[??? POV]
He sat in his underground lab, surrounded by his team of scientists and engineers. He had just received a crucial piece of equipment for his latest project: a powerful energy source that would be the key component in his ultimate weapon.
He paid a lowlife thug a huge amount of cash to secure the necessary equipment he needed and he came through. His loyal secretary handled everything from the negotiations to the payments in a way that could never be traced back to me.
Prior to attaining this equipment which was an ongoing project at Ivo Laboratories and was to receive its finishing touches at Central City, his secretary had paid the same lowlife thug to get him a diamond which could be a game changer in he's arsenal. He had him steal the 'Khandaq Diamond', a vital part of his ongoing project. The security was top notch and yet he was successful at stealing it, he might be a lowly criminal but he was good at his job.
"At last," he said, a hint of triumph in his voice. "With this, my plan can finally come to fruition."
He stood up and walked over to the large blueprint that was spread out on the table in front of him. "Gentlemen, we have everything we need to build the most powerful weapon in the world. And with it, we will finally be able to take down our enemies, not even Superman would be able to stop us."
"I will make both Black Adam and Superman grovel at my feet in defeat. Superman had been my greatest foe for as long as I can remember, always intruding and intercepting my plans. While Black Adam had the guts to threaten me, to my face. Well no more because once I'm done with this project no one will be able to stop me. I don't care how long this project takes to be completed so long as it comes out perfect and without flaws,I will be unstoppable." He smiled as he relished in the thoughts of conquering the world and all his adversaries.
The scientists and engineers nodded in agreement, their faces alight with excitement and fear. They knew that their boss' plans were dangerous and ambitious, but they also knew that he was a genius and that his weapon would be unlike anything the world had ever seen.
"But we must move quickly," He continued. "We cannot allow anyone to stand in our way. We must work day and night to ensure that this weapon is completed as soon as possible."
The team got to work, assembling the various parts of the weapon with precision and skill. He watched with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that he was on the verge of achieving his ultimate goal.
He would show the world that he was the true master of power and control, and that no one, not even Superman, could stand in his way.
...
[Tom's POV]
I had been watching and observing superheroes and their sidekicks. Those kids have been blowing up lately as they were all over the news.
They show potential to become the next league, taking over the mantle of their predecessors. The heroes that everyone in this verse saw as their saviors are way more popular than even the president.
I won't be surprised if one of these sidekicks is a student at my school. Since coming to the DC verse, I was barely fazed by most things that had happened here as I had witnessed people doing the impossible and unbelievable stories take over the news.
Instead of me getting flustered or frightened by certain incidents, I got amused by them most times. I don't kow if I was slowly losing my sanity but I was starting to love this crazy verse, you never know what could happen the next minute.
Personally I think that superheroes are completely OP unlike their fictional counterparts in my previous verse, especially Superman.
The way he spoke to the media concerning events which led to the Justice League coming to the rescue. He had the aura and the confidence, the charisma of a leader. Even through the news his presence was quite intimidating, if he was a super villain he would have been a major headache for the world.
But still I wasn't a fan, heroes try too hard to be perfect in the eyes of the public. They always want to be painted as saints but I wish they would just be real with the world most times, like Batman.
He doesn't have anything to prove to Gotham and just does what he does best. Which was kicking ass, keeping the city safe, while failing good at it, and changing sidekicks like his parental issues made him unable to keep one for a long while. Especially after they clock 18 to 20, that's when they usually decide to rebel a little and choose to stand on their own two feet.
I don't blame them though, the Batman isn't an ideal father or guardian figure but he trained them well. He prepared them for anything and any kind of situation they might find themselves in, or so I think from the stories I heard from my best friend and the few cartoons we watched along with comics.
That was the basic knowledge I had about Batman aside from how smart he is, I think he is too smart for a human and too strong with hyper reflexes for an athlete.
The reports of incidents on the news which involved Batman were horrifying ones. The thought of him just being human and is able to fight godlike beings if allowed enough time for preparation often amused me.
The Green Lantern was rarely on the news unless the Justice League were being honored or celebrated. My guess was that he was often off-world. But a footage of him fighting a criminal leaked some time ago, I have to say having the powers to bring one's imagination into reality is a very terrifying power to be bestowed on a human. He would have to be well disciplined so as not be tempted to do certain things.
Wonder Woman was indeed a beauty, her gorgeousness was stunning as could be. Her warrior princess aura was always around her each time I caught a glimpse of her on the news.
