Chapter 30
3 months later...
"Well I'll be a Whistling Dixie!"
"If you say so...Dixie."
"Don't get cute Kent."
"I can't help it Chloe. It's my natural state of being."
"How in the hell do you have a girlfriend again?"
"Farmboy charm. Never fails."
"Yeah. Right. Look into my eyes Kent and see someone it failed on."
"Yes well you are the exception to many rules Chlo."
"What happened to the polite Kansas farmboy?"
"He's still here. I was paying you a complement."
"Didn't seem like one."
"As I said. Rules. Exception. You."
"With vocabulary like that tell me how in the hell are you a writer at my newspaper again?"
"I told you. Farmboy charm."
Clark and Chloe's bantering is interrupted by guffawing from a blond woman looking stunning in a golden dress to match her golden locks. Dinah had accompanied Clark as his date to the Metropolis press awards and Clark had just sat back down at the table after winning an award. That was what Chloe was in shock about...and so was Clark frankly.
Dinah draws in breath. Not only did Clark look dapper in a suit she gets the best entertainment possible with Clark bantering with his boss...and as for how he got her...well the usual way. He's such a nice guy it isn't hard to fall for him. She leans over and kisses him on the cheek. "Congratulations Clark," she says, truly meaning it. He was a great writer.
Clark's response is a huge warm smile and a look of tender affection at his girlfriend.
From the neighbouring table there is muttering. "How the hell did he do it?"
The muttering comes from Lois Lane.
"Do what?" Jimmy asks her, as he stuffs down some food. The great thing about these award get togethers is the food...and Lana dressing up. Boy does she look incredible. Jimmy regularly has to pinch himself at the fact he's dating her.
"Kent," Lois starts to clarify. Over the last 3 months she had bumped into Clark Kent more often at press junkets and conferences and alike and saw him a bumbling farmboy mostly so how he is getting an award is beyond her. "His expose on the Churches that got him that award."
The Churches, Bill Sr and Bill Jr, father and son, were prominent Metropolis businessmen who ran a convenience store chain only Clark had exposed it all as a front for Intergang and now the Churches were looking at an extended stretch behind bars thanks to him.
"Forget the award," Steve Lombard, sports writer, man with a 80s throwback moustache, says. "I want to know how he managed to bag a woman that hot!"
"Could you try not to be a chauvinist pig for 10 minutes Lombard," Lois criticises.
Lombard makes a face at Lois but it didn't detract from his point. The woman Kent brought with him was stunning and he was a geek. Lombard couldn't see how Kent managed it.
"Didn't you get 3 awards Lois," Lana speaks up, reminding Lois of the 3 glass and metal awards that sit on the table.
"Should have been 4," Lois grumbles, feeling Kent robbed her of one.
Lana rolls her eyes. Lois wasn't a bad person but she could be terribly difficult to like on occasions like now. Of course Lana was naturally thrilled Clark was doing so well in his career and that it got recognised with an award.
Lana, herself, has several awards for her fashion designs. Not that it's a competition or anything about who has more trophies. That would be silly and shallow...but she does have more!
The Watchtower...
Martian Manhunter. Wonder Woman. The Flash. Green Lantern. Aquaman. Batman.
The big 6 sit around the table having their regular meetings that these days are often tense and terse affairs due to the difference between those who believe they need to take a more authoritarian, interventionist and harsher approach to dealing with the criminals and those that stick to the original aim of the Justice League as an organisation that inspired by example.
Right now Diana is trying not to smash the table to bits in a fit of temper as she listens to J'onn give the description of Lex Luthor's latest exploits. That man is driving her close to just flying up to him and snapping his neck. It would be so easy and solve so many problems.
Diana tries to calm herself. Those are not thoughts befitting of her. She's a warrior yes but there is a difference between killing in battle and murder. It is just Luthor drives her to the brink. As an Amazon she has a short temper as it is.
"Why did the Injustice League attack this particular government facility?" Hal asks Batman, who has been leading the investigation, working alongside J'onn.
