[02nd October 2010]
[Bunker F-23G beneath Torres Farmstead, State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico]
He frowned ever so faintly as the mixed footage of the various camera feeds and data analysis continued to flow by as the other members of the Light discussed the matter. For the moment he ignored the idle chattering of these insects focusing instead upon the combat performance of the Kobra-Venom enhanced plants, and more problematically of those that had defeated their pawns the so-called 'Injustice League'.
Barely useful pawns at that it appeared as the combination of children and the American military of all things; a surprise as those drug-addled degenerates had never truly recovered from their humbling in Asia all those decades ago. And yet again the foot soldiers of these mysterious others had appeared once again. Perhaps it should have been expected on his part...
But his League had taken dreadfully losses of late and his great intellect had been distracted handling such minor inconveniences as the loss of Infinity Island and the public humiliation of his assassins in Taipei. Or since then the apparent subversion of Cheshire, almost immediately after her disappearance at that; the mind control of his new foes at work he expected. Luthor would pay for that someday humiliation in his request for a public show. It had been a mistake perhaps to allow himself to be tricked into agreeing to it.
"Joker, Atomic Skull and Ultra-Humanite are dead. Wotan's apparently a statue. Poison Ivy appears to have vanished, and of the remainder, Black Adam and Count Vertigo have been taken into custody. Despite the swift defeat of our pawns, I believe we should view this operation as an overall success. The Justice League believe they had defeated any threat of an alliance of individuals like ourselves with the destruction of the Injustice League, and I believe this would definitely count as a successful field of our research into combining Kobra-Venom with enhanced plant-based life-forms"
Luthor listed off and Ra's glanced at him as did the others while he brought up the more detailed analytics of the data on the plants in the various cities. It had been unfortunate that they had to rely on hidden data collection Ra's found, but that was the price for creating a front organisation without revealing their own influence behind it. In many ways the deaths were absolutely ideal for ensuring that there were as few loose ends to this operation as was feasible.
Wotan, after all, had tried to kill the whole damned planet a mere few months ago and was to be trusted as much as that damned Clown; at least now he would not have to invest time or resources in getting the others to let him deal with them. Because how could save the Earth itself and frolic with the happy fluffy bunnies if some wizard lunatic kill the sun!
'And how could Ra's Al Ghul build a perfect utopia of happy bunnies, pretty flowers, dancing bears and glorious manly camels to fruition without the smiling sun in the sky above!' he mentally groused 'why you couldn't do it at all!'
"Mon ami, would one know what has occurred with le femme Poi-s-ion Ivey? Or with mon ami of the noble blood of Vlat-av-a" the Brain queried rolling forward in his mechanical brain-walker. And interesting, albeit flawed and inefficient, attempt at immortality Ra's would admit. In the end no one could be as pure and blessed with god like intellect as he himself was, so the foolishness of others could be forgiven with their inferior minds attempts at their version. Imitation was the surest form of flattery as the saying went.
"Poison Ivy was last reported clashing with, and being defeated by, a nature elemental according to what records we have pulled from the Arkansas National Guard's communications. Indications are that she is still alive and being judged in some manner" Luthor answered the Brain's question hands behind his back and but a nod in the direction of the data-stream upon that situation in the corner of one of screens to the right of him. There would be many hours ahead of them attempting to study all the raw data they had managed to accumulate Ra's knew all too well.
"Ugh, those old boring whiners in their glorious..." the child appearing creature known as Klarion's voice took on the tones of a whiny child "...Parliament of Trees. Wise and All Knowing unlike all the meatbags or evil mean-bad chaos lords; blah, blah, blah, plants rule..." it went back to the more normal, but still as grating, child-like tones the creature used "...ugh. We won't be seeing the plant-lady again, or if we do she'll be all boring and normal again. Boo to that!"
"Indeed Klarion, in matters of magic we shall take your understanding of the matter as paramount..." Luthor nodded politely at the creature before continuing on "...as to Werner Vertigo, currently he is being held in custody by elements of the US military and the Central Intelligence Agency. But I have been informed he shall be freed due to his diplomatic immunity as a member of the Vlatavan nobility"
Ra's frowned ever so faintly and glanced at Luthor "You have used your influence so brazenly? They would seem unlike you Luthor?"
