A/N: Alekile, I hate Guy Gardner. Hate his costume, his haircut, his attitude. But once upon a time I hated Superman and Steve Trevor. Nothing is ever a sure thing. As for who the ring rejector is, well you'll just have to read on and find out.

Skilgannon, no, you didn't miss anything. As much as I like to pay attention to detail, this fic would have 100+ chapters if I filled in every little link in the chain. Some things will happen 'off panel' as it were. As for the Trinity, next chapter. Promise.

PS: I didn't know there was a button for a horizontal line. I feel so stupid.

7.45AM, Gotham, Wayne Manor

"Master Bruce."

"Alfred. Surely its not time for work already?"

"No sir. I know how much you hate being interrupted during your training, but there is something I think you should see."

Bruce punched the heavy bag several more times, executing a flawless 12 punch combo, finishing with a powerful hay maker that burst the bag open, spilling sand out onto the ground. He unwrapped the strapping from his fists with his teeth.

"It's all right Alfred. I'm done for now. Make a note to get a new heavy bag. This one is out of commission."

"I shall have a new one brought up this evening sir."

Bruce nodded.

"So,what is it?"

"Well sir... I think you'd better see for yourself."

Alfred swiped the screen of the tablet in his hand, and the massive computer monitor at the other end of the room came to life.

The footage was quite shaky and somewhat grainy from dust. It was a city center. The environment looked utterly decimated, buildings in various stages of destruction, craters dotted the roads,electricity poles ripped out of the ground, their sparks flashing intermittently. There were smashed vehicles too, some of them ablaze. It looked like someone had dropped a massive bomb on the area.

7.45AM, Metropolis

"Lois, we're going to die here! How did you even convince Perry to let you do this?"

"I didn't."

"What!? Are you crazy!? You stole all this stuff?"

"I prefer to think of it as borrowing. You know how to use that thing right?"

"Yes Lois, I went to college too."

"Good. Now set it up. Thank god I always walk around looking perfect!"

"Your humility is admirable." Jimmy said sarcastically.

"Shut up and get ready. We're the first one's here, we've got to take full advantage. It's time Metropolis realized we're not just a paper."

"Ok, rolling in 3..2...1...Go!"

"Lois Lane of the Daily Planet here! Metropolis is under attack! About 20 minutes ago, what can only be described as a giant robot attacked the Goliath National Bank in downtown Metropolis." The camera panned around slowly,capturing the landscape. In the distance were clear yellow lines of tape.

"As you can see, Police have cordoned off the area. Three members of the newly minted Justice League of America arrived shortly after, and the trio have been engaged in a fierce battle with the robot that has destroyed most of downtown Metropolis. Thankfully, because it was early morning most of the buildings weren't fully occupied, and civilians were quickly evacuated thanks to the combined efforts of the Metropolis Fire Department and the Metropolis Police Department, the first ones on the scene."

A loud explosion shook the earth, rattling the camera for a moment.

"Jimmy, watch out!"

There was a loud boom as something crashed into the ground hard, sending dirt and debris flying in his wake. He had fallen not too far from where Lois and Jimmy were. As the dust stirred slowly around him, it floated out of the crater. It was Green Lantern.

"Ow... that actually hurt you tin can!"

Lois scrambled over a large concrete slab to get closer, and Jimmy followed suit. The shoulder mounted camera was heavy but the adrenaline was pumping so hard he barely even noticed.

"Green Lantern, what can you tell us about this threat?"

He turned. Reporters. Of course. He should have known they'd be here. How she even got here so fast, and past the heavy Police cordon he didn't know. On a good day he might stop to chat, but right now there was a job to do.

"Lady,get back behind the Police cordon now, it's not safe here!"

How rude, Lois thought. Her mouth flew open in argument. Just then another figure came crashing down before them, not too far from Green Lantern. Lois and Jimmy coughed as the dirt stirred wildly around them.

"Hawkman, what the hell is that thing? Is it one of yours?" Lantern asked.

"I beg your pardon? One of mine?!" he said as he rose from the crater.

"The ring says that thing's got an alloy composed of the same material as your axe. So what gives?"

Hawkman said nothing, his wings beating slowly as he rose higher into the air.
He raised the axe over his head and it crackled with energy, then he launched himself back into the fray with admirable tenacity.
He didn't get far, because Captain Atom came hurtling out of the dust cloud, crashing right into him.

"Whoever or whatever he is, he's strong as hell." Captain Atom commented as he floated skyward, his fists glowing with orbs of white hot energy.
"Let's see if he's got the firepower to match."
He brought his hands together and fired a powerful bolt of energy at the android. There was a loud boom and the entire place went up in smoke.

