87 Chapter 81: Deal with the devil
"Talking"
'Thinking'
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Bar 'Lux', Los Angeles, USA, June 15, 22:13, 2017
In a private room, in Lucifer's 'Lux' bar, the group of heroes, plus the charismatic Lucifer, were gathered. The atmosphere was tense, because Lucifer had dropped a bombshell on them.
In order for him to help them, they had to give something in return. A quasi-equivalent deal that would grant him permission to use his enormous and almost omnipotent powers.
As he had mentioned it himself. Despite having immense power, to the point where erasing those barriers in Xanadu's mind would be as easy as blinking, he could not do it of his own free will, as his father forbade him to use his powers in favor of a universal side.
That is, using his powers to help the group of heroes without asking for anything in return could be misinterpreted as favoritism, and thus, he would be penalized. Sad. But such was the reality for this fallen angel who liked to enjoy pleasure.
He even greatly restricted his power by being here. This 'human' version that he showed to everyone was a version that harbored a very, very small part of his power. The power to draw out people's deepest 'desires' being his most distinctive and powerful power. If he wanted to know someone's desires, there would be no being that could oppose him.
At this point, Lucifer had requested to meet them in a more private setting. That was in order for them to have a more pleasant conversation, away from the din of the electronic music and the shouting of the men asking for a private dance for themselves.
The private room they were in, in fact, looked very similar to the room where Lucifer had first spoken to Edgar in the Oblivion bar.
A private room with some large, comfortable armchairs. A beverage bar with several chilled bottles of the most expensive brands. And with an atmosphere, quiet and calm compared to the atmosphere outside, it made people feel comfortable and relaxed. In short, the perfect room for meetings or chats with friends.
Lucifer sensed the tension in the atmosphere. So he got up and opened a couple of bottles of champagne, and poured a glass for each person. With a smile, he said.
"Guys, relax, you are very tense. This is just a simple conversation. Not a meeting to decide the fate of the world. Here, drink this. It's great, I promise. Word of the devil"
The group finally breathed. Edgar, Clark, Diana and Xanadu finally let out a long, drawn out sigh they didn't know they were holding. The group's shoulders became relaxed, as they took a sip of the drink offered by Lucifer. As they took the drink, there were surprises in the group.
"This..."
"This is Delicious!"
"Very good champagne. It has a sweet touch, but without being cloying"
But the most surprised of all was Clark, who had been surprised by something else.
"No way..." Clark's eyes opened wide in surprise as he sipped the drink. With much surprise in his voice, he said. "This drink is making me dizzy... It's... IT'S GREAT!"
Clark looked like a child at this point. His joy was palpable to the group as he was thrilled that this drink was making him dizzy.
And that's because, for the Kryptonian, this was new. A new sensation he thought he would NEVER experience in his life. For the first time in his life, he had found a drink that could make him drunk, something that, for him, under normal circumstances could not happen.
His great regenerative and cellular factor, given to him by the yellow sun, practically made his metabolism so accelerated and healthy, that Clark could not even think about getting sick. At least not from known human diseases. But also, this factor protected him from harmful substances to his body.
Drugs. Alcoholic beverages. Any substance that is harmful to the human upon entering his system, for Superman, these didn't even work a little bit. As soon as they entered his system, they would be 'cleansed' and 'removed' immediately.
Before, when protecting his identity, he pretended to be a bad drinker. This was the main excuse for not drinking alcohol at meetings or parties. Many even considered him old-fashioned or prudish for refusing to drink.
But in truth, it was because he was bored with simply drinking and having to pretend to get drunk. Besides, having ultra-developed pupils made even the lowest amount of alcoholic drink taste like pure ethyl alcohol to him. Simply put, to him, alcohol was not tasty. There were many better drinks to his taste.
But this drink... this drink was perfect. It was sweet. It didn't give him a burning in his throat. It tasted like alcohol, but without being strong. Just a light touch that gave hints that the drink did indeed have alcohol in it. Clark, frankly, was impressed. And that dizziness, that slight lightheadedness he was beginning to feel, made him feel… human.
