Chapter 3: Luthor
Lex Luthor was one of the most ruthless of Superman's enemies. If the man had a plan it was to advance him as number one and if that meant crushing people along the way, it was all for the betterment of Luthor. He was a self made man, brought up from the slums of Metropolis into the tallest and most recognizable corporation this world ever saw. That unfortunately ended 100 years ago after the destruction of most the world. Though where most would see ruin, Luthor saw potential.
After the earthquake that destroyed Gotham City, Lex decided he wanted to own it. The deeds to the land and rights to the buildings were still there in the wreckage and Lex knew that if new deeds could be forged then he would have two cities under his thumb. For this job he needed the best and someone that could make sure that a run in with the city's protector would be of little issue, for this he sent Bane. Unfortunately, the deeds to the lands were saved and he was informed through and operative by Bane that WayneCorp had all the deeds on record and well protected. The plan fell through, but Lex Luthor never gave in to regret. There were many plans yet to be hatched by the criminal genius.
Shortly after the Gotham incident Lex Luthor got into power and made himself a force to be reckoned with as President of the United States. The man got to learn the dirty secrets of the White House and then turned around and started to plant further moles and recording devices around the government for his own personal use later. If it were to be done then he would know it. Luthor looked at this information carefully even when his term as President ended he still had his sources and bugs to rely on for information.
The day that Warworld was eliminated and Superman with it he cracked open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. His assistant looked at him with shock when he saw Luthor sitting in his chair at his desk with the champagne glass in hand asking the lowly man to join him.
"But sir, we lost some of the greatest heroes this world has ever known, we even lost Superman!"
"Yes, let's drink to the demise of one of the best heroes of this world." Lex smiled as he drank the toast. "And this time that damn Kryptonian will stay dead," he gave himself the moment to think.
Lex looked at the papers of figures on his desk and reviewed the meanings. He saw that the sale of technological equipment was down to an all time low due to the nanovirus. Lex looked at that and just smiled that grin of defiance. "The world went down from there and we may never look at things the way we did ever again, but I got them with the virus and thanks to Darkseid the job was finished. The clown has his city and I have mine. A city for the world, and what I don't own; I will." Luthor laughed and the returned to his drink and cigar.
For all of this time people thought that Lex Luthor was dead. He was a bad dream in the time of heroes, but the nightmare lives still. Nanoprobe technology improved quite a bit despite the claims that anything to do with it had been stopped by the D.E.O. If Lex didn't control the D.E.O. it would have been true. The man had many samples of the technological wonders and he put them to use in more things than anything anyone would want to imagine. His body finally started to fail him and then they cloned him a new one, but that didn't stop disease trying to ravage his brain. Thanks to the nanotech it was soon to be combated and Luthor was again the man of the next century. He looked at many that wondered how he was going to do it and told them that he wasn't going to give up all he's created by giving in to mortal weaknesses. The staff understood him clearly; the man before them was a genius.
He walked along the corridors of the refurbished fortress that was Pena Duro. When he came to power he knew that the best idea was to get a nice little place outside of the nation he once called home. Santa Prisca became an impenetrable fortress for all, but still Luthor hated one particular idea. He never could get his hands on Eden. He'd created something similar, but that one utopia was outside the reach of the man. He'd been listening to the reports saying that Eden was growing each and every day with new and more powerful effects on the land. Ra's al Ghul might be anything you could name, but something Luthor never could be said about him, he was no fool on matters of intellect or power.
Luthor stood proudly in his office awaiting news on the troops that were to come. Cloning on Santa Prisca had become something of a rather popular trade, and its army had two of the strongest genetic examples for military purposes. Luthor knew that he had to create an army intelligent and deadly. So he took Bane's DNA and his own and had the nanotech work them together and start to build the perfect soldier, and what's more, totally obedient to Luthor himself.
"Mr. Luthor?" A man ran up to him.
Luthor slightly rolled his eyes and looked toward his aide. "What do you want Wentworth?"
"Sir, we've just got the package you requested. It's in your office. Fresh from the badlands."
"Excellent. Let's go see my newest acquisition shall we?"
"Yes Mr. Luthor," said Wentworth with a slightly groveling voice. Reginald Wentworth was a meager little man with good business sense. His real problem was that he was a doormat to those more powerful than him. So it was no surprise to him that when Lex Luthor had him commissioned to work he became the scapegoat for so much more. Though Lex knew that it didn't matter in the slightest one way or the other, it's not like there was anyone these days to dispute his claims, he also realized that if there were a chance someone would try and move in on his business he'd have the perfect patsy.
Luthor walked into his office with a swagger as he looked at the sealed package.
"Do you know what this is Wentworth?" He said with an overbearing smile.
"No Mr. Luthor, I don't."
