[Lex Luthor's POV]
Lex strolled through his opulent bar, scrutinizing each bottle with a critical eye. Everything had proceeded flawlessly, without a hint of a hitch. He felt that a special drink was in order to pre-celebrate his diabolical success.
Mercy reclined on the other side of the bar, her gaze fixed on him as she rested against the counter. "Come on, Lex," she coaxed, her voice dripping with intrigue. "I know you had something to do with the president's demise. I'm just curious about how you executed it and managed to erase every trace of evidence."
Lex's lips curled into a sly smile as he reached for a bottle, carefully inspecting its label. "Try to guess, my dear Mercy." He taunted.
"I can't," she pouted. "Ever since you gained the ability to implant thoughts and manipulate minds to do your bidding, I've been kept in the dark about certain matters."
"I may have been keeping a few secrets lately, but the thrill of revealing them in due time is part of the fun," Lex replied cryptically. "As for the president, I had a special pawn take care of him."
"A special pawn? Superman?" Mercy asked, her curiosity piqued.
Lex chuckled softly. "Yes, I simply planted the idea of assassinating the president, making him believe it was an act of his own free will. I laced that thought with both anger and sadness, emotions that would drive him to take action to soothe his troubled mind."
"In that case," Mercy pondered, "one of those emotions must have been triggered, and being that you programmed the thought, it activated the command. Making him a perfect puppet, and you the brilliant puppeteer."
"Something like that," Lex confirmed.
He signaled his butler, who promptly approached the bar. "How may I assist you, Master Luthor?" the butler inquired with a respectful bow.
"Fetch me a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino from the wine cellar," Lex commanded, a gleam of anticipation in his eyes. "It's the perfect wine to complement this presidential feeling I have right now." A smug smile creeped across his lips as he turned his gaze towards Mercy.
"Of course, Master Luthor," the butler replied before making his way to fulfill the request.
"I heard they discovered that a section of the security footage from the presidential office was mysteriously missing," Mercy added, her eyes fixed on Lex, knowing her boss was definitely the mastermind behind it all.
Lex moved around the counter, taking a seat next to her with a mischievous grin. "I have eyes and ears everywhere. I simply issued a command to a discreet agent in the White House surveillance room to erase the footage the moment the president's demise was confirmed. He left no trace, but not before sending me a copy of Superman plunging his fist through the previous president's chest."
"As requested Master Luthor, here's the wine." His butler returned with a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino, he opened it and poured a drink for both Lex and mercy.
"Cheers to my impending presidency and my complete control over these oblivious fools," Lex declared, raising his glass. Mercy clinked her glass with his as they both savored the drink. "I already control both the men and women in Congress, and nothing stands in my way of becoming the next president," Lex boasted, his laughter taking on a sinister edge.
"What about Gorilla Grodd? The last time I saw him in one of your labs he was left in an unconscious state and things strapped to bis head, almost as if they were extracting his psychic prowess." Mercy asked as she took a sip of wine from her glass.
"It is exactly as you said, my dear Mercy. Grodd was a loose end who could be used to bring my plans to a halt before it came to fruition." He took a sip from his drink as he continued. "I had to tie up that loose end by keeping him where he would be under twenty four hours surveillance, in a vegetative state of course." He put an end to that topic as they both took the last sip of wine from their glasses.
His butler refilled their glasses as Lex continued to outline his plans to seize control of the Justice League Watchtower, in order to expand his psychic dominion over the world, unopposed. But he did so without going into Indepth detail or telling how he was going to go about it.
…
[Jason Todd's POV]
"Come on, kid, let's get moving," Leo and I were set to rendezvous with the other Outlaws at a building not far from our target, Black Mask.
Upon reaching the rooftop, it appeared empty—just the two of us. "Looks like we're early for the party," I remarked.
"No, kid, we're right on time," Leo countered, pointing to another building. I expected some dramatic entrance, but nothing happened. "Great, not only are we early, you're getting delusional," I grumbled.
"Take another look, kid." Suddenly, a metallic clunk echoed on the rooftop, and I saw Deathstroke gracefully descend, his grapple gun effortlessly in hand. He landed with a roll and stood tall.
"You're shorter than I imagined," he quipped, scanning me from my mask to my boots.
"I could say the same about you, stone-faced," I replied, confronting the formidable mercenary who'd given heroes headaches for years. Now I found myself on the same side rather than fighting against him, how ironic.
"What's up, boys?" We all turned as another voice sounded behind us, though it was just Deathstroke and me now; Leo was casually perched on the rooftop's edge.
"Dude, where'd you come from?" I asked Deadshot, taken aback.
