Chapter 41: Injustice For All
In an abandoned warehouse in Central City, Sam Scudder was making some modifications to his Mirror Master suit in preparation for the next time he and his cohorts entered battle. As he continued working, he heard the door to the warehouse opening behind him, causing him to immediately turn with his light gun.
"There's no need for that," a female voice called out from the shadows by the door. "I'm not here to fight."
"Then why are you here?" Sam asked.
"To offer you a job." The woman stepped out of the shadows, revealing herself to be Mercy Graves, Luthor's driver and right hand woman. "My employer has need of someone with your skillset."
"And just who is this employer?"
"All in due time. First I need to know if you're going to take the job."
"Depends," he lowered the gun, propping it on his shoulder. "What do I get for my services?"
"A very large sum of money, and a chance to destroy the Justice League."
"... I'm in."
…
Meanwhile at Strykers Island, John Corbin was laying on his bunk in Strykers, attempting to sleep as his cellmate watched TV on the Public Broadcasting Service. Said cellmate was a massive, Albino Gorilla with an abnormally large skull. This was the Ultra-Humanite, and despite his brutish appearance, he was a very cultured soul with a love for classical arts. Unfortunately, his current obsession was on traditional opera music, much to Corbin's dismay.
"Will you turn that noise off?!" he yelled. "Some of us are trying to sleep here!"
"Considering your time in the medical wing, I figured you would enjoy a bit of music," Humanite replied. "It can be quite the soothing balm for any mental ailments that may still be affecting you after such a prolonged time in the realm of Morpheus."
"The only thing that would 'sooth my mental ailments' would be some peace and quiet."
Just then, the signal cut out, the screen turning to snow before being replaced with an image of Lex Luthor.
"So sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled program Humanite, but I need to talk to my associate."
Humanite sighed, turning to Corbin.
"It's for you."
"Luthor," Corbin greeted curtly.
"Hello, John. I trust you've been treated well during your stay."
"I guess, though I wish I had been given a different cellmate."
"They believed having someone more civilized share a cell with you would be in your best interest, given you were only recently released from the medical wing," Humanite reminded him.
"Doesn't sound like anything a little freedom wouldn't cure. I have a job for you."
"To get out of this dump? I'm in."
"Excellent. How about you Humanite? I could use a… 'man' with your skills. I'll even make it worth your while."
"Oh please," Humanite replied. "What would I need with money?"
"Everyone needs money. The only question is… how much?"
The TV then fizzled back to normal, showing the end credits of Humanite's show. He noticed a small banner on the bottom, asking for donations to keep the show going. His eyes narrowed, then he turned to Corbin.
"I see no reason to turn down Lex's generous offer. What say you?"
"I'm in."
…
On the outskirts of Coast City, Sinestro was surveying the area, trying to find Hal Jordan. As his yellow ring scanned the city, a sudden sonic pulse rang across the sky, making him cry out in pain as his eardrums rang. He dropped to the ground hard, clenching his ears in pain. As he did, feminine, cat-like legs came into view as a clawed hand carefully removed Sinestro's power ring.
"What?!" Sinestro let out, getting to his feet as his uniform faded away. "Who dares?!"
He looked over to see Cheetah, holding a sonic gun in one hand and Sinestro's power ring in the other.
"Seems Luthor was right. Break your focus and removing this ring is quite simple. Hard to believe all that power is in such a tiny thing."
She slid it onto her finger, admiring it like it was a diamond ring.
"You would be wise to return that, creature," Sinestro threatened.
"I will, once you hear what I have to say. I have a proposition, courtesy of Lex Luthor."
"You speak that name as if it's supposed to mean something."
"True. I suppose to an alien like yourself, the name means nothing. However, to us earthlings, he's one of the most powerful and influential people on the planet. He wants to offer you what you want more than anything."
"And what pray tell might that be?"
"The head of Green Lantern." Cheetah removed the ring, tossing it back to Sinestro. "Interested?"
Sinestro held out his hand and allowed the ring to slide back onto his finger, restoring his power.
"Actually… yes."
…
Back at Strykers, Corbin and Humanite were in the midst of plotting their escape.
"Are you ready for this?" Humanite asked. "I warn you, it will not be pleasant."