"Then let me regale you with the tale. It started with an explosion of a massive mechanical planet called Warworld. And how the bulk of heroes that tried to stop it ended up dead and the few others that were to survive this ordeal hid from the world. Now the story could end there, but there were the proud symbols of those heroes that made it back to Earth on the pieces of Warworld itself. And for that we can be grateful. One hero flew into battle valiantly after his life was taken from him figuratively. And when the battle was over, he died literally. Many mourned the death of the great hero, and some even sang songs of his great deeds. But some of us celebrated that alien's death. Now money these days isn't really a necessity as we've learned. It's all about what you have in resources. So I contracted some of the Hybrids to go into the badlands and start searching out for the memorabilia of this "gallant" hero in return for food and shelters. This is the second item they've sent me. The first one was a tattered cape. I can only imagine what this will be."
Luthor ripped open the package and stared at the contents with flames in his eyes. He gently picked up the tatter that was inside and showed it to Wentworth whose look of utter subjugation only increased. At that moment Wentworth stared at a charred remnant of an S-Shield that came from the chest of Superman.
After Luthor watched the horrified reactions on his aide's face he soon went to a wall and clicked a button on the light fixture. When it opened up a glass case with the cape came forward. Luthor removed a key from his pocket and opened the case placing the "S" in with the ripped up cape. Wentworth looked to see that there was not one cape in there, but two.
"Mr. Luthor, whose cape is that with Superman's?"
"That too is Superman's tattered and worn cape. I retrieved that from Metropolis after a long time of it being passed around. That's the cape he wore when he fell at Doomsday's hand."
At that moment a fleet moths started rapping at the window. Luthor looked at them with some disgust and no other sign of any emotion.
"I'll send for the exterminators sir."
"That won't be necessary Wentworth, I'll deal with this personally. Go and make sure that the cloning facilities are in working order."
Wentworth bowed and took off quickly. Luthor went to the window and opened it as the moths flew into the office. Soon the sounds of little mechanical whirring started and the Laughing Corpse appeared in the chair behind Luthor's desk.
"LEXY old pal, it's great to see you again," the Laughing Corpse smiled at Luthor.
"Brother Joker, or the Laughing Corpse these days is it? What do you want?"
"No tearful greeting for an old friend?"
"When one walks in I'll be sure to make my eyes well. Get to the point of this visit."
"I've been thinking about expanding the congregation to a more mass audience. I mean Arkham City is a blast and all, but there's so many blasphemers out and about."
Luthor shook his head slowly and just smiled. "Are you still trying to pass yourself off as a religious leader? Come on, you care about as much for God as I care for your cause."
"It's worked good so far, 100 years of gags and still counting. HA HA HA!!!!"
"So now you want to expand the fun house. How far are you wanting to go with this?"
"I was thinking about seeing Eden, the faithful would love it out there. They could see the "fruits" of believing."
"They'd see the gleam of a sword and about a dozen Azrael warriors at the front gate. You know full well that Ra's won't let you get anywhere near that place."
"Tisk tisk, and here I thought we had technology and cloning vats to get us along."
"Tisk tisk, we have clones that could fight, but we don't know how many Ra's has. He's hidden the facilities for the Azraels somewhere at the poles. And as for nanotech, forget it. Ra's knew what he was doing there too. The electromagnetic fields are stronger there than they are here, which renders the tech dead."
"Gee cue ball, it sounds like you're giving up."
"I'm Lex Luthor, Joker. I never give up. I just improvise. And one
thing I'm hell bent and bound on doing is getting my hands on one of
his proud Azraels. Something I doubt you and your faithful will be
capable of. You can't even stop the Death Squad from locking you
down."
"Yes, I have to say that's depressing. Red Death and his associates have had that nasty wall up for sometime. I've been so preoccupied with other things I haven't given it much thought."
"You haven't given a 210 ft. wall, much thought? What the hell have you been doing Joker?"
"Improving the conversion rate. I mean those nasty disbelievers are everywhere. Even amongst my Cardinals."
"HA! That's fat bird and the dual personality disorder is still planning on taking you down? They've only had the better part of a century."
"They've become a great deal slower since rigor mortis set in. HA HA HA HA HA!!!"
Luthor poured a drink for himself and lit a cigar and stared at the capes and his new S-Shield. He looked at the Joker's reflection in the glass to make sure that he stayed put. Luthor stood there and smiled at his collection.
"Are you still fawning over the Mound of Steel collection," Joker broke the silence.
"Asks the man who has Batman nailed to the roof of his headquarters. And carved on those interesting little crosses."
"He's the Bat Messiah, we have to show the flock his great purpose."
Luthor turned back to Joker. He put his glass down on the table and he threw Joker out of his chair, then taking his seat. "Listen you fruit cake, and listen well. If it weren't for me and my nanovirus you're petty attempts would've fallen flat on their face. I'd go as much to say if it weren't for me you'd have been put in your grave for good and forever. It should come as no surprise that I know who's on your roof. It's not Batman, Batman was infected by the virus first and the virus code was transmitted to Oracle whose taps transmitted it and spread the ability to create the probes at mass. You've got Nightwing in Batman's tights. You missed him clown, I got him. And while I can't have Superman, or claim the kill myself I made his life hell before he died and he went to his death with nothing left to live for. I wanted to choke the life from his body myself, but if I couldn't do that I'll have the ripped and torn banners that were blasted from his invulnerable hide. To sum this up to you really shortly Brother Joker, I helped you get Arkham City. I made sure that the nanovirus hit enough to get your plans underway. When the greatest of the heroes of this planet died I had what I wanted and so did you. I knew this scam from its baby steps, so don't hand me this BAT MESSIAH crap you've given the rest of the world. It doesn't wash, okay?"