"I think we got him." Lantern commented.

"No. If your ring is correct, we will not defeat him so easily. The metal is virtually indestructible." Hawkman said gravely.

Right on cue, the android levitated from out of the ashes, totally unscathed.

"Shit. What's the word on the others?"said Captain Atom.

"What am I, the comms guy on this team? I don't freaking know! Break right!"

The two split from each other just in time, narrowly missing a massive bolt of white hot energy came at them.

"That looked suspiciously like your energy signature."

"That's because it was."

"Is that even possible?"

"Apparently so. Fan out, we have to keep out of range. Hawkman, you know this material best. How do we destroy it?"

"We.. we cannot. As I have said, it is virtually indestructible."

"Everything has a weakness. Hit it with every move we've ever practiced. We're the heaviest hitters on the team, we can take this tin man." Lantern said as his ring glowed brightly.

"Here comes another heavy hitter." said Hawkman with a semblance of a smile. Lantern and Atom turned. In the distance was Wonder Woman. Her outfit was slightly different. Now she wore blue trousers with her boots and her bracers were larger and heavier looking. There was a shield and sword strapped on her back and she carried a short sword in her outstretched right arm. Her hair was tied back in thick braids. She was dressed for battle.

The android remained completely motionless in the air as it watched Diana's entrance.

"Am I the only one who finds that creepy?" Lantern asked.

"It's observing her. Now's our chance to strike." Captain Atom blasted off so fast Lantern and Hawkman were pushed back by the sound wave. He speared the android into the ground. The android responded immediately, tossing Captain Atom into the base of one of the buildings and smashing him back up through all the floors until they emerged from the roof, then it grabbed him by the throat and reversed the motion.

Lantern whistled. "Thats going to cost a whole lot of tax dollars to repair. It's almost like it wants to wreck everything."

"Are you just going to stand there?" Lois shouted. Lantern turned again.

"You're still here?! Thats it, I'm taking you two back." He enclosed them in a green bubble and flew them over to the Police cordon. It was strange not being shot at by the officers. Looking at their faces he could see they felt just as odd. He flew back to the fight just in time to see Wonder Woman stabbing the android through the chest with a hearty battle cry.

Yes! Finally something had pierced the outer shell.

"Peel that tin can open Wondy!" He shouted as he formed a construct of a giant green chainsaw and joined the battle.

"Enough." Bruce said.

Alfred swiped the tablet screen again, and the massive monitor went black.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Well, sir, I should think that is self-explanatory."

"They can handle it. Besides, Batman doesn't do daytime."

Alfred sighed. Bruce knew that sigh. An epic lecture was coming. He started walking across the room towards the computer, Alfred following suit.

"Need I remind you Master Bruce, that it was your technology that enabled this android to come to being? Need I remind you sir, that countless lives are at stake here? Must I drag you by the ear to Metropolis? I never thought you would be the type to let someone else clean your mess up for you."

"You heard her. The city centre has been evacuated. The Justice League of America is on the scene."

"So that's it? You're just going to leave them to their fate?."

Bruce stopped walking and glared at Alfred.

"Don't you glare at me young man, you just remember where you learned it from."

They continued walking.

"I think they have this covered. I protect Gotham. That's all."

"Are you listening to yourself Master Bruce? This isn't a gangland warfare. Now is not the time to be concerned with such trivialities."

Bruce continued walking.

"For God's sake man, swallow your pride!"

Bruce stopped again and turned around to face Alfred.

"Excuse me? Just what does this have to do with my pride?"

"You heard me Master Bruce. It's time for you to accept that this"-he motioned at the entirety of the Cave and its contents-"it cannot be done alone. You will need allies one day. You must also accept that this is partly your fault."

They were both silent for a few moments. Finally Bruce spoke.

"You're right Alfred." Bruce said with a smile.

"Glad you finally see it my way."

Bruce continued.

"Maybe I will need allies one day. Maybe. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a massive stock portfolio to go through, and I have several case files that need updating." He said over his shoulder as he walked away.

Alfred sighed again, but this time he sounded...tired.

"If your mother and father were to see you now, they would weep at the man you've become."

He placed the tablet on the computer console and walked out.

Bruce sat down at the computer and opened the first file, going through it for the best part of an hour. Wayne Industries shares were going strong, in fact their value had risen significantly over the past financial year. Waynetech was largely responsible for the increase in...

This is incredibly boring.