"I've been hurt worse. Just do it already."
"Very well."
Humanite then grabbed Corbin by his shirt, slamming him hard into the bunk and onto the ground.
"Help!" Humanite called out. "My cellmate's taken a turn for the worst! Please, hurry!"
His pleas reached the ears of two guards, who came rushing towards the cell. The second they opened the door and ran inside, Humanite grabbed them, slamming them into each other and knocking them out. He then turned back to Corbin, helping him up.
"I do hope I didn't hurt you too badly."
"You kidding? I didn't feel a thing."
With that, the two bolted out of the cell, making their way towards the nearest exit.
…
Once word got out that they had escaped, the whole prison went on high alert. Alarms started sounding as spotlights shined everywhere. The two fugitives hugged the wall, looking around for an escape route. Thinking fast, Humanite grabbed Corbin and flung him onto his back, beginning to scale the wall. As he did, several guards took notice and opened fire on them, but Humanite managed to outswing the shots. Finally reaching the top, the two leapt over the side and onto the ground below.
"Luthor went to all the trouble of contacting us for this job," Humanite commented. "The least he could've done was provide us a means of escape."
Corbin looked at the pier, noticing a small motor boat bobbing in the water.
"There!"
Humanite took a look, nodded, then the two rushed over to it. Once at the boat, Corbin dropped off Humanite's back and took the controls as Humanite got the engine started.
"Now to leave this repulsive prison before any capes come looking for us," the ape declared.
"Couldn't agree more," Corbin concurred, steering the boat away from the prison.
…
Flying overhead, Superman had heard the sound of the sirens and was moving to try and help. As he flew in close, he saw a small boat skidding along the water, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the two figures on board. He swooped down, landing in front of the boat and stopping it with his foot.
"I do believe you gentlemen are heading in the wrong direction."
"Superman!" Corbin let out. "Just the hero I wanted to kill."
"I'm afraid that's not gonna happen today."
Superman moved to grab Corbin, but Corbin ducked out of the way, punching Superman as hard as he could. Shockingly, the punch actually managed to hurt Superman, while Corbin just looked at his fist in surprise.
"Huh. Couldn't do that before."
"Take it in stride, my friend," Humanite replied. "Right now, we need to put a great deal of distance between us and him."
"Right."
The boat continued driving off as Superman tumbled through the air. Shaking his head in pain, Superman darted towards then, grabbing the rear end of the boat. As Superman tried lifting the boat out of the water, Corbin turned towards him, growling angrily as a strange green light began to emit from his chest.
"Let go!"
He threw another punch at Superman, this time sending him flying. Corbin looked down at his fist in astonishment before noting the green light in his chest. He yanked his shirt up, shocked to see a large chunk of Kryptonite embedded in his chest, some of his skin having been burned away to reveal it, as well as a metallic structure all around it. Humanite took a look, his eyes going wide.
"I'm starting to see why you spent so much time in the medical center," the ape remarked.
Corbin just remained speechless as they drove forward. Back with Superman, he managed to pull himself out of the water before activating his communicator.
"Superman to Justice League. Two criminals just escaped from Strykers Island. Ultra-Humanite, and John Corbin."
…
Once the two made it to shore, they frantically made their way through the city, avoiding the police as best they could.
"We're not gonna get far with the police after us," Corbin noted.
"Found this on the boat," Humanite informed, handing him a package. "It said it was for emergencies."
Corbin unwrapped it, seeing that it was a small explosive device. Smirking, Corbin activated it and tossed it towards a nearby apartment complex. It went off with a massive bang, the mercenary smirking as he straightened up.
"That should keep the capes occupied."
The two then took off down the alley, leaving the burning building behind. As people began piling out of the building in a panic, the Batmobile came rounding the corner during Batman's search for the fugitives. Bringing the car to a stop, Batman leapt out and looked up at the burning wreck, spying a little girl in the top window.
"Daddy, help!" she called out, coughing on the smoke.
"I need back up," Batman called in. "Fast!"
Batman quickly pulled out a grapnel and shot it upwards, allowing him to zip up to the top window. He swung inside, plowing through some burning timbers as he looked around for the little girl. He spotted her cowering in the corner, prompting him to walk over to her.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"I'm scared...: she told him as he picked her up.