"Gee Lexy, I see you're a bit testy. And here I was thinking you'd be helpful in getting Eden."
"Oh, don't worry about that Joker, I'm still planning on getting Eden. If you want in on it you'll conform to my wishes or you'll wish you'd died back with Batman."
"Do you really think that's possible Lexy, I mean we both know that I'm not going to roll over that easily."
"Do you think that the nanotech that I supplied you wasn't going to have fail safes? And that the stuff I gave you, despite your modifications, wasn't going to have backup programs hard coded into it to make sure you wouldn't pull a double cross?"
"What happened to the double crossing, under handed Lexy that never told his plans to the guy he was screwing over?"
"That man had the Man of Steel breathing down his neck, not some false prophet that's looking to rack up a body count. In short, if you're a threat I'm not seeing it."
:"You know chrome dome I think you've been in the Caribbean too long, the sun beating down on your bald head has made you crazy, and I know crazy."
"Joker, if you haven't noticed you and I are immortals now. We're playing in a ball game we're several centuries short on. Vandal Savage and Ra's Al Ghul thought they had the market cornered on that, simply that they would outlive us all. Now its true that Ra's has outside means to do it and those means do tend to lessen as time goes by, but unless I'm very much mistaken he's been feeling pretty spry these days for a man that's Lazarus Pit wasn't working so well for him back in the days of the Bat."
:"I wouldn't know, pointy beards had no use for me...well maybe dead..."
"You'd be surprised what a man like that could use you for. A distraction for one."
"Lexy, is that all I am to you is just a distraction? I thought we had something you and I?"
"We do Joker, it's called a business love/hate relationship. Where we get in business and I love to hate you for finding a way to screw it all up."
The Joker got up from his seat and walked up to Lex's face. His trademark smile soon became that of anger. His eyes flared as he stared into Lex.
"You arrogant, self-serving...Lexy, you and I had so many good times together. There was taking down Superman, taking down Batman, taking down the Justice League, and to come home, no dinner cooked, no kiss, it doesn't even look like you cleaned the house today, well that's really hurtful. Harley told me that I should just divorce you and get it over with. I mean who avoids their spouse for a century and gets away with it? I'm afraid there's a huge divorce coming and I don't remember signing a prenuptial agreement. So you've got a lot you own me baldy."
"Try it you psychopathic Harlequin. You'll regret it."
The Joker dissolved into moths starting to wreck the office and Lex stood there as he did. Lex put his finger on his desk and activated a switch, which released a keypad hidden in the wooden frame of his lavish desk.
"What you're seeing here Joker is an EMP field. It'll render you useless in a few seconds while I'm still smiling and watching the little electronic sparks of your life die out. Do you want that?"
The moths looked at Joker and they created the madman's face in a scowl. They flew out the window and over the island in a heartbeat, but Luthor knew what he was doing and that it'd just be a matter of time before Joker's wounded pride would make him come back and in deadlier force.
"WENTWORTH!!! Come to my office immediately."
Wentworth ran back to Luthor's side with skulking precision. He looked out the window as the moths flew further into the horizon.
"Has the Metropolis operation been fully stocked and readied Wentworth?"
"Yes Mr. Luthor, the tunnel diggers were able to bore through below the sewer lines and into the former Underworld and created the new labs extending out from Project Cadmus."
"Good, I expect it'll take a short time for the Joker to mount any sort of attack."
"Sir, you might have just killed him when you had the chance."
"Yes, Wentworth I could have done that. But Santa Prisca is hardly my favorite place and its resources have long been run dry, as has its usefulness. The world at large knows I'm out here. Any villain of his salt could come here and attack from all around and my armies of clones would do me little good. So when his attack comes he'll blow up the island, or I will actually taking his armies out with him and we'll be in our cozy little operation in Metropolis."
"Sir, why lose Santa Prisca to him? I can't see the logic or reason to it."
"Of course not, you've never had anything you could consider as an acceptable loss, but this is. Santa Prisca gave me the opportunity to culture clones and samples. It also allowed me to do it in relative peace. However Wentworth, change is on the wind. How long before Ra's expands the doors to Eden and we're but one little island? I'm beating him to the rush. Ra's might not consider me a threat, but I always treat a fellow philanthropist like he does. It's just good business to believe that to keep your belongings you must always fight for them. Now comes the clown. He wants to kill me because I insulted him. He's already been threatened and he knows full well I have as itchy a trigger finger as his. He comes in to get his revenge and the island is blown. Some will think I'm dead, others will know I'm alive and they'll be wary of where I am in the world. I could be anywhere after all, and that's what will weed out the small contenders the ones that panic under that pressure. However Ra's will know, Savage will know, and the Joker will have it figured out by the time he's blown to pieces. That leaves us at an interesting balance of power. Ra's will no doubted keep himself where he is because he's not threatened. Vandal won't stand for it though. He'll want to stop me because I moved, because I broke the agreement to stay away from the continent of America, his continent. He allowed agents to go and collect the refuse from the badlands, but I was to never step foot on the soil of the Americas again."
