even looking back. Once Mills was all alone, he let out a cry of frustration and fury.
"Cowards! The lot of them! Fine, I'll do it myself!"
…
That night, Kari made her way out of DEO headquarters, making her way towards her van.
"Yeah, these things were definitely screwing with their heads," she said into her phone. "Most of the cops should be fine after a bit of R&R. It's Mills you need to keep an eye on."
"Understood," Superman replied. "What else did you learn?"
"Found notes of a Dr. John Henry Irons who built the suits. Figured I'd swing by his place, see what he could tell me."
"Keep us updated on what you find."
"Will do."
Kari hung up as she reached her van, reaching for her keys. Before she could even pull them out, a pair of strong hands grabbed her, and yanked her out of her chair. She went to scream, but her mouth was covered and a gun was shoved into her ribs.
"You're gonna help me get my suit back," her attacker hissed in her ear. "You and your JL cronies won't keep it from me."
…
Back inside, Alex was going over some paperwork and schematics of the suit. As she finished it up, she stood up and glanced out the window of her office. To her shock and utter horror, she saw Mills standing in the lobby. He had Kari dangling in his grip, a gun to her head.
"I want my suit! Give it back to me!"
Several agents began converging on the lobby, Alex included. Even Faraday came out, seeing many of his men aiming guns at Mills while he himself tried to reason with the clearly deranged man.
"Let her go!" Faraday demanded.
"Give me the suit, or she gets a bullet in her head!" Mills yelled.
"Don't you dare give it to him!" Kari insisted, grunting when the gun was shoved into her temple.
"I'm giving you till the count of three," Mills insisted. "One…"
"Alright!" Faraday shouted, holding up his hands. "We'll bring you the suit… Just… just don't hurt her."
Mills smiled as Faraday turned to Alex, giving her a nod. Alex quickly retreated to get the suit, as well as make a phonecall.
…
In their shared apartment, Clark and Lois were enjoying a warm meal over some wine.
"I'm surprised you're actually relaxing, Smallville," Lois quipped. "You've had your red and blue long johns on a bit too tightly as of late."
"With the suits all locked up at the DEO, the situation's pretty well in hand," Clark replied. "Besides, I felt you and I were a little overdue for some alone time."
Lois smirked, holding up her glass. He did the same, bringing them together. The two then started leaning in close, their eyes slowly closing as they prepared to kiss. Just then, Clark's phone began to buzz. Both he and Lois sighed as he pulled it out.
"It's Alex," he explained.
"Kara's sister?" Lois asked.
"Yeah, something must be up." He answered the call. "Alex? What is it?"
"Mills is here. He's demanding the suit… He has Kari Miller."
"I'm on my way," Clark replied before hanging up.
"Clark?" Lois let out, standing up. "What happened? What's going on?"
"Kari's in trouble," Clark replied, changing into his Superman outfit.
"Go. And be careful."
Clark nodded before flying off.
…
Once Mills got the suit, which was loaded into a suitcase with wheels, he began backing towards the door.
"Anyone follows me, and she takes the bullets for me."
The agents remained stationary as he left with his cargo.
"Mills, you don't have to do this," Kari insisted. "You don't need the suit, nor do you need to threaten me. You're a good man who needs help..."
"This is the help. Once I have the suit back on, everything will be alright. Now open your van. I need to get ready."
Reluctantly, Kari got her keys and unlocked her van. Mills quickly took the keys, then tossed her into the van, pulling himself and the suitcase in after them. He closed the door just as Superman arrived. He flew in front of the van and landed in front of the door.
"Sergeant Mills!" he called out. "Let Kari go and surrender!"
"Don't think so!"
Mills then fired the suit's laser through the door and right into Superman's chest, knocking him back. As Superman recovered, Mills stepped out of the van, fully back in the suit. He stepped out and grabbed the van, hoisting it into the air.
"Your choice, Superman! Stop me, or save her!"
He then threw the van as hard as he could and Superman heard Kari screaming inside. Not wasting a second, Superman sped towards the van and caught it, lowering it to the ground. He then tore it open, finding Kari on the ground groaning in pain.
"Are you alright?" Superman asked.
"Not really..." Kari admitted. "I'm pissed as hell, and I'm pretty sure I broke a few things."
Superman scooped her up as carefully as he could. As he turned around, he wasn't even surprised when he found Mills to have fled. Eyes narrowing in anger, Superman flew off to the hospital to get Kari checked out.
…
At the hospital, Kari was treated for her injuries. In the end, she was found to have a few cracked ribs, a broken arm, and a few superficial cuts and bruises. As she rolled out in her wheelchair, she found that Wonder Woman, J'onn, and Hawkgirl had joined Superman in the waiting room.
"Guys?" she let out.
They all turned to her, J'onn quickly approaching her and appraising her injuries. She gave him a smile, taking his and in her uninjured one and squeezing it.
"I'm okay. Believe me, I'd had worse."
