January 31, 2011
Location: Star City
As I stood there over Bane, it finally hit me. I had killed a person. Never in either of my lives have I killed someone. So, the fact that I just did made me feel ill.
"...Sir, you do not have any battery left and have no other weapons available. It is best that you leave the area and head to where Ms. Graves is before you are attacked again," S.E.B.A.S advised.
"I know S.E.B.A.S, I know, but just let me...just let me be for a bit."
I stood there processing what I felt. After a few minutes, I finally accepted that I had killed someone and that I would bear that sin regardless that it was in self-defense. I would never feel comfortable taking someone's life, but I would do what I must to survive in this chaotic universe and protect what's mine.
The ideology of some of the superheroes in this world did not suit me. Yes, I believed in mercy and forgiveness, but I also believed in true justice. How could supervillains such as the Joker, Darkseid, or Trigon be left alive? After committing so many atrocities, they deserved to be put down.
I took one last look at Bane's body, and I saw his precious venom leaking out of the tubes connecting to him. That is when an idea struck me. I could probably use it to synthesize the Super Soldier serum! In the MCU, they used the combination of the heart-shaped herb and vita-rays to create Captain America. There was no such thing as a heart-shaped herb in this universe. The vita-rays were just another form of electromagnetic radiation with a specific wavelength that helped stabilize the transformation. I could easily find something similar to vita-rays, but replacing the heart-shaped herb was another matter. Well, until now.
Venom was...an interesting drug. When used, it gives the user enhanced strength, durability, endurance, and speed, making them superhuman. In fact, the drug was more potent than the super soldier serum, making the user better than Captain America overall. However, like all drugs that were better than the super soldier serum, it came with significant drawbacks. Venom made the user extremely stupid, increased their rage, was temporary, and caused addiction. Bane could handle it because he was very intelligent, so the side effects, such as the lowered intelligence and increased rage, did not hinder him as extensively unless he used an excessive amount of venom.
I was confident that I could reverse-engineer the drug and use it to create a permanent serum that had no drawbacks but would only enhance my stats. The exact amount that the super soldier serum enhanced Steve Rogers, maybe even a little more. So I went up to Bane's body and collected enough venom for me to experiment with.
Damn, was it a long day. It was extremely dark, for it was already 11:53 pm. The sun was gone, and the only light around was the burning flames from my fight and whatever light posts that were still up that somehow managed to survive the conflict. It was chilly since I only wore a white long-sleeved dress shirt, gray slacks, and crimson tie. As I was about to walk off, I heard a loud noise from the rooftops.
I had forgotten all about Deadshot! Damn, my one-track mind. Here I was, contemplating morality and creating a super soldier serum when I could have died ten times by now. S.E.B.A.S was right; I should have left. I knew I could not run away since I was defenseless. My force field was already dead after my repulsor cannon had used up all the energy from the arc reactor. So, if I ran, I would be an easy target for him. I would have to fight once again.
I picked up a weapon belonging to one of Bane's men from the ground and ensured it was loaded with rounds. Once I secured a few more magazines, I ran into the building where the sound originated. I was going to take the fight to him. However, as I entered the building and got closer, I could hear the sounds get louder. It sounded like two people were fighting with one another.
That is when I saw him—Batman, the real-life Batman, beating the brakes out of Deadshot. This was not some actor in some expensive costume—no, this was the real-life legendary Batman! His outfit looked very similar to the one from Batman: Arkham Knight. Man, was I fanboying internally right now. However, I kept my composure and went to stop Batman from hospitalizing him because I needed answers on who had sent Deadshot. I am quite vindictive and refuse to let anyone, including Batman, prevent me from receiving justice.
"Can you please stop harassing him? The poor man looks like he might soil himself. Plus, I believe I have the right to question him since I was the party affected, after all." I stated this as coolly as possible since first impressions matter.
He yanked Deadshot back from the ledge, causing Deadshot to fall on his butt. Batman then threw a pill from his utility belt that exploded a large amount of foam all around Deadshot that quickly hardened, ensnaring him. Deadshot struggled to get free, but it looked like he was trapped.
Batman marched towards me and glared at me harshly, stopping only a foot away from me. That is when I joked, "I apologize, Batman, but I only like being this close to beautiful women."
He only continued to glare with rage in his eyes. That is when he coldly stated, "You killed him."
Was he upset that I killed Bane? I knew he had this weird code about "not crossing the line," but this was being unreasonable. "If you are talking about the men after me, I did. Do you have any issue with that?"
He grabbed my shirt from its collar, apparently not pleased with what I said. "You did not have to kill them!" He declared.
Okay, now I am upset. He was defending the man who was after my life, killed my men, and killed for a living, and he was furious that I defended myself in self-defense. Nah, fuck that. I firmly knocked his arms off me and glared back, stating, "Would you rather I be dead or hiding so you can continue playing superhero, Batman? No, I am justified since he was after my life, and I have the right to protect myself!"
He only continued glowering at me as if I were in the wrong, his belief in his dumb code unwavering. This was why Gotham was still a shit hole in all forms of media because mass murderers with superpowers were not put down. Hell, why didn't the government execute them?
A minute passed, and this game of who would blink first got tiresome and got us nowhere. I walked past him and was going to get answers from Deadshot when he grabbed my shoulder hard. "We are not done here, Lex."
"Yes, we are Batman," I moved closer to him and spoke very quietly so only Batman could hear, "Or should I say, Bruce Wayne."
He froze very briefly and let go of me. He looked calm, but I could tell that knowing his real identity shook him deeply, especially since he had stopped scowling at me. I turned back and headed toward Deadshot. Just in case, I took a glance behind me, and he was gone. Fucking Batman, they were right about not meeting your heroes.
As I approached the encased supervillain, I could see that he was still struggling to free himself from captivity. He spotted me, stopped, and joked, "Looks like you got me, Mr.Luthor; you think you can let me off?"
I grinned and questioned, "Now, why would I be doing that, Floyd?"
"Seriously, why even bother wearing a mask at this point since everyone knows who I am?" he lamented, "So, you obviously aren't going to kill me since you haven't put a bullet in my head yet; what do you want?"
"Who hired you?" I simply asked.
"Now, why would I tell you?"
"For multiple reasons: one, you were just going to tell Batman; two, unlike Batman, I do kill, as demonstrated with your partner Bane; and most importantly, three, you wouldn't want your poor daughter; what is her name again? Ah, yes, Zoe Lawton, to be fatherless, right?"
He froze, and all trace of humor from earlier was gone. With rage in his voice, he tried to declare, "If you even try to see Zoe, I am going to..."
SMACK! I backhanded him hard against his cheek, interrupting him. I then stated, "To do what, Floyd? Kill me. You already tried and failed, so how about you cooperate, huh?"
He was quiet, probably trying to weigh his options or figure out how to escape this predicament. I was not actually going to do anything to his kid, but I needed him to talk.
Feeling bad for using his child as collateral, I sighed out loud. I decided to throw him a bone, "How about this: you give me all the names of everyone who was involved in trying to kill me, and I will fully pay to treat your daughter's condition and get the best doctors involved."
He was shocked once again, but this time pleasantly so. "How...how do you know about her condition?"
"I'm Lex Luthor; I know everything; how else do I also know yours and your daughter's name?" I boldly stated.
He was deep in thought once again. After some time, he looked me in the eyes and simply confirmed, "You got a deal, Mr. Luthor."