"So Savage will attack with his Hybrid armies looking to destroy you sir?"
"Quite right. Metropolis is my oyster after all. She's my city and he knows it. He'll attack LexCorp tower, and it'll lead him into the sewers. His hybrids senses will be put to the test by all the different defenses I've had placed in those dingy walkways to keep the riff raff out. Savage will come to me and he will be killed. Thus leaving Ra's and I as the two balances of power."
"Sir, if I may be so bold, what if the Joker doesn't come here?"
"I have an agent on the inside of Arkham City whose freedom was granted. The Joker will be rendered useless one way or the other. I don't play poker without stacking the deck Wentworth."
"Sir, this sounds like a risky venture."
Luthor turned to his aide and looked at him with those harsh eyes that stared down upon commoners before. His proud demeanor looking upon the face of his cowardly assistant gave Wentworth chills.
"Two things Wentworth. One, there's always some risk, but to a great intellect he plans for the contingency. Two, you'd better learn that showering me in your prattling questions and doubts is a good way to get replaced. You're not indispensable, just someone whose background fit the bill for the perfect lackey. Understood?"
Wentworth looked at Luthor with some shock and full understanding. His life wasn't his and he knew that. Lex Luthor had him over a barrel and at anytime he could cut the ropes plummeting him to God knows where. He merely responded to the powerful mogul; "Perfectly, Sir."
Luthor stared out the window of his office and drifted into thoughts of Bane, and the keen intellect that was hidden behind the face of a boorish brute. Luthor admired a man that would fight to become more than his surroundings and become master of all he observes. In Bane he admired that quality, however he also saw weakness. Bane could have risen to gain a greater empire than Santa Prisca if he'd so wanted, but he wanted the little island to train his forces. They would become an elite army that would take what they wanted from the world. Admirable still, but Luthor knew that even the toughest of the inmates outside of Bane's collective would've folded under their master's heel. That left military outcasts, mercenaries, and Black Ops. These people were in others pockets, and Bane would soon learn how many he'd have to kill to get there, if not for an industrious man wanting to give him the footing he needed.
Bane went back to Luthor to report that he had not gotten the deeds to Gotham. Luthor turned to look at him and told him that this failure was unfortunate, but not unexpected. This also meant that Bane still needed to do something to earn his payment. Bane and Luthor discussed the plans for turning Santa Prisca into something a bit more grandiose. Luthor told him that laws in America for cloning were a bit touchy to say the least and he needed something out of jurisdiction. And in return if Bane did this for him Luthor would guarantee the armies that Bane needed. Bane considered it. To this day Luthor had no idea why Bane accepted the offer other than the most appealing of carrots ever dangled in front of the rabbit. He could see that Bane had plans to overcome him should he suspect a double cross. Luthor remained the master of planning on that front. Bane lived for many years and acquired many lands and things for himself until his unfortunate death by the hands of Ra's Al Ghul. Eden swallowed the corpse of the fool and Ra's sent his head back with a message attached.
"Eden is coming, and those who are unworthy shall be expelled."
When Luthor read the message he laughed at the arrogance of the aged mastermind. He also knew that Ra's meant every word of it. He knew he couldn't dismiss it, but at the same time he found it amusing that Ra's would challenge him. This message came 50 years ago.
"Ra's, you've expanded your small land, but you've created such a wonderful place to live. Everyone wants to know what you're doing to the Lazarus Pits to make them do the things you have. I dare say Batman himself would be stumped and since nothing electrical has survived the onslaught of your Eden I can't find out. I can't have you keeping another secret like that. It's bad enough that I don't have the formula for your rejuvenation bath, but now you're doing so much more with it."
Luthor started studying maps given to him by agents in the field and those of camera bots sent on the outskirts of Eden to view its full size. These usually only transmit for at most a few hours before an Azrael's flaming blade slices it like a ripe orange.
That was another interest of Luthor's, it was long said that the League of Assassins were run by the Demon's Head. He had the best on Earth loyal to him and his cause if the rumors were true. Luthor became curious about why and how he got the Azrael's in his service. As far as Luthor knew Ra's wanted their downfall, and the way his daughter Talia made it sound he had no interest in their practices. Luthor supposed that spoils of war and trophies of the defeated were too enticing not to take.
"Once I find out that dirty little secret of yours Ra's, I wonder what you'll want to do to me. Of course death is always the answer to that, but in my immortality one questions what type would you deem fit to make me suffer through?" Luthor laughed defiantly at first. "That doesn't matter Ra's. We've been inching ourselves closer to a battle. You've been hesitant and that's going to be your downfall. You've gotten senile in your old age and I'm going to take advantage of that. It's amazing how after all these years old habits still keep. I'm a shrewd businessman Ghul, while you're a glorified eco-terrorist. You might have age and experience. I daresay however I'm better, especially in a world you don't fully understand. It might have been your world 300 years ago, but this is my world, my time, you're just going to have to die."