"Nevertheless," Wonder Woman spoke up, "his actions will not go unanswered. Attacking one who cannot defend themselves… and he calls himself an officer of the law."
"I'll try not to take offense to that..." Kari muttered before clearing her throat and speaking up. "The rest of the officers have sworn off the suits, so Mills is our only problem, and he's definitely lost it."
"So where can we find this guy so I can pound that suit into his prison bars?" Hawkgirl asked, readying her mace.
"I have a feeling it will not be that simple," J'onn surmised.
"J'onn's right," Superman agreed. "He's unhinged, acting irrationally. There's no telling where he'll go next."
"I can still look into Dr. Irons, the man who made the suits," Kari suggested. "If nothing else, it will give us a better idea of what we're working with and how to shut it down."
Superman gave a nod.
"Then I say we pay the good doctor a visit."
…
At the secluded lab of Dr. Irons, John made some coffee for himself, and his two guests, J'onn and Kari. J'onn was in human form to be more approachable, though Dr. Irons had a pretty good idea who he really was.
"Thank you for meeting with us, Dr. Irons," Kari told him, taking the offered coffee cup.
"Of course," Irons replied. "I'm just sorry for everything that's been happening."
"You merely built the suits," J'onn assured him. "It is the men using them that have crossed the line."
"We're aware that the hardline connection is what's causing the increased aggression, as well as the addictiveness of the suits," Kari went on. "We were hoping you could tell us more."
"I can do one better," Irons replied. "I know how to shut down the suit. I installed a failsafe just in case of an emergency."
J'onn and Kari exchanged looks, both looking surprised and happy.
"And what is the failsafe?" J'onn questioned.
"It's a jamming device," Irons elaborated. "Attach it to the lower back of the suit and it will scramble the neural connections. He'll be paralized."
"Making it easy for us to remove the suit and destroy it," Kari nodded. "Can we have the device?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have it. I had to leave it behind when I left Lexcorp. Odds are, Mr. Luthor has it."
Kari's eyes narrowed and J'onn's face became impassively neutral.
…
At Lexcorp, Luthor was pouring himself a cup of tea as he read over some papers. As he took a sip, his doors were suddenly thrown open by Sergeant Mills.
"Luthor!" Mills called out.
"Ah, Sergeant Mills," Luthor greeted, not the least bit phased by his presence. "Something I can do for you?"
"They're after me."
"Who?" Luthor inquired, casually opening a briefcase.
"Everyone! MetroPD, the Justice League, the DEO… They want to take the suit away from me! But they can't have it!"
"I understand," Luthor replied, discreetly pulling out a device from the briefcase and stashing it in his pocket. "I did make that suit for you after all."
"You… really understand?" Mills questioned, sounding more than a little desperate.
"Of course I do," Luthor reassured, walking up to him. "We'll go to the authorities and I'll straighten this whole mess out. There's no problem I can't solve."
"Thank you, Mr. Luthor," Mills said in complete relief. "I knew I could trust you."
"Of course," Luthor replied, walking behind him and pulling out the device.
He then jammed the device into a small hole on the lower back of the suit, causing energy to travel all the way through Mills' suit. He howled in pain, stumbling as he struggled to get the device out. He slammed his fists against the massive fish tank in the room before collapsing onto his back. He shook for a second before seemingly falling unconscious. Lex smirked, approaching Mills.
"See? Problem solved," Lex remarked as he pulled out his phone. "Get me security. There's some garbage I need disposed of."
As Lex talked on the phone, Mills picked himself up. His fall had completely crushed the failsafe device, rendering it useless. He grabbed Lex's phone, crushing it in his hands.
"You're the garbage, Luthor..." he snarled. "I thought you were on the side of good. I thought I could trust you. But you… you're just like the rest of them!"
"Now, now wait a minute," Lex insisted, slowly backing away. "Just listen for a second."
"No! I'm done listening!"
Mills fired two lasers at Luthor, causing him to duck out of the way as they hit the glass of the tank behind him. The glass cracked as the water pressure became too much for the weakened tank, causing it to finally bust open. Water started pouring into the office, causing Luthor to get swept away. Mills planted himself on the ground as a large, great white shark that lived in Lex's tank came charging out of the hole. Seeing that, Lex immediately started moving away, hoping to avoid becoming the shark's latest meal. Before he could get too far, a flaring pain shot up in Lex's chest, causing him to stumble. He clutched his chest, falling to the ground as the shark got closer. Before the shark could take a bite, Superman flew through one of the windows and grabbed the shark by the tail, and tossed it back into the tank. The water was no longer flowing out, and there was still enough water in the tank that the shark was in no danger of suffocating. Once the shark was taken care of, Superman turned back to Mills.
"No one else gets hurt, Sergeant," he swore. "Stand down now."
"I'd listen to him," Wonder Woman declared, flying through the window with Hawkgirl. "Trust me, he's the lenient one."
"Us?" Hawkgirl snarled as her mace cracked with power. "Not so much."