"Don't be. Everythings gonna be alright."
He turned and ran towards the widow, but some falling timbers landed right in front of them, blocking their exit. Looking around for other options, he ran over to the door to the apartment and kicked it open. He quickly made a beeline towards the stairs, running down them as fast as he could. Before he could get to the first floor, the stairs crumbled into rubble beneath them, threatening to drop the pair. Batman tried to double back, but the stairs they had traveled down had also collapsed due to the flames.
Batman slowly backed into the corner, holding the girl as tight as he could. Finally, the step he was on gave out, prompting Batman to reach out and grab onto the corner. It gave out to, causing Batman and the girl to plummet towards the fire. Before the two were engulfed by the fire, Wonder Woman came crashing through the wall and diving towards them, grabbing Batman by the hand and pulling him and the girl out.
"You really should watch where you step," she joked.
She flew the two of them outside and set Batman gently on the ground so he could place the girl on the ground.
"Trina!" a man called out, running towards her.
"Daddy!"
The girl ran right into her dad's arms and hugged intensely. Wonder Woman smiled at the sight, placing a hand on Batman's shoulder.
"I trust you are alright," Wonder Woman guessed.
"Just not used to being saved."
"Well, knowing you, it won't be the last time I have to pull you out of a fire."
Batman just cocked an eyebrow as Superman, GL, and Flash came up.
"Any sign of Corbin and Humanite?" Batman asked.
"Trails gone cold," Superman admitted.
"Doubt we're gonna find any sign of them tonight," Flash added.
"Hey, no big. it's just one guy and a super ape," GL remarked. "How much trouble can they give us?"
"Famous last words..." Batman muttered.
…
Across town at an abandoned Lexcorp warehouse, Cheetah and Sinestro approached the building and entered through the main doors.
"This is where 'the most powerful and influential person on the planet' has elected to hold this affair?" Sinestro sneered. "Color me unimpressed."
"This is just where I was told to go when I found you," Cheetah remarked. "It's not my fault he has such crap taste in venues."
"On the contrary," Mirror Master spoke up, walking out of the shadows, "this place is about what I would expect from a meeting like this."
"And you are?" Sinestro asked.
"Call me Mirror Master. I was hired, the same as you, though I must say, the alien is an unexpected surprise. Considering our employer's history with a certain alien, one would think he would avoid extraterrestrial life like the plague."
"Well this 'alien' could crush you with a thought," Sinestro threatened, holding his ring hand up.
Just then, an energy blast shot between them, causing them to look over and see Black Manta standing in the corner.
"Now, now," he insisted, smoke rising from the lenses of his helmet. "We're all here for the same thing, so let's try and save the murderous impulses for our respective enemies."
"Fair enough," Mirror Master allowed. "We're all adults here. There's no need for hostility."
Just then, some drops of green liquid dropped from the ceiling and onto the ground. Everyone looked up, seeing a creature that looked like a humanoid snake clinging to the rafters. He was wearing copper-plated armor and had a snake-like jaw and a serpentine tongue. He dropped down with merely a hiss as he straightened up.
"Well, you're an interesting character," Mirror Master remarked. "Don't think I've heard of someone like you."
"Name's Copperhead. I don't like to advertise." He then caught a glimpse of Cheetah, eying her up and down. "Although… I would be willing to make an exception."
"Watch it, this kitty has claws," Cheetah warned, extending her claws in warning.
"Feisty. I think I'm gonna like it here."
Cheetah just growled in response. It was then that Humanite and Corbin made their entrances, the latter looking around in rage.
"Where's Luthor?!" he demanded.
"He's yet to arrive," Mirror Master informed.
"I need to see him! I need to know what he did to me!"
"I seriously doubt it could be that bad," Cheetah remarked.
Corbin turned to her, then wordlessly ripped off his shirt, showing off the kryptonite in his chest and the metal protruding from his skin.
"You were saying?"
"... alright, that's pretty bad."
Humanite placed a large hand on Corbin's shoulder.
"We'll get to the bottom of your condition, my friend. I assure you."
"Thank you…" Corbin let out, patting Humanite's hand.
"Now that you've gotten all acquainted," Everyone suddenly looked up and saw Lex Luthor and Mercy Graves standing on a catwalk above them, the former addressing them all. "I think it's time to get down to business."