He glanced at the tablet beside him.
He resisted the urge to pick it up.
It lasted for all of five seconds. Lois Lane, bless her, had somehow found her way back to the scene, with an even better view if it was possible.

"The fight is still going strong here, if its possible the damage is even worse. All members of the team are here, and although the JLA has attempted to take the fight out of Metropolis multiple times, it seems the android is determined to fight right here. What's more, the battle is becoming increasingly one-sided. I must say, we have never before seen anything quite like this. The android seems to share much of the League members abilities. Perhaps what's most chilling is its MO, which has changed from property destruction to focusing solely on the assembled heroes with devastating efficiency. It's almost as if it's adapting to their fighting style." There was muffled speech for a few seconds.

"Hold on...It appears reinforcements in the form of the US Military are being called in." The camera panned out to the horizon. There were conventional ground troops moving in,followed by several tanks and armored personnel carriers. There also seemed to be air support in the form of what looked like Apache gunships and Air Force fighter jets to Bruce's eyes. "It remains unclear what their objective is, as they do not seem to be engaging, merely keeping watch." Lois continued.

"Lois, is that... Isn't that your dad? Standing on top of the tank?" said the cameraman.

"Where? Oh shit... Do not let him see us. He'll kill me if he finds out I'm here."

Bruce turned off the tablet and placed it face down on the console, then he continued working for another 20 minutes, focusing on Waynetech stocks. Sales in the telecommunications department were going strong, as were the...

He glanced at the tablet beside him.

"Damn it." He said as he picked it up again.

This time the footage was much more... explosive.

There was a dazzling array of colors. Emerald green energy blasts, sparks of gold and silver.

A flash of red and gold.

A massive pair of brown wings.

He spotted a... giant green anvil?

He could see the android clearly now. It was a dull bronze color, and it was presently being throttled by... Wonder Woman.

More colorful energy blasts, every spectrum of the rainbow. Something that looked like a giant silver bullet. Shouts. Mangled battle-cries that were picked up by the camera's microphones. Lois Lane wasn't even trying to narrate over the din.

"...Lantern, stick to the plan! Fan out!"

"...how is it doing that!? How is it repairing itself so fast?!..."

"...we can't fan out, that isn't working anymore! Check your 6 Atom!"

"...where the hell is Superman when you need him?"

"...By Zeus,I shall have your head creature!"

"...What is that?! Is that a missile?!"

"...Everyone fall back! Fall back! Incoming!"

There was a deafening explosion, then the whine of fighter jet engines overhead. It seemed the battle had descended into all out chaos.

"If you're just joining us, the team of superheroes known as the Justice League of America has assembled in Metropolis to take down the threat. As more members joined the fray the odds seemed to improve, but now it's gotten worse. The robot is indeed adapting to their fighting styles, but more than that, it appears to be replicating their abilities. Military forces have been forced to engage. I don't know how much longer this can go on-"

A thunderous sonic boom, then the android went down, digging a deep crater several metres long into the ground. Superman appeared, his eyes glowing bright red through the dust as he hovered above the fallen android, his blood red cape billowing in the wind.

Already it was rising from the deep, smoking crater.

"Stay down, damn you!" Hawkman roared angrily, as he launched himself at it. The android shifted to the left and caught his wing at the last moment, tossing him into a billboard with ease, then proceeding to blast Hawkman with red eye beams. He roared in pain as his flesh burned.

That was all Bruce needed to see. With his power levels an android that could replicate his abilities was officially a planetary level threat.

There was no other choice. He would have to go now. But first, he'd have to load up every toy he had. The exo-suit? No... It wasn't ready by a long shot.
And this wasn't going to be a battle won through sheer force, he could see that.
If anything, this was a battle that needed a human touch more than raw power.

It needed some smarts, some ingenuity.

Ok, a lot of smarts and ingenuity. Luthor had obviously made a number of adjustments to it, but he was confident he could find a way around it.
He always found a way.

He pushed the intercom button on the computer console.

"Alfred,cancel all my meetings for today."

"Right away sir. What should I tell them?"

"You're a smart guy, you'll figure something out. One more thing."

"Yes Master Bruce?"

"This doesn't mean you're right."

Alfred chuckled on the other end.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take, sir."

California,Atherton,

Lex Luthor hated this holiday home.