Enraged, Mills charged right at Hawkgirl, plowing her through the window and outside the building. Superman and Wonder Woman wasted no time following after them, leaving Luthor to pick himself up off the ground. His chest was still seizing, his vision going blurry before he passed out.
...
Outside, Mills and Hawkgirl continued wrestling against each other, the latter struggling to get her mace free so she could strike. As the two fought, Wonder Woman came up from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck and prying him off. Once she was free, Hawkgirl darted forward, smacking him with her mace repeatedly. Thinking fast, Mills fired a laser at Hawkgirl, knocking her back.
"Hawkgirl!" Wonder Woman shouted.
She dove after her as Superman charged at Mills. Superman tried swinging at Mills, but he easily dodged it, bringing his elbow down on Superman and knocking him down a bit. He then fired a grenade at Superman, the blast of which knocked him down to street level. Superman groaned in pain as he picked himself up, shaking his head to clear it. Mills then suddenly landed on top of him, causing him to crater into the ground.
"And you call yourself a superhero," Mills scoffed. "Defending the likes of Luthor?"
"And yet, you would strike without mercy or remorse!" Wonder Woman called out, plowing into him. "You are no better than the criminals you claim to fight!"
"They deserve to rot! They're a pestilence on this world! One I can eradicate!"
"And what of Kari Miller? Was she part of that 'pestilence' too?!"
"She was just a means to get my suit. The suit you took from me!"
"You could have killed her!" Wonder Woman shouted.
Wonder Woman punched Mills, knocking him to the ground. He rubbed his jaw, then just narrowly dodged an attempted dive. He quickly uppercutted Wonder Woman and fired twin lasers at her, knocking her to the ground. Before he could make another move, Hawkgirl swooped in and struck him with her mace, knocking him into a wall.
"Do yourself a favor and stay down," she warned.
"Not my style!" Mills replied, firing another laser.
This one Hawkgirl deflected, allowing her to dart towards him. She smacked him repeatedly, only for Mills to grab the mace, halting her attack. Before he could swing a punch though, Superman darted up and grabbed the fist, hitting him so hard, he went crashing through the wall. Superman and Hawkgirl ventured inward, Wonder Woman bringing up the rear.
"Last chance," Superman warned. "Stand down."
"Never!" Mills called out, charging at them. firing his lasers and his grenades in a wild frenzy.
The three heroes dodged around the attacks as best they could, with Wonder Woman throwing her lasso around Mills. He tried flying away once it snagged, but Superman landed on top of him, pinning him on the ground face first.
"Hawkgirl, now!" Superman called out.
Hawkgirl then flew upwards before jabbing her mace down on the access hole on Mills' back. Mills cried out in pain as the energy surged through him. His suit crackled even worse than before, the neural network completely fried. Once they were sure Mills was down, the three pulled back. He remained on the ground, all but catatonic.
"Now what?" Hawkgirl questioned.
"First, we get rid of that Gods-forsaken suit," Wonder Woman declared. "Then we get him to a hospital. There, he can get the help he so desperately needs."
…
Not long after, the League and Dr. Irons met up to check on Mills, who was lying in a hospital bed in a comatose state.
"How is he?" Superman asked.
"According to the doc, he should make a full recovery in a few months," Kari explained. "Hopefully by then, his mind will be his own again, though the chances of him returning to active duty are slim to none."
"It's a real shame," Irons lamented. "The suit seemed like such a good idea…"
"It still is," Superman reassured. "And maybe it can be, assuming the right person is behind it."
"I'll admit, I turned down Luthor just out of principle," Kari told him. "But if the suit came from you, I'd be proud to wear it."
Irons smiled in response, silently mulling over the words of Kari and Superman.
…
Meanwhile, after Luthor had come to, he met with his personal physician. The mogul was pacing anxiously and angrily, waiting for the results of various tests to come in. Eventually, the physician came out. He didn't even get a word in before his patient was on him.
"Well?!" Luthor let out. "What do the tests say? What happened that caused me to collapse back there?"
"Well Mr. Luthor, for all intensive purposes… you suffered a heart attack."
"A heart attack?! How is that possible?! I'm as healthy as a horse!"
"The tests show that you have a rare form of blood poisoning. Have you handled any irradiated materials in the past few years?"
"Irradiated?" Lex repeated, pausing for a moment. "Only Kryptonite. But what does that matter? It only affects Superman."
"Not quite. In fact, there are numerous cases of human beings dying from radiation poisoning after spending prolonged periods of time with unfiltered Kryptonite. It's why its almost always stored in lead containers."
Luthor was floored by this, sinking into a chair.
"If there are other cases, then there's a solution. What is it? Chemo? A vaccine?"
"I'm afraid… there isn't one."
"Then find one!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor… it's terminal."
"Just go… now!"
The doctor obliged, heading out as Luthor rubbed his head in contemplation. As he looked up, he saw a TV report on the Justice League play out. Enraged, he grabbed a nearby cup and threw it at the TV, shattering it. He then screamed to the heavens at the injustice of it all.