"Luthor!" Corbin called out. "What did you do to me?!"
"Ah, Mr. Corbin. I see you've noticed your augmentations."
"You mean turning me into some kind of metal monster with a glowing rock in my chest?!"
"That 'glowing rock' is Kryptonite, Superman's one weakness. More than that, it was essential to saving your life. You have to realize that had I not done what I did, you would not have lived to see another day."
Corbin paused for a moment, pondering what Luthor had said.
"Now, returning to the matter at hand, I assume you're all wondering why I've called you here."
"We know you want the Justice League dead," Manta replied. "Question is, why?"
"Multiple reasons. Most notably I run a massive criminal empire, and they stand the risk of destroying that. I'm simply protecting my assets."
"While I want the Green Lantern dead I don't see why I should subject myself to your orders to do it," Sinestro commented.
"You need your yellow energy weapon repaired, yes?"
"And you think you can do that?"
"He repaired my suit," Manta informed, "which is based off of advanced Atlantean tech."
"Exactly," Luthor replied. "If I can do that for him, imagine what I can do for you."
Sinestro pondered for a moment, genuinely seeing the value of Luthor's offer.
"And what about the rest of us?" Cheetah questioned.
"All of you will be rewarded handsomely, after you've killed the Justice League."
"You think this lot stands a chance?" Humanite questioned. "While I'm not familiar with everyone here, I am aware they've all tried to kill one or more leaguers at some point, and have failed. What makes you think this will fare any differently?"
"They've lacked proper guidance," Luthor answered. "Something I can provide. As well as a plan."
…
Sometime later on the Watchtower, Batman was monitoring communication signals while Flash and GL talked.
"Between Aquaman's hydrokinesis and my wind funnels, we had those flames out before the firemen even stepped off their trucks," Flash boasted.
"Wow. that's pretty fast," GL quipped.
"Hey, fastest man alive, remember?"
"Kinda makes me feel bad for Iris then."
Flash then did a double take in response.
"What?! I don't… I mean we haven't-"
"Quiet," Batman insisted.
Batman turned up the volume on his computer, playing a news broadcast as GL and Flash ran up.
"For those of us just joining us, a daring hostage situation has taken place at the Metropolis Federal building. The supervillain known as the Ultra-Humanite has taken reportedly, a dozen hostages, and is refusing to speak with negotiators. The result of a sick laboratory experiment gone wrong, the Ultra-Humanite is a mad genius who authorities believe to be extremely dangerous."
"No big, right?" Batman remarked.
"Point taken," GL conceded.
"I'll tell the others," Flash volunteered before speeding off.
…
Outside the Federal building, dozens of police and SWAT personnel were stationed outside. Humanite was barely standing in the doorway with a red headed woman wearing a trenchcoat in his arms.
"Humanite!" Chief Sawyer called out. "Let a hostage go, and I'll give you one of my men in return!"
"What do you take me for?! A troglodyte?!" Humanite snapped, aiming a high-powered rifle out at the SWAT team. "No deal!"
"Get ready," Maggie ordered as the SWAT units aimed their weapons.
Just then, Humanite's gun was shot out of his hand by a beam of green energy, revealed to belong to Green Lantern.
"Drop the weapon, Magilla."
Before Humanite could respond, Superman flew in and plowed right into Humanite, knocking him into the building and causing him to drop the hostage. Batman then dropped down to check on her as GL flew up.
"Look for other hostages," Batman instructed.
GL nodded before flying inside, passing Superman duking it out with Humanite.
"You're safe now," Batman reassured, helping the woman to her feet.
"But you're not."
The woman, shedding her trenchcoat and revealing herself to be Cheetah, snapped around towards Batman and slashed at her with her claws. She got him across the chest, tearing through the emblem on his chest. The attack managed to get GL's attention, distracting him long enough so he could take an energy blast from the back from Black Manta. Meanwhile, Superman continued wailing on Humanite, suddenly beginning to feel weaker.
"What… what is…"
"That would be me."
Superman turned to see Corbin walking towards him, his shirt open and the Kryptonite in his chest exposed. He then socked Superman across the face, knocking him back. Both Humanite and Corbin stood over him in malicious delight.