"From the door that leads to the roof, of course. I don't always have to ninja my way around," Deadshot replied, his presence almost as elusive as the legends, the Man Who Never Miss.
"I see the gang's all here," Deadshot noted, glancing around. "So, what's the plan to take down this guy? I hear the boss wants us to put on quite a show."
"We're still missing one," Deathstroke said, checking his weaponry as he prepared to move out. "No way, Ace is joining us too?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course he is," Deathstroke affirmed. "He's just running late. If he doesn't show up in a minute, we'll proceed without him."
"We should wait for him; he's a valuable asset." I insisted, mainly because I wanted the chance to finally meet him.
"Don't worry; I have a feeling he's already here," Leo chimed in.
"Really?" I asked, intrigued.
"Don't go ratting me out so quickly, Captain Cold," Ace's voice came from above, and we watched him slowly descend to our level.
"Quite the crew of masked individuals we have," Ace remarked, observing the scene. "You're one to talk," Deadshot sarcastically retorted. Being surrounded by villains and working with them was something I thought impossible. If my younger self could see me now, he'd be disappointed. But what does he know anyway?
"Listen up," Deathstroke commanded, drawing our attention. "Red Hood and Captain Cold will cover the ground floor and work their way up. Ace and I will take the middle section and head to the top. Deadshot, you stay here and cover the roof. Shoot down any incoming helicopters; Kill the pilot if you have to."
"Roger that," Deadshot acknowledged, setting up his sniper gear.
"Everyone else, move out," Deathstroke ordered, and we dispersed to our assigned positions.
Deathstroke leaped off the rooftop, expertly shooting his grapple gun to the adjacent building and zipping through the air to crash into the middle floors through the now broken window.
"Jump," Ace instructed Leo and I. I exchanged puzzled glances with Leo who just said, "you heard the man, jump kid." He said as we backed up a few steps then leaped off the rooftop. In mid-air, our decent got slowed and we landed gracefully on the ground, rolling to absorb the impact.
I looked up to see Ace floating in sky, no doubt it was him. He gave a casual salute before flying into the building from a floor above Deathstroke's initial entry, while Leo and I were left to tackle the ground floor.
I doubt it would be a long night. Although I was initially against criminal activities until I became Red Hood, now I could finally let loose and rid this city of scums like Black Mask and his crew.
Black Mask's blood-curdling scream echoed through the room as he watched the severed head thud against the cold, grimy floor. He couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "This guy's got more screws loose than a broken-down machine. Ghost keeps company like this?"
Ace, cool and collected, cast a calculating gaze over the three remaining thugs. He relished the thought of giving them a slow and brutal demise right before their boss's eyes. As he prepared to move toward his next victim, a sudden sound pierced the tense air – a sharp "ZEEEEEN."
The noise came from the door, which promptly disintegrated as a figure clad in a sleek green tech suit strode into the room. Black Mask's relief was palpable as he exclaimed, "What took you so long?"
"Sorry, boss," the man in the tech suit replied, "It took us a while to gear up, but we're here now." Ace, still scrutinizing the newcomer's gear, couldn't help but ask, "Did you say 'we'?" His curiosity piqued as he wondered if this man had some sort of split personality or they had more company in tech suits.
"Yeah, the others are taking care of your colleagues as we speak," the tech-suited figure replied.
Ace smirked, "Really now? I suppose I'll have to finish this up before they arrive. I doubt your men pose any threat to them." Of course they didn't, Deathstroke would use them as play things while Captain Cold and Red Hood would form a tag team against them, kind of like a brawl but with tech and advanced weaponry.
Black Mask, growing impatient, yelled, "Stop indulging him and just kill him already!" He dashed toward the newly created exit, followed by his two henchmen who sought security but were, in reality, fleeing for their lives.
Ace swiftly blocked their escape route, but the tech-suited man effortlessly cut through the sealed entrance with a plasma blade. Black Mask and his henchmen bolted for the exit, and Ace lamented, "Look what you did – you let them escape. No matter, I'll deal with you and then hunt down Black Mask myself. It'll make this boring evening a bit more entertaining."
"You'd be long dead before then, fella. I'll kill you and collect that bounty of yours, my suit could use an upgrade." He said with a smudged look on his face as he prepared to attack Ace.
Ace assessed the man in the tech suit's gear, clearly unimpressed. "You think you can collect my bounty and upgrade your suit? You'll be regretting those words soon."
The tech-suited adversary charged at Ace, causing the ground to crater beneath his feet, but Ace remained unmoved. In a split second, the assailant was sent crashing into a wall without Ace lifting a finger. Groaning, he pulled himself up, finally grasping the extent of Ace's strength.