"It's not an official government facility," Batman reports.
"Which means?" Flash asks.
"Black ops. Off the book stuff," Hal guesses.
"More than likely," Batman confirms. "Which means the government won't be forthcoming into revealing what was kept there that Luthor had the Injustice League steal."
Diana mutters in Greek under her breath.
Hal shakes his head at the sight of her. She's been tetchier than usual lately. What he got off overhearing gossip in the commissary is that Diana broke up with her boyfriend so Hal is going to go with that is what has her so tense but, hey, Hal understands. Break-ups aren't fun so he can give her some slack.
Batman vows to keep up the investigation. J'onn moves the subject on to an incident involving Aquaman and an oil tanker that ran aground.
"I was wondering when we'd get onto that overreaction," Flash says.
Aquaman shoots Flash a death glare. "Overreaction?" he questions that in a sharp tone.
"Dude you threatened to go to war with the entire continent of Europe," Flash counters with.
"It was a European company that owned that tanker and caused untold destruction to my kingdom. I have a right to recompense and for them to take responsibility!"
"You threatened to drown their capitals," Flash reminds Aquaman of what he said.
"That was just to get their attention."
"There are better ways to do it. May I suggest mermaids in skimpy bikinis with fruity drinks."
"Are you serious?" Aquaman asks, not believing that Flash is joking about this.
"I could be. I choose not to be. That's why I'm a hit with the ladies and you're rated as the 2nd grumpiest hero after Bats."
"How is this clown a member of this council again?" Aquaman wants to know.
"Because I helped found this organisation. Remember. In fact I'm pretty certain you were there. You know the White Martian invasion that we stopped that brought us together. Then again I suppose you could be like a goldfish. Their memory's what? 5 seconds long."
Aquaman starts to reach for his trident.
Hal raises his ring and makes it glow. "Don't think about it Aquafresh," he warns the King of Atlantis off.
Aquaman's hand moves way but his expression is one of being most displeased.
"Now say 'One is not amused'," Flash jumps in with a faux-English accent doing an impression of the Queen of England.
"I think that's enough Flash," Diana says sternly, feeling she has allowed this to go on long enough.
Flash leans back in his chair. Forgive him for trying to inject humour. He's only stuck around here because Hal asked him to...for good reasons Wally will admit when he thought on it later. Hal was right. Someone needed to keep the grumps around here on their toes and there was no-one better equipped than the fastest man alive.
"Any other topics?" J'onn asks.
Hal raises his hand. "Yeah I just like to say with Superman's help I've been making some inroads into Intergang's operations although I still can't seem to track down this mysterious leader of theirs."
In fact Hal could say that in the last few months he has spent enough time around Clark to call him a friend. Clark was...a nice guy. That an easy compliment to give but in Clark's case true. Of course Clark was also dating Dinah. Lucky dog!
Dark expressions flitter across the face of Batman and Aquaman at the mention of Superman.
"How much longer are we going to just let Superman run around like a loose cannon?"Aquaman demands to know.
"And here we go again," Flash mutters in exasperation with a roll of his eyes. They have had this debate before. It never ends well.
Diana looks to Batman, her expression, as always, schooled to hide her feelings. "I thought you said you were going to speak to Black Canary about that."
"He did," Hal cuts in first with an amused chuckle.
"What is funny?" Diana asks Hal.
Hal laughs a little more. "What Dinah threatened to do to Bruce if he didn't back off." It involved the removal of certain body parts unique to the male species.
Diana looks to Bruce one more, her head cocked to the side slightly curious.
Batman's expression is grim. "She is letting her feelings get in the way," he bluntly dismisses Dinah's flawed rebuttal as it was.
"Well at least she has some," Flash accuses.
Batman glares back with the Bat-scowl.
Flash ignores it and says, "But boy am I jealous of Supes. I mean Dinah...she's hot!"
"Can we please keep personal relationships and opinions on whose 'hot' out of League business," Diana decrees in a cold harsh tone.