It was a very nice place, indoor and outdoor pools including a lap pool and sauna, tennis and basketball courts, a kitchen that was bigger than the house he grew up in, and a fully stocked gym. There was a massive library and even a recording studio left over from the last owner, a rapper. The garage could probably hold 10 cars. He looked outside. The water sprinklers puttered slowly, keeping his lawn unnaturally green. The next house was very far away, but he could tell from the occasional sparks of light someone was sunning themselves by their pool. Why can't they use a tanning bed? he wondered.

Perhaps that wasn't quite right. He didn't hate his holiday home, he hated the neighbors.

The way he saw it, there were three kinds of rich people: Blue Blood Aristocrats. People who lost more money in a year than most others would make in several lifetimes, and who had never had to work hard or honestly for their wealth. Bruce Wayne came to mind.

Self Made Men like himself,industrialists, bankers, lawyers, athletes, artists of all kinds. Men and women who built their fortunes on their own ingenuity, talent and skills. These people he respected.

Then there was the third type. The type that most commonly populated these neighborhoods. Rich people who were neither Blue Bloods nor Self Made Men, but something inbetween. They spurned men like him,because he reminded them where they came from not too long ago. They also constantly tried to break into the inner circle.

A futile effort really. Old Money came from railroads, coal, gold,oil and much darker methods that those families would never,ever,ever admit to. As the old saying went, behind every great fortune is a great crime. It didn't matter how long you were rich for or how sophisticated you were, if you didn't make your money from those methods, you would never get in. They simply wouldn't accept you.

Why couldn't these Inbetweeners understand that?

They disgusted him, every time he came here and looked at their orange skin and bleached white teeth, their nip-tuck bodies and One for The Husband One for The Wife sets of cars, their kids who went on Instagram to document their wealth. What was the point of it all?

Money is money. Class meant nothing once you got to a certain number of zero's. You didn't have to be a genius to know that. The Aristocrats may not have accepted Lex into their circle, but they certainly respected him. He believed it was because the only thing anyone cared about at the end of the day was how much you had in the bank, not where your kids went to school or which end of the spoon scooped the soup into your mouth.

He couldn't have guessed that it was because of his disdain for their class that they respected him so much.

Everyone admires the person that just doesn't give a fuck what people think.

Regardless of how he felt about it, this neighborhood had two major perks. It was discreet. And it wasn't in Metropolis.

He poured a generous helping of scotch from the decanter into two heavy tumblers. It was his oldest, over 70 years old, and it had cost him enough money to buy several cars. He inhaled the rich woody scent of the drink. It was only for special occasions. Like today. He carried the two glasses and the decanter into the next room.

"I must say, this is a very nice house."

"Thank you."

"You know most people would have a butler do that for them. Get the drinks I mean."

"I don't really like the notion of having a butler. The less staff I have the less people know what I'm doing. Besides, I never had one."

"Oh?"

"Yes, 'Oh'. Its not like everyone doesn't know I came from less than nothing."

He turned up the volume of the television, cutting off that subject entirely.

"I must say, its performing very well Ivo. I was a little worried when the reinforcements arrived,but its handling them quite nicely. And I'm loving this first person shooter view. It was a good idea to put camera's in its faceplate."

"Thank you."

"Although I have to ask, why can't it replicate all of their abilities? I've observed it only copies Captain Atom's abilities when he attacks it directly, and it's completely unable to replicate Lantern's abilities as well."

"Well, as I had said earlier, it works by genetic coding. It can only copy metahuman abilities that a person has in their DNA. Captain Atom is technically a metahuman, but it appears it is not a genetic ability. It seems Amazo merely absorbs and redirects his energy blasts. Green Lantern is also classed as a metahuman, but it seems it is only the ring that gives him these abilities."

"Hmm. This little exercise is proving to be quite informative."

"Indeed. We can learn a lot about their strengths, and weaknesses. It will prove invaluable in the future."

"Cheers to that."

Luthor smiled at Ivo as they clinked glasses.

Yes, Ivo was smart.

Maybe too smart. He'd have to keep a close eye on him.

In the meantime, he would sit back and watch the show.

A/N: Lex really strikes me as a guy that gives no fucks about anyone's opinion but his own. That makes him an egomaniacal douche bag yes,but in a way Lex actually has a lot of integrity. If you define integrity the same way I do, which is being true to yourself, not necessarily honest or ethical. He knows he's rich, he knows he's smart. What else would he care about really? Other than the destruction of someone who is so obviously much more awesome than he is? I mean he's called Superman. That's bound to rub Mr Endowed the wrong way. Obviously he would never admit to feeling inferior to him, so he'd make Superman evil in his mind. Thus Lex becomes the Hero.
One of the most complex villains of all time, Lex is an endless contradiction.

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