Lex Luthor
She hangs up the phone and says, "I can almost see the headlines now; The death of Superman."
"Oh, the impact of what I do will have a much further reach than just that," I say as I examine the crystalline structure of the mineral through the miniaturized electron microscope on my work station,
"but yes, that will make for a most entertaining read."
Examining the way that K-49 is constructed, creating synthetic duplicates would be extraordinarily difficult and probably more costly than would be productive, especially considering I only need a sliver of it to do the job. Perhaps I can find a way to tap into all that stored energy, focus it as a direct-energy weapon, use it as the power source for a new generation of weapons technology.....
....of course, if all goes according to plan, none of that will be necessary.
On the subject of the plan, I open up a channel on my wireless earpiece, and call one of my favorite hired problem-solvers.
"Mister Blake, I trust that you're sober enough to understand what I'm saying," I say, my tone with just enough condescension to remind him of who is in charge without actually setting him off.
"Ugh, unfortunately," he grumbles from his home in Suicide Slum. I pay him quite a substantial amount to perform his duties, so why he chooses to live in such proverbial hole in the wall is beyond me.
"So, we doin' this or what?"
"To the point, as always," I say with a touch of admiration.
"Yes, we are indeed 'doing this.' The Manhattan Project is go, set to launch in two days. In the meantime, I need you to remove other undesirable elements from the equation. Anyone who might get through to the Blue Core's....inner workings."
There's a pause over the line as Blake processes what I'm telling him.
"So you want me to finish off the rest of the old crew," he says, with the closest I've ever heard to reluctance from him.
"Precisely. Veidt's assassination was a declaration of intent, but for these, I will need you to dispose of them without raising suspicion. Dreiberg, Juspeczyk, and Kovacs, if you can find him. Should they survive the first wave, any one of them could have a profound and unpredictable effect on Dr. Osterman's mental state. You will prevent such a possibility from arising."
"Well.....they won't go down easy," Blake says, his voice bordering on unwilling.
"Are you saying you can't do it?"
"No, Mr. Luthor, just.....it's gonna be a hell of a job to pull off in two days."
"Then impress me," I say before disconnecting the line, and opening up a new one.
"Doctor Wintergreen, is your client available?"
"For you, Mr. Luthor? Always."
"Good. Have Slade geared up and ready to dispatch a loose end of mine. The target is Edward Blake; if your boy is as good as he claims, he'll know the name immediately. Blake is currently carrying out a job for me. I want Wilson to track Blake, make sure the job is completed, and then terminate him."
"What's the time frame?"
"Thirty-six hours."
"Not a problem, Mr. Luthor."
"Good to hear," I say.
"Consider this your client's tryout to become my new favorite problem-solver. If he does his job well, there will be quite a future for the both of you."
With that, I disconnect my earpiece and continue working into the late hours of the night.
That night, I have a dream.
It's the same dream I have had almost every night for the last three years.
I'm running. Running through the corridors of my Tower, blast walls slamming shut and force fields going up as I run past them. They're a web of defense that could hold back the entire Chinese Army.
He practically wades through them, like he barely even notices.
No matter how fast I run, he's right behind me. That bright blue costume and red cape, that smile that's entranced millions. Those burning red eyes that could reduce me to ash at any second.
I dive behind my desk, scrambling for something, anything, to stop him or even slow him down. Nothing I have could even make a scratch.
Just like every night, he lifts the desk over his head, taking away my last bit of shelter, his eyes glowing, preparing to send me to oblivion.
This time, though, I find something in my pocket. A shard of glowing green rock.
I hold it up to him.....and the fire in his eyes is snuffed out.
I stand, and he begins to wither, his strength failing him, his skin beginning to blister and boil.
I finally hear him scream.....
....and I sleep more soundly than I have in years.