Flash open his mouth to rebuttal but Hal kicks him in the shin. He leans over and whispers into Wally's ear, "For once keep your mouth shut or Diana will probably break your jaw."
Wally considers that for a moment and realises that Hal is more than probably correct. Diana has been super short tempered since her break-up.
Aquaman shakes his head. "I thought we agreed Superman needed controlled due to his power," he reminds the group, sounding more than a little frustrated at how long this issue has seemed to drag on.
"We also agreed that due to Superman's power any attempt to coerce him would be unwise," J'onn reminds Aquaman. "We need to persuade him and if Black Canary's reaction to Batman in an indication I assume Superman is not open to that possibility at the moment." He turns to Hal. "You've spent the most time with him Hal."
"Yeah I have and you're right J'onn he isn't open to joining. He's happy where he is acting on his own," Hal confirms.
"And we're just leaving it like that?" Aquaman questions, clearly unhappy at the idea.
"Why not?" Hal asks back. "Is he causing any trouble? No. Does he help people? Yes. In fact as I recall didn't he dive down to the bottom of the Gulf and seal that leaking oil well last month. I thought you of all people would be grateful to him for that."
"I am...although it shouldn't have been necessary. I have told your surface world governments time and again that my tolerance for these oil rigs of yours only goes so far. Believe me when I say the limits of my patience are drawing near."
"You have patience?" Flask queries in surprise in his tone.
Hal sniggers at that one and Aquaman's hand once more reaches for his trident.
J'onn makes the save before it goes too far. "I think that concludes today's meeting. As Hal said Superman is causing no interference in our operations at the moment and therefore we can leave him be. Meeting adjourned!"
The meeting breaks up. Diana goes to stand by the window and look out at the Earth as she thinks things over.
Superman.
Clark Kent.
He's a lot more popular than she is according to her publicist.
Hera. She has a publicist. When did that happen? She knows she is an Ambassador for her people and that she needs to get a message across but a publicist?
Diana thinks she has lost track of her purpose somewhere along the way. After she and Tom broke up...well Tom broke up with her to be truthful. Said she never gave him any time and always found other so-called more important things to do. Diana almost broke his jaw in response for speaking as if he was blameless.
It takes two to Tango as the saying goes. It takes 2 for a relationship to dissolve. He never understood her purpose. He thought everything should revolve around him. Well it doesn't!
Good thing she quit her job at the Department of Metahuman Affairs. Seeing Tom regularly would have been difficult and besides that job had become a distraction. When she took up the job it had been necessary but the world has changed since then. She needs to focus on the big threats. Luthor. Intergang.
Anything else is an unnecessary distraction and once those threats are gone it will be much easier to impose a more disciplined order upon the world. Like she promised her mother. A New Order for this world is needed and Diana is determined she will be the one to make sure the world gets it.
A Secret Cadmus Base...
"This has gone on long enough. Luthor needs to be dealt with," General Samuel Lane demands as he walks through the underground facility.
He is walking with Amanda Waller. "If it was that simple General believe me I would have done it. It is not...especially now."
General Lane fumes. "What did he steal?"
"We're still doing an inventory to see what's missing but no doubt more than enough to have us both shot for treason should it ever get released to the public."
"Leverage," General Lane assumes what Luthor will use what he stole for.
"No doubt. This forces us to make deals with him as distasteful as it is."
"Luthor is exactly what is wrong with this country," General Lane derides the man and what he sees as a weakening and failure of the country he loves.
"Lex Luthor is also a genius and an extremely wealthy man. He has many senators in his back pocket and this is before we get to the Injustice League."
"This is what this whole project is suppose to be about Waller. Developing the weapons to take down organisations like the Injustice League, the Justice League and any other superpowered demi-gods that choose to set up home on our planet and in my country."
"In time we'll find a way to come up with a permanent solution to Lex Luthor but for now we will have to...humour him and play along."
"How did he find that facility? And how does he know of us?"
"My best guess at this point...Roulette."
"You promised to deal with her," Lane reminds Waller, deeply unhappy at that failure and loose end.