"What was that?" he stammered, acknowledging Ace's superior power.
Ace chuckled, "If I told you, it wouldn't be any fun, now would it?"
Undeterred, the tech-suited man declared. "I don't care how strong you are, I'll defeat you and collect your bounty. Don't worry, I'll put it to good use."
Ace's retort was confident, "Like I said, you'll be eating those words soon. And why the fuck are you so fixated on my bounty money?" He faced the oncoming assault as his adversary's plasma blade extended ominously.
As the showdown continued, Ace's mind began to strategize. He deduced that Black Mask would likely attempt to escape to the rooftop, given the commotion on the lower floors. Red Hood had disabled the elevators, forcing Black Mask to take the stairs. Ace took a moment to transmute the stairs, making the ascent a treacherous slop.
Ace was pulled from his thoughts when the plasma blade came perilously close to his head. With a swift move, he dodged the attack and increased his pace. Ace seized an opportunity, thrusting his hand into the chest of the tech-suited foe.
"This is the end for you, Sparky," Ace taunted. "Relying on a suit with such a vulnerable weakness – you're weak."
A look of terror washed over the tech-suited man as he struggled, seemingly stuck and unable to move within the suit. Ace didn't waste a moment. With a sinister smile hidden beneath his mask, he increased the electric current in the suit way beyond safety levels, electrocuting his foe in the process.
"Fighting weaklings is becoming tiresome," Ace mused. "Maybe I'll get the chance to face someone like Superman or Black Adam soon. Let's finish this so I can return to my work as an Architect."
Ace exited the office, heading toward the rooftop's door as he slowly hunted Black Mask.
…
[Black Mask's POV]
Falcone had warned me not to provoke the sleeping beast, but I had ignored his advice. I harbored ambitions of seizing Ghost's criminal empire and territory, believing him weak for remaining in the shadows. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Ghost had retaliated by sending formidable mercenaries and criminals after me for a minor disruption to his protected businesses. Now, I was hunted by this unhinged maniac.
Climbing the sloppy staircase with my remaining henchmen, we reached the rooftop. "Defend the door," I ordered them. "Just in case we're pursued." They complied, their guns trained on the exit.
I gazed skyward, praying the chopper would arrive in time. The sound of gunshots jolted me from my thoughts.
"AHHHHH!" My men cried out in pain. I turned to see them injured, the very ones who had fired the shots. To my dismay, Ace appeared through the door, and dread washed over me. All I could do was open fire, even though I knew bullets were useless against him.
Ace moved closer, taunting me with his slow, deliberate steps. My escape options dwindled, the rooftop my last resort. As I reached the edge, I spotted my salvation – my chopper descending, but something was amiss. It spiraled out of control, its pilot already dead, and headed straight for Ace.
"This might be my lucky day," I thought, hoping the out-of-control helicopter would be my savior.
Ace, however, didn't flinch. He raised his hand, halting the chopper mid-air with its blades still spinning. It was a surreal sight, defying reality. In a cruel twist, he snatched one of my men, raising him toward the deadly blades, and gruesomely severed him.
The screams of my henchman and the horrifying spectacle sent shivers down my spine. I knew there was no escape from the doom I had recklessly brought upon myself. If only I hadn't let my pride and greed lead me to cross paths with Ghost.
"I am sorry… Is that what you want to hear?" I stammered, falling to my knees. Ace paid me no mind and advanced toward my injured henchman, defenseless on the ground.
Desperation drove me to draw a pistol, firing two shots. But, in an instant, agony coursed through my shoulders, my hands immobilized. I couldn't comprehend what had happened.
"Is this your idea of an apology?" Ace mocked. "Smart move trying to lower my guard, but you picked the wrong person."
I remained on my feet as Ace took a call, uttering only "status report" and "Okay, I'm just finishing up here, get the horse ready."
"Horse? Ready for what?" I wondered.
With an eerie focus, Ace tossed my surviving henchman toward me, who had managed to stop his bleeding. Ace then placed his gloved hand on the rooftop's floor for ten seconds before abruptly lifting us into the air. The building collapsed beneath us, but we hovered – a horrifying spectacle of destruction.
"Time for your death sentence Black Mask," Ace declared. "Your subordinate will bear witness, and then I'll end him too. I want one of your people to witness your demise."
Ace carried us through the sky to a remote location within Gotham City. Fear gripped me as I realized that only a miracle could save me from this dire predicament I had foolishly brought upon myself.
Want more chapters? Kindly visit my to read ahead./Maverick_DaSupreme