CHAPTER 136

[Tom Hendricks POV] 

On live TV the Man of Steel rose back on his feet and the cheer from the spectators around was as loud as it could possibly get, annoyingly so. 

*TSK!!!*

"Bummer, was getting ready to pop a bottle as soon as he was confirmed dead at that moment." Leo stated, having a disappointed look on his face. 

"Why would you say that?" Jason asked, cocking up an eyebrow and turning to him. 

"At least his death would leave Metropolis 'unprotected'…" He made air-quotes on the word as he continued. "And trust me when I say Metropolis is indeed a fertile land." He said while he turned to give me a cryptic smirk, one which I clearly understood. 

Since it was Superman's turf, the banks and any building which held valuables, didn't get frequent attacks as much as the other cities like Gotham and Central City. Neither the less, whether Superman lives or dies, once I'm bored with Gotham I think I would go over to Metropolis and have a taste of that foreign land protected by an alien who seems more like a demigod in this world. 

I stood up from there and proceeded to my room, leaving those two to their drama while I sent a message to my business partners whom I had that private meeting with back in Los Angeles. Lex Luthor had made his move and things could take on a drastic turn from here on out, one none could possibly predict. The attacks on the League can't possibly be random, they were carefully calculated and skillfully executed. 

Looking beyond the criminals who carried out the act, it was clearly visible that a mastermind pulled the strings from behind the scenes. Also, it was time to make some Benjamin's, and by that, I mean serious cash. Mainly by selling the psychic protector I had created. Then when the word goes out about Luther controlling people, especially those in power to do his bidding, then I would start selling it off at the black market. 

*Hahaha!!!*

"Who says one can't make money in times of crisis." The words I muttered as a devious laughter played in my head. I could simply just locate Luthor, kill him, kill Grodd and put an end to all this but I would like to see how it plays out without me directly interfering with the matter of things. It makes things kinda… Fun.

I sent out the spam message to their emails and noticed one which immediately popped up on my mailbox, one from Deathstroke. According to the email, some guy named Black Mask has been snooping around a little too much, in search of a way to contact Ghost. 

I don't like doing business with desperate rats, they are double-edged swords that you could either exploit to their limited potential, or they probably have their own agenda in mind. I just replied for Deathstroke to keep an eye on his activities and not interfere with him, if he is up to no good then he would get sloppy out of desperation and do something stupid over time. 

We would let him go too deep and step on a trip wire, then we'd make him pay heavily for his curiosity and whatever purpose he seeked to defy or go against me. 

I asked Deathstroke to keep an eye on him. I meant that in a more literal sense 'cus the dude has only one eye. Then for Deadshot to gather Intel so he sends me a briefing on everything he could get on Black Mask, to help me grasp the kind of person he was and understand how he thinks.

…

[Bruce Wayne's POV] 

I cautiously made my way through the dimly lit mine, my keen senses on high alert. The air was thick with tension, and I could feel that something was amiss. In the distance, I spotted the faint emerald glow of Green Lantern's power ring, a beacon amidst the darkness. I immediately quickened my pace. 

As I closed the gap between us, I couldn't ignore the weariness etched on Green Lantern's face. His features were etched with exhaustion, his usually strong demeanor faltering. It was as if he had endured a trial that had pushed him to his limits. And it was that flicker of doubt in his eyes that troubled me the most. I had seen unwavering determination in his gaze before, but now there was hesitation, a seed of uncertainty.

The mine was eerily silent, save for the echoes of my barely audible footsteps as I approached him. Green Lantern turned to face me, his ring illuminating his features. I met his gaze with a calm yet resolute expression, I could clearly see the turmoil within him as he held on to the lifeless body of a lady in his arms. I spoke calmly, my voice cutting through the stillness. "Hal, listen to me. However it looks, this wasn't your fault."

He looked at me, a mix of surprise and a hint of relief crossing his features. I could tell that he had been grappling with his thoughts, unsure of his next steps. His voice carried a weight as he replied, "Whose fault was it then? I was the one with the most powerful weapon in the universe. I was the one whose arrogance led to this girl's death."

"I saw what happened with those criminals and could tell what happened to that hostage." I said to him, my words were deliberate and measured.

I approached him, my cape swirling in the shadows. "I know a little about arrogance and I also know about dead bodies, and that isn't one." I pointed to the dead body he had in his arms, she was black haired and kophad the features of his former lover, a weak spot for him. I walked closer to him and ripped off the dead, revealing mechanical parts as his eyes widened in surprise. 

"She's a sophisticated android, they all were. The entire scenario was to convince you that you made a bad call. But you didn't."

His eyes widened, disbelief giving way to a glimmer of hope. "I was afraid that…" 

"No, you weren't afraid. Not really. You were dosed with a synthesized version of the Scarecrow's fear gas, because will is the sauce of your strength." I elaborated on it, revealing to him the facts that made up the entire scene and how he got so caught up in it. 

"And fear is the enemy of will." He said with an even tone as he got a complete understanding of what exactly was at play."

"I have the antidote to the fear gas right here." I reached for my utility belt and pulled out a vial with the antidote in it. "Don't need it." He replied.

Green Lantern didn't hesitate even for a moment, his gaze directed at his ring which was on the ground. Then, with a determined resolve, he raised his ring-bearing hand. The emerald light blazed to life, enveloping him in its radiant energy. His transformation was both awe-inspiring and heartening, a symbol of unwavering strength.

"Robots, advanced drugs, psychological profile, no way Star Sapphire came up with this on her own." Green Lantern said as we flew out of the cave in an emerald green ball he had conjured up. 

… 

[Back at the Justice League headquarters]

The top members of the League sat across from each other in their conference hall. Wonder Woman was curious for an answer as she addressed the elephant in the room. 

"How were they able to get such information on us?" 

"That's something I would like to know too because they weren't random attacks, they each exploited our weaknesses." Flash said as he cocked up an eyebrow.

"Something only those close to us would know." Green Lantern added as they darted eyes around, without making it seem like they suspect one another. 

"The plans were mine…" Batman said. 

"Wait."

"What now?" Everyone mumbled their own surprise as they gazed at him. 

"I have carefully studied every Justice Leaguer, past and present. And created contingency plans to neutralize you, should that ever become necessary."

"You've got to be kidding." Flash said. "How could you do that?" Green Lantern asked. 

"Neutralize, not kill. Whoever implemented my plans altered them."

"Its still a completely unacceptable breach of our trust." Wonder Woman said to him. 

"The members of the Justice League are among the most powerful and potentially most dangerous people on the planet."

"You think one of us would go over to the other side?" Flash asked. 

"Or succumb to mind control. Yes its possible." Batman replied. "That's why I developed plans for containing any or all members of the JLA, should the need ever arise." 

"None of us would ever do that to you." Superman firmly said. 

"Then you are all damn fools. If you can't see the potential of such an event happening then there's no point in me staying here."

"Lets not go that far just yet, remember there's still someone out there who just tried to kill us. And something tells me that this was just a small step to keep us distracted." Green Lantern said with furrowed eyes. 

"Is there any way to track down this person?" Martian Manhunter asked. 

"Having the file stolen from me was a mistake on my part, but luckily the file calls home once they are decrypted."

"Nice." Flash said as Batman walked over to press on a button. It revealed an holographic display which pinpointed a specific location. 

Everyone had their eyes glued to it as they wondered who could be the culprit. Batman pinged on the private residence and detailed information came flooding in, the files were decrypted at a private estate which belonged to LexCorp. 

"Luthor, I should have known." Superman said as rage sipped into him. "Let's put aside the matter with Batman for now and gear up, it's time to pay Lex a little visit."