Lucifer, seeing this Boy Scout's joy, said to him.
"I know how you feel right now, my friend. For me, like you, the thought of getting drunk is the stuff of dreams. Something impossible to achieve. At least with known alcohol. This drink is special. Of my authorship. A special drink to dizzy beings with an immune system that does not allow them, under normal circumstances, to get drunk" Lucifer took the bottle, and showed it to the group.
There Clark could see that the bottle had a rather fancy label with the name 'Devilish', which was the brand name of that bottle. Lucifer continued with his explanation.
"As you see. It is of my authorship. Devilish is my personal brand of drinks. Tequila, Whiskey, Rum, and Champagne. Unfortunately, this bottle is going to make you dizzy, yes, but it's not going to get you drunk. Quickly your system will eliminate the dizziness in your body. I do it this way because we are in a meeting. I prefer these conversations to be done...with more awake senses. I just gave them to you, to relax you"
Clark was a little disappointed by this. He was about to say something, but before he spoke, Lucifer interrupted him with a smile.
"BUT. I can sell you a batch of assorted drinks to take with you leaving here. Drinks that I'm sure will do the job of getting you drunk. I must warn you though. Ordinary humans can drink the beverages, but they have to take them in controlled doses or could be detrimental to their health"
"I understand that, Mr. Lucifer. And I would like to buy you a couple of champagnes. Perhaps for a future special occasion" Superman said, thanking Lucifer. Edgar also said.
"I'll take a batch too. These drinks are just as tasty as the ones I tried at the Oblivion Bar. Or what do you say, Diana. Wouldn't you like to have these drinks in the house?"
"They are very tasty. I also want several batches for my sisters in Themyscira. They always complain that I never bring them souvenirs on my semi-annual visits"
Lucifer smiled in amusement at these conversations. He raised his hand, and interrupted the conversation. "Please call me, Luci. And don't worry. We'll eventually make deals on how many drinks you're going to take. At this point, it's best if we get into the more... pressing conversation at hand. Let's talk about your request"
Finally, the cheerful, relaxed atmosphere changed to a serious one. It even seemed that the lighting seemed to become dimmer to give a more professional atmosphere in the room. The air even seemed to change. Everyone straightened up and became serious.
"Look, a while back I had a conversation with Edgar. He, at that time, had asked me for help. Help that I refused, not because I didn't want to, because believe me, the help he asked me for was in common interests, but because I could not. My hands are tied. And they remain so at this moment, unless..."
"Unless we make a deal to use your power" Diana concluded.
"Ding, ding, ding. Exactly, Princess" Lucifer turned to look at Edgar and said, "Beautiful, smart and strong. I don't know why you didn't put the ring on her finger, Edgar"
These words took Edgar by surprise, which made him almost spit out his drink and cough uncontrollably. Diana was no better, for she turned red with embarrassment. Her cheeks burned and one could have sworn that a little smoke came out of her ears in a cartoonish manner. Though perhaps this was mere wishful thinking.
"I...I...I didn't-"
"Hahahaha, your faces. Sorry, I just don't like serious conversations. And I felt this was getting too serious. It was just a question to lighten the mood, relax. Although I would like to be invited to the wedding when it happens if I'm honest. But okay, let's move on"
Lucifer picked up his drink and took a good sip of it which made him moisten his throat which was dry.
"As I was saying, a deal is needed. And one that's flashy. One that is lucrative enough for me to wield my power without consequence. That's the rule for me to help you"
"We can give you money. Well, not me, but a friend-" Clark offered, but was interrupted by Lucifer.
"I'm not interested in all the money Bruce Wayne can give me. Money I can get and easily in legal or illegal ways. I have business ALL over the world. Businesses that even you can't imagine are mine. Money, it's just something interesting for YOU beings who want to feel powerful by buying all the luxuries in your small and ephemeral life. No, I don't want money"
"What do you want in return?" finally asked Edgar. Lots of options. Many proposals. But in the end, Lucifer was the only one who could decide what he wanted. It was best if he simply said so. Lucifer, however, did not answer. Instead he approached Xanadu and looked at her carefully.