"Hmpt. Hardly..." was the reply from the bald youngster who thought himself far above the station in life he had been set "...in fact I've had to do nothing on the matter. President Rickard is a firm believer in redemption, forgiveness, and avoiding angering foreign nations...even virtually powerless ones like Vlatava. He, and many of his allies in Congress, are also complete imbeciles. So when the Count's people demanded him back mere hours after the incident they had agreed to releasing Vertigo"
Luthor actually gave a faint smile "I would remind all present that this is man who appointed his mother as Vice President and friend who talks to small furry animals as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We just need to just sit back and let nature take its course where it comes to him, and those of his ilk in the Senate and Congress"
"The leaders of you surface dwellers are worse than even I feared..." Ocean Master almost sneered "...still their warriors inferred against our pawns hand in hand with the children. Someone at least is showing dangerous amounts of initiative it seems"
"Yes, and I do believe it has something to the whispers of this mysterious grouping we have heard rumours of, and whose foot soldiers we have clashed with..." Ra's stated bringing the small tablet device up before him and bringing up some of the relevant information the League of Shadows on their new foes "...former Warden Waller of Belle Reve was clearly in charge of the operation. The children of the Justice League were present but clearly under control..." he brought up two images "...and yet again these magicians turn up in battle. Very soon after Waller had vanished off to London with her top aides"
"Hmmm. Yes that is curious in of itself; the Belle Reve operation was a failure in many ways even if we did manage to extract Mr. Nigma successfully. But I find it rather curious that Amanda Waller of all people offered no resistance to her removal and replacement as Warden by our servant Strange. It was almost as the situation was treated as an excuse to remove her from the public role in Belle Reve and into another...which we have seen here have we not" the ancient Savage mused eyes tracking the information. Another immortal such as himself, but merely an imbecile who'd stumbled upon some magic or natural element through sheer luck. At least over his many centuries alive he'd learned some things and was almost intelligent enough to deal with Ra's on his level. Almost.
"I would have to agree with Mr. Savage on this matter. It is curious" Ra's stressed carefully bringing up what information that upon recent events "Very curious is it not? She does not resist what we had orchestrated but instead is almost eager to be gone. Then, mere weeks later is leading an anti-meta human taskforce in conjunction with known agents of this Dark, and with as Klarion here has confirmed with a champion of yet another outside entity. We have information on this Swamp Thing...and it does not intervene in matters such as this, at least outside of its stronghold, without significant reason. Which attacking the cities of humanity would not normally count as one to such a creature"
Of course wiping out those cities would in fact have been something that Ra's would have thought he and such an elemental would have something of common interest in. Humanity had proliferated too much upon the beautiful jewel it had been gifted, like rats infesting a granary, and now the population needed to be culled to bring balance back to that perfect system that had existed in his youth. If only those fools back had understood the greatness of his younger self...
The sudden strengthening of such flawed ruler-ships that existed in this terrible age was not what he (and his associates too he supposed) would desire to occur now as their plan started to truly develop to fruition. Shattering such flawed things would necessary so that he and allies could re-mold the world into a better place and take their rightful place at the helm of the great ship of a newer, better, humanity. Such a humanity that could frolic happily under his glorious and enlightened rule as he led them into the stars, and the bright and shining future beyond.
Savage hummed in thought a moment but shook his head "I don't believe our presence is known to whatever group this is. These clashes could as easily be explained as schemes of ours clashing with theirs; Waller was merely seeking a means to remover herself from Belle Reve...and we merely present an opportunity to be exploited. Ra's your League has clashed with their foot soldiers over interests we ourselves were targeting such as in Santa Prisca and Rhelasia..."
He shrugged "Our pawns have most likely accidentally blundered upon something of importance by their attacks and triggered this response. We do not have enough information as it stands to be able to judge as to what might be the cause. Gathering more information then must be our goal in regards whatever those in London and Washington who have allied are planning. Our own are progressing well as is, and there is little need to endanger them by seeking a battle with others attempting to stay within the shadows as well"
'Easy for you to say you old fool' Ra's resisted saying as while Savage had most likely taken damage from what happened after Santa Prisca had not been major it seemed. Unlike he himself who had suffered blow after blow in recent months. If only he could convince the Detective of the righteous of his cause! Then he get him to take Talia to bed and make her useful in some manner by producing the ultimate heir! One who wouldn't be a failure like the rest of Ra's worthless offspring had proven to be!
The Queen of Biayla gave a noncommittal gesture with her right hand "There seems little special here, we seek out for more information on whatever group this Waller, our friend on Santa Prisca, and these magician minions here, all are members of. If we are too aggressive we merely undo what we have managed to do just now in hiding our existence from the Justice League with these particular fools. We proceed as we have planned and consider this test a success"
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