Lex Luthor was one of the most ruthless of Superman's enemies. If the man had a plan it was to advance him as number one and if that meant crushing people along the way, it was all for the betterment of Luthor. He was a self made man, brought up from the slums of Metropolis into the tallest and most recognizable corporation this world ever saw. That unfortunately ended 100 years ago after the destruction of most the world. Though where most would see ruin, Luthor saw potential.
After the earthquake that destroyed Gotham City, Lex decided he wanted to own it. The deeds to the land and rights to the buildings were still there in the wreckage and Lex knew that if new deeds could be forged then he would have two cities under his thumb. For this job he needed the best and someone that could make sure that a run in with the city's protector would be of little issue, for this he sent Bane. Unfortunately, the deeds to the lands were saved and he was informed through and operative by Bane that WayneCorp had all the deeds on record and well protected. The plan fell through, but Lex Luthor never gave in to regret. There were many plans yet to be hatched by the criminal genius.
Shortly after the Gotham incident Lex Luthor got into power and made himself a force to be reckoned with as President of the United States. The man got to learn the dirty secrets of the White House and then turned around and started to plant further moles and recording devices around the government for his own personal use later. If it were to be done then he would know it. Luthor looked at this information carefully even when his term as President ended he still had his sources and bugs to rely on for information.
The day that Warworld was eliminated and Superman with it he cracked open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. His assistant looked at him with shock when he saw Luthor sitting in his chair at his desk with the champagne glass in hand asking the lowly man to join him.
"But sir, we lost some of the greatest heroes this world has ever known, we even lost Superman!"
"Yes, let's drink to the demise of one of the best heroes of this world." Lex smiled as he drank the toast. "And this time that damn Kryptonian will stay dead," he gave himself the moment to think.
Lex looked at the papers of figures on his desk and reviewed the meanings. He saw that the sale of technological equipment was down to an all time low due to the nanovirus. Lex looked at that and just smiled that grin of defiance. "The world went down from there and we may never look at things the way we did ever again, but I got them with the virus and thanks to Darkseid the job was finished. The clown has his city and I have mine. A city for the world, and what I don't own; I will." Luthor laughed and the returned to his drink and cigar.
For all of this time people thought that Lex Luthor was dead. He was a bad dream in the time of heroes, but the nightmare lives still. Nanoprobe technology improved quite a bit despite the claims that anything to do with it had been stopped by the D.E.O. If Lex didn't control the D.E.O. it would have been true. The man had many samples of the technological wonders and he put them to use in more things than anything anyone would want to imagine. His body finally started to fail him and then they cloned him a new one, but that didn't stop disease trying to ravage his brain. Thanks to the nanotech it was soon to be combated and Luthor was again the man of the next century. He looked at many that wondered how he was going to do it and told them that he wasn't going to give up all he's created by giving in to mortal weaknesses. The staff understood him clearly; the man before them was a genius.
He walked along the corridors of the refurbished fortress that was Pena Duro. When he came to power he knew that the best idea was to get a nice little place outside of the nation he once called home. Santa Prisca became an impenetrable fortress for all, but still Luthor hated one particular idea. He never could get his hands on Eden. He'd created something similar, but that one utopia was outside the reach of the man. He'd been listening to the reports saying that Eden was growing each and every day with new and more powerful effects on the land. Ra's al Ghul might be anything you could name, but something Luthor never could be said about him, he was no fool on matters of intellect or power.
Luthor stood proudly in his office awaiting news on the troops that were to come. Cloning on Santa Prisca had become something of a rather popular trade, and its army had two of the strongest genetic examples for military purposes. Luthor knew that he had to create an army intelligent and deadly. So he took Bane's DNA and his own and had the nanotech work them together and start to build the perfect soldier, and what's more, totally obedient to Luthor himself.
"Mr. Luthor?" A man ran up to him.
Luthor slightly rolled his eyes and looked toward his aide. "What do you want Wentworth?"
"Sir, we've just got the package you requested. It's in your office. Fresh from the badlands."
"Excellent. Let's go see my newest acquisition shall we?"
"Yes Mr. Luthor," said Wentworth with a slightly groveling voice. Reginald Wentworth was a meager little man with good business sense. His real problem was that he was a doormat to those more powerful than him. So it was no surprise to him that when Lex Luthor had him commissioned to work he became the scapegoat for so much more. Though Lex knew that it didn't matter in the slightest one way or the other, it's not like there was anyone these days to dispute his claims, he also realized that if there were a chance someone would try and move in on his business he'd have the perfect patsy.
Luthor walked into his office with a swagger as he looked at the sealed package.
"Do you know what this is Wentworth?" He said with an overbearing smile.
"No Mr. Luthor, I don't."