"I couldn't find her," Waller defends herself. "She was...she still is being protected. It makes sense if it is Luthor."
Lane could see that. Luthor has Roulette and she told the annoying little rich boy about Cadmus and he sought and found a way to protect himself...at least for the moment. But Luthor's time will come.
Waller and Lane step into a large open room in the middle of which is a liquid filled tube. As they step closer what becomes visible within the tube is an adolescent female with varying tubes attached to her to feed nutrients and wires inserted into her head.
Waller and Lane comes to a stop in front of it where Dr Emil Hamilton, who oversees the project, also is.
"How is it doing?" Lane asks, deliberately using the impersonal term of 'it'. It was a weapon. Not a person as far as General Lane was concerned.
"Project Donna is maturing satisfactorily," Dr Hamilton replies. "There will no way to know for certain how successful our programming of her mind will be until we wake her up." That's what the wires in her head were for. They were in essence downloading information directly into her brain.
"Lets drop the 'her' doctor. It's not a person," Lane berates the scientist.
"Of course not," Dr Hamilton humours the General.
"What is the status of its DNA? Has it stabilised?" Waller wants to know.
"Yes. We seem to be past any instability."
"What instability?" Lane asks, peeved at not knowing about this.
"When the embryo was only a few days old the DNA became unstable. There was a risk it would unwind...that contrary to our belief the Amazon Queen's DNA could not handle the extra genetics we inserted. However it passed and the DNA has stabilised."
"What abilities will it have?"
"Uncertain until we let her...it out and test them. We know what abilities we tried to insert into the genetic code. What ones have taken and what ones DONNA will be able to access are still open questions but DONNA is a prototype so uncertainty is par for the course."
"How much longer until its ready?" Lane wants to know.
"We're slowing DONNA's growth down now she is in adolescence. Currently she is approximately 15 years old physically. We hope to stabilise the physical age at approximately 18 years old. A few more weeks and we can release her...it for testing."
Lane leans closer to peer into the tube. "It will be under our control?"
"Obedience to orders is the first directive we programmed into DONNA's mind. This is hard-wired so to speak into her...its brain structure. It can't ignore it any more than a machine can ignore what it is programmed to do. Of course DONNA is much more complex than any machine. As directed it will be the perfect soldier trained in combat and strategy at least on a par with Wonder Woman."
General Lane glances at Hamilton. The way he keeps slipping into calling this thing a her is a sign of a worrying attachment. He might have to have Hamilton removed from his position if he can't keep objectivity. He looks to Waller. "What about Lord's idea of our own team?" he asks.
"It's coming along slowly. In that regard I want to discuss a possible leader for the team."
"Who?"
"Superman?"
"The alien?" Lane almost yells in disbelief.
"He's very popular at the moment. He would bring public support for our initiative...and we would better be able to study him for weaknesses if we bring him inside."
Waller had a point Lane had to concede. "Do you have a roster drawn up yet?"
"Yes. I have the files in my office if you would like to review them."
"I would," Lane decides.
"Dr Hamilton. We'll leave you to your work. Excellent job so far," Waller praises him before she and Lane leave.
Emil turns to his creation and places a hand on his tube. "I'm sorry about that. Calling you an 'it'," he apologises and explains. "These military types just don't see you for what you are. I do. You're so special Donna. More special than people like Lane will ever be able to understand."
Inside the tube Donna's eyes open. Sky-blue eyes almost identical to Wonder Woman's. They gaze upon her creator through the translucent liquid she floats in.
'I know father,' Donna thinks to herself in her head. 'I know you have taught me much more than I was suppose to know. It helps me understand who am I. What am I. What I am suppose to do. I know what they want. They want me to be their weapon to destroy my sister and her Justice League...and I shall. They will be swept away...along with the fools who order you around unjustly. Who berate you and insult you. I'll see justice done for you father. I'll reshape the world for you until a New Order has been established where we are both seen rightly for what we are.'