Batman meanwhile, continued dodging the claw strikes of Cheetah. He backflipped away from her, only to narrowly avoid getting attacked from behind by Copperhead. He grabbed him by the head and flipped him over, prompting him to spin midair and land on his feet.
"Long time no see, Batman," Copperhead greeted.
"Copperhead. What are you doing here? You never do anything unless there's money to be made."
"Turns out there's plenty of money in murder. Especially when its yours."
Copperhead then opened his mouth and shot out corrosive acid from his fangs. Batman leapt back, barely dodging the acid as it hit the floor. Back with Superman, Humanite managed to restrain him as Corbin continued wailing on him. As he did so, J'onn phased up from the floor and grabbed his fist, punching him across the face. Before Humanite could react, Cyborg Boom Tubed in and tackled Humanite, knocking him to the ground.
"Thanks for the assist," Superman commended.
"Hey, what's the point of being a Superman if you can't have Super Friends?" Cyborg remarked.
Back with Batman, he braced himself as Cheetah dove at him, prompting him to dodge as Copperhead shot out his tail towards him. Before it connected, Flash sped up and grabbed it, spinning him around before tossing him aside.
"Nice try," He remarked.
Cheetah snarled before leaping at them, suddenly being snagged by Wonder Woman's lasso.
"Let me go!" Cheetah demanded.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Minerva," Wonder Woman told her. "Why are you even here?"
"To kill you, Diana. What else?"
Copperhead started pulling himself up and prepared to strike, but was blasted away by Aquaman's trident.
"Yeah, that ain't gonna happen," He quipped. "Sorry I'm late."
"Don't sweat it," Flash reassured. "This will all be over soon."
Suddenly, Flash was blasted in the back by a yellow energy beam.
"Flash!" Batman let out.
"That's what you think," Sinestroo remarked as he lowered himself down, forming a hammer that slammed Wonder Woman to the ground, releasing Cheetah.
Aquaman tried blasting at him, but Sinestro created an energy barrier to block the blast. Batman ran towards Wonder Woman, but was cut off when Mirror Master suddenly appeared in front of him. He pulled out a batarang and threw it at him, causing him to shatter. Suddenly two more Mirror Masters appeared from behind, prompting him to leap out of the way of their blasts.
"You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?" they said at the same time.
"It's an ambush!" Flash realized, picking himself up off the ground.
Sinestro quickly tried to blast him, but he sped out of the way at the last minute. Slowly picking herself up after the blow she took, Wonder Woman flew up towards Sinestro and uppercutted him. He spun backwards through the air before leveling out and blasting at her with his ring. She used her bracelets to block the blasts as the two flew through the air.
Back on the ground, Black Manta leapt down from his ledge and blasted at Cyborg, causing him to skid across the floor. He was forced to take a knee as Manta came up, extending a blade from his arm. Cyborg quickly rolled out of the way before the blade hit him, much to Manta's annoyance.
"Your tenacity is admirable, boy," Manta told him. "But it only prolongs the inevitable."
"Yeesh, you bad guys get your dialogue from the same book or something?" Cyborg quipped, readying his arm cannon and firing.
Manta fired his own laser blast at the same time, causing the two beams to collide with each other. Meanwhile, J'onn was in the midst of battling with Ultra-Humanite, trading blow for blow with each other.
"What do you have to gain from this?" the Martian questioned. "You do not seem like one who seeks vengeance on us."
"It's nothing personal Martian," Humanite promised. "It's just business.
Humanite then punched J'onn into a wall, causing him to groan in response.
"So be it," J'onn declared, sprouting two other arms that shot out to grab Humanite's hands and knees before slamming him into another wall.
Meanwhile, Corbin made his way back towards Superman, delivering one punch after another.
"What… happened to you…?" Superman tried to ask.
"You happened to me, Superman! It was either this, or death!"
"I… never meant…"
"It's too late for that," Corbin replied, grabbing Superman by the collar. "You turned me into a monster. And now, I'm gonna kill you.
Before Corbin could deliver the blow, a blast from Aquaman's trident sent him flying back. Corbin collided with a nearby pillar that collapsed on top of him as Aquaman made his way over to Superman.