Nimue was unnerved by this, but it was not the first time she had been in the presence of powerful beings, so she controlled her nervousness and adjusted her demeanor to a real behavior.
Behavior that her husband had taught her to attend meetings in the court of the kingdom in ancient Camelot. Behavior that pleasantly surprised Lucifer who nodded in satisfaction. Looking at her carefully, he was surprised.
"I see...I see...interesting. I see the wheels of fate are turning. Everything is beginning to change... that era has already begun..."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Nimue doubtfully.
"Nothing, nothing. Ramblings of mine" Lucifer dismissed it with a simple wave of his hand and continued. "Well, Miss Nimue. There are two options. The first option is to remove the barriers and slowly let your mind begin to 'recall' all the memories held there. And the second option is to break down the barriers, expand your mind, and make you remember everything all at once. The mental expansion is so that you are not left like a vegetable with such an exorbitant amount of information inside your head, which I must say... is a lot. Your mind, as it is, simply won't be able to handle it"
"I... I... I... I don't know. Let them decide. I have no say in this room" said Nimue reluctantly. In the end she let Edgar and the others decide. She was a mere prisoner. And one they didn't trust. Or so she thought, when Edgar did something that surprised her.
Edgar pulled a pen from his pocket and handed it to Nimue to her surprise. This was the Excalibur in its hidden version. As had been mentioned, it was a loaner. And Edgar was giving it back to her. Something Nimue thought was never going to happen. At least not anytime soon.
"This..." Nimue wanted to ask, but Edgar's actions had left her speechless. It had to be said that Edgar practically forced her to give him the Excalibur.
She couldn't object. She had to lend her husband's treasure to Edgar. She thought it was already going to stay in Edgar's possession. That he returned it to her, and more so when he thought she was a mere prisoner, frankly surprised her.
"I didn't tell you, but the sword was a great help against Ares. That I beat the god is largely to this sword. Thank you for lending it to me" Edgar's tone was grateful. No falsehoods or jokes. It was pure. "With this, I want to settle the bad start we had. Believe me, it's not the first time I've gotten off on the wrong foot with someone due to circumstances. Clark can attest to that. When we first met, I practically left him in wheelchairs"
"Hey. I told you I got overconfident. That won't happen again"
"Whatever helps you sleep easier at night, big guy" Edgar just patted Clark on the shoulder twice. Clark smiled defeatedly at this.
He had to ask him for a rematch, but they'd been putting it off because of how busy they both were. But this amused him. Edgar had been right. They had gotten off on the wrong foot, but they were friends now. They had their differences, yes, but overall, they were good friends and respect each other.
Diana interrupted the antics of her beloved, and reached out comfortingly for Nimue's hand. Nimue felt a warmth in Diana's actions that she hadn't felt in a long, long time.
"Nimue, what Edgar means, is that you DO have a vote in this conversation. Your well-being is important. Yes, you are under observation, we won't deny that. But you are not a prisoner. We know you were just a victim of a bigger plan. We can't blame you for that"
Despite Batman's insinuation that Xanadu was the cause of Cyborg being kidnapped. To Diana, Edgar, and some others, this was not true. Why, because there was no malice within her. She was suspicious, yes, but she was not evil. That Edgar had already proven. It could be said that she was a mere puppet in this great game of puppeteering.
Diana turned to Lucifer, who was impassively watching this conversation, and asked.
"The two options, what are the pros and cons?"
"The first method is simpler and more, we could say, healthy for Nimue. It's like you lose your memory by an accident, and you remember little by little as time goes by. That same thing will happen in Nimue, if this option is done. The time for her to remember everything, I can estimate in a week or two.
The second method is more difficult. I would have to use more power on her, but she would immediately remember EVERYTHING stored in her head. A little dizzy for her, but nothing serious. Overall, time is the biggest difference in the methods. But that said, if you choose the second option, then the deal will be bigger. Just a heads up. So... what will you choose?"