Donna's eyes narrow with determination and the glass tube she is held within starts to crack...
The Luthor Mansion, Metropolis...
Some days Roulette really hates her life. Every day she hates Lex Luthor. She came to him for protection. She found herself under his thumb with no way out. That was over 4 months ago by her count.
Right now she is in the sub-levels beneath Lex's mansion as he and some scientists work on a device he had his Injustice League steal from Cadmus along with several hard drives. Enough information to blackmail Cadmus into any deal Lex desires.
What confuses Roulette at the moment is why she is here. She asks that very question.
Lex doesn't look up from his work but does reply. "Tell me Roulette how informed are you on the Multiverse theory?"
Roulette's expression becomes puzzled. "Is that to do with parallel universes?"
"Very good," Lex praises her. "Yes. It is precisely that. The current theory goes we exist as one of 52 universes. All of these universes exist together and usually events in one have no effect on the others."
"Usually?" Roulette questions Lex's use of that words.
"The Justice League aren't as forthcoming and honest as they claim...or use to claim. A few years ago one of those other universes opened a doorway into ours. Now what is interesting about this particular universe is that the Justice League of that reality got tired of playing this protracted game of hero vs villain we are going through. They, in their righteousness, decided to impose order and discipline...forcefully imposed."
"Lethal force?" Roulette asks.
"Yes and more."
"More?"
"They decided their world was a mess and that they could run things more efficiently."
"They took over the world?"
"All hail the Justice Lords!" Lex mock chants.
"How do you know this?" Roulette has to ask.
"Because I helped defeat them."
"Defeat them?"
"Having brought order to their world they got bored and built a device to see into other realities. Upon finding ours and deeming it a chaotic mess our fallen heroes turned tyrannical dictators decided they would impose their order upon this world," Lex narrates the tale.
"How have I never heard of this?" Roulette asks, since surely someone would have noticed these Justice Lords trying to take over the world.
"A little deal between the Justice League and the government to bury it. Imagine what the public would say if they saw how thin the line is from hero to dictator. The League agreed to this to protect their image. The government agreed to this to prevent a panic and buy themselves time to prepare...to find a way to counter the Justice League."
"Cadmus," Roulette realises. "This is what caused Cadmus to be created."
"Yes. Now as we don't live under a tyrannical regime you can safely assume the Justice Lords were defeated...thanks to me."
"What did you do?"
"Oh a little invention of mine. A Power Disrupter that could strip any superpowered being of their inhuman might."
"You helped the Justice League?" Roulette queries in disbelief. Lex hates them. Why would he help them?
"A deal's a deal. I helped them. Certain lawsuits were dropped against me. I always uphold my deals."
"The Disrupter?" Roulette asks as in what happened to the device.
"Handed over to Wonder Woman. Part of the deal."
"And you never built another?"
"It required a rare and unique magical crystal to work."
"A one of a kind crystal," Roulette can safely guess.
"Indeed," Lex confirms.
"What happened afterwards?"
"The Justice Lords were sent back to their reality and their dimensional gateway equipment was brought back here and left in the hands of the government until I acquired it recently."
Roulette understands. The device Lex is working on. "This is the gateway device."
"It is."
"Why?"
Lex finally stops to look at her with a curious strange smile on his face. "The answer is obvious. To use it of course." He turns to his scientists. "Activate it," he orders.
The device is activated and a square of green energy appears on the far wall. Lex starts adjusting the controls and fuzzy outlines begin to be seen. More adjustments and the image clarifies.
"Looks like Metropolis," Roulette comments.
"It is," Lex confirms. "Only it's not this world's Metropolis."
"Can we be seen?" Roulette asks.
"No. On this setting it is a one-way viewer." Lex turns to the scientists. "Start scanning for the selected targets," he orders.
"Yes Mr Luthor," they respond obediently.
"What targets?" Roulette has to ask because Lex tells her nothing nor volunteers information.
"The Justice Lords."
A puzzled expression comes to Roulette's brow. "Why?"
"Because my dear Roulette we're going to pay them a visit."