"Hey, you ok?" He asked, helping Superman up.
"I think so." He looked over at where Corbin had hit, his eyes going wide. "Great Rao..."
The blast not only tore through his shirt, but the skin of his upper torso as well. Instead of bone and muscle however, the two Leaguers saw a metallic skeleton with the Kryptonite chunk still firmly planted in his chest. Corbin looked down at his hands, seeing that they, as well as the rest of him, was made of metal. His hands then went to his face, which was half gone thanks to the blast and replaced with a metal skull.
"No… No, no, NO!"
Enraged, he tore the rest of his face off and charged at Superman, tackling him to the ground. Aquaman tried to move in and stop him, but Cheetah suddenly pounced on him, pinning him to the ground. She started clawing at Aquaman, forcing him to grab her by the wrists.
"And this is why I'm a dog person."
Aquaman then kicked Cheetah off, the woman landing on her feet and hissing.
With Batman, he found himself under fire from Mirror Masters doubles, prompting him to keep leaping and dodging around the blasts they were shooting. Batman quickly pulled out several batarangs and threw them at the doubles, shattering them to pieces. As Batman took a moment to catch his breath, he was unaware of Copperhead sneaking up on him, sinking his fangs into the dark knight's shoulder. Batman cried out in pain as he wrestled with Copperhead, trying to pry him off. Finally, Green Lantern flew up and blasted Copperhead off of him, knocking him to the ground.
"Bats, you alright?" GL asked.
"I'll be fine," Batman reassured. "Get them!"
GL nodded before flying back into the battle. The fight continued, with both villains and heroes both fighting vigorously against each other, but neither side coming out on top. Off to the side, the original Mirror Master was keeping a look out outside, seeing that the police were getting ready to storm the place.
"We've got trouble!" Mirror Master called out. "The cops are getting ready to bust in."
"We're not getting pair to fight cops," Humanite reasoned. "Perhaps we should make our exit."
"Retreat?!" Sinestro scoffed. "When we're on the verge of triumph?!"
"It's either that or prison," Manta reasoned. "Your choice.
Reluctantly, Sinestro used his ring to snatch up the villains and flew upwards, bursting through the roof just as the police arrived.
"Where'd they go?" Sawyer asked.
"They… got away," Aquaman admitted.
"Not everyone," Flash spoke up, speeding over to the unconscious Copperhead. "We've got one of them."
Superman then looked around, seeing Batman's unmoving body on the ground. He quickly flew towards him and turned him over, seeing that he was burning up from the venom.
"But they got one of us…"
…
Later, the team returned to the Watchtower where Superman and J'onn quickly got Batman to the med bay. They introduced anti-toxins to him, which were thankfully available due to foresight on Bat's part.
"How's he doing?" Superman asked.
"He is surprisingly resilient. Any normal human would have succumbed immediately."
"He's Batman. I don't think he even knows how to be normal."
Batman groaned before opening his eyes.
"How ya doin?" Superman asked.
"What happened to Corbin and the others?" Batman inquired, getting to the point.
"They got away," J'onn answered. "All but Copperhead."
"I'm heading to Strykers to interrogate him," Superman added. "Maybe he can provide insight into Corbin's new metal frame."
"I'll come with you," Batman decided, attempting to stand while grunting the entire time.
"No way," Superman protested. "That venom almost killed you."
"So?"
"So, you're staying here."
Batman gave the Man of Steel one of his patented glares, but Superman remained unfazed. He just turned and walked out of the room, leaving J'onn and Batman alone. Batman just tore out his IV and got up off the bed, walking out in a huff. J'onn just followed after.
…
Batman made his way to the main computer and began doing some research on the group they'd fought. As he pulled up records, money transactions and known hangouts, J'onn came in behind him.
"You should be resting," J'onn insisted, getting no response from Batman. "I know this must be hard for you, feeling vulnerable. You're the only one of us without special powers. But you don't have to prove yourself. You're a valued member of this team and we're only trying to-"
Batman suddenly stood up, facing J'onn.
"I'm taking the shuttle," he declared. "Unless you want to try and stop me."
J'onn offered no resistance, merely stepping aside so Batman could exit.