"Then let me regale you with the tale. It started with an explosion of a massive mechanical planet called Warworld. And how the bulk of heroes that tried to stop it ended up dead and the few others that were to survive this ordeal hid from the world. Now the story could end there, but there were the proud symbols of those heroes that made it back to Earth on the pieces of Warworld itself. And for that we can be grateful. One hero flew into battle valiantly after his life was taken from him figuratively. And when the battle was over, he died literally. Many mourned the death of the great hero, and some even sang songs of his great deeds. But some of us celebrated that alien's death. Now money these days isn't really a necessity as we've learned. It's all about what you have in resources. So I contracted some of the Hybrids to go into the badlands and start searching out for the memorabilia of this "gallant" hero in return for food and shelters. This is the second item they've sent me. The first one was a tattered cape. I can only imagine what this will be."
Luthor ripped open the package and stared at the contents with flames in his eyes. He gently picked up the tatter that was inside and showed it to Wentworth whose look of utter subjugation only increased. At that moment Wentworth stared at a charred remnant of an S-Shield that came from the chest of Superman.
After Luthor watched the horrified reactions on his aide's face he soon went to a wall and clicked a button on the light fixture. When it opened up a glass case with the cape came forward. Luthor removed a key from his pocket and opened the case placing the "S" in with the ripped up cape. Wentworth looked to see that there was not one cape in there, but two.
"Mr. Luthor, whose cape is that with Superman's?"
"That too is Superman's tattered and worn cape. I retrieved that from Metropolis after a long time of it being passed around. That's the cape he wore when he fell at Doomsday's hand."
At that moment a fleet moths started rapping at the window. Luthor looked at them with some disgust and no other sign of any emotion.
"I'll send for the exterminators sir."
"That won't be necessary Wentworth, I'll deal with this personally. Go and make sure that the cloning facilities are in working order."
Wentworth bowed and took off quickly. Luthor went to the window and opened it as the moths flew into the office. Soon the sounds of little mechanical whirring started and the Laughing Corpse appeared in the chair behind Luthor's desk.
"LEXY old pal, it's great to see you again," the Laughing Corpse smiled at Luthor.
"Brother Joker, or the Laughing Corpse these days is it? What do you want?"
"No tearful greeting for an old friend?"
"When one walks in I'll be sure to make my eyes well. Get to the point of this visit."
"I've been thinking about expanding the congregation to a more mass audience. I mean Arkham City is a blast and all, but there's so many blasphemers out and about."
Luthor shook his head slowly and just smiled. "Are you still trying to pass yourself off as a religious leader? Come on, you care about as much for God as I care for your cause."
"It's worked good so far, 100 years of gags and still counting. HA HA HA!!!!"
"So now you want to expand the fun house. How far are you wanting to go with this?"
"I was thinking about seeing Eden, the faithful would love it out there. They could see the "fruits" of believing."
"They'd see the gleam of a sword and about a dozen Azrael warriors at the front gate. You know full well that Ra's won't let you get anywhere near that place."
"Tisk tisk, and here I thought we had technology and cloning vats to get us along."
"Tisk tisk, we have clones that could fight, but we don't know how many Ra's has. He's hidden the facilities for the Azraels somewhere at the poles. And as for nanotech, forget it. Ra's knew what he was doing there too. The electromagnetic fields are stronger there than they are here, which renders the tech dead."
"Gee cue ball, it sounds like you're giving up."
"I'm Lex Luthor, Joker. I never give up. I just improvise. And one
thing I'm hell bent and bound on doing is getting my hands on one of
his proud Azraels. Something I doubt you and your faithful will be
capable of. You can't even stop the Death Squad from locking you
down."
"Yes, I have to say that's depressing. Red Death and his associates have had that nasty wall up for sometime. I've been so preoccupied with other things I haven't given it much thought."
"You haven't given a 210 ft. wall, much thought? What the hell have you been doing Joker?"
"Improving the conversion rate. I mean those nasty disbelievers are everywhere. Even amongst my Cardinals."
"HA! That's fat bird and the dual personality disorder is still planning on taking you down? They've only had the better part of a century."
"They've become a great deal slower since rigor mortis set in. HA HA HA HA HA!!!"
Luthor poured a drink for himself and lit a cigar and stared at the capes and his new S-Shield. He looked at the Joker's reflection in the glass to make sure that he stayed put. Luthor stood there and smiled at his collection.
"Are you still fawning over the Mound of Steel collection," Joker broke the silence.
"Asks the man who has Batman nailed to the roof of his headquarters. And carved on those interesting little crosses."
"He's the Bat Messiah, we have to show the flock his great purpose."
Luthor turned back to Joker. He put his glass down on the table and he threw Joker out of his chair, then taking his seat. "Listen you fruit cake, and listen well. If it weren't for me and my nanovirus you're petty attempts would've fallen flat on their face. I'd go as much to say if it weren't for me you'd have been put in your grave for good and forever. It should come as no surprise that I know who's on your roof. It's not Batman, Batman was infected by the virus first and the virus code was transmitted to Oracle whose taps transmitted it and spread the ability to create the probes at mass. You've got Nightwing in Batman's tights. You missed him clown, I got him. And while I can't have Superman, or claim the kill myself I made his life hell before he died and he went to his death with nothing left to live for. I wanted to choke the life from his body myself, but if I couldn't do that I'll have the ripped and torn banners that were blasted from his invulnerable hide. To sum this up to you really shortly Brother Joker, I helped you get Arkham City. I made sure that the nanovirus hit enough to get your plans underway. When the greatest of the heroes of this planet died I had what I wanted and so did you. I knew this scam from its baby steps, so don't hand me this BAT MESSIAH crap you've given the rest of the world. It doesn't wash, okay?"
