He doesn't even bother looking at Lex-. Alex. I'd pay attention if a hostile guy in power armor showed up. Is that a Parallel Universe of Evil thing, a… Idiot thing, a there's-a-reason-why-this-guy-didn't-get-promoted thing..?
"Neat." The guy looks us over and then walks to the front of the truck. "I'll be taking you back to one of the other sites. After that, it's your problem."
...He's just an idiot. Though Alexander may well have some manner of perception filter stealth system that works best on the dim-witted.
Alexander waves a hand towards the patch of air where the portal is.
"Oh. I see. Simple enough."
Or the guy really is that
dumb. You'd think he'd
recognise a guy who's constantly interfering with the Syndicate's plans.
Dick looks up at him. "Feel like teleporting yourself?"
"No, I'd need half an hour to build the core device myself and I see no reason to wait. I've set one of my factory units to do just that, just in case."
...Because of course he's already scanned, understood and
improved on the portal generator's design. Joy of a tenth-level intellect.
Okay, but he's a Luthor, so either he can't make it or he's already made it and doesn't want anyone to know. Whichever it is, he just kinda floats up into the back of the truck as the rest of us climb up. Still the same kinda truck were came her in, only now there's a few crates with food labels on the in the back with us. I pull one over to sit on, while Mitchell and Dick take the floor again. Alex takes a quick look at the crates and then turns around to face the exit, floating in the middle of the rear compartment.
Well, at least they're not going back empty-handed.
Someone pounds on the tailgate, then the truck starts up. I make eye contact with Dick and Mitchell for a moment, and we're all bracing for-.
Everything I've made of myself won't matter when the Anti-Life is all.
And hello Anti-Life. No, you weren't missed at
all.
For that. Damn! I'd kinda gotten used to it, but being completely free for a few hours just makes it hit harder!
"Uh." Alex looks stunned for an instant, then his expression goes back to normal. He didn't move from the exact centre of the trailer when it accelerated, and he's still there now. "That was unpleasant."
Interesting. His neural filter adjusting itself, eh?
Dick tilts his head to the side. "Get used to it. It gets worse."
Alex moves his hands like he's typing on an invisible keyboard. "I'll cope. Adjusting the parameters will only take a moment."
...Typing? How
prosaic. I guess he prefers the innate
distinction it allows him in terms of interface control, though.
"You're using some sort of cybernetic implant, right?"
"Yes, of course."
A distinction needed because why risk having something that could respond to
subconscious thoughts?
"Isn't that risky?"
"Compared to what? I've been exposed to dozens of types of mind altering effect over the years, and my current generation implant makes me immune or at least highly resistant to most of them. The degree of risk it adds is substantially less than the degree of risk it adds, a truth which is disturbingly pertinent to our situation."
...He's probably not
kidding, either. Think of all the superheroes, supervillains and alien threats with potential mind-affecting powers. Now imagine the former using them without
any moral restrictions to get what they want.
The truck stops, and after a moment interviewer guy pulls the rear door open.
"Okay, they're not expecting us yet, but if you want to get out in secret you should move now."
...Huh, guy's not as dumb as he looks. Must be book-dumb, street smart.
I just jump right out the back, Dick right behind me. Mitchell and Alex fly out a moment later. Oh, and now he pays Alex some attention.
"You gunna go out in the city looking like that?"
As opposed to what? A hat and trenchcoat?
Alex looks at Dick, who shrugs.
"We've got costumes, but they're a bit less noticeable than what you're wearing."
Especially in stealth mode.
Alex clears his throat, and-. His armour vanishes in some sort of hologram. When it stabilises, his clothes make him look like an unusually clean bum.
Dick nods. "That'll do." He leads the way out of the Gotham-side warehouse, checking who's around before heading out into the street. "We can take you to a safe house while we-."
...Huh, guess he
is wearing some variant of a hat and trenchcoat now. Or at least a warm jacket and beanie.
"I know Owlman's name." Alex looks around, though he's clearly not too worried. I'm worried, and I was born in this city. "According to your Earth's records he was never born here, but his younger brother is still alive. Which means I assume that his place of residence is your primary headquarters in this city, as well as the best place for me to make contact with him."
"I dunno. He's been running himself ragged lately."
...And you found out that much in what, thirty seconds? A little concerning. They may need to give him the 'secret identity' talk.
"I know the feeling. Ah, zeta radiation. Your transportation network?"
"Ah, yeah?" Dick's off-kilter. Alexander is picking stuff up fast. I've never met Lex Luthor, but I'm going to remember that this is probably how smart he is. "But you're not in system, and I can't add you."
...And Positive Lex isn't distracted by anything but Superman and his erstwhile co-conspirators in the Light. Let
that sink in, and let the worry increase.
"It's not a problem. I can track the zeta beam back to its destination."
"Our headquarters is shielded against intrusion. And it has a lot of counter-intrusion measures set up."
Including stuff recommended by OL, I hope. Which Alexander might have
some difficulties with, even if he knows how to fight magic-users of his world.
Alex nods. "Which you can't turn off, because that would defeat the entire purpose. Very well, I will await your return."
"Thanks. It's not that we don't trust you. It's-."
Though there probably is some undercurrent of distrust. Reversed morality or not, he
is Luthor.
"You can't trust yourselves. Believe me, I understand. I've had to spend a similar amount of time proofing my own technology against myself in case I was ever subverted. Would you like me to stand guard?"
"No, that would just attract attention. But I can give you access to-."
I wonder just how
many countermeasures he has set up for such a scenario.
"I've already connected my systems to your Earth's data networks. I'll take the time to acclimatise myself with the locale. Don't worry about contacting me when you're ready; I've already accessed your zeta tube network."
…
Geez, it's like he's trying to
speed-run saving the world.
Huh.
Alexander looks around, checking lines of slight. And then-. I stare up as he shoots into the sky.
...That always seems more reassuring when it's
Superman doing it. Must be the cape.
Dick's looking up, too. "You think they'd let us trade Luthors?"
"I think he'd probably wanna stick with his Earth."
And do you
want Positive Lex to be set loose on an entire planet of jackasses? He'll be
running the place in no time.
"Yeah." We check around us again, then start walking towards the zeta tube as fast as we can without drawing attention to ourselves. "Check in with Canis?"
"I should." He taps his communicator twice. "Because-."
Canis gonna
Canis.
"Ah…" Mitchell is looking south. "So, if Canis charged towards Blackgate and bulldozed everything in his way-?"
Dick taps his communicator again. "Then I need to get a hold of him urgently."
And Canis
did Canis. He Canis'd
very much.
"You want me to fly there?"
"No, he might actually have a plan." He taps his communicator with a little more force. "I mean, I doubt it, but-. Canis, where are y-?"
Well, now we get to see how
his side of matters turned out.
BOOM!
Brut walks through the book tube. Canis is sitting on his back, looking pleased with himself.
...He's alive. But is he
un-dominated?
"Comrades!"
Dick steps towards him. "Canis, do I need to explain the whole 'secrecy' thing to you again?"
A large man in fancy armour riding a giant dog isn't exactly
covert, Robin...
"I understand secrecy. I love the dramatic reveal! But it seemed to me that it was slow and ineffective at achieving our actual goal. So I decided to try things my way. And now that you have returned, we can formulate a plan for dealing with Charity Auction Darkseid."
"The plan was to covertly monitor Mistress."
The only reason Robin's not face-palming right now is that he need both hands free to chocke Canis.
"Wouldn't it be easier if I just cooperated?"
And then the walls closed in and crushed us.
...I hope that's just
metaphorical, based on proximity to a large node of Anti-Life...