…
Back in the warehouse, all of the villains were licking their wounds. Corbin was sitting on a crate as Humanite looked him over, trying to figure out the full extent of his transformation.
"Fascinating," Humanite marveled. "It seems that somehow, your consciousness was transferred into a metallic shell powered by your Kryptonite chunk. At least now we know why you could not feel pain. You can't feel… anything anymore."
"You mean I'll never be able to taste, smell, or touch… anything?!"
Humanite gave a sympathetic nod, placing a hand on Corbin's shoulder.
"I know a fraction of what you are going through. When I lost my original body, I was beside myself. Even now, I still rage at the ones who trapped me in this barbaric form. I at least still maintain my senses. You… I would not wish such a fate on even my worst enemy. You have my sincerest sympathies."
Corbin looked up at Humanite, looking devastated and pissed. Still, he did not turn his rage on his companion.
"That was humiliating!" Sinestro voiced. "We nearly had them in our grasp, but you fools chose to run away!"
"Hey, yellow man!" Mirror Master snapped. "We were outnumbered, and outflanked. A retreat was the best strategy available to us. We're lucky they only managed to snag Copperhead."
"If I had my say, we would've fought until the last man!"
"But you didn't," Manta chimed in. "and for all our sakes, I'm glad."
"Only question is, what now?" Cheetah wondered.
"Now, we reevaluate our options," Luthor suggested as he entered the room. "I must admit, I'm a little disappointed as to how things turned out, especially considering the loss of Copperhead."
Overwhelmed with anger, Corbin shot towards Lex and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air. Mercy drew her gun and aimed it at him, but Corbin just sneered.
"Go ahead and waste your bullets. I won't feel it, will I Luthor?"
"I'm… afraid not. You're living Metallo now. A nye indestructible metal that can withstand anything."
"And denies me any feelings at all!"
"There is a slight… numbness, but I am working on it. We will find a way for you to feel again, but I need time."
"You turned me into a monster Luthor!"
"I did what I had to so I could save your life! If you want someone to blame, then blame Superman! He's the one who broke you!"
Humanite's eyes narrowed, sensing the manipulation tactic immediately. Reluctantly, Corbin set Luthor back on the ground, releasing his grip on him.
"If you think what you did to Corbin was a good thing, then you're crazy, Luthor," Cheetah remarked coldly.
Just then, the doors were kicked open, prompting everyone to turn to the entrance.
"And what's wrong with that?" the Joker of all people remarked as he shuffled inside. "It's done wonders for me."
Everyone instantly recoiled at the sight of the murderous clown. Luthor stiffened as well, Mercy turning her gun on Joker.
"Take one more step and I drop you here and now, she warned."
Joker responded by spraying acid from his flower at her. She stepped back, but it got on her gun, and her gloves. She instantly dropped the gun and tore the gloves off before they could do any major damage to her hands.
"I believe I have the floor," Joker remarked. "And honestly Lexie, is that any way to treat an old friend."
Lex just growled.
"You attempted to destroy my company, kill my driver, and myself. How did you even survive that crash?"
"You're kidding right? I've been blown up, shot at, dropped down smoke stacks, fed to sharks. I'm the Joker! I always survive. Besides Lex, you need me."
"Like I need skin grafts."
"I would have said hair implants, but that's neither here nor there. Besides, I have one skill that none of these second rate nitwits will never have."
"And what might that be?"
Joker then moved behind Cheetah and wrapped his arm around her, pulling something off her neck.
"I know how the Bat thinks," Joker remarked, holding up a tracking device Batman had planted on Cheetah during the fight.
Lex saw this and began smirking.
…
Sometime later, Batman had found the warehouse and slowly lowered himself in via a grapnel. Once he was inside, he pulled out a device that was pinpointing the trackers location. He followed it as it lead him to a catwalk, looking down at the villains sitting around a table playing cards.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Cheetah wondered.
"Patience, my dear," Manta reassured. "It won't be long now."
Batman narrowed his eyes, slowly pulling out a batarang and getting ready to leap down. Before he could get the chance, Joker snuck up behind him and smacked him upside the head with a bag of rocks. Batman was knocked to the ground, crashing into the villains card table before falling unconscious. The villains all looked over the fallen hero as Joker emptied out his back, all the while letting out one of his famous, demented laughs.