Honestly I don't have an issue with anyone or hate any member of the Justice League, but I really hope they don't get in the way of any operation which involves me. Who knows what would happen if they caught me especially since I was now a criminal mastermind, either I get arrested or I would need to fight so I could escape.
Everyone has a dark side and so do heroes, they are just so good at concealing that aspect of themselves from the public.
...
I didn't really know much about the City's hero and I would like to know about his endeavors first hand. So I decided to visit The Flash Museum, take a tour and get to have a better understanding about the speedster.
I walked calmly down the street towards The Flash Museum. I was a bit of a Flash fan, I think the Justice League aren't as strong as they think without him involved. He had saved the world several times with that speed and IQ of he's. It must be cool having the power of a speedster, the electrifying feeling of the speed force and lightning which flowed through his cells all through his entire body.
As I approached the building, I could see the iconic lightning bolt logo emblazoned on the front. I took a deep breath and walked inside.
The Flash Museum was a place of awe and wonder for the speedster known as Flash. The Museum was packed with fans of all ages, all eager to catch a glimpse of the Flash's suit, weapons, and memorabilia. I was greeted by a friendly tour guide who was supposed to lead us through the exhibits.
While the crowd followed the tour guide as he led us to a section of the Museum, I talked for a while as they walked forward with me standing and everyone got in front of me.
"Time to ditch the crowd."
I was amazed by the attention to detail in each exhibit. I saw The Flash's original suit, complete with scarlet boots and yellow lightning bolts. But currently the boots are gold and has a lightning bolt symbol on it, which is definitely a reference to his superhuman speed.
I walked into the newspaper and magazine room of The Flash Museum, and I was immediately struck by the vast amount of information that was on display. The room was filled with shelves upon shelves of newspapers and magazines, each one dedicated to the legacy of speedsters.
As I left the newspaper and magazine room, I felt a sense of inspiration and wonder. I think that was why most people in the City are fanboys of the hero. But nah, not me.
I have to admit, I was very impressed by the Museum's security system. The security measures that were used at the Museum were surveillance cameras, motion sensors and alarm lasers. The alarm lasers were around the exhilaration case and prevented people from getting too close or touching the glass, because it would attract security and that person might be asked to leave due to suspicion.
As the tour came to an end, I had to regroup with the crowd so my absence from them wouldn't be noticed by the tour guide.
I got to most parts of the Museum even before they were there and I entered sections the tour guide did not take the rest of. Considering the fact that security did not come for me each time I crossed the doors with motion sensors every time I entered a section, then that must mean they weren't off limits but just not included in that day's tour.
I was given the opportunity to take a photo with a replica of The Flash's suit. Most people would get all jumpy and excited for it but not me. Nope definitely not me, I respectfully declined the offer, I called a taxi and headed home.
After a few months of hitting the gym to get some workouts in. At first, he had only been going for light workouts, but as the days went by, Tom had noticed significant changes in his body. His arms were starting to look more defined, and his chest was starting to look bigger. He could even see the beginnings of a six-pack starting to form on his stomach.
He was ecstatic about the changes he was seeing in his body. As he looked at himself in the mirror after a workout, he couldn't help but feel proud of the progress he had made in such a short amount of time. He knew that there was still a long way to go, but he just wanted to get in shape and not pursue the physique of a bodybuilder.
He resumed his daily activities once more, he would often have classes during the day and then head straight to his shift at the bar in the evening. The bar was located in a bustling area of the city, surrounded by shops and restaurants. It was a popular spot for both locals and tourists alike.
His shift was adjusted and now started at around 5pm unlike when it was previously 4pm, and he would be in charge of tending the bar, taking orders, and serving drinks. The bar had a wide selection of beers, wines and cocktails, and he had to know how to make them all, especially the ones with names that didn't make any sense. He had to be quick on his feet, multitasking and making sure that all the customers were well taken care of.
On a typical night, he would be greeted by the usual suspects, the regular customers who would come in for a drink and a chat after work so they could let off some steam. He would remember their names, their favorite drinks and would often join in on the conversations when he had to.
As the night progressed, the bar would start to fill up with people looking for a good time, people in search of a way to forget their sorrows temporarily or wish to drink off the day's fatigue.
The music would get louder, the laughter would get louder and the atmosphere would become electric. He would work tirelessly, mixing drinks, taking orders, and making sure that everyone was having a good time.
Yes he had more than enough money and didn't need the job or the unnecessary stress as he now had another which paid better and all that was needed for now was his brain, but he does it because it might be his alibi someday when he becomes a suspect regarding a criminal case. After all, he had stepped into the world of criminals.
