290 Da Way #290

"So you've come..." Maxwell Lord said as he watched Wonder Woman burst into the room after whatever security systems he and professor Ivo had installed with ease.

"Maxwel...? So you are responsible for this mess...?" Wonder Woman said after a brief pause. "Why are you doing this, and what in Hera's name happened to you...?" She asked as she noticed Lord's deathly ill appearance.

"I am, but the whys and hows don't matter much..." Lord replied as he struggled to smile. "As for my current state, it's no doubt the work of a freak like yourself..." He added, gritting his teeth as his smile vanished.

"I suppose it doesn't matter..." Wonder Woman said. "Undo whatever you've done to Superman, and we'll have a long discussion in Stryker Island as to why you would behave in such a manner," She added as she threateningly stepped towards the man.

"I don't think I will..." Lord replied, stopping halfway through his sentence to cover his mouth as he coughed, blood leaking between his fingers. "I am already a dead man... you don't scare me..." He added as he regained his smile, showcasing his bloodied teeth.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice..." Wonder Woman said, brandishing her Lasso of Truth as she approached Lord. "Now speak! How do I undo your control over Superman's mind?!" She asked as she bound him in the golden rope.

"I've spent many years infiltrating Superman's mind and influencing his deepest, most subconscious thoughts..." Lord replied, his flashing in a golden light as he spoke. "The only way to undo my control is to force me to cancel it myself or to kill me..." He added.

"How do I force you to undo your control...?" Wonder Woman asked, to which Lord only laughed, much to her displeasure. "Speak mongrel," She added as she tugged on the rope, tightening it around him.

"You can't force me. I'm already a dead man. I no longer have anything to lose..." Lord replied, his laughs growing louder and his smile more smug as he spoke. "You will have to kill Superman or me to undo the effects of my power," He concluded.

"The time is ticking... what will the great Diana of Themscyra do?" Lord asked, having regained his freedom from the Lasso of Truth after answering Wonder Woman's question.

"Will you kill me without trial? Or will you stand by and watch Superman destroy the city...?" He asked as he turned to a computer screen showing live footage of the man of steel rampaging above the docks, growing more unhinged with every attack.

"Then you leave me no choice..." Wonder Woman gravely said as she unsheathed her sword. "May you find guidance to Hades' realm," She added as she raised the blade and swung at Lord's neck.

However, instead of hitting flesh, Wonder Woman's sword seemed to hit something solid, creating a loud metallic ring, much to her surprise upon finding Grayson standing between her and Lord.

"What do you think you're doing, child...?" Wonder Woman asked, frowning as she put more strength into her sword, trying to force Grayson away from Lord. "We don't have much time. I must kill this man to free Superman before he causes any more damage," She added, her expression sinking as she realized Grayson wasn't budging.

"I've got no love lost for Maxwell lord, but you kill, and you'll ruin your reputation and that of the League," Grayson replied, vehemently shaking his head. "It's what Lord wants. He has cameras set up all over the place. He wants you to kill him," He added, standing his ground.

"Do you take me for a fool? I know of Lord's plan, but what choice do I have?" Wonder Woman calmly replied. "I have made an oath to the gods and myself. I will do what I must to protect the innocent, even if it means others will shun and despise me for it," She added, fully prepared to keep talking, only for a loud gunshot to fill the building, forcing her to swallow her words.

"You're not the only one who's made such an oath," Deborah Tiegel said, putting her gun back into its holster as she watched Lord's body lifelessly fall on the ground. "The only difference is that I'm licensed to use lethal force to uphold my oath, unlike you," She added as she approached Lord's body to inspect his vitals.

"He's dead, and this is now officially a crime scene. I need both of you clear out on the double," Deborah concluded, crossing her arms as she stood up and looked at Grayson and Wonder Woman.

"You heard the commissioner. We're trespassing," Grayson said, giving Wonder Woman a meaningful glance as he put away his axe. "We need to go," He added as he headed for the exit, gesturing for the amazonian goddess to follow.

...

"Was that your doing...?" Wonder Woman asked with a frown as she flew behind me. "I understand you didn't wish to speak in front of the cameras, but I need an explanation now..." She added.

"It was," I replied as I stopped midair, prompting Wonder Woman to do the same. "The only way to stop Lord was to kill him. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting the last laugh, though," I continued.

"If you or I had killed him, then our reputations would be gone just like that," I said, snapping my fingers. "Commissioner Deborah, on the other hand, is licensed to kill if the situation demands it, and she did just that," I concluded.

"Deborah Tiegel is a regular human. You should not have brought her into this mess. The burden was not hers to carry," Wonder Woman said with a grimace at my words.

"Deborah is Gotham's police commissioner and one of the best cops in the entire country. She can take care of herself," I replied, scoffing at Wonder Woman's ridiculous words. "Regular humans might look like ants to you from way up here, but you'd be foolish to count them out," I added without bothering to hide the annoyance in my tone.

"Maybe if you bothered to spend some time in the streets instead of flying over them, you'd realize that," I concluded, shaking my head.

"Regardless, you involved the commissioner in a conflict that could have caused her grievous harm, and albeit indirectly, you've arranged for Maxwell Lord's death," Wonder Woman said, her frown growing more pronounced as she looked me in the eye.

"We don't do that; It's not--" Wonder Woman added, pausing halfway through her sentence as she heard a loud swoosh and Superman appeared, followed by an uncomfortable-looking Kara.

"It's not our way..." The man of steel completed Wonder Woman's sentence, then slowly turned to face her. "Maxwell's death shouldn't have been an option in the first place..." He harshly added, clearly addressing Wonder Woman.

"And who are we, exactly?" I said with a frown. "You make it sound like we're part of the same highschool club or something," I added, raising an eyebrow as I crossed my arms.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it now; I'm no hero, never was, never will be," I firmly stated. "I haven't broken any laws either, so don't even think about telling me what to do, especially not when you were trying to destroy the city a minute ago," I concluded.

"That is not fair, child..." Wonder Woman said with a frown. "You know he was not in his right mind and didn't harm anyone..." She added, alternating her gaze between the man of steel and me.

"Oh, yeah? And how many times has that happened already?" I asked with a mocking chuckle. "Better yet, how many times does it need to happen before you all stop being so careless...?" I asked.

"One man, one fucking regular human with a party trick of a telepathic power, managed to infiltrate your ranks and brainwash the so-called best of the Justice League..." I concluded, barely holding in the urge to punch something or someone.

"I understand, but we are humans. We are prone to making mistakes, but that doesn't--" Superman said, breaking his silence, only for me to interject and cut him off before he could go on.

"The hell you are. When humans make mistakes, they fuck up their dinner at best or ruin their lives at worst," I said with a scowl as my patience ran dry. "When you make a mistake, you could destroy entire cities and kill thousands..." I added.

"Just because you look and act the part doesn't make you human..." I said, taking a deep breath. "The sooner you get that through your thick Kryptonian skull, the sooner you can do something about your carelessness," I continued.

"Grow the fuck up!"

...

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