Clark looked at Nimue and said, "It's your choice"
"The second one. I want the second one. I want to help you so you can rescue your friend and if it takes too long to remember then that won't be possible. I want to be useful to you. Let me help you. Please"
They all nodded and nodded to Lucifer that they decided on the second option. Lucifer nodded with satisfaction and smiled.
"Lovely. It shall be done. But first the deal, what I want is simple..." Lucifer looked at Edgar and pointed at him seriously. "A favour from you, Edgar. That's what I want"
"Impossible-" Diana was about to protest, but Edgar stopped her.
"What kind of favor?"
"Any kind. You might work a day for me in my bar, or kill someone. I don't know. I don't have anything in mind at the moment. But that said, a Rider's favor is always nice to have"
"As long as it's nothing harmful to the people I love, then I accept"
"Deal" Lucifer held out his hand and Edgar held it out to him. When they did, a small light projected them both. "That's it, the deal is done. And don't worry. I won't ask you for the favour as long as this situation is going on. Just be cool"
Edgar only nodded in understanding. Diana looked at him worriedly, but no longer said anything. She was upset and worried about her beloved, but this she would talk about later at home. For the moment, she accepted Edgar's decision.
Lucifer didn't even get up. He simply snapped his fingers and said, "Done"
"I don't feel any different...SHIT" Xanadu felt her mind expand. As her entire psyche cracked and re-formed into a larger, more organized memory. Like a library, all the memories began to reorganize into shelves, by importance, time and dates. Even memories she thought she had forgotten began to resurface in her head. She began to remember EVERYTHING.
When the process, which lasted only about 5 seconds, was over, Xanadu was panting and sweating. But she was fine. The strange thing is that physically, she felt different. Stronger, and even her magic felt more powerful. Lucifer guessed her thoughts, so he explained.
"I gave you a bonus. Not only did I expand your mind, but I unleashed your potential. For some strange reason your demigod power was blocked. I just released it. Your body will become stronger. Your mind more agile. And your power, that power that is already powerful, will become more potent. Even, with training, to say that you can come to rival the ancient Merlin is not far-fetched. Ha, what memories of that kid Merlin, how he used to get angry when I pulled his long beard, hahaha"
"I... I don't know what to say... thank you, thank you indeed"
"Don't thank me. Thank Edgar, he doesn't know, but like I said, a favour from a Rider is worth a lot. I was just being fair with the deal"
Nimue turned to Edgar and bowed in thanks.
"Thank you, Edgar. I really, really appreciate it"
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"I want to give you some advice" Lucifer said, as he escorted them out the door. Surprisingly, what the heroes felt like minutes had been hours of talk. So much so that the bar was already packing up and the customers were leaving.
Both Edgar and Clark were carrying a case of drinks, not cheap by any means, but to them, these drinks were worth every penny. The group was tired, and were about to go home, when Lucifer told them that, making them stop.
"And this advice is free, don't worry"
"What kind of advice?"
"A simple one for each of you. One that I know can help you resolve...many conflicts that I know you have or may have. Take it or leave it, it's your decision"
Lucifer turned to Clark and said.
"Don't be afraid of your potential, Kryptonian. And, above all, do not doubt your power. Doubt can have dire consequences"
Lucifer turned to Nimue and said.
"You are at a crossroads between staying in the past or moving into the future. My advice is, all change involves risks, but the gains can be huge"
Lucifer turned to Diana.
"Many are going to make you doubt your ideals. Many are going to question your motivation. But that doesn't matter. What matters in a person is his or her heart. Listen to your voice and never stray from YOUR conviction"
And finally, he turned to Edgar and said.
"You have a bigger role to play in this story. You will realize that the decisions you make, good or bad, can affect the future drastically. But don't worry, as long as you don't lose the essence of who you are, everything will be fine"
But that wasn't all, as he quickly told the entire group.
"And I will give you one last piece of advice. Enjoy your life. There is only one life. Long or short, but we come here to be happy. That's all that matters"
Everyone was taken out of their minds by these words. They did not understand why he said them. Although some of them did. Especially Edgar, who had conflicting thoughts in his head. Tonight he had a lot to think about.....