"Gee Lexy, I see you're a bit testy. And here I was thinking you'd be helpful in getting Eden."
"Oh, don't worry about that Joker, I'm still planning on getting Eden. If you want in on it you'll conform to my wishes or you'll wish you'd died back with Batman."
"Do you really think that's possible Lexy, I mean we both know that I'm not going to roll over that easily."
"Do you think that the nanotech that I supplied you wasn't going to have fail safes? And that the stuff I gave you, despite your modifications, wasn't going to have backup programs hard coded into it to make sure you wouldn't pull a double cross?"
"What happened to the double crossing, under handed Lexy that never told his plans to the guy he was screwing over?"
"That man had the Man of Steel breathing down his neck, not some false prophet that's looking to rack up a body count. In short, if you're a threat I'm not seeing it."
:"You know chrome dome I think you've been in the Caribbean too long, the sun beating down on your bald head has made you crazy, and I know crazy."
"Joker, if you haven't noticed you and I are immortals now. We're playing in a ball game we're several centuries short on. Vandal Savage and Ra's Al Ghul thought they had the market cornered on that, simply that they would outlive us all. Now its true that Ra's has outside means to do it and those means do tend to lessen as time goes by, but unless I'm very much mistaken he's been feeling pretty spry these days for a man that's Lazarus Pit wasn't working so well for him back in the days of the Bat."
:"I wouldn't know, pointy beards had no use for me...well maybe dead..."
"You'd be surprised what a man like that could use you for. A distraction for one."
"Lexy, is that all I am to you is just a distraction? I thought we had something you and I?"
"We do Joker, it's called a business love/hate relationship. Where we get in business and I love to hate you for finding a way to screw it all up."
The Joker got up from his seat and walked up to Lex's face. His trademark smile soon became that of anger. His eyes flared as he stared into Lex.
"You arrogant, self-serving...Lexy, you and I had so many good times together. There was taking down Superman, taking down Batman, taking down the Justice League, and to come home, no dinner cooked, no kiss, it doesn't even look like you cleaned the house today, well that's really hurtful. Harley told me that I should just divorce you and get it over with. I mean who avoids their spouse for a century and gets away with it? I'm afraid there's a huge divorce coming and I don't remember signing a prenuptial agreement. So you've got a lot you own me baldy."
"Try it you psychopathic Harlequin. You'll regret it."
The Joker dissolved into moths starting to wreck the office and Lex stood there as he did. Lex put his finger on his desk and activated a switch, which released a keypad hidden in the wooden frame of his lavish desk.
"What you're seeing here Joker is an EMP field. It'll render you useless in a few seconds while I'm still smiling and watching the little electronic sparks of your life die out. Do you want that?"
The moths looked at Joker and they created the madman's face in a scowl. They flew out the window and over the island in a heartbeat, but Luthor knew what he was doing and that it'd just be a matter of time before Joker's wounded pride would make him come back and in deadlier force.
"WENTWORTH!!! Come to my office immediately."
Wentworth ran back to Luthor's side with skulking precision. He looked out the window as the moths flew further into the horizon.
"Has the Metropolis operation been fully stocked and readied Wentworth?"
"Yes Mr. Luthor, the tunnel diggers were able to bore through below the sewer lines and into the former Underworld and created the new labs extending out from Project Cadmus."
"Good, I expect it'll take a short time for the Joker to mount any sort of attack."
"Sir, you might have just killed him when you had the chance."
"Yes, Wentworth I could have done that. But Santa Prisca is hardly my favorite place and its resources have long been run dry, as has its usefulness. The world at large knows I'm out here. Any villain of his salt could come here and attack from all around and my armies of clones would do me little good. So when his attack comes he'll blow up the island, or I will actually taking his armies out with him and we'll be in our cozy little operation in Metropolis."
"Sir, why lose Santa Prisca to him? I can't see the logic or reason to it."
"Of course not, you've never had anything you could consider as an acceptable loss, but this is. Santa Prisca gave me the opportunity to culture clones and samples. It also allowed me to do it in relative peace. However Wentworth, change is on the wind. How long before Ra's expands the doors to Eden and we're but one little island? I'm beating him to the rush. Ra's might not consider me a threat, but I always treat a fellow philanthropist like he does. It's just good business to believe that to keep your belongings you must always fight for them. Now comes the clown. He wants to kill me because I insulted him. He's already been threatened and he knows full well I have as itchy a trigger finger as his. He comes in to get his revenge and the island is blown. Some will think I'm dead, others will know I'm alive and they'll be wary of where I am in the world. I could be anywhere after all, and that's what will weed out the small contenders the ones that panic under that pressure. However Ra's will know, Savage will know, and the Joker will have it figured out by the time he's blown to pieces. That leaves us at an interesting balance of power. Ra's will no doubted keep himself where he is because he's not threatened. Vandal won't stand for it though. He'll want to stop me because I moved, because I broke the agreement to stay away from the continent of America, his continent. He allowed agents to go and collect the refuse from the badlands, but I was to never step foot on the soil of the Americas again."