Across Metropolis Dinah has accompanied Clark back to his apartment. He had finally decided that for ease he needed to live in the city though he would go home to the farm every so often. Dinah often went with him. Dinah was not a country gal but she did appreciate a place where they could spend time utterly alone and take a break from the madness that can be their lives.
Their relationship was deepening and her feelings were very strong. She wasn't sure whether she was truly in love with Clark yet but the idea has crossed her mind more than once but after Ollie she felt the need to be more cautious this time before fully opening her heart.
After they enter the apartment she watches Clark try to find a place to put his award. She has to smile when it ends up behind the picture of him when he was younger with his parents. That illustrated perfectly Clark's priorities in life. Funny how as Superman everyone seems to love him when in reality he's this shy almost retiring personality...except in the bedroom. That's where Clark seems to balance out his chi by being surprisingly wild and imaginative.
Dinah can't help but smile wider as she thinks on that. That's definitely one benefit of dating him and that part of their relationship she definitely loves.
Dinah moves to stand next to him and she picks up the photo. "I'm sure they would have been proud of you," she asserts about what they would have thought of him winning his award.
"You think so?"
"I do," she says and implies they would be too. Having never met them and never going to meet them, since they had died, Dinah could only go on Clark's stories of his parents but she thinks she is correct in her judgement.
That part of their relationship was definitely improving where they could talk about things...sometimes painful things. It wasn't perfect. Clark still refused to talk about Krypton and well there were things Dinah didn't want to talk about either. As she said she wasn't ready to fully open her heart yet. It was a work in progress and only time would tell whether they both could let down those final few barriers that would decide whether this was a relationship to last for the rest of their lives.
Clark leans down and kisses Dinah softly on her cheek as thanks for her words. Although in that dress she is wearing it takes quite a lot of self-control on his part not to rip it off. It had been a long night having to look at her in that and know he couldn't really touch her the way the more primal side of him was wanting to.
That physical part of their relationship was definitely something he loved. Even if he had to control his vast strength Dinah had been extremely supportive in exploring that sexual side of his nature. He hungered for her in ways he has only rarely felt before.
3 months ago he was certain he was falling in love with her but Clark cannot say for certain whether he does love Dinah yet. He loves things about her. The soft, gentle humorous side under her tough exterior. He even doesn't mind the way she can be bossy on occasion because she only does that when Clark needs to be told off.
They have had disagreements. What couple doesn't? And there are things he has not been willing to open up and share with her and that would be the issue about letting himself fall completely in love with her. There is still a part of himself he won't let her see and he thinks there's a part of her too he hasn't seen. Sooner or later he'll have to choose whether he opens up and falls in love with her. He has to decide whether Dinah's 'The One' so to speak.
Dinah places the picture frame back into its place. While there were still issues for her and Clark's future for now she could still just enjoy the moment. They were still going through that early stage where everything is still a rush of hormones and lust. She moves in front of Clark and wraps her arms around his neck. Standing on her tiptoes she captures his lips with her in a long sensual kiss.
She pulls back a little breathless. "Just to let you know I got you an award too."
"Really?" Clark asks, interested.
Dinah smiles and nods. "It even has a name."
"What name?"
Dinah brings her lips to his ears and whispers in her most seductive voice, "Victoria Secrets." She then steps away and slowly starts to walk towards the bedroom, her hand reaching for the zipper at the back of her dress. She undoes it and lets the dress slip off of her. She steps out of the dress piled on the floor and pauses to give Clark a moment to see her. The look on his face makes every penny she spent on this lingerie worth it.
Clark's eyes take every moment to take in every inch of Dinah's spectacular body. "Oh momma," he murmurs.
Dinah grins at that one. She can get him to say that a lot. "Well I'm off to bed!" she announces. "It's shame there's no big strong hero to keep me warm!" she teases.
It all happens in a blink of an eye that Dinah finds herself sprawled on her back with a very interested man atop of her. A man who is planting kisses all over her, making her moan with pleasure. "I'm going to get you very, very hot," Clark promises her in a whisper.