He had been wondering when Leo would bring another job his way which needed his expertise, in order to become the perfect criminal mastermind he needed to learn how the criminal underground works. Leo had been educating him slowly and teaching him the kind of jobs to accept and the ones to decline. The type of people he could do jobs with and the ones to avoid because some might be undercover cops. He needed to learn how to read people even when they try to put up a front and working at a bar was really helping him do so.
Despite the chaos, he loved the energy of the bar on the weekends. He enjoyed the music, the laughter, and the buzz of conversation. He felt like he was part of something special, a carefree community which he had never experienced before and it gladdened him. He was proud to be a part of it and would protect that lifestyle so if he ever got compromised, the bar wouldn't be affected. Maybe the people had really grown on him, for a selfish person to start caring for others other than himself was a real surprise to him.
On weeknights, the bar would be less crowded, and he would have a little more time to breathe. He would take a little longer on each order, and he would chat with the customers a little more which helped him become a little more sociable with strangers. He would often spend his breaks sitting at the bar, talking to the regulars and catching up on their lives. Everyone knows that's basically what bartenders do aside from serving or mixing drinks. He was never bored each time he was there at the bar and when a person enjoys their job as much as he did, it longer becomes a job but just plainly how he spent his evenings and while being paid for it.
One of his regular customers was an older man named Henry. Henry was a retired businessman who came to the bar every weeknight for a drink and a chat. Tom and Henry had become friends over the months, and Tom looked forward to Henry's visits. Henry would tell him stories about his life and his travels, and Tom would listen in awe. Getting to learn how life in the DC verse was from other people's perspectives other than his own,and damn it was a hell of a mess.
Everyone is looking over their shoulders not knowing when the aliens might decide to attack again or when a villain might just decide to go on a psychotic killing spree for personal reasons.
At the end of the night, Tom would often be exhausted but content. He had earned his pay, he had learnt something new from a stranger, and he had fun. He walked in the direction of his home, his pockets full of tips, and his head full of the memories from that night with the customers. Even though he knew that he would do it all again tomorrow, he still tries to live in the moment.
…
The next day started like any other day, only that it was a rainy day, the cold wind blew through the air as it had Tom wanting to go back to sleep. But he needed to get up, it was another day he had set aside to explore his powers a little more and see what he was capable of.
He did his morning workouts which just consisted of push ups and sit-ups, with a little arm coils with his dumbbells.
Tom walked down to his basement which he had turned into his training ground. The deflective field which he was able to activate both consciously and unconsciously he wanted to know if he could manipulate its form and learn how to do so.
Since it was a solid field which did not allow any foreign thing that might cause him harm come through it, he thought about controlling and focusing it around a region of his body.
He knew his deflective field was still too weak to stop a bullet without proper concentration, so he thought of focusing it around a particular region of his body so he could easily focus on the density of the field and manage to stop a bullet until he was strong enough to do it casually.
He took a firm stance in the middle of the basement then closed his eyes to focus on his will and materialize what he had in mind.
He produced the field around him but it just surrounded him and did not go to the region he envisioned it. Tom then stretched out his right hand and clenched his fist. He closed his eyes again and imagined the field like wind gathering around his fist in a circular motion, like an orb but with his fist within it.
He suddenly opened his eyes to look at his fist but could not see the field but he could feel it, Tom then tried to key into the feeling it gave him and pushed a little further.
His right arm was completely immersed in the field and he could feel just how well protected that arm was but how vulnerable he had left other parts of the body. He increased the density of the field as he focused on it like a transparent body shield no one could see not even him, at least not yet anyway as he only had the feel for it.
As he successfully increase the density of the field around his arm, he walked over to a wall and decided to test just how firm it was. Fully confident in his own resolve, he took a solid stance then used all his might to punch a side of the basement wall as it left little cracks stretching across it and without it having any form of contact with his skin.
It was as though it modified the strength in that arm too but that wasn't the case, it was a strength which was a result of both the speed and magnitude directed towards the wall. It was a product of his ability as a vector manipulator but he wasn't quite aware of the yet.
Surprised at the spark of progress he made with his powers his jaw dropped in awe of the brute strength he just unleashed, he decided to test its durability considering that it was taking a lot of focus to the keep the field that dense and also to keep it around that arm region.
He needed to train some more so he could focus the field around a particular region on the body and also to make it dense with just a thought or subconsciously. The strength which came along when he punched the wall felt strange and he intended to pay more attention to it so he could know exactly why his punch was that heavy, he knew he wasn't as strong as that physically or had a monstrous strength.