"So Savage will attack with his Hybrid armies looking to destroy you sir?"
"Quite right. Metropolis is my oyster after all. She's my city and he knows it. He'll attack LexCorp tower, and it'll lead him into the sewers. His hybrids senses will be put to the test by all the different defenses I've had placed in those dingy walkways to keep the riff raff out. Savage will come to me and he will be killed. Thus leaving Ra's and I as the two balances of power."
"Sir, if I may be so bold, what if the Joker doesn't come here?"
"I have an agent on the inside of Arkham City whose freedom was granted. The Joker will be rendered useless one way or the other. I don't play poker without stacking the deck Wentworth."
"Sir, this sounds like a risky venture."
Luthor turned to his aide and looked at him with those harsh eyes that stared down upon commoners before. His proud demeanor looking upon the face of his cowardly assistant gave Wentworth chills.
"Two things Wentworth. One, there's always some risk, but to a great intellect he plans for the contingency. Two, you'd better learn that showering me in your prattling questions and doubts is a good way to get replaced. You're not indispensable, just someone whose background fit the bill for the perfect lackey. Understood?"
Wentworth looked at Luthor with some shock and full understanding. His life wasn't his and he knew that. Lex Luthor had him over a barrel and at anytime he could cut the ropes plummeting him to God knows where. He merely responded to the powerful mogul; "Perfectly, Sir."
Luthor stared out the window of his office and drifted into thoughts of Bane, and the keen intellect that was hidden behind the face of a boorish brute. Luthor admired a man that would fight to become more than his surroundings and become master of all he observes. In Bane he admired that quality, however he also saw weakness. Bane could have risen to gain a greater empire than Santa Prisca if he'd so wanted, but he wanted the little island to train his forces. They would become an elite army that would take what they wanted from the world. Admirable still, but Luthor knew that even the toughest of the inmates outside of Bane's collective would've folded under their master's heel. That left military outcasts, mercenaries, and Black Ops. These people were in others pockets, and Bane would soon learn how many he'd have to kill to get there, if not for an industrious man wanting to give him the footing he needed.
Bane went back to Luthor to report that he had not gotten the deeds to Gotham. Luthor turned to look at him and told him that this failure was unfortunate, but not unexpected. This also meant that Bane still needed to do something to earn his payment. Bane and Luthor discussed the plans for turning Santa Prisca into something a bit more grandiose. Luthor told him that laws in America for cloning were a bit touchy to say the least and he needed something out of jurisdiction. And in return if Bane did this for him Luthor would guarantee the armies that Bane needed. Bane considered it. To this day Luthor had no idea why Bane accepted the offer other than the most appealing of carrots ever dangled in front of the rabbit. He could see that Bane had plans to overcome him should he suspect a double cross. Luthor remained the master of planning on that front. Bane lived for many years and acquired many lands and things for himself until his unfortunate death by the hands of Ra's Al Ghul. Eden swallowed the corpse of the fool and Ra's sent his head back with a message attached.
"Eden is coming, and those who are unworthy shall be expelled."
When Luthor read the message he laughed at the arrogance of the aged mastermind. He also knew that Ra's meant every word of it. He knew he couldn't dismiss it, but at the same time he found it amusing that Ra's would challenge him. This message came 50 years ago.
"Ra's, you've expanded your small land, but you've created such a wonderful place to live. Everyone wants to know what you're doing to the Lazarus Pits to make them do the things you have. I dare say Batman himself would be stumped and since nothing electrical has survived the onslaught of your Eden I can't find out. I can't have you keeping another secret like that. It's bad enough that I don't have the formula for your rejuvenation bath, but now you're doing so much more with it."
Luthor started studying maps given to him by agents in the field and those of camera bots sent on the outskirts of Eden to view its full size. These usually only transmit for at most a few hours before an Azrael's flaming blade slices it like a ripe orange.
That was another interest of Luthor's, it was long said that the League of Assassins were run by the Demon's Head. He had the best on Earth loyal to him and his cause if the rumors were true. Luthor became curious about why and how he got the Azrael's in his service. As far as Luthor knew Ra's wanted their downfall, and the way his daughter Talia made it sound he had no interest in their practices. Luthor supposed that spoils of war and trophies of the defeated were too enticing not to take.
"Once I find out that dirty little secret of yours Ra's, I wonder what you'll want to do to me. Of course death is always the answer to that, but in my immortality one questions what type would you deem fit to make me suffer through?" Luthor laughed defiantly at first. "That doesn't matter Ra's. We've been inching ourselves closer to a battle. You've been hesitant and that's going to be your downfall. You've gotten senile in your old age and I'm going to take advantage of that. It's amazing how after all these years old habits still keep. I'm a shrewd businessman Ghul, while you're a glorified eco-terrorist. You might have age and experience. I daresay however I'm better, especially in a world you don't fully understand. It might have been your world 300 years ago, but this is my world, my time, you're just going to have to die."