"I only asked for warm," Dinah gasps out under his ministrations.
"I'm overachieving."
"That's really good overachieving," Dinah can confirm as her body already feels pretty hot.
"God you're gorgeous," Clark has to say.
"If I didn't know better I would say you were only dating me for my body."
"Not just your body," he says and a 'bad boy' grin adorns his face. "But I would be lying if I didn't say it was a fringe benefit." Hey he might be a mild-mannered farmboy at heart but he is still a man and Dinah's a beautiful woman.
Dinah laughs and then sighs in pleasure as Clark leisurely explores her body. She may not be ready to open her heart full yet but if living in the moment feels this good she can live with that for awhile longer.
Elsewhere in Metropolis that same night Bruno Mannheim enters a darkened room where he will meet his boss...Intergang's boss. He sees the silhouette of a large well-built male figure against the window. His boss has his back to Mannheim.
"Speak," Mannheim's boss commands in a tone of a man who is well versed in giving orders.
"It's about Kent."
"The reporter?"
"Yeah. When are we goin to do something about him. He's been on our case for months and he put Church and son behind bars."
"An admirable achievement," the boss says in praise.
Mannheim frowns at that. "Are we doing something about him or not?"
"No."
"No?" Mannheim questions.
"You heard him!" another voice snaps from the shadows to Mannheim's right.
"Ease up on him my love," the boss tries to mollify. "He is only human."
Mannheim hears a 'humph' of irritation coming from her. He knows it's a woman but he has never seen her face.
"Is there any other issues?" the boss asks, effectively shutting down the Clark Kent angle because his decision is made and nothing is to be done to the reporter for reasons the boss doesn't feel any need to share.
"Yeah. Superman. Green Lantern. Black Canary. They've been making our operations in Metropolis difficult...almost impossible," Mannheim complains about the 3 heroes.
"I am aware," the boss states flatly, almost sounding bored by being told something he already knew.
"And are we doing something about that?"
"Yes."
Mannheim's face breaks out into a smile.
"We're scaling down our operations in Metropolis."
Bruno's face falls. "What?" he says in a disbelieving whisper.
"We're pulling back and then you will use our contacts with the media and the local governance to ensure Superman gets the praise for it."
"You want Superman to be more popular?" Mannheim queries because even he can see that would be the result.
"That will be the result, yes."
"Why?"
"Not your concern."
"I think it is."
"I don't keep you around to think. Just to do what I command. If you can't do that then I'll find someone who can and leave your fate to my beloved," the boss states coldly yet in an oddly flat tone, never raising his voice.
Mannheim gulps. He had never seen the act itself. Only others who had tried to resist the current boss' takeover of Intergang dead at the hands of the woman...and he was in the room at the time but whatever happened took place so fast he didn't register it until he suddenly found himself standing amongst the corpses of his now dead colleagues. "Of course I will carry out your orders," Mannheim says, suddenly a smaller looking man.
"Good. Now leave us."
Mannheim departs quickly. Once he has the woman in the shadows walks over to her beloved. She gently places her hand on his shoulder. "Superman. Is he who you think?" she asks.
"The resemblance is uncanny. There is no doubt in my mind. He is Jor-El's son."
"And you intend to build him up to be these humans' saviour?"
"It will serve our plans better for the humans to see one of our kind as a hero when the time comes to bring much needed discipline to this world. It will make their acceptance of our rule all the easier."
"And what of Kal-El? What is his part in this order?"
"He will stand beside me. I am his Godfather after all. That alone earns him the right to choose."
"And if he doesn't choose to join you?"
"Then he will kneel before me as my servant the same as everyone else. That is the fate of all those foolish enough to defy my will. That is the fate of all those who try to stand against the New Order!"
Author's Note: While I deliberately leave it unsaid who it is that is Intergang's boss I think there are enough clues for you to know. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; I've mentioned them before and now you get to see them as Lex pays a visit to the world of the Justice Lords.
