161 CHAPTER 159

Captain Cold leaned back in the dimly lit motel room, his frosty exterior betraying the excitement that danced in his eyes. "So... What time are we hitting this gig?" he inquired, a rare glimmer of enthusiasm breaking through his cold demeanor.

Tom, ever the planner, glanced at the blueprint on the small table between them, a makeshift war room in the midst of their secretive preparations. "You seem awfully excited. That's almost out of character for you," he remarked, his analytical mind always at work.

Cold's grin widened as he replied, "It would be hard not to get excited. I haven't been on a heist for so long. Do you know how it feels to not steal something for so long?"

Tom paused, turning to Leo with an intense, calculating gaze. "No… No, I don't," he said with a clear hint of sarcasm, his voice tinged with a touch of amusement, "but from the way you're acting, I'd say it's almost as if you've deprived a drug addict of ecstasy for a few months."

A chuckle escaped Captain Cold's lips. "I wouldn't go with that kind of example, but you get the point." He reached into his bag, retrieved a meticulously drawn blueprint, and laid it on the table.

Tom leaned in to study the layout. "Hope you didn't involve Heatwave in this job."

Captain Cold shook his head definitively. "Nah, there's no way I would involve Mick in this kind of job. He's too noisy for this, and he might end up robbing the whole place dry. We don't want any unnecessary attention on ourselves; we just need to get in and out of there with our package."

Leo observed the blueprints, impressed by Tom's resourcefulness. "The Luthor Mansion's blueprints are held privately and are inaccessible, but with satellite imagery and a few drones, you've managed to sketch out the layout like always."

Captain Cold raised his head, meeting Tom's gaze with unwavering determination. "You still haven't told me what we're really after. I got excited because I've always wanted to rob the Luthor Mansion, but tell me what you're really after."

Understanding the importance of trust in their line of work, Tom decided to be forthright. "I need information from Lex's personal computer, which he keeps in either his room or his study. You'll be the one to retrieve it for me because I won't be with you guys this time."

Captain Cold's expression shifted, a touch of nostalgia in his voice as he asked, "Wait, you won't be involved in the heist like old times?"

Tom explained, "There's a press conference today, and since we can't predict Lex's movements, I'll go stall him for as long as I can."

"Sounds about right," Captain Cold nodded. "But how do I know what file you might be looking for?"

Tom reassured him, "Don't worry about that. I'll give you a drive that will extract every piece of information related to what I need to know. I wouldn't want to gather information that doesn't concern me, given the kind of madness that goes on in Lex's head."

Lex, a madman known for his inhuman experiments, was not one to take lightly. Captain Cold mused, "From the little notes you've made on the blueprints, it seems security won't be much of a challenge."

Tom agreed, "Yeah, Lex is so arrogant that he relies mainly on tech-based security and human security detail. When he had an army of metahumans at his disposal, he believed no one could succeed in an assassination attempt against him. Only an irrational person would have the guts to steal something from the Luthor Mansion."

Captain Cold's mischievous smirk returned. "I guess we're both irrational fellows," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Only those who are crazy enough are truly free to do what they want in this world."

Tom nodded, embracing their shared recklessness. "True, that's something I've come to realize. Contact the boys; it's almost time."

… 

Lex Luthor, the cunning mastermind, stood confidently at the pulpit, his presidential campaign announcement an elaborate charade, a mere formality before he claimed the position he already owned. His carefully orchestrated plan had positioned him as the puppet master, with two unwitting competitors dancing on his strings.

Facing a sea of eager reporters, their hands thrust in the air, he noticed Lois Lane among them and couldn't resist taunting her. "Yes, Lois, my favorite reporter," he said with a smug smile.

Lois, undeterred, fired a pointed question, her fierce gaze locking with Lex's. "What do you have to say about you and Superman's sudden partnership?" Their strained relationship had become a topic of public fascination ever since Superman's return after his captivity by Lex.

Lex attempted to evade, his words laced with clever ambiguity. "Could you rephrase that question? I do not understand what you're trying to say."

Lois persisted, her tone unrelenting. "I mean, we all know that you and Superman seem to have a cat-and-mouse relationship in this city of Metropolis. All of a sudden, he decides to partner up with a criminal like yourself."

Lex, the consummate orator, paused for effect before continuing, "Oh, Lois, always one with the harshest tongue. I admit that I have had some wrongdoings in the past, but that's precisely why I'm campaigning for the presidential seat. I have changed and wish to give my all back to the people of this city and to this country."

He placed his hand over his heart, a gesture of sincerity, as he went on. "Superman has seen that I am a changed man and now fully supports my decision to make this country a better, safer place, hence supporting my campaign." The audience responded with a round of applause, validating Lex's expertly crafted narrative.

Lois had more questions, but Lex chose to single her out again. "Yes, Lois."

She pressed on with a challenging inquiry. "There have been rumors about you being able to manipulate people's minds and bend their will to align with yours. Many say that's what you did to Superman. What do you have to say about that?"

Lex, confident and unruffled, countered, "As you've just said, they are rumors and nothing more. LexCorp might be technologically advanced, but we don't possess the means to manipulate the mind of a person, let alone the Man of Steel himself."

The room erupted in a cacophony of reporters clamoring for attention. "Relax, one at a time," Lex attempted to restore order.

But suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept through the room, sending files flying and causing a mini-tornado of chaos. Panic ensued, with reporters struggling to maintain their composure.

Lex's security detail swiftly moved to evacuate him when a commanding voice echoed through the tumult. "Come on, Mr. Luthor, there's no need to leave. The night is still young."

The wind settled, and the crowd searched for the source of the voice. To their astonishment, a figure dressed in black sat confidently on the platform, legs crossed over a table he'd brought up with him.

Reporters gasped and murmured in fear and surprise. "It's the criminal with the highest bounty."

"What is he doing here?" A random voice said in a low tone. 

"How did he get in here?" The whispers came from every corner. 

"Was he responsible for the commotion?"

"Why did he show up here? He is a wanted criminal." They kept on with the murmurs but he paid them no mind. 

Lex, however, maintained a sly smile, intrigued by Ace the Tyrant's audacious appearance. "Why don't you take a seat, Mr Luthor? I've got quite a few interesting things to say."

The room held its breath as a tense encounter between the mastermind and the enigmatic criminal began, setting the stage for an enthralling twist in the drama which was about unfolding before their very eyes.

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