With that said, and with a farewell and a heartfelt thank you, the group departed. Lucifer watched them fly away into the dawn with a smile on his face. A thought came to his mind.
'I hope they get out of this situation. Because there are more difficult times ahead. And they are the only ones who can save everyone...'
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Batcave, Gotham City, June 16, 01:45, 2017
While this meeting was going on, Batman was in the Batcave configuring and managing all the information gathered by OMAC in the fight.
In addition to the data obtained by his sensors, the data analysis and comparison between New Gods and Old Gods was finished. Leaving him with quite a wealth of information gathered from the gods.
Not only was he profiling each god, where, from the analysis of the fights he had, he was beginning to analyze their combat patterns. But, like Cyborg before, he had obtained a conclusion from OMAC that Steppenwolf and these gods were more than 92% related. That is, they came from a family branch.
And from his thoughts, Bruce could swear that they were of extraterrestrial origin. That is, that the gods are alien beings who came a long time ago when mankind was just developing, originating the creation of mythologies as we know them.
A deduction that could not be proven, but was almost 100% certain. However, there was something else that was missing. Specifically, how to defeat them.
Thousands of theories in his head rattled around. Thousands of ideas of how to individually defeat each god he had collected. But he needed an overall plan. A general plan that would grant them their victory. A plan that would assure them the minimum possible allied casualties in the next fight.
But he still didn't have a plan in place. Well, it had only been a couple of days. Maybe by a week he would have the solution. At least he was optimistic about that. His thoughts were interrupted by OMAC's voice, which told him something surprising.
<PIP, 14 PIP. ENCRYPTED FILES SENT ON JUNE FROM CYBORG TO THE WATCHTOWER ARCHIVES HAVE BEEN DETECTED>
"Decrypt them, and show them to me"
<PIP, PIP. UNDERSTOOD. FILES DECRYPTED. SENT TO THE COMPUTER. SHOWING FILES...>
Batman was surprised by the information gathered. He knew it could be something important, but this...this was what he had researched from the gods, but with answers he didn't have. Specifically, weapons to combat them, contingency plans, and the subject of cosmic energy, where divine energy was derived.
"System, see if you can triangulate the signal and track the source"
<PIP,PIP.UNDERSTANDING.TRACKING...TRACKING...TRACKING...TRACKING... FAILERE TO TRACK. SIGNAL OUT OF SERVICE>
'Shit' cursed Batman to himself. 'At least I tried.' What he had asked OMAC to do was simple.
Look for Cyborg's signal and see if the source could be traced. That is, for OMAC to see if it could connect to the Motherbox or send a signal and from there search for Victor's whereabouts. Unfortunately, and as it had been in the immediate search, this had been fruitless.
To Batman it was obvious. Cyborg was in a place isolated from his technology. Of magical origin most likely.
But still, even though he was gone, Victor had given the Justice League a huge advantage. Especially because of the weapon he was presenting.
"Cosmic energy nullifier..." Batman muttered. "Cosmic energy... that's the key. System, open a new folder called 'Cosmic Energy'. Collect the data and compare it to the other energies in the other folders; magic, enthalpy, entropy, dark matter, antimatter, etc"
<PIP, PIP. UNDERSTANDING. 'COSMIC ENERGY' FOLDER, CREATED>
"Now, I need to create a plan to defeat the gods. NOT. I need a plan to defeat ALL that is coming. Demons, New Gods, Doomsday.... I need... I need..."
Batman finally had no more hesitation. With resolution, he asked OMAC
"System, create a complete section. Send ¼ of the system energy into this section and create an algorithm that looks for patterns of the following themes: Gods, Demons, Humans, Metahumans, Atlanteans, Amazons, Kryptonians..."
<PIP, PIP. UNDERSTANDING. SECTION CREATED. HOW DO I NAME THIS SECTION, SIR?>
"Name it as.... Brainiac"
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AN:
Next : Treason
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